Leaders, Supporters and Followers

Leaders have Supporters and Followers. They cannot be Leaders if they don’t have Supporters or Followers. It’s not easy being a Leader. Those who work for a Leader can one day turn against him. Supporters are smarter than Followers. They support a Leader based on issues and will withdraw support if they disagree on an issue. Followers tend to accept the Leaders view on every issue. They find it difficult to oppose their Leader even when their Leader makes a mistake. Too many followers can create a dangerous situation. It would be better if there were more supporters and fewer followers.

FOOTWEAR & WEIGHT

I once went to a footwear shop with a friend who wanted to buy a pair. We were looking at the footwear on display when the shopkeeper came along and started talking to us. The shopkeeper looked at my friend who was short and thin and said that the footwear would last a long time on him since he was of lower weight. He said the footwear will have less wear and tear on a light weight person than on a heavy person. The same footwear would not last as long on a heavy person since it will have to carry a heavier weight. 

This could be the reason heavy people have more knee problems. The knees have to support more weight daily if a person is heavier.

ATTRACTING ATTENTION

For a brief period, when I was about fourteen, I liked bright colours and attractive designs. It was the seventies. Those were the ‘hippie’ days. People used to say ‘groovy’ when they saw someone dressed colourfully. Many people wore colourful clothes. My bicycle. School bag, File, T square etc all had attractive colours or decorations. I had stuck shiny colourful tape on my bicycle at several places. I had attractive stickers on my File and T square. Most of the stickers had a flower design because those were the days of ‘Flower Power’. I bought a bright red school bag which I found attractive.

Soon afterwards, when I realised that the things I possessed were attracting attention towards me, I did not like it. I started changing. I reduced the stickers on my File and T square. I removed some of the decorations on my bicycle. I tore my bags handle and told my mother I needed a new bag. With the money she gave me I bought a new less colourful bag. I felt better, now that people were not looking at me for the things that I had.

ORCHID

Orchid

 

COVID 19 - THE SECOND WAVE

When COVID 19 first began spreading last year the government imposed a lockdown. People were forced to stay indoors unless they had some urgent work to do. So the contact between people was much less and this helped to reduce the spread of the virus. But the lockdown hurt the people too. Many workers from other states could not return to their homes because there was no transport facility. They were unemployed and far from home. They were running out of money and many decided to walk long distances to their homes. Some rode bicycles. Most shops were closed. Only some shops selling essential items and medicines were allowed to remain open. People had less money to buy stuff. The economy was badly hit.

Till recently the situation was improving and cases were coming down. When vaccines became available, people expected life to get back to normal soon.

Now a second wave has started. COVID 19 is back with a vengeance. The cases are rising rapidly. It could be due to the crowding of people at the campaign rallies during the recent state elections and the large gatherings at religious festivals. Only a small percentage of the population has been vaccinated. Even some of those who have been vaccinated have tested positive and had to be hospitalised. This is not surprising since none of the vaccines are 100% effective. Moreover newer variants of the virus have made an appearance. Some cities do not have sufficient facilities at the hospitals to cope with the situation. There is a shortage of hospital beds, oxygen cylinders etc.

It is difficult for the government to go for another countrywide lockdown since the economy is already in bad shape. Some cities have imposed a lockdown. We have a weekend lockdown in our state. So we don’t go out on Saturdays and Sundays. If the situation does not improve we may see another nationwide lockdown.

Recently a doctor on TV suggested that we need not wait for the government to impose a lockdown. He said we could have a self-imposed lockdown. We could stock up on essential stuff and remain at home till the situation improves. Go out only if absolutely necessary. It made sense but for those who need to work to make ends meet, it will be difficult.

 

N.B.  According to a mail I received from Google the ‘follow by email’ function will not work after July 2021.

 

EVERYBODY IS NICE

I had a one month training at a factory in Indore in North India for my first job. While there, I met a young man who came to the factory for a few days. He was tall and handsome. He spoke fluently. He was being considered for a sales position and was getting to know the products. He was also meeting the Boss to negotiate the terms of employment. So one day I asked him ‘How is the Boss? Is he a nice guy?’ He said ‘Everybody is nice, so long as you don’t come in the way of their interests.’

A few days later he told me he was leaving and that he would not be joining them. He looked happy. I think he had asked for a salary they were not willing to offer. It was against their interests to pay him that much. So he had come in the way of their interests.

COVID 19 & CRIME

When Covid 19 lead to the lockdown and restrictions early last year, I thought there could be an increase in the crime rate. Many people were beginning to lose their jobs. Even some of those working abroad were returning after having lost their jobs. It would be difficult for them to survive. There are more crime stories in the newspapers now but since the government does not release any information regarding the crime rate we do not know if it has really increased.  

Since masks are mandatory, everybody wears one and the police have had trouble identifying the criminals. Recently a masked man wearing a cap walked into a jewellery shop and started looking at some of the expensive jewellery. Suddenly he ran out of the shop with some of the jewellery. His friend was waiting outside on a motorcycle and they left together. Though the shop had a video of the incident the police could not identify the man since he was wearing a cap and a mask.

QUILON BEACH HOTEL

SAME SHIRT

I once had a boss who would wear the same shirt every day. He would wear a light blue shirt with thin white stripes. I thought he must have a few of them. One day I went with a friend to a place to collect his clothes. He had given them for ironing. People who did not want to iron their own clothes could get it done at such places. They charge a small amount for each piece. While waiting for my friend to collect his clothes, I noticed some shirts that were already ironed. They looked like the ones my boss wears. I asked the person running the facility about those shirts. He told me that it belonged to my boss. I counted the shirts. There were 14 shirts. All looked alike. I then realised my boss must have more than 14 of those shirts since he was still wearing them when these 14 were being ironed.

KOLLAM BEACH

EXERCISE

I don’t exercise regularly. I usually do it for a few months and then give up. Several months later I may start again. There are exercises that help to build Stamina, Strength and Flexibility. To build Stamina we can run or swim. To build Strength we can do push-ups, pull-ups or weight training. To increase flexibility we can do some stretching, bending or yoga. I try to do these three types of exercises. I usually run on the spot to avoid running outside. I do push-ups but not weight training since I want to avoid the use of equipment. I also do some stretching, bending or yoga. I feel better when I exercise. I wish I could continue doing it without interruption but it is difficult to stay motivated.

MINISTER'S RAGE

A boy was standing in front of a Minister’s car. He did not notice the car since he was looking the other way. It was a narrow road in a rural area in North India. The driver sounded the horn several times but the boy did not get out of the way. The Minister got down from the car and scolded the boy. The boy did not respond and the Minister assaulted the boy. Later when the press started investigating they found that the boy was deaf.

(True Story)

MERMAID

Mermaid, Beach, Kollam

 

SCHOOL'S MISSION

I once saw a website of a School. The School was located at a beautiful place near the hills. It was run by a religious organisation.

I checked out the vacancies. They wanted teachers who are dedicated to their profession and committed to their religion. The teachers should be willing to lead a simple life since the School provides only a low salary with basic accommodation.

I then checked the student fee. I was surprised to see that it was really exorbitant. They charge such a high fee from the students but they are not willing to pay their teachers a reasonable wage. It looked like they were only interested in making a good profit.

GANDHI STATUE

Gandhi Statue, Beach, Kollam

TV NEWS

Long ago there were no news channels on TV. In India, the TV channels were run by the government in those days. There was a time allotted for the news each day. We got the news that the government decided that we should get. We got the government version of the news. Nothing was said against the government.

Later with the arrival of private satellite telecast and cable TV, the government lost control over the news. Now there are so many news channels on TV. Each channel gives their version of the news. If we watch several news channels we will see them offering a different view of the same news. Some support the government and some oppose the government. Some channels give priority to news that others may not.

Today we also get their opinion along with the news. Most of them are biased and twist the news to suit their narrative. Only a few news channels try to be impartial.

ERAM BOUTIQUE

Eram Boutique, Kollam

ONE DOG NIGHT

I was about eighteen when I had to go to Delhi on the way to Kurukshetra. It was my first train journey to the north of the country. I left Kollam in the afternoon and arrived at Madras the next morning. I booked my ticket to Delhi and boarded the next train. I was travelling in a first class cabin. There was only one other passenger in the cabin. She was a middle aged white woman. She had a small dog with her. I asked her where she was from and she told me she was from Australia. I thought she was a tourist but she said she worked in India. Later on, I would come to know that she was a doctor working in a missionary hospital in Nagpur.

The train started moving. At one stop, she asked me to keep an eye on the dog and left the cabin. The dog ran out of the cabin and was near the door by the time I got hold of it. I brought it back to the cabin and put it on the leash which was attached to her bag. When she returned she released the dog from the leash. I think she preferred it to be free.

After dinner that night we went to sleep. In the middle of the night I woke up to find the dog sleeping next to me. It was her dog. It should be sleeping next to her. I looked at her and realized that there was no place for the dog to sleep next to her. She was a large person. I was thin and there was a lot of space next to me. There was nothing I could do. I went back to sleep.

JUMA MASJID

Juma Masjid, Kadapakkada, Kollam

WHO and COVID 19

I have been watching the news regularly on TV. It is surprising that the WHO can make misleading statements one after the other. They are funded by the Nations all over the world and are expected to provide guidance and solutions on health issues.

First they said there is no evidence that the virus is transmitted from human to human. It started in China and was spreading. The fact that it was spreading indicates that there was human to human transmission. Like most people at that time, I did not think much about it because it was happening far away in China. There is no free press in China and we cannot expect to get reliable information from there.

The second misleading statement from WHO was that there should be no travel restrictions. If every country had imposed travel restrictions early on, the situation would be much better today.

The WHO also said that the common people should not be wearing masks. They said masks are for health workers.

Now, the WHO insists that testing for the virus is the most important step in controlling its spread. They want mass testing. For a country like India with a population of more than 1.3 billion people it is impossible. We do not have the resources to do that. At present only those with symptoms are tested. Those that test positive have to be tested again and again. When they are cured, they are discharged only after two negative test results. So a person who tests positive will require about four more tests.

The WHO also seems to think that those who test negative are in the clear. There is no guarantee that a person who tests negative today will not turn positive tomorrow.