Rahul Shrivastava's Blog

Chemistry and IFS (Indian Foreign Service)

Chemistry has taught me that:

Living in a variety of places provides you abundance of opportunities to improve yourself.
Life in the IFS is much beyond protocol and alcohol.
Never reach your boiling point at work.
Bond well not just with your bosses but also with your peer group and subordinates.
Hard work + Perseverance (catalyst) = Good results (mostly)
Don’t let age dilute your enthusiasm.
Ignore the bad elements.
You can’t do everything on your own. Learn to work in a group.
Faraday’s law of IFS - The efficiency and output of a Mission/Post is directly proportional to the leadership qualities of the Head of Mission/Post.
If you apply too much of heat, you may be burnt the most.
Current status may not be an indicator of the person’s capability.
Sometimes a huge task may require negligible joules of energy; other times, a simple task may require infinite joules.
Geographical rotation for postings abroad has a good levelling effect.
It doesn’t matter where you are but what you do.
IFS provides a natural abundance of opportunities to serve the nation.
Wide exposure in the IFS helps you expand your personal orbit, too.
Nothing guarantees that you’ll only have good phases in life.
Quantum theory of IFS: It doesn’t take long for those in a false vacuum to tunnel to their true vacuum state.
If you think you’ve reached your goal when you joined the IFS, get prepared to rust.
You determine your solidity, not your environment.
The biggest constant is also a transition.
Uncertainty need not be always bad.
Don’t increase your volume, improve your argument.
Not all fires can be extinguished by water.
Your post, power, status are only your xtensive properties.
Your yield may not be always in proportion to your talent and input.

And;

Chances that you’ll get to use in the IFS what you learnt in hardcore Chemistry is (absolute) zero.

A Menu to Remember

Amazonas was the last regional visit I went on before I completed my tenure in Venezuela. It was not easy to reach the Capital, Puerto Ayacucho. In one place, our car had to be transported across a river on a barge since there was no bridge. I was welcomed warmly by the Governor, who accompanied me throughout the visit. On the second day, he took us out to a culinary-institute-cum-restaurant, which specialised in indigenous recipes. Amazonas is home to various indigenous groups, which have retained their customs and culture.

For appetizer, we were served deep-fried tarantula legs and cutlets made out of tarantula (Araña mona del Amazonas venezolano). The main course had a dish made out of weevil larvae (Gusanos de moriche). Another had wild ants (bachaco culón). The chocolates, too, were ant-flavoured. The pineapple was the sweetest and smallest I’ve ever eaten. The Governor said that Amazonas is the real home of pineapple. None of the other fruits that I tried had I seen earlier. In all, it was a meal, where almost every dish that was on offer was something that I had never seen before.

Surviving Russian Winter

There is one basic difference between those who are natives of cold countries and those who aren’t - the former don’t think much about the cold weather. Long, freezing winters are as much a part of their lives as sunshine for an inhabitant within the tropics.But, yes, those from cold countries such as Russia have certain systems and practices in place which help them survive the cold winter. Some are institutional and some personal.In Russia, preparation for winter starts in late autumn when the central heating system goes into annual maintenance to be ready in time for winter. Cold and hot water supply is available throughout the year. Outdoor, the pipes are well insulated to prevent water from freezing. Houses, which are not part of the central system, have their own arrangements.On the personal front, warm clothes are taken out. For late autumn, there is one level of warm clothing. For early winter, another. And for the deep and dark winter, yet another.Once a while, Russians go to Banyas (saunas) - a public one if there isn’t one at home. it is believed that Banyas open skin pores, detoxify the body and improve blood circulation.Russians are not very fond of vegetarian food and this habit can go to extreme levels in winters. This is topped with the much loved vodka, home-made wine and tea.Outdoor recreational activities change their nature but don’t stop. Winter sports are as popular in Russia as summer sports. Football is replaced by ice hockey, roller skating by ice skating and cycling by skiing.Almost every Russian family takes a regular sojourn in winter to a warm sea coast to compensate for the lack of sunshine.Image source: mk.ru

Start doing this early in life

Start exercising regularly. It’s an investment. Your body will thank you for treating it well when you were younger. Better to spend more time in the gym than in the hospital.Plan your life after retirement. Buy a health insurance plan early. Develop a skill, which will keep you occupied when you leave your job.Start travelling. As your savings increase, you can explore places farther off. With age, your willingness and stamina to travel may decrease.Learn to cook, drive and do household chores. You won’t have to depend on anyone.Put aside a portion of your earning as saving. You’ll feel more confident to spend if you are prepared for the rainy day.

Some old forgotten Indian dishes

Mughals brought Persian, Turkish and Central Asian cuisine into India. Most of the dishes that were cooked during Mughal-era have survived except some such as the ones below:Qabooli, a type of pulao was made with rice, Bengal gram, apricot, basil, almond and curd. It was the favorite dish of Aurangzeb, who was a vegetarian.Khichdi Dawud Khani, another Mughal recipe, had meat, moong dal, pureed spinach, egg, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, saffron, onion, ginger, coriander, garlic, oil and salt as ingredients. Half the meat was prepared as yakhni (meat broth) and rest was minced and cooked separately. Later, the meat was combined and cooked in a sealed pot (dum dahad).Qaliya Nargisi was an Indo-Persian dish made from rice, meat, leafy vegetables, onions, ginger, coriander and ghee. Beets, carrots or parsnips and lentils were also used.Mahi Naranj was a Mughal-era dish made out of fish and orange.

Memories of Moscow

Moscow is a very green city. However, it has places which are greener than usual. Vorobyovy Gory (Sparrow Hills) is one such place. The Hills overlook River Moskva (Moscow) and are full of birch, oak, aspen, maple and linden trees.When I arrived in Moscow in 2001, I lived not far from Vorobyovy Gory. In summers, during weekends, my favourite pastime was getting myself something to eat from Rostik’s (then Russian equivalent of KFC) and heading to Vorobyovy Gory. I’d sit on the velvety grass and look at life going by leisurely in front of me. A steamer would appear at one end of River Moskva. I would keep looking at the steamer slowly moving down the River till it would disappear at the other end. Young and carefree boys and girls would cycle and skate on the road between the Hills and the River. One could get a good view of Moscow across the River, too. When I’d get tired sitting, I’d lie down looking at the blue sky above, birds chirping on branches and leaves swaying slowly in the breeze.During my second stint in Moscow, I made it a point to go to Vorobyovy Gory once a while. During nights, too, one can get a picturesque view of Moscow from the top of the Hills.When life gets busy in Moscow, Vorobyovy Gory is a great place to unwind. It’s very much in Moscow, yet far away from the din and commotion of the city.Photo source: Авторский журнал Виктора Борисова

A substance that's ruining our lives

It can raise blood pressure and increase chronic inflammation, both of which lead to heart disease.It increases the risk of esophageal cancer, pleural cancer, endometrial cancer and cancer of the small intestine.It overloads the liver, leading to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).It increases the risk of kidney disease, gout and dementia.If you get about 20% of your calories from it, you have a 38% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared with those who get about 10% of their calories from it.It is the strongest risk factor for diabetes.It can interfere with the way the body fights disease by causing an increase in bacteria and yeast in the body, thereby increasing chances of infections.It causes the skin to lose elasticity and leads to premature aging.It causes gum disease, mood swings, headaches, fatigue, affects cognition in children, increases stress, anxiousness and irritability, and takes the place of important nutrients such as vitamins A, C, B-12, and calcium.Its long-term over-consumption is linked to metabolic syndrome or MetS. MetS involves a cluster of symptoms (increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels) which, when present together, increase the chances of acquiring a chronic disease, such as diabetes, stroke, heart disease and liver disease.It is a silent-killer, the harbinger of the largest number of diseases and the leading cause of early death.Not a food by itself but an important ingredient of modern-day food. It has a sweet and innocent name. It is called added sugar.

Some countries that no longer exist

Here are some:The Republic of Salò or the Italian Social Republic was a German puppet state recognized by Germany, Japan and a handful of other countries that existed from September 1943 to May 1945. In July 1943, the Allied forces pushed Italy out of North Africa and Mussolini was arrested. Germany quickly intervened and seized control of the northern half of Italy, freed Mussolini and brought him to the German-occupied area to establish the Republic of Salo. The state was centered on Salò (hence its colloquial name), a small town on Lake Garda, near Brescia, where Mussolini and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were headquartered. The state came to an end with the surrender of German troops.Neutral Moresnet was a small Belgian–Prussian condominium (between present day Netherlands, Belgium and Germany) that existed from 1816 to 1920 and was jointly administered by the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Kingdom of Prussia. Belgium took over from Netherlands after 1830. When the map of Europe was redrawn at the Congress of Vienna in 1814–15, United Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Kingdom of Prussia both laid claim to the area of Moresnet because of zinc mine in the area. An agreement was finally reached that Moresnet would be jointly administered. The territory is now a part of Belgium.Czechoslovakia existed as a single country from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until its peaceful dissolution into the Czech Republic and Slovakia on 1 January 1993.From 1958 until 1961, the United Arab Republic (UAR) was a political union between Egypt and Syria. It was a step towards unification of the two countries to deter communism and unite the Arab world. Syria was not pleased with Egyptian policies. A coup took place in September 1961 and UAR ceased to exist.Yugoslavia came into existence in 1918 after World War I. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia were the six constituent republics of Yugoslavia and Vojvodina and Kosovo were two autonomous province. Croatia and Slovenia declared independence in 1991. Further break-up followed soon.East Germany existed from 1949 to 1990 until the unification of Germany.The Soviet Union (USSR) existed from 1922 to 1991.

Five don'ts I learned from others' life experiences

Have a life beyond life at work - A very senior colleague devoted his entire adult life to his office work. He had no passion but office work. The day he retired he asked his wife to make him a cup of tea by scribbling on a note-sheet (official paper used on files). He had no clue how to spend his time after retirement. He committed suicide after some time. Be sincere to your work. Love your work. But don’t make work your life.Make short term sacrifices for long term gains - While in college, a friend spent more time standing outside the girls’ hostel than in the classroom. The last time I heard of him, he was still struggling for a stable job. Don’t start having fun before it’s due.Take time to take life changing decisions - A colleague who joined the civil service in the same year as I did, left it after a few years to explore other territories. He realised soon that he had committed a mistake. He’s still trying to get reinstated in his civil service job. Don’t take major decisions in a hurry or while in a negative state of mind. Don’t forget to consult those you trust. In the end, take your own decision but only after you have considered all factors.Live your own dream - A colleague (doctor by education) joined the civil service because that was his parents’ life long dream. Not a day goes when he doesn’t think that he should have pursued a career in medicine. Don’t live others’ dreams. Life’s too short for that.Have empathy for others - A very senior colleague retired from the civil service after attaining the highest position. A week after retirement, when he had to come to his ministry on some work, no one helped him get a pass for entry into the building. He had rubbed everyone the wrong way when in position of power. Don’t make enemies when you can make friends.

Some Unbelievable Facts

The sun shrinks about one and a half metres every hour.If two pieces of metal touch in space, they get stuck together forever.Albert Einstein never wore any socks.The electric chair was invented by a dentist.Adolf Hitler was Time magazine’s ‘Man of the Year’ in 1938.The name of all the continents ends with the same letter that they start with.There are approx. 200 corpses on Mount Everest.More than 300 words in the 1996 Webster’s dictionary were misspelled.The US Navy is the second largest air force in the world. The largest, of course, is the US Air Force.