My human rights or yours.

I ask, “Is the earth alone?”
Don’t you have to go to the earthworm,
busy making earth fertile, and ask before taking any important decision!
Who knows if the ants are more concerned about the earths future than you.
I am worth an earthworm.
For you I am only an ant to be crushed.
My human rights puny before your demon rights.

I may be insignificant come on.
Agreed.
Yet my claim over the earth is no way less than yours.

BY Gyanendrapati, poet & chair
People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights, India.

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Wat The HELL am I ??

Another one of those days… I was doing some self-healing by touch-Reiki. I was feeling a bit irritated at the amount of noise outside that day. (Yeah... I stay in one of the noisiest parts of my city!) And I was wondering how people have become so used to this noise level that they don’t even notice it anymore! But those of my readers who work with Reiki know that you can’t really stay irritated for long while passing energy to yourself, right?

And so my irritation also subsided gradually as the Reiki progressed. Thoughts kept wandering in and out of my system. I never bothered to explore them in depth. I was simply floating away…

And then suddenly I saw the entire universe looming up in front of me! Black background… sprinkled with bright shining specs of light arranged in different patterns for all the different galaxies and constellations! The kind of picture we have often seen in Geography books and Wikipedia, you know! "M.A.G.N.I.F.I.C.E.N.T." is the word that came to my mind!

Let me quickly Google an image of our Universe and see if I can find something that resembles what I saw. Ok here’s one very much like it...


Well, as soon as I saw this image in my mind, it suddenly dawned on me that all those noises – of horns and honks and street-hawkers shouting to advertise their goods – if observed from up there in the Universe, would seem so totally insignificant! So insignificant in fact, that they would be swallowed in complete oblivion! Up there, you would hear only one sound… the sound of silence!

Weird, isn’t it? But it’s the truth. We spend our entire lives fretting over things that seem so important to us… and yet, if only we knew the truth, those things carry no significance at all beyond the tiny stage where we are performing our life’s play! What seem like major Tsunamis to us – upsetting our entire mental and emotional equilibrium – they aren’t even tiny ripples of disturbance for the infinite Universe! Wow!

I suddenly realized one more thing. “They” say that the same Consciousness that is in me is in everyone else. The same Consciousness is in all the plants, animals, rivers, oceans, mountains, the skies, the Sun & the Moon, and the entire Universe… the very same Consciousness that CREATED this whole Universe! Separate this Consciousness from me, and I don’t exist. I AM that Consciousness... the very same one that CREATED this whole Universe!

Can you imagine this now? I am something SO powerful that could have created such a magnificently beautiful piece of work as in that photograph above! And yet I doubt my abilities! I feel powerless… and scared! Ridiculous, right?

We all believe that we are the mortal mass of flesh and bones reflected in the mirror… whereas the truth is that we are the ones SEEING that reflection in the mirror, from behind those pretty eyes – the windows to our hearts! We associate ourselves with what we see… and yet, we are much MUCH bigger than what is seen!

It is difficult to explain this in words. We have been conditioned for too long to believe that we are what the mirror shows us. I wonder why we are brought up with such limiting beliefs and concepts!

Insignia summed it up so very well in these few lines…

Do you have any idea how powerful you really are?
Do you have any idea of how far your thoughts reach?
Do you have any idea how many lives you have already touched?
Do you have any idea of how much you have already accomplished?

Wish I could see how powerful I really am…

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5 Reasons Why Tags Are Good

The above headline might come as a shock to most of you, considering the fact that I grumble so much each time I’m asked to do a Tag here! Well, the truth is… I don’t have anything against Tags specifically! It’s just that I hate doing a lot of any one thing! And these Tags have a tendency to start a sort of never ending loop! You suddenly wake up one day to find the entire blog-o-sphere around you filled with Tags! However, if used in sparing measures, Tags can prove to be very useful actually. You want to know how… read on…

1. Tags help us get over a Writers’ Block
Those millions of times… when we sit with a blank Word Document open in front of us… and our fingers wandering aimlessly over the keyboard, trying to rub that slightly embossed mark off the letters ‘F’ and ‘J’! (I bet you just tried to do exactly that too!) Tags give us something to start writing about – anything – just so the creative juices begin to flow again and we get into the “mood” to write again!

2. They let us explore our creative potential
Alright, let’s be honest here fellows! Tags ARE usually pretty boring stuff… to write, as well as to read! And that’s where their usefulness lies! As Sachin Tendulkar said in his recent interview on the TV, “we ought to make our weakness our biggest strength”! And the adventure lies in how you present even a drab routine dish, so that it looks like the most tempting item on the table!

Picture Credit: ME - "Atta Maggi" with Boiled Eggs

3. Useful in Link Building
Not all of us here blog for making money, but nevertheless, it sure does feel good knowing that so many people read what we write! And we are constantly looking for ways to increase our reader-base. Tags provide a genuine way to create and promote such a linked network. You link back to the person who tagged you, and you also link (ahead?) to the people you tag. Link exchange, backed with the power of content… clean and honest SEO!

4. Introduce “New Kids in the Block”
I’ve lost count of how many of my blogger friends have been discovered on such “Tag” posts! While many of them were veteran bloggers, quite a few were completely new in the neighborhood! Tags give bloggers a fairly easy way to initiate some interaction with strangers, so that within days, the newbies also start feeling like a part of the “family”!

5. Prepare us for a very bright future (I saved the best for the very end!)
Tags give us practice… for facing “celebrity interviews”. You know, like the kind of interviews Sushmita Sen had after she became Miss Universe! Or the ones that TV Channels reserve for new faces in Bollywood! We'll become so used to answering stupid questions that we won’t have to scratch our head for answers, when we finally become famous! “What's a word that you say a lot?” “If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?” “What did you want to be when you were little?” (OMG! Nancy Drew books will start selling like hot cakes at that!)

As you can see from the (seemingly?) well-researched points above, Tags are a very powerful arrow in a blogger’s quiver! We just need to learn when to use them and how to use them.

However, the above post does not mean that you all bombard me with more Tags immediately! I still have a few pending in my list! Though I have decided I won’t do the “How Dumb” Tag and the “Yes/No” Tag, ‘coz they don’t give me any scope to get creative. You can only answer with ‘X’ marks in one and ‘Yes/No’ in the other. Too restrictive! But if you find some cool Tag with lots of freedom to write about (senseless?) stuff, feel free to pass it on to me! Though I don’t promise I’ll do it right away, ok! :D

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Love !!!

Ever since I was a teenager, i used to ask myself, what is love? How can two people share a bond that makes them willing to sacrifice a lot for each other? My experiments with love have been eccentric and sometimes downright disastrous. Failures have made me more and more pessimistic, but I guess i had enough optimism left in me to keep trying again. I squandered love in quite a few places, wasted it on some unworthy girls and basically made a fool of myself. Love is unconditional, it doesn’t need a reason and hence is seldom well thought out.

After wandering on the twisted path of love for almost 8 years, I have finally found someone who has like me been wandering in search of the perfect companion. What was different this time is that trust was established between us before love took hold. Usually people just love and then try to trust and screw it all up, but this is different. Its never been like this before. Love has brought me happiness; it has driven away all my pessimism. I honestly haven’t stopped smiling ever since it happened. I will refrain from mentioning the name of my love here as I don’t want to make this blog too personal.

Well this time, it’s a long distance relation for me. That means me and my love live far apart and as we are both still dependant on our parents, cannot meet for a long time to come. Anybody who has had one will tell you that a long distance relation is difficult to maintain. This is because such a relation requires complete trust. Moreover, there is very less or no physical contact to spice up the relation. Hence it requires a lot of patience. I am willing to put all I have into this relation, I want to make it work and I am quite sure so does my soul mate.

For a change I’ll end my post on this optimistic note.

Adieus Amigos

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Travel right aka light.

A roadblock in countless women’s lives - the never ending attempt to travel light. I used to be downright awful at packing light. If I was headed for a weekend to New York I’d want to cram in a 1001 different potential outfits, shoes, my hair products, my straightener, my gizmo chargers, my shower kit, and all the ifs, buts & maybes. Name any situation and I was prepared. But to be honest, 99% of those potential situations where I might have needed what I thought I needed...would never quite arise.

Write it off to an over active imagination, paranoia of not being prepared or simply just being indecisive, but you’d be surprised at what I was capable of packing. Over time I’ve come to realize that traveling light en route to the destination is much more efficient. Think about it this way, it gives you flexibility to travel heavy on your return journey. ;)

So, out with the unnecessary wants & in with the necessary needs. That’s the formula we need to strive for in order to achieve travel-light perfection. It may take baby steps to get there, but at some point you will. :)

1) Google & gizmos never fail you: If you are going away for a weekend, then before getting down to picking out outfits, google the 3 day forecast. This helps you narrow down your choices and prepares you for any unsightly rain showers. As for the gizmos, it doesn’t have much to do with physically traveling light, but it can alleviate a lot of stress and let you travel light, mentally. How? Well, the key is maximizing the potential of your smartphones. Be it your iPhone, LG Prada or Blackberry make sure you download useful apps such as the currency exchange, travel planner (jot down your itinerary, flights details, passport number, etc), world clock, language translator & anything else you consider handy. Oh sweet technology, heh.

2) Mix & Match: This rule applies for clothing, accessories & shoes. For instance, pick out a pair of pumps that matches more than just one outfit. Pair your skinny jeans with a couple of different blouses. A slight change in attire can make your jeans looks like a new pair – it’s all about how you accessorize. Be a little flexible and you’ll start seeing some rather obvious and achievable mix & matches unfold in front of your eyes. :)

3) OCD about your hair? Hair products can weigh your luggage down. Especially if you’re born with naturally curly hair. You’ve got your mousse, hair spray, leave-in conditioner, serum, straightening balm, frizz-ease lotion and god knows what else. And for someone like me, there’s no way two ways about it. If I want my mane to look tame, I need my trusty products. Especially when traveling to humidity stricken countries, ick! So pretty much, I make room for them by cutting back on other goodies, heh. Though, I do try to minimize them down to the quick & easy products like my TIGI Catwalk Curls Amplifier (a hybrid of mousse and gel) & Curls Booster (hairspray). It’s a short two step process and achieves perfect curls.

4) Make-up Pouch: Depending on the purpose of your vacation this will either multiply ten-fold or remain at the basics. It’s never really a factor since make up is so weightless, but knowing how to pack your make up is key. You don’t want to end up with a cracked press powder or leaking liquid foundation. So, make sure you lock any pump-like bottles – this usually requires you turning the nozzle in the opposite direction. If you can’t, then take a small plastic bag, rotate it and tie it around the spout to prevent leakage or spillage. Also, always cushion any products that are in glass/breakable packaging. I’d write all of this off to common sense, but rumor has it common sense isn’t really all that common. :P

5) Loofah through to Toothpaste: We all have our favorite bath & body products. Be it a BodyShop Moringa Shower Gel (it’s bliss, I swear!) or Kiehl’s Coconut Shampoo & Conditioner, there are some must-haves that we pamper ourselves with. If the original bottles are too bulky then I suggest transferring the necessary amount into smaller, more portable containers. That way your favorites can travel with you! Morning showers are what set my day in motion, so why shouldn’t they be lavish and indulgent? :)

6) Breathing room: Make sure once your bags are zipped that there’s some room for vacation goodies. :) Don’t deny it, no matter where you vacation you’re bound to buy tons of little touristy knick-knacks. I always make room for them in advance because you never know when your eyes see something that simply needs to be purchased aka the new addition to my plush-toy family, Coklat! Any guesses as to his origins? ;)

[Photos courtesy: fotosearch.com]

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Why KJ should hire me :)

KJ being the darling Karan Johar of course, haha. Seriously, I think he’d be a hilarious and let’s not forget, fabulous boss to work for. ;) He likes things – polished, flamboyant, glitzy, (un)realistic & always impeccable. His movies tend to have style, finesse & youthful relatability. Sure, it’s all “glitzed” up for the big screen, but that what makes watching it fun. And of course the money he splurges on the glamorous cast, locations, sets, make-up and outfits makes a world of a difference. In fact, I tend to enjoy a lot of the movies he produces (Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Dostana, Wake Up Sid) versus directs. He tends to dive in head first into family drama for the movies he directs (ahem, Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gham).

Anyway, I’m no Bollywood addict. I haven’t watched every single movie related with KJ. But from the ones I like, I do enjoy the peachy way in which couples get together KJ style. It’s always a coincidental meeting or a picture perfect misunderstanding turned into attraction. Sure, it can be a little corny, but its very summer novel cute. :) The so called “love story” in his movies, (even if mostly based on chance encounters), always develops in a very likable manner.

Maybe it’s that little something that everyone loves about chance meetings. How someone can randomly enter into your life when you least expect it. Or how that same unexpected someone seems to all of a sudden cross paths with you often. Is it all just a coincidence or could he/she be something more? Ever wondered silly things like that? Well I think KJ does. And to be honest, so do I. :) Not because I’m a dreamer, but simply because I have an overactive imagination and love to think about how things would play out in any given situation. I love to toss around story lines and think up cutesy scenarios in my head. It can prove to be very entertaining and almost always is the basis for any of my blog posts which require me to step into other peoples shoes.

So, out of sheer boredom at 12:58pm on a lazy Sunday, here’s my random mini-story lines of adorable ways to bump into that special someone. KJ, are you listening? ;)

[Disclaimer: 1) This is not an attempt at writing grammatically sound fiction, heh. 2)Any resemblance between the characters and people you know – be it yourself or others – is purely coincidental. :P]

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Put your best face forward.

Ever studied your face in the mirror? Wondered what your best angle is? Is it when you slightly cock your head upwards at an angle, or do you look your best staring smack head-on? Chin up, chin down? Big Colgate smile, subtle lip curl? Or do you write up gazing at oneself as narcissistic & stuck up behavior? :P

I think it’s perfectly normal. One needs to know how to put your best face forward. Be it a job interview, a night out with the girls, or even just day to day life. There’s nothing wrong with studying your own face and understanding how to bring your beauty to its 100%. Though, try not to get carried away with the self loving. It can be borderline nauseating if you over do it, heh. There’s a fine line between coming to terms with your stellar genetics & loving yourself to a point of arrogance.

Blame it on watching too much America’s Next Top Model, but believe it not, every once in awhile, precious nuggets of information do surface on that show. Who knew, right? Seriously, there’s more to the Jay’s than meets the eyes. Especially Miss Jay, women could learn a thing or two from the way he sashays, haha. As for Tyra, besides her harping on smizing (smiling with your eyes) there’s not much more to really learn. And for the noted fashion photographer, Nigel Barker..um, he doesn’t need to say anything substantial for me to listen. He’s just man-beauty personified.

Aaanyway, ANTM just spurred my thoughts on bringing your best face forward. There’s no stringent formula to it, but it’s always fun to come up with a list. It’s very DS. And DS has been feeling unloved with me being off & on with blogging. ;)

1) Play up your winning features: If you’ve got a pair of sparkling eyes, focus on bringing out that extra something in them. For most South Asian/Middle Eastern women, dark kohl and mascara does wonders to bring out the drama in our eyes. But you’ve got to do what works for your face. If you’ve got playful, pouty lips then up the lusciousness with a glossy, rich & creamy lip-gloss. When your lips have a natural color then I’d opt for a sheer, nude shade. But if you need to inject that little bit of color then definitely go for a gloss or lip-shade that compliments your skin tone. The only way to really know is to step out and see what a shade looks like in natural lighting. Don't just check and see if the shade looks great under white/warm/store mirror lighting - - it can be deceptive.

I’d consider my skin a shade of caramel latte, and I find MAC’s LoveChild Tinted Lipglass & MAC’s LipLustre in Syrup rather fantastic. Though my numero uno preference, is always just Kiehl’s Baby Lip Balm. It’s nourishing and doubles as a nude gloss. Kinda really perfect. :)

2) Be dynamic: It’s always good to have that standard quick get ready routine. We’ve all been there. With just 7mins on the clock you’ve got to get your perfect face on before you have to rush out of your apartment, race down the subway stairs (attempting not to trip of course), and then squeeze yourself in right before the doors shut on your AM train to work/class/etc. Ah! Though, most women have this down to a science. But, when it comes to breaking out of the norm, a lot of women stumble. It’s good to break up the standard routine, and switch things up on the weekends or on occasions that call for a different you. As in don’t bring professional make-up you to a wedding reception. Make that effort to wear more exaggerated eye make up (heavier eye shadow), or opt for lipstick vs lipgloss, maybe a more enhanced blush? Whatever it is, change is refreshing. For you, and for others. :)

3) Make sure it’s your face: Yes, I said change is a good thing, but it’s only a good thing so far as you don’t lose your actual signature face. Let me explain. The most infamous way women lose their faces is over-doing their make up to a point where it’s cakey, costumey and sometimes just downright distracting (in a not so pleasant way). My biggest pet peeve, women that wear their foundation one too many skin shades lighter. Hi, your face is a different color than the rest of your body. It’s highly awkward and rather scary. So please, get some professional help in picking the right shade. Or better yet, come to terms with your original skin color. (Please ‘Fair & Lovely’ fans, don’t throw your rotten tomatoes at me. This is just my opinion, heh).

4) Appropriateness: Your make up has to be appropriate to where you are headed. Wearing club make up during the day looks highly red-light district. Be weary of your color choices of blush, eye shadow and lipgloss/lipstick during the day and at night. Certain shades might looks fabulous on you at night, under neon lights, etc. But if you step out on a bright, sunny day and head to brunch with your friends donning the same look, people (friends included) might give you sketchy looks.

5) Basic upkeep: Make up can only do so much for your face. But it’s up to you to value your natural beauty. As in, if you want to achieve a natural glow to your face, you need to eat right, stay healthy & drink lots of water. A well nourished & fit body on the inside, will show through on the outside. Achieving clear skin goes deeper than just your daily face wash. Your daily intake of fruits & veggies make a huge difference on the vibrancy of your skin. So, take some initiative and stop relying on layers of make up to make you, feel like you. Because at the end of the day, when you wash off your make up, the woman staring back at you should (hopefully) be recognizable. If you feel like you wash your face down the sink every night, then you need to reconsider the wear & tear you’re putting your skin through. :x

6) 5’o clock shadows…on women? Yup. Ladies, no one appreciates a femme-mustache. If you’re blessed with dense hair growth on your head, that’s fantastic. But that also means more maintenance for your eyebrows & upper lip. Don’t think people won’t notice that above your lip line there’s a region a tad darker than the rest of your face. Just a simple visit to a beautician to wax/thread your eyebrows & your upper lip every two weeks will make a world of a difference and brighten up your face. Not only does it even out your skin tone, but by clearing up unwanted hair your face gains clarity and definition. This is especially true for women with darker shades of hair. As for those women that prefer to bleach their dark facial hair - - all I have to say is, when the sun hits the side of your face it looks like you have golden fuzz all over you. Not sure how attractive I’d rank that…so yeah, my opinion, either leave it natural or wax/thread it off. You’ll benefit from opting for the chemical-free route.

Last thing, no matter how much care & effort you channel towards putting your best face forward, what truly lights up your face is an inner smile and your confidence level. :) Sounds corny, but it's true.

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