Stoicism-Japanese Style

rameshgandhi.blogspot.com

My brother-in-law, Ramesh Gandhi, built a segway to this piece for me.

Ramesh Gandhi is a tremendous Photographer. He is tremendous many many other things too. 

He just posted a beautiful Photograph, on his blog, of coils of rope with a caption "In The Loop".  The text, to paraphrase, says we will all die but do not know when, where and how.

Most of us are afraid of death...........except, perhaps many Japanese.  They are taking the current Nuclear Meltdown with looming death and disaster in stride. I do not see them ruffled. But Western Media seem ruffled that Japanese are not. Media do not seem to grasp Japanese stoicism.

I heard one Japanese woman say, when interviewed, we are all going to die; sooner or later. So, why be ruffled. It is a fact of living.

We all can learn to accept the idea of death from Japanese; a Stoic society

Cell-Phones

I do not take well to gadgetry. Mainly because technology frightens me as do the people who may be needed to fix them if something went wrong, and something invariably does. 

 I get amazed how people simply cannot do without cell phones. They must have great many important things to talk about. I have noticed that peoples' driving  has deteriorated since cell phones have arrived.

I do not have anything important to say nor am I chatty; thus, I have minimum use for cell phones. I use it only for emergencies.

However, I have found the best use for my I-phone. I have downloaded few books on my I-phone. In the middle of night, when I cannot sleep, which happens frequently, I read a book on my I-phone. The palm-size frame is so convenient to hold compared to unwieldy books. A sweep of finger turns the page. It allows me to read without turning on the lamps and disturbing my husband's sleep. It has another great feature of night light which makes it easy on my eyes to read. 

I solve few Sudokus on it too...... so...... I am not trashing my I-phone any time soon.

Pyramid Concept



Pyramid

Pyramid Shaped Peaks

Infrequently I have lunch with a friend.  Among the things we discuss, I often bring up how  societies can be viewed in the shape of a Pyramid. Individuals’ accomplishments or failures in any field in the World; country or society within it, can be graphed in the shape of a Pyramid. 

The inclines of pyramid may vary, but the concept applies. They can be graphed downside up depending upon what subject is being studied. The pyramids can and often will overlap, not unlike Venn diagram.

Mastery of any subject is graduated in any population group. The very best are few and are positioned at the top. The rest who are average and below average will be positioned lower according to their mastery level. The least proficient will form the lowest and therefore the widest base of the shape. For example, in the field of physics the least proficient will be positioned at the bottom. Most fall in this category. But the Hawkings and Einsteins of the world will hold apex position. Between these two tiers lie different grades of genius. 

Similarly, there are many poor at the bottom rung but only few Bill Gates or Warren Buffets at the pinnacle. Between these two extremes there are levels of poor or rich depending upon how one wants to study it. 

In the field of art there are few Van Goghs or Picassos at the top. Rest occupy different levels below them. There are more uneducated than there are highly educated.  I find this to be true in any field; Philosophy, Science, cookery, even sagacity. 

How one measures the excellence or lack thereof in any field is a different matter. I suspect that will be a controversial topic requiring a special discipline to evaluate it. The expertise in this field in turn can also be graphed as pyramid!

Tragedy Tragic-Japan

Earthquake, Tsunami and Meltdown........  

How much more?

Isn't  it enough ?

Tunisia, Egypt and India

These are my mere opinions and  observations.

 If someone asked me today that a rule of the people, by the people and for the people will take roots in Tunisia and Egypt; my answer will be a resounding 'no'; certainly not the type of rule we define as democracy.

In my mind I keep comparing the fight for self-rule in India to what has been happening in the Middle Eastern states. I see similarities between the two, in that, one, they were in most part non-violent fights and two, the incumbent governments were ousted.

What is different between the two scenarios is:

Tunisia and Egypt were ruled despotically by their own people; India, on the other hand, was being ruled by a foreign power. The power which was characteristically different from its own; starting from skin color, to religion, to culture, to food etc.

The fights in middle east are more or less reactionary. Public wanted to get rid of the current despots; but did not necessarily have plans for the future government. Despots were ousted within few weeks. Indian fight, on the other hand,  was a long drawn out fight during which time the plans for the future  government were, perhaps, discussed and laid out. India achieved the self-rule in August of 1947 and had her constitution, as imperfect as it was, drafted by January of 1948.  Democracy took roots in India. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi who started the fight for self-rule held a law degree from London (1891). He started his solo fight against discrimination  in South Africa and ended with self-rule in India in 1947. Gandhi, having studied law, having lived and studied in London, probably, had better concept of what future rule should be like. Also, he was eventually surrounded by well educated and well travelled personnel who had better understanding of British and American systems of governance. Thus, Indian Democracy is a blend of the two, Prime Minister and a President. Irony is, India did not want Britishers but ended up with British style rule.

Having ousted the despots, general public from Tunisia and Egypt are fleeing their own land to Italy. Indians did not do that. Indians genuinely wanted a change with a plan in their back pocket.

This is why I do not believe the Democracy will take roots in Middle East.

Let guests be gods-"અતિથી દેવો ભવ:"

I have decided that I will invite, at the most, only as many guests at a time as my dining table will sit. Advantages are;  proper sitting, manageable cooking, cleaning after and adequate attention to and good conversation with each guest.

Last night we had few friends over for dinner. The men of the group were Bhupen's friends from his BVM Alma-mater. Two of three couples, we had never invited before. We officially christened our renovated basement with their help. All men and two ladies drank alcohol. I had two Gin and tonic with a twist of lime which put me in a sort of flighty mood. All guests brought favors which they did not have to. But, Thanks to them.

The group intuitively gravitated to segregate themselves between men and women.  Finally it happened; we all gathered around the bar and next at the dinner table. Conversations mostly revolved around men's school days. I got to know one of the ladies little better. At one point Bhupen recited his poem he wrote about his years from school days to recent years. This poem was a take on Frank Sinatra song of 
"It was a very good year". I will post it separately in a different post.

Last night's menu:

Each item except dessert was made from scratch at home.

Appetizers:   Dalwadas with fried fresh green chillies (famous treats
                     from their Alma-mater town-Anand)
                     Okra chips

 Entree:         Bengan Bhartha
                     Alu-Lal Mirchi Sabji
                     Poori
                     Kala Jeera Rice
                     Moong Daal
                     Kadhi
       
Sides:           Lightly sauted Guava-Green chillies (My aunt's recipe)
                    Banana/Cashew/Yogurt Mattho

Dessert:      Ras Malai (Purchased)

We enjoyed the evening, I hope our guests did too. I hope we did justice to a Hindu tenet of  hospitality :

"અતિથી દેવો ભવ:" 
(Atithi Devo Bhava-Let guests be gods)



                    

"Watson", Not the Sherlock Holmes' Assistant

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watson_(artificial_intelligence_software)

I am a fan of Jeopardy Game show, which is relayed on TV every afternoon between 3:30pm and 4:00pm Chicago time. It is a question and answer game show. Host is Alex Trebek, a Canadian American. Three contestants participate. Each question is associated with an amount of money. Whoever collects the most money at the end of the show is a winner and s/he gets to come again next day. There have been contestants who have won millions of dollars. They have also played the game for years.

Rules are; the questions are to be asked in answer form and answers have to be given in the question form. Topics can be anything under the sky; anything at all.

It is a generally held belief that the contestants are; one, highly  intelligent and  two, they are well read.  True. You have to be. But, if you watch the show carefully, many times the clue is built somewhere in the question itself. So, if one is good at spotting such clues, one can easily answer the questions. Even I have been able to anwer few questions.  Believe that!

Now, International Business Machine, IBM, has been working on a computer software, which they have named "WATSON" after their first CEO. This computer was to first participate in this Jeopardy games, so that its viability in other fields can be ascertained.  It was pitted against the past winners of the most money, which meant very intelligent contestants.

I watched this show. "WATSON" won. It was intelligent, yet only as intelligent as the data it was fed. Now IBM will sort out the kinks spotted during the show.  Eventually IBM wants to employ "WATSON" in many  industries including medical field.   

This week's Time magazine has a question- answer segment on "WATSON".  Few questions seem to impute human elements to "WATSON" which answerer has denied..........

Computers will do many things better than humans can but they will never be humans.....

A father's wisdom

Bapa and Ba-Left and right from center

 Following is an excerpt from a diary that my Bapa (father-in-law) gave to my husband when my husband first sailed for USA in 1964. The diary contained a parting father's fear, hope, concerns and advice for a son who was leaving the familiar shores of his land for the first time, and perhaps for ever.

He says:



"જમાનો કુદકે અને ભૂસકે આગળ વધતો જાય છે એ જમાનામાં તમારે રેહવું છે, દોડવું છે. રેહવું જોવેજ. નહીતર પાછા પડી જવાય. અને અમે તમારી સાથે દોડી શકતા ના હોઈએ એટલે કે જમાના સાથે દોડી શકતા ના હોઈએ તે માટે અમારી અને  તમારી વચ્ચેનું ઘર્ષણ સર્જાય. પાછલા  જમાનાવાળાને થોડુંક્જ જીવવાનું બાકી રહ્યું હોય તેમાં આવતા જમાનાવાળાને પોતાની સાથે ઘસડી લેવાનો કોઈ અર્થ નથી કે જેને આવતા જમાનામાં રહેવાનું અને જીવવાનું છે. પણ આ સત્યતો માવતરને સમજવાનું થયું. એનો અર્થ એ નથી કે સંતાનોને ના સમજવાનું લાયસન્સ કાઢી આપી શકાય."

 
He said:

"Times are changing by leaps and bounds. You have to, and you must, run with the changing times. If you don't you will be left behind. We, the old generation who have lesser time (to live), on the other hand, cannot keep up with these changes. This may lead to conflicts between the generations, old and new. But onus is on us, the old, to understand the truth that we must let you go and not drag you with us. This, in no way be construed that you have license not to understand this truth."

I read this diary several times. For the time, place and generation that my Bapa came from, and to have this understanding is "a generation before his time".

Clean humor

A friend sent this and I find it to be clean and clever....

1.  My first job was working in an Orange Juice factory, but I got canned. Couldn't  concentrate .

 

2.  Then I worked in the woods as a Lumberjack, but just couldn't hack it,  so they gave me the axe.

3.  After that, I tried being a Tailor, but wasn't suited for it--mainly  because it was a sew-sew job.  

4. Next, I tried working in a Muffler Factory, but that  was too exhausting.  

5.  Then, tried being a Chef-figured it would add a little spice to my life, but just didn't have the thyme.  

6.  Next, I attempted being a Deli Worker, but any way I sliced it... couldn't cut the mustard.  

 7.  My best job was a Musician, but eventually found  I wasn't noteworthy.

8.  I studied a long time to become a Doctor, but didn't have any patience.  

9.  Next, was a job in a Shoe Factory. Tried hard but just didn't fit in.  

10.I became a Professional Fisherman, but discovered I couldn't live on my net income.  

11.  Managed to get a good job working for a Pool Maintenance Company, but the work was just too draining.  

12. So then I got a job in a Workout Center, but they said I wasn't fit for the job.  

 13.  After many years of trying to find steady work , I finally got  a job as a Historian - until I realized there was no future in it.

14.  My last job was working in Starbucks, but had to quit because it was the same old grind.  

15 . SO, I TRIED RETIREMENT AND I FOUND I'M PERFECT FOR THE JOB!  

 

 



Faith

Fluer





There is no cure for faith in faith
So
There is no cure for faith