Celebration with my tiny tot friends!

Finally got something to write about... Thanks to someone who suggested I could write about my differently celebrated big day…

This time my birthday celebration left me loaded with lot of sweet memories to smile. Celebrating birthday with parents, friends and spouse are common… You wear something new, wait to see what gifts they have for you and then party.

Celebration this time for me, was totally unexpected and surprising. How can a child of 5 remember that; sometime before, I had told her, that we share our birthdays…

She made her parents buy a cake for her teacher too. The other kids sat around with their birthday caps on and sang “Happy Birthday Mam and Smarana", whilst we blew our candles and cut cakes. I felt like I returned to my childhood… I felt like a heroine, getting so much attention. The kids were happy and excited that it’s their teacher’s birthday and were so thrilled to sing for me.

Smarana made my day by giving me so much attention and love. Unaware about the joy she was giving me, all she was proud about was that, I was cutting cake along with her.

Was tough to hold my tears, but I did have to hold them for my kids, because all they know about grown ups, is that, they don't cry. 

And for the joy she gave me by remembering my birthday and sharing it with hers, I just couldn’t say anything more than ‘Thank You’. 

They all love me so much. And for the girl who made my day special, what to say… She was always special to me and will remain so. 

When kids love a person, they just love them openly, without any hesitance, without any hidden feelings and without any expectations. For them, love is giving.

The hard part was that I didn't have any return gifts for them, as they are used to taking gifts from the birthday person. I have assured them that I would give them big gifts soon. And I know they are going to remember it too and ask me for it soon.

Am still surprised that she remembered it!!!

Sharing my joy,

Shwetha

My Profession & Me

They cry loud… They laugh blissfully…

They quarrel for the silliest reasons…They play with no logic…

They talk with no sense…They TROUBLE like hell…

Guess whom I am talking about… ‘CHILDREN’

Who else of God’s creations could be something like that? ..... 

They are so sensitive, soft, sweet and delicate... Give them one fragment of love and they give you loads of them…They crack jokes which only they could understand and yet those jokes never fail to spread a flicker of joy around…They fight with each other like enemies and just a moment later, they’ll be flocking around together like soul mates…

Nothing they pretend or hide.

Teaching is such a noble profession, and to teach small kids is even more fun. It’s not only the subjects they learn from me. They learn a lot more from me without me putting an effort; my accent, my gestures, methods of communications, language, ethics, manners and many more. To them, I’m like their Role Model, because it's only me, they think, knows everything in the world :). They end up even imitating me. That’s the seed I am planting in them. So, it has to be good. That’s what is going to make them good individuals, tomorrow. 

When they get noisy or unruly, I just need to shout a little loud or make some angry expressions to keep them under control... Seconds later, both of us forget about it and we are back in form.

They come to me for help, to complaint about other children, to put lace for shoes, to tie their hair, to feed their snacks, to open bags, to pack them... They listen to me more than to their parents... sometimes they make me feel no less than a mother. They call out to me 'mamma' sometimes, unknowingly... :)

They give me so much love, respect and attention... so much happiness… which is so priceless. The beautiful part of it is that they don’t take pride over it also... such sweet things they are...  :)

They actually teach the world how to live happy…

They know nothing more than love… So innocent, so clean minded, so genuine, so open…

When children respond to what I teach, it’s really beautiful. I feel so satisfied. I am responsible to shape their minds. And I better be good at it.

No other profession can I find, which could use all the traits I have learnt and developed so far... Painting, music, dance, event management, photography, English, Hindi, Maths, culture; and what not??? I have found a new me, a better me and a happier me... 

Can’t find a better profession... I am satisfied and happy that I chose this profession. This profession is completely stitched for me... I just hope the profession likes me too and lets me be with it always... It’s pleasure being with kids around.

All of us have been a child someday… It’s just once in a lifetime to experience bliss… We can only relive such moments by being with kids around. And I get to do that, every day… Lucky me...

A child has actually no complaints with anybody, no greed, no ego, no selfishness and no jealousy… It’s only later this world teaches them all that, be it for good or bad.
I am happy that I don’t deal with such a world… :)

I want to quote a thought from the film “Chillar Party”… There is a situation where a poor boy says, “I always felt bad that I never got to go to school. But now, I no more think or feel so. Grown-ups are so self-centered, arrogant and they have problem with the whole world. They end up doing things contrasting to what they learnt. If people grow up older just to forget the things they learnt in school, what’s the use of it?”

I just hope my kids don’t forget the little things I teach, which may not make them millionaires, but can make them good human beings for sure.

Leaving you to reminisce the thought…

Shwetha

Discover the beauty in you...

I happened to watch a movie called “The sisterhood of the travelling pants”. Not a much known movie, I guess.

The movie is about four friends. They find a pair of jeans, which coincidentally fits all four of them perfectly. As friends, they  wanted to believe that it’s going to fetch them luck. They decide to share it. During the summer vacations, when they are apart, they decide that each one uses it for a week and then mail it  to the other and so on; so that all of them get to wear it during the vacations.

Now, my post here, is not going to narrate the story. Neither am I going to go on explaining their friendship. Yes, the movie did remind me a lot about my girl pals, but the movie had something more to offer.

One girl among them was timid and shy, unlike the others. She posed strong from inside and delicate outside. She wouldn't want guys to look at her and would always shy away if a stranger tries to make a conversation, even when it was only casual. To speak to the world, she indulged only in painting. She believed that she was not like the other girls, in a very demotivated way. She never liked to dress up. It was only with these friends that she laughed.

Greece was her native land. She goes there to spend her vacations. She confronts a young boy there who tries to be nice to her. She shies away from him, as always. At a point of time, he stops her and asks, “Why do you always run away from me, when I try to make a conversation?” 

She says with humility, “I am not a kind of girl you would want to know. You wouldn't feel happy having me around, because I am no fun. I don’t wear any trendy clothes, nor do I take efforts to look beautiful, nor do I want the world to look at me”. 

He just smiles and says “You don’t want the world to see how you look, because you want the world to see something else in you”.

The moment that boy uttered those words; I was just taken away by a series of thoughts. Such an amazing feel, so beautifully and effortlessly expressed. She suddenly realized that; that one behavior of her's, which she always thought was weird of her, which was a barrier to her connection with the world didn't actually exist. There was actually something exceptional about her. But not for that special person, she wouldn't have realized it. 

And yes, she falls in love with that sane and lovely person when she gets to wear those luck bringing jeans, and the story ends.

So many people around with so many social networking sites, so many clash of theories and ideas; this world is actually suggesting people to take up different identities and personalities; one could be the actual you and the other could be the person whom you want the world to see you as. People try to borrow traits from others, and then own it. You end up becoming someone else' image, rather than just being you. The real is lost. The actual pleasure lies in letting the world find your beauty and appreciating it. Be the beauty in any.

It’s such a sweet thing to discover about yourself and live by it. Beauty doesn't need to necessarily exist in the body or your looks. It’s eternal. It could exist in your culture, values, education, ideas, passion, the way your mind works, the way your soul speaks... Believe me; the inner self of anyone is always beautiful.

Discover what you are, why you are so, believe in it and live by it. There can’t be a better you. You are unique, so are your sensibilities.

I believe so...

Sharing my visions to find a better you,

Shwetha

Friends for life...

Friendship day… A day to make friends, cherish the bond of friendship and have a great time together…

Some new bonds created, some bonds refreshed, some even restored, while some forgotten….

My friends are far away… Our priorities have changed, routines have changed and I know that it’s going to change all the more.

Rewinding my memories...

My buddies… Aishwarya, Hamsi and Poornima... Here goes a toast to our friendship !!!

As girl buddies, we shared a lot of memories, worth recollecting and reliving many times…

When times were tough having pressure of studies in head and expectations of elders and teachers, the only thing that cheered us every second that life is still worth smiling and enjoying, was that we were there for each other; tolerating each other's nonsense, tantrums and temper.

I can just go on and on writing those moments I’d want to relive with you and you all only...

Just as Shwetha, Aishwarya, Poornima and Hamsi.

Rekindling those small moments which occupies a big place in heart...

·         Aishu’s story about the thief coming to her house from upstairs… I remember her narrating the incident again and again… and every time, the story sounded different, he he he… only one thing was same.. it was never ending in all narrations...

·         Poornima reading my diary and finding out that I had a grudge on her sometime before, which I myself had forgotten having written L

·         Aishwarya’s story about Black magic at midnight, it’s like kind of a trademark… Poornima suddenly pouncing from the dark and taking a place between us…

·         Hamsi and me sharing one mango juice proudly, forgoing all the pennies we had…

·         Me and Hamsi falling off my scooty, so embarrassingly, while coming from tuition and running away from the spot immediately.. Poor auto driver.. he was bleeding...

·         We went to Poornima’s place to have Dosa chatni, sorry 'chatnis', always uninvited. And we never hesitated to ask for more.... Shameless us...

·         Listening to Run film’s “Poi Solla Koodaathu kaadali” again and again… Am sure all of us were imagining ourselves as the heroine, hero sometimes as Maddy, while other times as else one !!!

·         Group studies for Sanskrit

·         Final exam and Poornima crying at the Physics lab during the National Anthem, when she got the toughest experiment, we only felt happy that we didn’t get it... he he

·         Aishwarya and Hamsi funnily getting caught to PT sir during exam for passing papers and making a story which sounded no less than a fairytale... Only they both could script something like that...

·         Aishu always begging for a place to sit between us and we would never let her win. So badly, she wanted to disown her first bench place and come and sit with us.

·         Remember those days, when I would make a face to go to PT class and see PT mam's face.

·         Poornima forgot the exam date and missed a paper during revision exams; remember we all went and conveyed condolences post exam… Am sure, deep inside we were thinking why didn’t our brain forget the date; just got missed of adding such a daring deed to our caliber

·         Remember me and Hamsi studying in our terraces…. She always walked fast, it looked like as though if she reaches fast to the other end it’ll register faster and better… Hmmm…

·         Annual day practices at the auditorium while in 12th STD...

·         Still remember the day I went running upstairs during break and tied Rakhi to Balaji...

·         Telling lies together, and made it sound better than the truth.

·         Getting scolded for each other.

·         All the stupid and notorious things we did together…

·         The last time we kept up our record of embarrassing ourselves in a crowd was at my marriage… Singing the first line of the song “Yaaro Yarodi…” again and again, until everyone started laughing… Gosh…  J

·         Whenever we went out, there’ll be a stopping for Aishu at my place to do touch ups…

·         Nothing to forget about all the night stays we did together.

·         Small fights and then getting together again, how I miss them all…

   

We were different people with common likes, common dislikes, common tastes for food and clothing…
At times, we had different angles for seeing a thing or a situation… And every time, it was exciting to recognize and realize it.

We always looked out for each other to share every silly thing in the world… We complemented each other in all possible ways.

Can’t recollect from when we developed this bond and started identifying ourselves as a team and not as separate individuals. It’s just mystery. Sounds so simple, but isn’t. Very few are lucky to get genuine friends; of them, only few stick together for long, and of them the luckiest ones only get to take the pleasure of being in the bond as you travel through different stages of life.

I definitely consider myself lucky to have found you all. I’m proud of my friends. It’s like we were destined to be so.

Whatever the day is and however the world turns out to be, this soul of mine will always reach out to you guys.

These small sweet moments we have shared will always bring a smile… No one can take these memories from us… Am sure our kids are going to hear a lot of these stories about our friendship…

No doubt, in case a book is written on Friendship, our names would definitely find a place in it…

Hoping we would live up to this write-up… he he he

Shwetha (PASH)

Mumbai as I see - “3 salutes to Mumbai”

What comes to your mind, when u say, “Mumbai”?

For those who have not been to the city…

It’s either the most happening place in India'... a place full of crimes... a city where people have an attitude... the place of Bollywood... polluted city... city with zero security or anything that doesn't define the city as a whole…

For someone who has been there, it’s mixed feelings…

It may be a place where u get everything and for some it may be a place u get everything but happiness... For some it’s a city that never sleeps and for some it’s the most secured place, for some it’s a place where people don’t have time to enjoy life, for some it’s a place where all dreams come true, for some it’s a city with never ending problems... a city blessed by Goddess Mahalakshmi, a developed city for some or a noisy city for some, it’s a city which makes travel easy and for some it’s just the opposite, some call it beautiful and some call it dirty… It just goes on and on…

What more can explain Mumbai better than the song of 1950's "Ae dil hai mushkil jeena yahan..." sung by the late Mohd. Rafi.... The only thing that comes to my mind now is that the song makes complete sense even in this decade...

The Mumbai I have seen, is a city little different from the rest… Many others would believe so too and have not found a way of expression… I am giving a try to put my ideas into expression.

Born in Mumbai and brought up in Coimbatore, I would call myself more belonging to Coimbatore than Mumbai. The lifestyle and values I developed as I grew, is that of Coimbatore’s. Mumbai had to welcome me again, post my marriage…

Mumbai was not new to me. It didn’t fail to make me feel at home, anyway. I didn’t miss Coimbatore, except for its people. I had all the facilities needed to make a good life.

I enjoyed living every moment, Mumbai had to show to me. A city where anybody would feel at home I would say. One would never feel out of place in Mumbai. Being a metropolitan city, Mumbai has people of all status, castes and culture.

"Everything about Mumbai has got to be great." Be it Ganpathi or Diwali or New Year or just a Sunday. Mumbai is fun and has lots to tell you and give you. If only you could see and listen to them…

Ganpati is one festival worth watching Mumbai celebrate. People’s devotion and belief in the Lord just keeps growing. The long queues and waiting for long hours is not going to stop them from seeing their God. It’s when, devotees of all ages and class come together to get darshan of their favourite lord.  They just don’t want to send Him off from their home for immersion. The music “Jaidev jaidev jai mangala muthi...” is so very invigorating… The dance and processions and prasads and but of course the different kinds of Ganpati statues are all just more than revelation for eyes…

Can anything be a greater celebration?… Salute to the devotion…

Train life in Mumbai, in itself is a story to speak about. I find people sometimes so hardworking, sometimes so crazy and sometimes feel bad for them. I ask myself, ‘They never get tired’? They chat and shop inside the local trains… Sometimes the women, begin cutting vegetables for the night, in train itself!!! Would you believe that? They even read novels standing in the overcrowded compartments.

I would term the Mumbai working wives as someone with super natural powers. They cook food for their family in the morning and start to their offices, change buses and trains and go in the overcrowded transports and slog at office. They come back home and finish their work at home and then go to bed just start the cycle again next morning… It’s just so easy for them to narrate their daily activities, they do it with so much ease. I wonder how they are able to be so and they would wonder at why I am so wondered at them… :) So mechanical and yet they are happy and ready to go on the same way, lifelong. The ladies run to catch their trains, fight for their spaces, stand on footboard and reach office; they come back to do a hundred other jobs at home. They just manage to make time for everything… Ufff…. It is not something impossible, but when I tried, I failed. In the beginning, I couldn't manage to even step into the train, but through a month’s time I became an equal opponent to all, to fight to get in… Only the fittest can survive in these… And if you are not, this life will teach to become one too… :)

Hat’s off to all those people making a happy life out of such a hectic schedule… Salute to all those working wives… They really set an example to show the world the limit to which a human body can exert itself…

Speaking about the culture difference; in many small cities, considered to be a traditionally inclined, temples are mostly visited by the priests and elders only. 
'Temple' for me; is a place where you need to rejuvenate your mind with all good thoughts, finding the better you and believing in the existence of God as the better you, in you. It’s just not a place just to dress up traditionally and visit, see some known faces and act like belonging to the cultured world.

In cities down south, I have seen very less middle aged people or students visiting temples. Even if they, it would be to just satisfy their parents' wishes. People living there may have the perception that Mumbai would be a place with zero culture and youngsters living is such a city would be arrogant and demanding. But I beg to differ; I have felt it’s just the opposite. 
There are more of children and students visiting temples and even following the morals and values set by our ancestors. College goers never fail to pay their respects to the lord, whether they come in jean or skirts or shorts, and just to request Him for a pass mark in exam or for a better career or just win their love... Reason be any; but they at least don’t forget to worship the Almighty.

May be people in small cities don’t bother much about the changes happening in our culture and tradition, hence don’t bother to pass their values to their children. Mumbai, being a place with changes happening every minute, I was surprised to see the culture still intact…

Something to learn from the city… Salute to the still intact culture…

The other small things like crazy shopping and big malls and opportunities to rise professionally and financially also do make a difference in living in Mumbai, which depends on every person’s perception…

There are still more to explore about the place…. Like I said, it’s a place which has lots to say…

Mumbai is place every person should definitely visit or live in for a while, because you learn a lot about yourself there; be the learning tough or easy…


Sharing my beliefs and ideas having no offense to others',
Shwetha

I just wish I could get back to those days…

When appa used to wake me up with the sound of mixing sugar in horlicks … My horlicks is ready before I even wake up…

When day started looking at my sis nicely dressed ready to go to school… She says ‘bye’ and I say ‘good morning’…

Where I could depend on appa to drop me at the bus stop and even blame him if I am late…

When I left my washed clothes on the washing machine to be put to dry by amma… I remember amma saying "after marriage who is going to do this…"... I just wish, I knew that she was serious then…

When I waved to amma and started off to office…

When I left home to office, just to meet friends and have fun and do some little work…

When I identified food only in the form of cooked state and that it came from fridge…

When I had my lunch box with me not knowing even what’s there in…

When I messaged my friends all day…

When I recognized the day’s target as creating some ‘test cases’ or doing some ‘execution work’ rather than just being cooking Sāmbhar and cleaning table…

When I chat with my best friends about sweet nothings all day and felt like ‘I am new…’

When I came home there was someone to greet me…

And there were a variety of dishes to relish on…

When I prayed to God only for me, sis, parents and grandparents…

When I could sleep for long without any guilt…

When we were four in the dining table…

When my day started listening to amma’s tone and sometimes even ended with the same…

When my day ended thinking about the yummy food I had and not about the food I need to prepare the next day…

When the drying clothes never used to see the sun for more than a day…

When the only things which would hurt me were amma’s scolding… and not one do I remember…  :-)

Above all, when I never justified my actions…

Never knew all these small things would mean so much in one’s life…

I wish I had known its importance then, while living them…

Better now than never… May be that’s how every girl learns…

Amma, Appa and Anagha… You guys were my world; you are and will always be…

I am happy to convey you this…

One life and I can’t afford to miss to let you know how much I love you…

I love you all a lot…

And yes… all this doesn’t definitely mean that I am miserable now… Poor Raghu… He is a charm… He takes care of me like a baby and I have never felt so special before.

Just wanted to pen this for you to know how special you are for me.

Lots of Love

Shwetha