S - Superstitious

Though we live in 21 century, still our mind is engulfed with superstitious beliefs. Superstitious beliefs pass from one generation to other. My grandparents beliefs were passed to my parents tried their best to pass it to their children as per the traditions. Some of them which I remember goes on like this.

1) Not to cut nails after dark and on Tuesdays and Fridays, apparently goddess lakshmi will get angry.

2) Not to lend money to people on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, oops goddess Lakshmi will get angry again.

3) Buy salt first with your salary every month and then spend it, this somehow pleases goddess Lakshmi and she ensure that we have enough money till month end. Now I know why we were never short of salt at home.

4) If you want to stop rain, place a mortar and pestle on the terrace of your house. I heard this from my MIL. Really , funny not sure if it works :P

5) Sneezing is considered to be bad luck.

List goes on and these superstitious beliefs still linger on our minds.

R - Rage

Rage is a manifestation of multitude of actions and emotions. What surprises and annoys me is how a rage can lead to a series of chain effects and disrupt and destroy our surrounding, peace and common mans life. With the recent events in Bangalore, it has been annoying to hear about few incident that led to injury of few innocent men and women. I fail to understand, why any form of protest must turn into violence. Since past few days , some sections of the city witnessed extreme violence and it was burning. I agree that common men may not be happy with the governments policies and we do have right to protest but why seek violence. During last day's protest against government's policy on  Employee's provident fund,employees of garment industry decided to protest which is a sign of democracy however while these protests few anti social evangelist did turn events hostile which led to injury of 24 people. What was the mob's point when they attacked a constable who was just doing his duty. A poor college student was accidentally hit by bullet who was just returning home after college. Mob pelted stones at passing vehicles and set fire to public transport, property worth crores has been destroyed in two days. It is public property, build using our tax money. By destroying public property we are actually putting our money to waste.

Protest of any form must be done without seeking violence or harming innocent men and women. Though policy makers may have revoked the policy which is for good but protesters have definitely left a lot of baggage which needs to be filled now. Its not just public property but have also disrupted few families and have painted a dark future for them. My prayers for people who have been injured and harmed in these recent events.

Q - Quintessential

Yesterday, was the day where i was confronted with bloggers block. I anticipated this day, as letters like Q , Y and Z caught my mind when i started with this challenge. Q has been the major one where i had pondered enough and still had no clue what to write. Finally, i could zero in on Quintessential. I would like to jot down my list of quintessential people who have impacted my life.

Firstly my mother, she holds a very important place in my life. All that i have learnt is more of a reflection of my mothers upbringing. She ensured that we as kids get all that she couldn't as a a kid, enable and nurtured us to be confident, patient and above all she blessed us with most powerful tool , the ability to decide. I started making decisions quite early in life, if it was not for her constant support and guidance i would not have achieved all that i have in my life today. She is like all mothers overprotective and constantly feared my safety but still always gave me the freedom to make my choices. Her constant mentoring has given me the ability to decide right and wrong and i am able to make sane decisions in life. My father as well left no stone to nurture me and my brother as kids, in spite of his travelling job and disconnect with our growing up years, he did add lot of value to my mothers upbringing with all time that he gave us. Though he spent less months with us in a year but still he used to fill up the gap by being their for important occasions and teaching us life lessons. Biggest lesson my father taught me is to never forget the life that we have left behind, place where we started. If you have reached a level in society then be grounded and give back to others in every form possible.Never forget your struggles and never hold pride for your achievements. I learnt how important it is to be hardcore and compassionate.

My friend Sangs , i met her while i started working and its been 10 years since we have known each other. I have learnt from her to live life to fullest, never succumb oneself to circumstances. Life is all about what you want and its not to be taken so seriously. I have admired her for strength, courage and for being there for everyone who needs her. Most delightful quality in her is sticking to the guns. I guess we hit the cord well and stuck to each other for so long because of our beliefs which sync in so well.

Lastly is my husband, my friend , foe, guide and also a scathing critique since last 6 years. He thought me to be above average and not just be a commoner. Taught me too look at life as a journey which needs to be explored, taught me to be little eccentric and not just shy away from anything new. Taught me that life is not just about accumulating wealth, bringing up children, investing in real estates and securing for life for our kids, but its also about spending it for experiences that are worth while as life is to be lived not for others but for ourselves and till we have life everything must be explored.

Blessed to have them in my life.

P - Peaceful

Do you remember the last time you were at peace with yourself? When was the last time you asked yourself “Am I at peace today”  I ask myself this question everyday and my answer always is “Its all in the mind”. I swing like a sea-saw between war and peace everyday. My introspection made me realize that war and peace are two sides of same coin, with war comes peace and for peace to prevail we need to wage a war.

Everyday i search for peace while i'm driving or while i'm fixing a buggy code. My state of mind is always dependent on others behavior. My state of mind is driven by external factors and also is in a tussle with my own emotions. I get impacted by news channels and politicians greedy act and outburst on my close associates for no reason. Why do i always fail to understand that ignorance is bliss.

In our daily life we let peace fall time and again, if i introspect my life and answer  few grave questions like how many times have I been overwhelmed by my emotions and have lost my temper. Do I let my work, movies, newspaper, other behavior influence the way I think and feel? Have there been instances where I have regretted about my reactions and attitude ? Have I shouted at my family, friends for no reason. All the above listed is true for me, and I am letting peace fail, peace is falling and diminishing in my life. It is my own lack of skills in mind control that i'm falling prey to this. It is important that to let peace prevail in my heart, I should learn to keep balance before its too late and this erodes me of happiness. Peace is just a fraction away from that raging war in our hearts, we need to discover it , cherish it and protect it with a bag of detachment before its too late because "Nothing external to you has the power to take over you".

O - Objectification

Movie is one of my favorite pastime and relaxation technique, but what makes me sick is female objectification in movies. Songs like Chikini Chameli, Sheela ki Jawani etc potray a very sad picture. If we look at most of the Bollywood movies, it is not just female objectification but also casting women less than men. To showcase men as macho, a female leads character in movies is always portrayed as helpless. Few examples being - a mothers role is only to be emotional or to be a cry baby, a sisters role is only to tie rakhi or get kidnapped by a villan, a heroines role is only to attract male lead and dance around trees and showcase her low IQ.

Though with modern movies, we have progressed a little but its only in terms of more powerful dialogues or more screen space. In 70's a female leads role was limited to being a tragedy queen or a Abla Nari ( Incapable women ), with 80's women entered offices or were cased as Sanskari Bahu's (Daughter-in- law with high morals ) and beeti's (Daughter). Today as well, we are at same stage. If we look at recent movie like Cocktail, Saif Ali Khan finally chooses modest Diana rather the free spirited Deepika, worst being Deepika at the end moves to soberness and goes with Indian outfits to impress Saif. A movie like Kick, where girl falls in love with an obsessed man. Who in sane world will fall for such men ? If we look at movie list, it just goes on. Women are not only objectified in cheap, derogatory songs but also not show as equal. If this is what we portray then what are we expecting our next generations to learn. We need to bridge the gap and show more of progressive side of society which will definitely help in avoiding another Nirbhaya.

N - Nostalgia

With Bangalore heat soaring up at 37°c, off late I have been nostalgic about my good old childhood days. We used to stay is North India and Bangalore being my maternal home town was a good escape from North India's cruel summer. I used to look forward for summers and it was my favorite season of the year. I like summers now as well but my only reason now is my love for mangoes. When I look back at my childhood,I had ample reasons to love summer.

Visiting Bangalore for summer vacations had plenty to offer. We used to walk everyday to Cubbon Park or Vidhan Sabha due to close proximity of these places to my grandparents house, now i can hardly think of walking down the street due traffic, extreme heat and also pollution. We kids would plan whole day our evening outing but popular Bangalore evening  rains would usually spoil our evening rendezvous with Commercial Street. Though disappointed with downpour but still I would enjoy the earthy smell and watch rain droplets everyday and help my grandfather in collecting rain water for plants. Yes, my grandfather believed in rain water harvesting in those days. I guess he had visualized where Bangalore was heading. Everyday evening rain was so common in Bangalore ,but now we just pray rain god to show some mercy.

Summer were also special because it was the only time in year when I would meet all my cousins ,aunts and uncles.Large family gathering at grandparents house, as everybody would comes down for vacations. We kids would spend nights and days chit chatting stories that would never end ,hogging mangoes & jack fruit as if we were all competing to eat as much as possible. All kids sleeping together in same room no matter whether bed was sufficient or not, we just wanted to stay together. Nights were longer and days would start early but our stories would not end. Everyday begging one or the other elder to treat us with ice cream after lunch. If today it's uncle A then tomorrow it would be Aunt C. Renting cycles for learning or just for fun was our vacation hobby, random games and hobbies would just end after vacation,

Life moves on, but what remains is memories which we create. Today, Bangalore has moved ahead and has changed more than expected. Once the garden city & retirement paradise is now IT hub of India, bustling with vehicles, people, tall towers busy flyovers. Everything has changed but what remains is memories, one can only have nostalgia with the past.

M - Mageirocophobia

Today's letter is M, and for M i chose Mageirocophobia - Fear of cooking. I was recently introduced to this word and i was elated that such word actually exists.

I am a big time foodie. I enjoy trying out various cuisines and relish good food, but i dont like cooking. So i guess i do have a mild version of Mageirocophobia. Cooking is always overwhelming and boring for me. I find it a waste of time to spend time in kitchen and spend hours together in putting up a meal which will vanish in few minutes.Rather than cooking i prefer to put my brain and time to something more intellectual and creative. Especially when one is working and is crunched with time, cooking seems to be more than a burden. However, with increase in waistline due to restaurant food and the bills that pile up, cooking doesnt seem to be a bad option if one is well prepared. Also. cooking makes one a more mindful eater as you keep tab on a how healthy food is. Cooking a dish yourself, let you decide and know what exactly is in it. Cooking in less than 10 min comes with practice, its just like driving. When one starts driving, you take it slow, but later you do start driving on highways as well. So cooking with perfection and cooking fast comes with practice and also some organization. To overcome this fear, this is what i try.

1) Constantly check on weight : I keep a tab on my waistline and weight, so his definitely motivates me to ensure what i eat and who can be a better planner than me myself.

2)Organization : Organization really helps. If your kitchen is well organized, then you definitely wont lose time in reaching out for ingredients. I usually have a tough time keeping things organized, so i have labeled boxes with all kitchen ingredients. It helps save some time.

3) Plan you meals : I 'am a weight watcher, so i plan my meals in advance and  actively use apps like healthifyme and myfitness pal to keep track of what i'm planning to eat. This helps me not only keep track of calories that i will consume but i can also plan my meals better along with tracking nutrients consumed.

4) Cook Together : Cooking with partner is definitely a motivation and also saves a lot of time. This also helps in spending some quality time together after a busy day.

5) Find supporters : Find people who are gracious enough to pick what you cook. Now, if you have a picky partner then this is going to be a challenge.

Above all this have an open mind, challenge yourself and keep trying.

L - love

Love - a mirage.
Does it really exist ?

Strangely it didn't survive
Overwhelmed with joy
When you said
I love you !!

Escatic i was,

With all woven dreams.

But I failed to see,
How false it meant !
Your words had no meaning at all.
Blindfolded in love,
Nothing I could see.

The damage that caused.

Alas! it ended.
Fuddled in your love,
I still ponder over those words
Was it reality or just a mirage

K - Kooky

Today's letter is K. I had a lot on my mind today like K for kind , keen, kvetching and many more but what interests me is word KOOKY.  Freedictionay.com says KOOKY is strange or eccentric. Eccentricity has always attracted me. Somehow I believe that there is a deep psychology behind it. Kookiness is not a characteristic or a habit which is inherent since birth. It is something that is acquired with time or sometimes it is just part and parcel of a moment. Here I list some of my kooky moments.

1) Gaming addict -The eccentricity with which i'm addicted to online games. I can't think of a day without playing "Clash of clans" or "Word with friends". The madness to acquire gold or points in these above mentioned games is just craziness and is only a moments happiness. I know it's an addiction but still I play like mad as if it's last.

2) Participating in numerous challenges - I like to challenge myself to an extent that I do invite fatigue. Random challenges like A-z writing challenge or 100 happy days or even challenging myself in B-school simulation assignments in spite of being overly burdened with work,home, family etc.

3) TV series or movie marathon - I can go crazy like hell if I get hooked to a series or movies. I can watch an entire series in just few days and I have done that. I have watched movies in a stretch, of course with required natural breaks :)

All these are just few kooky activities in my list. Would you like to share yours :)

J- Joy

Joy,
Where are you ?
Are you with me? or
Are you surrounding me ?
I am fuddled, the way you surprise me
I see you with the first ray of dawn
I hear you with chirping birds
Your cool breeze rekindles me
And shiny blooms heal my soul
You do rejuvenate me when it rains
And with the joy of scented earthy smell
However still i might be,
Your presence uplifts my soul
You environ me even in pain
I sense you even in distress
I feel you even when discouraged
I hear you whisper
When I am left broken
Reminiscing old love
You are innate deep within
Guiding while dark clouds engulf me
You have a place in my heart

Wherever you may be.