Bomb Blasts in Bangalore

Breaking news strikes the city of Bangalore; it is reported that there had been seven bomb blasts across the city. The blasts have happened in places like Madiwala, Nayanahalli, Audgodi, near Mallaya Hospital, Langford Road, Sivaji Nagar, Richmond Circle in the IT Hub. The bombs are reported to have been made using gelatin sticks and reason is rumored to be the recent Hindu-Muslim problem in Bangalore.

While the exact details about the situation will flow in through the media; message from the commissioner of police specifically mentions that the public should not panic – and that the situation is under control .

There are traffic restrictions that are effected by the police– you might have to check the specifics for the location / area falling on your way home .

What a sickening thought? Coward bul.ly!!

My heart is pounding…..

Donate your organs – You can gift a life!

I attended the ‘Multi Organ Donation Awareness Camp’ which was about donating organs to the needy recipients. Multi Organ donation can be done only in the ‘Brain Death’ condition, which in medical terms called ‘Cadaver State’. In layman terms, the brain stops working as there is no blood supply to the brain but blood is being circulated to the other parts of the body mechanically using medical equipments. Only in such conditions organs can be donated; Brain Deaths in most of the cases happen due to road accidents.
 
‘Transplantation of Human Organ (THO) Act’ in 1994, of the Indian Legislation; states a declaration procedure, which requires the involvement of four doctors, two from the hospital and two from the government to follow multiple clinical procedures to declare a patient Brain Dead. Astoundingly organs which could be donated are Eyes, Skin, Heart, Lungs, Pancreas, Kidney, Bones, Liver etc; multiple needy patients could be benefited by one Cadaver state patient’s multi organ donation. More information on ‘Cadaver Organ Donation and Transplantation in India’. Institutions like MOHAN – (Multi Organ Harvesting Aid Network) Foundation, Chennai, are actively involved in spreading this message to the public. Every state in India has an institution which is actively involved in inculcating the organ donation epidemic and facilitating the needy. MOHAN is a NGO which covers the state of Tamil Nadu; ZCCK is a government initiative for the state of Karnataka. If you would like to check your knowledge on Multi Organ Donation; participate in this online survey. 
 
Gift a life – its good to know that a part of our loved one is still alive somewhere in someone!

Does common sense exist?

Enjoying Bangalore’s morning weather, I drove my car to office on the Airport Road – now one of the happy to ride roads after the movement of the Airport to BIAL, Devanahalli. A huge milk van just ahead of me and bikes, cars plying on the way; suddenly there flew a polythene cover out of the van’s window; I thought ‘What the heck?’ and don’t know whose face it grabbed. I thought accidentally it’s flying out but next flew the empty newspaper which had wrapped a food bundle earlier and now in the air. Gulping the food inside and throwing the waste outside into the open road; what do you call such creatures?? I make sure not even a bus ticket is thrown out in public and make sure I properly dispose the garbage. Specimens come early in the morning to spoil other’s day; he didn’t stop with throwing this garbage out into the road; he started washing his dirty hands way out of his window from the tall van. Now you can imagine what would happen to those bikers traveling on the road?? It’s HAL Airport road where umpteen numbers of people commute and not even a highway.
 
Do such creatures have brains?? Intolerable acts of ill manners; I just blew my horn as loud as I could and the specimen popped his head out of the window and I gestured my protest; he coolly counter protested. In these moments, I had always wished I had the power and authority to bang such idiotic creatures; atleast we should levy heavy on-the-spot fine, so that he makes sure he learns his social etiquette and doesn’t dare to do it again.

Our turn to go School Hunting

Our daughter was growing fast and was past two years; she visibly seemed bored at home. We desperately wanted to send her to a playschool to match her energy and enthusiasm. But by the time we returned from Germany it was late December and all the big schools in Bangalore had closed admissions by Nov-Dec for the forthcoming academic June. We did try our best but had no choice left but to hunt for a good Montessori to spend her initial three years. 

First thing we decided was on the education methodology – Montessori Education system than the traditional nursery. I read and heard from my friends about the benefits of a Montessori system and was more impressed when I personally visited such schools and witnessed how Montessori materials trigger practical learning against the traditional bookish learning.  

We did quite a lot of research with respect to various criteria like Education Method, Commuting Distance, School ambience, and ofcourse not ignoring the quality and reputation of the school. We visited more than 10 schools in and around our area and it took more than 3 weeks to decide on a playschool; just to remind you my daughter is not even in the age of entering pre-nursery. Few schools call themselves Montessori but follow the traditional system. I always made sure to talk to parents whose kids were already studying in the school; the major factor to my decision making.  

Here’s my opinion on few of the schools I visited; hope it would be of some help to the school hunting parents.  

Akshara Montessori School, Ulsoor, Bangalore : Though I was shocked at first on its location on the traffic prone main road; the ambience inside was cool and cosy; I liked it very much and even the reputation is good, but distance was a hurdling stone. 

Geetanjali Montessori, Kagadasapura, Bangalore: New school premises at Kagadasapura is good and even the parent’s opinion was good compared to its branch in Jeevanbhima nagar. I personally liked it, but again distance was a hurdle.  

SSB International School, IndiraNagar, Bangalore: I was not impressed about the school ambience and the Montessori campus of theirs was pathetic.

Little Feat Montessori, Koramangala and Kuddle Kids, HAL 3rd Stage have my positive ratings. 

Finally coming to the point on where I decided to put my daughter was into  Casa Maria, Montessori House of Children, Airport Road; a small but cosy place to opt. My daughter seems to enjoy her time at school, a sigh of relief for couple of years before we start school hunting again. 

Here’s a useful website which has information and reviews on Bangalore Schools http://www.bangaloreschools.net