Workshop

Cirque de la vie

2008-01-11T23:03:00.000Z

In this 'Circus of Life' who are you a ringmaster, a joker, a caged animal, an acrobat, a magician, a firefly, daredevil, a balancing act or the audience????

I want to be a magician and bring happiness joy and pleasant surprises to people I love, I meet and I know. I want to entertain and excite them. But right now I think I am a balancing act.

Who and What are you?

MUSIC AND LYRICS

2007-02-20T19:37:00.000Z

Have been gone for quite a while
Didn’t quite discover myself in this self imposed exile

What was I aiming for anyways
In these dark and frosty winter rains

Missed all of you my sweet friends
Alas I return but with no special gifts when my hiatus ends

Been busy, tired and confused
May be I am better when I remain blog enthused

Having said that Hiatus wasn’t quite all waste
Did apply few strategic theories in my assignments posthaste

Reading through Porter’s five force analysis
Desperately hoping entering B-school would be my career’s catalysis

Met and made friends from all over the world
Convinced inspite of these worldly differences we all can still love and be loved

I am so glad to be back
It would be nice not to feel lonely and this strange lack

Do take me back with all your kindness and warmth
I will try like always to write my heart’s truth

That’s a promise I will never break
Not sure about icing but I will be baking a cake!!!!

HI-ATUS

2006-10-31T13:30:00.000Z

I have been unofficially on and off from blogging but I finally decided to make it official. I won't be blogging for a while, to be specific for rest of this year. Call it if you may my winter hibernation!!
I will miss all the warmth I have received from you and that's what will bring me back next year. Early Christmas and New year wishes to all of you. My love, wishes and prayers for each one of you.
I will try and visit all of you on your blogs to say my goodbyes. Untill I am back, you can keep in touch with me if you wish on dumbdodi@yahoo.com

Miss you all and Lots of Love

Radhika AKA Dodi

Road to Perdition

2006-10-17T16:34:00.000Z

I am writing about a country about which what I had read and known seemed to have all changed drastically for the worse in last few years. That country is Iran. I read a shocking article about it and then later on happened to chat up with an Iranian co student at school who gave me a true, honest but very disturbing account of the nation’s state.

Iran always had extremely progressive and educated citizens in its society until recent years when it seemed to have all massively gone wrong. The situation there now is a perfect example of what happens to people whose minds are liberal but who are restricted or forced to lead a life which is not true to their souls. People get messed up and messed up big time !

Did you know about 5 million of the population in Iran are drug addicts, many of these addicts are woman who have given birth to a whole generation of crack babies and continue to do so. No wonder then that Aids is a growing problem because of contaminated needles and because of woman succumbing to flesh trade to feed their drug habits.

According to the U.N. World Drug Report for 2005, Iran has the highest proportion of opiate addicts in the world -- 2.8 percent of the population over the age of 15.

ARE YOU SURPRISED? ARE YOU SHOCKED?
I was, I am.

Naïve and ignorant me couldn’t guess the reason behind such a massive and seemingly exponentially growing drug problem in the country. The answer though was so obvious.

Most heroin sold in Europe and elsewhere comes from Afghanistan’s poppies. Drugs cross the permeable border with Iran on their way to Turkey and Europe despite Iran’s desperate efforts, costing many lives, to combat trafficking at the border. Europe doesn’t help Iran with the cost of policing, and does even less to finance Afghan farmers to plant alternative crops. On this route the drugs get leaked into the country thus giving easy access to people.

State of woman in the world, Value of human life, Pseudo social morals, World drug regulations, War against Afghanistan, Imperialism – all these issues get raised within this one example.

There are so many disturbing and unjust things happening around this world we call our own. I don’t want to sound idealistic but I honestly feel no longer is any country’s problem just its own. Specially through this revolution called ‘Globalisation’ we are more interconnected than ever before. The fact that there is a drug problem in Iran only reflects the greater realities of this problem elsewhere.

A time is due to come when ‘Globalisation’ would be truly economical, political, technological, ecological and social. A time when the whole world truly would be one big family!

Meanwhile, I feel for this pitiful state of a country with valuable natural resources, potentially intellectual citizens and a strategic geographical position. A country which gave so much to the world through its rich cultural and literary heritage. A country which gave us great Persian poetry through likes of Rumi, Omar Khayyam et al.

A country which was to be magnificent and palatial but which now is an edifice in shambles.

THE MAN

2006-10-01T19:49:00.000Z

My life is my message – the man thus spoke. Words like these can only come from a person who led his life truthfully, humbly and with the confidence that he did become the change he wanted to see in the world, a man who practiced what he preached.

The Man, Father of my Nation none other than Mahatma Gandhi. October 2nd was the day this great man was born who was to bring freedom and much more to my country, the man who was to influence another great man Martin Luther King to bring liberation to an entire race, the man who with his gentle ways was to shake the entire world.

On the eve of his birth anniversary, I think of him and of what is left of him in me.

Gandhi was never a hero to me, he never captured my imagination as say my heroes Che Guevara or Lenin did. On many levels you romanticise your heroes, you try and form an image of them in your mind which more often that not is far from real. Gandhi on the other hand, is real and you can only view him in his reality and his reality alone.

I read a few books on him, by him in my school days, thanks to my grand father who was a freedom fighter who at later stages of his life worked at a library dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. I tried to learn many of his quotes by heart. Now though I think I just had respect for the man because he was considered a national hero and also because one was supposed to. This was to change and I was to grow to be truly respectful of him and his life.

I mentioned his quotes because many of his quotes starting coming to me in a much brighter, illuminated light. I would recollect his quotes from real incidents. His quotes like ‘An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind’, ‘Prayer is a confession of one’s own unworthiness and weakness’, ‘When what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony, you can be happy’, Hate the sin and not the sinner’, ‘Be the change you want to see in the world’…..started coming to me to become my life commandments.

Though all his quotes and writings give simple yet great messages, in my opinion the message of non-violence is his biggest gift to the world. Unfortunately people today question non-violence as a virtue and its practicability in this present world of terror, threat and tension. I would like to share a quote on non-violence by the man himself, which might be our first step in trying to find the answer.

“Non-violence requires a double faith, faith in god and also faith in man” – M K GANDHI

So then, who has lost our faith-God or Man?

Risky Business

2006-09-21T08:42:00.000Z

An Inconvenient Truth - Interesting title for what seems like an interesting documentary featuring Al Gore, who for a while was touted ‘The Next President of United States’

Saw a review on telly about this film which is about global warming. Al Gore seems to have quite a grip over the issue and makes his arguments very strongly and convincingly.

What captured my attention though was not just the movie but the man himself. Never paid much attention to Mr Gore earlier but this movie review made me stand up and take notice. It is quite a drastic change of paths, from running for Whitehouse to being in Hollywood. We usually have people travelling the other way around so I think it was a risk he took.

I have always admired people who listen to their heart, follow their true calling and challenge themselves. For I know its not easy. When one is able to meet certain benchmarks in their life it would be quite daunting to make a shift and enter the world of unknown.

One can’t make it big, actually one can’t make it to anywhere and to anything without taking risks. No matter how calculated a risk you take, it is after all a risk. What you are willing to risk tells you what you value in life.

Thinking of all the significant events in history it only becomes more evident that ‘Great deeds are usually wrought at great risks’

What are you prepared to risk
Is it hope or going down a slope

What are you prepared to win
Some hearts or just some bucks

What are you prepared to lose
Some sleep in the night or knowing you did right

What are you prepared to find
Light at end of the tunnel or a treasure at rainbow’s end

Paused....

2006-09-09T10:26:00.000Z

I have a lovely Spanish lady as my colleague who works in the other wing who I keep bumping into. Not only do we seem to be pee partners but we also seem to be hungry at the same time.

Yesterday during one of our lunches together, she was having some lovely Spanish food. While talking about the cuisine she mentioned her husband doesn’t have any particular fondness for Spanish food. Nosy me, I asked her where her husband was from.

She hesitated and paused….then replied he was from Middle East. I said Ok. She paused again and then said “He is actually from….. Iraq”.

I feel sorry for such pauses. Pauses not to prepare for answers, pauses not to think how to lie but pauses to say the goddamn truth.

This incident reminded me of an old conversation. Once while travelling in the tram, I was greeted by a rather cheerful and chatty co-traveller. We got talking and he told me he was from Libya. We had a lengthy discussion about social/political situations in our respective countries. When it was time to alight, I asked him for his name.

He had paused too…similar pause…but it was longer and heavier. He finally looked at me dolefully and said his name was ‘O..OO..OOOsama’

The mere thought of being judged is intimidating. We all have some or the other attribute which we think exposes us to be judged upon. But some people have to live with the fact that they will be judged as the very part of their existence, no matter where, when and who.

Hence this pauses……….

Did you check your race today?

2006-09-01T09:32:00.000Z

With all the recent security threats and terrorist attempts, it has become indispensable that thorough checks are carried out at all public places specially airports to ensure greater good. Very well. It has also become important that we all need to be watchful and cautious and raise an alarm if we find something or someone suspicious. Fair enough.

But is it justified to consider race as the primary or motivating factor for suspicion of a particular crime? Is it justified to assume that someone is more likely to be a threat based on colour of their skin, their attire, the language they speak? Travelling while an Asian ,Driving while black,– Can law stereotype and generalise anymore?

Just in last few weeks, so many innocent people have been detained and caused mental agony at the immigration check posts. The worst of all the episodes I read so far was the passengers of a flight refused to board unless two of their Asian co-travellers dressed in their traditional attire were detained. Ironically later they were found to be innocent. Did they deserve to be humiliated just to pacify a bunch of paranoid travellers? Was their self respect and dignity worthless? Is it justified for a mob to bully two people because they looked ‘different’.

I am disturbed, truly disturbed by these recent chain of events. I read few forums about this issue and I was surprised that most people seem to be in favour of racial profiling. Some of the Hispanics/Mexicans/Brazilians are complaining that though they are not Asians they are facing same problems because they are brown skinned. Some of the Indians are complaining that though they have not been involved in the terrorist crimes they too are being alienated at airports because they look a ‘certain way’.

What are these people getting on to? Do they mean that they don’t care if a community is being victimised as long as it is not their own? Do problems matter and deserve to be addressed only when they are your own? How easily are we now able to turn our backs onto people, communities, countries?

Few extra hours spent on security check doesn’t worry me, the restrictions on the hand luggage doesn’t bother me, the blue colour of my passport making me feel like a third rate world citizen too doesn’t hurt me but it’s the hysterical behaviour of people in these present sensitive times of global crisis that makes me grim.

How much should this worry me? Well, I shouldn’t be complaining too much, should I? After all I am called Radhika and not Razia!!

Words

2006-08-24T13:59:00.000Z

Words are powerful, words are immortal, words can be magical, words can be dangerous, words can be heard even in silence, words can be used to motivate, words can be used to manipulate. Words can be many things but for me they are my friends. Friends who have remained loyal, kind and gentle. I write these for them-my little friends.

Pen is mightier than a sword
Its not just alphabets which make a word
Words come from within, from our souls
Some during our highs and some during our lows

Use them wisely as they can stir a revolution
Powerful as they are can offer many a solution
When used righteously can put wars to a cease
Leaders with magic of words can bring world peace

Even when used in clichés can win a beloved’s heart
Playing with words is more than just a blissful art
Can join couples and also disunite such are these words
Be careful, be careful when using them, all you love birds

Children learn their firsts from dads and mums
Listening to lullabies and sucking their thumbs
Bad, foul and mean words corrupt their mind
lets not utter them for world needs them to be kind

I feel words probably have a world of their own
With crowned king and a queen sitting on a throne
On second thoughts, looked again no king or queen I see
Of course how could they be as words were born to be free

Words are the gifts from god to us in his kingdom
Right ones from the right ones will lead us all to wisdom
Blessed are we who can write and do words justice to their accord
For as I said at the very start pen is indeed mightier than a sword.

Memories of wrong been there too long…..

2006-08-19T23:49:00.000Z

I have been flustering over the words of praise showered by my kind blogger friends over me. I feel weighed down by the extra ordinary words of praise: ‘You are a treasure in a world of growth…’, ‘You are the somewhere between the song bird and the butterfly in full bloom…’, ‘You are so insightful…!’

Its difficult for these words to sink in as I am aware of my shortcomings and can fathom the vast ocean of virtues and values that I need to cross to become best of myself. I suspect that my pen has somehow ended up camauflauging my not so praiseworthy self.

Each word of praise reminds me of hundreds of rebukes. My heart, I can now sense is bearing the weight of memories of wrong, some done by me and some done upon me. I have memories of not being liked for being me, or for what was thought was me and also memories of me fighting back with equal reproach and vengeance.

To be free of these memories would unchain me from the tangles of angst, anxiety and bitterness. Though I am speaking for myself in this instance, I feel we all have or will have to cross the barricade of coming to terms with stacks of such unpleasant memories.

Sweeping them under the carpet or to banish them somewhere in the dark corners of our minds is not the solution. These grotesque goblins will resurface someday or the other without any notice.

I know the complete fix-it is to face up to these creatures of past and wipe them away. What I am not sure is how to do it. Forgive I can, I have both myself and others but forget I can’t, I haven’t been able to.

I decided to write about this going against my better judgement to comfort anyone who feels or felt the same. I write this to let that person know that he/she is not alone. One can feel bogged down by certain bygones in spite of being happy and content. Present doesn’t protect us from past.

But we can, let’s jump off these barricades and trick those dirty sprites away by bouncing back on springboard of our success, praise and self worth.

Independence Day – Swatantrata Divas

2006-08-15T12:14:00.000Z

August 15, 2006 India celebrates its 59th year as an independent country. My heart is flooding with emotions on the day. Amidst over powering thoughts, I dedicate the following piece to My Supreme Mother- My country.

Away from you my mother
In these far off lands
Not there to wipe your tears
to heal your wounds

I haven’t done enough
to make you proud
yet love from you sees not that
you just give and not ask

To be born in your womb
I am blessed
Having left your shores, I won’t complain
if I were to be damned

Blood on you, flows off tears from my eyes
Insults, attacks and jibes on you makes my fist clench
You having taught me the virtue of peace and non violence
I settle myself, nevertheless paining with your pain

On this special day of our independence my mother
accept gratitude, wishes and offerings from your
daughter who though away, feels you
and feels for you always.

2006-08-15T12:12:00.000Z

Jana Gana Mana

To my fellow indians and to all my world friends I present a beautiful video of our national anthem. With this post I entrust all of you to respect our national anthem and to watch it in its true spirit.

Transalation of our national Anthem which was written and composed by Rabindranath Tagore:

Thou art the/??? ruler of the minds of all people,
dispenser of India's destiny.
Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat, the Maratha country,
in the Dravida country, Utkala (Orissa) and Bengal;
It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas,
it mingles in the rhapsodies of the pure waters Jamuna and the Ganges.
They chant only thy name,
they seek only thy blessings,
They sing only thy praise.
The saving of all people waits in thy hand,
thou dispenser of India's destiny.
Victory, victory, victory to thee.

One fine night

2006-08-09T13:03:00.000Z

I am a nocturnal creature. I am more of myself during nights. All this while nights made me feel independent, in command as I could decide the course of it. Nights are no longer the same, nights now have more or less been reduced to being rest time to be prepared for the next day. Seldom do I have nights where I feel like before. Nights used to be time for my indulgences- thinking, pondering, wondering, more thinking, more pondering, more wondering…...:-) Now I try to put myself to sleep and shutdown my sweet little mind even before it boots up. I wrote this poem during a day imagining ironically a ‘Night of my Dreams’

Night is young
Day yet to be born

Thousands of stars in sky
But less than the thoughts in my mind

Eyes struggling to be open
Weighing down by my yet to be seen dreams

Glass of water besides the bed to be drunk
Dog-ears of the book calling me out to be read

Alarm all set for the dawn
Coffee left to be filtered overnight

All prepared for the morning
yet I am asking the night to never end

Night in peace with myself
Waiting for my someone special

Moon out in its fullness again
Making the night more intoxicating

Night surrounding me by its fragrance
the nightqueen in my garden breezing it on me

My heart buzzing like a bee
winging on notes of true love

Night not special because I
had wins during the day

Nights I live for, a night is my time
some with my loved ones but most of it with I, me, myself.

Wiped out

2006-08-07T16:10:00.000Z

Dinosaurs, Dodos, Typing machines, Ambassador cars, Miners, Mill workers, Weavers…………..If you are wondering, this is the list of things which have gone extinct, things which have been wiped out.

Last night I saw a British movie about the lives of some coal mine workers and how it all changed when their pit was shutdown. The closure left them jobless, homeless, hopeless and ailing with their bodies black inside with all the coal accumulated over the years.

More than a quarter of a million jobs were lost during the 80s in the UK due to closing of coal mines alone without even considering the numbers from the textile mills. I do not have knowledge of economics to weigh these events and comment whether or not they were financially rewarding at the time or if they proved to be worthwhile in the long-term.

The bitter truth is these industries had to go sometime or the other. The changing world doesn’t spare any of us a choice of not changing along with it. The question though is whether enough was done to accommodate the needs of the workmen and whether they were given enough support to re-establish themselves.

Working class or middle class depend just on their wages for their livelihood. Their outgoings are what their earnings are. It is very difficult for them to save money as a buffer, it’s a good thing now that all the employers are encouraging the employees to atleast join their pension schemes. One unpaid month brings about cascading affects on their life. They are led to borrow money on high interest from high street lenders to make the ends meet and these loans then handicap them for the rest of their lives.

A job lost for them is not just a job lost, it is a cut down on ration for the entire family, it means compromises being made on the future of the children, children being forced to grow and earn faster. The weaker hearts succumbing to booze and sensitive ones heartbroken.

I am really struggling here, were mistakes made then or were the sacrifices of some million families worldwide justified in order to give us a modern, technologically better lifestyle. Lifestyle it probably has, has it given us a better life, I ask.

Today I am raising doubts on the judgements and actions of people born before me. I am in many ways challenging the rights or wrongs set by them. All good. BUT this is a reminder to me that questions will be posed to me/us someday, that I/we will be asked to justify my/our actions and decisions. We all owe our posterity a promise to keep the society and the planet preserved in good shape for them. Tomorrow all of us will be faced with questions on what we did to stop many of the atrocities going on around us today.

There are always questions to be asked but there are more to be answered. Are we prepared for that? Do we have our excuses ready?

Fish in a Pond

2006-08-04T10:55:00.000Z

A wise man told me “Fish liked to swim, yet not all kind of fishes could swim outside the pond. They could swim anywhere within the pond”.

We have all heard of the phrase ‘Like a fish takes to water’ being used for people who are able to adapt to new situations very quickly and easily. Truth though is even fishes are scared of swimming in unknown waters and against the current. This verse is for all such fishes and for all our fears;

I am Salty the fish
With more than one wish
Have always lived in this pond
where we all have a strong bond

I want to see the world outside
but there are stories of fishes who tried and died
I dream of deep waters where I can dive crazy
wonder if I can really do it, everything just seems hazy

I asked my mother why she named me Salty
After sea water she named me, imagining it to be tasty
I want to go and see the sea someday
prove to my pond that we too can have a say

Do you think, I Salty can do at least one extraordinary feat?
Is it true that nothing is impossible if you have enough grit?
Will I ever end my journey, will I actually ever start?
Will I ever leave my pond and try to reach the horizon’s heart?

Parent Trap

2006-07-31T21:28:00.000Z

Lately there have been two new readers on my blog, my mum and dad. Their first piece of caution "Don’t write anything anti-government and controversial, as they might ban your blog and we won’t be able to read it here". How sweet and naïve of them to think, it could really happen.

My parents have always been extremely proud of me; much to my dismay sometimes as they were and still are very vocal about my achievements however insignificant and trivial.

When I was at school, I somehow happened to be good at many things. I won every debate and essay writing competition I ever entered, was consistently one of the rank holders at academics, was student body leader both during my junior and high school and I even played Table Tennis for my state. Before you conclude that I am on an ego trip let me stress that I do have a point to make.

It being that, because of my wins I took my parents being proud about me for granted. I never realised, that there are some kids who crave to be appreciated by their parents, that no matter how hard they try they will never be good enough for them. Not in arrogance, but in innocence I never realised how encouraging my folks were and how they had managed to keep my mind free with no fear about failure.

Best of parent-children relationships see conflict of opinions, habits and attitudes. Fortunately without any love being lost, I and my parents crossed that hurdle. There are still certain things they do out of love for me which drive me crazy, but I can laugh these things off now without blowing the roof off.

Like for instance, my parents have self-appointed themselves as my publicists. They have been passing on my blog’s URL to everyone. I am not protesting to that as my blog is public and it is open to all and anyways more readers mean more feedback and more diverse opinions. But if the same thing were to happen when I was a teenager, I would have picked up an unnecessary argument with them.

During my rebellious years as a teen, there was a stage where my parents stopped stopping me. It started worrying me then that they had given up on me, on the contrary they had accepted me as I was with full confidence that I would eventually grow out of my antics.

After four years of being out of my teens, being on my own, being married, I have finally learnt to accept my parents’ ways of showing their love and pride for me, knowing that they will never grow out of those.

Though I have several years before the day, I do wonder and worry about the kind of parent I will be. To have a daughter like I was in my adolescence is my worst nightmare. A thin silver lining though being that expert and experienced advice of my parents would be just a call away.

I have always wanted to be free, free of rules, free of restrictions but now I sometimes wish that I remain trapped in my parents’ world where I cease to grow and remain a kid no matter how old I grow in the real world.

Lessons well learnt (Revisited)

2006-07-25T16:19:00.000Z

I lost my mobile yesterday. Was distressed to say the least, losing all my contacts and pictures. Then after a while, a kind gentleman called my work and said he found my mobile on the street. He lived nearby in one of the most expensive and plush apartments here, I went there to pick up my mobile. I was really grateful and told him that I would like to treat him with a cup of coffee, least I could do really in return of his gesture.

After exchanging few text messages, we fixed up time and venue. Then he text me back asking me if I had a boy friend, I replied back to him that I was actually married. And his response left me gutted, he sent a text with message “Oh ok, I am single I thought so were you, nice meeting you. Good bye”.

I was shell shocked, well it was a laugh but still was difficult to take it in. I couldn’t believe that you had to be single to go out for a simple cup of thanks giving coffee with a bloke. I wonder if at all an asexual relationship can exist between a boy and girl, whether platonic love can exist or its just a theory.

A dictionary definition for Platonic love- A pure, spiritual affection, subsisting between persons of opposite sex, unmixed with carnal desires, and regarding the mind only and its excellences; - a species of love for which Plato was a warm advocate.

Working on this definition, I know it from my life that two people of opposite or same sex can have and share a special spiritual affection .I think there is no need of stressing on that word ‘pure’ at all as no spiritual affection can ever be impure. Something to think about for all of us, is the converse true as well. Can pure love exist without any spiritual connection? My answer, No.

Having thought about it for a while, I am still not sure if any emotion can be free of sensuality as such. Any overwhelming feeling in our hearts makes us passionate and passion in many ways is probably a so called ‘carnal’ emotion. Don’t we all get gratified sometimes by a person’s voice on the radio, a person’s words on the paper, a person’s beauty, a person’s knowledge, a person’s bravery or by a person’s charm. It doesn’t even matter to our awe what the gender of the person is.

Coming to the part about platonic love being only about the mind with no influences from the physical appearances. I would be lying to say I never got drawn to a person based on the external appearances,that I never judged a book by its cover, but with age and experience, the layers of physical beauty are shedding off my sight. Having said that I still believe, people pass on vibes to each other which defines the course of their acquaintance, after their initial meeting. I wonder though, if these vibes that I am talking about are physical or metaphysical characteristics.

So if I were to go by the definitions of platonic love from the various online dictionaries I browsed in last few minutes-I would say it’s a theory,it can’t exist. But I do know that you can have a relationship with a person, sharing lives, sharing jokes, sharing values, sharing pain and agony, sharing passions and also sharing the fact that each person has a special person in their lives to whom they owe their loyalties. I know for a fact, that this can happen as god has blessed me with wonderful relationships alike in my life.

'Quest'-ion

2006-07-25T13:11:00.000Z

Thoughts add in every minute
memories subtract same time

Experiences gained each day
life in years and time lost

Words uttered and written
meanings fade away somewhere

Visits to places faraway
view though getting shortsighted

Is this stagnation or realisation?

Food for thought

2006-07-23T01:11:00.000Z

I am adding some spices to curry for tonight
Wondering if at all I am adding them right

Cardamom, Cumin and Coriander
Green chillies, Garlic and some Ginger

Pepper, Peas and new Potato
Turmeric, Thyme and juicy red Tomato

You can’t go wrong with these, my nan claimed
Let me taste and see if my efforts have paid

Something seems missing, may be its a clove
Checked recipe again, it says finally season it with love

So spooned the curry with love and my affection
Wish my guests dine and leave with satisfaction

More importantly hope no food is wasted, not a single grain
As respect to the hunger of thousands starving in disdain

Bon Appetit..

So much for charity

2006-07-21T15:14:00.000Z

David Walliams, from one of my favourite shows ‘Little Britain’ managed the magnificent feat of generating about £1 Million for his chosen charity. After a year of rigorous training he took just 10.5-hours to swim across the English channel for Speedo Sport Relief. No small task for a non athlete.

Personal charity appeals like these have always moved me. One of my dearest colleagues from my last place of work had shaven his long curly locks off for charity.One of the managers at the same place, was trying to raise money by losing his extra stubborn weight.

Another remarkable example is of my neighbour, she is climbing to the base camp of Mount Everest for charity right now as I write. She is a small built woman and she had to train for a year, exercise and meditate regularly to prepare and qualify for the expedition.

Taking up challenges like these, giving up something important to you to make a difference is an act of self emancipation of a very high degree. These people have given more than money to their charities, they have given their positive energy ,hope and strength of their souls.

In the context of charities, one of the most disillusioning episodes of my life without any exaggeration, was a documentary about how well the money raised by Sport Relief in the UK was being used for Tsunami victims and other underprivileged children in India. People donated with big hands and bigger hearts and a lot of money was generated.

I was so disturbed by the thought that India in spite of doing so well economically is in need of money and volunteers from other countries to tackle the real problems. I was and still am so ashamed for not doing enough. Guilt stricken, I kept thinking, why our inability to do enough for our own brethren did not discourage the people who made generous and heartfelt donations.

Reason, I realised was true charity just sees the need and not the cause. A prayer at the end that our charity increases as much as our wealth.

Summer Song

2006-07-19T16:45:00.000Z

A sunny day walk by the quays
Breeze pushing me bending my knees
Making hay while sun shines
Sipping through a drink made of limes

Lunching out today seems nice
Top on menu- mexican brown rice
Rays or rains wish I had a choice
Curbing my vigour for now, walking with poise

Dreading cold, rainy and dark days
knowing they are to come wishing for more ways
Still hoping summer would stay long
Cheerful me, might give my husband a tighter snog

Hope everyone is enjoying the weather
No need being for wool or leather
Seasons greetings from me to all
Message to say enjoy the days before the fall

People

2006-07-18T16:07:00.000Z

Different colours and clans
Different names and needs
Different spaces and souls
Different reasons and religions

Same edges and egos
Same worries and woes
Same facts and finds
Same grains and greens

Different aims and aesthetics
Different victories and vices
Different saints and sires
Different climates and continents

Same doors and destinations
Same mirrors and mazes
Same soil and sky
Same origins and oscillations

Baby Boom or Boomerang

2006-07-17T10:10:00.000Z

While I was waiting for my 5 toppings pizza to arrive at Pizza Hut last night, a couple with two kids probably aged six or seven made an entry. The kids and the couple sat on different tables. I thought it was because the adults needed some privacy, the lady escorting them happened to tell me they were actually escorting the kids on their date.

The kids were really cute and cuddly, kept playing with me by making faces and imitating everything exactly like I did. With no intentions of interrupting them on what probably was their first date I then turned my face away and got busy with my pizza and my husband.

I love children and childhood. I think it’s the most wonderful time of life. I was thinking of the wonderful experiences I have had with kids and the one that stands out is with my neighbour’s adorable daughter back home.

Once while baby sitting her, I asked her what her favourite animal was. Her answer really amused me, she said her favourite animal was a pig. In India the common pigs are the ugliest creatures, resembling obese rodents, feeding on sewage. So surprised, I asked her what did she like about them, she said they were pink and pretty. As it turned out her favourite cartoon character was Piglet from ‘Winnie The Pooh’ and she had never seen a real pig in her life. That is the innocence we sadly grow out of and can never get it back.

Kids apart from spreading fun, also cause great embarrassment. One of my cousins has the cutest baby boy and I took him into my arms and carried him around for a while. After an hour or so the cheeky kid had so skilfully unbuttoned half my shirt that I only realised it when he started playing with things he wasn’t supposed to!!!

Two of my close friends are expecting babies soon and have asked me to be god mothers for their babies. Delightful isn’t it?

By the way I asked my husband after Pizza Hut, if kids would continue be so much fun when they would actually be yours. As for the answer from him, the question never even got acknowledged and he chose to play a deaf ear. So far so good……

Bombay Blues

2006-07-12T16:21:00.000Z

I wrote the following essay few years ago following a discusision with friends about Palestinian freedom struggle or their acts of terror. I tried a great deal to understand if terrorism can be justified or reasoned at all. I now regret even spending that time trying to think what could drive these people to such insane and horrendous acts. Yesterday the images of terrorist attack on my beloved city left me gutted and sick in my stomach. What good can anyone achieve over so much death and destruction?

Excerpts from my essay:

Terrorism is the random use of violence to fulfil political motives that inflict pain and suffering on innocent people and damages on public property. An individual who commits such violent acts for his cause and which he thinks is justified - is a terrorist.

Today, almost every continent, every country is facing the threats of terrorism. Why are people resorting to such measures for achieving their ends? What causes can be identified for the mushrooming of such groups?

Fundamental differences and dissatisfaction with the government are the major reasons for people resorting to violence in order to meet their demands. Many times equal rights and respect are denied to people belonging to a particular group which can lead to hatred against the rest of the society by such groups. Poor social and economic conditions lead to unemployment and general unrest in the society. In such a scenario, the formation of terrorist groups is reactionary. Once a person is enrolled into such a cult, he is then often caught in its net by threats of the group itself.

A genuine cause can, indeed, be identified with a terrorist group, but it is rather rare. Even in such cases, it is a blind, irrational devotion to a cause which provokes the terrorist to commit acts of random and meaningless violence. It is these random acts of violence which makes terrorism such a dreadful crime. When in action, the terrorist simply seeks to destroy everything and anything which comes his or her way. The terrorist ensures greater attention to his problems by targeting the innocents.

We the sufferers of terrorism denounce the kind of violence adopted by terrorists; there is no case for defending such acts on grounds of morality as they bring about death and destruction to people without warning, mercy or reason.

The terrorist in his quest for his rights thinks little of destroying rights of others. However deeply we study the causes of growing terrorism, even understand the motivation behind it, we cannot find any reason good enough to justify it. Even if we leave aside moral and ethical issues and try to think from ‘their point of view’, we fail to find a justification for it hardly ever accomplishes its objectives.

Killing yourself softly......

2006-07-11T15:18:00.000Z

Have you ever thought of taking your own life? Did you ever feel that death could be the only escape from the worldly problems you are surrounded with?

Read other day in the papers, renowned ENT surgeon Dr Hiranandani committed suicide in a fashion only a surgeon could have by cutting the exact vein which would lead to immediate death without any chance of survival. A privileged career, a posh residence, loads of money, illustrious family do not seem to be common reasons for depression or suicide. No ones life is what it seems like from outside. One can’t gauge the sensitivity and desperation of a person based on the outward appearance of his/her life.

This incident reminds me of a traumatic experience of my neighbour hanging herself to a ceiling fan. The worst part of the incident being, myself and my brother being the first people to realise that and see her hanging.

She was one of the most jovial and well kept women I have seen till date. She taught me to cook and sew. She was in her fifties, always immaculately dressed, very organised and active. She was sick for few months and was getting frustrated because she was used to a good outdoor social life. But it came as a huge shock that the frustration drove her to such an extreme step.

Society being more open about mental health here and also with my husband being a Psychiatrist, I happen to hear and see so many people being off work/life with clinical depression.

I do not know what reasons can justify killing yourself, or if suicide under any circumstances is justifiable at all.

Not the nicest of topics to write on or to even think about. But one can’t be oblivious to the fact that sadness can engulf people easily these days and who knows it could be me or you next.

Just a silent prayer, that god when he gives us the gift of life also blesses us with enough strength to endure the journey.

My brother

2006-07-09T11:21:00.000Z

Piece of my heart, piece of my flesh
Share of my love, share of my life
Part of my dreams, part of my plans

Prayers infinite for you
Hopes limitless for you

Affection knows no bounds for you
Emotions beyond control when it comes to you

Best of friends
Best of brothers

An ode to us being born to be together
A song for you for you are so truly loved

Piece of my heart, piece of my flesh
Share of my love, share of my life
Part of my dreams, part of my plans

To Sai from Akka

Colours of Love

2006-07-08T12:20:00.000Z

Violet for the year around spring you bring into my life
Violet for the lovely colours you add to my evenings

Indigo for the trance of being in love with you
Indigo for enriching my soul

Blue for the sky that you show me is the limit for our dreams
Blue for the blues of separation

Green for our prosperity because of your hard work
Green for the beautiful landscapes you have shown me

Yellow for joy you bring me everyday
Yellow for the sunshine I enjoy with you

Orange for the warmth you give me
Orange for the energy your love and affection give me

Red for the passion in our lives for each other
Red for the romance I wish would continue forever………

Wedding Bells

2006-07-07T17:43:00.000Z

Having been away for a week for a very special wedding, I think it’s a good time to write about one of the requests I have had so far – Logic behind marriage.

I would like to think there is no logic behind marriages, clichéd it may sound but they are just meant to be or not meant to be.

“A great marriage is not when the 'perfect couple' comes together. It is when an imperfect couple learns to enjoy their differences” – Anonymous

Made for Each other couples don’t just happen, the couples put in time and more importantly thought to make themselves perfect for each other.

I have friends who are wonderful people with failed marriages in past and who have been lucky the second time around, so in reality all marriages do not last forever though I wish they did.

I ask myself how is marriage different from just being together in love. Before my marriage, I always thought of perfect love to be as strong and committed as a marriage, now I think of perfect marriage to be tender and fresh as love. In an ideal world love and marriage would be the same.

Pondering for few hours now, the difference I think is love brings two individuals together and marriage brings two lives together embodying families, friends and fortunes.

With that note I sum up this piece, hope you enjoyed reading!!!

Indo-Sport

2006-06-29T11:36:00.000Z

As soon as FIFA world cup comes along, there is a revival of the age old debate, why has India not been able to make a mark in any sport other than Cricket.

I have seen and heard so many people giving stereotypical advices and strategies to Indian Government to improve the infrastructure, work at the grass root level in schools to encourage sports and sudden insurgence of patriotism deeming that India can make it big in every field/sport if given the support.

Now I am of the opinion that fair enough, the government needs to do umpteen number of things in umpteen number of fields. This though can’t be the only reason, I think there is a strong cultural reason for our lag behind in sports.

Economy can’t bar passion, best examples being the latest third world entrants to FIFA eclipsed by civil wars. Having said that I don’t think passion for football is the only reason behind the success of these nations at the sport. I don’t have a definite answer to their success but I have an example which gives some insight.

I happened to see a very moving documentary about the situation of black people in France. The documentary focussed on an Afro-French lady who worked several jobs in order to get one of her sons trained to be an athlete. Now she wasn’t doing that for the passion of sport or to make her country proud, she was doing that as sports was the only decent livelihood available to her family.

So the fact is sports are considered to be a very strong career option for kids around the world specially in troubled nations and disturbed communities, whereas for us having several other high paying and secure career options, sports are not equally appealing.

On the other hand, sports in the developed countries are so advanced that they are looked upon as a secure career option. Being a PE teacher at school is considered to be a very safe and sound career option in western countries. The added fact that these countries have role models in each and every sport promotes it further amongst youngsters .

I do not have any suggestions to make to the government or the sports ministry, but if you do please feel free to voice them on my blog.

Thanks for reading!!!!

Blogging All The Way!!!!

2006-06-20T13:49:00.000Z

An alternate world of self proclaimed experts on everything ranging between ‘Love and Life’ , ‘Movies and Music’, ‘Sports and Soul’ ‘War and World Politics’…list goes on

Other than the “Experts” we also have people who chronicle the days of their lives on their blogs or ‘diaries’. Now even if someone’s life is not potentially interesting, once its out for reads, one might just find it amusing enough to read again.

Now, I started my blog without any aim or agenda way back in 2004, like I do with everything in my life by rule. Anyways I couldn’t/didn’t continue it. I then didn’t find myself to be an expert in anything, well not much has changed in that aspect till now.

So I am left puzzled now. Should I deem myself expert in stuff I am just about acquainted with in order to give my poor abandoned blog some life? Now the other option isn’t for me as I am not the kind of the person who could chronicle her life to amuse anyone, because I seriously doubt if it could really!!!

Now here’s a thought. You could get expert opinions from actual experts and pseudo-experts from anywhere on the world wide web, but if you ever wanted a not-so expert opinion on anything on this planet, give me a shout. I would be happy to share my not-so expert opinions with you.

Well, if not anything you will get an opinion for sure, me being me I assure it would be a rather strong one either ways.

So Shoot!!!!

2004-06-01T17:56:00.000Z

Sleepless dreams in the night
Clueless hopes in the day

Moons apart in the night
Stars unseen during the day

A lonely bed in the night
An empty road the next day

So many nights and so many
days.....................

Winter like a leafless tree
Summer like drought in the pond

Winter with unhappy teas
Summer with unquenched thirst

Winters spent on sad notes
Summer on rhymeless songs

So many winters and so many
summers...........

On a summery night and on a
wintery day

I ask u

How many more nights and how many
more days?

How many winters more and how many
more summers?

Radhi

Solitude

2004-06-01T17:41:00.000Z

One day I was walking alone,
Looking up at trees beside,
Listening to the chirps of birds,
whispers of the insects.

The fine breezing moving across was so soothing.
Everything was so right,
Solitude seemed a joy then.

Just then, by chance I turned back,

All those noises, that chaos, those not yet healed wounds I left behind came craving for me.

The same solitude became loneliness.

The chirps and whispers became jibes and insults.

The soothing breeze became a tempest alls et to take me into its whirlpool.

The happiness was no more,

Emptiness replaces contentment

Unable to get away all hassled I was,

Then I saw a hand waving at me

I knew this was of a person’s who would accompany me on my path to survival.

This junction I realized

I am so lucky to have you, to have met you, to realize how much I love you
and now to be able to express it to you.

HUMTUM

2004-06-01T14:03:00.000Z

Need, you said was what leads to a relationship,
Love, I said was what ignites the spark;

Love, you said arises to satiate your inner urges,
Urge, I said is born only when you love a person;

You believe in no love and
I think it is the ultimate truth;

Friendship, you say is non existent
I say it is the most self giving association;

Things can be seen differently I conclude,
What changes are the terminologies I realize;

What I define as love,
You call humanity;

What I call attraction,
You call it mere human tendency;

I know now it means the same when I say “I love you”
And when you say “ You are interesting”;

Let me propose something,
Let’s be partners!
Neither friends nor fellow human beings.

Neither in love nor detached,
Neither the same nor the opposite;

Lets be two parallel lines always close by
But never intersecting;

Let’s be partners, share lives
Celebrating our differences!!!!

Radhi

A day in life

2004-06-01T13:57:00.000Z

You wake up in the dawn,
find its walking towards a disastrous noon.

When you feel nothing’s going right and that
everything is moving out of your sight.

When you feel every act of yours mars on your aspirations,
When you find yourself in a heap of separations.

When you feel every sincere effort of yours crashes to the ground,
When you everything is moving round and round.

When you feel you are developing isolation towards the world,
When nothing seems to attract you not even gold.

If all these things are happening to you my dear friend,
I present to you an answer to your queries, in the form of a hopeful ray
Just have a cup of coffee and go to sleep the rest of the day

JRad

why workshop

2004-05-31T15:14:00.000Z

i am a mechanical enginneer ( well almost, awaiting results)

we mech. engg. people when pregnant with ideas about innovations, creations lead ourselves into workshop.

it is the most "happening" place i have been to in the real sense of word

MECHANICAL RULZ!!!!!!!

:-)
Radhika