Kavitha and Hari's Website

Minimalist Living Vs Abundant Living

2016-11-21T14:10:00.002-08:00

I am seeing scores of articles and books written on Minimalist Living. The one book that triggered me to write this is "The more of less" by Joshua Becker.

All books and blogs are written as though it will bring a great deal of happiness to life, or things that will facilitate happier living. I have lived as a minimalist during the 5 years in college, with all my belongings filling into one 21 inch suitcase. I have lived a life of abundance with hoards of junk. Life is the same on both these instances. I dont think life was more happier just because i was a minimalist. I think minimalism may bring a sense of relief while you transition from abundance to minimalism, similar to a "Joy" that will come to you when you transition from "Minimalism" to "abundance".

Lessons from my Decluttering Experience

2016-09-27T06:28:00.002-07:00

I have been postponing decluttering for quite sometime. The very look at things that i wished to get rid of, was dreading.

I felt that I have paid a good amount of money to buy those, and / or I havent used them enough to recoup the money spent on it...

But then, it happened.

I donated my Red and black Lacoste T shits, that i have had for several years. After repeated machine washing and machine drying, they shrank, especially in the height...So everytime i wear, i didnt feel comfortable. But it was hard for me to throw as i lived that brand for over 20 years, and red and black are their best colors....

I also gave away Beige pants (had a fancy for that color - one was a corduroy, and another was a golf style pant).

I threw 2 'almost new' toothbrush (poh brand that i love - but i didn't use this specific model much)

Lessons:

1. I feel a sense of relief when i look at my wardrobe, as it contains only clothes that i can wear
2. I dont feel as bad as i thought i would feel
3. Next time, i spend money on something, i will make it more purposeful...because i know what it means to throw away now...

2016-09-27T03:56:00.000-07:00

Lessons from Weight Loss Exercise

2015-12-09T03:59:00.001-08:00

1. Reasons don't matter. If you eat, you will gain weight.
2. Type of food doesn't matter. Even if you eat healthy food, you will gain weight
3. Don't take kids or family out to eat. It's impossible to control your urge when they are eating, so make sure they eat at home, so you can starve or eat light.
4. Many days of hard work of starving, can be crumbled by 2 days of excited eating, so dont.

Waiting to die...

2014-08-18T12:44:00.000-07:00

These days everyone is in so much of hurry, they want everything in nan instant. They don't like to wait in cafeteria to get their food or in line to pay for their produce. I wonder with this kind if mental make up how will they "wait to die" as the life slowly deteriorates

You are 80. Kids are away from you. Same as grand and great grand kids. You are solely losing eye sight and are lonely at home. You are bored to your tears. Slowly the days passby. One more day. Everything is almost same and boring. Waiting by the window to see if someone would come by. Manage to get to a cafe just to catch up conversation with someone. Anyone. When there is no home, when you know there is no U turn, you can never get younger, vibrant, closer to people, closer to love, closer to excitement, closer to life. What would you do.

When you prayed for a good life all along, there would come a day when you pray to die.

My weight chart

2014-03-11T00:51:00.002-07:00

Enrolled in gym

2014-03-11T00:51:00.001-07:00

Last evening I enrolled in LA fitness gym. It's 2:50 am and I can't wait till it's 5:00 am so I can start to gym:)

Wishes - Chinna Chinna Aasai

2013-02-12T07:57:00.001-08:00

1. Travel across continents and eat the native food
2. Travel across the globe and see "Oh My God" type of places
3. Listen to unplugged tamil and light classical live
4. Find out the song sung by a qawali singer where he sings few lines in different styles like madras, iran and pakistan
5. Have enough money where you can spend on all you wish, without ever having to look at your bank balance
6. Experience thrilling massage that makes you go to sleep
7. Watch Ustad Ahmed and Mohd Hussain live
8. Bunjee jump from highest point (Bridge in Australia)
9. Stay in Europe for few years (France, Swiss)

Things that are better off just in dreams than in reality
1. Learning Urdu
2. Six Pack
3. Running Marathon

There is a greater joy in stumbling upon yourself that you will eventually love, than told by someone and given in platter. Let me stumble more.

My Tryst With Instant Gratification

2013-02-12T06:28:00.002-08:00

When I find some food, that tickles my senses, I get an urge to enjoy it to the fullest. In such efforts, a few times, I have been badly hurt, physically and mentally. Sometimes, I do regret for making it as if there is "no tomorrow". When I find the food of my desire, I don’t eat it slow and steady. I take it as if a beginner swimmer takes a breath coming out of water, during swimming. I fear there will be no tomorrow to slowly enjoy or take it slow. I fear I will miss it, if I take it slow. I fear I may not get a chance again. So I try to take full advantage of the current opportunity window. I either need to develop an attribute where I don’t care for the consequence which is bad and hurts my stomach or choose to take it slow and enjoy what comes from small steps.

Mayabazar - Asal Asal Aai / Perilla Rajyathe Rajakumari - Bodyguard

2012-06-19T08:37:00.000-07:00

Its very rare to listen to a song and feel "Man, the who married this singer must be very lucky"

Best Places to eat in Chennai

2012-06-19T08:34:00.000-07:00

1. Venpongal near LIC Building (forget the name of the hotel)- This is a delicious pongal you can have, if you liked the road side pongal that used to be served in late 90s near thousand light area road side shops. This pongal is little liquidy....

2. Dahi Poori in Nandhinee Sweets near T Nagar Bus Stand

3. Lemon Tea in Club House Road - Lal shop...This is a street cart, that sevrves hot lemon tea...

4. Panneer Payasam in Madharas Cafe - This is in the basement of Ispahani Center in Nungambakkam High Road

5. Fruit Mix - A roadside shop near pazhavanthangal subway. In many places, the fruit mix would have some spoilt fruit. But this place is awesome...You can try Badam Fruitmix as well...This shop is also called Newspaper shop.

6. Varutha Kadalai (Roasted Peanut) in Broadway bus stop (the shop display would say xxxx Fried Grams - dont remember the name): This shop is inside the bus stop, and he would give you this for even Rs.5. Anytime in the day, these peanuts are hot, and you would remember eating such things when you were a kid growing up in 80s and the street vendor walking down your street making and selling this on the go. These peanuts on put on tava, along with river bed soil and made hot to make it crisp...

Blogger moving to Google+

2012-04-28T23:00:00.001-07:00

This is probably the worst communication plan, that google has come up with. I am not able to understand what they mean when they sent this communication to me.

Hello,

You are receiving this message because your email address is associated with an unmigrated legacy Blogger account. As we announced in April of last year, legacy accounts will no longer be accessible after May 30th, 2012 unless they are updated to the Google Account system. Any blog content associated with this account will also be unmodifiable after that date.

Will i loose all my blog if i do nothing and not move to google+? or the fact that my blog linked to an external website will change in anyway?

I will stay-put the way i am and wait for a week to see what happens?

photo

2011-12-25T16:40:00.000-08:00

Final Countdown

2011-12-21T21:39:00.000-08:00

I will be leaving to India on Jan 3rd 2012, exactly 7 years after i first landed in US. Life is going to turn into a new chapter. Its going to be full of surprises, unknown and unexpected twists, hopefully, all happy ones.

I have been trying to eat in all memorable places, before i leave from San Antonio. Chelas Taco, Panera Bread, Pericos, Taqueria DataPoint, Cha Chas, Chachos, Benny's Bagel, Big Apple Bagel, Einstein Bagel, Taco Cabana, Shogun, Krispe Kreme, Daylight Donut, Snowflake Donuts, The Original Donut shop, Zios, Macaroni Grill, Carinos.

Two more days of office, and then a week of leave, and then i am on flight to India...Guess, i have taken everything US has to offer me...

June 6 Trip to Boerne, Texas

2011-06-11T08:37:00.000-07:00

Kavitha and I went to Boerne on June 6th.

Kavitha Coach Bag

2011-03-20T00:44:00.000-07:00

kristin op art sateen large hobo

$358.00

style:16811

Our gracious and elegant hobo silhouette in a roomier size, with gleaming hardware and contrasting leather trim. The ample outside pocket is finished with Kristin’s distinctive Art Deco clasp.

Op Art sateen fabric with leather trim

Inside zip, cellphone and multifunction pockets

Outside flap pocket with clasp closure

Zip-top closure, fabric lining

Handle with 12" drop

Longer strap for shoulder or crossbody wear with 20" drop

16 1/2" (L ) x 14" (H) x 4 1/4" (W)

SILVER / BLACK / BLACK WHITE

Hari in 2011 Wedding Anniversary

2011-03-13T11:55:00.000-07:00

Kavitha on our Wedding Anniversary - 2011

2011-03-13T11:52:00.000-07:00

En Swasathil - Jerry

2011-02-13T11:12:00.001-08:00

http://www.musicplug.in/blog.php?blogid=7852

Awesome song....

My new Skechers Shoe - Skechers Citywalk Owner

2011-02-13T10:36:00.000-08:00

This shoe feels so good. This is my first Skechers.

Yaavarum Nalam - Awesome Music

2011-02-06T10:43:00.000-08:00

This morning i came to Barnes and Noble to have a quiet time and to do the long pending stuff, to sync all my music into iTunes and iPhone. I bumped into listening some of the great melodies, one of which is from a movie called Yavarum Nalam. Music is by Shankar, Ehsan and Loy. The songs is called "Kaatrilae Vaasame". This is sung by Shankar Mahadevan and Chitra. Awesome voices...

See the lyrics in

http://hari-passion.blogspot.com/2009/08/kaatrilae-vaasame-song-lyrics-yavarum.html

O Dilruba - Superb song - heard from Hariyudan Nan Program

2011-02-04T20:05:00.001-08:00

Sudha Mantram...

2010-12-13T21:19:00.001-08:00

Watch live streaming video from sreenu_05apr09_2 at livestream.com

Hari's perfect side pose

2010-12-08T21:59:00.000-08:00

Hari and Neha in St Louis.

2010-11-07T05:49:00.000-08:00