The Choicest Memories

Today is the last day of 2009, can we recall all that we did in the year that has passed, something productive, non-productive, exciting, new, repetative, monotonous, excellent, beyond expectations, helpful, painful, for bringing a smile, to start a new beginning....there is a looooong list...in a way we got used to 2009 and when today it's time to say goodbye, let's take out time and recall a trail of events that brought a smile or invited a tear to run down our eyes.

What is it that we would really want to remember and would love to bring along with us into 2010?? Think about it , because that's something that would turn into a lasting memory :)

Years would keep passing by, life would move on, but what's important is that each year leaves a pleasant memory that would move on with us and by the end of our journey, a collection of memories would give us company and we would have a reason to smile..a smile of contentment...a smile of fulfillment.. and a smile that would make us complete.
May the coming year and many more leave imprints of beautiful memories and bright sunny days that would bring a lovely shine to our lives!

A Very Happy 2010 to all my fellow bloggers, walking hand in hand with your thoughts has been an amazing experience for me, something that I would take along when I enter the years yet to come :)

A Lesson Everywhere!

Each day ends on a thankful note and settles down in peace, looking forward to a beautiful new beginning. Another page in life, packed with surprises, some that bring a smile and some that make us frown, but there's a surprise hidden every time we turn a new page in life.

A gentle shower of rain, smears our surroundings with love, joy, peace and happiness...nature has a selfless way of showering numerous blessings...blessings that we should be thankful for...nature teaches us that no matter what happens, life is a responsibility and we have to be responsible enough to make it worth while and to thank the creator for all that he has blessed us with, taking up good examples every day.

Nature teaches us to be like a rainbow, that glows after a heavy shower, like the grass that looks greener or the tree that holds on to its roots even after being lashed by heavy rains.

Examples are not only set by great human beings but also by our surroundings, coz God has left hints everywhere. Even a tiny little sapling teaches us the greatest truth of our life, i.e. "what we sow, we reap."

Life is a journey, travel in such a way that it runs smooth and your company makes it a beautiful experience for those travelling with you.


We all are companions in this journey called life, let's make it a beautiful experience for each other, let nature be our teacher and God our guiding light.

May Everyones life be filled with peace, joy and contentment. Amen

Human: A "Logical Being"

Many of you must have seen an ad where people are ridiculed for engraving their names on historical monuments. These are the people for whom the world is their black board where they have a right to scribble anything nonsensical that they want. These people as we all do , pay taxes for the maintenance of the same monuments but don't think twice when they try to harm them...a real foolish act!
I remember the time when my principal made the whole of class 12th batch, scrub our tables with a "regmal"on which there were numerous scribbles. At that time we felt it was very thoughtless of her, an unkind act , but later when she gave us a reason , it became a lesson for life.
She said that when we commit a sin, we have to repent, because no one else can do that for us, is it logical that a robber robs a house and his poor parents pay for his deeds....in the same way when we scribble on our desks, the same desks on which we write our exams, we spend the maximum part of our day, is it fair that a carpenter works hard to rectify our mistake and then again when we come back from our vacations we damage them conviniently!
Yes, that day each one of us scrubbed our desk and found them all polished and new when we came back from our vacations....we didn't damage them again because we had learnt our lesson!
I guess some people don't feel responsible towards the property outside their homes, I'd like to ask such people, what would happen if a group of monkeys are left in their house and they tamper with their property...how would it feel? This is something one should really think about.
We are humans, God has given us something called logic and reasoning, he has asked us to use it in order to lead a good life, then why is it that sometimes our acts just don't portray us as logical beings??
Lets get back to where we began..the historical monuments...a precious part of our history...a special part of the memories related to the golden past of our land..a witness that saw a nation in making...what right do we have to engrave nonsensical stuff on our monuments and what would we get out of it??
When we enter a monument we feel like a part of history, it's a different experience and a soulful one, observing the walls we get to know about the architecture of those times, the way everything was brilliantly designed, the arches, the floor, the grand entrance, we follow the details and all of a sudden our eyes fall on a ugly engraving on one of the walls.."Seema loves Himesh"!!!! God! why does Seema have to ruin a precious piece of history to love Himesh????There are loads of such unsolved queries, I wish we could make them repair the walls, so that they learn a lesson for life, it would have made their engraved love all the more stronger ;)
If we do not think about harming our personal property, what right do we have to harm something that belongs to the nation...It's shameful and an extremely selfish behaviour and it's hightime that such people realise their mistake.
Freinds, life is a journey and each day is a lesson. It's important to learn good things and to abandon the bad ones on the last station that we've already left. We all make mistakes, but those who learn from their mistakes, are the ones who have lived life in the real sense, because it's only then can the world be made a better place.
Once someone asked me to define success..... According to me, the person whose conscience gives him/her a clean chit by the end of the day, is the one who has been most successful!

Looking Forward!!

We all look forward to whats going to happen next. When we start going to school, we look forward to play in the activity room, when we move ahead, we look forward to becoming seniors and during all this, we look forward to weekends, picnics and loads and loads of fun, then finally we reach the senior classes and look forward to the carefree college days and finally we realise that the world inside the school was much more safer, comfortable and carefree. In college we manage our pocket money, crave for more, save money for a ticket to a movie and for a cup of coffee at barista, which is a special visit that comes in turns, where one orders and the rest enjoy. The blessed pooling in is also a part of the activity.Finally we look forward to a good job, so that we can have money to enjoy ourselves. College days get over and we enter the work place, we get money but no time to spend it, friends get busy and thus a preoccupied life comes into being, we miss the days spend at college, thats also when we look forward to a good partner and after that a happy family. Responsibilities keep piling up and we start looking forward to a carefree life once again.
As it is a fact and an inevitable one, that we do get old, at this point of time, we have money and time but our energy level dips a bit lower than we ever expected it to be. But we don't stop looking forward....
We human beings have a tendency to look forward to whats coming up next which is not a bad idea at all, because life is about going on, but sometimes it's also very important to stop and think about the present and enjoy the moment, and enjoy it in such a way that it feels that we have captured time in our palms. Remember the last time when you enjoyed your day, gripping it in your palm and dancing to its tune. Its important to look ahead but its also important to be able to dance to the tune of the present, after all its a happy present that would open passages for a happier tomorrow!
Look forward to a better tomorrow on the soft petals of a beautiful today :)

Nostalgia

Sometimes life just makes you feel so nostalgic that you tend to question yourself..."am I living life or am I just thinking about it?" It's wierd isn't it ?But that's whats beautiful about life, it spreads new roads in front of us and makes us miss the journey we've just covered.
Anything can trigger off nostalgia, even the very thought of certain things brings a smile on our face. We meet strangers and discover a similarity that reminds us of someone, a particular fragrance, or the roads that we have crossed as kids, a familiar warmth or just a familiar smile, a simple post or just a sparkle in someones eyes....
Nostalgia knows how to define a moment and fetch us a smile.

Yesterday I heard a song,
and thus a chord was struck,
an affectionate feeling rose within,
a feeling of a long lost bond,
I closed my eyes and felt it seep through,
it went and settled on my heart,
I bat an eyelid and a smile streached out,
nostalgic it was,
Memory of a nostalgic past.

Faith

There was a little girl,
With soft, brown eyes,
and rosy little cheeks.

Her mother used to tell her,
after every filling meal,
thank God my girl, for he is the one,
who gives us everything to eat.

A believe so strong had been engraved in the little ones heart,
She thanked God whenever she ate to the contentment of her heart.

once it so happened, that the mother went away on some work,
she didnt realise that back home she was leaving a hungry girl.

the girl woke up from her sleep,
and rubbed her rosy cheeks,
and called out to her mother,
who was no where to be seen.

The girl cried that she was hungry and wanted to have some food,
no one was there to hear her call, no one to serve her food.
then she remembered what mother had said and prayed to God in a jiffy,
and there came a delicious plate, filled with the tastiest delicacies.
The little girl opened her eyes and thanked God for his blessings,
she enjoyed each morsel in the plate and was as happy as she could be.

A worried mother returned back from work, thinking how hungry her daughter must be,
she hasn't had a thing since early morning, oh how terrible it must be.
She opened the door and found the child playing with her toys,
happy she looked, a contented soul and flashed a beautiful smile.

I am sorry my child, that in my hurry, I left you hungry at home,
tell me what would you like to eat, it would be made in a go.
Oh thank you mom, but today, I directly asked God for food,
since you were not there to take it from him,
he gave it to me without you.

Such was the faith of the little girl that she made a miracle happen,
a shocked mother could not understand what her child had eaten.
She bowed down in prayers and thanked the Lord for all his wonderful blessings,
Its faith and a strong one that got their life going.

So my friends, its important to believe and keep the belief alive,
God is there to watch over us, throughout our blessed life.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

Have you ever felt like, drilling someones mind and filling it up with some sense till the brim, so that the next time they can differentiate between right and wrong.
I have....
Early in the morning, when a senseless being brought his car from the wrong side and stopped in front of mine and then gave me a big stare.....
Yeh! The common stare that women drivers often get after being seen through the global perspective that says "women cannot drive". Let me tell these people that there are bad drivers in both the categories both male and female, so they can stop blowing their trumpet...and what's that sans audacity, sans shame, sans everything STARE for...firstly you commit a mistake and then you portray as if the whole world is wrong except for you....from when did the govt. give permission to drive on the wrong side??????
We all make mistakes, there is something called an apology which if difficult to be poured out can be seen through the looks..... but no..... why should one even look apologetic when one has the universal, "I am the King" kinda "stare"....Sorry but that stare just makes me think of one thing, "brake those headlights!!!"
Oh God!!! May be I'm just over reacting, thanks for bearing with me friends but this is quite a sorry state when one comes to think of it. Thousands of people are killed in road accidents, a majority is killed because of someone elses fault, because such people don't take driving seriously...I see kids on bikes, driving at top speed......the people who are to be blamed for it are the ones who allow their kids such liberty, they don't even understand that this liberty can cost an innocent his/her life.
We blame the government for everything that goes wrong, but do we have a count of how many time we break the laws made by the same government for our own good.
Every person takes up a big responsibility in their hands when they drive, a responsibility not only for their safety but for the safety of all those who are there on the road...be it other cars, pedestrians, animals or anything that they encounter...if they can't drive responsibily, I request such people not to drive at all!
I still remember what my friends grandma who too was a great driver told her when she started driving,"think that you are the only responsible person who has to save herself and everyone else on the road, drive with such a thought in your mind, you'd be alert and won't let problems come your way"...but again when others are so irresponsible that like superman they come out of no where and land in front of you and gave you that, "Oh! God!She doesn't even know how to drive kinds look" what do you do....Well nothing much..JUST STARE BACK AT THEM....Grrrr....Hmmmmffffff!!!

The Right Parametre

Beauty is what lies within, deep inside. Many people think that they qualify in the art of analysing what being beautiful is all about, all of us know what the common analysis says, but today I'd like to explore what true beauty looks like.

A dirty child, sitting on a pavement, with her mother working on a construction site nearby, the child unaware of her surroundings, picks up a piece of rock that she finds and starts scribbling something on mud, a faint smile appears on her parched lips, which lights up, contagiously making the onlooker smile.......that's called beauty. A light that makes one so transparent that the other can see our soul smile with all its heart.

A person crossing a road, comes back midway and helps an old woman cross. The old woman holds the strangers hand confidently and completes the task successfully, which otherwise would have been a gruelling affair. The smile of gratitude that appears is a sign of understanding beauty thats amazingly humane.

A little kid, ready to embrace the night, caressed by the innumerable stories poured over by an angel that brought him in this world,what can be more beautiful for the child than the source in whose affectionate cradel his imagination leaps with joy.

A heart filled with love, closed to what others think about its exterior, happy with itself, climbs up the pedestal of positivity, is indeed an epitome of true beauty, coz its thoughts reflect on the mirror visible to all.

Yes, true beauty is what thrives within, it's what makes us feel beautiful, its about the way we feel...true beauty cannot be analysed by what people think about us, it can only be measured by the way we feel about ourselves and others, it reflects in our endeavours and paints our life in the mutiple hues of happiness.

Happy Children's Day!!

I often think, what would it had been like if my parents would'nt have been there for me. My mom brought me in this world,My dad held my hand and taught me how to walk , they taught me the value of education, of love, of peace and most importantly the value of respect, respect that I should give others and respect that I would get in return
On this Children's day, my mind feels restless at the thought that, what would it be like without parents, what would it be like for the kids who are left alone when they are very young and are not cared for at all.
Life is a teacher, the wisest teacher from whom one can learn a valuable lesson each day.A lesson that would help us learn to respect and value those who have always been there for us and love and care for those who have no one to care for them.
How difficult is it to smile when we look at someone, we never know whose heart we would touch by doing so, healing innumerable wounds that must be within them.
Its not difficult at all to spread love and happiness among those who have nothing and no one to call their own. It doesn't take long to wipe a tear when it comes rolling down from a bleeding heart, coz the moment you wipe it, you help someone smile.
It doesn't take long to say "I care" , be it anyone, even someone with whom you spend most of your time, sometimes small words lead to the strongest bonds.

On this children's day I send my love to all the kids who have been brought down on the soft feathers of angels. May their tears be wiped by a loving heart and may their life be full of happiness and contentment.
May a beautiful smile settle on their lips to adorn them forever.
God, where there is darkness, help us to spread light!
Amen!

Dance in the Rain :)

" Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...it's about learning to dance in the rain."
What do we do when we go to the market? We buy things that we need. Can anyone force us to buy anything we don't want to? No one can do that, because we know that the things we do not need would be an unnecessary burden for us, a total waste of time, money and efforts, isn't it?
Life my friends functions on a similar pattern, like we can't choose what all a market would have when we go out for shopping, in the same way we can't choose what life has in store for us, but like we can pick the good things in the market, thinks that we need, things that would be of use , in life we can pick the things that make us happy and by doing so we can make our life worth each while. Unnecessary stress, negative thoughts and apprehensions are a burden, they make us feel heavier and stop us from enjoying our stay in this world.
Like unnecessary things make our shopping bag heavy in the same way unnecessary negative thoughts pull us down and stop us from living life to the fullest.
It's a fact that we all face tough situations in life, but it's important not to be bogged down.
Cheer yourself up, do something special for the people you care, think out of the box and make life stress free, afterall we do enjoy dancing in the rain ;)

Dum Spiro Spero

"Dum Spiro Spero-while I breathe I hope", hope, what is there in this word that hangs on till the last breath?What is there in this word that makes one lose it and then regain? Why do we hope till we can hope no more? Why do they say that it is hope that holds the world together?
We hope and pray and pray and hope, every end leads to a beginning, and then again its hope that leads us to the things for which we had been hoping. Hope is the chord that grips us from the start and holds on till the very end, and its when we stop hoping that there appears a blackout called a deadend. Its just impossible to imagine what life would be without hope, coz its hope that takes us further in life and hope that does'nt let go.

There was a bird, a tiny thing that used to sit on a tree,
A cozy nest, a safe abode and everything else she pleased,
Though she had a lot in life but no one was there to share,
She used to sing a song of hope each day with sadness and despair.
Then one day she sang and sang and sang with all her heart,
A prayer it was, a prayer of hope, a prayer to soothe her heart,
She heard a flutter on the branch across, and stopped singing in disbelief,
There he was, a hunk for sure, with beak as red as it could be,
He smiled at her and shook his feathers and threw the smile across,
With charming looks and husky voice, he announced his love for her,
Though I can't sing so well my dear but happy I would be,
If you can sing the rest of the song with me on an evergreen.
A wish fulfilled, a life complete, thats the way of it goes,
for the ones that never say no................ not even to a dying hope.
From then they sang a happy song, a song of a wish fulfilled,
They did'nt let go of the song of hope which gave them a new beginning :)

The last day in Shimla

As a journey comes to an end theres always a hurry to fly back to ones nest, afterall home is where the world is, nothing can take the place of our comfort zone, our home, our space, where everything gives us a sense of belonging, right from the bent in the street to the gate that welcomes us with open arms :) But there was something that was still waiting for me in Shimla, it knew that I couldn't leave the royal destination without getting a royal touch up..so together we made our way to the famous museum and the Viceroys palace, popularly known as the Viceregal Lodge.

Queen Victoria

"The Viceroys palace used to serve as the capital for the Viceroy in summers during the British Era. After independence, the Lodge remained the summer retreat of the President of India. In the early 60s the President of India, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, a leading philosopher and writer, and the Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru decided to make it a scholars’ den where the best minds would find an ideal retreat. That’s when the Indian Institute of Advanced Study moved into the Lodge in 1965. Some of the interiors had to be changed to accommodate the needs of the Institute. The state drawing room, ballroom, and dining room, for example, have been converted into a library; the Viceroy’s office is now the IIAS Director’s office; and the conference hall is now a seminar room for research scholars.Without the large contingent of Viceregal attendants and the resources, the ambience of this large estate is very different from what it used to be in the days of the Raj. "
"This rambling Scottish baronial edifice was designed by Henry Irvine, architect to the Public Works Department of the colonial government in India. The south facing entrance portico sees the visitor into the reception hall.The hall is marked by a grand staircase which springs from the right and spirals up three full floors. Facing the main entrance is the grand fireplace.A gallery with well-appointed teak panelling is the central space of the building around which the other rooms are arranged.The state drawing room, ballroom, and the wood-panelled dining room – decorated with coats of arms of former Governor-Generals and Viceroys – lead to the gallery at the lower level.Verandas and terraces surround the entire building at different levels. Those at the lower level link the lodge to the magnificent grounds while those on other floors provide superb views of mountains. Way back in 1888 this Lodge had electric light – when nobody else in Shimla did – and, would you believe it, an indoor tennis court!The lodge had extensive facilities including huge kitchens; separate rooms for storing table linen, plates, china and glass; laundry; boilers for central heating and running hot and cold water in the bathrooms.Pretty much as in Delhi’s Viceregal Palace, the Viceroy hosted lavish parties and entertained the royal princes and nawabs (governors in the Mughal Empire) in style."
It surely was a royal encounter, some places speak through their architecture and this is one of them, it took me to the times when India was still in the making, an infant trying to walk its way to Independence, today I can proudly say that my country has come a long way, there are many things that need change but its progress through the years cannot be denied. My land today has given me the opportunity to hold my head high and enjoy the beauty of a place which would otherwise had been out of my reach.
India has been a home for innumerable cultures and has blended the goodness of all, the different architectures, be it British, Mughal or traditional Indian, every brick laid by the great artists is a masterpiece of its own kind.




On my way back from the Viceregal Lodge, I visited the Shimla State Museum, which houses a huge collection of magnificent paintings, sculptures, coins, handicrafts and photos.
From there I took off, tracing my steps back home.
However high an eagle may fly, it settles on its nest by the end of the day, and as I hit the plains from my flight to the beautiful mountains, I could feel the comfort of coming back home, as a caravan does once it reaches its destination.
The next day my drive from office and back was not the same, something had changed....for the better.

A Serene Beauty

After disengaging myself from the authentic feel of the Indian coffee house, I started moving towards the main stretch of the mall road, where a serene beauty caught my eyes…it was a beautiful church which gave the hustle bustle of the market place a unique sanctity, it was an image of peace .

In this world where we are so caught up with the daily ride in the maniacal galore of our lives, God blesses our heart with a unique calm that we discover when we find ourselves at peace, this is God’s way of saying “I’m there”.
But what was that!! All of a sudden I could hear a joyous sound of music, it came from a source where I could see numerous faces twinkle with a smile as they moved, swinging to the tune of dholaks- It was the day of Dushera ..the smile on the faces of the people and the great festive spirit were quite contagious. Wherever we may be, we can always manage to find a festive chord that reminds us of celebrations back home.

(Though the sound cannot be heard due to some error, the vibes of celebration are quite stirring .)

Day 2 continues....

The day began with a nice cup of strong coffee and a steaming dosa at the Indian coffee house...it too had a legacy retained in its preindependence look.A comfortable place with a sprinkle of intelligentsia on every table...it was quite a unique experience..the aroma of coffee mixed with the interesting look on the faces around me gave a pampered feel to the greys in me, it was as if the great Indian leaders were discussing what was to be the future of our country, a life free from bondage....I, a mere observer made my way to the mall road about to come across a lot many interesting things that danced on my imagination.

(This pic has been browsed from the net as I clicked the mall at night.All the other pics have been taken by me.) My steps took me towards the mall road. "The mall road is a promenade constructed during the British rule, and is the key attraction of Shimla."Its a broad streach with shops on both sides .... most buildings in shimla still remind one of the British era...its amazing how the old world charm blends with the new, making the experience a unique one. The smell of delicious food from the various outlets gave a delicious aroma to the surrounding. The mall road was brimming with life....the excitement had just begun... As I strolled on the mall road I came across an exhibition put up by the the Sahitya Kala Academy Delhi..It was quite a treat coz arts for me has been like a favourite sibling ...I stepped in to relish the beauty that man invented through his imagination...while nature waited outside, its man made imprints danced before my eyes..






My next stop was marked by a serene beauty.....