It has been a long time since I have posted anything on this blog, and it is for that reason, and not much else, that I am writing or trying to. Actually, there isnt much to write about, and how nice is that? Can you imagine a life in which everything is so smooth, or dull, that nothing provokes you to write about anything. Then you know, that you are either extremely dulllll, the tamasik state termed by some, or in a sattvik state, when you wisely look through half the things that needle you to write as signs of your own shortcomings or immaturity, and gracefully brush them away. Aah, one can only imagine about that state:) hence the descriptions may be innacurate, and if not, then it is only ones luck that imagination meets reality. I am so happy I have already managed to write half a page, when I started out with nothing to say. Pure unadulterated blabbering, though it is boring to put it that way, since I have used this terminology before in my life and words.

On Sunday 30th March, at 1am, the time suddenly changed in London from 1am to 2am. This is a phenomenon, (this word must be Mallu!:)) that human beings in London and UK indulge in to save their daylight. This changed time is called daylight saving time, and the time now instead of being GMT is DST. (guess the abbreviation.)  or even BST - British Summer Time. This concept was invented by some Mr. William Willette (if my memory supports facts, readers really concerned about their facts can visit wikipedia) in 1907 because he thought human beings waste the precious daylight, sunlight sleeping, when they should be up and about enjoying the beauties of nature and its possibilities. The establishment of this change in time has been controversial right from the 'time' it was proposed with many people wondering if shifting time forward during summer really benefits economics (that is the underlying concern for most changes), or if its just a time pass gimmick that creates more confusion than anything else. So during the 1st world war time, Germany adopted this shifted time (I am guessing during spring and summer months) and before the war ended most countries did too (both friendly and enemy), and I wonder what led all of them to take up something started by Germany. That my wikipedia didnt tell me, and I didnt research it either.

Anyway America, though it adopted this DST thing during the war dropped it too, like a hot brick, and didnt re-adopt it till the 1960s. The British kept on debating about when and how, and Australia too took up the DST at some point in history.

So now instead of a difference of 5 and 1/2 hours between UK and India, its only 4 1/2. On Sunday and Monday, I was busy comparing the actual time as it was 2 days back and the light at that time of the day with time as it is now and the daylight one sees. It was amusing to see darkness take over the skies at 8:00 instead of 7:00, and waiting wives would feel less angry with their husbands working late with more daylight engaging them.

In late October, time would shift back again. But I dont understand why that needs to be done. I mean, the sun sets at 3:30 during winters in London. If time hadnt shifted back to GMT, the sun would have set at 4:30 and that would have meant more daylight isnt it? Maybe time just needs to move forward and stay there.

Till I read Wikipedia I thought Daylight saving would have a more scientific basis, somehow tied to solstices and equinoxes and mean something more. But now I realize it is just a way of enjoying more sunlight at a time more conventient. This shows how tied our brains are to the concept of time, and how meaningless it is too, when you try to think more than you can or should. For I remember in Singapore, 6:00 am was dark every day of the year, and the sun would start rising only at 6:45 to 7:00. There was never any sunlight before 7:30 or so. For them, 6:00 am is tied to darkness, while in India, 6:00 is dark during winters and it means lots of light during summers, and it is different in the mountains. In Britain, till the shift in time, right from mid-March there was light at 5:15 or 30, though now that happens after 6. And I wonder by what concept of time light of day was Brahm-Muhurat invented, that Hindu concept of the time when mind is freshest and one can feel the quiet vibrations of nature and quietitude.

But birds and nature doesnt follow and track these humanly time changes. Birds will sing and awaken and sleep when they see fit and not consult any mechanical device that keeps ticking and guiding them away from their natural instincts.

Now it is 2:00 pm and I am off to have lunch, which by the way is Aalu parotha, dahi and palak paneer, lovingly made from maa ke haath.