2014 - The Year of Patience

(L to R) Siddheswara Swamy Temple in Solapur, Mahabalipuram, Coorg, Mauritius, Undersea walking, Bathukamma

The Chinese name their New Year. For example, 2015 is the Year of Sheep. I thought of naming the old year, based on my experiences.  

For me, 2014 is the Year of Patience. 2014 has taught me that my predictions about future have a 50-50 % chance of occurrence.

As a recent graduate, I was used to routine. I knew the schedule of exams, when they take place, what is the syllabus etc. I could also guess the outcome of the exam. I realized that in life, the date of exams and the syllabus is unpredictable. I will be tested when I least expect it. I cannot guess the topic of the test nor the outcome.

I am thankful for all the places that I visited this year. Each place had something to take away.

In February, my hubby and I visited our relatives in Mumbai & Solapur. 

In April, we went to Coorg. I experienced homestay for the first time. I understood that homestays are decent.

In August, we visited Mauritius. I learned about overcoming fear. I did parasailing, undersea walking and almost touched a Lion.

In November, I went to Fisherman’s Cove and Mahabalipuram on a team offsite. Now that our team has a critical mass of women, I discovered the sisterhood of working women.

In December, I went to Delhi for a conference. The food in Delhi is out of this world. I will do a week long historical and food trip in Delhi, sometime in future.

I am thankful for the wonderful time I spent with my husband and my family.

I am thankful for my new writing project. I took the decision of splitting the blog based on the number of hits I got for posts. One blog will be dedicated to my stories and other to my life experiences.

 I will start 2015 with a new blog site.

Thanks to my hubby for buying a domain in my name (hint). I bought a blog theme on wordpress. I thought the old posts will magically reorganize themselves as per the theme. They did not! It took a lot more effort than I expected, but I thoroughly enjoyed the process of creating a new home from scratch.

I am sad about the accidents in general, on road and by air.

A few accidents happened to people who are close to me. I pray that they will have the strength to come out of these tough situations.

Ciao! See you in 2015 on a new blog site. Wishing you a great year ahead.  

In case you have missed. These are my top 5 posts in 2014. 

1) Poor Husbands
2) Management Lesson from the Kitchen
3) Telangana - The Birth of 29th State of India
4) Changing India - One Ad at a Time
5) People Say Something Do Something

3 Reasons Why You Need a Hobby

The New Year is around the corner. You should be itching to come up with resolutions for 2015. Here are three reasons why you should renew your passion for a hobby and include it as one of the resolutions. 

#1: Hobbies could help you find the right life partner

In India, arranged marriages are a complicated affair. It is a slow-date between you, your could-be life partner, parents, aunts and uncles from the girl's and the boy's side. 

In between all the hocus-pocus, the boy and the girl will have about 10-15 minutes to take a major life decision. One of the icebreakers during these life-altering conversations is ‘What are your hobbies?’ The boy and the girl scratch their heads to come up an innovative hobby, other than watching TV.

If your hobbies match, that is a good start to keep the conversation going. If all goes well, the conversation can end in a marriage. 

#2: Hobbies are good sources for relaxation

I pursued multiple hobbies as a kid. I used to paint, read, write and prepare greeting cards for near and dear. As a kid, these hobbies dissipated my energy and kept me off my mother’s back.

I pursue only two hobbies now. They are reading and blogging. I am blogging for almost two years now. A good blog post is like a mini-vacation. It rejuvenates me and prepares me to get back to work. I enjoy thinking about the post, writing it and posting it. I will be excited that day about that great blog post. 

#3: Hobbies are bridges of learning between work and personal life.

There are instances when a learning from my professional life seeps into my hobby and vice versa. Whenever there is a simplification drive at my workplace, I think about how to simplify my blog and make it more attractive. 

I am taking an online blogging course. I learned about how to make a blog post reader-friendly. I apply the same principle when I write work emails. I try to write emails which are succinct.

Hobbies also build personal connect in professional relationships and help in networking.

Now you know all the advantages of having a hobby. It is the right time to pick a hobby, learn and grow. 

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Collage created from different images. Sources of images.

camera Photo Credit: _Tophee_ via Compfight cc painting Photo Credit: TonalLuminosity via Compfight cc stamps Photo Credit: TonalLuminosity via Compfight cc books Photo Credit: Jacqui 1686 via Compfight cc running Photo Credit: bgill02 via Compfight cc

The place where memories are created

A grandmother’s house is the place where memories are created. It is also the place of unbridled freedom, generous kisses and an unhealthy dose of pampering. After the weekend visits to my grandmother’s home, my mother had to un-pamper me.

I remember my grandmother’s home to be small. The garden which led to the house was big. The walkway to the house was lined with flowering plants. The plants came up to my height. I broke the branches from these plants, made a bow and arrow and tested how far the arrow flew.                                                                                                                                                              

I also kept a watch on the ants in the garden. I observed the big black ants crawl in long twisty lines, with a piece of food, twice their size. I obtained great pleasure in disrupting the line and maiming the ants. I was an ant and plant bully back then.

 

My other memories in that house were taking afternoon naps with my grandmother. She told stories about how Lord Krishna fought the demons. She dozed off in between. I woke her up and pestered her to complete the story.

I hunted for non-serious books in my grandfather’s library. He had a few abridged and illustrated classics. These books were about 100 pages, with pictures on alternate pages. I read the books like Tom Sawyer, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and the The Invisible Man from my grandfather’s library.

I realize now that my grandfather bought these books for me and allowed me to discover them in the book hunt. He also had a rule that the books cannot be borrowed. I had to read them during my time there. I looked forward to another visit to complete those books.

For my hubby’s birthday I wanted to give him the memory of his grandmother’s house as a present. He told me that his grandmother’s house was made of clay tiles and had a big open space in the center of the house. I found a resort which fit that description.

We went to Angana Country Inn. The inn is built with the theme of a grandmother’s house. There was a big spacious garden in front of the house. The house had open space in the center and was decorated with antiques. The food tasted homely. It was a great place to unwind and relax. 

The open space in the center of the house. That's me sitting there.

The Hall on one side of house

View of the garden

The entrance to the house

View of the garden from the house

The Hall on the other side of the House

A gramophone. How antique is that?

The play area. It looks like a still from an Indian horror movie. 

How Social Media Helped Me During Stressful Times

Featured Image Photo Credit: mkhmarketing via Compfight cc

Life is made of ‘ups’ and ‘downs’. Social media helped me during both the good and the bad times.

How did I use social media to my advantage?

During good times, I posted pictures on Facebook, to preserve the memories. During bad times, I sought the solace of a few blogs and the latest fads on social media. This trend of taking comfort in social media started during my PhD.

My PhD was a 5.5 year long brain and body-building exercise. Running the experiments was stressful.

I had to run experiments in a lab which was always heated to 80-100 F (The lab was heated to discipline the equipment). I had to stay in that environment for 12-14 hours per day, slide 50-100 pound equipment and lift 20 pound weights, at least 10-20 times per day. This schedule continued for 2-3 months at a stretch.

My only solaces during that time were two things. 

1) I can eat whatever I want and not put on weight 

2) Social media. 

Food blogs were my fad from 2010-2012. I frequently visited a few food blogs and drooled at pictures of food.

The pictures of  food reminded me that life was colourful as well, with different shades.

Sunday afternoons was the only free time I got. I watched recipes of Indian food on youtube, cooked and enjoyed a delicious dinner. Food blogs and youtube helped me get by the penultimate year of my PhD (other than support of my family, colleagues and real-friends).

Shifting gears from the past to the present…

This year, my latest fad is Pinterest.  Pinterest is a site where people post pictures of interesting stuff they find online. I am addicted to the quotes section on Pinterest. People post random life quotes in this section.

Life quotes taught me that life is a taskmaster and a strict teacher. All I can do is be a humble student and note down the lessons, so that I don't repeat the same mistakes.  

I dug up this beautiful poem about life on Pinterest. I hope that you find it inspiring.

Don’t Quit

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit –

Rest if you must, but don’t quit.

Life is strange with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a fellow turns about

When he might have won had he stuck it out.

Don’t give up though the pace seems slow –

You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than

It seems to a fair and faltering man,

Often the struggler had given up

When he might have captured the victor’s cup,

And he learned too late when night came down,

How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is a failure turned inside out –

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems afar,

So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit,-

It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.

AUTHOR UNKNOWN.

Food pictures from my favorite blogs in 2010-2012.

Image from  http://www.cannellevanille.com/gluten-free/where-the-apple-trees-are/

Image from http://www.tarteletteblog.com/2011/08/recipes-gluten-free-conchiglie-with.html

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2 Self-Defense Lessons for Women

I did my PhD in Chicago. During my PhD, I took three semesters of self-defense classes. The instructor was a middle aged white male, with a bald head and a strong grip. He taught us two lessons of life.

          1.  Play the survivor, not the victim.

He wanted all the women, who attended the class to takeaway one message. ‘If you are in a compromising situation, fight with all you have got. If something bad happens to you, you will be able to live with yourself, knowing that you did all you could, to escape from that situation.’

         2. Show no mercy on the attacker.

We practiced one self-defense technique every semester. He grabbed us, dragged us, lifted us, pulled us with our hair and choked us with his bare hands. We had to escape from those situations. As the semester progressed, we perfected the technique. A few sessions would be so intense, that he had to clap on the floor three times to escape from us. That was our cue to stop practicing the technique. In such situations, the ‘sorry’ genes of women used to kick in. A few of us, involuntarily told him 'sorry' after the attack. Even though both of us would be tired after the attack, he pounced on us. That was our lesson, ‘Never say sorry to your attacker, no matter who he/she is.’

Do we find any real-life examples of women who practiced these two lessons?

Yes, the Rohtak sisters. The initial version of the story said that they fought back against molestors on a bus. They played a survivor and showed no mercy towards the attacker. The later versions of the stories brand these two sisters as cheap women who go around beating men for no reason.

Before you start bitch-ifying the sisters, I ask you to take into account these two generic facts about Indians.

1.      The behavior of a man is 100 % certified. He can do no wrong. The behavior of a woman is 0% certified. Her character is always questionable & malign able.
2.      We Indians, never recognize the merit of our fellow Indians. We recognize only if a U.S. based agency recognizes them and gives an award. Then we all want to bask in the limelight of fellow Indian-ness.

I want the Rohtak sisters to be given the bravery award. Why?

I am tired of all the rape victim stories in the media. We need survivor stories. This incident is the right survivor story to make that transition.

The Rohtak Sisters

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Image from http://www.tupaki.com/news/view/Haryana-govt-puts-award-for-Rohtak-sisters-on-hold/83417

Can you be happier than what you are right now?

The ultimate goal in life is to be happy. Everybody has a base level of happiness. No matter how happy or how sad we are, we eventually return to that baseline. The baseline of happiness is dictated by psychological and sometimes socio-economic factors. Our busy and stressful lives are taking us farther and farther from our baseline, without giving us enough time to return to it. What can be done about that?

Couple of months ago, I read the book, 'The Happiness Project', by Gretchen Rubin. The author wanted to become happier than what she was. She researched about happiness and tried one theme for every month, for a year. She dedicated one month to decluttering, one month to enriching relationships, one month for gratitude and so on. When I read this book, I decided to practice one theme. I chose gratitude. Can practicing gratitude make me happier than what I am?

I have been maintaining a gratitude diary for almost two months now. I write about three things/moments that I am thankful for everyday. On good days, I am thankful for the interactions I have with my husband, my family members and my colleagues. On bad days, I am thankful for the food I eat. There are also a few silly things I am thankful for. For instance, when I listen to an old favorite song playing on the radio or when I bite into a delicious piece of chocolate. 

Has my happiness increased? Maybe. But, I see some changes in my behavior. I worry about a lot of things. I still do. But ever since I started the gratitude diary, the time span of worrying has reduced at least by 3 times (I am in process of writing my performance appraisal so bear this language). The gratitude habit has helped me get out of the worry cycle by being positive. I am getting to my baseline level of happiness sooner. 

I encourage you to maintain a gratitude diary. It is not at all time-taking. Write 3 to 5 sentences about what you are thankful for everyday. There are many writing apps, like Evernote or Google Notes, which can be downloaded on phone. These apps automatically sync the notes on the internet. It is a simple and inexpensive way to boost happiness. 

Photo Credit: abhiomkar via Compfight cc

Bengaluru Traffic Chronicles - The Tit-for-Tat Dude

Bengaluru is a city known for its perfect weather. The city is also notorious for its traffic. My favorite traffic story is, 'I take 45 minutes to drive 3 km. My husband also takes the same amount of time to drive 15 km.' The non-linearity in time vs. distance is because I have to take a right turn at the badass, 'Graphite India Junction (GIJ)', to go to office. 

Over these two years, I have gained some traffic gyaan. I observed that at the junctions, a few people have psychic knowledge of the traffic signals. Even before the signal turns green, they start honking. When I encounter such a situation, I willfully move slowly the first few seconds to raise the blood pressure of the driver behind me. 

I met a tit-for-tat dude yesterday morning, who raised my blood pressure, and hence his blog post. I was waiting at the GIJ for the signal to turn green. The signal turned green. All the vehicles started moving except for the car in front of me.

I waited for 3 seconds without honking. The car in front of me started moving backwards. I realized that the guy did not know that he was at an inclination. The car was slowly inching towards my car. I gave a long honk, concerned that his car will smooch mine. This dude looked at me from his rear-view mirror and took his own sweet time to move. I understood that he wanted to drive home a lessson, 'Be patient at traffic signals. You are not losing much time if I don't move.' My honk was misunderstood. 

I know that there are plans to organize a Kiss of Love campaign in Bengaluru this weekend. That is not an excuse for your car to kiss mine. It is infectious to our wallets and morning peace. On top of it, this dude got to take a right turn, whereas the signal turned red, just when I was about to take a right turn. I had to wait for another 7 minutes. Time does matter.

Over this whole episode, the learner dude behind me waited patiently without honking and tried to analyze the situation with a perplexed expression. I hope that we will all have the patience of a learner but drive like an expert.    

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On a similar note, the Whitefield Traffic Police Samaritans are redirecting traffic at the Graphite India Junction, starting today (22 Nov 2014). Take time to notice how your route might change. I hope this little plan of theirs works out and I will be home in 10 minutes. 

The picture says, final option. I wonder what their other options were. 

People Say Something, Do Something

During my marriage hunt, my father learned an important lesson. He passed that lesson to me. He said, 'People say something, do something'. 

Couple of weeks ago I read the book, ‘Think like a Freak’, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. I was surprised that there is a similar principle in economics, which mirrored what my father said. ‘People often say one thing and do another, or more precisely, we will say what we think other people want to hear and then in private do what we want’. In economics these are known as declared preferences and revealed preferences. There is often a hefty gap between the two.

Declared and revealed preferences become important when designing incentives. It involves a lot of effort to figure out the right incentives because, ‘People say something, do something else.’ The authors give several examples when an incentive backfired. One example was the cobra effect.

A British Lord in colonial India thought that there are too many cobras in Delhi. He offered cash for cobra skin. Indians bred and slaughtered cobras to cash the bounty. People will do everything they can to game the system, so rather being cross at their acts, appreciate their ingenuity and design a more clever incentive.

The other principle that is valid in today’s world is about failing fast, failing cheap and failing smart, on the path to success. We view quitting as being cowardly, but it is important to know when to quit.

The authors discuss about the sunk-cost fallacy or the Concorde fallacy, named after the supersonic airplane. The British and French Governments suspected that the Concorde was not economically viable but had spent too many billions to stop. It is tempting to believe that once you have invested heavily in something it is counterproductive to quit. So the next time, you are in a theatre, watching a boring movie, don’t waste anymore time watching it. You cannot get your money back, but at least you can save time.  

I enjoyed reading this book. The Freakonomics and Superfreakonomics authors came up with another great book. I recommend it for reading. 

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Image from www.businsessinsider.com

Fisherman's Cove, Chennai and Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram)

'The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears or the sea', as quoted by Karen Blixen, a Danish author. 

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Fisherman's Cove and Mahabalipuram, on a team offsite. This quote clung to my brain during the time I spent at Fisherman's Cove. No matter how many times I go to a beach, I am always amazed by the vastness of the sea, the mysteries beneath it and the power it holds in its waves. I am also soothed by the touch of the grainy sand beneath my feet and the steady hum of the waves, like the heartbeat of the sea. We stayed at Fisherman's Cove, on the first day of the trip.

On the second day we went on a day trip to Mahabalipuram. It is also known as Mamallapuram. We visited the Shore Temple, Krishna's Butter Ball and another monument at Mahabalipuram. The guide at Shore Temple mentioned that the Shore Temple has been standing for 1300 years. The locals feel proud that the Tsunami in 2004, has not affected the Shore Temple, but rather revealed new ruins. 

There were many vendors at the entrance of the Shore Temple. Most of them sold multi-colored chains and they were persistent in their quest of finding a buyer. When one of my colleagues who is a North Indian said that he does not want to buy anything in Kannada, the seller demanded in Hindi, that he should speak Tamil. Well, I guess it will take a little bit more time for the Tamilians to forgive the Kannadigas after the recent Amma jail episode.

The trip ended with lunch at Sarvana Bhavan and return trip to Bangalore in the Shatabdi Express. Tamil sambar is indeed tasty and different. The train journey was comfortable. Sometimes, I got the feeling that I was in a flight. The texture of the seats, the arrangement of the seats, the luggage racks on the top, the food service and the good suspension system of the train gave me a false in-flight experience.   

On the whole it was a great trip with the team!

Fisherman's Cove. Apt to it's name, a fisherman was fishing in the evening. 

The beach at Fisherman's Cove.

Vivanta by Taj at Fisherman's Cove.

The Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram

The newly found ruins after the 2004 Tsunami

The sculptures inside the Shore Temple

Arjuna's Penance

Krishna's Butter Ball. The stone stands on an inclination without rolling down

A temple at Mahabalipuram

Lunch at Sarvana Bhavan, close to Chennai

The Birthday Gift - Part 2

Read Part 1 of the story here.

After Tom cleaned the room, he went to take a look at the Bonsai. He was surprised to see that the torn branch was attached to the stem with a white tape. He thought, ‘Mom should’ve done it.’ He touched the part with an intention to break it again. As soon as he did that, the tree opened his eyes, shouted, ‘Don’t do it!’, and almost bit Tom’s hand. Tom jumped back with fright. The trunk of the Bonsai shriveled and expanded as it spoke. 

The Bonsai shouted, ‘You harm me. I bite you', and showed its sharp wooden teeth.

A Bonsai that speaks! Tom mumbled, ‘You can speak!’

‘You bet!’

‘Do you…do you have a name?’

‘Biter’

‘Did my uncle make you?’

Tom’s uncle was a scientist. He remembered that the last time, he visited his lab; he was working around many plants.

‘Yes, made for you. I heard you hurt plants. Made to teach lesson.’

Tom swiped the sweat off his brow. The Bonsai shouted, ‘Water, water, water me or I bite you.’

Tom ran to the kitchen to fetch water. 

His mother asked, ‘Good morning Tom. What’s the hurry?’ 

Tom gasped and said, ‘The Bonsai, it speaks. It bites. Have to go. It needs water’, and left with a jug of water.

On the radio a man’s voice boomed. He said, ‘It was a routine day. I went to the forest preserve to cut a tree. I raised my axe. The tree’s branches snatched the axe from my hand. They wrapped around my neck and tried to kill me. I wiggled away from its grip. I was lucky.’ A woman’s voice said, ‘The trees are against us. The Government has to be blamed for creating these blood-thirsty creatures, in the name of self-defending trees.’

Tom’s mother reduced the volume on the radio. Her brother designed the perfect pet for Tom. A pet that barked orders.

The End.

The Biter

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Image from google images

The Birthday Gift - Part 1

It was Tom’s birthday. His mother decorated the home with balloons. Tom turned eight years old that day. He sat in front of his cake, with a knife in his hand. It had white icing, chocolate chips and seven colorful candles. His friends poured in with gifts. Tom’s uncle came as well. He had a huge gift in his hand. Tom couldn’t wait to cut the cake and open the presents. He cut the cake as everybody sang the birthday song. The cake was devoured within minutes.

After everybody left, Tom opened his presents. He got a remote controlled car, a small slate that sang rhymes, a Lego box set, a baseball bat and ball and a few other gifts, which he realized could have been recycled from their friends’ birthday gifts. Tom tried to lift  his uncle's gift, but it was too heavy for him. The cardboard box had big holes on four sides. He tore away the cover and wondered if it was a pet. He wanted a beagle.  

Tom opened the cardboard box. He found a Bonsai inside the box. Tom was disappointed. His mother looked at the gift and said, ‘Oh look! What a pretty Bonsai your uncle gave you. Let me help you carry it to your room. Let us keep it near the window so that it gets enough light to grow.’

Tom pushed the Bonsai away from him and said, ‘I want a puppy.’

Tom’s mother replied, ‘I know it my dear. A puppy will be a lot of work for me.’

‘No, it will not! I will feed it. I will take it for walks. I will clean up after it. There is no need for you to do any extra work.’

Tom’s mother ran her hand across his blond hair, which always pointed up, and looked into his big brown eyes. She said, ‘I know how much you want it. Let’s make a deal. You keep your room clean all year and I will get you a beagle next year.’

Tom’s mother took the Bonsai to his room, and placed it near the window. Tom was angry. His uncle should have understood better. He took out his anger on the Bonsai and tore a small branch, when his mother wasn't looking. Tom went to sleep, thinking about a name for his imaginary pet beagle.

The next morning when Tom woke up, he found mud tracks in his room, as though something walked around the room with wet muddy shoes. He wondered who that could be. He followed the tracks. They went all around his bed, to his cabinet where he stored his toys. All the toys were thrown around. For a moment, Tom speculated, if it was a thief, who came in from his window. Why would the thief search in his toy cupboard? May be one of his friends’ played a prank on him. Whatever the reason, he had to clean up the room before his mother saw it; otherwise his pet would be delayed by another year.

To be continued...Part 2 tomorrow.

The Bonsai, which Tom got as his birthday gift.

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Image from google images

Happy Diwali!

I asked a good friend of mine, who is from Meerut, 'I heard that North Indians give one another gifts for Diwali.'

He thought for some time and replied, 'We believe in receiving gifts, not giving.' That reply brought a smile on my face.

In the South, we feed one another gifts. We eat lot of sweets, of different flavors and colors, which make our tummies wider. We decorate the house with diyas (lamps) and burst crackers, in the evening. The crackers sizzle, pop, rumble and a few of them explode with thunderous sounds. (Any questions about environment are not encouraged) 

Diwali is an Indian festival, also known as the festival of lights. The diya (lamp) is the symbol for this festival. The light signifies victory of knowledge over ignorance and good over evil. There are different mythological roots to this festival. The North part of India, celebrates return of Lord Rama and Sita Devi to Ayodhya. In the South, the victory of Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama over the demon Narakasura is celebrated as Diwali. Diwali is mired by an age old controversy between male chauvinists and feminists.   

Narakasura is a demon, who gave no peace to the Gods and troubled them. On top of his bad attitude, he got a wish from Brahma, that he can be killed only by his Mother, Bhoodevi (Goddess Earth). Now, you must be thinking that he is undefeatable. But the Gods are smarter. Bhoodevi reincarnated on Earth as Satyabhama, wife of Lord Krishna. Krishna goes to war with Narakasura, with Satyabhama by his side. Narakasura injures Krishna with his trident in the battle. Krishna becomes unconscious. Satyabhama comes to defense of Krishna, shoots Narakasura with an arrow and kills him. 

The male chauvinists say that Krishna knows that Narakasura can be killed only by Satyabhama, which is why he pretends to become unconscious. The feminists like me argue that Satyabhama protected Krishna from Narakasura. Whatever the interpretation, I wish you all a 'Happy Diwali'. May the festival bring lot of light and happiness in your life. 

For all the folks, who don't want to put on weight. Devour these e-sweets.

For all the environment friendly folks. Celebrate this e-Diwali.

Bhoochakra, Vishnu Chakra

Chichubuddi, flower pot

Sparkler

Pencil Sparkler

Rocket

The Land of Endless Possibilites

This is a short story, which can be part of an unfinished novel.  This story is one of my early morning musings.

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Adam was in a huge room. The white walls extended on four sides. He paced up and down and wondered, ‘Where am I?’ The walls were so bright, that it hurt his eyes. His hands twitched. He thought, ‘How can I escape?’ He looked up and saw a small black door on the roof of the room. He thought, ‘It could be the escape door. How can I reach up there?’

Adam sat on the pristine white floor. He remembered the conversation with his sister, Malina. It was a fresh spring morning. Adam and Malina were walking together on the soft grass. Malina wore a long white dress, woven with intricate and delicate laces. She carried a white umbrella. Adam smiled and asked Malina, ‘Why do you need the umbrella? It is a beautiful sunny morning.’

Malina smiled as she stroked a red rose, and felt its smooth skin. She plucked a rose petal and replied, ‘You never know. This is a place of endless possibilities. Never forget that.’ She put the petal in her mouth. Adam thought she was childish. Malina looked up at the sky. The clouds gathered together, as though they are going to have a grand party. It grew dark and the clouds opened their bellies, bringing down big fat rain drops.

Adam wondered, ‘Is this truly a place of endless possibilities?’

Adam imagined himself to be a lizard, capable of climbing the walls and slipping past the black door on the roof. He went close to the white wall. He climbed on to it and on all fours, made his way to the top. He was not in a hurry to get out. He enjoyed climbing like a lizard. He saw the floor slipping away. He reached the black door and jerked the door open.

A gust of air touched Adam’s skin. He climbed out. He saw the green plains on one side. He stood on top of a tall rectangular white box. He thought, ‘How can I get down?’ Adam imagined himself to be a bird. He opened his arms and they were covered by translucent wings. He stepped down from the box into the air. As he fell down, he flapped his wings and soared across the sky. He flew across the blue skies until he saw Malina.

Malina sat in the garden on a white bench and sipped her tea. Adam landed close to Malina. She looked at him and smiled.

Adam said,’I made it.’

Malina replied, ‘Yes, I can see that.’

‘There are endless possibilities.’

Malina replied,’Yes, I told you so’, and winked.

                                              The End.

You Go Girl! - A Poem by Taslima Nasreen

Vogue India Magazine is celebrating it's Seventh Anniversary this October. The October Issue is dedicated to women's empowerment. They have a 62-page gallery which features over 150 prominent people (mostly women), with snippets of wisdom related to gender-bias and women empowerment issues. 

In the October issue, I read a poem written by Taslima Nasreen. The poem made me get up from my comfy sofa and write this post. The poem is beautiful, radical, inspiring and I bet will end with a chuckle.

They said-take it easy...

Said-calm down...

Said-stop talkin'...

Said-shut up...

They said-sit down...

Said-bow your head...

Said-keep on cryin', let the tears roll...

What should you do in response?

You should stand up now

Should stand right up

Hold your back straight

Hold your head high...

You should speak

Speak your mind

Speak it loudly

Scream!

You should scream so loud that they must run for cover

They will say-'You are shameless!'

When you hear that, just laugh...

They will say-'You have a loose character!'

When you hear that, just laugh louder...

They will say-'You are rotten!'

So just laugh, laugh even louder...

Hearing you laugh, they will shout,

'You are a whore!'

When they say that,

just put your hands on your hips,

stand firm and say

"Yes, yes, I am a whore!"

They will be shocked

They will stare in disbelief

They will wait for you to say more, much more...

The men amongst them will turn red and sweat.

The women amongst them will dream to be a whore like you."

Taslima Nasreen is a writer and a human rights activist

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