Reia wins Gold!

Yesterday I received a WhatsApp message from Reia.

I didn't realize till a few hours later that Reia's Senior Project had won a mention at the IDA Design Awards. And it wasn't till earlier today that I realized that she had won a Gold. It was a big deal and I was super excited.

I read her entry description. And then re-read it. And then re-re-read it. It was extremely well written. And seemed to come from the heart.

“If life gives you Melons, you might be Dyslexic”. Growing up I never understood why reading, something that seemed so simple was so challenging for me. 06897 is a collection about my journey with Dyslexia. I dive deep into the past, using report cards, old tests and books I read growing up as prints. Orange, a combination of red (A color I saw repeatedly on report cards) and yellow (A color that represents joy) is the key color of this collection, tying it all together.
https://idesignawards.com/winners/zoom.php?eid=9-24833-19

Reia has managed to take her limitations head-on and embrace it. And that's a great attitude to have. All of us couldn't be more proud of Reia. Fo her Gold. For her writing. And above all for her Amazing Attitude.

CONGRATS REIA !

Are your thoughts, "Your Thoughts" ?

These days there's a lot of discussion about how tech companies are helping political parties and politicians in manipulating what people see, think and feel. And thereby Vote.

And so I was shocked when I came across this talk.

"How a handful of tech companies control billions of minds every day".
Tristan Harris

A handful of people working at a handful of tech companies steer the thoughts of billions of people every day, says design thinker Tristan Harris. From Facebook notifications to Snapstreaks to YouTube autoplays, they're all competing for one thing: your attention. Harris shares how these companies prey on our psychology for their own profit and calls for a design renaissance in which our tech instead encourages us to live out the timeline we want.

And what' scarier is that this talk was given in April 2017. Almost 3 years ago. Since there's been absolutely no positive progress on controlling this issue, its probably way worse today.

A good first step for each of us would be to understand what's happening and figure out ways in which we can reduce its impact. For ourselves and those, we care about. And hopefully, slowly, but surely the world will become a freer place. Where "Our Thoughts" are not "Our Thoughts - Manipulated by Tech".

Incredible India !

Earlier today Ivy and I drove down to the historic town of Bijapur. Now renamed Vijaypura. It was a three and a half-hour drive that was super scenic and breathtaking. The highlight was the windmills over a 10 km distance. They were huge yet beautiful when we saw them close-up. This is the closest I've ever been to a windmill and have now added "Visiting a windmill farm" to my list of must-see.

We arrived at Bijapur and our first stop was the most famous monument in Bijapur, the "Gol Gumbaz". It had a parking lot and we parked and headed the monument. There was a Rs. 25 entry fee for us, but a Rs. 300 entry fee for foreigners aka non-Indians. I find this to be a bad idea and something we as a nation should rethink. We talk of "Atithi Deva Bhavo" which means "Guest is God", spend tens of millions of dollars on promoting "Incredible India" and then have a differential pricing for our guests. To encourage Indian visitors who may not be able to afford the higher fees, that I assume the foreigners are currently subsidizing, we could have a "Free Entry" day or a student discount or a senior citizen discount or a zillion other things or maybe all of the above. But, I digress.

The Gol Gumbaz is a fascinating work of art. And rather than me trying to describe its beauty, let me give you its history from people far more knowledgeable on the subject than me.

Gol Gumbaz
Gol Gumbaz at Bijapur is the mausoleum of king Muhammad Adil Shah, Adil Shah Dynasty. Construction of the tomb, located in Vijayapura (formerly Bijapur), Karnataka, India, was started in 1626 and completed in 1656. The name is based on Gola gummata derived from Gol Gombadh meaning "circular dome".[1] It follows the style of Indo-Islamic architecture.[2] Even a slight whisper by someone standing in this gallery can be heard everywhere in the gallery, and if somebody claps, the echo can be heard several times.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gol_Gumbaz

Bijapur surprisingly has not just the Gol Gumbaz, but 7 other historic sites. We visited all of them. While all of them were beautiful and awe-inspiring the only 2 that were extremely well maintained were the 2 under the aegis of the ASI aka Archeological Society of India where there was an entrance fee of Rs. 25, you were required to take your shoes off and store them for a fee of Rs. 5. The first was the Gol Gumbaz and the second was the  Ibrahim Roza.

Ibrahim Rauza
The Ibrahim Rauza tomb was built by Adil Shah II and it took around 47 years to construct it. The building which was started in 1580 and completed in 1627 constitutes of the tomb at the eastern end and a mosque at the western end both of which rise opposite each other. The two structures have a fountain and a very decorative tank between them. There is a prayer chamber in the mosque that has five arches. These buildings are enclosed within a square and have a captivating garden in front. The buildings stand on a podium which has a length of 360 feet and a width of 160 feet.

https://www.gosahin.com/places-to-visit/ibrahim-rauza/

The other places of historic interest that we visited were:

Jamiya Masjid

Bara Kaman

Jod Gumbaj

Taj Bawadi

Upli Buruj

You can see a well-made video tour of the city
Bijapur (10 Places to visit)
Shajahan Photography

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bijapur

India is indeed Incredible. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. I need to go see the rest of
"Incredible India". And so should you.

A New Year! A New Decade! A New Me ?

This morning when I was thinking about today's blog, I decided to write about the wonderful family time we had. Freia had come down for 2 weeks. Ivy was here to receive Freia and then see her off.

And Reia had surprised Ivy and her favorite girl cousin in India, Simbu by dropping in on Christmas Day, even though she could spend only 3 days in Mumbai. It was expensive and tiring and as Freia put it cost $400 / day, but the joy in Ivy's face when she saw Reia made the trip Priceless.

This afternoon we got the news that a close family friend of Mabel, who I also knew, had passed away from a massive heart attack. He was well and all seemed good. Until this afternoon. And then suddenly he was no more. These unexpected moments of life, make you ponder about Life itself.

A few days ago we started a New Year. And a new decade. I realized TODAY that it also has to be the start of a New Me. Living life like there's no tomorrow. Making the best of what we have. Enjoying every moment. With Family & Friends.

These "5 Tips For a Joyful & Successful 2020" compiled from Sadhguru seems to be a great list.

Every morning - Choose to be joyful.
1. Sit on your deathbed. Do things that really matter.
2. Identify 3 Things that make a wonderful human being. Be Kind / Listen / Be Helpful
3. Utter half the words you usually do.
4. Look back on your day.
5. Break at least 1 limitation each month.

My list is inspired by that list. And basically revolves around planning and completing the things I've always wanted to do. As soon as practical.

I made a list. A long list. And even wrote it below. Until it dawned on me. A misquote of a Clint Eastwood movie line, I've used often. "When you have to do something, DO IT. Don't talk about it". And that's exactly what I'll be doing. Doing. Not talking. Or writing.

Here's wishing each and every one of you an Amazing & Awesome 2020. And an eventful and happy 20's decade. Cheers!