Americans Fly Hot air Balloons and Indian Kites

Americans Fly Hot air
Balloons and Indians Kites

With incessant smart hard work, patience and perseverance, anyone can become a good KITE MAKER, a better KITE RUNNER and the best KITE FLYER. One can touch the sky; it’s not so high

By Mukesh Sharma

 

The American are fond of flying hot air balloons, particularly, in Arizona State of US, on any day of still wind in the evening during winter, and in the morning during summer. And Indians love to fly kites whenever they feel like especially on the occasions like 15^th August, Independence Day of India where the sky is studded with tri-colors kites and kite flyers take on one another in self style and self-instituted one-to-one match. Kite flying up in air are snapped and the falling kites are looted - the most hilarious ‘hunt’ for the fallen kites among the youngsters.Man loves spoil sport.

 But what is noteworthy, flying hot balloons reflects American living style and social system. Each balloon rises up, and rises under its own steam. With their eyes set on rising air balloons, the crowd of onlookers cheers for the balloon flyer for reaching a good height. Here the contestants never ever think of bringing down the balloons of one another. It is maintained that in the vast expense of sky, there is room for each balloon. Each has the right to touch the dizzy height. One must be envious not jealous.

 

Americans Fly Hot air  Balloons and Indians Kites

It is observed that right from childhood, American kids are taught to respect the rights of others; they are made aware of their duties towards self and society. Irrespective of race, caste or creed, the spirit of fellow-feeling is inculcated. Kids are brought up with strict discipline; they are taught to take decisions and to be responsible; they are taught to assert their individuality. The dignity of labour and social discipline is the hallmark of American life. People exchange pleasantries even with the man of lowest rank and don’t mind doing even menial work of their home. No household servant culture. If a child makes mistake, it is made to realize it; it is made to feel that it must mend its ways and must swear never to repeat the mistake. Sorry and thanks are inevitable part of day-to-day life. Good work brings kudos. Rewards are earned. Undeserved gifts are never conferred on.

 Surprisingly enough, be it he or she, children over 18 leave their parents’ house; they do petty jobs to meet their own expenses; they live by themselves; they learn to live as an individual not as a son or daughter of a rich father or mother. Society is the best teacher and the world is the best school. The struggling men and women proudly say: “My father is rich man but I am not.” It shows their fighting spirit. They know they have to redeem themselves. Even the Donald Trump is said to have started his real estate business in his younger days by taking a ‘loan’ from his well off father. And loans are paid off.

 On other hand kite-flying by Indians reflects the Indian life style and social system. Unlike the hot air balloon that usually goes up in still wind and is wafted by the current of wind at high altitude, a kite flies against the blow of the wind. The flyer manoeuvers it; however high it goes, it remains ‘leashed’to the hand of flyer with a string. Further, once a kite is air borne, it always faces ‘mortal’ threats from other kites in the sky; it cannot float free for a longer time. There are always chances that it might get snapped by any other kite to usurp its position. Kill to survive is the rule of the game. Resigned to ‘fate’, snapped kite has a free fall. Down on the ground, finder keeper is the buzz-word. Loot is lawful.

 The rules of kite flying game hold true to Indian survival society also. Parents are over possessive and protective about their kids. Children grow up in a cloistered life. ‘I’ , ‘my father’ and ‘my family’ are oft-repeated words that feed the ego of a child. He or she grows up as an egoist. Further successful parents on a high social ladder always have unquenchable lust for money; more and more money is made and amassed not just for the children but for great great grandchildren - wealth for seven generations. Proud parents wish to leave a rich legacy for their children  - a secured family wealth and business which is guarded by elitist ego. Here it gives birth to NEPOTISM which is accepted in the Indian society as a birth right. Likes of Sushant Singh Rajput falls victim to deadly nepotism. And likes of Rahul Gandhi basks in the past glory of his parents and family. Talent withers well before the full bloom.

 Statistically speaking, one can rise to any height, if one is a diligent KITE MAKER, deft KITE RUNNER and devilish KITE FLYER, particularly, in India. Netas are perfect example of this “kite flying’ game in India.

 In this age of cut-throat competition and confliction, kite-flying is the need of the hour. As a kite flies against the wind, one must learn to go ahead despite oddities in life. Never give up. Never give in without fight. Know thyself. Discover your strength and weakness. Make your weakness your strength and give life a good fight with DS (double strength).  With incessant smart hard work, patience and perseverance, anyone can become a good kite maker, a better kite runner, and the best kite flyer. One can touch the sky; it is not so high.

LET LOVE FALL FREE

 

LET LOVE FALL FREE

A love song where a lover courts and woos his love lady

By Mukesh Sharma

 

O my love!

Divide not body,

In parts and soul.

Let me just loll,

And feel the whole.

 

Divide not days,

As Monday to Sunday.

Let’s live,

In a deathless day.

 

O my love!

Let time stop between you and me,

Let’s be one and love fall free.

 

Divide not breath,

In exhale and inhale.

Let me float,

In endless trail.

 

Divide not love,

By any name thus.

You’re me, I’m you,

No world lies beyond us.

 

O my love!

Let time stop between you and me,

Let’s be one and love fall free.

Fullness of Time

Man must learn the lesson of discipline from the heavenly bodies

By Mukesh Sharma

 

Be it animate or inanimate, life is fixed. Nothing can exist beyond time. Things are born in fullness of time in the universe and meet their end after the completion of assigned time-span.

Full moon making preparation to sink in the western horizon

All the galaxies in the universe follow time. All the stars follow time. All the planets follow time. The sun follows time; it rises at the right time and sets in at the right time at different places on the earth.  The moon follows time. Even our mother earth follows time; it revolves around the sun in the right orbit, at the right place and at the right time.

 

Full moon shinning in the western horizon in front of rising sun. 

Sun rays are seen falling on the houses

During morning walk a few days ago, this blogger clicked a few pics of full moon making preparation to sink in the western horizon and at the same time the sun was on its way to rise in eastern horizon. While watching the mesmerizing sight, I realized that all the celestial bodies follow very strict discipline of time. Nothing can go beyond time.

Sun on its way to rise in eastern horizon

Evidently enough, the discipline of time applies to man too. A baby is born in fullness of time. Physically and mentally, man grows up with the time. Those who waste the time, time wastes them. Everyone must respect time. Right action, at the right place and at the right time gets success in life.

Man must learn lesson of discipline from the heavenly bodies.

A Drive Through Sun-set

A Drive Through Sun-set 

Sun-rise brings hope for the day and sun-set for another day 

By Mukesh Sharma

Sliding through the neat, clean, broad and smooth road free of any traffic snarl, this blogger enjoyed a thrilling drive through the soul-soothing sight of sun-set yesterday evening in Phoenix, Arizona in the land of America.

 

A Drive Through Sun-set

The sun is not only a source of light and life but also a manifestation of God. Almost all religions accept the divinity of the sun. Even scientists admit the indispensability of the sun for the existence of all the planets in our solar system including earth.

Sun-rise and Sun-set

Though the grand spectacle of sun-rise and sun-set occurs daily which is witnessed from the most of the parts of the earth, one always finds it novel and new where one loses one’s self in the fathomless abundance of sun’s grandeur and grandness, splendor and elegance, magnificence and majesty. There is nothing except oneness.

In the holy Bhagavadgita, chapter VII, Sloka 27, Lord Krishna illuminates Arjuna:

“ All beings are born to delusions O Bharata (Arjuna)  

overcome by the dualities which arise from wish and hate”

The slokasignifies that it is not easy for the man to come out of ‘dualities’  -  hope exists with despair, gain exists with loss, happiness exists with sorrow, love exists with hate, the beginning exists with the end, day exists with night, birth exists with death.  Nothing is absolute.

 However, the godly sun’s divinity is absolute – just light and luminescence -  no darkness. There is no duality even in sun-set and sun-rise. Unless one has the cognizance of following night or day, one can’t distinguish between sun-set and sun-rise. Sun-rise brings hope for the day and sun-set hope for another day – there is only hope no despondence.

 The  sun conveys the message that success in life comes when one works for success only; one breathes for success only; one lives for success only. Don’t let the fear of failure distract your mind from the well defined goal.

Language of Silence

Language of Silence

It’s language of love; it’s language of woman’s eyes; it’s language of prayer; it’s language of mother nature; it’s language of the whole universe

 

By Mukesh Sharma

Far off in space, 
Up to the verge. 
Spoken from one corner, 
To other in Universe. 


Tongue of stars, 
Dialect of all parts. 
Be it dead or alive, 
All know it by heart. 


Mighty mountains, 
Speak and spur. 
Through boisterous waves, 
Ocean often clamor. 


   Look at the pics and decipher message 
through the language of silence

Ever busy and burning, 
All the time. 
Sun spouts it, 
Through sun-shine. 


Waning and waxing, 
Calm and quiet. 
Moon gossips in this, 
On full moony night. 


Wavering wind blowing 
Across plains and hills. 
Sing song in it, 
Through whir and wiz. 


Strutting and smirking, 
All the way to sea. 
River splash in it, 
With inexplicable glee. 


All animals, 
Serene or shoddy. 
Natter in it, 
Through their body. 


Speaking through eyes, 
vernacular of woman. 
Loved and respected, 
By all the man. 


Fulfillment of kiss, 
And a tight embrace. 
Can’t be expressed in, 
Any wordy phrase. 


Shouty words can’t tell, 
Joy of orgasm or ejeco. 
Better in any tongue, 
Than this lingo. 


Above cast or creed, 
All cult and care. 
It’s universal language, 
Of love and prayer. 


Artists communicate in it,
With their hands. 
Poet converse, 
Through their pen. 


Need no medium, 
To traverse instead. 
Can reach anywhere, 
In a split of second. 


Small or big, 
Speak it by birth. 
A mother tongue of all, 
Creatures on earth. 


Created by God, 
Its nature's speech. 
So simple sententious, 
Language of silence is.

Refilling Prescription at Pharmacy in US

Refilling Prescription at US Pharmacy

  A comparative study reveals that except a few alleged ' malpractices' , Indian medical system is the cheapest in the world, very well tailored to suit the huge populace

 By Mukesh Sharma

 In US, where medicines are not sold by it’s ‘brand’ name but by generic names only and further, it is not sold over-the-counter, one can’t buy the medicines duly prescribed even by a bonafide doctor other than US. Strictly controlled by FDA (Food and Drugs Administration, US) refilling a prescription at a pharmacy is not that simple, particularly, for foreign visitors.

A visitor in US can bring not more than 90 days supply of medication. If one stays longer than that or runs out of his/her essential medicines, one can’t buy the medicines directly from pharmacy in US even on the basis of prescription given by his/her doctor in one’s country. One will have to consult an American doctor who would examine his medical conditions in the light of the given prescription, and if the report is to his (doctor) satisfaction, the doctor may prescribe the substitute of the same medicine prescribed by the doctor of the patient in his/her country.

What is noteworthy, medicines are not sold by any ‘brand’ name, doctors write down only generic names and the prescription is sent directly to the pharmacy closest to the residence of the patient. Further, medicines are not given in combination - a usual practice in India, here medicines are given severally. If one is taking a medicine under some brand name in India which is a combination of two or more than two medicines, separate medicine would be given for each ingredient with attached detailed information about the medicines  -  ingredients name, common uses, before using the medicines, how to use medicines, caution, possible side effects, overdose and additional information.

Being on medication for High BP and Sugar, this blogger has also had first-hand experience in US related to refilling the prescription (in America buying medicine against a prescription is called refiling). This interesting information will give the readers some idea about the medical system prevalent in US. Look at the pics of medicines available in India under a brand name and the same given by US pharmacy under generic name followed by a leaflet of ‘prescription information’ about each medicine.

 

Pics of Indian medicines and US medicines

A comparative study reveals that except a few alleged ‘malpractices', Indian medical system is the cheapest in the world, very well-tailored to suit the populace of different strata, and well within the reach of the poorest of the poor. In India, the system has been ‘designed’ in such a way that for VIPs and well off it is on par with the best of the West; for middle class, it is good through cashless medical insurance; for the poor, it is free through government hospitals (khairati aspatal), of course, where treatment and recovery depend more on the luck line of the patient than the medical facilities. However, in US the system is uniform; it makes no distinction between poor and rich. Everyone has SSN (Social Security Number) and a mandatory health insurance that meets the most of medical expenses of the insured. But for the people who don’t have health insurance for any reason and are aliens (foreigners), American medical system is the most expensive in the world.

     

The Slowest Growing Tree

The Slowest Growing Tree

A unique tree that grows at a surprisingly  slow pace,  just 1 inch in 10 years and 6 inch by 70 years 

By Mukesh Sharma

 

It sounds funny that a ‘plant’ which belongs to the vast plant kingdom and is categorized as a tree, grows at an incredible slow pace  - just one inch above the ground in long 10 years. Further, by 70 years, it reaches a height of just 6 inch and produces attractive flowers. However, it can reach a height of 15-16 feet in 95-100 years. Surprisingly enough, it may go up to a towering height of 60 feet over a long period of time and its life-span is estimated by botanists as long as 300 -400 years.

Blogger with one of the slowest growing trees in the world

 

Of course, this blogger wishes to write about the most respected State tree of Arizona (one of the States of US) called by the name Saguaro. What is noteworthy, it is a criminal act to remove or plant a saguaro without a permit and tag from AZDA (Arizona Department of Agriculture). Removing, damaging or felling Saguaro attracts serious charges of FELONY in Arizona and is punishable with imprisonment and fine both.

 

Saguaro is member of Cactus family. With a thorny trunk, fully grown tree may have as many as 52 arms sticking out of trunk making a loop and opening up upwardly. In Peoria, Arizona which is also known as valley city -  surrounded by mountains or Salt River Valley, Saguaro is found in abundance - on the mountains, beside the serpentine roads through hills and even in front of houses of native residents. From distance, particularly, during dark, it looks like the ‘trident’ of Hindu God, Lord Shiva; it seems Saguaro is there to safeguard all the creature in the valley be it plants or animals. The oldest Saguaro which lived for 300 years and died in 1990s, was respectably known as “Old Grand Daddy”.

 

Peoria, Arizona is the natural habitat of Saguaro and it is found here only on the earth - so special and so significant.

 

This blogger has great pleasure to share this interesting information about this unique tree, Saguaro and also the pictures clicked by the blogger for his valued readers. It would be a great pleasure to have comments on the write-up and pictures, and the blogger would also love to answer the pertinent questions of the readers on the related topic, if any.