I was undergoing this phase of life where everything was just going upside down,was regretting everything I had done,and was cribbing to a close colleague of mine, of what I was undergoing. She then introduced me to this person (say X), I use to see this X everyday, outside of my work place asking for some money or food.She told him how I was talking about regrets in life, X looked at me and said, if you hear my story you will never say the word "regret" in your life. X started to narrate as how he was the happiest man in the world, an excellent job ( X was a professor in one of the top universities), happy wife and a great son. His son wanted to become a doctor and how he had forced his son to become a lawyer and how they argued the day before. The next day X got a call that turned his world upside down, his son died in a car crash.After that, he lost interest in his life, his wife was mentally unstable and had to be admitted in the rehabilitation place for treatment, he lost his job because of his alcohol addiction. By the time he realized, everything was snatched away from him. He looked at me and said, you have the opportunity,strength, resource, everything so do something about it because you will never know, when everything will be snatched away from you. But remember, there will lot of clues or warning signs for you to know that it is going to be snatched away from you for once and for all if you do not act on it. He said, now I have urge to do something but I do not have the resources nor the strength to pursue it. He said he never use to believe when people use to say life is short, but now I understand the true meaning of how short it is.At once I knew that was my warning alarm. At the same time, I was also reading this book called "Little Princes" , sometimes the correct people, correct books, correct words come to you at the appropriate time just to wake you up for the purpose you are being sent. I am doing something about it. I have started to give more, help more, be considerate more, forgiving more and have an urge to do something different in the way I live before its too late. That one person and one book indeed left a great impact on me. Every time I find myself in a dreadful situation, I just of think of the man's situation and the situation of the kids in the book, the next moment I have a smile on my face of how much I have and how grateful or thankful I should be for what I have.I have started educating Adit more on the same terms so that his wake up call is early rather than late. Even now, I am not sure why I wanted to share this, but I have this urge to share, this may be a wake up call or warning alarm to someone who is reading this.
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Humanity or should I just say "Consideration"
This post is about a personnel incident in my life. I have to give credit to this person for this particular virtue they possess and it is hard to be seen in many of us. I read a post in my friend's wall today in the social media, where a taxi driver in NY had given ride to a old lady who was maybe in her final journey.
This brought back a memory of an incident which happened couple of weeks back. We were traveling to work.The traffic was pretty bad actually bumper to bumper on Lake shore drive and we knew that instant that there was some road closing. It was raining and the visibility was bad and it was extremely windy ( not that I complain about that in the windy city).As we were moving, we saw on the other side there was a bad accident, guess the car skid and probably hit the other vehicles which caused the heavy traffic.
By the way it looked, it had just happened and we could see one lady coming out of the car with some injury, there was a kid in the car and thankfully he was fine. The other people got down to help her. My husband who was driving that day, frantically was trying to open the front cabin and was searching something. I knew the instant he was trying to open the front cabin, he was searching for tissues for the lady who was on the other side and I helped him grab the tissue box( V usually have lots of that coz of emergency situations) in the storage.
He immediately opened the car window and asked if they needed it and threw it to the other side. The lady immediately grabbed it and gave a thumbs up.After that, we were on our way to work but this incident kept going on in my mind.. Of course, Mr. P (hubby)did not do a great thing but he did a timely one and this timely one according to me is the exact definition of "Human Consideration". I looked at him and I was so proud of him on that day, my son who was sitting behind us kept asking us questions. I am sure he wouldn't understand what happened but I for sure would take this example now and then to make him realize what he should stand for in his life.
Well, there is the other side of the coin, sometimes hubby goes a little ( little is an underrated word) overboard with this attribute of him ( those of you who are very close to us and know in and out would agree with me ) and it back fires on him or he gets hurt or gets himself in trouble.
But as of that day, I was extremely proud of what my hubby did and couldn't help not appreciating him for the small act of "consideration" he showed.
This brought back a memory of an incident which happened couple of weeks back. We were traveling to work.The traffic was pretty bad actually bumper to bumper on Lake shore drive and we knew that instant that there was some road closing. It was raining and the visibility was bad and it was extremely windy ( not that I complain about that in the windy city).As we were moving, we saw on the other side there was a bad accident, guess the car skid and probably hit the other vehicles which caused the heavy traffic.
By the way it looked, it had just happened and we could see one lady coming out of the car with some injury, there was a kid in the car and thankfully he was fine. The other people got down to help her. My husband who was driving that day, frantically was trying to open the front cabin and was searching something. I knew the instant he was trying to open the front cabin, he was searching for tissues for the lady who was on the other side and I helped him grab the tissue box( V usually have lots of that coz of emergency situations) in the storage.
He immediately opened the car window and asked if they needed it and threw it to the other side. The lady immediately grabbed it and gave a thumbs up.After that, we were on our way to work but this incident kept going on in my mind.. Of course, Mr. P (hubby)did not do a great thing but he did a timely one and this timely one according to me is the exact definition of "Human Consideration". I looked at him and I was so proud of him on that day, my son who was sitting behind us kept asking us questions. I am sure he wouldn't understand what happened but I for sure would take this example now and then to make him realize what he should stand for in his life.
Well, there is the other side of the coin, sometimes hubby goes a little ( little is an underrated word) overboard with this attribute of him ( those of you who are very close to us and know in and out would agree with me ) and it back fires on him or he gets hurt or gets himself in trouble.
But as of that day, I was extremely proud of what my hubby did and couldn't help not appreciating him for the small act of "consideration" he showed.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Small Measure of Happiness!!!
I am in totally off mood at work today coz of some things which got flared up at my work for no mistake of mine.. But I wanted to take a break and other than writing who else would be my better friend in venting out.
Anyways coming to the topic, I took my lil munchkin to this incredibly, excellent, well cast & enacted show "Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf". Well of course, it is a classic and the original story essence ( thankfully with no remixes) was kept. My son completely loved it, I have taken him to a few theater shows before but this one gave a complete different experience to us. It was an hour show with no intermission and I was worried as how I was going to occupy him or how he is gonna be quiet for that entire hour. Of course, I did start the talking on Thursday so that he is completely into it by Saturday. The biggest thing was that they allowed food and drinks inside the theater and it was so interactive that all the children were hooked on to the show. Although the complete an hour session was Q& A for me but he did follow the rules of asking me in a low tune and not disturbing the other audience beside us.
I am so happy he liked it, coz a daughter of a " M A English Literature Graduate" ( that's how my hubby calls me when I try to show off my literature side) I was totally into all classics. My dad still has the original version of "Romeo and Juliet" ,"Macbeth", "Julius Caesar", "The Wizard of Oz". I grew up listening to those, reading those books. I wanted to introduce the small classics to my son like Hansel and Gretel, Goldilocks etc., Alice in Wonderland.
One fortunate thing for me was/is/ hope for the (Will -future state) my son loves reading books, be it comics, fairy tales, cartoons. I did start for him at an early age the introduction of books.Although I wanted to introduce classics at a very early age, somehow I gave up the idea after that thinking that it would be too much on him.I am glad that atleast I have the opportunity of introducing some of the literature drama to him through these theatres. I am not sure how its gonna develop in him as he grows, I just wish that he develops atleast a minute interest in the literature classics and develops a liking to the style and writing of some of the famous writers.
I did like the way they molded the story to suit the age group of kids by including songs, interaction, story telling and even the dialogues weren't pretty complicated. Simple words, sentences were used.I really wish we had similar kind of shows like these in my country too so that kids would be exposed to the theater arts at a very young age.
But I am going to be doing my bit of effort in making him like the theater arts by taking him to at least to a few shows every now and then so that even if he does not develop the interest in the later age at least he will remember that we did make an effort and we did take him to these famous classics and that feeling is more than accomplishment for me. So next show is "A VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR".. (fingers crossed) but as of now I am contended and Happy...
Anyways coming to the topic, I took my lil munchkin to this incredibly, excellent, well cast & enacted show "Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf". Well of course, it is a classic and the original story essence ( thankfully with no remixes) was kept. My son completely loved it, I have taken him to a few theater shows before but this one gave a complete different experience to us. It was an hour show with no intermission and I was worried as how I was going to occupy him or how he is gonna be quiet for that entire hour. Of course, I did start the talking on Thursday so that he is completely into it by Saturday. The biggest thing was that they allowed food and drinks inside the theater and it was so interactive that all the children were hooked on to the show. Although the complete an hour session was Q& A for me but he did follow the rules of asking me in a low tune and not disturbing the other audience beside us.
I am so happy he liked it, coz a daughter of a " M A English Literature Graduate" ( that's how my hubby calls me when I try to show off my literature side) I was totally into all classics. My dad still has the original version of "Romeo and Juliet" ,"Macbeth", "Julius Caesar", "The Wizard of Oz". I grew up listening to those, reading those books. I wanted to introduce the small classics to my son like Hansel and Gretel, Goldilocks etc., Alice in Wonderland.
One fortunate thing for me was/is/ hope for the (Will -future state) my son loves reading books, be it comics, fairy tales, cartoons. I did start for him at an early age the introduction of books.Although I wanted to introduce classics at a very early age, somehow I gave up the idea after that thinking that it would be too much on him.I am glad that atleast I have the opportunity of introducing some of the literature drama to him through these theatres. I am not sure how its gonna develop in him as he grows, I just wish that he develops atleast a minute interest in the literature classics and develops a liking to the style and writing of some of the famous writers.
I did like the way they molded the story to suit the age group of kids by including songs, interaction, story telling and even the dialogues weren't pretty complicated. Simple words, sentences were used.I really wish we had similar kind of shows like these in my country too so that kids would be exposed to the theater arts at a very young age.
But I am going to be doing my bit of effort in making him like the theater arts by taking him to at least to a few shows every now and then so that even if he does not develop the interest in the later age at least he will remember that we did make an effort and we did take him to these famous classics and that feeling is more than accomplishment for me. So next show is "A VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR".. (fingers crossed) but as of now I am contended and Happy...
Monday, April 21, 2014
2 States
I recently saw this movie called " 2 States" based on the novel from Chetan Bhagat. I had read this novel but felt the movie was better than the novel in terms of bringing out the characters, feelings, emotions and the everything undergone when a marriage is decided between 2 people.This movie did bring back a lot of memories.
In my land, for a marriage to happen, it doesn't just involve two people falling in love, it involves the parents, relatives, sometimes 2 different states falling in love with each other. I can completely co- relate to every single scene in the movie. Well , this is my story and I wanted to pen in it down in words today so that some day when I look back and read, or if my generation reads it, they should ve a smile on their face as to how they all came into existence.
I am from Tamilnadu( Southern state) in India, although my mother tongue is Telugu , we were settled in Chennai for some generations, I would call myself a Tamilian rather than a telugite until my parents started looking for proposals. Of course, hubby and I liked each other instantly and fell in love too. We both felt love was enough to get married but no, we realized it quite soon, when we took the next step to convince everyone for marriage. First, was my dad , he was completely against it coz hubby was from a different STATE and the culture, style , tradition everything was different from us. Then it was from the hubby's side, whether I could communicate with my MIL in her language... ( well I did put in a lot of effort and hard work after marriage, and now no one can tell the difference that I am from a different state)
Somehow, that issue was resolved, next thing was again my dad and he had his own inhibitions of getting me married to someone living abroad and whom he did not see in person and is going to see that special person only a few days before marriage.I should really appreciate one person's incredible help here. My hubby's brother-in-law and now my brother who gave that confidence to my dad that everything will be perfectly fine and I will be in safe hands.Next, was the issue from my side as everybody was curious to know as to how this marriage got fixed, they wanted to know the background about the groom's side, their property details and of course we successfully did manage everyone's expectations.
As stated in the movie and in the novel, on top of our parent's permission, we wanted them to be more happy in our marriage than us. I wanted my mom to have fun,enjoy and ve that contented feeling that her responsibility is passed on to someone and that her daughter is in safe hands.We did put in a lot of effort even in the minute things eg., the menu of the marriage , all the other minute details which we knew would be raised as issues and not once thought of going against them.
I am sure every marriage has a story associated with it, some emotional, some romantic,some problematic, some peaceful , some happy, some dramatic.Now when I look back and see our marriage photos and videos, it was indeed a marriage between 2 states,culture and tradition and when I look at all the smiles it was indeed worth all the effort!!!!
In my land, for a marriage to happen, it doesn't just involve two people falling in love, it involves the parents, relatives, sometimes 2 different states falling in love with each other. I can completely co- relate to every single scene in the movie. Well , this is my story and I wanted to pen in it down in words today so that some day when I look back and read, or if my generation reads it, they should ve a smile on their face as to how they all came into existence.
I am from Tamilnadu( Southern state) in India, although my mother tongue is Telugu , we were settled in Chennai for some generations, I would call myself a Tamilian rather than a telugite until my parents started looking for proposals. Of course, hubby and I liked each other instantly and fell in love too. We both felt love was enough to get married but no, we realized it quite soon, when we took the next step to convince everyone for marriage. First, was my dad , he was completely against it coz hubby was from a different STATE and the culture, style , tradition everything was different from us. Then it was from the hubby's side, whether I could communicate with my MIL in her language... ( well I did put in a lot of effort and hard work after marriage, and now no one can tell the difference that I am from a different state)
Somehow, that issue was resolved, next thing was again my dad and he had his own inhibitions of getting me married to someone living abroad and whom he did not see in person and is going to see that special person only a few days before marriage.I should really appreciate one person's incredible help here. My hubby's brother-in-law and now my brother who gave that confidence to my dad that everything will be perfectly fine and I will be in safe hands.Next, was the issue from my side as everybody was curious to know as to how this marriage got fixed, they wanted to know the background about the groom's side, their property details and of course we successfully did manage everyone's expectations.
As stated in the movie and in the novel, on top of our parent's permission, we wanted them to be more happy in our marriage than us. I wanted my mom to have fun,enjoy and ve that contented feeling that her responsibility is passed on to someone and that her daughter is in safe hands.We did put in a lot of effort even in the minute things eg., the menu of the marriage , all the other minute details which we knew would be raised as issues and not once thought of going against them.
I am sure every marriage has a story associated with it, some emotional, some romantic,some problematic, some peaceful , some happy, some dramatic.Now when I look back and see our marriage photos and videos, it was indeed a marriage between 2 states,culture and tradition and when I look at all the smiles it was indeed worth all the effort!!!!
Monday, April 7, 2014
Adoption--- Life Changing Attitude
Wow... almost been a year since I visited my blog. Life has become so very hectic absolutely no time for anything.. with hubby's new interest and the lil dumpling growing up and plus my work, activities ... I need another 24 hours in a day to have time for my interest, hobbies...
Well.. that being said, I did watch this very interesting film "Vicky Donor" ( Hindi Feature Film) in the weekend and I liked the concept of the movie... very unique and well portrayed subject.It was about "Sperm Donation " and "Adoption" both are indeed very bold concept's well according to the Indian public and the message was very well conveyed..
"Adoption" ---- this has been "THE" word lingering since my college days.. I am big fan of Sushmitha Sen.. when she went all public about her adoption of a lil girl.. I was so impressed and wanted to follow her foot steps and I was not bothered about anything or anyone and I wanted to adopt a girl too... But as and when the life progressed, the idea of Adoption has never left me but the reality around it started increasing..
3 years back when I had my son, my hubby and I had this discussion that our next child would be a adopted one.. that was when I started exploring the opportunities, and the reality sinked in. At the same time there was a discussion about the very same topic in one of our girls groups and one of the girls actually brought out lot of good points.
The first which is the most important thing according to me, am I absolutely ready for this? it's someone's life, if I even show the slightest .0000000001% of difference to the child I wont be able to ever forgive myself after that.It's huge huge huge responsibility...I have few of my people in my friend's circle who have gone for adoption and I salute them for having done that.Hat's off...
The second one being, if I am going for adoption I have to go for the one from my native country the reason being I would want that child to get the same love, care, attention everything as my son ( this "My son" referring has to completely change and I know it has to be a life changing attitude) and that child should actually feel that he/she is not different from us.
The third, am I mature enough or should I say bold enough to tell the child that I am not their biological mother and generous enough to allow the child to have a connection with the biological mother and accept that relationship too.. well I don't know....
I know I have all the answers to all my questions, the only part is Am I ready enough to accept all the facts and am I strong enough to convince everyone about my decision ( I am sure the one person who would be on my side is my Hubby)and I can't be aggressive on this... well this has always been a debate in my mind. I wanted to get everything out of the system about this topic and writing has always been my friend in that area... But as of now, I have left everything to time, when the time comes I know everything will fall in place ( Hopefully ( Being completely optimistic)).
Well.. that being said, I did watch this very interesting film "Vicky Donor" ( Hindi Feature Film) in the weekend and I liked the concept of the movie... very unique and well portrayed subject.It was about "Sperm Donation " and "Adoption" both are indeed very bold concept's well according to the Indian public and the message was very well conveyed..
"Adoption" ---- this has been "THE" word lingering since my college days.. I am big fan of Sushmitha Sen.. when she went all public about her adoption of a lil girl.. I was so impressed and wanted to follow her foot steps and I was not bothered about anything or anyone and I wanted to adopt a girl too... But as and when the life progressed, the idea of Adoption has never left me but the reality around it started increasing..
3 years back when I had my son, my hubby and I had this discussion that our next child would be a adopted one.. that was when I started exploring the opportunities, and the reality sinked in. At the same time there was a discussion about the very same topic in one of our girls groups and one of the girls actually brought out lot of good points.
The first which is the most important thing according to me, am I absolutely ready for this? it's someone's life, if I even show the slightest .0000000001% of difference to the child I wont be able to ever forgive myself after that.It's huge huge huge responsibility...I have few of my people in my friend's circle who have gone for adoption and I salute them for having done that.Hat's off...
The second one being, if I am going for adoption I have to go for the one from my native country the reason being I would want that child to get the same love, care, attention everything as my son ( this "My son" referring has to completely change and I know it has to be a life changing attitude) and that child should actually feel that he/she is not different from us.
The third, am I mature enough or should I say bold enough to tell the child that I am not their biological mother and generous enough to allow the child to have a connection with the biological mother and accept that relationship too.. well I don't know....
I know I have all the answers to all my questions, the only part is Am I ready enough to accept all the facts and am I strong enough to convince everyone about my decision ( I am sure the one person who would be on my side is my Hubby)and I can't be aggressive on this... well this has always been a debate in my mind. I wanted to get everything out of the system about this topic and writing has always been my friend in that area... But as of now, I have left everything to time, when the time comes I know everything will fall in place ( Hopefully ( Being completely optimistic)).
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Changes -Part 2
I read a very interesting article posted on my friends wall as how a girl changes to a woman and then to a mother gradually and a mother anticipating the change which will happen in her daughter very soon. I would agree with every word in the article because as a mom I undergo it every day in my life and today was no exception but with a little spice added to it. Adit was transitioning to 2's class ( of course he is a 2 year old) starting today. The transition is gonna be slow so it was just 2 hours today and a formal letter of transition was given to me and P ( hubby) last week and my tantrums started since I saw the letter.
I was like how is he gonna handle it? he is gonna miss his teachers in toddlers class? he is gonna get low,grumpy go into hibernation?.he is gonna miss his friends?blah blah blah... Well all these were my assumptions When I called his teacher today and asked her how did it go? She was like" He was fine, he was probably upset for a little time initially and he handled it well and he was happy being there" I was like that's it...I expected her to say some kind of dramatic thing or scene which happened over there.
My husband and his teachers always say I am one who is resisting the change and not Adit. To some extent I would agree with it but from a MOM perspective, I would not coz I would always want my son to be comfortable ,get the best out of everything and I saw him being comfortable with his teachers in the present class, hugging him, taking care of him so well. I know the 2's teacher is also as wonderful as the present ones.But as everyone says and I know I hate to admit this one fact but I had to that my son needs to grow and develop as per the age and he is no more a baby and I have to let him do that.
He is ready for the next stage and I know he is and maybe I am not so I ve to let him go and get adjusted to the change. Of course I did have a talk with him about this change, not sure how much he understood of what I said and meant but he sure did a good job today and made me proud.Well, I am sure this kind of rambling is gonna come from me every now and then as and when the changes occur to him until my son is old enough to say" Mama, please stop worrying about me, I am fine and I can take care of myself" but does it ever gonna stop?? nahhhh... well we all are called the "MOMs"and that breed never stops thinking about their kids.
Well as for today I am gonna get a good peaceful sleep in the night with a happy feeling that "All's WELL"
I was like how is he gonna handle it? he is gonna miss his teachers in toddlers class? he is gonna get low,grumpy go into hibernation?.he is gonna miss his friends?blah blah blah... Well all these were my assumptions When I called his teacher today and asked her how did it go? She was like" He was fine, he was probably upset for a little time initially and he handled it well and he was happy being there" I was like that's it...I expected her to say some kind of dramatic thing or scene which happened over there.
My husband and his teachers always say I am one who is resisting the change and not Adit. To some extent I would agree with it but from a MOM perspective, I would not coz I would always want my son to be comfortable ,get the best out of everything and I saw him being comfortable with his teachers in the present class, hugging him, taking care of him so well. I know the 2's teacher is also as wonderful as the present ones.But as everyone says and I know I hate to admit this one fact but I had to that my son needs to grow and develop as per the age and he is no more a baby and I have to let him do that.
He is ready for the next stage and I know he is and maybe I am not so I ve to let him go and get adjusted to the change. Of course I did have a talk with him about this change, not sure how much he understood of what I said and meant but he sure did a good job today and made me proud.Well, I am sure this kind of rambling is gonna come from me every now and then as and when the changes occur to him until my son is old enough to say" Mama, please stop worrying about me, I am fine and I can take care of myself" but does it ever gonna stop?? nahhhh... well we all are called the "MOMs"and that breed never stops thinking about their kids.
Well as for today I am gonna get a good peaceful sleep in the night with a happy feeling that "All's WELL"
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Milestone --- after 13 years...
This has always been my secret, only few people who are very close to me and know me in and out know about this incident. I never had the courage to share this unless a person comes into my close circle.I was scared that some might show pity or sympathy ( Which I cannot tolerate) on my weakness or they might even make fun of me. I am a highly sensitive person although I appear to be extremely mentally strong outside ( of course I did become one after this struggle) It is almost 13 years since this accident happened and it was when I was in my college. Yes, the big accident while I was going on a bike actually the accident was nothing but the after effect was bad. Completely lost my right knee, had to undergo a surgery which was supposed to be an hour but lasted more than 6-7 hours and the doctors were shocked to see the damage which was done in the knee. Everyone gave up on me except my mom and my doctor. There were comments whether I would ever walk again in my life.Tough phase. Everything around me seemed very difficult. Even to get a glass of water I had to depend on some one. The pain, mentally and physically, the guilt of being a burden to everyone killed me almost every day.But my doctor always use to say 1 thing and I remember that even today " Never Let anyone tell you that you cannot do something"
Well that being the past, I have always had that fear that I cannot be completely normal again..I cannot jump, hop, cycle.. well this was my thought, my fear .But this changed... Yesterday when I was at gym, my trainer completely removed my fear and she made me do all these things which I never thought I would do it ever in my life. She actually saw the fear in me, and she said if you walk, run and do everything as a normal person you could as well do these things and said its just mental courage and not to think about anything else and let go off the fear by saying" You are very strong than you think you are"( Thanks Carla!! I would have not done it without you).It might be very trivial to a lot of you... but as for me and the people who know about my surgery and accident would definitely join me in saying "its a Milestone" indeed and also to completely let go of the fear I had built up in all these years. It was as if Paulo Coelho Quotes was coming true " And when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it" and the confidence, motivation and the inspiration you get after the achievement is incredible and cannot be put in words.
I had to build up courage to put all these in words and share it so that someone somewhere who reads it might let go off the inhibition of anything that had been building up for years and go ahead and venture it.
Well that being the past, I have always had that fear that I cannot be completely normal again..I cannot jump, hop, cycle.. well this was my thought, my fear .But this changed... Yesterday when I was at gym, my trainer completely removed my fear and she made me do all these things which I never thought I would do it ever in my life. She actually saw the fear in me, and she said if you walk, run and do everything as a normal person you could as well do these things and said its just mental courage and not to think about anything else and let go off the fear by saying" You are very strong than you think you are"( Thanks Carla!! I would have not done it without you).It might be very trivial to a lot of you... but as for me and the people who know about my surgery and accident would definitely join me in saying "its a Milestone" indeed and also to completely let go of the fear I had built up in all these years. It was as if Paulo Coelho Quotes was coming true " And when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it" and the confidence, motivation and the inspiration you get after the achievement is incredible and cannot be put in words.
I had to build up courage to put all these in words and share it so that someone somewhere who reads it might let go off the inhibition of anything that had been building up for years and go ahead and venture it.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Going Organic!!
Organic...well this has been pending in my list for a long time, contemplating, confused between the pro's and con's. This all started as a casual conversation, turned into an argument then a debate and finally concluded.I was talking to my colleague yesterday(Thanks Rich!!) during lunch about the healthy eating habits and healthy food. Organic food played a major role in the topic.I was always under the constant myth( Pardon my ignorance) that eating organic reduces the immunity in the body as it is not grown in the normal way as the other food items.But I was wrong, eating the inorganic stuff reduces the immunity coz Organic ones are grown in the natural way.Lot of benefits for Organic, toxic substances are reduced, more close to nature and last but not the least, it is the best way to protect the future generations.
I am aware that the change is not going to be as easy as it sounds.We have to think,breathe, speak, advocate organic in every possible thing in our lives.It's an entire life changing attitude.But if it's going to help us in the long run, why not make that change? It's a matter of time to adapt it.My husband and I also had the discussion about this later in the day, and we concluded that the benefits of being organic is something hard to ignore or put it off. So we are going Organic starting this weekend(Whole Foods, here I come)
I hope I stay on this decision and make the complete transition.. Wish me Luck!!
Next in action is going GREEN!!
I am aware that the change is not going to be as easy as it sounds.We have to think,breathe, speak, advocate organic in every possible thing in our lives.It's an entire life changing attitude.But if it's going to help us in the long run, why not make that change? It's a matter of time to adapt it.My husband and I also had the discussion about this later in the day, and we concluded that the benefits of being organic is something hard to ignore or put it off. So we are going Organic starting this weekend(Whole Foods, here I come)
I hope I stay on this decision and make the complete transition.. Wish me Luck!!
Next in action is going GREEN!!
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Changes-- Inevitable part of life
Ah!! Its been pretty long time since I updated my blog. Lot of developments, my son is gonna be 2 this June. he has become a lot more independent in his activities , more into fun activities, developing friendships, stranger anxiety becoming completely negligible, socializing skills improving and all the good things that happen when you send your kid to a day care.
Well that being said, as a mom am I happy with it? Of course yes, but somehow somewhere I am unable to overcome the guilt, earlier I use to know before hand what my son wants and needs were, but now he asks and he is clear what he needs and what he wants. Well of course I am a working mother now, I have my job, responsibilities and a family to take care of.
I sometimes have this discussion with my mom, as whether I am doing the right thing for my son to leave him in someone's care, my mom says you have to let him go at some point in time in your life so let it be now. My question is "is it early to I let him go" I mean not in the literal sense but trying to make him independent. I know sometimes as a mom I over think and complicate things but I just wanted to let it out today.Maybe coz my mom was a working mother and I know the thinking of a kid practically since I underwent through it every day. I remember the times I use to miss my mom.So am I doing the same thing to my son, I get restless when I think about those things.But on the other hand, I would give all the credit to my mom to all her efforts to make me independent which framed my character and the outlook I have/had towards life.
This got intensified when I saw the Oprah's show on Sex and the City Author (Candace Bushnell). She got married at the age of 41 to a really young guy and were happily married for 10 years until they decided to part ways.The one thing she said caught my attention quite a bit " A woman can have just one thing, either a good Career or a good family,". Well I disagree to that and times are changing a Woman can have both its all about managing the expectations and be truthful and accepting responsibility.
Maybe you could call these as the ramblings of a working mom.I am sure I would get a clarity on this some day and would be able to justify it to my kids when they question me in the future(which I hope not).
Well that being said, as a mom am I happy with it? Of course yes, but somehow somewhere I am unable to overcome the guilt, earlier I use to know before hand what my son wants and needs were, but now he asks and he is clear what he needs and what he wants. Well of course I am a working mother now, I have my job, responsibilities and a family to take care of.
I sometimes have this discussion with my mom, as whether I am doing the right thing for my son to leave him in someone's care, my mom says you have to let him go at some point in time in your life so let it be now. My question is "is it early to I let him go" I mean not in the literal sense but trying to make him independent. I know sometimes as a mom I over think and complicate things but I just wanted to let it out today.Maybe coz my mom was a working mother and I know the thinking of a kid practically since I underwent through it every day. I remember the times I use to miss my mom.So am I doing the same thing to my son, I get restless when I think about those things.But on the other hand, I would give all the credit to my mom to all her efforts to make me independent which framed my character and the outlook I have/had towards life.
This got intensified when I saw the Oprah's show on Sex and the City Author (Candace Bushnell). She got married at the age of 41 to a really young guy and were happily married for 10 years until they decided to part ways.The one thing she said caught my attention quite a bit " A woman can have just one thing, either a good Career or a good family,". Well I disagree to that and times are changing a Woman can have both its all about managing the expectations and be truthful and accepting responsibility.
Maybe you could call these as the ramblings of a working mom.I am sure I would get a clarity on this some day and would be able to justify it to my kids when they question me in the future(which I hope not).
Friday, December 7, 2012
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.
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.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
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!!
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!!
Thursday, August 9, 2012
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!!!
Friday, March 16, 2012
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!!!
Thursday, March 15, 2012
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!!!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
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.
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.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
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!!!
Saturday, February 18, 2012
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!!!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
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!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)