KRAZZY 4 - A Review...

KRAZZY 4 is about four men who are obsessed with some thing or the other. The crazy four may not have their heads on their shoulders, but their hearts are intact. And they decide to take on the 'bad boys' in their own crazy way to free their kidnapped doctor (Juhi Chawla).

And in doing so, they discover that the outside world is not much different from their hospital. At best, the movie has only a few flashes of good comedy coupled with a gentle dose of patriotism.They have tried their best to convey a social message but have failed miserably.

Rajpal Yadav is very funny. Arshad Warsi is handsome. Irrfan Khan has acted well and Suresh Menon was OK! It's a short movie (two hours and ten minutes) and I strongly feel there are much more better ways to spend those two hours of your's.

Know your Mobile Manners!

Right now, cell phones are the cigarettes of this decade. It's an addiction. And just like cigarettes are banned from some places, so are cells banned in organisations. I think every organisation should go on a similar and firmer line.

Prior to the cell phone, the way we dressed communicated who we were in the workplace. Now, what ring tone someone has, how often the cell phone rings, how we respond to it when it rings… These are defining personality types in the office, which makes them harder to regulate than matters that aren't part of our bodies and psyches, says a cell phone etiquette researcher.

The cell phone etiquette problem is a serious issue in the workplace. It’s not only our phones ringing and others having to listen to one-sided conversations, they are also bad mobile manners. Checking for text messages when talking to someone has the same effect as checking your watch or yawning – it implies that you’re bored and don’t have your full attention on the opposite person (whether a co-worker or the boss).

To make sure your mobile habits do not annoy your co-workers, try to implement the following: make sure your cell phone is off or on silent mode during meetings; do not answer calls or send texts or e-mails unless it is strictly necessary; do not choose an annoying ring tone; do not leave your cell phone on the table in vibrate mode; ask your employer or HR department to provide a policy on the appropriate use of mobile devices in your workplace.

It is vital that we make sure mobile devices enhance our working lives without impinging on them

Water -- Simple but important!!

Water is an important structural component of skin cartilage, tissues and organs. For human beings, every part of the body is dependent on water. Our body comprises about 75% water: the brain has 85%, blood is 90%, muscles are 75%, kidney is 82% and bones are 22% water. The functions of our glands and organs will eventually deteriorate if they are not nourished with good, clean water.

The average adult loses about 2.5 litres water daily through perspiration, breathing and elimination. Symptoms of the body’s deterioration begin to appear when the body loses 5% of its total water volume. In a healthy adult, this is seen as fatigue and general discomfort, whereas for an infant, it can be dehydrating. In an elderly person, a 5% water loss causes the body chemistry to become abnormal, especially if the percentage of electrolytes is overbalanced with sodium. One can usually see symptoms of aging, such as wrinkles, lethargy and even disorientation. Continuous water loss over time will speed up aging as well as increase risks of diseases.

If your body is not sufficiently hydrated, the cells will draw water from your bloodstream, which will make your heart work harder. At the same time, the kidneys cannot purify blood effectively. When this happens, some of the kidney's workload is passed on to the liver and other organs, which may cause them to be severely stressed. Additionally, you may develop a number of minor health conditions such as constipation, dry and itchy skin, acne, nosebleeds, urinary tract infection, coughs, sneezing, sinus pressure, and headaches.

So, how much water is enough for you? The minimum amount of water you need depends on your body weight. A more accurate calculation is to drink an ounce of water for every two pounds of body weight.

Vipassana - Everyone should experience it at least once!

The circular from our Chairman, Mr Subhash Chandra sanctioning twelve days of special leave for Esselites desirous of undergoing the Vipassana course could not have come at a more appropriate time for me. I was at the crossroad of life, or so I thought. I imagined many insecurities and was given to temperamental bouts. In short, I was not in peace with myself.

The Chairman’s circular came as boon from the blue. I grabbed the opportunity and enrolled for the course at the Vipassana Meditation and Research Centre in Alur near Bangalore. The Vipassana guidelines did give me the jitters as it clearly said: no talking, no phone calls, no visitors, not even eye contact with anybody. And to top it, the wake up time was at an unearthly 4 am. How am I going to survive this twelve-day ordeal, I wondered.

As the course rolled from one day to another, my apprehensions began to disappear. Waking up at 4 am was no longer a torment. The ‘noble silence’ that we observed was refreshing and prevented distraction. The meditation was rejuvenating. Every evening we looked forward to the recorded discourses of Vipassana Guru Sri Sathyanarayana Goenkaji, which were both thought provoking and enlightening.

The course was a journey of self discovery. We realised that the solutions to all over problems are within ourselves, and not in the outside world. The Vipassana technique focuses on the ‘Know Thyself’ theory. This was something I had not learnt as a student of psychology for three years. I am sure that no psychologist or psychiatrist has done justice to this theory as much as Vipassana has.

One of the major lessons that Vipassana teaches us is to react to every situation with a smile as nothing is permanent. This is called the Universal Law of Impermanence. It teaches how to forget and forgive as human beings are born to commit mistakes.

After the course, I can feel a major change in myself internally which I am certain will reflect externally too. Earlier, I could actually feel the blood boil in me when I was angry, but now, I have learnt to remain calm and take things in my stride. As Vipassana teaches you, “The person on the opposite side is ignorant… ignorant of the reality, ignorant of the truth, and highly ignorant of himself.” The course has exposed me to a completely new perspective of life… to look into myself first.

Having just completed the course, it might be too early to say if I have turned a new person, but I can safely vouch for the fact that I am no longer the old Surabhi.

Vipassana is about the art of living and has nothing to do with any religion or community. The technique does not even try to influence one against his religious beliefs and thoughts. It only speaks about understanding the present truth at a deeper level of mind. I strongly feel that everybody should undergo this course at least once in their lifetime. It can do wonders to you and to the world around you.