Deepavali 2012

Deepavali..the festival of lights!!

I do remember writing essays in English, Telugu and Hindi on the festival Diwali when I was in school J

Writing this blog post makes me wistful about those school days!!

As a kid, Diwali was my favorite time of the year. I remember bringing in the crackers and fireworks ten days before the festival and allowing them to dry under the sun. J Till my Childhood I use to wait for this day for just to burst the crackers, rockets, sprinkles and caps gun, But I started celebrating when I really understood the meaning of this festival.

This year, I have celebrated with Mom, Chaitu, Swat and Rams.. Swat and I cooked some special dishes and yeah they turned out quite yummy!! Shahanshah has come down for lunch at my place.

And in the afternoon Swat, Rams and I started making rangolis and decorated them with colors. And then we started arranging wicks in the diyas, putting in the oil and arranging them in plates.

We got ready for the evening pooja and Swat has cooked some nice prasad under the extreme guidance of momci J yayyy..it was really toothsome that Chaitu has gobbled major share. ;)

And then we started lighting up all the diyas and placing them all around the house. Though we want to have an eco-friendly Diwali, we have burnt some crackers on sheer insistence of momci that we should do it at least as a tradition.

We clicked some pictures too and here they are…

On the whole it was a good day!! Had a quality time with cousins and mom J

Veggie Pasta

For all who has asked me for the recipe..here it is :)

Pasta – 1 Pack, I used Penne

Onion – 1 large

Garlic – 6 cloves

Carrots – 2

Green Bell Pepper – 2

Baby corn-3 to 4

Spring onion- 4 to 5

Olive Oil – 6 tbsp

Water – 3 cups

Oregano – 2 splashes, optional

Chilly Falkes-1 Splash, optional

Sugar, optional

Basil Pesto Sauce – 1/2 cup

Salt – 1 tbsp

Finely chop the onions and chop all other vegetables into chunks.

Boil pasta in plenty of salted water, till al dente. If you are not using the pasta immediately, wash it in cold water and set aside.

In a large wok, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and fry on medium high heat till they turn golden brown – about 5 minutes. Add a dash of sugar. Make sure you take the time to caramelize the onions; they add a nice sweetness to the dish.

When the onions are well browned, add the garlic and sauté 1 minute. Then add all chopped vegetables. Sauté on medium high for 7 minutes. Then add salt, oregano and chilly flakes. Add the basil pesto sauce and sauté it for few minutes.

Let the vegetables and the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in chopped spring onions.

To serve, spoon some olive oil over the pasta and garnish with basil.

Should I learn to say YES!!??

A close friend of mine ‘T’ has advised me to learn how to say YES!! He says “I’m more of a No person and mastered in saying No.”    

    

I don’t think people who are close to me perceive me the same way as I project myself.

I think it would be with everyone... we find ourselves questioning our yeses and nos? We find ourselves saying yes when we mean no and vice versa..!!

Yes is one of the most life-changing words we can speak out in our life.

Yes - It is so; as you say or ask. To give an affirmative reply to something is pretty difficult for a fickle mind like mine.

To me yes is used to express great satisfaction, approval, or happiness. Yet we utter yes when there is none of these too.

Think about the significant moments in life when we say yes. Perhaps to a work, a partnership, a marriage proposal, an idea terrible enough to toil, or a burning desire so hot we’re on fire with passion to choose a path different from the ordinary. The change that follows a yes can be staggering, to say the least.

Yet saying No has got its own benefits…and Of course, we must say No to some things. To so many questions, it’s the only answer. And we must speak it. Saying No is often borne out of self-protection.  After having said Yes too many times, we eventually learn to say No.

But saying yes again after saying no for so long, ah, that’s where the magic lies.  Yes can instill hope within the hopeless.  Yes can provide safe haven to the hopeless.  Yes can stir the inner strength within a moment of weakness.  Yes can bring the goods.  Yes can break a bad convention.

I asked ‘T’ to help me out in making a list of the things to which I should say only yes...he snorted and said, “ get a life…How can I say that for you!!”

But, it’s really obvious, right? No is just the opposite of Yes, hence, whatever value the word Yes has, the same value should be given to the word No.

After mastering saying no to the demands, the requests, the obligations that often seem urgent but rarely are, I’ve begun to take back the feeling (perhaps an illusion?) of control over my time.  And so am waiting for the time to come to say yes again.  And I’ll learn and it should make me feel right.

So, ‘T’ I will make it myself… Here’s a roll of question that I’ve found for myself, before I declare a yes:

What am I saying no to? Often, when we say yes to one thing, we tacitly say no to another. Yes to a startup means no to plentiful leisure time. Yes to trust means no to doubt. I considerably say No when I am less certain with things. I prefer saying No when I feel, saying Yes would make me regret.

What am I saying yes to? Sometimes, we mistakenly say yes to a false notion of a dreamy dream instead of a real reality.  It’s critical to know what I’m signing up for.  Is it real or just some romanticized conception in my head?  If it’s real, them I’m in.

How much don’t I know? Well, the answer to this will always be a lot.  The questions will always be in the foreground as well as in the background, but asking this question prompts me to think whether the I don’t knows bear a considerable weight.  If I’m really compelled to say yes, then the unknown is acceptable.

Why am I saying yes? The easy answer to this, I hope, is because I want to.

Yes.  A vow made true.

Yes.  To life.

Is there any other word that gets the heart beating faster?

life with limits

Everything from a ketchup bottle to the love of your life comes with an expiry date…. and the things that do not, come with a lot of “*conditions apply” like an insurance policy and you will never really understand those conditions but you think, how hard can it be? And once you’ve bought the policy, then the severity of the conditions hits you from the directions you least expect to!

In any kind of relationship, we cannot expect anything unlimited and more importantly, should not give anything unlimited because just like the unlimited resources that earth gives us are being exploited, our unlimited love and care will also be exploited without bounds, and there won’t be any star marks there.

Now that we know there are limits, the next important thing to do is, TEST those limits! how far can you go for that person and also, how far that person can go for u and always alter your limits to the limits of the other person.

There is a limit to the amount of love, care, attention, respect and everything else that you give to a loved one and that limit is the amount that they give you in return. Never give anything extra because the things given without asking do not have any appreciation

It’s a known fact that in a relationship, the power always lies with the person who cares less. I’m not asking you to care less and keep the power. All I’m saying is to care the exact same amount as the other person does and to not give the power to them. Because nearly everybody can stand adversity, but if you want to test a person’s character, give them power. There is not a person in the world who hasn’t abused power. Never ever give even an ounce of power over you to another person.

Draw boundaries, limit yourself…..be self sufficient, always appreciate the love that comes your way, don’t give too much importance to the love that you are expecting from others and love yourself so much that when that expected love is not coming your way…you still have enough love left for yourself….after all love is the elixir that is keeping us all alive.

Random thoughts...

It's surprising how the mind works. At times I don't even realize the kind of stories it creates without my permission and control. The stories are hopeful and shattering at the same time, but they are stories, created when mind is idle, or when it's too occupied to even think or make sense. Still it manages to create them, almost mechanically.

Don't try to find any logic in whatever I have written. It's one of those blabbering moods. I want to talk a lot right now, but I don't know exactly where to start and what to talk about. There is a lot to say and nothing to express. Or maybe it's the other way round.

Love is never logical..Feelings aren't logical..We don't even realize sometimes what someone means to us..You realize the effect that person has on you when a single thought nudge you ... Again and again. Whenever you read it..It's strange, impractical, unreal, almost impossible; still existent.

After the initial excitement, everything seems to lose its charm suddenly. You do something new in your life and you are excited about it for a while. But then after sometime the same thing looks boring to you and you crave for a change.

You meet someone, sparks fly and you conclude you are in love. After being in the rapport for some time you suddenly realize that the association lacks the charm it had initially. The spark is gone and it now becomes a burden for you to carry around. It is said that, "Change is the only thing constant in life", but does this hold true even for relationships? And if it is so, then why do we say Love is forever?

A friend of mine gives a lecture whenever we discuss about our lives. He says, "If we are scared of changing we are scared of living. Change is perhaps the eternal truth of our lives. Everything changes. We change, with age the way we look changes, our tastes change, our thoughts and beliefs change, with various inventions and discoveries the world around us has changes."

He adds, the best part is despite all these changes we smile when we look at them reminiscing about the good old times comparing the new with them mentally.

Then why in relationships when people change we change our feelings towards them. Why don’t we accept their change also with a smile? Why do we conclude they have changed beyond recognition and walk away from them with a feeling of hatred? Why don’t we think for a moment are we still the same??

Blog makeover :)

I love change and I rarely do the same thing over and over.  So a blog makeover was inevitable.

So how’s the new look?

My culinary skills

Being a food fanatic, cooking is right there in line with my love of food. So brushing up on culinary skills is never a bad idea.

Since I was little, I was always in the kitchen with my mom. I constantly wanted to learn and experiment with different flavours. I love cooking and I always try to make food for people, but trust me, my creations were always the most tasty. I’ll always be on cloud 9 when someone says that my dish is yum..!!I love seeing people’s reaction to my food. And ya..I get most of the compliments from my colleagues..Honey Bunch!!Love you all for that ;)

And for you all, who has asked out my biscuit cake recipe..here it is....Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

Method:

1. Boil the milk by adding both coco powder& sugar and keep stirring.
2. Mix cornflour in a small bowl of milk without any lumps and add to the boilng mixture.
3. Now the mixture will get a saucy texture. Turn off the flame and allow it cool.
4. Now take a platter or a dish of your choice and start arranging the biscuits as shown in the picture.
5. You can also dip the biscuit in some milk,so that the biscuit gets a little tender and can be easy while cutting. 
6. And then spread out the mixture on the biscuits and top it with some nuts.
7. Make similar number of layers of your choice and finish it off.
8. Freeze it for 4 hrs and then ready to munch on the yummy cake.       

Pictures step by step:

And I write coz I want to write

You know what's funny? For the past couple of days, I've been doing strange stuff. I'd open the blogger home page, click on 'new post' for WMD (Where Music Dwells aka this blog) and then stare at the compose box. I knew I had things to write and the thoughts were there in my head but all jumbled and the words refused to come out in a logical string.

I gave up after doing this for the 6th time yesterday, thinking I'll come back when I have something to write about.

Writing is an addiction. A good one that is.  And when you have a personal blog where you write your thoughts, your opinions and everything that going on in your mind. You ain't scared of being judged, for your friends already know you and readers don't really get what you are trying to say.

There are times when you are low and you write. There are times when you are too happy and share that with the whole world. There are times when you are lonely and writing becomes your companion. And there are times when you don't have any reason to write, yet you do.

These entries stay here as a reminder. Of my thoughts and my mood. My highs and my lows. They remind me of things I do and the way I am. Some came along while some left behind. The thing that made me happy yesterday, made me very sad today. How strange life was back then. How difficult it seemed then. And now when I look at the same life from this point, it seems less difficult, rather not difficult at all compared to the current life.

And every time I think I have written a lousy post. And after few days, the same post seems so awesome. Every time. The current time is difficult and bad, the same time from future seems easy. Isn't it all in our minds? And I digress again from the main topic. Wait, what was it? Ah, no not really digressing.

Powerless

Do you find it hard to resist chocolate cake, even though you’re on a diet? Do you end up buying too many clothes, even though you’ve made a careful budget? Did you accidentally catch someone’s eye on your way to work this morning? And, if they smiled at you, did you find yourself automatically smiling back?

I find it really difficult to stick with my goals at times.

But when you’re attempting change in your life, we often need to forsake some short-term pleasures for the sake of happiness over the longer-term.

The various things that appeal to me in the moment – like eating chocolate, buying some new clothes, talking to a friend, watching TV – are all ones that will bring me some immediate gratification.

My long-term goals are more important to me. In fact, they’ll probably bring me much more happiness over time. But I really find it very difficult to find a way to balance that future happiness with my moment-by-moment impulses.

But these short term happiness are really that bad?? I don’t feel so.

I think the reasons why I struggle to stay committed to big goals is because they seem so far off to me.

Arghhhh….. It’s hard to resist something right there in front of you!!!

Help me out!! Do you have any tips or ideas for balancing short-term and long-term happiness?

life goes on

I’m now in a phase of a time in which, a face flashes in my mind whenever I am happy or sad. The same face flashes every time I go to sleep at night. That is the face that come to my mind as soon as I wake up. That is the face that brings ample smiles on my face. That face makes me feel good. Feel wanted and special. Perhaps this can last only for a while or may be nothing can be changed much. Nothing apart from the face.

Yes, anything and anyone is replaceable.

And in all honestly it’s not tough. Some things and people are meant to be forgotten. But again its not easy to forget until it’s been replaced. Maybe it can be done otherwise but this is how it works for me. New and improved is always better they say. No pun intended.

When I wanted a new phone, it did not take me five minutes to dump the old and change my sim card into it. Yeah I mourned for the old one for a few days and now that's the last thing on my mind. Or be it my white favourite earrings, my favourite wallet. It happens, life moves on.

No, I'm not comparing people to materials here. But if you look at it that way, you realize that it is not entirely wrong. People come, people go. That's life. It’s a pity I did not see it this way earlier. No matter what, you need to live. With whatever you have. It is not the same I agree, but in some time it will be. So I'm not complaining. People can be replaced too.

Provided you want to do that.

Happy Birthday to Me!!

Yet another Birthday. I just added another year to my life.

 I am chronologically a year older and this was very hard to digest…another meaningless milestone in the journey of life but I don’t feel very different, don’t think I look any different either. But the fact of life is that I am yet another year older!!

For a girl like me who feels fifteen (and is sure that she will feel the same when she is 80) it did not come as the best of news. ;) Arghhhh..life is bizarre.

Birthdays are special days and they are very very exciting till the time you reach your twenties and then the excitement of yet another birthday gradually tappers down.

Anyways…no matter how old you grow. Birthdays are always special days. They are the days when you are officially the king/queen and everyone makes you feel special.

So yesterday was my day and I had a nice time  and then of course the best part of the day was receiving all the wishes from long lost friends and family.

Thank you everyone who Met …Called….SMSed….Pinged… Facebooked and wished me. You people (in that order of effectiveness!) totally made my day.

And for all those of who missed wishing me yesterday….worry not…..you can still do that….. Belated wishes are valid for the next 364 days!!

HaPpY bIrThDaY tO mE!!!

   This is the picture when I was three years old. Am in bob cut :) and the other gal is my sister.

This is the picture when I was two..Mom used to say me that I was very afraid to get a photograph that day                                               and I just can't seem to get my head around it.Bahahahaah :)

Love you Amma.perhaps I am one year old by then.

So called intense emotion~~L.O.V.E

What makes us fall for that person? (Or in some cases those PEOPLE...)

Why do we love someone very completely?

Do we really love or is it a state of emotion so intense that one is carried beyond rational thought and self-control?

Do we fall in love using heart or brain? (I always do have a perplexity about this mind and heart)

So if love is in the brain and not the heart, is there ‘love at first sight’ after all? But how can one fall in love with someone they’ve never even exchanged words with?

Does it happens only once Or can it happen twice?

Arghhhh…..So many questions…okay let me stop by this single one…J

Does love really exists?    

      

Was talking to my colleagues at office yesterday and taking out their opinion on love. Few of them are married and few are single. Few had a love marriage and few had an arranged marriage!!

They all came up with different answers…love is care, love is about feeling special about the person, love is a thing that can help us  be together, love can be hurtful, love is freedom, love is magic, love is fun , love is divine, love is ecstasy, love is jealous and so on…

And in a random conversation with one of my friends, said love can be ego!!!!

I always wonder, why people fall for the simple things about them like their smell, their smile, their innocence, their child like attitude or even the way the walk can send our heart into flutters. Why is it that it sneaks up on you and hits you with the force of a train going at 120mph?

We don’t choose to love, certainly not. Just  another one of those things affected by those around us.

Why is it a lot of people fall in love when the people we meet are so random, so really you could fall in love with anyone? Anyone know, what is it that makes us chase after someone? Is it a chemical thing or physical or a mix?

All these feelings and I stop to wonder, why?

                                                                                                       
If anyone can shed any light on it, I know this question isn’t very clear at all, but just any ideas of what makes us fall for someone. Is it that we are attracted to people that remind us of our parents (those who nurtured us?) or those of a similar race or with a certain temperament, smell, voice, size…???ANYTHING at all, if you know anything I would be extremely interested also why we have no control over it, why we continue to love even when it is unrequited and puts everyone in such pain?

Seems like an never-ending quest to define this unexplainable idea — this elusive thought — we try so hard to give words to the feelings…but why do I want to blog something indefinable? why do I want to know what love is all about?  Another why??

Mere words...

Words have magic. Words have feelings. They can breathe. They have a heart that beats. You can hear them breathing if you listen to them carefully. You can feel them casting their spell on you. You can't help but fall in love with this magic. There is an invisible cord that pulls you closer each time you here and feel them.

What do you want from words?

To tickle your mind?

Soothe your soul?

Advise? Inform?

Maybe you want to spark someone to action.

It's all about words at the end.Words written by you in your mind define you. Each time you write a line, you change. And your words accept you. It's a power to create this world in your mind. It's a power to create such thoughts. And this power is addictive. It takes you everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

And this power is beautiful…

Whyyyyyyyy???????

Was discussing with one of my colleagues at office today about the ‘why’ ones like...

Why is it morning in the morning and night in the night?

Why c in cat is spelled like k?

Why am I looking hefty?

Why are the selectors of Indian Idol so very rude?

Why I got married so early?

Why do stars twinkle?

Why do flutes have holes?

Why do I think 7.30am is an acceptable time for the day to start?

Why do I feel that sometimes time stands still, but yet time flies, too?

Why is it that my tummy can be full after three mouthfuls of rice, but it seems to have unlimited capacity for the junk food and ice cream?

….and the list went on but just don’t find the answers J 
Perhaps I just poured out my heart with the things I can’t say J J

So what would be top of the list of your ‘Why?’ ones!

Mixed Thoughts

Sometimes, so many thoughts are running through your mind that you don't know where to begin from. Whether to blog, or save in drafts, write a diary, share with a friend, ponder, forget, cry, run away, accept, embrace, give up, fight back or simply ignore them. No matter how hard you try, they haunt you always. Our mind is that way.

Life is weird. Things you are sad about right now will make you laugh at them tomorrow. Things you are happy about will soon seem as if they never existed.

Talking of mind, what do you think would be our mind? Heart is an organ, but mind? Where is it? Does it have a form? How come it controls us so much? How can it be an integral part of us and still remain non-existence in being?

Ah, too much of philosophy can kill me you know!! J

Yes, the thought storm is at its peak at the moment. I don't say that I am sad or happy right now. I am just in a different mood... You want everything to stand still, but nothing does. You are stuck and trapped. Everything is moving but you. That is the worst feeling to have when you cannot afford to slow down in life. Nothing interests you, not even work you are in love with, to an extent that even your survival does not matter after some point.

But again, it's life. And it goes on. Today we are crying about something, tomorrow we may not even remember it, for it may not really matter to us then. Or maybe we find better things. Or maybe we just remain stuck there in the same emotions even tomorrow.

There is a turmoil in my heart. Or is it there in the mind? Or it's not there at all? Can an illusion create such an impact too by lurking around, making sure that you actually believe it to be true? Illusion is such an easy way out from this. But if only, you could call it an illusion...

Ah, life is weird! What do you say??

Inspiration

If I hadn’t been inspired by quotes, movies, music, books, people, art and more, I might not be the same person I am today.

Inspiration is a funny thing isn’t it? We feel powerful, happy, even on cloud 9 when we’re inspired by something and when we set goals for ourselves that are just out of our reach – at least that’s how I feel when a wave of inspiration hits.

But how do we find it?

Inspiration and the feeling of being inspired is what push us to do great things. I have my  own places, people, art or books that makes me to drop everything and do something incredible or wish to be something even better.

Some of my favorite sources are: music- be it listening and singing, reading, green fields, travelling, going for a quiet walk, volunteering, cooking and of course tasting new culinary creations too, long & deep chats with lots of laughter (not necessarily in that order). Lately, I’ve been inspired by the people who follow their dreams and do what makes them happy – even if it might not be the conventional path.

Sometimes, I find myself inspired by everything around me. Inspiration can be that little nudge we need to turn a thought into an action.

What inspires you? Chime in with your thoughts, ideas, books, movies, blogs…you name it!

A Traffic 'jam' tale...

I wonder why many ineligible persons insist on VIP clearances every time they are on the road. Some of us may actually be in a hurry to reach the airport, hospitals or offices but they do not compromise on anything less than the full fledged VIP status even if they are on their way to attend birthday parties.

Traffic jams try our patience, waste our time and worsen the quality of our air. It bores and frustrates me.

Traffic congestion could be every Hyderabadi's biggest woe, but today morning it hit a crescendo when YS Jaganmohan Reddy went around for CBI investigation..

Today, the road I take to office was blocked and the traffic was diverted the other way. It will take me less than 10 minutes to reach my office from my house everyday...But today I spent more than half an hour on the traffic jam to reach office.

The fact that time is precious for all is never reckoned.

I just detest this!!

Practice makes perfect

My music teacher talks too much!! J I don’t think it’s their intent as teachers to talk so much. But I sit passively listening to him, but yet times he says some good. Phew!!

Most of the things he says is Practice, Practice, Practice, Practice and Practice...Yeah practice makes perfect he says. I'm repeatedly told that the more you practice, the better you get at something...which is very true… It sounds simple, even obvious, but it’s something most of us avoid or maybe I avoid!!

He says practice is the best way by which one can achieve perfection. The last day he went further and said, if you’re not practicing deliberately (the important thing is not just practice but deliberate practice, he saysJ) — whether it’s a foreign language, a musical instrument, a vocal music or any other new skill — you should not take them up at all. I was astonished. But yeah he is one hundred percent true.

He makes it clear that a dutiful daily commitment to practice is not enough. Long hours of practice are not enough. And noodling (to improvise music on my instrument) around on the Violin or idly taking some swings with your singing is definitely not enough. “Deliberate practice,” The teacher declares sternly, “requires effort and is not inherently enjoyable.”

Seems a big lecture, Isn’t it? Even I felt the same when he was saying; he didn’t pause for an hour and continued saying me these things yesterday!! But when I went home and hark back, every word of him sounded like a manthra and may be that made me to write this post.

Change- Inevitable!!

As days passes on many people begin to reminisce on what has happened over the past days. I am no different and recently have gotten into multiple conversations about how days used to be and how they are now!!

It seems a bit funny that how we tend to enjoy clinging onto the past. But why do we look back with such fondness?  Is it that the present and perceived future won’t be bringing the same kind of fun and happiness?  Is it because we romanticize what has happened, so we remember primarily the good things?

I feel it both ways; it can be taken as a good trait and can be destructive as we try to mould our future to match those apparent past happiness.

But how about the not so good (bad) things happened? Will they help us to be constructive in the future? If you ask me I would say a ‘Yes’. After all it is said that “Failures are the stepping stones to success.”  And we shouldn’t leave no stone unturned. J

There is nothing permanent in this world except change. Change is the only thing that remains true...

When we ponder on what we have right now...be it is sorrow or happiness...when we think on it...This too shall pass. Think of all the moments of joy and victory we had in our life. Think of that moment of sorrow and defeat we may have faced. Are they permanent? no the moment has gone and we are healed. They all come and pass away. Life just passes away...

Life comes and goes. Sorrow was here and gone... Happiness will come and may go...

The great thing about life is that it goes on – so that eventually what brings us to our knees now might get us to our feet tomorrow; because with every minute that goes by – life is happening whether you consent or not.

Regardless of what happens, life goes on – and so do I.Live in the now, and aim high, dream big, and allow the future just unfold…

Influential??!!

Ever since I catch out people, they have thought differently, acted differently, and fared differently from each other. There is a question which haunts me time after time, why people are multifaceted (multi aspects) why some people are smarter or more moral, why some people are unfair or very insane – and whether there was something that made them permanently different.

I suppose people around can really influence our thoughts, it can be both positive and negative effect on our lives. Not only people but our televisions, newspapers and in fact some meager poster. We all like specific clothes, foods and drinks, we all have strong opinions on subjects like education or the economy but do we really understand how much of our opinions, tastes, and behaviors are our own and how many of them are simply influence by others?

But how can we be deceived very easily??

We get influenced almost every day and to a certain extent we are unable to resist it but at the same time it can change our behaviors, it will only be long lasting once we make it as an integral part of our attitudes or beliefs .There is hope to all of us as long as we keep paying attention and questioning our motives!

Am I making any sense!!! Wondering, why am I swaggering out like this??!!! Yeah, something has been really striking me out. Let me figure out in the coming post. ;)

Back to school :)

I loved school!! School days are one of the best periods of life when one does not have any tension of salary, expenses and blah, blah of adult life. It's simple: go to school, play, study and then play again. Oh yes, no one forgets their teachers, their scolding and exams. But then you get so many friends for whole life. And these friends were not chosen on basis of status, class or any other social criteria but on pure innocence of kids and may be destiny. Most of us think during childhood that once we will be out of school, we'll be so happy, but it’s the other way round. It's only later that we realize the value of those innocent years.

When I was talking to my colleagues this afternoon, everyone has their own special memories and it’s been many years from now and they are still cherished in a special way. School days are really awesome!! I feel, at any age, school memories will be there, hidden in a corner of our mind! I have noticed the happy faces of my colleagues and friends when they talk about their school days...their whole faces lighten up and voices raise!!!

School was the first place where I made friends. We shared many moments together and at the age of 15 we all moved in our own ways.Even as many of us have gone our own way, those friendships at school were my first and will never be forgotten. As I think back to those who have helped shape us, it has to be our parents and teachers who probably have the biggest influence in shaping my character.

I didn't study in the same school throughout...did my primary school in Bharathi Vidya Nilayam and my high school at National Public school. My primary school is a bit of religious type where we used to have our morning and evening prayers everyday and they used to be very long which lasted for an hour or so. We had prayers in a huge hall, special prayers in a small temple inside the school where Krishna Jayanthi, Ganesh Chaturti etc. were celebrated with special songs (I was always there in the music team!).and may be this is the place where I learnt about spirituality.

 And my high school is entirely different from my primary one, we knew nothing except studies. We didn’t even had a play ground .We never had a music class, a PT period or a craft period L .The class rooms were quite big. I remember the class strength as 33 - 35 (I can imagine the classroom board - date, the strength and no. of pupil present were written on the top right side corner!). I was an above average student every time. But used to be in the good books of teachers. One day or the other we used to have a surprise slip tests, surprise inspections, etc...And punishments for coming late, for being absent, for not putting up the books properly, for not securing good marks and what not!! J These all seems funny when I recollect now. Suddenly, memories came alive.

Despite my minor irritation I was reminded of how much I loved my back-to-school shopping experiences. On the final day of classes, I loved receiving the school supply list for the next grade. But being young at home, I never had a chance of getting new text books. L. I used to get those from my sister and cousins.

At the end of the summer, I looked forward to my mom taking me to the store. I would eagerly look at the school supply list and think about what my mom would buy me. Each year, I had an idea of what backpack I wanted and what type of pencil case I wanted to use throughout the year. Despite my less-than-satisfactory artistic abilities, I would always have my mom buy me a box of crayons J. From my school days to engineering, my excitement for school and school supply shopping has never waned. JJ

Well, I think I should conclude this part of my school story with this. I hope that when I have children they’ll love school that much and more.:):):) Phew!!

Procrastination :The snitcher!!

Going back over the last few months, okay the last two months I have been very inconsistent on many things.

It’s been a while since I took my music classes. Procrastination is the thief of time. I always keep saying myself that I have enough time; I will do this and that later on. But that time never comes and the things never move. I make lists upon lists of all things I want to do in the near future. But when the future time comes I end up doing something, instead doing what I want to.

And then…I get out with..Oh no!! There is no enough time and well I should start doing it tomorrow now at any cost.

Tomorrow comes. What happens? History repeats itself J what a waste if you ask me.

Brilliant reminders about ‘doing’ rather than ‘thinking of doing’ have been popping up all over for me in the past few days.

I'm taking it as a sign to spread the word. If you were thinking of to take yoga classes or join gym, rather than today, or thinking of waking up early everyday or whatever it might be… perhaps you should re-consider and do it today. I sure am. Hope beyond hope J

There are many ways to avoid success in life, but the most sure-fire way to fail is procrastination. – Simon Preacher

Life as it is...

The first blog post is always the hardest, isn’t it? You start setting out, all excited, and mostly write into this big vacuum.

It looks just yesterday I was out of college and not knowing what to do next with life. Life had been so cruel I thought...Years passed away, yes it's been two years and I am somewhere now..but I still consider that there is something yet to happen and this is not what I wanted. Lot many things ponder in my mind. But my thoughts tend to change frequently often with some apparent or cogent reason.

Well I think I will take some time to write all that I want.