Chhenapoda.com : A Prequel
June 9, 2010 by rooturaj
Filed under Friends, Social Media
Me and some friends form my native state of Odisha recently planned to bring up a group blog to highlight Odia issues and keep the Odia (Oriya) community update with latest news that concerns us. I would take this opportunity to thank Miss Nivedita Dash (Journalist) and Mr Suraj Harichandan (Banker) to have helped me conceptualize the idea and helping me choose the domain name. A big Thank You to Mr GopiKanta Ghosh (Eminent Author) , who induced me into planning this new community blog. The initial idea was to reawaken the great souls of Orissa among each of us.
The first step was to Book a domain name. It needed a fair bit of brain storming from me and my friends of course. We needed something that could appeal to the Odia heart. It needed to be small and easy to remember as well. I was looking at something like rottentomatoes.com or tacobell.com. The final list included phatamathia (cracked vessel), khataamba (sour mangoes), sajapakhala (fresh water rice) and chhenapoda (a sweet cheese cake). May be to your pleasure or to your disappointment we finalized chhenapoda.com to be our blog domain. It won hands down as the unanimous choice and people had the following opinion about the name.
- It is a prized domain.
- It is a nostalgia associated with Odisha that is both yummy and traditional.
- If you are an Odia you cannot forget the name.
- Irrespective of Sex, Age and Region it is has an appeal hard to put down.
- It is the pride and symbol of Odias.
I will like to share with you a few funny incidents while booking this particular domain. Suraj suggested the name chennapoda.com while I was thinking it should be chenapoda.com. Both the domains were available and both the words are in popular use. In a hurry we booked chennapoda.com but as it appears the right spelling is chhenapoda as we can see on Wikipedia. Their title says Chhenna poda though. Now I am dead sure it should be chhenapoda – the right spelling of the Oriya sweet dish. So we got this domain too. Two is better than one, what say?
Image Credits - oriyafoods.blogspot.com
On the Wikipedia entry I came across an interesting fact. It seems there had been a big fight over ownership of the Rasogolla brand as a state’s intellectual property. I mean the Rasogolla as a brand entity not the recipe. Odisha lost to West Bengal on that front but they are adamant not to lose this trade name to another entity. But it’s sad that the State Dairy Corporation (OMFED) that is leading the fight is not very sincere about it. I mean if you are aiming at getting the ‘Chhena Poda’ trade name all to yourself then you better get the related domain names as well. Don’t tell me you are a bunch of old fools who are diabetics and can’t even enjoy the delicious sweet, forget fighting for it. IT literacy in the state capital is pretty good but the top officials are expired products and should be done away with. Let the Youth lead for a change or at least consider the youth opinion.
There might be a time when the state diary corporation might come running after my neck for the domain or something. I am going to be well prepared.
I hereby request all Odias and patrons to help us by contributing to the group blog. More information on it to follow…stay tuned.
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For I was Lukewarm and blinded by awards and prizes
I have, for most of my life, lived a lukewarm life so far. Only at moments does the intensity fuel the fire and passion. I have sometimes also been blinded by the awards and prizes which I have gained when the moments of intensity begun… sometimes I was proud, perhaps too proud of the prizes which I have won during my times in University, I may at one time have bagged the top prize among 6 Universities… and awards in the previous parts of my life…
but so what…
I have come to realized that these are ego boosters which sometimes blinded me from what really matters, a life of purpose. Silly enough to fool myself before that I felt these awards and prizes would make me a better person…in some ways it did…but the reason of getting these awards and prizes were wrong… I had wanted glory for myself and hopefully in some ways do the people who support me proud…
I could not be more wrong…
I have spent 5 years of my life studying Engineering, being one of the top in it, getting the awards and prizes that come with it, but what happens then? I am not an Engineer now, nor likely to be again in the future.
But was it a wrongful decision? No.
It was a ground that had demonstrated my abilities to others who needed to know that this person was someone who was capable and determined. If we go too deep and compare genetics to refer to IQ and stuff like that to reason out why a certain person excels at something, everything will seem logical right?
No.
I was first in my class when I was 10 years old,
I was near the very bottom of my school when I was 15,
I was in the top few when I was 18,
I assembled a full soccer team from scratch, convincing each person one by one until we reached 14 players, everyone of them were unwilling at first and have self doubts, in the hope of boosting all our confidence in ourselves.
I was one of the top five soldiers in my platoon when I was first recruited into the army,
I was the top physical trainee in my section of the air force.
I dropped from being the best physical trainee to a sergeant who have been injured and no longer combat fit. Humiliation as the eyes of many had turned. The fall from the top hurts like *.
I left for Australia.
I became the top few in University, bagged almost every award and prizes available, was invited to teach as a mentor and tutor in University, got into the Dean’s List, name in the honors board.
I became a PR of Australia.
I was rejected from a top company with the reason stating I was too good.
I was recruited into a good company as an Engineer with a manager who was grooming me to great heights.
I was ready to marry my girlfriend of 3 years, we lived together for 2 years plus.
It was a relationship never to be, things happened, she is now with a ex-friend whom I introduced.
I humiliated myself at trying to win her back.
I applied for a transfer to Singapore in the company where great prospects await.
I came back to Singapore.
I left the Engineering position and company.
I was devastated.
I tried to build back my life again by anticipating the future and do what I love to do instead of the normal ladder climbing corporate path.
I almost started a new business as I thought I was ready to shine again. But my heart was still broken.
Then life changed.
More people started to come into my life.
They became very important to me as they taught me many things, life, business and much more.
So much so much…
I joined a cause which I knew was right and truly believe in.
I made many mistakes but I learnt a lot what I wasn’t capable of and what I could excel in.
Then I met even more people, very positive people who begun to truly make a big difference in my life…
And here I am now…
What is ahead I know will be truly amazing and beyond what I can ever anticipate beforehand,
But I know it will be great…
Why?
Because after all the above, I have realized one thing.
I was lukewarm.
I did not truly believe.
But now.
I have Faith.
Faith in the Heavens.
Faith in the journey.
I was not punished, I realized, I was being shown the right way through pain.
I was spiteful, that “Why me?” when bad things happened to me.
I was forgetful, that when good things happened to me, I did not ask “Why me?”
Lukewarm in belief, lukewarm in faith, blinded by ego, made silly by pride…
Everything will be gone if I died today or in the future, it was silly to think that what I have achieved will live forever. It will not and was never meant to be. To want to be remembered for the sake of ego is meaningless.
Everything has its reason,
The lessons I have to learn in this life through joy or pain.
Everything has its reasons,
For if a person in the middle of a desert dying of thirst did not drop into the hole which someone pushed him into hoping he will just disappear, he may not have found out that there is water in it, in which saved his life.
My life has been saved by the angel the heavens have sent to enlighten me.
Faith.
The tests of life, overcome them one by one.
Through Faith, all shalt be done.
The journey of life continues…
Thank you for reading, my courteous readers.
Much appreciated.
Eric @MaynasEric
Thank you my friends for joining the journey and living it together with me 
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Happy Holi EveryOne
Wish You all a very happy HOLI, 2010.
May this festival fill your life with colors and sweetness.
And yeah some tips for those who are going to office tomorrow. Watch out for those water balloons. One missed me by inches today and last year I escaped one big polypack aimed at me from a 4th floor balcony. I am in stealth mode this year. Play safe and dont use harmful colors if your are coming to my place for a color bash.
Sorry to be rude but you are not welcome inside my house and office space. All the coloring has to stay on the streets. I don’t want my furniture and computers colored.
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2009
Dear Friends and Readers,
This post is dedicated to the festive spirit and to you all. I wish you and your families a very Happy & Prosperous New Year and Merry Christmas.
I pray for your good health in the coming year and may your new ventures and adventures come true.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year (design - Mohd Saqib)
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Dedicated to Friends
I am starting this blog on 1st August 2009, in couple of hours it will be Friendship day. Hence this blog is dedicated to Akhil, Ashish, Abhilash, Aaryak, Arun, Alfa, Dinesh, Fadi, Faraaz, Karan, Kamalraj, Mahesh, Muaaz, Mukul, Pravakar, Raaj, Shantanu, Shushant, Suraj, Shaiju,Tarun, Taufiq, Varun, Vinoth, Archana, Deepa, Deepanjali, Jitha, Reem and Shusma. Guys you were the best thing that has happened to me yet. (or was it that sweet thing at Rajouri Graden metro..LOL ). For those who don’t know these characters I will put up their pics here. I share with these people great moments of joy, sorrow, wars and adventures. I would put something more about my friends when I am fully awake.
My Freinds form Merit IIT
Image Collage Credits: Probably Made by Suraj Harichandan. That’s why he is not there. Who ever it may be he is definitely one among the above.
