Inspiration Unlimited!

There is so much happening all around us each day......most of what we hear or read is quite depressing to say the least.Corruption,hatred,war,crime,revenge,rape,dacoity....all make up the daily headlines.It is a welcome change then, to know that there are efforts being made to bring happiness on the faces of people,to bring the much-needed change in society and more importantly to know that goodness does exist on the face of this earth.One such step towards spreading good cheer in Mumbai is the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon.This is a huge event that is much awaited for in Amchi Mumbai.I was excited to be a part of it for the first time as I participated not in the marathon itself but in a photowalk organised by Moments Shoot group at the said event.
Reached the venue by 6.30 am and waited for my photography pals.There were many events scheduled like the Half Marathon,Full Marathon and the Dream Run.We saw that there were restrictions to go near the start point and it was too crowded there too so we made our way towards the Hutatma Chowk where we stayed put to witness the whole marathon.The full marathon had already begun even before we reached the venue so we waited for the Dream Run.The place was buzzing with activity.Even at the CST station we had seen many participants and marathon enthusiasts moving towards the venue.There were many spots for drinking water lined up at the sides and many officials were on duty for the smooth running of the marathon.many people were lined up at the sides to cheer the participants as they ran past.
The Dream Run was on and we saw many corporate houses making their presence felt.They had a cause for which they ran and it was nice to see them try to make a difference instead of just making bucks for a change.the race was full of colour as they all were in colours of their company or in traditional attire.Some wore costumes that carried a message.Banners,hoardings,placards all had a message to share.At the dram run we saw the differently-abled do their bit with smiles on their faces.There were people on wheel chairs and the sightless being led along.There were also the ones with physical restrictions and cerebral palsy and even those with low mental age.All had joined in through their institutions or through the NGO that supported their cause.It was really inspiring to see them move ahead with their smiles intact.For us a walk or short run is so matter of fact and easy but they really made an effort to cover that short distance of 2.5 kms. What we take for granted,this so-called normalcy,can be elusive for some.We are really blessed and fortunate and yet we crib about things we don't have or cannot get.The golden oldies,the senior citizens joined in the Dream Run.It was so nice to see the grand dads and grand moms either running or briskly walking to catch up with the rest.They were keeping themselves and us entertained on the way by singing old songs and bhajans.A few were posing for us on seeing our cameras and shouting slogans.They were really enjoying themselves. to the fullest.We stood there and clicked many photographs and also saw the Full Marathon runners race back to the finish line.We saw some celebrities like Kalki Koelchin,Susanne Khan, Rahul Bose and Anil Ambani .John Abraham was there at the starting point so we did not get to see him.He had flagged the race on in the morning.After the race we made our way towards our favourite hangout,Kyani's and on the way we passed the ground where the participants were being given goodie bags and medals.It was truly crowded there and we had an idea of how huge this event was.The participants were posing with their medals on the stage erected there.There was happiness and a sense of accomplishment all around.We had our fill at Kyani's and left for home ,sweet home.
It was really inspiring to see the marathon.Earlier I had only heard and read about this great event and it was a great feeling to be a part of it this time.Never ever imagined it to be such a huge event!The event inspird me to participate in the marathon in the near future.I decided to run the Thane Marathon that was to be held in February 2015 at Hiranandani.I also registered for the same but unfortunately I could not transfer the registration charges so I had to back out of it.Anyway,there are many more marathons where I can actively participate.The next days newspaper was full of the marathon event and it was so nice to have seen so many of the participants and say,"Yes,I saw this person there!"Hopefully very soon I will be writing about my experiences as a runner at one of the marathons.

Mirror,Mirror,on the Wall........

Is it fair?
All over the world people are being influenced by the colour of one's skin.This is more evident in India where there is such a fascination for the fair(gora)look that people go to great lengths to make themselves fairer.This has been taken advantage of by the corporate sector which has come up with innumerable creams,lotions and soaps to make one 'fair and lovely'.So,as the majority of Indians perceive it,fair is equivalent to beautiful or superior while dark is ugly or inferior.Being dark-skinned myself I have often faced various taunts about my dark skin tone and have seen many occasions where people with fairer skin are shown preference or have berated others for being dark.
I thought it was a known fact that the skin tone was a result of the amount of melanin present in one's skin but then I guess most people are ignorant about the truth so they behave as they do.In the process the companies which have come up with the fantastic idea of fairness products are making a lot of money.Good for them!Sadly,the disparity on the basis of colour has led to many people with self esteem issues,if they have not learnt from their near and dear ones from the beginning that colour has nothing to do with ones personality or ability.
So,to make myself clearer to some morons who do not know why the colour of persons skin differ,I am copy-pasting verbatim a part from Wikipedia about the Human Skin Colour.It says:

Human skin color ranges in variety from the darkest brown to the lightest pinkish-white hues. Human skin pigmentation is the result of natural selection. Skin pigmentation in human beings evolved primarily to regulate the amount of ultraviolet radiation penetrating the skin, controlling its biochemical effects.

The actual skin color of different humans is affected by many substances, although the single most important substance is the pigment melanin. Melanin is produced within the skin in cells called melanocytes and it is the main determinant of the skin color of darker-skinned humans. The skin color of people with light skin is determined mainly by the bluish-white connective tissue under the dermis and by the haemoglobin circulating in the veins of the dermis. The red color underlying the skin becomes more visible, especially in the face, when, as consequence of physical exercise or the stimulation of the nervous system (anger,fear), arterioles dilate.

There is a direct correlation between the geographic distribution of UV radiation (UVR) and the distribution of indigenous skin pigmentation around the world. Areas that receive higher amounts of UVR, generally located closer to the equator, tend to have darker-skinned populations. Areas that are far from the tropics and closer to the poles have lower concentration of UVR, which is reflected in lighter-skinned populations.

When a whole lot of heroes and heroines from Bollywood films are joining the bandwagon and promoting fairness creams and lotions there are a few like Kangana Ranaut and Nandita Das who are doing their bit to stop the discrimination based on skin colour.Their efforts need to be applauded and it is time for people,especially Indians ,to realize that it is what's inside that really counts.Ability,strength of character,virtues alone make a person what he/she is and not his/her skin colour so we should stop judging others based on their skin tone.As film artists that so many thousands idolize and imitate,it is necessary for the likes of Shahrukh Khan,John Abraham,Asin,Deepika Padukone and others to act more responsibly and refrain from being a part of this fair is beautiful campaign.The advertising fraternity needs to be more responsible before it brings down the self esteem of so many who rate themselves according to their skin colour.They too have a moral responsibility towards the aam janta which is easily lured by these adverts.

Black is beautiful and so is white.Why differentiate ???

It is time we are more comfortable in our own skin colour.Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.Your attitude,ability,character and virtues say a lot more about you than your colour so work on improving them.

A kick in the rear to all the film stars who promote fairness products........

And a kiss to those who believe that beauty is more than one's skin colour.

And my last word on this topic.......(at least for now!)