Life's mysteries unfolding..

Greetings from Sunny Sharjah...

This was in my draft box for quite sometime and is a delayed post..

It’s an honour to share my story.I want to share a “life-changing” and “thought-provoking” experience I encountered, that will surely stay with me for the rest of my life. 

I have written earlier about my grandpa here:
http://workingmomsendeavortodomesticsuccess.blogspot.ae/2007/06/60-and-many-more.html he turned 90 and was bed ridden for past 3 months. As it is nothing less than a ritual now to go visit him every summer between July and August as my kids have summer break here in sunny side of UAE. My mother kept telling me that he remembers me quite a bit and has been waiting to see me this July. The day i landed in India, we went to see him the very next day. My grandparents lived about 3 hours drive away from my home city. My mother and grand ma told me that he has not been talking for 3 weeks now. As i could see him, he was overjoyed to see me and my kids and instantly started speaking with me. And asked my son to sing a song for him. My son who is normally little shy, without any hesitation sang lingashtakam for him.  As he heard him singing my grandpa told me that it is now time for him to visit is "hosa mane" which means "new home. and he will not be here in this home when i visit him next July. Also, in his impeccable English he always had, said that, "I was his definition of happiness" and told me that I had been the best part of his happy memories in his life time. As I sat on his bed massaging his forehead he remembered and spoke of my child hood with him.

Later that evening,when i left from there, he greeted with a smile and kiss to all of us as if he was the one who is leaving.. An hour later I said goodbye to my grand parents, my aunt and my mom and left from there with tearful eyes. 

As I left him there, I remembered all that he spoke with me..

Life is not always fair, not tied with a bow, but it’s still good and it’s a gift.  

When in doubt, just take the next small step.  

Make peace with your past so it won’t affect your present.  (We need to forgive and forget and put things behind us as it belongs to the past)

Believe in miracles. 

However good or bad a situation, remember it will change.

Don’t audit life, show up and make the most of it.

As you go through life, don’t just take pictures, capture moments.

Get outside daily, miracles are waiting everywhere;

and finally, he said something that will stay with me forever; 

Life is too short for long pity parties....get busy living or get busy dying.
To be happy you don't need money.
Love Unconditionally forever.  

As I reached home in less than 24 hours I got a call that my grandpa had breathed his last and he did it with ease and he moved to his "hosa mane" - a new home.With a heavy heart and lots of love i prayed for his soul to guide me till eternity and shower the spiritual blessings that he always lived with..

Today, as i post this random thought..I still feel his presence around me and thank God for giving him in my life who played the role of my dearest father, friend and guide all through my life..and i still remember all my pranks and troubles i gave him... :) Love you thatha...(Grandpa..)

Our very own "Park Adda" @ Ittihad Park, Sharjah

It was an awesome evening in the beginning of Feb'12 in Sharjah. The beautiful weather  prompted me to go for a walk with my kids and we happened to go to the Ittihad Park, which is very close to our home and the rest is what the story is about..

Mridu, my daughter as usual did not take long to run to a group of small girls playing in close proximity. Less than 10 minutes, she came to me and said "Amma, I have many friends meet them". She took me to a group of kids and introduced them to me. And I happened to meet with their mothers. We all greeted each other and I decided to take my kids to the park regularly from that day.

Our Gang minus Mishi and her mommy!

And that's our Little Mishi with darling mummy !

It has been 6 months since then. Now, we have a big gang. I wish to give a sneak peak of  our Adda here. First one to know was Swati. She is a very kind and helping natured person and she has interest in various forms of art and so good in baking. She has a cool little 2 year old boy, he call himself  "Aaana" and I love to call him like that too. And then, it was Seema, an ever cheerful person. She has two little kids who keeps her busy full time."Tuc Tuc" and "Divya" they are simply amazing kids."Divya" keeps his mom always on her toes. And then there is a chupa-rustom, who is so knowledgeable yet so humble "Rashmi",she has a great interest in Cooking and she loves to churn out new recipes every day. She has a little kiddo "Nivi" who reminds me of Dora-The Explorer. I believe, her play group care-taker too calls her "Dora". And then, Swati introduced me to our dear Anshu.who is a great caring Mom of her little (yet another) "Nivi" ,and she calls me "bua"..Oh! how nice is that :). And then it was turn to know "Uma" with her little baby "Mishi", Oh! You must see her Smile. I love it and she loves to dance to the tunes of Shakira. Uma, with her mesmerizing personality is so very humble. She has a Doctorate and yet she says she is shy to call herself Dr.Uma. She loves to cook and treat her hubby with loads of variety of food (healthy food!!!), how lucky Man he is :). And, by chance I happened to meet "Sindhu" whose smile is so very contagious and she makes friends in a jiffy and her little son "Cheeku", must say he is very smart and often tells his Mom to breathe deeply when she gets excited :). And finally it is our very own "Priyanka ji", I love to see her laugh, her laugh is so unique, loud  and from the Heart :); very rare to see such a laugh these days! She is a great devotee of Lord Krishna and she is our spiritual guide. Me and kids go to her home every friday for Satsanga and to learn "Bhagavadgeetha". I feel myself blessed to know her and her family. Her kids, "Mukund and Avani", I am amazed to see them recite shlokas, sing bhajans,  and quote stories from the Mythology. And, not to  leave out our dear "Maitrik" who comes with his Daadi to park everyday. He religiously calls us everyday to know the timings of our park visit and he joins a great gang of boys in the Park and he is a great company for my son "Abhi".

We all meet here every day, to chit chat, de-stress, some pranyams now and then, exchange recipes and tips for day to day life and mainly help each other and just  to be there for each other as support system. We woman by nature have the  need to talk and share. This is what we do, we offload our stress and go home fresh, we pass the same freshness at home too! What say gals ???

There are three groups, tiny toddlers, 6 year old group and the big boys group and ofcourse mommies with  Mishi :). Ofcourse, we all come from different backgrounds and places like MP, Karnataka, Gujarat, Kerala, Bihar, Nepal to mention a few. And, I am so proud to have this group as my friends. Thanks to each one of them for being there! This is a post to dedicated to our "Park Adda".

If you are a lady from Sharjah, with or without kids looking for some great friends, Now you know where to come!  "Park Adda" is waiting for you :)

'If it is important to you, you will find a way. If it is not, you will find an excuse.'

Some people dream of success, others make it happen. Of course, you can dream as much as you like but waiting for things to happen gets you nowhere. Get active and start making things happen.



Whatever journey your path takes you on, the most important thing is to have passion in what you do.


How many of you went to college, got your degree, and ended up doing something totally unrelated to your major? Studying it did not make you passionate about it. It wasn’t your path.


Education or even talent aren’t worth much without passion. So do the stuff that you love and you've always wanted to do because without it, you'll feel stuck and unfulfilled. If you work in a bank but your dream is to be a naturopath, then make those changes now. Make this year the turning point in your life. When you do what you love you will be rewarded — it will just flow naturally.


Look at those around you who just make things happen. They have a clear goal in mind and they know where they want to go. They don't always have a plan but they have the passion and the tenacity to make it work, and they achieve their goals as the end result.


Trust us when we tell you this. If something important to you, you WILL find a way. If it isn't, you'll find an excuse. It’s that simple. Find your way. Make it work, whatever it takes. Are you 10 kilos heavier than you should be? It is simple: Commit, go to that gym every day, no excuses, and train until you lose those 10 kilos. When you accomplish this, you'll have the confidence to do more. Set a goal and make it happen.


Want to stop smoking? Stop making excuses, take control of your circumstances before they take control of you.

Success isn't just about what you accomplish in your life, it's about what you inspire others to do and when you do accomplish something as simple as quitting smoking or losing weight, you'll inspire others to do the same. Anyone can change the world, and everybody should try. And it all starts with your own life.

 Stop waiting for the perfect time to do what you want to do. Do it now.



Life begins at the end of your comfort zone, so get used to being uncomfortable. It won’t kill you.

Twenty Eatouts that I must visit in Bangalore in my forthcoming holidays!

1. Evening Vist to Sreeraj Lassi Bar, Jaynagar
   
2. Dinner @ Banjara Restaurant, Seshadripuram
   
3. Halli Mane, Malleshwaram
   
4. Sukh Sagar
   
5. V.V.Puram Road (Road side Masala Pepsi, Dose, Chats)
   
6. V.V Bakery – Butter Biscuits, Sandwich, Dil Pasand
   
7. Wariyar Bakery;s Macros
   
8. Mahalakshmi layout Chat Shop
   
9. Cottage Garden Pizza @ Pizza Hut @ Cunningham Rd
   
10. Elvis Presley Ice Cream @ Richie Rich
    
11. Masala dose @ Vidhyarthi bhavan
    
12. Masala dose @ Janatha Hotel
    
13. Breakfast @ Adigas
    
14. Rice Bowl @ Lavelle Road for Chineeese!
    
15. Ragoo's @ Kanakpura Road for Italian
    
16. Kadambam to have Sakkarepongal
    
17. MTR for delicious Lunch
    
18. Ramana's @ Cunningham Road
    
19. Konarak for Dum Aloo Sabji.
    
20. Kamat Yatri Nivas for Jolada rotti Oota
    

Additionally will surely be trying out lots of new restaurants for their ambience & food!

Most of the restaurant's listed above carries lots of memories from the past. I feel Nostalgic as I write these names. Memories in these places are still fresh & lingering around as I write this post!

I want to be back!

I want to be back to blogging. It has been long time since I wrote anything here.
Hope this time, I will continue with new posts, articles, pics & many more things.
To share, to know, to make mistakes & to learn, I want to blog.
Any tips, to keep going, please feel free to pass on! Want to learn from all you out there in blogoshphere..

Meet My Mridu!

Shes an Angel to me! I have caught her on my digicam with her natural expressions!
Tried my hands on collage today :) She's 2 1/2 years now, seems like yesterday that I held her in my arms for the first time!
Smell of her body that day, I can never forget! Loves her hair & looking at the mirror & dances to the tune !
That's my Mridu-Soft & Tender :)

There I Go On a Holiday!

Tomorrow, We will be flying to India, to my city Bangalore!! Hmmm, I m loving this!!

Visiting Bangalore after 2 years! Yet another exciting thing is that I will be taking my daughter for the first time to my hometown. My In-laws, My father, My Grandparents and lots of them looking forward to see our little Angel!

I am thrilled about this trip. We are all set to fly, packing done! But last minute shopping list is growing! May be at Duty Free Area.Reaching there by our own "Indian". Friday morning @ Bangalore!

Heard that it is raining there ! Wow!! What a difference it is going to be.
Here we are burning with 45 degrees + !! Hmmm...I can smell that wet mud already!!!

Everyone there, looking forward to see you all!!

I am in Love, All over again !!

I am in love!
I am in love all over again!!
With my new world -
A blessing that is bestowed on me!

I am in love with the smell of her body,
with her baby voice,
her soft skin, beautiful smile,
her glowing cheeks, and heavenly eyes.

She makes me laugh,
She makes me cry,
With her charming face,
With her gentle touch.

I am in love all over again!!
I am in love with my new world -
A blessing that is bestowed on me!
Oh my Mridu, You are my Love,
Love that happened again after Abhi!

Life seems so beautiful with both of you in my arms!
You mean a world to me!!

Kannada Songs that brings chill to me !!

barede neenu ninna hesara
bhAratha booshira mandira sundari bhuvana
biLigiri rangayya
dONi sAgali munde hOgali dUra tIrava sErali
EE sambhashaNe
Endendu ninnanu agali
entha maruLayya idu entha maruLu
hELE geLati priya mAdhava bArane indu
Hrudaya rangoli aLuthalide indu, manadali ariyada
hUvU cheluvellA tandenditU
jalala jalala jala dhare
jotheyali jothe jothe yali iruvenu heege naanu
karpoorada bombe naanu
Mellusire savigaana.
mooDala maneya muttina neerina
nambide ninna na.mbide ninna naada devateya
Nagu... endide manjina bindu, nali endide gaali
nagutha haadale
Naguva nayana madhura mouna, midiva hrudaya ire
nambide ninna nAda devathe
nAvADuva nuDiyE kannaDa nuDi nAviruvA tANave gandhada guDi
nee bandhu ninthaaga
Neerinalli aleya oongura
ninna kaNNa kannaDiyalli kande enna rUpa
ninna kaNNa nOtadalle
nudisalu neenu nudiyuve
olave jeevana sakshathkara
Omme ninnannu kaNthumba kANuvAse elliruve
poojisalende hoogaLa thande
sEvanthige hoovinantha
shubha mangaLA sumuhUrtavE shubhavELe
sUryandu chandrangu bandAre munisu
tam nam tam nam nanne manasu
teredide mane O bA atithi
thanu ninnadu e mana ninnadu ranga
uttar druvadim dakshiNa druvakoo
vasanta baredanu olavina Ole
yArige yArO eravina samsAra
yAva janmada maitri I janmadali bandu
yugayugagaLe saagali

My heart goes hmm... with the very thought of these songs!! Do add on more to this list!!

The Book I Read - The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

This book is about life’s trails and tribulations. Discovering who you are, following your dreams and knowing where your destiny lies.

The narrator of this story is Paulo Coelho This book, like all fables, is written on many levels. Apparently, the story of a Shepherd in Spain who, unlike so many people, follows his dreams. He does get a little help from the supernatural, but many of the stories most interesting thoughts come from his musings on nature. His travels take him across the Mediterranean into Africa, where he meets several archetypal characters (the Man Afraid of Change, the Waiting Woman, the Wise Shaman, the Warrior Chief, and the Cynical Fool), learns about himself and his dreams, and finds his destiny.

An interesting way to look at this story is to ask the question: who is the title character? Alchemy is such a potent idea–the changing of one element into another has had a grasp on the human mind for as long as we have known about elements. But, of course, alchemy has secondary meanings–an alchemist transforms. Is the boy an alchemist, for transforming himself and the lives of those around him? Is God the alchemist, for transforming the destinies of humanity? Is the reader the alchemist, for taking the fable and transforming its words into something personally meaningful?

Favorite quotes / passages that I found insightful:

Ø The secret of life is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.

Ø Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.

Ø “I’m like everyone else — I see the world in terms of what I would like to see happen, not what actually does.”

Ø God created the desert so that man could appreciate the date trees.

Ø “When you want something, the entire world conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

Ø “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”

Ø “At a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fates. That's the world's greatest lie. Whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it.”


Ø "As he mused about these things, he realized that he had to choose between thinking of himself as the poor victim of a thief and as an adventurer in quest of his treasure"

Ø "There is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe... The soul of the world is nourished by people's happiness."


Ø "The desert takes our dreams away from us, and they don't always return. We know that, and we are used to it. Those who don't return become a part of the clouds, a part of the animals that hide in the ravines and of the water that comes from the earth. They become part of everything... They become the soul of the world."

Ø "It is said that the darkest hour of the night comes just before the dawn."

Ø "What happens once will never happen again. But what happens twice will surely happen a third time."

Ø "The fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself."

Ø "The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never forget the drops of oil on the spoon."


Personal Opinion

I loved this book because it can inspire someone to follow their dreams and listen to their heart. And not care what other people think of them.

When I was reading this book I was going through a rough time in my life. This book lifted my spirits and encouraged me to keep trying, to keep traveling and following my dream. Better to seek your Personal Legend and fail than to give up without even trying.

Yes, I would recommend this book to others because it can motivate and inspire people to do well for themselves and the people around them.
But, some people complain that the book is too simplistic, that you would be stupid to believe that there is some "plan" for your life that you should have followed; that you should wake up, take your head out of the "touchy-feely" clouds and get back to work.
If you are prone to such thoughts, perhaps this book is not for you. However, if you enjoy waking up your soul from time to time, there is no better place to do it than in the clouds.

Do read The Alchemist; it is just such a good book. It will definitely give you a “Wisdom-buzz” or an "Esoteric - buzz".

60 and many more!!

The day was June 11 2007; I picked up the phone to wish my Parents (read Grand Parents). Occasion

was their 60th Wedding Anniversary.

Can you imagine 60 years of togetherness!! I felt wow!!

Ajji (Granma) and Thatha(Grandpa) were delighted to be wished by grand children and great grand son.

Thatha (87) and Ajji (74) were excited and had so much so to share but did not know what to say in such a short time.Ajji said, we had not yet married at this time 60 years ago!!! It was 8:00 AM when i had called them, I just realized they were waiting for 1:30 PM their Mahurtham time (auspicious time when they tied the knots).

Thatha says, they have relished every moment of their togetherness in all the situations, I have personally witnessed their ups and downs for 20+ years!! And have seen how they remained rock steady as support to each other!

Thatha told me the other day that now they eat every meal in the same plate, and the first bit of food is for Ajji, And want to be with each other every moment as no one knows what's in store for the next day! You know what they mean don't you?? My eyes were moist when I heard him say that!

Here, I would love to share a two line story on how they got married! Ajji used to visit Thatha's shop to buy milk everyday. One day, Thatha had gone to visit a relative's house to see a prospective bride and he noticed this little fair girl (14) next to the prospective bride and chose to marry my Ajji!! Elders agreed and that's how it all happened.

Unlike our usual, Brahmin family customs, no horoscopes were matched or is matched till now!

Although I hang up the phone that day, their cheerful tone, their thoughts are lingering around me till now!

I found a new meaning from them for this institution of marriage!
A Temple of Togetherness!
Thatha and Ajji call it 60 years of Celebration!!!!

Only both of them stay in a small house, happily, enjoying their every moment! It is a joy to spend time with them. Looking forward for my visit to India, to meet them.

Wishing more and more years of comradeship!