Published in DNA Epaper on 07 June 2011


For all those who want to go green, but don't know where to start!

The Bangalore Transport Information Service (BTIS) website is an easy to understand website in English, and immensely useful to those who want to commute by bus, but are not sure of what bus or route to take. It not only gives you a comprehensive lists of all BMTC buses and routes, it also has a 'track bus' feature that tells you where your bus is right now, so you know if you have missed it or not.

If you prefer commuting by car, you can check out the carpooling options available, and register as one too. You could even try the 'parking' feature that provides a list of available parking spaces in the city (supposedly updated every 5 mins).

This website is pretty cool - and takes a few minutes to understand. You could even personalise the page to routes/locations of your choice, by using the 'mapid' or 'personalise' option. As if this much information is not enough, the site also boasts of the following features:

• Live traffic updates on the main-page map
• Live snapshots from Traffic Junction Cameras
• Commute to and from Airport
• Traffic violation fines against your vehicle
• Registration details about a vehicle
• Post your feedback

I am not sure who runs the website (I assume it is updated by the Bangalore Traffic Police). It is an impressive and useful tool available to Bangaloreans, but it can be made better by

• Including a list of bus timings and frequency
• Making the downloadable application work on all phones.
• Ensuring the 'track bus' feature is available for all buses.

http://www.btis.in/

Other websites that give similar information:

• Jaanlo
• Google Transit (for Volvo and Big 10 buses only)
• Narasimha Datta's website

Go green! Take a bus, or register as a carpooler! Make Bangalore a green city.

Don't stay in Bangalore? Check out the traffic information websites for your city!

Ahmedabad, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Indore, Kolkata, Mumbai, Mysore, Pune and Vadodara

or free coffee or lemon tea?

No really...I never thought the day would come when cost cutting would affect the office pantry to this extent!!

I still remember my first day at work at the *free* pantry. I was your typical halli guggu (country bumpkin) who mixed milk with lemon tea, much to the disdain of my posh colleagues. It's an incident that is naratted during family functions and other social gatherings.

We were promised 'fresh and honest' coffee, and a few months later masala chai - a perfect cure for those with chronic colds. (Note: We were getting all this for free, the same masala chai cost Rs. 25 at the airport.) There was the haunted vending machine in one pantry that would start steaming and puffing for no rhyme or reason, and only the ones who were too sleep deprived to be spooked by ghosts would dare to go there.

Then HR decided to revamp things and introduce milk powder machines that were..well...not much to blog about! There were fiery email exchanges about cockroaches and other forms of non-veg coffee found in the new vending machines. After some initial irritation, we got used to the paysam like milk-powder coffee and tea, that was relatively roach free.

Then, a few years later, they decided to re-introduce 'fresh and honest' coffee, lemon tea, and masala chai - much to our delight! Finally - a pantry that (re)served good stuff!

And despite coming full circle regarding beverage decisions, HR is once again going on a new orbit - our pantries will soon function with a smart card (really? is this a way of working smarter??) Essentially, we will now PAY for our tanin and caffeine shots. What fun is it to PAY to stay awake, to chill out, to catch up on some gossip or crib about an annoying boss or client?Paying for it makes it as boring as indulging in superficial conversations - the types all the Coffee Days and Barista's are so full of!

Well I suppose one cannot crib too much - I heard many offices function this way. Moreover this might encourage us to switch to healthier lifestyles that is not so dependant on caffeine. Wonder if they will introduce green tea...hmmm.

Yet, this is a move that has left us feeling a bit upset as the atmosphere in the pantry is going to be very different. But I suppose change management is something we are all too used to, and paying for coffee will just be another activity in this office.

A week has passed and I have been reliving my childhood, feeling sad, happy and nostalgic. I did not want to write this and come off as just another person engulfed in the mania, but I write this post as a dedication to a man who almost defined my childhood. As soon as I penned this post, I came across a similar retrospective written by my cousin. He is at least 20 years older than me, and it is interesting to see how the same man influenced both of us, in different ways.

I must have been a foetus when I heard MJ for the first time. Thriller came out shortly after I was born. Having music-loving parents ensured my exposure to music started young. Having elder siblings also meant getting exposed to the "cool stuff" a lot faster than my peers. I can safely say that my relationship with the pop Gods of the 80's started when I was very, very small.

I was 7 or 8 when I heard the Bad Album (a few years after it was released). I would amuse aunty-jis who came home with my rendition of 'Bad'. When I was 9, my sister and I recorded our own version of 'Smooth Criminal' on our cassette-player-cum-recorder. She sang the bass, and screamed and howled (trivia: MJ howls 14 times in Smooth Criminal, and its one tough song to sing!). We had an argument as to whether he was saying "energy walking" or "everybody talking"…till we managed to get hold of the lyrics (a difficulty, back then.) When we finally realised he was saying "Annie are you o.k." we broke our heads wondering who Annie was.

That summer was a special one for me, for I had FINALLY learnt to do the moonwalk :) Sadly, I was only able to moonwalk that well that summer only.

I was 11 when 'Dangerous' came out. At around the same time cable TV started in India, exposing Gen X to the ever-so-popular MTV. Everyone was enthralled with the 'Black or White' video, some of us even wondered why he sang this song after becoming a white man (we did not know about his skin condition.) The lucky kids at school, who had relatives abroad, managed to get a copy of the album long before it came to India. MTV also played his older videos - and each MJ video meant the opportunity to learn a new dance step.

My 12th birthday was the best one ever - my sister gifted me the Dangerous album. Anyone who had a copy of that album was automatically deemed as 'cool'. Later that year, my classmates and I sang 'Heal the World' at the school annual day function. I'm sure it was sung at many school functions.

Two years later…HIStory was made, and we did not have to wait too long for the cassettes to come to India. Class 9 of my school did an aerobics dance to "They don’t really care about us." Weird choice for a PT dance, but it was fun. I also got the nickname of 'MJ' from my sister's friends, as I would go on and on and on about his music, dance and style.

The following commercial pretty much sums up my childhood – as I was addicted to MJ and Pepsi! Us kids would have moonwalking and break-dancing contests during lunch breaks. For all the 6 years that I was in Army School, there would be at least ONE dance to an MJ song for the school annual day celebrations.



A few years later, many truths about Pepsi and MJ were exposed. The child-abuse allegations left us confused and disgusted. It was not uncommon to see people engaged in endless discussions on whether he was a victim of detractors, or if he was truly twisted. MJ made some music, like 'Scream' and 'Blood on the dance floor', but they hardly compared to the awesomeness of 'Bad' or 'Beat It'; and with that, the euphoria started to die...

I remember college cul-week the year I was 17. We had theme based competitions the entire week. On ‘villain’ day, I wore my skull T, ripped my jeans, folded my sleeves, and put a fake tattoo on my arm. My intention was to sing a Metallica song and bag a prize. I'm not sure what happened when I was on stage, but I ended up singing Bad, complete with a howl and a twirl. I did not win any prize, but I did shock a few people, and had so much fun!

My post-teen years were mostly about studies or work. Once I got myself an i-pod, I made it a point to discover new music. I knew little about the Jackson 5 and quite enjoyed listening to their Motown hits. I had heard ‘I want you back’ as a kid and always wanted to know who sung it, and was thrilled when I came to know it was young MJ on the vocals :) (It is my current ringtone)

With each passing year, there was new music to discover. I did not go out of my way to listen to MJ, except for a few favorites here and there. There was news about his converting to Islam, which I thought was a big bad joke. Three weeks ago I heard of an opportunity to win tickets to MJ’s concert in London. Boy oh boy! Was I kicked?! I missed seeing Jacko in Mumbai, maybe I’d get lucky now. I rang up a fellow Jacko fan and we both decided to participate in this contest...

And then…it happened. I was shocked. I felt a dire need to listen to some MJ songs…and tears started rolling down my yes. The last time I cried at the news of a celebrity death was when Lady Di passed away (I was 16). No, I was never a die-hard MJ fan, I never bought his albums the day they came out…but so many fond childhood memories came rushing back and the news of his death made me feel absolutely miserable! I wondered if I was being brainwashed by all the media hype. It was only when I got calls from friends who felt as bad, and for the same nostlagic reasons, I realised how much MJ meant to children born in the 70's and 80's.

I get teary-eyed as I type this. Again, it's not so much for the love of MJ…but due to the fact that he played a HUGE role as a childhood icon and as an ambassador for peace. He made us groove, and also inspired most of us to "make the world a better place". Every album of his had at least ONE song dedicated to a larger cause. For me, he gave the best memories I could have of my sister and me :)

Sure there were the weird stories, but who does not have a screwed up personal life? Celebrities in particular, are constantly in the media eye - having to live a surreal life of pleasing the public and having no private life. For MJ, it started at age 5.

Michael Jackson - May your soul R.I.P and may your soulful music rip the world. You will not be remembered for the allegations, but for the legend you left behind; for your music, for the way you moved and the way you moved us...and with that, I hope you can find your peace.

Published in Rave Magazine, Nov 2008, Special edition on 'Youth'

Fear. Shame. Anger. Guilt.

These are the typical emotions one associates with an unwanted pregnancy - in a country where chastity before marriage is expected by many; where women continue to bear the brunt of an unwanted pregnancy. The availability of the emergency contraceptive has, however, transformed these feelings of pain and anguish into hope and happiness. We live in an age where options are limitless to the youth of today – and the availability of this little pink pill has spawned many choices. To choose contraception instead of abortion. To choose sexuality over morality. To choose living with hope instead of living in fear.

What is an emergency contraceptive pill?

Emergency Contraceptive Pills (also known as ECP’s or morning after pills), are drugs that prevent the ovulation or fertilization of an egg in a woman. If an egg is already fertilized, the pill may prevent it from attaching itself to the lining of the womb – thus stopping it from forming into a zygote. A pregnancy can only be established if a fertilized egg attaches itself to the womb, and this typically

happens 2-3 days after sexual intercourse.

The ECP is not the same as an abortion pill, as it does not destroy a zygote, but merely prevents it from forming. The effectiveness of emergency contraception is best when taken within 12 hours of intercourse, with 72 hours being the maximum time limit for it to work.

The ECP is also different from the regular contraceptive pill as it stops ovulation or fertilization instead of inhibiting sperm penetration. It is supposed to be ten times more potent that a regular contraceptive pill – which is why it is marketed as an ‘emergency’ contraceptive pill. It is only to be used as a last resort in the event of contraceptive failure or unprotected intercourse, to prevent pregnancy. The ECP does not act as a barrier contraceptive - meaning it cannot prevent sexually transmitted diseases.

There are non oral options for emergency contraception available, such as intrauterine methods where a device (such as the Copper T) is inserted in the uterus during the time a pregnancy is not desired. These methods are expensive and not as popular as ECP’s. The associated side effects are also higher as compared to ECP’s.

The Indian market

The emergency contraceptive pill was made an over-the counter (OTC) drug in 2005, but it was only with the advent of the popular i-pill advertisements that the public became aware of such a product. There are currently about seven ECP brands available in the Indian market, all of them sold over the counter (ECee2, Norlevo, Pill 72, Pregnon, Preventol, Unwanted 72).

The cost of Cipla's i-pill is currently Rs 82.50 and is easily available in any chemist shop. Though the oral ECP is the cheapest form of emergency contraception, the i-pill’s price may not be very inviting to a vast majority of the Indian population. The Consortium for Emergency Contraception in India states that “pricing should be kept as low as possible, to make it accessible to poorer classes, in whose case the need may be more.” Unfortunately, the i-pill does not address this.

Cipla has also set up helpline numbers to answer questions about the i-pill. The numbers are 1800-22-9898 and 022-3200 0055 and are operational 7 days a week. The operators are only available between 9.30 am and 6 pm. This means that any queries that occur the night before or the morning after, need to wait.

Cipla also has an exclusive website for the i-pill (www.i-pillcipla.com) with an exhaustive FAQ list. Strangely, it took me many minutes and the combination of several keywords to find this website via google. There is also no mention of the i-pill on the Cipla wikipedia entry. There are however, blogs and webzines that have information and opinions on the product.

Wonder drug or wicked drug?
The common side effects associated with an ECP or a birth-control pill include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and headaches. Cipla’s i-pill also warns users of “chances of unexpected vaginal bleeding, but this is not dangerous and should clear up by the time you have your next period.” A medical check-up is not required for consuming the i-pill (unless you have a serious health ailment) and the i-pill claims to have no long-term or serious side effects. All these factors are expected in a drug that is easily available without medical prescription.

While some doctors say the i-pill is harmless, there are others who advise consultation prior to the consumption of the pill. Contraceptive pills, in general, are known to be infamous for causing ovarian cancer and other hormonal problems, and the i-pill’s side effects cannot be ignored. There are some doctors who state that the i-pill can cause complications such as menstrual irregularities and abdominal pain. Over-use could also lead to infertility among women.

They also suggest that the i-pill should also ideally be used by women between the age of 25 and 45, and only as an emergency measure. But there are a number of teenagers who consume the pill as a regular contraceptive, without knowing its detrimental effects. Many young women feel they can do without other forms of contraception, without realizing the dangers of STD’s or hormonal imbalance. The i-pill comes in a box that warns users about it not preventing sexually transmitted diseases, but states nothing about age group or how often it can be used. A health warning comes inside the packet about the adverse effects of the pill – in fine print that is quite likely to be ignored by distressed women who are rushing to prevent their pregnancies.

The power of communication

There is no doubt that Cipla’s aggressive marketing strategy ensured it became the number one ECP brand name in everyone’s mind. Advertising not only helps to popularize a product, but shapes opinions of it as well.

Cipla played it safe by targeting its first set of advertisements at married couples. You had a newly married couple, a middle aged couple, and a young couple (with their wedding rings as prominent as the product itself) in the television advertisements. Even though the ads captured the sensitivity of the issue of unwanted pregnancy, there are mixed opinions in they way they handled it. Vineet Kumar, a software professional says, “the ads capture the anxieties of the couple very well and help allay the fears of unwanted pregnancy.” While Sandhya Rao, a knowledge manager says, “Why is it the woman's onus to ensure there are no "repercussions" to what both participants "enjoyed"?”

The newer television ads are more in-your-face and also include the unmarried woman.

One ad in particular, has a salwar clad, bindi wearing girl as the worried protagonist. This shatters the myth that only ‘skirt wearing party going’ girls engage in sexual activities. The new ad campaign focuses on the advantage of prevention over cure – the tagline being “Because prevention is better than abortion. Isn’t it?”

The other ad shows a woman getting a call at about 2 a.m. from a distressed friend/relative who has engaged in unprotected sex. She advises the woman in distress to take the i-pill as a precaution, to stop a pregnancy from happening, instead of waiting for an abortion. What struck me about this ad, was the ease with which they brushed the topic of unprotected sex. The NACO is going the extra mile with its condom ads and ring tone, but this ad seems to do just the opposite. No doubt the purpose of the i-pill is to prevent unwanted pregnancies, but the ad could have spoken of a case of failed contraception as against no contraception, and driven home the point that the i-pill does not prevent venereal diseases. This is particularly interesting, since Cipla is one of the largest manufacturers of antiretroviral drugs (that fight HIV/AIDS).

The i-pill ads also do nothing in educating the public about the side effects caused due to misuse of the product. Ashwini Rao, a finance professional says “The company should realise that they are selling a serious product, and should come with a warning that these pills are to be taken in an emergency situation only.” (Addendum: Mint magazine has written an article on how these ads have come under the govt.scanner)

‘Getting back to life’

The sexuality of the modern Indian is no longer something to be embarrassed or ashamed of – but something to acknowledge. The i-pill is therefore not just a pill, but a reflection of the way the youth thinks. The message that prevention is better than cure appeals to many – and has left us with a useful and perhaps life-changing choice. A woman no longer has to undergo pregnancy, motherhood or a forced marriage in the event things do not go as planned.

The i-pill is definitely a better choice over abortion – in a country where approximately 20,000 women die annually due to unsafe abortions. It is also a great option in the event of forced intercourse or rape. While it cannot erase the trauma of rape, it can at least eliminate the possibility of childbirth.

The i-pill is perhaps a welcoming sign of the changing times,but the grey areas cannot be ignored. The availability of the pill as an OTC drug tends to encourage over-consumption of the product, posing serious health risks. And like regular contraceptives, there is no guarantee that the ECP is 100% foolproof. The only way to know if it has worked is if a woman’s period resumes. Till then, she has to wait and watch and worry.

Whether the i-pill encourages sexual irresponsibility or not is also debatable. Back in the 70’s, a typical response to “main tere bacche ki maa banne wali hoon” (I'm going to be the mother of you child) would have been that of anger and blame. With the i-pill, one may not hear such statements anymore, but one might get to see a new breed of pill-popping PYT's who enjoy sexual freedom at the cost of their health. We still have a long way to go before male hormonal contraceptives are available in the market. Till then, birth control continues to be a woman's responsibility.

For the youth, such an option is available – but do more options liberate us or confuse us?

(All images have been taken from the internet)

It is for my love of the music, beats, clothes, hairstyles, accessories and moves shown in the video below I strongly believe I was born in the wrong time and place!



Yes that is Hugh Grant (who looks rather young) who can't dance and this video is from a movie I happened to see today and is a really cute tribute to 80's pop!

And I am so so so so glad that skinny jeans and pink hair highlights made a comeback!