tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65617306068566744722024-03-14T01:20:46.926-03:00Life's Source CodeAditihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10783020313222383348noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561730606856674472.post-59030627933890011432010-01-25T19:53:00.005-04:002010-01-26T00:06:24.206-04:00My experiments with Life- Gandhian Living<div><div>We have all heard/read about the most popular Gandhian principle- See no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil. </div><div><br /></div><div>I tried to find out how relevant this principle is, 60 years after Gandhi's time. Let's see. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>See no evil</b>- Unfortunately, we live in a society where evil runs the show. No sooner than you open the newspaper/news web sites, evil starts pouring into your life. Terrorists scheming to blow up planes, Strong nations bombing weaker ones to assert themselves as superpowers. You reach your workplace and you see people trying to step over one another to get to the top, by fair means or foul. You get the picture.</div><div><br /></div><div>Simply closing your eyes or in the metaphorical sense, ignoring or shutting the evil out won't help. That would be 'escapist' thinking. It will let you sleep better, but it won't change the reality of the world we live in. </div><div><br /></div><div>So, is this principle no longer valid? - Gandhi was way ahead of his times, his foresight is unparalleled, so we know that's not true. </div><div><br /></div><div>Was Gandhi an escapist? No, we know better than that.</div><div><br /></div><div> Or did he mean we must try to eliminate all evil so that we don't have to see it? Yes, he did indeed.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did he mean we see no evil in anybody, see only good? There is your answer.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Hear no evil-</b>We have already established, the escape route-shutting evil out is not Gandhi. So, what do we do? </div><div><br /></div><div>Hearing doesn't just apply to others' voices, it could also apply to the ones inside you.</div><div><br /></div><div>I say, we use our ears as filters. Absorb the good, throw out the bad, drowning out the evil voices in our heads, only listening to the good ones. We know too well, which ones are which.</div><div><br /></div><div>Doesn't that sound good? There's Gandhi for you- making ever green rules for a better world.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Speak no evil</b>- This one seems the most doable of the three but also the most difficult. We only have to control our own tongue. If only, that was easy. Try going without cribbing, gossiping, finding faults for one day, you will know.</div><div><br /></div><div>Its very difficult not to have negative thoughts at all. But, we can certainly train ourselves not to say them out loud. </div><div><br /></div><div>You just have to watch what you say for a few days, if you don't say the negative things out loud, pretty soon, you will stop thinking them. </div><div><br /></div><div>Easier said than done. But definitely worth trying. Let's try a little experiment with life. Let's try and live by these principles, one day at a time.</div></div>Aditihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10783020313222383348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561730606856674472.post-37616156236660942482010-01-24T23:47:00.010-04:002010-01-25T00:43:26.315-04:00You're probably an Indian living abroad if* Your home reeks of incense , curry leaves or masala.<div>* You don't go to a doctor unless it's an absolute emergency.</div><div>* You keep the smoke alarm in your house covered.</div><div>* You call all your desi friends from the mall/store if you find a good deal.<br /><div>* You own a Toyota or a Honda.<div><div>* You take off your shoes before entering your house and expect others to do the same.</div><div>* You vacuum/sweep/mop everyday.</div><div>* Your favorite fast food restaurant is 'Taco Bell'. </div><div>* You use hair oil instead of styling products.</div><div>* You have the idol of an Indian god in your car.</div><div>* You stare at other Indians when you spot them at a store/mall/restaurant but don't smile or say "hello".</div><div>* You have to spell your name to everyone.</div><div>* You keep a stock of Indian medicines in your house.</div><div>* You have to visit New York City, Niagara Falls and Las Vegas during your first year in US.</div><div>* You are only friends with desi neighbors.</div><div>* You either don't have a middle name or its a really long one.</div><div>* You return at least two items every month.</div><div>* You save half of what you earn.</div><div>* You don't know any American outside of work.</div><div>* You convert the price of everything you buy into rupees in your head.</div><div>* You buy cameras, laptops and ipods for your folks back home.</div><div>* Your conversations with Americans revolve around comparison of Indian and American culture/food/traditions.</div><div>* You compare prices before you buy a $1 item.</div><div>* You have to say "no beef" to every waiter/waitress repeatedly.</div><div>* You don't take long vacations because you have to save your days off to take 4-week vacations to India.</div><div>* You have to shop for gifts for all your uncles, aunties and countless cousins back home before returning to India.</div><div>* You know all the immigration lawyers in your area.</div><div>* You clicked pictures of your first snow, first car and first house and sent them to everyone you know. </div><div>* You wait till Black friday to make all your major purchases.</div><div>* You go to the mall at midnight on Black Friday.</div><div>* You have frozen mixed vegetables sitting in your freezer at all times.</div><div>* You are very reluctant to buy second hand stuff.</div><div>* You go to the temple to make friends/for business networking.</div><div>* You always try free dessert samples at the mall no matter how full you are.</div></div></div></div>Aditihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10783020313222383348noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561730606856674472.post-24967627878314159282010-01-22T23:32:00.006-04:002010-01-24T00:02:31.395-04:00My 'Feel Good' strategies1. <b>Get dressed to the nines</b>: All of us when feeling low, tend to do the exact opposite, dress lousily, often leave home in Pajamas. whenever I feel down in the dumps, I get dressed and wear something I think I look my best in. When you look good (or when you think you look good), you feel good.<div><br /> <div><b>2. Dump junk,Eat healthy</b>: There is scientific evidence to prove that healthy foods like fruit, raw leafy vegetables can actually lift you spirits. But, what do we do when we need to comfort ourselves-go for a bag of chips. I do, too. Will remember to reach for a banana instead.</div><div><br /></div><div>3. <b>Take a long hot shower</b>: Hot showers help circulation and my mood too. It is a great way to clear your head when in doubt.Always works like a charm.</div><div><br /></div><div>4. <b>Don't indulge in self-pity</b>: We try finding comfort within ourselves when we don't find it from others.But self-pity does more harm than good. If you start thinking about the ways you have been wronged or hurt, your mind will quickly furnish a lifetime of moments of anguish.You don't want to go to that dark place. So when that tinge of self pity gets too inviting, I think of the my biggest accomplishments till date. Self-pity goes out the window..</div><div><br /></div><div>5. <b>Take a walk: </b> when the going gets tough, the tough get walking.I get outdoors and just enjoy the simple pleasures of life, like watching a sunset, listening to birds and rustling of leaves in the wind. Good-old people watching helps too.</div><div><br /></div><div>6. <b>Talk to a long lost friend</b>:We all have friends, with who, we kind of lost touch, but would love to reconnect if had the time. Go ahead, make that call. Or simply go online and chat with anybody who will chat with you.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>7. Act like you feel on top of the world</b>: Sing, dance, shout from the rooftops if you must, but whatever you do, don't look like the way you feel. Feelings stem from the mind and if you can control your mind and fool it into believing "all is well", your feelings will change. Its true that you act the way you feel, but the converse (you feel the way you act) holds true as well.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Aditihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10783020313222383348noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561730606856674472.post-8596911372766342842010-01-21T21:39:00.009-04:002010-01-25T00:50:40.436-04:00Life lessons my family taught me1. <b>Chase excellence, success will follow-</b> I was surprised when I heard a similar dialog in the movie 3 idiots, I kept thinking, ' this writers' parents think like mine'.<div><br /></div><div>2. <b>Education is your true wealth</b>-Something that can never be over emphasized.</div><div><br /></div><div>3. <b>The best revenge for cruelty,-kindness</b>- When I was little, if some kid wouldnt treat me well or hurt me, my parents would not let me get back by treating him the same way, rather I was encouraged to be extra kind to him so he would realize his mistake and become my friend. This is a golden rule for our 'eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth' society. And I have observed that if I refrain from paying someone back in the same coin, more often than not, people come back and apologize for their behavior, even become great friends.</div><div><br /></div><div>4.<b> You dont have to visit a country to learn about it when you can read about it</b>- I was a very curious kid, used to ask my learned grandfather hundreds of questions, he would almost always point me to a book on that subject. When I bothered my mom too much, she would ask me to go read a book. During long train journeys, whenever my brother and I would have nothing better to do than eat and sleep, my parents would give us a book each and would pit us against each other in a reading competition. Those little reinforcements have made reading not only a rewarding way to get through idle hours, but a passion for me. It would not be an exaggeration to say that this passion has made me what I am today. I cant thank my parents and grandparents enough for it.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>5.The tree that bears the most fruit hangs the lowest- </b>Humility is probably the most stressed virtue in my household. There are some pretty well accomplished people in my family but they manage to keep their feet on the ground. This has always helped me put things in perspective whenever I think I have accomplished something big.</div><div><br /></div><div>6. <b>Things have a way of working out in the end- </b>My dad always says, "You are a good kid, why wouldn't things work out for you?" That always brings a smile to my face, no matter how big the trouble, and even though I am not that good a kid :)</div><div><br /></div><div>7. <b>Don't fret the small stuff. Think-'Big picture'.</b> All of us have a tendency to over-think little things. My family has taught me to rise above and beyond the petty, and think big. 'Is it really going to matter in the long run?' is an oft repeated question at my place.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Aditihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10783020313222383348noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561730606856674472.post-14663534131452277632010-01-21T21:24:00.004-04:002011-04-27T13:32:32.375-03:00Things people doWe all have the same kind of experiences with other people.We make the same observations about other people but keep them to ourselves thinking we are the only ones who notice. We like to believe each one of us is different but, we are alike in more ways than we know. <br /><div><br /></div><br /><div>1. When people hear about someone praising them behind their back, that pleases them more than a lifetime of compliments delivered to their face.</div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div>2. People take pride in rising above differences like colour, ethnicity yet tend to mingle with their own kind.</div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div>3. People are ALWAYS judgemental.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>4. People are too occupied, thinking what others think of them, to think about others.<br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div></div>Aditihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10783020313222383348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561730606856674472.post-90491037681781836822009-07-24T15:36:00.001-03:002010-01-24T00:04:17.833-04:00Last ChristmasLast christmas was the best christmas ever as we celebrated it aboard a sunset cruise over Gulf of Mexico, starting from the southern most point in continental USA.<div><br /></div><div>A week-long sojourn to Miami and the Florida keys-Oh, what a week it was! </div><div><br /></div><div>The brilliant sun, silver sand, the sea and every imaginable shade of blue and green.</div><div><br /></div><div>I just wanted to capture every beautiful sight and scenery in my memory forever and revisiting it in moments of despair.<br /><div><br /></div><div>It was beyond doubt the most beautiful place I had ever visited.</div><div> </div><div>Miami was a delight. I usually dont enjoy visiting big cities. But the ocean, pristine beaches and those wind blown palms along the road made me forget I was in the downtown area of a bustling city.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was quite late in the night on christmas eve that we reached our Miami hotel. But I could hear the waves in the distance and couldnt wait for the morning.</div><div><br /></div><div>We started out towards key west the next morning.</div><div><br /></div><div>Florida keys is a bunch of beautiful islands accessible from Miami by a narrow road aptly named 'Overseas Highway'. At most places along this 150 mile route, the road is as wide as the island itself, so its flanked by the sea on both sides.</div><div><br /></div><div>The colour of the sea was like a spectrum starting from a light turquoise near the sand to the deepest violet at the horizon. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was worried we were going to crash into something looking at the sights around, we just couldnt take our eyes off of the sea.</div><div><br /></div><div>We stopped at a couple places along the highway when just couldnt keep going and miss the scene.</div><div><br /></div><div>The water along the road was crystal clear, you could see the bottom. </div><div><br /></div><div>Then there were long and charming bridges connecting the islands. The view from the bridges was divine.</div><div><br /></div><div>We went straight to the cruise harbour, Key West, the last key and the southern most point of USA, and went on this sunset cruise on a clear bottomed boat. It turned out the bottom wasnt as clear as we had imagined, but it was quite an experience being able to see the coral reef from there.</div><div><br /></div><div>We saw a beautiful sunset over the gulf horizon that seemed to set the water ablaze. Dont you just love sunsets over water?</div><div><br /></div><div>Key West turned out to be a little disappointing, what with the stink of dead fish and crab and grimy, greyish waters but once you are a little far from the shore, cruising, that is when you can fully appreciate the beauty of the coral island.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next day, driving back to Miami, we immersed ourselves in the beauty by the Overseas Highway once again.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our first stop was the Bahia Honda state park and beach, voted the world's best beach a couple of times in the 90s. </div><div><br /></div><div>The beach turned out to be the highlight of the trip.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was the silverest of all silver sand beaches I had ever seen, in person or through any other medium.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was cloudy so the sea was the most delightful shade of - I dont even know how to describe that colour, let me call it a very light turqoisish sea-green, almost hazel.</div><div><br /></div><div>We also saw a couple kite boarders taking advantage of the wind and the weather. Their colourful chutes presenting an even more pleasing picture to our eyes. </div><div><br /></div><div>We couldnt tear ourselves away from there. I felt I could spend an eternity sitting on that beach looking at the sand, the sea and the sky. all three of which by now were the same exact colour- quicksilver. It was surreal. It seemed as if I were transported to some other world and this silvery sea had some secret magical power.</div><div> </div><div>But we had to move on. We stopped by the Harry Harris park next. It had a most interesting walkway. There was this lagoon of sorts created by a concrete crescent shaped walkway over big rocks running from one end of the beach to the other. It was like walking over water with the sea on one side and this small lagoon on the other.</div><div><br /></div><div>We also saw John Penekkamp state park which is a favorite snorkeling destination because of a submerged statue creating a unique coral society wrapped around it.</div><div><br /></div><div>But neither of us was in the mood for snorkeling, we just wanted to admire the beauty above sea level.</div><div><br /></div><div>Next stop was Miami but it was again nightfall by the time we reached.</div><div><br /></div><div>Next morning, we explored the world famous Miami beaches.</div><div><br /></div><div>Biscayne state park, home of an old light house open to tourists from the top of which we saw somemore marvelous views of Miami harbour.</div><div><br /></div><div>We walked by the harbour and enjoyed the quiet for a couple hours, the only noises were the wind and the tiny waves on rocks. It was therapeutic.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was Virginia Key next followed by the swanky South Beach Area and the renowned Ocean Drive. It reminded me of quite a few Bollywood movies shot there.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was a good spot for people watching if only we could get a roadside table in one of numerous cafes and restaurants. Everywhere in Miami, the ocean was a true sea-green.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was almost sad when it was time to go back home.</div></div>Aditihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10783020313222383348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561730606856674472.post-89586046210116455372009-07-23T15:41:00.001-03:002010-01-24T00:04:43.031-04:00Little LifeWe all think about not thinking about little things, but isnt trying not to think about little things thinking about little things?<div><br /></div><div>Little things are never little, its the little things that make big things big. So little things actually arent little, they are big.</div><div><br /></div><div>Life is about little things, little things make up a big life. </div><div><br /></div><div>Its the little things that matter the most in life and if you ever have your whole life flash in front of you in a second, little things are what you would surely see.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Aditihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10783020313222383348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561730606856674472.post-16528107810593215622009-07-21T16:17:00.001-03:002010-01-24T00:05:12.934-04:00Pardesan wich desiYou would think visiting an Indian family abroad would be like enjoying a slice of home life in a strange land. Strangely enough, its never true.<div><br /></div><div>I have observed Indians living here are even more traditonal than people back home. I always feel as if I have traveled back in time. </div><div><br /></div><div>Its as if these people are stuck in a time warp from when they first came here or even before that. </div><div><br /></div><div>I wonder if I stayed here long enough, any friends and family visiting from India would say the same thing about us.</div><div><br /></div><div>I guess they cling even more to their own customs and traditions to preserve them from alien cultural influence, to create a safe haven, or a little India in their homes and they end up overcompensating for their otherwise Ameircanized ways.</div><div><br /></div><div>People back home are no longer following every rule in the book as far as tradition goes, the rules are getting relaxed by the minute. </div><div><br /></div><div>Its funny how I always thought second or third generation Indian-Americans would know much less about their regional customs but to my surprise, they are more Indian than I am :)</div><div><br /></div><div>How in India its so fashionable to be modern, not to cling to orthodox practices and how we take pride if our family rules out an important custom in favour of something more practical, but obseving tradition is so important to Indian families here. </div><div><br /></div><div>We are letting go of our cultural heritage little by little in India while these people here are working so hard to preserve it in their homes and hearts. Its heartening, really.</div><div><br /></div><div>Well, I hope some of their ways rub onto us and we become a little more Indianized by the end of our stay here :) Bharat mata ki Jai!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Aditihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10783020313222383348noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561730606856674472.post-40439007717512309432009-07-21T15:59:00.001-03:002010-01-24T00:05:45.306-04:00What's in a title?Never had a more leisurely year when I had absolutely nothing to do and all the time in the world.<div><br /></div><div>Its strange, how when I didnt have a single minute to myself, I could always think of a hundred things to do if I had the time, but now that I actually can do all those things, I dont want to do them anymore. </div><div><br /></div><div>I had a small scribble pad which went everywhere with me, where I used to write all ideas for new blog posts. I couldnt wait for the weekend when I would expand those ideas. Now, I forget the password to my blog sometimes, dont know why I dont have ideas any more. I guess boredom kills creativity.</div><div><br /></div><div>Although the going has been really tough, something good has come out of it after all, what doesnt kill you makes you stronger, eh?</div><div><br /></div><div>I am always thinking about ways to occupy my mind now, so I dont think about my situation, funny isnt it? </div><div><br /></div><div>I must have watched about half a dozen sitcoms from pilot to finale, thanks to the timed recording option that comes with Dish TV here. </div><div><br /></div><div>I had never watched more than one movie in a single day before( the current record is 4 :)), never have I read so many volumes, read so many magazines, been more up to date on news and current events, have exercised more or tried out new recipes ( and I thought I would never be able to cook a decent meal ever :) )</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Aditihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10783020313222383348noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561730606856674472.post-59811346798499327522008-11-18T15:56:00.001-04:002010-01-24T00:06:13.613-04:00Life in Firangland-Aisa hi des hai mera jaisa des hai tera!I dont know if its the distance and unapproachability of USA from India that had made me think that it would be very different, but to my surprise, I never fail to find similarities.<br /><br />Of course, the life style is bound to be different, but I am happy to see, India is catching up with the first world pretty fast.<br /><br />It doesnt all look alien to me, like it would have, to people who came to settle here from India say even 5 years ago.<br /><br />Most things do evoke a sense of Deja vu. Been there, done that.<br /><br />US is bestowed with immense gifts from mother nature. It is a geograpically and physically diverse country. There are mighty mountains, beautiful coastline, long meandering riverbanks, vast green pastures.<br /><br />I cannot help but think we have it all in India, its only magnified in scale here, given the size of US.<br /><br />Then what makes US stand out as "THE" destination for the rest of the world?<br /><br />Its the "Marketing", baby.<br /><br />Old wine in a very attractive and sleek packaging.<br /><br />You take the best of what India has to offer, clean it up thoroughly, throw in lots of facilities, lots of information centers, restrooms in the middle of nowhere, a coke vending machine at every nook and corner, super swank highways, humongous marketing efforts and lo, the concoction called "Amreeka" is at your service<br /><br />At your service, hmm, not quite, as this is one thing, we Indians know better than anyone else in the civilized world. The customer care( I dont know why they even care to call it 'customer care') is non existent in most places here. Even big names falter in this aspect.<br /><br />If you go to a small roadside corner shop in a tiny colony in a small city(or even village) in India, the shopkeeper would give you undivided attention, no matter how many other people he is attending to. He would have complete information about each and every product in his shack.<br /><br />But if you ever happen to go to a mall here, make sure you have all the information you need, to make a purchase before hand, as the sales people will not know a thing.<br /><br />But,the emergency response system here never ceases to amaze me.<br /><br />There is no place that is remote, you might be miles away from civilization; cops, fire brigade and ambulance would still manage to reach you in less than 10 minutes in case of emergency.<br /><br />And dont worry you Munna bhai MBBS types, they wont ask you to fill up any forms before admitting you to ER.<br /><br />I wish there were a place in the world offering the best of both the worlds, now that would be Eutopia. India, you are nearly there. Good Luck.Aditihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10783020313222383348noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561730606856674472.post-89065269207262888422008-11-18T15:51:00.001-04:002010-01-24T00:07:30.521-04:00The high point of 20076th May,2007 was my parents' 25th Wedding anniversary. To mark the occasion , all of us decided to embark on a pilgrimage cum pleasure trip to Puri. I had this impression that the Jagannath temple is right on the sea shore. So I was pretty excited. though I wasn't quite right in thinking so, I wasn't completely wrong too..It was amazing.<br /><br />On 4th june, we boarded a flight from Hyderabad to Bhubaneshwar. We were told we would be flying over Vishakhapatnam and the eastern coast for most of our journey.<br /><br />As soon as the familiar Hussain sagar was out of view, we could make out the faint blue of Bay of Bengal in the distance. I had a hard time distinguishing the blue of the sea from the blue of the sky.<br /><br />Though I have travelled a lot and a train journey across the country is a marvelous experience with blink-and-you-miss landscapes changing at an astronomical pace, the view from an airplane window never ceases to amaze me.<br /><br />Soon after Vishakhapatnam, we were flying over the plains of Orissa. It was like a kaleidoscope of earthy browns, greens and reds. Red laterite soil contrasting beautifully with the golden of thatched roof tops like a big rangoli splashed over an infinite brown canvas.<br /><br />The next day, enroute Puri, We were travelling along a very narrow yet smooth country side road. I though it cant get any better than this till we took a turn towards Puri when we reached the end of the road. It was the end because(!) there was the sea beyond. It was mesmerising. When we started towards Puri, it was like a scene straight out of a movie shot in exotic locations with sea flanking the road for a good 20 kms before we reached Puri.<br /><br />I had never thought even a sleepy, remote and unknown town could be so beautiful yet untouched. Another thing that I had never seen before despite my numerous travel experiences was the Lagoons, small lakes cut off from the sea by sand. We had to cross several before we could reach the beach by the resort where we were putting up.<br /><br />My friends were really surprised when we decided to go to Puri and not to other well known places like Goa. And many did not know Puri is on the sea shore. No wonder Puri still looks untouched. Maost Indians can tell you which towns in the USA are on the coast while they wont know a thing about India's long and bountifully bestowed coastline.<br /><br />People flock to South Africa, Australia for this experience while a virgin sea side road exists right there in their back yard.<br /><br />Luckily for us, it was a full moon night when we reached Puri.<br /><br />With darkness all around and the roaring waves, moon rays on water was giving this illusion of an illuminated pathway to eternity, ships gleaming on the horizon like a big jeweled necklace of the ocean.<br /><br />I have this feeling every time I visit a coastal place. Its so difficult to think that across the sea , there is another country,another race with a different culture, tradition. There is a different world out there.<br /><br />Insignificance of an individual in the whole scheme of things comes to fore when I think of it, more so at night when the sea is at its majestic best.<br /><br />I had the time of my life in Puri. After 3 days of basking in nature's lap, the return journey was uneventful as it always is.Aditihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10783020313222383348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561730606856674472.post-44512450192670712592008-11-18T15:49:00.001-04:002010-01-24T00:07:59.375-04:00The Story so Far18th February , 1983- The most blessed day in my life, a little girl(that's me!) born to the most delightful family in the world.<br /><br />My family being devout Shiva followers named their little bundle of joy(?(I like to believe that!!)) 'Aparna' after Goddess Parvati...but decided against it later as Punjabis have an uncanny knack of twisting hindu mythological names to certain strange sounding meaningless or mundane words(Parna in this case, that incidentaly means a rag in punjabi..).<br /><br />So, all said and done, they finally decided to call me 'Aditi', the name of the eternal goddess, the mother of all devas( as the legend goes..) literally meaning unbound or infinite, figuratively, earth, sky, mother, woman, cow etc have been known as Aditi in hindu mythology.Aditihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10783020313222383348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561730606856674472.post-17084218426577620512007-11-08T04:44:00.002-04:002010-01-24T00:08:32.683-04:00Miles to go before I sleep!!Jeewan kya hai, koi na jaane , jo jaane pacchtaye!!<br /><br />I remember hearing this song many years ago. But the truth behind the words has started hitting me now in full blast.<br /><br />As I go through my daily chores, my responsibilities and duties, life is what is passing by. I really dread the time, when I would have time at hand to think about the years gone by.<br /><br />Would I have lived a worth while life by that time on which I would be able to look back with a sense of fulfilment and pride?<br /><br />I have a long mental list of things I would want to do before I die. Other mundane activities keep me occupied all through the day. Days pass by in a haze turning into weeks and then months and soon years will fly by without my notice.<br /><br />This list will keep growing and I will keep putting off things till a time when I would no longer be able to do them. That is my greatest fear.<br /><br />I have devised an alternate game plan though. Deriving small pleasures out of my daily acitivities has become a way of life, rather I like to take it that way.<br /><br />A beautiful sunset over the horizon of a polluted city, a smiling cherubic face of an infant among the hordes of daily commuters, a weirdly shaped cloud striking a beautiful contrast with an inky blue sky on a cloudy day, colors of buses forming a kaleidoscope of sorts in my office bus parking are some of the things that often leave a smile on my face making me wonder how many other such beautiful sights and sounds I had missed when I simply wasnt paying attention.Aditihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10783020313222383348noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561730606856674472.post-30539508905181469552007-07-25T14:00:00.002-03:002010-01-24T00:09:01.520-04:00Code Name GodI live in what is known as "The fast lane" always rushing , hardly stopping to "smell the roses".<br /><br />There are millions like me who have come to believe that religion is the forte of old ladies who dont have the energy left for other mundane activities of life.<br /><br />Such residents of the fast lane, why , even me, are advised to take time out to say a little prayer or visit the temple.<br /><br />But, I often wonder , is prayer a tablet? Well, good enough for me, good enough for everybody doesnt hold here.If it is, its not prayer.<br /><br />It can hold different meaning for different people.I , for one, regard it as a conversation with a higher power who I know is silently watching over me, who knows my deepest fears, my darkest secrets. who shares my moments of despair and euphoria.<br /><br />Its a part of me that has the ability to stand apart and judge me like another person would. It could be my conscience, my critic, my best pal.We dont have the ability ,(rather we don't believe that we have this ability), to question our judgements or to stand apart and appraise our actions, which we take it upon us that a higher power will one day do just that or is constantly doing that according to some religions.<br /><br />I may even consider him to be my imaginary friend who is there whenever I need company. That too, is a manifestation of my mind, a part of my being.I feel religions are right in pointing out that god resides within us. He is a part of our existence.I am all for it.So, saying a little prayer is akin to having a conversation with your God your way.Aditihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10783020313222383348noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561730606856674472.post-61798557954533696002007-07-15T06:44:00.001-03:002010-01-24T00:09:28.951-04:00Volvo A380The best reason for having dreams is that in dreams no reasons are necessary.<br /><br />Just Imagine .. young amitabh bachhan in hypothetical Deewar .. standing right in the middle of a cricket stadium.. after shashi kapoor leaves him and goes away with the 'MAA' in tow...grinning, pleased with himself, thinking 'mere paas maa hai'..AB fretting and the events of the day coming back to him all at once.. us admi k sign lao .. wo admi tumhara kaun lagta hai ... bhai sign karoge k nai .. maan tum mujhse bahut pyaar karti ho .....he is trying to shrug it all off by screaming at the top of his voice 'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!' with the deep baritone echoing in the stadium in the dead of the night,...Weird. no?<br /><br />When a thousand thoughts hit you, it leads to strange dreams like the one I had last night....It was a weird ensemble of snippets of information I had collected in my mind over the past few days.....I live in a place not too close to the airport, but, Hyderabad Airport is bang in the middle of the city and you see and hear airplanes taking off and landing every few minutes from every nook and corner of the city.<br /><br />Being from another corner of the nation, the noise of an aeroplane fills my heart with a longing to get home to my loved ones. So the thoughts that lingered in my conscious mind as I fell asleep thinking of my next trip home was aeroplanes , the familiar air that fills the lungs as i alight at the Delhi airport, the joy in my heart everytime I see the runway at IGI from the plane anticipating the comfort and warmth of home. I was also thinking about how it would be to fly in the airbus A380, all I had seen so far were the cramped cabins of Boeing 747s,737s and Airbus 320s...<br /><br />The thought of A380 brought the images of the first flight of Singapore Airlines' priced possession A380, the perfect take-off from the freeway in Singapore( I was told by my brother ,who has been to Singapore, that the freeway is actually a highway which is sometimes used as a runway when there is a dearth of taxiing space on the actual airport).<br /><br />And the cramps in my legs were constantly reminding me of the journey from Hyderabad to Bangalore and back by Volvo bus just last week. I was transported to the wonderful world of dreams , drifting into sleep with these things on my mind.<br /><br />I woke up next day grinning from ear to ear thinking about the dream I had. Usually, I dont remember the dreams vividly the morning after, but this one I can narrate scene by scene..Here it goes ...I dreamt I was travelling in an A380 from Hyderabad to Delhi with my family...The A380 was exaclty like the numerous pictures I had seen of it in the mails doing the rounds ever since its launch, but there was a strange twist to it. It was as high and wide as an A380 should have been. But was as long as a Volvo coach :-D...the window panes could be opened just like those in a Volvo.<br /><br />There was no cockpit and I could see the pilot sitting right in a front like a bus driver(told you , it was really weird!!) donning the controls and muttering things in the radio endlessly.<br /><br />I have travelled a lot by train too...People getting into wrong coaches and then arguing over seat numbers with people already ensconsed in their coupe is a sight I am too familiar with...So here, in my dream too, I witnessed such a sight- a family coming to us with boarding passes bearing the very seat numbers we were occupying. After a long argument, the stewardess intervened and asked them to occupy other vacant seats...<br /><br />As soon as the pleasant sight of the IGI airport materialized into view, there was the much-too-familiar-now announcement about the congestion on the runway. While we were all waiting for the pilot to announce our rank in the landing queue, we were surprised to hear him announce that the plane was going to land on a newly constructed freeway instead of the usual runway....<br /><br />Now this being an Indian freeway, it was crowded with commuters, rickshaws, cars,trucks, DTC buses et al...The A380 landed safely, right in the midst of the sea of traffic on the freeway with the pilot constantly blaring the horn ( u might be thinking I've lost it completeley by now, but a dream is a dream!!) at slow moving rickshaws and pedestrians crossing the road. it finally screeched to a halt near the airport.<br /><br />Right at this moment I was woken up by the blaring of my wretched alarm clock....On other days, I wake up cursing my poor clock that goes off much too soon, but this time, I woke up refreshed from my first trip aboard the airbus A380, with a strange twist but pleasant none the less.. :-)Aditihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10783020313222383348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561730606856674472.post-51994332105161996712007-06-28T00:24:00.001-03:002010-01-24T00:10:05.432-04:00Living next door to....I am reading Robin S. Sharma's('The Monk who sold his Ferrari' fame) 'Who will cry when you die'.<br /><br />The author asks his readers to make a list of people who they wish were their neighbours and with whom they could share their thoughts whenever they felt like. He says the list of people a reader is going to make will reflect the qualities he wants to imbibe by interacting with these people.<br /><br />Here is my list:<br />1. David Schwartz: The author of 'The Magic of thinking Big'. He has been a big influence on me ever since I read this magnificent book. This book deserves to be included in required readings in every school. How I wish I could go to him and listen to him narrate his wonderful ideas in person!<br /><br />2.Vijay Mallaya: This guy truly knows how to live life kingsize. though his larger than life image doesnt really go down well with me, but I admire him for his attitude.<br /><br />3. Thomas Alva Edison: This guy stuck to the fight in the hardest of times. A living example of oft-repeated yet seldom followed 'Failures are stepping stones to success' .<br /><br />4. Narayana Murthy: He is an epitome of humility. His achievements are many and his business sense shrewd, yet this man manages to keep his feet on the ground and his heart in the right place.<br /><br />I intend to update this list as I come across more such people. But for now, this is it. I know I can not get these people to live next door but I hope I am able to imbibe all that they stand for.<br /><br />P.S While I am at it, I might as well include the "Common Man" to this list on the insistence of a friend N.B.<br />The india Today this time features a caricature of the common man as the eighth new wonder of the world for going through all that he has to in India and yet for voting every year.<br /><br />Hats off to you Common Man!!Aditihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10783020313222383348noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561730606856674472.post-48191854445409888602007-06-28T00:02:00.002-03:002010-01-24T00:10:57.727-04:00The all-powerful "Belief"If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning<br /><br />Thus said Mahatma Gandhi.<br /><br />You are what you think you are. If you think you are capable of achieving the impossible then, impossible is nothing.<br /><br />Belief is a very powerful tool and can take us to dizzying heights if we choose to make it an ally.<br /><br />If you think you can. you are right. If you think you cant, you are right again.<br /><br />Tell an average person that you can run an empire one day, he would laugh it off. But tell it to a business tycoon, he wont laugh because he knows it is possible as he has done it himself.<br /><br />Little children know no limitations. They are explorers. They dont know what obstacles mean and single mindedly pursue what they set out to. Despite falling, they ultimately are able to achieve what they wanted to.<br /><br />Children think they can take on anything and so they can. But as a child grows up, he is told what not to do and what dangers and obstacles lurk at every corner of the world. He is told dreams are but dreams and nothing else. Elders advise him he cannot achieve the impossible. Impossible is impossible after all. These elders get their idea of the 'impossible' from their elders in turn.<br /><br />Such ideas get passed on from one generation to another like a heirloom and ultimately take the shape of belief. And what was just an idea before, becomes reality. 'Impossible' actually becomes impossible.<br /><br />How we stare in amazement when we see people of some communities doing things like walking on fire. That is because what is slated to be impossible for one community is deemed to be possible for another depending upon their beliefs.<br /><br />Had we continued believing in our dreams like we did as liitle children, we could have long achieved what we consider impossible today.Aditihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10783020313222383348noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561730606856674472.post-48037391502713194382007-06-27T01:57:00.002-03:002010-01-24T00:11:12.890-04:00Hypernationalism:Give me a breakAre we prepared to be global citizens?Have we truly evolved as a tolerant society? The answer to these questions unfortunately is, not really.<br /><br />A few days ago, one Mr. Narayana Murthy decides to play the instrumental version of our revered National Anthem when Dr. Kalam visits him in Mysore. He is made to apologize for disrespecting it. He is labeled "unpatriotic".Is that called for?<br /><br />The media and our "patriotic" politicians are viewing the whole national anthem episode in the wrong light. The rendition of national anthem in the presence of foreigners would have embarrassed them indeed as Mr. Murthy clarified.Picture yourself in say, the US of A, with natives singing their national anthem with a hand on their hearts, would not you feel out of place?Atleast I would. Plus , I would not know how not to offend others or their anthem in any way .For instance, Some of the foreigners in Infosys, Mysore might not have known that we stand in the attention position while singing the national anthem.<br /><br />Had any of them failed to give our national anthem the due respect, it would have fueled a debate of another sort and Mr. Murthy would certainly not have liked any disrespect of the "Jana Gana Mana".<br /><br />During international sports events, only the instrumental version of the winning country's national anthem is played for the same reason.Mr. Murthy may not make the best president but calling him unpatriotic is not fair to this son of the soil. Only a person of flawless character and limitless strength of mind could have reached where he is today from his modest background.Only a person who holds his country in the highest esteem can make foreigners want to join Infosys in the first place.<br /><br />Sachin Tendulkar, is being condemned for reportedly cutting a tricolour cake. Isn't cake cutting an integral part of celebration? It is just a manifestation of joy. Dont we all cut cakes on our birthdays with our names written on it? Then why this furore over a non-issue?Sachin has given 18 years of his life to the country.He has done nothing wrong and even if he has, do heroes have to be perfect?<br /><br />Then we have the Richard Gere- Shilpa Shetty controversy. Kudos to the so-called moral police for creating a mountain out of a molehill once again.Nobody seems to notice why Richard has come all the way to India. He is here to help spread AIDS awareness among capital's truckers. This contorversy has hogged the limelight while the cause has taken a backseat, proving India media is still a lost teenager and has not matured yet.<br /><br />Nobody has the right to invade celebrities' private space at all. Where does the moral police go when a woman's modesty is outraged? We never saw them take to the streets when so many children were brutally killed in Nithari. Doesn't that hurt national sentiment?We should stop creating 'much ado about nothing'. Let's show to the world that India has truly come of age and is ready to play in the global arena. The media should also understand that promoting such controversies is doing us no good and is earning them a bad name world wide.Aditihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10783020313222383348noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561730606856674472.post-64336164900329988702007-06-27T01:33:00.001-03:002010-01-24T00:12:28.201-04:00Solitary ReaperThat's the title of a poem I read in my english reader in junior school.<br /><br />Its about a solitary reaper tilling her fields. I dont remember the name of the poet but this title has kind of stayed with me.<br /><br />The meaning of the poem or the poet's message in it was not at all what I intend to write about here, poetry is a matter of perspective.<br /><br />We all need to have a sense of security and belonging. This sense we derive out of people around us. That is the biggest reason of our insecurities as well, as we always fear losing loved ones.<br /><br />If We start relishing moments of solitude and try to enjoy our own company. We can get better of all our insecurities.<br /><br />There is comfort and freedom in solitude.<br /><br />We need to get over the fixation that we need to belong to a group even if we dont believe in its values or agenda.<br /><br />I have been a loner most of my life though I love all my friends and truly cherish all friendships and associations that I have made along the way. But friends need to move on.Relationships evolve over time. There is one thing that never changes- solitude.<br /><br />There are no expectations, no justifications , just freedom.<br /><br />I dont intend to say that one should not bond with people, love is after all the most wonderful thing in life, but one should not be afraid to let go. That needs sense of detachment over and above attachment.Aditihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10783020313222383348noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561730606856674472.post-62872977519566857352007-06-27T01:25:00.002-03:002010-01-24T00:12:56.316-04:00Thought Power:Its all in the mindThoughts surely maketh a man. Most of us have always believed that our actions are governed by our thoughts. We tend to shake our legs nervously when we feel restless, we pace up and down when we are anxious, so on and so forth. But it's actually the converse that's true. Our mind is governed by our actions.<br /><br />Our mind as we know it is a repository of thoughts and feelings. It doesn't have a mind of its own. It is but a dumb warehouse and retrieves only that information that we ask it to retrieve.<br /><br />The attendant of this warehouse is a very dedicated and dutiful employee and tries his best to please his master, that's us.It goes out of way to serve our whims and fancies.<br /><br />When we are feeling low, it retrieves sad thoughts, paints gloomy pictures in the mind, taking us deeper into that depressed state. it retrieves all information stored in it over the years from experience and learning that matches our mood.<br /><br />It would remind us of times we have experienced such sadness. it would bring back all memories of loneliness and abyss. These thoughts would then start multiplying and in no time hog all mental space leaving no room for positive feelings ultimately affecting all our other motor activities (our actions).<br /><br />On the flip side, if we are feeling happy, it would retrieve all happy thoughts from the repository bringing back all happy memories it can find in the warehouse. Just like gloomy thoughts , happy thoughts too multiply many times over at mind boggling speeds and occupy our entire being. The result? No marks for guessing , it reflects in all our actions.<br /><br />Try observing people around you and try guessing the mood they are in. Happy people seem to be in control of everything they do. Their actions and movements are well calculated.While people feeling low tend to be clumsy, forgetful and nervous.<br /><br />Such people try hard to hide their feelings but the harder they try, the more they seem to fail that aggravates their postion further.Imagine, if these people knew that the root cause of their suffering is their mind which is not a whimsical, unpredictable weirdo but a servile handyman.<br /><br />If you get up telling your mind ,'Its a lousy day'. It is going to be a lousy day for you, indeed.<br /><br />Your mind, your docile, eager-to-please manservant would soon produce 1001 reasons for it to be a lousy day. The weather would be either too hot or too cold, your neighbour would ignore you, your spouse would be in a bad mood, your boss would cancel your upcoming vacation.<br /><br />But if you decide to make each day a pleasant experience, so it will be.Period.<br /><br />After all, as i said ITS ALL IN YOUR MIND.<br /><br />As soon as you decide its going to be yet another wonderful day. Your mind would furnish the same number of reasons to make you believe there can never be a better day in your life.You would feel grateful to be alive, thankful to God for the wonderful family that he has given you, the perfect health that you have that makes it possible for you to enjoy all the wonders of the world.<br /><br />Just a small thought , but think about the difference it could make to you and to the world around you. The magic of your thoughts would not only be constrained to you but would also affect the people you would meet.<br /><br />Just think about the way you speak with your spouse or your parents when you are in one of your bad moods. This behaviour sets their mood for the day too. If you greet them pleasantly, they too would start their day on a happy note.<br /><br />I remember reading about a guy who would greet each and every person he met on his way with his best smile. On being asked the reason, he would say it was his way of makng a difference to the world.<br /><br />His friend asked him one day , "What difference can a small smile make to the world? you could smile to say, maximum 50 people on your way to work. How does that matter when there are around a million in our city alone ?" Our guy in the meanwhile was smiling to a pretty lady round the corner who was obligingly returning the favor by bowing graciously. He then turned and said to his friend, " If that lady happens to be a school teacher, her class is in for a good day".<br /><br />That's the power of a small happy thought :-).Aditihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10783020313222383348noreply@blogger.com1