Wednesday 19 August 2015

World Photography Day 2015

Greetings to all fellow shutter bugs,
On World Photography Day.
May your lens keep giving you newer perspectives!



Happy 'shooting'!

   -  Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 19th Aug 2015

Sunday 16 August 2015

Raindrops and Entrepreneurs

This is what happens to teachers. They start seeing the world only around their subject. Literally!

This morning's slow and steady drizzle created a wet and damp feeling. But a guy like me who loves rain, was waiting to bolt out. And then it stopped drizzling. All the trees had raindrops on their leaves. Out came the camera. Raindrops appeared like shining diamonds. Click click. Back to laptop to download the pictures. Zoom the pictures one by one.

One solitary raindrop caught my attention. It reminded me of a quote where raindrops had been called the bravest because they are never afraid of falling. But my mind was preoccupied with 'Entrepreneurship', the subject that I am teaching this semester to my MBA/PGDM students. Therefore, Ghumakkad compared the raindrops to entrepreneurs. And see the outcome! Picturesque quote for you.


'An entrepreneur is like a raindrop, never afraid of falling'.
Wonder if other teachers are also as 'crazy' and see the world through their subjects which they are teaching? Your experiences on similar lines are welcome.

Thanks for browsing.
And incidentally, enjoy the rain. Here is another picture of raindrops.


Get wet to enjoy the rain!

    - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 16th Aug 2015

Friday 14 August 2015

Independence Day 2015

May India lead the world towards peace and tranquility.
India has always believed in वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम -- 'The whole world is my family'. Let this not remain a utopian dream.

Ghumakkad wishes all blog readers and other friends a very happy Independence Day


Thanks for browsing

    - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 15th Aug 2015

Wednesday 12 August 2015

Ice Breaker with a cell phone twist

We use ice breakers in the inaugural part of any Workshop or a Course.
'The World of Animals' is a popular ice-breaker with faculties and trainers the world over.

Today, we have introduced a variation using smart phones which all participants/students have.
Instead of picking an 'animal' from paper chits, we have used the web. The participants are assigned a serial number and asked to remember it. Then using their cell phones, they are told to access the web i.e. this blog and 'pick' the animal against their number from an 'Animal Table'. Next, they are to find their team mates by mimicking the animal and not announcing its name. The team assembling the fastest, gets chocolates.

Next, each team is asked to enact the animal/bird on stage in an innovative way. Most innovative enactment gets chocolates too.

How did you like the idea?
Today's generation feels more relaxed and confident with smartphones-- even in a class or workshop!

The table for looking up by the participants is given below:


Number Team
1 Tiger
2 Koel
3 Cow
4 Peacock
5 Cat
6 Goat
7 Goat
8 Cat
9 Peacock
10 Cow
11 Koel
12 Tiger
13 Tiger
14 Koel
15 Cow
16 Peacock
17 Cat
18 Goat
19 Goat
20 Cat
21 Peacock
22 Cow
23 Koel
24 Tiger
25 Tiger
26 Koel
27 Cow
28 Peacock
29 Cat
30 Goat
31 Goat
32 Cat
33 Peacock
34 Cow
35 Koel
36 Tiger
37 Tiger
38 Koel
39 Cow
40 Peacock
41 Cat
42 Goat
43 Goat
44 Cat
45 Peacock
46 Cow
47 Koel
48 Tiger
49 Tiger
50 Koel
51 Cow
52 Peacock
53 Cat
54 Goat
55 Goat
56 Cat
57 Peacock
58 Cow
59 Koel
60 Tiger

Feel free to use the above idea in your training programs or workshops. Your participants can access the 'Animal' table on their cell phones by typing the URL http://ghumakkadhb.blogspot.in/2015/08/ice-breaker-with-cell-phone-twist.html  .

Happy Ice-breaking!

  Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 12th Aug 2015.

Tuesday 11 August 2015

Learning Patience from Nature

We are told to be patient in life. But with the stresses of present day world, it is easier said than done.
Perhaps one way to be patient is to go out and observe Nature. The plants, trees, bees, birds, animals, buds, flowers, rain, thunder and changing seasons- everything has a lesson for us. The common thread being 'Patience'.
Like what RW Emerson said 'Adopt the pace of Nature; her secret is patience.'

This quote inspired me to compose the next Picturesque Quote (PQ) in our PQ series.
And the picture chosen for Emerson's quotation is not an exotic flower but our hardy and useful Neem नीम tree from India. Neem tree's every part is of value. See the list below:
  1. Neem leaves extract is used in bathing soaps
  2. Neem leaves when dried, can be used in wardrobes/cupboards and prevent moth attack.
  3. Neem sticks have been used for brushing the teeth for centuries. Though it can damage the gums if not done properly.
  4. Tender neem leaves taken in the morning can cure diabetes.
  5. Neem fruit निम्बोली is an anti oxidant and also helps control the blood sugar level.
  6. Neem fruit when dried and powdered is a blood purifier as well as excellent manure for plants.
  7. Neem leaves when soaked in water can be sprayed on plants for pest control.
  8. Dry Neem leaves can be used in potted plants as organic manure. And the list goes on.
So, here is the PQ for you with Neem flowers. Use it in your talks/presentations freely.


Learn to be patient by adopting the pace of Nature.

Thanks for browsing

   Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 11th Aug 2015

Sunday 9 August 2015

Feeding the Silverbills

Birds in a metro city? And that too in your own garden?
Yes, that is possible-- thanks to two things. Firstly plenty of green cover in enclaves like ours in north Secunderabad, Telangana India. And secondly, bird-friendly, all-weather and light weight design of bird feeders.




Gifted by Ansh, our 11 year old grand son three months ago, our bird feeder did not attract a single bird for three months. Very disappointing for us till yesterday, when a pair of Silverbills started to feed on Bajra बाजरा (Millet) seeds from the bird feeder. From then on all eyes have been on the bird feeder and the winged 'diners'. Ghumakkad's DSLR camera was quickly pulled out from its bag as cell-phone pictures were unsatisfactory.

Picture story for you. Please pardon the sticker on the bird feeder which we tried to remove this morning.


 









Next morning was even better when we had a flock of five silverbills feasting together!




Thanks Ansh, Ankush and Prabjoth for such a priceless gift. Hope you get as many birds in the feeder at your home in Chennai.



Silverbills are also known as white-throated munias.

Hope you enjoyed being 'with' the silverbills as much as we are doing every morning and evening!

Thanks for browsing. Do share your pictures and experiences of our winged friends.

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 9th Aug 2015

Postscript 16th June 2021: The feed eaten by Silver bill Munias is Fox Millet and not Millet as mentioned by us earlier. Readers may browse the story about Fox Millet here.

Friday 7 August 2015

What is so great about BITS

"I love my college!" You hear it often in social gatherings.
Everyone loves their school, college, university or any other institution where they studied. They may not like it so much while they are students, but they certainly love it after becoming an alumnus.

So Ghumakkad asks : What is so great about his college- BITS Pilani in Rajasthan India?
And to get responses, we crowd sourced it on Facebook. A mid-night post set the ball rolling and first 100 responses came in just 10 minutes! The post that did it:



There were more than 500 alumni who participated. We picked top 20 responses which had maximum 'likes'. Following BITSians- as BITS alumni are called- need special mention for being creative and original in their spontaneity. Listed in alphabetical order:
























Thanks guys. Keep up the BITSian spirit.

Pratik Maheshwari (2010 alumnus) in Delhi readily came forward and created the music for the clip. Pratik you rock buddy.

While Ghumakkad had most of the pictures, we had to use a few from BITS Photography Club archives. Vinay's classic shot of sunrise over Saraswati Temple finds place in the video.

No more talking. Let's go to the video. Enjoy it with sound turned on.


We are happy to release it on BITSians Day 2015!

As always, your feedback is welcome. 

   Ghumakkad Harsh/ 7th Aug 2015