Life Is Beautiful........................................................

Few months back, I woke up with the shocking news of Jhia Khan suicidal demise. That shocked me to the core. All the media dogs and papers were full of crapy reports. Rumors were due to failed love relationship, the young actress took the extreme step.

I was still reeling on the entire raison d'être of jiah khan when another news broke away. One of my seniors wife from college committed suicide along with her two small children. It’s more difficult to digest when you know the victim personally. Unfortunately this time it was dowry demand.

Another grave incident still invigorates in my mind, though I never want this special person to read this post as it might hurt his feelings which is never my intention at any cost. An intelligent boy of 17 tried to commit suicide because he failed to get into any medical institute. Sadly this time the cause behind the horrendous act was pressure and depression to excel in studies.

Am no psychologist and cant judge a persons state of mind but I am unable to figure out that how these situations can lead a person to take his/her life. Is this the only short-cut to end your life tribulations? Is this the only option to cope with pain? We all are dealing with our troubles. Everybody has their share of bumps in life. Joy and sorrow, its part of our lives. Its god’s way of balancing the act.

 If ever you lose control of your emotions, think about your loved ones, your family; reach out to them open up to them. They are your pillars of strength. Don’t lose hope. Visit hospital, trauma centers, see for yourself how people are fighting with dear life, hoping to win death. How no amount of money can bring them normal existence. There is a reason why god has chosen us to be human being. Think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, and to chase the things you love.

 Family and friends plays a major role. Be compassionate and kind. Check for warning signs of depression and the cause behind it. Listen to them heart to heart; don’t try to reason their mind-set. Tell how much you love them and they means to you. Yesterday I read a very beautiful piece by Rachna how a young child lost a life’s battle in order to fulfill his parent’s dreams .Don’t force your kids to compete in rat race. Let them free, allow them to discover their own paths.

Life is beautiful. If winter ends can spring be far behind. The journey might be little shaky but its temporary. This is your life, fight for it. Fight for what you believe in. Fight for what’s important to you. Help others to fight off the suicide evil and make your life worthy and beautiful once gain.

“Take a deep breath, Pick yourself up, Dust yourself off, and start all over again”

  Written for Write Tribe for On World Suicide Prevention Day-Sep 10

                                

Seven lessons On Successful Blogging...............................................

Most of the fellow bloggers do not know that my baby blog has been delivered exactly a month back. Please do not look shocked and befuddled. You must be thinking how a novice blogger can blab about lessons on blog success. Trust me am not.

Few years back one of my friend has introduced me to the world of blogs. But they were just good reads for me. I never actually introspect the reasons behind writing a blog. For me they were like diary entries, way to polish your writing skills or improving english. Foolish me!!

However for about a month, am on reading spree. Read numerous blogs mostly from India but I noticed some of very skilled writers with amazing knack of writing are living in a lost world. No comments no followers nothing on social upfront. They might not be interested in promoting their blogs. That’s shame isn’t?

I remember after writing my first two blogs, nothing came and I felt bad & sad. But I made a point to comment on anonymous blogs with sheer sincerity. May be due to my altruistic reasons, my blog kick-started and I made some wonderful virtual friends.

These seven lessons are the product of my short-span research and observation. Please correct me wherever I go wrong.

1)Blog Design- Before embarking on my blog binge, I visited many other blog designs and templates. I made a list of all the specific elements which attracted me and encompassed on my own blog. Background, colours, fonts, images, typography all should be according to your blog theme. Bold backgrounds or artistic usage of fonts can really spoil your appetite to read the contents.

2) Post often- One should write blogs often and maintain regular schedule. Let other readers feel your presence. The more we blog the more readers we get.

3) Compelling titles & fresh content-The first thing leads to any blog is the catchy title. Tittle represents a lot about your content. It’s like a perfect window dressing. But that’s not all. Do not copy or imitate other bloggers. Readers are interested in original & fresh writings.

4) Comment- Constant commutations is the key ingredient in building your blog base.If we desire for readers to comment on our blogs, they also deserve encouraging words in return.

5) Revert-Your comments need to be reverted. I have seen not all bloggers reply back on their blog comments. Respect your audience and value the attention they give your posts.

6) Blog contests- One of the best ways to build your reader base, exposure and polishing your writing skills is to participate in blog challenges. It’s the fastest to interact with fellow bloggers and receive priceless comments.

7) Endorsing – Writing brilliant posts are not the end of job. Promoting and sharing your blog on relevant platform is must. Thanks to social media sites, we can now spread the word about our blog instantly.

The sole reason to write this post is to gather more information about essentials of blogging from veteran bloggers.If you have something to share, please enlighten me.

7 Peek a Boo-Columbia

For last few days in almost all my blogs or comments I brag and squirm about my nomadic lifestyle. But not even once I shared any of my traveling experience in words. So finally following my fellow bloggers steps, I thought of sharing my very recent expedition. These days mostly we are sailing in and around US of America but due to changing rules and regulation one cannot go ashore in any part of America. So you can well imagine me being a total prisoner. But at last my wish come true & today i got a chance to unleash Columbia. See how diligent and sincere this blogging journey has made me. In spite of terrible migraine, killing feet and sunburn, am trying to write my words correct. So please forgive me for not writing about history and cultures of Columbia. We had only twelve hours for sightseeing, hogging, shopping and posing. It was short trip but worth the wait. After all beggars can’t be chooser’s. Right!!

Here am sharing few amateur pictures of my trip. Mind you am not a proficient photographer and I like posing then capturing. While looking at the images, you are requested to ignore your rants of critical mind rather endeavor pictures through your heart. 

Bienvenida Columbia..............................................................................................

City-long short

The Famous Fort

Personal Cruiser's

Beautiful Clutter

Shoo-US

Blue Heaven

Cargo Carriers

Enjoy Columbia through my eyes.............................................................................

SEVEN Childhood Crushes......................................................

“Ringa Ringa Roses Pocket full of Poses Husha! Busha! We all fall down!

Am sure most of us have played this rhyme countless time during childhood. We have so many foolish childhood memories hidden somewhere back in our minds. And watching your own kids going through the same stage doing the same crazy innocent things must have taken you to your own infancy period. There has been a fast change since then. Games, stories, rhymes, comics, cartoons, everything has been altered in accord with child’s psychology. Irrefutably certain changes are absolutely wonderful for growing kids but still I find my childhood had been much simpler & more constructive. These days’ children prefer indoor games over playing in the greens. I remember I hated leaving my friends in the evening due to my mum’s endless calling & bickering.

Like my father, my mother was very strict & disciplined when it comes to our studies. Time slots had been assigned for our every activity. After school we were only allowed to watch cartoons for an hour and twice a day on Sundays. God how I detested it. I had my share of cartoon crushes. Some were my idols & friends in my dream world. My love for cartoons has still not vanished with time. They are my stress busters and helps me in uplifted my mood after a dark day.

Let us go down the memory lane and revisit our childhood obsessions…………………………..............

TOM & JERRY-They are the most classic cartoon characters. I love the rivalry & all the comedic fights between the two iconic characters Tom the Cat & Jerry the mouse. With their crazy chase and funny frying-pan fights, Tom and Jerry have been making us giggles for as long as I remember.

JUNGLE BOOK-“Jungle jungle baat chali hai ,pata chala hai, aree chadi pehenkar fhul khila hai fhul khila hai”.I am feeling so nostalgic by just writing & humming these lines. Mogli, baghira , bhaloo the fantastic three  with honesty and intelligent traits. I loved how every story ends with a moral lesson. A must watch for children!!!

HE-MAN – He-Man and the masters of the universe. I was blindly in love with this character. Though at that time I was very small & hardly understood the story. But still for the love of the man, I use to watch it without blinking.

 DUCK TALES- The first ever Disney cartoon.Adventures of Uncle Scrooge and his three cute ducklings. And the best part is Uncle Donald’s nasal voice. Hilarious aren’t they?

 PANCHTANTRA-How many of you remember the story of tortoise & geese. There are more then 100 stories in panchtantra with a moral ending. And I want my children to read these beautiful stories in future.

POPEYE- Popeye and his family & look alike nephews Peepeye, Pupeye, Pipeye Poopeye. He was one of my childhood crush & now by taking inspiration from him married a sailor. And so I call my hubby Popeye………:)

 

PINGU- And the last but the cutest of all Is Pingu. Pingu & Pinga in there lovely igloo. He is the reason why am obsessed with penguins. My car key ring, soft toy, curtain holder has a penguin image. Funny!!

I can see smile on your faces!! I wish they should telecast them again so that I can understand these cartoons better and laugh my guts –out.I would love to hear about your favorite cartoons.

SEVEN Sacred Chants...................

On my first day post, I encompassed shades of my own self. However I wish to append another aspect of me i.e. My  firm belief in God. Its part of my parent’s legacy. We are the descents of “Parashar” rishi & have the Saraswat Brahmin lineage. Being born into a Brahmin family “pandits” to be precise, the knowledge of existence of God has been instilled from the birth. Though as a child performing rituals, worship and chanting mantras was merely done for routine presence .But as I grew old, I felt the uncanny desire to read & comprehend our ancient Hindu mythology. After reading Ramayana, Mahabharata , Bhagwat Gita & Shiv Puran , I felt the subsistence of God.

For me being a theist means believing in the concept of Karma and performing your deeds without expecting the fruits of your actions. I deem our good deeds never get unrewarded and we definitely pay for our selfish Karma’s.

I bond with God when I chant hymns. It’s my way of cleaning my mind from unwanted thoughts & connects with divinity. There are thousands of mantras in our holy books dedicated to different deities. These are the one which soothes my mind & gave me clarity.

Vakratund mahaakaay suryakoti samprabha
Nirvign kuru me dev sarvakaareyeshu sarvada
(Lord Ganesha is the Lord of beginnings and we worship Ganesha before starting any work to ensure hassle-free work. So my morning starts with humming of the meaningful chant.)

 

Om bhur bhuvah svah Tat savitur varenyam
Bhargo devasya dheemahi
Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat.

(Am sure most of us recite Gayatry mantra since childhood.

"May we attain that excellent glory of the god:
So may he stimulate our prayers.")

 Om Namah Shivaya, Om Namah Shivaya / Om Namah Shivaya

For sports like shooting, you need bouts of concentration. And so meditation was the part of our physical training. As the mind concentrates more and more on the mantra and its meaning, it conditions the mind and takes me to higher states Shiva intone not only helped me to focus but bestowed an opportunity to connect with him.

Sarva mangala mangalye shive sarvaartha saadhike
Sharanye trayambake Gauri
Narayani namosthute
It is a secular sloka as it were, intended to have people pray the Divine Mother for blessing us with auspiciousness and wealth, afford Refuge from problems generated by our Karmas .

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare ...

(During my stay in scotland,I happen to meet a family devotee to ISCON. They pursued me to attend one of their gatherings and after that there was no looking back. It amazed me not only the Indians but how Scottish devotees are dedicated to the deity.)

Om Namo Hanumate Bhaybhanjanaya Sukham Kuru Phat Swaha
 (God of peace & protection. My belief in the diety becomes stronger after a deadly incident. In 2009, near Seychelles, our ship got attacked by somalian pirates. I remember how one of the officer’s wives kept on reciting the Hanuman chalisa & we survived the attack.)

 om asto ma sadgamaya
tamso ma jyotirgamaya
mrtyorma amrtangamaya


Lead me from the untruth to the truth.

Lead me from darkness to light.

Lead me from death to immortality

I remember this hymn from school days.we used to recite these verses after the end of prayer

                                           " om shantih shantih shantih"

  

SEVEN Smells To Smile................................

Sid: Hey Wifey,Guess what? Got  call from the office, my leave is over & have to join back in two days time.

Ria: (Blank) bluffing huh?

Sid: No am serious. You too as well joining with me. What?? Are you not happy?

Ria. Off course am happy. Its just we haven’t spent enough time at home and parents are expecting us to visit them.

Sid: I know baby but you know the drill. I am leaving for office to collect our papers. Will you manage with the packing?

Ria: (sigh) You forgot. As if I got a chance to unpack them.

Sid: Grrrrrr…See you later.

Ria:………………………………………………………………………………

“Do not wish for things you regret later”. God has really fulfilled my desire to the fullest. Living a nomadic life has its own pros & cons. Adventure, sailing, exploring numerous places, exotic food, who shall not wish for a spectacular life. I know few people yearn to fill-in my shoes. However they are not aware of the darker side. Leaving a life behind, people you love, tit bit joys, home-cooked food and friends can undeniably turn a person to alter his wanderlust longings.

Living far away from your cocoon, you only left with the undiminished memories to treasure & to embrace them with people & places. I recollect my bygones through pictures, videos, letters, cards, food & smells. Ah!! Smells, how they forge a link and take us back to the finer moments of the past. I am a victim of nostalgia & few distinct smells are what sustain me to overcome my homesickness.

Sacrosanct smell of Wet Mud- 

The small pleasures of inhaling the first rains, smells of the wet grounds ring bells of the imminent springs. Those wonderful earthy fragrances buried under evoke my childhood memories. Dancing in the first rains, long geri routes, ginger tea with hot pakoras , pool parties reawakens bond with your old self.

Sinful smell of mom’s cooking-  

Is anything more scrumptious then mom’s home cooked food. It’s indeed my treasure trove. All the aromas coming from the kitchen, the smell of baked apple pie, the fenugreeks tadka , whiff of all the sweets & delicacies transports me across thousands of miles straight to my mum’s kitchen.

Sensual Smell of Dad’s Aftershave- 

Being an Army man, my dad was often away on deployment. I remember he always used to keep a shaving kit full of scents & aftershaves. Old spice, that’s the aftershave my dad wore but it has indeed changed now.

Scrumptious smell of Mangoes- 

Entering the house & sniffing the fragrance of fresh mangoes means the arrival of summers. Bless our parents for maintaining our old village orchids so that we can pass on the legacy to our own children.

Smell of Shoe Polish- 

Call me crazy but am addicted to the smell of bootpoish.And it certainly took me back to school days. For many years it was an evening ritual to polish shoes along with my siblings & a challenge who will shine them  most.

Sweet Baby smell –

The best smell in the world has to be the smell of a new born baby. I feel babies have special & distinct fragrances .Am very close to my 1.5 year old niece & have kept her romper with me as souvenir. I still get the whiff of Johnson's baby products & my heart yearn me to embark on motherhood ride soon.

Sacred Smell of Incense sticks –  

Whenever I went to my parents place, my morning kick starts with the sacred smells of agarbatti and I never forget to carry them along. Though it’s not allowed to light on ship for safety reason but still they spread its aroma all around.

 “Heart thoughts are profound, hindsight aches and hope is obscure. I'm craving a great adventure -- one that leads me back home.”

SEVEN SIZZLERS...

Scratching my head for almost my entire evening walk and juggling between the dilemmas upon choosing on my next blog post, I suddenly came to a halt. While mumbling the word “seven” like a mantra for umpteenth time, something special struck by lightening. Yes Seven Sizzlers. How can I not remember the most beautiful part of my life? 

Friendship…………………………………………………………………………….......................

Seven Sizzlers was the name of our gang back in my fashion college & was inspired from the Famous five. While writing this post, I have a big giggling smile on my face and the sadness of the moment at same time. In one minute you reminisce good old days, all the fun, gossip, bitching, pranks, exams, canteen, maggi, make-up everything transports you to the crazy time with mad people. And the other fills you with melancholy. Time and distance has abated the bond of companionship.

With heavy heart & joy tears in my eyes, am dedicating this post to my besties. Let me introduce you to my seven lifelong treasures.

1) Trisha (The rich brat) –Born & bought-up with silver spoon in mouth, she was the living credit card of our group. As like most of college bums, we all were forever short of money. From buying cola to bribing the local policeman for chalan , our friend in deed always bails us out. Being the product of divorce parents, she was a kind of loner until she enters the devils den. All hell broke loose & the only rich crooked into a brat. RICH BRAT.

2) Swati (The Nerd) –It was always a mystery to us that why a math’s genius would leave her PG and can pursue a total polls apart field. For her it was breaking the rules and running from the constant pressure. We were always in awe of her. Assignments, presentations, CAD, everything was piece of cake for her. I guess she’s the reason, we all are proudly holding the degree today.

3)Neha (The 4:00 AM )-She was the most composed person I ever know in my life & thus the 4:00 AM tag. Whenever any of us required advice or wanted to pour our heart out, she was always a call away. She hated argument & confrontations & always eating our heads to be prudent. Today our group is still floating without hiccups and the soul credit is SHE.

4) Ishpreet (The Amazon)-5.7, 70 Kgs , ex judo player and the  Gunda of our gang.She was like a bodyguard for all us and a threat to eve teasers. Though we still complain how she ate the biggest portion from our maggi bowls.

5) Manisha (My Alt-ego)- My childhood & best friend. Though we were estranged for a time being but destiny has other plans .We reunited again and since then the thread between us became stronger. Through her only, I met the rest amazing people I can count on.

6) Aastha (The beauty wid brain)-Hottest girl with the best brains around. She was the most popular girl of the campus. She is the best example to counteract bimboo beauties.

7) Anu (The sunshine)-That’s Me. I remember the word sunshine from our college scrapbook which my friends chose for me. A bit of salt ,  a bit of sugar and a potpourri of everything.

I hope after reading the post, my friend will not drill me and pierce me with daggers.

PS: All names changed and one chum is missing from the pic.