Friday, April 24, 2009
SOME MORE PICTURES FROM MY GARDEN CLICKED FRESH JUST THIS MORNING
ENJOY AND HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND !!!! :)
INCREDIBLE INDIA
Yesterday on my way back from work, I was crossing the railway over bridge to catch the local train back home. My attention was drawn to this tall young sardar striding ahead in his traditional dress which was bright orange in color. What made me and the people around take notice, was that besides the ‘kirpan’ which all Sikhs are obliged to carry this guy was carrying a huge sword (you can see it in the picture on his right side) I managed to click a couple pictures from my mobile camera before he disappeared in to the crowds.
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Monday, April 20, 2009
“Tomorrow never comes. Because when it comes, it’s today again.”
Once upon a time, a poor peasant heard that the princess of his country was looking for a husband. The old king was getting very old, and the kingdom was starting to desperately look for a heir.
So the peasant set out to ask for the princess’ hand in marriage. When he arrived at the palace, he found out he will have to compete with several other peasants to prove his worth as the next king.
The night before the competition, he went to buy some food.
“You look worried young man.”“Yeah. Tomorrow, I’ll be competing for the princess’ hand in marriage. Of course I’m worried. When it’s done, then I’ll be able to relax.”
And the next day comes, and the peasant competes with the others, in a long day of traditional disciplines, devised to test his worth as the next king. The disciplines include such gems as throwing pitchforks into moving targets, and taming an angry boar with only his bare hands and a length of rope.
(That’s quite a ridiculous way to choose the next king, but hey. It’s tradition.)
And the peasant emerges victorious, and everybody celebrates, the princess rewards him with a kiss, and they retire into the princess’ private chambers.
“You look worried, my dear.”“Yeah, I know.”“What’s wrong? You just won my hand in marriage!”“Yeah, I still can’t quite believe it’s real. When we’re standing together at the altar, a week from now, and say our vows, then I will finally believe it and be able to relax and be happy.”
A week passes, the marriage takes place, and the newly crowned prince retires into his private chambers with the princess.
“You look worried, husband.”“Yeah. I would really love to help the people of this country, your old father is no longer able to rule properly. But my hands are tied. I can’t do anything while he’s still alive. When he dies, then I will be able to help our people, and I will be happy.”
A few months pass. The old king dies. The whole country mourns for a week, and then goes about its business as usual.
“You look worried, my lord.”“Yeah, there are unrests in the border regions. When I’ll dealt with those, then I will be happy.”
So he deals with the unrests. And then a dragon attacks the country, and the new king bravely fights him off. And then plague comes, but the king smartly manages to contain it and cure his people. And then there’s drought, and then floods, and fires and storms, locusts, invading armies, ingrown toenails…
Eventually, the king finds himself on his own death bed. The royal scribe comes to see him.
“You will soon die, my lord. Do you have any parting words of wisdom you would like to share with the next generations?”“It’s about bloody time. My whole life has been one catastrophe followed by another. When I die and enter the afterlife, THEN I will finally be happy…”
***
So many people focus on happiness ever _after_.
“After I get my degree, then I will be happy.”“After I start earning a Million Rupees a year, then I will be happy.”“After I retire, _then_ I will be happy!”
And like the peasant in the above story, they end up chasing the ever elusive “after”, but never actually reach it.
There is no happiness in the after. The happiness is in the NOW! As the old saying goes:
“Tomorrow never comes. Because when it comes, it’s today again.”
Don’t make the same mistake as the peasant. Stop looking for happiness in the future, and instead savour everything you already have. Happiness is already with you. You just need to tap into it.
Pause to smell the proverbial roses along the way….
Right now, just slowly breathe all the way out, and take a deeee-ee-eep slooo-ooo-oow breath in. Then breathe all the way out, through your nose, even slower than you breathed in.
Good!
Just pick an area of your life. Any area of your life. Could be your work, or your family life, or your car, or the room you’re in right now. Then simply make a mental list of “3 Simple Things I love about [……….].”
The “3 Simple things I love about…” is a great quick exercise if you ever find yourself bored, like in traffic or in the checkout line at the grocery store. It instantly annihilates the boredom, and fills your life with happiness.
Do it right now! Pick one area of your life, and list 3 Simple things you love about it.
There’s no happiness in the “after”. So enjoy the now!
So the peasant set out to ask for the princess’ hand in marriage. When he arrived at the palace, he found out he will have to compete with several other peasants to prove his worth as the next king.
The night before the competition, he went to buy some food.
“You look worried young man.”“Yeah. Tomorrow, I’ll be competing for the princess’ hand in marriage. Of course I’m worried. When it’s done, then I’ll be able to relax.”
And the next day comes, and the peasant competes with the others, in a long day of traditional disciplines, devised to test his worth as the next king. The disciplines include such gems as throwing pitchforks into moving targets, and taming an angry boar with only his bare hands and a length of rope.
(That’s quite a ridiculous way to choose the next king, but hey. It’s tradition.)
And the peasant emerges victorious, and everybody celebrates, the princess rewards him with a kiss, and they retire into the princess’ private chambers.
“You look worried, my dear.”“Yeah, I know.”“What’s wrong? You just won my hand in marriage!”“Yeah, I still can’t quite believe it’s real. When we’re standing together at the altar, a week from now, and say our vows, then I will finally believe it and be able to relax and be happy.”
A week passes, the marriage takes place, and the newly crowned prince retires into his private chambers with the princess.
“You look worried, husband.”“Yeah. I would really love to help the people of this country, your old father is no longer able to rule properly. But my hands are tied. I can’t do anything while he’s still alive. When he dies, then I will be able to help our people, and I will be happy.”
A few months pass. The old king dies. The whole country mourns for a week, and then goes about its business as usual.
“You look worried, my lord.”“Yeah, there are unrests in the border regions. When I’ll dealt with those, then I will be happy.”
So he deals with the unrests. And then a dragon attacks the country, and the new king bravely fights him off. And then plague comes, but the king smartly manages to contain it and cure his people. And then there’s drought, and then floods, and fires and storms, locusts, invading armies, ingrown toenails…
Eventually, the king finds himself on his own death bed. The royal scribe comes to see him.
“You will soon die, my lord. Do you have any parting words of wisdom you would like to share with the next generations?”“It’s about bloody time. My whole life has been one catastrophe followed by another. When I die and enter the afterlife, THEN I will finally be happy…”
***
So many people focus on happiness ever _after_.
“After I get my degree, then I will be happy.”“After I start earning a Million Rupees a year, then I will be happy.”“After I retire, _then_ I will be happy!”
And like the peasant in the above story, they end up chasing the ever elusive “after”, but never actually reach it.
There is no happiness in the after. The happiness is in the NOW! As the old saying goes:
“Tomorrow never comes. Because when it comes, it’s today again.”
Don’t make the same mistake as the peasant. Stop looking for happiness in the future, and instead savour everything you already have. Happiness is already with you. You just need to tap into it.
Pause to smell the proverbial roses along the way….
Right now, just slowly breathe all the way out, and take a deeee-ee-eep slooo-ooo-oow breath in. Then breathe all the way out, through your nose, even slower than you breathed in.
Good!
Just pick an area of your life. Any area of your life. Could be your work, or your family life, or your car, or the room you’re in right now. Then simply make a mental list of “3 Simple Things I love about [……….].”
The “3 Simple things I love about…” is a great quick exercise if you ever find yourself bored, like in traffic or in the checkout line at the grocery store. It instantly annihilates the boredom, and fills your life with happiness.
Do it right now! Pick one area of your life, and list 3 Simple things you love about it.
There’s no happiness in the “after”. So enjoy the now!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
REWINDED INNOCENCE
The little bully, the loner,the dreamer,the leader,and the big always-happy-ever smiling-guy.None reminds me of me, but in each I can see a part of me .
But still I recognize all of their faces, even the shy little one who trailed me and almost became my shadow.
It was as though I had found an old journal while cleaning up my room - the pages crisp and yellowed by the passage of time : A little crispier than what was meant to be, and the writing a little faded than it once used to be.
Some memories have names, and some do not, but they are all hazy, warm, and dirty from the days of carefree play.
Anything and evrything is reason enough to trigger the memories of those golden days.
I miss the plays, the fights, the Camaraderie, a life where you did not know ,did'nt even have a wiff of what ego was,a life which was carefree and where only worry,if ever,was of which new game to play tomorrow.
I miss school.
I miss school .
........MISS IT ......
(These pictures were taken when I went to visit a island fort and quite accidently and thankfully met these simlpe kids-children of local fishermen ,who became my guide to the whole fort .....showed me around,explained to me various underground tunnels and shared whatever they knew very large heartedly.Innocence flows from these guys faces)
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
BUNDLE OF JOY.....
He is 4 and half and goes to school. He says there are all small kids in his class. Ask him to recite the alphabets from A to Z and he will invariably give a couple of them a miss during the recital. Ask him to name shows he watches on cartoon network and he won’t miss a beat before answering all of them in a row.He calls me big brother or dada .He is actually my cousin .Almost always prefers the company of elders rather then children his age .whenever he comes visiting my house he will first make a beeline for our refrigerator to have some almonds. Second stop is our store room where he just stares at the various assortments of bottles and jars my mom has stacked.
He will watch cartoon network till late into the night and then sleep with me in my bed.
Of course that’s not a problem till he wakes you up at odd timings in the middle of the night cause he has to do either shoo or shee….
This guy is a terror if he accompanies you anywhere. You better be prepared to answer all his questions, which come at the rate of about 100/sec ;) and by all I mean ALL. If you fail to answer back there a subtle and NOT so subtle hints dropped by this big guy.
This guy rarely takes no for an answer .Typical conversation between us ….
boin dada
Bol what happened?
Iam bored...Can you play with me?
No...
Why not?
Iam tired...
Why are you tired? You did not work since morning.
But I did go to work the whole week. So iam tired.
But today you have holiday. And if you continue sitting like this you will put on more weight
@$#%## you go and ask mama (my dad) he will play with you
No he is busy. You play with me.
Why don’t you go and watch cartoons?
No I want to play…
But iam tired .I want to rest.
But you did not work today, you must have some exercise.
Ok ill play with you ….
Once I was reading the Sunday newspaper while having breakfast with the family .There was some model's picture on the front page.
This big guy tells me "girls are bad… "
Huh?? Pray tell me why I ask him…
Because it seems they kiss boys and they remove their clothes …….. (Trails off)
Who told you this?
I know.
How you know? (I persist because by now everyone around the table is giving me nasty looks ….common folks I DID NOT TELL HIM)
I know I know (that’s all I can draw out from him)
Of course there is a much nicer side to this little big dodo…. I take him to the shopping centre D’mart (his favorite place currently) There he finds the prettiest girls around and tells them this is my big brother ….he is going to buy me that big truck because he has a very good job ….
The girls look at me, take him in their arms, Cuddle this cute little bundle of joy and flash me a smile ……what a bloody introduction. All the pick up lines in the world would fail but not this guys innocent babbling …..What a sweetheart he is …
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