Unshrouded

Why me?!

Sat, 08 Jan 2011 13:17:00 -0500

There was a time, when I did ask Him, Why me? Why me. Everytime. And I do know atleast a gazillion people that ask Him the same question everyday.

How many of us step up and take control of any situation during the downside of our lives without passing the buck to Him?

When you are grateful to God, not holding Him responsible for what happens in your life, not raising the same question Why me? for every small and big incident that happens, not being able to take control of your life ahead despite what happens and despite how many times it happens, that is when one experiences His real WRATH.

Is it easy to start taking every little thing in your stride, to not get disheartened when you are in the lowest of low phases, to accept life with a tad bit of optimism. No. It definitely is difficult. He knows. But He will help you as long as you are positive, have that faith in Him. Even if it means having that hope till your last breath!

Food for thought - How often do we say ‘Why me?’, when anything good happens. Almost Never.

BLACK

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:22:21 -0500

Since I was a kid, I have always been scared of darkness. I could never sleep without holding my mum’s hand when the power went off , could never walk into a dark room in the house, could never sleep alone without any lights ON. I had a lot of other fears that I overcame as I grew up, but the one fear I couldnt let go off - The fear of a dark world.

I wonder how people who are blind manage to lead an entire life where everything is just BLACK and only BLACK. There are over 150 million blind people in the world. Most of them dont need to be. Though they have easily curable diseases like the Cataract, the lack of resources decides their fate and makes their world a dark dark place.

Dr.Geoff Tabin , a miracle doctor who also happens to be a mad ski mountaineer(he climbed all the seven summits of the world!) set a new goal to attain pinnacle of success in his life by helping cure blindness across the developing countries.

He started the Himalayan Cataract Project in Nepal along with Dr.Ruit. Now he and his team not only perform cataract surgeries all over sub-saharan African countries, but also train technicians, nurses. After all there were only 2 opthalmologists available to the 5 million Ethiopians before Tabin happened to them!

Reading about people like Tabin who help in resurrection of blind people’s lives reaffirms my faith in humanity that binds ALL of us.

Do watch this video. Left me teary-eyed.

Aditya Jitta - My sweet little round friend from School :)

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:41:00 -0500

One reason why I really started liking Social networking sites - Coz I found a longlost 1st -4th std friend from school.

Was his best enemy in school after all the cruel punishments, thanks to a certain ‘Class Leader’.Oh my i never realised till day that he actually hated me in school.His name was on the blackboard everytime I was asked to ‘mind’ the class. The more he talked the more ‘+1’s were added next to his name. And one more reason why he hated me cause the girl he supposedly had a crush on in 3rd Std was my close competitor for the ‘First in Class’ Title!

Anyhow I think here’s a small attempt to make up for those ‘harsh’ days Jitts!

I cant trade the times I get to catch up with him now for nothing! Its truly Priceless. Everytime I talk to him, I see a small chubby boy, in off-white shirt and snuff colored shorts with a paunch coming outta his tucked shirt!( And I do remember the fact that he weighed 45 kgs in 4th Std…Its true!! I sneaked peeked into his report when I was submitting them to the Class Teacher! :D )

Jitts…this post is dedicated to you..Here’s to school, nostalgia and Jitts!

I recently got hold of a very interesting book called Chai, Chai...

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:22:02 -0500

I recently got hold of a very interesting book called Chai, Chai - its a book about the places that we stop but never travel to. The author extensively writes about the places that have a life now cause of the railway stations in those particular towns.

Very interesting read especially if you love the rail gaadi and random travelling! Was so into the book, that it felt as though I was in the train hoping to reach Itarsi* and explore! Suddenly I realised that I was actually travelling , but by air to Hassi Messaoud via Paris- a place that I despise :|

However a Yellow label Chai and a donut that looks like the vada at the Charles De Gaulle Airport helped me daydream about the chook chook train!

*The place Itarsi was named after Inta(brick) and rassi (rope)business that the place was known for!

Happy as a clam in butter sauce!

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:56:00 -0500

I’m at the fag end of my 6 week long vacation at home, full of ups & downs and hahaas & boohoos but when I look back there is an amazing feeling, a contented feeling coz of the numerous things that give me enormous pleasure :)

So, here I am making a list of things that can change my mood from a :( to a :) in a jiffy!

1. Seeing this on the road

or eating them for breakfast without getting too distracted by the TV and trying to get the seeds out!!

2. An afternoon nap..zzzzzzz :)

3. Coming across a painting of a place (no points for guessing the place!) I have been to when I was at school and the part where it feels like somebody has captured a moment of your past in the form of a painting!

When I saw this painting, I just felt like walking into the Buland Darwaza :)

I am on a ‘Happiness’ Mission! Stay tuned for more :)

Random :) moments of the day

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:04:00 -0400

— Was called to the Dist.Sessions court for a 14 year pending case and was thrilled when the guard announced - “Nalla Shravya haazziiir hoooo”

— The birth of a baby brings sooo much joy to EVERYONE in the family. My cousins in the US had a baby and my old grandparents and uncles and aunts gathered at my place in nizamabad JUST to see the baby’s pic on the net! Ther world is def flat! :P

— My 8 year old cousin was so excited that I was home for his birthday. But was angry tat I dint wake up early in the morning to wish him before he left for school! ( Well I did go to his school to give the return gifts he forgot at home to make up for it!)

— Balloons to decorate my cousin’s place - Rs 100. Snacks for his friends - Rs 500. Return gifts for the kids - Rs 500. Birthday Cake — Rs 400. Expression on my Athrey’s (my cousin) face when he saw the Mickey Mouse on his cake - PRICELESS! :)

— Writing an essay on Global Warming for another cousin who wants to take part in Dist. Science Congress - the same science congress I had taken part in about 10 years ago , just that the topic was - ‘Depletion of Ozone layer’

— Being pampered and patted to sleep by grandma while seeing grandpa hitting noisy kids playing around with his walking stick

— The fact that I have been home on a vacation for 6 weeks now!

— Listening to A.R.R’s Best on my Bose Speakers and thinking of times where I got to see him Live :)

I’m high but I’m grounded I’m sane but...

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:34:00 -0400

I’m high but I’m grounded
I’m sane but I’m overwhelmed
I’m lost but I’m hopeful baby

I’m tired but I’m working, yeah
I care but I’m restless
I’m here but I’m really gone

What it all comes down to
Is that everything’s gonna be fine fine fine
Coz I’ve got one hand in my pocket
And the other one with the chudi makes me smile! :)

After n no. of advertisements and promos, I see a disclaimer on...

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:52:00 -0400

After n no. of advertisements and promos, I see a disclaimer on the INOX screen that says - ” Mumbai has been called as Bombay here and there in the movie, if it hurts your sentiments, its completely unintentional. Mumbai is an INTEGRAL part of this movie. “

My heart skipped a beat when i read the - Mumbai is an integral part of this movie! I was all the more excited about the movie on the bigscreen!. ( Ever since I have started work, I enjoy watching just about any movie on big screen with Popcorn and Pepsi! )

My stay in Mumbai was one of the best phases of ALL my life. I attributed it to - the feeling of being independent, responsible and freedom. And everytime I read about ‘Mumbai’ or see places of ‘Mumbai’ in the movies..there is always a feeling that somehow fills all the voids within.

And I realised today that its not the place or the part where I got to live on my own that makes me feel that way but .. the friends I had made in mumbai and also another special person with whom I shared my stories from mumbai…be it describing a weird looking rock that I had discovered on my way back from work or my experience cooking my first pulav!

That feeling which fills all the spaces so perfectly would not have been there if not for all of you…

Snippets of the documentary - Encountered on the Saffron...

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 11:18:00 -0400

Snippets of the documentary - Encountered on the Saffron Agenda.

See this video and then you’ll know for yourself how brutal humans can be and still get away with it. Why would anybody shoot a female between the legs in a so called ‘encounter’.

Does somebody have answers for all the questions raised by the families/friends of the ones that have been sacrificed for political motives of the corrupt leaders?

Encountered by Saffron (a)Genda

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 11:13:00 -0400

Just off from a 100 odd minute documentary on the ‘Gujarat Fake Encounter Controversy’. For those of you, who are not familiar with the incident - The Gujarat Police killed a couple of innocent Muslims over a period of 3-4 years starting in 2002 on a false allegation of planning to assasinate Modi and claimed that they belonged to the LeT terrorist group.

‘Encountered on saffron agenda’ is a brilliant documentary that brings to light the facts behind these encounter killings and the fake documents to prove that the falsely alleged belonged to the terrorist group. The documentary showcases all the loopholes in these strategically planned murders.

The train a Mr. Sameer Khan had took to Pakistan for LeT training didnot go on the date mentioned in the police documents. Neither did the hotel that he stayed in Nepal exist. Ishrat Jahan, another claimed terrorist, was raped by the police and was shot in seven different places to eliminate all evidence of rape that might show up in the Post-mortem report.

I feel ashamed of all the politicians - so called ‘leaders’ , who take advantage of their power and treat fellow humans like guinea pigs for their little experiment called ‘Elections’.

Is it really that difficult to feel a tad bit of compassion towards other humans? So what if they follow other belief system or religion..at the end of the day..we have all come from the same source..the same universe.

The saffron color in the Indian National Flag symbolises sacrifice and salvage of the leaders who have given all they could for the independence of the nation..

And most of the present day leaders are salvaging innocent people for power and their own selfish political victories and have changed what saffron color in our flag actually reprents.

My heart goes to families of the ones encountered by the saffron genda (flag in hindi, and the color of flag of the political party that has been ruling Gujarat for a very long time now)

All you terrorists out there and corrupt leaders - Cant you pause for a moment and think of your loved ones before you take away ours?

“I am haunted by this song.. Dont know...

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:06:29 -0400

“I am haunted by this song..

Dont know why…

Everytime I hear, I get shivers down my spine…”

I havent read extensively about MJ whackoness but I think he has...

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:43:09 -0400

I havent read extensively about MJ whackoness but I think he has done enough good in terms of telling people across societies that we ALL can make the world a better place with just a tiny winy bit of love.

There are ways to get there, make a living space. We can make this world a better place. For you and for me and the entire human rice.

This is one of my all time favorite songs and I bow to MJ for making this song!

RIP.MJ.

Whoa! Jaw-dropping stuff! I am so buying this! :) Technology...

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:45:00 -0400

Whoa! Jaw-dropping stuff! I am so buying this! :)

Technology that we see in science-fiction movies does become reality someday!

Extreme Kindness Tour!

Sun, 24 May 2009 09:09:00 -0400

Whoa! I have heard of World Tours & Country side Tours..but Extreme Kindness Tour?!

Here’s the story that can get your adrenaline pumping! (Well…it gone mine! :) ) -

Four twenty-something friends in Canada packed a motor home and embarked upon a three-month nonprofit marathon known coast to coast as The Extreme Kindness Tour. Their mission: to commit as many random acts of kindness in as many communities as possible. This record documents their heartwarming stories of friendship and kindness and provides readers with ways to start their own kindness movements and get involved in their own communities. From mile zero to St. John’s, The Extreme Kindness Tour staffed soup kitchens, broke horses, roofed houses, delivered flowers, sang songs, visited hospitals, raised funds, and staged rallies determined to make someone’s day and encourage them to “pay it forward,” connecting the world through kindness.

…and the travelogue book…

Check out the videos here.

I cant wait to make an Extreme kindness Tour. Fellow YOFAiiites…are you listening?! :)

I stayed in India all my life before I moved to Algeria. Staying...

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 07:24:00 -0400

I stayed in India all my life before I moved to Algeria. Staying away from my country, my people and my culture makes me realise the small things that I had taken for granted and never really realised the kind of comforting impact those small things had on me while I was in India. These small things.. are the things that I miss the most…

Though I was never a very religious person, I always accompanied my mom and grandmom on their visits to all the possible temples around. I feel sooo comforted listening to the background ‘noise’ of the temple in the video.. especially the bell…. !

Anyhuu, This is one of my fav songs from my childhood by Ilayaraja!

” Hey! Check , I am all dry behind the ears!” ( Did...

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 02:39:00 -0400

” Hey! Check , I am all dry behind the ears!”

( Did you know the phrase ‘wet behind the ears’ means - to be naive and inexperienced?! English, as they say is a really interesting language! )

I never knew that earphones had magnetic properties untill...

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 02:02:00 -0400

I never knew that earphones had magnetic properties untill yesterday. I was playing around with my Apple earphones on my desk and noticed that when I moved the earphone closer to its counterpart, the counterpart moved away and I kept doing it for almost five minutes and was thinking how when you are pushy and try to get closer to something, the farther ‘things’ move including earphones!

And just when my thought process ended there, the two earphones got stuck to each other!

Wondering if those little earphones have a message for me?! Tenacity?

This post is dedicated to a darling friend of mine from my +1...

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:16:00 -0400

This post is dedicated to a darling friend of mine from my +1 days. I have known her for almost 8 years now. More than the time its about the way we bonded when we first met. +1,+2 was a real difficult period in the hostel and there was a corner I always went to , to brood. And it so happened that she used to go to the same corner to brood. That’s how we met!

Ever since, we have shared all the sweet somethings and the cuter nothings! What else can I say about her. She’s the best! :)

She wanted me to chant this mantra 100 times everyday! Here you go lachu, anything for you! :)

lachu is the best

lachu is the best

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lachu is the beast?! Sheesh! Typo, but typos speak the truth at times, no? :D ( Actually, she is the beauty! not the beast!)

A real creative title for a networking book! Chanced on this...

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 05:42:00 -0400

A real creative title for a networking book! Chanced on this book a couple of years back but got reminded cause I have been eating alone for quite some time now :)

Apart from the name of the book, some lines that I liked from the book -

Remember people’s birthdays. They are important for them even if they keep denying it.
Always keep in touch with people from your adress book. Make a short call, send them a message just to inquire about them.
Always offer your help to others. Don’t wait until they ask you. Act immediately.
Naked truth: everything that people need is a partner, money or a desire to change a world.

These are all very small things which take very little effort but make a real huge impact.

Was trying to kill time at a French book store in Aeroport de...

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 15:09:48 -0400

Was trying to kill time at a French book store in Aeroport de Paris and the little french that I tried to pick up helped me translate this book.

Was literally shocked when I realised that its about a 10 year old divorcee.Have heard of child marraiges but divorcee at 10?!

Though Yemen is known for child brides, Nojoud Ali created history by striking back. She now goes to school and aspires to become a lawyer and save young girls like her who are being exploited by the older men.

If somebody finds an english copy of this book, please pass it on!