Wednesday 31 December 2014

Resolutions And Passions...

The Arrival Of A New Year.

A time for resolutions.

Much like promises, which are meant to be broken, resolutions are seldom kept.

It is a mean feat to achieve, keeping up with and following resolutions, at that.

It is easy as pie to proclaim to the world, and to the near and dear ones, every New Year's Eve or on the New Year Day that one is making such and such resolution(s) to be kept intact till the next three hundred and sixty five days to come.

What is hard, is to follow what one has proclaimed.

That resolution, which is made in the zest of the moment, in the excitement of welcoming a New Year, and in the ecstasy of exchanging infinite pleasantries, demands to be kept.

That resolution demands to be followed, and not be broken.

What happens however, is that which is undesirable.

Majority of us end up failing. Some of us fail miserably.

Failure.

Failure in keeping up with our proclamation.

Only a handful of us succeed, in keeping up with our resolutions.

A handful, or even less than that?

~~~

It is all about being determined to achieve what you desire.

It is not only about resolutions.

This fact holds true, in all walks of life.

The desire to achieve comes from a certain perseverance, and a voice from within, which pushes us ahead, to put in the requisite efforts.

The joy and bliss experienced upon achieving what we set out to, in the first place, is unparalleled.

Keeping up with resolutions, is the game for a disciplined mind and body

Discipline, coupled with determination and effort, can work wonders.

~~~

However, for most of us, our resolutions are repeated over the years...

The scenario is much like this for many of us...

"My resolution for 2015 is to keep up with the resolutions of 2014, which I should have kept up with, in 2013, because I had promised myself in 2012, and had planned for it in 2011."

~~~

I believe most of us have become immune to a certain disappointment that accompanies broken resolutions.

After all, we have proclaimed of, and broken MANY resolutions, haven't we?

~~~

However, this year is going to be different.

For me, at least.

Because, I can't be sure of the masses. ;)

~~~

The first step is deciding what resolution to keep.

For the lazy-bones that we are, we detest even making a list of points, to improve upon.

The aspect of Self - Improvement, is thus ruled out, for many of us.

~~~

The alternative then, lies in trying to learn.

We can very well try to learn something new, in the New Year, which is set to dawn upon us, can't we?

Of course, we can.

~~~

That is what I've set my mind upon, too...

Yes.

This New Year 2015...

I'm going to learn a new language.

The second step, lies in deciding which language, to pursue...

When I think of the plethora of languages in this world, I'm left at my wit's end.

Each language has its own points of ease and points of difficulty.

Learning some other nation's language?

Seems to be an uphill task at first.

~~~

On second thought, I'm a reminded of a fact.

It is a fact that there are MANY languages, from our own Nation, which I'm not known of.

When I come to think of it, this is not the only fact.

~~~

It is said that whenever we set out to learn something new, we must begin from the basics.

For the stronger our basics are, the stronger our hold on that particular subject will be.

What is the basis of language, in India?

The basis of a language is its script.

In India, the basis of our mother-tongue, हिन्दी is the देवनागरी script.

Furthermore, our language finds its first origins in the ancient scriptures.

Our scriptures are rendered in संस्कृत...

~~~

Decided then.

My New Year Resolution.

Learn a new language.

संस्कृत!

~~~

Come to think of it, I'll have an edge in the near future.

How?

संस्कृत is now said to be the Programmer's language...

Technology, coupled with this language, can work wonders in the future, then!

And what better than to pursue a resolution, related to Technology, with Technology itself?

~~~

I mean, I could very well put to use, my prized possession, to aid me in keeping up with my resolution, this year...

With its high speed, unparalleled responsiveness, and large memory, thanks to Intel Inside, my Micromax Canvas Tab CAN help me discover the linguist within myself...

 With a broader screen, and a higher screen resolution, reading that small font on a website, or in that digital literature available online, will not be a pain, anymore.

Of course, I'm net - savvy.

The World Wide Web will act as my friend, philosopher, teacher and guide, assisting me in my aim to learn this new language.

I will have to browse through some of the sites on the web, offering tutorials in the संस्कृत language, right from the beginning.

I will have to start from scratch.

Micromax Canvas Tab's Android Kitkat 4.4.2, 3G connectivity and 4400mAh battery life, coupled with a sleek design and stylish looks will ensure that I don't have to wait to come back home, and learn in my leisure time only.

All these features will free me from the limitation of not being able to carry the device on the go.

With such powerful specifications, I can keep up with my resolution, even if I'm occupied with some other activities.

Browsing, learning and practicing my skill, throughout the day.

~~~

That is how I'll put my new Micromax Canvas Tab P666 to use.

What about you?

CAN this device help you to 'Discover A New You', too, this New Year 2015? :)

~~~

This post has been written as a part of Indi Happy Hours' #CanvasTab in association with Micromax Mobile and IndiBlogger.


~~~

Tuesday 30 December 2014

I Believe In Magic...

Top post on IndiBlogger.in, the community of Indian Bloggers

~~~

I believe in Magic.

Yes, I do.

Furthermore, you could take me to be a Magician.

Yes, I'm proclaiming myself...

To be a Magician who believes in Magic...

Surprised?

Well, Don't Be.

~~~

For it's not the conventional Magician and those customary magic tricks, I'm talking about.

~~~

I'm a Magician in this wide-spread Literary World over the World Wide Web. The one which we bloggers, refer to as the Blog-o-sphere.

I'd started weaving my words into a Beginner's Level magic on April 20, 2013.

The day I refer to, as my Blog-versary. :)

It had been a good eight months till the end of 2013.

I'd welcomed the new year 2014 with open arms into my space, too.

That New Year brought along with itself - a golden opportunity.

Project 365.

A 'Project' with an aim, conveyed precisely by its motto...

We Write Daily...

A Post A Day...

~~~

It was through a dear friend and blogger - Mrs. Sakshi Nanda, that I got to know of it. She, along with three other bloggers, was taking up this interesting opportunity.

When I first saw this on social media or read about it on Project 365's blog, it left me thinking - they are brave-hearts.
The entire year - four of them - blogging based on prompts.

Well, when I had done the Photo A Day Experiment, back in July 2013, for an entire Month, during my school's summer break, it left me at my wit's end...

And, these four brave - hearts, were taking up a similar, more challenging task for an entire YEAR.

In the back of my mind, I was sure, that I wouldn't be able to even take up such a Herculean task, let alone completing it successfully, ever.

I was applauding them, deep in my heart. :)

~~~

I visited their page on Facebook on the second day of January 2014.

I liked the page, there and then, to see how this collaboration develops, and to add interesting posts to my reading list.
~~~

Something interesting, it seemed.

It piqued my curiosity.

~~~

The next day...

Bang!


Just to go through what had been planned for their audience, I visited the link, which has now expired.

If I remember clearly, it asked for a few basic credentials, three preferred months to Guest Author, top to bottom priority, and the REASON to join in...

I do not know what intuition pushed me to take the plunge, but I did.

I ended up expressing my interest to join in as a Guest Author to P365!

So, I had filled in June, July, December, all three of them being my summer/winter break months, and the reason to join, came in the flow, of typing, of course.

My thought process was to take up a Project, a team work, being a teacher (usually my students did Projects, for a change, I would), for the entire experience to enrich my blogging journey, and to work in collaboration with some friends, known, unknown, expanding my social circle, and above all, exploring my horizon, to weave words, Magically.

I went through the monthly prompts, after filling in the form, rather than before it, would you believe? :o

January 10, the submissions closed, yes! :D

And, there was a welcome change.

The 'About' Page on their blog.

And, a change in the header too...

~~~

The same day, I found an acknowledgment in my mail.


~~~

January 16, the Facebook Profile Links were gathered, to form a 'Secret' Group...

January 19, I sent something to the Core Team...

"Dear Core Team - Jairam, Rekha, Sakshi & Sid,

Going by the 'About Us' page on the blog, here's what I'd like my 'About' to look like..."

What is now, the 'Get To Know Me Closely' page on the blog.


~~~

Republic Day 2014, was when this greeted me, formally.


We'd also got this awesome Author's Badge to display on our respective blogs...

I was pleasantly surprised when the font of the badge's "I'm A Proud" was Magically, same as my blog's default font! :D


January 2014 was entirely Core Team's. All of Guest Authors were to start with our respective months, from February onward.

~~~

In due course of time, we were presented with such aesthetic headers, and an Yearbook imagery too...


~~~

Magical Nostalgia! :)

And, what was even more magical, was a wish...

On my Birthday...


~~~

Now, when I look back, on all those pleasant memories, it brings a smile on my face.

Magically.

From ear to ear. ^_^

~~~

What's the most magical aspect been for me, in our dear Project?

That with the flow on ink in the virtual pen, or the with the tapping of keys on this keyboard of mine...

I have penned a total of Twenty Five Posts for Project 365...

A fact even I'm marveling at!

This was the First...

February 7, 2014.

Do You Care To Transform With Healthcare Reforms?

And, this, which is being penned now, is the Twenty Fifth...

December 30, 2014.

I Believe In Magic...

~~~

I begun authoring my Month, December...
Yes, December.

P365 has been a roller-coaster ride too.

There had been a few fall-outs, from other team mates, from the Project, some ignorance towards the later Open Prompts from my side, some - MANY - adjustments in schedules, all taken in stride, and finally Yours Truly, who was at first, to guest author for November, authored for December instead, at the end of it all.

~~~

Amid all these experiences, I've had the most special milestones of my Blog to owe to Project Three Six Five...

  1.  I've submitted Twenty Posts out of Twenty Five, to IndiBlogger, till date.
    All Twenty Have Been IndiStars...
  2. Until Then It's Happily Ever After! - My Second Post for this endeavor - weaved Magic - MAGIC with my Readers.
    It is the ONLY post from Yours Truly to have gathered 103 hearts on IB and the only one to have touched that sweet three digit figure.
  3. Standing 'Against' It When I Wanted To Stand 'For' It! - My Fifth Post - went on to be the FIRST post to be featured by India Opines.
  4. Entrapped By The Chakravyuh and Because, Charity Begins At Home had been two consecutive WOW posts for BlogAdda, to acquire the badge, in April 2014.
  5. I've become fluent with penning Acrostics (expanding each letter of a word in prose), thanks to this wonderful opportunity...
  6. I've penned the post closest to my heart till date - My Third Post for Project 365 - Not There, For Heaven's Sake - for my Mother.
  7. I've penned the most humorous and the cutest post, from my Personal Life, in my opinion, for Project 365.
    The Perfect Comeback - My Eighteenth Post...
  8. Stepping Into _ _ _ _ _ _'s Feet... - My pet ended up making a guest appearance, all for Project 365.
    My Fourth Post.
  9. I ended up trying a new form of Poetry, for P365.
    I was Going Limerick-y! in my Fourteenth Post.
  10. I even re-did an old post - a Fiction written in December 2013 - to suit an Open Prompt at Three Six Five.
    The Mysterious Look - Not A Mystery Anymore! was my Eighth Post.
  11. The New School - My Twenty Fourth post, was a collaborative post, with three other team - mates, as it presented me with a task of a magnanimous scale...
~~~

I've penned five posts as a Guest Author to P365, formally.

Twenty posts have been responses to Open Prompts...

These five, make the total count, a Silver Jubilee... ^_^






~~~

While I wind up this post, and my Magical association with Project 365, I'd like to leave you with...

The Wall of Champs which greeted me this morn, and the Core Team, wonderfully forms a magically strong foundation for it... :)

Yes, of course, it has been a festive time, for all of us at Project 365...
Of Christmas, joy and bliss...

We've made amends, among ourselves and to Project 365 at large.
At least I have, by making up for missing those Open Prompts...

We've tied the loose ends, by successfully achieving what we set out to...
Project365 stands accomplished, Team! :D

We've together finished off, what we together begun...
Project 365 has been completed, and done with.
The association, the friendship, and a better Writer, within our respective selves, remain.

As I bid adieu to Project 365, I would like to hope and pray for a Healthy, Joyous and Blissful New Year 2015, for all...

For all my Team Mates and Co-Authors, at P365, as well for all my Readers... :)

~~~

As far as the Prompt for the day goes...

I have been transformed into a mystical being, who is now an Excellent Magician with her words, thanks to this Project.

My new abilities?

I've explored the extent of how far my writing prowess can expand itself...

I've turned out an enriched person, with all those experiences, and memories, to make me a better Blogger, on the outlook...

How will I use my new skills?

Well, you never know...

Project 365, Season 2, maybe?

What Say, Core Team? ^_^

Because, I Believe In... 

Memories And Associations, New Found...
Ample Opportunities Which All Surround...
Grateful For Each One To Come My Way...
Instilling A Certain Fulfillment, Everyday...
Calling For Project 365 Two Again Are We?

~~~

This post is a part of the WordPress Daily Prompts : 365 Writing Prompts program where the aim is to post at least one post a day based on the day's prompt.

December is the month when I officially Guest Author for Project 365, in partnership with Jaibala and Vinay, for our respective Guest Authoring Prompts, chosen beforehand.

The Prompt is, I Believe In Magic - 'You have been transformed into a mystical being who has  the ability to do magic. Share your new abilities in detail. How will you use your new skills?'

This is my Twenty Fifth Post as a guest author to Project 365 : We Post Daily!

The Beauty In Red...



~~~

Top post on IndiBlogger.in, the community of Indian Bloggers

~~~

This Acrostic Has Been Published In WE...

January 2015 - Volume X

Page 91-93.

Writer's Ezine...

One Word At A Time...

You can read the January 2015 Issue of WE on ISSUU, here.

~~~

Gracing The Horizon On A Winter Morn...
The Red Minaret...
Extensive Carvings In The Symmetric Corridor...

Glorifying The Skies
The Masterpiece...
Elaborate Calligraphy
Rendered In Red...
Through The Rustic Sandstone...

~~~

An Early Morning Panorama...

A Bird's Eye View Of The Qutub Complex...

A Panoramic View, As The Evening Set In...

~~~

Quintessential Eminent Beauty, It Is The Qutub Minar...
Unearth Its Picturesque Hue, As Audience From Afar...
Towering Over Skies Of The Archaic City,  Mehrauli...
Uncover The Historical Wonder, All  Very Much Jolly!
Boasting Of Company Of UNESCO's Heritage Sites...

Maneuvering Through A Brilliant, Archaeological Marvel...
Imploring Through That Lens, A Masterpiece, To Unravel...
Narrates Magnificent Calligraphy, Incredible Red Sandstone
Articulates Through A Layer Of Art, Well To Call Our Own
Rendered In Red, A Medieval Spectacle, The Qutub Minar...

~~~

Sunday 28 December 2014

The New School...

I've been given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Yes, it's a never before and never will be opportunity,

What is it, you ask?

I get to revamp, or redesign the old school system in India, straight from the base.

Being a teacher, I'm being asked to redesign the entire academic build-up being followed in our country...

Well, I wouldn't want to take on such a magnanimous task all by myself, would I?

So, I've turned this into a collaborative post. So, I am not the only one authoring this.

My blogger - friends and team mates at Project 365 are there with me too... :)

I will get to my idea of what needs to be redone in our academic structure, towards the end of the post.

First, I am handing over this space to Salesh, Yamini and Rekha...

Salesh Dipak Fernando, who blogs at 'Scribblings', has the following to say:

"I was a special kid when I started out and hence needed individual attention. Every child is different. You can’t ask a fish to climb a tree. It would be absurd and stupid. Tweak the education system. Let be an environment where a child can nurture his unique abilities. Give the child the freedom to choose. Do away with the herd mentality."
I agree.

It reminds me of this:


Also, Albert Einstein.


Our education system lacks, and lacks a lot on this front. We need to focus on the concept of 'inclusive education', and not just focus. Serious and feasible implementations need to be enforced, so that the children with special needs are treated as equals, in every sense of the word.

I'm again reminded of this:


And, the concept behind this, lies in the sense of fairness, and its interpretation by the masses...


This thought comes to mind, and resonates through...


~~~

Yamini Vijendran, who blogs at 'Straight From The Heart', had this to opine:

"I would like schools that would provide only the tools, and encourage children to explore and gain knowledge by themselves. The teachers will only give a push whenever needed, in the right direction. You should also take a look at this and other talks by Sugata Mitra. Read about his 'Hole in the Wall' experiment - It'll change the way one perceives education."

Again, the concept of rote-learning and minimal practical exploration on the academic front, vexes me too.

The pressure of memorization, rather than learning and understanding the concept, must be done away with. Students must be able to inculcate a solid ground for exploration, and explanation of a concept by expression, within themselves.

Calvin comes to the rescue...


He knew the answer. But he also knew what's more important for him in the long run...

'I now intend to forget it forever...'

The system needs to be revamped so that our kids don't need to memorize, so that they may forget.

The system needs to be revamped so that our kids understand, and take it with them, forever.

The knowledge being imparted amid those four closed walls needs to be such that it is of appreciable importance in every day life-like situations.

Another gem, again from Calvin:


I'm not saying that rote must be completely done away with, but that it must not be of prime importance.

Well, you do need integers to form the basis of your Mathematics, but yes, the 'Big Picture' needs to be taken into account too, big time. :)

Pardon me for taking too many references of such kind but, the one which follows, must certainly NOT be the case!


This one goes out to the teacher, rather than the learner, too... :)

Then again, Mr. Sugata Mitra, Chief Scientist, Emeritus at NIIT, Winner of TED Prize 2013, had this to say, about his concept.

"Onstage at TED2013, Sugata Mitra makes his bold TED Prize wish: Help me design the School in the Cloud, a learning lab in India, where children can explore and learn from each other — using resources and mentoring from the cloud."

For the ones who don't know of the Hole  In The Wall experiment, this is it.

"In 1999, the Hole in the Wall (HIW) experiment in children's learning, was first conducted. In the initial experiment, a computer was placed in a kiosk in a wall in a slum at Kalkaji, Delhi and children were allowed to use it freely.

The experiment aimed at proving that children could be taught by computers very easily without any formal training. Mitra termed this Minimally Invasive Education (MIE). The experiment has since been repeated in many places; HIW has more than 23 kiosks in rural India. In 2004 the experiment was carried out in Cambodia.

This work demonstrated that groups of children, irrespective of who or where they are, can learn to use computers and the Internet on their own with public computers in open spaces such as roads and playgrounds, even without knowing English. Mitra's publication was judged the best open access publication in the world for 2005 and he was awarded the Dewang Mehta Award for innovation in IT that year.

The Hole in the Wall experiment left a mark on popular culture. Indian diplomat Vikas Swarup read about Mitra's experiment and was inspired to write his debut novel Q & A, which later became the movie Slumdog Millionaire."

~~~

Rekha Nair Dhyani who blogs at 'Dew Drops', stated this:

"I had the good fortune of working with Sugata Mitra on his book in this Hole In The Wall experiment. It was indeed a breakthrough experiment. Touch and Feel, Do and Learn."


~~~

Coming to my point of view, in this regard...

Education needs a fresh perspective, especially primary education. This is the stage when a kid’s foundation is being built. This is the stage when maximum learning can be adapted by a child. Instead of going for digital education at a later stage, I would prefer students to incorporate e-learning right from the first standard. 

This is because e-learning is the most interactive means, apart from group activities in today's time. Interactions pave the way for better retention of concepts in a fresh mind, thus minimizing rote - learning. 

There has been an instance when the move to implement smart classrooms was more than welcome by Charu and  her peers, in her school. The only regret she had, was that such an initiative should have been taken when they had entered school, at the age of six, rather than when they were to exit it, on the threshold of writing their Senior Secondary Board Examination. 

Skills and knowledge for a subject must be given equal importance. The practical, hands-on, application part of the theory being retained, must also to be revamped in a constructive manner, so as to benefit the learner in the long run.

~~~

I would like to know your opinion in this regard too, either as a Parent, as a Student, or even as a Teacher. :)

~~~

This post is a part of the WordPress Daily Prompts : 365 Writing Prompts program where the aim is to post at least one post a day based on the day's prompt.

December is the month when I officially Guest Author for Project 365, in partnership with Jaibala and Vinay, for our respective Guest Authoring Prompts, chosen beforehand.

The Prompt is, The New School - 'You get to redesign school as we know it from the ground up. Will you do away with reading, writing, and arithmetic? What skills and knowledge will your school focus on imparting to young minds?'

This is my Twenty Fourth Post as a guest author to Project 365 : We Post Daily!

Short Story: When Stubble Disrupted Treatment...

By profession, being a physician, one needs to carry a well groomed look all the time, as irrespective of the time of the day when he is meeting his patients, it is his look that is definitely going to leave some positive impact on his patients.

That is what my friend Harshita also felt, and we agreed that depending on the person's profession, a stubble should never come in the way of a man’s chance to make a good impression. Harshita has been a friend, ever since I started school, carried forward till college.

I remember an incident during my college days, when Harshita and I, were driving from college, on a foggy evening, 5: 30 PM. We had gotten late while leaving college that day.

Harshita was behind the wheel. The car met with an accident and she injured her nose, while I had suffered a cut on my shoulder. It was bleeding profusely, her nose. She was almost unconscious and there was no one around who would help me in taking her to the nearby hospital. It was good that she was still able to respond when I asked her if she would be able to keep her up till we reach hospital. She replied in the affirmative. That response from her gave me some confidence that I alone would be able to do whatever is the need of the hour.

I arranged for some ice cubes immediately from a nearby restaurant and applied it on her bleeding nose. It helped in controlling the bleeding, so much so that it had reduced  drastically by now. I took an auto-rickshaw and pushed her in, to rush to a nearby hospital.

Somehow, we were told to meet the Head of Department of Medicine, Dr. Sharma. I first went into Dr. Sharma's cabin and found a disarrayed stubble on his face and that he was lost totally in his own thoughts. He did not appear to be a good doctor and the stubble in the first go itself, had not made a good impression.

Knowing that Harshita too would feel the same and would deny treatment by Dr. Sharma, I checked with the Reception for any other doctor, junior to Dr. Sharma.

 It was Dr. Juneja who was apparently much presentable than Dr. Sharma and hence we decided to go to him for Harshita's treatment.

Everything went well and Harshita was able to recover, well in a week’s time.

~~~

This post is a part of #WillYouShave activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette

Short Story: Of An Interview And A Clean Shaven Look...

At times, in life, under certain circumstances, it becomes quite difficult to choose between two options even if those are as plain as “Yes” and “No”. But under the same circumstance, if you try to read out the latent messages from nature, be it Mother Nature or the nature of the person or object in question, you probably get a clear cut path to opt for. 

I have experienced the same many a times, whenever I have been in doubt of taking a clear cut decision but at such times, with my common sense and that intuitive message, I am able to take a call instantly and it has always proved to be a good decision.

It was last year during the same period when I was looking for a change in job and there was an offer to attend an interview in another city. I had to reach Chandigarh the day after tomorrow and report to their office at 10 AM. This was a multinational company and was quite reputed on global fronts. 

I decided to give it a chance and in my heart prayed to God to help me in getting this job. I immediately checked online for a train ticket but in vain. 

The only option left was to travel by road. If I would opt to go by air. for such a short distance, it would turn out to be equal or more time consuming. By road – I had a choice to either to go by a Volvo or to hire a cab.

On checking online for the Volvo service for the desired day, I found that, it was also completely booked, though the travel company was accepting the booking on the condition that the booking would be wait-listed and shall be confirmed only at the time of departure of the bus. It was too dicey.

So, finally I decided to hire a cab. I searched for a suitable cab service online and booked my cab for 3 AM for the day after tomorrow. By starting at that time, it will be comfortable to reach well in time for the interview. The cab had to report at 2:45 AM for pick up. At 1 AM, I received a message that the cab was confirmed and I could see the cab driver's profile online by logging on their portal. I logged in and found the driver to be quite impressive, going by his looks - clean shaven,
young and alert.

At 2 AM, when I received a call from the driver, I confirmed if he was the same person as was appearing their on portal, as my driver. Also, whether he was maintaining the same clean shaven look or was now maintaining a stubble. He said that being an orphan, he was raised by a family serving in the Indian Army. Hence, the one virtue that had gone deep down into his heart and mind was that of discipline and hence there was no question of compromise with his personality.

The cab was right there at my doorstep, in time and the confident, clean shaven driver with a well-groomed look, as opposed to an ill-faced and ill-mannered one, elevated my positive attitude for the interview.
~~~

This post is a part of #WillYouShave activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette

Saturday 27 December 2014

कितना चैन होता है ना, सच्चाई में!

कितना चैन होता है ना, सच्चाई में!

Well...

It is true, indeed.

There is an immense peace, in facing the reality.

For, it takes Strength and Courage to admit the truth.

Lying can be the easy way out, for the time being, but not in the long run.

Certainly not.

For, if you have lied, you must Remember what you said!

That's where the loophole lies, in the concept of lying. :)

~~~

I concur with this ideology by Edward Abbey:

"Better A Cruel Truth,

Than A Comfortable Delusion."

~~~

Trust is based upon Honesty.

Honesty is based upon Truthfulness.

 Truthfulness, is based upon being True To Oneself.

~~~

However hard we may try, we cannot negate this fact.

Truth hurts.

But, the Truth may hurt for a Moment, opposed to a Lie, which may, in all probability, hurt for a Lifetime.

~~~

For...

Pretty Words are Not always True.

And...

True Words are Not always Pretty.

~~~

Honesty is proclaimed to be a Virtue.

Yet, it is hard to listen to, and to absorb the Truth.

~~~

All of us have had certain episodes in our respective lives, where Lying, was an easy task.

Not once, but such episodes occur multiple times. I believe.

Episodes from our personal lives, or from the lives of people around us.

Is it not?

~~~

But then, Honesty is Expensive.

It must not be expected from Cheap people.

For we live in a world, built up by the brittleness of Falsity.

~~~

We have now come to inhabit a world, where being Honest in every-day situations is equated with being Discourteous, ill-mannered, or even being snobbish and obnoxious.

There comes a point when Truthfulness goes to the humble extent of offending people!

Truth and Honesty were never meant to be Offensive, in my opinion.

As a matter of fact...

Denying the truth will not change the facts. :)

The Truth Stands as the Truth...

And, a Lie, is of course a Lie, after all...

~~~

It is, of course, The...

Truth, in grave situations, of a relationship at stake...
Rings through as the ultimate savior for God's sake...
Understanding who was to be at fault, how and why...
Take in to absorb what is right, as this time flies by...
Holding on to righteousness or a relationship at hand...

...that prevails... :)

For, truthfulness in any relationship is of utmost importance.

Because, in any relationship...

As...

A Single Lie, Discovered...

Is Enough...

To Create Contagious Doubt...

Over Every Other...

Truth, Expressed...

~~~

It's Better...

To Know...

And...

Be Disappointed...

Than...

To Never Know...

And...

Always Wonder...

~~~

This is the simplest ideology I abide by, for I would never want any of my relationships in life, to be in doldrums, over the accusation of having embraced falsity, at any point in time.

It is best to embrace Honesty, for it does not prick at the person with a clear conscience.

~~~

Because, at the end of the day...

Above  All...

The person who is true to himself, to his relationships in life, and to his heart, wins it all.

Because, truth permits you to take the call of having a clear Conscience.

At the end of it all, your conscience concurs with this fact.

Indeed...

कितना चैन होता है ना, सच्चाई में!

~~~

The real life story goes like this...

I had gone to the Karol Bagh Jewelry market three years back to buy a beautiful necklace for my cousin. It was her first marriage anniversary the very next day and I had to buy a gift for her, that day at any cost. I had to visit the market, the previous week but I could not due to a lot of other preparations, in progress for the occasion. I had kept some money at hand, substantially more than the anticipated cost of a gold necklace. Moreover, the credit card(s) were there in my purse. And, still if the cost went above all these, the owner of the shop was known to us for last ten years – Mr. Malik of Malik Jewelers.

I reached the shop in time. Mr. Malik was already aware about my visit,  as I had informed him over the phone in the morning. That is why he had chosen few, and mostly the most precious necklaces from their artisans, which were laid out on the table. It was difficult to choose one out of those, as all were excellent and every piece looked better than the other.  I had to finally pick one piece and the one I picked was incidentally the costliest among all their creations, placed there.

Inherently, my hand went over my shoulder, for my handbag when I was led to the Cashier's, and it was a big jolt when I didn't find it there. There was more than three lac rupees cash in the purse among other important possessions. Frantically, I checked around but didn't find it anywhere. Mr. Malik made his men run around to search for it, but in vain. In any case, I got the necklace packed, and told Mr. Malik that I will send Rs. 2.1 lac, the cost of necklace, through someone, the day after as everyone would be busy the next day due to the anniversary celebrations. Apparently, it was a shock to me as the Rs. 2.1 lac necklace cost me over five lac, accounting for the money I had lost.

My cousin was very happy seeing her gift. The day ended on a high note with joy all around. I hadn't told anybody of the loss, in order to not disrupt the jolly mood of the occasion. I had even told my father that everything was hunky-dory on his asking. By late evening, I received a call from Mr. Malik. I could very well picture this as a reminder call from him for the money I had to send to him, the next day for the necklace I had bought. But the call was not a reminder.

What Mr. Malik told me was amazing! The driver of the cab that I had taken to reach the market, had approached Mr. Malik and told him that he had found a purse fallen beneath the rear seat of his cab and he wanted to hand it over to me. Since I had taken cab from the Metro station to the market, so the driver didn't know where my house was. Mr. Malik had checked the purse's contents and confirmed that it was mine. The money was intact inside.

My father overheard the entire conversation, and that was my moment of realization.

It was for the celebration's sake that I had not told my father of the entire episode.

But, I was going to tell him of the episode, the next morning.

The moment when I narrated to him, the entire incident was indeed the moment, when I felt that...

सच्चाई में वाकई बहुत सुकून होता है... :)

~~~



This post has been written as a part of Indi Happy Hours' कितना चैन होता है ना, सच्चाई में! in association with Kinley and IndiBlogger.

Thursday 25 December 2014

I Was Here...

This is new land, untainted soil...
Waiting to be explored, be discovered...
Innumerable facets will, from underneath, be surfaced...
As you put in perseverance, sweat and toil...

To put the first foot down, on unmanned land...
At first, lifeless, it seemed very bland...
However, Man's task is to expand his horizons...
To identify and develop upon life-like conditions...

 Great achievement it is, to conquer the seemingly impossible...
To be able to recount the overpowering sense of accomplishment...
To prove to the World, indeed, Impossible is I'm Possible...
To take credit for a discovery, in the World scenario, prominent...


~~~

To the ones who set step after me...
Indeed...

'That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind...'

To not be overshadowed by a sense of over-confidence...
That of conquering the unconquerable, being invincible, Not...
For there are countless landmarks, out there, to achieve, hence...
Keep calm, it's the beginning of success, not only this thought...

Give in your best efforts, your best attempt...
To turn this place into an inhabitable one...
For, at the pace we are being tempt...
Our Earth is gradually being gone...

Lest you must forget, I must remind you...
Discover new avenues on the own, will seem at first, an insurmountable...
The one who is determined, is able to see the goal through...
But, once you achieve, what you must, for success, you'll be accountable...


~~~

This post is a part of the WordPress Daily Prompts : 365 Writing Prompts program where the aim is to post at least one post a day based on the day's prompt.

December is the month when I officially Guest Author for Project 365, in partnership with Jaibala and Vinay, for our respective Guest Authoring Prompts, chosen beforehand.

The Prompt is, I Was Here - 'You are the first astronaut to arrive on a new, uncharted planet. Write the note that you leave to those who come after you.'

This is my Twenty Third Post as a guest author to Project 365 : We Post Daily!

Thursday 18 December 2014

Of Vacations And Teddy...

I have one Daughter.
But, I have two Kids.

Say what?!

Yes, you heard that right.

The two kids at my place, are my Husband and my Daughter.

Why do I say, that my Husband is a kid?

Not just a kid, my Husband is even more kiddish than my Daughter.

And that kiddish behavior magnifies in its existence, the time we decide to go, for a Vacation...

More than annoying me, both my Kids' kiddish behavior, leads us to discovering something new, not just once, but many times over, during a single trip.

This post is going to list some such instances of somewhat kiddish behavior, which have made my vacations, more memorable than I had expected them to be, in the first place...

Such instances have added dollops of 'Magic' to my Travelogues.

~~~

My daughter's curiosity, coupled with my husband's fetish to click pictures, has given my Vacations a certain 'magical' touch.

Take, for instance...

These snaps from our Vacation to the Andamans...


We had befriended a Mollusk who was busy catching hold of its intruder...
While it attempted to catch hold of Mister's hand, in vain, I sure caught hold of a picture - a unique Black shell and its inhabitant, intact! :D


This one is from our Cottage at the Sea Shell Resort. The property there, had a private beach.
Hubby and Daughter went off, for a quick morning walk.
The canine friend, they brought back, tagging along, was a pleasant surprise! :)
He refused to leave the Sitting Area outside the cottage, as we found him, sitting outside still, even in the evening!
The next morning, it had made its way back to the beach...


This one, again, is from our Cottage.
Mister had decided to re-launch the revamped Chipko Movement.
Seen here, he is 'hugging' the palm right outside the cottage...
See the expression?
I Am NOT Going To Leave This Palm, At Any Cost!
Kiddish, yet memorable...



This is the most unique picture, we've managed to acquire, over ALL our vacations.
Can you guess, what it is?

These are White Crab's Dens.
These are  dug up places, or should I say geometric patterns?
White Crabs live in the white sand, spread across the Radhanagar Beach on the Havelock Island.
This was the Daughter's discovery, the Husband's click, and my joy!

~~~

On a serious note, I concur with the following ideology...

"The more that you Read, the more things you will Know.
The more that you Learn, the more places you'll Go."

~~~

I still remember our vacation to Kanyakumari, clearly.
The daughter was nine, at that time.

The way she'd jumped with joy, on witnessing the 'meeting point' of the three bodies of water in India, is indescribable.

It was the first time when she'd visited a 'place of significance', that is, according to her Geography book.

They'd been repeatedly asked as a routine 'Fill In The Blank' question...

_______ is the southernmost tip of the Indian subcontinent, also the meeting point of the three water bodies in India.

A similar expression was captured in my lens, when we'd visited the caves of Ajanta and Ellora, and she'd been cross-checking what all she had learnt in her History course, at that time.

Countless have been such knowledge-imparting experiences.

~~~

From then on, we've covered almost the entire country, summarized in numerous travelogues, over the years, and the 'Magic' in our Vacations has been that point in time, when my Daughter learnt something new,

It has been magical to bring back home, some learning experiences from our 'Teddy Travelogues', every time.

The Teddy being my Daughter, of course. :)

~~~

As far as the question - 'How do I ensure that my Daughter has the best of times during her Vacation?' - is concerned, I have been abiding by the following ideology so far, and will even continue to do so.

Do NOT force your kids to tag along, to ALL the places you've listed in your itinerary.

If they don't feel like going along to a certain place, just let them be.

I still remember our trip to Goa.
The daughter was seven, at that time.

We had been staying at Cidade De Goa.
She'd refused to go along, to three beaches, all in a day.
The plan was for the third day of our trip.

Then, we discovered Cidade's 'Kiddies Room'.
And, that was her gateway to Paradise.

On the second day of our five-day long stay, we visited the 'Kiddies Room' in the evening.
The caretaker there, was a college-going girl in her early twenties.

She played for two hours with my daughter, telling her stories, role-playing 'Teacher-Student', and solving some jigsaws.

The Kiddies Room became my daughter's favorite place, thereafter!
She longs to go back and visit the Kiddies Room, again! :)

Meanwhile, we decided to tweak our itinerary to visit one Church, and two beaches instead, and the plan for the next day was made.

The third beach was shifted to the last day, instead.
Everyone was happy! :)

~~~

Waiting to hear from you too, about some of your kid's 'Teddy Travelogues'...
Feel free to express yourself in the Comments Section. :)

~~~

This post has been written as a part of Indi Happy Hours' #TravelWithKids in association with Club Mahindra and IndiBlogger.

Wednesday 17 December 2014

Restaurant Review : Smoothie Factory...

Top post on IndiBlogger.in, the community of Indian Bloggers

~~~

A USA based finest health and wellness café, the brand which is well-known world over, has opened its first three outlets in India, two in the capital city, New Delhi and one in Gurgaon, NCR region. 

The one in the heart of the city is at Janpath, Connaught Place. That is the outlet I visited recently. 

The complete address of this outlet is Ground Floor, Central Cottage Industries Emporium, Janpath, New Delhi, 110001. 

The brand is owned by US Olympian James Villasana and is already operational in 13 countries. If you have not been able to guess still, let me help you – it is Smoothie Factory.

Cottage Café by Smoothie factory Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

~~~

I found it pretty hygienic, quite calm, and a soothing place to sit, relax and enjoy the unique variety of snacks, salads, smoothies, beverages, and desserts.

The only sound we could hear was when the factory was churning out smoothies, freshly, to serve against the orders from their customers.

Rest all preparations were readied in a clean kitchen. The food we
ordered was excellent in taste and hygienic, fitting well to its brand motto of being a Health and Wellness café.

The Brand Motto Behind 'Smoothie Factory'.
Do notice, the novel concept of the FroYo, or FROzen YOghurt

Another unique feature were the eco-friendly, wooden plates, that give a rustic, classy feel to your dining experience.

It is a place where without compromising with your taste buds, you can fully control your calories' intake. ;)

~~~

The outlet is strategically located on Janpath, in Connaught Place, the heart of the city. 

Similarly the other two locations that I have not yet visited but can imagine, would be located in the best possible manner as this one is. The two other outlets are –

1. Ground Floor, Epicuria Mall, Nehru Place Metro Station, Nehru
Place, N.D - 110019

2. Fitness First Platinum, South Point Mall, Gurgaon, Haryana

~~~

The quality of ingredients used, as claimed by the brand to be high and nutritious respectively can be experienced in reality for any of the dishes you order. 

Probably it is the best bet for health conscious community to have healthier and tastier items from the menu with complete enjoyment to your tummy, health and taste buds.

 The staff is well trained, well behaved, sober, prompt and intelligent to cater to you.

All in all, it is one of the high ranked cafes in my 'To Eat At' List...

I hope that you too, won't mind dropping in at Smoothie Factory, after a tiresome, day-long shopping experience at Janpath. :)

Some of the pics from my meal at Smoothie factory for you to witness...

The Citrus Walnut Fresh Salad...
Romaine and Iceberg Lettuce, Cranberries, Walnuts, Oranges, Almonds, Parmesan and Citrus Dressing.
Priced at Rs. 249.

Classic American Hearty Focaccia Sandwich, accompanied by Coleslaw.
Rs. 179/199 depending on your choice of stuffing - Cheese/Chicken.

Tandoori Chicken Flat Bread.
Priced at Rs. 169/289, depending on the portion size, whether half or full.

Pesto Pasta, accompanied by Garlic Bread, and topped with Cherry Tomatoes.
Rs. 229

Factory Original Premium Smoothie.
Strawberries, mango, pineapple, peaches, papaya, banana, honey.
Rs.149/199/249 - S/M/L

Choco-Chip Multigrain Waffle with Maple Syrup.
Rs. 109/209 - Half/Full Portion

Mocha Coffee.
Rs. 109/129/149 - S/M/L.

~~~