Here it is!!!!

I am not against newer advanced technologies. However, when the newer technologies cost flexibility, and reduce the lifetime of products….NO.

I owned a Nokia cellphone in 1998 which a top of the line product then. The face plate was peacock’s neck blue and had a double shade. The voice clarity was great and was very scratch resistant. It was long enough to hold it on a shoulder while doing other stuff. Well, it did not have a speaker or internet access. The LCD was not multi-colored. However, I liked it a lot.

Then we moved to Samsung’s Flip-style cellphone which was much advertised. This was lightweight, compact, and display screen was nearly half the size of the cellphone. Slightly scratch resistant. It was bearable.

Then, another samsung smaller than the size of my palm. World was going crazy over it, so I got it as a gift. I ABSOLUTELY HATED IT. It was terribly scratch prone. It would fall out of my Jeans pocket 1000 times a day and looked like a dog had chewed it all over. Due to its size, I HAD to hold it close to my ear with my hand all the time. The speaker was of no use since it wouldn’t pick up my voice properly and the earphone wasn’t great either since I had to hold the mouthpiece at a certain angle.  That gave just one another free hand to browse net, flip pages in books while talking on it.

Finally, I got rid of it by buying a RAZR. Although this is scratch pronce, atleast it is lengthy enough to go from my ear to mouth and the speaker is good too. The other degrade seems to be the fact there is no indication of voicemails, or missed calls until you open the phone. In my previous Samsung, there used to be a blinker I could spot feet away from the instrument.

Excluding my nokia, my other mobiles have had cameras, web access, and 1000 other accessories probably useful to most ppl. However, I enjoy using Nikon N65 for a camera, now digital SLRs, staying away from internet except for information research.

Since I feel settled with this gadget, I am certain that the time has come for my husband to get me something new and throw me back into chaos - I hate him for this.

Now, he has found other ways to impose me with new stuff - mp3 players with n-number of features, Universal remotes, …

What will I do without him, I don’t even want to think about it

E = m.c.c

That says anything with mass possesses energy. Since that is a fact, how to capture and use this energy within us becomes the only question. This has been researched and studied for ages. During vedic age, it was implied that thoughts and wishes can be realized through chanting, meditation, and a combination of both. Today, we still believe in that. At least, I do.

For starters, telepathy is very easy to support. I can think of 1001 times I think of someone and they contact me within next few days, of whom I would have forgotten a long time before that.

Premonitions - I have had a plenty.

It is therefore good to channel all your thoughts and remain focused on one objective at a time. It is advisable to have only good thoughts, words, and deeds.

My mom initiated me on this journey of yoga by forcing me to join World Community Service Center head-quartered in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai [ www.vethathiri.org ].  Simplified Kundalini Yoga is taught for a very nominal dakshina. It is a not-for-profit organization with comparable to greater effectiveness of the Art of Living.

This form of meditation helps reduce stress and provides stamina to deal with the demands of everyday life. The basic discourse is on balance in life. Acknowledgement and acceptance is given to the fact that we are all humans and indeed have a apectrum of emotions and desires. The key is to have a balance and be reasonable.

Prior to this, any guru I counseled with would ask me to renounce anger, sadness, desires, et cetera. Since this was not expected of anyone at WCSC, I was pleasantly surprised and stopped being defensive to their teachings and let myself take in all that I can.

I have always enjoyed this time of they year.  When I was a kid, it signified the half-yearly hoildays and the last bit of fun, followed by a real quick spring with not many holidays till summer. The look of the shiny black tar roads with cool crisp air surrounding me, having bicycle rides in the nearby Kalakshetra campus has stuck in my memory forever.  My friends Sukanya, Priya, and I, used to sit on top of the water tank in our building and enjoy the ocean-view from there. This has indeed been a secret place for us, until now! [I’m sure they don’t mind me for ratting out]

There was this wall with algae all over it. Sukku and I wrote our names on it which is still visible today, publishing the sad fact no one has ever thought of repainting it. Sukku is now in Illinois trying to finish her Ph.D. in something highly intellectual of which I am not familiar [ something like VLSI, not sure].

Later, when I moved to USA, one day Muni called me at 10am from his office and asked me to open the blinds and look outside. Being a Madrasi, I was in great awe to watch the snowflakes fall on the white clad ground. I will always love him for that wake-up call.

While I was doing my MBA, I hung out so much with my friends during X-Mas holidays I pretty much knew every single coffeehouse in DFW area.

Now that I have a job, and a daughter who needs constant attention, we pretty much hang out at Barnes & Noble or meet friends at home. In fact, muni has setup a fireplace for us.

I am nostalgic to this time of the year.  I agree with the song of Andy Williams:

It’s the most wonderful time of the year
With the kids jingle belling
And everyone telling you "Be of good cheer"
It’s the most wonderful time of the year
It’s the hap-happiest season of all
With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings
When friends come to call
It’s the hap- happiest season of all

It’s the most wonderful time of the year
There’ll be much mistltoeing
And hearts will be glowing
When love ones are near
It’s the most wonderful time of the year

Starring one of my favorite actors, Adam Sandler, this movie reflects my own life in certain ways. I still remember that day in 1984 near Gajendra circle in IIT Madras with my parents. I was not excited about joining school, not about my first day or getting admitted into primary school from kindergarten, I was plainly eager to be in 5 th grade, to be the big shot in the front section of my school building. Later, when I was in 5th grade, I wanted to be thirTEEN, then sweet 16, next a college student, after which all that I wanted to was get married and stay at home like a queen. That wish too came true, but alas, now I wanted to graduate with Honors. I wanted only a girl, God listened. Now, I wanted a CAREER   Accomplished that too. Now, guess what????? I want to retire, go to my baby’s school everyday and kiss her goodnight till she wakes up.  Pretty interesting, huh?