Yogendra Yadav from Aam Aadmi Party visits Bangalore, 19-DEC-2013

Following are the notes from the session that I could capture and post the live on FB and such. Putting them together here (not necessarily in the chronological error).

But first the details of the next event below -

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AAP invits u 2 a session with PrashantBhushan. Sun,22Dec,3-5PM. JainTrustHall, WoodStreet, Opp.BrigadeTowers, AshokNagar,BLR.

The link to venue is below. Please spread the word. This is the finest form of participatory democracy we have seen. Come by!

http://goo.gl/maps/wCm0l

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Also before the notes please go through why we are so hopeful about AAP and wish to support it. A friend (Rajesh Golani) has written about it -
   

"Hey Guys, I used to be a fan of Modi once, and I still regard him better than most other politician. But after spending some days with AAP, and I realized it was at another level. They had all the answers that you wanted to know. Every effort is made to put everything online, and make it as clean as possible. Ofcourse they do make mistakes, but I see lot of intent to fix things. 

Then when I started comparing with BJP, I realized there are lot of things which are grey. They don't disclose their source of funding. I dont find anywhere how much did they spend on elections in Delhi. What are they planning to do about wide scale liquor and cash distribution. Most importantly I want to know what kind of deal they are working out with Yedurappa, and what investigation they have done regarding Nitin Gadkari for murder of 7 year old kid in his car. They may all be non-guilty and fine, but what is the point in not making it clear. 

First time when I went to AAP, I was told that you don't have to only campaign for AAP but you have to campaign for all the good clean candidates of BJP and Congress. Please disclose all our strategies in public, dont be afraid, if other political parties can employ them it is only going to help. The fight is not to come to power, the fight is to clean up politics. Force other parties to field clean candidates, fight elections with white money. If that happens AAP does not need to exists. I really identify with this cause. If BJP/Congress really wants to do something of that sort, I would love to volunteer with them. I have tried contacting them multiple times, but I dont get any reply, maybe am not writing to right people. 

Further as far as Modi is concerned, yes he maybe better if you compare with other BJP/Congress leaders. But if BJP wins, and we have likes of Gadkari and Yedurrappa in cabinet, how are we expected stricter anti-corruption laws, women's safety. I am scared of all the Senas who seem to think that they are authority on Indian culture and how women should appear in public else they would start beating up people. If Modi does not raise voice against them now, how are we expecting him to do so once he forms Government. Would it not become even more difficult. Maybe BJP has already thought about these answers but I dont seem to see or hear about them anywhere. 

Secondly I would request all the BJP supporters to compare Gujarat before and after Modi. That would give idea of the progress. Am looking for data in that regards, if anyone has it, please share on this forum. I am from Baroda, and except Government offices being efficient, I dont see much difference in Gujarat pre and in era of Modi. So I feel Modi has done good work, but that has been exaggerated to remarkable extent. 

Can we all not get together and seek these answers of BJP, does anyone have any email or phone number of BJP that they reply to. (Ofcourse I have same concerns with Congress as well, and seeking answers from them)

The idea is to pressurize Political parties to be clean, and lets try to do that in our capacities. Cant we get together and make things better."

The Notes follow -

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#AAP we are in decision mode. No discussion please

#AAP YY - "sincere apologies for being late. Apologies for not knowing kannada the language has more gyanpeeth awards than other languages.     Will speak in hindi and english." There is request for Kannada translation. Summary translation requested by YY despite residence 

#AAP Never in the history has a runner up spoken about to this extent! :-) man if the year award,  Newsmaker of the year award, etc. People are treating this a victory! :-) yeh ek naitik jeet hai! :-)

 #AAP the big apartments would not let us in. The watchmen said, "I will vote for you but I can't let you in! :-)" The huts let us in, gave chai and contributed 10/- they are the reason this happened! :-)

#AAP We are faced with challenges. A party only of delhi/metro. Honesty is not the monopoly of people living in the cities. They can't handle such responsibility. They are a party of north India. 

#AAP the politics has become like companies - Devegowda and sons, rajiv gandhi and sons, wives, daughters and son in law and company. AAP is not a company! :-)

#AAP no party in the history of India has ever requested the people not too vote for their candidate. AAP did this for one candidate as there was a FIR against him on domestic violence. The case hadn't been heard but the candidate did not disclose this case so he was asked to withdraw. It was late to withdraw so this announcement went that despite the jhaadu sign please do not vote for him. Not one media covered it! :-)

#AAP the manifestos were made in open with discussion public. Who should be there leader. Calls like i will get you 20000 volunteers just get me a seat. They respond "why don't you get the volunteers and do the work. When the time to choose the candidate comes you will be chosen based on your work" they never heard from him again! :-) such things are unheard of! :-D

#AAP hum ek nimitt matr hain. We are a vehicle to this change. If we think we are the pen wiring history the arrogance will be the end of AAP! :-)

#AAP we shouldn't waste even a minute congratulation ourselves. We now have a challenge and we need to work towards that. We have a glimpse of what an ordinary person can do. Now is the real work. Bade kaam chup chap hote hain. Choti choti cheezen will lead to an extra ordinary result! :-)

#AAP we have been sitting in dark for an hour now and wonder is the power has been but to this place specifically? :-) The session moves nevertheless! :-)) 

#AAP Please don't have railway compartment mentality. We have a huge responsibility at hand, a huge opportunity and we are so tiny! :-) Itihaas ne bahut bada avasar hume diya aur hamari jholi choti hai. Choti soch ke liye koi jagah nahi hai. We have to make friends even people who criticise is if they are capable. Join hands with them. Ticketaarthi log aayenge but we have to be very careful. There is only one way to get ticket - chappal ghisso! :-)) is there someone better than me for this. Get that person. He is the one we are looking for! :-) like Rajani Kothaari who accepted a professor at a higher place than himself in his own institute! :-)

#AAP the volunteer that does the quiet job even so of giving receipts! :-) not the one who gets into the frame! :-D there is an advantage to not have experience! :-) we innovate, political parties don't do surveys, we did. 

#AAP Expand, organize, innovate and finally we need to learn! :-) Parnab asked what did you learn. YY "i learnt how little i know about politics" :-) we need to learn from the people! :-) 

#AAP 30000 people have a registered as members in the last 9 days. Maximum contribution from Bangalore and now you can clap. When people say we are hindi wala it hurts - We are india wala! :-) Karnataka is the place we are looking forward to. People should never tell Hindi wala again! :-)

#AAP we will change the politics, we will create a future for our children and in the process become better people than we are! :-)

#AAP Even this place has not been booked. Donated by the owner. The power is not there. The meeting continues unhindered. Thanks to the volunteers! :-) I wonder if the power was cut intentionally. Someone is scared perhaps! :-D a fine example of persistence! :-))

#AAP We have surprised then in past

We will surprise them in future! :-)

#AAP YY explains the current situation with AAP with this story “There are a father and son with a donkey. If the dad walks and son sits on the donkey - they will say cruel son doesn’t care about dad, if son walks they will say - cruel dad doesn’t take care of the son, if they both sit they will say “cruel people poor donkey” and if both decide not to sit then they will say “look at these donkeys - they are not using the donkey”! :)

#AAP one of the lady volunteers "jab baby hua job chhod diya, jab delhi main election hua toh baby chhod diya! :-)"

#AAP YY "aristotle said that politics is the highest virtue for the human. In sports there is a decathlon and politics is that..."

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The video above showing the work of Arvind Kejriwal from 12 years ago! :)

Vaidolai at Chaukul

I always thought Chuna consumed in the form of pan or directly is injurious to health but this talk by the local Vaidya got us thinking about all such notions we carry.

Chuna

It is one of the cheapest freely available remedy for a lot of ailments. Someone asked if there is some pure version and the Vaidya said that it is so cheap that it would be hard to find an adulterant cheaper than Chuna! :)

He said that a pinch of Chuna taken with 4 spoons of water can help -

1. Combat acidity : When you have acidity all you need is some alkali material to soothe your digestive tract. Chuna is an excellent remedy taken in the diluted form as suggested above. It is calcium carbonate and tackles the acid giving instant relief better than the ENO and such that we fetch. Cheap home remedy.

2. Fight Dental Caries

3. Takes care of the worms

4. Deal with Calcium Deficiency - is an excellent calcium supplement unlike Sandoz it is a natural form and doesn't hurt the system. If you take higher amounts in other forms it might cause troubles associated with excess calcim - blockage of arteries that leads to heart attack <>. Chuna on the other hand is used only in the necessary quanties and excreted otherwise.

5. Reduce hair loss and improves the texture of the hair. At this point all the ladies in the audience were like - I beg your pardon, what was that, etc! :D So he goes on telling what is good for the hair and recommends khopra oil (kaccha highly). This he recommends oral consumption as well. It is an excellent remedy for Dry Cough. When applied with lesun (garlic) aids in healing pains. Garlic needs to be heated till it turns black and then use it with the oil. Mustard oil is also good for pains. There is a mention of maala good for throat - garlic kaadha.

Taking Chuna as indicated above early in the morning on an empty stomach is recommended highly.

Jaggrey mixed Chuna makes an excellent plaster that can be used to form a cast for fractures and sprains. If Chuna is applied directly to the sprain it helps heal faster.

Q. Isn't pan bad for health? All that we keep hearing about Supari?

Pan can be very good when it has Chuna, Supari and Katha without the scented ingredients. Supari (without saccrine, scent, unprocessed and sundried) is actually quite good. Katha helps fight blood diseases. In fact it is a good remedy Naksir (Nose Bleeding) - just two drops brought close to the nose (Even Hariyal Ras helps - 4 drops). A good pan consists of Chuna, Katha, Saunf, Long (Clove), Gulkand & Dried scent free supari. Next time you eat one you can ask them to make it without all the jazz!:))

Rai and Ajwain are very helpful in dealing with aches when taken with warm water. Turmeric and ajwain (or rai) when taken with Dhup ka Dhuan is very good for cold and cough. It also helps with Stomach ailments. The Dhuan can also help with non-healing wounds when exposed to the smoke.

Burnt Cowdung Toothpowder Ingredients -

Cowdung Ash (200g) + Alum (2 spoon) + pepper (1 spoon) + camphor (1 spoon) + salt (4 spoon) - 5 ingredients make an excellent tooth powder to keep away all dental ailments. Use your finger to clean the teeth and massage your gums well. I have tried this and it appears to be very good - there is no minty flavor in the mouth like the regular toothpaste but you feel your mouth has been cleansed well - this is subjective of course! :)

Since honey was being sold in the gaanv haat (pure honey from vilagers on sale) we asked the advantages of Honey. He said consumption of Honey in the morning with _cold_ water helps cut fat (he warned not to use warm water unless prescribed by someone knowledgeable. He talks about Panchamrit - honey + ghee + doodh + dahi + sugar (misri not processed).

Constipation - take 8 spoons of copra with garam paani

Hariyali is another useful remedy - couldn't catch the other name for it and forget the uses now! :(

These are remedies used for over 100 years with no known side effects and yet people are happy to go with Allopathy medicines which might have side effects worse than the problem they solve at times! :)

My faith in the alternative medicine only increases...

Hope this helps.

21.1 kms and 1 paper cup later...

Had a nice time at the Kaveri Trail Marathon - such a beautiful trail - I can't believe I haven't run so far! It was great to see so many smiling faces after a long time in a run. Bangalore runs are becoming very serious and competitive types. Not that this was any less competitive but there was such warmth in the air! :) Extremely inspiring runners in the full marathon runners (also in the half marathon troupe). Some of them made running look so effortless - hope to get there sometime! :)) Rachel the lady who was the _winner_ today was like gliding along with hardly any pressure on the feet.

Lovely weather - I was almost tempted to stop and start clicking - anyways the barefoot shoes were a little painful today! :D All running was on forefoot today but had to walk a lot after 12th kilometer due to lot of discomfort in the left leg. Towards the end around last 3 kilometers I just got rid of the ear phones and the shoes, went to the stream dipped my legs in the cold water (what relief! :)) and ran - that was the best part of the half marathon today. The timing went for a toss but I improved on Auroville timing (3:15 mins). Need to work on that and importantly the comfort of the feet! :)) I am coming to believe that no shoes is the way to go.



Karthik (the pic above!:)) did much better barefoot - ran most of the trail on forefoot and finished in under 3 hours! :) I am thinking I will chuck shoes for running fully barefoot very soon! Already did a 5 km barefoot on tar. Might do the coming Wipro Spirit run 21K barefoot or at least in the Vivo shoes without the sleeve (the sleeve was a big mistake!!!).

Glad to see so many people turning to barefoot footwear. Saw at least 3 runners with no footwear! :D This is a heathy trend indeed. Shoe making companies will get into trouble and so will the doctors that recommend knee replacement like nobodies business (actually their business!!! :D).

KTM and Auroville remain close to heart. Notes to self -

1. Carry a hydration bag - holding that one paper cup was not pleasant but later I figured just rotating it in the hand kept me going actually! :)
2. Reach start point on time and not rush through the start!
3. Eat healthy night before - ate some very delicious Andhra food at RRR - looks like they use soda in the unlimited meals. Lotsa trouble during the run! :D

Look forward to clocking more miles err Smiles! :)

Happy Running,
Dodo

PNLIT - Nurturing Puttenahalli Lake back to its pristine glory | Spark the Rise Indian Projects

PNLIT - Nurturing Puttenahalli Lake back to its pristine glory | Spark the Rise Indian Projects

Tomatoes for thought - La Tomatino

Some things to ponder about -

Population of spain

- 2010 estimate 46,030,109[1] (27th)

- Density 93/km2 (106th)

231/sq mi

Population of India

- 2011 census 1,210,193,422[8] (2nd)

- Density 365.5/km2 (31st)

946.6/sq mi

Anything we do be it Holi or Tomatino we need to be aware that the resources we use are going to be limited. What some others possibly can afford - probably we can't.

Why are we having the festival? Somebody can make money - will they be buying the tomatoes from farmers at a fair price or will it be another profit making venture where costs will be cut at any cost? :)

Will they organize this event responsibly?

What happens after the event to the tomatoes - composted or wasted?

Point to those against the ban favoring democracy (are we really? Is it not a money making venture end of the day? Might as well sell dope/sex legally? Why is burning currency illegal?)

Point to those requesting for a ban - please retain this energy when Holi comes around and million other things that lead to wastage! :)

The trouble is it becomes a nice money making venture we will have more of it as it we don't have enuf of such things already - ganesha festival for example.

What is my take - no take - might as well do something more fruitful! And yes I will stay away from any such 'celebration'! :))

PS: I do celebrate Holi moving to natural colors slowly and using the same pair of clothes or those that are torn out - trying to reduce the amount of water used but yes it is scary (rather scarier) that it has a scale much larger than La Tomatino and nobody will notice loss of water like loss of food - water being a more important resource!!!

Creating an ecosystem - making NGOs self reliant

In the many years of volunteering with several NGOs we realized one thing that is most important to an NGO is their funding and effective use of the same. One children's home in particular comes to mind - Indira Gandhi International Academy - a nice write up about the place can be found here. When we visited the place long back it had several problems. The kids managed most of the things on their own. We used to get distress calls about funds every now and then. The Bright Society hardly managed the place well. If they got funding all of it was used in making food - a complete sink. Old clothes and toy collection drives helped them now and then. The problem nobody could support them for long as it is a life long process.

What could be done?

Generate Income

There are several ways NGOs make their own income. A lot of them are into creating craft items and make a decent amount of money through the sale. The children could be trained in some of the crafts which will be good learning and the products if made well will have a good value. A friend trained kids at an orphanage in making ganesha idols and it later was attempted to help them make money via terracota products. Focus needs to be shifted from raising funds to generating income!

Cut Costs

One of the biggest problems in most such places is efficient use of resources. A lot of the NGOs I know don't have a dearth of space (as they might be remotely located). If it is a residential place like the IHAI children's home this place could be used to grow their own food. The kids not very bright at studies could be trained in such initiatives as terrace gardening or home garden - growing their own food - new methods like hydroponics could be tested though that is debatable. This would at least bring down part of the costs. Fuel/lighting are other ongoing expenses which where alternatives could be looked like solar power. A lot of corporates would rather fund something which will sustain than a months ration.

Waste Management

It was probably a tradition to donate cows in the past and something that can be looked at for a place like this. The cows takes care of the dairy product needs to some extent. Again if the kids are trained a lot of the kitchen waste generated can be fed to the cows. The part that can be fed (cooked food) can be composted to create good manure to be used for the terrace/home garden.

Cow urine can be used to make panchagavyam or sold as is for a price that is higher than that of milk. The training of kids in this area can serve as vocational training probably more useful than a lot of the conventional education which a lot of children may not have the aptitude for. If there is funding (more likely for such a cause) a biogas plant can be setup to cut the costs of fuel in the kitchen which is significant (if solar cooker is not feasible that is). If not bio digester there is alwasy the option of vermi composting which has an increasing market today or can be consumed in their own garden.

Going a step ahead we can setup a complete liquid waste management from the toilets and kitchen. This would generate income once the project is stable.

Rainwater Harvesting

Water requirements if currently paid for can be curtailed to some extent by storing the rain water. Minimally recharging of ground water is important. The space that the NGO has could be put to very good use.

Tree Plantation

Planting trees has become a cliched initiative for most corporates. But if you club it up with planting fruit bearing trees and such for a NGO might just interest them. There is an animal shelter Krupa in Kengeri which has 300 acres of space. The funding for animal care is often limited and their expense is mostly the care takers. Most of the above methods could be put in place for the same. With tree plantation the care takers can make some income for themselves. At a place like IHAI if the kids are trained - could be supplementary stuff for them to eat or sale of the same can help raise funds. Taking care of trees is an effort that needs to be put in place of course - the advantages several as a much needed pleasant side effect -

→	Approximately 300 trees can counter balance the amount of pollution 1 person produces in life time.
→	A single tree produces approximately 260 pounds of oxygen per year. So two mature trees can supply enough oxygen annually to support a family of four.
→	One tree removes about 1 ton of CO2 per year.
→	One person causes about 10 tons of carbon dioxide to be emitted a year.Planting 10 trees per person will remove each person's carbon debt for the year.

Info from - http://saytrees.org/

Making the org as self sufficient as can be with these efforts is far fetched as some of these require funding/resources but the way things are going Corporate CSRs are interested in doing something different and interesting. These are just some of the methods in creating an ecosystem. If we create one successful prototype - others can follow suit.

We are trying some experiments at Krupa Animal Shelter & Sri Ramana Maharishi Academy for the Blind (SRMAB). Both the places have some cows. The expenes of LPG cyclinders at SRMAB is around 36K per month. This can be reduced significantly with a biogas plant setup for the 18 odd cows they have. Currently all the gobar is just lying there losing the methane to the atmosphere!

The following was the original draft with hyperlinks in place for an article in the Hindu - http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/karnataka/article2126075.ece (A copy towards the end)

When one hears Bangalore most people think of the many parks and gardens some possibly think "Oh the IT capital" but few know that Bangalore is one of the most happening cities when it comes to biking. A community that had a mere 150 members in May 2008, the Bangalore Bikers Club today has nearly 2800 members with upwards of 6000 discussions. I have watched this community grow 20 fold in 3 years since I joined it and this can be attributed to the efforts of various biking initiatives like Bums On The Saddle(BOTS), RideACycle Foundation(RACF), Go Green Initiator(GGI), etc and increased access to better bikes.

Spoilt for choice, are we?

The Bangalore Bikers Calendar is always bustling with activity. Just this weekend we had a Bangalore Bikers Championship race on Rajankunte road with a good turn out where other cities struggle to get bikers come out on a Sunday morning. Another group that organizes cycling tours, Cycling and More, is just back from their ride Green Aisle 2. They organized a second one due to the many registrations and now they need to organize a third which will be in July. Yet another such group, Tandem Trails, has opened their registrations for The Great Malnad Challenge - 800+ kms. Last but not the least, 4th Edition of the most coveted cycling event, Tour oF Nilgiris (TfN), has been announced and is already overbooked. The tour will take 100 bikers across 1000 kms of very beautiful and challenging terrain in the hills of the South. Hardly a weekend goes by when you don't have bikers blazing trails.

It's different!

Things have changed drastically from what it used to be a few years back. One had to probably wait 2-3 months before (s)he got a bike of choice. Today one can go into any of the dozen stores and in all possibility find a good bike with the right size. There are several players in the market and the prizes of high end bikes have come down significantly. Mr. Rakesh Shah, owner of RR International Bikes, told that the sales of Roadstar which was one of the highest selling bike in the 90s has gone down significantly in the last few years but since the advent of high end bikes the business has been flourishing. A lot of people who can commute to work are now considering using these cool bikes to go to work. We have conducted over 50 workshops in various corporates, colleges and apartments to encourage biking to work and otherwise. The traffic and pollution are more a threat for people on motor bikes comes as a surprise to many. The various tours have helped mitigate the myths surrounding biking as well. The many renting options help also since people can now try bikes before the make hefty investments.

Seriously???

Biking is also becoming a serious sport with the many Bicycling Championships and the Bangalore Brevets. There are several racing teams competing in these events and with the Brevets many riders are testing their grit and determination to the fullest. I remember a post, when I was new to group, discouraging newbies to try very long distances without training and now some 120 odd riders go to Nandi as if it were a picnic on a month end long ride. Stats from the brevets - a distance of 200 kms was covered by 100+ riders under 15 hours, around 40+ people did 300 kms in under 20 hours, 30+ did 400 kms and 20+ riders did a 600 km ride in under 40 hours. If your jaws haven't dropped yet there is soon going to be a 1000 km brevet. Even as I write this, a serious rider, Samim Rizvi is cycling 3000 miles (4800 kms) across America in The Race Across America(RAAM) in about a week - Hey Raam! It won't be a surprise if we had a Race Across India very soon.

About me

I have been cycling for as long as I can remember. Started with a BSA champ in 2nd grade and dreamed of buying cool bikes and cycling everywhere when I grew up. Now I am living that dream. I worked with RideACycle Foundation(RACF) on a 3 month sabbatical and that's where I got into evangelizing biking. Been part of most of the workshops conducted to encourage biking and love the growing numbers of the bums on the saddles - we plan to work in a more organized way to increase the same with the Wheels of Change program. Always loved this quote -

"Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race." - H. G. Wells

These numbers give a high but nothing beats the kick you get when you beat your own limits. My favorite ride was from Manali to Leh last year covering 420 kilometers - we had a blast. A more rigorous test was the Tour oF Nilgiris (TfN) with 800+ kms covered in 7 days. Hoping to do the MTB Himachal this year.

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The article in Hindu -

No more in the side lanes

MAYANK RUNGTA

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Special ArrangementMayank Rungta sporting his favourite gear

The Bangalore bikers' calendar is chock-a-block with activities

When one says ‘Bangalore' most of us think parks, gardens and possibly ‘IT capital'. But few know that Bangalore is one of the most happening cities for biking. A community that had a mere 150 members in May 2008, the Bangalore Bikers' Club today has nearly 2,800 members with upwards of 6,000 discussions.

I have watched this community grow 20-fold in three years since I joined it, and this can be attributed to the efforts of various biking initiatives like Bums On The Saddle(BOTS), RideACycle Foundation(RACF), Go Green Initiator(GGI) among others, and increased access to better bikes.

SPOILT FOR CHOICE

The Bangalore bikers' calendar is always bustling with activity and hardly a weekend goes by when you don't have bikers blazing trails.

Just this weekend, we had a Bangalore Bikers' Championship race on Rajankunte Road with a good turnout.

This, when other cities struggle to get bikers to venture out on a Sunday morning. Another group that organises cycling tours, Cycling and More, is just back from their ride — Green Aisle 2.

Yet another group, Tandem Trails, has opened registrations for The Great Malnad Challenge – 800 plus km.

Last but not the least, the 4th edition of the most coveted cycling event, Tour of Nilgiris (TfN), has been announced and is already overbooked.

The tour will take 100 bikers across 1000 km of very beautiful and challenging terrain in the hills of the south.

Things have changed monumentally over the last few years. Earlier, one had to wait two or three months before (s)he got a bike of choice. Today, you can go into any of the dozen stores and find a good bike of the right size. Better still, the prices of high-end bikes have come down significantly. A lot of people who can commute to work are now considering hopping on to these cool bikes. We have conducted over 50 workshops in various corporates, colleges and apartments to encourage biking to work and otherwise.

Biking is also becoming a serious sport with the many bicycling championships and the Bangalore Brevets. There are several racing teams competing in these events and with the Brevets, many riders are testing their grit and determination to the fullest.

Even as I right this, a serious rider, Samim Rizvi, is cycling 3,000 miles (4,800 km) across America in The Race Across America (RAAM). Hey Ram! It won't be a surprise if we had a Race Across India very soon.

(Mayank Rungta is an avid biker and works with RideACycle Foundation and is a self-professed evangelist for ‘Bums On The Saddle'.)

Keywords: Bangalore Bikers' Club

The Mumbai Marathon - what kept me going?

I found a lot of things help when running the Half Marathon @ Mumbai - there was real peppy music at different places and that helped (esp the punjabi beats and drums), when the elite runners passed by u want to run faster (at least run if u r walking), then arbit people giving away stuff like biscuits and bananas, I took water from one lady (which was not bottled for a change! :)), had a chat with this 66 year old gentleman who has done many marathons, another 68 year old completed in 2 hrs 50 mins with a heart condition, inspiration all around!!! I hope to be able to run when I am their age if I am still around! :)



But what got me going was this one boy with Cerebral Palsy (I think) who was struggling to do 5 meters on the other side of the road, his mom helping him - 'everybody' around was cheering him - gave me goose pimples - I was almost walking with my knee hurting badly - immediatley started sprinting and probably the fastest bit in the day - ran all of the remaining 500 meters - the toughest! Such was the influence of that boy - I am glad I went all the way to Mumbai for this run! :)

I tried running with these slip ons from adiddas with not a very thick sole (qualifies as barefoot running I think) and my feet are really sore. My right knee was completely worn out. I need to fix my technique. Hoping to improve in future. Managed to complete the run in 2h 34m 5s around (by timing chip). If I do another HM decently this year will run FM next year! :)

I was to raise funds for this org called Touching Lives (http://ngopost.org/story/touching-lives-mumbai-marathon) but I was not sure of making it to the run till the nth hour. If you wish to support please ping. I love their recent work on micro credit and bachat khata. Their work with kids has been commendable! :)

38,400 (confirmed by a friend who was part of organizing team) people were out there to run/walk whatever distance. I am hoping the others can do their bit of walking/running/cycling also! :)) Can't emphasize enough on the importance of good health and well being. Just do it! :)

PS: Missed haivng a camera. Lotsa stuff to capture but can't carry a DSLR. Will invest in a good point and shoot sometime.

Whadda I do over a weekend?

"I wake up on a Saturday afternoon with a bad hangover wondering what to do?" Such remarks annoy me greatly. I can't understand people who don't know what to do with their time on weekend. The idea is totally alien to me. I wish there was same way I could siphon out the time from their lives into mine - could do so much more as there are just so many things to do and only 24 hours in a day!!!

Take just this weekend for example - started with a strenuous session of Kalari on Friday evening leaving me soaking wet, no not coz of a monsoon shower but due to the sheer workout!!! I come back home and plan the weekend squeezing in as many things as possible. I lose a lot of time currently training for a byking trip (read cycling for byking thru out) from Manali to Leh or shopping for it. So this time we had the choice of going to Nandi and do a typical climb or...

A friend asked if we were interested in visiting this farm near Shravandurga in Arakamanahalli (dang the names are tough!!!). We thought we could byke to this place instead and we did. Started off at 5ish (lacking sleep) and went from the beginning of Magadi road - about 47kms from Kormangala I was told. The stretch in city is boring and once u get out it is serene lined with beautiful trees on both sides - hoping BBMP doesn't see the need to widen roads that far... I was horrified at the look of cubbon road - one of my favorite stretches. U shud take a look from some higher floors of Manipal center - all gone now!!!

Anyways we reached the place and met up with Shekhar who has an interesting story to share. He was with HP Labs before retiring recently. On one of his visits to Shravandurga he parked his vehicle near a farmer's house. They took some unknown path and returned only by evening. On their return the farmer offered food and insisted they have it. He wanted to pay them for it but they wouldn't take anything - atithi devo bhava! :) He told he would be back in which case and they would have to feed him each time. They were only happy to do so. He kept visiting the place and got to know more about them. One trip he noticed their son was missing. They told he has taken up a job in the city to help clear the loan. Shekhar was surprised to know that the amount was a meager 20K loan and the farmer was merely paying the interest with all their earnings. Why so? the interest was 5% per MONTH!!! He was shocked at this ridiculously exploitation. He told he will clear the loan for them. They wouldn't accept so he told he can use a piece of their land to make a simple home for him. This they agreed to and he got a piece of land that wasn't fertile with a rock. The house he has is amazingly simple much better than a farmhouse thing I saw in the previous week. All this was done with no paper work. Today the farmer is out of debt making a good life for himself and helping other farmers. Shekhar continues to help them and has himself bought a piece of land to grow trees and encourage organic farming practices.

Shekhar thinks that what he did is simple and scalable. Others could follow suite. The next adoption is already in progress.

What are the many possibilities?

1. Fair trade options: He says that these farmers need to travel to city and sell the vegetables where they get auctioned. It would be good to have a fair trade mechanism whereby only transport expense is part of the sale and most of the profit comes to the farmer.

2. Encourage best practices: I was intrigued by the drip irrigation, rain water harvesting, bio gas generation, etc at the place. He said the tomatoes yield could be increased if they were spaced out better - less plants more yield. This only gets more interesting...

3. Supply of organic manure: The farmers are not as ignorant. You go and ask them for any gobar they refuse as they can simply dump it on the land knowing it is good manure. Shekhar told it would be great if we can get organic waste from cities and provide it to the farmers. Probably the same truck carrying the organic stuff can take back their fresh vegetables if the hygiene is taken care of - meaning the wet waste brought from city should not be rotting...

4. Clearing the loans: Clearly the interest rates here are exorbitant excoriating the farmers. It would be good to have some tie with an org like RandDe to ensure the loans of these farmers are migrated to RangDe like institutions which have as low as 16% interest annually as compared to 24% provided by other MFIs. I was coincidentally wearing a tee from RangDe. It feels good when u see the pieces of a puzzle fall in place! (:

5. Insurance against crop failure: This could be a part of the adoption mentioned earlier or a tie up with people in city willing to secure some farmers. In return the city folks can use the land for respite without investing a huge chunk of their savings. This option can appeal to many.

6. Need for milch cow: Shekhar said he wishes to equip the family with a few more cows so that the gobar can be used to generate electricity and the milk could be used in the family. Need to check with Jain farms in Bangalore if they can supply such cows as most of the cows there are rescued from butcher houses as they are old and unproductive. At least we could get the gobar feeding these cows wet waste from near by localities. Could be a win win for all.

The possibilities are many and doable. If only...

For us the weekend began with a talk with such an inspiring person and it is not the end of it.

We helped pick the tomatoes and did it at least for a third of the field. Felt great and again the possibilities of making it efficient. Shekhar devised a bike (trike actually - tricycle) to transport water. Again why re-invent wheel err drum - http://ngopost.org/story/rollable-water-container.

A good idea begets another idea - a neat animation from google contest.

This was followed by a sumptuous breakfast - with raagi mudde involved I would call it heavy lunch rather - very tasty pickle grown locally - bitter lime or something. I m always loving it! :D

We decided to hitch a ride. I wanted to byke back and do the beautiful climbs but let it pass due to time constraints. Returned to the city and helped a friend pick a good high end byke. She is a strong byker lugging aournd a 30+ kilo byke currently. Then a tryst with the monsoon shower which is becoming a rarity - an inconvenience to us city dwellers a night mare for farmers!

Again spoilt for choice in the evening - a play by Indian Ensemble, film screenings by Maraa - around a tree, etc. I had to buy a helmet so skipped the plays and ended up watching Raavan - a bad bad choice. People should realize there are many wonderful plays running with limited audience who are wasting their time in movies such as this!!!

Sunday - skipped training went for a tree plantation drive - my first. Love this group as they are focused on preserving the plants. It was good to see some residents come early on lazy Sunday morning and pick up the tools and get to work. It took me a lot of effort as I am new to this but enjoyed thoroughly - was a work out for the upper body. Those morons going to gym and pumping iron should actually think of doing something more useful!!! The average Indian is usually a laborer and with great physique due to the hard work with limited meals - the best way to stay fit - a need for most IT professionals trying to sweat it out in air conditioned gyms! :)

The next thing - well deserved - yummy tatte idlis in Domlur (u must try if u haven't) - some vishnu ... We then visit this plot given for our zero waste management efforts. Wet waste appears to be a big problem most places so we hope to use this piece of land and take care of that while apartments take care of their dry waste. We plan to plant a good number of bamboo saplings that can cover the activity as people find it an eye sore that someone takes care of their waste and pretty well at that! :) These hopefully can be used for making composting tanks if there is a need to clear the land.

The next thing is a play reading at Bangalore Little Theaters workshop - SPOT (Summer Project on Theater). Amazing improvement in the script and creativity at its best. Really enjoyed the next few hours. One should not while away their after noons when there is such fun stuff happening around!!!

Evening was spent shopping again for the trip - wonder how the weekend would be without the over head of the trip n shopping! :)

A pretty eventful weekend nevertheless with a great dinner at a nice punjabi dhaba - "Kaaku da Dhaba" on Sarjapur road near Wipro Head office. The week again begins - look forward to the Kalari class in the evening. Will go for a swim if I find time - if only I had more time... :)) So next time I am around don't u dare say - "What do I do with my time?" I might just wring your neck!!!

Open up, open up!!!

"I wish to change the world but they won't give me the source code"

            - from some T shirt at FOSS @ IISc

Promoting linux/FLOSS has always been a challenge but fortunately it gets easier by the day! :) I have often found similarities between advocating biking against fossil fuel vehicles and linux against windows -

1. It is gonna be tough - "Common give it a try - a matter of getting used to!!!"

2. It's not friendly enough - "when was the last time u used linux/a bike?" Try the latest ones and u will know what u have missed all along!!!

3. I don't mind paying the license fee/fuel - "But why pay when u can use it for free. If u run into an issue wear the do it yourself (DIY) hat and if u can't figure out there is a huge community out there to help you out! :) If you still can't do it pay for some help but at least u gotta a choice! :)"

4. It looks cool! - "Check out the new distros/brands - cudn't get any cooler!!!"

Common remarks -

"Switching to linux/biking was tough a few years ago but now..."

"You buy any comp/cycle and then all u need is linux/pedal power - absolutely free!"

"I can only wish that I had switched earlier!"

"Keeps me fit/my mind fit"

"I haven't known what a virus attack is for long be it flu or melissa. If u do get it u recover in no time!" ;)

Flame wars -
"Merida vs Trek" - "Fedora vs Ubuntu"

"Emacs vs Vi"  - "Road bike Vs Mountain Bike"   => Emacs with viper - Hybrid/Crossway

Communities -

"GNU, Free, OSS, Libre, ..." "BOTS, Wheelsports, Decathlon, RAC-F, GGGC, ..."

Unfortunate one:

"Fewer chicks on either!!!"

                                                 ...but the few that are - are darn good! :))

Linux is open and so am I! :)

Dodo

PS: I luv the song open up from nescafe - kind of goes with the mood -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d262BfXK1zc

A date with Murphy...

There was this bike workshop at Symbiosis and I was a little worked up with the many things at hand. Din't want to mess it up so did spend a good deal of energy on it. I actually washed my bike after a long time so that it doesn't look so dirty. It hadn't rained in ages and I was hoping I don't have to clean it for sometime. It rained the same night and almost every evening after that for a few days! :))

I got some really good slides from Pradeep which they had used for the Ignite Bangalore. That saved a lot of effort but I did wake up late not making it to the starting point for the ride to the Ecity. I asked Pankaj to move on forgeting Neera wud be there waiting as she doesn't work there. Deb & Satabdi joined and we reached there pretty late. Was keen on the blood donation camp at Symbiosis. It had been over a year so - result - yet another black out! :)) Great way to start ur day - quite refreshing actually! :)

By lunch hour we had students eager and trying the bikes - half a dozen bikes but only 2-3 bikers. I was pretty impressed by some of them as they freaked out on the bikes. A girl boldly took the strida down a small incline near the mess. Asked her to be careful. Grabbed my camera and I had just begun to take a few shots when a girl was brought with a bruises on her face. She freaked out on the Strida and took  it down the incline to the basement when nobody was watching - used the disc brakes and on the ground. A casualty even before the workshop had begun!!! Huh - no more biking for the students after that - spent much of the afternoon working on the presentation as not many bikers had confirmed presence - stretched the presentation a bit.

At 4 in the evening we had all the bikers those who had confirmed and even few who hadn't - pleasant surprise! :) It wud be nice to have as many bikers share their reason to be on the saddle but the presentation time was cut short as the students had a lecture they cudn't bunk! :)

We had a brief bike trial session and then we went on with the bike ralley. The trikes wud catch the attention and all but it started pouring! :D This didn't dampen the spirit of the bikers and we went to the 1st entrance to Ecity. Bizy junction and we had heads spinning! :))

Despite the many goofups (most of them on my part!) it was a good event more important a good learning. Now we work for the next few bike workshops - colleges and corporates!

BykeWorkshopSIBM

Lessons learnt:

1. Have a compact session targetting either only evening or morning - all day won't work unless many bikers in the hosting corporate/college. It worked well at Infy. Evening 4-6 i a good time as you can have those interested try the bikes for as long as they won't after the presentation say around 5:30

2. Ensure at least a dozen bikers for the one on one sessions with as many bikes assuming an audience of 100

3. Ensure a minimum audience else it may not be worth the time and effort of so many bikers

4. Have interesting videos as breathers in the presentation so that the audience don't switch off.

5. Eye candies like Trykes, Styda, etc work like a charm. Ensure u have all kinds of bikes - road bike, hybrid, MTB, folding bike, etc.

Tryst with a run! :)

My first serious run ever - at 29 - like they say better late... :) I registered last year and was running for Kilikili. We participated in the costume thingie last year and we won a 2nd prize. That was the high and running with the costume was out of the question. I am not sure I would have been able to run in any case in the shape I was in! ;)

The rest of the Marathon pics.

This year the focus was to run and I did. Yay! :) I had a sprain in my left foot coz of a broken byke pedal and was really not sure I could do it that too with zero training. Wanted to sleep on time but was doing this article for Citizen Matters on the run and it kept me pretty bizy last 2 days. Woke up at 5:30 and yet managed to get late for the Open 10K run. I chose to run for Saahas this year and possibly participate for the costume thingie again with Saahas. Was looking for the team first thing I reached the place and I was shocked to find that entering from one gate gave you access only to a few sections of the stadium unlike the last year. I was a volunteer with Bangalore Cares last year and was able to move around pretty freely - was disappointed with the unecessary restrictions this year - when one of the volunteers told me one of the gates was entry only I almost lost it. Couldn't meet anybody in the chaos so went to the Gate 5 for the run. Joined two friends and started off at 8:30 - too many people and 20 minutes past the start time only half the people had started running! :D

As soon as I began to run I remembered I need to answer some call - had taken a good deal of water! :) Thought would stop at the first loo on the way! Started with an easy pace as was suggested in a workshop organized by Rang De. Was hoping the legs won't hurt with light steps and did pretty well for first 5kms. First short break for water after 3kms the next one on completing 5 kms with some glucose. The loos had long queues in front of them. Looked like I was not the only one who taken too much water! ;)

Each km after that was an effort. Surprisingly I was not out of breath just that my calf muscles began to hurt. I was taking long breaths and only throught the nose which helped - something I learnt from the yoga at Art of Living. I belive the regular byking of 15-20km helped and so also the Kalaripayitu lessons - all the while I wished my swimming was on!!! Why it is off is another story we can save for another time! ;) The legs gave way simply coz they have never been trained for a run! :D I have them dipped in hot water even as I type this... :)

I took several breaks in the 6th through 8th km during which I did use the loo (wat a relief! :D). I bumped into the friend who had sped off during the begining of the race! ;) Was out of water but din't want to touch the god forsaken KINGFISHER bottles which like last year were again out on the roads despite our many efforts with the organizers not to use them but I guess sponosors have all the say!!! Arrived back at Kanteerva in around 70 minutes. Not bad for the very first run ever! :)

I had to rush to another workshop so couldn't help the Saahas team that was working on clearing up the streets and the refreshment counter asking people to use the bins (hard to believe u need to educate people about such simple things!!!). I even missed the costume thignie but I am just glad I ran for them with a lovely T shirt! :)

All in all good fun except the plastic bottles which have been dealt with this time by Saahas despite the COLD response for volunteering for the same. Hoping this issue is taken more seriously next year. Have begun work on that! :)

A friend had shared this inspiring quote -

"Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must move faster than the fastest lion or it will not survive. Every morning a lion wakes up and it knows it must move faster than the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn't matter if you are the lion or the gazelle, when the sun comes up, you'd better be running" - Roger Bannister.

Personally, I would neither be the lion or the gazelle but the good old dodo who would rather continue to sleep! :D 

I m glad I ran - now I m thinking of the duathlon in June but irrespective will consider running more often seriously. If a dodo such as me can do it so can u! :)

The power of one!

Chicken soup stories have always influenced my thinking a great deal. There is this story of a little girl throwing star fishes washed to the shore back into the sea. A curious observer asks -

"I have been watching you for sometime. What is it that you are trying to do?

"I m saving the fishes"

"But there are thousands of those on the beach and you can only do as much. What difference is it gonna make?"

"It will to that fish!" :)

Mother Teresa said -

"We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop"

Sri M Visveswaraiah said -

"Practice what you preach and preach what you practice"

The result is this freako that I have become - walk the talk and talk the walk - do wat you can while you can!

Having pestered the many frens with my persistence (read nagging) on an eco friendly living - I have come to a point where I wonder if it is really worth being the odd one out! :) Be it byking, thrift usage of paper, plastic n such, vegetarianism, etc. advocated it all and aggressively so. Wincing each time someone carelessly picks a tissue to wipe his/her hands when (s)he might very well have used a handkerchief doesn't help at all...

Today a friend put it all in a rather interesting way - "You know what - you are trying to save this huge 5 storey sinking ship running around doing all you can with only a bucket in your hand. The ship will sink nevertheless - you might as well relax!" :) Interestingly he was the same person who insisted that I go vote and u know what I did vote today (Yay!!!:). It was a painful experience to just get my name onto the list (no voter id despite the effort). I voted for Captain Gopinath who is from Army and revolutionized air travel by making it accessible to the common man (not sure it is the best thing considering the environmental impact much like the nano). If I am to be consistent in thought I should not bother voting. But I don't know how that's gonna help. When people believe that each person's vote matters so also their stand in each little thing that they do...

Imagine if all the people who could afford to (you could be one if you sincerely try), choose a cycle over a motor vehicle - we would be able to crack so many problems together - traffic congestion, pollution, obesity, etc. If people could use paper, plastic, power, etc in a sane manner then the same wouldn't land up in a landfill - resulting in health issues. Why people fail to see the connect between this recent trend of floods (Bihar/Orissa/)or hurricanes in US and their choosing to drive a car/motorbike. If they only moved to public transport. "Oh but the govt is doing nothing to improve the same!!!" Who voted them to power (rather let them come to power by not voting!:))?

So all problems come to the same single point - what each one of us chooses to do and to what extent? :) This is the power of one. You set an example - if people follow the trend shall bring about the needed change - if not the ship will _probably_ sink but your heart will _definitely_ soar!:D

Ignorance sure is bliss!

Have seen loadsa ads, ppts, etc urging people to save water... Not sure what does it take? Washing cars when people should be talking rain water harvesting!

Watch this lovely ad...

More Ads...

Nama Raste Namma Ooru...Hasire Usiru

Road widening is the least intelligent solution to our traffic problem. BBMP is pushing ahead with this mega project in total violation of the law.

It is internationally acknowledged that widening roads:

• Makes more people drive
• Increase traffic congestion
• Increases pollution
• Increases risk to public safety 

Road widening costs approximately Rs. 10 crores/km. i.e. Rs. 4,000 crores in total! Your tax money is spent on a project that has no guarantee of success.Road widening costs approximately Rs. 10 crores/km. i.e. Rs. 4,000 crores in total! Your tax money is spent on a project that has no guarantee of success.

There is a plan to widen 140 roads totaling 400 km. This is how it is going to affect us :

1. Destruction of thousands of homes and businesses. 2. Cutting down of 30,000 trees resulting in a 3 degree rise in temperature. 3. Increased pollution (which is already 3 times higher than accepted norms in many places) because of the higher traffic. 4. Loss of many familiar, beloved heritage and cultural spaces. 5. The destruction of Bangalore as we know it, and its conversion into a hot, dusty, characterless city like the thousands of others around the country. A walk  from Lalbagh West Gate to Town Hall called 'Namma Raste' is planned for Sunday, Nov. 9. It is to raise public awareness of these issues, and to get the government to rethink its traffic policy.

If you wish to do something about it please make time and be available for the walk to avert this insanity. The government should abide by the law and build the metro with more wisdom lest we end up with worse infrastructure having spent a humongous amount. The details of the walk:

Namma Raste Namma Ooru... HASIRE USIRU

Time: 11:00 AM

Date: 9th of November, 2008 

Venue: West Gate of Lal Bagah

Kindly use the flyers below (English/Kannada) to mobilize people.

      

You can also use the following posters if you please -

With good number of people and support from media we can save Bangalore from legacy of goofups politicians have been leaving behind and preserve the legacies that Bangalore is best known for - it's parks, trees and the excellent weather! :)

 A memorable moment from the Walk:

 

Are you smoking lives away?

Curbing the desire to write profusely on the subject. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well here are a couple of them...

Second hand smoke kills

For Guyz:
I thought at least the fact that it causes impotency (statistics proven that semen count reduces) would deter the guyz!!! :) If you have managed to have had kids then u shud know that the passive smoking is really injurious for them n ur wife (esp if she is pregnant). If u love them quitting shud be no difficulty...

For Gals:
Dark lips, discolored teeth and dark circles in under the eye don't look so cool! :) Need I say more for those beauty conscious damsels out there! The rest of it is only too redundant. Personally, I expect women to be more responsible... :)

Will hopefully update with pointers on quitting to help those convinced -

1. Dare to Quit
2. ...
3. ...


For those with the attitude - "If my smoking bothers you stop breathing" - may the good lord bless you with some wisdom since you have smoked it all away! :)

PS: These ads are collected from floating mails. I am hoping this is no breach of copy rights as this has been posted in good will. In any case I am a firm believer of copy left! :D