I wrote a short blog article stating "A vision and mission statement serves as a beacon that directs a think tank to develop purpose and values" in the Meghalaya Monitor. https://meghalayamonitor.com/vision-and-mission-statements-tools-for-efficiency-of-a-think-tank/
Friday, April 19, 2024
Tuesday, January 9, 2024
Musings, Anecdotes and Experiences
Yes, my book is out. "Musings, Anecdotes and Experiences-Compilation of Articles on Research Communication, Policy Engagement and Communicating Data". If you want a copy kindly send me an email to annaravi.consultant@gmail.com.
Friday, December 22, 2023
Remembering Z
Dear Z,
We played carrom
board, watched Film Fare awards and you also introduced me to English pop
music. I remember you taped several songs/genres for me, effortlessly several
afternoons. Neither of us had a tape recorder but managed to use one from one
of our neighbours.
You were a son to me and an older brother to Rohit-took him for his haircut on several occasions, baby sat him often. In fact you were like an older brother to several of the children I knew and used to come to my home.
I could not
have done the workshops at Bal Bhavan without your support and patience. All
the kids used to love you and look forward to spending time with you. I believe
your tutoring in badminton led some of the kids to win prizes in tournaments.
You have
interacted with my mother-in-law, played carom with her, interacted with my
parents too. I remember my mom used to call you Xerox and Faiaaz as Fax,
since she could not pronounce both your names.
You have gone too soon my friend, we may have not interacted a lot in the last few years. But whenever we spoke it was fun, laughter and happy times.
I will miss
you and was hoping to meet you in Vadodara next month to eat the yummy akuri (I
still can’t make it as well as you despite your training) and of course dhansak
(which I refused to learn since I wanted to only eat what you made).
I am sure
you will always hover around Dee and Zahan and Murphy-3 lovely people who had
you in their life.
Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Musings Anecdotes and Experiences: Compilation of Articles-Personal Reflections
Musings, Anecdotes and Experiences
If you would like to buy a copy kindly send me a mail at annaravi.consultatnt@gmail.com.
Thursday, June 29, 2023
Lisboa-a place you can visit and should revisit
My Personal Experience and Enjoyment
We flew from Gatwick Airport (since we were in the UK) and the flight duration was short.
The momnt we landed in Lisboa I had to have my pastel de nata (Portuguese custard tart) at the airport, while the family was retrieving the luggage. Historically, the pastel de nata was made by Catholic monks even before the 18th century. It is told that egg yolks were used as starch for clothes and the left over yolks were made into custard and tarts, by priests and nuns. However, post the Revolution in 1820 the pasteis da nata was sold by nuns and priests to earn money. But soon a sugar factory bought the recipe and established the Fábrica de Pastéis de Belém in 1983.
We reached the hotel and took some rest. The next morning, we went walking on the Avenidade de
Liberdidade, the avenue was built between 1879 and 1886 and is modeled after the boulevards in Paris. It became the address for people from upper class and the creation was a landmark in the Northwards expansion of the city. During our walk and we saw that the roads are dotted with several statues. The pavements known in Portuguese as calçada portuguesa or calçada (tiny square stones) and is made of limestone. They are hand laid and represent black and white waves ad include symbols and images of animals.
We then went and had lunch at Timeout market which is the is the first market in the world where the food has been chosen, tested and tasted by food critics and journalists. It sprawls over 32,000 sq. ft. with 900 seats and has 26 restaurants & 6 kiosks. Being a vegetarian fortunately we could get food.
The next day we visited The Belém Tower (Torre de Belém). It was built between 1514 and 1520 by Francisco de Arruda, a Portuguese architect and sculptor in the Manuelino style. It was classified as a World Heritage Site in 1983 by UNESCO. The Belém Tower is built on the northern bank of the Tagus river today it serves as a light house and customs house.
Thursday, November 5, 2020
The Denture Experience
I had been
suffering from tooth ache for some time and hence decided to visit my dentist.
She asked me to take a dental x-ray and I was shocked to see the condition of
my teeth. Dr. S advised me to extract all my teeth which of course shocked me. Professionally
I am a trainer and a communicator and I am expected to be communicating (orally
a lot of time) with stakeholders and professional acquaintances. So it hit me as
to how am I going to look toothless? Will I be able to speak? How will I look? To
top it all I had a couple of important events (thank fully virtual events).
The whole
process took around a month. I remember that I had speak to the dentist, Dr. S
to understand the process. She painstakingly explained to me the entire
procedure and took into consideration my professional work too. Thank you for
that Dr. S.
So the 1st
step was to see how many teeth will be removed at a time and how do we phase it
out. Dr. J who extracted my teeth was a gentle person. I used to shout in pain,
sometimes be dramatic (I think). The fun started when I had to be conscious
that I did not have any teeth. I remember that I had to blow away the cream
from my coffee and when I tried doing it, no air come out 😀. So
I had to use a spoon to remove the cream.
A lot of
time I used to put tooth paste on my brush and then realised that there were no
teeth to brush.
Then came
the next phase to take the impression (we had to wait to ensure that there were
no lesions or ulcers). Dr. M was a kind and patient person.
Impressions
were taken then fitting and some minor adjustments (what is called as filing). Thank you to all the doctors and Shoba.
I am now getting
used to the dentures. I can proudly say that I managed to participate and speak
(almost normally) in 2 key events in our organisation.
Moral of
the story: Don’t take things for granted, take care of yourself as much as
possible.
Friday, April 10, 2020
Swiss Tales-a Road Trip
the house was closed, but we managed to catch a glimpse of the house (from the outside). It is located in the center of the Old City at Kramgasse 49around 200 meters from the Clock Tower (Zytglogge
Fact Sheet
·
Better
to have a car and drive around
·
Air
BnBs are good and cost anything from 350 swiss franc to 500 swiss franc for
3 nights and 4 days
·
Take
lots of warm clothes (layers, if possible), a good pair of walking shoes
and an empty water bottle (water is one of the most expensive drinks in
Switzerland!)
|