They never stop...

Scene 1: 3 years back, in the first few weeks of my life in frozen land:

me: I never get any mail !!

hubby: what !! whenever I see you, you are always replying to emails, chats, scraps !!

me: not emails !! I meant paper mail, letters, parcels. The outside world doesnt know I exist in this address.

hubby: ask your parents, cousins, aunts & uncles to send you letters instead of emails

me: huh !! that will be too many letters to reply back to. What a wastage of postage & paper !!

hubby: Sigh...

Somewhere in my head, something made me do this: Sign up to receive Chadwicks brochure.

And every time one arrived, I would proudly read my name and exclaim "ah !! see they know I live here".

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Scene 2: present day

Opened the mailbox to find :

1. coupons- from hair cutting to grass cutting
2. roof repair
3. drainage cleaning
4. kohls - (hee hee)
5. restaurants -(useful !!)
6. spa coupons- (mmm...)
7. maid services
8. tyre repair - (practical to keep this)
9. credit cards
10. loan offers
11. insurance companies
12. mortgage companies
13. septic tank installation & cleaning - (????)
14. window cleaning
15. A/C repair

& some more...

me: how the hell do they get our address ? how do they know we live here ? If only I could install a shredder right in our mailbox !! Sigh...

hubby: Now sit and enjoy reading your name !! hahaa...

Sipping tea, I am wrestling between the thoughts of taking a nap or to finish grading the quizzes.

Well, I cant help it. 

Why? Blame the weather !!

Had been to the lab today (yeah, I work on saturdays !!). But didn't get much work done. 

Why? I tell you it's the weather... Take a look...

 The view from the window

I was wondering where did all the ducks disappear to? Florida ????

So wondering what I am doing here, decided to call it a day and head home(atleast)...

Once out of the building,  I saw that while a few brave hearts were still guarding the fort,  about 15 of them were waiting by my car... probably looking for a ride to Florida...

I let them know that the farthest I am driving today is about 8 miles from their lake and hit the road.

And here I am, looking out of our sunroom and seeing the not so sunny view...

But...

In spite of the gloomy outlook, I love the rains !! Everything looks so fresh and green and the smell of the earth,ah !!  indescribable...

And now, time to head for the kitchen for another cup of tea and some more deep thinking  on whether to take a nap or to grade those quizzes...

No to Plagiarism !!!!

Highheelconfidential has been one of my favorite sites these days... 

full timepass for me when I come home after cracking my head open about almost everything at school !!

Payal & Priyanka have put soo much effort into this website and now this....

Grrrrrr... already wrote an email to this Zing thingy... apparently its owned by Zee !!

Boooooooooo...

Status quo: dazed

Two girls stuck in a storm drain (with cell phone in hand) decide to update their status on Facebook rather than calling the cops or parents or friends for help !!!!!!!???????

Words fail me... So instead *thud* *thud* *thud* (hitting my head with my cellphone)....

PS:

If you are feeling sorry for my cellphone and not my head, then its the 44th sign that you are obsessed with your cellphone ...

Very Cute !!!

Forwarded by a friend. Original video can be found here: http://www.snotr.com/video/2630

Path to Independence...

March 2006: landed in Frozenland

April: got the instruction booklet from DMV for obtaining DL

May: got all the required documents including utility bill, telephone bill, bank statements, Marriage certificate, Passport, Insurance documents etc and landed in DMV office

Scene 1:

old lady: provide your documents please

me: meekly handed them

old lady: H4 visa? mmmmmm can't issue learner's permit, next please.

me: gulp

hubby: there are thousands in this country who are on H4 visas and have DL

old lady: no they don't

hubby: do you think I am lying?

old lady: silence

hubby: stomps out of the office and me running to keep up with him

Scene 2: 

old lady: how can I help you

hubby: "its us again" while holding paper in her face showing a list of visa holders who are eligible to obtain DL in US

old lady: where is her SSN

me: I dont have a SSN

old lady: looks at me from top to bottom; probably wondering in her mind "should I call the cops and hand over this alien to them?"

looks at hubby, "well I cant issue her a learner's permit without a SSN"

hubby: stomps out of the office and me running to keep up with him

me: If I dont get a license I will go back to India, sniff...

hubby: opens his mouth, says nothing...takes a deep breath and then in his sweetest possible voice tells me, "If you dont get a license I will do my level best to drive you where ever you want okay? You can sit like a queen next to me."

me: pondering over that idea for 5 seconds and then, "no, I want to drive on my own"

hubby: another deep breath....

Scene 3: SSN Office

Letter obtained stating that H4 visa holders are non-immigrant aliens who are not eligible for a SSN. Process takes about 1/2 hour.

Me looking at the letter: Its official, "My brain is out of this world"

Hubby: Pats me on the head, "Want to stop at Dunking Donuts for some Coffee to keep your brain working"

Me: "Sure, but you have to order for me too, people have trouble understanding the english coming out of this aliens mouth"

Scene 4: DMV office

old lady: crosses her arms and stands in a confrontary manner as soon as she sees us enter the door

hubby: here is the letter from the SSN office and the rest of the documents. Now let her take the test

old lady: this letter CLEARLY states that she is not eligible for a SSN and without a SSN she cannot take the test

hubby: Where does it say on your website that H4 visa holders cannot take the test?

old lady: you will have to find out for yourself, moves away to a table nearby

Middle-aged lady who was standing behind the old lady: hands hubby a folded paper and signals to go away

hubby: stomps out of the office and me running to keep up with him

Outside the DMV we open the paper and this is what was written " GO TO THE DMV OFFICE IN THE NEXT TOWN !!!!"

Scene 5: DMV office in the next town

Obtained my learner's permit without any hassle. 

Me: smiling brightly "your car now belongs to this alien"

Hubby: chuckling, "Alien still needs this Earthling to sit beside her while driving or else Alien will become property of government"

Me: "Oh no, Alien doesnt want to be poked around in jail; Alien will listen to Earthling"

August 2006: started driving lessons

october: snowfall

January 2007: passed road test with flying colors in spite of snowfall during the test; got DL

me: smiling brightly "your car now belongs to this alien"

Hubby: chuckling,"Alien needs to make sure the car is well maintained; Alien has to get oil-changes, tyre rotation, service/maintainance, check tyre pressure, add anti-freeze solution, change wiper blades periodically, vacuum the car, get the car washed..."

Alien: automatic language translator cells in head shutting-down; communication not effective; bleep.

ABORT MISSION. ABORT MISSION.

RETURN TO PLANET INDIA. RETURN TO PLANET INDIA.

Hubby: Want to stop at Dunking Donuts for some Coffee?

Alien: "Coffee"? language translator cells whirring back to life...

REPLY: "Sure, coffee + blueberry bagel with egg & cream cheese;

REPLY: "Sure, coffee + blueberry bagel with egg & cream cheese;

REPLY: "Sure, coffee + blueberry bagel with egg & cream cheese;

REPLY: "Sure, coffee + blueberry bagel with egg & cream cheese;

Silence...

...........

REPLY : "but you have to order for me too, people have trouble understanding the english coming out of this aliens mouth"

 

GoodBye

MJ

We loved you...

And we cheered you...

We Idolized you...

And we hated you... 

MJ

We cried for you...

And we miss you...

We cherish you...

Goodbye MJ !!!

colors for me and you...

Fridays are kind of relaxing for me. Most fridays, we either go out for dinner or my hubby cooks!!! Its what I call a perfect way to ease into the weekend mood...

This friday was no exception, hubby dear offered to cook and how can I refuse??? me being so sweet do I ever say no to anyone??? (I can see the tomatoes & eggs coming my way...)

With some free time on my hands I thought I will hit the books, got to take an exam in August you see...But reading Biochemistry on a friday night, not appealing right?

With nothing interesting on tv, thought will get started with that new painting kit that I got a few days back...

Settling into a cozy corner I gave much thought on what should my delicate and petal-soft hands bring to life?(more tomatoes & eggs coming, this time rotten...)

After 90 minutes into the thinking process, (which also involved checking my yahoo, gmail,University mail,orkut,facebook,blogroll ~10 times in that timeframe), I thought I will just get started. Had seen something on HGTV 'Design on a Dime' long time back and thought will give it a try....

And here it is...

It may not be on par with Vincent Van Gogh's paintings. It may be just colorful squares, but its colorful!!!!  Sigh, I have spent the entire morning sitting in front of it admiring those crooked squares, watching the effect of sunlight on those squares. Protected my masterpiece from the nasty bee that was hell bent on sticking its nose in between those squares. Who needs sleep?who needs food and water? My soul is feasting on the colors...

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hubby: you in the mood for mexican food?

me: 5 bucks if you beat me to the car......zzzzzooooooooooooooooommmmmmmmm!!!!

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PS: This is my first ever painting project and I am more than happy to share how I did it...

1. materials: 10in x 10in canvas, acrylic paint.
2. stick scotch/masking tape/blue painter's tape horizontally and vertically on the canvas, spacing the tapes according to the size of the squares you want.
3. paint the squares created by the intersecting tapes your fav colors...
4. pull out the tapes.
5. paint the spaces in b/w and around the squares a dark color or any color you want.
6. I realized the tapes were not evenly spaced and hence some of my squares are smaller than the others.
7. I tried to do some patch-up work after I removed the tapes and end result: some of my squares= crooked( err...am not very good at this painting stuff).

My first review of a product

Me-"we will stop eating rice and start eating chapathis for dinner daily"

Him-"no"

Me- "there was no question mark in my sentence"

Him-"you are going to make the chapathis"

Me-"you are not going to help?"

Him- "there was no question mark in my sentence"

Me- Grrrrrrrrrrrr.....(scratching)...Grrrrrrrrr Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

Well I thought I can buy one of those tortilla/roti/chapathi makers and making chapathis will be as easy as...

as...mmm...

as easy as...mmm...let's just say, as easy as scratching...

So I got this...and if anyone out there are in the thinking process of getting one read what I have to say and then decide if you want to get one...

So here is my review:

1. 3 settings-low, medium,high. 4th setting-OFF
2. it has to be on high, to make chapathis, otherwise hittu(dough) will just stick and sit there forever without rising
3. 1st day I used that, they came out like tortillas. I shouldn't have been surprised, it says tortilla maker!!!
4. It says in manual the quality will improve as days go by and even some of the reviews said that. That's why I ordered it.
5. after 2-3 times of using it, they started coming out well.
6. the pressing is so easy, no strain at all...
7. but even at that high setting, I guess the heat is ~ equivalent to low setting on electric stove burner and hence it takes somewhat more time to cook each side or I felt it that way because you see nange patience kammi(=less)...
8. I thought a few drops of oil has to be added, otherwise the chapathis will be like you know rotis or tortillas...
9. I had read in review that the inside doesnt cook properly...well I found out its true for some of the chapathis, the insides were still kachka pachka...
10. so I thought I will try pressing hittu in this and cook the chapathi on stove-top...guess what?
11. that thing has to be ON and plates heated, otherwise the hittu just sticks there...
12. So I thought, maybe I can set it at low-setting, so that it doesnt consume much electricity, since I am using the electric burner too, but at low setting the heat is not enough, so even if the hittu flattens out, its difficult to separate it from that plate...
13. Which REMINDS me of MSK(Marimallappa PU chemistry teacher)...I used to attend his 6.30 am batch tuition and that fellow used to put fans so early in the morning...brrrrrrr...the switch for those two cealing fans were near the back benches where boys used to sit and as time went by, they would cm-by-cm slowly turn the knob so that that thing would still be rotating but no gaali(air) coming, hoping that MSK woudnt notice it!!! but we are talking abt MSK here, so he would shout at them "MAKLA THIRUSRO KNOB NAAAA, AAKADE CURRENT KARCHAAGBEKU EEKADE GAALI NU BARBAARDU HANGE MAADTHIRA NANGE " and they would whimper back "current bill save maadi next batch tuition feees li adjust maadkoli saaaaar, namna bittu bidi, manege hogbekaadre daarili ondu stop maadlebeku number-one ge, ashtu chali maadthira illi"
14. coming back: Hubby was saying the hittu probably had too much water thats why its sticking...hav to try making very gatti hittu(dough with less water)...
15. Inbetween I had the Idea of returning this and just getting one of those tortilla press...but I could only find those metal ones and I know it needs some pressure to be put and after sometime hands start aching...havent used the ones here(but have used those metal sandige press in India which looks similar)...
    
16. so this is what I am doing from past 2 days: set that thing to medium/high heat...press it on that and cook it on stove top...and this process is working for me and I am finding the chapathi making process effortless!!!! and chapathis coming out good!!! 
    
17. now some of the reviews said that after 10 months the heating stops working!!! hope that doesnt happen to me...

Will update this after a few months...

Also check out this review on Amazon.com and the comments!!!!

and then back to zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...scratch.............SRK singing ye ladki hai alla...hai haire alla........wake-up,  no SRK, sob.....adjust pillow...zzzzzzzzz...SRK holding my hand again -"It's alright Senorita, Bade Bade Deshon Mein, Aisi Choti Choti Baatein Hoti Rahti Hain."....zzzz:)zzzz:)zzzzz:)zzzzz:)zzzz

Update: I changed the atta/chapathi flour brand and the chapathis are coming out really good now...

And now back to hibernation mode...zzzzzz...

All talk no action = nothing achieved

Two posts back I stated that everyone has the right to talk about anything/everything...

But I again want to emphasize that whining about something without trying to solve the problem doesn't set a "GOOD" example...right?

I just want to ask one question:

"If Gandhi sat in South Africa and whined and whined to his friends about the British rule in India, and then carried on his business as usual,  what would he have achieved?"

Instead, he decided to take action !!! He participated !!! He contributed !!!

Most important of all, He tried !!!

My request to RI's and NRI's:  "TRY"

My specific request to NRI's: You don't have to take action on a Gandhi scale/level...You don't have to leave everything that you worked for in Pardes and go back to Des and start sweeping the streets...

Instead "TRY" to contribute to the system in whatever possible way you can even if it is on a minuscule scale/level...

Make use of BRAND NRI  in a constructive way !!! 

No country is perfect...People choose which country to live in based on their individual requirements/situations. 

I used to whine too, but then I realized:

"We can't afford to throw stones at others when we are living in a glass house."

And some more...

No one is perfect, no country is perfect, no system is perfect...

People who complain about parents in India pressurizing kids to learn this/learn that...

What about sending your own kids to "Kumon"??? Why isn't sending your kids to American schools not enough? Do the kids need something more? eh?

If not for the Asian kids, 90% of Kumon centers wouldn't have existed...

Why because we NRI's know the value of education and do not want our kids to be high school drop outs.... 

How many ABCDs excel in sports? eh? How many are members of American Olympic teams? eh?

But everyone knows ABCDs excel in chess, spelling competitions, science olympiads etc etc., Without the parents urging would these kids have excelled in these events? eh?

So stop complaining please...

At last year's Diwali celebrations at the temple I refused to burst crackers, and was just watching, when a friend asked me this "but it is our tradition,know?" 

how hard is it to realize that crackers emit smoke=pollution!!!  

I admit I used to do the same until a couple of years back when I realized its not so difficult to give up bursting crackers...seriously, how hard can it be? 

So, how much rights do we have to complain about the pollution in India?

I am fortunate because all my relatives who live here talk about the good times/fun/family/food whenever they are back from an India trip and do not crib about the pollution in India...

And for the people who sit here and complain about India & Indians, I would love to see their reaction when their children bring home white daamaad or bahu!!! 

more to come...I can go on and on, but will have to stop for now as I have work to do...

Done with post, and now thinking of title... how about this? "They sweat yet they smile; we mask the sweat and wipe the smile" too much, huh?

Sure, people have the right to complain about anything/everything in their blogs...

but complaining without trying to solve the problem?

I said "trying"... what am I talking about?

Scroll down...

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I woke up from my slumber to the hullabaloo in the blogging world(like this) and thought I will pen down, err type down my thoughts too...

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To all my fellow Indians(by birth or by blood)... 

Most of us have come here from there crossing the oceans in between thinking the grass is "greener" on this side. But now that we are on the "greener" side what are we doing to help the other side? Do we just complain of the weeds on the other side, laugh at it from time to time?

OR

 do something in getting rid of the weeds and make sure the grass is "greener" on the other side too?

Sure, we should appreciate the good things in US of A: better government, money, cars, less corruption, cleaner air, clean roads and the list goes on............

Now that we are surrounded by "good" things, should we mock the other side for not having them?

OR

help them have the "good" things too?

About 2 years back, me & my hubby and a group of good friends were talking about how things work here and in India...

One of my friend's opinion was: "people are so disciplined/obey rules  and keep everything neat here because they are afraid that they are going to be fined if they don't follow the rules set by the government. India will only improve if government fines them for everything "

Me: "Very True... But we can't always depend on the government to do EVERYTHING; waiting for it to set rules so that we can follow them. BLINDLY following rules doesn't help in the long run.

What is more important is to know/judge what is GOOD and what is BAD; and do the GOOD.

Set GOOD examples for your children and others. "

The argument continued for about 1 hour and then I asked him this question:"Why do you hold the door open for someone behind you?"

His answer: "well... because it is a GOOD thing to do"

Me: " but there is no such rule in America that asks you to do so?""

Him: "No...but I saw others doing it here and I started doing it too..."

Me: "So you are basically following a GOOD example set by other people?"

Him: " YES !!! "

Coming to the point: how can we pass on the "GOOD" that we have gained in this country back home in India?

The answer is:

1. Educate people.
2. Start with your family and friends there.
3. Action speak louder than words: display the basic courtesies that you display in America in India too !!! People may tag you "fresh from America." But your goal should be to make "India fresh too." Last summer, on my way to Bangalore, India, I had to change flights in Frankfurt, Germany (Lufthansa Airways). About 95% of the people boarding the flight in Frankfurt were Indians. As soon as the flight name was announced more than half of them rushed towards the gate as if their seat in the plane would be taken over by someone else if they didn't hurry !!! The flight attendants could only roll their eyes and step to the side. These same people would have shown the highest(infinity +one) form of courtesy while boarding their flights in America. I guess, as most Indians go away from America or are nearing India, they throw all their manners to thin air and dance dunkanakka dunkannakka jakkanakka hai hai ahoi...WHY ??? For a moment I thought my friend was right, do Indians need someone to monitor their good behavior always??? Can't people do something good because they want to and not because they have to??? But then I thought, these are the NRIs!!! The so called "cultured" people going to India to visit their "not so cultured" relatives and friends. The word "Culture"  certainly has to be redefined I felt !!!
4. NRIs, Instead of complaining about the pollution/noise/dirt/crowd in India, think about ways to fight such problems. Maybe at least one person in India who will follow that.

One of my aunts came to the "greener" part of the world almost 30 years back. Whenever she used to visit us in India she made it a point to never complain/fret/frown about the dirt/pollution. She made sure her son did not too.

I came to US 3 years back. Saw the difference in "quality" of air. But made it a point not to compare things b/w US and India when I went there last summer.

Everyone knows it, but what's the point in comparing about the "quality" of air while the A/C unit of our house here in America is emitting what-not in the background?

I am not saying the pollution in India did not bother me. I did suffer from throat irritation/congestion when I was in Bangalore, but when I came back to the US all I could talk about was the good fun/food and most of all the amazing time I had with my family. One year after my visit I do not remember the "kochche smell", but I certainly cannot ever forget the assuring smell of my mom that I got when I hugged her in the Bangalore airport. When I close my eyes and think of her, I still get that whiff of amma-smell, I just dont know how to describe it...sigh... 

Besides sitting and complaining without "trying" to solve the problem, nah... I would rather not complain at all... 

True, we all are busy with our own lives trying to cope up with the pressures of staying in this "green" land. But I thought there must be some way to help. One which doesn't require much effort/time from my side as of now. Shouldn't burn a big hole in my student stipend.

Something small to start with.......

I talked to my sister about Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth." Asked her if it could be screened in her engineering college. 

She talked to her principal and with her amazing organizing skills managed to arrange a screening of the documentary at one of the college events.

I don't know how many people got the message or if they even understood the documentary. But even if one single person decides to become a part of the solution, it is worth it. 

At least I have the satisfaction of trying to make the grass on the other side "greener" too and am proud of my sister!!! 

Its a small step. Some people ask "eh? so what? did it help?"

I don't know. But I "tried."

No matter what, I am an Indian. Just because I drink American water doesn't change my blood. There has not been a single day that has passed in the last 3 years of my life without me thinking about India. And those thoughts are always the ones of my family, the laughter, the stress-free, A/C free, not so rich in terms of money, but so stinking-rich in terms of emotional safety days, that I did not need a blog to express my feelings days, hop on my Luna-Super to drive to my friends house to talk with her days, have half-hour conversations with the aunty across the street sitting on my compound wall(yeah I still use both these words together) while she was tending to her garden that occupied the footpath in front of her house days, go for a walk with my parents and sister in the dark streets to eat churmuri when there was no current and hence no TV and fan in the house thanks to KEB's load shedding days, take the Luna-super for puncture repair to the self-trained repair man with the wooden-dabba shop, buy a churmuri from the gaadi near by  and the puncture is repaired by the time I finished eating the churmuri days...

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And finally, I would like to end by talking about the grass again:

"Has anyone ever thought about how obsessed this country is about making the lawn look green and beautiful? Imagine the amount of cheap chemical fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides etc poured down into the soil by the millions of home-owners while still making sure that their kids eat organic vegetables. How about switching to the eco-friendly natural products to maintain the lawn, eco-friendly laundry detergents, dish washing soap etc., ? 

Sure they are costly. But what about the price in terms of pollution?"

cough cough...

and just today morning I waited 3 hours in Walmart to get puncture repaired and tyre rotation done for my car with no churmuri but instead listening to songs on my Ipod sitting in a waiting room with Samsung flat screen TV and vending machine for ice-cold Pepsi. But still I had a frown on my face the entire 3 hours of my wait.

Did the American President invite me to come to this country? No...It was my choice...

Why don't I just go back to India if I love my country so much?

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"Dhobi ka Kuththa na Ghar ka Na Ghat Ka"

But no matter where I am, Blood is always thicker than water...I have India in me...

more on this later... Rava dosa waiting for me...

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@ SJ, Anytime for India, SJ, Anytime for India... As I have said in the post, you set a "GOOD" example for standing up for India, I followed it... See Indians are changing one person at a time, hurray!!! how about we set some more "GOOD" examples so that people can follow it? Right now I am looking for a video that educates people on how to behave during disasters like the Bombay blasts, something that should pertain to crowd-management. If anyone knows any educational video like such, please let me know !!! and SJ, thanks for the awakening!!! well done!!!

Mac-aio-Rama

you must be thinking the title must have been a slip up for mac-o-rama ???

No, you read it right, Mac-aio-Rama...

A few months back I decided to take advantage of the Apple's offer for students and get a mac. I made a deal with my hubby. 

me - "I get to keep the laptop and you get to keep the ipod-touch that comes free with it."

hubby - "  and the laptop will be registered in my name,  Deal ?" 

me - stared at him like this...

( later I began to persuade him to go for a Management degree, since he knows how to make good of  every situation ...)

We went to the Apple store... Let me tell you, it's something about the lighting in that store that mesmerizes us and makes us stay there longer... And the longer we stay, higher the chances we come out with something that has a bitten apple on it...

We bought the mac home...

Oh! I was so thrilled...I didn't want to sleep that day...

next day, it dawned -- I am not smart enough for a Mac !!!!!!!

I had a tough time figuring out the keyboard functions...

I thought there was no right click until she told me that it exists...

Every few days I come across a function that I believed didn't exist and be totally awed by it...

I have had it for like 8 months now and totally love it !!! I don't care if I am not smart enough for it, I still love my Mac...

Alright, but why the aio-rama ? 

... its because I have read such good reviews on the Mac's reliability that people say it's hard to find an excuse to replace it with the newer, gorgeous macs... that means 5-6 years down the lane, it will be very difficult to make another deal with my hubby...aio-rama...

mmm...

                                                                                                         - Anonymous

I came across this when I was looking up some old files on my computer, probably forwarded to me by family or a friend. 

Whoever wrote the above verse deserves this.

I believe life is too short to waste time thinking about people who don't care about you. Over the years I have learnt to be like a mirror -- Reflect behavior. 

If people come to me when they need something and then ignore me; Here's what I do - Ignore them.

I have learnt to focus my attention to people who really care and as a result have developed strong bonds with some truly wonderful people and feel very lucky to have them in my life...

OOPS...

Everyone has their oops moments once in a while. I have had those and when I think about those moments later, I just cant stop wondering how did that happen?

Here's one such moment:

We didnt have our Toyota back then and our trusted Suburu was our Pushpaka Vimana (still is...)...One weekend we headed out to the movies. I had my learner's permit.

Hubby - "why dont you drive?"

me - "do I have to?"

Hubby - "The more you drive, the more confident you will be for your DL test..."

me - "but I drive so slow, we wont make it in time to the movies..."

Hubby - "do you always have to have a ready-made answer ?"

We got into the car. 

Seat belt ON - YES

Music ON - YES

Door closed - Errr...

Apparently, I had not shut my side of the door properly !!! Our Suburu doesnt have the beeper and my poor hubby put the car in reverse, got the car out of the parking spot and made a sharp curve and OPEN SESAME !!!!

I blurted out aloud - - - Tadaaaa.....

OOPS !!!

What happened next? - I learnt what I have to do in such situations - - -  keep my mouth shut !!!

One of the things that we first checked for when buying our Toyota was whether it had the warning beeper. Luckily it gives warning audio-visuals...

When we both think of  this incident, it never fails to induce a hearty laugh !!!

 Whenever I happen to talk to a friend after 2-3 years I happen to be lost for words even though there are lots to be said.The conversation comes down to mere formalities like "how is your family doing? how's your work? how's the weather?"

 Today I am feeling the same as I am trying to think of something to write after such a long gap...there's lots to write about only that I dont know which one to pick first... so i thought why not write about the weather!!!.........

 Today's weather was fairly good... sun was out and thus my mood was cheerful... I hate gloomy, dark days. Can't get anything done. It's like there is no motivation to get up and move. My (our) existence depends on the sun. But I suddenly realized that when in distress I never happen to pray to the "Sun-God" !!!  mmmmm... has me thinking...