Writing Skills: Slogans and Complaint Letters | Empowered Women Navigating The World

Writing (Letter, Slogan) - Empowered Women Navigating The World | Prose

Slogan

A slogan is usually a short phrase that is easy and catchy to remember. They are often used in advertisements and by political parties or organizations who expect people to remember what they are selling. The words used in a slogan are simple, relevant, attractive and brief.

Example:

J. Read the given slogans and match them appropriately with their theme.

Answer

1. One for all and all for one :- Unity

2. Limit your fast food otherwise it would be your last food :- Junk food

3. Restricting a woman restricts the growth of the family :- Woman empowerment

4. Clean and green makes perfect scene :- Cleanliness

5. It takes a lot of blue to stay green :- Save water

K. Look at the images of familiar advertisements given below. Identify the products and try to frame your own slogans for each one of them.

Ice Cream: I taste you! You melt me!

Pens: The World’s most wanted pen

Mobile phone: Empowering people Expanding Possibilities

Tooth brush: Designed for every smile

L. Look at the pictures given below and frame your own slogans:

Letter Writing:

A letter is an important means of communication which could be personal or official. Letters are broadly classified into two types: Formal and Informal letter. In Class IX you have studied both the types – formal and informal.

Now let us learn to write a letter ordering goods and how to write a complaint for any damage or any other problem noticed after receiving the goods.

Model of the letter:

Letter ordering things.

Ms. Deepa an NGO writes a letter to the wholesale book shop dealer, placing order for 100 copies of medium size English Oxford Dictionary.

Ms. Deepa,

NGO (Nallam Trust),

Kalapet village,

Nagappattinam District.

13 May 2019

The Proprietor,

NIZHAL BOOK SHOP,

Chennai – 600 001.

Sir / Madam,

Subject: Order for English Oxford Dictionaries – Reg.

On reading the discount provided by your shop in the advertisement of yesterday’s newspaper, I would like to place an order for 100 copies of medium sized English Oxford Dictionary in your shop. I need the copies within a week. So, let me know the estimation for the bulk order placed, as early as possible.

Thank you,

Yours faithfully,

Deepa.B

Letter of complaint 1

After receiving the order, Deepa finds that some of the dictionaries are damaged. So, she writes the following letter of complaint.

Ms. Deepa,

NGO (Nallam Trust),

Kalapet village,

Nagappattinam District.

20 May 2019

The Proprietor,

NIZHAL BOOK SHOP,

Chennai – 600 001.

Sir / Madam,

Subject: Complaint about damaged dictionaries – Reg.

On receiving the order of 100 copies of English Oxford Dictionary from your shop, I found that around 25 copies of them were damaged. In some copies the pages are missing and in some more copies the pages are not in order. So, duly accept my complaint and replace the damaged copies. Kindly, check the returned copies and replace them accordingly.

Thank you,

Yours faithfully,

Deepa.B

Letter of complaint 2

Mr. Srinath lost his bag in an over crowed train. The following is the letter of complaint which he writes to the railway police force.

Srinath B,

No.24, I cross, Pon Nagar,

Chengalpettu-10.

25 July 2019

The Commissioner of Railway Police,

A-2 Police station, D-Nagar,

Chengalpettu-02.

Respected Madam,

Subject: Complaint about status of the lost certificates – Reg.

I am a graduate seeking employment, residing in the above mentioned address. I lost my certificates on 15th July 2019, while I was returning home in a local train from Chengalpattu. As the train was over crowded, I placed my bag on the rack above. When I was about to get off, I noticed that my bag was missing. I was helpless and filed a complaint with the Railway Police. I have given all the details in the complaint letter on the same day. So far I have not received any further response. I request you to take immediate action in this regard.

Thank you,

Yours faithfully,

Srinath B.

M. Exercise:

1. Imagine that you have parked your vehicle (two-wheeler)/ bicycle inside the school premises. You find it missing in the evening. Write a complaint to the head of the school regarding this issue.

Answer

M. Malar,

X standard A Section,

Govt. Hr. See. School,

Karur.

20 May 2019.

The Headmaster,

Govt. Hr. Sec. School,

Karur.

Respected Sir/ Madam,

Subject: Complaint about the missing cycle - Reg.

Yesterday, I placed my bi-cycle just in our school parking area. In the evening I was shocked to see that the bicycle was not there, though it was locked properly. I searched every nook and comer. But it was in vain. It was a ‘Hero’ bi-cycle and the Number is HO 5343IL. I shall be highly obliged and thankful, if you kindly take steps to find out my bi-cycle.

Thank you,

Yours faithfully,

Malar M

2. Write a complaint to the officer of the PWD department to take immediate actions of maintaining cleanliness in the Children’s Park in your locality.

Answer

Jennifer. P,

Thillai Nagar,

Trichy.

25 July 2019.

Chief Engineer,

PWD Department,

Trichy.

Respected Sir,

Subject: Complaint about the cleanliness of the children's park - regarding.

There is a serious issue in our area that needs your urgent attention. There has been no maintenance in our area children’s park, for the past three months. Due to lack of cleanliness, children in our area cannot enjoy it. Moreover the park is also used for some anti-social activities by the local persons.

Kindly take necessary steps to solve this issue as soon as possible.

Thank you,

Yours faithfully,

Jennifer. P

3. Write a letter to the manager of a famous daily, ordering subscription for your school library.

Answer

Kamila R,

School Pupil Leader,

Govt. Hr. Sec. School, •

Ariyalur.

25 July 2019

The Manager,

The Hindu,

P.B.No. 234,

Trichy.

Respected Sir/Madam,

Subject: Supply of paper for school library

I am the School Pupil Leader of Govt. Hr. Sec. School, Ariyalur. We need your daily newspaper for our school library. We want 1 copy of Tamil edition and 2 copies English edition newspaper. I want to know the subscription details for our need. Please send us the details and send the dailies from next month onwards.

Thank you.

Kamila R

Story Telling: Techniques and Examples from 'Empowered Women Navigating The World' Prose

Speaking (Story Telling) - Empowered Women Navigating The World | Prose

Story Telling

Storytelling is an art which involves planning, research and skill. A good storyteller makes decisions ahead that drive their stories forward, engage their audience and relate information important to the telling of the story.

Techniques and Presentation skills

There are certain techniques that help narrate a story perfectly.

• Remember and recall the plot.
• Create story frame to remember the key events
• Self-narrate the story as a rehearsal
• Change the volume, pitch and tempo of your voice to make the narration effective.
• Use appropriate facial expressions and gestures.
• Include questions and answer them during the narration.
• Retain focus and maintain concentration on what you are narrating
• Sustain eye contact and grab attention of the audience.

Storytelling is a good exercise to practise in the classroom as it enhances the creativity of students and also brings out their potential in narrating a story interestingly.

H. Read the clues given below and develop your story. Narrate your story to the class.

Robert Bruce - King - lying on the ground in a dejected mood - failed to defeat his enemies - was thinking of giving up the attempt - saw a spider falling down from the ceiling - the ceiling far away - wondered how it would get there - the spider fell back again - again it tried - again it fell - it made nine such attempts - no success - climbed up once more - at last succeeded in reaching the roof - Bruce imitated its example - he too tried once again - was successful.

Perseverance Wins

Once there lived a king named Robert Bruce. He was lying on the ground in a dejected mood, since he failed to defeat his enemies. He was thinking of giving up. his attempt. At that time, he saw a spider falling down from the ceiling which was far away. He wondered how it could get there. The spider tried again, but it fell back again. It did not lose hope. It tried again but it fell down- again. It made nine such attempts. It did not succeed. It climbed up once more and at last succeeded in reaching the roof. Bruce was surprised to see this. He was inspired and motivated by its efforts. Once again, he tried to defeat his enemies. This time he succeeded in his effort.

I. Develop a story with the given pictures and narrate it to your class. Your story must have a plot and vivid details.

Answer

Once a ship got wrecked. The ship had a lot of treasure. So some crew members wanted to get the treasure. They went inside the sea. They saw the coral reef and the other wealths of the sea. They saw some fossils there. Finally they reached the treasure. They grabbed it and returned to the shore victoriously.

Listening Exercise for "Empowered Women Navigating The World" | 10th English Prose

Listening - Empowered Women Navigating The World | Prose

G. Listen to the passage read by the teacher and say whether the given statement is true or false.

1. Preethi Srinivasan is a former cricketer from Tamil Nadu. - True
2. At the age of seventeen, she captained the Indian Women’s cricket team. - False
   (At the age of seventeen, she captained the Tamilnadu women’s under-19 cricket team.)
3. Preethi Srinivasan was not only a cricketer but also a runner. - True
4. Preethi’s own trauma inspired her to create SoulFree, a foundation for those suffering from mental illness. - False
   (for those who cope with disabilities related to spinal cord injuries)
5. Preethi received the Kalpana Chawla Award for Courage and Daring Enterprise. - True

Idioms and Phrases: English Vocabulary from 'Empowered Women Navigating The World'

Vocabulary (Idioms and Phrases) - Empowered Women Navigating The World | Prose

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms are groups of words put together as a unit with a particular meaning. The meaning of the word is not literal. For example, if one says that the cat is out of the bag then it does not literally mean the cat is out of the bag but it has a figurative meaning which means the secret is out. That’s why the meaning of idioms cannot be assumed based on the individual meaning of the words but by studying the words as a unit.

Examples:

1. Lalitha takes a late night walk in the beach once in a blue moon.

In the above sentence ‘once in a blue moon’ is an idiom which means an event that happens rarely.

2. The women cricketers were on the ball in their last over of the match.

In the above sentence ‘on the ball’ is an idiom which means when someone understands the situations well.

What is a Phrase?

A Phrase, on the other hand, is a small group of words put together as a conceptual unit. It does not take a figurative meaning. The meaning of the word is literal. It can be long or short but it does not include the subject-verb pairing, necessary to make a clause. For example, ‘looking stunning’; ‘to live and breathe’; ‘comfortable bed’.

Example:

1. Next week, Prasanth has planned to visit the countryside. In the above sentence, to visit the countryside is a phrase with the conceptual meaning of going on a visit to the countryside.

2. The child hid under the stairs when the mother called her for a bath. In the above sentence, under the stairs is a phrase.

What is a Phrasal Verb?

A Phrasal verb is an idiomatic phrase consisting of a verb and another element, typically an adverb or a preposition or both, the meaning of which is different from the meaning of its separate parts. For example see to, or a combination of both, such as look down on.

Example:

1. The crew ran out of water and food before they could complete their expedition.

In the above sentence, ran out is a phrasal verb which means to use completely.

2. The Police personnel instructed the mob to go away from the place during the strike.

In the above sentence, go away is a phrasal verb which means to leave from the place.

D. Pick out the idioms and phrases from the box and write them in the blanks equivalent to their meanings. One is done for you.

IDIOMS - Answer

1. 1. Competent - on the ball
2. 2. Become more confident in expressing oneself - find one’s voice
3. 3. Extremely happy - over the moon
4. 4. To accept a challenge with confidence - bring it on
5. 5. Listen - lend an ear

PHRASAL VERBS - Answer

1. 1. to meet or find by chance - come across
2. 2. to exercise - work out
3. 3. Mentally agile - sharp as a tack
4. 4. To have a friendly relationship - get along
5. 5. To keep something - hang on

E. Read the given sentences carefully and fill in with appropriate phrasal verbs. Choose them from the help box.

1. The airhostess instructed the passengers to wear the seat belts during the take off.
2. Venkat felt happy to get along with the neighbours in the new locality.
3. There will be a shut down next week in the office.
4. Doing warm up every day in the morning keeps one healthy.
5. The mother instructed the maid to look after the child carefully.

F. Read the given passage carefully and fill in the blanks with suitable phrasal verbs from the help box.

Riya is a young dancer who feels contented and satisfied with herself. Let's hear from her.

Hi, everyone! I am Riya. I suppose I’m really lucky because I don’t put on weight easily. I never work out in the gym and the only time I stretch out is when I need something from the top shelf. I tried aerobics several times but I couldn’t keep up with the others. I take my pet for a walk thrice a day though, and that helps to burn off the calories. I usually watch what I eat but I sometimes binge on icecream.

My sister Diya, is a real fitness fanatic. Before she works out she warms up every day with push ups, sit ups, stretches and a jog around the park. She says it’s important to build up good levels of strength and stamina. I don’t want to overdo it though. A fitness regime like hers would tire me out!

Empowered Women Navigating The World | Prose Q&A | 10th English Unit 3

Answer the questions - Empowered Women Navigating The World | Prose

A. Read the statements given below and state whether they are true or false. If false, then write the correct answer in the space given.

1. Indian Navy’s all-women crew was the first-ever to circumnavigate the globe.

- True

2. The crew consists of six members of men and women Indian Navy service.

- False

Correct Sentence: The crew consists of six members of women in Indian Navy service.

3. Vartika Joshi skippered the crew to circumnavigate the globe.

- True

4. The crew started their expedition on 10 July 2017 from Mumbai.

- False

Correct Sentence: The crew started their expedition on 10 September 2017 from Goa.

5. Dilip Donde was the first person to go on a non-stop solo circumnavigation.

- True

B. Answer the following questions briefly.

1. Mention the special features of INSV Tarini.

The special feature of INSV Tarini

• It encouraged use of environment friendly non-conventional renewable energy resources such as the wind;
• It collected and updated meteorological, ocean and wave data on regular basis from India Meteorological Department (IMD)
• It also collected data for monitoring marine pollution on high seas.

2. What does the term circumnavigation mean?

Circumnavigation means to travel around the world in a ship.

3. How did the all-women Indian Navy crew go about their voyage?

The all-women Indian Navy crew started from Goa. It covered the expedition in five legs with stop-overs at four ports. They went around the globe and reached Goa.

4. When did the crew start their voyage? When did they return back to India? How many days did it take to complete the expedition?

The crew started their voyage on 10 September 2017 from Goa. They went around the globe within 254 days and reached Goa port on 21 May 2018.

5. What sort of training did the crew undergo before their expedition?

The all-women Indian Navy crew underwent some theoretical courses on navigation, communication and weather prediction. They are trained to repair things, to deal with emergencies in tactical aspects. They underwent basic sail training courses in Mumbai. They also sailed on INSV Mhadei to Mauritius and back and also to Cape Town.

6. How did the crew members work as a team to make their expedition successful?

Even during the storm when three people would be out on watch, the other three would indulge in some sort of works like heat the water or the gloves etc. So team effort actually helped in navigating through the 20 hours long storm.

7. What challenging tasks did the team face during their voyage?

In the South Pacific, they encountered a storm where the seas were almost nine to ten meters high and the winds were picking up to 60-70 knots/which is about a hurricane force of wind on land.

8. What sort of activities did the crew engage in during their long voyage?

They picked up some hobbies and kept posting pictures of delicacies like golgappas and cakes. They also read books and did some quilling and craft work. Team leader read comics and the Ramayana. Swathi was indulged in baking and made lamp shades.

9. Mention the celebrations which the crew enjoyed during their expeditions.

Diwali and three birthdays including the 1^st birthday of the boat were the celebrations the crew enjoyed during their expeditions.

10. Which factor motivated the crew to undertake this expedition?

The entire country was watching and praying for them and motivated them to undertake the expedition.

C. Answer the following in about 100–150 words:

1. Highlight the factors responsible for the all-women Indian Navy crew to carry out their expedition.

Lesson : EMPOWERED WOMEN NAVIGATING THE WORLD
Theme : Factors responsible for ‘all-women Indian Navy crew’ to carry out their expedition.
Characters : Crew members
Outline : Navika sagar Parikrama - National policy - Ocean sailing - Nari Shakti - Make in India - INSV Tarini - environment friendly collected data.

Navika Sagar Parikrama was a project undertaken in consonance with the National policy to empower women to attain their full potential. The Project is considered essential towards promoting ocean sailing activities in the Navy while depicting Government of India’s thrust for Nari Shakti (women power). The voyage was aimed to show case ‘Make in India’ initiative by sailing on- board indigenously built INSV Tarini. The special feature of this sailboat is that it encouraged use of environment friendly non-conventional renewable energy resources such as the wind; collected and updated meteorological, ocean and wave data on regular basis for accurate weather forecast by India Meteorological Department (IMD) and also collected data for monitoring marine pollution on high seas. These are the factors responsible for the all-women Indian Navy crew to carry out their expedition.

ESSAY

• Introduction

Women occupy almost all the major positions in society. Currently, women’s accomplishments are tremendous in many fields. One such achievement is the All-women Indian Navy crew who circumnavigated the world for 254 days all alone, in a sailboat called INSV Tarini.

• Navika sagar Parikrama :

Navika Sagar Parikrama was a project undertaken in consonance with the National policy to empower women to attain their full potential. “The Project is considered essential towards promoting ocean sailing activities in the Navy while depicting Government of India’s thrust for Nari Shakti (women power),”

• Make in India :

The voyage was aimed to show case ‘Make in India’ initiative by sailing on- board indigenously built INSV Tarini. The special feature of this sailboat is that it encouraged use of environment friendly non-conventional renewable energy resources such as the wind; collected and updated meteorological, ocean and wave data on regular basis for accurate weather forecast by India Meteorological Department (IMD) and also collected data for monitoring marine pollution on high seas.

• Conclusion :

All these factors are responsible for the all-women Indian Navy crew to carry out their expedition.

Moral: Great things never come from comfort zones

2. Write in detail about the selection and training process which the crew underwent.

Lesson : EMPOWERED WOMEN NAVIGATING THE WORLD
Theme : Training and selection of the crew members.
Characters : Crew members
Outline : Theoretical course - navigation - Communication - weather prediction - repair things - emergencies - INWTC - INSV Mhadei out of 30 - 6 - survival skills.

The all-women Indian Navy crew underwent some theoretical courses on navigation, communication and weather prediction. They are trained to repair things, to deal with emergencies in tactical aspects. They underwent basic sail training courses in Mumbai at the Indian Naval Waterman ship Training Centre (INWTC). They also sailed on INSV Mhadei to Mauritius and back and also to Cape Town. They were trained almost for 3 years to prepare for voyage. The trip was a tutorial for them to manage food, water and even electricity during the voyage. Out of the thirty women, who had applied, six were shortlisted based on the little survival skills they showcased.

ESSAY

• Introduction
• Theoretical training
• Practical training
• Selection
• Conclusion

Introduction :

Women occupy almost all the major positions in society. Currently, women’s accomplishments are tremendous in many fields. One such achievement is the all women Indian Navy crew.

Theoretical training :

They underwent some theoretical courses on navigation, communication and weather prediction. Training was given to repair things to deal with emergencies when the weather gets rough and in medical emergency.

Practical training :

They underwent their basic sail training courses in Mumbai at the Indian Naval Waterman ship Training Centre and in the southern naval base in Kochi. They even sailed in INSV Mhadei to Mauritius and back and also to Cape Town. They were trained almost for 3 years to prepare for voyage. The trip was a tutorial for them to manage food, water and even electricity during the voyage.

Selection :

Out of the thirty women, who had applied, six were shortlisted based on the little survival skills they showcased.

Conclusion

We could really understand their hardships and challenges they have faced in their training and selection.

Moral: Success is the result of perfection and hard work.

Glossary for Empowered Women Navigating The World | Class 10 English Prose

Glossary - Empowered Women Navigating The World | Prose

Glossary

circumnavigate (v)

to travel all the way around something, especially the earth

indigenously (adv.)

naturally; innately; inherently

consonance (n)

agreement or compatibility between opinions or actions

skippered (v)

to act as a master or captain of a vessel especially a small boat

expedition (n)

a journey or voyage made for some specific purpose, such as of war or exploration

replenishment (n)

restoration of a stock or supply to a former level or condition

apprehensive (adj.)

anxious or fearful that something bad or unpleasant will happen

contention (n)

strenuous effort; struggling together in opposition

auxiliary (adj.)

additional; used as a reserve or substitute in case of need

anticipate (v)

to foresee; to realize beforehand; to expect; be sure of

bio-luminescence (n)

the production of light by living organisms

golgappas (n)

the other term for pani puri

morale (n)

emotional or mental condition with respect to confidence especially in the face of hardships

Empowered Women Navigating The World: A Deep Dive into the INSV Tarini Expedition

Empowered Women Navigating The World - Prose

Empowered Women Navigating The World

Gone are the days, where women in India remained indoors unless permitted to go out with an escort. Conditions today have changed, thanks to all those women who have fought for their freedom and set a very good example for others. The real power of women though realised earlier, is currently being projected to the world by the advancement of technology and media.

Women occupy almost all the major positions in society. Currently, women’s accomplishments are tremendous in many fields. One such achievement is the All-women Indian Navy crew who circumnavigated the world for 254 days all alone, in a sailboat called INSV Tarini.

What is INSV Tarini?

INSV stands for Indian Naval Ship Vessel. Tara-Tarini is the patron deity for sailors and is worshipped for safety and success at sea.

INSV Tarini is the second sailboat of the Indian Navy (The first being the INSV Mhadei). It is a 55 foot sailing vessel built indigenously in India by M/s Aquarius Shipyard Pvt. Ltd, located in Goa. After undergoing extensive sea trials, she was commissioned to the Indian Navy service on 18 February 2017. The boat was named after the famous ‘Tara-Tarini’ temple in Ganjam district of Odisha. The word ‘Tarini’ means ‘boat’ and in Sanskrit it means ‘Saviour’.

INSV Tarini has advance Raymarine navigation suite and an array of satellite communication systems for perfect navigation anywhere in world.

a. What does INSV stand for?

b. When was INSV Tarini commissioned to Indian Navy service?

c. Who is Tara-Tarini? After whom was the sailboat named?

Navika Sagar Parikrama

Navika Sagar Parikrama was a project undertaken in consonance with the National policy to empower women to attain their full potential. “The Project is considered essential towards promoting ocean sailing activities in the Navy while depicting Government of India’s thrust for Nari Shakti (women power),” said Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba in his welcome speech.

The voyage was aimed to show case ‘Make in India’ initiative by sailing on-board indigenously built INSV Tarini. The special feature of this sailboat is that it encouraged use of environment friendly non-conventional renewable energy resources such as the wind; collected and updated meteorological, ocean and wave data on regular basis for accurate weather forecast by India Meteorological Department (IMD) and also collected data for monitoring marine pollution on high seas.

Indian Navy’s Six Women Crew

Indian Navy’s all-women crew was the first-ever to circumnavigate the globe skippered by Lt. Commander Vartika Joshi. The all-women team has also Lt. Cdr. Pratibh Jamwal, Lt. Cdr. Swathi Patarapalli, Lt. Aishwarya Boddapati, Lt. Sh. Vijaya Devi and Lt. Payal Gupta as its crew members.

The crew started their voyage on 10 September 2017 from Goa, flagged off by the Defence Minister of India. It was a historic day, which would be marked in navigation history and globally. It covered the expedition in five legs with stop-overs at four ports (Fremantle, Australia; Lyttleton, New Zealand; Port Stanley, the Falklands and Cape Town, South Africa) for replenishment of ration and repair as necessary, before returning to Goa in April 2018. They went around the globe within 254-days and reached Goa port on 21 May 2018. The six member women crew broke many stereotypes during their record-setting sail.

The first Indian solo circumnavigation was undertaken by Capt. Dilip Donde, SC (Retd.) from August 19, 2009 to May 19, 2010 on board another India-built vessel INSV Mhadei.

The first Indian non-stop solo circumnavigation was undertaken by Cdr. Abhilash Tomy, K.C. from November 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013.

An Interview with the crew members

India’s all-women navy crew who went around the world in 254 -days have shared their experiences about their great voyage in an interview. Through their personal experiences, we really come to know their hardships and unpredictable challenges they have faced all through their expeditions.

Interviewer: How well were you acquainted with the sail boat before you took up the task?

Vartika Joshi: None of us was acquainted with a sail boat or ocean-going boat; none of us had sailed before, nor are woman officers allowed entry in combat platforms as yet. At first, it was difficult to take the boat out to sea, from one point to another. But we slowly built upon it through three years of training.

Interviewer: Can you tell us about the training you had undergone before this expedition?

Vartika Joshi: We started with some theoretical courses on navigation, communication and weather prediction. Classroom courses are different from sailing outside. So, we were given hands-on training, like, how to repair things and how to deal with emergencies, when the weather gets rough, if there is a medical emergency, and training was needed in tactical aspects as well.

Aishwarya: We underwent our basic sail training courses in Mumbai at the Indian Naval Waterman ship Training Centre (INWTC), and at various schools in the southern naval base in Kochi. We even sailed on INSV Mhadei to Mauritius (in 2016 and 2017) and back and also to Cape Town in December 2016. We were trained for almost three years to prepare for the voyage. Since the boat was old, it had minor leaks and repairs. Also, we ran out of water and food soon. So the trip was a tutorial for us on how to manage food, water and even electricity during the big voyage.

Interviewer: What was the selection process?

Aishwarya: Out of the thirty women who had applied, six of us were shortlisted, based on the little survival skills we showcased. The crew was mentored by Commander Dilip Donde. But after I was told about the flare-ups at sea, I even had second thoughts about joining the team.

Interviewer: How did your family members react when you told them about this expedition?

Vartika Joshi: Our families did have a hard time, but that was because most of them had never even seen the sea! Four of us are from the mountains. The first time my parents saw the ocean was when I invited them to visit. But once they saw that we’re doing well and looking after ourselves, they were quite supportive. They were apprehensive and supportive too.

d. Where did the crew undergo their basic training?

e. How long were they trained to undertake this voyage?

f. Which skill was considered important in the selection process?

g. Who mentored the crew?

Interviewer: What were your aims and how did you work to achieve them?

Vartika Joshi: I wanted to make sure that I complete this journey with ultimate honesty. I didn’t set out for a destination; it was the journey that mattered to me the most. So my contention was to make sure that we go by the rules of circumnavigation which say that you don’t have to use any auxiliary means of repulsion and you don’t have to take anybody else’s assistance. I grasped that completely.

Interviewer: Name that one quality of yours that enabled you to complete this expedition successfully?

Vartika Joshi: Whenever the winds dropped, it wouldn’t have taken me even a fraction of second to switch on the engine and say let’s go one mile ahead. But inside of me something poked me and said that you have to be honest with yourself and this expedition has to be done with honesty. I am glad that we were able to finish it successfully without the use of the engine at all.

Interviewer: As the head of the crew, how did you involve the team?

Vartika Joshi: We’ve all sailed and trained the same amount, and everybody has their own way of dealing with situations, but that was a good thing, because we could discuss different ways of solving a problem and choose the best one. In fact, I’d say it was easier for us to collaborate and work together.

Payal Gupta: When you are out at sea, teamwork is the most important in the middle of the crisis. Even during the storm when three people would be out on watch, the other three who would be inside wouldn’t be able to rest. Somebody would heat the water, the other person would heat the gloves because it was raining also. So team effort actually helped in navigating through the 20 hours long storm. I feel that if I had been alone then it would have been a nightmare to deal with the challenges that the sea throws at you.

Interviewer: Share your experience about the most challenging task while sailing.

Vartika Joshi: The Sea can get really tough when winds are picking up. Those are the times we have to be active and need to anticipate what could be there ahead. In the South Pacific, we encountered a storm where the seas were almost nine to ten meters high and the winds were picking up to 60–70 knots(a unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour exactly 1.852km/h), which is about a hurricane force of wind on land. It is normal on sea where there is hardly any land mass to stop the winds.

It was also a blissful experience when something broke down and after a lot of hard work and effort, we were able to fix it together. We will remember these incidents as well because it gave us the strength to move on and if something went bad, we were able to overcome those challenges.

Interviewer: How adventurous was your trip?

Vartika Joshi: When we were crossing the Tasman Sea, we witnessed the brilliant Southern Lights from sea. It was rare to watch that in those months, that too from sea. We were absolutely awestruck as we were not expecting it, to see the entire sky lit up in green light. There was bio-luminescence, dolphins swimming in the wake of the boat like our neighbours and a variety of sea creatures. We spotted a dead sperm whale once and we thought it was an island from a distance, it was so huge. We are not specialists, so whenever we spotted something in the sea, we had to Google it to learn more about the species.

Interviewer: How did your crew spend time deep in the sea?

Swathi P: During circumnavigation, we picked up some hobbies and kept posting pictures of delicacies like golgappas and cakes. We also read books when the weather was pleasant and did some quilling and craft work. While team leader Joshi read comics and the Ramayana during her journey, I loved cooking as well so I indulged in baking. I also liked crafting a lot, so I used to make lampshades. I love it when people appreciate the food that I cook, so I gave my crew members the best dishes that was possible on land with the limited resources that we had on the boat.

Vartika Joshi: Six is a great number, we were always entertained. We watched movies, listened to music, and you won’t believe some of the goodies the crew rustled up in our tiny pantry, even while sailing in rough seas. We made parathas, baked cakes and breads, and even made halwa and rasgullas!

We celebrated festivals at sea. When we think about it now on land, we remember the Diwali we spent at sea. We celebrated three birthdays including the first birthday of the boat; also specific occasions like crossing the equator, the International Date Line and such.

Interviewer: What motivated you to fulfil the country’s expectations?

Swathi P: We knew that the entire country was watching us and praying for us, so we never wanted them to have a single day thinking that we are in trouble. We knew that it is going to happen but the people out there did not know what kind of challenges we were facing. So, one of the motives that we kept in mind was that we did not want to frighten them. We decided that once the circumnavigating was over, we are going to show what we have actually gone through.

Interviewer: As a woman, how would you consider this expedition?

Vartika Joshi: It is a matter of great honour and we couldn’t have imagined anything better for our cast-off. Of course we being an all- woman team, it is a great boost to women in the country. But, as we are going as sailors, and we as sailors have seen that the sea does not discriminate between genders. It is always gender-neutral and we have realised that gender does not play a role in sailing. But to boost the morale in the country and for more women to take in adventures like sailing, I feel it is great that an all- woman team had been formed to undergo this expedition.

h. Which quality of the skipper helped to bring out a successful expedition?

i. Who among the crew mentioned about teamwork?

j. When did they witness the brilliant southern lights from the sea? How did the sky appear there?

k. What festival did they celebrate during their expedition?