CULTURAL QA 12-2021-05

Being  a compilation there may  be errors 

Q1         How deep should underground pipes be?

A1          Gopala Krishnan , formerAssistant General Manager 1996-2004 at 
Department of Telecom (1966-2004)Answered just now

The depth at which underground pipes are to be laid depend on the type ofpipes 
and purpose. Telephone cables under duct cabling used a number of PVCpipes in a 
RCC duct. Pipes had good quality. Still such cabling is used forLand line 
connections in India.

Water distribution main pipes are cast iron pipes. They are laid at adepth of 
about 5 feet along road side. Connection to homes are from the top,raising PVC 
or GI Pipes to 2 feet if connected crossing road or up to 4 feetand led to home.

Gas distribution pipes are laid well below 5 feet is my information. 

Drainage pipes are also very large cast iron pipes laid below 3 feet tothe 
surface through the centre of road in India. Cast iron/PVC pipes are laidto 
home and waste line from home is connected with an inspection box to 
clearblockages if any..

Q2         How much copper is in a window air conditioner?

A2          Gopala Krishnan, formerAssistant General Manager 1996-2004 at 
Department of Telecom (1966-2004) Answeredjust now

Probably you meant in the compressor unit. I replaced my split ACcompressor 
about five years back. New compressor cost above 10000–00. Theyreturned old 
compressor. I just asked, how much copper and steel in the oldcompressor. They 
answered the scrap merchants might give about 500–00. It isstill with me. Now 
it may go over Rs 800–00. This is the case in Chennai,India.

Q3         I am an Indian guy in the process of seeking brides, and Idon't want 
kids. How practical is this scenario in India?

A3         BhuvanaRameshwar Happily married ( arrangedmarriage) 3h

It is possible if you advertise so in matrimonial sites or say so to 
themarriage broker.

The only problem is now the world as such has too much knowledge. So 
unnecessary doubts may ariseabout you like whether you have any physical 
disorder or mental issues, geneticdisorders or even any sickness like AIDS. So 
explain your reasons withconfidence. Let them take it or leave.

My husband's friend is a normal, smart guy. His brother however ismentally 
challenged. So he being a Ph.D, it was natural that he feared having achild 
like his brother, presuming he had those recessive genes.

He didn't want to risk getting asimilarly challenged child. He knew very well 
the difficult time his parents had in taking care and bringing up hisbrother 
for almost 25 years. He was usually kept locked in a room from around10 years. 
Only his mother could handle him. He died around that age.

So way back in the early 90s headvertised in a famous Indian English news paper 
in Mumbai . He asked for a girl who didn't want children veryboldly. Many came 
forward. Some asked the reason and left presuming they mayhave to take care of 
his brother who was then around 15 years.

But one girl agreed. The lived ina nuclear set up in Mumbai. Hisbrother stayed 
with parents in Tamil Nadu. They are happily married withoutchildren.

So you put down your conditions and wait. Some girl may come forward. Nowgirls 
are busy with career, promotions, relocating to different places, flyingabroad 
and thus many do not want to give birth or raise children. It is finenot to 
have children if you do not want.

Q4         What is something youthink everyone should do at least once?

A4          Vidhi Khandel I think UpdatedThu

Spend some time in a cemetery/graveyard. Observe a corpse.

It is said that whenever a newmonk wanted to be initiated into a matth, Buddha 
would ask them to first spend a considerable time in the cemetery.

This practice Maranasati(death awareness practice) is still prevalent inmany 
parts of India and Tibet. The idea is to reflect upon anicca, thateverything 
which arises passes away.

Although I have not spent time in a Cemetery, I understood it'simportance when 
I stayed with my father in the hospital. I saw many peoplecoming in alive but 
going out as dead bodies.

One day I held my father in my arms, he was recovering well and the nextday he 
was gone.

There was a time when I used to close my eyes if a death processionpassed by. 
Now, I don't feel anything. I would not say that this transition waseasy, I 
felt fearful at first, nauseated, not wanting to see any of it until Iaccepted 
it and I was fully comfortable with it. It was daunting but necessary.

I saw desperate people everywhere, shouting, crying, begging to save thelives 
of their loved ones. I saw grief everywhere. I realised that I was notalone, I 
was no exception, I will not be spared of the sufferings.

My husband thought all of this would throw me into depression but Itactually 
reinvigorated my zest for life. It taught me to stay aware of my sufferings.It 
is astonishing that once you are aware, the suffering is no more there.

I realised I did not fear death,just the idea of it. Now thatI don't fear death 
anymore, mine or anyone's, I live every second with a senseof gratitude and 
fulfillment.

Now, I just want to love a lot, I want to do things that I was alwaysafraid of 
doing, take risks, fall down and get up again. I want this life to bea joyful 
dance. Who knows this might well be my last answer?

    Once you understand that you are nothing, one whooshof wind and you will be 
gone. There is no point in keeping grudges, no point inrunning a rat race, no 
point in seeking validation from people who will be goneanyway, no point in 
chasing superficial things that don't add anything to thisbeautiful yet short 
existence.

I think it is necessary to come face to face with death if you want tolive 
fully. You will feel lighter and fearless. What's there to fear when wewill be 
gone anyway and everyone we know will be gone too

Q5         What do human beings have that make us unique and differentfrom 
other animals?

A5       ClaireJordan Degree in biology and folklore;programmer, shop owner, 
secretary on newspaper23h

A particular mutation of a gene called FoxP2 thatenables us to handle more 
complex language than other animals can do. It is this which enables us to pass 
on what we havelearned, so that we don’t have to literally reinvent the wheel - 
or at leastless physically-obvious and reproducible things such as calculus and 
generatingelectricity - in every generation. Humans who lack this mutation are 
stuck at the “Give ball now!” levelof a chimp or a toddler. 

Being fully bipedal is also very important, because it freed up our handsfrom 
having to double as walking limbs, so that we were able to develop thedelicate 
precision grip which makes it much easier for us to make complextools. 

We do also have a higher levelof a certain kind of intelligence than any other 
animal we’ve studied, but it was the fact that we had good hands withwhich to 
make complex tools, and good language skills with which to teachothers how to 
make those tools, which made developing high intelligence to useto make 
ever-better and more complex tools worth the cost in high energy demandand 
difficult childbirth.

Q6         Do any other people eat with their hands like Indians?

A6        BhuvanaRameshwar  Observe humans 10h

Yes, lots of people eat with their hands like Indians. It is the most natural 
way to eat.Ask babies if in doubt. Everybody washes hands with water, some wipe 
their handsclean if there is no water before eating . Eating with hands is 
common in many South Asian, SouthEast Asian countries like India, Srilanka, 
Pakistan, Malaysia, Vietnam,Cambodia, Bangladesh, Maldives, Afghanistan, 
Philippines to name a few.

Even many countries in West Asia, North Africa like Egypt, Saudi Arabia,UAE, 
Morocco, and most South and Central African countries eat with their handsas a 
norm. This adds to about 2.5 billion people in the world. Some reports sayit 
adds to almost one third if counted properly of the world ‘s population. 

Eating with spoons, fork,knives, chopsticks are usuallyseen in cold countries 
and sometimes based on the culture and the influence,replacement of a culture 
on the traditional, native culture due to conquers,spread of western culture 
and education. Here too burgers are not enjoyed withspoon or fork.

Even in India many North Indians prefer a spoon while eating although Ihave 
seen them funnily use their left thumb for support rather than a fork! 

We South Indians prefer to eat with out hands as we feel moresatisfaction if we 
feel the texture and temperature of the food. Chapathis,dosas, samosas rice and 
rotis should be enjoyed with the feel of fingers on thefood. Eating with spoon 
and fork is like somebody feeding us, not we enjoyingit ourselves. But I should 
confess I eat noodles and pasta and ofcourseice-cream with only spoon and fork 
or only fork /spoon for a neater eating. Ialso associate these foods with 
different culture hence this change. 

But one thing is sure.. most smart people including westerners and fareast 
Asians relish our dosas, naans, bhaturas with hands only.

Some foods are best eaten with hands.

Hide all the spoons, forks, chopsticks, knives, even tooth picks and 
seeeverybody rush to eat with hands only, if hungry. This is in our blood.

Q7      Should I or shouldn’t I pour oil down thedrain?

A7          Steven Haddock Studiedat York University (Canada)Tue

Oh dear my lack of god, no!

Sewage treatment plans aren’t set up to handle evena small amount of oil. You 
can damage the biological organisms most of them useto treat human waste which 
means you could shut down an entire water treatmentfacility, particularly if 
it’s small.

Instead, take it to an approved disposal facility. The collected waste oilis 
actually treated like crude right out of the ground. It’s refined and 
turnedinto new oil products.

Q8         How can humans stay clean if they are made out of bacteria?

A8                        KenSaladin Former professor of histology(microscopic 
anatomy)Thu 

We are not by any means made ofbacteria. You may be drawing a wrong conclusion 
from the common statement that the human body contains asmany bacterial cells 
as human cells, or more. However, that really refers onlyto the contents of the 
intestines (especially the colon), and of course we havea lot on the skin. The 
internal tissues of the body, however, are sterile.

Q9         Is it proper for man to interfere in nature to assist an oldlion who 
cannot hunt or defend itself?

A9          Claire Jordan Degree inbiology and folklore; programmer, shop 
owner, secretary on newspaperNov 28

No reason why not, but I would remove it into anenclosure, if it will accept 
that, and feed it on the meat of domestic animals. Old lions are skinny withnot 
much meat on them, so you’re not depriving other animals of a significantfood 
source by removing the lion, and if you feed it from domestic animalsyou’re not 
interfering and killing wild animals for it that would otherwisehave lived. If 
it’s reasonably content to live in an enclosure - and lions,being social, are 
fairly easy to tame - it can be a zoo animal so humans canget to admire a lion, 
without depriving a healthy young lion of its freedom

Q10              What is the most Indian thing ever?

Sahil Phatangare I love india Wed

Having liking of kitchen utensils made of stainless steel.

Like plates, spoons, teacups, glasses, water-storing tanks.

For the middle-class Indian, every pan is a non-sticking pan just we haveto 
melt some butter on it.

We middle-class people don't know the concept of the locker. therefore wehide 
jewellery and cash inside the wheat flour or rice container.

Once in a year there comes a time when the whole family travels together.No, 
it's not a trip to a tourist place. We call it homecoming, till now we werefar 
from home. Yeah, you guess it right going to your village.

When your mother sends you to buy some vegetables. It is your 
moralresponsibility to bargain with vendor and bring home extra coriander. 
Forgetthe vegetables bringing coriander is a must.

Having a metal cupboard in thehome

It's been 22 years since myparents got married. One of the thing that 
accompanied them throughout theirjourney was this cupboard.

It has been 2 times refurbished till now.

In our new home, we have new wooden cupboards and storage facilitiesstill we 
don't want to sell the old one maybe because we are attached to itsomehow.

Like the things which helped us for more than 2 decades. Suddenly becauseof 
some better option, we won't leave that thing. These are the values thatpass 
down in India. never forget who helped you when you had nothing.

Most of the furniture in Indian household their history lies back to thetime 
when your parents got married.

Dad, this sofa looks classic, what was its price back then.

Son, it was my marriage gift.

 Mom, the bed feels uncomfortable,it makes a cracking sound even if I just move 
a little bit.

Mom: you know how costly it was at the time of my marriage.

Dad, how old is our fridge. Son, your grandfather gifted it 22 yearsback.

Disposable wares

Plastic glass is one of the most common thing, carrying juices anddrinking 
water in marriages.

Faluda and lassi are parcels using plastic glass.

Paper cup for tea and coffee.

Paper plates are used to severe snacks at birthday parties.

In India, you will witness tremendous diversity. Food, clothing,language, 
architecture but the things that are common to all.

Mothers beating their children with broom.

Comparing your marks with your best friend or relative's childrens.

All the above QA are from  Quora website  on    04-12- 2021. 

Compiled and posted by R. Gopala krishnan ,78, former  AGM Telecom Trivandrum 
on 05-12-2021

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