Kuckoo and the Frog

Another mango season is here.  This is the season of "The king of fruits", as those fond of mangoes call it.  Many varieties of the fruit will flood the market in a few days. Advancement in transportation has made it possible for almost all varieties of the fruit to reach all corners of the country and the world.

Another election season is also here.  We are in the midst of one of the most fiercely contested elections of our generation.  The then familiar sound decibel levels of our younger days have made way for the modern cyber fights.  Internet, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc. have been used both imaginatively as well as brutally to further the prospects of the user's favorite candidates.  This is also one of the longest election process we have ever seen.  We were used to see a new government in place before the indelible mark put on the finger on the voting day moved out of our nails.  Those who voted in the very first phase of this election may not be able to see the mark on their fingers when their votes are counted and the new government takes its stance!

As the mango season and election have converged again, comparison with a similar situation four decades ago appears quite in order.  This is all the more apt in an environment where even the rare breed of civilized leaders are losing their cool and inventing lower and lower levels of words, phrases and jargons to castigate their rivals.

Forty years ago, mango and election season had similarly converged.  I had come home for the New Year festival Ugadi, from a distant place where I had started by work-life.  There was the usual noise of the loudspeakers outside the house, doing their job as part of the election campaign. In a corner of the house my younger sister was rehearsing a verse repeatedly for her forthcoming examination.  That election scene as well as the verse she was mugging up are relevant today.

The two candidates representing the major political parties in that election, belonged to the same dominant community in the region.  They both had many things in common, except age.  There was another interesting twist to the contest; the younger candidate was a disciple of the elder statesman and was an active canvasser for his success in the earlier elections.  Politics had now drawn them apart and the realities of life manifested sharply.  The elder stalwart did not retire to make way for the disciple since there was no retirement age for politicians.  The younger aspirant could not wait any longer and had to migrate to the other party to seek his fortunes.  The other party was looking for a promising candidate and he was the logical choice for them.  Thus the circumstances pitted the veteran guru against the young follower. Though the fight was close and strong, there was no bitterness between the two.  On the day of filing nominations, the junior went to the senior to seek his blessings.  The elder statesman blessed him and said that victory is his if either of them win.  "If I win it is my victory; if you win, it is my victory too!", he said smilingly. The campaign did not have any bitterness at the personal level.

A healthy campaign was followed by brisk voting.  The younger one emerged victorious.  The Guru had probably smelt the result. He was not present at the counting center when the results were declared.  The supporters of the winner had arranged for a public meeting to celebrate the victory of their leader.   But the winner urged his followers to cancel the celebrations. Instead of proceeding to the venue of the meeting, he went directly from the counting center to the house of the defeated guru and prostrated before him.  The guru congratulated him and urged his student to go ahead with the meeting as it was his duty to thank all those who worked for his victory. "There are no victors or vanquished after a democratic election", he declared and said the baton has passed on as per the wish of the people. The public meeting went on thereafter, but was a low key affair.

Now back to the verse my sister was busy mugging up.  It was about the Kuckoo and the Frog:

पक्वं चूतफलं भुक्त्वा गर्वं नायाति कोकिलः|  पीत्वा कर्दम पानीयं भेकः रट रटायते ||       

Pakvam chootaphalam bhuktvaa garvam naayati kokilaha, 

Peetvaa kardama paneeyam bhekaha ratarataayate!     

The Kuckoo bird feasts on the sweet juice of ripe mangoes and yet does not shout with pride or vanity. It only exudes with a sweet voice.  The frog drinks muddy and dirty water and yet continuously makes deafening croaking sound (called ribbit), as if it has achieved something great!

This election is not about Mangoes or Kuckoo birds.  It is only, unfortunately, reminding us of the frogs and their never ending ribbit.              

Quality of Life

What is “Quality of Life”?  It refers to the general well-being of individuals and societies.  It is often confused with “Standard of living”.  While standard of living is reckoned in the context of income and wealth, quality of life is perceived in the context of social environment, physical and mental health, opportunities for decent health care, education, employment, opportunities for achievements in life, social and cultural interactions etc.  Textbooks may give a variety of definitions for the term “Quality of Life”.  For a common man, quality of life ultimately means carrying on his life without running behind routine and mundane things. Running behind routine things cause undue physical and mental pressure and waste of time and money.  A society that treats every member of the community equally and fairly can be said to provide a good quality of life to its constituents.

Having observed the arrival of a newborn child in USA recently and how the system dealt with the various issues relating thereto, certain features were felt very striking and indicative of “Quality of Life”.  This is no value judgment or reflection on any other system and only an attempt to place the facts as they unfolded.

• The first welcome for the new arrival was six months before the birth of the child.  As soon as the employer came to know about the arrival of the child, the expectant mother was allotted a parking place closest to the main entrance of the building.  There was no necessity for her to arrive early at the office complex for finding a parking place near the main entrance, to avoid long walks to the workplace from the parking lot.  (This facility is provided by some of the employers).

• There was no need for an announcing the new arrival.  Mere parking of the car in the dedicated slot was enough for the colleagues to understand and congratulate her profusely.

• The hospital gave the telephone number to be called as soon as the first signs of labor were felt.  This call would keep the system at the hospital ready for further necessary actions, before the expectant mother arrived at the hospital.

• If the expectant mother is alone at home or there is no arrangement for taking her to the hospital, a call to the police or an emergency number would do.  The nearest police patrol car would pick her up from the house and drop at the hospital.

• Hospitals offer birthing and parenting classes to prepare the parents to receive the baby and attend to its initial requirements.

• Each patient is provided a room or shared room,  with all emergency medical facilities.  

• At the time of arrival of the newborn, father of the child is allowed in the OT.  He is provided with the necessary gear and would look like any other doctor on duty.

• Father of the child has the privilege of receiving the baby first, even before the mother!  He is offered the pleasure of cutting the placenta and initiating the first act in the growth of the child.

• The child is not burdened with a long list of prescriptions of medicines and drugs.  The only shots given are for immunizations as per the prescribed schedule. 

• Most employers welcome the baby with some gifts or welcome card as soon as the birth is communicated to them.

• Saturdays are reserved for special attention to sick children at hospitals.  This is to prevent mixing of normal kids with sick ones and to avoid infections.

• Dedicated telephone numbers are available at Hospitals for reaching incase urgent medical attention is required for the child.

• Feeding the child by the mother is encouraged.  Supplements like formula milk are used only when necessary.

• Parents have to fill a simple form giving details of names and address of the parents and name given to the baby, and submit to the hospital authorities.  Birth Certificate issued by the competent authority arrives in the mailbox within a week.  No need of repeated trips to the registrar’s office and no other requirement of formalities or applications. No registered mail and no need to wait for the postman.

•  In the next two or three days, Social Security Card of the newborn arrives in the mailbox.

• Parents can take the child to a local library or town hall and apply for a passport.  The library works till late in the evening and an appointment can be obtained for as late as 8.30 PM.  The formalities can be completed without applying for leave or going to agents to get an appointment at the passport office.  In a week’s time passport arrives in the mailbox. Again, there is no need to wait for the postman or visit the post office if the receiver is not at home during his visit.

• Thus, within a month’s time the child has its basic documents like birth certificate, social security card and passport in place.

• Use of child seat in cars is compulsory and safety of the child is given utmost importance.

• A sign on the car window, “Baby on board”, is respected by all motorists and due deference is shown to the car carrying the baby.

• Each residential area is assigned to a school district.  A child from the area goes to the designated school and there is no need for the parents to search for schools and pay hefty donations for a seat in the school.

• School buses have distinct yellow colors and traffic regulations provide special courtesy to such vehicles.  Speed limits are strictly followed and enforced.

• Priority in boarding of aircrafts, trains and buses is given to parents carrying small children.  This is not the courtesy of some kind-hearted human beings or at the discretion of the other passengers.  It is provided in the systems and the procedures are strictly implemented.  More importantly, nobody grumbles or interferes in their implementation.

• As the child grows, due importance is given for physical activities, sports and games.  All schools are provided large play-fields and attached infrastructure.

• Parents are provided certain relief in their income tax assessments for taking care of the child.  This is the government’s contribution for the welfare of the child. 

To sum up, a newborn is a welcome addition to the society and not treated as a burden.  The above measures and practices make a new arrival a matter of happiness and joy for the parents.  Such joy is shared by the society as well.  This is indicative of an important index of “Quality of Life”, from the very beginning of a new life.

Poisonous Tree; Fruits of Nectar

"Desire is the root cause of all evil" or "Suffering comes from desire" is a popular quote often made, taken from Gautama Buddha's teachings.  When we were taught this several decades ago at school, it was accepted without any questions asked.  As we grew up, with more and more desires flooding into our lives, desire became an integral part of our existence.  Renouncing the world, for the sake of reserving a better seat in the next one, is indeed a difficult choice.  All the more so when nobody has confirmed the definite existence of the next world.  All those who went to check this ultimate truth have either chosen to stay there or are still searching for it.  We also know the stories of renouncers who returned to earthly ways much before their pursuit of the next world reached the climax.  They probably decided to try out the adage "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush". Many streams of philosophy teach non-attachment and lay stress on the miseries brought on us by the life in this world.  There are some who declare that there is no other world and the one we live in is the ultimate truth.  Chaarvaks prescribe emphatically to borrow and enjoy (Runam krutva Ghrutam pibet - meaning drink (not just eat!) ghee even with borrowed money).  "Where is the question of returning of a dead body that is burnt to ashes?", they ask.  At some stage or the other, everyone feels the evil side of human life.

"Samsara" is a word that encompasses everything we come across in our lives; family life, earthly pleasures, wealth etc.  It is often said that this samsara is a poisonous tree and anything that comes from it can only be venomous and harmful. Is this really true?  Then what about all the pleasures that we enjoy during our life time?  The poison theory holds that though there are indeed some pleasures, ultimately they all end up in pain.  Is there nothing worthwhile that this tree offers us?  The answer is yes.  It is indeed a poisonous tree, but it yields two fruits of nectar.

The pleasure derived by exploring the literary treasure is the first fruit of nectar from the poisonous tree.   The accumulated knowledge stored in these literary works is like a fruit salad and their collective wisdom is the bowl of nectar.  Not all literature can be classified as fruit-like.  Some of the literature could be even more poisonous than the tree itself.  The literary works are to be segregated and those with lasting pleasures and taking the mind to a higher plane are to be identified.  How to identify such works could be the next question.  One's own experience and time-tested stature of the works could be the two guides in such efforts.  A good literary work is one which widen our horizons each time we dwell on it; more and more inner meanings open before us. Reading and contemplating on such literary works does indeed bestow the effect of nectar on us.  The delight of such an exercise is further enhanced when the knowledge gained is discussed and shared with like minded people. It is a matter of experience that such literary works have many dimensions; discussing with those well versed in such fields provides better insight into their content and application.

The word "Kaavyaamruta" used for this fruit is not just confined to written words only.  It is a collective expression for other forms of fine arts like music, dance, sculpture, painting etc.  "Creative arts" could sum up the meaning of kaavyaamruta. Here again the test of a good work would be the same; the ones that widen the horizons each time we dwell on them.

We meet thousands of persons during the course of our lives.  Naturally, each one is interested in his own issues.  There is hardly any time left for thinking of welfare of others.  Yet, we find some rare people who are devoted to the welfare of others, often at their own expense.  These are the blessed ones and any time spent interacting with them leaves us with a sense of elation.  This is all the more evident when compared with some others, interaction with whom leaves us always with a sense of disgust.  A wise man has to segregate the people around him into these two groups and attempt to spend more time with the blessed ones.  They stand out in a crowd and attract others without any apparent effort.  Company of such wonderful people is the second fruit of nectar offered by the poisonous tree.

This verse from SubhAshita Ratna BhAndAgara brilliantly sums up all the above:

संसार विष वृक्षस्य द्वे फले ह्यमृतोपमे | काव्यामृत रसास्वादः संगतिः सुजने जने ||   

Samsaara visha vrukshasya dwe phale amrutopame, Kaayaamruta rasaaswadaha, sangatih sujane jane!          

Inside the Boeing Factory

Boeing and Airbus aircrafts have ruled the skies and air travel is almost confined to using one of their planes. They are leaders and rivals in aviation industry. Who is the market leader? The answer is difficult to find due to multiple factors that are used to claim market leadership. Airbus claimed 53% market share in 2013. Boeing delivered 648 airplanes as against 626 by Airbus that year. Boeing's earnings were 51 billion US Dollars as against 38 billion US Dollars of Airbus. Due to the peculiar nature of the industry, it is difficult to pin point as to who is the leader. There are many factors for consideration; order book, revenues, aircrafts delivered etc. To a dispassionate observer it appears that both are equal market players and fierce competitors. Other aircraft producers are only fringe players. However, one distinct fact emerges from the comparison; Boeing is producing higher number of bigger planes whereas Airbus is producing more number of smaller planes.  Aviation industry needs both types, depending on the traffic in different routes and handling capacities of large, medium and small airports.

Boeing is the world's largest aerospace company since it also manufactures and sells satellite weapons, electronic and defense systems, launch systems and advanced technology solutions related to Aerospace industry. The aggregate earnings of all these products accounts for the higher revenues. The company is one of the largest employers in the world; over 170,000 people work for the company. 55,000 employees work at a single location, Everett near Seattle in Washington State, USA. Incidentally, the very first Boeing-747 manufactured was named as Everett. A visit to the Boeing factory in Everett is a wonderful experience to anyone interested in planes. Children simply love it.  And so do adults with a child's enthusiasm.

Boeing company provides an opportunity to visit its Everett facility and the tour is called "Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour". Booking can be made on-line or over phone and there is a guided tour every hour, each tour lasting about 90 minutes. Additional tours are provided to accommodate group visitors and peak time requirements. Admission charges are about 20 US dollars with discount for advance booking and youth below 15 years. The tour starts with a ten minute introductory film about the company in the auditorium adjacent to the booking office. Photography inside the factory is strictly prohibited. Arrangements are available for wheel-chair visitors as well.

The Everett factory situated 25 miles north of Seattle city is spread over 98.3 acres which is 12 acres bigger than Disneyland in California. Production area covers 472 million cubic feet. Its 55,000 employees work in three shifts on 365 days a year. The length of one production floor, through which the visitors are taken through, is nearly one kilometer and monthly production level is 10 planes in one floor unit.  The visitors are shown assembly of three models of aircraft from an elevated platform - Jumbo 747-8, 777 and 787 Dreamliner. A Boeing 747-8 has 6 million parts in it and yet the final assembly in this product line is done in 3 days! All activities are standardized and the name of the airline buying each of the planes is already painted on them during the assembly itself. Each production floor has three aircrafts being assembled at any given time. The planes being assembled are on slow moving pedestals and at the end of the third day the aircraft moves out and flies to the buyer's place. Each of these aircraft costs approximately 260 million USD to 350 million USD, depending on the model.

Boeing 747-8 is a wide bodied, twin aisled fourth generation jumbo jet and is a competitor to Airbus's A380. The four engined aircraft can carry up to 460 passengers depending on seat configuration. The aircraft with a take-off weight of 440,000 kilograms is used by airlines on long-haul busy routes like trans-Atlantic and trans-pacific flights. It can fly at a speed of 500 miles or 800 Kilometers an hour and is more fuel efficient and less noisy than its earlier versions.  One such aircraft flies between Bangalore and Frankfurt.

Boeing 777 is a wide body twin engine jet that can fly non-stop up to 17,000 Kilometers. It can carry 300 to 440 passengers at a speed of 600 miles per hour (about 950 Kilometers per hour). It is Boeing's first fully computer designed aircraft. It is also its first fly-by-wire aircraft with computer-mediated controls.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner is the latest aircraft from the Boeing stables. Its body is made of hardened plastic and fibre glass as against the traditional Aluminium bodies for other aircrafts. The material made of plastic and fibre glass is stronger than steel but lighter than Aluminium. Its shining surface gives a pleasant look and the travel in them is more comfortable. It is suitable for landing and take-off from mid-sized airports as well. The twin-engine long haul aircraft can carry 200 to 350 passengers.  Air India was one of the earliest users of the aircraft but the experience was not that pleasant due to technical and other reasons. Air India is now selling these aircrafts to repay long term loans.

The 90 minute tour through the Boeing factory last month was a thrilling experience and gave a true insight into aircrafts and aviation industry. At the end of the tour, the guide asked us in the group of about 50, as to who has traveled in each of these aircrafts. I was the only one who had traveled in all the three of them.Others too might have done so.  Only they might have not noticed them!   

Portland's Japanese Garden

The term "Pacific Northwest" is used with reference to the geographical region between the Pacific Ocean in the west and Rocky mountains on the east.  Oregon and Washington states of the United States of America and British Columbia province of Canada form the core geographical areas of the region.  Sometimes even Alaska and the northern mountainous regions of California are also included in this term.  The area has bountiful natural beauty with the Pacific ocean on the one side and the coastal mountains, Cascade range, Olympic mountains, Columbia mountains and the Rocky mountain range on the other.  The Mount Rainier National Park with the 14,410 feet high Mount Rainier in the Washington Cascades is one among the many tourist attractions in the area.  Columbia river that runs through the region and joins the Pacific ocean has cut a deep and wide gorge around the rim of the Columbia plateau and created many beautiful tourist spots.  It is said that after Mississippi, more water flows through this river in the entire country. Vancouver BC, Seattle and Portland are the major cities in the Pacific Northwest. Water bodies, hills and rich vegetation have made the area attractive to visitors. Many man made monuments and attractions have enhanced the places of tourist interest.

"Japanese Garden" in the city of Portland, Oregon is one such man made attraction for the tourists. Pacific Northwest has a large Japanese population and Portland is one of the centers that attracted Japanese in big numbers since the last decades of 19th century. Sapporo city in the Japanese island of Hokkaido is the sister city of Portland, Oregon. The Japanese Garden in Portland is made and supervised by the Japanese Garden Society of Oregon on a Not-for-Profit basis.  Proclaimed as the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan, the garden is formed in the west hills of the city of Portland. Spread over an area of 5.5 acres, the natural hilly slopes provide the setting for the garden.  The five distinct garden styles that constitute a typical Japanese Garden are blended here to give the desired effect of realizing a sense of peace, harmony and tranquility. The garden generates a feeling in the visitor of being a part of nature.  The garden aims to provide a living reflection of the history and traditional culture of Japan.

The layout of the garden is influenced by the Shinto, Buddhist and Taoist philosophies. The visual compositions of stones, water and plants provide a higher blend of aesthetic sense than meets the eye. The three essential elements of a Japanese garden are harmonized to provide the composite experience to the visitor.  Stones form the bones of the landscape with water acting as the life giving force.  The third element, plants, provide the tapestry on which the multiple colors of the seasonal flowers provide the final dimension.  Stones are used to give shape to the layout with well laid pathways and Pagodas, stone lanterns, water basins completing the visual effect.  Size of these visual aids is maintained in relation to human scale to give a feeling of being one with the nature.  Native trees that were existing at the time of creation of the garden are retained to enable blending with the natural view around the garden.  Carefully placed stone stepping along the pathway in wooden settings gives comfort while moving around in the garden.

The garden is basically divided into five parts; Flat Garden, Standing Pond Garden, The Tea House Garden, Natural Garden and Stand & Stone Garden.  The visual effect on the visitor varies with the seasons as each season brings with it its own flowers and colors.  The best time to visit is said to be when the riot of colors is displayed with the roses in full bloom.  Our visit was in winter and yet the garden gave its edition of wintery pleasure.  Each tree and plant in the garden was cut and trimmed appropriately and gave a view of perfection and aesthetic delight. The birds, fish and other small animals enhanced the natural beauty of the garden.

A wooden hall created within the garden provides place for exhibition of paintings, talk shows and lectures. Workshops for Bamboo Fence Building, Stone Pavement Making, Maple Pruning demonstrations and Pine Pruning are conducted here. A Kadomatsu workshop for preparing Japanese New Year decorations is also held for interested members of the society and general public.

Our visit to the garden last Sunday was on a rainy day.  Moving around in the garden appeared to be impossible when we started our journey towards the garden. Fortunately for us, the rain took rest for two hours just as we reached the garden and resumed as soon we finished our visit and returned to the parking lot.  Visit to the Japanese Garden in Portland will always remain a memorable experience.                        

Gifting problems and Gift Registry

"Man (that includes woman) is a social animal" was the first sentence in the Social Studies text book several decades ago.  It probably remains the same even now.  Being a social animal results in celebrating events in one's life with family members and friends.  Functions like marriage, house warming, baby shower, birthdays and anniversaries are very common and arranged regularly.  Hosts of such functions have to make elaborate arrangements to ensure that these functions are conducted smoothly and are remembered for a long time for the right reasons.  They have a long list of requirements and preparatory plans to ensure the success of the events. Selecting a suitable form of invitation and sending them to the guests is an integral and important part of the process.  Decision making on all these components is an enjoyable as well as a painful process for the hosts.

Once an invitation is received by the guest, the process starts at the other end.  The guest has to first decide whether he or she wants to attend the function.  If the decision is to attend, bachelors have no problem.  For those with a family, the next question is whether to attend alone or with family members.  Those with multiple families have multiple problems.  They have to decide which family to take to the event.  Once this is decided the next issue to be resolved is whether a gift should be presented.  Giving a gift is often an emotional action and involves a lot of feeling and planning.  Gift should be attractive, liked by the receiver and ultimately useful to them.  Fitting the item within one's budget is also a relevant issue.  Some carry gifts with them to ensure that others present at the event carry a good impression about them.  For them, the packet must be big though it contains a useless or cheap item. Even if the decision is not to honor the invitation by personal appearance at the occasion, a decision has to be taken to send a gift or not.  Then to send with whom or how?  The guest has to grapple with all these problems.

Hosts or receivers of the gifts have their own set of problems.  There was an ugly practice of noting down the amounts or items given with the name of the donors, several years ago.  Fortunately, it not seen nowadays. Problems of the hosts start with the transporting of the gift items received at the event place to their residence or place of stay.  Opening of the gift packets is itself an entertaining activity and attracts much attention.  Sifting and sorting the gift items leads to many interesting situations.  Receiving multiple numbers of the same item is one of them. Such items are often disposed off by gifting them to some other host when this host receives an invitation for the next event! There have been some funny instances where a gift given as a guest sometime ago is received back as a host sometime later! Then there are other items which the receiver does not know what to do with.  If the host is lucky, there can be many items which are welcome and indeed needed by them.

The problems enumerated above have been addressed and resolved to different extents by many different ways and means.  In our younger days, there would be an informal meeting of like minded relatives to dwell on the gifting issue.  Either funds were pooled and items were bought or a consolidated cash purse presented to enable the receivers to use it as they deemed fit.  Sometimes gifts were purchased from the pooled funds in consultation with the receiver, wherever possible.  Such items could be given privately to avoid the problems of carrying bulky items to the venue of the function.  Different  practices are used in other parts of the world.  In some countries of Europe, a bowl or box is kept to enable the guests to drop envelopes with cash. Those desiring to remain anonymous can drop an envelope without the giver's name. Present day solutions are handing over an envelope containing cash or giving gift cards.  Gift cards are becoming more popular.  Carrying them is easy and they can be sent by mail as well.  Receivers can buy the items of their choice and at their convenience.

"Gift Registry" is a modern solution to all the problems of giving and receiving of gifts or presents.  Companies like Amazon, Target, Macy's etc. have a system of providing solution to the problem as well as enhancing their own sales. The system works as under:

• The host (a bride or an expecting mother) prepares a list of all the items required and suitable for receiving as gifts.  The list of items is then placed on the website of the company which is appropriately called as "Wedding Registry" or "Baby Registry" etc. 
• The items may be for any amount, say from one dollar onwards and there is no limit for the maximum amount.
• Items in the registry can be deleted, modified or additions can be made. There is also provision for managing the registry jointly, say both parents or bride and the groom.
• Companies like Macy's also provide for visiting their stores, selecting the items, getting them scanned and getting a registry prepared as per the scanned bar codes of the items.
• Once the registry is in place, its availability is advised to the relatives, friends and colleagues by word of mouth, mail or phone.
• The word spreads and those willing to gift the items view the list on the website of the company.
• The giver chooses an item from the list, makes payment to the company over internet, through credit or debit card or other acceptable payment method, from the comfort of their homes or offices or even while flying at an altitude of 40,000 feet in a plane.  Company delivers the item at the doorstep of the receiver.
• Both the sender and receiver can track the movement and delivery of the item.
• Once a item in the list is taken by someone, the item gets blocked and thus duplication of gifts is avoided.
• If the item is available at an alternate source at lower rates, the sender can purchase there and get it delivered directly.  When such arrangement is made and advised to the company, the item is blocked in the registry.
• When the period for registry is about to expire or the event nears, the person creating the registry can buy the other items to complete the requirements.  Companies offer attractive discounts on the final purchases so made.  Otherwise the remaining items can also be allowed to lapse.
• Registry allows universal donors (from anywhere in the world!) and anything from anywhere as available on the websites.
• If the item is not satisfactory to the receiver, it can be returned free within the stipulated period.
• A "Thank You" list is available to the receiver to thank all the contributors to the registry purchases.
• Companies also have advising teams, available on line, to assist those who require help to use the registry system. 

Registry system thus provides solution to problems of giving or receiving gifts and prevents gifting problems.              

Headwinds and Tailwinds

The line before security clearance at Philadelphia International Airport was quite long on Monday morning and growing by the minute.  As it was the first working day after a long weekend and New Years day celebrations, all morning flights were fully booked and everyone was in a hurry to get cleared through the security gates.  It appeared that my flight may be missed due to delay in clearance as there were dozens of others ahead of me.  A good samaritan helped clearance of passengers for flights taking off in the next few minutes on urgent basis and I was the last passenger to board our flight.  As I squeezed into my seat between two other passengers, take-off was announced.  "Even the darkest cloud has a silver lining", they say.  That was true here as I was spared the usual long wait at the boarding gate.

The pilot announced that the flight to Seattle on the Pacific coast would take five hours and four minutes.  As the aircraft took-off and started gaining altitude, the person sitting on my side asked me what the time was.  When I replied that it was 7.50 AM,  he said "See, the flight is already 20 minutes late.  Time table says the flight takes six hours.  Pilot says it takes five hours and four minutes.  How it is possible?  I do not understand".  He appeared frustrated and I felt it was better to leave the issue at that instead of explaining the situation to him.  I was actually happy that the flight was 20 minutes late or else I may have missed it.

What my fellow passenger did not realise was that we were the luckier lot as our flight was not cancelled, unlike thousands of flights from cities like Chicago and St. Louis.  North America is reeling under the effect of a phenomena called by meteorologists as "Polar Vortex" and described as "Polar Pig" by the media.  Polar Vortex has brought down the temperatures to as low as minus 50 degrees celsius in some areas.  Airport operations are hit as aviation fuel froze in the sources and the crew were unable to fill aircraft tanks.  Many inches of snow has rendered venturing outdoors a high risk idea. Schools are closed and people have been advised to stay indoors.  In many cities driving has been banned except in emergency situations. Icy roads and sidewalks have made journey on the roads treacherous.  We were at least airborne and on our way though the pilot warned us of a bumpy ride, in his own very polite language.  Despite this, journey by air was far more safer than on the icy and windy roads in life threatening temperatures.

How does the actual flight time happen to be much lower than the time displayed on time tables?   Timetables refer to terminal-to-terminal time while pilots refer to actual flight time between take-off and landing.  Transport operators, whether by road, rail or air, usually provide a cushion for the unexpected delays that may take place during the actual travel.  On time arrival at destinations is one key performance parameter for transport and airline companies.  A slightly extended journey time provides buffer to absorb unexpected delays in starting time and delays on the way.  Hence the arrival of the destination would be as per schedule despite slight delays at the starting point.  The on time performance figures are thus protected and make for good reading and publicity.  In the case of airlines, there are also likely delays due to clogging of runways and weather related issues.  If the take-off is on schedule and everything else also goes fine, arrival at the destination may even be before scheduled time.  Besides this, scheduling flights this way make further utilization of the aircraft more scientific and practical.

In the case of air travel, wind factor is a key influence in the actual journey time.  "Head wind" and "Tail wind" are two components that affect the duration of the flight.  A headwind is a wind blowing against the direction of the travel and a tail wind is a wind blowing in the direction of the travel.  In the case of aircrafts, headwind has the effect of decreasing the speed of the plane whereas the tailwind adds to its speed.  Journey in the air with tail wind is, therefore, faster than journey with a headwind.  For this reason, actual time of journey between two places in the same direction may vary on different days and even at different times on the same day.  Proverbs in different languages to take advantage of the direction of the wind blowing have been in use for a long long time.  Of course, our politicians have mastered this art perfectly.

Air traffic controls and pilots use the concept of headwind, tailwind as well as cross-wind to advantage in their operations.  Take-offs and landings of aircrafts are scheduled on different runways (in airports with multiple runways) providing headwinds as a headwind is favorable for both take-off and landing.  Tailwinds are favorable when the aircraft is in flight.  When we are engrossed in our own world while traveling, experts at ATC and pilots are busy with all these details.  Thanks to their continuous efforts, air travel is far more safer than travel on the land.  Many may not agree with this but that is what the truth is.  An aircraft tragedy attracts all the more attention and the fear associated with air travel is more in minds than in reality.  Modern aircrafts take every contingency into account and safety standards are upgraded from time to time.  Any accident that happens is like any other mechanical failure and despite all these safety efforts.

While I was contemplating all these issues, the pilot announced landing at Seattle-Tacoma airport five minutes before the expected arrival time.  Despite warnings of the bumpy ride made by him at the time of take-off, the flight was very smooth except for the initial half hour.  The aircraft had left all the cold weather behind and moved to the much warmer western coast.  My co-passenger who expressed his annoyance on the twenty minute delay in take-off was unaware of all these and lost in his wonderful sleep along the entire flight.  He did not get any sweet dreams, I am sure of that for he did not smile even once in his sleep.  I had to nudge him to wake him up as I had to pass him before getting off the plane.

Many thanks to the weathermen who are now able to predict changes in the weather so accurately and the ATC staff and airline crew.  They make air travel a lot safer though it often goes unnoticed.