Two days of 'ESCAPE 2009'

A question to the audience, ‘THE PEN THE WORLD PREFERS’ is the tag line of which company, and apt came the reply from Yashin 'REYNOLDS' in the corporate fun fest – ESCAPE-2009 Mega event for corporates held on 5th & 6th December, 2009 .. Thus began the winning spree for OPI'ns in 'ESCAPE 2009' a Rotary club of Kochi Initiative.

Having reached the venue in the morning on the first day, after being in office till 4 am on Saturday morning, S&C team members were waiting for the solo song of OPI participants to start, in the fourth floor and there was Prabhu and Yashin, to support Susan in the Young mangers Contest in the second floor.

Keeping the spirits soaring at the beautiful venue in three different floors of IMA HALL, Behind International Stadium, Kaloor, Kochi, there was no looking back…


We were the runner ups , with Susan beating candidates after candidates, in four rounds and winning the best Manager award in Puli-Young managers contest. For this she was competing with thirty other Managers, in four rounds, which included a “sales pitch” and the grueling questions from the Judges and anyone from the audience, with a Pulse meter constantly measuring pulse of the participants to ensure that Young Manager was really calm and cool.

The near perfect rendition of latest hit songs by Revathy and Deepu in Solo Kuyil – Male and female Solo singing competition fetched the First Runner up prize amongst almost Forty six participants.



Strength of a chain is determined by its weakest link. Team work, enthusiasm, hardwork, determination and spirit made all the links equally strong in Kuyil Melam-Group Song. The Eight member Music group echoing the same tune without missing a beat headed by Biju V R singing an ever popular Onam Song. Eight member 'Dappan Kooth' Group Dance team led by Siyad Baker performing in total sync to walk away with another first announced to the whole Corp-festers, the hallmark of OPI team-work in action.Thus both the teams grabbed the first place in the respective events.

We had even showcased our talents in AdZap, and the beautiful Anthakshari having reached till finals, which had six rounds:
.First three normal song round for each language namely, Hindi, Malayalam and Tamil,
.Fourth was the matchmaking round, where in a song from one film was sung, the participants had to identify, the movie, and sing other songs from the same movie.
.Fifth was the Anupalavi round, wherein second para of the song was sung by the host, and the participants had to sing the first para.
.Sixth round was the background music round.

Having put to practice the faith that good is the greatest enemy of excellence winning had become a habit for OPI participants till the end and OPI grabbed the overall championship trophy.




Avinash was rocking and was the hearthrob of the day....

There were many ads, promotions and sales, of which one thing that I really liked was something, we could sing with:




But for the support and valuable inputs from the Management, nothing could have been possible.



Three cheers to S&C Kochi team for all their hard work and effort, especially to Jisha and Arun who were tied to the venue for two days of their happy weekend, and all others who were there to support, encourage, and help the participants, and to those who had worked hard for this, but could not make up for the event on the day....At the Venue OPI had the huge “ground support” provided by the young energetic OPI crowd who came in huge numbers on both the days to support their colleagues...Especially may be becuase they were missing the Bonwikk which was around this time last year....



Well I liked this quote, can you please identify, and name the person?

Be the change you want to see

Quite some time, wanted to post this...In fact before doing so, I wanted to see it once more in Youtube/orkut...but whenever I tried, my IE got disconnected??

A beautiful video...and the only one, on a road block, and people stuck on their way to their own destinations...in a hurry. And now they were here waiting, some enjoying, some tensed, some frustrated, some curious why? Some knowing the reason, waiting, with the thought 'This is not my job'. Somebody will set things right...

And then there was this boy on his way back guess from school, and he tried to move the big tree fallen on the road. Sure he was too young to do it alone, but then others, motivated, joined him and they moved the tree..

Quite interesting and motivating...Wanna see it? Check out in youtube or the only Video in Yashin's Orkut profile..Oh God! such an awesome Video shot...

Tum chalo to Hindustan chale Duniya ke iss runbhumi mai , Jab desh humara data hua hai , Le jaye jo Visha Shikhar par , wo nayak yahi kahi kada hua hai.
And the title comes from the Message from Abdul Kalam, in our office production floor, asking people to turn off the monitor when moving out of the office....


Indeed we need to be the change we want to see....Starters, Go Getters....

It also reminded me of the pic send by Paul, on the paining on the Indian Highway/pathway...




Thumbs up for people:
Who be the change they want to see...who step down, and give way to others...and when talking about this..I am reminded of Sonia Gandhi...

Who understand and do their duty towards their people, siblings, parents, friends and relatives, like my own parents, from whom I have learned most of the things and

Thumbs down for people:

Who be roadblocks, and hinderances with lust for power, wealth, and go upto any extend to keep it, even when it is time to move out.

Who keep finding reasons to prove that 'Why should I do?' 'Why not he or she?' or Keep saying 'I will not do'

True everybody cannot do everything...but indeed one can be the change one want to see......

Kerala Idol……

With reality shows being the family entertainment, and the Idea Star Singer…the desi version of the Indian Idol and the American Idol…celebrating its 150th day of the fourth series….there was this debate…who is the kerala Idol…the little masters…like Vishnu and Poornasree…The bold and the talented like Varun, or the little ones talented but cannot even reach till there….Are these reality shows really a boon or bane? Then there are people like Rajesh, working in software firms…going from Kanyakumari to Kashmir on bike…. Also the special guest for the150th day was Pritviraj….the young kerala Ikon, who is a star even in non Malayalam films. And there was this Sreesanth who had made a come back to the international cricket after a 19-month hiatus, and was declared Man of the Match…as his five wicket haul in Sri Lankas first innings was pivotal, and it also marked India’s 100th Test win…I was reminded of Jannath… There was this debate who is the kerala Idol of the two Pritvi, Sreesant or…???

Moksha

The 2001 release Moksha about law graduate Vikram Saigal (Arjun Rampal) wanting to start Nyaidarshan, with support from the bewitching smiled Ritika (Manisha Koirala) as he is not happy with his lot at all. She promises that in case she becomes a hinderance and cannot reconcile, she would die....He finds it impossible to find any other like-minded lawyers, his boss and his father (Suresh Oberoi), all consider his idea fantastic, but nobody is there to help him with money, and therefore hatches the plot to rob the bank....On the day of the bank robbery, a lady informs the bank authorities about the burglary

Vikram ends up doing annyai to himself, his better half, his profession, family, his pets being horse and dog, vehicle and others...Ritikas dream comes true.....and both of them are no more...and so is the end of the movie....cinematographi by Ashok Mehta was excellent...

I choose to watch the old ones... Fanna again the third time...dont know why it keeps attracting me... and Moksha....though there were a dozons waiting for me

Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani - This Ranbir Kapoor - Katrina Kaif movie is expected to be a classic coming from Rajkumar Santoshi the director of Andaaz Apna Apna,Jail - Madhur Bhandarkar movies are always looked forward to, Tum Mile, With Emraan Hashmi and Soha Ali Khan as the lead pair,Saif and Kareenas; Kurbaan with rumours going about that it has one of the longest kisses in Bollywood history, and an erotic thriller adding to the bare-back first look of the film , and Priyadarshans De Dana Dan, with the Hera Pheri team - in lead roles and lot of comedians....I am wondering, if it is the remake of any one malayalam movie or mixture of some..

And there was this 2012 which Saroja kept calling me for....lets see if possible next week....

Eid Mubarak, Swami Saranam, Merry Christmas

It’s the time for fastings and then feastings everywhere…. And all have the chanting of the beads....

As the human mind broadens, its spiritual steps broaden too…The time has already come when a man cannot record a thought without its reaching to all corners of the earth, by merely physical means, we have come into touch with the whole world, so the future religions of the world have to become as universal, as wide….

Blessedness, eternal peace, arising from perfect freedom, is the highest concept, underlying all the ideas, absolutely free existence, not bound by anything, no change, no nature, nothing that can produce a change in him.

Each one projects his own ideal and worships that. This external world is only the world of suggestions. All that we see, we project out of our own minds….The wicked see this world as a perfect hell, and the good as a perfect heaven. Lovers see this world as full of love, and haters as full of hatred; fighters see nothing but strife, and the peaceful nothing but peace…

I am happy to see people who see and understand all as one and the same….Advaita….from Vedanta….

Judaism, Christianity and Islam teach that Abraham was a model of how humans should live their lives displaying courage, faith, sacrifice, obedience, and trust in one supreme God. We believe that the “spirit” of this story is to see Abraham as a role model and to encourage all of us to live our lives with the same courage, faith, and determination to be the best person we can be. The Hindus divided humanity into three 'races': the "Aditya"s or the Hindu Gods , the "Daitya"s and the "Danava"s. The last two were held to be inimical to the Hindu Gods. All three were step-brothers derived from the same father Kashyapa. The mother of the Gods was Aditi, meaning the unlimited one, while the other two were derived from Diti, the limited one and Danu.

The Westerners (and Egyptians) were called Danavas in Sanskrit. The Greeks were known in Latin as Danao. 'O' is normally pronounced as 'v'. (Deo and Dev; Deodhar for Devadharu etc.) There is a Latin proverb "Timeo Danao et donos ferrentes; which means Beware of the gift bearing Greek.

Yayati's wives were transferred to Abram in the Jewish version. The first wife, Sarai or Sarah, carried the name of Brahma's consort Saraswati. The second wife in the Jewish story was also a slave. The story of Isaac is drawn from two Hindu sources. The first is the story of Daksha the son of Brahma who lost his head to the God Shiva and was revivified with a goat's head. Isaac, in Abraham's story was replaced by a ram for sacrifice at the bidding of God. The name Isaac is related to Eesha the Sanskrit word for the divine. The second story related to Isaac is the one of Ikshvaku who wanted to eat fresh meat on his death-bed and ordered his son to go on a hunt. The young man committed a minor infraction in rituals and was deprived of his right of succession. Isaac under similar conditions was persuaded by deception to pass on the mantle to Jacob who was later anointed Israel.

Noah was the Hindu Manu . The story of the Ark was a reproduction of the Hindu story of Matsyavatara or the fish incarnation, during the period of the Satyavrata Manu. The Jews called themselves Semites as descendants of Shem the son of Noah. Shem is perhaps derived from the Sanskrit term Shivam for pure. It is also the quality of another God, Shiva.

Then this diversity, was it just the passage of time, the differences in language and interpretation or something more?

No wonder there is so much to learn from History…

More Sentimental than Fundamental…..

The government approved gamble, as my roommate calls it….These days, I see most logging into http://www.nse-india.com/ first when in office…and then discussions among themselves….Do they realize or not that the Stock market is driven by sentiments too… Is there any way by which sentiments can be influenced or rather created? There are five ways companies can boost prices of their stocks: By announcing a bonus issue, stock-split, preferential issue, qualified institutional placement (QIP), and fund raising through issue of GDRs or ADRs. Is there any more ways??

Though these corporate actions generate a lot of heat, the hype lasts only for a short term. Ultimately, it boils down to the financial track record of the company. Hence, what matters is the company business operations, management credentials and future outlook.

Breaking the stride is the circuit filters, which only postpones the inevitable, by controlling panic especially driven by sentiments, by not allowing the prices to move beyond a limit. It could be market-wide or on individual stocks. It is designed to keep a check on stock market manipulation and protect small investors. As trading is halted, it is difficult to know the real value of a stock. Besides volumes could witness a sudden rise as investors rush to execute their orders and before the anticipated trading halt....

Going forward you may read more of it..as I have been reading the Journal, Capital Market, books like Making money in the wall street, and browsing these sites myself these days....

Nectar In a Sieve By Kamala Markandaya

This book took me to the thoughts of country turning into city, and the sea change in the lifestyle and pattern…..in the last century…

Kamala Markandaya born Kamala Purnaiya in a small town in Mysore in 1924, attended the University of Madras, beginning in 1940, where she studied history, and had settled in England since the age of 25, following her marriage to Bertrand Taylor. Her daughter Kim Oliver survives her. She left for her heavenly abode in 2004, at the age of 80, Sunday May 18 at her home in the outskirts of London. Fame and success came with her first published novel, Nectar In A Sieve (1954), a Book-of-the-Month Club Main Selection and bestseller in the United States.



The book is about generous and gentle, Indian Peasant women Rukumani married when she was 12, who is content in her love and admiration for her husband Nathan, , and their playful children, in her little South Indian Village, though she struggles for survival,….how knowing to read and write makes a difference…..

Growth is a constant wonder-from the time the seed split and the first shoots break out, to the first bloom, growing unconsciously, having very secret of itself, fragile, vanishing….How quickly children grow! They are infants- you look away a minute and in that time they have left their babyhood behind…Then on the wedding day, the girl is bruised by the imminent parting…in a few months time her new home would be the most significant part of her life, among strangers, the rest only a preparation….

Thoughts come of their own accord, although afterwards we can chase them away….

Nature is like a wild animal that you have trained to work for you. So long as you are vigilant and walk warily with thought and care, so long will it give you its aid, but look away for an instant, be heedless or forgetful, and it has you by the throat. The sowing of seed disciplines the body and the sprouting of the seed uplifts the spirit, but there is nothing to equal the rich satisfaction of a gathered harvest, when the grain is set before you…….

People will never learn! What was it we had to learn? To fight against tremendous odds? What was the use? One only lost the little one had. ‘Of what use to fight when the conclusion is known?’

What people will say! One goes from one end of the world to the other to hear the same story, Does it matter what people say? It matters to those about whom it is said?

Others like Kenny, helped, because they have the means, and because they have learnt of your need, but you must cry out if you want help, it is no use whatsoever to suffer in silence. Who will succour the drowning man if he does not clamour for his life? ‘Do not think spiritual grace comes from being in want, or from suffering? What thoughts have you when your belly is empty or your body is sick? Tell me they are nobel ones and I will call you a liar.” Who’s the blame then? Not I or you…

Blame the wind and the rain and the sun and the earth: they cannot refute it, they are the culprits.

To those who live by the land there must always come time of hardship, of fear and of hunger, even as there are years of plenty? This is one of the truths of our existence as those who live by the land know: that sometimes we eat and sometimes we starve. We live by our labours from one harvest to the next, there is no certain telling whether we shall be able to feed ourselves and our children, and if bad times are prolonged we know we must see the weak surrender their lives and this fact, too, is within our experience. In our lives there is no margin for misfortune.

In city, where shall a man turn who has no money? Where can he go? Wide, wide world, but as narrow as the coins in your hand. Like a tethered goat, so far and no farther. Only money can make the rope stretch, only money. Our people may not be ours, we learn even from children, and you have people who have no one like Puli…

Sometimes one loses, sometimes one gains, It evens itself out…..

Finally, it is a novel about the conflicts between a traditional agricultural culture and a burgeoning industrial capitalistic society. The novel touches on several important social phenomena: the importance of traditional cultural practices, people's reluctance to change, and the impact of economic change. There is so much packed into this little novel….I loved it….

Thank you all

Hey, so happy to have a long weekend for myself, really after long, though had earlier leaves for exam, those were too hectic… But now Thanks to the Thanksgiving day, celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. …Traditionally, it is a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude in general. While perhaps religious in origin, Thanksgiving is now primarily identified as a secular holiday….and am happy to have this one….,

Thanks for my job, thanks to my colleagues, Thanks to my friends, Thanks to my family and relatives, Thanks to my sibling and roommates, Thanks to my readers and critics, Thanks to the sunlight and rain, Thanks to peace and prosperity, Thanks for food and water, Thanks to the almighty, I know that there is a lot more that I am forgetting right now. But, let me just repeat, thank you all…on this Thanksgiving Day..



Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day, presently celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, has been an annual tradition in the United States since 1863. Thanksgiving holiday weekend is one of the busiest travel periods of the year, and normally shopping for Christmas is done now….

On this day, great many of us roast turkey bird to a golden-brown crisp, or prepare it in some other way..The actual number of turkeys eaten on Thanksgiving, often reported to be 46 million —In any case, how many commercially raised turkeys do you think were the result of artificial insemination? The answer seems to be 100 percent. Why? Because Americans particularly love to eat the breast meat of male turkeys. So having yummy turkey in your tummy this Thanksgiving????

Make better decisions….

Our decisions today, will decide our life tomorrow…..It is easy to select between good or bad, but when you have to select in between two good or two bad…your decision really matters….It is all up to us to decide with our head or heart…..Courtesy Fanna…

This is the advice that Zooni receives from her father just as she is about to venture out into the world on her own for the very first time. Little does she know that these very words will shape her life. ..and again the movie ends with the same advice...Happen to see this movie again....



Whatever decision you make, you will at a point ponder on the road not taken.....

Decisions, like any other activity, won’t get better without systematic review. If you don’t know which of your decisions are most important, you won’t be able to prioritize improvements. If you don’t know how decisions are made, you can’t change the process for making them. If you don’t assess the results of your changes, you’re unlikely to achieve better decisions. The way to begin is simply to give decisions the attention they deserve. Without it, any success you achieve in decision making will be largely a matter of luck…..

Your decisions in your life are yours to make, and then you will have no one to blame on….Make better decisions….At times....isnt life all about the decisions that you make....

The Fox

Happen to read this by D. H. Lawrence published in 1923. The movie is also based on this book, Sandy Dennis as Jill Banford, Anne Heywood as Ellen March, and Keir Dullea as Henry Grenfield.

The story is about three protagonists in a triangle of love and hatred, Set in the Berkshire district of England during World War I.

Banford and March live and work together on their meagre farm, surviving hardship only by sheer determination and dedicated labour. Without the help of any male laborers, Nellie March and Jill Banford struggle to maintain a marginal livelihood at the Bailey Farm. A fox has raged through the poultry, and although the women—particularly the more masculine Nellie—have tried to shoot the intruder, he seems always to elude traps or gunshot. Banford is thin and frail, contrasting with her companion, and the one who had actually invested in the farm.

The farm is their world and a place of safety - that is, until a young soldier walks in and upsets the women's delicate status quo. Between Ellen and Jill came Paul... None could have predicted quite the effect his presence would have on their lives...

The Fox ... symbol of the male...Was it destiny? Jill was the first, to allow him to stay with them, considering him to be like her younger brother...And destiny took her life for her kindness...

Monsoon Wedding

Nope, not the movie, nope, not the rains, nope, not the weddings….Then what….

On this rainy day, had the opportunity of attending, the Visitation & first profession of my colleagues Sister, who was becoming Sr. Betsy Thomas FCC, on this children’s day.

It was like, being a saint, being a sister, was like choosing, Lord Jesus, as the soul mate, and the life partner…henceforth it would be the life of obedience, brahmacharayam and poverty…..




Her speech was so charismatic, though her parents were crying, there was strength, and light on her face. …




Though had to attend it at 2, there was heavy rain……So why not mention something about the mansoon and wedding....

Monsoon,

The monsoon, we find to our dismay, is not the best time to visit places, it has a toll on so many things…yet we all love it…..I personally like to get wet in the rain….As said, may be because, nobody will see me crying…..

Monsoons in Kerala are the most enchanting in India. With green pastures at its best we have it longer, Southwest monsoon is the main rainy season in Kerala, as the rains starts by the middle of the Malayalam month Edavam which begins by the end of May or early June with the outset of the southwest monsoon winds. The next few months are periods of torrential rain. Lying on the windward side of the Western Ghats and being the first state to be hit by the monsoon winds, Most of the rivers of Kerala are fed by the monsoons. Nila.. A rich and splendid river that has eventually shrunken into a trickle! Even it overflowed this monsoon!!

And now, also known as the Retreating Monsoon or the Reverse monsoons, we have the northeast monsoon, which hits Kerala during the return of the southwest monsoon winds. These rains as it rains during the Malayalam month of Thulam are in the months of October and November and sometimes lasts till December and is also known as Thulavarsham. Heavy afternoon rains accompanied by thunder and lightening are the main characteristic of the season, which is what we see now…..

Monsoon, ha…Edavam… Thulam….

Wedding:

As a child, when asked, nobody would say that their aim in life is to get married or wedded, yet most people dream..

After the solemnization of marriage, the bride departs with her husband. This is a very sad event for the bride's relatives because traditionally she is supposed to permanently "break-off" her relations with her blood relatives to join her husband's family….Well these days there is a trend towards westernization among, Indian too even in this areas…and at places, it is the groom who breaks off from his relatives…these days….thats …

Hey this year there were too many of them…..most of my friends from GMCS batch got wedded this year, including one couple within the batch, then there is the 5 year old brother and sis from Amlaki, finally tying the knot this month, cousins weddings and engagements….and most happiest event was meeting of my friend after 8 years, who had expressed his desire and accomplished it…wedded to his sweet heart…. This year there are so many weddings, and so many love on air stories breaking out....which I had just ignored thinking to be rumour..in and around...Incredible...

At times, I wonder why Monsoon Wedding, then I realize, sometimes it takes water, to kindle a fire…The Kerala tourism monsoon promotional advertisement..

The wedding I attended, was a wedding a fire that kindled the heart of a tender young girl, having completed her MBBS from a well to do family, to take this step....4 years ago....

This too will pass away…….This too has passed away…..

Here I am as promised, after a break, back to action or back from action? Both?




Learning from the mistake of myself and others, as I cannot live long enough to make them all myself.

Traveling light….Remembering: don’t think what others are doing or saying…..Do your duty, and live the rest to God…Be happy!!!

Strength of a chain is determined by the weakest link, Talents differ, all is well and wisely put…Mountain and the squirrel had a quarrel.

Sabu my local guardian, Go Getter, would not be there with me to remind: take it as a challenge, only hand full of people are ours and will remain ours….Barbers, postman or others….

Reduce contacts, increase concentration….else others will make fun of you, as GK said….

Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone….water in office, food in room, work….money

Leaving behind my childhood, when I set out on my journey into life, I wonder why not did I realized, it was all for himself and God for all….One word story, courtesy: PG

Foucs on where you want to be and not on what you fear…. Dont loose the forest for the tree...Knowledge alone is not enough you must apply it….Bosses at office….

What keeps you up at night??? Never take anything lightly..

Beaware of Brainwashers, Think right, Need: Controllersip; Continuous Emphasis and Continuous improvement.

Things appear, big or small, depending on where we stand and how we look at things. Having shifted to the nineth floor, from the new building, even the big coconut trees appear so small....And indeed, from top, things are really very beautiful...Though a bit difficult to reach there compared to how it was...Also you dont realise the dust and the dirt from the top, and the comments made just from there though from a broader perspective is bound to be wrong...the daily routine has to be faced to be understood correctly...Its a commonly applicable fact...

You are an independent, optimistic, assertive, idealistic person, The weighing machine in Trichy, on my maiden visit...

Add Value, it matters. Surrender is different from Resignation.

Though dialogue, is a means of communication, what I realized, is there is understanding and more communication even in silence……UNDERSTANDING is all that matters……in life…..but that is not business right….Some people who were near were far, some people who were very far, were near….worthy of love…AG.



Do, and complete doing, a variety of things, activities, it will keep you motivated, and on your toe…give sometime for yourself, stay determined and optimistic…Pearl…Maegen

Dream is not what you see when you sleep, it is the passion that don’t let you sleep. It is attitude and not aptitude that will determine our altitude. Keep going, when the going gets tough, the tough gets going…

Read! Read! Read!

He who reads, leads….

Read, study, learn of everything important in your life..

Quitters never win, winners never quit.

Practise makes a man perfect.

Do & Redo, unfortunately or fortunately you cannot undo in life!!!

Last few days, were double the sleepless, restless, nights for me, both in terms of work and test….though there were so many to help…..

But this too has passed away…and waiting with my figures crossed for the things yet to come…

When I thought this would be my last attempt, here they have provided me with two more opportunity.....well it was my aim, my passion since a decade, then why give up?




http://cyrilsworld.rediffiland.com/iland/cyrilsworld_diary.html

I’m sure that there are several nameless faceless, homemakers, housekeepers, paan chewing uneducated (even illiterate, may be) beings out there in this world who do wonderful business without knowing the ABC of “structured business management/ administration”. These are the true heroes among us – the true visionaries, the ones who go about their ordinary daily routine with a zest and zeal that makes them extraordinary. For them, six-sigma is a way of life, total quality management is an inherent survival strategy, and providing end-to-end solutions is a simple necessity to put bread on the table.

And as for my fellow white-collared, cuff-linked, laptop-carrying professional brethren (myself included), well, as they say: ‘Some things, they teach you at Harvard. Some things, you have to learn them yourself’. Truly, there’s a lot of weight behind the saying ‘respect every job that gets dirt under a man’s fingernails’.

How many of us know the names or the background of the providers or our daily livelyhood, our housekeepers and cleaners?

For me, I am still just tiny little blue bird trying to climb up the tree to hang out with the bigger birds.

“Those who can, do. Those who can’t, .......”???? criticise/Teach/write/learn

Sitting with my fingures crossed....BRB in Nov...GW

Indeed success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts...


I would like to keep blogging, but there are other things....and as my friend rightly said, I need to give all this a break...so browsing is stopped for now....well, may be once a month, and blogging would be either in Erudition, Cosnsciousness or Thottappilly....Anyway, going by the trend, since I found my new love in this in 2005, I have almost reached my quota for this year too...so Inshallaha, catch you later....

Sitting with my fingures crossed....Good humour makes all things tolerable.

Hope there is no Communication gap.....and things are crystal clear....

There is strength, and support for my sis, very far, I know there is, but pray that things go well by the grace of God....

I dont even know if I will be completing the book that I am reading now....'Midnight's Children', by Salman Rushdie...But stricking points this far were:

We all owe death a life, ...'whatsitsname' like 'Nakudey amma dingy dingy'....Women could do terrible things, and 'In any war, the field of battle suffers worse devastation than either army...This is natural'.....

But I am a blasted tree; the bolt has entered my soul; and I felt then that I should survive to exhibit what I shall soon cease to be - a miserable spectacle of wrecked humanity, pitiable to others and intolerable to myself....no, not at all..Why it happened? No, no more....

Thoughts Vs. Actions

Having received an email saying that kerala Govt. had declared 19th June as 'Vayana Dinam', and my friend had started reading a new book, and dreaming...I had failed to realise it was 19th June, days were just fleeting....faster as thoughts.....I was just wondering, if it was worth dreaming...

There were so many questions haunting me during the last few days, and here is the answer that I got:

….have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books written in a foreign language. Do not now look for the answers. They cannot now be given to you because you could not live them. It is a question of experiencing everything. At present, you need to live the question. Perhaps you will gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself experiencing the answer, some distant day.

Then I wonder, life is so short, how long, do I need to wait for my answers, then I realize, life is all about choices. Deeply fulfilled and highly actualized people simply make wiser choices than others. You can choose to spend rest of your days sitting on the shore of life in complete safety or you can take some chances, dive deep into the water and discover the pearls that lie waiting for the person of true courage.

..In the words of Theodore Roosevelt, ‘The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows in the end the triumphs of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.’

There is God in everything, every one...see, understand, act....I am so happy and Thankful now that I have now added a God Mother, and God Father.....AG so far yet so near & SS so near yet so far...., to the list of my support of family, friends and relatives...The newest, latest, and most wanted, who have been my SWOT....

Life is beautiful, nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm, ‘Wisdom is knowing what to do next, skill is knowing how to do it, and virtue is doing it,’ just like, our NS said this week 'coming together is the beginning, working together progress and staying together success’.

..In the words of Thomas Carlyle, ‘The end of man is an action and not a thought, though it were the noblest.’ The smallest of actions is always better than the boldest of intention.

In this cycle a reminisee: Madhavikutty aka Kamala Suraiyya

Well, it was a pretty hectic cycle, this month, between, desire, dreams, and the does.....Had my examination, which has been part of my life cycle, for more than a decade now, every six month, coinciding with the new cylce of work, having changed the entire routine of the daily cylce...so this week end, decided to keep for myself listening to good old hindi music, which soothens, and going through the events of the months, of which I had literally no clue...at home, and around... Father had come to meet me all the way, during last weekend, but could not meet. My first cousins engagement is almost fixed, and everyone was busy with it, at home, and then the well work...mother tensed more than usual....and tempered ....for her children...and being a mother to more people, more the tension ....of her own and others..... One thing that kept comming to my mind during the week was the death and life of Madhavikutty aka Kamala Suraiyya an Indian writer who wrote in English and Malayalam ......Was her writings the middle age syndrome effect? Her writings and life was indeed a question mark, was it because she wanted more publicity, and was feeling less recognised, I dont know....Born in a conservative Hindu family, she embraced Islam in 1999 at the age of 65. Even after that, she had said, Guruvayoor Krishnan is with me....what she wanted to convey was though not very clear... Though she was born to Nalappatt Balamani Amma, a renowned Malayali poetess, and her uncle, Nalappatt Narayana Menon, was a prominent writer she did not start writing professionally until she got married and became a mother. She wrote chiefly of love, its betrayal, and the consequent anguish. There was sourness in her writing, even directly, I remember having read a poem by her, with malayalam words, Kayapa....At the age of 42, she published her autobiography, My Story or Ende kadha....Then she was Kamala Das...I remember she having said, a decade ago, only 4 people know my mob no..three sons and....?? Well then there was the talks about Obamas, say no to Banglore, yes to Buffalloo, IT and BPO industries moving to Phillippine...the econcomic recession....stock market fluctuations.... If there are two ones, a big one and a small one, how can you make the two equal? Do not cut the big one, but increase the size of the small one, that is growth.... Desire what you deserve, desire is the route cause of all sorrow....dont work hard, dont work smart, work with your heart....

Stockholm Syndrome

A phenomenon in which a hostage begins to identify with and grow sympathetic to his or her captor. It is a psychological response.

The syndrome is named after the Norrmalmstorg robbery of Kreditbanken at Norrmalmstorg in Stockholm, the capital and largest city of Sweden, in the eastern part of the country on the Baltic Sea, in which the bank robbers held bank employees hostage from August 23 to August 28 in 1973. In this case, the victims became emotionally attached to their victimizers, and even defended their captors after they were freed from their six-day ordeal. The term "Stockholm Syndrome" was coined by the criminologist and psychiatrist Nils Bejerot, who assisted the police during the robbery, and referred to the syndrome in a news broadcast.

It is something that saves the captor….the captor gives a punch, the hostage gives a kiss in return, both are indeed touching….cannot be easily forgotten, memory for lifetime…This is seen especially with small children, when they cry, how others react to the situation...

Of late there was also a similar Tamil movie, don’t remember the name, but then, it was an irreconcilable one, the lover husband, hijacking a hospital for his wives operation, and finally giving up his life for her…the hostages being to identify with and grow sympathetic to his captor the hero of the move, the auto driver.

Well why this now? I believe this is being experienced now. Thanks to the person for bringing this to my notice, and to the person with Stockholm syndrome…

Laughter and Cry....

Is it true that 'Haslyane Ayush vadethey ne radlyane kame hothey?' means, when you laugh, the life span increases and when you cry, it decreases?

Well then what about those who neither cry nor laugh? Is their life always the same??? Well, smile do bring joy everywhere....and tears bring sorrow....

In office, we are definitely missing the smile of RS, Our Team Leader there N, I like her smile very much....when you are down, when you feel like crying the smile do boost us up....and then there are some laughter like that of D which we can never forget too.....

No wonder why people like comedy, and jokes...but then there are some who enjoy serious stuff too...

Smile it create wonders...no doubt it is said that the longest word is smiles because there is a mile between 2 s......

I try to keep smiling, and love to...but dont know how long, I can, keep a smile on face, but I know, doing it, when inside you feel like dying, for the sake of supporting others, no matter, the time or effort, means strength....

Worry, doesnot empty today of its sorrow, but tomorrow of its strength...Trust and pray to almighty, that there be smile on every face always.....Happiness Humesha!!!

Keep Going....

Where have I come from, where did you pick me up,
Half crying, Half Laughing...I asked....

You were hidden in my heart as its desire, my darling,
In all my hopes and my loves, in my life, you have lived...

In the laps of many spirits you have been nursed,
As you grew up, I held my hands loose, so you have the freedom,

I am so silly, why do I hurt others then? What is my purpose I ponder?
Where will I go, what should I do, I wonder?

You are Gods desire...his purpose...do fulfill it...
Love all, learn well, Lead by example, Live each day to the fullest and leave a legacy...

If he brings you to it, he will bring you throug it....
Belive in him, belive in yourself, for nothing is impossible for a willing heart!

Long Weekend....Too short....

Hey, this weekend...too has come to an end...too soon....Feeling sick, had left office early on Thursday, even on Friday was unwell, but somehow managed to be physically in office....and today Monday, we had taken optional leave, as it was holiday in US...Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (on May 25 in 2009). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War (it is celebrated near the day of reunification after the civil war), it was expanded after World War I to include American casualties of any war or military action.

And here I had our office colleagues R's marriage,S's house sisters function, and today, my earlier office colleagues marriage...there were so many delecious food, though I could not have everything....True Few relations in earth never dies....

Then there was the IPL match finals, and all the pending books to read...Dont know why, might am behind children these days, the book I took from Library, was 'The Crescent Moon' by Rabindranath Tagore. It is a collection of Poems, written by Tagore, primarily to entertain the children. The child is an idea, the symbol of new life. The beauty and simplicity of these poems translated form the Bengali collection of peoems Sishu, are very moving. ....



I belive the budding children, of today,the citizens of tomorrow, would be more loving, carying, and understanding....and less brainwashed, and henpecked.....but more matured, and responsible....

IPL: 2

With the election results out, and cabinet ministers taking oath, IPL-2 has also come to an end.

When the IPL burst upon India last year, six noisy weeks of cricket in a mini-skirt, arm-in-arm with business and Bollywood, it felt like revolution. By no way could politics be kept out of it. I was aware of the opening battle, this year which coincided with the elections; the game had to be moved out of India. Cricket South Africa (CSA) played the surrogate, overseas host to the game that moves India, thus proving that geography and boundaries are irrelevant in the face of a live television audience.

Moving cost would have been prohibitive, local crowd support missed, sponsors unable to give tickets to their dealers, team owners difficult to protect balance sheets and ensure excess of income over expenditure, am unaware of the actual outcomes though…...


Had missed the glamour of Priti Zinta, Neetu Ambani, and the game as a whole….as I had watched literally every game of IPL-1. But this time, as I started following it, it was almost the finals….Not because of the change in venue, last year too…had watched all the matches only on TV.

Seven of the eight teams where with a chance of making it to the semis and beyond. But the finalist were the early losers last time, it does prove that all of them from the last year, had evolved more in terms of the Twenty20 game.

If last year finals was neck to neck match between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings, this year it was a brilliant play between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Deccan Chargers, Hyderabad. . Kumble picked himself to bowl the first over after inviting chargers to bat. And again it was Captain Vs. Captain, batting Vs Bowling, Kumble Vs. Gilchrist, after the umpire called play…Though Deccan chargers had been jolted at the start, Kumble’s magic did not pay the price, and the Deccan chargers went away with the cup.in 20 overs, with 143 runs for 6. , when the Royal Challengers had scored 137. Here again I am unaware, if it is the beauty of the game, or fixing of the matches…last year, the most underestimated team was Rajasthan Royals and they took the cup. This year too it was the least ranked teams….

The trend shows the result of IPL-3, the cup should go to bechara, Knight Riders……

For my Friend: I rejoice...

His words still echo my ears, amidst busy work, he would be suddenly thinking and then he would say, I would like to: 1. Be a qualified CA. 2. Have my own house. 3. Have my own vehicle. 4. Marry my sweetheart, the person I love... Can my dreams ever become true??? And yesterday just after his sweethearts second delivery, he now a qualified CA called me to say that by the grace of God, he is now the father of a baby Boy, already having had a lovely daughter 2.5 years ago... Life was always full of thorns for him, incredible, unbelivable....Godforbid such a life for anyone, that he had 10 years before.... Mother an orthodox brahmin, had married to a christian, who was a tailor in her locality, but turned out to be a drunkered...She left her two growing sons and her husband....for another life...Father then had cancer and soon passed away...Elder brother was working for the Upkari business, which was doing well, but the kerala Govt. had prohibited that, so soon, he moved on to other businesses which flourished initially, but then not only lost all that they had, but incurred huge debt, on buying buses.....Brother too had to hide away....Here he was, who had to listen to all that others had to say..... It was under the love, protection and supervision of their velliyamma and grandma they were brought up, but had kept to their fathers faith and belief.... And here was he, keeping up his dreams, amidst all these.....had to run from pillar to post, for his studies, well even getting into articleship was so very difficult for him...Life had stored something for him....and he moved at its will....Marrying his sweetheart is also another nightmare story by itself...But then he got through everything by the grace of God...and I am happy for him... May the good God above pour showers of blessings on them, and may theirs be a happy family...Now and Always!!!! Undoubtedly children are Gods desire that the world should go on, and who bring happiness unfolding into your lives....Live it to the fullest, enjoy every moment, for very soon it too will pass away....

Sing the song...

This is from my friend Payal, with whom I had some light moments, during the two months of special time:

A meeting after 17 years, singing Rukhey Sabh khee Kadam Tara rum pum pum.....

Am missing the activeness, smile and the speed of my SME...and down

Now that I dont know what and how...and is blank I Sing the song...

Here's a little song , might want to sing it note for note...don't worry be happy!!

Every life we have some trouble, when you worry you make it double...don't worry be happy!!

Looking out for place to lay your head...somebody came and took your bed...don't worry be happy!! Landlord says your rent is late, he may have to lock the gate..don't worry be happy!!

You got no cash, you got no style, en got no one to make you smile...don't worry be happy!!

Coz when you worry your face will frown..and that will bring everybody down..so don't worry be happy!!

I am happy now, am just going on..........

The Past and Future of Indian Election...a continuation....

And then from 1952 , congress has been in full power...it took 20 years for socialist, right-wing and regional groups to disturb congress complacence. It was in 1967, at the time of Indira Gandhi, that there was the fragments standing up to the congress monolith.

There were various other parties creeping up..and the decentralisation trend deepened through the 1970s and 1980s. By the end of the later decade, it had decisively transformed the nature of national politics itself. Thus, between 1989 and 2009, India had nine governments, headed by seven different primeministers. None of them commanded a majority in the Parliment.

'Generations of patient work had gone into making the congress the 'Noah's Ark of Nationalism'. It was a heroic and flawed project. It was the failure of the congress that proved a catalyst for Indias Kaleidoscopic diversity to from political patterns.

Is it too much wishful thinking to seek a congress free of the burden of dynasty and a BJP that gives up hate-mongering? A secular middle class that is putting caste behind is eager to see parties focus on rational policymaking...Can there ever be an united and reform-oriented Left? Will there ever be a singl strong and really good party, that represents the pepople? True such a party will lose now, but could make a difference a decade on...

Dont know why, anybody born, in the Nehru turned Gandhi family is a hit, but none from the actual Gandhi family other than the Mahatma is!! Now Varun has become super hit, poor boy he has been trapped by the BJP....

To some, Election 2009 is nothing but a tepid semifinal-before Rahul and Modi are pitted against each other in 2014. Hopefully it would not be too soon, a family feud, between Rahul and Varun....

There's a somewhat sinister line from one of the Godfather moves which went like this: 'Real power cant be given. It mush be taken.' ....Will some one???

Its only natural corporate chiefs have a voice on what should happen in India, and so did Narayana Murthy..

1. To bring about inclusive growth, we have to conduct pilot experiments for 2-3 years in small place in a state, correct errors, and adopt it for the entire country....Like our simulation tests, which gives nightmare, but is good by itself...

2. If rural India is shining, rural voters will be happy over what has happened over the last five years and will hopefully vote for the incumbent governments...Lets see..how well Rahul can handle the upliftment of the rural area...

3.Young should take greater responsibility....And the eleders should give them place and opportunities...to whom the young could and should go for wisdom and advice, like the grandparents at home.....(But first the young should learn to repect their grandparents, and know that they have not bloomed from nowhere)

4.Dont only bother about the attitude of elitism. The elite are not concerned about poor people, but about urban areas, circle of power....

Families, and business people, paint on a small, simple canvas. Running a government, is like painiting complex patterns on large canvases. However, there are certain principles that hold good in both cases. Those principles are the ones that need to be transplanted form one domain to the other. Younger people will have to exercise their independent judgement based on the merits of the cases....

The general elections.....

Had missed casting my vote this time, but good to know that at least this time, after a good long span of time, though again there is no single party majority, some one is near to that......

Undoubtedly, Sonia Gandhi launched the most aggressive election campaign for selling her prime ministerial choice....Five years ago, the Italy lady, born there but married to Rajiv, from India, listened to her 'Inner voice' and refused to accept the prime ministership of India, but by no means was that a renunication of power. It turned out to be her first act in delegating duties. With the appointment of former finance minister Manmohan Singh as prime minister, what India had was a party leader who was more powerful than the head of government....Something that happened for the first time in our history...

Manmohan always acted as the congress CEO in the enterprise called the UPA but Sonia always called the shots. People have shown again, their acceptance, to Manmohan an economist and policy-maker an acceptable and unthreatening prime minister. Sonia the popular politician, working public rallies and talking about the needs of the aam aadmi....

Dont know why, I words of Rajiv echoes my ears...'Humey Dekhna hey key....' 'Humey Karna hey.....', pur, ve tho...ldekhthey hey dekthey, karney se pehley chal base....




And with all the family feuds, there is now four Gandhis, one mother and son in one part, the other mother and son in another.....With the arrest before the election, lossing in the first count and winning in the next count....Some are born great, some have greatness thrust upon them, some achieve greatness.....

My only sorrow at the time of counting was on knowing that Chidambaram lost, but then again he got through in recounting....

Indeed they are not just sitting still and wishing, taking up responsibilites, working....

The congress's odd couple tandem-team shared mutual faith, and the voters in the words largest democracy had the final say on the kind of shared leadership India needs....

Wanna know when did the general elections start in India??? It was in 1952.

Poorathil Pooram, Thrissur Pooram....

Thrissur Pooram is called 'the pooram of all poorams' (festival). It is the biggest of all poorams held in Kerala state. The Thrissur pooram, is celebrated every year on Pooram Nakshatram (star) in the month of Medam (mid-April to mid-may) as per the malayalam calendar.

On the pooram day, fifty (50) or more elephants pass through the very center of Thrissur town, the Vadakkunnathan temple. The main features of the pooram (festival) are these decorated elephants with their nettipattam (decorative golden headdress), beautifuliy crafted kolam, decorative bells and ornaments etc. Add to this is the panchavadyam, the rhythmic beating of the drum, and what would be a cacophony otherwise is turned into an organized but spontaneous symphony. The fireworks display in the early hours of the next day, rival shows held anywhere in the world, without even using many of the modern and newer pyrotechnics. So also is the Kodamattam (The change of Umbrellas); where in colourful umbrellas are displayed and changed.

The temple elephants are decorated with gold plated caparisons (nettipattom), bells, and necklaces. People mounted on the elephants hold tinselled silk parasols (muthukuda) up high, swaying white tufts (venchamaram) and peacock feather fans (aalavattom) to the rhythm of the orchestra. People looking after the elephants are called mahout (Pappan).

Paramekkavu Bagavathi Temple and Thiruvambadi Sree krishna Tempal are the two rival groups participating in Thrissur Pooram.

The Thrissur pooram is only about 200 or more years old. It was orchestrated by the then ruler of Cochin, Sakthan Thampuran or Raja Rama Varma, in 1798.

The whole place is very crowded, with lots of drum beats, crackers, that not all will love this occassion.

Pictures speak for themselves...Photography skill...of an engineer....with an alt...tal..my BIL....

Thottappilly: 9th family Get together...

Thottappilly: 9th family Get together...

Quiz: You are Green! And more from Face book...

You are Green! You are a cool yet energized person. You probably tend to be a little more introverted than extroverted - while you love being with your friends, you still need your "you" time. You are probably a rather laid back, zen sort of person, unless you get a good kick of energy; then you can be crazy fun! You are probably insightful and smart; logic comes easily to you. You tend to be a balance between red and yellow. Reds are passionate and intense, and tend to walk over people. Yellows tend to be the walked on, because they like to keep the peace. You, however, are a balance of both. You know when to lie down and let someone take the lead, but if you feel strongly about something, you're not afraid to stand up for it! You are probably compassionate as well, and like animals and plants. You may be a little off-beat, and feel like not many people really see the depth in your personality. You would probably rather keep things on a superficial level that other people can understand than show the deeper side of yourself. You, in a nutshell: Cool, energized, balanced, strong, funky, zen, deep, intelligent, logical, compassionate. GREEN!


____________________

The truth is, you already are aware of yourself and who you are. You've come to terms with yourself and have been through almost everything. You live, love, and cherish. You've already shown every one your true colour. Your life is complete. Nothing hold you back. You’re lived with regrets, anger, hurt, despair, light dark, and everything in Between. However, these things won’t stop you. Keep living on. You find beauty in yourself and others. You are prone to changing. You let your emotions out and keep them that way. Everyone admires you for your loyalty and trustworthiness. You are truly unique and one in your own…


_________________________

Fortune Teller Genius tells:

Question: Will the fight end?

Answer: I don't think so...

Question: Will I pass CA?

Answer: Of course yes!!


Answer: No... don't waste your time on that


Question: Will the sisters and brothers come together and be at peace?

Answer: Yes

Question: Will I continue in this project?

Answer: Don't think about it! It's a yes!

What does your birth month mean?

Attractive personality
Affectionate
Shy and reserved Secretive
Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic
Loves peace and serenity
Sensitive to others
Loves to serve others
Not easily angered
Trustworthy
Appreciative and returns kindness
Observant and assesses others
Revengeful
Loves to dream and fantasize
Loves traveling
Loves attention
Hasty decisions in choosing partners
Loves home decors
Musically Talented
Loves special things

9th family get together

It was the 9th family get together ….after it started in 2001; I had not expected it to go beyond 5th. By the grace of God, cooperation from all participants, and the hardwork, and determination of some willing members, it did move forward this far, though there are some who really do not want it to and there are some non participations.

When there are only nuclear families around, and the families are not interested in joint family or in coming together, it is indeed a matter of great pride to have such a day.

As usual the day began with the prayer, formal meeting and address and special highlight of this get together was the release of the Thottappilly family member’s directory, the Thiruvadira kalli, and the group song, and the year quiz.

Then there was the Monoact by Pournima, kavitha by Gopika, Graceful dance performances by Neeraja S. Menon, and Neeraja Madhu. Group dance from Vaishnavi and kalyani and Thiruvadira Kalli by Neeraja, Krishnendu, Sharniya, Sharika, Sujatha, Jayashree, Sarasu and Latha. Individual songs, from Vaishnavi, Ravi Ekm., Hema, Anjana, Rajeev, Vaishak, Karthik, Anjana, Radhika, Bharat, Krishnendu, Sujith, Lakshmi and Sarath.

In the sports, it was only book balancing. Then there was the open Anthakshri, and the open quiz through out, and the two games as last year, Family tree and Bombing the city. Lucky man, women, and child was selected by the draw of lot and they were, Hari from Bombay, Saraswathi from Annanad, and Lakshmi.

There are ways to avoid responsibility, and nobody can thrust anything upon anyone. It is easy to make excuses and stories, but difficult to take responsibility. Anything that comes right from the heart simply excels and stands out. And world would be such a lovely place if each of them did what they ought to….but then …All for the best! The time wasted and most boring even is deciding people/committee members for the next year. They were, Valsan, Uma, Madhu Palakad, Sujith, Adv. Ani, Devdas and Hema Valsan.


We all know that Prema Cheechi is a very busy person, yet she did it, for the last three years and kudos to her. Especial mention need to be given to Prema Cheechi and her family, who did coordinate it well with their heart and soul into it, bringing more and more active participants in a diplomatic way amdist her ill health, classes and busy schedule. Indeed, where there is a will, there is a way.. Three cheers to her, and though she is not a member of the executive committee, we will continue to have her participation in the future too, with prayers that may this last long…..and the 10th will not be the end…but a better and memorable one……

Even parents would love to see their children together always, and I don’t know if at all there would be any parents who want their children, not to be talking to one another. In a life full of care, and misunderstandings, a day like this helps, and it would be good, if people take the open discussions in a positive way, and not just make a big issue of little things.

This would be the greatest gift and pleasure for Late Parukutty Amma and Late Raman Menon.

Change is mandatory and a necessity, to move forward in life. But isn’t it true, that when we get new, we should not forget the old? Is it right on the part of men, to forget, their Mother and sister, and to be indifferent, to the sibling family matters when they are in trouble?



With the directory At least now the people cannot grumble that they do not know the number of those whom they ought to be taking care off?… Though it’s a fact that not knowing the number is only an excuse, when you don’t want to call…..You get the number of people somehow, if you really want to call them. And then there was the people, and the necessities, even before there were houses, and phones...If you dont want to do...you can definitely find excuses....

Its so good to be in a country, where it is family first still...though there has been deviations of late....

http://arunoday.blogspot.com/2008/05/why-do-things-go-wrong-how-do-things-go.html

The office Gettogether

Earlier it was on George Sirs sons wedding 3 years before, that we all met, and now it was Paulson sirs daughters engagement this saturday….from my first office, where I was from 1995 to 2000, G&P, CA’s.

It was good to see many of them after a good long time, had been with Jyanthi and could speak with her a lot, as we used to earlier…had a drive together …..There were all with children, except a couple of us still single…and Some where around the glob. Could meet many of our old colleagues and friends, some qualified, some semi qualified, some having given up....with lots of stories of achivements, and struggles, and the contemprory things...

Everybody had one thing to say, Ramesh had never been to Ekm office after qualifying, After CA he was like a butterfly, very busy moving from place to place, within and outside India. Could visit his home too...and also Hema...

Well even the days beginning was different, left from office at 3:30 am, reached home at 5:30 am in the morning....a diffent exprerince of travelling home this early...

Fishing….

Had been busy learning to fish, and fishing these days…so much so that, could not even blog, go around with my sis, …..But then, had good yummy parottas and Chicken from Susan, made by Ashokan…that kept us going, which we believe will continue during every fishing days…

And it was so nice of the VP to bring Hydrabadhi birayani to the first fish catcher, Chandra...

After the fishing days, both me and my system started getting slower..., but am sure, the work will teach me how to do it...

Also thought of putting here the proverb from our first meeting, give man a fish, you feed him for a day, teach man how to fish, and you feed him for a life time.

Fishing is good, but anything, too much is a problem. Fishing definitely is better than being selfish....he he he....By the end, really wanted a break and some rest. The proverb this week also was a good one, aim for success and not perfection. You learn better by trying and making mistake, rather than not trying at all.

Had been missing so many things these days. Sis came and left, visits to place, the Pooram, had prayed for RS&T and would love to hear good news from them soon.

These pictures are copyrighted ha...very professional indeed..... Taken by my SIL, S during their India visit, which I too could have visited, but I had to catch my ornage fishes....

Liked the dialogue ‘Is anyone settled? Are our parents settled? We cannot do anything in life after we are settled, things go on, and we should move on.

When time makes me sad and bad, no one consoles me other than you, when I smile with happy eyes, your face reflects the smile, I know you are my right hand, but I wonder how you work as a magic wand…..

Happiness these days is nothing more than good health and a bad memory.....Getting happiness out of my work or I may never know what happiness is.....

Few Things to remember when traveling to US:

Ensure that your name in the passport and that in the ticket is same, including the full name and the spelling. Don’t forget to collect your I95 on your arrival, and don’t forget to return it at the time of your departure.

In case of emergency you can call911. Just call the number, they will trace your number and reach you with an ambulance, police

There are Interstate roads, odd numbers {91(North-south) } and even numbers, {84 (East-west)} roads, and each roads have Exits like Exit 39, There are bus services, each state has transit, sites, and then private buses too like, Peter Pan. There are the fast railways and variety flights. It is always more understandable to say the direction, rather than right or left as we do here, which is confusing.

And of course, open the door for others, keep smiling, say Thank you, Bless you, and carry the clothes to suit the weather. Do not litter. Keep the place clean.

I am sure there are many more, will keep on adding it as and when I recollect..others too can help me out...

Visit http://www.immihelp.com/visitor-visa/visitor-visa-application-process.html

And the day of return.

With the ocean of bags, we were all set to return. Jolly and Preethi had come to hotel, early in the morning, Courtesy them, who made easy the first handicap of communication by giving a mobile, returned it to them, but then was its true need.

Checking in of the bags, by 14 members, rearranging the bags, paying additional charges, was an uphill task, but then came the real challenge, after giving the ticket, at the security, they said, I would not be able to check in, as the name do not match in passport and the ticket. They look for the initials or the second name is given more prominence there. They said I would not be able to travel, and even did not allow Santhosh to get in, asking him to help me resolve, Who was worried to hear that I would not be able to travel…there was the box, thrown, but kept: Faithful, Always There, Trustworthy, Honoring, Ever-loving, Righteous, and Supportive.

But then there were others too, who could not check in, and we all could drive to JFK airport. Prajosh, Abhilash and Anil. But Prajosh was all the way, down, for having missed his camera, though I kept telling him that it would be there with Santhosh....Somehow Santhosh and Geena managed to get into the flight, there was the Susan who had kept the plain waiting for them.

The sorrow of not being able to visit New York was overcome, on seeing, the welcome sign board from the Empire State, and our cab drew over the Brookline Bridge. Could see the city on the one side, and another similar bridge on the other. And the others were waiting tensed at the airport worried about us, and canceling the plans of going to the city, when we had a good lunch on our way form the Mac Dowell’s. There were so many beautyful girls and boys there, in sleevless tops and shots, the day being sunny... Well it was also a time when the trouble of not having a mobile with us was realized. We tried calling them on their mobile and lost dollar but could not get them.

And then in the flight, it was twice and too much of oryee Kadal that keeps haunting me, Bachna Aee Haasinoo and Catch me if you can…

With special memories, special gifts, and special moments, which passed away like a dream, returned, had lost a day in transit...From airport to home, it was like anyother return on weekends from office....with all of them waiting at home, and then to office....