Resourceful - Direct Dil Se

Symmo- A Super Guy!

2009-10-13T23:45:00.000+05:30

I had this wonderful opportunity to meet and interview Andrew Symonds, the highest paid player of Deccan Chargers and former member of the Australian Cricket Team; the so called bad boy of the cricketing world. My knowledge of Symmo was about his famous clash with Harbhajan Singh, his drinking habits, his fishing expeditions and what not! This was what I had read in the newspapers and watched on television. Anyway, I had not formed any opinion about him and went to meet this towering tall, very talented, and famous cricketer for the first time. My request to him was to give his fans a message. He added a bit of humour to our brief conversation . The second time I met him after a couple of days, was for a more formal interview .

Symmo came on dot to the venue and was polite and very cooperative. He sat on his chair and popped a Wrigley's bubble gum in his mouth. The day before some newspapers had carried photographs of Symmo distributing Wrigley's Bubble gums to Children from an orphanage at one of the Wrigley's and Deccan Chargers Event.
Symmo was requested by the video photographer Julian Dismore, not to chew the gum as it wouldn't look appropriate on screen. Symmo immediately agreed and disposed it. As a warm up, exercise, Julian casually spoke about the nice flavour of the gum, etc and I too added, they were good as they had different flavours, and how kids love them and I continued saying my daughter too likes them and I will take some for her. We then started off with the regular questions and Symmo answered them extremely well .

After the interview, I was waiting in the lobby of the hotel with a colleague and I saw Symmo walk by and after a few minutes he walked back and I was sitting alone at that moment. He quickly walked towards me and handed over an envelope and said these are for your daughter! I was pleasantly shocked! And before I said thanks, he was gone. Wow! what a sweet gesture from this man who is publicized as a bad boy of the cricketing world. I am glad to have experienced the very humane and wonderful side of Symmo, the dynammo...my title for this hulk.

I am a Symmo fan! My daughter, Adithi too is...she loves him.

Remembering Mom...

2009-10-02T19:30:00.000+05:30

I miss you mom. I miss my daily telephonic conversations with you. I miss your ever cheerful voice. I miss your encouraging words. I miss your hugs. I miss your criticism. I miss your physical presence. I miss your prayers for our well being... But you are alive in my memories, heart and mind. A year has gone, but it seems yesterday I bid you farewell! I love you mom.

Having lost my dad very early taught me my first lesson in interpersonal communication. As a kid, I was in awe of my dad. Though we were close, I still maintained a distance, spoke little out of respect and sometimes out of fear. We were taught to speak carefully to elders, no back answers, no tantrums, etc. In the process, there were some positive aspects, like my creative side, my feelings for him, my thoughts that went unsaid. I still regret having not shared my feelings with dad.

Since then, I have given a lot of importance to sharing my positive thoughts , experiences and feelings with family, relatives and friends. I value communication, networking and connecting which I think, makes us more human.

As a Psychologist and Counsellor, I have encountered kids who find it frustrating having parents who are uncommunicative and overly occupied with their work life; kids who actually have no clue of their parent's work profile. One instance I remember vividly , the frustrating face of a student who went to attend the visa interview at the US Consulate and was rejected visa as he stood dumb, when asked about his dad's work profile. It was because he had no clue about what his dad actually did at the work place. And the student felt remorseful and angry about his dad for being aloof and non communicative.

There are instances where kids complain of parents who hardly spend any time with them, in the name of heavy work load and often are subject to the standard speech, "I am doing all this for you, your comfort etc". Most of the kids loathe it. Some kids find it convenient having a parent, specifically dad, away from home as long as their materialistic needs are fulfilled. They don't want to be policed. It is really a sad situation.

I am glad, my dad exposed me to his work environment. He was a mining engineer at Hutti Gold Mines in Karnataka State. He always encouraged learning. I spent fourteen years at this small and cozy place, since my birth. Hutti and my childhood memories of the place, have a special significance in my life. Those wonderful memories and people have resurfaced in recent times. I credit the Internet and social media networking sites for this.

I am an avid blogger and active on Facebook. My write-up about my mom on this blog, surprisingly, had friends who knew my parents and were not in touch for years, messaging me here and conveying wonderful things about them, which I did not know or instances that had just faded away from my memory. It is indeed a feel good factor!

Facebook has got me in touch with my childhood friends and people from our Hutti days. The old photographs posted on Facebook, transports you back to those golden days. Again, these are people who knew my parents and remembered such minute details about them. One of them described how pretty my mom looked when she first arrived in Hutti as a bride and also the colour of saree she wore for the wedding reception at the Hutti officers' Club. This event took place in 1969, 40 years ago! These are emotional and mind blowing moments for me. I feel blessed for having such wonderful parents. They were karmayogis in the true sense. They lived short but meaningful lives.

Don't shy away from sharing your feelings, experiences, achievements, concerns and thoughts from your loved ones. Let's share good things about our lives and keep in touch!

Lesson in Labour Management

2009-09-08T15:58:00.003+05:30

I am reading the English adaptation of the original Marathi book, Shri Sai Satcharita - The Wonderful Life and Teachings of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba , by Govind Raghuanath Dabholkar alias 'Hemadpant' for the fourth time.

Each time I read, I find something new and relevant. Today I was surprised to find a piece on Labour Management in the Chapter XVIII & XIX. The Sadguru appeared like a management guru to me. See how relevant, are the teachings of Sai Baba! It is very important for us to learn and implement the same in our daily lives, than just going to the temple and prostrating before him. Here, Baba's teachings regarding self-behaviour, slander and remuneration of labour is highlighted.

Baba's Advice regarding our Behaviour:
The following words of Baba are of general welfare and invaluable. If they are kept in mind and acted upon, they will always do you good. "Unless there is some relationship or connection, nobody goes anywhere. If any men or creatures come to you, do not discourteously drive them away but receive them well, and treat them with due respect. If anybody wants any money from you and you are not inclined to give, do not give but do not bark at him like a dog.

Slanderer Condemned:
Sai Baba required no special place nor any special time for giving instructions. Whenever an occasion demanded, He gave them freely. Once it so happened that, a Bhakta of Baba, reviled someone behind his back before other people. On leaving aside merits , he dwelt on the faults of his brother and spoke so sarcastically that, the hearers were disgusted. Generally we see that, people have a tendency to scandalize others un-necessarily and this brings on ill-feelings. Saints see scandal in another light. They say there are various ways of cleansing or removing dirt, viz. by means of water and soap etc, but a scandal monger has got a way of his own. He removes the dirt (faults) of others by his tongue, so in a way, he obliges the person, whom he relives and for this he is to be thanked. Sai Baba has his own method of correcting the scandal-monger. Baba pointed out to him a pig, that was eating filth near the fence and said to him, "Behold, how, with what relish it is gulping filth. Your conduct is similar. You go on reviling your own brethren to your heart's content. After performing many deeds of merit you are born as a human and if you act like this, how can Shirdi help you in any way?"

Remuneration for Labour:
Baba said that, "nobody should take the labour of others in vain. The worker should be paid his dues promptly and liberally." If the principal taught by Baba, be followed, i.e. if the remuneration for labour be paid promptly and satisfactorily, the labourers will turn out better and both the labourers and their employers will be profited, and there will be no room for lockouts and strikes, no ill feeling between labour and capital.

Allah Maalik - Peace be to all

Meeting Saina Nehwal

2009-08-17T16:53:00.012+05:30

Date: August 8th, 2009

Venue: Hotel ITC Kakatiya, Hyderabad
Event: Launch of Saina Nehwal as Brand Ambassador of Deccan Chronicle and Odyssey
Experience: Awesome

I was happy to meet Saina Nehwal, India's top shuttler and ranked No. 6 in the world. She is an enthusiastic, down-to-earth and a sweet youngster. A very determined and dedicated sports person. Deccan Chargers Sporting Ventures Limited have entered into Sports Personality Management and Saina is the first sports personality to be signed by them. Deccan Chargers' first undertaking was to rope Deccan Chronicle and Odyssey as Saina's official sponsors. It was a privilege to meet Saina's distinguished coach, Pullela Gopichand.

Saina was very happy with the support and encouragement provided by DeccanChronicle. Though she was recovering from a bout of chicken pox, she played extremely well in the World Badminton Championships held in Hyderabad last week. Saina became the first Indian woman ever to reach the quarterfinals of a World Badminton Championship. She lost in the quarterfinals, but I am sure she will have more opportunities and more victories definitely await her.

What does SUCCESS mean to you?

2009-08-13T11:38:00.009+05:30

I am always baffled when I think about SUCCESS. When I introspect and ask myself, "Am I successful ?"; I find it hard to describe! Because "being successful" is dynamic and situational.

Success can mean different things to different people. I may have name and fame, but no money; I may have name, fame, a fantastic career and money but no good health or personal life; I may have money, great friends and family, but no time to spend with them; I may have none of those mentioned, but I am peaceful.

Presently, I am having a great time at work. But I am suffering a lousy back ache, which is killing me. I am terrified about it and worried. I feel there is nothing like having a fit body and peaceful mind. I crave for it. The day I find them both, should be "Success" for me.

Finishing my morning household chores, seeing my kid off to school on time and reaching office at 10.am is "mission accomplished". And getting back home without getting stuck in traffic is "heaven". The routine stuff gives me a feeling of success for that moment.

So again, when I ask myself, Am I successful?...I really don't know.

I request my readers to enlighten me, by telling me "what success means to you". Please folks, be good and answer...see ya.

Welcoming IPL 2009 Champions

2009-05-28T12:22:00.011+05:30

The victorious Deccan Chargers team returned back to Hyderabad on May 27th, 2009 at 9.00 pm to a rousing welcome by fans. The team consisted of T. Suman, Shoaib Muqsusi, Harmeet Singh, Jaskarandeep Singh, Y. venugopal Rao, Arjun Yadav, Abhinav Kumar, Ravi Teja and Azhar Anjum Bilakhia. It was good to see these young confident cricketers cordially meeting fans and speaking to the Press.

Adithi was again excited to meet the cricketers and patiently waited with us at Shamshabad airport. She was joined by her cousins Pinky and Ashish and friends Vyapti and Rutwik, so the fun doubled. The response from the fans was overwhelming. The Deccan Chargers were taken in an open bus for the victory ride from the airport to Hotel ITC Kakatiya.

The roads were jam packed with fans on motorbikes and cars. We followed them for sometime and then managed to drive ahead to the Hotel and had to wait for a good 2 hours before the team bus paved its way through the crowd and reached the hotel. It was 1.00 am.

The kids though hungry and tired, never complained. The team cut a cake and opened a Champagne bottle and then we moved to have our dinner at 2.00 am. It was an exciting evening ! We reached home by 3.00 am !! And I was up again by 5.00 am!!! Back to work...

Deccan Chargers reach IPL 2009 Finals

2009-05-23T11:40:00.008+05:30

Deccan Chargers, charged their way to IPL 2009 finals, to be played at The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa on May 24, 2009. Tremendous game by Adam Gilchrist! No doubt he is considered amongst the greatest cricketers in the world.

Though I was not in South Africa to see all the action live and meet this great player; I thoroughly enjoyed watching it on TV and see my enthusiastic colleagues cheer the team. At home, I experienced the same cheering atmosphere with two little Charger fans and Cheer leaders - my daughter Adithi and her cousin Chinmayi who came from Bangalore for vacation. They cheered the Chargers by breaking into dance for every fours, sixes and wickets taken by Deccan Chargers.They sure are competitors for the original Cheer leaders. And both the kids have a new ambition...they are going to be Cheer leaders for Deccan Chargers when they grow up!

Both these young Charger fans spent an evening preparing this card with their best wishes to the Deccan Chargers team.

Lucky Chargers for having such sweet, innocent and
sincere fans!

Information Galore - 11

2009-04-27T14:48:00.005+05:30

Official Website of Hyderabad Traffic Police
http://www.htp.gov.in/

The Hyderabad traffic police launched this website on April 25, 2009. It will help motorists with information on traffic jams anywhere in the city. It will also alert on alternative routes to avoid being stuck in traffic blocks.

There is a Traffic Help Desk for any emergency, e-challans status finder, traffic statistics, Complaints on getting wrong challan, a list of towing zones and parking places in the city.

Every Day...Mother's Day !

2009-04-24T12:01:00.003+05:30

Being mom is the best and craziest thing in the world. As I always say, “the Psychologist and Counsellor in me goes for a toss” when it comes to my soon-to-be-nine, daughter. She is my most precious little angel. I love her! But she can quickly turn into my most precious little devil too.

I am amazed, how cool she is about her school, teachers, homework, grades, etc. I always have a feeling , it is I who is studying in the 4^th grade, it is my homework, my exams, my studies… and just before her exams, my friends convey their “All the best” messages to me. I also receive the “Congrats & You did well” messages when she gets good marks. Didn’t I tell you being mom is the best and the craziest…

It turned crazier when she shared her aspirations with me. We are in Kolkata Airport at 5.30 am to board a flight; she gives admiring and enviable glances at the airhostesses. I was feeling sleepy and grumpy and she kept pulling my hand and when I clenched my teeth and asked her, what is it? She said these airhostesses are so lucky. I asked, why? She said, they can wear makeup and lipstick all the time and look good. And in the same breath declared, therefore I want to be an airhostess. The reason: I don’t allow her to use lipstick. Can anything be crazier for a mom at 5.30 am?

Yesterday, she unexpectedly questioned me – Do you like One Child, two or three Children? I casually said “three” and I saw her face fall and she asked why? I had to answer something, so I said because we are three siblings and so was the same with her dad. As I told her this, she starts howling, and said “that means you don’t love me because I am the only Child and I don’t want any brother or sister”. I felt like yelling “Are you mad”, but instead took her close to me and hugged her. I told her, I love her the most and she is very important to me. She said “I love you mom” and held on to me very tightly…I grasp for breath, I understand she has had a bad day with friends. It was indeed a mother’s day, isn’t it?

Enjoy being a MOM !!!

Please Vote

2009-04-16T11:39:00.007+05:30

We were prepared to go and vote today and my Father-in-law went ahead of us and came back after half an hour, saying that our names were not in the voters list. He was asked to go to some other place and find our names. So he went around and came back with some incomplete slips. In the meanwhile my neighbour told me that the voters list was available with all relevant details on the Web. So I thought I may as well share this information as we found ours.

The Website is Find your Polling Booth. It is the Final Electoral Rolls SSR-2009 Published of 23 Assembly Constituencies of Hyderabad District.

Cheering the Chargers !

2009-04-11T22:48:00.011+05:30

Look who's cheering the Chargers...

Adithi was excited about meeting Deccan Chargers Cricketers at the Hyderabad Airport in the early hours of April 9th, 2009. The team left for South Africa to participate in the DLF IPL 2009 tournament. Adithi cheered the Deccan Chargers and took their autographs. She was very impressed with Mohd Shoaib, a new talented bowler of Deccan Chargers and found him very cute.

Adithi with T. Suman & Mohd Shoaib

Taking autograph from Pragyan Ohja

Autograph from Abhinav Kumar

Adithi - the young cricket fan

Meeting Actor Venkatesh

2009-04-05T21:23:00.012+05:30

I and my husband had the opportunity to attend the PUMA Deccan Chargers Apparel Launch Party at 360 ° pub in Hyderabad on April 1, 2009.

360 ° Pub is a happening place, very popular with film stars and Page 3 crowd. The ambiance is too good and it has a big dance floor. The restaurant serves some great food and the setting is romantic. It is a nice place for couples who enjoy to dance and have a good drink. Anyway we being non-drinkers, enjoyed the mocktails and starters. The owner of the pub Raj Singh is a great host. The DJ was playing some peppy Bollywood numbers. Some of the cricketers had a good dance after the launch and introductions.

The highlight of the party was meeting Telugu film actor Venkatesh. I like him and his movies, so it was nice seeing him in person and talking to him. I felt he looks smarter in person than in films. He was very cordial and polite. My husband took his autograph for our daughter. He happily posed with us for a snap.

The Deccan Chargers were in town for a practice session before leaving for South Africa for the IPL tournament. RP Singh, Rohit Sharma, Pragyan Ojha, Venugopal Rao and others were present that evening. We also met Venkatpathi Raju.

While having our dinner, actor Sumanth walked in and as we were leaving, actress Ramya Krishna was entering with Tamil actor Arya. So it was an evening spent with celebrities.

Information Galore - 10

2009-03-16T15:28:00.004+05:30

Consumers : Be Alert, Stay Safe !

You are an Aware Consumer if you...

Don't pay more than M.R.P.
Don't let advertisements mislead you.
Insist on Warranty Card.
Always ask for a receipt.
Check expiry date.
Check net weight.

Consumers can call: National Consumer Helpline No. 1800-11-4000 Toll Free from BSNL/MTNL Lines.

011-27662955,56,57,58 (Normal Call Charges Apply) Between 9.30 am to 5.30 pm Monday to Saturday.

Courtesy: "Jago Grahak Jago", issued in public interest by Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution in the Deccan chronicle, Hyderabad Ed, dated March 16, 2009.

Oscars 2009 - Jai ho

2009-02-23T18:13:00.006+05:30

What a day it was! I was glued to the TV since 8.00 am to watch the 81st Oscar Academy Awards presentation ceremony at the Kodak Theater, Hollywood, USA. "Slumdog Millionaire "bagging 8 Oscars out of the 10 nominations was just superb.

But the proudest moment for us Indians was Resul Pookutty winning the Oscar for Sound Mixing and the very talented A. R. Rahman for original score and original song for the movie of the year " Slumdog Millionaire."

Both the winners gave a very touching and original thanksgiving speech. Rahman said " The essence of the film is optimism and hope. All through my life I had the choice of love and hate…I chose love and I am here.” It reinforced my belief in the word "Hope."

Resul Pookutty said "I come from a country and a civilization that has given the universal word. That word is preceded by silence, followed by more silence. That word is 'Om.' So I dedicate this award to my country. Thank you, Academy, this is not just a sound award, this is history being handed over to me." What a tribute to your country ! Jai Ho !

Information Galore - 9

2009-02-20T09:56:00.004+05:30

ATTENTION TELECOM CONSUMERS !

Are you aware of the guidelines issued by TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) regarding Value Added Services ?

The fact is that no chargeable value added service shall be provided to a customer without his/her explicit consent.

The subscriber for international roaming can opt a particular ring back tone from their service provider to avoid unwanted / unimportant calls by indicating message to the calling party in the ring back tone about his/her international roaming status.

National Consumer Helpline No: 1800-11-4000

Courtesy : Advertisement "Jago Grahak Jago", issued in public interest by TRAI & Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Govt of India in The Times of India, Hyderabad, February 19, 2009

Dollar Bahu by Sudha Murthy - Book Review

2009-02-17T21:50:00.006+05:30

For quite sometime now, I desired to read Sudha Murthy's novels in Kannada. But somehow I did not do it. Last week I went to a well known book store "Akshara" in Hyderabad to buy a book as birthday gift for a friend's son and laid my hands on "Dollar Bahu" - an English novel by Sudha Murthy, originally written in Kannada and translated into many Indian Languages. The book is published by Penguin Books, India and priced at Rs. 150/- which I feel is slightly on the expensive side. The novel comprises of 142 pages.

Dollar Bahu is certainly a short and sweet novel. The story is simple and well told, like the author says in the preface - "This story can happen in any part of India but I have set it in Karnataka, the region most familiar to me". As I read the book I could sense the protagonist's emotions and travails.

The story revolves around a middle class family and how the lure of the Dollar affects relationships within that family. Sudha Murthy hopes that this story will show some families that love and affection can be more important than money. And I think she has successfully conveyed her sentiments.

Vinuta, the protagonist is an orphan who lives in Dharwad. She is a beautiful girl , hardworking, sweet natured and a talented singer. Chandra Shekar, an Engineer from Bangalore is posted in Dharwad and stays as a tenant in her house. He likes her and wishes to propose to her, but his ambition to settle well monetarily or rather to fulfill his mother Gouramma's ambition to see her son earn loads of money and marry off her daughter Surabhi into a well to do family.

Chandra Shekar's destiny takes him to the land of opportunities - The United States of America. Vinuta's destiny brings her to Banagalore and she becomes a teacher in the school where Chandra Sekhar's father Shamanna works as a School teacher. Shamanna is a simple, kindhearted gentleman and a highly regarded teacher. Again destiny brings Chandra Shekhar's younger brother Girish, a bank clerk and a good human being into Vinuta's life and she marries him and starts living with his family in Bangalore.

Meanwhile Chandra Shekhar settles in the United States and sends his mother Dollars, which keeps her happy as it has brought affluence to her family . Though Girish and Vinuta take care of the household and parents, their contribution is ignored by Gouramma and she constantly picks at Vinuta, but Shamanna cares about them and he is supportive of his daughter-in-law . And more trouble starts for Vinuta when Chandra Shekar marries a rich girl, Jamuna from Bangalore. Jamuna becomes the "Dollar Bahu" for Gouramma and Vinuta is subject to constant comparisons and humiliation.

Gouramma decides to visit her son and daughter-in-law in the United States. Her stay in that country makes her realize the importance of human relationships, and that the love and respect she got back home, cannot be bought by Dollars. The story ends on a positive note with an unexpected twist.

Dollar Bahu definitely qualifies for a good, light and meaningful reading. My rating of "Dollar Bahu" *****

My Ratings:

***** Excellent
**** Good
*** Average
** OK
* Yuck

The Zoya Factor by Anuja Chauhan - Book Review

2009-01-28T10:58:00.003+05:30

The first book I read this year is "The Zoya Factor" by Anuja Chauhan. It is the author's first novel, published by Harper Collins, India and priced at Rs. 295/- . Anuja Chauhan is an advertising professional who has penned the famous Pepsi advertisement liner "Yeh Dil Maange More".

The novel is set in the backdrop of the advertising and cricket scenario in India. Anuja has used her knowledge and experience of the advertising world, to perfection. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and found it hilarious, especially the usage of the Rupa Underwear and Banian advertisement's liner " yeh toh bada toinnngg hai" at various contexts. While listening to FM Radio on my way to work everyday, I hear this advertisement and rumble with laughter. Initially, I used to think that I was hearing the word "toinnngg" wrongly or was unable to grasp the word. Now, I know for sure what the word means.

The story revolves around, the young advertising executive, Zoya Singh Solanki who was born the moment India clinched the Prudential World Cup in 1983. During her advertising assignment with the Indian Cricket team, she happens to have her breakfast with them and casually mentions that the Indian team had won a match previously on one such occasion when she had her breakfast with them. The event is recollected by some members of the team and it is prophetically followed by, the Indian team winning that day's match and some of the team players strongly believing in this phenomenon. But the new talented Skipper of the Indian team Nikhil Khoda does not believe in this luck factor. Zoya is now pursued by the IBCC -Indian Board of Cricket Control's eccentric President Jogpal Lohia to accompany the Indian team to Australia for the tenth ICC World Cup . The cricket crazy nation is also in a frenzy over Zoya's luck factor and elevate her to the status of a Goddess.

Zoya's dilema over her 'lucky' status, offers of big money from major companies to advertise their brand, her feelings for the dashing Skipper and manipulations by the IBCC's President form the crux of this well written and easily readable novel, The Zoya Factor.

My rating of The Zoya Factor ***** .

My Ratings:

*****Excellent

****Good

***Average

**OK

*Yuck

The year that was...

2008-12-31T10:41:00.007+05:30

The year 2008 has been an eventful year with few ups and lots of down 'moments' for me, personally and professionally. Last year on 31 st December I and my family ushered in the New year at Kolkata with my mom and brothers and their families. Mom was always very enthusiastic about welcoming the New year by cutting a cake at the stroke of midnight and holding us close to her, would wish us with a hug, followed by lighting diyas and saying a small prayer for a healthy and peaceful New Year. We, her children were her world and everything she did was for our well being. I will miss wishing her in person, but memories of her vibrant and enthusiastic spirit brings to me a smile and a tear at the same time.

The last week of this year was eventful for me, as my 8 year old daughter took off on her first week long vacation alone, to Bangalore. Adithi was very keen to visit her paternal cousin, Chinmayi who is 9 months younger to her. They are very fond of each other. Luckily, our family friends who were travelling to Bangalore were happy to take her along and bring her back, and Adithi was more than delighted to travel with them. She was received at the railway station by Arun mama and had a great time in Bangalore playing non stop with Chinmayi and her friends; visiting Wonder La, Bangalore Zoo, a local exhibition, restaurant and shopping malls. She relished all the tasty snacks prepared by her Latha atte.

We spoke to her everyday and she did say she missed us, but I am not too sure about it. We throughly missed her histrionics, but nonetheless had a good time watching "Rab ne bana di jodi ", in a theater. I seem to have come out of my lethargy and suddenly grown fond of the friendly neighbourhood cinema house. Last month saw "Dostana" and liked both the movies. My sister-in-law Suma, a movie and theater buff is very excited about this latest development in my life. I am sure her nephew Aditya, another movie and theater buff will be pleased. He writes great movie reviews.

On a closing note, just before my daughter was leaving for Hyderabad, I called her to give some last minute instructions which obviously disrupted her playing session. I told her to thank her aunt and uncle, and she promptly asked me WHY ? and I began my sermon about them having taken her to visit so many places and got her gifts etc and the fact that she had enjoyed her vacation with them. Her reply was OH ! and as I am still on the phone she yells, " Latha atte, my mom tells me to thank you" and I can overhear my sister-in-law say, Why ? and my daughter yells back " my mom says because you have taken me to Wonder La ... blah...blah..." . I went, " NOT AGAIN Baby" and rumbled with laughter. She returned yesterday morning with lots of goodies which included 2 packets of crayons and a pencil box. She showed them to me and before I could say anything, she proudly stated "See haven't I chosen useful things for gifts". I am mighty pleased by the fact that she understands the word Useful.

So cheers to the child's innocence and the learning process and hope the New Year 2009 will bring peace and happiness to all of us. Have a great year ahead !

India Bleeds

2008-12-09T21:08:00.010+05:30

India bleeds, whether terrorists strike in Hyderabad, Jaipur, Bangalore, Delhi, Assam or Mumbai; when a soldier or policeman loses his life for the country; when a woman or child is raped and brutally killed, innocents lynched in the name of honour killings and revenge, and when natural calamities wipe out families.

The recent 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai is an eye opener to all the Indian citizens. Lessons in crisis management is the need of the hour. We seem to have a short term memory, just like the media. When an incident such as this occurs, the media covers it 24x7 and is thrilled with the TRP ratings, as fools like us keep watching it like a TAMASHA . And soon, it fizzles out and the issue is dead; out of sight, out of mind. The 26/11 terrorist attacks has generated momentum amongst us to do something about the situation, because the victims this time were foreigners and people from the upper strata of society, other than the AAM JUNTHA.

But, I want to be positive and give the devil its due. The media is a powerful tool and has done its bit by taking up few issues and facilitating justice to the victims by generating awareness and mobilizing public support . I expect the media to play a vital and responsible role in creating awareness and empower the citizens to manage crisis of any magnitude. We just can't let India bleed.

Reality Sucks

2008-11-21T13:27:00.011+05:30

It is over a month since mom's departure and I am back in the ho-hum of my life, but as days go by, the vacuum it has created is more evident. I ponder as to why, it is so difficult coping this loss, having known the outcome from day one of the diagnosis. I had been preparing myself to face the unthinkable , the sole reality of our existence - Death. No doubt, reality sucks !

Thankfully, I feel my mom's presence but miss talking and listening to her. We will miss her even more on her birthday on December 5th. She would have been "Sixty" that day. Time is said to be a great healer and I know for sure it will take hell of a time to heal. My daughter cheers me up and doesn't want to see tears in my eyes. She is convinced that her grandma is living the life of a queen in heaven, riding a chariot with a magic wand in hand. And basically having a great time with new friends. And well, I want to believe her ! Kudos to such imagination.

A small incident that happened a week after mom passed away added momentum to her conviction. My husband wanted to cheer us up, so he suggested we visit the famous Durga Puja Pandal at Secunderabad that evening. We had the darshan of Ma Kali, bumped into many acquaintances and my daughter had a good time. It was past 9 pm and we were unable to get an auto, cab or a bus to get back home. The wait of over 30 minutes started getting on to my nerves and I told her, please pray to God or ask Grandma who is in heaven to send us an auto. My daughter promptly prayed aloud " Grandma please send us an auto", and no sooner she said that, a cab approached us and the driver asked us if we needed a lift to the area where we live. The cab was on its way to pick the BPO employees for night shift. We hopped into the cab and were chauffeur driven home .

I am overwhelmed by the affection and regard people had for my mother and extend my appreciation and gratitude for all their kind thoughts and words. I can't resist myself from sharing a condolence message conveyed to my brother, Ravi by a distant relative, who is a well known "specimen". After lunch on the " Vaikunta Samaradhana cermony" day, as everybody were meeting us and taking leave, this 'specimen" who is about sixty years of age with his father of eighty years alive, walked up to my brother, shook his hand and told him " I am in a better position than you, my father is still alive. You are an orphan now, with both your parents dead". I am not exaggerating, these were the exact words conveyed by this person. My husband and Sister-in-law who overheard it and did not know the person were shocked . Wow, can any condolence message match up to it !

Tribute to Mom

2008-10-04T20:43:00.006+05:30

Our beloved mother Smt. Geetha Ramamoorthy, w/o Late Shri. H. Ramamoorthy, passed away peacefully at 6.00 am on Oct 2, 2008, Thursday at Army Command Hospital, Kolkata. A lady of tremendous courage, positive attitude, very spiritual and immensely beautiful and talented. She finally gave up her two years of fight against breast cancer on Gandhi Jayanthi day. She was a wonderful human being who has touched many lives in her own little way. She led her life with great dignity having lost her husband at an young age and raised three children, a daughter and two sons. We, her children are fortunate to have her as our mother and are very proud of her.

Though she is no longer with us in body, her soul and spirit continues to exist with us. She always told us that her childhood aspiration was to become a soldier or a doctor and serve humanity. And interestingly her youngest son, is a pediatrician in the Indian Armed Forces - A doctor and a soldier. She received the best treatment at the Army Command Hospitals, Pune and Kolkata respectively. She lived a dignified life and received a farewell befitting the proud mother of a Soldier.

I thank my family members, relatives, friends and my brother's colleagues at the Army Command Hospital, Kolkata, who have been very supportive and helpful.

Information Galore - 8

2008-09-30T11:25:00.004+05:30

Hyderabad & Cyberabad City Police

Hyderabad City Police Our City Our Life Our Safety (http://www.hyderabadpolice.gov.in) is the official Website of Hyderabad Police which was launched yesterday i.e September 29, 2008. It is indeed a very informative and educative website which provides vast information on law and order, crime, traffic, emergency services, Cyber frauds, etc.

The Find Your Police Station, Women's Corner, How Do I and Check Yourself, Permissions & Licences sections on the website are people friendly, as they provide information on "How to report Crime, How to get a Voter's ID, How to get Birth Certificate or Death Certificate, How to obtain permission for public meetings , rallies, dharnas, Arms license etc" ; Helplines to report Domestic Violence, Dowry Harassment, Eve Teasing; and the facility to check the status of Passport verification is fantastic.

A similar website was launched earlier by the Cyberabad Metropolitan Police Partnering for a Safe Community ( http://cyberabadpolice.gov.in) which has all the above mentioned information and is useful for the citizens who come under the Cyberabad Police Jurisdiction, covering Ranga Reddy District.

I hope, the kind of friendly assistance provided by our Police Force on the Website is rigorously implemented in real life situations, thus eliminating fear about the Police, from the law abiding citizen's mind. And let's generate fear in the minds of the culprits and terrorists, by showing then the combined strength of the Police and Public.

Reflective Thoughts

2008-09-26T15:48:00.003+05:30

I receive some thought provoking maxims in my mail, which I want to share with my readers. Here are a few of them that fuel my mind and instigate me to introspect. . .

Some people make the world happen;

More watch the world happen;

Most wonder what happened.

Its your choice, which group you want to belong to.

It isn't what you have,

or who you are,

or where you are,

or what you are doing,

or what you are going to do,

that makes you happy or unhappy.

Its what you think about.

No one is beat till he quits,

No one is through till he stops,

No matter how hard Failure hits,

No matter how often he drops,

A fellow's not down till he lies

In the dust and refuses to rise.

Fate can slam him and bang him around,

And batter his frame till he's sore,

But she never can say that he's downed

While he bobs up serenely for more.

A fellow's not dead till he dies, nor beat till no longer he tries.
- Edgar Guest

Whatever you give to life, it gives you back.

Do not hate anybody.

The hatred which comes out from you, will someday come back to you.

Love others. And love will come back to you.

Don't say that you should have not existed.

Without you, there will be a hole in creation.

A missing life to those in your family.

A missing friend to those around you.

A missing role in this World.

Treasure your uniqueness. It is a gift given only to you.
Play your role in life.

Take the whole responsibility on your own shoulders.

Know that you are the creator of your own destiny.

All the strength and succor you want is within yourselves.

Stand up. be Bold. be Strong.
Make your own future.

Life is divided into three terms.

The one which was, which is and which will be.

Learn from the past to profit the present;

And from the present to live better for future.

Its the best way to lead yourself through life.

Realize things before it is too late.

Have lots of friends before you are alone.

Accept things rather than deny them.

Love people before you loose them.

Life comes just once.
Love it while you live it.

If you do not seem to advance, do not be discouraged.

If things don't see right, do not be downhearted.

It does not matter how fast you move ahead in life,

But what matters is the road on which you move ahead.

On the road of life, be true to others.
More importantly be true to yourself.

The World is dangerous not because of those who do harm,

but because of those who look at it without doing anything.

It is up to us to build the world.
To spread light around us.
To make it a better place.

Courtesy: Mails received from Pravsworld...inspiring you for a better tomorrow.

Importance of Human Birth

2008-09-18T22:10:00.006+05:30

I have been reading the English adaptation of the original Marathi book, Shri Sai Satcharita - The Wonderful Life and Teachings of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba , by Govind Raghuanath Dabholkar alias 'Hemadpant'.

I found answers to the "Importance of Human Birth" in Chapter VIII of the book and wish to highlight some of the extracts and share related aspects of the wonderful teachings.

"In this wonderful universe, God has created billions of creatures or beings inhabiting heaven, hell, earth, ocean, sky and other intermediate regions. Of these, those creatures or souls whose merits preponderate, go to heaven and live there till they enjoy the fruits of their actions and when this is done, they are cast down; while those souls, whose sins or demerits preponderate, go down to hell and suffer the consequences of their misdeeds for as log as they deserve it. When the merits and demerits of these creatures or beings balance each other, they are born on earth as human beings and are given a chance to work out their salvation. Ultimately, when their merits and demerits both are worked out completely, they get their deliverance and become free. To put the matter in a nutshell, souls get their birth or transmigration according to their deeds and evolvement.

Special Value of the Human Body

As we all know, four things are common to all the creatures, viz., food, sleep, fear and sexual union. In the case of man, he is endowed with a special faculty,viz, knowledge, with the help of which he can attain God-vision, which is impossible in any other birth...

Some say that there is nothing worse than the human body, which is full of filth, mucus, phlegm and dirt and which is subject to decay, disease and death. This is true to a certain extent, but in spite of these drawbacks and defects, the special value of the human body is - that man has got capacity to acquire knowledge. It is only due to the human body or on account of it , that one can think of the perishable and transitory nature of the body itself and of the world, and have an aversion for the sense-enjoyments, and can discriminate between the unreal and real, and thus attain God-vision... The proper course therefore, for us to pursue, is the following; that the body should neither be neglected nor fondled, but should be properly cared for... The body should ever be used or engaged to attain God-vision or self-realization, which is the supreme end of life.

Man's Endeavour

Realizing how precious the human life is and knowing that death is certain and may snatch us at any time, we should be ever alert to achieve the object of our life, we should not make the least delay, but make every possible haste to gain our object... So with all earnestness, we should strive to attain our end, i.e, self-realization. Casting aside laziness, warding off drowsiness, we should day and night meditate on the self. If we fail to do this, we reduce ourselves to the level of beasts.

How to Proceed?

The most effective and speedy way to gain our object is to approach a worthy saint or sage - Sadguru, who has himself attained God-Vision. What cannot be achieved by hearing religious discourses and study of religious texts is easily obtained in the company of such worthy souls. Just as the sun gives light, which all the stars out together cannot do, so the Sadguru alone imparts spiritual wisdom, which all the sacred books and sermons cannot do. His movements and simple talks give us 'silent' advice. The virtues of forgiveness, calmness, disinterstedness, charity, benevolence, control of mind and body, egolessness etc, are observed by the disciples, as they are being practised in such pure and holy company. The enlightens their minds and lifts them up spiritually. Sai Baba was such a Sage or Sadguru.

Allah Maalik - Peace be to all

My Child's Concern

2008-08-29T16:33:00.004+05:30

A couple of days back, I suffered a bout of tummy upset and ended up spending a night moaning and groaning in pain. My daughter came to bed after viewing "Ramayan" on the NDTV Imagine Channel. She laid down silently beside me for some time and suddenly I found her tender hands on my brows stroking gently. I was like "wow" my baby feels for me, and then she whispered in my ears , " Mom, will you be OK for my Birthday" . And I burst into laughter, forgetting the pain for a moment, as her birthday is another 12 days away. I said, of course Sweetie, I'll be fine tomorrow. Don't worry!

Well, each one of us have our priorities , isn't it? For a child, Birthday is the ultimate, important day ( for some adults too). The idea of wearing a new colour dress, distributing chocolates in school, party at home, cake and gifts make them excited. It is something that will remain etched in their memories. We as parents, try as much as possible to meet their expectations and make them happy. But sometimes their excitement does get on to the nerves, when every waking moment, a month in advance starts with , "will you do this and that...?"

A few months back, my daughter wanted a quite birthday this year, with the family dining out in a hotel of her choice and of course, cake cutting in the hotel with the Happy Birthday song playing in the background. I was very pleased with her idea, because every year, we had a grand get together for her friends, family friends and family, with cake and clothes of her choice. Though fun, it also meant a back and nerve wrecking week for me and my husband.

But her idea has now taken a twist. She tells me, we should have a grand party like we did on her previous birthdays. And her list of do s is going on and on ... Well, I am listening and what we will ultimately do to celebrate her birthday is left to guessing, including me.

Disturbing Scribbles

2008-08-22T12:24:00.006+05:30

This morning I came to my office as usual and was waiting for the elevator. The lobby still has the India independence day decorations with small paper flags pasted around. There were two such flags pasted just above the entrance to one of the two elevators. And I saw some scribblings on them. And this is what was written on one of the Flags - " Mera Bharat Mahaan ...Sau mein se 99 Bemaan" and on the other Flag it said - " We should be proud of our poverty, our un employment, our corruption, our il tracy" (as spelled on the scribblings) . Below the scribblings was the signature of the scribbler.

I do not know why, but I was terribly disturbed. And I keep thinking, who jotted them. Was the Scribbler - a male or a female? old or young person? literate or a semi literate? Hindu, Muslim or Christian, employed or unemployed? intelligent? sadist? pessimist ? sarcastic? dejected? - WHO could it be ?

Information Galore - 7

2008-08-20T15:34:00.005+05:30

Hyderabad Transport Information System (HTIS)

I found information on this live traffic portal, launched by the traffic police to provide information on live traffic, directions, auto fares, distance between two places in the city and the route, etc from a relevant post, on the blog Rambling with Bellur. The Transport Information System portals are available for Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi and Pune cities.

HTIS is a useful portal, though with some limitations like not identifying some well known areas while checking out the directions and also an update is required on the auto fares. The minimum auto fare in Hyderabad is Rs. 12/- (For 1.6 km) and Rs.7/- per km . The autos still run with the old meters indicating Rs.10/- as the minimum fare and refer to a revised fare chart which gives the revised fare with reference to the old fare. Do look out for the Auto Rickshaw Driver's & Trolley Union (AITUC) seal on the chart, as fake charts with enhanced auto fare are being used by many auto drivers.

Hotels in Hyderabad

2008-08-13T11:48:00.004+05:30

My work involves a lot of interaction with the admissions' officials from US Universities. I facilitate their visits to Hyderabad to meet prospective students interested in studying at their respective Universities. They are keen to stay in a good Hotel in Hyderabad, which is safe and located at closer proximity to their meeting place. I get requests from these guests for suggestion and booking of the accommodation, keeping in view their budget and other requirements.

I have earlier recommended Hotel Green Park, Ameerpet; Taj Krishna, Banjara Hills; Hotel Marriott, Tank Bund (earlier Hotel Viceroy) and Hotel Amrutha Castle, Saifabad. Some of the guests have got hooked to these hotels and prefer to stay in them during their yearly visits. Earlier the airport was centrally located to Hyderabad and Secunderabad and all these hotels were at closer proximity to the airport. But now with the new Rajiv Gandhi International Airport located at Shamshabad, which is about 25 kms from the city of Hyderabad and with more number of visitors coming on business to this IT hub; the hotel industry is experiencing a boom time in Hyderabad. I flew into Hyderabad a couple of days ago from Kolkata and was impressed with the facilities and sleek look of the Hyderabad airport. Though the distance is bugging, the transportation facilities like Aero Express bus, Radio cabs and Taxis are a relief.

Most of the IT companies are located at Hi Tech City and Gachi Bowli, therefore many new hotels like Hotel Novotel, Hi-Tech City ; Ista Hotel & Spa, Gachi Bowli ; Hampshire Plaza Hotel and Hotel Peppermint Lakdi-ka-pul have come up in recent times. There are many web sites which provide information on Hotels in Hyderabad, but I found TravelMasti to be informative and another site which provides comprehensive information on Hotels in different parts of the world and searches multiple hotel reservation websites simultaneously, to help one find the lowest rate instantly is HotelsCombined.

Come enjoy your stay in Hyderabad - the City of Pearls and now famous as Cyberabad, for being the IT hub in India.

Information Galore - 6

2008-08-07T18:35:00.005+05:30

Do you want to earn a degree from an educational institution in India?

If yes, always check the institutes' credentials before enrolling, with regard to the Accreditation (official recognition) which includes the validity of the courses offered by the institution, status of degree and other facilities.

For more information, log on to :

Ministry of Human Resource Development

University Grants Commission

All India Council for Technical Education

National Council for Teacher Education

Association of Indian Universities

Medical Council of India

Distance Education Council

Courtesy: Advertisement "Jago Grahak Jago" issued in public interest by Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution in The Telegraph, Calcutta, Aug 7, 2008

My visit to Huvina Hadagali

2008-07-23T09:34:00.010+05:30

I and my daughter, had the opportunity to visit Huvina Hadagali, a Taluk in Bellary District, which is about two hours drive from Hospet in Karnataka State. The occasion was the engagement ceremony of my cousin on July 20, 2008. The place has some significance to me as it is located very close to my father's hometown Harpanahalli, from where I get my family name. And my father's cousins live in Huvina Hadagali. I vaguely remember to have met them in my childhood and vice versa. I vividly remember their mother, my paternal grandmother's younger sister who was a lively, affectionate and wonderful human being. She had stayed with us for a month during our childhood and entertained us with her innumerable stories. We kids were very fond of her.

Huvina Hadagli is famous for Jasmine flowers. It is said that the flowers (Huvu in Kannada) from this place were sent in a boat (Hadaga in Kannada) on the River Tungabhadra to Lord Virupaksheshwara, the presiding deity at the famous Virupaksha temple at Hampi, the Capital of Vijayanagara empire in the 12th century. And this is how the place derives its name, Huvina Hadagali.

The engagement ceremony was held in the premises of an old temple dedicated to Lord Chennakeshava. The sculptures in the temple appeared special, but is in a bad state of affairs, due to poor maintenance.

My curiosity to get some historical inputs about the temple led me to understand that it was a 900 year old temple built by Amarashilpi Jakanachari , a legendary sculptor credited with building many fine temples, including the famous sculptures at Belur and Halebidu in Karnataka. Adjacent to this temple was another creation by Jakanachari, a Shiva temple, equally wonderful and in a slightly better condition than its neighbouring temple.

My daughter took the initiative of taking a photograph of Lord Chennakeshava from the entrance of the temple.

We also visited an Anjaneya Swami Temple (called Madalgatti Hanumappa in the local Kannada dialect) situated on the banks of River Tungabhadra at a place called Madalgatti which is about 15 kms from Huvina Hadagali. The ancient temple has been renovated with granite and marble and is well maintained. The three day annual fair is very popular and well attended by localites and people from the neighbouring villages and districts. Here Lord Hanuman is believed to fulfill the prayers and wishes of his devotees.

For me, it was definitely a memorable trip!

My Opinion in the Deccan Chronicle

2008-07-21T21:42:00.006+05:30

Just sharing my opinion on the topic " Will the UPA Government survive the no-confidence motion? ", which appeared in the Hyderabad Chronicle, Deccan Chronicle, July 20, 2008, Sunday edition.

"I feel the Government will gain enough support to survive. Even though the Left has withdrawan their support, many other parties like the Samajwadi Party are coming forward to lend support to the Congress. Also, I feel that the nuclear deal will benefit the country and the Congress should go ahead with it."

Tomorrow is the trust vote. Do share your views on this national issue.

Dark and Dry Hyderabad

2008-07-18T16:02:00.005+05:30

We Hyderabadis, are facing an extended summer this year. The weather is hot and humid and is getting on to my nerves; a fresh bout of heat prickles are on. Adding to our already existing woes are the power cuts and acute shortage of drinking water. There is a four hours' scheduled power cut and many hours of unscheduled power cuts. We are provided drinking water by the municipality, once a week, for one hour ( at least in the residential area where I live) .

Everyday, I religiously carry my umbrella, hoping it will rain. So the other day, I decided not to carry it, with the anticipation that it will rain at least that day. Some superstition ! And believe me it drizzled for 5 minutes that evening, in the locality where my office is situated. Well ! it only added to the already existing humidity. Whenever it gets cloudy, my optimism rises and fizzles out when I don't see a drop of water falling from the sky. Anyway I am back to carrying my umbrella - rain or no rain.

I am praying hard for the rain God to have mercy on us. Every drop of water is precious. Please do not waste water.

With Love...To Adithi

2008-07-04T13:34:00.010+05:30

Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na which released today is slated to be the coolest- romantic- musical Hindi movie, directed by Abbas Tyrewala produced by Aamir Khan and Mansoor Khan and music by the inimitable A.R .Rahman. The hero is debutant , Imran Khan (Aamir Khan's nephew) and the heroine is Genelia ( Actress from the Telugu hit film "Bommarillu").

The songs are really cool and peppy. I especially loved "kabhi kabhi Aditi " , because my daughter is "Adithi". So this special A.R. Rahman's musical creation, sung by Rashid Ali, exclusively being played on my blog.

I love you Sweetie Pie !

Get this and more amazing Songs at musicalscraps

Book Review - 3 MISTAKES OF MY LIFE by Chetan Bhagat

2008-06-24T11:40:00.010+05:30

I read Chetan Bhagat's first book " Five Point Someone"**** and found it interesting because the story had a flow ; the language, friendly for any average Indian reader in English, to follow; and the cost of the book, very affordable. Then came "One night @ call center"***** which was again priced at the same affordable cost and had a good, entertaining, contemporary storyline. I enjoyed reading this second book, which is being made into a Hindi Movie "Hello" starring Salman Khan.

I was awaiting his third novel " 3 mistakes of my life" which was released this May . And on my trip to Kolkata this May, I bought it from a book vendor on Park Street and was surprised to see the same affordable price tag of Rs. 95/-. Kudos to the publishers, Rupa & Co and the author, Chetan Bhagat.

3 Mistakes of my life, revolves around the ambitions and events in the life of the protagonist, Govind, a young lad who dreams of becoming a businessman. The backdrop of the novel is Gujarat, with Business, Religion, Cricket and Friends forming the focal points for the story to gain momentum. References of the earthquake, cricket match and riots gives the needed twists and turns to the tale and makes it realistic. However much I dislike to use the word "Bollywood" , this book definitely has all the mirch and masala to make a Hindi flick.

The protagonist's journey till he realizes his first mistake takes a wee bit long and the story moves at a slow phase, whereas the second and third mistakes come in quick successions pepped with romance and action.

My rating of 3 Mistakes of my life***. Personally my expectations of the book was very high after reading his One night @ call center. And that could be one of the reasons to find this one, average reading. Anyway I still look forward to Chetan Bhagat's new literary offerings. I really like the way he writes.

My Ratings:

***** Excellent
**** Good
*** Average
** OK
* Yuck

Information Galore - 5

2008-06-22T18:07:00.006+05:30

Travelling by train...

For a safe travel in the train, be careful with your luggage and other belongings. Lock and chain the luggage to your seats. Do not reveal personal information to strangers. Be careful while conversing with your family members, especially with regard to personal matters and information. Do not accept eatables and drinks from strangers. In the recent months, there have been many cases of theft, especially in the AC coaches of the A.P Express which runs from Hyderabad to New Delhi. The thefts are taking place between Itarsi and Bhopal railway stations. Some new passengers alight the AC Coach and on finding an empty berth, occupy the same. As they are well dressed, it is difficult to differentiate the thugs from real commuters. So keep a watch on these strangers.

South Central Railway alerts the public to be watchful at railway stations and on trains to save a disaster like bomb blasts. Terrorists and anti national elements are out to cause damage and destruction to lives and property by means of planting explosives in the form of innocent looking objects. Foil these attempts by remaining alert to such acts of terror during rail journeys.

Do not touch un-claimed, unidentified, unattended objects like briefcase, mobile phone, transistor, doll, purse, packets etc, lying at railway stations and in trains.
Do not accept to take care of any luggage from strangers at railway stations and in trains.
Look out for suspicious looking persons, luggage or activity around you at railway stations and in trains.

Please report to Railway Protection Force (RPF) , Govt. Raiway Police (GRP), Railway Personnel on any suspicion or doubt you come across.

Courtesy : Advt by the South Central Railways in The New Indian Express, Hyderabad Ed, June 22, 2008

Summer 2008

2008-06-19T12:25:00.005+05:30

At times, getting back to the ho-hum of everyday life seems good. I had an exceptionally busy summer on the home front, with getting carpentry work done at my house in the first week of April, followed by guests visiting us for summer vacation. My daughter was delighted to have her aunts and cousins visiting us and enjoyed the outings to NTR Park, Chilkur Balaji Temple, Pragati Resorts ( an ideal family and friends getaway), Snow World and Havmor for the pizzas and the Titanic Ice Cream.

During this busy phase, I couldn't speak on a daily basis to my mom who lives in Kolkata. We practically spoke everyday, as either of us would call each other. When my daughter had her exams, my mom unfailingly called me everyday in the evening to find out how did the exam go; the call was actually to ensure that I was not harsh with her grand daughter. Even if I did not call her, she would call and find out about my well being. But this time she didn't and I presumed it was probably because I was busy.

I managed to find time from my crazy schedule and called her around April 25th. Mom's voice sounded very feeble and weak, she also seemed disinterested in a conversation, and was giving some irrelevant replies which was very unlike her. When I inquired, She reminded me how the summers were always a tough time for her and therefore her weakness was due to the heat. And trust Kolkata's heat and humidity for torture! I told her to take care and drink a lot of fluids, etc and she reciprocated my sermon with a "OK".

The same week, my sister-in-law Suma called me from Dubai to find out if everything was fine with mom as she and my brother felt something was amiss in her conversation. The call disturbed me and I spoke to my doctor brother, Ravi with whom she lives in Kolkata. He told me that he had in fact noticed some memory loss and severe physical weakness within a weeks time and expressed some serious concerns. He assured me that he had an appointment scheduled with the specialists on May 12 at the Military Command Hospital, Kolkata. Ravi is a Paediatrician in the same hospital.

On every Mother's Day, ever since I became a mother, my mom used to be the first one to call me and wish me. On May 11, 2008, I called her and wished " Happy Mother's Day Ma" and she replied " Happy Birthday". I felt dizzy and couldn't hold back my tears. I knew all was not well.

On May 12, she underwent a MRI of the brain and it showed three tumors with the largest one measuring 7 Cm's, located in the frontal lobe of the brain which is the seat of reasoning, planning, parts of speech, movement, emotions, and problem solving. Cancer had reached the brain and an intelligent and active woman had turned into a small girl. Her behaviour and speech was that of a sweet, well behaved 4-5 year old. She was more or less in a semi comatose state. The oncologists advised twenty sessions of radiation therapy which she had to undergo everyday with immediate effect. She has already undergone a radiation therapy and two chemotherapy sessions since the advanced stage breast cancer was diagnosed 18 months back. Since then, she has been very positive ,strong and active all through the treatment. Mom was immediately admitted to the Command hospital which is next door to where Ravi and his wife, Ashwini stay.

My other brother Nagaraj, flew in from Dubai on May 16th and I reached Kolkata along with my husband and daughter on May 17th to see our mom . She appeared frail, but normal. Only when she began to speak, the problem was noticeable. Amazingly she was very "time" conscious and had command over all the languages she knows. She was very polite to all with Hello, Thank you, Very nice of you , Don't worry - Be happy and Bye, dominating her conversation. We had to feed her for nearly 15 days as she would not know what to eat from her plate. For a lady who loves to cook and eat tasty food, it was tough to eat the bland food, She never complained. She kept talking to herself saying 'the food is very nice and tasty... no salt... no chillies...no sugar'. She wouldn't allow us to sit with her beyond two hours in the afternoon and night. She would get restless and insist on sleeping only after we left. She was aware that we would be late for our lunch and dinner respectively.
Mom was unable to recall anything from the past. She only remembered us as very small kids and my youngest brother Ravi as a baby. She did not remember my father's name, but promptly recalled her mother-in-law's name. So we bestowed her the "Best Daughter-in-law" award for this feat. She was not able to remember names and any significant events; it appeared like all the stuff must be there in the head but she was unable to co-ordinate and it was all getting jumbled up. Surprisingly she addressed my husband, her son-in-law correctly by his name during their conversations. She also read the name plates pinned on the uniforms of the doctors and nurses to address them. Of course, she would immediately forget the names. Mom had this peaceful and divine look on her face and on our request, recited the " Hanuman Chalisa" and " Sri Raghavendra Stotram" without any flaw. She is an ardent devotee of Sri Guru Raghavendra Swami.

She had to undergo the ordeal of travelling to and fro to Medical College, Kolkata for radiation therapy everyday at 11. 00 am, braving the Kolkata heat and humidity which was hell for normal healthy people like us.

A few of my cousins, aunts and uncles travelled all the way to Kolkata from different cities in India to see her. She was apologetic to all of them stating that she couldn't remember their names and her memory was bad. It has been a shock for our family and friends to see such a beautiful, charming, active and intelligent lady transformed like this. In fact I and my brothers have derived profound strength to face this adversity, from my mom herself. Her toughness to face any hardships, immense will power and positive attitude towards life is unmatched. She has touched many lives with her helpful, spiritual and affectionate persona.

Mom remembered Ravi's and my birthday dates which is May 31st and June 1st respectively. She told Ashwini to buy me a gift and we had a cozy birthday party at home (thanks to Ashwini and Adithi for the arrangements) with mom joining us for a couple of hours from the hospital on both the days. My two aunts (mom's sisters) came to Kolkata from Hyderabad to see her on June 1st. So she was happy to have them join the party.

In the past two weeks there has been significant improvement in her memory. She is unable to recall events from the initial two weeks, such as how she came to the hospital, my brother and husband's visit, etc as they stayed for a week and then left. She kept asking me, what had happened to her and how she reached the hospital, etc. And as I described the events, she vaguely remembered some of it. She has again lost all her hair and appears disappointed about it. Earlier she had taken her bald head look with elan. I returned back with a heavy heart to Hyderabad on June 5th as my daughter's school reopened on June 9th.

Mom came back home on June 13th, exactly after a month's stay in the hospital. The latest scan shows traces of cancer in the liver also. She is very weak, but her memory has improved considerably. She is getting the best possible treatment and care. The doctors, nurses and helpers were very caring at the Command Hospital. Mom's charming smile attracted many friends ( other patients and their family members) at the hospital. In the initial two weeks she wouldn't converse much, but in the weeks that followed, she was talking to people.

She is now eagerly waiting for Nagaraj and his family's visit on June 20th, especially to see her grand daughter "Gauri" and grand son, little "Raghav" who turned one on June 8th. In the past one month she had no inkling about "Raghav" as she was unable to remember him. She only remembered "Gaura" (Gauri) and of course my daughter "Aadu" (Adithi) who was entertaining us live with her histrionics in the hospital.

Adithi was very impressed with the hospital room where mom was staying. She felt it was an ideal place to live; AC room with attached toilet, Colour TV, clean bed and last but not the least, Food, which was visually very endearing. In fact she was envious of "Ajji's ' (Grandmother's) comfortable abode!

I thank all my family members and friends who have stood by us in these difficult moments and continue to do so with their prayers and best wishes.

Information Galore - 4

2008-04-03T12:38:00.004+05:30

Are you/your daughter marrying an NRI (Non-Resident Indian) ?

Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs advises Indian Citizens, especially parents, to be vigilant before marrying their daughters to a person based abroad. It is vital to check the background and all legal details before saying 'yes'. The contact E-mail ID for Distress Resolution/Helpline is dirss@moia.nic.in .

Courtesy: Advertisement issued in Public Interest by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs in The Week. Vol 26 . No 19, April 6, 2008.

Information Galore - 3

2008-03-29T20:52:00.005+05:30

Save Electricity and Energy...Save Environment, Money and Our Earth. Please switch off lights, fans, television sets and other electrical appliances, when not required or when not in use.

Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC)

Attention: Architects, Builders, Building product manufactures, Commercial Space Developers, Design Professionals, Engineers and Citizens of India.

Bureau of Energy Efficiency - A statutory body under Ministry of Power, Government of India has established the ECBC which aims at increasing awareness about efficient use of Energy and its conservation in new Commercial Buildings with a connected load of 500 kW or contact demand of 600 kVA.

ECBC incorporates energy efficiency factors at the design stage itself to reduce the long-term operating energy costs of the buildings.

ECBC defines the norms of energy requirement per sq. metre of area and takes into consideration the climatic region of the country, where the building is located. Norms have been developed to cater to five different climatic zones in India - composite, hot and dry, warm and humid, moderate and cold.

ECBC details the parameters of various building materials to be used in walls, windows, glass, ceilings and floors, to minimize heat gain and thus the cooling cost.

ECBC also covers lighting, Heating, Ventilation, Air-conditioning, Electrical Distribution, Water Heating and pumping systems.

Compliance with ECBC norms is voluntary now, but soon it will become mandatory.

A copy of the "Energy Conservation Building Code - 2007" Manual can be obtained by sending a crossed bank Draft of Rs.200/- + Rs.25/- for postage charges, favouring "Bureau of Energy Efficiency", payable in New Delhi, India to the following address :
Bureau of Energy Efficiency, 4th Floor, Sewa Bhawan, R.K.Puram, New Delhi - 110 066. Tel # 011 - 26179699, Fax # 011-26178352 .

Courtesy : Advertisement by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency in The New Indian Express, Hyderabad, March 29, 2008.

Blame Game

2008-03-23T12:00:00.002+05:30

It has been a month since the media has been talking about the death of British teenager Scarlett Eden Keeling in Goa, India. She was found dead under mysterious circumstances on Anjuna beach, Goa on February 18, 2008. She is believed to have been drugged, raped and left to die in the shallow water on the beach by a bartender, Samson D' Souza and an alleged drug dealer, Placido Carvalho. Pictures of Scarlett's mother, Fiona MacKeown, driving to the police station, giving interviews and panel discussions on the subject are aired everyday on television and articles on the same are published everyday in the newspapers.

Ironically, the whole circus is leading nowhere to the actual situation on hands, but to mud slinging and blame game amongst the Goa police, Government of Goa and Fiona MacKeown; peppered with our hounding media and its reports. The issues raised are about Fiona MacKeown's personal background and her irresponsible parenting of nine offsprings , fathered by five different men in her life; the flourishing drug trade and drug mafia in the coastal state of Goa; the Goa police being charged with cover up and what not!

I wonder what torture, pain and helplessness, the young teenager, Scarlett must have undergone in the last tormenting moment in her life. Why are we not able to pin down and punish Samson D'Souza and Placido Carvalho who committed the heinous crime. I also wonder about the plight of the parents of these two irresponsible, wretched living beings and also about their parenting pattern. Every other day we hear about females being molested in India with age and nationality, no bar. As citizens of this country and living in this society, are we not responsible to counter the situation by voicing our concerns and force the authorities to take immediate action and be more sensitive and accountable to such issues. The media has the power to drive and derive justice to the victims, as it has done in some cases. It needs to take up this mission to create more awareness amongst the citizens about their rights and stimulate confidence to join hands and crusade against the evils of this society.

Great Leaders

2008-03-22T12:09:00.000+05:30

Baba Amte (1914-2008) - A Selfless Human Being

I first heard about Baba Amte from my mother when I was in middle school. She used to read Marathi magazines and share with me and my brothers interesting information and narrate good stories. During one of those narrations , I heard her talk passionately about Baba Amte and his selfless service to our society's most downtrodden living beings , the lepers - people affected with the scary disease called leprosy.

Baba Amte himself was repulsed at the sight of a leper lying in in a muddy gutter on a rainy night. This successful lawyer; a follower of Gandhian philosophy, responded to the situation, initially with some fear about the disease. But his moment of realization came when he told himself: " Where there is fear, there is no love; where there is no love, there is no God. I must banish this fear from my mind." He did not look back on his decision and renounced his flourishing career to start Anandwan, the first of the three ashrams he established to treat and rehabilitate leprosy inflicted people, especially from the disadvantaged section of our society. Anandwan is located in Warora, Chandrapur district, Maharashtra state, India.

Baba Amte's wife, Sadhana Tai also deserves credit for her selfless service to the mission started by her husband. Their two sons , daughters-in-law and grand sons are all doctors who have dedicated their lives to social work and continue the noble cause started by their parents.

Baba Amte's guiding philosophy in life is summed in the three lines of this poem by an unknown poet :

"I sought my soul, but my soul I failed to see, I sought my God, but my God eluded me, I sought my brother, and I found all three."

He found his brother on that raining night, the leper whose sight repulsed him at first.

Courtesy: Article by R.Prasannan in The Week, February 24, 2008 and Wikipedia

Information Galore - 2

2008-03-17T22:36:00.002+05:30

Transport Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, India - Vehicle registrations in Andhra Pradesh State, India.

It can be done at the Road Transport Authority ( RTA ) on our own, without approaching any Middlemen/Brokers/Dealers for assistance.

A temporary registration for the newly purchased vehicle can be done at E-Seva Centre or RTA located closer to one's residence for Rs. 15/- ; for financed vehicle for Rs. 100/- extra. A Permanent registration requires a fee of Rs. 60/- for two wheeler; Rs.200/- for car.

If any dealer pressurises, call 1074 (Toll Free) or Email to tc@ap.gov.in or complain to 9848989874

Courtesy: Advertisement by the Transport Department, Govt of A.P., in the Times of India, Hyderabad Ed, March 2008

Auto Rickshaw Fare Meter Tampering in Hyderabad : Citizens can e-mail their complaints at aptransport@ap.gov.in against auto rickshaw fare meter tampering .

Information Galore - 1

2008-03-16T22:51:00.005+05:30

I have been reading some interesting and useful information relevant for the general public which includes you and me. Some Departments and Ministries of the Government of India and Government of Andhra Pradesh are releasing advertisements in the daily news papers, providing vital information for creating awareness amongst Indian citizens on various topics. I am summarizing the information and publishing the same on my blog as an awareness exercise for our benefit. It is also convenient to have all the related and relevant information in one place.

I begin with

Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution , Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi - 110 001 . They advise us to

Be careful while making purchases
Check for adulteration
Not be fooled by misleading advertisements
To insist on a cash memo
To always check the expiry date on products
To pay only the mentioned M.R.P on pre-packed items
Take care to check correct weight
Look for hall-marked jewellery
And last but not the least - ISI stands for quality and dependability

If your rights are violated, refer to the consumer forum with your complaints. Log on to National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission to locate the Consumer Redressal Forum in your area.

Courtesy: "Jago Grahak Jago" Advertisement in the Deccan Chronicle dated 16/03/2008

Cancer in Children

2008-03-10T11:55:00.023+05:30

Recently, I was watching a reality TV show on Star Plus : "Amul Voice of India - Chote Ustad" which showcases the singing talent of children. This was an episode where Salman Khan was the celebrity guest and the show was good fun with the sportive Salman pulling off his T-Shirt to display his well toned and muscled body, on request from kids on the sets. He was very sweet with the kids, encouraging and applauding their talents. He danced with them when they requested him and did not put on any starry airs. And then with all the fun and masti came a poignant moment when the organizers of the show had arranged for some children afflicted with cancer to meet with their super hero on the sets. I was choked with emotion watching those tender, enthusiastic, smiling and excited kids undergoing treatment at the TATA Memorial Hospital , Mumbai .

I remembered encountering a six year old girl afflicted with bone cancer and her parents at the Army Command Hospital, Kolkota in December 2007, when I accompanied my mom for her Chemotherapy session. My mom introduced me to her little friend who was lying on the adjacent bed and undergoing the same treatment. This little girl, a year younger to my daughter, with a bald head has a fetish for the "Saas Bahu Hindi Serials" and was watching one, on the TV set displayed in the hospital room. She loves sweets, fried fish and likes to apply mehndi on her hands. But she told me her mother wouldn't allow her to do so for fear of infection while undergoing the chemo sessions. My mom and this kid had a code word for the medicines dangling by their bedsides. The white coloured one is called Rasgoolla ( Bengali Sweet) or Putharekulu ( Andhra Sweet)" . The orange Coloured one is called Jalebi ( North Indian Sweet). It was amazing to see them humouring themselves.

My mom introduced me to the kid's mother and we started conversing in Telugu. The family is from Andhra Pradesh and they speak Telugu. Her husband is an Indian Army personnel. I asked her when the kid was diagnosed of this dreaded disease and what had happened. And this was what she told me:

" It happened a year and half back . My husband was posted in a highly sensitive area and therefore I was staying with my two kids, a daughter and a son ( two years younger than the daughter). One day my daughter came home from school , hurt on the shoulder by hitting the bench in the classroom. The area on the shoulder was looking black and blue and the child was running slight temperature. So I took her to the doctor and with the medicines, the wound appeared healed and the fever subsided. But again after ten days , the fever and pain were back and with subsequent visit to the doctor and medicines, it would normalise. This cycle went on for two months. Then I got panicky and informed my husband, who rushed down and we went to Naval Command Hospital , Vishakhapatnam. The doctors recommended a series of tests and they diagnosed "Bone Cancer". We were informed that the situation was grin and that they will have to remove the shoulder scalp which was infected. My child underwent the surgery and the follow up treatment. Later the cancer spread to other part of the body and she had to undergo another surgery which the doctors told was life threatening . But my child survived and was advised treatment at Army Command Hospital, Kolkota. My husband also got compassionate posting at Barrackpore and now our lives are commuting between home and hospital."

The lady appeared composed and cheerful all through my brief stay at the hospital. She gave me some shopping tips and insight about markets in Kolkota. Her husband came in and she introduced me to him. My mom told me that he also is a very helpful person and a caring dad. I inquired about her 4 year old son and she told me her in-laws were taking care of him at their home town in Andhra Pradesh. The little boy having seen his sister suffer in pain is exceptionally understanding and never cribs. This little girl is eager to meet her brother and play with him. She desperately wants to go to school and lead a normal life. And as I write this, I am again choked with emotion and tears trickle out from my eyes ( I consider myself to be very tough and I don't cry easily). This was exactly what happened when I was conversing with this courageous mother. Thankfully, my brother, a Pediatrician at the hospital walked in and I excused myself and spent some time in his cabin.

Meeting such women, makes me feel that every day is " Women's Day" . I pray for the recovery of this beautiful little child and children like her. When I see children suffering from such dreaded diseases , I wonder if God really exists. Maybe ...

Bloggers Meet in Hyderabad

2008-03-03T21:40:00.002+05:30

On Saturday, March 1, 2008, I had the opportunity to enter the MICROSOFT Campus, Hyderabad at Gachibowli, to attend the Bloggers Meet organised by IndiBlogger.in and sponsored by Microsoft. It was the first time I actually went around Gachibowli, which houses the University of Hyderabad, TCS, WIPRO, INFOSYS, CMC, Indian Business School (IBS), and many more offices. We took a MMTS from Begumpet to Lingampalli and then an auto ride to Microsoft campus and reached the venue on dot, at 4.00 pm. My hubby accompanied me and we were the first attendees. And then our fellow bloggers trickled in at the Hyderabadi Standard Time. But it was a good gathering of over 80 guys.

To begin with I was the only female blogger, other then the Microsoft student partner Ms. Sandhya Rajan and later a female student from IIIT, Hyderabad joined in with a group of nearly 15 student bloggers from the same Institution. Wow! and it was interesting to hear that most of the bloggers started to blog because their friends did it. And I thought, this trend was healthier, better and productive than hearing 'I smoke because my friend does'.

The meet was great fun with the ice breaker "One minute of fame" where each blogger got to introduce one's self and Blog. The IndiBlogger Jig was fun and I got to do one, as a comment from my blog was read out. The Skit by the IndiBlogger team was short and sweet. Microsoft's treat, the Pizazz and introduction to Live Writer was OK. And I got to meet some interesting bloggers which was wonderful. To sum it all, the meet was a huge success! Cheers to the IndiBlogger Team, Balaji (who coordinated this event) and Microsoft. Awaiting the T-Shirt and more such meets !

Our return journey was also fun as we hitch-hiked a car ride till Begumpet from a fellow blogger Sudeep and chatted non-stop. We were joined by two other bloggers Srikanth and Ashwin.

Deccan Chronicle, featured an article about bloggers and the meet in the March 3, 2008, Monday edition of the Hyderabad Chronicle. Excerpts of my interview appeared in it along with a few other bloggers. A good beginning for the Hyderabad Bloggers' community.

Whatte fun !

2008-02-25T11:36:00.003+05:30

On Feb 23, 2008, Saturday, I was busy with students at my office and my mobile rings. I hear a guy asking if it was I on the line and he was calling from some Movies online booking office and that he had to deliver movie tickets to me. I was like " What the hell ! I haven't booked any tickets online" and ask him to cross check and shut off the mobile.

And then I suddenly wonder if it is some free goodies on the way. I recall having seen an advertisement, flashing, Win free tickets for the movie "Jodhaa Akbar" while reading news on IBNLive News . I had checked if Hyderabad was on the list of cities and entered my name and other details and submitted it.

After an hour I receive a call from the same guy and he asks me for my residential address as he has been asked to deliver two movie tickets. I reach home early at 3.oo pm as I have to take my daughter to a friend's son's Birthday party at ICRISAT, Patancheru which is located on the outskirts of Hyderabad. The guy who called comes at 3.30 pm and delivers two tickets for the movie " Jodhaa Akbar" for the 5.45 pm show on Sunday, Feb 24, 2008 at Prasads IMAX . The tickets are for the Gold seat worth Rs. 150/- each. I am thrilled !

I inform my husband and mother-in-law and we decide to keep it a secret from my daughter. We hardly go to a theater to watch a movie and whenever we have done so, she accompanies us. Last month we ventured out for a night show on our own after honestly informing her and the amount of verbal bashing she gave us and my MIL is still fresh in our minds. So I and my husband sneaked out on Sunday evening on the pretext of a meeting, as my MIL had agreed to take care of her at home. Sounds like a romantic escapade ! But the day our daughter comes to know of it, she will kill us verbally.

Coming to the movie, I think it was awesome. This was the first time I was watching a movie at Prasads IMAX. The excellent sound quality, huge screen and comfortable seating added to the fun. Ashutosh Gowariker has really done a neat job; Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai have shown their best acting skills. The movie is a" must watch in the theater at least once" kind of a creation. I think it is one of the cleanest movies which gives the message of love and religious tolerance with its historical backdrop. I strongly feel "Jodhaa Akbar" is to be watched and enjoyed and wonder at all the fuss and protests about historical distortions. What is to be gained by burning theaters and banning the movie?

Fibroadenoma

2008-01-22T20:23:00.002+05:30

What is Fibroadenoma ?

Fibroadenomas are benign breast tumors commonly found in young women in the age group of 15 to 40 years. Fibroadenoma means "a tumor composed of glandular (related to gland) and fibrous (containing fibers) tissues."

Described as feeling like marbles, these firm, round, movable, and "rubbery" lumps range from 1-5 cm in size. Giant fibroadenomas are larger, lemon-sized lumps. Usually single, but some women have more than one. While some types of breast lumps come and go during the menstrual cycle, fibroadenomas typically do not disappear after a woman's period, and should be checked by a doctor.

What causes Fibroadenoma?

The cause of breast fibroadenomas is unknown. They may be dependent upon estrogen, because they are common in premenopausal women, can be found in postmenopausal women taking estrogen, and they tend to grow larger in pregnant women. Generally when it occurs in young women, it is benign, but when it occurs in postmenopausal women, they need to take extra care as they are found to be malignant. Fibroadenomas usually cause no symptoms and may be discovered during breast self-examination, or during a routine check-up.

If a breast is injured by trauma, tiny blood vessels can rupture to cause an area of localized bleeding. Trauma to the breast can damage the fat cells in the breast tissue, a condition called fat necrosis. The injury can also form a lump in the breast. These types of lumps that follow a significant trauma are not cancerous.

What to do when you find a lump on the breast?

Immediately go to your family doctor, who will advise you to meet a Surgeon.

How will the doctor diagnose?

The doctor takes a complete medical history, they will ask when the lump was first noticed, if there were any symptoms or changes in lump size, and if there is any personal or family history of breast disease.

The doctor thoroughly feels the breasts (palpates). Tests are done, usually including mammography or ultrasound scans, or surgical removal of cells or tissue for examination under a the microscope (biopsy).

What are the different diagnostic tests administered?

Diagnostic tests include:

Mammogram. An x-ray examination of the breast.
Ultrasound scan. A technique that uses sound waves to display a two-dimensional image of the breast, showing whether a lump is solid or fluid-filled (cystic).
Fine-needle aspiration biopsy. A minor procedure wherein fluid or cells are drawn out of the lump through a small needle (aspirated).
Core biopsy. A procedure wherein a larger piece of tissue is withdrawn from the lump through a larger needle.
Incisional biopsy. A surgical procedure wherein a piece of the lump is removed through an cut (incision).
Excisional biopsy. A surgical procedure wherein the entire lump is removed through an cut (incision).

What is the treatment for Fibroadenomas?

Breast fibroadenomas are removed by lumpectomy, or surgical excision under local or general anesthesia. Sometimes lumps in younger women are not removed but are monitored by self-examination, yearly doctor check-ups, and mammograms. Surgery is generally recommended for women over 30, and especially for lumps that are painful or enlarging.

Alternative treatments for breast fibroadenomas include a low-fat, high-fiber, vegetarian diet; a reduction in caffeine intake; supplementation with vitamins E and C; and the application of hot compresses to the breast. In addition, a focus on liver cleansing is important to assist the body in conjugation and elimination of excess estrogens. Botanical remedies can be useful in hormone balancing, as can acupuncture and homeopathy. Massaging the breasts with castor oil, straight or infused with herbs or essential oils, can help fibroadenomas reduce and dissipate, as well as keep women in touch with changes in their breast tissue.

Some facts about Breast Fibradenomas.

Breast fibroadenomas are not cancerous. The lumps recur in up to 20% of women. A small number of lumps disappear on their own. Breast fibroadenomas cannot be prevented. They can be discovered early by regular breast self-examination.

Courtesy: HealthAToZ.com , MedicineNet.com

Fighting Fear

2008-01-19T21:57:00.001+05:30

As human beings , we all experience this emotion called "FEAR". It does vary in its proportion and to certain extent also depends upon some internal factors and external factors that influence the breadth and width of this emotion. The external factors could be the people around us and their experiences ; the internal factors could be one's own experiences and observations.

Managing fear is a challenging task. If managed properly, it will produce positive results and work in one's favour, otherwise it can be disastrous. The best way to manage fear is by sharing and discussing the same with a trustworthy family member, friend or a professional helper. Firstly it reduces the anxiety level and then instigates one towards taking relevant action which will facilitate in managing, tackling and overcoming this monster called 'Fear".

On October 15, 2007, this monster entered my life. I have been doing a routine self examination of breasts, since my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer last November and she is currently undergoing treatment at Army Command Hospital, Kolkota. I found a small pea sized lump in my right breast and panicked for a while. Later on I told my husband and he took it rather in stride, did not panic and assured me not to worry. So I found myself regaining my calm. I immediately approached my Homeopath, Dr. Annapurna Waghray , who told me not to worry, as it could only be a case of "Fibrodenoma", but nonetheless get a mammogram and FNAC (Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology) done. I spoke to my brother Ravi who is a doctor and he too assured me that the lump should be benign but advised immediate medical attention. I did a lot of reading and research on the diagnosis and treatment of "Fibroadenoma" and "Breast Cancer" on the internet. Thanks to GOOGLE !

We approached the Railway Hospital, Secunderabad where we are entitled to medical facilities , as my husband is employed with the South Central Railways. My husband's colleague Mr. Prasad Babu , Personal Assistant to the Medical Director of Railway Hospital was of tremendous help. I first approached a Gynecologist, who asked me to meet the Surgeon. And Mr. Prasad Babu suggested we meet the senior surgeon Dr. M. Ravi Kumar and so we did. I explained when I identified the painless lump and that I had a family history of breast cancer ; my mom being diagnosed with the same in November 2006 and undergoing treatment and my paternal aunt, i.e my father's younger sister succumbed to the same about 9 years back. I informed him that there was no nipple discharge or any kind of discomfort. After the clinical examination and a series of queries, I was recommended to the Indo American Cancer Research Center, Jubilee hills, Hyderabad for a Mammogram and Ultra sound. The results indicated a 1 cm palpable lump in right breast and another same sized non-palpable lump next to it and also one in the left breast. The results indicated Fibroadenoma, advising FNAC ( Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology) .

I underwent FNAC at the Railway Hospital with Dr. Neelala Krishnaveni, the Pathologist conducting the same. She was kind enough to clarify a lot of my doubts. After a tension filled two days period wondering if the lump would be benign or malignant, I got the FNAC reports indicating " Fibroadenoma" , a benign lump . I was relieved of my worst fears. I underwent Blood tests , Chest X-Ray and ECG which were all clear and I was happy that my general health was good. Anyway the Surgeon suggested for the "Excision of the lump" which is also referred to as "Lumpectomy" and gave me a date for November 27, 2007 and asked me to get myself admitted the day before. I learned that FNAC reports are 90% accurate whereas biopsy reports are 99% precise. And keeping my family history of the disease in view, the need for excision of the lump became vital. I had to meet the Anesthetist who would see all my reports and declare me fit for surgery. Again Mr. Prasad Babu was kind enough to introduce me to Dr. Ramana Murthy, Anesthetist who checked my Blood pressure which was on the borderline, presumed to be so due to possible stress as I did not have a BP problem. He also checked all my reports and declared me fit. He was very kind and patiently answered to all my queries about the surgical procedures and after effects. I felt very good and confident about the whole thing. I also got enlightened on the important role an anesthetist plays during surgeries.

On Nov 26th, 2007, I got myself admitted in the hospital. I was overwhelmed with the atmosphere. Rows of beds, patients with all kinds of health problems and surgeries, the overworked nurses and smell of medicines got the wrong side of me. By the time I met the Anesthetist in the evening for a PAC ( Preoperative Anesthesiology Clinic ) where the Anesthetist reviews all the test reports, checks blood pressure and informs about the preparation required for the surgical procedure, I was running a slight temperature and coughing like mad with my Blood Pressure indicating hypertension. Well, it was an anti climax. I was advised to recover from the cold, cough and fever and was prescribed medication to reduce my BP and the procedure got postponed. I was discharged the next day and the Surgeon was kind enough to give me a date of my convenience on December 11, 2007.

I came home in the evening eager to surprise my daughter and was flabbergasted with her reaction. She was disappointed to see me back so soon, because I asked her to get her school books for doing the home work. Her hair was looking untidy as she had left it open. It was hair style for her. Later my mother- in- law told me that she refused to get her hair oiled, combed and tied neatly into a pony tail, pleading to her grandma " Please let me leave my hair and go to school, if my mom is around she will not let me go like this" and when my MIL said " what would the teacher and others in the school think; that you did not have any one to take care of you at home"; my daughter promptly replied " Don't worry, I'll tell them my mom is in the hospital and my grandma is "BUDDI" (Oldie) and can't do much work".

I experienced abnormal living the next two weeks, popping pills, drinking cough syrups, not going out to avoid the cold wave in Hyderabad, steam inhalation and what not to reduce my cold and cough. I recovered well and the Anesthetist gave me a green signal and assured me that they will take care that the procedure will go ahead successfully without any hindrance. I got myself admitted on Dec 10th, 2007. This time I had no apprehensions leaving my daughter (What with her BINDAAS attitude !) I knew she will enjoy her freedom. But she had her exams the coming week which was a matter of concern for me, not her. I was not worried about the home front as my Mother-in-law was there to take care.

As I already had a prelude and was familiar with the staff and other patients, I was comfortable and confident at the hospital. I had company of another lady who was to have the same procedure the next day along with me. She was ignorant of the whole process being an illiterate and had three small kids with the youngest still breast feeding. She was scared that the doctors would remove her whole breast. She did not follow a word of Telugu and could only converse in Marathi and a little bit of Hindi. As I know Marathi, I spoke to her and assured her that everything will be fine and that I was there to give her company. She and her husband were grateful to me for the pep talk. At that moment, I realized about the lack of awareness people have about the whole process .

The Anesthetist guaranteed , he will take care despite some traces of upper respiratory tract infection. Blood Pressure was also normal. On Dec 11th 2007, we were prepared for the surgery, and paraded to the Operation theater in the flimsy gowns wrapped with bed sheets at 8.oo am. I am thankful to the kind nurse Sister Padmavathi and her assistant Bhanu who took good care of me. My husband arrived in time to wish me well. I was the last to get operated on that day and by the time I was shifted to the Surgical Intensive Care unit, it was about 2.30 pm. My husband was patiently waiting near the operation theater for nearly six hours. By the time he was allowed to see me it was 8.00 pm. I was feeling fine and relieved. The next day when the Surgeon came on his rounds, I requested him to allow me to go home. He checked the wound and said I was fine, my BP was normal and to the surprise of the staff , gave me a discharge. I believe the general trend is to keep the patient for a week in such procedures. I later learned from the nurse that he referred to me as a very cooperative and calm patient. WOW, great compliment! The Surgeon asked me to come for a check up after two days and then get the sutures removed on 19th Dec, 2007.

My daughter as expected was disappointed to see me back so soon. She wanted to visit me at the hospital in full filmy style. I told her, the doctor had sent me home immediately so that I could take up her studies for the exams. Her imagination had gone as far as seeing my "Photo on the wall with a garland" if the surgery would fail. The movies and TV serials effect! I was amused but also wondered if it was just" innocence" or was leading to "apathy".

I got my biopsy reports on Dec 22, 2007 which indicated the lump as benign. Though it was a minor procedure, the anxiety it caused was a learning experience.

All my family members and friends were relieved. My mom was keen to see me and I too wanted the same, so we left for Kolkota on Dec 23rd, 2007. My brother Nagaraj and his family also came down from Dubai to Kolkota. And I ushered in the New Year with my six month old nephew "Raghav" , my lovely niece "Gauri" and my baby "Adithi" with their proud grandma - my mom, my two brothers "Nagaraj and Ravi", my Sisters-in-law "Suma and Ashwini" and my hubby "Phani".

I wish you all a Very Happy New Year with special thanks to my friends, relatives and family members who gave me a lot of moral support either by calling on phone or came to see me which made me feel very, very good. I am now committed to spreading awareness about " Fibroadenoma of the breast" and "Breast Cancer". More of it on my next blog.

Innate Talent to the Rescue

2007-09-21T14:30:00.003+05:30

Innate talent is phenomenal. It can ooze, erupt and explode in any form or shape at any time and place. I experienced it at the strike of midnight on last Sunday, the 16th of September, 2007.

We had a hectic day on Saturday, with the Ganesh Puja and followed by a hectic Sunday with some social activities. We went out with friends on Sunday evening and came back home by about 10.30 pm. And at 11.00 pm, my daughter remembers that she has some EVS project work to complete, which was their weekend homework. I always believe that the project work is home work for parents. We had to find pictures on the theme NEIGHBOURHOOD and paste them in the classwork note book. I pulled out my stack of magazines and rummaged through the pages and clipped some relevant pictures and completed my home work. I was pretty pleased with my late night endeavour and forced a THANK YOU out of my daughter and put her to bed and did the same to myself. It was around 11.45 pm.

I was settling in, to catch up my precious sleep, I felt my daughter tapping my arm. I get annoyed and clench my teeth and ask her,what now? She remembers that she has been selected to participate in a HINDI POETRY RECITATION COMPETITION the next day. I tell her to recite a poem from her text book and she says it is already selected by another classmate. I say, so what, you too can recite the same one. And as I am speaking to her, I am also trying to recall if I know something small and easy for her to learn, but I can't think of anything. I can see tears coming out of her eyes, signs of emotional blackmail. I succumb to it and tell her to just shut up and wait for me to think. And behold! the clock struck twelve and I mumble some rhyming Hindi words as they tumble from my mouth. My daughter is delighted and I am elated, amused and shocked at the same time. She asks me how did I do it and I say "Thank Lord Ganesha", he did it.

I realize, I have composed a short and sweet poem for my child, which she perfects in less than five minutes. She tells me the poem is very cute and that she has recited it with confidence at the competition. The results are still awaited!

रेलगाडी

चुक् चुक् , चुक् चुक् ,
चुक् चुक्, चुक् चुक् ,
आती है रेल गाडी ।

चुक् चुक् , चुक् चुक् ,
चुक् चुक्, चुक् चुक् ,
आती है रेलगाड़ी ।

ले जाती है गाऊँ गाऊँ
ले जाती है शेहर शेहर
हम बच्चों का मन
बहलाती है रेल गाडी ।

चुक् चुक् , चुक् चुक् ,
चुक् चुक् , चुक् चुक् ,
आती है रेल गाडी ।

चुक् चुक् , चुक् चुक् ,
चुक् चुक्, चुक् चुक् ,
जाती है रेल गाडी ।

Teachers' Day

2007-09-04T17:05:00.002+05:30

As a gesture of respect to the great statesman, teacher, philosopher and a human being, Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrisnan's birthday is celebrated as "Teachers' Day" in India. September 5th of every year is a treat day for the teachers in most of the schools here. It is also a day when every teacher needs to reckon their importance, impact and influence they have on their students. A teacher comes next to parents in every student's life. Especially for children, their teacher means the world to them. When a teacher tells something, it is the last, the best and the defining word "Brahma Vakya".

Guru Brahma
Gurur brahmaa gurur vishnuh
gurur devo maheshvarah
gurur saakshaat parabrahma
tasmai shree gurave namah.

Know the Guru to be Brahma himself. He is Vishnu. He is also Shiva. Know Him to be the Supreme Brahman, and offer thy adorations unto that peerless Guru.

A good teacher respects, understands, empathizes and encourages his/her student. And a student in turn trusts, emulates and hero worships the teacher. I remember one of my teachers' with great affection; Mrs. Helena Brown. She was my teacher in Kindergarten at St. Ann's High School, The Hutti Gold Mines, Karnataka. ( I am sure my childhood friends Balakrishna Sarvanan and Bharath remember her too) It was some kind of a good fortune for us students, that she graduated with us till the 3rd grade. I remember telling my parents every year that Brown teacher had also passed the class with us. I owe my foundation in the English language and good hand writing skills to her. I can vividly remember her beautiful handwriting on the black board. She always maintained great dignity and poise. She was strict but also very affectionate. This teachers' day, I warmly remember her and dedicate my sincere gratitude to Mrs. Brown. Wherever she is " God Bless Her" and a big Thank You Teacher.

Hyderabad Blasts

2007-08-27T14:25:00.001+05:30

Hyderabad is in the news for wrong reasons; the tragedy that followed the twin bomb blasts at Lumbini Park and Gokul Chat on Saturday evening, August 25, 2007.

Lumbini Park is located on the banks of Hussain Sagar on the Tank Bund Road which connects Hyderabad to Secunderabad. My office is located very close to the park and I pass the Tank Bund everyday to reach home. I left office by auto on Saturday at around 6.00 pm after the rain stopped. The traffic on Tank Bund Road was chaotic, but due to the heavy rains, there were very few weekend revellers on the Bund which is a popular spot as it overlooks the Hussain Sagar lake. I was eager to reach home soon, as my daughter wanted me to pick a cake for her grandfather who celebrated his 75th Birthday on Saturday. She wanted it to be a surprise. Finally after a tedious ride home, followed by the impromptu party, my husband received a call at 8.00 pm from an acquaintance in Nagpur, inquiring about the bomb blasts. We switched on the television and were shocked to see the gory scenes being aired. The bombs had exploded at 7.30pm and 7.45 pm at Lumbini Park and Gokul Chat, respectively. I went numb for a while, wondering,it could have been any one of us. We received umpteen calls from relatives and friends living in other cities to inquire about our safety.

Lumbini Park is a tourist place and only last month we took our outstation guests who were visiting us, to NTR Park, another popular place which is located closely to Lumbini Park. Lumbini Park has a laser show which draws a lot of people especially the tourists. Fortunately, due to heavy rains on Friday and Saturday, the place was not crowded.

Gokul Chat, another very popular eating joint hounded by youngsters was the next target. The maximum number of casualties took place here, and more or less all were youngsters. Gokul chat located on the busy Koti road has close proximity to many educational institutions, to name the well known ones, Osmania Medical College and Women's College. It is also a shopping hub which is crowded all times of the day and evenings are jam packed with not an inch to breathe. My brother Nagaraj always joked about shopping at Koti, saying that we need not put any effort to walk as we automatically get pushed around by the crowd. There is no Hyderabadi, especially the youngsters, who would not have tasted the mirchi bajjis and chat at this eatery. I remember during my college days, my brothers told me about Gokul Chat. But I frequented it less, because my tummy couldn't take the Gokul Chat delicacies lightly.

Hindus, Muslims and Christians have lost their lives. My heart and prayers goes out to the parents and families who lost their loved ones due to the heinous acts of some cowards. But I am proud of the fact that Hyderabad is facing this tragedy with a lot of dignity. There have been no untoward incidents, except for a few foolish people pelting stones at buses and the BJP Bandh on 27th August 2007, Monday. I am unable to comprehend the purpose of observing this bandh by forcibly pulling down the shutters of schools, shops and other establishments. I wish ,the so called "Saviours" could divert their energies and time to genuinely help the victims and their families.

Who are these terrorists? Are they human beings? Do they have a religion? Do they have parents, siblings and children? Who are they?

Strangers Speak

2007-07-25T15:41:00.001+05:30

I travel frequently with my family and almost always by train. Last week we made a very short trip to Pune to see my mother who will soon move to Kolkata with my brother and his wife. We generally travel by the AC Class, but with last minute booking of tickets, we decided to travel by the Sleeper Class for availability of seats.

On our return journey, we had three senior citizens for company. A Bengali couple who kept to themselves and a Maharashtrian gentleman who exchanged pleasantries. As the train left Pune with the hustle and bustle due to a lot of local travellers who get in at Pune to get off at nearby stations; my attention went to the seats at the side where a elderly muslim gentleman was sitting. He must be about 70 years . A middle aged lady approached him regarding the seat occupancy and she sat across and the conversation (in Hindi) began as follows :

Lady: Are you travelling alone?

Man: Yes amma. Gives a charming toothless smile

Lady: Is this your seat?

Man: Yes, How about you?

Lady: I am also travelling alone. I have a confirmed seat. My husband ensured that I have a confirmed seat.

Man: To Hyderabad ?

Lady: Yes, How about you?

Man: To Hyderabad. Where are you from?

Lady: From Hyderabad, My daughter stays here, she is married.

Man: How many children do you have?

Lady: I have three, eldest is a son, followed by two daughters. The youngest is yet to get married.

Man: What does your son do?

Lady: My son is in the army. We are not in touch with him. He left us to marry a girl of his choice. That girl very neatly trapped him. Last I heard they had a baby.

Man: Ooh!

Lady: What to do ? Not once has he tried to meet us. It is o.k. This is our destiny. How about your family?

Man: I have two sons and a daughter. Both the sons are married. I have good daughters-in-law. They take good care of me and my wife.

Lady: Oh that is nice. Were you visiting relatives in Pune?

Man: Smiles and blushes. No I have a wife in Pune.

Lady: What? Looks shocked and amused at the same time.

Man: Yes, I have two wifes. One in Hyderabad and one in Pune. Grins

Lady: Children?

Man: I have two sons and a daughter by my Pune wife too. Both sides BARABAR ( equal). These two sons are also married and here too my daughters-in-law are good.

Lady: But then how do you manage two families? Where do you stay?

Man: I stay most of the time in Hyderabad. I visit Pune every two or three months.

Lady: How about your wifes?

Man: Oh both cannot stand each other. But my children are very understanding. They take good care of their respective mothers. I had to visit Pune now because my wife here is unwell. She has been diagnosed with bone cancer and is bedridden. So I went to see her and took her to hospital.

Lady: But then you are returning back so quickly.

Man: No problem, my sons will take good care of their mother. I have faith in them. I will visit her again in a month or two...

Meanwhile Dhaund station arrived. This station is famous for the tasty Wada Pav ( Potato patties with bun), a desi veg burger. It is tea time. So everybody is hankering to get the Wada Pavs and Chai before the train leaves. We too did the same. And I got engrossed in relishing my Wada Pav and Chai. When I told my husband who was sitting next to me, the tales of the gentleman and his two wives and the lady's forsaken son, he looked surprised, he had not heard a word and he thought I was reading my FEMINA. I know he did not hear a word because on the opposite upper berth were two love birds (short distance travellers) cuddling and saying sweet nothings. My husband was annoyed and worried that our daughter who was sleeping on the adjacent upper berth would get up and see the romance and then ask us umpteen questions. Thankfully, they got off the train in the next station.

But what sounded interesting and amazed me was how two perfect strangers share the events of their personal lives and their inmost feelings and emotions without any inhibitions. They need not ask each other their names or addresses of their destinations, but will develop a temporary special bond, close enough to reveal each other their personal lives and events.

Well, the reason could be that there are no obligations, no judgments, no ridicule, no commitments in this relationship and you find a good listener and an empathiser who will prove not to be a threat is whatsoever way. We tend to feel safe because we may not bump into the same person again. Therefore we unburden our emotional baggages temporarily and it does give us momentary relief .

Eat Out

2007-07-20T13:14:00.001+05:30

A new restaurant " MOKSH" opened for public on 07/07/07 in Hyderabad. It is located on the Ministers road, overlooking the Tank Bund and the Necklace road. Hyderabadis, especially the vegetarians will know the restaurant " NEST" which doesn't exist anymore. And Moksh is located on the same premises. It is the "UTSAV" ( A leading pure Veg restaurant located adjacent to LAMBA Theater, Secunderabad) owners new initiative.

Moksh is a three storeyed buliding with the first floor for 'Fine Dining" - serving Indian, Chinese and Italian Veg and Non-veg delicacies ; cocktails and mocktails. The second floor has a 400 seater banquet hall and the third floor has a roof garden which is still under construction. The interiors are done by the well known interior designer Mr. Yeshwant Ramamurthy. The reddish brown interiors gives a earthy feel, with partitions and walls decorated with grinding stones , glass pieces and wood. The menu looks elaborate and exotic. The rates are slightly expensive than UTSAV's.

We had the privilege to experience good food before the inaugural as we were invited by one of the owners who is a family friend. I relished the sweet corn soup, paneer seekh kebab, aloo paratha , Saunf Dum Aloo, Kesari Kofta curry , Veg Dum Biriyani and topped it with Kubani Ka Meetha , a typical hyderabadi dessert made of apricots. I also had a Mocktail to drink, which was sweet and a combination of strawberry syrup, fanta and something else; I don't remember the name either as it sounded new to me.

So all of you there, we now have MOKSH for a good gastronomic experience!

Child - A Master or Mistress of all Trades

2007-07-13T11:21:00.000+05:30

This write-up was exclusively written for the BLOG " Rambling with Bellur". The article appeared in two parts and is titled " Kids are a Powerful Force" .

At the moment, I share my views about children, based on my experience and observations as a mother, aunt , sister ( to many little cousins) , friend ( a few of my daughter's friends are mine too), and lastly as a psychologist and a counsellor. My life has not been the same since September 7, 2000, the day my daughter came into this world. She will soon be seven and believe me, it has been a journey of non-stop activity and entertainment.

I was always fascinated to see new born babies making different facial expressions and crying in different tones and sounds, to convey some need and also something they probably enjoy hearing. The magical moment is when the baby sucks the mother's breast which is a natural reflex on the part of the baby.

So this behaviour or actions demonstrated by a normal and healthy baby is innate or inborn and not taught.

Then begins the growing up process where the child reaches each cherished milestones and starts school. It is also the beginning of a learning process, and developing new behaviour patterns, by watching, sensing and feeling from the proximity of the environment and people present in it.

The focus is now on learned behaviour which is absorbed or learned by training and it marks the beginning of the on-going live project for parents, especially once the child starts school. Every day there is a new twist to the tale, new problems and newer challenges, and parents have to pull up their socks and be a few steps ahead, equipped with mind blowing strategies and solutions. I am sure many parents who are working will agree that this exercise will facilitate them in their boardroom meetings and also when dealing with a difficult boss.

Picture this. My daughter's first day in school after summer vacation, she loses her new pencil box and the losing one thing or the other becomes a common phenomenon. The term exams begin and she has generously given her classwork book to a classmate. Today her class teacher is the sweetest human being, tomorrow the same teacher is the most dreaded and hated creature in the world. But she does not like to hear any undesirable comment about her teacher from us. Wow! these kids bring in a volley of emotions in us. I find my Blood Pressure raising at one moment and in the same breath I can roll over with laughter. The psychologist in me goes for a toss and I remain a parent only. So now you know, these kids are the powerful force who keep your life packed with surprises.

A child can twist you around his or her little finger(Magician), can amaze you with spontaneous gestures and response (Talented Actor), can come up with mind blowing argument to drive a point home (Lawyer), can instigate fights with your spouse and in-laws unknowingly and also bring peace (Diplomat) and much more. But all this is underlined with innocence which is the essence of childhood. William Wordsworth's quote " A child is the father of the man" sounds apt here. On a lighter vein you do not have to worry about their career options in the future, as they are already displaying relevant traits.

Now how do some specific traits or behaviour patterns come into place? Our behaviour is influenced by the social, cultural and economic dynamics and so will be our kids. The first and foremost is by observing us, their parents, older siblings and if you live in a joint family, then the other family members. The most basic behaviour pattern they pick up is related to demonstrating anger, usage of spoken language, tone, mannerisms and conduct. Therefore the onus lies on the "primary role models", us the parents and other family members to demonstrate favourable behaviour defined as social norms by the society we live in.

Then comes adapting behaviour patterns from interacting with other children or adults outside home and also within home. It can be positive and constructive behaviour patterns like learning to share, help, love, show affection, concern etc. This leads to good self confidence, self esteem, communication, interpersonal and social skills.

The so called negative and destructive behaviour patterns adapted by children can be lying, stealing, manipulative behaviour, physical violence, etc. The reasons for this range from lack of love, security, fear of someone and many other factors. It can lead to some behavioural disorders like stammering, bed wetting, playing truant, thumb sucking, nail biting, excessive shyness and temper tantrums. It causes anxiety and concern in parents. But they could be common problems with no symptomatic behavioural disorders; nonetheless it is important for parents to take guard of the situation. In persistent cases, it is advisable too seek professional help.

It is vital for parents to keep track of the company the children keep, the kind of stuff they watch on TV, the games they play on computers, attend parent-teacher meetings at school and interact with their teachers. Most important, keep communication open with them. Our children need constant positive strokes, attention and love which fosters a feeling of security and trust in them. They should be encouraged to share their day to day experiences without inhibitions and fear of being judged or criticized. Whenever required they also need to be disciplined, to make them realise the difference between favourable and unfavourable actions and behaviour.

So acknowledge your children's strengths and weaknesses and help them develop a positive attitude towards learning and living in this world. I would like to share these excerpts from the book " Children Learn What They Live" by Dorothy Law Nolte.

If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.

If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.

If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.

If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.

If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.

If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.

If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.

If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.

If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.

If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.

If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.

If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.

If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.

If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.

If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.

If children live with fairness, they learn justice.

If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.

If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.

If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.

Courtesy: Baby snaps of my new born nephew "Raghav" taken a few hours after he was born on June 8th, 2007
Other snaps: My daughter, her friend, my nieces. (Budding models, dancers and singers... for the time being)

What a Treat !

2007-06-11T16:05:00.001+05:30

Guess, whom did I see at 10.00 am on 6th June, 2007, while waiting for the elevator at my office buliding "Paigah Plaza" at Basheerbagh, Hyderabad ? Well it was the handsome "John Abraham". I was totally dazed seeing him in his short hair cut, clean shaven look. He looked dashing. When I entered the building premises, I noticed some huge equipment vans and film crew members moving around. So I did know a film shooting was going on somewhere here.

Paigah Plaza, one of the oldest office space buildings in Hyderabad, seems to be developing into a favourite location for shootings. Earlier a particular scene for Mahesh Babu's "Sainikudu" was shot here. But then I couldn't see Mahesh Babu. I understand that the rental charges for this premise is very less, therefore the preference for this very original location.

As a few of us were waiting in the "Q" to get into one of the two elevators available for this 12 floored building, I noticed some activity and security personnel walking in. And there I see a dashing young guy, who looks familiar and in a split second I recognise him. As both the elevators had gone up, John had to wait for over 5 minutes. And when one of the elevators came down, he was hesitant to get in , as we were already waiting for it. But someone from the "Q' asked him to proceed on to the 12 th Floor, a penthouse, where ''a living room sequence was being shot". Before John got into the elevator and moved up, he asked the other crew members to wait on and not rush till all of us who were waiting had got into the elevator. Proved to be a decent and polite guy!

Then I saw Elahe Heptulla getting off the elevator and I curiously asked a crew member which movie was being shot here. It was for Percept Picture Company's latest Hindi movie 'Ashaayein" directed by Nagesh Kukunoor.

But I regret not having asked John Abraham for his autograph. Better luck next time!

Destination Dubai - Shoppers' Paradise

2007-06-07T14:06:00.000+05:30

It's great to be back after a two month hiatus.

This summer vacation turned out to be a much needed break from the daily rut- a visit to Dubai with my husband(Phani) and daughter(Adithi).

Some unexpected turn of events instigated us to plan a month's stay in Dubai, with my brother (Nagaraj aka Raju) and his daughter(Gauri). The homework began on a war footing, starting with the procurement of my daughter's and husband's passport. Thanks to my friend Sreedevi, a bureaucrat, who used her contacts and helped with the quick issuance of the same. And then followed the other processes like booking flight tickets, getting visiting visa, medical insurance etc.

Dubai is one of the seven states that constitute the United Arab Emirates.

I and Adithi left for Dubai via Pune on April 6th, 2007 and Phani joined us a week later on April 13th, 2007. It was Adithi's maiden flight and visit abroad. She had a great time playing with other kids in the Airport lounge when the Air India Express flight was delayed by three hours. On the flight, she was annoyed by the full blowing AC which left her cold and wanting to use the toilet frequently. Once we landed in Dubai, she was thrilled to see her cousin, mama and mami. She was impressed with mama's white Sunny Nissan car, but again the AC in the car was a nuisance for her. The weather was pleasant and as we neared Karama, where my brother and his family live in an apartment, I felt I was in Navi Mumbai; a cleaner version rather!

Karama is chock-a-block with South Indians and Filipinos . Karama Shopping Centre is one of the oldest shopping centres housing some well known jewellery shops like D'amas and Joy Alukkas and a few Indian garments stores. At walking distance is LuLu Centre, Karama Market, Day to Day, Spinneys and the upscale shopping center "BurJuman".

BurJuman was hosting a Chocolate and Coffee festival called "Haute Chocolatte", where we got to taste some fine blends of coffee and the famous Galaxy Chocolates for free. A well known chocolate sculptor " Prudence Emma Staite" was commissioned to create some amazing works of art with chocolate. A four feet tall, hand sculpted chocolate model of the famous seven star hotel
" Burj-Al-Arab" ( the yacht shaped hotel built in the sea) was the star attraction.

Bur Dubai is another area predominantly packed with North Indians, Pakistanis and Afghanis. It houses the Dubai Museum, a Krishna and Shiva temple adjacent to a mosque and the famous supermarket "Carrefour". It is a pleasant experience to walk by the creek side. It also presents a great view of the towering buildings.

A visit to Dubai Museum is not to be missed. It is a small museum with excellent display on the history of Dubai. Kids will thoroughly enjoy the museum. It also houses a Souvenir shop, an ideal place to buy gifts for family and friends.

Another amazing place is the upscale shopping centre " Mall of the Emirates" which comprises "Ski Dubai" a 22, 500 square meters (equivalent to 3 football fields), 85 meters high (approximately 25 stories) and 80 meters wide, 5 different runs of varying difficulty and length, longest run of 400 meters of indoor skiing facility which is covered with real snow all through the year.

Lamcy Plaza on the Oud Metha Road, is a cozy shopping centre with the interiors depicting the London Tower Bridge.
Daiso , Japan's leading living ware store which has quality products at reasonable prices is located here. I loved this place.

Mercato Mall, named after the Italian word for 'market' is designed in a distinctive Renaissance architectural style. The interiors resemble an Italian Courtyard. It is located in the posh Jumeirah Beach Road residential area.Deira City Centre is another popular shopping mall with a whopping 1.2 million square feet or more of retail selling space. It houses the hypermarket "Carrefour".

Other famous shopping malls are the Ibn Battuta and the traditional souq located within the Madinat Jumeirah - The Arabian Resort, which we were unable to visit.

A ride on the public transport city bus - a Mercedes with AC to the Gold Souq located in Deira was a royal experience. The yellow metal in all its glory at the countless jewellery shops leaves you mesmerized.

IKEA- a Swedish privately owned company which is the largest home furniture and furnishings store in the world, is located in the Dubai festival city. Shopping at IKEA is a splendid experience. Utilitarian products at competitive prices leaves you wanting for more.

Desert Safari is great fun and an adventure in itself. We had a roller coaster ride in the desert, seated in a Land Cruiser which took us Dune Bashing.

It was a hair raising experience, followed by dinner at a desert camp, with a wonderful belly dance performance by a gorgeous looking dancer.
A Swim in the crystal clear, greenish blue waters of the Arabian Sea and the clean and beautiful Jumeirah beach with its fine white sand was a delight. Adithi loved picking up shells on the beach.
The greenery in Dubai is evident with the well maintained parks; a cool weekend get away, with excellent play area for children. Zabeel park and Creek park are spread over acres of land and have an entrance fee, whereas Karama park and Rasheed park are smaller in size with free entrance.

We also visited my niece Gauri's School " Our Own English High School", and adjacent to it is the well known "Indian High School" where Suma (my sister-in-law) teaches.

We drove past the world's tallest building under construction, the "Burj Dubai".

Visit to other UAE States:

Driving at 120 km/hour on the Vacuum cleaned Sheikh Zayed Road to the neighbouring state of Abu Dhabi which is the largest in UAE was fantastic. We visited Phani's brother-in-law Dr. P.Kallu Rao who stays in Abu Dhabi.

The greenery in Abu Dhabi and the city of Al Ain which is an agricultural and dairy hub leaves you in awe of their contribution to the environment by triumphing the hostile climate. We took a taxi ride on the 'Corniche Road' to Marina Mall at Abu Dhabi. The view was breathtaking.

And a picnic at the hot springs located at the foot of the Jabeel Hafet mountains, Al Ain, with Giri ( an old friend) and his family was enjoyable for the kids.

We were invited for lunch by our friend Tanuja, and her family who stay at Ajman , which is one of the seven states of UAE. My brother drove us en route Sharjah , the neighbouring state of Dubai. The home made delicacies spread out for us was mouth watering. It was an assortment of Chinese, Italian and Mexican Cuisine. Tanuja is a great cook and a multifaceted person. Adithi loved their home and we were very touched by their gesture. Exactly ten years ago, I had visited them at their home in Chennai and they had extended the same warmth and hospitality.

A month flew by in a jiffy and it was time for us to return on 4th May 2007. The weather was getting hotter too in Dubai.

All-in-all it was a great holiday and shopping experience. Thanks to my brother who drove us to all the places despite his busy schedule. The wide roads; good traffic sense; clean rest rooms at shopping malls, parks and petrol bunks; the best of automobiles, charmed me. The only thing that disappointed me was the Internet browsing. There is no freedom of browsing through all the sites, as quiet a number of them are blocked by Etisalat , the telecommunications service provider and Internet services provider.

So folks, if you are an avid shopper like me, visit Dubai. Make sure you carry your credit and debit cards and gear up to walk-n-walk through the huge shopping malls. Shop till you drop and board the flight, the Duty Free Shopping at the Dubai International Airport is a bonanza!

I...Me...My Accomplishments

2007-03-31T17:25:00.002+05:30

An attempt to feel good about MYSELF!

I always found it very difficult to talk about my accomplishments and talents. I am sure many of you also feel the same. I attribute it to our Indian culture "SAMSKARA" which teaches us not to boast about ourselves. In typical local lingo "SELF DABBA" is not appreciated.

I assume, that most of us want others to talk about our accomplishments. It is music to our ears. but when a person talks about himself/herself , it is noise, isn't it? And we do not appreciate "that behaviour".

Of course, some people overdo it; that makes it very irritable and painful for the listener. We usually refer to them as MAHA SUTTI (Big Hammer). Anyway I leave this topic for some other day.

Since childhood most of us were taught by our parents not to comment or voice opinions when elders were talking or words like "I did this or that" connoted self centered character. But as I grew up and faced the real life challenges in this big, bad and competitive world, I experienced some conflicting emotions with regard to "Speaking about MYSELF", and words like" Is it O.K to do so?", lingered in my mind.

Encountering day to day experiences, some challenging and some drab, I gradually realized the importance of "speaking about one's self", its powerful impact, especially in the world of work.

Being a psychologist and also having been an educational adviser on foreign education, I have the opportunity to interact with people from different countries, namely the Americans, Australians, Canadians and last but not the least, our own Indians here and NRI s settled abroad. The important lessons I learned during my interactions were, that "if you won't talk about yourself, then nobody will". You have to learn to market yourself, to be heard and for your existence to be acknowledged in your field of work. But to do so, you also need to be well acquainted with your subject or area of expertise. And above all, good networking with professionals, right contacts and being in the right place at the right time, matters a lot in one's so called " Success". It also depends on "What Success means to you?". "Is it Money, Fame, Recognition, Job Satisfaction or anything else?

Each one of us have some hidden talent or the other in us which needs to be tapped, and brought to the fore front.

At different stages in my life, I developed fascination for varied and at times weird things (Hobbies). It ranged from collecting coins, stamps, match boxes, marbles, shells, pebbles, mineral deposits; posters of film stars, cricketers, Tennis players; writing to film stars for their autographed snaps; participating in slogan contests (won 50 packets of CHICKLETS, a set of MONTEX pens, a LIRIL T-Shirt ) making greeting cards; collecting and reading books (had a collection of over 200 MILLS & BOONS ) writing some not-so-successful poems and short stories; painting and drawing cartoons. Phew! a long list indeed.
It was a delightful phase wherein I had good fun. And later, a herculean task disposing all the collected stuff and a heartbreak losing my coins collection and silver souvenirs of different countries, during a major theft in my house (March 2005). This episode, to some extent has made me detached to materialistic things.

I am sharing my experience to convey that our innate talents can be used productively with a little added effort and patience. When I started my career as an educational Counsellor in the year 1993, the concept was very new. It was really tough to keep going and not to change my line of profession. I thank my family for their encouragement. And when I decided to be on my own, I received support from my husband and Mr. A.K. Dasgupta (well known and highly respected librarian in India) and Mr. K.J.Rao ( Statistician and computer specialist); both retired professionals, eager to do their bit for our society's youngsters. We started the advising centre called Educational and Career Information Resource Centre (EdCIRC) in the year 2001. We published a book "Where to go from here?"- A comprehensive guide on educational and career opportunities in India; the first edition was sold out in no time. I am keen to publish the second edition, but lack of funds is a big hurdle, as of now. I received requests from the well known newspaper publications (Deccan Chronicle and The Times of India, Hyderabad Edition) to contribute articles on Careers, Educational counselling, and US education. Therefore my unsuccessful attempts as a kid, to publish short stories in "TINKLE" did not go waste.

I continue to dabble in colours to make bright and lively posters of cartoon characters for my daughter , nieces and my little friends. It is a great stress reliever. My creative talents have been put to very good use for my daughter's school projects , fancy dress competitions, decorations for birthdays and festivals.

Hey, do share your talents with me. Be a sport and talk about "Yourselves"!

A Tribute to Indian Soldiers

2007-03-16T13:46:00.001+05:30

I salute the Soldiers of Indian Defence Services -

The Army, Air force, and the Navy.

I was one of those civilians who looked at the armed forces as a glamorous profession; full of adventure, handsome officers, parties and postings all over India.

But my imagination went for a toss, once, the youngest of my two brothers, Ravi joined the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune to pursue Medicine.

The anecdotes he narrated about his hostel life, first shocked me and later stirred the process of eliminating my rose tinted glasses. I began to view our soldiers in a different light, with respect and dignity for the tough lives they led with discipline and endurance.

My brother graduated from AFMC, and we, his proud family attended the passing out parade at Pune in March 1999. He was commissioned into the Armed Forces and he became Lt. H Ravi Ramamurthy.

His first posting was at Ladakh, a region in the state of Jammu & Kashmir in Northern India which is surrounded by two of the world's mightiest mountain ranges, the Great Himalaya and the Karakoram. Ladakh lies at altitudes ranging from about 9,000 feet (2750m) at Kargil to 25,170 feet (7,672m) at Saser Kangri in the Karakoram. Ladakh is the only place possibly in the world where a man sitting in the sun with his feet in the shade suffer from sunstroke and frostbite at the same time! The largest town in Ladakh is Leh. Ladakh is prominent for its remote mountain beauty and Buddhist culture.

During Ravi's tenure at Ladakh, he was posted at Siachen, the world's largest non-polar glacier, sometimes referred to as the third pole. The Siachen Glacier has no significant strategic value. Since 1984, the "snow-warriors" of India and Pakistan have been locked in supremacy for the control of Siachen glacier. Its inhospitable terrain has taken heavy toll of men and resources on both sides. The world's highest battlefield, for over a decade India and Pakistan have fought at altitudes of over 22,000 feet in minus 60ºC temperatures. It is 78 km long and situated at an altitude of 5,400 meters above sea level. The Siachen glacier is the great Himalayan watershed that demarcates central Asia from the Indian sub-continent, and that separates Pakistan from China in this region.

Operation Meghdoot [named after the divine cloud messenger in a Sanskrit play] was launched on 13, April 1984 when the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force went into the Glacier. Pakistan quickly responded with troop deployments. The Pakistanis can resupply most of their posts by road and pack mule. Indians, at their forward positions, some as high as 21,000 feet, must rely on helicopters. Casualties on both sides have been mostly due to extreme weather conditions.

Ravi had many interesting anecdotes to narrate about his stay at Siachen. To briefly recount a few, Tomatoes as hard as cricket balls and Bottle Gourd (Lauki) as hard as cricket bat, and their game of cricket; A bottle of PEPSI heated to make it drinkable; Huge rats scrawling all over when asleep; heating up a bucket full of ice before going to the toilet, Enemy troops firing and many more. He also had a very difficult time acclimatizing when he visited home on his annual vacation. We were actually petrified seeing his plight.

Capt. H. Ravi Ramamurthy's next posting was at Bikaner, Rajasthan. Well, imagine moving from an extreme cold environment to an extreme hot one. But he had a good stay, especially serving the local populace as part of Indian Army's contribution to local civilians. He received an appreciation letter from the Government of Rajasthan, highly praising his contribution to its people. I felt very proud of my brother when I read it.

Ravi, now is Major. H. Ravi Ramamurthy, presently posted at the Army Command Hospital, Pune, where he is on the verge of completing his Post Graduate Studies in Paediatrics. I refer to him as an Officer, Paediatrician and a Gentleman.

Thank you Ravi for facilitating my focus on the realistic aspects of a soldier's life. A soldier has to be mentally and physically strong and disciplined to sustain any harsh conditions, maintain sanity despite being away from loved ones and protect our country from enemies. It certainly is a high pressure job which requires the highest level of motivation. A standing ovation to the defence services whose contribution to our motherland during war and peaceful times is unparalleled .

Jai Jawan !

Information on Siachen & Ladakh Courtesy: Wikipedia & other sources

Hyderabadi Spitters – Can you beat them?

2007-03-11T21:47:00.000+05:30

I am a Hyderabadi and proud to be one!

I love Hyderabad, which is aptly called the city of Nizams…Pearls…Information Technology. I cannot dream of living anywhere else in the world, despite the heat and dust; water and electricity problems. It is one such city where the poorest of poor can survive and the richest of the rich can splurge their money on anything exotic; reminiscent of the name Bhagyanagar, the earlier name of Hyderabad.

It is a historical city, famous for Charminar, Golconda, Hussain Sagar Lake, and Salarjung Museum, Qutub Shahi Tombs, Falukhnuma Palace and many more historical splendors. The modern city of Hyderabad is famous for its Hi-tech city, which houses the major IT Companies; Birla mandir, Ramoji Film City, NTR Park, Snow World and countless shopping malls and IMAX Theaters.

The people of Hyderabad are famous for their hospitality and welcome strangers into their homes. Every acquaintance is a friend. But do not expect us to know our neighbour’s house address (i.e. because they are numbered in an erratic manner by the municipal authorities). We always maintain the “Hyderabadi Standard Time” whenever and wherever we go, which is always at least an hour late. So if you actually want your invitees to be on time, then make sure to prefix "Sharp”. And when your typical Hyderabadi friend or cousin says, he will be at your place in 10 minutes, and then it means, easily after 2 or 3 hours or sometimes will never arrive. But now, mobile phones are a boon, at least we can call and confirm 'KIDAR HAI RE' (where are you?).

To speak in the Hyderabadi Deccani dialect is a delight. If you find that the auto driver is trying to swindle you, just say“KY KU BHAI NAYE DHIKRE KYA” (Why brother, do I look new to this town?) or “HAWLE SAMAJHRE KYA” (You think I am crazy). He will know you were born and brought up here. I always find this particular anecdote very funny. We arrived from Bangalore early in the morning at the Kachiguda Railway Station, Hyderabad and were flocked by a few auto drivers. One of them demanded for RS. 250/- to drop us home, where as it generally costs RS.85/- only, and my husband promptly replied “HAME AUTO NAHE KHAREDNA BHAI” (We don’t want to buy your auto). I just couldn't control my laughter. That poor guy received an early morning jolt and walked away from us. If you are shopping at Sultan Bazaar, General Bazaar or Charminar, ask the street vendor "KYSA DERE" (For how much will you give?)Or "KITNE KO" (For how much?) and then bargain hard KAM KARO JI (Reduce the price) and if the vendor does not agree, then say "NOKKO" (Don't want) and walk away. There is every possibility, he or she will call you back and you get the best deal.
What embarrasses me as a Hyderabadi? It is the most common sight in Hyderabad; the open air peeing by our Hyderabadi men folk. It is a great relief that the MCH (Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad) took the initiative of setting up 700 public toilets in Hyderabad and Secunderabad, to commemorate the birth anniversary of our "Father of the Nation - Gandhiji" on October 2, 2006.

Second to none are our Hyderabadi Spitters. You will find PAAN (BETEL LEAF) stains (red coloured betel, tobacco & saliva chew) everywhere, on the walls, vehicles, roads, sometimes on our clothes too. You will find everybody and anybody spitting. The famous spitting zone is the corners near the stairs at any Government or private buildings. This, of course is not exclusive to Hyderabad, but is prevalent in other parts of India. But as a Hyderabadi, I speak for Hyderabad only.

To prevent or rather save the walls, people of Hyderabad are taking the help of Gods. The possible target areas are adorned with tiles of different Gods. So when you climb the stairs of some buildings in Hyderabad, you will find Lord Ganesha smiling at you, Lord Shiva in meditation, Sai Baba blessing, Lakshmi Devi showering gold coins, etc.

I am wondering, now that we have Gods on our side, can we beat the Hyderabadi Spitters?

All time favourite – COMICS

2007-03-03T22:20:00.001+05:30

I get nostalgic when I see comics. My childhood memories come rushing and I find myself smiling. I remember how fervently my brothers and I would wait every month near the gate for the newspaper boy, who would deliver the comics at home. And it was practically a competition as to who would get their hands on it and be the first one to read it. I will be eternally grateful to my parents for inculcating the habit of reading and subscribing these exquisite and delightful story books, despite financial constrains. We subscribed for Indrajal comics (Phantom, Mandrake, Flash Gordon, Bahadur), Tinkle, Chandamama, Walt Disney Comics and Wisdom. The more expensive ones like Amar Chitra Katha, Tintin, Archie’s Digest and Richie Rich were a holiday bonanza or special gifts for getting good marks in school.

I still have a collection of those comics, my prized possession; after losing many of them during the borrowing and exchanging program with friends. The oldest of my possessions is probably the Indrajal Comic’s “Tulsida’s Ramacharit Manas” 1974 Edition which came in two parts.

As a kid, I always lived in the dream world of Phantom’s forest or Mandrake’s magic land or in space with Flash Gordon or fighting the dacoits of Chambal valley with Bahadur. I really miss those magical moments. Our games also revolved to a large extent around these wonderful characters – our heroes. I also loved Tinkle, especially the puzzles and General knowledge snippets. In fact, I had sent a few write-ups to Tinkle and received some “kind, sweet and encouraging” regret letters from Uncle Pai. So I never got disappointed.

But, now I wish our kids showed the same enthusiasm about books, than television with its countless cartoon channels, some funny and good and some really intimidating.

Did the “Comics” nostalgia catch up with you? I am sure it did…

Sri Raghavendra Thirtha - My Visit to Mantralaya

2007-02-19T13:27:00.003+05:30

My visit to Mantralaya on Feb 17th & 18th 2007, after a gap of 26 long years was a divine calling and an emotional experience.

My husband, daughter and our friends (Chitra, Akhil, Raghu, Mr & Mrs. Reddy) travelled by the APTDC Bus,boarding it at 9.00 am on Feb 17th. The journey was tedious, but bearable as we were in the company of friends. We went via Alampur, Kurnool District which is famous for the SHRI JOGULAMBA DEVI Temple, one of the 18 Shakti Peethas in India which has been recently reconstructed after 615 years.

We reached Mantralaya located in Kurnool District, in western Andhra Pradesh at 7.15 pm. We were provided accommodation at the APTDC Punnami Guest house which was clean and had hot water facility. We had a quick bath, got dressed and rushed to the Mutt for darshan of our GURU, Shri Raghavendra Swami.

I was very excited, as I remembered my childhood visits to the Mutt, very frequently with my parents and brothers. We then lived in Hutti Gold Mines,Raichur District, Karnataka, which presently is the only Gold producing mine in India. My parents were ardent devotees of Sri Raghavendra Swami (Rayaru) and followers of his philosophy. After my father's ( Shri. H. Ramamurthy) untimely demise in 1984, I and my mother somehow could not visit Mantralaya. Even after my wedding, eight years ago, despite many plans and attempts by my husband and me; for reasons uncomprehending, the visit did not materialize.

I call this visit a divine calling because, my mother who is suffering from breast cancer has immense faith in Rayaru and his blessings. And when my friend Chitra suggested that we visit Mantralaya that weekend, being a holiday for our kids; Phani and I were quick to say yes and Mr & Mrs Reddy were more than happy to join us.

Shri Raghavendra Swami, lived in the 17th century (1601-1671) and was one of the greatest proponents of Madhva Philosophy(Dvaita Philosophy). He was considered to be the reincarnation (avatara) of Prahalada. He was an ardent devotee of Moola Rama and Anjaneya.

Shri Raghavendra Swami is said to have performed many miracles during his lifetime and his devotees like my mother, believe that he continues to bless them and miracles do happen even now. Shri Raghavendra Swami entered the Brindavan live, which is located at Mantralaya. Guru Raghavendra is not visible to us now but was visible to Sir Thomas Munroe, the collector of India about 150 years ago when British Ruled India. He is believed to be present in the Brindavan alive (in athma form) at Mantralaya to this 336 year of entry ( as on 15th August 2007) into his Brindavan .

It is a common phenomenon in Kannada Madhva households, such as ours, to teach children from a very young age to recite this Raghavendra Stotra in the morning, after bathing.

pUjyAya rAghavendrAya satyadharmaratAya chabhajatAM kalpavR^ixAya namatAM kAmadhenavedurvAdidhvAntaravaye vaishhNavIndIvarIndaveshrI rAghavendragurave namo.atyantadayALuve

(I worship as the Kalpa-vrksha, and salute as the kAmadhenu the esteemed RaghavEndra who is always engrossed in the true dharma;. He is a brilliant sun who destroys the false arguer, and a moon that casts a mellow light upon the ViShNu bhaktas; salutations to that Guru ShrI RAghavEndra; salutations to the one of extremely kind disposition.)

For our return journey on Feb 18th, after the morning Darshan, we boarded the bus at 9.30 am. The one thing that disappointed me was the sight of the nearly dry River Thungabhadra. On the way back we visited PILLALAMARRI, a huge banyan tree( India's National Tree) spread over an acre of land at Mahabubnagar. I learned that this is the second biggest and widest banyan tree in India, the first being in Howrah, Kolkata, India. Adithi and her friend Akhil had a good time climbing the tree and posed for a few snaps. We reached Hyderabad at 8.00 pm, tired but contented, with the pilgrimage.

"OM SHRI RAGHAVENDRA"

Inspiring Books

2007-02-14T22:00:00.001+05:30

Giant Steps

WHAT GOOD IS INSPIRATION IF IT'S NOT BACKED UP BY ACTION?

Based on the finest tools, techniques, principles, and strategies offered in Awaken the Giant Within, best-selling author and peak performance consultant Anthony Robbins offers daily inspirations and small actions -- exercises -- that will compel you to take giant steps forward in the quality of your life.

From the simple power of decision-making to the more specific tools that can redefine the quality of your relationships, finances, health, and emotions, Robbins shows you how to get maximum results with a minimum investment of time.

Courtesy: Amazon.com

Roots

An historical narrative of slavery in the American South. Based upon actual researches conducted over a period of years, Haley reconstructs the events that led to the enslavement of Kunta Kinte, the "African" identified in Haley's family lore as their founding father, and his settlement on American shores. Kinte, in his own history, becomes an allegory of the history of the millions of Africans brought forcibly to America, and of the people they became in the intervening years.

Courtesy: ebay

Celestine Prophecy

First published in 1993, this tale has gained a loyal following, entertaining and inspiring thousands of readers with its far-reaching ideas. First-time author James Redfield carries the reader through a quest that begins when the main character decides to follow the exciting trail of a mysterious manuscript rumored to exist somewhere in the jungles of Peru. As his characters go through a series of intense adventures, involving travel through physically and politically dangerous turf, the author gradually introduces nine potentially universe-altering principles, or "insights," starting with the power of coincidence and its meaning to the modern world. Vivid characterizations and stunning experiences drive the ideas home and make the improbable seem likely to show up just around the next corner.

Courtesy: ebay

Like the Flowing River

A transversal cut in the anatomy of Paulo Coelho’s literary work, Be like a river flow compilation of tales, opinions and ideas constitutes a beautiful reflection of the wide creation of the Brazilian writer. Rescued from different periods and publications, the current collection draws the sensitive line followed by the eyes of the creator, stopping on those details of reality and contemplation which distill the subtle philosophy of one who observes existence with the same placidity of gazing at a river. Undoubtedly, with a clear intention of approaching and revealing the mystery and the ways in which a man walks through life. Telling the story of human beings, with their numerous edges, is what Paulo Coelho considers his mission. Telling what they are and how they are, without necessarily bonding to what they want or to what they pretend. Almost like instant pictures of life. Brief and intense pieces of writing that show us a tiny eternal moment of someone’s living. Just like a boy who writes on his notebook with more awareness of his pen than the content of his tale, simply because everything will depend on the way we look at things. These are delicate and pure reflections about literature, history, the art of love or the way to become an archer, when repetition turns into intuition, extolling the capacity of the senses. Or about books and libraries, where the ordinary act of choosing contents can project to life in all its most various shades.

Note: This is a general synopsis.

Courtesy: Paulo Coelho's Official Site

My Mom

2007-02-14T13:50:00.001+05:30

My mom with her granddaughters - my daughter "Adithi" and my brother's (Nagaraj "Raju") daughter " Gauri" (Stays in Dubai). We visited my mother who lives in Pune with my younger brother Major H. Ravi Ramamurthy, an Army officer and a Paediatrician and his wife Ashwini. My mom was diagnosed with an advanced stage breast cancer in November 2006. I and my brothers were shattered and upset initially, but coped collectively. She is currently undergoing treatment at the Army Command Hospital, Pune.

My mom is a very spiritual, positive, active and brave lady, with tremendous grit and determination. We are praying that she responds to the treatment and recovers. HOPE and PRAYERS along with the right medical treatment can bring in MIRACLES. I presently go by this dictum.

I think CANCER is predominantly in the news with the number of cases increasing drastically over a period of time. Though the technology has improved and many new effective drugs are introduced, the need of the hour is awareness about the disease. It is not a taboo word. I was surprised to note that people are scared to utter the word "CANCER". Please help spread awareness.

My daughter Adithi

2007-02-11T13:08:00.000+05:30

This was Adithi's first visit to a vineyard located about 50 kms from Hyderabad at Mulugu village enroute Shameerpet. Adithi was exited seeing bunches of luscious black and green grapes hanging from the vines. The farm is owned by Phani's (my husband) colleague, Sunita and her husband. It was a learning experience as we understood the whole process of growing grapes, packing and exporting them to England and Holland. And believe me it is not an easy task. I really came back in awe of Sunita's amazing grit and determination. Kudos to such Women!