Happy New Year 2015

So another year bites the dust. Yes, as we come close to the end of another year, our minds are full of thoughts about the year that is passing by. Some of have gained while some lost. Well losing is a heavy word and not everyone can take its burden. In the way of losing just lose your hope. Losing takes everything but gives us one big thing; experience. Yes, it leaves behind memories of the failure but gives us a strong lesson of experience which no body else can teach us. Each of our lives are different hence we all have experienced the same year with different extremes.

But whatever have been our experiences we all can unanimously sing and welcome the New Year 2015. Let us wish, pray and hope no child goes hungry to sleep. Nobody leaves the world due to lack of love and care, no mother loses their child. Lets in our own small way try to make the world a better place for ourselves if not for others. Let our children live a healthy life and their laughs be the ultimate music to our souls. Let us all strive to live healthy, think healthy and care for our loved ones and extend our love for the ones who need love the most.

Here's wishing you all a bright, happy, healthy and a prosperous New Year 2015. Stay happy and spread the cheer.....

Its Festive Season...

It's a bright crisp October morning. The leaves have changed color and are all donning a cheerful look. The birds are chirping as though they singing in chorus some song which soothe the human minds. Though I cannot fathom what they are singing yet their chirping is no less than a trip to massage parlor a where we usually go to soothe our senses.

The festive season for Bengalis are almost over. Durga Puja, Lakshmi Puja, Kali Puja or Diwali and Bhai Fota. It's a galore of celebrations for the Bengalis world wide which every single Bengali looks forward to. While the non Bengalis worship Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesh together on Diwali, Bengalis worship Goddess Lakshmi exactly on the seventh day after Durga Puja. On Diwali, Bengali worship Goddess Kali. Festivals are a source of enlightenment of our our cultures and traditions. It binds us all with the power of love, traditions and a sense of faith towards the Almighty.

Coming to the other part of the globe, the fall festival kicks in around the month of September. The leaves adorn different shades of red, green and yellow making themselves a visual treat for the onlookers. The dry leaves strewn all over and gently blown over by the wind gives us a reminder of the winters that's soon to follow. The excited kids have enjoyed their Halloween with or without the candies. While love for candies and chocolates are almost universal, yet there are kids who relish just by looking the pictures of the candies in their books or any print or electronic advertisement. A bagful of candies may not be healthy for the teeth and their gentle tummies, yet the sight of candies surpasses all the resolutions for not to have them. Colorful theme based costumes, spooky make ups, remembering the dead could not have been more colorful. 

Halloween is soon to be followed by the Thanksgiving  and the festive season steps in completely. Well decorated homes with the lights adds fun in the absence of the lush green trees. The naked trees mostly with their trimmed branches gets some make over with those tiny warm bulbs adding light and warmth to the festive season. Christmas and New Year are those time of the year which in my words are basically three things fun, love and enjoyment. Fun with shopping, decorating minds and lives, love to be shared with family and friends, and enjoyment with your dearest ones. It's the power of the festive season which brings everyone on the same platform. Of course there are people who are deprived and denied of all the above mentioned things.

Before you wear a new dress,open your gift and enjoy your meal with your favorite people this festive season, say a silent prayer for those needy ones who spend nights in the cold without a morsel or without any warm clothing. Let this festive season bring a smile on the lips of every child living anywhere on this globe......

A gloomy day

It hasn't been a good way to start the day. The morning started with some depressing news of one of my classmates who called it quits to life.The weather was giving company to my mood as it is a dull boring and at times a rainy day. Brooding over a cup of coffee and wondering what could have possibly went wrong in my friends life, my mother calls up to inform me that one of my cousins met with an accident and is injured. Even though the accident wasn't life taking yet it was enough to perturb my mind. As an allegory to the fact that my mind was submerged in all negativity i overlooked my bread which i had put in the toaster for breakfast. They had burnt beyond recognition perhaps gently reminding me that i am still an amateur in the kitchen.

The day rolls and my mind and brain both travels back to fun filled school days. Limited gadgets, limited source of living and unlimited fun. The nexus we developed as students with each other still grips my mind. But then the question starts rolling, why do everything change? Have we changed, or our circumstances have changed or time has changed everything around us? Where does happiness live? In money, in education, in our mannerisms, in our way of living or in our contentment....It's a general maxim that compromises and sacrifices help to make life easier but what about those souls who try these but failure hits them so hard that they end their lives. What is that force or that tide that erases all the love of their loved ones only to push them to death? Is it any tide or some emotion/s or any adjective of which i am certainly unaware of...They start feeling their life is redundant.

School days are the best time of any child's life. My memories are colorful that i can dream my entire life of my school and school buddies. But certainly you can have an opinion and a different story to share. It's that that part of our life which should be enjoyed, dreamt, laughed, played only to be cherished for the rest of our lives. With due course of time we grow and develop according to our skill set and talents. But sometimes we tend to be rebellious and do not accept what life has destined for us. We fractiously try to carve our own path, but in that process we meet lot of repudiations. Its almost like going uphill and losing balance and treading downhill.

Some things in life are destined my friends, please do not try to change. It takes extreme courage to change them and needs applause if successful, but if at any point of time you face dejections, please do not take any extreme step. It leaves many loved ones hurt and wondering as to why such a wonderful life had to end so soon. May you find peace and the angels shower their endless love on you.

Keepsake Memories....

Everything around me is looking bright and green. The soft green grass, the luscious pink flowers which refuses to look dull despite the bright sunshine, the mellow yellow flowers, the lilies dancing to the soft winds, the winds blowing my hair across my face. My sun kissed face, the babies dancing and rolling with their footballs, girls giggling with their buddies and my mind is clicking these images so that when winter creeps in my life these memories will provide me the softest cushion.

Memories these indeed are in the making in the coming grueling winter months. These soft images will provide the warmth when half of the world outside the house will be almost frozen and lifeless. We all love our memories, cling them to our hearts, remember them over a cup of coffee, shed tears over them, laugh at those long lost moments. Ever wondered why are memories so special? Despite everything changing around us, they 'never' change. We always want to get lost in the world of memories where there is no time change, no weather affects them, nothing is queer, nothing is chucked out of brain and heart.

My palanquin of memories has travelled far and wide and it is still making memories. Memories with my loved ones. The elders of my family have mostly left for their heavenly abode where i am sure they are enjoying the moments that the they could not in their earthly life. We have their memories which makes our life richer with happiness. Such is the strength of memories that they still mellow the hearts and make eyes mushy.

Memories are a synchrony of happiness and bond. The bond we share/shared with our closest family, friends or relatives or sometimes with a stranger. With the passage of time they bloom in strong or weak relationships depending on how we nurture them. The nexus goes on to create some everlasting memories which even the tide of time finds hard to erase. They are never svelte or bulky. They occupy a special place in our hearts which never runs out of space. Such sweet things...

But is it wise enough to cling to our memories? Of course, if it is about school and the wonderful friends we make who sometimes continue to be our lifelong friends. But not everybody is fortunate enough to get lifelong friends. People change with circumstances but yes, those memories remain the same leaving us wondering why have they changed with time. Memories of failed relationships should not be held too tight  to our hearts. They often reside in our hearts occupying maximum space and making the situations ameliorating. But who wants to drown in sorrow? Its better to get rid of them at the earliest.

Enjoy the memories, but most importantly make good ones. They should be pristine, enjoyable and worthy enough to be shared with people. Making some exemplary moments gives us the ambit to enrich our minds and souls when we are looking for happiness outside the heart..........

Zohra Sehgal

The infectious laugh, the zest for life, living every moment of the wonderful gift of God, legendary Indian actress Zohra Sehgal has lived every second of it. With a career ranging over a few decades, this lady has proved time and again that age is just a number and cannot bow you down unless you want to bow down before it. The gusto, the enthusiasm, that this lady projected on screen even in her nineties just left her audience spell bound. Nearly flawless pronunciation in Urdu, and her crisp Hindi Zohra Sehgal has a special place in her audiences heart.

Life has its own route of ascending and descending. This lady had her moments of pain and pleasure but that could perhaps snatch her smile which dominated over all her griefs. The result was a long hearty life full of adventures. As life unfolded over the years, Zohra Sehgal met life smilingly. Now wonder after her demise her fans still wished if she had lived a few more years. The warmth of her smile still touches some chords of heart.

Zohra Sehgal's work cannot be fathomed. Its spread over years and most importantly they are just not in films and television series, they are permanently in her audiences mind and heart. Her witty performances in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Cheeni Kum still sets her way apart beyond comparison.

People have tons of reasons to grieve, to cry, to fuss over, to lament but this wonderful lady smiled almost through everything. Lets all take a leaf from her happiness book and imbibe it in our lives.

Keep smiling Zohra Sehgal wherever you are. May you spread your smile and live in peace. Meanwhile just in case you reading this post, start or end your day with a hearty smile. It will certainly make everything beautiful....

Tara's World Cup Birthday.....

Go, Go, Go and its a GOAL...yeah....everybody in and out of stadium is jumping and cheering for their favorite team who just led their team to make the match interesting and nail biting. While the men folk and cheering and gulping down their can of beer and are closely monitoring every move of the match, the scenario in the women hive is bit different. In the ninety minutes of the match men give their undivided attention to their screens which somehow become a source of oxygen for men, but the attention of women are somewhat divided...Just in case the match happens to be on Sunday it might be a relaxing day for both the genders.The attention of a women is divided especially if they have a baby. The baby or the toddler or the kid constantly seeks attention making it impossible for the women to concentrate passionately. Oh, did i mention the cell phones. The constant updates of social networking sites are the biggest platforms to opine and define about every match and move of the players.
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Well, i somewhat got deviated from my topic. We are in a busy Birthday party of my little neighbor Tara, who is absolutely dolled up in a fairy tell dress. Happy Birthday dear Tara. May your life be full of joy and happiness always. She likes everything about her dress and is proudly showing off it everyone around her. Even though her birthday was sometime in mid week, the celebrations are today. Poor parents! They did not realize that there was an important World Cup match before deciding for the party. The giant TV screen in the hall has a magnetic approach to men. As the families came in and wished lil Tara, the men almost immediately rushed to grab a chair and some foodies and participate in the heated match. The kids are obviously left to their Mom's who rush to the play area as well. The attention of the women are divided amongst the sounds of music, football, children and of course 'gossip' (cheekily)

As poor Tara is almost tired now of running in her dolled up attire her parents are patiently waiting for those crucial 90 minutes to get over so that Tara can get all the attention while she blows the candles and cuts the cake. In the meanwhile the kids are having one helluva time in indulging candies and other eateries.Luckily the hall had a free wifi zone and what better way and time to jot my visuals.

The match is almost drawing to a close now and the parents are getting the cake and table ready. The hyper and excited kids are wearing party hats and wondering as when will the cake arrive. Well, let me join the celebration as well. Now please don't ask me which celebration. The match and the party  both are equally gorgeous. All it matters is your spirit to celebrate any occasion....Enjoy

Football World Cup 2014

It's a dull, boring weather today. But the colorful, bright, opening ceremony of World Cup Football 2014 surely pepped up the day. Happy faces all round the stadium cheering for their teams. Oh, what an absolute delight to people happy irrespective of all differences dancing and cheering and singing to the tune of one song~ love for football.

The football fever has gripped the entire world and the ardent followers are definitely going to sacrifice their sleep for their love for football. So guys, stock on your chips, popcorn and sodas or your favorite beverages and and soak yourself in the festive season of World Cup Football 2014.

Yes, yes, i am coming...My microwave is screaming. My popcorn is ready. I am just adding some more chips and salsa to the table & bingo we are ready to enjoy the matches. Come on teams, give your best...May the best team win. Cheers!!!

Jamai Shosti

'Jamai Shosti', a homely but an important occasion for  all the son-in-laws of Bengal. Bengali's have a special designated day for their son-in-laws who get pampered on this day. Mother-in-laws wait for this special day of the Bengali calendar to treat their son-in-laws with best possible hospitality and food.

Legend says that the women folk used to worship Goddess Shosti for the welfare of their children. Over the years, the celebration of 'Jamai Shosti' has attained more popularity. On this day women folk wake up early, bathe and worship the Goddess for the prosperity and bliss of their children. It is also commonly believed that the son-in-laws are given special attention for the marital bliss of one's daughter. Every parents on this world want to see their daughters happy and leading a prosperous life.

On this day when the daughter of the house arrives with her husband they are welcomed by mother. The mother-in-law applies a small dot of curd on the forehead and ties a thread on the wrist of their son-in-law. Then he is given six different types of fruits and blessed with a type of grass which is known as 'durba' in Bengali and 'dhan' (paddy seeds). The ritual is accompanied with ' ulu dhani' (sound made by tongues) and sometimes conch shells as well. Gifts are exchanged between mother-in-laws and son-in-laws.

The biggest part of any Bengali celebration are their elaborate spread. A detailed menu is prepared for the son-in-laws ranging from different types of fries to fish curry to meat items and of course the sweet dish. Fish and sweets are integral part of Bengali's and no occasion can be complete without these two items. A flash back. Before the advent of electricity mother-in-laws used to fan when their son-in-laws would sit for lunch. The hand fan which is still popular in Bengal used to be part of this festival.

Festivals are meant for fun and gatherings. But the most important message the festivals carry is our love for them and how much we value our relations. In this smart age when human beings are heavily dependent on smart products to get smarter, these festivals are a gentle reminder that spare some time for these occasions. No apps are still made which can give you the contentment to be a part of these festivals. The love, the attention and most importantly the bonding are only to be felt and downloaded in heart.

image courtesy www.resultspie.com

On a lighter note, if you heavily want to participate in a Bengali festival or occasion just ensure your digestive system is in a good condition. Bengali's love food and will never settle with a two course meal. Their meal will be long and elongated with special emphasis of non vegetarian dishes. By the way spare some space for some sweets as well. The dessert section can almost be a full course menu. So just forget about the harsh words like calories and burning them. Just gorge on them and enjoy. Cheers!!!!

Dreamzzz

As the waves hits the rock and the water splashes across my face, my thoughts take a small break while driving across my tumultuous mind. Yes, never realized how with time everything wraps up even though we think they would continue for eternity. Everything yes, everything. Some relationship with time just get stronger while the stronger ones get fragile and eventually whine off.

Perhaps i do not have the correct words to describe certain aspects of life. We devote our time, our trust and believe with every fibre in our body that these people will always be there for us. But a certain windy day changes the direction of the wind. Those certain people get too much involved with life and commitments leaving you wondering about the changes.

The splashing water continues to drench my pajamas while i try to fold them. I placed a pebble on my slippers so that the mighty waves do not carry them away just like the changing times took away a lot of things from me. With time, my postal address changed, age changed my looks, the salon girl changed my hairstyle, new place changed my dressing style, imbalances in the body changed my food habits, commitments towards my life has mellowed me down. Am i the one i knew? Perhaps not! Then why blame certain people for changing. Ha ha ha no answer.

My packet of groundnuts along with my soft drinks are over. I sipped but only the ice remains. Sigh! As i look for a trash bin to dispose them, i realized the clock hands have also changed. It's been long that i have solitarily occupied that rock spot meant for couples as well.

Before you start cursing me for such a low post let me confess, it was a dream last night which left a sort of hangover for the entire day. Now sipping my lemonade and putting my dreams into words i can safely focus on the other productive jobs which can stop such dreams. But most importantly never stop dreaming my friends. Dreams are like cushion which helps you to realise many things of life. Enjoy it...

Just like that....

My early morning joy manifolded today morning on seeing my neighbors daughter dancing on a pile of snow. The little kid waiting for her school bus on an early snow morning. Dancing with joy with her boots digging deep into the snow while still holding her mothers hand, the little girl cared very little about the passer by most of them smiled at her actions. The restless mother kept on murmuring to her daughter, 'have patience, the bus should be here soon'. The word 'patience' is an obese word in itself, i would say. It carries a lot weight all the time especially when do not have the time to bear it.

As my day moved through the train stations, regular commuters were waiting for their respective trains. The moment trains halted at the station people pressed hard to get inside. The ear phones plugged into the ears, detached from the world while still connected through the exact ways they want. People staring at the ceilings and the passing outside, people constantly looking at their watches, clasping their fists. Some music  are a bit loud which penetrates through the ear phones to give us clear idea about the persons taste in music.

My journey doesn't end there. While i switch trains, i discover more and more about the mad rush. Rushing for work, school, college, meetings, interviews, presentation and the rush continues. While i somehow manage to make to my destination in a rush, i am lucky to have my work done in a day. The wait was a bit tiring but it ended fruitfully...While i am running a bit behind time else would have shared in details about my itinerary. Till then have fun, take care and enjoy every single moment of life....

Missed it....

The weather these days is really in a delirious state...The snow, the sleet, the snow drizzled boots which adds extra moisture to the floor when we reach home after a day spent outside. Even though a cup of hot chocolate with or without marshmallow do provide some comfort to those cold hands, yet the thought of stepping out for grocery drives me insane. While i carefully brush the fur of my coat and keep it in the closet for my next use my cousins in the warmer part of the globe are all busy preparing for one of my cousins wedding. Yes, i am going green with jealousy and they are blushing with happiness. They keep sending me pictures of the rituals that are going on while i sit back and bite my manicured nails. The chipped off nails keep me reminding that i am missing one hell of a celebrations.

Various commitments holds me back to attend the wedding while i am virtually present there every moment. The rituals pre wedding, the wedding, the reception and galore of love, laughter and of course good food. Well, not to mention my cousins who keep checking their clothes, jewelry and make up only to confirm with the people around them if everything is fine. It should be tacitly understood that they want some compliments (laughs...they will kill me if they get a chance to read these).

The flower laden house with the air smelling heavily of air fresheners, the busy people rushing to make the last minute preparations, the women folk discussing about the preparations and grandeur, the men discussing about politics and weather and of course the youth community busy giggling over some drinks and fast food. The older community sits and reminisces about their golden days when marriages were a simpler affair where the rituals were given more importance than grandeur. They don't seem to stop there. The express their concern and good wishes to the prospective groom and brides family since they believe that these days more marriages topple than taking place. They are perturbed that their respective daughter-in-laws focus less on the grandchildren than on their carriers. While they enjoy their time with their grand children, yet their ironical tone clearly states their displeasure over the lack of time the parents spend on their children.

Lets move on to the food court. The aromatic inviting food court is the star attraction of any marriage. From sizzling starters, to an array of entrees to luscious desserts every dish is savored by people. The seasonal fruits and vegetables all add to the taste of the dishes.While i am going weak on my knees thinking about what i am missing, especially when i think i have to cook. Sitting thousands of miles away from the wedding venue and my eyes getting a bit moist thinking about my loved ones, all i wish and pray for lots of happiness, good health and prosperous life for the newly weds. God bless us all....

Lovely Lovely....

While we still continue to battle cold and snow, my parents on the other side of the globe are almost in the process of cleaning and packing their woolens. They feel their wardrobes are weighed down upon by the cardigans and  coats which were almost obnoxious this year. My dad jokes over the contrast of weathers at different places. True, as much as we rave about comfort food, my parents are craving for some good winters which would give them satisfaction and the comfort about wearing those woolens. An evening tea session was always looked forward in our house. After office my dad would prefer tae with family and of course the accompaniments. The tea was the priority but as kids we would look at the tray which my mother would bring out at last. The most desired was the much awaited. Growing up in a warm climate soup was never a hit with our family until the geographical differences has changed our tastes now. Fries were always expected even though my mother ensured about our wellbeing, hence it was mostly on weekends. I remember my mother would often grumble about the most difficult decision of planning the menu everyday but once it was out of the kitchen, it was served with utmost love and warmth. Her smile, her loving hands and dollops of love on the food she served all added the joy of eating together. Everyday was a 'thanksgiving' for us. Still today i cannot stop thanking about those moments which i cling to my heart. Its because of those lovely anecdotes a curvaceous smile embraces my lips and my heart leaps with joy at the train of those memories.

While fiddling with my fork and noodles i am trying to decipher about the amount of love it needs to hold a family together. Love is the only binding factor which keeps all the relations in the family going and moving. Love in relationship, love in daily lives, love in food and most importantly the deep love in fight and emerge stronger in relationships. I am still a novice when it comes to cooking and baking but i can certainly try to imbibe my mothers quality of spreading the love and warmth in my family. I must have certainly inherited it (chuckles)

Food comes close to love. So with my dwindling interesting in my bowl of noodles i am going to dig deep in my refrigerator to gorge on something else. But yes i will certainly rustle something for my family and of course with LOVE....It's never late to fall in love with everything around you...Stay blessed!!!!

It's 2014

Its first post of 2014. I am excited, motivated, optimistic about the year. As somebody said, the new year is just like book of 365 pages of blank pages where i will write my deeds. Deeds which reflect my values, ideologies and my behavior towards my family and friends and most importantly towards strangers. Strangers who don't know me and it's my behavior and words who will judge me with that.

It's a cold winter day with the winds blowing the snow away...It's snowing but its more of the turbulent winds which is making it more difficult for people to commute. People all wrapped up in woolens trying bravely to beat the wind and move forward. Some people are drawing some warmth from the cup of coffee while the music through their headphones gives them company while they dig and pull their feet from the snow clad roads. It's an all white pristine image. Suddenly a yellow bus comes. Gleefully the children exit the school buses and make way  to their warm homes where perhaps some loving face awaits with some warm loving food.

Spare a thought for those homeless people who dont' have a warm place to live. The cruel winds just adds agony to their woes. The animals who are yet to be rescued curl themselves in some corner looking helpless at the passer by for a small piece of bread or some eateries. They dont have enough clothing to keep themselves warm in this weather or adequate food to satisfy their growling stomach yet they are perhaps content with whatever little they have. We flip through the magazines to go through some fashion jackets while the clothes they wear do not even keep them warm. We look for discounts at our favorite brands while they look for minimals. We crave soups and wines while they ask for a morsel with little knowledge when would they get their next serving.

Life is so strange. Its almost like weather across the globe. While some parts of the globe struggle with daily life in winters, some people enjoy and bask in the sun. We always yearn for other people's life. My neighbors coat is perhaps warmer than mine, my friends job is more exciting than mine. My cousins kids are far well behaved than mine. My colleague has a clearer skin than mine and so on. Friends lets sit back and appreciate what we have around us. It may not be too expensive but adding just a dash of satisfaction or contentment will certainly make it extra special. Share your food, thoughts, warmth happiness with people around you. Don't look for discounts in the areas. They will only multiply your happiness with time.

As i sip my last drop of coffee i realise i am in a state of mind to make a bowl of tomato soup. But my train of thoughts is cut short when i figure out that i am running out of tomatoes. Never mind, stay happy...Rushing to get some plum tomatoes from the neighborhood grocery while the wind is trying hard to force me to stay inside. I promise, i will get them  and relish my tomato basil soup. Stay warm my friends and enjoy the season....