The Delights of Diversity

A couple of days back i had gone to a grocery store for my weekly supplies. Much to my surprise i found કારેલા. When i went at the checkout the lady at the counter did not know what this veggie was. She asked me and i said karela. She did not understand and i had to spell it out for her K-a-r-e-l-a. She punched the keys in her keyboard and checked her price-list and said is it કેરીયેલા ? It brought a smile to my lips to hear such a musical tone to the sound of my very ordinary karela. I would never have spoken it that way. Had it not been for her I would have never thought of speaking it in a different note.

It also reminded me of a time when i was reading a book to the daughter of one of my friends. The story had a girl named abulea. While reading i said અબુલિયા. Immediately this american daughter of mine said "masi, it is not અબુલિયા. Her name is આબૂયેલા :)." This kinderschool girl had to correct her masi!

Sometimes it is so striking to see your everyday things from the viewpoint of others. People from different places, different cultures see things differently. There might be so many things you would learn to appreciate once again if you see it through the eyes of others! Different viewpoints are so refreshing.

Together We Stand

I have always believed that knowledge opens up possibilities and efforts make them opportunities. At the back of my mind I have had this feeling of the need that someone from the Dhodia community should take a lead and do work to guide our students and encourage them and train them to attain the maximum potential in any field that touches the chord of their hearts. There are Dhodia mandals that already exist and they conduct various activities and I still feel theres a lot more to be done for wider regional coverage as well as a complete overhaul of quality knowledge that is provided. Surely there is more to life then marriages, bhajans and hospitals? I am sure there must be many other people in the community who will echo my sentiments. However a very flat admission is that you should not go criticizing if you are yourself not doing anything. I laud the efforts of all those who are actively working actively at the mandals. With all their imperfections they are at least doing things to the best of their own capacities. We should all take our cue from them. We all do work within our abilities and when each one tries to complement and correct each other the final output that we get is a beautiful co-ordinated work.