It has been a long but rewarding day today...
Some good things in office, some ideas coming up; looks like I am going to have a rockig 2012 :)
Learnt two new recipes today... They are Harsh's favorite so fingers crossed!! I am confident they will turn out good!!
Managed to speak to Mom and Mummy while working in kitchen... That's also something that makes me happy :)
Basically, doing those small things for people which gives them happiness... I should be doing them more often... It feels good to see smiles on the faces of your beloved.... Isn't it?
I always ask my boss at work - Amitabh, as to how does he find time to blog... Probably this is how it is to be managed... Stealing minutes here and there :)
Anyway, it's time to hit the bed... Good night...
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Visit to Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar
I visited Amritsar and Wagah border over this weekend. Let me tell you that this was one the most memorable outings that I had recently.
We went to Jallianwala Bagh on 18th Sept 2011 morning and I was amazed to see the odd architecture of the place. I thought I could visualise how it must have been even then in 1920. That small, narrow entrance lane still remains the same opening up into a big open space now converted into a memorial and garden.
There's an Eternal Flame or 'Amar Jyoti' is lit in the memory of those who lost their lives in the massacre. The walls still maintain the bullet marks. Edifices bear the information like where the bullets were fired from, where did Brig General Dyer posted himself and his troops... The well which became the final destination to close to 120 people is now sealed with wire mesh.
The last but not the least, is a small picture gallery with the paintings of those who were related to this incident or later participated in various acts to avenge the massacre.
The most moving painting was that of widow Ratan Devi who lost her husband in Jallianwala Bagh massacre and who had to spend the entire night there with the corpse of her husband amongst other hundreds of dead bodies and blood pool! The narrative read that Ratan Devi waited for help all the night, only to carry her husband's body to a dry place (because the entire Jallianwala was covered in a pool of blood). However, a curfew was placed immediately after that, she had to stay all night in the ground, all by herself, by the side of her husband's dead body!
We can possibly never understand the pain of those people who were related to this incident, who suffered death, who suffered loss and deep sorrow. Those who tried to take the revenge, did succeed and then offered their lives for the sake of it.
Sitting here, in my confortable, warm home, I can only make a feeble effort to imagine the situation then. All I had was an unfathomable mix of feelings which later on translated only into one - sadness. I felt sad to read the count of Ratan Devi, I felt sad to see those bullet holes in the walls... I felt sad to read the entire story of Jallianwala Bagh. I felt sad to know so many innocent people lost their lives in protest of the foreign rule. What happened there was so unfortunate... I think I can never ever forget my visit to Jallianwala Bagh and especially the count of Ratan Devi... I pay my best regards to all those unknown people who became the target of those bullets and left for heavenly abode.
We went to Jallianwala Bagh on 18th Sept 2011 morning and I was amazed to see the odd architecture of the place. I thought I could visualise how it must have been even then in 1920. That small, narrow entrance lane still remains the same opening up into a big open space now converted into a memorial and garden.
There's an Eternal Flame or 'Amar Jyoti' is lit in the memory of those who lost their lives in the massacre. The walls still maintain the bullet marks. Edifices bear the information like where the bullets were fired from, where did Brig General Dyer posted himself and his troops... The well which became the final destination to close to 120 people is now sealed with wire mesh.
The last but not the least, is a small picture gallery with the paintings of those who were related to this incident or later participated in various acts to avenge the massacre.
The most moving painting was that of widow Ratan Devi who lost her husband in Jallianwala Bagh massacre and who had to spend the entire night there with the corpse of her husband amongst other hundreds of dead bodies and blood pool! The narrative read that Ratan Devi waited for help all the night, only to carry her husband's body to a dry place (because the entire Jallianwala was covered in a pool of blood). However, a curfew was placed immediately after that, she had to stay all night in the ground, all by herself, by the side of her husband's dead body!
We can possibly never understand the pain of those people who were related to this incident, who suffered death, who suffered loss and deep sorrow. Those who tried to take the revenge, did succeed and then offered their lives for the sake of it.
Sitting here, in my confortable, warm home, I can only make a feeble effort to imagine the situation then. All I had was an unfathomable mix of feelings which later on translated only into one - sadness. I felt sad to read the count of Ratan Devi, I felt sad to see those bullet holes in the walls... I felt sad to read the entire story of Jallianwala Bagh. I felt sad to know so many innocent people lost their lives in protest of the foreign rule. What happened there was so unfortunate... I think I can never ever forget my visit to Jallianwala Bagh and especially the count of Ratan Devi... I pay my best regards to all those unknown people who became the target of those bullets and left for heavenly abode.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Time for some yummy recipe!!
Friends, for a change I thought of posting some yummy recipe of Raw Mangoes...
This recipe is a typical Maharashtrian dish... it is called as Kairichi Daal (Chana Daal with Raw Mangoes)
Ingredients:
1 large Raw Mango (shouldn't be soft), Chana Daal, Cumin Seeds, Coriander Leaves, Green Chillies. Salt as per taste, Sugar as per taste, Oil, Mustard Seeds (Rai/Mohari), Asafoetida, Turmeric Powder
Recipe:
This recipe is a typical Maharashtrian dish... it is called as Kairichi Daal (Chana Daal with Raw Mangoes)
Ingredients:
1 large Raw Mango (shouldn't be soft), Chana Daal, Cumin Seeds, Coriander Leaves, Green Chillies. Salt as per taste, Sugar as per taste, Oil, Mustard Seeds (Rai/Mohari), Asafoetida, Turmeric Powder
Recipe:
- Soak Chana Daal overnight in water
- Drain water from Chana Daal at the time of preparation.
- Take around 1 small spoon cumin seeds, salt and green chillies and grind well in the Mixer.
- Then, grind soaked Chana Daal along with the above - grind to coarse particles only.
- Then add the grated raw mango to the above mixture and grind again. Ensure that the Chana Daal is not ground too fine.
- Take the entire mixture in a bowl and add some sugar.
- Heat 1 table spoon oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds pop completely and then add Asafoetida. Add some Turmeric Powder as well.
- Pour the above on to the mixture in the bowl and then mix properly.
- Garnish with finely chopped Coriander Leaves.
This dish is mouthwatering mix of Raw Mangoes and Chana Daal.... the right taste is sweet and sour taste... it can be eaten with Chapati or can be eaten just like that!
Try this at home, I am sure you will love it... I have been carrying in my tiffin all the typical Maharashtrian Raitas (or Koshimbir as they call it) and all my colleagues at Mohali seem to really love it...
Try this and do let me know how you find it!
Have fun!!!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Writing from Mohali....
Uncertainty prevails!! Sitting in Mohali office of Swaraj Tractors, I wonder what's going to happen next.
Someone might just wonder how come I am writing in Office time. But sometimes, your mind is really cluttered with thoughts and you need some place to vent them out. For me, the blogger has always served as that space to vent out my thoughts... however weird they may be!
After deciding to shift here, last one month has been full of stress - uncertain environment, people behaving in a very interesting way!
Good part is that, I am in Mohali now and will soon shift here - officially... This is a wonderful place with lots and lots of clean air to breathe and lots of greenery around! A complete contrast to Mumbai, Chandigarh-Mohali come as a pleasant surprise to me.... This being my first stay in North India, I am looking forward to a great quality personal life here....
Team is nice, young and fresh! I guess it would be fun to work with them...
What more - I hope to write more, read more, work out for a better health and spend moer quality time with family! Work will always remain an integral part of life, but how do I balance it with personal life is the key to good life!
Uncertainty prevails!! Sitting in Mohali office of Swaraj Tractors, I wonder what's going to happen next.
Someone might just wonder how come I am writing in Office time. But sometimes, your mind is really cluttered with thoughts and you need some place to vent them out. For me, the blogger has always served as that space to vent out my thoughts... however weird they may be!
After deciding to shift here, last one month has been full of stress - uncertain environment, people behaving in a very interesting way!
Good part is that, I am in Mohali now and will soon shift here - officially... This is a wonderful place with lots and lots of clean air to breathe and lots of greenery around! A complete contrast to Mumbai, Chandigarh-Mohali come as a pleasant surprise to me.... This being my first stay in North India, I am looking forward to a great quality personal life here....
Team is nice, young and fresh! I guess it would be fun to work with them...
What more - I hope to write more, read more, work out for a better health and spend moer quality time with family! Work will always remain an integral part of life, but how do I balance it with personal life is the key to good life!
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Running with time...... are we missing something called life??
I know it's been too long since I've really written something. But as the title of this post suggests, I have been competing with time..... trying to control it...... but lately I've realised that we can never win it....... instead we tend to miss the seemingly insignificant but most important moments of life..
I just read an email sent by a friend. It was a story about a world famous Violinist..... the story goes like this:
In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning, this man with a violinplayed six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people wentthrough the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-agedman noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a fewseconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.
About 4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping,continued to walk.
At 6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started towalk again.
At 10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look atthe violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning hishead the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent -without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.
At 45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.
After 1 hour:He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was norecognition at all.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in theworld. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seatsaveraged $200 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organizedby the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people'spriorities.
This experiment raised several questions:
*In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
*If so, do we stop to appreciate it?
*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playingsome of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . .
How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?
Life is really very small....... I know we get trapped in the rat race of living... but do we really take time to appreciate the beautiful moments that life brings us every time? How many of you have lately, smelled a flower, taken a deep breathe, wondered about the clouds, listened to the birds...... or said a 'I Love You' to your life partner??
Think about it.... there's so much to do in our entire day..... but we spend all 24 hours worrying about a better house, a big car, a fancy living......... and what not...... can we not just stop by and acknowledge the beauty of life??
One weekend, go on a long drive, see the trees, the rivers, or a setting sun, or an afternoon reading your favorite book while listening to your favorite music, or just a walk on the sea shore, or a simple dinner with family at home, maybe meeting your cousins and reliving your childhood days.....
Believe me, it's just too lovely...... I did it this weekend. I met my relatives, I had a blast with my cousins... we recollected our childhood days when we would play in sun all day, climb that old tamarind tree....put up stalls in Navratri, or simply play pranks :).... I also went to a fort today..... and could not stop imagining how beautiful it would have been, how beautiful it is still today.......
Don't get trapped...... just stop for a minute and think, is this all that you really wanted?? When you retire and sit back, what would you like to think of??? What would it be, you can always think of when you're stressed and want to relax....
It's not late...... world wouldn't stop if you slow down a bit...... but for your people it will mean heaven if you give a bit extra....
Have fun..... Life is good, go out and make the most of it!!
I just read an email sent by a friend. It was a story about a world famous Violinist..... the story goes like this:
In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning, this man with a violinplayed six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people wentthrough the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-agedman noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a fewseconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.
About 4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping,continued to walk.
At 6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started towalk again.
At 10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look atthe violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning hishead the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent -without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.
At 45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.
After 1 hour:He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was norecognition at all.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in theworld. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seatsaveraged $200 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organizedby the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people'spriorities.
This experiment raised several questions:
*In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
*If so, do we stop to appreciate it?
*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playingsome of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . .
How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?
Life is really very small....... I know we get trapped in the rat race of living... but do we really take time to appreciate the beautiful moments that life brings us every time? How many of you have lately, smelled a flower, taken a deep breathe, wondered about the clouds, listened to the birds...... or said a 'I Love You' to your life partner??
Think about it.... there's so much to do in our entire day..... but we spend all 24 hours worrying about a better house, a big car, a fancy living......... and what not...... can we not just stop by and acknowledge the beauty of life??
One weekend, go on a long drive, see the trees, the rivers, or a setting sun, or an afternoon reading your favorite book while listening to your favorite music, or just a walk on the sea shore, or a simple dinner with family at home, maybe meeting your cousins and reliving your childhood days.....
Believe me, it's just too lovely...... I did it this weekend. I met my relatives, I had a blast with my cousins... we recollected our childhood days when we would play in sun all day, climb that old tamarind tree....put up stalls in Navratri, or simply play pranks :).... I also went to a fort today..... and could not stop imagining how beautiful it would have been, how beautiful it is still today.......
Don't get trapped...... just stop for a minute and think, is this all that you really wanted?? When you retire and sit back, what would you like to think of??? What would it be, you can always think of when you're stressed and want to relax....
It's not late...... world wouldn't stop if you slow down a bit...... but for your people it will mean heaven if you give a bit extra....
Have fun..... Life is good, go out and make the most of it!!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
My encounters with nature!!
Recently, I went to 2 places - Girgaum Chaupatty (people may wonder, what's so new about it) and Mahabaleshwar. And I am going to write about something specific which I experienced there.
Scene 1 at Girgaum Chaupatty
I and Harsh (my husband) went there after office, just to have some air (can't call it fresh really!) and some open space to walk about.... after some time, we settled ourselves onto the beach, sitting there in sand. The sea was only about 30-35 feet away from us. We could see the waves coming, slowly and gently. And then just a wave here or there, which would make more splash. So while we were talking, I paid attention to the sound of the waves...... and I became more attentive to what Harsh was saying. And at that very moment, it reflected on me (as it always does), proximity to sea always makes me introspective, more sensitive, more thoughtful, overwhelmed with emotions...... it has a magical effect on me. I just tried expressing it in words, but I couldn't. I think this is the effect - whenever I am close to sea, the experience is always - beyond words....
Scene 2 - at Mahabaleshwar
We had been to Mahabaleshwar 2 weeks back. And we saw the weather changing from a mildly hot, sunny day to a cloudy atmosphere, then to dense fog where visibility was not more than 5 feet. I found it quite amazing and wonderful - it just gave an insight - never underestimate nature - it has power enough to weaken you, to shake you from roots..... to teach you, to help you learn and grow....
Wondering again, as to what I am trying to say??? Well, it's just that, I am urging you all to pay attention to nature's way of communicating with you. In doing so, you start communicating and connecting more with yourself - something that you probably miss out on doing, in this rat race.
Connecting with nature can provide you a good way to connect with yourself. Try it to believe it!
Scene 1 at Girgaum Chaupatty
I and Harsh (my husband) went there after office, just to have some air (can't call it fresh really!) and some open space to walk about.... after some time, we settled ourselves onto the beach, sitting there in sand. The sea was only about 30-35 feet away from us. We could see the waves coming, slowly and gently. And then just a wave here or there, which would make more splash. So while we were talking, I paid attention to the sound of the waves...... and I became more attentive to what Harsh was saying. And at that very moment, it reflected on me (as it always does), proximity to sea always makes me introspective, more sensitive, more thoughtful, overwhelmed with emotions...... it has a magical effect on me. I just tried expressing it in words, but I couldn't. I think this is the effect - whenever I am close to sea, the experience is always - beyond words....
Scene 2 - at Mahabaleshwar
We had been to Mahabaleshwar 2 weeks back. And we saw the weather changing from a mildly hot, sunny day to a cloudy atmosphere, then to dense fog where visibility was not more than 5 feet. I found it quite amazing and wonderful - it just gave an insight - never underestimate nature - it has power enough to weaken you, to shake you from roots..... to teach you, to help you learn and grow....
Wondering again, as to what I am trying to say??? Well, it's just that, I am urging you all to pay attention to nature's way of communicating with you. In doing so, you start communicating and connecting more with yourself - something that you probably miss out on doing, in this rat race.
Connecting with nature can provide you a good way to connect with yourself. Try it to believe it!
I am back!!!
First and foremost - my gratitude to my colleague in office, for inspiring me to write - for motivating me to leave everything and hit the blog!! My sincere thanks to my friend Harleen who actually gave me that stream of thoughts - something which I always look for before blogging. Didn't get it? Confused?? Ok I am making the matters simpler.
I haven't blogged for... how many weeks... I don't remember. And I did have some topics in my mind, but it was this particular conversation with Harleen which triggered the thought process and ignited me to be back with a bang!
I've been married for almost 5 months now, and almost everyone asks me, how's life after marriage -- some people may try and rhyme it with -- how's life after death!!! Well, just kidding!! Then they also ask me, is there anything exciting happening???
And my answer always is, there's nothing exciting like that, but I am enjoying the feeling of being contented, the feeling of not being alone to fight the big bad world, not alone to take care of all problems - pipes leaking, fuses going off, payments, cleaning up and all.... there's someone with me now, who shares every moment with me. And that in itself is such a beautiful feeling.
But while talking to Harleen, I realised that there is so much excitement in this!! I mean, my priorities changed almost overnight, the way I behaved, the way I thought everything changed overnight, and believe me that is the most exciting transition you can ever have!
I remember those days exactly a year back and I am seeing how it is now.... when I look back, I can see how far I have come, how I have changed, and that IS exciting!
I think, excitement is not only your adrenaline rushing all the time - excitement can be felt subtly also, like this, observing changes, savouring those moments, learning some new recipe, or just doing things together - even if it means watching TV! That is so very exciting!
It's just fun observing how your language changes from 'I' to 'We'.... how you make changes to your name, to your details in office, to the way you carry about....... everything!!
And, I only pray to God, let this feeling of excitement last forever....
Yes, it is exciting... life after marriage is exciting!! Change is exciting!!
I haven't blogged for... how many weeks... I don't remember. And I did have some topics in my mind, but it was this particular conversation with Harleen which triggered the thought process and ignited me to be back with a bang!
I've been married for almost 5 months now, and almost everyone asks me, how's life after marriage -- some people may try and rhyme it with -- how's life after death!!! Well, just kidding!! Then they also ask me, is there anything exciting happening???
And my answer always is, there's nothing exciting like that, but I am enjoying the feeling of being contented, the feeling of not being alone to fight the big bad world, not alone to take care of all problems - pipes leaking, fuses going off, payments, cleaning up and all.... there's someone with me now, who shares every moment with me. And that in itself is such a beautiful feeling.
But while talking to Harleen, I realised that there is so much excitement in this!! I mean, my priorities changed almost overnight, the way I behaved, the way I thought everything changed overnight, and believe me that is the most exciting transition you can ever have!
I remember those days exactly a year back and I am seeing how it is now.... when I look back, I can see how far I have come, how I have changed, and that IS exciting!
I think, excitement is not only your adrenaline rushing all the time - excitement can be felt subtly also, like this, observing changes, savouring those moments, learning some new recipe, or just doing things together - even if it means watching TV! That is so very exciting!
It's just fun observing how your language changes from 'I' to 'We'.... how you make changes to your name, to your details in office, to the way you carry about....... everything!!
And, I only pray to God, let this feeling of excitement last forever....
Yes, it is exciting... life after marriage is exciting!! Change is exciting!!
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