Map out your future.... but do it in pencil..

"Why Me ?"

2009-08-27T10:06:00.000-07:00

I am back with my 'Mind over matter' stories. Somehow these stories and thoughts inspire me , give me courage , reinstate my faith and make me happy whenver I am down.

So this story is very similar to the one I had written in my earlier blog about Hemant trivedi. This is about the legendary Wimbeldon player , Aurthur Ashe. He was dying of Aids which he got infected due to the blood he received during a heart surgery in the early 1980's.

He received 'Get Well Soon' wishes from his fans from allover the world. In one of the fan mails , the fan wrote," Why did God ever choose you to go through this disease?"

Aurthur made it a point to reply to this particular fan. In his reply , Aurthur said, "Around the world 5 crore children start playing Tennis , 50 lakh continue playing tennis, 5 lakh learn professional tennis , 50000 come to the tennis circuit, 5000 reach the Grand Slam, 50 reach the wimbeldom, 4 to the semis , 2 to the finals. When I was holding the Cup , I never asked God ," WHY ME?"And today when in pain I still should not be asking him........"

After a long time...

2009-07-30T14:44:00.000-07:00

Ahh! I cannot believe that its been more than 3 months since I have not updated my blog. Not that it matters to many or may be anyone , but then its good to continue what you have started. Finally today I have found some time to sit down and update the blog.

A lot of things happened since april 17th. Not that I recollect every detail , but some events that happened were

April 29th - A new haircut. After a long survey online and friends here , I finally found a stylist for my haircut. I have always been very choosey when it came to my haircuts.If you wonder why this was an important event then let me tell you that I have changed my stylist only twice in 10 years. So finding ONE in this unknown place was quite a task I must say. But in the end ,I was happy with the outcome. But I still miss my stylist back in India.
June 2nd -25th birthday. My first birthday away from home and without my parents. But then Shaunak made it really special for me. Midnight cake cutting and then a nice thai diiner on the day. I enjoyed it all.
June 3- Vacation time My first trip to the Mid west and the east coast. This was also my first solo air travel ever. It was an amazing experience. I visited my cousins in Chicago. I also got the opportunity to explore the city all by myself. After Being born and brought up in a palce like Mumbai , traveling in the city alone was not atall a challege. And then there was my cell phone, Shaunak and google maps to help me if I needed any help. I think such experinces make you feel independent and confident.
June 6th-Meet the parents' is what happened next. My inlaws were in US for a while and got to spend more time with them than their two kids. We visited our relatives on the east coast and had a lot of fun. Post marriage I had not got the opportunoty to exclusively spending time with them
June 14th was Shaunak's Graduation walk.. We came back from the East Coast after a 10 day long vacation on June 13. June 14th we attended the walk. What a grand ceremony it was! Felt so proud to watch him take the walk and being hooded by his two guides. But not more than what his mom and dad were feeling. It was such a proud moment for them. I could see it in their eyes. It was then that I felt that I cannot experince what they were feeling as parents.
June 15th -June 19th The following week passed really fast. The feeling of being a daughter in law was now sinking into me.. Planning everything right from breakfast to dinner , I was all set to show them my culinary skills. I must say they were very impressed. . We visited Solvang, LA and a few places in and around Santa Barbara. Everything was soo much fun.
June 20th-See off Parents. Didnt realise how time passed. Their 21 day trip was now in its last leg.
June 21st Six Months. Both of us were a little down and sad after the parents left, but then Sunday was a day to celebrate and get back into mood..It was our 6th month wedding anniversary. And like our evrey month anniversary we also celebrated this one in grand fashion. But unlike our traditional cake cutting this time we opened a Bottle Of Wine and rejoiced.
June 21 till date... Life has been very much a routine and I am still enjoying my housewife/homemaker status without being bored...

The new age Voting.

2009-04-17T00:31:00.000-07:00

With the election fever soaring high everywhere, there are people like me n You who are away from home and miss casting our valuable votes.. Its a right we have and we should exercise it. But then being miles away we are unable to do so.

The other day , Shaunak and I were generally discussing about these General elections over a cup of tea early in the morning when suddenly he asked if there was this concept of E-voting. "E voting ? I have not heard about it yet" I said . Then we immediately 'Google searched ' it . Well what I mean by e voting is not voting using these electronic machines wherein you press the button placed next to the candidate for whom you wanna vote. How about voting over the internet.This concept has been recently introduced in America and in Brazil.

Wouldn't that be a cool idea? I mean sitting here on the other side of the globe , just by clicking a mouse i can cast my vote. May be as an identity we could give our passport number.. Why not? Sounds really exciting to me. In this era of computerization , introducing this concept doesn't seem difficult to me.

Well just a thought over a cup of tea, but it really made me think..

BUt then with the political parties coming up with ideas of abolishing the use of computers to open opportunities for the growing population of India, this idea doesn't seem difficult , it sounds IMPOSSIBLE....

Agassi on his last Grand Slam

2009-04-06T11:32:00.000-07:00

This is what Andre Agassi had to say when he lost his last Grand Slam..

"The scoreboard says I lost, but what it doesn't say is what I have found over the last 21 years. I have found loyalty. You have pulled for me on the court and in my life. I have found inspiration and you have willed me to win, Over the last 21 years I have found you and I will take you with me for the rest of my life".

The Crack(ed) Pot...

2009-04-01T17:45:00.000-07:00

Once there was a water bearer who used to supply water to his master who lived up in the hill. The water bearer used to carry two pots of water tied to the end of the pole which he carried across his neck. He used to fill both the pots with water and walk all the way up to the hill. But one of his pots had a crack in it and the water in it used to leak. By the time the water bearer reached his masters place ,the cracked pot would only be half filled. This happened for days. But the bearer never mended this pot.
Then one day , the cracked pot decided to have a conversation with the water bearer. He said ,"I am really sorry for my acts and I feel guilty". The water bearer replied,"My dear , you are guilty of what. You have done nothing wrong". The pot said," I am ashamed of myself. For the past so many months i have a crack in me and i can deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts".
The bearer only smiled at this and asked the pot to look around as they walked up the hills to his masters palce. The pot saw beautiful flowers all the way . When they almost reached teh masters palce , the bearer asked him ,"My dear , did u see the flowers?" The pot replied,"Ya I did , but that doesnt lessen my guilt. I am still sorry for my act."
The bearer smiled nad replied ,"Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For months I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."

Shoes..

2009-04-01T17:24:00.000-07:00

One day Mahatma Gandhi was boarding a train when one of his shoes slipped off and fell on the track. Before he could get down to get it, the train gained motion. Then he took off the other shoe and threw it on the track. The people in the compartment were surprised to see this act of Gandhi. When asked why he did this, he answered, "The poor man who finds them on the track will now have pair to use".

The most Heinous Crime.....

2009-03-23T00:20:00.000-07:00

With the "Mira Road rape incident" hitting the head lines on almost every newspaper everyday, it makes me sulk. Horrifying ,isnt it? Defies the very sacntity of a father daughter relationship. Seems that the victims mother knew about all this , but opted to be silent as her husband did not object to her extra marital affair with the "so called tantrik". The father and tantrik also raped the younger daughter. Now the tantrik is ready to marry off his son to the younger daughter and not the elder because he thinks that she is too used...
The Indian Penal code 1860 imposes a punishment of minimum seven years..Such types of rape cases do not qualify for a capital punishment .Rape is probably the most heinous crimes that can be ever committed. I think these rapist should be 'castrated'. Then it will be the Human Rights organizations who would come forward and object to all this saying that every human even a criminal has a right to life." Human"? are such persons even humans?..
I remember watching a movie a few years back, It was called "Zakhmi Aurat" Its about women who have been raped and how they get revenge by castrating the rapists.
I may sound too harsh , but ...............

Faith...

2009-03-22T00:02:00.000-07:00

Walt Disney died much before the much awaited opening o his second Theme Park in Florida.At the opening ceremony a person said to Walt Disney's brother."It is a shame that your brother did not live to see this." To this the brother replied '"Oh , yes he saw it and that is why it is here".

When he was a boy he asked his mother what was the happiest moment in her life. She replied,"This moment , right now". He further asked, "What about all the happy moments you had in your life say for example your marriage , my birth?" She said ,:Happiest moment then was then. My happiest moment now is now.You can really live in the moment you are in. And that requires unflinching faith".

Jesus was known to be a great healer. His faith was such that he could even raise the dead from the grave. The Holy Bible narrates one of Jesus's most memorable healing incidents. There was a woman who was suffering from serious hemorrhaging . She tried all medications possible but that did not help. But she had faith in Lord Jesus and she believed that if she could even touch the hem of the Lord's garment she cud be healed. She followed Jesus , touched him and was cured. When this happened Jesus turned around and asked who touched his feet. No one came forward. Peter who was accompanying Jesus wonder why Jesus was curious to know when he was surrounded by a big crowd. To this the Lord answered,"It was someone who deliberately touched me . I could feel the healing power go out from me.!"

Faith is to believe what we do not see. And the reward of faith is to see what we believe

I want to go back to the time when......

2009-03-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

This is a very beautiful poem that I came across today. I m sure most of us will agree to this..

I want to go back to the time
when "getting high" meant "on a swing",
when "drinking" meant "apple juice",
when "dad" was the only "hero",
when "love" was "mom's hug",
when "dad's shoulder" was "highest place on earth",
when your "worst enemies" were "your siblings",
when the only thing that cud "hurt" were your "skinned knees",
when the only thing "broken" were your "toys" and
when the "goodbyes" only meant "till tomorrow".....
..those are the days I cherish n wish to go back in time......
And those were the BEST days of my life.......

Will you be there for me......

2009-03-20T09:47:00.000-07:00

Emotional support is the best one can give the other.. I came across this article some time back.. And it touched me.....
His mother used to ask him what the most important part of the body was. Through the years he thought about it and he felt that sound was very important.. He answered his mom that "the ears" were the most important part of the body.Momma replied.."Boy.. so many people are deaf...Think again"
Years passed and she asked him again. This time he replied,"Momma sight is very important. So i think 'The eyes ' are the most important part of the body.Momma said,"Baby ,there are so many people who are blind..But you are learning fast"
His quest for knowledge continued and over the years mom kept asking him and her answer was always NO. Then few years later his grandpa expired.Everybody was hurt everyone was crying. This was the first time he had seen his dad cry. His mom looked at him when it was time to say a final goodbye to grandpa..She asked him,"Son , now do you know what is teh most important part of the body?"He did not expect her to ask him this now. seeing the confusion on his face she said," For all the answers you gave me in the past, my answer was always NO and i have given you explanations to that.But today is the day you need to learn tis important lesson ".Her eyes were wet. "My dear, the most important part of your body is your shoulder" He promptly replied, "Thats because it holds up your head".
She replied,"NO, thats because it hold the head of your loved one when they cry.Everyone needs a shoulder to cry on sometime in life. I hope you get one when you need it and you can give one when the person you love needs it. " It was then that he knew that the most important body part is not a selfish one....
People will forget what you said.. people wil forget what you did.. But they will never forget how you made them feel.......

I Am... By Hemant Trivedi

2009-03-19T12:27:00.000-07:00

For those who dont know who he is .. He is India's leading fashion designer.
Few years ago he met with an accident which almost left him dead.. and ofcourse he didnt want to die.It was during this period that he realised and discovered a new tolerance in himself which he never new existed.
When the accident took place the only question that crossed his mind a million times was "Why me?". The answer he got was that may be people were jealous of him.. Well that ofcourse didnt make sense..Then one day he met a stranger.. 'an angel in disguise' he claims.. the stranger said the accident happened to him because he was the only one who could face it, fight it and win it.He was chosen to get hurt because he had the strength to bounce back.

A very similar article that I came across was about Arthur Ashe, the legendary Wimbeldon player.. Arthur was dying of AIDS which he got infected due to the blood he received during a heart surgery. He received condolences from his fans . One letter said."Why did God have to chose you to go through such a bad disease?"
To this he replied."In the world over 5 crore children start playing tennis, 5o lakh play tennis, 5 lakh learn professional tennis, 50000 come to the tennis court, 5000 reach the Grand slam, 50 reach Wimbeldon , 4 to teh semis and 2 to the finals..And only 1 wins. When I was holding the cup I never asked God..WHY ME?.........
Inspiring.... isn't it?.....

Mind over Matter....

2009-03-19T12:17:00.000-07:00

Well if you are wondering what this is... this is the column that appears in the Times of India on sundays under the section Mind over matter.. I am a follower of this column n I religiously read it every sunday.. In my next few blogs I am going to share some really beautiful and inspiring stories that I have come across over the years...
In this column social personalities share their experiences in life and what they learn t from it.. Some how i really love to read about peoples experiences . Its so very inspiring . motivating . I believe ... LEARN FROM OTHERS MISTAKES.... COZ YOU CANT MAKE THEM ALL YOURSELF........:)

Visa..

2009-03-05T12:14:00.000-08:00

Hi here i m writing my second blog. So this ones abt my visa appointment. Man wat a period it was.
"Keep looking for the visa dates...""Wat are u doing ..did u check the dates today","Hope we get a date before I fly""I so very want you to come me" Who said so... who else but Shaunak. Desparately trying to get visa dates since the first week of December. But no luck.....
So heres the story... For some reason the visa site was just not showing up the interview dates.. Every day every hour we had been looking at the site...PLEASE CHECK AFTER 24 HOURS .. God knows what those guys meant by 24 hours. We were ready with all the documents. We even got the marriage registered on the next day of marriage... Ahhhh we left our two day honeymoon half way just to go all the way from The Leela to The Marriage Registrars office.. Shaunak even got the family housing in Goleta just a day before he left for India. Everything's in place except the date. We even tried contacting a person inside the Consulate to ask him if the system was down. He says everything's fine no technical faults. even he wondered why the site didnt show the dates. Then someone tells us that they have a quota or something for every type of visa. May be it was over. :((( But then it will open sometime right... but when ..? We didn't know. All we had to do was wait. My ticket was already booked for the 16th of jan late night.. Its 5th of Jan n we still had no visa date. We decided to go through an agent. He says "soryy madam dates nahi dakhavat ahe" . In India there are agents to do evry single work of urs. U say it n they do it. woww. i think later in life i m goona open an agency which tells people which agent to contact for which work. Charge commission from both sides. One for the advice n the other from the agency for suggesting them....
I still remember it was the 7th of Jan a Wednesday.. Mom in law comes n tells us that there is some agent in Poona who can get you the dates you want.. HUH? OK lets contact him. We did that. He said that the earliest date was 16th... Day when i flying.. isn't that too much of a risk that if the visa is regected... I cant cancel my ticket after 24 hours before i fly.. Oh ya and that chap said if you want those days we had to give him 4500 extra.... n he also guarantees the visa 100 % . woww wat contacts that man should be having... But then somehow shaunak wasn't ready to go thru him. Wat if he is a Con. You cannt take risk with all this.., So tehn we decide taht we will postpone my ticket n wait till i find a visa date officially...
Ahhh ..... i cud now wait for Avaneesh first bday... I cud spend some time with friends, I cud go n stay with mom dad... How i am goon amiss them once i get to USA. ...So we had made up or minds... I was NOt flying with Shaunak. We called up the travel agent asking her to postpone the ticket. ...
8th jan 7.45 pm,. Tring tring.. whos it .. The travel agent. The dates are available... huh..? ya she said that she cud see the dates on the site... how come. Put Marathi as the language of interview... WAT...... yes we did that n we cud see 15th jan date available....Didnt it strike the bigshot agent... Oh that simple. We hurriedly logged on to teh site refilled all the forms n WE HAD A DATE... the nxt day we went to the Consulate submitted al teh documents n now iw as waiting for the interview. I was a bit sad.. ahh i was goona miss Avaneesh first bday , i was goona miss spending time with parents with friends.... but then I had to go some day n tht day as 16th as planned.....
Less than a week n i was not prepared . I made quick lists of things i wanted . Do u get this there do u get that..Oh man i was behaving as if i was going to the remotest place on earth. A week full of shopping meeting people. an overnight stay with parents... UFFF i was tired
Then came the day of the interview. It was goona be in Marathi.. hahaha i was feeling so proud... ekdum marathi manus jaga zala types. But the interview was very much in English. It seems even if you atke a date in Any language you have to tell them if u need an interpreter. Ofcourse i didnt need one . all we wanted was a visa date which we got. The interview went good. very good. the officer didn't see a single document. Instead was very much interested in knowing my love story... Whn did u meet him when did he pro[pose were parents invloved.. and all such sorts of questions ....and then she says U GOT THE VISA>
Finally. .. Now the nxt question will i get the stamped passport the same evening. Coz if not that evening they said it will be couriered to the address two days later... OH GOD... help me... we just kep praying.... We went to the Consulate in the evening. A long queue.... Finally at 5 pm tehy let us in.. My no was yet to be aclled out.. There were soo many who didnt get teh passport.. Wat if I dnt...... No i cannot even postpone my ticket...All sorts of worries were running thrugh my mind. My nos called out... I kept my fingers cross. n guess wat HURRAAAAYYY i got teh passport. The guy thr said that i wa really luck to get it today...
Now everything was in place, I was flying the nxt day.. N I was happy.... very vey happy. teh sadness just disappered . I was excited to see teh US OF A. n the most exciting part was goona be my first evr air journey.......
Moral of the story... opposite of murphys law... Anythings that has to go right will go right.
and If u dnt get a visa date in English try other languauges.......

My First Blog.

2009-02-27T17:39:00.000-08:00

Ahh here i m finally writing my first blog. There is tension, excitement, nervousness and what not. It took me quite sometime selecting the font , the colour, the layout and i am sure i haven't selected the best one ... I have been reading blogs for a long time now and that is one thing i have really appreciated . Jotting your thoughts isnt really an easy job ...well ask me.. Using the right words , speaking your mind out to "you dnt know how many" people.. all this is not a cake walk. Hmmmm you know now i m feelinng a lil better i am actually writing a blog. Somehow that always has been on emy mind for a long long time n some how for" God only knows what reason" i have always delayed doing it,
In my very first blog i really dont have anything to discuss ,to tell or wait lemme think... i think i have soo much that i shouldnt mix that with my first very blog. But i think i can surely introduce myself or atleast try to...
" About me",, this is what i come across in almost every social networking site on the web. I really wonder if one can accurately describe oneslf in say 12oo odd words..
So anyways lemme tell you all something about me... friendly, extremely lazy, dhandrat :( i cannot remember the exact english word for it.),talkative, indecisive, moody, ............................ have some really wierd complexes .. like what.. hahhaha i always feel that if i happen to meet an acquaintace (this also includes a phone call, adding people on the networking site, visiting people..) that person will surely not recognize me .. and then there are many more and i wudnt want to disclose it...
So ya i think my first blog has been much longer than i had imagined.. Hope evryone finds it atleast worth one reading , hope i was good with my words, hope i have more to write..." Hope" Hope is a good , may be the best of things and no good thing ever dies.....