ANOU’S BLOG

ANOU’S BLOG ARCHIVES

The good, the bad, the ugly

The good, the bad, the ugly

There have been a few times when I have wanted to shut project why because of incidents that defeat the purpose of my entire life mission. Thank God these have been far and few but each time, they hurt and hurt and want to make you scream in despair. I really had...

The way ahead

The way ahead

Ok its official: Planet Why as envisaged for over 5 years now has been finally laid to rest. This is after many false starts as I guess I was not ready to accept failure - for want of a better word. Many posts are witness to this. I wrote many requiems to Planet Why....

a meeting to remember

a meeting to remember

Today's staff meeting was a watershed in the history of project why. It was a meeting I had delayed for long as in some ways I knew it would change things forever, at least for me. It something to think about a situation and its possible aftermath and keep your...

Sharing a bench with your child

Sharing a bench with your child

I am reading An Uncertain Glory by Amartya Sen and Jean Dreze. I first read some excerpts in a magazine. The fact that these eminent authors said what I have been clamouring for years was somewhat comforting. I am stilling reading the book as it is not an easy read...

760 million young and restless

760 million young and restless

A pertinent article on the state of our Youth appeared in a magazine this week. The article entitled Youth Bulge, Youth Bilge draws an almost apocalyptic image of the 706 million of youth we love quoting to one and all as our greatest force. But as the author says in...

How our brethren live

How our brethren live

An article appeared in a leading magazine this week. I am sure many have or will be reading it at some point of time, if not at home, then while waiting for your turn at the doctor's or dentist, while travelling in a plane or maybe at your beauty parlour. The article...

Project Why in the time of Cancer

Project Why in the time of Cancer

Am borrowing a modified version of  Gabriel Garcia Marquez's book for the title of this post. My world has been turned topsy turvy by a word it took me a nano second to read, a word preceded by a question mark at the end of a text in a incomprehensible medical...

upward mobility

upward mobility

I have been working in the same slum(s) for over a decade now. In some more than a decade! I have seen the slow yet significant changes in the families I work with and of course in the environment. The story of upward mobility is not quite as we would imagine it to be...

You need a holiday!

You need a holiday!

I do not know how many times Xavier, my greatest supporter and friend has told me to take a 'few' days off. This advice often came after the many times I complained of being tired, fed up, annoyed, and close to giving up. I never heeded his advice and for the past 13...

The honest officer

The honest officer

Almost 40 years ago, as a result one one of my mother's legendary 'if your brother was alive' I sat for the (ill)famed IAS exam and got through. I then decided not to join the services. That was the pact made with mama. There were many reasons for my not wanting to...

you take my breath away

you take my breath away

Apologies for a post that is going to be personal and maybe a tad mushy! But in my defence it is probably the first one of its kind. As some of you may know, my husband was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease, a cancer of the lymph nodes. This after a year of his being...

This is where our money goes

This is where our money goes

I normally never put up large sized pictures on my blog but my pathetic photo talent makes me do so in this one so that you get the picture. The road you see is in front of the DDA market close to our house (Guru Nanak Market) and was tarred beautifully less than a...