Not Your Eyes, Open Up Your Imagination

Who says we need eyesight to appreciate and understand art!?!

Saw this gentleman at the museum enjoying modern art through the voice of his friend but through the eyes of his imagination.

What an inspiration for all of us! :)

Have a great week ahead!

10 (apparently proven) benefits of being left handed

Funny post I came across on the web...

Needless to say I am left handed... I heard the following quote from a fellow left handed: "Everyone is born right handed, only the great ones overcome it"

1. Being left handed is an advantage in many sports.
2. Lefties have a greater chance of being a genius– or having a high IQ.
3. Left handed men may make more money.
4. Left handed people adjust more easily to seeing underwater.
5. Lefties are better able to multitask.
6. Some left-handed individuals have better memories.
7. Generally, lefties are better at playing video games.
8. Left handed stroke victims recover faster than right handed stroke victims.
9. Left-handed people are likely to be more visual than language-based, making them ideal for artistic pursuits.
10. Southpaw drivers are more successful at learning to drive than right handed people.

Bye Bye Kodachrome!

 A couple of days ago, I read that an article saying that the last of the iconic Kodachrome film made by Kodak was developed in Kansas, USA. That got me thinking of my introduction to photography, camera and dark rooms..


Ever since I laid my hands on a camera, I was fascinated by the endless possibilities. My dad owned a Nikon camera which of course was off limits for me when I was a 10yr old...however, I was still given a simpler less expensive camera -- more to play around with, experiment with...

I still remember the first shot I ever took! I must have been 12 years then. I was up early in the morning studying for an exam the next day...I made camp on the swing in the balcony.. laid my books, pencils, etc..Before diving into the books, I took a deep breath and looked outside, the birds were chirping and playing around in the morning sunshine...Then, I noticed a small green woodpecker pecking away all happy happy! I was uber excited to see a woodpecker at such a close distance. Growing up in a city like Bombay, the opportunity to see unique, rare birds was almost zero, unless you travel to the suburbs or outside the city. However, I had been lucky once more after this one when an old male owl had entered my house during the day to seek refuge from a bunch of mean ravens chasing him around.... well that story is for another day. :)

Without wasting any time, I ran to fetch my camera so that I could finally click my first shot from that camera. I was lucky to find the woodpecker still pecking away at the tree when I returned. I took a couple of shots and I was so happy that I just couldn't contain myself... I told everyone in my family, how I saw this beautiful green woodpecker with a red crown and I proudly said that I had captured it all on my camera. Finally, I got back to studying, but the focus was definitely not in the books... I was already thinking of what pictures I'd take, how I'd use up the remaining film. Couldn't wait to get the film developed.  After that I did not quite continue taking pictures, in fact I don't remember where the camera disappeared after that first roll of film.


Many years later when I moved to the US, I got my hands on a digital camera, not mine... I was a student then and couldn't afford to buy it myself... so every now and then when I hung out w/ friends, I'd volunteer to take pictures... but I'd end up taking more pictures of other stuff after taking the poser pictures of my friends... :) I then realized how long I'd been away from a passion of mine without realizing what I was missing... my friend who's camera I'd use saw this as well and a couple of years later.... gifted me a Nikon film SLR as a parting gift.  It's been one of the best tangible gifts I've ever received...I have clicked some of my best photos with that one. So many films, so many prints.... oh! how much I loved it .... sigh! Eventually, I upgraded to a digital SLR, but I still have the N65 with me, it will always remain with me for it (the giver of the N65 actually) opened the door to letting out my hidden creativity... and introducing me to a world of endless possibilities.


I am sure most of you have either knowingly/unknowingly/indirectly seen the capabilities of the Kodachrome film, no? Perhaps you recognize this picture:

The Afghan Girl photo is recognized around the world (Courtesy of Steve McCurry/Magnum Photos)

A few lines from the article: "Although Mr Steinle developed his own Kodachrome roll last, Kodak gave the final roll it produced to Mr McCurry. With just 36 frames to use, he travelled to India to photograph a tribe on the verge of extinction."

I recommend reading the entire article on the Kodachrome film, here on the BBC website

Of the pictures I have on my computer right now that I took from my film SLR, I have this sunflower shot that I took in Singapore.

Before Bees Bee Gone...

In the last couple of days, my twitter feed has been spitting out various article links on the sudden dip in the bee population (honey bees and bumble bees), declining numbers, etc... I am shocked as to why has the alarm been triggered now!? The disappearance of bees due to CCD and other factors has been well known to scientist and researchers and others for a few years now.

In fact, I remember watching an episode of Nature (on PBS - Public Broadcasting Service in the US) that was titled Silence of the Bees. It's been 3 years since the documentary first aired on PBS. It is rather shocking that people are reacting in this manner only now. From the couple of articles I read, apparently the cause of the decline is unknown, however, if I remember correctly, a lot of the CCD and disappearance of the bees has been a result of increasing destruction of trees, natural habitat of bees and the construction of a concrete jungle. The bees seem to get disoriented and cannot find their way back.

In Gujarati there is a saying the literal translation of which in English means "Why wait until the fire to breakout in order to go dig a well to get the water"...

Humans have been exploiting the natural resources for as long as we can remember. The tiger, the lynx, polar bear, and now bees...  :(

If you are interested, check out the PBS website, they have even put up the entire episode on this link:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/silence-of-the-bees/introduction/38/
However, I strongly recommend/urge that you take some time out and watch this documentary.

The way I look at it, it still isn't too late to begin saving what's left of our planet Earth... we can take small steps by simply being involved in our local/neighboring community and take initiatives to fix one thing at a time.

Leaving you with some pictures (that I have clicked) of flowers and their pollinators and our benefactors!

CONSERVATION

One of the most freely available resources in nature has been taken for granted by humans and that is WATER. Residing in developed nations, we do not realize the importance of water and it’s conservation. As a result we cannot fathom what may happen one day when water will become scarce. Luckily, it’s not too late to open our eyes and figure out what we can do to help our less fortunate fellow humans to at least get clean water for drinking and other basic needs.
We all can begin by taking a very simple direction in the conservation of water. All we have to do is be mindful, mindful of our usage of water. Here are some things we can keep in mind:
1. Do not keep the tap running. For ex: when cleaning dishes, showering or brushing your teeth.
2. Re-use water whenever possible. For ex: for rinsing dirty dishes before cleaning them or loading the dishwasher. Sometimes water that is not safe for drinking but good for either watering the plants or cleaning stuff.
3. Reduce the amount of water to a bare minimum.
4. Read up on the internet or magazines/journals to find out what you can do in addition to this to help.
5. Be knowledgeable on where your water comes from and how its managed.
6. If you feel like doing more beyond this, feel free to look up local/national/international organizations that are involved in reaching out to developing nations to get them clean drinking water, etc..
I follow an NPO called “Charity: Water”. Feel free to look up their website: http://www.charitywater.org/about/
Maybe this can be one of your goals for 2011!
I am going to leave you with this spectacular photo of the day:
*Please note: I have not taken this photograph. Charitywater/the photographer owns the rights to this picture.

This photo has been taken from the charitywater website (Photo of the Day)

 

The Change Revolution - One Change At A Time...

I've started a new blog aimed at creating and spreading mental, physical and spiritual well-being.

The intention of this blog to promote wellness for the mind, body, soul, our fellow human beings, our fellow earthlings and above all our dear planet Earth. I <3 you! Mother Earth.....


Here's my blog:
http://thechangerevolution.wordpress.com/

Feel free to comment and/or give me your feedback.

Happy Reading! :)

Be wise, be healthy - choose wisely what you put into your body

Special thanks to my mum for sharing these videos with me... I am only posting two... there's more on youtube... Better yet, if you have netflix subscription just search for "Change your food, change your life"

I learnt a lot, I hope you find it as useful or more :)




Here's another video:


I have yet to visit her website, but you can visit the presenter's (Jill Ovnik's) website:

Anthropology

Anthropology
There's a store by the name "Anthropology", and yesterday, I was chatting with a friend about this store... much later last night, as I retired for the night, I lay in bed thinking about the word Anthropology...

According to dictionary.com (displaying just the first of the four meanings/definitions listed):
an·thro·pol·o·gy

[an-thruh-pol-uh-jee]
–noun
1. The science that deals with the origins, physical and cultural development, biological characteristics, and social customs and beliefs of humankind.


Then came to mind some lines from a book I read not too long ago...there the author rephrased the definition somewhat along the lines of... being interested without judgment, in the way other people choose to live and behave. He then went on to describe how this strategy can be applied toward developing compassion and being more patient.

When someone acts in a way that seems strange to you, rather than reacting in your usual way, such as, "I can't believe they would do that," instead say something to yourself like "I see, that must be the way she sees things in her world. Very interesting." However, if order for this strategy to help you, you have to be genuine. There's a fine line between being "interested" and being arrogant, as if secretly you believe that your way is better.

The point I am trying to get out there is: Let's all become true anthropologists! STARTING NOW!

Happy rest of September :)

Pay it forward

A couple of weeks ago, I was waiting to catch the train back home.... I am at the ticket machine and a student comes by. She asked me if the machine accepted credit cards, so I take a quick look and say...ummm, I don't think so. So then, she asks me if I knew of any ATM machines around. Unfortunately, I was not familiar with the neighborhood, so I couldn't help her much... I felt like helping her. So, I offered to pay for her ticket. At first she refused, but then I told her that it was my pleasure to be of any help to her.

I put in a twenty dollar bill into the machine and it spit out two tickets. Next, it gave me change in one dollar coins, but instead of giving me change after charging me for the tickets, it actually gave me my entire $20 back in dollar coins :)

So then, we boarded the train and she thanked me for buying the ticket for her....I smiled and said "Please don't thank me, just pay it forward"

We only live our lives once and we should live it to the fullest. We should try to find out our purpose on planet earth and find ways to serve....

Life is beautiful and we have to remember, there is always abundance all around us... plenty to go around...

Good night :)

Story of Bottled Water

I came across this article today while reading news on the internet. I am so glad that people like Annie Leonard are taking the initiative to wake people up and break the common misconceptions we have about drinking bottled water.

I, for one, have always been an advocate of carrying around my Nalgene bottle filled with nice filtered water... yay!!! :) mostly for the environment. I try my best to reuse most plastic stuff, whether it is ziplocks or gladware or yogurt containers...but with bottled water, I refrain from buying bottled water except for when traveling or when I am not sure if tap water is safe to drink. Most restaurants, I just ask for tap water as well.. but now I have more than just one reason to not only continue my good habit of carrying my own water in a reusable, environment-friendly bottle, but also promote a lesser known fact -- BOTTLED WATER IS NOT NECESSARILY SAFER THAN TAP WATER...

The excerpt from the aritcle I found online is at the end of my post and also embedded is a nice cartoon video that brings to light certain truth about the popular bottled water brands like Aquafina, Dasani and Fiji (no, the water does not come from Fiji). Also, more often than not, water also does not come from some mountain springs, but is just plain old filtered water from the tap.

Its really amazing how these corporations have used the fear factor to get us to think that bottled water is safer than tap water and gotten us to keep spending our precious dollars to buy their nicely packaged and smartly advertised bottled water.

A big shocker for me was when I learned through the video that most plastic bottles are shipped to India where they are not recycled the way plastic is supposed to..more details in the video... do check it out... the best 8 minutes you will ever spend! =) seriously!!! :)

Annie Leonard's "Story of Bottled Water" Should Make Fiji Nervous

BY Ariel SchwartzMon Mar 22, 2010

Annie Leonard, the mastermind behind The Story of Stuff and The Story of Cap and Trade, has released the latest in her series of animations about environmental issues, just in time for World Water Day. The Story of Bottled Water breaks down the problems with our beloved water in signature Annie Leonard form, with juicy tidbits like: one third of bottled water comes from the tap! And enough oil and energy to fuel a million cars is used to make bottled water in the U.S. each year! Okay, so tap water enthusiasts might already know most of what Leonard discusses in the video, but it's worth it to gather your bottled water-loving friends around the computer for 8 minutes to teach them in an easily digestible animation just why their Fiji and Dasani is so unnecessary.

Encroachment of space

Today, we humans have become so powerful that we tend to take advantage of all the freedom we have...I recently came across an article where 2 tiger cubs were poisoned to death because they killed a couple of goats on the outskirts of the Ranthambhore National Park (India). The goat herders were so furious that they decided to poison the killed goats and leave them for the tiger to feed on... the tigers did so and later died due to poisoning.

Even though the Bengal tiger numbers are fast falling, there is no process in place to protect these tigers from extinction. Apparently, the loss the goat herders incurred due to the death of those two goats was close to rupees two thousand. While I do understand that this is a big number for these villagers, the question is... is it right for us to encroach upon their (the wild animals') space and then kill them later for them simply wandering about in their own territory and habitat?

Reading the article made me weak in the knees... it makes me sad that such has become the state of affairs not only in a country like India but all over the world where humans are taking over more and more of the wildlife space that belongs to the wild creatures....

leave them alone and they will leave you alone...

Here's is the detailed article:

http://www.dickysingh.com/2010/03/two-tiger-poisoned-in-ranthambhore-tiger-reserve/

I am back.....

I am finally back into writing.... and this time I bring to you quite an inspiring story about a Sudanese woman who is breaking the shackles of oppression women in many countries world wide are putting up with....

Here's an excerpt from the article:
A Sudanese journalist facing 40 lashes for wearing "indecent" trousers vowed on the eve of her judgment that she is ready to be whipped 40,000 times in her bid to change the country's harsh laws.
Lubna Ahmed al-Hussein, who works for the media department of the United Nations Mission in Sudan, is to be judged on Tuesday after waiving the immunity granted to UN workers.

"If I'm sentenced to be whipped, or to anything else, I will appeal. I will see it through to the end, to the constitutional court if necessary," Hussein said.
"And if the constitutional court says the law is constitutional, I'm ready to be whipped not 40 but 40,000 times."
Hussein invited scores of journalists to her first court hearing on Wednesday, when she made a point of wearing the same clothes she wore when she was arrested -- moss-green slacks with a loose floral top and green headscarf.
Hordes of people, many of them female supporters and some also wearing trousers out of solidarity, crammed into the courthouse for the hearing.
"My main objective is to get rid of Article 152," Hussein said. "This article is against both the constitution and sharia," the Islamic law ruling northern Sudan.
To read the entire article, click on the link below:
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.3be7c739a4f341fdb5124824a0e5965c.821&show_article=1

Intuition

I don't know how many people on this Earth go by their intuitions.... I know I do......

It's funny... how different events evoke different intuition symptoms, by that I mean, when you know something nice is going to happen, your intuition is so much more positive and is reflected by means of happy symptoms... but when something unpleasant is about to happen, you feel all negative with symptoms like a queasy stomach, butterflies in the stomach.... basically unrest, lack of peace....

But yeah... we often underestimate the power of intuition... its basically our heart's way of telling us something is about to happen, warning us of the events coming ahead.....

Our creator is really the greatest....its most complex creation - the human amazes me beyond words....So, we must use everything we've been gifted with to our advantage... and not misuse it....

Technology.... ahhh!!!!!! It's so cool.....

So today I finally got around playing with the Bluetooth functionality on my MacBook Pro and was quite thrilled to find out how cool it really is.....

Tried a couple of different phones.... and was quite impressed to see how well my mac's Bluetooth feature interfaces with the different cell phones...

Yay!!! for MAC.... keep goin....

Of Legends, bees and babies....

This weekend, I caught up on some movies.... and its such a pity to find out how the quality of movies is just degrading these days..... no material, no originality....

I watched I am Legend, Bee Movie and Gone Baby, Gone.

And the only one which was really well made was the Ben Affleck's directorial debut - Gone Baby, Gone. Nice story, well made, superb twist!!!! although if you're not patient enough you may write off the movie and switch channels before the big revelation causing moment... in the movie....Unfortunately, it did not bag any big Oscars... but again, I don't judge a movie's quality based on its Oscar nomination, but just that it would have been nice for the older Afleck brother... cuz at least this is one domain where his talent is actually worth publicizing (heehee!!!) - his acting of course is something we must not talk about :D and yeah.... the best part of Ben Affleck's career would be the publicity he got when he was dating Jennifer Lopez and the media nicknamed them Ben and Jen hahaha!!!!!! anyhoo, Lopez is his out of his life, but he is still has the same nick this time w/ ms. Gardner.... Oh well!!!! getting back on track..... which is way more interesting than Mr. Affleck's acting career and love affairs... I strongly recommend this movie... a must-watch! Oh btw, you must also watch the bonus features, audio commentary etc...

The Red Flaming Grreeeennnn Monster

so.... one of my co-workers got back from his trip to China Huanhuan It's this cute lil red flaming Olympics mascot. One of the five mascots actually....

Here's a little something I copied and pasted from the link Huanhuan points to:

Like the Five Olympic Rings from which they draw their color and inspiration, Fuwa will serve as the Official Mascots of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, carrying a message of friendship and peace -- and good wishes from China -- to children all over the world.

Designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends, Fuwa also embody the natural characteristics of four of China's most popular animals -- the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow -- and the Olympic Flame.

Each of Fuwa has a rhyming two-syllable name -- a traditional way of expressing affection for children in China. Beibei is the Fish, Jingjing is the Panda, Huanhuan is the Olympic Flame, Yingying is the Tibetan Antelope and Nini is the Swallow.

When you put their names together -- Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni -- they say "Welcome to Beijing," offering a warm invitation that reflects the mission of Fuwa as young ambassadors for the Olympic Games.

Fuwa also embody both the landscape and the dreams and aspirations of people from every part of the vast country of China. In their origins and their headpieces, you can see the five elements of nature -- the sea, forest, fire, earth and sky -- all stylistic rendered in ways that represent the deep traditional influences of Chinese folk art and ornamentation.

and..........

this is what Huanhuan stands for:



n the intimate circle of Fuwa, Huanhuan is the big brother. He is a child of fire, symbolizing the Olympic Flame and the passion of sport -- and passion is the blessing he bestows. Huanhuan stands in the center of Fuwa as the core embodiment of the Olympic spirit. And while he inspires all with the passion to run faster, jump higher and be stronger, he is also open and inviting. Wherever the light of Huanhuan shines, the inviting warmth of Beijing 2008 -- and the wishful blessings of the Chinese people -- can be felt. The fiery designs of his head ornament are drawn from the famed Dunhuang murals -- with just a touch of China's traditional lucky designs. Huanhuan is outgoing and enthusiastic. He excels at all the ball games and represents the red Olympic ring.

He got a few of us these sweet lil gifts from China the host for the 2008 Olympics.....

Along with these he also got some nice yummy treats. My favorite has been the Green bean Cake...... for many reasons......

1. I got my wisdom tooth extracted last Friday and as a result, I am on soft foods.... and the good thing is that this small (tiny I should say) lil green bean cake melts in my mouth.
2. I love the taste of it.... It's nothing even remotely close to how green bean would taste...
3. they're tiny treats, so I dun feel so bad having too many in quick succession... hehehe!!!!!!
4. Lucky for me, I am pretty much the only consumer of these delightful green bean cakes.... wooohhooo!!!!!!!

I am feeling Gooooggllllyyyy

So, now I've been using a Macintosh computer for a couple of months and I find that while support for the Mac has been growing, it is still not there yet......however, I must admit that Google impresses me more and more every single day.....they have so many apps, useful apps that are Mac compatible.... just today I found out about the Google Notifier feature and thats brilliant, just like many other apps they have developed......BTW, this feature is also available for Windows....

Anyhoo, it makes me happy to see that Google designs apps keeping in mind that the Mac is also quite popular and it needs to support it as well... yay!!!!

Blah....

Yeah....you read that title correctly.....

Blahh........Blaaahhh is what I feel right now...

sometimes, you feel that, maybe cuz it is blah, everything is blah...

what!!!??? you say I am suffering from delirium??? nah-uh.... I don't think so....

perhaps this is the our mind's off time, we've subjected it to all kinds of stress... and it just needs a break.....hmmmmm maybe it's better than meditation...

so, here's to beginning a new week on a blah note.... go figure.

Judgmental

While being judgmental is not a bad thing, somehow we still associate this word with some sort of negativity. Maybe its true because more often than not, we end up judging situations and people in negative light. Maybe the first "judgement" we draw is a tad bit negative before we change our opinion of that particular situation or person.

The question is, why do we do so? Why is it our first instinct to be skeptical and doubt everything. Sometimes, it's nice to question, but there's a difference in questioning with curiosity and questioning with distrust.

Sometimes, I feel that it ruins our innocence, it taints our souls. Have we lost faith in the basic essence of humanity? Do we have to unlearn in order to clean and purify our minds, why does our mind increasingly win over our hearts?

15 of the most captivating christmas trees around the world..

as per MSN...I found this really nice :)

check it out..

http://travel.msn.com//Guides/MSNTravelSlideShow.aspx?cp-documentid=377019&imageindex=1

Forgiveness and Hatred

It took me a long time and most of the world to learn what I know about love and fate and the choices we make, but the heart of it came to me in an instant, while I was chained to a wall and being tortured. I realized, somehow, through the screaming in my mind, that even in that shackled, bloody helplessness, I was still free; free to hate the men who were torturing me, or to forgive them. It doesn't sound like much, I know. But in the flinch and bite of the chain, when its all you've got, that freedom is a universe of possibility. And the choice you make, between hating and forgiving, can become the story of your life.

-Gregory David Roberts (Shantaram)

These 4 letters that's called LIFE

Amazing how at every turn of our lives, the same revelation appears in a different form........the revelation that LIFE is so rewarding and yet we take it for granted time after time.......do we really need that ultimate "life changing" revelation to actually start appreciating what we have???

Yeah it's true that our life is enriched with all the experiences we go through but do all of us have to experience the same thing to understand the importance of this privilege we have. Do we lack the understanding or is it just that as humans while we think we are the most intelligent/smarted of all beings, we probably are also the weakest...... weak enough to be carried away by emotions. When we seek strength of the heart, we are actually rendered helpless???

We want somebody to share our lives with, enjoy the pleasure of living for someone, add meaning to our existence, add purpose to our existence.

So here's to a wonderful privilege given to us by God.....

Live and let live is not where it should end, let's join hands and make this world a better place to live, filled with love and harmony amongst all creations of God....

Giving thanks....

... amongst many other things... some which I cannot speak of, some which need not be mentioned..... I thank thee for opening the window to a world which I had only dreamt of exploring....

today....I saw the rabbit on the moon....

today....I appreciated the imperfections of the perfect moon...

today....I saw the clouds caress the moon....

today....I saw the moonlight shine upon me...

today....I once again thank you... for this and much more....

Autumn

The winds are cold, the winds are biting
The skies are stormy, the skies are dark
As I walk against the wind I'm fighting
Calls me to it, this old rusted bench in the park

Deserting the tree and leaving it hollow
Like the weathered leaves of autumn
Gone away is happiness, leaving behind sorrow
The heart feels empty, cold and numb

The eyes are moist, the hair are ruffled
The raging winds, the crumpled leaves
Abstract in pattern, the leaves are whiffled
The rain comes down, now the heart heaves

Caressing me gently, washes away my tears
The rain melts my heart, fills the chasm
The emptiness is gone and gone are my fears
With hope and love, my heart blossoms.

The Crossroads

We are always at some crossroads in life, be it small or big, easy or difficult, short-term or long-term.

We can either make the choice of what road we want to take or just follow the wind, go with the flow.....However, we as humans are lucky enough to be born with the intelligence to decide/choose what we want....

So, I think that at least if we choose what we want rather than just following the wind, which BTW is going it's own course, at the end of the day even the wind goes it's own way and you are left on your own....By making the conscious choice, at least we are doing something in the direction of what we want in life. Instead of having other factors influence or decide for us, we should follow our hearts.

And hey, the biggest mistake in life one can make, is not taking that chance.... after all you gotta take risks and yeah if you follow your heart, you know you won't regret your decision(s).

Sooner or later we all realize this.......sooner or later.....

Procrastination!? I don't think so

A friend forwarded this email to me about a person in Arizona who was supposed to be pullin' off an all nighter working on his presentation for the next day, but instead, he cleaned his bathroom sink, his refrigerator, paid his bills and what not.....

Funny enough, I've been through such situations myself....a couple of times...and I've mentioned it to this same friend who forwarded that email to me... he'll be like what you doin and I tell him that I am cleaning my kitchen or doing laundry....and he is like "Are you crazy!!?? Shouldn't you be doing your office work???", and I tell him that I have to do these things in order to be able to focus on my actual work....and surprisingly enough, we get the same or more work done in lesser time than we would have actually spent sitting there *trying* to get that thing done.......

At least for me, even though I am doing other things, subconsciously my mind is actually working on the problem at hand.... and then by the time I am ready and done w/ the distractions, I have not only figured out how to go about solving my issues at work or getting ideas or material for work, but I also managed to get other things done, like cleaning my apt or paying my bills, etc...so yeah I get more accomplished.......

Anyway, I think we can actually fit a lot more in a day's work than we actually do... but I guess that's something which will remain that way and for the better I think....

So, now you tell me... do you experience anything like that? have something else to share.... feel free to leave your comments! :)

cya!!!!

Bad Bad Apple.....

X-( Why does Apple keep it's favorite and nice and LOYALLLLLL customers hanging.....

I am referring to the release date of the latest OS X release... they say October, but hellloooo!!!! October has THIRTY FRIGGIN ONE days....which day of October is it going to be....Halloween!!!??????

Waiting.......

Although I must admit, as much as it frustrates me, the excitement to get my hands on MY VERY OWN MAC is just so thrilling....yeah the excitement itself is thrilling, I cannot imagine how I will be feeling when I actually have that baby sitting on this lap! :-P

Can't wait to write again..... but from my new Mac Book Pro

hahahahahaha!!!!, can't believe how my day changed from (._.) to (^_^) just on a mere thought/feeling....

My Precious Gem

Its funny how we always focus on what's wrong in our lives instead of focusing on what's right, what's good and how we can make things better. We often drown ourselves in pain and misery when we can actually do something to get out of it......

well sometimes its good to be a little sad, experience that aspect of life too.... after all, what fun would happiness and success be, if we didn't experience some pain and mild setbacks in life.

Last night I realized how blessed I am.... for the first time, even though I was sad about some things, I actually felt happier just knowing that I am surrounded by some gem of people who care for me so much that in a weird (but nice) way I feel obligated. I just hope that I can be there for my wonderful friend when needed.

-Kinjal

Breathing Light

Today....

I have renewed vigor....

Feel positive energy ......

See things in a new light......

See life in new colors.....

Smile with a new twinkle in my eyes......

Smile to pleasant thoughts in my mind......

Today.......

I am standing with open arms to embrace this beautiful life......

Thoughts for the day....

On a day like today... I have some really beautiful thoughts to share with you......

1. "The purpose of life is a life of purpose." - Robert Byrne

2. "Every man is his own prison. But every man can retain the right the escape. Never stop struggling." -- last words of Lord Buddha before dying....

peace,

-Kinjal

Existential Enigma

In the woods we return to reason and faith.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Walking through the woods towards the light......hearing the birds sing to the tunes of the morning glory....comes from afar a white unicorn, his eyes filled with frisson for life. Ringgggggg!!!!!! Rinnnggggggg!!!!! goes my alarm....it's time to get up and get geared up for another day. Another day in a mortal life..

Sometimes, I am lost in the process of finding the real me that is lost in the race for survival. Who am I, what do I really want from myself, what do I really want from life.....

Sometimes, in the middle of the day, I just want to take a plunge in the deep blue sea....ride on the ocean waves and dance with the glimmering sunlight....

Sometimes, I want to run, keep running, my music plugged into my ears.....run towards that light, run towards horizon where the sky kisses the earth and two beautiful souls merge....

Sometimes, I want to roller blade on Hermosa (Los Angeles) dancing on "I'm like a bird - by Nelly Furtado" playing on full volume on my iPod....
So, I think to myself.....what does my dream mean...how does it relate to my life....
the question is, does everything have a reason ?
does it.....?

Nokia 3360

Warning: Read at your own risk. Side effects include minor headache. Do not read if you are pregnant or have a weak heart or have never read Dilbert, Garfield or Calvin and Hobbes or have poor or no imagination at all.

On a stormy night, in a dark alley, tip tap tip tap tip tap tip tap..... went my heels as I was brisk walking, frightened and scared saving myself from 4 goons...before I knew I was sprinting. I thought of calling for help, calling my friends, but my friggin' cell phone died on me, that good for nothing piece of rock! As I knew it, my end was not far, I just ran faster and faster, against all forces of nature. Believe me, the water does hit you real hard and impedes your speed.

Trembling from inside, as I was racing thro' the hard pouring rain, tippity tap tippity tap tippity tap, went my heels now...those dark ugly men had knives in their hands, they were after me, I kept runnin' runnin' and runnin' runnin'..and while I was trying to remember the lyrics of this song by Black-eyed peas, I heard a sharp shrilling meoooowwwwww, a cat jumped out of a garbage can. It's green eyes shone brightly in the dark, enhanced by the silver and striking lightening. It was raining hard and my mascara started spreading...I should have bought the water-proof mascara, what was I thinking....darn!!!!Will remember this next time, if I am alive.

Anyway, as I was running to save my life, running out of breath, I reached a huge wall, a dead-end, nowhere to go, surrounded by scary nocturnal creatures, tons of pairs of eyes staring at me from nowhere and as I turned back, one of the goons devilishly laughed and what I saw next scared the bejesus out of me. He had a fake green eye, just like that cat (see, this is where the cat in the previous scene is related in case you are wondering...) and his teeth were just too white, reminded me of that F.R.I.E.N.D.S episode where Ross whitens his teeth for his date.. oh my God it was so funny....but wait, right now I was friggin' sweating like a pig or was I just feeling wet 'coz of the rain? Hmmmm.....couldn't tell the difference, although now I know for a fact that my body spray really does work!!!!

So, where was I?....Aah, yes, the goons came closer and closer, I was trembling, I did not know what to do. I couldn't think, I was scared. The four of them on the other side, in a line, and poor ol' me on this side. All of a sudden, the street lamp flashed and at the exact same moment, a light bulb inside me flashed. With my survival instincts, I gathered courage, my chin up and my eyebrows raised,I said: Can you handle this, you suckers? I swung my hand, just like one does while playing Golf (yeah, I have started playing golf now...) and flung my purse and knocked the living daylights outta them.

No, no, golf doesn't make one's hands so strong, but the swing did help. So here's where the star of this blog makes the grand entry. I knew it!!! (imagine Seinfeld saying it!!!). My hard as rock, sturdy Nokia 3360 cellphone may not give me the best signal or may not have features like camera, IR or bluetooth, but it sure did save my life today.
I removed it from my purse and there in its backlight I could actually see the graffitti on the wall, which btw was really cool, but alas! I couldn't take a picture, no camera phone you see...

So, there you go! Lesson learnt: there are times when you wonder what on earth made you get that useless cellphone,sometimes pepper-spray may not help, but your regular old junkie cell phone which barely works can save your life...so, now as we all know, the great lord created everything for a purpose, only at times, is the purpose remotely close to what it appears to be. Hmmmmm....

Copper....

Last night I stayed up just to witness the beautiful eclipse..... and let me tell you... it was so worth it. Just to enjoy the sheer beauty of the moon and the earth casting it's shadow over it....The earth cast a beautiful copper/brick hue on the surface of the moon and I could see in between the shadow the craters on the moon and a magnificent moon light lining just forming a very thin crescent shape on the lower edge of the moon's surface..... my words don't do justice to what I experienced last night, the wonderful transition from a big bright vibrant silver moon to a beautiful warm copper moon!

I knew it was Aug28th, but I would have totally missed it if my friend wouldn't have told me that it was actually at 3:00am in the morning......

I read up on this eclipse and the more I read the more I appreciated how nature works, the more I am now fascinated by our solar system, the space, galaxies and the universe and our earth, the moon, you and I....how we are all elements of this one massive organization co-existing (unfortunately I cannot say - in harmony! but I am sure one day that will happen!). we all have at least one specific purpose to fulfill.....wow!!! hmmmm!!!!! I am beginning to drift....ooopppsssss!!!!!!! there I go....

Here's a few links you'd enjoy reading...


http://www.shadowandsubstance.com/


http://spaceflightnow.com/news/0001/19eclipsepreview/

http://www.technologynewsdaily.com/node/7819




Signing off with a song that comes to mind --

Just Like The Moon....one line from that song which is stuck in my head.... it goes something like this...
" I believe that you were born
during an eclipse
and the stars named you moon child"

Someone told me.....

Eyes reflect one's soul,
You have beautiful eyes.

Best things in life sometimes don't make sense.

Life is simple, we make it complicated.

You can predict the future by creating it yourself.

Simple is beautiful.

Mmmmmm yummm yummmm yummmm!!!!!

okay, I totally had to blog about this coz this is by far the best strawberry milkshake I've ever had......

For 1 person (1 glass):
3/4 Strawberries
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup reduced fat organic milk
1 tsp/Tbsp honey

Now just mixie it... and voila!!!! you have the yummiest, most deliciousest, tastiest strawberry milkshake evahhhh!!!!! and yeah, the milk moustache left after enjoying that glass of some healthy yet super delicious milkshake is the best! :)

Enjoy!!!

Ooooh, lemme know if you try it and what you think....

Material Girl

There are people in this world who are brand crazy, label crazy and I don't mean just one label. They have this craze that only if they wear branded stuff will they be hip. No that aint true. I like Coach, I like Banana Republic, I like J.Crew and I like Mercedez....but it's not like ooooooh, I gotta have an Armani jacket and guess jeans and Chanel glasses only then will I be cool......

A few key points to remember:
1. We came empty handed and we shall depart empty handed. In fact, at the time of death, we leave behind all worldly/materialistic possesions behind. Our souls are truly liberated. Whether or not we attain Nirvana or a better next life will be determined by our Karma....

2. Speaking of Karma, I strongly feel that today if God has given us certain benefits over other fellow human beings, we must first of all totally appreciate how much it means because we cannot even fathom how life would be in the absence of all the privileges we have. This does not just mean Armani and Guess, but also two eyes, hands, legs, family, education, friends, roof to live under, food to eat... Things could be worse.
3. We can and must show our appreciation for these privileges by doing what we came here for, helping make this a better place, giving a little to someone who deserves/needs/lacks it is not going to affect us adversely. Not only by money, but by contributing via our minds, bodies, thoughts, actions we largely impact our world.
4. I, for one am fortunate to be educated in moral values by my family, friends, teachers, etc...I must give back the good I got from this world.
5. If the 4 points above did not convince you, then at least to minimize ur -ve Karma and enhance ur +ve Karma, you must help out....it doesn't matter whether it benefits you or not, it doesn't matter if you know the person or not, it doesn't matter.... nothing should stop you from doing what you gotta do, nothing should stop you from doing a good deed...it could be something like planting in ur backyard, smiling at a passerby, calling someone and letting them know that you care....
6. When you say you love someone, love them w/o conditions, give that one person your everything, (s)he should matter the most to you.....don't hesitate to show them you care, don't hesitate to show them how much you love them. Go that extra mile for someone you love.

On that note, I shall sign out.....with a bright sunshiney smile :)

Peace,

-Sunshine

PS: I aint no materialistic girl...but yeah I totally melt when it comes to Mercedez ;-)

U2-Stuck in a moment....

I'm not afraid
Of anything in this world
There's nothing you can throw at me
That I haven't already heard
I'm just trynna' find
A decent melody
A song that I can sing
In my own company

I never thought you were a fool
But darling, look at you. Ooh.
You gotta stand up straight, carry your own weight
'Cause tears are going nowhere baby

You've got to get yourself together
You've got stuck in a moment
And now you can't get out of it
Don't say that later will be better
Now you're stuck in a moment
And you can't get out of it

I will not forsake
The colors that you bring
The nights you filled with fireworks
They just left you with nothing
I am still enchanted
By the light you brought to me
I listen through your ears
Through your eyes I can see

You are such a fool
To worry like you do.. Oh
I know it's tough
And you can never get enough
Of what you don't really need now
My, oh my

You've got to get yourself together
You've got stuck in a moment
And you can't get out of it
Oh love, look at you now
You've got yourself stuck in a moment
And you can't get out of it

I was unconscious, half asleep
The water is warm 'til you discover how deep
I wasn't jumping, for me it was a fall
It's a long way down to nothing at all

You've got to get yourself together
You've got stuck in a moment
And you can't get out of it
Don't say that later will be better
Now you're stuck in a moment
And you can't get out of it

And if the night runs over
And if the day won't last
And if your way should falter
Along this stony pass

It's just a moment
This time will pass

Unwritten

It was one stormy night, San Francisco had never seen such dark clouds before, the clouds roared in agony, the lightening showed it's furor by striking again and again. The trees swayed in fear. The wind could not dare to stand up to the mighty clouds, it made it's way for safer ground by fleeting in the most expeditious way one could have ever witnessed.

People were running for cover, kids were looking up at the sky in discombobulation, their eyes wide open and an excitement in their eyes. cars were driving faster. There was chaos everywhere. It grew darker as the storm continued to brew.

With passing moments, it only grew stronger, looming large over the city, threatening the people to grab shelter.


But, alas!!! the angry and frustrated people could not see her wounds, could not feel her pain....now, the time had come, she had to let it out. She had suffered, endured it all. She hadn't let a tear out. Tonight she voiced her pain, her agony......

In moments that followed, there was calm everywhere, the wind stood still as if fearing to tresspass the dreaded territory, no sound, it was still dark all around, only heart beats could be heard, anxious heart beats, some sighing relief, some wondering what's next to come...

The moment of silence was followed with her tears drenching the earth, people stood sodden not wanting to move anymore, not wanting to run for cover, as if sudden realization had dawned upon them, as if making them want to share her pain, feeling remorseful a little, embarrased a little. She had let it out, let it all out, it seemed that all the heaviness from her heart had been lifted.

After a trice, the rain had sobered down and life on earth resumed a state of normalcy. Little girls danced in the rains like little fairies performing ballet on the gentle petals covered with the pearls of the morning dew. Little boys put their hands out as if to feel her tears and give her a touch of innocent comfort.

There were smiles all around, the chirping birds melodiously added to the pitter patter of the rain drops, and once again.....

Sun rays gradually broke through the clouds enhancing the silver lining of the majestic clouds which now were ready to move on...soon there was sunshine all around!

..................................

Poetry for People.....

Today, a friend and I were discussing some stuff about Poetry since we both pen down our thoughts in a poetic form once in a while.....He made a rather interesting comment on how poetry is "crap" if it doesn't have something for everyone....if it doesn't apply to everyone in general...

and then he told me about a poem he had written in the 11th grade for a gal he liked a lot... :), it was a very nice poem....however soon after he recited the poem to me, he said it was "personal crap".....this is when I thought more on his previous statement of poetry catering to the masses....

and then I told him, "this poem was written with one specific person in mind and it was written solely for this person"... you just shared it with me....at some level or the other, I do connect with the poetry, it maybe the matter, the writing style or just the flow of thoughts....and then he is like.... you know what you're right.....

what do you think?????

speaking of which, boy oh boy!!!! it's been quite a while that I have written some rhyming lines ;-) hahahaahaha....well, poetry my friend is much more than that.....

so, on this note, I shall end my post here and get those poetic cells to work ;-)

Have a happy Tuesday....Friday is only two days away....

Stuck in a moment....

Just sitting in the lab, headphones plugged in and carrying on with my work....these days, its not been as easy as its been in the past to focus.....

speaking of focus, I have this friend, who during my study leave (preparatory leave before exams) when we all used to meet in the school library to study would tell me: "Kinju focus!!!!" hahahahaha!!!! well not really going anywhere with it, but once in a while, the thought comes to my mind when I realize that I am distracted and need to get back on track...

so, not digressing anymore :), I shall continue with my story and drive home the point for which there could be no better title to this blog article....

I listen to a lot of U2 music and today, I randomly selected one U2 album in my iPod and so far all the songs are just so amazing, especially on a day like today....Bono's voice just does it! for me at least.....

I had gone for his concert in 2005 ...it was one helluva concert...I absolutely loved it....Edge, the guitarist... also super rocks!!!! wooohooo!!!!!!

Song of the day.....

Stuck in a Moment, from the album - All that you can't leave behind.... enjoy the lyrics and try to listen to the song if you get your hands on it :)

I'm not afraidOf anything in this world
There's nothing you can throw at me
That I haven't already heard
I'm just trynna' findA decent melody
A song that I can sing
In my own company

I never thought you were a fool
But darling, look at you. Ooh.
You gotta stand up straight, carry your own weight
'Cause tears are going nowhere baby

You've got to get yourself together
You've got stuck in a moment
And now you can't get out of it
Don't say that later will be better
Now you're stuck in a moment
And you can't get out of itI will not forsake

The colors that you bring
The nights you filled with fireworks
They just left you with nothing
I am still enchanted
By the light you brought to me
I listen through your ears
Through your eyes I can see

You are such a fool
To worry like you do..
OhI know it's tough
And you can never get enough
Of what you don't really need now
My, oh my

You've got to get yourself together
You've got stuck in a moment
And you can't get out of it
Oh love, look at you now
You've got yourself stuck in a moment
And you can't get out of it

I was unconscious, half asleep
The water is warm 'til you discover how deep
I wasn't jumping, for me it was a fall
It's a long way down to nothing at all

You've got to get yourself together
You've got stuck in a moment
And you can't get out of it
Don't say that later will be better
Now you're stuck in a moment
And you can't get out of it

And if the night runs over
And if the day won't last
And if your way should falter
Along this stony pass

It's just a moment
This time will pass

Beautiful Soul.....

Beautiful Soul, - by Jesse McCartney
========================

I don't want another pretty face
I don't want just anyone to hold
I don't want my love to go to waste
I want you and your beautiful soul

You're the one I wanna chase
You're the one I wanna hold
I wont let another minute go to waste
I want you and your beautiful soul

I know that you are something special
To you I'd be always faithful
I want to be what you always needed
Then I hope you'll see the heart in me

I don't want another pretty face
I don't want just anyone to hold
I don't want my love to go to waste
I want you and your beautiful soul

You're the one I wanna chase
You're the one I wanna hold
I wont let another minute go to waste
I want you and your beautiful soul
Your beautiful soul, yeah

You might need time to think it over
But im just fine moving forwardI'll ease your mind
If you give me the chance
I will never make you cry c`mon lets try

I don't want another pretty face
I don't want just anyone to hold
I don't want my love to go to waste
I want you and your beautiful soul

You're the one I wanna chase
You're the one I wanna hold
I wont let another minute go to waste
I want you and your beautiful soul

Am I crazy for wanting you
Baby do you think you could want me too
I don't wanna waste your time
Do you see things the way I do
I just wanna know if you feel it too

There is nothing left to hide
I don't want another pretty face
I don't want just anyone to hold
I don't want my love to go to waste
I want you and your beautiful soul

You're the one I wanna chase
You're the one I wanna hold
I wont let another minute go to waste
I want you and your beautiful soul

You beautiful soul, yeah

YaY!!!!!!!!!!

ok ok, I know I've blogged a lot today.....but well...what can I do... :)

well, after a few pensive/thought provoking blogs...here's a very light one.......my co-worker is generally been a lil cranky ever since he's got back from his 4 week long vacation....but he is a nice guy and we both often chit-chat a lil here and there while working.....

this afternoon, while working in the lab, I am trying hard to concentrate w/o my iPod and I hear him literally jump out of his seat and exclaim "Holy crap!!!!".....I'm like dude, what happened? Thinking he may have unearthed a world collapsing problem with our system....I was super curious to find out what had happened.......and he tells me....
.....hold your horses....... here it comes.............................
he tells me...... They are showing NHL (hockey) on the internet......he was overwhelmed with joy, ecstatic, just went crazy for a couple of minutes there....and then rushed to his cube to catch the game..............

well, all of a sudden, my worries seem to have gone away and I feel happy for him.....so yay!!!!! :)

his life is made I tell you.....

it's good to see him smile/grin from ear to ear.....

ok, now back to some serious work :)

When it rains it pours....

....on me at least.... one thing that really really makes me forget my pain and problems temporarily and helps me clear my mind to think rationally is MUSIC....and I do not have a CD player in my car. I solely rely on my iPod...and this friggin iPod of mine has been giving me battery problems since sometime now... recently after getting tech support in order to fix my problem, I had to reset my iPod to factory settings and that means getting rid of my entire playlist. That in itself was big pain in the a$$ and to top it all, that DID NOT fix my problem :(

Have to call support again..... I am going crazy w/o my iPod.....it's like the high one would get from smoking or daily morning coffee.... take away the cigarette from a smoker, deprive one from his daily dose of caffeine...and all hell breaks lose....now you getting my point..... :)

So, if you cross my path and I lash out on you... I'm tellin ya....it's the iPod.....that's the culprit....blame it on the iPod :(

The theory of Karma: What goes around comes around.....

I'm sure we all have heard this phrase so many times...at times, we say this to others and at times others remind us of this phrase.....but who are we to judge as to what a person is going through is something (s)he deserves is a reward/punishment for what (s)he did in the past....

But guess what this is life, there are all kinds of people....and we just gotta learn to take it in our stride.....and that is what I want emphasize here...I took it in my stride, I did not let myself get adversely affected by what was told to me.....I could have reacted out of my emotions at that time and given a fitting reply just to drive home the point...but I chose not to...and I feel very good that I didn't do so then.....

I know, I am only human and am bound like other humans to the material world which includes all tangible and non-tangible attributes....and these are the elements that make me weak....and like all human beings, I too have to give back what I get and get back what I give .......but just like how they say, that every mistake is only a step closer to success, and that every step taken whether it is right or wrong is a step taken ahead because we learn from it and grow....

then why say what goes around comes around....

oh well....but as I said above... this is life :)

Here's drinkin up to LIFE!!!!!! :)

The Love Connection

Isn't it amazing, how a mother knows everything her child is going through....I think that birth of a child is by far God's best creation so far...

At the time of birth, the umbilical cord is cut, but the connection between a mother and her child can never be cut. It is just amazing how a mother just senses every emotion, highs and lows that her child goes through without even being told about it...

Last night I was talking to my mom and was a little depressed. However, when talking to her on the phone I kept my sunny side up and spoke in a cheerful voice....She is in India and I am currently in the US. The last time I saw her was in December 2004. We speak on the phone very often and try to fill the physical absence in the process.

Anyway, so yesterday she didn't say anything, we chit-chatted and then I hung up. Later about an hour later, she called me up and she tells me: "Sweetheart, tell me what's on your mind. I feel as if you want to tell me something"... not wanting to upset her, I stood my ground and told her that I was fine and was in bed almost falling to sleep. So she let it be at that and hung up.

This morning she calls me again and tells me: "honey, I am your mother, you cannot hide your feelings from me" and then I just burst into tears.....at the end of the conversation, we both just felt so relieved.

Maybe a man can never experience this amazing bond, maybe a son and a mother can never connect as closely as a daughter and mother do....

It's like mothers have the sixth sense all the time when it comes to their kids....not only in humans, but even in animals and birds and all living organisms....

Mom, if you're reading this, I want to tell you that I love you a lot........and miss you...wish I could spend more time with you....

God bless all mothers....

::Food Chain::

Yesterday, a friend of mine and I were discussing a few certain things about vegetarianism, veganism, etc... somewhere during our discussion came about the topic of how non-vegetarainism was needed to sustain the eco-system/food-chain, obviously brought up by my friend to in his defense. So, I brought to light my idea of how the food chain was a concept developed by humans themselves to suit their needs. To my surprise, my friends partially agreed with me. anyway, so we continued our ramblings on veg vs non-veg..it wasn't a very heated debate since he is planning on giving up everything but fish....his reasons are partially related to cruelty to animals (which is good enough reason for me)...

This brought to my mind another question, is this way of life, the world, the materialism, everything tangible, nothing but a facade???? Are we in delirium? There are celebrities who protest against fur but wear leather, promote vegetarianism/veganism for one or more reasons but then they indulge in practices that would very much contradict their very own principles. I have done it, you have done it, we all have done it at some point or the other, it's only a matter of time before we realize this and take a step towards changing that...

Yeah, I know...I have diverted my discussion from food chain to the sundries....but well :) it is related...such is life whether we like it or not...

Are we hypocrites? Do we think different and act different? Do we at all times, try to please some one or the other but ourselves?
One line that has stuck with me from the Tobey Maguire movie - Spiderman - "With great power comes great responsibility"...

continuing on that note, I feel that we humans have immense power and control in our hands and thus we should not use it to manipulate this so-called "eco-system"????

By doing all this, where are we headed?????
.........................................................................................

Vagaries of the Wandering Heart....

5 years old, all I can remember are some happy times, with the birth of baby brother, I wanted to hold him, play with the 11Lb bundly of joy....

10 years old, school and play, all in a day's work. No worries, eat sleep and enjoy life....

16 years old, graduated from high school, had to make the first important decision of my life, where was I headed, what did I want to do...and I thought that was biggest and most confusing decision of my life...Anyway, I went with my heart and chose to take up Science, not many girls coming from my background, my family chose.... and I have my mother to thank for supporting me! :) and encouraging me...

21 years old, graduated from undergrad and yet once again, I was the crossroads of my life where I had to make yet another "IMPORTANT" decision...I did not let Destiny dictate my life, but rather chose to write my own destiny...I wanted to spread my wings and soar higher and higher....so there I was, all my bags packed and waiting to a board a plane to Los Angeles, USA...no not to Hollywood... :), but to a very prestigious University to pursue my Masters Degree in Engineering....

This is where my life made some new, unexpected turns....Whoever coined the phrase "Getting wiser with age" must have lost it.... It should actually be: "Getting wiser with age and facing a new wisdom test ever friggin single day"...While I had great experiences in my life, happy ones, sad ones, tough ones, funny ones...it taught me a lot, made me stronger, I grew emotionally and yes... I realized that the phrase I just quoted above was justified in it's original form :) My life was enrichened with all the experiences...

Today, after 5 whole years, I am here, fitting the most beautiful part of my journey so far in the most condensed form ever....so many beautiful people I've met, so many memories to cherish, so many places seen, so many things learnt.....yet my desire to explore more, learn more is far from quenched!!!

Each day brings with it a new light, a new story on it's lips...waiting to unfold and become an integral part of my life and memories to be etched on my heart and mind.

As I travel in search of the significance of my existence, the role I am here to play, in search of the horizon, my destination, in quest of the eternal truth, my experiences with truth and life is what I have to share and leave behind....

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vagaries of the Wandering Heart. -Sunshine!

My heart is a vagabond, it cannot settle, it is restless to seek more,

The truth is what it seeks, the truth is what it craves, the truth is it's core.

I want to spread my wings and soar high, soar high into the sky,

New heights, I desire to reach, New skies I desire to fly.

My mind is a vagabond, it cannot settle, a cause it needs to champion

With the heart, it seeks love. With the soul it seeks a companion.

Together with love and aspiratons, I have begun this journey,

Set out to seek the truth, set out to seek eternity.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

::Reflections::


As I sit by the river side, listening to the murmuring of the gentle stream as it kisses the pebbles on it's way, I notice a squirrel quenching it's thirst by the sweet water of the stream. I then noticed my own reflection in the water. At first, I could barely see it with the running stream. All I could notice were the pebbles. But as I continued to look for it, I did find it....I saw my reflection in the water, clear and untouched. I smiled and thought to myself….just catching my reflection in the water made me feel nice, even though I look at myself in the mirror everyday.

What was I seeing in the two reflections that evoked this reaction? What was the difference? The difference being that in the stream I could just look at myself and think about nothing, worry about nothing, look at the person who I really am…Just be one with myself….

Everyday we look in the mirror and strive to be what we think we need to be, what others want us to be. Why do we wear a mask and yet not see it? We need to see our true reflections, we need to be able to connect to our soul deep within and become one….

Orpheus

Yesterday, I went to Stanford and was walking around the Rodin's Sculpture Garden. I passed this one sculpture called Orpheus...and the name just lingered in my mind...I got home and googled Orpheus...read some stuff about Orpheus, he was a legendary ancient Greek musician.
This is what I found on one of the websites that showed up in the search results:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Legend has it that the music of Orpheus could move mountains and still running streams. Son of the gods Apollo and Calliope, Orpheus enchanted the gods with his poetry and song. A magic lyre, a gift from his father, became more than an instrument and symbol.

The legend begins as Orpheus sailed with mortal men on the ship Argo, seeking adventure. No one suspected his talents would accomplish more than calming the sailors during a storm or spurring them on during a luldrum. The music of Orpheus saved their lives! For eons, the mythical call of Sirens had tragically lured sailors to steer their ships ashore, resulting in their unsuspecting deaths on the rocks surrounding the island. These men, sailing on a forlorn and lonely ocean, could not resist the beautiful call of lonely women. The song of Orpheus was powerful enough to steer the Argo's sailors through this dangerous passage and onto other enthralling adventures!

The rest of this sad but romantic legend explains the origin of a constellation of stars in the sky...
Orpheus married the beautiful Eurydice. Awed by her beauty and wishing to keep her for himself, the bee keeper Aristaeus tried to attack her. Eurydice escaped harm, but suffered death from a snake bite as she fled away.

Stricken, distraught and overcome with grief, Orpheus resolved to rescue her from the underworld. He gained entry to the underworld by distracting the gods Charon and Cerberus, guards of the gates of hell, with his music. Once there, the gods and judges of the dead were so charmed and mesmerized with his song that he was given a chance to whisk his love away from the tortures of the dammed. He was instructed to leave and never look back, or he would never see Eurydice again. Perhaps he was tempted to witness her safety on the journey back or he distrusted the reprieve of the Judges of the Dead, but Orpheus glanced back. Eurydice vanished! Orpheus lost Eurydice forever.

Orpheus never recovered - he wandered the earth aimlessly, lamenting his loss. Perhaps it was jealousy of his love for Eurydice or further retribution for violating his contract with the Judges of the Dead, but Orpheus's life tragically ended.

He ventured into the territory of the Maenads who killed him, tearing him limb from limb. His head, still singing, was tossed into the river Hebrus, where it floated to an island named Lesbos.
Zeus commemorated the magic of Orpheus's music by turning his lyre into a constellation. To this day, it is said that Orpheus still keeps music and poetry alive as lovers at night gaze upon his stars.
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Did you know that Salman Rushdie used the Orpheus and Eurydice narrative as a mythic underpinning to the magical realist novel "The Ground Beneath Her Feet" and U2 in one of their albums (All that you can't leave behind) have a song which goes by the same name and the lyrics are by Salman Rushdie. So then I looked up the lyrics of this song. While, they are not out of this world or captivating, they do potray the love of Orpheus for Eurydice and the second time loss of his wife. The ground beneath her feet refers to "Hell". I also looked up the book on Amazon and am definitely very interested in reading it.

Here's a poem written by Shakespeare on Orpheus:
Orpheus
William Shakespeare
Orpheus with his lute made trees
And the mountain tops that freeze
Bow themselves when he did sing:
To his music plants and flowers
Ever sprung; as sun and showers
There had made a lasting spring.

Every thing that heard him play,
Even the billows of the sea,
Hung their heads and then lay by.
In sweet music is such art,
Killing care and grief of heart
Fall asleep, or hearing, die.

It's amazing the way that the sculptures and reading all about Orpheus has left me feeling....
BTW, if you have never been to this garden of sculptures at Stanford, you must go at least once...I also found the Gates of Hell very intriguing.

Lastly, I found this on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0001BFIMS/102-1169534-1657717?v=glance#product-details) and heard a few sample clips they have...Oh!!! its really euphonious! I loved it.

Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan

Bombay meri jaan....
I try and visit my family every year in India. Bombay just gets better with each passing year. This year unfortunately, I will be here during the Christmas break and thus was thinking about my family and Bombay...

What I like and miss about Bombay:

1. My home, My family....

2. My cute lil cuzin gets a special mention coz he actually writes letters to me regularly and he also draws pictures of me. He is only 6....oohhhhhh I miss him....

3. 19 years of beautiful moments with friends and family that I cherish to this date and these memories will remain ever green in my heart.

4. The bhelwala and the sandwich-wala just around the corner of the street from where I used to live. The famous "chaar rasta" where a bunch of us would hang out and we would meet in the evenings for butter makai...

5. The B.E.S.T buses, the ride to and from college with friends.

6. The Five Gardens, used to go there in the mornings for a walk and in the evenings... with friends...just to chill out, have kala khattas... this used to be fun...guys would be cruising in their flashy cars, checking girls out and we in turn would check them out ...oh boy!!! the things we did as teenagers..hahahahha!!!

7. The monsoon season, the fresh smell of red bricks, the plants and leaves in my bedroom dancing to the pitter patter of the rain drops...

8. breach candy, linking road, lokhandwala, new shopping malls like the Pyramid. Athenas and tons of new clubs that have opened up in the recent past.

9. Getting down for a drive at night all the way to Breach Candy and getting pan from muchhad panwala.

10. Bollywood!!!!

There probably are only two things I hate about Bombay...
1. Pollution

2. Traffic, at any time of the day!!!!

Working for a cause

The strongest, most powerful living being: Human....I strongly believe that being the most powerful, we must use our power, our strength to do some good for our fellow humans...

Recently I started actively volunteering with an NPO called Vibha. It primarily supports projects in India which enable under-previleged kids a better life. They provide education and basic food and shelter to these kids.

I feel immense satisfaction by knowing that every little/big thing that I do, goes a long way towards making their lives better. This fact motivates me even more to carry on and bring about a +ve change in their lives.

Now, this happiness and satisfaction is infectious and I see it at my workplace and interactions with friends and family...

Mahatma Gandhi once said:

You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.

Louisiana got a deadly blow from Katrina.....While more than 10,000 people are feared dead, there are these people on the streets looting other people...some out of desparation and some, (as appears on the news) for TV and beer. How can one human turn a blind eye towards his fellow in such catastrophic conditions? Why is he so self centered?

Why, even in a country like America, where people are educated and so forward thinking, behave like such maniacs?
My heart bleeds to see such behavior from the most intelligent creation of God.
I totally understand that one would first save his own soul before helping another ....but looting and moving around with arms....
Its a pity...

Let's all do the best we can to help the victims of Katrina and pray to God to give them strength to make it past this disaster...
Is this nature's way of teaching us "humans" a lesson?