Physiological metamorphasis

All of us experience internal and external bodily changes as we get older. We all know that it applies to facial changes as well. But amazingly, there are exceptions in facial changes dimension in people such as Saroja Devi (veteran movie actress from Karnataka), Mammootty (popular Malayalam actor), Shabana Azmi (popular Hindi actress) and my dear friend Vijaya Lakshmi (with no visible change in ageing except a few wrinkles on her beautiful face, since I first met her four years ago. She is nearly of my age).

I was looking at a few of my own photographs (shown below), as an occassional pastime. 

When I was 30 years old

When I was 40.

When I was 40.

When I was 50.

When I was 60

A few years back, when I was almost 70.

Health insurance oddities

In this post, let me share a problem faced by every one, especially senior citizens who are more than 65 years old.

Like many people of my age (71), I have a health insurance policy known as Senior Citizen Red Carpet Plan as advised by a health insurance guy.

I have been paying my premium promptly and I have never made any claims. I liked to know whether the Insurance Company will refund what I have paid, if I decide to cancel my insurance. 

I am taken aback to find that the money paid will not be refunded in such case, unless cancellation is sought in the first six months from the day the policy was purchased. 

I Google searched for authentic information from our Indian Government Agencies and Health Insurance Companies extensively on this aspect, but didn't find anything worth. 

There have however been some improvements in health insurance schemes for people below 65 years. These people have the option of buying any TROP policy.

I don't understand why our Indian Government has not taken any steps to include senior citizens older than 65 years in this category.

I think that this age based disparity is very much the same as age discrimination. I think that our Government should intervene and regulate the way in which our Health Insurance Companies function. 

Family Get Together in Meditation

Gujarat based Swamy Naaraayan Mandir's 'Ghar Sabhaa' and the divine discourses of Swami Nityaswarupdaasjee are my favourites. (Although I don't know Gujarathi language, I can understand conversational Gujarathi to some extent, thanks to Marathi, my mother tongue, and Hindi that I learnt when I was in lower secondary school. I fondly remember my mother teaching English language (using a very popular English Grammar Textbook written by Wren and Martin) and Hindi using books published by Chennai based Dakshina Bhaarath Hindi Prachaar Sabhaa). As Madhu, my first cousin put it once, those were "golden days". (In this context, I remember Mary Hopkin's song 'Those were the days").

Trinity Fest

Today is an auspicious day in the Hindu Calender. This day is celebrated as Datha Jayanthi.

In this context, Shri Ganapathy Sachithananda Swamiji's Avadootha Datha Peetam is a spiriritual centre where special worship is offered to Dathaathreya.

Shree Mahaa Vishnu and Geethaa Fest

Being Ekaadashi, today is a very auspicious day to Shree Mahaa Vishnu devotees. Today is also a very auspicious day, because it is on this day, that Lord Shree Krishnaa, an Incarnation of Shree Mahaa Vishnu, resolved the dilemma of Arjunaa, just before beginning the Mahaa Bhaarathaa war, that eventually led to the victory of good over evil. The Devine words spoken by Lord Shree Krishnaa  himself to Arjunaa is revered as 'Bhagavath Geethaa', literally meaning 'The Divine Song'. This day is devotedly celebrated as Geethaa Jayanthi.

Bhagavath Geetha begins with "Dharmakshetre Kurukshetre...". The term 'Dharmakshetre' meaning 'the place where Dharmaa got established'. 

According to a divine speaker, whom I listened to a few days back, the term 'Dharmakshetre' means that the place became a Dharmakshetraa as Lord Shree Krishnaa himself had perormed Yagnaa at this place for many years well before the war took place.

Ethiopia

This afternoon's episode of 'Gordon Ramsay's Unchartered' on FOXLife TV Channel featured his visit to Tangier in Morocco. Morocco shares many common North West African aspects of culture and traditions. There is striking resemblance in how these people use donkeys as domestic pets, the inportance that they give to sauna like mineral water bath, etc. 

I remember these two as they used be practised in Ethiopia when I was working there in 1982 and 1983. I heard that there are many mineral rich rivers in Ethiopia.

I remember how I and many of my Indian friends used to go to mineral water bath outlets in Addis Ababa on weekends to experience it.

Bheema Jayanthi

Today is an important day to Hindus. This day is celeberated as Bheema Jayanthi.

Dosaa and Injeraa: Unity in diversity

Yesterday afternoon, I had bumped into my favourite 'David Rocco's Dolce Africa' on TV; it was an episode covering his visit to Lalibela in Ethiopia. He explained about 'Injera', the most popular food item in the country.

This delicious food item is very similar to ''Dosaa', one of the most popular food items in India.

As far as I know, the only difference between the two is in the raw materials used; 'Teff', a local grain is used to make injera whereas rice flour and urad flour or wheat flour are used in dosa.

I fondly remember the Ethiopian delicacy which had kept me and several fellow country folks energetic, during my stay in Ethiopia nearly forty years ago.

Time has passed by, but not the flavours of dosa and injera.

Among the few countries in which I worked, I think that the best for coffee and noodles are Ethiopia and Cambodia respectively. As I have mentioned earlier, we can select from at least six versions of coffee and different versions of vegetarian noodles, ready to cook or ready made.