Category: Uncategorized

Another Eureka Moment

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
Where do you get ideas or spark?
What time does it happen?
I can’t remember when ideas strike and when they that moment comes.

Today, I had this thought when I was having my bath. It’s a totally absurd idea, but it can help someone in distress or it can be guide during the time when you break the law.

Here’s a guide to handle Indian cops. So, here’s the story.

How many times have you read in the newspaper of the harrowing tale of people who were wrongly accused by the police and later harassed by them? Also, there are cases where people have broken a minor law and they end up with a big trauma in police station. How many people have lost a day or more waiting for some problem they had with the law.

Is there a way out, when you’re in such a mess?

Imagine you’re in a new state, where you’re not familiar with the language, you don’t have friends or relatives or connection to bail you – what will you do when you’re caught in the wrong side of law.

So here’s my idea – Create a comprehensive book on how to wriggle your way from the long arm of law. It will contain few basic rules on how to react when you’re caught by the cops. For instance, if you’re caught for drink and drive at M.G Road, what are the chances of you slipping out? Probably none!! But, if you’re street smart and know basic rules the chances are that you can get away by paying some fine or by trying to grease their palm.

Well, this handy guide will be helpful when there is a minor transgression with the law. It’s not when you commit a big stuff, and start hunting for ways to escape. Well, in India, everything can happen, provided you have the right connection, but imagine you’re just a small fry and you are alone.

So, will such a guide help the common man:

The guide could be an online guide with practical tips. It could be started as a portal which provides answers to common problems faced by people, the legal support, answer to pertinent questions such as filing case, and providing transparency into the system.

This kind of portal should have separate session for each state, as each state has a different hierarchy and methodology. It will also act as the watchdog of the bribes accepted by cops, or it could also alert people of major crime, etc.

What about creating a Dummies series on how Indian Police System? It will answer questions such as:

  • How are bribes paid?
  • What’s the standard bribe for traffic rule violation in __ state? 
  • What is FIR? Can I lodge a complaint through email?
  • If I loose my mobile phone, what are my chances of getting back?
  • How to file a complaint when someone steals my vehicle?
  • I’m swindled by a con man – how should I deal with it?
  • What are common tricks used by a con man?
  • What about the interview with a con man, disclosing the inside story? 
  • How to safely withdraw money from ATM at night?
  • Is this road safe at night? What are the precautions to be taken?

Well, ideas are countless, but creating such a collective and useful book or newsletter is a mamoth task. Probably, you can think about it or share with venture capitalists to fund this project. Or it could be a small project in a remote village which will help people to understand their rights and find solution.

Though I’ve deal this topic in a lighter way, the entire project could be something which can help our citizens and make our police system a transparent one.

Coming up next, is a portal to help retired cops.

Matter of Waste Disposal in Bangalore

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
Finally, there’s a positive move!

I think authorities are slowly waking up to the growing mounts of waste, and thinking of tightening the noose at place where it matters. These days the waste collection autos are asking residents to segment and segregate dry and wet waste.

This was a step which they should have started many years back, but then we should be happy that they started now. I think, it’s time the civic authorities, enforce strict laws on waste disposal fine people who are careless.
But, will these things work in India? Who will have the guts to enforce it when all are busy to just run the show, not doing real difference!

But, if things go in such slow pace, them we citizens suffer. The locality becomes a dump yard and other problems will blossom. For instance, the area where our lane joins the main road is a bumping point. Due to frequent waste, the rats are having a gala jolly time. During late evening, it’s hard not to notice the scores of rats running in and out of the waste. I bet a big rat colony has sprung in a short time.

So, what’ the lesson:

  • Try to segregate the waste
  • Avoid dumping the waste in public places

( easier said than done)

Another idea to make a cleaner and beautiful locality. Here goes my plan. I was thinking of the posh and middle class apartments in each locality. And, invariably each apt owner has to shell out maintenance cost. This is exclusively for the upkeep of the building, security, lights in common areas, etc, What if you these apartments also charge a nominal charge ( from Rs 100 to…) for maintaining the surrounding locality. Probably, they can maintain few flower beds, or grow mother-in law’s tounge or money plant. The idea of planning this is simple. I recently came across a TED video where you a speaker said how these plants produce oxygen, recycle toxic air, etc. So, what not plant these inexpensive ones in and around your colony or apartment.

Apart from using this money for growing these plants, some money could be spend on monthly cleaning of the local area or repair of broken drain slabs, etc.

Again the question is – will be residents be willing to spend some money on a clean neighborhood? I feel most Indians have a habit of only taking care of their house, their compound, or just their courtyard. They are least concerned if the dump-yard few mts from their house is  overflowing or the road outside has plastic covres. We are just shortsighted people and we get what we deserve.

But, it’s time we moot a change. Can we, can we, think beyond our house, our colony or apartment? 

End of Typical Indian Family Bonding and Love

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Suddenly I find a our neighborhood level and family level conversation dying. For example, earlier in a typical marriage function, the entire family used to join hands to conduct it. Today, it’s the entire task is outsourced to an event management company. So, what’s the role of we relatives or neighbors? We just walk in at the alloted time, shake hands, smile randomly and have lunch or dinner. Where is the connection? What kind of involvement you have towards the newly married couple? What did you do together to make it happen?

Well, there are reasons why this new arrangement has set in. It’s the lack our life, the new busy life, etc. But, when we go ahead with the new set of things, are we really doing justice to the event? Are we building the bold or loosing it?

Fit in or Stand out

Once I went for a marriage function in Kodugu. It was my wife’s best friend’s brother was getting married. As a person interested in functions, festivals, etc, I look this as a chance to witness marriage and the Coorgi’s culture. One thing which I saw on the previous day was this – the ladies in the family has joined together to make preparation to make the food, etc. It was nice to see the family boding, doing task in unison.

What’s the coorgi lessons for rest of us?
Next time, you have a wedding in your family, thing of taking a part of the task with the family. It could be a small task, but make sure you find people within your family to execute it. It could be the job of serving or it would the preparation of a dessert for the reception.

The whole idea of such a joint task is get involvement or bonding within family memember. I hope you get the idea!

Try it out!

How Old Are You?

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Never Too Late to Learn or Unlearn!

Today’s nimble – For no reason I thought how the hot mama in our neighborhood would look like in her wonder years ( School time). Was her miniature as smart, collected and sensual? Or she was just another teenager in school looking for chance to get attention from boys?

So, what’s this exercise?

Collect all the school pics of your friends or relatives and make a collage. It would take sometime to build the entire collection, probably you have to dig the old old family albums, or use Photoshop skills to single out the person from a group photo. But, after all the trouble, it will be a fantastic memory sheet. Isn’t?

Those Were the Best Days my Friend

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How Coffee House Looked?

Just sharing few pictures of the old coffee house building. This is the famed building from where Indian Coffee House started functioning in Spenser junction. Somewhere in mid 90’s this building was demolished to make way for a ugly looking concrete building. And along with it robbed the beauty of this coffee joint.

Now, coffee house is run in a basement which is meant for parking. Actually, there shouldn’t be any food joint in a basement. But, then we’re in India.

I’ll keep updating with more images as and when I get it from the Coffee House Whatapp group. Till them bye.

Saturday Musings

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
So, what new things did you learn today or what did you observe today? For me, I had two thought which came to me and which I feel like sharing on this blog.

1) Today while doing my morning walk, I saw one rag picker near the park sorting the paper, cardboard boxes and plastic bottles. I’ve seen him earlier doing similar job at another location and this time he moved closer to this park. He wore dark, dirty shirt with a equally black boot. Seeing this I thought of his work, the earning he get at the end of a long tiring day. It also made me think of his routine: How does he work? What does he do? How much will he earn in a day? What will he eat? And at what time? What are his skills? Who taught him? Why did he start this?

I wish I spend a day with him to understand his work, describe his work and make a video of his work.Imagine, there’s a portal which lists out the criteria of each job, starting with the qualification, job description and how is their life on a typical day. What’s the career or financial growth with respect to this job?

Now, think of these job profile. Job of a policeman, or a policewoman, or a bouncer in a pub, a bartender, a call girl, a BPO employee, a manager in an IT company, a graphic designer, a shopkeeper, an autopsy doctor, a momo seller, a CA article ship guy, a spa masseur, a govt clerk, a house broker or even a petty thief, or a corporate honcho, a corporator, etc. .

Don’t you think it would be fun idea to list the finner details of every coceivable job in this world ( job description, career growth, salary, how to get there, skills, finer skills, how to get it started, etc. Also, you can relate to the top earners in the field. For example, how’s the life of a very successful doctor, a popular policeman, or a corrupt government employee, or rising star in a BPO, or a A performer in a sales job, etc.Let the world know the super heroes of each profession, and their qualities.

2) I had one more point in mind. But as usual I forgot it. I failed to note it down. Probably, I should keep a small diary with me all the time.

( Starting today, I’m gong to practice writing for 66 days. According to a life guru, it takes 66 days of regular practice to cement a new habit. So, here I go with my copy writing exercise – starting today)

Memories Chisled in Marble

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Inside view – St Patrick’s Church, Bangalore

Tablet – Memory chiseled in Marble

Any building or monument, beyond 50 years has a long list of tale around it. And one such old structure is St Patrick’s Church, in Bangalore. This well maintained ( recently restored) church has beautiful looking spire, with well rounded pillars for support. Over the last years, I visit this church for the regular Sunday mass. And, most of the time, I look around the walls reading the tablets placed inside the church.

Here’s the inscription on one such tablet:

In Beloved Memory of BERNARD JOHN VIEYRA, aged 21 years | month 25 days.

This tablet has been erected by his sorrowing mother, sister and brother as a token of their abiding love and affection for the endearing love and affection for the endearing qualities of heart which marred all his actions during his brief sojourn of this life

But one thought checks the starting tear they spirit rest with God.

How Patient Are you?

~ bjcharles ~ Leave a comment
Test of Patience ( Mera Number Kab Ayega)

Sometimes, I have tons of patience which surprises me. Whereas, most other times, I fall for easy temptations. I wonder, if there’s a way to test patience or do we get more of this as we age?

I remember the time when I used to get those cheesy love letters ( snail mail) from my girl friend. After getting it, I used to take my sweet time to read it. Meanwhile, I will have my lunch, then take these letter out near the garden pond, sit in a cane chair, and slowly tear the envelope to read her tale. My friends used to be flabbergasted with my level of patience! well, I had this way!

Recently, I bough a brand new scooter, my first in my lifetime. All these years, I was a second hand person. With some money, I paid the down payment and took delivery of Active 125. I hope, it will end the big hungama I make to kickstart my 4k Kinetic Honda scooter. It needs at least 25 kicks before it will spurt to life. And my leg badly hurts!

After I bought this, it’s been four days and I haven’t got the REG number. Second Saturday is an holiday for RTO and then these guys need two more days to get the number. Somehow I had the mental strength of not taking this “For registration vehicle”, and go by cycle?

When I wrote this above line, it came to mind on the usage of single quotes and double quotes. When should we use single quotes and when is double quote used? To know the answer let me google it.. 

Project – Harness Solar Power from Roof Tops!

~ bjcharles ~ 1 Comment
Mangalore Solar Power ( Taping Solar Power from Roof Top)

Medical College Trivandrum ( Sky View – Satellite) 

I’m a big fan of alternate source of energy. In line with my desire to use other forms of zero carbon energy, I keep thinking of ways state government can generate power from solar cells.

Today I came across an article in Hindu about solar power being generate in Mangalore from the roof top of a building. And this article promoted me to think of empty space on top of Trivandrum Medical College. I just wonder if this space could be utilized to install rows of solar panels like the one at Cochin International Airport. Also, I was thinking, if the airport can work with solar power, why can’t a medical college.

So, here’s my proposed plan:

  1. First get an estimate on the cost involved in installing and maintaining this project
  2. Entrust the work to a credible agency in solar energy field
  3. Next,, and most important is raising the fund
  4. I would suggest that it should be taken to the public. For example, a mega show, like Live Aid, plus donations from ex-medical college students, donations from private companies, funding from pharmaceutical companies or medical equipment manufacturers, etc. 
  5. Create a website exclusively for this project. Send email campaigns, drive the entire propaganda, do SMS or social media campaigns, etc
  6. The website will list the donors, schools, institutions, etc.
  7. Tax exemption to people who are donating to this cause

How can this solar project benefit Trivandrum Medical college and the staff, patients

1) Get hot water for people taking bath ( especially it will be a relief to patients )
2) Reduce the dependence on electric power ( cost saving)
3) Sell excess power to the power grid
4) Generate more jobs ( people for campaign, technical crew, maintenance staff)
5) Also, make a rooftop cafeteria with this fund ( This cafeteria will sell fresh coconut water, tea, coffee to staff, employees, and patients or bystanders) Can limit to staff and employees)
6) It could be the major project undertaken with public funding
7) The entire project should be done by a talented group headed by a visionary. Avoid politics or politicians. They can just be made as nominees, without giving my region in their hands.
8) Make a small space to make a green house to grow roses or some garden plants

BUT, BUT, who’s going to propose this project. How will you combat the naysayers? You can expect the naysayers to oppose this project, but let’s not discuss it. Let’s make this plan a success. I hope someone who reads my blog, share it and make it happen.

Finally, ideas like this are very easy to propose, but extremely difficult to implement.

BTW, this plan could be adopted in any rooftop where the space is left un-utilized.

Ghar Vapasi Going Back to Towns

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Sometime last year one colleague left her job and moved to her home in Calcutta. After few months, her husband followed her route. Now, both of them are building their life in a more familiar setting, close to their ancestral home and clan. I told her, that she should report this migration to Modi Governement, asking for Ghar Vapasi allowance.

So, what does it mean? It’s not the other ghar vapasi campaign that’s going rounds – the converts going back to their old belief system. I’m least bothered about it. What I would like to see is more migration from city to villages or towns. Or people settled abroad should come to India to setup business, or their life in India.

But, is this a wishful thinking or a fancy dream?

I bet it can happen, but in a slow pace. To make this happen, first, we should have some kind of development in 2 tier cities or villages. Or else, how can you go back to your green village and maintain the same economic standards.

I used to think of people from Mysuru or Kollar coming to Bangalore each day looking for job, or a way to start a new life. Why to do? There’s no work in these cities – Kollar gold rush is over, the old reign of Mysore is long gone. Nothing new kind sort of development has come. These days private investment or individuals can do more development projects than those old five year old development planning stuff. BTW, I’ve learned of Five Year Development Plans, and I remember reading of the thrust of each sector in each such planning year. Well, those are just history, or fizzled action plans which did nothing great to India.

Now, as individuals you’ve more power to make change in your life, and to the life of others. Given the freedom to publish news (blog) , TV broadcast ( Youtube) and radio broadcast ( podcast), you can do wonders to make changes in your community.

So, what are you waiting for? Does it sound like a punch line from a booze company?