Bindaas Baatein...

Mommy Memoirs - Parent Pledges

noreply@blogger.com (priya) — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 14:41:00 +0000

Am back with my next in the Mommy Memoirs series. This one's slightly different... It's more of what he and I wish to follow as parents. Jotting it down as our parent pledge list so that it serves as a reminder... Sharing it on my blog space so that I get more ideas from my readers... Your thoughts and comments will surely help... And I won't charge a fee if you want to borrow some of our pledges too :)

Parent Pledge #1
Will do what WE think is best for NiVi... And not what nosey self-proclaimed well-wishers around try to force on us.

Do not mean to be mean, but I strongly believe that ideas should not be forced. What worked for one parent with their children need not always work for ours. So though we would love to hear everyone's story and learn from them, we would definitely not want anyone breathing down our necks when it comes to our baby!

Parent Pledge #2
Will try and keep NiVi as far away from technology as possible so that she gets to experience her childhood like a child. Mobiles, tablets and the likes can come in a little later.

We may be tempted to boast about how technologically brilliant our kids are, by ranting about how they know to glide their way into our smart devices. But in the long run, this 'skill' is definitely not worth it so early in life! There is a beautiful 'real' world beyond all things smart. We wish every new parent encourage their little ones to experience and explore that world. Believe me they will end up way smarter than any 'dumb' smart device around!

Parent Pledge #3
Keep her off disposable diapers as much as we can. Modern Cloth Diapers are the way to go.

She is doing pretty good so far... flaunting her fluffy colorful butt :) She can be proud about herself for doing her bit to keep the environment clean and the landfills diaper-free.

Parent Pledge #4
We will not nudge her into doing things that we want her to do... We will rather nudge ourselves to try and understand what she wants to do... and help her get there!

As parents we do get carried once in a way, and weave dreams for her future... only to realize in a jiffy that we are probably getting pushy and sign off the moment with a 'Baby, you do whatever you want' :)

Parent Pledge #5
We will never compare her with others around... She'll be a star by herself and in her own way.

Every child brings along his or her own plan and they live by that each day. They decide and live their own milestones too...when to sit, when to crawl, when to stand, when to eat and how and how much... everything!! Each baby is uniquely special waiting to surprise you with what he or she comes packaged along with... so let us just let them be!!!

That is all the pledges we have for now as we have also pledged not to tax ourselves too much just because we are parents now. Hoping to stand by each of these each day, in between changing diapers and humming lullabies that is :)

Mommy Memoirs - Months 4 to 6

noreply@blogger.com (priya) — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 15:46:00 +0000

Am back with my next couple of posts in my Mommy Memoirs series. The delay in getting this blog up, is yet again a series of 'mommy excuses' :)

While the first three months of having baby in tow was a mix of happiness and anxiety bundled together, the next three months were equally full of surprises.

I learnt to bathe my baby myself. I learnt to massage her myself. I learnt to enjoy her being around more than even before. With the physical pain and post partum effects gone away now, it became easier to focus on NiVi and watch her every move, with more awe than ever before!

NiVi had some surprises planned for us too. Her wobbly head began to get steadier and it was during these months that she even decided to roll over. It is such a blissful experience to watch your baby reach and cross her milestones. Poor NiVi was so excited about turning over that she ended up doing some head and nose banging on the floor too, only to realize that it hurt her. Wails and shrill cries would only naturally follow. Guess all of that is part of a baby's self learning curriculum too!

With an overseas move becoming more definite now, the little one and me were on our toes to get all our paper work done. NiVi, of course was oblivious to what was happening around her. She posed (or did she even do that!) for a several 100 clicks in my attempt to get the perfect picture for her passport sized photo! I almost gave up after seeing the myriad expressions she had in each one of the pictures. If she was smiling in one, her eyes were closed in that one. If her eyes were twinkling ok in one, she was making one of her cute funny faces in that one! And if all was OK with her nose, ears and mouth I would realize the background was not white! Thanks to the photo studio guy and software available today, one such picture that I took got tweaked and we finally had her first passport sized photograph in our hands... and to multiply the satisfaction... we had 10 copies of it :)

She got carried in to the passport office, got priority treatment there, thanks to her 'infant' status. Her passport reached home, literally Godspeed. It got dispatched the same evening as we had her appointment and reached home the very next day! Our visa formalities followed, again with Her Highness getting carried along with all her travel must-haves, right from diapers to wipes and warm water to baby food! The visa officer got her picture taken, with a bit of struggle too. He had a clapping musical toy that came to his rescue. It immediately caught Nivi's attention and her amazement is captured forever on the visa photograph too :)

With all the paperwork done and dusted, we set out to Mumbai for a two week halt. NiVi had her first train experience, and again 'we only travel First Class' is possibly what she whispered to her dad over Skype. My parents, sister and me happily towed along in a comfortable first class coupe, all to ourselves.

Mumbai meant more relatives and friends coming over. NiVi had to face her first tryst with sharing the limelight with someone here. Her little cousin sister who was just about a month and something was around too. I am guessing NiVi only loved the experience. She did not miss a single opportunity of holding on to her little cousin. Maybe her way of saying she cared for and loved her :)

Meanwhile the bags got packed, the goodbyes were done and we set off for her first flight experience and her first overseas experience too :)

Mommy Memoirs - Things You Don't Want To But Have To Hear

noreply@blogger.com (priya) — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 08:16:00 +0000

As a new mum, there are a hundred strange, new and unexpected things that you can experience. I wonder if any of the mums I know managed to handle these, all by themselves. Each of us turn to someone close for all those queries, frights and fears that cross our minds. Thankfully for me I have my mum and sister to handle the silliest of questions that I may have.

To add to that, thanks to WhatsApp, I have a set of 'new mommy' friends who double up as mommy-wiki's for me. They were literally a ping away right through my 9 month journey and continue to be so. Thank you my mommy friends :-)

Now apart from this set of your chosen advisors, you are most likely to come across a dozen relatives, friends or passersby who will chip in with their unwelcome comments, probings and much more. If you did not encounter such people, you are surely blessed. For the record, I have tried to collect all such questions/ comments that I had to, but didn't want to, hear during my pregnancy and after NiVi was born. I would have liked to add that all these characters are fictitious and do not resemble anyone living or dead. However, fortunately or otherwise, they are very much for real and living :-)

Here goes...

'Eat as much as you want and whatever you want before you deliver.'

... However genuine and well meant this statement may be, I doubt if you can really eat as much as you want and all that you want... Especially during the last couple of months with your little one cuddled inside and hardly any room left. Didn't work for me, not sure about the others.

'Oh!! You want to have a girl?!'

... YES!! And I will only prefer to reserve my reactions on this one... Lest I get violent with my vocabulary. We are proud to have NiVi in our lives!

'Congratulations! How does it feel.. (And then before you even smile and begin to say thanks)... Are you "able" to feed her??!!'

... Most irritatingly timed question when you are still in the hospital and recouping. Almost everyone seems to be curious and/or concerned about this. Depending on the age of your 'well wisher', this question will most likely be followed by a lecture to the effect of 'mother's feed is the best for your baby'. Every new mom knows this, people!! I think we should just let her and the baby be. Let them take their time and settle down... in what, I think, is nature's best example of human bonding :-)

'Does she sleep well at night??'

... Reflex response... Oh yes!!! My baby has super natural powers of sleeping through the night without wanting to be fed or cleaned!!! Such a painful question to pose to someone who is already zombified, displaying all signs of lack of sleep!

'... And you thought raising a child was easy??!!

...This statement will mark the end of a detailed discussion on all the challenges you are facing as a new mother. All through you would be made to believe that you have a very empathetic listener... And then this question pops up suddenly, leaving you saying 'hnmmm'... and thinking '@#$%'.

'Who does she look like??'

... Now there's nothing really wrong with this question but I just find it too clichéd. And the irony here is that all my friends think she resembles me, all his friends think she resembles him and all our common friends think she resembles both of us :-D

Am sure there will be many more such questions in the months ahead. Time for me to check with my mommy-wiki's... so that I can be better prepared ;-)

Mommy Memoirs - Months 0 to 3

noreply@blogger.com (priya) — Wed, 06 Aug 2014 14:49:00 +0000

May 26, 2014 maybe just another hot summer day for most of you. For us, it meant the world. Our daughter was born on this day. Our little princess. Our true bundle of joy... NiVi :-)

I have decided to document this fulfilling and divine experience in our lives. Am sure the parent in each of you will relate to most of it. There are many bestsellers available off the shelf and off the web for parents to be. You can try and digest all of it. But do not be surprised if what actually happens is 'out of syllabus'! ;-)

The last few weeks of waiting for your baby to arrive is a true test of patience. During this time you will definitely hear one or all of this from people around.

'What do you think it will be... Girl or boy??'
... Guess this is expected to be our first mother's intuition :-)

'Eat whatever you want now. Once you deliver there will be a 100 restrictions.'
... Very true.

'Sleep as much as you can now. Once you deliver sleep deprivation is a sure thing!'

... So so very true. The first few weeks (and the weeks ahead!!) can be quite overwhelming.

'Be prepared to deal with the shift in attention. Once the baby is around you will become a distant second.'
... Guess babies have it in them to grab attention. No complaints... But the new mother needs to be prepared for this.

******

Once your baby is born... Life changes instantly. I still get goose bumps while saying 'my daughter' :-).

All the challenges apart, it is indeed a blissful feeling...

• Each time I hold NiVi in my arms.

• When I see NiVi's little feet, little fingers, little nose, cute little smile and not so little ears :-)

• Calling her by a hundred cute names and watching her gurgle at each one of them.

• The truest sense of accomplishment when I rock her to sleep... So what if the sleep only lasts her journey from lap to bed :-)

• The secret sense of pride when am able to stop her from crying... Either by simply holding her or feeding her.

• The little thank you that she says with her sparkling eyes whilst she feeds.

• Adorning her with little bangles and traditional charms... and the joy to see them fit her.

• Weighing little NiVi and maintaining her weight tracker. Each gain in weight seems a milestone met... It also means she is likely to fit into the next set of her cute little outfits. Her wardrobe is stocked for the next 6 months already :-)

• Stealing NiVi's baby milk powder and feeling guilty about it. Never felt that way while secretly gulping my niece's milk powder ;-)

• Changing nappies, applying baby powder (and smelling her once in a while), decking her up and then smiling at her toothless smile :-)

• Tiptoeing around the room when she is sleeping and lecturing everyone else to do the same.

• Using all the special characters on the keyboard to form the choicest of adjectives for those insensitive drivers who go around honking on the streets outside.

• Watching NiVi smile and laugh at near and dear ones around.

• Planning and rehearsing for every outing with NiVi... Though it's been only doctor visits thus far.

• Every minute spent with her, actually :-)

Love you loads little munchkin. Stay blessed... always :-*

India's Got Talent... And Then What???

noreply@blogger.com (priya) — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 11:48:00 +0000

I have been following the latest season of India's Got Talent on Colors. Some of the talents exhibited have left me spellbound and awestruck. Not to mention the wannabe 'I have Talent too' kinds who leave me wanting to surf channels.

Some of my favourites include the aerial acts performed by Circus artists Tania and Mukesh, the top-view act put up by the group that calls themselves Talent Scan, Acrobatic Boys and their super cool stunts, Toshan Nongbet - the Opera Singer from Shillong and Air Group that left me in the dark, literally :). These and a few others, including the archers and the magicians, were absolutely brilliant.

It is a pleasure to watch these people personify talent, without any frills attached like in the movies. Everything happens for real without any special effects, stunt replacements etc. It actually makes me want to whisper 'India's Got Talent' at the end of each show!

However, there's a flip side to all this. This show and several similar other ones play a huge role in showcasing the wealth of talent our fellow Indians have. Though it makes me proud I am also left wondering why we have been unable to harness these talents and skills and 'take it to the next level'.

Almost every judge on every reality talent contest aired on TV uses the cliched term 'take it to the next level' while commenting on performances. Sadly though this only translates to doing even better in the next episode of their show. I am left wondering why this next level is limited to the airtime of these reality shows and never beyond that. When there is so much talent why do we not see it being represented internationally? Why do we end up applauding ourselves secretly? Why are we not screaming out loud about the numerous talents we can proudly boast about?

During the Olympics, there were articles about how China has rigorous and inhuman training schools for little kids to learn and master Gymnastics. We need not be as medal-hungry as that. However, it hurts to see how we are wasting a whole lot of talent. It hurts to see how we yearn for miracles to happen at the Olympics. It hurts to see that we return home counting our medals on our fingertips while others have gone way past three digit figures. Is it not ashaming, given the billion mark that we have crossed??

What is it then that leaves us behind? Training? Fitness? Sponsorship? Talent itself???

I am sure we all agree that we have a power packed storehouse of talents amongst us. What is missing really is recognizing it, harnessing it, nurturing it and literally, taking it to the next level.

Archery is something that is prevalent and associated with India right from the mythical eras of Ramayana and Mahabharata. What makes it impossible for us to earn some confident wins then at the Olympics? Why do we have to have our fingers crossed and wish for Lady Luck to play her part each time an Indian archer sets his arrow off the bow?? In one of the talent show episodes, I watched a group of amateur archers wowing the judges and audiences with their bow and arrow antics. They were nearly brilliant and got mixed responses from the judges. They may eventually get voted or buzzed out of the show. But their talent remains. Is someone watching? Someone who can help them take it to the next level?

Most of the participants come from small villages. The boys of Acrobatic Boys belong to a small town in Haryana. Each of their parents are daily wage labourers. Earning enough for two square meals for the family is itself a challenge. It is impossible for these helpless parents to empower their children with professional training in a sport as elite as Gymnastics. However this ambitious and determined group has come together and somehow formed a team that learns gymnastics and helps others learn it too. Very basic infrastructure coupled with the desire to excel has kept them going so far. They dream to flip and vault at the Olympics some day. But is that possible? Circus artists Tanya and Mukesh twist and turn like they have no bones. They have spent years captivating audiences at Gemini Circus. But will they ever get an applause at the 'next level'?? Are we playing blind to the very obvious fact that these bundles of talent can potentially win India medals at the Olympics? The Chinese were termed inhuman for what they are doing. What do we have to say to what we are doing?

I have my fingers and toes crossed for magic to happen. For some bottled genie to help these dreams turn into reality.

The obvious genie would be our Government. But sadly though its full of self obsessed demons and monsters. Expecting genie-like magic from them is too far-fetched an expectation. I think it makes more sense to leave them clear their own mess and for us to do our own thing.

Maybe huge brands can spot upcoming talent and sponsor them to train better and win accolades. I am sure creating a Saina Nehwal or MS Dhoni is more rewarding than using an already established Saina or Dhoni to flaunt their products.

Maybe the judges on these shows could do their bit too. Maybe the celebrity stars who make special appearances on these shows to promote their latest flick and appreciate talent (in that order) could do their bit to make their appearance literally 'special'. Parting with hard-earned money may not come easily to anyone as an individual. So it would be unfair to expect that these stars make monetary contributions to encourage talent. But maybe they could pick on a couple of talents and decide to be their brand ambassadors for free. May not bring them life-long product supplies. But it could mean the world to our caged talents. Publicity for these small starlets could attract bigger organizations, creating an opportunity for monetary backing too. I am not saying money is everything, however we cannot deny the fact that it is the money that can help buy better training, better fitness and more importantly a chance to compete as equals with others across the world.

In our own way we could possibly help by popularizing these talents as much as we can. A recent example I could think of is PSY's Gangnam style. He is all over the internet, language playing no barrier. It would be unjust for someone like me to comment on dancing, given the fact that I was born with two left feet. But I would still risk it and go on. I am sure any real dancer would agree that PSY's dance moves are not the prettiest of moves. Without the music and the lyrics you would have possibly passed off his moves to be clumsy and weird. What makes it a hit is the that it's simply catchy as a package... catchy enough to be the the latest 'most viewed video on YouTube'. Very similar to the Kolaveri craze we experienced couple of months ago.

Maybe we could play our part by identifying talents that deserve to be nurtured and publicize them by helping them attract eyeballs on the Internet. With so many social networking tools at our disposal, all it would take is a a few clicks here and there. Once it becomes a craze online, the rest will only follow.

The more people viewing these talents will only help spread the word, attract potential sponsors and make it catchy too. And who knows... we may see the Carribean boys celebrate their next T20 World Cup Win Party with some acrobatic stunts and magical illusions :)

Will It Make It To The List?

noreply@blogger.com (priya) — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:42:00 +0000

With movies like The Bucket List, Dasvidaniya and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara doing the rounds for years, you will more often than not come across people listing out their personal Bucket Lists - on either one form of social networking or the other. Blogs to the effect of '10 things to do before you die' have been the in thing for a long while now.

I have always been inspired to publish my Bucket List... but have somehow not bothered to take out time for it. Maybe I am lazy, maybe I am not managing my time well enough, or maybe I am hesitating to publish my only item on the list that I would want to do before I die - 'To prepare my Bucket List' (and obviously live to see it materialize!) :P

I am not quite up to getting this list published as yet. I need some more nudging and pushing. I also need to spend some time and prioritize my wish list - just to make sure what I desire the most gets due attention before the cliched 'bucket' is kicked!

For the moment, I am listing out random thoughts that are screaming out loudly enough to ensure they make it to my coveted list. Maybe I can refer to this list later when I get down to preparing 'The List'.

Make My Trip

I wish to travel to every corner of India and if I am done with that, then possibly nearby countries and eventually the rest of the world. I want to meet people of all kinds, eat all kinds of vegetarian cuisine, experience all the must-do's and must-see's of all the places I visit, take loads of pictures (it's been ages since I had photo updates on FB :P) etc. Basically this one's about realizing the freedom of being able to experience everyone and everything that has been created around me.

Chit Chaat

Another of my wishes is to satiate my appetite for Indian chaats, leaving no plate unturned :P. From all the details I have collected so far Indore's street food and chaats seem to top the list. So for the moment the plan is to travel down to Indore for a day long chaat experience and catch the last train back home :)

Are the Roads Ready for Me???
This has been a long pending wish. I wish to play Roadrash... real time!!! Several strings attached though. I should be allowed to drive as I please on roads and terrains of my choice. I should be allowed to switch between a whole array of automobiles that should be available at my disposal. I should be allowed to drive and ride at speeds of my choice. I should not be held responsible for all the bloodshed I cause en-route. I should be allowed to choose the people who would trespass my route so that I enjoy the bloodshed I cause (I barely knew I had a 'wicked me' hidden within :P) !!!

Trucking Along

This one's a more sober wish if pitted against my Realtime Roadrash wish above. I wish to drive a huge truck on an empty road. The truck must be fully loaded with goods to make the drive a tough and slow one. I don't know why I fancy this idea but I want to do it. Maybe I'll know why, when I do it eventually. I did forget though, to mention that the empty roads should have a couple of dhabas that dish out lip-smacking homely food. This will help me complete the whole truck driver experience :)

Winged Wish

This one is a rather simple and relatively achievable wish. I wish to fly a helicopter and am also OK with flying as a passenger. I'd rather leave the technicalities to more experienced hands to ensure I live to see my other wishes materialize :) I want to fly around places I visit by road otherwise and get a birds eye view of all those places.

Super Powers

I so badly wish I am blessed with some superhuman powers to set right a few things and a lot of people around me. It hurts to feel helpless in daily situations where some 'strangely blessed' people get away with their ways. Whether it is a government servant not doing his duties, or a corrupt politician busy filling his coffers, or an educated idiot breaking traffic rules on the road, I wish not to feel helpless the next time I come across these kinds. I would like to have some superhero-like powers to be able to teach them a lesson. For starters, maybe, I should have the option of picking them up and hurling them onto some other planet... without a return ticket attached!!!

Get Published

A very far-fetched wish this one. I would possibly surprise myself if this one materializes some day. But I still would like to fancy the idea of getting published in this lifetime. After all, 'Thoughts become Things'!!! :) I want people to purchase my paperbacks off bookstore shelves and I want to see my husband smile at them with pride. He has been instrumental in getting me to dream big and get this one on to my wish list. Seeing him see me realize this wish means a lot to me, even more than getting published itself :)

Big Applause

Another crazy wish I have is to be able to get a stadium full of Indian cricket fans to cheer for me like they do for an India-Pakistan match. I am ready to practice a bit of cricket, try some rare shots like the Dhoni Helicopter or the Sehwag Uppercut or any other cricketing gimmick that will get the audience to roar in applause and cheer for me. I have no clue why I wished this one up, guess the self-obsessed narcissist in me got me to do it :)

I guess I am done for now. I think I should rather spend some time looking for brass lamps that I can rub out a Genie from. I am very sure it is going to take a Genie of sorts to get most of these wishes to materialize :)

People are to be Loved

noreply@blogger.com (priya) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 11:25:00 +0000

Came across this email forward. Felt it suits our times completely... where are people are used more than loved. Genuine love, affection and respect have made way for getting people to get things done for us. Wanted to share this and make a small difference!

While a man was polishing his new car, his 4 yr old son picked up a stone and scratched lines on the side of the car.

In anger, the man took the child's hand and hit it many times not realizing he was using a wrench. At the hospital, the child lost all his fingers due to multiple fractures.

When the child saw his father......
with painful eyes he asked, 'Dad when will my fingers grow back?'

The man was so hurt and speechless; he went back to his car and kicked it a lot of times.
devastated by his own actions...... sitting in front of that car he looked at the scratches... the child had written 'LOVE YOU DAD'.

The next day that man committed suicide...

Anger and Love have no limits; choose the latter to have a beautiful, lovely life & remember this:

Things are to be used and people are to be loved.
The problem in today's world is
that people are used while things are loved.
Let's try always to keep this thought in mind:
Things are to be used,
People are to be loved.

Back to School... A Walk Down Memory Lane!!!

noreply@blogger.com (priya) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 18:14:00 +0000

I walked into a Staples store the other day and there were these posters that advertised some interesting 'Back to School' offers. Colorful stationary, school bags and all other interesting school accessories. Wished I was in school still.

June is the month schools reopen in Bombay. June was the month I loved because of all the new school time goodies we got to buy. New books, new uniforms, new school bags [if we managed to wear and tear the old one ;)], new ribbons to tie our plaits, new pencil boxes, new fountain pens etc etc...

We are almost at the end of June and I remembered that I had promised myself a post on what I miss about my times at school. So here it is in completely random order... just as it came to mind...

My school itself - St. Agnes Girls' High School, Byculla!!! I miss the huge campus walking in and out of its gates.
Calling myself an Agnesian - especially in the presence of girls from Gloria's and St. Annes. (do not know why!!!)
Red House, Blue House, Yellow House and Green House - Red House being mine and my favourite :).
The colorful slides, monkey poles and the towering yellow giraffe in the primary school garden.
The framed rhymes that were displayed across the hall in the ground floor of the primary school building. Somehow those pictures and rhymes always had me awestruck... I have stared at them endlessly.
The playroom that was full of colorful toys and games. I guess it would charm me even now... as much as it did when I was in primary school. It's the kid in me to blame again :).
The audio visual sessions we had where we were treated to some nice movies.
Moral Science as a subject and the notebook with colored pages for it.
The huge black piano and the 'singing' classes we used to have.
The famous freeze-bell.
Lining up on the grounds and the assemblies that followed.
Sitting cross legged in those assemblies and the knee-fights that followed ;)
Playing Sunday Monday on the building stairs
The samosas, ragda and bhel in the school canteen - and the gossips about how someone found a cockroach in the canteen food :D
Sports Day - and the compulsory attendance rules for non-participants like me :)
The Inter-school sports meet (cannot recollect the name) and the endless cheering we did for our school.
The Agnes-Mary's girl school - boy school fights and wars :)
Annual Prize Distributions - and how my parents clapped with pride when I stepped up on stage to collect mine :)
Open Days and the exhibitions of books, craft work and needle work and the complimentary packet of Simba wafers from mom :)
Prefects with their sashes and belts - checking our nails, rolled down socks, shorts, badges and what not.
Flag hoisting and singing the national anthem on Republic Day and Independence Day
Taking turns in class to sit on the last bench - learnt to play book cricket on one of those days :)
The entire class getting punished and made to stand in a straight line on the tarred road in the hot sun.
The chemistry, physics and biology labs - including the skeleton in there :)
PT classes, Sir Andrew and his English and the way the girls took his case.
The green benches in the corridors that served as our lunch tables in the primary school and the huge lunch room for senior school too.
All of the teachers there... they all had something special about themselves and that could make another blog post by itself!
Baking classes and Ms. Farida and her ways!!! I remember we once ate up the extra cheese after making a dish. We got one of her 'You girls are made (read made, understood mad)!' for that. :D
Color dress days at school on special occasions.
Going around the whole school distributing sweets to all the teachers on my birthday.
Standing in front of a whole class of girls singing 'Happy Birthday to Priya' :)
Falling down, getting bruised and having that red medicine applied on to it.
The morning prayers and news being read out on the intercom.
The raffle forms for donations that we had to collect. There were another 25 odd Agnesians in the campus where I lived. Imagine rushing to every house before the others did.
The science journals that we needed to complete in senior school with diagrams and experiment observations.
The Science Exhibition we had in Class X. We went on to win it and participate in the inter school competition too. We did up something on Garbage Recycling and were super excited about it.
The huge library we had and the librarian Ms. Pramila Pant!!! Some of my friends got her convinced that my classmate Sriya and I were twin sisters :)
Polishing the black shoes and washing and applying white polish to the PT shoes - a weekend task that my sisters and me did dutifully to avoid lectures from dad.
My school uniform - loved the smart white uniform-red tie combination.
Waiting for the school bus to come and pick us up in the mornings and searching for the 'Blue' bus every evening :)
Travelling by BEST to school after seventh standard.
Walking, talking, breathing, road crossing with Nancy Drews and Enid Blytons!!!
Different subjects like arts, crafts, baking, community living, social service etc
Identifying hills, rivers and state capitals with different colors on the outlined maps of India for the geography exam
Standing in line to collect our corrected answer papers. Totalling and re-totalling the scores hoping the teacher had made a mistake.
The Khandala retreat in class X.
Picnics every year - from Hanging Gardens to the Planetarium to Esselworld and Tiku-ji-ni-wadi.
Collecting the hall tickets for the board exams, the school farewell and finally walking out of school with our SSC marksheets :(

I told you it was a long list. I am sure I have missed out a lot of other memorable things. Probably because I got carried away thinking about these. Would love to read your opinions on this.

Whether you were from Agnes or not, I am sure my school day memories would have taken you back to your own!!! Spare a moment and walk down your memory lane. You will come back smiling :).

dil toh bachcha hai ji...

noreply@blogger.com (priya) — Fri, 14 May 2010 19:27:00 +0000

It has taken me over a month now to get over the fact that I am a year older all over again!!! I am one step closer to stepping out of my 20's and it is a somewhat weird feeling.

I am not of the vain variety who dreads growing old. I do not hear an 'aunty... aunty... aunty' echo when younger ones call me 'aunty'! I do not freak out when I see that odd silver strand on my head. Well, atleast I do not yell loud enough to let the neighbours know :)

Aging, according to many other like minded people, is a state of mind. And thankfully for me, I have managed to keep the child in me alive and kicking! There's a thin line between holding on to the kid in you and being kiddish and immature. I am guessing I haven't crossed the line. Maybe the grown-ups around me can answer that. :)

I was reminded today of all the fun things I did as a kid. Took this chance to list out some of them.

School
I miss everything about school. From classes to special classes, homework to handiwork, black shoes to white sneakers, uniforms to 'colour dress' days, Open Days to Annual Prize Distributions, Class I to Class X... I miss it all. I still remember how we had this freeze bell rule at school. Whenever it was time for class after a break, we would hear 2 bells. The first bell was called the freeze bell. It was like a game of statue. You stand still and do not move for a good 30 seconds or so. On hearing the second bell we were to line up and get to class. Funny and peculiar it may sound, but we did it day in and day out. So much that I miss it till date. Loads of memories from school time are flooding my mind now. I think I will save them all for another post.

Summer Vacations
You call it jealousy or you call it reminiscing old memories but I simply cannot stop envying all the school kids in my apartment. Their summer vacations are on... and they are in the best of spirits. This part of the year used to be the best in all my years at school. I loved making that day long train journey from Bombay to Madras for a 2 month vacation with my grandparents. I miss all those long warm summers that I spent with them and everything they did to make my vacation even more special. Love you thatha and paati!!!

Doordarshan
Satellite transmission and DTH services have taken the television by storm. Channels have run into triple digit figures. Reality shows are the order of the day with melodramatic serials not far behind. Kareena Kapoor can throw a tantrum about missing her favourite saas-bahu serial, only to see Saif recording it for her to watch later!!! Cut back to a few years ago (few is not an understatement... the kid in me adds :D). Doordarshan was our only source of entertainment on television. DD-I and DD-II were more than enough to keep us entertained. I miss all the TV shows I watched on Doordarshan as well as the movies that were telecast over the weekend. Nukkad, Wagle ki Duniya, Mungerilal ke Haseen Sapne, Jungle Book, Circus, Fauji, Byomkesh Bakshi, Tehkikaat, Mahabharata, Ramayana, Superhit Muqabla, Chitrahaar, Daawat, Udaan Surabhi, ... Oh I miss them all!!!

Bedtime@9.30p.m.
The Parent's Rule Book at our house clearly stated that we needed to get to bed by 9.30pm. That ensured we caught up on all the sleep our body needed. Over the years I have been wishing my family a good night's sleep later and later on the clock. I cannot remember when was the last time I went to sleep as early as 9.30pm. It is well past midnight by the time I retire for the day. Crazy lifestyles need a little order too. I have decided to consciously work on this. Early to bed and early to rise (the bigger challenge!!!) will surely make me healthy, wealthy and wise... on second thoughts let us make that - healthy, wealthy and wiser :)

Fancy Dress Competitions
I miss the many fancy dress shows I participated in. My mum looked forward to these more than me :). I remember getting dressed up as Baby Krishna once and as a Hawaian girl on another occasion. I won prizes for both :). We had these annual functions in our residential complex for Diwali and New Year's Eve. The whole process of deciding on what we're going to dress up as, preparing for it and going up on stage and enacting it out was a wonderful experience. I also participated in some group dances for some of these functions but somehow the Fancy Dress Competitions linger on in my mind. I will look up some of the pictures and hope to P.S. them to this post.

Kid Books
Tintin, Asterix and Obelix, Noddy, Chacha Chowdhary, Target, Tinkle, Champak, the complete Enid Blyton series, Secret Seven, Famous Five, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys - I am sure all or most of these feature on your list of favourite childhood books. I used to eat, drink, walk, talk, yawn, sleep and breathe books. Somehow, over the years I have not been able to devote as much time to books. I still love reading all of these books. I actually enjoy it even more when I read them now. I remember bringing down the library shelves in our clubhouse to find the best of books. Since I could get only one of them issued per week I would hide my personal selection behind some books that were rarely ever touched by the others. This would ensure they remained there for the rest of the week :). The best part would be the glances others shot at me when they saw me climb up a chair to reach the top-most shelf. The glance would be followed by a feeling of awe and shame put together when they noticed that the top-most shelf stocked books as heavy as micro or macro economics, physics or nuclear research. They thought they needed to learn a few things from this whiz-kid called ME :)

Fun Games
There used to be a host of games we kids would play every evening. Played a lot of interesting outdoor games like Catch 'n Cook, Blind Man's Buff, Kho-kho, Lagori, hopscotch (Googled this out... we used to call it 'Tippar' or 'Tipri' :D), Kitty Kitty Coming, Chor Police, Saakhli, Langdi, Hide 'n Seek, GoooooooollllllddddddSssssppppppott (that's how we used to yell it out :D) and many more. It has been years and years since I have even made a mention of these games. I have not seen kids playing all of these in the last so many years. Let your kids be kids and let them come up with silly yet interesting games like these and give it a name of their choice. Urge them to use their PC games and TV videogames as stress busters when they are much older.

*******

Wow!!! This post has been such a refresher. It took me back down memory lane and brought back many pleasant memories... each with a smile on my face. There sure are a lot of other things that may come to my mind. Will share those on my blog space later.

My take on growing up would be - Grow up as you are doing anyways but remain a child at heart always. I love to pamper the kid in me. I try as much to do everything I loved doing as a kid. This post has only helped me strengthen my stand. The kid in me is happy! The kid in me is jumping with joy! The kid in me is waiting for more! The kid in me is nudging me to hum along... 'dil toh bachcha hai ji' :)

Have you seen your golden house yet?

noreply@blogger.com (priya) — Tue, 11 May 2010 17:59:00 +0000

Got this story as an email forward. Food for thought I must say!!!

the house with the golden windows

The little girl lived in a small, very simple, poor house on a hill and as she grew she would play in the small garden and as she grew she was able to see over the garden fence and across the valley to a wonderful house high on the hill – and this house had golden windows, so golden and shining that the little girl would dream of how magical it would be to grow up and live in a house with golden windows instead of an ordinary house like hers.

And although she loved her parents and her family, she yearned to live in such a golden house and dreamed all day about how wonderful and exciting it must feel to live there.

When she got to an age where she gained enough skill and sensibility to go outside her garden fence, she asked her mother is she could go for a bike ride outside the gate and down the lane. After pleading with her, her mother finally allowed her to go, insisting that she kept close to the house and didn’t wander too far. The day was beautiful and the little girl knew exactly where she was heading! Down the lane and across the valley, she rode her bike until she got to the gate of the golden house across on the other hill.

As she dismounted her bike and leaned it against the gate post, she focused on the path that lead to the house and then on the house itself…and was so disappointed as she realized all the windows were plain and rather dirty, reflecting nothing other than the sad neglect of the house that stood derelict.

So sad she didn’t go any further and turned, heartbroken as she remounted her bike … As she glanced up she saw a sight to amaze her… there across the way on her side of the valley was a little house and its windows glistened golden… as the sun shone on her little home.

She realized that she had been living in her golden house and all the love and care she found there was what made her home the ‘golden house’. Everything she dreamed was right there in front of her nose!

The little girl's story higlights the fact that we tend to, more often than not, take what we have for granted. We tend to conveniently overlook what we have and how much it matters to us. The grass on the other side of the fence always seems greener. What is not ours appears to be bigger and brighter than what we have just earned.

It pays to be ambitious in life with newer milestones being set everyday. But it pays even more to spare a few moments to celebrate what we have already achieved.

The little girl in the story represents each one of us. I am only hoping each one of us have seen our golden homes... shining back at us with a smile :)

Random Ramblings

noreply@blogger.com (priya) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:03:00 +0000

THIS IS MY BLOG AND I STILL OWN IT!!!

Guess I needed that disclaimer given the fact that I have been in hiding for so long :).

My blog ranking on indiblogger got promoted to 43!!!! Yaay!!! All the more reason to write more and keep my space online alive.

I was not sure what to write about and that was when I realized that there are so many thoughts zipping through my head. I thought I could simply share them with you all... at the risk of rambling randomly :)

I have begun to love cooking and I enjoy learning and trying out new dishes once in a while. For all you novices like me, here's something you could refer to when you're left wondering how much sugar and how much spice :)

I have realized that aerobics is a fun way to lose weight. I have no doubts about the fun part, about the weight I will have to wait and see :)

I read in the news about how this psychic excise officer shot and killed a young girl and got killed by the police himself!!! Some people think the police should not have opened fire! I think it was better he paid the price for what he did. Otherwise this too would have ended up as long drawn legal battle that would go on endlessly till the girl's distraught family finally gives up.

I read somewhere that Raj Thackeray has been pulled up for calling VT... 'VT'. For me Victoria Terminus will always remain 'Victoria Terminus' and Bombay will always remain 'Bombay'. So I really do not see a problem with the way Raj Thackeray referred to it. They are having trouble remembering the names they have given. Doesn't irk me one bit!

There is a lot of talk and tweet about the Womens' Reservation Bill. I am confused whether I should celebrate because my clan has been empowered or whether I should worry about the probability that 33% of the Parliament could be filled up with remote controlled Rabri Devi clones!!!

The IPL is on in full swing. I know because that is the only thing that runs on TV at home and also because it has been a fortnight since I have even seen the TV remote and even more so because my husband pretends like he's paying attention to me... only when Akshay Kumar begins to laugh like he's been bitten by the Rahul Mahajan bug :D

Bangalore is getting hotter and hotter. Very unlikely they say. Grow more trees I say!

And on that note, I think I have a blog post ready to publish :). I hope to come back with something more concrete soon!!!

Oh!!! What a year this was!!! :)

noreply@blogger.com (priya) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 14:45:00 +0000

It feels like yesterday when I bid adieu to 2008. It feels like yesterday when I wished all my friends a 'Happy New Year'. It feels like yesterday when I made my secret resolutions for 2009. And today is New Years' Eve already!!!

I like this time of the year when it's all festive and fun. We have so many festivals to celebrate through the year but the month of December and its last few days have this very specially different feeling.

Here's a quick round-up of some of the special things that happened to me during the last one year...

Made a trip with family to Mysore and Coorg. Lovely experience.
My little niece completed a year in February. She started walking around on her birthday. It was such a beautiful sight to see the little one taking her first few baby steps. She's moved on to running around, jumping around and tumbling around. She has even started talking now. She's one adorable niece. I miss my dear little Harini.
Shifted base to Bangalore in February. Joined up with Infosys. I am not commenting on how green (no pun intended!) the grass is on this side of the fence ;) but somehow it feels nice to be a part of India's most sought after company.
Ran a shopping marathon for nearly 5-6 months across every mall and every other shopping complex in Bangalore. I had my reasons and I had fun :).
The year that's rolling over has been a really special one for me. I met someone special and got married to him this year. He's changed everything around me... and made everything around me so special. Thank you Sweetheart... this one's for you... for everything!!!
My family just grew bigger. I now have an extended family - with the most adorable parents-in-law, the most bindaas sister-in-law and whole lot of new uncles, aunts, cousins and friends!!! I love all the attention they give me and I enjoy staying in touch with all of them.
He and Me went to the Andaman Islands together. It was one awesome trip. The clear blue-green waters, the clean white beaches and the dense forests were captivating. We visited Havelock Island, Ross Island and a few places in Port Blair itself. We had a wonderful week-long getaway that let us give each other all the time we had.

2009 will always remain as one of my favourite years... thanks to these and many other special moments in the last one year!!!

2009 came... and went by like any other year before it. 2009 came... and brought each one of us our share of smiles and frowns. 2009 came... and will disappear into history in a few hours from now. 2009 came... only to pass by and make way for 2010!!!

May the New Year brighten up each one of our lives and bring in an infinite supply of happy and pleasant moments. Wishing you all a Wonderfully Happy New Year!!!

Bangalore So Far...

noreply@blogger.com (priya) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:24:00 +0000

I've been in Bangalore for a good five months now... been thinking ever since I landed up in Garden City, that I must spare some time and blog about how I've been doing in the new place. Somehow something or the other took priority and time decided not to spare itself :D Here's a quick one on what changed and how during my time in every Bangalorean's Namma Bengaluru :)

The big fat house hunt began as mission #1 when I landed up in Bangalore. I spent the initial first month at a family friend's place. Had a wonderful 'home away from home' experience there :)
After a month's hunt I found this little 1BHK for myself. Always had this secret wish to live alone, all by myself, some day. Was thrilled when this wish materialized :)
Got busy setting up my new house... it's a cute, cozy place that I enjoy being in :) Best part is I have IIM Bangalore as my next door neighbour and I ensure I make a mention of it when someone asks me for my address. That's the closest I could get to the IIMs :)
Got to be a part of Infosys! I never once miss the raising eyebrows or throats clearing when someone says 'Oh wow! You're with Infosys!' :)
Was on bench for the initial one and a half months or so. Having been in the IT industry for over 4 years and never once been on bench before was kind of making me feel left out! I completely enjoyed this 'bench time' :)
Joined up Infosys Toastmasters to continue my journey as a Toastmaster. Have been busy at work of late and not able to spare as much time for it. Managed to attend a few sessions and even MCed a milestone meeting here. Met some amazing Toastmasters and even shared the same stage as many distinguished ones :)
Crossed paths with a wonderful person at work. She's turned out to be my best dost at Bangalore. We've giggled like idiots, cried like babies, passed remarks at anyone we sight, shopped and have not yet dropped and have had loads of fun together :)
Shopped like never before... from clothes to footwear to you name it I've shopped it :)
Got to meet my batchmates from Symbiosis more often. Quite a handful in Bangalore :)
Met someone special for the first time at Bangalore... his folks and mine decided we go ahead and get married :) We're happily engaged now and we're getting married soon and I am so looking forward to it :) He's the best and the reason behind why you'll find me smiling at any time you choose to spot me... including at the end of every line above :)

Missed blogging and the whole blog duniya for a long time now... I do try and catch up with blogs that I read regularly... I hope to get back to being more regular with my Bindaas Baatein soon!!!

Thankyou Irena

noreply@blogger.com (priya) — Fri, 22 May 2009 18:46:00 +0000

In May 2008, a 98 year-old Polish lady named Irena Sendler died.

During WWII, she got permission to work in the Warsaw Ghetto, as a Plumbing/Sewer specialist but she had an ulterior motive. She KNEW of the Nazi's plans for the Jews. Irena smuggled infants out in the bottom of the tool box she carried and, in the back of her truck, she had a burlap sack for the larger children. She had a dog in the back of the truck that she trained to bark when the Nazi soldiers let her in and out of the ghetto. The soldiers wanted nothing to do with the dog and the barking covered the noise of the children. She managed to smuggle out and save 2,500 children before she was caught; the Nazis broke both her legs and her arms and beat her severely.

Irena kept a record of the names of all the children that she smuggled out which she kept in a glass jar buried under a tree in herback yard. After the War, she tried to locate any parents that had survived and reunited the families. Most, of course, had been gassed but she helped those children to be placed into foster family homes or adopted.

In 2007, Irena was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize…

She LOST.

Al Gore won for doing a slide show on Global Warming!!!!

***********************************************************

I got this article couple of days back by email. My heart goes out in appreciation for Irena. I'm not sure how much the Nobel Prize would have even meant for a lady as selfless as Irena... but I strongly feel those who take a call about the Nobel Prize need to take a few moments off to think if they'd ever do something as selfless!!!

We may not necessarily get our due credit for the efforts we put in at work or the good we do as humans... does that mean we stop doing well or being good??? Does expecting appreciation and recognition take away the essence of what we're doing???

I'm not sure... I'm confused...

For the moment I'm all praise for Irena... hats off to you lady!!! May we have more of your type...

PS: this post's for my friend kavitha... thanks for pushing me to make sure I publish something asap :)...

The 2-minute Magic Spell

noreply@blogger.com (priya) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:03:00 +0000

'Mummy bhook lagi hai' mumbled two little hungry kids... 'Bas do minute' said the mother... and quite rightly so in the midst of an exciting television ad jingle a yummy platter of noodles was ready in two minutes flat!!! Oh yes, I'm talking about everyone's favourite - Maggi Noodles!!!

If you're in your twenties or thirties and if you have not had Maggi... then you've probably just landed from some other planet. Maggi was and is my favourite kitchen rack item. It takes you just two minutes to decide to want to eat Maggi, then just about two minutes to get it ready and if you're really hungry... just another two minutes to slurp it down :)

Amit's ode to this favourite snack of mine prompted me to write this post. Apparently Maggi completes 25 years this year... 25 years of filling hungry tummies in the quickest possible time! It sure is quite something. I'm quite impressed by the different variations that the Maggi family has tried to offer over the years... somehow though the original Maggi Masala will always remain my favourite.

As kids, my sisters and me were even part of the Maggi Club. We used to get these fancy Maggi memorabilia, Maggi Club pin-up badges, loads of mailers from the Maggi Club etc. The mailers would be something that we waited for longingly... who else would be kind enough to mark letters to some less-than-10-year olds :) Maggi did!!! It connected with us right then... and the bond continues to last right through... up to now and am sure for a long way down the future. It is almost as if the 2-minute magic has cast a spell to last us a lifetime :)

Generation Fast Forward!

noreply@blogger.com (priya) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 19:14:00 +0000

The young and trendy like to be referred as Generation Next... but the generation that's catching up loud and clear is Generation Fast Forward - a generation branding that I've done for the kids of today, clearly much quicker in thought and action than most of us who'd want to call ourselves GenNext just coz it sounds cool.

My little niece, who's as little as one does so many things that we would have probably never imagined when we were that age. She does everything from humming a lullaby to put her doll to sleep to walking around so matter-of-factly with a mobile when someone calls. She even speaks in some kind of language that she understands so well and speaks with a 'you don't understand this??!!' attitude!

When we were kids, we were known to be sweet, cute and cuddly. Kids of today are not just all of that but are also smart, intelligent and quick!

Here's a conversation I heard at a bookstore between an affluent mom and her smart little kid, a young guy all of 7 years maybe:

Rich Affluent Mom (RAM): Come on son, we've picked up enough books for yourself.
Smart Little Kid (SLK): Yes mom, just for Rs.2000. We can add some more to it. Check out this one, its ONLY Rs.675/-
RAM: Don't you think its expensive, son!
SLK: It's really worth it, mom! I've read about it somewhere and it is really worth the price (economics pro in the making... I never knew to judge if things were worth their price at 7 years of age!!!)
RAM: Son..!!
SLK: Come on mom, be a sport! You could even pick a copy for yourself!!!

Now how mean was that! Just imagine your own kid not willing to 'share' his books with you. Imagine him/ her asking you to get yourself your own copy of music, books or whatever else. I'm sure the kid didn't mean to sound rude, he was just being practical and detached... Now whether that's a good sign or a bad sign or no sign at all... I'm really not sure. Somehow that conversation struck me... and in a way made me believe that Generation Fast Forward have ways of their own... ways that may shake you up at times.

I'm intimidated at times... sometimes amused!!!

Chalo Coorg!

noreply@blogger.com (priya) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 13:07:00 +0000

The Coorg part of the trip we made... read on...

We headed to Coorg from Msyore. The drive from Mysore to Coorg was enchanting. There were plantations on both sides of the roads - stretches of coffee, bamboo and pepper plantations.

We visited the Namdroling Monastery at Bylekuppe. The gilded statues of Buddha in the Golden temple were simply awesome. The quietness in the campus brought a sense of calm and peace. Apparently this is the largest Tibetan civilization outside of Tibet. It was interesting to see the monks dressed in maroon robes go about with their life on the campus. I bought some interesting bags from the Tibetan market.

The best part about the Coorg trip was some really interesting things that I did for the first time.

We put up at one of the home-stays at Coorg - a different quirky experience.
I tasted some Manglorean specialities for breakfast - puttu, kori roti et al
I plucked coffee (and ate the fruit too :P). Contrary to the bitterness associated with coffee, its fruit is really sweet.
I sat around a camp fire that we set up ourselves and gazed at the stars endlessly.
I got the water to boil using firewood every morning. Geysers have taken over today... but the firewood heating experience was one of its kind.
I saw the sun set from Raja's Seat and captured every bit of it on camera. On hindsight, I find it quite funny how we urbans stare with mouths wide open and cameras on focus at a sight as routine as a sun set!!! In a way it reflects how we take things around for granted. The sun sets everyday and looks just as awesome everyday... we just don't take the time out to catch a glimpse!
I saw a bamboo forest – a place called Nisargadhama with an enchanting hanging bridge over the Cauvery.
I climbed up a tree house at Nisargadhama. Exciting!
The trip was good fun except for the dearth of good vegetarian hotels around and the heat during the day. Never expected it to be so warm at Coorg in the month of January. Global warming to blame?? Where have the environmental warriors gone??? :(

Overall the whole Coorg/ Mysore trip was good fun, a nice break and just another reason to blog :)

Mysore Mazaa(la)

noreply@blogger.com (priya) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:57:00 +0000

I have been long waiting to blog about my holiday to Coorg/ Mysore in January. I've finally mangaged to get down to that

I was between jobs when I took this trip - that kind of took away the excitement of being away from work :)

Here's the Mysore half of the trip. The Coorg experience will follow in my next post.

Mysore - a clean and beautiful city that immediately charmed me. We spent a day and a half there but saw almost everything that Mysore personifies. Here are a few quickies on what I saw or did at Mysore:

The Mysore Zoo - This is the best zoo I have ever been to. It spreads over a vast area and is home to a whole lot of animal and bird species. I'm sure anyone would enjoy a trip to the Mysore zoo - irrespective of how old you are or how old you feel! The magnificent tall giraffes were our hot favourites. This was the first time I ever saw a giraffe for real - and not just one. There were four of them standing tall. I almost couldn't take our eyes off them :)

St. Philomena's Church - We made a quick trip to this church built in the honour of St. Philomena in the Diocese of Mysore. Brilliant architecture, beautiful stain glass interiors and a stoic silence inside the Church made the visit worth every minute spent there.

Brindavan Gardens - Sprawling gardens and the beautiful water fountains are simply soothing. Once it was dark the fountains glittered in various colours. The musical fountain was beatifully choreographed. It was a very relaxing experience at the garden. Superbly maintained.

Mysore Palace - Awesome interiors. Left me in complete envy :). I could almost imagine the Wodeyar clan walking around in the huge palace (effect of an overdose of Jodha Akbar maybe :P)

We saw other places like the beautiful Karanji Lake (including a pedal boat experience), the Chamundeshwari Temple, the magestic Nandi and the Cave Shiva temple on Chamundi Hills, and the Lalit Mahal Palace.

The other good part about Mysore were the yummy dosas. Never had such tasty crisp dosas before.

What impressed me most about the city was it's people. I found almost everyone around to be extremely courteous - including people like traffic policemen who are otherwise so rude and grumpy. Almost every one of them we interacted with were ready to help - with a smile on their face. Something that has gone amiss in our bigger faster cities.

I sure am going back to Mysore soon - for its people, clean wide roads and its yummy dosas :)

Be an Alchemist

noreply@blogger.com (priya) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:51:00 +0000

I had heard loads and loads about Paulo Coelho's 'The Alchemist'. One of the most common reason this book was recommended for reading was its extremely positive remarks about how it pays to remain in pursuit of your dreams - no matter how long it takes.

I happened to chance upon a copy of 'The Alchemist' at my aunt's place - picked it up for reading instantly.

I believe in omens and I am always on the lookout for them - in my own small way. Some of the dialogues between the shepherd boy and the people he encounters are so striking. I am not sure whether this book would have the same impact on everyone. I loved the book! Never felt so positive and charged up about my own dreams ever before. I am not sure if I am over-reacting; but somehow I can relate to almost everything that the shepherd boy goes through whilst pursuing the treasure of his life. I don't know... maybe this is an omen by itself!!! And I chose to believe that it is a good omen!

Coming back to the book; I think Paulo Coelho has drawn a brilliant parallel between human dreams and alchemy. Relentlessly trying till you're smiling about what you've achieved is common to both. The metaphor is striking and leaves an impression.

I've compiled some of my favourite lines from the book and what I feel about them. Here goes...

When you really want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it.

This one's the best... has inspired many included our very own SRK in Om Shanti Om :P. I blindly trust my conspirators... whoever they are, wherever they are!

The world’s greatest lie: At a certain point in our lives we lose control of what’s happening to us and our lives become controlled by fate.

This one's for those who have stopped having faith in the earlier line :( We cannot let fate control our lives... it's just not right!

Most people see the world as a threatening place, and because they do, the world turns out indeed to be a threatening place.

Lesson for me... and maybe a couple of you too.

There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.

Another gyaan byte for us :)

Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.

Especially true of all nosey uncles and aunts who somehow have an opinion about everything we do or want :P

If what one finds is made of pure matter, it will never spoil. If what you had found was only a moment of light, like the explosion of a star, you would find nothing on your return.

Beautiful simile!

It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.

I agree totally... your dreams are your only true companion for life!

Never stop dreaming.

Believe me... it serves as enough motivation to keep on trying till you get there someday! Don't forget to keep the fingers crossed too :)

Every search begins with beginner’s luck. And every search ends with the victor’s being severely tested.

I don't mind... all's well that ends well.

Everyone on earth has a treasure that awaits him.

Makes me feel special! I'm waiting for mine.........

Wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.

Wow... Paulo Coelho even gave us a hint :)

If I really am a part of your dream, you will come back one day.

Some call it emossional atyachaar... some call it pyaar :)

“Even though I complain sometimes,” it (heart) said, “it’s because I’m the heart of a person, and people’s hearts are that way. People are afraid to pursue their most important dreams, because they feel that they don’t deserve them, or that they’ll be unable to achieve them. We, their hearts, become fearful just thinking of loved ones who go away forever, or of moments that could have been good but weren’t, or of treasures that might have been found but were forever hidden in the sands. Because, when these things happen, we suffer terribly.”

How true... we subject our poor li'l hearts through a whole lot of what not. I actually found this dialogue between the shepherd and his heart really really sweet - almost like an innocent kid giving an alibi! Let's stop being mean... let's be good to our hearts!

Life really is generous to those who pursue their destiny.

One more reason to keep going.

Which way to the garden?

noreply@blogger.com (priya) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:25:00 +0000

Am on blogosphere after almost 3 weeks now!!! Feels like a lifetime.

Just about managed to access Blogger and here I am... in the Garden City of Bangalore... in search of the gardens :)

I've taken up a career opportunity here... but so far have been in the outskirts of the city. Am yet to explore the city and its beauty.

Bangalore... here I come :)

PS: feels kind of weird writing a typical blog. A first I think as compared to the rest of my posts. :) Will be back with more of those asap... I hope!

Slamming Success

noreply@blogger.com (priya) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 14:31:00 +0000

I'm not sure if I am a big enough tennis fan to blog about India's performance at the Australian Open... but I sure am proud enough to do that.

The year has started off on a good note for Indian tennis - what with Sania Mirza, Mahesh Bhupati and Yuki Bhambri sizzling on court and emerging winners.

For Bhupati this may be another feather on his Grand Slam cap. I'm sure this is just the beginning of feathers for Sania and Yuki.

Congratulations guys, you've made us proud!!!

I was reminded of my stint as an avid tennis follower (you thought I was going to write player?? :P) when I read this post by a friend. I remember how we used to have Graf vs Seles camps set up at home during Grand Slam tournaments. Somehow over the years the interest in the game has kind of dwindled. Guess the interest levels will only get higher now... and am glad that this time round we'll be rooting for Indians given the promising talent we have.

Now that we've slowly made it to the ranking sheets... it's only fititng that we raise the bar. I'm looking forward to some day when we'll have an all out Indian vs Indian Grand Slam final. What say?

Are You Going to Finish Strong?

noreply@blogger.com (priya) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 13:22:00 +0000

Just as I was thinking about what I could write on next, I stumbled upon a video that perfectly appears to be a sequel to my earlier post.

There are a million obstacles that we may come across in life... but there are people around us with deeper sufferings who somehow still emerge winners. They are truly worth emulating.

My hero for the moment is Nick Vujicic. He was born without limbs and has continued to live without them. For someone like him probably managing to live life is a challenge in itself. What is amazing is that despite all odds he's also helping a whole lot of others (including those of us blessed with limbs) help live theirs more meaningfully.

Check out this video. It is just one of his inspiring short talks.

The audience is left in tears at the end of it. I'm sure you'll be silently sniffing once you're done with watching it. I only hope you feel as much stronger, as me once you're done with that :)

I'd only like to add... that however much you may feel down and out, just keep hanging on to the idea that things will only get better than what they are now... eventually! Hats off to you Nick... you made my day!!!

Hope is a Good Thing

noreply@blogger.com (priya) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 06:04:00 +0000

After months of having got myself a copy of the movie The Shawshank Redemption I finally decided to watch it yesterday.

The movie is based on a Stephen King novella [new word I picked up when I wiki-ed for the book :)] called Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption.

Tim Robbins plays the role of a banker called Andy Dufresne who is given a double life sentence for murdering his wife and her lover - a crime that he badly wanted to commit but had not. As fate would have it he was sent to Shawshank Prison where he spent the next 19 years of his life!!!

Morgan Freeman plays the role of 'Red' who was another inmate at Shawshank Prison. Freeman sure has a class of his own. After this movie and The Bucket List he has one more fan in me :)

The movie is hard-hitting with a whole lot of dialogues that leave you dumbstruck. It is yet another visualization of how harsh things can get on the other side of the bars. It is yet another attempt to convey that there is nothing more powerful than hope. It is yet another attempt to reinforce the fact that no matter how mean life can get, it is that undying spirit of hope that will help us sail through and come out smiling despite the hardships that we will eventually leave behind.

I am glad the movie has influenced me positively. I only feel more positive about clinging on to my hopes, however irrational they may seem at the moment!!!

I decided I should put up a post about this on Bindaas Baatein. There's nothing more satisfying than spreading one's positivity around - who knows, this might just make you want to change your mind over things you have given up on.

I'll sum this up in Andy Dufresne's words from the movie - 'Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies'.

50 and running

noreply@blogger.com (priya) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 12:10:00 +0000

2009 is probably yet another year with a lot in store for all of us. Our year-end posts will take care of summing that up :)

Among other things, 2009 marks the golden jubilee of 2 of my favorite comic characters - Asterix and Obelix!!! Just wanted to let them know how much I love them and the rest of the Gauls :)

I've read practically every one of the 33 titles and I doubt if I'll ever get bored of reading them up over and over again. The names of each of the Gauls - including the cute li'l Dogmatix - is something that always charms me.

The complete Asterix collection is definitely worth its space on your bookshelf - and mine too. Did I hear someone saying 2009 is good to go gifting??? :P

Movie Time...

noreply@blogger.com (priya) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:36:00 +0000

'List out your New Year Resolutions'... I have been telling myself to sit down and work this out for the last week or so. But somehow I have not managed to get myself to do it yet. Ordinary people find it difficult to live by their resolutions. Some like me find it tough to even sit down and get those resolutions on paper (make that blogger :P)! I wanted to do it over the weekend but I ended up watching two movies back to back.

Ghajini was the first. I loved it! Aamir is at his perfect best. Asin did a good job too. I was only left wondering why the movie was named after the villian... and why Ghajini! Also Aamir's character was supposed to be some super popular business tycoon. How come no one recognized him then when he played Sachin!!! Oops sorry... when it's movies... you're not supposed to 'think' and ask! That apart it was a fine movie. I've decided to watch the original Tamil version now. I love watching sequels, prequels, originals, 'inspired from' movies and then play 'spot the differences and similarities' :P

Alright then... next on the list was the recent Tamil hit Vaaranam Aayiram. I could not get beyond the interval. No no no... don't frame opinions about the movie! I could not get beyond the interval coz my PC went for a toss around that time. Oh by the way did I tell you... one of the resolutions I'm contemplating is to stop watching DVD rip offs? Oh by the way again, did I tell you... I was contemplating that for my list of resolutions for the year 2045?? :P

Alright, coming back to the first half of Vaaranam Aayiram... it's an awesome movie! Yes, even though I watched only part of it for me it seemed like a perfect complete movie. And I must tell you that my review is not biased by the first half alone... the 'I hate suspense' keeda in me made sure I find out what happens in the second half :P.

The casting and execution was brilliant. Sameera Reddy had the perfect combination of oomph and girlish innocence. Surya and Simran played their roles beautifully! Surya stole the show in all the three roles that he portrayed. The school boy look and the old man look were well crafted. About the awesome hero look that had me floored... I think it just comes naturally to the guy! :-)

The movie's a little emotional. It hurts when Sameera dies in the blast and Surya's left heartbroken. Apparently he gets over it in the second half... drugs, realization, an army stint and a poem that his mum recites... come to his rescue!!! Somehow made me think that every real life love story that's not meant to work out should end that way. A blast or an accident or something fatal would make it a lot easier for the lady. For the brave macho gentlemen... life will somehow move on!!! (Thank God we don't have a Aadmi Mukti Aandolan trend around :P)

If I have to wrap up this review... I'd just say that it's a must watch for the 'romantically challenged' :P