Hope

Reuse, Recycle, Refurbish

2011-12-06T18:56:00.000-08:00

Some amazing ideas here, lets get used to reusing, recycling and refurbishing!

Recurring theme calling my name

2011-12-04T18:55:00.000-08:00

Bhupen Hazarika lives on

2011-11-06T18:53:00.000-08:00

Mira couldn't have said it any better and I feel exactly the same way ..... quoting, "I was 12. And Doordarshan was the only channel that I was exposed to, maybe there existed no other. One day I heard a beautiful song on DD...it went, "Ek kali, do patiyan...nazook nazook unglihttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifyaan, tod rahi hain kaun yeh ek kali do patiyan, Ratanpur bageeche mein". A very soothing voice. Had never heard anything like that before. The song was picturised on beautiful girls picking tender tea leaves on some tea-estate in Assam. Time and again, a stern looking man wearing a Kumaoni kind of cap made his presence felt on the screen. His name read Bhupen Hazarika. For someone who had only heard of Kishore Kumar, Rafi and Mukesh, this sure was a different voice. But the voice and that first song stayed. RIP Bhupen Hazarika."

Best Love Story

2011-11-04T18:49:00.000-07:00

The husband's grandparents celebrate 70 years of a beautiful marriage! :)

A good wife, a good cook, a goohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifd faith make for a good marriage.

Word as Image

2011-10-12T18:48:00.000-07:00

A very intelligent animation

Hearing Bilingual: How Babies Tell Languages Apart

2011-10-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

For parents of multi-lingual kids, keep doing what you are doing.

Jagjit Singh ... sigh!

2011-10-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

Bhulaye nahi bhool sakta hai koi, woh choti si raatein woh lambi kahani, woh kagaz ki kashti, woh baarish ka paani. Jagjit Singh's heart rendering ghazals are playing right now on this chaundavi ki raat - strange coincidence as I just read the news.

I don't like this trend of posts :(

RIP Steve Jobs

2011-10-06T18:39:00.000-07:00

New York Times puts it all into perspective with a list of Steve Jobs's patents:

The 317 Apple patents that list Steven P. Jobs among the group of inventors offer a glimpse at his legendary say over the minute details of the company’s products

Celebration of Life Warli

2011-07-17T18:23:00.000-07:00

I'm smiling wide as I just delivered my brand new Warli painting "Celebration of Life". It was a Custom Order. My dear M, thank you for giving me the opportunity to create this for you, I enjoyed the process thoroughly.

Jesse Cook's magical strumming

2011-07-16T18:21:00.000-07:00

Hot! Hot!

2011-06-28T18:14:00.000-07:00

It's this hot here in AZ:

And I forgot my phone in the car and here's what I saw when I found it:

Buying local and eating organic

2011-06-10T12:33:00.000-07:00

Most of you know my love for gardening, eating organic and natural foods. While I try to grow most things, I do have to buy some vegetables and fruits. Whole Foods and Sprouts are great, but they are sometimes over priced and do not always have locally grown foods.

One way to reduce our carbon footprint is to buy from local farms, hence reducing the resources spent on transportation, storage, preserving, etc.. This also supports our local economy and increases our self sustenance. Besides, locally grown food is relatively fresh as it is mostly plucked after ripening on the tree. Foods shipped from farther away are sometimes picked before maturity, artifically ripened or in the case of picking after maturity, a lot of resources are spent on storing/ preserving them and keeping them from rotting.

In addition, several local farms grown organically. I know "organic" has become a debated term, so I will say that they are pesticide/ insecticide free. They may or not be from Genetically Modified seeds (GMO). They are also, usually, free of chemical fertilizers.

Well, so why am I going on and on? Getting to the point now - If you would like to buy local, here's a great website that lists where to go. For those of us in Arizona: http://pickyourown.org/AZ.htm

They are missing one really cool one: http://farmstandagritopia.blogspot.com/
They have the best melt-in-your-mouth Mejdool dates ever!

There are also Co-ops you can join, where in you get a selection of fruits and vegetables on a weekly/bi-weekly/monthly basis. Here is one: http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/

For additional Organic/ Fair Trade Food sources within Arizona: http://www.organicconsumers.org/state/greenbiz.cfm?state=AZ&type=food

If you have other contacts, please let me know. I'd love to hear abt them.

2011-06-09T12:45:00.000-07:00

I don't understand the words - maybe I don't want to understand them either. They sound beautiful as it is. What a lovely song and such a comforting voice! Do listen! I heard this song last night when Blaise Lantana played it on KJZZ. I love Blaise's voice and am so glad I was listening, coz now I'm in love with Melody Gardot's voice and Les Etoiles.

Lets Coexist now

2011-05-01T22:32:00.000-07:00

Today, history has been made. Today, after almost 10 years since 9/11, President Obama announced the killing of Osama bin Laden.

The country is in a state of euphoria. But for how long? How long will this party last? What's next? What will we do when this isn't the breaking news anymore? Will we stop discussing Obama's birth certificate? Will we unite? Will we finally coexist?

Arts of India - Tanjore

2010-10-02T08:28:00.000-07:00

This month we travel to the land of beautiful and intricate architecture, Tanjore. With an average of 3 temples every square kilometer, stunning paintings are a cultural legacy here. Read the full article in this month's Arts of India column @ Valley India Times.

If you would like to support this column, please send me your inputs, feedback, suggestions, complains, comments, anything that will help make it better and more informative. Thank you!

Jason Ward's Antelope Canyon Music

2010-09-29T13:04:00.000-07:00

I'm honored to be part of Jason Ward's beautiful composition inspired by the fantastic Antelope Canyon. He features pictures taken by photographers around the world, unified by the canyon. So happy to be a part of this. Thank you Jason for featuring one of my pictures.

Happy International Integration Day

2010-09-10T11:09:00.000-07:00

Lets call today "International Integration Day."

Today, on the eve of a remorseful September 11, the world is immersed in profound emotions, when some barely got done with Mother Mary's birthday celebration, some are welcoming a new year with Rosh Hashanah, some bidding farewell to a favorite month and giving thanks with Eid ul-Fitr, some are singing Happy Birthday to Lord Ganesha with Ganesh Chaturthi and some are asking for forgiveness with Michhami Dukkadam. As each individual group plays its part with reverence to its own God, our integrated world plays a balancing act of happiness and sadness.

A globalized crossword puzzle

2010-09-09T11:11:00.000-07:00

Mangesh Ghoghre, a friend from my school days, now designs crossword puzzles for LA Times in his free time, when taking a break from being an investment banker and a freelance writer. His second puzzle is published today and needless to say, it's brilliant.

What's worth noting is that Mangesh has never been to the US and his puzzles take globalization to the next step. He designs them for an American audience while living in India on the other side of the world.

Give it a try!

Arts of India - Madhubani contd.

2010-09-01T15:00:00.000-07:00

After last month's introductory article on Madhubani paintings, Valley India Times' September article continues to tell the story.

If you would like to support this column, please send me your inputs, feedback, suggestions, complains, comments, anything that will help make it better and more informative. Thank you!

Congrats to Ola!

2010-08-24T14:58:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Ola! There are now One Million Giraffes with 129 days to spare.

Monsanto, the capitalistic evil

2010-08-20T09:50:00.000-07:00

Even Bollywood is waking up to the evil eye of Monsanto and how it has caused millions of farmer suicides in India. All the suicides have been concentrated in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, where farmers grow BT Cotton with seeds provided by Monsanto. As farmers can't handle the pressure of responsibilities, they die of an epidemic called debt. Peepli Live is a small effort at bringing awareness to the masses and I hope it works. It will be a while, though, before this capitalist country puts an end to agricultural monopoly. NPR talks to Aamir Khan, the producer, here.

Monsanto has some other issues too. Recently they tried to suppress information of organ failure in rats by their genetically modified crops! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/12/monsantos-gmo-corn-linked_n_420365.html

There have been dreadful realizations recently of all these GMOs we have been consuming, for example this article talks about female infants developing breasts.

While movies like Peepli Live, Food Inc and The World According to Monsanto try to raise awareness amongst the masses, lets face it, expensive organic food still remains a luxury. When people are trying to make ends meet, fast food, quick and easy, inexpensive food gets consumed the most, which again causes diseases and what not. The vicious cycle is constantly fed. Monsanto needs to be uprooted and fair, safe and healthy agriculture needs to be brought back.

Three year old talent

2010-08-18T10:55:00.000-07:00

I didn't know 3 year olds could recite grown up poetry. This little boy is brilliant and so cute!

Abstract City Blog

2010-08-07T11:24:00.000-07:00

Christoph Niemann’s Abstract City Blog is well known far and wide. His creativity and humor leaves me spell bound.

Chai with Radiate Bliss

2010-08-06T10:28:00.000-07:00

I was recently interviewed by Radiate Bliss, an inspirational art blog. Here it is:
Artist Interview: Chai with… Warli artist Meenakshi Matai

Kamina Zamana

2010-08-05T12:16:00.001-07:00

Arts of India - Madhubani

2010-08-02T10:57:00.000-07:00

Continuing on with the effort of introducing art lovers to the "Arts of India" August's article, in Valley India Times, talks about Madhubani paintings here Arts of India - Madhubani.

If you would like to support this column, please send me your inputs, feedback, suggestions, complains, comments, anything that will help make it better and more informative. Thank you!

Cutest story teller

2010-07-28T11:20:00.000-07:00

From Mila's Daydreams to Adele's creativity

2010-07-27T11:18:00.000-07:00

From Mila's Daydreams to Adele's creativity. This is so cool and incredibly adorable! A creative new mom presents her perspective on her very cute little daughter's day dreams here at Mila's DayDreams.

We are famous!

2010-07-25T14:23:00.000-07:00

Woooohooooo! Ola blogs about my art class students and their wonderful giraffes. Yayyyyyy!! Thank you Ola at One Million Giraffes. Everyone here was so happy when I told them about this! We send Ola huge hugs and much luck for the last 70k! Not too far to go. :)

Here's Ola's generous blog post about us.

Update: Aug 24, 2010:
Congrats to Ola! There are now One Million Giraffes with 129 days to spare.

Miami Misfitz make Dil Se fit right in

2010-07-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

Find your identity and your legacy

2010-07-09T11:01:00.000-07:00

Warning: Rant ahead!

Everyday I drink tea, different kinds, and the tea bags have a thought written on them. Yeah, the quirky me collects these tea bag tags. So today's message is, "It's important to find your identity and your legacy." I read that, took a sip of the gratifying green tea and let out a deep sigh! Ahhhhhhhhhhh! Now, lets get to finding the identity. Hehehe! :)

For the last few days I have been dreaming (while sleeping and not) of getting away. You know the vagabond style. The sit on train tops and watch the scenery types, explore the country side types, with no particular destination types, no return date types, walk, walk and walk types, mingle with the locals types, ohhhh! but how hard it is to do that! With work and home, even such a trip would have to be planned. Ugh! Defeats the purpose, no? Like I wish I could just get up and leave today. Oh no! But I can't! I have to tell my manager when I will come back, I have to figure how many days will be PTO and how many unpaid, I have to tell my gardener to water the plants for me, even pay him extra for that, I have to make sure all the tax filing for the month is take care of in advance, so much planning! so much baggage! I know! I know! Once we have kids, I can kiss such dreams goodbye for ever. So if I have to do it, I have to now! Can I? Will I? Should I? How? Where? When? No, No, No, I don't want to plan.... I just want to fly away.

Fido Dido

2010-07-08T11:16:00.000-07:00

Does anyone remember Fido Dido from the early 90s? He was the coolest thing ever with his chilled out shorts, t-shirt and spiky hair look!

Giraffes galore for the One Million Giraffes project

2010-07-04T11:34:00.000-07:00

I mention giraffes and my art class students come alive. Ola is right! There is just something about these animals that helps renew smiles and enthusiasm. We have had a lot of fun creating giraffes for the One Million Giraffes project and here are some of them. Since my last update, we have created so many more as we have got some happy giraffe models on our tables. :)

Thank you Ola for all the happiness you are spreading.

Update: Aug 24, 2010:
Congrats to Ola! There are now One Million Giraffes with 129 days to spare.

Missing the monsoon?

2010-07-04T09:48:00.000-07:00

In Arizona's 115 degree afternoons, when I call my parents back home I can hear the rain in the background. I even asked Ma to keep quiet for a bit and point the phone towards the patio so I could hear the rain, the birds and the frogs! Oh! How I miss my darling monsoon! On such a day Perpetuum Jazzile comes to rescue.

Arts of India - Warli

2010-07-02T11:23:00.000-07:00

Following last month's Introductory Article in the local Indian monthly newspaper called Valley India Times, this month I take you to the world of Warli Paintings. Here it is: Arts of India - Warli.

If you would like to support this column, please send me your inputs, feedback, suggestions, complains, comments, anything that will help make it better and more informative. Thank you!

Handimals

2010-06-29T11:53:00.000-07:00

Guido Daniele, an acclaimed Italian artist and illustrator, airbrush paints his "Handimals" which have now become famous due to AT&T's brand campaign. Check out his very cool and creative art work: Guido Daniele

Here's a sneak peak:

"How hard are you willing to work, how big are you willing to dream?"

2010-06-22T11:32:00.000-07:00

Profound words by Michelle Obama at Anacostia High School's graduation: "The only thing that matters is what you think about yourself and what you’re willing to do to achieve your goals. That's all that matters. How hard are you willing to work, how big are you willing to dream?"

Full speech here.

Happy Fathers' Day

2010-06-22T11:24:00.001-07:00

I started this post so many times, typed it, hit backspace, typed again, deleted all of it, left it alone, forgot all about it, came back to it, typed some more.... arrgghhh!! "What do I say?" I couldn't say anything after I read Nichola Kristof's post on Fathers' Day. After you read it, you'll know why. Here it is and it's a must read: Nicholas Kristof's Fathers' Day Post

Memory Ticket

2010-06-10T12:20:00.000-07:00

Want to get your memory ticket made?

Send Indu Harikumar, a multi-talented childrens' book illustrator and artist, an email at induviduality (at) gmail (dot) com with a note about the memory and the memorabilia (tickets, restaurant bills, boarding pass, museum tickets, newspaper, anything) you want her to use. And she'll make you a one of a kind Memory Ticket. Check out her creations at her blog:
http://conversationcompiler.blogspot.com

What you see here is her creation with toll tickets from her trip to Gokul. I think it's absolutely creative, totally unique and so apt considering her Radha-Krishna-Gokul theme!

Arts of India, a monthly column in Valley India Times

2010-06-09T14:12:00.000-07:00

When I started selling my paintings I noticed that most of the people, including those from India, did not know what Warli was. Right then I knew I had found my purpose. My mission became to introduce the world to not just Warli but all of India's art forms. I embarked upon this journey a while back and a lot of ground work has gone into it, of which I'll spare you the details. :) But, what has come out of it, so far, is a monthly column, titled "Arts of India," in the local Indian monthly newspaper called Valley India Times. June saw the launch of this column with an Introductory Article. With this column I hope to bring people's attention to the diverse and beautiful art forms of India, that have gone ignored for ages. If you would like to support this column, please send me your inputs, feedback, suggestions, complains, comments, anything that will help make it better and more informative. Thank you!

Ten Thousand Villages

2010-05-28T11:14:00.000-07:00

Putting Artisans First.... that's what Ten Thousand Villages, a fair trade non-profit organization, believes in. Ethical, beautiful, cool and trendy art work, usable items and more! You gotta check it out!

It provides under- and unemployed artisans, working with more than 350 fair trade organizations in 70 countries, with an opportunity to earn vital income and improve their quality of life by establishing a sustainable market for their handcrafted products.

I bought a few things from here and am so so happy with the quality and the purpose!

Fish out of water

2010-05-25T10:29:00.000-07:00

A wonderful message that all of us need to pay heed to. Left a lump in my throat and the desire to do!

Doodle 4 Google

2010-05-22T11:13:00.000-07:00

Doodle for Google.... a real show of creativity from kids all around the country! You've got to check them out and vote .... masterpiece after masterpiece!

Mumbai Meri Jaan!

2010-05-20T11:12:00.000-07:00

Cutting Chai and Vada Pav and a view of the Arabian Sea...... total raapchik!

A beautiful journey to Mumbai! I miss you!

One Million Giraffes

2010-05-11T10:05:00.000-07:00

Ola Helland made a bet with his friend, Jørgen, that he can collect one million giraffes by 2011 to prove that the internet is amazing indeed. He's already at 808149 giraffes and it's only May! Check out his website and the huge collection of these majestic, yet hilarious, animals! I think it's one of the cutest, innovative, creative, humorous and lively website I've seen.

Christian, my art class student, painted a happy giraffe in class and it is now part of the One Million Giraffes project. :) Read more about it here: http://www.onemilliongiraffes.com

More updates here.

Update: Aug 24, 2010:
Congrats to Ola! There are now One Million Giraffes with 129 days to spare.

Indian Memory Project

2010-05-06T10:56:00.002-07:00

"The Indian Memory Project is an attempt to trace the history of India, its people, professions, development, traditions, cultures, settlements and cities through pictures found in personal family albums and archives."

This is such a wonderful trip down memory lane, town, state, country! Such a treasure. Kudos to Indian Memory Project team and to everyone contributing for putting this together. It has some fantastic archives and stories, lost and found. Did you know that there was an all girl rock band in the 60s in India!!! or that the concept of Blind dates existed in India in the 60s??? or that in the 30s a young Indian girl sported the short hair, long finger nails look???? How very rebellious and brave! All right, so you don't care for this girly stuff...... then did you know that the Fr. Agnel Ashram in Bandra was once the home of a famous High Court barrister??

This is a wealth of information and history, told first hand by the families and friends of the people in the photographs. Old black and white photographs have an inexplicable charm... a mysterious feel. And this project, if successful, could bring write history in itself.

Featured in Valley India Times

2010-05-03T11:09:00.000-07:00

My art work was featured in Valley India Times' coverage of Gilbert Global Festival. Thank you VIT!

Kabhi dastak kabhi sargoshi

2010-04-28T10:39:00.000-07:00

Kuch ajnabi, kuch apne, kaise pal the woh. Ab to bas yaadien hain, jo kabhi dastak, kabhi sargoshi se chali aati hain.

Immersed in Shahryar's shayari today, that leaves me speechless:

Zindagi jab bhi teri bazm mein laati hai hamein
yeh zamin chand se behtar nazar aati hai hamein

Surkh phulon se mehek uthati hain dil ki rahein
din dhale yun teri aawaaz bulaati hai hamein

Yaad teri kabhi dastak kabhi sargoshi se
raat ke pichale pahar roz jagaati hai hamein

Har mulaqat ka anjaam judaai kyun hai
ab to har waqt yahi baat satati hai hamein.

Beautifully sung by Talat Aziz:

For Mira and Hope :)

2010-04-27T16:54:00.001-07:00

For Hope :), originally uploaded by (Mira).

Can two people who haven't met have a special connection.... a special place for each other...... a bond that is inexplicable...... a little something that only the two understand. I think, my friend Mira (not her real name, but she goes by that name and that's what I like to call her too) and I have that special bond. The nazaakat of a sher, the romance of a poem, the picture created by words, the pinks of a bougainvillea, the innocence of a child's drawing, they move us, both of us, in just the same way. We met on Flickr as Mira and Hope and yes, even though we haven't spoken at length..... we somehow know each other. It's lovely.

Mira once dedicated this amazing piece of her photographic talent to me and wrote about it on her blog, Illusion with words. I dedicated the following lines to her:

चलते चलते यूँही इक नज़र को देखा था,
क्या ख़बर थी हम साए को देखा था।
राह में मिले इक टूटे हुए पत्ते की तरह
भीड़ में कहीं इक उम्मीद को देखा था.

Chalte chalte yunhi ik nazar ko dekha tha,
kya khabar thi hum saaye ko dekha tha,
raah mein mile ik toote hue patte ki tarah
bheed mein kahin ik ummeed ko dekha tha.

Relay for Life

2010-04-25T23:10:00.000-07:00

In the process of defining purpose, I've come across several turning points and my friends' lives being changed for ever by cancer was one of them. Ever since I heard of them or their family members' struggle with cancer and all the pain and agony they were going through, something in my heart told me I needed to do something. Being occupied with work and various other activities got me side lined and I stashed this away as a to-do item for a while. But, when I heard about Relay for Life, I knew I had found a starting point and it was the least I could do.

When I first read about Relay I was very excited, because it was just what I was looking for, i.e. a fun walking event that was not a marathon and that supported a good cause, American Cancer Society to be specific. As I read more, I found out that I needed a team and Tina Dunning (Relay for Life Tempe's organizer) was generous enough to let me join hers, The Usual Suspects. Thank you Tina! So, I was all registered and ready to go! Since this was my first ever fund raising effort, I decided to set a very modest goal and as it turned out I had under estimated the generosity of my friends and family. They helped me reach my initial goal on the very first day!! Needless to say, I was overwhelmed and immensely thankful. After suggestions from a dear friend, I raised my fund raising goal and even today, as I write this, I am amazed at how generous, thoughtful and supportive my friends have been! Thank you! Thank you all! I had never even imagined I would be able to fund raise so successfully! It was just wonderful to watch everyone come together to help. So much so, that I got back in touch with couple friends whom I hadn't spoken to in years.... more like 15-20 years, thanks to Relay!

About the event itself.... When I registered all I knew was that Relay for Life is a 12 hour overnight event and I should walk as much as I can. With that in mind, and about a month and half to go, I began training with regular walks in my community. Now I have so many front yard landscaping ideas, thanks to all the walks! :) I found a lovely lake community nearby with rather cool birds and ducks and also met some other regular walkers. Anyway, let me not get too detailed on that. Bottom line.... training to walk for hours was really not as bad as I thought it would be.... comfortable shoes, upbeat lively music, cool breeze, beautiful surroundings, regular "Good Morning" wishes and nods shared, a lovely event to look forward to, that's all! It all worked like a charm.

The day before the event, I was all energized and had been dreaming about it. With all the training, I had set a goal of walking 6 hours out of the 12. I tried to get as much sleep as I could, but it was hard... I was way too excited. But, guess what? I didn't know anyone there..... now, I'm not such an outgoing person so I was a little nervous... How would this go? All strangers..... I wouldn't know what to talk about... and all that. The husband went with me to help me settle in.... and once I got there, I decided, eh! I'll just have fun. I met all my fabulous team members and then it got easier. That's when it struck me, "We are all here for the same reason!" As I heard some heart melting stories from my team members and others, I knew I was on the right "track" :). With every story, I heard of successful and strong survivors, of departed family members and friends, of constantly fighting warriors and supporters, I realized how easy and comfortable my life was. I realized that my choice to participate was one of the best decisions I had made. That got me going!

The Relay organizers had done a wonderful job of keeping everyone entertained. From little kids to senior citizens, there was something for everyone. The main crowd, the teenagers and high school kids had the best tents, camps, decorations and activities. Such a fun bunch and such a carefree age! With all the activities and themed laps I realized that keeping track of time would be next to impossible. So, I set a personal goal of walking 15 miles. My team members turned out to be a cool gang, some that actually started Relay for Life in Tempe! And they were enthu enough to walk the whole 12 hours!!! I knew that I would never walk alone. Walking began with the survivors lap and then everyone joining in. It was simply humbling! I know that sounds clichéd, but I don't have better words. As I walked every mile with my team members, I heard more and more stories, which just reinforced my determination and confidence. In the beginning, there were lots of people walking, kids playing, singing, dancing, just having fun. There were barbecue grills, tents, food and what not set up to make it an entertaining night. People were walking lap after lap, energized and happy. As it got darker, it was time to light the luminaries. My favorite was "Hope" shining above us, lighting the way to a brighter tomorrow. And then in the wee hours, the crowd started thinning and we'd see only a few people on the track. Those were the best hours, I think. Not too loud, not too many people, clear dark skies, with a million twinkles, followed by a crescent moon rise, very nice!

By this time, I was at mile 10 and now I could feel the exhaustion set in. I could feel every inch of my feet, but the Usual Suspects were going strong. I think my team member's music player with the portable speaker was the huge force nudging us ahead. We danced, we hummed along, skipped and jumped, walked on our toes, on our heels, walked backwards, in zigzags, tried various different walking styles to help relieve the pain..... I'm sure, at some point, we all looked like hens, ducks and penguins! :) More than anything, knowing that our pain was nothing as compared what cancer patients go through, we walked!

What was 15 miles, a sunset, a moon rise, a sun rise for me, was an immense amount of Hope for someone else. As the sky lit up and the event wrapped up, we were all home ward bound, looking forward to our comfortable beds. Looking back, I am proud of what I did and yet at the same time, it was a humbling experience. Thank you again to everyone who supported my craziness! :) You rock, I walk!

Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-22T09:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Earth Day! To celebrate I started the day with smelling all the blooming roses and jasmines, listening to the birds chirp chirp chirp, watering the plants and vegetables, loading my compost bin, collecting the wilted rose and hibiscus petals to create a spa feel at home, sipping a nice cup of warm green tea and most importantly, talking to my Mom. Now, all these things I do almost every day. So maybe there was nothing special about doing these things today or maybe there was. Even though these daily activities have become a part of my routine, I hardly ever write about them. But I derive so much joy from them! I look forward to them. They are effortless and make me so happy. You know the kind of happy when your mind is clear and you take a deep breath, close your eyes and smile. That moment! It lasts maybe 3-4 seconds, but ah! it is just so satisfying.

Today... Earth Day.... is about celebrating Mother Earth. Mothers' Day, of sorts, of thinking about all that we take and give back. Of course we take immensely more than what we give back, so, this is about concentrating on giving back. I am thankful for my home garden that has given us abundant flowers, fruits and vegetables round the year. It's such a lovely way of taking and giving back. We reduce our dependence on other sources, lowering our footprint and in return we get some of the best tasting produce ever. The compost bin is a fulfilling entity on its own. We recycle our trash, the worms come and enjoy the feast and in return give us some of the best compost ever. There's a nice ecosystem in our backyard, with all the plants, the worms, birds and us involved.

A slight veering off the topic: A few weeks back, as I was watering the plants, I heard this consistent drumming coming from behind me. I was wondering what it was and thought maybe the neighbor's kids have a new toy or something. But, when I turned back ... oh! what did I see! This lovely greenish humming bird! Just 3-4 feet behind me, feasting on the flies! She wasn't shy! She let me enjoy watching her shimmering green body and listening to her. Yes! listening! Have you ever heard a humming birds wings? They sound like a drum roll! Quite loud and fascinating! I think she visits us daily, because every time I'm there she's there. I have an inkling it's her and not someone else. :) My little pet humming bird, who is also a part of our ecosystem, who lets me enjoy watching her for long, sometimes even up to a good 15-20 minutes. :)

And then there are these migratory nocturnal birds these days... they visit this time of the year, every year, and boy! do they chirp all night long!! Of course, there are the usual sparrows and house finch who live in our house, grackles and mocking birds who live in the neighbors' and our trees. Yep! Yep! I need to get my camera out and take some pictures.

All right, this post has positively gone way way off track! Track? What track? This has become a journey in our back yard post. Oh well! there's a lot more I can say about Earth day, but I'll stop here by saying, lets think how we can give back, coz we sure don't think before taking.

Herberger Theater Center's "The Sacred and The Living"

2010-04-21T09:50:00.000-07:00

"Through their perception of the world and its many mysteries and the discovery of their own specificity, early on humans have developed a sense of sacredness. In their own language, cultures have translated the sacred into art, relating life into a higher purpose."

Couple of my Warli paintings got juried into Herberger Theater's Exhibit "The Sacred and the Living", which runs from May 7th to July 28th. The opening reception is May 7th, 5:30pm to 7pm. Everyone is invited! Come one, come all! :)

Talking about my feelings..... I'm very happy and excited to be part of this art show and hoping it brings that much deserved attention to Warli as an art form. India's art has so much to offer and the world is just beginning to see the tip of this iceberg. I guess this is yet another step forward, and a crucial one at that, towards achieving that goal that I've been dreaming about, i.e. to bring Warli and other Indian art forms to the world..... or to bring the world to Indian art forms. Even though I will not be able to attend the reception, I'm positive it'll go well and I'm sure there are many more such events to come. This is just the start. :)

Part of the reason I'm excited about this exhibition is also the relevance of Warli paintings to the theme. Herberger's theme for this year is "Fellow Humans." Their sub-themes for the two exhibitions are "The Sacred and the Living" and "The Dance of Life." I couldn't think of a more appropriate exhibition especially with the Warli sacred scenes and Tarpana dance!! Warli paintings are about our fellow tribal humans, who are much ignored. Their art speaks for them, but its voice has yet to reach the corners of this world. Warli paintings focus on bringing the attention to these, our fellow tribal humans and their art forms, and making them part of who we are. Warli, being a very old tradition, is one of the very early art forms going back to the beginning of time in the world of art. They tell a creative, ever-evolving story which identifies us as humans and citizens of this planet...... no wonder they play an important role in our lives, giving us something to learn from.

There's a lot more that needs to be done here, but this is another great step forward.

Thank you Artizona

2010-04-20T21:45:00.000-07:00

Thank you Artizona and Elena Thornton for featuring me in your wonderful presentation!

http://animoto.com/play/ROqYPj5qc61cJCfPcSmmtQ

BBC's Panorama

2010-04-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

BBC's Panorama offers several eye opening current affairs documentaries. Issues and problems we don't see addressed as much by other media. Investigative, controversial, some even so unrealistically thrilling they seem like movies!

Hope in the face of AIDS

2010-04-19T09:43:00.000-07:00

Support a good cause. Hope in the Face of Aids is holding their annual fund raiser this Saturday, April 24th, to help raise HIV AIDS awareness so that new infections can be averted and lives of those already infected be improved. Donated one my Warli Art Giclee prints to be part of their silent auction .... hoping it gets them a big donation!

Update on 5/3/2010:
Just heard from Hope in the Face of AIDS that their fundraiser went extremely well, they appreciated me donating artwork and yes it did get them a nice donation ...... the winning bidder was very happy with it too! Yayyyyyyy!

Arizona Arts Collective

2010-04-18T21:24:00.000-07:00

What you see at the top there are some of the paintings done by my students at Arts Collective. I have been enjoying teaching these classes and working with the kids to create something beautiful. The children, who attend, get to learn some basic art techniques and tap into their world of imaginations, but more importantly, they teach me so much! They teach me the art of simplicity, innocence, letting go, determination and patience. One of the kids once said, "I want to draw the sun, a huge sun." I said, "It might not really look good if it's huge, try painting it smaller." He was so determined to draw his huge sun, that he went ahead and did it and I didn't have the heart to stop him. After all, this is about expression! After he was done, he showed it to me and said, "Look. It's big, red and powerful. Just like my dad's car." :)

Midge White runs a lovely art gallery/ workshop called "Arizona Arts Collective" in Mesa exhibiting and selling art work done by special needs adults and children. There are several classes held there for all kids (with and without disabilities) and adults. If you have children or know any children who would enjoy a laid back, fun-filled art class, please send them this way. The classes I'm volunteer teaching are:

What: Basic Art Classes for children, 6 years and older
When: Saturdays, 2 to 4pm
Where: Arizona Arts Collective, 138 W Main St, Mesa, AZ
How much: $10, goes towards supplies, electricity and rent.

Irony

2010-04-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

Eating Maggi (Ramen) while watching Iron Chef America.

Pangean Orchestra

2010-04-08T14:02:00.000-07:00

Music knows no bounds.... here's a truly unique presentation of international music united on one stage, in one world, the world of music...... calling out to each of us to identify with what we are familiar with and embrace what we aren't. Calling all people here in Phoenix, for the World Premier, on Apr 11, 2pm in Phoenix Symphony Hall.

A little excerpt from their website: "Pangean: the hypothetical landmass that existed when all continents were joined, from about 300 to 200 million years ago."

"Through the centuries orchestras have come together in an effort to create incredible artistry through sound.. Natural barriers lead groups across the world to be isolated and form these orchestras with the limited resources available to them. These natural barriers have been the seeds from which strong ideas of what is possible and impossible have permeated the minds of us all. Now, imagine an orchestra where all barriers disparate into the air that is now filled with the amazing sound of an orchestra that truly represents our planet. Imagine a group that unites talented musicians from West Africa and East Asia. An ensemble that unites North and South America. A group that bands people from Europe and the Middle East. Unites the modern turntable with the instruments of our ancient ancestors..... Now, Imagine a group that does all this at the same time on the same stage!"

http://www.pangeanorchestra.com

PANGEAN ORCHESTRA from DALLISON on Vimeo.

Bitter sweet chocolate

2010-04-02T10:08:00.000-07:00

Bitter sweet chocolate..... the truth behind it! Nooooooo! Don't take my chocolate away from me.... I can grow my own vegetables and fruits, but how do I grow my own chocolate. As a side note: The article talks about Dagoba chocolate. But, Hersheys bought Dagoba. How fair was that trade?

http://www.takepart.com/news/2010/04/01/documentary-exposes-chocolates-bitter-truth

India! How I long for thee

2010-04-01T11:03:00.000-07:00

Here's a wonderful collection of 50 stunning pictures showcasing the beautiful and intriguing side of India. A must see!

The Beauty of India: 50 Amazing Photos

Appreciate what you have!

2010-03-12T09:23:00.000-08:00

If we could turn the population of the earth into a small community of 100 people, keeping the same proportions we have today, it would look something like this: 50 men, 50 women. 9 disabled, 43 living without basic sanitation, 18 living without an improved water source, 6 people owning 59% of the entire wealth of the community, 13 hungry or malnourished, 14 who can't read, only 7 are educated till the secondary level, only 12 having a computer with only 3 having an internet connection. 1 adult aged 15-49 has HIV AIDS. The village spends $1.12 Trillion on military and only $100 billion on development aid. If you keep your food in a refrigerator, your clothes in your closet, if you have a bed to sleep in and a roof over your head, you are richer than 75% of the entire population. Appreciate what you have!

For What It's Worth

2010-02-25T09:22:00.000-08:00

From my past life, a song, that I first listened to when I was six maybe..... was playing as I walked in to work (for testing, though). And now it's playing constantly in my head. :) Love it!

Kajra re rocks..... go figure!

2010-02-04T13:14:00.001-08:00

Moond Moond

2010-02-03T14:22:00.000-08:00

Song of this cloudy overcast day :)

2009 Revisited

2010-02-02T12:25:00.000-08:00

I feel bad for having ignored this blog (yet again) but today, after some very encouraging comments from a certain anonymous reader, I decided to write again. Firstly, I can't get past the fact that it's 2010. 2010?? Really?? Already? And it's already one month old? What is going on? Where is time going? What did I do / accomplish in 2009? Was it a productive year? Was it a happy year? What happened?

Overall, I think 2009 was an average year. Average in terms of activity, average in terms of accomplishments, average in terms of happiness.... and average is good. :)

Talking about accomplishments, there were a couple. One was the new food blog with my dear friend Amitabh, which took off very well. But we both have gotten busy with other things that the food blog became another thing that we ended up ignoring. That's all right though, you cook when you are in the mood and you write about it when you are really in a good mood. So, it's all good. It'll happen when it has to happen. The other accomplishment was in terms of art... there were a few shows, but nothing spectacular to report. But what was indeed spectacular was getting published. More than anything, it was a, "Hey you! you better continue painting." :)

My parents visited in October and although it was a very short trip, it was absolutely wonderful. We celebrated Diwali together after nine years! yes nine years! My!! Where did all the years go? Obviously, there was Ma's incredibly delicious food, her pampering us from the moment we woke up to the moment we went to bed, her transforming my vegetable garden into a productive green haven, and so much more she did, Dad's intelligent tid-bits, and all that..... but more than any of that, what I enjoyed the most was my long conversations with Ma. Gosh! how I miss her! Our phone conversations are long and nice but nothing compares to sitting at the breakfast table, sipping a nice cup of chai, looking out at the bouganvilla and just chatting... exchanging recipes, complaining about our husbands, sharing tid bits, recounting memories, telling stories, oh! the love just flowed in every single bit that exchanged between us. It's wonderful how she's now my best friend, and how I'm hers. :)

Of the several things that happened in 2009, I noticed there were a lot of parties to attend, a lot friends getting married or the married ones having babies, buying houses, celebrating a million Indian festivals, settling, you know! The reason I bring this up is in 2009 I noticed that I hate (yes, hate) huge parties. I love my one-on-one conversations with my girl friends, those are my favorites, but we aren't talking about those here. I like small parties with just a few friends who get together to enjoy each other's company and play games.... I hate the parties where all you do is eat and talk, the men on one side of the room and all the women on the other. So, here's another resolution. I have decided that I'm going to simplify here too. Just go to the parties that I really want to and learn to say No, Thank you, to the other ones.

In terms of travel, Egypt was the highlight. I will not write anything here about it at all, since it would be unfair to not dedicate a nice long post just to the trip. So, that should be coming up pretty soon here.

Coming to, what I think is, the most important aspect of 2009. It was the year of realizing that when you make compromises in life, they don't always mean sacrifices. There is a way to find happiness in what you give up and what you get. And the key here is finding happiness in what you have, not in what you had, not in what you will or could have.... just in what that is. It was the year of throwing regrets out the window and embracing the current scenario, as it is and finding a happiness in that. Doesn't it sound like I should be beaming with a Zen like smile every day with this realization? Yes, there are a few (yes, very few) days when I am, but boy! the other days are just too hard. It's a state very difficult to achieve, and it takes a lot of effort to calm a restless one like me down. But when you do get there, there's peace, within and with out. And in that peace, lies a smile.... as you go closer you find that is none other than your own. :)

Many moons

2009-08-11T17:36:00.000-07:00

Many moons go by, new ones and full,
eclipses happen,
a dry world of hot summers and gushing winds,
colors emerge.
A strange town, like a burned candle,
doors open,
as days go by and just the nights come along,
dreams realize.

To ponder over

2009-07-29T10:10:00.001-07:00

Making a diffference

2009-07-21T19:17:00.000-07:00

Pasting an email I received from a very dear friend.... do click on that link below. You'll be smiling, if not laughing at the end of it.... and not wanting to sit where you are sitting right now......

As we try to make a difference, each one of matters. And that's no platitude - watch this for an example of how one person can start something!

http://www.break.com/index/weirdo-kid-starts-huge-dance-party.html?mrr=we

Happy

2009-07-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

Got published

2009-06-19T23:39:00.000-07:00

One of my Warli paintings got published in the May 2009 issue of FlyLite, the in-flight magazine of Jet Airways. Yaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! Awesome feeling. :)

The hungry tide

2009-06-16T17:36:00.001-07:00

Amitav Ghosh writes in a style that will make you feel like it's a story about the events in the life of the girl next door. The Hungry Tide could be about anyone's life, anyone who has anything to do with Sundarbans, the enchanting tide country. Having well researched the topic, Ghosh writes with extraordinary ease about the area, its history, its geography, the people that live there, their experiences ranging from day to day matters to that of the heart. That one sentence does no justice to how thorough I think his knowledge of the topic is. I think it's possible to romanticize a field of study only when you know it through and through. So, here's a book that does that and does it incredibly well. It weaves together a tale from some distinct topics like the study of marine mammals, history of India, the constant battle of man trying to survive and be the fittest, human emotions of love and protection and the power of money and faith. Even with so many aspects spun together, Amitav Ghosh had me reading page after page, since he does it in a very clear succinct manner. He builds individual parts of the plot and later fits everything together and they seem just in place.

The one aspect I like about this book, and the main reason why I consider this to be a good read, is because it ends on a hopeful note. As I was nearing the end of the book, I was worried that this would be yet another Indian author pathos with too much suffering, too much pain and an even sadder ending. I was worried that this would end up being another potentially good book that I would end up disliking. But, Mr. Ghosh surprised me pleasantly with an ending that makes me think all is not lost. There's hope. Downs are a part of life, just as ups are and the idea is to be determined and look forward to good times. Just as I am look forwarding to reading more of his books.

The ignored sibling

2009-06-16T16:20:00.000-07:00

My poor blog has truly been ignored. I haven't had the time to write all the millions of things I have been wanting to write about, mainly because the other things in my life are getting a lot of attention. My art shows and website, my food blog, my flickr photostream, my gardening, my volunteering, my new building mosaics class, my reading, my painting, my home and family, and of course work, all have taken up my time. So, I feel it's time to take a breather and not ignore this bechara (poor) blog anymore.

Last couple of months I have been doing well in life. Overall content......... satisfied, doing my bit, you know........ just overall happy. But, last few years of my life have been crazy busy. It seems like there's always something or the other going on. There are very few days when I'm not doing anything. As R puts it, "You are always doing something". I wonder know why that is! ......... I mean, it isn't bad to be busy, infact if anything, it's good. ....... But I yearn to learn more about myself, my drive........ Is it motivation? inspiration? restlessness, maybe? impatience? desires? wants? am I trying to avoid something? what? what is it? ......... In trying to figure out this mystery, I'm taking a little bit of a break from most of these things. Being the kind of person I am, I doubt I will be able to keep myself away from everything, but I am going to try. If I solve it, I'll write back... if not, I'll still write back with some random thoughts. :p .......... So, the break.... yeah, it starts this Saturday, June 20th and goes upto July 6th. 17 days!!!!!! yayyyy!!!!

I have no big plans. Infact, I have no plans! What??????? No plans??? Ms. M with no plans? That's impossible!!!!!!! ............ Really, this is the first time in my adult life that I am going to take a vacation with no plans......... Isn't that almost cool? There's always a first time for everything, and this first time for this something is rather cool! :) I am definitely excited, ummm........... if that wasn't clear already. :p ..... But, I'm also nervous, what if I don't find the answers??????? ........... Nooooooo! I'm not even willing to consider that possibility. Because, once I find that answer, then I have a loooooooooooong list of other questions that I need to find answers for........... But, this is the first and most crucial one............... and it doesn't end at how am I always busy, it barely begins there. But you gotta start somewhere, yeah?

The solution is to have a stuffed nose

2009-05-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

Where is life going? I'm sure all of us have wondered this at some point in our lives. As for me, that point seems to be ever present. :p Somehow I'm always wondering...... look left..... look right..... wonder! wonder! oh my! wonder!

Although, I must say, today, with a stuffed nose ...... a cough and a heavy head ......... the answer came to me while being a couch potato. The answer is no secret. One that has been pointed out to me by family, friends, the TV, movies, radio, books, what not!!!!! The answer is to be happy in what I have and give all I do my best shot. Coz there's no point in sighing and huffing and puffing and complaining and all that! The answer is actually an easy one, no?

So, today, the 17th of May.... yeah, yeah, it's no 1st of January, but so what? any day can be a new day, a new chance, a new opportunity.......... so, I'm making a resolution to do what I do, to my fullest, to my best. :) And if I end up getting off track, I shall drink some chai, watch a nice happy movie, laugh a lot, take a deep breath and get back on..... ummm! if it takes having a stuffed nose and a heavy head, then I shall do that too! :)

Muskaane chura lo na :)

2009-04-29T09:50:00.000-07:00

Think happy thoughts...... steal away for a few moments..... bask in the glory of memories and dreams...... invite happiness over ..... smile smile away...... slow down and smile. :)

Sounds

2009-04-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

My friend, Cliff, invited me to attend an Earth Day celebration at the East West Exchange book store last night. It's a lovely little store that they say brings together books, gifts and practices of the East and West. Not only do they carry books and gifts, but also promote music, fitness, art, creative thinking and unity. I enjoy the things they have to offer. But, yesterday's was an evening to remember.

It was a performance on the Japanese flute called Shakuhachi by a wonderful musician Bobby. Shakuhachi literally means 1foot and 8inches, the length of the flute. There's Ni Shaku which is a 2 feet flute and so on. Very interesting. Anyway, so back to the music. It was .... umm..... I wouldn't use the words pleasing to the ear, or melodious, or lovely..... but I'd say it was meditative. The kind of music that could take you to another world if you just closed your eyes and concentrated. My personal favorite was one that was like the breathing Pranayam exercise of Breath of Fire or Kapalbhaati, where you exhale rapidly............. Now, I have been doing Pranayam for a while and never have I done Kapalbhaati along with the music that's doing it too. :) ..... very refreshing.

In between excerpts of music, he'd read some nice poetry and give us some thoughts to ponder over. Now, here's the main reason why I'm writing this post........

The thought that has stuck with me and it's for keeps.......
When we hear sounds like cars driving by, or babies crying, or people talking, or this typing-clicking on the keyboard, or the AC that just turned on, or anything..... we think of them as noises. But, the very fact that we hear any sound is because we are alive, we are here, we are now. It's this one life we have and everything around sends us a reminder about that fact. The things we think of as noises or disturbances, along with all other sounds, are actually a realization of our being.

Something to think about! Since I woke up this morning, I'm in this phase of not hearing, but listening to every little sound around me. And wow! there's so much that goes on that I have been ignoring all this time ...... like...... the water hitting the sink ...... the trash truck doing its rounds........ the microwave buzzing, not beeping ........ the fridge turning on and off .......... the car door opening and closing ....... the mouse clicking ...... the wood in our house creaking ....... this chair sighing everytime I move ....... the footsteps of people around me........ and most importantly, my breath....... the in and out.... constantly telling me I have this one life that I must make the most out of..... that I'm here.... I'm alive.... I'm now...... I'm me.

Happy Earth Day

2009-04-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

This little flower was standing out alone defending itself from being being type cast as just another little bloom...... just like our dear Earth. Ah! The Individuality! Let's try and do our little bit to maintain this individuality, this protective cover over our heads, this source of survival and this beautiful color of nature.

Here's someone who is trying to make this world a better place to live in.... yes, they are called just that, Better Place. They are working towards providing electric cars, as "the" mode of transportation and making us less dependent on oil, if not independent by using renewable sources of energy like wind and solar power............. Ummm? But really????????......... Using just wind and solar power to get millions of cars going????? ....... Hmmm! I think that seems a little far fetched. We'll have to wait and see how this goes. I, for one, sure hope it works out.......... but I do believe that once someone gets the ball rolling on electric cars, it will be a matter of time before people realize that that's the cheaper way to go...............That said, I must say this company does look like it has its act together by thinking about usually ignored things like charging, ........... which is a huge problem with electric cars especially when it comes to a country filled with people who love road trips.

Here's to a cleaner, safer, friendlier, better place to live and love in! :)
Happy Earth Day!

My artist friends

2009-04-17T12:25:00.000-07:00

My journey in the world of art hasn't been long, as I've been painting professionally for not even an year now. But, even in this short time I have learned a lot. I have had the good fortune of meeting a great group of artists, who are wonderful human beings, who are my friends now and I'm sure we'll be friends for life. They have so much to offer and I have a lot to learn from them..... not just in terms of art, but also life, attitude and an outlook towards everything. I've learned to be positive, to be appreciative of my own work and respect all my fellow artists. This extends so much to general life. The world would be such a better place if everyone had respect for others, their talents, their visions and perspective.

Meeting artists of all backgrounds has been an eye opening experience. Some have studied art, some are self taught but they are all gifted with this beautiful talent to create and encourage others to create. They don't let the normal day-to-day things bother them or come in the way of their creativity. Infact, they even use their ups and downs to create something new. Their energy and courage makes me feel like I could really do this. If people who face huge hurdles can do it, I have no excuse. They make me feel like I could actually make it big in the world of art, even if it means taking small steps. I'm all for small steps, if this is what it feels like. It's very important, I think, to be surrounded by people who have faith in you, who help you in this journey and who recognize you for who you are. And I'm so lucky to have found them. They are friends for life!

My theory

2009-04-09T10:07:00.000-07:00

about my life..... is that, I think I was a hippie living in the 60s who enjoyed the music and the rebellious way of life.... I think I traveled the country (USA) in my long wavy hair, purple colored huge sunglasses and a flowy tribal mirror-work skirt with my fellow hippie friends, promoting peace and love. As I was traveling I got into the whole fad of Hinduism and chanting Om, as I lived a life of happiness. I always wanted to go to India, the origin of several things I believed in, but I couldn't coz I was so poor. On one of those days of revelry I died coz of indulging a little too much.... and as I was dying I prayed to God that I be born in India in my next birth to atone my sins.

And that's why I was born in India and enjoyed a carefree, young, no-responsibility life there, where my roots were formed. As I remained strongly attached to what became my identity.... I still had to come back to America to complete the circle of life. That's why I'm here to live my adult sensible life. :)

I know! I know! it's a silly theory, but hey! it's mine and I'm sticking to it.

On a restless day

2009-03-26T13:00:00.000-07:00

Restless day for me today, i.e. usually a day to listen to a nice song in repeat mode ......(what was that? didn't I say I listen to a nice song in repeat mode on my glum days.... ummm! ahem! nice songs shall be listened to in repeat mode on other days too......:p ) Yes, so a nice song to swoon over, to tap my leg with the beats and some soothing herbal tea to sip and say ahhhhhh!

Unfortunately this song is broken up into bits and pieces in the movie, so forget the cheesy slideshow. Just listen.... it's Mr.Rehman's jazz piece, first ever I think..... and it's so melodious, romantic and definitely swoon worthy!

Maya Angelou

2009-03-23T15:29:00.000-07:00

I'm inspired, inspired by great women like Diane Rehm, Maya Angelou, Asha Bhonsle, Marian McPartland, to name a few. Today is my day to be in awe with one of them, i.e. Maya Angelou. She's so much! I mean, she is a writer, a poet, an adviser, a teacher, a speaker, but most importantly, she's a strong, confident and courteous woman. I respect and honor every well thought out word she speaks, the clear vision of character she has, the valuable beliefs and thoughts she shares, the glow around her she unknowingly exudes and so much more!

I listened to her talk with Diane Rehm back in November last year (http://wamu.org/programs/dr/08/11/20.php) and was moved by her words. She talked about practising humility and remembering to thank our ancestors for doing all that they did, for ensuring we are where we are. But more importantly, she said, "What do I do? What is my job? My job, it seems to me very clearly, is to make myself a person who the next generation will say Thank You to."

I have been reading her new book, Letter to my Daughter. It is such a thought provoking read that I think it should be a mandatory read for life. It is an even more interesting read as Ms. Angelou does not have any daughters. She just has a son, but she embraces thousands of women as her daughters. I say thank you to her for this!

Here is the introduction to her book, that has touched me so:

Letter to My Daughter
Dear Daughter,

This letter has taken an extraordinary time getting itself together. I have all along known that I wanted to tell you directly of some lessons I have learned and under what conditions I have learned them.

My life has been long, and believing that life loves the liver of it, I have dared to try many things, sometimes trembling, but daring, still. I have only included here events and lessons which I have found useful. I have not told how I have used the solutions, knowing that you are intelligent and creative and resourceful and you will use them as you see fit.

You will find in this book accounts of growing up, unexpected emergencies, a few poems, some light stories to make you laugh and some to make you meditate.

There have been people in my life who meant me well, taught me valuable lessons, and others who have meant me ill and, have given me ample notification that my world is not meant to be all peaches and cream.

I have made many mistakes and no doubt will make more before I die. When I have seen pain, when I have found that my ineptness has caused displeasure, I have learned to accept my responsibility and to forgive myself first, then to apologize to anyone injured by my misreckoning. Since I cannot un-live history, and repentance is all I can offer God, I have hopes that my sincere apologies were accepted.

You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud. Do not complain. Make every effort to change things you do not like. If you cannot make a change, change the way you have been thinking. You might find a new solution.

Never whine. Whining lets a brute know that a victim is in the neighborhood.

Be certain that you do not die without having done something wonderful for humanity.

I gave birth to one child, a son, but I have thousands of daughters. You are Black and White, Jewish and Muslim, Asian, Spanish-speaking, Native American and Aleut. You are fat and thin and pretty and plain, gay and straight, educated and unlettered, and I am speaking to you all. Here is my offering to you.

-Maya Angelou

On a glum day

2009-03-20T10:08:00.000-07:00

Glum day for me today, i.e. usually a day to listen to a nice song in repeat mode.

Announcing a new food blog

2009-03-04T17:00:00.000-08:00

The oldest friend I have, Amitabh........ and I mean not just a Hi-Hello friend, but a real good friend...... gosh! we've been friends since we were 10 years old. Wow!! Now that I think about it, it's rather cool. Oh! wait... I completely digressed.... and didn't even complete that sentence. A'rite, so, Amitabh and I have exchanged a fair number of recipes, cooking tips and secrets over the last few years. Both of us seem to be equally interesed in not just eating good food, but also in cooking and sharing it with our near and dear ones.

After a lot of emails to each other with the subject, "Recipe", we decided why not share this with the world. So, we have launched our new food blog. Yes, yes, another food blog in this e-world that's overloaded with food blogs. But, we are hoping to make it different, by posting recipes from various cuisines around the world, our cooking tips and yes those secrets. We do like to try what others cook, so we'll post some tried and tested recipes from other food bloggers. Restaurants are places we seem to go to when we are too lazy to cook. So, we'll have reviews for those. Basically, a one stop shop and we call it One Stop Eats. See you there!

Muskurane ka bojh

2009-02-27T02:17:00.000-08:00

महफिलों में बहुत नाम कमाया है आपने,
दिल-ए-दस्ता.न को महेज़ दोहराया है आपने.

लफ्जों के काबिल हैं हमारे होंठ फ़क़त,
मुस्कुराने का बोझ उठाया है आपने.

मंदिरों में पूजे जाते हैं फ़रिश्ते कई,
इस दुनिया को जन्नत बनाया है आपने.

बाज़ारों में बिकती है दो पल की राहत,
इन आँखों में दरिया बसाया है आपने.

बन तितली उड़ चला आज कैदी कल का,
वक्त की सुइयों को हराया है आपने.

पेशानी पे लकीरें जो खिची हैं आज
क्या कहीं पोशीदा दिल लगाया है आपने?

ख़यालों के अंधरों में थी खोयी जो
उस "जिया" को खुद में पाया है आपने.

------------------
पेशानी: forehead
सुइयों: needles
------------------

Mehfilon mein bahut naam kamaya hai aapne,
Dil-e-dastaa.n ko mehez dohraaya hai aapne.

Lafzon ke kaabil hain hamare hond faqat,
Muskurane ka bojh udhaya hai aapne.

Mandiron mein puje jaate hain farishte kai,
Is duniya ko jannat banaya hai aapne.

Bazaron mein bikti hai do pal ki raahat,
In aankhon mein dariya basaya hai aapne.

Ban titli ud chala aaj qaidi kal ka,
Waqt ki suiyon ko haraaya hai aapne.

Peshaani pe lakeerein jo khichi hain aaj
kya kahin posheeda dil lagaya hai aapne?

Khayalon ke andhron mein thi khoyi jo
Us "ziya" ko khud mein paaya hai aapne.

------------------
peshaani: forehead
suiyon: needles

Define x

2009-01-28T15:14:00.001-08:00

I'm in a contemplative mood today...... maybe it's the early morning Yoga sessions, maybe it's the fact that I've been home sick for a while now, or maybe it's the lack of purpose. I am pretty happy with my life, but I don't know what comes next. As in when there was school, college was next, then work was next, my art projects were next, buying a house was next..... but now what? what's next? Maybe writing a book is next or teaching Yoga is next.... I am just not sure.

Going to work daily is something that happens by default, and then there's the taking care of home, each other and myself. There's the fun times spent on my art projects and cooking and reading and hiking and traveling, i.e. on all my hobbies. But, yet, there's still something missing. Like the next big thing! Makes me think about the purpose of our lives...... are we really here for something, some purpose? or are we just biological beings. But I can't stop thinking how inter-related all of us are and how complicated our inter-dependencies are. I mean, what is going to happen to me tomorrow or even 20 years from now is so largely dependent on things that I don't even have any control over. I know it makes people feel better about their existence to think that they are part of a bigger plan, but for me just knowing that isn't enough. I yearn for more. I yearn for an awakening almost, for lack of a better word, a solution, a realization... that hidden treasure, that last piece in the puzzle that will explain the whys, whats and hows of existence. And for all you know, it might not even exist!!!!

Maybe that purpose is something we define for ourselves. Like when you say, I will be happy when I achieve x. X? What's x for me? Maybe my purpose for now is to define x. That's the first step and I might have to just start there. So, I can chase it.... or better yet, make it chase me. Like when we weren't as developed as now and were still being chased by tigers in Africa..... we knew that the next big thing was to save ourselves. If one tiger was missed, the next problem was to not fall prey to the next tiger. Maybe I need to find me a tiger!

All that mix-n-match cooking

2009-01-19T19:47:00.000-08:00

I'm not the kind who follows recipes really..... infact I feel a little claustrophobic sticking to the steps, ingredients and all those measures...... ah! one and one fourth tablespoon of oregano ... so what if I put in one and a half???....... and what if I throw in a little basil too, maybe use that fresh chilli pepper instead of that one teaspoon of chilli powder...... what if I do this and that? ... you know? I cook like that and it always works...... :) Maybe, I'm just not someone who can follow rules.

Oh well, so the other day I wanted to cook something, and that usually means cook something with what I have sitting in the fridge or the pantry.... no grocery shopping...... more of an unplanned meal. Then how do I ever shop for groceries? Oh, when there's not much left in the fridge, I just go to the store and get what looks good ....... Sometimes I buy stuff I have no idea about, and then I go looking for recipes, which I don't stick to anyway :p

Alright, I was talking about the other day.......there was this mushroom sitting in the fridge that I knew I had to use not before long...... and there was this spinach...... I think spinach and mushrooms make a good combo........ so I thought quesadillas. I wasn't sure how to make them savory, i.e. what spices to use, until I found this Whole Foods recipe. They came out delicious... and of course I made a few mods. I used twice the spinach, coz I love it. No amount of spinach is too much for me, I think. :) Also, I didn't have any Feta at home, so I just used what I had.... i.e. shredded mexican cheese. And I didn't bake them quesadillas.... I just cooked them stove-top on a pan. No safflower oil either. mmmmHmmmm!

Where there's quesadillas, there's got to be guacamole.... and by the way, the husband has got me hooked to AB's show .... (you don't know AB? tch! tch!... then you don't know what makes Good Eats).... oh well, so I used Alton Brown's recipe to make us some guac. I made one-third the amount, coz I had just uno avacado. Yuummmmm!

Btw, there was also all this celery in the fridge, that was calling out to me. I think the only ways I have had it otherwise is in my 10-bean soup or yeah, just raw. That meant looking for a new recipe where celery ran the show, and was not just a supporting character. And I remembered that once, long back, I had had some cream of celery soup at some restaurant. Off I went looking and found a ton of recipes, some that called for stock, some for buillons, some for cream.... didn't want to use any of those, coz I didn't have any of those ingredients. Until I found this simple recipe. I used twice the amount of celery, coz I like its taste and really wanted it to stand out. I had run out of white pepper, so had to stick with black pepper. Also, I blended the whole thing after it was cooked.... but only so much that it was still a lil chunky. This was simply lip smacking yum!!!!!

Yeah... it was a lot of cooking, but I enjoyed all of it... and of course, enjoyed having all of it too. The fridge was cleared and the souls were happy with all that mix-n-match cooking.

My blueberry mornings

2009-01-18T12:01:00.000-08:00

I woke up, felt a lil bit of a chill and so wanted a nice hot cup of coffee. Brushing my teeth happened as quickly as it can possibly happen so the teeth qualify as clean, especially considering the dentist appointment is coming up... ( I do go off on a tangent, yeah!)..... finally got the coffee maker started. Brew away, you good machine... brew away.... and give me some of that oh! so good cofffeeeee :) No, No, I'm not one of those people who loves coffee or who loves tea.... I like them both. Plus if you know me, you'd know that I am moooooody. Some days I really do love coffee and some days I do fight with my friend V (who is consistent about liking coffee) about how tea (chai to be precise) is the drink to die for. Anyway, so today is the day to like coffee, matter settled.

I poked my head in the fridge to see what I could eat for breakfast and saw blueberries.... mmmmmmmm! blueberry pancakes.... I want! and I am not lazy today, plus more importantly, I am in the mood to cook, so I will make. :p Got the flour, vanilla, blueberries, sugar, all out...but wasn't sure about the proportions et all. I said I wasn't so lazy that I wouldn't cook, but I was too lazy to figure it all out for myself... so I googled...... and found this Blueberry pancake recipe that works! Made it, we both enjoyed it, loved sipping my hot coffee along and now am writing about it.

I do like Michael's blog Cooking for Engineers. I think being an engineer myself, I'm biased towards it. Wait! Wait! If there was a food blog that was called Cooking for Artists, I think I would be biased towards that too. :p But, no seriously, he has a lot to offer and a lot of great recipes, ranging from easy to fix to a dozen ingredients fancy-shamnsy type. I will definitely be back for more recipes there.

Modifications I made:
- Used fresh blueberries.
- Made half the recipe, which gave us 5 pretty big pancakes that were more than enough for the two of us.

Anise

2009-01-18T11:50:00.000-08:00

What's cooking.... nothing!! Yeah, yeah, I just wrote a post about how I've been in the mood to cook and how I'm starting a new Tag called "What's cooking" where I'm gonna post what I cook, links to food blogs and books where I get recipes from, some of my own recipes.... and yes, I did say that I will write about restaurants too.

So, yeah.... here it is I was too tired and hungry to cook yesterday, so we went to this Vietnamese restaurant called Anise. We've been there a few times now and never been disappointed. This is one of the few restaurants that will make a vegetarian Noodle soup (Pho) for people like us. And their Vietnamese coffee is super. I think the food is delicious, the service is great, and to top it all it's a place where you can have a whole bowl of noodle soup and not feel guilty, coz it really is healthy. The thing is I don't really know much about Vietnamese food and I'm not sure if this is authentic or not, but I think it's yum! And that's all that mattes.

Random chatter

2009-01-18T10:52:00.000-08:00

I'm in the mood to write.... hmm... I don't know what this post is going to be about. Let's see.... it's 2009, the new year. Nah! This year doesn't really feel new, you know! There's just something about it that makes it not feel so new. Work has taken off in full swing, there's lots of interesting stuff to do. The art projects are on a little bit of a hold for now, mostly just to be able to take a break and gather new ideas. I mean... it's not on a total hold, the mind is still processing and absorbing information and inspiration from anywhere and everywhere possible... but mostly background activity. Hmm... what else, the inauguration is coming up... much awaited and looked forward to event, but with lots of apprehension too. Let's hope he really does all that he promises.

I've been in the mood to work out these days, so a lot of that is happening. The classes at the gym are fun... I have always enjoyed them. But, I must mention this new Latin Impact dance class they've started that's better than any. It has so many different types of dances, Salsa, Meringue, Zumba, Belly.... and guess what? Bhangra even! Yeah, Yeah, Bhangra. C'mon, you have to agree that a good energetic Bhangra dance with all that hopping around is quite a workout. So, that's been the high point of my days. :)

Quite ironically, I've also been in the mood to cook. Many people ask me what vegetarians eat.... they think we eat just salads and tofu, that's about it. And that we are being unhealthy by being a vegetarian. I've had the chance to explain to several people that a vegetarian meal is not only well balanced, but also very healthy and delicious. Yes, I did use healthy and delicious in the same sentence. That's possible. It doesn't have to be bland and cold for it to be healthy. Of course, Indian cooking offers a great deal of variety and covers the length and breadth of vegetables and fruits available. But, not just Indian, any and all cuisines from around the world have a fine diversity of recipes that are yummmmilicous and vegetarian. So, I've decided that I'm going to start a new Tag in my blog called "What's cooking" where in I'll post what I cook. I most likely won't have the time to post pictures, but I will post links to food blogs or books, where I got the recipe from, that I use to cook the meal of the day, with my comments about what I did differently, what I liked and disliked about those recipes. And of course, there'll be posts about some of my own recipes and sometimes restaurants. Oh well! We'll see how it goes. It's an experiment and I don't really want to set down too many rules about what I am going to or not going to do. Just go with the flow. :)

Oh btw, Slumdog Millionaire was quite a good movie.... very well made and a rather neat plot, with some incredible acting and not to mention the ever so fantastic Rahman's music. Many people complain about how the movie doesn't show the good, clean and developed parts of Bombay, but hey, the movie is about a guy from the slums, that's the scope of the movie. I don't think it was the director or script writer's responsibility to promote Bombay's progress. It was their job to portray one man's life in the slums and they pulled that off astoundingly well. I liked it and if people from the film industry want to make other movies that show how developed and high-tech Bombay is, then go for it guys! I promise I'll go watch even your movie within the first week. :)

I just scrolled up and saw that I've used the word "mood" three times if not more in this post. I must say really am a very moody person :p They (i.e. the moods) change like you wouldn't know. I still wonder how R puts up with them and my inconsistencies. Meh! He does it and I'm sure millions of other men do it too. I shall continue to be this way, might even get worse over the years... but hey, he promised to be with me through thick and thin, so this is just a part and parcel of that, yeah!

Of late, I've been wanting to get away. I want to take a vacation for a good 2-3 months and go travel, especially India, parts that I've never been to and some parts that I have been to but never really noticed it. You know how some times certain things are right in front of your eyes, but you just don't see them. Some parts of Bombay and Jaipur are like that for me. I want to re-find them, reconnect with them and capture them in a special place in my heart. Of course, I'd like to go to several other places like Egypt, Morocco, Greece, Norway, Machu Pichu... I'd like to walk across any one European country...... there's so much I'd like to do, the list is tooooo long...but for now, I really want to go to India. Maybe I will sometime this year. Mom's health has been a concern too, so that's another motivation to go back home, plus I think it would be a well deserved break, for both of us... I mean, Mom and me. Maybe even think about writing a book with her. There have been some random thoughts about that .... but I still have a lot to gather, a lot to research, before I can nail it down. It's all a fuzzy picture in my head right now.

I miss friends and family here. There are some really nice friends I have here, but I want more. Yeh dil maange more! :p I wish I could take all my dear friends and put all of us in one city, close to each other where we all live happily ever after.

Hey, I said "happily ever after" ..... that's an official way to end a story. So, happily ever after. :)

Song of this wintery rainy day

2008-12-23T08:46:00.000-08:00

.... to get me moving....

Playing catch up

2008-12-10T08:52:00.000-08:00

So much has happened in the last year, that I can not believe 2008 is already almost over. Time has a way of flying by and surprising me every now and then, by saying, "Hey, you know..... you might have lost track, but I'm still counting your newly acquired grey hair!".... Tch! Tch! Merciless!

Anyway, so this year has really been eventful, it's like almost every month something major has happened. It started with November last year when we got married. Oh boy! what a wedding.... spanned over four full and insane days of celebration, good food, dancing, being decked up and being happy. The craziness that preceded it deserves a mention too. All the preps, the pickiness, the traveling to India... oh wait! The trip to India was October last year, so yeah, I must revise that. The eventfulness started in October 2007, not November. Man! it was like an adrenaline rush for a whole two months. Umm... no, I take that back, it started in August last year, when we finally decided to get married. The preps begain then, and the engagement, awwww! the engagement was in September. When R gave me the ring, the happiest day of my life. The day was perfect. He planned it so well, all with a surprise trip to Sedona, a Helicopter ride which was a wonderful experience and a Jeep tour to the exotic Sedona wilderness. The weather, the clouds, the sun all seemed to be working for him. At the beautiful Merry Go Round Summit, with the sun setting and an absolutely gorgeous view of the Sedona valley, he asked me to marry him. I said Yes, with goose bumps, tears and smiles. :)

So I want to take back this idea of doing a timeline, coz it surely ain't working. Final revision: It all started with V and V's birth in August last year...... my adorable niece and nephew. I think their coming into our lives has a lot to do with the way things have progressed. Maybe the newly acquired Anty-status made me realize how old I really was. :p

Back to November, the wedding... ah! the wedding..... memorable! Then the Honeymoon in Kauai in December. Kauai, is very rightfully called the Garden Island. It's so lush, so over laden with trees, plants, any and all kinds of vegetation, it's amazing. Not to mention the clear blue waters and the fresh cool air...... the most refreshing and relaxing vacation ever!

Once we got back, it was like a reality check. There was some crazy house hunting in Jan, and lots of indecisiveness in Feb, trying to figure out what a perfect home for us would be. Along with that was the getting used to being married and living together. There were lots of crazy moments amidst a myriad of being crazy about each other moments. :) Yes, Mr. Time again... walks in and shows us the variety of moments....... but more than anything, they are moments of togetherness, so it's all good. :)

We moved into our house in March, on R's b'day... he said that was his b'day gift. Then followed all the unpacking, shopping for the house, me going bonkers with decorating, he going bonkers trying to keep up with my crazy ideas...... we make quite the pair, btw! Keeping each other sane. The house got painted, furnished and became home in April, I'd say.

May was an important month for me..... rather than us. It was the month of me realizing that my choices are mine and if people criticize them, I have to stand up for myself and my family. It was about figuring out my relationship with several of my life choices, be it spirituality, vegetarianism, marriage, or friendship. That mindless chatter in my head some how was replaced by a new level of confidence. I guess it was me growing up and finally finding happiness. Good, smiley days of satisfaction and simple happiness.

June and July, phooooo! the hottest months here and the months of staying indoors. Staying indoors meant spending time reading and painting...... I really think these two months kicked off the art-season of my life. :p I started reading some good books on art and also painting regularly, with a lot of encouragement from R. And I also started attending EVAG meetings. That's where I met the most incredible, down to earth, talented and helpful group of artists. These guys encouraged me to keep going, to keep painting, without thinking too much about what's to follow. I give them a lot of credit for the last few art-filled months.

August again.... V & V turned one. I couldn't believe it when I saw them. Oh boy! Time flies! I like to think that as I'm growing older I'm growing more intelligent and mature. But, that's for time to tell. When I am older, I'll look back on these years and think, ah! I thought I was all smart and all... but I was oh! so ignorant! Heheheeh! Oh well, for now I shall bask in this glory. We'll deal with future realizations when we get there. :)

September was the month of friendship. Of helping friends with their moves, new phases of life, hosting parties, events and just day-to-day life. Also, getting ready for our own new events, house and art centered.

Then came October..... b'day time, house warming party time, family ties time, first Diwali time..... nice times. Apart from all the events, there was the big shocker of me making it into the Mesa Art festival..... I have to give credit to S for this... she is the one who encouraged me to apply. I was so sure I wouldn't get in, but she kept pushing me! So sweet. And when I heard at the end of the month, that I had got in, panic attack happened. That meant I had to make all the preps, paint new things, figure out logistics, basically a huuuuuuuuuuge list of things to do in less than a month. Yiiiikes! yes, Yiiiiiiiiikes!

November was the month of doing all those things.... and stopping to just catch my breath and say Yiiiiiiiiiiikes! ..... a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication and that do-it feeling..... As each day went by, more and more panic attacks happened but I was convinced that this show, this first art show of my life is what is going to get me going. With R's support and love, we finally pulled it off. It went very well, considering it was the first time I was out there. Good stuff. And then there was no stopping, I've been doing art shows every Saturday. Some are good, some not so good. But hey, they all teach me something new. Good experiences and some beautiful friendships formed along the way.

December.... oh my! I still can't believe it's December... another year has gone by, but man! it's been an eventful year. Very eventful. And then I heard that my Buddha painting won the Artists' Choice award for best painting for this month. Yayyyyyyyyyyyy! I think that's my Christmas gift from everyone at EVAG. Lovely people. :)

Time flies by, but it's the day-to-day events of our lives that shape us. And every now and then, it makes sense to look back and play catch up with all the things that keep us going and give us a reason to smile. Every now and then, we need to stop and celebrate life.

Bombay, my city

2008-12-01T09:51:00.000-08:00

It was lunch time on Wednesday, Nov 26, when I, as usual, sat in front of my computer at work and typed cnn.com. As I read the headlines, I froze with fear. My mind stopped. I read about the attacks on my beloved city and had goose bumps. For a few minutes, I couldn't even comprehend what I had just read. And then as I read more I saw pictures of the old Taj burning. My heart sank. The identity of Bombay was being attacked. All that history, all that culture, the heritage, the easy going attitude of the city, the fact that the city never sleeps, the unity the city reverberates, all that was being attacked.

Thankfully, we had a half day at work and I went home only to switch the TV on and hear more about the deadly attacks that were still ongoing as I watched the news. As one of the reporters was trying to say something, there was loud gun firing on the background and I think that's when I realized that my beautiful city was being ruined for some inconsequential reason. Tears rolled down my eyes, as I saw Leopold's in a mess. We were there, that same table, we sat there not that long ago and now to see all that being destroyed was unimaginable.

My brother, his wife and their kids were gonna land at the airport there in less than an hour and I couldn't imagine what they'd go through when they hear this. I called Mom and Dad and told them to not leave in the middle of the night, it was about 2am there. But, they of course couldn't let their kids be alone at the airport, so they braved the night and went to pick them up. Thankfully, they were stopped a few times on the roads by cops and were able to get back home safe. But those two hours when they were on their way to the airport and back, when I couldn't reach my brother's phone my heart was pounding hard, I couldn't think straight and all the news on the TV had my adrenaline going.

All this pain and agony even though all my friends and family are safe and I'm not even there...... I can't even imagine the plight of the people who have lost their loved ones, who were there when this was happening, who survived and were able to come out safe and more importantly, who gave their lives while trying to protect others'. I can't imagine the splendid Taj, the beautiful VT, the casual Leopold's and the lively lanes of Bombay being attacked and potentially destroyed by some extremist groups for the sake of their happiness. Really? Does this make them happy? Does this give them freedom? Does this give them democracy? I really wonder how they think that instilling fear in innocent people's minds and getting their governments to respond is going to give them freedom, democracy and happiness.

Aren't there already enough natural calamities like the earthquakes, wild fires, tsunamis and cyclones that are killing millions of people, that we need human calamities like these? When natural calamities strike people of their own clan where are these fanatics? Do they offer help? If they are so resourceful, brave and intelligent that they are ready to sacrifice their lives for their "purpose" of freeing their land and getting equal rights for their people, then why do they not stand up and help when nature gives them an opportunity to? Why do they go hiding? Aren't they man enough to brave such disasters or they only know how to spread fear, not mitigate it?

I salute the NSG and the Indian Army for their heroism and the fact that if things have quietened down in Bombay, it's because of them. If we have anyone to thank it's these brave men who brought this terror attack to an end. Even though they saw their fellow cammandos give their lives in the line of duty, they didn't hesitate in restoring peace and honor to the city. Several innocent people were rescued and the beautiful buildings prevented from complete destruction, just by these brave men. I salute to you.

On the other hand, I wonder why it is such a coincidence that security was laxed at these luxury hotels just a couple weeks back. Maybe I'm trying to build connections that don't exist, but when I see very capable people like ATS Chief Hemant Karkare and several other jawans and officers sacrifice their lives for duty, I question the city's protectors. I question why the security officials and police don't have enough equipment and more importantly motivation to interject and prevent such attacks. I question why an innocent child who can barely count to 10 is shot and allowed to die in her father's arms. I question why mothers have to anxiously wait at the door step just to hear that their brave sons gave their lives for the city. I question why a teenager who has barely ventured into the real world be gunned down before he can even comprehend its real meaning. I question why kids have to grow up without their parents, just because the security officials weren't doing their job right. Why? Why this unfairness? Why this mayhem?

In a country where the economy is booming, where software companies make animations for Hollywood movies, where one of the most talented engineers and doctors come from, where even those who live in slums flaunt cell phones.... you've got to wonder how come officials of that country are so lacking in resources? Why don't they have sophisticated arms and ammunition to prevent such attacks? Why are they poorly paid and hence not willing to excel at their jobs? Why do they fall prey to corruption and bribes? Where does all the money go? I agree that's capitalism for you. Money remains and circulates in the private sector, but what about the resources that are allocated for national security and infrastructure? What happens to it? By the time it gets to where it was supposed to be, it has changed so many bureaucratic hands that a major chunk disappears in this exchange. That's the way things have been in India for ages and the "chalta hai" (doesn't matter) attitude invites attacks like these.

As I watched the news, no where in there did they say that this is because of religion. No where do they mention that people of one religion have absolutely no tolerance towards people of another. I am not pointing a finger at any one particular religion. I am saying that people of any religion do this. Everyone thinks their faith is the best and the only one that's "right". Their is no practicing of what the religion really preaches, like the values of love, humility and acceptance. None at all. I am not even saying that only fanatics do this. I know educated people who in a social meeting criticize people of another country, another state or another religion. I have been prey to such criticism myself. People are quick to point out mistakes in others that don't speak the same language, that don't have the same background, that have a different definition of God.... the existence of which is debatable in the first place. So why fight over it? I fail to understand.

I hope this time is not like all other times, when an attack happens and things go back to normal as if nothing ever happened. I hope this shakes those in-charge up and forces them to act. I hope this brings to fore the real problem and gets people together to find a solution. I hope this doesn't just go back to the usual finger pointing, bickering and political games. I hope this marks the times of change, the times of finding answers and solutions. I hope this forces everyone to see beyond their clan, their religion and come together and really give meaning to the phrase "Unity in Diversity".

Announcing my art website

2008-11-30T17:53:00.000-08:00

It's finally up and going...... my website is here presenting all my artwork, my warli paintings along with my abstract ones, my photographs, poems, all of that and more. Do take a look and as always, please leave your comments and thoughts... they always encourage me!

http://meenakshimatai.com

Mesa Holiday Art and Music Festival

2008-11-10T16:25:00.000-08:00

I got selected by a jury to participate in the Mesa Art Festival, held by the Mesa Art Center here. Mesa Art Center is the largest art center in Arizona and it holds shows for renowned artists in all fields of art from painting to acting to performers to name it and you have it. This festival is a difficult one to even get into as lots of artists apply and it can hold only so many entries.

Anyway, the festival is on Nov 22, which means I have been working like crazy towards it. I heard that I got in 3 weeks back, and only now have I got a chance to write this blog post. It's been crazy, crazy... but a lot of fun too. Painting for hours on an end... painting so much that my hand began to hurt the other day..... painting until I see patterns and colors in my dreams (not that I didn't already :p) ...... oh my! it's really been unending. Well, this is the start of recognition... the start of realizing the true me.... the start of living my dream. I have my fingers crossed and hope that it all goes well. I hope my hard work pays off. Wish me luck, coz I'm going to need it.

More information about the festival:
http://mesaartslive.com/index.php/special/smoothjazz
When: Nov 22, 2008
Start time: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Where: Mesa Arts Center

The annual Holiday Art & Musical Festival will feature original works of art for sale by several local and regional artists, live entertainment showcasing local talent on two stages, artist demonstrations in Glassblowing, Metals and Ceramics, children’s activities, and a variety of food from featured local restaurants. Come to Mesa Arts Center to kick off the holiday season at this fun-filled community festival! Admission is free to the public.

Schmap

2008-11-10T16:21:00.000-08:00

So, there's something called Schmap, they provide travel guides to almost everywhere in the world. They had a competition going and people who "won" would have their photographs entered in the guide. I had no clue about them and they automatically chose 1 of my pictures for the competition for their Kauai Guide. I guess from my Flickr page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hopensmiles/)

I just got this email:

I am delighted to let you know that your submitted photo
has been selected for inclusion in the newly released fifth
edition of our Schmap Kauai Guide:

Allerton Tropical Gardens
http://www.schmap.com/kauai/tours_tour4/p=263983/i=263983_13.jpg

Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! I'm soooooooooo happy! :D

अरमां-ओ-कहकशां

2008-10-11T18:11:00.000-07:00

ज़िन्दगी माँगा नए जवाब करती है
कौन आया,
कौन गया रखा सब हिसाब करती है

क्यों बदलते हैं रुख रिश्तों के
यह पहेली बूझा शराब करती है

है खुदाई मोहब्बत की हर इक झलक
फिर क्यों हमसे वो नकाब करती है

दो लफ्जों की होती तो कह देते कसम
हमारी हर इक जुस्तजू किताब करती है

ज़मीन है कहती, है दूर कितना उफाक
अम्बर की अंगडाई उसे बेताब करती है

अन्देखे खुदा से करती है वो बातें
हमें फ़क़त दूर से आदाब करती है

कई अरमानो की कहकशां है इक "ज़िया"
बेमकसद ज़िन्दगी जो कामयाब करती है.

------------------

अरमां-ओ-कहकशा : Hope and smile.
जुस्तजू : pursuit, search
उफाक : horizon

------------------

And in latin script............

Armaa.n-o-kehkashaa.n

zindagi maanga naye jawaab karti hai
kaun aaya,
kaun gaya rakha sab hisaab karti hai

kyun badalte hain rukh rishton ke
yeh paheli boojha sharaab karti hai

hai khudai mohabbat ki har ik jhalak
fir kyun humse woh naqaab karti hai

do lafzon ki hoti to keh dete kasam
humari har ik justjoo kitaab karti hai

zameen hai kehti, hai door kitna ufaq
ambar ki angdai use betaab karti hai

undekhe khuda se karti hai baatein
hamein faqat door se aadaab karti hai

kai armaano ki kehkashaa.n hai ik "ziya"
bemaqsad zindagi jo qamyaab karti hai.

---------------------

aramaan-o-kehkashaa : Hope and smile.
justjoo : pursuit, search
ufaq : horizon

Warli

2008-10-06T14:55:00.000-07:00

Warli is a tribal art form by the people of the Warli tribe who live in Maharashtra, India. They use just circles (sun, moon) and triangles (mountains, trees) to produce beautiful works of art. They paint on walls by first preparing them with cow dung and mud and then using rice flour and water to draw with sticks.

Ever since I saw a warli painting back when I was a kid, not more than 8 or 9 years old, I've been amazed at their beauty, but more importantly at the fact that they are intricate and simple at the same time. I've always wanted to make one myself and this is the first time I tried my hand at it. It was a loooooot of work and several looooooong days of continuously working on it. But, I think the end result is goodie! I'm very happy with the way it came out. I made this on a canvas and created the background texture (although I don't think the texture is visible in these pictures) and painted over it with acrylics. Size: 2ft x 4ft.

Click here to see more of my Warli paintings.

East Valley Art Guild

2008-08-25T17:38:00.000-07:00

My love for painting started when I was probably 7 or 8. I just loved drawing flowers and coloring them in the most vibrant pencil colors I could find. Art classes in school were always something to look forward to and they taught me the basic watercolor techniques. Even outside of school I found my Mom and my neighbor (who was an artist herself) always encouraging me to express myself in this colorful way. But as the system usually goes, unfortunately I got disconnected from this expressive world and got side tracked into becoming an engineer. Well, things have moved along, years have gone by and I've taken small steps towards getting back to my true love, painting. I've gone from my innocent pencil colored flowers to using watercolors and recently acrylics. I am in no way a good artist, in my eyes atleast. I am learning and am lucky enough to have a family and lots of friends who continue to encourage me. I've slowly created some paintings, but it really has been slow, very slow. Recently I heard of the East Valley Art Guild and have been attending their monthly meetings. At first, it was almost intimidating to go to those meetings as other artists there are so much more talented and experienced. I was even scared to show my paintings to them for fear of being laughed at. But, everyone there was so welcoming, friendly and encouraging that it helped me overcome my fear (well! atleast to some extent) and finally after attending their meetings for a few months, I decided to apply for their membership. I was so sure I wouldn't be accepted as I'm just an amateur painter and my paintings are not usually technically correct. But, to my surprise I just found out that I have been juried in as a member. I am soooooo happy and excited! I am so lucky to be around these incredibly talented, yet humble, people who are a constant source of encouragement. This is one small step ahead for me and I hope I can continue to learn from all the wonderful people around me and most importantly continue to create art.

I want to wake up with the rain ......

2008-08-23T23:22:00.000-07:00

falling on a tin roof...
While I'm safe there in your arms, so all I ask is for you
to come away with me in the night
Come away with me. :)

Norah Jones.... my new absolutely favorite singer. Her songs are so sweet, so innocent, so melodious and she just left me speechless as I was listening to her playing her piano and singing along ever so beautifully, as she talked with the legendary Marian McPartland on Piano Jazz on NPR. I was just driving home, not knowing who the guest on her show was, and as usual was enjoying Marian's show. They are always, yes always, a joy to listen to. But, today I was just instantly sucked into the harmonious world they both were skilfully creating with all their love for the piano, for jazz and most importantly for music, just simple, pure, beautiful music. I've always given and continue to give more importance to lyrics than music, maybe that's why I write poems and ghazals. But, when I heard Norah Jones I was completely enraptured by the union she creates between music and lyrics. It's beautiful!
Here's the show I was listening to:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93872037

And of course when the show was over, I hadn't had enough. So, until tomorrow morning when the store opens and I can go buy some CDs, I've been listening to her on youtube. She's just magical!

Vada pav

2008-08-14T14:10:00.000-07:00

Last night at S's house warming party, there was vada pav amongst some of the other delicious food. Needless to say, it was yummmm, but since then I haven't stopped thinking about it. Do you know the significance of vada pav.... or vada pav and rain, even? For me, it almost is a romantic bond. It started it my school days. There used to be this tiny little shop close to school, almost inconspicuous, but the smell! oh! the smell was anything but inconspicuous. It was as if it literally pulled you in and you couldn't help but give in. Even though we knew we'd get screamed at by our Moms on going home for eating "junk", my friends and I didn't seem to care too much about what seemed to be out in the distant future. We lived for the moment and said, "Chaar" handing out four rupees. The vada-pav waala, in his skimpy pale baniyan and wrinkles on his old hand, always gave us a smile that showed a gaping dark hole amongst his rather immaculate teeth. We always wondered how many vada-pavs he ate a day. Sigh! the innocence! Anyway, after having happily acquired our coveted food we always smiled back at him to indicate that he was doing a great job and we loved his recipe. The first bite with a lot of green chutney, sweet tamarind chutney and fried green chillies was and still is the most rewarding..... oh! and of course the garlic chutney, that's what did it. As more and more people came in to get this taste of heaven, us girls would move up close to the edge of the blue and black plastic sheets supported on bamboo to keep the rain away. While we got almost completely drenched and the cool breeze gave us goose bumps, the delicious vada pav provided what could be the perfectly contrasting warmth, heat even. With the rain composing its own harmonies and the vada-pav wala playing vivid-bharati, we ate in silence. Not a word was said. Eventually, we hummed along... maine tere liye hi saat rang ke sapne chune.... as the last bits of the pav melted in our mouths. :)

भीगी आस्तीन

2008-07-21T03:30:00.000-07:00

ढूँढो ज़रा, सेहरा में गुलिस्तां कहाँ
इश्क-ओ-अज़ाब बिना शायराना समां कहाँ

है खुशी हाथ की लकीरों में तो क्या
भीगी आस्तीन लिए मुस्कुराना आसां कहाँ

चंद लम्हे बैठते साथ, होते अफ़साने
यूँ तो कहने को लम्बी दस्तां कहाँ

चूल्हे में बना कांच से नाज़ुक पियाला
टूटे कोई दिल जैसा, उढ़ता है धुँआं कहाँ

इशारों से होती हैं सब मिन्नतें कुबूल,
मिलती है फूल-ओ-भवरे की ज़ुबा कहाँ

बदलती मंजिलों के हैं मारे मुसाफिर
जिसमे हो फुर्सत ऐसा बे-फ़िक्र जहां कहाँ

होती है नज़र अंदाज़ रोज़ इक सितारे की झिलमिल
बुझा सके यह "ज़िया", ऐसा कोई तूफ़ां कहाँ

--------
सेहरा: desert
अज़ाब: agony/pain
आस्तीन: sleeve

--------

In Latin script....

Dhoondo zara, sehra mein gulistaa.n kahaa.n
ishq-o-azaab bina shairaana samaa.n kahaa.n

Hai khushi haath ki lakeeron mein to kya
bheegi aasteen liye muskurana asaa.n kahaa.n

Chand lamhe baidhte saath, hote afsaane
yun to kehne ko lambi dastaa.n kahaa.n

Chulhe mein bana kaanch se nazuk piyala
toote koi dil jaisa, udhta hai dhuaa.n kahaa.n

Isharon se hoti hain sab minnatein kubool,
milti hai phool-o-bhawre ki zubaa.n kahaa.n

Badalti manzilon ke hain maare musaafir
jisme ho fursat aisa be-fikr jahaa.n kahaa.n

Hoti hai nazar andaaz roz ik sitaare ki jhilmil
bujha sake yeh "ziya", aisa koi toofaa.n kahaa.n

--------

sehra: desert
azaab: agony/pain
aasteen: sleeve