Petals!

As I spend more and more time with Adi, analyzing and attempting to understand his emotions, growth and journey as a child, I also end up revisiting my childhood memories. One striking factor that stands out is that as a child, I was never really a child. I know this sounds silly or maybe difficult to believe but it is how I see myself when I look back. In my childhood, I grew up in Africa where most of the time you are in a social environment over which you have so little control. When with peers, I was always different and therefore ended up as a sore thumb that sticks out jarringly. I used to read all the time and rarely play. I never liked playing, it was as though the world of stories alone enchanted me. So I'd be the usual object of ridicule on account of many factors but most importantly because of my nationality - being Indian. The funny part was that I was mostly ridiculed by Indians themselves because most of them had opted for a different nationality by then. But as a...

Start of the Day is the best time to reflect on God's blessings in one's life. Or, so, I believe. While growing up, my father constantly told me stories from the life of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda. The snippets of discussions, debates and conversations between this great spiritual master and his most renowned devotee formed the foundation of my spiritual curiosity and longing to ‘see’ God. At no point of time, did I give up. I believed then and I believe now that if your longing for God is intense and full of love, you will be able to see God as clearly as you see yourself and others around you in your life. The question remains: How to see God?  A follower once asked Sri Ramakrishna, “How can we increase our longing for God?” This was Sri Ramakrishna’s response, “People shed jugfuls of tears for their wives, children or money but who weeps for God? He who longs for God certainly will find Him. Call on Him with a longing heart. You will see him.” ...

Whenever I am tempted to share some of the beautiful spiritual experiences I have had or sometimes about the wonderful, inspiring people I have met (the rare kind of people who never show off and never advertise how they change the lives of others and make it better, you know what I mean), I think to myself, "No matter what I say, people won't change. Perhaps I wont change either.But if my experiences from life could be written down, wont it make a difference to me when I am feeling low? Or maybe, help me in my 'experiments with Truth' or be of some value to another seeker who is treading a difficult path.  A selfish thought occurs. Maybe decades after I am gone, my son and his children can read it and feel me speaking to them, sharing my little learnings with them. It may not be the guiding light in their life but it will still be a positive connection, a bond from the beyond.  But another doubt remains, "Will they believe my spiritual experiences unless the...

When I picked up Preeti Shenoy's book titled " Tea for two and a piece of cake ," my first impression was that it is a nice book with a lovely cover. I looked forward to reading it. After reading the book, I couldn't get over the niggling feeling that the book has not been marketed well by Random House. They have not played up its strengths one bit. Frankly, I am disappointed with the publishers and decided I would write a book review so that at least those in my friends' circle would seriously consider buying this book.  [READ: Tantra and Tantric practices: What are Tantric practices?]   The story is simple but gripping about a girl called Nisha. The story is about romance, love, friendship and so much more. To be frank, I read it at one go because I couldn't put it down once it started. It is every Indian girl's dream and nightmare come true kind of book.A plump, ordinary girl gets the attention and interest of a handsome rich business tycoon who...

At the World Book Fair 2012, Delhi, I had a great day exploring my favorite world of books, writers and publishers. Juhi and I explored stall after stall, hunting for the kind of books that we can't typically find. It was a fantastic all-day experience. We talked, thought, bought and binged over books, books and books!We also had fun at the Penguin stall, where a blazing orange colored Penguin car stole the show over all the rows of books. The crowd was pouring in so we took hurried clicks, asked some persons around us to click a snap of us together. Hurry, chaos and noise - but we loved being in the world of books. Here are the pics we took: Of course, we are looking tired because it was a tiring day and we are definitely not looking at our best. But the Penguin Car is and that, dear friends, is all that matters for book lovers like you!  Happy Reading!

A book review for you, dear reader. At the World Book Fair 2012, I bought a lot of books for my son, Jyotiraditya who loves it when I read out books to him. Wherever we go, I always tuck in two books for him in my bag. And I read out to him whenever he asks.  I make sure I keep two new books always because it is wonderful to see my son's surprise and enthusiasm when he sees it. Today, when we went out and were at McDonalds, Adi suddenly asked me if I could read something out to him. I took out a book that I had bought for him. I wasn't sure if he would like it. Titled "Samira's Awful Lunch," the book is short, simple and well conceptualized. It is written by Bharathi Jagannathan and Preeti Krishnamurthy. Pratham Books is the publisher.   The story talks about a problem we, as parents, tackle every day - kids who don't like to eat veggies. The story revolves around Samira who doesn't like to eat healthy food.She tells her mom that upma tastes l...

Experts say that as years roll by, your body’s ability to absorb nutrients decline , so it is even more important to formulate a balanced diet and eat according to one’s age. The following age-specific information (excluding the details given under ‘Expectant Mothers’) is a summary from an article I read in the popular UK food magazine called Delicious and the article is titled “ Eat your age: Wise up to your changing needs. ” It is written by Anna Montague and published in  March 2011.  [ READ: Why Salad is Good for you ] FOLLOW MY BOARDS ON PINTEREST Balanced Diet during Teen Years Iron deficiency is seen as a predominant condition in most teenage girls and this trend is increasing. Teenage girls are not getting enough iron from their diet. 200gm of low fat yoghurt every day Lean meat, fish, pulses and eggs Dried fruits Leafy vegetables Fresh fruits Say no to sugary drinks Having a daily sufficient calcium intake is important for girls as it...

Happy Holi to all of you, dear bloggers, who've made a colorful splash in the blogging world.  This year, I had so much fun playing Holi with my two friends, Juhi Mohan and Anubhuti Rao. To be honest, I've never had so much fun during Holi as much as I did this year. And yes, we painted our faces yellow! Believe it or not, I was even bestowed the Ms Rangeeli award in office during the Holi celebrations and got a gift hamper full of Holi goodies....! Wow, Holi 2012 rocked!  For those of you who love eating golgappa, here's a sneak peak into the Golgappa Eating competition we had in office and you will know what I mean when I say that I had so much fun! Once again, dear friends and bloggers, Happy Holi 2012! Wishing you all lots and lots of fun and happiness.

You may think I am joking when I say this. By choice, I will never 'SAVE' money for the next day. That doesn't mean I throw away money that I work so hard for. But let me clarify - I don't work for the money. I work for my learning, my growth and for my awareness of the abundance I create around me by working the way I do - with integrity. It sounds scary, foolish and impractical, given how 'having money and material comforts' dictates our standing in society and how we are perceived. I believe I have no reason to fear tomorrow. I have gone through the toughest and most difficult tests of life without any so-called 'savings' to prop me up. All I have is Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba whom I revere as my Divine Father and my God. For as long as He is there with me, I fear nothing and I do not intend to 'save' for another day. He is my Provider.  In our frenzy to secure a 'happier future,' we tend to find ourselves in a dilemma of ...