1. Read about environmental issues
2. Use public transport whenever possible. Use car pooling.
3. Turn off lights and fans, air conditioners and heaters when not being used. Whenever we use electricity, we help put greenhouse gases into the air. By turning off lights, the television, and the computer when you are through with them, you can help a lot.
4. Bike, Bus, and Walk
You can save energy by sometimes taking the bus, riding a bike, or walking. Cars cause a lot of pollution.
5. Talk to Your Family and Friends
Talk with your family and friends about climate change. Let them know what you've learned.
6. Trees for LIFE! Plant Trees
Planting trees is fun and a great way to reduce greenhouse gases. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, from the air.
7. Preserve the green areas around your house and locality . Preserve greenery around your house locality, work and schools.
8. Recycle : Recycle cans, bottles, plastic bags, and newspapers. When you recycle, you send less trash to the landfill and you help save natural resources, like trees, oil, and elements such as aluminium.
9. Buy and use appliances which consume less energy: some appliances, vehicles instruments and machines are especially designed so that they consume less energy than normal. Choose these when purchasing or making your choices.
10. Use products again and recycle them.
11. Use solar energy whenever possible for example through solar cookers, dry your clothes in the natural sun rather than through a dryer.
12. Handwash clothes whenever possible rather than using a washing machine or dishwasher.
13. Save fresh water it is precious.
14. Recycle water and use it for appropriate purposes. Use kitchen water to water your plants etc.
Taken From "http://healthy-india.org/saveearth3.asp"
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Go green....
We are constantly hearing about Global Warming and how people are disposing so much unhealthy waste. But when I saw the number of NGOs who are working for the environment related causes, I was very thrilled and touched that there are so many initiatives by people to do something and make a difference. Even though the numbers are relatively small, I think that in itself is very encouraging.
And then there are the schools who are teaching the kids about environment protection which I find truly amazing. Like in the school my son goes to, the kids have been taught that plastic is bad. So my son always insists that I do not get the grocery bags from the stores and carry my own cloth one. He was only 6 when he learnt this! As another initiative, they were taught about how to help prevent wasting water. These are such simple steps, but I do appreciate the school for taking them.
The other day, I overheard this conversation between my husband and son,
Son: Dad, I wish I could take one of these stray dogs, get him the injections he needs, so then I can take care of it.
Dad: Very thoughtful of you sweetie, but there are hundreds of them. We can't help them all.
Son: But dad there are hundreds of us too!!
-Came the reply!!
We were so impressed . If we could nurture these thoughts, they will definitely grow up being more aware of noble causes like the environment or something that is socially relevant and close to their heart. According to me, just having this thought is a baby step. And so it is in our power to make sure we instill these thoughts and not let them simmer down.
A lot of times, we ourselves lose steam over some of our desires (I can't say passion, cos if it was passion, I would not be just writing my thoughts about the environment, I would be writing about what I have done for it. ) to help make the world a better place. These days, I believe, a lot of us have this desire. No, really! I honestly do not remember my mom or dad talking about 'protecting the environment'. They were smart individuals but this was not on their mind at all. Maybe it is a very human attitude where we need the doctor when we are ill or we pray to God when we need him. So till proof of the environment going kaput came, no one really cared. Coming back to where I was, when we have a noble desire like this, what do most of us do?Discuss it with family and friends, who at that moment in time may not have a social cause or an environment related issue a priority on their to do lists. So out come negative opinions and poof goes our steam.
So lets take baby steps and try to bring to life these noble thoughts we have. It could be as simple as planting a tree or placing some garbage cans in the street we live or something more socially relevant like, teaching a poor child. They say even good deeds are not unselfish. Even if this is true, and we are going to do it so we can feel good about it later, so what?In fact can't that be enough reason for us to do it?We all strive in jobs and homes so as to feel good at the end of the day anyway,right?
If I have managed to pique even a little interest , then do visit http://www.karnataka.com/ngos/environment.html and try to find your calling:-)
P.S: This is for people living in Karnataka as the link implies...
And then there are the schools who are teaching the kids about environment protection which I find truly amazing. Like in the school my son goes to, the kids have been taught that plastic is bad. So my son always insists that I do not get the grocery bags from the stores and carry my own cloth one. He was only 6 when he learnt this! As another initiative, they were taught about how to help prevent wasting water. These are such simple steps, but I do appreciate the school for taking them.
The other day, I overheard this conversation between my husband and son,
Son: Dad, I wish I could take one of these stray dogs, get him the injections he needs, so then I can take care of it.
Dad: Very thoughtful of you sweetie, but there are hundreds of them. We can't help them all.
Son: But dad there are hundreds of us too!!
-Came the reply!!
We were so impressed . If we could nurture these thoughts, they will definitely grow up being more aware of noble causes like the environment or something that is socially relevant and close to their heart. According to me, just having this thought is a baby step. And so it is in our power to make sure we instill these thoughts and not let them simmer down.
A lot of times, we ourselves lose steam over some of our desires (I can't say passion, cos if it was passion, I would not be just writing my thoughts about the environment, I would be writing about what I have done for it. ) to help make the world a better place. These days, I believe, a lot of us have this desire. No, really! I honestly do not remember my mom or dad talking about 'protecting the environment'. They were smart individuals but this was not on their mind at all. Maybe it is a very human attitude where we need the doctor when we are ill or we pray to God when we need him. So till proof of the environment going kaput came, no one really cared. Coming back to where I was, when we have a noble desire like this, what do most of us do?Discuss it with family and friends, who at that moment in time may not have a social cause or an environment related issue a priority on their to do lists. So out come negative opinions and poof goes our steam.
So lets take baby steps and try to bring to life these noble thoughts we have. It could be as simple as planting a tree or placing some garbage cans in the street we live or something more socially relevant like, teaching a poor child. They say even good deeds are not unselfish. Even if this is true, and we are going to do it so we can feel good about it later, so what?In fact can't that be enough reason for us to do it?We all strive in jobs and homes so as to feel good at the end of the day anyway,right?
If I have managed to pique even a little interest , then do visit http://www.karnataka.com/ngos/environment.html and try to find your calling:-)
P.S: This is for people living in Karnataka as the link implies...
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Deciding on a primary school - Is it more a strategy to plan life?
I have a couple of close friends, who according to me are leading mirror lives..( They don't know each other too well)The common factor that is me, gets to be a sound board many a time,not that I am complaining!!
Both of them have returned from the US in the last year and a half. Both had their 4 and 5 year olds attending great schools out there. But when they got back to the city that gave them 'their' education, they are confused.What school do I put my child in? Should he/she go to a state board?Or a CBSE? Or an ICSE? How are the board results for the school in the last few years? How well are the extra curricular activities planned? Do they have space for sports? If they do have these, then are they really concentrating on the academics enough for them to compete with the 'traditional schools' ?
Did our parents really think this much before getting us into a school? I would think most did not. It was a very easy solution then.Look around the community you live in, amongst the schools available, consider the best and the most affordable option.
No longer though, it would seem. I guess the competition is much higher. The affordability is much higher too. Everyone wants better and better for their kids. This friend of mine went above and beyond the traditional methods of zeroing in on her daughter's school.She took a whole day off and spent it with, no not the teachers or the parents, but the kids!! She spoke to many of them, asked them a list of questions she had carefully prepared.She came out well informed, completely convinced that this was it,this was where her daughter should go!! I was very impressed with the drive and the energy she has shown in figuring out, maybe the most important phase in her daughter's life..
I think most of us want a lot more achievements out of our kids. Sometimes, this can be looked at, with a cynical eye .We can say we should not push our kids. But then again, haven't a lot of achievers out there , been through vigorous tests and competitions?Doesn't that in some way prepare you to be a leader? As long as we figure out where we draw our lines and how thick or thin we draw them, it is alright. At the end of it we are all doing it with the best of intentions. Cos isn't that all we have ? Good intentions and no guarantees ??
Both of them have returned from the US in the last year and a half. Both had their 4 and 5 year olds attending great schools out there. But when they got back to the city that gave them 'their' education, they are confused.What school do I put my child in? Should he/she go to a state board?Or a CBSE? Or an ICSE? How are the board results for the school in the last few years? How well are the extra curricular activities planned? Do they have space for sports? If they do have these, then are they really concentrating on the academics enough for them to compete with the 'traditional schools' ?
Did our parents really think this much before getting us into a school? I would think most did not. It was a very easy solution then.Look around the community you live in, amongst the schools available, consider the best and the most affordable option.
No longer though, it would seem. I guess the competition is much higher. The affordability is much higher too. Everyone wants better and better for their kids. This friend of mine went above and beyond the traditional methods of zeroing in on her daughter's school.She took a whole day off and spent it with, no not the teachers or the parents, but the kids!! She spoke to many of them, asked them a list of questions she had carefully prepared.She came out well informed, completely convinced that this was it,this was where her daughter should go!! I was very impressed with the drive and the energy she has shown in figuring out, maybe the most important phase in her daughter's life..
I think most of us want a lot more achievements out of our kids. Sometimes, this can be looked at, with a cynical eye .We can say we should not push our kids. But then again, haven't a lot of achievers out there , been through vigorous tests and competitions?Doesn't that in some way prepare you to be a leader? As long as we figure out where we draw our lines and how thick or thin we draw them, it is alright. At the end of it we are all doing it with the best of intentions. Cos isn't that all we have ? Good intentions and no guarantees ??
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Girls Nite In..
And what fun it was!! 11 of us, some pizzas, popcorn, some drinkies And no husbands or kids..Loads of laughs..thats what it was this Friday night. We played some games and chatted. This was one cold winter night none of us will forget for a long time..
Why do we forget to do this more often? We know it is absolutely therapeutic, all the laughs and giggles are obviously good for the heart.. I for one hope there has been enough motivation to keep this up..
Way to go girlfriends!!
Why do we forget to do this more often? We know it is absolutely therapeutic, all the laughs and giggles are obviously good for the heart.. I for one hope there has been enough motivation to keep this up..
Way to go girlfriends!!
Friday, January 9, 2009
The essay that got me in....
CAREER AND/OR FAMILY
The true choice that haunts every urban woman of today, including me is this, Career or family? Of course, I am not talking about the cool single woman here. It sounds simple enough to those who have solved the puzzle successfully but I believe, we, urban women, can be categorized into 3 groups:
The career woman
The family woman
The 'sitting on the fence' woman
The career woman is the one who gets back to work the day her maternity leave ends. Of course she has her moments when she feels like throwing in the towel, the day the maid decides to take off. But overall the ambition drives her and with some misses and a lot of stress she manages to steer on ahead.
The family woman is the most contented lot, according to me. She has been raised with the idea that one day she will be married and she will have a family who she will have to tend to and look after. Of course she has her own set of stress but nowhere is there confusion or the thought to 'throw in the towel'. She needs her occasional 'me' time and she is rejuvenated.
Then comes the third, which sadly I am a part of. According to me, majority of us fall into this category. We have tasted what it is to be home with the little one and tasted how it is to have the financial independence. There is the joy of the 'first time he/she did this'. But then there is also the constant craving to do something and to achieve something. There is a lot of restlessness and very little mind rest.
This is the difficult situation I have had to deal with for sometime, the choice I have had to make. The first 4 years of motherhood was a conscious decision to stay clear of confusion. But who can suppress long standing ambitions for long? It had to rear its head sometime and so it did. I decided I had to go back to a job.
The first issue here was child care. Who was going to take care of my son in my absence? I interviewed a few nannies. It took sometime to find the one I was most comfortable with. The next step was to train her. I had given myself a couple of months to start work so that I could be sure of her capability. I was very proud of all the planning I was doing.
Then finally I started work. It was all great for sometime. I started interacting with people in my field after a long time. I was talking about things which didn't comprise of the words 'diapers', 'playtime' ,'nap time' ,etc. But like I said before, once you taste what it is like to stay home with your little one, it is very difficult to let someone else do that while you sit at your desk. All the planning could not save me from my own guilt. So I quit and was back home again.
The grass always being greener on the other side, within no time the previous restlessness set in again. I read an article in the BBC news columns which said that 'According to a survey, working women with children are significantly happier than stay-at-home mothers, regardless of how many hours they work. ' I truly endorse this.
This time though, before the job hunting process, I decided that a full time technical job was not going to be a solution for me. It was not going to give me the work-life balance I needed. So the process involved in finding a job had to be different. I spoke to recruiters, got a list of job sites which posted freelancing, part-time and telecommuting work. I read a lot of articles including the “6 Tips for On-Ramp Moms Returning to Work” (Collamer,1).This was a very interesting site and provided the information I needed. Initially the results of my searches were disheartening. But slowly and steadily I realized that these terms were still at a very latent stage in India. Of course there would be articles published, saying that companies were looking for women who wanted to rejoin workforce after a long hiatus. But I could not see any real proof of this. I came across “Luring women back into work” where apparently a Swiss bank had come up with a pretty clever way of getting women back into the workforce “(2). Why could not companies based in India be coming up with ideas like this? All I was seeing were postings where it would clearly say 'Work from Home-- Degree not required'. How can I, a Masters graduate, put it all aside and apply for a post like this?
Then out of the blue I stumbled upon "http://www.academia-research.com". I read it and then re-read it. I looked for possible loopholes since by this time all my hopes of finding the perfect job,were lost. But there were none. I told myself not to get too excited. I just went ahead and applied. How liberated I felt! Amidst all the inner restlessness I might have just found my own Right Job.
Thats whats life is all about isn't it? First we grow up looking for The Best Friend. When that search ends, we start looking for Mr. Right. Then before we know it, its all there but we have started to look out for the Right Job. Well, I hope this is it.
The true choice that haunts every urban woman of today, including me is this, Career or family? Of course, I am not talking about the cool single woman here. It sounds simple enough to those who have solved the puzzle successfully but I believe, we, urban women, can be categorized into 3 groups:
The career woman
The family woman
The 'sitting on the fence' woman
The career woman is the one who gets back to work the day her maternity leave ends. Of course she has her moments when she feels like throwing in the towel, the day the maid decides to take off. But overall the ambition drives her and with some misses and a lot of stress she manages to steer on ahead.
The family woman is the most contented lot, according to me. She has been raised with the idea that one day she will be married and she will have a family who she will have to tend to and look after. Of course she has her own set of stress but nowhere is there confusion or the thought to 'throw in the towel'. She needs her occasional 'me' time and she is rejuvenated.
Then comes the third, which sadly I am a part of. According to me, majority of us fall into this category. We have tasted what it is to be home with the little one and tasted how it is to have the financial independence. There is the joy of the 'first time he/she did this'. But then there is also the constant craving to do something and to achieve something. There is a lot of restlessness and very little mind rest.
This is the difficult situation I have had to deal with for sometime, the choice I have had to make. The first 4 years of motherhood was a conscious decision to stay clear of confusion. But who can suppress long standing ambitions for long? It had to rear its head sometime and so it did. I decided I had to go back to a job.
The first issue here was child care. Who was going to take care of my son in my absence? I interviewed a few nannies. It took sometime to find the one I was most comfortable with. The next step was to train her. I had given myself a couple of months to start work so that I could be sure of her capability. I was very proud of all the planning I was doing.
Then finally I started work. It was all great for sometime. I started interacting with people in my field after a long time. I was talking about things which didn't comprise of the words 'diapers', 'playtime' ,'nap time' ,etc. But like I said before, once you taste what it is like to stay home with your little one, it is very difficult to let someone else do that while you sit at your desk. All the planning could not save me from my own guilt. So I quit and was back home again.
The grass always being greener on the other side, within no time the previous restlessness set in again. I read an article in the BBC news columns which said that 'According to a survey, working women with children are significantly happier than stay-at-home mothers, regardless of how many hours they work. ' I truly endorse this.
This time though, before the job hunting process, I decided that a full time technical job was not going to be a solution for me. It was not going to give me the work-life balance I needed. So the process involved in finding a job had to be different. I spoke to recruiters, got a list of job sites which posted freelancing, part-time and telecommuting work. I read a lot of articles including the “6 Tips for On-Ramp Moms Returning to Work” (Collamer,1).This was a very interesting site and provided the information I needed. Initially the results of my searches were disheartening. But slowly and steadily I realized that these terms were still at a very latent stage in India. Of course there would be articles published, saying that companies were looking for women who wanted to rejoin workforce after a long hiatus. But I could not see any real proof of this. I came across “Luring women back into work” where apparently a Swiss bank had come up with a pretty clever way of getting women back into the workforce “(2). Why could not companies based in India be coming up with ideas like this? All I was seeing were postings where it would clearly say 'Work from Home-- Degree not required'. How can I, a Masters graduate, put it all aside and apply for a post like this?
Then out of the blue I stumbled upon "http://www.academia-research.com". I read it and then re-read it. I looked for possible loopholes since by this time all my hopes of finding the perfect job,were lost. But there were none. I told myself not to get too excited. I just went ahead and applied. How liberated I felt! Amidst all the inner restlessness I might have just found my own Right Job.
Thats whats life is all about isn't it? First we grow up looking for The Best Friend. When that search ends, we start looking for Mr. Right. Then before we know it, its all there but we have started to look out for the Right Job. Well, I hope this is it.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Double Cheers for Myself today...
For a lot of us, the word 'freelance writing' seems to be associated with a dream job..something that will enable us to be home for the family and bring home the pocket money for ourselves. Yipee!! Finally I can say I am part of that world. I am now officially a 'writer' for a popular website. So Cheers to me:-)
Seems like I am becoming a big fan of George Carlin..My dear friend sent me a mail with some of his quotable quotes..This impressed me the most..
"You BECOME 21, TURN 30,PUSH 40,REACH 50 AND MAKE IT TO 60!!THEN HIT 70 And GET INTO 80.."
What a day for me to read this, the day I TURN 36!! Actually I don't feel a day beyond 21..So I shall change all that and say "I BECOME 36 today" ...And Cheers to me for that too:-)
Seems like I am becoming a big fan of George Carlin..My dear friend sent me a mail with some of his quotable quotes..This impressed me the most..
"You BECOME 21, TURN 30,PUSH 40,REACH 50 AND MAKE IT TO 60!!THEN HIT 70 And GET INTO 80.."
What a day for me to read this, the day I TURN 36!! Actually I don't feel a day beyond 21..So I shall change all that and say "I BECOME 36 today" ...And Cheers to me for that too:-)
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