“Goa” – A place in India you cannot NOT visit

Like every year, this year too, I celebrated Christmas and New Year in Goa and I must proclaim it loud and clear that there is no better place than Goa, where you can usher in the New Year and you can actually experience Christmas.

Goa is famous for its beaches, its greenery, its landscapes, its lakes, its food (fish curry, rice and pork sausages), the Portuguese styled houses, its beautiful churches, the cashews nuts and the Kaju Feni (liquor made from cashews), the port wine, the kokum juice. And I make sure, I do it all when I visit Goa every year for that very short vacation period of 10 days.

The Goan’s in Goa love eating bread and if you are in Goa, you just cannot miss out on relishing the bread. A variety of bread is baked in Goa, like the poaye (big round sweet breads), butter bread, brown breads, to name a few. The Goans are hence nicknamed the “Pavwala’s” (the bread man) because of their liking for bread. And yes, I too am a pavwala ;-).

The locals in Goa speak Konkani which is the local language and which is my mother tongue too. But Goa is a place, where language is not a barrier, people speak English, Hindi and Marathi, so you can never feel or be out of place when it comes to communication.

This time though, the tourists visiting Goa was down by 50% because of the terror threat and the security was too tight with checks at all tourist landmarks. Yeah, it is a kind of an intrusion to privacy but one needs to comply with the additional security checks that the authorities think necessary for the security of its citizens, in this time when the country and the world is being terrorised.

In short Goa is all about fun, entertainment, food and drinks.

So all you folks out there, if you are planning a vacation in India, then I suggest you must visit Goa (atleast for a week) and believe me the best time to be there is during the Christmas week.

Let me take this opportunity to wish you and your family a very Happy and Prosperous New Year 2009. May all your dreams come true.

Thanks for visiting my blog! Do write to me with your feedback & comments or brickbats, at simplymearl@live.com or leave your inputs in the comments tab below.

Before I sign out, as I always say take very good care of yourself and God Bless!

Birthday celebrations are so embarrassing!!

Birthday is a day every year…. which I am sure is special to each one of us. A day on which we receive gifts and lots of hugs & kisses from our loved ones.

It is infact a special day, filled with celebrations with friends and family, but believe me, I kind of find birthday celebrations real embarrassing and accepting gifts even more uncomfortable.

On my birthdays, I like staying away from the rest of the world. No cutting the birthday cake, no gifts, no parties, for me please. I make it a point to take a casual off from office too, because it’s kind of a ritual in office to cut the birthday cake with colleagues.

People put you in the spotlight….just because it’s your birthday. No big deal…what say!!!

Life is beautiful…but I do not see birthdays as a day where you have achieved anything…….it’s just the day which comes the same day every year. Infact, it is worthier to be in the spotlight, if you have achieved your goal with your hardwork and commitment.

But yeah…..I love celebrating birthdays of my friends and family. So the reverse is applicable.

If you have any inputs or brickbats, please write to me at simplymearl@live.com or leave your inputs in the comments tab below.

Before I sign out, as I always say take very good care of yourself and God Bless!

If you think you have broken our spirits……then I think you need to get a reality check.

After the terrorist attack, the best thing that has happened to us here is India, is that each citizen of this multicultural country is strongly united and we have realized the power of being united even better.

If anybody or anyone thinks that they can divide and rule in our country, then you better get a reality check done. That’s never going to happen!!

We have seen this unity exhibited at the rally in Mumbai and other metros in India, where hundreds of people, including children and senior citizens, gathered on 3rd Dec 2008, to mourn the death of victims and martyrs and to demand security for the common man.

The common man like you and me, when united can bring about a change….a reform in the government, in the administrative system and take self ownership of our own security and the security of our brothers and sisters of this country.

This unity, undeniably tells the people who want to terrorise our country or the world, that IF YOU THINK WE ARE AFRAID THAT YOU’LL DESTROY US……..I THINK, YOU NEED TO THINK AGAIN.

WE ARE NOT TERRIFIED AND AFARID!!!!

Terrorism is spread by terrorists, who do not follow any religion, faith or any nationality. No religion, no holy book scriptures in the name of God, tells its believers, to kill people and terrorise the world….so that they get eternal life after death in heaven.

If the terrorists caught & found, follow a particular faith and if they belong to a particular nation, then I must say that this is a mere coincidence. They belong and follow a particular faith because they are simply born into it………probably they have never understood the word of God.

These are people, who run away from their homes to join the community or a group, who follow the RELIGION OF TERRORISM. We shouldn’t blame people who follow a particular religion and who belong to a particular country. But yes, if we have investigated that the terrorists are trained in certain hide-out locations of Pakistan, then we seek the co-operation of Pakistan to help India and the rest of the world combat the terrorists.

No democratic country can ever be involved in terrorist activity, and hence we are definite that the terrorist training camps that are taking place in Pakistan (which is a democratic country) is on a hide-out, and the training camps are being conducted without the knowledge of the government.

But, with the intervention of the government of Pakistan……………….it is easier for India and the rest of the world to combat terrorism right from its roots. WE NEED TO FINISH THEM UP COMPLETELY!!!

We are a world of billions and billions of people and this community which follows the religion of terrorism are a real small group. If each country along with their forces unite in co-operation, we can simply cease them and put each one to task by law.

India needs younger and educated team of people in the government, who are aggressive and will go to any extent to secure our country, in a positive way. Each citizen of India, should also take the onus to secure themselves and their families. And yes, the change is in process and it will happen.

We do not want anyone to sympathise with us but yes we need your support to fight our war on terrorism.

If you have your views and comments, you can write to me at simplymearl@live.com or leave your inputs in the comments tab below.

Before I sign out, as I always say take very good care of yourself and God Bless!

We have had enough…and can’t take this anymore..

We love our Mumbai…..We love the India we live in. India is the front runner in the global economy. Even with this economic downturn, India has managed to sustain its growth and from a developing country, India is not far from becoming a superpower developed country.

India is one of the largest democracies of the world and each citizen of this country has the right to talk and write about the people they put in power. Probably, I would have not had the guts to write this article in my blog, if India was a land of dictators.

Hence, here am I using my right to speak about matters that make me and the citizens of India watchful after the recent terrorists attack which took the whole of Mumbai and the whole of India under ransom.

We can’t take this lying down anymore…….we just CANNOT!!!.

Each citizen of India is just fed-up with the security of this country. Where on earth, are the citizens of India safe!!! We keep talking about “The Mumbai Spirit”, here in India. A serial bombing happens…..people seen mourning for a day and then we have bounced back the very next day to our normal day’s schedule. We do this because we want to keep this city alive. It is because of this attitude of the citizens of Mumbai, that our city Mumbai is a financial capital of India. Mumbai and the whole of India survives….because of its citizens….because of the common man.

I just need to tell you that we no longer can bounce back……..our spirits are in the state of coma and we just can’t take this anymore. We are afraid, to get out of our homes today. We are not sure, whether our family members would return home. We cannot see the innocent people of this country dying each day, loosing their property, money….that they have earned after a turmoil of their working years in this city.

We want a change in the system…..A change with aggressive and principled officers who will work towards making this land a safe place for locals and for foreigners.

Just a day after the terrorist attack, the government is getting a makeover. However, we need to tell you that this is not the right time for a makeover. We are bleeding at the moment and the government needs to wait before taking any such drastic steps.

We need to plan our strategy before making such hasty decisions, because this will paralyse our government, leading to more attacks.We need to put the people who attacked us to task. We need to work towards this FIRST HAND. WE NO LONGER CAN FORGIVE AND FORGET!!!

And yes, we can put the people and the countries who are supporting terrorists training and activities to task, by demanding that they better be vigilant and take action against these groups. We know the names and the so called underworld dons involved in these criminal activities……..so why not just kill them. We can do this only in collaboration with other powerful nations.

We do not want a War……we want Peace!!!

If you have your views/ comments/ queries, you can write to me at simplymearl@live.com or leave your inputs in the comments tab below.

Before I sign out, as I always say take very good care of yourself and God Bless!

Let’s Salute and be Proud of our Security Guards…….Jai Hind!

The Wednesday, 26th Nov 2008, 9:30 p.m., was when our city Mumbai was attacked by terrorists, who had no religion, no faith and no nationality. But the terrorists who disrupted normal life in India until today, the 29th Nov 2008, 8a.m., definitely were cold-blooded and ruthless. Their only motive was to disrupt the fast paced life of our city Mumbai and terrorise the citizens of India and people all over the world.

They used Mumbai, India as a soft target to show their audacity and power to the rest of the world. We need to fight these terrorists together and in collaboration with countries all over the world. We need to bloody finish them up completely.

The National Security Guards (NSG), the Indian Army and the Police Officers have saved the lives of citizens and innocent civilians, by taking charge of the situation at the right time. We salute each one of our soldiers for their selfless work and we especially thank all those martyred soldiers for sacrificing their lives for the sake of our country.

A BIG THANK YOU!

The situation is like this- terrorist attack, the country retaliates and the chapter is closed until the next terrorist assault strikes. We need to act right now and try to understand why this is happening. And we cannot fight the terrorists alone, this should be a global collaborative effort.

We need to become sharper and outsmart the terrorist, thus finishing them from the root.

The terrorists are taking random countries at ransom……the attack at Mumbai being the deadliest and the most horrifying. The innocent civilians have been stripped of their lives because of these ghastly attacks, over and over again.

As said by Charles Darwin, "In the long history of humankind, those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed."

So let us fight this war on terror together and in collaboration.

If you have your views and comments, you can write to me at simplymearl@live.com or leave your inputs in the comments tab below.

Before I sign out, as I always say take very good care of yourself and God Bless!

It’s tough creating a lasting first impression……you got to be real!!

I have been working for a few years now and have met and listened to a few CEO’s earlier in my career span. Each one creates their impact on you with their own style and motivational statements. Though, not forgetting to mention here that these statements lasts in your mind for a mere few minutes and that’s it………BOOM………everything heard then simply evaporates!!

In the morning of 21st Nov 2008, when I entered office, I was informed that the CEO would visit our Mumbai office and address each one of us for a brief 15 mins. This was the first time the CEO was visiting Mumbai, India and I was looking forward to his first impression.

Each employee, was told to remain seated at their own desk, since the CEO would like to say hello to each employee at his/her desk. Oh-My-Goodness me……..please spare me, with these childish instructions. We are not school children any longer…C’mon lets grow up!!

As Jack Welch says, "I think that ideally that is how a company works. It becomes a place of ideas, not a place of position."

I was just thinking to myself, that here is another OH-SO-REHEARSED speech, that I would have to put up with.

Okay, the moment came..…….the CEO walked into our office and greeted each one of us. Each employee including myself, showcased a big fat smile…….

The Turning point

The CEO’s addressal speech began and this was the turning point. The best thing about the speech was to concise the global organisation’s performance, achievements and plans for the future, in all that we do, in a mere 15 mins. This was truly commendable!!!

They say, it is easier to write and orate a lengthy speech. The art of your caliber, potential and vision is judged when you can précis write your lengthy speech……at the same time covering all aspects of the global organization.

I WAS THOROUGHLY IMPRESSED!!

No mention of all those motivational jargons made the speech even more extraordinary, real and effective. Infact it did not look rehearsed at all. I felt here is a man who is an intellect, down to earth, who shows his concern for planet earth and its environment and shows his concern for the people of the organization. He is no Manager, he is a Leader in true sense.

As the saying goes, "The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind. But the goodness of a person spreads in all direction."

Here is the three step success formula:

1. It starts with increasing your awareness.
2. With increased awareness comes better choices.
3. And with better choices come better results.

Every minute and every second of our being on earth, we are consciously and unintentionally creating a first impression. We just need to be sure, that we be real and be just the way we normally are. Believe me, you will create a FANTASTIC IMPRESSION for simply being yourself.

If you have your views/ comments/ queries, you can write to me at simplymearl@live.com or leave your inputs in the comments tab below.

Before I sign out, as I always say take very good care of yourself and God Bless!

The Indian flag is flying high on the moon…Wow!!!

I am sure you are as excited as I am, about India’s first mission to the moon. I have been tracking the unmanned Chandrayaan-I spacecraft since its successful launch on 22nd Oct 2008.

Since my childhood days, I have been very passionate about the moon. If anybody ever asked me then, about what is that extra-ordinary thing you would like to do in life, my answer would instantly be “I want to go to the moon”.

Even today, my dream remains intact. But offcourse today, I understand that this extra-ordinary dream will always remain unfulfilled.

However, it makes me proud and I am in a complete state of exhilaration, that India has successfully landed on the moon and the spacecraft has hoisted the Indian flag on the moon on Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s birthday, the 14th Nov 2008 at 8:31p.m IST, which is also celebrated as Children’s Day in India.

I happened to be doing a show on radio on 14th Nov 2008 and my entire show script only talked about India’s mission to the moon and I was the lucky one to give live updates of the Chandrayaan to my listeners on air.

India is the 4th country after US, Russia, European Space Agency to successfully launch its mission to the moon. It makes me say only one thing….WOW, we finally did it!!!

Highlights of the Chandrayaan-I spacecraft

• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have designed, developed and conceptualized the Chandrayaan.
• It is an unmanned vehicle to the moon.
• Weighing 1,380 kg at launch and 675 kg at lunar orbit.
• The Chandrayaan-I spacecraft cost ISRO Rs. 386 crores only, which is said to be the most reasonably priced spacecraft, as compared to the other spacecrafts launched to the moon.
• It was launched on 22nd Oct 2008 and is India’s first mission to the moon.
• The box-shaped 35-kg moon impact probe (MIP), with the colours of the Indian flag painted on its four sides, detached itself from the spacecraft and touched down on the lunar surface on 14th Nov 2008 at 08:31 p.m.
• The Chandrayaan will continue to orbit the moon for the next 2 years.

Did you know

The moon is approximately 400,000kms away from the earth. Using the earth’s rotational energy, the moon propels itself higher in the orbit each year, hence moving farther away.

It is said that, when the moon was formed, it was only 22,530kms away from the earth. Today it is 400,000kms away from the earth. It is believed that the moon used to be a part of the earth, however gradually due to certain reaction it got separated from earth.

There is an existence of gravitational force between earth and moon due to which moon revolves around the earth. The moon does not have the light of its own, however it gets its light from the sun. It is because of the sunlight, that we see light emerging out of the moon.

14th Nov 2008 is a day written in history, a day when India left its footprints on the moon. It is really wonderful to see India catching up with the rest of the world.

We salute you India…..Sare Jahaan Se Accha, Hindustan Hamara.

If you have your views/ comments/ queries, you can write to me at simplymearl@live.com or leave your inputs in the comments tab below.

Before I sign out, as I always say take very good care of yourself and God Bless!