The Nicest Things About: India

The Nicest Things About: India

- Food.A staggering variety of tasty, nutritious range of food for all seasons from all the parts of the country. Something to suit all tastes, preferences - vegetarian or non-vegetarian. Delectable dishes that are visually tantalising, mouth-watering, a gorgeous riot of smells and tastes that tickle not just your tastebuds and make them dance, but your whole body is brought alive and feels thankful to be alive, just to experience the joy of eating as one of joys of living. Not all Indian food is hot, spicy, deep-fried and burns its way down your digestive system as some might believe after eating at an Indian restaurant that features all the 'highlights' dishes of various parts of India. You can have the most subtle or strong tastes of good, wholesome and delicious food in Indian homes or feasts during marriages or special occasions. There is food for different seasons, food for different reasons, food for different illness, for different wellness!

I will not list them, too many to do so. You can spend an entire year, three meals and a snack everyday in India, without repeating any dish.... This is a culture that has developed food such that  it can be a spiritual experience to eat.

- MusicOne of the most ancient cultures to scientifically and thoroughly develop music- from the basic theory to the most advanced forms of it, requiring the highest skills. Music that can move you, your soul and apparently even move inanimate objects. The rich variety of music, the lyrics, and the chants, many inspired by the highest and most noblest of human spirit, can transport you to another dimension - one that can only be experienced, not seen or described. There is music for all moods, all emotions and feelings. Indians do not choose music to suit their moods, they will listen to any music and get into its mood and thoroughly enjoy it. One can listen to soul stirring music from the simplest voice, the simplest instruments to the most sophisticated instruments designed by man. The effect of a beautiful thought, a brilliant phrase, an apt voice in bringing out such a profound sound that will convey a story of a thousand words in just a second, through the slightest inflexion. It is just magic. Even the so-called 'corrupted' westernised pop/rock imitations in India cannot hide or take away the strong influence of classical Indian music. There is music for every feeling, every season, every reason, every occasion, from every corner of the country. It is a lot like the food, it will treat your whole being from the body to the innermost depths of the soul. This is a culture that has developed music as a spiritual experience.

- SpiritualityYou might have noticed that I have used the word 'spirit' a lot until now, even when writing about food or music in India. You cannot write anything about India or about anything from India without referring to a 'spirit'. Growing up as a young, rebellious, atheist young teenager, I used to wonder what was the big deal that grown-ups around me used to talk about India being a spiritual home to the world and that so many seekers from the world over used to come to India to find their own spirit! I used to think it is all bunkum. It slowly dawned on me as I grew up and was living outside India. Yes, India is a special place, mostly because of this - this is one culture where ANYone, from ANYwhere is accepted whole heartedly and can feel at home when following ANY path to spiritual wisdom or experience. Anyone's method or religion gets equal respect and an equal footing in the mind of an Indian who understands his own culture. It is the grand unification theory in practice - there is divinity and it is accepted in all people, in all creatures and in all creation.

This has soaked so much into the culture that one cannot rub it out, despite seeing many hypocrites, many crooks and corruption. In India, in the remotest corner, any brand of religion welcomed on an equal footing by common folk who might not speak your language or know where you come from, but will immediately and sincerely join you in your prayer, next to you. Even if they imperfectly mimic your words, they perfectly mimic your spirit. Every religion is assimilated into the mainstream in India. It has been like this for thousands of years. With already a million deities that they pray to, an additional one is not an issue. India has an idea that divinity or god is really 'godliness' - a living principle or law of nature. It is like gravity, found everywhere in diverse beings and creations. So, anywhere one spots 'divinity' is equally holy or sacred to any other place. So, they acknowledge it by praying or a salute. Anyone exhibiting 'divinity' is divine and worthy of worship. Any situation that brings out the best in human spirit and the noblest thoughts and feelings is divine. One can see this if one is tuned to seeking something most fulfilling in human life. That is why seekers from anywhere in the world can find it in India. The best meaning of the word 'divine' as I can glean from India is this "good and just".

I am often reminded of this by a quote from Hu Shih, former Ambassador of China to USA: "India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border." This is the only way India can rule any place, not by occupation, but by inspiration.



Copyright  (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2013
All rights reserved 

It Takes Many Kinds To Make It Beautiful

It Takes Many Kinds,

To Make it Beautiful

　

It takes many kinds of trees to make a forest beautiful

It takes many kinds of flowers to make a garden beautiful

　

It takes many tastes to make a feast beautiful

It takes many smells to make a bouquet beautiful

　

It takes the sounds of many birds to make nature beautiful

It takes many instruments to make a symphony beautiful

　

It takes many streams to make a river beautiful

It takes many thoughts to make knowledge beautiful

　

It takes many languages and cultures to make our civilization beautiful!


Copyright  (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2013

All rights reserved 

The Nicest Things About: The USA

The Nicest Things About - The USA

Friends, Here I begin a series of postings about the ‘nice’ things I like about countries that I often write about. You have probably seen the negatives that I mention. Some even assume that I am rabidly anti-some country. In this series, in each posting, I will choose one country and write the good I have known or experienced first-hand. These are just my personal experiences, thoughts and opinions. I realise others may not have the same experiences, and they are true as well.

- Best attitude to work and learning, great study culture at universities
As they say, when an average American sees someone more successful than themselves, they do not try to pull them down, but learn how they themselves could become better and succeed. The students do their work and study more honestly and compete fairly and accept the judgement of the teacher more respectfully in universities than I have experienced anywhere else. They defer to the best teacher or student easily. Americans can learn with humility from anyone, even from who they consider their enemy.

- Excellent customer service at stores, supermarkets
This is the best I have experienced anywhere. They really know how to sell something and make buying a good experience. Store clerks and assistants are usually well informed, trained and helpful. They will not be rude. Those caught being rude will usually be fired. Being a boss really means something in the US.

- No job security for almost anyone
This contributes to a better attitude in everyone, one of being of service and productive

- Very competitive prices for goods
Most items are cheapest in the US. Some luxury or high quality items cost less in the US than even in the countries they are produced

- Given correct change
When you buy something, you will get back correct change down to the last cent, with a smile

- Highly evolved courteous language for professions and tricky situations
It might have originally evolved from the Wild-West days of the USA when everyone carried a gun (the great leveller) and it was prudent to talk softly and politely so as not to provoke someone or until you were forced to defend yourself.

- Very good roads, signage, signals and layout of roads
The best engineered roads and clear consistent sign boards that I have driven on, among the countries that I have lived in. I hear there are other European countries or places that are as good or better. But, I realised how goodthe US was after I left it and had to drive in other places. One can tell that a lot of the country developed around the automobile. They use the best technology to put signs and signals visible in the lane you are on and not distract you with un-necessary signals from all lanes. They use lenses to focus the signal you need to see from your lane. The placement of signs and signals too, is engineered really beautifully.

- Very skilled drivers on the average
With probably the first country to have cars for the masses and a century or more of driving experience this is not surprising. This is a Car-nation!

- Generally people organise themselves very well
Socially or in any endeavour, Americans tend to organise themselves very well, productively and give people the right authority to do the job. The most qualified in any area gets the preference. Less ego and pride of position or authority displayed. Their preparedness for disasters and emergency help is amazing. They work and address so many regulations, concerns in doing just about any activity.


- Receptionist phone attendance
This is something that is crucial and a pleasure to conduct business or inquiries over the phone in the US, even if you are overseas. The person attending the phone will listen well, ask the right questions, answer your questions, take your concerns down and follow up and get back to you most efficiently and professionally. They will make effort to spell my awfully long and strange last name correctly. This contrasts with nightmarish experiences in trying to conduct such businesses in India. Many office administrators in the US are given as much stock options as the engineers and worth every penny!

- Great civic orderliness - forming lines and queues
People automatically form lines, will ask and give courteous preference to the very old, very young, or ill. No one tries to push in ahead. In any situation, if someone misses out after standing in line and the goods run out, there is a graceful acceptance of fate. Cutting in ahead of the line is not tolerated.

- Great due given to merit at jobs, selection and promotions in most private companies at a lot of levels
More people understand that those that if skilled immigrants do well personally, the whole country benefits, so less jealousy displayed socially

- Encourage people to push the limits of their achievements
Here is a country where being good one day is not enough, everyone seems to push themselves and others to get 'better' all the time. This is good on one level, and not so good on another!

- Great acceptance of new ideas and to give them a chance to become reality
This is a country where new ideas are valued the most. Sometimes it seems even foolish, but they accept and drive change almost as a religion.


- Generous and kind people who will usually help a stranger
Some of the most generous people I have seen when it comes to helping someone or giving gifts. They don’t do things by half-measures


- Take great pride in their community and country
Most people, when they commit to living in a place, want to make it better and the best possible in the world. They take quiet pride in the effort they put in, but do not show off. They have one of the best attitudes I have seen in the world - not to ditch and run away to a 'better, cleaner city' but to fix the place around them and make it as good as anywhere. This builds a culture of pride in the place they live and in their country.

- Take good care of pets
People go to extraordinary lengths to take care of pets or save their lives. They value many pets more than other humans who may be strangers!

- Believe they can be (or are) the best in world in any area of endeavour if they put their mind to it
Americans believe they are or can be the best in any field or knowledge or skills. They will accept the best in the world in large numbers and welcome them to become Americans! They know how to nurture and retain the best minds and skills from most parts of the world, compared to any other country I have lived in or visited. The obsessive desire to be the best makes them too competitive. They hate being second best (which is not practical or may not be good for their psyche in the long run).

- Do not tolerate overt personal injustice quietly
People might be quiet in manner, but will always respond, push back or raise a racket if you mistreat them.

- Great followers of the laws within the country
People make a lot of effort to follow the numerous laws and see the benefit for the whole society in the long term.


Copyright  (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2013

All rights reserved