Dignity Donor launch 2010

Dignity Donor launch 2010 was held in Piteelu Chowdaiah Memorial Hall this morning - A delegate book launch from the Dignity Foundation. When I received a mail about the event from Smitha Mundodi of Dignity, I assumed it to be just another book launch event and agreed to volunteer the event for elderly.
On reaching the venue at 9AM, I could not believe that the event was very well organized and the registration process had already started. Over 600 elderly – members and non-members of Dignity foundation were at the event place. We finished the registration process and after the welcome drinks(Tea and coffee), went back stage. The 1100 seater hall was almost 60% occupied.

Show was hosted by Dr. Kalpana Sampath.Musical concert started with a Jugal-Bandi of Veena and Flute by none other than Praveen Godakhindi and Dr Suma Sudhindra. It was not just musical but magical. I understood the true meaning of getting carried away. Music can get you involved to such a level that you forget yourself, especially classical. And flute is one such instrument which can touch the inside of u. It is very difficult to play any breath instrument and Praveen Godakhindi’s flute created a magnificent spectrum. All the elderly sitting there would sure have had rejoiced the music. Next was a beautiful Jugal-Bandi of all percussions, accompanied by Anooru Ananatha Krishna with solo instrumental ensemble, B C Manjunatha on Mridangam and S N Narayana Murthy on Ghatam which cheered the audience and a loud applaud reciprocated. Concluded with Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma played by Dr Suma Sudhindra, the concert proved years of dedication and practice involved to make this day memorable.

Famous Kannada actress, Mrs. Yamuna Murthy was welcomed on stage to speak a few words and then was given a copy of Dignity donor. Very humorous, but sensible was her talk about the plight of old people, and some simple steps for better living.
Then came the much awaited moment. All the honorable guests decorated the stage and I could not but let a scream out seeing Mr. Ramesh Aravind – a honorary Kannada/ Telugu / Tamil actor. I hadn’t seen him from so close ever. He did speak a few words about elderly but not many seemed to follow him(including myself), since his English was too fast and hard to follow.

After the launch and distribution of Dignity Donor, the program was concluded with the National Anthem and the crowd moved towards the buffet lunch. Food was very good and with Karthik – a volunteer from iVolunteer’s blessings who was serving Jalebis, I ate 5 Jalebis just before the lunch.
While winding up with the event, I met Mr. Shyam Sunder Sharma – Training Manager of Tops Security Ltd. He has an incredible sense of humor even in his late 60’s and is so down to earth. Amazing happy go lucky nature one must possess. An attitude one always must look upto.

Best part of the program was the feeling I was left with after the event. So many celebrities in one place and you do not know whom to see. It was like all your favorite candies are kept around u to ponder. It definitely did feel good seeing them, but the attendants were not bad either. The elderly were really sweet and it was a pleasure being at their service(for whatever we did). This was the best event so far I could say. The satisfaction, contentment and a sheer pleasure of having done something that indeed helped me within - apart from a squirrel share to Dignity Foundation.


Click on Photographs to view the pictures

Feedback to iVolunteer

Write Up about iVolunteer!
Heyy Thanks all of u.. Made my Diwali a wonderful event..

First to start with our Saturday event at the Surabhi foundation. When I saw from outside it was just another Govt. school with minimal facilities and handful children. I hadnt expected as many volunteers and events, since I am a first timer to such activities. I had a goose skin when I saw you all becoming ones aming the little blessings and playing. There was sheer joy and real Diwali pleasure in all of you including kids. You guys all knew what they wanted. And there they got it.. Singing, dancing, games, sweets, craft and Yeah Crackers!!!... It was wonderful...

Sunday at the RC was a little nerving for me. I was terrified when I saw little girls with little toddlers/infants in their hand. I spoke to Mrs Vasantha who said the number has gone up from 6 to 75 and some girls came back often!!.. I feel they need to be given more counselling and time than just clothes, shoes etc.. And lovely was the time spent with them.. I am glad to be a part of the celebration.

I HAVE to comment about the skills these kids have. Amazing!! I did the same event in office and I Bet my colleagues could not make even 50% close to what these kids did... They sure will envy their artistic skills :)

Thanks Prarthana.. for the Reply request in CAPS.. for the first time I composed a mail in 16 minutes and REPLIED .. :D

Cheers guys.. I will be glad to be part of future events ..

Mamta Click on Photographs to view the pictures.

Are You A Virgin?

Feeling really funny writing this.. Has anybody asked you this question? Are u a virgin? I know u ll laugh. Do u remember anyone asking you this? I guess you would. It’s a mandatory question for guys during the ice-breaking session, at college or at work..Some would get embarrassed and some would feel so proud to disclose their Valery. So sacred is virginity in India. I am not debating the fact that one should (should not) be virgin until marriage. Just remembered how Indians are prepared (not) to lose virginity or even if lost to keep it secret… An average Indian loses his/her virginity at an age of 23.. I didn’t say that- Times of India did. We aren’t too fast, are we ?? But why?? When the biology book says reproduction is equally important as respiration, digestion and metabolism!!! End of reproduction class our teachers NEVER forget to mention, though important for examination, this isn’t as important as eating, drinking and sleeping (literal terms)...In a school like mine which was full of nuns who never would have lost their treasure over anyone (no comments!! ) blessed with a head mistress Mary Lobo, who would start class with a geography chapter and probably end with either a moral science or sex education chapter, we were bound to mentally block ourselves even with the thought of it and live with the nightmare to have had lost it. All I can remember about that lady was – Don’t do anything WRONG. Become something and wait! Look he will be at your door, asking your dad – Sir I WANT TO MARRY YOUR DAUGHTER!! Jeez what dramatic expressions she had. For real we all would go to the same dreamland where she was imagining a handsome, rich guy knocking.. Nope ringing the doorbell… most of the times all of us thinking about the same guy, because it was a girls school and there were very few good looking guys in boys school.(yeah we had St. josephs girls and boys school separate)... It was a warning not just a lesson. I am sure most of the schools have this form of sex education. Even the video they showed was so terribly scary, that anyone who would watch that will give up on the thoughts of having sex. Spooky – some good for nothing movie they played so that we carry the same impression to college too and hate all men. This is just an example. Our surroundings is like that. You watch any bollywood/tollywood/sandalwood movie. Typical story : hero – heroine part because of some reason – they don’t see each other for 10 years – they meet again after 10 years and ting! she hasn’t been seeing anyone yet and still is virgin. Sometimes stories go beyond – she will be married to another man but still would not have had sex with him – still better , she will have a kid with her husband but yet virgin (IVF is popular these days may be!).. The last thing women in Indian film industry would want to lose is virginity(in movies )
Girls also never admit. There was this girl I know who would get high(or pretend to be high) and want to get lucky with any guy available. The next morning when she is all sober, she would want him to say nice things about her. It’s human to want to hear nice things about oneself. After all that, whenever she heard people call her bad, she would cry for having been called by names and had tried commiting suicide once too. In real whether she is virgin or no, people should just call her virgin must be her intention. So virginity is a must tag for girls.
Then comes the guys. I have so many guys saying I will wait for the right woman. Wait for the right woman to make out and what if she turns out to be wrong? Is there a reverse process? But this population is very less compared to the population who would want to prove the peers their real power. For a girl to lose virginity it’s a shame – but for some guys it’s a honor. More early you lose, more better it is for him. I guess this is only limited to a certain age group. When these guys grow up, they turn out to be ‘I will wait for the right woman’ character. I guess so. Its only my assumption..

But I think its mere human or rather Indian to find out if the girl is a virgin. It doesn’t apply for guys I believe. Anyone who asks a girl if she has a boyfriend would have the intention to know if she is virgin as well. It’s a combo question. It’s a combo of “do you have a boyfriend?” with a hidden “are you a virgin” question along. This incident is a must tell when I am talking about losing virginity. I was in school when I went to a far relatives wedding. Wedding was in Sirsi(Karnataka) and the guy was from a village near by. After the wedding we went to the guys house. All the women were shyly whispering into brides and grooms ears something. I am sure it would be a theory class on how to make out. People those days were really innocent, and I am sure this was much needed. I didn’t say anything about that. But the next thing they did was spooky, they have this ritual that the groom should keep some dakshina ( money) under the bed at night. Morning they are not supposed to remove the sheet!! Know the intention??? Yes, just to find out if the lady had bled and was a virgin!!! At that age I could know the intention. Why is everyone inquisitive to know?? Is it such a thing that the whole world has to know? If she hadn’t bled did it mean she wasn’t a virgin? It could also mean they didn’t make love, isn’t it??
I feel weird now after I wrote this, but I really did want to write. Why is everyone want to know this? Any idea?

Déjà Vu

Déjà Vu… That feeling – That lunch just before the examination starts. Nervous and Anxious. Hot Daal, Rice and lemon, so tasty otherwise is now tasting bland. TV is doing its best to grab my attention but fails.. Déjà Vu.. I have felt the same sometime back.. May be when I was in school or college.. It’s the same feeling today..

After two years I appear for the examination. I have prepared well I can say. When they sent me on LOP I did study. But am so nervous. It always happens. I feel I am definitely going to flunk and feel so scared. I did feel it today.. I started my way to examination hall..
I am feeling like a packet moving from source to destination. . The cake I got on New year also looked like a Router to me.. And I stop at the signal next to an auto rickshaw -a yellow rickshaw… I see its number plate… Geez it has an IP address.. Yes it was.. Guess now on all the vehicles will have IP addresses. Network number and Host ID.. He was staring at me wondering why is this girl smiling. May be he was trying to send an ARP packet..
Gawk!!… And I lost my way.. Why did I go to Basaveshwara nagar? A traceroute would have helped.. I curse the traffic- I am getting late. Congestion… Wait.. I need money and I saw so many ATMs on the way. Didn’t stop by any.. Just like that.. 16 , 17, 18 ATMs may be I passed, never stopped by… Some compatibility issue. What if the Server denies my access. ..As I go by the road one more question occurred to me.. What If they ask me the chemical formula of a router?? I haven’t studied that .. Silly I thought then… I am gone insane.

I reach the exam centre only to find an attender and the manager.. I completed the registration. Needed a photograph, which the manager took, and it seemed like the camera didn’t like me. It was staring at me grudgingly and clicked at my scariest expression ever. Bling!! that was the pic which got posted on my certificate. I sit at the computer given to me.. The attender clicked this that and BOOM, my exam started. I felt the mouse was wet..Oops that was my hand sweating.. I read the first question. Wow I know the answer. And then the second and third..wasnt as scary as I thght it would be. I do this everytime.. Nervous like crazy.. After soaking the mouse with sweat for an hour and so, I realized that the terror was over…. I clicked end exam and wow.. I have faired well.. I am sure those two would have heard the sigh I let out.. Ha ha Pappu pass Hogaya.. But commentable was the Déjà vu feeling.. I am sure I have felt the same way sometime before.. Déjà vu….