Yaadein

My new poems

2008-09-07T22:11:00.000-07:00

Dear All, I have moved most of my latest work to wordpress. Please visit my wordpress blog

Bubbles

2008-04-19T07:43:00.000-07:00

He throws silly paper balls at her
Then chortling with joy, falls over her
She's tired but just can't get angry with him
Loving the laughter, and the eyes twinkling

His laughter surrounding her like water bubbles
Soft and delicate, making her forget her troubles
A low sweet laugh, that fills her heart to bursting
Making her feel that the world is the colour of spring

Used to the grime of life, this happiness scares her
But her son wipes away the grime with a tiny ball of paper
Ouch! she tries to dodge another paper ball in vain
And the bubbles surrounded her again...

~Anamika

© 2008 Anamika

Water Bubbles by Anamika is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License

She loves that loving feeling!

2008-02-14T05:18:00.000-08:00

She loves that loving feeling

Washing over her, like a warm wave
drowning her heart in its wake
lasting but a few moments in time
or moments that last a lifetime?

Oh those moments of sunshine and bliss
when he offers his cheek for a sweet kiss
or wraps his arms around her, crying mummy
or falls asleep on her shoulder, tenderly

'tis love that she is feeling, and
oh! she loves that loving feeling!

~Anamika

© 2008 Anamika

She loves that loving feeling! by Anamika is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

A dad for him!

2008-01-30T08:51:00.000-08:00

He looks in awe… so small and fragile
Delicate little fingers and toes... it's his child
The father sits in a window… oblivious to the world
Looking down with a smile … at his pink bundle

Peeking in with curiosity, is a little boy full of wonder
Wondering at the man's love for the wrinkly bundle
Ah! This must be the man the kids call a dad
Wonder where I can get one for me, just like that!

Suddenly it strikes him… it's as simple as that!
He turns around and runs home as fast as he can
To ask his mom, that the next time she goes to market
Instead of chocolates, can she bring him a dad?

~Anamika

© 2008 Anamika

A dad for him! by Anamika is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Flowers of wonder

2008-01-07T19:50:00.000-08:00

The little boy plucks up a wild flower
Holding its beauty, filling up with wonder

Slowly the boy plucks at a petal
To hold it and discover its center
He wonders how it sticks to the flower
The petal, and so he plucks another
Soon all the petals are lying torn at his feet
As he stands holding the center smelling sweet
Still trying to puzzle out its structure
He tears opens the flowers' center
Releasing a million threads to the wind
Fluttering around like a butterfly's wings

Yet he is not sure he understands it truly
So the boy sits himself down in the valley
And plucks.... another flower….

~Anamika

© 2008 Anamika

Flowers of wonder by Anamika is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Happy New Year Son!

2007-12-31T07:54:00.000-08:00

A red balloon flies across a blue sky
All out of breath chasing a butterfly
Dirt of the playground on his jacket
He falls and gets up to play again

Cold wind blowing in his face, lifting his hair
The hot sun taking bite out of the cold air
Sliding off the slides and see saws
Making new friends and shaking hands

Happily playing with his new friends
As his smiling mother watches, from the bench
A good day, this, the last day of the year
A new day and new year await you tomorrow!

New year, new days, new possibilities…
New bedtime stories, new discoveries…
A new world awaits you everyday!
A happy new year to you my son!

~Love
Mom

~Anamika

© 2007 Anamika

Happy New Year Son! by Anamika is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

A blue playground

2007-12-03T03:58:00.001-08:00

White clouds run around in a land of cornflower blue
Little bundles of fluff playing tag in groups of two
The young sun smiles dotingly on their childish pranks
And the warm wind herds them this way then that

Looking up from his nest under the orange trees' shade
The little boy dreams of walking on the blue landscape
Jumping into the white fluffy clouds, laughing
Trying to push against the gentle hands of the wind

Slowly the boy pulls himself out of his reverie
A bee is buzzing nearby, on the shrub of strawberries
He gets down from the low slung tree branch and runs
Towards his mother's voice, announcing lunch

~Anamika

© 2007 Anamika

A blue playground by Anamika is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Wildflower wall

2007-11-23T22:36:00.000-08:00

She stops her walk down the cobbled path
And decides to rest on a low broken down wall
Listening to the silence as a hot sun warms her back
Melting away the dew drops on the cold stone path

Dangling her bare feet above the patch of grass, growing tall
She idly plucks wildflowers sprouting out of the wall
Nearby a pale yellow butterfly meekly flutters its wings
And a warm breeze starts making music high up in the trees

Slowly she breathes in the heat, letting go of a deep sigh
Contemplating the quiet land spreading as far as her sight
Finally she starts walking back home again, in the hot sun
Entering her small unassuming abode with a tiny garden

At home, she listens to the trees outside, to the sighing leaves
As she quietly hums and puts the wildflowers in a water glass
Throughout the day, the glass sits on her kitchen table
Reminding her of those warm moments… on the wildflower wall

~Anamika

© 2007 Anamika

Wildflower wall by Anamika is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Wings of joy

2007-11-06T10:29:00.000-08:00

It starts as a small flutter in a dark corner
A delicate whisper across skies of copper
Slowly emerging from its small hideout
Disturbing the cloak of silence thats worn out

Afraid at first, unsure and uncertain
Looking around with apprehension
Then slowly it starts spreading its wings
Spreading a glorious warm feeling

The feeling unfolds in a burst of colour and joy
Fluttering like a magnificent butterfly
Suffusing everything with colour and warmth
The wings of joy unfolding in her heart

~Anamika

© 2007 Anamika

Wings of joy by Anamika is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Words

2007-10-23T00:32:00.000-07:00

So many emotions churning inside her heart
So much to say, yet she says nothing at all

Words are not deep enough to give them shape
The moment she tries to use words to explain
The feeling evaporates, leaving behind
Banal scribbles blackening a page

Her heart remains unreachable as ever
Like a princess banished to a tower
Words, used to express what she needs
But never enough to express what she feels

So many emotions churning inside her heart
So much to say, yet she says nothing at all

~Anamika

© 2007 Anamika

Words by Anamika is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

The Scream

2007-10-17T23:19:00.000-07:00

Something heavy in her heart, pulling her down
It is beating against the walls to get out...
It hurts… But she clenches her teeth and puts on a face

Slowly the screaming dies down inside
But its still there lurking in a dark corner
Waiting….waiting for the barrier to break

It seeks a weak moment to break out
Fall in her tears… and fly out in her screams
But she holds on… clenching her teeth… till eternity

~Anamika

© 2007 Anamika

The Scream by Anamika is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

The smiling breath

2007-10-12T06:40:00.000-07:00

The sun has lost its harshness for the day
A cool breeze lifts hair away from her face
Bringing with it scents that caress her skin
The green smell of freshly cut grass
Suddenly, the darkness inside her lifts
The world appears brighter... clearer
The blossoms on champa trees seem whiter
Surrounding her in their sweet earthy smell
And she takes a deep deep breath...
Something cools down in her heart
Slowly a smile flowers at her lips

~Anamika

© 2007 Anamika

The smiling breath by Anamika is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

I am going back

2007-10-12T04:10:00.000-07:00

I am going back, back to my city
Where winters are harsh, and summers are harsher
A city that is hard, fast, ugly and uncaring
Where I learned all that life could teach me

A city where my childhood chortled
Where I fell in love, and my heart blossomed
Where I saw betrayal and pain
Where my dreams were shattered

I ran away from the city, and ran hard
Away from a bitter sweet past
From memories lurking in every nook and cranny
But all that I left behind me was the city

I ran to the beautiful cities of the world
New York, Hong Kong, London
But still my heart craved for what I left behind
My city, my home, my love, my pain

Now I am going back, to perhaps start again
Or maybe carry on where I had left off…
I am going back to the only place
Where my life is, to perhaps live again…..

~Anamika

© 2007 Anamika

I am going back by Anamika is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

A beautiful boy

2007-10-07T23:07:00.000-07:00

Big chocolaty eyes filled with wonder
Dark curls flying around his head
A smile… mischievous, trusting, angelic
Her beautiful, beautiful boy…

Every night as the boy goes to sleep
A contented smile plays on his lips
Happy and safe in his mother’s arms
Her beautiful, beautiful boy…

And she weeps, of the time to come
When her embrace will not be enough
She weeps for the day he will grow up
Her beautiful, beautiful boy…

When reality will rear its ugly head
The wonder will disappear from his eyes
The smile replaced by hurt and confusion
Her beautiful, beautiful, beautiful boy…

~Anamika

© 2007 Anamika

A beautiful boy by Anamika is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

My morning sunshine!

2007-09-28T01:10:00.000-07:00

Today morning was just like any other day
Rushing around readying for my work day
And then my lil sunshine awoke from his slumber
Yawning like a furry cat … the lil charmer

He lifted his face and looked into my eyes
Beautiful dark eyes, a cute nose and a lovely smile…
A face full of pure happiness at just being
Happy that he awoke with his mommy near him

And time stopped for a while….
I held my breath… my heart swelled
Trying hard to memorize this look that he holds
And hoping I will remember it after I grow old

~Anamika

© 2007 Anamika

My Morning sunshine by Anamika is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

My lil angel

2007-09-24T06:39:00.000-07:00

He runs towards me in his wibbly wobbly walk
I sweep him into my arms and let him talk
He wraps his soft lil arms tightly around me
And presses his cheek to mine, ah 'tis bliss

Tired after an evening in the park
Nicely scrubbed and clean after his bath
Sigh! The smell of his soft baby perfume
Soft hair smelling of baby shampoo

Ready to fall asleep is my lil wonder
He lays his head on my shoulder
Soon his eyes droop gently
A smile plays on his lips quietly

Sleep tight my lil angel
Mommy will watch over her lil angel
Mommy will never let anyone hurt you
Sleep my lil angel, your mommy loves you

~Anamika

© 2007 Anamika

My lil angel by Anamika is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Woman

2007-09-20T21:57:00.000-07:00

A diamond adorns her finger
Ruby tear drops cling to her ears
She glitters and shines….
The image of something divine

With skin as smooth as porcelain
Dimpled cheeks and a flowing mane
Her smile is like a ray of light
Filling your heart with hope and delight

But her eyes…Chocolate brown eyes
Bounding dark turbulent seas inside
Hiding a broken heart and lost dreams
From deep within her, unheard, a soul screams....

~Anamika

© 2007 Anamika

Woman by Anamika is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Summer queen

2007-09-18T04:26:00.000-07:00

White clouds roll around the blue sky
Dew drops evaporate in the sunshine
Flowers turn their face to a warm sun
Bees buzz around in a garden

Sun’s rays are warming the world
Warming and awakening a cold earth
As the green grass rolls in a warm breeze
A brook bubbles quietly near the trees

She swings in her hammock lazily
Holding a book in her hands idly
Half asleep....... looking serene
Lays a languid summer fairy queen!

~Anamika

© 2007 Anamika

Summer Queen by Anamika is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Pure bliss

2007-09-16T08:26:00.001-07:00

Pure bliss, something that even the books have stopped writing about… as the world grows more jaded, one dare not even believe that such a thing exists…pure happiness… Realists might say, that there is no such thing. But it does exist. It exists in the moment when a child lovingly wraps his arms around his mother…or when a lover gives a hug or a love message out of the blue…

I have come to realize that happiness is like a snowflake. Its amazing and wonderful as it exists, but it doesnt exist forever. So enjoy that moment of pure bliss, and cherish its memory forever.

Memoirs of a Geisha

2007-09-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

Memoirs of A Geisha (by Arthur Golden) is an amazing novel about the remote and shimmeringly exotic world of Sayuri, one of Japan’s most celebrated geishas. The novel tracks the journey of a girl from an impoversihed existence to becoming one of Japan’s most celebrated geishas (cortesan).

I love this book not for the story it tells, but for the amazing and detailed insight into the Japanese world of the 30’s and 40’s it affords to the reader. One can almost see the cherry trees blossoming in spring time and the lovely japanese ladies adorned in beautiful and sensual silk kimonos… the life and times of the Japan that existed before the war, the beauty and delicacy of that world keeps one spellbound… Its a world and a culture lost to time…

This is the book that has drawn me to reading more books set in japanese culture. But none have touched the zenith that ‘Memoirs..’ did.

A must read.

Alchemists were actually astrologers

2007-09-16T08:23:00.002-07:00

Did you know? That what your school teachers told you was wrong! Your science teacher said that alchemists didn’t know what they were doing and everything was made of four elements. Guess who is the one in the dark!?!

Alchemists were actually astrolgers/ students of astrology. They were not trying to turn lead into gold. They were actually working on spiritual research. But if the church had known this, they would have ended up doing nasty things to these researchers.

How to carry on the research without incurring the wrath of the church? Simple! Tell the priest man “we are trying to make gold!” and of course that would help the church a lot! And all the squiggly things they kept writing? Well thats just abbreviation for their notes. They didn’t let on that they were using symbols for planets and stars in their studies of astrology. These symbols, called glyphs, are till today used in the study and research of astrology. So the sign aries is depicted as a ram’s horn, and so on.

They were so good at hiding the true nature of their studies, that the church and scientists still don’t see the truth!

What a laugh!

Turning over a new leaf…

2007-09-16T08:23:00.001-07:00

I wonder, if the term ‘Turning over a new leaf…’ was invented because the human race wont stop making mistakes…

So us humans start with a new leaf and destroy and completely mangle the poor new leaf, only to turn over a new leaf again. Life seems to be a trip of moving from one mistake to another…

And to top it, not only do we make new mistakes, we also like to repeat the ones we made earlier…

Jeez…

Comments invited.

The perfect life?

2007-09-16T08:19:00.000-07:00

Each life starts almost the same. We are born, we learn things to get around in the world. We form plans on how we would like our life to pan out; and thats the clincher…

Most often, our life plans are based on the law of averages. So like an average person, we plan to get a job/make a living, get married, have kids and so on.

But when the hell has THAT happened. Each life deviates from this line of job, marriage and kids etc. And unfortunately, everytime the life story deviates from this plan, we end up feeling like losers.

Perhaps we should be teaching our kids that there is no perfect life. And the average life is a illusion. No life is true to it. Each life has its own twists and turns. So take each twist and turn as it comes, and chuck the planning out the window. Its the plans for future that really ruin our enjoying our life.

Wot say?

Buskers in London Underground

2007-09-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

There you are, huffing and puffing along the escalators, trying to catch the next tube to work… and suddenly you hear music, that gives you goose bumps. No, the music is not bad, the sound accoustics of the underground is amazing. In fact the music is really good sometimes. Many a times, the music from the buskers has really lifted my spirits and put a smile on my lips.

I didn’t realize until recently, that one needs a license to perform in the London tube stations. Busking was legalised in the london undergrounds only a couple of years ago (2003).

Check out more stuff written on buskers in London Underground here.

The heart of London

2007-09-16T08:16:00.000-07:00

Thats Trafalgar square for me. The simple reason for this is not only its location near other tourist spots, but also for its liveliness.

If you look at it, its only a square in front of the galleries with some fountains and a historic memorial. But for a stranger to the city, not plugged into the London life, this place is buzzing with activity always.

A couple of weeks ago, had gone there without any agenda in mind. And lo and behold, the whole place was turned into a musical melee. With steel orchestras from all over the place performing enthralling music pieces one after the other. my favorite, of course was the Croydon steel orchestra.

Then a few weeks after that the India festival was kicked off in the square.

Each place of interest in London has its own plus points. Trafalgar square’s plus point is … Life.

Google’s Silent World Domination

2007-09-16T08:15:00.000-07:00

I had recently been discussing with a friend, how Gmail has taken over the world of E-Mail just like Google had taken over the world of web searches.

But the beauty of this Internet Giant is not just it’s innovations. Google has mastered the art of introducing its innovations very quietly to the world, ensuring very little pickup by competitors.
Here is the latest in the innovation launched by the Giant. Behavioral targetting in their search ads.

Read more about this in a great article by Gord Hotchkiss, first published in Mediapost’s Search Insider, on August 9, 2007 .

Google: Inching Towards a more More Targeted World

Would you buy insurance online?

2007-09-16T08:13:00.000-07:00

Researchers are coming up with answers that I always knew. Even web-savvy customers will NOT buy insurance online.

One keeps getting flooded with mailers and offers to log online and buy insurance from insurers. Although like any other tech-savvy consumer, I use these websites to gather information and do my home-work, but I would NEVER BUY it online from these websites. The mere nature of this product requires long term investment. The promises made by the insurer need to be maintained for a long time after the purchase has been made.

So if I need a long term product like insurance I will still pick up the phone and put a face on the insurer. Although these days insurance agents in India are also not that reliable. But that’s a subject for another blog.

Meanwhile, if you are interested, read the full report on this topic in the article by Bill Keneally.
Insurance Technology: Then and Now

The bloody tower of london

2007-09-16T08:11:00.000-07:00

From the looks of it, a world heritage city, and a beautiful historical structure. It is a mix of higgeledy piggeledy towers, each built in a different era, conforming to the architectural norms of the period. The tower of london may appear a romantic castle, but is prison, with a very horrific and bloody history.

The history of the british monarchy is filled with stories of murder, betyrayal, beheadings and what not. Each tower with many tales of horror. Personally I find the tale of two little princes to be the most horrific one. The story of the murder of the two little princes. King Edward V (Age 13) and his little brother Richard, Duke of York who were Political prisoners in the tower.

Quite shaken after that story, the tower lost its charm to me …

Read more about the gory history of the tower and the two little princes here.

Princes in the Tower

Art of Living and its followers

2007-09-16T08:06:00.000-07:00

Art of living is loosing its impact because of its followers. Agreed, that right now it is one of the biggest NGOs in the world, with a following across several countries. However, from being a way of life, Art-Of-Living is being turned into a fashion statement by many poor souls.

This is a very unfortunate turn of events. Nowadays not all who join art of living are in search of answers to their questions. Some are joining it for networking purposes, or to appear spiritual and more humane to others. It is people like these that are misusing the art of living and its teachings to their advantage. In the process, art of living is acquiring a rather mixed image.

True, there are true seekers in this organization, who love Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji (lovingly refrred to as GuruJi) and are eternally grateful to him for giving the world a method (Sudarshan Kriya) to attain peace. Guruji, in himself is a sweet and loving human. There are umpteen followers, whose lives have been bettered by following GuruJi.

I, myself have had the good fortune of meeting GuruJi three times in my life, till now. And I proclaim I love him as a daughter can love a father. Just being near him, can bring tears in one’s eyes, such is his aura.

But as is the case with most good things that become too big. The social climbers will latch onto each new ‘Big’ thing to gain from it. Even if the Big thing is something that affects the lives and hearts of millions, these climbers are not bothered.

But as GuruJi has himself said…

“Much energy is wasted in trying to charm others. And in wanting to charm—I tell you, the opposite happens.—Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,Seva and the Art of Enthusiasm.”

As usual, Guruji has said it beautifully. There is no need for me to say anything anymore.

Astrology, scientifically speaking

2007-09-16T07:58:00.000-07:00

An overtly simplistic description of Astrology is said to be the study of the stars and how their movements affect our life on Earth.

The movement and changes in positions of stars and planets DO NOT affect us. What we see in the stars and the motion of the planets is a reflection of what is actually happening on Earth. There are many cycles in our lives, from the daily rotation of the planet, to the yearly revolution around the Sun, to even larger cycles. These are reflected in the planets and stars as well.

It would be more accurate to say that these movements are reflective of the cycles that are happening, on Earth and throughout the Universe. And, they don’t predict specific events as much as they show us the influences that are happening around us. The energies that influence the movements of other ‘heavenly bodies’ in the universe also impact the humans residing on earth.

So a better definition of astrology is: The study of the motions of the planets and stars and how they reflect the influences of forces and energies on our lives.

Personally, I believe one should not discard this tool as freely as just some gibberish. It is an important tool that can help us chart the life path better. On the other hand one cannot allow just astrology to guide us. It can be a factor in helping us understand what influences are impacting our lives at a given time, and make informed decisions.

In the end, you have to use your own better judgment to make decisions in your life.

Strolling Around London - Covent Garden

2007-09-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

“What inexhaustible food for speculation do the streets of London afford! We have not the slightest commiseration for the man who can not take up his hat and stick, and walk from Covent-garden to St. Paul’s Churchyard, and back into the bargain, without deriving some amusement - we had almost said instruction - from his perambulation”

Charles Dickens - Sketches by Boz

Well said Mr Dickens. In the middle of the covent garden piazza lies the famous market designed in 1632 by Inigo Jones. But the history of the place is overshadowed by the vitality and life of the market. The shops, stalls, street performers and singers galore give a different vibe to the place. It feels like there is a festival going on, everyday!

Sigh! A day spent just walking around Covent garden is a day well spent. One can spend an entire day browsing through the stalls in the piazza, coming out of the stall browsing to stand and enjoy the performances of the street performers. But be careful, else you might get pulled into their performances as unsuspecting props.

My favorite memory of the place is feasting on hot jacket potatoes with beans on the street side, while listening to a performer croon his latest rendition in the middle of the street.

Wish I was back there right now!

Yoga - Unchristian? Really?

2007-09-16T07:54:00.000-07:00

Sep 1st, 2007
Vicars ban ‘un-Christian’ yoga for toddlers

Yoga, a form of exercise methodology with its roots in ancient India has been banned by two vicars in somerset, UK. It is very disturbing to hear leaders of communities have such opinions. All sects and religions have a right to believe in whatever they place their faith in. However, Yoga is just a form of exercise that relaxes body and mind.

Its origin is in Hinduism, but Yoga in itself has nothing to do with religion.

Each culture has something good to offer. And the global citizen should have the right to partake of whatever good things the human race has discovered, irrespective of which country and religion discovered it.

I can’t make you love me

2007-09-16T07:53:00.001-07:00

-By Bonnie Raitt

Turn down the lights, turn down the bed
Turn down these voices inside my head
Lay down with me, tell me no lies
Just hold me close, dont patronize - dont patronize me

Chorus: cause I cant make you love me if you dont
You cant make your heart feel something it wont
Here in the dark, in these final hours
I will lay down my heart and Ill feel the power
But you wont, no you wont
cause I cant make you love me, if you dont

Ill close my eyes, then I wont see
The love you dont feel when youre holding me
Morning will come and Ill do whats right
Just give me till then to give up this fight
And I will give up this fight

Chorus: cause I cant make you love me if you dont
You cant make your heart feel something it wont
Here in the dark, in these final hours
I will lay down my heart and Ill feel the power
But you wont, no you wont
cause I cant make you love me, if you dont

Male bonding....

2007-09-16T07:51:00.000-07:00

Sep 2nd, 2007

We had the perfect example of male bonding today. My lil one year old had been quietly playing today evening when the door bell rang. He ran to the door expectantly. The first to enter was his grand mother followed by his grand father. Though it is his grandma who looks after him while we go out to work, but yet, he literally pushed his poor grandmom aside and ran straight for his grandfather!!! We all burst out laughing!!! He has spent most of his life around his grandmom. Yet the one person he craves to be with is his grandfather! If there was ever a doubt in my mind about male bonding, they have all vanished after today evening.

Woman power, way to go!

2007-09-16T07:44:00.000-07:00

Was just watching the bollywood smash hit “Chak de”. The movie revolves around story of a scraggly bunch of state level women hockey players, that get coached (bulldozed more like it) into becoming a world class national team.

One has to say, the scene where the Indian women’s hockey team get together and beat up a group of eve teasers is just too good. I am all for non violence, but the problem of eve teasing is a constant irritant in the streets of India. As a woman I had to personally learn martial arts to feel safe on the roads. Its another matter that I liked martial arts. But lets save that topic for another blog. I seem to have digressed a little.

The sight of a couple of feminine (and not so feminine) looking women hockey playesr bashing up eve teasers was very gladdening. It warmed the cockles of my heart. Go woman power. Wish I could see more of that off screen in real life.

Three cheers!

:)

I wonder...

2007-09-16T07:43:00.001-07:00

If all that happened, was for the best…then how come everyone’s life in this world is not a resounding success?

Indian Soap writers- worth their weight in gold!

2007-09-16T07:38:00.000-07:00

The k serials produced by Ekta Kapoor and other such soaps are a great guide for todays urban women, on managing their in-laws.

Was just chatting with a friend today. And she said something that I have come to realize in the last couple of years. The writers of ekta kapoor serials may all be writing about the same old topic. The mother in law- daughter in law relationship. But the situations they write into their serials the manipulations scheming in-laws do on TV are not that far from today’s indian reality. Many a times not just me, but many of my friends have felt this. That we should follow these serials like a bible and learn from them. On how to manage your in-laws and give your marriage a fighting chance.

Our generation has learnt how to manage our careers in schools and colleges. but in this race to be equal to the men, in a male dominated society, we lost out on the art of managing your in-laws. There are tips and tricks and even whole dialogs in these serials that one an use to save themselves, whenever sticky situations arise with the in-laws.

Indian women of today, don’t take this lightly. Watching TV soaps like “kuynki saas bhi ..”, “Mayka, Saath zindagi bhar ka” and “Teen bahuraniyan” might just save your married life!

It was my duty to say this. Those who do not take this seriously, I feel sorry for you, and good luck for the rough ride ahead with your in-laws.

Jumpy baby? Mom must be on nicotine

2007-09-16T01:53:00.000-07:00

Whatever mom does, the baby does too. So if mommy smokes, the baby does too. No no no! Stop! Before you start getting images of little sweet innocent babies with the cigarette hanging out of their mouth…heaven forbid!

A latest study conducted shows that babies of mothers who smoked, sleep less. The nicotine inhaled by the mother gets transferred to the baby via mother’s milk. Most mothers quit smoking while they are pregnant. And if you hadn’t. I am sure the doctors would have been on your case forever! But smoking is not contra-indiacted after delivery (during breats feeding). And that is the root of this whole jing bang and babies not napping long enough.

This whole thing is a vicious circle if you ask me. For mothers used to the nicotine rush…If they smoke, the babies won’t sleep long enough and will get up more often, giving the poor mothers more reason to smoke and relax when they DO sleep. The more they smoke, the more the babies wont sleep… you see where this is going?

hmmm…. I tell you motherhood can test the patience of a saint! The only solution I see is that the superwoman will that mothers showed during pregnancy will have to be continued a little longer during breastfeeding.
:)

It’s raining diamonds! Hallelujah!!!

2007-09-16T01:50:00.000-07:00

Oh wow! It could actually be a hail of diamonds right now on two planets of our solar system. A research done almost 8 years back had indicated that the chemical composition of the atmosphere of Neptune and Uranus is such, that diamonds would form under the high pressure and temperature conditions of the planet. Once these diamonds are formed, they would fall on the surface of the planet like raindrops!!!

Ooh! Wouldn’t that be a lovely sight to watch…. Diamonds raining from the heavens…

I know this is really really old news! But raining diamonds!!! That is any girls favorite dream…. Even better than raining men huh!

The soothing power of the trivial

2007-09-16T01:48:00.000-07:00

Sept 7 2007
Had been literally loosing it lately. Till now the best way I had tackled emotional pain was to ignore it and it would die down in a while. But when it got too much decided to go the other way for once and examine my pain, and let it take over me.

Bad bad bad decision. I had been right the first time. When I let the emotional stuff take over, it nearly smothered me. I had been right in being cautious of the intensity of my emotions. Like a true Scorpio, the intensity of my emotions if allowed to run wild can be fatal.

As a result, I was writing really dark poems and plunged to the depths of misery. Then like a jolt of lightening, a comment on one of my poems on this blog woke me up (thanks Marquita and Nova). I turned around to see that by wallowing in my misery I was wasting my life and of those around me.

So its back to keeping busy with the trivial. The cause of my misery is still too big for me to lock up and forget. But ignore it I can, and ignore it I will. Till maybe a few years on I have the strength to face it again.

Till then, thank the lord that we live in the busy world of today. The speed of today’s world barely lets one catch their breath. And that is exactly what someone like me needs. The rush and the bustle of the trivial.

So here’s to loosing your life in the trivialities of everyday. The soothing and numbing trivialities.

Everybody hurts, but that doesn’t help me

2007-09-16T01:46:00.000-07:00

…And everybody hurts sometimes….
…Hold on, Everybody hurts. You are not alone…

-R.E.M.

Hmmm a classic song. And like all classic songs, simple yet powerful lyrics. But you know what, this song doesn’t really make sense to me.

I guess what this song is trying to say is, it’s OK if you are hurting. You are not the first or the last one to go through something that is hurting. It has happened to others, others have been hurt, and they too have cried. So, take solace in the fact that it has happened to others.

But hold on! (No not the lyrics of the song ‘hold on’) I may be strange, but I don’t think looking at other people’s pain is really going to lessen mine.

In such cases, I believe what the character Ally McBeal in the show by the same name said fits perfectly.

Upon being asked, what is it that makes her problems and her pain bigger than others’…
She replied “They are mine.”

Comments invited.

Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity….

2007-09-16T01:43:00.000-07:00

Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the the universe.

~ Albert Einstein

Funny thing about love…

2007-09-16T01:40:00.000-07:00

The funny thing I find about love is that it’s the one game you lose without even playing it.

~”Ally McBeal Show”

As good as it gets....

2007-09-16T01:29:00.000-07:00

I’ve spent the majority of my life trying to reach the ideal figure, the ideal look, the ideal life…

But one thought just stopped me short. I am in the prime of my life. This is the peak. All my childhood was spent preparing for this. Then it hit me…that’s what my parents taught me wrong… “Study now, you have all your life to have fun….”, “don’t party, you can do that once you are married…”, “focus on your career, you have all your life ahead to enjoy…”

Or maybe they taught me well for that time, but I didnt stop following their advice when I should have.

I am still in that preperatory mode. Preparing for the good life, the great figure... Those moments spent preparing for a better tomorrow was my life. Today IS my life. You can’t spend all your life preparing for it. When does one stop preparing and start living?

Don’t get me wrong. I will be eternally grateful to my parents for controlling me in the delicate age when I could have strayed and spoilt my life easily.

But now my life is on a track. Whether I like the track or not is not important here. What is important is that I can’t spend my life waiting for the good days to start, so that I can live.

I can’t wait for my waist to be 26 inches again, before I buy another pair of jeans....

Whatever it is, whatever my life is , whatever I look like, this IS my life. And if I don’t start living it, it will be over before I know it. So I am stopping preparing for the future, and starting living.

Google trends: Good not great…

2007-09-16T01:17:00.000-07:00

Google trends, is a cool tool that maps the trends in items/keywords searches on Google search engine. The search engine has one of the biggest shares in the market. So the kind of trends it can come up with are undoubtedly going to be amazing, and closer to reality.
The tool offers trend analysis of items being searched on Google a’la graphs and bar charts. However, that is about it. If one wanted to use this information to fuel a marketing campaign, one would be hard pressed for details.

The tool, launched almost a year back (I know that’s REALLY OLD in internet age!) only gives a graphical view of the trends, but no information on the chart scale or actual volumes. But then that would be letting the cat out of the bag, won’t it?

A lot of Google’s business relies on this data to choose effective search terms for its advertisers. Displaying the information on a free-to-all-the-world tool will be silly! So till the time, google trends becomes a paid tool for advertisers, all this tool will be, is a cool toy.

There are short articles available online about how to interpret google trends charts.

Increase blog traffic with Google

2007-09-16T01:15:00.000-07:00

If you’ve got a blog, this is a MUST SEE site; The Hottest keyword list on Google trends. Hot Trends, launched around mid may this year gives a listing of the hottest searches on Google on any given day, or in the last hour!
Plus it maintains a daily history! So you can change the date and see what were the hottest searches on a given date. Although, understandably, you cant search for a date before 15th May 2007. (Given thats when this kewl tool was launched!)
Now I don’t need to spell it out, but I will. If your blog or web site had a targeted audience (unlike this blog ), say web developers. On a given day you could check this list to see what was the hottest keyword being searched on Google. If the keyword that came up was say ASP.NET, write a post on that topic, and capitalize on the peak in searches for that keyword. This obviously would be a great hit with the business oriented blogs.
However this list is only available for keyword searches in USA as of now. Google, the rest of the world is waiting!!!

I never married...

2007-09-16T01:13:00.000-07:00

I never married because there was no need. I have three pets at home which answer the same purpose as a husband. I have a dog which growls every morning, a parrot which swears all afternoon and a cat that comes home late at night.

~Marie Corelli

Remembering our love story

2007-09-16T01:05:00.000-07:00

Remembering our love story…
You added a warmth to the sunshine,
The sky seemed bluer, just because you were mine,
And when ever we would kiss,
Ah! no angel’s prayer could summon such bliss.

Remembering our love story…
Words that were left unsaid,
Tears that were never shed,
laughter that would never be heard again,
love that would never be felt again.

Remembering our love story…
I thank you my love, from the bottom of my heart,
For showing me the heaven and the stars,
I lived in every moment of our love and pain,
Someday I hope to live again…

-Anamika

© 2007 Anamika

Remembering our love story by Anamika is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

The lonely path

2007-09-16T01:01:00.000-07:00

She walks down the lonely path,
No one to wipe the tears in her heart,
No one to walk along with her,
And soothe the fears that plague her…

She looks at life through her broken heart,
Making everything grey and dark,
Alone, with her life changed forever,
Starting life anew on nothing, but a prayer….

Life is never ending, and so she walks on,
Hoping for a better tomorrow, she walks into the dawn.
Someday, maybe this path will not be lonely for her again,
But she’ll never forget this lonely walk and this pain.

-Anamika

© 2007 Anamika

The lonely path by Anamika is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Our love is dead

2007-09-16T00:54:00.000-07:00

I dial your number, no one answers
It’s insistent shrill ringing unheard
You are now out of my reach
You have left to start anew with someone new

You moved on with your life, without saying anything
While I am still rooted in our past
Unable to break away and move on
Not sure, what really went wrong

My friends commend the way I am living life
No one will ever see the hurt I hide inside
The tears locked inside, where no one can see
That I died, when you left me

I will continue to live from day to day
Making a success of this life in every way
Waiting, hoping that one day you will come back
Knowing, even if you do, our love is already dead

~ Anamika

© 2007 Anamika

Our love is dead by Anamika is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Broken Dreams

2007-09-16T00:48:00.000-07:00

Broken dreams…a broken heart…my life torn apart…
Strewn around me are my life’s broken shards

Everyday you tear yourself farther from me
I am afraid what the future holds for me
Just too scared to move on
Not sure to let you go or hold on

The light at the end of the tunnel is too far,
I may not survive long enough to reach that far,
Don’t know which way to go, each seems equally wrong
Not sure to let you go or hold on

Angry at the unfairness of it all
Hurt and confused on this side of the wall
That you raised between us
Not sure to let you go or hold on

Broken dreams…a broken heart…my life torn apart…
Strewn around me are my life’s broken shards

-Anamika

© 2007 Anamika

Broken dreams by Anamika is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Love whispered to me

2007-09-15T12:20:00.000-07:00

Wind whispering through the leaves
Sunshine dappling beautiful weaves
Jasmine scented winds playing with my hair
Is it?....Yes it is love in the air

The lil one trots down the path

Laughing at even a blade of grass

And life is beautiful again...

I love my life again....

- Anamika

© 2007 Anamika

Love whispered to me by Anamika is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

The child bride

2007-09-15T06:09:00.000-07:00

Balika Badhu (in hindi) is an all time classic movie about a child bride. The movie revolves around a young school going boy, who is married to a sweet young girl, as per the traditions of pre-independence india.

Leave the merits and controversy around child marriages in India aside. The movie in itself is a beautiful and innocent tale of two young people. The boy and the girl have never really seen each other before they get married. Both of them have no idea what this arranged matrimony entails.

And thus starts the journey of two young kids, who become good friends. The sweet innocence of their age and their innocent love and freindship for each other. the beauty and delicacy with which their budding adoration for each other is shown, held in check by the seniors of the joint faily in which they live. A poignantly sweet image of the times, when love and marriage in India was so different from today's live-ins, pre/extra marital relations.

Sigh! Wish we could combine the luxuries and advantages of today's lifestyle with the sweetness and poignancy in the relationships of those times. But that would not be possible I think. Sweet innocence and todays fast paced life. The latter will destroy the former.

That being the case, I think I will once again immerse myself in those sweet moments, for 3 hours... Will go watch the movie again!

My rain song

2007-09-15T05:03:00.000-07:00

Sun was shining hot and bright
Scorching the earth with all its might
Then came the gaggle of dark clouds
And with rain drops it’s laden down

Pitter patter, pitter patter I hear
Quenching the dry dusty earth
And I walked out in the rain
My soul awakens in the rain

As the rain falls from the sky
I walk out on the dusty path
The tiny droplets falling on my face
Washing away fatigue’s last trace

Everything will soon turn green
New leaves will be sprouting from the trees
Life fights back to the surface
And I start afresh……..

~Anamika

© 2007 Anamika

My rain song by Anamika is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

The Law Of Attraction IS Mind Over Matter

2007-09-14T00:32:00.000-07:00

When granny said “Be careful what you ask for, you might just get it!” she wasn’t kidding. A new age theory has put sayings like above in a scientific manner. It’s called the law of attraction.

A basic definition of the law would be what you think in your mind will influence the occurrences in the physical world around you. Of course, if you dream of a big chocolate fudge, it’s not going to appear with a poof, out of thin air!

If you are attracted to something, you will think about it often. And provided you have a positive thinking (and not a dark psycho mind that will think up all horrible and scary ways of achieving what they want), you will get what you want.

Now critics galore have pounced on this theory saying it’s not “scientific”! But then pray tell me, does every thing in life have a scientific proof till now?

What is the scientific explanation for the power of spiritual healing? Let’s take the example of Reiki . Reiki is the method of healing the human body, by directing\channeling the universe’s positive energy to the human body.

I practice Reiki myself, and believe me, when I give Reiki to others, I can feel a heat literally coming out of my hands. Even the recipients have often commented on the heat of the energy they feel, while receiving Reiki. One’s mind and thoughts is all one uses to direct Reiki energy.

Mind over matter!

Law of attraction is just the theorist’s way of explaining the phenomena. The mind is one of the most powerful sources of energy in a human body. And what is life and all things alive in this world about? Energy. Positive energy and negative energy. You see it in the atoms. And you see it in your thoughts and mind.

Marriage is like the army

2007-09-13T23:03:00.000-07:00

Marriage is like the army.
Everybody complains, but you'd be surprised at how many re-enlist.

Woman smarter :)

2007-09-13T22:47:00.000-07:00

Let us put man and woman together
And see which one is smarter
Some say men but I say no
The women got the men like a puppet show

Ain't me, it's the people they say
The men are leading the women astray
But I say, it's the women today
Are smarter than the men in every way

That's right! The women are smarter
That's right! The women are smarter
A little boy sat down and cried
An old man passing asked him why
He said I can't do what the big boys do
Old man sat down and he cried, too

Ain't me, it's the people that say
The men are leading the women astray
But I say, it's the women todayAre smarter than the man in every way
That's right, the women are smarter
That's right, the women are smarter

It ain't me, it's the people that say
The men are leading the women astray
But I say, it's the women todayAre smarter than the men in every way
That's right, the women are smarter
That's right, the women are smarter
That's right, the women are smarter
Smarter than the men in every way
That's right, the women are smarter
That's right, the women are smarter
That's right, the women are smarter
Smarter than the men in every way
That's right it's the people that say the men are leading the women astray
But I Say, it's the women today, are smarter than the men in every way
That's right they're smarter

~Robert Palmer

3 Reasons Why India Is The World's Top Most Travel Destination!

2007-09-13T22:23:00.000-07:00

India has been undergoing a lot of marketing and packaging to make it more appealing to the world traveler. All that marketing and packaging helped. Recently, India was rated numero uno in the Oscars of travel industry. The readers travel awards by a British tourism magazine, Conde Nast Traveller.

Why is it, that India was visited more than the more established destinations like New Zealand, Thailand and so on? I know the scenic beauty of Himalayas, the grace of Taj Mahal. But that is not the real reason for the rise of Indian tourism.

1. A holiday in India is cheap: That is the most important reason. Now try comparing renting a small room in a alleyway in Paris with the options available to tourists in Delhi or Bombay! Need I say more?
2. Graveyard tourism: Graveyard tourism accounts for almost 9% of Indian tourism this year. Many Britons travel to India on a sentimental journey to visit the graves of their grandparents or family members. The northern state of Himachal Pradesh is dotted with many European graveyards.
3. Face lift with the Incredible India campaign: The aggressive ad campaign gave a face lift to India. From being the country of snake charmers, it has become a destination with both natural beauty as well as all the modern tourist attractions.

5 reasons why Quillpad is better than Google

2007-09-12T04:10:00.000-07:00

Google being the giant it is seems to overshadow the better tools being provided by other smaller players. Thats not surprising. Lately there has been a lot of talk about the Google Indic transliterator tool. I deicded to try it out v/s an older tool that has been in the market for an year. Here are the top 5 reasons why quillpad is better than Google indic transliterator.

1. You don't need to know the EXACT spelling. Quillpad lets you write the same word in multiple ways. Whether you write rashtrapathi, rashtrpati or raashtrapatee, you get the same correct hindi translation. On google, each spelling has a different hindi translation.
2. Quillpad can learn a new language within hours. Quillpad uses a machine learning module, that allows it to learn a new language in a few hours, that too without any code change. Google tool on the other hand has no such options.
3. Quillpad can transliterate conventional english words, google can't. Try typing words like officer, organise, imagine...on both quillpad and google transliterator. You get really wierd and funny translations on google. Quillpad performs beautifully.
4. Quillpad can translate in 8 Indian local languages, Google can't. Right now google tool only works for Hindi and is being coded for other languages. Quillpad already trans;ates in 8 Indian local languages
5. Quillpad also works on your mobile. The quill engine can work even with a mobile phone keypad. Google tool is still in the PC world.

Yaadein

2007-09-12T02:47:00.000-07:00

As first posts go, will start with my favorite lyrics...

नग्मे है, शिकवे है,किस्से है, बातें है,
बातें भूल जाती है,यादें याद आती है…
ये यादें किसी दिल-ओ-जानम के चले जाने के बाद आती है….
यादें… यादें… यादें…