Petals!

Lots of thoughts crisscross in my mind as I studied the comments that some of you stated about the first post, Being Clean . These are my thoughts to my dear friends who shared theirs: @Bharathy: Yes, its appalling to think about all those millions of dust bugs inside the pillows. Public sanitation is very poor all around the country. There is so much to be done to make things better. In Delhi, I heard about street plays that go from village to village teaching one concept at a time to the villagers and in urban areas. Simple concepts like 'Wash your hands' form the basic essence of the play. I think such endeavors need to be endorsed by parents, teachers and educational institutions to inculcate a better sense of hygiene and cleanliness. @Nishita: Totally true! We are all very clean when it comes to our homes but talk about our surroundings and its a different matter altogether. You won't believe it but I've got neighbors spitting on the balcony of others. When...

When I began reading  Shilpa's post "Wash Your Hands" I found myself remembering snippets from my life. Some values and habits that we hold dear are a reflection of what we believe is important to our existence. It is something that connects to me as I am now, a part of my personality and beliefs, and is ultimately a vital factor that will make me the 'real' you. I am not a cleanliness freak but I strike the right balance. How many times have you refused something because you are worried it would not be clean? Well, you can refuse if you believe that. But that doesn't solve the issue, does it?  People say, "I want my house to be clean" and dump the dirt on somebody else's doorstep. That isn't cleanliness. We need to rethink our cleanliness mantra, make it long term.                                                     ...

Beware of this online cancerous growth of Plagiarism!   It sounds like a silly, repetitive goofy gimmick to talk about but its not. Committing plagiarism is very common online. It is growing and we need to tackle this growing problem by facing it and joining hands to eliminate it.  If your purse, bank account or belongings were stolen, would you just let it be as is? Would you not want to do something about it? This is more serious than we can possibly imagine. We can't sit back and sympathize but we need to take action NOW ! Malar's blog , with its most delectable range of recipes, has been completely copied by a very focused, dedicated plagist. Can you begin to imagine what that means to a writer, who is one among us? Years of hard work, effort and invaluable quality have been stolen just like that! Including the beautiful photos! Tomorrow, it can happen to you and me. You can make a difference by reporting this plagist blog http://hot-kitchen.blogspot.com as spam...

We all have secrets. Over years, they become memories, a little jaded, a little faded but definitely there. Lots of memories that are stashed away come alive when you read Jaishree Misra's latest novel, Secrets & Lies , a book that grabs your attention from page one till the end. I The novel revolves around the age of innocence and the growing up of a bunch of school girls who studied in St Judes', one of Delhi's most famous Convent schools with an Irish Principal, Miss Victoria Lamb whom the girls christen as Lamboo. The four girls in the novel are great friends but their dreams are shattered with the entry of a new girl called Lily. Later, they try to move on with their lives, hoping to forget Lily but haunted by her forever.  There's Bubbles, who had been fat and bad at studies but hails from a wealthy business family. Her ambitious parents arrange her marriage to Binkie, who is the only son of a multimillionaire in London. What touches your heart is tha...

Lots of love and prayers to Baba, for being the most powerful presence of love and goodness in my life, right from the time I was a kid till now. Of course, He drives me mad by forcing me to be good, making me a people-person who cares for others to the point of exhaustion and lots more cranky stuff that secrets between God and devotee are made of. I'm sure none of you want to go there! It's dynamite, literally. Still, thanks so much, Baba, I love you more and more.  Nothing in my writing life is complete if I don't thank Sanand, the tall, dark and handsome guy who swept me away into a world of love, rains and poetry, his dark eyes and melting smile turning my life into magic and now as we grow older and wiser together, we cherish and savor every moment we have together, touch wood.  Heart felt thanks to Shilpa Garg , for bestowing me with this One Lovely Blog Award. It's such a wonderful feeling when some one you hardly know sends you this expression of love a...

Growing up in Kochi where rains are an everyday affair, my first concern was always to find creative ways to enjoy it like walking in the rain, feeling the raindrops slide down my face and believing this is what it means to be one with Nature. I always love shopping in the rain so that its a great excuse to get drenched! Of course, I get scolded for it, even now! When I was a kid, I remember my mother teaching me to sing, "Rain rain, go away, Come again, another day" and now I teach my son the same rhyme. Watching the rains with my parents and sister is now a distant memory but it is the memory that springs to mind all the time. Relationships are always based on love, but in today's times, love itself has become an abstract concept. (Shobit whose blog is titled Mindzspeak has an interesting post on this. To read it, click here.) Rainy days make me hungry. I am so used to munching on something hot and having some hot tea while enjoying the rains. In the pic below tak...

A patch of green, even in the middle of Pavilion Restaurant's dining space, feels nice. Of course, if you look closely, you will notice the green leaves are artificial. The first thing I noticed when I walked into one of Kochi's popular dining places, Hotel Abad,  was this patch of green. Once I saw the menu they offered, everythingelse, even that enticing patch of green, blurred into oblivion. It was just so delicious:) Swaps Top 3 Reccos Blueprint Bliss Wideopen Spaces Perfect Sentiment

The pic above: I love coffee cups that were so neatly arranged at Cafe Coffee Day, in Khan Market, Delhi. The color tones are perfect for this eclectic space. Check out the different colored coffee glossies that just tempt you to pick it up. Of course, I got out of the place before my3 year old kiddo became tempted to shoot them down. The only place where he isnt tempted to try that happens to be McDonalds!

( Nature is the Best Teacher. My awesome friend on Twitter, @ksekher, permitted me to use this photograph he took from his stunning collection of the Grand Canyon landscapes.) Happy Teachers Day to all Today is a day that we are cherishing our days in school and perhaps remembering the teachers who truly contributed to the full fledged individuals we are now. While in school, it didn't hold any significance for me because I didn't really have teachers who cared deeply enough to make a lasting impression. They had their favorites, which can be quite demotivating for the other students who don't make it to the top list. However, that doesn't mean I don't value the teachers who taught me. I do. I also believe that we are constantly learning good, insightful things from people around us, from the little things they say and do. Having said this, I want to thank a really important teacher in my life because she didn't teach me these things from a classroo...

Thank you, Baba . I've run out of words to describe my happiness in getting this Award. A big, heart felt thank you to Faiza Ali for encouraging me with this Honest Award. It means so much to me because I'm an ardent admirer of her awesome blog, Faiza Ali's Kitchen. Requirements:- I must thank the person who gave me the award and list their blog and link it I must list 10 honest things about myself I must put a copy of Honest Scrap logo on my blog I must select atleast 7 other worthy bloggers and list their links I must notify the bloggers of the award and hopefully they will follow the above three requirements also. 10 Honest things about me:- 1. I am very proud of being an Indian. 2. I am very thankful and humbled by my parents', their unconditional love, sacrifices and amazing support and the way they brought me up. 3. Good books are my life. 4. I love my Twitter friends. 5. My favorite place is Puttaparthi. 6. I am a shopaholic. 7. I am a 'people person....