Daffodils by William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;
A poet could not be but gay,
In such a jocund company!
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

Come Back!!

Finally I am home!!! Dear Blog, I have missed you so much!!! I had to undergo two surgeries back to back during my sabbatical...hence the disappearing act!!! Now, that I am well, I hope to be faithful! Yes!! It will take some time for me to settle in the world of blogging.

This sabbatical has proved to be a boon!!! Few months back, I was suffering from what many writers suffer...You guessed it "The Writer's Block". The surgery proved to be of great help!!! I have much to write about. Beginning with my trip to the dentist for a regular check up for cleaning, which very quickly landed me in the dentist chair for surgery!!! That was the quickest trip I have ever made in my entire life!!!

So, dear readers, tighten your seat belts, 'you' are gonna have the ride of your life!! :D

Music!

Writing a post from home can feel weird as I am so used to writing from my office desk!! I guess, with music playing in the background will stimulate the creative juices to flow. Hahaha. But listening to music as you carry out your daily chores or go with your mundane activity can be good. Ok!! I have a topic to talk about. Music and its rich influence on your life...well this is my post so I will try to talk about its influence on my life!!

So, where do I begin. I have been listening to music from my mother's womb. For starters, this is no joke! Trust me, my father is a musician and he listens to music 24/7. And I have been listening to music even when I was not aware of it! Wow! I love to listen to music. Some of my difficult tasks are accomplished while I listen to my favourite band or a fav.song! I call that "Power of Music"

There are times when I am thinking over certain things and the sound of soft music playing in the background does help calm my nerves. I am thankful to God for music and for all those who create music!!

Tearful Goodbyes!!

Saying goodbyes could be so hard was something I did not expect. Farewells are painful. You get used to a place, working together, sharing a joke and laughing together with your colleagues, and who can forget lunch hours?? There is so much you learn when working together...you actually learn to work together, as a team!! Co-ordinating, getting things done, meeting deadlines. I am going to miss all of this. There will be a lull for a while.

I am thankful to God for the great memories I have of my workplace. Memories that will lighten my mood on a cloudy day or bring a smile when I am blue! Thank you guys!! I loved my lunch hours as I loved digging into different lunch boxes....for me it meant tasting a variety of cuisines and flavors. In my workplace, lunches were extended where conversations began with food and ended on global issues.

One of the highlights of my company were parties - to make it more specific- treats for practically everything!! Getting married, birthdays, anniversaries, freshers....all these called for a treat! There was no escaping from this! This meant biryanis, pizzas, vada paos, SPDP, bhel (which could turn out spicy once in a while)...The list is endless! :)

I start a new journey and I have no clue what it will be like. Leaving you guys will be strange but this is life!! And it must go on!! So long dear friends, life's journey has been wonderful with you all!!

Me a columnist?

My sister drops in great ideas at me on what I can do. Like 5 years ago, she egged me to start teaching . Now I must tell you that I have no training in the field of teaching. But then on my sister's behest, I took the plunge...and guess what? I taught English for 2 years and had a ball in the whole process.

Last night my sister drops the bomb again, “Why don't you write for the newspaper, like writing a column or writing for a magazine? I was stumped. I never thought of that! Wow! I am always afraid when my sister gets ideas like that. Coz somewhere down the line, you will see me do just what she said!

True! I love to write, but writing for a magazine or writing a column needs skill and a mind to write on practically anything. And the fact that it is going to be read by so many people. Scary!!

But the damage has been done. Seeds already sown. Need to water the thoughts!!

Seasons change!

Sometimes you just have to study nature to understand the fundamental principles of life. Look at the different seasons we have - summer, monsoons and winter. What's unique about them? There are present for a season!! They do not last for more than a couple of months and they are ready to be overtaken by its successor! Unless of course your area has been adversely affected by global warming!! (My city is still waiting for the monsoons, btw)

No matter how hot the summer, there is a sense of hope that it's just a matter of time, the rains will pour from the heavens and cool the parched land. It's this hope that pushes us to bear the unbearable heat of our hottest summer!! Let's apply this analogy to our lives!! We all go through different seasons, for some it is the season of unemployment, for another - arrival of a child into their family or just wanting a change!!

Hold on!! There is hope coz as the seasons change so will your situation change too!! I love this verse from Ecclesiastes 3 :1 “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” For everything, dear readers there is a season......and seasons change!!

Mercury Rising!

With the temperature soaring and beads of sweat hanging on my brow, I am compelled to write on summer glares!! Summer this year has been brutal or should I say lethal? Every week there is a rise in mercury causing people to collapse in the summer heat. Call it global warming or whatever, the hot air does make everyone 'swoon'. So, what can be done to bear this season of glare? Simple!! Stay indoors as much as possible and hydrate yourselves! Treat yourself with icecreams. What better season than this!

Less is More

Has it ever occurred to you that when you have less, you actually have more?? You are wondering what am I getting at? Ok. Let me try rephrasing this sentence, did you know that when you have less things (space to live, paltry wage.....) in your life, you actually have more?? Sounds crazy right, but it's true!!!

Think with me for a minute. Suppose you are earning peanuts in terms of a decent salary and you are looking at that neighbour who is drawing a great paycheck. What do you do? Mope around the house, crying over your misfortune? I will tell you a secret......People who have more things in their life, whatever it may be do not have one thing, that is the ability to enjoy!! Yes! It is true. Because of the presence of so many goods vying for their attention, they are at a loss what to do!

Let me give you a crisp example. Remember the good old days of Doordarshan. Ahh!! How eagerly we waited for Chitrahaar or for Disney Cartoons. We gave our complete attention and the best part, we were satisfied!! Fast Forward!!!!......20 years ahead...In an age of Dish TV with 100 and odd channels with flat screen and surround sound......Are we happy?? Ask your self? More fights over the channels. Everyone has their own favourite serials and not much to discuss in common. Whenever we sit down to watch TV, the initial half an hour is spent in browsing, trying to pick one channel to enjoy! It can be frustrating at times!

So the point I am trying to say is that when we possess few things in our lives, we are able to give our full attention to it and enjoy ourselves completely. Less is more!!!

Love this verse from the Bible where Jesus Christ said on one occasion, “ Take care, and be on guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15

Different Strokes!

Lunch times are fun times! I get to interact with my colleagues during this time and chat on various topics. The topics vary every single day. In fact every time I sit down to eat, I ask myself, "Wonder what will be the topic today?"

Today as we were chatting away about exams and which board is good (for example)I just glanced at my colleagues and realised-Hey!! We are from different states. It was an amazing revelation to me!!. Right from Jammu to Assam, then West Bengal, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka(me!!) and of course from Maharashtra....
It was interesting to note the variety present and yet we all sat together enjoying our meals and enjoying each other's company. Isn't that great? People from different strata of society, lifestyle, culture, upbringing, influence, education sitting together! I love this about my country!! 
Apart from the fact that lunch hour is for relaxing and eating, it is also a time of appreciating one another, their cuisine, their ideas and so much more!! It is easy to gloat about our culture and our own language and feel proud about it which in reality is foolish. What is the common thread then? God is the Maker of us all!!

Milestones-2

Continuing with the theme of completing a milestone in my life, when the clock struck 12, my sister wished me and presented with goodies that I was dying to open!! :)..Finally!! As they say, “Patience is a virtue”:P......

Honestly, I did not know where to begin! So, I started reading the cards first. It was encouraging to read what dear friends had to say on this special occasion........Then I read my sister's card. I was in for a surprise!! She had a taken a pic of us two and printed it on a card!! That was so cute!! I absolutely loved it!!! What did she give?? She bought me“The Lord of The Rings” as she knew I love books.....Wow! That was a neat start. Then came cosmetics and a classy clutch purse :) and of course a scented candle!! But the card with our picture printed on it was a stealer!!

As I continued with the gift opening ritual, out came cross-stitch manual, more books to read, cosmetics, earrings, a gift coupon, branded t-shirt and cash from my parents. I was truly enriched!! hahaha.....

My surprise, ecstasy, joy and excitement were all captured on the camera, courtesy my sister!! And I got flowers too...red roses!!!

As anticipated, I got a call from a dear ex-colleague and friend in the morning!! Thank you S.K!! oops!!! S.P.....:P Had to go to work, but it was kinda fun with all the attention and cake cutting(3rd cake). Got calls throughout the day from friends and my sister checking on me to see whether I was enjoying my birthday and not to forget emails and messages! Then I got a surprise flower delivery in the evening...ooohhhh!!!! That was a dear friend of mine....It stands today adorning my cubicle! In the evening I had a quiet moment with my sis in a coffee shop eating Chocolate Bliss pie...courtesy the coffee shop.....Well!! Everybody were so kind to me!

Had dinner with family in a Chinese restaurant and I must say, the food was delicious! After we reached home, another chocolate was waiting to be cut...Wow!! That was the 4th cake ...Loved the cake!! Thank you dear sis!!!

In the end, as I retired to bed, I could just thank God for His immense blessings upon me and for my family and friends who made my birthday a wonderful milestone to pass!

Milestones-1

This year as I celebrated my special birthday, I knew I crossed another milestone. It kept me thinking of the ways in which I had grown as a person, as a daughter, as a sister, as a friend, as a colleague and more so as a child of God! And I am just hoping that I have grown in stature(metaphorically speaking :)) and in a positive way which only time will tell!

This was the first birthday where everyone was excited about, right from my family and friends. My sister was busy contemplating ways in which to surprise me and the kind of gifts to give. You have no clue how I pestered her to tell me what she was gonna give me. Was she annoyed or what?? Haahaa...

I was so touched with the fact that friends asked what kind of a birthday party I desired. That was awfully kind of them. This was for those who could not see me on my birthday, so we had a pre-birthday celebrations!! Yippee!! I enjoyed it so much.

I had my pre-birthday celebration on Sunday. I put on brand new clothes and clicked many pics with my family and friends. My sister who developed a great taste in photography become my own official photographer!! She loves clicking pics anyway!! After church, my friends sang to me and another church member who was also celebrating her birthday. Then!! We cut a cake (chocolate cake soaked in wine!!) and posed for more pics!! It was fun!!!

Then off we went to a coffee shop and celebrated again with another cake cutting!! I was showered with gifts and cards....It was so special!! Met my old friends too...then more pics :). Then my sister and I went to watch a movie!! Reached home in the evening, tired but extremely happy!! My sister had already purchased a lot of gifts which I was dying to open. And boy!! she wouldn't let me go near that special bag which contained all the goodies!!!

All the gifts given by my friends and the ones which my sister had got were neatly arranged on our table, along with the cards....They looked so beautiful...for the simple reason that so many cared enough to write a note to encourage me and celebrate in my joy!!!

What makes birthday special is not the cutting of cake or the gifts but the fact that you have a family who loves you and friends who care about you and desire to encourage you.....

More to come in the next post :)

Oh How I Wish...

Every time I watch Jim Carey complain and murmur about his pitiable condition in 'Bruce Almighty', it brings a smile on my face. The makers of this movie were able to capture the universal disease of us human beings, “complaining”. It is not an unique disease that plagues a few, but is prevalent among the rich and poor alike!!

One statement from Jim Carey that stuck me was this, “I hate my mediocre life.”. Wow!! Mediocre, eh? Well, the movie has a humorous undertone where in the end, Jim Carey a.k.a Bruce Nolan realised that what he had, was so much better and well satisfying than what he wished for!!

So, readers what are you wishing for today?? A better comfortable life, a spectacular job, great loyal friends, understanding spouse who is able to read your mind and respond instantly?? For starters, this post isn't meant to give any advice for I have none!! Sorry folks!! What I am trying to do is think through the issue of complaining. Why do I complain? Tell me, why are you complaining?

The main reason I complain is because I feel I deserve better than what I have. Instead of being thankful for what I have, I look at what I don't have and become unhappy!! And my heart is so deceitful that it will coax me to find satisfaction in the things around me, when there are just supposed to point me to the One, the Giver of all things! It is God alone who can satisfy me! Period.

I like what my pastor said during one of his sermons, “If you don't have something in your life that you desire, probably it is not something you need at the moment.” Every time we complain, we are actually raising our fists against God telling Him, “You aren't doing a good job.” Of all creation, the animals and birds pay their respects better to their Creator by not complaining.

No wonder, in the Bible, Jesus Christ talked about the lilies of the field and the birds of the air in Matthew 6: 25-35. If God can take care of the birds who neither sow nor reap, how much more for those believe in God through Christ Jesus??

By God's grace, my complaining has reduced quite a bit and there is so much to thank God for!! For a job in this recession, for a roof over my head, for a healthy body and kind friends too.

Coming back to the statement about a mediocre life mentioned by Bruce Nolan in Bruce Almighty is that maybe, if I don't have a great life as wanted/fancied is probably because I can't handle it. More often than ever, we overestimate ourselves. We think we can handle everything. Never envy somebody else's life, coz we don't know what their secret troubles are! In the process of coveting their so-called prosperous lives, you might inherit their troubles too!

Being content is the key!!

And the Oscars goes to.....

Managed to watch a bit of the rerun of the Oscars! Well, the fizz was out of the coke as the winners were already announced . But I wanted to watch it anyway. For me, the star appeal was of course, the host of the Academy Awards, Hugh Jackman. He was truly sensational. His Broadway number with Beyounce Knowles was fantastic!!

I could just watch a bit of the ceremony as my tired eyes craved for some sleep. I had to regretfully walk out of the hall and retire humbly to bed. So much for fun! But I was satisfied watching Hugh Jackman as he made his way into the hearts of many that evening. And mine too :P

Waiting for something?

How many of us like to wait? Well, you must be wondering why am I asking this question. But, think for a second? Do you like to wait? Now this actually depends on the circumstances you are in. If I were to speak for myself, I don't like to wait for practically anything. Waiting in a queue or waiting for something to happen. Sheesh, sometimes it is tormenting!!

But, the other day while I was watching a cookery based show on Discovery Travel and Living, a remark made by a famous chef left me stunned. He said something to the effect of “I like to wait. Waiting is good, beautiful...like waiting for the love of a woman.” That was something significant! In some sense when you receive something for which you have waited for a long time, your happiness knows no bounds!! Waiting teaches you patience, makes you grateful for the object you waited for.

Think about food for a minute. Food that takes hours to be prepared and when it is finally set on the table and when you sink your teeth into the first morsel, what do you experience? Bliss!!! What else??

When you have waited long at the bus stop and you catch a glimpse of the bus afar, don't you give a sigh of relief?Waiting has taught me to be grateful....taught me to be patient...and to appreciate all that comes along especially after a long time.

We as humans are extremely impatient about practically everything and this “waiting” instills in us a kind spirit of anticipation of the object we wait for. Think of an expectant mother. A student waiting quietly for the results to be announced. There is silence, quietness and a heart to receive whatever may befall. Waiting teaches us humility in a way that reminds that nothing is in our hands. We are not in control of our lives. Think of the gardener. He has to wait patiently for the rains to fall and the seed to grow into a plant and for it to bear fruit in due season!

This is what I would say for those who are in the season of waiting. Waiting to grow up, waiting to go to college, waiting to get married, waiting to bear children...whatever it may be...Remember one thing, waiting is good! Enjoy this season with grace!!

Trip to Splendour Country

Felt the need to expand on my official trip that I had last weekend…..After much discussion and talks about the suitable place to go for the yearly official trip, we decided on “Splendour Country”. And Splendour Country it was!! I won’t go into the details of how we landed there as it is quite obvious, vehicles!!

When we reached there, I couldn’t help but notice the green foliage, the well maintained lawns and the neatly trimmed shrubs…..As we walked further, I saw the swimming pool!!! Ahh!! I love the colour blue…..All I did was click picture after picture…We had a quick breakfast as everybody were hungry since the paranthas seemed to disappear at a lightening speed :)

Then, we made our way to the basement that had games like pool, table tennis, badminton and carom…..Of course we had music too!!! I tried my hand with pool and I did not like it! There was karaoke singing!! Wow!! I tried my hand in it!! And I must admit that I enjoyed it thoroughly. What did I sing? “Eternal Flame”

Then the guys went swimming and the girls followed suit. I preferred sticking to clicking more pics…. We had lunch and the games that followed later were really interesting…..

In the end, we took a group pic and had tea and bhajias :) ….In short, it was a memorable and a refreshing trip to remember for a long time….

Trip to a resort

Last weekend, our company had their official trip to a resort. How was it? Really good!!! I liked the place as it was surrounded by greens. Personally, I enjoyed capturing these moments on the camera. It was a neat place to unwind and relax...By the time we came to the city, we were all exhausted......In the end it was a trip to remember!!

Wake up and smell the coffee!

After all the talking about being sleepy and exhaustion creeping in......I knew what I needed......Yes!!! A cuppa coffee..Mmm..Refreshed in my soul!!!!

Sleepy!!!! Somebody help me!!!!!

Exhausted!!

Be careful what you wish for!

This is my first entry for the year 2009 and this is what I have to say, " Be careful what you wish for" and as it says "It may come true".....To me this sounds creepy at times......We all have desires and dreams and how strongly we wish it would turn true!!! Only to realise that we have quite forgotten to read the fine print....

I can quote many instances when I had wished for certain things to happen for many reasons. Maybe I was not happy with my present situation. Maybe I desired a change. Or else I just wanted to have some fun......Then it turns out to be true......and then you realise it is nothing but a disaster!!! Oops!!!!!

Moral of the story: Learn to be content in whatever situation God has placed you in ......and this I say to myself aloud (listen to yourself girl!!!!), the skills you have...don't crave what others possess.....You may not be in a position to handle it at all!!!
So, be careful what you wish for.....it may turn to be true.....