Images And Words..

Perspectives

2009-07-11T23:49:00.005+05:30

Street dance performance

Sometimes you need a break, a pause, even just a moment to take a look.. a real close look; past, present and future. It helps to gain that fresh perspective and energy. Because you are the captain of your ship, and no one else can maneuver it for you. Because you dont want to go where they want you to reach. Because you want to go where your heart wants you to be.

Beenie is Back!

2009-07-04T01:53:00.003+05:30

..and so am I, with my pictures!

Stand Out!

2008-10-27T16:20:00.005+05:30

Al Burj, Dubai

Probably the most striking thing about Dubai is that everything is built to challenge limits. Dubai by itself amazes you as a metro bang in the middle of a desert, with plenty of greenery despite the scorching sun. Dubai and UAE do not wield oil-power like most of the other Gulf countries but yet the leaders of Dubai have been able to transform the city to an extent that it inspires awe.

Whether its the worlds tallest buildings (Burj Dubai estimated to reach a height 818 m or the Nakheel Tower estimated to touch 1400 m), the biggest hotels, amazing roads or a fabulous airport, Dubai has made sure it stands out.

But whats most impressive is the fact that it has allowed a multicultural population grow and prosper together in relative harmony and peace, especially in a region torn by turmoil over race and religion. That not only stands out, but it is outstanding.

May our lives be filled with happiness and peace.

Happy Diwali to all of us.

Penta Quotes

2008-09-01T22:31:00.005+05:30

"Blue skies smiling at me..Nothing but blue skies do I see.."
Taken from a plane, just lovedddd the blue..

The sunshine gal, Silverine, has done it again. Tagged me. But this is one tag I loved the moment I read about it. What I need to do is list 5 of my most favorite quotes from books that I have read. Alright, I am not going to quote from my favoritest medical text books and hurl gory details about the intestines and flesh at you.

I knew it will be almost impossible to shortlist 5 quotes if I tried to remember and list all my favorite books. So what I am gonna do is just think of the books that I have read and then list the excerpts as they come into my mind - so this is not really my all time favorites, but the ones that came to my mind now, quite randomly.

1. One of my all time favorites and kind of the stuff that re-initiated me into reading after a long break while I was in med school. When a dear friend read this to me long ago, I was for a moment, dazed. The book and the person remain to be among my favorites.

"You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.
You shall be together when white wings of death scatter your days.
Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.
Love one another but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together, yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow"
The Prophet

2. My second love (among books!) and one of my all time favorites. It had scenes, descriptions, and certain characters that I could relate to and hold close to my heart.

"It hadn't changed, the June Rain. Heaven opened and the water hammered down, reviving the reluctant old well, greenmossing the pigless pigsty, carpet bombing still, tea-colored puddles the way memory bombs still, tea-colored minds. The grass looked wetgreen and pleased. Happy earthworms frolicked purple in the slush. Green nettles nodded. Trees bent.
Further away, in the wind and rain, on the banks of the river, in the sudden thunderdarkness of the day, Estha was walking. He was wearing a crushed-strawberry-pink T-shirt, drenched darker now, and he knew that Rahel had come.
Estha had always been a quiet child, so no one could pinpoint with any degree of accuracy exactly when (the year, if not the month or day) he had stopped talking. Stopped talking altogether, that is. The fact is that there wasn't an "exactly when." It had been a gradual winding down and closing shop. A barely noticeable quietening. As though he had simply run out of conversation and had nothing left to say.
Yet Estha's silence was never awkward. Never intrusive. Never noisy. It wasn't an accusing, protesting silence as much as a sort of estivation, a dormancy, the psychological equivalent of what lungfish do to get themselves through the dry season, except that in Estha's case the dry season looked as though it would last forever. Over time he had acquired the ability to blend into the background of wherever he was--into bookshelves, gardens, curtains, doorways, streets--to appear inanimate, almost invisible to the untrained eye. It usually took strangers awhile to notice him even when they were in the same room with him. It took them even longer to notice that he never spoke. Some never noticed at all. Estha occupied very little space in the world."
The God of Small Things

3, 4 and 5. Stuff that pieces us together and lets us continue with our daily lives with humility, respect, love, and courage.

"The world breaks us all. Afterward, some are stronger at the broken places."
Farewell To Arms

How frequently, in the course of our lives, the evil which in itself we seek most to shun, and which, when we are fallen into, is the most dreadful to us, is oftentimes the very means or door of our deliverance, by which alone we can be raised again from the affliction we are fallen into.
Robinson Crusoe

"Never pass up new experiences, Scarlett. They enrich the mind"
Gone with the Wind

Now here are some random quotes that I remembered, but not sure which books or if at all they are from any books.

'You laugh at me because I'm different, I laugh at you because you're all the same'
One of my all time favorites! I cant stop smiling every time I think of this. What an idea!!

'The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has limits"
Supposedly told by Einstein. Brilliant, in any case!

Every bad situation will have something positive.Even a stopped clock is correct twice a day.
I am not as positive as that, but something sweet I thought.

Despite the high cost of living, It remains popular.
This is a really funny one. Love it.

I once had a brush with mortality. The brush died.
This is even more hilarious!

Silverine, thank you soooooo much. I enjoyed this thoroughly. I even pulled out some of my favorite books and read through them for a bit.

Now to tag 5 people..I havent been around in blogosphere much these days and so I will leave it open. You are welcome to take it up.

Hair Today, Gone Now

2008-07-20T14:58:00.008+05:30

Wah! How I wish I had hair like that now. Why? Coz right now, I look like my heads been put in the shredder! Thanks to my hair stylist, my 45 hairs are now in a real bad mess! Heres how it all began..

I went to my stylist today to get a trim. Now hes the guy who has been handling my mane since I was 11 years old. My hairs dont trust anyone else any more. And usually, he does a decent job, and I only have to go back and do very little damage control. But today was different.

As I sat on the chair and my usually cheerful stylist picked up the scissors, he handed me an envelope containing his blood reports which he wanted me to see and advise. I looked at it and declared that he has diabetes since his sugar levels were way beyond normal. He was evidently upset, while I advised him to take more care about his diet and how regular exercise was so important in life.

At the end of about 10 minutes, my 45 hairs looked so uneven and messed and used and mistreated.

: (

Moral of the story: Never play with your stylists feelings..atleast until hes done with the cutting.

The TYNKAM Tag

2008-03-29T16:20:00.002+05:30

The Prancing Horse, Paris

Things You Never Knew About Me..Or probably you did..

Well its tag time again. We appear to be in a lull in terms of tags, compared to last year, when we had an extended tag season! So here is a very very old bunch of questions, which were initially a rage on email. So here we go..

1. LAST MOVIE YOU SAW IN A THEATER: Black&White (Hindi) (went for the popcorn, mainly! movie was just okay)

2. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING? Autobiography of a Yogi (been on my reading list for ever, and now on my bedside table!)

3. FAVORITE BOARD GAME? Scrabble..Or "firing" if you meant the other board..

4. FAVORITE MAGAZINE? Hmm..plenty..but Time, Reader's Digest, and Femina (oh yeah..i love reading Femina..lot of sensible stuff in that :))

5. FAVORITE SMELLS? Crisp fresh air, especially after a rain or in the midst of lot of greenery..and also, Jasmine, peppermint, and most other flowers..

6. FAVORITE SOUND? Waves at the beach.. I hope to retire by the beach side some day..

7. WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD? When you feel helpless

8. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU WAKE? Time already!?!?!.. I wish I did not have work..

9. FAVORITE FAST FOOD PLACE? Is there some other kind of food?? Hmm...Barista is my favorite hangout, whether you call it a fastfood joint or not.

10. FUTURE CHILD'S NAME? Still single, so got time to think about this one..

11. FINISH THIS STATEMENT. "IF I HAD A LOT OF MONEY I'D...? slow down and travel more..help more people..and probably start a few schools in India

12. DO YOU DRIVE FAST? At times, but most other times I like to feel and enjoy the pleasure of the drive..

13. DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL? None that I know of..Although earlier I have woken up a lot of times to find my doggy next to me..Good thing was, he never used to wake me up..

14. STORMS-COOL OR SCARY? Cool till it gets scary.

15. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR? I dont have one yet, but if the one my Dad used to have after I was born qualifies..Fiat - Premier Padmini..I think..

16. FAVORITE DRINK? Used to be Orange juice and Coke. Until recently it was coffee. Now I get the feeling its Water.

17. FINISH THIS STATEMENT, "IF I HAD THE TIME I WOULD ..... spend more time with friends, family, travel more, spend more time exploring nature..

18. DO YOU EAT THE STEMS ON BROCCOLI? I hate to admit it..Yes..Not often though..

19. IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY COLOR, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR CHOICE? If it didnt damage my hair (and my career!), then perhaps I would love to experiment (blue always had a special appeal)..But oh..I am losing my hair..At last count there were only 43 hairs left..

20. NAME ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES/TOWNS YOU HAVE LIVED IN. Trivandrum, India; Dubai, UAE; Mangalore, India; Bangalore, India; Clermont Ferrand, France;

21. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? F1, Football, and Basketball.

22. ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU. She's an amazingly strong and positive person., who cares a lot and is so warm..

23. WHAT'S UNDER YOUR BED? Dust I am sure..besides some bills that may have flown under..Hopefully nothing alive..

24. WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE BORN AS YOURSELF AGAIN? Absolutely..

25. MORNING PERSON, OR NIGHT OWL? Night..Total

26. OVER EASY, OR SUNNY SIDE UP? I hate eggs..unless its with some other dish and I dont get the taste of it..

27. FAVORITE PLACE TO RELAX? Hill-top, Beachside, Thick woods, Green grass, Under the stars..Any place natural with lots of solitude and peace..

28. FAVORITE PIE? Sour cream apple.. not a major pie fan

29. FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Chocolate with lotsa almonds and hazelnuts and hot sauce..

30. OF ALL THE PEOPLE YOU TAGGED THIS TO, WHO'S MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND FIRST? Silverine..

And this tag goes to..

Easter's Blossom

2008-03-23T19:41:00.001+05:30

Painting at the Louvre

Where man sees withered leaves,
God sees sweet flowers..
May your soul blossom..

Happy Easter!

The above quote was sent to me by a dear friend.

Refined Aggression

2008-03-20T13:32:00.000+05:30

Sculpture on a bridge over River Seine

Today myself and a very dear friend discussed, probably for the nth time, about how crudely aggressive a lot of people are these days. For some unknown (and quite obviously idiotic) reason they seem to enjoy spreading a sense of harm and fear among people around them. Probably its some animal-like survival technique or a reflection of their own insecurities. Anyway, the point is, aggression carries with it a whole lot of negativity, and in almost all the cases, it is unwanted and unnecessary.

Although I love the concept of "refined aggression", which points to a sense of being spiritedly competitive, in something like sports or at work, I simply fail to understand people who try to conquer and make others submit by sheer force or instilling fear. It shows a total lack of basic human values, and reflects the hollow insides of the person.

On the other extreme, I know people who smile when they scold or argue with others, and even when they get into fights. Now that may be the other extreme and comically insane. But hey, look at the picture above. Its nothing new. And nothing to beat a smile.

Hush Baby

2008-03-20T02:28:00.000+05:30

Painting at the Louvre, Paris

You will always be Baby to me.

The Serenity Prayer - Random Sunday Nonsense Series 7

2008-02-24T00:08:00.000+05:30

Above: The Eiffel Tower

Looking at the Eiffel Tower, something that struck me, beyond the sheer engineering magnificance and show of steel, literally, and all the romance and mysteries attached to it, was the strength it signfied. Something more mental than physical. Like sometimes, I feel I am this big tower which can brave all forces and powers, and I stand tall, unmoved and unfazen by anything.

As a child, I remember sleeping, and then waking up, looking at a small wall frame hung on my wall. On it was a simple prayer called the Serenity Prayer. Its not there any more. But I realize its my favorite prayer, the only prayer that I have enjoyed and probably one that I understood for a change. Initially I thought, oh..what a contradiction.. Serenity versus a Tower. But I feel its the concept of inner serenity that will allow you to believe in yourself and rise above everything else and stand strong as an individual.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right;
If I surrender to His Will;

That I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with Him,
Forever in the next.

Reinhold Niebuhr

Winning Life

2008-02-04T16:00:00.000+05:30

Arc De Triomphe, Concorde, Paris

How do you know if you have lived life well?

Would you call your life a success or a failure? Who decides? And how?

Is it going to be based on the number of people who love you? The number of friends you have? Or is it going to be more on the basis of the wealth you accumulate? But then what do you consider as wealth? Friends? Family? Children? Love? Money? Health?

Is it all not so relative? The person I consider as very successful may be a total failure in someone else's view. The person who walks around with a terminal illness may live life so happily and so carefree that others may be so envious of him. The poor man perhaps lives the most peaceful life, while the richest man may still be disappointed about things. God may have given us everything, but we may still complain about how unfair life has been. There are a million others who are disabled and handicapped, while we complain about the shape of our nose and the hair on our arms. Life, can be a never-ending race..

But then..who wins the race? How do you decide the winner? What makes you call life a triumph?

Construction of the Arc De Triomphe (Arch of Triumph) was ordered by Napolean in 1806 (cant imagine such marvellous structures being created so long ago, but its true!) to celebrate his victories. It was completed in 1836, but by that time Napolean was thrown out and powerless.

When I was a child, I used to try and make deals with God. Looking back it sounds funny, kind of like some loyalty-program..

"God, I will do a lot of good things in life and accumulate lot of points. When I have 100 points, you should give me the power to be super-strong... When I do a lot more good and help a lot of people, and I earn 1000 points, I should be able to fly and see all the world.. But if I used all these powers for my own benefit or needs, I would lose points, and then would have to do more good to replenish the points. (I was reasonable even then! :p). And I help all the needy and stop all the crime in this world, and I will finally earn 100,000 points - thats when I should be able to do anything..ANY thing.."

Soon I realized that if I could do any thing, I would be God.. Now thats not possible.. Or is it? Would God like that? Would I last long enough or would I lose all my points immediately doing the stupid things?

Anyway, God didnt subscribe to my loyalty program..not yet - at least not officially, or maybe he has not told me - and probably I havent accumulated enough points yet! But I know that ultimately the only winning I will have in my life are these points. They may not translate into the power to fly or do ANYthing..but these points are the only thing I will carry when I complete this life.

So I guess it makes sense to do good in life.. That will create a winner. Thats the only real victory.. The end of the race.. Triumph!

Deja Vu - Recurring Moments

2008-01-29T01:56:00.000+05:30

Cold winter grey all around..

They say life comes full circle.

Maybe it does.. maybe it does not. Maybe you dont live that long enough. Or maybe you never realize it. Maybe you dont want to know it did.

But I know moments in life repeat itself. And life makes sure you realize it.. in this very life of yours. I am not talking from the "you learn from your mistakes" perspective. But you do something today to someone else, and then some time later, probably years later, the same thing happens to you.. Deja vu..you first think you have seen this in some movie and now its happening to you. Later you remember, you did the same thing or said the same thing in your life, earlier, to someone else..and now its happening all over again..only this time its happening to you.

It could be good things, or even the not-so-nice things.. but it just goes on in a cycle..Its not a simple "as you sow, so you shall reap". Its a bit more complicated than that. Its more a mental connect and something deeper.

Today its someone else, and tomorrow its you.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-25T15:03:00.000+05:30

Above: Eiffel Tower at night

Above: Eiffel shimmering

Since I couldn't photograph my Christmas tree yet, thought I will gift you the Eiffel :) The above picture is the tower glittering with the 1001 lights, that appear like diamonds, on it which illuminates and flickers for 10 minutes every hour at night.

May all your lives be filled with peace and happiness. If anyone is experiencing rough times, dont worry. Know its just momentary and it will pass.

Merry Christmas to all the bloggers of the world, and special hugs and love to the regulars at Images and Words. Its been a wonderful experience, and I owe it to you!

Realization

2007-12-21T09:52:00.000+05:30

Above picture: Paris by sunset

When I look closely at the mirror, into my eyes, deep within..

I see God.

Its not because I feel mighty or great.. but its because deep within ourselves, is our soul..And God, the supreme power and his energy, is there. I see God when I stare at the blue sky..the endless space..the moon..the shooting stars..the constellations.. even the plants and bees and every thing else.

God seems to be everywhere.. You just have to look.

P.S. Sorry! This couldnt wait until Sunday ;)

A Cell That Wanted To Know More - The Random Sunday Nonsense Series 7

2007-11-12T04:32:00.000+05:30

The Water Bearer at The Louvre

The people closest to me are the people that I gelled with instantly. I knew I liked them the moment I met them, and that they were special at the first meeting (hopefully it was mutual), as though it was all planned and meant-to-be.

So the question now is, is our life programmed and preplanned? Is destiny for real? Are we just living out a course charted out by some power or someone? It could be, if we are part of a larger existence that controls us - like a cell in our body that functions for the sake of our larger self.

One question, then, that really worries me is the purpose of life. Why are we all living? We just wake up every day, do our stuff, go through all those feelings, make people happy or sad, eat, sleep, and continue to do the same thing. And before we begin to wonder why, what, how, cease to exist one day. So what is the meaning of all this? Is not life meant to be more special and precious? Why did they say God created us for a reason?

Seemingly elightened people talk about karma and rebirth. And they say our life is based on karma. And it will take many births before our karmas are fulfilled or cleaned up, and we can go to another level of existence which is pure bliss.

Or maybe we are in this world only briefly, and then we move on to the next. Wonder how that one is gonna be. Will the people that I love be there? Will I be able to blog?

Most of the times, these things go above my head..But at times, somewhere it does make sense. I wonder if our body cells can think. If so, one of them, at least, must be wondering right now what its life is all about.

I really like the picture above..perfect lights.

Cellular Thoughts - The Random Sunday Nonsense Series 6

2007-11-04T13:47:00.000+05:30

Statue at The Louvre, Paris

There is this recurring thought in my head.

We have different types of cells in our body, that function independently, have their own structure, look, work, etc. But these cells collectively form our body and who we are, and we become a person when all these cells function as one.

Similarly, what if we are all cells of a bigger existence? Maybe I am a cell from the little toe, and you are one from the cheek.

Or may be the Earth is just one organ of an even bigger existence, perhaps the right eyeball.

We are the universe, not the world.

Does that make any sense??

No?

I am having a perfect Sunday! Almost..

The Sunshine Tag

2007-09-06T21:28:00.000+05:30

Anything associated with the sun and sunshine is somehow very special to me. And I guess when Silverine titled her tag with plenty of sunshine in it, I knew it had to be special. She has given an awesome description of her summers, and all the good cheers it brought along with it. Took me back to my own childhood...

Here are 8 great memories about my summers:

1. Whenever I think of my childhood, I have these flashes of memory..Kind of real time, where I get transported to the massive garden we had. The house was in a plot that extended almost an acre. And it was filled with greenery; a proper garden in the front half, and more dense thick greenery in the back. Most of my childhood was spent among this greenery, among the dragonflies, squirrels..small life and my own small world.

2. The thought of summer also brings back memories of lying on the green grass and staring at the sky and sun, for hours together.. I remember it so clearly even today. I think thats one of the most beautiful images you can ever have in life. You, green earth, blue sky. Nothing else in between.

3. I used to go fishing right from childhood, whether it was in the city I lived or at my ancestral home, somewhere I would find a fishing pond. And go with my country fishing gear, which just included a hook and a twine - earthworms were picked fresh from the ground : . That used to be one real fun pastime. And I almost became a marine exporter at one point :)

4. If I can remember one fruit to associate with the summer it is an Orange. Orange ice-candies, orange juice, orange when you are happy, orange when you are thirsty, orange when you are having a cold, orange when you get scolded...I love oranges.

5. One of the best summers in my life was the summer that I received one of my best friends, my German Shepherd. He was just over a month when I received him. And we grew up together that summer. I never had another dog after him. He was the best.

6. Summer also meant cousins and friends. All the children got together, usually at a grandparents house - almost as though our parents dumped us and got rid of us for a while. It was a period when you bonded with some of them more closely, finding real friends from among friends..because he or she played with you when others were least interested..or because he or she shared some chocolate with you, or coz he or she swore not to tell who broke the vase. It also meant a lot of "robber and police", "dark room", cricket (indoor version too), football, basketball, pillow fights, and even "cindrella"!

7. For many consecutive years, summer also meant some major holiday plans. At some point summers became a time when folks would also take a break and travel a bit. But at that age, whether it was delhi, kodaikanal, singapore, dubai or thailand, it didnt make a difference to us kids. We had fun.

8. Summers also meant learning something new. I guess its in the summer that I learnt a lot of good and useful things in life. Riding a bicycle, driving a car, earning your own money (even if it was just 50p), washing cars, cleaning the house, camps, realizing the bitter truth that you were not born to become Slash on the guitar or Phil Collins on the drums.. it all happened in summer.

Since its been almost 8 months since this tag was due (apologies to Silverine :), I leave the honor of tagging 8 others to any volunteers.

The French (dis)Connection

2007-07-22T00:54:00.000+05:30

Above: The French flag against a rainy day's sky

Getting back from a foreign land intact and in one piece is not the end of the trip. Or so it seems like. Having just returned from France, I am still hounded by friends and relatives speaking in French (or so they pretend it to be). The only few words I needed in France were simple words like "merci", "chocolat", "au revoir", "poulet", "pasta", "bonjour" etc, and at times "mierde".

However back in homeland, I seemed to be needing more French than I needed in France! Everyone seems to know more French than the French. Take for example my cousin who sent me a whole email in French. Not wanting to be left behind I used a popular web based translation tool (I dont want them suing me for naming them, BUT you know who you are!) to convert my English into French. Heres what I wrote :

"hello lucy..madam..i always have time for you..after coming back from France, my computer hard disk crashed. so got messed up. How are you? set for a big birthday party? Happy Birthday and lots of hugs in advance. Muahh!"

After emailing her and feeling really proud of myself and my literary skills, I decided to retranslate what I sent in "French" to English. Heres what she got!:

"hello the lucy, I of Madam always have time for you. .after to return from France, my hard disk of broken computer. obtain thus dirtied upwards. How are you? to place for a great festival of birthday? Happy birthday and a good number of pressures in advance. Muahh!"

Its good to be home! I am sure Lucy had a great birthday reading this!

That said, France is a beautiful country, so rich with history and passion that you can feel throughout the place.

More pictures and posts on the way..

Vive La France!!

(Tip: The truth is, these are the only 3 words you need to survive in France - Lonely Planet, please note).

My Friend - The Random Sunday Nonsense Series 5

2007-05-06T12:20:00.000+05:30

Today I accidentally bumped into a person I havent seen for a long time. It is easy to get caught in the daily musings of life, work, play, worries, love, hate, family, friends..the list is endless. In the grind, it is easy to forget a lot of things, and even people.

So today from my seat as I turned my eyes away from my laptop, I chanced upon a person staring at me. I was a little startled at the familiar face and the sudden disconnect. First thought "hey..its been so long". I got up from my seat and walked towards him. Eye to eye, we spoke to eachother after a long time, and pondered about a lot of things..

"where have you been?"

"what are you doing these days?"

"why are you here?"

"are you here to do what you do these days?"

"is there something else that you should be doing?"

"can this life be lived another way?"

"can you do things better?"

"will this life just pass on, day by day, and end someday, suddenly like a fallen flower?"

As we exchanged these thoughts, in less than a few minutes, I realized how long its been since I had met my best friend, my own image. Although I see myself in the mirror many times a day, I have not spoken to myself face to face, like I used to do very often, for some time now. Speaking with your conscience and talking to yourself happens all the time, but then looking at yourself straight in the eye, and saying hello to yourself, is a good thing to do.

Life can be a tangle, it can be a maze. But, no matter what, its good to stay in touch with our self.

Errr...

Good morning and good night!

Inner Self - The Random Sunday Nonsense Series 4

2007-03-04T14:19:00.000+05:30

No matter how good you are, there will be people who think you are bad.

You can try to be nice always and a good friend to everyone, but you will surely have enemies or people who dont like you.

You can always search for happiness, yet remain sad always.

You can have everything in life, yet feel like you dont belong anywhere.

You can always try to please others, thinking that it will make us also happy. It will, but not always.

You can try your best, but still experience failure.

You can look for God in the sky, in the sea, all over the earth; but still not see,hear or feel Him.

Ultimately you will realize that truth exists only within yourself. Your soul is the entire truth.

We can move away from our soul in our daily quest called life. But ultimately for the beauty, purity and peace, you have to look towards your inner self.

I suppose this is the essence of meditation. The energy that you call God, or someone else calls by another name, or the atheist calls luck; all lies within us. If we can look within ourselves each day, talk to our soul and stay connected, then life becomes a lot more peaceful and beautiful. Then you get a lot of energy, positive energy, to do a lot more in life..a lot more good.

This does not mean you need to be selfish and self-centered. Or like some philosophers and preachers say "relinquish all material things", "disconnect from the world", "leave all this reality in this world", "have no emotional attachments". Thats all rubbish. Thats escapism.

Your soul and inner self needs to be in harmony with the reality and with the present. Only then you will experience the truth.

These thoughts are borne out of a lot of interaction with supposedly wise people, who are in the quest of eternal truth. These thoughts also stem from my own conviction since a long time ago that in life, ultimately its only you that you will have. Or to put it differently, no matter who you have in life, there will be plenty of moments when there will not be anyone else for you, but just yourself. Its not because nobody else loves you or wants to help you, but thats the way life is meant to be.

So stay in touch with yourself. You are all you've got!

Ok!! Enough nonsense for a Sunday! ;)

Good night!

I Am Late..Just A Bit!

2007-02-24T17:02:00.000+05:30

I realized I have not posted for a while..and worse, that there were a few tags that I never completed. And the above picture describes the feeling that I had most closely.

In blogosphere, theres a lady that I cannot displease and first in line is her tag of three.

Three things that scare me
1. My mirror.. who wouldn't be..right?
2. The morning alarm.. alarms actually..it takes more than one
3. Spiders.. Arachnophobia? Except Spiderman..he's friendly

Three people who make me laugh
1. Everybody, most of the time
2. Jay Leno, even if he doesn't speak
3. Myself, especially when nobodys around

Three things I love
1. A lot of people, although they are not things
2. Peace and calm, although I know this is not a pageant
3. Nature, and everything simple, original and real; includes the sun, moon, stars, trees, seas etc

Three things I hate
1. Fake, insincere, pretentious things, includes people, especially the gossip mongerers
2. Raw egg, especially the yolk..arrgghh
3. Doing anything that I don't believe in

Three things I don't understand
1. Unnecessary aggression
2. Life's true meaning and purpose, or if there is any at all
3. A lot of people

Three things on my desk
This is the toughest one..since I dont really have a desk...The closest to a desk that I have is my bed. So here are three things on my bed, besides myself ofcourse:
1. My PDA and laptop
2. A wide range of chocolates. For the benefit of the chocoholic, a bar of snickers (for nocturnal hunger pangs), a few Quality Street chocolates (as an instant anti-depressant), home made dark-chocolate covered almonds (this is my diet version of chocolate), a pack of Toblerone (backup)
3. Some clothes (sorry!, I am quite disorganized!)

Three things I am doing right now
1. Thinking and planning well in advance my schedule for the next few hours
2. Hoping my phone does not ring
3. Wondering why I am so disorganized!

Three things I want to do before I die
1. Fly
2. Change the world
3. Do a lot of good

Three things I can do
1. Listen (although not always obey)
2. Multitask
3. Move my ears

Three things you should listen to
1. Your soul
2. Nature, including the sky, plants and animals
3. Your body, which I am learning to try to do since they say its important

Three things you should never listen to
1. Pretenders
2. Rumours, gossips and insincere people
3. Emotional blackmail

Three things I'd like to learn
1. To fly
2. To use the power of my mind more to do things outside it
3. To make chocolates

Three favourite books
1. The Last Don
2. Bill Cosby's Love and marriage
3. Arundhati Roy's writings, although not her ideologies

Three favourite food
1. From Kerala: Parotta, Puttu, Appam, Biriyani, Prawn fry, Beef Ulath
2. From Italy: Pasta and Pizza
3. From anywhere: Chocolate, and yes, I can have a full meal of chocolate

Three beverages I drink regularly
1. Frappe, latte, espresso, capuccino
2. Cold chocolate and hot chocolate
3. Water, which I need to drink a lottttttttt more

Three TV shows/books I watched/read when I was kid
1. Enid Blyton books
2. Lucy Show
3. Different Strokes

Thank you Silverine, this was a nice Saturday evening break! Enjoyed doing it as much as I did reading yours!

Winning - The Random Sunday Nonsense Series 3

2007-01-14T14:01:00.000+05:30

How important is winning to you?

It used to be everything for me until a couple of years ago. I had to win..and as far as I remember I mostly did too. But somewhere down the line I realized something strange..

Knowing that you can win is as good as winning itself. Sometimes you dont really need to beat someone, or come on top of everyone else. But you can quietly let someone else win, see their smile, and yet, enjoy the victory yourself.

Of course, there are still moments when your soul doesn't give you any points for second place. But beyond those moments, you realize the shortness of life. The all important message is to live the life, and not worry too much about the end. Because we do not know when or where the end will be.

I remember a painting in my old house.. Of a boat in the sea..with just the sun in the background.. Below it was a note "Go as far as you can see..when you get there, you will be able to see further.."

Good night folks..

Livin Each Day

2007-01-01T02:08:00.000+05:30

This year let us remember to take life slower.

Let us try and live each day longer, relish each hour,

Enjoy the moment.

Life is precious.

Life is beautiful.

Live Life Full!

Happy New Year!

This also happens to be my 101st post here :) Special thanks to all my blogpals!

Secret Garden - The Random Sunday Nonsense Series 2

2006-12-03T16:51:00.000+05:30

Today I got this big urge to have a garden of my own again.. To be able to grow a lot of flowers..Soak myself in the colors..Listen to the bees singing, or humming, if you prefer..Watch the butterflies.. Sort of like an escape from the everyday realities, a getaway for instant peace and solace.

When you are a kid, its so much easier. I remember myself spending hours in our garden, exploring every small thing in great detail..seemingly inane things, but yet enough to send our "little" minds into a world of unlimited imagination, oblivious to the rest of the earth.

As we grow up, a lot of us still maintain our Secret Gardens within ourselves.. Our own beautiful patch for us to lose ourselves, so that we remain peaceful and sane. Stay in touch with the child within us. The purity and the love. Very important to feel a part of the Nature.

P.S. I love the song Secret Garden by Bruce Springsteen (OST Jerry Maguire - another fav of mine)

Okkkk.. Back to zzzzz...

Random Sunday Nonsense

2006-11-26T14:13:00.000+05:30

"If you play with me, I will be your friend..otherwise I wont be your friend" said my 4 year old nephew.

"We gave you all the love and everything you wanted, but now you are disobeying us!!"

"If you give me a kiss, I will let you watch TV" said a mother to her 8 year old

"If you become a doctor, we will buy you a car"

"We spoke and shared so much together, and I thought you loved me"

"I did all that for you, and now you say you cant do this for me"

"I thought you loved me!! you cheater!! you user!!"

"I loved you too much..my mistake!!"

These are just a few random examples from our daily lives.. Forget the bribes, the "oiling of the system" or "tit for tats", and the "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" of regular life, what I am talking about is our personal, immediate life that we carry in our supposedly pure heart, getting conditionalized and corrupted, so subtly, yet surely.

So where did that expression of "unconditional love" pop up from? Is there something like that at all? Or is it just the creation of some fancy author? I mean they even say " God will do that, IF you dont do this". Everything from love to faith is being brokered by man in this world (I am sure its nothing new, except that we are just taking notice of things now, more than before).

Why are we then complaining about globalization and commercialism? Isn't everything we do motive - ulterior or superior - based? Is there anything that can stay pure?

(Nonsense, MC!!!! Go back to sleep!! Its only 3 P.M!!!)