"I'm blessed and I thank God for every day for everything that happens for me" – Lil Wayne.
Rightly said!
It is altogether a different joy in collecting gifts, toys and so much more and then visiting the special people and celebrating Christmas – the festival of love, gift giving and super fun! This Christmas (Dec 25, 2013), we visited the “Shri ChhatrapatiPratishthan Nivasi Matimand Vidyalaya, Pune”, school-cum-hostel for the special children.
Seeing the love and affection in their eyes, for we, visitors, truly overwhelmed us. Not only very soon did they mingle with us, but also, the smallest of the kids, wanted each one of us to play with her all time, and did not want us to leave :’) We experienced the real joy of giving by playing and dancing with them, and having lots of fun. We also updated them with what Christmas is and how fun-filled the festival is!
To add more to the moments, we then distributed gifts to the children and witnessed the best ever smiles on the little faces! :) And post meal, we enjoyed the dance performances by Saylee N Agavane. “When we lose one blessing, another is often most unexpectedly given in its place.” ― C.S. Lewis. Yes, despite being mentally challenged, Saylee has made it her life's mission to uplift mentally challenged children. Her performance stunned us! And yes, tears of joy rolled too! :’)
Overall, something that I have added to my basket of best memories, and the wonderful experience of becoming a SANTA for the kids and enjoying Christmas to the best! :)
Saturday, 28 December 2013
Monday, 11 November 2013
ADIEU SACHIN!
Heroes are not made. They are born to set benchmark of excellence. Sachin WAS, IS and WILL be the Hero of innumerable Indians. If cricket is your passion since childhood, the reason behind it is SACHIN!
I don’t know him in person, but, yes I am one of those billion die-hard fans of Sachin! :D
I don’t know the reason why I love, admire and even worship this great legend. Rather I never knew, I will ever write about him this way, when I first saw him playing in my nursery days!
There is certainly something that is so unique, something divine about him for sure or maybe he himself is GOD!
The biggest six Vs. England – 2003 world cup, the 100th ton, the stylish leg side shot, offside classic shots, so many Man of the Series awards, so many Man of the Match awards are in the basket of BEST SACHIN memories!
His achievements: here and here! OMG! The list of his first bests, and other such achievements’, is too long to add to a post! :D #Proud
“The world of Cricket is going to miss the man who dedicated everything in life for one reason.
The world of Cricket is going to miss the man who placed in a position himself no one can just imagine.
The world of Cricket is going to miss the man who served his nation with pride.
The world of Cricket is going to miss the man who excelled in his life with just one reason – Love for Cricket!”
Hundreds of youngsters who started playing cricket were inspired by him;
There was an era, when every 10th baby boy born in India was named "Sachin".
He was the reason that kept billions of people, irrespective of their religion, united.
He was the reason that batting became a sensation in India and nobody wanted to be a bowler ("Sachin banna hai :D").
The cricket matches shown on TV sets in so many TV soaps and Bollywood movies always play some Sachin match.
His 1998 Sharjah inning (Coca-Cola cup), where he danced down d track off Shane Warne's bowling, made innumerable Indians and non-Indians, as well, DANCE! :D
He is the only God, who isn't associated with any particular religion and is worshipped alike across all religions, across all states!
It is time of SACHIN mantra all over the world! Thank you Sachin for making our childhood and teenage the best part of our life. Thank you SACHIN for your wonderful memories now after your retirement :)
The time has come, when
Such a huge fan-following Sachin has, that hundreds of Indians forget “Hockey is the National Game :D” and watch Cricket without fail! It is because of the fans, that his retirement is celebrated on full-fledge with such a festive atmosphere! This seems something like Ganesh Visarjan, where you celebrate with full happiness, but you are somewhere sad, that you will not see him play again :’) (same as Ganpati’s arrival is awaited till next year).
It is this #SachinCraze, that Star Sports presents, 93.5 RED FM playing non-stop 200 hours, for Sachin – 200*! Ad this is truly amongst the awesome things happening for his retirement, along with the best 199th Test match that he played in Kolkata (where, Sachin’s photos were put on exhibition, coin being tossed had him on one side, Sachin masks, placards forming Sachin, balloons and rose petals through aircrafts). Oh yes, even Cricbuzz has a specific page for Sachin! “Adieu Sachin”! :)
Excited for the 200th match celebrations!
And proud to be one of those hundreds, who will be posting about Sachin, these days! :) Truly legendary I must say! :)
I don’t know him in person, but, yes I am one of those billion die-hard fans of Sachin! :D
I don’t know the reason why I love, admire and even worship this great legend. Rather I never knew, I will ever write about him this way, when I first saw him playing in my nursery days!
There is certainly something that is so unique, something divine about him for sure or maybe he himself is GOD!
The biggest six Vs. England – 2003 world cup, the 100th ton, the stylish leg side shot, offside classic shots, so many Man of the Series awards, so many Man of the Match awards are in the basket of BEST SACHIN memories!
His achievements: here and here! OMG! The list of his first bests, and other such achievements’, is too long to add to a post! :D #Proud
“The world of Cricket is going to miss the man who dedicated everything in life for one reason.
The world of Cricket is going to miss the man who placed in a position himself no one can just imagine.
The world of Cricket is going to miss the man who served his nation with pride.
The world of Cricket is going to miss the man who excelled in his life with just one reason – Love for Cricket!”
Hundreds of youngsters who started playing cricket were inspired by him;
There was an era, when every 10th baby boy born in India was named "Sachin".
He was the reason that kept billions of people, irrespective of their religion, united.
He was the reason that batting became a sensation in India and nobody wanted to be a bowler ("Sachin banna hai :D").
The cricket matches shown on TV sets in so many TV soaps and Bollywood movies always play some Sachin match.
His 1998 Sharjah inning (Coca-Cola cup), where he danced down d track off Shane Warne's bowling, made innumerable Indians and non-Indians, as well, DANCE! :D
He is the only God, who isn't associated with any particular religion and is worshipped alike across all religions, across all states!
It is time of SACHIN mantra all over the world! Thank you Sachin for making our childhood and teenage the best part of our life. Thank you SACHIN for your wonderful memories now after your retirement :)
The time has come, when
- No one will break his TV set when someone in the Indian team gets out.
- No one will bunk their office, college, schools to watch Sachin’s batting.
- No one will pray when someone is in 90's.
- No one will care about India winning cricket matches.
- No one will be that excited, when someone like Kohli, Dhoni, Dhawan etc will hit centuries.
- No one will cry or will be upset when any of the Indian batsmen is going back to pavilion.
Such a huge fan-following Sachin has, that hundreds of Indians forget “Hockey is the National Game :D” and watch Cricket without fail! It is because of the fans, that his retirement is celebrated on full-fledge with such a festive atmosphere! This seems something like Ganesh Visarjan, where you celebrate with full happiness, but you are somewhere sad, that you will not see him play again :’) (same as Ganpati’s arrival is awaited till next year).
It is this #SachinCraze, that Star Sports presents, 93.5 RED FM playing non-stop 200 hours, for Sachin – 200*! Ad this is truly amongst the awesome things happening for his retirement, along with the best 199th Test match that he played in Kolkata (where, Sachin’s photos were put on exhibition, coin being tossed had him on one side, Sachin masks, placards forming Sachin, balloons and rose petals through aircrafts). Oh yes, even Cricbuzz has a specific page for Sachin! “Adieu Sachin”! :)
Excited for the 200th match celebrations!
And proud to be one of those hundreds, who will be posting about Sachin, these days! :) Truly legendary I must say! :)
Tuesday, 5 November 2013
Your "Winning" is not that will always count!
I recently came across the following story. We are never tough-hearted, irrespective of wherever we work (any company, or a farmer or whatever be the occupation). Yet sometimes we become callous enough to miss the opportunities to make someone smile.
Here I present you a story from US based on BASE BALL Game. You might not know the rules properly but you will understand the story. It’s a true story that will try to show you that sometimes you are happier by letting someone else win. Your win doesn't count at that time.
At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning – disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: “When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?”
The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. “I believe that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped, comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.”
Then he told the following story:
Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, “Do you think they’ll let me play?” Shay’s father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
Shay’s father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, “We’re losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning. ”
Shay struggled over to the team’s bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. His father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in his heart. The boys saw the father’s joy at his son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay’s team scored again.
Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat. At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn’t even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.
However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay’s life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.
The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game. Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman’s head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, “Shay, run to first! Run to first!” Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.
Everyone yelled, “Run to second, run to second!” Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball, the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher’s intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman’s head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.
All were screaming, “Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay”
Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, “Run to third! Shay, run to third! As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, “Shay, run home! Run home!” Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.
“That day, ” said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, “the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world. ”
Shay didn’t make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to make a difference. So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice:
Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities?
A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats its least fortunate! True that!
Here I present you a story from US based on BASE BALL Game. You might not know the rules properly but you will understand the story. It’s a true story that will try to show you that sometimes you are happier by letting someone else win. Your win doesn't count at that time.
At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning – disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: “When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?”
The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. “I believe that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped, comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.”
Then he told the following story:
Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, “Do you think they’ll let me play?” Shay’s father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
Shay’s father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, “We’re losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning. ”
Shay struggled over to the team’s bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. His father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in his heart. The boys saw the father’s joy at his son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay’s team scored again.
Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat. At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn’t even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.
However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay’s life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.
The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game. Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman’s head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, “Shay, run to first! Run to first!” Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.
Everyone yelled, “Run to second, run to second!” Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball, the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher’s intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman’s head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.
All were screaming, “Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay”
Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, “Run to third! Shay, run to third! As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, “Shay, run home! Run home!” Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.
“That day, ” said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, “the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world. ”
Shay didn’t make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to make a difference. So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice:
Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities?
A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats its least fortunate! True that!
Tuesday, 22 October 2013
@PAR 2013
This, I share a wonderful experience of discovering Pune through the event named “@PAR 2013” organized by TCS! :)
For those who are wondering what is “PAR”? That is Pune Adventure Race.
I know this is a bad start, but really don’t know how do I express! Just an awesome experience. In typical Puneri style…BHAARI! :D
We started at around 5.30 in the morning from home, to reach the start point (Mangaldas Office) in time (so that we should not get disqualified ;)) and then some formalities, followed by team photography and breakfast. Seeing 63 teams altogether, was really the one, seeing which you actually get that “competitive feeling”.
Later, when the questions or the clues for the Pune places were given, the excitement and fun rose! Yeah, the clues, kept me stunned. No wonder, my helping committee (the backend – family and friends) could find any except say, 3 to 4 out of 21. Rest all we managed finding ourselves! Yeah!
Oh yeah, the clues for IUCAA, Wadeshwar (a restaurant in front of the tree planted by the Chief Minister, of which the fruits were sent to the Prime Minister), Katraj Snake Park (for the Tanaji confusion), & the ‘Half of Shakespeare’ (Ram Ganesh Gadkari) were the ultimate ones! Hardly one or two teams could crack these. Sadly, even we couldn’t crack. Once we were done with the clues, and the watch warned us that it is high time, start riding, we started our PAR, with covering places from Mangaldas to Magarpatta to East Street to Swargate to Laxmi Road and Mandai to Karve Road to Aundh-Baner to Balewadi, and finally making it to SP (Sahyadri Park, Hinjewadi) through the hustle and bustle of the city and so many other PAR riders to be overtaken through!
We also did crazy things like wasting around 8 kms. over some wrong clue, of course realized later :p Also, getting the team clicked in front of McDonalds’ was funny, because, later when seeing our answer as McDonalds’, there was nothing but giggles! :D Not just this, but we also visited an auditorium, just to see what is the instrument kept at that particular location, at the eleventh hour! Anyway, we reported with the answers at sharp 4:54 pm with a satisfying smile!
The sunny climate, the 100+km drive along with the souvenirs, the awesome team photograph and the fun-filled moments filled our PAR experience basket with smiles and joy! :)
The clues for the treasure hunt led to discovering some key location/ monument of Pune. And the best thing for photo-crazy person like me, was to click & get clicked at every clue! No wonder in front of every place, of all my team members, I was the default one :P
*I am ‘Made in Pune’ ;) but discovered quite a lot of Pune during the race!
For those who are wondering what is “PAR”? That is Pune Adventure Race.
I know this is a bad start, but really don’t know how do I express! Just an awesome experience. In typical Puneri style…BHAARI! :D
We started at around 5.30 in the morning from home, to reach the start point (Mangaldas Office) in time (so that we should not get disqualified ;)) and then some formalities, followed by team photography and breakfast. Seeing 63 teams altogether, was really the one, seeing which you actually get that “competitive feeling”.
Later, when the questions or the clues for the Pune places were given, the excitement and fun rose! Yeah, the clues, kept me stunned. No wonder, my helping committee (the backend – family and friends) could find any except say, 3 to 4 out of 21. Rest all we managed finding ourselves! Yeah!
Oh yeah, the clues for IUCAA, Wadeshwar (a restaurant in front of the tree planted by the Chief Minister, of which the fruits were sent to the Prime Minister), Katraj Snake Park (for the Tanaji confusion), & the ‘Half of Shakespeare’ (Ram Ganesh Gadkari) were the ultimate ones! Hardly one or two teams could crack these. Sadly, even we couldn’t crack. Once we were done with the clues, and the watch warned us that it is high time, start riding, we started our PAR, with covering places from Mangaldas to Magarpatta to East Street to Swargate to Laxmi Road and Mandai to Karve Road to Aundh-Baner to Balewadi, and finally making it to SP (Sahyadri Park, Hinjewadi) through the hustle and bustle of the city and so many other PAR riders to be overtaken through!
We also did crazy things like wasting around 8 kms. over some wrong clue, of course realized later :p Also, getting the team clicked in front of McDonalds’ was funny, because, later when seeing our answer as McDonalds’, there was nothing but giggles! :D Not just this, but we also visited an auditorium, just to see what is the instrument kept at that particular location, at the eleventh hour! Anyway, we reported with the answers at sharp 4:54 pm with a satisfying smile!
The sunny climate, the 100+km drive along with the souvenirs, the awesome team photograph and the fun-filled moments filled our PAR experience basket with smiles and joy! :)
The clues for the treasure hunt led to discovering some key location/ monument of Pune. And the best thing for photo-crazy person like me, was to click & get clicked at every clue! No wonder in front of every place, of all my team members, I was the default one :P
*I am ‘Made in Pune’ ;) but discovered quite a lot of Pune during the race!
Wednesday, 9 October 2013
Written Media
Written media has this magic! You get to write and confess everything; you've been hesitating to speak about! Take an example of blogs ;) Or remember all those messenger or g-talk chats where one went on to talk to one’s friend for hours! One doesn't speak so much to his/her friend probably on phone (besides, one has to worry about horrifying bills, right?) or in presence, too. Be it any emotion, happiness, joy, guilt, sorrow, forgiveness, confession, fights; *text* magic has always worked! And does it not feel very special, when all of a sudden; you get a message from your friend at midnight, saying something, which gives you an emotional high? :)
Thursday, 3 October 2013
Not so funny
We frequently come across jokes, posts, articles, incidents (at meetups, parties, etc.) on women. I read quite a few posts, where people have actually written with concern. Have just clubbed them, added my views and here it follows.
We often hear jokes about women, girlfriends and wives (more often the last two) shared in the workplace. The punch line is usually something to the effect of "Women shop, men pay" or "Women have fun, men work" or "Girlfriends = Time x Money" and so on. It's usually dismissed as a joke and a woman who objects of finds it offensive and is considered to not have a sense of humor or of being too serious a person because after all, it's "just a joke".
I've also noticed so many jokes being passed around via SMS, Whatsapp etc. targeting women and funnily most woman except it. They feel that if they voice out their dissent, it would seem like they don't have a sense of humor. So the message that gets passed around is that females are "weak, dumb, and frivolous" and I'm not surprised with what is happening around us in society today.
Consider this however. Would we share a joke demeaning a person of a certain ethnicity (in front of them)? We have learnt, thankfully, that it's not right to make fun of people just because of their genetic makeup or place of origin. Yet when a sexist joke is made, most people seem to think it's the women who need to be less offended! Some of which I've heard over the last few weeks (paraphrased).
Yeah, I have also observed that women jokes are universal - even in cartoons. Many women laugh along when such jokes are cracked (not sure why).
As a female, I find these jokes offensive. I work as hard as my male colleagues to earn. Homemakers give up their own careers to take care of their families and make their husband and kids to focus on their own lives. Marriage is meant to be an equal partnership not a punishment for men. I have a unique and quirky sense of humor myself (euphemistic terms for geeky/ cheesy) and I'm as interested as the next person in a good joke. But sexist jokes in a professional setting unsettle me for many reasons:
In my opinion, sexist jokes are like the proverbial broken windows. They're easy to stop and correct and they set the tone for a culture.
My post is about jokes on women here because I feel they're more common. Obviously I might be wrong. And yes, I do agree this many a times happens with men also. Men might laugh at it but they would be living in embarrassment inside. Well, it's when one's wife cracks jokes about the in-laws. There are occasions when, wives have an indulgence in such jokes making fun of their in-laws’ families, sisters do that to the brothers-in-law, and so on. Most of the time, the jokes are hilarious to listen and an embarrassment to admit!
It will be great if men can come forward and acknowledge that their wives-sisters-mothers are equally supporting to run the family and that they are independent. That kind of honesty will go a long way to bring about a change in mindset. People who compose such jokes on women must realize that their mother-sisters-wives are women too!
We often hear jokes about women, girlfriends and wives (more often the last two) shared in the workplace. The punch line is usually something to the effect of "Women shop, men pay" or "Women have fun, men work" or "Girlfriends = Time x Money" and so on. It's usually dismissed as a joke and a woman who objects of finds it offensive and is considered to not have a sense of humor or of being too serious a person because after all, it's "just a joke".
I've also noticed so many jokes being passed around via SMS, Whatsapp etc. targeting women and funnily most woman except it. They feel that if they voice out their dissent, it would seem like they don't have a sense of humor. So the message that gets passed around is that females are "weak, dumb, and frivolous" and I'm not surprised with what is happening around us in society today.
Consider this however. Would we share a joke demeaning a person of a certain ethnicity (in front of them)? We have learnt, thankfully, that it's not right to make fun of people just because of their genetic makeup or place of origin. Yet when a sexist joke is made, most people seem to think it's the women who need to be less offended! Some of which I've heard over the last few weeks (paraphrased).
- Men die earlier than women because men pay the shopping bills
- Marriage is like a hurricane - both natural disasters waiting to happen
- Marriage is a workshop because men work and women shop.
Yeah, I have also observed that women jokes are universal - even in cartoons. Many women laugh along when such jokes are cracked (not sure why).
As a female, I find these jokes offensive. I work as hard as my male colleagues to earn. Homemakers give up their own careers to take care of their families and make their husband and kids to focus on their own lives. Marriage is meant to be an equal partnership not a punishment for men. I have a unique and quirky sense of humor myself (euphemistic terms for geeky/ cheesy) and I'm as interested as the next person in a good joke. But sexist jokes in a professional setting unsettle me for many reasons:
- They demean half the human population in one go (men or women)
- They promote insensitivity towards women (why are you offended? it's just a joke!)
- Often passive aggressiveness is masked as a joke (Someone once said to me, "Oh, we all know women only work so that they can go shopping. That's their real job. Lol")
- They provoke retaliatory comments which leads to more ugliness
In my opinion, sexist jokes are like the proverbial broken windows. They're easy to stop and correct and they set the tone for a culture.
My post is about jokes on women here because I feel they're more common. Obviously I might be wrong. And yes, I do agree this many a times happens with men also. Men might laugh at it but they would be living in embarrassment inside. Well, it's when one's wife cracks jokes about the in-laws. There are occasions when, wives have an indulgence in such jokes making fun of their in-laws’ families, sisters do that to the brothers-in-law, and so on. Most of the time, the jokes are hilarious to listen and an embarrassment to admit!
It will be great if men can come forward and acknowledge that their wives-sisters-mothers are equally supporting to run the family and that they are independent. That kind of honesty will go a long way to bring about a change in mindset. People who compose such jokes on women must realize that their mother-sisters-wives are women too!
ROAD SAFETY!
A small post I had written on a private network. Thought of sharing! :)
Well, the post goes as follows,
"The moment I read about this, "BLOG IT" A Blogging Competition on "Road Safety", the first thing that struck my mind – everyone would write about driving and traffic! But there is something else also that falls for ROAD SAFETY, which includes – Mannerisms, Cleanliness and similar. It is every day, that I travel 2 hours long, through greenery, bushes, city roads, village roads, and also the highway! And everywhere I see people spitting, throwing garbage and other stuff directly on the roads. Spitting on the tree trunks, splashing pan on roads, that goes on the coming vehicles (behind). And these things, undoubtedly, divert others’ mind and concentration and hence, lead to accidents and all. It has been observed that the learned people also follow this! Sigh! People are so stubborn that in spite of giving them hard looks or explaining them, they do not change these habits. Worse you can see is, people using the roadside bushes for “toilet purposes”. If such things are looked into and if steps are taken towards “Green City-Clean City”, road safety would definitely rise, in a good way, of course!
Not only this, but also, people are really bad at crossing roads (including myself ;)). We see people crossing roads, anywhere, and not through the zebra-crossing or when the signal is RED! :( This makes the driver panic, and because of losing control, hits the person crossing! Care and measures, for road crossing is a must!
To add more, I would also mention, for security and safety, generally measures are asked to be taken by the females. But, I ask, why not for the males too? Because, even the males are in danger, on the roads! You never know, who can do what to whom, any moment!
To sum up, I’ll mention, I agree this is bit different than the expected ROAD SAFETY posts, but yeah, some small things are very much needed to be seen into. And I'll be super glad, if the above mentioned points, spitting, toilet, garbage, splashing pan, etc. is stopped! :)"
Well, the post goes as follows,
"The moment I read about this, "BLOG IT" A Blogging Competition on "Road Safety", the first thing that struck my mind – everyone would write about driving and traffic! But there is something else also that falls for ROAD SAFETY, which includes – Mannerisms, Cleanliness and similar. It is every day, that I travel 2 hours long, through greenery, bushes, city roads, village roads, and also the highway! And everywhere I see people spitting, throwing garbage and other stuff directly on the roads. Spitting on the tree trunks, splashing pan on roads, that goes on the coming vehicles (behind). And these things, undoubtedly, divert others’ mind and concentration and hence, lead to accidents and all. It has been observed that the learned people also follow this! Sigh! People are so stubborn that in spite of giving them hard looks or explaining them, they do not change these habits. Worse you can see is, people using the roadside bushes for “toilet purposes”. If such things are looked into and if steps are taken towards “Green City-Clean City”, road safety would definitely rise, in a good way, of course!
Not only this, but also, people are really bad at crossing roads (including myself ;)). We see people crossing roads, anywhere, and not through the zebra-crossing or when the signal is RED! :( This makes the driver panic, and because of losing control, hits the person crossing! Care and measures, for road crossing is a must!
To add more, I would also mention, for security and safety, generally measures are asked to be taken by the females. But, I ask, why not for the males too? Because, even the males are in danger, on the roads! You never know, who can do what to whom, any moment!
To sum up, I’ll mention, I agree this is bit different than the expected ROAD SAFETY posts, but yeah, some small things are very much needed to be seen into. And I'll be super glad, if the above mentioned points, spitting, toilet, garbage, splashing pan, etc. is stopped! :)"
Wednesday, 2 October 2013
It is special to be ordinary!
Do read it properly:
1) Name the 5 Wealthiest People in d world
2) Name the Last 5 winners of Ms. Universe
3) Name the Last 10 People Who won d Nobel prize
1) Name the 5 Wealthiest People in d world
2) Name the Last 5 winners of Ms. Universe
3) Name the Last 10 People Who won d Nobel prize
How Did U Do?
The Point is, none of us remembers The Headlines of Yesterday.
Even Though These People Must be the Best in Their Fields,
Applause Dies, Awards Are Tarnished and Achievements Are Forgotten!!
Even Though These People Must be the Best in Their Fields,
Applause Dies, Awards Are Tarnished and Achievements Are Forgotten!!
Here’s another quiz!
Let’s see How This Goes:
1. Name 5 Teachers Who added your Journey through School?
2. Name 5 Friends Who Helped U Through Difficult Times?
3. Name 5 People Who Taught U Something Worthwhile?4. Name 5 People Who makes U Feel Special?5. Name 5 People U Enjoy Spending Time with?
Let’s see How This Goes:
1. Name 5 Teachers Who added your Journey through School?
2. Name 5 Friends Who Helped U Through Difficult Times?
3. Name 5 People Who Taught U Something Worthwhile?4. Name 5 People Who makes U Feel Special?5. Name 5 People U Enjoy Spending Time with?
Easier...right?
The People Who Make a Difference in your Life Are NOT the ones with Most Awards and Loads of money!!
Life is full of ordinary People who have made the World a Better Place for U!
Cherish them!
Hold Them Tight!
Perhaps sometimes it is Special to be ordinary!! :D
Hold Them Tight!
Perhaps sometimes it is Special to be ordinary!! :D
Tuesday, 28 May 2013
Do things really change?
Buzz
My phone vibrates, and I unlock it.
"Good Morn…" , the message said.
I typed back the customary "heya Morning.." knowing quite well what was to follow next..
And I was right! "ssup? " came through.
"tp.. u say.."
"same here.. :)"
" :) "
I stare at the screen, knowing the conversation has ended.
Still hoping something will pop up on d screen anyway.
I think of coming up with something myself.
With a sigh, I put my phone away…
and am left wondering…
Where did things go wrong…?
When was it that everything changed...?
Inadvertently my mind flops over to the olden times…
When we used to spend hours texting, talking illogical stuff over the phone…
Numerous excuses to other friends…and what not!!!
"Good Morn…" , the message said.
I typed back the customary "heya Morning.." knowing quite well what was to follow next..
And I was right! "ssup? " came through.
"tp.. u say.."
"same here.. :)"
" :) "
I stare at the screen, knowing the conversation has ended.
Still hoping something will pop up on d screen anyway.
I think of coming up with something myself.
With a sigh, I put my phone away…
and am left wondering…
Where did things go wrong…?
When was it that everything changed...?
Inadvertently my mind flops over to the olden times…
When we used to spend hours texting, talking illogical stuff over the phone…
Numerous excuses to other friends…and what not!!!
A quote I had read somewhere flashes across my mind…
"Day by day nothing changes…but when you look back... everything is different"and
"Day by day nothing changes…but when you look back... everything is different"and
"Busiest is the one who has time for everything :p"
Things go by on their own pace…
And those momentary thoughts get washed away from my mind…
Suddenly d very next day…the other best buddy pings...
The friend who has been with…throughout...school, college and everywhere throughout your life…even when you were busy otherwise ;)
and i stare at the text with the biggest, SMILE :p
Wondering…whatever happens, she’ll never forget pinging you :)
after school ended… everyone became busy with their own lives..
Meetings became a scarce thing…
and phone calls receded to the extent of just calls on each other's b'days…
but we? Never have left each other…
As soon I got my back... It was 4 hours of non-stop chatter…
and it was like no time has passed…
we were back to the good old days…the new days…all the “updates”!
Chattering the minutes away !!!
Even later, I couldn't help but smile…
Time... Distances (not much though :p)... Busy schedules…
All these stuff really don't matter…
Coz friendship survives them all...
Things change... people change… priorities change…
But the space you carve in each other’s hearts remains the same…
There might be moments when you are left thinking back…
wishing for the old days to come back…
but sooner or later... the realization strikes…
everything happens for a reason…
and time once past... cannot be reverted back !!!
And so I ultimately try my best… Unlock my phone…type in "ssup?” (To continue the previous conversation) and hit send
There is a smile on my face while am doing that…
‘Hope is still alive...’
after school ended… everyone became busy with their own lives..
Meetings became a scarce thing…
and phone calls receded to the extent of just calls on each other's b'days…
but we? Never have left each other…
As soon I got my back... It was 4 hours of non-stop chatter…
and it was like no time has passed…
we were back to the good old days…the new days…all the “updates”!
Chattering the minutes away !!!
Even later, I couldn't help but smile…
Time... Distances (not much though :p)... Busy schedules…
All these stuff really don't matter…
Coz friendship survives them all...
Things change... people change… priorities change…
But the space you carve in each other’s hearts remains the same…
There might be moments when you are left thinking back…
wishing for the old days to come back…
but sooner or later... the realization strikes…
everything happens for a reason…
and time once past... cannot be reverted back !!!
And so I ultimately try my best… Unlock my phone…type in "ssup?” (To continue the previous conversation) and hit send
There is a smile on my face while am doing that…
‘Hope is still alive...’
And friendship survives… :)
Sunday, 19 May 2013
Lilies can never be Roses!
One of the best stories I have ever read.
Once upon a time, a father took his son to a revered spiritual guru. He complained that his son was deeply interested in pursuing a career in music, but he wanted him to pursue a career in agriculture. “Please guide him master,” the father pleaded, “for many months I have been trying to convince him that by pursuing agriculture, he can earn more money for the family, but he just doesn’t listen. All he does is fiddle with his instruments the whole day long.”
The master did not say anything but requested the father to meet him the next day.
And the father did as he was told, and reached the monastery early next morning. He looked everywhere but couldn’t find the master. Finally, he was about to leave, he saw the master standing in the corner of the garden outside the monastery. He seemed to be in a really bad temper.
“I want you to be roses! Don’t you understand?” he was screaming to a fresh lily blossom. “I want you to be roses!”
To the father’s amazement, he went to the master and asked about what was on?
And the master replied, “I have been telling them to be roses. But they just don’t seem to listen!”
Father: “But why do you want roses?”
Master: “Because roses will get me more money!”
Father: “But how can you expect a lily plant to bear roses?”
“The same way you expect a musician to become a farmer!” the master chuckled.
The father instantly understood. From that day onwards, he stopped nagging at his son and instead focused on his innate talent. And legend says, that little boy became one of the greatest musicians that the country had produced!
You are the best when you are YOU!
Reference: Book - He Swam With Sharks for An Ice-cream
Enjoy the Coffee...and not the cups! ;)
A group of highly educated students visited their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering them coffee, Professor returned from kitchen with a pot of coffee and an assortment of cups, porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to hot coffee.
When all had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: “If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain ones. While it is but normal for U to want only the best, that’s also the source of your stress. What U really wanted was coffee, not the cup; But you still went for the best cups & were eyeing each other’s cups!”
If life is coffee, then jobs, money and status in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life. Don’t let the cups drive U. Enjoy the coffee!!
When all had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: “If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain ones. While it is but normal for U to want only the best, that’s also the source of your stress. What U really wanted was coffee, not the cup; But you still went for the best cups & were eyeing each other’s cups!”
If life is coffee, then jobs, money and status in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life. Don’t let the cups drive U. Enjoy the coffee!!
Saturday, 18 May 2013
DON’T SETTLE
You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do…Don’t settle!
-Commencement address delivered by Steve Jobs, on June 12, 2005.
Sunday, 12 May 2013
The story of an ANT!
One morning, I wasted nearly an hour watching a tiny ant carry a huge feather across the park. Several times it was confronted by obstacles in its path and after a momentary pause it would make the necessary detour. At one point the ant had to negotiate a crack in the concrete about 10mm wide. After brief contemplation the ant laid the feather over the crack, walked across it and picked up the feather on the other side then continued on its way.
I was fascinated by the ingenuity of this ant, one of God’s smallest creatures. It served to reinforce the miracle of creation. Here was a minute insect, lacking in size yet equipped with a brain to reason, explore, discover and overcome. But this ant, like the two-legged co-residents of this planet, also shares human failings. After some time the ant finally reached its destination – a flower bed at the end of the terrace and a small hole that was the entrance to its underground home. And it was here that the ant finally met its match. How could that large feather possibly fit down that small hole? Of course it couldn’t. So the ant, after all this trouble and exercising great ingenuity, overcoming problems all along the way, just abandoned the feather and went home.
The ant had not thought the problem through before it began its epic journey and in the end the feather was nothing more than a burden. Isn’t life like that! We worry about our family, we worry about money or the lack of it, and we worry about work, about where we live, about all sorts of things. These are all burdens – the things we pick up along life’s path and lug them around the obstacles and over the crevasses that life will bring, only to find that at the destination they are useless and we can’t take them with us!
-Read many a times at various places..and love this article and hence posted!
Sunday, 21 April 2013
Being Veggie!
Happened long back, while dining with some colleagues. During the casual discussion of how the day was spent, one of my friends, who was sitting next to me said that she had "Biryaani" during lunch! Chicken Biryaani...!!! Arghhhh...!!! I couldn't continue my dinner comfortably. Okay, for all who don't know, I'm a hardcore vegetarian! As in, I could not imagine myself sitting next to the person who had gulped an innocent chicken just a few hours before. The pictures of that poor life residing into my friend's stomach were flashing in my mind.
This may sound funny to read. But on a serious note, we crib so much when we find a cockroach or any small insect in the food. How can we be happy killing million such innocent lives, of chicken, of goats, of cows and what not, only to satisfy our taste buds? Imagine, A chicken is being killed "live" in front of you!!! Can you see that? Can you bear that? I guess not. Ek zindagii kii peeda hum kaise dekh sakte hain? And if it is about being health-conscious, fit and strong, look at veggies! They're absolutely fit and fine. So can everyone else be, without being a non-vegetarian!
Friday, 1 March 2013
21 Laws of Computer Programming
2) It is easier to change the specification to fit the program than vice versa.
3) If a program is useful, it will have to be changed.
4) If a program is useless, it will have to be documented.
5) Only ten percent of the code in any given program will ever execute.
6) Software expands to consume all available resources.
7) Any non-trivial program contains at least one error.
8) The probability of a flawless demo is inversely proportional to the number of people watching, raised to the power of the amount of money involved.
9) Not until a program has been in production for at least six months will its most harmful error be discovered.
10) Undetectable errors are infinite in variety, in contrast to detectable errors, which by definition are limited.
11) The effort required to correct an error increases exponentially with time.
12) Program complexity grows until it exceeds the capabilities of the programmer who must maintain it.
13) Any code of your own that you haven’t looked at in months might as well have been written by someone else.
14) Inside every small program is a large program struggling to get out.
15) The sooner you start coding a program, the longer it will take.
16) A carelessly planned project takes three times longer to complete than expected; a carefully planned project takes only twice as long.
17) Adding programmers to a late project makes it later.
18) A program is never less than 90% complete, and never more than 95% complete.
19) If you automate a mess, you get an automated mess.
20) Build a program that even a fool can use, and only a fool will want to use it.
21) Users truly don’t know what they want in a program until they use it.
HAPPY CODING! :)
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