Of Life and Love

It has been quite a while since I blogged narrating experiences on personal front and now has emerged the trigger from nowhere. Life has crossed quite a few changes of late, with me observing it rising and falling on its own crests and troughs. All is well, nevertheless. Days of relentless restlessness then followed by joy. Ray of hope evidently beaming at the end of the dark tunnel. While I write this, I remember one of the many verses that caught me as I read the hope rendering Sundara Kanda. The verse read something like this - "One who tolerates difficulties during the toughest of times will finally find happiness as he comes through it". Completely true. Such happiness arrived at after going through a number of challenges also tells you how determined you are. God had tested me on the same, I believe. When things didn't turn out as it was expected, following my heart to eventually come out of it all did really turn out for good. It also reminded me of how well-determined I am in what I thought I wanted. Not always do I know what I really seek for. At times, nonetheless, the intution knows. Or the instinct. May be the heart. Whatever. God has been kind to me recently. Or it is just that my stars are aligned now.

And then the feel of caring and being cared for. A soul-filling sense of being wanted. Of being unconditionally loved. Of trying to love unconditionally. That which makes you full yet empty. Besides that, the smile and love of a kid. A learning from a baby on how to live in the moment. A learning on caring for others. A difference really made deep inside knowing how life turns beautiful when affection and care are showered on you regardless of whether you deserve it or not. Especially to be concerned for loved ones expecting nothing in return. The joy of giving without looking for a reward. Often there is also a fear of losing loved ones arising along when love is abounding. I consciously remind myself at those moments that there is love all around and that I am never left alone. Followed by a whole lot of thoughts that couldn't be just captured.

"Everything is as it is meant to be". May be I would get it if at all I wished for something. Or it is just that what I deserve would be granted to me and there is no point questioning. Probably I would force myself to accept things as they turn out. Or I would give it a fight. Or I would remain confused leaving it to time as in most cases. Destiny might drive me, rather. In any case, what would happen next is a mystery. With faith, a pinch of determination and a little courage do I follow my heart. There have been quite a little successes and a lot more of failures. There is still a dream. There is still a wish. There is still a future. There is still a hope. :)

Book Review: The Krishna Key - Ashwin Sanghi

What is our past? Can modern scientific techniques be a tool to uncover our past? Is Mahabharatha and Lord Krishna just a myth? Did our ancestors have a way-ahead knowledge on science than our modern day scientists? The questions are unlimited. If you are on the look for answers to such and such questions, 'The Krishna Key' by Ashwin Sanghi could give you a clue. Though classified under the genre 'Thriller', I find the book an inimitable source of information on modern and ancient science and mythology. Of course, the thrilling plot of the story keeps you so engaged while you grasp the expertise on science and biology, the ancient men possessed.

It is common knowledge that Lord Vishnu had incarnated in nine different forms with the impending Kalki avatar, also collectively known as the Dasavathara. Incredible similarities between Kalki and little Sampat Sharma and a turn of childhood events convinces Sampat that he is the tenth avatar, born to demolish the evils in modern India. The story commences with an ancient seal engraved with three ancient animal motifs of a bull, unicorn and a goat on its face. Four such identical seals will constitute 'The Krishna Key', reveals Anil Varshey to Historian Ram Mohan Saini. An excerpt from the book describing it - 

"What you are holding in your hand is a relic of Krishna's ancient passport system for Dwarka that is described in the Harivamsa..."

"Together they constitute what can be called The Krishna Key - They can unlock the truth to the historical Krishna for future generations..."

 Therefore, as Varshney briefly puts forth what will constitute the key, he handovers one of the four seals to Saini and shares him that three of the remaining seals would go to Dr.Nikhil Bhojaraj, Professor Rajaram Khurkude and the genetics expert Dr.Devendra Chedi. There is also Sampat Sharma, rechristened as 'TAARAK VAKIL', a jumbled form of 'KALKI AVATAR', much to one's surprise. What is the motive behind Taarak murdering these intellectuals one by one, whether he caught hold of all the four seals and what happens to The Krishna Key forms the story.

I would like to quote a few from the book which impressed me and made me wonder if ancient India is an ocean and the knowledge we have on it is very very limited. The ancient scientists knew it all in the absence of scientific instruments. Here is how the historian Saini is all set to render us precious knowledge about ourselves and our country:

"..... the Indian classical music as described in the Upanishads has seven notes of melody - Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha and Ni. These seven notes roughly correspond to the western Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La and Ti. It is my hypothesis that the seven notes correspond to each of the seven chakras within us. The chakra is activated when the frequency of the note matches the frequency of the chakra..."

"..... A hymn in the Rig Veda says, "with deep respect, I bow to the sun who travels 2202 yojanas in half a nimesha". For your information, a yojana is about nine American miles and a nimesha is 16/75th of a second. Sayana is simply stating the obvious-that sunlight travels at a 186 thousand miles per second!....."

Professor Kurkude is no way less in rendering us knowledge, too. Here are some of the valuable information from him to be treasured:

".... All construction needed geometry and it was the Vedas that gave the world geometry... The present English word, Geometry, is derived from a Greek root which itself was derived from a Sanskrit word Jyamiti. In Sanskrit, jya means an arc or a curve and miti means the correct perception or measurement. ..."

"... The world deludes itself into believing that it was Pythagoras who gave us the famous theorem regarding the hypotenuse of a right angled triangle but the Baudhayana Sulbasutra which was written 500 years before Pythagoras, states that a rope stretched along the length of a diagonal line produces an area which the vertical and horizontal sides make together. So who invented the Pythagoras theorem - Pythagoras or Baudhayana?..."

Mataji, the guru of Taarak has much more to add while describing the significance of the number 108:

"... What's truly amazing is the fact that the distance between the earth and the sun is exactly 108 times the sun's diameter. More incredible is the fact that the distance between the earth and the moon is 108 times the moon's diameter. Finally, do you know that the diameter of the sun is 108 times the earth's diameter? The ancient yogis knew that!..."

"... The word 'Om' is not only used by us, Taarak. It is to be found everywhere. Even in the English language..." And  then she goes on giving detailed descriptions on the words omniscience, omnipotent and what not!

Devendra Chhedi, the genetics expert enlightens us on the knowledge our ancestors had on cloning and biology:

"... Ancient civilisations knew much more about stem cells than modern humans...", affirms he as he elaborates the concept of Taviju Raksha, an ancient ritual that has been passed down the generations.  "... The ancients knew far more about medicine than we are willing to believe..." adds he, while he explains Shastrakarma.

Not to be forgotten, these are just samples of quotes that dumbfolded me while I was reading. There are lot more to add to it  and I bet, the plot as such keeps you so engrossed that you will not let the book down until you finish reading it. On a negative front, I just see that the thrilling plots in the story appears so common at some moments, and at times predictable. However, the knowledge that you gain from the book as such is commendable. I am taken aback on observing the last few pages that contains the reference books and websites. My God.. How much of effort has the author put to come up with a book that is spiritually and intellectually engaging!! Hats off to him! I seriously admire the hardwork the author has putforth to understand ancient India and its history to deliver a treasurable book. Astounding! In a line, the book is a 'must-read' - to discover India, to discover ourselves!!

[This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!]

Book Review: One & A Half Wife - Meghna Pant

Perhaps one of the most pervasive dreams in India surreptitiously slithering into the Indian souls across the subcontinent is to land once for all in the country of opportunities, where life is presumed to be picture-perfect. The inimitable American Dream, undoubtedly.  While many such families are sheltered under the chilly breezes of Shimla, let’s take a quick peek into the Malhotra’s - A simple house, turned to a home with the blossoming of family bonding with Biji, Baba and Amara, all of them very ‘Indian’ by nature and upbringing and with whom the traditions and life-style of Shimla have inseparably blended, over years. A conservative society it is, where even uttering the word ‘divorce’ is equaled to committing a sin. Anyone who walked out of marriage was treated a bane to the society and the nation and was tarnished of his/her societal image.

Baba, a lawyer is a great father concerned much about his only daughter in her early teens than anything else in the world. Biji is the doting mother whose highest ambition is to get Amara a wealthy and privileged life that she deserved. Amara is a well-behaved, obedient daughter that any parents would pray for. All that she gets in life as she grows up is decided out of three desires – ‘It is Biji’s desire’, ‘It is God’s desire’ or ‘It is His desire’, ‘His’  inexplicitly referring to her future husband who will supposedly shape her future by his will. In short, her desires are fulfilled only if they are Biji’s/God’s/His desires.

The story instigates as Biji and Amara seek a parrot astrologer to get an insight onto the latter’s future. The astrologer, after a long contemplation over the card picked foresees that Amara would be a one and a half wife, much to their shock.  The disbelieved Biji heads home, as her daughter follows but not before Amara, unbeknownst to her mother, getting a pendant from the astrologersubmitting to his statement that the stone would turn a wish to true. The incident fades from the bewildered mother after coming to know of a much desired and impressivefuture awaiting her daughter from her only brother well-settled in the US of A having him consulting a soothsayer. Not an uncaring one he is, that he makes all arrangements, soon resulting in the Malhotras' foot embracing the terrains of the USA. A dream realized!

The high-school going Amara struggles between Indian and American cultural variations while the chasm seems to widen as ever, even as she attempts foster a friendship with her cousins Riya and Tina. Having had no squabbles with her cousin sisters, she questions herself why they dislike her. It doesn’t strike her until much later that it is her attire and the Indianess. Life starts swaying her like a pendulum, unable to find a balance to rest on the edge of either the Indian or the American life-style. Her efforts to please Riya turn futile. The distressed Amara who is now into college doesn’t realize much until later that her unimpressive looks drives away every girl she meets, let alone boys. She learns over time that she has to be herself for her own good and not imitate others. She befriends Stacy and shares a good rapport with her as she continues being herself.

Much later, a millionaire Prashant Roy's mom is moved by the homeliness of Amara when she spots her at family occasion. It dawns on her that she is destined to be her to-be daughter-in-law. Biji's happiness knows no bounds because her daughter is soon to receive a marital bliss with all riches and she, with her new family-ties, a new societal bliss. She felt awesome. Amara agrees to the wedding knowing that Prashant is Riya's boy friend. Riya's grudge over Amara  shoots up than ever for stealing her lad. Having brought up right from childhood with 'It is His desire' instilled impeccably into her soul, the shock of her life hits her heart hard when Prashant declares that he agreed to marry her only to not upset his beloved mother. Amara's life is trashed. She slowly turns into a one and a half wife.

After six years of unsuccessful marriage, abused and harassed by her husband although he rarely spoke, the couple end up in a divorce, much to the anxiety of her parents. Amara's parents lambast her for the allegedly irresponsible behaviour, throw her out of their house and grow distant. The chaotic situations ease up a little when she reaches her homeland with her disgruntled parents despite the fact they stopped talking to her and behaved as though she never existed. Returning back home after sixteen years and especially after a failed marriage, how the community treats her, what problems and challenges await Amara and her family, whether she faces them boldly or succumbs to them while being caught in a tug-of-war between old customs and new beliefs, whether she found the love of her life or not forms the rest of the story :).

Welcome to One & A Half Wife - Meghna's debut novel that cradles a story we can relate to ourselves, our surroundings and of course, India. A simple 'next-door' story, beautifully written, I would say. The book impressed me as the words moved me so much that I almost sensed in me what Amara was feeling. The feel of submissiveness ever since childhood, negligence by cousins at adoloscence, unstoppable hassles in marriage life, a silent onlooker of her own life rather than living it to the fullest, loneliness, a feeling of being let down by own parents, tears gushing like a flood confonted by a sudden courage, an unbelievable transformation in Riya's character, the pleasures of setting up and running a successful business, emanation of love when least desired and expected and the most exhilirating touch of life - that of a child's. The story rolls like a movie in your brain's eye! Awesome read! There are also funny moments when you hear Biji's broken English and how she calls Amara not by name but "my husband's daughter"

The only limitations were the typographical mistakes here and there which could have been avoided. When you suspect that Riya was the reason behind Amara's divorce, the story takes a twist but that the baby she saves coming into Amara's hands was very filmy and predictable. Some pharases here and there appears overly desciptive though the readers will comprehend that they are to pay attention to detail.

And wait, there are also few funny moments to relish when you hear Biji's broken English and how she calls Amara not by name but "my husband's daughter" to portray her outrage. :D. A typical depiction of an Indian household wrangle :P. On the whole, it is a nice read that brings to you the pain of dejection and hopelessness and the pleasure of living life on one's own terms, banishing 'It is Biji's desire' or 'It is His desire' and letting 'It is my desire' bloom. So what are you waiting for.. Read the book, feel the words! 

[This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!]

What I would do this Summer!

In Chennai, there are only three seasons – Hot, Hotter and Hottest. Strike out Winter, Autumn and Spring. While the sun is scorching aggressively and there are no signs of rain showing its face even though weather forecasts at times jabber about those showers waiting to drench us with its kindness, I am sitting here alone, thinking what I could do to make this summer worthy although I know I can’t totally beat the summer. I have never been out ever since Agni Nakshatram, out of fear for the soaring temperatures and also finding it very annoying to go out alone. Considering how the condition of our environment is declining and deteriorating, someday, we would inherently have no other choice than to sit at home. Looks like I’m having a rehearsal for it. But total disaster, I suppose is still a long way, thanks to those associations and organizations striving to bring about a much greener world.  

I think I have deviated a bit. Cut to what to I would love to do this summer. Just as I long to have some quality get-away as to get a respite from the red giant, the mere thought that I am going to get a company to spend time outdoors, have fun, play volley ball and relax with a nice cold drink with a new friend renders a smile in my lips and a beam in my eyes. Yes, my new companion is Krya!

Know what, Krya is a Lakme girl, just like me. At this moment I should state that there has never been a day with me going out without a simple makeover with Lakme Magic Daily Wear Souffle. So, we both are Lakme girls, which by itself is an indication that we possess similar tastes! What else could be a better foundation for a blooming companionship?! Having said that, I need not explicitly mention that I would be more than happy to meet Krya, nurture a great friendship with her and of course, to roam around blithely.

I love meeting new people and as with any new friend, I would talk a lot – about my childhood, dreams, job, success, failures, future plans and everything. We would have an ideal day of sharing amidst all fun outside. I am also a good listener. I would pay attention to her talk keenly as she would share her set of experiences she had bumped into. One of my best interests just like anyone else to beat the heat is the beach. While we get along well, we would have a fantastic time at beach playing games as the chilly breeze whips ceaselessly. We would also gulp a whole lot of ice cream and chocolates thereby satiating our craving. And oh, shopping is also inviting! Inevitably, music and traveling a lot will also be in the cards. The plans and bliss would be endless, making this summer the best of all I have ever had!  

Subsequently, my dearest Rain, I will no longer pester you to visit us straight away, because, I am going to have unbeatably memorable day-outs with my new palJJ. Come lets go, Krya, my buddy, it’s time for us to enjoy the sunshine! Summer is calling!!

[This post is my entry for The Lakme Indiblogger Contest.   I Love Lakme ]
[www.facebook.com/ilovelakme]

Book Review: Murder in Amaravati

Murder in Amaravati - Penned by Sharath Komarraju. When I held the book in my hands and observed the impressive title and reddish cover page, a thought crossed simultaeneously as to how different and engaging is this book going to be? Would it be just another novel that I read in spite of its genre as a mysterious fiction? Any such fiction or the characters in it, as we know, would land in some sort of trouble and a hero identifying himself as a detective would emerge from nowhere, leading the case and solving it in a matter of time. I wondered to myself and questioned, "How would it distinguish itself from a flood of fictions available today? And how peculiar is its story going to be". While too many thoughts continued running in my mind, I noticed a moderen painting in front of my eyes. Yes, no surprise, it is the cover page. With Goddess Kali occupying the lower portion of the page, as you may see and an old iron lock with its key inserted showing up at the upper end while there are shots of blood everywhere around symbolizing the plot of the story, it was indeed a modern painting. Now I knew intutively, this is definitely going to amaze me!!

Here goes the theme and the important characters - Padmavati makes her living out of a profession that is the most looked down upon.. A village hostess. Amaravati, the village flourishes itself with the ever flowing, tranquille and refreshing river Krishna. Sitaraamaiah forms the headman of the village and is naturally an authoritative, demanding kind. There lies a huge tree protected respectfully by the inhabitants, underwhich the temple of Kali is constructed before ages. Krishna Sastri, the priest of this temple, is deeply religious, humbly unquestioning, trying incessantly to safeguard the principles of Hinduism. Any so-called sudra found in the temple premises is strictly unacceptable according to Hinduism and thus according to him, too. When his daugher elopes with a Harijan, he utters reasoning, "Permitting my daughter to marry a man of lower caste is never admittable, though I agree with loving everyone equally, which is a different case". And thus he chases his daugher out of his home, declaring her to be considered equivalent to dead, from then on. A rigourously religious person, he is. Also living in the village are Satyam and his wife Lakshmi, Shekar and Vaishnavi, his wife who play a vital role in the story. Kishore is the son of Sitaraamaiah who has a sister, once very lively, bound to a wheelchair ever since a tragic accident.

Once, the whole village gathers for a ceremony in the temple followed by a speech by the headman. The next morning, Padmavati is found dead at the pedastal, close to the feet of the Goddess. The crime is set. The suspense begins. Venkat Reddy, the village constable investigates such a case for the first time in his profession which makes him doubtful, confused and increasingly suspecting. He thinks wistfully if he would ever be considered a worthy detective. He opines, "Any crime results out of three - motive, means and opportunity". And here he sees seven suspects, seven motives and one murder. So how is the noose going to be released? The question persists perpetually, until the end of the book. Absolutely engaging one, in my opinion.

Every chapter impeccably holds your interest to identify the murderer as it beautifully navigates through the nature of the characters involved, the situations bringing about other situations as a chain and so on. To say it all in short, I didn't want to put the book down until I finished it. And I loved it so much that I wished it would never end! You become so immersed that you feel to be supposedly dwelling with these village-men in their village, admiring the Krishna as though you belong to this village! Taken to a new world, rather a village! Enigmatic story and its personalities to tie you up where you love getting fastened as you flip each page.

I loved it so much that I sat one whole day and finished reading it. And wait, I just couldn't help myself that I am going to read it again to have a second journey. The author, I should mention, has an excellent command over the language and how he describes the village, its inhabitants, the Krishna and the various twists in the story is praise-worthy. My best wishes to the author and expecting more from him ;) As such, I recommend that you make this book a part of your book-shelf and enjoy reading and re-reading it! Find yourself with the book and thus in a new isle for a cherishable reading experience.
[This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!]

  

Blank

Just a mundane post though I wanted to write about a lot. It has been quite a time since I sat down for a soulful writing but believe me, my time has been utterly worse. I wish to jot down my experiences with few people, equally good and bad and how I have been doing of late. Few of my acquaintances making me feel low with or without their talks, one friend lighting up my eyes and spirit with her good deeds and much more.. Also wanted to write on those incidents I had had months back with a lady who claims she is spiritually inclined while there are no signs of it in her normal doings. That only increased my irritation which is in other cases undeterminable is. With all these pending to be scribbled on my blog, I go blank all of a sudden which is probably 'coz my life has been strolling downhill these days. My bad!

Whatever I had planned and supposed would happen turned topsy-turvy. There is a constant feel now of being locked in a dark room with no way out or a helping hand. This is a sad phase that has drained me in and out. Rather, a blank phase wherein I am completely indecisive and in the worst case, not knowing what I want or what I should do. There are too many questions answerable by only time/God/destiny though there are people who genuinely care for me. So I choose to wait. Happy that I am able to atleast decide on this. Few years back, once I was telling my friend that I would soon come to a decision on my personal and professional life, on what I want from life or what I would do in life. It was like hitting my head hard when she responded, "Personal and professional - There are only two lives for anyone my dear". This phrase stuck a blow on me affecting me deeply 'coz in a sense it was true and I remained confused in both aspects. Years have crossed and the question still remains. No answers could be found by the insane me. Time must disclose its secret holdings someday or the other.

There was a post from a friend on his first wedding anniversary which made me wonder how fast time flies doing its job perfectly. Looks as if we just attended his wedding ceremony. Otherwise my blank state is perpetual and as soon as I turn ok, there would be my next post and I just anticipate that it isn't very far from now. Wishing myself a very good luck! I shall terminate this post with a quote that I always consider it is written FOR me by Dr.Weiss. As it goes, 'Patience and timing is very important. A life cannot be rushed, cannot be lived in a schedule as many people want to. Everything will come when it must come.' 

Few more letters published!

Few more published in Deccan Chronicle!

Unanswered Questions

Recently I was impressed by a weekly column in a newspaper, which was a translated extract of Paulo Coelho. The article suggested handling a white sheet of paper to school kids and asking them to pen down any kind of questions they had, about the world and our existence. They were requested to write them as it would give them better chances of thinking and a deep concentration. The list of common questions was also published in the article and surprisingly did it turn out that most of the questions were simple, yet at times unthinkable even by scholars.

One of those questions that awestruck me was, 'If we are really born to die, why are we actually born?'. An interrogation to which no one can render a provable answer. But it is something worth thinking, to reflect upon. Truly, if death is the end of everything, what difference our birth makes to ourselves and to this bluish earth, or rather the entire, ever expansive universe? Why are we really born? What is our true purpose? Where is the undiscovered truth hiding? When will the battle between scientists and theologists draw down? When will the frontiers between atheists, the agnostic and the faithful diminish if at all will they will ever be erased? What is the essence of life? Scientists, astronauts and theologists have all their own confessions and discoveries but has the dispute towards reasoning of our presence ended? Are our lives preplanned and this is only the execution phase? What/who will palpably describe the sanctity of life and death and of God and Angels? Thousands of questions flicker in my mind. Luckily and gladly, most of them have been answered by Dr.Brian Weiss in his books and through his works, nevertheless, as quoted by the doctor himself, one can never find an absolute and totally satisfying proof.  In any case, through his works, we have hit a huge milestone. A great and continuous accomplishment in digging the secrets of life hole. Kudos and my respects to him, any moment. Hopefully, more undisclosed answers to life would be revealed to us by the Masters.

My memory goes back to school days. I was pretty sharp then and was actively participating in all sorts of programmes like singing, playing roles in drama while excelling at studies as well. One of those times came a chance to take part in a small contest by a computer academy, in which, upon dialing a number, a question would be asked and for the right answer you will be gifted with a prize. When the eager and enthusiastic me pressed the number, much to my excitement, the question was, 'Who is the first Indian woman to land on the space'. Happy at the question came the prompt response from me, 'Kalpana Chawla'. Voila, for being correct, I received a lovable cool crimson red glass plate. Ever since then the fan count of the intelligent astronaut increased by one. I remember reading later, an interview of hers once she returned from space in which she was asked how she felt to see earth from the space. And she had replied, "Our earth looks so bluish and beautiful from outside. What saddens me is that we have kept our planet untidy from inside." True, our planet mother doesn't deserver such a treatment. I was amazed by this woman. As time passed, needless to mention, I was one among those deeply upset on her unexpected demise when the space shuttle crashed. At that tender stage I couldn't stop thinking how it would feel to die at space! What would she have felt at those moments? Was she destined to die high from earth and if so, did she realize it sooner or later? Where did she go from there? Was such a death equivalent to that 'on earth'? Or did she deserve some extra edge for this demise? Will she ever come back and after her return, will she be aware that she has travelled and explored the space? Will her destiny continue from where it was left in her previous lifetime? To my greed, will she ever know I have these questions deep at heart?

Back to present. I have been struggling to remember the days of a week in French. Les jours de la semaine - Lundi, Mardi, Mercredi, Jeudi, Vendredi. (Forget Samedi and Dimanche, they are easier to recollect.) The main problem I knew I had was to relate those days with the equivalents of English, though I never attempted to translate and learn. Once a thought stuck as to how a week is usually related to planets. Tamil, for instance. It was astonishing to know that the same is applicable for French as well. That is, the name Lundi is related to the term Lunar(thingal in Tamil), Mardi to Mars (Sevvai), Mercredi to Mercury (Bhudhan), Jeudi to Jupiter (Vyazhan) and Vendredi to Venus (Velli). My questions begin then and there. Why are the days associated with planets? What is the significance of it? Remembering the days have now become easier for me, still, will/can anybody get me the answer(s) for these questions? I would be grateful to those who make it all clear to me.   

Having shared all these, today, Jupiter and Venus have come far closer to the crescent moon, brilliantly and spectacularly shining. How I wish someday, the answers to my questions would come closer to me too and enlighten the sinful soul in me!

Back

About to get back to normal routine very very soon and I am so unsure if I am going to love it or not. I am therefore leaving it all at God's feet. Mainly, I don't want to quit writing of any kind that I have been doing recently. I want to pursue, I want to pursue and I am not willing to make it all turn a thing of past. Hopefully, my perseverence will lead me towards my small goals. Otherwise, I am so amazed at how time can pass so quickly before we could blink. Perhaps it had been looking that way as I was doing what I wanted to do in my life. One of my childhood dreams. And I was literally living my dreams!

Had been a while since I blogged though I wanted to write about lots and lots. Infact, to blog frequently is one of my resolutions for this year, to follow throughout in future too, I mean. And oh, I forgot to mention the conversation I had recently with a foreigner. She incidentally happened to be a french native and when I listened to her speaking in french with her pal, I couldn't restrict myself turning to her to have a chit-chat. Of course, she was equally excited as me, having found someone who could speak her language, which is very, very rare. We discussed and shared our thoughts about food, lifestyle, family, education and everything. A conversation that lasted for almost half an hour after which I had to head to my home. Much more to this event, I admired if I could speak that much spontaneously in a language that I have been learning for quite a time. That made me super contented, not to mention her appreciating my language too.  A memorable and unexpected experience, a dream come true!

I happened to watch two french films, Jean d'Arc and La Famille de Wolburg, of which I adored the former. The latter seemed bit annoying and out of substance to me. Tongy if I named it right, is still in queue. I also felt lucky to attend a student exchange program thereby realizing one of my childhood dreams. Apparently, my ambitions are getting realized with time and I must say, I'm happy about it. Erstwhile, I am looking forward to buying more books, read a lot and continue writing. And the biggest hope is I should not forget whatever I had learnt until now. And I wont, because I love it. I absolutely love it and therefore it will never fade away from my mind. So are my experiences all these months. I have met adorable, different people from various walks of life, learnt a lot personally.

So, these are my pending updates, my dear blog. Catch you soon with my other news that God has for me in pipeline. For now, logiciel and The Women's Era of Delhi Press are inviting!

Book Review: Urban Shots - CrossRoads

What you see every day, what you hear every day - at your home, city, office, train and your irresistibly flowing personal thoughts and feelings. Those mundane, yet notable events that systematically or illogically carry your day-to-day life are beautifully captured and sketched in the form of short stories, to captivate you. The first look of the book fascinates you with its classy black cover and not surprisingly, what appeals to the eyes unfailingly appeals to the mind. And that is Urban Shots – Crossroads, an anthology of thirty urban short stories, edited by bestselling author Ahmed Faiyaz.

I would wish that the readers themselves become immersed in the book as they flip the pages and get the complete feel of it. To just give a glimpse of the book, I shall express my thoughts over few of the stories I very much liked. The first in the list, ‘Everyone has a story’ is beyond doubt loveable. Ever pondered over the fact that every individual you meet in life has his/her own story? The author has well formulated her story providing an implicit insight on how at times we tend to think that everyone else’s lives are so smooth though somewhere deep inside us we know that crests and troughs prevail in the life of every creature in the world.

Next comes the story of ‘Hako’, to thrill you while portraying the tiniest of adventures, desires, expectations and thought patterns of cute little kids. In ‘Priorities’, a self-imposed landlord’s mindset of treating the life-threatening medical problems of his maid’s son as banal is clearly depicted, which will make you think over how every human is preoccupied with his own concerns. ‘The Crow’s Feast’ and ‘The Song of the Summer Bird’ take you to your childhood days, loading your heart with memories.

A few of the stories remind you of the plus and minus of family life, especially the plight of divorce, separation and single parenthood. ‘The PowerCut’ and ‘The Gap’ nudge you to mentally rewind and visualize those experiences that you have personally had or heard. The feel of insecurity of a protective single mother and how the iceberg between her and her adolescent daughter is broken as she mulls over her estranged husband are very well instigated in the latter. ‘Look How Far We Have Come’ is another story of separated parents having true concern over their son and how the generation of today learns so quickly to accept the reality.

‘Pity’ is an amazing story which I would rate top. The stream of sentiments as a man who had been in love observes a much-in-love youth pair is excellently brought up and in addition to that, the story ends funnily. A sense of loneliness and the instability that hits an old man, a widower who had been loyal to his wife all along his life and how he tries to come out of them are well illustrated in ‘Pasta Lane’. As you finish this story, you have the twisty ‘Mind Games’, more of a cinematic one. ‘Virtual Reality’ typically illustrates the difficulties of a working woman struggling to safeguard her daughter from the social networking pressures that have been continually mounting.

And the list goes on... The choice of intricate vocabulary by various authors and the different styles of writing and of course, the stories as such keep you completely engaged and enthralled, never letting you drop the book down until you finish it. Go ahead and read it for a new reading experience. In short, give Urban Shots, a shot!

[This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!]

My Letter To Editor @ Deccan Chronicle - Feb 21, 2012

P.S: There is one more, I am yet to post it in blog :)

My Letter at Readers' Opinion - Deccan Chronicle

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/editorial/letters-editor/rural-sanitation-825

Exam tension
It has become crystal clear that irrespective of the syllabus stress and anxiety due to exams is constantly on the rise among students and parents (Students keep fingers crossed, Feb. 19). The government should try to introduce a stress-free education-cum-examination system. The focus must be on knowledge acquisition and not exams.
Sudha Subramanian

Bhumi

Activity: Bhumi is one of India's largest independent youth volunteer non-profit organisation. Our volunteers work amongst orphaned and underprivileged children in Chennai, Thiruvallur, Bengaluru and Chandigarh with the aim of providing children with quality education and enable them to become responsible and productive citizens of the future. The efforts of our volunteer force consisting of over 300 students and young professionals under the age of 30 benefit over 2,500 children every year.

Details: 1. Kanini Computer literacy programme involving teaching of basic and advanced concepts based on the children's aptitude levels.

Support: Education, Children, Environmental Conservation, Mentorship

Note: Bhumi is an under-30 youth volunteer organisation, and to be able to reach out to more children, we need volunteers who can spend 2 hours every weekend to teach at an orphanage near their residence.

This post is a part of BlogAdda's Bloggers Social Responsibility (BSR) initiative. I am exercising my BSR. You can too with three simple steps. Visit http://www.blogadda.com/bsr/ and support the NGO's.

Unsung Songs

While the not so new-fangled radio stations are blaring with those alleged hit songs, hundreds of songs from Tamil films are under-rated in my opinion. I list here few of the songs which are not heard too often but have stolen my heart:

1. Song: Poovinai thirandhu (The song is mesmerizing with Shreya Goshal's voice)
    Film: Anandha Thandavam
2. Song: Ennuyir thozhiye (A different composition by A.R.Rahman)
    Film: Kangalaal Kaidhu Sei
3. Molachu Moonu (I love it much)
    Film: Velayudham
4. Manasukkul manasukkul (Excellent composition)
    Film: Anjaadhe
5. Mazhaye mazhaye (Beautiful composition)
    Film: June R
6. Anbe endhan anbe (Moves me a lot)
    Film: June R
7. Thulasi chediya (Good one)
    Film: Seval

Some of the over-rated numbers in my opinion are:
1. Song: Sahara Film: Sivaji
2. Some of Ilayaraja's songs which I find to be terribly repetitive! (No offence meant)

P.S: I shall soon add more songs to the list and links to listen to them online.

Cognates & Faux Amis

Cognates are those words that mean the same in French and English whereas False Friends ie. Faux Amis are those that have dissimilar meanings. Few examples are quoted below:

Cognates:
Reception
Television
Internet
And a lot more...

Faux Amis:
Aimer (To wish) vs. To Aim
Rester (To remain) vs. To rest
Timid (To be shy) vs. To be timid
Ignore (To be ignorant) vs To ignore
And a lot more..

How to Type in French in MS Word 2007

The steps to easily type in French and spellcheck in MS Word 2007 are as below:

1. Open MS Word

2. Go to Review tab

3. Click on Set Language in the tool bar and choose the language as French (France)

4. Now type your content as though in English and get your Spelling & Grammar correction done by Word.

Typing Special Characters:

1. Click on Insert -> Symbol -> More Symbols
2. Select the required symbol and click Insert button
3. Alternatively, you can also allot shortcut keys for quick usage

Happy typing!

French Alphabets and Accents

Alphabets:
Alphabets are the same as in English, though the pronounciation varies -
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Accents:
Accent Aigu as in é
Accent Grave as in è, à
Circonflexe as in ê
Cédille as ç
Tréma as in ë

The Why Question

Ask a layman or a genious if the habit of questioning 'why' is a good sign and as most would expect, the reply would be a big 'yes'. In fact, many would stress that 'Why'-ing is an indication of curiosity, intellectualism, creativity blah blah and would commend you if you heed to it. It is all right, I agree, but not everytime and everywhere. To me, questioning is not always laudable, reasons being that it could often poke into a person's personal space or at times, the interrogated wouldn't have a convincible answer. Normally, I fall into the category of the latter, yet, rarely, I lose the interest to answer, too.

In most cases, I have been incessantly questioned when I get chance to meet strangers or people nearly strange. I am quoting from some of my day-to-day experiences I have had, just for a funny remembrance:

When I accidentally meet those to-be-friends, those relatives with whom I have lost touch for quite a number of years or those I am at the verge of forgetting, the first spontaneous chain of words from them is, 'So.. where do you work?'. I respond meekly, 'Xyz company'. (You may pounce at me that such happenings are common anywhere. But to me, a question is a question. The more the same question is asked, the more does it irk me.) And the conversation continues as:

He/She: Been in same company all these years?

Me: Yes

He/She: Why? No intention to move to this Abc company? The daughter of my neighbour's cousin's brother's... is working there.

Me: *Blink Blink*

He/She: How do you commute everyday?

Me: Train

He/She: Bus is more comfortable than train. Train generally is full of rush. Why do you go by train then?

Me: *Blink Blink* (Too impatient to even answer briefly)

He/She: Hey, didn't you travel abroad? My friend's son works for the same company and he has travelled some four times.

Me: Blink Blink.. Yeah (God knows what this yeah means).

Friend: How long have you been working?

Me: N years

Friend: N years!! OMG! You must have been so patient to have worked for these many years, aren't you?

Me. He he. Yeah, perhaps! 

Friend: So, what do you do? 

Me: I work in Xyz

Friend: Oh cool!! Then why are you participating in this programme? Why do you want to try this out? Why this.. and why that.. Why here.. why there...

Me: :| :'(

And the list goes on and on. All these might sound too corny but I am highly nagged to listen to the same questions over and over, especially to those I personally have no logical answers.Tell someone you are in a job and they ask you why this job. Or tell that you don't work right now and still you are asked why. Tell them you are married and you are questioned oh, why so soon. Or that you aren't yet and they ask you, what?, it's high time! My response to such inundated questions is just a simple smile as I don't have an answer myself to most of the ones posed at me. Probably one day I would rationally come up with a reasonable reaction. Until then, things would be just as they are. No reasons. No logic.

There was this saying by Pearl Bailey that I read once I was randomly googling - 'I don't really look forward to anything. I just wake up in the morning everyday and whichever way God turns my feet, I go.'. And that perfectly describes me!

Decoding Islam

A thought provoking write-up on decoding Islam with well elaborated ideas on Talak, Bride-Price, Parity and lot more:

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/editorial/op-ed/decoding-islam-200

Love - Lost & Found

I am not much of a poetry person, at least until now. Yet, there is something that I adore and would like to engrave on my blog. Here follows an excerpt from Only Love is Real by Dr.Brian Weiss quoting a poem of Victor Hugo.

And still her grief would not abate.
At last she bore another child, and great
Was the father's joy; and loud his cry: "A Son!"
That day, to thus rejoice-he was the only one.
Dejected and wan the mother lay; her soul was numb. . . .
Then suddenly she cried with anguish wild,
Her thoughts less on the new than on the absent child. . . .
"My angel in his grave, and I not at his side!"
Speaking through the babe now held in her embrace
She hears again the well-known voice adored:
"Tis I,-but do not tell!" He gazes at her face.
-Victor Hugo

The summary as I understand: The stanza brings out the grief of a mother who has lost a child and doesn't have the heart to come out of the sorrow even as she bears another son. As she laments, the new-born held in her hands confesses to the disheartened mother that it is the same soul that has come again. Reincarnation beautifully explained!


P.S.: I'm still trying to figure out to which poem of Victor Hugo's does this piece belong to. More of Victor Hugo's and other poets' collections are available at: http://www.poetry-archive.com/

Green Coalition

Activity: Green Coalition Network is an independent non-governmental environmental advocacy organization that was informally founded in the year 2000.

Green Coalition is dedicated to improving public health standards, protecting the environment and promoting sustainable development & ethical business.

We provide practical eco-friendly solutions that integrate long-term economic prosperity and sound social development, thereby bringing about real positive change. We implement this by influencing public opinion, building constructive partnerships with industry and the government and promoting community and corporate programs focused on youth & public participation.

Support: environmental awareness, environmental education, environmental advocacy, public health, fair trade, sustainable development, Third Sector Consulting

Note: We want more active volunteers and members. You can also have a look at our current requirements at the page below
http://www.greencoalition.net/volunteer.html

This post is a part of BlogAdda's Bloggers Social Responsibility (BSR) initiative. I am exercising my BSR. You can too with three simple steps. Visit http://www.blogadda.com/bsr/ and support the NGO's.

Gift for love Or Love for gift??

As the day of Valentine is approaching, I see most pages in newspapers with articles overflowing on love, sharing and everything on Valentine. Turn around everywhere and talks are on about the so-called selfless love, romantic songs falling on your ears from all directions and more so on the idea of gifting beloved ones with which greeting card sellers and flowerists or bouquet vendors would profit the maximum, not unbeknownst to us.

With regard to any celebration, be it birthday, wedding anniversary etc., Valentine's day included, I am totally apprehensive over the idea of gifting. The grown-up in me comprehends that the motive behind gifting or receiving gifts on V-day is to shower your affection on your love-lady/lad. Invariably, I also question if such a custom we have proudly acquired from the west and following with utmost concern than any other from our beautiful tradition has led us to somewhere where gifting has become obligatory. As I view my society, just like how people are enormously pride at watching a newly released movie on the first-show of the first-day, there is a sense of pride in the show-off that goes after  gifting. In other words, besides love, is it also an indication of an irresistible feel for gaining attention amongst friends or surroundings with the richness of the gifts shared?!

At the end of the much-hyped V-day, in case the cupid-struck youngsters are amicably demanded to share what have been showered with on their special day, it is nearly mandatory to bring out the bragger in them, to implicitly prove that he/she is the best lover in the world. Because, innately, deep inside, the world around judges people based on what they gift or have been gifted or they might be mocked at or looked down. 

Personally I feel that such customs have also been a grand factor in the increased expectations of today's world. I remember reading somewhere, 'You are what you gift'. And as with anything and everything, this could be viewed positively or negatively. On the negative front, on such occasions, you are determined by what you present. Sadly, today's 'selfless' love expects it, too.

Once when I shared with my classmates and teacher that it was my nephew's b'day, the immediate question from my teacher was, 'hey, what did you gift?'. I was dumb-stuck as soon as the question was posed at me because, the thought of gifting my two-year old nephew never crossed my mind, until I was asked. Most of the times I go out, I get something or the other for my loveable nephew with all love in the world, regardless of whether he needs/asks for it or not. The love I and my family have towards him is inexplicable. But when I was questioned about what I gave him on his b'day, I had no answers which had the possibility of creating a false impression on the affection I have for the baby. The whole day, I was pondering, how the perception over gifting has changed, over time.

Like I read today, I strongly believe that the concept of gifting has to never be obligatory and it is an involuntary instinctive feeling. Love is never compulsive, and so is presenting gift. In short, if you do not gift your valentine on the V-day and your amour loves you as much as always with no disappointments, then, I hope, it is one of the signs of selfless love and a less materialistic society.

BlogAdda

Su Do Ku

How I detested it in the past and how I adore it now! Once there was this puzzle-solving session during my college days and I struggled to complete correctly even half of the Su Do Ku the prof gave. Highly amazed at some of my classmates cracking it in less than half an hour, I came to deciding then and there that this is not gonna be my cup of tea. Never. Ever since then I never bothered or volunteered to try it. So all these years, a strict no-no to Su Do Ku even if someone would offer me a crore to solve one easy puzzle. And more so, not even a head-turn from me on those appearing in the everyday newspapers, either.

Therefore it all remained the same until one fine day when my neurons worked overtime and sent (rather received?) a signal to try it out. I was so surprised at how I could do it too. Not to mention that all these days, I had consiously put myself behind and never let myself try the simplest of things. Today, things are upside down with it. I don't find a day complete without solving atleast two of it. Day by day, I am observing myself the improvement I show tremendously.

Practice makes perfect and hopefully someday I will reach heights with my writing, too. Still there are lots of areas where I would wish to lay my hands. The list never ends. However, glad, my thought processes are continuously improving and so am I. Kudos to myself, this time. I love Su Do Ku!

Security As Such

Of late, I must say, certain undesirable happenings have forced me to think over the importance or perhaps the role of men in any woman's life, in general and to point it out straight- in terms of security. All these years I have never felt the uncontrollable adrenaline rush of noticing someone frequenting around your residence trying to capture a glimpse of what's in who's, let alone seeing a robber.

Twice has it happened that I came to casually note that 'someone' moving around at midnight and the sense of panic cannot be described in words. The ever-increasing pressures of economic conditions remain one of the main reasons for increase in thefts, not to mention the influence of films. Darn it.  By God's grace nothing serious has happened in our appartment as safety measures have been undertaken, yet questions keep popping in my brain's window on the security issues that still bothers women in our so called modern society. I repeat the nostalgic verses from my high-school prayer - My angels, protect me.

Having said that, anytime, it is an undeniable fact that the presence of men poses an increase in security irrespective of whether they are truly courageous or not and if they will really be of help in case of emergency or when in need. The mere presence of such a male, I guess, protects us to a great extent. I sense that, the much needed psychological feel of security is practically multiplied with a father/brother/husband figure.

I recollect that once we got stuck at a famous temple with no buses to catch at midnight. Thankfully came another family under similar situation and know what, with the aide of a woman, her entire family including her hubby and us, could catch an auto, chase a bus, successfully get into it and reach home back at that odd hours. All of this was led by a woman and the man in her family was nothing more than a simple presence. But as I imagine the situation without him, I could strongly relate that the already prevailing challege of getting back at untimely hours would have still become a bigger problem, had the gent not been there.

Although it is commonly worded that women are independant now-a-days, events such as these reinforce the necessity of a fatherly figure in the least of concerns. I constantly wonder what gave my mother the courage to bring her children up single-handedly and I consciously keep myself up and brave when insecurity raises its head at times. Nothing is totally new in this world and it is all to be faced, I tell myself.

Hopefully

Back to blogging with my first post of this year. With all the hustle-bustles of life I had almost forgotten that I own a blog and that I wanted to pen down as and when I was triggered to write. Not been into blogger for quite a time, now as I read myself my posts it looks as if the events have all happened yesterday.  2011 was a mixed year, I have had my own share of happiness, desires, sorrows, disappointments, the grief of missing loved ones, confusions and what not! A year filled with experiences to mould myself in and out. And before I could blink, a month has crossed in 2012! How time runs, hmm.. And it sounds interesting and a bit funny to re-read my own few posts and now I imagine how much would I have progressed/transformed in terms of thought processes and as a person as such if and when I go through all of my writings years later. To discover and rediscover what I was, I am and what I would be.. this is a neat platform. I hope and wish to continue writing! May blog keep me inspired and motivated! God bless!