I read with great interest how billions were being promised as new investment in Bangalore and how the Chief Minister had rode rough shod on the protesters.
Those of whom have been following this blog when Annikki and I were travelling through India, and especially when we were in Bangalore, would certainly be wondering what I thought of this!
Being a Bangalorean by birth and a lover of Bangalore when it was a "Garden City", what I saw was a unplanned, unmanaged growth where only the power of money ruled the streets. A filthy, unkept Bangalore where kids and garbage were brought up side by side, as the "investors" have no time for such niceties of keeping a clean healthy city, as it would affect their bottom line if they did anything about this.
I am unlikely to visit Bangalore again, unless I have to. It is "dead" city to me.
I refer to my many posts on this blog about Rural Urbanisation.
I wish those investors planning to invest their billions would show some sense before the "oil catastrophe" symptom of the Gulf of Mexico, in its land form, hits and destroys.
As I have said a couple of times - the only salvation will be when Bangalore dies and sees rebirth!
Sunday, June 06, 2010
Saturday, June 05, 2010
Dandia brings alive India House
Last Sunday, India House in Oulu was throbbing with the sound of Indian Music and Dances. The cultural group planning and preparing for the programme for Saturday the 12th of June in Oulu was busy, practicing.
As one apartment was free, I was able to allow them to use it for the practice.
But the ladies found they needed more space.
They moved to forecourt to practice the Dandia dance.
The sound of the the sticks and the rythym of the dance certainly had all the onlookers hearts throbbing. If it was any indication of what is to come on the 12th evening, it is going to be just great. We have so much beauty, brawn and talent in Oulu.
Yes, India house was really alive.
Thanks, ladies!
As one apartment was free, I was able to allow them to use it for the practice.
But the ladies found they needed more space.
 |
| From India House Garden |
They moved to forecourt to practice the Dandia dance.
The sound of the the sticks and the rythym of the dance certainly had all the onlookers hearts throbbing. If it was any indication of what is to come on the 12th evening, it is going to be just great. We have so much beauty, brawn and talent in Oulu.
Yes, India house was really alive.
Thanks, ladies!
Friday, June 04, 2010
Indian Buffet in Oulu
Yesterday, I decided to try the new Indian Buffet on offer in Oulu. I had promised the owner that I would drop in on Monday, and then Tuesday, but I just could not make it.
So yesterday, I went in a little late (after 14:00 hours).
The restaurant was not crowded, but it was obvious that they had had several guests in the early afternoon.
The buffet was good but not outstanding. There was a salad table, but I do not normally take salads. Rice and pakoras were on offer. The pakoras were cold. I like mine piping hot. There were three wet dishes - channa dal, chicken curry and lamb curry.
The channa dal was made for a Finnish palette, not for an Indian one. The chicken, which was cooked in curd, making it like a kurma, was a bit too sweet for me. The lamb was just about right.
The papadam's were freshly fried and great.
Being late, the nan's were cold and rather hard and crispy! I found a few soft ones.
I would have liked a dry vegetable, as we have so many wonderful dry dishes as accompaniments at all Indian tables. As I am allergic to cold or unwashed cooked rice, because of the starch, I did not try that. I stuck to cold hard nans!
Various sauces adorned the serving table, but I was not attracted to any of them.
The meal was followed by a small bowl of fruit salad served at the table. I had a Chai, after that.
The price at € 9.80, including the soft drink, is higher than what the Chinese restaurants charge (between € 7 and 8).
The Experience: Moderately good and a good starting efort. Probably a once a month visit will be what will be my schedule!
So yesterday, I went in a little late (after 14:00 hours).
 |
| From Indian Buffet in Oulu |
The restaurant was not crowded, but it was obvious that they had had several guests in the early afternoon.
The buffet was good but not outstanding. There was a salad table, but I do not normally take salads. Rice and pakoras were on offer. The pakoras were cold. I like mine piping hot. There were three wet dishes - channa dal, chicken curry and lamb curry.
The channa dal was made for a Finnish palette, not for an Indian one. The chicken, which was cooked in curd, making it like a kurma, was a bit too sweet for me. The lamb was just about right.
The papadam's were freshly fried and great.
Being late, the nan's were cold and rather hard and crispy! I found a few soft ones.
I would have liked a dry vegetable, as we have so many wonderful dry dishes as accompaniments at all Indian tables. As I am allergic to cold or unwashed cooked rice, because of the starch, I did not try that. I stuck to cold hard nans!
Various sauces adorned the serving table, but I was not attracted to any of them.
The meal was followed by a small bowl of fruit salad served at the table. I had a Chai, after that.
The price at € 9.80, including the soft drink, is higher than what the Chinese restaurants charge (between € 7 and 8).
The Experience: Moderately good and a good starting efort. Probably a once a month visit will be what will be my schedule!
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
One man Crusade
There is an interesting article in the New York Times of 31st May 2010 about the power of the internet and the ability to publish one's personal opinions critical of a business.
Venting Online, Consumers Can Find Themselves in Court is about how a young man posted the story of his car was wrongfully towed away by a towing company from his parking slot.
This subject has a very personal interest for Annikki and me. We have been internet activists for over 15 years.
When our company, Findians Oy, bought a portable computer from AST Inc. (Finland), the 5th largest computer company in the world in 1995, and we found it to be a total and complete dud, and when our grievances were not handled by the company, we started an international internet campaign. This brought in responses from across the globe and highlighted that we were not the only ones who had been conned by this company.
The Finnish legal system we found was weighted heavily against the small individual. We knew we would never get justice in the Finnish Courts - which situation exits even today.
Our internet campaign was an enormous success resulting in the closure of AST Inc..
They sold the brand name to SAMSUNG. But the public outrage we had created was so strong, the brand name never again saw the light of day.
When we started our "Oulu Best (Worst) Buy" blog and we exposed some of the practices of some Oulu businesses, we had enormous success.
We recently published the list of worst lawyers in Finland and especially Oulu. Recently, our blog was quoted in an application to the Finnish High Court when a plaintiff tried to get out of the clutches of Finland's worst lawyer.
Of course, the legal system is a complete farce in Finland. The Finnish Lawyer's Association (Suomen Asianajajaliito) has a process which is supposed to investigate any complaints from the public against lawyers. Our recent protracted experience showed that it does nothing of the kind. This organisation exists only to "look after their brother" and it has nothing to do with law or justice.
The main problem in Finland is that the media is also subservient to the authorities and those in power, so there is simply no recourse for the general public to get any justice from this twisted legal system.
We have many sleepy Ombudsmen all over Europe. In theory, the Ombudsman is an excellent system, but it has been usurped by those in power for their own ends.
The Police, especially the Oulu Police, are also extremely corrupt. We have seen this from our several personal experiences,. They go to great lengths to preserve their fear power base over the people. Legalities are not for them! And the rot is at the very top from where the orders come downwards!
But this corruption is different from the general corruption we have in India. That is for people to earn a wage to exist. Here, in Finland, it has nothing to do with the monetary return. It has to do with "POWER".
The local newspaper started "Free Speech Day".
My platform, from where I spoke on all the subjects that I had investigated the previous year, was a great success. So, last year, the newspaper changed the format so that I could not get a chance to speak! And this year it appears that they have decided against having the event altogether.
If it is not permitted to publicise the misdeeds of an individual, company, organisation or authority, then, by the same standards, it must also be illegal to publish "kudos" about them.
If this is so, it heralds the death of investigative journalism and also the end of democracy.
FREE SPEECH is already dead in Finland!
Venting Online, Consumers Can Find Themselves in Court is about how a young man posted the story of his car was wrongfully towed away by a towing company from his parking slot.
“There’s no reason I should have to shut up because some guy doesn’t want his dirty laundry out,” Mr. Kurtz said. “It’s the power of the Internet, man.”
This subject has a very personal interest for Annikki and me. We have been internet activists for over 15 years.
When our company, Findians Oy, bought a portable computer from AST Inc. (Finland), the 5th largest computer company in the world in 1995, and we found it to be a total and complete dud, and when our grievances were not handled by the company, we started an international internet campaign. This brought in responses from across the globe and highlighted that we were not the only ones who had been conned by this company.
The Finnish legal system we found was weighted heavily against the small individual. We knew we would never get justice in the Finnish Courts - which situation exits even today.
Our internet campaign was an enormous success resulting in the closure of AST Inc..
They sold the brand name to SAMSUNG. But the public outrage we had created was so strong, the brand name never again saw the light of day.
When we started our "Oulu Best (Worst) Buy" blog and we exposed some of the practices of some Oulu businesses, we had enormous success.
We recently published the list of worst lawyers in Finland and especially Oulu. Recently, our blog was quoted in an application to the Finnish High Court when a plaintiff tried to get out of the clutches of Finland's worst lawyer.
Of course, the legal system is a complete farce in Finland. The Finnish Lawyer's Association (Suomen Asianajajaliito) has a process which is supposed to investigate any complaints from the public against lawyers. Our recent protracted experience showed that it does nothing of the kind. This organisation exists only to "look after their brother" and it has nothing to do with law or justice.
The main problem in Finland is that the media is also subservient to the authorities and those in power, so there is simply no recourse for the general public to get any justice from this twisted legal system.
We have many sleepy Ombudsmen all over Europe. In theory, the Ombudsman is an excellent system, but it has been usurped by those in power for their own ends.
The Police, especially the Oulu Police, are also extremely corrupt. We have seen this from our several personal experiences,. They go to great lengths to preserve their fear power base over the people. Legalities are not for them! And the rot is at the very top from where the orders come downwards!
But this corruption is different from the general corruption we have in India. That is for people to earn a wage to exist. Here, in Finland, it has nothing to do with the monetary return. It has to do with "POWER".
The local newspaper started "Free Speech Day".
 |
| From Jacob's Blog |
My platform, from where I spoke on all the subjects that I had investigated the previous year, was a great success. So, last year, the newspaper changed the format so that I could not get a chance to speak! And this year it appears that they have decided against having the event altogether.
If it is not permitted to publicise the misdeeds of an individual, company, organisation or authority, then, by the same standards, it must also be illegal to publish "kudos" about them.
If this is so, it heralds the death of investigative journalism and also the end of democracy.
FREE SPEECH is already dead in Finland!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Customer service?
On the 4th of May, I received a letter from one of my Internet Service Providers, that a deposit of € 500 that they had taken from me a couple of years was to be returned to me. They gave several alternatives for me to get my money back.
The first was to fill up a form and post it back to them. The second was to visit a web page and fill in the details. (I tried this but the page was so complicated that I did not get past filling in my name and address!) The third, and simplest, was to ring a Customer Care phone number provided in the letter.
I obviously chose the third alternative.
On Friday the 7th of May, in the afternoon, I rang the number. The girl who answered did not know the existence of such a service at this number. Then she said her computer was down. She took down the required details and then told me that she would send me a text message.
I waited, and I waited.
On Monday the 24th of May, I rang again. The immediate response of the lady who answered the phone was that he computer was down. I told her that it did not matter that the computer was down but I wanted to get an answer as to why something the Customer Care person had promised was not acted upon. With great reluctance, when I told her that it was me to get some money back, she took down all the details and said she would ring me back.
Guess whether I got a call back?
On Wednesday the 26th of May, I rang again. I spoke to a gentleman who spoke excellent English. I posed my problem and when he looked at the computer, which was obviously working, he did note that my call and notes of the 7th of May were in front of him, but he could provide me with no answer as to why nothing had happened in the intervening 20 days.
I asked him some basic questions as, if I did not pay a due to their company, what would be the action? I asked him whether his company would pay the penal interest for not paying my dues on time. I also told him that the letter I had received was most interesting that there was not even a name or signature attached to the letter. I told him if anyone received such a letter purporting to be from my company without a name and signature, it would probably be thrown in the dustbin!
He was most apologetic. As a gesture, within his powers, for the trouble I had been put too, cancelled my last bill, gave me an ad hoc credit of € 50 and then said he would follow the matter through his supervisor.
I also told him that his Customer Care Division of his company had recently gone on strike to get substantial service benefits. I asked what should the Customers who they harassed by the inefficiency of their Customer Care Division should do? He told me that he was not one who had gone on strike, but acknowledged that the handling of my situation was certainly not correct.
Let us wait and see what happens before I reveal the name of this service provider! Stay tuned!
The first was to fill up a form and post it back to them. The second was to visit a web page and fill in the details. (I tried this but the page was so complicated that I did not get past filling in my name and address!) The third, and simplest, was to ring a Customer Care phone number provided in the letter.
I obviously chose the third alternative.
On Friday the 7th of May, in the afternoon, I rang the number. The girl who answered did not know the existence of such a service at this number. Then she said her computer was down. She took down the required details and then told me that she would send me a text message.
I waited, and I waited.
On Monday the 24th of May, I rang again. The immediate response of the lady who answered the phone was that he computer was down. I told her that it did not matter that the computer was down but I wanted to get an answer as to why something the Customer Care person had promised was not acted upon. With great reluctance, when I told her that it was me to get some money back, she took down all the details and said she would ring me back.
Guess whether I got a call back?
On Wednesday the 26th of May, I rang again. I spoke to a gentleman who spoke excellent English. I posed my problem and when he looked at the computer, which was obviously working, he did note that my call and notes of the 7th of May were in front of him, but he could provide me with no answer as to why nothing had happened in the intervening 20 days.
I asked him some basic questions as, if I did not pay a due to their company, what would be the action? I asked him whether his company would pay the penal interest for not paying my dues on time. I also told him that the letter I had received was most interesting that there was not even a name or signature attached to the letter. I told him if anyone received such a letter purporting to be from my company without a name and signature, it would probably be thrown in the dustbin!
He was most apologetic. As a gesture, within his powers, for the trouble I had been put too, cancelled my last bill, gave me an ad hoc credit of € 50 and then said he would follow the matter through his supervisor.
I also told him that his Customer Care Division of his company had recently gone on strike to get substantial service benefits. I asked what should the Customers who they harassed by the inefficiency of their Customer Care Division should do? He told me that he was not one who had gone on strike, but acknowledged that the handling of my situation was certainly not correct.
Let us wait and see what happens before I reveal the name of this service provider! Stay tuned!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Vegetarian Halal Beef?
I noticed that of one of our tenants in our Guest House had bought himself a cup noodle packet, Beef and Tomato. I had never seen this brand before.
When I looked at it carefully, I noted clearly that it was a Beef and Vegetable preparation.
When I looked still a little closer, I noted a small emblem showing that this product was suitable for VEGETARIANS.
I looked even closer at the next symbol to note that it was suitable for MOSLEMS who only eat HALAL MEAT.
I looked at the list of Ingredients. It read as follows (Emphasis is mine):
"INGREDIENTS: Noodle Cake: Wheat flour soft, palm oil, water, salt. Seasoning: Beef flavouring, wheat flour soft, sugar, maltodextrin, tomato powder, salt, monosodium glutamate (E621),citric acid (E330), caramel (E150c), I+G (E627, E631),silicon dioxide, (E551), onion extract, dried (chives, carrots, peas)."
'What a combination I thought -. Vegetarian Halal Beef Noodles!
You never know where technology takes us these days. :-)
 |
| From Vegetarian Beef |
When I looked at it carefully, I noted clearly that it was a Beef and Vegetable preparation.
 |
| From Vegetarian Beef |
When I looked still a little closer, I noted a small emblem showing that this product was suitable for VEGETARIANS.
I looked even closer at the next symbol to note that it was suitable for MOSLEMS who only eat HALAL MEAT.
 |
| From Vegetarian Beef |
I looked at the list of Ingredients. It read as follows (Emphasis is mine):
"INGREDIENTS: Noodle Cake: Wheat flour soft, palm oil, water, salt. Seasoning: Beef flavouring, wheat flour soft, sugar, maltodextrin, tomato powder, salt, monosodium glutamate (E621),citric acid (E330), caramel (E150c), I+G (E627, E631),silicon dioxide, (E551), onion extract, dried (chives, carrots, peas)."
'What a combination I thought -. Vegetarian Halal Beef Noodles!
You never know where technology takes us these days. :-)
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
The birch sap flow ends
Someone commented that the title of Lady Annikki was not just good enough - I agree! How can I make my Queen a mere "Lady"? :-)
Annikki's dramatic discovery of how to draw on the birch liquid (sap) brought her over 30 litres in a few days.
All good things must come to an end.
An overnight haul of precious birch sap from one small branch.
The sap, which was crystal clear for the first few days, slowly became cloudy and finally, as the first signs of leaves appeared on the branches, nature acted in its best interests and shut off the tap.
Strangely, the taste of this sap has a faint tinge of coconut water? I wonder what is the relationship between a coconut palm and a birch tree.
Annikki is ooking forward to the next year of tapping. I am sure she will devise some simple gadget to get the maximum flow from the broken twigs and branches! :-)
Annikki's dramatic discovery of how to draw on the birch liquid (sap) brought her over 30 litres in a few days.
All good things must come to an end.
 |
| From New Album 16/05/2010 06:40 |
An overnight haul of precious birch sap from one small branch.
The sap, which was crystal clear for the first few days, slowly became cloudy and finally, as the first signs of leaves appeared on the branches, nature acted in its best interests and shut off the tap.
Strangely, the taste of this sap has a faint tinge of coconut water? I wonder what is the relationship between a coconut palm and a birch tree.
Annikki is ooking forward to the next year of tapping. I am sure she will devise some simple gadget to get the maximum flow from the broken twigs and branches! :-)
Monday, May 17, 2010
What was this?
A few weeks ago I wrote about my experience of ordering a biriyani in one of the three Indian restaurants in Oulu. I regretted that day.
Last week I was tempted to have a biriyani in another of Oulu's Indian restaurants. This was what was served up:
What does it look like? (I won't answer that question as I dislike public use of foul language!) Where else in the world does one get a biriyani served up in this fashion? Where was the rush of colours from white to golden red? Where was the red tinge of Kashmiri saffron?
The only thing to be said about this biriyani was it had plenty of cashewnuts and well-cooked large mutton chunks, but with no smell or taste anywhere near what I consider "a biriyani"!
Look at what a typical serving, of what I think is a biriyani, should appear on a table (as I had posted on my last entry on this subject):
The fragrant smell of saffron, the beautiful colour layering of the rice, the burnt onions, are all a must in a biriyani - not a mish mash of a curry sauce and rice, in which are thrown large chunks of cashewnuts and meat.
Yes, I do yearn for a good biriyani in Oulu! Maybe I will have to cook it myself!
Last week I was tempted to have a biriyani in another of Oulu's Indian restaurants. This was what was served up:
 |
| From New Album 16/05/2010 06:40 |
What does it look like? (I won't answer that question as I dislike public use of foul language!) Where else in the world does one get a biriyani served up in this fashion? Where was the rush of colours from white to golden red? Where was the red tinge of Kashmiri saffron?
The only thing to be said about this biriyani was it had plenty of cashewnuts and well-cooked large mutton chunks, but with no smell or taste anywhere near what I consider "a biriyani"!
Look at what a typical serving, of what I think is a biriyani, should appear on a table (as I had posted on my last entry on this subject):
 |
| From Jacob's Blog |
The fragrant smell of saffron, the beautiful colour layering of the rice, the burnt onions, are all a must in a biriyani - not a mish mash of a curry sauce and rice, in which are thrown large chunks of cashewnuts and meat.
Yes, I do yearn for a good biriyani in Oulu! Maybe I will have to cook it myself!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Cricket in Oulu takes a new turn
Yesterday we had a cricket tournament for local Oulu cricket lovers. For the first time we used the matting so kindly provided by Asheesh Kumar of Medipolis GMP.
There was a small problem of carting this large matting roll around and also fixing it to the ground. The use of the hammer was necessary on several occasions to keep the bowlers end firmly fixed down. Also some small adjustments will also be required to have the sides not curl up.
Three teams took part in the 10 over format. The teams were married, bachelors and University student players. The games were thrilling.
Venkat Reddy bowls while Rajesh backs up.
In the end the Bachelors walked away with a victory over the married players.
The official training session and season will start shortly. This was a good forerunner to what we can expect in the coming summer months. Some discipline as bowling less wides and no balls, etc. will have to be the outcome of the training sessions if the Oulu XI is going to make it big in Finnish National Cricket tournaments.
After the matches, we all adjourned to India House where we broke up into smaller groups, some playing carroms (on the only carrom board in Finland), others enjoying their new experience of cycling in Finland, some playing cricket, some playing shuttle, and a lot of people just gettng to know each other.
India House was in its element as we had over 40 Findians, men, women and children having a wonderful time. We ordered pizzas, kebabs and salads from Oulu's best and largest pizzeria, Goreme (owned by keen sportsmen Hasim and Kasim from Turkey) and everyone enjoyed sitting in the sunshine of 8 pm and just being friends. A few newcomers arrived to take part and generally the whole day was a rip roaring success.
Kudos to the organisers and hope we have several more just fun days this summer.
There was a small problem of carting this large matting roll around and also fixing it to the ground. The use of the hammer was necessary on several occasions to keep the bowlers end firmly fixed down. Also some small adjustments will also be required to have the sides not curl up.
Three teams took part in the 10 over format. The teams were married, bachelors and University student players. The games were thrilling.
 |
| From New Album 16/05/2010 06:40 |
In the end the Bachelors walked away with a victory over the married players.
The official training session and season will start shortly. This was a good forerunner to what we can expect in the coming summer months. Some discipline as bowling less wides and no balls, etc. will have to be the outcome of the training sessions if the Oulu XI is going to make it big in Finnish National Cricket tournaments.
After the matches, we all adjourned to India House where we broke up into smaller groups, some playing carroms (on the only carrom board in Finland), others enjoying their new experience of cycling in Finland, some playing cricket, some playing shuttle, and a lot of people just gettng to know each other.
India House was in its element as we had over 40 Findians, men, women and children having a wonderful time. We ordered pizzas, kebabs and salads from Oulu's best and largest pizzeria, Goreme (owned by keen sportsmen Hasim and Kasim from Turkey) and everyone enjoyed sitting in the sunshine of 8 pm and just being friends. A few newcomers arrived to take part and generally the whole day was a rip roaring success.
Kudos to the organisers and hope we have several more just fun days this summer.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Speaking with Bill
Yesterday evening I rang to Toronto, Canada, to wish my Physics teacher of 50 years ago a very happy 85th birthday. I also spoke to Pushpa, his wife, who had also been a teacher in our Mumbai school. My classmate, 59er Hasnain Chinwala (Chinnie), who also lives in Toronto was with Bill (prearranged) when I called as we, 59ers, paid our respects to a man who firmly shaped our lives.
That Bill and Pushpa attended our 50th year reunion in Mumbai last year was itself such a joy for all us 59ers. They lent their solidarity with a class of boys who have traversed the world and sought success based on the fundamentals of life that were instilled in us by our teachers. Not just our classroom performance, but our moral values were instilled in us by these wonderful Gurus!
(Photo thanks to the 64er Rajiv Ved when we took time off for a fee minutes to attend their reunion in Mumbai.)
In the olden days, as per the Indian Civilisation, the Guru was a man to be revered. All of us 59ers have revered all our teachers during the ensuing years. But Bill and John (who was our class teacher and our English teacher in 1959) are very special as they took the time to travel a long distance at great expense, many thousands of kilometres, to be with us as we reveled in our past last November.
In our conversation we talked about many things - including the greetings from other 59ers (which Hasnain had forwarded to Bill,) the loss of another wonderful teacher, Alberto Zavala from peru, our geography teacher, the exploits of Greg, our Chemistry teacher, and the whereabouts of many past Canadian Cathedralites, as Torontian 59er Narsys, but not just our classmates, as 63er Monty Wilson and 49er Peter and 51er Sheila (née Contractor) Vaney, and Peter's brother, 57er Herbert.
Now that Pushpa and Bill live right in the centre of Toronto, a stone's throw from Lake Ontario, I will make it a point to visit them soon as my grandson, Samu, an Ice Hockey fan, wants to visit that great city, with his Grandpa, to see one of his favourite teams play.
Happy birthday Bill - we love you!
That Bill and Pushpa attended our 50th year reunion in Mumbai last year was itself such a joy for all us 59ers. They lent their solidarity with a class of boys who have traversed the world and sought success based on the fundamentals of life that were instilled in us by our teachers. Not just our classroom performance, but our moral values were instilled in us by these wonderful Gurus!
(Photo thanks to the 64er Rajiv Ved when we took time off for a fee minutes to attend their reunion in Mumbai.)
In the olden days, as per the Indian Civilisation, the Guru was a man to be revered. All of us 59ers have revered all our teachers during the ensuing years. But Bill and John (who was our class teacher and our English teacher in 1959) are very special as they took the time to travel a long distance at great expense, many thousands of kilometres, to be with us as we reveled in our past last November.
In our conversation we talked about many things - including the greetings from other 59ers (which Hasnain had forwarded to Bill,) the loss of another wonderful teacher, Alberto Zavala from peru, our geography teacher, the exploits of Greg, our Chemistry teacher, and the whereabouts of many past Canadian Cathedralites, as Torontian 59er Narsys, but not just our classmates, as 63er Monty Wilson and 49er Peter and 51er Sheila (née Contractor) Vaney, and Peter's brother, 57er Herbert.
Now that Pushpa and Bill live right in the centre of Toronto, a stone's throw from Lake Ontario, I will make it a point to visit them soon as my grandson, Samu, an Ice Hockey fan, wants to visit that great city, with his Grandpa, to see one of his favourite teams play.
Happy birthday Bill - we love you!
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Gravity and Annikki
Sorry to have been of blogging for a time. I was recovering from my non-stop 4500 round trip drive to Amsterdam to drop Joanna and the grandkids at amsterdam so that they could catch the Eurostar train to London!
I have recovered, but am overworked as I am handling my Furnished Accommodation Service I run in Finland, without too much outside assistance.
I hope to be back at blogging regularly again, soon.
Today's question is what AWARD we should give to my better half?
Sir Isaac Newton got recognised because an apple dropped on his head.
How should we recognise this wonder "girl" because "birch syrup" dropped on her toe?
A look on the internet will find literally hundreds of entries on the best way to tap a birch tree to get the syrup, which is considered very healthy. Most of the methods require the tree is tapped by drilling a hole in the bark and then plugging the hole so that the flow is stopped.
There is possibility of considerable damage to the tree if this is not done properly.
The other day, Annikki was tidying up the garden. It was getting late. So she thought she would have a lie down as it was hot and the sun was still streaming through the branches of the birch trees at the end of the garden.
There were a few irritating birch twigs hanging around, so she snapped off one and lay down on her easy chair. A few minutes later, she felt a drop of something fall on her toe.
It was a sunny day, and no sign of any raindrops around.
This was followed by another drop.
Being a very curious cat, she saw that the liquid was dropping from where she had broken the twig on the birch tree.
She tasted the liquid and found it to be water like but slightly sweet.
She rushed inside, and using her creative genius, she got a plastic bag and tied it to the end of the twig.
As she lay down, she saw the plastic bag gradually fill up with a water-like liquid. She observed that flies were greatly tempted to this liquid.
Soon she was up and about breaking twigs on birch trees that annoyed her, and promptly attaching a plastic bag at that point.
She had a steady flow of birch syrup collecting in the plastic bags.
The important point of this method of collection is that no damage is done to the tree. Secondly, as the collection is at the end of a branch, this is the excess liquid, as the tree has already used its requirements. This liquid would probably be lost by evaporation.
The process of collection could be increased substantially with some scientific experiments as to which were the best twigs to break off.
That the value of the liquid was no worse than that collected by traditional means of tapping into the bark is proven by the great attraction flies had to the plastic bags containing the liquid, although there was no unusual or strong smell coming from the bags.
And this collection was being made in the first week of May!!!
Sir Isaac Newton discovered gravity because of an apple.
Tan Sri Dr. B. C. Sekhar became called the Father of the natural rubber industry when he discovered that application of ammonia to the bark of of a rubber tree allowed continuous flow of latex, making life of the tapper so much more easier.
Should Annikki be Lady Annikki or the Mother of Birch Syrup Industry?
The debate has commenced! I bask in reflected glory! :-)
I have recovered, but am overworked as I am handling my Furnished Accommodation Service I run in Finland, without too much outside assistance.
I hope to be back at blogging regularly again, soon.
Today's question is what AWARD we should give to my better half?
Sir Isaac Newton got recognised because an apple dropped on his head.
How should we recognise this wonder "girl" because "birch syrup" dropped on her toe?
A look on the internet will find literally hundreds of entries on the best way to tap a birch tree to get the syrup, which is considered very healthy. Most of the methods require the tree is tapped by drilling a hole in the bark and then plugging the hole so that the flow is stopped.
There is possibility of considerable damage to the tree if this is not done properly.
The other day, Annikki was tidying up the garden. It was getting late. So she thought she would have a lie down as it was hot and the sun was still streaming through the branches of the birch trees at the end of the garden.
There were a few irritating birch twigs hanging around, so she snapped off one and lay down on her easy chair. A few minutes later, she felt a drop of something fall on her toe.
It was a sunny day, and no sign of any raindrops around.
This was followed by another drop.
Being a very curious cat, she saw that the liquid was dropping from where she had broken the twig on the birch tree.
She tasted the liquid and found it to be water like but slightly sweet.
She rushed inside, and using her creative genius, she got a plastic bag and tied it to the end of the twig.
 |
| From Blogger Pictures |
As she lay down, she saw the plastic bag gradually fill up with a water-like liquid. She observed that flies were greatly tempted to this liquid.
 |
| From Blogger Pictures |
Soon she was up and about breaking twigs on birch trees that annoyed her, and promptly attaching a plastic bag at that point.
She had a steady flow of birch syrup collecting in the plastic bags.
The important point of this method of collection is that no damage is done to the tree. Secondly, as the collection is at the end of a branch, this is the excess liquid, as the tree has already used its requirements. This liquid would probably be lost by evaporation.
The process of collection could be increased substantially with some scientific experiments as to which were the best twigs to break off.
 |
| From Blogger Pictures |
That the value of the liquid was no worse than that collected by traditional means of tapping into the bark is proven by the great attraction flies had to the plastic bags containing the liquid, although there was no unusual or strong smell coming from the bags.
And this collection was being made in the first week of May!!!
Sir Isaac Newton discovered gravity because of an apple.
Tan Sri Dr. B. C. Sekhar became called the Father of the natural rubber industry when he discovered that application of ammonia to the bark of of a rubber tree allowed continuous flow of latex, making life of the tapper so much more easier.
Should Annikki be Lady Annikki or the Mother of Birch Syrup Industry?
The debate has commenced! I bask in reflected glory! :-)
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Solution for volcanic ash in airline engines
Although I am retired, and I do not indulge in designing solutions for technical problems, there is a simple solution to prevent the intake of harmful particulates from the volcanic ash into airline engines.
The solution revolves around a technique we use in plastics extrusion.
To ensure that large particulates do not get to the extrusion die, when the molten plastic is passing from the extrusion chamber into the die manifold, it passes through a screen filtering device. Most screen changers are static. The screen has to be changed periodically when the extrusion quality deteriorates.
There are continuous screen changers. With a slight modification in design, these could be designed to fit to airline engines!
The solution is the design of a continuous screen changer which will filter the ash as it is sucked into the airline engine. As the screen changer moves it could be designed to shows its reverse face at the back of the engine where the ash collected during the intake is blown clean and collected.
Any competent engine designer can rig one of these up in a few days.
It is obvious that the airline industry has to come up with a solution to this problem.
Without doubt, mine is the best possible solution. This will not in any way hamper engine performance but ensure safety from particulates.
Hope that someone takes up this idea and works on it!
It gives me confidence that my days as an innovator have not quite vanished.
The solution revolves around a technique we use in plastics extrusion.
To ensure that large particulates do not get to the extrusion die, when the molten plastic is passing from the extrusion chamber into the die manifold, it passes through a screen filtering device. Most screen changers are static. The screen has to be changed periodically when the extrusion quality deteriorates.
There are continuous screen changers. With a slight modification in design, these could be designed to fit to airline engines!
The solution is the design of a continuous screen changer which will filter the ash as it is sucked into the airline engine. As the screen changer moves it could be designed to shows its reverse face at the back of the engine where the ash collected during the intake is blown clean and collected.
Any competent engine designer can rig one of these up in a few days.
It is obvious that the airline industry has to come up with a solution to this problem.
Without doubt, mine is the best possible solution. This will not in any way hamper engine performance but ensure safety from particulates.
Hope that someone takes up this idea and works on it!
It gives me confidence that my days as an innovator have not quite vanished.
How has the volcanic eruption affected you?
In a way I am glad as I am getting more quality time with Joanna and the grandkids who are stranded here. They were supposed to take off tomorrow at 6 am, but Blue 1 has cancelled all flights. Blue 1 advised passengers that they must wait till they decide what to do.
Talks with the insurance companies revealed that travel insurance from anywhere is absolutely useless. The English insurance company told Joanna that, as it was a weather disturbance, they would pay a few Euro for the first 8 hours and then another few Euros for the subsequent 12 hours! That will not even cover the cost of a decent meal in Finland for a family of 4.
The Finnish insurance company said it did not know what was covered,. Knowing them, they will try to wrangle out of any financial commitment!
Not only is Joanna affected. I have one Indian engineer leaving Saturday for Banglaore and one Indian engineer family leaving Saturday for Delhi. The Residence Permit in Finland of the family expires on Monday! So we have another problem on our hands.
No way to get from Oulu to Helsinki by train, as a tree fell on the rail track at a crucial moment disrupting train services as well. In addition, Finnish airspace has been closed till further notice.
Another engineer is supposed to leave on Sunday. Maybe one friend is driving to Helsinki on Sunday in the hope of picking up his relatives due to arrive from Delhi. If so, he would be happy to give the engineer a ride. But what happens if they both go to Helsinki on a futile mission? Better to remain somewhere where you have a roof over your head!
Joanna has to get back to Newcastle. She is contemplating driving to England, but it is going to be tough with three kids of 2, 6 and 13 in tow.
Without a word from Blue 1, any solution contemplated is pie in the sky.
I am overjoyed at having my grandkids here for a few more hours or days, but certainly feel for Joanna and her desire to get back to Newcastle to normalise her life and her studies.
Let us hope the volcano stops spewing out ash and the air services normalise rapidly!!!
Talks with the insurance companies revealed that travel insurance from anywhere is absolutely useless. The English insurance company told Joanna that, as it was a weather disturbance, they would pay a few Euro for the first 8 hours and then another few Euros for the subsequent 12 hours! That will not even cover the cost of a decent meal in Finland for a family of 4.
The Finnish insurance company said it did not know what was covered,. Knowing them, they will try to wrangle out of any financial commitment!
Not only is Joanna affected. I have one Indian engineer leaving Saturday for Banglaore and one Indian engineer family leaving Saturday for Delhi. The Residence Permit in Finland of the family expires on Monday! So we have another problem on our hands.
No way to get from Oulu to Helsinki by train, as a tree fell on the rail track at a crucial moment disrupting train services as well. In addition, Finnish airspace has been closed till further notice.
Another engineer is supposed to leave on Sunday. Maybe one friend is driving to Helsinki on Sunday in the hope of picking up his relatives due to arrive from Delhi. If so, he would be happy to give the engineer a ride. But what happens if they both go to Helsinki on a futile mission? Better to remain somewhere where you have a roof over your head!
Joanna has to get back to Newcastle. She is contemplating driving to England, but it is going to be tough with three kids of 2, 6 and 13 in tow.
Without a word from Blue 1, any solution contemplated is pie in the sky.
I am overjoyed at having my grandkids here for a few more hours or days, but certainly feel for Joanna and her desire to get back to Newcastle to normalise her life and her studies.
Let us hope the volcano stops spewing out ash and the air services normalise rapidly!!!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Great buy at the Flea Market
This entry is posted on 2 blogs - my main Jacob's Blog and my Oulu Best (Worst) Buy Blog.
Annikki and I are Flea Market addicts. We have picked up some really great buys at the Flea Markets. Usually we find exactly what we need when we set out to find the item. Coincidence?
Last Sunday, as Joanna, who is visiting Oulu, had approritated my last adaptor for her English hair drier, I was desperate to get hold of an adaptor to use my Indian bought LG Computer screen.
When I said I was going to a Flea Market, Annikki, who has not been out for weeks, was ready to tag along.
We went to the closest Flea Market to our residenece.
We were shocked to see the number of cars parked around. It was as if all of Oulu had descended on this Flea Market.
As I wandered around, I saw this a really beautiful designed multipurpose adaptor set.
It was just the one I wanted.
And the cost, an unbeliveable, € 1.50!
I have bought less attractively designed adaptors for Euro 3 and 4 each!
This adaptor remain in my travel kit as it is suitable for most countries, even if I do not travel very often these days!
Certainly worth making a visit to a Flea Market near you if you want to get what you really need at a price that you can afford! (P.S. Annikki also got some good buys on this trip, including a flaming red coat!)
Annikki and I are Flea Market addicts. We have picked up some really great buys at the Flea Markets. Usually we find exactly what we need when we set out to find the item. Coincidence?
Last Sunday, as Joanna, who is visiting Oulu, had approritated my last adaptor for her English hair drier, I was desperate to get hold of an adaptor to use my Indian bought LG Computer screen.
When I said I was going to a Flea Market, Annikki, who has not been out for weeks, was ready to tag along.
We went to the closest Flea Market to our residenece.
We were shocked to see the number of cars parked around. It was as if all of Oulu had descended on this Flea Market.
 |
| From Oulu Best (Worst) Buy |
 |
| From Oulu Best (Worst) Buy |
 |
| From Oulu Best (Worst) Buy |
 |
| From Oulu Best (Worst) Buy |
As I wandered around, I saw this a really beautiful designed multipurpose adaptor set.
It was just the one I wanted.
And the cost, an unbeliveable, € 1.50!
I have bought less attractively designed adaptors for Euro 3 and 4 each!
This adaptor remain in my travel kit as it is suitable for most countries, even if I do not travel very often these days!
Certainly worth making a visit to a Flea Market near you if you want to get what you really need at a price that you can afford! (P.S. Annikki also got some good buys on this trip, including a flaming red coat!)
Success at last
After my return from India, where I saw my cousin, Bina, happily enjoying a morning with the newspaper doing Sudoku, I started attempting the three levels in my local newspaper, the KALEVA.
I started about the middle of January 2010.
I first took about 45 minutes to complete the EASY level. Slowly, this time reduced to about 15 minutes. The MIDDLE level was then achieved, again in about 20 minutes. I was never able to complete the DIFFICULT level, usually getting to about 30% and then giving up.
Today, after 3 months, I completed all three levels in one sitting. The total time taken was 75 minutes.
Now that my primary objective has been achieved, I realised that my brain cells were actually not functioning as they should. The confidence this has given me is so immense that I feel am not quite a doddering old man.
I will now try to achieve the higher level by trying to complete all three levels in 15 minutes. It may take me a year to get to this level - so stay tuned! I will shout it from the blogtops when I get there!
Thank you Bina!
Well done Sudoku, and whoever invented this!
I started about the middle of January 2010.
I first took about 45 minutes to complete the EASY level. Slowly, this time reduced to about 15 minutes. The MIDDLE level was then achieved, again in about 20 minutes. I was never able to complete the DIFFICULT level, usually getting to about 30% and then giving up.
 |
| From Sudoku |
Today, after 3 months, I completed all three levels in one sitting. The total time taken was 75 minutes.
Now that my primary objective has been achieved, I realised that my brain cells were actually not functioning as they should. The confidence this has given me is so immense that I feel am not quite a doddering old man.
I will now try to achieve the higher level by trying to complete all three levels in 15 minutes. It may take me a year to get to this level - so stay tuned! I will shout it from the blogtops when I get there!
Thank you Bina!
Well done Sudoku, and whoever invented this!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Last bout with winter snow
The snow in the Vesaisentie garden, especially at the front gate, was far greater than I imagined.
I brought Kamu's Volkswagen Caravelle Van home one day. But it did not make it past the front gate. The front wheels got so deeply immersed in the snow, that they stopped turning.
Annikki and I had suspicions that the drive shaft was broken.
The following morning, I called the car removal service to take the van directly to the garage as I did not fancy having to tow it.
When we reached the garage, I tried the van and found that there was no damage whatsoever. What a relief as I got away with a bill of just € 80!
This winter has been expensive on several counts, especially the car and the impact of snow bound roads.
Hopefully we will not have a similar winter for the next 26 years!
 |
| From New Caravelle in Snow |
I brought Kamu's Volkswagen Caravelle Van home one day. But it did not make it past the front gate. The front wheels got so deeply immersed in the snow, that they stopped turning.
Annikki and I had suspicions that the drive shaft was broken.
 |
| From New Caravelle in Snow |
The following morning, I called the car removal service to take the van directly to the garage as I did not fancy having to tow it.
When we reached the garage, I tried the van and found that there was no damage whatsoever. What a relief as I got away with a bill of just € 80!
This winter has been expensive on several counts, especially the car and the impact of snow bound roads.
Hopefully we will not have a similar winter for the next 26 years!
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Old Cottonians act
I have mentioned on my many blogs the unfortunate media publicity attached to some of my alma maters.
I am heartened to see how the Bangalore Old Cottonians Association (OCA) have acted swiftly to ensure to show that they are actively concerned about their alma mater. Past Old Cottonians, as both my late father and uncle, who served as Chairmen of the OCA, would be proud of the stand taken by the present OCA.
I reproduce here the letter that was sent by the present Chairman of the OCA to the Moderator of the Church of South India as per the resolution passed at an Extraordindary General Meeting of the Old Cottonians in Bangalore. Sitting here in Finland, I was kept abreast of the developments and I too fully support the actions of the OCA.:
PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS EMAIL TO OTHER OC's YOU ARE IN TOUCH WITH AND ON YOUR SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES.
5th April, 2010
The Most Reverend Vasantha Kumar
Moderator,
Church of South India
Mission Road
Bangalore
Dear Sir,
We, as the Old Cottonians' Association, have a considerable stake in the upkeep of the fair name of Bishop Cotton's Boys' School and all that this entails. Principals and members of the Board of management may come and go, but once a student passes out of the school, and leaves its gates, he becomes an Old Cottonian and this status remains throughout his life and no force on earth can take it away from him.
We earnestly hope that other stake holders in the school should realise this and act accordingly.
Recent happenings in the school have caused us great concern. Old Cottonians from all over the world have expressed their deep worry. As a consequence, the OCA held an Extraordinary General Body meeting at the Rotary House of Friendship, Bangalore on the 3rd of April, 2010 and the under mentioned resolution was passed and the same is being communicated to the various persons connected with the management of the school.
Accordingly I quote below:
"The Old Cottonians' Association (OCA) noted with anguish that the matters concerning the administration of Bishop Cotton Boys' School, Bangalore had recently become the subject matter of various media reports, which had tarnished the good name of the Institution.
The OCA further noted that under Article 2.2 of its Constitution containing the "Aims and Objects", the OCA was entitled and obligated ".... to be in constant interaction with the Management of the School in the matter of maintaining the standards, traditions and conventions of the School."
It was therefore unanimously RESOLVED that the Board of Management of Bishop Cotton Boys' School, Bangalore be called upon to take immediate corrective measures to ensure that the incumbent issues be fully resolved, so as to restore the smooth functioning of the School in keeping with its rich traditions and standards, and to keep the OCA informed of the said measures.
It was further RESOLVED to offer the assistance and support of the OCA to all concerned to enable the resolution of all outstanding issues.
The Chairman and Management Committee of the OCA were accordingly requested to communicate the aforesaid resolution to the Principal, Bishop and Board of Management of Bishop Cotton Boys' School, Bangalore, and to await a positive reaction to the same before undertaking any further course of action."
Yours faithfully
MICHAEL WATSA
CHAIRMAN
OLD COTTONIANS' ASSOCIATION
I wish my other alma mater alumni, The Stephanians, would also act with the dignity and purpose shown by Old Cottonians.
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Agropolymers
When I finished my graduation in England in Polymer and Plastics Science and Technology, I joined the Rubber and Plastics Research Association (RAPRA) of Great Britain, the British Government research centre located in Shawbury, a village in the county of Shropshire, west of Birmingham, on the Welsh border.
My Director was a Dr. Bill Watson. He was the local guardian for a young Malaysian boy of Indian origin.This was the son of Dr. B. C Sehkar (BC), the father of the Natural Rubber industry. BC and I became rather good friends as he used to visit RAPRA on all his visits to the UK. Our common Indian Kerala roots formed a deep bond between us. (Later BC was awarded the Magsaysay Award, the Asian Nobel Prize, and also given the Malaysian title, Tan Sri. Besides being the Chairman of the Malaysian Rubber and Research development Board, he was also Chairman of the Malyasian palm Oili Board. Born in 1929, he died in 2006.)
In 1969, I returned to India and set up my consultancy company, Polymer Consultancy Services (PCS), with my brother. He concentrated on the Rubber Industry, while I, being the extrovert, took on the job of Business Development and the Plastics Industry. Both of us were very active in our professional associations, rubber and plastics.
One day I got a call from BC saying he was passing through Madras and asking whether it would it be possible to meet. I asked my brother to organise a meeting so that BC could meet the local rubber industrialists and technologists.
I was not able to attend the talk as I had my own hectic schedule. BC insisted we meet for a quiet dinner. He was interested in taking his family to the beach. I organised a moonlit dinner on the beautiful sandy beach in Madras. I organised some wonderful food from Buharis and my favourite biriyani pace.
BC was interested in hearing how I had succeeded in setting up the consultancy company in India, as he was looking at his personal future. He felt that he may take the Malaysian root of an early retirement at the age of 50! He was not sure whether he would continue in his role as he was not sure how all his futuristic plans would be received by the Malaysian Government.
He offered me a great opportunity that he wanted me to take over the Malaysian Rubber Bureau, which was a small set up in Bombay which distributed literature of the Malaysian Research Institute and their research centre in the UK. He wanted me to promote the Malaysian rubber industry in India so that India would consider importing rubber from Malaysia.
My brother was never a decision maker. I jumped at the opportunity on the condition that he would look after this side of the business. So was born the MRB division of our consultancy company - a huge publicity boost for me as I already had a tie up with my old employer - RAPRA.
BC had long term plans. His brother, Chandran was retiring from the Oil Industry in Borneo. He had been working as the hospitality manager for Shell there and he took early retirement and decided to settle down in india. BC wanted to establish his base in India through his brother, so he decided to start a company along with another Malaysian friend who was an agronomist. The idea was to introduce soil and leaf analysis for the rubber growing industry, where samples of soil and leaf would be taken, prepared and sent to Malaysia, where they would be analyzed. From that, fertilising recommendations would be sent to the growers in india so as to optimise the output, as had been done in Malaysia.
With a couple of friends, and my brother in tow, they decided to start some organisation, but things did not move as they kept talking and talking.
Finally in desperation, BC called me in to one meeting when he was in Madras and asked me to present my views on how they should go about this venture.
My visions were crystal clear in those days. I had very vibrant ideas. All the parties immediately fell for my strategy. The Agro Polymer Research and Development Pvt. Ltd. company was born. I was appointed as the Business Development Director of the organisation, with Chandran, BC's brother as the Managing Director.
We worked well as a team, as Chandran knew that I made decisions and moved things forward. The soil and leaf testing service was quickly established with one of Dr. Guha's nephews as the field officer gathering the samples.
Agropol as it was known, quickly became well known in the field of soil and leaf testing. We had the nephew of Dr. Guha who would go to the rubber (and also tea and coffee estates) and collect the soil and leaf samples, which would be dried and then sent to Malaysia for testing. The results with the fertilising recommendations would be sent back and this would be handed over to the estates.
Further projects were in the pipeline as a plant to produce Standardized Malaysian Rubber (SMR) also called Heavea Crumb Rubber, based on Malaysian technology.
Word got around about our activities.
One day I got a call from the Raman Research Institute, which was a Fundamental Physics Research Centre set up by Sir C. V. Raman after he had received the Nobel Price for Physics. He had passed on and the Institute was being run by one of his sons.
With the Nobel Prize money, Sir Raman had bought a 100 acre farm on the outskirts of Bangalore at a place called Kengeri. With great vision he had planted different areas. It was an idyllic setting with a river running on three sides and a small tank on the fourth. He had casuarina trees, cashewnut trees, a whole range of fruit trees, and areas for growing a variety of flowers, medicinal plants as well as some grain as maize and paddy.
After the death of Sir CV, the farm was not being maintained well, so they called me in to see whether I could revive it to glory of when Sir CV was living there. I was given quite a leeway, a small budget and instructions that I should grow a special rice that Lady Raman, who was still alive, liked to eat.
It was a huge challenge as I knew nothing about farming. But I learnt fast, starting with the cash crops, the best being the African Marigold which could be sold daily in the main city market, as it is the primary flower used by the Hindus who visit temples. This meant harvesting the flowers at 4 and 5 am and transporting them to the city in bullock carts so that they could arrive in time for the morning auctions where all the small and big buyers would turn up, look at the quality of the flowers and bid for them.
This kept up a steady cash flow.
I started taking care of the fruit yielding trees, doing the soil and leaf analysis so that they could be correctly fertilised and the yield increased. This was done for the mango, chikku, cashewnut and many other fruit trees growing on the estate.
I then started to look at the medicinal plants that Sir CV had introduced into the estate, which included winca rosa and Dioscorea. I introduced citronella from which oil could be extracted and sold to the medical and toiletry industries. I continued the seasonal planting of rice and maize.
The trees were pruned and more trees planted.
All this kept a healthy budget and cash flow and the inputs from the Research Centre to support the farm was gradually reduced.
When I felt the work was done, I arranged for Lady Raman to visit the farm over the Pongal Festival so that she could see how the farm looked. She was so happy that she told me that she could now rest in peace. She died a few months later.
As a result of this, several other farmers in the region asked for us to take over their farms. We took one, but it was more a diary farm, and one which I could not do the justice as our strength was in growing crops and not maintaining a herd of cows! Also it had nothing to do with soil and leaf testing or Agro Polymers!
It was an exciting time of my life as I learnt how tough was the life of an Indian farmer, especially when water was a problem, such as when drought conditions prevailed.
Agropol was doing well in the soil and leaf testing business, so we slowly withdrew from this farm management business. I had to get back to my main field of Polymer and Plastics Science and Technology, as I was appointed managing and Technical director of another company.
However, this experience was worth every minute as it made me understand and respect the massive rural population of India and understand how hard a life they faced to feed the teeming millions of India.
My Director was a Dr. Bill Watson. He was the local guardian for a young Malaysian boy of Indian origin.This was the son of Dr. B. C Sehkar (BC), the father of the Natural Rubber industry. BC and I became rather good friends as he used to visit RAPRA on all his visits to the UK. Our common Indian Kerala roots formed a deep bond between us. (Later BC was awarded the Magsaysay Award, the Asian Nobel Prize, and also given the Malaysian title, Tan Sri. Besides being the Chairman of the Malaysian Rubber and Research development Board, he was also Chairman of the Malyasian palm Oili Board. Born in 1929, he died in 2006.)
In 1969, I returned to India and set up my consultancy company, Polymer Consultancy Services (PCS), with my brother. He concentrated on the Rubber Industry, while I, being the extrovert, took on the job of Business Development and the Plastics Industry. Both of us were very active in our professional associations, rubber and plastics.
One day I got a call from BC saying he was passing through Madras and asking whether it would it be possible to meet. I asked my brother to organise a meeting so that BC could meet the local rubber industrialists and technologists.
I was not able to attend the talk as I had my own hectic schedule. BC insisted we meet for a quiet dinner. He was interested in taking his family to the beach. I organised a moonlit dinner on the beautiful sandy beach in Madras. I organised some wonderful food from Buharis and my favourite biriyani pace.
BC was interested in hearing how I had succeeded in setting up the consultancy company in India, as he was looking at his personal future. He felt that he may take the Malaysian root of an early retirement at the age of 50! He was not sure whether he would continue in his role as he was not sure how all his futuristic plans would be received by the Malaysian Government.
He offered me a great opportunity that he wanted me to take over the Malaysian Rubber Bureau, which was a small set up in Bombay which distributed literature of the Malaysian Research Institute and their research centre in the UK. He wanted me to promote the Malaysian rubber industry in India so that India would consider importing rubber from Malaysia.
My brother was never a decision maker. I jumped at the opportunity on the condition that he would look after this side of the business. So was born the MRB division of our consultancy company - a huge publicity boost for me as I already had a tie up with my old employer - RAPRA.
BC had long term plans. His brother, Chandran was retiring from the Oil Industry in Borneo. He had been working as the hospitality manager for Shell there and he took early retirement and decided to settle down in india. BC wanted to establish his base in India through his brother, so he decided to start a company along with another Malaysian friend who was an agronomist. The idea was to introduce soil and leaf analysis for the rubber growing industry, where samples of soil and leaf would be taken, prepared and sent to Malaysia, where they would be analyzed. From that, fertilising recommendations would be sent to the growers in india so as to optimise the output, as had been done in Malaysia.
With a couple of friends, and my brother in tow, they decided to start some organisation, but things did not move as they kept talking and talking.
Finally in desperation, BC called me in to one meeting when he was in Madras and asked me to present my views on how they should go about this venture.
My visions were crystal clear in those days. I had very vibrant ideas. All the parties immediately fell for my strategy. The Agro Polymer Research and Development Pvt. Ltd. company was born. I was appointed as the Business Development Director of the organisation, with Chandran, BC's brother as the Managing Director.
We worked well as a team, as Chandran knew that I made decisions and moved things forward. The soil and leaf testing service was quickly established with one of Dr. Guha's nephews as the field officer gathering the samples.
Agropol as it was known, quickly became well known in the field of soil and leaf testing. We had the nephew of Dr. Guha who would go to the rubber (and also tea and coffee estates) and collect the soil and leaf samples, which would be dried and then sent to Malaysia for testing. The results with the fertilising recommendations would be sent back and this would be handed over to the estates.
Further projects were in the pipeline as a plant to produce Standardized Malaysian Rubber (SMR) also called Heavea Crumb Rubber, based on Malaysian technology.
Word got around about our activities.
One day I got a call from the Raman Research Institute, which was a Fundamental Physics Research Centre set up by Sir C. V. Raman after he had received the Nobel Price for Physics. He had passed on and the Institute was being run by one of his sons.
With the Nobel Prize money, Sir Raman had bought a 100 acre farm on the outskirts of Bangalore at a place called Kengeri. With great vision he had planted different areas. It was an idyllic setting with a river running on three sides and a small tank on the fourth. He had casuarina trees, cashewnut trees, a whole range of fruit trees, and areas for growing a variety of flowers, medicinal plants as well as some grain as maize and paddy.
After the death of Sir CV, the farm was not being maintained well, so they called me in to see whether I could revive it to glory of when Sir CV was living there. I was given quite a leeway, a small budget and instructions that I should grow a special rice that Lady Raman, who was still alive, liked to eat.
It was a huge challenge as I knew nothing about farming. But I learnt fast, starting with the cash crops, the best being the African Marigold which could be sold daily in the main city market, as it is the primary flower used by the Hindus who visit temples. This meant harvesting the flowers at 4 and 5 am and transporting them to the city in bullock carts so that they could arrive in time for the morning auctions where all the small and big buyers would turn up, look at the quality of the flowers and bid for them.
This kept up a steady cash flow.
I started taking care of the fruit yielding trees, doing the soil and leaf analysis so that they could be correctly fertilised and the yield increased. This was done for the mango, chikku, cashewnut and many other fruit trees growing on the estate.
I then started to look at the medicinal plants that Sir CV had introduced into the estate, which included winca rosa and Dioscorea. I introduced citronella from which oil could be extracted and sold to the medical and toiletry industries. I continued the seasonal planting of rice and maize.
The trees were pruned and more trees planted.
All this kept a healthy budget and cash flow and the inputs from the Research Centre to support the farm was gradually reduced.
When I felt the work was done, I arranged for Lady Raman to visit the farm over the Pongal Festival so that she could see how the farm looked. She was so happy that she told me that she could now rest in peace. She died a few months later.
As a result of this, several other farmers in the region asked for us to take over their farms. We took one, but it was more a diary farm, and one which I could not do the justice as our strength was in growing crops and not maintaining a herd of cows! Also it had nothing to do with soil and leaf testing or Agro Polymers!
It was an exciting time of my life as I learnt how tough was the life of an Indian farmer, especially when water was a problem, such as when drought conditions prevailed.
Agropol was doing well in the soil and leaf testing business, so we slowly withdrew from this farm management business. I had to get back to my main field of Polymer and Plastics Science and Technology, as I was appointed managing and Technical director of another company.
However, this experience was worth every minute as it made me understand and respect the massive rural population of India and understand how hard a life they faced to feed the teeming millions of India.
Saturday, April 03, 2010
Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday
What do these three days mean to you, as a Christian and a non-Christian?
I am a Christian by birth and tradition. But I am a secularist by upbringing as the Christian schools and college that I went to told me that that there was no differnce in the religions, except man-made ones.
But some traditions that I followed as a Christian have stayed deeply engraved in my mind and although I do not practice all of them today, they are part of my heritage.
The first relates to Palm Sunday. It is the day Jesus rode into the city of Jerusalem sitting on an ass. He was greeted by crowds waving palms.
The tradition that I remember from this dates back to my childhood days in Bangalore.
When we went to church on Palm Sunday, we received this cross made from a palm leaf.
When we moved to Bombay, I sort of remember that my mother may have introduced this practice also in the St. Thomas Cathedral.
When we came to Finland, The English Club of Oulu used to hold a very traditional lunch on Palm Sunday. Annikki was for a time the Chairperson of this Club which was to help promote the English language amongst Finns. (More about this in another blog entry, hopefully!)
One year, I had the Palm Crosses flown from in from India to Oulu to give to all the participants of this lunch in Oulu. It was greatly appreciated and a few of those still have them in their Bibles as book markers! This lunch tradition has vanished over the years!
The second tradition that sticks in my mind was the sombre atmosphere that pervaded our household on Good Friday. My mom and dad used to go to church early morning and then again at noon for a long three hour service. On a few occasions, when we asked, they would take us to the service. Some years we went tothe Orthodox Church where the service was more intense and longer.
In the long service all the stages that took place while Christ was being taken to the cross, nailed and till his death, were recreated. People in the church genuinely felt all the anguish and pain that Jesus and his family and friends must have been through.
After the service, as none of us would have eaten a morsel that day, we would have a very traditional meal of rice in the rice water (called kanji in Malayalam), cooked beans (paira) and a very spicy pickle, the sparsest and simplest of meals that one can have in our Kerala tradition.
The sombre atmosphere would continue right through to Friday evening, when we would sing hymns to my dad's piano playing. It would also run into Saturday. We were not permitted any form of "enjoyment", but this was never given or taken as a punishment. The whole atmosphere was as if we were mourning the death of a very real family friend.
Then would come Easter Day. Right from the early morning, the atmosphere changed from the one of great sadness to one of untold joy. Everyone would wish each other. My dad would ring his friends all around the world to wish them a very happy Easter!
There was a rush to put on our very best clothes and be in church to wish all our friends. This atmosphere of untold joy was so infectious. The smiles and happiness would continue in the songs we sang and the get together for tea and cofee with biscuits after the church service.
Then we would go home to a wonderful Easter lunch which was the very best food we could afford! This would bring to end the 40 days of Lent where we would have each given up something we really liked. The money saved would be entered into a card and that would be given by my mom to some charity.
The meal was usually biriyani (Chicken or mutton), a wonderful curry (usually chicken), lots of vegetable side dishes and a very sweet rice traditional paysam. As some of us liked fried fish, this was also usually on the menu.
My mom would invite anyone who she thought was alone, to join us for the lunch. She really believed in sharing our good fortune and joy with others.
Talking to Joanna yesterday, I did find that she did remember that as a child she had experienced the Good Friday atmosphere and had enjoyed the sparse meal served up at home. As we used to have the Easter type meal on several occasions other than Easter, she may not have remembered that in particular.
I wonder whether these traditions still persist among Christian families in India? I only wish they do for the children of the present generation!
I am a Christian by birth and tradition. But I am a secularist by upbringing as the Christian schools and college that I went to told me that that there was no differnce in the religions, except man-made ones.
But some traditions that I followed as a Christian have stayed deeply engraved in my mind and although I do not practice all of them today, they are part of my heritage.
The first relates to Palm Sunday. It is the day Jesus rode into the city of Jerusalem sitting on an ass. He was greeted by crowds waving palms.
The tradition that I remember from this dates back to my childhood days in Bangalore.
 |
| From Jacob's Blog |
When we went to church on Palm Sunday, we received this cross made from a palm leaf.
When we moved to Bombay, I sort of remember that my mother may have introduced this practice also in the St. Thomas Cathedral.
When we came to Finland, The English Club of Oulu used to hold a very traditional lunch on Palm Sunday. Annikki was for a time the Chairperson of this Club which was to help promote the English language amongst Finns. (More about this in another blog entry, hopefully!)
One year, I had the Palm Crosses flown from in from India to Oulu to give to all the participants of this lunch in Oulu. It was greatly appreciated and a few of those still have them in their Bibles as book markers! This lunch tradition has vanished over the years!
The second tradition that sticks in my mind was the sombre atmosphere that pervaded our household on Good Friday. My mom and dad used to go to church early morning and then again at noon for a long three hour service. On a few occasions, when we asked, they would take us to the service. Some years we went tothe Orthodox Church where the service was more intense and longer.
In the long service all the stages that took place while Christ was being taken to the cross, nailed and till his death, were recreated. People in the church genuinely felt all the anguish and pain that Jesus and his family and friends must have been through.
After the service, as none of us would have eaten a morsel that day, we would have a very traditional meal of rice in the rice water (called kanji in Malayalam), cooked beans (paira) and a very spicy pickle, the sparsest and simplest of meals that one can have in our Kerala tradition.
The sombre atmosphere would continue right through to Friday evening, when we would sing hymns to my dad's piano playing. It would also run into Saturday. We were not permitted any form of "enjoyment", but this was never given or taken as a punishment. The whole atmosphere was as if we were mourning the death of a very real family friend.
Then would come Easter Day. Right from the early morning, the atmosphere changed from the one of great sadness to one of untold joy. Everyone would wish each other. My dad would ring his friends all around the world to wish them a very happy Easter!
There was a rush to put on our very best clothes and be in church to wish all our friends. This atmosphere of untold joy was so infectious. The smiles and happiness would continue in the songs we sang and the get together for tea and cofee with biscuits after the church service.
Then we would go home to a wonderful Easter lunch which was the very best food we could afford! This would bring to end the 40 days of Lent where we would have each given up something we really liked. The money saved would be entered into a card and that would be given by my mom to some charity.
The meal was usually biriyani (Chicken or mutton), a wonderful curry (usually chicken), lots of vegetable side dishes and a very sweet rice traditional paysam. As some of us liked fried fish, this was also usually on the menu.
My mom would invite anyone who she thought was alone, to join us for the lunch. She really believed in sharing our good fortune and joy with others.
Talking to Joanna yesterday, I did find that she did remember that as a child she had experienced the Good Friday atmosphere and had enjoyed the sparse meal served up at home. As we used to have the Easter type meal on several occasions other than Easter, she may not have remembered that in particular.
I wonder whether these traditions still persist among Christian families in India? I only wish they do for the children of the present generation!
Friday, April 02, 2010
Why don't I write about my special fields?
Many of you have emailed me, over time, as to why I do not post blog entries about all my special interest areas.
There are several of them - plastics technology, polymer science and technology, microelectronics materials and processes, stamps, coins, management, finance, Apple / Macs, and several others.
Today the answer dawned on me.
In the past, it had been hard work to stay abreast all the developments in all these fields. But it had been a worthwhile, financially rewarding and an enjoyable chore. I used to read books and magazines, search the internet, and also attend and make speeches at conferences as well as write papers and articles on most of these subjects. I had been the life and soul at many international conferences, talking to my friends in these fields, trading ideas and generating many hundred new ones.
It had been good while it lasted.
Then I retired officially and the same drive was not there to keep abreast of all these subjects. I was enjoying my new role as a social animal rather than a knowledge beast!
During the last couple of years, I used to boast that when I wake up every morning I do not need to know anything about anything!
I was sitting with Samu, my 13 year old grandson, yesterday evening, watching television. He told me that the diamond was the hardest material on this earth. I had some doubt about it.
My daughter, who was in the room, asked him to "iPhone" it. (Just a year or so ago we would have used the term "Google" it!)
Samu, like his mother, have beautiful iPhones, which they love and use constantly. Although being a Apple / Mac user for over 25 years, I don't, and probably will not, as I cannot manage the small text, and am not happy with the flipping technology to see a complete line of text on a screen!
The first entry Samu found on his iPhone was interesting. It turned up an abstract which said that till 2009, diamond had been the hardest material known on earth, but now nanotechnolgy had produced harder materials.
I asked him to look up nanotechnology. But before he did, he told me that a new materials which could stop a bullet, but was thin as paper had been developed using nanotechnology. He gave me quite a graphic introduction into this area.
I was glad to be educated by this 13 year old.
On his iPhone, he turned up some details of fulrene science. The structure was most interesting as it was still polymer technology, and I had not read much in this field over the last 5 years!
Then it dawned on me that I was no more at the forefront of knowledge in areas where once I had been the source of all information to persons around me.
Although I did not enjoy being in this position where I was no longer "up-to-date", I felt good that I was knowing less than my 13 year old grandson, as he and his generation are the ones who should know about these things, not me.
At the age of 67 (yes, I will attain that age tomorrow!), it is important to focus on fewer areas and let the younger generation be in charge of modern knowledge.
I felt happy that, as I had retired, I was not required to know these developments, although I did feel some degree of shame!
But I felt proud to be educated in "my field" by my grandson.
Thank you, Samu!
There are several of them - plastics technology, polymer science and technology, microelectronics materials and processes, stamps, coins, management, finance, Apple / Macs, and several others.
Today the answer dawned on me.
In the past, it had been hard work to stay abreast all the developments in all these fields. But it had been a worthwhile, financially rewarding and an enjoyable chore. I used to read books and magazines, search the internet, and also attend and make speeches at conferences as well as write papers and articles on most of these subjects. I had been the life and soul at many international conferences, talking to my friends in these fields, trading ideas and generating many hundred new ones.
It had been good while it lasted.
Then I retired officially and the same drive was not there to keep abreast of all these subjects. I was enjoying my new role as a social animal rather than a knowledge beast!
During the last couple of years, I used to boast that when I wake up every morning I do not need to know anything about anything!
I was sitting with Samu, my 13 year old grandson, yesterday evening, watching television. He told me that the diamond was the hardest material on this earth. I had some doubt about it.
My daughter, who was in the room, asked him to "iPhone" it. (Just a year or so ago we would have used the term "Google" it!)
Samu, like his mother, have beautiful iPhones, which they love and use constantly. Although being a Apple / Mac user for over 25 years, I don't, and probably will not, as I cannot manage the small text, and am not happy with the flipping technology to see a complete line of text on a screen!
The first entry Samu found on his iPhone was interesting. It turned up an abstract which said that till 2009, diamond had been the hardest material known on earth, but now nanotechnolgy had produced harder materials.
I asked him to look up nanotechnology. But before he did, he told me that a new materials which could stop a bullet, but was thin as paper had been developed using nanotechnology. He gave me quite a graphic introduction into this area.
I was glad to be educated by this 13 year old.
On his iPhone, he turned up some details of fulrene science. The structure was most interesting as it was still polymer technology, and I had not read much in this field over the last 5 years!
Then it dawned on me that I was no more at the forefront of knowledge in areas where once I had been the source of all information to persons around me.
Although I did not enjoy being in this position where I was no longer "up-to-date", I felt good that I was knowing less than my 13 year old grandson, as he and his generation are the ones who should know about these things, not me.
At the age of 67 (yes, I will attain that age tomorrow!), it is important to focus on fewer areas and let the younger generation be in charge of modern knowledge.
I felt happy that, as I had retired, I was not required to know these developments, although I did feel some degree of shame!
But I felt proud to be educated in "my field" by my grandson.
Thank you, Samu!
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