Inferno - Dan Brown

Revolving around Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy - covering Inferno, Purgatoria and Paradiso; Dan Brown has yet another novel to his credit that is captivating; though there are some similarites at places with some of his earlier writings. That is obvious because it is again our dear Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon going around Florence, Venice and Istanbul, with a threat to his life that propels him into a breakneck chase across the city. Only Langdon's knowledge of the hidden passageways and ancient secrets that lie behind its historic facade can save them from the clutches of their unknown pursuers - People from The Consortium and WHO Director Dr. Elizabeth Sinskey and her team.

With only a few lines from Dante's Inferno to guide them, Robert Langdon and a young doctor, Sienna Brooks, (with unique intellect including a rather startling capacity for recall), must deciphere a sequence of codes buried deep within some of the Renissance's most celebrated artworks to find the answer to a puzzle which may, or may not, help them save the world from a terrifying threat....


The great pariah in the medical community Bertrand Zobrist had pointed hypotetical question - If you can throw a switch and randomly kill half the population on earth, would you do it?' Obviously may not. 'But what if you were told that if you didn't throw the switch right now, the human race would be extinct in the next hundred years?' Immediate reaction when asked the question would that be of 'Denial'.

What genetic horror Zobrist dreamed up? How he would thin the human heard? Why did he do it? He was not herd, considered mad, felt all alone...The worst kind of loneliness in the world is the isolation that comes from being misunderstood. It can make people lose their grasp on reality. And if you have enormus energy and knowledge; you end up doing what you feel is right....Who is Dr. Sienna Brooks?

The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in time of moral crises. i.e In dangerous time, there is no sin greater than inaction.

Just Last Year...But wish we had more of it...

Ah! Enjoy the pics...this is where we had been for the meeting; as I sit idle and the bubbly host there is busy taking a tour of Germany I am reminded of this.....

http://www.google.de/search?hl=de&gs_rn=5&gs_ri=psy-ab&cp=7&gs_id=q&xhr=t&q=schliersee&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&bvm=bv.43287494,d.Yms&biw=1255&bih=827&wrapid=tljp136268811278606&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=dfg4Uf6qKcSLswbohoCACw

Ekant

We did meet again...Though she wanted us to meet near a river and play in the water...we just remembered

The morning slides up upon the pane,
Fresh air through an open vane
The chill across the body warm,
No harm.
The sea it splashes hard and strong,
Beyond a point, there is no wrong
We stand and stare and stare and stare,
Nature so beauteous, can never be fair.
Take up the walk, take up the shore
Take up upon never ending and more.
A way side Inn, in sun and glare
Little seats about the pavement bare.
Much later then another walk
Vast bodies of rock, silent, no talk.
There is a silence about and above
This is not game for treasure trove.


Though....the poet gets into writers block...it was a good get together.

We need someone from Dubai to come home for the people around to meet.

Frozen Thought...

Thank you Smitha for sharing the wonderful magazines with us....

There was this wise old man who answers to all life-related questions. He was an enlightened person. A boy, in his adolescent years, wanted to test the wise old man. He caught hold of a little bird. Holding it in the palm of his hands, and with his hands hidden inside his coat, he asked the wise old man, “ I have a bird with me. Is it alive or dead?” The old man smiled and said, “If I tell you, the bird is alive, you will crush the bird and show me a dead one. If I tell you, the bird is dead, you will release the bird and show me it’s alive.


Embarrassed, the boy dropped his head and began to walk away. He would have hardly walked a few steps. He heard the voice of the old man, “ Mind you my son, in fact, this is the philosophy of life – your life and your death are in your own hands.”


In spite of the canvas, despite the paints and the brushes involved, the quality of a painting is the responsibility of a painter. Similarly, the quality of a sculpture is the responsibility of a sculptor. If so, then the quality of your life is your responsibility, and yours alone. Your life and your death are in your own hands. No blame is allowed.


If I ask you to carry a 12-Kg single granite stone and walk a kilometre, you would struggle with it. Now, I ask you to carry your child who is 12-Kgs for the same one kilometre and you will happily do it. Anything in life that is perceived as Kashtam Kashtam will only appear to be even more difficult. Do the same thing perceiving it as Ishtam Ishtam, the most complex of tasks can be done with effortless ease. Stop viewing responsibilities as a burden and start seeing them as opportunities. Stop saying Kashtam Kashtam to responsibilities and step forward to take responsibilities saying Ishtam Ishtam.

I will assume....don’t wait for others to offer your responsibilities. You take the initiative. You Volunteer. You step forward. Announce your presence.



I will assume unconditional...what is not unconditional never gets done. There is no point in keeping the ‘exit’ door open all the time. Burn the bridges. Conditions are required only to pass on the blame, in case there is a failure. Don’t even consider failure as an option. Where conditions succeed, responsibilities fail. Where responsibilities succeed, conditions are redundant. Just take it and do it.



I will assume unconditional responsibility. The Lord may have borne the corss of your sins, but even he will not bear the cross of your growth. The cross of your growth is your responsibility, and yours alone. You alone must carry it.

Only when you feel responsible for your life, you can respond with ability. Else, it will be responding with disability. Put your hands up and be counted.


It is the eternal law of life- the law of impermanence – anything that begins will end. If it had a beginning, then it will have an end.


Did the day begin? Yes! Then the day will end. Did the year begin? Yes! Then the year will end. Did your relationship begin? Yes! Then it will end – either by parting with each other when life is still on, or through the death of one. We all have come into this planet with confirmed return ticket. The date is the only unknown factor to us.


Success is failure delayed. Failure is success delayed. Good times will be followed by recession and recession will be followed by great times. Every beginning will end and every end will result in a new beginning.

This isn’t a pessimistic view of life. It is the other way around. Because we know there is death, let us make the most of life. Because we know the day will end, let us make the day count. Because we know the year will end, let us do something significant to do it memorable. Because we know our tough times too will end, let us endure it with strength and courage. Because we know the best of times too will end, let us be humble even in our success. Because we know every relationship will eventually end, let us give ourselves completely and unconditionally to our loved ones.



Above all, because we know even we will end, let us live such a life that we leave a legacy.

Talk The Walk!

In management as in marriage, the ‘C’ word is crucial. Like Hilton’s essentials for a hotel’s success, ‘Location, Location, Location’, here the winsome threesome is –‘Communication, communication, communication’.




Yet, people emerge from even the most elite educational powerhouses, with tongues tied up in knots.


What use your ideas if you can’t convey them convincingly? What use your leadership if you find it awkward to express yourself? What use yearning to be a sought-after guy if you mumble a speech and stumble so badly over a punc-line that the joke falls flat on its face?


Public Speaking Skills make all the difference to how you come across.


Tips abound to get over your fright in addressing a roomful of people. ‘Imagine them naked’ is among the most absurd – it could result in the most embarrassing consequences. ‘Avoid eye contact’ is as stupid because using your eyes is among the best ways to win ‘ayes’.

Here’s my maxim: bring about a ‘C’ Change.
The 6 C’s are – Content, Conviction, Confidence, Contact, Conflict (on occasion) and Cool (always).


In our eagerness of ‘how’ to say, we can’t overlook the primary importance of ‘what’ to say. Work on ideas first. You’re never going to win over anyone to views in which you yourself don’t believe.

Once you have content and conviction, the third ‘C’ is a shoo-in, with a little rehearsing.

Personalising your message is the surest way of getting it across – and the best messenger is eye-contact.

Conflict, via controversial remarks, is a great way to wake up your audience - but use this judiciously.

Finally, keep your cool – lose your temper and you lose the battle.

Book Buddy - Working Women and communication

Some times before in 2012 my book buddy told me:

Building a new structure and foundation is going to be very important for you. It may feel as if the very foundation for your life has been shattered but beneath is something stable, strong and everflowing. I encourage you to find an outlet that draws out this strength and enables you to share what you know with others - here you will find purpose for your being and build a future foundation for others to walk. Be open to discovering what this is - it is already there waiting for your permission.

Your personal freedom can be found through communication - it does not need to be verbal or physical. Sometimes silence is far powerful than the spoken word. There is a perfect way waiting for you - if you are open to being the answer.

Affirm:
I am open to ways in which I can serve the world with who I am today
What I know can change the world
I am free in every way that is necessary for me to fulfil my purpose

Ask:
How can I be of service as a free and open channel? Your mind does not need to know the answer. Just asking the question will direct you to living the answer.

And she was:
Louise Gilbert | Author | I met my Soul in a Coffee Shop
Your Purpose Consulting Ltd
E: louise@imetmysoul.com | T: 0800 369 363 | M: 021 464 122

Soon I lost in touch with her...

But is grateful to find one in office....who is there to bring me out of my personal emotions and thoughts and help me enjoy my work..like a Santa Claus who takes a ride through the night and leaves presents for all children in the chimney; she has been our constant motivator ..Thank you Dunja...She has send me books beyond my count and recommended so many readings viz:



http://www.us.penguingroup.com/static/rguides/us/memory_keeper.html

http://www.amazon.com/Glass-Castle-Memoir-Jeannette-Walls/dp/074324754X

http://www.amazon.com/Angelas-Ashes-Memoir-Frank-McCourt/dp/068484267X/ref=pd_sim_b_7

Alice Munro - Short stories:
http://www.amazon.de/Alice-Munros-Best-Selected-Stories/dp/0771065205/ref=sr_1_13?s=books-intl-de&ie=UTF8&qid=1386577946&sr=1-13&keywords=alice+munro+short+stories

A Perfectly Good Family: A Novel: Lionel Shriver:http://www.amazon.com/Perfectly-Good-Family-Novel/dp/0061239496/ref=la_B001HD3UCY_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389818919&sr=1-5

Book =Buch, title = Titel : Ein ganzes halbes Jahr - a whole half year ....(One of her many gifts to me)




Not just books but she also shares thoughts and inspirations:

http://www.npr.org/2014/03/11/289018821/for-working-moms-key-to-balance-may-lie-in-elusive-leisure-time?utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=20140316&utm_source=mostemailed

"The women who has given the interview is American. Culturally it is a bit different from Germany but the issues working women are sharing are worldwide the same. France is very advanced in childcare but still it is very difficult. But all women are facing similar issues.

The key message I got is that you have to ensure right from the beginning to involve your partner in everything. Otherwise we as women end up in a role being the father (going to work fulltime) like our father did and a mother as we try to organize everything and have a tendency trying to make everything a 100%.


When I listen to male colleagues in India I have the feeling that the young generation in India is changing much faster than in Europe. Praseed e.g. really cares about his daughters and is very much into family life. I think it is so great to see male colleges who take over responsibility rather than going to work and come home with the expectation that everything is done. I do really wonder how the society in India will change over the next 30 years…

The reason why I send you this interview is that you –like all working mothers in the world – need to take time out for yourself. You are in the beginning of your thirties but as we say in German – your batteries will be flat if you don’t do that. You work in a company with a young boss who has three children, I have kids and I am female and I think non of us will become upset if you take a day off every other month. You should do this Lavanya – only to take care about yourself – it is a gift what you can give to you and finally your family can take advantage from it too.

Don’t do the same mistakes as other women and think that you have to do everything a 100%. 85% is the 100% of a working mother ;-)"

Some of her most amazing advices have been 'Nothing happens for Nothing'; 'Don't forget - ME is nothing life threatening'. 'Don't go into your shell - don't close down, when someone is asking too much - Take the chance to send an email, SMS or call just to say "A,B,C are really getting on my nerves'; sometimes it helps. Not to speak about it does not mean you are week."

Count Your Blessings

From the book, The Magic

"When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around."
Willie Nelson (b. 1933)
singer-songwriter

You will have heard people say to count your blessings, and when you think about the things you're grateful for, that's exactly what you're doing. But what you may not have realized is that counting your blessings is one of the most powerful practices you can ever do, and it will magically turn your whole life around!

When you're grateful for the things you have, no matter how small they may be, you will see those things instantly increase. If you're grateful for the money you have, however little, you will see your money magically grow. If you're grateful for a relationship, even if it's not perfect, you will see it miraculously get even better. If you're grateful for the job that you have, even if it's not your dream job, things will begin to change so that you enjoy your job more, and all kinds of opportunities for your work will suddenly appear.

The flipside is that when we're not counting our blessings, we can fall into the trap of unintentionally counting negative things. We count negative things when we talk about the things we don't have. We count negative things when we criticize or find fault with other people, when we complain about traffic, waiting in lines, delays, the government, not enough money, or the weather. When we count negative things they increase too, but on top of that, with every negative thing we count, we cancel out blessings that were on their way. I have tried both - counting my blessings and counting negative things - and I can assure you that counting your blessings is the only way to have abundance in your life.

"Better to lose count while naming your blessings than to lose your
blessings to counting your troubles."
Maltbie D. Babcock (1858-1901)
writer and clergyman

First thing in the morning, or as early in the day as you can, Count Your Blessings. You can write out your list by hand, type it on a computer, or use a special book or journal and keep all of your gratitude in one place. Today, you are going to make a simple list of ten blessings in your life you are grateful for.

When Einstein gave thanks, he thought about why he was grateful. When you think about the reason why you're grateful for a particular thing, person, or situation, you will feel gratitude more deeply. Remember that the magic of gratitude happens according to the degree of your feeling! So with each item on your list write the reason why you're grateful for it.

Here are some ideas for writing your list:

* I am truly blessed to have what? ,
because why? .
* I am so happy and grateful for what? ,
because why? .
* I am truly grateful for what? ,
because why? .
* With all my heart, thank you for what? ,
because why? .

After you've finished making your list of ten blessings, go back and read each one, either in your mind or out loud. When you get to the end of each blessing, say the magic words three times, thank you, thank you, thank you, and feel the gratitude for that blessing as much as you possibly can.

To help you feel more gratitude, you can be grateful to the Universe, God, Spirit, goodness, life, your greater self, or any other concept you are drawn to. When you direct gratitude toward something or someone, you will feel it even more, and your gratitude will have even more power, and create even more magic! It's the reason why indigenous and ancient cultures chose symbols like the sun to direct their gratitude toward. They were simply using physical symbols to represent the universal source of all goodness, and in focusing on that symbol they felt more gratitude.

The practice of counting your blessings is so simple and so powerful in altering your life, that I want you to continue to add ten more blessings to your list every day for the next 27 days. You might think it could be difficult to find ten things you're grateful for every day, but the more you think about it, the more you will realize how much you have to be grateful for. Look closely at your life; you have received, and are continuing to receive so much each and every day. There is really so much to give thanks for!

You could be grateful for your home, your family, your friends, your work, and your pets. You could be thankful for the sun, the water that you drink, the food that you eat, and the air that you breathe; without any of them you wouldn't be alive. You could be grateful for the trees, the animals, the oceans, the birds, the flowers, the plants, blue skies, rain, the stars, the moon, and our beautiful planet Earth.

You could be grateful for your senses: your eyes that see, your ears that hear, your mouth that tastes, your nose that smells, and your skin that enables you to feel. You could be grateful for the legs you walk on, your hands that you use to do almost everything, your voice that enables you to express yourself and communicate with others. You could give thanks for your amazing immune system that keeps you well, and all of your organs that maintain your body so that you can live. And what about the magnificence of your human mind, which no computer technology in the world can duplicate?

Here is a list of subjects that will remind you of the major areas you can look for blessings to be grateful for. You can also add any subject you want depending on what is important to you at any time.

* Magic Gratitude Subjects:
* Health and body
* Work and success
* Money
* Relationships
* Passions
* Happiness
* Love
* Life
* Nature: planet Earth, air, water, and the sun
* Material goods and services
* Any subject of your choosing

You should feel significantly better and happier after each time you Count Your Blessings, and how good you feel is your measure of how much gratitude you felt. The more gratitude you felt, the happier you will feel, and the faster your life will change. Some days you will feel happy really quickly, and other days it may take a little longer. But as you continue to Count Your Blessings every day, you will notice a bigger and bigger difference in the way you feel each time, and you will see your blessings magically multiply!


Magic Practice Number 1

Count Your Blessings

1. First thing in the morning, make a list of ten blessings in your life you are grateful for.
2. Write why you're grateful for each blessing.
3. Go back and read your list, either in your mind or out loud. When you get to the end of each one, say the magic words, thank you, thank you, thank you, and feel the gratitude for that blessing as much as you possibly can.
4. Repeat the first three steps of this magical practice every morning for the next 27 days.

Incredible India

Finally it was a dream come true, discovering Incredible India; the best of it with Panicker’s Travel India Pvt. Ltd.; Saro & Family and Jisha. Three long days moving from Delhi, to Jaipur to Mathura to Agra and then back to Delhi from Kerala....So varied and entertaining. It all started with Karol Bagh at New Delhi shopping and tasting variety foods viz. chats like Bhalla Papri, Aloo Chat, Pav Bhaji, Mathura Rabadi, varies North Indian Thali meals and Biryani. The journey all began from the much talked about New Delhi Airport.

On 17th April we could cover
Indira Gandhi Memorial,

Birla Mandir,

Qutab Minar,

Lotus Temple,













Stadiums, Teen Murti, Parliament House, Rashtrapati Bhawan, House of PM, Sonia Gandhi etc., India Gate, Red Fort and Raj Ghat.




On 18th April morning we left for Jaipur from Delhi which was around 266 kms. First to Amber Fort,

Here we could see Sheesh Mahal and enroute saw Jal Mahal,Maharaja Palace and Hawa Mahal.

Jantar Mantar (which is also at Delhi, Mathura, Ujjain, and Banaras) – it hand a blend of astrology and astronomy;

Birla Mandir and loads of shopping.

The stay at Hotel Red Fox was also amazing and it was Saros In-Law’s wedding anniversary.


On 19th April we started at 4 am in the morning from Jaipur to Fatehpur Sikri

which was around 200 kms away.Could not spend much time there as it started raining and we wanted to see so much more with so little time! Went to Mathura Birth Place of Lord Krishna at Bharatpur, and then via new Express Highway of Agra finally had the enchanting view of Wah Taj!