CHASE YOUR DREAMS…I meant go for them !
I recently read a small piece by Sri.Tejomaya Tarun and was really impressed by it….i had to share it ! This was in the context of long-term success and short-term success. Citing an incident from the Ramayana he refers to the ignoble act of Ravana kidnapping Sita and how valiantly Jatayu tried to stave him off .As we all know Ravana chopped off Jatayu’s wings and took Sita away.
The point here is that Ravana succeeded in his efforts at kidnapping Sita. And Jatayu failed in his efforts at trying to save Sita. So Jatayu was a failure and Ravana was successful. What does this show?
That failing in our attempts to do something good is far better than succeeding in doing an ignoble act. In the end it was Jatayu who became a role model and not Ravana.
The point here is that in any action there is an immediate objective and ultimate objective. Ravana’s immediate objective was to kidnap Sita and he succeeded in it. His ultimate objective was to marry Sita but he did not succeed in that. In the case of Jatayu his immediate objective was to save Sita in which he failed, but prevailed in his ultimate objective of saving Sita’s chastity.
Guess we need to look at success and victory in a deeper perspective and not superficially. More often than not small, temporary setbacks block our vision preventing us from looking further. As someone said a situation is never good or bad – it is how one reacts to it that makes it good or bad!
‘ EVERY WORTHWHILE ACCOMPLISHMENT, BIG OR LITTLE, HAS ITS STAGES OF DRUDGERY AND TRIUMPH; A BEGINNING, A STRUGGLE AND A VICTORY’ - ANONYMOUS
Many of us refuse to begin. Those that do leave half way through not willing to go through the struggle. How then can you savor victory? Go behind your dreams like one possessed and victory shall possess you!
Remember…' Mushrooms attain their full power in a night; oaks require decades…!'
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Hair Raising Experience…
Well…..I bet most of you [at least the older ones] would have gone through this traumatic experience at some point of time or the other… after all aren’t we all a little careless..! Is this what ‘ a close shave’ is all about?
Its true all of us go through a ‘bad patch’ and we all hate to talk about it… but its better if you do…because you could get a lot of tips on how to come out of a worrying situation. Of course the experience varies from person to person…but isn’t the basic issue the same… your HAIR!
Hehe…some of you are confused aren’t you? What do you think am talking about? Of course am talking about your crowning glory.
Sudden loss of hair could get you worried to the extremes, making you do a quick P.hd on the history of baldness in your ancestry. Not to mention how some people hit the panic button on the double, when they discover that first strand of grey hair! Needless to say all hell breaks loose…this is exactly what happened to a close friend of mine!
“ I am only in my forties and how could I start greying. I am going to look old”, she screeched one day. No amount of reasoning [that it was perfectly normal to start greying in your forties; it all depends on your genes; these days even those in their twenties were having grey hair] could convince her and she had already decided that she had become a useless old hag! Her husband even tried telling her that the little grey tinge at the temples, only made her look more beautiful and appealing! But to no avail!
Then started the endless rounds of treatment when her Head became a flame less cooking range where every possible edible item was powdered, mixed, beaten, churned and poured …and left to soak! Right from curd, egg, methi, besan, lime juice, tea, coconut milk, oil [of all kinds and colour] …not to mention Brandy! And the non- edible stuff like henna, hibiscus leaves, herbs and what have you!
She would appear like an alien every other day with some concoction or the other on her head and finally went in and got the inevitable done - dyed her hair black! She not only lost more hair going through all this but is now worrying about when she would have to go for her next sitting at the parlor! Because she knows that the black dye wouldn’t last forever!
I can understand people getting worried about falling hair …but not greying hair! Grow up people. Greying hair no way indicates that you have become an old useless hawk. In that case every other youngster in his/her twenties is good enough to be termed as old – because these days most of them start greying young! You can ONLY be as old as you think you are!
Well…..I bet most of you [at least the older ones] would have gone through this traumatic experience at some point of time or the other… after all aren’t we all a little careless..! Is this what ‘ a close shave’ is all about?
Its true all of us go through a ‘bad patch’ and we all hate to talk about it… but its better if you do…because you could get a lot of tips on how to come out of a worrying situation. Of course the experience varies from person to person…but isn’t the basic issue the same… your HAIR!
Hehe…some of you are confused aren’t you? What do you think am talking about? Of course am talking about your crowning glory.
Sudden loss of hair could get you worried to the extremes, making you do a quick P.hd on the history of baldness in your ancestry. Not to mention how some people hit the panic button on the double, when they discover that first strand of grey hair! Needless to say all hell breaks loose…this is exactly what happened to a close friend of mine!
“ I am only in my forties and how could I start greying. I am going to look old”, she screeched one day. No amount of reasoning [that it was perfectly normal to start greying in your forties; it all depends on your genes; these days even those in their twenties were having grey hair] could convince her and she had already decided that she had become a useless old hag! Her husband even tried telling her that the little grey tinge at the temples, only made her look more beautiful and appealing! But to no avail!
Then started the endless rounds of treatment when her Head became a flame less cooking range where every possible edible item was powdered, mixed, beaten, churned and poured …and left to soak! Right from curd, egg, methi, besan, lime juice, tea, coconut milk, oil [of all kinds and colour] …not to mention Brandy! And the non- edible stuff like henna, hibiscus leaves, herbs and what have you!
She would appear like an alien every other day with some concoction or the other on her head and finally went in and got the inevitable done - dyed her hair black! She not only lost more hair going through all this but is now worrying about when she would have to go for her next sitting at the parlor! Because she knows that the black dye wouldn’t last forever!
I can understand people getting worried about falling hair …but not greying hair! Grow up people. Greying hair no way indicates that you have become an old useless hawk. In that case every other youngster in his/her twenties is good enough to be termed as old – because these days most of them start greying young! You can ONLY be as old as you think you are!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
BURDEN OF EDUCATION
If there is anything that needs to be drastically reformed in our country, apart from our politicians, it is our educational system. True education is that which leads human souls to what is best and also brings out the best in them. Not the present system, that emphasizes more on bookish knowledge, compromising and stifling the growth of a child, as an individual in his own distinct way.
The experience (of education) once considered as “Ennobling and Enlightening” has become more of an ordeal now. This ordeal begins as early as the age of three, when parents go through the elaborate process of admission including interviews, both for the child and the parent. What purpose these interviews serve is something that remains an enigma to this day because the child is too young to be judged by his intelligence and it is only obvious that parents put forth their best on such occasions. So why this fracas?
If there is anything that needs to be drastically reformed in our country, apart from our politicians, it is our educational system. True education is that which leads human souls to what is best and also brings out the best in them. Not the present system, that emphasizes more on bookish knowledge, compromising and stifling the growth of a child, as an individual in his own distinct way.
The experience (of education) once considered as “Ennobling and Enlightening” has become more of an ordeal now. This ordeal begins as early as the age of three, when parents go through the elaborate process of admission including interviews, both for the child and the parent. What purpose these interviews serve is something that remains an enigma to this day because the child is too young to be judged by his intelligence and it is only obvious that parents put forth their best on such occasions. So why this fracas?
From here in starts the drilling of the child. Young and supple fingers are made to hold pencils double their size and practice pages of writing, the reasoning being ‘we have to catch them young’. Any child that refuses to go along with this regime is considered slow, making agitated parents to further pressurize the child in being part of the herd.
With slightly older children, the sight of those young shoulders being burdened by kilos of books is heart breaking. Apart from the tedious hours at school, the child has the Herculean task of tackling homework, not to mention the endless rounds of tuition classes. In yesteryears tuition classes were recommended for naughty kids who paid less attention in class or for those slow learners, needing the extra bit of coaching. Not anymore!
Tuition classes are the order of the day for all and sundry, not because the children are dull but more because the teaching is. Weekends are of course the only time the children get to indulge in sporting or cultural activities of their (is it really theirs?) choice. As a result we have a generation of drained out kids thrust with too much too early.
Education should be knowledge – based, being instrumental in stimulating and nurturing individual talents and liking. Exams these days are no more a yardstick to evaluate one’s intelligent quotient but the capacity to memorize and reproduce, giving no scope to imagination or understanding. Children are made to cram in totally uninteresting topics, which would serve them no purpose in practical life.
Education should be knowledge – based, being instrumental in stimulating and nurturing individual talents and liking. Exams these days are no more a yardstick to evaluate one’s intelligent quotient but the capacity to memorize and reproduce, giving no scope to imagination or understanding. Children are made to cram in totally uninteresting topics, which would serve them no purpose in practical life.
Parents and society are partly to be blamed for this depressing scenario. Society considers a person educated only if he or she completes a certain amount of education within a stipulated time, immaterial of his aptitude or suitability. Parents succumb to this pressure and feel ashamed if their child does not conform to these dictates. With the result that a child with exceptional talent in a different field is curbed totally to live up to societal expectations.
The formative years of every child is literally butchered due to these pre-conceived notions. The present system hardly leaves them any time to explore other avenues, allowing restlessness and boredom to creep in.
Formal education is no doubt, absolutely essential. But if the education a child gets does not help him progress in life, both personally and professionally, its purpose is totally defeated. We are thus left with a generation of frustrated and depressed youngsters, simply because they are unable to put their education to effective use.
Formal education is no doubt, absolutely essential. But if the education a child gets does not help him progress in life, both personally and professionally, its purpose is totally defeated. We are thus left with a generation of frustrated and depressed youngsters, simply because they are unable to put their education to effective use.
Revamping our education system should be given top priority by the Govt., simply because the children of today are the leaders of tomorrow who will be the driving force behind the country’s progress. [ Guess this has been said 'n ' number of times before....even i feel sick as i write! ] If they have a happy and healthy childhood their contribution would certainly be all the better because learning in one’s youth is like engraving on a stone.
Friday, July 6, 2007
IDIOT = COFFEE
I seem to make friends in the strangest of situations. This happened in the recent past during a visit to the airport. I don’t know the reason but I particularly love the time spent on railway stations or airports when you hang around waiting to receive someone. You have all the time to observe the people around you and the way each reacts to any given situation.
This was one of those days when you start early from the house to reach the airport on time, anticipating heavy traffic en route, and to your surprise are blessed with an easy uneventful drive. And the worse part was that the flight was delayed by a good one hour!
And while I was waiting I had a call from a dear good friend who had had a bad day and decided to pour it all out to me. In the course of our conversation, I tried to put some sense into making him realize how he had messed up his day by being stupid and hasty. In the process I kept repeating,"Subbu, don’t be an idiot!”
Perfectly aware of the surrounding I was in, I had kept my voice pretty low…or so I thought!
But it seemed to have been clearly audible to a gentleman standing in close proximity…
After I finished my conversation he smiled at me and I smiled at him…I thought that it was one of those smiles that says,"Yeah I know how bugging it is to wait outside like this!"
But I was taken aback when, out of the blue, he said," I thought I wasn’t one …but you seem to be pretty sure that I am one. Now am having my own doubts"…and gave me one big smile!
For a moment I wasn’t sure what he was talking about! He then held out his hand and said," Hi. I am Subbu. Nice meeting you…..except that you seem to think I am an idiot"
Hahahahaha…in a flash it all came to light! His sense of humor really rocked and I couldn’t help laughing. And to my utter embarrassment he happened to hold one of the top portfolios with one of the IT giants in Chennai.
We got talking and the gentleman was kind enough to offer to buy me coffee while we waited.
And I jokingly told him that perhaps I was the first person to be treated to a hot cup of coffee for having called someone an idiot.
Strange are the ways of life… and how you meet people …or how you make friends with them! I may never meet this person again in my life but there was something very pleasant about the incident, which still brings a smile to my face!
Moral of the story: Never call any one by their name and scold them in public!
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
A FEW TIPS ....FOR WEDDED BLISS !!!!!!!!!!!!! PART -2
Since the would - be grooms were up in arms, i need to pour my thoughts out to would - be brides too!!!
Rule.No.1: Never start of on the offensive or defensive. Start with a clear state of mind when you enter your in-laws' house! Never ever keep in mind bad experiences that other people have had in their lives! If you are positive you can generate a lot of love in the new family!
Rule.No.2: Don't expect your husband to abandon his family in your favour from the word go! Actually i would say never ever expect that of him...because if ever he does that to a family that has been his whole world this far, he could surely do that to you later too! Respect his love for his family and reciprocate if you can !
Rule.No.3: Don't spend sleepless nights if he is a mamma's boy! Give him time to change...you are sure to realise the wonderful bond when you become one your self!
Rule.No.4: I know this will not go down well with most brides but please put away all this talk of equality and women's lib! Agreed that you can do all that he does - go out take on the world/ earn in lakhs/ climb the corporate ladder - may be even better than him! But realise that there are certain other things that only you can do ...like bringing up children! Don't confuse this pleasant task with the word 'Sacrifice' and make life hell for you and all those around!
Rule.No.5: Learn to take an interest in his interests - be it sports/music/friends/what ever..... Or deem it your luck that he has other distractions! Believe me .....You can use that time to catch with your interests...enjoy your own space instead of someone breathing down your neck all the time!
Since the would - be grooms were up in arms, i need to pour my thoughts out to would - be brides too!!!
Rule.No.1: Never start of on the offensive or defensive. Start with a clear state of mind when you enter your in-laws' house! Never ever keep in mind bad experiences that other people have had in their lives! If you are positive you can generate a lot of love in the new family!
Rule.No.2: Don't expect your husband to abandon his family in your favour from the word go! Actually i would say never ever expect that of him...because if ever he does that to a family that has been his whole world this far, he could surely do that to you later too! Respect his love for his family and reciprocate if you can !
Rule.No.3: Don't spend sleepless nights if he is a mamma's boy! Give him time to change...you are sure to realise the wonderful bond when you become one your self!
Rule.No.4: I know this will not go down well with most brides but please put away all this talk of equality and women's lib! Agreed that you can do all that he does - go out take on the world/ earn in lakhs/ climb the corporate ladder - may be even better than him! But realise that there are certain other things that only you can do ...like bringing up children! Don't confuse this pleasant task with the word 'Sacrifice' and make life hell for you and all those around!
Rule.No.5: Learn to take an interest in his interests - be it sports/music/friends/what ever..... Or deem it your luck that he has other distractions! Believe me .....You can use that time to catch with your interests...enjoy your own space instead of someone breathing down your neck all the time!
A FEW TIPS ..FOR WEDDED BLISS!!!!
Hey...just sharing a few thoughts that came to mind!!!!
For Would-Be Grooms:
Rule.No.1 - Never compare your mamma's cooking with your wife's! There is no faster way to dig your own grave than that! Please understand that your mom's cooking has the backing of 20 odd years of experience....don't expect that from your wife whose hardly into the process! What if she were to compare your earning capacity with her dad's!!! So shshshhhhh....!!!
Rule.No.2 : Never go out of your way to please the lady with flowers, chocolates and gifts during your engagement period. If ever you do , please follow it up post-wedding too! When you could cover 20kms in 15 minutes when you are engaged just to spend some time with her, how dare you forget her birthday post - marriage, even after you are given the broadest of hints by her!
Remember expectations always double...ever heard of them being halved ???
Rule.No.3: Do compliment her every now and then, verbally or with gifts! What are those lovely Teddies and Archies gift cards for? Don't sit there like the Lord Of The Rings expecting to be waited upon! Of course she will do it but everyone likes to be appreciated and pampered!!!!
Rule.No.4: This is very important! Sulking or complaining about marriage being a big mistake is a strict NO -NO !! You got into it with your eyes wide open, brimming with enthusiasm !! No one ever pushed you into it! So why this drama now! All you deserve is a good spanking!!!
Rule.No.5: Be Brave and take your own decisions and stand up by them !!
Consult your parents for advice but realise that you are grown up enough to lead your life! Respect your partner's views at all times! Remember she has given up a lot more [ her family/ people/20 plus years of a different environment ] to make a life with you!!And she is always one person who has your welfare most at heart!!!
Hey...just sharing a few thoughts that came to mind!!!!
For Would-Be Grooms:
Rule.No.1 - Never compare your mamma's cooking with your wife's! There is no faster way to dig your own grave than that! Please understand that your mom's cooking has the backing of 20 odd years of experience....don't expect that from your wife whose hardly into the process! What if she were to compare your earning capacity with her dad's!!! So shshshhhhh....!!!
Rule.No.2 : Never go out of your way to please the lady with flowers, chocolates and gifts during your engagement period. If ever you do , please follow it up post-wedding too! When you could cover 20kms in 15 minutes when you are engaged just to spend some time with her, how dare you forget her birthday post - marriage, even after you are given the broadest of hints by her!
Remember expectations always double...ever heard of them being halved ???
Rule.No.3: Do compliment her every now and then, verbally or with gifts! What are those lovely Teddies and Archies gift cards for? Don't sit there like the Lord Of The Rings expecting to be waited upon! Of course she will do it but everyone likes to be appreciated and pampered!!!!
Rule.No.4: This is very important! Sulking or complaining about marriage being a big mistake is a strict NO -NO !! You got into it with your eyes wide open, brimming with enthusiasm !! No one ever pushed you into it! So why this drama now! All you deserve is a good spanking!!!
Rule.No.5: Be Brave and take your own decisions and stand up by them !!
Consult your parents for advice but realise that you are grown up enough to lead your life! Respect your partner's views at all times! Remember she has given up a lot more [ her family/ people/20 plus years of a different environment ] to make a life with you!!And she is always one person who has your welfare most at heart!!!
Neither here nor there… Please be somewhere!!!!!
People of my generation – who are forty plus now –are not a very enviable lot I would say! They find themselves in a dilemma more often than not! They can neither identify them selves with the old fashioned values of the previous gen nor be bold enough to follow the ultra mod trends of their next [kids] generation…and lo behold what have you! An identity crisis… being neither here nor there… a transitory generation I would say! And believe me its tough being there!
Lets start from basics! Food…Traditional cooking sounds tedious to cook and eat. We get bored of it very often! Fast foods like chats are great to try once in a way! Pizzas are passable! Any mention of pasta and macaroni as a full meal brings a silly apologetic smile to the face …err… can we have some thing else too along with it?
When it comes to clothes …Oh we claim to be mod and ‘in’ with the crowd….or so we brag!!! Yeah … because we love to try new trends ourselves…
…Comes a girl with a spaghetti top or a pair of shorts and we do a double….and say… now that’s a bit too skimpy! Phew …People please make up your mind!
You profess openly that love marriages are perfectly ok [of course you will never spell it out to your kids lest they take advantage of it…!!] but secretly send silent prayers hoping that they find a guy or gal from your own community! Come on …give yourself a break! They are not like you and me and have a mind of their own and know precisely what they want and go after it…. come what may!!
Its confusion galore in every aspect of life only because most lack the guts to pursue what they really want! Can’t blame them because they are sandwiched between past [Traditional] and the future [Modern] generations!
And land up being the punch bag for both!
But please remember there is no point in hiding behind that excuse…in the milee your life is being wasted! Why do you worry about what people have to say ? Just go for what you feel is right and for god’s sake don’t make the same mistake as the previous gen! Learn to let go…this applies for both you and your children…
Let go of unwanted traditions and values that are dead weight, be practical and learn to enjoy your life!
Let go off your children at some point and allow them the space that you probably never got…don’t cling on!
Life is too beautiful to be wasted....despite its lows!!!!
People of my generation – who are forty plus now –are not a very enviable lot I would say! They find themselves in a dilemma more often than not! They can neither identify them selves with the old fashioned values of the previous gen nor be bold enough to follow the ultra mod trends of their next [kids] generation…and lo behold what have you! An identity crisis… being neither here nor there… a transitory generation I would say! And believe me its tough being there!
Lets start from basics! Food…Traditional cooking sounds tedious to cook and eat. We get bored of it very often! Fast foods like chats are great to try once in a way! Pizzas are passable! Any mention of pasta and macaroni as a full meal brings a silly apologetic smile to the face …err… can we have some thing else too along with it?
When it comes to clothes …Oh we claim to be mod and ‘in’ with the crowd….or so we brag!!! Yeah … because we love to try new trends ourselves…
…Comes a girl with a spaghetti top or a pair of shorts and we do a double….and say… now that’s a bit too skimpy! Phew …People please make up your mind!
You profess openly that love marriages are perfectly ok [of course you will never spell it out to your kids lest they take advantage of it…!!] but secretly send silent prayers hoping that they find a guy or gal from your own community! Come on …give yourself a break! They are not like you and me and have a mind of their own and know precisely what they want and go after it…. come what may!!
Its confusion galore in every aspect of life only because most lack the guts to pursue what they really want! Can’t blame them because they are sandwiched between past [Traditional] and the future [Modern] generations!
And land up being the punch bag for both!
But please remember there is no point in hiding behind that excuse…in the milee your life is being wasted! Why do you worry about what people have to say ? Just go for what you feel is right and for god’s sake don’t make the same mistake as the previous gen! Learn to let go…this applies for both you and your children…
Let go of unwanted traditions and values that are dead weight, be practical and learn to enjoy your life!
Let go off your children at some point and allow them the space that you probably never got…don’t cling on!
Life is too beautiful to be wasted....despite its lows!!!!
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Am Angry............!!!!!!
A recent incident deeply disturbed me…an uncle of mine had passed away after fulfilling all his obligations and living a fulfilling life.As is customary all the elaborate rituals spread over 13 days for the onward journey of the soul, were over and we were just sitting around and chatting . This particular aunt was a very chirpy and practical person and had coped very well thus far with her loss. She casually remarked, ‘ I must from now on remember not to wear a bindi …have been so used to doing it all these years, I must not do anything stupid’.
A remark that shocked and hit me real hard! What was so far a part of her daily routine and attire, was suddenly termed out of bounds and considered a great crime.
What are we making our women folk go through under the garb of tradition and culture?
Imagine ever since the day she is born, a girl is used to wearing a bindi and flowers on her head. And what right do we have to tell her to discontinue this practise once her life partner is dead and gone. Am not here to argue as to what the men folk give up when their wives die…that’s a senseless discussion.
But its bad enough that you have to cope up with the loss of a dear one ...on top of it we interfere in their day to day life and impose restrictions on them which only further the grief by pointing out to the loss even more distinctly!
Gone are the days where we had the extremes of sati or women having to shave off their heads and wear a white Saree…. We claim to have reached the status of a super developed nation and where do our women stand?
And I partly blame the women too…they have dinned it into their own heads that they have to follow certain practices setting aside their own likes and dislikes. Given a choice I think most women would love to carry on their normal lives but are so scared of what the society will say ! Bull shit to such a society I would say …
If at all anything is given up in the memory of the departed soul, it should be something very personal to the surviving partner, done in a voluntary manner … not something done for the sake of some stupid custom.
But I guess a reformation can come around only if women put their minds to it… I tried it so hard with my own mom when my dad passed away but totally failed!
A recent incident deeply disturbed me…an uncle of mine had passed away after fulfilling all his obligations and living a fulfilling life.As is customary all the elaborate rituals spread over 13 days for the onward journey of the soul, were over and we were just sitting around and chatting . This particular aunt was a very chirpy and practical person and had coped very well thus far with her loss. She casually remarked, ‘ I must from now on remember not to wear a bindi …have been so used to doing it all these years, I must not do anything stupid’.
A remark that shocked and hit me real hard! What was so far a part of her daily routine and attire, was suddenly termed out of bounds and considered a great crime.
What are we making our women folk go through under the garb of tradition and culture?
Imagine ever since the day she is born, a girl is used to wearing a bindi and flowers on her head. And what right do we have to tell her to discontinue this practise once her life partner is dead and gone. Am not here to argue as to what the men folk give up when their wives die…that’s a senseless discussion.
But its bad enough that you have to cope up with the loss of a dear one ...on top of it we interfere in their day to day life and impose restrictions on them which only further the grief by pointing out to the loss even more distinctly!
Gone are the days where we had the extremes of sati or women having to shave off their heads and wear a white Saree…. We claim to have reached the status of a super developed nation and where do our women stand?
And I partly blame the women too…they have dinned it into their own heads that they have to follow certain practices setting aside their own likes and dislikes. Given a choice I think most women would love to carry on their normal lives but are so scared of what the society will say ! Bull shit to such a society I would say …
If at all anything is given up in the memory of the departed soul, it should be something very personal to the surviving partner, done in a voluntary manner … not something done for the sake of some stupid custom.
But I guess a reformation can come around only if women put their minds to it… I tried it so hard with my own mom when my dad passed away but totally failed!
Monday, May 28, 2007
Passing Thoughtssssssssss..........
Disappointments are like Medicines...
You can't bear to have them even in small doses...
Want to gulp them all down in one go and
make them disappear and get back on track.
But it never happens that way...
medicines take their own sweet time to work.
Yeah...with a whole lot of side effects too!
No one loves them yet have to accept that
at some point the Doc prescribes them for you.
So it is in life.
The Doc called GOD up there prescribes them [ Disappointments]
for you once in a way.With all its side effects...
Medicines teach you to appreciate the value of Good Health.
Disappointments help you take stock of life and appreciate happiness.
Learn to take them as a process to rebuild your strength...
Make you a better person!
believe me ...it works!!!!
Disappointments are like Medicines...
You can't bear to have them even in small doses...
Want to gulp them all down in one go and
make them disappear and get back on track.
But it never happens that way...
medicines take their own sweet time to work.
Yeah...with a whole lot of side effects too!
No one loves them yet have to accept that
at some point the Doc prescribes them for you.
So it is in life.
The Doc called GOD up there prescribes them [ Disappointments]
for you once in a way.With all its side effects...
Medicines teach you to appreciate the value of Good Health.
Disappointments help you take stock of life and appreciate happiness.
Learn to take them as a process to rebuild your strength...
Make you a better person!
believe me ...it works!!!!
I AM BEAUTIFUL…SO ARE YOU!
Why do most of us always have the feeling that we are not perfect and that we need to
change? Is it because people around us are constantly pointing out to the negatives in us,
ignoring the positive points. Well if so, then I think something is drastically wrong with
them…and with you too for letting them do it!
I hate anyone comparing themselves with an‘other’ person and yearning to be like them.
You are special in your own way – realize that!
If you were like the other person with all his good qualities life would be so boring. So what if
you are not perfect? No one is!
So what if you are short tempered? So what if you have no aptitude for numbers? So what if
you are obsessed with only good food and are not good in general knowledge? So what if you
are not tech savvy?
Isn’t it that which makes life interesting for you and all those around you! Isn’t it that which
makes you so unique?
But don’t get me wrong…. If someone is overweight and obese and heading for trouble health wise, I don’t want them to turn around and say, ‘ Hey am special! That’s the way I am’.
There’s nothing special in hogging away to glory and being obese…you had better get that
bottom of yours moving and jog to the nearest park!
It’s your basic personality that we are talking about!
LOVE YOURSELF FOR WHAT YOU ARE!
LIKE YOURSELF FOR WHAT YOU ARE!
Because if you don’t like what you see, no body else will either!
You are special in your own way!
You are beautiful in your way!
Permit experiences to smoothen the rough edges in your character to make you a complete
person. But don’t chisel yourself away to try and make a new ‘you’…coz one fine day you
may not recognize yourself …more often then not it could leave you disfigured and
distressed.
And why should you try and impress anyone?
Let people accept you for what you are…if they don’t I don’t think you ever needed them!
I think I am a beautiful person…and I think ‘you’ who is reading this now is beautiful too…!
Cheers to a beautiful life!
Monday, March 12, 2007
THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS ! ! !
Blog 7
All of us have a whole lot of favorite things that brings a bright smile to our face each time we think of them… well here are a few…no… many of my favorite things!!!!!
Do let me know if you share any of them ….
SIGHT
The rising sun spreading its wings of fire on the horizon as the hues of the vast expanse of the sky and the deep blue sea merge. …Would give anything to view this magnificent scene everyday!!!
The sight of cute little puppies playing with each other… gets you smiling even before you realize it…
Driving down the highway, with lush green fields on either side swaying gently in the breeze…. if that isn’t cool …what is!!! Better still if you are traveling parallel to a railway track and you get to see a train speeding alongside….and you tend to go faster to keep up with it…
The sight of a beautiful peacock displaying the myriad colors on its feathers in full and strutting gracefully…awesome!! I say awesome because one has to be very lucky to get a chance to view this wonderful sight!
Have you watched the shadows dancing in candle light when you light up candles during power cuts… unfortunately we are too busy cursing the EB department that we forget to notice these small beautiful things!
The beautiful flowers lined up at the florist …. Given a chance I would love to have them all at home!!
SMELL
Nothing to match the smell of sandal agarbathis [or any agarbathi for that matter…come to think of it I also loooooooove the smell of camphor..] first thing in the morning…. Makes you send a silent prayer to the BIG BOSS out there, even if you weren’t planning to …..Divine !!!!
Imagine you are walking down the road, a little tired, when the smell of freshly roasted popcorn hits your nose…. Your nose is sure to make a u-turn and blindly walk towards the source of the smell….Yummy!
The aroma of freshly brewed South Indian filter coffee first thing in the morning…. better still if someone were to hand it over to you…hehe…Bliss…sheer bliss!!!
The smell that wafts through the air as the first drizzle hits the earth on a warm summer day …mmmmmm…. Heavenly!!
The smell of Johnsons baby powder on babies after a bath.
As kids whenever new clothes were bought it was always nice to take them out and smell them from time to time…and wait for the day when you could wear them! Exciting !!!
Guess these days kids miss out on all these since they always have everything in plenty…so the charm of waiting/longing for something is lost !!
SOUND
Listening to soothing melodious strains of a flute at the break of dawn.
Listening to your favorite songs when you travel long distances by car …makes travel such a pleasure!
I love the sound of our National Anthem any time any place… makes you feel very emotional and proud…a sense of belonging!
The squeals and peals of laughter of little kids… enough to light up anyone’s face!
I just love the sound of bhangra beats and the beats of the Chendai Drums in Kerala temples… makes you want to dance wherever you are!
RANDOM THINGS THAT GIVE YOU A NICE FEELING….
Walking down the beach barefoot and feeling the grains of sand slip through your feet….
Wearing just-ironed clothes and you can still feel the warmth on your skin…
Making paper boats and letting them afloat on the water on a rainy day…
Eating roasted peanuts with a hot cup of tea on a dark cloudy evening as you wait for the downpour to hit anytime…
Surprise someone with a gift when they least expect it…
Finding a 100 rupee note in an old purse that you chance upon during one of those
cleaning expeditions…
Looking through old photographs after a long gap and going bla bla over them…
All of us have a whole lot of favorite things that brings a bright smile to our face each time we think of them… well here are a few…no… many of my favorite things!!!!!
Do let me know if you share any of them ….
SIGHT
The rising sun spreading its wings of fire on the horizon as the hues of the vast expanse of the sky and the deep blue sea merge. …Would give anything to view this magnificent scene everyday!!!
The sight of cute little puppies playing with each other… gets you smiling even before you realize it…
Driving down the highway, with lush green fields on either side swaying gently in the breeze…. if that isn’t cool …what is!!! Better still if you are traveling parallel to a railway track and you get to see a train speeding alongside….and you tend to go faster to keep up with it…
The sight of a beautiful peacock displaying the myriad colors on its feathers in full and strutting gracefully…awesome!! I say awesome because one has to be very lucky to get a chance to view this wonderful sight!
Have you watched the shadows dancing in candle light when you light up candles during power cuts… unfortunately we are too busy cursing the EB department that we forget to notice these small beautiful things!
The beautiful flowers lined up at the florist …. Given a chance I would love to have them all at home!!
SMELL
Nothing to match the smell of sandal agarbathis [or any agarbathi for that matter…come to think of it I also loooooooove the smell of camphor..] first thing in the morning…. Makes you send a silent prayer to the BIG BOSS out there, even if you weren’t planning to …..Divine !!!!
Imagine you are walking down the road, a little tired, when the smell of freshly roasted popcorn hits your nose…. Your nose is sure to make a u-turn and blindly walk towards the source of the smell….Yummy!
The aroma of freshly brewed South Indian filter coffee first thing in the morning…. better still if someone were to hand it over to you…hehe…Bliss…sheer bliss!!!
The smell that wafts through the air as the first drizzle hits the earth on a warm summer day …mmmmmm…. Heavenly!!
The smell of Johnsons baby powder on babies after a bath.
As kids whenever new clothes were bought it was always nice to take them out and smell them from time to time…and wait for the day when you could wear them! Exciting !!!
Guess these days kids miss out on all these since they always have everything in plenty…so the charm of waiting/longing for something is lost !!
SOUND
Listening to soothing melodious strains of a flute at the break of dawn.
Listening to your favorite songs when you travel long distances by car …makes travel such a pleasure!
I love the sound of our National Anthem any time any place… makes you feel very emotional and proud…a sense of belonging!
The squeals and peals of laughter of little kids… enough to light up anyone’s face!
I just love the sound of bhangra beats and the beats of the Chendai Drums in Kerala temples… makes you want to dance wherever you are!
RANDOM THINGS THAT GIVE YOU A NICE FEELING….
Walking down the beach barefoot and feeling the grains of sand slip through your feet….
Wearing just-ironed clothes and you can still feel the warmth on your skin…
Making paper boats and letting them afloat on the water on a rainy day…
Eating roasted peanuts with a hot cup of tea on a dark cloudy evening as you wait for the downpour to hit anytime…
Surprise someone with a gift when they least expect it…
Finding a 100 rupee note in an old purse that you chance upon during one of those
cleaning expeditions…
Looking through old photographs after a long gap and going bla bla over them…
Monday, February 12, 2007
COFFEE DATE WITH KIDDOS !!!!
It finally happened....a visit to the favorite joint of my boys, where they hang out with their friends!!
Had heard so much about this place that i badly wanted to have a look for myself...on what was so attractive about it that it drew these kids there so often! Of course the idea was entirely theirs and they called it 'a date with mom'.
We had been planning for this rendezvous for a long time and i had been given a dress code too...[ was told that the average age of people coming there was between 17 and 30] ....because mummy dear had to look smart and not ancient... sari was a strict no no ... salwar was passable...but Jeans would be perfect !
But when it did happen it was nothing like we had planned... i landed up there in a saree...hehe...that too in a silk saree straight from a wedding!!
This place is a coffee shop kind-of-place called Mocha situated in one of the more posh localities of Chennai. It's a nice two storeyed building with great interiors. On the ground floor you have the non-smoking zone and the first floor is a compulsory smoking zone with Chinese decor all around. Smoking here refers to Hookah. Every table is set with a Hookah and you have to pay for it whether you smoke or not ....of course set with different aromas like mint,strawberry, apple ...not the tobacco ones!
In the garden outside you have several compartmentalised seating arrangements set in the midst of pebbled pathways interspersed with flowing water and fountains. One couldn even see an old hand rickshaw imaginatively set to be part of the seating arrangement...
During the first ten minutes that i was there it was fun to watch the boys trying hard make me feel good about the place...well they didn't need to ... I was impressed with the ambiance...it wasn't a shady joint but a fun place where people could meet up and enjoy a good chat...and then i was let into all the details of their outings there!
How, at times when they were short of cash [ yeah... every one got limited pocket money ! ], they would order the cheapest drink on the menu and then keep topping it up with ice just to prolong their time there; about the times, when they ran into [financial] trouble, when one of their friends, tried to be chivalrous by offering to pay up for old [girl] friends they bumped into and how he got clobbered later by these boys for trying to be an over-enthusiastic pig ....and many more interesting tales !!!
I was also told as to what was in and what was out clothes-wise/ slang- wise ....Oh my god... it was so much fun to have a peek into their world!
For any one who thinks Chennai is conservative, check out this place . It was a common sight to see many girls smoking... not Hookah, but cigarrettes! If that was one extreme, it was a pleasant sight to see one mother accompanying her teen aged daughters and having a good time with them !
And i was glad that my kids were open enough to tell me what to expect and had no hassles or embarrassment about me sitting there with them. In fact i am so tempted to take my own friends there, the next time we want to meet and chat!
I know many of my own friends are shocked at my attitude and feel that i am giving my kids a long rope under the garb of being progressive! If you consider hanging out in coffee shops as being progressive , i think its a big joke.... just as it is, if you think that they are likely to go wayward by hanging out in joints like these.
And many may not approve my saying this ....Let the kids have their share of fun. Give them the right values and guide them.But dont deny them the joy of these times spent with their friends by being over cautious or over reacting! Bad influences are there every where....Be approachable and open to them. Create comfort levels so that they feel free to approach you with their problems!
Try to be a part of their world and don't deny them something just because you did not or could not access it when you were young ! If there was a place like this when i was in college 25 years ago, am sure i would have loved to hang around and would have hated my parents if they hadn't let me !! May be its easier for me to say that because both of them are boys....but even if they had been girls am sure i would have let them have all the fun in the world!
Look at their world through their eyes ... and they would willingly see it through yours too !!!
Had heard so much about this place that i badly wanted to have a look for myself...on what was so attractive about it that it drew these kids there so often! Of course the idea was entirely theirs and they called it 'a date with mom'.
We had been planning for this rendezvous for a long time and i had been given a dress code too...[ was told that the average age of people coming there was between 17 and 30] ....because mummy dear had to look smart and not ancient... sari was a strict no no ... salwar was passable...but Jeans would be perfect !
But when it did happen it was nothing like we had planned... i landed up there in a saree...hehe...that too in a silk saree straight from a wedding!!
This place is a coffee shop kind-of-place called Mocha situated in one of the more posh localities of Chennai. It's a nice two storeyed building with great interiors. On the ground floor you have the non-smoking zone and the first floor is a compulsory smoking zone with Chinese decor all around. Smoking here refers to Hookah. Every table is set with a Hookah and you have to pay for it whether you smoke or not ....of course set with different aromas like mint,strawberry, apple ...not the tobacco ones!
In the garden outside you have several compartmentalised seating arrangements set in the midst of pebbled pathways interspersed with flowing water and fountains. One couldn even see an old hand rickshaw imaginatively set to be part of the seating arrangement...
During the first ten minutes that i was there it was fun to watch the boys trying hard make me feel good about the place...well they didn't need to ... I was impressed with the ambiance...it wasn't a shady joint but a fun place where people could meet up and enjoy a good chat...and then i was let into all the details of their outings there!
How, at times when they were short of cash [ yeah... every one got limited pocket money ! ], they would order the cheapest drink on the menu and then keep topping it up with ice just to prolong their time there; about the times, when they ran into [financial] trouble, when one of their friends, tried to be chivalrous by offering to pay up for old [girl] friends they bumped into and how he got clobbered later by these boys for trying to be an over-enthusiastic pig ....and many more interesting tales !!!
I was also told as to what was in and what was out clothes-wise/ slang- wise ....Oh my god... it was so much fun to have a peek into their world!
For any one who thinks Chennai is conservative, check out this place . It was a common sight to see many girls smoking... not Hookah, but cigarrettes! If that was one extreme, it was a pleasant sight to see one mother accompanying her teen aged daughters and having a good time with them !
And i was glad that my kids were open enough to tell me what to expect and had no hassles or embarrassment about me sitting there with them. In fact i am so tempted to take my own friends there, the next time we want to meet and chat!
I know many of my own friends are shocked at my attitude and feel that i am giving my kids a long rope under the garb of being progressive! If you consider hanging out in coffee shops as being progressive , i think its a big joke.... just as it is, if you think that they are likely to go wayward by hanging out in joints like these.
And many may not approve my saying this ....Let the kids have their share of fun. Give them the right values and guide them.But dont deny them the joy of these times spent with their friends by being over cautious or over reacting! Bad influences are there every where....Be approachable and open to them. Create comfort levels so that they feel free to approach you with their problems!
Try to be a part of their world and don't deny them something just because you did not or could not access it when you were young ! If there was a place like this when i was in college 25 years ago, am sure i would have loved to hang around and would have hated my parents if they hadn't let me !! May be its easier for me to say that because both of them are boys....but even if they had been girls am sure i would have let them have all the fun in the world!
Look at their world through their eyes ... and they would willingly see it through yours too !!!
Sunday, February 11, 2007
MY INSPIRATION!!!!
Have you felt the cool gentle breeze caress your cheeks on a warm sunny evening? Have you taken in the wonderful smell that wafts through the air when the first drizzle hits the earth? Has your heart skipped a beat when you are feeling down in the dumps and you suddenly hear your favorite song being played? Or the wonderful sight of the rising sun spreading its rays on the horizon set against the background of the deep blue sea…..well, you cant describe these feelings can you ?? Except that it stirs something wonderful in you and brings an involuntary smile to your face
Well …this is precisely the feeling Narasimhalu evokes in you the first time you meet him. That charming smile and his energetic greeting knock you flat even before you try and collect yourself from the shock of seeing his physical disability. The myriad expressions that flit across his face as he tries to convey his thoughts to you are just amazing.
I was blessed [yes … I feel any one who meets him is truly blessed..he is God’s own child ! ] with the good fortune of meeting this wonderful gentleman in the year 2002 when my husband and I had the opportunity to organize a week long exhibition of his paintings at Hotel Ambassador Pallava at Chennai, through our Rotary Club.
I will never forget the efforts of the people who helped us in making this event a great success. Ace director Mani Ratnam and Actor Revathy inaugurated the event and spent a long time viewing the paintings and bought some too! Half the paintings were sold within an hour of the inauguration and ND TV did an exclusive on Narasimhalu… Yes… we went all out to publicize this event like fame-hungry dogs and never felt ashamed about it!
Because we felt Narasimhalu deserved every bit of attention he was getting and much more too!!
Orphaned as a child and afflicted with Cerebral Palsy, Narasimhalu can only use his feet and paints with his feet and toes!!!! The canvas is his world. And that’s not all… he does amazing embroidery too!!
Just watching him at work sends you into stunned silence and you feel overcome with emotions! Despite suffering from a debilitating physical handicap his zest for life astounds you!
He loves Nature which predominantly forms the subject of his paintings and uses acrylic, watercolors and….hold your breath…the computer too! Oh yes he is adept at using the computer [Adobe Photoshop and Flash] and meddles around with electronic gadgets. He resides at the home run by the Andhra a Mahila Sabha at Adyar and is a great source of joy and inspiration to all around. You can see him zooming around on a skateboard with amazing control with a smile that never disappears!!
We take so many things for granted in life and go around cribbing and complaining…. Shame on us for doing that when there are people like Narasimhalu taking on life with grit and determination!!!
I often feel that I should visit him more frequently and spend time with him but always find myself totally depressed and angry with God after every such visit… why did he have to go through so much???? That innocent smile lingers long in your mind….very long !!
Well …this is precisely the feeling Narasimhalu evokes in you the first time you meet him. That charming smile and his energetic greeting knock you flat even before you try and collect yourself from the shock of seeing his physical disability. The myriad expressions that flit across his face as he tries to convey his thoughts to you are just amazing.
I was blessed [yes … I feel any one who meets him is truly blessed..he is God’s own child ! ] with the good fortune of meeting this wonderful gentleman in the year 2002 when my husband and I had the opportunity to organize a week long exhibition of his paintings at Hotel Ambassador Pallava at Chennai, through our Rotary Club.
I will never forget the efforts of the people who helped us in making this event a great success. Ace director Mani Ratnam and Actor Revathy inaugurated the event and spent a long time viewing the paintings and bought some too! Half the paintings were sold within an hour of the inauguration and ND TV did an exclusive on Narasimhalu… Yes… we went all out to publicize this event like fame-hungry dogs and never felt ashamed about it!
Because we felt Narasimhalu deserved every bit of attention he was getting and much more too!!
Orphaned as a child and afflicted with Cerebral Palsy, Narasimhalu can only use his feet and paints with his feet and toes!!!! The canvas is his world. And that’s not all… he does amazing embroidery too!!
Just watching him at work sends you into stunned silence and you feel overcome with emotions! Despite suffering from a debilitating physical handicap his zest for life astounds you!
He loves Nature which predominantly forms the subject of his paintings and uses acrylic, watercolors and….hold your breath…the computer too! Oh yes he is adept at using the computer [Adobe Photoshop and Flash] and meddles around with electronic gadgets. He resides at the home run by the Andhra a Mahila Sabha at Adyar and is a great source of joy and inspiration to all around. You can see him zooming around on a skateboard with amazing control with a smile that never disappears!!
We take so many things for granted in life and go around cribbing and complaining…. Shame on us for doing that when there are people like Narasimhalu taking on life with grit and determination!!!
I often feel that I should visit him more frequently and spend time with him but always find myself totally depressed and angry with God after every such visit… why did he have to go through so much???? That innocent smile lingers long in your mind….very long !!
Ever Made A Fool Of Yourself ??
Am sure this has happened to some of you ….I mean situations where you make a complete fool of your self!!! Or am I the only weird one with such experiences??
All said and done I think it’s worth sharing …at least for the humor it evokes…!
It was one of those days when it suddenly dawns on you, that you have been postponing a whole lot of petty work and suddenly they loom large, in front of you, with a narrowing deadline. Hard pressed for time and armed with a long ‘things-to-be-done list’ I set out one morning with a determined look on my face!
And was I glad to find an empty parking slot at a vantage point from where I could walk all around and finish all my work…..!!!!!! Thinking I had got off to a good start, I spent the next couple of hours ticking things off my list with a mighty pleased smile.
I realized it was noon by then and I still had some work at the bank that had to be completed before banking hours closed at half past twelve, it being a Saturday!!!
So I hurried to the car and inserted the keys to open the door and lo behold.... it refused to open!!
I rechecked if I had the right keys and yes I had! I tried again and it still wouldn’t budge…. A few more tries and I lost my temper and gave the car a good piece of my mind with the choicest of words… I aimed a nice hard kick at the tyre and eeeeks…. only to wince in pain the next minute with a broken toenail.
I quickly looked around to see if any one was a witness to my sudden tantrum and to my [bad] luck, sure enough, there was this guy standing on the pavement with a curious smile on his face.
I looked away cursing him under my breath, wishing he’d go away and tried once again to open the door faking a calmness I hardly felt …Much to my annoyance the guy came towards me and enquired, ’Having problems , maam ?’.
‘The door is not opening,’…I said.
‘Perhaps you don’t have the right keys”, he said grinning.
By then I was at my wits’ end and wanted to wipe that grin off his face….he was smartly dressed but …was he some kind of a conman ??
‘I can manage…its none of your business!’ I curtly said.
‘Oh yes it is…’, he said, now clearly laughing, ‘especially since its my car you're meddling with!’
It took a few seconds for his words to sink in!
Oh my god!!! What was I doing??? Trying to open someone else’s car with my keys!!! But it was a grey Zen…
I looked up to find my car parked right next to this one. In my hurry to get to the bank I hadn’t realized that another grey Zen had been parked next to mine and had gladly assumed that the first car I set my eyes on was mine!!
How could I ???? He saw me kicking his car and no wonder he that funny smile on his face …what an idiot I must have looked like!
What followed was a profuse flow of apologies from my side while he tried his best to make me feel at peace and reassure me. I had never felt so stupid in my life!
I just fled the scene and headed back home with a valuable lesson…never assume things and check the car number every time before you try to unlock it!!!
All said and done I think it’s worth sharing …at least for the humor it evokes…!
It was one of those days when it suddenly dawns on you, that you have been postponing a whole lot of petty work and suddenly they loom large, in front of you, with a narrowing deadline. Hard pressed for time and armed with a long ‘things-to-be-done list’ I set out one morning with a determined look on my face!
And was I glad to find an empty parking slot at a vantage point from where I could walk all around and finish all my work…..!!!!!! Thinking I had got off to a good start, I spent the next couple of hours ticking things off my list with a mighty pleased smile.
I realized it was noon by then and I still had some work at the bank that had to be completed before banking hours closed at half past twelve, it being a Saturday!!!
So I hurried to the car and inserted the keys to open the door and lo behold.... it refused to open!!
I rechecked if I had the right keys and yes I had! I tried again and it still wouldn’t budge…. A few more tries and I lost my temper and gave the car a good piece of my mind with the choicest of words… I aimed a nice hard kick at the tyre and eeeeks…. only to wince in pain the next minute with a broken toenail.
I quickly looked around to see if any one was a witness to my sudden tantrum and to my [bad] luck, sure enough, there was this guy standing on the pavement with a curious smile on his face.
I looked away cursing him under my breath, wishing he’d go away and tried once again to open the door faking a calmness I hardly felt …Much to my annoyance the guy came towards me and enquired, ’Having problems , maam ?’.
‘The door is not opening,’…I said.
‘Perhaps you don’t have the right keys”, he said grinning.
By then I was at my wits’ end and wanted to wipe that grin off his face….he was smartly dressed but …was he some kind of a conman ??
‘I can manage…its none of your business!’ I curtly said.
‘Oh yes it is…’, he said, now clearly laughing, ‘especially since its my car you're meddling with!’
It took a few seconds for his words to sink in!
Oh my god!!! What was I doing??? Trying to open someone else’s car with my keys!!! But it was a grey Zen…
I looked up to find my car parked right next to this one. In my hurry to get to the bank I hadn’t realized that another grey Zen had been parked next to mine and had gladly assumed that the first car I set my eyes on was mine!!
How could I ???? He saw me kicking his car and no wonder he that funny smile on his face …what an idiot I must have looked like!
What followed was a profuse flow of apologies from my side while he tried his best to make me feel at peace and reassure me. I had never felt so stupid in my life!
I just fled the scene and headed back home with a valuable lesson…never assume things and check the car number every time before you try to unlock it!!!
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Ohhhhhhhh…..To Be A Housewife !!!!!
How I hate it when women describe themselves as just a housewife ! ! ! Often accompanied by an apologetic smile….. as if they were feeling sorry for them selves…
This is not a piece of writing aimed at broadcasting the greatness of homemakers or advocating women’s lib. This out pouring has been spurred on after reading a recent survey, which stated that, if only the unused potential of the section of population called ‘Housewives’ were to be used, India would be a Super power in no time! It’s a simple expression on why I think women – housewives in particular- often underrate their capacity to achieve greater heights in life.
Being a housewife is perhaps the toughest job in the world! Definitely akin to that of an MD or CEO of a big organization without the trimmings of board meetings, perks and accompanying extra fittings. Administration [running the house], Finance [monthly budgets], Targets [every day is a deadline] Labor problems [servants/ staff], HR [maintaining smooth relationships], PR [putting her best foot forward at all times] – you name it and she does everything and all on her own too!!
Tackling the daily menu could be the toughest part of the day, especially when you have people with taste buds that hardly match, especially on a busy Monday morning when everyone is so grouchy about starting a new week. It’s the unwritten rule that you ought to know how to cook the yummiest of dishes like the best of chefs.
By the time everyone leaves the house in the morning rush hour, the place literally looks like a tornado hit area. Clearing the after math requires all the patience in the world, especially if you have kids and certainly deserves no less than a Nobel Prize!!!
What have you…. Piles of clothes, books, CD’s, newspapers to be searched and retrieved from as far as from the toilets, innumerable pens with either the top or bottom missing, a mysterious single sock staring at you …and if you don’t watch your step you’ll have ‘Hot Wheels’ transporting you free of cost to another destination!
Where are the servants, one might ask?
Well, you have to be at your diplomatic best with them…. Pamper them, cajole them, be nice to them, scold them lovingly [??] only to find that you are better off doing most of the work your self!!! One harsh word and what have you ….loads of vessels and clothes staring back at you the next day because she has taken off !!!
….not to mention the numerous phone calls, innumerable door bells, birthdays to be remembered, sudden guests to be tackled…. A slight slip on your part to mention a call and you have the most exasperating question thrown at you “what do you do the whole day ?”
And don’t forget you need to look nice and bright to greet your little ones in the evening or very sweetly be asked, ‘why aren’t you like the mom in the noodles ad ? ‘
In the ultimate analysis it goes without saying that housewives are the finest of people tackling the toughest of jobs…only that is has been taken for granted for so long that people hardly realize their importance until a broken marriage elsewhere shakes them up!
Plus of course, modesty prevents us from bragging about it !
So all you housewives out there, sit up and feel proud of what you are doing…add that extra pep in your step because you are doing a wonderful job! If you are also managing a career then hats off to you!!!! But if family situation/constraints do not allow you to pursue one, don’t get bogged down by it. Just remember you chose to give up that option for a bigger gain….the happiness of your family !!!! How many would do it ???
So three cheers to you and go all out and have fun…….hehehe…everyone else in your house is LOST WITHOUT YOU, if even for a day !!!!
This is not a piece of writing aimed at broadcasting the greatness of homemakers or advocating women’s lib. This out pouring has been spurred on after reading a recent survey, which stated that, if only the unused potential of the section of population called ‘Housewives’ were to be used, India would be a Super power in no time! It’s a simple expression on why I think women – housewives in particular- often underrate their capacity to achieve greater heights in life.
Being a housewife is perhaps the toughest job in the world! Definitely akin to that of an MD or CEO of a big organization without the trimmings of board meetings, perks and accompanying extra fittings. Administration [running the house], Finance [monthly budgets], Targets [every day is a deadline] Labor problems [servants/ staff], HR [maintaining smooth relationships], PR [putting her best foot forward at all times] – you name it and she does everything and all on her own too!!
Tackling the daily menu could be the toughest part of the day, especially when you have people with taste buds that hardly match, especially on a busy Monday morning when everyone is so grouchy about starting a new week. It’s the unwritten rule that you ought to know how to cook the yummiest of dishes like the best of chefs.
By the time everyone leaves the house in the morning rush hour, the place literally looks like a tornado hit area. Clearing the after math requires all the patience in the world, especially if you have kids and certainly deserves no less than a Nobel Prize!!!
What have you…. Piles of clothes, books, CD’s, newspapers to be searched and retrieved from as far as from the toilets, innumerable pens with either the top or bottom missing, a mysterious single sock staring at you …and if you don’t watch your step you’ll have ‘Hot Wheels’ transporting you free of cost to another destination!
Where are the servants, one might ask?
Well, you have to be at your diplomatic best with them…. Pamper them, cajole them, be nice to them, scold them lovingly [??] only to find that you are better off doing most of the work your self!!! One harsh word and what have you ….loads of vessels and clothes staring back at you the next day because she has taken off !!!
….not to mention the numerous phone calls, innumerable door bells, birthdays to be remembered, sudden guests to be tackled…. A slight slip on your part to mention a call and you have the most exasperating question thrown at you “what do you do the whole day ?”
And don’t forget you need to look nice and bright to greet your little ones in the evening or very sweetly be asked, ‘why aren’t you like the mom in the noodles ad ? ‘
In the ultimate analysis it goes without saying that housewives are the finest of people tackling the toughest of jobs…only that is has been taken for granted for so long that people hardly realize their importance until a broken marriage elsewhere shakes them up!
Plus of course, modesty prevents us from bragging about it !
So all you housewives out there, sit up and feel proud of what you are doing…add that extra pep in your step because you are doing a wonderful job! If you are also managing a career then hats off to you!!!! But if family situation/constraints do not allow you to pursue one, don’t get bogged down by it. Just remember you chose to give up that option for a bigger gain….the happiness of your family !!!! How many would do it ???
So three cheers to you and go all out and have fun…….hehehe…everyone else in your house is LOST WITHOUT YOU, if even for a day !!!!
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
MY ORKUT BIRTHDAY ! ! ! 8 th Jan, 2007 !!!
Mindblowing would be an insufficient word to describe the feelings that I experienced on my Birthday this year! When I joined Orkut I never expected that I would befriend so many beautiful people from such amazingly varied backgrounds. …. And when all of them start to wish you well…woooooooowwww… you got to experience it man!!!!!!
I have wished so many friends in Orkut on their birthdays and have often wondered if it was necessary for them to scrap me back thanking me for my wishes… but only this year I realized that it was not a verbal exercise but something from the depth of your heart that had to be expressed...... Because all those wishes struck an emotional chord deep down, giving you a feeling of overwhelming happiness!!!
Before I start getting sentimental [ hehe… did someone tell me yesterday that I was getting older?? }and go sob sob about the public display { Orkut is public , aint it !!] of affection I was showered with, I must confess that it was great fun too!!!
It all started with messages and calls coming in on the dot of midnight … I was told that if my friends could lose sleep in the process of wishing me, then the receiver – yours truly – had no right to crib about lost sleep and better feel blessed ........
And blessed I felt till the wee hours of the morning as I sat half dazed in bed trying to figure out the alphabets on my mobile [I was told in no uncertain terms that I had to acknowledge the messages or they would keep coming!!!!] to acknowledge the messages I was getting , throwing sheepish glances at a puzzled husband – who by the way is no friend of Orkut – who by then had his suspicions confirmed that I had indeed gone bonkers ever since I entered Orkut!
....... tried to switch off my mobile only to have the landline screaming waking the entire household!! And lo behold...... before I got the marching orders to go and sit next to the telephone, I switched on my mobile for dear life and it went on and on and on.....
Morning dawned with my scrapbook loaded with birthday messages from the nocturnal beings in Orkut!!! And as I sat down to thank them along came loads of messages from other dear friends.... I soon found out that I lagged behind by a good 30 scraps in replying…...for every scrap I sent I got two new ones…my scrap rate touched an all time high of 200!!! I certainly hadn’t bargained for this kind of attention on Orkut…and it was so humbling…
It was marathon session on Orkut through out the day …hehehe…guess my typing skills improved by leaps n bounds!!! And it wasn’t just scraps that filled my day !!!!!…had a blown up computerized picture of my own sweet face [ hehehe….i have no claims to modesty ] sent to me as a gift by a good friend Kannan; then there was this really cute friend of mine, Vijay, who came speeding up to my place on his way to office just to wish me with loads of my favorite sweet ; and of course another friend – dearest PC - who insisted that I buy myself a nice gift on his behalf ; and others who were all behind me to have their share of the cake !!! And.....lol...of course some others who insisted that I parcel their share to their respective destinations!!!! Not to forget some beautiful bouquets and loads of E - cards I received !!!!
The best part of the day were the wishes I received from my little young friends..{..lol.... I do have quite a number of school kids in my friends list ! ! ! }.... who, once back home from school, stealthily sneaked into Orkut without their parents knowledge, to wish their ‘Aunty’ happy birthday!!! I was so touched .....
Gosh !!!!!!!.. I never had a birthday like this in my entire life and am I glad I got into Orkut !!!!!!!…coz where else would I have so many good souls – most of whom I haven’t even met – blessing me with the choicest of good wishes!!!!! Thanks guys, I’ll always remember you people for making my day extra special in every possible way. Hats off to all of you !!!
I have wished so many friends in Orkut on their birthdays and have often wondered if it was necessary for them to scrap me back thanking me for my wishes… but only this year I realized that it was not a verbal exercise but something from the depth of your heart that had to be expressed...... Because all those wishes struck an emotional chord deep down, giving you a feeling of overwhelming happiness!!!
Before I start getting sentimental [ hehe… did someone tell me yesterday that I was getting older?? }and go sob sob about the public display { Orkut is public , aint it !!] of affection I was showered with, I must confess that it was great fun too!!!
It all started with messages and calls coming in on the dot of midnight … I was told that if my friends could lose sleep in the process of wishing me, then the receiver – yours truly – had no right to crib about lost sleep and better feel blessed ........
And blessed I felt till the wee hours of the morning as I sat half dazed in bed trying to figure out the alphabets on my mobile [I was told in no uncertain terms that I had to acknowledge the messages or they would keep coming!!!!] to acknowledge the messages I was getting , throwing sheepish glances at a puzzled husband – who by the way is no friend of Orkut – who by then had his suspicions confirmed that I had indeed gone bonkers ever since I entered Orkut!
....... tried to switch off my mobile only to have the landline screaming waking the entire household!! And lo behold...... before I got the marching orders to go and sit next to the telephone, I switched on my mobile for dear life and it went on and on and on.....
Morning dawned with my scrapbook loaded with birthday messages from the nocturnal beings in Orkut!!! And as I sat down to thank them along came loads of messages from other dear friends.... I soon found out that I lagged behind by a good 30 scraps in replying…...for every scrap I sent I got two new ones…my scrap rate touched an all time high of 200!!! I certainly hadn’t bargained for this kind of attention on Orkut…and it was so humbling…
It was marathon session on Orkut through out the day …hehehe…guess my typing skills improved by leaps n bounds!!! And it wasn’t just scraps that filled my day !!!!!…had a blown up computerized picture of my own sweet face [ hehehe….i have no claims to modesty ] sent to me as a gift by a good friend Kannan; then there was this really cute friend of mine, Vijay, who came speeding up to my place on his way to office just to wish me with loads of my favorite sweet ; and of course another friend – dearest PC - who insisted that I buy myself a nice gift on his behalf ; and others who were all behind me to have their share of the cake !!! And.....lol...of course some others who insisted that I parcel their share to their respective destinations!!!! Not to forget some beautiful bouquets and loads of E - cards I received !!!!
The best part of the day were the wishes I received from my little young friends..{..lol.... I do have quite a number of school kids in my friends list ! ! ! }.... who, once back home from school, stealthily sneaked into Orkut without their parents knowledge, to wish their ‘Aunty’ happy birthday!!! I was so touched .....
Gosh !!!!!!!.. I never had a birthday like this in my entire life and am I glad I got into Orkut !!!!!!!…coz where else would I have so many good souls – most of whom I haven’t even met – blessing me with the choicest of good wishes!!!!! Thanks guys, I’ll always remember you people for making my day extra special in every possible way. Hats off to all of you !!!
Hieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee........
Hey.... I am no great writer but would love to become one and this is my first step towards that journey. If at all i got this blog started, the full credit goes to my dear friend Mamatha who had more confidence in my wr1ting skills than me !!!She was constantly behind me to have a go ...and here i am !!!
Heee...heeee... thanx for being here and hope you dont get bored reading my blogs!!! Anyway do let me know what you think ........
Heee...heeee... thanx for being here and hope you dont get bored reading my blogs!!! Anyway do let me know what you think ........
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