Annapurna I at sunrise.

My Trip to Nepal: Land of Mountains, Jungles and Temples (part 1)

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Nepal, the land of high mountains, secluded valleys and dense jungles, has always held a fascination for mountaineers, trekkers and adventurers seeking an escape from their humdrum daily lives. Geography has indeed blessed this land. It hosts some of the highest peaks in the Himalayas to its north and hot and steamy jungles of the Terai to its south. It has swift clear rivers suitable for rafting, challenging peaks for mountaineering, soaring thermals for paragliding and verdant jungles for wildlife viewing. Having a wild, adventurous streak in me, I had always secretly dreamed of a Nepali adventure. On a trip to Kolkata in December 2014, I finally turned that dream into reality.

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In Defense of Leisure

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What makes a person happy?

I grew up watching my father leave for work every day in the morning and return in the evening. He worked hard, paid for the schooling of two children, built a house for his family and, in time, retired. I watched him transition smoothly and happily into retirement. He would sit on the porch, play with his grandchildren and leisurely watch the world go by. He had a peaceful, beatific look on his face. That picture remained with me. To me, ‘retirement’ is associated with peace and happiness, of a life well lived.

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The Wall of Kindness, Migrants and Us

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The agreement between the EU and Turkey regarding refugees has gone into effect and the first boatload of 202 deportees has made its way from Greece to Turkey. Europe has sent a signal, loud and clear, that it is using stricter criteria for granting asylum to refugees. This has succeeded in arresting the flow of migrants towards Greece. But Greece still has to care for the thousands already there and it is ill equipped to do so. Here is a simple humanitarian way to help them, with a wall. Sounds paradoxical? This is not a wall that divides but a wall of kindness.

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The European Refugee Crisis: In search of the real Solution

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Pictures of women and children huddled together in crowded boats or in pup tents in a stinking muddy field in Indomeni, Greece or pressing againt razor topped fences are routinely seen on television and social media. So what have we achieved since the picture of Alan Kurdi who drowned in the Mediterranean trying to cross from Turkey to Greece galvanized the world and prodded the heads of state in Europe to wake up and belatedly act?

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My Experience with the Affordable Care Act: the Good, the Bad and the Doable

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Mid-November 2015. It was time to negotiate the maze for signing up for health insurance through the health insurance marketplace (www.healthcare.gov). Am I a fan of the system? No and yes. Last year I had to sign up via phone (the website could not verify my identity). That was in Nov. 2014. My identity is now verified but I still cannot, a year later, access my 2015 application on the website. There is no explanation. So, imagine my angst when I went to sign up for my 2016 enrollment online. But, the system was merciful (or my karma was good this time, never question good fortune). My application went through smoothly. I heaved a sigh of relief.

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