100 Not Out!

Centennial

The centennial post is finally here. And boy, have I been itching to write this one! For many weeks I pondered as to what this super special post should be about. I finally came to the conclusion that it had better be a medley. Like this blog has always been. It gives me a chance to talk to myself and express what nobody cares to listen to, or things I have trouble voicing. the blog also helps me 
straighten things in my head while enjoying the joy of writing. 

So in this post, now that I get to blog so less, are somethings that I had been wanting to blog about.

Me Holiday: Muchos Gracias

Thank God for creating such a lovely planet! After ten long years I saw a beach, and how! This trip, no matter how hasty and chaotic it may have been, was special for a lot of firsts.

• The first time I travelled by air.
  
• The first time I travelled in a First Class train compartment.
  
• The first time I visited an island.
  
• The first time I saw and went over a real bridge.
  

Traveling is such a pleasure. Air travel was great, I didn't get air sick and I saw some gorgeous clouds. Kinda makes one wonder as to how vast our world is and how we are but a speck. (I am a nice speck... hehehe). The aerial view of the Andaman Islands left me speechless, and left me asking for more. I would like to go there once again in my lifetime and explore more of the spectacular majesty.

The heaven we stayed in for most part of our Andaman trip was a place called Havelock Island (though getting there was no picnic, but it was worth it, plus the two Israeli guys who asked for help were hot). A quiet, serene and picture perfect island with waters the shades of blue and green. Such secluded beaches that make you feel like 
the only person in the world and yet when you look back, there it is, your resort. So remote and secluded is the place that it takes 1.5 days for a newspaper to get there. So people rely on television a lot. Aah, the simple life! More than 1/3rd of the island is a reserved forest. And I could just go on and on and on about my favourite place for the moment, but I'll shut up. 
Also, Cellular Jail in Port Blair or Kaala Paani jail as it is also known, 
was amazing for the powerful sound and light show with voice overs
by Naseeruddin Shah. A must see for sure!

Kolkata was as chaotic as it gets, more so as it was Durga Puja time. Endless traffic jams and pollution were a nuisance. But I loved the Victoria Memorial, MP Birla Planetarium and the all the bridges I saw. A 
special mention here about Science City, this place was 
tons & tons of fun. The space theatre, hall of mirrors and what 
not, made for a fun day out. We should have something so fun and 
so mammoth in Delhi too :)

I came home with many regrets. I was unable to buy a Bengali sari (white with red border), I did not swim/ scuba dive, and did not see coral 
reefs on a glass bottom boat.  

Let's face it, the trip was too too too short! 7 days for 3 places just aint enough! But in my lifetime I wish to go there once again and for much longer 
this time. Fursat se!

Am a Football!

Not only do I look like a football, my company treats me like one too. Yes, I have been shifted again! Back to the elevator-less building, away from my friends and my gorgeous crush :(  Even though I now sit on the ground floor, its no fun as I end up climbing a lot of stairs everyday for something or the other. Most inconvenient!

I can Do it!

Without my TL and Project Coordinator, I can handle a team of 30+ people (some of whose names I don't know till now). Felt great to know that, and even though I was nervous and it got chaotic with everybody 
seeking me out for instructions, I managed. 

In your face TL! Ha! But seriously, it was a high of the 
professional kind! :D

Must Fight Lizards...

Well here I am, to round things off with the bizarre topic - the perfect guy...

A wish list/ checklist/ of the PURRRFECT guy is a bizarre idea in itself. No one is perfect, especially no guy (hehehe), 
we all know that it is foolish to make lists, but we still like to 
enumerate our preferences just for the heck of it. 
Though I have never really made a list, nor am I sure what should 
go in it, I can give it a shot.

• Should be adequately adventurous and spontaneous.
  
• A good sense of humour is non negotiable.
  
• Must be passionate.
  
• Should be a balanced person.
  
• Must want and provide space, has to have individuality.
  
• Someone who is as comfortable seeing a masala flick as he is watching a waltz performance. As with it grooving to bhangra as humming ballads... 
  
• Non smoker, non doper and preferably non boozer/ social drinker.
  
• Must read, even if he reads only magazines. Bottom line, reading habits should be beyond newspapers, textbooks, joke sms's and home delivery menus.
  
• Financially secure.
  
• Must drive, I am too accident prone to be behind the wheels.
  
• Ego overload not appreciated. (man, this list is longer than I thought)
  
• Must love movies and traveling and really wish to explore the world. Somebody who would want to go to the Arctic Circle and Surtsey. 
  
• Broad outlook.
  
• Being thoughtful is a must if I am not to cry every week.
  
• Has to be classy.
  
• Must have ethics, values and integrity.
  
• Humility, compassion and decent conversational skills too.
  
• Needs to understand that my career is important and that I am an only child and have to be around my parents forever.
  
• Last but not the least, must fight lizards for me! I can't!
  

Phew! Hope I didn't forget anything. Hehehe.

Till we meet again... Adios!

Mythology and the Art of Story Telling

Mythology, surely an interesting concept, has often led us to believe several things, simply because we don't have certain answers. The reason why we all believe in mythological tales or consider believing them is because humans are curious and need to explain that which is incomprehensible. Almost every religion (each so complicated) attributes the creation of the world to their God or deity. That is why we have the Seven Day Story in the bible. In Hinduism, we have the holy trinity of Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva representing the cycle of creation - protection - and -destruction and renewal.

This is where the art of storytelling comes in. These mythological stories, so complellingly told and oft repeated form our impression of how things came to be. When in fact, most of us educated and scientific folks know that what we see today and how we see it, including the our planet and its creatures is a result of evolution, intelligent design, survival of the fittest and what have you.

Why is it then that we still find these stories fascinating? Why do we narrate them to children? Why do we go to places of worship? Somewhere we like to believe that there is a God (who knows, there actually may be one), that someone is watching over us and that the Earth was not formed due to years of evolution and other such dreary processes that are not as wonderful as the fantastic stories of creation that have done the rounds since time immemorial. 
Having said that, it is true that in moments of agony, pain, trauma 
and tragedy, we do look heavenwards. Also, when unexpected things or
miracles happen to us, we don't know who else to thank but God.

I personally don't know if there is a God or not. But I like to believe there is a superpower of
some sort. Someone we can pray or appeal to, someone we can thank and look up to. While
I don't find anything wrong with praying, but I do draw the line at excessive ritualism, idol worship and atrocities in the name of religion. In today's day 
and age, God is also custom fit for everyone. Each of us have 
a different concept of God and shares a personal relationship with Him/ Her.

At the end of the day, I feel there is just one God. Rama, Vishnu, Jesus, Allah, are just names or perhaps incarnations that may be fictitious for all we know. Nevertheless, mythological tales have always fascinated me. Here goes one I recently read on BBC's portal:

Brahma

Brahma is the first god in the Hindu triumvirate, or trimurti. The triumvirate consists of three gods who are responsible for the creation, upkeep and destruction of the world. The other two gods are Vishnu and Shiva. Vishnu is the preserver of the universe, while Shiva's role is to destroy it in order to re-create. Brahma's job was the creation of the world and all its creatures. His name should not be confused with Brahman, who is the supreme God force present within all things.

Brahma has four heads and it is believed that from these heads came the four Vedas (the most ancient religious texts for Hindus). Some also believe that the caste system, or four varnas, came from different part of Brahma's body. He has four arms and is usually depicted with a beard. Brahma's consort is Saraswati, goddess of knowledge.

Why is Brahma not worshipped so much?
There are a number of stories in the Hindu mythology which point to why he is rarely worshipped. The first view is that Brahma created a woman in order to aid him with his job of creation. She was called Shatarupa. She was so beautiful that Brahma became infatuated with her, and gazed at her wherever she went. This caused her extreme embarrassment and Shatarupa tried to turn from his gaze.But in every direction she moved, Brahma sprouted a head until he had developed four. Finally, Shatarupa grew so frustrated that she jumped to try to avoid his gaze. Brahma, in his obsession, sprouted a fifth head on top of all.

It is also said in some sources that Shatarupa kept changing her form. She became every creature on earth to avoid Brahma. He however, changed his form to the male version of whatever she was and thus every animal community in the world was created. Lord Shiva then admonished Brahma for demonstrating behaviour of an incestuous nature and chopped off his fifth head for 'unholy' behaviour. Since Brahma had distracted his mind from the soul and towards the cravings of the flesh, Shiva's curse was that people should not worship Brahma. As a form of repentance, it is said that Brahma has been continually reciting the four Vedas since this time, one from each of his four heads.

A second view of why Brahma is not worshipped , and a more sympathetic one, is that Brahma's role as the creator is over. It is left to Vishnu to preserve the world and Shiva to continue its path of cosmic reincarnation.

Vishnu

Vishnu is the second god in the Hindu triumvirate (or Trimurti). His role is to return to the earth in troubled times and restore the balance of good and evil. So far, he has been reincarnated nine times, but Hindus believe that he will be reincarnated one last time close to the end of this world. He is particularly associated with light and especially with the Sun.

In early texts, Vishnu is not included as one of the original seven solar gods (Adityas), but in later texts he is mentioned as leading them. From this time, Vishnu appears to have gained more prominence, and by the time of the Brahmanas (commentaries of the Vedas), he is regarded as the most important of all gods.

Two of Vishnu's incarnations, Rama and Krishna, are also the subject of the epic stories Ramayana and Mahabharata, respectively.

What does Vishnu look like?
Vishnu is represented with a human body, often with blue coloured skin and with four arms. His hands always carry four objects in them, representing the things he is responsible for. The conch: the sound this produces 'Om', represents the primeval sound of creation, the chakra, or discus: symbolises the mind, the lotus flower: an example of glorious existence and liberation, and the mace: represents mental and physical strength.

Vishnu has appeared in various incarnations nine times on this earth, with the tenth predicted. These are:

Matsya (fish) - Some Hindus believe that this is the similar to the biblical representation of Noah
Kurma (turtle) - Churning of the Ocean
Varaha (pig/boar) - In this avatar, Vishnu recovered the stolen Vedas
Narasimha (half lion, half man) - Vishnu managed to vanquish a demon who had gained immunity from attacks from man, beast or god
Vamana (dwarf sage with the ability to grow) - In this story, the evil demon Bali had taken over the earth and had pushed all of the gods from the heavens as well. Vishnu took the form of a dwarf, who tricked Bali into giving him as much of Bali's empire as he could cover in three steps. Vishnu as Vamana grew so large that with one step he had covered the earth, with the second the heavens, thus returning the ownership to the gods.
Parasurama (fierce man/hunter) - Vishnu rids the earth of irreligious and sinful monarchs
Rama (greatest warrior/ideal man) - As Rama, he kills the demon King Ravana, who abducted his wife Sita
Krishna (mentally advanced man) - Krishna is the hero of the Mahabharata, an epic poem. He also delivered his famous message, known as the Baghavad Gita.
Buddha (the all knowing one) - Who appeared in the 5th century BCE. In some traditions, Balarama replaces Buddha as an incarnation of Vishnu.
Kalki - Expected towards the end of this present age of decline, as a person on earth, seated on a white horse.

Vishnu in Hindu Mythology
The churning of the Milky Ocean is the story that explains how the gods finally defeated the demons and became immortal. In the story, Vishnu advised the other gods to churn the Milky Ocean in order to recover a number of lost treasures, including the elixir of immortality and Lakshmi, the goddess of success and wealth. Both of these items would enable the gods to defeat the demons who had taken taken over the universe.

Knowing the gods would be unable to churn the great ocean themselves, Vishnu struck a deal with the demons. He told them they would get a share of the treasures, including the elixir of immortality, if they helped to churn. They agreed. Vishnu told the gods and demons they should use Mount Madura as a churning stick, and the giant serpent, Vasuki, as a rope. Vishnu managed to persuade the demons to hold the head of the snake, which was spitting furiously, while the gods held the tail end. The serpent was then coiled around the mountain. Each side alternately pulled the rope then allowed it to relax, causing the mountain to rotate in the water.

Before they could regain the treasures however, there were many problems they had to face. As the gods and demons churned, the mountain began to sink into the soft sand bed of the sea. At the request of the gods, Vishnu incarnated as a turtle. He placed the mountain on his back to act as a foundation stone, thus allowing the churning to continue. When the elixir of immortality finally rose to the surface, the demons rushed to grab it. But Vishnu assumed the form of Mohini, a beautiful woman who captivated all the demons. By sleight of hand she changed the elixir for alcohol and returned the precious liquid to the gods.

The churning also brought Lakshmi forth from the ocean. She came as a beautiful woman standing on a lotus flower. Seeing all the gods before her, she chose the god she felt was most worthy of her. Vishnu and she have been inseperable since.

Shiva

Shiva is the third god in the Hindu triumvirate. Shiva's role is to destroy the universe in order to re-create it. Hindus believe his powers of destruction and recreation are used even now to destroy the illusions and imperfections of this world, paving the way for beneficial change. According to Hindu belief, this destruction is not arbitrary, but constructive. Shiva is therefore seen as the source of both good and evil and is regarded as the one who combines many contradictory elements.

Shiva is known to have untamed passion, which leads him to extremes in behaviour. Sometimes he is an ascetic, abstaining from all wordly pleasures. At others he is a hedonist. It is Shiva's relationship with his wife, Parvati which brings him balance. Their union allows him to be an ascetic and a lover, but within the bounds of marriage.

What does Shiva look like?
In his representations as a man, Shiva always has a blue face and throat. Strictly speaking his body is white, but images often show him with a blue body too. Shiva is represented with the following features:

A third eye - The extra eye represents the wisdom and insight that Shiva has. It is also believed to be the source of his untamed energy. On one occasion, when Shiva was distracted in the midst of worship by the love god, Kama, Shiva opened his third eye in anger. Kama was consumed by the fire that poured forth, and only returned to life when Parvati intervened.
A cobra necklace - This signifies Shiva's power over the most dangerous creatures in the world. Some traditions also say that the snake represents Shiva's power of destruction and recreation. The snake sheds its skin to make way for new, smooth skin.
The Vibhuti - The vibhuti are three lines drawn horizontally across the forehead in white ash. They represent Shiva's all pervading nature, his superhuman power and wealth. Also, they cover up his powerful third eye.
The Trident (Trishul) - The three pronged trident represents the three functions of the Hindu triumvirate.
Even though Shiva is the destroyer, he is usually represented as smiling and tranquil.
In other representations Shiva is sometimes represented as half man, half woman. His figure is split half way down the body, one half showing his body and the second half that of Parvati’s. Shiva is also represented by Shiva linga. This is a phallic statue, representing the raw power of Shiva and his masculinity. Hindus believe it represents the seed of the universe, demonstrating Shiva's quality of re-creation.
Shiva in Hindu Mythology
Shiva's consort is Devi, the Mother-goddess. Devi has taken on many forms in the past, including Kali, the goddess of death, and Sati, the goddess of marital felicity. Her best known incarnation is Parvati, Shiva's eternal wife. Hindus believe Shiva and Parvati live in the Kailash mountains in the Himalayas.

Shiva is also regarded as the Lord of Dance. The rhythm of dance is a metaphor for the balance in the universe which Shiva is believed to hold so masterfully. His most important dance is the Tandav. This is the cosmic dance of death, which he performs at the end of an age, to destroy the universe. According to one Hindu legend, Shiva almost signalled the end of this universe by performing this dangerous dance before its time. This is the story:

One day, the father of the goddess Sati decided to hold a prayer ceremony. At this prayer ceremony, all the gods would be invited and offerings would be made to them. But Shiva had married Sati against the wishes of her father and so, he was not invited. Sati was deeply offended on behalf of her husband. In anger, Sati prayed intensely and jumped into the sacred fire that was burning on the day of the ceremony.

During this time, Shiva had been in the midst of deep meditation. But when Sati jumped into the fire, he awoke in great anger, realising what his wife had done. The story becomes less certain at this point, but it is believed that Shiva started the cosmic dance of death. The whole universe was about to be destroyed before it was time. The gods who were present at the prayer ceremony were very concerned. In order to pacify him, they scattered the ashes of Sati over him. This did the trick. He calmed down and did not complete the dance. But he went into meditation for many years, deeply upset over the death of his wife, ignoring all his godly duties.

It was not until Sati was reborn as Parvati that Shiva finally came out of meditation. Through her love and patience, she taught him about family life and the importance of moderation. Shiva and Parvati are held up as the perfect example of marital bliss by many Hindus, and one is rarely depicted without the other.

Chhappar Phaad Ke !

Jab bhagwan deta hai to chhappar phaad ke deta hai . . .

How true :D

Lady luck was really smiling on me today. A nagging medical problem was sorted, I saw my new crush after a drought of three long days AND . . .

I won I won I won !! Nothing beats a cash reward and acknowledgement and appreciation for your work :D

If last August was crappy, God sure is making up for it this year :)

My God !

I just realized I did not post anything here for 21 days! Jeez!

This Week That Year

This week of 2006 was excruciatingly torturous for me. I had a bad road accident, broke my ankle in different places, was operated upon, discharged from the hospital and came home in a royal ride: an ambulance.

This is no sob story, and frankly I am just writing it for myself. Whatever happened is in the past now, though it still does affect or rather limit me and I still remember all the details meticulously.

I am just glad that even though there is another operation in the offing, I am busy now, making money, walking, taking stairs, even doing little jigs and living life to the fullest. And never will I forget the people who were nice to me during this time. And to the ones who acted all nasty, well, Good Riddens to Bad Rubbish is all I have to say.

I am a tad more cynical now, more realistic, more trusting of God and myself and less trusting of people, but I think I needed to be. I mostly don't take people's words, promises and tall claims at face value now.

Maybe I have come of age :)

PS: Dear God, I am stronger now, but please don't make me go through something similar again. Please haan.

Girls CAN Read Maps!

Woah! Was that fun or was that FUN! On saturday me and some gal pals headed straight to Pataudi Palace in Haryana and managed to reach there and back in one piece without the assistance of a man. Anyways, that was clearly not the high point of the excursion. The high point of the excursion was the journey and the excursion itself. Armed with good music, handy snacks, lots of cash and great company we set out for Tiger Pataudi's former abode. The balmy weather and verdant countryside also added to the fun. We saw many glorious sights on the way and I felt even more happy as I had not set out of Delhi NCR in a very very long time.

The white palace was more like a huge stately mansion, impressive nonetheless, even though some portions of it were screaming for attention. The palace complex was interesting to explore and included some mausoleums of the royal family, tiny canons, a madrasa, lovely gardens with mughal fountains and a rather abandoned mosque. Inside the palace we got a glimpse of life in the royal strata. Sadly, hunting was a much favoured royal pastime of the Nawabs and so we saw many stuffed animals in the palace, which mainly included deers and one grand tiger at the entrance. Pictures and books of the royal family graced the walls and bookshelves. I was only able to recognise Ibrahim Pataudi, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, Sharmila Tagore and Maharani Gayatri Devi in the plethora of pictures on display.

The courtyards and verandahs were amazing and the poolside and huge royal bathrooms were also impressive... hehehe. The hotel staff gave us a tour of two of the rooms in the heritage hotel. The furniture was ancient and one of the rooms even sported an MF Hussain original. The TV lounge was a tad dissappointing because of the tiny TV there. We all went nuts clicking pictures and I even tried my hand at playing pool in the royal pool table. I ended up embarassing myself, but no one was looking so it was quite ok.

The worst part of the excursion was the money we had to shell out to enjoy the palace. They had a No Lunch - No Go policy and the blasted Nawabi Lunch was for 600 bucks per plate plus taxes. Sheesh! Our office pantry serves a better meal!

All in all a thrilling experience. One should always try and get out of the city for short excursions, they certainly do refresh the mind. Plus exploring something new is always exciting.

Ye Duniya agar Mil bhi jaye to Kya hai . . .

Such a fantastically melancholy and poignant song . . . though I did not admire the vocals much. Nonetheless, a fab discovery from the film Pyaasa . . .

Yeh Mahalon, Yeh Takhton, Yeh Taajon Ki Duniya
Yeh Insaan Ke Dushman, Samajon Ki Duniya
Yeh Daulat Ke Bhooke, Riwajon Ki Duniya
Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaaye, To Kya Hai ?

Har Ek Jism Ghayal, Har Ek Rooh Pyaasi
Nigaahon Mein Uljhan, Dilon Mein Udaasi
Yeh Duniya Hai Ya Aalam-E-Badhawaasi
Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaaye To Kya Hai ?

Yahan Ek Khilona Hai Insaan Ki Hasti
Yeh Basti Hai Murda Paraston Ki Basti
Yahan Zindagi Se Bhi Hai Maut Sasti
Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaaye To Kya Hai ?

Jawaani Bhatakti Hai Badkaar Bankar
Jawaan Jism Sajte Hain Baazar Bankar
Yahaan Pyar Hota Hai Vyopar Bankar
Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaaye To Kya Hai ?

Yeh Duniya Jahaan Aadmi Kuchh Nahi Hai
Wafaa Kuchh Nahi, Dosti Kuchh Nahi Hai
Jahan Pyaar Ki Kadr Hi Kuchh Nahin Hai
Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaaye, To Kya Hai ?

Jalaa Do Ise, Fooq Dalo Yeh Duniya
Jalaa Do, Jalaa Do, Jalaa Do
Fooq Dalo Yeh Duniya
Mere Samne Se Hata Lo Yeh Duniya
Tumhari Hai, Tum Hi Sambhalo Yeh Duniya
Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaaye To Kya Hai ?

The 90/10 Principle by Stephen Covey

Got this in a mail, liked it a lot. . .

Discover the 90/10 Principle. It will change your life (at least the way you react to situations). What is this principle? 10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react. What does this mean?

We really have no control over 10% of what happens tous. We cannot stop the car from breaking down.The plane will be late arriving, which throws our whole schedule off. A driver may cut us off in traffic. We have no control over this 10%. The other 90% is different. You determine
the other 90%. How? By your reaction.

You cannot control a red light., but you can control your reaction. Don'tlet people fool you; YOU can control how you react. Let's use an example. You are eating breakfast with your family. Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee onto your business shirt. You have no control over what just happened.

What happens next will be determined by how you react. You curse. You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over. She breaks down in tears. After scolding her, you turn to your spouse and criticize her for placing the cup too close to the edge of the table. A short verbal battle follows. You storm upstairs and change your shirt. Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy crying to finish breakfast and get ready for school. She misses thebus. Your spouse must leave immediately for work.

You rush to the car and drive your daughter to school. Because you are late, you drive 40 miles an hour in a 30 mph speed limit. After a 15-minute delay and throwing $60 traffic fine away, you arrive at school. Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye.

After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you find you forgot your briefcase.Your day has started terrible. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse. You look forward to coming home, When you arrive home, you find small wedge in your relationship with your spouse and daughter. Why? Because of how you reacted in the morning. Why did you have a bad day?

A) Did the coffee cause it?
B) Did your daughter cause it?
C) Did the policeman cause it?
D) Did you cause it?
The answer is " D".

You had no control over what happened with the coffee.How you reacted in those 5 seconds is what caused your bad day. Here is what could have and should have happened.

Coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently say,"It's ok honey, you just need, to be more careful next time".Grabbing a towel you rush upstairs. After grabbing a new shirt and your briefcase, you come back down in time to look through the window and see your child getting on the bus. She turns and waves. You arrive 5 minutes early and cheerfully greet the staff. Your boss comments on how good is the day that you are having.

Notice the difference?

Two different scenarios. Both started the same. Both ended different. Why? Because of how you REACTED. You really do not have any control over 10% of what happens. The other 90%
was determined by your reaction. Here are some ways to apply the 90/10 principle. If someone says something negative about you, don't be a sponge. Let the attack roll off like water on glass. You don't have to let the negative comment affect you! React properly and it will not ruin your day. A wrong reaction could result in losing a friend, being fired, getting stressed out etc.

How do you react if someone cuts you off in traffic? Do you lose your temper? Pound on the steering wheel? A friend of mine had the steering wheel fall off) Do you curse? Does your blood pressure skyrocket? Do you try and bump them?

WHO CARES if you arrive ten seconds later at work? Why let the cars ruin your drive? Remember the 90/10 principle, and do not worry about it. You are told you lost your job. Why lose sleep and get irritated? It will work out. Use your worrying energy and time into finding another job. The plane is late; it is going to mangle your schedule for the day.Why take out your frustration on the flight attendant? She has no control over what is going on. Use your time to study, get to know the other passenger. Why get stressed out? It will just make things worse.

Now you know the 90-10 principle. Apply it and you will be amazed at the results. You will lose nothing if you try it. The 90-10 principle is incredible. Very few know and apply this principle. The result? Millions of people are suffering from undeserved stress, trials, problems and heartache.We all must understand and apply the 90/10 principle. It CAN change your life!!!

Avifauna Galore !

Our lawn seems to attract its fair share of birds. Species observed so far - Hens, Cocks, Ducks (...!), Joys, Koel, Crows (aren't they everywhere), Pigeons, Mynas... and some species I do not recognise :D

Congratulations to us all !

The verdict is out and the world has taken its pick. India's Taj Mahal stands proudly among the new Seven Wonders of the World. The immaculate beauty of the Taj spells grandeur and it is truly romance in stone. I remember the first time I saw the majestic monument. I was 16 and it was hot as hell, but the moment I laid my eyes on the Taj Mahal, I was pretty much dumb struck. For there it was, in all its glory.

Taj Mahal, India
The Reigning Beauty 

More than anything else I am glad that in this screwed up world 
of ours, among the Seven Wonders of the World, one is a symbol of love.
The others are symbols of defence, religion and the like. This goes on to illustrate that no matter how our world may be swept by waves of terrorism, hatred, malice, materialism, utilitarianism and other such 'isms', nothing beats the power of love. Though I am a tad disappointed that St. Basil and Ankorwat lost :(

The other Wonders of the World, equally beautiful and significant are:

Chichén Itzá, Mexico
(My Pick)

Stattue of Christ the Redeemer, Brazil

The Great Wall, China

Machu Picchu, Peru
(My Pick)



Petra, Jordan



The Roman Colloseum, Italy