World Toilet Day - A big squat Marathon'

My usual morning routine starts up at 5 am in the morning and ends after a
Tom and Jerry ' race to finish few deadly household chores.. at 8am, my steaming hot Kappi and reading thro the news, and gupshups in News paper really makes my day. Today, my large eyes popped at an advertisement in 'The Metro Plus' Domex sponsoring the 'World's toilet day' which is today the 19th November.

Immediate reaction was to call couple of my close friends and wished them. Well this was exactly at 8.30 in the morning, also sent sms wishes to many. I was sure most of them would be in their wash room/toilet at this hour getting ready to work.

Thanks to WHO to have found a day for this special action, a day to create an awareness on hygiene and sanitation. This is indeed an issue which is as serious as Terrorism and corruption prevailing in our country today.

A quick search gave me a insight about this issue it is proven that 2.5 billion people worldwide are without access to proper sanitation, which risks their health, strips their dignity, and kills 1.8 million people, mostly children, a year.Because even the world's wealthiest people still have toilet problems - from unhygienic public toilets to sewage disposal that destroys our waterways.

There has been various issued raised on this in many local and neighbourhood papers, it also reminds that one of the issues of Mylapore Times carried a picture of a man using the temple corner to urinate and just after a week the entire corner turned to a nice garden.. Lots of controversies, debates on sanitation and hygiene, but it is an effort by itself which has to come within all of us.

Chennai is now going strong with Marathon and walks on beach to campaign various social causes, sponsors flooding their funds, Media going all out for coverage. Why not a marathon to create awareness in Sanitation and Hygiene.

Just a thought ran through, wish I had lot of support and funds, would definitely hold a 'Big Squat' Marathon. A thought process, if all of us could join hands on the Marina beach , the most wanted venue for walks and marathon today, squat for 5 minutes all together holding tissue papers with slogans printed on.

This could be definitely a good exercise though, but also unity in common posture to create awareness. Definitely my sponsor would be Manufacturers of Toilet cleaning detergents, Tissue papers, Sanitary ware stockists. Every 'Squat er' participant need to register with a fee of Rs. 50 each... (hot soup is served after the event to mobilise the intestine)

I'm sure with my experience in Fund raising and Pr, I would be able to collect a large sum, which is ultimately donated to the government to install clean toilets in public places, conduct forums and educated people on personal sanitation and hygiene.

Not a bad idea though, this was really passed on to couple of my close friends who promised to squat with me on this deal... Well there are also some interesting criteria to participate in this special event.

A BIG NO to Elders above 60 Plus, and children below 5 yrs.
Special guests and celebrites would be provided special ramp to squat.
'Hum Honge Kamyab' song would be played loud to cheer up the participants.
Each participant would carry a memento of a WC sponsored by House of Parry Ware' as token of participation.

This is a issue which is common to all irrespective of caste, creed, sex, or status, and one which brings all of us together universally, is indeed a special occasion today, to talk about this.

Happy Toilet day... I need to wind up, all set to clean up my toilet this day.

All souls day - A soul from Mylapore

Nowadays, my focus's is more on 'Zero Figure' project. Going back to my good old hub for a workout is really very solacing. My earlier experience with 'Dimenssions' fitness studio, as an employee and today as a member, is an experience of seeing two sides of a coin. Ageing fear is already set in me so my body is being pampered to the fullest extent and my degree as a Dietitian is getting handy now.

Driving back home after a healthy schedule from 'Dimenssion' gave me a different Dimensions to life when I passed the most narrow road of Myalapore. The 'St.Mary's road'which is always under repair, couple of drive would directly lead to the Mortuary which is located there.

Mylapore for that matter apart from turbulent streets, water clog, is a place of religious unity.. Just within a cir cum of 2kms radius is located the most famous and oldest Shiva Temple, Catholic Church brushing the sea side, and the Mosque, which I always wanted to get in and see for myself. Populace of each religion celebrate their respective festivals and so far no differences is seen.

2nd Nov, the younger genre immediately think of Bollywood star SRK's birthday, and my family think of my daughter's birthday which falls of the same day but on this same day, the Christians in Mylapore throng the Mortuary to mourn on "all souls day' in other words, the day of the dead..

My eyes turned, when I saw street hawkers selling flowers, fruits, trinkets, balloons, tea and coffee stalls. Now the RTO office being shifted just opposite to the mortuary indeed added to the number of vehicles parked. Families dressed to their best walked in groups to pay homage to the dear and near departed souls. My curiosity killed me, and just parking my two wheeler - (astonishingly there was a parking assistant also collecting parking fee)I joined the crowd but did not have a clue what to do. Dressed in my work out clothes did turned many heads on me. The whole mortuary was dressed beautifully with flowers, cleaned thus gave this deadly place a lot of life. Lot of families also met there to exchange pleasantries.

A nice thought, though to remember departed ones universally. I was visualising on all mortuaries at one go to get a make over. Driving back home through Mada street, I saw mamis and mamas dressed in their best walking with pooja items into Kapali Temple. Quite an odd and extensive crowd, not sure what was happening. My sweat did not allow me to get into the temple, and checked with one of the traffic police on the occasion. This day, lord Shiva is given a special Abhisekham of food 'Anna Abhishekam'. All kinds of fruits, vegetables, cooked food, sweets offered by devotees is poured on Lord Shiva. Should be a great treat to the eyes and the nostril.

Only thought crossed into my mind, what ever the religion be it, at one end of the street is people thinking of departed souls going to heaven and the other end god is worshiped in a different form. It is irony that every human being is thinking and worshipping god in different forms, whether it is departed good soul or a stone figure like Lingam.

Hoping one day, there would be just one universal god, a day to think of all departed ones who have had contributed to this world in some form or the other. All those who are lying silent in the mortuary would have been human to have given their best to this society and fellow beings, and now being the messenger of god.

Wishing lot of peace, love and friendship amongst people in the years to come. Doing good to human, wishing good for people, helping needy and fellow beings, is getting near to god, and not thronging temples, mortuaries for a day and occasion.