A few things to do before I die

A Few to do before I Die
1) Visit the Northern Lights
2) Go for an African Safari
3) Go out in Space
4) See all the wonders of the world - Pyramid, Great wall
5) Set foot on each of the seven continents. Antarctica might be a tough one, but once done and reached all seven one can truly call oneself a world traveler.
6) Make a substantial difference in someone's life. Someone who is not related to me in any way
7) Tell all the people I love and care that I love them and how much they mean in my life.

An American in Gandhi's India

How many of us know of the only American who was jailed cause he was a part of India"s Freedom Struggle and how many of us know of the man who got the Red Apples to Himachal Pradesh.

It was rather pleasant to meet Mrs Asha Sharma author of the book "An American in Gandhi's India". She's the grand daughter of this American Indian, Samuel Evans Stokes, who later was known as Satynand Stokes.



This is what Mahatama Gandhi had to say in an article in Young India on Stokes’ arrest, "This is a unique move on the part of the government. Mr Stokes is an American who has naturalised himself as a British subject who has made India his home in a manner in which perhaps no other American or Englishman has... But that he should feel with and like an Indian, share his sorrows and throw himself into the struggle, has proved too much for the government. To leave him free to criticise the government was intolerable, so his white skin has proved no protection for him..."

Resolutions 09

New Year with new resolutions, new issues and new ways to keep them at bay or rather get them sorted...
So unline every year I did not make any resolutions this year..but now as time is going by I think I should ...Keeps the tradition going...and that also means breaking the resolution in the first month but always have a good reason for it!!!
So I have decided on this year's resolution....a happy healthy life ( which includes loosing weight) But I would this year not pinpoint my resolutions but rather put them in a broad gambit...so a happy healthy life...and in case at the end of the year i am still as BIG as i am now...I would have still achieved half of my resolution...all that eating and drinking that helped me keep my BIG stature atleasr made me happy!!!!
Diplomacy with self is the word!!

FRIENDS and FRIENDSHIP!!!

The best definition I have read so far!!!! "Good friends are like bras: supportive, never leave you hanging, make you look good and are always close to your heart." I think that is as good a definition as any of the word friend I've come across. Well gals I know you can relate to it but guys you gotto find your own thing!! :)
"A friend is someone who knows everything about you, but likes you anyway," goes the saying. There is no other human relationship like that of a friend. Unlike a sister, you chose a friend—she is not given to you as a result of biology
Another piece of advice I read....
If you've had a disagreement with your friend, buy her a new lipstick and attach a note that reads, "Let's make up."

Achievement

How does one define achievement. It is defined in Thesaurus as something completed successfully; goal reached . So anything can be an achievement.
What has been your life's achievements so far. For me it has been able to drive...well so many people woiuld say it is hardly anything..but for me it is one of the biggest achievments in my life.
People who read this blog, share your achievemnts. Achievements for me are things that I never thought I would do but then I finally do...this could be different for you.

Mystery of the Hawaian Roosters - Solved!!

Phew after a long time am back on my blog, continuing from where I left last, the mystery behind the roosetrs, hens and chicken in Kuai in Hawai..
The Philipinos on the island had got the fighter cocks for their entertainment ( that explains the aggression in the roosters and hens there!!!) In1995 or so there was a big tornedo in the island and as a result the roosters with their hens and chicken got into the whirlwind and were scattered all over the island ( literally , any part of the island, no matter how remote, you will hear Cock A Doodle Doo!!!)
And ofcourse we did ask the local Hawaianswhy dont they eat them - the answer - they dont taste good!!!
And they also have a menace of goats!!!
Hearing all this my first instinct was that it is a dream place for a Sardarjie ka Dhaba!!! Fresh Tandoorie Chicken and Mutton!!!

Hawaian Chicks!!

You see them everywhere in Hawai!!! Wonder Why!!! And they are not alone..these chicks....they have the roosters and the hens with them!!!
Seriously...like stray dogs in India in Hawai they have stray hens..wonder why no one catches them for dinner!!! You see them everywhere~~~

The Best Excuse Ever Heard

People sleeping in a concert and then saying " the music was so soothing, meditative....i was so relaxed that I SLEPT ( and snored) !!!""
He he he he he he Tell me all about it!!!!

Messsenger/Chat Etiquettes

Hate it when people send a "..?" while chatting esp when the other person get's a little delayed in replying. I dont think that is polite..I find it down right rude..although I have not told people about it..But I guess should now!!!

US and the world market

This slowdown, in a very negative way, has again shown that US is still the biggest growth engine for the world. All the theories that the developing economies would take up the growth and that all economies are insulated from each other, all those has been put to rest to a very large extent!!!
Dollar rules again !!!

Raj Thackrey -

Got this mail...worth thinking about!

This is a wonderful mail circulating in favour of RAJ Thackerey have a look. We all should support Raj Thackeray and take his initiative ahead by doing more...

1.We should teach our kids that if he is second in Class, don't study harder.. just beat up the student coming first and throw him out of the school

2. Parliament should have only Delhiites as it is located in Delhi

3. Prime-minister, president and all other leaders should only be from Delhi

4. No Hindi movie should be made in Bombay . Only Marathi.

5. At every state border, buses, trains, flights should be stopped and staff changed to local men

6. All Maharashtrians working abroad or in other states should be sent back as they are SNATCHING employment from Locals

7. Lord Shiv, Ganesha and Parvati should not be worshiped in our state as they belong to north ( Himalayas )

8. Visits to Taj Mahal should be restricted to people from UP only

9. Relief for farmers in Maharashtra should not come from centre because that is the money collected as Tax from whole of India , so why should it be given to someone in Maharashtra ?

10. Let's support Kashmiri militants because they are right to killing and injuring innocent people for benefit of their state and community... ...

11. Let's throw all MNCs out of Maharashtra , why should they earn from us? We will open our own Maharashtra Microsoft, MH Pepsi and MH Marutis of the world.

12. Let's stop using cell phones, emails, TV, foreign Movies and dramas. James bond should speak Marathi

13. We should be ready to die hungry or buy food at 10 times higher price but should not accept imports from other states

14. We should not allow any industry to be setup in Maharashtra because all machinery comes from outside

15. We should STOP using local trains...Trains are not manufactured by Marathi manoos and Railway Minister is a Bihari

16.. Ensure that all our children are born, grow, live and die without ever stepping out of Maharashtra , then they will become true Marathi's

This mail should somehow reach Raj Thackrey so forward it to as many ppl as possible. This mail needs to be read by all Indians. So please help in this cause. Keep Forwarding.
JAI MAHARASHTRA !Jai Hind

Learnt New Words!!

mouse potato
Function: noun
Etymology: after couch potato
Date: 1993
slang : a person who spends a great deal of time using a computer

sandwich generation
Function: noun
Date: 1987
: a generation of people who are caring for their aging parents while supporting their own children

BAGGRAVATION, noun. A feeling of annoyance and anger one endures at the airport when his bags have not arrived at the baggage carousel but everyone else's bags have!

DISORIENT EXPRESS, noun. A state of confusion.

EATERS COMA, noun. A condition characterized by sluggishness, sleepiness, and often a lack of motivation to do anything but rest/relax or sleep; a condition whose onset occurs shortly after a meal, usually dinner.

F.I.N.E, adjective. acronym (F*cked up, Insecure, Neurotic, and Emotional). Usually derogatory.

VERTICALLY-CHALLENGED, adjective. Short, not tall .


Conscience is the still, small voice which tells a candidate that what he is doing is likely to lose him votes.

So true

If you think education is expensive, try ignorance....

What is Life!!!

Read some real good definitions of life-
Life is like a bagel. It's delicious when it's fresh and warm, but often it's just hard. The hole is the middle is its great mystery, and yet it wouldn't be a bagel without it.
Life is like eating grapefruit. First you have to break through the skin; then it takes a couple of bites to get used to the taste, and just as you begin to enjoy it, it squirts you in the eye.
Life is like a banana. You start out green and get soft and mushy with age. Some people want to be one of the bunch while others want to be top banana. You have to take care not to slip on externals. And, finally, you you have to strip off the outer coating to get at the meat.
Life is like cooking. It all depends on what you add and how you mix it. Sometimes you follow the recipe and at other times, you're creative.
Life is like a jigsaw puzzle, but you don't have the picture on the front of the box to know what it's supposed to look like. Sometimes, you're not even sure if you've got all the pieces.
Life is like a maze in which you try to avoid the exit.
Life is like riding an elevator. It has a lot of ups and downs and someone is always pushing your buttons. Sometimes you get the shaft, but what really bothers you are the jerks.
Life is like a room full of open doors that close as you get older.
Life is like a puppy dog always searching for a street full of fire hydrants.
Life is like a poker game. You deal or are dealt to. It includes skill and luck. You bet, check, bluff, and raise. You learn from those you play with. Sometimes you win with a pair or lose with a full house. But whatever happens, it's best to keep on shuffling along.

television - then and now

Thinking about India and the old days my thought went to the time when there was only one channel there, Doordharshan (India’s official terrestrial channel) Days. There were times fixed for people to watch the shows and on sunday evenings people would not even visit each other's homes as everyone would be watching the movie being shown!!! Some poular ones were Chitrahaar, Phool Khile hain Gulshan Gulshan...I still remember Chitrahaar was sponsored by Topaz blades!!
And then later on when the epic Ramayan was shown on sunday mornings, the streets actually wore a deserted look!!
And now with 24x7 TV , there is nothing worth watching.. so many times I sit with the remote and all I do is channel switching..even the news is so boring!!! Watching news in TV is no longer the same as it was before. Due to competition among the news channels all that is done is sensationalisation ( if there is any word like that) in the channels rather than the news.
And here in the US, TV channels are so polarised politically..you can know by the news presentation whethere they are Replublicans or Democrats!! Even the so called comedy channels do the same..patronise the party they belong to..Gimme a break!!!

Some Definitions...

Abdicate, v.: To give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach. Abstainer: Weak person who yields to the temptation of denying himself a pleasure.

Adorable: What you ring when you go

Baby : A loud voice at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.

Bartender: A pharmacist with a limited inventory

Car sickness: The feeling you get when the car payment is due

Courtesy: The art of yawning with your mouth closed. Dentist: a magician who puts metal into your mouth, and pulls coins out of your pocket.

Grandparents: People who think your children are wonderful, even though they are sure you're not raising them right.

Hangover: The Wrath of Grapes.

Raisin: Grape with a bad sunburn.

Halloween

Halloween, or Hallowe’en is celebrated on October 31. Halloween activities include trick or treat, ghost tours ( I have seen one) bonfires, costume parties ,visiting haunted attractions, carving jack o lanterns, reading scary stories and watching horror movies. Irish immigrants carried versions of tradition to North America in the nineteenth century. Other western countries embraced the holiday in the late twentieth century. Halloween is celebrated in several countries, most commonly in the United States, Canada, Ireland, Puerto Rico, Japan, New Zealand, United Kingdom and occasionally in parts of Australia.
The carved pumpkin, lit by a candle inside, is one of Halloween's most prominent symbols in America, and is commonly called a jac-o-lantern. Originating in Europe, these lanterns were first carved from a turnip or rutabaga . Believing that the head was the most powerful part of the body containing the spirit and the knowledge, the Celts used the "head" of the vegetable to frighten off any .The name jack-o'-lantern can be traced back to the Irish legend of Stingy Jack, a greedy, gambling, hard-drinking farmer. He tricked the devil into climbing a tree and trapped him by carving a cross into the tree trunk. In revenge, the devil placed a curse on Jack, condemning him to forever wander the earth at night with the only light he had: a candle inside of a hollowed turnip. The carving of pumpkins is associated with Halloween in North America, where pumpkins were readily available and much larger, making them easier to carve than turnips. Many families that celebrate Halloween carve a pumpkin into a frightening or comical face and place it on their home's doorstep after dark. In America the tradition of carving pumpkins is known to have preceded the Greay Famine period of Irish immigration. The carved pumpkin was originally associated with harvest time in general in America and did not become specifically associated with Halloween until the mid-to-late 19th century.

Diwali

One more Diwali went by and now like last year, I am saying again, next year I will go to India for Diwali!! How I miss India at this time. The lights, the crackers, the crowded markets, food, pooja..all that atmosphere cant be replicated no matter how hard one tries! A festive mood comes up right from the Dushhera time.
Out here people in the neighbourhood dont even know what Diwali is all about. I had put the lights in the trees and shrubs in front yard and the kids in the neighbourhood got very excited saying Aunty has put her christmas tree already!!!
Well...

I am confused - About God.

I am confused about GOD!! I have been taught God is Pure Love but then why do the so called holy books or books used for the ceremonies or Pooja's talk of God as being jealous, condemning judgemental, harsh and in some places egoistic. ( Cause you did not do the pooja properly so I am angry with you!!! and hence you are suffering!!!) Does this all not make God with emotions and put Him in the same realm as humans (which He/She is not)?
I do not think that God is petty... God is not jealous. Jealous is a negative emotion. God would not be negative. God is not condemning and judgemental.
God whether a He or a She is not sitting there to judge or condemn but rather as a force to help one out!!

Index of the bloggers

Is there any index of the bloggers that are there? I wonder how would it look like...a yellow book!!