I love you, Dad!
19 Mar 2012 Leave a Comment
It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything. I know I have broken my promise of writing something every week (Promise I made to myself). There had been things I was busy with the past few weeks personally and never just got the time to actually sit down to write a meaningful post. Anyhow, I now plan on being on track again and will try my best again to write something meaningful and that I have an interest in every now and then.
“When a baby is born, so is a mother!”
26 Feb 2012 1 Comment
in baby, Blogging, Life, Love, Motherhood, Women Tags: Family, Home, Mother, Motherhood
2011 started for me very slow. I passed a certification exam in 2010, a goal that I had set for myself in 2009. 2011 started, and I began blogging, and also wanted to blog weekly. After a couple of months, I couldnt continue blogging let alone writing weekly. Me and my husband were expecting our first baby! 
Along with excitement, happiness and nervousness, I was having a myriad of emotions when I found out I was expecting. My baby was to be born on December 22nd, a Christmas baby! All I could think about is “will I be a good Mom”, “I cant believe I am really having a baby”!
The next few months me and my husband spent reading many baby books and attending pregnancy classes. We were trying to learn “how to be parents”. ‘Sai Samvith’ was finally born a few days before the due date. To be honest, we forgot everything that we learned in classes and read in books once we saw Samvith. The moment I heard his first cry, tears rolled down on my cheeks. While everyone around me including friends were trying to decide who he looks like most, all I could see is a tiny face with eyes starring at me! The first time his tiny fingers held my finger tight in his palm, my joy knew no bounds.
His first smile, his first babbles, his first bath, his first visit to his grandparents place (my parent’s place), his first portrait session…I look forward to his many more firsts and many milestones!
Being a new Mom was first scary, I was very nervous, but these days I can’t think about life without my baby! It is rightly said, “When a baby is born, so is a mother”.
Like this:
Facebook – you love it and hate it, but you want to be on it!
24 Sep 2011 3 Comments
in facebook, Google, social networking Tags: Facebook, Facebook Timeline, Google, Google Plus, social networking
This year has been really busy for me. I know I had made a promise to write a blog every week for this year. However, I just couldn’t keep up with it. Instead I decided to write whenever time permits and obviously when I have a topic at hand.
I wanted to write something about Facebook for a very long time now. I’m pretty sure a lot of us are on Facebook. Sometimes it’s a time waster, while sometimes it’s a great way to stay in touch with your friends. With all the recent changes going on with Facebook, I thought it’s the best time to write something about it too.
Facebook vs Google Plus -
I am on Facebook as well, along with the other networking sites – Twitter, LinkedIn and more recently Google+. I have always admired Google for whatever new they have come up with, and Google + is pretty much combination of social networking, and everything you already do with Google such as – sharing photos, chat, video chat (Google hangout), and their privacy settings are much more clearer and self-intuitive than Facebook. I liked Google Plus. Be it Google’s first attempt at a social networking site – orkut or the latest – Google Plus, they have always been trying to compete with Facebook however. Some stats on Google Plus -
Read more about the growing rate of Google Plus here -
Facebook Friends, status messages, Photo sharing –
I call myself an active Facebook user, as I use Facebook (login and check newsfeed etc) at least 2 times a day. I come home in the evening and check Facebook after work on a typical day. On a weekend, I get my cup of coffee and login into email and then Facebook. So probably I’m a loyal Facebook user?
One biggest problem I have had with Facebook all the time is how loosely it interprets the word ‘friend’. To me a friend is someone whom I can rely upon. However, I’m not sure how many of the 120+ friends I have on Facebook I can actually rely upon. And if you are a ‘friend ‘on Facebook I would think you would at the very least, write on my wall, comment on a post, or a photo or wish me on my birthday or interact with me in some way rather than just being a number of my friend’s list. I see Facebook as a great networking tool, however if only 20-30 people interact with me more often and if there is no interaction between the rest of my ‘friend’s and me, how am I or you “networking” (if that’s what Facebook is for).
With all these recent changes happening in Facebook, how do we keep up with it? You login one day and the site is all changed. You hate it, you love it, but if you want to be on Facebook you have to get around it! Most likely it’s to get people to stay on Facebook and compete against Google Plus?
Recently with all the changes going on with Facebook, they introduced a feature supposedly that will be good for you – Facebook timeline.
Read more about the article here – http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2011/09/facebook-new-timeline-feature-makes-it-easier-to-find-who-defriended-you/ .
Now you might want to think twice before you want to quietly ignore a friend request or ‘defriend’ someone because you haven’t spoken to them in years…I would think if you want to delete a friend from your friends list, hmmm…wouldn’t you want to keep it quiet and delete them silently?
Some humor
There’s a YouTube video about “Facebook in real life”. Do watch the video and enjoy it which will surely bring in some giggles
Are you on Facebook? How active are you? Are you able to keep up with the updates in Facebook?
Have you heard of Google +? Are you on Google +?
And my love relationship with Facebook – posting a link to my blog on Facebook!
I love you, Dad!
19 Jun 2011 4 Comments
in Blogging, career, Love, Uncategorized Tags: Dad, Family, Father, fathers day, postaweek2011
It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything. I know I have broken my promise of writing something every week (Promise I made to myself). There had been things I was busy with the past few weeks personally and never just got the time to actually sit down to write a meaningful post. Anyhow, I now plan on being on track again and will try my best again to write something meaningful and that I have an interest in every now and then.
This weekend is Father’s day (June 19th) and most of us must have gotten something for our Dad, or will call and talk to him. When I logged into my Google chat this morning, there was a message under the chat tab – ‘Reminder, Call Dad’! Wherever you go shopping from the past 2 weeks before this day, you’ll find places that offer sales and something to giftyour Dad, be it a perfume, watch, clothes, shoes etc. However buying something for your Dad to wish him ‘Happy Father’s day‘ isn’t really that easy especially when he already has most of the those things typically. As Google chat reminds us even, ‘a simple phone call’ will do most of the times, the thought that you remembered him and called matters the most.
My Dad, I suppose like most men isn’t very expressive when it comes to words. He sometimes just calls me and starts talking about electronics, or some new product out there, or something even scientific. He is so passionate about learning and knowledge that he tells us, he could even do a PhD at this age if time permits! I have always wondered how does he know so much about sports, be it soccer, tennis or cricket, or even golf (going backwards to the past few world cups) though he really doesn’t play most of these sports and has never really been a ‘tough sportsman’!. I remember distinctly living in our apartment in Mumbai sometimes in the late 90′s, staying up overnight (due to the time difference) watching the soccer world cups with my Dad. On the other hand, cooking; however was never really his thing. He still cooks good Tomato dhal, sometimes better than what my Mom makes And he can dance too, though that’s more like shaking a leg and hands! His jokes (in Hindi we call them PJ’s – Pakau jokes; meaning silly jokes) never make us really laugh, but he still comes up with a new joke every time we meet him and we do look forward to hearing them as well.
From childhood, the one most important thing my Dad has taught me, is being independent and standing up for yourself. Right through helping me and my sister with studies from school days to giving us career advice during high school and university days, he has always been actively involved in every important aspect of our lives. We are a close knit family. Me and my sister know; family is everything for my parents. I know; me and my sister mean the world to my Dad, though he never expresses it directly.They have moved cities, and countries to be closer to me and my sister.
I miss my Dad. He’s only a 2 hour flight away from me. Living in the US, I have gotten used to the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, which are an occasion to spend time with family. I make it a point to visit my parents during that time along with a couple of other times during the year whenever I can. Somedays I miss my parents so much however, that I just feel like leaving everything behind, taking the next flight and just going to their place and spending time with them. Most importantly, Dad; if I’ve never told you enough number of times; – “I LOVE YOU, DAD“!
I survived a day without my cellphone – Hooray! :)
21 Apr 2011 4 Comments
in smartphone, Technology Tags: cellphone, Facebook, ipad, IPhone, Mobile phone, Postaweek 2011, Science and Technology, Smartphone, tech savvy, Technology
Photo by Yutaka Tsutano from Flickr
Yes I did it! I survived one whole day without my cell phone. I really can’t even remember the last time I went without a cell phone for a day. Seems I am that much addicted to checking up on who called me, my emails or text messages etc every couple of hours. Not that anyone really calls me or any ‘human’ emails me that I need to keep checking up on it (apart from all the junk emails I keep getting). But still….I just need my cell phone right on my desk at work and in my handbag when I am walking outside. It’s now become part of me.
When I woke up this morning and checked my cell phone (my Iphone :)) the ‘charge bar ‘ showed only 11% charge was remaining. I do have a charger at my desk at work also, but still for some reason I decided I wanted to charge it for 15 min or so, until I get ready to leave the house. But unfortunately, I forgot to take it with me before I left! I didn’t realize it until I was almost 1/2 way into my commute to work. Even then, as soon as I realized it I thought, there is still time to get to work, maybe I should head back and get my cell phone from home.
I did miss my Iphone today. But I must add, I am not obsessed with my iphone. Yes, I like my iphone and the fact that I can keep checking my emails, use it as a watch as I don’t wear a wrist watch typically or even check Facebook for the ‘Live Feed’, since I really need to be up-to-date with what every friend of mine is upto! I rarely use my cellphone for making calls anymore (unless it’s my Mom or sister mostly). It’s just that having one (read smartphone) has now become essential for me. Maybe I did forget the difference between a ‘want’ and a ‘need’. Technology does that to you. Ask anyone who owns an Iphone or a Droid for that matter. You get one because you like it and think it’ll be an ‘useful’ addition to the rest of gadgets you typically own anyway, but you never realize when the want turns into a need!
Anyway, happy I got by for complete 12 hours without my Iphone
[Note, I'm not an APPLE fan, but do like my iphone].
Imagine, if I had an ipad and I had this post with that headline… I would be one spoiled tech savvy person!
What would you do if you forgot your cell phone for one day to school or work or anywhere else?
Pay it forward day is in 11 days
17 Apr 2011 10 Comments
in charity, helping others, Life Tags: change the world, charity, community, favor, good deeds, helping others, India, Life, Pay it forward, Postaweek 2011
Yesterday it was one of those Saturday nights when I just wanted to relax and watch a movie on netflix. We had the movie, ‘Pay it forward‘ in our netflix queue for a very long time, and I never got a chance to see it until now.
In the beginning of the movie, an instructor asks the students of his class, “Come with an idea to change the world – and bring it into action”. When the students of his class tell him that the assignment is weird and crazy, he uses the word “possibility” saying, think about the possibilities of this idea.
I don’t really know how I missed watching this movie earlier, but I’m glad that I watched it – better late than never, right? I love that concept from the movie, ‘Pay it forward’. I have heard about it before, but never really digged deeper into it. I then goggled ’pay it forward’ to see if that concept was actually being implemented, and I was surprised with the results I found! I didn’t know it’s actually a movement now. In case you haven’t watched the movie yet and are unfamiliar with the concept, it basically means that if someone does a good dead to you, you basically have to pay it forward. In that way, starting with a couple of people it can extend to a larger community, to a larger society. Brilliant idea right? Maybe the world will indeed become a better place! I don’t say you have to become a saint or actually ‘go save the world’. But it’s about doing small favors, or help for others thats counts. Pay it forward is more of a chain reaction, similar to forwarding to a chain letter. Now, I don’t believe in chain letters at all, but ‘paying it forward‘ is an interesting concept.
In the beginning of the movie, the kid, ‘Trevor’ as part of his assignment, brings home a bum from the street, gives him his garage to sleep during the night and feeds him dinner. ‘Trevor’ literally takes his assignment to an extra level to help an unknown stranger from the street. I must add I wasn’t too happy with the ending of movie and brought tears to my eyes. Beautiful movie indeed!
In real life however, although we don’t really have to go that extremes, we could surely do something about it. Helping you neighbor with a small task, paying for someone else’ meal for once, giving your clothes/shoes away to goodwill rather than throwing them away or selling them or even a small donation to your favorite charity can make a small difference in someone’s else’s day.
In my opinion it’s not only these small tasks that count, but something even smaller that that can make a difference. For example, there are those few days when I wake in the morning, and just don’t want to get up from the bed and travel for 1hr and 15 min to go to work! However, in the mornings, when I take the bus, the driver of the bus is always so energetic, always smiling, and enthusiastic about his job of driving us to our destinations that it surprises me. Despite however my day ends up being, I know that it started well. And thanks to the awesome bus driver who greets every single person in the bus with a big wide smile!
So what have you done today to help someone else other than your family?
Did you know that ‘Pay it forward’ day is coming up in 11 days?
- To start with me, I am currently sponsoring a girl, Reshma, age 10 from Karnataka, India.
photo from flickr by Jillallyn
As one of the most prominent person – Gandhiji puts it in simple words – ‘Be the change we want to see in the world’.
Like this:
Journey of a lifetime!
15 Apr 2011 4 Comments
in motivation, Mount Kailash, nature, Travel, world Tags: himalaya, motivation, Mount Everest, Mount Kailash, Mountain, Mountaineering, nature, Nepal, postaweek2011, Sherpa, Tibet, travel
I hope to visit the Mount Kailash (in Tibet) sometime in the near future. My parents and my sister had visited Mount Kailash about 2 years ago. My Mom still talks about their journey, calling it a‘journey of a life-time’. Although they had more of a spiritual mindset in visiting the mountain and the ‘manasarovar lake‘, they said the purity and the beauty of the place completely spellbounds you. At the end of their journey, my Mom and sister said – the Sherpas (they serve as a guide for mountain climbers) who helped them throughout their journey were like ‘real angels’, who completely go out of their way many times to help and take care of you and the journey would never be possible without them. My Mom and sister said, though the Sherpas do this for money, they many times go at extra lengths to help person they are taking care of. God bless the Sherpas!
The Sherpas generally have a cheerful attitude and have an amazing strength and 99% of the mountain climbers typically require their help [Reference - National geographic channel]. They typically live in the mountainous regions from Nepal To Tibet. They serve as guides to people who go on mountainous expeditions to places such as the Mount Kailash or the Mount Everest. They are accustomed to the harsh climate of the mountains and have an amazing endurance.
About a couple of months ago, I had heard a story on NPR about how the lives of Sherpas are very short and how they manage to carry so much weight (sometimes more weight than what they weigh). The article can be found here – http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4707462. Scientists are trying to figure out where they get their strength from and how do they get used to living in such harsh conditions and such high altitudes (18,000 plus feet). A big thanks indeed to these Sherpas who help the mountaineers/and other people who aspire to go to the Mount Kailash be successful in their mission. Next time anyone of you plan on going there and using the services of these Sherpas, please remember that without them, your journey will almost be never possible. Hence do treat them with respect!
Here are a few pictures from my parent’s Mount Kailash experience/adventure – And here is a link to her blog where she highlights her experiences.
On the way to Mount Kailash
A Sherpa pulling a yak with luggage
Sherpas helping setting up the tents (view to the Mountain behind)
Mount Kailash
Manasarovar Lake
My Mom with a Sherpa
On the way to the Mountain peak
Note – All the photos were taken by my Dad during their trip in 2009.
Also here is a interesting link for further reading about the Sherpas – http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/05/0507_020507_sherpas.html
Recent Comments