Suji's Blog

Dusk

2009-04-03T03:14:00.000-07:00

“Dusk, is just an illusion, because the sun is either above the horizon or below it. And that means that day and night are linked in a way that few things are; there cannot be one without the other, yet they cannot exist at the same time. How would it feel, I remember wondering to be always together, yet forever apart?”

~ The Notebook

Happy Deepavali

2008-10-29T06:55:00.000-07:00

Shubham karoti kalyaaNam aarogyam dhanasampadaa
Shatrubuddhi vinaashaaya deepajyoti namostute

I salute the light from the lamp, the one that brings auspiciousness, prosperity, good health, abundance of wealth, and the destruction of the intellect’s enemy!

~Vedic Quotation

The Path

2008-08-22T07:04:00.000-07:00

There is no path to Happiness. Happiness is the path. There is no path to Love. Love is the path. There is no path to Peace. Peace is the path.

~Dan Millman

I can't control my destiny, I trust my soul, my only goal is just to be. There's only now, there's only here. Give in to love or live in fear. No other path, no other way. No day but today.

~Johnathan Larson

Reflection

2008-08-04T20:55:00.000-07:00

Clark Quay, Singapore

"We cannot see our reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see."

~Taoist proverb

"The world is a looking-glass, and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face. Frown at it, and it in turn will look sourly at you; laugh at it, and with it, and it is a jolly, kind companion."

~William Thackeray

Water

2008-05-03T07:25:00.000-07:00

The water understands
Civilization well,
It wets my foot, but prettily,
It chills my life, but wittily,
It is not disconcerted,
It is not broken-hearted: Well used, it decketh joy,
Adorneth, doubleth joy:
Ill used, it will destroy,
In perfect time and measure
With a face of golden pleasure
Elegantly destroy.

by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Spring is Here!

2008-03-22T22:23:00.000-07:00

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away As the uncertain harvest;
keep us here All simply in the springing of the year.

~Robert Frost

Daughter of heaven and earth, coy Spring,
With sudden passion languishing,
Teaching barren moors to smile,
Painting pictures mile on mile,
Holds a cup of cowslip wreaths,
Whence a smokeless incense breathes.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Awake, thou wintry earth - Fling off thy sadness! Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth Your ancient gladness!

~Thomas Blackburn, "An Easter Hymn
"

And Spring arose on the garden fair,
Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast
rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.

~Percy Bysshe Shelley, "The Sensitive Plant"

The naked earth is warm with Spring,
And with green grass and bursting trees
Leans to the sun's kiss glorying,
And quivers in the sunny breeze.

~Julian Grenfell

Happy Republic Day

2008-01-24T20:33:00.000-08:00

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow
domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the
dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought
and action--
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

~Rabindranath Tagore

Flock of Angels For Ever in Flight

2007-12-30T20:51:00.000-08:00

All these things have you said of beauty.
Yet in truth you spoke not of her but of needs unsatisfied,
And beauty is not a need but an ecstasy.
It is not a mouth thirsting nor an empty hand stretched forth,
But rather a heart enflamed and a soul enchanted.
It is not the image you would see nor the song you would hear,
But rather an image you see though you close your eyes and a song you hear though you shut your ears.
It is not the sap within the furrowed bark, nor a wing attached to a claw,
But rather a garden for ever in bloom and a flock of angels for ever in flight.
People of Orphalese, beauty is life when life unveils her holy face.
But you are life and you are the veil.
Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror.
But you are eternity and your are the mirror.

~Khalil Gibran

Sunset in Goa

2007-12-05T05:16:00.000-08:00

Twenty years from now you will be more disppointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

~ Mark Twain

The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.

~William Arthur Ward

Its Onam Once Again!!!

2007-08-24T06:43:00.000-07:00

Happy Onam to all the malayalees out there. Ellavarkum nanma nirranja Onashamsakal!

I have been away from blogs and blogging for a long time now. Life has been kind of hectic of late. But all of a sudden my blog started getting an amazing number of hits from people searching for pookalam designs. So I thought I must post something on it. You can check out my previous Onam and pookalam post here & here.

Someone left a comment in my previous Onam post informing me about the online pookalam competition. Check it out at Gamez India. You can actually make pookalam designs online and submit it for the competition. Its fun though nothing can beat the getting the flowers and putting a real one for Onam, still a virtual pookalam is better than no pookalam at all. So all of you who can't have a real pookalam can now have fun with a virtual one. Enjoy!!!

I am posting the pic of one of the pookalams i created on the site. :)

Left Handed Sketches

2007-06-12T21:01:00.000-07:00

Taking up Arvindh's challenge of drawing with my non-dominant left hand, I made these sketches on my tablet pc. Sorry Arvindh, I found this more challenging and fun than taking up the tag. So, what do all of you think?

Spring

2007-04-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the twig was brown and bare;
To-day the glint of green is there;
Tomorrow will be leaflets spare;
I know no thing so wondrous fair,
No miracle so strangely rare.
I wonder what will next be there!

~L.H. Bailey

I Believe in Angels

2007-03-19T06:06:00.000-07:00

I have a dream, a song to sing
To help me cope with anything
If you see the wonder of a fairy tale
You can take the future even if you fail
I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see
I believe in angels
When I know the time is right for me
Ill cross the stream - I have a dream

I have a dream, a fantasy
To help me through reality
And my destination makes it worth the while
Pushing through the darkness still another mile
I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see
I believe in angels
When I know the time is right for me
Ill cross the stream - I have a dream
Ill cross the stream - I have a dream

I have a dream, a song to sing
To help me cope with anything
If you see the wonder of a fairy tale
You can take the future even if you fail
I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see
I believe in angels
When I know the time is right for me
Ill cross the stream - I have a dream
Ill cross the stream - I have a dream

~Lyrics of an ABBA song

Little Blue Flower

2007-02-27T19:13:00.000-08:00

The splendor of the rose and the whitness of the lily do not rob the little violet of it’s scent nor the daisy of its simple charm. If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its lovliness.

~Therese of Lisieux

Real Life

2007-02-24T21:36:00.000-08:00

For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin--real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.

~Alfred D. Souza

The Wild Flower

2007-02-17T19:44:00.000-08:00

As I wandered the forest,
The green leaves among,
I heard a Wild Flower Singing a song.

I slept in the earth
In the silent night,
I murmured my fears
And I felt delight.

In the morning I went
As rosy as morn,
To seek for new joy;
But oh! met with scorn.

~by William Blake

Back from a Break!

2007-02-05T05:56:00.000-08:00

Hello everybody.....whoever is still visiting my blog....lol. Its been a long time. I was away for my brother's wedding and had a lot of fun. :)

Thenmala - India's first planned eco-tourism destination.

First Bloganniversary!

2006-12-17T01:09:00.000-08:00

On this day, exactly one year ago, I started blogging. It has been an eventful one year. I had created a blogger account because I wanted to comment on somebody's blog and it did not allow anonymous comments. I guess I have to thank that person for this journey of one year, though unfortunately now I don't remember whose blog it was that I wanted to comment on. Well, whoever it was....a big thank you.

During the last one year, I have met a lot of friends, who have inspired me, made me laugh, made me think, made me wonder, made me feel happy and sometimes even made me feel sad. They have touched me with their wonderful words, photos, sketches and songs. Thanks to all my blogmates who comment of on my posts and let me know their opinion about my blog. A big thank you for all my blog friends....you have made my life a little more colorful and more interesting. I am not naming anybody, but all you are included in the list.

Life has been very hectic of late, so have not be able to post anything for a long time. Hopefully, will be more regular in future.

"The future is always beginning now"
Mark Strand

The Flower

2006-10-30T06:36:00.000-08:00

Once in a golden hour
I cast to earth a seed.
Up there came a flower,
The people said, a weed.

To and fro they went
Thro' my garden bower,
And muttering discontent
Cursed me and my flower.

Then it grew so tall
It wore a crown of light,
But thieves from o'er the wall
Stole the seed by night.

Sow'd it far and wide
By every town and tower,
Till all the people cried,
"Splendid is the flower!"

Read my little fable:
He that runs may read.
Most can raise the flowers now,
For all have got the seed.

And some are pretty enough,
And some are poor indeed;
And now again the people
Call it but a weed.

by Lord Alfred Tennyson

To Risk

2006-10-25T05:47:00.001-07:00

To laugh is to risk appearing a fool,
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental
To reach out to another is to risk involvement,
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self
To place your ideas and dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss
To love is to risk not being loved in return,
To hope is to risk despair,
To try is to risk to failure.
But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing is nothing.
He may avoid suffering and sorrow,
But he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or live.
Chained by his servitude he is a slave who has forfeited all freedom.
Only a person who risks is free.
The pessimist complains about the wind;
The optimist expects it to change;
And the realist adjusts the sails.

~William Arthur Ward

Bamboo

2006-10-09T03:50:00.001-07:00

The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists.

~Japanese Proverb

Things came before people.

People came before words.

Tall, green, and nameless,

bamboo walked down centuries

and crossed continents

in time to stand there, waiting,

naked of language,

when the first people came

to make the first village.

~Anonymous

I have always been fascinated by bamboo trees. They look so stong, resilient and elegant. Did you know that the bamboo actually belongs to the grass family?

A Wish...

2006-09-29T00:22:00.000-07:00

May you find serenity and tranquility in a world you may not always understand. May the pain you have known and the conflict you have experienced give you the strength to walk through life facing each new situation with courage and optimism. Always know that there are those whose love and understanding will always be there, even when you feel most alone. May you discover enough goodness in others to believe in a world of peace. May a kind word, a reassuring touch, and a warm smile be yours every day of your life, and may you give these gifts as well as receive them. Remember the sunshine when the storm seems unending.

Teach love to those who hate, and let that love embrace you as you go out into the world. May the teachings of those you admire become part of you, so that you may call upon them. Remember, those whose lives you have touched and whose have touched yours are always a part of you, even if the encounters were less than you would have wished. It is the content of the encounter that is more important than the form.

May you not become too concerned with material matters, but instead place immeasurable value on the goodness in your heart. Find time each day to see beauty and love in the world around you. Realize that each person has limitless abilities, but each of us is different in our own way. What you feel you lack in the present may become one of your strengths in the future. May you see your future as one filled with promise and possibility. Learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience. May you find enough inner strength to determine your own worth by yourself, and not be dependent on another's judgment of your accomplishments. May you always feel loved.

~Anonymous

One more Onam

2006-09-11T04:36:00.000-07:00

Had a wonderful Onam in Bangalore. This year's pookalam....

Read more about Onam here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onam

Onam Ponnonam

2006-08-30T06:56:00.000-07:00

Ellavarkum enthe sneham niranja Onashamsakal!!!
May this Onam bring peace, prosperity, health and happiness to everybody.

"Maveli Nadu Vaneedum Kalam
Manusharellarum onnu pole…"

My favourite part of Onam is not the onakodi (new clothes) that we get or the onasadya (feast) but the athapoo or pookalam that I make every year on Thiruonam day. Even though the athapoo is supposed to be put for ten days ,with the city life and our busy schedules it can be managed on only one day.

My dad gets up early and goes and gets the flowers for me. He is such a sweetheart. He buys most of the flowers but if he can manage to get some more variety from the nearby parks he gets them too.

My one fervent and ardent wish is to celebrate Onam in Kerala atleast once in my lifetime. Have never had a chance to do that till now. Hopefully, sometime in the future.

Happy Independence Day

2006-08-14T22:13:00.000-07:00

Where the mind is without fear
and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been
broken up into fragments by
narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from
the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches
its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason
has not lost its way into the dreary
desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is lead forward by thee
into ever-widening thought and action-
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father,
let my country awake."

"GEETANJALI"
-Rabindranath Tagore