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'Wonderwoman' ! Yeah that is what Archu was dressed up as for halloween 2010. It was her first real halloween celebration and it was fun .. They had this halloween party at daycare and each kid was dressed up - as a dog, as a princess, as a ladybug, etc etc .. She made hallowen crafts that I later pinned up on the fridge so she can chowcase her sweet talent to everyone . Isn't that cute .. ? Kids in our came trick or treating at our door, and my baby made her rounds too.

Thought(s) for the day- -People who struggle to be liked end up not being liked -You can either be popular or be liked. I love these wise philosophers :-)

You know, Archu also loves this song by Train, everytime I hear it she starts dancing too. I can listen this one anytime, love the fast beats and peppy tune. Thumbs up ! (Video Embedded below) -- Hey, hey, hey Your lipstick stains on the front lobe of my left side brains I knew I wouldn't forget you, and so I went and let you blow my mind Your sweet moonbeam, the smell of you in every single dream I dream I knew when we collided, you're the one I have decided who's one of my kind Hey soul sister, ain't the Mr. Mister on the radio, stereo, the way you move ain't fair, you know! Hey soul sister, I don't want to miss a single thing you do...tonight Hey, hey,hey -- Just in time, I'm so glad you have a one-track mind like me You gave my life direction, a game show love connection we can't deny I'm so obsessed, my heart is bound to beat right out my untrimmed chest I believe in you, like a virgin, you're Madonna, and I'm a

I was waiting to get inspired to blog something, and lo behold, I got this forward from Revathi .. I had to pen this down because to me, this is hilarious ! Its's not intended to portray any sort of disrespect towards religious sentiments. I hope you enjoy this article as a humorous piece, more than anything. Please read this in a light vein.  Future of NRI kids. A young second generation Indian in the US was asked by his mother to explain the significance of "Diwali" to his younger brother, this is how he went about it...  " So, like this dude had, like, a big cool kingdom and people liked him.   But, like, his step-mom, or something, was kind of a bitch, and she forced her husband to, like, send this cool-dude, he was Ram, to some national forest or something... . Since he was going, for like, something like more than 10 years or so..... he decided to get his wife and his bro along.... you know...so that they could all chill out together.   But Dude, the fore

My baby is no longer a baby, rather a toddler. She is turning TWO next month and it's amazing to really believe that she is growing up from that little crawler that she was to a little girl talking non-stop in babbles. This weekend has been a very interesting one for me (and us). I decided to go for it - I got her a pink toddler (Dora theme) bed, two circular rugs for her room, matching curtains and a toddler bedding set. I was thrilled to see her excitement. I plan to paint her room eventually .. never really painted anything in the last 10 or so yrs :) so we'll see how it goes. It is a work in progress, nevertheless, there is no hurry, its a task that me, hubby and ofcourse Archu are doing at leisure.Not to forget, Archu kept running away with the screwdrivers etc and we spent a good time cajoling her into getting distracted so we could get the pins/screws etc from her. It was so worth the 2 hrs .. she loved her bed, and lay down there next to her pink teddybear .. huggi

Ask any Indian who grew up in 90's as a kid .. Probablity is that atleast 99% would agree if I said that parents did everthing to make their kids study .. call it sacrifice, frugal living, no no to cable TV, yes yes to doordarshan channel, AND very clear catogerization of who teaches which subject -- amma for english etc, appa for mathematics !!! I can almost say that Indian parents gave their children commando and army training when it came to studies in school. Technical = Appa's department || Theoritical = Amma's department Appa will be like the superhero in maths, also because he always got 100 out of 100 in his school maths and becasue it needed superior brain calculative powers.. and amma will be the one-stop-shop for language subjects like hindi and english, and other subjects that we had to 'by-heart' or 'mug' as in our yester-year english, and ofcourse she would provide the enthusiasm to sit down to study :) Studiying was like the the main

Quoting these lines from 'Jonathan Livingston Seagull' by Richard Bach, 1970 The book tells the story of a seagull who is bored with the daily squabbles over food... Read on .. "We all lead boring, ordinary, mundane existences and now and then a bird of paradise comes along, and we all get scared. It scares us because we're not like that, our feathers aren't brilliantly hued in red and green, we're brown and gray and seeing that bird of paradise makes us feel ugly or as though in someway we have failed. Some of us love to watch that bird, and we dream that one day we might be birds of paradise too..."

I am quoting the following words from the book ' The last lecture', 2007. Very true and inspiring and it covers almost everything in such simple words, but conveys messages of great depth ! HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE: Personality: 1. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about. 2. Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment 3. Don't over do; keep your limits 4. Don't take yourself so seriously; no one else does 5. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip 6. Dream more while you are awake 7. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.. 8. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner of his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness. 9. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others. 10. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present 11. No one is in

Remember cycling to school, in the traffic, with the uniform and braided hair .. what chaos during those days .. amma cooking, maid cleaning, appa shaving, sis1 bathing, sis2 still sleeping, and me eating breakfast .. seeing the tv or hearing the radio .. fun days really i remember my best friend Rupali in 1st grade, she refused to eat and her mom called my mom, and said only if varshini eats rupali will eat . .so please make varshini eat .. wow ~~ I have since lost contact with her, hopefully i will bump into her someday. 1st thru 4th grades amma came to school and gave lunch to me, and a group of girlfriends sat under a tree on the playground and ate. 4th and 5th grades were so playful. running around and giggling with the girls, fighting with the boys, preparing for that 100 meters race for sports day, mass drills etc etc ... amma used to force me to study every day LOL 8th grade meant change - new school, teenage emotions bla bla .. opened a whole new door. I remember it was

I came to this country five years back. I have learnt so many life lessons along the way .. I was so excited to buy my first flip-flop (slippers) for 2 bucks from Kroger. Hubby and I so exitedly selected a color that I liked. Fun times really. My first friend in this country - Sheetal, The first dish I made - upma, First trip - Dallas, so many 'firsts' to remember. Its amazing how hubby and I discovered so many things together, did trips together, learnt cooking, and the little things along the way ! We invested in two new cars almost immediately after we were married. It was a big step forward for us, but we believed in our decisions. I remember decorating our house with what ever little that hubby dear had accumulated up until then. Everything seemed new and fresh, with a positive vibration associated with it .. I remember my the surprise cake that my friend brought home for hubby's bday late at night, cutting the cake for my bday with just the two of us in our tiny apa

I wonder why sometimes my mind wanders to the future. Its like trying to foresee what will happen, and amidst that we fail to live in the moment and appreciate the present. I always tell myself when I get carried away .. its one life .. its all the same at the end .. 'he said' .. 'she said' .. doesn't matter at all .. But what about the past .. i love to recollect memories, so I keep them fresh in my mind. I often rewind .. for instance .. few minutes back, i rewinded back to one year ago, when I quit my job to be a stay at home mom .. I was relishing how it was to wake up at 10 with my daughter, see cartoons, make her take a bubble bath, make fresh food .. pat her to sleep and carry her to bed .. Now that I am back to work, I do miss all this .. I miss taking her out at noon to the book store, to the mall, to a play date .. Dont know if others rewind in their lives too ... Do they ? Do they not ? Is it just me ? I really don't know. I am me :)

Finally ! I bought it ! I have also joined the league of smart phone users.What a bliss to have convienience-on-the-go. Totally satified with the purchase. Thanks to hubby who come up with the idea to buy one .. FINALLY :) :) Still getting familiarised with so many apps to choose from .. free ones of course .. I hope to do justice to the iphone by fully using its capabilities  .. but im definitely not there yet .. iTunes is certainly a blessing - I mean I can carry all my favorite 817 songs with me on the go right in my phone .. Thank you god for iPhone and other smart phones .. Not long ago, we all survived without phones LOL ! Now beat that !

Last couple of weeks have been busy settling down at work. So far so good, work is challenging and interesting, which is how I like it to be. Downtown Houston is connected by a network of underground tunnels, its a sight to see for any visitor, filled with eateries and hangouts. It's fun to work in those high rises downtown, MINUS the bumper to bumper traffic. I have a chronic cold that has been persistent for a two months now. It is starting to irritate me, but my guess is that Archu brings it from her daycare to me. Maybe its time to see the doc. Thought for today: If there is nothing good to say, say nothing at all.

Yes ! I am back working for another renowned Energy firm, as Management Consultant. I enjoyed my one year as a stay-at-home-mom. Simply enjoyed every day dearly with my precious daughter, something I will never regret ever ! I was able to enjoy the small little things each day, I cooked and cleaned and discovered things all over again, this time through my daughter's eyes. I know, for sure now, that home making in itself is a full time job, except that it is unpaid. Hats of to all other moms out for being there for their children and family !!! As for me now, I am enjoying work again. Archu is enjoying her time with other kids her age at daycare, bringing home different projects each day .. its so exciting to discover things all over again like a kid :)

How hard can job hunt be ? Two simple words, but a long process behind it. As on July 2010, the unemployment rate in USA stands at 9.5%, including 14.6 Million unemployed persons. ( source - US Census Bureau) Where are the jobs ? Are unpaid internships even worth the time and effort ? Especially in Houston - spending all that money on filling your gas tank, and daycare, in pursuing an unpaid internship while in school ? I don't know ! Hi-Tech thieves selling children's social security numbers long before the little one's even have a bank account ! How horrific ..

First it was my good friend's mother, then it was an elderly woman I knew since I was young, then it was a middle aged woman I knew, then it was another elderly woman who I have known very closely .. all victims .. to CANCER. Tears rolled down my cheeks hearing the latest news, that that woman's cancer is at stage 4. Some things are beyond us. There can be no justification for such things happening to really good people. The effect such news can have on us is drastic. If only there was a cure. All I can do is pray for them, and their family.

Situations we wish never happened in the first place, certain periods of time that seemed to pass very slow, like eternity but that will also pass. But there is always a reminder lingering in the mind, i think it is subconcious, and is there to stay in you for as long as you live.

IF AN EGG IS BROKEN BY AN OUTSIDE FORCE..A LIFE ENDS. IF AN EGG BREAKS FROM WITHIN...... .LIFE BEGINS. GREAT THINGS ALWAYS BEGIN FROM WITHIN . This is attitude ------------------------------------------------------- IT'S BETTER TO LOSE YOUR EGO TO THE ONE YOU LOVE. THAN TO LOSE THE ONE YOU LOVE ....... BECAUSE OF EGO This is attitude --------------------------------------------------------- WHY WE HAVE SO MANY TEMPLES, IF GOD IS EVERYWHERE ?  A WISE MAN SAID : AIR IS EVERYWHERE, BUT WE STILL NEED A FAN TO FEEL IT. This is attitude ----------------------------------------------------------- WHEN YOU TRUST SOMEONE TRUST HIM COMPLETELY WITHOUT ANY DOUBT....... AT THE END YOU WOULD GET ONE OF THE TWO : EITHER A LESSON FOR YOUR LIFE OR A VERY GOOD PERSON This is attitude --------------------------------------------------------------- LIFE IS NOT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ACT TRUE TO YOUR FACE IT'S ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO REMAIN TRUE BEHIND YOUR BACK This is attitude ---

I like this one in particular, as it illustrates how each of us plays our part in this world ! Read on .. Adapted from William Shakespeare - As you like it All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. At first the infant, Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms; And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel And shining morning face, creeping like snail Unwillingly to school. And then the lover, Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier, Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard, Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel, Seeking the bubble reputation Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice, In fair round belly with good capon lin'd, With eyes severe and beard of formal cut, Full of wise saws and modern instances; And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts Into

Guess what people .. I have given myself a haircut --- HOW ? by referring to youtube videos and so I have actually saved 25 bucks which otherwise I would have paid to a salon. Way to go girl !! I am a fan of Oprah Winfrey. She is one of the women who I respect simple because of the depth of her knowledge and involvement in her talk shows. I have been seeing her shows on and off since I was in 9th grade. She introduced Racheal Ray, who now hosts her own show on cooking, and then was Dr. Phil, who hosted his show, which no longer airs, and then she also introduced Dr. Mehmet Oz, through the The Dr Oz Show. Of late I've been enjoying American Idol, America's got talent, dancing with the stars etc. Time pass !

I read DOHAS in hindi class in my school days .. I enjoyed them because they taught me the inner meaning inside those words, and they way my teacher used to tell it was the highlight. Few Kabir Dohas that I remember really well (taken from the web) - 1. Kaal Kare So Aaj Kar, Aaj Kare So Ub Pal Mein Pralaya Hoyegi, Bahuri Karoge Kub [Tomorrow's work do today, today's work now if the moment is lost, the work be done how] 2. Bada Hua To Kya Hua, Jaise Ped Khajoor Panthi Ko Chaya Nahin, Phal Laage Atidoor [In vain is the eminence, just like a date tree No shade for travelers, fruit is hard to reach] Being big, important, powerful, wealthy is of no consequence. It is like a tall date tree whose fruit is out of reach, and which does not give any shade to the traveler. 3. Dukh Mein Simran Sab Kare, Sukh Mein Kare Na Koye Jo Sukh Mein Simran Kare, Tau Dukh Kahe Ko Hoye [In anguish everyone prays to Him, in joy does none

With valentines day around the corner, I have sneaked out with Archu to the bookstore to suprise hubby with a book that I am going to present to him. Its our 5th valentines day after our marriage. I still remember , the last valentines day, I was a new mom and I had totally forgotten to give hubby the card and gift that I bought in advance .. so I would not have to go looking for one after I had the baby !! That was funny Anyway, While archu is sleeping upstairs, I have managed to clean the house and also prepare food for hubby - todays special is bisebelabath and curdrice. Today I created a twitter account. What the hell is twitter ? I had to create one to find out .. and I finally did .. not very different from facebook or orkut or google's buzz i believe,,, but hey ... does it hurt to have one more account :-) Happy weekend.

Today I have a quiz on statistics course. Now that Archu is in daycare I have settled in a comfy place to revise for the quiz.. My third semester at the MBA program has shaped up pretty good so far .. Made some good friends, learnt some valuable life lessons as well, GPA has been good so far .. Teamwork skills are on the rise and so are the tuition fees :-) that was supposed to be a joke ha ha ha I saw on the local news that UH may hike tuition fees by 4%. I feel thats not fair - to keep increasing fees ! I've not been active in blogging for a couple of months now .. hope to do so more often. Patience ! Persistence ! Consistency ! Reputation !