Random Act of Kindness! Navin gets to hear a lot of 'pravachan' (talk?) from me on this particular phrase. If I am too lazy to get up and get the remote or get a glass of water, I tell him how we should imbibe kindness in our day to day life. He prefers to get me a glass of water than to listen to my non-sense. That's how I get my work done :)
I was in the mall the other day and was ready to checkout at a store. A lady had just finished her billing and was ready to leave. She came right up to me and said, 'Hey, I have a printout for 20% coupon, you can use it!'. Well, eh, sure! Sweet! Such treats are welcome anytime. So that day I ended by saving additional 20%; all credit to a stranger's act of kindness.
I was at Dominick's super market yesterday. The lady at the counter asked me if I had a Dominick's card? I looked for it in my purse. Nope. I looked again. At one time I used to have 3 cards in my purse but that day I just could not find it. You never get what you want when you want it bad! So what did the lady do? She simply asked the next person in line for her card and whoosh! swiped it for my purchase. I thought it was pretty indecent of her to take the card like that and even before the person could acknowledge or give permission, use it to save me some bucks! But the person in line was very sweet. She smiled back and said 'I too forget my card many times and ask someone else for one.'
The money I saved may have been just a few dollars and not too significant. But the kindness sure made a significant impression on me and left me with immense feeling of happiness that kindness still prevails. Its true, you may not remember how a person looked or what they said to you but you will always remember how they made you feel.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Looking forward to 2009!
Just a few days from now and 2008 would be known as 'last year'. Time to make new year resolutions! Frankly speaking I have never made any such list in my life and felt that it was a stupid concept. I never understood why we had this trend of making up to-do lists at the beginning of a new year. Why not anytime when need arises?
But now I get the point. It is just a way to keep life interesting and keep ourselves on our toes; keep us motivated to see our resolutions succeed within a year. In some cases just get us started. What better time to make a start then the New Years!
So here I am ready and all set for the new year. This year 08 has been a very exciting one for me and I wish and look forward to an even more happening and exciting next year.
At my Art of Living class, my teacher told me how she used to make a list of her new yr resolutions and even asked all her family members to keep one. At the end of the year she and her family look back on their list and proudly strike off what they managed to reach. Those they could not was carried forward or buried under. I thought this was a really cool idea. Wouldn't it be a great treat to see, many years from now what our aspirations and cravings were and how they change?
I am listing down My wishes and Resolutions for 2009 here so that my Friends who do read the post know about it too and may decide to keep a wish list for the new year.
1. I want to learn to play a music instrument - when I was little I had joined a class to learn Harmonium. But I never survived beyond one week of class. As a kid I feel I was more of a rebellious kind; did not want to do something cos my parents said I should do. Well, I did not have any interests either; so that kept me dull and boring. Now I want to learn the art of music; any instrument. I have few preferences: flute, drums, tabla, harmonica (my Dad had bought one from Kuwait when I was little and love I it), violin.
2. Collect songs and download to my ipod/cell - While driving I always listen to 103.5 kiss FM and am very fond of the songs that they play there. I don't understand the lyrics so well (thanks to my hearing abilities and understanding the varied accents) but I have managed to type the songs on my cell phone notes as I listen to them. But I have never managed to look for the songs and make the collection accessible whenever I want to listen to them. I wish somebody can do it for me :) I can try listing down the list as a post. It is going to be hilarious cos I know the words don't match. For instance, what I thought was 'i wanna breakup with u' was actually 'i wanna makeup with u' in one song. hahaha But nevertheless would be a good try to get some help to fulfill one wish.
3. Learn Tap dancing - Many many years back I had seen Aaditi as a small kid do tap dancing. I was very impressed and fascinated by the dance and thought I should learn it too. I never got the chance; but now I think I have more chances of finding a tap dance class in the neighborhood.
4. Be a Social Media Enthusiasts and involve in related activities - As part of my recent assignment at work I have got exposed to the idea of Social Networking and its concepts. I want to be able to learn the latest trends in social media and get connected to the right sources on the web. I want to dedicate a solid X amount of time to blogging, twitting, FB and the like everyday. I want to learn about open source and the what and how around it. I have not yet thought how I can benchmark this wish. I will add when I think of something I can share.
5. Visit India - I want to be able to make a visit to India - my home town Goa this year. I have not been there in a while and think 09 should work out for us. It is my Dad's and Mom-in-law's 60th birthday and an aunt's 25th wedding anniversary. Would be just great if we could plan our vacation around that time. Or may be one of my friends get married; and I get to attend a wedding :)
6. Attend part 2 of the Art of Living class - Earlier this year I attended the part 1 course of AOL and it has been very positive for me in terms of seeing the value of life and one's existence. I was able to let my guard down and embrace life with more energy and love. But I feel I have still come soul cleaning to do :) Jokes apart, I would really want to do the course. Part 1 was done out of curiosity but part 2 is a must do for me.
7. Volunteering Activities - I want to get associated with volunteering activities whenever I can. Every time I think about it I put it off thinking that let me first settle in a place where I know I will live for a while. With the kind of work I do, there are uncertainties of location of placement. But I feel it is just a bad reason not to get started. In past few months I have come across many people who can help me with this. I only have to get started.
I talk a lot about this with my friend Tushar who also works in same office as me. But sadly I have not been able to contribute in anyway. On the other hand Tushar had donated blood after we started talking about it. Isn't that cool.
8. Buy a New Car - This wish I believe can wait till end of 09 unless we buy some other car which will help us get rid of the present one. I have no complaints against the one we have right now, but its an old one. A brand new would be so much more fun and safe too.
9. Drive on freeways - Its been more than 4 months that I have started driving independently in the US. But I have never drove on freeways. Firstly I never got a reason to go there and whenever we did, my husband Navin used to drive. I always complained that why Navin did not give me a chance to drive whenever we met and most of times we would end up in a fight. Eventually he did give me the car keys but I used to be too annoyed to drive. I felt he did not trust my driving, but now when I think about it, how could he when I myself did not. :) So all well that end's well. And I want to end well by taking on the roads. My friend Anees at work has offered to accompany me. I should not delay or he may change his mind :D
10. Read Books - I have to admit. I have been very bad at this. All of a sudden I get the urge to take up reading. I go to the library (there is this big and lovely library where I live) and pick up 10 random books that interests me at that point of time. I don't read a word but make sure I return them before expiry date. Sometimes if I am travelling I pick a book or two and somehow read at least one if not both. But at that time reading the book is all I can think. I cannot enjoy anything else or even concentrate on anything else till I finish reading the book. I want to change this habit. My resolution is that I will pick up at least 5 books to read in the new year. I have few topics in mind and want to pick a book around those and not any random book.
11. Learn Sewing - I want to learn sewing and make a quilt. I wish to buy a sewing machine too and take up this project. I have even thought about what I want to make. Fingers crossed, and I will be quilting soon!
12. Painting - As a kid I used to draw on my bedroom walls :) My mom she is so sweet; we got the walls repainted but she has still kept the part which I have messed up cos she thinks that was sweet. It was not very long ago I was very impatient to start painting. I went to the store and bought painting brush, colors, canvas and all I need. Now I only need to paint!
But now I get the point. It is just a way to keep life interesting and keep ourselves on our toes; keep us motivated to see our resolutions succeed within a year. In some cases just get us started. What better time to make a start then the New Years!
So here I am ready and all set for the new year. This year 08 has been a very exciting one for me and I wish and look forward to an even more happening and exciting next year.
At my Art of Living class, my teacher told me how she used to make a list of her new yr resolutions and even asked all her family members to keep one. At the end of the year she and her family look back on their list and proudly strike off what they managed to reach. Those they could not was carried forward or buried under. I thought this was a really cool idea. Wouldn't it be a great treat to see, many years from now what our aspirations and cravings were and how they change?
I am listing down My wishes and Resolutions for 2009 here so that my Friends who do read the post know about it too and may decide to keep a wish list for the new year.
1. I want to learn to play a music instrument - when I was little I had joined a class to learn Harmonium. But I never survived beyond one week of class. As a kid I feel I was more of a rebellious kind; did not want to do something cos my parents said I should do. Well, I did not have any interests either; so that kept me dull and boring. Now I want to learn the art of music; any instrument. I have few preferences: flute, drums, tabla, harmonica (my Dad had bought one from Kuwait when I was little and love I it), violin.
2. Collect songs and download to my ipod/cell - While driving I always listen to 103.5 kiss FM and am very fond of the songs that they play there. I don't understand the lyrics so well (thanks to my hearing abilities and understanding the varied accents) but I have managed to type the songs on my cell phone notes as I listen to them. But I have never managed to look for the songs and make the collection accessible whenever I want to listen to them. I wish somebody can do it for me :) I can try listing down the list as a post. It is going to be hilarious cos I know the words don't match. For instance, what I thought was 'i wanna breakup with u' was actually 'i wanna makeup with u' in one song. hahaha But nevertheless would be a good try to get some help to fulfill one wish.
3. Learn Tap dancing - Many many years back I had seen Aaditi as a small kid do tap dancing. I was very impressed and fascinated by the dance and thought I should learn it too. I never got the chance; but now I think I have more chances of finding a tap dance class in the neighborhood.
4. Be a Social Media Enthusiasts and involve in related activities - As part of my recent assignment at work I have got exposed to the idea of Social Networking and its concepts. I want to be able to learn the latest trends in social media and get connected to the right sources on the web. I want to dedicate a solid X amount of time to blogging, twitting, FB and the like everyday. I want to learn about open source and the what and how around it. I have not yet thought how I can benchmark this wish. I will add when I think of something I can share.
5. Visit India - I want to be able to make a visit to India - my home town Goa this year. I have not been there in a while and think 09 should work out for us. It is my Dad's and Mom-in-law's 60th birthday and an aunt's 25th wedding anniversary. Would be just great if we could plan our vacation around that time. Or may be one of my friends get married; and I get to attend a wedding :)
6. Attend part 2 of the Art of Living class - Earlier this year I attended the part 1 course of AOL and it has been very positive for me in terms of seeing the value of life and one's existence. I was able to let my guard down and embrace life with more energy and love. But I feel I have still come soul cleaning to do :) Jokes apart, I would really want to do the course. Part 1 was done out of curiosity but part 2 is a must do for me.
7. Volunteering Activities - I want to get associated with volunteering activities whenever I can. Every time I think about it I put it off thinking that let me first settle in a place where I know I will live for a while. With the kind of work I do, there are uncertainties of location of placement. But I feel it is just a bad reason not to get started. In past few months I have come across many people who can help me with this. I only have to get started.
I talk a lot about this with my friend Tushar who also works in same office as me. But sadly I have not been able to contribute in anyway. On the other hand Tushar had donated blood after we started talking about it. Isn't that cool.
8. Buy a New Car - This wish I believe can wait till end of 09 unless we buy some other car which will help us get rid of the present one. I have no complaints against the one we have right now, but its an old one. A brand new would be so much more fun and safe too.
9. Drive on freeways - Its been more than 4 months that I have started driving independently in the US. But I have never drove on freeways. Firstly I never got a reason to go there and whenever we did, my husband Navin used to drive. I always complained that why Navin did not give me a chance to drive whenever we met and most of times we would end up in a fight. Eventually he did give me the car keys but I used to be too annoyed to drive. I felt he did not trust my driving, but now when I think about it, how could he when I myself did not. :) So all well that end's well. And I want to end well by taking on the roads. My friend Anees at work has offered to accompany me. I should not delay or he may change his mind :D
10. Read Books - I have to admit. I have been very bad at this. All of a sudden I get the urge to take up reading. I go to the library (there is this big and lovely library where I live) and pick up 10 random books that interests me at that point of time. I don't read a word but make sure I return them before expiry date. Sometimes if I am travelling I pick a book or two and somehow read at least one if not both. But at that time reading the book is all I can think. I cannot enjoy anything else or even concentrate on anything else till I finish reading the book. I want to change this habit. My resolution is that I will pick up at least 5 books to read in the new year. I have few topics in mind and want to pick a book around those and not any random book.
11. Learn Sewing - I want to learn sewing and make a quilt. I wish to buy a sewing machine too and take up this project. I have even thought about what I want to make. Fingers crossed, and I will be quilting soon!
12. Painting - As a kid I used to draw on my bedroom walls :) My mom she is so sweet; we got the walls repainted but she has still kept the part which I have messed up cos she thinks that was sweet. It was not very long ago I was very impatient to start painting. I went to the store and bought painting brush, colors, canvas and all I need. Now I only need to paint!
13. iPhone - Almost forgot! I want to buy an iPhone soon :)
There are a few other things like swimming, work out, learning new cuisines that I want to add but they are not in forefront for me. And also there are other things more important like job, work, family which cannot be part of new year resolutions.
Hope you guys make up your resolutions soon. New year is not too far!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
My Favorite Babies!
Sparsh and Rudra are the cutest babies I know. Wanted to share some of their pictures I had clicked whenever I happened to meet them. Rudu lives right across my house; so I have loads of her pictures.
Both are growing so fast! I remember seeing them within days of their birth and they were so tiny. Having known their mommies Aarti (Sparshu's mom) and Bindiya (Rudu's mom) even before the little ones were born, makes them all the more special to me.
To see more of Sparshu and Rudu click here. Also check out these videos listed on YouTube.
(I hate my voice in all the videos :P)
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
When will this end?
It is almost one week since the terrorists attacks in Mumbai. I wish I could express my feelings of anguish, hatred and depression and put it all out here so that I get a good night sleep.
I was on phone with Mom and my relatives in Mumbai on the day when I got to know of the horrible news. The news that was being telecast on TV as a gang shootout continued for three days and ended in over 170 people killed in the horrendous massacre.
Those 170 people could have been one of my friends or relatives or me. The media coverage showed bleeding bodies, crying injured people, some hanging at the windows waiting for help and rescuers. People articulated their experiences at the tragic incidence. Some video coverage showed bullets shot at people passing by the busy roads of Mumbai.
Some videos showed the faces of terror while others showed the aftermath of the episode. So many lives lost; none of them ever expected that it would have been their last day to live. So many families lost their beloved ones; the gap will never be filled again.
I wish I had a remedy to the pain and suffering in the world or at least someone did. I look upon nature to bring peace and happiness to everyone and wish humans respect life in its totality.
It has been a very saddened week with Mumbai attack news running through my head all the time. I pray to God that I get the strength, courage and opportunity to do my bit to make this planet a place for everyone to live with peace and harmony.
I was on phone with Mom and my relatives in Mumbai on the day when I got to know of the horrible news. The news that was being telecast on TV as a gang shootout continued for three days and ended in over 170 people killed in the horrendous massacre.
Those 170 people could have been one of my friends or relatives or me. The media coverage showed bleeding bodies, crying injured people, some hanging at the windows waiting for help and rescuers. People articulated their experiences at the tragic incidence. Some video coverage showed bullets shot at people passing by the busy roads of Mumbai.
Some videos showed the faces of terror while others showed the aftermath of the episode. So many lives lost; none of them ever expected that it would have been their last day to live. So many families lost their beloved ones; the gap will never be filled again.
I wish I had a remedy to the pain and suffering in the world or at least someone did. I look upon nature to bring peace and happiness to everyone and wish humans respect life in its totality.
It has been a very saddened week with Mumbai attack news running through my head all the time. I pray to God that I get the strength, courage and opportunity to do my bit to make this planet a place for everyone to live with peace and harmony.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
A fun Saturday evening
Weather forecast for saturday was light snow showers and rain. Due to bad weather we decided that we will not have the entire project mates to the party. So it was just few families get-together at our place. I was very excited and looking foward to meet everyone; specially the kids.
It was about 8:30 pm and I was running late. I was busy cleaning the house and getting all set to welcome the guests expected at 9:00 pm. Suddenly it strikes me.. .ah I forgot to get the rotis from the Indian store! Oh my gosh. People are expected anytime, so I could not leave the house. So I called Kripa; 'Need a small favor. Can you pick some rotis from the Indian store on the way to our house?'. I am sure Kripa would have cursed me; giving an unplanned task specially when Shweta( his wife) must have already been running late with the cooking and getting Ashi (their sweet daughter) ready.
But guess what! They decided they would prepare the rotis at home. In no time they prepared tasty parathas. Thanks to Kripa's assistance, Shweta quickly made the parathas and were just 15-20 mins late. Cannot compare the ready-made rotis to the hot, fresh, ghee covered yummy parathas.
Shyju and family were first to arrive. They were the only ones to drive more than 14 miles to our house and were right on time. Hats off... specially with a small kid at home it is tough to meet the deadlines :) Ann (their daughter) was bit unhappy to be woken up from her sleep. Moreover it was so cold to add to the irritation. She cried her heart out as she entered the house. But she was very pleased to get a bunch of cute stuff toys in an attempt to make her quiet.
It did not take much time for her to settle down in the new place. She is the cutest baby and I loved playing with her. Preeti (Ann's mom) made chhola and it smelled delicious.
Next to arrive was Sugu and family. He has 2 sons; Harish and Hrithik. Harish is in grade 1 and very adorable. He is great with kids and loves playing with them. All evening he was playing with the little ones and made sure he entertained them while he was awake. He made himself at home right away.
Hrithik is the quietest baby I have ever seen. He looked very cute in his dogie winter cap. Anu (his mom) made sure he lied down in a comfortable place and he laid there all the time. He woke up, slept, woke up again and slept again :) He was very happy to just be on his own.
Anu made vegetable cutlets. The cutlets were a winner from the start! Sugu claimed he made those but we all knew Sugu cannot lie ;). Anu also made the tastiest vegetable biryani I have eaten. I am not lying.
We missed Venu and Madhuri. Venu was in great spirits on Friday and added excitement on the idea of having a get-together over the weekend. But unfortunately Aryan (their little baby) fell ill and was down with temperature. They are just back from India and it will take a while for the young one to settle down. Hoping to meet Madhuri and Aryan soon.
It was Anu's birthday the following day. I had baked a cake for her. Also Aryan and Ann had recently celebrated their birthdays too. We did the cake cutting. Anu also shared with us a little secret; Sugu gifted her very special diamond pendant! I hope Navin reads this and learns something from Sugu. But I know what he would say; 'See, Sugu took 5+ years to get a pendant. So you can wait a little longer'. :)
There was lots and lots of food! It was a potluck and everyone had made delicious items. Shweta had made paneer capsicum and I could not resist having just one more paratha with paneer sabji every time. Finally I stopped myself with a final half paratha and when Kripa looked at the half eaten paratha, it became a joke; him saying 'How can anyone eat half paratha'! he he Well, what can I say. You have to stop yourself somewhere right? So I decided to stop on one last half!
The kids had a gala time. We decided to play poker. As we laid the poker chips to get started the little monsters made their way right at the poker chips! Well, well, well! What was I thinking when I planned to play poker at the party and got the poker set from Tushar for the event. Frankly speaking I thought the kids would be fast asleep at the time. It was mid-night but the kids were as wide awake like an owl would be.
I am glad no one took the picture of the mess with the poker chips; else Tushar will never share the poker chips with me again ;)
I had a smaller poker set with me. So we gave them to the kids. They played football with the chips and hit and yell with the poker chips while we enjoyed a great game. Preeti took care of the kids while we were playing.
Sugu and Anu were playing for the first time. Everyone had their bit of luck last night. Everyone won a game or two except Sugu. In fact, Anu had an awesome beginner's luck when she almost won the first game. She had a straight! but I dunno why; for some reason I looked at her cards (I was helping her initially) and did not see her chance of winning. And I asked her to quit in the last round! After that she never asked me for help ;)
After an hour or so we decided we would have the last round of poker. Everyone started with big bets. And guess what? Sugu was the winner in the round and so was the one to steal the game. Lucky Sugu! He adds in the end 'I am a champion, you guys didn't know'. I am sure he didn't know either ;)!
After the game of poker, Shyju taught everyone Black Jack! It was very funny actually. While he was explaining, everyone was asking him silly questions. 'Why should I give you money?' 'Why should I add up?' 'But I have more than her, why did I lost against her?'
Finally, the mango pie was awaiting to arrive. After enjoying the tasty desert everybody left.
All in all it was a great evening. Here are a few light moments from that evening.
Hrithik the cutie pie playing with his elder bro
In the end, Ashi was wide awake while other kids slept
Ann baby!
Shweta will kill me for taking this pic :)
Anu relaxed as her baby was fast asleep
Sweet Harish!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy birthday and belated wishes - Anu, Ann and Aryan
Here is one video taken while the kids having a good time.
It was about 8:30 pm and I was running late. I was busy cleaning the house and getting all set to welcome the guests expected at 9:00 pm. Suddenly it strikes me.. .ah I forgot to get the rotis from the Indian store! Oh my gosh. People are expected anytime, so I could not leave the house. So I called Kripa; 'Need a small favor. Can you pick some rotis from the Indian store on the way to our house?'. I am sure Kripa would have cursed me; giving an unplanned task specially when Shweta( his wife) must have already been running late with the cooking and getting Ashi (their sweet daughter) ready.
But guess what! They decided they would prepare the rotis at home. In no time they prepared tasty parathas. Thanks to Kripa's assistance, Shweta quickly made the parathas and were just 15-20 mins late. Cannot compare the ready-made rotis to the hot, fresh, ghee covered yummy parathas.
Shyju and family were first to arrive. They were the only ones to drive more than 14 miles to our house and were right on time. Hats off... specially with a small kid at home it is tough to meet the deadlines :) Ann (their daughter) was bit unhappy to be woken up from her sleep. Moreover it was so cold to add to the irritation. She cried her heart out as she entered the house. But she was very pleased to get a bunch of cute stuff toys in an attempt to make her quiet.
It did not take much time for her to settle down in the new place. She is the cutest baby and I loved playing with her. Preeti (Ann's mom) made chhola and it smelled delicious.
Next to arrive was Sugu and family. He has 2 sons; Harish and Hrithik. Harish is in grade 1 and very adorable. He is great with kids and loves playing with them. All evening he was playing with the little ones and made sure he entertained them while he was awake. He made himself at home right away.
Hrithik is the quietest baby I have ever seen. He looked very cute in his dogie winter cap. Anu (his mom) made sure he lied down in a comfortable place and he laid there all the time. He woke up, slept, woke up again and slept again :) He was very happy to just be on his own.
Anu made vegetable cutlets. The cutlets were a winner from the start! Sugu claimed he made those but we all knew Sugu cannot lie ;). Anu also made the tastiest vegetable biryani I have eaten. I am not lying.
We missed Venu and Madhuri. Venu was in great spirits on Friday and added excitement on the idea of having a get-together over the weekend. But unfortunately Aryan (their little baby) fell ill and was down with temperature. They are just back from India and it will take a while for the young one to settle down. Hoping to meet Madhuri and Aryan soon.
It was Anu's birthday the following day. I had baked a cake for her. Also Aryan and Ann had recently celebrated their birthdays too. We did the cake cutting. Anu also shared with us a little secret; Sugu gifted her very special diamond pendant! I hope Navin reads this and learns something from Sugu. But I know what he would say; 'See, Sugu took 5+ years to get a pendant. So you can wait a little longer'. :)
There was lots and lots of food! It was a potluck and everyone had made delicious items. Shweta had made paneer capsicum and I could not resist having just one more paratha with paneer sabji every time. Finally I stopped myself with a final half paratha and when Kripa looked at the half eaten paratha, it became a joke; him saying 'How can anyone eat half paratha'! he he Well, what can I say. You have to stop yourself somewhere right? So I decided to stop on one last half!
The kids had a gala time. We decided to play poker. As we laid the poker chips to get started the little monsters made their way right at the poker chips! Well, well, well! What was I thinking when I planned to play poker at the party and got the poker set from Tushar for the event. Frankly speaking I thought the kids would be fast asleep at the time. It was mid-night but the kids were as wide awake like an owl would be.
I am glad no one took the picture of the mess with the poker chips; else Tushar will never share the poker chips with me again ;)
I had a smaller poker set with me. So we gave them to the kids. They played football with the chips and hit and yell with the poker chips while we enjoyed a great game. Preeti took care of the kids while we were playing.
Sugu and Anu were playing for the first time. Everyone had their bit of luck last night. Everyone won a game or two except Sugu. In fact, Anu had an awesome beginner's luck when she almost won the first game. She had a straight! but I dunno why; for some reason I looked at her cards (I was helping her initially) and did not see her chance of winning. And I asked her to quit in the last round! After that she never asked me for help ;)
After an hour or so we decided we would have the last round of poker. Everyone started with big bets. And guess what? Sugu was the winner in the round and so was the one to steal the game. Lucky Sugu! He adds in the end 'I am a champion, you guys didn't know'. I am sure he didn't know either ;)!
After the game of poker, Shyju taught everyone Black Jack! It was very funny actually. While he was explaining, everyone was asking him silly questions. 'Why should I give you money?' 'Why should I add up?' 'But I have more than her, why did I lost against her?'
Finally, the mango pie was awaiting to arrive. After enjoying the tasty desert everybody left.
All in all it was a great evening. Here are a few light moments from that evening.
Shyju playing with Ann's toys :)
Hrithik the cutie pie playing with his elder bro
In the end, Ashi was wide awake while other kids slept
Ann baby!
Shweta will kill me for taking this pic :)
She is a slow eater and was one of the last people to finish dinner
Anu relaxed as her baby was fast asleep
Sweet Harish!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy birthday and belated wishes - Anu, Ann and Aryan
Here is one video taken while the kids having a good time.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Excitement blown away
Tushar, Anees and I were very excited that we would be doing a good cause by donating blood this weekend. Little did we know that some 'unkind' U.S. rules would blow away the act of 'kindness'.
I had donated blood in my office back in India a couple of times too. Donating blood is the least we can do to save lives. And why not do it when we are healthy and young? I got myself registered for Platelet Apheresis at the Heartland Blood Center in Schaumburg. Cancer patients, those receiving organ or bone marrow transplants, victims of traumatic injuries, and patients undergoing open heart surgery require platelet transfusions to survive. Platelets can be stored only for 5 days and hence the need is vast and continuous. Besides, I had not donated platelets anytime; so was curious to know what it is and what the procedure was.
I logged on to the site and read through all the information posted for donors. I made sure I covered all the pre and post donate conditions and precautions listed out there. Person has to be above 18 yrs of age; above 110 pounds; should not have any major diseases mentioned on the site; not have had tattoo in last 1 yr; and hence forth. I did qualify for blood donation and so very excited about the whole idea.
I was not able to get any appointment except for the 7:00 am to 9:00 am slot morning on a Saturday morning. Getting up early for a good cause; sure - why not. I wanted to do it as soon as possible so this Saturday was the earliest I could get else I had to wait for few more weeks. I was surprised at the same time happy to know that all slots were filled; that means many people are involved in this kind deed.
They had mentioned that it is recommended to eat something within the four hours preceding the donation. Now, does that mean I had to eat at 3:00 in the morning? I did not want to take a chance of fainting or trouble the staff in case I felt ill because of not eating after the donation.
The previous night I got Chinese noodles parcelled from one of my favourite restaurants. The quantity was enough for two people! I was very hungry after work so had an early dinner and went to bed. Normally I don't sleep before mid night, but I did not want to miss the appointment; so slept at 8:30 pm itself. Well, that's not it. I also woke up in the middle of the night to eat the rest of my dinner :) I was well-prepared for my task!!!
I reached the blood center few minutes before time. The lady at the reception was very helpful. She started my paper work early even though the office was still not open. She made me fill some information related to medicines I take, illness if any and Travel. Travel? Well, I was not sure why that was needed.
Since it was my first time at the center, I was told that they would not be able to do Platelet Apheresis but can do the Whole blood donation. I was fine. I should have called in earlier and checked on this. But anyway. It would just take 10 minutes now and not 2 long hrs. It would have saved me some time this morning and I could have planned better.
I was directed to go and sit in a small room; I knew this was it. The real deal; time I was waiting for. She went through the form I had entered. Which state in India are you from? I said Goa and spelled it out. "You are going to hate me for this." she said.
What was it? She showed me a book with the rules for eligibility. Against India it was typed 'DEFER'. I did not know what that meant and neither did she know why it was marked deferred for a particular country; specially India where more than 10% immigrants are from India in the U.S. She called her colleague for help. She explained.
Well, the FDA rules say that a person eligible for blood donation should have stayed in the U.S. for at least 3 years from today. That means I should have been the the U.S. since Nov 2005. I was surprised and disappointed at the same time. Who would stay that long in a foreign land? Won't we visit or travel in between? Well, if you have travelled for a period of say 1 week then the time gap should be 1 yr. OMG! I felt bad; and dizzy. Thank God I had had a good meal :)
The lady told me that I should wait for 2 more yrs to donate. What! That was very sad indeed.
Here I am eager to help and some rules in the country are stopping me from helping mankind. I felt very bad and angry on the U.S. rules. Isn't my blood good enough to help someone in the U.S.? I tried to make sense out of it. I knew it was for security reasons and the FDA knows what is best for the people. The lady at the center was very sorry I could not donate; and I was early too. But she said she appreciated my gesture.
Once I was home, I looked up on the site again.
It said - Due to Malarial risk, anyone who has traveled outside the U. S. or Canada should check with Donor Services Staff to determine eligibility. Among others, regions at risk of malaria include most sub-Saharan African and many Asian countries, some states of Mexico, areas in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Cost Rica, El Salvador, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Haiti and others. Refer to staff for details.
So India fell under the Malaria Area. How I wish India as well as other countries mentioned above were safe like any other healthy countries in the world.
I should have checked with the staff before registering. Someone else could have used my time-slot for donation. Anees and Tushar both did not qualify either. So I got their appointments cancelled so that their trip to the center was saved.
Waking early was good anyways. I now have a story to share and can help people be aware of such rules in the future.
I had donated blood in my office back in India a couple of times too. Donating blood is the least we can do to save lives. And why not do it when we are healthy and young? I got myself registered for Platelet Apheresis at the Heartland Blood Center in Schaumburg. Cancer patients, those receiving organ or bone marrow transplants, victims of traumatic injuries, and patients undergoing open heart surgery require platelet transfusions to survive. Platelets can be stored only for 5 days and hence the need is vast and continuous. Besides, I had not donated platelets anytime; so was curious to know what it is and what the procedure was.
I logged on to the site and read through all the information posted for donors. I made sure I covered all the pre and post donate conditions and precautions listed out there. Person has to be above 18 yrs of age; above 110 pounds; should not have any major diseases mentioned on the site; not have had tattoo in last 1 yr; and hence forth. I did qualify for blood donation and so very excited about the whole idea.
I was not able to get any appointment except for the 7:00 am to 9:00 am slot morning on a Saturday morning. Getting up early for a good cause; sure - why not. I wanted to do it as soon as possible so this Saturday was the earliest I could get else I had to wait for few more weeks. I was surprised at the same time happy to know that all slots were filled; that means many people are involved in this kind deed.
They had mentioned that it is recommended to eat something within the four hours preceding the donation. Now, does that mean I had to eat at 3:00 in the morning? I did not want to take a chance of fainting or trouble the staff in case I felt ill because of not eating after the donation.
The previous night I got Chinese noodles parcelled from one of my favourite restaurants. The quantity was enough for two people! I was very hungry after work so had an early dinner and went to bed. Normally I don't sleep before mid night, but I did not want to miss the appointment; so slept at 8:30 pm itself. Well, that's not it. I also woke up in the middle of the night to eat the rest of my dinner :) I was well-prepared for my task!!!
I reached the blood center few minutes before time. The lady at the reception was very helpful. She started my paper work early even though the office was still not open. She made me fill some information related to medicines I take, illness if any and Travel. Travel? Well, I was not sure why that was needed.
Since it was my first time at the center, I was told that they would not be able to do Platelet Apheresis but can do the Whole blood donation. I was fine. I should have called in earlier and checked on this. But anyway. It would just take 10 minutes now and not 2 long hrs. It would have saved me some time this morning and I could have planned better.
I was directed to go and sit in a small room; I knew this was it. The real deal; time I was waiting for. She went through the form I had entered. Which state in India are you from? I said Goa and spelled it out. "You are going to hate me for this." she said.
What was it? She showed me a book with the rules for eligibility. Against India it was typed 'DEFER'. I did not know what that meant and neither did she know why it was marked deferred for a particular country; specially India where more than 10% immigrants are from India in the U.S. She called her colleague for help. She explained.
Well, the FDA rules say that a person eligible for blood donation should have stayed in the U.S. for at least 3 years from today. That means I should have been the the U.S. since Nov 2005. I was surprised and disappointed at the same time. Who would stay that long in a foreign land? Won't we visit or travel in between? Well, if you have travelled for a period of say 1 week then the time gap should be 1 yr. OMG! I felt bad; and dizzy. Thank God I had had a good meal :)
The lady told me that I should wait for 2 more yrs to donate. What! That was very sad indeed.
Here I am eager to help and some rules in the country are stopping me from helping mankind. I felt very bad and angry on the U.S. rules. Isn't my blood good enough to help someone in the U.S.? I tried to make sense out of it. I knew it was for security reasons and the FDA knows what is best for the people. The lady at the center was very sorry I could not donate; and I was early too. But she said she appreciated my gesture.
Once I was home, I looked up on the site again.
It said - Due to Malarial risk, anyone who has traveled outside the U. S. or Canada should check with Donor Services Staff to determine eligibility. Among others, regions at risk of malaria include most sub-Saharan African and many Asian countries, some states of Mexico, areas in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Cost Rica, El Salvador, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Haiti and others. Refer to staff for details.
So India fell under the Malaria Area. How I wish India as well as other countries mentioned above were safe like any other healthy countries in the world.
I should have checked with the staff before registering. Someone else could have used my time-slot for donation. Anees and Tushar both did not qualify either. So I got their appointments cancelled so that their trip to the center was saved.
Waking early was good anyways. I now have a story to share and can help people be aware of such rules in the future.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Glad to meet you!
Last night I had set the morning alarm at 8:00 am but unusually I woke up at 6:30 am this morning. Since I was awake, I thought it would not be a bad idea to check out the apartment gym. It had been more than 3 months I had been to this 'not so exciting' place; at least for me. I was surprised to see two other people almost half way through their workout already. Last time I was there at this time, I got to see only the cleaning service folks. I was happy to know people still do use our apartment gym :)
One of the people on the treadmill welcomed me with a sweet smile. Now, a smile from a stranger and that too in a place which can get dreadful at times, was good enough to give a kick start to my morning workout.
Since both the treadmills were occupied I decided to try the Elliptical. One of them was lying on the floor, broken into pieces. I climbed the other one. It made a cracking sound and I was not sure if it was the introduction to my weight that caused it to cry out loud! I did not want to claim the 'last person using it' tag for the equipment; so decided will wait for the treadmill. The lady looked with the same familiar smile and said "They need to replace those". I agreed.
Soon I was on a treadmill and the new Friend and I were working out on equipments side-by-side. I am Linda BTW she said. Yes, friend had to have a name too! I told mine and we talked about how badly this place needed renovation.
Earlier, Linda was walking on the treadmill, and her hand bag fell off the machine and lots of papers fell off from her bag. Only later she told me that she was a writer and worked for kids. No wonder she had so many papers in her bag.
She asked me where I was working. I told her I was working in the IT department and that she might be interested in taking advantage of a discount for family and friends at my client stores. So that was how I got her email id and I promised to send the coupons to her. She was in a hurry saying that she had to pick a friend at work and left.
I continued my workout and in a little while was ready to leave. Suddenly I saw Linda's hand bag lying near the treadmill. I was not sure if she would be back; I assumed she wouldn't as it was already quite some time since she had left. In the hurry to leave early she had completely forgotten about the bag. I decided to leave the bag at the leasing office and drop her an email that she could pick it from there. I was happy that I had taken the email address from her.
I drove back home and first thing wrote her an email. But unfortunately the mail bounced back! Now I knew I had mistyped the email address in my cell phone. Why don't the 'g's sound like 'g's and 'p's sound like 'p's to me! I need to work on my american accent I thought.
Now what do I do? What if she comes to the gym to look for her bag? I had to contact her and let her know that her stuff was safe.
I looked for her name over the web. 'Linda Piepenbrink' and gosh! I found so many links on the net. I was very excited; one- I was sure that now I would get her cell phone # and secondly- I came across a person who was famous. At least to some extent I was sure. On the internet, I saw her books on sale on ebay, amazon etc.
I managed to get her office number and dropped her a voice message. But what if that's her old office? It said Wisconsin and I was not sure if anyone would go for a workout early morning if they had to travel to work so far. I looked for her on facebook and luckily found her in there. I left her a message on facebook too. Later I dropped her hand bag at the leasing office.
When I was in office I was happy to get a reply from Linda. She said she would collect the bag from office and was thankful for taking care of her stuff. And I was glad to have met her.
My trip to the gym got me a new friend along with few calories off.
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