How the missing plane MH370 found its way in movies…just not in a good sense!

I don’t watch movies very often. And that’s only due to lack of time. Whatever time I get that my toddler spares me, goes into reading and writing. So, last week, I decided to watch a movie after I heard my husband crackling loudly as he sat alone in front of the computer. I was curious. And I wanted to watch a movie. So, I said, why not?

After meeting my husband, I got acquainted to Tamil movies. I don’t really understand all of it but I think I can do with the majority of it. Initially, I struggled with comedy. But with passing days, I have become better at making sense of timing jokes. I am a fan of ‘Vijay Sethupathi’ for his innate sense of humor and choice of movies.

Anyway, I was just halfway through this movie which is filled with illogical jokes and humor that doesn’t really make you laugh. Still, I decided to finish what I had started. At one point, a joke came up pointing to the missing plane MH370. One character says that the protagonist, Sethupathi is responsible for the mystery behind the missing plane. This was clearly meant as a joke which of course didn’t bring out any laughter at all.

The scene swiftly moved to the other and all about the joke was forgotten.  For some reason, I couldn’t get past it. Perhaps, this is because I read a non-fiction book titled ‘MH370 – journeying the void’ just a few weeks ago. It contained the first-hand account of how the plane went missing and how the author was dealing with the loss of his wife. If anything, the book deserves to be respected for what it portrays. The families of the missing (who are presumed dead) are still dealing with unexplainable loss with hopes that one day they will get answers as to what went wrong.

I think film-makers should pay attention to what they add into their movies. Such jokes are distasteful which can be fully avoided. I agree with the fact that comedy is art and involves hard work. But isn’t it more important to be human to care and respect first?

Should every historical tragedy always find its way into jokes?

Thank you, my ex

Penned by: Saranya Ramakrishnan

Hello Hardy,

Wondering if you should trash this e-mail straight away or read it before you trash it anyway? Please read it for the sake of our old times, just once more. I assure there will be nothing flinch-worthy in my mail, but you can expect lot of gratitude in it. Yes, GRATITUDE!

Today happens to be Valentine's Day. As I walked down the road to work this morning, I could not help but think about the countless beautiful walks we have had on this very road. How very melodramatic, you must think...But, if you remember our beginning, then you must also remember that you chose a vibrant Valentine's day morning to tell me you loved me, a good 4 years ago. You always remembered dates, occasions, special moments and made me bask in fragrant sunlight on all those days. Thank you for being thoughtful all the while...

You were always expressive. I was called the 'Ice-Queen' back then, but you came into my life and I watched the snow around me melt and fall like pearl drops. I learnt to laugh, I learnt the very essence of 'two to tango', I learnt to let my hair down when I was with you, I learnt that sitting on the beach sands and talking could be the closest thing you could do with your loved one, I learnt to unburden my  mind, I learnt a countless other things...What a solidarity champion you were! Thank you Hardy...

It seems like yesterday when you pushed me into writing. Always the 'hawk' , and never the one to miss a prospective opportunity, you saw the few but strong lines I wrote on our first couple-anniversary and ensured they did not rot with that paper. I always admired your self-confidence, but your motivation was at another level. We sacrificed one too many weekends so I could write for different magazines and contribute to technical papers. At that time, I did think it was strange that a man could be so on-point, careful with his moves and words, accurate most of the time, sacrificial when it needed to be. But, shouldn't I thank you for having been like that because you made 'writing' my life and my world. Thank you...

On those rare occasions that we took time off and went on long rides, I think you were at your creative best. I know I had pestered you one too many times about why you chose me when you had half the good-looking girls chasing you at work. And, I remember clearly that curvy smile and a taut silence followed by your words that were my life-strings all that time - "There's no one like you, Laurie. I want to walk with you all the way to the stars and back to the Earth again". Thank you for wanting to walk with me at that point in life...

Why then, I wonder, why did we fall apart? Was it the work assignment that took you overseas or my writing commitments that kept me travelling all around? Was it for the lack of trying on either sides for fear of being too 'pressurizing'? Was it because we were having days and nights at different times? Was it because our ego and too much tactfulness got the better of us when human emotions should have? When we decided to part ways, it was way too clean and polite...At that point of time, I marvelled about our sense of decency and efforts to keep things between us very neat. Hang on! Shouldn't I thank you now for not having brought up the word 'break-up' even after I put you through tumultuous pages of Whatsapp messages and then followed up with a fortnight of silence. What amazes me is we never fought or made up boisterously like how couples usually do. You always were very courteous, Hardy. Thank you...

The last two years have been an ocean of changes for me, and in these months, I have been able to link the missing parts of our short but enriching tale. And now, when I have made peace with the past and I know what I want for the future, I thought I should let you know - Our relationship was never meant to be because we truly are adjacent pieces from the same side of the block. When I stumbled, you picked me up, not to hug me but to help me walk forward. When I broke down, you wiped my tears but you attempted not to shred the cause into pieces. You always listened but never spoke much (I did not let you, did I?). Love stories have magic tied to their core and I guess ours had lot of companionship but very little magic. The embers of those memories are going to be gone soon, but before they go away altogether, I thought I should thank you Hardy, for bringing out my facets and help me carve my own destiny. When someone says I am very easy to talk to, I look nice when I smile, I am extremely confident and that I should write more, I tell them it was because there was a period in my life when I was able to walk hand in hand with a man of great perseverance.

Before I wind up, and before you decide not to trash this e-mail anyway (as I know you will not), I want to tell you that when you choose to move on (as I know for sure you will), please let your 'heart' choose her and not your 'mind'. Wishing you glorious sunrises and scenic sunsets all your life.

Oh Heavens! I forgot...

Be gentle on yourself, Hardy! I am learning to be...

Regards

Laurie

Why our recent Olympic feat isn’t just a giant leap for Indian women?

Ever since news reports poured in, covering the achievements of three important women – Sindhu, Sakshi and Dipa made the rounds on Facebook, many have referred to the success as a turning point for Indian women. It’s no doubt that these three women, by their indomitable spirit and courage have created history that will be etched in our hearts forever.

What I truly believe is this – women in our country have been making history since many decades, Indira Gandhi, Kiran Bedi, Mother Teresa, Arundati Roy… the list is endless. There is a story in every woman which makes her influential regardless of whether she creates history or not. In fact, our own mothers are deeply inspiring individuals who have gone to great heights in their lifetime surrounding their families.

I don’t regard the recent success at the Olympics as “women oriented” or paving the way for women to come up front. What this success really offers is this – being passionate is what truly matters at the end of the day. Choosing our dreams over our mundane jobs takes a lot of courage which not every man or woman is capable of.

Not everybody decides to chase their dreams. In fact, most of us lock our dreams far inside our hearts only to be nostalgic about them in our later lives. These young women dared to chase their dreams, they dared to realize them than just visualizing, they dared to show the world what true passion is, they dared to show what it took to become what they were meant to be.

“There is no passion to be found playing small--in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”

The recent spike in a range of wider and broader fields of careers is evident that people are choosing their dreams over mundane jobs. Yet, so many of us simply put aside our dreams letting our fear of failure control us. The biggest blow comes when parents ignore their child’s talent, pressing them to take a path only to earn a few bucks to ensure a risk-free future life.

As they say, “Those who wish to sing a song will always find one. Those who don’t, will always find an excuse.”

Our choices make us. Our passions define us. It is true that dreams always, always come with a big price. But so does a dreamless life. It depends on us, what price are we willing to pay?

I am fascinated by Robert Frost whose famous lines still hold true and will always will,

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

These three women just proved it. 

Airlift : loss and regain of hope and life

Stories can stir hearts making the much needed difference. There are stories everywhere. It’s up to us, which ones we do want to hear and which ones we don’t. But then, there are some stories that somehow make their way into our lives. One such story is Airlift, the movie.

I normally wouldn’t be writing a review if the movie hadn’t impressed me. In fact, it had surpassed my expectations. It’s just not the movie, but the flawless depiction of the biggest rescue operation conducted in Indian history that has baffled me beyond words. What men can do if they set their minds on and decide not to give up? How few people can take control and lead the way for the helpless?

The rescue operation story of almost 1,70,000 Indians who were stranded in Kuwait has been re-told trough the movie Airlift with Akshay Kumar playing the lead role. It’s a reality based movie but what is truly gripping is the delivery of the tension and pressure that must have prevailed in the situation years ago when Indian faced the plight in Kuwait when Iraq attacked.  The loss and regain of hope and life, over and over can break a human heart but it can also make it stronger and firm. The human bond that develops when attacked by a tragedy is beyond words. It's amazing what people can do if they decide not to give up. 

To say that it’s a beautiful or amazing movie would be shame, or to simply praise the movie would also not suffice. It simply transports you twenty years ago and shows you what it is to protect someone because at the end of day, we are all answerable to somebody. 

Coming to the cast, Akshay Kumar has delivered a meticulous performance carrying the entire movie on his shoulders. I would rate this as his best movie till date. Purab Kohli and Nimrat Kaur have played their roles beautifully.

Rating for Airlift – 5/5.

Survival stories,part 1 - Turia Pitt, what one woman has to teach the world...

When I first came across an article about Turia Pitt, I read it casually just as if I were reading any other news item on FaceBook. But as I read through her story, I began to wonder about the aspects of human mind which can be amazingly extraordinary. Life sucks big time, you and I  will agree to that, because we have a number of problems to talk about ranging from the tiniest of issues. Yes, that's what makes us human. To crib and complain. But what also makes us human is to be able to look up at life in the face and say 'Bring it on'.

Turia Pitt is of my age, a few months older than I (that's the only common thing between us). What makes her different is the fact that after facing a horrific burn accident which has left her - (see her image in the post of before and after). Instead of curling into a ball and hiding from the world, she is out in the open telling her story to the world.

Before

Below is an excerpt borrowed from a famous site in which Turia talks about her struggle and courage and also what she thinks we can do in our lives:

                 “I find it really bizarre that people think I’m interesting because I was burned when truthfully, I have always been really interesting! I’m not trying to diminish my journey because it has been so incredibly tough. I have learnt that the strength of the human mind — our mind — is extraordinary. I’ve learnt that happiness and success in life are not a result of what we have bu

After

t rather of how we live. Most importantly, I have learnt all of us here have so much more potential and are so much more capable than we could ever know.

“In a matter of seconds, the accident had taken everything away from me: everything I was ever good at, everything I had ever known, everything I ever thought I wanted.“But maybe it was the best thing that ever happened to me. It gave me the freedom to start my life again. It gave me a voice. It gave me an opportunity to be heard. It gave me the resources to put my time and energy into something I am passionate about, such as working for Interplast and setting up my foundation.

“When I was in hospital, I needed a ritual if I was going to get better and I chose the stairs. At first, it was just one, then two ... By the time I was up to doing a whole flight, I told my surgeon. I thought he was going to give me a pat on the back. Instead, he said, ‘So what? Why don’t you do all of them?’ I said, ‘But there are nine flights, 18 landings, 234 steps’. But a part of me thought ‘screw you, mate’. The next day, Michael and I walked every one of those 234 steps. That was when I knew I had the potential to set any goal and achieve it.

“We all have this idea that time is infinite, that there is always tomorrow or next week or next year. In fact, time is our most valuable resource. You can’t buy it, you can’t extract it and it is running out for all of us. We have no idea when our time might be up. We have a choice: do we wait for disaster to happen and then find out how amazing we are, or at this point in time, do you say to yourself, I am extraordinary and there is so much more I can give? Since my accident, I have done the Lake Argyle Swim, walked a section of the Great Wall of China ... am training for my very first iron man and organising a fundraising trek on the Inca Trail. I invite people to join me and you should hear some of their excuses: it’s too far, I’m too fat, I’m too boring, I’m too old.

“It is astonishing the excuses people use to keep themselves stuck. If you really want something, you will find a way to make it happen. In a way, I am trapped by my body — it doesn’t let me do all the things I used to.

“But a lot of people are paralysed by their mindset. We doubt we would get that job, so we don’t go for it. We doubt we can finish that fun run, so we don’t enter.

“When did we start thinking so little of ourselves? It is natural to want things to stay the same and, sometimes, we are scared to evolve and become something new. But it shouldn’t take a tragedy to remind us who we are and what we are capable of.”

Ivide, a new age thriller, seamlessly delivered.

When I first started watching ‘Ivide’, I found it coming out from a novel or a Hollywood movie. What with the actors trying hard to adapt the American slang with the movie shot entirely in Atlanta, US, I found it to be just like any English movie except that they were replaced with Malayalam actors. Throw in the usual mix, hero separated, has a daughter, shares custody with the heroine, heroine dates another guy, hero jealous… the same usual drama, but more like an English film.

As the movie progress with the protagonist, Prithviraj, playing an investigating officer in a serial crime case, things begin to get interesting where he narrates us in Malayalam. Though the movie has heavily borrowed the American lifestyle, there are traces of the kerala culture which makes the movie stand out.

Places where Prithviraj narrates his story of how he landed in the US, being an Indian orphan, and his interaction with American parents work out brilliantly. As he investigates the case, his scenes are majorly developed with American actors and officers which he has carried flawlessly. Slipping into the role of an American, he has worked hard on the slang which doesn’t look artificial (which is not always easy).

Bhavana and Nivin have played their roles well. Bhavana, being the ex-wife of Prithviraj and Nivin being the new love interest in Bhavana’s life along with his involvement in a major IT company work out well. The murders of IT employees followed by police investigation is what forms the crux of the story.

It’s an entirely Prithviraj movie. And the background score cannot be ignored which has a noticeable place in the film. It’s a different movie which has tried to pick a simple storyline but the hard work is where when they tried to adapt Indian actors living the American lifestyle. A definitely new age cinema delivered to perfection. The climax is filled with bittersweet surprise.

4.5 stars for this one.

My salted tea

Sometimes, being with a baby, can get overwhelming. Now that I am a stay at home mommy, my only company is a baby who demands constant entertainment most of the times. And this gives me little breathing space for my own. Of course, after my husband comes, I can hand over the baby to him. But that’s the only time I can get any cooking done.

Today, when I noticed a cool breeze on my patio, I decided, no matter what happens, I will make myself a cup of tea and enjoy nature for a while. What’s the use of having such a huge patio then? Wouldn’t it be such a waste? After playing with the baby nonstop three hours (phew, so much energy they have), he finally dozed off to sleep. Without wasting a second, I sneaked into the kitchen and set upon making my tea.

As I made the tea, I noticed the dirty dishes in the kitchen, the toys scattered all over the floor, various other things messed up the living room, the kitchen table top screaming to be cleaned….there was so much to do. And the baby was sleeping. It was the perfect time to get things done. Putting up a strong front, I choose to ignore the chores that screamed for attention.

This was ME time, I said myself as I noticed the milk boiling with steam. I will not be one of those women who never make time for themselves and become miserable. Instead, I will ignore household duties for a while and enjoy a cup of tea. If I don’t enjoy, what’s the point in living? I reasoned with myself marveling at the fact that I had managed to squeeze few minutes for myself.

As I seated myself in my patio chair, with a carefree feeling taking over my mind, I set upon enjoying my tea (which was the whole idea). I frowned at the first sip. My tea was salted. How did I manage to put salt instead of sugar was beyond me! So much for a cup of tea!

Today is not my day, I thought as I threw the tea down the drain. Perhaps, another day will come, unplanned, undecided to surprise me with a cup of tea. Until then, you dirty dishes, here I come marching to fix you.

Miracles

“Every day, God gives us the sun–and also one moment in which we have the ability to change everything that makes us unhappy.
“Every day, we try to pretend that we haven’t perceived that moment, that it doesn’t exist–that today is the same as yesterday and will be the same as tomorrow.

But if people really pay attention to their everyday lives, they will discover that magic moment.

It may arrive in the instant when we are doing something mundane, like putting our front-door key in the lock.
It may lie hidden in the quiet that follows the lunch hour or in the thousand and one things that all seem the same to us.

But that moment exists–a moment when all the power of the stars becomes a part of us and enables us to perform miracles.”

How I fell in love - Again

It’s said that a person can fall in love more than once. But people who have loved deep and once, would say that true love happens only once. Having grown up in the fairytale world of love, I chose to believe that deepest love thrived only between man and wife. When I met my husband, I believed he was the only person I could love all my life. But God has his own ways of letting us fall in love, sometimes again and again.
Having a baby has changed a lot of things in my life. It’s probably the biggest change in my life. To think that this change occurs in almost all of our lives which is considered a perfectly natural experience baffles me beyond explanation. After all, people have been having babies ever since humans were created. Pah, there is no surprise here.

Though it’s human evolvement to grow from 2 to 3 and so on to create a family, I have found the whole experience to be life altering overnight. I have scared myself asking endless questions about how I would face a small tiny human being. In fact, even after holding my baby in my arms, I was alarmed at the reality that my days and nights were now mixed up, in a way I was not prepared for.

What followed next took my completely by surprise – which I should have foreseen (given that I had been pregnant for a whole 9 months). I lost sleep, I lost my days to nights, I woke up at wee hours to a high pitched wailing baby, I spent hours confused, fighting the hormonal mood swings ( which my friends like to refer) until I asked myself – whoa, do I really want this? Can I really handle this?

To be honest, I freaked myself out. I tried to talk to people endlessly to understand the concept of parenthood. Some said it’s the most toughest and craziest phase, some said you have to sacrifice whole of your life, some said you won’t know how time flies, some said it’s a beautiful experience and some said, you’re doomed for life. You won’t have a life anymore. (gee, that’s so encouraging)

I realized that people could have different perceptions on how they treated having a child in their lives. As I tried hard to make sense of my life, eventually but slowly, I began to fall in love. It happened gradually, without me realizing that my heart was opening up to another human being. And it didn’t happen the night I held my baby (which I thought was odd cos the movies show people being all emotional and cheesy once they see their baby).

But I did fall in love again which I had always thought wouldn’t happen. I did fall in love again with the tiny little human being. And I know that’s what all mothers do – they eventually fall in love with their children that lasts for a lifetime. I know that mother’s love is nothing to be surprised at – it’s all over the world. Despite being a mother, I became aware of the fact I could love another human being despite being in love with my husband which I think is a truly dreamlike experience.

I am simply baffled by nature’s ways. I know there are thousands of opinions about having children just like how we have opinions for almost everything in this world. I would simply like to call it magic.
To be able to fall in love again is magic.

James Cameron's DeepSea Challenge ( From Titanic to deep waters)

James Cameron's contagious passion from the end of the ocean.

Fear is such an integral part of our lives that we spend almost half our lives being scared about the next thing that's to happen in our lives. Then there are those people who look fear in the face and sail beyond and far. These people also face the same fears. Being scared is natural, which humans cannot live without. Yet, how we travel past the fear is all that matters towards the end.

One such man who has been courageous enough to explore the world of his dreams is James Cameron, better known as the director of Titanic. His documentary, Deepsea challenge talks about his dives into the deepest of waters on his submarine, DeepSea Challenger. For us, the ocean is just a world of water filled with fishes and mammals. But for this man who calls himself a curious monkey, looks at the ocean as the world of his dreams. His dreams are expensive, challenging and life threatening.

Who dreams about travelling 35,000 feet into deep waters all alone in a submarine, trusting on instinct and technology to keep you safe out there? James Cameron did seem crazy to me when he spoke about this dreams on the documentary. Yet, he has been able to make them true no matter what heights he had to drive to. It takes courage to be able to dream big, it takes bigger courage to be able to set them true.

While we live our mundane lives, doing the same thing over and over, because we have been told that living normal routine life is safe, content and acceptable, there are people out there who are breaking the taboo, letting us know that lives can be completely different if we allow ourselves to be courageous enough to dream big.

James Cameron's courage has definitely made me wonder if people could really set dreams true and create a change for human life. I am enthralled by his quote when he says , "Never compromise. Not with the stuff that keeps you alive".

How many of us compromise with our dreams?

That moment when I turned into a messenger!

Each month, I eagerly wait for the next issue of Reader’s digest because that’s the only magazine I have managed to be regular at. That’s also the only magazine I never grow tired of reading. I always end up finding something interesting.

This time, in the February issue (yeah, it comes way too early), I flapped through the pages skimming through my favorite sections first and then coming to the detailed ones later. There is an interesting yet short section called ‘Finish the sentence’. Reader’s digest publishes a prompt to complete a partial sentence each issue after which responses are published in subsequent issues.

In this issue, one response that caught my attention was this, “For one day, I would like to trade places with….. my autistic child, just to see the world through his eyes.” For some reason, I felt that the writer whoever had sent the response must have had her share of pain in life. And simply wanted to see the universe through her autistic child’s eyes to understand his world better.

I found it to be thoughtful, filled with plain love. The next instant, I reached out to the writer on Facebook to let her know that I liked her response. She was surprised that she had been published (she had probably sent the response months ago and forgotten all about it). She sounded excited when she learnt that she was published.

After exchanging our goodbyes, I wondered if I were chosen to be a messenger to her in that particular moment just to give her the news. It made me think that we all are, probably, messengers in some way to each other. It’s just that we don’t really know it all the time.

A dark day – Peshawar School Massacre

There are simply no words to explain what the world has just witnessed. It’s one of the darkest days we will live through and still move on with our lives. What else are common people like us are capable of? With anger and pain in our hearts, we can simply curse the utterly barbaric attack which God or the supreme power mercilessly, has allowed to materialize.

What is unimaginable is the endless, unspeakable pain of the families of the 132 children whose lives were cut short on a casual day to school. Who would have thought that a day to school would result in a mass tragedy for a huge number of families whose dreams must have been tied to their children? Some vicious venom made its way into the lives of these children and snatched away the happiness of these families, resulting in pain that will last till eternity.

Of course, the blame game has begun. But the truth is that, we all are responsible for this, as human beings. It definitely tells us that, we as humans, are far away from being called progressed human beings. It’s not the progress in technology or science or medicine or career that matters to the world. All these fields are just there to facilitate our lives. At the end of the day, what remains in our hearts is what truly matters.

Things are done. Deaths have occurred. For now, I would simply want God to give immeasurable strength for the mothers who have lost the apple of their eyes to a gun shot. This day will be marked forever in their hearts as the killing of dreams.

The ingredients for writing a book

BUY The ingredients for writing a book AT AMAZON

Have you ever wanted a book that told you everything about writing. well, here it is. I have penned down a book which talks everything about writing. But remember, any book can only show you the way. It cannot make you write but only you can do that. A book can only show you how it's done. There are plenty of books out there which describe about writing. There were some things which I never found in any books. So, I decided to write down one that can probably help someone who wants to know the business of writing.

Writing a book isn't an easy job. It requires a lot of effort from a single person to have a serious thought on a particular subject and put it down into words to produce a book. The labor of writing isn’t limited to writing alone for it involves knowledge in various other areas such as plotting, researching, editing, submitting and marketing. A writer has to possess strong command over language, has to be interested in reading all kinds of books and should have the motivation to keep himself going even when he wants to stop. A writer has to possess certain qualities to grow from being a beginner to being a well-read writer.

The book “The Ingredients for writing a book” throws light for the newbie writers who know that they want to become a writer but have no idea how to do so. A lot of people abandon their dreams when they have nobody to guide them. This book will teach writers on how to start writing a book and stay with it until it’s completed. This book is for people who have difficulty in realizing their true purpose for writing. It is aimed to help writers develop their writing style by learning the art of English grammar and implementing them in the correct technique.

This book will boost writers to generate more writing by having faith that the stories they write will definitely make a difference in the literary world.

Perspective, way of looking at life

Source: Paulo Coelho's blog

The Argentinean golfer Robert de Vincenzo went to the parking lot to get his car after having won an important tournament.
At that moment, a woman approached him. After congratulating him for his victory, she told him her son was at the edge of death and that she had no money to pay the hospital bills.

De Vincenzo immediately gave her part of the money he had won that afternoon.

A week later, at a lunch at the Professional Golf Association, he told this story to a couple of friends. One of them asked him if the woman was blond with a small scar under her left eye.

De Vincenzo agreed. “You were cheated,” his friend said.

“This woman is a swindler and is always telling the same story to all foreign golfers that show up here.”

“So there is no child at the edge of death?”
“No.”
“Well, this was the best news I got this week!” said the golf player.

Most people believe that their life happens to them

Source: Paulo Coelho's blog

“Most people believe that their life happens to them. That everything which occurs happens because of external circumstances that are independent of their will. Some people call this fate, others call it God’s will, and others choose to call it chance. But regardless of what they call it, they are giving away the responsibility for their lives; they relinquish control over their joys and their sorrows. They become an actor in someone else’s play.

“Every single event in your life is determined solely by you, by your unlimited creative capacity. You can manifest beauty and abundance, just as you can manifest cruelty and oppression. You can manifest joy, just as you can manifest suffering. It is up to you, and no one else. You are the director of the play of your life, and you are writing the script with every breath, every thought, every emotion. It is likely, however, that you are not fully aware of the story you are writing. And thus it is easier to believe that external forces come into play.”

“It is only when we become fully aware of the story that we can choose to write a different one.”

Passwords, giving the needed push

I just happened to recently read an article on reader's digest about how passwords can change lives. The topic itself, intriguing, I was drawn towards what the writer had to say on how a password could affect lives. Passwords, now being the most mundane things of our lives, do not appear to be anything different or exciting to our lives. Of course, they hold a secretive part of us, when we hide our lover's names or secured codewords. In the current era, coming up with a password is no easy task when you have to keep replacing one every two or three months with the new password matching a new set of criteria each time.

Memorizing passwords are really hard when you have to store at least ten of them in your head. I counted once and found that I needed to remember at least 15 of them which was impossible. I simply had to write them down in a secretive place. Coming back to the article that I read, the writer showed a way of how passwords, than just being random set of letters and symbols, can actually be made into something that can uplift our minds.

Say you have been having a rough patch with someone, your husband, your friend or your relative. The tiff stays in your head not letting you think of anything else. Next time you change your password, keep it something related to your problem, like forgive@her$$ or forget@fight, anything at all. When you type this password numerous times a day to login, it will start beginning to work inside your brain actually letting you live the password. In no time, you will find yourself forgiving the person or forgetting the argument that had dodged up your head.

Say if you are looking for a new job, a soul mate or you have a dream. Having passwords related to things that hold utmost importance in your life can actually let you achieve things and improve situations.

I am not really sure how far this works but hey, it's worth giving a shot. Try giving it a chance with your next password. I am definitely giving it a try.

Frogs being boiled

Several biological studies have shown that a frog placed in a container along with water from his pond, he will remain alive while you heat the water. The toad does not react to the gradual increase of temperature (change of environment) and only dies when the water boils, swollen and happy.

On the other hand, if a toad is thrown into that same container when the water is already boiling, he will immediately jump out. He will be a little singed, but alive!

Sometimes we can be like the boiled toads. We do not notice changes.
We think everything is good, or that whatever is evil will pass, it’s just a matter of time.

We are about to die, but we are floating, stable and apathetic as the water warms up every minute.
We are dying, fat and happy, without having noticed the changes around us.

There are boiled toads who still believe that the key is obedience, not competence: might is right, and obey whoever is sensible. From all this, where is the real life? It is better to emerge from a situation, maybe a little singed from time to time, but alive and ready to act.

A memorial that will live forever

When I first visited NY in May 2014, I was impressed with the tall skyscrapers and the huge rush on the roads that reminded me of India in more than many ways. I noticed that the city had a glossy touch of style and elegance that was nowhere to be found. But what I didn’t notice was this – a layer of pain covered with memories and aching tales was also painted in the midst of the glamorous world that enveloped the city.

I eventually happened to visit the 9/11 memorial as well. I had heard about the 9/11 incident numerous times before, who hasn't, right? 9/11-The unforgettable incident that shook the world and changed the course of a country forever. But I hadn't so much heard about the memorial because it had opened up recently for the world to look at.

As I stared down at the black stoned memorial, peering to get a better view in the midst of tourist who were thronging for pictures, I noticed small waterfalls throughout the open black stoned huge space. I also noticed that they had engraved the names of those who lost their lives in the attack. That was it. I simply posed for a couple of pictures and declared that NYC was a beautiful place for its view from empire state building, statue of liberty and the Times Square. I had summed NYC in these three glossy famous places.

Little did I know that I was completely wrong. Recently, I watched a documentary ‘Ground Zero’ on Netflix that spoke about the meticulous planning that underwent into the construction of the new tower and the memorial. The one hour episode showed me the pain and the shock and the broken lives of the people who witnessed the attack, who worked afterward to build the broken lives and those who involved themselves into rising up with a new tower and a memorial.

I was simply touched by the courage and confidence the people had displayed in the aftermath of the attack. I had always thought that pain was subjective to individuals but when I saw the birth of the memorial in the documentary, I realized that a million hearts can feel the same pain and be affected by it to the same degree.

But what amazed me the most is the way the memorial is built to depict that the hollowness will remain forever in the space where the towers were once standing, the emptiness will never be replaced. Though the pain will be there forever, the memorial speaks of true courage.

I would not like to explain more in words for it will always remain an unexplainable situation. I would simply like to salute all those brave hearts who will continue to live forever through the memorial.

My take on why Netflix is a gift!

When I first came to the states, I always found ways to complain by comparing it with my motherland, India. That’s right; your country suddenly comes first when you step outside of it. But then, I learnt to look at the good things in the new land as well (I still complain though, old habits die hard :)).

One of the good stuff is Netflix. Darn, I know there are plenty other things one can think about other than watching fast, uninterrupted, extremely clear video streaming, ain’t it? But that’s the pretty thing about Netflix, where you can watch a good number of series on different genres. I usually don’t go about talking nice even about the things that are good because I am one of those people who let other people discover things by themselves.

For some reason, Netflix has been such a huge part of my life for a long time that I thought it would be fun to let someone know that there is some amazing stuff in the bunch of video streaming series. Of course, they have movies too; a lot of crappy ones- makes me wonder why they have in there in the first place. But the good part is that they have an amazing collection of series that suits all your moods.

Some of the best ones that I have watched are- Prison break (extreme thrilling experience), Arrested Development, Mellisa and Joey, The office, Ally McBeal, How I met your mother, The IT crowd (a bunch of rib tickling hilarious stuff) and The killing (all murder and blood) and many more which I am yet to discover.

The most important part is that we all are looking for something that makes us feel good at the end of the day. One of the things about watching these series, the good ones, is that it lets you a peek into how easy lives could be if we simply had a sense of humor, a mad- exaggerated sense of humor.

Nonetheless, I shall refrain from judging the place and follow – take what you get and enjoy the little fruits life has to offer.

What would you take to bed each night?

One of the things about life is that, than us being able to give out, we have to be able to take from life as well. Taking is just not about having materialistic comforts because there is a lot that you can take just by looking at another person. As humans, it's hard to feel happy when your neighbor or friend has everything going on in his life unlike you who has to wait for things to happen. Well, you could disagree telling that you most certainly are happy for your friends but you definitely would not deny the little twinge that you feel when the other appears to be lucky in everything he does. That's human nature, to feel unlucky and unhappy by looking at a successful person. You don't have to be miserable or guilty about that.

We can actually turn the tables of our life and realize why it is more important to see another person happy. For our own growth, it is essential to be around people who have everything going. As bad as it sounds, there are times when we try to keep away from people who seem to be happy all the time. I mean, it is annoying to have things not moving at all in your life while being around someone who enjoys all the fruits of life. We tend to stay away from such people just to ease the pain of our lives.

Instead of turning away, when we start to look around and hope for another person's happiness, we start believing that good things can happen to us also, someday. And each one of us needs that belief to keep us moving ahead to know that one day, what we want will happen. It is important for us to believe that when our neighbor or friend gets lucky in life, we will also touch the stars, someday.

Each night, you can chose what you want to take to bed from life so that the next coming day brings hope. And hope is a small word that can create a huge difference.