Walk-A-Thon!:D

 I would go as far as saying that to discover yourself just WALK! And walk alone often! Well I always prefer to walk alone because it helps me connect to my inner self. My soul speaks to me when I’m all alone walking down a beautiful park. It’s a spiritual and emotional experience and not subtracting the physical benefits of it all. My mind wanders to a place of its own; dreaming up of a future that I envision for myself.

My eyes see all that’s going around and it feels as if they are speaking to the universe; sending out a message that I fail to comprehend at times. A language of its own forming a bond that always becomes stronger when I’m alone and walking.

Yes, I do become poetic when I ponder and brood about all that happens to me when I’m fully absorbed in my daily walks. It is such an important part of my life now that without it I feel as if they is a heavy burden stuck all over my body which I have to get rid of. And as long as it is there I won’t feel peaceful or joyous. I just have to get away from home for some time and recharge by indulging myself completely in walking for miles and hours. I don’t get tired, I don’t huff and pant and most certainly I don’t say “Phew “at the end of it all.

And walking in the midst of nature is the greatest blessing of all. I thank my Lord everyday for the numerous blessings I get too see everyday and some of them are :

1) Seeing little girls dressed in pink frocks playing with yellow Frisbees enjoying like there’s no trouble in the world.

2) Little boys rolling all over the grass laughing away to glory.

3) Parents trying to play badminton with their children and getting tired.

4) Old couples STILL in love.

5) Watching people do Yoga (Well I just had to say this)

6) The absolute variety of flowers available (Oh! How creative our God is)

7) The way the last rays of the sun disappear behind the leaves of tall trees.

8) Watching the moon hidden by the cotton ball clouds.

9) Walking on old, dried and very yellow leaves strewn all over .The way they crack up when I walk all over them. I feel dead leaves still have the power to spread joy.

10) Seeing empty wooden benches encircled under the shade of trees. The empty benches are pretty wonderful to look at.:)

 That’s my list of blessings I get to encounter each and every day. Moreover, I feel light (And I’m light in terms of being skinny as well) , bouncy, bubbly, happy and yappy!

Aaaaaahh!! The wonders of it all!:) 

Addicted to Happiness

Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have we will not be happy -- because we will always want to have something else or something more.

-David Steindl Rust

Cribbing,complaining,crying,bawling...Ugh!How it puts everyone around us down? Sometimes I feel we just focus so hard on the everything that looks like a dud , that Mr.Dud seems like he is the most important thing in life at the moment.

Especially me, I would just turn into a nervous wreck if things don't go my way. If a teeny weeny itsy bitsy ant sized problem comes my way I would go stark raving mad.Of course, with age comes wisdom and I have learnt not to develop a lunatice-throwing-things-all-around-kinda fit anytime things don't happen the way I'v planned them.Im more re-active than pro-active. Just makes me realize that sometimes I should just see the numerous possiblilties instead of all thats upside down in my imagination.

Countless books ,audio/video tapes,seminars,workshops have been read,conducted,listened to,admired,appreciated but this whole Positive thinking never really got into my head till I started applying it. Im going to be a graduate pretty soon and I cant help but be amazed at how tension seems to hover all around me.From all directions I just notice worried and at times comical expressions. Funnily, I'm going through a very calm phase. A HAPPY, POSITIVE phase. My Lord just whispers into my heart "Its all gonna be alright, Im the one holding you" and all worries seen to melt away. A prayer is all I need to get my energies back up. :)

Meditating on the wonders and inherent goodness of God makes me realize how much he cares for me and In His hands nothing can go wrong. He created me to be successful, joyous, beautiful and worthy of love because after all God does not create junk. He created us in His image and in his likeness. I say these lines to my myself and have them stuck on my brain like Post-it notes.

This happiness cannot be explained and His peace is truly beyond my understanding. Of one thing Im sure that God has a great wonderful plan for my future and eventually I will figure it out with His help.

Worrying about something that is beyond my control is a waste because it wont provide me with a solution and it wont stop trouble coming my way. So why worry anyway?. Not that I believe in going with the flow and accepting life the way it is going. Its just in Him I feel bold enough to try a few things and see what works best:)..He gives me the strength to deal with uncertainities and during times of trouble he will be my Refuge.

My reason for Happiness Addiction is Jesus. I love you Lord:)...

Sunday Afternoon..Lazy Sunday afternoon!

"Slow down, you crazy child you're so ambitious for a juvenile
But then if you're so smart, tell me
Why are you still so afraid?

Where's the fire, what's the hurry about?
You'd better cool it off before you burn it out
You've got so much to do and
Only so many hours in a day "

- Billy Joel, Vienna

Neeeeeeehhhhaaaaaaaa...Palm sunday today...Wake up you twit..(Ok that was for extra effect)

Mother screams my name at the top of her voice and I'm sure people in my neighborhood were thrown out of their beds, their bells stopped ringing in the middle of daily devotion and hot milk overflowed because Mrs. Saileja next door was busy paying attention. At times I feel "Oh Mom just let it be" especially keeping in mind how busy I like to keep my weekends. The problem with me is I just cant stay still.I have to engage myself in some little project or the other.ALWAYS.My mind runs at 1000 miles a minute because im always planning the next BIG thing even while Im still doing the NEXT BIG THING which I planned five minutes ago.

Mom always complains saying "Will you just slow down for a minute and hang out in the house like an unleashed donkey; if being like that works best for you?" Well thats exactly what im doing today.Absolute stillness.The joy of nothing-ness.I woke up late at 12.Prayed.Read.Slept some more.Cuddled my mother.Helped out in the kitchen.Oh, and I PLAN (HAHA) to make banana cake today.And this was after a long long time. I guess sometimes its just better to slow down and take things easy. I'v always been in a rush.Doing this.Doing that.

I remember this one time I went totally Nuts-zoid trying to be a cross between Superwoman and Wonderwoman.Oh boy, I had to have it all!So, I signed up for one and a half hours of yoga,one hour dance ,one hour swimming classes and add to the crazy mix my college and studies. College and studies usually took half of my day because of ongoing projects. My Haalaat* at that time is comaparable to a cleaner version of Amy Winehouse. Everything was happening so fast , at breakneck speed that I ended up breaking more than my neck! Honestly , now that I look back I wish I had EXERCISED(pun unintended) more restraint.

I wish I had taken time to enjoy one thing at a time , instead a grabbing everything that was in front of me. Now, I don't want to sound like an old woman who has thirteen cats in her house and hasn't lived her life. All I want to say is I wish I had lived more during that time instead of rushing into things. Not that I regret it because it taught me a great lesson about how PRECIOUS , how wonderful is this gift called TIME. God blesses each day of our lives with this beautiful gift called TIME and since we go through life only once its better you enjoy every moment before its gone:)

And yeah, I will attend Palm Sunday Mass.In the evening though:)

*Haalaat - Condition

Thin?!...Hell Yeah!

*Whistles*..Skinny skinny!

Heard that already, and not very happy about it.It amazes me how much people notice my thin frame(Underline-Bold:Thin).Its frustrating to hear comments about "How deprived I am of life giving food", "How anorexic I am","You are waaaaayyy tooo skinny"!Proving myself to be someone who eats and prefers good healthy food over greasy oily food is getting tiring.Really,people tell me go stuff yourself with a sandwich or something else you might just fly away like a piece of paper caught responding to light wind.

Who tells a person pleasantly or unpleasantly plump "Goodness Gracious eat less for the sake of humanity","Is there too much food available?"..Ermm"Hormonal Imbalance"!If thats rude then what are the comments loaded on people naturally thin?Not exactly sugar-plum sweet coated with honey eh?

Well meaning aunts and especially this one particular aunt of mine would harp on about how "Dried up" my sister and I are;when her own kids are on the verge of exploding.Also things such as "Men prefer curvaceous women so that they have something to hold on to(Eww) /Boys dont prefer sticks so better gain weight to get a nice boy" drives me nuts.Its infuriating to listen to such comments in your own little house.I have nothing against people who are curvy,with full respect; all im against is that sometimes people treat me unfairly by showering me with comments totally undeserved.

At times saying that my weight is negligible though taken in good humor feels a little awkward.When I'm sitting on somebodys lap(which is always the case during space-crunch moments) my "Bones" hurt them.Ouch!Like when I was a little girl sitting pretty on a bicycle my friend would just say"Oooooo...So you are sitting behind me...Hahahahahaha...I hardly noticed...Hahahahah...I'm so funny...Hahhahahah"!Im not all that hopeless!I just dont gain weight.Well its another fact that I'm in no mood to intentionally gain as well.Absolutely blissful the way I am ;devouring green tea,diet chips and sprouts along with everything Mum makes:)

Darling..Its Christmas Morning..!:)

I was a fascinated excited toothless three year old when I got my first Christmas present from Santa .Oh!How charmed I was by the grandfatherly pot bellied man who surprised me every year with a box full of gifts.I never believed in the tooth fairy as much as I believed in Santa.

I would take out my colour pencils/pen/sketch pen or anything beautiful and pretty to write with and write down my wishes on a brown paper.

I would smile,laugh,jump,grin and have any expression closely related to happiness while preparing my ever-so-precious list of want-to-have. Even mums gorgeous freshly baked cake lost its appeal when it came to making my wish list.It was always an emotional experience because I would be anxious waiting for Christmas morning to arrive from the day I would sit down to dream about my gifts.

Today when I was talking to mom about it I realized how much I miss those days.Yes!I realized Santa exists only in Disney and Cartoon Network.Though I cant recall when exactly realization struck.It just happened automatically.I came to know later when my grey cells got activated that all the while it was daddy dearest who would sneak in my wonderful little gift and place it in front of the christmas tree.He never dressed up as Santa and I never caught him placing gifts.He just remained his usual groggy self at 2 in the night and would tip toe into our tiny room to keep our gifts at their rightful place ; later I came to know through Mom.

So my Santa was a tall,thin, moustached man who carried packed boxes of gifts for my sister and I.No red dress, no big black belt, no rudolph and definitely no white beard.

I want those days back when my eyes would twinkle at the mention of Christmas morning.No doubt, Im still excited just that the situations are different.Now christmas morning means getting up late in the morning, travelling to visit friends and relatives, sharing food and cakes and other things.Just as good but never the same :)

I wish I could still place empty stockings at my door and wait for a miracle to happen:)

Fruit Juice...I will miss Thee..!

...Gone...Missing..Poof...!Into thin air..!

My favorite NATURAL HEALTHY FRESH FRUIT JUICE stalls are nowhere to be seen.They were my only source of happiness and joy as soon as I entered my local shopping area to buy groceries,sharpeners,erasers and the rest.Looking at a juice stall with paintings of Uncle Sharukh Khan and Aunty Aishwarya Rai though made me laugh it satiated my deep desire to guzzle down something that does not have any preservatives.I remember specifically telling the juice stall vendors "Rs-15,mix fruit,little salt,no ice and one straw" and how my heart leapt at the sight of seeing oranges and pineapples squished, like a three year left alone in a candy store to dream up her own fantasy candy combinations.Yes, every glass of juice excited me beyond understanding.

Depressed and sad?A walk to the juice stall is a must.Too happy?Treat yourself to a big nice glass of pineapple juice.Feeling rich?Take the biggest glass of pomegranate juice.

I saw couples cuddling, dogwalkers, Im-so-jealous-of-Katrina's-figure types all huddling in front of the juice vendor to get their own custom made glass of juice.Quite a sight I must say. At times considerate mothers would get plastic glasses with pictures of Barbie and Winnie the Pooh to make their children drink juice. Aaah... lest my Chintoo falls sick!How wonderful it was to just stand there and see the traffic go by, kids coming back from their tuitions with bags loaded enough to make a hole if they trip and fall, muscular hunks showing off their prized babes(read:cars) and daddies telling their little ones to drink juice so that one day they would grow up to become as strong as them.

I guess all good things come to an end.I'm sure my relationship with NATURAL HEALTHY FRESH FRUIT JUICES will continue till I'm alive and breathing because even if my love affair has been called off by the Supreme Court then baby I'm in the mood for rebound.:)

Litter & My Banter

“A different world cannot be built by indifferent people”--- Harace Mann


Seriously, how much effort does it take to look for a dustbin and throw that crumpled piece of paper inside a green colored one?! Absolutely not, we just can’t do that because our bones will turn to powder, the roads will consume us for dinner and the aliens might abduct us because it might just thwart their plans to see Mother Earth completely annihilated.
The apathy of the people when it comes to proper waste disposal leaves me flabbergasted. I have seen people nonchalantly throw plastic, chips packet, wrappers and ice cream sticks right outside a dustbin. And these are things which can be conveniently stuffed inside pockets or carried in our hands in case finding green and blue colored boxes is such an arduous task. It amazes me that people just don’t care enough to ensure that our surroundings are kept paper-plastic-chewing gum free. Nobody does that inside their homes then why inflict such torture on our only livable planet?!


Imagine going fast on a highway and suddenly you see something peeking out of the car in front of you and the moment you stretch your eyeballs to see what it is; that thing comes flying at your car front window and sits pretty till you don’t stop your car and take it off. This is so hair-pulling annoying that one just feels like driving the car at supersonic speed to bang it against the car which is giving comfort to people who never tire of being stupid by doing things like these. Its quite a sight; and a pathetic one at that, to see straws, Frooti packets, Lays packet with Saif giving that goofy smile, HANDKERCHIEFS (Phew) fly past you when you are driving on the highway. Why is it so bone breaking and deathly boring an activity to just keep the waste in your car till you find a proper area to throw it off? At times, I have to ask people to pick up bits of paper that is so easy to tear but difficult to dispose off properly. Other times, I had to carry ice cream sticks; tissue papers even Chewing Gum (Ewww!!) in my own pocket for some of my friends who couldn’t bear to carry it around themselves. Some give excuses for disposing BIODEGRADABLE items like fruit peels and leftovers on the road, saying that “Ohh, that will turn into dust soon”. But hello, till Mother Nature is working on her project to turn that apple into Dust, it will be lying there and that makes the area look downright ugly. I mean people wont really be jumping with joy if they see a half eaten pear (The real one) hanging from one of your vases kept on the side table. Then why such nonsensical attitude in public places?


Here environmentalist are crying themselves hoarse about impending disasters and wars because of environmental issues and we cant even make an effort to ensure that our candy wrapper is disposed off properly instead of decorating our roads and parks with it.
Spitting is another disgusting habit that drives me loony. In the middle of silent contemplation you don’t feel very peaceful when you suddenly hear that “Kraaaakk Thoooo” sound ending with red patches all over. Thank goodness, faint at sight is something that hasn’t happened yet! Walking around Connaught Place one can see white walls adorned with puke-inducing red patches coupled with the smell of ammonia!!Ugh!
Yeah, pillars of British Architecture are officially public urinals!


I believe awareness and strict fines ala Singapore with its $1000 fines for throwing trash around; can definitely bring such “Litter Spreading Crime masters” to book. Realization of the implicit effects of such callous behavior can motivate some, if not all to take positive action in this direction. Most importantly, it’s all about the Power of One. If each and every civilized person can take the initiative to ensure that their surroundings are kept clean, people around may either derive inspiration or face your ire for engaging in such behavior. After all, the responsibility lies within each one of us to ensure that our Planet is well taken care of by not allowing it to be turned into a revolving/rotating garbage sphere.