Hey Com’on - We are Indians in the way we think, look and behave.

Honestly, I believe that one size doesn’t fit all. Women come in varied sizes, shapes and curves.  Would we like it if we all looked like factory created products?  Of course not !!  What would we talk about then if we all looked similar and life would get boring for sure.  Just imagine if the same size had to be tailored by our designers – they would run out of business.  There is an entire industry that runs and survives only thanks to us.  So cheers to US.

I personally feel the zero figure is best for the Westerners who are born with that constitution. So good luck to them.  Hey comm’on we are Indians. We have the right curves at the right places and so what if our humpty dumplings are a little more visible.  So what if our derriere is a little more prominent.  How many of us love to look at Jennifer Lopez, Nicki Minaj and not to forget the latest Kim Kardashian and wish for such bodies.  Many Indians do have that figure, but we at times are hypocritical about the way they dress. Aren’t they in the news for a full figure?  So let’s accept that BIG is also BEAUTIFUL.  If life has given you curves, Flaunt them!!!

The entire tamasha should be about looking confident in our skin and to carry our bodies with elan and grace –not to forget healthy bodies.  Why is that we need a Westerner to sell us the idea that curves are beautiful and we need to appreciate our bodies.  But better late than never, let’s smell the Koffee!  Curves with confidence are in and they have always ruled and they are the right places where they are meant to be.

I recently read Rujuta Diwekar’s book on Women and the Weight loss Tamasha.  There is something really Indian about her and I love to read what she writes mainly because she talks of eating and losing weight healthily – The Indian way.

Lots of Luv

Rekha

P.S:

Trust me if men had to see the same size and shape, they would get bored and of course the same holds true for women also.

The Autowallah

Folks, this blogpost is a slightly longer one as compared to the other blogposts that I post.  So please be patient and read on!!!!

It is hardly that I get late to the office but today was one such off day when the clock challenged me. I missed my 7.38 a.m Kalyan train.  Mumbaikars relate to timings like 7.38, 7.43 as the local trains are the lifeline of every Mumbaikar. 

I got into the train and could not see the usual faces and I was not very comfortable- I was late - I did not get the usual window seat that I get eight out of ten times. I reach Thane station and there’s an announcement that all local trains from CST to Kalyan and back are running slow- the reason – train derailment. Yes, there’s more to come.

Having travelled in the auto for more than two years incessantly and having followed the timings to the “T”, there’s a set of autowallahs who generally greet me with the Good morning Madam. So I take one of the autos-  face new to me and quickly tell “ Subhash Nagar – Lodha”.

I was as usual trying to catch up on the morning Whatsap with my friends and cousins and smiling at the jokes. The auto had just crossed Talo Pali – he quickly looks into the mirror and asks – Madam, aap kahan se aa rahi ho – Kalyan se ki Mumbai se.  I replied Mumbai se.  He seemed a fairly decent person.  The next question was “Aap office mein kaam karti ho”.  The story continued. He said that he worked for century mills about 15 years back.  Later the mill closed down.  The case was in the Labour court. The moment I said I am travelling from town side here, he felt there was a connect.  He used to travel from Thane to Worli where the famous Century mill was located.  He was sad that the mill closed, but was happy that he and his family were not starving.  I don’t know what that was but somehow he wanted to tell me all this. He even mentioned that he received a monthly pay of Rs 18000 from the mill, his PF was deducted every month and that he used to go and collect the money from the Bank. Ever since the mill closed down, he had bought this auto and he drove the auto.  He said he was neither sad nor happy to drive the auto. But he said he got regular income from driving the auto as well.  He said Madam, we had a uniform at the mill and I was happy working there. All mills at Mumbai have closed /shut down with multi storeys adorning the place.  I felt a little sad at the fact, but that’s how life is.

At times when I am super tired after completing my household work and also have to reach the office on time, I am frustrated.  But it dawned on me that I atleast have a place to go and work.  I thought about that autowallah, he was longing to get back to the MILL where he had put in so many years of hardwork and dedication, but he knew that he would never be able to get back to it.

The Universe sends us messages in some form or the other for us to appreciate and be grateful for what we have.

Lots of Luv and Blessings Always!!

Rekha

Slow down a bit Baby!!!

The famous poem “Leisure” by William Henry Davies always attracted and interested me even as a small child.  Will like to put it down below:

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare

How many of us consciously make an effort to take time and look at ourselves in the mirror? I was getting ready for my office and after many days, not months, not years I looked at myself in the mirror.  It took me back to school times when I had read the above poem.  When did I last look at my eyes and consciously make an effort to appreciate myself.  I had no idea.  When did I last look at the flowering plants and shrubs in my building garden. The part time security guard of our building Subhash uncle lovingly takes care of the plants and flowering shrubs of our building that even if I wish to oversee it, I cannot.  The plants are beautifully placed at the entrance making it a real pleasure to watch them everytime I pass by.

There is passion when he does the job, I can see it in his eyes.  I am one hundred percent sure that he must be taking out time to even talk to his plants everyday. He is eversmiling and Subhash uncle is one perfect example of what our corporate world preaches.  Love your Job!!

Recently, I came across a wonderful article on Slow down a bit mommy.  I loved it.  It just goes to say that we need to slow down a bit, drink our tea a little bit slow, eat our food a little bit slow, laugh loud, frown less, appreciate more, complain less, walk more, use our vehicle less, smile more, frown less, forgive more, hold less grudges.   

All we can save by hurrying is a max of two minutes. Let’s change the gear from the EMERGENCY MODE to the RELAXED MODE.  It helps everytime and makes life a little more happier and a little more smoother, a little more relaxed.

Lots of luv

Rekha

 

 

What is the period of your LIFE VISA?

Diwali is over, but the beautiful memories of celebrations and the time we spend with our family and friends is something that will keep continuing to remain with us even for few days or weeks.

The ConsuIate gives us a Visa period when you apply for a Visa.  This totally depends on your requirements.  But it is generally not a permanent visa. If you are lucky, you might get a ten year visa for the U.S.  For the gulf, it is generally a three month visa and may be another month or so depending on your application.

I get down to thinking about our LIFE, for some it may be beautiful, for some it may be a challenge everyday and yet for others it may be beautiful at times. The life which we have been given is like a temporary visa and everyone of us know for sure that it is temporary and it can expire any moment.  At least when we are going on a trip or tour to a foreign nation, we know that it is for a fixed period and we try and enjoy the maximum.  So why not follow the same for our LIFE.  It is limited period, limited edition and yet many a times, though not always, we tend to ignore or overlook this fact.

People end up spending their life without enjoying it or if I may say so, expressing gratitude.  We feel we have ownership over all the concrete things, be it our home, office, our personal belongings.  I feel we do not even have control our own breath. When even our own breath is not ours, how can we be sure of this longgggg life where things and incidents are unknown .  It’s not a drama or a rehearsal. We will be given new roles to play everyday  which can be quite challenging, interesting and beautiful.  It’s a new drama everyday.  Absolutely new script, new screenplay, new dialogues and of course new actors and actresses everyday.

Let’s live LIFE as if it’s a LIMITED EDITION.  The second, minute, hour, day, week, month, year gone is gone. It will never come back to us again and that is the simplest and hardest part of LIFE and we need to accept it.

Lots of Luv

Cheers

Rekha

The lost art of HUMAN TOUCH – Let’s start using it beginning TODAY!!

Why do we call it the human touch?  It’s because being blessed with this beautiful human form is something divine and the senses that keep lending us the good feeling day in and day out is absolutely wonderful.  We emit energy and it is left to us to decide what energy we want to send out to the world and to the Universe.  The HUMAN TOUCH is the most effective and time tested medicine which can cure any sort of mental and psychological ailment. Elders love to be cared for and the best way to show you care is to be with them. Have you ever seen how an infant feels good the moment the mother cuddles the baby.  It’s the human touch here. The same holds true for old people. We have forgotten to use this beautiful shastra (weapon) which can really make things so easy and simple in our LIFE.  So start using this immediately without wasting any more time.

The human body is nothing but energy. Yes good energy is contagious.  One can easily make out from a crowd of people the one who transmits good or what we term as positive energy.  Aura magic it is called as.  The person who has positive energy automatically transmits that positivity which may in the form of a smile, a very warm touch. 

We come across a number of people in our daily life and amongst those we immediately tend to just like few people and it may be for absolutely no reason.  What is this “NO REASON”.  It means they emit a certain warmth and goodness. There are people who just make you feel comfortable and there are people who may not lend you that comfort feel.  Of course, this varies from one person to another.  Perspectives are different, you see. Why do we instantly love the feel of a particular home and there is positivity in some homes and love visiting those homes?  Positivity in our home also has a lot to do with the people living in the homes.  We breathe continuously 24 hours a day, just imagine the 86400 seconds of breath that keep rovering in our homes and offices.

Though at times, our emotions may overpower our common sense when it comes to these issues, it definitely makes sense to consciously think positive thoughts and if that’s getting too much, try not to think or say negative.  Yes, in the beginning, it’s difficult. But when you keep by hearting your answers day in and day out and revise your subjects, it becomes easy isn’t it?

THIS WORKS EVERYTIME EVERYTIME EVERYTIME

Rekha

Mumbai never stops moving – She is Fast and on the MOVE- SO TRUE!!!

Today is the 2^nd day of Navratri and Green is the colour for today.  Just when we had thought that the rains had bid adieu for this year, it poured through night and even in the early hours of the morning making the streets wet.

I was a little irritated as dressing up for an occasion when the weather is dry is definitely more exciting. But the beautiful Navratri festival lasts only for 9 days in a year and we love to dress up in the best of sarees, jewelry and want to make the best of it.  I reached Thane station and could see a flood of shades of green.  It immediately brought a smile on my face, I am sure just like me all those women would have planned.The rains did not stop the typical Mumbaikar from dressing up and showing.

That’s the spirit.  Festivals come and go. It is left to us to decide how we need to enjoy it and savour our rich Indian customs and traditions. Come Navratri, there is lot of colour and energy in the atmosphere followed by Diwali, yet another beautiful and vibrant festival.

Just few years back, all this noise and commotion especially the sound of the dhols were not very inviting to my ears.  But sooner I realized that may be this is one of the ways to keep our Indian culture and traditions alive and vibrant.  When Maa Durga was being brought day before yesterday, I felt so happy from within.  She was being welcomed with dhols and the entire atmosphere was filled with a certain magic. I loved it. We as Indians love noise and music, so let’s be open to all these. Yes, I am not very happy about the crackers.  But may be my perception towards it may change in few years, just like how it changed for the sound of the dhols.   We are blessed to be in a country that has such beautiful seasons, festivals, colours and vibrance.  Indians abroad make sure to celebrate each of the festivals with such enthusiasm and happiness to make sure that they do not miss out much of India.  So what are we waiting for when we already have the privilege to be in INDIA?

Lots of Luv

Rekha

Let’s celebrate ourselves – MaaDurga in every woman.

Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu Shakti rupena samsthita I

Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu Buddhi rupena samsthita I

Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu Laxmi rupena samsthita I

Namestasyai II Namestasyai II Namestasyai II

Namo Namah II

My perception of the above shloka is

The Divine Mother resides in every living being (every existence).  She is the Universal mother.  She is energy and resides in each one of us.  She is intelligence and resides in us and tells us what is right and wrong.  She is Laxmi roopini and is wealth and gives us the means to live a happy and healthy life.  Oh Mother!   You are the one who gives life and you never say NO to me.  I ask from you and you have always given me.  I sincerely bow to you.

Shades of  yellow everywhere today. Navratri is the nine day festival dedicated to the Devi and every colour denotes something.  Yellow for me is like brightness and prosperity.  Yellow colour as such is life giving and giving life is the greatest thing on earth.

Maa Durga is life giving and ever ready to shower us with her love and warmth.  Yellow denotes energy. Her radiance and energy resides in every woman and so a woman is also considered to be shaktiroopini.  She is the combined power of Lakshmi, Kali and Saraswati. She denotes creative energy and is the feminity and jyoti that resides in each and every woman.
So let’s celebrate her and let’s celebrate ourselves all these 9 days more than any other day.  This is a celebration of good over evil, happiness over sorrows so that we dissolve our misunderstandings and get over any negative feelings against each other, jealousy, prejudice.

Will try and cover more on Navratri

Luv

Rekha

The 40 plus curves and bends of life – What it means to me?

This article is basically for everyone, more so for those who have completed 40 and even for those who are touching their golden jubilee. 

Life is all about twists and turns and who doesn’t like CURVES.  Life has its own curves and bends. Yes, a straight line is a sign of danger .  It reminds me of the heart machine at the hospital and it reminds me of getting stagnant.  Few of us experience a lot of curves initially in our lives and few of us later.  But whatever it is, it is all these that make us look forward to something new and exciting.

What it means for those who have lived half of their life(completed 40 and entering the 5^th decade).  For me, it means there is still half the glass full and it excites me and many of my friends who are on the same page and curve as me.  Thinking that the glass is empty may be depressing so take a break guys.

By forty most of us are settled in our careers, other than those who have had late marriages and kids, life is generally more or less settled. We are not constantly running behind our kids to get the homework completed or complete the school projects.  Basically, life is easy by then with time on our hands.  This is the time when we can live the life of our dreams and if you are passionate about anything, please go ahead and do it.  You have all the time for sure and you are surely not going to feel guilty spending your time/ money for sure.

Let’s use this time to meet up with school friends, college friends, watch your favorite movie, go street shopping, eat out and basically have fun. At times, we need to remind ourselves that we need to do all this, simply because we are here to enjoy and celebrate life.

So I pledge to give myself time to relax and enjoy, think about myself, not judge both me and others, forgive myself and others, enjoy the happiness in my life account, try and keep negativity as much as possible and be the way I am without trying to change others.  Last but not the least; LIVE IN THE PRESENT, BECAUSE THAT IS THE ONLY TRUTH OF LIFE!!!!

Luv

Rekha

The mad rush for the hour glass figure – Why this hype?

There has always been a mad rush for the hour glass figure since many decades from now. Fasting for long periods of time is actually unhealthy and with diet experts like Rujuta Diwekar, we are becoming more aware of what to eat, when to eat and how to eat.   Food is divine and as long as we are aware of this, we are surely going to respect food and respect our bodies as well.

Globally, the ramp shows and the beauty pageants have magnified the so called anorexic beauties to be symbolic of beauty and charm. But is it really so?  How many of us would really want to switch positions with them?  I am sure only three out of ten.  I was just going through some snatches of dialog with few Indian ace designers which clearly explained that dressing up a full figured is something that gives them satisfaction.  When we talk of Indian outfits, the choli, the lehenga and not to forget the six yard wonder, yes a full figured can carry it off well.  The dresses designed for the ramp are good for the ramp!!

My take is not to explain that fat and flab is in.  It’s just that anorexic is out and it is not that something anyone can be proud of.  Just like there are people who desperately want to lose out, there are two out of ten people who want to gain weight.  We only keep hearing of stories of people who want to lose weight, have we ever thought of those who want to gain weight.  People go to extremes to improve on their overall personality and want to gain weight as well.  It is all about loving yourself on what you have and sending positive signals to our body, that you are beautiful and adorable.  The best way to treat your body is by loving it just like your  own child.  We would never want to harm our child in any way, the same holds true for our body. This will make sure that we eat well, we eat right and do everything possible to make it look attractive and beautiful and beauty lies in the mind as we say.  Every thought  that you create and every word you say, you are listening, your body is listening. Think beautiful, look beautiful !!!!

Luv always

Rekha

Yes she is all set to jive and match steps for 9 DAYS – MUMBAI ROCKS!!!

Mumbai is all set to dress up in vibrant colours for Navratri and I just love her all the more when there’s a festive mood and atmosphere.  One gets to see a sea of colours right from women dressed in bright colours and following the colours for that particular day.  Mumbai is always on the run as we all know.  But in spite of this maddening crowd, we do make it a point to celebrate our festivals and dress up radiantly. There’s certain niceness to all these niceties if I may say and I am sure most of you will agree to it.

The Navratri fervor has really gone up over the years as the concept of Customs and following our Indian traditions is being followed with so much of zest and love.  Indians as such are colourful people, if you see our clothes, you will find all the possible colours – these are COLOURS OF LIFE.

The Indian tone is so beautiful that every colour looks good on us. Look at our sweets, right from yellow to green to orange, we have it all and our Indian Flag – isn’t she so beautiful?  Do we carry our colours beautifully? Be it crimson red, hues of greens and reds?  Yes we do, like no one else and we are proud of doing so and do not hesitate to represent our rich Indian culture on the international platform.

There’s fun when it comes to shopping for Navratri and it has begun since last week, colourful chaniyacholis at Bhuleshwar market, chunky jewelry, bright bangles (you name it- she has everything to offer).  We have so many festivals and Indians make it a point to celebrate and participate in these festivities (irrespective of whether they are in India or US or UK and not to forget Gulf).  As a teenager, Navratri for me was playing dandiya raas and garba (thanks to having been brought up in a conventional Gujrati environment – Mulund is decked up with colourful lights and has a complete festive look during NAVRATRI).

I make it a point to visit the Mulund Market where Maa Durga sthapna is done and she blesses one and all. She is dressed and decked in bright crimson red, orange and green coloured sarees – She is adorable and beautiful and I LOVE HER.

3 more days to go and we are all set to jive and create magic with our dandiya sticks.

Lots of luv

Rekha

Pinch of Marine Drive in my palm

Sunday evening 8p.m. and we drove down to the beautiful Marine Drive.  I do not recollect when we last drove down.  The weather was a little sultry and dry and the only saving grace was that there was absolutely no traffic, but was it really a saving grace or did I miss out on anything?  With very few vehicles plying here and there, I felt as if Mumbai had taken a break.  But nooo  Mumbai  does not take a break on weekends as Marine Drive, Chowpatty and Bandra are hotspots for Mumbaikars to freak out.

No soon we approached Marine Drive, it felt as if there was a fair going on.  Mumbai is sexy and beautiful, the long stretch like a necklace is mesmerizing. The bhutta waalas, chana waalas were making quick sales and there were groups of youngsters, college kids, lovebirds, just married couples and elderly couples taking the round around the Queen’s necklace.

Everytime I see the maddening crowd of Mumbai, I used to feel oh god too much of noise and commotion. But that stretch of 15 minutes with practically no people and cars on the road did not excite me. It’s but natural that as a Mumbaikar, I am used to this crowd and noise and commotion.  We like all this and this is truly a part and parcel of our lives. 

The Victorias were making their rounds and it was fun to see both kids and youngsters enjoying that joy ride.  Watching the beautiful waters of the Arabian Sea kiss the barricade is so nice to watch. I love all these small things and there’s a sense of romance when one comes to Marine Drive for sure, thanks to the cool air kissing my hair and sending a chill in my body. A drive slightly ahead is the array of the chaatwaalas and not to forget to mention the Cream Centre, Sukh Sagar and many more other restaurants. There was a queue outside Cream Centre (proud and Veg) was their banner. I loved that slogan. 

Looking forward to many more walks at the Queen’s necklace!!!

Lots of Luv

Rekha

SURVIVING THE WHATSAPP MANIA - My life with or without my cell phone

YES I SURVIVED IT!!!  AND I CONTINUE TO DO SO

Yes, I survived the “Being without my Cell” phase and it’s been close to more than a week if I am not mistaken.  See, I do not even know when I checked my Whatsapp last.  My friend called on my landline yesterday and asked me “Rekha are you kidding. How are you alive without your mobile phone/cell?  Yes, it does sound funny am sure, but that’s how people react to when you do not have your cell. This is when I thought, YES, it’s quite of an achievement or feat if I may credit myself with.  But honest as I am, I told her that I am not quite missing much of LIFE.

Are you asking me whether I am happy without my Cell?  Actually, am not sure about what to answer.  To be honest, Am HAPPY when I do not have to answer a particular whatsapp and not HAPPY when I am not able to go through the humorous and fun filled  whatsapp messages of my school friends.  How I miss my Sharon School group friends and my special Whatsapp Group.  Just few more days is what I can assure my school friends and am back again.

On a more serious note, I feel that it’s just a matter of getting used to without our mobile phones or cells.  This takes me back to times when we did not even have a residence phone in our homes.  Life was smooth even then and most of you would agree on that.  Yes, communicating with each other has definitely improved thanks to all the social networking sites and the mobile phones.  

Just ten days back, I was trying to send a Whatsapp forward to my school group and my cell started acting weird.  I tried twice but something told me that the touchscreen may be the cause.  I tried switching off the mobile completely, but it would not move.  Never have I been so dejected especially when it came to technology and devices. But hey what was happening to me? The first thought that came to my mind when my cell conked off was WHATSAPP!!!!  I had totally forgotten that I would not be able to make calls, receive calls and Maddy would be the first person to be upset over this. 

I have been hooked, cooked and booked to whatsapp and I just loved it all through.  But if you ask me now, about how it would be.  I say Life goes on and there will be many more technology applications that would come and go, but WHATSAPP is close to my heart.

I missed sharing pictures, forward messages with my friends and family, but THIS TOO SHALL PASS!!!

Missing you all on WHATSAPP

Love always

Rekha

Etched memories of the Malligai poo (Jasmine flowers)

Being a TamBrahm, the love for the malligai poo (jasmine flowers) is deep rooted in me.  I am not sure if the present generation would agree with me on this.  There are many instances and incidences of childhood, but there are few that are close to my heart.  It is like pressing the rewind button and I do these often and rewind good memories of my childhood which is filled with lot of innocence and happiness. This is a story of the malligai poo that is deep set in my memory and carries fond memories of my childhood.

It takes me close to two and half decades to three decades back when I used to go with my Appa to the market.  Appa used to carry the cloth bag for buying vegetables (I hardly see anyone carrying these cloth stitched bags nowadays, thanks to the plastic bags which have captured the market).  Sunday mornings have always been for shopping, but when it was to buy flowers for adorning Krishna or for any special function, the malligai poo was a must have in the household.

It was during one such trip to the Mulund market when I accompanied appa to buy these flowers.  Usually, there are two to three women selling these flowers. Appa was bargaining with the lady as usual about the prices and that he would buy a substantial quantity.  Meanwhile, when all those talks were going on, I picked up the entire bundle (generally the malligai poo is bundled into a round shape and neatly placed).  I told appa that I want the entire bundle and I am going to wear all those flowers.  The flower seller had a smile on her face and I did not understand then why she smiled.  Appa too was smiling and I can still picturise the smile on his face.

There are many fond memories of the Malli poo. It was one such wedding that I had attended and I would have been barely of ten or twelve years.  I was holding Appa’s hand and walking with him.  In many Tam Brahm weddings, there is a tradition of offering kumkum and also giving flowers to the girls and women who enter.  Generally, the length of the gajra (as we call it now) is small. I was not happy with the small gajra that the lady was offering and I told her that I wanted the entire bundle that was kept.  Appa gave a stern look and I was not happy at all that he did so.  Throughout the function, I was not cheerful (and this was unlike me).  But somehow he convinced me that he would get flowers the next day. These are small instances of childhood memories and whenever I pass the lady selling these Malligai flowers, it reminds me of my childhood times.

I still make it a point to buy those flowers from the Mulund market as it has fond memories and it gives me a sense of satisfaction when I buy those and wear those.

Love you all

Rekha Mahadevan

My love for Malgudi Days and R K Laxman’s expressive cartoon figures!!!

Tanaanaa tana nananaaaaaaa- Come this tune and my mind goes back memory lane way back in 1986 when it was first shown on television. R. K. Narayan who penned this wonderful Malgudi Days has given my generation and also every generation something so wonderful;  memories of watching Malgudi Days remains everfresh.  

Swami, the character full of innocence and his attachment to his grandmother, Swami and his friends are memories that will last a lifetime.  When I think of Malgudi days, I am able to recreate the scene in front of my eyes even now.  I remember it was in 1986 when Doordarshan started showcasing it primetime. The 9 p.m. prime time (as we know it now) showcased Swami and his friends, Malgudi characters instead of Arnab Goswami.   Many of my friends and generation made Swami and his family a part of our life and the innocence and the realism with which every actor from Girish Karnad to Anant Nag fitted into every role of Malgudi days so brilliantly.  The captivating and rustic background music by L Vaidyanathan and last but not the least, the wonderful cartoon sketches by R. K Laxman made the characters come alive on the Bush Television.

The imaginary city created by R K Narayan was so life like that it felt as if events and incidences happened and we became a part of it.  It was seeing these cartoon figures that I started sketching and I used to love sketching. For me every cartoon figure of RKLaxman sent out a message and something that I could learn from.  When I was little, I imagined that every station in a village looked like Malgudi.  It looked so beautiful, the railway track, the fencing, just few villagers selling their wares evoked a strange attraction in me. I am sure there will be many such stations but Malgudi is special in my heart and is closest.

So here’s trying out a simple handmade sketch.  Just for the fun of it!!!

Luv

Rekha

The Badam Tree – She stood tall and beautiful and had an elegance of her own!!

When I was on my way back from office, I noticed the tall and green Badam tree being cut.  My heart skipped a beat and it pained me to see such a majestic tree being brought down.  The first thing that came to my mind was that Maddy would feel so bad to see it being cut.  I remember the tree and have been seeing her since the last 21 years (if I am not mistaken).  The tree stood tall and green with pride and elegance just next to our compound and we could see it from one of our bedrooms.  The tallest part of the tree was as tall as the 5^th floor where we reside.  Come monsoons and she would have all sorts of greens, light, dark and deep hues of greens and light red colours.  The top part of the tree was exactly in the form of an umbrella and we used to really envy as to how nature comes up in some wonderful forms.

But what happened yesterday was really saddening. I am sure that the very fact that the tree was being cut had something to do with the safety of the building.  The Municipality guys came and there was a big crowd when the Badam tree was being cut. It was being cut right from the roots.  People were noticing it and I am sure just like me and Maddy, many people would be sad that this was happening.

I went home and immediately told Maddy that this was happening and he felt so bad, I could feel it.  He loves nature, birds, flowers and trees.  He can explain the simplest of the nature forms with such romance and love.  His expressions were like “ What are you saying”-  Just two days back, we were having our tea and enjoying the scenic nature and the greenery of the surroundings just bang outside our home.  This tree was like a feel good factor.  We tend to get so much attached to these simple things but when it is not present, it feels awful. I had my morning coffee today looking outside and could only see branches, big and small lying close to the ground.  It is said that for a tree to grow as big, it takes many number of years and I am not sure when I would get to see her again, in her full bloom again with the Badam fruits.

Will miss you very much!!!!

Lots of Luv and Blessings

Rekha

p.s.  For me The Badam Tree represented a joint family with elders, grandparents, in laws and her green colour represented life and love in all its glory.

What next ? It’s important to look forward to every moment of our Life!!!

The modern day life is really fast and has its fair share of ups, downs, highs and lows.  It’s like seconds, minutes, hours, days and months are just going away in a jiffy.  I too like many of you have my share of highs and lows.  Some days are so very slow and some just fly away even before I can imagine and it leaves me thinking as to what did I do that brought me happiness or what did I not do that did not make me feel good.  Who doesn’t come with baggage?  It’s left to each one of us to know how to unpack or identify someone who will help you unpack that baggage.

Remember as kids, we used to be happy with even small things and I remember my uncle (periappa in Tamil) used to get the packet of Champion biscuits (sugar and jelly biscuits). This was way back in 1983. Gorging on those biscuits was the ultimate happiness for me and my sister.  I really am not sure about how happiness can be measured, of course happiness is an abstract subject.  But as kids I did measure happiness.  It was getting something nice to eat,  buying a new dress or even buying the scented eraser.  See that’s how I measured happiness.

 Happiness is becoming shortlived nowadays.  I wonder as to what is happening. Getting a new gadget or buying a new vehicle or even getting the most expensive of outfits or jewelery is somehow not allowing our happiness quotient to go on a higher scale.  Why is it so?  Are we ageing?  I really do not know.  May be it’s not about ageing also.  Or is it contentment at a low level?  Is being less ambitious a sign of contentment?  Standing in the long queues for hours together to buy the Garden saree (which has always been my favorite) does not seem to excite me any longer.  The huge banners of sale that are displayed on every shop during the monsoon sale is not exciting any longer.  May be it’s the saturation level. It is actually so important to keep the interest alive, be it in material things as it helps the going get smoother and it’s a feel good factor.  If something is going to make you feel good and you feel happy doing it or getting it, PLEASE DO IT.  You never know when you will lose interest in doing the same things that once upon a time brought a smile on your face.

Everything is about feeling good. Why do we buy what we buy?  Even if that happiness is temporary, it does give happiness and that’s VERY IMPORTANT.  If going to your favorite restaurant and eating is what you are looking forward to, please do it.  If buying a decorative piece of home furniture for your home is what you have always wanted to, just DO IT.  The time to do it is NOW.  One is never sure whether the same thing will interest you after few months or years.  These are the small things that will bring us happiness in our lives and we should definitely do it. I am sure most of you would have heard and read articles similar to this, but when something is reiterated, the brain somehow tends to think in that direction and may be it helps.

p.s.  All the above is completely my perception. These are solely my opinions and views and I am no authority on deciding the generic happiness quotient.  This is my perception of LIFE.

Lots of Luv

Rekha

Can love happen Twice – Someone asked me this?

Seriously, I am not quite sure about how to approach this subject.   One of the readers of my blog asked this and I told her that I am unsure at this point in time to answer this.  I know that this was a very political answer that I gave, but I did ponder over this.  When I was a teenager, I believed that love happens once and it is forever.  I guess technology increases the chances of falling in love (honestly).  Out of sight out of mind is definitely true in many cases that I have seen and heard.

With applications like Whatsap and other social media, you tend to get in touch with friends, your old love is ignited and so many things.  I am not saying that technology is the only root cause for many things that are happening around.  But it definitely has a role to play. The social networking websites provide enough room for a man and woman to express themselves without necessarily being serious about a relationship.

Gone are the days when men and women were naughty at forty, now you can get naughty at any age.  These technology gadgets have equipped us with a new vigour, enthusiasm and opened up opportunities. Applications like Whatsapp, Facebook are definitely places where one can voice out their feelings to their college or school friends (this entirely depends on the rapport they share with their friends).

I am not quite sure as to whether it is wrong to fall in love again.  Yes, it happens many a times for e.g. in a corporate setting.  Two people working together for eight hours on a particular job/project and yes, it does happen. I have seen BMM students who work on projects continuously on specific projects getting attracted and falling head over heels.  The project changes, the guy or girl changes. There are definitely shades of grey in every field and you or me have no right as to decide what is right or wrong.

We hear so many cases of extramarital relationships nowadays.  What is actually going wrong? Is the husband or wife lying, are they not enjoying each other’s company or is there a communication gap.  Why is the husband so cold or why is the wife not showing interest to the husband’s communication.  Yes, many do go through these so called cold periods. 

There is definitely a very thin line between being JUST FRIENDS and actually ending up in an EXTRAMARITAL relationship. There are a lot of thoughts and emotions that are going on in mind when I am writing about this topic.  Am not sure as to how the readers are going to comprehend this blogpost.  But I had to write it for one of my readers. Falling in LOVE is beautiful and there is no doubt about it, but sustaining it and staying true is something that definitely calls for a lot of guts(I should say).

Saying bye for now!!!

Luv

Rekha

p.s: There may be incidences where one is attracted to someone and two people genuinely feel for each other and there is a strong chemistry (for whatever reasons).   Nevertheless, we need to be doubly sure of what we are doing.

MY 100TH BLOGPOST- What should I write?

Amitabh Bachchan, the greatest Indian Actor,once said that he has butterflies everytime he gives a shot, be it for a new movie, an advertisement or even for a campaign. Every individual is like that.  There is anxiety filled when things are new and one is keen in giving the best every time.  The hard work, dedication and perseverance of Amitabh is something that makes him command respect and I completely adore him.

Reading and Writing has always been my passion.  I could just keep reading for hours together and I remember how during my school and college days, I used to read Women’s Era.  I used to go for the second hand books as the first hand ones were expensive.  I used to literally wait for the editions of WE.  Few articles used to get repeated but there was a thrill in reading WE on rainy afternoons once I was back from college tucking myself inside the comforter. My happiness knew no bounds.  Few of the characters in the stories touched my heart a lot.  It made me think how wonderfully the stories were written and I always used to think that one day I would write. Would write just for the thrill of it, voicing out my innermost feelings about life, relationships and everything that I felt and experienced.

For me writing this 100^th blogpost is giving me butterflies.  There are mixed emotions, I am happy as well as a little confused as to what to pen.  But I want to keep it simple.  The journey of writing a blog has been quite fulfilling and I everytime I sit down to write, thoughts and memories becomes fresh. Rewinding past memories of school, my first job, first salary, the first crush, my first debate, first prize and every happy moment is something that I keep rewinding and going through.  It is important that each one of us take out few minutes of our life and rewind those wonderful memories, I am sure you but can’t stop smiling.

My Milan trip was one such trip that gave me jitters as well as excitement and a proud feeling.  The travel in the bus from the apartment to the office was pleasant, at times it drizzled.  The walk to the nearby park during the lunch break was soothing. The cold winds made the atmosphere really wonderful.  The calls I made from Milan to Mumbai during those breaks in that park with so much to talk to are something that I will always remember.  Counting the days when I would be back in Mumbai is something that I looked forward to.  Few experiences and incidents in life are such that it leaves a lasting mark in our mind and soul.  The manner in which my little princess rummaged my bags to check what I had bought from Milan is something that brings a smile on my face.  I remember I used to do the same when my Appa used to be back from office and I always felt there was something for me in his briefcase. It could be a simple thing like a new pen or a new notebook.  Even now the thought is so fresh in my mind as if it has just taken place yesterday.

Even simple things like getting wet in the rain, eating bhutta, watching a romantic movie with Maddy are things that cannot be expressed in words.  Shopping with my daughter at Hill Road, eating Ragda Pattice and Pani puri at Elco is something that cannot be compared to the fine dine restaurants (of course these are my thoughts).  Walking down the Mulund market which is perpetually busy and shopping for clothes and chunky jewelry is something that I till date enjoy and I pray that I continue to do so and my interest lasts.  Last but not the least; eating the dabheli and having the heavenly sugar cane juice is something that satiates my soul completely.

Having said that I will like to say a big Thanks to all those people who look forward to reading my blogposts and getting back to me with messages, SMSes and private messages.  All your likes and comments are etched in my heart and I will continue to write.

Thanks to all you wonderful people.

Keep loving me and blessing me always!!

                                                                                               

Rekha

Having somewhere to go is home and having loved ones with you is Family!!! What more can I ask for

There are many people in my life who have touched my heart and soul in more ways than one. One such person is Monideepa Joydhar (Moni) and I love you Moni for the way you have been with me in good times as well as in my not so good times.  Our friendship started with Uhde India and she continues to be a pillar of support and her zest, attitude and positivity is something that I still adore and will continue to do so.  Moni called me up just the other day and was so happy after I wrote the blogpost about my Milan trip. From her voice and her enthusiasm, I knew that she just wanted to leave everything aside and rush to me to know more about me and my feelings and emotions, when I was on that trip.  Few people can just relate to you just the way you are and even in silence there is a lot of communication.  We may not necessarily call up each other, chat for hours and even see each other for months, but when you really want someone to talk to, there is this one person who genuinely is there for you, listens to you without judging you absolutely.  It is important that each one of us try and identify one such individual.  In times of anxiety, depression and days when we are down, this is one person whom we can rely completely upon.

Some more incidences from my Milan trip:

The Mumbai Istanbul Milan flight was good and I was absolutely comfortable with it.  My friend in office Tejal had ensured that I got an aisle seat and a comfortable seat.  Food was not on my mind as I had already convinced my brain that food is something that I would have adjust during my stay in Italy.  A friend of mine had already fed a lot of information in my mind that. When you are in Rome, behave like a Roman or act like a Roman.

I reach the Malpensa airport, a pretty quiet one, unlike the Dubai Airport or even our T2 International airport.  I liked it.  Italians as such are very friendly and warm people as compared to many of the European countries (this is what I have heard), though am not quite sure about it, frankly I haven’t visited too many countries.  The taxi was waiting for me and it was quite a big sedan.  I had readily kept the sheet where the address was written.  He spoke to me in broken English and all the while in the taxi, I was skeptical if he was driving me to the correct destination. But it was conveyed to me by my Indian office that Milan is a safe place and even at midnight women could travel alone.  Having said all that, my mind would still have doubts.  But somewhere I had read that the more you doubt, you are distancing yourself from your goal.  Ultimately I reach the destination – my apartment.

The building or the hotel where I was put up looked like one of the old European buildings and I had seen something like this in Romedy Now Channel.  I knew I would be missing out on my English movies as well and this was totally uneasy for me. 

The chauffeur helps me get my baggage to the reception of the apartment.  The receptionist Gloria was a very warm lady and instantly I could connect with her.  I went to my apartment and kept my luggage, 2 big bags and a small bag where my mother had packed all the necessary eating stuff.  I was really hungry and I opened the packet where my amma had packed theplas for me.  My throat choked on seeing the packet.  See how our mind plays tricks.  I felt cold, I was not able to explain what was happening to me.  The hunger vanished suddenly and it was taken over with some feeling of emptiness.  It was not even 30 mints I landed in the apartment.

I pacified myself that I had to be here only for 30 days and in a jiffy it could be managed.   It was drizzling slightly out and I stood near the window looking at the drizzle.  It took me back to Sion where my room faces bang opposite the Sion Fort which is lush with greenery and when it drizzles, it looks sooooooo beautiful.  I always enjoyed looking at the rain and sipping my chai or kaapi with some dry snacks.  Every time the drop of rain fell on the sill, it would wet my face and I loved doing that. The rains were different here, the furniture was different, the feel of the mattress was different, the table, chair – you name anything, it was different. Nothing here was mine except for my body, mind and soul – now even that was not mine. I was only physically present here and had left my mind and soul back in Mumbai.  It was getting dark and I had still not had the enthusiasm to unpack my bags and arrange my stuff.  Never ever had I felt so sluggish and lethargic, I knew I had to do it though.  The only good thing was that I could get to skype with Maddy and Jyothi and could see them. But mind said, you can only see them, you can get to feel them or hug them.  I wanted to hug Jyothi and Maddy badly and tell them that how much I was missing them.  But I knew that these were the initial days and within 2 days, I would get back to normal.  Patience told me that I had to wait and watch and have patience.

More to come.

Lots of Luv

Rekha

p.s. : I sincerely feel all those people who leave their families in pursuit of their job need to be saluted.  It takes a lot of guts and mental strength to live away from one’s family and friends and to accept the new changes in life, be it a new job, country, people, language, food..