Monday, September 19, 2011

Festivals...

The winds are whispering that Autumn is just for a few days visit & will very soon pave the way for winters. The leaves are changing their color giving themselves a short makeover before wearing that barren look. My neighbors are busy digging their garden, cleaning the dried leaves & trying something creative for the coming Halloween. The kids after school join their Mom in digging their small garden & deciding where exactly each toy should be placed. The festive season is arriving. Ohh joy!!!

The festive season in India is brimming with colors, hopes, excitement all across the country amidst all political tension, inflation, natural turbulence and what not. Yet people try to find joy in these festivals forgetting all their mental anguish and soaking themselves in festivity. The rich culture of India allows every individual to participate in all the festivals and celebrate what we call 'life'. I deeply remember as a kid i used to call one of neighbors, whom i never remember had hair calling him 'Gardener Uncle' who had an enviable garden full of roses. All throughout the year he used to painstakingly collect the seasonal roses & cultivate them in his garden. The garden was always blooming & several times on my birthday he gave me a small bouquet of his exquisite roses. Nothing till to date can beat that gift. The garden is no longer there since his family moved but the aroma of those roses somewhat still lingers in my mind and heart. The point why i am remembering my 'Gardener Uncle' here is, he always used to say, 'I never celebrate festival, for me spending time in my garden is like festival where i always find joy.' Simple thought yet full of meaning. I wish i could take cue from his festive life where he almost danced in his garden whenever his roses bloomed.

We all love festivals and these festivals makes us more closer to our family members and friends who comprise our lives. Lets all welcome this festive season with a thought to spread some cheer, to extend a helping hand, to be a blessing in somebody's life. I know you will certainly agree with me. Cheers!!!

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Food for thought...

While sipping my favorite lemon drink,I realized that I didn't jot down any of my thoughts in the last one month. While it has been a hush hush month yet i guess I have been a good manager. I know you will say I am blowing my own trumpet, but situations in life helps us realize our capabilities. In any case I am not talking of any serious issues. In the morning when I flip through my newspaper, I feel there are thousands of issues for the government and the common people to deal & overcome them. We just sip our cup of coffee and turn the pages. Strange, yet true!

Yesterday,one picture of a malnourished child moved me and ran thousands of questions through my blood. How can we ameliorate their pain? How does that mother feel when she cannot feed her child who cries in hunger? Only a mother can describe how these feelings tears her apart. Living in such a far flung area the picture of that child just sends across one message. Please do not waste food. There are lot of people who are deprived of basic two square meals a day. We bribe our children with chocolates to drink a glass of milk or have a serving of vegetables which they find ridiculous, yet the unfortunate ones plead for some food. Every child demands love, care and it is perhaps their birth right but they perhaps pine for.

I don't want to end on a note of despondency,yet I can hope and pray that no children across the world ever goes hungry to bed while the helpless mother just prays for some sleep on the eyes of her hungry child. We can help a bit in this regard by teaching our children the importance and the respect they need to show towards their food. Let every child be blessed and have a happy childhood.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Dine-in-out

As a rainy and a gloomy week comes to an end, I am hoping for a fresh sunny week ahead, hallmark of English summer. Summers are a welcome relief from the grueling & ruthless winter. Even a brief stroll at a nearby park on a hot summer weekend is sure to rejuvenate your senses with the aroma of barbecue. Don't worry if you are a vegetarian,you can always have those fresh corns, baked potatoes or vegetables with your favorite dipping. Ah, I don't want to deep into food issues, they always make me go weak.

Talking about trying food, I recently visited a local restaurant where their food, drinks and the ambiance is highly appreciated. To satisfy my curiosity, I persuaded my husband to take me there. Once the hostess greeted us with a happy smile knowing that we wanted a table for two, she escorted us to a nice comfortable area where the noise wasn't loud and there was no chance where we could smell what the person seated at our back was having. The waiter happily provided us with the menu and threw some additional information about the days specialty which included the fresh 'Mai Tai' fish and a special soup. My husband considers me to be crazy enough to order a soup on summers but my love for soup is eternal. As the waiter left us to quarrel over what we should eat, an elderly couple sat opposite to us smiling perhaps thinking about their bygone days. Finally we settled for a soup followed by the main course. The waiter was polite enough to make us aware of the quantity of food that would arrive gently dropping a subtle hint that we should order a dessert perhaps later and not make any rush. Even though I understood it pretty later that may be going by built he must have guessed it I would have tough time to complete my main course. Trust me he wasn't wrong either. After having a bowl of soup, I wasn't ready to embrace main course right away.The waiter came to enquire about our well being, perhaps he could gauge my situation and suggested to pack the remaining and jump at the dessert. By that time my stomach was screaming for leniency and my husband was in a satirical mood. I couldn't complete my dessert & left it in midway. The waiter arrived happily with my packed leftover and collected the cheque. I was pretty quick to realize that the dishes weren't meant for people of my stature even when you are almost dead with my hunger.

I learnt my lesson of that day which was first try to have the ability to accept, rest everything will follow. I wanted to try the dishes but couldn't create enough space in my stomach to fit my order. Similarly , in life if we want something first we should have the capacity to bear it and not get bogged down. Life will be perhaps lot easier then!!!!!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Chatting

While chatting online with a friend of mine who has an obnoxious habit of finding faults with others started her own story even before i could probably greet her. We have grown together so i am no stranger to this distinctive feature of hers. Her off late complaint has rather been very amusing. She describes how she has politely sent friend requests to her long lost pals who have over the years separated but only to be found on the various social sites. She excitedly sent them requests hoping to be accepted in their respective friend lists only to be rejected after a point of time.

Funny as it may sound to anyone as it sounded to me, she gives me a long list of people who rejected her friendship proposal whom she was already familiar with in her childhood. Well, this isn't strange i guess. There are people whom despite knowing them intensively or having spent our years of education we politely turn their friend requests. A lot of people, if by any chance go through these lines would perhaps agree. Now there are people who want their friend list to grow as rapidly as a businessman would like his business to grow. Every photo they upload of their vacation of any any special dish they cooked over the weekend needs to be uploaded. A visit to the nearby grocery store or new curtains and upholstery, every moment is captured and allowed for their friends and family to shower their comments. Well, it doesn't end there! The person has to individually thank the people who have been benevolent enough with praises if time permits else a collective thanks should be appreciated.

I forgot about those people who find it crude enough to turn down the friend requests of people with whom they studied in the same school but rarely spoke to them. Years after they do not mind including them in their friend list or sharing their photographs but find it strange enough to enquire about their well being. It's mostly," I am fine", or "thanks" when wished on their birthday that u can occasionally get response from them. Quite strange!!

While my friend may have complaints complaints and only complaints but she is yet to understand that simply finding a place in somebody's friend list doesn't mean u get closer to that person. Its just perhaps as acknowledgement of recognition. I tried my luck explaining her but i am sure my words went to waste. I am certainly hopeful that she might have found a better person to share her weird grief!!!!

Monday, May 2, 2011

Success....

With sunset as silence creeps upon me, i am flooded with thoughts, memories, dreams and engrossed in my world. But what am i thinking? Dreaming? Well, we all do that consciously or subconsciously. Nah!!! I know some people will deny. "We do not have time breathe properly, how can we dream", "this is beyond our thoughts, we cannot even dream", "these things aren't meant for us, we don't even dare to dream", "i didn't even dream of coming, but don't know how i made it". Haven't you heard of these lines before? I am sure you all must have, if not, then i have.

Dreams are the narrow lanes that slowly makes ways for us to achieve our targets. When dreams meet hard work, success is sure to follow. Each one of us have different definition or interpretation of success. A friend of mine had once jokingly said, "Success for me will be the day when i will master one particular traditional dish and the icing on the cake will be when my mother-in-law will give me a hug." The line often brings a smile on my face.

Currently, in the midst of rush rush schedule i somewhat feel even my outlook towards success has changed. Different jobs at different times makes my adrenaline pushing yearning for various levels of success. It gives me immense pleasure when i can successfully pen down my thoughts, or see my plant bloom or any accomplished job. Well, we all differ that's the reason we who we are or what we are. Happy Weekend folks!!!

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

The Shaker

The chill in the air is still very strong and the weather change is surely making some people like me a bit sick. Suffice it to say lot of people are waiting with equanimity for the spring or rather the summers to arrive at the earliest. The withered trees, the dull gardens have borne enough of snow and storms and are perhaps screaming for a change in the weather.

Well, nature is all puissant and has its own law. The recent earthquake in our world bears a strong testimony to the fact that how vulnerable we are in front of nature. It perhaps takes a few minutes for nature to take everything away from us which we considered to be our own. No materialistic comforts, no vices or vanity. We give our entire life to achieve our dreams and it cripples within minutes.

As few wise men already said and perhaps, there are very few who still say, that nothing in this world is perpetual except for love and humanity only if we understand these qualities. Our permanent house is never permanent, we just dwell there for a period of time. Its strange how we try to cling ourselves to every thing around us. In this process we get so annexed that we forget that someday we have to detach ourselves from that even if that means our closest relationships.

The recent earth quake has been perhaps an eye opener for millions of people world wide who never associated themselves from the word 'detachment'. Its time when we all realize the importance of love and kindness towards each else Mother nature will have to take steps to make us realize us in a way which we perhaps don't want to even fathom.....

Sunday, January 30, 2011

The lost kitten

With the superfluous snow this year it seems to be an all ice zone. Snowfall besides restricting mobility doesn't stop anything. Life just passes by; irrespective of whether we move with it or not. On a cold windy but a sunny day, I bravely step out to visit a local salon. More than just pampering, in winters it becomes more of a necessity to visit the salon when your fingers or your feet become dull and scream for some additional cream. My chipped off nails were almost an insinuation to that fact...

As i started walking down the pavement the strong winds almost ruined my hair. My well combed hair was messy and this required no evidence. The feeble sun rays weren't enough to provide warmth. While walking i saw a small kitten running through the middle of the pavement. While there are many people in this world who consider it to be a bad omen if a cat crosses their road, i somehow have overcome this thought years back. The small kitten was petrified as well as confused thus giving me an impression that it had lost its owner.

Gradually i try to walk towards that frightened kitten who was trying to run as fast as it could. I sensed that the more i go nearer the harder it tried to run away. So i stood there so that the kitten could see and realize that i am harmless. I enjoyed the kitten playing peek-a-boo . The strong winds made difficult for me to stand while the poor kitten was also uncomfortable. Slowly the kitten tried to walk towards me while certainly it had its inhibitions. I stood there for a while.

They say love knows no language. Sensing that i am harmless the kitten came near me & started to lean towards me.I bent down lifted the poor kitten which seemed to be trembling due to wind and cold. My heart melted for a while. As i started patting and running my fingers across its back I could feel how eased the kitten was feeling. After a few minutes i saw a lady was hastily walking around perhaps in search of something or someone. My assumptions weren't wrong since she was looking for her kitten whom she she thought was lost. She was absolutely delighted when she saw her kitten sitting comfortably in my lap. Her eyes almost lighted up and she couldn't help stop thanking me.

As we both bid goodbye to each other and started walking our ways i felt contended somewhere deep down my heart. May be it was sense of gratitude the lady was trying to express or the sense of security the kitten perhaps felt when i lifted it at my hands or or or...I don't know but i was happy...

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

New Year 2011

Hurray!!! As we stepped into new year 2011 nineteen days back we all have made lots of promises to ourselves, our loved ones. Some promises have already been blown with the wind while some are still standing against time. My chubby friend who each year promises to shed those extra pounds only to give up in the mid way has made the same promise this time. She vehemently declared to all of us that, even if she doesn't go for a dieting she would never touch 'sweets' which at times seems inseparable from her. Even before the first month of the year is yet to pass by she seems to have forgotten her profound resolution.

At a recent birthday party she just let her hair down and enjoyed all the sweet delicacies that was probably on her no-no list. Even though her friends bumped at her at the very sight, she was too engrossed to participate in that satirical conversation. The manner in which she was enjoying reminded me of one gentle thought: Live life to the fullest. Even though i do want my friend to lose those extra flab yet her infectious smile compelled me to share the table with her that evening. I just could not help stop laughing and ofcourse didn't forget to take snaps of her wonderful gestures.

Many of us have perhaps made lots of resolutions to lose weight, to quit smoking or drinking excessively, to work hard, to be more responsible towards our home and relationships and what not. But its indeed a naked truth that we forget those promises. The New Year party ends and so does our promises. A friend of mine has promised that she would be more stringent with herself when it comes to shopping. Now this is something women folk can never abide by. A yearly sale on favorite brand of clothes and cosmetics and up flies the promise. Phew!!!! Women can never keep this promise.

Even though the month of January is swiftly passing by, i am still wondering what are the changes that this year has brought along. While i am still wondering and discovering you guys can go ahead and recollect if you have made any new year resolutions which u have happily forgotten!!!!