tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71938206715779048532024-03-13T12:34:21.744-07:00Life and the restமாயாhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13728916434475551324noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193820671577904853.post-50589582547227141282011-11-09T18:30:00.000-08:002011-11-10T18:16:26.396-08:00Driving alone with Anne<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XEPMRXF1AKI/Trs25S4aKcI/AAAAAAAADhU/Jaz7rZRA0Dc/s1600/Dog_Scared_of_Driving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" ida="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XEPMRXF1AKI/Trs25S4aKcI/AAAAAAAADhU/Jaz7rZRA0Dc/s400/Dog_Scared_of_Driving.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;"><strong>Y</strong>esterday began with an exceptionally good mood, non-crying kids, easy cooking and a silent house before 8.30AM to relish my cool glass of tender coconut watching the morning traffic from my window. <br />
<br />
The situation changed at around 8.45 when my DH asked me a favor (<i>ஆர்டர் போட்டா அடி விழுமே!</i>)</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">He wanted me to drive to the nearast mall and buy his favorite fish for dinner. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">Buying fish.. ok. Driving? I am almost like a fish out of water when I am without a driver. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">This was preposterous. How a little (?) girl like me is supposed to drive a SUV alone in those huge noodles of roads?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">But do I have a choice? I am a very obedient girl you see..So I started.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">Here you should know onething. I had my driving license at the age of 21 for which I didn’t put ‘8’ even on a piece of paper, let alone on a road (<i>me doing a driving test would only have put several innocent lives in the ICU at that point of time, so it was a kind of a social service in the R.T.O’s point</i> of view-<i>எதோ நம்மால முடிஞ்ச பொது சேவை</i>.</span>).<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">I did learn driving mind you, but let us not get into that now. I think I drive ‘kind of ok’, but I have this little starting trouble (<i>even now, I don’t understand how people start the car smoothly without making it come alive and hop along for a few seconds like a frog. Coz that’s the way I start the car…fun isn’t it?</i>) and a little of break(ing) problem and the fear factor that clutches the inside of my throat if I see another vehicle anywhere closer to me and my hands start trembling and I am driven into a state of selective amnesia about which is break and which is accelerator and then ofcourse there is this gear problem.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">With all these problems I decided driving was not my thing. <i>(</i><i>ஒரு சின்னப் பொண்ணு வாழ்க்கைல எத்தனை ப்ராப்ளம் தான் ஃபேஸ் பண்ணுவா?)</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">Then we moved here and bought a SUV. Luckily it was a fully automatic car. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">My DH was trying his level best to make me his driver. After a long time, I decided that it was time again to test the waters <i>(And the malaysian publics’ patience</i>).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">A little confidence from my side and a lot more courage from my family, I finally started to drive (<i>with my hubbie by the side</i>). My driving episodes are a separate topic, let us not dwelve into that right now.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">So, this day I had to take the car alone. I was all prepared and my DH called me from office thrice before starting the engine, just to make sure that I remembered everything. I was so cool to him and was like “Come on.. it is just a three minutes drive and I have gone there like hundred times. Duh??” (<i>ஒரு தடவையாவது முழிச்சிருந்தா தானே வழி தெரியும்</i>)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">All is well from the outside, but inside??(<i>நமக்கு பேஸ்மண்ட் தான் வீக், ஆனா பில்டிங் சும்மா கில்லி மாதிரி</i>) </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">I started the car, praying that the owner of the car next to mine had a heavy insurance plan. It was an Eclass Benz.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">I came out of the parking and the security guy (<i>Seeing me in the driver’s seat</i>) as usual ran to a safe distance. I gave him a triumphant smile and stored away the priceless expression on his face in the back of my mind. He had just noticed that I am driving alone..</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">I drove to the mall <i>(which is almost a straight road</i>) quite efficiently with a smile on my face (<i>who cares about the frowns on the drivers faces,who happened to have done the mistake of coming beside/around me</i>). </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">Parking was no big deal since the whole lot was empty. No one to see my almost diagonal parking in a parallel parking lane(<i>apologies to Bhagyachinu for stealing the line, but come on!!! this I did literally</i>)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">I went to carrefour and was out of it in half an hour. Now it is the return journey that I was scared about. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">You see this mall is sitting in the middle of a huge network of spahetti style roads, most of which are hidden underneath or flying up above or jutting out magically from nowhere.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">So mustering up all the courage I started the engine and revved up out of the parking lot exit. I was too far from the automated ticket(exit) booth that I had to get out of the car and run to the machine. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">Wait! did I remember to put the car in neutral..I turned around. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">Damn where is the car?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">Fortunately It was only slowly going in front, since it was a ramp going up ahead. It looked like the car was sneaking away from me. (<i>அவ்ளோ சீக்கிரம் என் கிட்டயிருந்து எஸ்ஸாயிரலாம்னு நெனச்சியா?)</i>. I ran from the machine to the car, by which time the machine spat back my card, rejecting it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">I put the gear in neutral and the hand break and came back to the machine. I gave a smack on it’s head and now it ate the card obediently (<i>just like my kids)</i>and rose the barrier gate . I ran hastily to the car, fearing that the gate might fall down before I go out. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">Somehow, we came out of the parking lot in two whole pieces (<i>me and my car</i>).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">My dear Anne- the sexy GPS voice (<i>people who read my <a href="http://www.indusladies.com/forums/snippets-of-life-non-fiction/118218-me-and-microsoft-sam.html#post1542258" target="_blank"><span style="color: #66ccff;">‘me and microsoft Sam’ </span></a>post would know my tolerance level with automated voices</i>) took her own time to start up and guide me home, by which time I had already come around the mall once. And then it started…</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">Anne said- In 200 mtrs turn left….I turned…</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">Recalucating…recalculating..</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">Dammit…ok..big deal...let us take another round.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">Next round…the same location…In 200 mtrs turn left…where the hell is the left?? But I was too late, I had already taken the wrong road and Anne was sincerely recalculating.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">Next round..same location…even in a distance, I was seaching for that damn left. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">In 200 mtrs turn left…What?? Do you want me to drive right into that freaking glass door? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">Recalculating..recalculating…</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">Fifth round, I didn’t want to take the same route, so I took a left that came before that particular left, thinking that I might end up in a parallel road( how many parallel roads could there be in the middle of one mall? – <i>பெருமாளே.. நீ தான் காப்பாத்தனும்</i>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">That left took me into three more twists and turns and left me right in front of the same ‘first’ left. Anne was just waiting for the opportunity and she jumped in. In 200 mtrs turn left..</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">What????? (<i>மறுபடியும் மொதல்ல இருந்தா?</i>?)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">Sixth round…(<i>மங்காத்தா தல ரேஞ்சுக்கு போயாச்சு</i>) eyes straight ahead and focus on the road, I took the right when Anne asked me to go left. Anne became frantic…She started recalculating again and again…who cares I drove straight ahead in the road that lead to my husband’s office. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">I wanted to drive up to his face and ask “Look where you brought me” (<i>எப்படி இருந்த நா..இப்படி ஆயிட்டேன்</i>).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">The roads were twisting and turning in all directions like we all were practising for some race track. Then came a cross section with so many ramps and turns.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">A tired Anne asked me to take the left ramp. I took….</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">She teased me in her expressionless voice. Recalculating..recalculating..</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">“What the....I took the left, you idiot!”..apparently it was not the ‘right’ left. Here I go for another three kms at the end of which came tollplaza..</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">A Toll plaza???</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">What?? Where am I going? out of KL? Ipoh.? It sure said so..the signboards cried several names half of which I haven’t even heard of. (<i>அய்யோ..மாமா..உன்னவிட்டு எங்கயோ போறேனே</i>).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">The toll.. I had gone into the card section without realising that I didn’t have the touch’n’go card. After ‘cajoling’ the driver behind me to getback to a safe distance, I took a pensive reverse and joined the cash only line. By this time I had already become a point of attraction (<i>விடுங்க பாஸ்..இவங்க எப்பவுமே இப்படித்தான்</i>)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">Another twist and turn and it asked me to turn right. I saw the sign board ahead.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">“What in the name of god? I understand left arrow..right arrow.. even arrow pointing up and arrow pointing down.(<i>it took me years to understand that ‘up’ meant go straight, till then I was thinking like ‘how are we supposed to go up and under the earth?</i>’) But what I saw here was a flower arrow with roads leading out of every one of four petals.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">“Why would someone sit and design something like this, is totally beyond me”.(<i>ஏன்..ஏன் இந்த கொல வெறி</i>?)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">Unsure of myself, using all my brains I calculated and took a road. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">I knew Anne would pitch in. She sure did. … ‘recalculating..recalculating..’(<i>கிழிஞ்சுது போ..விட்டா இப்டியே இந்தியாவுக்கே போயிருவேன் போலிருக்கே. ச்சீ..மொதல்ல வீட்டுக்குப் போற வழியப்பாரு</i>)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">And then finally a road took me to a place which I identified as my favorite shopping mall. I seriously wanted to get down of the car and kiss the road instead I kissed Anne.(read-the GPS machine) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">I was laughing hysterically that the driver beside me got scared and inched away from me.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">Atlast I reached home and parked the car(<i>yes..yes..only</i> <i>after going front and back for ten times, to squeeze right into our lot</i>) safe and sound. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">Did that Benz just inch away to a corner, all by itself??</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">It was just an incident. But it was something strong. An incident that changed my attitude towards something. From fear to fun.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">I learned that it is not worth fearing something, when there is all the probability of the samething turning out to be just fun.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">It all depends on the attitude right?? and of course the company. (<i>I just can imagine</i> <i>Anne gritting her teeth right now..tee..hee</i>)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">So, for a mere three minutre journey I had spent one whole hour and 2RM toll. I went to buy salmon and ended up buying a great experience, a better understanding with my dear Anne and a handful of swearings from faceless friends and I was happy that the list didn’t end with a ticket. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">And oh!..I didn’t kill anyone..Isn’t that a great news? (<i>Well It was, for my husband)</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">But you know what the best part was? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">I actually didn’t buy the onething I had gone to buy – The salmon.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">By now you would have guessed what or who went in the grrr…ill lastnight.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">(<i>எது நடந்ததோ அது நன்றாகவே நடந்தது</i>)</span><br />
</span></div>மாயாhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13728916434475551324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193820671577904853.post-66709410923631447372011-10-05T03:04:00.000-07:002011-10-05T03:07:25.003-07:00நட்சத்திர பாப்பாத்தி<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R4VblrdM3t0/TowrUiwuoxI/AAAAAAAADhM/yWfGT9Xjb-Q/s1600/butterfly_kisses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kca="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R4VblrdM3t0/TowrUiwuoxI/AAAAAAAADhM/yWfGT9Xjb-Q/s400/butterfly_kisses.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Latha;"><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">எ</span></strong>ல்லாம் முடிஞ்சிருச்சாம்..</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">அப்படித்தான் பெரியத்தை சித்திகிட்ட சொன்னாங்க</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">எது எல்லாம் முடிஞ்சிருச்சுன்னு எனக்குப் புரியலை. காலையில் கணக்கு வகுப்பு நடக்கும் போது பாதியிலேயே பள்ளிக் கூடத்திலிருந்து கூட்டிக்கிட்டு வந்துட்டாங்க. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">என்னா விசியமின்னு கேட்டா யாரும் பதில் சொல்லலை. அம்மாவைக் காணலை. எதுவும் பேசாமே அப்பா தான் கூட்டிக்கிட்டுப் போனார். எப்போதும் போல வண்டியில் ஏறினதும் நா தூங்கிட்டேன். வண்டி நின்னதும் தான் தெரிஞ்சது நாங்க அம்மாச்சி(அம்மாவின் அம்மா) தாத்தா வீட்டுக்கு வந்தது.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">அம்மாச்சி வீட்டு வாசலில் இருந்து அந்த தெரு முக்கு வரையிலும் கொட்டகை போட்டு லைட் கட்டியிருந்தது</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">. வருஷம் ஒரு தடவை மாரியம்மன் கோவில் திருவிழா அப்ப தான் இந்த மாதிரி கொட்டகை போடுவாங்க. நாங்கல்லாம் வெயில் தெரியாம ஜாலியா வெளாடுவோம்.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">இப்ப என்ன திருவிழான்னு தெரியலையே</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">? ஆனா ஏதோ விசியமிருக்கு. பெரியவங்க எப்போதும் என்னப்போல சின்னப் புள்ளைங்க கிட்ட எதுவும் சொல்ல மாட்டாங்க. வழக்கம் போல நானாத்தான் கண்டுபிடிக்கணும் போலிருக்குன்னு நெனச்சுக்கிட்டே நடந்தேன். </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">வாசல மறச்சு ஆளுங்க உக்காந்திருந்தாங்க. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">நிறைய்ய பேர். </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">நா விறு விறுனு உள்ள போனேன். நடுவீட்ல தாத்தா மர நாற்காலில உக்காந்திருந்தார். அவரைச் சுத்தி எல்லாரும் உக்காந்து ஊ..ஊன்னு அழுதிட்டிருந்தாங்க.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">தாத்தா சிரிச்சுட்டுன்னா இருக்கார்</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">? இவங்க ஏன் அழறாங்க? எனக்குப்புரியல. கேட்டா நீ சின்னப்பொண்ணுன்னு திட்டுவாங்க. ஆனா தாத்தா முகத்தில தான் புதுசா வாய்க்கு கீழ வெள்ளத்துணியைத் தூளிமாதிரி கட்டி வச்சிருந்தாங்க. பார்க்க சிரிப்பாய் இருந்துச்சு. அதுக்குத் தான் தாத்தா கூட சிரிக்கிறாரோ? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">அது சரி, எதுக்கு தாத்தா ஒரு ரூபா காசைப் போய் நெத்தியில் ஒட்டி வச்சிருக்கார்?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">”<i>போய்யா..ஒத்த ரூவாய்க்கு லாயக்கில்ல”</i> என்று அம்மாச்சி அடிக்கடி தாத்தாவை வைய்யுமே. இதோ பார் என்கிட்ட ஒரு ரூபாய்னு காட்டத்தான் ஒட்டி வச்சிருக்காரோ?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">இப்ப தாத்தாகிட்ட ஒத்த ரூபா இருக்கே, அதனால தான் அம்மாச்சி அழுவுதா? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">அம்மாச்சி மட்டுமா? எல்லாரும் அழறாங்க. இதுக்குப் போயா எல்லாரும் அழுவுறாங்க?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">இந்த பெரியவங்களே இப்டித்தான் எதெதுக்கு அழுவுறதுன்னே தெரியாது</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">. நா(ன்) தாத்தா பக்கம் போகலை. ஆனா அத்தை என்னைப் பிடிச்சு தள்ளிவிட்டுட்டாங்க. நா பொத்துனு அம்மாச்சி மடியில போய் விழுந்தேன்.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">“அய்யய்ய்யோ..என் தங்கமே” அம்மாச்சி கத்தவும் எனக்கு பயம் வந்துருச்சு. எழுந்து குடுகுடுன்னு ஓடிப்போய் பெரியத்தை பின்னாடி ஒளிஞ்சுகிட்டேன்.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">ரொம்ப ரொம்ப பயமா இருந்துச்சு. ஏன் இப்டி பண்றாங்கன்னு கோவம் கோவமா </span><span style="font-family: Latha;">வந்துச்சு.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">அங்கிருக்கப்பிடிக்காம </span><span style="font-family: Latha;">பக்கத்து ரூம் போனேன். அங்க அம்மா, பெரியம்மா எல்லாரும் மயங்கிப்போய் கிடந்தாங்க. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">பெரியக்கா அம்மாவுக்கு நீர் மோர் குடுத்து கிட்டிருந்துச்சு. “அம்மா..அம்மா” </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">“சின்ன குட்டி அப்புறமா வா. அம்மா அசதியா தூங்கறா”ன்னு சொன்ன சின்னப்பாட்டி, என்னை அம்மா பக்கத்தில் போக விடலை. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">“போ பாட்டி”ன்னு சொல்லி பாட்டிக்கு ’கா’ விட்டுட்டு அடுத்த ரூமுக்கு ஓடினேன்.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">அங்கே சின்னக்கா கண்ணெல்லாம் வீங்கிப்போய் உக்காந்து இருந்துச்சு</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">. அக்கா என்னையே பாத்துச்சு ( நா அழுவறனா இல்லையான்னு பாக்குதோ?)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">அங்கிருந்து ஜன்னல் வழியா வெளி வாசல் நல்லாத்தெரி</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">யும். எட்டிப்பார்த்தேன். வாசல் பக்கமா ஓலை வச்சி பாய் பின்னிக்கிட்டிருந்தாங்க. நா ஜன்னலுக்குப் பின்னாடி கை விட்டு ஓலை கிளுகிளுப்பையை எடுத்தேன்.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">இத தாத்தா தான் செஞ்சு தந்தார். இந்த மாதிரி இன்னும் நிறைய செய்வார். ஆனா தாத்தா இது போல ஓலைல பாய் பின்னி நா பாத்ததில்லை. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">அந்த புது ஓலைப்பாய்க்கு பக்கமே ஒரு மோட்டர் வண்டி மேல நெறய நெறய சாமந்தி</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">, ரோசா எல்லாம் கொட்டி அழகா பல்லாக்கு செஞ்சிகிட்டிருந்தாங்க. பார்க்க ரொம்ப அழகா இருந்தது. ”அது என்னக்கா?” சின்னக்கா கிட்ட ஓடி வந்து கேட்டேன். </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">“ம்ம்.. வந்து அதுல தான் தாத்தா போகப்போறாராம்”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">“தாத்தாவா?” என்னால நம்ப முடியல. தெனைக்கும்(தினமும்) ஒரு பழைய சைக்கிளில் தான் தாத்தா மில்லுக்கு போவாரு. இப்பத்தான் மொத தடவை இவ்வளவு பெரிய வண்டியில போகப்போறாரு. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">அதான் அப்படி சிரிச்சுகிட்டே இருக்கார் போல. ஆனா அது மிச்ச யாருக்கும் தெரியலயே? ஒரு வேள அவரு மட்டும் போறாரோ? இவங்களை எல்லாம் கூட்டிட்டு போகலைன்னு தான் அழுவுறாங்களோ? அதான் இவ்வளவு பெரிய வண்டியா இருக்கே. இந்த தாத்தா அம்மாச்சியையும் கூட்டிட்டு போலாம்ல? தாத்தா எப்பவுமே இப்டித்தான்.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">வேடிக்கையா எதாவது செஞ்சு அம்மாச்சியை கோவப்படுத்திட்டு என்னிய பாத்து கண்ணடிச்சு சிரிப்பார்</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">. இப்பமும் அப்படித்தான் செய்யிறாரோ? ஓடிப்போய் தாத்தாவைப்பாத்தேன்.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">ம்ஹ்ம்.. கண்ணு மூடில்ல இருக்கு?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">திடீர்னு ஓ</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">..ன்னு சத்தம். </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">மெட்ராஸிலிருந்து மாமா வந்தாச்சாம்</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">“அய்யோ..அப்பா..அப்பா..என்ன விட்டுப் போறியாப்பா??” மாமா மாரிலடிச்சுக்கிட்டு ஓடி வந்து அழுதார்.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">மாமாவுக்குமா பல்லக்கு வண்டியில் போக ஆசை? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">ச்ச..இந்த தாத்தா இப்பத் தானே மொத தடவை போறார். போகட்டும் நாம பின்னாடி போய்க்கிடலாம்னு யாருக்காவது தோணுதா பாரு? சொன்னா நீ சின்னப் பொண்ணு உனக்கு ஒண்ணும் தெரியாதுன்னு சொல்வாங்க. ம்ம்..</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">நா மறுபடியும் ஓடிப்போய் ஜன்னல்கிட்ட நின்னுகிட்டேன்.எப்பவும் வராத அப்பாவே இன்னிக்கு வந்திருக்கார், அதுக்காவது இந்த அம்மாச்சி அழாம சிரிக்கலாம்ல? அப்பா வாசலில் இருந்த சிமெண்ட் பெஞ்சில் தான் உக்காந்திருந்தார். </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">அந்த பெஞ்சுக்கு கால் ஒடஞ்சு போய், போன காப்பரீட்சை லீவுக்கு வந்தபோது தான் அம்மாச்சியும் தாத்தாவுமாச் சேர்ந்து கல்லு முண்டக்குடுத்து ஒக்கிட்டாங்க(பழுது பார்த்தார்கள்). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">அப்பாவைச் சுத்தி நிறைய பேர். எல்லாரும் தாத்தாவோட மில்லுல வேலை பாக்கறவங்களாம்.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">ஓ</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">..தாத்தா எப்டி புது பல்லக்கு வண்டில போறாருன்னு பாக்க வந்திருக்காங்க போலிருக்கு. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">வர வர சத்தம் அதிகமா ஆகுது. புதுசு புதுசா ஆள் வந்து தெரு முக்கிலிருந்தே அழுதுகிட்டு ஓடி வந்து விழறாங்க.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">வீடே அழுவுது.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">ஃபேன் கூட அது ஒப்புக்கு க்ரீன்</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">..க்ரீன்னு சத்தம் போட்டு அழுவுது.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">என்ன ஆச்சு எல்லாருக்கும்</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">? ஏன் இப்டி சின்னப்புள்ளத் தனமா இருக்காங்க? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">அழுதுகிட்டே வெளில வந்த மாமா காதில் அப்பா என்னவோ சொல்லவும் மாமா வாயை துண்டால பொத்திட்டு குலுங்கி குலுங்கி அழுதாரு.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">அவர் தலையைச் சுத்தி ஒரு செவப்பு </span><span style="font-family: Latha;">பாப்பாத்தி(வண்ணத்துப்பூச்சி) சுத்துச்சு..</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">பாப்பாத்தி</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">…</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">அப்பல்லாம் ரெண்டாப்பு புள்ளைகளுக்கு சனிக்கெழமை வந்தாலே ஜாலி தான்</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">நாள் முழுக்க வெளாடிட்டே இருப்போம். </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">நா, எதித்த வீட்டு கீதா, டீச்சரக்கா மக பூங்குழலி, பக்கத்து சந்து பழனி எல்லாருமா எங்க வீட்டுக்கு எதித்தாப்ல நாடு பிரிச்சு ஆடிட்டிருந்தோம். பழனி தான் ரூல்ஸ் எல்லாம் சொல்லுவான்.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">அவனுக்கு நிறைய வெளாட்டு(விளையாட்டு) தெரியும். ஈரோட்ல தெனம் ஒரு வெளாட்டு வெளாடுவாங்களாம். புதுசு புதுசா சொல்லிக் கொடுப்பான்.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">”கோடு போட்டு நாடு பிடிக்கட்டா?” கண்ணைப் பொத்திக்கிட்டு நா கேட்டேன்.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">“பிடிச்சுக்கோ..பிடிச்சுக்கோ”ன்னு கத்தினாங்க.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">கையிலிருந்த சில்லாக்கை(உடைத்த தேங்காய் மூடியின் சில்) திரும்பாம நின்னு பின் பக்கமா தூக்கி எரிஞ்சேன். திரும்பி பாத்தேன். </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">சில்லாக்கா ரொம்ப தூரத்துல கெடந்துச்சு. நா என் நாட்டுல இருந்து கால் பரப்பி நின்னு குச்சி வச்சு அந்த சில்லாக்கா இருந்த இடம் வரை கோடு கிழிச்சுட்டா அது அவ்வளவும் என் நாடு. எவ்வளவு முடியுமோ அவ்வளவு எடுத்துக்கலாம். </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">ஆனா சில்லாக்கா வேறொருத்தர் நாட்டுல விழுந்துட்டா அவங்க எடத்திலிருந்து என் நாட்டுல கோடு கிழிச்சு எவ்வளவு முடியுமோ அவ்வளவு எடுத்துக்கலாம். </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">நா சரியா கால் வச்சு ரொம்ப தூரம் கோடு கிழிச்சு பெரிய நாடு வாங்கிக்கிட்டேன்</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">. நாடு கெடச்ச சந்தோஷத்தில கை நீட்டி பாவாடை ராட்டினம் சுத்தினேன். </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">பட்டுனு கைல பட்டுது என்னவோ. நின்னு பாத்தேன். பக்கத்து எருக்கலஞ்செடில இருந்த நெச்சத்திர(நட்சத்திர) பாப்பாத்தி கீழ கெடந்துச்சு.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">நெச்சத்திர பாப்பாத்தின்னா எல்லாருக்கும் தெரியும்</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">. பெரிசா கருப்பு கலர்ல பெரிய பெரிய செவப்பு, வெள்ளை நெச்சத்திரம் போட்டிருக்கும்,பாக்க ரொம்ப அழகா இருக்கும். இருக்கறதுலயே பெரிய பாப்பாத்தி இந்த நெச்சத்திர பாப்பாத்தி தான். </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">“போச்சு.. போச்சு.. பாப்பாத்திய கொன்னுப்பிட்ட” பழனி கோவத்துல கத்துறான்.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">நா குனிஞ்சு பாப்பாத்திய எடுக்குறேன்.அது ஒரு பக்கம் லொடக்.லொடக்னு அடுச்சுக்குது. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">“அய்ய்யோ..பாவம்டி அது ஒரு கைய ஒடச்சுப்பிட்ட” கைய ஒதறி ஒதறி அழுதா பூங்குழலி.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">பாப்பாத்திய எடுத்துக்கிட்டு நா ஓட்டமா ஓடினேன் வீட்டுக்குள்ள. சமயக்கட்டுல அம்மா எண்ணைக் கத்திரிக்கா குழம்பு வெச்சிட்டிருந்தாங்க. “என்னடி இப்டி மூச்சு வாங்க ஓடியாற? என்ன ஆச்சு?”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">“அம்மா அம்மா வெளாடும் போது தெரியாம நெச்சத்திர பாப்பாத்திய அடிச்சுட்டேம்மா. அதோட கை ஒண்ணு ஒடஞ்சுருச்சும்மா. பாரும்மா எப்படி துடிக்குது அதுனால இனி பறக்க முடியாதாம்மா?” முடிக்குமுன்னே ஓன்னு அழுதுட்டேன். அம்மா சேலை தலைப்பால என் கண்ணைத் தொடச்சுவிட்டு சொன்னாங்க.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">“ஒண்ணும் ஆகுதுடி பாப்பாத்திக்கு.. அத வெளில விட்டுரு அதுக்கு சரியாப்போயிடும்”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">“ம்ம்ஹ்ம்.. இதுனால பறக்க முடியாதில்ல? அப்பறம் கீதா விட்டு நாய் பிடிச்சுட்டா? வேணாம்மா பாப்பாத்தி கை சரியாகுந்தண்டி நம்ம வீட்டுலயே இருக்கட்டும்” </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">சொல்லிட்டு வடை பண்ண வச்சிருந்த வாழைப்பூவோட மட்டையைத் தூக்கிட்டு பெட்ரூம் ஓடினேன்</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">. அங்க கதவுக்கு பின்னால ட்ரெஸ் மாத்துற இடத்துல ஒரு சின்ன திண்டு இருக்கும். அது பக்கத்துல சப்பணம்போட்டு உக்காந்து பாவாடையை தூளியாட்டம் பிடிச்சுகிட்டு அதுல பாப்பாத்தியை படுக்கப்போட்டேன். </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">வாழைப்பூ மட்டையை மடிச்சு மெத்தை மாதிரி செஞ்சு திண்டுல வச்சு அதுல பாப்பாத்தியை படுக்கப்போட்டுட்டு வெளில ஓடினேன்.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">வாசல்ல இருந்த வேப்பமர நிழல்ல நெறய முறுக்குப்பூ பூக்கும். வெள்ளைக் கலர்ல சின்னதாய் இருக்கும். </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">ஒண்ணு மேல் ஒண்ணு குத்தி முறுக்கு செஞ்சு வெளாடுவோம். அதில் நிறை தேன் இருக்குமாம். கலர் கலரா தினம் நிறைய பாப்பாத்தி வரும். </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">முறுக்குப்பூ நிறைய பறிச்சுக்கிட்டு வந்து பாப்பாத்திகிட்ட போட்டுட்டு கதவுக்கு பின்னாடி நின்னு பாத்தேன். </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">பாப்பாத்தி சாப்பிடல.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">ரெண்டு நாளா தெனம் காலைல பள்ளிக்கூடம் போகுமுந்தி</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">, மதியானம், சாயந்திரம் வந்ததுமான்னு அப்பப்ப முறுக்குப்பூவும் தண்ணியும் வைப்பேன்.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">பாப்பாத்தி சாப்பிடல.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">மூணா நாள் சாய்ந்திரம் பைக்கட்டோட ஓடியாந்து பாப்பாத்தியப் பாத்தேன்</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">. முறுக்குப்பூ அப்படியே இருந்துச்சு. பாப்பாத்தி அசையாமக் கிடந்துச்சு. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">ஓடிப்போய் அம்மாவை கூட்டிட்டு வந்து காட்டினேன்.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">அம்மா பாத்துட்டு சொன்னாங்க</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">. “ம்ச்..பாப்பாத்தி செத்துப் போச்சுடி.. பாப்பாத்தியை சாமி கூப்பிட்டுக்கிட்டார்டி” </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">பூ</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">…..ம். டிங்..டிங்..டிங்..</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">திடீர்னு எல்லாரும் ரொம்ப சத்தமா அழுதாங்க</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">. பாப்பாத்தி கதை மறந்து வெளில ஓடி வந்து பாத்தேன். </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">ஐ..தாத்தாவோட பல்லக்கு வண்டி கெளம்பிருச்சு. நா வேகமா டாட்டா காட்டினேன். அம்மா ஓடி வந்து என்னைக் கட்டிக்கிட்டு அழுதாங்க.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">“அய்யோ..பாருடி..</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">உங்க தாத்தாவைப் பாருடி</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">..</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">நம்ம விட்டுப் போறாரு பாருடி</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">..</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">சாமி அவர கூப்டுகிட்டாருடி</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">” </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha;">”நெச்சத்திர பாப்பாத்தி மாதிரியா??”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Latha;">ரொம்ப நேரம் அழுதேன் அம்மா முந்தானையப் பிடிச்சுக்கிட்டு</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">..</span></div></div>மாயாhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13728916434475551324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193820671577904853.post-68152926918124063972011-05-27T04:19:00.000-07:002011-05-27T04:22:18.671-07:00I am Very beautiful.. How about you??<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">**DISC</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">LAIMER: Please read the whole blog post before making an opinion. This is a post to establish my stand in terms of beauty and not to hurt any one. If I did, I apologize for it.Thank you. **</span></span></b></span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">We all know that, "Beauty is skin deep."</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">"Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder."</span></b></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">"Beauty is..</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">Oh! Stop it..Stop it Darling. Where are we going with this? </span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">Shut the philosophy book close and just be practical and straight for a second there Ok?</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">Now get up go out and ask someone, "who do you think is beautiful?"</span></b></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">“Aishwarya Rai Bachchan of course”(not your wife eh? Hmm..) </span></b></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">When you ask what is real beauty we do tend to think about so many wonderful things.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"> But with what we see and feel in everyday life, we know that in average- beauty means looking good.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">When you mean beautiful, it means appeal. When you mean beautiful it means people feel a kind of warmth in them when seeing you.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">Yes.. If not why huge cosmetic companies like DOVE make billions on beauty products?</span></b></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Face it. </b></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Beauty IS looking good. </span>(at least for average people like me)</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">Well now since we are clear with that, let us move on to the next part.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">Are we beautiful?</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"> Am I beautiful? (I certainly am). </span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">What makes one beautiful? What is the beauty quotient?</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">How does one become beautiful? </span></b></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">For this let us take some examples to assimilate in the process. </span></b></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">First example – my story.</span></b></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">Ok this is it. I have a very dark complexion, I mean really really black..like badly roasted coffee beans. It had been my problem since my childhood. </span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">I seriously thought that I was the ugly duckling of our house. When me and my sister walked in the road the road side Romeos would tease as ‘new moon and full moon walking together’. </span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">On top of that I was also on the plump side (let us blame it on the genes) and finally with huge eyes like those over sized zero watt bulbs. I used to stare hard in the mirror which always reflected back an ugly girl. (Yeah! poor mirror)</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">I am quite sure that it didn’t happen only to me but there were/are many others out there with the same problem. (The benevolent Gods for all the cosmetic companies)</span></b></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">Because of this when I was in my school I started writing depressing poems on me – now thinking back that was what started my writing in the first place. Good start eh? Then it became huge inflated inferiority complex. Oh boy..Not good. </span></b></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">Thankfully it didn’t stop there.</span></b></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">It took several years for me to understand one simple fact. </span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"> Being beautiful is an added luxury, but being happy and contented with what we have is the necessity.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">And guess what? Being happy has nothing to do with looking beautiful.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">I slowly tried to forget how I looked. I started involving myself in being happy. And that I derived from helping people and making people happy. I went out of my way to make people smile (not big philanthropic deeds mind you, just simple stuff like helping to move a chair or carry a bag) and that put a permanent smile on my face. </span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">I forgot how I looked, who cares to look at the mirror when you know you are going to see a big goofy smile in it.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"> I told repeatedly to myself that Good or bad, I have been given a special place in this world and not the simple fact of my appearance is going to change that.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">Ultimately I became positive minded. What followed that was a tremendous change.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">I started to attract more people and thus made more friends. I started treating insults as mere statements and sometimes had the common sense to turn them into compliments.</span></b></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">Some relative would come and tell me” You are very dark. Use fair and lovely dear, otherwise it will be difficult for your parents to get a bridegroom for you.”</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"></span></b></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"> I would say”Lord Krishna gave yards and yards of saree for paanjali. If he needed he could have made loads and loads of fair and lovely (herbal only) tubes appear to make him fair. But he didn’t. Did he?</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"> He remained dark and see he had hundreds of gopikas ready in line for him”(You have to understand one thing here, I am not trying to advocate against using fairness creams but really does it end there?)</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"></span></b></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">For those who would tease me as ‘Blacky’ I would say “no problem honey. Now I am black because of melanin excess. But later on when we get old, my skin would be taut and perfect my dears and yours will look like saggy baggy (myth or not I still have an excuse- fair people no offense- peace). </span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">I will then come and laugh at you like the guy in Simpson series (haahaa……..haahaa………haahaa).”</span></b></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">No matter what you are - black or white, thick or thin, ugly or beautiful, life goes on.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">Life is as you take it and as you make it. </span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">One of my friends was very lean that she really looked like a walking stick. Poor girl they also called her so and all sorts of other names.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"> But guess what? After marriage and kids she now has the perfect figure and looks stunning and those who teased her as walking stick now look like rolling barrels.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">Isn’t life funny?</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">There was this other girl who had her face packed with pimples. She used to feel so bad that guys used to call her 'simply pimply'. </span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"></span></b></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">I told her that she was the moon. She looked back at me and I said ”yes. If you look closer at moon it is one pimply surface. But look at it in the night from the earth.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"> With its beautiful smile of moonlight it had made its place in world’s literature as the celestial beauty. Many people are like that my dear. By looks they are the moon in the sky. </span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">When you look close then you will see the real surface. But you are the moon in the sky by heart.” She smiled at that and I felt like I was just watching the full moon.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">There was this other guy who had stuttering problems. </span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">A very light one though but he was very intimidated by his friends and so he never spoke up much. I felt that to be such a stupid thing to do. He was an ‘ok’ looking guy but he had this electrifying smile. </span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">I told him one day “if you stuttered while you speak, just stop speaking instantly and smile instead. Try this method and tell me the result.”</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">He came back beaming in few days. “You were right. They don’t mind my stuttering anymore not even the girls. What treatment is this?”</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">“You have a stunning smile, you idiot. When you smile they forget your stuttering” I told him.</span></b></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">After all these years of research in the field – (oh please don’t call me aunty) I finally found the answer.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">The best medicine to cure the ugliness and to be beautiful till your last breath, in fact it is an instant cure.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"> It is all in the smile people… </span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"> It is all in the attitude.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">My attitude and my smile made my ‘bulb eyes’ into the ‘eyes that sparkled when smiling’. The Blacky had turned into a black beauty.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"> It is all in the smile which lights up your face and lights up the hearts of those who watch.</span></b></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">You don’t have to have a stunning personality or spend ten hours in the salon. You don’t have to spend thousands in cosmetics nor do you have to spend in surgeries.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">All takes is one little stretch of your lips, an inch or so to say.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #741b47;">All it takes is a smile of love.</span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">When you smile you flux your muscles but relax your heart. When you smile you don’t just light up your face but also those who watch you.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">When you smile it is a beautiful blossom of a flower, when you laugh it is the wonderful waterfalls, </span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">when you look happy and say hello to someone it is their perfect sunshine for the day.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">However deformed your face or distorted your look is - Smile will definitely make you look beautiful.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"> Like Kahlil Gibran says, <span style="color: #741b47;">"Beauty is not in the face, beauty is the light of the heart." </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"> So let us shine that light on all dark places and make the world and our lives bright.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">We have to accept one thing.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"> All kids are beautiful in general, they are the symbol of real beauty. Whether it is a perfect blue eyed white kid of royalty or a dirty black kid from the slums with running nose or any other kind for that matter. They are beautiful. </span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">Have you ever wondered why? </span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">They smile straight from their hearts. They speak with their eyes. That is why.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">You don’t have to look beautiful to be beautiful.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">Remember,</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">Being beautiful has nothing to do with being happy.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">But being happy will certainly make you beautiful.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">Also..</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">Beautiful people are not always wonderful</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">But wonderful people are always beautiful.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">So smile…</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">The smile from the deepest of your heart is the most beautiful thing in the world. That which tells you that you are the most beautiful person in the whole world..</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">So smile and make yourself beautiful..</span></b></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pQMeSvwsAyU/TXX_FcAD77I/AAAAAAAABkU/28ELxBnb57k/s1600/smile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pQMeSvwsAyU/TXX_FcAD77I/AAAAAAAABkU/28ELxBnb57k/s1600/smile.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Be happy and be beautiful…</b></span></i><br />
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</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">P.S: After writing this I went straight to my Darling Husband with that broad smile pasted in my face.</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">Oh damn,.what happened? He just fainted. </span></b></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">Tell me guys do you think he fainted because I looked pretty awesome in that smile? Or else???</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"></span></b></i></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">Well lets be positive..shall we?? *wink*</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #073763; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">(written for the DOVE - what is Real Beauty contest by indiblogger)</span></span></span></span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div>மாயாhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13728916434475551324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193820671577904853.post-9900253860193855852011-04-17T20:28:00.000-07:002011-04-17T20:28:28.199-07:00வாராறு வாராறு அழகரய்யா வாராறு..<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">வாராறு வாராறு அழகரய்யா வாராறு..</span></b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">காடு மேடு கடந்து மதுரை சீமைக்குத்தேன் வாராறு</span></b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">பல்லாக்கு மீனாட்சியைப் பாக்கத்தானே வாராறு</span></b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">தங்கச்சி கல்யாணத்தைக் காங்கத்தானே வாராறு</span></b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">கள்ளரோடு கலகலத்து கள்ளழகர் வாராறு</span></b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>கஷ்டங்கவலை துக்கங்குறை துரத்தியடிக்க வாராறு</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">வைகையாத்தில் கால் பதிச்சு வளம் பெருக்க வாராறு</span></b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">சித்திரை மாசத்தில் வீதியெங்கும் சிரிச்சிக்கிட்டே வாராறு</span></b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">தங்கக் குதிரையிலே தகதகன்னு வாராறு</span></b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">பச்சையுடுத்திக்கிட்டு பளபளன்னு வாராறு</span></b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>சூடிக்கொடுத்த மாலை தாங்கி சப்பரமேறி வாராறு</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">வண்டியூரில் தவளையத்தான் தவசியாக்கி வாராறு</span></b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">ஆயிரமாயிரம் மண்டகப்படி அளந்துகிட்டே வாராறு</span></b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">ஆணழகன் சொக்கனப்பாத்து ஆசி கொடுக்க வாராறு</span></b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">மதுரையே மஞ்சக்குளிச்சு மலர்ந்து கெடக்கு வாசம் பாரு</span></b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">வீதியெல்லாம் மக்கள் வெள்ளம், பனங்கெழங்கு, கரும்பு சாறு</span></b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">தண்ணிப்பீச்சு,ஓலை விசிறி, பந்தல்,சர்பத், பொங்கல் சோறு</span></b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">கொழாய்கட்டி அழகர் பாட்டு, தண்ணிப்பீச்சுக்காரனுக்கு தலையக்காட்டு</span></b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5102/5629536113_5bdfb4c45f.jpg" /></b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">விசிறி,கொடி,யானை,குடை,விளக்கு வீதியில் வருகையிலே</span></b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">மனசு கெடந்து தவிக்குதடி அழகர் காணும் ஏக்கத்திலே</span></b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">அதா வாராறு பாருங்கடி அந்தாமுகம் தெரியுது ஒசரத்திலே</span></b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">கண் சுருக்கிப்பாத்தாக்க கை தெரியுது மாலைக்குள்ளே</span></b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">ஆத்தாடி! எறங்கிப்பிட்டார் வைகையில் தான் பாருங்கடி</span></b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">குதிரை கொஞ்சம் குலுங்கையிலே கூக்குரலைக் கேளுங்கடி</span></b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b> <img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5105/5629536105_8f75f2b725_z.jpg" /></b></i></span><br />
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வைகை பெருகியோடுதடி மக்கசனம் கூட்டத்திலே</span></b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">மனசெல்லாம் பொங்குதடி தங்கக்குதிரை போடும் ஆட்டத்திலே</span></b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">எட்டு ஊரும் மயங்கிக்கிடக்கு மாயவனின் கட்டுக்குள்ளே</span></b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">நம்ம உசுரெல்லாம் கெறங்கிக்கெடக்கு அவன் ஒத்த சுழி சிரிப்பிலே</span></b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">தெருவெல்லாம் ஜொலிக்குதடி மா(சர்க்கரை)விளக்கு தீபத்திலே</span></b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">காதில் தேன் பாயுதடி கோவிந்த நாம கோஷத்திலே</span></b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">நல்லா இருங்கா மக்கா என்றவன் சொல்வது கேக்குது காதுக்குள்ளே</span></b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">மீண்டும் அடுத்த வருஷம் வாரேனென்று கைகாட்டிப்போறான் </span></b></i><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">ஊருக்குள்ளே</span></b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">கண்ணத் தொறந்து பாத்துக்கிறேன் கையிலிருக்கும் போட்டோவிலே</span></b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Latha;">அடுத்த வருஷமாவது அழகா உன்னைக் காணவேணும் நெசத்திலே</span></b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/archive/00111/MA28_LORD_MDU_111594a.jpg" /></b></i></span><br />
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P.S: <br />
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இன்று சித்திரைத் திருவிழாவின் நாயகன் அழகர்மலையான் வைகையில் இறங்கி அருள் புரியும் நாள்.<br />
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14ஆம் தேதி பட்டாபிஷேகம் ஏற்று 16ஆம் தேதி திருக்கல்யாணம் கண்ட தங்கை மீனாட்சியைக்காண அழகர் லேட்டா வந்தாலும் லேட்டஸ்டா வரும் நாள் இந்த நாள்.<br />
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சொக்கன் அருளால் போலியாக வெள்ளிக்குதிரையில் அழகர்போல வீரராகவர் வீற்றிருக்க நடந்து முடிந்த கல்யாணத்தைப் பற்றிக்கேளிவியுற்று அழகர் அழகாய்க் கோபம் கொண்டு திரும்பும் அழகான காட்சியை நேரில் காண முடியாத என் போன்ற அன்பர்கள் திருத்தேர் உர்ச்சவம் வரை தினமலர் ஆன்லைனில் கண்டு ரசிக்கலாம். <br />
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விரைவில் யூடியூபில் களைகட்டும் என்ற நம்பிக்கையில்...</i></b></span></div>மாயாhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13728916434475551324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193820671577904853.post-78060275885365327112011-04-05T21:25:00.000-07:002011-04-05T21:25:12.671-07:00The Judgement Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“Mommy..Mommy wake up. It will be late for school” Chitra was shouting at the top of her voice and was jumping on the bed in her red pajamas.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Kriya tried really hard to pry open her eyes. ‘God! it stings’ she thought. She turned towards the clock.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"> The clock blinked<u> 7.13AM.</u><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><br />
</span><u><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">9.15 AM</span></u><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Kriya was standing near the French window watching the morning crowd scurrying along for their daily routines. <br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">From their fifth floor apartment she could distinctly see their ‘Oh I am so late. I will be damned’ faces somewhat vaguely. She smiled to herself and felt grateful for not being one among them. Thanks to her husband Mithun who always accepted all her decisions, She was a home <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD10">maker</span> from the beginning for the past seven years and she immensely enjoyed it.</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“Jai ho….” A.R rahman announced her of an incoming call. Kriya looked at the calling number and smiled at once.</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“Yep. Doomtard of India. <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD12">Good morning</span> how is doom life coming?”</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Kriya teased her twin sister Maya.</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“Kriya. Listen carefully. Call aththaan(bro-in-law) and tell him to meet you at the KL airport. Go to school pick up Chitra . All three of you take the next possible flight to India, to delhi. DO IT NOW…”</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><br />
“whoah…whoah..easy there ..easy there... What has happened? ”</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“Kriya, please heed my advice. Move now..”</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“Care to tell me why?” Kriya settled down on the <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD8">love</span> seat carefully throwing her still wet hair behind the head rest.</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“Idiot..It is happening. The D day has come.”</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“What D day? U mean dooms day kind of D day. Oh! come on Maya. It is too stretchy even for you.”Kriya complained.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“Kriya. Listen. Yesterday at about 8.10 AM GST time strong solar flares were observed. To be specific 14 M flares Followed by 2 X type flares came out continuously from the sun. The last one was quite large, larger than the sun. And unfortunately the last two faced earth. We all hoped <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD2">to god</span> that it will go past earth without making much damage as it always is the case for most of the solar flares. <br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">But this time around the earth’s magnetosphere was totally f***** up because of the already emitted CMEs and so it was very vulnerable. Result the first X flare just hit earth in all its glory.”</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“ok..now in layman terms please..”</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“S*** Kriya will you stop asking questions once in your life and listen to me.” Kriya could hear Maya crying on the other side. She was really shocked at her sister’s reaction. Maya was a definite Doomtard alright but she was so just <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD6">for fun</span>. She knew that her sister never really feared that a day would come for people to just pack up and run. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“Maya..But nothing such is coming up in TV or internet in news.”</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“Kriya..Please.. It will not come. It was meant to be that way. But they all Know. NASA knows. ISRO knows. Those bloody Russians and Chinese NATO every bloody government knows.They are trying to cover it up, in fact they have deleted all the images relating to that from the space weather websites to block it from the Public domain. <br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">It is not just the flares.They are just indicators. They are getting serious because of something else..something big. It is coming our way and it is totally going to mess up our magnetosphere.<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">People will not know until it happens to them. The emergency broadcast will come only at the last minute and by that time there really is no use or not a chance to escape. I am telling you now.”</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“When will it happen and what will happen if it is to happen?” </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“It is happening already. It started a month ago slowly when the first set of strong flares started out from sun on February. It was noted that the normal solar sunspot cycle was getting weirder. But now it is confirmed that it is so because of the interference of the third object. something bigger than Jupiter is coming close to our Sun and to us."</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">"That Nibiru thing you said earlier? But that was Sumerian legend right?"</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">"Whatever that was, I don't care. we now see a f****** big ball right behind the sun and it really is getting seriously close. And there had been so much efforts put to make it look like nothing is happening. They are literally hiding that big giant with words of denial.People who are in the know are preparing themselves, just like us.</span> </span> <br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"> Look,the earth is like this soccer ball. The magnetic field is like the <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD7">stitches</span> on them. The more the pressure on the stitches it will weaken and it will gradually result in…"</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"> “Stitches getting torn off?”</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“Exactly! The magnetic field ruptures is just a prelude for a major pole shift. The symptoms are already too obvious if you looked closely. The mass sardine fish death in California, The fish death incident in Western Australia, the various earth quakes in Mexico, USA, continuous tremors in yellow stone area, earth quake of New Zealand and the very recent earthquakes of Japan and the one in china. All of these were due to the earth magnetic field getting affected by this new sun and so awakening the volcanoes and wobbling the tectonic plates.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"> And very soon it will become worse. All tectonic plates will start getting unstable, every volcano on earth in land and under water will erupt and tsunamis will occur. And all this will happen in less than a day's time. And the worst part is that bloody thing is still far off but it might get too close too soon. Believe me, I am pretty damn sure that the last big X flare is the tipping point to trigger of the biggest catastrophe the human civilization has ever witnessed. All these are going to happen sometime in these few days as that bloody thing hit the earth. Not weeks my dear but days,could even be in hours. I don't know. ”</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“And do you think we can save us from all that by coming over to India to Delhi?”</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“Kriya. We have a safe place way over up on Ladakh for us. It is all settled. All you have to do is just fly up here. Please..”</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“God.. Maya.. You are really getting paranoid”</span> <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“KRIYA..shut up and GET OUT OF THERE NOW. If you don’t believe me wait there. When you see two more earth quakes it is the last chance for you to move your a** off from there. <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD4">The Indian</span> plate is already in motion with <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD9">Australian</span> plate. It will push half of Australia into water and there will a major tsunami and not even <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD3">your god</span> can save Indonesia, Philippines and Malaysia where my darling sister is living. Do you get it you idiot?”</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“Maya..I..” Maya had already ended the call.</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Kriya was spellbound. What is she supposed to do now? Is she to believe her sister who though is a doomtard is a brilliant woman <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD5">working</span> in God knows where now(because she keeps switching job locations) and has spent most of her lifetime studying the sky. <br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">How can she say this to her beloved husband who always makes the first laugh at all her sister’s conspiracy concepts. Confused in mind Kriya went about her works in half mind.</span> <br />
<br />
<u><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">3.30 PM.</span></u> <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Chitra was watching cartoon and Kriya was browsing the net when she got a message form Maya. It just had a link of an Australian media website. Kriya clicked on it and was shocked. </span></span> <br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">The headlines said - Breaking news: An earthquake of 7.5M hit around New Zealand's alpine fault </span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">with epicenter located in the ocean. Tsunami warnings have been issued for Australia and other parts.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"> She ran to the TV and changed it to news. All the news channels showed nothing but the Earthquake which was said to be the worst in the history to ever hit New Zealand . It showed of toppled buildings and people running in fear. Flash news said Tsunami of 75 mtrs approx height had just hit the west coast of Australia and... Kriya's mind was reeling She couldn't watch this anymore. Pictures of destrcution came in like flashcards in her mind. She switched off the TV and ran inside.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Kriya was literally trembling and her heart started to thump faster. Could this be true? Is this possible? Is this really the end of world?</span> <br />
<br />
<u><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">5.30 PM</span><br />
</u><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">She was totally distracted. She was mixing batter for chappatis when her phone buzzed of a message. She checked the message and saw that it was another one containing a link. <br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">With shaking hands she clicked the link which took her to a Chinese or Korean website. She couldn’t read anything but the big bold letters of 8.4M at 5.15 pm was crystal clear. A vivid picture of toppling buildings and the ground totally broken into two halfs like a biscuit followed it. Kriya ran to Mithun who was reading malay mail.</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">She explained everything in brief and started to cry. Mithun sat there silently for some time. Kriya knew Mithun would never believe in stuff like this. She was so devastated especially because even she didn’t know what she really had to believe anymore.</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Mithun silently rose from the seat and took out documents suitcase from above and retrieved their passports.</span> </span> <br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Kriya smiled beneath her tears and hugged him.</span> <br />
<br />
<u><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">12.30AM</span></u> <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><br />
<br />
Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi.</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Kriya and family walked sleepily towards the entrance with just one huge baggage. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">They managed to book seats in Kingfisher airlines that would fly them to Leh, the capital of Ladakh. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"> </span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">The whole airport looked unnaturally busy at that time of the night but the lounge where they sat it was very quite.The few who were loitering here and there were not in the least looked like they knew about the earth and its fateful journey towards doomsday. But they were all speaking about the earthquakes only. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Still Kriya felt like the biggest fool on earth. Mithun didn’t say anything. All he had to say about it was “Well. We are due to a holiday anyways. We might as well have it in Ladakh.”</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">They sat waiting in the business class lounge of KF airlines. Mithun and chitra had dozed off. Kriya was frantically trying for her sister. <br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Atlast she got her "Maya we are waiting to take the KF flight for Leh."</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">"Good! I will meet you there in the airport entrance. Be safe" Maya had cut the line. Kriya was sitting sleepless.<br />
</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Suddenly the few stewardess who were there, gathered in front of the TV. Kriya moved towards them. The woman in the TV looked shocked and was back dropped by a smoky mountain scene.</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“raise the volume” someone said. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“It is feared that further eruption or increase in the fissure crack might lead to the eruption of the complete super volcano. We have Mr. Bob Smith from the University of Utah, a longtime expert in Yellowstone's volcanism with us on this.</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Tell us Bob,what could go wrong at this point of time." the anchor woman asked the geek guy.</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">"Well its a little worrying because just a few weeks ago we recorded the magma level to be under 10km depth. But today we had this fissure eruption which tells us that the magma had reached up since then and in a totally unexpected speed. If this continues, it is a very critical position to think?”</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“What? you mean dooms day critical?” the anchor laughed at him. Bob smiled awkwardly without saying anything. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"> </span> </span> <br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Just then the anchor woman cupped her hand to her ear as if she was listening to something, probably her earphone and then said" Ok we just had news that Hawaii was hit by 8.1M earthquake.Tsunamis alert has been issued to west coast California" she squeaked. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Kriya closed her eyes. Oh Lord..she thought.</span> <br />
<br />
<br />
<u><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">7.30AM</span></u> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Kriya couldn’t divert her eyes elsewhere. The view was breathtaking. The snow capped mountains glistened in the early morning sun which was eerily red. But apart from all that Kriya did feel something odd. very odd. She couldn’t quite put a finger on it. The sun was too bright to spot and it was not morning yellow but morning orange.</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">They finally landed on the smallest airstrip she had ever seen . While they were pushing off their luggage towards the entrance they could see commotion among people. they then clustered towards one side and were talking.</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“what is happening?” she asked someone close by.</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“ Oh don’t you know? Just now seconds ago,Telecommunication went off. It is dead. Totally dead. No body knows what is happening where. My stupid phone is not working” he exclaimed and went on.</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Kriya’s heart beat faster. What could have happened if it occured minutes ago when they were still flying? Could it have affected them?</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“Mithun it is happening. Search for Maya”</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“KRIYA..”</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“Maya??”</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“Thank God you reached before sat com off. I was worried to death of that."<br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“what is going on Maya?”</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">" X flare hit damaged the electronics world wide. No satellites, no phones, no TV channels and planes. Not even your digital watch will work. Come come.. this way” She pulled them off to a green camouflaged truck."Come on, we don’t have time.”</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“It is in full swing Kriya. We have to go, it is an hour travel by jeep and then we have to climb for fifteen minutes. we might still miss the chance of survival. We might expect meteor shower any minute now.”</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“What is this place we are going to?”</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“…”</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“tell me Maya”</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“It is a government bunker. Secret Bunker”</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“How come you are in it?”</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“I work for it Maya. I have been for a really long time. I just couldn’t tell you all of the coming danger straight away but I was trying to warn you in all possible ways. Anyways I have arranged for us there. Come on we need to move on”</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Kriya pulled her hands off.”What have you done? You knew and you didn’t say that to public?”</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“What? you think they would have believed me? Did YOU believe me? Tell me akka?”</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“But you certainly had proofs.”</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“Not ground breaking ones. And if I had given them out I would probably be dead and decayed by now and the best part- people will still not believe anything. This is not a sex scandal to just show a video footage as proof. This is huge. Even then people were trying to warn us for years now. I even had a blog page under proxy by which I was telling everything I knew. You think people believed?</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">You ..You called me doomtard didn’t you? Now look who got the last laugh..ha..haa.” Maya had become hysterical.</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Kriya shook her head, “No…we need to tell these people..these innocent people..they need to know”</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“Watch me"Maya said and climbed up on the roof of a nearby sumo with carrier.</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“Listen people…”She said in hindi. She related the truth in simple terms. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“Please get to safe positions. Somewhere underground which is better than on ground but not best or better yet get to high above the hills. The water will come. Meteor shower will follow.”</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“from where?” Someone asked.</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“Water from down under, Indian ocean..Meteor from above. And anything else might come too. Signal messed up planes too might end up on our heads.”<br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">There was a burst of laughter “Earthquakes are happening in western countries only not here na? Don't panic" one guy said to her with concern and or sarcasm in his voice.</span> </span> <br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">While another said "We watched 2012 last year itself” and they all laughed.That was it, everybody moved to carry on their mundane tasks.</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“There you happy now? Just come along” she pulled her sister into the jeep.</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">One hour of rickety ride in silence. The weather had become notably weird. It was becoming redder every minute. At the end of travel they got down near a metal gate.Maya showed her id and their passports and a special letter which she retrieved from her pocket to a man waiting near the gate. They then all together moved on further ahead. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">They were climbing without speaking to each other. Mithun an athlete had carried chitra and had climbed faster. They were nearing the top. Kriya could see the small opening of a concrete style.There were several other such doors.</span> <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">there were two small hard glass windows near every door.</span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"> It was like a long narrow concrete stretch with lots of similar openings that nestled under a hill near its foot.<br />
<br />
"It's under a hill. Is it safe from landslides avalanches and all?"<br />
<br />
"Believe me. It is Doom safe. Totally. It is not just a bunker but if necessary it can also change into a ship." Maya said. They were walking on a thin board bridge towards one of those entrances. <br />
<br />
It was then she noticed it. A continuous sound of roar. She could hear squeals from above the deck. She slowly turned her head and saw it. It took some time to believe what she saw.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">A huge</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">(<i>huge was a microbial word to describe what she just saw</i>) </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">wave was coming towards them just submerging everything on its way, the ice melted and slid along with the water like the ice cubes in milkshake. The people and houses and cars looked like speck of dust moving in the huge curl of water. The sky had become scorching red with a huge red giant of a ball suddenly visible like a half eaten apple right behind the sun. It looked like they had two suns now. Thousands of tiny fire balls fell down in distance like a shower of fireballs. A black ominous dark smoky cloud was fast approaching. The land shook violently once and she lost grip. She fell down into a gutter 12 feet deep.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"> </span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">The water was coming fast.</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">”Akkaa…Akkaa…”Maya was shouting from inside the slanting building slamming hard on the glass window. Mithun was trying to jump down but was violently pulled inside by others. They threw a rope hanging ladder near her through the still open narrow door. She knew she had to rush. She tried hard.<br />
<br />
The rocky cliff scathed her soft palms. She gritted her teeth and pulled herself up. She didn’t look back but could hear it very close. She climbed up and was about to catch the guard’s outstretched hand when her feet got swept off. The window pane was closed. She saw Maya sobbing and pounding on the hard glass. Mithun standing shell shocked. She saw Chitra one last time before icy water engulfed her and took her for a really long ride.</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">She could vaguely hear the shouts.</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">"Mommy..Mommy.."</span> <br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“Mommy..Mommy wake up. It will be late for school” Chitra was shouting at the top of her voice and was jumping on the bed in her red pajamas.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"> </span> </span> <br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Kriya sat up with a start.She turned to the clock.<br />
The clock blinked <u>7.13AM.</u><br />
<br />
<br />
P.S : </span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">This was written and posted on march 10th in my other blog and hence doesn't mention japan earthquake incidents in it except for the fore shocks. </span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><br />
</span></span> </div>மாயாhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13728916434475551324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193820671577904853.post-65827975080610795882011-03-16T03:00:00.000-07:002011-03-16T06:55:54.455-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><i><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">LABOR PAINS</b></i></u><br />
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</span></div><div class="vbpostbit" style="margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KdUmMghLNdk/TYB_nj8MmUI/AAAAAAAACLs/ZpbCu3Hhfu8/s1600/baby%2Cbirth%2Cchild%2Cchildbearing%2Cchildbirth%2Cfather%2Cmother%2Cparents%2Cpregnancy%2Cpregnant-4618f5b028df9d071897864036568092_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="341" r6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KdUmMghLNdk/TYB_nj8MmUI/AAAAAAAACLs/ZpbCu3Hhfu8/s400/baby%252Cbirth%252Cchild%252Cchildbearing%252Cchildbirth%252Cfather%252Cmother%252Cparents%252Cpregnancy%252Cpregnant-4618f5b028df9d071897864036568092_m.jpg" width="400" /></a><b>I</b>t all started on a fine Monday morning when we anxiously watched that little strip to turn color.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">“Oh my god..oh my god..oh my god…” we both jumped up and down knowing that we are soon going to be Mom and Dad.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Ah..Do I have to tell you that feeling? the bliss that would make you feel on <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD5" style="color: black;">top of the world</span><span style="color: black;">?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">We giggled all morning and decided to have breakfast in Saravana Bhavan where we ordered that ghee dripping Rava Kesari.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">I was elated. Totally…feeling the heavens, is the closest description I can give to the feeling I had right then.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">It was time for office (we both worked in the same place) but I said I will take a detour and come back in an hour. I left for the nearby bookshop.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">God what all they have for us ‘to be mom and dads’ in the stores?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Starting from ‘what to expect when you are expecting’ there were quite a number of titles there for sale. We both are orphans and so we never had a soul to help us in anything whatsoever except for our beloved friends. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">But this is going to be huge. We needed all the help we can get in making it a perfect parenthood and why not get the advice from the experts?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I glanced through all the titles there and went to the cash counter with almost nine to ten books in hand.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">The lady in the counter took one look raised an eyebrow at me and seeing me blush said </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">beaming ”Congratulations”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">“Thank you” I smiled away shyly.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">It had become a habit for me for months now. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">People would take one look and smile which is synonymous to “congrats and take care”.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD7" style="color: black;">First trimester</span> was the worst. Everything looked new. We had so many arguments too. Nausea and light headedness dominated most part of the days.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Second trimester:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Notable changes in me. Friends took one look at me and said “Damn you are <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD11" style="color: black;">losing weight</span><span style="color: black;"> </span>and look anemic, which is not good at this stage you idiot. Take extra care”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Third trimester:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Worst yet. I was worried all day and night. All the books talked about emotional turbulence but nothing warned me to this stage. It was like sitting on top of the fuming </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">volcano.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">I was getting angry at everything </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">and wanted to cry for everything.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Last month:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">I was getting anxious. Paranoid may be. Heart beat had become abnormal these days. Medic adviced me to be cool and that at this stage this is normal.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">It was those days when I had to change the whole of my life pattern. I had to stop eating all those things I am very fond of. I was told not to sleep in my most favorite position. I was told several other things which looked totally impossible for me until that moment. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">But I had to do it. Do it for that little thing which is going to paint our lives in rainbow colors.</span></span></div><div class="vbpostbit" style="margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-89VuOlPCnXE/TYB_o0ZE5WI/AAAAAAAACLw/JsyHMww8n8M/s1600/baby%2Cdad%2Cdaddy%2Cfather%2Chand%2Chands%2Clove%2Cman%2Cmonochrome%2Cphotography%2Ctender-f666dd7c09203f13a5bd109309b913ab_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="342" r6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-89VuOlPCnXE/TYB_o0ZE5WI/AAAAAAAACLw/JsyHMww8n8M/s400/baby%252Cdad%252Cdaddy%252Cfather%252Chand%252Chands%252Clove%252Cman%252Cmonochrome%252Cphotography%252Ctender-f666dd7c09203f13a5bd109309b913ab_m.jpg" width="400" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Last few days…</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">I just couldn’t do any work. I was sweating all the time. I was scared to death but couldn’t show it to the outside world. I smiled my most happy smile all the while I had this windmill in full speed inside my heart.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">We had made a routine to take slow walking around the temple pond near our house. Every evening after work we would go straight to the pond and start walking around it.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">We would chat about our first meeting, our <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD6" style="color: black;">love</span>, Proposal everything and used to wind up the time together happily.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I stuck to my better half like a sticky note on the counter because I was a little scared to spend my time alone in <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD9" style="color: black;">the house</span> anymore. More paranoid thoughts had started to taunt me every day. everynight I woke up with a worst nightmare to tell. It was horrible those last few weeks physically and mentally.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">D’Day:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">It was a sunny Friday morning when we got ready to go to office. When I tried to go into<span style="color: black;"> </span><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD1" style="color: black;">the car</span> the pain started.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">It was… Oh I don’t even want to describe it. It was scary crazy for me. I wanted someone beside me. Anyone..just any damn human being to hold me tight and say it’s ok everything is going to be fine.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">God knows how we reached the hospital which itself was a miracle. The pain had come a clear one week before the due date and I was pretty sure that it must be the false pain. But how naïve could I be? No it was not. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">It was THE pain.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Well I’ll be damned. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">I don’t remember the part where we went to the labor room and all that. All I heard was the doc's “push..push” sound.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">For every contraction my heart skipped beating and seat swelled on my face. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Pain…pain too much pain… why do women have to endure this pain why can’t men share it a little? After all they are the life partners and better halves. Then why the hell can’t men share half of the physical pain?”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">I can’t bear this anylonger dear lord, why do you have to make this birthing process this hard and painful in the first place?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">To see how far we can go? What kind of sadistic God are you to make it like this. My fury had turned totally towards that little Murugan photo that hung on the wall.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">I got a cold slap from my doctor for crying. Oh how the hell am I supposed to smile calmly while my soul is ripped apart in such pain and agony? The yowls and cries could have reached the heaven I am sure. But God was on leave I suppose. It looked like he didn’t hear the screams. The doc looked me in the eyes and said.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">“No use…we need to go in for a surgery.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">“Surgery?” I couldn’t see her face clearly beneath the beads of sweat that clouded my eyes.</span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">“did you just say surgery?”</span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">“Yes ..it has become compl..”That was all I heard. After that I had fainted. Someone slapped me again and again to get me into conscious. I was awake but still was hanging somewhere above.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">“sister..get <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD3" style="color: black;">the theatre</span> ready..pull her softly..” I could hear voices floating around me but I couldn’t really put my mind towards it. I was too tired and fatigue.</span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Local anesthesia was given. I couldn’t see anything but could hear it vaguely. </span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">After my lifetime’s longest fifteen minutes had passed, I heard the sound.</span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">A wail..a tiny wail..My world was turned topsy turvy in an instant. Tears welled up in my eyes and my heart was jumping out of its position. That little sound had the magic to make my world a walking heaven.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Suddenly the purpose of my life looked all clear. I <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD4" style="color: black;">felt</span> wholesome. I felt full. I was too happy <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD2" style="color: black;">to be alive</span><span style="color: black;">.</span></span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">The doc came near me. I saw her and my heart raced further.</span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">She came to me and said in a whisper. “It’s a girl”</span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">“A girl?..my fairy princess…My thevathai..my little goddess..my little devil..my pink pearl..my heavenly daughter”</span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">My heart was still racing and I steered it towards the doc. I had something else important to ask her.</span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">“Is SHE alright?” </span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">“ Perfect.”she smiled and told the nearby nurse “report..mother and baby healthy..baby weight…..”</span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">I didn’t hear anymore. I had heard what i wanted to hear. I wanted to see my love right then. I wanted <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD12" style="color: black;">to share</span><span style="color: black;"> </span>the happy news and wanted to know how it felt right then.</span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Someone just touched my arms. I turned to see a sister standing near me. She held the most precious thing of our lives in her hand.</span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">I was looking at the tiny bundle that was coming near me. It came closer. It was gently put in my hand.</span></span><br />
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</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">The prize given by god for our love.( I thanked God just then.)</span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">A gift of love wrapped up in magical beauty. </span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">The atom bomb of love..</span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">I cried again.</span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">I cried looking at the tiny baby yawning away its nine months sleep. I cried and smiled at the same time.</span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">My friend came near me and shook my shoulders.</span></span><br />
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<div style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><i><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>“CONGRATS DA MACHI…YOU ARE A DAD </b><b>NOW”</b></span></i></u></span></div></div><div class="vbpostbit" style="margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oEqF9VQQBgs/TYCJYTTJxSI/AAAAAAAACL4/1lv6sKrx53g/s1600/3321513042_9eebbfef5f_o_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oEqF9VQQBgs/TYCJYTTJxSI/AAAAAAAACL4/1lv6sKrx53g/s1600/3321513042_9eebbfef5f_o_large.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">P.S: This is Labor pains- from a dad's point of view.</span></span></b></span></div></div>மாயாhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13728916434475551324noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193820671577904853.post-71297279096902072112011-03-01T19:02:00.000-08:002011-03-01T19:02:10.609-08:00Plus sides of being plus size<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-rvC5vTBJFE4/TW2w3SGKQUI/AAAAAAAACLY/V_nn4iA6pQU/s1600/baby_and_dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Y1svrWIdz70/TW2w-M1zf4I/AAAAAAAACLc/AS9sWgCGufA/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-rvC5vTBJFE4/TW2w3SGKQUI/AAAAAAAACLY/V_nn4iA6pQU/s1600/baby_and_dog.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-rvC5vTBJFE4/TW2w3SGKQUI/AAAAAAAACLY/V_nn4iA6pQU/s400/baby_and_dog.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><b> </b></span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><b> Plus size..</b></span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><b> </b></span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">A very common </span></i></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">size </span></i></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">(<span style="font-size: small;">அப்படீன்னு நாமளே சொல்லிக்க வேண்டியது தான்</span>) for Indian women these days. </span></i><i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Why? Well I am not a dietician to dissect the whats and whys of that million dollar question. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">I am just another lazy mom, who every morning offer special pooja to all the gods of the world before facing a mirror.(<span style="font-size: small;">உங்களுக்குத் தெரியாததா?</span>) Imagine the poor husband.</span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">I was never a <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD11">petite</span> woman. Since my adolescence I was this chubby little girl who then turned into a plump young girl who then turned into a bubbly woman(<span style="font-size: small;">எப்படியெல்லாம் சமாளிக்க வேண்டியிருக்கு?</span>). Now after two little <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD9">rats</span> I look like a blown up balloon waiting to burst. A balloon can at least fly.</span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">One <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD8">fine</span> morning I was looking into my old snaps folder when a particular folder called for my attention. It was our honeymoon snaps folder. I happily opened it and was shocked.</span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">What the hell? Who is that thin chick standing near my husband? (Remember I was on the plump side even before marriage).I got really bugged and started to dig all my old folders.</span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">As I went backwards and backwards..It was like watching those before - after <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD12">pictures</span> of some famous slimming centers, only in reverse.</span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">I showed them to my husband who looked at me like “And you didn’t notice this at all?”</span></i><i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">That ended up to be another entertaining evening discussing my ‘balloon’ness (See how positive I am?) and finished it with a big family size pizza (one for each honey..)</span></i><i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">One day one of my friends asked me “Aren’t you feeling bad about being a plus size woman?”</span></i><i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“Why should I be? I have lot of advantages on being a plus size woman.”</span></i><i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“What? You do? How?“ she was so surprised, poor thing.</span></i><i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“See ..Have you ever been given special attention in planes even when you are flying in economy class?”</span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“What? Nope..”</span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“I have. They always think that I am carrying.”</span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“Have you ever been treated like a queen in restaurants?”</span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“ah..No”</span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“I have been. Because they think that I am one of those who live only to eat. We score big in their charts you know?”(<span style="font-size: small;">மேடத்துக்கு எல்லாத்துலயும் ஒரு ப்லேட் வைடா</span><b>)</b></span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“Ok.stop.. you think these are the plus sides? Let me ask you something. Don’t you feel uncomfortable walking around with heavy <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD3">luggages</span>, sorry I mean..”</span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“No problem. Message received. But that is where you have to see the bright side. Since you are already carrying your own big assets on your legs, you will not be asked to carry extra. You see my point? I never have been asked to carry big stuff anywhere.” I grinned.</span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">“You are hopeless” she said and left. I don’t have to tell you that that was our last meeting.</span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">As I was saying, being plus size does have plus sides, in a many ways. </span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Imagine you are a very petite woman who is going to buy jewels . It would take lesser grams of gold to make your <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD2">bangles</span> than mine and extra links for that necklace. Think about an ‘ottiyanam’ for my size? Gee ..definitely extra gold. So that goes into more investment of gold.</span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">I have more..</span></i><i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">If you go for this fun rides or giant wheels or even in bus and train you are always given a full seat just for you. Now that is something, isn’t it?</span></i><i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">When I go to long boring sessions of meetings or functions I used to look around and see people looking for a place to rest their hands. </span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Well I got a built in hand cushion. Tummy acts as a fantastic cushion you know? Ask my kids for <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD10">confirmation</span> they use it as their portable pillow.</span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">I always walk with heads up that gives me a very confident look, no looking down as a shy woman ( I can’t see the floor anyways. Why bother?)</span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Being big has a wonderful plus side in public.</span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Try walking in a little crowded space, people will try to move as far as from you (<span style="font-size: small;">ரோட் ரோலர பாத்தா நாம ஒதுங்கி போறதில்ல? அப்படித்தான்<b>) </b></span>and thus give you more space.</span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">I once went to this distant relative’s wedding and I had chosen to wear a perfect outfit. A silk saree and kaasu maalai.(<span style="font-size: small;">சொர்ணாக்கா??</span>)</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"> </span></i><i><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">I walked in the hall with heads up (<span style="font-size: small;">தரை தான் தெரியலயே</span>) and you wouldn’t believe me, people stood up to wish me and some even gave me a seat under the fan. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">They thought I am some big shot in <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD7">politics</span>.(And that is something about the image of our politicians.) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">This same incident happened in a even bigger function. In kavingnar vairamuthu’s <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD4">birthday celebration</span> you know how many big shots would come. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Even there I was considered someone special because of my size and stature.(just a positive perception)</span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Have you tried those water rides in theme parks where you slide on Styrofoam boards and surf along a curve?</span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">I was always a record holder there since I can slide almost up to the end just because of my weight. I see those slim women who can’t even make it to the water.<img alt="" border="0" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.indusladies.com/forums/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif" title="Smile" /></span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">If you let me go on, I will make one 'big' (</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">இதுலயுமா?</span>)</span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">list on plus sides of being a plus size.But I do feel a little put off about my size at one point.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">It is when I go to dress shops. I see this lovely dress and there won’t a XXL size in it. </span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">I wonder what these designers have against us that they always design plain ugly stuff for plus size women and make these elegant things for thin women. Probably they are jealous of us who knows?</span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">But I do overcome that somehow. Know how? I just go and splurge myself with the stylish outfits in maternity section. Seriously? Who cares?</span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">My BIL has a theory on why more plus size or rather women with pot belly, bag belly, slob belly and various other interesting shaped bellies are there in India. <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD6">In western</span> countries they mostly wear pants with buttons. What do we wear? Salwars and sarees.</span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">What happens? As we grow fatter and fatter, our belly balloons out and all we got to do is loosen up that damn rope. </span></i><i><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">That’s it. You keep going like this as long as there is enough rope and enough garment, but before we grow out of rope we change to new salwar with new measurement. </span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">(<span style="font-size: small;">எப்படியெல்லாம் யோசிக்கிறாய்ங்கப்பா?)</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">There is a saying in Tamil – Those who are fat cannot be cunning.(</span></i> <i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">குண்டா இருக்கறவங்க மனசுல சூது வாதே இருக்காது. – எவனோ கும்பகர்ணன் சொன்னது போல. இருக்கட்டும் விடுங்க நமக்கு உதவுதுல்ல?</span></span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">With this philosophy I always have a happy face even with bulging size.</span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">I don’t call myself a fat woman. </span></i><i><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">I call myself ‘Thick Madam’ (bless that <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD1">soul</span> who coined that word).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">So, all Thick Madams out there. </span></i><i><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Don’t feel bad because you are fat. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><b>You are who you are, regardless of how you are. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Bring that childhood smile on your face and heart, you will fly like a feather in this world.</span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">I am not trying to make a statement that 'being fat is good' and/or 'being thin is bad'.</span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><b>It is just an attempt to make those poor souls in fat bodies to feel light and see the bright side of life - by attitude.</b></span></i><i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">It is not possible to become thin and slim overnight<b>(<span style="font-size: small;">உடனடியா கில்லி வேணா ஆடலாம். ஒல்லி ஆக முடியுமா?</span></b>) but while still staying in the bigger side, you need not kill yourself in self pity.</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #351c75;"><i><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">The Life is like an ice cream </span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><br />
</span></i></span><br />
<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Y1svrWIdz70/TW2w-M1zf4I/AAAAAAAACLc/AS9sWgCGufA/s1600/images.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Y1svrWIdz70/TW2w-M1zf4I/AAAAAAAACLc/AS9sWgCGufA/s400/images.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"> </span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"> <b style="color: #741b47;"> <span style="color: #351c75;"> </span><span style="background-color: #351c75; color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></b><b style="color: #351c75;">enjoy it before it melts</b></span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">(</span></i><i><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">இதுல கூட திங்கிறத பத்தித் தான் தோணுது பாருங்க</span></b></span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><b><span style="color: purple;">"It doesn't necessarily need a light body to enjoy the dance of life but a light mind."</span></b></span></i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><b><span style="color: purple;">- originally posted for Indusladies .</span></b></span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><b><span style="color: purple;">Pictures courtesy- google images </span></b></span></i></span> </div>மாயாhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13728916434475551324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193820671577904853.post-53735272944608064652011-02-12T06:57:00.000-08:002011-06-01T23:04:37.879-07:00Clouds of Love<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: left;"><m:smallfrac m:val="off"> <m:dispdef> <m:lmargin m:val="0"> <m:rmargin m:val="0"> <m:defjc m:val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440"> <m:intlim m:val="subSup"> <m:narylim m:val="undOvr"> </m:narylim></m:intlim> </m:wrapindent> </m:defjc></m:rmargin></m:lmargin></m:dispdef></m:smallfrac></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i><b>Love…</b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Love is like a seed sown deep into the heart, it grows out into a beautiful sapling and then into a majestic tree. The tree gives shelter of love to all that who come and then sow its seed in other hearts until its end of life.</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">My life started because of a love. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">A love that brought me into this world, another love that watched me grow up into a woman and yet other love which took me as I am and made me it’s better half. I am still there floating in the clouds of love, diving from one cloud to another, moving from one stage to another. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Now I stand in a cloud, which is almost a mile higher than all others which is brighter than the most.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">From here I look upon on how I got here.</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" hspace="0" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;" vspace="0"><tbody>
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</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>O</b></span>ne fine day, when I was a little girl (<i>fourth standard</i>) I ran away from home with few of my friends. It was an adventure for us. We (<i>three of us</i>) left the town with a pair of spare dress dumped in our school bags and few hundred in cash (<i>taken from one of my friend’s dad’s pocket</i>) stashed into a lunch box. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">We boarded a bus to go someplace (<i>where we didn’t know – who the heck cares?</i>). We were giggling like idiots, indeed we were.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">We disembarked in a town - an unknown place, the dusk was settling in, the alien faces looking at us with interest, my hungry stomach howling for its meal and that was when I realized the mistake .Fear struck me hard like a cold slap.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> I wailed and whined in the middle of the street of a God knows what city and place. </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Fortunate for us, the police station was nearby and we were taken there jus t in ‘case’.</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> It was almost night when I saw my house gate, and there<i> <b>she</b></i> stood with an almost dead face. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">On seeing me she just cried, that was the first time I saw that beautiful face creased with tears rolling by. I was happy to be back and felt so safe yet I just didn’t understand the pain she must have faced then. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wMgYQOrYkU4/TVZUMrK5EDI/AAAAAAAACK0/wG6AGVkhC9k/s1600/il_fullxfull.188700662.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wMgYQOrYkU4/TVZUMrK5EDI/AAAAAAAACK0/wG6AGVkhC9k/s640/il_fullxfull.188700662.jpg" width="508" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I was thirteen when I started writing diary.</div><div style="text-align: left;">I was a little sad because I was not a fairy.</div><div style="text-align: left;">I had scribbled something in it about being dark and ugly.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>She</b></i> read it without my knowing and then hugged me snuggly.</div><div style="text-align: left;">I could feel her tears hot on my cheeks.</div><div style="text-align: left;">I felt happy and contented for weeks. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">I had nodded to her affirmative remarks about my cutest smile and brightest eyes. I felt happy when she told me that my eyes shone like a diamond hidden in the dark soil. My smile broadened when she told me that it was brighter than the beautiful sunshine.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I felt like a fairy just then and ran (flew) away happily thinking about my invisible wings, little did I know that <i><b>she</b></i> cried so long.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal"> was scared of suddenly becoming a lady from a girl. The transformation called for a lot of role changes and I was so confused and angry. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><b>She </b></i>was there all along guiding me through every step of way of entering into the adult world. I took her words and marched ahead with a smile of confidence, and I didn’t notice her standing behind me proud and happy smiling away her tears of joy.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NG9sHBkWiD0/TVZUQFs_IsI/AAAAAAAACK4/1tvbFhD1b9w/s1600/lord-frederick-leighton-leighton-mother-and-child-80326.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NG9sHBkWiD0/TVZUQFs_IsI/AAAAAAAACK4/1tvbFhD1b9w/s640/lord-frederick-leighton-leighton-mother-and-child-80326.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div><table align="left" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" hspace="0" vspace="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td align="left" style="padding: 0in;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 30.85pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; page-break-after: avoid; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: 37pt;">I</span></div></td> </tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal"> was a woman and said I knew all. I smiled at her concerned advices and told her that I will take care. She looked into my eyes and just gave an understanding smile.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was pushed into a new world, where I was to share the whole world with a new soul. I was scared and confused to step into the wedded life.<i><b> She</b></i> held my hands firmly, assured me that all is well and gently pushed me in. Indeed it was another kind of love and I lost myself there almost altogether.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div><table align="left" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" hspace="0" vspace="0"><tbody>
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</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal"> was in pain and it was so intense. I couldn’t think of anything but this little thing which was still in. It was the final moments until which I remained calm and showed off that ‘I am fine really’ matured woman mask. The moment I knew it was time I got real scared and called out for her. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><b>She</b></i> was still there holding my hands with her sweat wet palms and she smiled beneath her tear curtained face. I was pushed into a glass door, complications had begun. When the door was closing I saw a handsome worried face and behind that I saw her face. God! I don’t want to see her afraid again.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Twenty one wonderful years of pure joy and fun.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">That was what she gave me and took care nothing came in between. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">I had demanded a lot and put her down on many occasions. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">I had been a kid all these years(even now) and I never knew the implications. </div><div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i><b>She </b></i>had always been there as if nothing had happened with that same smile on her lovely face.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I have learned to love from her. I have learned to forgive from her. I have learned to live from her.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I have learned to build my world around me and fill it magic dust of love, from her.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Through my joy, my fears, my doubts, my anger, my fun, my faith, my curiosity, my hunger, my desires, my hopes, my entire life she had been there all along and she will be there forever if she could, I know that as well.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> I just knew that she was mine and will be mine. I never understood the magnitude of her love. I never thought a lot about her love for me which I always took for granted. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Until the moment when I saw this tiny little thing lying near me squiggling his feet and yawning away the nine months sleep. At that moment, a single drop of tear dripped off from my lashes. My whole heart yearned for just <i><b>her</b></i>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xyK-7BPDfvU/TVfjFTANNnI/AAAAAAAACLU/QdqAqalhN1k/s1600/beauty%252Cwedding%252Cwoman%252Cbright%252Cgirl%252Cillustration-4d4df82ee66ad4099287ba3aa4787f71_h.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="518" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xyK-7BPDfvU/TVfjFTANNnI/AAAAAAAACLU/QdqAqalhN1k/s640/beauty%252Cwedding%252Cwoman%252Cbright%252Cgirl%252Cillustration-4d4df82ee66ad4099287ba3aa4787f71_h.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I look at the clouds of love now.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tiny little clouds of all those little desires of life, </div><div class="MsoNormal">Huge fluffy clouds of wonderful friends, </div><div class="MsoNormal">Thick and long clouds of family and siblings, </div><div class="MsoNormal">A large pink cloud closer to me – my valentine cloud,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Two tiny clouds that float closer to us and </div><div class="MsoNormal">The one beautiful cloud which stands above all, which shines like a thousand stars and certainly is the purest of them all. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The little and big sacrifices you made </div><div class="MsoNormal">The things you did just to make my frown fade </div><div class="MsoNormal">The numerous deeds for which you were never thanked for</div><div class="MsoNormal">The selfless love you showered me with – all of that is understood perfectly now. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The value of your smile – it is greater than the monalisa’s.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Mom…You are the best of all..I love you. </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="color: #cc0000;"> </b><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QUDvXJ-xGu4/TVZUSnsx1cI/AAAAAAAACK8/UG4l_mmrVJE/s1600/momchild.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QUDvXJ-xGu4/TVZUSnsx1cI/AAAAAAAACK8/UG4l_mmrVJE/s640/momchild.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">This entry is submitted for the <b style="color: #cc0000;">STAGES OF LOVE</b> contest in <a href="http://www.blogadda.com/">Blog Adda</a>. Thank you Blog Adda for giving me a chance to pen down those thoughts which are always felt but never said.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If you like romance just like me , please do check out Preeti Shenoy's latest - <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Life-is-what-you-make-it-A-novel-by-Preeti-Shenoy/133724803359609"><i><b><span style="color: purple;">Life is what you make it.</span></b></i></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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Photo courtesy : Google Images.<br />
<b style="background-color: #f4cccc; color: red;">***PROUD WINNER OF BLOG ADDA CONTEST*** </b><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; color: red;"></span></div></div>மாயாhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13728916434475551324noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193820671577904853.post-12511972062786058462011-02-08T00:51:00.000-08:002011-02-08T06:54:09.082-08:00United States in 22 days<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="color: black;"><m:smallfrac m:val="off"> <m:dispdef> <m:lmargin m:val="0"> <m:rmargin m:val="0"> <m:defjc m:val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440"> <m:intlim m:val="subSup"> <m:narylim m:val="undOvr"> </m:narylim></m:intlim> </m:wrapindent><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span> <m:smallfrac m:val="off"> <m:dispdef> <m:lmargin m:val="0"> <m:rmargin m:val="0"> <m:defjc m:val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440"> <m:intlim m:val="subSup"> <m:narylim m:val="undOvr"> </m:narylim></m:intlim> </m:wrapindent> </m:defjc></m:rmargin></m:lmargin></m:dispdef></m:smallfrac></m:defjc></m:rmargin></m:lmargin></m:dispdef></m:smallfrac></div><div style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><i><b>Day 1:</b></i> We were waiting in the queue that stretched like a mini great wall of china, leading to the immigration counter at Newark airport.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">My hubbie was literally jumping up and down like a jack out of box, while I was yawning miserably. The jet lag had already started to fill in me. I threw a friendly smile at the lady who was assisting the queue, but she scowled at me in return. I looked around. After making sure that the insult was quite a private affair, I walked off smiling towards the counter. Finally our turn came, and the Indian looking officer in the counter asked us for the purpose of visit. “Wedding.”We said.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">“What? You have come all the way from India to attend a wedding?” he asked.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">“Yep..that’s us” I answered without much enthusiasm. He drilled us with his eyes and few questions and at last chuckled at us saying, ”Lucky relatives”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">I simply smiled at him (<i>I learn from my experiences you see</i>) and we walked off towards the path leading to a new world, a country. A country so passionately thought about as a dreamland by many souls (<i>including my husband</i>). My travel reasons are always to learn new stuff, have a peek into a new culture their history and wonder at the natural splendor in that place. But from day one, the United States had me in a negative aura.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">US invited us with its warm right hand and threw away the eatables we brought from India with its left hand (<i>Oh! who cares, my man here was longing to spend all 22 days with burgers and hot dogs. you just dream</i>!). </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">I expected a nice cold breeze to welcome us, but was slapped hard by the hot palm of the scorching sun which was like telling me “It is mid July you idiot. What do you expect?” We spent the rest of the day in my relative’s place (the bride groom’s house) in New jersey who was kind enough to arrange all the necessities on our trip. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><i><b>Day 2:</b></i> Our uncle, who was our host took us (Myself, hubbie, my sister, her husband, their daughter) to the hometown of Thomas .A.Edison. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">We went to his huge laboratory and then to his house. So much to learn about that man. I was literally gawking at his two storey (mezzanine) library. Good God!He had alcoves made of bookshelves inside which he even had a cozy bed to recline on now and then. What a life?! I sighed. All through this tour my BIL kept teasing me saying ”See how much these people had accomplished. What were Indians doing this time?” for which I spat back something like</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">”Yeah! they were dying ignorantly in hunger and slavery brought by the British colonial rule, while here the country had already got its independence by then.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">He just smiled and said “just lame and stupid excuses”. I know he was just teasing me but I was fuming. I hate talks against India. My mood was off and I was lingering in some low clouds.<br />
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America..Who cares what it did? I want to get back to India(<i>so soon???</i>)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVDmoFnjb0I/AAAAAAAACJs/4Lh92xScHhA/s1600/DSC_0231.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVDmoFnjb0I/AAAAAAAACJs/4Lh92xScHhA/s640/DSC_0231.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>New York Broadway Street</b></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">That evening we took a bus to New York. Though I was skeptical and was in ‘what this place could provide me better than India’ mood, I must say that I was taken aback by the breathtaking line up of the skyscrapers and the dingy mustered up old streets lined up in perfect harmony.<i>(Oh I have seen them repeatedly in all Indian movies. But seeing in person is quite different. I saw the difference just then)</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">It was a weekend and the Broad Way Street was thriving. A tourist guide pulled us aside. He tried to speak something in a quaky accent of Tamil (<i>God save the language!</i>) saying that he knew Rajini kanth personally(<i>these guys are the same everywhere haan?</i>). With smiles on and myself on a lighter mood, we boarded the open top bus and watched a splendid view of New York evening open up before our eyes.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVDq2JAjrVI/AAAAAAAACJw/aT5v67z92-M/s1600/DSC_0254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVDq2JAjrVI/AAAAAAAACJw/aT5v67z92-M/s640/DSC_0254.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"> We were clever enough not to get down from the bus in the middle of the ride, for many people stood stranded with the tickets in hands and without seats in the sightseeing buses.<br />
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We then climbed up the Rockefeller building for the night view of NY. I couldn;t do must justice in this photograph. It was just awesome.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: black; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVDrCSV4t4I/AAAAAAAACJ0/uEXwoMVDsPs/s1600/DSC_0302.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVDrCSV4t4I/AAAAAAAACJ0/uEXwoMVDsPs/s640/DSC_0302.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>A night view from Rockefeller Building</i></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">Eyes almost blinded by the variety of colorful neon signs and huge lcd screens displaying this and that in Time square, a close up view of a bride from her lo….ng limousine, a smoking piece of pizza in hand, a photo near the NYPD rookie car and hearts filled with so much of emotions we boarded the bus back to New Jersey.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">I was still thinking. It is beautiful, so what??</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><i><b>Day 3: </b></i>Early in the morning of a rainy day, Me and my Hubbie with backpacks packed boarded a bus for a three day trip(<i>really good and affordable</i>). Our first stop was Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where we stopped to look at the famous 'Liberty Bell'.<br />
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I controlled my urge to climb up the terrace like, Nicolas cage did in the movie - National treasure. We walked into the hall where the bell of Pennsylvania which I so fondly called ‘Ottai bell’ (<i>cracked bell</i>) was kept. I read the history of the bell and slapped myself hard for calling it like that, for it was a true symbol of freedom. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">With heavy hearts eased down by the beautiful looking streets of Pennsylvania on the way, we sped off.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">From there we drove off to Washington DC. I was truly amazed at the city and how meticulously it was planned. (<i>Not bad..hmm</i>) I was amazed to see that most of the buildings were built in perfect harmony to others.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: black; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVDtWCuUYsI/AAAAAAAACKI/a4uxsqwbPKs/s1600/DSC_0579.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVDtWCuUYsI/AAAAAAAACKI/a4uxsqwbPKs/s640/DSC_0579.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;">Washington Monument - Washington DC</span></b></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: black; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVDsmLQMrGI/AAAAAAAACKE/p6sWnofAcFc/s1600/DSC_0547.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVDsmLQMrGI/AAAAAAAACKE/p6sWnofAcFc/s640/DSC_0547.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>My hubbie and Jessie Owens - This is my favorite snap, just look behind them to know why.</b></i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">My negative attitude slipped a bit here and I was enjoying myself in the Mdm.Tussaud’s museum and in the Air and Space museum. We met my friend <i>(who I meet after years)</i>near Lincoln memorial. I was so happy to see her that my heart was leaping out. With unspoken words lingering in the depth of our hearts we clutched hands and sat silently in the car. She and her husband took us to P.S.Chang’s and we had a hearty dinner. We were then dropped off at our hotel.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><i><b>Day 4: </b></i>We left for the Niagara Falls. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">I was telling my husband '<br />
"I hope they will allow us to bathe in the falls".He gave me a cold stare.<br />
Because here in India, how so ever small the falls is, we have the freedom to bathe (even take an oil massage, have a shower and throw away the shampoo covers to float in the stream).I just shrugged at him and said that it was just a metaphor.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">While waiting to look at one of the seven natural wonders in earth, I was trying to keep this negative attitude out of my way.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVD1bGv83pI/AAAAAAAACKo/2N_7JDGXL3A/s1600/281334421_5739fb6688_z.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="418" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVD1bGv83pI/AAAAAAAACKo/2N_7JDGXL3A/s640/281334421_5739fb6688_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><i><b> Do I need to say anything here?</b></i><br />
<br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">Just a look at the beautiful and majestic water falls made me speechless. Attitude! My foot. We are nothing but a meaningless speck in front of such a beauty. We took the 'Maid of the Mist' boat ride.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><i>When the boat entered the whiteness of wild showers, I shivered and then seriously wondered.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><i>Would it be this white and pure in heaven?</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><i> Will it be this wonderfully chilling?</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><i>Will it stroke u with its fine needles of hands easing out all your pains in the heart?</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><i> Will it be this beautiful and breath taking ? </i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><i>Will it have this same music, the music initiated by the gushing water mixed with the music of silence?</i><i> </i> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">I enjoyed the day in total bliss and yes, I looked like a saint. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><i><b>Day 5:</b></i> We spent the day in Thousand islands, an archipelagoof islands with Canada and US borders. In fact here is where you can see the world's smallest bridge brodering two nations. US and Canada.<br />
This was made into a luxurious spot for the rich and the famous (<i>like Kennedy family</i>) who each owned an island there. There were almost thousand small islands, most of which stood with huge mansions and palaces dating back to some hundred years. It was for the thousand rich families.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"> What all people do in the name of luxury? I thought. Negative attitude, back in full form. We Reached home safely that night.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><i><b>Day 6</b></i>: As per my request we made a trip to New York, had a quite sandwich lunch in the park opposite to the National History museum. We then had absolute fun there in the museum.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><b><i>Day 7:</i></b> Wedding next day.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">It was a fantastic event arranged by our hosts in a temple. The bride was a Bengali and so it was a visual and cultural treat for us, southies. We had fun interacting with the other Indians- friends and relatives who looked really thrilled to talk to us.They were very sweet to us and thanks to them and our host we felt really at home.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><i><b>Day 8:</b></i> Reception:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">We were provided with a beautiful room with the Manhattan skyline view in The Hyatt hotel, New York (<i>bless the hosts</i>) where the Reception was arranged. The wedding was one thing; the reception was entirely another thing. It was rocking with live DJ and all. The whole concept was fun. We were all given preset seats where each table was waited by a butler.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: black; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVDrIy0tIqI/AAAAAAAACJ4/58nCikVx8tk/s1600/DSC_0165.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVDrIy0tIqI/AAAAAAAACJ4/58nCikVx8tk/s640/DSC_0165.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>A cute American girl dressed in Indian style for the Reception</b></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">The center of the stage was set for the newlywed who were ushered in with such splendor and glamor. The bride looked ‘wow..’Then their parents came in. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">They all had to make toasts. I loved the bride groom’s sister’s toast. She was too casual and honest about it. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">Then it was dance time. Do I have to tell you more???</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: black; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVDraRDpuFI/AAAAAAAACJ8/Gi9rQCZ5Uxg/s1600/DSC_0202.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVDraRDpuFI/AAAAAAAACJ8/Gi9rQCZ5Uxg/s640/DSC_0202.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Manhattan view from the hotel </b></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><i><b>Day 9: </b></i>A trip to the Liberty statue. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">The long wait in the queue under the merciless sun was made worth by a drizzling rainy view of the Lady liberty. We had a lazy day roaming about and my spirits lifted when I had to run along the road in rain and I get clicked one of my favorite pictures of sky with me in it.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: black; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVDsKPN4NOI/AAAAAAAACKA/TqERdfnLaBo/s1600/DSC_0294.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVDsKPN4NOI/AAAAAAAACKA/TqERdfnLaBo/s640/DSC_0294.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Lady liberty ready to take a Rain Shower</b></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">Day 10: Rest.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><i><b>Day 11:</b></i> We reached Las Vegas. We left the airport to the Venetian hotel in a limousine.(<i>oh my god..I am in a limousine…yipee)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVDyZqzrg1I/AAAAAAAACKg/r1kpH9HrLNo/s1600/DSC_0497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"> My hubbie and my BIL was jumping in joy, for they were going to a destination which is stamped as heaven itself in every man’s heart. True to word it was heaven.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">But I couldn’t help notice that the temperature reminded me of its exact opposite – the Hell. Three days of absolute fun was what we had. Casinos.. casinos and casinos and walks.. walks and walks to all the places. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVDx27m7iLI/AAAAAAAACKc/hQH8rovy5nQ/s1600/DSC_0497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div style="color: black;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVDyZqzrg1I/AAAAAAAACKg/r1kpH9HrLNo/s1600/DSC_0497.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVDyZqzrg1I/AAAAAAAACKg/r1kpH9HrLNo/s640/DSC_0497.JPG" width="428" /></a><i><b> </b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><i><b>Glamor and Glitters of Las Vegas</b></i> </div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">Vegas was fun except that I had left a gift I had purchased for our friend in the hotel itself and I had sprained my foot . So bad.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><i><b>Day 14: </b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">We left from Vegas to Atlanta. We stayed there in our relative’s house. He took us on a private boat trip the same day. His friend was living in a house overlooking a lake and so had a private boat deck and a boat(<i>of course</i>).The boat trip during a sunset, complete with cold coke and hot samosas was just exotic. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">When we were in the middle of the lake, the serenity and the beauty of the evening sky kept me in a tight hold.I was very happy .</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVDylZDFH_I/AAAAAAAACKk/EQZJC6JxKHg/s1600/DSC_0571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVDylZDFH_I/AAAAAAAACKk/EQZJC6JxKHg/s640/DSC_0571.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"> <i><b> The sunset in the lake</b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><i><b>Day 15:</b></i> Our uncle took (<i>drove</i>) us all the way to Orlando where we stayed in an apartment and visited Disneyworld. My negative attitude had depleted to almost 60% by now. I had turned into a kid myself and was having a fantastic time. We left Orlando, I on a bit sad mood since I couldn’t meet my Spanish friend Danielle though we made extensive plans about it.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><i><b>Day 18: </b></i>My husband and myself left Atlanta to Minneapolis, where we were to meet up with my husband’s bestest(<i>could we just coin that word?</i>) friend. The climate was good here.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><i><b>Day 19: </b></i>Drive to South Dakota.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">This is where I loved the trip most. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">From the very beginning I had been given the perfect welcome from all my hosts who went out of their way to make us home, but still this day long trip into the laps of nature, the silence spreading fields and the sky whispering lullabies, this was nothing less than magical. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">A total 360 degree view of unmatchable sky and the clean meadows unfolding themselves into the oblivion, just took my breath away. And it was about to rain, so the sky was showing an emotional turbulence not less than a face of woman who is in a tiff with her lover.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: black; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVDuRpQ6JxI/AAAAAAAACKM/CBNSsPffgnY/s1600/DSC_0787.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVDuRpQ6JxI/AAAAAAAACKM/CBNSsPffgnY/s640/DSC_0787.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Best friends forever</b></i>- en route South Dakota , a 360 degree clear view</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">The climate was cool and it was already getting dark. We drove straight from the hotel towards Mt. Rushmore.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">On the way we couldn’t help ourselves stop at the magnetic place called cosmos where we couldn’t stand straight. They demonstrated some really cool things, which happen there due to the change in the magnetic field of that place. It was quite a fun actually. Then we drove off to Mt.Rushmore.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: black; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVDuzok0EII/AAAAAAAACKQ/MyphDOT0DRg/s1600/DSC_0863.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TVDuzok0EII/AAAAAAAACKQ/MyphDOT0DRg/s640/DSC_0863.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Mt. Rushmore at Sunset</b></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">I sat there watching the huge faces carved on the mountains. I sat there listening to the patriotic speech given on the dais with a equally strong visual aid and at the end I sat there with tears in my eyes when they called for all those who work in military, Navy and the such. I sat there silently when all those people clapped their hands vigorously for their fighters who walked to the stage accepting the standing ovation from the loving public. I looked up again. How much should they love these men to do such a marvelous thing on these cold mountains?(<i>whatever may be the ulterior motive, I couldn’t see anything but proud and joy in the faces near me)</i>and How fitting it is to applaud the men in uniform at this place?<i><br />
</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">I walked out with a heavy heart.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">The next day we lightened up the mood by visiting the bad lands(<i>it is good actually</i>). So much fun we had there, that we totally slept off the rest of the ride back to Minneapolis (<i>poor friend who drove all the way again) </i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><i><b>Day 22:</b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><i><b> </b></i> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">I was sitting in the same Newark airport waiting for our departure. My husband came near and asked “You happy now? We are going back to India.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">I smiled. I am happy because I am going back to India.Yes. But Am I happy because I was leaving America? Not really..</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
The purpose of this trip is officially to attend the wedding and unofficially to make a trip around the US. But I had a secret agenda. I wanted to prove to myself that I wouldn't want to come to US again. It was going to be hell to be there in a lonely country which is certainly not a tourist's country. The picketing rules (after 9/11) are a nuisance as equal to the empty roads with no one to ask directions for.America, a place for the rich and boastful. A place for wealth and luxury and not for freedom , culture and homey comfort. I had all the wrong reasons summed up before me, by me.And I wanted to prove that to myself.<br />
<br />
But I was proved wrong.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">Through out the journey I was reminded how mixed the culture was and How delightful the people were . I was shown their love for nature, love for art, love for comfort and luxury, love for living the life to the fullest, and the love for their country. That..the final thing was what touched me most. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">A small girl in pink ponytails clapping away her hands for the patriotic heroes of her country in Mt. Rushmore, that changed my attitude and I smiled.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;">I smiled at the fading point of liberty statue whose tip twinkled in the bright sun, as our plane made a turn towards India.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><br />
</div><span style="color: black;">I will miss you America.. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><i style="color: #20124d;"><b>THIS IS POSTED IN INDIBLOGGER FOR <a href="http://mypurpose.cleartrip.com/trips/32146?utm_source=microsite_trip_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=everytriphasapurpose">'MY CLEAR TRIP CONTEST'</a> </b></i></div></div>மாயாhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13728916434475551324noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193820671577904853.post-2022535618268823842011-01-13T03:56:00.001-08:002011-01-13T04:00:01.293-08:00Spouts,Faucets,Taps and Me<b>Hai..Hai…Hai..hai..<br />
I was lost for few days in something else that <br />
I couldn’t come here and torture you people.<br />
<br />
And oh look!..You all seem so happy. But I am here already. Let us see what I can do about that eh?..</b> <b><br />
<br />
Ok..My quota for serious stuff is over with last two posts and it’s time to get back to normal.</b> <b><br />
I was <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD3">walking</span> down the aisle in a shopping mall the other day and I saw some small kids playing in the escalator which brought a smile on my stupid face and ‘tontodoiiinnn..’ pushed a rewind button to a day in <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD2">chennai</span>. <br />
<br />
It was a week after the new escalators were introduced in Chennai Egmore station and we were walking down the corridor to reach our compartment. My eyes darted to a place which was overly crowded. It was the escalator. Why was there such crowd? As curious as I was, I peeped in. </b> <b><br />
<br />
A young woman of about twenty something, she must be just married from the looks of her was crying. Actually when I took a closer look I found that she was just whining and giggling at the same time. She was standing right next to the escalator and she was just too scared to get on the escalator.</b> <b><br />
<br />
People tried to cajole her, push her, and scold her. mmhhm..nothing worked out.</b> <b><br />
<br />
She was creating such racket. Her newlywed husband was standing on the top of the stairs and shouting at her to come up. Supposedly he climbed up before her to show who is boss. Anyways, this poor woman was still struggling. She would keep a foot in and run back..this was going on for a while and so the crowd.</b> <b><br />
<br />
One fellow who was passing by, commented on her “who asked these illiterate idiots to come here? They don’t know even to use a simple thing as escalator.” He spouted his mouth pathetically declaring his superiority over that woman, As if he descended from heaven to earth in an escalator. (</b> <b><span style="font-family: Latha;">இதுங்களையெல்லாம் இங்க யார் வரச் சொன்னது</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">?பட்டிகாடுங்க...இவெரென்னமோ பொறக்கும்போதே எஸ்கலேட்டர்ல பொறந்த மாதிரி.)</span></b> <b><br />
<br />
I don’t blame the woman. She is knew to something and she just shows her fear in open.</b> <b><br />
So what? Aren’t we scared of stuff which we face for the first time, I thought. I don’t know about you but I am more than confused about new stuff and have a fear on some.<br />
<br />
And yes that is what I am going to tell you now. A thing I fear a lot, </b> <b><br />
<br />
Spouts.</b> <b><br />
<br />
When I mean spouts, I take the whole category…All sorts of spouts which pour out anything from water to coffee and ketchup to juice.</b> <b><br />
<br />
Let us start with a decent one.</b> <b><br />
<br />
Water taps. </b> <b><br />
<br />
The sole reason for a water tap is to release water when you use the lever. Yep got it..</b> <b><br />
But why is that they always keep it as complicated as possible? I simply don’t understand.<br />
<br />
Oh!..Such variety in them, one looks down, one looks up, one needs to push it, one needs to pull it, one needs to tap it one needs to screw it and now almost everywhere it just needs you to show your hand in front.</b> <b><br />
<br />
There was this day when I didn’t know whether to push it or pull it (it looked almost </b> <b><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD8">seamless</span> and lever less) I tried so hard for sometime pushing and pulling first slowly then swiftly and at one point of time vigorously..(give it you damn it..<span style="font-family: Latha;"> அடச்சீ வந்து தொலை</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">..</span>)<br />
And poof.. The spout just came off from the pipe hook and luckily I had the reflex to push it back harder into the knob so it didn’t shower water all over me.<br />
<br />
Oh! but broken is broken right?</b> <b><br />
<br />
I felt so stupid and just then someone came in. I quickly acted like I was adjusting my hair(</b> <b><img alt="" border="0" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.indusladies.com/forums/images/smilies/icon_redface.gif" title="Embarassed" /> )while I was watching the other person to use it.<br />
She merely tapped on its head and voila. a clear stream of water came out..(<span style="font-family: Latha;"> ஓ</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">..இது இப்டியா? சொல்லவே இல்ல?</span>)<br />
Then there are these automatic water tap.<br />
<br />
Oh..they are such nuisance I tell you. It is like your sinister aunt with twisted humor. </b> <b><br />
It never releases water when you hold your hand in front. It will release water right when you pull your hand back. I remember once myself dancing in front of it (<span style="font-family: Latha;">வந்துரு</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">,,வந்துரு..தானா வந்துரு..)</span>.<br />
<br />
I was like showing </b> <b><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD4">my hand</span> this side and that, pushing in, pulling out..making postures of ‘bharata natiyam’ and when I found out that the tap was actually not working(the sensor light was blinking – probably winking at me) I went …..<img alt="" border="0" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.indusladies.com/forums/images/smilies/rant.gif" title="Rant" /><br />
<br />
Oh there is another incident involving Mc D.</b> <b><br />
It was my first visit to Mc D years back. we had just ordered our burgers. My uncle asked me to get ketchup. <br />
I went to the small dispenser counter and to my horror I saw another long spout there.<br />
<br />
Oh! crap..</b> <b><br />
<br />
This one was very sleek with long </b> <b><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD10">neck</span> and no head or no lever of any sort what so ever. <br />
I was standing there for quite some time not knowing what to do and where to pull. Since the first incident preceded this one I was very cautious not to pull it, for I was standing in the middle of the crowd and this was not a water tap but ketchup dispenser tap or spout..or whatever that is..<br />
<br />
My uncle called out for me from behind and I had no choice but to try. Unfortunately no one came by to do a demo for me. (I had developed a really cool habit of watching a demo before trying it). So I had to give a try. </b> <b><br />
<br />
There was this small knob like thing near it and I unscrewed and unscrewed until it came off in my hand. Oh lord..</b> <b><br />
<br />
I frantically fixed it while a small western boy came near me. I gestured at him very generously to go ahead, with a smile that was a kilometer long.</b> <b><br />
<br />
He just pressed the end of the long spout and ..agh..it worked..</b> <b><br />
He caught ketchup in the small disposable cup and gave me a look..<br />
<br />
Do you even want to know how he looked at me?..Please save the embarrassment.</b> <b><br />
<br />
One other day I was in this international airport lounge with </b> <b><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD12">buffet</span> breakfast. Even that gave me the shivers.<br />
They have automatic coffee dispensers there you see?<br />
<br />
Just as usual I went to fetch some coffee for myself. And as usual there was no one there to help me.</b> <b><br />
<br />
The dispenser was too huge with some ten to twenty buttons including light, strong, black, mocha, </b> <b><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD5">cappuccino</span></b> and all that.. <b><br />
I am a coffee lover so the love for coffee overtook the fear for spouts this time and I tried it by myself.<br />
<br />
I pressed the button for coffee with milk and held the cup beneath the inlaid spout.</b> <b><br />
<br />
It first poured coffee and then stopped and then started to pour milk and it didn’t stop. </b> <b><br />
<br />
The cup was dangerously full and I was frantic and searched for a stop button. there was none.</b> <b><br />
<br />
I was like stop..stop..stop..(As if it was going to say..'Oh..I am sorry' and then stop).</b> <b><br />
It didn’t stop and the coffee started to spill all over the immaculately clean white <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD7">table</span> cloth and then on the polished floor.<br />
<br />
I yelled for help and one fair maiden (Waitress) came in for help. God bless her soul she didn’t stare at me but just smiled that all is well and went on cleaning.</b> <b><br />
<br />
And what about the water taps in American public places? </b> <b><br />
<br />
The spout looks up and the water spurts out like a fountain. You have to literally keep your mouth in front (or over the top??) to drink the water. I wondered what if they spit on it while drinking???</b> <b><br />
<br />
I have seen people cocking their heads like little sparrows to adjust to the flow of water. <br />
<br />
Once I was very thirsty I went close enough to drink from it , but after seeing a man having his mouth closer to the spout like a gigantic crocodile waiting for its prey(<span style="font-family: Latha;">அண்டாக்கா கசம்</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">..திறந்திடு சீசே</span>), I just dropped the idea of using it( I simply got a water bottle to catch water in)<br />
<br />
And here is the most embarrassing incident of all.</b> <b><br />
<br />
That day they had opened up a new mall and we went to check it out.<br />
<br />
After walking for so long I went to the ladies room. It was eerily void of people and the new toilets gleamed clean. I went inside one cubicle and just stood still. My curiosity got me better than my bladder movements that I watched a small glowing knob in the wall. It asked me to twist it.<br />
<br />
Such stupid was I, I didn’t think twice or even once for that matter before turning it. I turned it to the maxand watched what magic is going to happen.(டாய்லட்ல என்ன மேஜிக்?<img alt="" border="0" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.indusladies.com/forums/images/smilies/bonk.gif" title="bonk" />)<br />
And.. water splashed all over from the nearby detachable spout (supposedly kept for cleaning your……..<span style="font-family: Latha;">கருமம்</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">..கருமம்..</span>) which I had not seen earlier, if I did see a spout nearby would I dare turn it?<br />
<br />
Oh lord.. I was so embarrassed.</b> <b><br />
Lucky me, the toilet seat was closed and I had not leaned down too much so the kurti I was wearing was only half wet.<br />
<br />
Then what??</b> <b><br />
<br />
I had to stand in front of this automatic drier for a quarter of an hour like a pan handler holding my kurti in front of it..</b> <b><br />
(<span style="font-family: Latha;">அம்மா</span><span style="font-family: Latha;">... தாயே...</span>)<br />
Huh, So much for my spout fears. Though I have learned to use them now better than before(??), I still have that fear when I see a new kind of spout.<br />
<br />
Now tell me, does anyone else have something like this..?(I bet not..</b> <b><img alt="" border="0" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.indusladies.com/forums/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif" title="Smile" />)</b>மாயாhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13728916434475551324noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193820671577904853.post-71444465772510493162011-01-10T18:30:00.001-08:002011-01-13T02:22:05.385-08:00The Kundalini Awakening???<div class="vbpostbit" id="blog_message" style="margin-bottom: 10px;"><b><span style="color: darkred; font-size: small;"><i>CAUTION NOTE: THIS POST MIGHT CARRY CONTROVERSIAL THOUGHTS ON BELIEFS WHICH IS STRICTLY ONE PERSON’S OWN OPINION BASED ON HER EXPERIENCE. THIS IS NOT A CONTRIBUTION BUT A HUMBLE SUBMISSION /CONFESSION OF A WOMAN TO HER FELLOW BEINGS IN REQUEST OF OPINIONS.THANK YOU<br />
<br />
</i></span><span style="font-size: small;"> Yes!.. I believe in God .<br />
<br />
<br />
I believe in God and that doesn’t mean I wake up at 3 in morning clean up religiously and do all the poojas that are there in the book.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
<br />
I don’t go to temple every Tuesday and Friday(OR ANY DAY FOR THAT MATTER) or worse have a temple in my own house and do abishekam every alternative day like my mom.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
I don’t know even a single Sanskrit sloka or even tamil prayers apart from the few which were taught to me in <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD8">school</span> as prayer.<br />
<br />
<br />
I do show a lot of interest in learning them (read as want to learn) merely as a part of my soul education and as a history of </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD11">hinduism</span> instead of using them as mantras for prayers like my mom.<br />
<br />
<br />
The first thing that comes to my mind as soon was wake up is not God and I don’t have to tell you that it is not the last either.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
I don’t like going to temples. Yes, I really don’t like going to temples except for those which are rich in history and geography (if so). I am a history lover and that is what will interest me.<br />
<br />
<br />
So where am I getting at?</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
<br />
I will tell you. For some one as good as an atheist except for an excuse of laziness how did I get a chance like that? Something, that really changed my point of view regarding life. Something, that made the present me who from that incident started to search feverishly for answers.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
<br />
This happened to me few months back, about an year ago.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
<br />
It was that time of the year when we take a festival for our family temple. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Ours is quite a great temple and is still worshipped by the whole lot of our family and kin which will work out about 300- 400 people. It will be a three day affair which will start with..well I don’t want to bore you with details. Let us go straight to the point.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
From my childhood days the village, the temple and the goddess in there held a special place in my heart. It was always like visiting an old friend. Yes I regarded our goddess only as a friend and I felt awkward worshipping, for I knew not how to do it solemnly like others. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I just used to close </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD6">my eyes</span> and ask in my mind “So kamakshi..how have you been?..I have been very naughty..” <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
It was a grand affair this year. A special festival after doing the ‘kumbabishek’(4th) which was when I had released my </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD12">first book</span> ever- A thalapuranam (history) of our temple and the goddess. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
This time around I had put myself in other humble jobs like painting big motifs and kolams in the newly laid stone corridor.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
Let us fast forward to the day of the incident, which was the last day of the festival.<br />
<br />
<br />
The last pooja was under progress and they had closed the veil for dressing up the idol (which is a </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD1">specialty</span> in our temple, since our particular pujari will create new avatars of the goddess every time).<br />
<br />
<br />
With a deep anticipation of what avatar it was going to be this time, everybody sat watching the closed screen singing devotional songs.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
<br />
I was feeling weird the whole hour. There was singing and big ‘mrithangas’ (drums) being playing beside us and the long fluted ‘nathaswaram’ was being playing alongside. The famous ‘urumi maelam’ was also played.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
I usually enjoy this kind of </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD7">music</span> I even sing some numbers for the crowd, but today it was all wrong. I don’t know when exactly it started or what triggered it. But all of a sudden I felt like I was watching everything from somewhere outside me but still felt like I was totally inside me. I know it sounds weird but that’s the closest I can explain it about.<br />
Slowly I was getting all closed in.<br />
<br />
The music getting distant and distant and yet so vibrant that I could feel my body slowly thumbing.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
My eardrums became numb, my fingers and body became numb but hot.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
<br />
I felt so hot but not sweating. My heart beat..now that was the weirdest thing. I felt something like I never felt before.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
<br />
It was getting faster and faster but very rhythmic like a pop music? I donno..</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
<br />
My vision was getting blurred and I shut my eyes tight.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
<br />
I was thumbing inside me like I was taken on a huge elephant ride and it was dancing. i felt some strong force in all of me from all </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD4">direction</span> outside to the inside of me.. to the core..up..from below.<br />
<br />
<br />
It was like..let me try to explain it for you..imagining my body as a hollow machine… this vibrant energy or whatever it was filling in the hollow valves and pushing in and in and as it moved in, the outer </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD10">parts</span> were cut off or closed out..<br />
<br />
<br />
The thing was pushing me in and in and I would have feared that I might burst out of compression. The heart was palpitating harder and harder.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
<br />
Then I felt like I had suddenly become light , very light and was floating above all or became an invertebrate I don’t know but I was slogging in all directions.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
<br />
It was like I was pulled into something..some very strong current so fast ..so very fast that it made me giddy. I was not aware of my own self and yet was a little aware..I wanted to get out of that experience..that trance or whatever that was for I was clearly scared and shaken.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
<br />
Suddenly the more dominant part of me which had taken a silent ride until now came for my rescue and it pulled me to reality..I remember it very clearly.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
<br />
It was like making a big leap..like a quick but long journey..I slowly started to hear voices and the thumbing music again. It was deafening now. But my heart was thumbing louder and harder than that. I could feel my skin hot with a touch and my limbs especially my back or spine suddenly weakened and pained.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
<br />
It was returning..whatever happened to me hadn’t left me totally. It was coming again..this time I felt it much more clearly..</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
It was like pulling you up and up..like it was sucking you up..That feeling made my head ache..<br />
<br />
<br />
My body became more compliant to the feel that it started to slowly shake. The real me(whatever I mean by that I don’t know) pulled me again and this time I came out in a split second and was shocked to see people staring at me.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
<br />
The music was still deafening.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
<br />
I wanted to cry so badly for making a show or for some unknown reason, I don’t know.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
I took off from the temple and ran into our family house nearby. My mom who had seen me from the beginning came running behind me (which I was not aware of).<br />
<br />
<br />
I slumped into the couch and cried my guts out. My uncle (my mom’s brother) came and asked my mom about me.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
<br />
She told that she didn’t know anything. Back in the temple she had tried to talk to me to which I was oblivious and had shut down totally from outside. people kept talking to me and calling me all of which had not reached my ears. Suddenly I had started to move rhythmically and My mom and the few sitting close by thought that I had gotten into a trance. ‘saamiyadal’ we call it in our side which simply means that god had entered into me. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
During these kind of festivals generally many suddenly get into trance and will start dancing around with closed eyes and making hissing sounds (to push out the hot air or energy that was building up inside, I suppose) and laughing hysterically or crying and become the centre of attraction. I can write a whole blog on relating their behaviors.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
<br />
They used to dance along and I used to make funny remarks at them. I even used to mock at them. Now, I felt quite embarrassed then on acting like one of them.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
<br />
I was still crying when my uncle came near me and placed his hands over my head.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
He quickly took his hands off and stared at me.. “My goodness girl </span><span style="font-family: Latha; font-size: small;">உச்சி துடிக்குதுமா உனக்கு</span><span style="font-size: small;">” (ur top of the head is pulsing heavily).<br />
Whatever he meant by that i didn't understand.<br />
He quitely regarded me for some time and smiled..”You are lucky my dear girl.”<br />
<br />
“what should I do?.. I feel like crying..” I was still crying that I could hardly see his face through my tears. My whole body was aching, especially my head. I couldn’t say anything to him, in fact I didn’t know how to explain it then. Even here I sat for sometime before writing it down and brought down memories that are not so clear. The experience itself was not very systematic. I just tried to relate it as possible as I could. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
he said” Don’t cry my dear..Don’t cry..”</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
“What is this thing?” I asked him for which he said.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
“Find it out. Find it out by yourself. You will get it soon.”</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
I don't know whether he said that to pacify me or he didn't know how to explain it to me.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
But that opened up a new path for me.<br />
<br />
Then on I had used so much of my free time (when I was not loitering around lazily</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
) into this matter. This experience I had not disclosed to anyone except my mom, uncle and husband and now you all.<br />
<br />
I had then on went about learning stuff like these.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
I did read many an experience like these, but most of them I just couldn’t take. I searched out for a scientific reason for this experience. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
I read few web pages telling me that it was kind of migraine, head problem. Psyochotic … neurotic ..blah blah..blah problems. Some even hinted on HB imbalance.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
And some advised about an incoming psychological disorder.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
But nothing(symptoms) was close enough to what I had experienced except this one page which I stumbled upon quite accidentally.<br />
<br />
One day while on my research (read as googling with incoherent keywords) I came across this page.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
It talked about a person’s experience on kundalini awakening and guess what? it related very closely to my experience. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
It could have been an accidental kundalini awakening, as per that guy.<br />
<br />
I read more on kundalini now.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
It is said that kundalini is the life energy. The energy of consciousness. The very energy of us if only we realize it and awaken it we will achieve the true abilities of being us.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
It has tremendous advantages and it is nothing beyond science. In fact it is a beautiful science.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
So I liked the notion of getting a good explanation on this. But it said that for an accidental kundalini awakening to happen something must have triggered you to lose your emotion called ego.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
The split second you let go of your ego, you might get the glimpse of the awakening, Which might occur in situations like for example divorce or losing a very loved one and something like that(these in western terms).</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
But what about me?</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
Letting go of ego? Isn't that something saints do? Wasn't that supposed to be too hard to achieve. But emotional imbalance might trigger it sometimes.<br />
<br />
I was far from that. I was sitting inside a temple and I was really quite a happy human being.A very happy human being at that.So,what could have caused my ego to vanish for a second.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
I clearly am not a non ego person(for confirmation I just scrolled up and read – see how many ‘I’s I have used in the last few lines)</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
Whatever really happened is still a mystery. But what caught my attention was that there is a possibility of actually having a scientific explanation for all those trance like experiences..</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
So though not 100% sure(human mind will never be) on whether it certainly was a accidental partial kundalini awakening..I still regard this as a point in my life which had tried to reveal something to me and urged me to make myself proceed towards the higher possibilities.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
Having said all that,now tell me..What made ME a good candidate to get an </span><span style="font-size: small;"><i> 'all free accidental partial kundalini awakening??'</i>(if it really was that)</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;">My karma?? whatever that was do tell me dear friends..<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><i>Kundalini awakening anybody???</i></span></span></b> </div>மாயாhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13728916434475551324noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193820671577904853.post-79417783609239669252011-01-07T05:56:00.001-08:002011-01-13T02:22:57.007-08:00My Mumbai Train Journey<div class="vbpostbit" id="blog_message" style="margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Yesterday I was travelling with my kids and hubbie in the LRT..</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">It was quite and comfortably cool. The ambience and the faint sound of music spilling out of the ipod of the guy sitting next to me</span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">..all that took me to another world..</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Wait..Wait.. please hang on..I am not taking you anyplace hogword..but somewhere very close.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Mumbai.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Few years back six to be exact, we were newlywed..Like all newlyweds My hubbie took me to many places one of which was Mumbai.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">We went there for a three day trip and planned to stay at one of my relative’s house. <br />
</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Well all that is irrelevant now. Let us come straight to the matter.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">One morning we decided to check out the world famous Mumbai train journey (what a joke?<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Latha;">இதான் சொந்த காசுல சூனியம் வக்கிறது</span></span>)</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Me, my hubbie and my relative(uncle) started off from his house and reached the nearest </span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">station. We had planned to go to the famous Ganesh temple in Mumbai.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">The station was huge and dirty (saarae jaahan se achcha..) and we waited for our train. The train came..</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">I was very happy that day. You know? I am this unconventional idiot for many eyes. If I list out my likes and fantasies and weirdest wishes people might stare at me like(<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Latha;">அவனா நீ</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Latha;">?).</span></span><span style="color: black;">Who is she?</span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><span style="color: black;"><br />
Even our uncle was little worried (and felt a little weird may be)about my earnest desire to take a Mumbai train travel.<br />
<br />
</span></span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">But even his denials didn’t put me off from fulfilling my desire. So we waited there in the station among the crowd. I looked at the fast approaching train thinking that it was going to give me a lifetime experience..but obviously unaware of what kind of lifetime experience it was going to be.</span></b></span> <br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Anyways..the train came and it was crowded..</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">I mean really reeaaallly crowded. </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">My uncle said. “Ok get in.”</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">I was like “What?”</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">“Get in”</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">“How..there is hardly any space to keep my foot in there.”</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">“see this the ladies compartment. It will be relatively less crowded, get in there. Three stops from here. Ok..remember three stops..we will meet you there” he didn’t stop at that.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">He shoved me hard into the thriving compartment and ran like a professional athlete to join my hubbie in the common compartment.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">“Oh my god” I looked all around. Nah.. I was joking, there was hardly any space to turn around. Now, You must know one thing here. That was my first short train journey apart from the overnight ones where we spend the night reading novels in ac sleeper coach. It was different for me and didn’t know what to do next. <br />
</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">I was breathing heavily with my mouth open fro it was too crowded and suffocating.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"> I could smell all sorts of perfumes and body sprays and flowers and ponds talc and all of them mixed with fresh sweat. I saw women in all color and creed from all walks of life and in all age groups giggling and chatting and discussing hotly.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">A woman beside me smiled at me. I smiled back.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">I liked it..this was the real world.. I thought. <br />
For some one who is used to traveling in ac car monotonously and think nothing about what’s happening outside the sun screened glass, sit like a seat belted puppet.. this was so real..and so closer to life.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">I was grinning at everybody like an idiot thinking that I had befriended half of Mumbai. The train slowed down for its first stop. Now was the real deal.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">I was still standing in the same place where my uncle had shoved me. I never bothered to move in. </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">You know where I was standing? Right at the entrance, catching hold of the pole that was right in the middle of the entrance among the few who were obviously going to get down.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">The train stopped. People tried to move in and out all at the same time. I was like stranded in the middle of a stampede. And the best part was I was blocking their way- in and out.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">One woman shouted from behind.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">“Get the hell out.. What are you waiting for?”</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">“But this is not my stop”</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">“Then why the***** are you standing in the middle of the way you grinning idiot(oh she did note me grinning)”</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">“I am sorry” But she didn’t wait for my sorry. She gave a nice big slap on my back , shove me aside hardly and got down. <br />
</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Yeah she opened up a new way to greet which was religiously followed by everyone who got in and out.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">(<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Latha;"> அடின்னா அடி</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Latha;">.உங்க வீட்டு அடி எங்க வீட்டு அடி இல்ல.. நாயடி பேயடி..எல்லாமே தர்ம அடி). </span></span><span style="color: black;">It was like getting free back <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD7">pain</span> <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD1">massage</span> - only here the pain followed the massage and not the other way round.</span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">The train was so full that I was not able to see an inch of opening to move anywhere in or out, every stop I would try to get down but was only able to defend myself from women pushing me this way and that way before finally slapping my back and that continued for all the three stops.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">Three stops.. three times..imagine ..</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">What a lifetime experience I got…</span>???</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">I walked out of the station hunch backed like the 'kooni' of Ramayana..but still with a <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD3">smile</span> in my face with which I greeted my hubbie who was <img alt="" border="0" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.indusladies.com/forums/images/smilies/icon_eek.gif" title="Shocked" /><img alt="" border="0" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.indusladies.com/forums/images/smilies/witsend.gif" title="Witsend" />.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;">I just didn’t care..I still enjoyed it. </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Book Antiqua;"><br />
After all… this too was a lifetime experience, now wasn’t it???</span></b></span></div>மாயாhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13728916434475551324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193820671577904853.post-16967931977899870392011-01-06T17:23:00.001-08:002011-01-06T17:24:16.629-08:00My Zen Guru<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>This post was also inspired by my good son..(nothing is original?ஒரிஜினலா ஒண்ணுமே இருக்காதே?)<br />
<br />
I was very tired after doing all the chores- </b><b><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD7">cooking</span>, cleaning, <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD6">washing</span> and was totally worn out when I fell back on the couch. My kids are in their one month <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD10">holiday</span> period and I don’t need to elaborate on that.<br />
<br />
I am quite hands full and on that particular morning I was really exhausted and </b><b><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD4">depressed</span>.<br />
<br />
As I sat down my son came near me and hugged from behind me.</b><b><br />
<br />
“Mummy..mummy can I ask you something?”</b><b><br />
<br />
“what?”</b><b><br />
<br />
“you should answer correctly, if you don’t then you have to take me down to play”</b><b><br />
<br />
“yeah..nice try kid. Now what was that you wanted to ask?”</b><b><br />
<br />
“what is </b><b><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD11">the difference between</span> this couch and that couch..?”<br />
<br />
“what?”</b><b><br />
<br />
“come on..tell me”</b><b><br />
<br />
“what difference? I don't see any.They are alike”</b><b><br />
<br />
“Nope”</b><b><br />
<br />
“Oh come on..I don’t have time for this niranjan”</b><b><br />
<br />
“Plesae mummy.”</b><b><br />
<br />
“ok..mm. oh yeah..this is a two seated and that is three seated couch right?”I gave him a </b><b><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD2">winning</span> smile, he pouted his mouth.“nope”.<br />
<br />
Now I sharpened my eyes and looked all around..”ok..that one is a little dirty because of you jumping on it all the time(</b> <b>yeah I never miss an opportunity)”<br />
<br />
“No mummy..you are so dumb”</b><b><br />
<br />
“what? Me?..ok..Mr. clever. You tell me what is the difference.?”</b><b><br />
<br />
“simple..You are sittingon this couch and no one is sitting on that couch” he laughed and ran away..</b><b><br />
<br />
"What the… " I felt like I was slapped hard. So blinded was I with my 'i know all' attitude that I missed to see such a simple thing.</b><b><br />
<br />
Then it dawned on me.. How many instances and incidents would it take to make me realize what we are doing wrong? How positive and lateral are these kids? And why do we lose all that beautiful capabilities once we grow up?</b><b><br />
<br />
I doubt whether my son will be the same when he himself is grown up.</b><b><br />
<br />
We are wasting a lot of time in </b><b><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD12">learning</span> stuff and understanding complicated things in the process of making our lives more ‘enlightened’ and we totally miss the point of being ourselves. When the answer is staring right at us we tend to take the ring road, bypass road and all other routes to get to it.<br />
<br />
But kids?? They are so used to thinking the right way- the more simple way, sometimes I think he better keeps his mouth shut.</b><b><br />
<br />
One embarrassing day in a </b><b><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD5">theme park</span> my son was impressing a group of foreigners with his spiritual intellect (well I have taught him some stuff which is considered quite weird as per my mom’s view).<br />
<br />
They were amazed at his knowledge(?)and one guy asked him “dear boy where are you from?”</b><b><br />
<br />
My son promptly replied ”from my mom’s big fat tummy”.</b><b><br />
<br />
There is this zen quality to the minds of a child which is slowly poisoned out to become one like ours(dumb -like my son says, dump- as I say) as years of education is pushed into it. What could we possibly do to recover it back? </b><b><br />
<br />
I have found out a simple way. follow the guru.</b><b><br />
<br />
Yep. It’s amazing at times how a kid can think stuff like these. These days when I am very depressed or confused I turn to my zen guru and ask his advice. He gives out advices like manirathnam’s characters in monosyllable..</b><b><br />
<br />
But mostly it will be like the pranava mantra for me. He will hit the nail right on spot.</b><b><br />
<br />
Tell me honestly what would be your answer if I ask you</b><b><br />
<br />
“Why are you born in this world?”</b><b><br />
<br />
I once asked this to myself and started to write down the possible answers as a bulleted list in a piece of paper.</b><b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Symbol;">· </span></b><b>I am born to do something big<br />
<span style="font-family: Symbol;">· </span>I am born to make people happy through my writing<br />
<span style="font-family: Symbol;">· </span>I am born to make people happy <br />
<span style="font-family: Symbol;">· </span>I am born to make a difference in this world..<br />
<br />
My son came running to me and asked “what are you writing mummy.?”</b><b><br />
<br />
“I am trying to answer a very difficult question my dear.”</b><b><br />
<br />
“can I know it?”</b><b><br />
<br />
“Well why not? Why do you think you are born in this world?” I asked him with an </b><b><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD3">expression</span> of a yogic guru while on his important <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD9">class</span>.<br />
<br />
My son answered in a split second </b><b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;">”to live..”</span></b><b><br />
<br />
and then smiled at me asking ”and this was a difficult question to you? silly mummy..”</b><b><br />
<br />
“………………”</b></i></span>மாயாhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13728916434475551324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193820671577904853.post-7934141292774371412011-01-06T17:21:00.000-08:002011-01-06T17:21:35.800-08:00Avatar Ram - A hero or villain(a kid's point of view)<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Ramayana - a great epic.<br />
<br />
Such is its multi dimensional (meaningful) quality for each mind that reads it; it gives out a unique meaning and understanding. No wonder it is an epic. Well epic or not, this is how it was interpreted by a five year old.<br />
<br />
I have a son. He is a..what shall I say..ah..Aristotle? (yeah..I know Aristotle is going to come in my dreams tonight with a whip in his hand. )<br />
<br />
Anyways.. My son and his little mind works so wonderfully, that he will make me blink like an A class idiot more than once in a day.<br />
<br />
This incident happened a few nights ago, when it was my turn for storytelling. Usually their father (my super husband) will read them stories from the books (so easy haan?).<br />
<br />
He is so professional even in that, every day morning he used to ask my kids to use some of the words they learned the previous night.<br />
Well I am a little unprofessional, I rely on our pancha thanthra stories, tenali rama and sometimes pull out stories from my own creativity. This particular night started off differently. As soon as we settled down on the bed my son told me.<br />
<br />
Son: “Mom. Today you have tell me a story about someone I saw in the shop”<br />
<br />
I: “What? Who was that?”<br />
<br />
Son: “He is an avatar. And I think he is quiet rich.” Well you guessed me right. I couldn’t make head or tail out of it.<br />
<br />
I: " you saw an avatar?"<br />
<br />
Son: "Yes in a photo"<br />
<br />
I: Slightly clarified and was still thrilled to know that my young boy had knowledge to identify god's avatars. So I asked him sweetly .<br />
“What avatar my dear?”<br />
<br />
Son: “The one with that..what weapon is that? Like a..(he tried to draw it with his little finger in the air above)<br />
<br />
<br />
I: “Oh you mean bow and arrow? Oh…ok…you mean Rama?”<br />
<br />
<br />
Son: “I don’t know” he shrugged.<br />
<br />
<br />
I: “Did he have hanuman beside him? “(My son is a diehard fan of hanuman next only to ben 10 and Indiana jones)<br />
<br />
<br />
Son:“yes …yes mummy..”<br />
<br />
<br />
I: “Right ! then it definitely is rama. You want to know his story?” I was a little hesitant at first because I didn’t want to put one wrong word about such a beautiful epic and that to on the young minds then consoled myself that for a six year old, my knowledge of Ramayana was enough.<br />
<br />
<br />
I: “Actually my loves, it is a very good story.A story with lots of action happening in palaces where there were lots of princesses and queens.” That was enough for my son and his little sister who loves everything in pink especially castles.<br />
<br />
And I started to tell the story.<br />
<br />
<br />
I started off with King dasarath and his beautiful country.<br />
<br />
<br />
Son:”Stop..stop. So this Ayodhya is in Pandora?”<br />
<br />
<br />
I:”What Pandora?”<br />
<br />
<br />
Son: “What mummy. Avatars live only in pandora. It is their planet remember?. You told me that day” .I hit my head in the nearby wall<br />
<br />
<br />
I: “My dear son. That avtar is different. You confused because of his blue color,i suppose. This avtar is..ah.Lord vishnu’s avatar. ”<br />
<br />
<br />
Son:”who is Lord Vishnu?”<br />
<br />
<br />
I: “He is..ah..I will tell you that story some other day. It is bigger than Ramayana. So just remember Rama was none other than Vishnu. Do you remember us going to thirumala?"<br />
<br />
<br />
Son:” Yes..Yes..”<br />
<br />
<br />
I: “ah..it’s him ok?” he was a bit convinced. Then the story went on as I told him about the curse dhasarath got, by mistakenly killing the young boy for a deer.<br />
<br />
<br />
Son: “Why couldn’t he see the boy, when he was that close? Did he have eye power problem like you?” first I thought of telling him that his karma screened his eyes. Then just pushed that thought aside knowing very well what my son will say for karma.(“ what kurma? vegetable or chicken?")so..<br />
<br />
<br />
I: “yes dear…seems like he didn’t take his vegetables like you when he was young”.We crossed the stage where kaikaeyi asked her wishes from dhasarath, where my son totally “yewed” on kaikeyi as well as dhasarathan.<br />
<br />
<br />
It was time for Ram to go to the forest along with his wife.I was telling him that Ravana sent a magical golden deer to distract seetha.<br />
<br />
<br />
Son: “Golden deer? Was that a robot deer then?”<br />
<br />
<br />
I: (hmm nice imagination) “Yes dear. Ravana was very clever.He could have made a robot deer. His father in law was a scientist and astronomer like newton and Galileo. He taught Ravana so much that Ravana became very clever.So clever as ten brains put together. That is why people describe him as ten headed Ravana.”<br />
<br />
<br />
Son:”Then if he had ten heads why didn’t his teacher Mayan have ten heads?”<br />
<br />
<br />
I:(Dead locked..சிக்கிட்டியேடி சின்னக்கிளி)”Ravana was not only clever but also had the power given by Lord shiva so he was much powerful and prouder than mayan. It was his pride that took ten heads. That’s why even today if some one is so proud we call them head weight. His head is so heavy with proud. Do you understand?”<br />
<br />
Son:”Sort of..”<br />
<br />
<br />
I:(அப்பாடி...Just miss.. )<br />
<br />
we reached the point where Ravana kidnapped Seetha. I was dreading all along what this little devil was going to ask me, he asked me just the same.<br />
<br />
<br />
Son: “Why did Ravana kidnap seetha?”<br />
<br />
<br />
I don’t know about others, but I for one like Ravana very much. So I took the alternative safer route by saying<br />
<br />
<br />
I: “Seetha was actually Ravana’s daughter . He lost her when she was a baby.That’s why dear”(I don’t know whether it was the correct thing in valmiki Ramayana but it was better than telling him that Ravana took her to make her his wife). As the story gained momentum, My son was getting quite impressed with Ravana.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Heaving a sigh of relief I continued on.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Hanuman flew over to srilanka and found where seetha was kept. Seetha gave him back her jewel(this is where my daughter was very happy).<br />
<br />
<br />
While Ram was making arrangements to cross over sethu by making a bridge Lakshman got poisoned and I explained shortly how my son’s favorite Hanuman brought the sanjeevi hills itself to Rameshwaram.<br />
<br />
<br />
Son: “After taking the medicine, where did hanuman put the sanjeevi hills?”<br />
<br />
I: (What a lateral thinking? எப்டியெல்லாம் யோசிக்குதுக பயபுள்ளைக?)” He went and replaced it in its original place dear. But people say that he did drop a small piece of it near kerala which is called now as "marunthu vazhum malai".<br />
<br />
<br />
Then we were almost near climax.<br />
<br />
Now, Ram and Ravana were fighting ferociously using missiles and nuclear weapons and what not. He was totally awed better than on an ‘indi’ movie.<br />
<br />
<br />
Then dramatically I finished the great story with the happy line that<br />
<br />
<br />
“At last Rama killed Ravana and then Rama and seetha lived happily ever after “<br />
<br />
<br />
(I skipped lava kusha part).<br />
<br />
<br />
My son was lying quietly on his bed looking up at the ceiling his brows creased (ohoh..aristotle in his work).<br />
<br />
<br />
I was confused. Normally he is used to asking so many questions, that I was unable to understand his silence.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I:“What’s it dear? You didn’t like the story?”<br />
<br />
<br />
Son:“No mummy. “<br />
<br />
<br />
I:“Then what?”<br />
<br />
<br />
Son: “I thought Rama was the hero. I didn’t think he was the villain”. I was totally shocked and choked at the gulp of water I just drank.<br />
<br />
<br />
I: “what?”<br />
<br />
<br />
Son: “Yeah.. Ravana was such a nice guy, right?.I mean he took care of his people, he was very pious on shiva. And he just wanted to have his own daughter back right? Like what daddy would do if paapaa(my daughter) was taken away. He was totally right. Then Why did Rama go and fight with him and kill him? I Thought at last they will both become friends and help people together. You said Only bad guys hurt good guys. So that makes Rama a bad guy right? Tell me amma Is Rama a hero or villain?”<br />
<br />
<br />
I: “……………..”</b></i></span>மாயாhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13728916434475551324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193820671577904853.post-3970691455652085862011-01-03T01:49:00.000-08:002011-01-03T01:52:19.070-08:00My Zen Guru<div style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><b> This post was also inspired by my good son..(nothing is original?ஒரிஜினலா ஒண்ணுமே இருக்காதே?)<br />
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I was very tired after doing all the chores- </b><b><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD1">cooking</span>, cleaning, washing and was totally worn out when I fell back <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD8">on the couch</span>. My kids are in their one month holiday period and I don’t need to elaborate on that.<br />
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I am quite hands full and on that particular morning I was really exhausted and depressed.</b><b><br />
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As I sat down my son came near me and hugged from behind me.</b><b><br />
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“Mummy..mummy can I ask you something?”</b><b><br />
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“what?”</b><b><br />
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“you should answer correctly, if you don’t then you have to take me down to play”</b><b><br />
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“yeah..nice try kid. Now what was that you wanted to ask?”</b><b><br />
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“what is the difference between this couch and that couch..?”</b><b><br />
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“what?”</b><b><br />
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“come on..tell me”</b><b><br />
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“what difference? I don't see any.They are alike”</b><b><br />
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“Nope”</b><b><br />
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“Oh come on..I don’t have time for this niranjan”</b><b><br />
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“Plesae mummy.”</b><b><br />
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“ok..mm. oh yeah..this is a two seated and that is three seated couch right?”I gave him a winning smile, he pouted his mouth.“nope”.</b><b><br />
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Now I sharpened my eyes and looked all around..”ok..that one is a little dirty because of you jumping on it all the time(</b> <b>yeah I never miss an opportunity)”<br />
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“No mummy..you are so dumb”</b><b><br />
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“what? Me?..ok..Mr. clever. You tell me what is the difference.?”</b><b><br />
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“simple..You are sittingon this couch and no one is sitting on that couch” he laughed and ran away..</b><b><br />
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"What the… " I felt like I was slapped hard. So blinded was I with my 'i know all' attitude that I missed to see such a simple thing.</b><b><br />
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Then it dawned on me.. How many instances and incidents would it take to make me realize what we are doing wrong? How positive and lateral are these kids? And why do we lose all that beautiful capabilities once we grow up?</b><b><br />
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I doubt whether my son will be the same when he himself is grown up.</b><b><br />
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We are wasting a lot of time in learning stuff and understanding complicated things in the process of making our lives more ‘enlightened’ and we totally miss the point of being ourselves. When the answer is staring </b><b><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD9">right at</span> us we tend to take the ring road, bypass road and all other routes to get to it.<br />
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But kids?? They are so used to thinking the right way- the more simple way, sometimes I think he better keeps his mouth shut.</b><b><br />
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One embarrassing day in a theme </b><b><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD4">park</span> my son was impressing a group of foreigners with his spiritual intellect (well I have taught him some stuff which is considered quite weird as per my mom’s view).<br />
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They were amazed at his knowledge(?)and one guy asked him “dear boy where are you from?”</b><b><br />
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My son promptly replied ”from my mom’s </b><b><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD6">big fat tummy</span>”.<br />
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There is this zen quality to the minds of a child which is slowly poisoned out to become one like ours(dumb -like my son says, dump- as I say) as years of education is pushed into it. What could we possibly do to recover it back? </b><b><br />
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I have found out a simple way. follow the guru.</b><b><br />
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Yep. It’s amazing at times how a kid can think stuff like these. These days when I am very depressed or confused I turn to my zen guru and ask his advice. He gives out advices like manirathnam’s characters in monosyllable..</b><b><br />
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But mostly it will be like the pranava mantra for me. He will hit the </b><b><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD11">nail</span> right on spot.<br />
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Tell me honestly what would be your answer if I ask you</b><b><br />
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“Why are you born in this world?”</b><b><br />
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I once asked this to myself and started to write down the possible answers as a bulleted list in a piece of paper.</b><b><br />
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· I am born to do something big</b><b><br />
· I am born to make people happy through my writing<br />
· I am born to make people happy <br />
· I am born to make a difference in this world..<br />
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My son came running to me and asked “what are you writing mummy.?”</b><b><br />
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“I am trying to answer a very difficult question my dear.”</b><b><br />
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“can I know it?”</b><b><br />
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“Well why not? Why do you think you are born in this world?” I asked him with an expression of a yogic guru while on his important </b><b><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD10">class</span>.<br />
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My son answered in a split second </b><b><br />
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”to live..”</b><b><br />
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and then smiled at me asking ”and this was a difficult question to you? silly mummy..”</b><b><br />
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“………………”</b></i> </div>மாயாhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13728916434475551324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193820671577904853.post-58495016741472437902011-01-03T01:32:00.000-08:002011-01-03T01:47:24.031-08:00New Year Resolution – BE GO(O)D<div class="vbpostbit" id="blog_message" style="margin-bottom: 10px;"><b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u>The God Feeling</u><br />
</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">I constantly tell my son that he is god (<i>that was not a <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD10">spelling</span> mistake it is GOD</i>).</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">I tell him that he is a very good God and he is yet to know it.(<i>I know I am creating a huge controversial thought here, but hey I already told you I am a weird idiot</i>)</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">One day he came running to me and asked “Mom..my god is getting very angry..”</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Why dear?”</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">“I don’t know. But tell me ..Gods are not supposed to get angry..Why Am I getting angry? Does that mean I am not God?”</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Yes and No dear..It means that you and I and all others for that matter hadn’t just found the God in them”</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Where is God hiding in me Mom?”</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">“God is somewhere inside you. God is hiding inside you. God is locked deep inside. It is so deep that only darkness you see.”</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">“So how do we find him mummy. Do we need a torch?”</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Yes dear. We certainly need a torch. The torch is nothing but your belief. All you have to do is take the torch and go find the locks.”</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">“How many locks are there mother?”</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Oh.. There are infinite numbers of locks my dear. So many that you can lose years just by counting them.”</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Then how am I supposed to unlock all of them? Where is the key?”</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">“That is very simple my dear. Every good deed you do will unlock one door. So for each good deed you are going a step forward towards finding your god.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Once you have unlocked all <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD5">the doors</span>, the god will come out of his hide and you will become totally god.”</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">“m. So how many good deeds do I have to do to go near god?”</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">“It might take many many deeds..But I tell you what. You stop counting the good deeds like you count how many pages are there yet to read in your book. Instead involve yourself in the good deed you are doing so that in no time you will open the last door.”</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Ok…”he seemed to be convinced a little. Suddenly he asked me “Mom have ever seen your god, just once at least..not going close but just a look, a peep?”</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">I smiled at him instantly and said, ”Yes my dear. I did have the luck to have a glimpse of my God..”</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">“cool.. how was ...?”</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">“ding dong..”My son might be a great listener but he still was a kid. He ran out to welcome his friend who had come over to play.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">In an instant he had changed from God mode to Ben10 mode and ran off as heat blast..</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">But I was sitting quietly, still the thought lingering in my mind. So here I am to put it in words for all my friends..The day I glimpsed my god..</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">My father is a philanthropist. He is loved by many for his generosity. He has two addictions.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> 1.Addiction for fame.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">2. Addiction for giving.</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was always scared of addiction number 1. Though it is tempting and is supposed to be the worst addiction in the whole world, it has a very dangerous <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD11">side effect</span> - pride.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am very cautious on that ground and so I try to put myself as much out of it as possible.(<i>But I do have some weak points right?</i>)</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD6">The next</span> addiction is something I had always wondered about. <br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">I wanted to know what really my father saw in giving. I first used to assume that the addiction of giving is closely related to addiction of fame. But then I realized it was not so.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">SO what was it? I found a good opportunity one day and found it out myself.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was a few years ago, a year before my <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD1">marriage</span> I suppose. My dad was making arrangements for going to an ashram for the pongal <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD4">festival</span>. I told him that I wanted to come with him. He was happy to take me along.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">We reached this peaceful and dry looking village few kilometers off palani .We entered into the ‘vallalar ashram’.(<i>My dad has a soft corner for vallalar ashrams since he himself was raised for few years in once such ashram</i>).</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">So as we entered I understood that my dad had done some big arrangements there (<i>as usual for him</i>).</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was my birthday and I had wanted to spend it with the ashram children. That was great news for the ashram keeper who was an aging old man. <br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">He had seen many who just give away but I was the first who had actually brought a cake to cut with the kids there.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">They had arranged a stage with chairs and mike..(<i>ah I just hate them</i>).</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">I tried to hide myself behind the huge form of my dad. The keeper started off by thanking one and all and weirdly he addressed everyone as”<span style="font-family: Latha;">தெய்வமே</span>”(GOD). It was funny for me that he would call us God.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">When I asked him why he was calling everyone as GOD he said, “you will know it soon dear God”</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">So everyone was getting ready to talk and talk in the mike. ‘yawn..’ <br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">I hate all that stupid <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD9">speeches</span> about we did this..we did that(<i> my dad is a prominent member of this international social organization</i>)... <br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">But it was the keeper’s talk that pulled me to the world. <br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">He made me realize how important our arrival was for them. I peeped out and only then felt thankful for sitting in the dais. I could see all the little faces beaming in happiness.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">My heart was thumbing hard. I wanted to do something for them. I as me..The <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD12">donation</span> is going to be done by my dad who had announced that he was going to donate three sacks of rice, dal and notebooks for kids every year at this date(<i>my birthday</i>). <br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">There was such applause. But I was yearning for more brightness in those little faces.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> I could think of just one thing. I searched around and found a piece of old paper and borrowed a pen from someone near.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> I started to scribble down seriously.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">The speeches were all over and it was time to conclude the function. I slowly <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD7">rose</span> from my position and asked the keeper to permit me to speak something. <br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">He was so happy.</span></span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">He announced in the mike that “Now the special God is going speak to you”</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">There was pin drop silence in the hall. It was the first time for me to be in front of the mike in public meeting (<i>apart from those school events and competitions</i>).I was shivering but managed to read what I had scribbled down.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">I had written a poem..A 10-12 line poem in tamil. I don’t remember it now and nor do I have the copy with me for the keeper took it as a remembrance.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">I had written about my point of view, from where I could see the little faces beaming like the lilly buds but these were divine for they were shining a divine light. <br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">I had gone on and on about my happiness on being there and my luck and I finally concluded that we were not the ones who is giving anything away to them there, but it was them who had given us a chance to look at God and to feel the closeness to god. <br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">I thanked them for giving us the great gift of God’s love.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was the moment that followed that really showed me God.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">A standing ovation. All the kids stood up and clapped their hands so feverishly. <br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">What is in it you ask, I know. Well there was nothing in that until I saw their faces.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">They were crying..</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">They were smiling and crying all the same..There was so much of happiness in their innocent faces that made me want to cry...That was when I felt it..</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">A clean and very pure sensation of happiness. Something I have never ever felt in my entire life.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was too blissful that I couldn’t control myself from crying. I too was smiling and crying..For I saw the god in them in their smiles and I felt heavenly..I was so happy..too happy to speak any more. <br />
What happened after that was like a mirage to me.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">They whisked me off from the place and took me to their dormitory where I cut the cake and fed them. They showed me all their stuff. They shared their stories. <br />
</span></span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">They gave me some half eaten candies which they wanted to share with me so badly. <br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">They showed their best dresses and notebooks with ‘very good’ signature from their teachers. <br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">They showed me some certificates and this and that…</span></span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">They showed me their little beautiful world.</span></span></b><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">That was a day I would never ever forget in my entire life.</span></span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">You might think I am exaggerating here, but I just am telling What I feel honestly.</span></span></b><br />
<u><b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></b></u><u><b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">Symptoms of the God feeling</span></span></b></u><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">1: Feeling of bliss – the moment I saw the tears of joy in the little faces. I got that..Some feeling that cannot be just explained in human terms.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">2: Overflowing happiness –The whole day I was grinning like an idiot, while my heart was like it was going to be ripped off just by being so happy.</span></span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">3: No appetite – The whole day (<i>at least until I was there</i>) I was not hungry at all. I didn’t even drink water but yet felt so full of energy. Energy that was getting higher and higher.</span></span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">4: The descent- all that feelings faded slowly as I left the place.</span></span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">This was how I got a glimpse of God for which I am heavily indebted to those kids.<br />
</span></span></b> <b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">I know now many of you will say that the God feeling is all just BS and this is just the happiness of giving..</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">That is it..</span></span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">The happiness of giving..</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">The happiness of helping.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">That is what is God..</span></span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><b>We all agree in one way or other that Love is God..<br />
(கலியில்) </b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><b>அன்பே சிவம்..</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><b> So I just enjoy it literally and I see no harm in giving the same to my son.<br />
</b></span></span> <b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">After my marriage I tried to do the same for my birthday and my hubbie’s and my kids’ but were duly disappointed by the keepers in chennai who just took the money and fruits and just didn’t let us meet the kids.</span></span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">Since then I hadn’t got a chance to show my son the addiction of giving. <br />
</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">This New Year is a promise for me. I am going to take him to an ashram for his birthday. <br />
</span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">And let him have a glimpse of his own god..a taste of divinity so that he will start doing more good deeds and help people in years to come.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is my new year resolution..</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">To be GO(O)D..and to make my son see GO(O)D..</span></span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="font-size: small;">How about you????</span></span></b></div>மாயாhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13728916434475551324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193820671577904853.post-40756935388456169342010-12-15T01:00:00.000-08:002010-12-15T01:12:57.205-08:00Vaa Vaa Vinayaga( A new meaning for Ganapati Story)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TQiFtDTjXaI/AAAAAAAACJQ/YRd99zAV1tY/s1600/siddi-vinayaka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Jj5-x8XhFeo/TQiFtDTjXaI/AAAAAAAACJQ/YRd99zAV1tY/s400/siddi-vinayaka.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">This is my first blog..yipee..I sat gleefully in front of my laptop and started to type. I had already thought of a topic to write on. Just when my finger touched the keypad. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">”mummy..paining..winky..winky at my back..”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“what?”<i>(ok before I could start, I had to leave for a short commercial break..</i>)Atlast I sat again in the evening. Disturbance again. And again and then again. Oh lord..what is this? I cried in despair and finally slept off. In my dreams he came. Who? Whom I called in despair.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“Malar.wake up.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“Malar..”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“(M)ada..malarae..wake up..”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“huh..who is it?”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“See properly..can’t you recognize me. I am such a big form.” He shone his bright golden light like a torch on me. For a second I went blind and then I saw him. Lord Ganesha in all his glory.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“Oh my god! ganesha?”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“yeah ..but I am everyone’s god my dear”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“why.what do you want?”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“What do I want? Hmm. Interesting!.. it’s normally the other way round.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“Oh.. wait wait.. I mean.. you suddenly came in front of me.. I don’t even pray you everyday”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“everyday?”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“ok. Not even once in a month..alright. so why are you here?”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“Because, I do want something from you.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“From me?”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“Yes.. I heard that you just got your blog access in IL where these lovely ladies lounge by.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“yeeaah??”I was suddenly cautious.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“So, you have thought of your first blog topic?”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“oh yes. I am gonna write about my college day experience”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“Seriously? You think you are big enough to write your own autobiography?”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“I thought it would be like an advice message post”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“ Advice? You? Isn’t it hilarious even for you? Oh my dear girl, not even your kids listen to your advice and you know that right?”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“yeah.” I sighed.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“ok. How about a deal? </span><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD7" style="font-size: large;">I will give you</span><span style="font-size: large;"> a nice topic, which I hope you would write crisp and clean not like that train of sentences of yours. It will never ever reach its destination.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“Ok . I got it. So what’s the deal for me?”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“May be you will get a good readership” he winked at me.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“Right.. shoot up..what’s that interesting topic?”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“you write about me”he said</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“You?”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“Yeah.. don’t you know that you are supposed start everything with me? This is your first blog. So it should be about me.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“Oh come on. Everyone in the world knows about you. there is nothing new to write about you?”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“Then find something new.” He smiled </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">wickedly.”“But..”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“uhmm..time’s up. I Will catch you up later. And please do a good job. Don’t spoil my name”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“pillayarappa one minute… of all why did you choose me?” I was beaming..oh he had chosen me of all..</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“Simple. Because, only you had selected such a torturous topic to write about. I had to </span><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD5" style="font-size: large;">save the</span><span style="font-size: large;"> readers too you know...’ </span><span style="font-family: Latha; font-size: large;">ஒரே கல்லுல</span><span style="font-family: Latha; font-size: large;">...ரெண்டு மாங்கா</span><span style="font-size: large;">’(<i>two fruits in a single shot</i>) he sang and vanished.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Write something new about him eh? Or what if I say the same thing about him in a new way? Suddenly the story I read some time back in some guruji’s blog which was stored safely in the back of my mind came like a flash. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Ok..I will tell that story(<i>not mine mind you..all credits goes to whatever guruji who wrote it</i>)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Oh my god, I have already wasted more than a page in the introduction. So let us jump straight into what he had asked me to do. I will try to write it in telegram style so that I won’t end up with overflow of words.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><br />
<b>Ganapati Birth Story.. The ususal</b></u></span> <br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Parvati was very dirty. (<i>Poor thing. She must have been busy taking care of all her earthly kids - us</i>). So she wanted to take bath. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Before taking bath she scraped all the dirt from her body and made a </span><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD10" style="font-size: large;">beautiful</span><span style="font-size: large;"> boy out of it (<i>some dirt she had</i>). Since she was the ‘aadhishakti’ she even gave life to the boy. (<i>what an easy way to give birth?</i>)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">She now asked the boy to keep an eye on the door from outside and went on </span><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD3" style="font-size: large;">bathing</span><span style="font-size: large;"> singing her favorite number. Now our hero (ok hero’s father) shiva came. He looked at the new boy.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“Hey kid. Who are you? I haven’t seen you here before. New to the block?”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“No. I am parvati’s son” the boy claimed.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Shiva was shocked (</span><span style="font-family: Latha; font-size: large;">எப்ப</span><span style="font-family: Latha; font-size: large;">?சொல்லவே இல்ல?</span><span style="font-size: large;">) “what the heck. I didn’t know ”. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">the boy didn’t let him in and so he chopped the little boy’s head off.(<i>yeah..Those days there were no child harassment laws or no 911.</i>).When Parvati came out she saw what had happened and got angry and then cried.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“Oh dear.. please don’t cry. I can’t see you cry” shiva felt bad and he swiftly chopped off an innocent elephant’s head (</span><span style="font-family: Latha; font-size: large;">அதுக்கு அன்னிக்கு வடக்கே சூலம் போல</span><span style="font-family: Latha; font-size: large;">.)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">and placed it in our hero’s head and voila ganapati was born. Parvati cried over a weird looking boy.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“oh my god.. now who will marry my son? Or worse who will worship my son?”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“Ok dear, hereupon I will make an emergency law that anybody and everybody should start anything even their prayers with our son. Now are you ok?”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Yeah.. this is the usual story. I have never told my son this story of ganesha. I know what will happen If I tell him. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">He will look at me like “You didn’t get anyone else in IL to kill.?”(</span><span style="font-family: Latha; font-size: large;"> ஆடு சிக்கலயோ</span><span style="font-size: large;"><i>?</i>)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But this new </span><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD9" style="font-size: large;">episode</span><span style="font-size: large;"> will be good enough for anybody who is a question govindan..</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Ganapati Birth Story – The Real Meaning.</u><br />
<br />
</b> Parvati is the mother of whole universe. She is the symbolic representation of spiritual awakening, </span><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD6" style="font-size: large;">the celebration</span><span style="font-size: large;"> of our consciousness.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">She was dirty - meaning that the celebration was gone. The universe had forgotten its spiritual existence and has lost the </span><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD11" style="font-size: large;">theory</span><span style="font-size: large;"> of spiritual oneness. So she had to take bath. She had to clean the dirt and make the universe in the usual state. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">She scraped her dirt- meaning she merely gathered the dirt called ‘ego’ and made it into a child. So the child ‘ego’ was waiting near the door when shiva came. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Now we know shakti is the mother of universe. Shiva was the protector of shakti herself. He saw her with her ego standing in front(before) of her-meaning that the universe is losing its real purpose and wisdom, because of this ego standing in front.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So he chopped his head off- meaning that he destroyed the ego and he replaced the head and budhdhi of an elephant. Elephant is a beautiful animal. It’s the symbol of prosperity. Not only that, its a symbol of wisdom and knowledge. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So when shiva replaced the head, he just replaced the ego and ignorance with that of strength, wisdom and knowledge.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Wow..amazing isn’t it. Wait.. that’s not all.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Ganesha – sankata hara – means the one who destroys all our obstacles right?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Yes, what obstacle would come in the way of pure wisdom. Once wisdom is dawned on you all your problems melt away like a dewdrop in front of the sunshine. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">His huge stomach indicates his all accepting nature but the ‘naagaparanam’ tells us that he accepts all but with the awareness of a snake. That is he will take you under his wings, not passively but in a participating way.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">He has several hands. One holds the sweet mothak. One has a rope and one has a poke and the other a blessing hand.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The mothak hand calls us. We go near him to eat the sweet of knowledge. He lure you to him and once we are near, he ties us up with the rope(<i>probably while we are eating</i>). There is no way to escape from that-meaning that once Wisdom has dawned, you can never really go back to whatever you used to be!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And even while having all the Knowledge and Wisdom, we might feel unhappy or miserable. This is when he pokes you to wake you up to Reality (<i>remember the snake? He accepts you as you are, doesn't cast you away, but takes action after acceptance</i>) And sometimes if the poking is too much for you and you try to run away (<i>you can't dear, He has got you tied with the rope!</i>)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And so Lord Ganesha binds you sweetly and firmly to Himself!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">He is Vinayaka. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Vi + nayaka = The peerless leader. He reports to no one. Not even to shiva parvati (<i>lucky kid haan?</i>)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And this is the real meaning behind the ganesha birth story. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I hope we can all tell <b>this</b> story to our kids without the fear of getting stares …yeah you got it..</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So Good luck ladies and please don't forget to give your valuable feedbacks. I need to get back to my boss Mr. Vinayaga.<img alt="" border="0" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.indusladies.com/forums/images/smilies/biggrin.gif" title="Biggrin" />. …</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>“Moola muthar porulae saranam saranam…”</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>P.S to pillayarappa:</b> Oh lord ganapati. I did my best. Please..increase my readership.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha; font-size: large;">ஏதோ உன்னால முடிஞ்ச அளவுக்கு புள்ளைகள இங்க வந்து படிக்க வையப்பா</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Latha; font-size: large;"><b>THIS IS WRITTEN FOR MY BLOG IN MY FAVORITE WEBSITE <a href="http://www.indusladies.com/forums/blogs/iniyamalar/">INDUS LADIES</a></b> </span>மாயாhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13728916434475551324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193820671577904853.post-90675370589282708402010-12-14T21:06:00.000-08:002010-12-15T01:01:30.632-08:00Me and Microsoft sam<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;">It started on one fine morning when I decided that I was going to be a great writer(</span><span style="font-size: 130%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;"><i>ok..ok..cool it.Now don't throw that on me please. it will only shatter your screen</i>) one day and thought that I shouldn't be wasting my time typing away(<i>what a lazy goose? and what a <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD2">lame</span> excuse</i>).<br />
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So I fumbled with google and found a perfect software, the one I thought was just made for me.</span> <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;"><br />
It required me to download it and do all the blah..blah..blah.<br />
<br />
Well, i did them all and happily settled down to get myself a hands free computer experience.</span> <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;"><br />
Geared up with state of art <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD6">microphone</span> headset, I sat before my laptop/pc.<br />
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I pulled up the newly installed software from the drive and started the warming up process. </span> <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;"><br />
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It asked me several silly questions for which i giggled like a school kid and answered delightfully.</span> <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;"><br />
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Then came the familiarization process.</span> <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;"><br />
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It asked me to make myself familiar with the voice recognition. The first step was to practice giving voice commands to open and close <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD5">windows</span>.</span> <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;"><br />
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"yeah right,,come on baby.." I whistled to myself and sat upright..</span> <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;"><br />
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I had selected microsoft sam (</span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;"><i>u might know that to be a popular automated male voice from microsoft</i>) as my guide.<br />
So the process started.<br />
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<b>Sam:</b></span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;"> "Ok.you are going to make a voice command now. After the beep please say..open doc. This will open a new ms word document."<br />
.........beep.....<br />
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<b>I:</b></span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;"> "open doc.."<br />
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<b>Sam:</b></span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;"> "you said opne dec. Please say open doc."<br />
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<b>I:</b></span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;"> "o..p..e..n d..o..c"<br />
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<b>Sam: </b></span> <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;">"you said..aoepen doaeke. Please say open doc."<br />
this went on for a while..<br />
<b><br />
Sam:</b></span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;"> "please say open doc."<br />
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<b>I:</b></span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;">(I <i>finally got that my taminglish accent was too difficult for sam to catch.To think back few of my western friends commented me on having a very light accent or should I say slang? while speaking in english <img alt="" border="0" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.indusladies.com/forums/images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif" title="Rolling Eyes" />. <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD10">Whatever</span>, So with all my senses working together to get the damn thing right, i said) "open doc".<br />
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Sam:</b> "you said opin dark. please say open doc."<br />
</i><br />
<b>I:</b></span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;"> "rightu.."<br />
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<b>Sam:</b></span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;"> "you said. right ugh..please say open doc."<br />
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<b>I:</b></span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;"> "ம்கும் இது மட்டும் கரெக்டா வருது "(<i>this alone you got correctly</i>).<br />
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<b>Sam:</b></span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;"> "you said mempjunk..idlepidle mutter karata ward huh. please say open doc.."<br />
by now i was<img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.indusladies.com/forums/images/smilies/bangcomp.gif" /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.indusladies.com/forums/images/smilies/bangcomp.gif" /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.indusladies.com/forums/images/smilies/banghead.gif" /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.indusladies.com/forums/images/smilies/banghead.gif" />.<br />
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<b>I :</b></span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;"> "get lost you idiot "<br />
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<b>Sam:</b></span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;">"you said, gat last your idiyurt.please say open doc.."<br />
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<b>I:</b></span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;"> "அட நாசமாப்போனவனே! அதத் தானடா நா அப்பலேர்ந்து சொல்றேன்.ஆணியே புடுங்க வேண்டாம். போய்த் தொல.."(<i>you ### that is what I am telling you from the first. enough. get lost</i>)"<br />
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<b>Sam:</b></span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;">" you said, ad hock nasmap omnivan, adah antenna upwards <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD9">soldering</span>. onion put with am pork doll.please say open doc."<br />
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"ping.."</span> <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;"><br />
that was me shutting down the system.<br />
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"damaal"</span> <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;"><br />
me again, throwing away the nearest thing I could find and also my dream of voice operated ms word.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype; font-size: 130%;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">ALSO POSTED IN </span><a href="http://www.indusladies.com/forums/blogs/iniyamalar/" style="color: #4c1130;"> INDUSLADIES</a></span>மாயாhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13728916434475551324noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193820671577904853.post-85456069306447230392007-04-19T03:52:00.000-07:002007-04-20T06:38:32.719-07:00My first attempt<em><span style="color:#cc9933;">Hello there ppl</span></em>.<br /><br />Once there was no meaning to a word called "blog".Now there are very few who don't blog.<br />Me being a comp. engineering graduate simply sitting at home , who lived with this idiot box for more than ten years now and having a flair for writing,it's a wonder that i haven't yet blogged.<br /><br />Well now here I am-Mingling with the mass,who try to shout out their hearts to everyone out there with big ears(<em>eyes actually</em>).<br /><br />My blogs will cover most of my life and the rest...மாயாhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13728916434475551324noreply@blogger.com0