Love thy neighbour

I remember a beautiful story (I forget the source now) about a farmer who followed this commandment very earnestly.

Jones was a flourishing farmer with humble beginnings. Being the first farmer in that area to use hybrid seeds, he got considerable media attention. A young journalist who was looking for something more than just what the 'hybrid' seeds could offer hit upon an unusual angle to this story. Apart from using the seeds on his own field , Jones was also distributing the same to his neighbours for free. This surprised the journalist because he thought being a smart businessman Jones would think about his profits and not distribute his seeds around. What he didnt know was Jones was a better businessman than anyone could ever fathom. Jones believed that if only he was using the 'good' seeds and his neighbours were using 'bad' ones, then his crop would also be of lesser quality due to cross-pollination and also pest attack from the neighbouring fields. By giving his neighbours the 'hybrid' seeds not only did he ensure that his crops were of the best quality he was also being lauded a good Samaritan.

I usually remember this story in the context of 'foreign affairs' and especially in the case of India. I believe that no country can achieve its fullest potential having troubled neighbours. India's neighbours have always caused her anxiety, more because of their internal problems than their issues with India.

I fully support India's external affairs policy of helping its neighbours rebuild their country and the lives of innocent civilians there. Be it Afganistan or Nepal, extending a helping hand without really interfering into their internal matters will not just do them good but also help us in the long run. Even if the show of strength continues at the borders, the other diplomatic measures should be taken forward with all the countries including Pakistan. Even if people say that the language best understood by Pakistan is the language of strength, as long as we can change the public perception inside that country into believing that we mean no harm, we have won half the battle.

Like the Jones in the story our efforts should be towards not just building our nation but also spreading the 'good' seeds around.

One weekend,a dozen cosemtics

Packing for a weekend trip with a pair of jeans and two t-shirts/tops, but a dozen or so cosmetics baffled me. I was trying to fit everything into a small back pack but all my 'appearance-preserving' items demanded more space.

It got me thinking as to how till sometime back all I needed was a brush, paste and a bar of soap for the umpteen camps, events, trips that I have been to (OK,granted, a little more than some time back). And if I were going to a relatives or friends place I wouldn't even bother taking the tube of paste and the bar of soap. But now starting with my head and running down to my toe, every body part is clamoring for attention from a new product. I cannot place the entire blame on the Lakme, Biotique, Himalya and the likes for coming up with products for body parts which my grand mom would have considered unworthy of attention. Anybody want to know what a cuticle cream is ;)?

Coming back to my packing for the trip - I decided that my hair would need a wash once I landed after a grime-ridden train journey. That meant carrying three different products for the ritual - the first one used before the wash, one during the wash and last one after the wash. I definitely cannot skip taking my basic cleanser to wash myself, but then again I cannot use the same for my face (because the companies/magazines say that the skin is totally different on my face as compared to the rest of my body, but then how does my skin look the same everywhere?). That means two bottles of liquid stuff. Whoever the hell came up with CTM? (do not try googling for it,nothing on the first page will be even remotely akin to what I am talking about - cleansing, toning, moisturising),the first time I heard/read the abbreviation I thought it was something to do with computer technology.


After I have a wash I need products so that my skin is not damaged and to 'lock' the moisture in (somebody tell me what the 'key' is). And this is contingent upon the climate/ weather of the place I am in - the sun demands SPF and the clouds something else. Seriously!!!. Every few days I would also need something to take the dead skin off my face - yes, skin dies as well, if you did not know that before.

Let me stop here before I begin to recount the number of products that I packed to add colour to my face. And if this sounds crazy, I actually skip half a dozen products that my girl friends/ cousins use.

These are the times when I miss being a child when you don't really care if you were having a bad hair day (not going to bother explaining what that is, because I am still trying to understand what it really means) or your armpits smelled a little. You thought when one said 'oily' it meant your puri's and batura's and not your skin; 'combination' was about teams during a skipping game or hopscotch. Back then as long as you brushed your teeth and washed yourself everyday you were good to go. Sigh!!!those days....