Friday, November 30, 2007
Monday, November 26, 2007
Shaken and Stirred
I wake up on time every morning, I seldom oversleep and most often this habit is appreciated (oops...I am at it again and when I was just told that I should be officially given a title for being the bestest narcissist in the world!).
And I still wake up on time, with my alarm, all the time, every time, tired or not, drunk or otherwise, at home or ….
Anyway, today I woke up before my alarm, before it could say Goodmorning, before I could hear that familiar sound. I did wake up earlier than my usual time, before it was the daybreak for me.
I did wake up with a sound, not usual sound though. It was with a roaring sound as if my little world was rocking as if someone is saying ‘rock baby rock’…umm, that’s not a dream. I woke up with a rocking beat this morning as we rocked with an earthquake.
For past few weeks I have been coming face to face with the fragile aspect of life, the non-permanent face of life. And this little shake called earthquake suddenly brings alive the fear of loss. And sitting on my bed, half-awake (don’t you know it was before my alarm was to sing?) I was thinking which ‘one thing’ to grab before dashing off from my apartment. We crave for so much in life and when it is the time to leave do we really get to take along what we accumulate?
And on my way to work I do ask this question to my chauffeur and he said that he would simply get himself out of the building in case earthquake makes his little world crumble. And at work I do ask the same question to my colleagues, and they just talked about saving their own lives and the lives of their near and dear ones.
Well, it’s kind of strange in this materialistic world. And I still don’t know what I will grab if I am stuck in a similar situation again. May be my phone. And my laptop. Ahhh…how can I run them without electricity after batteries run out?
What is more important to you, your life or all the accessories you accumulate to lead life?
I don’t fear losing all my data on my computer (I have lost my laptop before!). I don’t fear losing my little place, which I painstakingly adorned with things I collected from all over, from all the trips I undertake. I am not afraid of losing my life, do I really? I almost died a few years ago!
But I fear most is being cut off from my people. And I fear the most when I am away from them and in no way to communicate to my fabulously mobile set of family, when someone is happily soaking all the Sun in that bond island and when the other set is treating themselves to a royal dose of vacationing and when I almost forget my geographical locations with my ‘today here-tomorrow there’ mode of life.
And suddenly I feel the meaning of ‘shaken and stirred’ without even budging from my position on the bed! Ooops….
And I still wake up on time, with my alarm, all the time, every time, tired or not, drunk or otherwise, at home or ….
Anyway, today I woke up before my alarm, before it could say Goodmorning, before I could hear that familiar sound. I did wake up earlier than my usual time, before it was the daybreak for me.
I did wake up with a sound, not usual sound though. It was with a roaring sound as if my little world was rocking as if someone is saying ‘rock baby rock’…umm, that’s not a dream. I woke up with a rocking beat this morning as we rocked with an earthquake.
For past few weeks I have been coming face to face with the fragile aspect of life, the non-permanent face of life. And this little shake called earthquake suddenly brings alive the fear of loss. And sitting on my bed, half-awake (don’t you know it was before my alarm was to sing?) I was thinking which ‘one thing’ to grab before dashing off from my apartment. We crave for so much in life and when it is the time to leave do we really get to take along what we accumulate?
And on my way to work I do ask this question to my chauffeur and he said that he would simply get himself out of the building in case earthquake makes his little world crumble. And at work I do ask the same question to my colleagues, and they just talked about saving their own lives and the lives of their near and dear ones.
Well, it’s kind of strange in this materialistic world. And I still don’t know what I will grab if I am stuck in a similar situation again. May be my phone. And my laptop. Ahhh…how can I run them without electricity after batteries run out?
What is more important to you, your life or all the accessories you accumulate to lead life?
I don’t fear losing all my data on my computer (I have lost my laptop before!). I don’t fear losing my little place, which I painstakingly adorned with things I collected from all over, from all the trips I undertake. I am not afraid of losing my life, do I really? I almost died a few years ago!
But I fear most is being cut off from my people. And I fear the most when I am away from them and in no way to communicate to my fabulously mobile set of family, when someone is happily soaking all the Sun in that bond island and when the other set is treating themselves to a royal dose of vacationing and when I almost forget my geographical locations with my ‘today here-tomorrow there’ mode of life.
And suddenly I feel the meaning of ‘shaken and stirred’ without even budging from my position on the bed! Ooops….
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
Where do I go?
My mornings are not brighter these days...well, literally!
I wake up when its still dark, not night though but thats how wintry mornings are and I yawn sitting on my cosy bed in my dimly lit room, Good morning! Its day already!
Sun is playing hide-n-seek with clouds err fog, err .. smogs! And I wake up when its still dark. Its still not day!
And still I cant start the day...I mean, I dont feel fresh, I dont feel lively, I dont feel energized...oops, as if I am run on sloar batteries!!!
And some smog within my head covers my mind and I am at sea with questions. Questions which are so many. Questions which are multiplying. Questions which are recurring. Questioning mind!
And its like: where do I go?
Have you ever felt when you know you are an adult and there is no one to take decision for you? When you know you have grown up and people expect you to follow your own path? When you know there is no one to share your daily stories, no one to crib with about your colleagues when you reach home? When you know people around expect you to handle things on your own? When people dont show you direction when life suddenly makes you stand at the cross-roads?
Is this part of growing up? Really big? Or that one is lonely and nowhere to go?
I am living with an emotion, an emotion when you lose your parents. Thats what I witnessed THREE times last fortnight. Yes, THREE. And I am touched.
As one of my friend puts it: its inevitable, and its part of life. Yes, its life that teaches us from such examples that nothing remians for long. Nothing. Not you. Not I. Nobody.
And I still ask a question, in mourning: where do I go? I cant see a thing, its so hazy with smog...
I wake up when its still dark, not night though but thats how wintry mornings are and I yawn sitting on my cosy bed in my dimly lit room, Good morning! Its day already!
Sun is playing hide-n-seek with clouds err fog, err .. smogs! And I wake up when its still dark. Its still not day!
And still I cant start the day...I mean, I dont feel fresh, I dont feel lively, I dont feel energized...oops, as if I am run on sloar batteries!!!
And some smog within my head covers my mind and I am at sea with questions. Questions which are so many. Questions which are multiplying. Questions which are recurring. Questioning mind!
And its like: where do I go?
Have you ever felt when you know you are an adult and there is no one to take decision for you? When you know you have grown up and people expect you to follow your own path? When you know there is no one to share your daily stories, no one to crib with about your colleagues when you reach home? When you know people around expect you to handle things on your own? When people dont show you direction when life suddenly makes you stand at the cross-roads?
Is this part of growing up? Really big? Or that one is lonely and nowhere to go?
I am living with an emotion, an emotion when you lose your parents. Thats what I witnessed THREE times last fortnight. Yes, THREE. And I am touched.
As one of my friend puts it: its inevitable, and its part of life. Yes, its life that teaches us from such examples that nothing remians for long. Nothing. Not you. Not I. Nobody.
And I still ask a question, in mourning: where do I go? I cant see a thing, its so hazy with smog...
Friday, November 16, 2007
Double meaning?
In this time of ours acronyms are very popular and we use them whenever we get a chance. Its in vogue, its fashionable and its popular and everyone is doing it! But think of times when same acronyms could stand for two completely different set of terms with opposite meanings!
I just came across one such this morning and that reminded me of another from past. Sample them:
CSW: From my area of work its always been expanded to "Commercial Sex Worker" until I got an entirely different term when this conference reminder landed at my desk. It could also be expanded to " Commission for Status of Women". Huh?
ISP: Its mostly "Internet Service Provider" in this tech-savvy, net-savvy generation of ours. But it also stands for "Informal Service Provider" when one tries to adhere to jargons used in development sector especially The World Bank's health systems reform sector.
And you wonder what internet provider has to do with those 'witch-doctors' from those tribal villages? Yeah...
There are many such..but this is enough a 'dose' to satiate my addiction with this blogspot.
Wow, talking about addiction brought forward another interesting acronym which often gets wrongly 'inserted' with this 'injecting' types.
IDU: its "Injecting Drug User" and then there is IUD: which is "Intra Uterine Device"! Hmmm...
I will come back with more on this series but later on....
I just came across one such this morning and that reminded me of another from past. Sample them:
CSW: From my area of work its always been expanded to "Commercial Sex Worker" until I got an entirely different term when this conference reminder landed at my desk. It could also be expanded to " Commission for Status of Women". Huh?
ISP: Its mostly "Internet Service Provider" in this tech-savvy, net-savvy generation of ours. But it also stands for "Informal Service Provider" when one tries to adhere to jargons used in development sector especially The World Bank's health systems reform sector.
And you wonder what internet provider has to do with those 'witch-doctors' from those tribal villages? Yeah...
There are many such..but this is enough a 'dose' to satiate my addiction with this blogspot.
Wow, talking about addiction brought forward another interesting acronym which often gets wrongly 'inserted' with this 'injecting' types.
IDU: its "Injecting Drug User" and then there is IUD: which is "Intra Uterine Device"! Hmmm...
I will come back with more on this series but later on....
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Googl(e)Y!
Got a bouncer..err want to get the meaning of something you just heard, or read or came across? Need to research on something? Search?
Well…the common practice is to look for a search engine…no real engine there, though! For the initiated its our regular lingo and a regular habit and we often don’t even say ‘serach engine’ and straight get into ‘google-ing’.
Today’s story is about our man Friday ‘Google’ who had rescued many of us at the 11th hour to get what we just needed and saved our days and made us hear all those praises and see all those rainbows…(oops…why always I talk about Sun, rain and rainbows..may be I just need to know..err ‘google it’) for all the hard work or ‘herd’ work of the google team.
Google was co-founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were students at Stanford University and the company was first incorporated as a private enterprise on September 7, 1998 (wow, September again..and have you noticed the date?).
The name "Google" originated from a misspelling of "googol", which refers to 10100 (the number represented by a 1 followed by one-hundred zeros). Credit for naming this huge enterprise should go to their first client who, according to ‘my very reliable source of information’, spelt it that way on the cheque for their very first payment. And just to avoid all the hassles of getting back to their client and get it corrected they opened an account going with the mis-spelt version and Googol became Google!
And it remained so. So what, if it did not mean anything?
They say things change: and now google itself is a word and finds its place in diactionaries (Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary and the Oxford English Dictionary) in 2006. And it has been increasingly into everyday language, the verb "google", was added to the meaning "to use the Google search engine to obtain information on the Internet."
And we say, lets Google!
Google was co-founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were students at Stanford University and the company was first incorporated as a private enterprise on September 7, 1998 (wow, September again..and have you noticed the date?).
The name "Google" originated from a misspelling of "googol", which refers to 10100 (the number represented by a 1 followed by one-hundred zeros). Credit for naming this huge enterprise should go to their first client who, according to ‘my very reliable source of information’, spelt it that way on the cheque for their very first payment. And just to avoid all the hassles of getting back to their client and get it corrected they opened an account going with the mis-spelt version and Googol became Google!
And it remained so. So what, if it did not mean anything?
They say things change: and now google itself is a word and finds its place in diactionaries (Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary and the Oxford English Dictionary) in 2006. And it has been increasingly into everyday language, the verb "google", was added to the meaning "to use the Google search engine to obtain information on the Internet."
And we say, lets Google!
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Sands and Moods: T(w)oo different!
P.S: These are some of the pictures I have recently seen and I felt how sand from the desert and that by the shore exude different moods. None of these are taken by me nor my camera was used. These are from two different sources ..err friends from two different locations from their two different travelogues.
Hey you two, I acknowledged your work, so dont take me to the courts (in two different locations...ha ha ha...ahha...I would get to see two different places that way!) .
Monday, November 12, 2007
Quote- Unquote
"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."- Abraham Lincoln.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Past Perfect!
I meet people all the time and I have been meeting people all the time, its sort of normal for someone who is always on the move. So, what’s so unusual this time around?
Well, I am back in town after meeting people whom I had known in the past, from long time who were lost when not keeping in touch was next to impossible!
The other day when I was visiting this city to attend a conference I called on a number. I called on this number to see whether this classmate of mine is still having the same number or is still living in the same city. I wanted to see some other faces as I was getting bored looking at the same faces all through the day, day after day. And I wanted to have a weekend away from that swanky hotel and see the cityscape. And my call was answered by the same voice I had expected to hear. We recognized each other and we met. It was more than when a friend meets friend.
It was a meeting-galore!
I met the whole family. His family with new additions since we last met. And as if that was not enough there was a surprise in store as I had to ‘meet’ another classmate and her family who has recently moved to this city. And it was a mini-reunion at mid-night in the middle of all those emotions and nostalgia. And I was pleased. I was happy as I could go back to a time which was so beautiful, so simple and oh-so nice! And we looked great on our customary reunion photos for our school web-album. Have a look.
And something said, past perfect!
Well, I am back in town after meeting people whom I had known in the past, from long time who were lost when not keeping in touch was next to impossible!
The other day when I was visiting this city to attend a conference I called on a number. I called on this number to see whether this classmate of mine is still having the same number or is still living in the same city. I wanted to see some other faces as I was getting bored looking at the same faces all through the day, day after day. And I wanted to have a weekend away from that swanky hotel and see the cityscape. And my call was answered by the same voice I had expected to hear. We recognized each other and we met. It was more than when a friend meets friend.
It was a meeting-galore!
I met the whole family. His family with new additions since we last met. And as if that was not enough there was a surprise in store as I had to ‘meet’ another classmate and her family who has recently moved to this city. And it was a mini-reunion at mid-night in the middle of all those emotions and nostalgia. And I was pleased. I was happy as I could go back to a time which was so beautiful, so simple and oh-so nice! And we looked great on our customary reunion photos for our school web-album. Have a look.
And something said, past perfect!
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Coming a Full Circle
Its amazing to see how life lobs at you situations, experiences with such amazing patterns. I always am surprised to find similarities in those patterns and these give me a feeling of ‘coming a full circle’! I wonder whether its me who finds these similarities or they just happen or I call for these or they just simply take place to remind me of things from past, make me ‘land’ up where I once was.
But at the end of the day its simply an amazing phenomenon to recount, to realize, to feel, to experience and to know how its when life ‘come a full circle’.
I sometimes get an eerie feeling within me as I almost feel I knew how the ‘story’ would unfold. And standing there under that over bridge at that unearthly hour I pinch myself hard to know I was awake and to believe what I was seeing which was uncannily similar a scene to what I had once recounted. I get such flashes sometime when I am deeply in my sleep and then I remember them when I see them happening exactly in similar fashion in front of my wide and beautiful eyes.
Well, before you start thinking about something meta-physical or I becoming one of those modern-day witches, I must tell you sometimes life does make you ‘feel’ what is coming a full circle and how it is to undergo when its repeatedly repeated for you to remember the phrase.
And I am amazed and I am shocked and I am a little bothered and I wish it hadn’t happened the way it circled the Sun…err my life!
But at the end of the day its simply an amazing phenomenon to recount, to realize, to feel, to experience and to know how its when life ‘come a full circle’.
I sometimes get an eerie feeling within me as I almost feel I knew how the ‘story’ would unfold. And standing there under that over bridge at that unearthly hour I pinch myself hard to know I was awake and to believe what I was seeing which was uncannily similar a scene to what I had once recounted. I get such flashes sometime when I am deeply in my sleep and then I remember them when I see them happening exactly in similar fashion in front of my wide and beautiful eyes.
Well, before you start thinking about something meta-physical or I becoming one of those modern-day witches, I must tell you sometimes life does make you ‘feel’ what is coming a full circle and how it is to undergo when its repeatedly repeated for you to remember the phrase.
And I am amazed and I am shocked and I am a little bothered and I wish it hadn’t happened the way it circled the Sun…err my life!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Why I Write What I Write
I am back after a rather interesting trip and I am back with my blog. I am back because I am addicted to my blogspot. I am back because I am addicted to the response I have been getting: direct or indirect and I love that!
Someone just teased me the other day with a his regular nasty comment which truly reflects me and my sense of being: there is no place for 'you' its all so full of 'I'! Yes, I love myself, dont you know that?! And I am because I exist. And I exist because I want to. And I want to be like this only.
But, honestly I am overwhelmed at the response and the number of hits this blogspot has faced in such a short period of time. And this interest often makes me write more and remain in a 'regular relationship' even with my nomadic life.
This is thanks to all those people: people who read this and send comments; people who would read and discuss face to face; people who would write a blog in response to what thay had read here and then there are a number of those who are reading but I dont get to read their minds!
Anyway, at the end of the day: I...err my blog gets attention! Hmmm...attention seeking at its peak!? You gotta learn it from me....
So, you know why I write what I write and its all from my head and has no connection whatsoever even if you stop me in the middle of that huge bite I take on wrap-o-roll to ask whether I thought about you while describing a certain background. Well, life is so exciting, so full of experiences and then its so dynamic that I am seriously spoilt for choices as I find inspirations are everywhere. And I dont need preparation, its all extempore and spontaneous. So, you know why I write what I write and I exist as I exist.
As you rightly said you dont get to read what I intend to and that surely pats my back as I know I am succeeding in weaving my thoughts, pouring out my views the way I want 'it' to flow and make people read and enjoy...if not understand....
As its all about pouring out my thoughts the way my mind plays with them, uncensored.
Someone just teased me the other day with a his regular nasty comment which truly reflects me and my sense of being: there is no place for 'you' its all so full of 'I'! Yes, I love myself, dont you know that?! And I am because I exist. And I exist because I want to. And I want to be like this only.
But, honestly I am overwhelmed at the response and the number of hits this blogspot has faced in such a short period of time. And this interest often makes me write more and remain in a 'regular relationship' even with my nomadic life.
This is thanks to all those people: people who read this and send comments; people who would read and discuss face to face; people who would write a blog in response to what thay had read here and then there are a number of those who are reading but I dont get to read their minds!
Anyway, at the end of the day: I...err my blog gets attention! Hmmm...attention seeking at its peak!? You gotta learn it from me....
So, you know why I write what I write and its all from my head and has no connection whatsoever even if you stop me in the middle of that huge bite I take on wrap-o-roll to ask whether I thought about you while describing a certain background. Well, life is so exciting, so full of experiences and then its so dynamic that I am seriously spoilt for choices as I find inspirations are everywhere. And I dont need preparation, its all extempore and spontaneous. So, you know why I write what I write and I exist as I exist.
As you rightly said you dont get to read what I intend to and that surely pats my back as I know I am succeeding in weaving my thoughts, pouring out my views the way I want 'it' to flow and make people read and enjoy...if not understand....
As its all about pouring out my thoughts the way my mind plays with them, uncensored.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Paradox of Choices
The other day I was busy teasing my brain over a book with a friend from UCSF which was a round-up of what she had just discussed with her friends from Malayasia under the bright Sun on the sanddunes of Jaisalmer during a camel safari. And I was happily soaking all the arguments knowing how it is to decide when we have many choices. Truly, as Barry Schwartz said, sometimes more could be so less! I know exactly how indecisive one gets however sure one is about what to chose with more options on the plate..err in life!
I am at its peak, well, if I can call it a syndrome- I have it-a paradox of choices.
I did not know it would happen to me; I had no idea I had to face it. And while I am at it I know it’s rather difficult a job than any fun. I am done with the concept of more the merrier, its so redundant. Its more is less and I am asking for MORE..gimme more!
Well, I am on the prowl and I am doing pretty well and so far I have balanced off many records (off the records, just for you!). And I find myself lip-sync-ing with Geri Halliwell as she croons, "It's rainin men - Every specimen Tall blonde, dark and mean Rough and tough and strong and lean..."
And I am spoilt for choices. And here I am with more options raining on me…Wish I could find a role model in draupadi, what do you say? That’s not a bad idea either!
Well, so is the paradox of choices. Ooops, what did you decide?
I am at its peak, well, if I can call it a syndrome- I have it-a paradox of choices.
I did not know it would happen to me; I had no idea I had to face it. And while I am at it I know it’s rather difficult a job than any fun. I am done with the concept of more the merrier, its so redundant. Its more is less and I am asking for MORE..gimme more!
Well, I am on the prowl and I am doing pretty well and so far I have balanced off many records (off the records, just for you!). And I find myself lip-sync-ing with Geri Halliwell as she croons, "It's rainin men - Every specimen Tall blonde, dark and mean Rough and tough and strong and lean..."
And I am spoilt for choices. And here I am with more options raining on me…Wish I could find a role model in draupadi, what do you say? That’s not a bad idea either!
Well, so is the paradox of choices. Ooops, what did you decide?
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Moving on…
I am on a self-imposed sabbatical from my blog as I am divided between mundane activities I undergo before I set out for a trip (again?). And yet I chose to mark my attendance at the blog as I cross-check with the hotel for airport pick-up. Why? Well…Its some kind of an upheaval I generally undergo just before one of those sojourns and I regard this as one of those. Its about moving from one city to another for me and for another its about moving from one house to another. And I know how it feels when we pack our bags and look at the empty corner which once had the lamp-stand; how it is to know that those spaces would be filled up in completely different fashion when the next resident comes and how those pangs feel when we have treasured some nice moments and shared those hearty laughs sitting on that couch which now sits in the box in a dismantled state ready for a ride.
It’s quite a weak moment, quite an emotional moment.
And I know all of that from my experience of moving almost on an annual basis with my assignments in different places. And it’s doubly emotional when the ghost from the past re-visits you when you are just about to lock your apartment doors after surveying the empty space the last time. And it happened this way yesterday when things occurred the way it was never planned; words were spoken the way they were never expected and you have no clue why it happened and how it happened: the timing, the location, the emotion, and everything.
And something within me moved as I made space to walk around amidst those packed boxes and furnitures. It’s the feeling we have when we decide to move on; it’s the feeling we have when we move on even if the ghost wants to uncork the bottle and tries to cast a spell; it’s the feeling when we know where to step on even if there is a second thought; it’s the feeling that says its over even if its difficult to erase the memory; it’s the feeling that tells which one to hold on to even if you are spoilt for choices.
And life goes on…you move on...I move on. It’s just those few minutes our paths were crossed. And I have to move from here anyway or else I will miss the flight; miss the trip which I painstakingly planned; miss the opportunity to feel the nomad in me. And I don’t want to miss anything else and I don’t miss a thing. You get me? We have one life and we get one chance!
Wish you a safe journey, a journey called life! Best wishes....
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Quote-Unquote
"If I had to choose a religion, the sun as the universal giver of life would be my god". Napolean Bonaparte
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Colors in my ribbons…
Colors make my life lively and I am fond of colors, which are bright, which are happy, and I feel colorful being with colors. I play with different colors on my canvas, I like to have different colors on my clothes and on my window drapes and my surrounding. Flowers in my vases wear happy colors, lilies in my garden smile in different colors and so are those along the pathway to work. Candles I lit in the evenings shine in colors, pens at my desk write in different hues and the ribbons….
In our awareness-maniac times ribbons or for that matter differently colored ribbons give different messages. Wondering how we had moved from colors signifying emotions to colors indicating illnesses or health conditions or social causes. And I see a long COLORful list:
Red ribbon: AIDS awareness
Pink ribbon: Breast cancer awareness
Yellow ribbon: Yellow ribbon symbolizes Suicide awareness and prevention and also endometriosis awareness (and finding cure for them).
White ribbon: White ribbon often signifies feminism and one of the most notable usages of the white ribbon in recent times is as the symbol of violence against women, safe motherhood, and other related causes.
Blue ribbon: This is the color of ocean, sea and hence any water bodies and used to signify Prostate cancer awareness (sky blue).
Jade ribbon: This colored ribbon spreads information about hepatitis B and liver cancer.
Orange ribbon: This is for animal protection awareness
Grey ribbon: Denotes diabetes awareness
Green ribbon: Signifies organ transplant and donation awareness
Teal ribbon: This is for ovarian cancer and polycystic ovarian syndrome
In our awareness-maniac times ribbons or for that matter differently colored ribbons give different messages. Wondering how we had moved from colors signifying emotions to colors indicating illnesses or health conditions or social causes. And I see a long COLORful list:
Red ribbon: AIDS awareness
Pink ribbon: Breast cancer awareness
Yellow ribbon: Yellow ribbon symbolizes Suicide awareness and prevention and also endometriosis awareness (and finding cure for them).
White ribbon: White ribbon often signifies feminism and one of the most notable usages of the white ribbon in recent times is as the symbol of violence against women, safe motherhood, and other related causes.
Blue ribbon: This is the color of ocean, sea and hence any water bodies and used to signify Prostate cancer awareness (sky blue).
Jade ribbon: This colored ribbon spreads information about hepatitis B and liver cancer.
Orange ribbon: This is for animal protection awareness
Grey ribbon: Denotes diabetes awareness
Green ribbon: Signifies organ transplant and donation awareness
Teal ribbon: This is for ovarian cancer and polycystic ovarian syndrome
And the list goes on…and one last color from the remaining for my blog:
Black ribbon: It is worn or displayed as a political statement.
And then I hear a suggestion at a luncheon on colors I should wear more often. See, do I have a choice there? Yes, I like the color RED, more deep the better for its passion, for red roses, red wines, and those red dresses!
Gimme, RED!
Monday, October 22, 2007
Quote-Unquote
"When in doubt, mumble; when in trouble, delegate; when in charge, ponder." James H Boren
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Chivalry in the time of ….
Our behavioral pattern says so much about the kind of person we are. And often 'others' pick up the nuances from the ‘doer’ more than the ‘doer’ itself. And it’s all in front of your eyes. A shrug there, a twitch of facial muscle there, a handshake or the way you bid goodbye, everything tells your side of the story. However impressive your voice could sound from the other end of the world but a look at you while you are at it could truly say whether you could REALLY, well…. And our age old, much cliché-ed saying seeing is believing still rules the roost!
We all have heard the word called ‘chivalry’ sometime in our lives and however well we cram the codes of chivalry its our action which qualifies us as one.
And I know how it was when those shrugs could not hide what all was going on in the head. And I know how it was when those drinks little too many needed to be relieved off at a regular intervals. And I know how it was when one fails to say thank you after singing a song or say goodbye when it was time to say one. And I know how it was when the handshake was just not warm enough to seal it with a kiss. And I know how you spell chivalry however logically you claim you compose. I know how one can still remain ill-mannered, ill-behaved even after twirling with an ivy. And I know what it means to get rid of something where chivalry does not exist…
And I know what I saw. And I believe! Ahem!
We all have heard the word called ‘chivalry’ sometime in our lives and however well we cram the codes of chivalry its our action which qualifies us as one.
And I know how it was when those shrugs could not hide what all was going on in the head. And I know how it was when those drinks little too many needed to be relieved off at a regular intervals. And I know how it was when one fails to say thank you after singing a song or say goodbye when it was time to say one. And I know how it was when the handshake was just not warm enough to seal it with a kiss. And I know how you spell chivalry however logically you claim you compose. I know how one can still remain ill-mannered, ill-behaved even after twirling with an ivy. And I know what it means to get rid of something where chivalry does not exist…
And I know what I saw. And I believe! Ahem!
Friday, October 19, 2007
My First Cut!
This should have been Solna’s first blog, the numero uno from her stable but the way things flowed she did soak up the issue and kept it all tucked up in her mind! But the stain remained in her thoughts. And that was enough to remind her about it all over again…and she is at it again. Call it a Period!
Well, that’s not to our very familiar 'fullstop' but the menstrual cycle all fertile (sic) females undergo regularly, monotonously, naturally, obediently, cyclically..phew! Damn, its that common term we use to refer the phenomenon, Period!
I would be dishonest if I don’t mention a blog and that discussion with the blogger which gave me a mental-shake the other day which made me think about it more vigorously than the shake even!
That was the time when I was contemplating on starting my own blog, that was the time I was stranded in the center of middle of no-where, that was the time I wanted a pair of ear to vent out my thoughts, that was the time when I wanted to undertake a journey to a place oh-so romantic and that was the time when my mind was fertile and thoughts were ripe and aplenty. And then came my moment of turbulence on that gloomy morning at the banks of Narbada.
I have a rebel in me. I have never bowed down to mundane traditions or superstitions without my share of reasoning but this is one such issue which makes me say, “I am down but not out yet”! Well, the ghost of this superstition has remained with me and revisits me from time to time to make me get those ‘doubtful’ moments, shall I or shall not I?
A woman is rendered ‘polluting’ during this period and she is forbidden from many of day-to-day activities (since I am not intending anything academic here I restrain myself from going in details as things are changing and this itself is a matter of debate and there are cultural variations). Well, to bring the point home: a menstruating woman is different from a non-menstruating woman. And whether a woman is menstruating is privy to herself or some of her close female (mostly) relatives. So, the decision to enter a shrine and paying reverence to the almighty is completely at the discretion of the ‘polluting’ individual when she declares herself one.
It is where Solna stood at the banks of Narbada as the clouds in her mind and the ghost of the superstition fought a gloomy battle for her to see no sign or indication. And she stood there at the banks of Narbada. And the superstition remained and so did the stain.
But at last the thoughts are released and the blog happened. The first cut which took time to release, to see the light of the day. Its Sunshine time in Solna’s mind. And she hums a song which says…"The First Cut Is the Deepest"..well....
Well, that’s not to our very familiar 'fullstop' but the menstrual cycle all fertile (sic) females undergo regularly, monotonously, naturally, obediently, cyclically..phew! Damn, its that common term we use to refer the phenomenon, Period!
I would be dishonest if I don’t mention a blog and that discussion with the blogger which gave me a mental-shake the other day which made me think about it more vigorously than the shake even!
That was the time when I was contemplating on starting my own blog, that was the time I was stranded in the center of middle of no-where, that was the time I wanted a pair of ear to vent out my thoughts, that was the time when I wanted to undertake a journey to a place oh-so romantic and that was the time when my mind was fertile and thoughts were ripe and aplenty. And then came my moment of turbulence on that gloomy morning at the banks of Narbada.
I have a rebel in me. I have never bowed down to mundane traditions or superstitions without my share of reasoning but this is one such issue which makes me say, “I am down but not out yet”! Well, the ghost of this superstition has remained with me and revisits me from time to time to make me get those ‘doubtful’ moments, shall I or shall not I?
A woman is rendered ‘polluting’ during this period and she is forbidden from many of day-to-day activities (since I am not intending anything academic here I restrain myself from going in details as things are changing and this itself is a matter of debate and there are cultural variations). Well, to bring the point home: a menstruating woman is different from a non-menstruating woman. And whether a woman is menstruating is privy to herself or some of her close female (mostly) relatives. So, the decision to enter a shrine and paying reverence to the almighty is completely at the discretion of the ‘polluting’ individual when she declares herself one.
It is where Solna stood at the banks of Narbada as the clouds in her mind and the ghost of the superstition fought a gloomy battle for her to see no sign or indication. And she stood there at the banks of Narbada. And the superstition remained and so did the stain.
But at last the thoughts are released and the blog happened. The first cut which took time to release, to see the light of the day. Its Sunshine time in Solna’s mind. And she hums a song which says…"The First Cut Is the Deepest"..well....
And now standing in front of yet another sanctum sanctorum of a goddess who is worshipped for power Solna hears her mind murmuring what happens when SHE gets her period?
True, period has etched a strong impression in her mind.
Well, its Period for now!
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Sex in the City!
Its ‘Sex in the City’ for me these days…its all so sex-ed up!!
Well, I am not talking about the famous sitcom anyway but something where I or for that matter my life is getting all so full of sex!
Hmm, need to explain a bit more to make you stop from taking a wrong direction, stop rolling your eyeballs and keep those heavily mascara-ed eyelashes at rest…ahhh, breathtaking eyes!
It has been a regular affair for me to get queries on sex..umm sexual behaviors and such at work and also from friends. Hold on! Before you wear your detective glasses let me tell you I am no sex-agony aunt or a pornstar but my work on high-risk population for HIV makes me a reliable source of information on such oh-so clandestine matters.
And I have been hearing queries, doubts of my friends, sometimes from my friends for their friends.
But suddenly things were too much for me: wherever I go or look I only see or hear or read sex and I thought I should take a break and relieve off my tensions…umm!
My day at work was as usual: I had to go through the signs of forced sex and things like that. And then, an old friend typed in a passage asking me to comment on its validity as she and her gang of women friends had doubt on …well, you guessed it by now. I dutifully answered, discussed. Then I went back to my chores in that new city and it was tiring as when I travel I am extra finicky about things...thats a different story! Then there was a phone call from a long lost friend and I was at my warmest best to let (IT) know I was in travel mode and that we could have an extended conversation when I land at my turf. In doing so I did mention about the historic places I could sneak in that afternoon and pop came the question: those erotica? Well, I did not see any to arouse my senses..oops! Anyway. Then almost at the stroke of midnight my IM popped up another face in doubt, now on behalf of someone else: I tried to rightfully answer (them). As if these were not enough, my ‘conference reminder’ sent me an invitation to attend a conference which is a discourse on how to write well on sex! And I ask, what?
And I came back home over the weekend to know two of my friends are expecting and then on Monday when I was back at my desk with that ‘sunny’ view I was treated with a news that stork has visited two (or three? is not her husband my colleague as well?!) of my colleagues’ families…And I say, what?
I tell you, its all-so sex-ed up here. Give me a breather, please! Ufff!
Well, I am not talking about the famous sitcom anyway but something where I or for that matter my life is getting all so full of sex!
Hmm, need to explain a bit more to make you stop from taking a wrong direction, stop rolling your eyeballs and keep those heavily mascara-ed eyelashes at rest…ahhh, breathtaking eyes!
It has been a regular affair for me to get queries on sex..umm sexual behaviors and such at work and also from friends. Hold on! Before you wear your detective glasses let me tell you I am no sex-agony aunt or a pornstar but my work on high-risk population for HIV makes me a reliable source of information on such oh-so clandestine matters.
And I have been hearing queries, doubts of my friends, sometimes from my friends for their friends.
But suddenly things were too much for me: wherever I go or look I only see or hear or read sex and I thought I should take a break and relieve off my tensions…umm!
My day at work was as usual: I had to go through the signs of forced sex and things like that. And then, an old friend typed in a passage asking me to comment on its validity as she and her gang of women friends had doubt on …well, you guessed it by now. I dutifully answered, discussed. Then I went back to my chores in that new city and it was tiring as when I travel I am extra finicky about things...thats a different story! Then there was a phone call from a long lost friend and I was at my warmest best to let (IT) know I was in travel mode and that we could have an extended conversation when I land at my turf. In doing so I did mention about the historic places I could sneak in that afternoon and pop came the question: those erotica? Well, I did not see any to arouse my senses..oops! Anyway. Then almost at the stroke of midnight my IM popped up another face in doubt, now on behalf of someone else: I tried to rightfully answer (them). As if these were not enough, my ‘conference reminder’ sent me an invitation to attend a conference which is a discourse on how to write well on sex! And I ask, what?
And I came back home over the weekend to know two of my friends are expecting and then on Monday when I was back at my desk with that ‘sunny’ view I was treated with a news that stork has visited two (or three? is not her husband my colleague as well?!) of my colleagues’ families…And I say, what?
I tell you, its all-so sex-ed up here. Give me a breather, please! Ufff!
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