the history lover's blog

THE FRIENDSHIP BASKET LUNCH

2010-11-20T19:39:00.003+05:30

My blog posts during the past few months havent been regular. But now I am tempted to blog about a recent lunch- a friendship basket lunch! At the Duchess club we were asked to pick numbers from a basket.Those of us with the same numbers went to the same table. We were asked to make friends with each other. That began the friendship basket.
Prema Venkat, Sudha Suresh, Sheetal Bajaj and I were at the same table! We instantly hit off well and decided to meet post Diwali. An Sms from me and prompt replies from every one and we fixed a date and venue for lunch. But my father fell ill a few days before and I was wondering if I would have to pull out of this. But luckily he recovered.But there was something else challenging us? It was pouring the previous day and on the day but still we all made it. We met at Mahamudra- a restaurant serving simple vegetarian health food! Prema and I have known each other but we were still to know more about Sudha and Sheetal. Sudha joined us and she looked at me and asked, was your dad in Standard Pharmaceuticals? I was surprised! She told me her husband and my dad worked together 25 years ago and she has actually seen me as a 5 year old!! She even remembered my sister Nupur and my mother. My dad was delighted to get in touch with his old colleague! Sheetal I discovered lives close to my place and has joined Duchess just 5 months ago!We had a fun lunch and all of them thanked me for taking the initiative to message them and rope them into this! I happen to be the youngest in this gang also! We each have our own group of friends at the Duchess but this basket helped us make friends with each other. We hope to sit together at the next meeting. I do look forward to bonding more closely with this new group of friends I have just made!

AN ODE TO A DEAR FRIEND

2010-11-01T21:26:00.004+05:30

This is my 100th blog post and I dedicate it to Nina...who has made all the difference to my life. A poem I wrote for her a day after her birthday. Posting it only now. Hope my thoughts and feelings reach out through these words!

ANGEL IN DISGUISE

As I look back at the moments I felt I had grown
I remember there was still so much that was unknown
An immature kid with so many judgements and biases
I never realized that life was full of so many choices!

I made good choices and my thoughts always strong
My heart pure and my intentions never wrong
Still there was something missing and incomplete
That would make my life more meaningful and concrete!

She walked into my life like a whiff of fresh air
Told me there is a lot to learn and nothing to despair
Didn’t give me hand to hold when I cried over silly stuff
That’s because she wanted to make me all bold and tough!

Nice, intelligent, a little naughty and affable
Nina- the perfect fairy from a beautiful fable
Filled that gap and made all the difference
Helped me evolve with just her subtle presence

She is a friend who loves and cares like no other
I see in her the reflection of a beautiful mother
She taught me the beauty and the joy in sharing
I always look up to her as a friend so inspiring

A wonderful guide and friend in times of need
Pushes me at the time when I should do the deed
Encourages me to look for strength from the inner
I know she always wants me to be a winner!

I now see the world around me to be so beautiful
No longer am I biased, bitchy or judgmental
Over the last year I have grown to be serene and wise
Thank you Nina for truly being an angel in disguise!

This Joy of giving week.....support Tanker!

2010-09-14T13:08:00.004+05:30

Dear Friends, TANKER Foundation is taking part in the India Giving Challenge and with your contribution through this iGive page, we plan to expand our activites and reach out to more people than ever before. TANKER is a registered, non-profit charitable trust, founded on 30th June 1993.We aim to provide healthcare and financial help to the underpriviledged with kidney ailments. So far, 72845 dialysis have been given for 620 patients through our 3 subsidized dialysis units in Chennai and Madurai. We have also opened our HIV Dialysis Unit with 2 Machines. At present we have 140 patients in the TANKER Fold. So far we have given Rs. 60.2 Lakhs to 1034 patients for financial support. We have conducted over 161 Awareness Progs about kidney disease reaching out to over 40,000 people. Most of our patients have a monthly income of less than Rs. 5,000/-. Dialysis is unaffordable for them in Private Hospitals and unavailable in Govt. Hospitals. While we provide our dialysis free or at a subsidized rate of Rs. 375, the actual cost to us is Rs. 800.We aim to give more free dialysis for our patients and set up more subsidized dialysis units. Rs. 800 will sponsor one free dialysis, Rs. 5 lakhs will sponsor one dialysis machine. Every paisa we get goes towards giving patients better treatment. Indian donors will get tax benefits. GiveIndia will process every donation and send you a receipt. If we are one of the top NGO's to raise funds we will receive a prize of matching funds from GIVE! Your gesture of giving will help needy people who are suffering under the financial, physical and emotional strain of having this terrible disease. We would be grateful for any contribution from you. Please visit http://www.tankerfoundation.org/. Warm Regards, TANKER Foundation.

Dance, Music and Health

2010-02-15T20:23:00.003+05:30

Dr Yamini Saripalli, a kuchipudi dancer, dermatologist enlightened us on the effect of music and dance on health. A beautiful dancer, she showed us a presentation on the effct of music and dance on the various parts of the body. Music is indeed therapeutic. From helping relieve stress, to relieving pain, helping in neurological problems, psychological problems and a lot more, music has a lot more to offer than just ragas and talas. Dr Yamini said the heart beats lub dub and she links to takki ta tha the dance beat! and Yes she says dance is like yoga and helps with problems like Ashtma, gynaecological disorders and since it is a kind of weight bearing exercise also helps to build bone density and prevent osteoporosis. An alumni Judy shared with us an incident where the flutist Ramani was recently operated upon for a tumour in the throat and his students took turns at for 48 non stop hours the ragam ananda bhairavi. A similar experience has happened with Lalgudi Jayraman who had a stroke and his students played the violin for him. He can now sing again and occassionally plays the violin too! There probably is some connection between music, dance and health. So the next time you are plugging on your head phones to listen to music remember the rock music can make your heart palpitate! and may be a good dance can help make your bones stronger.

Gulzar Sahab @ the Duchess

2010-02-15T20:18:00.001+05:30

छोटे थे, माँ उपले थापा करती थी
हम उपलों पर शक्लें गूँधा करते थे
आँख लगाकर -
कान बनाकर -
नाक सजाकर -
पगड़ी वाला -
टोपी वाला -
मेरा उपला -
तेरा उपला -
अपने-अपने जाने-पहचाने नामों से
उपले थापा करते थे

हँसता-खेलता सूरज रोज़ सवेरे आकर
गोबर के उपलों पे खेला करता था
रात को आँगन में जब चूल्हा जलता था
हम सारे चूल्हा घेर के बैठे रहते थे
किस उपले की बारी आयी
किसका उपला राख हुआ
वो पंडित था -
इक मुन्ना था -
इक दशरथ था -
बरसों बाद -
मैं श्मशान में बैठा सोच रहा हूँ
आज की रात इस वक्त के जलते चूल्हे में
इक दोस्त का उपला और गया.

These lines are still echoing in my ears! It was indeed a memorable evening for all of us at the Duchess club! Gulzar Sahab being in our midst to launch the tamil version of raavi paar by Sivasankari amma. He left us mesmerised with his impeccable style, his poetry and his warmth. As we went through the formal book launch ceremony I think we were all just waiting to hear Gulzaar ji speak. His speech was just as good as his poetry.He spoke about his meeting with amma and was humble enough to credit her as the writer of the book and not the translator. AVM Sarvanan was other chief guest who with all his humility spoke in tamil. ( I interviewed him in tamil for my column and impressed him! after all a punju interviewing him in tamil)!. The big moment for us came when Gulzar Ji stepped forward to read his poetry. Upla was the first poem he read. Followed by a longish one on books which was so true n relevant to the present day. A couple of short poems followed on. Then he answered questions. Ranging from films to his passion as a writer Gulzar sahab shared some amazing moments with us. He even explained how Jai ho was penned! Just as we finished singing the National Anthem the hall resounded with Jai ho which was spontaneous. We mobbed Gulzar sahab for autographs and pictures with him. I still cant get over the meeting. The poetry which I enjoyed listening to in urdu for the sweetness of the language and Gulzar sahab's expression left me speechless. I just managed to go introduce myself as a writer and yeah he immediately shook hands...shld I say with a fellow writer! Dont know how far I am going to get as a writer but the moment was big for me! Thanks to the Fab 5 for organizing such a lovely meeting. Its definitely a Jai ho! for the Duchess.

MY LATEST INTERVIEW

2010-01-16T12:52:00.005+05:30

This is my latest interview...a dream interview! It is in a local paper called On sale express.

THE YEAR THAT WAS

2009-12-23T19:46:00.003+05:30

I just realized that we are being ushered into the last week of the year! Yes 2009 is coming to an end. The year 2009 has been rather eventful. I've had several beautiful moments, several learning experiences and made many good friends. The year gave me the opportunity to write a lot! I got a health column to write, a column on colleges and a column on inspiring leaders. I also got an opportunity to do a health supplement single handedly on Mylapore. With all this writing I learnt so much. The most beautiful part of the year was the time I managed to befriend Nina. Its been amazing knowing her. I wouldve been reluctant to interact with her considering the age diff n of course her status but she eased things out for me. And I certainly believe Baba is connecting us and will keep us connected for ever. I've spent some of my happiest and most memorable moments of the year with her. From being at her stunningly beautiful beach house to attending duchess meetings and all her 02 programmes every moment spent with her made me happy! The month of August wasnt great. I went through a bad bout of depression and messed things for myself. I didnt know if things would be like before for me. A trip to Shirdi happened on 1st September. With Baba's blessings I recovered and am back to being my normal bubbly self. I have joined the Duchess club which was a long standing promise to Nina. I have had tough moments during the year in terms of business as well. But have sailed through it all. I look forward to a more beautiful, a more fulfilling and a more prosperous 2010.

MRS CHENNAI FINALE....A MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE

2009-12-13T11:40:00.000+05:30

An event which I had been hearing about for the last couple of years but never had the chance to witness has to be the Mrs Chennai. Last year I went for the prelimary rounds but did not watch the finale! This year I decided to go. I had 2 reasons- My friend Rashmi Bothra being a finalist and of course Nina being honoured with the honorary Mrs Chennai crown this year! The latter is probably what drew me more to it as my mom said! I managed a press pass and was there on the dot at 6.30. But when do events begin on time? Yeah they began an hour late. The show started with a curtain raiser dance by all the finalists. Then came the question answer round which went well. Dr Kamala selvaraj released a brochure on the 10 years of Mrs Chennai. Just before the talent round Nina was crowned the honorary mrs chennai by actor Vivek. It was amazing to see her on stage with the crown and the sash! I could hear people behind me saying - " she looks cute." This was followed by the talent round. My friend Rashmi danced well. She made it to the final 6. The question answer round here messed up her chance. she is not someone who follows current affairs. the question put to her was " was it a wise and correct decision to give obama the nobel peace prize?
and she said yes!! Sadly she didnt feature among the winners! But no regrets! Am sure she has a good learning experience! This year they had a seperate competition for the forty plus and 50 plus as well! The event ended as late as 11 PM. After this we managed to take pics with Nina. Was a great evening and was amazing to see that so many of us had turned up there just to see Nina being crowned! It was indeed a befitting honour for her!

Celebration of Good life!

2009-12-01T19:46:00.000+05:30

Two weeks ago I received this beautiful invitation from a well known doctor in Chennai. Amazed at the beauty of the thought of organizing such a programme I immediately accepted to attend the party!

Dear Friend

Every once in a while someone comes along in our lives
Whose touch, smile, hug, helping hand or kind word sinks deep into our hearts
Leaving an indelible mark which warms the soul
Parties,Get togethers, Conferences, Associations, sms, Email,Phones
We hang on to these activities for this very reason
We all need somebody to back us up
This is the GOOD LIFE
Each one of you have performed that service to me over the years and I would like you to join me to celebrate my Good Life.
This is just my way of acknowledging, appreciating and thanking each of you for your love and support.
I need you to be there for me in all that I do.
Please join me for a celebration of the GOOD LIFE
Note : It is not my birthday or anniversary, so just bring yourself and your good heart. No presents please.

As I walked into the party hall I was asked to write my contact details in a notebook. The fellowship and high tea was on and I met lots of new people. All of us were curious to know what the good life celebrations was all about! Sharp at 8, with our plates in hand, we sat and watched the presentation given my doc! An amazing PPT she had different thoughts about how all of us had given her a good life! Some by being good friends, some by giving her compliments when she needed them, Some my sending her emails which left her laughing and pondering and of course by just being our good selves! She thanked all of us! And then came the part which really left us pondering. She wanted us to do something for Caregivers. She told us how people who have parents, spouses, children with disabilities or disorders which require constant care are bound to their houses. they have no space,no opportunity for an outing, no one to speak to and how helpless they are. One gentleman whose wife has alzheiemers shared his experience with us. It was indeed touching. We decided to form an egroup and start brain storming on this. Each one of us can make a difference to these care givers. A small outing once a month can make a huge difference to someone who is stuck in the 4 walls of the house! Aloha our e group is all ready to act and to make a difference!

FOUR IN A ROW

2009-11-20T21:02:00.000+05:30

20th of November.....the day my long standing dream came true! Yes I finally watched surgery! I might sound crazy, but my childhood dream was to be an obstetrician and deliver babies!! That never happened! But over the years I've always wanted to see a surgery. My friend Dr Priya Selvaraj made that possible today! I walked into G G hospital wondering if I will be able to watch the surgery or will I faint! With butteflies in my stomach I changed into the gown, wore the mask, the surgery cap, sterlized foot wear and stepped into the OT! The patient was on the table and all I could see was a huge stomach covered with transparent surgical paper and ready to be cut open! She made the first incision and blood gushed out! and then multiple incisions were made and finally when she cut open the placenta, tonnes of fluid and blood gushed out which was removed with a suction. And then came the big moment when she put her hand in and pulled out the baby. It came out and along with it came a long umblical cord! She quickly cut it and handed over the baby to the paediatrician. Then she removed the placenta- a huge lump of gooey stuff! The whole process took 5 minutes!! Then started the tedious job of suturing! She sutured layer by layer and it took over 15 minutes and the patient was cleaned up and wheeled out on a stretcher! The baby is given to the paediatrician who cleans up, gives it some oxygen, and checks the baby thoroughly. I saw tubes being put into the nostrils,mouth and rectum! Poor baby was bawling! I managed to watch 4 surgeries in a row and all the babies were girls!! I am proud of myself for not fainting, puking or reacting adversely to the scenario. I truly enjoyed it! Thanks Doc for making my dream come true!

CHETAN BHAGAT'S NEW LOVE

2009-10-12T09:01:00.000+05:30

As I went on a lazy Sunday evening stroll into the near by Odyssey store the big board at the entrance welcomed me......." Chetan Bhagat's 2 states" released on 9th October. The die hard Chetan Bhagat fan in me was tempted to buy the new book. A bright red cover and the excerpt of the book which said marriage between people of different communities totally convinced me that I would love reading it. Armed with the book I returned home, poured myself a glass of chilled milk and sat down to read the book. The cute lil love story of Krish and Ananya was exhilrating! The way they first meet and how Krish describes Ananya's looks. A fair South Indian!! he he! and How he begins teaching her economics and in the process they fall in love. Their days at IIM Ahemadabad. Their first smooch, the first time they sleep together..all vividly described. Then comes the time for their placements. Ananya chooses HLL and Krish Citibank. Krish does not get along with his dad and wants to live close to Ananya and chooses a posting in Chennai. His saga of convincing Anusha's parents- teaching her brother Manju for IIT, helping her dad with his presentation and giving her mom, an aspiring singer to perform with SPB! Finally they are convinced that he is their prospective son in law. Then it is Ananya's turn to go to Delhi and convince Krish's parents. She intervenes and saves his cousin Minti's marriage. Now that both parents were conviced they wonder who to make the families gel. A trip to Goa and things only get worse. Finally it is Krish's dad- the bad father all the while- who turns good at the end and makes the wedding happen. A typical South Indian wedding in a mandapam at Mylapore marks a new beginning for Krish and Ananya! The last page tells us that Krish and Ananya are blessed with twin boys!!
I couldnt put the book down until and finished and having read such a cute love story I went to bed with a lovely smile on my face :-)

THE JOY OF GIVING WEEK

2009-10-04T19:24:00.000+05:30

September 27th to Oct 3rd was called the Joy of giving week and across the country various events were organized during the week. I decided to be part of this week and share my joy with everyone. I first took part in the I love Chennai run on sunday morning which was part of the Chennai marathon. What an experience it was to run with 70,000 people. the heavens were pouring but did not deter the spirit of the runners. we knew we were running for a good cause- to educate 14,600 underpriveleged children. The second event that I was part of was the Battle of the Buffet. The brain child of Mahadevan of Oriental Cuisines. Savera, Raintree, Residency, GRT and Taj supported him and they served a lavish buffet to the donors. We paid 5000 each which is given in full to the NGO we support. I supported Tanker foundation and indeed Tanker sold the highest number of passes- a whopping 100! and I also got a free pass for Mom. so we both went for the event. It was a great evening. Suhasini Manirathnam was the compere and we got to hear a melodious kutchery by Sudha Raghunathan. I enjoyed listening to Brahma Mukute and Kurai Ondrum Illai! and then we headed off for dinner. The Strawberry mocktail was amazing. I chose to eat Chinese and the Oriental and Lebanese cuisine. The food was ok! The dessert very mediocre. I missed having a fresh fruit trifle. I did not indulge much in dessert because I am trying to get in shape! and Nina has just complimented me on my looks! Truly she keeps me motivated to get in shape! And other than mom she has taught me the Joy of giving! and it feels great to have been part of this lovely week! and now that I have learnt the Joy of giving, the Joy of touching lives and seeing a smile on someone's face, there is going to be no looking back! I will always share a smile, a hug and all that I can...because it means so much to be able to touch someone's life :-)

TEACHERS DAY

2009-09-05T20:47:00.000+05:30

Today is the 5th of September! Teachers day! I remember the days in school and college when we would scurry around to buy cards and roses for our teachers and try and entertain them a bit and make them feel pleased that one day of the year. but yeah along the years I have had some great teachers! All of whom have made such a big difference to my life! My childhood dream teacher was Radha at Bambino! I dont remember by fascination for her though people around me say how much I adored her! Shobhana Jayanth my class teacher in Class 5 when I joined Adarsh was another joy to learn from! Sad that she passed away suddenly but I do miss that great lady! Mythili Venkat, my neighbour first and then my english teacher in class 10 was a total fascination for me! I loved her english classes, her singing and her spirit totally! enjoyed my trip to Ooty with her! and sadness when she moved to Mumbai! I do remember crying when she left school! and now we are back in touch after a good 11 years thanks to the world of internet and of course by PR Skills! In college Dr Patricia Gabriel was the greatest professor one could have. Absolutely gritty, a typical scorpio she would sting and yet teach us to be on time! her lectures at super sonic speed were initially difficult to keep pace with! but later I enjoyed them the most! She would know my marks in every subject and keep track of me all the time! Had a ball with her during our trip to Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. I still do keep in touch with her and cherish all the memories of my days at Stella Maris. Kudos to all my teachers whom I have loved and adored over the years! Each one in their own special way has shaped my life and made me what I am today! Happy teachers day to all of them!

CONFIDENT KIDS ON STAGE- THE GRAND FINALE OF HONEY I SHRUNK MYSELF

2009-08-11T20:34:00.000+05:30

After weeks of following the Honey I shrunk myself programme which was a joint intiaitive of the Hindu next G, Acme Fitness and O2 in the papers, I was pleasantly surprised when Nina invited me for the grand finale at Savera. The event was well planned and I entered a hall, with a stage and ramp all done up and I was wondering what I was going to watch. After a speech by Mr N Ram, the fun part of the event started. The 11 kids who made it to the finals were on stage. They began with giving a yoga demo, then a step exercise demo, then they grooved to a bollywood number! mind blowing performance by all of them! The lost weight but regained all the confidence they had lost due to ther obesity! each of them was having a blast on stage. Then a small film shot at savera was screened in which each of one of these participants shared their experience and almost sounded like brand ambassadors for O2 :-). They all got clothes from the Institite of design and make overs from a Cut Above and walked the ramp! was amazing to see their confidence levels. Nina's speech was the icing on the cake, when she shared details of how people made friends during the course of the 8 weeks and of course she was a boy chasing a girl!She also hinted she was going to reveal her age 'cos he kids had been asking her- n smartly said " I am as young as you in energy n spirit but my real age I will reveal after you lose the next 10 kilos!!" 8 weeks of rigorous diet and exercise coupled with fun helped these 11 lose weight. The maximum a guy lost was around 13.5 kilos! The winners were the ones who lost maximum fat percentage and not maximum weight. The winners walked away with cash prizes and O2 memberships. The evening was great fun and I think I was lucky to be part of the audience! Thanks a ton Nina for having me there! I am sure you were one major inspiration for all the kids! They are fortunate to have started their fitness journey with you! Keep rocking!

THIS TOUCHED MY LIFE

2009-06-28T22:31:00.000+05:30

My latest write up in the small and smart column.....True gifts! how it has touched my life! I hope more people will start giving their near and dear ones true gifts!

http://www.hindu.com/rp/2009/06/28/stories/2009062850080200.htm

KNIT INDIA LAUNCH.....AND THE TRUE KNIT INDIA CUISINE

2009-06-15T20:40:00.000+05:30

Tamil scholars on the dias, giving the best of their speeches ( some of them even refusing to shut up in all the excitement) and a hall packed with receptive audience, was the scene at the launch of Knit India Volume 4 by Sivasankari. Sitting in the hall, in the midst of the who's who of Chennai was an amazing experience. I am only glad I understand tamil well. Cho Ramaswamy was outstanding. His sense of humor left the audience in splits, While poet Vairamuthu took off in this typically poetic language and went overboard talking. He didnt really want to wind up. Sivasankari is an amazing write- writer of writers as everyone described her- and she said she was trying to show India to Indians through this book. she stressed on the need for people to visit places in our country and appreciate the beauty of the traditions. Her description of the Gangai Aarthi at Varanasi was spell binding. The prolonged book launch came to an end much to the delight of the audience and they were treated to some authentic cuisine from across the country. The expertise of Nina Reddy- my dear friend- whom Sivasankari introduced as her daughter and even told people about her musical tone of talking- was seen in the way the food was organized. The hall was split into 4 zones- North, South, East and West. The theplas and chat from the west, Pulao and paneer from the north, Luchi bhaaji and Rosogollas from the east and mami's kozhakattai;s, murukku, dosai and pradamam from the south were all amazing. I truly loved the mami's sitting there and making kozhakattai's- my greatest weakness. What a tribute this food arrangement was to the 16 years of Sivasankari's hard work was! And only Nina could do this! Love you! For having invited me and for the lovely experience I had rubbing shoulders with scholars! Truly a memorable book launch and a befitting tribute to writer Sivasankari!

MOMMY' BEAUTY TIPS

2009-04-30T21:44:00.000+05:30

My mom discovered an awesome beauty tip. Thanks to Prema aunty n the acne on my back mommy found a way to do away with wrinkles. A tip from our very own kitchen!

Poppy seeds- Khus Khus
Kasturi Manjal- Turmeric
Aloe vera
Milk

Poppy seeds need to be powdered. but cannot be powdered easily so you need to roast them and then powder them. you will not get a fine paste. It will be a coarse paste. mix the paste with the kasturi manjal or turmeric. Add fresh aloe vera. the simplest way to grow aloe vera in your gadren. Cut a leaf, remove the skin and thorns and scoop out the gel. you can store the gel in the fridge. make a mixture of the gel, poppy seeds powder, turmeric and a little milk. Apply it on the face for about half an hour and wash off. It tightens your skin and does away with all the wrinkles and laugh lines. Use of turmeric is optional as it dicolors your skin.

MEME......THANKS TO POPSIE

2009-04-21T20:57:00.000+05:30

Hello
here is my frist Meme! Honestly speaking I didnt know that something called a Meme exists until I saw Popsie's blog! I am quite tempted to answer these questions as well! so here I go..

1. How did you come up with your blog title OR what does it mean?
When I started blogging, I was kinda new to this whole concept. I thought I wld give it a catchy title. being a history student Hitler struck me....but more than Adolf Hitler it was my kitten Hitler who tempted me to name this blog!

2. What are your general goals for blogging?
I am a freelance journo. so this gives me space to write stuff that I may not be able to write otherwise and also to put up my articles online so all my friends can see them. And also to write about people whom I love and who have truly made a difference to my life!

3. Do people “in your real life” know that you blog and do they
comment on your blog OR is it largely anonymous? How often do
you post (x per week)?
Yes I have told them it is my blog. I get them to read and comment. I dont blog too often. If it do it once a month it is an achievement!

4. How often do you read other blogs (x per week)?
I am addicted to Big B's and American muslim's blogs which I check more regularly than anything else.

5. How do you select blogs to read (do you prefer blogs that focus on certain topics or do you choose by tone or…?)
I read anything that interests me! of course I am a huge Big B fan!

6. Do you have any plans to copy your blog entries in any other format, 0r do you think that one day, you’ll just delete it all?
No way! I love my blog the way it is....it will remain so for posterity!

7. What are the things you like best about blogging?
Blogging lets me write whatever I please. No one can edit and no can say dont write this or that!

8. What are the things you don’t like about blogging?
I dont like people leaving nasty comments without knowing why you have written such a post.

9. How do you handle comments?
I enjoy reading the comments. take some of them as good feedbacks and respond as often as I can.

10. Do you have any burning thoughts to share on blog etiquette?
no nasty comments pls!

11. Any desired blog features?
Mo blog for all just like Big B! Lolz

12. Have you suffered blog addiction?
Not really!

THE BETTER SIDE OF WRITING

2009-04-16T20:14:00.000+05:30

It has been over 3 years since I got into serious writing. The journey has been interesting and I have met some of the most lovely people during the course of writing. Some Whom I choose to make friends with and others whom I choose to admire from a distance! Last year my mothers day story took me to GG hospital and I met Dr Priya Selvaraj! I thought I was going to meet a stranger and she walks into the room saying, I just added you on facebook and your brithday is two days away! whoa what a surprise that was! There has been no looking back ever since! We exchanged mobile numbers and have exchanged umpteen silly sms's ever since! We are both crazy! After a lot of deciding we went out for dinner to the Taj mountroad on saturday and it was awesome to spend time with her and know her better! It is indeed nice to know the better side of socialites!
Another wonderful person whom I have known for 6 years and now I say I have slept over years of knowing her!! Lolz yeah Nina has been an acquaintance for 6 years and a good friend for the last 6 months! yeah that is how long I have taken to get over my shyness! I dont know how I am so shy with some people and not with the others! It has been amazing to see Nina's simplicity! She has been so affectionate and so approachable! And Smsng her at night seems to have become an addiction! Ofcourse I beleive that if there is something in common which has brought us close.....that has to be our love for Baba!
I am glad to have met such wonderful people along my journey as a writer!
And I am sure I do have a lot to learn from all the people around!
Love you guys and I hope to see more of you!

BACK TO BLOGGING

2009-04-16T20:10:00.000+05:30

Here I am finally blogging after 3 months! Been busy, Been lazy! and Yes the most important factor was my friend popsie....who went into hibernation! She is one who brought me into the world of blogging! Almost a year we werent in touch! I guess everyone goes through the phase where they need their time and space. Am so happy we are back in touch!
Thanks Popsie for roping me back into the world of blogging!

JIL JIL JIGAR DHANDA

2009-01-18T11:06:00.000+05:30

The recent celebrations in the city, Chennai Sangamam were quite a hit with the public. since they had programs at the nageswara park where I walk every evening I was witness to some awesome dances and music. but the icing on the cake was the food. we had some yummy food stalls courtesy the Taj, Rain tree and Oriental cuisine. I got a taste of the adai avial, pongal, ragi sevai and pasi parupu dosai- all of them equally delicious. but my favorite was the jil jil jigar dhanda! yeah that is a drink from Madurai. dervied from the hindi word jigar thanda- which means cooling for the body- this drink wad addicting. out of curiosity I spoke to Peer Mohammed who was here all the way from Madurai with his famous jigar dhanda. He says they boil 40 litres of milk, until it is down to 10 litres. then they add nannari syrup, sugar and badam gondu!......and add loads of ice and keep mixing and this delicious drink is ready. Absoutley addicting for the milk lover in me.......I watched the dancers from Barnala in Punjab go balle balle as I downed a second glass of jigar dhanda and said yummmmmmmm! this is what I call getting a true taste of culture :-)

My "INDULGE" ence

2008-11-28T10:52:00.000+05:30

DIAMONDS

2008-10-27T21:57:00.001+05:30

GOLD

2008-10-27T21:52:00.001+05:30

EXPAT 5

2008-10-27T21:48:00.001+05:30

CLOTHES2

2008-10-27T21:43:00.001+05:30

SELVARAJ FAMILY

2008-10-27T21:37:00.000+05:30

EXPAT4

2008-10-27T21:33:00.000+05:30

GIFTS

2008-10-27T21:19:00.000+05:30

CLOTHES

2008-10-27T21:15:00.001+05:30

DIYAS2

2008-10-27T21:03:00.001+05:30

EXPAT3

2008-10-27T20:56:00.001+05:30

EXPAT2

2008-10-27T20:46:00.001+05:30

DIYAS

2008-10-27T20:40:00.000+05:30

EXPAT STORY 1

2008-10-27T20:25:00.000+05:30

MY FIRST DIWALI STORY

2008-10-27T20:08:00.000+05:30

TERRORIST ACTIVITIES- INTENSELY SADDENING

2008-09-14T19:26:00.000+05:30

As I turn on the TV I dread seeing the news for the fear of hearing about another blast. It is soooo sad. wonder what the Mujahidden gets out of killing innocent people? Gross misuse of religion?
My prayers are with the blast victims.....and I also pray ki bhagwan in atankwadiyon ko sat buddhi dein..taaki we aise logon ko naa maaren.

BIG B REPLIES!!

2008-09-11T18:01:00.000+05:30

All my friend's have been curious about Big B's reply....I have copy pasted my msg to him and his reply!!

shivani says:
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Amitji
Awesome pic..thanks sooooo much
Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to u too……..
I keep messaging…aap kabhi reply nahi karte….pata nahi kab karenge….
Shivani

Report Abuse

ab Reply:
September 4th, 2008 at 3:44 am

Thank you for your wishes…

PUG SAYS I LOVE YOU

2008-09-07T16:28:00.000+05:30

SECRET- MY NEW FOUND LOVE

2008-09-07T16:21:00.000+05:30

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne is no doubt my new found love. A brilliant book which can turn anyone's life around....to me it is a like a Bible....something that I can open anytime and seek some good advice.

I promise myself....that I will always talk to people about good health and happiness.
I promise myself that I will always have a cheerful and smiling face.

CAR RALLY PICTURES

2008-08-17T13:03:00.000+05:30

DOCTOR- PATIENT RELATIONSHIP- THE PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTOR!

2008-08-11T22:00:00.000+05:30

Hello! its time to blog again!!
It suddenly struck me that I should write about this one beautiful relationship which most people tend to ignore- the doctor patient relationship! I love doctors no doubt! My childhood craze that continues even today. I remember my fascination for Dr Seshiah and his stethescope and the same fascination clings on even now for doctors around me. wonder if they will be generous enough like Dr Seshiah to give me their sthetescopes!!
Coming to our relationships, the relationship between a doc and a patient is something of belief and trust. It is extremely imporant to trust your doctor. the trust and belief is therapeutic enough. The other day I was at a friend's place and she said her son had a cold for the past 1 month and no antibiotics worked on it. turns out that his pediatrician was travelling and he couldnt see her. she is back and one visit to her has taken care of his cold! Yeah that is the kind of psychology that works between a doc and a patient.
As for me I dont even need medicines. Someone just called to ask me about my doc and was asking me wot medicine I was put on and I said - the doctors touch, feel, vibrations and kind words are therapetuic enough for me!!
I am quite amazed at how these things work. I got my hands on this book " doctors cry too" by Dr Frank Boehm and I fell in love with it. I wrote to him about how beautiful I found his book and he reciprocated by sending me his second book free of cost which is on doctor patient relationships!
This is a relationship that one truly needs to ponder about! After all the doctor is part of each one of our extended families and none of us could survive without that entity.
I remember how touched my doc was when she got a few hundred phone calls on the day of the tsunami to see if she was fine. " Patients calling to check if the doctor is ok...its so touching," she said. She deserves that kind of love and affection cos thats what all of us her patients receive from her.
I strongly believe that this relationship is just as beautiful as the relationship of a mother and a child. But I am still wondering how much the psychological factor works- Any idea?

MY FIRST CAR RALLY........CAR NO 5 WINS THE 2ND PLACE!

2008-08-04T19:51:00.001+05:30

Hello.....I am back....No I did not attend the Nikah...went for a car rally instead. A rally organized by Inner wheel- Rotary club. It was a different kind of rally- a Photo shoot fun rally. We were four of us in a car- Padma, Kalpana, Sandhya and myself. Our car number was 5. My lucky number is 5 and Kalpana wore her lucky color orange! we were given a total of 32 clues and had to take pictures based on them. only one pic per clue and we could combine multiple clues in one photo to gain bonus points. some of the clues were outrageous- hugging a cop, dancing with a transgender, with a car being towed, wearing a lungi and standing with a porter at a railway station, doing push ups in the middle of the road. Gosh! We couldn't find a transgender, didnt get to the station, nor did we find a car being towed. but we finished 27 clues. we barged into someone's house, took their guitar, got their daughter to pose in a backless dress!!.....we did just about everything that we had never even imagined of. we reached back just in time!!....
there was lunch at Palmgrove. That place is so filthy. The glasses were yuck!
the food was pretty edible though. We hogged and geared up to hear the results. It was migthy difficult to keep ourselves awake on a Sunday afternoon.....the results were announced at 3. Lo and Behold we won the second prize. We got cups, a gold coin, a jewel box, Henkel Hampers, life style n Julaha vouchers, Giorgios lunch vouchers......we came back with a bag full of goodies.....and loads of great memories...the pictures are with Sandhya. I will upload them as soon as she mails them...but here is the picture of my cup!
Was my first rally and we came 2nd......wasnt it worth pulling a muscle.....or staying up on a sunday afternoon!!

Conversions- 2

2008-08-02T13:05:00.000+05:30

Hello
I am back after my last post which was liked by a lot of people. most of them fortunately appreciated my views.
As I had mentioned it was my best friend who wanted me to embrace Islam. I didnt....but we are still best friends. We dont get to meet often owing to crazy schedules but still....nothing can take us apart!
I am still pondering over the issue of conversions. Tomorrow I have to go for a Nikah. The invitation reads the boy's name as Yusuf alias Ranjith Mathews!! I got confused for a moment. Very reluctantly I approached the girl's grandmom and asked her why two names..that too one christian and the other muslim? She replies, " Muslims and christians are a lot alike. a lot of similatirites in the two religions and this family embraced Islam 5 years ago and had advertised in the paper saying they wanted only a muslim girl." Wow....I have never heard of christians embracing Islam. Was totally new to me. Apparently most muslims these days are insisting on the girl's wearing the hijab. and this girl does not wear a hijab and hence they found a pseudo liberal chrisian convert muslim family for her. I shall attend the wedding and add more pep to my report!
I have read the Quran and have heard and read excerpts from the Bible as well. The reason for reading the Quran was to know if Allah really said one could kill people? There is a gross misuse of this religion in the name of Allah. Jihad they say and kill thousands of innocent people.
The recent Bengaluru and Ahemdabad blasts have left me completely shooken up. The blame is on Indian Mujahideen, which is considered an off spring of the banned SIMI. Are youngsters in our country resorting to such means in the name of God?
Where are we heading to?
I thought India was known for its unity and diversity....but the whole essence of this seems to be lost when we see mass conversions, riots and other happenings in the name of religion.
It is high time we the educated Indians spread the word of tolerance and love for all religions, STOP CONVERSIONS, and accept people the way they are.

INTERVIEW WITH PROF BALA

2008-08-01T21:13:00.000+05:30

Why conversions??

2008-07-26T21:25:00.000+05:30

The issue of conversions has been hitting me off late. I myself have gone through this phase. As a student in a missionary college time and again I had Nun's telling me Jesus loves you. I love Jesus, I love God. But I will never embrace another religion. Then came along my best friend- a muslim. here is the mail she sent me way back in 2001. I dont know how I have saved it till date-

when there is calamity at home what do you say "He will look after
things" don't you do that? why is it that you do not refer to the
multitude of gods that you worship? Because you know that
there is only one God who manages everything for us.

Idols are dead wood or stone. If men worship stars, or heroes,
or prophets or great men, they too have no life except that
which was given by Allah. In themselves they are lifeless.
If they worship figments of their imagination, they are
reflections in a double degree, and have no life in themselves.
All these are only man-made. They can neither cause harm nor
protect you from any danger leave alone protect themselves.

All these things will be raised up on the Last Day, in order
that false worshippers may be confronted with them. But they
themselves cannot tell when that Day will be.

Allah is the only Creator & the Ultimate Reality. Everything
else is created by Him, and reflects His glory. How foolish
then to worship other than Allah!

In principles of management the students are taught that every
employee should have only one boss. why? so there is no conflict
in the mind of the employee. There is no conflict between the bosses.
He has to answer only one boss & that's that.
The same principle applies here. If there were many gods then surely there
would be conflict in the running of the universe.
The Sun god would fight with the Moon god & refuse to rise in the morning.
The Cow god would refuse to give milk due to a clash with some other god.
Why is it that this is not happening? It is because the whole
universe follows only one law - the Law of Allah.

There is unity of design in the whole universe. If this great
universe inspires you with awe, surely the Power behind is more
worthy of your awe.

Everything points to Allah, the One True, Eternal God. In so
far as people do not believe this, the fault is in their Will;
they do not wish to believe, and the motive behind is arrogance,
the sin which brought about the downfall of Iblis.

Is it not then sheer madness for you to run after fancies and
man-made Gods and fail to understand and obey your true Creator.
It is delusion in you to seek other than Allah.

People say that the many gods are only reincarnations!
Why does god have to reincarnate himself when he is the all-powerful?
If you say that Rama came to this earth to ease the suffering
of people then you mean to say that this same god turns himself into a
rat to take off the suffering of rats? Does he not have the power
to control things & to manage affairs without taking forms.
If he doesn't then what is it that you are worshipping?

If your gods eat & drink like you, have wives & chidren like humans,
have mistresses,etc. then what is the difference
between you and them? What is the unique outstanding point
of your gods? The criterion that makes you worship them?
I want you to only think on these points and answer them for yourself.

Remember it is your life, your decision, your hereafter.
This life is temporal. Man was made with a purpose. It is not all
play. There is a purpose to everything we do. If you say there is
no hereafter then why has the concept of good & bad been spoken about.

It is because we expect a reward for all that we do.
when you work in a company you expect remuneration from them
- in the same way what you do on this earth you are
going to be repaid in the hereafter.

And again if you say there is no hereafter & that humans are only
reborn till they attain salvation then answer this:
You know the world is going from bad to worse. People are becoming worse off
everyday. If according to the cycle of Karma you are reborn as a bird,
or a dog or whatever due to your bad deeds then how is it that the
population of humans is increasing so drastically!
Definitley there are very few good people now - the bad reign supreme & still there
are more & more humans being born?!!!
Does this not mean that there is something wrong with the theory of birth & rebirth?

An intelligent person is not one who is worldly wise
but he who recognises the truth behind false worship and rejects
it for good.

This is what the Qur'an has to say:

Surah Al-Ikhlas or Purity (of Faith)
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

1) Say: He is Allah,
The One;

2) Allah, The Eternal, The Absolute;

3) He begetteth not,
Nor is He begotten;

4) And there is none
Like unto Him.

Al-Qur'an (Chapter 112 Verses 1-4)

So please go thru' the relevant material & decide now
for we do not know when death strikes. Clear ur doubts with me
if you want.

I invite you to accept Allah - you will have Paradise InshaAllah,
reject Him & hell will be your eternal abode with none to reclaim you.

Hope you take this seriously & act on it.
May Allah guide you. Aameen.

well I do have nothing against any religion. I have respect and tolerance for all of them. But I dont like the idea of asking someone to convert. I believe religion is a state of mind. That almighty God is one supreme being and it is we who have given him different names like Allah, Jesus, Saibaba, Ganesha, Wahe Guru.....and the list is endless. how does it make a difference if I say Sairam and u say Allah or Jesus. I think in the kind of society we live in, we all need to respect each other's feelings, thoughts and thats what essentially makes up religion.
I just hope people across the globe understand that Allah, Jesus, Saibaba, Ganesha and Wahe guru are the same. growing a beard,wearing a kurta, or wearing a cross isnt going to change you. by trying to change yourself physically or trying to change others physically you are trying to upset a whole syste- the system called family. the parents who have lovingly brought up the child, and the entire family including grand parents, aunts and uncles.
Please Please understand that GOD is just one supreme being.....that is what we Hindus- the followers of the santana dharma believe in.

P.S. I have no intentions of hurting any one's sentiments. these are just my views. please dont take anything personally

DASAVATHARAM....

2008-04-26T08:49:00.000+05:30

All roads led to the Nehru Indoor stadium on the 25th of April. the occassion- the audio launch of Kamal's new movie- Dasavatharam. The who's who of the tinsel world were seen at this event. The main attractions were Big B and Jackie Chan. and the big fan of Big B in me pulled me to the event. I just about made by way through the crowd and seated myself just behind the VIP enclosure. how I yelled when I saw big B. it was a dream come true. " A moment of nostalgia for me because I received my first national award for my first film saat Hindustani from Mr Karunanidhi," said Big B. Jackie Chan was adorable. the way he spoke english was soooo cute. Mallika Sherawat turned up in her sexy outfit as usual. All in all it was a great experience for me.

TO SOMEONE WHOM I ADORE- ON WOMENS DAY

2008-03-07T21:05:00.001+05:30

I have been wanting to write this for long, but just as I was reading a forward that I received this morning for women's day I realized there is no better day and time to write this than today. I've always been proud to be a woman and proud to see women around me achieve so much. There have been several people in my life- in the 29 years that I lived on this earth. Many have walked in and walked out without making an impression, but there are others who are here to stay and have made the world a beautiful place to live in. Most of these wonderful women have become part of my extended family. One such person who came into my life about six years ago and has taught me the beauty of the simpler things in life is my doctor. i simply adore her.

Most people find it so strange that I love my doctor so much. Her picture on my mobile, in my room and my laptop are all a mystery to most of the people. I still remember the first time I met her at my neighbor's house it was like meeting just another person. Then came the day that I waited a good three hours to meet her at the hospital. To be very frank I thought she was kinda crazy- only talking about her US and Australia trips! I even told dad I don't want to meet her anymore. But then came the day when I heard her speak at the Duchess health meet. The way she spoke, she interacted with the public completely changed my impression of this wonderful wonderful lady. I dragged my friend to her and insisted on visiting her every time. She packed off to the US but the computer and emails kept me glued to her. I did consult her in between and was deeply touched when she refused to take money for her consultation. I think it was her love and affection that helped me more than her diagnosis or treatment. I remember the day when she adjusted the weighing scale just to make me feel I had lost half a kilo and keep me motivated. Accompanying her to WCC for her talk on the unique chemistry of women is another great memory. She now lives in the US and I can't stop myself from mailing her, calling her ( I've even woken her up at 5.45 in the morning!!) and of course bugging her for an appointment whenever she is in town- though it doesn't necessarily happen every time.

I have been very fortunate to know this lovely lady who has taught me
- that simple is beautiful
- never to fester bad feelings with anyone
- the importance of being patient
- to eat healthy- of course to drink 2 glasses of milk a day!

To this wonderful lady, who is not just my doctor, but also a mentor and a very very dear aunt- Happy women's day! It is people like you who make the world a more beautiful place to live. I have and always will love you for what you are - don't know what I would do without you! love you tonnes!

HAPPY WOMEN"S DAY

Your spirit is undaunted,
Your courage is unshakable,
Your Vision-extends beyond the horizon
It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else

THE MID WIFE

2008-03-07T18:36:00.000+05:30

THE CUTEST FWD I HAVE EVER READ

The 'Middle Wife' by an Anonymous 2nd grade teacher

I've been teaching now for about fifteen years. I have two kids myself, but the best birth story I know is the one I saw in my own second grade classroom a few years back.

When I was a kid, I loved show-and-tell. So I always have a few sessions with my students. It helps them get over shyness and usually, show-and-tell is pretty tame. Kids bring in pet turtles, model airplanes, pictures of fish they catch, stuff like that. And I never, ever place any boundaries or limitations on them. If they want to lug it in to school and talk about it, they're welcome.

Well, one day this little girl, Erica, a very bright, ver y outgoing kid, takes her turn and waddles up to the front of the class with a pillow stuffed under her sweater.

She holds up a snapshot of an infant. 'This is Luke, my baby brother, and I'm going to tell you about his birthday.'

'First, Mom and Dad made him as a symbol of their love, and then Dad put a seed in my Mom's stomach, and Luke grew in there. He ate for nine months through an umbrella cord.'

She's standing there with her hands on the pillow, and I'm trying not to laugh and wishing I had my camcorder with me. The kids are watching her in amazement.

'Then, about two Saturdays ago, my Mom starts saying and going, 'Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh!' Erica puts a hand behind her back and groans. 'She walked around the house for, like an hour, 'Oh, oh, oh!' (Now this kid is doing a hysterical duck walk and groaning.)

'My Dad called the middle wife. She delivers babies, but she doesn't have a sign on the car like the Domino's man. They got my Mom to li e down in bed like this.' (Then Erica lies down with her back against the wall.)

'And then, pop! My Mom had this bag of water she kept in there in case he got thirsty, and it just blew up and spilled all over the bed, like psshhheew!' (This kid has her legs spread with her little hands miming water flowing away. It was too much!)

'Then the middle wife starts saying 'push, push,' and 'breathe, breathe. They started counting, but never even got past ten. Then, all of a sudden, out comes my brother. He was covered in yucky stuff that they all said it was from Mom's play-center, (placenta) so there must be a lot of toys inside there.'

Then Erica stood up, took a big theatrical bow and returned to her seat. I'm sure I applauded the loudest. Ever since then, when it's show-and-tell day, I bring my camcorder, just in case another 'Middle Wife' comes along.

Live every day as if it is your LAST chance to make someone happy!

My name...finally in femina

2008-02-27T12:06:00.000+05:30

I WANT THESE

2008-02-24T20:08:00.000+05:30

I am a true animal lover but since I live in a flat I can't keep a pet. Ive been longing for a stuffed cat. I found this website that has the cutest stuffed cats which even breathe. but they don't ship to India! Is someone going to be generous enough to buy it for me??

AIR BUDDIES

2008-01-19T18:36:00.000+05:30

I am no big movie buff. But the trailer of this one particular movie caught my eye and I wanted to see it. Air buddies- a movie filled with lots of dogs, that too Golden retrievers. I finally managed to get the dvd two days ago and watched it yest afternoon. It was unbeleivable. The dogs are so cute so are the pups. The movie has been made beautifully. I enjoyed every moment of it. I am a true dog lover and I really wish I could get one of those pups home.
All you dog lovers, please make sure you watch this wonder of a movie.

DOGGIES

2008-01-07T20:33:00.000+05:30

MAMMUDHA.........FROM DUST TO LIFE

2007-12-09T21:20:00.000+05:30

I had the golden opportunity of watching the premiere of Mammudha by bharatalaya ( prof Sudharani Raghupathi's dance school)....I am not too well versed in classical music or dance, neither am I averse to it. Thanks to being linked to the media, I got a chance to watch the very first show. An amazing performance indeed. Sudha aunty, as we call her has completed 60 yrs in the field of dance and she did a male role for the first time. She was too good. Although she couldnt jump about and dance like the youngsters her expressions spoke for her.
Mammudha was the lover of rathi. He made the mistake of shooting an arrow at Lord Shiva, who instantly opened his thrid eye and burnt Manmatha or Mammudha as he is known in the villages. Rathi pleads Shiva and Lord Shiva promises to bring Manmatha back to life, but only visible to her. The role of Manmatha was beautifully done by Sudha aunty. I couldn't take my eyes off her when she was on stage.
The entire show was superb. From the lighting to the music, the costumes and the concept in itself was phenomenal. Kudos to Sudha aunty, Aniruddha and the entire team for such a performance.

Women IN MY CIRCLE

2007-12-06T09:31:00.000+05:30

Women IN MY CIRCLE

When I was little,
I used to believe in the concept of one best friend,
and then I started to become a woman.

And then I found out that if you allow your heart to open up,
God would show you the best in many friends.

One friend is needed when you're going through things with your man.
Another friend is needed when you're going through things with your mum.

Another will sit beside you in the bleachers as you delight in your children and their activities.
Another when you want to shop, share, heal, hurt, joke, or just be.

One friend will say, 'Let's cry together,'
another, 'Let's fight together,'
another, 'Let's walk away together.'

One friend will meet your spiritual need,
another your shoe fetish,
another your love for movies,
another will be with you in your season of confusion,
& another will be your clarifier,
another the wind beneath your wings.

But whatever their assignment in your life,
on whatever the occasion,
on whatever the day,
or wherever you need them to meet you with their gym shoes on and hair pulled back,
or to hold you back from making a complete fool of yourself ..
those are your best friends.

It may all be wrapped up in one woman,
but for many, it's wrapped up in several..
one from 7th grade,
one from high school,
several from the college years,
a couple from old jobs,
on some days your mother,
on some days your neighbour,
on others, your sister,
and on some days, your daughter.

So whether they've been your friend for 20 minutes or 20 years,
AND ONLY IF YOU'D LIKE TO,
pass this on to the women that God has placed in your life
to make a difference.

What is the connection??

2007-11-18T19:18:00.000+05:30

During the course of our lives there are so many people whom we meet. so many friends we make. some of them come into our lives and remain there for ever. others come in for a short span and leave. there are people whom we take a liking to instantly and others whom we dont like too much despite knowing them well. I wonder why? do we have previous birth conncections with them? I have read in several places that it is our karma's and previous birth connections which determine whom we are going to meet, who our friends are, family is etc.
Recently a very dear friend lost his twelve year old son- one of the twins- and I wondered why God had to give them twins if he had to take away one of them in such tragic circumstances? It would have been worse to lose him if he were their only- may be that is why! Everybody said these were his karmas. whatever he had to take from this family he has taken and left them. very strange! How true is this?
I am still wondering how my friends of this birth connect to my previous birth? can anyone answer that question?

Friendship

2007-10-28T11:28:00.001+05:30

Friendship

A friend in need,

Is a friend indeed,

This poem is for everyone I treasure,

With my greatest pleasure.

It's hard to believe what you couldn't see,

That you were all always right beside me,

Even when the sky may fall apart,

You know, our hearts will never part.

Your smile lightens up the darkest tower,

All in it, you've got the power...

We had joy, fun and laughter in the sun,

When it rained, we would all run.

Everyone is special in their own way,

No matter what they may say,

I see all your true colors shining,

So don't be afraid to let them shine.

I want you all to know,

The boat you row,

Will take you to the end,

However, our friendship will never end !

prayer for guidance

2007-10-28T11:26:00.000+05:30

A prayer for guidance

Lord, bless me with peace within my heart

Help me make each day a beautiful start

Help me understand how I can make a difference

And the raison d'etre for my existence

Bless me with the courage to voice what's right

In a world where reality bites

Within the range of possibilities that I can change

Bless me with the will to do so for the better

And for those that I can't change

Help me to gracefully accept and not be bitter

For I trust in You, that You have Your reasons

So mysterious that I won't be able to comprehend

I believe You will show me why in another season

When the time is right, the explanation You will send

Bless me with the wisdom to then understand

As there is no highway to heaven on earth

Guide me in this world in each of my steps

Before I take my very last breath.

Life goes on

2007-10-28T11:24:00.000+05:30

Life goes on

Life is really one great roller-coaster ride

With trials and triumphs, taken in stride

Be positive in whatever you are doing

Open your doors to joy, and loving.

We often create miracles and survive

Pick up the pieces, onward you strive

No matter how bad your heart is hurting

Or how traumatic you are actually feeling

The whole world does not stop to grieve

Life goes on; with time you will find relief

Challenges are learning experiences really

They make you wise and strong spiritually

We're not here to fulfill people's expectations

Opinions differ; respect your own intuitions

Often we can go beyond our own limitations

Follow your inner wisdom, voice and aspirations

Love and approve of yourself with determination

Go on; persevere in life-changing decisions

Life is a voyage of chances and self-discovery

Search, tap and realise your innate potential

Get the blocks and barriers out of the way

Often self-limiting, disregard what people say

Life is so unpredictable, so set your priorities

Empower yourself and grab life's opportunities

Love is a healing force that's so powerful

Broken hearts healed with love is wonderful

Loving compassion can melt even the hardest core

There is no difficulty that love can't conquer

Be loving, lovable and be loved unconditionally

Life goes on in loving co-existence, living happily.

The brighter side of my life!......love you'll

2007-10-28T11:17:00.000+05:30

WORLD OSTEOPOROSIS DAY

2007-10-14T11:25:00.000+05:30

WORLD OSTEOPOROSIS DAY- DR USHA SRIRAM

Simple, humble, unassuming are probably the three most appropriate words one can use to describe Dr Usha Sriram. A graduate of the madras medical college and certified by the American board both in internal medicine and endocrinology, Dr Usha has over 25 years of experience in the field of endocrinology. She has a special interest in the field of women’s health and has done extensive research work on various aspects of women’s health. She is an executive committee member of the Indian society for bone and mineral research (ISBMR) and metabolic bone disorders- osteoporosis- in particular have been part of her specialization. 20th of October is world osteoporosis day and since Dr Usha feels that there isn’t enough awareness about this health problem in the society, it would be appropriate for her to share her views on this “bone thief” as she calls it.

“We celebrate 20th of October as world osteoporosis day, so that we can spread more awareness about this global problem” says Dr Usha. She says Osteoporosis is basically a disease which involves thinning of the bones due to various reasons and emphasizes that this is not exclusive to women; even men are prone to getting osteoporosis. It usually occurs in women after menopause, but some women are at an early risk if they face other health problems like having an early menopause, hormonal imbalances, family history and chronic medical conditions like diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, renal failure etc. Smoking and excessive use of alcohol also puts people at a risk of getting osteoporosis.

“The consequence of osteoporosis which we worry most about is fractures- hip fractures in particular, though spinal fractures are more common” says Dr Usha. And many times a fracture itself is the first symptom of osteoporosis, although some people lose height also. It is diagnosed by taking a good history of the patient and various bone density tests like the DEXA scan, x-rays and the QCT’s. All these measures are available in India. “X Rays may show thinning of the bones, but by that time 30% of the bone is already lost” rues Dr Usha. So it is important to diagnose it on time. Once diagnosed the patient is treated with the required medication like bisphosphonates, teriparatide, calcitonin and adequate calcium and vitamin D. Hormone replacement therapy is given only to women with premature menopause.

People diagnosed with osteoporosis should make sure they walk carefully; they don’t fall and hold on to the wall etc while walking on uneven surfaces. “People with osteoporotic fractures do not recover to their original level of functionality ,so it is very important to diagnose osteoporosis early and take the required precautions” says Dr Usha.

As more and more people are being diagnosed with metabolic bone disorders like osteoporosis, it is very important for children and young adults to take adequate amount of calcium and vitamin D in order to build strong bones. They should also be exposed to a good amount of physical activity in order to improve their muscle strength. As Dr Usha always says whatever bone strength you build in your youth, serves as a bank balance in your old age. And bone mass increases only upto the age of 20-25. So those are the years of our life when we have to build up the bone strength.

“Osteoporosis is a preventive problem, if public health measures for adequate nutrition, appropriate screening and proactive treatment measures are used” says Dr Usha, hoping that with spreading kind of awareness she will see more people with stronger bones!

CALCANEAL SPUR...MY LATEST IN WOMANS ERA

2007-10-11T12:14:00.000+05:30

we r the champions!!

2007-09-25T12:33:00.000+05:30

MISS U SHOBHANA MAM

2007-09-14T22:05:00.000+05:30

Perfect Teacher!

A Teacher Is…
Someone who is wise...
Who cares about the students and wears no disguise.
But is honest and open and shares from the heart.
Not just lessons from books, but life where you are.
A teacher takes time to help and tutor.
With English or math or on a computer.
It's (Teacher' name) who's patient, even in stress.
Who never gives less than the very best!
Not that I was the perfect student,
But you were the perfect teacher for me!

--Author Unknown

CAN ART BE THERAPEUTIC

2007-09-14T20:24:00.000+05:30

CAN ART BE THERAPEUTIC?

As I walked into the portals of Bambino school and saw the children there drawing with a lot of interest, I thought it was all for fun. But as I spoke to the teachers around, I discovered that they were trying to help the children through art. Art was indeed being used as a therapy to help children overcome the problems and challenges they were facing.

“Art therapy is the therapeutic use of art making, within a professional relationship, by people who experience illness, trauma, or challenges in living, and by people who seek personal development. Through creating art and reflecting on the art products and processes, people can increase awareness of self and others cope with symptoms, stress, and traumatic experiences; enhance cognitive abilities; and enjoy the life-affirming pleasures of making art”, is how the American art therapy association defines art therapy. Recently three art therapists visited Chennai and had conducted workshops and seminars at various places. The host of the art therapy programs was the bambino educational trust led by Mrs. Devila Patel.

The three art therapists who were here to share their knowledge and expertise are Dr Judith Rubin, DR Gaelynn Bordonaro and Mrs. Sangeeta Prasad. Dr Judith Rubin has been in the field of art therapy for the past 44 years and has several books and films to her credit. Dr Gaelynn Bordonaro is the director of graduate art therapy program at the Emporia state university in Kansas. Mrs. Sangeeta Prasad, has done her masters in art therapy from the George Washington university and is presently working on a program to bring art therapy to schools in India.

“We use the creative power of art to help people with various kinds of problems, be it psychological, individual or family problems. Art is another language for people who can’t speak. Art therapy is the process of understanding emotions and ideas expressed through visual imagery” said Mrs. Sangeeta Prasad as she gave an over view about art therapy. The younger children have less of inhibitions and express freely. So the art therapists encourage a lot of scribbling. Art gives them an insight into the child’s mind and they manage to help the child move from scribbling to identifying pictures and writing.

Dr Judith Rubin came up with an example of a deaf child whom she treated back in the US. She said the child had just come back from the dentist and drew a picture of a mouth wide open. DR Rubin understood that the child is able to express herself through art and taught her sign language through art. “We look for indicators of development. Each child has a different process of doing art. We try and understand each one of them and help them accordingly” said Dr Judith Rubin.

Dr Gaelynn Bordonaro incidentally worked with the Tsunami children both in Indonesia and in the Andaman’s. She said “I saw a professionally taken picture of the sea with a lot of coconut debris in it. And I was surprised when a lot of children drew similar pictures of water with coconut debris in it when I asked them to draw their experience of the tsunami. But the worst affected children could not even express themselves through art.” She also had a chance to visit Chennai and meet some of the people affected by the tsunami.

Art is no doubt therapeutic and helps people with various problems. But not very artist is an art therapist. An art therapist should be trained well, because in art people want to jump to conclusions. “We need to readopt to reinvent” said a proud Mrs. Sangeeta Prasad as she looks to fulfill her dream of bring art therapy to schools in India.

SEMINAR CUM WORKSHOP

The bambino educational trust hosted an art therapy seminar cum workshop at the Savera hotel on 14th July 2007. It was attended by renowned art therapists Dr Judith Rubin, Dr Gaelynn Bordonaro, and Mrs. Sangeeta Prasad. The seminar was divided into two sessions- the morning session included talks by the three experts and the afternoon session included a workshop and question and answer session. The morning session began with an introductory talk by Mrs. Sangeeta Prasad. She spoke on the various stages of art in children and also on how they help them through art. She then gave an introduction about her dream house project where she goes to various schools and asks children to draw their dream house.

The next on the dais was Dr Judith Rubin. Dr Rubin showed clippings of art therapy films where both normal and special children were helped through art therapy. Dr Gaelynn spoke about her experience helping the tsunami affected children.

In the afternoon session, all the participants were given paper, crayons etc and asked to express themselves through art. This was followed by a question answer session.

The seminar on the whole was very informative and gave an insight into the field of art therapy.

FIGHTING TO KEEP FIT

2007-09-14T20:23:00.000+05:30

FIGHTING TO KEEP FIT

Every time I see the picture of a model on the cover page of a magazine, I wonder she has such a svelte figure. Is she gifted with such a figure? Or how much does she have to work out to keep her figure in shape? Or may be she has had some surgery done to get that kind of a figure? Several questions shroud my mind in this regard. As I tried to discover more about these models, I understood that fitness is a vital part of their life.

What is fitness? Fitness is not about being thin, having a small waist, or having bulging muscles. It is a combination of qualities that enable us to be at our full potential in performing vigorous physical activities. It is the ability of our body to perform physical activity without any stress. There are two aspects to being fit- one is being physically fit by working out and the other is to follow a healthy diet. Modeling is a career which requires people to be on their toes all the time. Models need to have great skin, toned muscles, and svelte figures. It is indeed a mammoth task for models to maintain their figure. And these days’ people try various things from cosmetic surgery to fad diets just to keep fit and look sexy. How important is it for them to keep fit? “Fitness is important for all, but especially important for models. It is very important for them to follow a healthy diet and a good exercise regime. They should renew their exercise regime every 3 weeks as it takes 3 weeks for their body to get used to a certain kind of exercise” says Divya Ramprasad, an ex Miss India finalist and currently a fitness trainer at Fitness one, Alwarpet.

“Personally I feel fitness is very important for any man or woman. For a model too it is equally or more important to be fit since they are in a profession of 'looking good'. 'Looking good' is all about confidence. So if you feel fit you feel beautiful! Having the right weight for your height and a toned body is also essential
for a model to carry herself well in any kind of clothes” says Sruti Hari, a model and film maker. To have these sexy figures on one hand where these models have rigorous work out schedules, on the other hand they also have to take care of their diet. It is important to follow a healthy diet. But these days many models are following fad diets. A fad diet is anything that promises dramatic results. It could be at the atkins diet, the south beach diet, eat right for your blood type diet and the likes. But these can be dangerous to the heath. Cutting down on carbs totally is not good, going on a complete soya diet is equally bad. So it is very important for these models to follow a healthy diet which is right combination of proteins and carbohydrates in order to keep fit.

Modeling is indeed a very challenging career. “Models are not just brand ambassadors, but also role models for the public. The public are influenced more by the models than by the products. So it is very important they keep themselves fit and look good” says Dr Sheela Viswanath, a microbiologist who has been a model and won the Mrs Chennai contest a few years ago.

The secret behind those svelte sexy figures of models who grace the cover pages of magazines is indeed a strict fitness regime combined with a healthy diet.

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO COUNSEL PARENTS

2007-09-14T20:21:00.000+05:30

HOW IMPORTANT IS TO COUNSEL PARENTS?

Just as the child steps into class 12, there are two factors which the parents begin to worry about. Of course the board exams and then admission! Admissions are like a night mare for many parents. They have certain dreams for their children. But children dream differently. There is always a tussle between the two. Who wins finally? How do parents deal with this pressure? Do they need to be counseled?

“Counseling is certainly helpful. There are times when the parents think a certain seat in a certain college is their ultimate goal and they push their children in to it. Where as the child may not be interested in the subject at all and suffer as a result. It is therefore important to tell the parents that they should either convince the child about their choice or be convinced themselves that the child does not have an aptitude for a certain subject and wishes to do something else” says Dr Kamala Viswanathan, a retired professor from a reputed city college who has taken the plunge into counseling after her retirement.

“Parents tend to inflict their choice upon the children. If they haven’t achieved a certain dream in their childhood they want their child to do it. My daughter was very keen on computer science engineering, whereas my husband wanted her to do something different like law. But she convinced us that law isn’t her cup of tea. Her choice of computer science engineering was loud and clear. Today she is a student at the Meenakshi Sundarrajan engineering college” says Vaijayanthi Arjun whose daughter Vineeta has just begun her first year in college. Vineeta says “I knew what I wanted to study and I am happy my parents have been supportive of my choice.”

Mrs. Saras Bhaskar , a reputed counselor in the city also agrees to this. She says “ pre admission counseling is beneficial to both parents and students. The counseling should be based on the students skill, interest, abilities and IQ and the individual input that the student may have. At times, institutions in a bid to balance out their admissions tend to distract students. In such cases if the parents are prepared with what their child requires they can handle the admission process better.”

Today the students have a world of opportunities before them. They have to make the right choice. The teachers play an important role in this. “ when we have parents bringing their children for admission, we need to tell them what opportunities our subject has to offer to their child. For eg I am the head of the department of history, and most people are averse to the subject. But when we tell them the kind of opportunities they have in the field of tourism, the kind of placements we get them, then they are convinced about their choice. It is therefore very important to convince and counsel the parents about the opportunities their children have” says Dr Patricia Gabriel, the HOD of history at Stella Maris college.

The views seem unanimous and the message seems loud and clear- parents need to be counseled, because they are preparing to let their child into a world of opportunities and making the right choice is indeed important for a child’s career.

GANESHA

2007-09-14T20:14:00.000+05:30

words can creat images

2007-08-27T13:22:00.000+05:30

Raksha Bandhan

2007-08-27T13:00:00.000+05:30

The end...

2007-08-27T07:57:00.000+05:30

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

MY desk???

2007-08-27T07:55:00.000+05:30

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

The Prophet- Kahlil Gibran

2007-08-20T21:54:00.000+05:30

Friendship

And a youth said, "Speak to us of Friendship."

Your friend is your needs answered.

He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.

And he is your board and your fireside.

For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace.

When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the "nay" in your own mind, nor do you withhold the "ay."

And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart;

For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.

When you part from your friend, you grieve not;

For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.

And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.

For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught.

And let your best be for your friend.

If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also.

For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill?

Seek him always with hours to live.

For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness.

And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.

For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.

The dog show

2007-08-19T15:38:00.001+05:30

Calvin and Hobbes

2007-08-18T15:04:00.000+05:30

CAN THEY GET NAUGHTIER!!

the family day at stella

2007-08-18T14:51:00.000+05:30

they turn 60 together!!

2007-08-12T20:28:00.000+05:30

I am proud to be Indian ad equally proud that I have been a stella Marian......yes stella was started on 15th august 1947 the same day that India got independence.....its amazing......they turn 60 together

diamond jubilee

2007-08-12T20:24:00.000+05:30

how much can google do??

2007-07-29T10:10:00.000+05:30

Google is perhaps the search engine that people most frequently use......they use it to search for information. and what did I use it for??? to track my good old 10th standard english teacher! yeah she was one of my favs in school......and left school when I was in 12th std.........post that I lost track of her......and a year ago I suddenly decided to google her name and see what comes up....just one click and I was taken to the faculty page of SP jain institute of management and there she was!...I had found her....got in touch with her and its been an amazing one year of being in touch with her!....got her onto orkut as well!!....

well google is indeed a great search engine!!

adopt a child

2007-07-29T09:50:00.000+05:30

Everytime I see a couple running to an infertiltiy clinic and spending lakhs of rupees just to have a baby, I wonder why they dont think of adoption. there are so many homeless children, who are waiting to be given a home and to be loved. why cant each of us bring one home instead of producing our own progeny! so what is the baby doesnt look like u! the baby grows in your heart not your womb- thats the only difference. I definitely want to adopt a baby soon- and all those of you who wish to do so- log into www.adoptionindia.nic.in for further details.

compassionate indeed!

2007-07-20T21:43:00.000+05:30

I am a dog lover too and I think CUPA is doing a wonderful job. thanks popsie for letting me know about it. would love to volunteer for such stuff. Mongrels are definitely a stronger breed. they can fight for themselves. and dogs of any kind are loyal beyond belief!......need we say thathttp://www.chitchatqueen.blogspot.com/

property on the moon!

2007-07-12T18:57:00.000+05:30

BUY YOUR PROPERTY ON THE MOON

At a time, when property prices are at an all time high, there are a few people who have made other choices. Some chose to live in rented homes, some decide they will wait for a better time to buy property. But I met one gentleman who has done something totally different. He bought property on the moon! Ever heard of that? Yes, that’s the latest in the field of property marketing. Buying plots on the moon and even acquiring citizenship of the moon is the in thing now.

21 year old Yasser Rehmaan, a youngster who is mainly into property dealing and stocks trading, decided he wanted to do something different for his 21st bday – the 6th of April 2007! A total net buff, he came across a site selling plots on the moon one day as he was surfing the net. But how was he so sure he is dealing with the right person and was actually buying property on the moon? “ the risk factor is always there, but it cost me just around $48, which is equivalent to about Rs 2000 in Indian currency and it is no big deal spending that much!” Yasser bought the plot not knowing whether he would even receive a receipt for the same. But he has been sent a certificate of citizenship, a picture of the moon , telling him where his plot is and a lot more. He has also been given mining rights- 5kms below the height of average terrain ( BHAT). His certificates are from Newyork. His plot is in the lake of dreams area which according to him is a prime property and will fetch him a good fortune 50 years down the line!

Property prices on the earth, might be sky high, but you can buy your share on the moon at a very reasonable price. So log onto www.fullmoonatlas.com and make your choice.

an affair to remember.......my mama and mami!!

2007-07-12T18:54:00.000+05:30

An Affair to Remember

By Vernon Fernandez (’04 EEE) & Sandip Gangakhedkar (’05 EEE)
In the year 1960, a young Brij Bhushan entered the gates of the Birla Engineering College, to study for his Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering. His batch was the first of the newly conceived five year course. His batch also achieved another first when they graduated in December 1964, the first batch of the newly formed Birla Institute of Technology.
Mrs. Champa Bhushan finished her Bachelor’s Degree in Electronics and Communications at the Jadhavpur University of Calcutta. Her brother, who was teaching at Pilani at the time, convinced her to do her Masters at BITS, instead of IIT Kharagpur which was her first choice. She joined BITS in 1964 to do her Master’s in Electronics and Communication. For Mr. Bhushan, fate played an important role here…
Mr. Bhushan returned in 1965 after being offered a teaching position by Prof I J Nagrath, the then HOD of the Electrical Department. While he taught here, he was also working on his Master’s degree. Mrs. Champa Bhushan also taught here, from 1966 to 1969. They met while teaching, and the rest, as they say, is history. Mr. and Mrs. Bhushan hold the distinction of being the first couple in Pilani, as they were married here… (The reception was catered for by Volga). After their marriage, they headed to the United State of America for higher studies. After working in Bell Labs and Bell Northern Research, they moved to Washington DC in 1980.
In 1986, Mr. Bhushan was asked by his employer at that time, GTE Telnet to start and head a consultancy division. Feeling that, if he could do it for their company, he could as well do it on his own, he started the Reston Consultancy Group. In 1993, Mrs. Bhushan joined the company as well. Today it is a thriving business, well known in the networking sector.

In 2006, Mr. and Mrs. Bhushan returned to BITS, as guest lecturers for one semester. We spoke to them about their life, their work and BITS.
Can you tell us a little about your life at BITS?
Mr. Bhushan: We never had any festivals like Oasis in our day, but the level of participation in sports was much higher. We used to participate at the state level in Inter-collegiate events. I captained the Badminton team in my third and fourth year. At that time, the NCC was also more active among students. I reached the rank of Sergeant in the NCC, which is the highest rank a student cadet can achieve. C’Not, which even at that day housed old favorites like Annapoorna and Volga was also frequented a lot.
What was it like to start your own company?
Mr. Bhushan: It was a bit scary at first, but I knew I could do it. Since she (points to Mrs. Bhushan) was working at the time, I knew we wouldn’t starve. It feels better to be my own boss.
Why did you decide to come back?
Mr. Bhushan: Prof. L K Maheshwari, had extended an open invite to all the alumni, asking them to come back and share some of their experiences. We met him once or twice in the past few years when he visited the States. In fact, this is like a sabbatical for us. We felt that we had to give back something to the Institute.
How do you feel about coming back?
Mrs. Bhushan: I was a bit apprehensive at first, but he convinced me. We made a trip down here last year to check out what we might need. The institute was very helpful, from receiving us at Delhi to taking care of our every need.
Mr. Bhushan: I usually plan for every contingency, leaving nothing to chance. I had even bought a set of condiments from Delhi, not sure if we could get the same in Pilani. On the first day we arrived, we found that the Institute had taken great pains to cater to every single need we might have. They even went to the extent of ensuring we had a tea-strainer. With the new facilities like Akshay, we have no trouble getting everything we need.
You’ve come back to teaching as a profession after more than three decades in the industry. What are the biggest differences?
Mr. Bhushan: Teaching is a profession that requires a lot of dedication. The lack of monetary recompense is a huge deterrent for people wishing to become teachers. However, if you are sure that this is what you want to do, I say go for it. In the industry, though such a large number of people are well paid, only a very small percentage of them are happy. The teaching profession has a much larger percentage of people who are happy and satisfied. You can see it in Pilani. Once you’ve taught for five to ten years, you can stay a teacher forever. There is a barrier between the industry and teaching in India, which will reduce gradually as more and more Research and development work in universities occurs.
Now that you are teaching at BITS again, do you find the attitudes of students have changed?
Mr. Bhushan: Well, the students are definitely a lot more disciplined and eager to learn. In our time, the teacher would be tested to see if they could control the class. I guess this focus comes from the amount of competition these days.
Seeing as you’ve studied both in the United States and India, what do you find different in the style of teaching?
Mrs. Bhushan: The textbooks, course materials and course structure are usually all the same, but the universities in America lay a lot more emphasis on hands on experience. They teach you to think critically, while here, students are taught to learn critically. I’ll give you an example from my class here at BITS… the students were given a problem for an open book test, that was exactly the same as the problem in the text-book. Only a few values were changed. However, most of the class the problem copied directly out of the text, and thus lost marks. The skills to think rationally are not imparted.
Mr. Bhuhan: The Indian way of teaching is different. You can’t change one institution. You need to steer the entire education system. I believe it’ll happen slowly in the coming years. In any case, Indian students do well over there, learning the skills needed really fast.
Mrs. Bhushan: There’s another difference. In the western countries, students are very curious. They question everything; from their teachers to the textbook. They are encouraged to do so. For some Indian students, the textbooks are Gospel truth, even the misprinted ones.
The inevitable question: How do you think BITS compares to the IITs?
\Mrs. Bhushan: The IITs and their alumni are much better organized. Among BITSians, the Alumni network is more social than business oriented. The IITs also have much better PR, which comes from their organization. Otherwise, there isn’t any difference in the students.
Mr. Bhushan: Most of the Indian engineers working in my company were IITians, and they would rib me about being a BITSian. I said, ‘you may be from IIT, but at the end of the day, your paycheck carries a BITSian’s signature’. I also feel that in the coming years, with the quota system and other factors, the quality of students entering the IITs will reduce. At this time, BITS should capitalize by widening the dragnet and getting an even better quality of students. At least BITS has not spawned an ancillary industry which prepares people for our entrance exam. We should maintain the quality, perhaps by a constantly changing exam pattern.
What advice do you have for the students of today?
Mr. Bhushan: One of the first things I would like to tell them is not to be content with only one degree. There are only about 35 PhDs in computer science in India every year, while the jobs requiring PhDs are almost a hundred. You might take four to five more years to get your higher degree, but you’ll make up the money in the next five years because of the difference in the pay scales. Never think you can come back to studies after joining the industry… it just doesn’t happen. So decide now which higher degree you wish to pursue, and do it.
If studying for a higher degree, should students prefer going for an MS or an MBA?
Mrs. Bhushan: The choice completely depends upon the student. Based on his or her skills, abilities and interests, the student must make the choice. You might not be mature enough to make it just now, but the world is too competitive to wait for you. There is a need for proper career counseling and career advice.
Mr. Bhushan: The student should decide which stream they’re heading into by the end of the third year. Once you’ve made your decision, you ought to stick with it. And yes, career counseling could really help at this time.
In your opinion, are there any downsides to studying in Pilani?
Mrs. Bhushan: Pilani is an excellent place, but the students lead a very sheltered life here. They aren’t exposed to the outside world. The students have no experience with bureaucracy before they start their jobs.
Mr. Bhushan: The Practice school training does help, but the students are still very sheltered. However, they will soon learn what they need to in the school of hard knocks.

hitler

2007-07-12T18:51:00.000+05:30

thats the hitler to whom my blog is dedicated!........my kitten......he died when he was 9 months old.........miss u hitler boy!

changing times

2007-07-12T18:01:00.000+05:30

CHANGING TIMES

Today, the world is going through a drastic change. Both husband and wife go to work. Today, the responsibility of bringing up the child is not just with the mother, but also with the father. Earlier the father’s duty was to earn money for the house and the mother’s duty was to look after the child, today the scenario is totally different. With women’s education growing by leaps and bounds, and the increasing expenses, even the lady at home goes to work. Both husband and wife are equally well educated and at equally high posts. So, even at home they have equal responsibility of bringing up the children. Today, in no way is the husband at a position higher than the wife. If the husband is a president of the company then the wife is also a senior manager in another company. If the husband has to travel a lot on work then the wife is also out all day long working. In such situations both husband and wife have equal responsibilities of taking care of the children. If they both are working, then they consider having a child as a big responsibility. Today the number of couples who don’t want children is fast increasing. And in live in relationships there is no question of children.

In such families, if a daughter is born, then her upbringing is completely in the hands of both the parents. The mother naturally knows how to bring up the child, but today even the father should know how to take care of the child. Now the question arises “ how will the father learn to take care of his daughter?” will he be her natural tender self, or will he bring her up in a tough way because he is a man. In the recent times this is a growing challenge for men.

Today there are several books available in the market, which help the father prepare himself for this new responsibility. In such a situation, the daughter learns things naturally from the father. The father cannot take the mother’s place, but he can easily inculcate good values in his daughter. Over a period of time, the father influences the daughter. The daughter notices that the father’s decision is the final decision in every matter. She naturally learns to take her own decisions. She does not depend on others for her small needs. She is not afraid of anything and is bold like boys. Children seem to notice everything that the father does. If the father talks rudely then the daughter also learns to talk that way. In such cases, the father has to be very careful. He is a role model for this daughter. Her father from a very young age itself influences the daughter. Until the age of 5, the father is a hero for his daughter. Her daddy is the best and can do anything in this world. Nobody in this world is like her dad. Between the age of 5 and 10 she likes her dad but finds him very strict. As she attains maturity, she begins to distance herself from her dad. Here she needs her mother more than anybody else. With the physical and emotional changes that she is undergoing she finds her dad like a jailer. She does not like restrictions and the father tries to impose restrictions on her. The daughter begins to look at her father’s disciplinary nature as sternness and she begins to oppose him. She enjoys arguing with him. Dad is now Hitler for her in her late teens. She does not like talking to him. But with growing age she understands the need for a father and begins to like her dad once again. While choosing her hero, she looks for a reflection of dad in him. She begins to compare her hero and her dad and once again she becomes very close to her dad. She has a very emotional relationship with her dad. Her daddy once again becomes her hero.

call the old man

2007-07-12T17:59:00.001+05:30

CALL THE OLD MAN!

We live in a posh building in a centrally located area in Chennai. Our building consists of just eight flats. One morning somebody rang our doorbell. As I opened the door I found a gentleman standing at the door. He said, “ One old man lives here. I would like to meet him.”
I said “ but there is no old man who lives here.
“ No no. He lives here only. I saw him go into this flat yesterday only.”

Just then the watchman interrupted and said “ I think he is asking for your father.”
“ Uncle you were asking for some old man that’s why I said that no old man lives here.”
“ The watchman says that the old man lives here only.”

Baba heard our conversation and came out. As soon as he saw the gentleman he said, “ Please come in Mr. Bhushan, why are you standing outside.”

I felt ashamed and said “ uncle I am sorry. My baba lives in this house and not any old man.”

I justified my statement by saying “ I never think my baba is old. He is just my baba.”

Uncle heard my statement and said “ that is the love of daughters. They never find their parents growing old.”

my father when I was

2007-07-12T17:55:00.000+05:30

MY FATHER WHEN I WAS…....

4 years old : my daddy can do anything
5 years old : my daddy knows a whole lot
6 years old : my dad is smarter than your dad
8 years old : my dad doesn’t know exactly everything
10 years old: In the olden days when my dad grew up, things were sure
different
12 years old: oh, well naturally , father doesn’t know anything about that. He is too old to remember his childhood.

14 years old : don’t pay any attention to my father. He is so old fashioned!

21 years old : him? My lord, he’s hopelessly out of date.

25 years old : dad knows a little bit about it, but then he should because he has been around so long.

30 years old : Maybe we should ask dad what he thinks. After all, he’s had a lot of experience

35 years old : I’m not doing a single thing until I talk to dad.

40 years old : I wonder how dad would have handled it. He was so wise and had a world of experience.

50 years old : I’d give anything if dad were here now so I could talk this over with him. Too bad I didn’t appreciate how smart he was. I could have learned a lot from him.

ANN LANDERS
TAKEN FROM “ CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL”

my hero then........and now

2007-07-03T14:49:00.001+05:30

karandi or ice cream spoon!

2007-06-30T20:12:00.001+05:30

It has been almost 28 years since we moved to Chennai. Initially when we moved here my parents were taken aback by the traditionalism of the South Indians...esp their style of eating!......unfortunately for them I grew up in an Iyer house and learnt how to eat exactly the way they did!...make laddus out of the rice and gobble it down!!....ofcourse I learnt out to vazhicufy my thattu and lick my hands clean!.....that means to use the entire hand to clean the plate and then lick up all that sticks to your hand!.....try eating that way........you will truly enjoy your food....
as the years have gone by, South Indians have become modern to a great extent , with atleast one person from each household having gone abroad.....but the havent forgotten their traditionalism. A few years ago we were attending a typical brahmin wedding. and so we were served ellai sapadu or food on a banana leaf!.. unfortunately my father had hurt his thumb and therefore needed a spoon. we asked the caterers to get us a spoon. After a good 15 minutes, they guy returns with a karandi or a kadchi!......saying this is what is available!!....how was one to eat with a huge kadchi!......the next best option available was that tiny ice cream spoon!......well the choice was ours!.....that was quite an experience....and to date my dad remembers to carry his own spoon everytime we go for a wedding...
and we still havent mastered the art of eating from a banana leaf either, although we enjoy the food a lot.
A punju by birth, but despite all the traditionalism I quite like Chennai, as a place, I like the people for being simple, their friendliness, and just about everything of this place......

hell let lose

2007-06-30T20:10:00.001+05:30

A few months ago the DMK government proudly announced " Helmets to be made compulsory from June 1st".

My first reaction to this, was that alas are government is doing something useful for the public...something that makes sense.

as the months passed by I saw helmet sales booming. from super markets to two wheeler speare part shops to the vendor on the road, everybody sold helmets. fancy helmets, ladies helmets, face covered helmets and even those little toupees worn inside helmets sold like hot cakes.

then came the day " June 1st". I proudly stepped out of my house wearing a helmet and was delighted to see people riding around in helmets, faithfully following the government's rule. I just about assumed that this campaign was a success, and just then my manager walked into the office. i questioned her about her helmet and she laughed and said " madam my husband is waiting. he says kalaignar will take away the rule....so both of us together bought only one helmet last night. now that I hava reached office he is wearing it and riding around!...neenga parunga madam....inda rule poidum!!......she laughed and said.

I was shocked at the confidence with which she made this statement. she was right mind you........the following day I read in the paper.......kalaignar tells cops not to be strict with the public"......and two days later........helmet not compulsoy for women and children pillion riders!!........we just have to wait for the headline.......helmet not compulsory anymore......

If the government really thinks about the public they wouldnt do this........the helmet sellers am sure have made enough profits and may be shared a part with the govt too!.......and the public.......they pay a price and yet risk their lives...........why......because the government has relaxed the helmet rule and let "hell' lose..........

my celebrity look alikes!!

2007-06-29T20:25:00.000+05:30

aint they cute???

2007-06-08T10:17:00.000+05:30

my favourite cartoon........tom and jerry........oh I still love to watch them....

my favourite verse

2007-06-08T10:10:00.000+05:30

मधुशाला
मृदु भावों के अंगूरों की आज बना लाया हाला,प्रियतम, अपने ही हाथों से आज पिलाऊँगा प्याला,पहले भोग लगा लूँ तेरा फिर प्रसाद जग पाएगा,सबसे पहले तेरा स्वागत करती मेरी मधुशाला।।१। प्यास तुझे तो, विश्व तपाकर पूर्ण निकालूँगा हाला,एक पाँव से साकी बनकर नाचूँगा लेकर प्याला,जीवन की मधुता तो तेरे ऊपर कब का वार चुका,आज निछावर कर दूँगा मैं तुझ पर जग की मधुशाला।।२।प्रियतम, तू मेरी हाला है, मैं तेरा प्यासा प्याला,अपने को मुझमें भरकर तू बनता है पीनेवाला,मैं तुझको छक छलका करता, मस्त मुझे पी तू होता,एक दूसरे की हम दोनों आज परस्पर मधुशाला।।३।भावुकता अंगूर लता से खींच कल्पना की हाला,कवि साकी बनकर आया है भरकर कविता का प्याला,कभी न कण-भर खाली होगा लाख पिएँ, दो लाख पिएँ!पाठकगण हैं पीनेवाले, पुस्तक मेरी मधुशाला।।४।मधुर भावनाओं की सुमधुर नित्य बनाता हूँ हाला,भरता हूँ इस मधु से अपने अंतर का प्यासा प्याला,उठा कल्पना के हाथों से स्वयं उसे पी जाता हूँ,अपने ही में हूँ मैं साकी, पीनेवाला, मधुशाला।।५।मदिरालय जाने को घर से चलता है पीनेवला,'किस पथ से जाऊँ?' असमंजस में है वह भोलाभाला,अलग-अलग पथ बतलाते सब पर मैं यह बतलाता हूँ -'राह पकड़ तू एक चला चल, पा जाएगा मधुशाला।'। ६।

DAMN THE SUMMER!

2007-05-02T13:33:00.002+05:30

the summer vacations........how we wld wait for them......a whole year in school wld end....more importantly the exams!!.....we would take off on a long vacation. but now these summers are getting HOTTER!........gosh you cant even step out in the afternoons. the best way to spend summer is to stay put in a nice air conditioned room and work. but what do I like about summers???- mangoes, litchi's, musk melons, swimming and a lot more. i could live on mangoes if only they werent so fattening!! how I wait to have litchis and musk melons!! yummmm......and of course loads of ice creams......gosh why do I put on weight so easily! I wish I didnt...

Anyways I love the summers for the goodies it brings with it, the time to relax that we get......but damn the heat!! I wish we could do something about it?

the most beautiful people in my life

2007-05-01T19:16:00.000+05:30

2 glasses of milk a day!

2007-04-28T09:29:00.000+05:30

I distinctly remember, when I was a little kid and everyone around me scoffed " drink 2 glasses of milk a day, or else you wont grow tall!!"..... and I wondered why??? I would hide under the table, behind the cupboard and did just about anything to escape drinking that yucky glass of milk!!
of course that stage passed and I didnt grow over 5 ft tall and then I heard the name of osteoporosis and that sent a shiver down my spine! then I told myself , thats only when I grow old, am sure it wont happen to me. But there had to be something better in store for me. I met a wonderful lady who told me milk isnt yuck but healthy.

I still remember my first meeting with her at my neighbour's place. I expected to see a hep young woman, and what did I see. a simple lady, with beautiful locks of curly hair left open, a chubby face like mine and a million dollar smile! and the first thing she told me was that calcium deficiency is high in Indians! .... so drink 2 glasses of milk daily.

my interaction with her began when I took my dear friend to her and she diagnosed her with osteomalacia!! gosh what was that!! soft bones which were extrememly painful!! I dont want that...........so I told myself drink 2 glasses of milk everyday......

over the years my doc, has become an aunty to me.......I no longer call her dr! she is one of the finest human beings I have ever met. simple, down to earth, and very affectionate! I no longer dread drinking milk.......I love it........and I hope to be healthy all my life as long as I listen to her!! ......which I do very faithfully!

To this wonderful lady who is not just my dr......but also a very dear aunty, a great guide and my BIGGEST critic..........love u loads and loads and loads......
cheers to the 2 glasses of milk!

2007-04-26T22:07:00.001+05:30

DO YOU EAT RIGHT?

Everytime I meet my friend’s who are working women, they complain about their food habits. They either don’t have time to eat, or eat junk food. Most of them complain that they don’t have time to eat. Those who live alone, don’t even bother cooking for themselves. They just grab a bite of whatever they find and that is invariably junk food. As a result of these bad eating habits they are all obese and were facing different kinds of health problems.
My urge to find a solution to this problem of working women took me to the office of Mrs Dharini Krishnan, a dietician who is the president of the Indian dietitics association. Dharini has done her bit of research on the diet of working women and has classified these working women into 3 classes-

1) School teachers- school teachers work from 8 to 3. They leave home as early as 7 in the morning. They therefore don’t have time to cook in the morning. They prepare the food at night and only boil rice or make chapathi’s in the morning. They grab a cup of coffee in the morning and head to work without having breakfast. They carry a tiffin with them. But they are hungry by about 11 and that is when they head to the canteen to eat a samosa or a puff and gulp another coffee. They have lunch at school and once they get home at 3 or 4 PM have a heavy snack. They cook dinner late, have a heavy dinner and go to bed directly. Eating a heavy dinner is not good according to Dharini and it is even worse to go to bed right after a heavy dinner.

2) The next category of working women are those who work 8 to 6 and travel far to reach their offices. These women too don’t have time to cook in the morning and leave home after having a cup of tea or coffee. They carry a small meal with them. But their mid morning snack is often an acidity causing samosa or a puff. They again get home and have a late dinner which is bad for health.

3) The last category of working women are those of work against the biological clock in BPO’s. according to Dharini these women have the worst life style ever. They leave for work at 8 in the night an return at 8 in the morning. To keep themselves awake all night they gulp several cups of tea and coffee. Since these are all young women who work in BPO’s, and they are earning big money every night is a party. Somebody or the other is treating the rest. So they have all junk food like pizza’s, burgers, cokes etc. they come home in the morning and sleep. They wake up at 2 in the afternoon and eat lunch. Again in the evening they are snacking before having dinner and heading to work. These women are prone to gaining weight easily.

According to Dharini, she has patients who have gained 6 to 10 kilos in a span of a few weeks because of wrong eating habits. She has a few useful tips to offer these working women-

1) DO NOT skip breakfast. It has been proved that those who skip breakfast have lower levels of performance at work place. Make sure you have a healthy breakfast. Even if you don’t have time make sure you have at least a cup of multi grain porridge or oats.
2) The mid morning snack should consists of fruits and vegetables or sprouts. If you are allergic to fruits, have a tomato cucumber salad or sprouted greens. NO samosa’s and puffs.
3) Lunch should be wholesome and consist of a cereal, 2 vegetables, rice and a gravy.
4) Limit the tea and coffee intake. Too much of caffeine is bad for health. Have tender coconut, butter milk etc instead of that.
5) Dinner should be light and consist of roti’s and vegetables. Those who can’t eat roti’s should have red rice or daliya.
6) NO junk food everyday. NO eating out everyday. Eating out once in a way is fine. But everyday, no way, you are ruining your health.

All you working ladies, if you think you can do away with eating junk just because you are working and have no time to cook, you are wrong. These little tips should help you improve and your eating habits and your health in turn.

2007-04-26T13:12:00.000+05:30

HOW SAFE ARE BEAUTY PARLOURS

Guncha was all excited about her brother’s wedding. She was the groom’s sister and wanted to look as pretty as can be. She went to the parlour and had a facial, waxing, and her eyebrows done. The next morning when she woke up , her eyes were hurting. When she looked in the mirror her eyes were red and swollen. She had contracted some infection in the parlour.

Teena was very happy that day. She was 16 and her mother had finally given her permission to go wax. She had her arms and legs waxed and was all ready to sport a mini skirt and sleeveless top. But to her dismay her skin broke out into small red follicular cysts, which were itchy. She was rushed to the dermatologist who confirmed that she had an allergy following the wax.

Puja was getting married in a couple of days. She had her mehendi function in a day’s time and wanted to look beautiful. She went to the parlour and had a special facial done and applied a unique face pack which was to enhance her complexion. But a few minutes after applying the face pack her skin began to burn. When it was taken off her cheeks had all got burnt. She found it difficult to cover up these burnt cheeks even at her wedding.

These are just a few cases of infections contracted at beauty parlours. We all go to the parlours thinking we will come back looking pretty but how beautiful are these beauty parlours? Hygiene is a very important factor. We should make sure we go to a hygienic beauty parlour and take all precautions before we say yes to any of those fancy treatments they offer.

Though branded parlours keep customer safety and hygiene in mind, your friendly neighbourhood parlour may not be all that friendly to your skin. The Potential problem areas include hair brushes, scissors, wax spatulas, hair colouring brushes, waxing strips and tweezing threads.

The most common forms of infections that one can contract in beauty parlours are –

Folliculitis- Waxing indeed gives you flawless skin, but an improper wax can leave you with painful follicular pustules and a bikini area wax can cause fungal infection.
Threading rashes- one must ensure that proper linen thread is used and the portion of the thread touching the beautician’s mouth does not touch the skin.
Facials allergies- post facial people break out into rashes, and even have a problem of skin peeling. Make sure you use good products and not sub standard ones.

BEAUTY PARLOUR SYNDROME

Beauty Parlour Syndrome was first reported in the early 1990s. An American neurologist identified five patients who suffered a stroke due to prolonged deformation of their necks. However, further research was slow to develop until 1997 when a report in The Lancet detailed how a 42-year old woman had a stroke after the dissection of her right internal carotid artery during a hair wash. Her head had been extended backwards for about five minutes and afterwards she felt numb and experienced slurred speech. On this occasion doctors recommended that hairdressers should use a cushion so that the head is not overextended.
The Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Liverpool explains: “It is not due to pressure on the artery cutting off the blood supply to the brain, but is much more likely to be caused by a small tear in the lining of the vertebral arteries which run from the back of the neck up into the base of the brain. Clots could form on the rough, irregular torn area, break off and be swept upstream into the brain to cause a stroke.” For a person to experience a stroke in this case they would have to be predisposed to arterial damage and this is difficult to identify in patients.
The beauty parlour therefore apart from making you prettier puts you at a risk of several infections and problems. So the next time you are heading to the parlour to beautify yourself, remember to visit a hygienic parlour, because that little parlour down your lane may not be particularly hygienic. Take all the precautions to use products of standard and not stuff you are allergic to. A good parlour which uses hygienic products can beautify you, but a substandard one can destroy your looks. So beware!

has she got it all?

2007-04-21T12:59:00.000+05:30

HAS SHE GOT IT ALL???

I distinctly remember my doctor friend saying it with great pride in one of her lectures to the public “oh! We women are super women. We can do just about everything…. Therefore our health is most important.” The term super women hit me and I began wondering, how much does this imply to women today.

As I browse through the morning’s newspaper, I read the headlines on the first page with great pride… “ Indira Nooyi takes over as CEO of Pepsi group.” , “ Kiran Bedi selected to head a mission in the UN”, “ Lata Mangeshkar wins award”, “ Anju bobby George wins a gold medal”… and so on. Indeed a matter of pride that women have excelled in all fields. But what do I read on the second page..” Father rapes daughter”, “ women strangled to death by husband over dowry”,…how agonizing that these women have to pay a price for their lives.
It is such an irony that in today’s world, where women have excelled even where men haven’t they still they have to prove themselves time and again. Going back in history, there was a time, when people said women have to stay home, cook, take care of their house and children. But as times changed the woman began to come out of her shell. Of course history gives us examples of super women like Raziya sultana, Rani Lakshmi Bai, and in the later times Sarojini Naidu, VIjaylakshmi Pandit, Indira Gandhi and many more. But these were just the lucky few who got to go out and work.

Even as time progressed and with the spread of western education, women were permitted to work in very limited areas. People thought that women could either be teachers or doctors. Who ever thought that a woman would be an IPS officer until Kiran Bedi created history by becoming the first woman police officer. Women slowly started making strides in every field. From MBA’s to chartered accountants, from doctors to engineers, teachers, professors, and even politicians, women have made place for themselves in just about every field.

I take great pride in saying that today’s woman is indeed a superwoman. After all can men juggle so many roles? If a man can manage one relation that is with his wife, and of course earn his daily living it is an achievement in itself for him. Dr Sukanya Srinivasan says “ a man can manage only one relation, he either gets along with his mother or with his wife! But look at us women, we juggle so many roles, we are experts at multi tasking, we are no doubt super women.”

A woman has so many roles to play. At home she is a wife, a mother , a daughter in law , and she manages to play each role beautifully. She completes her tasks at home and heads to her work place where she has deadlines to meet and the most male chauvinistic boss to deal with. And yet she manages… with a smile on her face! What more do u need to prove that she is a super woman.

Mrs. Jigyasa Giri, grand daughter in law of ex president V.V Giri, kathak dancer and author of award winning cookbook “ cooking at home with pedatha” says “ I believe it is a reality that women have become super women. But I also believe that all of humanity has become large. Life has become large… extra large.”

I always believe all women irrespective of whether they are working women or housewives are superwomen. I agree with Dr Mythili Venkateswaran, professor of business communication , SP Jain institute of management , Mumbai that “ mothers are the best managers even without doing an MBA”. Have you ever woken up in the morning and found that you don’t have toothpaste to use, or that your bottle of shampoo is empty? No way. So good are the procurement and management skills of your mother. As Dr Mythili says “ women haven’t become super women, they have always been super women. What we lack in physical being, we make up emotionally and in other ways. So we are super women all the way.”

The women set examples for each other and provide solutions to problems they faced at home and at work. They sure seemed to have done it all — from striking a work-life balance and breaking into male-dominated professions to dealing with the powers and perils of being a woman boss! As women become leaders worldwide, they still fight various battles at work and at home, from gender prejudice to glass ceilings. But the joint effort of corporate organizations, women and their families can perhaps help make this journey of women's advancement a little smoother.

At the end of the day if you are still wondering if the concept of a super woman is a myth or a reality… wake up? It is indeed a reality. Because she's got it all! The perfect job, an enviable pay cheque and a happy, supportive family — she's really the super-woman!