AND HE LOOKS AT ME....

And he looks at me, with eyes wiser than his years. He cannot tell me what his mind is saying, so instead he uses his powerful body to communicate. 

Sometimes his eyes alone can show the meaning behind his actions and other times just they way he carries himself, tells me how he feels. There is no truer friend then him, for he knows me inside and out. 

When I sit astride him he listens to what my body tells him; not because he has to, but because he WANTS to. 

You cannot trap his spirit or be his master, for his soul alone is purer, his body, rippled with muscle, more powerful, his heart more forgiving than your own. 

He is an Angel without wings, his forelock and mane, his halo. He is more courageous, more loving, more trusting, more powerful, than any other being in this world - and yet so gentle as to let me join him on his Journey. 

He is my best friend, who tells no one of my secrets, who rejoices in my joys, shares in my sorrows, and his neck is always there to wrap around me in a caress. A caress that gives me everything I've ever needed: Warmth, security, hope, strength, and reassurance.

I cannot break his spirit, nor would I ever want to. I cannot be his Master; only his Partner. When I do wrong, he does not judge me. When I cry, he comforts me. When I laugh, he prances around with his head held high and his tail streaming behind like silk. 

It is not I who teach him, it is he who teaches me. He does not need to talk for me to listen, I understand him in a way I'll never understand even myself. And he knows me, more than anyone that walks this earth. And he accepts me, for everything I am.. and everything I am not. And he looks at me, with eyes wiser than his years.

- SOURCE UNKNOWN

A POUND OF BISCUIT, FOUR LITRES OF BEER AND A PINT OF HISTORY

‘But why has the rum gone ?’

-       Captain Jack Sparrow; Pirates of the Carribean

         On July 31, 1970, Britain’s Royal Navy issued its last daily rum ration and with it, the rum soaked history of pirates and sailors finally succumbed to the modern-day sobriety. The iconic and much revelled relationship of sailors and rum (initially called ‘Kill Devil’, a raw white spirit runoff from the sugar refining process) is an intriguing tale of the compulsions of landlubbers and the hard life at sea and predictably it all started in the Caribbean. In the 17^th century unable to sell the large amounts of rum, the sugar cane farmers got into contracts with the Royal Navy for supply of the spirit to ships. A symbiotic relationship, there started a timeless tradition of rum and the sailor. Even today the tradition of gifting a spirit originates from this association where a good deed was rewarded with an extra pint of rum.

            

However, rum was not the original spirit (it was beer) nor it was the only thing on the sailor’s plate in the Nelsonian Navy of 1700’s. Many a day at sea, the Royal Navy had evolved an elaborate system of ration entitlements comprising of a number of items including a wine gallon of beer (approximately 3.78 litres) per day. In fact, the ration scale was first set up in 1677 and was published as part of Royal Navy regulations in 1733.The scale looked something like this[1]:-

ITEM/DAY	Biscuit	Beer	Beef	Pork	Pease	Oatmeal	Butter	Cheese
	Pounds Avoirdupois	Gallons wine measure	Pounds Avoirdupois	Pounds Avoirdupois	Pint Winchester Measure	Pint Winchester Measure	Ounces	Ounces
Present day equivalence	453.59g	3.785 L	453.59g	453.59g	500 gms	500 gms	25 gms	25 gms
Sunday	1	1		1	½
Monday	1	1				1	2	4
Tuesday	1	1	2
Wednesday	1	1			½	1	2	4
Thursday	1	1		1	½
Friday	1	1			½	1	2	4
Saturday	1	1	2
Total	7	7	4	2	2	3	6	12

            This basic ration scale actually lasted till about 1847 (from 1677) when the Admirality finally accepted the technology of canning. Of course, to suggest that the meals were locked on to this scale would be to exaggerate and predictably there were substitutes available for pursers to buy depending upon availability.

         The most obvious question which begets from the basic ration scale is the idea of preservation which, as one would infer, was limited to natural methods like baking, salting, pickling and drying and therefore by long tradition, the seaman’s diet was based on salt meat, dried pease or beans and articles made from cereals. As one author has commented, “what the sailors ate at sea was what landsmen ate during the winter”. For example, biscuits (which included bread also, when referred to as soft loaf) was preferred by the Royal Victualling board since it could last much longer, came in handy sizes and was comparatively (to bread) easier to make. Of course, this biscuit was not really ‘ready to bite’ and required some breaking and soaking before eating. Similarly, the popularity of rum was purely because it lasted much longer than its other cousin, beer, not to mention it’s more spirited performance otherwise.

How It Got There ?

             The ration scale though fascinating to read about did not mean that the food and drink appear on the ships by magic. It was all organised under the Victualling Board which reported to the Admirality Board and operated through a system of contracts much like the present-day system. Elaborate systems of supply, inspection and delivery evolved over time with eventual segregation of supply and delivery. Also, while contractors were supplying bulk of the items, the manufacturing yards of the Victualling board were slaughtering and packing meat, baking biscuits and also brewing beer and manufacturing casks as well. In fact, almost half the tradesmen working in the manufacturing yards were involved in the making of casks which was considered very important for quality control purposes. Similarly, in the year of 1797,  for about 110,000 men at sea, approximately 23,000 bullocks and 115,000 pigs passed through altars of the yards. The meat was packed and shipped off but there are interesting disposal stories of what was left behind not to mention that dumping of left overs in the estuarine waters resulting in extra fattened crabs and oysters. The system of stocking and supplying ships was a primitive cousin to the present one. The person of interest here was the head of the Victualing yard called the ‘Agent Victualler’ who used to draw a handsome salary and was not just responsible for the running of yard and stocking of ships but also to provide ships pursers with adequate currency to buy provisions at foreign ports and islands. He was also responsible to provide the ships with vegetables, fresh meat and tobacco. As one would understand by now, the paper work was elaborate and time consuming.

         The RN tryst with the rations and spirits is an account which is replete with anecdotes and trivia which every sea farer can relate to. Of course, the RN though a benchmark of sorts is not the only Navy which was operating at that time and the systems of other Navies would also throw up interesting tales of victual management in the time when refrigeration or canning were not available. It also lends us the historic perspective of our modern-day practices. Military history overwhelmingly has been an account of wars and battles with Sun Tzu and Clausewitz being celebrated the world over but there is interesting trivia and lessons buried the logistical challenges faced when war was a frequent occurrence and technology had much catching up to do.

              Much of the present post is based on the book ‘Feeding Nelson’s Navy’ by Janet McDonald detailing the various aspects of Victualling management onboard and ashore. Another, land mark book on logistics is the seminal work of Dr Martin Crevald called ‘Supplying War : From Wallenstein to Patton’ which is probably the most comprehensive work covering Logistics challenges from the 30 years war till the WW-II campaigns. Both the books are interesting reads for logisticians across the world for many lessons, anecdotes and to probably to answer the question;  “But why has the rum gone?”

---

[1] Janet McDonald , “Feeding  Nelson’s Navy”, Chatham Publishing, 2004, pg 10

This Singh is not all that Bling: Starting up at 65

You can very call it a rip off of Humans of New York or of Mumbai or which ever part of the world you live in. The fact is that the world around us is filled with incredible people with incredible stories. They are not some special beings with a nimbus on top but everyday people going about their everyday jobs. Meet Mr Singh, a Cab Driver in New Delhi. He picked me from the airport and was polite and courteous. He was using OLA which is quite common these days but what led to the conversation was the fact that he looked quite old to be using an App based service. No offence but he didnot fit the profile of an OLA cab driver incase there was a profile. So as a starter in relation with his age I asked him how long was he driving a cab. “One and half months” came the reply. This intrigued me and then came the story.

Mr Singh is 65 years old , married with 4 kids (2 boys and 2 girls). He had started driving a cab couple of months back at the grand old age of 65. Oddly enough he has never been a driver before. No, he didnt graduate to cab driving after driving some one or some thing else in the past. What he was previously, was a manager cum owner of a 10-15 truck company which he lost a year back due to bad business. His life savings were spent on settling his two sons and marrying off his two daughters. As luck would have it or bad luck, the sons werent supporting him after the loss and well how can you ask the daughters? After facing such a major setback at his age he didnt back down and being a proud man he was, Mr Singh decided to work and not ask. There was a typical outrage amongst his friends (so called) about his going back to a job that too of a cab driver. He wasnt very qualified you see , no degrees and all that. There was pressure from all sides  and yet the pride in him decided his course. By his own admission he has been on the road for past 45-50 days, having a gruelling 10-12 hour shifts. Starting at 8 in the morning till 10 in the night. Its tiresome and not really age appropriate. He said that it was possible only due to his health (god has been kind he said) which atleast was not failing him (unlike his children).

As the ride was coming to an end and when I asked him why his children were not helping him, he replied candidly, that his sons were a reflection of their upbringing and he was saddenned how they had turned out. About his daughters, he said that he has always been giving them something on various ocassions and festivals and it is his last wish that he should never be in a position to ask them ...ever. No bling for this Singh just pride. Hats off ..Carpe Diem

The Venereal Charlie Sheen

Charlie Sheen is HIV + . Well it’s not really a surprise because he was doing everything for it. Not many are going to admit it but Mr Sheen epitomized the ultimate male dream which was aptly described by Steve Han his former assistant  (decadent life style) on some trashy American website. So when finally in an embodiment of the great reality Television he admitted being HIV+, live in an interview, it was more relief than surprise for lot of people. He of course did admit that he was coming out now because he was being blackmailed to keep it secret and he was loosing some money out of it. It was predictably  followed the usual ‘my chance of celebrity hood’ revelation by an unknown (not now) nurse Amanda Bruce that she had unprotected sex with Mr Sheen because she loved him and didnt care about HIV. It was later clarified that, it was not so lovey dovey and she was on a pill to keep her safe (relatively atleast). Then there was another piece of news about a video, where Mr Sheen was having oral sex with another man. The man had sued him (for an amount running into crores) for giving him Herpes. I wonder if he was rushing to the doctor to take an HIV test as well along with a number of people Charlie would have partnered in the last 4-5 years. I am sure there will also be a number of lawsuits which will follow. The BIG QUESTION however remains whether time has come to have a dialogue about the obligation of the declaration of HIV+ people especially since it involves the safety and health of people around them as well. In cases such as Mr Sheen whom I would personally assess as being in the high risk zone it becomes especially important. While a few may argue that it would lead to discrimination and possibly regressive behaviour, it may still not outweigh the argument of the right to safety of an individual who is operating in close proximity of an HIV+ person. We all know that it has been a fight to end the open and often illogical brandishing of those with HIV but ask that one person who would have contracted the virus because they simply weren’t aware. Will you like to be that guy??

Read this news piece on TOI 01 Dec 15 (World AIDS day..What else?) about a village in Uttar Pradesh (Udaisarai in Fatehpur) where the womenfolk are not sleeping with their husbands who are working in Mumbai after they return incase they don’t take the HIV test. Sensible considering the village was plagued with HIV related deaths recently. Time to rethink about KNOWAIDSTONOAIDS.