Namaste - the best form of greeting ? !

Being a city-bred South Indian I've never used the term Namaste to greet anyone in my entire life. I've always felt it traditional and out of sync with the current gen X,Y,Z.

I didn't realise that this word would come haunting me when I started travelling. In the past three years almost every foreigner who meets me, says Namaste, in the course of our conversation once they realise I'm an Indian. I feel good that people know this great word and wondered why we dont use it more often.

Well! How much is it used now? I've never heard anyone use it in the corporate world . As far as I know it's still used in many parts of India to greet elders and show respect in the family or society. Recently, someone asked me to explain the importance of Namaste and whether it was used often. I hope I did a decent job of saying that India is a mix of the modern and the traditional, east and the west and etc.

That's one part of the story...

Now it's come up again in the context of the H1N1 scare. Many researchers have commented that Namaste seems to be the best form of greeting to avoid the spread of the virus. The other common form of greeting - the Handshake has been asked to be placed on the shelf atleast until the pandemic reduces. The European form of greeting is almost out of vogue now and governments of various countries are trying to ban the Peck. In fact Spain has gone legal with it as they greet strangers too with a peck on both cheeks (thats as traditional as u can get).

So why Namaste and what's it? A summary:

Namaste, Namaskar or Namaskaram simply means "I bow to you." When spoken to another person, it is commonly accompanied by a slight bow made with hands pressed together, palms touching and fingers pointed upwards, in front of the chest - The Anjali Mudra.

In the simplest of terms it is accepted as a humble greeting straight from the heart and reciprocated accordingly. Happy to meet and greet.

The whole action of namaste unfolds itself at three levels: mental, physical, and verbal.

Mental submission. It recognizes the equality of all, and pays honor to the sacredness of all.

Physical. Firstly the proper performance of namaste requires that we blend the five fingers of the left hand exactly with the fingers of the right hand. The five fingers of the left hand represent the five senses of karma, and those of the right hand the five organs of knowledge. Hence it signifies that our karma or action must be in harmony, and governed by rightful knowledge, prompting us to think and act correctly.

Verbal. The sonority of the sacred sound 'namaste' is believed to have a quasi-magical value, corresponding to a creative energy change. This transformation is that of aligning oneself in harmony with the vibration of the cosmos itself

Namaste is in essence equivalent to meditation, which is the language of our spirit in conversation with god, and the perfect vehicle for bathing us in the rivers of divine pleasure.

I'm totally humbled with this research and findings and hope to respect this form of greeting more and try to use it effectively.

Hope this summary inspires a few others too.

(detailed article on http://www.exoticindiaart.com/article/namaste/)

Kopi Luwak - d Cat Poo Coffee!

Do you like coffee? Really? Well here's some news for you - the costliest cup of coffee the Kopi Luwak is made from cat Poo! It's the connoisseur's preferred taste and costs anywhere between 40 to 50 pounds per cup.

Kopi Luwak or Civet coffee is coffee made from coffee berries which have been eaten by and passed through the digestive tract of the Asian Palm Civet. The civets (cats) eat the berries, but the beans inside pass through their system undigested.

Civets consume the red coffee cherries, when available, containing the fruit and seed, and they tend to pick the ripest and sweetest fruit. Thus there is a natural selection for the ripest coffee beans. The inner bean of the berry is not digested, but a unique combination of enzymes in the stomach of the civet add to the coffee's flavor by breaking down the proteins that give coffee its bitter taste. The beans are defacted, still covered in some inner layers of the berry. The beans are washed, and given only a light roast so as to not destroy the complex flavors that develop through the process. Light roasting is considered particularly desirable in coffees that do not exhibit bitterness, and the most pronounced characteristic of Kopi Luwak is a marked reduction in bitterness. - Source Wiki and Rick Stein's Research.

The first time I heard of this was on a Rick Stein's show. He explored the process right from feeding the slightly aggressive civet, to waiting for the defacation and checking on the roasting. Being the true gentleman he tried not to make any face when asked to taste the fresh coffee. He closed his eyes and commented that it was the most exquisite cuppa coffee he had ever tasted and I take his word for it!

Is the coffee entirely safe? Devoid of bacteria? Yes it is and all u connoisseurs close ur eyes and enjoy the explicit taste!

Unfortunately (or fortunately)I'm not into coffee so I'll jst give this one a miss.

Burquini - C'est Quoi?

Wow what a word! It's hilarious and outrageous at the same time.

For those ignorant - The Burquini is a hybrid designed by Australian designer Ahead Zanetti. A cross between a burqa and the much smaller bikini, it's essentially pants with a long-sleeved A-line tunic (thigh or knee-length) complete with a head covering. Designed for muslim women. It's also very pleasing to the eye.

I question the designer's mental state and the customer's stability! On a serious note here are the pointers laid down for a Muslim Women's Dress code the Hijab:

1. Clothing must cover the entire body, only the hands and face may remain visible (According to some Fiqh Schools).
2. The material must not be so thin that one can see through it.
3. The clothing must hang loose so that the shape of the body is not apparent.
4. The female clothing must not resemble the man's clothing.
5. The design of the clothing must not resemble the clothing of the non-believing women.
6. The design must not consist of bold designs which attract attention.
7. Clothing should not be worn for the sole purpose of gaining reputation or increasing one's status in society.

Allah has stated in the Quran that women must guard their modesty. " Say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty ; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what must ordinarily appear thereof. " [Quran : 24.31]

This is what is proposed and followed by most Muslim women. So, I wonder Why Zanetti ever came up with the idea of a Burquini when the very word Bikini raises testerone levels in Men. The situation gets crazier with some women claiming to follow the religion actually sport this at beaches and swimming pools.

No wonder some countries who are trying to ban the Burqua completly based on "laicite" (secularim) and rights of individuals are confused whether Muslim women are in favour of this Ban or Not as some of them wear Burquinis AND Burquas! - Like the famous confused Sarkozy!

Poor confused souls I must say! I feel we should first decide on the ban of Burquinis and then talk of the burqua.

(Note: These are quotes from reputed newspapers and the Quran. I put it together purely as a thought and reflection! )

D Half Blood Prince - let's review!

I know this is very late and the internet is buzzing with tons of reviews from all and sundry ranging from horrible to the best film ever made. However this review is different coz I'm trying to view it practically being a die hard fan.

For first time viewers (like Viv who went nuts)

Whats In- The picturisation, the special effects, the sound effects and the unknown suspense and ofcourse the romantic twist in this new movie.

Whats Not - Obviously they wont understand a damn thing ni the story ni the subtle humor ni the relationships! They would think the world has gone mad watching such a baseless movie.

For the Middle Path Viewers (like my husband who knows some and wants to watch it for the heck of it)

Whats In - The thrill that they have watched all the movies and can compare them, the special effects which seem to improve with each movie and the new romantic humor included in this movie.

Whats Not - NO Lord Voldermot such a disappointment, what the hell is happening and why isnt there any connection, less drama than the Sorceror's Stone and boring.

For Die Hard Fans (like me)

Whats In - The wonder of translation, amazing capture of the reaching the fake Horcrux, watching the child Voldermot and his expressions, the thrill of knowing the connections in each movie and book and last but not the least the grown up protagonists!

Whats Not - Missing out on parts of the book (practically impossible to capture the entire book I guess although disappointing), changing the END (Harry was standing idle while Dumbledore was killed), actually witnessing Dumbledore's death (that was heart breaking) and the actual play down of the title - where's the grasp of who's the Half Blood Prince and why is it important?

I guess overall it's worth watching once or twice. I dont' think I'd watch it more than that and that says quite a lot!

(P.S. I thought Hermoine looked real cute in this movie no wonder my teen - nephews are great fans!)