great pick me up for monday blues.

This is an Indian NTU prof's survey feedback. Hillarious, I tell you

fight to live.

Just as you are about to be born,
you fight to stay inside the warm, safe environment that you’ve been in the past nine months.

Then you fight with an invisible hand that keeps you from turning onto your belly.

You win.

You fight to stay awake,
as your mother’s loving embrace and pending drowsiness from your milk-filled tummy
lulls you to sleep.

You fight with your neighbours in the playground,
when they push you off your favourite swing.

You are too small, you lose the fight.

Then you fight somemore, this time, with your parents.
I don’t want to go to school, Amma, you say.
I want to stay with you and Thambudu at home.

You lose the fight. You go to school.

Major exams come by and you fight to choose your next school.
Your parents give in. They like your choice.

You fight a silent fight with your classmates.
You want them to accept you.
You long to hang out with them.

Alas, you realise, the fight was never meant to be with them.
You’ll have to take it up at home.

Major changes there.
And this time, you fight to let it all be the same.
Let it be normal, you pray.

You lose the fight realizing that things will never be the same and
Never have been normal.

You fight for more time, more freedom, more understanding.

But who are you fighting with, when there’s no one in the battlefield.

You choose yourself a path, and wish that everything will fall into place.

When did it ever, for you to believe that it will happen this time.
You chide yourself, but still wish that it will.

You fight for your choice. And you lose.
Lose you spirit, lose your strength.
Lose your choice.

You pick yourself up.
You realise the war will never end for you.

There is light at the end of the tunnel.
You see it and fight to let it be yours as it rightfully should be.

You fight to share this light with others.
Some accepting, others not.
Others who are important in your journey.
You fight harder.

It takes you completely by surprise how that fight ended.
Afterall, it has been quite some fights since you’ve won.

But elsewhere, the fight goes on.
A fight to protect what’s yours.
A fight to let go of hurt and mistrust.
A fight to save a burning bridge.

And you pause.

What are you fighting? And for what purpose?
Fight only to lose again?

No, my friend.

Walk away.
In time, the battlefield will be quiet.
No firing. No arrows. No bombs.

Walk away.
There's no room for reasons, for apologies.
Everyone wants changes.

Walk away.
There are other important battles to be fought.
There are other lands to conquer.

Walk away.
In due time, they will understand.
Understand what it is to be you.

You pray that they will.

And for the first time, you stop fighting.

cakes galore.

Gorgeous and delicious.

"The only way to have a friend is to be one."- George Bernard Shaw

This year has definitely been one where friendship has been tested to its limits and beyond. Came across a couple of quotes which spoke volumes to me, reminding me each of a different situation, and the love of my friends.


"Never Explain--your Friends do not need it and your Enemies will not believe you anyway."
--Elbert Hubbard

The best advisers, helpers and friends, always are not those who tell us how to act in special cases, but who give us, out of themselves, the ardent spirit and desire to act right, and leave us then, even through many blunders, to find out what our our own form of right action is."
--Phillips Brooks

"True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo the shocks ofadversity before it is entitled to the appellation."
--George Washington

"Perhaps the most delightful friendships are those in which there is much agreement, much disputation, and yet more personal liking."
--George Eliot

"When a friend is in trouble, don't annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do. Think up something appropriate and do it."
--Edgar Watson Howe

The last one is for Nithya. Thanks alot ma!!!

deepavali weekend.

Deepavali's finally over and what a relief!
I say this with as much positivty I can muster right now, as I moan that I'm back at work and grumble that I did not take this day off so that I could have enjoyed the long weekend (DOH!)

All that aside, Deepavali day was great! I managed to get sleep the night before (unlike the 2004 Deepavali) because I got everything done and even managed to catch bits of the Deepavali show. The day itself looked promising and it truly was a Festival of Lights:)



Paternal grandma's place in the morning was a nice, simple affair and on to Prem's place after that. Shanthi was at the temple, but everyone else was home and it was such a good feeling being there, running about, serving guests and above all, just being home. Felt like Santarina when I was giving out Deepavali presents and that was really the icing on the cake:)

Dad dropped the three of us off at my uncle's place at Marine Parade and Krishna was really nervous, poor thing. Everyone on my mum's side, sans my uncle and his family in Indonesia, was there, and as much as they have been verbally accepting (i try, but there seems no other way of explaining this) of him this past 2 weeks, I couldn't help but feel nervous as to how they would react to his presence.But thank god, my super-conservative grandparents were ok, and even blessed him (!!!???!!!) So much for surprises yeah? Lol.

The rest of the evening was spent lazing around at Marine Drive, watching Jil Endru Oru Kaathal and catching up on everyone's lives. And me praying furiously for all to go well.

At the end of the evening, we dragged our sticky selves to Krishna's place, only to be greeted with more food, warmth and love. Mmmmm. Was a good end to the day and Mu and I went home super tired and happy.



My darn service provider decided not to be too forgiving of me having forgotten to pay the bill and ruthlessly cut my line (ok, yes, I do know its their job) and much to the chagrin of some of my constants, I could not reply their goodwill Deepavali messages.

Somethings could have happened for it to have been a better day but I'm not complaining. It was most definitely one of my best Deepvali-s so far and I'm praying that its the start of many more.

The day's rating: A

Sunday didn't start off too well, fell really ill and could not get out of bed till about 2 in the afternoon and after that it was a mad rush to get ready for my mum's side who were coming over to my place for dinner after a really long time.
It was an experience that I had missed sorely, and after last night's response, an experience that I would love to revive each festive occasion.

The day's rating: A-


Overall, the weekend was a good one, and reminded me the importance of giving, receiving, forgiving and forging ties. Was watching Maid in Manhattan, a few days back when they showed it on the telly and this remains etched in my mind

Sometimes we are forced into directions we ought to have taken ourselves - The Butler to J.Lo, Maid in Manhattan

pandora's box.

Wise, wise words.

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.

when you have nothing to say, talk about the weather.

"We need to have a chat with the people in Sumatra," says Hugo, my favourite 4 year old.

The PSI levels have been steadily increasing this morning, its at 82 right now.
Yesterday afternoon, it reached an "unhealthy" level of 130, (does that mean 50's ok?, and we shouldn't be complaining? argh.)

It seems like this is not going to get better, with showers promised only at the end of this month/early next month.

Health Advisory
Persons with existing heart or respiratory ailments should reduce physical exertion and outdoor activity.The general population should reduce vigorous outdoor activity.

All's ok for most of us who are working in air-conditioned labs, office areas, classrooms. But what about the people in the construction industry, who, as it is, take in copious amount of aesbestos and the like. Or the army.

I keep thinking of Muralee and praying that the haze does not trigger an asthma attack *touch wood*

The portable air cleaner industry must be having a boom.

I'm praying for the Sumatran elephants.

Meanwhile, the haze in Indonesia's Jambi and Riau provinces in Sumatra was thick. Fires were said to have destroyed at least 100ha of the Tesso Nilo National Park in Riau, which is meant to conserve Sumatran elephants.

We already did, sweetie.

Indian with a twist.

With all the Deepavali spring cleaning and painting and Little India trips, i feel more and more Indian ( hahah, not that I did not feel so all the while...). So this post translates a certain Indian-ess that's not that conventional afterall.


I watched this last year, and this vid still cracks me up each time.



When I did watch it the first time, I thought it was shot in some foreign ( read: Maelnaattu) country. Only towards the end you realise that its shot in our neighbourhood.

Here's another link which cracked me up. This you have to listen to. Keeping with the times are we??? LOL.
Karnatic music with a twist

My paatu teacher would have a fit!

P.s.

I just saw this video, its a riot! Its in Telugu, and more proof that the Indian movie industry does rip-offs.

great ads #1: ANTI SMOKING

Not going to blog on the negative effects of smoking, which I'm sure most of you have heard tons of already (and with good reason too!). Came across these and think they're great! Enjoy. (especially the captions)



If only this was how smoke came out from everyone's mouths



Chugging yourself to death



Who are you really kissing?

.true blue (rainbow?) singaporean.

Your attention please, for your own safety, please stand behind the yellow line.

大家请注意，为了您自己的安全，请站在黄线后面。(Da jia qing zhu yi: Wei le nin zi ji de an quan. Qing zhan zai huang xian hou mian.)

Sila ambil perhatian. Demi keselamatan anda, harap bendiri di belakang garisan kuning.

Payanigall gavanikavum, ungal paathukaapai munnitu, manjal koatirkku pinnaal nillungal.

I can speak all four languages! Yippee.

:)

p.s. does anyone know how to type in tamil font?

Princess's Birthday.

Happy Belated Birthday Darsh!

Muaks:)