Wednesday 31 July 2013

ACE of PADE

The last post of PADE. End of a beautiful journey with tons of friendships to look forward to.
In this last post I want to encapsulate moments from this journey. Moments that made it so special.
Here are some PADE Moments for me:
Rio’s Chirag
Poonam’s Rules and Cartoons
Punit’s Special and Smile
Anunoy’s Tools
These are just a few posts that got stuck in my memory, made me smile, laugh, cry and look at it in amazement!!

Now a special shout out to our PADE SHUTTERBUGS
Punit 16 times!!
Poonam 8 times!
Shrikant 6 times!
Anunoy 4 times!
Sammya 4 times!
Arghyadeep     2 times!
Prathamesh     2 times!
Priyam 2 times!
Geetashree, Sini, Ali, A rat aka Meera and Rio once each. (Again I hope I have not missed any Shutterbug, if I have its an oversight, I apologise. Please let me know I will be happy to add you to Shutterbug family here)
We are so proud of you!!

Before we move on to the ACE of PADE badge, I would love to share the PADE Shutterbugs for Water and Night
Water : Sammya and Shrikant
Night: Sammya and Punit

 And Last but not the least “ACE of the PADE”
We are very pleased to announce that Punit has grabbed the “ACE of the PADE” badge. Punit you are a wonderful photographer  but you also doubled the magic with words. We are glad that you are a member of our PADE Family.

Punit “ACE of the PADE” (Please copy the badge from below)


Tuesday 30 July 2013

Deaf not dumb


"Any language is just a language, a mode of communication"

If anyone is not able to communicate in the most acceptable language; should the person be treated as an outcast?

We talk a lot about bias prevalent in our society against specific gender, castes, religion, region etc but the most common bias we have is against people who are suffering from any kind of physical or mental limitation.

How many times have we ignored or have been biased towards anyone with any limitation or any deformity? Have we even considered giving them the chance of a normal life?

Have we ever questioned the definition of being normal?

Think what is life without a sound? What is the importance of a sound, a hush, a child’s cry, a loud giggle, a sob, a heart to heart and a gossip?

We may never be able to answer this question, because we can never create an absence of sound. Yes there are a lot of forms of physical limitations that we can create, experience and try to empathise but we can’t erase sound and we can’t understand the pain of its absence.

Hearing disability/limitation is hence more difficult to understand and empathise. And it is very easy to put deafs in the bracket of Deaf and dumb!!

But being deaf is not being dumb and being deaf is not being abnormal.

One my closest friend has a 6 year old daughter who cannot hear. I have seen her struggle, struggle with people, struggle with family and struggle with herself with each passing day.

I have been asked multiple times why does she not attend a special school in our neighbourhood. That school is designed for children with mental limitations, not for children with hearing disability. And even after explaining this most of them are not able to see the difference. If the child can’t hear, the child is deaf and dumb or has a mental illness.

All disabilities are kept in the same basket. All disabled are outcasts in our society.

The child in focus here did her pre-primary at normal schools (schools teaching in English language with no training in sign language). The last school was very nice, she was loved and they did try but no one was trained to handle a child with hearing disability and hence they struggled.

She was old enough to know basic concept of numbers and written language but she had limited knowledge. The parents had limited knowledge. After a lot of struggle they have finally managed to figure out a school dedicated to people/children with hearing disability.

Now the child is repeating her pre primary. Learning and unlearning things. But last few years have been a nightmare for parents and the kid. There was a lot of frustration of not knowing any way to help inspite of having the best information source readily available. These were parents who are highly educated settled in one of the biggest cities in India. I shiver to think about parents in smaller cities and having limited access to information.

One question has been eating me for years,How do we help them, support them?

In the context of this question, the efforts of Ruma Roka and Noida Deaf Society are commendable.

“The Vision of Noida Deaf Society is to mainstream the Deaf people into the community through specialized vocational programs leading to gainful employment”

A peek into it here:




This video and her ideas were like a breath of fresh air. First few seconds shocked me; yes this is what I have been trying to communicate for years “Absence of sound”. And she did it in such an easy and simplified manner.

It was so refreshing to see someone not going through this in any form, and still showing this much empathy. Not only did she empathise but she jumped in to help, support and guide them for a better future.

If she can do it why can’t we?

Isn’t it just an adjustment of our belief of what is normal and what is not?

Why do we have the need to typecast and put everything in brackets defined already?

There is a need, a need to be sensitive about looking at things which do not fall in the bracket of normal. We need to first look at ourselves and question how comfortable are we to embrace someone not able to communicate with us in our language.

Don’t we try and communicate with someone who doesn’t talk/understand the languages we know? Yes we do!

So why can’t we look at hearing disability like that only. The person is just unable to communicate in a verbal language but that is not a judgement of that person’s intellect or efficiency.

We need to make a change and internalise the fact that any person’s efficiency is not driven by his/her Gender, cast, religion and physical abilities.

I urge anyone who knows any person with this disability to become more sensitive, support more, treat them normally and interact with them more.

Hence come the point, what can we do as an individual and as a society?

1) Wipe off the definition of normal and abnormal and be sensitive towards differently abled: This is a change that needs to happen at an individual level. We need to be more sensitive and we need to teach our next generation to be more sensitive towards people who do not fall in the normal bracket.

2)Communicate with people with hearing disability: Yes do not gape and run away. Try and communicate. Interact like normal human beings. They are as normal as we are; it is just a hearing disability. It is not a benchmark of their efficiency. They can be excellent readers, can hold any professional position!

Some of the things that can be taken care of while communicating with people with hearing disability:

1.Pay attention: Pay more attention than normal because they are talking with hands and gestures.

2.  Don’t get distracted by sounds around you

3. Stay in their sight

4.Do not yell, they can’t hear you. Verbal signs/Lip movements without sounds also will work.

5. Be patient and polite

6. If you are not efficient at signs and are not able to communicate properly, try putting it down on a paper or if mobile is more handy you can always type and communicate.

7. Deaf people especially children are more energetic and hyper than normal because that is one way of taking out energy physically for them. Again be patient.

8. The physical boundaries of deaf people are different then people who can hear. It may not be okay to touch people you don’t know normally but when you are communicating with anyone with hearing disability, it is okay to touch them on shoulders or arm to draw their attention. And be prepared for the same from them.

9.   There are a lot of ways of communicating with a deaf person even if we don’t know sign language. We just need to put in extra efforts, not feel awkward and be patient


3)Children should be taught in schools the value of being sensitive towards people with disability. This education should start at an early age, before opinions are formed or firmed. This can be aided with live examples of meeting such kids. Some of the ideas are
·         Common games
·         Educational project
·         Extracurricular activities etc

Of course this is possible only if led by a group of teachers trained in sign language, aiding and guiding the interaction.

4)Same process can be led at a professional level also. If companies are reluctant in directly hiring them, it can be project led. A common forum can be organized to see how all of them can interact more easily and work in a convenient environment.

5)Communicate and promote Role models: There are a lot of successful people with hearing disability. Promote them in schools and colleges. This will not only provide a positive boost to the people with hearing disability but also serve as a witness of their efficiency.  

Ofcourse as I have been saying, it is important that we change our attitude towards things that are different than normal. This change has to start at grass root level. At my and your home. Lets teach our children the values of being sensitive and treating everyone as equal without any bias.

If they are accepted with open arms without any hesitations, all other initiatives will automatically follow.

Let’s all work together, not focus on their disability and accept them as normal “Normal people with different abilities”

To volunteer for Noida Deaf society please click here

This post is written for The Idea Caravan contest by Franklin Templeton Investments partnered with the TEDxGateway Mumbai and Indiblogger 

PADE Day 31 Night

Welcome to day 31 of PADE
Last day of our beautiful journey! Wow!
Theme for today is Night and here is my interpretation



Last month passed in a blur. Don't get me wrong it was very hectic and very tiring but I loved every second, every  minute and every day of it. Each theme was special and  each interpretation was special.
I don't usually write very long blog posts but this necessitates a long long list of thank yous. First and foremost a very special thanks to the co-host "Ritu KT". You were a dream to work with. I am glad we joined hands and took this journey together. I will miss working with you the most!
And how can I not say thanks to all the participants, who made our life really difficult with so much creativity and imagination. Each participant, each post was special.

So here is a shout out to all the participants. We love you and your creativity. Let's take this bond further and stay in touch!

Punit Dubey "Mr. Photographer"
Shrikant "" Mr.Out of the box"
Poonam "Ms Creativity"
Priyam "Yum posts"
Sini "The thinker"
Geetashree "The Scholar"
Pravin "Simple yet impactful"
Arghyadeep "Powerful words"
Anunoy "Magical words and powerful imagery"
Rio "Mr Philosopher"
Pankti "Ease and fun"
Meera aka a rat "Great nibbles"
Swaroop "Straightforward"
Prasanna "The Champ"
Prathamesh "Artistic"
Aliasgar "Talented"
Sammya "Colorful"
Ranjith "Mr. Creative"

"I hope I have not forgotten any of you. If I have, I sincerely apologise, it must be because of an oversight. Please let me know, I will be happy to include you in the family"
This is my interpretation based on your interpretations! And basis this no one is allowed to kill me pleaseee!!!

Winner of PADE Shutterbug for Vacation
We are glad to announce that Sammay's colorful entry has grabbed the badge. Read his entry here 
Sammay please copy the badge from below


Stay tuned
We will be announcing who won the coveted "ACE" Badge tomorrow. Along with that I will also be sharing my favorite posts from the last month. And request you all to please share your experience..your favorite posts. Do let me know which one of my post you liked..(If any).


How to Participate


1. In a post meant for this challenge, present an image(fresh or archived) that means “Night” to you.

2. Please note to use only your copyright image.

3.Include a link to this post in your blogpost 

4. Enter a comment below this post with your blogpost link

5. Read here for more details

6. Take some time out and read other entries also and share your feedback







Monday 29 July 2013

PADE Day 30 Water

Welcome to day 30 of PADE
Wow we are on last 2nd day of PADE
Theme for today is Water and here is my interpretation 



A special request 
As we are closing in on this beautiful journey we would love to hear from you. Please share how was your experience? What did you enjoy, what did not please you? Anything that you want to tell us, please don't hesitate. 

PADE Shutterbug for Special
Will be announced shortly

How to Participate


1. In a post meant for this challenge, present an image(fresh or archived) that means “Water” to you.

2. Please note to use only your copyright image.

3.Include a link to this post in your blogpost 

4. Enter a comment below this post with your blogpost link

5. Read here for more details

6. Take some time out and read other entries also and share your feedback

7. Theme for tomorrow is "Night"






Sunday 28 July 2013

PADE Day 29 Vacation

Welcome to day 29 of PADE
Last 3 days left of this beautiful journey!
Theme for today is Vacation and here is my interpretation


mortal beings
immortal memories
a vacation called life

This is a collage of photographs from some of my most memorable vacations. These are the memories that are etched in my heart forever. This collage covers my small sweet family of 5. A lot of love and hug to Patidev, world's best brother-in-law Ancy and my lifeline "Ar and Ay". My life will be incomplete without the 4 of you. 

Look forward to visiting you all and seeing your interpretation

Shutterbug of the day for "Smiles" 
Punit has grabbed the PADE Shutterbug badge for Smiles. We also loved Shrikant's entry.
 Please check out the winning entry here 


How to Participate


1. In a post meant for this challenge, present an image(fresh or archived) that means “Vacation” to you.

2. Please note to use only your copyright image.

3.Include a link to this post in your blogpost 

4. Enter a comment below this post with your blogpost link

5. Read here for more details

6. Take some time out and read other entries also and share your feedback

7. Theme for tomorrow is "Water"



Saturday 27 July 2013

PADE Day 28 Special

Welcome to day 28 of PADE
Theme for today is Special and here is my interpretation


"A special photograph of a normal day"

It is special because it exudes normalcy. A rare moment which will never come back, a moment which will remain etched in my memory forever.

It is one of the last photographs of me and my first born alone (Yess look closely I am there in the background). 

It was from the last few days when we were just us. A normal mother and son “Duo””(This photograph was taken just before we conceived our second baby)

It was a day of his demands, his babyness, his running around the house creating ruckus, a day of nonsensical chatter.

The toy that he is holding... reminds me of our endless hours of innocent plays (we kicked it, rode it and yes ultimately killed it).

His bike reminds me how he refused to learn to ride it and it remained his push toy forever.

The T Shirt he is wearing reminds me how easily I could put him in pink then.

His hairstyle reminds me how for hours i would painstakingly turn him into a girl.

His smile reminds me of the innocence and all the naughtiness that was about to come.

Our Duo has now given way to the “Trio”

His demands and tantrums of being the only child have given way to subtlety and understanding of a big brother.

I knew with the third member it will change and may be become more special. But I can’t help but miss our regular duo days.

If I knew the naughty demanding child will so easily slip into a grown up big bro I would have held on to the time more strongly.

I am not complaining but sometimes rather every time I look at this snap it reminds me of the time when it was just him and me.

"I miss that normal special alone day with him" 
Reposted from here

Look forward to visiting you all and seeing your interpretation

Shutterbug of the day for "Signs" 
Will be announced shortly



How to Participate


1. In a post meant for this challenge, present an image(fresh or archived) that means “Special” to you.

2. Please note to use only your copyright image.

3.Include a link to this post in your blogpost 

4. Enter a comment below this post with your blogpost link

5. Read here for more details

6. Take some time out and read other entries also and share your feedback

7. Theme for tomorrow is "Vacation"