tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87380930326018973622024-03-19T13:48:59.438+03:00Matter-of-FactFahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16635820107412257454noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8738093032601897362.post-2896258719087463992009-07-22T16:26:00.001+03:002009-07-22T16:33:33.680+03:00Naaansense!This morning i rode out of bed straight into the woods back door and stopped by the brook. I bent over to take a sip of the dazzling clear water when i got knocked over by a giant who laughed heartily as i went down the river with the current through rapids and finally plummeted down the edge of the cliff. <br /><br />As i fell, everything slowed down and a school of sparrows caught me by my hair and carried me to terrafirma. My feet planted wide, i steadied myself and dusted off the dirt from my clothes. I then looked around to thank the Sparrow Prince on whose orders his feathered friends had saved me.<br /> <br />My heart that by then had been beating all over the place jumped back up my throat and stifled my scream.<br /> <br />I realise I was under the shadow of a huge bill board with blazing lights that blared music from bugs bunny cartoons. <br /> <br />The sign read<br /> <br />"difference between fact and fiction?<br /> <br />fiction is expected to make sense!"Fahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16635820107412257454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8738093032601897362.post-71767099611362593072009-07-08T13:14:00.007+03:002009-07-24T13:49:00.404+03:00in the glory of a moonlit night<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgaUqezSvf1qIpxDLtQkhyphenhyphenMa_Iv7rjKNkAjOiNqZBOAM0D_Yz0dgq_Jh6HgA694p7K_E-giCGe8V7_tcExfZokyf5HdcwQNYvnheQyJGSxMRvlnTtzbVRyNp9uOzahNO9Vd5CR_rCf-_Y/s1600-h/3917-Moonlit-Memories-Alask+border.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 159px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgaUqezSvf1qIpxDLtQkhyphenhyphenMa_Iv7rjKNkAjOiNqZBOAM0D_Yz0dgq_Jh6HgA694p7K_E-giCGe8V7_tcExfZokyf5HdcwQNYvnheQyJGSxMRvlnTtzbVRyNp9uOzahNO9Vd5CR_rCf-_Y/s320/3917-Moonlit-Memories-Alask+border.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361929387572622466" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />When moonlight shines from above, <br />the ripples in the lake appear <br />like a staircase of tiny steps <br />tempting you to cross over <br /><br />Cross over to the delights hidden <br />behind the dark curtain <br />that awaits you at the horizon. <br /><br />Oh how I wish i cross that lake. <br />How i wish I would be set free...Fahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16635820107412257454noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8738093032601897362.post-54276443637274415482009-05-19T13:47:00.013+03:002009-07-24T13:49:56.494+03:00Sword of Damocles in the 21st CenturyLet me tell you a small story.<br /> <br />There was once a cruel king called Dionysius. He was so dreaded amongst his own people that they wished he him dead.<br /> <br />But as all kings are, Dionysius lived in the lap of luxury and waited upon by a hundred servants.<br /> <br />Among his courtiers was Damocles who envied the king and exclaimed, "you have everything a man could wish for. I'd die a happy man if i could live your life for just one day."<br /> <br />Dionysius granted him his wish.<br /> <br />The next day, Damocles was treated as master of the palace and had all his whims fulfilled. However, when he sat down to dine, sometime during the scrumptious meal, his eyes were drawn to the ceiling.<br /> <br />Damocles felt his blood chill, and cried out "that sword!" "That sword!"<br /> <br />Dionysius replied, "so what if there is a sword above your head? Do you not see the bounty laid before you? The golden carpets with ivory tables carrying the sweetest of wines and the best of fruit; the most luscious meats and the most delicious sweets?<br /> <br />Damocles shivered and cried, "but I fear for my life."<br /> <br />Dionysius replied, "just as i fear for mine every second of my life."<br /> <br />That my friends is the tale of the 'Sword of Damocles.'<br /> <br /> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhewAhvinQS2W2ed-hz3eNzXQ2appL6ijPFwp0I3TnGIN9nTAAKaZxb2DKPWdqy4F5IFGfPqgfjs_udYI1DuR5xm465e7p_JZtD7jADm45fTd8oHshgnjIbHtv1aN4CMispXEISDdjLYCs/s1600-h/Damocles-WestallPC20080120-8842A+border.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 261px; height: 330px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhewAhvinQS2W2ed-hz3eNzXQ2appL6ijPFwp0I3TnGIN9nTAAKaZxb2DKPWdqy4F5IFGfPqgfjs_udYI1DuR5xm465e7p_JZtD7jADm45fTd8oHshgnjIbHtv1aN4CMispXEISDdjLYCs/s320/Damocles-WestallPC20080120-8842A+border.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361930590475339362" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Above the terrorist threats and epidemics hangs a Bigger Damocles Sword -<br /> <br />CLIMATE CHANGE.<br /><br />The future of the world is unpredictable. Global warming will change all our lives. For the worse. What do we do?<br /> <br /><br />Here are some facts and projections on water and climate change:<br /><br /><br /><br />-- Temperatures are likely to rise by between 1.1 and 6.4 Celsius (2.0 and 11.5 Fahrenheit) and sea levels by between 18 cm and 59 cm (7 inches and 23 inches) this century, according to the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.<br /><br />-- Climate change model simulations for the 21st century see increased precipitation at high latitudes and tropical areas; decreased rainfall in sub-tropical regions.<br /><br />-- Warming in the western U.S. mountains is projected to cause decreased snowpack, more winter flooding and reduce summer flows, exacerbating competition for over-allocated water resources.<br /><br />-- Major challenges are projected for U.S. crops near the warm end of their suitable range or which depend on highly utilized water resources.<br /><br />-- In southern Europe, climate change is projected to worsen conditions like high temperatures and drought, and reduce available water, hydropower potential, summer tourism and crops in general.<br /><br />-- In Latin America, productivity of some important crops will decrease, while disappearance of glaciers in the Andes will affect water supplies for human consumption.<br /><br />-- In Africa, by 2020, between 75 and 250 million people are projected to be exposed to increased water stress due to climate change. In some countries, yields from rain-fed agriculture could be reduced by up to 50 percent.<br /><br />-- In Asia, by the 2050s, freshwater availability in Central, South, East and South-East Asia, particularly in large river basins, is projected to decrease.<br /><br />-- Australia's drought, which helped spark the country's deadliest bushfire disaster in early 2009, has been linked to climate change. By 2030, water problems are projected to intensify in southern and eastern Australia.<br /><br />-- Rising sea levels could increase salinity in groundwater and estuaries worldwide. This could have grave implications for coastal urban areas such as Miami, Florida.<br /><br />-- Ignoring climate change will cost us as much as US$7,500,000,000 by 2050 (that’s $7.5 trillion, 20% of the global economy).<br /> <br /><br /><br />Work towards the change that the world needs, and our kids deserve. Get talking. Spread the message. Get into action.<br /> <br />NOW!<br /><br /> <br />Watch and RATE my video on CLIMATE CHANGE at : <br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs7aZ4KIL3k<br /> <br /><br />Discuss your ideas to tackle climate change and mobilise people at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs7aZ4KIL3k<br /> <br /> <br /><br /><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Zs7aZ4KIL3k&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Zs7aZ4KIL3k&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object>Fahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16635820107412257454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8738093032601897362.post-57997264339637812022009-04-12T21:11:00.008+03:002009-07-24T11:01:40.150+03:00Sunday movies<div>On Sunday nights, we usually rent a DVD and everyone in the family gets a turn to pick.<br />We dread my ten year-old brother's turn to pick the flick cz he usually picks stuff like Gothica, Black Christmas, Grudge and stuff that grosses us out within the first few min.<br />But this sunday he picked a really nice romantic film that surprised him more than it surprised me. </div><br /><div></div><div><br /><br />It turns out that he thought 'P.S. I LOVE YOU' stood for 'Playstation: I love you !'</div>Fahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16635820107412257454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8738093032601897362.post-24981347245798309722009-01-11T01:08:00.003+03:002009-01-11T01:19:14.526+03:00who says??they say a bird doesnt care if its cage is golden<br />it yearns only to be free<br /><br />those words rang so true<br />when they put me here in my golden cage<br />i despised it<br />i looked up to the sky every day<br />i remembered soaring in its heights<br />slicing through its depths<br />diving down only for a sip or a nip<br />and then heading back in to the clouds<br />i loved the friction of wind through my feathers<br />the push and pull of the currents<br />and then i fell in love again<br />the more i hated the golden trimmings of the red velvet cushion<br />the more i began to wallow in it<br />the more i hated the seeds and water<br />the more i began to gobble it<br />and now they who put me here<br />have forgotten to close the golden door<br />and yet i cannot bring myself to fly back<br />back to my home from yesterday<br />back to that blue yonder that i lusted<br />because i am in love with my golden cage<br /><strong>Who says the bird doesnt care if the cage is golden?</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong>Fahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16635820107412257454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8738093032601897362.post-74688953479021736302008-12-04T00:04:00.002+03:002008-12-04T01:08:01.603+03:00...thus lamented the spirited old ladyShaadi hai janam janam ka saath.<br />[Marriage is a bond that carries on to your future births.]<br /><br />A very daunting thought already, when u realize you are stuck with a man for not just the rest of this life but even the next few.<br /><br />For me its almost forbidding because so far, I've had three husbands and am planning to squeeze in a fourth if my hip replacement surgery is successful. [I know what you are thinking and it wasn't that. Read on.]<br /><br />Much to my consternation I slipped on a rubber duck at my daughter's place. The following ruckus comprised of myself without any clothing lying on my tummy on the bathroom floor while a carpenter [who unhinged the door ], my daughter, son-in-law, three paramedics and my grand-daughter [bless her, she's three and I pray she'll have no memory of this] saw my tushie and a little more. Why on earth couldn't I have fallen unconscious rather than witness the bizarre spectacle is beyond me, but over the years I've noticed...the more embarrassing a situation the bigger the audience.<br /><br />Anyways, some good and some bad comes of everything. The bad according to me was the extra time during the course of my 30 days of bed rest for introspection. It gives me a guilt conscious for things I'd never have thought of before. The good was of course, all the flowers, cards and chocolates I received from my ardent admirers [have always been surprised at the no. of them] and of course the time I had to think up silly thoughts like this one.<br /><br />My daughter hunted out the old CD my second husband had got me before we got married [of course after marriage all the thoughtfulness just evaporates]. I popped it into my snazzy laptop [I like to be ahead of my times and am pretty tech savvy. My son-in law-thinks so too. He was flabbergasted when i got WiFi before him].<br /><br />In went the CD and out came the song: "Janam janam ka saath hai tumhara hamara..."<br /><br />"CHEESY," I told myself. "How did I manage to fall for a guy who loved this mush? I must have been pretty desperate!" And then I recalled that indeed I had been.<br /><br />At least the marriage had lasted 'till death do us part' [five years], unlike my first husband who parted for a tiny young number in red, that i found in his bed, and I'm glad to report slipped out of it two months later, when the balance in his pension fund plunged way below zero.<br /><br />What worries me now is that with three marriages turning in their graves, i don't know if I'd get to choose the one I'll have in my next birth. Will all three of them follow me there too? And even if I get to choose...very frankly, I don't think I'd want to pick one of the husbands I already have had. I would not make the same mistake twice even if i were brain dead. <br /><br />May be I could piece different parts of them that I like together... Now there is a thought. With all the techno gadgetry and advances in biotechnology, they ought to be able to pull such a stunt by now. Wouldn't they? Or even better. Why not just let me pick a whole new number. One that's thoughtful, sensitive and caring even after the vows are said.<br /><br />LOL...Who am I kidding?<br /><br />I think i'll get a cat.Fahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16635820107412257454noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8738093032601897362.post-58466854634597823622008-10-24T23:27:00.003+03:002009-07-24T13:50:44.019+03:00untold stories...unasked questions...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdqZOV4T3pRF0WQ_VanGxG0XnqmzARtoYaed4J_IV7_ykr6oyAlCKS_wGZ8vI4vaiwwH0t6HWQ34hGCn1DEa4Je8jKHHcJ6h-_I0Hgvv9gfCIa21k-kEDeEj-J-yWUbNZITn94O8W9tNg/s1600-h/girl-sitting-watercolor+border.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 315px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdqZOV4T3pRF0WQ_VanGxG0XnqmzARtoYaed4J_IV7_ykr6oyAlCKS_wGZ8vI4vaiwwH0t6HWQ34hGCn1DEa4Je8jKHHcJ6h-_I0Hgvv9gfCIa21k-kEDeEj-J-yWUbNZITn94O8W9tNg/s320/girl-sitting-watercolor+border.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361935135271736418" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">what do u do </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">when you badly want someone to talk to?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">the one person you know who'll listen</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">doesn't live here anymore</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">the phones aren't working</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">the internet is slow</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">the messenger won't connect</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">your inbox won't download</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">time is running out</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">you are starting to despair</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">soon you'll change your mind </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">about what you wanted to say</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">the words will stay unspoken</span><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">the story untold</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">that piece of hell or heaven you needed to share</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';">will never unfold</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">so what do you do?</span></span></div>Fahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16635820107412257454noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8738093032601897362.post-83089906326367894892008-10-16T21:31:00.002+03:002008-10-16T21:37:59.841+03:00Domestic-city – not my cup of tea.<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed">My family often reminds me of the rhyme about "the old lady who lived in the shoe" and movies like "Cheaper by the dozen," only mine is cheaper by the half-dozen.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed">There are lots of pros to being brought up in a family like mine.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed">For example, if you spilt some something, you don't have to worry about taking the blame…just toss it on somebody else and they'll pass it on endlessly.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed">"I didn't do it, she did."</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed">"I didn't, he did."</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed">"Who said I did, she always does it. She was born upside down, remember? She's the one who's clumsy,"</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed">and so forth it goes on…</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed">The cons may sometimes out stack the pros but that usually depends on </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed"></p><ul><li> your mood</li><li>your outlook on life, and</li><li>how long you had to wait before you could use the bathroom.</li></ul><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed">Another often irritating thing about being a part of my household is that nothing will ever be where you left it. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed">The watch you left on the dresser, will some how be in kitchen sink.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed">The new sweater you just bought, will be in the washing machine because your teenage sister would have sneaked out in it while u were asleep and then done some more of that spilling that we just spoke about.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed">And your 50 mark assignment to be submitted that morning, will have yesterday's chicken curry upset over it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed">To some of you, these things might sound impossible.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed">But you have to believe me just like you believe in ghosts and UFO's [you say you don't, but watch enough movies about them] that they do happen.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed">The ghosts remind me…did I tell you that almost every appliance in my house malfunctions? </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed">It's crazy enough to drive a self-righteous poltergeist nuts because he's looking around and thinking -</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed">"…huh I dint do that?.... But I dint do that either? …."<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed">LOUD CRASH</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed">"Did I do that? …ODS [Oh Dear Satan] I think I've lost it"</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed">[To the Ghosts reading my blog, please do not take offence…You could believe in God too, but Satan is something we all have proof about. That’s why I used him. Nothing personal.]</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed">The clothes dryer bangs every time we switch it on, and moves from the wall to the bath tub [a distance of about 3 and half feet] by the time the drying cycle is complete.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed">The microwaves sputters [yes, it really does] every time u feed in more than three minutes and has tiny explosions with lighting and sound effects if u punch in the numbers too quick.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed">The vacuum cleaner never works when we're expecting guests and creates a hell of racket leaving u temporarily deaf for about 20 min each time you run it. But thanks to goodness, we got that fixed today.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed">The racket was caused by the following items which were located in the heart of the poor machine's motor:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed"></p><ul><li>10 colour pencils assorted</li><li>one toy plastic syringe</li><li>one 9 inch knitting needle</li></ul><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed">This post, coming at a time when we're shifting residence is a little unfortunate because we're selling some of our stuff. But I can assure you that the haunted appliances I just told you about are coming to <st1:country-region><st1:place>India</st1:place></st1:country-region> with me. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed">So u can drop in anytime and check out <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">fa's freaky fumbling home appliances</span> yourself.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; ">After all, you gotta see it, to believe it. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed"><o:p> </o:p></p>Fahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16635820107412257454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8738093032601897362.post-43462487795979160392008-10-06T13:51:00.002+03:002008-10-06T14:07:15.856+03:00Din<div>when did he turn that way</div><br /><div>when did he walk away</div><br /><div>i thought we were in this together</div><br /><div>i thought we would never part ways<br /></div><br /><div>Yet here i am</div><br /><div>there is no sign of him</div><br /><div>my peace of mind has disappeared</div><br /><div>all i hear is din</div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUHk3XwBZfcqnMG4u4tBQhzaaDszQBY8HXRMhDy5w5Gdc2EoQjP3_Q33Q5dyUI6Qii5n0IEigLV0iYQm0HvzgE2VTWUWmRnNzQ4G4gA_wEyD3qeg0nMWtcXl-j5kKYfftF4Pu7LZTjtg/s1600-h/walking_away.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253995630952669634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUHk3XwBZfcqnMG4u4tBQhzaaDszQBY8HXRMhDy5w5Gdc2EoQjP3_Q33Q5dyUI6Qii5n0IEigLV0iYQm0HvzgE2VTWUWmRnNzQ4G4gA_wEyD3qeg0nMWtcXl-j5kKYfftF4Pu7LZTjtg/s320/walking_away.jpg" border="0" /></a>Fahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16635820107412257454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8738093032601897362.post-42828605442634742008-10-05T15:42:00.002+03:002008-12-04T15:44:27.679+03:00Human vs. Animal<p>A violent streak is there in all of us. Mostly it stays dormant until triggered and our responses to something that’s only human differ greatly especially if it's parental violence<br /><br />I've seen enough mothers reach the end of their tether and let out their rage on a child. Of course a little while later they'll coddle the child with hugs, kisses and treats to assuage their guilt.<br /><br />In the Indian scenario of course beating children to discipline them is a common resort.<br /><br />But how necessary is it? How can a parent expect his children to control their emotions when he/she parents let loose his?<br /><br />I watched a video by Saatchi & Saatchi, Beirut, and it really tugged at my heart. The tagline goes<br /><br /><strong>"Some kids wish their parent were animals."</strong><br /><br />The thought behind it runs very deep and the visuals are all equally emotion and thought-provoking.<br /><br />Violence begets violence.<br /><br />I've always believed that. But some how it is always an undercurrent in us and you see it everyday is some aspect of life or the other.<br /><br />Even if you escape it the entire day, get back home, dump yourself on the sofa and switch on the telly. <strong>KABOOM</strong>.<br /><br />There it is again. It's found you. You see a bomb blast in news or domestic violence on the regional soaps or dhaam-dhoom-dishum in the movies.<br /><br />Conclusion: <strong>Control</strong>.<br /><br />I cannot believe that when we can control so many responses and reactions through the day. Cajole our bosses, be diplomatic with the colleagues and saccharine with the neighbors, we can't control our temper in our own homes.<br /><br />Letting rage out is an indulgence. On you may indulge in private. Take it out on a boxing bag or a pillow.<br /><br /><strong>Spare the child</strong>.</p><p></p><p></p><br /><br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7-RTKQNVk00&hl=" width="425" height="344" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" fs="1" allowfullscreen="true"></embed>Fahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16635820107412257454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8738093032601897362.post-34093548131465348052008-10-02T01:51:00.001+03:002008-10-02T01:56:13.158+03:00MagicWe were both there<br />And the details were so perfect<br />The magic in the moment<br />My heart won’t ever forget<br /><br /><br />Can a dream be so vivid?<br />With taste, touch and smell?<br />Was it just my mind playing tricks on me.<br />Or was it a page from a memory long forgotten?<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/36uG_C9zyVU&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/36uG_C9zyVU&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Fahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16635820107412257454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8738093032601897362.post-20529240850390255592008-10-01T19:25:00.000+03:002008-10-01T19:26:25.287+03:00so who am i kidding??<strong>I started as the ideal child<br />Never a step out of line<br />Grew up being the ideal one<br />Faults I thought in me were none<br /><br />Then came the arguments and fights<br />When I began to stand up for what I thought was right<br />But I was just twelve, they all said<br />You've hardly been far from the home where you dwell<br /><br />I was too young<br />to save the world<br />too naive to see<br />that the hearts were long cold<br /><br />At sixteen I marched out in tow<br />With big missions in mind<br />And all the things from<br />The education prescribed<br /><br />I spoke out loud<br />I'd thought they would listen<br />But they all just guffawed<br />Knowing that the world cannot of evil be ridden<br /><br />Yet again at eighteen when I could vote<br />I thought I'd finally crossed that long moat<br />That divided me<br />from the adult world<br /><br />In vain, I spoke<br />While alongside them I walked<br />But they'd already figured it out<br />I was just a child, who'd eventually tire out<br /><br />Now much older I have grown<br />I know now what I should then have known<br />My shoulders feel heavy, my head hangs low<br />The people me I find shallow<br /><br />I had sought to change<br />The way they had lived<br />For centuries together<br />And now a not a 'damn' they give<br /><br />Their hearts are cold as stone<br />Their bodies, the bricks<br />Their hearts won't thaw,<br />Their bricks won't shift<br /><br /><br />Who am I kidding?<br />It’s a great big wall<br />That’s not going to move<br />That’s not going to fall<br /><br />The road around it<br />Is very long<br />Should I take it?or am I wrong?<br /><br />It's much much easier<br />To stand here with them<br />Instead of walking alone<br />As I have been for so long</strong>Fahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16635820107412257454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8738093032601897362.post-46956831179076668582008-09-30T01:56:00.002+03:002008-09-30T02:11:38.412+03:00an island and a serpent and a whole lotta confusionDreams are supposed to have the uncanny knack of reflecting reality only in not so obvious ways. I have lots of wacky dreams that I dream up and then forget instantly yet the one I had last night was downright weird…<br /><br />It involved an island. One that I distinctly remember having been on dream-wise. There was a beautiful sunset that turned the beach a glassy glossy pink. The word LOVE...[Mind you …I'm not a lovey-dovey person and am commitment-phobic to a manic degree which pleased my mum before but now distresses her cz I am apparently of marriageable age] drawn into a sand dune….there were flowers and shells bordering the words in heart…[I really think I fell into a cupid cartoon or an insipid valentine's day card] It looked like the "see the world through rosy glasses" metaphor had come true.<br /><br />I just wanted to keep starting at the still as glass pink water…[there weren’t any waves…weird].<br /><br />Then something started to ruffle the surface and this yucky sickly white-grey serpent began to sway its head underneath and then it came out…but it seemed to be headed away from the island.<br /><br />This head looked like that of a cobra…it had the 'hood'. I breathed a sigh of relief a little too soon cz just then I saw that it had another head too. This one looked like a crocodile…and the first head seemed to be dragging it away from my island against its will…and that was when our eyes met.<br /><br />Its dirty yellow-grey eyes gave me a scare and I realized…It was all a diversionary tactic…they were both headed for me and my house on the island anyway…<br /><br />The rest of the dream is a little fuzzy and involved a struggle of some sort but I dont want to dwell on what I'm not sure of.<br /><br />I decided to have some from with this dream of mine and interpret it with a dream dictionary and other common interpretations that people have of the objects and events in dreams. Here goes:<br /><br />Let's pick up keywords and see what their supposed to say<br /><br />ISLAND -To see an island or dream that you are on an in your dream, signifies ease, relaxation and comfort.<br /><br />To dream that you are in stranded on a island, signifies that you are in a rut and do not quite know what to do with your life. On the other hand, you may be seeking some solitude. Perhaps you are running away from a situation instead of trying to confront it.<br /><br /><em>Okie they might actually be right here..i am genuinely stuck in a rut..hmmm<br /><br />Next… </em><br /><br />DÉJÀ VU – the feeling that I'd already been on that island in a previous dream- To dream of Déjà vu, indicates some unresolved issue which you are not addressing or are refusing to acknowledge. It may also represent a message or word of advice that you need to heed.<br /><br /><em>Hmmm…okie if u say so…but considering the no. of unresolved issues I have an unheeded advice its kinda hard to figure that one out. </em><br /><br />SUNSET- To see the sunset in your dream, indicates the end of a cycle or condition. It is a period of rest, renewal, and evaluation.<br /><br />PINK theme of my dream - Pink represents love, joy, sweetness, happiness, affection, kindness. Being in love or healing through love is also implied with this color.<br /><br /><em>K…I choose the Fifth Amendment on this one. am not saying anything. </em><br /><br />LOVE - To dream of love of being in love, suggests intense feelings carried over from a waking relationship. It implies happiness and contentment with what you have and where you are in life. On the other hand, you may not be getting enough love in your daily life. We naturally long for the sense to belong and to be accepted.<br /><br />To see a couple in love or expressing love to each other, indicates much success ahead for you.<br /><br />To dream that your friend is in love with you, may be one of wish fulfillment. Perhaps you have developed have developed feelings for your best friend and are wondering how he or she feels. You are so preoccupied with these thoughts that it is evitable that it find its way into your dreaming mind. On the other hand, the dream may also suggests that you have accepted certain qualities of your best best friend and incorporated into your own character.<br /><br />To dream that you are making love in public or in different places, relates to some overt sexual issue or need. Your dream may be telling you that you need to express yourself more openly. Alternatively, it represents your perceptions about your own sexuality in the context of politic and social norms. You may be questioning your feelings about sex, marriage, love, and gender roles.<br /><br /><em>None of this applies cz I just saw the word written in sand. My interpretation - the practical part of my brain wrote it in sand and not rock cz I know it'll never stay. </em><br /><br />SAND DUNES - To see a sand dune in your dream, signifies your desires to be sheltered from the bitterness of reality.<br /><br /><em>Who wouldn't want that??? </em><br /><br />FLOWERS- To see colorful flowers in your dream, signifies kindness, compassion, gentleness, pleasure, beauty, and gain. It is also symbolic of perfection and spirituality. Your dream may be an expression of love, joy and happiness. Alternatively, flowers may denote a particular time or season. If the flowers are white, then it symbolizes sadness.<br /><br />To see withered or dead flowers in your dream, denotes disappointments and gloomy situations. You may not be utilizing your full potential and talents.<br /><br />To dream that you receive a bouquet of flowers, represents respect, approval, admiration, and rewards.<br /><br />To see flowers blooming in barren soil, signifies that energy and cheerful nature will enable you to overcome your grievances.<br /><br /><em>Yikes…the flowers I saw were white… </em><br /><br />WATER - Dreaming of clear water is a sign of great good luck and prosperity, a dream of muddy water foretells sadness or sorry for the dreamer through hearing of an illness or death of someone he/she knows well. Dirty water warns of unscrupulous people who would bring you to ruin. All water dreams, other then clear, has a bad omen connected to it and should be studied carefully and taken as a true waning.<br /><br /><em>Yippee…the water I saw was clear…. </em><br /><br /><em>I dunno how to get these generic dictionaries to define a grey-white sick looking two-headed serpent which is a mutation of a snake and a crocodile…hmmm </em><br /><br />SNAKE - A snake, being the ages old symbol of evil or satan, makes it a bad omen to have one show up in a dream. To see a lone snake and feel threatened by it shows that you have a bad enemy that is even then working against you, it also a warning against bodily harm from an enemy. To dream of many snakes in a pit is the foreboding of much bad luck in love or business. Should you overcome and kill a threatening snake in your dream shows that you will overcome your adversary and win out.<br /><br /><em>One consolation I remember escaping from the snake before it made one last lunge desperate lunge at me and then left the house… </em><br /><br />Ok I've had enough dream interpretation for today so….if we summarize it all…<br /><br /><br /><strong>I'm stuck in a rut with unresolved issues </strong>[where is the surprise in that?] <strong>but its coming to an end..</strong>[hurray]…<strong>I don't want anymore problems…I'm sad but I have great luck and prosperity and I have a bad enemy I will overcome. </strong><br /><br />wow... that was fun...no wonder freud did it so much...<br /><br />YAHOO…I'm gonna go tuck myself into bed now…sweet dreams everyone…Fahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16635820107412257454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8738093032601897362.post-87487109186207961502008-09-28T19:47:00.002+03:002008-09-28T19:57:41.961+03:00Born alone to die alone<p>"Where the hell is matt?" is an amazing video where this guy dances in the middle of so many places and get the natives to dance him.<br /><br />I watched the video and then followed up on it and realized that "Where the hell is Matt?" is almost a movement now and an example that can be quoted for stuff like cultural integration.<br /><br />The idea is simple. There are several shots of Matt dancing in different places in the world, with nice music playing in the background while Matt performs the same dance step again and again and again, but its leaves a smile on your face. The feel-good factor left behind by such a downright simple concept is worth a closer look.<br /><br />Were we always meant to be marked by the differences of our skin, tongues and the where we were born?<br /><br />They aren’t even differences if you look at it scientifically, studies in genetics have proven that the differences are only skin deep and our races have no specific genetic tags.<br /><br />Then why do we believe 'good fences make good neighbors'? Frost didn't like it either. He questioned the existence of the unnatural walls we have built between us with bricks, mortar and what not.<br /><br />It's not just the walls between countries and races, you know… I have several walls in my own house. Each member of the family has erected many including myself. But my walls have their soft points where the rock has worn out and a simple knock or push can bring that section of it down.<br /><br />I tell myself that if they really want to…they will make the effort to find those weaker points in the wall and bring it down. But the truth is that nobody has the time for it and I like staying in the midst of these walls. It's cozy and comfortable.<br /><br />Lofty ideal of togetherness I hold dear, but yet when it comes to my own domain, I'd rather live alone. </p><p><br /><br /><br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zlfKdbWwruY&hl=" fs="1" width="425" height="344" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>here is another video i love</p><p> </p><p> </p><br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BDO1YdAau2E&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BDO1YdAau2E&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Fahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16635820107412257454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8738093032601897362.post-9433931215554572202008-09-24T20:43:00.001+03:002008-09-24T20:46:09.090+03:00Most Potente PotionsIt is once again that time of the year when I refuse to get out from under the blanket until I really really have to go…or my box of hundred 'manadeel' [read 'tissues'] has run out.<br /><br />Yes …. I have the sniffles.<br /><br />It has set in and that my extensive research on google for "Common cold" reveals that the bug is gonna stay for atleast five days.<br /><br />The antibiotics that my mum is forcing down my throat are just gonna wage a futile war and add a fever to my misery.<br /><br />[uc: Common cold is a viral infection. Viruses live in host cells a.k.a our cells so it's tough to do anything to them without hurting ourselves. Best thing to do is wait for the immune system to kick the bad guys out]<br /><br />I've tried to explain the above scientifics to my mum but she never listens.[no surprises there]<br /><br />So while I bundled myself up and watched boredom and sleep wrestle each other to get the better of me, I tried to remember all the bizarre DIY fixes I've resorted to in the last two years to tackle the 'bug'<br /><br /><br />Here are a few:<br /><br />Plain ginger juice<br /><br />My fave – Pepper chicken soup<br /><br />Usha aunty's Pepper rasam gulped down hot without a break<br /><br />Hot Milk with turmeric<br /><br />Hot Milk with pepper<br /><br />And the <strong>WINNER</strong>:<br /><br /><strong>Hot Milk + Ginger juice + turmeric + honey + pepper + tulsi + saffron = FIRE<br /></strong><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfM7IUm4luT971mJqz5JClStLCfYjkTIh7tjZWvzkRp_JLDmT0gf1dci2cCuan2pn3waTOsZoc0Hv2jS_bQPYdnq7lpQHN5nvqVSNkCnoCtnN-f8ysNtuXPJ4dDqLR6UREJ3JrxSEBxc/s1600-h/jchrist.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249645387462975714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfM7IUm4luT971mJqz5JClStLCfYjkTIh7tjZWvzkRp_JLDmT0gf1dci2cCuan2pn3waTOsZoc0Hv2jS_bQPYdnq7lpQHN5nvqVSNkCnoCtnN-f8ysNtuXPJ4dDqLR6UREJ3JrxSEBxc/s320/jchrist.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Did I hear somebody say suicide???? Naaa….u shd try it… They peeled me off the ceiling, but I slept like baby afterwards.<br /><br />:PFahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16635820107412257454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8738093032601897362.post-14804127817092226962008-09-21T21:58:00.002+03:002008-09-23T21:15:07.401+03:00Dealing with bAD hAIR dAYsBad hair days happen to me so often, I wonder if 'good hair days' are legends from the 'good ole days' [whenever that was…my hair usually malfunctions]. But of course I've seen even divas look pathetic on the red carpet so that is one major consolation.<br /><br />However, bad hair days have been blessings in disguise. How?<br /><br />Well, they give me a chance to experiment with different looks. I don't mean different hats. I really do mean different looks.<br /><br />My hair has a mind of its own and often looks like I've just gotten outta bed but the days I thought UH OH and tried something new where the days I landed with maximum compliments.<br /><br />My sis has bugged me now to gov her a few tops she can write to a teen mag so here they are:<br /><br /><br />Your hair is always gonna be your crowning glory. You just need to work on it.<br /><br /><br />Here are three very easy do-it-yourself fixes:<br /><br /><br />1.<br /><br />What the most common fix you would go for on a bad hair day?<br /><br />A pony tail right?<br /><br />So how about two?<br /><br />Not the two palm trees you have overhead in your two-year old snaps but two low messy ponies at the nape of your neck giving you a cute dreamy-gal look.<br /><br />Just part your hair in the centre using your fingers [you don't want to look like the old lady in the shoe]. Secure each side into a ponytail at the nape of your neck with small elastic bands. Loosen a few strands here and there and finger-tease the ponytails to add volume…Voila<br /><br />You have your very own adorable girl-next-door look.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSyWNaTX6g1BlFP3VPD2Ts0t7QgAASrwOi3OLgbXjNgvotomCcsHMFeFnurB6vSGHo9cWq7Tb47j0MslavbycSdPZETQUApE_-ltiXMvMxnkTGtdLus3hccNhmyMbQWKVeAqafgP0r2j8/s1600-h/a.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249279071292663586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSyWNaTX6g1BlFP3VPD2Ts0t7QgAASrwOi3OLgbXjNgvotomCcsHMFeFnurB6vSGHo9cWq7Tb47j0MslavbycSdPZETQUApE_-ltiXMvMxnkTGtdLus3hccNhmyMbQWKVeAqafgP0r2j8/s320/a.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />2<br /><br />For the next fix….how about a braid?<br /><br />Hey. Don't jump to conclusions before you try it.<br /><br />Go for a fishtail. It looks lovely and with a little practice you'd be able to do it in no time.<br /><br />To start, pull hair to one side of head and split it into two sections--not three as you would a normal braid. Then, pull a small section of hair from the far side of one section and attach it to the other section. Repeat on other side, adding a piece from the section that's closest to your neck to the other section, then go back to first side and repeat again and again until you've got a fishy-funky braid.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://images.glam.com/glampress/beauty/young_hair/fergiea.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://images.glam.com/glampress/beauty/young_hair/fergiea.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />3<br />Hair is a complete just-out-of bed-tumble and you have only five minutes to straighten out the bird's nest?<br /><br />Well don’t tame it completely. Wet your fingers with some water from the tap and rub a little hair serum between your palms. Now run your fingers through your hair close to the scalp. Then comb your hair as neat and prim as you can along the scalp and clip the hair behind in a tight barrette or band. You'll have a neat and messy mix that'll add a new dimension to your appearance.<br /><br />There you go. Now you have three different looks to save your day.</span></div>vFahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16635820107412257454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8738093032601897362.post-25577601111492565702008-09-18T22:15:00.004+03:002008-09-23T21:18:48.297+03:00"OUT"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLvzAX9KqDpd0qg1CWHwBawvv-VrQwevLF7BJ4iVzbEs94uBadrpPiZOc7AnDe4g9WufsUcDFxJgtFngYqqYciP2mslhhmceQ0JEJp0ARoydsL6Gk7lV3q3VAy9c8Jd6MN2TWthQYuJUc/s1600-h/door.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249282832976566418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLvzAX9KqDpd0qg1CWHwBawvv-VrQwevLF7BJ4iVzbEs94uBadrpPiZOc7AnDe4g9WufsUcDFxJgtFngYqqYciP2mslhhmceQ0JEJp0ARoydsL6Gk7lV3q3VAy9c8Jd6MN2TWthQYuJUc/s320/door.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: kashida; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; DIRECTION: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; TEXT-KASHIDA: 0%"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">"Out."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Out was where I ran. Ran home. Home was where I could lock myself up. Up the long winding road, under the broken fence and straight through the open door. Doors are my favorite parts of a room. Room is a space decorated by people to impose their boring bits of their life on you. You can escape it all through a door in the wall. Walls are what people build to keep you from getting out. Out is where I like to be. Be it in a city or the countryside. Countryside intrigues me with it small snaky roads that take you a different place everyday. Everyday I took one of these roads and visited the old forgotten church, the creek, the old barn or some other place new. New adventures were what I sought. Sought me out, even better, was trouble. Trouble came from any and every direction. Directions that I never knew exist. Exist that way was the old lady in the house she haunted. Haunted it at night, and in the day she gone. Gone to sleep in her coffin. Coffins are supposed to have sealed doors. Doors that don't let you out.</span></p>Fahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16635820107412257454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8738093032601897362.post-73400284315615315132008-09-08T03:41:00.002+03:002008-09-23T21:24:02.695+03:00The Answer<div>Lost in the moors of my mind, I kept wandering until I came to the edge of that 'wretched' cliff.<br /><br />'I've been here,' I thought to myself as déjà vu made its presence felt.<br /><br />'Now that I think it over, I've been here more than once. Maybe it's a sign.'<br /><br />I peered over the edge of the cliff and saw how it was a very long way down. Shivering, I stepped back hugging myself. Was it cold? Or had the fog rolled in? I don't remember if I felt any of it. All I felt was 'lost.'<br /><br />I shook my head and started to reassure myself loudly in an effort to break the haunting silence.<br /><br />'Oh come on…Think rationally. How did I get here? Was this planned? I had it all mapped out, didn't I? Yet, here I am, lost without a clue. How could I have gotten so far?'<br /><br />I peered over again, as though the answer would jump up at me from down there, but all I saw were mean-looking rocks beckoning me from below.<br /><br />And then, I could see nothing else. The fog was on me now. There wasn't much seeing left for me to do.<br /><br />Desperation flooded me.<br /><br />'That's it. I've had enough. This is not the road I took.'<br /><br />I closed my eyes and wished it all away. Opening them was a big mistake. I felt colder than ever and more 'lost' than I ever could be.<br /><br />I stared straight ahead into the fog for a while, and then curiosity got the better of me, so I peered down again.<br /><br />My gut has never lied to me and it told me once again that down there was where the answer lied. And there it was.<br /><br />I saw myself on those very jagged rocks that had frightened me but a moment ago. They had befriended me some how and now hugged my limp body, while I looked down from above.</div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2LLN0H1zSmo5bol9neGGNHknU-dB3C_G0TWoOfFWiADG-oKGGGsJ0gygLewq6LY8LhxhhWHkMJqYtpK5xXCaJCCwukcVqRqAM2Iuy82D0Kv-yavyVmzL2blUY93JaGw1IaBM1GOkeVI/s1600-h/monet.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249284148519273234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2LLN0H1zSmo5bol9neGGNHknU-dB3C_G0TWoOfFWiADG-oKGGGsJ0gygLewq6LY8LhxhhWHkMJqYtpK5xXCaJCCwukcVqRqAM2Iuy82D0Kv-yavyVmzL2blUY93JaGw1IaBM1GOkeVI/s320/monet.jpg" border="0" /></a>Fahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16635820107412257454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8738093032601897362.post-90501484363309728612008-09-04T01:34:00.002+03:002008-09-04T01:38:01.816+03:00What I'd like for my birthday - a Pensieve<p align="left">I love to write. Be it a simple note or an e-chat with a friend. The process is akin to both catharsis and exorcism to me.<br /><br />I go into thought-overload which in turn leads to insomnia if I don’t write the stuff in my head down. So I have written many a list of things to do, places to go, issues I want to see solved and people I'd like to meet.<br /><br />I've also used an exercise where I fill a page with all the words that enter my head, and once I'm done with it I sleep like a log. It's like I need a pensieve, but since I cant borrow Dumbledore's, I use my own pen and paper.<br /><br />Many have asked me why i don’t maintain a diary. Well I do actually but it rarely says anything that's mine. I put down my thoughts in the words of others…. Weird, isn’t it?<br /><br />Everybody has said something along the lines of what you are thinking. Thoughts come around in a constant circle, because our lives seem different but yet the basic grain or should I say the underlying note is the same.<br /><br />Anne Frank says it better in her diary<br /><br />"We all live with the objective of being happy. Our lives are all different and yet the same".<br /><br />There you go. She's saying exactly what I was thinking.<br /><br />There is a website for quotes that I believe is aptly named. It's called "Think exist." Meaning it has quotes from people who're saying the same thing you are meaning to say.<br /><br />But does it kill my creativity? Am I blocking the flow of my own creative juices by hiding behind the word-cloak of others.<br /><br />The Freudian thinkers would possibly conclude that I have an inferiority complex which makes me think I'm not good enough and that’s why I use other popular people opinions to substantiate what I'm trying to say.<br /><br />But that doesn’t hold true because I can always speak my mind and always have. It is just that writing it down … well is something I avoid.<br /><br />Maybe it is because I am daunted by the task after having read so many proven authors.<br /><br />But I also think it is because of all these rules that I've come to see are used to judge your writing.<br /><br />When I was more naïve, I thought writing was a free-flow process where you write what you think and mean what you write.<br /><br />But now I've found that many writers don't even know where they're headed when they're writing…not that I always have it all laid out.<br /><br />But the idea of making my mind obey certain technicalities or must I say rules, like the iambic pentameter, trochaic pentameter, the petrarchan sonnet or the fibonacci sonnet makes it too much of a mechanical and mathematical process for free thought.<br /><br />I guess the mechanics would help if I were stuck and didn't know how to move forward but even then I don’t know if I'd want to conform.<br /><br />Always been a rebel.</p>Fahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16635820107412257454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8738093032601897362.post-48113086532470084122008-07-21T01:59:00.019+03:002008-07-21T03:21:13.964+03:00Who doesn’t like a good cause?<p><span style="font-size:0;"></span>Nonprofit Organizations (NPO) and Voluntary Welfare Organizations (VWO) are everywhere. They support endless causes, but now their sustenance is threatened as their long-term visions aren’t supported with the right infrastructure.<br /><br />An NPO needs a blend of sound management, strong governance, and a persistent dedication to achieving results, along with a vital mission, clear lines of accountability, adequate facilities, reliable and diverse revenue streams, and high-quality programs and services.<br /><br /><strong>The Problems<br /></strong><br />Common problems which threaten their sustainability are namely, </p><br /><ul><br /><li>low volunteer retention rates</li><br /><li>obsolete fund-raising ideas </li><br /><li>insufficient IT knowledge </li></ul><br /><p>How to attract sufficient resources to sustain a nonprofit organization is a question that has been popping up all over the world.<br /><br />Once these organizations are set up, especially for disaster relief purposes, they do not know which direction to head in after the catastrophes have been addressed. Should they disband? If yes, what do they do with the finances they have left? Can they pump it into another cause?<br /><br />Many ethical questions would arise in such a situation. The 9/11 tragedy victims received millions of dollars in aid. The Red Cross attempted to divert some of its 9/11 relief monies to more under-funded projects (long term programs, including terrorist-attack preparedness). This caused public outcry, leading to hearings at the US Congress. The Red Cross then pledged all the proceeds to people directly affected by the 9/11 attacks and even offered to refund dissatisfied donors.<span style="font-size:78%;">1 </span></p><br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><p><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br />If an NGO has to close down for some reason then it would be a waste of all the resources they spent in rehabilitating the people. Possibly, the responsibility could be passed onto a government organization, but how efficiently would it be followed up? If our government organizations were that efficient, then the NGO would not have been setup in the first place.<br /><br /><strong>The search for an 'Economically Viable' Model</strong><br /><br />The best option for nonprofit organizations is to devise an economically viable model of functioning, preferably one that is self-sustaining. This can be achieved with proper planning, management and multifold working. The Worth Trust for the disabled, Tamil Nadu, India, is a good example.<span style="font-size:78%;">2<br /></span><br />The organization has two divisions- one for training and rehabilitation and the other for employment. In a nut shell, the organization offers training to the disabled and then employs them in their production wing. A percentage of profits from the production are then pumped back into the organization.<br /><br /><strong>Lack of human resources</strong><br /><br />The social service sector is a vast one but with limited human resources. Countries should invest in creating awareness about the demand for human resources in this sector and set up institutes to give youth the necessary expertise. The governments also need to list guidelines and offer special plans and programs to support NGOs.<br /><br />There is also a dearth of civil engineers, tackling which could help bring down our dependence on NGOs for aid. After all, it is the government's duty to its people to provide every citizen with रोटी, कपड़ा and मकान (food, clothing and shelter). However, only 200 of the1700 engineering colleges approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) offer the course.<span style="font-size:78%;">3</span><br /><br /><strong>A little PR goes a long way<br /></strong><br />Nonprofit organizations need to attract resources. As the old saying goes, "you can catch more flies with honey, than with vinegar." This means that these organizations should have well-planned, positive public relations campaigns to reinforce their goals and pull in more people support.<br /><br />Regular newsletters and good PR will go a long way. The organizations will have to create more awareness not just about the 'just cause' but about themselves, as well. To reach the masses, they need to first get into their homes, not necessarily through TV slots, but also through pamphlets, meetings with like-minded persons and organizations, etc.<br /><br />The communication needs to be multi-pronged – it should grasp the big guys with the bigger pockets, as well as, the little guy who lives down the lane. </p><br /><ul><br /><li>Make it personal. Everybody should be able to relate to it. </li><br /><li>Narrating the story of a victim is a better approach than throwing statistics at people, but don't make it melodramatic. </li><br /><li>Bringing in the human angle loosens purse strings and brings a lot more volunteers forward.</li><br /><li>Pick an audience that would have been affected directly or indirectly by the cause. If the victims are similar to somebody the donor knows, then the support will be more forthcoming as empathy kicks in. For example, friends of somebody who has died from AIDS are more likely to support AIDS victims.</li></ul><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225247536709142930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvLior4b5IfcP4LmVvC3vpkMo_t9rT1kNi1EYNwxAsDN78-LGEdsoZPtg2W5v7yiy6PkkfN-kbJlmfek8zr1IB4AZwy4MM8tpT0XdJZGmljHMZWsme7oKyXW3wsnS5YShyphenhyphenVjEZzpryBs/s320/fund-per-person.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p>Crisis Mentality</strong></p><br /><br />Another issue that needs to be tackled is the crisis mentality. Most people respond to sudden crises rather than chronic conditions, because emergencies stir stronger emotions. This outlook needs to be changed and programs supporting sustainable development and long-term goals need to be boosted.<br /><br />According to a report, private donors spent about $ 1,839 (Rs 78,000 approx) per person affected by Hurricane Katrina but only $10 (Rs 400 approx) per person suffering from AIDS. Similarly, the victims of 2005 earthquake in Pakistan each received about $37 (Rs 1,400 approx) but only $3 (Rs 100 approx) was donated for each person with malaria.<span style="font-size:78%;">4</span><br /><br />An analysis by the World Bank and the U.S. Geological Survey showed that during the 1990s, some $40 billion in preventative measures would have reduced economic losses from the world’s natural disasters by $280 billion.<br /><br />In China alone, the World Bank estimates that $3 billion in flood-control measures spared the Chinese from $12 billion in losses. Such analyses suggest that every dollar spent on lessening risks saves as much as $7 in relief and repair expenditures.<span style="font-size:78%;">5</span><br /><br /><strong>There's more…</strong><br /><br />The NGOs also need to build a pool of the right talent – persons with an in-depth understanding of the legal system of the country and state, as well as, an unending reserve of energy and enterprise.<br /><br />Plus, they have to protect themselves against crimes, manipulation and, of course, corruption. They can achieve this with up-to-date accounts maintenance, regular audits, fixed core personnel, an established payroll system with the necessary insurance coverage and an overall fundraising plan.<br /><br /><strong>Micro-fund raisers</strong><br /><br />Micro-fund raising is another strategy that nonprofit organizations can employ. Instead of spending huge sums on advertising, a little networking and good word can haul in lots of support.<br />Micro-fund raising works on the principle of 'inclusivity.' It turns strangers in to friends, friends into donors, and donors into fundraisers. It builds goodwill and your 'brand image,' if you properly equip members with the tools they'd need to collect support for the cause.<br /><br /><strong>Democratic formula = Empowerment</strong><br /><br />The credo "of the people, by the people, for the people" applies not only to democracies. It is an ideal motto for any institution. Thus for an NGO, it is essential that they change their image from that of a 'charity,' into one of a 'Socio-Entrepreneurial Investment.' From – a body of people trying to scale a wall separating humans from humanity – to – a movement that tunnels through that wall to see the light at the other end.<br /><br />People should participate first hand, to build the brand. Not something commercial, like Pepsi or Reebok, but a brand of a new generation of ideals that strives for a better future.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>References</em></span><br /><p><span style="font-size:85%;">1</span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:0;">, 4,5</span> </span><span style="font-size:85%;">www.ssireview.org<br /><span style="font-size:78%;">2</span> www.livemint.com<br /><span style="font-size:78%;">3</span> www.indianexpress.com</span><br /></p><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QpucCfJhVKY&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QpucCfJhVKY&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZiRHyzjb5SI&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZiRHyzjb5SI&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Fahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16635820107412257454noreply@blogger.com0