Saraswathy(Sara) Kameswaran, skiied on both the Poles in the year 2007. She was a self funded Indian from Tamilnadu. She was the First ever Indian woman to ski on both the Poles in the same year.
Without a deft agent to publicize her historic feat, Sara completed her achievement as quietly as the person she is. She is simply happy to have made it.
http://www.polarexplorers.com/ExpeditionTracker2007.htm#SP1deg
http://www.icetrek.com/index.php?id=729
Skiing in the Pole is just not like skiing on the Heavenly slopes in Lake Tahoe or Aspen slopes in Colorado. You need a special combination of dream, determination and grit to brave the below zero tempratures and to carry your own food & excrements.
Now the whole web world is ablaze with a news item on Reena Kaushal - another Indian woman - as the First Indian Woman "preparing" to go to the South Pole in 2010. God bless Reena with a safe passage and completion. But, Sara already did it in 2007. You know because Reena is going with a commonwealth all women team, and she has proper planning and publicizing agent and her guide is so fiercely protective and assures that Reena is going to be the first Indian Woman - can the fact that Sara did both the Poles in 2007 be nullified?
The Indian media, even the media in Tamilnadu is not interested in talking about the First Tamil Woman who did this historic feat. People say, with access to internet, the world is at your finger tips and you can contact any one you want. This is not practically true. You can email thousands of individuals, unless they decide to read that email or respond to that mail, you do not know if your case is heard, leave alone being considered.
I am looking for a miracle to happen, so the world or at least India will know Sara did both the poles in the same year in 2007.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Socializing - A trick or a treat?
I got into an interesting discussion about my socializing habits! A friend was able to provide a critical point of view. "looks like you have friends or acquaintances in every street around here, thats why when we plan the week ends, you are always not able to join in". I was kind of preparing for a defensive argument, but my practical self pointed out - I dont have to defend my friendship and acquaintances to some one else. But can you let go a statement like that without airing your opinion? After all its about you isnt it? So I did not let go.
I am sure we all agree humans are essentially social animals. Especially after building a nest to roost in a country very far from where we are born, very far from where our families and childhood friendships live - we need to build a social circle. For us to talk, share and for the children to have an introduction to a family like settings and meet different people.
Initially Birds of a feather flocks together. After we are out and about - that essentially means, after becoming parents and kids start school, we get to meet people from other nationalities and get to know them. When the kids becomes friends, some simple getting to know evolves into good friendships. Our social circle develops. Essentially living in the bay area introduces us with a wonderful opportunity to meet with people from all around the world. Even since my first one started Pre School, I was lucky to know American, Indian, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, Mexican and British moms. Basically we are all moms. We had Wednesday play groups where our children played in a a park after Pizza lunch, and we exchanged food from all our different kitchens. The bonding was great and I understood, languages and culture can be poles apart - but the MOM feeling is the same, as well as the Woman feeling. I would say I gained a better perspective as a mom and a wife from my friends from this play group, rather than I lost "my"time.
Ofcourse when you are part of a group, and the kids are friends - some of your weekends are not yours. you have to attend Birthday parties - for your child's sake. Little compromises or if you want to call it sacrifices - are important part of making new friends. I am sure giving your child the opportunity to move in multi ethnic, multi cultural environment - gives them the comfrtability early on to deal with multi ethnic group of peers later on in their lives.
So when my friend told me I missed out (actually we did not "miss") on specific activities because I had other social events - like Birthday parties - I could not agree. For one - I want to give my kids all the experiences of living in bay area. So we do camping and other seasonal sports as a recreation - once or twice during the season. Numer two, I do not want to do it every week. Its as simple as that. Letting my son his friends in social events - sometimes specific to his own age group is also important to me.
And yes, instead of one best friend or whatever I have a few good friends. I cannot stand pretentious friendships. "Genuine" is what I look for and give to my friends. So when the wavelength match with a certain aquaintence - we let it develop to the next level - friendship. Its not like me or the friend involved do anything un natural and go over board to "create" a fiendship. On yeah, Friendships can never be created. They should happen. At the same time we need to nurture it with care. Its like a two way traffic. When all the communication is done by one person and the other person wants to keep quiet and take you for granted, I would not call it friendship. So with good friendship, though we loose some of "our" weekend times, we do gain poeple, genuine people to love and nurture and to be loved and nurtured in turn.
So I guess making a friendship and socializing a trick or treat is very much in our hands. What do you think?
I am sure we all agree humans are essentially social animals. Especially after building a nest to roost in a country very far from where we are born, very far from where our families and childhood friendships live - we need to build a social circle. For us to talk, share and for the children to have an introduction to a family like settings and meet different people.
Initially Birds of a feather flocks together. After we are out and about - that essentially means, after becoming parents and kids start school, we get to meet people from other nationalities and get to know them. When the kids becomes friends, some simple getting to know evolves into good friendships. Our social circle develops. Essentially living in the bay area introduces us with a wonderful opportunity to meet with people from all around the world. Even since my first one started Pre School, I was lucky to know American, Indian, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, Mexican and British moms. Basically we are all moms. We had Wednesday play groups where our children played in a a park after Pizza lunch, and we exchanged food from all our different kitchens. The bonding was great and I understood, languages and culture can be poles apart - but the MOM feeling is the same, as well as the Woman feeling. I would say I gained a better perspective as a mom and a wife from my friends from this play group, rather than I lost "my"time.
Ofcourse when you are part of a group, and the kids are friends - some of your weekends are not yours. you have to attend Birthday parties - for your child's sake. Little compromises or if you want to call it sacrifices - are important part of making new friends. I am sure giving your child the opportunity to move in multi ethnic, multi cultural environment - gives them the comfrtability early on to deal with multi ethnic group of peers later on in their lives.
So when my friend told me I missed out (actually we did not "miss") on specific activities because I had other social events - like Birthday parties - I could not agree. For one - I want to give my kids all the experiences of living in bay area. So we do camping and other seasonal sports as a recreation - once or twice during the season. Numer two, I do not want to do it every week. Its as simple as that. Letting my son his friends in social events - sometimes specific to his own age group is also important to me.
And yes, instead of one best friend or whatever I have a few good friends. I cannot stand pretentious friendships. "Genuine" is what I look for and give to my friends. So when the wavelength match with a certain aquaintence - we let it develop to the next level - friendship. Its not like me or the friend involved do anything un natural and go over board to "create" a fiendship. On yeah, Friendships can never be created. They should happen. At the same time we need to nurture it with care. Its like a two way traffic. When all the communication is done by one person and the other person wants to keep quiet and take you for granted, I would not call it friendship. So with good friendship, though we loose some of "our" weekend times, we do gain poeple, genuine people to love and nurture and to be loved and nurtured in turn.
So I guess making a friendship and socializing a trick or treat is very much in our hands. What do you think?
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Oh the twist and turns...
Sometimes the twists and turns bewilder us beyond comprehension. When a simple logic goes berserk and metamorphoses into something else beyond compare what can you do? Just start blogging? Right. That's exactly what I am doing.
My good friend Sara(Saraswathy Kameswaran) did something great - she went on a self funded ski expedition to Both the South Pole and North Pole in 2007. The Poles skiing community knew she was the first Indian woman to do this amazing feet. But she did not get the recognition from neither the Indian government nor the media. thinking back now - though we contacted the media, we never contacted the political powerhouse to inform. Now the whole web is ablaze with the news about first Indian woman "preparing" to go to South Pole in 2010. How interestingly funny is it? What a great twist of facts? In spite of getting in touch with the news agency that is spreading the current news, and the person who is planning to guide this 2010 team, we did not hear from anybody about the 2007 achievement my friend did. I feel it is an in justice to my friend's achievement. I am now reaching out to the popular bloggers to write about Sara. But who knows if her achievement will be recognized?
Sometimes what we think is true turns out to be sadly not so. Sometimes we are so sure of the path that can take us to the destination we need to reach. Often times we are not even sure of the destination we want to go, how to select a path - so twisted with many darker turns??
Totally unconnected to Sara's achievement, I have this other thing that bothers me. Sometimes when I see people I know talk about separation, I am dumbfounded. I cannot think coherently. I believe marriage is a bond, sealed with love and trust. Also I believe is giving the spouse a space, with trust. The beauty, friendship, love and care - not to mention the little fights, that bind the marriage are irreplaceable.
How ever is it possible to live alone after growing to live together over the years? After sharing everything that we consider sacred, after trusting for so many years, the spouse becomes so much a part of our being isn't it? We even learn to talk, think and act like them in some ways. So when I hear the impossible - I get shocked. In any culture - when a man and woman come together under a sacred promise - does it not mean they go on forever? Is it that very hard to talk together and iron out the wrinkles? I am aware that no two individuals can live like "one". Its total myth. But I am sure the two individuals involved in a marriage - can mutually agree to disagree on the things they individually do not like?
My good friend Sara(Saraswathy Kameswaran) did something great - she went on a self funded ski expedition to Both the South Pole and North Pole in 2007. The Poles skiing community knew she was the first Indian woman to do this amazing feet. But she did not get the recognition from neither the Indian government nor the media. thinking back now - though we contacted the media, we never contacted the political powerhouse to inform. Now the whole web is ablaze with the news about first Indian woman "preparing" to go to South Pole in 2010. How interestingly funny is it? What a great twist of facts? In spite of getting in touch with the news agency that is spreading the current news, and the person who is planning to guide this 2010 team, we did not hear from anybody about the 2007 achievement my friend did. I feel it is an in justice to my friend's achievement. I am now reaching out to the popular bloggers to write about Sara. But who knows if her achievement will be recognized?
Sometimes what we think is true turns out to be sadly not so. Sometimes we are so sure of the path that can take us to the destination we need to reach. Often times we are not even sure of the destination we want to go, how to select a path - so twisted with many darker turns??
Totally unconnected to Sara's achievement, I have this other thing that bothers me. Sometimes when I see people I know talk about separation, I am dumbfounded. I cannot think coherently. I believe marriage is a bond, sealed with love and trust. Also I believe is giving the spouse a space, with trust. The beauty, friendship, love and care - not to mention the little fights, that bind the marriage are irreplaceable.
How ever is it possible to live alone after growing to live together over the years? After sharing everything that we consider sacred, after trusting for so many years, the spouse becomes so much a part of our being isn't it? We even learn to talk, think and act like them in some ways. So when I hear the impossible - I get shocked. In any culture - when a man and woman come together under a sacred promise - does it not mean they go on forever? Is it that very hard to talk together and iron out the wrinkles? I am aware that no two individuals can live like "one". Its total myth. But I am sure the two individuals involved in a marriage - can mutually agree to disagree on the things they individually do not like?
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