Gyaan for the Day

"I am not asking you to change. On the contrary, I am asking you to be your Self. The only thing you need to change is the way you see your Self. And if you are able to see your self as you 'Self', then there is really nothing to change"

But...............







Picture Courtesy : www.hanford.gov

Connected over Joblessness

We have heard about art & music bringing people together. Who knew being jobless too can bring people together??

What started as a simple wish to spend a quiet evening at home with plum cake & wine brought 5 crazy people together who ended up creating the Goddess of Liquor.

Merry Christmas!!!








Picture Courtesy : The character we created last nite :-) 

insufficient workout

I had been visiting my mom this weekend. While getting dressed, she takes a good look at me & says...

"You need to exercise more!"

No comments!







Picture Courtesy : sprinklingofspice.blogspot.in

Belongingness

A snippet from an article shared by a friend.

Belongingness can bring about a host of negative emotions. Like demand, jealousy, unawareness and lack of gratitude. Just look into your own life, you feel more grateful to strangers than the people you feel "belong" to you. Belongingness reduces gratefulness, awareness, and gives rise to demands which destroys love. This is the biggest problem in relationships. People are nice to strangers and give more attention to them. With a sense of belongingness comes carefreeness and lack of attention.

:-)

Picture Courtesy : wikolia-wens.blogspot.in

big big eyes small small mouth

Kiddo : You become big-big eyes & small-small mouth.
Me{zapped} : Duh?!!?
Kiddo : When you are checking my home work, you eyes become big-big. And when you talking to me which checking my home work, you mouth becomes small-small.

This observation was made while I found a mistake in her practice work.

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Forgetfulness

A friend once said, "The greatest boon that man has ever been gifted with is his forgetfulness!"

I was moved by this statement. But is it really good, especially one can't remember a thing from their life 10yrs back? Or further back?

Yea.... that has been my situation every time I speak with an old friend. Every time he narrates a funny incident during our gay days, I can see myself racking my brain out to place this incident. Thats when I realized... I DON'T REMEMBER A THING!!!!!!

Its been a few days now. And, I am still trying to remember... What the heck was i doing in school & college to miss out on all these things???? Those days, bunking was never an option. So, yes... I have attended my school & college without failure. Which implies I was at the scene. But... how is it that I cannot remember anything???

Was I so self obsessed, even in those days, that I didn't see anything beyond me??

Ouch!

Picture Courtesy : www.vinyl-reflections.com

an excuse to be perfected

Yippeee!!

Finally, after months of trial & errors, I believe, I finally have found a more courteous a way of saying 'No' to interested parties. Where a 'not interested' never worked, I see this one taking effect immediately. To add to this, no more followups on whether the interest base has changed....

Now, I just have to improvise on this reasoning. But for now, I am happy with my new discovery... :-)

Picture Courtesy : indonetwork.net

Martian Laws

He : We men are possessive about all girls. It doesn't matter whether I have a wife. We are possessive about any & every girl

Confessions of the species from Mars under the influence of a few long island iced tea & tequila shots... :-)

Picture Courtesy : img.ehowcdn.com

that thing for oldies

Yes! I still have a thing for older men. This time it is Saikumar. For some strange reasons, I loved his comic timing in the movie My Boss. Whatever made me take this impromptu movie trip, I am glad that I made that decision. The few moments I was with him, I completely forgot how annoying the past few weeks were. As my friend says, I WAS in the moment without any impressions from the past ;-)

Yes, I have a new crush... :-)

Picture Courtesy : dearannabelle.com

made in china...

Kiddo{glancing through the movie posters in the newspaper} : I want to watch the Khiladi movie.
Me : We need to watch a lot of movies. We missed many.
Kiddo : Yea... Son of Sardaar, Student of the Year, Barfi... Shall we go during my next holiday.
Me : But baby, they are no longer in the theaters. We need to get the DVDs now.
Kiddo : Oh!
Kiddo{after a pause} : So, we have to wait for the China people to watch the movie.
Me : WHAAAAAAT????? Why the China People????
Kiddo{never knew mom was this stupid types look} : "Made In China"!!!!! So, the China People have to watch the movie, put it in the DVD & send it to Bangalore.

Picture Courtesy : www.sheknows.com

calibrations please

She{infuriated} : When you say 6, you are supposed to add months or years to it. Not just leave it as 6!

Like any mom, I was yapping about Kiddo in my Yoga classes. When one of my classmate asked me, how old Kiddo was, I mentioned that she is 6 now and will soon turn 7. Its been long time since I had been to a mixed crowd. Normally, I am with the parents crowd. So, when I say 6, they automatically attach years to it.

This friend was surprised to hear that Kiddo is 6yrs old & not 6months old. I was truly unsure as to whether I should be taking her response as a compliment or not. Finally, I replied with a response that felt so rite..... I gave her my mile long expression... :-)

Picture Courtesy : archuscribbles.files.wordpress.com

love-hate-apathy

Veerabhadra : Just that I finally understood something Shiva had told me once. That the opposite of love is not hate. Hate is just love gone bad. The actual opposite of love is apathy. When you don't care a damn as to what happens to the other person.

An excerpt from 'The Secret of The Nagas'.

Picture Courtesy : sherievenner.com

penguin walk

Since I sprained my ankle two days back, I have been limping around the house. Watching me 'walk', Kiddo goes...

"Amma.... You walk like a Penguin now. Why don't you wear black & white dress with orange & blue color anything?"

If you are wondering why the Orange & Blue, according to her, the beak is Orange & the nostrils(or whatever the holes in their beak represents) is Blue.

Hail the power of Observation & Imagination!

Picture Courtesy : humormood.com

Swamiyeee! Sharanam Ayyappa!

Its Sabarimala season again. The lent season for Malayalees. The thing that comes to my mind when someone says lent is - fasting. The events during the last few days and the beginning of the Vrishchikam month today(as per Malayalam Calendar) put me into thinking.... Why not take this holy month & see if I can improve of certain things that had been at the back of my mind since long....

1) Move to respectful form of you
I use the informal way to address my friends & close ones. Rite now, I am incapable of writing down why I want this shift. But yes, I feel somewhere, sometimes... some negativity is being generated when I use the informal 'You'.

I had started this project earlier on. But had failed miserably. I understand I cannot make this switch overnight. But I feel this is worth the attempt.

2) Wanna talk? Ring up!
Yaaa... I know! High time!

Well, its not news that using textual medium for communications has ruined a lot of relationships for me. I want to reduce both the short-messages & chats. These textual messages only results in irking ego & misunderstandings. So, if you want to get in touch with me, call me. And, if I want to update someone on whats happening with me, I will call you, irrespective of the place and/or time ;)

Again, I am not saying I will never ever use text messages. But yes, I am working on a significant reduction.

3) Start working out - DAILY ;)
Had stopped with my daily workout since June. I was feeling extremely tired & exhausted during those days. That was when I decided to go easy on myself. I remained active, but completely stopped my evening workout. I think, I have regained sufficient 'health' to restart my old routine.

4) Go Veggie
I still am not very keen on it. But if this happens, well & good. Let me see, if this will have any effect on me. The moment I sense that missing those yummy non-veg food is having a negative effect on me, I will call this off. I am considering this to just align with the Yoga thingie. Lets see... As of now, this is of low priority.

5) Reduce tamarind intake
I was able to reduce the chilly aspect of spice that goes into our food. In fact, I have started enjoying these non-chilly Indian food. Now, the next form of spice I would like to reduce is Tamarind. Like many other things in my life, I have no explainable reason for this :-)


I am not saying, I will be sticking to this for 41days. But yes, I would love to see how it goes on a weekly basis.

Picture Courtesy : naturallyengineered.com

Detachment vs Dispassion

He{after the demise of his grandmother} : I was able to go through the process because I was able to detach myself from the scene and observe what was happening. If, even for a sec, a stray thought had come in that this is my grandmother, I might have collapsed.

All what I heard of what he said was the word 'detachment'. I was not very comfortable hearing that word. Why was I uncomfortable? Is it because the first image that formed in my mind was that of attachment? I had to negate something to get detachment.

Would a better pick be dispassion? I have absolutely no clue. Maybe I will... when I evolve some more... :-)

Picture Courtesy : katiessweatylife

Kill Him

Read this bit in the paper today. I know I am not in a position to explain this, but the fact is... I don't want to ;)

..... that is why in Buddhist teachings, at the end of the whole teaching, in one section of Buddhists, they say, 'if you come across a Buddha, kill him' - in the sense, let not Buddha become an ideal which you start imitating and so destroy your uniqueness.... 

Picture Courtesy : killingthebuddha.com

stars have run away

Kiddo wanted to celebrate Diwali with her sister(my bro's daughter) who stays at a stones throw from our place. Thanks to the lazy day at home, it was already dark by the time Kiddo & I started our walk towards bro's place. We both were enjoying various forms of fireworks that were lighting up the night sky. That was when Kiddo made an interesting observation...

"Amma.... I think all the stars have run away so that they don't get fire!"

Yes! The sky was devoid of stars tonight.... :-)

Picture Courtesy : www.bigfoto.com

No Marriage

Kiddo : I don't want marry.
Me{could hear people going in the background, "I TOLD YOU SO!"} : Whyyyyyy?
Kiddo{high pitched & over dramatic} : You have to always keep working if you are married. Keep wake uping everyone. Always make lots of food. It is better to be alone like aunty. She doesn't only have to cook.
Me : But baby, won't you feel lonely if you don't have someone?
Kiddo : I will stay with a friend.

Kavilammeeeeeeeee............................

Picture Courtesy : emotional-intelligence-education.com

classes for guys

"WHY ARE YOU TOUCHING HIM??????"

Asks Kiddo in her shrieking voice, full of surprise.

I was conducting yoga class for my first official guy student. When she woke up, I was in the middle of the class & pushing & kicking a guy. As such I was feeling a little awkward as it was the first time I was actually helping out a guy with his yoga. If it was not for my ego, I wouldn't have been able to hold my fort. Thats when my dear lil one shatters it all for me.

Well after a moment of awkwardness, I was able to answer her question...
"Amma is the teacher here. Amma can touch anywhere other than his private parts!"

Now that the jinx is broken, I can actually start with my own classes... :-)

Picture Courtesy : goodmenproject.com

to do or not to

He : I want to do it! She wants to do it! But....

How many times have we used similar excuses? The most common I have heard is related to starting with an exercise regime.

I want to start with exercises, but I do not get time after the office & other commitments.

I myself have used it. I used to safely hide behind this excuse and I did that for many years too. But now, I have a completely different take on this. If you are 100% into it, nothing can stop you from doing it. I understand the occasional breaks & delays. But, if you really want it, you will make it happen.

But, until that moment, we can all feel safe under the warmth of this 'but'. I just pray that this moment comes to whoever needs it without having to wait for long..... :-)

Picture Courtesy : Focus-Adolescent-Services

3AM

There were days, when I used to wake up at 3 in the morning & walk around the house, wondering whether I have insomnia. Then I read somewhere that it is absolutely normal to wake up around this time and a vague explanation on why its a good time to wake up. Later on, it was discovered that great things happen around 3am.

This is a more serious explanation to the phenomenon 3am....

This period of the day is known in Sanskrit as Brahmamuhurtham, the most conductive time for higher yogic practices, when the atmosphere is pure and quiet, the activities of the stomach and intestines have stopped, the mind has no deep impressions on the conscious level and is empty of thoughts in preparation for the day ahead. {From "Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha" by Swami Satyananda Saraswati}

Picture Courtesy : biancabelcherpa.blogspot.in

how old can this joke be?

There are numerous jokes, anecdotes, movies, songs & what-nots where the female is categorized as the one creating havoc in a man's life. I was flabbergasted when I read this bit relating to the philosophy of Yoga coupled with what I heard about the philosophy and my own interpretation of the scenario..... =-O

Lord Shiva(or Purusha) is considered to be the symbol or embodiment of supreme consciousness. Parvati(or Shakti or Prakruthi) represents supreme knowledge, will and action and is responsible for all creation. {From "Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha" by Swami Satyananda Saraswati}

The Purusha watches & observes what is going around. It does nothing one its own. It has no guna. Whereas Prakruthi has 3 gunas - Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic. Its the Prakruthi that corrupts the Purusha.

Doesn't this sound similar?? The guy was happy and content untill................

Picture Courtesy : pennyhaw.wordpress.com

violins in the background

In the movie Main Hoon Na, there is a scene when Major Ram Prasad Sharma first sets his eyes on Chandini. Light flashes on his face, violins/some string instrument starts playing in the background and last but not the least, there is music in the air.

Well that was the exact feeling I got when I tried those pair of jeans. My friend gave me her jeans which doesn't fit her anymore. The moment I slipped into that jeans, we(the jeans & I) both knew it.... We were meant to be together. We both exchanged that warm smile & embraced each other. If someone asks me what made me fall for him, I don't know... All I know is, I could hear violins playing in the background.... :-)

choice & explain

I came across this article while browsing for something else. If one overlooks the scenario that forms the basis of the article, I could hear violins playing in the background while reading this article. That is, apart from the violent shaking of the head in agreement with something beyond the obvious.

It is not about whether I can or cannot do, its about the choice I make and being able to express that choice and not lie about it.

No, I am not saying one has to be rude. But, one should be the given that space.

Picture Courtesy : www.naset.org

crack the acceptance

"You should learn to accept things/people as they are!"

I used to always feel uneasy with this statement. Like everyone else, I too believed that it was my ego that made me run when someone made this suggestion. That was until I read this bit from an article by SSRS.....


Acceptance is also negative. You accept that which is not lovable. Tolerance and acceptance come with judgment and separation. These words which are used, tolerance and acceptance are thought to be positive. I say they are not.

I guess the idea that acceptance is a form of compromise that was making me uneasy. It was like, this is not the bestest of the situation, but its okay, this will do for now.

So now.... it is SSRS certified.... it was not a mere ego that was holding me back.... ;-)

Picture Courtesy : Ramana's Musings

Yoga Sutra

Sa tu dheerghakaala nairantharya sathkaara sevito dridha bhoomih!

These lines are picked from Yoga Sutra. It can be vaguely translated into...
Sa tu dheerghakaala = over a long period of time
Nairantharya = daily or without any gap
Sathkaara sevito = doing something with honor & respect
Dhrida bhoomi = firmly established

I believe what they are trying to say is....
That which is done over a long period of time, without any gap, with honor & respect is firmly established within the system.

But what I admire is the limitlessness of this concept. This can be applied anywhere & everywhere.... :-)

Picture Courtesy : yogalifestyle.com

Imagination....

A 1000 threads erupted when I saw these words....

I just hope I figure out a way to nurture this aspect of kiddo.... Or that there is someone in her life, who will help her develop this vibrant aspect of hers..... Mmmmuah!

Picture Courtesy : https://www.facebook.com/HealthRanger

Adolescent Brain

Well... to all my friends who have been wondering why I still behave like a teenager.....

"So adolescence is defined as the period of life that starts with the biological, hormonal, physical changes of puberty and ends at the age at which an individual attains a stable, independent role in society."

:-)

Gyaan for the day

When you demand a thing, you must be prepared to pay the price.... the price equal to its value.










Picture Courtesy : www.theecologist.org

got that meaning!!!

I have been enjoying this song since I heard it first when the movie was released. But it was only today that I bumped into the video with English translation of the lyrics. This song had been special to me. But now, it has a whole new meaning :-)

Hope you guys too find it enjoyable... :-)

Discipline .... contd....

Discipline must be enforced by you upon yourself. When discipline is forced by another, its results are suffocating. Once you have recognized your own weakness, only then will you truly seek the strength to rise to perfection.

Well, if not perfection... at least an evolved self.... Have a great week... :-)

Picture Courtesy : beafunmum.com

Discipline

Read this today....

Discipline will arise only when one is determined. Determination arises only from devotion. Devotion will sprout only with faith.

Hmmm.... I am trying to fit this in the health part of my life.... Discipline & Determination takes a whole new meaning when one decides to take care of the physical self... :-/

Have a 'healthy' weekend ... :-)

Picture Courtesy : beafunmum.com

imperfections....

"There is a kind of beauty in imperfection." 

Don't ask me where I picked that from... I don't remember. But I can give you a song that emphasizes on this concept.

If you can't understand what they are saying, check this page. The lines that I love are ....

Kavidhaikku poi azhagu
Kannaththil kuzhi azhagu
Mudhumaikku Narai azhagu
Nilavukku karai azhagu

Yes... this was the first thing I listened to today morning & am still smiling ... :)

Have a great day guys .... :-)

Love Thy Randomness

Last night, while returning from a bday party, I was dropping off a few friends. Kiddo got chatty with one of them. She was making plans with him for herself & her friends. Well... to be honest.... I lost track after 2 'projects'. After 15mins of yakking, she asks herself...

"What am I saying?"

I can bet my life that neither does my friend have any idea on what they have planned. But I simply enjoyed the randomness in her plan.... :D

Picture Courtesy : www.psychologytoday.com

Missed you....

This weekend, Kiddo & I had been to Kerala to attend a cousin's wedding. We had been away for 3nights & 3days. Yesterday, when we reached home, Kiddo runs to the wall & plasters herself across it with her arms spread wide apart and says...

"I missed you home! I am happy to see you. Mmmmuah!"

Now tell me, how can I move out of this place inspite of various technical issues??

:-)

Picture Courtesy : papertastebuds.com

Meditative Process

One day, when I dropped into my neighbor's home, they were having mangoes. She being a mom mom, offered me the mango she had 'prepared' for herself & took a fresh one out of the bunch.

I say prepared, because she patiently squeezes the mango before peeling it. If you cut this prepared mango, you will get a pure bliss in the form of thick pulpy mango.... Aaah! Slurrrp! She patiently did that for every single person in the room. I was unusually quiet during my visit. Where does she get the patience to do this for all in the room? That too before she had one for herself? Later, when I was thinking this out loud a friend said....

"It might be a meditative process for her."

I could feel myself stare at Him.... lost at 'meditative process'. How true!! It is never a task for her. Well, that knowledge did change my outlook on cooking. Now, I cook only when I feel the meditative need. Even when I prepared a very basic Sadhya for Onam at home, I was at peace with myself. Of course, I had all the support from my house elves ;)

Picture Courtesy : leenaeats.com

a "mounam" filled day

Today, I have been hooked to songs which speaks about "mounam". The closest I know of that word's meaning would be silence. My personal explanation would be... Its the term conjured by people who doesn't understand the phenomenon of communicating without any communication ... :D These songs topped the list today....

The day started with this song penned by a friend. Hmmm... maybe I should ask him to come up the English translation for this song. Dearie... if you are reading this... Start working on the translation ... ;)

As the day progressed, I was bragging about the above song to another friend & he suggested this one. This was not the first time I am listening to this song. I was introduced to this song by Kiddo's dad a long time ago.

And finally this song which my music player randomly picked ... :-)

Wish everyone mounam filled days ... :-)

Picture Courtesy : classyblackgirl.com

Where is the Thank You?

One lazy morning in Goa, we had been to a place for breakfast. This place seemed to be a family run place. The person who served us the breakfast was speaking in the local language(Konkani). Being served with simple & yummy food, I was in a good mood & wanted to Thank them in their local language. One of my friend spoke this language. So, I ask her, "How do you say Thank You in Kokani?"

She gives me a blank expression. I could see her searching each & every brain cells of her's to find an appropriate word for the situation. She comes up with nothing & says, "No there is no such word in Konkani". To confirm her assertion, she rings up her mom. Mom too goes silent for a moment & returns nil.

All of us... from different parts of India started thinking in this direction & was trying to find out an appropriate word in any of the local languages. We all had a formal word in our respective languages. Words that is used only in official letters or conversations. But none to express our gratitude for all those little things people do for us.

That was when one of us said, "We take everything for granted. We carry the attitude that, It is his/her duty, what is there to thank so much about?"

Sadly... that is the truth........

Picture Courtesy : dadditudes.com

Preachers

He : Ayyooooo! I have to fix my wifi. I have a lot of small small tasks to finish.
Me : Finish it dear.... Once you take care of these clutter, you will be able focus on bigger things.

After 2 seconds of silence we both look at each other & burst out laughing & rolling on the floor. And repeat in chorus...

"Its easier to preach!"

He had mentioned the exact same thing to me a few minutes back. Well, looks like we are going nowhere. And, while we are stationed here, we are planning to start a motivating center because both of us can preach very well... :-)

Picture Courtesy : favim.com

unniappams

Nothing sells like a batch of freshly made unniappams. As a child, I was more fascinated with the batter than the unniappams. Sometime during the growing up stage, I fell out of love with these small round cakes. This was later introduced to me by 'tpr amma' (kiddo's dad's mom). My command over language is not strong enough to express what I feel when she makes unniappams for me... :)

I have always considered these small yummy round cakes as something extremely complicated to make.... Something that was exclusively reserved... which only the earlier generations of mommies could make... that I was not meant to attempt due to my lack of patience.... Until I read this blog of my friend. She made unniappam sound sooo simple that even I could dare to think about attempting.

Well..... after 3yrs of trial & error.... Kiddo tells me, "Ammaaa, you make yummy unniappams. Just like achamma's & ammamma's(her grans from both the sides)"

Yipppeeeeee!

Picture Courtesy : adukalavishesham.blogspot.in

think like a....

Got this from an article a friend had suggested to me...


Think like a judge. Don't accept information for which you have no solid evidence.
Think like a scientist. Seek out answers yourself.
Think like a mathematician. Use logic.

But what about that strong gut feeling??

There was an interesting talk at TED on wearable communications. The speaker had come up with an interesting device to listen to your gut. Maybe we all need that ... :)

Picture Courtesy : nolawellnessandhealthyliving.com

leftie

This week marked the International Lefthanders Day. Someone had shared this pic in the web. This is so true.

No, I am not a leftie. But Kiddo is. And the first thing anyone asks is, "Is she a leftie?"

Being an Indian, this question has many undercurrents. Any good deed should be performed by the right hand. Be it as simple as handing over something to someone, it has to be done using the right hand. You can imagine how shocked the person at the receiving end would be while accepting something from Kiddo.... :-)

A more annoying series of questions starts the moment someone watches kiddo having food with her left hand. As everyone knows, we eat with our hands & we clean with our hands too. The hand used for latter is never used for the former ... :D Honestly, I think people are programmed accordingly. I didn't have to take extra effort in separating Kiddo's eating hand from the cleaning hand. She herself did that without being told.

The real problem I feel is how the small things are configured. For example, the alignment of the door knob, the orientation of the tap etc. These are the places where I see Kiddo struggle as her hands go criss cross to get things done. These are the places where she has to struggle. The rest is all in our mind.... we just have to let them be the way they are.... :)

Kiddo.... mmmmmmmmuah!

Picture Courtesy : Borrowed the g+ post

Magical Eyes

"How did you know????"
Asks a wide eyed Kiddo. Flabbergasted at the precision with which I narrated the sequence of events in her day after she reached home. That too as soon as I stepped in from office. Which means, I did not get time to be updated on the events by the baby sitter.

Me {all smug now} : I know. I have Magical Eyes! It tells me exactly what you do.
Kiddo : Who all has magical eyes?
Me : Every mom & dad has magical eyes.
Kiddo {after pondering on this terrifying news} : I think achan(dad) has lost his magical eyes. He keeps asking me "What are you doing? What are you doing?".

I was reminded of this post when she made this statement ..... :)

Picture Courtesy : phagunbaya.blogspot.in

responding to compliments

He : You really don't know how to handle a compliment, isn't it?

That was the response I get from a friend who paid an indirect compliment to me. What do I do when I get one? Well I pick up the serious notes from that indirect compliment & start with my theories & formulae.

So next time I start talking nonsense when you give me a direct or indirect compliment, remember ..... I do not know to respond to one. The blabbering is because like an ostrich, I am looking for that place to hide so that I don't have to respond to it and not because I did not appreciate the gesture ... O:-)

Picture Courtesy : greathealthmag.com

catching up with friends ... :)

A heartfelt laughter can energize you like anything. And watching a fully pregnant lady having one.......

Last weekend, I happened to meet a bunch of friends from my college. I was not part of their close group. But that didn't stop them from having fun(read pulling each others legs). As the evening progressed, ROFL turned out to be an understatement. What I loved that evening was the image of my pregnant friend... laughing uncontrollably.... with tears flowing out of her eyes.... amidst her close friends.

What more can I ask for on the eve of friendship day ... :)

Picture Courtesy : www.fbc-lowell.com

aaah! that rain!

Kiddo : "I think I will get BIG fever when I get back. I will not be able to goto school then. I will get lots of homework!"

This statement had a mix of all emotions. Even I had to smile when she said this ... :-)

Kiddo & I always get excited the moment the word rain hits our senses ... :) Three days on road ensured that we had ample opportunity to enjoy this phenomenon. The option of waiting along the kerb until the rain recedes was shot down by kiddo herself. I could feel her being torn between her desire & reality while she was making this comment.

PS.
The side effect of being a parent is, by the time your child is 3yrs old, you are 1/3rd a doctor. So, was able to make early detection of her system beginning to conk off. This enabled us to administer the appropriate medicines on time. After a good nights sleep, Kiddo was as active as ever ... :-)

Picture Courtesy : srikrishnadas.wordpress.com

stages in life

.... makes and interesting categorization of them(different stages a man passes through in his lifetime) as athelete stage, warrior stage, statesperson stage and spirit stage.

This is an excerpt from 'Ignited Minds'. I liked the description of the warrior stage & the statesperson stage. I am just noting the gist of the it here.

Warrior stage ... proud of its achievements, it finds ways to demonstrate its superiority over others. Ego is the driving force.

Statesperson/BigBrother stage ... the Ego has been tamed somewhat and with its new found maturity awareness shifts to what is important. The idea is to help others become better.

I exercise my rite to the mile long expression here ... ;)

Picture Courtesy : awakenyourinnertruth.wordpress.com

follow the white ....

Neo was asked to follow the white rabbit. But we explorers at Goa followed the white line.

The place where we were staying at Goa was situated in a sleepy little village. There were hardly anybody on the road to ask for directions, if the electronic gadgets we were carrying failed. Thats when we noticed... the road connecting our resort to the city is well laid & visibly marked. We just had to follow the roads with white border lines and it took us to the city & back ... :)

Yes, this logic worked well for us. We got lost once & we noticed that it was because we took a turn without the while border lines ... :)

Picture Courtesy : This was a pic we had taken during our stay in Goa. 

Oh My Sleeping Child

One good thing that came out of our Goa trip was .... All of us learned to handle a sleeping child on the bike .... :)

Had heard this in a gathering at a friend's place.... "Children live in the moment. Everything else doesn't matter to them". Yea ... we learned it the hard way ... ;) It was a little scary for the rider as they could actually feel Kiddo slipping sideways on their back. And, we had to keep asking the pillion rider, "Is she okay? Are you holding her?"

PS.
We are all responsible people & we took care off Kiddo very well. It was a true team work. And, Kiddo zimbly(simply) enjoyed the ride & the sleep on the bike.

Picture Courtesy : www.blissweb.com

honest comment

Kiddo was watching me get out of my 'wrap' before taking a dip in the pool. She takes one nice look at me & says ...
"Ammaaa .... you are fat"

Yea ... rite!!! Thank God I cannot burn webpages. Otherwise I would have had to burn this one. Who needs enemies when you have critics like kiddo, mom & bro!!!

Aaaargh!

Picture Courtesy : herfitnesshut.com

Haathi Mahal

Since we started talking about our Goa trip, our friend suggested that we should try Haathi Mahal. When we actually started planning for the trip, we were a little skeptical about picking Haathi Mahal as our place of stay. This resort is located towards the south of Goa. And, all the fun beaches are towards the North of Goa.

But our friend was persistent.
"You have to stay in this place at least once!"

Finally we fell for his 'marketing' ;) This was indeed a beautiful place to stay at. Not just the resort, because most of the resorts look & have similar things. But the village where it was located is beautiful. It was indeed a sleepy little village. Initially, when I saw the width of the roads, I was shocked. How can they contain the traffic in such small roads. Well... the roads can contain the traffic thats how sleepy this village was :) The monsoon had adorned the village in a bright shade of green. I don't know about others, but that green brings an upward curve on my lips.

Since we hired vehicle(2 wheelers) on rent, mobility was also not an issue.

Yes.... our friend was indeed rite.... "You have to stay in this place at least once!"

GOA 2012

During one of our official team meeting, two of my guy colleagues were planning for Amarnath trip. The instant I heard them planning for the trip, I could feel my face turning green with envy. I knew I could join them for this trip. But, I also know what I am. This is not something for me. I don't even want to think about doing or not doing it. Then what was bugging me.... It didn't take more than 2mins & it dawned upon me. I just needed a break from the routine. I turned to the other envious girls in the group & said, 'Let the guys goto Amarnath. We'll go somewhere else.... How about Goa?'

That was how the wheels were set in motion. Now all that was left to do was wait for a week with school holidays so that we will not be making a huge dent on kiddo's school schedule ;) Well... Thank you God for making India the land of festivals! The wait was not too long :) We were able to couple the trip during Varamahalakshmi Pooja.

Watch out for this tag for more on this Goa Trip of ours :)

Picture Courtesy : http://www.tourotravel.com/tag/goa-beaches

Shine Brilliantly

Shine brilliantly wherever you may be, especially in the dark places where there is misery and suffering. The light which you bring can brighten the world for so many others to find their way out of the darkness.

Hmmmm .... wonder if this song would go with these lines ...
"You just gotta ignite the light, and let it shine" ..... :-) 

Disconnected!!

I do not remember from where, but this line struck some chords within me
"I was disconnected from this seemingly connected world"

If I remember correctly, the reference was about being disconnected from the virtual world. But, today, I just decided to go disconnected my way - no mobile, no internet, no nothing. I had an awesome time. It was nothing like the 'me time' I normally take. Going invisible for a few hours was magical .... :-) It doesn't mean that I left all my responsibilities hanging midway and vanished. Everything was either taken care off by myself or entrusted with people who could do it with the same amount of dedication.

If that was not enough, at the end of the day, I got a chance to get completely drenched in the rain .... yippeeeeee!!

Mmmmmmmmuah to all, especially the ones who helped me materialize this magical ride .... :)

Picture Courtesy : nidhi-writes.blogspot.in

Dharma

This is a busy time for all the employees in the company I work for. It is during this time of the year that we have the Performance Evaluation. I believe my friend took this time of year as the time for Personal Evaluation. He shared this link with me. All I have for him is the mile long expression. Yes .... I have a long way to go. 


The 10 Characteristics of Dharma 
Dharthi 
Kshama 
Damah 
Asteya 
Shaocha 
Indiryanigraha 
Dhi 
Vidya 
Satyam 
Akrodha 


But the question that looms over me is, Do I really want to inculcate all these qualities at all the time? I know I need improvement but .... its always nice to have that finite bandwidth to occasionally go haywire & react in a completely random manner. ... hee hee .... ;) 

Picture Courtesy : heritagewatchinternational.org