Miles to go before I sleep!!!

Mother to a Friend...

2009-09-29T09:20:00.000-07:00

Kids will be at home for nine days now ! How to keep them occupied ...? How to channelize their energy in the right direction so that they do not end up glued to the idiot box and by the end of the day are drained of all their positive thinking faculties?...

The only way was to transform myself- keep aside the role of a mother ... be a child again ...and that was exactly what I did this Navaratri vacation and I can see a lost spark brighten up my eyes and a youthful bounce adorning my gait!

Once I decided to celebrate this vacation,I rang up my friend M, who is my working companion and co founder of our Art Academy. Decision of conducting a workshop for kids was taken in unison and the remaining few days were set apart in planning our fun days. We got a few calls from parents who were willing to send their kids home ..
Having a couple of kids at home would surely increase the fun quotient and excitement.

We started getting more enquiries about our workshop and excitement and responsibilities also grew.. By the time we started our workshop, our crew members had increased from a handful to a good 21.

Time just flew and we started enjoying every minute of our workshop. We started our days with prayers and helped kids work in buddy groups consisting of different age groups. Everyday was filled with dance, games and activities which ranged from crafts to cooking.

It was a joy to see them enjoy, to see the spark in their eyes which was so contagious.
Have you ever felt so full inside your heart that you don't need a reason to smile?
Have you ever felt so light inside your being that you are not embarrassed to jump up in joy ....

That was our state those few days ....

Today as I was waiting for my kids from school, two boys came zooming in their bicycles.. shouting "aunty .aunty ...".. with sparks in their eyes and smile on their faces...They were two members of our workshop...
It was great to just be their friend and listen to their unending chatter....
may be I should stop being a mother and just be a friend.......

to see more of our workshop click 2009-09-29">here.

During our times ..........!!

2009-09-06T03:56:00.000-07:00

"During our times....it was much different ...!"
Hey! Do I sound like an old grandma? But, I am not ... and I am already using the above quote more than often. The other day I heard myself uttering these to a group of women in our apartment who were seriously discussing about the way they groom their kids .... and these words do slip out my mouth around our dining table once as we were reminiscing our childhood days ...

Have I already stepped into the next generation so soon? Or has the time lapsed so soon?

School admissions were never a hot topic of discussion among our parents when we were young. We were admitted into a school close to home. And we just grew along with the flow .... today parenting has taken a different turn altogether. After hunting for a suitable school for my kids for a whole year in a metro city, I could see changes in me ....My thoughts always hovered around schools, admissions and our kids future.. I joined many online groups which discussed schools and I was lured into more and more confusion. My spare time was set apart to visit schools ...When some schools were ready to take in my kids, the fees was too exorbitant: some schools were so crowded that each class room was packed with around 45 kids and each grade had divisions from A to I ... (a good way for the pre schoolers to learn their alphabets!). Many schools just did not respond: many schools had vacancies but were only moved by the sight of US dollars ....

Queue during admissions outside a school

My elder one was admitted to an "international" school last year ... as it was the only school willing to take him in when we returned from US midway during the school term - we thought of trying our luck next year in a better and "normal" school . I had a narrow escape from a severe heart attack when I visited his school for paying the term fees, two months ago. After paying the term fees the person on the counter requested me politely:
"Madam, this year you will have to pay extra for the school essentials..."
She handed over a slip to me which gave details of 2nd standard school essentials .. which included books, pencils,scale,erasers,crayons and a few work sheets for the year...
At the end of the slip was a figure which I tried to decipher.... My heart missed a beat and I leaned on to the counter ....
"Please pay the amount at the cash counter before collecting his books ..." I heard her say ....

I slowly walked towards the cash counter and enquired... "are all the parents OK with this school essential fee ...?"

The lady at the counter just stared back at me as if I was from some other planet ....

[Can any of you guess how much I payed for "school essentials" alone for a 2nd grade child?]

My helplessness, shock and prayers were all answered a week later when I got a call from another school - my kids got through the evaluation tests and were enrolled for vacancies in 2nd grade and Lower KG respectively. It was so sudden and no less than a miracle .. I feel relieved and relaxed now after a whole year of anxiety ....

When I heard my friend's story of her kid's school admission, I knew that it was a blessing indeed to get admissions for both into a normal reputed school in the middle of the year.
My friend, "B" was 4 months pregnant when she was dragged into a "reputed" school by a relative for booking a seat 3 years in advance. She told me that she felt so stupid to be sitting in front of the school officials and asking for a school admission for a child who was not yet born. The school officials jotted down her due date and calculated the year of admission and after much thought said, "Sorry ! your child is wait listed!... we will let you know if a vacancy arises !"
She did not feel stupid any more.... After three years .. the school expanded adding two more sections to their primary wing and thus her son got admission into the school!!.

"During our times ........it was much different.....!!!!!

"Travel Impressions" blog merged

2009-09-04T21:30:00.000-07:00

My first blog was titled "travel Impressions" - http://travelimpressions.blogspot.com/. Always wanted to merge that one with this blog and at long last have done so. All "travel impressions" posts are also available in "My Online Sojourn" now.

Prayer heals!

2009-08-17T10:43:00.000-07:00

I look at my hands and I can hear them begging to me..." stop it please... do not abuse us so much"... I open my vaseline jelly and apply it on my palms to make them feel better .
Earlier my hands used to smell of masalas, spices or incense, but for the past one week they are smelling only of dettol.
This is not the story of just my palms ....
My home smells of dettol and lizol ; I have already exhausted this month's usual quota of all disinfectant floor cleaners, toilet cleaners and even hand washes.I have stacked up my cupboard with enough of medical soaps. Our medicine cabinets have been updated with surgical spirits and many homeo medicines.My kids smell of dettol or eucalyptus oil.I even gave off a bottle of Lizol to the maid who comes to sweep the corridors of our apartment complex . I have agreed to sponsor dettol hand wash to my kids school.

Do not mistake this for a marketing portal for disinfectants .... what then?

Yes , you guessed it right ! Something is terribly wrong with me! When I am trying to make hand washing our home culture I just feel like Lady Macbeth trying to wash away the imaginary blood from her hands always in a state of hallucination. When I am always in the look out for a sneeze or running nose from my two little boys I feel insane.I used to take things so lightly . Never have I rushed my kids to doctors for a small rise in temperature , a cough or cold. But today my heart beats faster each time I think of my kids away from me in school...... ... are they washing their hands... with soap? Are they digging their noses , or biting their nails ?

I am after all a mother ....!!!

The scare of the pandemic H1N1 virus spreading like wild fire globally, the heat of its virulent flames burning life's of people close to our residence....just sprouted fear is many of us ...A month or so ago , I remember reading about this viral infection called swine flu affecting life's of people in Pune... but then I read it like any other news and never thought twice about it ....Today I feel ashamed !!!
Why am I feeling connected when it comes only to people close to me? Last few days were also days of reflection and introspection.With a baggage of thoughts dancing in my head I just sat down to check what I felt about the whole situation.

The answer I got was fear! Yes! I was overwhelmed with fear....! Fear of death , fear of the unknown , fear of future , fear of anticipation , fear of loss , fear of the unexpected...
I was imagining the worst , I was trying to live in the future "ifs". I had just forgotten the beauty of the present ... and the moment I realized this, prayer arose ! I could send prayers to not just my near and dear ... the spectrum of it embraced humanity as a whole !

Along with all the precautions we are taking to control the spread of this pandemic , the aura of our deep consciousness should expand ....!!! Prayer heals ....

An on the road saga - part 6: after a hiatus!

2009-08-06T05:56:00.000-07:00

Many a times I had an intense urge to continue blogging and I would even make up my mind and sit in front of my lap top. The long break I took, was posing a starting trouble and every time, I would just procrastinate and distance blogging to the further most priorities. I got a couple of mails from some of my readers, motivating me to continue writing and my dear husband PP would be always after me to start pursuing my hobby (a good relief from my nagging!)...
But most importantly, all these months I missed out on a lot ... the bond I shared with my virtual friends ....! The joy of having friends who closely follow your blog was felt most when a month back I bumped onto one such very dear blog pal in a newly opened restaurant. I still treasure the moment when we both recognized each other ... two individuals who became friends through the blog sphere!......Both of us couldn't hide our joy on this unexpected encounter...and that did convince me to restart my blogs.

Before I write on anything new, I have to quickly wind up a series I started long back "An on the road Saga"............

"This is just ridiculous... how can you drive without a state license?...
Meet me at the police station before 4 in the evening with the state license", saying this he just marched away...

I tried to keep a brave face when the officer in front of me spoke these words ....Holding back my tears I dailed my husband's number with my fumbling fingers...The sighs on the other end of the phone made me more pale .....After dropping my son to school I went directly to the Secreatary of State office to give my written test. But I was rejected even the chance of attempting the test on the pretext that my husband's name in the passport did not match with the name in our marriage certificate.The expanding of the initials in front of his name .. the name had become too long that it did not fill in the visa page in the passport ....that they just ignored the end part of the name which was the real name in the marriage certificate.
confusing right?........
Sure to be remanded in jail in a foreign country ,with a heart full of prayer and helplessness I entered the police station, only to be greeted with a warm smile .....The officer was kind to me and understood the situation and asked me to speed up the process immediately before venturing on the roads.....The next few weeks was tough in getting the bank accounts and electricity and telephone bills in my name so that I could get a license without the fuss about the marriage certificate . After passing the initial written test ,I was waived off the 30 days wait to take the operator's license due to my Indian license. The day I got the Michigan license was a day of celebration for my family and friends ... I drove on the roads with an extra pride and confidence ,,, still the alarm in my head went on whenever I saw a police car in the vicinity.
This joy also did not last long .... A sudden news , of my husband's project coming to a closure and a sudden re location to India , selling off our road companions ,,,in no time we found our selves at home in Chennai.....I still , look at my Michigan State Operator's license... to make sure that all the tensions I went through was not a dream.
In India my on the road saga continues ....we don't own a car yet .... but we travel as a family in our 2 two wheelers... its fun and thrilling for the kids too ...to fight over which scooter they would ride .... who is the first to reach the destination ......! Our Indian roads , which add much spice and adventure to the drives... our on the road saga continues.....................!!!

An on the road saga - Part 5!!

2009-01-24T06:53:00.000-08:00

We sat anxiously outside the two different RTO offices to get our International driving permit sanctioned. Suddenly my cell phone rang... it was PP ..."success... I got mine done ! what about yours?" 'No",I replied...."Mr.RTO has still not arrived the scene.Looks like we will have to cancel tonight's train ticket." "OMG! I have an important meeting in office tomorrow... I can't spare any more leave.You come later with kids...."said PP. After two day long satyagraha outside the RTO and after filling the empty pockets of various administrative staff I got my much awaited IDP....

With the valuable IDP safely in my purse , we packed our bags once again to leave our land ... for a 3 year long stay in US. My first impression of US roads was admiration and awe.... then came anxiety ....who would not be anxious to see the cars zooming on the free ways ...each time a vehicle passed me I could feel a burner kindling in my tummy. "How can I drive on these roads...."

After much thought I was enlightened ... yes I understood that till now I was never driving....being still alive after driving on our Indian roads was not less than a miracle! After a few weeks in US, necessity forced me to sit behind the steering and drive our FORD Taurus... Yes ., I enjoyed those moments when I drove the car in the early morning to give dance lessons to a group of Indian kids. We started feeling the necessity of having a second vehicle and leased a Chrysler town and country...From then on that became my on the road companion.... I was transformed into a full time chauffeur ... driving the kids to and from school, shopping , trips to library , to my dance classes....

My IDP was expiring in a few weeks .. when a new rule came up by the SOS that only green card holders were issued a drivers permit. I was in a dilemma .... Still with the confidence that very thing will fall into place , I continued with my road trips ....

One day as I was on my way to dropping my kindergartner to school ... one police vehicle suddenly came opposite our vehicle... before I knew, the police car took a U turn and with the lights and the siren blaring started following me.

I remembered what PP told me what to do when a police car follows you, with the lights and siren on,... just take your vehicle to the side and park it safely and wait for the officer to come .. I did exactly that .. trying not to panic ...my toddler started screaming on top of his voice.... "amma .... amma ... police .... ammma ...." I could see the fear in the eyes of my kindergartner, even when he tried to calm down his brother.... Those few minutes of waiting seemed to be like hours...and finally the officer came beside my the driver's window and asked ... " license please" .
.......to be continued.....

An on the road saga ! 4

2009-01-17T01:48:00.000-08:00

After a fun filled and adventurous year in Japan, we landed in Taiwan. The on the road adventures here were limited to profuse use of expression and hand gestures to the locals and the taxi drivers in an attempt to make them understand our destination . Even the famous "TESCO" shopping mall had to be translated to "to-hi -ko" with right voice modulation and intonation : which used to be rehearsed again and again ....After staying in Taiwan for a year, we landed in one of the most picturesque and serene places I have stayed... South Africa.

Our stay in South Africa was fun and full of life. We stayed in a huge bungalow overlooking a nature reserve . A well maintained garden with bird baths, lush green trees and fragrant flowers would invite the huge birds, Hadidas, to land in our compound. The outside atmosphere was perfect for a walk ... and we would put on our walking shoes and venture into the lap of nature.... I would always wonder how and why people preferred to either stay in doors or just zoom in their vehicles......for we would be the only ones enjoying our evening walks.....And were often stared at by those in their cars.

It was only later that I came to know that , it was not safe to walk on the roads .... or even drive with out carrying knifes or revolvers....the crime rates in South Africa, even in a "safe" Pretoria neighborhood like ours, was high. From then on we started practicing "awareness"..... Even when we had the privilege of driving a Mazda offered to us from Pp's office.....It was in South Africa that I really drove.... Each moves , each turn, each stop .... each change of gear was practised with utmost awareness.

I was the chauffeur of the family ... as Pp was yet to master the driving skills on the road. I took up yet another job ... of teaching my husband driving. He was a good student flourishing under the tutelage of an able and experienced Guru...The confidence level in him was rising with every class ... that he finally drove on the roads with out my promptings.....He explored the different roads in Pretoria with the help of maps ..... and one day while taking a confident turn with his eyes surveying the map ... he dashed on to a near by lamp post crashing our white Mazda .....

........to be continued

An on the road Saga! : after a hiatus!

2008-12-14T02:20:00.000-08:00

It was indeed a herculean task to even sit down in front of the monitor and pour out my thoughts after a long hiatus. There were many reasons for going on a long break.......our sudden relocation to India... setting up a home in here, getting admission for kids, adjustment and settling down problems for them,sudden change of weather and a series of non stop infections in the family.... the list goes on and on. The only reason I have started blogging in spite of the umpteen excuses is that , I really missed out on something these past few months.... I missed my virtual friends who kept popping in now and then to check on me in spite of my long silence......I missed reading my own thoughts on print... which otherwise kept piling in my head pacified by the ever flowing tasks at hand..... I just missed blogging!!!

Now , I am back.....hoping not to be infected by the virus , inertia....:

So , here's my “On the road saga....” part 3....

Chapter 3

After my on the road adventures with tempo trax and maruti Suzuki , I was back to hiring auto's and buses on the Chennai roads....Sitting as a passenger in an auto was no less than an adventure... with the high frequency and high pitched Tamil songs jarring from the driver's seat and the unpredictable potholes on the middle of the roads that takes you roller coaster riding .. without visiting any amusement parks.These adventure rides also had a short life … we flew to Hiroshima , Japan soon.

I was amazed at the discipline and smoothness that prevailed on the Japanese roads. My ears ached to hear the honking sound which pervaded our Indian roads. We did not own a car when we were in Japan. Our main mode of transport was the local train. I used to be picked up and dropped by my friends whenever necessary. One of my student's gave me a bicycle which was my on the road companion from then on. Biking, then became a very relaxing and energy boosting exercise. Pp also got a second hand bicycle and we used to go biking on weekends,... hiking, shopping and just exploring Hiroshima.It was fun, relaxing and romantic. These biking moments left me wishing for Indian roads with bicycle paths ….ensuring safe and environment friendly travel. I have biked to my school and tuition classes as a high school student....but today, with the crazy traffic on our Indian roads … can we really relax at home having waved good bye to our kids on their bicycles?!!!

…......to be continued.

An On the road Saga!

2008-06-13T20:11:00.000-07:00

.....CONTINUED FROM HERE

Chapter 2

Thus after many eventful driving lessons and an uneventful driving test, I came home a proud recipient of the Indian Drivers license. I was beaming with confidence, for we had no car in our garage to prove my driving skills. My Dad one day brought home a second hand Maruti Suzuki and handed over its keys to me. He sat beside me on the passenger seat, his head held high. I turned on the engine , my confidence level crumbling. My car galloped imitating the jerks of a horse and suddenly came to a stop. After many trials , my Dad’s raised head came down a bit and he promised me to bring me a better Guru .

Thus started, my second session of driving classes with Pillai Sir. Pillai Sir was very different from my earlier teacher. He was a soft spoken man, who taught me how to drive and instilled full confidence in me. Thus in a few weeks time I was declared the chauffeur of the family. I started enjoying the drives on the Indian roads which provided adventure and variety each day. We stopped hiring drivers even for long drives. Thus the 1985 model Maruti Suzuki became my companion. I started feeling a special kinship with this old friend .

The day came when I had to finally say goodbye to my on the road companion….., it was more than just a four wheeler , it was my first car , which gave me confidence not only in driving but also in myself. On the eve of my wedding when our house was full of guests , my uncle took up a few responsibilities running errands on my old companion….: my old car refused from responding ….whether any one would believe it or not …. My car’s engine did not start even after many trials…. When all the guests departed , I went to my old friend , spoke to it with love (I know it sounds crazy)…..and my old companion responded without any problems….When I write about my old red Maruti ….it does take me back the memory lane…. The many moments I spent with my friend , the many roads I meandered , the many family outings , the long drives with my college friends, drives with my husband……..And I feel a longing to sit on its drivers seat and hold on to its steering…….

To be continued………………………….

An On the road Saga!

2008-05-30T21:03:00.000-07:00

Chapter 1

I felt so thrilled , so confidant, so grown up when I held tightly to the steering wheel and the Premier Padmini zoomed ahead. I was sitting on the lap of my favorite uncle, thinking that holding on to the steering wheel was all I needed to learn about driving. I used to wait eagerly for these driving lessons as a child...Brimming with energy and innocence …firmly believing that I have mastered the art of driving. The only hindrance that forbade me from practicing my skills was the lack of a car.

It took the child in me some time in accepting that I had more to learn in order to drive and that I needed to wait till I was eighteen to be issued a driving license. When I was finally eighteen I signed up along with a few friends at a driving school next to our colony. On my first day of driving lesson, Bashir Sir honked in front of our house on a tempo trax. He had collected all his students on his way and thus began my journey of enlightenment on Indian roads. Each day was an experience on the road ….. Our master had his clutch accelerator and break under perfect control on his side of the vehicle that we hardly learnt to drive. The only thing each of us learnt with out fail was the regular route he asked us to take during our driving sessions. Our Bashir Sir had three wives. One legitimate wife and the other two his well known secrets. Each day he would visit his wives and the road that connected his various houses was to be our driving route. His fourth stopover was a toddy shop. And once he was satisfied with the final stop we would head to our respective homes and our Basheer Sir knew not to open his mouth.

Our Basheer Sir was a man of many connections… Though a puny little man he knew what to do when and how…He knew how to satisfy the staff in the regional transportation office and get things done… Thus without learning much to drive and without facing any dire situation I was issued a driver's license.

to be continued................

Hand print on Mother's day!

2008-05-13T19:12:00.000-07:00

May 11th was mother’s day. But it was never marked in my calendar till now. Back in India , we did not celebrate a specific day as mother’s or father’s day. But this year it was different for me. My parents were with us and on May 11th I woke to the aromas of my Mom’s kitchen. I was being showered with gifts on mother’s day. Being pampered by my mother and embraced by my kids at the same time was the best gift ever.
My kindergartener , walked from school the previous day with a naughty smile in his eyes and his tiny arms filled with his hand made gifts. Among them was a laminated piece of paper he had made from his school , which especially touched my heart … It had on it his hand print and a few words which said…
“Sometimes You get discouraged because I am so small, And always leave my finger prints on furniture and walls. But everyday I am growing – I’ll be grown up some day. And all these tiny fingerprints will simply fade away. So here ‘s a final handprint just so that you can recall . Exactly how my fingers looked when I was very small.I love you”

First step towards awareness!

2008-04-27T20:21:00.000-07:00

We are Humans. We eat, drink, sleep, and work. All our day to day activities spin around these basic needs. These activities take almost all our time, that all of us have almost forgotten that we are not just humans. We are Human Beings.
I can almost hear most of you thinking (so what??? What is the big deal???)
And if you want my answer ….
“It is a big deal…”
You can exist as humans , but to live you have to be Human beings.
So now how can we be human beings?
We do not have to be we already are. But we have almost forgotten to live the being part.

Do I sound like a preacher? Sorry if I do. I just felt like sharing that that I have enjoyed.

Now without much of lecturing or preaching let us do this simple exercise.
Do not be skeptical. Just give it a try.
Close your eyes and shift your attention to your palm and your feet. Do not think, but feel. In a few minutes you will be able to feel your being in your palm and feet, which you can slowly expand to other parts of your body.

This can be done any time ….just squeeze it in between your busy work schedules. Let us learn to be aware …

I would wish to read what you felt like in the comments section…so please go ahead and try…

Tag...

2008-04-19T19:46:00.000-07:00

Mathew tagged me ...and here goes my tag....

1.LAST MOVIE YOU SAW IN A THEATER:
thengashi pattanam…(will you believe me if I told you I have not watched a single movie in a theatre with by husband?)

2. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING?
The Konkans( Being a Konkani myself , this title of the book attracted me. To read a review on this book visit Lotus reads)

3. FAVORITE BOARD GAME?
This keeps on changing every week according to the choice of my kindergartner. We started off with snake and ladder, then it reached scrabble , checkers and chess. The recent favorite is monopoly.

4. FAVORITE MAGAZINE?
I loved reading Life positive , though it is no more available for me now. I never used to like National geographic earlier but , love reading it now.
5. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Smell of earth after a rain. Smell from Amma’s kitchen.

6. FAVORITE SOUND?
Giggles of my two boys.
7. WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD?
Losing my temper even though I know there is no reason.

8. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU WAKE?
I pray for the Grace of the Lord to guide me through out the day.

9. FAVORITE FAST FOOD PLACE?
I love kerala tattu kadas. Have started liking the subways out here .

10. FUTURE CHILD'S NAME?
Future Kid?I am very happy with two…(though I secretly wish for a girl….. )so let the name be a secret too.

11. FINISH THIS STATEMENT. "IF I HAD A LOT OF MONEY I'D...?
would seriously expand my philanthropy.

12. DO YOU DRIVE FAST?
Could never drive fast in the traffic on the Indian roads.
Though the roads here tempt you , I try to stick to the speed limit .
13. DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL? No

14. STORMS-COOL OR SCARY?Not cool nor too scary.
15. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?
I first drove a Maruti 800 (appa’s car) . After marriage it was Santro.Don’t you want to hear of my latest?... Town and country(chrystller)

16. FAVORITE DRINK?
cool water.
17. FINISH THIS STATEMENT, "IF I HAD THE TIME I WOULD .....
sit down.

18. DO YOU EAT THE STEMS ON BROCCOLI?
Yes I do…
19. IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY COLOR, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR CHOICE? I am seriously thinking of black… there are plenty of silver strands popping up
20. NAME ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES/TOWNS YOU HAVE LIVED IN.
Ernakulam(kerala, India)
Kodungalloor(kerala India)
Chennai(Tamilnadu India)
Hiroshima(Japan)
Taipei(Taiwan)
Pretoria(South Africa)
Michgan(USA)

. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Not a great fan of any sports … though love to watch the indo pak cricket match.

22. ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU.
a BIG CHEF…

23. WHAT'S UNDER YOUR BED?
Latest book I am reading.

24. WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE BORN AS YOURSELF AGAIN?
I would like to experience a different life.

25. MORNING PERSON, OR NIGHT OWL?
I was a morning person. But after my kids were born my clock is more flexible according to their routine..

26. OVER EASY, OR SUNNY SIDE UP?
Neither.

27. FAVORITE PLACE TO RELAX?
My home.

28. FAVORITE PIE?
Can’t think of one.

29. FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
Butter scotch
30. OF ALL THE PEOPLE YOU TAGGED THIS TO, WHO'S MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND FIRST?I really do not know.

And this tag goes to..

Pooja,
Jyothsna
Maddy

God is still working on her!

2008-03-29T16:46:00.000-07:00

You must already have read on my cousin Pratibha, about whom I once wrote in one of my previous posts. This time I would like to repost it.She has achieved something this month which is for sure an inspiration to all of us. It reminds us on the infinite potential hidden in each one of us.This month she did her Arangetram, which lasted for 1 1/2 hours on stage.Arangetram is a graduation ceremony and a defining moment in a dancer's life.Read more on Pratibha and what she has to teach us......

As the Macro cosmic Omnipresence rejuvenates into the microcosmic creations ,
as Nature replays itself in its myriad forms,
as the first ever flower receives its first sunshine and enlightens the plant,
as the first reptile soars up in the sky freeing itself from the fetters of the gravitational pull tasting freedom,
as the carbon transforms into a diamond, the precious gem:
Consciousness unravels itself !!!

While Nature is still at its play creating and recreating, its flora, its fauna and its infinite variety of creatures,we do fumble upon mutations. Yes,mutations,that are still full of Nature`s artistry yet having a pronounced difference. Yes,different in form but still an embodiment and expression of Nature. Yes,different because of a surplus or lack of the building block,the chromosome.

Let me share with you this real life story of a gift of Nature,who is different and who is special. I am fortunate to have her as my dear cousin. I still remember the day she was born, when my uncle walked into our house with a beaming face of a proud father. I remember peering into her tiny little eyes, when I was a little scared yet wanting to hold her feather like body. She grew up in a warm atmosphere surrounded by love and affection. Her tiny legs refused to take her first step even at the age of three,her mouth unable to produce audible meaningful sounds! I witnessed the silent pain endured by her parents and the whole family .... They were unable to accept that they were blessed with a special bud, which will also bloom in its own special way. She was diagnosed by doctors of various disciplines, and she also accepted alternative therapies.... She slowly started to walk,started to talk....
I still remember clearly,the way she snuggled in my lap and stared at my face trying to decipher the sounds that I produced ...the way she swayed her body to any melodious music!

But time passed,she grew into adulthood, yet untouched by its complexities. Those legs which once refused to walk slowly took rhythmic steps of classical dance. The perfection and grace she rendered would not be measured according to regular standards , but still she danced,she danced before audiences without inhibitions. Her in born talents today unravel when she cooks,stitches ,memorizes phone numbers!

The child in her still alive : still frustrated on missing out something about the adult hood,She is God's rare creation, He still working on her. Don't we also yearn for the innocence and heart of a child,faded away or buried in our process of attaining maturity? Like the consciousness which is ever flowing in all the
creations, in you and in me and in all that we see around,the same inherent consciousness is latent in my cousin and all the special gifts of Nature too. Let us not read each others labels but rather look beyond it,to read something divine and sublime , reflections of our own consciousness.

Watch this vedio of Pratibha's Arangetram!

The only thing that is permanent in life is change!

2008-03-06T19:18:00.000-08:00

If we watch carefully at our life we sometimes see a pattern ...of things being repeated constantly!
This is very true in my case. There are two things that keep happening in my life. So what is the inference you gather from this... .It might be a game of Nature to teach us something. Or it might be a reminder for us to change something in our life so that the pattern does not repeat...

Let me tell you what are the things that create patterns in my life.
1. It has to do with my wrist watch. The relation with my watch is always short lived. We are not made for each other. If I can have a smooth relationship with my watch for at least a month it is a miracle. I don't have an answer to why our relationship is always on the verge of breaking...Either , the watch just stops working , or is just not to be found. So what should I learn from this.. just stop using a watch! this is the only answer I can come up with.

2. In the past 8 years I have moved 10 houses , in four different countries. Last two weeks I was busy shifting to a new place , and that is why this late post. The most amazing aspect is that I am always in love with each of my 10 homes...I have enjoyed making each house into a home only to leave it and enter into a totally new environment.And what do I learn from this pattern in my life which has granted me varied experiences.
1). That the only thing that is permanent in life is change.
2). And to never accumulate baggage along the way. Live light , so that you can have a comfortable life. May be this is true with the journey called life itself. Never carry with you grievances or hatred, that your journey becomes a pain.
3).Always accept help.You will discover some wonderful friends along the way ,who can make your journey smooth. Let me thank my dear friends who have given me their time and love and helped make my moves enjoyable.

Monday mornings.........................

2008-02-11T19:36:00.000-08:00

It is Monday today. So what is so special? .. you may ask..just that it comes after Sunday.Sunday is the day I unwind, its a day I do not consider the clock, a day I walk past the kitchen counter , without stopping to wipe clean, a day I sit down and sip my coffee without bending to pick up the toys....
I would root myself with a book I picked from the library....and even when the day closes, I would be hooked on to the book ....way into the night. Turning the last page of the book , I would glance at the clock only to see that, I have already stepped into Monday.

6.30 am Monday

PP tickles my feet , trying to wake me up. Through the narrow gap I managed to open , fighting my heavy eye lids, I see him ready for office , waving bye. "Its 6.30 " he whispers trying not to wake the sleeping kids.
" Just 5 more minutes...." I mumble and snuggle inside the comforter ......

7.45 am

"Amma....Amma... I am hungry... give me maamam" my younger son is awake . I see the clock and jump up in bed....trying to figure out what all I need to do. I rush to wash my face and run to the kitchen....my son wailing behind me. I lift him up and hoist him in the kitchen counter top ...while ransacking the fridge ....I see batter...and pick up a few fruits ...

7.50am

I cut the fruits for my elder son's snack box . But my younger one keeps having his fill and I give up. I grind chutney simultaneously making baby Dosas for his lunch. I rush to wake up my elder son who is deep in his sleep. "Kanna, wake up dear, you will be late for school.."
" Amma, Amma.... " I hear screams from the kitchen...I run to find him happily grinning at me. sigh!
" I need to get down , and brush my teeth...." I lift him and put him down..then suddenly see that he has bitten on all the Dosas.. and has left only bits and pieces. No bread, no batter... now what to do...?
"Amma, he is spilling water on me?
Amma, he is splashing water all over the toilet....
Amma he is using the brush to comb his hair............................................................."
I rush to the toilet......pour out all my energy "%$%$^&^&^**(*%^%^%^&^&#@##%$%^^&^&^%^%%%^&..........................."
things seem to calm down....

8.00a.m
my elder one is in th shower... while I have hoisted the younger one in the kitchen with wheat flour.. while i rolled out chapathi... three chapathi rolls with chutney are ready for his lunch box...

8.03a.m
Rush to my son to dress him up ... with thermals , and layers of clothing to fight the severe winter.

8.05 am
" Kanna , say your prayers and I"ll prepare your breakfast" I say
"Can I have scrambled eggs and fruit loops?" he asks...

8.07 am
"Amma, fruit loops , scrambled eggs... i want: yelled the younger one

8.08 am
As they eat their breakfast, I put on socks and boots on the elder one. .. jacket , gloves , hat all ready in hand.

8.15am
I wave good bye to him as the school bus leaves for school.

I know I have already lost enough calories for the day....and looking at my messy kitchen, unmade bed , heap of laundry and a play room where I would like to see a sign "detour" ..I sit down ....and what comes to my mind is the picture of the fierce looking Goddess Kali , with numerous hands, the embodiment of power... ,Mother! I realize that was what I was a few minutes back....how else could i have accomplished all this so soon? I think of my mother who had to rush to her job at 7.30 after juggling with her home and kids on Monday mornings...I hear her words resonating in my ears...which she often told when ever I found fault or argued with her.." You will only understand when you are a Mother!"

Open the gates of heaven with this blogging blessing!

2008-02-01T19:38:00.000-08:00

A seeker after years of penance and meditation has an encounter with Yama( God of Death , according to Hindu mythology).

Yama : I am extremely pleased with your perseverance and penance. Ask what you please , and you shall be answered.

Seeker: My humble salutations oh Yama. Do feel kind enough to answer my foolishness. I have heard of heaven and hell . Heaven is considered a place to rejoice and Hell is considered a place of suffering. You being the lord of Death will know the truth. Do tell me what kind of people are lead to heaven and what kind of people end up in hell.

Yama: I appreciate your courage in asking me this question , to which most people do not know the real answer. I will take you to both these places . See for your self. Which abode would you like to visit first, my son?

Seeker: I would wish to see the Hell first , My lord.

Thus both of them are transported to the world of hell. They stand in front of an enormous golden gate. The seeker is amazed at the sheer beauty of the entrance. As they move in , there are more surprises ahead. It is a world of his dreams. He can't believe this is hell... it is the most beautiful place he has ever seen. Yama leads him into a splendidly decorated dining hall. All the best food , he has never ever dreamt of are spread on the table. The aroma of the divine food attracts the inhabitants of hell to the table. He notices that , among all this luxury the inhabitants are devoid of energy and enthusiasm.. they look starved and pathetic. Then he notices that all their arms are strangely twisted to the outside. They gather around the food and are seated on the chairs. They pick up the food , but are unable to feed them selves , as their arms are twisted. Each time the food drops from their hands. They keep repeating the act of eating , but in vain.

Next Yama guides him to the gateway of heaven. He notices that the gate is similar to the one he saw in hell. As he enters this abode , again he realizes that this place is an exact mirror image of Hell. Here too the table is exactly filled with the same kind of divine food. Then he sees the inhabitants of Heaven and immediately notices at the glow and satisfaction that shine on their countenance. He is amazed to see that these people also have their hands twisted to the outside. They gather around their table to savor the taste of heaven. The seeker wonders how they will feed themselves with the twisted arms. What do you think he saw?
Each individual picks up food and feeds his neighbor, as he is unable to reach his own mouth.All eat to their content. No one is hungry... all are content.. this is heaven!
Yama: I hope you got answers to all your queries, son.
Seeker: Yes my Lord.

The moment we shed our selfishness and embrace one another , we experience Heaven. I know it is easy to pen down all these inspiring stories , feel elated for a few minutes , made fake promises of being unselfish and easily break those promises the next moment. yes, we are humans....!

What reminded me of this story is a tag. I am tagged by Krystyna..... This is a unlike any tags I have ever found here. It is not a meme...here are the rules of the tag.
it’s a game of tag with a difference, rather than looking inwardly, we look outside ourselves and bless, praise and pray for one blog friend. By participating in this endeavor we not only make the recipient of the blessing feel valued and appreciated, but we are having some fun too. We’re going to see how far the bloggin’ blessings can travel around the world and how many people can be blessed! Recipients of a bloggin’ blessing may upload the above image to their sidebar if they choose to. If you receive a bloggin’ blessin’ please leave a comment on this thread here so that we can rejoice in just how many blessings have been sent around the world!

I am grateful to Krystyna for her prayers and blessings.....it is hard to choose three blog buddies.. I wish I could pass it on to all my friends here. But let me stick to the rules of the tag and try to come up with three wonderful bloggers from three different corners of the globe...
With the faith that one thought can make a huge difference ... I pass on my waves of love to Bharathy of spicy chilly
Mathew of Spark
Cynthia of Tastes like home.
I can feel these waves travel and reach you)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) .....................
can you?

From Chakki with love

2008-01-23T19:10:00.000-08:00

" How can you?"
"How can you agree to spend the rest of your life with a person after meeting him once and after talking to him for a few hours!"
"How can you! how can you ?how can you ? how can you.................................................................. ( raised eyebrows on all faces twisted into a question mark(?))

Sigh!!!!.............Its not easy explaining about the turning point in one's life....life which just meandered from one phase to the next through bends and curves but still kept flowing. To those who cannot digest the fact that arranged marriages work , I would suggest them to take a tour of this institution called marriage at least half a century ago.........................

She had not met him.She packed her bags and her dreams and climbed the huge vehicle , which would take her to her future ......a future she was yet to carve .....for she couldn't fit in many missing links........after all she had not met him. Her father had given her details of her future house hold, their family background.....but she had not met him . He ,who would be her better half, who would be her soul mate!

Finally she met him during their wedding ceremony which lasted for four days...and they set out on their journey together!

"They lived happily ever after" would end this story....but this is where they began ....raised three wonderful children, treasured their six grand children, doted on their three great grand children... and today they are entering their 60th year of life together! I dedicate this post to my Abu and Ammumma , my grandparents!

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

In those days my grandpa never used ink pens or fountain pens .. my grandpa used to dip the tip of a feather in a bottle of ink and use it instead of pen.I should be 2 or 3 yrs old. I was fascinated by the way he dipped the feather each time in the blue liquid , and how it formed patterns on paper... ! I made certain that grandpa was not noticing me and got hold of the blue ink bottle. The moment i threw it out of the porch I got the worst spanking I could ever remember.Grandpa's five fingers were etched on my teeny tiny thighs.....that day I learnt a lesson.....never to fool around my grandpa....

I must have been 3 years old....I was at my grand parents place...and my grandma was cooking steamed rice (putttu) .There was a special pot in which puttu was steamed and the small metal plate with holes which allowed steam to pass through the rice flour was missing! this round plate was called chakki. All were searching for chakki.
"hey, chakki is here !.. I shouted "and ammumma came running. She asked me where it was ... and I said pointing towards me .. "here is your chakki"
from that day I was their chakki.

If I pen down all the wonderful moments I spend with them...it would be hard to stop....
I am just so grateful for being blessed with these wonderful people as my grandparents....whose constant prayer for our well being has made us who we are!
Wishing them healthy and peaceful years together.....

chakki

New Year Resolution accomplished!

2008-01-11T11:53:00.000-08:00

It is an occasion to celebrate! My New Year resolution is accomplished! not just accomplished, but accomplished beyond my wildest expectation!......and here goes the flash back!

Eight months back when we landed in US, my younger son was about to turn two and I decided to slowly potty train him.It was just a matter of a few days, or may be a few weeks..the "know-all" mother in me assured. After all, I had successfully trained my elder son when he was just an year old.

Once we settled down, I started taking my toddler for regular visits to the toilet. He was an obedient son. He used his potty with ease, triumphantly walked out of the toilet and peed again on the carpet, mischief filling his eyes. I stocked up more carpet cleaning liquids and disinfectants, but continued the regular toilet trips.
One fine day, he refused to use the potty. Whenever he was gripped by nature's call, he figured out a new way to approach the situation. He yelled and ran around the whole house... that I often wondered he would have grabbed the gold medal for Olympic athletic races. He successfully had his urges under control and constipated. He continuously boosted his taste for sports.

May be what he needs is a new potty.....I thought and brought home a new cute little blue potty. He was excited and I breathed a sigh of relief when he finally sat on it. He had better imagination. All his toy animals from prehistoric dinosaurs to stuffed toys formed a queue and visited the toilet, so that they could use this new blue potty.After a while, the potty was detained to the rank of a step stool. Our bookshelves filled with kids books and fun videos that encouraged kids to use their potty. Diapers were our saviors,which drained pockets.

When Christmas approached and thoughts of Santa Claus and gifts filled the air, he was told that Santa Claus will give gifts only if he uses the potty. The thought of potty made him yell.
One day despite his screams I forcefully sat him on the toilet seat and there , he did it! Santa Claus did give him his gifts an chocolates.
Next couple of days he did scream, but its intensity reduced.From last week, he stopped screaming and started asking for stories when he did his potty. He started enjoying the undivided attention and story time in the toilet. From past two days, he is dragging me to the toilet...making himself comfortable on the toilet seat and asking me to narrate a story! This might sound pretty good.. but let me tell you, these visits to the toilet have increased to more than five times during the day....now if you don't find me home , just knock the toilet door!

A restful vacation and Happy New Year

2008-01-01T18:53:00.000-08:00

21st Dec 2007,

Kids busy decorating a Christmas tree and writing letters to Santa Claus! ....
Parents around the dining table , savoring hot coffee and discussing plans for the 11 day vacation.
Our first white Christmas in this new country...., with evergreen trees decked in the patterns of snow, lights illuminating the elegant night .... Christmas fills the air....
The mood of vacation has already permeated the whole household.

22nd December, 2007

A family outing at an Indian restaurant after the Christmas carol service.
All set to welcome the long vacation with loads of plans ....

23rd December,

One kid is burning with fever. ...Plans for the day , postponed. ... Not to worry! there are still days to enjoy!

24th
slight improvement in the kid's fever. But still not good enough to venture out. Unable to resist the temptations offered by his sibling .....his screams and laughter, the elder one joins him. .... resulting in the shooting of temperature.

25th
Santa Claus has made our day! a huge red stocking is filled with gifts! the joy of unwrapping the gifts seems to be more precious than the gift itself.....Among the sore throats and coughs and rising temperature Santa Claus has cast his magical spell. Kids can hardly stop smiling!

26th
Visit to the pediatrician.
Visit to the Pharmacy for the medicines....advice to take rest !.....

27th, 28th, 29th, 30th 31st

Every member of the family share the same plight . All are advised to take rest. .....and take medications!

conclusion......a very eventful vacation filled with REST!.....exciting visits to the pediatrician ..... and physician! .....shopping at Pharmacy! ....all have been freaking out on cough syrups !....

This was the story of my long hibernation......but this is not a long post on my misfortune or our sickness!
this 11 days cloistered existence at home has surely brought us more closer as a family. Our illness has taught us how dependent we are on each other! ..It is not visiting exotic places , that can make us happy...it is just the time we spend with each other......i am grateful that we could all be together! ... loving and caring for each other , in the safety of home!

1st January 2008...

Wishing all of you An year filled with Love,Grace and Bliss!

When he came..............

2007-12-12T14:41:00.001-08:00

PP brought him home one evening. The minute he stepped into my household I could notice his magnetic presence attracting everyone's attention. When we finally sat down to have our daily doze of ginger tea and hot snacks with the regular exchange of the day's events , his personality was already casting its spell.

He seemed to have a knack with kids: for they were already on top of him without a moment's hesitation. I too couldn't stop leaving frequent glances in his direction.

All of us readily embraced him as our family and from then on he was my constant companion. I didn't have the heart to leave him behind when I had to run errands or go for a doctor's visit.

His constant companionship opened new vistas in our relationship. I found it hard to hide my feelings for him. He became that perfect friend , I was longing for during my monotonous drives. He had a magic in his voice which was so powerful , that you couldn't help listening.I couldn't help reciprocate his loving presence.

I could drive with ease , without being scorned at ....when my steering wheel turned right instead of left. I felt content to be accepted for who I was .

His presence always boosted my confidence.I no longer had to face the " when will you ever learn" looks nor hear the impatient sighs that emanated from the side seat.

Today is different! When ever I take a wrong turn , his voice is still poised and calm . He just says " re-calculating"!!!

Meet my new friend , who has instilled in me the sense of direction.... he is none other that the global positioning system (GPS)!

Miles to go before I sleep ...

2007-12-09T17:34:00.000-08:00

I have decided to merge both my blogs into one. From now on impressions on my travels will also be posted in my " miles to go before I sleep " ....

"ni" of my Sadhana!

2007-11-27T18:49:00.001-08:00

Light diffuses into its myriad colors painting a spectrum....
each hue shining in its might
a rainbow.... a beholder's delight!!

the sight of a rare rainbow sprouts joy, wonder and excitement in almost all of us. Light casts itself into its various colors,with varying frequencies and wavelengths ...!!! each having its individual properties .. yet is only a part of the whole!

We too, in our day to day lives put on various roles...that of a mother , daughter , wife , employee , student and many more....and in the long run start identifying with our roles. We transform ourselves into these roles and just bury our true self, in this role playing.

At one point, I am the wife , never ever tired of nagging ...and then I am the mother, always expecting ... then I am a daughter always demanding .....In all this role playing, I have forgotten to shed the roles and just be me. In the previous posts relating to sadhana ... I had revealed a few facts about myself . Today, when I try to come up with yet another fact, I can just say that I am not just a daughter , wife , mother , dancer , student .....I am something more! I am not just the human, I am also the " being"....and it is that something which makes me whole! Like the VIBGYOR colors, which are beautiful expressions of the same white light ... the roles I play are only expressions of my Being! The Ni of my sadhana is that I am some thing more that I think I am ....the taste of which I have experienced .....only in glimpses ...or split seconds when I have shed my egos unknowingly, when I have forgotten to play my roles!

With this post I conclude my long tag! Thanks to my friend Bharathy, for tagging me ...and helping me launch a quest... I thoroughly enjoyed it! ( I am sure she will never ever dare to tag me in future :) )

"dha" of my Sadhana!

2007-11-09T11:26:00.000-08:00

It is Diwali today! But it was different. I did not wake up to the sounds of the fireworks or the shouts of the kids outside. I did not receive any "Happy Diwali wishes " from neighbors who used to knock our door with their diwali sweets and sweeter smiles. Nor was I tempted to venture in to my kitchen to savor the freshly prepared diwali specials .

As I peeked outside through the blinds of my tightly shut window , I had to remind myself that it was diwali. Trees were already bare, it had cast off all the colorful leaves which had adorned it a week ago. Nature had decked herself in comforters and blankets of mist and cold, ready for hibernation. This ambiance lulled me into a dream state and I dream t of the excitement which used to go with deepavali, the festival of lights!

As kids, our day use to start with a nice and long oil bath. We used to be first bathed in oil, with genuine strokes of lavish massage. Applying oil on the face was the most difficult part! We as kids used to run in order to avoid the oil from glistening our tiny faces. But at last we had to give up and ended up making "bheebhalsa bhavas" on our faces like the Kathakali dancers.After the elaborate bath, we used to be dress up in new clothes and Amma would have already prepared the plate if diyas. The kids in the houses were taken aarthi, with home made diyas...Dusk would be welcomed with lights all over the house and yard! crackers and fireworks on the veranda would have surely invited divine grace.

Though I tried to charge our home with the spirit of the festival by running around the house to apply oil on my kids, I was overcome with nostalgia. As I stared out of the window, I saw something different! I felt I was not alone ...Nature clasped her hands with me in the celebration....it was raining snow.....as if to say enjoy this moment....here is shower of white and light from a higher realm for you ...just feel it ...kindle the spark in you!..I could feel Nature pulling me to an elevated state..lightening up each cell in my body.In front of me were my kids dancing ....it was the dance of joy ! I wondered at the simplicity and innocence of childhood.....how the sight of snow could inspire and gift us with moments of bliss.

I joined the rhythm of my toddlers...with each sway in my body I felt the waves of joy encompassing us.We were dancing with both body and being! After all each one of us are the "DANCE" of the macrocosmic consciousness....

Dha of my Sadhana is that I would like to call myself a passionate dancer! Dance to me is prayer, a communication , an enlightening experience. On this auspicious ocassion of Deepavali , I wish all of you a wonderful year ahead filled with light and love! May this Diwali enlighten our lifes helping us realize our true passions . " Happy diwali ! friends...

"Halloween"

2007-11-04T18:33:00.000-08:00

"I am going to be a spider witch"....." I 'll be a mermaid"... I am a princess"..." I love being a butterfly".....each one was eager to share the details of their costumes for the Halloween. This was my first Halloween and I was amused at the excitement that filled the innocent faces of the kids who had gathered home for their regular dance sessions. I asked them " What is Halloween?" and the answer I got was , It was a day when we will get a lot of candies....and we get new costumes for our costume party!"

Then I got a note from my son's school regarding the Halloween party! They were supposed to go to school in a costume and take with them gifts or treats to share with their friends. So I went searching for the costume of his choice to the mall. The whole mall was filled with the spirit of Halloween. there were spooky corners which sold scary masks and costumes...,there were special offers for miniature chocolate bars and candies....on the shelf stood pumpkin shaped pails with different facial expressions ...!!!
"Amma , I don't want to wear any thing scary!" ......My son came up with his demand!....his eyes stuck on the red costume of a fire fighter and he was satisfied.

Still I did not get a satisfying answer regarding the roots of this festival which seemed to have gained a wide popularity , second only to the Christmas. The festival is now commercialized , and the real reason behind the festival seemed to be missing. I digged a few books and searched the internet and found out that this was originally a Celtic festival with its roots in Ireland.It is named after " All Hallows even " or Eve of All Hallows Day or All Saints Day.Romans who later invaded the Celts seem to have blended in their customs into this festival.It originally symbolized the end of summer and beginning of the dark period or winter.It was called "Samhain" by the Irish, who celebrated this day with bone fires and bambrack( a traditional fruit cake).It was also believed to be the time when other worldly creatures roamed the planet ! There fore who ever , left their homes disguised in costumes in order to be in sync with the outside atmosphere.They used to roam around with a lantern made from gourd(jack o lantern.... which represented the plight of jack the farmer whose spirit roams around, who is denied entry to heaven or hell due to a spell from the devil).gourd was later replaced by pumpkin, which is more abundantly found! The poor in Ireland used to knock at doors and beg, and in turn would pray for the souls of the bereaved. This has been transformed into "trick or treating" today, where children run from door to door in their costumes and are given treats !

The Roman Goddesses Pomona ( Goddess of fruits) is remembered by the custom of bobbing of apples. This is a game where apples and coins and thrown into water and is supposed to be picked up with out using the hands.

Though the festival is not celebrated in its olden significance, it is a great time of the year ...when each house hold welcomes you with the colors of autumn, signs of harvest, symbols of ghouls and ghosts and witches....the pagan festival is redefined to fit into today world... celebrated with a difference!

The "Pa" of Sadhana!

2007-10-28T18:25:00.000-07:00

" Amma , Kaani... Amma Kaani....." my elder son was obsessed with stories from a very young age. He used to repeat these words continuously, suggesting favorable topics for his stories. It could be on any thing under the sun...animals, vehicles, plants ....he would name it and I had to give an extempore on the given topic. This exercise has surely kindled my creative faculties and my imaginative thinking!.....it has helped me realize the beauty of childhood, which is a life with out any limits...

One day , he came up with a topic..".hands"! Once upon a time ......I started with my on the spot story! ... it ended up to be something I had heard in my childhood....It went thus....

".......there was a discussion which turned out to be heated debate among the five fingers. Each one wanted to prove that it was the best. The thumb said, "I am the strongest! with out me to support no one can even hold a pen or a pencil. So I am the best!"
The pointer said," I am the best, there is no doubt about that.....people use me to point at things...I am the most useful one in communication!"
The middle finger said," Come on guys! how can any of you imagine to be best ....I am present! I am the tallest...and the most elegant! "
The ring finger said, "Can't you all see ! I am the most honored ... people adorn me with precious stones and jewels ! I am the symbol of love!"
All waited for the little finger...what would it tell, after all it was without any special features....but the little finger mustered up all confidence and rose to the occassion.It said," When you greet some one or When you bow down before God with folded arms , I lead the way! I am greeted back first! How can you all look down upon me! I am the most blessed!"
Each one has his or her own role to play .. like the members of a family!
Like the palm which holds the fingers together , it is love and understanding which holds the family together.

Each member of the family, big or small is important to make it whole. Shiva kudumbam or the family of lord shiva, in hindu mythology is an apt example of the diverse personalities in the family. Shiva who has smeared His whole body with ashes and has snakes for ornaments, the embodiment of penance and austere meditation ....is with His divine consort Parvathi , a potrayal of feminine beauty and power: their elephant headed Son Ganesha with a protruded belly and their warrior son, Subrahmania. They represent a family .... entirely different personalities who are held together with the power of love.

The "pa" of my Sadhana is that I am my Family....a part which makes it whole....! I enjoy the warmth and the joy when we are together. I am surrounded by the embrace of my family ....the time and togetherness we share nourishing our growth , strengthening the roots of relationships!

Kanna and Sree go Apple picking!!!

2007-10-23T19:12:00.000-07:00

I was waiting with Sree my toddler, for my elder son Kanna's school bus to arrive. I couldn't help wonder at the tapestry of nature , as my eyes fell on the swaying colorful trees as they performed their autumn dance. All the colors were compressed in the costumes these trees wore , creating a divine aura of joy and bliss.
" Anna bus , Anna bus" , yelled Sree as he heard the approaching yellow school bus.
" Amma, Anna come in magic school bus. Sree also go in magic school bus with Anna" he added.

Kanna came running , his face beaming with pride , his out stretched arms eagerly waiting for a warm squeeze and a loving hug. He started elaborating the days events at school... trying not to miss every opportunity at arousing jealousy in his little brother.

"I have something special to give you " said Kanna as he opened his school bag and pulled out a few papers. On it were given detailed recipies of apple sauce , apple sauce cake and apple muffins.
" Amma, I am going to help you make these!" he declared.

There was home work to for me .. it said " write why is your child the apple of your eye?"

" Amma, my teacher lives near an apple orchard!
Amma, you know what , my friend Zac brought apple sauce to school today!
Amma , you know there are red , yellow and green apples.......if we slit open an apple we can see a star...........

He went on and on ....and apples were the main topic of discussion through out the day!

We finally decided to go apple picking at "Erwin Apple orchard", which was a 20 minute drive from our place.

On Saturday morning , off we went to the apple orchard. We first took a ride around the farm on the farm wagon.. trying to figure out which variety of apples we would fill in our plastic bag , that we bought at the counter.We passed the corn maze , the pumpkin patch and finally arrived the apple orchard.

Red and golden balls were dangling from small healthy looking trees , which was a real treat to the eyes. Some trees were covered with these from top to bottom , that even my two year old could easily pluck them with out any one's help. The golden delicious were so tempting and inviting that it reminded me of Adam and Eve's first temptation. Our hands involuntarily held the golden fruit , and it came off its branch with a slight twist. Before long all of us were busy munching the juicy treats as we roamed through the rows of apple trees trying to research on the juiciest ones.

Adjacent to the apple orchard was the orange pumpkin patch with huge pumpkins....Kanna went in search of the perfect pumpkin which he could carry ...the long search finally came to an end after trying to lift each pumpkin we saw ....finally we discovered kanna's perfect pumpkin.

After a long day of apple diet .... we once again succumbed to the freshly made apple donut and apple cider before heading for the games that were organized for kids.

Our apple cake

apple pickle

Back at home , we made apple pickle, apple sauce and apple cake .....while Kanna stirred the dry ingredients , Sree and Appa blended the wet ones .....we all anxiously waited for the cake to bake ....its aroma arousing our taste buds....As the kids savored the apple cake ...I could catch a twinkle in their eyes , a glow on their faces !!!

The "ma" of my Sadhana!

2007-10-15T19:46:00.000-07:00

" Om Hari Sri Ganapathayee namaha! " wrote the tiny little fingers on the tray of rice with joy and excitement, squatting on her dad's lap. She used to wait eagerly for this moment every year! The nine day Navaratri festival filled her home with energy and life. Her dad used to walk to every nook and corner of the house with a broom stick threatening the homes of spiders and bugs while her mom used to rearrange the home giving it a new look. The house echoed with the music and chitter chatter of all the students who used to spend long hours in her home practising and preparing for the oncoming cultural events which are routinely held at the famous thrikkakara temple.

The best part was decorating the pooja room for the "pooja vaipu". All the Gods and Goddesses were given a rose water bath. A ritual carried on with reverence and creativity. the small room was transformed in to a temple ....a temple of art and learning! ornate d with musical instruments , dancing bells and books. Each instrument was considered divine , and respected with the offering of new attire ( which later was to be worn by us).
Pooja vaipu is considered a sacred moment ...which is an act of total surrender ....an act of shedding ones egos which are build on learning and wisdom ....an act where one offers all knowledge acquired in this life to the Divine and prepare to be a Zero.

As young kids we were given all the time in the world to play once the pooja vaipu was done. We relished those moments of unhindered luxury when we never ever heard authoritative voices lecturing to us about the importance of reading our books! On the other hand we were asked not to read .... forcing us to break the rules and later put on a face of guilt.

Vijayadashami was on the tenth day . I usually woke up to the rhythmic sound which emanated from the kitchen .......it would be the sweet music born from the voice modulation of the coconut and the chirava(coconut scraper). The artiste would be Appa .. while Amma will be preparing the nivedyam for the day "phovu kalailolo" ( a blend of rice flakes and coconut and jaggery and banana) After bath, all would assemble at the koodi(pooja room) for vidyarambham or new beginning. For infants this day is considered auspicious to begin writing. And for the rest, this symbolizes the necessity of relearning, new beginning and the beauty of remaining a forever student eager to learn and re learn at each and every phase of our lives.

The "ma" of my sadhana is that I am a student forever......(a fact that I never realized during my school and college days). A role which makes life worth living ......I dedicate this post to all my gurus ..Guru means someone who guides you from darkness to light. It is difficult to name each and every one here... so as I visualise them in my inner eye I bow down before them seeking their blessings!

Life is Relationships....................................

2007-10-07T19:09:00.000-07:00

In this journey called life we come across umpteen number of people. We pause to exchange a "hi" with many.....with some we manage a shake hand.....with a few we sit down to chat and with a few others we hold a bond. Life is relationships......

The few countries I visited in the past seven years have enriched my life with beautiful bonds.....
when I tread back my memory lane , its these beautiful moments created by some wonderful friends that I am reminded of than the places I visited.

I would like to dedicate this post to four loving couple who made my days memorable in the four foreign countries I visited. There were many more lovely relationships which I still treasure today ....but these couples have surely etched their names with their infallible love and untainted friendship.

Kajiyoshi San and Sadami San of Japan

They were the most polite people I have ever come across. Sadami San was kind enough to prepare a full vegetarian course meal , when she invited me to her well decorated traditional Japanese home. Kajiyoshi San was one of the librarians in the library which was opposite to our apartment. How can I forget the knock at our apartment door at 4.30 in the morning....on our last day in Japan. We would have missed our flight , if he was not at our door step to bid a final good bye to us. He was in his seventies , but still helped us with all our luggage and dropped us at the railway station .

Mrs and Mr Jaison Shang of Taiwan

Our first day in Taiwan. My husband PP had already left for office and I was feeling homesick and far away from home. Just then the phone bell rang , and a female voice introduced herself as Mrs Jason , wife of Customer site Manager of PP's project.She was already waiting for me in the downstairs lobby , to show me around . She helped me purchase necessary groceries and fresh fruits and vegetables from the local market and I was already feeling very comfortable . The warmth and the kindness , we receive when we are far from home is so precious.

Mr Naas Ferriera and Mrs Wickie of South Africa

They were the most jovial and energetic couple I have come across. There enthusiasm and energy is so contagious , that they skillfully trap us in their magical web of love and friendship. My baby had started calling Mr Naas " abu"( meaning grandpa in our mother tongue.) Once they invited us home for dinner , which was an unique experience. Naas was cooking hot and fresh buns for us in his open hearth oven in his back yard. Each one had to prepare his or her own dinner.We were each provided with pans and small portable stoves. They had cut a variety of vegetables and cooked a huge casserole of rice and lined up a row of various spices. We could make a meal from the ingredients they had provided and eat from the pan. Each one came up with a different variety of rice which all savored in the warm embrace of friendship.

Mr George Chacko and Mrs Anuja Chacko of USA

I am glad to have met these wonderful people , who have made me and my family feel so much at home. Anuja 's support in exploring my artistic talents and also establishing a personal bond has made my life here more fruitful and enjoyable.

I feel fortunate to have been exposed to various cultures through my travels. If not for these experiences , I would have been like a frog in a pond.....leading a cloistered existence ....the nomad in me is thirsty for more travels and more experiences.....

The'ga" of Sadhana

2007-09-29T21:20:00.000-07:00

The "Ga" of my Sadhana is that I am a " Chrysalis". Try to recollect what you learnt in your biology class in school. ....
Doesn't Chrysalis sound familiar? An adult butterfly lays eggs , which hatches into a caterpillar. Caterpillar swallows and accepts all the greenery that comes its way ..shedding its skin every now and then. It later transforms into a chrysalis or pupa before evolving into a beautiful butterfly.

I remember learning the life cycle of a butterfly in school, but now, I am relearning it. Today I am not forced to memorize the process of metamorphosis in a butterfly, but I pause to think the powerful message it implies. Metamorphosis is not a process that is characteristic of insects or amphibians alone. Though not physically, we homo sapiens too have the innate capability of metamorphosis. Like a caterpillar we take in with greed all that comes our way. As we tread along towards growth, we shed our, preconceived notions, beliefs and image building egos...changing every moment. Then we enter into yet another new existence ....that of a pupa.....which might seem static, but is actually a dynamic existence.
A state of meditation, awareness .... moments brimming with life.
A state which makes life meaningful and worth living.
A prelude to a celebration....
a state before the flowering of a butterfly.

Like the light in total darkness which guides you find your way, the various retreats and youth programs at the "Oneness University" helped me live each moment of my life. Boredom was erased from my life dictionary, and I started living life with all intensity. Perceptions and attitude changed, and I stepped into the robe of a chrysalis.

Here is a video on metamorphosis!!! Hope all of you will enjoy!

I was delighted when my brother Naveen responded to this post with a beautiful poem.To read this poem click here.

A relaxing Dessert !

2007-09-20T19:15:00.000-07:00

Would you like to have your favorite creamy ice cream that tickles your taste buds and swims down your esophagus ?
or,
Would your like to have aromatic and glistening gajar ka halwa with the intoxicating smell of ghee ?
Why not try the thick sweetness of palada payasam , enriched with the flavors of condensed milk ?.......
Do not mistake this for a food blog, though I have dreamt of starting one....

These are a few of my favorite desserts though the list can get longer in a jiffy. I was notorious for being a picky and fussy eater during my childhood. Though my affinity for food has deepened as I grew up , there is something that has remained constant ....my temptation for a nice dessert. You can put a full stop to your meal only with an exotic dessert! It cools down , relaxes and also rejuvenates your tired digestive system after it has to assimilate , grind and digest the heavy inputs.

The same calming and soothing effect is met when you get a good assertive foot massage at the end of long hectic day. I am fortunate to enjoy this daily doze of dessert at the end of each day, which is like a balm , and which has all the properties of a sleeping pill. And my daily therapist is none other than my husband PP.

When we were in Taiwan I grabbed the opportunity of offering my feet to a professional foot massager. The board " FOOT MASSAGE" used to be so inviting , and I always suppressed my temptation of peering into the road side massage rooms. But I finally gave in ; and on one of my usual walks to bargain for fresh vegetables from farmers , who displayed their crops in the congested and noisy streets, I stopped at one of those boards ...and found few people in a queue awaiting their turn for the massage. I too joined the group. I could also hear pleading and yelling voices from the customers who were already tasting the efficacy of the massage .It was finally my turn ... and soon realized the secrets behind the pleading and yelling voices.The half an hour massage that followed was an experience that I find difficult to put to words. You have to experience it.

The person who massaged my foot kept on talking to me in Chinese , but I was not in a state to explain that I did not follow their language .. If I opened my mouth to speak I knew I would not speak , but only scream. After the massage I was given one and a half liter of warm water , which I was supposed to drink . Even though my bladder could no longer endure the pressures from within, by the time I rushed back home .....I went back every week for more of those massages.

Though the massages were painful, it promised energizing each and every cell by removing the blocks that have piled in our body!

Here is a small video of a Taiwanese foot massage, which brought back memories.

The "Re" of Sadhana

2007-09-16T10:37:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time there was a man who used to go from street to street selling hats. One day, when the Sun was scorching, he sat down under the shade of a huge tree to have a midday nap. With the basket full of hats next to him , he dozed off . The huge tree which sheltered the man was also home to a few monkeys. Fascinated by the basket full of hats, the monkeys grabbed all of them from the basket. Now each of the monkeys had a hat on top of their head!

When the man woke up he found his basket empty. What he found was a bunch of chattering monkeys crowned with his hats. He tried to shoo them, but in vain. Then he threw stones at them. They imitated him by throwing back fruits from the tree. He suddenly realized that the best way was to trick them. He understood that monkeys only imitated, while he had the capability to think and act. He removed the hat from his head and threw it towards the monkeys. Any one can guess what the monkeys would have done. They just imitated him and the man got back all his hats.

The "re" of my Sadhana is that I was more or less like a monkey during my growing up years. That doesn't mean I have stopped growing now :). I was just alluding to my school and college years. I never knew why I was doing something. I just did it because everyone else did it. After my tenth grade, I chose science group, just because everyone around me was doing that.I wrote both the engineering and medical entrances because I did not know what else to do. After I got selected for Ayurveda and Homeopathy(two streams of medicinal approach), my mother asked me whether this was what I exactly wanted to do. The answer was no. But still I did not listen to what my heart spoke....! The other options were taking up a degree course....there were varied subjects from which I could choose from....physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics.....Any subject was equal to me as I never realized, what I actually liked. The Principal of our college, asked me to take up English literature as I would not have to lose lab attendance, whenever I wanted to participate in extra curricular activities. I just nodded my head and signed in. I am not sure whether I enjoyed my classes in college. After my graduation, I pursued post graduation in the same subject...this was when I started knowing the fact that till now I was not listening to my heart ... or my passion.

Here is an interesting video on Ganesha Chaturthy!

Power of Prayer!

2007-09-10T19:21:00.000-07:00

Its only a few months since we came to US . A month after we arrived, we visited a temple 15 miles from our place. It was not like the temples I have gone to in India . It was an ordinary brick building, which never gave one a clue that it was a temple. But my impression changed as I stepped into the building which housed beautiful icons of various Hindu Gods.There was a large hall for meditation and the atmosphere was calming. I enjoyed the silent vibrations that penetrated the surroundings. I found a huge accommodating auditorium at the basement of the temple. A function was about to commence in the auditorium. A deep desire to perform at this temple sprouted in me.The splendid auditorium was so beckoning! I made a silent prayer .....It was a genuine and intense prayer......! To me prayer has been a communication ...for when ever I communicated clearly my prayer has always been answered....!

Even with very little exposure and limited by the fact that I am a total stranger ....My prayer was answered!
I danced in the Bharatiya temple last week and I enjoyed every moment ! Things have materialized in a very short span of time ...which have confirmed my faith in prayer !

The "Sa" of Sadhana

2007-09-04T18:54:00.000-07:00

"sa .. re .. ga .. ma... pa.. dha.. ni...!!!"...............I remember repeating these musical notes after my music teacher when I was a young girl. These are the seven basic " swaras" or sounds called sapta swaras in Indian music. Like we always begin the musical journey with the Musical alphabet "sa".....I venture on with my sadhana.....a sequel to my earlier post.....a tag which I owe to Bharathy of spicy chilly!

Each new task is begun after offering salutations of Lord Ganesha.....dispeller of all obstacles!....in Hindu tradition. I invoke Ganesha (the elephant headed god).....
I remember a very inspiring story about Ganesha!
" One day sage Narada visited Kailasa , abode of Lord Shiva and his Shiva Kudumbam ( his family consisting of Parvati , His divine consort and His two sons Ganesha and Subramania). Narada offered Lord Shiva , a golden fruit during his visit.Shiva called his two sons, Ganesha and Subramania and said,
"I will give this divine fruit to only one of you. Whoever circumvents the whole universe thrice and comes to me first will be given this fruit!"
Those were not days of formula cars ....and the two sons had to rely on their "vahanas".Subramania's vahana or means of transport was a peacock....and Ganesha's vahana was a rat. As soon as the rules were laid for begetting the fruit , Subramania sped on his Peacock. What would poor Ganesha do? He was in a dilemma! He knew well that he would lose if he traveled on his mooshika vahana or his rat!....but Ganesha knew exactly what to do.He went straight to his parents ....circumvented them thrice and asked for the reward!
"To me the whole Universe is my parents!....I have circumvented my Universe thrice and I am eligible for the golden fruit!"

Thus Ganesha won the race!!!"

We see this whole wide world around us through our parents ! from the moment we are born .....though the umbilical chord is cut as we are welcomed in to this world the bond persists for ever! the first bond , the first relationship...of pure love...!!!

The "Sa"of my Sadhana is that I am a daughter....blessed to be born to two wonderful people....and like to echo the words of Ganesha !!! I dedicate this post to my parents , to whom I owe my life.

I was fortunate to be born to an artistic mother and loving father ....who helped me make a blue print of my life in childhood , which I am living today!
I wish I could relive those days ....with my parents ....
life without any stress or responsibilities...
a life where you could just relax and swim with the current....
a life where you travel like a passenger fully aware that the driver will take you where you ought to go...unperturbed by the route you might take .....
a life where you could take your parents for granted and still bask in the warmth of their affection and security....

I have been honored by my dear friends...,
Mishmash is a creative artiste , who surprises me with her innovative presentations and mouth watering recipes....
Bharathy , a wonderful friend, I am happy I stumbled upon her in this blogsphere, who delights me with her day to day recipes and equally good shots!
Thanks to both of you for the awards!...I am truly flattered!

I have passed on "rocking blogger award" to someone who is very dear to me. She is my grandmother , who started blogging at the ripe young age of seventy five. You can read more about her at her blog - khayals.
I have also love visiting Krystyna's blog...I have passed on this award to this inspiring blogger too.

"Power of schmooze" award is being conferred to
1. Mathew whose blog is rightly named spark , for he never fails to kindle sparks which glow with sense of humor and satire.
2.Maddy whose varied interests and knowledge on umpteen areas , cannot go unnoticed.
3.Naveen , whom I am proud to call my brother , whose perspectives and values are reflected in his posts. And I truly admire his writing skills.

I pass on the "Thinking blogger award" to
1. Kalyan , who has a passion for photography and travel. I love visiting his blog , "heaven's garden"
2.Dharma, whose posts portray simple day today events pondering into it with the depth of a philosopher!
I am not sure whether these awards have already been conferred to you!....if yes! I am not surprised!

Here is a video of a musical instrument... listen to it , friends! Can you guess what this instrument is just by listening to it? All the sounds are produced from a single instrument!

Staying Connected!!

2007-08-30T19:46:00.000-07:00

" It was dark ... and she squirmed and huddled close to her sister trying to get some sleep. Those were days when there was no current and electricity in her remote village.....but nature's abundance of fresh air and cool breeze caressed her with their soothing lullabies. Though she belonged to a large household with a huge old house and acres of fertile land, she never had a room or bed of her own. Compartmentalization and selfishness were traits unknown ...life was all about giving and sharing...! She shared a central hall with the whole family which was transformed into a sleeping room at night. It was not a hall but a place where she used to weave her own dreams ... and her imagination soared up high with all the fabulous stories her mother would tell them during those twilight hours.

But today , some commotion outside was forcing her keep her eyes open and ears sharp!!! She could hear her uncles and grand father and father in a rather commanding tone and she was alert. Suddenly she heard " Thief ! Thief!" and could feel a fire inside her small tummy!!
One of her Uncles came rushing in ......" Do you want to see a thief ? " he asked. She climbed on his shoulders holding on to him tightly.....this was the most adventurous moment of her life! She was going to see a real thief ! She never thought a thief really existed .. and even if there was one he never belonged to the homosapien species ....he would be from some "homonstero sapien" species ....an alien ....who is alive only in stories.. with monstrous features .. horns and huge body and fierce eyes!!! And now how brave would she be if she could just face that creature even though from the shoulders of her uncle !!!

Out they went to the veranda ....they had caught a thief who was trying to steal coconuts from their trees ....
" did you see the thief?" asked her uncle.
She couldn't spot any one other than a tiny man held by one of her other uncles....who was bowing down in shame and embarrassment and trying to make excuses like..." i had just come out to relieve my self! i had to attend to nature's call!" ......
there was no monster or gigantic figure - just a normal human being!.....She was surprised ......!!!!"

I heard this story from my Amma when I was a girl . It was not a story but a real life situation of my mother's childhood. I loved hearing such incidents from my mother and Grand mother . Such stories laid strong foundation for creativity and bonding.It was a good way to stay connected. Story telling is a beautiful way to let the kids explore their imagination....and who can do this better than parents and grand parents! One of the most precious moments I enjoy with my kids is our story time . The time when they are rapt in attention, their eyes trying to capture every bit with out a blink .....the stories opening new doors to their dream world....their soft bodies leaning on me and embracing me with their undivided attention.

My kids seem to be extremely lucky, as they have had story sessions with their grand mother and also great grand mother. But today, as we are away from home , and away from our dear ones my kids are missing their grand parents! .... but surely not their story time . My parents who were initially apprehensive to computers and hesitated to approach them .... are today using them with ease! Internet and Google talk have made distances seem small....my little ones screams from here are so deafening to my parents and also to their neighbors ! My naughty ones eagerly wait for their ammumma and abu to call.... so that they can start their story time!....I can't help smiling when I see my little ones rapt in attention....alert to the sound of their grandmother's story line , plunging onto their world of imagination.....laughing and giggling along the way....shouting "one more kaani ! one more kaani !!!....".

times have changed.... though jobs have taken us far apart ....from different parts of the globe we still find ways to stay connected!

Sadhana!

2007-08-23T20:25:00.000-07:00

"Sadhana" in Sanskrit means quest or practice. First of all I would like to thank my fellow blogger Bharathy of Spicy Chilly for having tagged me into launching on this Sadhana. You may wonder how can tagging you with "seven random facts about yourself ! " , be a Sadhana? .When I was tagged by my friend , I thought and thought and thought .....and couldn't come up with seven random facts...!!! Seven facts about yourself does not seem a simple task to me .......mainly because I would like to give a deeper meaning to the word " yourself" in the tag!.....So when I came up with a fact that I was short tempered !, something in me spoke that I was not the short temper....it was just an emotion that passes! So I did not want to attribute such passing and changing mind games that frequent me to the "ME". And thus I decided to venture on this quest or Sadhana....

I would like to climb down the ladder from where I am now .....an introspection!!!......a quest!!!....there fore I would like to stretch this tag beyond this post....as my quest has just begun. This Sadhana might not be very interesting to my readers ... but I would consider it a small inward journey which I wish to undertake!

As I close my eyes , relaxing my whole body.....drifting into the alpha beta and gamma waves .....silence speaks!!!....I pause at the number "7". Seven seems to be a very powerful number.....
the 7 scales of music ,
the 7 chakras or energy centers in our bodies
the 7 colors of the rainbow
the 7 days in a weeks
the 7 wonders of the world
the 7 seas
the 7 .....many more.......and here I should come up with 7 random facts about "myself"....

.........and here my quest begins......let me be patient with this "Sapta Sadhana!!!!!!!"

Standing Meditation!

2007-08-18T18:22:00.000-07:00

"Are you ready?" said one of them.
"Hmm....I think so....What am I suppose to do?" I en quired.
"Do nothing! Just stand still" came another voice.
"Ok" I replied thinking that it would be an easy job....JOB? .....yes.. it was a job.. I was supposed to be paid at the end of the day!

Thus I started to work....I stood still staring straight.....And In turn I saw many pairs of eyes staring back at me....
Who doesn't like to be noticed ? ..And I was being showered with all the attention anyone could aspire to in a foreign land!

Now let me share with you the story of how I landed up at this job ....a job where you are supposed to do nothing.

It all began in one of the Japanese classes which was offered to foreigners in Japan. We were nearly 20 students from different parts of the world and we were initiated into this language by three Japanese ladies.
One of our teachers was especially kind to me and would praise me every now and then , leaving me a bit embarrassed. One day she came close to me and stood there just smiling at me. I greeted her and reciprocated her smile ...but I felt she was not satisfied . She continued staring at me .....After a while she asked me whether she could make a portrait of me . This was an unexpected question .....She was part of a painting group and her group would invite me to their painting school as a model for painting! I would be paid too , once they finish the portrait.

That is how I landed at this interesting job!....Interesting .....only for a while....My legs started aching .....my nose started itching...my eyes started drooping.....but the enthusiasm that reflected on the faces of my friends made me carry on . Each minute seemed to be stretched to infinity...

.I realized doing nothing was not easy! Our mind tries to invent new things all the time ....that when it was supposed to shut down...it still kept on talking as a matter of habit! ... I realized this was the best opportunity to slow down my mind by shifting my attention to my body....I tried relaxing from my feet upwards....I could feel a latent energy come to life in each and every cell of my body...the life force was rejuvenating me and I was enjoying it.....I seemed to have stood still for quite some time.....but it was now a meditation I enjoyed....aching legs, itchy nose and drooping eyes were no longer issues....

This is the snap I took with the artists at the painting school.

As I returned home that day I was feeling fresh and new!....May be we should meditate on any job and really live life...

A message from the Father of Our Nation!!!

2007-08-15T05:29:00.001-07:00

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY TO ALL!
Remembering this great hero on the 60th Independence day.......
Listen to this video.....and read more on India's "Shasti poorthi"(60th birthday) on "life is beautiful".

A must read for every Indian

2007-08-11T04:24:00.001-07:00

Dr. A P J ABDUL KALAAM'S SPEECH
IN HYDERABAD
A must read for every Indian."
I have three visions for India. In 3000 years of our history, people from all over
the world have come and invaded us, captured our lands, conquered our minds. From
Alexander onwards. The Greeks, the Turks, the Moguls, the Portuguese, the British, th
French, the Dutch, all of them came and looted us, took over what was ours. Yet we have not done this to any other nation. We have not conquered anyone. We have not grabbed their land, their culture, their history and tried to enforce our way of life on them. Why?Because we respect the freedom of others. That is why my first vision is that of FREEDOM. I believe that India got its first vision of this in 1857, when we started the war of independence. It is this freedom that we must protect and nurture and build on. If we are not free, no one will respect us. My second vision for India is DEVELOPMENT. For fifty years we have been a developing nation. It is time we see ourselves as a developed nation. We are among top 5 nations of the world in terms of GDP. We have 10 percent growth rate in most areas. Our poverty levels are falling. Our achievements are being globally recognized today. Yet we lack the self-confidence to see ourselves as a developed nation, self- reliant and self-assured. Isn't this incorrect? I have a THIRD vision. India must stand up to the world. Because I believe that,unless India stands up to the world, no one will respect us. Only strength respects strength. We must be strong not only as a military power but also as an economic power.Both must go hand-in-hand. My good fortune was to have worked with three great minds.Dr. Vikram Sarabhai of the Dept. of space, Professor Satish Dhawan, who succeeded him and Dr.Brahm Prakash, father of nuclear material. I was lucky to have worked with all three of them closely and consider this the great opportunity of my life.I see four milestones in my career:Twenty years I spent in ISRO. I was given the opportunity to be the project director for India's first satellite launch vehicle, SLV3. The one that launched Rohini.These years played a very important role in my life of Scientist. After my ISRO years, I joined DRDO and got a chance to be the part of India's guided missile program. It was my second bliss when Agni met its mission requirements in 1994. The Dept. of Atomic Energy and DRDO had this tremendous partnership in the recent nuclear tests, on May 11 and 13. This was the third bliss.
The joy of participating with my team in these nuclear tests and proving to the
world that India can make it, that we are no longer a developing nation but one of them. Itmade me feel very proud as an Indian.The fact that we have now developed for Agni a re-entry structure, for which wehave developed this new material. A Very light material called carbon-carbon. One dayan orthopedic surgeon from Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences visited my laboratory.He lifted the material and found it so light that he took me to his hospital and showed me his patients.There were these little girls and boys with heavy metallic calipers weighing overthree Kg. each, dragging their feet around. He said to me: Please remove the pain of my patients. In three weeks, we made these floor reaction Orthosis 300-gram calipers and took them to the orthopedic center. The children didn't believe their eyes. From dragging around a three kg. Load on their legs, they could now move around! Their parents had tears in their eyes. That was my fourth bliss! Why is the media here so negative? Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them.
Why?
• We are the first in milk production.
• We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.
• We are the second largest producer of wheat.
• We are the second largest producer of rice.
Look at Dr. Sudarshan; he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self driving unit. There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.
I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert land into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news.

In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime. Why are we so
NEGATIVE?
Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things?
We want foreign TVs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology. Why this
obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India. For her, you and I will have to build this developed India.You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation.
Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance. Got 10 minutes for
your country? If yes, then read;
Otherwise, choice is yours.
YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don't work; the railways are a joke,
The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.
YOU say, say and say.
What do YOU do about it? Take a person on his way to Singapore.
Give him a name - YOURS. Give him a face - YOURS.
YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you
don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores.
YOU are as proud of their Underground Links as they are.
You pay $5 (approx. Rs.60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim
Causeway or Peddler Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM.
YOU comeback to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity. In Singapore you don't say anything,DO YOU?
YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai.
YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah.
YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10
pounds (Rs.650) a month to, "see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else."
YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the
traffic cop, "Jaanta hai sala main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost."

YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the
beaches in Australia and New Zealand.
Why don't YOU spit paan on the streets of Tokyo?
Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston?
We are still talking of the same YOU.
YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in
your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch
Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country,why cannot you be the same here in India? Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay, Mr.Tinaikar,had a point to make. "Rich people's dogs are walked on the streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place," he said. "And then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the officers to do? Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure in his bowels? In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan.Will the Indian citizen do that here?" He's right.We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility. We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity. This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the public. When it comes to burning social issues Like those related to women, dowry, girl child and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? "It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forgo my sons' rights to a dowry." So Who’s going to change the system?What does a system consist of? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbors,other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr. Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away.

Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and
praise their system.When New York becomes insecure we run to England.When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf.When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government.Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding
the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.
Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great deal of
introspection and pricks one's conscience too....I am echoing J.F.Kennedy's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians.....
"ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY"
Let’s do what India needs from us. Forward this mail to each Indian
For a change instead of sending Jokes or junk mails.
Thank you
Dr. A P J Abdul Kalaam
Honorable President of INDIA

Simple joys of living!

2007-08-10T20:17:00.000-07:00

Her hands were continuously working on those pile of clothes.The warmth of the sun and the smell of breeze were still emanating from those clothes...making me feel like just snuggling on them. Her face would beam with pride as she stacked up those clothes in neat racks, categorizing them according to size.

I still remember her squatting down with a bar soap and scrubbing brush...teaching me how to hand wash the clothes, with out wasting water. Every drop of water was precious, after all it was Chennai. She would wrinkle her nose in displeasure as I used to hang the clothes on the clothesline. She used me lecture me on the art of drying clothes. Her hands would then handle those freshly washed wet clothes as an artiste approaches his canvas...untangling all the folds ....each and every inch embracing the warmth of the radiant sun. Her work done she would smile at her own artistry....satisfaction bordering those lips. This was my Grandma. I used to spent my whole summer vacation at her place and today I can tell she has deposited many thought provoking moments in my memory bank....which I retrieve every now and then to enrich my life today....

Today I don't have to hand wash my clothes... washing machine has taken over....and there is the dryer which helps us dry clothes in winter!....But as I would like to deposit some rewarding moments into the memory bank of my kids, drying clothes in my patio with them is a task which I wish to undertake.

The other day as we were enjoying those wonderful moments at our patio I was approached by my neighbor. I could read a sign of displeasure on her face.
"Why don't you use the dryer?" , she inquired.
"Its very bright and sunny today. I thought it would be better for the clothes and also for my pocket...and more over my kids love doing this chore", I replied.

She was still not happy. " You see, people here do not dry their clothes outside", she continued...
"oh, what a pity..." I thought...
" I know ... I still wonder why people here do not dry their clothes outside?"I replied.
I knew she was considering me as an old fashioned Indian, not yet ready to adapt to the modern American life style.
I realized there was no point in explaining to her about the joy I experience while hanging those clothes with my little ones.They were learning numbers ,colors and were also being home schooled in sharing and taking responsibility.These were simple joys of living I wanted to LIVE....for I am sure they would one day be retrieved by my kids from their memory banks and help them LIVE their lives!!!

Food for thought!!!

2007-08-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

Act One ; Scene I

An exhausted mother rushes to feed her baby yelling at the top of her voice!!!
She has prepared the home made baby food.! ..squatting down with her bundle of joy, who is concentrating more on her opera, the young mother now tries to feed her with a spoon. And there! the whole spoonful, is all over her face giving her a free facial.
The yelling baby is distracted by a few musical toys....
mouth wide open in awe and wonder , the mother tactfully pushes spoonfuls of baby food, down the infants throat.

Act One Scene 2

The chubby infant has grown into a naughty toddler...
Its almost lunch time and the mother wonders how her child is surviving without a morsel of food!
The mother switches on a favorite cartoon. the child beams with joy and squats in front of the idiot box, eyes not blinking, glued to the screen.
mouth wide open in awe and wonder, the mother once again tactfully pushes down spoonfuls of meals , down the toddler's throat.

Act Two , Scene 1

Its eight in the morning , and the child is still not up. Mother is anxious ," what if she goes to school on an empty stomach? ". She is at her daughter's bedside with a full glass of milk... and even with out waking the child... the milk is poured down her throat.
Mother's face beams with satisfaction. No more fussing over food in the morning! sigh!....

Act Two , Scene 2

The whole family is having dinner.The daughter is minutely examining the texture and smell of food in front of her
" Have you still not learn t to eat fast?" ....parents simultaneously pounce upon her.She gulps down the remaining food...and leaves the scene!

Act Three, Scene 1

Mother is in kitchen... trying not to waste the left over food stuff and munches any thing and everything she puts her eye on from the plates to the counter tops to the fridge! .....unaware... she is being transformed into a waste bin.

Act Four , Scene 2

The daughter has grown up to be an adult....she has hoisted herself in front of the laptop, on a couch.....her favorite program is running on the television.
Her forever companions( a whole lot of snacks) are loaded beside her. Her mouth , her hands , her ears , her eyes.. all are at work!

Does this ring a bell somewhere?
Have we ever realized or thought about ... the simple act of eating?
Have our taste buds , ever been able to taste food?
Now as we are heading towards busier schedules and strenuous life styles... are we not killing the simple joys of eating!

Take a deep breathe. relax! use all your senses, eat slowly! feel the food in your mouth ...do justice to your taste buds ... enjoy your food..... try it once....!
let this be your meditation.....I am not joking! the mere act of eating can open doors of spirituality for you......I am not going to lecture on spirituality here.. don't worry....
but let this be your food for thought ..." when you eat a banana.. EAT A BANANA.... and when you drink water .. DRINK WATER!"

At a Japanese farm house!

2007-07-31T21:20:00.000-07:00

" Kombamwa!!! Is it Nanditha san? I am Tamura ! We wait you in car.....you ready? We wait OK? ".................
"Kombamwa!!! Ok Tamura San! I 'll be right there!" I replied and took my bag and rushed down.
I was ready, as I knew how punctual these Japanese were....I could never move around according to the IST ( Indian Stretchable Time) here. We once took a wrong train and traveled in the opposite direction unaware till we reached a new place!!( all because we boarded the 7.35 train instead of 7.34!). Can you ever imagine this in India ?

Mr and Mrs Tamura were waiting for me in the car.
" Wow! Your Indian dress nice!" complimented the couple.
" Arigato!" I thanked them in Japanese.
" You Japanese good! ... Indians clever!" I bowed at Tamura San's compliment . They were always surprised how Indians could handle so many languages!! I had the extra privilege of knowing Malayalam, a language which can be credited for offering maximum flexibility to your tongue!

We had a long drive. We were heading towards the country side, and I enjoyed every bit of the serene picturesque panoramic beauty around.Each day in Japan was a new experience for me . I enjoyed these experiences and encounters.After an hours drive we reached a small farm. This was unlike any place I had visited before. I was invited to give a performance! I wondered where I would perform, for I did not see any signs of it! There were a few wooden chairs, around fifteen in the yard.

We were welcomed with all warmth and I was receiving all the attention and care of a gaijin( foreigner).
It was getting dark, and still there were no signs of any formal function! I wondered and worried what PP would be doing back in our apartment.I had not fixed dinner expecting to reach before our dinner time .....I rang him up on Tamura San's mobile and explained to him the situation I was in . He told me not to worry and that he had fixed dinner ! I felt a lot better ..!

As it was getting darker the crowd was slowly increasing .....Tamura San told me,"come, lets go for walk!"
What did this mean! Was I brought all the way here for a walk? And that too, when my stomach was grumbling , partly due to hunger and partly due to the turn of events here! I had never been invited for a performance, and asked for a walk! I would have preferred to walk with some casuals on ! Now here I was all decked up in a silk saree, with matching jewelery, and make up! I thought I was invited for a dance performance !( thank God I decided on not wearing the dance costume....) Imagine walking in Japan in a Bharatnatyam costume....with all the farmers!

"we show you the farm"....Tamura San could surely not see my facial expression in the dark....We had to be very careful....there were damp and swampy areas and I could hear ducks quacking away in their coop.
All my uneasiness vanished as I got the first glimpse of the moving stars dancing in front of me! This was a rare sight ! I had never seen something like this before! They were numerous! As we continued walking we were surrounded by them ....They had created an aura on each one of us....I was transported into a different world altogether ....They were the fireflies!... Yes ! and this was the firefly festival ..! The whole farm was glowing with their light ....I felt as if I have entered a fairy land! I remember seeing fireflies when I was young ... but never were they so huge in size or infinite in number!

As we walked backed to the farm, I felt the fire flies had kindled my spirits and evoked a sense of calm with in.They reminded me that each of us carry a light with in us....which when it glows can transform our land into heaven.....

Back at the farm house, I was not bothered about dancing with out a formal stage or a hall packed with audience! I danced under the twinkling stars and in the midst of glowing fire flies....in front of a small audience , who lived a life of simplicity! I was honored! My performance was followed by a musical symphony...which played ethnic country music! I was fascinated by their instruments and music which transformed one into a different horizon.

Later, we were served food under the stars....They loaded Tamura san's car with lot of their farm products, ! Which was unloaded at my apartment...It was their gratitude ! their token of love.....What I experienced was so precious , so valuable .....I treasure those moments , at the fire fly festival!

Tribute to Balanna!....

2007-07-27T20:09:00.001-07:00

I used to open those gates with a special sense of feeling......( a feeling that sprouts from intense admiration , respect !)...I knew I was entering the house of God...( of course! I was entering the temple of dance...). I involuntarily prayed..." let all my actions and words be always right!"...

I was always welcomed by his compassionate smile and kind words! They immediately put me at ease! No one had to prompt me to fall at his feet and seek his blessings! It just happened . He was always at Padukka's side , like a pillar of strength , with whose support and companionship , the artiste in her bloomed.

Last week I was in an elated mood! The music and rhythm that emanated from my music system would invite me into a world of dance ...which would raise my spirits ....and all three of us ( my two little boys and me) would dance around in our living room ..energizing every cell in our body...later plunge on to our couch , on top of each other , our walls echoing enchanted giggles! That night , I dream t of him! As usual beside his sister and my Guru.
" May God bless you, ma!" he echoed in his usual affectionate tone.
I reflected on my dream the next day....and came to a conclusion that I was contemplating too much on my days at Chennai , and my dance classes!

Yesterday , my Amma called from India ......" Balanna is no more!.... he passed away!"
My hands went cold .... and I replayed my dream once again....
" When?" I asked....feeling a burner glowing in my stomach!
"5 days back!", came the reply.

It must be my flight of imagination , or just an accidental co incidence of incidents!.....I like to believe that passport and visa were not hindrances for him , after he left his body....so that he could come and bestow his blessings on me!
I felt a pain rolling in my throat....trying to find a vent!... But I knew for sure that I was blessed!

Yes , when I open those gates again, I will no longer be welcomed by his kind talk and compassionate smile....
Yes ,who ever came across him will miss his presence!...
May his blessings and good will ....that he has left behind....kindle our spirits ....and enlighten our lives!

Kanna and Sree visit the Zoo!

2007-07-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

" Anna , Anna !.. ... wake up, anna! " There was urgency in the 2 year olds tone.

His brother was still in bed and didn't show any signs of waking up.

"Anna , wake up Anna , today we go zoo! " Now Sree was on top of his brother , Kanna and was howling into his brother's ears!

"Yeaaaa! Zoo.... Zooo! both of them were in heights of excitement already!
"
"Sree, come lets brush our teeth " , now the 5 year old Kanna took over.
Within seconds they hoisted themselves besides the wash basin and proceeded with their brushing!

"More paste! Want more paste" , Sree started crying....
"NO!" replied Kanna, " more paste will spoil your teeth, see how I'm brushing"
"I Want , I want more paste", Sree invited his mother to the scene...She some how explained about the whole lot of wild animals waiting for him at the Zoo and wound up the brushing!

"I give fish food...."Sree yelled.
" wait for me.. wait for me...." Kanna almost knocked his brother down.
By the time the fish food was in the small aquariam, there was enough on the ground too!

"give me milk! give me fruit loops!" Sree squatted on the kitchen floor.
"I want cornflakes , with honey and banana and lots of raisins!", Kanna squatted beside his brother.

"I want the red bowl", shouted Kanna.Their mother knew well what would follow!She sighed...
"Red me ! red me!"now it was Sree`s turn. Mother sighed again, wondering when she would be able to strap them on to their car seat.
Red bowl was given to the younger one (as usual), Kanna was bribed with an extra spoonful of raisins and pacified with an orange bowl( explanation: orange and red hail from the same "family!").

"Amma, Sree is eating from my bowl!" complained Kanna. Mother knew well, there was no point in yelling at Sree, for he had the most powerful weapon, his heavy down pour with thunderous sobs!

Mother again brought Zoo to the picture, and cajoled Sree with thoughts of wild animals eagerly waiting to see their beloved friend Sree!

"Come on Sree , lets play in the bath.."
"All my animals need a bath, Wait Anna, let me get them", Sree was busy picking up his bath toys.

Today it was father's turn to give them a bath, while mother packed snacks.
"Amma.....! Sree is splashing water all over the place" mother ran with the mop....while father scooped them from the bath !
Both were hanging on their father's shoulders like langoors....

" Sree wants Anna shoe!....Anna shoe!" Parents Sighed in unison, this was yet another hurdle they surpass daily!
Sree was adamant at wearing his brother's shoe , and that too all by himself.
"Animals want to see Sree's new shoe.. or else they will cry!", Kanna came up with a new tactic which consoled Sree.

Thank God!... not much of a drama today!...Parents were relieved!

Finally Kanna and Sree were buckled in their car seats...Kanna picked up a book... and so did Sree...Kanna started his usual enquiries," when will we reach the Zoo!" Sree echoed.."when ZOO WHEN ZOO!"

"Give me something to eat!" Kanna pleaded......" Sree MA..MAMA , SREE ma..mama!" Sree followed..
Mother passed them the apples hoping the snacks would last through the Zoo visit!

In the Zoo Sree and Kanna enjoyed their train ride....

"This is Thomas the tank engine....", Sree was excited.

Both the boys were so happy to see many peacocks, just walking along ....

" See , see they are dancing!" Kanna spotted.

"Did you see the flamingos, Sree!...look at one sleeping on just one leg!" Kanna tried to imitate!
" You know how they get their color? " Kanna continued without waiting for an answer."They eat food with beta carotene!"
" Sree,so you should eat lots of carrots! OK" , Kanna had started his non stop lecture.

They hopped into the Kangaroo shelter and even saw a baby kangaroo peeping from its mama's pouch.

"Did you know how Kangaroo got its name?" asked father.
"NO"..Kanna replied.
"once a foreigner visited Australia and asked one of the aborigines what the strange animal was? The Aborigine replied,"KANGAROO".. MEANING I don't know!.From then on Kangaroo got its name!" explained father.

"Amma Maamum, I am hungry" Sree said.
They had a picnic lunch under a tree.

Then proceeded to see the other exhibits.Till five in the evening they walked around the whole zoo... amused by the animals...

" Amma , legs are aching how long will it take to reach our car", Kanna was tired.
"count till 100 and you will be there!" said father.
" come on Kanna, if you finish counting till 100 and still do not reach the car , then Appa will get nice beatings! OK" Mother raised up Kanna's spirits!
The thought made him laugh and he started counting loudly inviting a lot of attention.
By the time Kanna reached 100 , father was running - Sree, Kanna and Amma close behind.

Return journey was easier as there were a lot of things to talk about.All had a light dinner and plunged on to the bed.
"How was the day? did you enjoy it?" asked Amma...
"Zoo no good! no dinosaurs!... Why no dinosaurs!....Sree like dinosaurs!"

"ONCE UPON A TIME, long...............long.............ago.......there was a dinosaur...."When Amma started a dinosaur story Sree was happy and he involuntarily closed his eyes with a baby smile still on!

"I wish i could see dinosaurs too.. i like Apatosaurus and Triceratops and Stegosaurus.. you know why ? they were herbivorous...." Kanna too dozed off to sleep , weaving his own dreams!

The Month Of Ramayana!

2007-07-17T20:15:00.000-07:00

Today, is July 16th and the month of Ramayana begins!....In Kerala it is the month of heavy down pour ! Nature pours down its purging waters , and people of Kerala wash down their impurities with Ayurvedic Sukha chikilsas( full body treatments), coupled with intake of food apt for the purgatory process(karkidaka kangi).They squat before the lighted lamp and read or listen to Ramayana(aayana or journey through Rama's life).

Ramayana

Ramayana, the literary masterpiece of Valmiki is an epic poem, which reflects Indian ethos and values. This allegory not only quenches the spiritual thirst of the inquisitive listener but also the imaginative elevations of a curious child. Ramayana, portrays the divine birth, extraordinary childhood, exciting adolescence , and spiritual maturity of Rama the hero. It represents a story line where good triumphs evil, love triumphs lust, where virtue triumphs vice! Ramayana is not only the story of Treta yuga, it is also the story of Kali yuga. In Rramayana, there is war, battlefield, defeat and victory! the same strife, the same war, the same struggle is manifested in our inner world.... the Ravana in us alive.....we need to call upon the Rama in us to rescue us from this battlefield and mark victory ...: lead our path towards better evolution!

Author

Valmiki , who authored Ramayana was said to be a great enlightened sage. He was not a born saint , nor was he born into a family of saints. He was an arrogant, ignorant hunter, who lived with his family in a forest and hunted and robbed for his livelihood. Once he aimed his arrow at a pair of birds... A great sage witnessed this and asked him , the reason for committing this sacrilege.... and warned him of the consequences! The hunter was confident that what ever he has to bear in his life for his sins, he will always have his family by his side! Back home, he realized that he will always have to suffer alone, when his family backed up from sharing the fate of his deeds! Realization dawned on him ... he badly needed to come out of this life's maze. He ran back to the sage and surrendered at his feet. The sage asked the hunter to sit in between two trees and just chant...aa maram(that tree) ee maram(this tree)....He sat as per the sage's directions and chanted aa maram eemaram .... for a very long time .. which eventually became rama rama rama rama....He was enlightened.....this was the power of rama mantra!(chants which take you beyond your "man" or mind).

Memories

I was first introduced to the rama mantra by my Appa(father).When I was fascinated by my own hand writing, when I began to hold my pencil right and drew alphabets on paper.....Appa introduced a routine for my brother and me. After our regular chores in the morning we were supposed to write down one page of rama mantra. I still remember chanting Sree ram Jai Ram JAI JAI RAM and writing it down in a book.The enthusiasm of writing actually sprung from the innate competitive spirit to outdo your sibling! My Appa still keeps our books. This helped us in improving our hand writing and also introducing us into mantra japa without our own realization.

I also remember waiting for Sunday mornings during my school days, so that I could watch the Ramayana story telecast on Television.

Later RAMAYANA came alive to me through the dance sequences taught by my mother.The literary magnum opus found expressions in dance and music , creating Rasa! I was awe struck by the dance potrayal of Ramayana by my Guru Dr. Padma Subramaniam.She lived Ramayana in her Ramayatubyam namaha!, where audience were enthralled and glued to their seats,and elevated to ecstatic states!

For the past few years I have been regularly reading Ramayana , during this month . This year I left my copy of Ramayana back in India. But I have started a story session with my kids , every morning, much to their excitement.
Sri ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram !.....as this mantra echoes in me ... it also enlivens sweet childhood memories!

A small victory!

2007-07-14T20:57:00.000-07:00

My childhood days were spent in and around a small township.The township had a hospital, where I was born; good schools where I did my schooling; temples adjacent to our school where we used to bribe God for our tests and exams and also for the tasty prasad of bananas sliced into small triangles and sprinkled with sugar.Our township had small shops where we could purchase all necessary groceries and vegetables, and one Martin's barbershop, where customers queued up for their turn of haircut and to hear Martin's interesting stories.Rather than taking me to a beauty parlor, I was often taken to Martin for trimming my hair, and I used to enjoy his pamperings as a child. After nearly 25 years, still my father has his hair cut by Martin and whenever I go home, my father takes my son to Martin's barber shop, where he still pursues his job with the same old enthusiasm.

I am not going to write on Martin and his hair cutting techniques...... ; I was just trying to fly back in time and pay my obeisance to my Guru MARTIN!
It was in Japan , when I first tried my hand at this art.I do not have any formal training in this arena, but my regular visits to Martin's barbershop would have surely stimulated the artistic expressions in my fingers! Language was always a big hurdle we had to face in Japan.Though I picked up the basics of the language necessary for my survival, initially even the mere task of shopping was Herculean task.After facing umpteen number of embarrassing situations, Our whole team rather preferred to have long hair rather than approach a hair cutting saloon.

I was impressed when one of my Japanese students ,Nishijima San told that she herself cuts her husband's and children's hair.All our team members including my husband PP were now slowly transforming into Neolithic Homo Sapiens with enough hair to put two tiny ponies!This was when I first armed myself with scissors and comb and cajoled my husband into agreeing to be my guinea pig! (privilege of the newly wed)!. I inwardly saluted my guru , and started to cut in all directions...My hands just moved according to my imagination....After the job was done I knew it was not perfect... but PP gave me a satisfying smile...( you know why? ... he could only see his front cut... if he dared to see his back cut: but he was least bothered.....)

This was my strength ! With each haircut I learned a few tactics and techniques...Today I manage to give a decent haircut to PP and my two boys....And also save $35 on the 3 haircuts! .... I rejoice in this small victory!

Enjoy this virtual haircut (hat tip to Mishmash). Do use your head phones for a good laugh!

Once upon a time.........

2007-07-10T20:19:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, there was a tall strong tree which majestically ornamented a garden. A new leaf with pastel shade of green sprouted on one of its branches. As time flew the baby leaf acquired new shades of green and expanded in width. The leaf started feeling a new sense of pride. It thoroughly enjoyed the golden radiance of the Sun during day and the silvery reflections of the moon at night.

One day it looked around and found one of his earlier companions who was slowly changing color. This increased its sense of pride. It grabbed the opportunity of showing off it's might and looking down upon the sad plight of its yellow companion. The yellow leaf only smiled in return. Days passed, the yellow leaf again transformed into brown, life almost drained from its veins, a mild breeze finally pinched it away from its parent, and there it lay, merging with the brown earth. Now the green leaf which was brimming with life energy and sarcastic laughter, slowly started changing too. Its once charm and beauty began to fade.Green turned to pale yellow to brown.Once again blew the wind, and the leaf could no longer fight back. It also embraced the path of its companion.Yes! when the brown leaf falls let not the green one laugh!

Does not this tree unfold our own story? At the prime of our youth, when the fluids in our body are meandering in its right course, with all its might and vigor, we tend to believe that, this is how we will be for ever. When we are still young we take our parents for granted, unmindful of their sacrifices. Only when we step into their shoes do we realize what they had once gone through. Yes, today I am able to understand my parents more! The expectations and hopes they had built on us. It also makes me pause a while .....and think/feel about the years ahead.......the twilight years!

Have you ever glanced at the twilight sky.....still sheltering the shades of the disappearing sun, the hues still reflecting the silent rays, not of warmth but of calm? Does not this sky unfold our own story?

Have you ever tried to capture the depths of the ocean? Its vastness, its depth, its ebbs and tides? Does not this sea unfold our own story? Swimming through the ocean of life, with tired limbs and weak body , can they find floats? A small touch, an understanding glance,a few loving words and a small amount of our time......these can be perfect floats!

Let us learn from the green leaf, and the vast sky which holds hands with the deep ocean! Let us not laugh at the brown leaf, but rather offer companionship. Let us not look down at the tired swimmers, but rather provide support. Let us remember that we reap what we sow..... but many times over!

A secret formula!!

2007-07-07T19:42:00.000-07:00

An instant rewiring occurs in your cerebrum and within no time your priorities change, your attitude changes. The only thing that is permanent in life is change! Yes, when one takes a leap into motherhood,what occurs is a metamorphosis. One sheds the layers of youth and finds oneself suddenly embraced in the new layer of womanhood.Those thoughts which once diverged to your likes, dislikes, your passions , pursuits , your hobbies , jobs ... all now seem to converge at one core, your child.

My passions and interests blurred away into the unseen past, as I cloistered happily into the innocent warmth of my baby. His smile, giggles and baby talk filled up my whole space and time. I was away from my home land, in a new environment , surrounded by a new culture. I was not woken up by the bicycle bells of the milkman or paperwala, or by the spluttering sound of the mustard seeds in hot oil accompanied by the aroma from the kitchen. As I peered down from our eighth floor balcony all I could see was people rushing for their jobs and kids rushing to school. My husband too had to rush early to his office. But I never felt lonely, I was charmed by the unearthly beauty and love that sparkled from my baby.

When he was 4 months he turned over on his tummy gleaming with pride at his new achievement, on his new world view; at five he managed to sit upright, not yet mobile, still unable to explore new horizons.Whenever I turned on my music system ,I noticed his head and tiny hands keeping in rhythm with the music. I was excited, and in order to amuse him started to dance with the music. Like a doll which responds with the turn of a key, he would blush with peels of laughter which automatically was reflected on my face too! I wanted to amuse him more, and one day took out my precious dancing bells (Chilanka), which I had not used since I conceived. This time I had a dance music on and danced with my dancing bells, and to my amazement I found my only audience sit upright and clap his hands with a toothless smile.

I was possessed by an intense desire to perform. But circumstances were different now. I was not in India where there was more exposure and oppurtunuties for my art.Here I had a wonderful audience, my baby who never hesitated in applauding and appreciating my every move and turn. Keeping my desire burning within I danced everyday before, the best audience ever, satisfied after every performance.

Days passed, my baby was fully accustomed to every step I took and every expression that came along. One day, my husband announced the 30th Anniversary of FORD in Taiwan (Ford was a client of my husband's company) and proudly said that I was asked to perform Indian dance. The secret formula had worked once again for me. A formula???

yes! I know formula that has worked wonders for me....

"Desire + Effort = Grace" You should have a strong desire and should put in your maximum effort, you can harvest miraculous results!

I danced for the anniversary celebrations before a huge audience, but my precious little one was enjoying every move from the front row in his father's lap, applauding and smiling his toothless smile!

The Art of Listening

2007-07-03T20:21:00.000-07:00

"All the world is a stage, all men and women merely players, each has his exits and entrances......" truth echoed in the words of author- philosopher William Shakespeare.

All of us are playing our respective roles thus unwinding the tapestry of human life. Born with innate artistic tendencies, the whole life is welcoming us to unlock our inbuilt faculties, prompting us to deliver our monologues,our dialogues and soliloquies, clothing us with our costumes ,guiding us through diverse acts and scenes from prologues to epilogues!

Our first stage,that of a new born baby, untainted by the games of the mind, our art flourishes in full bloom. It is a stage which reflects our true and pure nature, when we can smile, a half moon smile in wrinkles of sleep without any particular reason; a stage when we can listen to the drama around with our whole being , unperturbed by its sounds and furies.Then as a child, still upholding shades of innocence, we plunge on to a deep search, our tiny eyes deciphering every twist and turn, unable to comprehend everything around. We are now transformed into a curious listener, listening with rapt attention to the various stories that unveil the undiscovered and untrodden roads ahead.The gates of adolescence invites us to a maze of mirrors, where we stumble and dash upon our own reflections , confused ,frustrated , puzzled , trying to fix the missing jigsaws. Fully surrendered to the power of the mind, now we are audience to only our own mind drawn conclusions. Surviving the maze now, an adult, a victim of worries and anxieties which wring your neck with spondylitis, a slave of a mind created world. Twilight years, which promised peace and relaxation have left you weak, dragging you back to the immobility of childhood yet unable to smile, the untainted smile of your true self.

The art of listening, an inherent trait in us gets buried and fossilised under the mantle of life. When we listen to someone, we no longer listen to them but only to our own judgements and prejudices which is non stop played in us. We might be physically present, but our thoughts have taken us else where.I remember sitting in my physics class, staring at my teacher but mentally in an Utopian world.

The art of listening also reminds me of an episode in the Indian epic, Mahabaratha. The warrior hero Arjuna is chatting with his pregnant wife Subhadra, speaking to her about certain war strategies he has mastered. Surrounded my enemies from all sides, Arjuna seems to be the only one who could penetrate and successfully exit from the army formation known as
"Chakravyuha". His wife dozes off to sleep, but the unborn baby in her womb is still awake intently listening to his father's interesting stories.When Arjuna finds his wife fast asleep he stops midway and his unborn son, Abhimanyu, is unable to grasp this special technique fully. Abhimanyu turns out to be a great warrior like his father, and in the battle of Kurukshetra,
he is able to enter into this Chakravyuha formation, the result of his listening to his father from his mother's womb. As he was unable to listen to the whole story due to his mother's sleep, he was handicapped in releasing himself successfully from the formation in the battle field and embraces death with honor.

The greatest gift we can give someone is to listen. Let us cultivate this art. When we listen, let us do so with our full being, only then arises true communication. It is not only a gift to others but also a gift to ourselves. I have not yet mastered this art, but I'm sure that it can enhance and enrich the quality of life. So lets practice the art of listening and master the art of living.

Tea Ceremony!

2007-06-29T21:21:00.000-07:00

When ever I hear the word "tea" , there is an incident that comes flashing to my mind, and the thought of it makes me smile. Let me narrate it to you.

It was a very busy day. My father was ironing my costumes for the day, my mother hurrying over the eleventh hour preparation of the lec-dem she was about to deliver, and I was busy in front of the mirror , dressing up for the dance performance. My brother had to shoulder the responsibility of tidying up and give an appealing touch to our front room , for we were expecting a guest. He would be here any moment. He r he would have secretly appreciated the tea making abilities of his school going son.

Meanwhile Amma was ready and rushed to the kitchen to get a sip of the remaining hot tea, for she was having sore throat. I could see her gargling intermittently in the morning with hot salt water. She had to give a long lecture in front of a crowd ,
and she always relied on home remedies.As soon as I saw her taking her sip of the tea, she involuntarily spat it into the kitchen sink, her face filled with a strange expression, something nearing the "bheebhalsa rasa" ! I ran to her, worried
witnessing her strange behavior.
Amma was shouting at my brother, "Did you serve this tea to our guest ?". My brother nodded a yes .
"You made tea with the water I had heated up for gargling! It was loaded with salt , Oh! my GOD! how could we serve it to our guest? " she gasped.
His asking for water and his strange inquiries regarding tea drinking in our community did have a meaning! He had courteously finished his salt ginger tea , suppressing his natural facial expressions.
When my mother explained to him what had happened and mumbled her apologies he just replied, " I'll never forget this meeting!"

This was an incident which took place nearly 15 years ago. But how could one forget such an incident.
I wondered what tea I would be served,as I was on my way to Kajiyoshi San's house. I was invited by this gentleman,whom I greatly admired, to his house for a tea ceremony.Tea ceremony was an entirely new experience for me.

Kajiyoshi San and his wife Sadami San , welcomed me to their house , which reflected their aesthetic sense and love for Nature. As soon as I entered their house Sadami San directed me to a small water fountain they had fixed at their entrance where I was asked to wash my hands and face with a bamboo laddle.The cool flowing water was energizing and revitalizing. I was directed to a room which was sparsely furnished , but had something in it to elevate one's spirits.The room was a tatami room, the floor spread with reed mats.

There was antique pottery and unique calligraphy,and a humbleness and simplicity about the whole ambiance.

The tea ceremony first began in Buddhist monasteries and was known for its medicinal values.The monks had the tea made of bitter powdered tea leaves to keep themselves awake during meditation.The coming of Zen Buddhism , made it more popular. It was called " Chado or Sado".This tea ceremony lasted for 4 hours.The host would go through the detailed preparation of tea , giving emphasis to each an every movement. There was a perfect unison of the body , mind and spirit during this ceremony.It reflected Japanese spiritual tradition and culture.The guests will be first served a sweet, which should be eaten sitting in "vajrasana" on the tatami mat.Then the guest will be served the first serving of thick brewed tea.There are rules to be followed here too. The guest lifts up the fine work of pottery which holds the tea ,asking permission from the person seated at his left , whether he can have it.Carefully turning the front of the bowl , to face him he can sip the tea.He should now wipe the place where he had sipped with the small finger of his right hand. Then placing the bowl in front , now the bowl facing away from him, with his elbows on the knees one should appreciate the art work on the pottery.The bowl now is passed to the person sitting on the left.The second serving is a dilute version of the tea.The whole process is like a meditation which flows in a very soothing and slow motion.It is practiced as an entertainment for spiritual upliftment.It is a process where you are taught to think of others first.I went through this whole process , thoroughly enjoying every moment.At the end of four hours I was feeling lighter and purged.
I am grateful to Kajiyoshi San and his wife Sadami San for giving this taste of Japanese culture .
I too mumbled the words with a bow as I said oyasu minasai (good night) to my friends," I'll never forget this meeting!"......

God is still working on her!!

2007-06-24T20:56:00.000-07:00

As the Macro cosmic Omnipresence rejuvenates into the microcosmic creations ,
as Nature replays itself in its myriad forms,
as the first ever flower receives its first sunshine and enlightens the plant,
as the first reptile soars up in the sky freeing itself from the fetters of the gravitational pull tasting freedom,
as the carbon transforms into a diamond, the precious gem:
Consciousness unravels itself !!!

While Nature is still at its play creating and recreating , its flora , its fauna and its infinite variety of creatures,we do fumble upon mutations. Yes,mutations,that are still full of Nature`s artistry yet having a pronounced difference. Yes,different in form but still an embodiment and expression of Nature. Yes,different because of a surplus or lack of the building block,the chromosome.

Let me share with you this real life story of a gift of Nature,who is different and who is special. I am fortunate to have her as my dear cousin. I still remember the day she was born, when my uncle walked into our house with a beaming face of a proud father. I remember peering into her tiny little eyes, when I was a little scared yet wanting to hold her feather like body. She grew up in a warm atmosphere surrounded by love and affection. Her tiny legs refused to take her first step even at the age of three,her mouth unable to produce audible meaningful sounds! I witnessed the silent pain endured by her parents and the whole family .... They were unable to accept that they were blessed with a special bud, which will also bloom in its own special way. She was diagnosed by doctors of various disciplines, and she also accepted alternative therapies.... She slowly started to walk,started to talk....
I still remember clearly,the way she snuggled in my lap and stared at my face trying to decipher the sounds that I produced ...the way she swayed her body to any melodious music!

But time passed,she grew into adulthood, yet untouched by its complexities. Those legs which once refused to walk slowly took rhythmic steps of classical dance. The perfection and grace she rendered would not be measured according to regular standards , but still she danced,she danced before audiences without inhibitions. Her in born talents today unravel when she cooks,stitches ,memorizes phone numbers!

The child in her still alive : still frustrated on missing out something about the adult hood,She is God's rare creation, He still working on her. Don't we also yearn for the innocence and heart of a child,faded away or buried in our process of attaining maturity? Like the consciousness which is ever flowing in all the
creations, in you and in me and in all that we see around,the same inherent consciousness is latent in my cousin and all the special gifts of Nature too. Let us not read each others labels but rather look beyond it,to read something divine and sublime , reflections of our own consciousness.

Watch this performance she gave at the annual celebrations of her alma mater swabodhini, school for special kids !

Dear Sinnah , with Love !

2007-06-22T21:14:00.000-07:00

Dearest Sinnah ,
" hoe hangeth methyo ?" I know what would be your answer ," hoot danky! , my sweetie!"

This is a letter that I always wanted to write to you , but never could.I was so much entangled in the ocean of life that I hardly found time to switch off my mind and relax . But better late than never . Though I know that you will never be able to read this letter , I'm sure that you will definitely get my message .
I remember my first day in South Africa , the day we first met .That first day our conversations just began and ended with a mere hello . My first assessment of you was that you were an unapproachable , distant , sober kind of a person . But appearances are deceptive .You turned out to be rather the opposite .We became fast friends , got along with each other . You never knew to smile but only laugh out loud. You always marked your presence .

I always secretly admired your insatiable energy ... you never stopped unless your job was done . Whenever I enter my kitchen , I think of you , dear . You were the best teacher ever !Though you had not seen University gates or ever dreamed of a bachelor's degree in education , I understood that it was the passion that mattered . You don't need the certificates for approving your merit . Yes , you taught me to bake ! You taught me to equally celebrate the successes and disasters .

Whenever my cakes insisted on keeping their rough hard demeanor, resisting to accept their natural fluffiness , you were smart enough to transform them into yummy desserts !Your fingers played the gimmicks of a magician ultimately tickling our taste buds !

I will never forget the day when you saved me showcasing once again your skills . One evening I got a phone call from PP declaring that there would be 8 people for dinner . How will I satisfy my guests at such a short notice? I panicked ! Then you took over . I saw you transform into a creative artiste with the power of an entrepreneur . I followed your instructions and with in minutes a big vegetable casserole was ready . You quietly withdrew from the scene leaving the whole credits to me . I felt like a puppet , but was relieved that you held the strings !

My baby was growing , and exploring the wide world around him , he was accepting every challenge of his new found mobility .The bungalow where we stayed provided an apt arena for his experiments and discoveries .I used to spend most of my time running behind him . I couldn't find him one day in his usual favorite spots , and was suddenly alarmed by a zooming siren .Then I spotted him pressing a red button which was a security alarm . I remembered what PP said , " All houses in South Africa had alarm systems as it was a highly crime prone area ."!

Our residence was surrounded by armed guards with fierce sturdy profiles .They had their rifles , all set for an attack behind the closed remote operated gates !
You were the one Sinnah , who came to my rescue when I hesitated to step out of the house , fearing a rapid fire .I peeped out of the window and saw you boldly explain to them the situation created by my young one , in Africans !

Your face trying to hold back tears is etched in my memory , dear Sinnah . When we shifted to a different apartment ,you never stayed back to say good bye . But I know why !I have known the child in you , avoiding bitter scenes . Then I also cannot forget the ever glowing face of yours when you payed surprise visits to me with a bunch of wild flowers . How you waited on my kitchen table asking for more "achar"( my mother -in-laws home made pickles), to smear on the bread instead of butter .

When it was finally time for me to leave South Africa ,you were thoughtful enough to tuck in a soiled paper into my hands with your phone number scribbled on it . My most valued gift which I carried along with me was the baby pumpkin from your kitchen garden !I'm sorry to tell you Sinnah , by the time I reached India , your phone number was incomplete . The paper had torn and I was unable to decipher the rest that remained .

But Sinnah , let me tell you something ! I believe there is a store house above us , like a satellite , its the thought sphere ! Both of us can tune to the same channel !And enjoy the broadcast in our thoughts !My antenna is well tuned to the wonderful moments we had together ! So I am not missing you Sinnah !I wish you all good things in life.May wonderful thoughts hover around you , dear..tune to them and enjoy life !

love,
Nanditha

My this post is a letter to my helping maid in South Africa . She started work every day at sharp six in the morning .She was an embodiment of energy and reflected through her simple deeds undeterred passion for life.We rarely come across such people in our life , who are content with their roles ;and accept life as both sides of the coin .

The Power of Now!

2007-06-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

My five year old son always has an incessant energy when it comes to books! I had the notion that repetition results in boredom . But my son taught me that it was not so . He is never tired or bored when he has to read the same book again and again . The same buoyancy and curiosity reflects in his whole being each time he reads the book . I too experienced similar feelings when it came to reading the book , “The Power of Now “.

ECKHART TOLLE'S “The Power of Now “ is surely something more than a book . Its a treasure you can cherish your whole life time . I am very grateful to little light for having tagged me . According to this tag I'm supposed to write the 5th paragraph of page 123 of the latest book I'm reading .

This is not the first time I'm reading this book . Each time I read this book I was able to unveil new horizons .Even now as I'm glued to the computer typing about this favorite book of mine , I'm able to feel an inner silence and the ever glowing presence of Being radiating through me . I salute this great master Eckhart Tolle for having rendered this enlightening book to humanity .

“The Power of Now “ does not weave a story . Each of us can relate to this book , and reflect on our own story . I was so much touched by this book because I felt it resonated something which I already knew . Just keep your baggage of worries and anxieties aside , say no to your prejudices and judgments and read this book with your total being . You cannot read this book at a stretch . It compels you to reflect and contemplate after every few pages .It is an experience!

Now , the tag , the 5th paragraph of page 123..........

Love/hate Relationships

Unless and until you access the consciousness frequency of presence , all relationships , and particularly intimate relationships , are deeply flawed and ultimately dysfunctional . They may seem perfect for a while , such as when you are “ in love “ , but invariably that apparent perfection gets disrupted as arguments , conflicts , dissatisfaction , and emotional and even physical violence occur with increasing frequency . It seems that most “love relationships” become love/hate relationships before long . Love can then even turn to savage attack , feeling of hostility , or complete withdrawal of affection at the flick of a switch . This is considered normal . Th relationship then oscillates for a while , a few months or a few years , between the polarities of “love” and hate , and it gives you as much pleasure as it gives you pain . It is not uncommon for couples to become addicted to those cycles .Their drama makes them feel alive . When a balance between positive / negative polarities is lost and the negative , destructive cycles occur with increasing frequency and intensity, which tends to happen sooner or later , then it will not be long before the relationship collapses . It may appear that if you could only eliminate the negative or destructive cycles , then all would be well and the relationship would flower beautifully ---------- but alas , this is not possible . The polarities are mutually interdependent .You cannot have one with out the other. The positive already contains within itself the as yet unmanifested negative . Both are in fact different aspects of the same dysfunction. I am speaking here of what is commonly called romantic relationships ------ not of true love ,which has no opposite because it arises from beyond the mind .love as a continuous state is as yet very rare---- as rare as conscious human beings .Brief and elusive glimpses of love , however , are possible whenever there is a gap in the stream of mind .

I will feel blessed if I have been able to inspire at least one person to read the book and feel your Being and transform yourself .
Listen to this talk by the spiritual master author , Eckhart Tolle .

I am supposed to tag 5 people.... so I tag ,naveen , susan , maddy,keshi and diyadear .Take it up only if you would enjoy doing it .

At the beauty parlour!

2007-06-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

Dawn embraced daylight , Sun's mighty radiance gave way to twilight , tapestry of evening sky paced slowly into dark night's deafening silence . Days passed into weeks , weeks into months and months into years.... I bid adieu to my carefree years , and plunged into an entirely rewarding and responsible phase of my life , motherhood . As I cradled my new born , just feeling his soft tender body , just staring at his innocent little face , nothing around me seemed real except that single moment !

As I was moving ahead in this life's voyage , it was time for me to pack my bags for my next nomadic exploration . We flew to Taiwan , an island off the coast of China , with our 2 month old baby . This was not just a journey to a new culture and diverse surroundings : it was more of a journey within . It can be called a spiritual retreat . I was shedding my self centered thoughts which were now dominated by my new born baby . It was a time when my priorities unknowingly changed . I was never tired of the busy days and sleepless nights....My batteries never failed.....I was continuously charged by the unconditional love of my baby .

I loved our routine evening walks , when the tiny eyes brimmed with joy and curiosity , refusing to blink and appeared like cameras without shutters! I enjoyed trying to decipher the pictorial calligraphy on the roads , and was amused by the Chinese script . One of PP”s colleague was a victim of a very embarrassing situation once . He had once been to Taipei and was on his way back to his apartment . He was careful enough to have a slip of paper with the place he wanted to go , written in Chinese . In the bus stop , he stood with this slip of paper above his head like a placard , and his face brightened up with a smile . All passers by just stared at him as if they were watching an insane drama . He waved the large slip of paper to all the bus drivers , but in vain . When he could no longer stand the sarcastic stares , he ventured to try his hand at gesturing.... with expressive facial expressions and hand gestures he blabbered to a lady in the bus stop about his destination . She burst out into laughter at the mimicry , for she could follow English . She also pointed out that all the while he was holding his thoughtful placard upside down . How was he to know ? He made it a point to mark the top and bottom of his future placards .

Such situations can always be treasured for future entertainment .After our three months stay in Taiwan , we befriended a newly married Indian couple . We started spending our afternoon's together , our gossips filled with nostalgic memories , recipes and all girl's talk . She was a very beauty conscious person and came up with an idea of visiting the beauty saloon . Though I hesitated in the beginning , I was bribed by the luxurious thoughts of a relaxing facial .

I hung my baby on his sling and one afternoon the two of us marched towards the nearest beauty saloon . As soon as we reached there , we were pounced upon by two ladies like vultures on their well awaited prey . My friend wanted to shape her eye brows ! And she began exploring her communication skills...after a good fifteen minutes monologue she seemed successful in letting her audience grasp her thoughts ! She beamed with success as she reclined on the ornamented chair . One lady swabbed my friends face clean while the other went to collect her tools for shaping the eye brows . She returned with a new razor .....and started shaving her precious signs of beauty ! My friend was unable to move for she was soothed by a razor and my appeals seemed to vaporise in the air .Should I explain more on her looks and expression when she beheld her own reflection!

Now it was my turn...I needed a way out of this dilemma ....My only Saviour was my son who was fast asleep clinging to me ....I slided my hands on his thighs and pinched him....he burst out into loud sobs !I had succeeded ! Trying to cajole my baby I rushed out of the parlor....Shortly my friend joined me after having payed for her makeover ! She spend hours before the mirror with a black eyebrow pencil trying to make variations of curves.....and shut herself in her apartment for weeks till she thought herself presentable .

I thanked my darling with hugs and kisses , and couldn't stop my giggles at the aftereffects of handicapped communication!

Birthday!!!

2007-06-09T21:13:00.000-07:00

From the day a baby is conceived in a mother's womb, umpteen number of expectations and hopes hover around the unborn fetus . As the baby starts kicking and makes its presence felt , there dawns on the mother an innate joy of holding and experiencing divinity within . When the bundle of joy finally marks his\her presence with the first expression of sound the proud parents are once again elevated to the heights of untainted joy and unconditional love ! Each phase in the infants life now is appreciated and applauded like a miracle of existence .Like the bud which slowly blooms and blossoms into a flower showcasing its unique beauty accepting energy from the Sun and life source from water , the innocent baby too slowly treads into the cycle called life , accepting love , and care from the parents .

Too much of Sun's rays can wither and too much of water can decay the plant . Similarly too much of expectations showered in the name of love can retard the other wise abundant growth of your child's talents . All these thoughts meandered through my mind when I was just watching my kids play in our back yard . Today was surely a very special day for me , as my younger son turned two . I watched with wonder the two kids running about and falling on top of each other , listened with joy the sudden bubbles of laughter emanating from their tiny shrill voices , and felt with totality the joyous moments of motherhood .

Yes, today was my son's birthday . When I think of birthday celebrations, my thoughts snake back to a birthday I once attended a few months back . It was hosted in a five star hotel , and it was a first birthday . The AC banquet hall was decorated with giant sized stuffed toys, and the hall echoed with thunderous songs ! I was intently looking out for the birthday boy , but could only spot many cranky one year olds yelling at the top of their voices , appealing in their own baby language to escape from the scary looks from the giant toys ! With much difficulty I spotted the star of the day who was dressed up in his newly tailored blazer , the weight of which was quite heavy on him . He looked like a lost warrior who had given up fighting . What he needed was a warm cuddle and a kiss .....but what followed was a cake cutting ceremony and loud applause which confused the baby whose shouts faded into the surrounding excitement . Then followed a photo session , where the parents posed for snaps with their little angel forcing the well frosted cake into the well shut mouth. Murmurs and rolled eyes from parents was not going to work magic here . Next followed games ....and dance to rocking rhythms , where the parents tried to convince themselves and all around the heights of enjoyment by swaying to the music with their beloved bundle of joy clinging to them . What followed next ? A grand sumptuous dinner which covered both North Indian and South Indian dishes , with a choice of various desserts . The guests were happy but the birth day boy preferred to sleep after this dramatic event .

Which would be the best way the child would have wanted to celebrate his birthday? First of all a one year old is yet to know the concept of a birthday. Then why succumb to this birth day drama ? May be it has become a trend in todays society to have one accepted? Won't it be better to just spend a day with your precious little darling ? I asked my five year old, as to how he would like his birthday to be celebrated... He thought for a while.....then said he would want a hug , a special kiss , he would prefer his birth day on a weekend as the whole family could play Frisbee and ball in the back yard... I was amazed and relieved .” Don't forget to buy me a gift “, he added .

We did exactly that today . We tried to spend more time with our little one... played their favorite games... cooked some delicacies which we shared with a few friends . Instead of blowing out two candles we preferred to light two aromatic candles . It was nice to see my birth day boy admiring and bowing down before the lighted candle pronouncing “ Devabu” meaning God in our mother tongue .....

Taste of Japan !

2007-06-08T20:49:00.000-07:00

The alarm went off and his hands involuntarily reached out in the direction of the shrill piercing beeps! These were not enough to motivate him out of bed , for he was weary after the load of work he had to tackle in his new work environment. He had recently come to Hiroshima , and hoped to bring his wife along in a month's time. Again the alarm dutifully beeped . It wasn't going to let him sleep. He finally dragged himself out of bed and suddenly realized that he had no time to waste. After getting himself ready he halted near his fruit basket for collecting his lunch . He always had a soft corner for the fresh and juicy fruits , and he was glad that he had an ample supply , here in Japan . Suddenly , he remembered that today he was invited for lunch into a sushi -ya . He wondered what that meant , but didn't want to offend or hurt the feelings of his Japanese colleagues .

He was always fascinated and intrigued by the traditions Japanese upheld . He was experiencing it even in his working environment . They always took a very long time in decision making , but once the decision was taken they always stuck to it. But today he was also going to taste Japanese food . He secretly longed for the ethnic Indian cuisine , roasted crisp dosas , idlis and the aroma of freshly prepared sambar haunted him . He always enjoyed reading his newspaper with the strong filter coffee accompanied by the subtle aromas from kitchen . He could easily make out the breakfast menu , just by taking a few deep breaths...It would be the right time to do pranayama! .

Now he was freaking out on fruits . But today being a Japanese treat he waved sayonara to his all time saviors and hurried to his office . At lunch time their team gathered in a sushi ya or a restaurant where especially sushi is served . Sushi is a traditional Japanese delicacy . Once you had agreed to participate and taste the Japanese food there was no going back .... The sushi they would be serving him today would be made out of raw fish, sea weed and rice. He had tasted Kerala fish curry once, when he visited his friends place , as he belonged to a family of vegetarians . Eating raw fish would be adventurous . He was not sure whether he was ready to take up the challenge but he was hooked .

He saw the strange appetizers being served on a conveyor belt . He politely took the Sushi which was meant for him . He was also served the "wasabe" sauce. He was told to dip the sushi in the sauce and eat it at a stretch ! He just did as he was told and saw the eager faces staring at him curiously . He put the whole piece in his mouth and found that the sauce was the most pungent thing he had ever tasted in his life . It was so strong that he could feel the pungent vapors spreading all over him. How was he supposed to eat it now . He had to keep a brave face and whatever was in his mouth should find a medium to pass through his gut ! His eyes caught a tap that was serving sake(rice wine )...With the Japanese delicacy still in his mouth he poured the sake into his glass and flushed it into his mouth....He was relieved , for he had managed the situation !

He saw his colleagues and saw their triumphant faces beaming with joy for having served him the best food ever . They were eager to serve him more , and just before they were about to help him with his second serving he grabbed a plate from the conveyor belt which was now displaying desserts!

This was how my dear husband PP , experienced the first taste of Japan.

I would like to share with you a humorous video which will give you a clearer idea on Japanese food etiquettes and traditions! Enjoy watching!

RAIN!!

2007-06-03T20:30:00.000-07:00

Rain has always brought with it nostalgic memories! It has always taken me back to the bygone days..... my childhood! It was in the month of June, when schools reopened after the long summer holidays that nature greeted us with the first streaks of rain. Excitement of starting our first day in a new grade , meeting up with our friends to share the wonderful vacation we had , putting on the newly stitched uniforms and colorful raincoats......our tiny brains stuffed with innumerable unsaid anxieties.

Our school usually had a tradition of beginning the academic year on a Wednesday. I still wonder why we had to put on our white uniforms. Wednesday was a white day , when all students wore their spic and span white uniforms (aftermath of tedious hard work of mama's laundry).....which turned to almost brown at the end of the day and faded to light yellow by the end of the year. Monsoons were especially welcome for us kids because we loved to stick our feet into the running water of the temporary streams and feel the cold sensation. We used to splash water on each other unmindful of our mother's troubles. We beamed with joy when we overcrowded the streams with our hand made paper boats!We forgot to get our umbrellas to school on purpose so that we could drench in the showers , and dance like peacocks.....

Have you ever smelled the aroma of rain.... I love to just lie down listening to the soothing sound of rain....it is music to my ears.....but it is definitely incomplete without the tantalizing aroma...When the powerful rain pours with all its might and embraces earth , the embodiment of femininity and unfathomable beauty.....there is born gentle, calming aroma ! It is the chaste smell of earth conceived and born out of the purging spirit of water , Rain!

Rain has always urged me to a state of passivity!I just love to do nothing!... nothing at all.... rain had taught me just to sit and stare!Just now it poured cats and dogs and my toddler came running to me ...alarmed by the thunder's roars. The fear had gripped him so much that his innocent eyes were raining too!I grabbed him in my arms and cuddled him close to me..when we were interrupted by the thoughtful ideas of my 5 year old...I enjoyed seeing him trying to calm down his brother !

He said , “ the earth too needs to take bath .....rain is just the water from the Gods ....The sound that scared you is nothing but the clapping of God's hands! He is happy”! I heard both kids giggle after this wise talk....

The most precious gift that life showered on me are my bundles of joy.... my two little boys! How can I forget the day they filled my whole being with the sense infinite bliss. I remember the first time I walked into the labor room , trying to keep up the faint smile on my face in spite of the intermittent lightening and thunderous pain...nurses trying to lighten up my mood , pulled aside the curtains of the French windows . I felt nature fully participating and supporting this co creation! The lightening , the thunder..... all just reflections of myself...I silently invoked the powers of nature ., to rain on me! And when my baby finally arrived...his cry perfectly merged with orchestra outside. It might seem an accidental co incidence , or a tactful game of providence...my second delivery was a photo copy of my first one..... the same hospital , the same room , the same heavy down pour.... and once again a boy to take me to ecstasy !

Rain is purity, chastity and pure joy.....listen to it , smell it, taste it , feel it and you will love it!

Those thirty seconds of my life!

2007-06-01T21:07:00.000-07:00

The early hours of dawn...when everything around you is still so fresh and new...when nature welcomes you with its warm embrace and early melodies....when the world outside you have not yet usurped your thoughts....when you feel totally secure after the everlasting balm of nature , sleep......yes, this is the time of the day I love most....and I was already up from bed as usual. But wasn't there something unusual in the air ?...For the past one week it was not the chirping birds ,those tiny little ones who always reminded me of the Japanese shop attendants ,( tirelessly bowing down to each customer and endlessly singing thank yous and good byes) ,who woke me up;I would suddenly jerk out of my bed , holding on to the side stand for support , so that I don't fall. Once I even woke up and found myself on the ground....and experienced life on the floor!

Today was nothing new!But it would be all over in a few seconds...I could still feel the dawn and still bathe in its warmth. But today , I was sure to drag this topic into our daily gossips and discussions ,over a cup of coffee. It was Sunday and unlike all the working days ,the whole day was relaxed. It was a day when we skipped our breakfast and preferred to take brunch instead.....

After our brunch , I immediately put forth my experiences of the past week....and was disheartened to find no serious concern on any of them....They all seemed to have taken it for granted.....none seemed distracted ! Good... all of them seemed to be evolved now . I was sure all of them had experienced those same tremors , shaking the whole of Higashi Hiroshima ....but now it had become a daily affair...could you ever imagine an Earth quake taken so lightly!The past whole week we were experiencing tremors and still , those were no more hindrances to our sleep ?

The word earth quake takes me back to my school days .I still clearly remember Mr. Babu Vargheese, our geography teacher, walk into our class without even a piece of paper. He never failed to locate students who tried to shy away from his questions which were darted like infinite arrows... We had a chapter called Earth quakes and Volcanoes , and I still remember memorizing Japan as the world's most earth quake prone areas. Who would ever imagine living in that far off island after a decade and more and above all getting to know the real taste of earth quake !!! All the natural disasters seem not for us , until you have a first hand experience of it!

Today, it was one week since we experienced the real earth quake.It was a fine Saturday afternoon, and we had Tomito san and his wife for dinner.I was all set for dinner with the typical Kerala cuisine, Idiyappam and stew! I also prepared black channa curry (kadala curry), which is my husband PP's all time favorite!There was still plenty of time for our guests to arrive and we decided to take a stroll and visit our near by shoji market to stock some juice.I loved shopping here as , by now I had gained enough expertise in calculating which item was thrown up for sale on which day of the week.As we were admiring the freshly arrived vegetables we were awestruck to see all the vegetables and fruits fall from the racks....when we looked up we saw the ceiling fans shaking vigorously....yes I was also shaking!I saw many terror stricken faces running for life....they didn't know where they were running to but were still running. Some tried to hide under the shaking tables !I could see PP's eyes stuck out and mouth open!And what was I doing by the way? I was involuntarily chanting hymns but quite loudly (it must have been an attempt at warding off all evil ;a tradition that my brain could still replay in times of need ,that had seeped into me from my childhood family prayers around a lighted lamp). This phenomena lasted for 30 seconds which seemed to be endless....

[Watch the earthquake on You Tube - Ignore the music by the way !!]

This earth quake was rated 6.4 with an epicentre at Kure an adjacent prefecture.Window panes flew, roads cracked,few buildings collapsed robbing two lives.Japanese cities were earth quake proof and build to satisfy the outcomes of these unforeseen disasters....After those 30 seconds I was surprised to see life flow back to its normal routine... With in hours roads were re tarred, houses were fixed....life kept moving on and people got back to their tasks.We reached back home and had dinner with our invited guests! The after effects of these earth quakes kept repeating in the everyday tremors....which lasted a few seconds....

This earth quake did open my views about the value of time...which waits for no man....each second is important, precious! Do not let it pass... live the moment!!!

The magic spice that works wonders!!!

2007-05-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

He was feeling terribly lonely and upset, for this was the first time he was in his house without his wife. This was no more a home to him, without her around. For the first time he realized, how much he had got used to her. She had managed their lives with such skill, that life just flowed so smoothly for him. He was always welcomed home with the appetizing aromas from their kitchen, where she used to cook wonders! He was always eager and proud to invite friends and guests home for lunch and dinners, for he was sure she would present on their table her magical recipes, rich in color and quality!!!

The thought of her food made him feel hungry as usual. He involuntarily opened the kitchen cupboard where she used to store her goodies, home baked muffins and loafs. As he took his first bite he was transported into a different world,"yes, this is the taste of heaven!", he thought. Now he will have to spend two more days without her in this house. She was hospitalized for a minor eye operation. He was grateful to her for having prepared and stocked upon his favorite frozen meals and mouth watering raisin breads.

He recalled the day when he first set foot in their new home. The day was well etched in his memory. His mind had captured it like a black and white photograph. How could he forget their day of wedding!The day when this wonderful women stepped into his life, and became his life itself. Those were nostalgic moments......laughter and music of bygone days still echoed in his ears.

He took a second bite of the coffee muffin......every thing his wife prepared was always special. He was not her only silent admirer. He had heard numerous praises for her culinary magical skills. He had worn each of her praises like a feather in his cap. As he took his third bite, his memory flashed back to a few years when he was helping her out in their kitchen. He remembered how adamant she was, giving him strict orders not to touch her spice box, which was a wedding gift from her mother. Even after all these years she still preserved it like a treasure. He had spied her dutifully opening it whenever she was cooking, and wondered what magical spice it was ...... it needed no refilling , and still served to be a major ingredient of all her recipes. By the time he was finished with the last bit of the finger licking muffin, he was filled with an intense urge to open the spice box and find out what contents it held."She was not going to find out any way..." he assured his guilty self.

He slowly opened the spice box, doubly careful, not disturbing any of the magical contents...He saw something he least expected. He was awe-struck.....He saw in it a white note which was at the verge of wear and tear. Was his wife hiding anything from him? His heart missed a beat...How he had dotted on her and loved her!!!He felt an ache in his throat.... what would he find when he opened this treasure of hers?... what was the secret that she withheld from him for the past 25 years...?He was totally blank as he opened the note.....He could well recognize his mother- in- law`s bold hand writing... it read"what ever you cook my dear, do not forget to add in this magic spice, YOUR LOVE..."

Now he understood exactly, how and why her food turned out to be so special.....

What does this story have to do with my travels, my impressions? I`ll tell how...it is this magical spice which came in handy for me, when I was a novice in the wonderful world of spices and flavors.

We were alloted a three bedroom apartment in Japan, which we had to share with two other team mates. Our team also occupied yet another apartment in the same building. So there were seven of us who made a real good team.....majority of us were vegetarians....and I could see that our team members were living on fruits and chocolates. My conscience pricked when I had to cook just for the two of us. I offered to cook for the whole team and I relished the look on their satiated faces.....They turned out to be my guinea pigs ,who readily obliged to every experiment that eventually was tested on their palates.

One evening I planned to make semia vegetable upma. Semia is a vermicelli or wheat noodles which I carried along with me from India. I cut all the vegetables, all set to cook : poured boiled water on my semia....I just needed to strain it , so that they don't stick to each other; and then season it with mustard seeds, jeera (cumin seeds), turmeric powder, green chillies and curry leaves, and blend it with the stir fried vegetables."Trrrng....Trnnnnn.g......rang the telephone...............................................................

......................after the long chat over the phone I completely forgot about the soaked vermicelli, which had now turned into a paste. Now what will I cook for dinner? I need to satisfy seven tummies..I could not afford to throw this over cooked vermicelli .... but feeding them this gruel would be definitely cruel and sacrilegious on my part. We could hardly get any Indian stuff in the remote country side we stayed...and each and every bit of groceries we carried along with us was of utmost value. “Annam Parabrahmasvaroopam”, goes a saying in Sanskrit, meaning food is God .I had been a fussy eater as a child giving infinite tensions to my mother....But here, in a land far away from home I realized the divinity in food.

So what do I do with the over soaked paste......Eureka!!!!!!A bulb sparked somewhere in my cerebellum and off I went surfing my cupboards for stocked up flours.....There was the wheat flour, semolina, all purpose flour and the rice flour.....I blended all these in equal proportions adding the overcooked semia and water to make a batter. I now opened by spice box(my mother gifted me !!!), adding a dash of pepper, turmeric,coriander powder and yes.. also an extra dash of that magical spice , love .....I stir fried the vegetables and seasoned it and added this to my batter making it look more appealing and colorful.

That night we had a sumptuous dinner, with vegetable vermicelli dosas and hot and spicy sambar. I was overjoyed to find that my friends shared an increased appetite that day. I experienced the joy of serving , the joy of giving......

When I met our team in Japan they were mere strangers to me..... but in no time we were sharing a roof and our food ... and here away from home I still had a family... I felt great. Yes ....magic spice works wonders!!!........

My first job in Japan!!!

2007-05-22T12:17:00.000-07:00

As I was reclining on my rocking chair today, just trying to relax ,my thoughts flashed back to seven years , and I could definitely feel my lips twitch into a wide smile !!!.Just recollecting those memories made me feel like grabbing those precious moments, those moments,I surely don`t want to let go.Then why not let those experiences live again,why not unlock them and put them down here.

I have been fortunate to visit and stay in various countries, where I could get a first hand knowledge of the various cultures, traditions,customs and different people.I traveled to the land of the rising sun,Japan, along with my husband and stayed there for an year.Then after a short stay in India, I could stay in Taiwan for yet another year.My next stop was at South Africa,where I again spent a couple of months.Back in India,I planned to settle down with my family.But as always, man proposes and God disposes.Providence had it that I again pack my bags (which were now exceeding limits as we were not two anymore, we were four!!!).We flew to Detroit, and we are here now ,I know not for how long.The most important lesson these travels have taught me is to live the moment.I have also realized that it is best to travel light.Light , not only in terms of bags and baggage... but also in terms of your very own self.In our journey of life , the lesser the baggage of troubles , grievances and past unhappy episodes we carry, the more comfortable and enjoyable the journey becomes!!!

When we first boarded the plane for Japan,I was filled with all excitement and thrill, not only regarding visiting a new country but also about flying for the very first time.To crown it all ,this was also a honeymoon trip for me as we were newly weds, slowly getting to know each other (this is a rare privilege only arranged marriages can offer). I received Japan with all the wonder and awe of an infant.... for the people and the language they spoke, was very new to me.All of them looked so similar,so brisk ,so formal....I wondered if I could ever get to know them. After my first few days in Japan, my fascination and enthusiasm slowly started to drain....the dark clouds of loneliness and homesickness had dawned on me.I felt stuck , unable to decide what to do next.....My husband was loving and caring ; but I knew for sure that I needed to explore....But where do I start....I was in an unknown place, surrounded by unknown people... i found it impossible even to get a glance from any of them.How will I survive !!! But yes..... I could hear it very clearly ringing in my ears...in my state of utter helplessness, I heard my inner voice speak to me .Something was awaiting me....

That very day I went out of our apartment and headed towards a library which was situated in an adjacent building.I found that it was mainly having Japanese books , though a section was dedicated to English, which had very few books to match my taste.On the notice board I spotted an advertisement......"If you are interested to talk to Japanese women in English, please contact, Tomito San."I jotted down the number and as soon as I got home I spoke over the phone to Mr. Tomito.He was speaking to me in broken English, but seemed to be very amiable.He asked me whether I was interested in teaching English.I told that I was interested , but I didnt follow Japanese.He assured me that my prospective students could follow English and that wouldn`t be a hurdle.I was ready to give it a try.Tomito San(San was used instead of Mr. and while addressing kids one was supposed to use chan.), agreed to pick me up at my apartment at five in the evening.Though I put up a brave face,I did feel the butterflies in my stomach....I was going to an unknown place with a total stranger.Tomito San came at the said time and took me to his home where his wife was waiting for us. Slowly I started feeling better.They lead me to their language school which was attached to their house...there I found a few doll like faces about ten years of age, seated with their parents.There was a black board and a huge world map, with special markers around India, and around Kerala, where I hail from. Tomito San had already done a research about India and started delivering his well prepared speech. I was seated like a guest of honour. In my stomach it was no more butterflies but fire..... What was I supposed to do? I was totally unprepared...... was I supposed to deliver a speech?
Tomito San wound up his speech and looked in my direction .....what did this mean?... I had not heard a word of what he said...moreover it was all in Japanese...

Now it was my turn to speak.... All the faces were intendly staring at me.....I needed to speak very slowly gathering my thoughts clearly and carefully.I was supposed to start my class right away ,and the parents will assess my caliber as a teacher.This was much more difficult than appearing for my post graduate viva.

I introduced myself and then went on to ask the names of my new students.I posed a question at them.,

"What is your name?"They seemed blank.
I spoke now with more affirmation and also started using my hands and facial expressions.I repeated my name and once again asked their names... No answer still...
Was I FAILING?....What to do next?

......Suddenly I remembered a rhyme I used to sing in my kindergarten...

"If you`re happy and you know it clap your hands..."
I might have looked like a fool singing and clapping my hands all of a sudden... but it clicked. All of them started clapping hands and I could see the parents bowing their heads every now and then. Whom should I thank now ....may be my kindergarten teacher who taught me this rhyme!!!
After the singing and clapping all of them got up and like the dolls who start talking with the turn of a key, I could hear them say " Arigatogosaimata!!!"(thank you) with a long bow. I too bowed down though I was unsure of the degree of curvature, meant for a Sensei(meaning teacher). As we were about to leave I was handed an envelope, which I again received with yet another bow. I was eager to know what lay inside ... I hurried home and found 2000 yen , Yes I was appointed teacher to an English language school..... and that was my first salary in Japan.