• I think every single dimension of life is simply intriguing. Life fascinates me
• Though I have way too many friends, I somehow managed to nail a soul mate /best friend for myself, who knows all of my secrets, well, almost :)
• I grew up thinking I looked ugly, thanks to a few family members n school mates. But now I know I am beautiful inside & out again thanks to a few family members n friends!
• I believe in the universal plan. I live each day hoping that I'm dealing with the cards right
• I live in the "now". It makes things so remarkably easy to deal with on a daily basis
• I don't like tea or coffee. I have no idea how coffee actually tastes like. Really!
• I'm addicted to food. Especially to the Chinese cuisine. Seafood tops the list! Am an emotional eater too.which is not a good thing at all.
• I am a movie buff. Kamal Hassan is my all time favorite and has remained so for over 25 years
• Shreeya (my daughter) is my passion and my very quintessence of life. She is my
  inspiration and every single reason why I should go on
• I adore my mom for being the selfless person that she is. I don't mean to sound so clichéd but if I could inherit even a couple of traits from her I would go a long way
• I love to analyze relationships and the intricacies involved in makin them work. When it comes to me I am emotional, sincere and benevolent. I love relationships but it also hurts like death when someone doesn't respect it as much as i do.
• I love to dance and most of the time it ends up being my outlet for pent up not so good feelings
• I discovered quite late that I could actually sing. Barely trained; Likedance, singing is one the things where I could've gone professional
• When I was in school I wanted to marry A R Rahman. I remain to be his die hard fan till date
• I went cricket crazy when I was 14. I wouldn't go to school without a bat I said, one day. My dad bought me a brand new one during the lunch interval & I still remember my face beaming with pride while unveiling it to my friends for the first time
• I believe in love; I also believe that if you are lucky it will happen only once and anything before and after that would be life's compromise
• I love to party. I am social but not a complete extrovert. I can begraphed somewhere between being an introvert & extrovert. I cherish my "alone" moments quite a lot
• I love hip hop music as much as I enjoy sad love songs. My hip hop classes are still pending in Englewood
• Disney land was one of my childhood dreams. Many of my childhood dreams never manifested, but Disney land did. I visited Orlando in 2003 and that too with my own money. One of the most memorable days of my life
• "Bombay" was the first movie I watched with friends, after bunking college I still remember every thrilling moment of that day like it happened yesterday
• I've never dated in my life & now I guess it is too late :)
• My all time favorite Tv show is LOST. I'm amazed @ the thought process of the makers of this masterpiece in each & every episode. (I love Sawyer...... and Jack too :))
• I used to be Andre Agassi's big time fan in school..& also Sanjay Manjrekar for which I've been ridiculed all my life :)
• I spent my childhood summer holidays in Madurai, my native. I have some real special memories of those days with my cousins, etched in my heart forever
• I didn't own a pair of jeans till I was 25. My dad was not fond of me wearing western clothes & I never thought I had the body for it. One fine day I told my self "What the heck. Who cares!". No looking back since then
• I have struggled with weight issues all my life and the battle of thebulges continue; but with some renewed confidence after the 2005 success story of weight loss, I think I can do it again
• I love my brothers. We don't have much in common, but the unspoken bond we share speaks louder than words and also may be because, I never liked the idea of having a sister
• I never miss an opportunity to compliment someone. "That's a pretty dressthat you are wearing" or "wow you look nice today" are part of my everyday vocabulary
• Though I was never allowed to have any career aspirations when I was young. I've always dreamt of owning an immensely successful business. I hope to make it big someday!
• I am a sinful procrastinator. I need to constantly push myself to even get the basic of things, done. Wish I were more organized
• I hate my name. Period.
• I can shop till I drop. I'm not called a shopaholic for no reason
• I love trendy clothes and junk jewellery. Could never have enough of 'em
• Wish I knew hindi. Its been a handicap in several instances. Yes, I am "subtitle dependent" i know to read n write hindi though...Strange???!! welll thts me...:)
• I dreaded the tonsillitis surgery when I was 11. It just took a couple of brand new Barbies to convince me to go through with it :)
• I don't hate all men. I only hate shallow guys, can't stand the needyones and also the ones that are not man enough to face the situation. Now does that pretty much account for all men? Hehe
• Malibu is the drink I had recently and I so loved it. Now it tops my chart after margarita
• Ihave this thing for Librans. I sometimes think that this unexplainable"thing" could've earned me some of the most unforgettable moments & people in life
• My colleagues in Singaporethought that I had a weird accent. Then I quickly mastered singaporean English (English with a mandarin accent) and never had any communication hiccups henceforth. Not even in the local supermarkets.My husband was awed!
• I have a couple of very strong women as friends that do what they love
  for a career. They make me so proud and also make me yearn for my turn!
• My right hand is kinda screwed that i suck at sporting activities. However, swimming is my favorite physical activity, I miss Singapore for that if not for anything else
• Im crazy about the color Black. Black shirt, skirt, salwar, tunic, sari, trouser, shoes, jewellery, you name it, I got it!
• The March 2008 road trip to Las Vegas via Grand Canyon in an Rv along with the "Denver Diamonds" aka "Denver Gluttons" gang, would go down in history as one of the most incredible trips ever made!
• I like it dark. I mean the ambience of the home. I don't like too much light
• Adobe Photoshop is one of my passions. I am amazed at the way I manage to maneuver around the interface like a pro even after all these years of not keeping in touch
• I love to cook. I experiment a lot and Ram has been extremely cooperative and most importantly, Alive... :) hehe
• I've always wanted straight hair for myself, but after all these years I'm not too sure
• Ross is my favorite character in friends. He is so adorable!
• I'm a big fan of Oprah Winfrey. Would love to be part of at least her audience someday, if not as her guest :)
• I love photographs. I think every house should showcase pictures that
  capture some of the most beautiful moments of life that time can't erase
• I hope to set up a home for uncared children someday. If I could make it..that would be the culmination of my lifetime!

I don't find much time for myself...n i'm sorta learning to live my life thru my miracle's eyes...it feels good in a strange way though sometimes i stop for a moment to ask myself if it really feels good...but at the end of the day everything seems soooo worth it!

So heneceforth i hope i will b able to pen down things whenever i feel the need to....to start with i want to write about my first impressions of "MOTHERHOOD" which i assure is not the usual cliched story u hear from new moms...! Meet u all soon....so long till then....

Love surged through her existence

and surfed through her soul!

Like a candle in the wind...

Like a tear in the rain...

Washed out by time...

Seperated by a horizon...

Threatened by destiny...

Embraced by darkness...

Bruised by life's tragedies...

An impossible dream that was never meant to be...

A new beginning that came tagged with an end!

Love surged through her existence

and surfed through her soul!

FOR THE LAST TIME EVER!

An hour of pure enlightenment!

100s of the emperor penguins start their march together from their usual habitat during a particular period of the year to their traditional breeding ground that is 100s of miles away, with a single goal in mind - to find LOVE - as a result pocreate. Some males are rejected upfront and return home (only to try their luck nxt year :). Some manage to woo their partners, get her into the mood for love(no candle lights required :), and you know the rest! and when the bundle(egg) of joy arrives, starts the painful responsibilty for the dad to protect the egg from the most hostile weather conditions in the planet(-20 or -30 C). They patiently wait for the mothers that had walked back home for food to return in a few months time, provided they make it. For over 4 months the father foregoes food and water, the only motivation being his unborn progeny, tucked between his feet and belly. Once the mother returns with food for the chicks, the fathers walk a few hundred miles back home to break their fast. The chicks are taken care by the moms and are also taught the tricks of survival for a few more months till the dads return. They have a few family moments together before the farewell time and then the parents leave the chicks behind to return home. They may never see each other again. Now its upto the young ones to find their way back home and when they do, they instinctively search and find an opening on the frozen ocean to take their first plunge ever!

The Strength, Determination, Tolerance, Persistence, Resillience & Surviving Skills demonstrated by the penguins can easily make anyone feel inadequate. They know what they need to do in life and just go ahead to fulfill their purpose...no matter what - No Complaints, No Questions, No Resentment, No Whining whatsoever. They dont read self development books, attend Tony Robbin's seminar, no self affirmations or reassurance is required either...and most importantly they do everything so unconditionally.... So unbelievably true!

Since then, whenever I sorta slip into the "Why me?" mode, though not too often - An image of a penquin with a smirk on his face flashes in my mind..& u guessed it right.... from there I go along the flow with some rejuvinated spirit, trusting the Universal plan for me like never before !

Marche de l'empereur, La - A must watch documentary!

No point blaming the system, or complaining about our policies. I admit my helplessness, I cant do much to alter the situation. In the wake of this tragedy, my heartfelt prayers and deepest condolences to all the souls that departed and the ones that are struggling to survive & Hats off to everyone with an undying human spirit thats out there, doing what they can and personally standing by the grief struck, in this moment of crisis. God bless 'em all!

How would you feel about livin under the same roof for 5 months in a foreign land with someone thatz just a lil more than an acquaintance. Well, for me...it turned out to be just perfect. Arti n I, were in Florida for an OJT (On Job Training You can also say On a Jolly Trip) and ended up doing some of the craziest things ever and in turn became the closest friends ever.

While reminiscing, I can think of a few outrageously crazy things we did that still manages to put a smile on my face. Here i go from the top of my head -

• We partied the weekend nights, like there was no tomorrow & depleted our wallets on tequila shots (convinced, ourselves that we weren't drunk enough)
• We made some real cool American friends, who drove us around the city all the time including Fairvilla (adult store), where i finally made up my mind on Arti's wedding gift ( A whip of course :) )
• We always struck the best deals in town ranging from Tshirts not more than $6 to package passes to all the Disney parks for just $25 :)
• We were totally shameless about making our guests cut onions or peel potatoes ( actually we kinda made them offer to help :)
• Once we switched between two movie halls every 20 mins or so ( couldn't help cuz the movie that we paid $10 for was not worth a dime :)
• Made Rasam and served them in bowls to our American colleagues at a pot luck lunch( made them believe that it was a kind of a South Indian Soup)
• A Puertorican friend tried to teach us to do the Salsa, but ended up learning the choreography for Manmadarasa (A hit Tamil koothu song :)
• My brave friend visited the graveyard @ midnite for an eerie experience ( only to discover later that our suite itself was built on a grave yard :)
• We always overloaded the laundromat to save a few quarters (But was usually compensated with a few pair less sox :)
• Hosted quite a number of drink n smoke parties in our non smoking suite (when the hotel in-charge warned us, we extended an impromptu party invitation to him as well :)
• Kicked some ass in the training assessments & also managed to get our manager fired (that calls for a totally new blog post :)

Amidst all the fun & chaos, we built a bond thats so special, rare and i also believe, "immortal" ( it cant be any other way). We've been through a series of emotional roller coaster rides together & have stood by each other during the good and not so good times. I read somewhere that each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world in born. How true... My dearest friend, you sure do represent a world in me and your arrival truly marked the birth of a new world in me. Thanks for being there & for being you....:)

Some people just piss me off...i dont even know who exactly I'm talkin about.
But that really doesnt matter, cuz the frustration has hit the roof. These people
have this uncanny ability to put me off by jus blurting out something that they dont
mean, or pretend to be somethingelse that they are not. Worse still is when just the mere thought of the deeds of some, trigger those "ANNOY NOW!" chemicals in my head for no apparent reason and sends my mood for a toss.

It really takes a lot to push me to the edge, but some people know just how to do it. I can put up with boring souls, bored souls, and sometimes even with the whining souls, but my pure turnoffs are those faces that wear a smile to camouflage the malicious intention thatz lurking beneath and also the lips that utter the most insincere words with no real meaning to them whatsoever.

I really dont want to be loading myself with negative emotions, i cant afford it now. So people! Have some some mercy on me, dont say things that you might wanna revoke in the future, dont tell me i mean a lot to you when i dont, dont say that u missed me when u didnt, dont cook up stories to cover the truth, I'm better off with the truth, and
FINALY - Dont tell me that i'd be one tht'd come to your mind, when an asteroid falls through your roof to land on your head!

But all said n done -
Though I'm so tired of this crapload, I want to forgive you all, because I beleive that in forgiveness - Healing begins.
Not for you but for me!

A tiny inspiration after my 13th week Ultra Sound