English Vinglish

I saw this movie yesterday, good movie , very well enacted and directed.This  movie brought back my UK memories although it has been 4 years since I left UK.I remember the first day I was damn scared, was travelling all alone to UK from India, left my job in India some kind of audacity in me, made me to take that decision and I do not regret it.Had it not been that decision, I would not be sharing the experience with you all.

The first day, the first experience is always the toughest and also always the most memorable one.. I dint even know how to get on and off of an escalator, was so scared, I use to take the steps or the elevator.It was very different, different people, culture, accent which was the most difficult part.I remember my friend literally pushing me on the the escalator, in central London.London was very different compared to what had been told to me,it was very fast paced, technologically advanced. I was scared and also awed by the advancement.The first day on the tube to my friends place, I was all alone and was not sure whether I was on the right track.So many trains, so many lines, so many colors ,different colors for different routes, gosh it was terrifying and how I prayed that I should reach her place safely.

Coming to the mannerisms, they even use the fork and knife to eat a burger, even the Thai food which contains rice.It was so embarrassing for a person like me  who dint even know which hand was used for which cutlery.I use to practice it at home during the weekend, browse videos coz I was employed in a very big company and I had to maintain the etiquette. There were many days where I had wished to India.But as days passed, London became very close to my heart, it became my second home when I started to respect their culture,embrace some of their traditions,imbibe their way of life.

Also, I had the excellent company of friends around me who supported me in everything, understood my situation and helped me in every possible way.The day we went around the entire central London with just 20 pounds in our pocket ,enjoying the pizza slices, weather.We even talked that we don money or pomp or show to enjoy any place, guess its the company or the circle of friends around you make it more memorable.

Maybe thats y I like Chicago, its more like London, or it might be coz  I have found with the same wavelength as mine which makes it all the more memorable.Sometimes when I go in cab here in Chicago and have a small talk with the driver and when they ask whether I am from UK since my accent is different, I feel so happy about that and just go back to my memories from UK.

 It  is coz it was my first experience to the western world, and had to learn everything by myself, whether it was right or wrong, I had to face it on my own and it was a experience of a lifetime which tuned me to be a better person and also it was one of the best times of my life which will be treasured throughout.

STEVE JOBS!!!

I recently brought back my habit of reading books... I had this habit till I started working, then came the busy n mechanical routine of life, work. pressure, stress, career,family, child.. Recently my husband pushed me into my habit again of reading books.. Well.. thanks to him!!.I started with Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson... it was not the typical kind of biography I had expected where in the good qualities of the person would be portrayed, how good and ideal his/her life was! maybe that's why they write about a person so that others can learn how to deal with difficult situations when encountered.This was completely different.I learnt how not lead a life like Jobs and this is entirely my perspective.

Jobs was an aggressive,adamant, sharp tongued person and had a renegade attitude!!He was ambitious but at the same time as the author often uses it "petulant and impetuous" person.Maybe I had imagined Jobs to be that ideal person as others who were successful during that period.This was my initial reaction for the intial part of the book.. As I was progressing, I felt all these qualities emerged just from one single quality: PASSION.. he was so passionate about what he was doing that he failed to realize all the other things emerging from it!!

This book had a lot of impact on me, it all rolls back to Jobs childhood, where he was abandoned by his own mom n dad and he was adopted by his parents, this feeling of abandonment grew intense in him and he was always scared of being left out in everything he did, that he had to work harder to prove his recognition!!

Indeed I was impressed by his attitude to share everything good and bad in the book so that everyone would know and understand the reason for his attitude, behavior and his way of life.

In spite of everything, he still stands out to be the person who (was, is and will always ) brought a turning point in the advancement of technology and a true perfectionist!!!

Excellent book to read, loads of insights!! Well Written!! I would say MUST READ!!

Avva!!

Avva, yes that's how I call my grand mom.. She passed away today and reached the eternal state. I did not see her for the past 2 years well it has been 2 years since I visited India.Yesterday when my mom told me the news that my avva is serious, a kind of pinch, guilt and I just burst out crying immediately. I know no one stays in this world forever.But the sudden kind of absence was difficult to sink in.I am gonna miss her terribly.She was always with us. She was the bond between my dad and his brothers.I remember the days when all of us cousins used to meet during the summer holidays she use to make all of us sit together   and give us lunch.The food use to be extraordinarily tasty when she use to feed us.I remember the arguments turning into big fights( for the rebellious nature of mine) I use to have for all the traditions she use to impose on us and she use to go crazy as she did not know the reason behind it.I always wanted to have a good time with her but somehow something use to crop up and it used to go in the opposite direction.It all changed when I got married and when I was pregnant. I have heard from my uncle's that she used to talk more about me, how am I gonna mange without any help and how badly she wanted to see Adit.I wanted her to see Adit, her great grand son and whenever I use to talk to her she use to ask about him.This time when I visit India, its gonna be very different without her in my place, I cannot imagine a house without her.Adit was hugging me constantly today and kissing me maybe he understood that I was in pain.Some things cannot be explained and it has to be felt and maybe that's why it  is called as Blood Relation.But wherever you are avva, I will terribly miss u, I just want to say I love u loads and may your soul rest in peace!!! Love u Avva!!!

MEN AT WORK!!!

Sorry everyone I am rewriting the post as my Ipad messed up my  previous post!! Should have know it better so trying to reproduce whatever I wrote.

Today Master A was on an exploring spree and was just pulling out things whichever came on his way and was playing with it.Suddenly when I came and saw he was near the TV table messing with the comcast box and the DVD's kept below it.He was so amused by those tiny little round things that he completely forgot about his toys.Nevertheless, he never plays with his toys.He picked up one by one of the DVD's and started throwing it around the entire house and was laughing and trying to soften me by his innocent looks or maybe he was saying to us" mom, dad I ve become mobile and it's high time you child proof things" gosh, one more action item pending in my to-do list. Here is a glimpse of the the little explorer in action!!!

Political Drama

The news channel's  in Chicago have been flooded by the Rod Blagojevich news. He is being sentenced for 14 years in federal prison in Denver in spite of pleading guilty.He is reporting to prison today. Some how I was disturbed by this news and felt sorry for him. He is an ex-governor of Chicago.I am not sure of his crime neither do I want to comment on his part on the crime.The media exaggeration of the news, the public attention drawn by the ex-governor created an interest in this case.I am looking at it with a human side,empathy or as people say the other side of the coin. He has a family, wife, two daughters who are going to miss him terribly. The real victims in this case are the children who are going to miss their dad in the important phase of their life. They are going to miss him in their high school, college graduation, first prom, date and even marriage.One of the daughter's did not go to school today and is not sure when she will be going back to the school as she says its too hard on her and wishes she could have done something to make her daddy stay.My heart goes out to his daughter's and may god give them the strength to overcome this ordeal!!!

Whose FAULT is it??

Another disturbing news which I saw on TV was the shooting rampage in a middle school in Ohio where a 17 year old randomly shoots at 3 school students who lost their lives at a very young age. To my surprise, the victim confessed his crime and is now on trial.

The question is how did he get hold of a gun?. Well,he stole it from his uncle and the grand parents noticed the gun missing since a week and did not make much noise about it. Now who is to be blamed? the boy or the uncle? Of course the gun owner is not held accountable for the crime.

According to a 2000 study by the US Secret Service, 65 percent of school shootings up to that point involved a gun obtained from the juvenile shooter’s home or that of a close relative.

Some reports state that the victim attended alternative school for students who are evaluated as high risk for "substance/chemical, drug abuse, mental illness,academic deficiencies".These are all red flags for the family to be extremely cautious in using a weapon and measures should have been taken to properly store it with ammunition.

Twenty-eight states have Child Access Prevention laws that make adults liable if it is determined that children were able to access their firearms, although the liability depends on certain factors that vary by state. For example, only six states — Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Texas — makes adults liable whether or not the child uses the firearm to cause injury, while eight other states punish adults only if the firearm is used. Other states impose liability if the weapon is not stored property.

I just hope there is a reassessment( which is going on) on the weapon's law of this particular state because of this shooting.But whatever it is, the victim is going to be considered as a adult when he is going to be sentenced, resulting in a possible  life sentence . What a waste of life!!!!

So please, please, please be responsible about your possessions and their use!!!!

NOZZ!!!!!!!!!!!

My husband and I were having discussion about my blog yesterday and he suggested me to write something useful through my blog.Initially I did not accept this idea( that's they way I am, first argue and  protest everything) but after a while I gave it a good thought and it was really a constructive idea to spread the knowledge across people.So here I am giving it a shot.

I was watching the news on Fox yesterday and this one particular thing caught my attention a lot. The FB NOZZ parties. The nozz parties are the ones who use nitrous oxide as well in the party for fun added to alcohol and drugs.The surprising fact is that all these parties are teen parties and they are targeting the teens.Ya, that's a very vulnerable age and all you want to do is to have fun by any means. Well after the news, I did a little research on the effects of nitrous oxide.Of course nitrous  oxide is used as a sedative by the medical professionals but they have a limit on the usage and also it is monitored.

Teens use this gas as an inhalant through a device as whippets. Whippets are nothing but cylinder like device which are used to make whip cream at home.Consequences of this abuse can be very severe and dangerous. Short-term effects of inhalant use include heart palpitations, difficulty breathing, dizziness, headaches and sometimes death.

Long-term effects may include depression and permanent damage to the brain, nerves, heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. Users of inhalants are known to suffer convulsions and seizures, suffocation, choking, coma and fatal injuries from accidents while high.

So I request all the parents to be aware of the social networking problems. Please have an eye on your child's profile and monitor till they reach the maturity of understanding the difference between a good and a bad choice. They are our responsibility. It does not mean that you should question each and every decision  and also it does not mean that you do not trust them.It's just you are warning them of the tough road ahead.

Also, we as parents should be on the lookout for signs of inhalant abuse.These are few of them:

-chemical odors on breath or clothing;

-paint or other stains on face, hands or clothes;

-hidden empty spray paint or solvent containers and chemical-soaked rags or clothing;

-drunk or disoriented appearance;

-slurred speech;

-nausea or loss of appetite;

-inattentiveness, lack of coordination, irritability, and depression; and

-missing household items.

I was very disturbed by that news and  it is just one life which is very precious.This is my simple way to stop the exploitation of the children.

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Hereditary

I wanted to write about this from a very long time,just got a chance to put it in words.Yep,I have a son now, n all his gestures whatever it is have been only correlated to the paternal side. I find this really strange especially the people from my place. I say" my son loves food with good taste" the answer from the other end " oh, maybe he got his paternal grand mom's genes". I say " My son is extremely naughty, the answer" oh, he has got his dad's genes". I say" my son loves this vegetable" the answer"ah, that's just like his grand dad".When I raised the question as why is he being compared to every other person in the family, the answer, if it is a baby boy he gets all the characteristics from the paternal side and if it is a baby girl she gets maternal and people even today still blindly believe it!! On the contrary, I am more like my dad, and my brother is more like my mom.I thought both the genes of the parents contribute equally to the characteristic of a person. That's what my education and science taught me and also that every individual is different and have their own unique identity.What if some one has 2 girls who would they attribute it to?? I found it very strange!! Well, I can just hope someday people will realize and change the way they portray things!!!

Sacrifice!!!

I saw this tamil movie called "Mayakkam Enna" of Dhanush's today.... A very controversial subject and will be subjected to a lot of debate!!!The girl first gets introduced as the hero's friend's girl friend and falls for the hero and gets married to him.The hero is a budding photographer who stumbles a lot in the initial stages.Obviously, he is a genius but doesn't not have the proper channel to prove his talent to the world which in turn gets misused by a person. This affects the hero in every way and loses confidence in himself and turns his life and the people around a hell.But the topic to be debated is the girl's tolerance to undergo all the torture and be with him, support and encourage him.She does not even show the slightest discomfort or hatred towards him in spite of losing her child.I admire the way the story was written and the director was effective in communicating it out!!!

Of course, most of the people mainly the present day woman would not agree with me and would argue that there is no need for the girl to undergo the torture, she could have just opted out.. But in my opinion, she did what she thought was right, maybe it is deep ; immense love, affection, belief,passion she had on him which made her stick with him through thick & thin.She found happiness by just being with him in-spite of all the trouble and that was enough for her.I know a lot of women in day to day life who do this, maybe it's in the culture.I liked the movie and I salute to all the women(need not be in India, I guess this applies to every woman around the world) who are fighting every day with a hope for a better tomorrow.!! I would say watch it with a open mind!!!

Home!!!

First Happy New Year 2012!!! gosh, time flies and my newborn is already 8 months old... he has become a big boy!!! He is very clear of what he likes and what he doesn't!! Wonder whether I had such a clarity when I was his age!!! well, my mom doesn't remember so I take the liberty of saying that he got this genes from me!! Anyways, nothing interesting other than my little one's milestones!!

But yesterday I was seeing a program called Person to Person which is a new series started by CBS!!!The first person to be interviewed was George Clooney and ya how would I miss it?? :-)!!! By the way he explained his view of life caught my attention..He actually explained the meaning or the difference between a home and a house!!! there is not much of a difference except home is a place where your heart is, your memories are,(both good n bad), where you feel secure and surrounded by family and friends close to your heart!!!

This definition made me go back to my childhood memories , of course coming from a joint family, it was full of uncles, aunts, cousins, grand parents, the noise, the games, fun ,festivals n what not!!!but thinking of Adit, he just sees his mom n dad day n night in this country.Are we being selfish?? I was unable to overcome this guilt since yesterday!!! Maybe someday our decision will change and Adit will have his new HOME with people close to his heart!!!