Daily Archives: May 11, 2013

Mommy glam or commercial sham?

Deccan Herald, General Thoughts, Pregnancy and Parenting, Published Articles

While the one-day celebration might be a special thing to few moms, there are few others who maintain that it’s a commercial gimmick.

The Mother’s Day concept will be turning 99 years old since American President Woodrow Wilson signed the petition to bring it into effect in 1914. In modern times, the day is engulfed with a clout of new age consumerism where the day is just incomplete without greeting cards, chocolates, flowers or even spa indulgences for moms. Ironically, the inventor of Mother’s Day, Anna Jarvis, was in favour of honoring mothers and not buying things for mothers. It is said that she regretted having this day as it went beyond her capacity and became a commercialized observance.

Media buzz has made Mother’s Day a chosen date for gifting as a thanks-giving activity. Adding to the popularity are enterprises that are cashing in on the hype – florists, restaurants, jewellery stores, activity centres, maternity hospitals, online shopping sites, baby stores, health products manufacturers and surely a few more will contribute to the glitz with their activities for moms and even would-be-moms.

But did our moms know of such special days when we were young? No, this is the celebration of new age moms in urban India. Though, of course, my mom and her peers in the last few years, have asked me how I felt on Mother’s Day and I wasn’t sure whether it made me happy or ignore it altogether as just another trend.

Says Nandini Hirianniah, an entrepreneur and mom to four year old Sanaa, “I think the mother-child relationship is beyond any of these marketing exercises. My daughter’s smile is an acknowledgement of my being. Her shaping up to be a confident individual who can make the right decisions for herself is in itself my celebration of being a mom. She is unaware of the concept of Mother’s Day right now. But when I see the love and gratitude in her eyes every day, that becomes the most fulfilling aspect of my being a mother”.

Echoing a similar view, says Roopa Rangaswamy, mom to ten year old Khushi, “The challenges faced by today’s kids are varied and far too many. Mothers have to be equipped to play the role of a friend, teacher, mentor and many roles rolled into one. In my opinion, Mother’s day is a big hype as you do not need a specific day to communicate your love to your mother. Relationships are built, managed and communicated on a daily basis and I think such single-day celebrations are a sham.”

But not all moms are against the celebration. Says Leela Gaur Sharma, a financial analyst and mom to six-month-old Tanya, “I am glad we celebrate it, even though it has traditionally not been part of Indian culture. I think people in India are less expressive. So, if this day is made to celebrate one of nature’s most beautiful  relationships, why not? It was on one such Mother’s Day that my brother got a perfume for my mother and it made her feel really special. It gives people opportunities to express their love. Regarding the hype over a specific day, why complain when just about everything is marketed today? And as it is, consumers, including growing kids these days, are mature enough to understand what is suitable for them.”

Dr Bhavana B, Corporate Relations Manager, a mother to growing sons Vivikth and Vishnu, feels glad about the day being marked as a recognition for mothers’ unconditional love. Says she, “The word ‘mother’ is often the first one to be used by most of us during happiness, sorrows, or any other emotions involved. Being a mom to today’s Gen Y kids has taken a new meaning unlike the earlier times. Today, one needs to stay updated and match the expectations of children. If we have a dedicated Mother’s Day celebration, it definitely adds value and cheer.”

A visibly hands-on full-time mother Geeta Chopra, a mom to three daughters, Sonali, Sejal, and Diti, who are triplets and are a little over two and half years, says, “Nature blessed me with three kids and that too together! I really understand how challenging, every minute, it is to be a mom. Occasions such as Mother’s day are good as it makes me feel very special. We have our own celebration at home, with the kids and my husband, and it definitely relaxes me”.

A lot of internet sites are brimming with content on what gifts to choose for moms or ideas that can make your mother feel happy.

Growing in parallel are opinions from moms and bloggers who reckon pre-packaged days are a passé. Many believe that if you want to express your love to your mother or wife, there is no need to hold on until Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day. Rather, gifting and celebrating on personal occasions like your wedding anniversary or your mom’s birthday would be more natural.

It’s also that due to the hype reflected through mass media like television and nespapers or magazines, a lot of teenagers get fascinated with the Mother’s Day concept.
Defending her stance, says a thirteen old Harshita, “I love Mother’s Day. Mothers around the world are always highly stressed and do so much for their families. Occasions like these make them feel special. So why not take it in the positive spirit? But yes, there’s no need to be upset if your son or daughter didn’t wish you on Mother’s Day, it’s no big deal.”

In all the glitz and celebrations that will be held tomorrow across the city, perhaps you can think of celebrating the day in a unique manner that can make you and your mom feel happy. No matter what age you are, many of you are lucky to have a soul who understands, accepts, and lends a shoulder whenever you want.

So in case you want to make your mom feel good, here are some gestures she would appreciate:

* Write a personal letter to your Mom. (Anna Jarvis – the founder of modern day Mother’s Day wanted children to write letters and not really buy cards or flowers)

* Spend the Sunday with your Mom, helping her with the chores. This would be a great gift as her daily routine is otherwise taken for granted.

* Sit down to talk to her to know what makes her happy and try to bring one change in yourself that can make her feel good about you.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/331587/mommy-glam-commercial-sham.html

The article was published in Living supplement of Deccan Herald on May 11th 2013 (on the eve of Mother’s day).

On the food path

General Thoughts, Published Articles, The Hindu

Trends Food has become an all encompassing presence, television and otherwise. Kids to parents, everyone’s plunged into cooking, finds RESHMA KRISHNAMURTHY SHARMA

Eyes on the jobStarting youngPhoto: R. Ravindran

From being a hobby to a profession and even an obsession for some, cooking is finding many takers in recent times for varied reasons. Adding to the popularity is the rise in cookery shows on television; hosted by people who make the experience look super cool with ample seasonings of humour, exotic locales and ingredients.

Some of these shows are hosted by well-known personalities and noted celebrities to add the glamour quotient. Even game contests have entered this domain where reality shows like theMasterChef series are making the young and the adults experiment with food.

Food has always been an important part of our lives and while there are enough dine-out opportunities or ready to eat fast-food joints, those who really love food feel nothing is more satisfying than trying a dish in one’s kitchen.

Says Manish Gaur, Director of Training at Institute of Baking & Cake Art: “Kitchens have turned out to be innovative spaces that have received a huge makeover in the last few years. Undoubtedly, shows like MasterChef have encouraged aspiring youngsters and homemakers to love and experiment with food. We have a short term course of three days that is very popular with the young between eight and 15 years of age, and this year we do have a lot of queries for it.”

Varun Satish, all of nine years says, “Cooking is a very satisfying feeling. I am in a happy state when I create a good dish.” An avid watcher of all the cookery shows on TV, he says he likes trying out Chinese and Italian cuisines. His dad, Satish, says though Varun aspires to be an engineer, given the time he spends in kitchens he might turn to be an excellent chef.

With traditional stereotype gender roles getting equalised in urban societies, cooking is no longer only a woman’s domain. It is becoming a life skill that is encouraged by parents. Summer camps offer cooking classes as well as cooking without fire. These camps have parents cooking with their children with mom and child days being very popular.

Globalisation, exposure to recipes on internet and TV, availability of a range of cook books and travel has made everyone interested in a variety of cuisines. With the kitchens turning into the centre of activity, the space is no longer dark and dinghy. Rather with modern, time saving gadgets and a bright, airy feel, the kitchen has been reinstated as the heart of the home. Shruti Singhal who is planning to start an exclusive cooking club for the young sums up saying, “Cooking creates a happy state of mind. Awareness on this subject through various mediums, has got young people interested in it. In a health conscious society, good food and a variety of tastes is appealing. If it is in one’s hands to create something good and wholesome, it is a win-win situation.”

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/on-the-food-path/article4596685.ece

The article was published in the Hindu Metro Plus on April 9th 2013.

On the airwaves for change

Published Articles, Reshma's Blog, The Hindu

Radio ga gaShamantha and her team of RJs

People Sarathi Jhalak, a community radio station in rural Bangalore, is seeing a steady increase in its listener base. Shamantha D.S., who started the station, walks RESHMA KRISHNAMURTHY SHARMA through the success story

It’s hard not to get affected by Shamantha D.S’s exuberance. Sarathi Jhalak, a community radio station in rural Bangalore at Anugondanahalli, in Hoskote taluk has seen a steady increase in its listener’s base since last August, thanks to Shamantha’s efforts.

Unlike the skyscraper views of most radio stations in Bangalore or the hi-tech ambience, Sarathi Jhalak which is aired on 90.4 FM has a view of tomato fields and cabbage gardens and a bare look room with basic equipment.

Simplicity seems to be the main reason for the station’s rising popularity. The listeners from the villages nearby want content that talks their language and highlight issues that affect them. Doing the balancing act between being a regular station and a community radio station has been a challenge for Sarathi Jhalak.

What was started as an all-woman station is now also employing men as RJs, for program supervision and content programming. Ranging from programs that target the student community and women,, the RJ’s of 90.4 FM say their chosen part-time career has been an eye-opener for everyone.

“On an average we are on air for about 16 hours a day from Monday to Saturday with Kannada anchoring and songs of folk to classical music and film songs from Kannada, Telugu and Hindi films to cater to this region’s audience tastes,” says Shamantha.

The dynamic young woman has been into radio journalism as well as other streams of media careers says starting the radio station through her NGO, Sarathi has been the high point of her career. Shamantha is excited and believes the community radio station has the potential to make a difference in the lives of people in Anugondanahalli and nearby areas. The RJs of Sarathi Jhalak come from very varied backgrounds. They all hail from Anugondanahalli and continue with their day jobs of beautician, driver and counsellor at a hospital. They allocate a few hours to radio out of passion, admitting they had not expected such a response that has turned them into mini celebrities!

Shamantha admits it has not been easy. “I am thankful to government agencies such as BSNL, BESCOM and BECIL who supported us with technical know-how for a radio station including telephone lines and assisted us with relevant technical knowledge to run the station smoothly.

Of course we were all very anxious for the first month as we didn’t know whether we had plunged into the right thing. Today we are happy we are part of a radio station that many villages have made their companion.” She adds that her radio experience at AIR and guidance by key people from AIR has helped her set up the station.

When asked about taking a backseat after being in the forefront as a RJ, and filmmaker, Shamantha demands, “Isn’t seeing a team running a station a greater responsibility? I do go on air sometimes but I feel happy when I see my RJs who were novices and have now turned out to be polished professionals. The listeners’ response in the form of text messages (250 in two hours) and hordes of letters is proof of the adulation we receive.”

After a pause she adds, “Once a boy was lost and we were able to reunite him with his parents within a few hours thanks to the alertness of another listener and our phone lines being open. It is incidents like this or our program Manasina Mathu where youngsters talk of their worries and concerns on air and that make us realize that it’s not only urbanites who are stressed out.”

Shamantha reserves her visits to the station to once or twice a week and has handed the day-to-day management to the RJs and program director. Shamantha who is continuing to dabble in filmmaking and developmental journalism sums up saying, “Sarathi Jhalak has offered insights on the needs of villagers. For instance the need for old age homes in villages, as most youngsters are in cities on work. Issues like this can be addressed and their needs can be taken care of by organisations. We have a long way to go to extendour reach. We are now able to reach only nearby villages and we are hoping our radio reaches more listeners. Finally, along with regular entertainment programs, if we are able to address the needs of the rural folk, that would be Sarathi’s biggest achievement.”

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/on-the-airwaves-for-change/article4668439.ece

The article was published in the Hindu Metro Plus on April 30th 2013.