My take on life!!

The last of... 'Time on my hands' phase...

2011-08-06T01:05:00.000-07:00

These days, I don't get much time to spare. I've got routine for company...

These days, I don't get much time to just sit and stare, coz I've started work in a company.

Back to being my busy self again. I knew I would not have 'time on my hands' for long. However, I did try to make the most of that wonderfully free period of my life. The art classes have paid off. I've finally completed both my paintings and I have learnt to drive. The question being: did I do it well? I think I'd fairly leave the observers to answer that one.

I've uploaded a video of the making of the paintings (The video is in high definition, please play the video with your speakers on)

1) Nostalgia: The Butterfly

Nostalgia

2) Noire: The Starry Night Sky.

Noire

I wish to make more, but then, I wish for a lot of things ;)

Hopefully, some of them may come true... Till then!!

Cheers :)

Time on my hands...

2011-06-15T06:14:00.000-07:00

The last time I actually had time was...well...ahem ahem, well...quite sometime ago. So now that I have some time, I guess the only logical thing to do is...to get busy doing things I'd rather not do when I don't have any time (irony)... Well as I always love to say, 'C'est la vie' !
Art-

Oil on canvas- Noire- coat1

Oil on canvas- Noire- coat2

I've always admired art...it may sound boring to some, tad tawny and dry, but I think the effort of painting is never gone in vein, the result of such patience and hard work has always captivated me, even as a kid. Yup, my folks were all enthu and supportive when I joined classes for arts in school. But somehow, I never seemed to enjoy them to the core as the teachers always had motives like drawing exams in mind. There was no freedom given, only still life's and memory drawings to master...which I frankly hated doing. These days, the reason I visit the classroom (in one of my favorite schools) are for my canvas painting classes...and hell yeah, I'm having fun!!
Painting can be a stress buster, only if one doesn't worry about the end result. With every brush stroke I take, a muzzy image is formed...and then, after a while, I find clarity. This is what I am mainly going to take back with me, more than the canvases I'm doing. We all are constantly looking for clarity. Its so elusive at times, that we tend to procrastinate in its absence... but, what I've learned the hard way is to just go with the flow. Apply the paintbrush on the canvas in a way one thinks will make the picture perfect. At the outset, it may even seem wrong, but patience and perseverance shines through...and what is almost always left behind is a melody of colors, ideas and imagination.
I've put up some pics of some of my artworks. Please give them some leverage, I'm not claiming to be an expert. Ill put up the finished ones soon...Till then :)

Oil on canvas- nostalgia (coat-1)

Oil on canvas- nostalgia (coat 1)

Its been a while...

2011-02-27T08:25:00.000-08:00

Its been a while...and I've lots to write.
Today was one of those melancholy days, when one has all the time to reminisce. I thought about school, graduation, my career, my life and the course I'm on. I don't remember the beginning, I never planned its path... and all that in between!
Time, with its fluttering wings, has passed me by. I remember being that tiny person, for whom the doll was huge, the tricycle was heavy and the swing a gigantic delight! For whom the most important decision was choosing the ice-cream for the day...I remember growing up a bit...and finding it difficult to choose what to wear for the annual Christmas party at school.
I remember the hockey games, the daily practice sessions, the in-house camp, the euphoria of winning, the dejection of losing ! I remember the camaraderie and the competition. The partiality and the prejudices. I remember the cheers and the boos ~
I remember the art-classes, the karate kata, the sports day, the grammar lessons and my lovely teachers!
Then, I remember dressing up for the farewell in mom's loveliest lavender saree and going to school..looking all grown up...I remember: cramming for the boards, caring a damn after they were done and worrying sick till my results were out...I remember hoping and praying for things that actually didn't matter, wishing for the impossible at times...Gosh...school days went by in a jiffy!
Then I remember all the friends, the friday evening conversations, the racecourse discussions the empress garden football, the french connections...Choksey, Ramus, PDK, Patki...cramming, screwing up a bit, managing any how, care a damn attitude, but actually caring too much!!
New college, new group of friends, marathi, bhelpuri, gossip, grapewine, knowledge and lessons for life.
New place, new city, new roomies, new classmates...awesome professors, struggles, success, bitching, competition, ideas, travel, politics!!
New job, familiar faces, happiness, content, commitment, hard work, brainstorming, travel, creativity, politics, games, egos. The good, the bad and the ugly~

I long for the old... I'm looking forward to the new...

All these memories, I have stored away as tidbits of neuro-sensatios. I don't know how many moments I'll be able to store for 'forever' inside the limited human brain!
Ive been making memories ever since!!

Rhy-me-feeling !

2010-02-16T05:33:00.001-08:00

Ive been on a trip lately, not physically obviously, although if you call my latest poster presentation at rajkot and solapur a stint at traveling, then yeah, maybe ! But the point I'm making is that I have had a lot of time to think irrelevant (read :non research) stuff. Since all of you know how I love rhymes, I dug this one out from some corner of my (well, I don't know how to put it delicately, but) twisted brain. Heheh ! Caution: Don't read too much into it :P

(rhyme scheme : ab, ab )

~A new jerk...

Oh, I want to be bad this year, as bad as bad could be,

No more sweet 'good morning' and no more pleasant ‘please’,

I want to break rules and see the 'other' side,

I want to make a hell lot of noise and be seen as Miss. Hyde,

I don't want be the head-boy, or the teacher's pet,

I don't want to classy and I don't want to be the class rep... ,

I want to swear, yell, shout and scream,

I want to sit down, watch TV all day and gorge on ice cream,

I want to break the mold and be an outcast,

I want the world to see me, as the 'bad' girl at last.

I wish to work towards that rowdy image I had in mind,

I wish to develop the skills to kill time, and whistle at a boy’s behind.

People make 'resolutions', I assume to become a better being,

I resolve the opposite, for I loath being the better being.

I wish to be remembered not as 'goody to shoes',

For being good takes you nowhere, so, no more virtues!

Being bad does have its share of pros and cons...

But I rather am bad, [than working my ass off being good]…for I fear not of growing horns…

After all, who cares if you were good or bad, when you die?

I'd rather resolve being bad, it seems easier and I get the bigger piece of pie...

The next decade!

2009-12-29T09:46:00.000-08:00

Doing a post grad does make you 'one' thing for sure, and that's BUSY ! I don't think I ever went through a phase of 'hardly any T.V.' before doing my masters. However, this is not to be seen as me complaining. I'm just stating facts. Another fact is that I am thoroughly enjoying myself, the amount of new stuff I have learned, career and otherwise!! And I take this opportunity to thank all of whom who made this learning phenomena possible.

The year is coming to an end, well, figuratively only two days to go, but for anyone who has anything to do with academia, the second term has begun, and we have another 4 months to go before we end the year.

Only 4 months till I'm done, shouldn't I be shouting with joy?? Well, no. Sadly, I hate leaving, as much as I hate entering into anything unknown. I know, I was not all 'enthu' and comfortable on my first day, me being a late admission and all....but I must add , I will be sad leaving too. Of course, my ride in NN was full of ups and downs, many of them cliched experiences, but looking back I think Ive grown... I have learnt so much about myself, so much I didn't know!! For this I am grateful again, especially to all those who gave me a tough time. They know who they are, but I want to add, I have no grudges.

I will miss all my batch mates , all of whom have left deep impressions... the baawi, and her loud-but -clear-hearted jokes and pokes. The couple and their ever-supporting love for each other, and sometimes, for me too !! The friend in need ! The firangi and the filler!! The other couple and their academic enthusiasm!! and miss observant! There, all 9 have been aptly nicknamed!! Hopefully I don't create another one of those 'brouhaha's , else, Ill be the next sitting target...heheh!!

Lastly, as I bid farewell to 2009, I would want to mention that this decade saw me graduating from all my endeavours. I completed high school, Jr. college, Sr. college and almost completed my masters. Well, a decade dedicated to education. Well spent? Hopefully, yes! I wish I am equipped enough! Its always frightening to leave and enter into the unknown , simultaneously!!

So bye bye 2009...here comes 2010...another decade, dedicated to....well, I wish I knew the answer to this one. Praying for clarity,

Till then, cheers!! Get high on life!!

Introduction to " Cutting Chai! "

2009-05-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

Yes, I've started a new blog, so none of you people have to deal exclusively with "my take on life". (I intend to make "My take on life" a private affair, as advised by many of my well wishers)
I'm posting the link so that its easily accessible in case you have already book marked this page...(high hopes?!!).
http://shirinajanoos.blogspot.com/
The new blog is aptly(?) named "Cutting Chai !", aimed at delivering short, hot and refreshing doses of on current issues. Hopefully, we enjoy the experience!
See y'all there!
Cheers!!

Playing cricket or batting for cash and kind?

2009-05-04T09:02:00.000-07:00

Yes, Ive been busy, not the lazy busy (ahem ahem), but the real kind...but isn't that my excuse always...so I won't bother apologising this time. Coz, I am going to put in more just to show how much I do intend to write but time management...or rather the lack of it... can truly bog one down...
Thoughts cross my mind, "blog worthy ones" are favourably etched somewhere in that blessedly less used organ and I make promises to my avid readers (read to myself [mostly] ) that I shall pen (or rather type) my views down the next time I go online, which surprisingly has decreased since exams...and i wonder why?...hehheh!
The latest itch I have waiting to type is about the IPL of course. Cricket has firmly established itself into this generation as wholly and sourly as the idea of cable TV. It was always a given to the intelligent Indian that the shorter...(or will it be the shortest?) version of the game (20-20)was going to be an instant HIT... so commercialisation was the way the money making could finally be done. Apart from the branded shoes and bat, the towels, water bottles, head gear, etc...and various other parts of the 'team colours' (read cricket uniform) were strategically labelled so that the companies sponsoring the team ( and their luxuries) get some prime time action...if you know what i MEAN!
But what bothers me is that too much commercialization is no good...now is it?...From when have we started cheering for more "citi moments of success" rather than sixes?? The concept was to encourage the idea of cricketing, not 'Vodaphoning' , i believe. I don't want the next generation to say, 'Yes, the guy endorsing Bournvita got out at 98, just 2 to go before he completed his DLF century!' ~ That would be a tragedy then for the game and its true spirit.
However, commercialisation has its perks as always. I would never have enjoyed a dancing zoozoo more( Vodaphone jingles and impromptu ads) !! So there, advertisements have begun to capture our hearts with lovely and intelligent gibberish...rather than mundane stuff...thank god for that!
Thinking of the Ad industry, it makes me wonder how else do those people related to this field get some inspiration? Do they carefully observe people trends. Then I think Ive got views that may make news (old maybe) for them! So i think Ill keep this for the next time I'll blog, just to increase my already large...(the effects of positive thinking) readership and to captivate my audience's attention. Also that my eyes are closing and lack of concentration adds to boring reading for you guys!
Okay then, till next time...watch this space!

Elvis, my dear...

2009-04-02T23:31:00.000-07:00

This letter is addressed to The king. We all know his history( those who dont look up: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley)
Ive made it an open letter so that people with similar(or different opinions) can get a platform to air their thoughts about the guy who rocked the 50's, 60's and 70's with his unconventional rock 'n' roll, in times where ballads of Frank Sinatra and the beetles ruled the roost and hip shaking was considered as satanic movements perverting the youth....
His voice was just magic, he did ballads, pop, blues and gospel music justice.
Dear Elvis,
How have you been? Hope He i treating you well, and you are getting all that you deserve and more.
I write today with lots of joy and a little remorse. Joy because as always, your songs have brought that smile on my lips and made me forget the tension piercing through my brain...Yes, its that of the year when the students, your homie crowd, feel claustrophobic. You got it, its exam fever. Your 'moody blue' serves a great reliever here. We also adore your 'my way'.
Remorse is felt because I feel people are forgetting all about you. People no more find your music enlightening. Its all old and tawdry for most. Oh dear, thats when I wonder shuddering~will there ever be a time when people may say 'Elvis, who?' Will there ever be a time when a guy wont think of 'are you lonesome' or forget about 'Spanish eyes' while thinking of his girl?? Or falling in love, will it ever be the same without fools rushing in singing your classic?
Or will there ever be a party without 'jailhouse rock' or 'king creole' ?, I dread to imagine.
But something tells me, you will never be completely forgotten, no matter how much John Mayers or Chris Daughtry may try, you'll always remain this girl's favorite rock and roll star, who rose against all odds and died an unfortunate and untimely death. I shall 'stand by you' always...
Perennially looking forward to your songs,
Shirin.

Whats the fuss abt??

2009-03-30T02:50:00.000-07:00

The Indian middle class is not the same what it was just a decade back. They were then branded as conservative and thrifty people. Not anymore, India’s middle class is now dynamic, educated, liberal and form the pillars of this vibrant Indian economy (due to their spending nature)

Here are the 10 facts that you may not know about Indian middle class:
1. An average family of 4.3 people live typically in a 900 sf apartment; 71% own properties, but only 9% have a mortgage

2. 29% own cars, 100% of households have TVs, 99% have mobile phones and 63% have credit cards (rapidly changing)

3. Household savings are low at 13% of annual income; mainly to meet emergency needs, health care and education costs.

4. Risk aversion is high: 84% have not taken loans, only 11% have invested in equities (this is changing fast)

5. Land and properties account for 51% of wealth, with 30% in cash and deposits

6. Half of households have seen their income rise in the past 12 months, of which one third saw income rise more than 20% (this trend was observed in 2007, before recession took its toll on the U.S., now the pics all different as one might read in all the dailies...time to activate thrifty genes?!)

7. 63% of respondents expect their income to increase in the next 12 months (NOT anymore, the pink slip fear is at its epitome)

8. Slightly more than half say governance has worsened in the past 10 years; improving the economy and reducing corruption are seen as top priorities for the government.

9. Children’s future and education a key concern and priority; other major concerns are rising prices and medical costs

10. Very high aspirations for children with 43% wanting their kids to get a master’s degree and 29% a doctorate
Source: CLSA
"10 facts you should know about Indian middle class" by Arun Prabhudesai was published on September 10th and is listed in Growth, Income, India, Indian, Indians, Top list, economy.

Interpretation:

>1. Procreate less, generate more income. Don't mortgage anything you already own unless absolutely necessary...which brings us to No. 2.

>2. Loans, if possible, should be avoided as the plague...No matter how enticing it may seem, its better to eat less now than starve later.

>3. The nano has arrived, but thats not the answer to all the prayers. Buy one only with rational thought. Its not something to hoard and store, so what if its cheap, fuel isn't for free.

>4. Start being penny and pound wise. Invest safely and carefully. Save more. Money can't buy happiness, but it can surely buy a lots of other things ;)

>5. Gold is the new thing to invest in, it seems. Be smart, not impulsive. Theres a right time to part with the old and ring in the new.

>6. Vote, vote...thats all they say. Reading proficiently proves NO ONE worthy enough, so i guess in the kingdom of the blind, the one eyed jack is king ;/

>7. The Great Indian Middle Class loves their kids , but what do the kids love? No foreign education can secure any MNC job in today's world. Look closely, our system is on revamp.(Or so they make us believe). Stick closer to home, its always more convenient not to dig real deep in the pocket.

>8. Highly educated = highly paid jobs??? Is it? (Mostly not the case) But, for ol' time's sake, lets wait and watch that one out.

THERE, that's pretty simple, or so it seems. The recession HITS everyone. But one must believe its a passing phase and all those hard earned rupees will not disappear into thin air, if its hard earned that is... Easy money, easy to lose, hard to keep.

Hopefully the G.I.M.C. ties its laces, before they trip on them. Now, whats the fuss about again?

Pooh-neigh...

2009-02-24T08:29:00.000-08:00

The city where I belong. I can go on singing praises about my birthplace and the place where I grew up and spent the most magical days of my life…pondering over which I stumbled across this forum on facebook claiming that “You know you are from Pune when…”, however, I don’t agree to all that was written, so I didn’t join the forum, but I picked up a few lines here and there, which I thought were most apt to describe my quirky city. I know for a fact that Pune cannot be a bed of roses, but nonetheless, it’s one of the best this world has to offer. *(P.S. Im currently a resident of Mumbai, so the last line just applies.)
So here goes… and I’m trying not to be biased.
Places:
1. Koregaon Park and M. G. are still the coolest areas for you to hang out in.
2. You've spent hours at SGS Magnum Mall, Pune Central and Nucleus.
3. At some point in time you’ve always wanted to live in Kalyani nagar, Koregaon park or Salisbury park
4. You love the expressway! You say, 'The Expressway is truly a boon. Mumbai and Pune are now close, that Mumbai is almost a suburb of Pune’.
5. The default thought in everyone's mind on a holiday is "lets go to Khadakwasla/ Sihnhagad/Panseth/ our farmhouse"
6. Pimpri, Chinchwad, Pashan and Nigdi are far.
7. You have spent numerous weekends in Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar.
8. You keep spotting the famous eunuch of MG road & East Street every time you go there.
Lingo:
9. You know what “ikde”, “thamba”,” kutey” and “mala” mean.
10. When you are not studying, you are doing "VELAGIRI" or "LUKHAGIRI".
11. you refer to change as "Chillar", ditching as "Kalti" and trouble as "Jhol"
12. Every time you speak Hindi in front of a Delhitite they have the WTF expression on their face
13. You refer to cops as Mamu and bus conductors and old men as Kaka.
14. Every time you look at a cop you mentally check how much cash you have on you.
15. When u call cops kaka, they let u go if you show off your marathi speaking skills.
16. When you associate the following words to...
· Wada Pav - JJ Garden’s.
· Mithai – Karachi/ Mulchand.
· Public Transport – Rickshaw
· Extended public transport - Six Seater Rickshaw
· Poor public transport - P.M.T. bus.
· Thursday - Power Cut!
Lifestyle:
17. You speak intelligently.
18. You own/ed a two-wheeler, especially an activa or a deo (women), a hero-honda or a splendour (men)
19. Every 3-4 months u look at your road and wonder.. " why the hell are these guys digging up the road again. Thus at one point of time, some area or the other is always under repairs…roads/flyover/bridge.
20. Always keep an eye on the rickshaw meter to assure it is correct.
21. Where most girls on bikes/ scooters will have a scarf around their face looking like "daku mangal singh or Phoolan devi"
22. You see gals in ABCD jeans sticking to their boyfriends like parasites on bikes....abcd jeans = agga bai chaddi distey jeans!!!
23. You wear/have worn Osho Chappals. Ahh. . .the comfort.
24. Jogging laps around race course is your idea of a healthy life.
Opinions:

25. You are laid back but have lots of tolerance & patience dealing with & accepting Oshoites, foreign college students & other foreigners.
26. You can recognize a "mumbaikar" from his dress & behaviour.
27. You've said or thought "those Bombayites have ruined the peace of Pune"
28. Nobody gets their air, oil & water checked while filling petrol in their cars except the visiting mumbaikars.
29. You don't need to have the seat belt clasped while driving your car.
30. You can drive in the night with no or dim street lights on & full head lights on of cars & trucks approaching you from the opposite side....something a mumbaikar can never get used to.
31. You know someone who works at a Call Center / BPO/ IT Park
Weather:
32. You have had experienced amazing weather in evenings.
33. You wish for the crazy rain to stop during monsoon .
34. It rains in one part of town that you are in.. and by the time you get to where you’re headed that place is absolutely dry .. and you are soaking wet!!
35. You are unable to decide whether potholes are in roads or VICE VERSA.
36. You are sick and tired of the pollution.
37. You wonder what will happen to the city if there are still more cars on the road.(i think traffic will cum to a stand still in a few years).
Road Sense:
38. Traffic Rules are as follows:
· Motorists change lanes arbitrarily
· Vehicles on your right/left change lanes without warning
· Motorists run the red light
· Motorists take their time to move on green light
· Everyone honks like crazy cause everyone's driving like an idiot
39. When you see the light turn orange from green; instead of slowing down u speed up to catch the signal.
40. When u never cross the road at a zebra crossing.
41. When u can always find a car that has a dent or scratch on it.
Food:
42. You’ve waited patiently for a table at Blue Nile to have your biryani.
43. You've eaten Bun Maska at an Irani café.
44. Sat at a table in vaishali with people peering over your head waiting for you to finish eating
45. No matter where you ate Pav Bhaji you still crave for the one from Shiv Sagar on JM Road
46. Your potato wafers had to come from Budhrani on MG Road
47. When the best burgers and Shawarma rolls were always from Burger King or Hite bar
48. You swear by the sizzlers at Zamus or The place
49. Kathi rolls had to come from Kapila or Olympia
50. Bhelpuri, SDBP, etc. is always Murli Uncle, the Victory theatre guy, Kalyan Bhel and Jai Shankar(Camp) too are equally good.
51. You buy biscuits for ur relatives from kayani bakery, camp when they are in pune
52. No matter which part of the world you are if you see a packet of bhakarwadi by Chitale Bandhu at a supermarket you still pick it up with a smile
53. You are amazed at how Kalyani nagar has changed
54. Different cuisine restaurants keep opening & closing at koregaon park & kalyani nagar.
55. You've tried unsucessfully finishing two jumbo chicken burgers at Burger King.

And finally,You curse the city every day of your lives when living there, but if u ever move out you talk of Pune as the beginning and end of civilisation.

A little late...

2008-12-04T07:01:00.000-08:00

Today, I finally have found both the time and the will to write something in my blog.
It’s been quite a while since I’ve written and my readers {?} have been considerate enough as to understand how busy I’ve been during the last six months or so.
Firstly, I’d like to inform all my {so called} readers that I am currently a part of Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai University…the University I have so blatantly admonished a few articles below. Life since then has been a coaster ride for me. I cannot even begin to describe how I got through and the kismet konnection thereby involved. I’d however only be just by giving astrology some due credit of my being enrolled in the only course in India offering Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics as a subject combination for the Masters level…(not trying to brag).
So yes, Im living in the heart of this magnificent city—SOBO.
And how can I not mention the terror filled days of 26-27-28/11.
I have lived safely through them and I am truly grateful to God. I also am humbled by the emotions I’ve seen people go through. The only thing I wish to say here is that: Great cities are not built by great architecture, great politicians or great ideas but by the greatness of the people living within…This is my tribute to the city I have started to love.
On to brighter topics...We got our guides today. Yes, I’m actively involved in research now that I’m doing my masters. Dr. Subhadra is one of the most qualified people living on the third rock from the sun and I’m truly blessed to have her as a mentor. The process of efficient research is gruelling and it can take a part of one’s soul towards the end. All that I can possibly pray for is a smooth ride, one which I enjoy and fondly remember as time flows by.
Till the next time…

Fragility.

2008-06-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

Topic:Fragility (21 june)
Handle with care.

She got her birthday gift. ”Handle with care”, it read. A glass ballerina, from the glass maker. How predictable, she lamented. Her father’s creation, she knew that for sure. It was his work. She placed it carelessly on her desktop. She pretended not to care.
‘When was the last time you called dad?’ a voice kept screaming in her head all day. She tried to remember. But to no avail. The only thing she remembered was the last time she had heard his voice yelling from the other room, cursing her. “God, focus Avanti, focus”, she kept muttering to herself. She could not go wrong now, not here, she had a point to prove.
As a child, she never had had this problem. She could go on concentrating beyond all her friends. When her teachers thought most of the students were fatigued with the subject, Avanti was always the one to coax them to continue. But today, she was tired, fatigued and irritable. “Where is the nurse…? Why is everybody so bloody tired and lazy…” she was yelling again, just like her dad. She did not want to realize that they had been working for 48hrs now.
The earth had moved suddenly that day. Unawares, many had been swallowed into the ground. Many lay there in their tombs, breathing their last breaths, waiting. She wondered what if….”NO , don’t be distracted…”, she almost yelled that out too. She was talking to herself again.
And then she did it. The heart of the man who lay beneath her fingers did the most natural thing it could do. Beat. With every beat she began to smile. “Yes, dad will be so proud!” she exclaimed in her mind. She could go on forever now. The fatigue had vanished. She was happy again.
‘Trrriing'..
‘Triiiing’..
“Hello”
“Yes, that’s me, his daughter”
“ohh…..ok”
“I’ll be there by noon tomorrow”
“The funeral must start as early as possible, I have a lot of patients here who need my help”

Suddenly, the glass on the table top fell. The ballerina lay on the floor, shattered in remorseful million pieces.

Reviews:
Abbas: Shirin
This was a delicate theme that it seems like you rushed through which is sad because this was exploding with potential. You need to keep us in the space of this woman. We should be the fly on her wall.
Another thing that struck me was the coldness of this woman on receiving the news that her father has expired. I take it that she was a doctor but still it was her father. I would have loved to see you do something more with the moment that she receives the news. I would have to see the very human side of a doctor who after battling courageously for 48 hours snaps to indicate a fragility that is altogether humane, altogether real. Then, the ballerina shattering in a million pieces would have had a more profound effect. It would go beyond merely metaphor to the regions of symbolism.
Great stuff Shirin, but this could have been sublime.

@abbas
I like to write short stuff. Sorry to make it seem rushed.
Okay, and I think I screwed the end. I intended for 'the ballerina' to be the symbol of Avanti, and I think I got that a bit.
But what I actually wanted to depict in the end was ; that Avanti was so upset "she" suddenly and forcefully dropped the ballerina from the table...implying the anger she had within herself for:
a. Not listening to her intuition.
b. For trying to keep her nerves on the phone, when she actually wanted to scream.(The woman was not intended for to be cold, only too well disciplined)
c.For the loss of the man who had thoughfully given her the ballerina.
Guess I was trying for the 'in between the lines' effect...

Nikhil: @ Shirin Nicely written

Amrita: Shirin I found your piece woefully short and abrupt. There were so many undercurrents below the surface of your words, but you did not work hard enough to bring them to the top. I find your piece fascinating in what it could become, not what it already is.

Mukta: Shirin: I liked this a lot. The terse manner of delivery hits the story home. A snapshot of a disturbing incident... I thought the lack of emotion displayed by the girl at the climax was a good move, it gives a little drama, a sense of mystery at her character- although I felt that you could have heightened this by showing a bit more internal talk of the confusing emotions she had for her father. ( I want to interpret it as not just she is too callous or busy to take time out to talk to him, but also maybe that they had a more complex relationship, I saw hints of that , I dont know if you intended this). Again her nononsense attitude towards work is complimented by her lack of display of emotions- too tired or just too hit by everything, she doesnt show her emotions. Good stuff.

Anthropomorphic: Shirin:Crisp. Starts of a bit typically, but ends satisfactorily. I loved the part where the man's heart begins to beat again. Also, need to proofread and eliminate some punctuation errors.

Shirin:
@ everybody who commented:Thanks for sharing your 'pearls of wisdom'.
Hopefully, the next one I write will come off satisfactory to most*
Till then, Cheers.

Votes : 1...yay!

Akshay:
“Handle with care” springs entirely panoplied. It was largely a good work. The plot was appealing. The introduction, the rising action, the falling action and the denouement was given a good shape. The outcome is so much evident. I loved the struggle the protagonist goes through - the internal conflict - which I personally look for and highly prize in every story I read. It is the opposition of forces which ties one incident to another and makes the plot move. The story neatly cuts through the layers to expose the bare face of the environment Avanti is in. Also, the structural aspect - mixing of long with short sentences - did stand for a noticeably good flow. Mostly, it did not seem larger than life, but I wonder why did the ballerina “suddenly” fall? Based on how imaginatively the writers indulged into the central idea - fragility - I think Shirin did an impressive work. I wish if the character of the protagonist could have been revealed better. All in all, I feel it was a good piece (Gosh…Do I envy)

IAW-sensible nonsense..

2008-06-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

IAW stands for Indian Amateur Writers. This is a community on orkut of which I've become a member lately.
I think, a procrastinator like me is motivated to write only when topics and deadlines are thrown.
Anyways I want to publish some of my work on my blog, so that I can keep a collection which becomes easy to go through.

The following is my First poem at the IAW community. I'm posting the reviews I got too. I think it'll make for an interesting read. Please add in more reviews as you please.
Topic: Nonsense poetry. (20th june'08)
sensible nonsense..
Give me a hand and I'll give you a tree ,
said the drowning frog to the mystical bee..

Give me your heart and I'll give you a love filled sea ,
deeper than anyone can give to thee..

Give me a sip and I'll let you a bite ,
thats what a rabbit told the snake in fright..

Give me a something and I'll give you a something too..
Is that always to be a rule?

If it were, I'd doubt the notions of my mom ,
for I think she did something selfless, quite out of norm..

She gave me life to live as I please,
which this world has plagued with greed and disease.

Reviews:
The : Shirin- Short and sweet, with lots of sense. Really liked it, but wish it was a little longer.

Amrita: There is an unspoken rule in the community that sms language is not quite de rigeur. That is why I asked you to post your entry again. My fault that I didn't clearly mention that sms language will not be alright even in nonsense poetry. Apologies.

Rohit: Shirin, Short and silly :)

Votes: -x- ...sad, but true.

No Reservations.

2008-05-30T10:11:00.000-07:00

India, an independent country since 1947. All indians were to be counted as equal. Although hypocrisy did lay its roots right then. The constitution, to safeguard the weak imposed reservations for them. However, after 60 yrs of imparting this system, only those ppl are being safeguarded who need nothing , coz they got most of everything anyways. They receive the best of education, at the cheapest possible rates and with the simple convenience of a caste certificate.

I, belong to the unfortunate open category. Hence, dreaming of pursuing higher education must remain just that, a dream. The following is the form from the University of Pune, the so called oxford of the east , and most importantly, one of the few campuses offering this course.

University of Pune:

MSc Health Sciences :Health Sciences students learn in addition to basic public health and Epidemiology, skills in the field of health biotechnology (microbiology, immunology, genetics and molecular biology). These students have the training to work in academic or pharmaceutical research institutions. Dietetics offers a student the opportunity to practice as a nutritionist /dietitian in hospitals, clinics, and other health care institutes. Also, private consultancy may require one to be registered.

Legal Reservations:

SC--------13 %
ST--------7 %
DT (A)----3 %
NT (B)----2.5 %
NT (C)----3.5 %
NT (D)----2 %
OBC------19 %

Social Reservations: 1] 3% seats are reserved for physically challenged candidates.

Number of Seats available : 20+2 (Sponsored).

University of Mumbai:(Nirmala Niketan)

M.SC. Degree :Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics.

Intake Capacity : 10 Seats
· 50% seats for Christian Minority = 5 seats
· 20% seats for SC/ST/NT/OBC classes = 2 seats (Caste certificate to be attached to the application form)
· 30% seats for Open Category = 3 seats

Where must I go?........ :(

Faux pas...

2008-04-23T04:09:00.000-07:00

Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2008 20:38:10 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [FFO] A real History Lesson !!

History Mystery
Have a history teacher explain this---
-- if they can.
Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.

Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.

Both were particularly concerned with civil rights.
Both wives lost their children while living in the White House.

Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.

Both Presidents were shot in the head

Now it gets really weird.

Lincoln 's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's Secretary was named Lincoln .

Both were assassinated by Southerners.

Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson. Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln , was born in 1808. Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.

John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln , was born in 1839.
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939.

Both assassins were known by their three names.

Both names are composed of fifteen letters.

Now hang on to your seat.
Lincoln was shot at the theater named 'Ford.'
Kennedy was shot in a car called ' Lincoln ' made by 'Ford.'

Lincoln was shot in a theater and his assassin ran and hid in a warehouse.
Kennedy was shot from a warehouse and his assassin ran and hid in a theater.

Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.

And here's the kicker...
A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe , Maryland
A week before Kennedy was shot, he was with Marilyn Monroe.

Creepy huh? Send this to as many people as you can, cause: Hey, this is one history lesson most people probably will not mind reading!

HOW EVER the above INFORMATION HAS NOT BEEN FOUND TO BE TRUE.
Hey Shirin,
Some notes - after wasting a good number of hours on this at 1 in the morning ... these are the privileges of grad school - and of course it teaches us the *art* of faaltu research ... so i hope you read thru all of it - making it worth my time.
In fact - send it out to all your friends too - that would be super !
a) About being elected a 100 years apart – given the 4 year term of a US president – not so “astonishing”. In fact a cursory survey ht tp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ListofPresidents of the United States shows a whole bunch of ‘em a 100 years apart.

b) John Kennedy was born in 1917; Lincoln was born in 1809.

c) Kennedy’s wife had a miscarriage when he was president. Lincoln lost a 12 year old son.
so i don’t know what to make of “Both wives lost their children while living in the White House”

d) Regarding the secretary business – Lincoln had two secretaries, John Nicolay and John Hay. No record of having a Kennedy as secretary.

e) Lincoln was actually shot on Thursday and died on Friday, whereas Kennedy was shot and died on Friday. Shooting in the head would seem to be a preferred mode of assassination, partly because it is so effective. Of course being shot in the foot is also a pretty good choice - so yeah -this is a major coincidence.

f) Booth (Lincoln's killer) was born in Maryland - not exactly a "southern state". also Lee Harvey Oswald lived most of his life in new York - tho' he was born in the south.

g) Wikipedia tells me that J. Wilkes Booth was born in 1838 not 1839.

h) Apparently JFK wasn't a big fan of "civil rights" - in fact he was criticised for not being very active about it. much of what we credit to JFK was actually implemented by LBJ.

i) Regarding the fact that both were known by all three names - i found this on one website - don't know how true it is (fighting unverifiable rumour with unverifiable rumour):"A biography of Booth that I found on the world wide web suggested that he was known as J. Wilkes Booth. A Mr. there also has a theory that killers are often known by their full (three) names -- after the fact."Also " Lee Harvey Oswald actually wasn't known or referred to by 3 names except after death--during his life he was more commonly referred to as Lee Oswald"

j) Regarding "being shot from a warehouse" - there is in fact no definitive explanation of Kennedy's assassination - and is a prime material for conspiracy theories. Here's Wikipedia " Of the 104 ear witnesses in Dealey Plaza who are on record with an opinion as to the direction from which the shots came, 56 (53.8%) thought that they came from the direction of the Texas School Book Depository, 35 (33.7%) thought that they came from the area of the grassy knoll or the Triple Underpass, 8 (7.7%) thought the shots came from a location entirely distinct from the knoll or the Depository, and 5 (4.8%) thought they heard shots from two locations. John Wilkes booth was captured in a barn, not a warehouse.

k) Booth wasn't assassinated before the trial - he was shot while resisting arrest.

l) And here's the kicker: Marilyn Monroe died over one year before Kennedy's assassination. And there is no record of a place called Monroe, Maryland (at least according to the US post office - not that they would know ... but ... :)

Now here are the really AMAZING coincidences that were missed:-
--JFK served in the Navy, Lincoln didn't serve in the military
--JFK was killed with a rifle, Lincoln with a derringer/pistol
--Oswald visited Cuba, Booth never visited Cuba
--JFK had a brother who ran for President and was assassinated, Lincoln had no brother who ran for President who was assassinated
--JFK suffered from Addison's disease, Lincoln did not.
--JFK went to school at Harvard, Lincoln did not
--JFK's VP was from Texas (where he was assassinated), Lincoln's VP (Johnson) was not from the State he was killed in.
-- Lincoln was elected in July while Kennedy was elected in November
-- The two assassinations were 98 years apart in two totally different times
-- Lincoln grew up poor. Kennedy grew up rich.
-- Lincoln's first name had seven letters and was from the Old Testament. Kennedy's first name had four letters and was from the New Testament. Also JFK had a middle name, abe had none.
-- JFK was more commonly referred to by 3 names and Lincoln was not.
-- Lincoln never served in the Senate. Kennedy served in the Senate.
-- Lyndon Johnson was from Texas; Andrew Johnson was from Tennessee.
-- Lincoln was assassinated during his second term as president. Kennedy was assassinated during his first term
-- JFK was a democrat and Lincoln was a republican.
-- JFK's and Abe's names (as well as Andrew Johnson's and LBJ's) do *not* add to up to 15 letters or in fact - any common number.
REASEARCH DONE BY- Mr. F. Janoos.

Time for an end, or a new beginning?

2008-04-06T21:53:00.000-07:00

Today, I feel something amiss. No, I didn't have to get up early, dress in a hurry and zoom to a place which had become my new home. I could get up with leisure, enjoy my breakfast, for the first time since, I dunno when. Yes, I did not have college today 'Coz, I no more am an active member of the institution anymore.
I don't like to leave. I hated leaving school. School was such Fun. And now that I look back, college was soo much fUn too. In spite of all the trouble, the subs, the exams , my mind chooses to look and remember only at the fun times. The times when we had passionate discussions abt every topic under the roof, the camaraderie with our profs, the canteen~sad food, great company. I know of ppl waiting to leave, like they were in prison. But not mee. I wish I could stay. Sounds cliched, but this reminds of of Aamir in RDB, saying~ On this side of the line, U make life dance, and on the other side, Life makes everyone dance. And I dont think I'd like to dance.
People tell mee, its not the end. You can always be "in touch" wid everyone. But I tell them, "Its never going to be the same, is it?" They tell mee, its not the end, But I know IT is the end. The end of good carefree times. Now people will expect me to be responsible, for everything I say and do. I'm not some undergraduate. I have no refuge to make mistakes, I feel the walls closing in.
Maybe, Its just a phase in my life,
A passing phase, I'm told,
and I should begin to look at this
As a stepping stone..
Make new friends and remember the old.
But I find this hard to do,
For my heart fails to listen,
and then when old memories return,
I feel my eyes glisten.

Time to ponder...

2008-03-26T05:12:00.000-07:00

When was the last time I enjoyed riding / driving on Pune roads...I do not remember....Did I ever?....well, I dont think so...

So I dedicate this post to people who can empathize with my feelings...

Recently taking the car around town, came to me as a rude shock. How dare a women control the steering wheel, in this Man world? It's a forbidden sin, similar to Eve eating her apple. No wonder I was always honked at by strange cheap men...who thought of themselves as rulers of the road kingdom. Yes, I was snarled at with side ward glances, in spite of driving correctly and following traffic rules efficiently. This brought me to horn back...only a futile attempt to be ridiculed from rear-view mirrors...sheeshs!!! I hate transporting. I sometimes wish I could just leave home and reach my destination without making the journey. Ahhh....wishful thinking. And since I am onto wishing, I also wish for men to have some sense...give way to women, ppl ...they live a tough life juggling tough acts responsibly. We deserve some leniency from ur part. We never ask for more...only that the next time some lady is using the reverse gear, be a little more patient , be a gentleman and give her way to go, it wont cost you anything, Trust me on that :)

Of twist, twirl and rock'n'roll...

2008-03-19T10:42:00.000-07:00

Recently on being to a friend's 21st birthday party , something dawned on mee.
To people who know mee, I'm not the person who runs to the dance floor when music starts pumping. In fact, I'm usually dragged from my so-called-hiding place . However, for this party, I didn't pretend to be reluctant. I showed true sportsmanship, and walked through uncharted territory on to the dance floor. This party didn't have a DJ-spinning tracks-disc theme, but here there was more of 'jiving'. For the uninitiated (like I was), Jiving is more like the slang version of ball room dancing, but I must add, I terribly enjoyed it. Dancing is FUN people! And now I understand Why!
Not that I'm a pro - like Andy, and neither do I have all the' moves' , but watching pros enjoy dancing got me wondering whether all those 'socials' wherein I always dug-my heels to the floor was the right thing to do. Man, did I miss opportunities to dance? (Can't believe I'm saying this).
Jive is danced to classics like the dancy numbers of the Beetles' 'twist and shout'. (Hope U ppl get the picture)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxvQ6yNGIes
And P.S. Our Jives were nothing like the above video, heheh!!

The benchmark...

2008-03-05T23:46:00.000-08:00

I wonder whats the connection with women and age...its but-obvious one will never remain 16 like one may wish to....but turning old never seemed shameful to me, so in short, I never hide my age...or lest, lie about it. Basically, I never have found the need to.
Turning 21, like every normal 20yr-old, has its charm for me. I mean, common, now Im really counted as an adult...hehehe! (P.S. 18 is just a bluff)...Along with kinda-dreading it, I had set up a wish-list 'to-do', before hitting 21. If U ppl know me, U may not find it necessary for me to mention that wish-lists I construct include real tangible stuff, which one can possibly achieve. Not-to-mention stuff which I really want to do...at least before completing 21yrs of living on the 3rd rock from the sun, whereby I would like to start off with a clean slate!
However, not all of my wish list could be completed, I regretfully must add here. I am tempted to boast of my achievements and complain about my failures...but I guess I rather not. For close friends, who know of the grand to-do list, I must admit of not having the credibility of doing what I set out to do, but you all know, I couldn't help any of it, though I wish I could.
So ONLy for this purpose, I wish I could GO back to being 20 once again.....living with the hope that all my secret desires could be fulfilled before hitting the benchmark, where one sails independently, and everything done in their life is totally their choice.

For 30 days and 30 nights...

2008-03-05T05:08:00.000-08:00

The nightmare of interning at a hospital:
The day our postings were put up, I was thrilled to find my name on the list saying " Ruby Hall Clinic". Well, its always quite different before the storm, they say. With content I went there, along with six others from our batch, only to find the sick smell of food and phenol lingering around mee, at least all through the first day, or was it the first week?....I don't care to remember. Of all the wards, I had to get the "k" ward...terror in disguise. Along with being the largest among the semiprivate wards, its also the toughest, being the "renal" ward, where people with transplants and kidney failures are usually admitted. For the uninformed, this ward is tough to deal with, esp. if you are an undergraduate nutritionist.
Along with work pressure, death is a common sight, where one has to toughen up to see the patient one has dealt with the previous morning lie dead. Visitors are usually not allowed, for sterile reasons, so there is patient- attendant relationships which are constantly formed and broken. Being there initially, I must add, took something away from me which lay deep down inside. I learnt to look at individuals differently. I started categorizing ppl as -healthy and non-healthy.
After being done with K , for a gruelling week , I was sent to the 'SR4', that being a deluxe ward, with AC -TV-and the works. Here, along with pain, I found money talking. I saw patients being residents there for 3 yrs, I saw relatives hoping for their family member to die, for property sake, I saw an aged couple being looked after a 'bai' with their children minting cash in the States. I saw stuff which toughens people for life ahead. No rosy-tinted pictures, the real deal.
What followed for me was the NTU(Neuro-Trama-Unit), where Road Traffic Accident patients with Head Injuries are admitted. Life there usually dwells around tube feeds and the ones who care willing to give anything just have a look at their loved ones. And I standing in between looking at desperation on one side of the door, and determination to survive on the inside.
When my time there ended, with vivas done, case studies completed and reports submitted, I wondered what else did I gain along with experience in my work field? Did I learn something other than practical therapeutic diet principles....I really hope so!

Valen...shhh

2008-02-13T08:16:00.000-08:00

I wonder what makes this day soo IMP? People revolve their lives around this day...whhy?...beats me. Maybe Im a lil' skeptic...maybe its just part of my...ahemahem...charming personality...But truly...I believe I am a romantic. A true romantic...but yet I dont find the sense or reason of celebrating A single day to cherish the one you truly love. Infact, I think its more of a sales gimick...heheh. And No, Im not saying this in a 'the-grapes-are-sour-'kinda way. To the ones disagreeing I only have to say this, Happy Valentine's...spend well ;)
P.S. I dont dissaprove this day because of its western-ness, but only because I find it foolish rejoicing Love only on a particular 14th of feb.

Abt Cricket, Controversy and the Nano...

2008-01-12T03:11:00.000-08:00

Reading the papers, now a days, leaves me feeling delighted.Its only once a while one may read about our country, the dormant India, standing against racism and being so united and everything. I never expected this, atleast from us. We, the people who love our foreign counterparts soo dearly, are standing up against them. How cool is that!
I totally agree with the following forward i received in this context:
PLZ FORWARD IT TO ALL THAT ALL SHOULD KNOW THE RULE…
….. BAAD ME KEHANA NAHI, RULES NAHI MALOOM THE...
Hi all,
After watching the test match, I feel some rules have to be incorporated by ICC to give the other teams a perfect clarification
(1) Ricky Ponting – (THE TRULY GENUINE CRICKETER OF THE CRICKET ERA AND WHOSE INTEGRITY SHOULD NOT BE DOUBTED ) should be considered as the FOURTH UMPIRE. As per the new rules, FOURTH UMPIRE decision is final and will over ride any decisions taken by any other umpires. ON-FIELD umpires can seek the assistance of RICKY PONTING even if he is not on the field. This rule is to be made, so that every team should understand the importance of the FOURTH UMPIRE.
(2) While AUSTRALIAN TEAM is bowling, If the ball flies anywhere close to the AUSTRALIAN FIELDER(WITHIN 5 meter distance), the batsman is to be considered OUT irrelevant of whether the catch was taken cleanly or grassed. Any decision for further clarification should be seeked from the FOURTH UMPIRE.
heheh!!

These days, the Nano has created sufficient buzz apart from the cricket controversy. This TATA promise seems to be the solution for the' four-member-two-wheeler' dilemma. Where else but India can be the birth place of such an innovation.{I mean excluding China}. Hope the Nano lives upto the everyone's expectation. The days of the middle-class car dream now may actually be tangible! GO-INDIA!!

"Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies"

2008-01-04T07:31:00.000-08:00

The pun...its the ultimate one can use to avoid an embarrassing situation...or to increase the curiosity around a boring topic. By definition, A pun is"A play on words, sometimes on different senses of the same word and sometimes on the similar sense or sound of different words."In today's world its usage however is being limited only to funny one liners. But in its heydays, there were "pun users" everywhere. Though I love using them myself...I've found my collection to be quite limited.

Quotations:

"The goodness of the true pun is in the direct ratio of its intolerability." — Edgar Allan Poe.

Puns in the passages of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland', by Lewis Carroll are my favorites though:
“And how many hours a day did you do lessons?” said Alice, in a hurry to change the subject.
“Ten hours the first day,” said the Mock Turtle, “nine the next, and so on.”
“What a curious plan!” exclaimed Alice.
“That's the reason they're called lessons,” the Gryphon remarked: “because they lessen from day to day.”

Some other masterpieces are:

"Not a pun less, not a pun more".

"No pain, No gain. Know pain, know gain".

"I grumbled that I had no shoes, till I saw a man without feet".

And my all timer:
"Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies"

However, I would love to add new ones to my collection, especially eccentric ones. So feel free to comment.
Yours truly.

Tears of endearment

2007-11-11T22:08:00.001-08:00

Why do we cry at movies? Maybe it is the movie or the psychological baggage we schlepped in with us. Or is it empathy? Maybe genetics or cultural conditioning. Or were we simply bursting to spill that night because our boss refused to give a week off for Christmas.
This much we know: all of us do it in varying degrees of blubbitude. Some of us are waterfalls, others are Saharas. Most of us fit somewhere in between.
The trigger maybe the moral injustice in Schindler's List, or the way Heath Ledger's throat catches when he confesses those forbidden feelings in Brokeback Mountain, or the final showdown of Rang de Basanti. Or that cheesy Micheal Keaton movie-you know, the one where he's dying of cancer and so on.
Whatever. There we sit, teary-eyed, vulnerable and helpless. And we become as emotionally intertwined with the characters in the movie as we do with real people.The movie reached us. We related to it. It spoke to something inside.
And in our dinner or parking lot discussions, the cultural myths [and facts] tumble out: Women cry more than men. Women go out of their way to find 'chick flicks' cry-athons. Guys cry only if someone squirts Mace at their eyeballs.
Research in this domain concluded that girls and boys do equal amounts of crying until puberty. But as boys take the testosterone highway and women take the estrogen bike path, their responses differ. Women do tend to cry up to four times more than men. Also the emotional kind of crying was discovered to release internal toxins as opposed to the onion-slicing variety.
What really trigger the waterworks is a combination of conflicted emotions. We choke up , essentially, at the fulfillment of social roles, such as a couple pledging a life together at a wedding or, the father dancing with his daughter. But we cry for bittersweet reasons, realising we can never sustain or measure up to , that iconic moment i.e. we strum a mental guitar chord that combines positive, major feelings with sadder minor tones. And the tears flow before we know it.
So we are empathising , we are strumming , and we are philosophising in the flickering chiaroscuro. Bur whatever we are really doing within the ineffable inner machinery we call soul, and whatever the prolactin content in our tears, we are forging a personal bond with a particular movie that we'll never lose. As with love, perhaps it's better not to understand the mystical algebra that connects us to Beaches but to be grateful it adds up to moments like these.
[LAT-WP]

Mindless..

2007-11-08T22:07:00.000-08:00

I wish i had the leisure to update my blog on a daily basis. But since that is not going to be possible at least till i graduate and figure out what exactly I want to do afterwards, I pretend to be content for now.
Writing blogs , i personally feel acts like a hanky. Blow your nose and keep it away. Ok i know thats grosse, but thats the first thing that came to my mind. Speaking of mind, sometimes i spend hours on end trying to understand how does this super organ work. It stores and remembers dates, days, timetables, constants,variables, calorific vals of each food, metabolic cycles, stuff we study, or even read once while trying to cover a syllabus soo vast.
And let me not forget the emotions it is capable of producing. Happiness-the endorphin high, excitement-the adrenaline high, stress-the epinephrine high...and so on. And all it mainly requires to function is not some great wonder food, but merely glucose. Seems wonderful!
It tells you when you are having fun, getting bored, feeling happy, or depressed.
Imagine a day with no mind of our own. A world devoid of opinions, ideas, ingenuity. How plastic. The only thing then capable by a mindless human is survival. We would no doubt survive, just like the others in our kingdom, but never really understand the meaning of our existence.No self actualised-evangelists required. Love would merely be a chemical activity, which would occur between two individuals, so as to help them copulate. Survival of the fittest would take over our feelings of humanity, care and concern.The self-destruction of our planet would seize, and maybe our future generation would survive in a healthier atmosphere, living long and fruitful lives.
So when I reason with myself, I see myself bending towards a world without a mind. A non-dramatic, dull planet to some, a haven to most.

The diwALI-RAMzan connection.

2007-11-08T10:55:00.000-08:00

Its not that obvious from the title itself. Just as people in India would like it. Subtle mentions in people's blogs. But I'm not trying to fit in their criteria. If they had the power they would control the mention of sexuality in front of the 'young' minds so as to prevent perverting them.What hypocrisy i must add.
But religion is something close to their hearts. Some wear it on their sleeves, most choose to be neutral and rarely one may find the ideal striking a balance.
The ones displaying it are fervent fanatics, intolerable and idiotic to a certain level. These people have egos which are hurt so easily that one may even wonder when and why. They feel superior to the Lot. They feel they have the right, the supremacy and the power to change the future by indulging in foolish outcries, which not only proves to affect the health , sanity and interests of other people, but also sometimes compromises their own. But do they mind? I guess not.
The ones who choose to be neutral sometimes maybe a cause of concern too. They have the same loud emotions in their hearts, but only fail to participate in the outcry. Thus, what results is a somewhat muted expression of their emotion, which in turn further disappoints them. They maybe the ones bursting the loudest of crackers or throwing the grandest of Id-parties, but they never go beyond that. When its the time to show communal harmony, they put their best foot forward. On the other hand when its time to show communal hatred these neutrals put on masks and participate with the intentions of safeguarding their interest.
The Ideal is a rare find. Not only do they understand and appreciate other religions, they participate in their festivities not only for the namesake, but with an open heart and mind, thoroughly enjoying the culture and tradition the festival endures. They are never judgemental, nor do they ever compare. They promote communal harmony by being impartial, which brings out the true essence of people. They discourage hatred among equals by bringing to light issues which usually are kept in the dark , which tend to be the breeding grounds for fear.
So all i ask of people is to:
light a diya in their hearts to find their ideal,
distribute shirkurma, not merely as a sweet, but to sweeten bitter hearts,
thus, making our diverse country an example of unity, tolerance and brotherhood.

2007-10-07T00:13:00.001-07:00

I ’m nobody! Who are you?

Are you nobody, too?

Then there ’s a pair of us—don’t tell!

They ’d banish us, you know, from hell.

How dreary to be somebody!

How public, like a frog

To tell your name the whole long day

To an admiring bog!

Victory comes late,

And is held low to freezing lips

Too rapt with frost

To take it.

How sweet it would have tasted,

Just a drop!

Was God so economical?

His table’s spread too high for us

Unless we dine on tip-toe.

Crumbs fit such little mouths.

IF I can stop one heart from breaking,

I shall not live in vain;

If I can ease one life the aching,

Or cool one pain,

I shall not live in vain.

I asked no other thing,

NO OTHER THING was denied...!

And yeah...i live one simple life.
~J.S.

Im leaving on a jet plane...Janis

2007-08-14T04:42:00.000-07:00

This song was first released by John Denver.
And then..
The greatest white female rock singer of the 1960s, Janis Joplin tried her version of this classic. Though women's liberation had just sowed its seed in those times, her song showed some glimpses of the future. The future which had women taking the lead in everyman's domain. Although she was never appreciated during her time,which ususally is the case seen with futurists, i believe she made her own mark in the rock domain, originally meant only for men.
Thus, i feel obligated to add this to my blog.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp-szo5Q96A

Lyrics:
All my bags are packed
Im ready to go
Im standin here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin
Its early morn
The taxis waitin
Hes blowin his horn
Already Im so lonesome
I could die
So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that youll wait for me
Hold me like youll never let me go
cause Im leavin on a jet plane
Dont know when Ill be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go
Theres so many times Ive let you down
So many times Ive played around
I tell you now, they dont mean a thing
Every place I go, Ill think of you
Every song I sing, Ill sing for you
When I come back, Ill bring your wedding ring
So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that youll wait for me
Hold me like youll never let me go
cause Im leavin on a jet plane
Dont know when Ill be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go
Now the time has come to leave you
One more time
Let me kiss you
Then close your eyes
Ill be on my way
Dream about the days to come
When I wont have to leave alone
About the times, I wont have to say
Oh, kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that youll wait for me
Hold me like youll never let me go
cause Im leavin on a jet plane
Dont know when Ill be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go
But, Im leavin on a jet plane
Dont know when Ill be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go..

2007-08-12T01:38:00.000-07:00

A tidal wave in your heart,
A light fragrance on your shoulder,
True style is what some notice
And what others remember.
Because you are your thoughts
And your emotions,
Your self-belief
And your memories...
Through the journey of life,
You will always have yours
And I will have mine...
~J.S.

2007-08-10T06:33:00.000-07:00

Trust a man for what he is worth,
Not for what he seems.
Even if his outside is deterring,
It is his inside that gleams.
May he be near, or he be far,
Distance does not play a role.
All that matters in a friend,
Is if he cares for your soul.
All people hear, but few do listen.
All people look, but few do see.
Take your time to count your blessings,
For friends are few and far between.
Life is a road that leads to happiness,
But it’s not smooth at all.
Only a true friend helps you up,
When you trip on sorrow and fall.
I don’t need money
and I don’t need fame.
I want a life that’s not a sham,
I want to be with those around me,
With those who love me for who I am.
~J.S.

Some pics speak more than words...or maybe its just the words..heheh.

2007-07-22T03:59:00.000-07:00

Of momos, mousse and everything in between..

2007-07-21T05:21:00.000-07:00

Food has always been the comfort factor for me. Theres no denial to the fact that good food always seems to lift low spirits. But as of everyone, i too have some absolutes which i feel must be mentioned in my blog.So here are some of my all timers, the food i can count on to make me "happy", no matter what!

The sweets:

Never been a fan of indian traditional ghee laden sweets {no offence to those who like it k..} , my version of sweet means something of the following order:

Mousse: Though chocolate is always on the menu, my mom recently made the mock-lemon version, for which i have developed an addiction .

Cheesecakes: Although really calorie giving the kiwi one at Dorabjee can make any blue dissapear.

Chocolate brownies with or w/o vanilla icecream: Best ones:mom-made, ranking close are the german bakery ones, followed by Barista.

Chocolate-walnut cake: i sincerely prefer the sinful cake-n-counter ones~to the rest.

Moving to my other favs:

Momos, dimsums, wantons, dumplings: These tibetian-chinese-cantonese-thai innovations, served steaming hot , in the monsoons~yumm. Full of flavour for those who have developed a taste for these goodies, they are my abso-favs, if thats a word.

Pav-bhaji, wada pav, marzo/sub-sandwiches, and SPDP{kalyan/murlibhaiya}: Cant do without these junk ofcourse.

Idliwadadosa sambar:Udipi foods are the delightful sunday breakfast.

okay...ill stop here for i can go on rambling about everything i love to eat.
The intention for this post was that i totally feel that the food one eats can affect/influnce one's mood for good.

And yes, im a total foodie!heheh!

Good night and God bless..

2007-07-10T06:49:00.000-07:00

He comes tired from his graveyard shift, makes himself an instant cappuchino, and sits on his favorite recliner where his laptop is on his lap. He stares into a new world, right there in front of him and starts with greeting people "good morning".He later checks his 5 email accounts, just forward crap from his friends.But tonight, hes got a lot on his mind. He has a blog to write. Oh...what shall he pen today? His day was pretty unadventurous to mention. Should he write about his girlfriend's dilemma while choosing the right shoes? Or should he describe his boss's indifference towards his work? Or maybe pen his growing contempt towards the "thespian"world? He chooses his topic with care, affection and as an outlet for his despair.

Ahh...that must have felt nice!
Its late now, time for bed and to log off the net. He does it with a little smiled curved on his face. And then he sleeps. Resting, resting and then finally, he passes into another world without even registering the fact that the pain was radiating from his heart. Tomorrow, his wife will find him on the sofa. Not alive. But when the funeral is over and everyone who knew him go back to living without him, the ones who really cared are left feeling sad. But there is hope. There is a message waiting for them to read, written by his own words, on the night before he passed on.

So all i must say is : God bless this blogging generation!

Words~

2007-06-30T11:18:00.000-07:00

I'll be there..

If you have ever had to call a friend in the middle of the night when your car has broken down some miles from home, you will know how good it feels to hear the phrase " I'll be there". Being there for another person is the greatest gift one can give. When we are truly present for other people, important things happen to them and us.We are renewed in love and friendship.We are restored emotionally and spiritually.Being there is at the very core of civility.

I miss you..

Perhaps many couples would be saved if they simply and sincerely say to each other,"I miss you". This powerful affirmation tells partners they are wanted, needed, desired and loved.

Maybe you're right...

This phrase is highly effective in diffusng an argument and restoring frayed emotions. The flip side to "maybe you're right" is admitting "maybe im wrong". Let us face it. When you have an intense argument with someone, all you do is cement the other's point of view.They ,or you, will not change their stance and you run the risk of seriously damaging the relationship between the two of you.Saying "maybe u'r right" can open the door to further explore the subject, in which you may then have an opportunity to get your view across in a more rational manner.

Let me help..

The best of friends see a need and try to fill it.When they spot a hurt, they do what they can to heal it. Without being asked, they pitch in and help.

I thank you..

Gratitude is an exquisite form of courtesy.People who enjoy the companionship of good close friends are those who do not take daily courtesies for granted. They are quick to thank their friends for their many expressions of kindness. On the other hand, people whose circle of friends is severely constricted, often donot have the attitude of gratitude.

I trust you..

Respecting and trust is another way of showing love. It conveys tha feeling that another person is a true equal. If you talk to your children as if they were adults, you will strenghten the bonds and become close friends. This applies to all inter-personal relationships.

Go for it..

We are all unique.D'ont ry to get your friends to conform to your ideals.Support them in their pursuits of interest. no matter how weird they seem to you. Everyone has dreams, dreams that are unique to that person only. Encourage your friends to follow what is close to their hearts. Tell them to " go for it".

Please forgive me..

All of us are vulnerable to faults and failures. A man should never be ashamed to own up that he has been in the wrong, which is saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesyerday.

I love you..

Perhaps the most abused but most important three wors\ds that you can say. Telling someone that you truly love them satisfies a person's deepest emotional needs. The need to belong, according to Maslow's hierarchy, ranks 3rd, only after basic needs and security.Your spouse, parents,children,friends and you, all need to hear these three little heartfelt words" I love you".

Thus, i would like to end this by quoting," Its only words and words are all i have to take ur heart away".

2007-06-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

"When was the last time did u feel happy?...and i mean unconditional happiness.No strings attached."
This was what i was asked at the mandatory counselling session. Left me in the lurch for sometime coz for this i really had to think.Think hard.Yup i could have faked. Said something just randomly. But that wasnt supposed to be. For this question was stuck in my brain, a funnily equiped organ, and those words kept revolving in my mind like a stuck record.
In this day and age where people are busy making preparations for being "happy" in their future, i really wonder when will they ever get the time to enjoy their personally stored happiness quota? If its ever meant to be, i wonder what will 60+ people do? Anyways i donot wish to dwell into that topic, as that would make limited reading. What i want to get into is:
What is "unconditional happiness"?
Is it the comfort of knowing that we are secure from the dangers in life?Or is it a feeling that spills over u when u top ur class?Or it the getting everything one desires?
For all this i believe there never can be happiness which is unconditional. Everything temporary or tangible cannot be a source of unconditional happiness.
The fact that i had to think to answer this simple question puts mee to shame. For there cannot be a more simple answer to this question. The answer to this question is "I feel happy just knowing that i can "feel" happy"....hehehe!...waht better way to define an emotion~totally abstact!

2007-06-17T03:35:00.000-07:00

“Growing up happens in a heartbeat. One day you're in diapers, the next day you're gone. But the memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul. I remember a place, a town, a house like a lot of other houses, a yard like a lot of other yards, on a street like a lot of other streets. And the thing is, after all these years, I still look back, with wonder.”
— Daniel Stern as the narrator, The Wonder Years

I soo wish i were young, to enjoy life sans care and consiousness in my mind,
I soo wish i could have fun of each and every kind.
I wish and i hope and i pray to thee,
To keep most of us young and childlike and free.
For life as it moves from sunrise to sunset,
Brings with it mirth and doubt and regret.

No plan equals good plan!

2007-06-11T01:31:00.000-07:00

This was kind of sudden. My aunt calls at 9 in the evening to inform mee that we are leaving for a picnic the next day. Yeah right...i think, this is soo not going to happen. But to keep up wid her enthusiasm i keep my enthu going full swing. The next day i get up and get going wid my usual stuff...and just then she calls. I first thought she must have called only to cancel, but to my surprise the Qualis was ready to roll. With no packing done the previous night, i started running around to find my travel essentials. In 15mins i was stand at my gate ready for them to pick mee up. And off we were to a place not seen by mee. Yes i was excited, yes i was trilled, coz i too like most human love and seek adventure.
We reached late evening to a place called "dive agar". Weird name and equally wierd place. Now in this modern day and age, where will one find a place wid 1.}No network i.e no airtel/idea/hutch signal2.}No pay phones for miles 3.} No cable for the t.v.
With all the modern timepass cut, i thought, "Thank God they've atleast got electricity.", but i was soon to be learning that they had powercuts for a min of 3 hrs...
Insipte of all this info, we had an awesome dinner which included the likes of oriental-tandoori-seafood staples...yummmmm!
The next morning we leave the comforts of our ACed MTDC cottage/tent and head out to "The Beach". Here i must say that upto this point we only had heard the sound of the waves, but when we entered from the thick shrubs into the golden sand...what we saw was priceless.
The sea looked clam with a naughty glimpse in its eyes. The sand was soft and the climate just perfect. It wasnt very hot and neither very humid, however the afternoons werent very pleasant. All we did was~[ate*played*slept]n.....and had a superb time...
I write all this not merely because i want to make mes amis a little jalous...but for highlighting that...."No plan equals good plan"...for i am sure if this trip was planned, it would never have turned out as a truly memorable and cherishable experience!
Go ahead ppl, be imPULSive!!!!

"quotes"...unquoted.

2007-05-31T08:55:00.000-07:00

I have always wanted to post my favorite quotes...So heres my collection:

" The journey ends when lover's meet, every wise man's son doth know"~Shakespear.

"He who learns to obey knows how to command"~anon.

"Success does not consist in never making mistakes but in never making the same one a second time."~George Bernard Shaw

"An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind. "~M.K. Gandhi

"If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience."~George Bernard Shaw

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."~Albert Einstein

"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on."~Sir Winston Churchill

"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."~Thomas Jefferson

"The power of accurate observation is frequently called cynicism by those who don't have it."~George Bernard Shaw

"He who has a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how'."~Friedrich Nietzsche

"God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh."~Voltaire

"I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them."~Ian L. Fleming

"Maybe this world is another planet's Hell."~Aldous Huxley

"There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it."~ Oscar Wilde

And i'll end with this...
"A witty saying proves nothing."~Voltaire

signs...

2007-05-24T01:24:00.000-07:00

The alarm suddenly goes off with "oh sweet child of mine" booming loudly in the quite room. Oops... i must have pressed the snooze button i think to myself when i check the time: Its 7...
Oh shit, ive overslept, or have i got any sleep, i wonder. No time for lazy stretches today. I tumble out of bed, not realising then that its the wrong side... No breakfast for mee today...shessh... In a hurry to reach my destination on time, i forget to take my cell along... My bike wont start..the @$@#% activa...did we pay 30 grands for this?? And suddenly it springs to life...The roads seemed deserted, with a few exceptions ofcourse...and i wondered and thanked god for it too....heheeh!
I now wonder why i missed soo many signs...
"Oye its sunday ya!!!....wheres the rush...hehehhe!!!"...he yells from top floor.
Embarassed as ever i pretend to look for my cell to check the date...i still dunno y i did that...but the only thing was: i cudnt find it...hehehehh!
Okay...a little dramatic isnt it...but trust mee i had totally forgotten the day of the week...pch pch...some sundays i tell ya...

The perfect match~~

2007-05-15T23:31:00.000-07:00

I wonder how they must have found each other...for their diversity knows no bounds.They are the most unique people residing on this planet and they are opposite in every possible way. I must know, u may think, being their first born...but to tell ya the truth, even i am completely baffled as u are.
My mother a softy, a person my friends are at ease with...
My father a coconut, a rough exterior,but a sweet inside...
My mother a gentle disciplinarian..
My father a strict teacher...
My mother a great cook...
My father a great coach...
My mother a believer...
My father a critic...
My mother... My father...
They think differently, both of them. But what astoundes most is...how do they make the couple they are?...perennially complimenting each other, making up for the things the other may lack...
Truly...seeing them makes mee a believer...in destiny, in love, in the match the almighty has created for us to find...
Here's cheers to the Great one for creating the mostest perfect match there ever could have been possible... for i cannot imagine them with anyone else or without each other...and i am not saying this bcoz i am their child...but bcoz i now seem to understand the schemes we are all meant to be a part of...

hehe..one of those nosense-sensible forwards...

2007-05-06T23:11:00.000-07:00

WHY A STUDENT FAILS ???
It's not the fault of the student if he fails, because the year has ONLY 365' days.
Typical academic year for a student.
1. Sundays: 52 Sundays in a year n you know Sundays are for rest.
Days left 313.
2. Summer holidays: 50,where weather is very hot and difficult to study.
Days left 263.
3. 8 hours daily sleep: means 130 days.
Days left 141.
4. 1 hour for daily playing-(good for health): means 15 days.
Days left 126.
5. 2 hours daily for food & other delicacies-(chew properly & eat): means 30days.
Days left 96.
6. 1 hour for talking [on phone maybe](man is a social animal): means 15 days.
Days left 81.
7. Exam days per year: atleast 35 days.
Days left 46.
8. Quarterly, Half yearly and festival holidays: 40 days.
Balance 6 days.
9. Sickness: atleast 3 days.
Remaining days 3.
10. Movies and functions: atleast 2 days.
1 day left.
11. That 1 day is your birthday: "How can you study at that day?"

Balance days 0
Therefore, How can a student PASS....

what if it was real eh??

2007-05-03T10:37:00.000-07:00

I recently read this one... it was too hilarious not to mention it in my blog... long live the value of the rupee!
What happens if 1 rupee = 45 dollars !

Scene 1
Venue : Microsoft Corporation, New York , US
Some s/w engineers are seeing some photographs.
s/w engg 1 : What's that?
s/w engg 2 : Bob's photographs from India .
s/w engg 1 : Wow. Let me see. Which is this place?
s/w engg 3 : (Sees the photo) This is Ahmednagar, Maharashtra.
s/w engg 1 : Fundoo yaar! And what is this? He got Bajaj Pulsar also.
s/w engg 2 : Let me see (sees). This guy enjoys life maan...
s/w engg 3 : You know how much an Bajaj Pulsar costs?
Nearly 60K.....Say it in dollars... (60000*45 = 27,00,000 dollars)
s/w engg 2: Oops. We can't dream of such a thing here.
s/w engg 1 : Let's go to India & try for a job.
[Everybody excited.]

SCENE 2
Venue: Sun Microsystems, SanFrancisco , California, US.
s/w engg 1: I'm with you man. My Visa is expected anytime. Soon I will fly to India.
s/w engg 2: Ohhh.... When is the party?
s/w engg 1: When I get it on hand.
s/w engg 2: Where will you be working?
s/w engg 1 : I'll be working in Mangalwarpet
s/w engg 2 : Oh! Mangalwarpet. Great yaar. where it is...
s/w engg 1 : It is in Pune..not poona...too old fashioned...it pronounced poohneigh...get it right k..
s/w engg 3 : Fundoo place yaar. Nice climate Not like California.You'll love the weather yaar. One of my friends is in Aundh...He says it's the ultimate place to live in. Cool maan.
s/w engg 2 : Who is the client yaar?
s/w engg 1: You know Pune Municipal Corporation?
s/w engg 3 : Yeah. PMC. One of my friends is there in the Pot Hole Division. Most challenging job yaar. People are working in the cutting edge of technology there.
s/w engg 1 : I'll be writing software for the accounts department ofthe GCU.
s/w engg 2: GCU? what it means...?
s/w engg 1 : that is Garbage Collecting Unit.
s/w engg 3 : : Great yaar. That's what I like about that country. You can get a job which requires all your skill. Not like here. See I'm writing software for the space shuttle remote control.I hate this.
s/w engg 1 : Don't worry guys. I'll give you my Hotmail id. You can send your resume to me and I'll forward it to the HRD.
[Everybody takes down his Hotmail id.]

SCENE 3
Venue: IBM, New York, US(Conversation between a Male s/w engg. and Female s/w engg.)
Male : Hi!
Female: Hi. You know nah...I'm planning to settle in India soon.
Male : What??
Female : Yeah. My marriage will be here in America only. He is doing his Ph.D in J.N.T.U and he's coming here for a month. His study will be over in 2 months. He's already got a job in MSCB. We planned to settle in Pune itself... I'm also planning to work there. Let's see...
Male: Good luck... dont forget us & US...

SCENE 4
Venue: Intel Corp. US
s/w engg 1: Great news guys. Our George has got admission in the IGNOU with scholarship for B.A History. A great new field yaar...All are excited...
George : Got my Visa yesterday. It's all finalized now.
s/w engg 2 : Congrats yaar. So you are out of this country.
s/w engg 1 : B.A in Histroy...ohh. ..man, enjoy your life there!!
s/w engg 2 :Got full aid, eh?
George : Yeah. Got the UGC scholarship That will be 1200 Rupees / year.
s/w engg 1 : Great. Enjoy.
s/w engg 2 : (Thinking loud): 1200 Indian Rupees...!
that means 1200 * 45 = 54000 Dollars...with that amount I can buy a three bed-room flat & a Mercedes here...!!!

SCENE 5
A foreigner working in Hyderabad as Software Engg gets
a call from his Home ..
Father : What are you doing son ?
S/w Eng : Having breakfast ?
Father : what are you eating ?
S/w Eng: The usual dad...Coconut Sauce and Rice Bread i.e.,(Idli and Chutney)

I hope u donot fail to see the double standards...now ppl....would u like a job in the US?...if 1 rupee=45$...
R.S.V.P.

Its not "fare"...

2007-05-01T04:33:00.000-07:00

Thats what my t-shirt read...i wore it in the 8th or 9th maybe....i still have it...it is lime-hidious-green and my cousins loved it coz thats what they described mee as... an" its not fair"kinda person. "Totally wrong", i would defy and crib about it not being fair to label mee....which would futher prove their point.
Today im asking u folks...to simply go ahead answer these questions in ur brain if u can and see how many of the following situations u comply with...

It will pour during mid-summer when u have planned a wonderful evening out...
It will be extra hot esp. when u plan to excercise....
It will burn when it must caramalise....
It will come as a compulsory question only when u leave it for option...
It will close only when u suppose it must be open...
It will ask your best friend only when u have intentions...
It will appear only when ur totally bankupt and done with shopping...
It will dissapear from the shelves [and market for that matter] when ur looking for it....
It will be in sale only when u dont want it....
It will be too small or too large....
It will not work when u want it too....
and u can go on and on if u must...

but i rather not.....
For i know i have had my lucky moments which as human nature, many people who agree with most of wat ive written, tend to forget....Because im not the "its not fair" kinda person....im the person who faces the sunshine and lets her shadow fall behind, i perceive the glass half full and not half empty....thus i win the old arguement....now tell mee people isnt this just fair!!!

Les vacances...

2007-04-23T23:40:00.000-07:00

Its time to kick off the shoes and put up my feet...as in its holiday time.The time of the year every student looks forward to, awaits with a whole heart and in the end gets BoRed when theres actually nothing to do...ok i dunno abt everyone...but this happens to mee always. I await for my exams to get over, and seriously look forward to doing nothing, BuT i always get bored when i actually have nothing substantial to do...i bet its something coz of the hectic life i have just before hols spring up. Anyways, its holiday time and i have a schedule for it...so that i make the most of my free time.I am planning to go for my pre-dip in french, followed by some latin dance class at stretch.The remaining time is going to be spent going for an out-of-town wedding, a well deserved relaxation trip to mahbi/panchi...and a trip to one of those mumbai amusement parks{thanks to my colg ppl..}Now, looking at all of the above, one may think i am pretty busy....but trust mee this is the tip of the iceberg...i have loads to do everyday including watching tv, catching up wid old friends, going shopping, updating blog,etc,etc...However i dunno how much will materialise...

im loving it!

2007-04-16T03:04:00.000-07:00

I was practically living on tea, tea and more tea. Ive had soo many cups that my taste buds don't even recognize the hot fluid any more... yup it was exam time alright! After going thru staying up the nights for funny colg pprs with abbr.~ BFM, LSD....its was time to stay up for uni pprs with equally funny abbr. ~BBC, CNN,CTC,...and no we don't have NDTV ok!!
Although i cannot say that my pprs went good, coz majority of them are subjective and ToTally depend of the examiner's mood....i can say that i could have done better.
Leaving aside the MMS syndrome, i want to write and dedicate this blog to all my friends who do not like :
a} studying for exams
b} giving exams
c} getting results.
When desperate friends ask mee to explain the "necessity" of having these tests, i actually have been dumbfounded. Then ive been explained that There is no point just judging by the means of marks which are obtained by cramming/mugging and vomiting right?...wheres the actual learning curve?, etc, etc....
But the only thing i want to say is that exams are a way of life in our country... all of us have got to accept that and give them...No EScape route!!. Our lives and our parents lives are engulfed by this exam-phenomenon.We plan fun holidays around it, weddings are organised keeping these schedules in minds and leaves are arranged by working parents to coincide around their child boards.
Howmuchever one may hAte it, it does not matter.There is no choice right??...is there? So there is no point in cribbing...
I write all this inspite of being known as an exam-cribber.But I've learnt it now: Give the exams with the right attitude and those horrible days fly past.The more one cribs, the more difficult it gets for them to get thru....
SO Smile ppl,WE loVE exams, isnt it!!

Jeepers Creepers..its Fd13!!

2007-04-13T09:46:00.000-07:00

Its Friday,the 13th. Reminds mee of the terribly unwatchable movie...but i wont dwell into that. I'm writing this blog for all my friends who believe in "Bad luck bestowed on this day". Well, i actually don't believe that bad things happen only on this day , it can happen on any fricking day !!heheh...however if u belong to my school of thought, u may wonder" why only Friday the 13th???"...and not Tuesday the 23rd??"...Well, theres some gruel history attached to this date. All u ppl who enjoy Dan Browns,or Micheal Crichtons.....must know all abt it, but for those who are less informed....here it goes...
During the dark middle ages, the Knights of Templar, who were the guardians of the catholic faith against the increasingly spreading Islam, were slaughtered in mass numbers by the devout catholic priests, on the order of the reigning king as they were known to posses some dark anti-church information. Sad, don't u think....u kill for them and then u get killed by them!Anyways, a letter was sent to all the churches in Europe and a date...yes Friday the 13th, 1313...was decided was the day for the complete annihilation of the now perverse Knights. It is believed that they were tricked,caught, tied and burnt alive in groups in front of villagers. This sight, was later passed from generation to generation, by word-of-mouth technique, as being an unlucky day for the do-ers of good....and Hence Friday the 13th is feared by many...
However in today's world, i have rarely met people who are aware of the true myth attached to this date...they just think of the day as unlucky.Well it was unlucky....but only for those unfortunate knights...and not for us common "non do-ers of good"!The Knights have ceased to exist...but the myth of their valour and misfortune remains...Now have they ceased to exist for sure?...the question remains...

my refuge...

2007-04-09T22:31:00.000-07:00

Listening to some of my favorite music i write this blog...inspiration flows through mee,i feel blissful and content, but i guess this only comes because im listening to great music!...otherwise my world is fultoo whacked as of now...i have exams for which we had very lil time to prep for, in exactly 24 hrs...whoa what am i doin online i ask myself, but even before the question is asked i know the answer...i love being online, i think of it as a high,an escape from one reality to another...its like being on lsd or something,no wonder when i have nothing to do i land up spending my creativity or what lil of it i am supposed to have on this outlet of mine....in short GOD bless this blogosphere, my sanity in this totally insane world of ours...n i welcome all of u to my refuge!

The debacle..

2007-04-06T21:59:00.000-07:00

Life does not consist of perfect endings...ppl who believe in the "happily ever after" stuff are merely fooling their selves to believe!
How can one live the perfect live??...who decides whats perfect btw??...and even if u live correctly, fulfill all moral n social obligations possible, u will still feel unaccomplished.I guess that's the reason why we have been brought here...to live this life and keep trying to make it perfect...however,there is no perfect...now, what a disappointment!
Speaking of perfection, which i know is hard to define... what if ppl live imperfect lives and still feel happy??...does this situ ever exist in our humane society??...so what if i missed something which was imp to someone else...so what if i dislike someone who i am expected to like...am i allowed to be happy???
That is not left in my hands...its for them to decide! Plz excuse my inquisitive nature...its in mee to ask questions ...i guess thats what I've learnt from this seemingly superb gift...its unanswering nature!
Maybe death brings in its wake something to behold??...can we learn something from this "ceasing to exist state"??...maybe somethings need not be answered now... maybe there will be a right time , place ,occasion to bombard all my questions....and maybe just maybe there will be someone with enough of patience to answer all of them till i believe...

fables...

2007-03-28T21:32:00.000-07:00

A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit.
All the other frogs gathered around the pit.
When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead.
The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all of their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead.
Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up.
He fell down and died.The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could.
Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die.
He jumped even harder and finally made it out.
When he got out, the other frogs said, "Did you not hear us?"
The frog explained to them that he was deaf.
He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.

This story teaches two lessons:
1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.
2. A destructive word! to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them. Be careful of what you say.
Speak life to those who cross your path.The power of words....it is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go a long way. Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times!

Self-flatterry...???

2007-03-04T10:33:00.000-08:00

People are usually found praising themselves in every possible "non-obvious" manner they possibly can.....However,i don't feel like joining the league.Btw as u all will read on...u all will be forced to realize that none of the following is...{ahem} true!!
Pisces (Fish)
{ Born February 19 - March 20 }
1.A Pisces cannot live without lies and treachery. They often get so wrapped up in their own tall tales that they can easily forget which of their stories are true and which are not.
2.A Pisces constantly contradicts herself, and is always trying to wriggle out of a lie somebody has called her on. She will generally not profit from such fruitless tasks, but that's fine by her - she's doing it for the art.
3.Additionally a Pisces loves nothing more than to stick her nose into someone else's dirty laundry. Pretending to be a self-taught psychoanalyst she will pry into people's secrets, which she will later manipulate and trade through her own self-styled network of spies.
4.Incapable of working, or for that matter doing anything remotely useful, a Pisces has no interest for acquiring such abilities. Forcing her to do so is nearly impossible - she will simply wriggle out and disappear.

Thats a piscean for you! !Whole and soul!!
NO nO dont laugh, i would love if you ppl would come up wid similar stuff abt yourselves.....Now thats true CouRaGE!!whadouthink haa??

Define...

2007-02-22T21:00:00.000-08:00

Well this is not to disappoint u ppl...esp.guys who i know for sure are really "fond" of Madame.Jolie-Pitt.The idea for this blog is to make people aware that "Food is the essence of life"....and thats what makes Angelina...her!However i don't wanna patronise her so im gonna move ahead.

Being a dietitian does leave one retrospecting their own diets.And believe mee this is not a very blissful thing,esp. when i see my brother dear buttering up his toast for breakfast!!

According to moi,people in general can be divided into Three categories{of course speaking non-professionally}The ones who are nourished, The ones who are malnourished,And the third lucky group who eat,enjoy,exercise and live life minus health worries.

However in the techno-gizmo world of today, the third catagory ppl have ceased to exist, i mean when the phone and the Internet are at thy fingertips why will neone wanna move their behind??Its pointless when we can get food without tilting our heads from the screen of our new L.C.D. tv/PS2!

However i would love if ull told mee how ull define Health??What according to u ppl is The lifestule one can opt to be in the Third catagory.....Till then,

Cheers to good health!

Shirin.

Overrated?wat do u think??....

2007-02-12T22:28:00.000-08:00

"Whatever is wrong with people in love??....don't they just understand the fact that the celebration of a fetish like such* is pure degradation of the school they are soo madly obsessed wid?!!
mAN truly "love is blind and makes u act like a blind man too"
I've even heard cases where ppl are shelling out loads just to send a "box of chocolates" for some adorable person they feel is worth it...who currently is far far away!!Now wheres the sense in that right!?! "

"There i was sitting in the dark when the doorbell rings...my heart soars wid wild expectations. So there is someone who cares to such an extent that {he}/{she} has taken the trouble of doing something so special!!How lucky can i get!"

Two senarios....tell mee which one appeals the most? its obviously the second one! But dontya ppl think this blissful feeling is overrated?!!

Ppl visiting this page plz care to put in an opinion...id really love to know!

Fodder for ya brainz!!

2007-01-29T09:46:00.001-08:00

1. God is real, unless declared integer.

2. Before borrowing money from a friend, decide whether you need more.

3. Death is hereditary.

4. There are three sides to every argument: your side, my side and the right side.

5. An expert is someone who takes a subject you understand and makes it sound confusing.

6. Many things can be preserved in alcohol. Dignity is not one of them.

7. Never argue with a fool. People might not know the difference.

8. When you're right, no one remembers. When you're wrong, no one forgets.

9. Cheer up, the worst is yet to come.

10. Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.

11. Well done is better than well said.

12. Everyone makes mistakes. The trick is to make them when nobody is looking.

13. Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won't expect it back.

14. If you can't see the bright side of life, polish the dull side.

15. Where there's a will there are five hundred relatives.

16. Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.

When ppl behave DuMb

2007-01-15T22:16:00.000-08:00

When normal individuals show slow and low understanding capabilities it implies they are either too bored n uninterested in what is being said or done....or either they pretend to be dumb{No offence to Les invalids}.
What i see here is they find it to be an opportunity to escape THEIR boredom simply by stating a nod even when one does NOT comply or concur wid the situation.However this act of knowing does saves time and energy for both the info. giver and the Pretender, along wid other human n man made resources like patience and money.
But.... sheesh...it does get irritating when U are the on the giving end...!! I mean WHat???....y the hell am even taking the trouble??!!Anyways the main reason for writing this blog is to make Les gens aware that no one can always be on the blissful side always...so SOW the Stuff U want to Reap!! n if u seriously are getting Bored OR are genuinely uninterested Just say soo!!...Is it that difficult!
Disclaimer: the blog is only a perspective k....and it also happens that the author has been received by pea brains ~~

Its the season to be jolly..lalalala

2007-01-06T22:07:00.000-08:00

Its Christmas already....and for mee its the time to retrospect!!

JANUARY: Last year began wid a blast...at Athena & Merlot....its a lovely place owned by Karen Anand!!We were home by 2:30am though...coz i forgot mes cles.....

FEBRUARY: Don't remember much but im sure i must have written some exam or the other!!...{how predictable}

MARCH: K....birthday month....and i celebrated it thrice this year...which is once more than the usual!!
1.wid family
2.wid Andy and gang
3.wid college ppl!!
and by the end of the month i was begging for money here and there!!!heheheh!!!TREATS CAN GET EXPENSIVE!!

APRIL: A tough month it was...wid finals and all....but yes....the last days were Jolie!!
thats coz all my ppl...exclusive of folks...landed up in Alibaug for a good week !!

MAY: Another interesting month during which mee and my family travelled....but this time it was GO GOA!!....and we reached well before the rains...so there we were soaking up our tan...swimming in the sea...and eating yummy foods along the vast coast!!

JUNE: A month of RAIN RAIN AND ONLY RAIN!!....OK i don't adore getting drenched esp.when i have to go to college which is on the opposite end of town!!....but i managed with a lil cursing!!heheh!!!

JULY: Units took up our time along wid subs which were lined up all the way!!...ohh how i missed May then!!

AUGUST: I was bored wid life and decided to enroll for french...this was basically done to wake up in the mornings and move my butt out of bed!!So there i was wid Mademoiselle Ruchi at sharp oh eight hundred hours learning the alphabets and numbers in french!!It was fun bt i missed the earlier company of Cresspo n all....however i had fun basically coz it ws sumthing i liked!!

SEPTEMBER: French took its toll wid my second units and i had to multitask ....which i don't like coz i land up doin nothing well!!....ok i may sound like a PERfectionist...bt whats the pt of doin sumthing if ur not gonna do it well???

OCTOBER: Subs SUBS and more subs....oh...being a nutritionist doesn't come easy!..bt thinking of it....WHAT DOES?!!... this was also the time for 1B in french!!...an upgrade from the nos. n alphabets! it was time for verbs,tenses...n other intensive grammar stuff wid monsieur Hamish!!sheesh...{no offence to monsieur...i guess he did tRY to teach}!!...and yes i did miss my ol batch a lil!

NOVEMBER: Time for french final + college finals!!....y mee i asked god??....however i had to go thru wid it....and there after some cursing , praying and criticizing... this torturous month was over!! AND the bEST part is I Passed and did wookay too!!!{inclined to be modest}

DECEMBER: 2A in french wid monsieur Kaustub {and han 2A isn't easy k!!}...at 6:00 in the eve....so there it was...Mornings began wid subs and evenings ended wid french....i.e.....i had no life!! But in the end All was worthwhile...as Dad says,"No oNe ever died of Hardwork now....did they??"

Thus ends my year…and respecting Bob Dylan’s words…”I do take care of all my memories for I cannot relive all of them!!”
Love,
Shirin.

No news is Good news!!

2006-12-22T02:34:00.000-08:00

Imagine one day a party pooper comes your way.....
je sais je sais je sais....
Imagine one day a stong wind blows your face...
je sais je sais je sais....
Imagine one day u think your gonna fail...
je sais je sais je sais....
Imagine one day your results bring u grace....
je sais je sais je sais...
Gave my semis in nov.....and results not out yet....however the next exam timetable is up already??? This bought a feeling of deja-vu wid it....they clash wid my fav cousins wedding....now didnt something like this happen during my 12th std prelims???...k...moral of the story:GOD hates mee....and takes special effort to show it!!

2006-11-30T22:10:00.000-08:00

when ppl live such lovely lives...it forces one to look back and think.....ooohh now where did i go wrong?.....But it isnt that....truly....coz the people living that lovely life wonder the same thing.....heheh.....c'est la vie n'est pas?....and thats why they say that the grass is greener on the other side ALways.....!!heheh....God produces such lovely daily soaps....i wonder who watches all his channels daily??....now talking abt soaps....ive got to mention "The Office"...k....its one of my FAVOURITES....not only coz i just love all the actors and stuff....but the comedy is seriously AWARD winning....not that i endorse awards an all..but just that its soo worth a watch.....so tune in to star world at 9:00pm....on thursdays....or catch the repeat at 12:00pm friday afnoons.....heheh....and then maybe ull get my humour then??heheh!!

2006-11-28T10:08:00.000-08:00

ok......i have done some serious thinking......my site is not gonna be sOme great oasis of info k.....it gets kinda Boring.....so for a change....and to get visiters to leAVE a comment {i mean c'mon ppl....dont be kanjoos ....atleast not wid ur opinions!!} i am gonna WRITE my own articles....so ppl interested in reading my version...STICK around....as for the rest .......!!!

Damocles' sword~

2006-11-17T10:14:00.000-08:00

Ancient / Classical history truly brings with it awe and respect.....here's one of my favorites from the greek and roman philosophy.....for u russell peter fans...."groman" philosophy..heheh!
Judge no one happy until his life is over is a familiar theme in Greek and Roman philosophical writing [See Solon and Croesus]. One variant of this is the Sword of Damocles, which almost translates into the English idiom as "walk a mile in my shoes" and is used to describe a sense of foreboding.Dionysius was a fourth century B.C. tyrant of Syracuse. To all appearances he was very rich and comfortable, with all the luxuries money could buy, tasteful clothing and jewelry, and delectable food. He even had court flatterers (adsentatores) to inflate his ego. One of these ingratiators was the court sycophant Damocles. Damocles used to make comments to the king about his wealth and luxurious life. One day when Damocles complimented the tyrant on his abundance and power, Dionysius turned to Damocles and said, "If you think I'm so lucky, how would you like to try out my life?"Damocles readily agreed, and so Dionysius ordered everything to be prepared for Damocles to experience what life as Dionysius was like.Damocles was enjoying himself immensely until he noticed a sharp sword hovering over his head, which was suspended from the ceiling by a horse hair. This, the tyrant explained to Damocles, was what life as ruler was really like.Damocles, alarmed and quickly revising his idea of what made up a good life, asked to be excused. He then eagerly returned to his poorer, but safer life.
I'll upload the pic sometime ltr.....

2006-11-15T07:39:00.000-08:00

Le langue francais;
Oh la la.....il est difficile mais j'aime le langue beacoup!!!
J'ai une présentation le 22 Novembre est je suis presenter sur le bande desineés:Astérix et Obélics;

2006-11-09T03:38:00.000-08:00

Today was the last day of my sem.....
Looking back i definitely feel....well....mixed.....!!!
On one hand i remember all our fun "katta" times during subs,
the tiffin sharing wid friends,
the perennial borrowing of stationary which i never carried,
the "oohh my god...we r screwed" moments when the portions were declared,
and all the fun times in all our classes......!!!
....on the other hand i remember the horrifically boring lectures of Mrs.Giri....{no offence....but food micro really sucksss...}.....
and the tough times we faced during our exams....{i mean three pprs in a day....what the hell are they trying to prove???}
the terrible punishing FRMgt. submissions,
....ohh but its over......and gee im in the 4th sem........
THAT MAKES MEE 50% dietitian!!!
wow....wasn't that fast??!!

ZeUs

2006-10-31T00:00:00.000-08:00

In Greek mythology, Zeus is the highest ranking god among the Olympian gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus, and god of the sky and thunder.

Zeus
by Ron Leadbetter

Zeus, the youngest son of Cronus and Rhea, he was the supreme ruler of Mount Olympus and of the Pantheon of gods who resided there. Being the supreme ruler he upheld law, justice and morals, and this made him the spiritual leader of both gods and men. Zeus was a celestial god, and originally worshiped as a weather god by the Greek tribes. These people came southward from the Balkans circa 2100 BCE. He has always been associated as being a weather god, as his main attribute is the thunderbolt, he controlled thunder, lightning and rain. Theocritus wrote circa 265 BCE: "sometimes Zeus is clear, sometimes he rains". He is also known to have caused thunderstorms. In Homer's epic poem the Iliad he sent thunderstorms against his enemies. The name Zeus is related to the Greek word dios, meaning "bright". His other attributes as well as lightning were the scepter, the eagle and his aegis (this was the goat-skin of Amaltheia).

Before the abolition of monarchies, Zeus was protector of the king and his family. Once the age of Greek kings faded into democracy he became chief judge and peacemaker, but most importantly civic god. He brought peace in place of violence and Hesiod (circa 700 BCE) describes Zeus as "the lord of justice". Zeus was also known as "Kosmetas" (orderer), "Soter" (savior), "Polieos" (overseer of the polis, city) and "Eleutherios" (guarantor of political freedoms). His duties in this role were to maintain the laws, protect suppliants, to summon festivals and to give prophecies (his oldest and most famous oracle was at Dodona, in Epirus, northwestern Greece). As the supreme deity Zeus oversaw the conduct of civilized life. But the "father of gods and men" as Homer calls him, has many mythological tales.

His most famous was told by Hesiod in his Theogony, of how Zeus usurped the kingdom of the immortals from his father. This mythological tale of Zeus' struggle against the Titans (Titanomachy) had been caused by Cronus, after he had been warned that one of his children would depose him. Cronus knowing the consequences, as he had overthrown his father Uranus. To prevent this from happening Cronus swallowed his newborn children Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades and Poseidon, but his wife Rhea (who was also his sister) and Gaia her mother, wrapped a stone in swaddling clothes in place of the infant Zeus. Cronus thinking it was the newborn baby swallowed the stone. Meanwhile Rhea had her baby taken to Crete, and there, in a cave on Mount Dicte, the divine goat Amaltheia suckled and raised the infant Zeus.

When Zeus had grown into a young man he returned to his fathers domain, and with the help of Gaia, compelled Cronus to regurgitate the five children he had previously swallowed (in some versions Zeus received help from Metis who gave Cronus an emetic potion, which made him vomit up Zeus' brothers and sisters). However, Zeus led the revolt against his father and the dynasty of the Titans, defeated and then banished them. Once Zeus had control, he and his brothers divided the universe between them: Zeus gaining the heavens, Poseidon the sea and Hades the underworld. Zeus had to defend his heavenly kingdom. The three separate assaults were from the offspring of Gaia: they were the Gigantes, Typhon (Zeus fought them with his thunder-bolt and aegis) and the twin brothers who were called the Aloadae. The latter tried to gain access to the heavens by stacking Mount Ossa on top of Mount Olympus, and Mount Pelion on top of Mount Ossa, but the twins still failed in their attempt to overthrow Zeus. As he did with the Titans, Zeus banished them all to "Tartarus", which is the lowest region on earth, lower than the underworld.

According to legend, Metis, the goddess of prudence, was the first love of Zeus. At first she tried in vain to escape his advances, but in the end succumbed to his endeavor, and from their union Athena was conceived. Gaia warned Zeus that Metis would bear a daughter, whose son would overthrow him. On hearing this Zeus swallowed Metis, the reason for this was to continue to carry the child through to the birth himself. Hera (his wife and sister) was outraged and very jealous of her husband's affair, also of his ability to give birth without female participation. To spite Zeus she gave birth to Hephaestus parthenogenetically (without being fertilized) and it was Hephaestus who, when the time came, split open the head of Zeus, from which Athena emerged fully armed.

Zeus had many offspring; his wife Hera bore him Ares, Hephaestus, Hebe and Eileithyia, but Zeus had numerous liaisons with both goddesses and mortals. He either raped them, or used devious means to seduce the unsuspecting maidens. His union with Leto (meaning the hidden one) brought forth the twins Apollo and Artemis. Once again Hera showed her jealousy by forcing Leto to roam the earth in search of a place to give birth, as Hera had stopped her from gaining shelter on terra-firma or at sea. The only place she could go was to the isle of Delos in the middle of the Aegean, the reason being that Delos was, as legend states, a floating island.

Besides deities, he also fathered many mortals. In some of his human liaisons Zeus used devious disguises. When he seduced the Spartan queen Leda, he transformed himself into a beautiful swan, and from the egg which Leda produced, two sets of twins were born: Castor and Polydeuces and Clytemnestra and Helen of Troy. He visited princess Danae as a shower of gold, and from this union the hero Perseus was born. He abducted the Phoenician princess Europa, disguised as a bull, then carried her on his back to the island of Crete where she bore three sons: Minos, Rhadamanthys and Sarpedon. Zeus also took as a lover the Trojan prince Ganymede. He was abducted by an eagle sent by Zeus (some legends believe it was Zeus disguised as an eagle). The prince was taken to Mount Olympus, where he became Zeus' cup-bearer. Zeus also used his charm and unprecedented power to seduce those he wanted, so when Zeus promised Semele that he would reveal himself in all his splendor, in order to seduce her, the union produced Dionysus, but she was destroyed when Zeus appeared as thunder and lightening. Themis, the goddess of justice bore the three Horae, goddesses of the seasons to Zeus, and also the three Moirae, known as these Fates. When Zeus had an affair with Mnemosyne, he coupled with her for nine consecutive nights, which produced nine daughters, who became known as the Muses. They entertained their father and the other gods as a celestial choir on Mount Olympus. They became deities of intellectual pursuits. Also the three Charites or Graces were born from Zeus and Eurynome. From all his children Zeus gave man all he needed to live life in an ordered and moral way.

Zeus had many Temples and festivals in his honor, the most famous of his sanctuaries being Olympia, the magnificent "Temple of Zeus", which held the gold and ivory statue of the enthroned Zeus, sculpted by Phidias and hailed as one of the "Seven Wonders of the Ancient World". Also the Olympic Games were held in his honor. The Nemean Games, which were held every two years, were to honor Zeus. There were numerous festivals throughout Greece: in Athens they celebrated the marriage of Zeus and Hera with the Theogamia (or Gamelia). The celebrations were many: in all, Zeus had more than 150 epithets, each one being celebrated in his honor.

In art, Zeus was usually portrayed as bearded, middle aged but with a youthful figure. He would look very regal and imposing. Artists always tried to reproduce the power of Zeus in their work, usually by giving him a pose as he is about to throw his bolt of lightening. There are many statues of Zeus, but without doubt the Artemisium Zeus is the most magnificent. It was previously thought to be Poseidon, and can be seen in the Athens National Archaeological Museum.

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2006-10-29T20:40:00.000-08:00

ANGER MANAGEMENT :

If you find that your angry outbursts are negatively affecting your relationships with family, friends, co-workers and even complete strangers, it's probably time to change the way you express your anger.

Here are some tips to get your anger under control :

1.Take a "time out." Count to 10 before reacting or leave the situation altogether.

2.Do something physically exerting. Physical activity can provide an outlet for your emotions, especially if you're about to erupt. Go for a walk or a run, swim, lift weights or shoot baskets, for example. Find ways to calm and soothe yourself. Practice deep-breathing exercises, visualize a relaxing scene, or repeat a calming word or phrase to yourself, such as "take it easy." You can also listen to music, paint, journal or do yoga.

3.Express your anger as soon as possible so that you aren't left stewing. If you can't express your anger in a controlled manner to the person who angered you, try talking to a family member, friend, counselor or another trusted person.

4.Think carefully before you say anything so that you don't end up saying something you'll regret.

5.Work with the person who angered you to identify solutions to the situation.

6.Use "I" statements when describing the problem to avoid criticizing or placing blame. For instance, say "I'm upset you didn't help with the housework this evening," instead of, "You should have helped with the housework." To do otherwise will likely upset the other person and escalate tensions.

7.Don't hold a grudge. Forgive the other person. It's unrealistic to expect everyone to behave exactly as you want.

8.Use humor to defuse your anger, such as imagining yourself or the other person in silly situations. Don't use sarcasm, though — it's just another form of unhealthy _expression.

9.Keep an anger log to identify the kinds of situations that set you off and to monitor your reactions.

You can practice many of these strategies on your own. But if your anger seems out of control, is hurting your relationships or has escalated into violence, you may benefit from seeing a psychotherapist or an anger management professional. Role playing in controlled situations, such as anger management classes, can help you practice your techniques.

KEEP AT IT!!

It may take some time and intense effort to put these tips into practice when you're facing situations that typically send you into a rage. In the heat of the moment, it can be hard to remember your coping strategies.

You may need to keep something with you that serves as a reminder to step back from the situation and get your anger under control. For instance, you may want to keep a small, smooth stone in your pocket or a scrap of paper with your tips written down. With due diligence, these anger management techniques will come more naturally and you'll no longer need such reminders.

2006-10-27T09:26:00.000-07:00

The French have jokes, but do they have a sense of humour?
'Baron, how did you find the English?
'Very distracting. They have a form of conversationcalled humour, which makes everyone laugh a lot.
'‘Humour—is this like esprit?
'‘No, not really.
'‘But then how do you translate it?
'‘Well, I can't.
We in France don't have a word for it.

'This scene in the film “Ridicule”, by Patrice Leconte, shows a marquis at the court of Louis XVI in Versailles telling other courtiers and their crinolined companions about his discovery of humour during a trip to England.
He tries to illustrate this peculiar phenomenon by telling a joke he has heard in England. No one laughs until another courtier adds a witty, slightly dirty remark to the English joke.If the Latin emotions of the French sit uneasily with humour, so does the French logical mind. French children are instilled with Cartesian esprit ...
When your correspondent was at university in France, she was told her poor performance was due to an Anglo-Saxon mind that made her unable to think properly, or rather logically. A French Cartesian mind does not know what to make of a nonsensical story, such as this one. “The governor of the Bank of England began an address to an assembly of bankers with these words: ‘There are three kinds of economists, those who can count and those who can't.'” A joke of this kind would be met with incomprehension by French listeners. It is not logical.Yet, despite translators' best efforts, a mésentente cordiale remains when it comes to funniness. At the end of the film “Ridicule”, mentioned at the start of this article, the hat of the Marquis de Bellegarde is blown away by the wind. Interrupting his lamentations, an English lord (who has caught the hat) remarks that it is better than losing one's head. Ah, cries Bellegarde, this is English humour!

Though the point of this article is to state that the French do not have a sense of humour (more on that someother time), it brings out the British sense quite well.

2006-10-25T21:53:00.000-07:00

Today, let's skip the jokes and offer instead a few not-so-deep thoughts...

* Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting weak?

* Why do banks charge a fee on "insufficient funds" when they know there is not enough?

* Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?

* Why doesn't glue stick to the glue bottle?

* Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?

* Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?

* Whose idea was it to put an "S" in the word lisp?

2006-10-23T08:34:00.000-07:00

Some "ha ha ha" facts of life......

[1]Regular naps prevent old age, especially if you take them while driving.

[2]Marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right and the other is the husband!

[3]I believe we should all pay our tax with a smile. I tried - but they wanted cash.

[4]A child's greatest period of growth is the month after you've purchased new school uniforms.

[5]Don't feel bad. A lot of people have no talent.

[6]Don't marry the person you want to live with, marry the one you cannot live without, but whatever you do, you'll regret it later.

[7]You can't buy love, but you pay heavily for it.

[8]Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.

[9]Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired.

[10]Marriage is give and take. You'd better give it to her or she'll take it anyway.

[11]My wife and I always compromise. I admit I'm wrong and she agrees with me.

[12]Those who can't laugh at themselves leave the job to others.

[13]Ladies first.Pretty ladies sooner.

[14]A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.

[15]You're getting old when you enjoy remembering things more than doing them.

[16]It doesn't matter how often a married man changes his job, he still ends upwith the same boss.

[17]Real friends are the ones who survive transitions between address books.

[18]Saving is the best thing. Especially when your parents have done it for you.

[19]Wise men talk because they have something to say;fools talk because they have to say something.

[20]They call our language the mother tongue because the father seldom gets to speak!

ive got loads to add....so watchout!

2006-10-22T03:58:00.000-07:00

Brain Therapy: Putting Mind Over Matter

Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.
-Napoleon Hill

From "The Success Principles" by Jack Canfield:

The mind is such a powerful instrument, it can deliver to you literally anything you want. But you have to believe that what you want is possible. Scientists used to believe that humans responded to information flowing into the brain from the outside world. But today, they’re learning instead that we respond to what the brain, on the basis of previous experience, expects to happen next.
Doctors in Texas, for example—studying the effects of arthroscopic knee surgery—assigned patients with sore, worn-out knees to one of three surgical procedures: scraping out the knee joint, washing out the joint, or doing nothing. During the “nothing” operation, doctors anesthetized the patient, made three incisions in the knee as if to insert their surgical instruments, and then pretended to operate. Two years after surgery, patients who underwent the pretend surgery reported the same amount of relief from pain and swelling as those who had received the actual treatment. The brain expected the “surgery” to improve the knee, and it did.
Why does the brain work this way? Neuropyschologist who study expectancy theory say it’s because we spend our whole lives becoming conditioned. Through a lifetime’s worth of events, our brain actually learns what to expect next—whether it actually happens that way or not. And because our brain expects something will happen a certain way, we often achieve exactly what we anticipate.
This is why it’s so important to hold positive expectations in your mind. When you replace your old negative expectations with more positive ones—when you begin to believe that what you want is possible—your brain will actually take over the job of accomplishing that possibility for you. Better than that, your brain will actually expect to achieve that outcome.

2006-10-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

Affirmation ~~~need i say more!!!

I believe the sun should never set upon an argument

I believe we place our happiness in other people's hands

I believe that junk food tastes so good because it's bad for you

I believe your parents did the best job they knew how to do

I believe that beauty magazines promote low self esteem

I believe I'm loved when I'm completely by myself alone

I believe in Karma what you give is what you get returned

I believe you can't appreciate real love until you've been burned

I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side

I believe you don't know what you've got until you say goodbye

I believe you can't control or choose your sexuality

I believe that trust is more important than monogamy

I believe your most attractive features are your heart and soul

I believe that family is worth more than money or gold

I believe the struggle for financial freedom is unfair

I believe the only ones who disagree are millionaires

I believe in Karma what you give is what you get returned

I believe you can't appreciate real love until you've been burned

I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side

I believe you don't know what you've got until you say goodbye

I believe forgiveness is the key to your unhappiness

I believe that wedded bliss negates the need to be undressed

I believe that God does not endorse TV evangelists

I believe in love surviving death into eternity

I believe in Karma what you give is what you get returned

I believe you can't appreciate real love until you've been burned

I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side

I believe you don't know what you've got until you say goodbye

2006-10-17T09:51:00.000-07:00

Some IrOnIc laws of our universe.....

1. Lorenz“s Law of Mechanical Repair: After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch.

2. Anthony“s Law of the Workshop: Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.

3. Kovac“s Conundrum: When you dial a wrong number, you never get an engaged one.

4. Cannon“s Karmic Law: If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tyre, the next morning you will have a flat tyre.

5. O“brien“s Variation Law: If you change queues, the one you have left will start to move faster than the one you are in now.

6. Bell“s Theorem: When the body is immersed in water, the te lephone rings.

7. Ruby“s Principle of Close Encounters: The probability of meeting someone you know increases when you are with someone you don“t want to be seen with.

8. Willoughby“s Law: When yo u try to prove to someone that a machine won“t work, it will.

9. Zadra“s Law of Biomechanics: The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.

10. Breda“s Rule: At any event, the pe ople whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrive last.

11. Owen“s Law: As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.

12. Howden“s Law: You remember you have to mail a letter only when you“re near the mailbox.

And the last and best :

13. Murphy“s Law What has to go wrong will go wrong

2006-10-15T10:28:00.000-07:00

The Definition Of A Winner:

1. Winners take chances. Like everyone else, they fear failing, but they refuse to let fear take control.
2. Winners don't give up. When exercise and healthy eating seem to be a hassle, they hang in until the spark returns.
3. Winners are flexible. They realize there is more than one way to do things and are willing to try others.
4. Winners know they aren't perfect. They respect their weaknesses while making the most of their strengths.
5. Winners fall but they don't stay down. They stubbornly refuse to let a fall keep them from climbing.
6. Winners don't blame fate for their failures, nor luck for their successes. Winners accept responsibility for their lives.
7. Winners are positive thinkers who see good in all things. From the ordinary, they make the extraordinary.
8. Winners believe in the path they have chosen even when it's hard, even when others can't see where they're going.
9. Winners are patient. They know a goal is only as worthy as the effort that is required to achieve it.
10. Winners are people who believe in themselves. They make this world a better place to be.

2006-10-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

PITFALLS OF PERFECTIONALISM:
After the 2004 French Open, Venus Williams claimed her seventeenth victory of the season -- no losses. In her moment of triumph, she turns to reporters and says, in near-perfect French:
"I haven't worked hard enough. Sometimes, I've wanted it too much. Sometimes, I haven't wanted it enough. Sometimes, I didn't listen to my coaches. Sometimes, I didn't listen to myself." She adds, "I hate mistakes in everything, not just on the court."

So, what's wrong with perfectionism?
Findings from decades of personality research say plenty. Even though perfectionists are often high-achievers, they are also at risk for eating disorders, sexual dysfunction, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, divorce and even suicide. They lead a life of continual anxiety and fear of failure. Even when they succeed, like Venus Williams, perfectionists never feel satisfied. According to psychologist Gordon Flett of York University in Toronto, perfectionism is particularly dangerous for athletes and people who exercise regularly. They often over-train and burn out, by pushing their bodies beyond their limits. Instead of letting up, they exacerbate their injuries, potentially causing permanent damage. Simply put, they cannot tolerate flaws.
Exceptionally talented athletes may be protected from the pitfalls of perfectionism for a while, but inevitably everyone runs into obstacles, either on or off the playing field. “Even if you are a champion, someday you will lose a game or get injured or just get old,” says Flett. “Perfectionists don’t respond well. They become extremely angry with themselves and depressed.”
The obsession with exactitude tends to cover all aspects of life. Perfectionists are very rarely obsessive about only one aspect of their lives; they “hate mistakes in everything,” just like Williams. If they don’t have the perfect body, they develop an eating disorder. If they don’t have the perfect marriage, they get divorced.

Flett calls this type of all-or-nothing thinking the “just right” phenomenon. If something isn’t “just right” to a perfectionist, then it might as well be thrown away. This may explain the high incidence of suicide among perfectionists: They think that if life isn’t perfect, then it’s worthless. Get rid of it. But not all perfectionists are the same. Flett identifies three different types perfectionism, each with a distinctive array of drawbacks. Some perfectionists are almost entirely self-motivated. In spite of any amount of praise they might receive from other people, these self-oriented perfectionists can always find fault with themselves. Karen Kain, Canada’s prima ballerina and one of the most respected dancers in the world, gave over 10,000 performances in her career. In her biography, she wrote that she received satisfaction from about 12 of them. Her primary feeling about her abilities was disappointment.
Other perfectionists feel as though the world expects them to be impeccable. In a classroom setting, these are the children who won’t try new things because they’re scared of looking foolish. They often must cope with sadness or anger, because they perceive the demands of others as unreasonable and unfair. Since they need to appear perfect, so-called “socially-proscribed” perfectionists almost never ask for help. They keep problems to themselves and let them fester. A third group of perfectionists extends their high standards to everyone else in the immediate orbit. “They demand the same thing from others that they demand in themselves, which seems fair to them,” says Flett. Personal relationships are nearly impossible, and marriages fall apart. They are the world’s worst bosses.

All perfectionists can benefit from learning how to set more realistic standards for themselves. Often when a perfectionist fails to meet a goal -- say, running six miles -- she'll try to overcompensate by aiming even farther, so the next day she'll try for eight miles. They adjust their standards, but in the wrong direction. Perfectionists can learn to undo such potentially harmful logic through counseling.
Perfectionists also harbor other destructive beliefs: for example, that they will be unloved if they aren't perfect. Since being truly perfect isn't possible, they will never feel truly convinced that they are loved.
“They don’t get the message that love isn’t contingent upon accomplishment,” says Flett. Learning to accept the flaws in themselves and others is not the pathway to mediocrity; it’s the high road to a more loving -- and satisfying -- life.

2006-10-06T02:27:00.000-07:00

ok....taking other ppls good advice....im gonna make my blog an oasis of information some of which is related to my field of specialization.....ok ok .....i wont bore u wid the dirty details we study in.....ill try to keep it as lively as possible.....and btw.... if ur wondering what field am i specializing in......i bet u wont be disappointed.....!!!!

Lets start with the basics......

The Art Of Mindful Eating!!

How many times have you sat down to eat in front of the television? And how many times have you eaten with a group? Or how many times have you eaten a meal at your desk or in front of your computer? All these scenarios cause you to be distracted while you eat.

It seems like such a simple concept -- pay attention when you’re eating. But it’s something few of us actually do. The art of mindful eating helps you become aware of not only what you’re eating, but also how much. Many of us grab a portion larger than we need and eat it without thinking twice.

This is why the concept of mindful eating was invented.

“When we are mindful, we recognize what we are picking up. When we put it into our mouths, we know what we are putting into our mouths. When we chew it, we know what we are chewing. It's very simple," says nutritionist Dr.Susan S.

Eating in a conscious manner allows us to process what we’re eating. Say you sit down with a bowl of soup in front of the T.V. But the bowls you have are of a larger size. You fill it up, sit down, watch your show, and finish the entire bowl. Are you full? Do you feel stuffed? Do you realize you’ve just eaten too much? Probably not because you’re caught up in your distraction.

Now take that same scenario and exclude the T.V., sitting with this large bowl of soup. You notice how much food is in front of you. You know you don’t need to eat that much. You either put some back or just don’t finish the full portion in front of you. You’ve just been mindful about eating.

Sounds simple, right? But when your mind is trained a certain way to eat, it’s actually quite difficult to change it. However, there is help for those who need it. Powerseed lifestyle-change system helps you to eat more slowly, savor your food, avoid thoughtless snacking and -- most importantly — stop over eating when you are no longer hungry.

Psychologist Dr. John Sklare has a take on the opposite of mindful eating and its impact on one's mind and body. He calls it the MEE (Mindless Emotional Eating) syndrome.

“An example of MEE is where you suddenly find yourself sitting on the couch with a mouth full of potato chips accompanied by no recollection of even getting up and grabbing that bag of chips,” Dr. Sklare says.

Without being conscious of what you’re doing, you make poor choices.

Also, many find themselves eating during emotional times. What causes this phenomenon?

“It’s right there between the strong emotion and the mindless eating. What connects these two events (the emotion and the action) is a bridge called thought. Your thoughts are the bridges that connect your emotions to your actions. If you can think this way, it’s a lot easier to see what’s really happening.” Dr. Sklare says.

Eating mindfully isn’t only for losing weight. It’s also about making better choices for your health. You tend to appreciate the freshness and flavors of your meals when you eat them mindfully. That means you’ll choose foods with better nutritional value for yourself. This notion can also be applied to eating disorders. Rather than looking at food as the enemy, the perspective of using food as a survival tool can be applied. Learn to savor the flavors and understand what you’re putting into your body is a form of fuel.

It’s not something that will happen overnight. But consistently practicing mindful eating will certainly change your life. Next meal you encounter, stop yourself before routinely eating like you always have. Look at what’s on your plate. Think of how each food will taste. Take your time to enjoy it. Life will seem so much more pleasant this way.

2006-10-04T01:39:00.000-07:00

This as of now is one of my fav songs....dont know if ne of u ppl like it or have heard of it.....but if u do get hold of this track....keep me informed!!!

Snow Patrol-Chasing Cars

We'll do it all

Everything

On our own

We don't need

Anything

Or anyone

If I lay here

If I just lay here

Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

I don't quite know

How to say

How I feel

Those three words

Are said too much

They're not enough

If I lay here

If I just lay here

Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told

Before we get too old

Show me a garden that's bursting into life

Let's waste time

Chasing cars

Around our heads

I need your grace

To remind me

To find my own

If I lay here

If I just lay here

Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told

Before we get too old

Show me a garden that's bursting into life

All that I am

All that I ever was

Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see

I don't know where

Confused about how as well

Just know that these things will never change for us at all

If I lay here

If I just lay here

Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

2006-10-03T03:22:00.000-07:00

hey ppl....
ok i really wonder how these other ppl write such lovely stuff abt their lives......b'coz nothing greats happenin in mine!!......
i guess the trick is : appreciate small things in life!
like just today morning my momy woke my up wid a kiss....thats coz my room was clean......and i wasnt late for french class....yippie thats an achievement!!!

2006-10-02T02:32:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!!
ok this is the first time im gonna blog.....so plz excuse me if i seem lost , break the rules or.....just commit some great cyber crime...heheheh!!!