I RANDOMLY BLOG

"With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts" - Eleanor Roosevelt.

[irandomthoughtsblog]

A letter to my younger self - 10 things I wish I could go back in time and tell her

10 things I wish I told to my younger self, being a much wiser person now -  

About Friendships - They mean different things at different ages. That school friend who you thought was going to be your best friend forever was actually not meant to stay. And that’s okay. You had liked to have more friends than you did during high school, and not be left out to that movie they all went together once. But that’s okay. When friend exits, another appears.

It’s okay to make mistakes – It’s completely okay to not score in that 90th percentile. Even if you worked hard, it just might mean you need to work harder next time. It’s okay if your parents are disappointed with that. It’s okay if you have let them down. They need to know that and be okay with it too. Don’t feel guilty you failed and let ‘others down’. Learn to say, ‘you will do better next time’.

School and career – It’s hard to know what you want to do early in life.  Make choices based on what you like to do. Really. If you don’t enjoy what you do, you will never be happy. Yes, money matters. Yes, career path matters. But at the end of the day, half of your life is about what you do during the day that gives you a paycheck. You have to choose wisely. Again, it’s okay if you feel you have gone to school to study the wrong thing. If you went to school to become a teacher and you hate it later on in life. That’s okay too. Changing your career to what you want to do is called change of a career path.

If that cute guy at school did not ask you out at the end of the school year party, it’s okay. You are now crying thinking it’s the end of the world, but life is not all that. There’s more to it. When you are ready to come out of it, you will see it for yourself.

Again, it’s okay to have childhood crushes. Don’t ever feel unwanted. It’s okay to have a boyfriend you liked but who never loved you back for sure. It’s okay. It’s part of life, part of your journey to grow and evolve in the process. Don’t take relationships way too seriously than you have to. You are in your 20’s and just learning about life and love. Again, simply enjoy the feeling.

Learn to say ‘NO’. Start early. Start with your parents first. If you don’t want to get married, say no. Yes parents think you are too immature and don’t know enough to make sound decisions. But if you have good reasons to say no, then say ‘no’.

Listen to your parents – Contradictory to the previous one, but listen to their advices. What they say about life experiences is true. They have seen so much more than you have, and are a better judge of experiences and choices you will be making in life.

There will come a time when you know your marriage isn’t working. You have done everything you could. You prayed, you listened. You hoped. You gave in, you took. It is okay to make your own decision about what to do next. Divorce is actually a good thing. It doesn’t undo any memories you have created, but if a marriage was meant to stay forever, it would never end up in divorce. It’s okay. Again, what they say is true – Bad things fall apart so that better things can come along your way. Always remember this.

Kids will come. You will love them with all your heart. But as you grow always please remember to take time for yourself along the way. Before you know it, you’ve spent half of your life with your kids and never really paid attention to you.

Don’t take life so seriously. Relax a little, enjoy. You don’t always have to be on the go. ‘Sweetness of doing nothing’ indeed exists. Try it for once.

[irandomthoughtsblog]

Parenting and multi tasking

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kiri-westby/when-its-moms-time-to-leave_b_5528064.html "....Plus, her generation of moms were fighting just to be allowed to work outside the home, while my generation of moms are expected to work outside the home, raise amazing kids and still look good in a little black dress come date night... thus, most of us feel like we're failing" - Exactly my thoughts.

[irandomthoughtsblog]

There's always a reason why things happen..always a reason why we meet people...good or bad..be thankful for your experiences!

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Photography reflections

Some most amazing reflection shots. Hopefully, I can get there some day. One day at a time! http://digital-photography-school.com/reflection-photos-get-motivated/

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" The book of life" - By J Krishnamurti. My next read....

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....Of relationships, love, commitment.

"Until death do us apart" Isn't this the vow each of us in a long term committed relationship take? Doesn't matter if you speak another language, come from another part of the world. Emotions are all the same. What then happens sometimes in the process? Can we fall in love and then out of love? What is love? Is it overrated? I am no relationship expert, but here a few things I think are essential for any surviving committed relationship. And note, being a female blogger, i think this post is more catered towards women as practical advice. 

1. Mutual respect - If there is no mutual respect for one another, there is no relationship. Period. Make sure you respect your partner, his/her beliefs, opinion.

2. Trust - Can any relationship survive without trust? Last I heard, the answer is NO.

3. The more you give, the more you get - They say marriage when you start off is like an empty basket. Both the people need to put in something first to be able to take something out. However, do not expect 'unconditional love'. Don't fool yourself into believing such thing exists. Know when the 'giving' is getting out of control and when you are actually 'walking on eggshells'. 

4. Small little things do matter - As much as physical intimacy matters, simple things such as holding hands count. Finding time for your spouse after a long day at work or at home - cooking a simple meal, arranging an unplanned date as a surprise - everything counts. Especially when there could be times in a relationship, when you do need to do things to 'rekindle the flame'. 

5. Financial independence - This is so very important for the women out there. Invest, save and plan. Not just for your kids or anyone else, but for yourself. You never know what turn life might take, and you have to always be prepared. 

6. Self-respect and confidence - The more you value yourself and the more confident you are, the more healthy your relationship is. Its a simple fact. Never ever devalue yourself. 

7 Take some time away from everything - Most of the times I have seen women after having kids, need to time away for themselves. Go get a hobby, join a course, do something to rediscover yourself. 

8. Love - I had a hard time putting this in here. Love has become overrated in my opinion. Not to say, I am not a romantic at heart! But love grows in my opinion when you make an effort. Passion exists in the beginning, but if there is no dedication..it'll disappear.  To keep the passion going for many many years to come (the happily ever after); dedication is a must. 

Apart from this, what I have learned is - compatibility is a strange thing. You can be madly in love with someone, then fall out of love and blame it on compatibility! A friend told me once, people change, they grow, become more matured as they age (or atleast one would hope). Life is a journey, its a process. Each one has their own journey. You fall, you get up. You make mistakes. You forgive. You may or may not forget. But you learn to accept the challenges and move on. 

[irandomthoughtsblog]

Mother's Day thoughts

My Mom gave me a big hug and told me “Everything will be okay. Believe in God, believe in yourself and things will go well.”

I have had days when I quarrel with her, disagree with her, hate her for what she is, but at the end of the day, I know for a fact - she will always always be there for me whenever I need her. Period. That’s how moms are like right? Days when I was lonely during my school days and felt the need to talk to a friend - she was right there! To date I have never understood where does she get her energy from to cook for me when she wants to, be a friend and support me, love me and encourage me, fight for me and even cry for me like it’s not me feeling the pain, but her. An incident from school days she keeps repeating - a school teacher when I was really little had told her about me, your daughter did good in her exam but failed on orals because she wouldn’t open her mouth, ‘is she dumb?’ The way she fought for me, to prove that I was much more capable of what the teacher had told her about me, I was told even the teacher was surprised later on when I actually aced the orals too!

Me, my mom and my sister are like the three charmed sisters :) always looking out for each other, protecting each other. Just as each person has their ups and downs on life, even I do. Despite whatever comes my way, my two BFF’s never ever let go of me!

Whatever my Mom is today, a lot of it has to do with how my Dad treated her. Well of course, they had their ups and downs and arguments too, but my Dad always always respected my Mom! Having lost her Dad at a very young age, her Mom raised her single handedly. My Dad although coming from a very authoritative family respected her opinions, never took her for granted, helped her complete her education, her masters and supported her emotionally. He respected her family, and is definitely responsible in a lot of ways making my Mom who she is today!

When my mom says, ‘I am always proud of my girls’ it brings tears to my eyes, that we are who we are today due to the values and morals embedded in us by them! If I can be even a little of how she is with a fighter spirit and a kind heart and instill the same morals in my own kid - I would be a proud mom!

Mom and Dad - Happy Mother’s Day and we both love you lots and lots!

[irandomthoughtsblog]

Reflections on thy self and life

Some days life just goes on. You feel like you are in a silent movie, or you are set in a still mode waiting for the key to be turned so that you can start moving again. You feel the world’s passing by and you are stuck somewhere in a path where there are no choices, or maybe too many choices and hence the confusion. You find that life presents to you different pieces/paths similar to a jigsaw puzzle and you are trying to connect the pieces or the dots together.

You just hope and pray that things will fall in their place. Sometimes, I feel I’m stuck at a traffic light that is red and I’m just waiting there forever to move. These are the days when it’s hard concentrating on anything and you get lost in thoughts wondering what your next step should be.

Recently I am trying to pick up on a hobby (painting) that would keep me engaged in times like this, and keep my mind diverted away from the daily mundane things.

I wonder if anyone else feels like this and what they do to overcome such feelings and emotions?

[irandomthoughtsblog]

I am no super Mom

I am no Super-Mom, please don’t call me that. I don’t want to be that. I don’t see this as a personal incompetence, but courageous on my part to accept that ‘I cannot do it all’. Its funny how the social pressures seem to praise a woman who can ‘do it all’, the more you multitask, the more ‘super‘ or awesome you are. Sometimes we forget, who are we trying to ‘do it all’ for? In reality, most of the time, we are our own worst critic. I recently took a very tough decision of my life – to become a stay at home Mom, temporarily. Maybe for 6 months to a year, through the very initial phases of my son’s preschool years. This decision came after much thought, research and support from family. I read numerous articles and surveys on Moms who took a break from their career to raise a baby. Spent countless hours searching the Internet for work/home balance tips and suggestions, and constantly thinking to myself (criticizing) why wasn’t I able to achieve any of the level of satisfaction/balance described in those articles. I knew it was time for a change – a break from the routine. Women constantly face tough choices when it comes to this period in life – motherhood. You work very hard, study hard (I spent 6 years plus certifications) to get where you are, and have higher aspirations, when you have to make difficult decisions. Most of the time, it doesn’t have to be ‘either’ ‘or’. While legalized maternity leave (FMLA) is ‘short’ in the US (12 weeks), a few employers do offer flexibility these days, including work from home to part-time options. However, not everyone can be lucky to find such an employer, while daycare and nanny care can be quite expensive. A lot of my friends did say, ‘having a kid changes everything’, but I knew a part of me wasn’t ready to give up my lifestyle, my financial independence, and my career. But I now know, I am not giving up anything. I am just putting brakes on one aspect of my life, and focusing on another, and will be back very soon to pick up where left. Right now, I plan to simply cook for my kid, enjoy his smiles, and take care of myself. Good luck to everyone who does an awesome job at work and at home. I know how hard it can get. Being organized with healthy meals itself can be quite challenging. You don’t get any extra special treatment if your kid is sick at home on a weekday or if you simply feel like being home with the kid one day. If you have an employer who is flexible and willing to work with you, that’s awesome! Now I know, Mom doesn’t always have to include the word super before it. Being a Mom itself is super, for everything you do is super-awesome and is for the family!

[irandomthoughtsblog]

Memories of a hometown

13 years ago, this month we were sitting in our living room back in Mumbai contemplating our move to New Zealand. We were excited but nervous. Didn’t know what the future held for us. Didn’t know why we were going there. Mom and Dad had told us about our move a couple of months ago and were excited. It sounded like a fantastic idea and we were very much excited. We sold our home where we lived forever. I was still in my teens then and remember the tears flowing from my eyes when I touched the walls of our home the day we left it. I was happy, but was emotional. At that time, I really didn’t know why we were leaving, and if it was necessary. We had a lot of memories there. Sharing the couch with my baby sister, watching late night world cup soccer games with my Dad, drawing all over the walls of our home, painting our walls, and then repainting them as we had messed them up, having our first computer there, our first car, sitting up late to study for exams or watching the cricket world cup, having friends over for birthdays, Holi, Diwali’s, new year’s festivities with our apartment folks, study groups and endless other memories. I still remember the watchman from our apartment building who taught me how to ride a bike. I know I’ll never get these moments back. I visited my old home when I was in Bombay in 2007. I had gone back after 8 years. It was different. I somehow couldn’t associate myself with the place anymore. It had changed. And so had I. Life turned out pretty okay after moving out of Vashi. Starting out to travel from that time, I’ve travelled and lived in 3 continents since. Developed a new liking for travel and exploration. Learned about independence, food, new ideas, and culture. 10-12 years ago, I would never think about trying out a new dish, learning a new language, a new personal style, read, dance and do so many other things I enjoy doing now. I am more open to new ideas, while still retaining my roots and the values I believe in. I enjoy where I am and what I do. However I know will never get those moments back spent in Bombay. It was where my childhood was, what I knew about growing up and will always be my hometown.

[irandomthoughtsblog]

Confessions of a new Mom

"Life is a gift. Never forget to enjoy and bask in every moment you are in" (Photo credit: Aristocrats-hat) It was one Thursday afternoon and I was working part-time and I had just come back home from work. When I came in, I saw that the part above my son’s eyelid was swollen and red. I freaked out! Ran to the pediatrician right away and I was told it was a mosquito bite and he needed to take antibiotics for that. I was like he didn’t even go outside and stayed home all day and yet he had a mosquito bite? He did get better overtime. However he needed an injection for it before he was discharged. I was more like, why did he have to be bitten by a mosquito in the first place? Why did the mosquito bite only him and not anyone else who were around? And why near his eye? I cried for the first time in the doctor’s office more than my son did when he got that injection and looking at his swollen eyelid! As a new Mom there are so many things we don’t know, we trust our pediatrician, sometimes our best friend ‘google’, and sometimes our parents and friends advice. And especially when you have not really been around babies or kids while growing up, it makes it much more harder. Most of the times however, I say trust your instincts for advice. 1. The first time my son got a cold, I suffered more than he did, I’m sure. Spent a few sleepless nights checking his temperature every now and then, and going back to the doctor every 2 days. 2. When my son started to roll over at around 3.5 months and later when he became an expert at it, he preferred sleeping on his tummy all night. Every time I put him to bed straight on his back, he rolled right away to his tummy. I suddenly remembered SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and started having all crazy thoughts afraid of things like ‘what if he can’t breathe’? And actually stayed up through the night turning him over every time he rolled onto his tummy. My husband and me took turns staying up the night. Later, someone at work told me, Umm…I suggest you talk to his pediatrician, friends can advice, but sometimes only when you talk to the doctor you can get over your paranoia. “You don’t need to worry about SIDS when they rollover and can lift their head up”! 3. Never had my son sleep next to me on my bed until he was 3 months, afraid that I will fall on him, despite the fact that I am an extremely light sleeper and can wake up at the drop of a thing on the ground! The first time your kid gets a cold, gets fever, gets hurt, goes to daycare/ preschool; it’s more taxing on the Mom than the kid him/herself. Running to the doctor every 2 weeks, just to be safe, is usual in most households I bet! Now I am much more relaxed. I know I cannot avoid him getting sick anytime, although it still does break my heart to see him in “that way”. He has got a cold 2 more times already, and will a lot more times in the future I know. Whether I like it or not, he likes to sleep on his tummy and crawls in his crib to a corner through the night. He has hit himself on his head, fallen down a few times already while learning to stand. It’s just part of growing up. I know once he starts walking he’ll keep falling over but will get up again and carry on about his usual business with a smile! The ‘first year’ is a lot of exploration for the kid as well as for the Mom. No wonder there are books by experts on such stuff. As you explore your nurturing skills, you soon become an expert too, an expert on everything about ‘your’ kid. I was a paranoid Mom in the beginning (And I accept it without any hesitation!) and still sometimes I am, but I would never let that come in the way of my kid’s learning/exploring experience. From what I learned through my limited experience – for all the other new Moms out there or those who are ready to become one – ‘Enjoy’! Enjoy each and every moment with your kid, for they grow up way too fast. Every moment you enjoy with her/him will be a memory to be cherished for a lifetime.

[irandomthoughtsblog]

Reflections of being Indian at heart

Image credit - Mumbai (Photo credit: chnswam)

Today India celebrates 65 years since it became an independent and a democratic nation in 1947. I am pretty sure everyone likes their mother country where they were born, or were raised or have some sense of belonging. This year it’ll be 13 years since I left India. The move when we left Bombay (For me the city where I was born is always Bombay, regardless what the name will change to) was not my decision, it was my parents. But I would think sooner or later I would have moved out of Bombay I am definitely a different person now than what I would be if I was living back in Bombay.

Though I have lived out of India from a long time now, I still believe I am an Indian from heart. I love the colors, the dresses, the festivals, my faith, the food, bollywood, music, etc. I will not comment on politics, nor sports, nor the infrastructure over there. It’s been 13 long years since I have lived there. It’s strange how even since moving out during my teens, today after 10-12 years I still seek out Indian friends, Indian groups etc. I love my non-Indian friends, but still like hanging out with Indians too.

Sometimes I wonder, what I should I be proud of being from India. Is it the culture, is it the relations and family, is it sports, is it the IT sector, is it the transportation? Is the parents/in-laws who want to believe their way or tradition is correct, or is it the people who live in ignorance? During childhood days at school, I remember writing an essay or a note or something with things like – “Mera bharat mahan (my country is great), or “unity in diversity”. What do they mean now? Has anyone of us thought about it for a moment or two during their visit to India?

For anyone who has seen ‘Satyamave Jayate’ would at least be able to comprehend some of the issues which never even arrive to the surface in India. I never knew about a lot of things discussed in that series. I still don’t get it, why do well off families as well still prefer a male child in their families? Why? Why? Why? Having a baby is itself a blessing! The female feticide and the dowry issues are by far the most common issues I have heard about and seen as well. If that series could change atleast one person it was probably worth watching it.

This time during Olympics, Indian players made a good effort. They probably are people still complaining why doesn’t India win medals? Answer to those people is; – would you encourage your daughter/son to join a sports team? If not, don’t talk.

Today as I have a son who is born an American whom I will try raising him as an Indian/American. As long as he knows a little Indian history, our mother tongue (telugu, hindi), and respects women and elderly people, I know I have raised a kid with good values in my perspective. To me, by far the things that I cannot stand are hypocrisy, and lack of respect for women.

India for me, is my motherland. That’s where I was born. No one can change that. That’s all I know. PS. This is just my opinion. And does not reflect anyone else’s thoughts.

Related articles An open letter to President Pranab (thehindu.com) How India’s favorite TV show uses data to change the world (gigaom.com) Celebrating the Indian Tricolor: Samosa Chaat! (spiceinthecity.wordpress.com) Mera Bharat Mahaan, or, Thoughts on India’s Independence Day (waxingunlyrical.com)

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'When a baby is born, so is a mother'

2011 started for me very slow. I passed a certification exam in 2010, a goal that I had set for myself in 2009. 2011 started, and I began blogging, and also wanted to blog weekly. After a couple of months, I couldnt continue blogging let alone writing weekly. Me and my husband were expecting our first baby! :) Along with excitement, happiness and nervousness, I was having a myriad of emotions when I found out I was expecting. My baby was to be born in December, a Christmas baby! All I could think about is “will I be a good Mom”, “I cant believe I am really having a baby”!

The next few months we spent reading many baby books and attending pregnancy classes. We were trying to learn “how to be parents”. ‘My baby’ was finally born a few days before the due date. To be honest, we forgot everything that we learned in classes and read in books once we saw our kid. The moment I heard his first cry, tears rolled down on my cheeks. While everyone around me including friends were trying to decide who he looks like most, all I could see is a tiny face with eyes starring at me! The first time his tiny fingers held my finger tight in his palm, my joy knew no bounds.

His first smile, his first babbles, his first bath, his first visit to his grandparents place (my parent’s place), his first portrait session…I look forward to his many more firsts and many milestones!

Being a new Mom was first scary, I was very nervous, but these days I can’t think about life without my baby! It is rightly said, “When a baby is born, so is a mother”.

[irandomthoughtsblog]

Facebook - you love it, you hate it, but you want to be on it!

This year has been really busy for me. I know I had made a promise to write a blog every week for this year. However, I just couldn’t keep up with it. Instead I decided to write whenever time permits and obviously when I have a topic at hand. I wanted to write something about Facebook for a very long time now. I’m pretty sure a lot of us are on Facebook. Sometimes it’s a time waster, while sometimes it’s a great way to stay in touch with your friends. With all the recent changes going on with Facebook, I thought it’s the best time to write something about it too. Facebook vs Google Plus - I am on Facebook as well, along with the other networking sites – Twitter, LinkedIn and more recently Google+. I have always admired Google for whatever new they have come up with, and Google + is pretty much combination of social networking, and everything you already do with Google such as – sharing photos, chat, video chat (Google hangout), and their privacy settings are much more clearer and self-intuitive than Facebook. I liked Google Plus. Be it Google’s first attempt at a social networking site – orkut or the latest – Google Plus, they have always been trying to compete with Facebook however. Some stats on Google Plus - Read more about the growing rate of Google Plus here - http://technewsarena.com/2011/08/04/google-plus-becomes-fastest-growing-social-network-ever-touches-25-million-visitors/ Facebook Friends, status messages, Photo sharing – I call myself an active Facebook user, as I use Facebook (login and check newsfeed etc) at least 2 times a day. I come home in the evening and check Facebook after work on a typical day. On a weekend, I get my cup of coffee and login into email and then Facebook. So probably I’m a loyal Facebook user? One biggest problem I have had with Facebook all the time is how loosely it interprets the word ‘friend’. To me a friend is someone whom I can rely upon. However, I’m not sure how many of the 120+ friends I have on Facebook I can actually rely upon. And if you are a ‘friend ‘on Facebook I would think you would at the very least, write on my wall, comment on a post, or a photo or wish me on my birthday or interact with me in some way rather than just being a number of my friend’s list. I see Facebook as a great networking tool, however if only 20-30 people interact with me more often and if there is no interaction between the rest of my ‘friend’s and me, how am I or you “networking” (if that’s what Facebook is for). With all these recent changes happening in Facebook, how do we keep up with it? You login one day and the site is all changed. You hate it, you love it, but if you want to be on Facebook you have to get around it! Most likely it’s to get people to stay on Facebook and compete against Google Plus? Recently with all the changes going on with Facebook, they introduced a feature supposedly that will be good for you – Facebook timeline. Read more about the article here – http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2011/09/facebook-new-timeline-feature-makes-it-easier-to-find-who-defriended-you/ . Now you might want to think twice before you want to quietly ignore a friend request or ‘defriend’ someone because you haven’t spoken to them in years…I would think if you want to delete a friend from your friends list, hmmm…wouldn’t you want to keep it quiet and delete them silently? Some humor There’s a YouTube video about “Facebook in real life”. Do watch the video and enjoy it which will surely bring in some giggles :) Are you on Facebook? How active are you? Are you able to keep up with the updates in Facebook? Have you heard of Google +? Are you on Google +? And my love relationship with Facebook – posting a link to my blog on Facebook! :)

[irandomthoughtsblog]

I LOVE YOU DAD

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything. I know I have broken my promise of writing something every week (Promise I made to myself). There had been things I was busy with the past few weeks personally and never just got the time to actually sit down to write a meaningful post. Anyhow, I now plan on being on track again and will try my best again to write something meaningful and that I have an interest in every now and then. This weekend is Father’s day (June 19th) and most of us must have gotten something for our Dad, or will call and talk to him. When I logged into my Google chat this morning, there was a message under the chat tab – ‘Reminder, Call Dad’! Wherever you go shopping from the past 2 weeks before this day, you’ll find places that offer sales and something to giftyour Dad, be it a perfume, watch, clothes, shoes etc. However buying something for your Dad to wish him ‘Happy Father’s day‘ isn’t really that easy especially when he already has most of the those things typically. As Google chat reminds us even, ‘a simple phone call’ will do most of the times, the thought that you remembered him and called matters the most. My Dad, I suppose like most men isn’t very expressive when it comes to words. He sometimes just calls me and starts talking about electronics, or some new product out there, or something even scientific. He is so passionate about learning and knowledge that he tells us, he could even do a PhD at this age if time permits! I have always wondered how does he know so much about sports, be it soccer, tennis or cricket, or even golf (going backwards to the past few world cups) though he really doesn’t play most of these sports and has never really been a ‘tough sportsman’!. I remember distinctly living in our apartment in Mumbai sometimes in the late 90′s, staying up overnight (due to the time difference) watching the soccer world cups with my Dad. On the other hand, cooking; however was never really his thing. He still cooks good Tomato dhal, sometimes better than what my Mom makes :) And he can dance too, though that’s more like shaking a leg and hands! His jokes (in Hindi we call them PJ’s – Pakau jokes; meaning silly jokes) never make us really laugh, but he still comes up with a new joke every time we meet him and we do look forward to hearing them as well. From childhood, the one most important thing my Dad has taught me, is being independent and standing up for yourself. Right through helping me and my sister with studies from school days to giving us career advice during high school and university days, he has always been actively involved in every important aspect of our lives. We are a close knit family. Me and my sister know; family is everything for my parents. I know; me and my sister mean the world to my Dad, though he never expresses it directly.They have moved cities, and countries to be closer to me and my sister. I miss my Dad. He’s only a 2 hour flight away from me. Living in the US, I have gotten used to the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, which are an occasion to spend time with family. I make it a point to visit my parents during that time along with a couple of other times during the year whenever I can. Somedays I miss my parents so much however, that I just feel like leaving everything behind, taking the next flight and just going to their place and spending time with them. Most importantly, Dad; if I’ve never told you enough number of times; – “I LOVE YOU, DAD“!

[irandomthoughtsblog]

I survived a day without my cellphone - hooray :)

Photo by Yutaka Tsutano from Flickr Yes I did it! :) I survived one whole day without my cell phone. I really can’t even remember the last time I went without a cell phone for a day. Seems I am that much addicted to checking up on who called me, my emails or text messages etc every couple of hours. Not that anyone really calls me or any ‘human’ emails me that I need to keep checking up on it (apart from all the junk emails I keep getting). But still….I just need my cell phone right on my desk at work and in my handbag when I am walking outside. It’s now become part of me. When I woke up this morning and checked my cell phone (my Iphone :)) the ‘charge bar ‘ showed only 11% charge was remaining. I do have a charger at my desk at work also, but still for some reason I decided I wanted to charge it for 15 min or so, until I get ready to leave the house. But unfortunately, I forgot to take it with me before I left! I didn’t realize it until I was almost 1/2 way into my commute to work. Even then, as soon as I realized it I thought, there is still time to get to work, maybe I should head back and get my cell phone from home. I did miss my Iphone today. But I must add, I am not obsessed with my iphone. Yes, I like my iphone and the fact that I can keep checking my emails, use it as a watch as I don’t wear a wrist watch typically or even check Facebook for the ‘Live Feed’, since I really need to be up-to-date with what every friend of mine is upto! :) I rarely use my cellphone for making calls anymore (unless it’s my Mom or sister mostly). It’s just that having one (read smartphone) has now become essential for me. Maybe I did forget the difference between a ‘want’ and a ‘need’. Technology does that to you. Ask anyone who owns an Iphone or a Droid for that matter. You get one because you like it and think it’ll be an ‘useful’ addition to the rest of gadgets you typically own anyway, but you never realize when the want turns into a need! Anyway, happy I got by for complete 12 hours without my Iphone :) [Note, I'm not an APPLE fan, but do like my iphone]. Imagine, if I had an ipad and I had this post with that headline… I would be one spoiled tech savvy person! What would you do if you forgot your cell phone for one day to school or work or anywhere else?

[irandomthoughtsblog]

Pay it forward day is in 11 days...

Yesterday it was one of those Saturday nights when I just wanted to relax and watch a movie on netflix. We had the movie, ‘Pay it forward‘ in our netflix queue for a very long time, and I never got a chance to see it until now. In the beginning of the movie, an instructor asks the students of his class, “Come with an idea to change the world – and bring it into action”. When the students of his class tell him that the assignment is weird and crazy, he uses the word “possibility” saying, think about the possibilities of this idea. I don’t really know how I missed watching this movie earlier, but I’m glad that I watched it – better late than never, right? I love that concept from the movie, ‘Pay it forward’. I have heard about it before, but never really digged deeper into it. I then goggled ‘pay it forward’ to see if that concept was actually being implemented, and I was surprised with the results I found! I didn’t know it’s actually a movement now. In case you haven’t watched the movie yet and are unfamiliar with the concept, it basically means that if someone does a good dead to you, you basically have to pay it forward. In that way, starting with a couple of people it can extend to a larger community, to a larger society. Brilliant idea right? Maybe the world will indeed become a better place! I don’t say you have to become a saint or actually ‘go save the world’. But it’s about doing small favors, or help for others thats counts. Pay it forward is more of a chain reaction, similar to forwarding to a chain letter. Now, I don’t believe in chain letters at all, but ‘paying it forward‘ is an interesting concept. In the beginning of the movie, the kid, ‘Trevor’ as part of his assignment, brings home a bum from the street, gives him his garage to sleep during the night and feeds him dinner. ‘Trevor’ literally takes his assignment to an extra level to help an unknown stranger from the street. I must add I wasn’t too happy with the ending of movie and brought tears to my eyes. Beautiful movie indeed! In real life however, although we don’t really have to go that extremes, we could surely do something about it. Helping you neighbor with a small task, paying for someone else’ meal for once, giving your clothes/shoes away to goodwill rather than throwing them away or selling them or even a small donation to your favorite charity can make a small difference in someone’s else’s day. In my opinion it’s not only these small tasks that count, but something even smaller that that can make a difference. For example, there are those few days when I wake in the morning, and just don’t want to get up from the bed and travel for 1hr and 15 min to go to work! However, in the mornings, when I take the bus, the driver of the bus is always so energetic, always smiling, and enthusiastic about his job of driving us to our destinations that it surprises me. Despite however my day ends up being, I know that it started well. And thanks to the awesome bus driver who greets every single person in the bus with a big wide smile! So what have you done today to help someone else other than your family? Did you know that ‘Pay it forward’ day is coming up in 11 days? - To start with me, I am currently sponsoring a girl, Reshma, age 10 from Karnataka, India.

photo from flickr by Jillallyn As one of the most prominent person – Gandhiji puts it in simple words – ‘Be the change we want to see in the world’.