Green Gramm - my eco project

'Green Gramm' literally translates to 'green village ' - an eco-friendly business project I'm currently working on. Very close to my heart for its benefits to our environment and mankind. I dream and aspire to see a largely plastic-free world. My company, Green Gramm Ltd is your one-stop solution for plastic-free, single -use alternatives .We strive to popularise the use of eco-friendly products around the globe and bring about a much needed reform at grassroots starting with the upliftment of farmers who actually grow the raw material for our products. We believe in fair trade and empowering small scale units, spread across rural India. This is the time folks to make a difference! Lets do it together for the sake of our planet, our children's future!

Aim:

To eradicate single-use plastics like  carry bags, plates, cups and cutlery. 

Target market:

U.K. retail/ supermarkets to start with, which will eventually be advocated all over the world.

Hard Facts:  

According to research,

1.  More than 480 billion plastic bottles were sold worldwide in 2016. That is up from about 300 billion only a decade ago.
2. About one trillion single-use plastic bags are used annually across the globe. That’s nearly 2 million every minute.
3. More than half a million plastic straws are used every day around the world
4. Takeout orders account for around 269,000 US tons of plastic waste that has entered the oceans.
5. The world uses 500 billion plastic cups every year.
6. 16 billion disposable coffee cups are used each year. These are coated with plastic to laminate the inside and use plastic lids.
7. The world produces more than 14 million US tons of polystyrene (plastic foam) each year.
8. Right now an estimated 12.7 million tonnes of plastic – everything from plastic bottles and bags to micro beads – end up in our oceans each year. That’s a truck load of rubbish a minute.

The effects of plastic pollution on ocean life is shocking! Plastic litter is turning up in every corner of our planet-from Cornish beaches, to uninhabited Pacific islands. It is even being found trapped in Arctic ice. Big pieces of plastic are choking and entangling turtles and seabirds and tiny pieces are clogging the stomachs of creatures who mistake it for food, from tiny zooplankton to whales. Plastic is now entering every level of the ocean food chain and even ending up in the seafood on our plates.

The pictures below are just a few examples of the consequences of plastic pollution in the ocean. Such a sad story indeed !



Sienna the seal!

Tristan the Turtle!

 

 

Simon the Seagull!

 

Picture courtesy : (Google)

Governments and corporations must take action to reduce the amount of plastic produced in the first place. They should seriously consider sustainable alternatives to plastic.

According to a recently published article, our current waste and recycling systems simply can’t cope with the huge amount of plastic that we’re consuming every day. Whilst the most important step is to reduce the amount of plastic produced, governments can also take action by introducing processes like Deposit Return Schemes. You pay a small deposit when you buy a drink in a plastic bottle, then get this money back when you return it. These schemes have been seen to dramatically increase the amount of plastic that’s returned for collection. Scotland has recently announced its support for Deposit Return Schemes, but the rest of the UK is yet to follow suit. .

 

My proposition

 

Replace all single-use plastic with natural, sustainable alternatives ,such as:

 

Areca palm leaf -Plates, bowls, trays, cups, cutlery, containers.

Sugarcane Bagasse- Plates and containers

Wheat bran- plates, bowls, cutlery

Wheat stalk- Plates

Bioplastics (PLA)- Plates, cups, cutlery, bowls, containers, carry bags, garbage bags,

pouches.

 

These products are made from 100% natural and recyclable sources and are biodegradable and compostable. It goes without saying that they are chemical and toxin free.

 

For further details on my venture please visit www.greengramm.com

	  

An Ode to a Glorious Soul!

All of six and then we met
Loved you since, to say the least
Friend, mentor, teacher and guide
Life with you, the very best!

In every word, in every thought
You made me feel so truly great
The way you'd call, I won’t forget
That laughter I will hold so tight.

Your sunny smile, your sweet embrace
Melt away my little pains
A cuddle, a kiss, a truthful wish,
A morsel from your very dish.

Like the rising sun you shone
Joy we thought from you was born
Wrath some saw, it's come and gone
Far and few, now all bygone

A legend you were and will always be
The hearts you conquered, shout in glee
Honour, grace, grit and dignity
Majestic, brave, your personality.

Hard to think,  you’re finally gone
Like a hero till the end
Here I’m stood, on my own
For you I have, a life to lend.

The plans we'd made, the dreams we'd seen
Lots to share, lots unseen,
Light of my life, my simple delight
So full of life, bliss at its height

Every step, you were next to me
Every fall, I knew you'd see
An angel truly, sent from above
Back you are now, in heaven's abode.

Where will I go, what will I do
The hole in my soul will never undo
Forever you’ll be, in all that I do
Memories last forever they do!



Sherin - 18/11/2018


Someone very close to me, my George uncle, passed away yesterday -17th November 2018. This is a little tribute to that great man !🙏🏼

യക്ഷി - A poem in Malayalam (Yakshi)



യക്ഷി

 

 

നിശയുടെ തിരശീല വീണൊരാവീഥിയിൽ 

നിലാവായി നിഴലായി നീങ്ങുന്നൊരാളവൾ 

നീണ്ടു നിവർന്നൊരാ നീലച്ചുരുൾമുടി 

നീട്ടിയെഴുതിയ നീർമിഴികൾ .

 

 

 

 എങ്ങോട്ടെന്നില്ലാതെ യാത്രയാകുന്നവൾ 

രാത്രിതൻ ഏകാന്ത യാമങ്ങളിൽ 

എന്നുമാ രാവിന്റെ  കാമിനിയാണവൾ 

രതിഭാവമൂറും മുഖപടത്തിൽ  

 

 

 

പാലമരത്തിൻറെ പടരുന്ന കൊമ്പിലോ 

പകലെല്ലാം പള്ളിയുറങ്ങിടുന്നു 

പാതിരാവായാൽ തൻ പ്രാണനെത്തേടിയാ 

പെരുവഴിയൊക്കെയും താണ്ടിടുന്നു 

 

 

 

'ആരാണിവൾ' എന്നാഴത്തിലാരാഞ്ഞു  

ആകുലരാം പൊതു മർത്യരവർ 

അവൾ അഴകുള്ള മേനിയിൽ വെള്ള പുതച്ചുകൊ-

ണ്ടന്ധകാരത്തിലേക്കാഴ്ന്നിറങ്ങി 

 

 

 

പാതിയടഞ്ഞൊരാ മിഴികൾ തൻ തീരത്തു 

ഗാഥകളേറെയുറങ്ങിടുന്നു 

പെരുമഴയായവ പെയ്തിറങ്ങീടുമോ 

ഗതിതെറ്റിയലയുന്ന നീർമേഘമായ് .

 

 

 

ആരെയോ തേടി നീ പോകുന്നു രാവതിൻ 

ആനന്ദ ലഹരിയിലാറാടുവാൻ 

ആരോരുമില്ലാത്തൊരേകാന്തയാത്മാവി -

ന്നശ്രു ബിന്ദുക്കൾ തുടച്ചുമാറ്റാൻ 

 

 

 

സുന്ദരിയാണവൾ സങ്കല്പലോകത്തു 

സ്‌നേഹം കൊതിക്കുന്ന സ്ത്രീയാണവൾ 

സ്നേഹിച്ചു വഞ്ചിച്ച സ്നേഹിതനായോ നീ 

സംസാരസാഗരം സഞ്ചരിപ്പൂ 

 

 

 

മാലോകരൊക്കെയുമൊന്നായി മന്ത്രിച്ചു 

മായാവിയാണവൾ, യക്ഷിയാണ് !

മേനകയല്ലവൾ, മോഹിനിയല്ലവൾ 

മാനവമൃത്യു തൻ മണവാട്ടിയൊ .

 

 

 

യക്ഷിയാണെങ്കിലും മെല്ലെ തുടിക്കുന്ന 

ഹൃത്തുണ്ടവൾക്കും വികാരമുണ്ട് 

യാതനയോരോന്നും താങ്ങുവാനാകാതെ 

ചേതനയറ്റൊരു ജീവിതവും 

 

 

 

യാത്രയാകുന്നവൾ രാത്രിതൻ മാറിലേയ്-

ക്കാരും തിരയാത്ത തീരങ്ങളിൽ 

യാത്രാമൊഴിയായി കുറിക്കട്ടെയിന്നു ഞാൻ 

കരളിൽ നിന്നുതിരുമീ കാവ്യരൂപം !

ഷെറിൻ ദേവ് -  27.10.2018

Shakti

As many millions of Indians around the world celebrate Navaratri, which is quintessentially the worship of Goddess Parvati, consort of Lord Shiva, in her nine incarnations or avatars, also a celebration of the feminine power or Shakti according to scriptures, I would like to share my thoughts on being a woman.

From the time I understood the differences between genders I believed I was privileged to be a girl or at the least I wasn’t underprivileged to be a girl . Not exactly sure why, but some strong women in the family, like my mother and grand mother and my school which had mostly female teachers would have definitely made an influence. And of course the wonderful men in my life starting with my father and my brothers who always let me be the person I am.  Being born as the middle sibling between two dominating boys wasn't easy. Often I had to try twice as hard to be heard, to be noticed, to be accepted. However it had its own perks. I was the most protected one, though I wouldn't say pampered, and not even sure if its definitely a good thing.

In the protected childhood and adolescence I had, I was given equal opportunities as my brothers.  I was very fortunate to be surrounded by family and friends who respected and loved me for who I was irrespective of my gender.

As I grew up I went to a women's college for my graduation and four years spent in the college and hostel, away from home, further deepened my personality and my awareness of womanhood. I saw all kinds of women from all different cultures and backgrounds there. I saw their strengths & weaknesses, their laughter & tears, their victories & defeats, their catfights & big battles, their good & bad. There I was conditioned to fight the huge battles of life, to understand further that your gender doesn't limit you at all, its everyone's personal desire and determination that fulfil their dreams. It was a place where womanhood was celebrated. Most of the women around me were high academic and career achievers. I was an achiever too however I always understood that these achievements doesn't guarantee a happy or successful life .

When I started working I never felt I wasn't respected by my colleagues or seniors. I got my due respects wherever I went and had the maturity and tact to deal with any undesirable behaviour from anyone. I always believe that no one can protect a girl better than herself! I think as women, we are often blessed with an instinct that tells us whether we are going to be ok or not in a particular situation. And I'm not talking about the conscious choices we make, the risks we sometimes are willing to take, which is very personal to each individual.

Womanhood is not a bed of roses , definitely not the flower that withers with a touch. It comes with its own challenges especially in a male dominated world. However we as a gender are much more evolved and empowered I often feel. There are good and bad in everything and everyone but in general we are much more resilient and adaptive. Women have proved over and over again that they are especially good at multitasking.  We are born nurturers and patience is definitely one of our virtues.

As a woman I would urge all women to believe in themselves! We are not inferior to anyone and we could well be superior to our male counterparts. But then we shouldn't be in competition with anyone other than ourselves. Somewhere I read" your only competition lies in your mirror" and I completely agree with that. Whatever your age is, whatever walk of life you belong to , whatever socio-economic status you are in, whatever your day to day responsibilities are, do your very best without being disheartened, whether anyone notices it or not, whether you are rewarded for it or not, though the fight to be noticed and rewarded will continue. 

There is a perfectionist in every woman, some more pronounced than the others and women are widely acknowledged for their high Emotional Quotient (EQ).  But we tend to spend all our emotions on our near and dear ones. Lets be more generous and extend it to the causes that will make a difference to our society, our world. Lets  not restrict our world to our men and children alone, lets extend it to the genuinely needy. Lets not side-line our dreams and aspirations for anyone. Everyone has just one life. Lets teach our children to be proud of their mum's achievements as much as their dad's.

I've often seen women shying away from helping other women, especially if they are perceived as more achieving than them...why? Why do we see them as a threat?  If we work together we will be unstoppable. Lets get rid of our demons and our insecurities and work together for the betterment of our own kind , for the betterment of the world. A woman can understand another woman much better and lets all be each other's pillars of strength.

Lets show our men that we need them not for the money or the physical protection or to follow societal norms but for friendship, for love, for companionship. For me that is true liberation, true empowerment.

Feminism for me is equality of genders and by equality I don't mean doing the exact same things as men! Why would you want to copy someone who's so imperfect anyway! Make your own rules girls , obviously without hurting or harming yourself or anybody else . The recent Sabarimala row  in Kerala following the Supreme Court's verdict on the entry of women of menstrual age reminds me further of the sensibility of women as a gender. The large number of protestors against the verdict were women believers. Now, I strongly feel that this should be a choice of the believers and that judiciary should stay away from it. Though the whole issue is extremely politically motivated, I would like to think that these women are sensible enough to understand that this is not about women empowerment or gender equality but a matter of religious beliefs, which is great! I cant express in words what I feel about the thugs who announced that they will molest any woman entering the temple premises! They should be ashamed of calling themselves :
a. human, b. men, c. worshippers of Aiyappa.


The #MeToo campaign is another wildfire that caught everyone's attention. While I'm elated at the fact that a lot of women are coming forward with their bad experiences with men, and I wholeheartedly appreciate them for their courage, one can't forget that there could be women with malicious intent too. Like men, even women could be molesters & bullies. Men can at times be as vulnerable as women. Women can be vicious, unempathetic, unkind, aggressive and destroying. Because after all we are only humans. The perpetrators whoever they are should be held accountable for. So lets show our fairness and not make it purely a gender issue though majority of the victims would be women.

Let me conclude my thoughts by coming back to Navaratri and the 9 incarnations of the Goddess as revered on these nine days .

1. The daughter - Shailaputri- depicting action and vigour
2. The unmarried free spirit- Brahmacharini- depicting calmness, wisdom and energy
3. The wife/partner- Chandraghanta - depicting beauty and bravery
4.  The creator self- Kushmanda- depicting power
5. The mother- Skandamata- depicting protectiveness and ferocity
6.  The warrior - Kartyayani- depicting courage and fearlessness
7. The aggressive self - Kalarathri- depicting intolerance for evil.
8. The mature self- Mahagauri- depicting intelligence and peace
9. The most knowledgeable self- Sidhidatri- depicting skills, talent, creativity and knowledge.

I believe we as women have all these 9 powerful forms within us and more, whether we understand and acknowledge it or not. Lets celebrate womanhood, lets celebrate the Goddesses within us!







Disclaimer: I am not the ultimate authority to speak on scriptures , there could be different versions of Navaratri in different scriptures, like Brahma Samiti or Markendeya Purana. However all versions agree that it is the worship of the feminine power , Shakti , whether it is a manifestation of one true God or not whether you call it Durga, Sita, Lakshmi, Kali, Gauri or Saraswati.

The word is mum!

Motherhood doesn't mean the same to all. Every woman's journey as a mother is unique. But I'm sure my fellow women will agree that when a child is born, a mother is born too ! And trust me when I say nothing in this whole world can prepare you for that one heck of an experience! Its like marmite , you either love it or you hate it! There's nothing in between. I know women belonging to both categories, however I've always loved children! But that didn't prepare me for the ever so challenging yet exciting and fulfilling role of being a mother.  Some women cry out for help, some take it in their stride, some cant wait to get back to work to take a break from it while help is at hand, some have no choice but to do the juggling act, some dive deep into it and vow to enjoy every minute irrespective of whether they are employed or not!Getting to be a child all over again is only one of the perks of being a mum!

 My pregnancy didn't have any complications, other than hyperemesis gravidarum or acute morning sickness and I was among the lucky few for whom it lasted all 9 months, though the severity eased out towards the last trimester! (Still remember throwing up at 7 months, in my colleague's luxurious car, when offered a ride home after work!) Delivery was in a birth centre (usually available for low risk patients) with candle lights, soft music and a warm bath pool in the middle. But those who've been in labour before knows, that nothing in this whole world can entice you in that critical hour when the ultimate truth hits you like thunderbolt that after all God is a man! He is the Almighty! My husband, my birth partner just sat there wondering 'what's she on about, even my mother gave birth!' YYeah right! His expression was a combination of pride, anxiety and excitement! I'm sure nothing in the whole world could prepare him for fatherhood either! I was lucky enough to have another 'experienced' birth partner too. My mother! But soon realised, her experience was, in giving birth and not in witnessing the horrors of labour! Needless to say how traumatised she was to see her only daughter in so much pain and agony! In the name of pain relief (if you chan call it so), I had opted for 'gas and air' . Nitrous oxide or laughing gas as they taught in school made me anything but laugh!

So when I had my first daughter, Ashlene, on a cold autumn night, on 26th October 2009 at 23.34, after about four and a half hours of intense labour, I believed I was the luckiest woman on the planet. There she was, a cute, dainty little thing weighing 3.24 kgs. The midwife put her on my now empty belly and I still remember how it felt! In couple of seconds she passed her 'holy water' on my belly and I can never forget how warm it felt against my ice-cold skin. I was in love all over again! The fact is that Id started to love the life that was growing inside me from the time I knew it was there....14th Feb 2009 to be precise! When we heard her heartbeat for the first time, we cried tears of joy! Then the long wait for 9 months, all  the sickness, the runs to A&E fearing dehydration, the cravings, the emotional ups and downs, the baby brain moments, the antenatal classes, the swollen legs, the sleepless nights, the nursery , the shopping, the hospital bag, everything just converged to this one moment! I was so in love that I tried my best to ignore the fact that she was a carbon copy of my mother-in-law who had passed away a year before, longing to see her son's child! Jokes apart, I was gutted thinking how proud she would have been to see herself in her little grand daughter. However my husband was over the moon that his mother was reborn in his daughter! My mother was elated to see her brand new grandchild and to see the long awaited end to my labour. Elsewhere my Dad, my Dad-in-law and the rest of the family were eagerly waiting for the good news.

The night stretched really long after the post delivery care, first feed, immunisation etc. and in the wee hours of 27th morning I was left alone with my baby. She was sleeping peacefully in the crib next to me but I couldn't move or reach her with all the perennial stitches, so I called the attending nurse to put my baby next to me on my bed and she obliged. I watched with astonishment this miraculous little angel who was sleeping in my arms. There's a certain divine peace that one gets while with a baby. From then onwards my life was changing for good! The endless joy that a baby brings is beyond words! But also the relentless efforts, the long nights, the innumerable nappy changes, the night feeds, the accompanied toilet runs, the list goes on. The toothless smiles, the tight hugs, the wet kisses, the overdose of cuteness, the first 'goo goo gaa gaa', 'mama', 'dada', make it all worth it though!! To be honest at the time I never felt I was doing any of these things, it just came to me naturally and whatever I did I just did it out of passion and love . I was in awe of this wonder, this new life that we were bestowed with! Like most mums even I believed my child was pure joy! Loved every minute of motherhood .

My second born, Shreya, was a big baby weighing nearly 4kgs. It was 13th June 2012 that I fell in love yet another time! This time she was a carbon copy of my father-in-law... I know! So now my husband has the good fortune to raise both his parents! That pregnancy and delivery changed my body dramatically. My petite frame was stretched to its very maximum but not without consequences. The postnatal symptoms were all the more pronounced after the second baby or so I felt. Though it was largely a personal choice I made, it wasn't easy at all to manage a toddler and a new born baby all on my own with practically little or no help from anyone including my husband as he was working long hours. I have to admit there were days when I would sit down and cry overwhelmed by the huge responsibility entrusted on me. But in all this, my children's happy faces kept me going and felt ever so grateful for the gift called life! Before bed I would thank God for giving me another day full of immense joy and a day free of dangers, ill health and misfortune. My kids were with me, safe, well looked after, happy and sleeping soundly.

The thing with motherhood is that it has varied facets.. no two days are the same either. One minute you'll be crying saying bye to your child as she goes to nursery for the first time, another minute you'll be ecstatic watching her first Nativity play! The only job where variety is the spice. You get to be Santa Claus, Tooth fairy, hair dresser, nurse, teacher, singer, dancer, clown and most importantly a learner. And you'll actually start to believe that you're the best in all that! Motherhood gave me a confidence that is unbeatable! I was worried for my kids yet fearless about everything else. If I can do this I can do anything I say to myself. The lessons one learn from a child is invaluable. They teach you how to love unconditionally, how to laugh at your own mistakes, how to smile from the heart, how to forgive and forget, how to chase a pigeon, how to walk like an elephant, how to dig out worms, how to catch a ladybird and so on and so forth. They teach you how to love life and how to live every moment to the fullest! They teach you patience, hard work, and resilience.

My daughters are 9 and 6 respectively. There are days when things are far from perfect and I'll be pulling my hair out and screaming my head off. Then I realise life is not about perfect moments but moments that make your life perfect. With each passing day I can only be thankful for the immense joy they bring and the blessing that they are!

A Disney story!

A Disney story

 Some days I’m Eeyore, sad and gloomy, drowning in a puddle...

Some days I’m Tigger, with spring in my bottom, bouncing to the sky..

Some other days I’m Piglet, timid and weary...

Yet other days I’m Rabbit, sensible to the very core..

Everyday I’m Kanga, the mother who cares ...

And there’s a Roo in me , the inquisitive little kid ...

There are days when I wish I was wise as Owl...

But all day everyday I’m Winnie the Pooh, silly, yet adorable friend ...!


By Sherin Dev written on 27/08/2018