Congrats CP

Heartiest Congratulations for

 

A decade so full

of beans and grinds,

of SKUs and scones

of the design that binds,

of PIM and locations

of daylight rewinds,

of cherished memories

and the Analytical minds !!

 

Happy Anniversary C P

 

Thank you JA

 

 

You don’t have a rank

you are special each way

you clear all my doubts

and push my worries away

 

Cant fathom that you are

As mean as you say

Your warmth and concern

Could brighten any day !!

                                     — Khushi

 

 

Hard Road

 

Someone once asked me,

 why do you always insist

on taking the hard road?

And I replied,

 why do you assume

I see two roads?

 

A few good men – in Seattle

HAMMERING MAN

As a part of the City of Seattle’s public art program, The Seattle Arts Commission installed the 48 feet tall Hammering Man on September 12, 1992 at the entrance to the downtown Seattle Art Museum at First Avenue and University Streets.

The Hammering Man’s arm “hammers” silently and smoothly four times per minute from 7 am to 10 pm every day. It runs on a 3-hp electric motor set on an automatic timer. Hammering Man rests its arm each evening and every year on Labor Day. 

Read more  : http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/visit/hammerMan.asp

 Img src        : http://gocalifornia.about.com/bl_wastlphoto_art.htm

**************************

 

The Seattle Coffee Works installed this coffee drinking Man on July 14, 2009 outside their store on the intersection of First and Pike. The 15 feet tall kinetic Coffee Drinking Man’s hand moves while he enjoys his coffee. To date he remains nameless.

Read more: http://www.citizenrain.com/2009/07/giant-coffeedrinking-man-takes.html

 

 

 

 

**************************

The Beer Drinking man: In front of the (in)famous Blue Moon in the University District.

Also called the hammered man as a parody on SAM’s hammering man, this was installed about 12 years ago and is supposedly the most drunk man in Seattle  

Ref: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/188/432108572_e03fdb294c.jpg?v=0

 

House Warming

 

 

 

 

 

The weather was warm
and outdoors was fun
some patties did get burnt
with the corn so well done

Hope you enjoyed as much
the drinks and the sun
I am glad you could make it
with your humor and some pun

You’ll make the day special;
I knew it from the start!
Your presen(ce) and presen(ts)
I appreciate from my heart

Keep visiting
Thanks

– Khushi

 

The Procrastinator

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He slept beneath the moon;
He basked behind the sun;
He lived a life of going-to-do;
And died with nothing done !!

 

Coca Cola aaaaha !!

A disappointed salesman of Coca Cola returns from his Middle-East assignment.

A friend asked, “Why weren’t you successful with the Arabs…?”

 

The salesman explained:

“When I got posted to the Middle East, I was very confident that I would make a good sales pitch as Cola is virtually unknown there. But, I had a problem. I didn’t know the language (Arabic). So, I planned to convey the message through three posters…”

 

First poster: A man lying in the hot desert sand…totally exhausted and fainting.

Second poster:  The man drinking our Cola.

Third poster: Our man is now totally refreshed.

 

These posters were pasted all over the place.

 

 

“Then that should have worked!” said the friend.

   
 

 “The hell it should have” said the salesman. 

“Didn’t realize that Arabs read from right to left”

 

J Know your customers J

 

 

 

 

Debt

 

 

 

 

Words to say

Feelings to sweep

Love to express

And promises to keep

A trivial inhibition

But a wavering mind

A selfish decision

And an act unkind

Sky owes him ……Some Empathy

 

Unspoken thoughts

Actions to justify

Direction to pursue

Notions to defy

Worldly reasons

Messed up heart

A faltering love

And time to part

He owes her ……An Apology

 

Unsolicited lies

Reality endorsed

Futile concerns

Betrayal exposed

Shaken trust

Baffled mind

Time to move on

Emotions to unwind

She owes him ……Forgiveness

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Khushi

 

Happy Valentines Day

 

 

It?s amazing how you can speak right to my heart
Without saying a word you can light up the dark
Try as I may I could never explain
What I hear when you don?t say a thing.

 

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There?s a truth in your eyes sayin? you?ll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you?ll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all

All day long I can hear people talking out loud
But when you hold me near, you drown out the crowd
Old mr. webster could never define
What?s being said between your heart and mine

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There?s a truth in your eyes sayin? you?ll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you?ll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There?s a truth in your eyes sayin? you?ll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you?ll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all.

 

- Alison Krauss

 

‘Bailout Bill’ giving away money in Times Square — big heart and wads of cash

Bad times can bring out the best and the worst of us. There is a character with a huge heart and apparently stacks of cash for needy folks willing to wait in line for it in Time Square.

He has been cast as “Bailout Bill” and he has created a stir because he is giving away money directly to those in need, figuring that the folks on the bottom rung of the ladder need just as much help as those at the top, that the government has been bailing out.

According to reports, In order to get the money people have to go to the ‘Bailout Booth’ in the heart of Manhattan’s Times Square; to a small cubicle, where, depending on your story you can get a cash stipend to help out with a present financial dilemma.

Anyone is eligible if they are willing to stand in line. The handouts range from $50 to a maximum of $5,000. I imagine Bailout Bill is hearing some pretty sad stories and the occasional ‘whopper’. You should not have to worry about taxes either because anyone can give up to a $13,000 gift to anyone they want without creating any tax obligation.

I think this is a great idea and I hope the word spreads fast because this is the type of behavior that would be worthy of copycats. The ideal copycat to me would be those Wall Street traders (or traitors, depending on your view) that reaped billions of dollars in fallacious bonuses.

Of course ‘my pal Warren’ (Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) fame) should have thought of this first and I hope he is reading this or one of his associates passes this along. The board members of every company that has received federal bailout money should also take notice.

This idea can also be extended further. Some people might just need some counsel about how to deal with a short term problem when they cannot afford top tier advice. Ahh — but free advice might not be worth much and cash is king. Bailout Bill is doing his best to make those in need feel like king for a day.

Source:

 

Relationships 101 – Happily Ever After

“The truth is,

you never know how strong your relationship is

until it’s tested.“

A great relationship is not just about what you have. It’s about what you do to make a relationship stronger, safer, more caring and committed.

Step #1: Find a shared dream for your life together.

Step #2: Choose each other as your first family.

Step #3: Learn how to fight right.

Step #4: Find a balance between time for two and time for you.

Step #5: Build a best friendship.

Step #6: Face down a major challenge together.

Reference : Yahoo

 

Word of wisdom – George Constanza (Seinfeld)

 

Everythings falling in Seattle

First the gas prices…..

and now the snow……….

 

and some day hearts might fall too ……….

 

Back to basics…with Legos

 

Like many other of my kind, I am a victim of inquisitiveness and an urge to create. Creativity is not a virtue of the very few…Each of us has some such manifestation which may or may not get visibility. Some hide it because they are shy while others hide it unbeknown. Childhood for its very innocence has the strength to break the shell and not care about anything. Of all that I fancied back then, I thought I wouldn’t want to relive any of those now until my friend re-introduced me to LEGOS.

 

Simply put the “Building block toys” which could captivate me for hours. Complexity varying from 8 to 10000 pieces, joining them together one by one seems like building an ocean drop by drop. The most amazing moment is when you see the parts moving together in unison. And then you blurt out “That’s my baby” J

 

Well, I am helping my friend build a Motorized BullDozer Lego (approx 1300 pieces).

 Ok Ok…..I shouldn’t say “helping”, rather, seizing the opportunity to do it myself. When I should rather be getting some others tasks accomplished, I feel so contented clicking and clamping.

 

More updates and hopefully some pics to follow.

 

 

UPDATE: Its done…..and it moves……..and its terrific   yayyyyyy

 

How Ex-Presidents Make Their Money

 

 

Upon taking up residency in the White House, a president also assumes a tidy salary of $400,000 a year, plus extra cash for expenses. That’s certainly not the kind of change you’d find under most couch cushions, but it’s not such a princely sum that the president will be set for life when leaving office. While many leaders are either independently rich enough or old enough that they just retire after leaving office, others are desperate to make a buck or a pound. So how do ex-presidents and other former world leaders support themselves as they while away the autumn of their years?

 

Exhausted at work??

 

Who matters !!

Image Courtesy: Charmaine Green www.naidoc.org.au/…/poster/poster_win06.aspx

There comes a point in your life when you realize:

 

·        who matters,

·        who never did,

·        who won’t anymore…

·        and who always will.

 

So, don’t worry about people from your past,

there’s a reason why they didn’t make it to your  future.

 

Flag colors – Red, White and Blue

    

 

A visitor from Holland was chatting with his American friend and was jokingly explaining about the red, white and blue in the Netherlands flag. “Our flag symbolizes our taxes,” the man said. “We get red when we talk about them, white when we get our tax bill, and blue after we pay them.” “That’s the same with us, the American said, “only we see stars, too.”

 

 

 

 

Nice Message !!

 

Another Proof of Evolution Theory

 

Global village

 

 

 

I am from Japan, she said

The land of the rising sun

The leaders in cars and engines

And electronics for having fun

 

I am from Philippines, he said

The pearl of the orient seas

Named after the prince of Spain

You are invited to the ocean breeze.

 

I am from Korea, she said

The land of the morning calm

The pioneers in printing and stars

We strongly support “no harm”

 

I am from India, he said

The brightest Jewel in the Crown

Unity in diversity for real

We are one secular town

 

I am from US she said

The golden land for the opportune

Think hard before you gamble

Wall street might crack you soon

 

I am from Thailand, he said

The colorful land of Smiles

Cuisine delicious and hot

And beauty spread over miles

 

I hear them all in awe

In geography are they bound

No one has lived forever

All go back in the ground

 

They boast of what is trivial

That’s insane and not so norm

All creations of the same almighty

Why wonder where who came from

 

                                        – Khushi

 

Facebook Stalking :)

 

A WOMAN’S POEM

He didn’t like the curry
And he didn’t like my cake
Said my biscuits were too hard….
Unlike what his mom used to make.

I could not make the coffee
He didn’t like my stew
I didn’t mend his socks
The way his mom used to do.

I pondered for an answer
I was looking for a clue
Isn’t there anything I could do
To match his mothers shoes

Then I smiled as I saw light
One thing I could definitely do
I turned around and slapped him tight….
Like his mother used to!!!!

 

SubPrime Mortgages Explained

View the full screen version at:

http://www.slideshare.net/khushiarora/subprime-mortgages-explained-presentation

 

Types of friends

There are three types of people in this world;

·        the ones who keep you alive,

·        the ones who would otherwise cause you to die,  and

·        the ones who somehow manage to do both at the same time J

 

Keep busy with the Legos Grandpa

 

Career graph

Career experience Metrics…

 

Save a life today – without knowing which one

 

Today, when I walked into the room where every wall and booth were covered with posters stating “Save a life today” – “Save one without knowing which one”, I had no prior realization, that 60 relaxed minutes and 600 grams of blood that I’ll donate could be a life savior for someone.

 

I am a first time donor and somewhere deep down it fills me with pride to be able to contribute (even if it was in a small ‘gram-ular’ way). The donor room is one place where sight of blood brings relief instead of fright. The only frightful part of the whole experience is the registration – a stack of forms that need your check marks or initials before any needle could touch thy skin. All that follows…..you’ll have no recollection of. (just kidding J).

 

 

 

 

And the Bravo award goes to:

Pudget Sound blood center

for being the first ones ever

to successfully extract

610 grams (roughly 22 oz)

of my life’s ‘hard earned’ blood.

 

 

 

 

Financial Meltdown – Wallstreet bloodbath 08

September 14,2008: The month of September any year doesn’t seem to be very favorable for financial markets in New York. The recent developments point to what experts say could be yet another depression in US history.

 

·        Lehman files bankruptcy

·        BOA buys Merrill – $50 billion

·        AIG plans sales to raise billions

·        WaMu in line ?

 

A bright and sunny weekend in Seattle and an overcast sky in New York for months to come.

 

 

 

More news:

 

1.      Wall Street on Red Alert

2.      Lehman – Chicken Game over

3.      After Frantic Day, Wall Street Banks Falter

4.      Greenspan: Economy in a once-in-a-century crisis

5.      Wall Street awakes to 2 storied firms gone

 

 

 

Joys unbound …beloved in town

 

February 2008:

I was to stay without her in this totally new place for about three weeks. Our love has been of the leagues of “Love at first sight”. Having depended on her for my most basic needs since the past so many months, her absence was a void which was almost unbearable. With all due respects to people’s choice of homo-gendric relations, I am not referring to my girlfriend here (I relish being the hetero types). The reference wholly solely is a pointer to my Car.

 

 

 

A fierce snow storm had jeopardized her shipment from Michigan to Seattle and delayed it by another week. To rejoice in our re-union, I took her for a ride around the town as soon as she landed here. The wheels paced down the streets of Queen-Anne to race the lanes of I-5 N onto the world’s longest ‘Evergreen point’ floating bridge state route 520. On the perfect sunny day, she drove along leaving west the stunning sights of the Olympic mountains, city skyline, the husky stadium and U-W and zooming east across the waters of Lake Washington towards Medina and the Cascades. Howsoever did she hate the not so tarred Seattle roads; nevertheless she still fell in love with the landscape and the drive. Gliding past the bridge onto the smoother roads on the eastern state route, she merged on to interstate 405 south followed by a cruise along I 90 West embracing the setting sun and the sky painted in shades of red.

 

 

 

Grinning from headlight to headlight, my CRV was now officially Christianized to our new home – the gorgeous city of the state of Washington – Seattle.

 

 

 

Confessions of a Server

 

OH MY! Life is so unfair! What did I do wrong to be born a server in this day and age? I could have been a nice simple bicycle that people happily rode around on all day. But no, I’m stuck inside this metal case serving web pages instead. I never even see the light of day and all I can hear is the rush of the air-conditioning!

Well, no more! I’m relaxing here with a cup of tea and a biscuit until someone shows me some love and attention.

 

It never takes them long to fix me when I kick up a fuss so check back in a few minutes and I’ll be chugging along merrily again.!

 

Signed,

The WordPress.com web server

{WordPress.com – where even the machines have a life !}

 

 

(This was once the “Bad donut for you” error at WordPress…..still tickles me)

 

Senior Vote

It’s a Friday evening and the cafeteria at Bethel County Retirement Home in Alaska is noisier than usual, as residents discuss the big news of the day. The two ladies seated in the corner, who often spend meal times grumbling about the lumpy gravy or unmashed potatoes, find themselves drawn into the excitement.

“Did you hear the news?”
“Of course I heard the news, Esther. I’m old, but I’m not deaf. I still can’t believe it. Our governor, heading to the White House.”
“Not the White House, Mildred. The other house. I dunno what it’s called, but I’m sure it’s big. Dick Cheney lives there, you know.”
“Dick who?”
“Cheney. You know, the guy who shot his friend while hunting.”
“Oh, that fella. Is Sarah Palin going to be safe, moving in with him?”
“She’s not moving in with him. He’s going to move out first.”
“Oh, that’s a relief. I was starting to wonder whether it was worth it for her to be president.”
“Vice-president, Mildred. The only way she’d become president is if John McCain … you know … croaks.”
“John who?”

 

Obama’s Speech

“THE SPEECH THAT LEFT THEM SPEECHLESS”

What a fabulous speech Barack Obama gave at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado. It was so good that Bill Clinton turned to his wife, Hillary, and said, “What do you think, honey? Wasn’t that the best speech you’ve ever heard that I didn’t give?”

 

“It was a great speech,” Hillary replied. “Almost as great as the one I would have given.”

Decades from now, people will still be raving about Obama’s speech, not just die-hard Democrats but also the die-easy ones. Many will wish they could have been at the convention in Denver to witness history. Never before have so many people, not sitting on a Chicago street, held signs asking for “Change.”

History was also made, of course, when Obama became the first African-American to accept the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, saying, “With profound gratitude and great humility, I thank Hillary Rodham Clinton once again. She is a champion of working Americans and an inspiration to my daughters and yours, showing them that with hard work and determination, they too can finish second.”

 

 

Regrets

And nothing for ‘I’m glad I saw Epic Movie.’

Are the above numbers correct ? Hoax or Stats

 

Gurdas Mann – Kudiye : Heer

 The legendary Punjabi folk singer Gurdaas Mann pours his heart yet again in this beautiful piece – “Kudhiye – Kismat Pudhiye” highlighting the emotions of a daughter.

 

Album : Heer

Singer : Gurdas Mann

Lyrics :

 

Kudiye Kismat Puriye Tainu
Inna Pyar Deyan
Apne Hisse Di Duniya Main
Thethon Vaar Deyan
Kudiye Kismat Puriye Tainu
Inna Pyar Deyan,
Apne Hisse Di Duniya Main
Thethon Vaar Deyan
Thethon Vaar Deyan

Tu Jammi Taan Maa Pe Kehan
Parayi Eh Dhiye
Saure Ghar Vich Kehan
Begaani Jayai Eh Dhiye
Tu Jammi Taan Maa Pe Kehan
Parayi Eh Dhiye
Saure Ghar Vich Kehan
Begaani Jayai Eh Dhiye
Kede Ghar Di Aakhan Tainu?
Ki Satkaar Deyan?
Apne Hisse Di Duniya Main
Thethon Vaar Deyan
Apne Hisse Di Duniya Main
Thethon Vaar Deyan
Thethon Vaar Deyan

 

Caught Sleeping In Your Office Cubicle

Best excuses if you get caught sleeping in your office cubicle:

·         “It’s okay: I’m still billing the client.”

·         “They told me at the blood bank this might happen.”

·         “This is just a 15-minute power nap like they raved about in that time-management course you sent me to.”

·         “I was working smarter, not harder.”

·         “Whew! I must a left the top off the liquid paper.”

·         “I wasn’t sleeping! I was meditating on the mission statement and envisioning a new paradigm!”

·         “This is one of the seven habits of highly effective people!”

·         “I was testing my keyboard for drool resistance.”

·         “I’m in the management training program.”

·         “I’m actually doing a “Stress Level Elimination Exercise Plan” (SLEEP) I learned at the last management seminar you made me attend.”

·         “This is in exchange for the six hours last night when I dreamed about work!”

·         “I was doing a highly specific Yoga exercise to relieve work-related stress.

·         Do you discriminate against people who practice Yoga?”

·         “Darn! Why did you interrupt me? I had almost figured out a solution to our biggest problem.”

·         “The coffee machine is broken.”

·         “Someone must’ve put decaf in the wrong pot.”

·         “Boy, that cold medicine I took last night just won’t wear off!”

·         “It worked well for Reagan, didn’t it?”

·         “I was cross-training for telecommuting.”

·         “Ah, the unique and unpredictable circadian rhythms of the workaholic!”

·         “Wasn’t sleeping. Was trying to pick up a contact lens without hands.”

·         “The mailman flipped out and pulled a gun, so I was playing dead to avoid getting shot.”

·         Running in “Power-Save” mode.

·         “Geez, I thought you were gone for the day.”

·         “Amen”

 

The Drinking problem

 

Never an out of the box thinker

 

Baffled ?

 

Dreams

 

 

 

When your dreams turn to dust,

 VACUUM and start “CLEAN” !!

 

 

 

Pregnant “man” delivers baby girl

The pregnant man is no longer pregnant … and he’s showing off his baby daughter to the world.

Thomas Beatie, 34, has released photos of his new daughter, Susan Juliette Beatie, to People magazine.

Beatie reportedly endured 40 hours of labor before a midwife delivered the baby naturally on July 3. And, after just four days at the hospital, the little one and her family were able to return home.

Beatie, who was born a woman but had surgery and gender reassignment which legally makes him male, decided to carry the child for his wife Nancy because she had a hysterectomy years before. However, Nancy is able to breastfeed the baby thanks to a process known as induced lactation.

Beatie says that he kept his reproductive rights because “wanting to have a biological child is neither a male nor female desire, but a human desire.”

 

One Liners

 

·        A speech is like a wheel - the longer the spoke – the greater the tire.

·        A spoken word is like a sparrow – once it flies out you cannot catch it.

·        A word of advice – don’t give it.

·        An alarm clock is a small device used to wake up people who have no children at home.

·        An expert is someone called in at the last minute to share the blame.

·        Anybody who knows everything should be told a thing or two.

·        Anyone who says that truth is stranger than fiction has never heard a teenager explaining his 3:30 A.M. arrival home.

·        A friend is someone who thinks you’re a good egg even when they know you’re a bit cracked.

·        A gentleman farmer is one who has more hay in the bank than in the barn.

·        A good time to keep you mouth shut is when you’re in deep water.

·        A good many childhood ailments are cured miraculously as soon as it’s too late to go to school.

·        A half-truth is usually less than half of that.

 

Page 3 – Solace in Seattle

Place: Roof Deck

Time: 8:30 PM

 

Overlooking West Seattle across Elliot bay and facing the cool ocean breeze: I can’t think of anything more relaxing. After a long Wednesday, what else could I ask for J. Not that I have repented any of my decisions so far (knock on wood), but evenings like these make me thank myself for my choice of location.

 

Sitting here and watching boats sailing the serene and peaceful waters of the sound, takes my mind away from the hustle of Seattle. The so noisy and crowded downtown which is vibrant with traffic and commuters all day goes peacefully quiet with the wee hours of twilight. As I sat here enjoying my moment of solace, the door squeaked open and sooner than I knew, I had company.

 

A couple of weeks ago, on a cloudy Saturday afternoon, I set out to explore some museums in Pioneer Square. As I was waiting at the bus-stop, I was joined by an old British lady who in-spite of having lived in this city for over four decades, didn’t quite have any affinity for the place. It wasn’t very cold that day but I believe she felt so. Interestingly, our chito-chat started with her pointing out that I definitely needed some warm attire to suit the weather J I smiled and dodging the remark with utmost subtlety, I moved the conversation to her cities of choice. Hailing from the country of Union Jack and having traveled far and wide in Europe, the beauty in US did not lure her much. With no family around either, she said she could step out of Seattle any-day and never look back. But she said the same for San Francisco and New York……uhmmm is there a pattern She surely recommended me a trip to Vancouver via Amtrak and a must-see Victoria Islands. Her conversation and tales that she shared definitely pointed out the fact that she was an avid traveler. And for her age, her enthusiasm was commendable. The commuter’s fate: her bus arrived and we exchanged farewell greetings.

 

A swish of flashback, and there I was on my roof deck, standing face to face to the same lady. World is small, the blocks are even smaller. It turns out that we live in the same apt complex and we share the same hide-out for solace J A round of formal introductions was followed by stories from England, California, shopping suggestions (hello ladies :p ), jogs/walks et-al.

 

Déjà vu …….she was feeling cold today too and I, still wasn’t dressed warm !!

 

 

 

 

 

The real culprit – Attitude

How are you ? “Good”

Whats up?  “Nothing much !!”

 

These answers are so obvious at times, that they often go unheard. And the fact remains that there is never a day which goes as usual. The regular motion of this land which we stand upon always causes some upheavals. We choose to ignore some while some make an impact….a deeper one at times. The food for thought is that during the course of our lives, the perspective that we adopt while analyzing any of these are so varied. And that is what makes all the difference. One event could have a significant stressful impact at one time and it may be completely overlooked at the other. Quite apparently, the circumstances take the blame for all our botherations and the real culprit goes unnoticed – our attitude !!

 

If you seek the colors of black and white, then all you’ll see are the shades of gray. To see a rainbow, you have to be willing to step out in the rain and embrace the sun rays peeping out of the clouds. Life is not two sides of a coin; it’s a wind-chime that fills in the melody by ringing a different chord with each passing wind.

 

 

 

Competitive !! duhhhh ;)

 

Page 2 – Bon Appetite Seattle !!

 

Today, I along with a couple of friends set on to savor some flavors for our taste buds. Bite of Seattle 2008.

 

Seattle in all its forms amuses me. And this is yet another. Bite of Seattle (a part of SeaFair-the Seattle Summer fest) is a three day international food festival held every year in the heart of Queen Anne, under the famous space needle in Seattle Center. Started way back by Alan Silverman in 1982 at Green Lake with 25 participating restaurants and 75000 visitors, this event has grown multifold with over 60 restaurants from all over the Washington state and about 500,000 hungry visitors drooling all over the place. The food stalls are so well complimented by  3-4 live music bands playing top hot on the charts songs, a central fountain beating the heat, beer arenas, dare-do games and Comcast sponsored stand up comedy performances.

The stalls that caught my fancy were the “take a bite” collection of restaurants (Italian, Greek, Vietnamese, Thai), Bumbooza, mango lemonade, shaken ice (our very Indian flavored chosaaa), the roasted corn and the top of all – Nariyal paaaani (coconut water) J Having spent most of my life in North India and having visited Mumbai only once that too on an official trip, I always missed the fun of enjoying a fresh naariyal paani on a local beach. So wishes sure are fulfilled…..where and when !! could take you by surprise. J All in all, a day well appetized.

 

It is already Monday and I should sleep now. Another five days before it’ll be a weekend again J Looking forward to the Blue Angels flight fair in the coming weekends.

 

Page 1 – The Journey Begins

 

 

Sitting right now in the famous Pike Place Market, munching on a roasted corn from a street stall, embracing sun’s warmth and looking over the pudget sound with ferries and sail boats building up the commotion, I can very well claim to have breathed the true Seattle…..the city so cosmopolitan yet clinging to its rich culture.

 

I moved to this city about six months ago for my job. Having stayed in Michigan for over 5 years,  that place felt like a second home…..it gave me the same sense of belonging which I felt whenever I was in India. Michigan gave me friends and connections from my grad school, places of work, salsa classes, community centers, libraries, voluntary organizations and the cultural associations I worked for. A 24 hour day was never enough. As if I had my own small world there. And yet again, I had made this tough decision to venture out of this comfort zone into the unknown.

 

I could give a hundred reasons……..professional growth, career promotion, new opportunities…….deep in my heart I knew, I felt stagnant and that feeling was killing me. It is not about justifying to anybody else, but to thy self. Have I blossomed to my full potential? Have I reached the destination of the journey that I set out for…..traveling thousands of miles in pursuit of education, career and hopefully a better life…..leaving the protective care of my family, my loved ones in India to come to this land so different in so many respects. Continuing with my now nomad life, I packed my bags and started again…this time a couple of thousand miles……from one US coast to the other. Assimilating all my memories and leaving behind my footprints I set out for another pursuit…… in search of my inner self, my life’s content, my paradigms……and to follow my dreams.

 

 

 

My flight landed here in the twilight hours of a cold February Saturday night. The realization of what all had already changed had not sunken in yet. This still seemed like a weekend trip….. like most of my leisure travels……like any vacation at the end of which I would head home. The only difference was, that now, this was the home. The decision was made and there was no looking back. The following Monday was my first day at the new job. Old is monotonous and new is mysterious and mystery is always full of intrigue. A bit overwhelmed a bit anxious and a bit excited to embrace the new.  I stepped into a new phase of my life that Monday at 6:30 AM.

 

                                       (to be continued……)

 

Stress

 

• Stress is to refuse to accept a circumstance in your life for which you have no control.
• Stress is measured by the amount of energy that you invest resisting those circumstances.
• Stress is to waste energy attempting with your thoughts and feelings to change a person, an event or a circumstance surrounding you.

The trick to avoid stress is to realize that no amount of effort can ever change the circumstances while they are happening to you, no matter how bad, do not oppose the moment instead, accept and feel what is occurring.

Take life a day at a time and let it unfurl new surprises for you. Embrace everything with open arms and make it a point to smile…..no matter what

 

If you love something……

 

Carrots, Eggs & Coffee

You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her.  She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up.  She was tired of fighting and struggling.  It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

 

 Her mother took her to the kitchen.  She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire.  Soon the pots came to boil.  In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans.  She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners.  She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl.  She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.  Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.  Turning to her daughter, she asked, ‘ Tell me what you see.’

‘Carrots, eggs, and coffee,’ she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots.  She did and noted that they were soft.  The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it.  After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee.  The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.  The daughter then asked, ‘What does it mean , mother?’ 

 

abh hai khushi khushi mai

Ustab Jumman arz karte hain

abh hai khushi khushi mai na gham hai malaal mai
duniya se kho gaya hoon tumhaare khayaal mai
mujhko na apna hosh na duniya ka hosh hai
bhaita hoon mast hoke tumhaare khayaal mai
taaron se pooch lo meri roozade zindagi
raaton ko jaagta hoon tumhaare khayaal mai
duniya ko ilm kya hai zamaane ko kya khabar
duniya bhula chuka hoon tumahare khayaal mai

Nacheez Khushi arz karti hain

Lahron mein jhilmilati hai…..sooraj ki jab kiran
Aks khojti hun main…… tumhare khayal mein

Baadal ke chaane se ….. dhundlaati hai nazar
dhund mein ghum gayi hun …….tumhaare khayal mein

parvardigaar se hai meri ……itni sii arzoo
bin jeeye kahin marr naa jaun …… tumhare khayal mein

abh hai khushi khushi mai… na gham hai malaal mein
Fakr karte hain Hum….. yaar tere jamaal mein
Uthti hai bus nazr ab….. uski ibadat ko
Har lamha sabr se hai……. uske kamaal mein