How far would you go to make money?

Would you put up your child on hire? To have total strangers look after your child in their environment and you get paid for it.

A baby, a toddler, a growing child right from infancy, needs and feels secure with a said routine, a familiar place with familiar people, technically the family. Not strangers, not a strange place, irrespective of the fact that it is the parents who have introduced them to the kid or that the parents are always there in the background. It is the parents job to be a parent and not let some celebrity part of some show become parents for few days.

Imagine the emotional and psychological turmoil in the kid in such surroundings. I'm really shocked that such a show actually took off. And that there is so NGO opposing it. What is our health govt doing? Where is the so called moral police? Nobody finds this offensive?

All I can think of is the babies. They sure as hell look cute, all babies do. But their crying is not because of food or sleep its primarily cause they're insecure. Heck even as new parents, one does not know what a child is going through, why and what is it that is making them cry. how can it not break their parents heart. Is it cause they can't talk?

In case you are wondering what I'm talking about; just saw the promos of a new reality show on NDTV Imagine, Pati Patni Aur Woh. The show is about taking the relationship to the next level, to test if the celebrity couples are ready to take on the biggest challenge of their lives - Becoming Parents.

AfterGlow!!!

For some strange reason the rains have led to a nostalgia trip today. Downloading some of my old favorite numbers and receive an email from a close friend today, whose marriage is on the rocks and that is where it is going to stay unless a miracle happens. I don't even know how to comfort him... what do I say... what don't I say. Pray the second kid on the way will be the miracle for him.

And this song comes to mind, I can never get enough of listening to Afterglow by INXS. Followed their rock star hunt for a lead singer Rock Star: INXS. Sung by JD fortune, the now ousted lead singer, thanks to his substance addiction...what a waste of talent! When you have the music why does one need substance, I'll never understand. The lyrics seem really apt for my friend.

Here I am,
Lost in the light of the moon,
That comes through my window.

Bathed in blue,
The walls of my memory divides,
The thorns from the roses.
It's you and the roses.

Touch me and I will follow,
In your afterglow.
Heal me from all this sorrow,
As I let you go.
I will find my way
When I see your eyes,
Now I'm living,
In your afterglow.

Here I am,
Lost in the ashes of time,
But who wants tomorrow,
In between,
Longing to hold you again,
I'm caught in your shadow.
I'm losing control.

My mind drifts away,
We only have today.

Touch me and I will follow,
In your afterglow.
Heal me from all this sorrow,
As I let you go.
I will find my way,
I will sacrifice,
'Til the blinding day,
When I see your eyes.

Now I'm living,
In your afterglow [in your afterglow].
When the veils are gone,
As I let you go,
As I let you go.

Touch me and I will follow,
In your afterglow.
Heal me from all this sorrow,
As I let you go.
I will find my way
I will sacrifice,
Now I'm living,
In your afterglow.

Bathed in blue,
The walls of my memory divides,
The thorns from the roses.
It's you who is closest.

Pray things work out for you B.E.!

On Children by Kahlil Gibran

I came across this poem written by Khalil Gibran on Children in his book The Prophet.

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let our bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

This is how I would like to bring up my daughter, without imposing my expectations and desires on her. To let her be who she wants to be.

World AIDS Day

Its World Aids Day today. Though its been close to two decades since this dreaded disease was discovered, there is still no cure. Further in developing countries, people are still mis-informed and reluctant to discuss it. There is a social paranoia attached to AIDS & HIV. Today is not just about raising money but increasing awareness, fighting prejudice and improving education. HIV today is a threat to men, women and children. More and more children are being affected by it.

It is estimated that 2.5 million are currently living with HIV in India. People are still miss informed about the spread and infection. India's social constraints are its biggest stumbling block and to combat this Piya Sorcar, a doctoral student in Stanford's Learning, Sciences & Technology Design Program has come up with a unique way of educating the children without offending their parents and the government. Pria has initiated Interactive Teaching AIDS an animation based educational curriculum to teach HIV/AIDS awareness and their preventive strategies.

Educating people, increasing awareness cross all the economic strata of society is the first step. The theme for World AIDS Day 2007 is "leadership" highlighting the need for innovation, vision and perseverance in the face of the AIDS challenge. I hope that our leaders recognize the seriousness and urgency of the AIDS epidemic and show compassion to their people, to the people of the state and country.

But it is not only the leaders who can make a difference. We can too. Educate ourselves, open our hearts and examine how we can help. If you would like to do something right now, click the button on the right and join the campaign to stop AIDS in children.