Wise Ones

Take care of your thoughts because they become words.
Take care of your words because they become actions.
Take care of your actions because they become habits.
Take care of your habits because they will form your character.
Take care of your character because they form your destiny,
and your Destiny will be your LIFE.

— H.H.The Dalai Lama

Friends are the new Family

As far as I live from 'Home', and by 'Home' now I am not sure if I should call US my home or India; I am beginning to realize that friends are becoming family. It has been 4 years since I knew my close tamil circle here in Houston. Although I do not see them frequently, when I do, the bond gets tighter.

Not having blood-relations closeby, the phone and email is my only way of connecting back home in India. Whereas it is the same familiar faces that I see at each important event or hindu festival here that makes me feel the way I do. I told hubby last night, that I think slowly the bond will get stronger and our kids will know each other growing up. I like that I can speak tamil my way when I meet this gang, I like that we share a similar background in terms of familiarity with tamil movies, tamil songs, tamil festivals etc. It is that comfort level that I like despite having different personality types.

I felt like penning this down, so I can remember this feeling when I read my blog 20 years later, and I hope to be a part of this circle then too. Ofcourse, there are many loving friends that live closeby who share the same cultural background and like I have mentioned in  my earlier postings, to love and be loved is the most important thing that matters to me in my life. I love them all, although I don't know if they know it. I hope I can make some long lasting relationships with them for me and my family, and Archu will be happy I did.

Relationships take time to grow, while there is also an inevitable aspect of mutual respect required, trustworthiness and 'being-there-when-I-need-you' feelings are a part of the package. My new year 2012 resolution is to remember to wish friends on their birthdays, (through facebook reminders)

:-)

Kolaveri phenomenon

I casually clicked on a you tube link one afternoon. At first glance it didn't mean much to me but after reading a couple of articles about how this simple Tamil movie song has captured hearts across state borders that's when I went back to the video, and this time listened with concentration. I'm referring to the song "Why this kolaveri" from the tamil movie 3.

Genuinely simple lyrics coupled with an air of youth spirited me up and I started to love it too. It made to nostalgic to listen to Tanglish (Tamil - English) which I don't often hear in the US. It reminded me of living in Chennai, talking tamil to the locals, ending words in a tanglish accent by adding a U (love -u, tire- U ) and so forth.

Dhanush continues to surprise me with his talents, I never liked him as an actor but I think that this lad has belief in himself and has stuck to his faith in doing what he thinks he can and he is only getting better with age. This guy can pen down lyrics, sing, dance, and actually acts well in his movies. I am happy that this Tamil song has united the North to the South in movies.

What do you do when your car gets towed

Imagine walking back to your parking spot and not finding your car. Initially you think you are crazy to forget where you parked, but then it occurs to you, that your car has been towed. For real.

University of Houston has over 50K students who are enrolled, and parking is  nightmare. After circling the lots for about 25 minutes, I realized that I needed to park ASAP to walk all the way to business school and make it to class on time.

There was the campus bookstore and I decided to park in the only spot I saw open. Little did I realize that I would be a victim of towing. It was 9 pm at night, I stayed calm, I knew I had to think through it. Bad things happen, and when you go through them, you become wiser and of course stronger.

As for my car, we retrieved it from the impound lot for a hefty price. I had to call sathya, he drove with Archu at night to pick me up. I had to do all the explanation. I felt guilty. I had made a mistake. A costly one. I will never forget this day.

On a side note, here is my Minnie Mouse 2011.

Grateful and Beyond

There are so many things to be grateful for;  it's a great thing to write about because we can loose perspective sometimes with the mountains of responsibilities and concerns we face everyday. I'm grateful to be 'above ground' with good health and a family to nurture and take care of. I am grateful for the good people around me. 

Appendicitis came as a sudden blow to me, as to everyone else that have experienced it. The purpose of my posting is to comprehensively bring together my feeling of gratefulness and care that the experience has brought with it, and for me to be there for each one of them in time of need. 

Hubby, I am grateful for, first and foremost for staying right there with me throughout. I have to thank my friends for offering to take care of Archana through a couple of nights. If I named all the friends from wonderful acquaintances to tried and true friends, I'd have exceeding the limit on my posting. I do know there are a lot of good people, near and far, who I can count on, who care about me, and who want only the best for me. I truly value my friends and will never have "enough" or too many.

To mention a few - Jayashree, Priya, Nipa, Vandhana, Ginu, Malathi, Swathi, Anu, Anju, Vani - thank you so much for bringing me freshly-made home cooked food and visiting me.

Uma, Prati, Leena, Revathi, Rohini, Lakshmi, Ruma, Vila, Vidya, Krupa, Ramya, Brinda  - thank you for showing that you care through your emails and phone calls. 

Thank you amma and appa for your ample phone calls from India enquiring about me. Thank you to all of you at my workplace, and hubbys' - for your emails. As is my nature, I never forget any one's good deeds and I will always reach out to them when they need me. How can I forget to thank my boss at work, who were extremely supportive - Jason and Saurabh.

Thanks to each one of you who sent their wishes to me on facebook and telling that you care.

Its paint time

It was for the first time in years after moving into home sweet home, we began the painting project. I chose to start small, so just focussed on the half-wall in the kitchen. Color - light olive green. I was surprised that it was such an un-complicated task - just pick up the right tools and voila - you'll be done before you know it .

Painting in India was such a huge task .. scraping & scrubbing; but here its totally a 'hands-on' easy approach ! Thumbs up to Hubby and I .. and of course can I forget my little helper who did more than was needed .. :)

Colors - Orange as an accent over the fireplace, and madder red on the other walls. Never stop exploring, colors reflect your personality !

See my little helper -->

Tax system Explained !

I found this a very interesting read, from yahoo posts ..

TAX CODE EXPLAINED

Suppose that every evening, 10 men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.

The fifth would pay $1.

The sixth would pay $3.

The seventh would pay $7.

The eighth would pay $12.

The ninth would pay $18.

The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that's what they decided to do. The 10 men drank in the bar every evening and were quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner said "Since you are all such good customers, I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20." Drinks for the 10 men would now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes. So the first four men were unaffected, they would still drink for free, but what about the other six men, the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his fair share? They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33, but if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer.

So, using the principle of our tax system, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by a higher percentage based on how poor he was, and he proceeded to suggest the amounts that each should now pay.

Therefore, the fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing.

The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% saving).

The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% saving).

The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% saving).

The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% saving).

The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% saving).


Each of the six was better off than before, and now half of the men continued to drink for free. But, once outside the bar, the men began to compare their savings.

"I only got a dollar out of the $20 saving," declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, "But he got $10!"

"Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a buck too. It's unfair, he got 10 times more benefit than me!"

"That's true!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back, when I got only $2? The wealthy always win!"

"Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison, "we didn't get anything at all. This new tax system exploits the poor!"

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had their beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists, labor unions and government officials, is how the tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes will naturally get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas, where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

Ice Ice Baby

A layer of snow can be pretty, how about layers of slippery ice. This is the situation in Houston and surroundings for a day now. This is my first streak at sub zero temps, and boy does it suck :) I walked over my front lawn grass and heard the grass breaking beneath my feet, and same with the leaves on the were frosted with ice.  Good news is it will go away tomorrow .. So for me, no work today and I'm cozy at staying home with Archu.

I can only imagine the plight of the north-east that has been submerged in snow for quite some time now! Stay warm folks. 

It's all in a name

Silly me - I decided to make a Brinjal (Eggplant) dish, as hubby brought home fresh Eggplant from the store. It was a while since I made any Eggplant dish, and you know how busy it gets sometimes -- i knew there were 4 dishes that can be made, but it didnt quite strike me what was what --

-Kathrikai Pitla (Eaten with Traditional south indian meal)
-Kathrika Gotsu (Eaten with Pongal etc)
-Baingan Bartha
-Baghara Baingan (My goodnesss, I always confuse with these two)

So now you know, how I'm justifying my reason to mix up the recipes :-) Thanks to google and youtube, My Gotsu came out delicious !

Little things that warm my heart

I'm at my office desk, checking emails and getting work done .. and I realize it's time to check on Archu. (Her daycare has this Webcam facility that is viewable online) and it just makes my day .. everyday ...

I mean its so cute to see tots play, there are no rules in their game - each lil one is busy in his or her own world, be it reading a book, or playing at a lego center etc etc. They all line up when its time for outdoor activity - swing, slide etc, you should see the glow in their eyes, so eager and excited, its so wonderful to see them.

And when its food time, or gym time, they line up in pairs or singles, and go to the cafe/gym. Sweet little nothings, but makes me feel so warm. Love you kids, love you Archu !

My little wonder woman - Halloween 2010

'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.

Ponderings

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 :-)

Hey Soul Sister..

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 always gonna wanna blow your mind

Hey soul sister, ain't that 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

--
The way you can't cut a rug, watching you's the only drug I need

You're so gangsta, I'm so thug, you're the only one I'm dreaming of

You see, I can be myself now finally, in fact there's nothing I can't be

I want the world to see you be with me

Hey soul sister, ain't that 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 soul sister, I don't want to miss a single thing you do...tonight

Hey, hey,hey

--
Tonight

Hey, hey,hey

Tonight


 

Ramayana _ retold by NRI kid..

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 forest was reeeeal scary shit... really man...they had monkeys and devils and shit like that. But this dude, Ram, kicked with darts and bows and arrows.... so it was fine. But then some bad gangsta boys, some jerk called Ravan, picks up his babe (Sita) and lures her away to his hood.. And boy, was our man, and also his bro, Laxman, pissed.

All the gods were with him... So anyways, you don't mess with gods.

So, Ram, and his bro get an army of monkeys.... Dude, don't ask me how they trained the damn monkeys... just go along with me, ok...So, Ram, Lax and their monkeys whip this gangsta's ass in his own hood.... Anyways, by this time, their time's up in the forest... and anyways... it gets kinda boring, you know.... no TV or malls or shit like that.

So, they decided to hitch a ride back home... and when the people realize that our dude, his bro and the wife are back home... they thought, well, you know, at least they deserve something nice... and they didn't have any bars or clubs in those days... so they couldn't take them out for a drink, so they, like, decided to smoke and stuff ... and since they also had some lamps, they lit the lamps also...so it was pretty cooool... you know with all those fireworks...

And this is how it started."

--

Just laugh it out and let is pass !  :)

My baby's Toddler Room

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 .. hugging her snail pillow. Good times ! Good feelings !

Grew up in the 90s ??

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 path forward .. and ofcourse there are the music classes, dance classes and sports which I absolutely loved .. and others in that catogery. BUT getting more marks was the main target in life then, ..Less means you had to go for tuition (coaching classes).This was the case in almost every kid's house of my age, that when I look back I recollect. Getting the signature on the progress report card was the defying moment, each semester. When the marks were great, then everyone was happy, if not, then it was a different story.

It's funny, at that age, it felt like .. ' habba ivlo page irukka indha book la padikka ' (oh my god ! so many pages to study for the exam) .. but now it all makes sense .. because of the commando training then, we fearfully stuck to the right path, and did not derail anywhere inbetween, even if we did, parents were always watchful enough to put you back on track.

Thanks to all the ammas and appas, who seemingly were villians then, but now can proudly sit back and appreciate all the things in life that you have accomplished, and be very proud of their sons and daughers !

Silhouette

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..."

As they rightly put it ..

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 charge of your happiness except you
12. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.
Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
13. Smile and laugh more
14. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Community:
15. Call your family often
16. Each day give something good to others
17. Forgive everyone for everything
18. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6
19. Try to make at least three people smile each day
20. What other people think of you is none of your business
21. Your job will not take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
22. Put GOD first in anything and everything that you think, say and do.
23. GOD heals everything
24. Do the right things
25. However good or bad a situation is, it will change
26. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up
27. The best is yet to come
28. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful
29. When you’re awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it
30. If you know GOD you will always be happy. So, be happy. 


I also was inspired by the following words. Read on ...


-When God takes away something from your hands,Don't think He is punishing you!He is just leaving you empty handed to receive something better!


-You don't know how strong you are, until being strong is the only option you have !
Have a blessed day .. from me with luv

Good ol' days

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 holi day, and the school banned colors inside the school campus and we were waiting for the evening bell, and changed t shirts, and started playing holi. This was the time i started playing throwball for the school team .. we did tournaments, it was team play. just masti and fun. i used to share with my friends my new nail polish, we used to cycle to home together .. I had a hero ranger, I used to cycle with both hands free .. donno how i did it, but I sure did LOL

High school was mostly academics .. many friends left CBSE for state board. But I stayed put in CBSE, which meant most of my friends moved away to differernt schools .. It felt so new, so strange, so different, to adapt and start afresh among new classmates. It was not the most pleasant experience I've had, but nothing to complain about. The funny thing I realize now, is that we still had to wear skirt and shirt to school, while most other schools went with more traditional uniforms. I remember the paatu class (music class) that we 3 sisters used to go to, as triples on kinetic honda ... we used to practise singing at home too.

College was a new chapter, as with everyone else, with me as well. I was a pretty and petite girl, brimming with confidence. I did extremely well academically, and stayed away from sports, which I was actually pretty good at. At school I was a fast runner, a good throwball player. First year at college, I remember I was in ' D 'section, we were a big group then... we have gone to cinemas, to beaches, to friends houses, to eat out etc etc etc .. fun days .. That was the time I really had a 'wardrobe' which primarily consisted of salwar sets ..

Second year of college onwards, classes were split based on our majors. This was another change. There was just one girl from my section (D) who came to my class now. She was the only one I had talked to earlier. It was a different feeling. Again it was a new start. I was all for it ! Excited ! Scared ! Anxious ! Conscious ! But I enjoyed it, i looked forward to my bus ride everyday. I boarded my bus at 7.40 am, and our route was along the coast, it was so rejunuvating every  morning, that fresh air, to see the waves, vast open areas on the beach waters, the boats and fishermen ..  it was a lovely feeling . It pepped me up to face everyday. Wow, I wish I could go in my bus no# 1 again.

One thing is for sure - Academically, I gave it my best shot and I was able to consistently remain the topper, and finally got state rank, which I sure am proud of, whether others acknowledge it or not :) :) It certainly is a feat, to be able to consistenly perform ! Kudos to me !!

Five quick years !

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 apartment. It was so simple, yet so much fun, still so fresh in my mind.

Move from one bedroom to two bedroom apartment, and then dreaming about having our own dream home sometime became a reality when we took the brave leap forward and built our own home here in Houston. A spacious 2500 sq ft two storey house, that we were going to call home. We had so many things to look forward to, new friends, new jobs, new everything. At the same time, both of us kept growing spiritually, and kept our feet firmly on the ground.

Then came our blessing from god, in the form of a daughter. Life transformed, from the youth to the responsible. Little things didn't matter anymore. I only became more patient, calmer and more accepting of everything. Motherhood taught me so much.

Here I am, 5 years later, we have now got our green cards, and we are at a stage where we have the urge to get back to our motherland. Atleast the idea has got firmly rooted in our minds, and we hope to work toward making that dream and reality.