NAVRAATRI,

http://www.blessingsonthenet.com/temple/currfestival.asp?festivalid=F0736

http://www.iimageworld.com/image788.html

From today Navraatri are starting,it is a festival of nine days and the starting of auspicious time considered good for starting any new venture, entering new homes,buying property, vehicles etc etc. It is a celebration of nine days, ceberated through out the country but with a little difference in the way.

When i was in Kharagpur and Ranchi, the enthu for Pooja was so infectious:), all our neigbourhood used to be busy in shopping for new clothes, then give the dress to all their relatives., then from Shashtthi-sixth day, they used to be all decked up and go out to various programmes held in the city and then Pandal hopping:) what fun it was ! There Durga ma is brought home like a daughter,loved and feasted,celebrated and when she goes back, she is sent with lots of emotions, Sindoor( red color) khela, and evrybody feels really sad.

While in MP it was celebrations all the way, with Daandiya and Garba every where, and what used to amaze me that evryday around 10.30 pm in the main chowk, around 20-25 ladies and girls used to gather and do it, all decked up in colorful dresses and jwellery, looking gorgeous, and there used to be lots of spectators, but never saw any comments or teasing anything of that type. And one thing I really miss about Indore is there we could go out and eat even in our fasts, as in the markets everything is available with fasting ingredients like aloo tikki,Gulabjamun, namkeen, almost everything:) and same was there inNagpur. There we used to get some sort of leaves a symbol of friendship and on Dashmi(tenth day) people used to give them to their friends showing their friendship.

We worship the nine forms of Durga--

-shailputri,brahamcharini,chandrabhanta,kooshmanda,skandmata,katyayni,kaalratri,mahagauri,siddhidaatri

We do the fasting for 8 or 7 days as the case may be, according to Tithi.On the first day we sow the oats also. and then worship ma durga.Some people get the puja and paath done by Panditjee. For those days I dont even cook onion in my house.we eat only certain vegetables like Potato, colocascia, red pumkin and a particular flour and sago and rock salt only.

then on navmi, I make Pooris,Chola and halwa and call the girls...all young below 10 yrs and one boy is a must.on theses days....girls are considered an image of ma durga. so we felicitate them.worship them, we give them prasad and anything else whatever we want to.

The oats we sow are cut on Dashmi and used in Pooja and for tika to brother.

On dashmi--my mother used to make a big rangoli type and then put flowers and all that and then my father used to make new account books.and pens This day all the weapons u have are cleaned and put in the pooja. Today according to feng shui Fish is a symbol of prosperity, but in our house, even in those days, when none knew about feng shui.......many girls and boys used to come with fishes to show us and we used to give them money.

In south i have seen people putting many dolls and the festival is called Kolu,More than this I dont know anything, may be some of my blogger friends will enlighten me?

For me navraatri is not only about fasting......its for us to......remain pure for those days and follow the code of conduct for that

dont get angry

or irritated

no lies or cheating.

no bad thoughts at all

be kind to everybody

HAPPY NAVRAATRI TO YOU ALL !

RIGHT TO KNOW

International Day for Your "Right to Know"
Ever wondered why the next-door new school building is falling down?
Whyevery year you bump on same repaired road?
Why you never get your rationcard or the passport on time?
Why it is impossible to get a patta from theTaluk office for your land?
Why did you fail in the examination, which youwere confident of passing?
Where is that elusive Income Tax refund?
Why doyou have to literally drive around in circles to get your driving licence?
What happens to the promises made every five years ?
You will be surprised to hear that now you can not only have the answers toall these nagging questions but also speed up pending issues with thegovernment and other civic bodies, without greasing palms or paying speedmoney.
September 28th is the International day for your "Right to Know".We Indians can exercise this Right, by seeking information under the Rightto Information Act 2005 (RTI Act 2005). In other countries, similar laws arecalled "Freedom of Information Act". The Indian law is the strongest in theworld and covers the widest possible range of "information" which you canseek from the Government. Indians staying abroad, PIO Card holders and OCI'scan also exercise this Right, through Indian Embassies and Consulateslocated abroad.The RTI Act 2005, also known as the Common Man's Law or the Sunshine Act isbeing used by Citizens with great effect and immediate positive results, forresolution of day to day issues, that we face with our government and othercivic bodies. From getting all the missing manholes replaced in the city ofMumbai within 12 days to revealing what really is genetically modifiedBrinjal - it is a panacea to all your inquisitiveness.Applications made under the Right to Information Act 2005, have uncoveredwasteful expenditure and exposed important frauds/scams like:-
IIM admission criteria (CAT does not count)
- Fraud (called "Computer error") in IIT/JEE entrance exam
- Maharashtra CM's Relief Fund used for Carrom/Kabadi tournamentsand Weddings
- Use of Kargil Relief funds for buying Nappies, A/c's and HomeTheatres
- Electricity Bills of Rashtrapati Bhawan (Rs. 4 Crores a year)-
Rs. 7 Crores missing from donations to PM Relief Fund
- Supreme Court Judges expenditure on Foreign Travel (one trip of 7days costs Rs. 10.6 lakhs !)-
Law Minister Bharadwaj "lost" his passport, to protect details ofhis London visit to release Bofors funds
Shares worth Rs 25,000 Crores lying in dormant DMat accounts-
10 Lakh bogus ration cards discovered in Delhi-
Income tax returns of all political parties
All kinds of citizens have used the RTI Act - from industrialists like AnilAmbani and Nusli Wadia to politicians like Arun Jaitley and Jaswant Singh,from a 9 year old boy who was refused the right to file a FIR for a missingbicycle to the 82 year old Hyderabad lady who could not get her passportrenewed even after 2 years, from Anuj Dhar who wanted to find out whatreally happened to Netaji to Commodore Batra who exposed that the NationalCouncil for Women was sleeping during the Nithari killings. Journalists inthe media have used the RTI Act that have led to regular cover stories inmagazines like India Today, Outlook and The Week as well as TV Channels likeNDTV and CNN-IBN, besides articles everyday in mainline newspapers.If any of you are interested in knowing more about this sunshine Act,learning how to draft and file an RTI application or are interested inorganising a complete RTI presentation for your friends, colleagues and clubmembers, please contact me on my email id: karira@eth.net or visit thepopular online RTI community portal at www.rtiindia. org<http://www.rtiindia .org/> .Take a few minutes to listen to this nice video about your "Right to Know"(Janene Ka Haq) and you will know the importance of this right:http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=iZ1yvrMDUMU Remember, if you don't know, you can never exercise your right to "freespeech" or ultimately, your right to "life and liberty".
It is your "Right to Know" !
This i got in my BITSAA mail:)

Email from the boss

Mail sent by Narayan Murthy to all Infosys staff:

It's half past 8 in the office but the lights are still on... PCs still running, coffee machines still buzzing... And who's at work? Most of them ???

Take a closer look... All or most specimens are ?? Something male species of the human race... Look closer... again all or most of them are bachelors... And why are they sitting late? Working hard? No way!!! Any guesses???

Let's ask one of them... Here's what he says... "What's there 2 do after going home...Here we get to surf, AC, phone, food, coffee that is why I am working late...Importantly no bossssssss!! !!!!!!!!! " This is the scene in most research centers and software companies and other off-shore offices. Bachelors "Time-passing" during late hours in the office just bcoz they say they've nothing else to do...

Now what r the consequences. .. "Working" (for the record only) late hours soon becomes part of the institute or company culture. With bosses more than eager to provide support to those "working" late in the form of taxi vouchers, food vouchers and of course good feedback, (oh, he's a hard worker... goes home only to change..!!). They aren't helping things too...
To hell with bosses who don't understand the difference between "sitting" late and "working" late!!! Very soon, the boss start expecting all employees to put in extra working hours. So, My dear Bachelors let me tell you, life changes when u get married and start having a family... office is no longer a priority, family is... and That's when the problem starts.... b'coz u start having commitments at home too. For your boss, the earlier "hardworking" guy suddenly seems to become a "early leaver" even if u leave an hour after regular time..... after doing the same amount of work..

People leaving on time after doing their tasks for the day are labelled as work-shirkers. .. Girls who thankfully always (its changing nowadays... though) leave on time are labelled as "not up to it". All the while, the bachelors pat their own backs and carry on "working" not realizing that they r spoiling the work culture at their own place and never realize that they would have to regret at one point of time.

So what's the moral of the story?? * Very clear, LEAVE ON TIME!!! * Never put in extra time " unless really needed "

* Don't stay back unnecessarily and spoil your company work culture which will in turn cause inconvenience to you and your colleagues. There are hundred other things to do in the evening..
Learn music...
Learn a foreign language...
Try a sport... TT, cricket..... ....
Importantly, get a girl friend or boy friend, take him/her around town...
* And for heaven's sake, net cafe rates have dropped to an all-time low (plus, no fire-walls) and try cooking for a change.
Take a tip from the Smirnoff ad: *"Life's calling, where are you??"
* Please pass on this message to all those colleagues and please do it before leaving time, don't stay back till midnight to forward this!!!
IT'S A TYPICAL INDIAN MENTALITY THAT WORKING FOR LONG HOURS MEANS VERY HARD WORKING & 100% COMMITMENT ETC. PEOPLE WHO REGULARLY SIT LATE IN THE OFFICE DON'T KNOW TO MANAGE THEIR TIME. SIMPLE !
Regards,
NARAYAN MURTHY

shraadh

I saw a post on Shradh on hobo's blog and i wanted to write something.In indian calender a month is divided into two fortnights and except Amavasya and Poornima, rest of the days are named in the same way----first second,third fourth.one fortnight is called Krishna paksh and other shukl paksh. now-a-days.krishna paksh is going on, and this fortnight is devoted to shraadh.
Shradh is a ceremony where we remember our departed parents and grand parents (called pittr or poorvaj). we invite a Pandit and he does some pooja and sankalp and then we serve him the same variety of food liked by our dear ones and give him Dakshina.It is considered that the day our poorvaj died like on dooj, teej like that, in that tithi they visit us, and feel happy and satisfied when they see our love for them,and bless us.
Earlier traditionally nobody bought anything new or did any auspicious work in those days,but i think why not? they are our loved ones and they wud like us to be happy so.....
This day is a symbol of our Indian culture where we give respect and love to our departed souls also.and remember them with love.Its only our emotions which make it more meaningful.

means to an end

I have been thinking for a long time, what is right?
To reach the aim or target , by any ways or
The ways we follow are more important than the end?
Some people say-there is no harm in a little twisting here or there if our intentions are good and our ultimate aim is for the benefit of may be society or country or mankind whatever it is.But then like they say--chori to chori ha--one cant give it any other name.and it will always leave its footprints on your mind.
Personally i think means are more important than the end, we must choose the right path and it will always take us to a good end,may not be the pinnacle of success , but the satisfaction of the journey will certainly outweigh that.Journey is more important than the manjil(end).Intentions only make us feel good......like may times we say..but my intentions were not like that ,so what.., but they dont affect anything else, its only our deed which bring results. and any unfair mean for a righteous cause also will certainly somewhere bring unfairness.
What do you think?

karan johar and sooraj barjatya

As soon as I switched the TV on saw the movie--Maine Pyaar kiya.. that antakshari round, and I became engrossed in watching, everything is so nice and perfect in this movie. Then i started thinking what is so special about Sooraj Barjatya's movies, not that I liked everything, I didnt like--main prem ki diwani hoon and ham saath saath ha(this was too much of a sugary dose, too sweet also doesnt taste good) Ham aapke hain kaun and Maine pyaar kiya....both i have seen umpteen times, but still can watch them(just like Silsila), so what is so good about them. karan Johar also makes good movies but not so repeat value, so why?
S has perfect ,ideal families, the way we want them to be, but mighty impossible, whereas Karan;s families are normal people with some flaws also.
Karan goes over the top in opulence, of coure S also has house like mansions where u can cycle inside,but they are not garish and emphasis is more on the characters than their dresses and houses.
And the equation between Salman and madhuri or bhagyashree both is very natural sort, everything comes so slowly and naturally, nothing like love at first sight,, I found Kajol a little too loud in K3G, and it seemed a little strange that a boy like Shahrukh will fall for her.
And then emotional part---its so melodramatic with K's movies, whereas in S.....they are subtle,powerful without being loud.
So Swats if u ever interview Sooraj barjatya, tell him audience like me want to see more of his original types, even I liked Nadiya ke Paar also very much.

Get ready for a tag marathon....
Le Belle dame sans merci tagged me .. and a Tag is very important because that shows somebody cares about u, about how u think, so i feel i am lucky to be tagged, and Swarna we love to read about you, we wont ever get bored, so keep on writing........

What have you realized recently?
I realised that with a positive bend of mind u can make ur life very pleasant and beautiful, but make sure nobody takes ur positivity for granted..........
.Have you given your first kiss away?
its a very old story:)
.If you were to be stranded on a deserted island, who are the 11 blog buddies you would take?
If i am stranded on a deserted island , i wudnt know it in advance, so how can I choose, but in case i am stranded, i will make friends with everyone who is there with me.
Where is the place you want to go the most?
Hmm..........to go....it cant be home, becuase that is where I like to comeback where ever i go:), so it wud be to ......presently to my hometown or Zurich(my son is there).
If you have one dream to come true, what would it be?
MY dream is never to see anyone suffering, because whenevr i go outside and see that, my whole apetite for shopping and eating out goes off.
.Do you believe in seeing the rainbow after the rain?
i am an eternal optimist, always believe that after rains, sky gets clear and colors come:), But as such rain reminds me to eat Pakoras with a hot cuppa tea:).
What are you afraid of losing the most now?
AS such nothing, I always believe that whatever god does, is the best for us and we must accept it with pleasure, as a gift of god.
If you win $1 million, what would you do?
I will have a world tour and donate the rest.
If you meet someone that you love, would you confess to him/her?
How cud i love someone ,if I am meeting just now, first we meet only then may be, but yes I dont believe in hiding the feeling(seen in many movies, the silent one is always loser:),no ego issues here,if I love ,then I go all out, no half way measures for me, nothing else matters to me except my loved ones.I want to declare my love all the time fearing that I may not get time otherwise to say so.
List out 3 good points about the person who tagged
1..She is a girl with values.
2-She is affectionate and caring.(guessed with ur feeling towards ur inlaws.)
3--She has a progressive mind and writes very well, sometimes I dont know why she feels lonely sometimes, wud like to know:)
What are the requirements that you wish from your other half?
Respect me for what I am, I always believe that respect is more important, love always follows . And I cant stand unethical,dishonest or corrupt people.On a day to day label, i am no different from any other woman, wud love to be pampered
What type of people do you hate the most?
FAKES!
What is the one thing you can’t live without?
My AC cant stand heat:)!I
If you have faults, would you rather the people around you point out to you or would you rather they keep quiet?
I always believe that constructive criticism always brings improvement, but the problem is most of the people instead of listening, get defensive and start justifying. I wud prefer to know my faults, as i am always for improvement, but it shud be from the person I think he/she has the wisdom to know, or I hold them in high esteem or I value their opinions, or at least I know they are my well wishers , certainly not from every Tom Dick and Harry,because criticism done at the wrong time and place can create heavoc
Are you a shopaholic or not?
I love shopping but no, I cant be termed shopalcohalic:)
Find a word to describe the person who tagged you
She is a tre belle dame
If you have a chance, which part of your character you would like to change?
I can write but never can say what is on my mind aur.....geeli lakdi ki tarah sulagti rehti hoon---this is hindi and I am not able to find the right words for it in English:), so always keep having those conversations in my mind.I cant seem to remember the right thing at the right time.
.What’s the last shocking thing you’ve seen or heard?
Just read in the paper... a woman was kept without water for few yrs by her husband and MIL for not bringing dowry...
Would you rather have love but no money or money but no love?
Ideal would be to have both,but if there is a situation where i have to choose between my loved one and money, it wud be loved ones, but i am just starting life and have no one in life, i wud give preference to money, love I will find:)
Now you answer.. tagging...
Cess.
Monika
Aneri_masi

Tribute to MC SHARMA

I want to pay my humble tribute to a great policeman MC Sharma, he was the inspector who got killed in yesterday's encounter.According to TOI he had got many gallantry awards..to be accurate..seven President's police medals.And his technical surveillance capabilities were unmatched and he was only 43. From yesterday i was praying for him but sadly this time my prayers were not answered.
May God give his family the strength to bear the loss and may God be with them all their life !
When police falters we are more than ready to bombard them, but their sacrifices always go unnoticed. I feel very sad ki---ek desh ka himmat aur Bekhauf sipahi kuch sirfiey logo ki wajah se shaheed ho gaya. We need more of his tribe.

TAGGED

This is my first tag and I have been tagged by My Space. I am thrilled that someone wants to know what i think.....So here I go. ....I take an oath that whatever i say will be truth and only truth nothing else:). and most of the answers will be hypothetical only, as i have passed that age:) happily.
RULE #1 People who have been tagged must write their answers on their blogs and replace any question that they dislike with a new question formulated by themselves.
RULE #2 Tag 6 people to do this quiz and those who are tagged cannot refuse. These people must state who they were tagged by and cannot tag the person whom they were tagged by continue this game by sending it to other people.
1. If your lover betrayed you, what will your reaction be?
I will be enraged and then get him out of my life and mind both. (though the chances of my H betraying me are nil:) where will he get somebody better than me:)

2. If you can have a dream come true, what would it be
oh I am very clear on that:) want grand children:).

3. Whose butt would you like to kick?
First is govt....then terrorists......if only govt works, everything will be fine,so no one else

4. What would do with a billion dollars?
Though i wud luv to have a world tour, but now I want to see the kids of Nethaji mercy home get a good education, so I will spend on the education of underprivileged, sorry my loved ones:) I cant think of anything u need, because materialistic things have an unending list:)

5. Will you fall in love with your best friend?
oh 100%:) but sorry i dont have any male best friend:) or rather dont have any friends except my blogger friends:(

6. Which is more blessed: loving someone or being loved by someone?
Anytime , being loved, because we always want that thing which is not in our control, we cant get somebody to love us:(

7. How long do you intend to wait for someone you love?
Depends on the person and my intensity of love,may be forever.

8. If the person you secretly like is attached, what will you do?
What can I do:(, just sulk in private:) , and no i cant wish him the best, not so generous:)

9. If you could root for one social cause, what would it be?
On this i am very clear..education for all, I believe only education can improve all the things.

10. What takes you down the fastest?
Lies ,cheating.

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?
stopped thinking in the terms of yrs:)

12. What’s your fear?
many...me being dependent on anybody either physically or mentally or financially.
my children changing and not loving, caring and respecting me is the biggest fear. ..here I go again:(, the same over attached mother:) ,

13. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?
She is joi de vivre,nice,spiritual( patanjali)

14. Would you rather be single and rich or married and poor?
Totally depends upon who I get married to, if its a love marriage then married and poor, otherwise rich and single:) , since i got married at an early age, i think being single and rich wud be very exciting:), and I always need space doing my own thing so single is OK:)

15. If you fall in love with two people simultaneously who will you pick?
I am falling for two, but who is falling for me, no seriously if i am falling for two at a time, then i am not in love certainly, I will leave both and move on.

16. Would you give all in a relationship?
This is now drawback for me, i am never less than 100% in anything.I cant set limits in loving.everybody tells me that u go overboard in doing anything and then u r easily hurt when u dont get that response, kya karen aise hi hain hum:)

17. Would you forgive and forget someone no matter how horrible a thing he has done?
No, I am not a forgive and forget person,unfortunately my mind is a very efficient computer, it records everything for ever, If i am hurt its for ever. and once I turn my back on somebody I never go back.

18. Do you prefer being single or in a relationship?
19.In these things we dont have choice,we dont choose destiny, it chooses us so i cant have a relationship at my demand, i must get a person of my liking and then he shud also like me,so anyway is good for me single or otherwise.
List of 6 people to tag:
La belle dame sans merci
ISH
SR
hobo
Shalom
SWats
After a long effort, I have been able do all the linking myself, without any help..phew...I am tired. So friends now its ur turn to give us an insight into ur mind, get started:)

BFF and MDFA and BBA

Reflections has graciously awarded me with this award BFF, I am very happy, i always considered her my friend, but now I know that she also considers me one.Lucky me:), This last week has been a real bonanza for me as I got three awards, and i am sorry friends i am late in posting them.Thanks nancy for commenting on Gulab Jamun tips:), otherwise i wudnt have got such a good friend like you. And here are the rules for the Blogging Friends Forever Award:
1. The winner may put the logo on his/her blog.
2. Put a link to the person you received the award from
3. Nominate 5 blogs.
4. Put links to the blogs.
5. Leave a message for your nominees.so the nominees are:---

1. Balvinder: you shouldnt be surprised, as you were the first visitor on my blog, so you are a very special friend.


2. Piper : Your comments on my blog have always been very sweet and I felt an affection always.


3. Cess:-people may think ours is a mutual admiration society, as u have given me an award also,but I was slow so u superceded me:),u r a very understanding person, and i really enjoy reading ur posts sp. that taxiiii........:)


4. Deeplydip;--I love to see everyday ur stylogue, being myself very fond of coordinating dress and accesories, ur wrting on it satiates my desire.ur stylogue is a daily dose of glamour for me:), I just love it:)


5. Jayshree;-- We are from the same city and u have helped me in finding a tailor, so we r friends :)

and now the second award has been given to me by Sansmerci, and yes swarna, i havent portrayed u, u r a lovable person:) and thanks a lot for including me again,

and here are the rules:
When you receive the prize you must write a post showing it,together with the name of who has given it to you, and link them back
Choose a minimum of 7 blogs (or even more) that you find brilliant in their content or design
Show their names and links and leave them a comment informing they were prized with ‘Brilliant Weblog'
Show a picture of those who awarded you and those you give the prize(optional).
And pass it on!
I have done this exercise before and since I am also new to blogging lets see what I have in store:), and most of the bloggers I read have already got it, I like two for their visul apeal,Vamsi parini and HOBO.

Now my third one ,( actually fourth one, the first i got from Hiphopgrandmom)


For million dollar friend award---
Cess has awarded me this, cess u r really a darling, u have made me precious worth a million dollar:) OMG, I must get myself insured now:)

Though cess, nancy are one of my best friends, but they have already given me,so they are not included here

1. salil: when i read his first post, I knew i will read him regulary:)


2. destination infinity: so thought provoking posts on some very important issues


3. Swats & Rebel: both are very dear to me.


4. smriti: she is very precious friend to me, she is my sounding board, my assistant, sometimes my boss also., in something a replica of me and sometimes a total contrast


5. My space: i like her. period. actually we start liking anybody for multiple reasons, but the main is most of the time..we find certain similarities between us , may be a match of sensibilities, habits, thoughts, ethics whatever.


6. Monika: She has a certain individuality which is very endearing, and one thing is special, she always agrees with me but PARTLY, I am waiting for the day she will agree with me completely:).


7. Hiphopgrandmom; I always chk her blog for some new wisdom, nothing frivolous about her writings

some blogs look good to eyes but they are written on black back ground, for me to read them is a pain in the eyes, so I remain unprivileged to get their content.
. and please all my friends, I request you to come and collect ur awards from my blog:)
I like each and every reader of my blog and they are precious to me, but I dont know whether i can take the liberty of calling them my friends, so...........

CREDIT CARDS NUISANCE OR BOON

When we were young taking money from someone.....was considered a liability,loan, Karja.....not considered very good and it was taken only in the dire need or really bad circumstances. Whatever we wanted to have in life.....needs or wants....for both we were taught to save and then buy. and Credit was a complete no..no...for wants, it cud be indulged in only for needs.
I remember that this lesson was so well ingrained in my mind that i never even took grocery on a monthly payment,which was the norm in our locality, always paid immediately for anything or everything.
Then the times changed and CC came into existence, we were followed incessantly by people (banking) to take their CC, and initially I took one from BOB, but didnt like their system, once the deducted the yrly fee whereas the card I am yet to get and then that mental phobia, which was strengthened by many stories i heard from my friends of getting false statements and then having to pay some settlement and all that.I always prefer Debit cards.
And today the times have completely changed, everybody must have multiple cards.....sort of status symbol, then sometimes to keep up with the zoneses over spending is done, then the payments are done by circulating the cards and ultimately one is in a mess.I have been reading many cases in magazines, where CC........easily available money distorted the vision of many, and tempted them to buy luxuries.
I always say our old Indian way of life.....that is earning first and spending afterwords was and is much better than this new concept where u spend first and then earn.becuase then earning is the projected one, not real, and life can never be predicted in advance.And if anything changes the pattern, it becomes a vicious circle. In laymen's language( sorry Rebel:) this is what is the reason for this sub prime effect which is going to bankrupt ..dont know how many......
I know that i am an old fashioned person and life cant move today without credit cards, we must move forward with the paper money and all that,but I think there must be a limit to the no. of cards one can take and then total limit for the spending, these companies get greedy in the beginning ,for increasing their customer base and numbers game but later on everyone is the loser, the percentage of interest charged is very high and not in the interest of consumer.
IT IS LIKE SCIENCE---IT IS A GOOD SERVANT BUT BAD MASTER.

A NEW COUPLE

A new couple moved in a new neighbourhood. The next day when they were eating their breakfast , the woman sees her neighbour hang the wash outside. The woman said-laundry is not very clean, either they dont know how to wash or they need better laundry soap.The husband looked but remained silent
For the next month everyday the woman made the same comment and husband remained silent.Then on 30th day the woman saw that clothes were clean and she said--look they have learned to wash.
the Husband said---no i got up early today and cleaned our windows:)
And so it is with life. what we see when watching others depends on the purity of window through which we look Before we give any criticism, it might be a good idea to chk the state of mind and ask ourselves..if we are reading to see the goodness or.....
i got it in my email thru my bro, it was a slide show, i liked it so I am sharing it with u all

PICTURES

These are the pictures of Ganpati we brought home,our environment friendly Ganesha, from fresh clay, the left picture is taken on the first day, and one on the top today, when we did the Visarjan.

GANPATI BAPPA MORYA! AB KE BARAS TU JALDI AA !

shop for a cause

A shop and a cause
The shop: The Paper Shop.The cause: an orphanage/old-age home in India.How are they connected:Sometime back I'd setup a shop at Etsy (a place to sell handmade stuff), The Paper Shop. Recently I visited an orphanage/old-age home in India, Nethaji Mercy Home, and since then I wanted to do something for them. So I decided that I would use my etsy shop for raising funds for this home. Below is a picture (borrowed from their website) of the children from the home:

On the extreme left and right is the couple behind this home. It was so amazing to meet these beautiful people; they treat all the children as their very own and have devoted their life to the care of these children and the old-age people. On seeing such selfless service, I felt there could be something that I could do and came up with this idea: a dollar ($1) for each item sold at my Etsy shop, The Paper Shop, will be donated to this home.How you can help?
Of course by shopping at The Paper Shop.
Spread the word:

Word of mouth publicity - tell your friends about it, it would be great

if you could publish a post on your blog (if you have one) linking to my shop or this post.

There's a link to my Etsy shop on the right of my blog.

Tha above post is from Smriti's world

This week I

This week I travelled to other town and met this lady whose son has settled in US, she was feeling so lonely and melancholy,had some health problems also so she had to go to hospital for all the check ups and then nobody was there at home to take care.
Then while waiting for the train I met a couple whose only son has also settled in US.and they are here all alone at the autumn of their life.Then again I met someone around 65 yr old lady with the same story except that when she went to stay with her son, they used to leave their 2 and half yr old child with her while both of them went to work.,As very normal, the child will move around a lot and go upstairs, and running after him she had severe back pain.Recently I have come across many people with the same story except that some are open to tell their misery and some camouflage it with the reason that their children love them a lot, and children;s future is most important.
To go deeper into the problem I asked a few questions from all of them like Why dont they stay there in US where they will have someone to look after them?Answers were different with different reasons like--
1-their children dont have visas where they can keep the parents permanently/
2-They dont want to live their permanently. there they have nobody to talk to, and nowhere to go, they have no circle and all that
3--They find the medical system there very expensive and are not comfortable with that.
4-Here they can hire help and can manage their life but there very few children are so considerate that they can keep their parents with respect and love, even if they cant do anything, most of the children want their parents to do the house work or keep the children, for both of them they have no energy left now.
Most of them want to live their life with dignity, even if they have to live alone or without any emotional support.In the next five yrs this is going to be the biggest problem we need to face.
When the parents say that children's future is more important than us, they are being parent only, as usual magnanimous and sacrificing, but then should the children not think about them. And what is the definition of good future---is it money, or job satisfaction or both, and family means nothing?.One should be taught to take every decision in life with a rational aand righteous thinking.Getting professional success and making money can not be everything in life. One has certain duties in life and they should be fulfilled only then life gets a meaning.I am not saying that all those who dont go abroad are better off.There are all sort of people everywhere.But thatlady;s sentence made me think---why the children never consider parents in their plans of their life, and take all the decisions without bothering about their well being, whereas parents take all the decisions CONSIDERING their children;s future only.
Now the stigma with old age home must be removed and I hope some business people realise this and make homes such where senior citizens can live and have a life, life of security and with all other facilities like entertainment and health care, without bothering about housekeeping which is a major problem after a certain age.

sometimes the same words

Sometimes the same words can take two different and complete contrast meanings, its only the way we read them.And thats the way in life also, its as good or as bad as we make it out to be.
see the conversation below--( got it in my email)
Before marriage.....
He: Yes. At last. It was so hard to wait.
She: Do you want me to leave?
He: No! Don't even think about it.
She: Do you love me?
He: Of course! Over and over!
She: Have you ever cheated on me?
He: No! Why are you even asking?
She: Will you kiss me?
He: Every chance I get.
She: Will you hit me?
He: Are you crazy! I'm not that kind of person!
She: Can I trust you?
He: Yes.
She: Darling!
After marriage.... Simply read from bottom to top.

conversation

A conversation between husband(H) and wife(W)
W.....hello, I am not able to fix the menu today, please tell me what to cook.
H.....its not a big thing, cook whatever is convenient to u.
W...today i want to cook your chosen dish, pl tell me na.
H--Ok, ( with enthusiasm)....then make stuffed karela and arvi
W....But u see today i have to see Munna(their son)/s home work also, I will make karela tomorrow, as it take a lot of time. and Arvi, I cant peal, it gives me itching.Pl tell something else.
H--ok then make green gourd.
W-offo...I am asking u to tell me something special, I want to do something special for u.
H.getting all puffed up with so much of bhav he is getting..fine then lets have Paneer.
W--Tum bhi na, cant u remember, last week only we had paneer, its not good for health to take too much of it.
H--, ok(with a sigh) then make brinjal.
W..U dont have any thoughts about kids, u know Munna doesnt eat it.
Husband putting up his hands says-make whatever u want, just dont bother me.
wife simply cant understand, whats wrong with him, why he is so angry, poor lady was only trying to please him:), on one side is she asking his choice and he is getting annoyed, these men:(

welcome

http://findblogers.blogspot.com/2008/02/welcome-movie-preview.html

yesterday i saw WELCOME, I know its quite an old movie, but since my H doesnt like going to hall, I watch whatever is dished out on TV. I liked it very much, just dont look for logic in anything and then its a very enjoyable movie, specially Akshay, Katrina, mallika and Paresh........I still get a smile on my face when i think of their comic capers:), thoroughly enjoyable, few one lines also----abhi ham jinda hain:).....................aapse kya ham jhooth bolenge:)

Brilliante Weblog award

Hip Hop Grandmom has decided to give me the "Brilliant Weblog Award". This is given to sites and blogs that are smart and brilliant both in their content and their design. I feel very honored due to two reasons---

1. She is a teacher and I have a high regard for them, so getting it from her is important.
2. I am quite new to blogging and a complete novice among the new generation of computer geeks.

The rules are:

1. When you receive the prize you must write a post showing it,together with the name of who has given it to you, and link them back
2. Choose a minimum of 7 blogs (or even more) that you find brilliant in their content or design
3. Show their names and links and leave them a comment informing they were prized with ‘Brilliant Weblog'
4. Show a picture of those who awarded you and those you give the prize(optional).
5. And pass it on!

Now I need to pass this award to bloggers of my choice whom I love and care about. and read and enjoy their blogs,see when I have to select, then it has to include emotional part into it:), because otherwise i dont find myself competent enough to decide,everybody is better than me.

1. Reflections: I love reading about her two lovable little angels!
2. .Sans merci: She is a modern educated girl with Indian values.
3. My space: She writes in a very easy going way and even the simple things become very interesting.
4. SWATS: Her writings are full of exuberance and interest in every detail of life, however minute.
5. Rebel all the way: I like his simplicity and righteous attitude.
6. shalom: Again I find her a very nice and righteous person.
7. Smriti: Though she is my daughter, she is a very creative person, makes beautiful cards, .and then she has been my teacher for blogging:)

I would've loved to give it to so many others too; but I'm limited by the number of people I can list, i love Piper and Cess , but they have already received it। My daughter says that u should write the things u like about the blog but I am like that, first i must like the person and then blog:),and if i like the person, I like evrything about him/her, even for filmstar or anybody, for me it is necessary to like them personally then their work, I cant help it, I am made that way, so please bear with me with a smile:)

Some I couldnt include, doesnt mean I dont like their blogs, No, i like them also, but i wanted to leave a few for others to link.

tell me

First of all i want to ask one thing-----in one of the blogs i read a lot about wines..varieties, peraparation and all that, and now I cant find whose blog was that, please help me and tell:), is it Shalom:)?
yesterday i saw a news about Nana patekar giving 25 lakhs for Bihar flood victims.and see the irony, all the biggest earners of the film industry..........then Ambanis,mittals.,etc etc.........none has offered anything.........they are urging the corporates...........while I think that none of the corporates even earn like filmstars, but they are more into charity. And where are our Bihari stars----------who at the drop of the hat keep telling that they belong to bihar.........Shatrughan sinha,Shekhar suman,Manoj Bajpeyi.........why is it that the more one has, more stingy one becomes? or feels like spending on oneself only?
And the labour and workers of Bihar working in Chennai have collected 50 lakhs for Bihar, hats off to them!

I wonder

http://www.bencotten.net/2007/06/06/marriage_advice/

COACHING FOR MARRIAGE
I wonder, when today we have coaching for every little thing, from the time a child is born, he is devoted to coaching, starts with the entrance for play school, even the kids of 2 yrs are coached how to speak and greet and behave.Noe even parents are coached for the interview:) Once they get admission into the coveted school, starts the coaching for drawing, painting, dancing, then may be music, here also vocal or instrumental. There are so many things we want them to learn, or may be want them everything to learn ,why?so that they are good in everything , know everything and if the need arises they are able to do well.
There are classes for grooming,etiquette, table manners etc etc. Now there are classes before the delivery also to prepare newly mom and dad.Earlier there was coaching for JEE, now there is a test for coaching also:)
Then why there is no coaching when one is taking up the most important decision of his/her life-MARRIAGE--like how to choose a life partner? how to make your marriage successful? what are the requirements of a marriage?Earlier there used to be some advice-good or bad cant say, Even my mother used to teach me everything from cooking to stitching, housekeeping, all the time saying--it will help u after marriage.Besides ur studies this is also important My younger sister used to say that she will never have to do any housework, as she will study hard, take up a job so high that she can manage umpteen servants but see the irony:)... that she did all she said, but ultimately settled abroad and today she has to do everything, though she is working and now by choice she can cook even and better than a chef .It wud be good if somebody starts classes for the people entering matrimony.we always prepare ourselves before any journey, so why not before the longest and toughest and most important journey

tomorrow is

http://images.google.co.in/url?q=http://nayna.in/blog/divine-grace/the-festival-of-ganesh-chaturthi/&usg=AFQjCNGBabPLf3tae-KnPWHH29yNNM8Jvg

tomorrow is Ganesh Chaturthi. When we were in maharashtra, so much of enthusiasm was ther for this festival. Every evening one hawker used to come, he would take the offerings for Ganpati and when the time comes for Visarjan, he will collect our Ganpati also. What a convenient way.

Then in Hyderabad also it is celebrated with lot of pomp and show. Even otherwise also i have seen that hyderabad celebrates most of the festivals with lots of enthu and that is missing here in Chennai, atleast i havent seen. No i think i am wrong, just now i went to the market to do the shopping for the festival. Its nearby Dandeeshwaram road, and there was so much of crowd that it was impossible to move:), I was happy to see. I bot some Doob( type of grass), then hangings made from the peelings of corncob, and a beautiful garland of very small flowers and of course Ganpati, but to be environment friendly, i bot the one made of fresh clay and with no colors.

My daughter also celebrates in a big way, making 21 things in the offering and gauri Pooja one day before. this photo of offerings I have shown is from her only This year My DH also wants to bring Ganpati home. Since after my surgery I am not going to the kitchen, I wont be cooking anything special, just we will bring ganpati and some sweets and do it.

Ganpati is the god who is always worshipped before worshipping any other god and he removes all the hurdles in life, thats why we call him Vighnharta. He idolised his mother and and was absolutely obedient to her and when his father was wrong, he didnt allow him inside, so it is said that----being good and obedient to ur parents, being righteous and kind to all is his real worship.and pleases him.

HAPPY GANESH CHATURTHY TO ALL OF YOU !

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