Petals!

It's a divine "incidence" and not a "co-incidence" that on the very day that I have finished reading Aravind Balasubramanya's book, "Memoirs of a Sai Student" THRICE, I get an email from Brother Aravind, sharing details of the book release of the sequel titled, "Capturing Divinity."  I am so happy to know this because I enjoyed reading Aravind's earlier book. He writes with sincerity and a great sense of humor. The way he writes captivates your heart because he goes into the tiny details of Swami's personality and his own and does a fantastic 'Bhakti-mapping' too!  "Capturing Divinity"   has been released and can be bought from the Sathya Sai Bookstore. The ebook will be arriving very soon. You can also write to  orders@sssbpt.org  to order your copies.. If any queries, please write to  enquiry@sssbpt.org . 

Here’s a fantastic round-up of the three HAPPY blog posts I read. You could try looking at it too. Go ahead, give it a shot! Don’t POSTPONE joy There’s something about being happy that makes all of us happy. I mean, come on, do you honestly enjoy seeing anyone suffer? We want the world to be a happy place, don’t we? We all want to lead happy lives. Do read: 5 Exceptional Posts that will motivate you today                                                              [Image Credit: Unsplash] This post from Helen McKay, who says, “Don't postpone joy” makes sense. Her wise words also say, “ I believe happiness is about appreciating small things and simple experiences: the kind of things that leave lasting, enjoyable memories.  Our lives are full of joyful experiences, yet many folk don’t value the...

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As this is a cause I feel strongly committed to, I decided it’s time to pitch in and write about it. From the moment I wake up, there is so little time to reflect on anything. But after talking to many women - those who are working in offices and those who are at home, one thing is clear: women get no rest or "Me" time. It is your life, your body and your happiness. Make time for your health no matter what.                                                  [Image Credit: Unsplash] Breast Cancer: Early Detection, Exercise and Detecting Breast Density    Here are seven facts you need to know about your breasts – and what you can do to protect them  [Source: Prevention Magazine, October 2014] Doctors say that early detection of breast cancer can improve the chances of survival by a whopping 99...

The unexpected is always more fun. Lots of travel in 2014 - this is not something I had expected because of the water tight, hectic schedule that is a part of my life. Like a bolt from the blue, travel simply happened...just like that. And the best part of my trip to Sydney is that I am getting lots of time to spend and enjoy with my nephew Vihaan, whom I have just seen fleetingly across the last few years. This isn't a guilt trip. It's an unexpected gift from God, bringing me lots of happiness and love. Thank you, God and dear Angels. And I am loving every minute, as if it's a delicious feast to savor.

Daawat-e-Ishq is not about a love story that revolves around food. It is about Love and Dhokha. It is about a young girl's 'daring to dream' story. Are you ready for this? Daawat-e-Ishq: Love, Dowry and Dhokha The opening scene in Daawat-e-Ishq takes you straight into a ‘bride seeing’ ceremony in Hyderabad. The boy’s mother looks her nose down at everything offered. It’s the typical “no girl is ever good enough for my son” scene that is shown.  The prospective bride is Gulrez Khadir (starring Parineeti), who is a sales girl in a shoe shop. She has many dreams: of going to the US to study fashion design, of designing her own shoes and opening a shoe shop….yes, she is street smart, ambitious, full of amazing energy and she has a “weak spot for men who speak English well.” So, when the boy and girl get a chance to talk alone, all hell breaks loose! Gulrez Khadir is incensed that the prospective groom asked her if she watched “beelue” films instead of pronounci...

Here you go with my favorite posts for this month’s reading list: 23 amazing women writers from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka talk about what it means to a be a writer  . Is there a connection between writers and pubs?  YES, says Billy Wilder.  Head out to ScotlandsPubsandBars.co.uk , a great resource detailing dozens of pubs with connections to music, industry, literature, sport, architecture and more. Sounds like fun, doesn't it?  If you aren’t tipsy yet, you have to read: Vidya Sury’s thoughts on the book “The World Has Changed: Conversations with Alice Walker” .  Alice Walker’s book 'The Color Purple'  had given me sleepless nights because of the heart wrenching narrative.  Another heart-wrenching post is from Vishnu   about   the “We own you” mindset of Indian parents wherein “your success is their success, your failure is theirs, your income is theirs….” For those of us who are in the denial...

I had begun reading an unusual book called ' blue: The Tranquebar Book of Erotic Stories from Sri Lanka ' edited by Ameena Hussein. It is recommended as a break-through in Sri Lankan writing. Here's a book review of it by Sharanya Manivannan . This is definitely not a genre I read. But my rationale for picking this up was:  Why not just see another person's perspective about an aspect of life that you know nothing about?  The problem is: As a reader, I felt a complete disconnect as I began reading this book. I could not understand what made so many young writers put in so much effort to write this kind of fiction. This book, no matter what the reviews say, is not a milestone in Sri Lankan writing. I couldn't tolerate it at all. Coming back to the genre of erotic books, the last book I read was ' Autobiography of a Sex Worker ' by a Malayali woman - this was at least three years ago.  After reading the book, I found myself able to empathize with se...