Violet Orchids

Straight from the heart

2008-10-10T21:14:00.001+05:30

Alice has been in Wonderland, Stress-land, Peace-land, Disneyland and back to Wonderland. In the past 3 months it has been a roller-coaster ride but Alice has been patiently waiting. Now she can feel an emotion of anticipation on the eve of her 31st birthday. Will this intense anticipation transform possibility into reality?
Only time will tell.

Blast from the past

2008-09-16T11:30:00.000+05:30

Birth, death, birth again, death again and so it goes on… some believe in this cycle of life, some find it silly. Questions we ask, questions with no answers, questions that leave us wondering… What happens after we die? Is re-incarnation for real? How did this entire process begin?

I do believe in this cycle of life and death. I believe that I am a soul that has borrowed this body for some time. Once the time is up, I (soul) will leave the body and enter into another body. This goes on…

It's intriguing, and at times when I meet people – meet them for the first time – I'm able to instantly connect with them… as if, I know them very well, as if, I've met them before. No insecurity, no formality, just a smile or a conversation or a glance – and I know I can trust them. I know I can be myself. I met someone a few months ago and felt as if i've known him for years... now he's one of my good friends and the comfort level we share is what i'd hve taken years to share with someone else... This is the most recent case; there have been so many people in my life that I've been able to open up to and these people have gone on to become my closest and most trusted friends.

Similarly, there are some people whom we tend to keep away from... we just don't feel like getting to know them better... they maybe strangers, have done no wrong but we just don't feel like interacting with them - this too happens with me quite often. I just don't seem to like some people I know... mmm reminds me of something I read somewhere - We dont like some people coz we dont know them and we will never know them coz we dont like them. Sometimes I wonder if I should just be patient and give them a chance to be themselves. But it doesn't happen... I just don't feel comfortable interacting with them... I'm unable to be myself.

Then I wonder why these things happen with us? Well, I do believe in this cycle of life and death. I feel as if I’ve known these souls for years… maybe I knew them once upon a time - maybe I was related to them or was friends with them, or… maybe we didn't get along in the past life coz of which even in this life I feel uncomfortable interacting. I do believe in past life / reincarnation – for some, this may seem very silly but it is my belief that I’m expressing here. It’s a blessing in a way that we meet our ‘friends’ again in this life coz we don’t need to waste years in building a trust! (Trust factor is so important in any relationship; there have been times when I’ve trusted a few people and they’ve only let me down – but these cases are few and far between. Most of the times people have not broken that trust.)

So, to put it in short, I do believe that I have connected with some people in this life once again – maybe for a reason. But I’m happy to reconnect; I’m happy to have so many friends around; I’m happy to have a blast – from my past!
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Sands of time are running out…

2008-09-13T17:06:00.004+05:30

I was just thinking (this time it was actual thinking and not just wondering in wonderland), how I wish I had all the time in the world to do nothing… Although I must admit, doing nothing would be so difficult to do… I would never know when I’d finished!

When my MBA started I was so proud of going back to college and working and utilising every minute of my day to the fullest. I still am. The difference is that the energy level has gone a bit low and it’s only the first trimester of the first year. It’s a hectic schedule – Monday to Friday I go to work and Saturday and Sunday I attend college. Not even ONE day off for 10 months in a row!!! In spite of that I somehow manage to study and go for movies and take mum out and keep in touch with friends and cook at home (someTIMEs) and meditate and attend spiritual classes… phew! And I still feel like I’m wasting time in wasteful thoughts and things. I still feel like I should spend more time studying – I always start reading notes 1 day before the exam – sure there’s a better way to go about this… My friend tells me ‘Time and tide wait for no man’ and that I should cut down watching TV and concentrate more on studies. Another friend I spoke to today tells me, “I’m wondering how you manage everything” – must admit people have started visiting Wonderland in Alice’s company. (But Alice is in Disneyland for the weekend – for those of you who know what I mean…).

Now I’m fighting for time. So much to do, so little time! It’s nice in college though, everyone complains about the same thing, so I don’t feel like a complaint box ;-)

My first trimester exams get over on 28th Sep. And the 2nd term begins the very next weekend. And next month is Diwali… festive time… so no ways me gonna have time to attend college even!

Now how do I manage time…? Someone was supposed to teach me Time Management... I need to learn fast... coz Time and tide wait for no man.

Hmmmm got me wondering again…

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime
And departing leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time…

Great eXPectaTiOnS – a barter trade?

2008-07-28T11:41:00.002+05:30

For the past few months, I’ve been having interesting discussions on this topic with my friends, colleagues and sometimes a monologue with myself! eXPectaTiOnS from relationships. Why do people expect at all and what do these eXPectaTiOnS lead to. From the little experience I have about life, I can safely say that eXPectaTiOnS are the root-cause of most problems in most relationships. (Other few causes I think are low-tolerance level and communication-gap.)

Parents are often disappointed with their children for not living up to their eXPectaTiOnS – be it studies or career, the pressure is always on the kids to do well, so that the parents can be ‘proud’ of them. I wonder if people ever wonder what the children go through? eXPectaTiOnS sometimes lead to fear and depression and can have fatal consequences. The outcome is for all to read in newspapers – suicides due to failure in exam / suicide coz caught cheating in exams / suicide coz of unemployment / suicide… suicide… suicide…

Then there are friendships that go sour coz of eXPectaTiOnS. One friend helps another and eXPectS the same in return. If shattered, it could be quits.

Oh and my favourite topic over a hot cuppa coffee – marriage ;) eXPectaTiOnS in a marriage can lead to severe consequences. Sometimes a divorce/separation and sometimes one or both the people involved may choose to suffer silently. Fewer times, things get sorted, thanks to patience and excellent communication skills. In the beginning of course everything is very rosy… after maybe 5 years, the ‘blind’ love begins to ‘see’ and the view is not very pretty! One of my buddies says that the hormones play in the first few years of marriage and after that it’s the mind that starts playing! Reason – eXPectaTiOnS surface only after some years of marriage. A low tolerance power can lead to arguments, EGO issues, ‘personal space’ and all this due to eXPectaTiOnS.

Spiritually speaking, in my opinion, it’s a good practice to never eXPect anything from anyone. Like if you help someone, do NOT eXPect help in return – this will only dilute the essence of your good deed. Think about it – your kind deed wasn’t a barter trade after all.

A part of the social work sector, I need to constantly motivate myself. Disappointments are many, support is negligible, but hope keeps me going. Hope to do better, hope to study and apply the knowledge in this field, hope to do genuine work. Spirituality has helped me to do good in His remembrance, be it helping the underprivileged or even helping a friend/family/stranger. It’s easier said than done, but am trying and what’s more… it’s working!
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Arranged – To Rise in Love

2008-07-16T09:38:00.001+05:30

Arranged and love marriages are passé, making way for cyber-marriages. Whoever said marriages are made in heaven, didn’t know what the internet was all about!

The entire process of arranged marriage can be quite painful. The 2 families meeting each other, the prospective bride and groom meeting each other, the prospective bride and groom meeting each other’s families, the ‘talks’ between the 2 families and then after a few meetings deciding whether or not to go ahead with the proposal. Many times it doesn’t work and then there can be pain and sorrow for the young hunters. Sad, but true; expectations (I need to write more about ‘expectations’ on my next post) can lead to some disastrous decisions and can play havoc with emotions and self-confidence. Talk about the hunter getting hunted. And this being a continuous process, the prospective bride and groom try to move on and meet other prospective grooms and brides till they ‘find’ someone.

Then there are love marriages – the easiest of the lot. Fall in love, decide to get married, convince the families and bingo! Life is set. Meeting prospective brides and grooms takes a skip, thankfully.

And we can’t miss the cyber-marriages. The dot coms are happy to play cupid to the prospective bride and groom. People chat online, exchange photos and details, decide whether or not they wanna go ahead and if not, move on (there’s many a fish in the sea!) Easy, smart, simple, fast. It’s nice to move with the times you see.

Now my opinion on this entire circus (marriage itself isn’t a circus, but the process of marriage can sometimes become one!) - To save grief, the best way would probably be to convert an ‘arranged’ proposal into a love-marriage. Meet and greet, just keep it short, communicate and… fall in love? We’re done with it above, so now it’s time to rise in love.
Sounds simple but few are comfortable to pursue it. Usually there is very little time given to get to know each other. The ones who do give time are wise, the ones who don’t are wellll just caught up with society laws.

I sound like I’ve been there done that… I know… but honestly, I’m still a new-comer in this process. Time To Rise in Love!
Ciao
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To tie or KNOT to tie...

2008-05-24T22:50:00.001+05:30

Yesterday, today and everyday, I'm asked the most irritating question at least once in a day, 'when are you getting married'? Family, distant relatives, ole friends, new friends... all would love to know when I would give them the 'good news'.
And then I meet advisors - people who advise me not to get married. Reason? It's convenient to remain single and mingle with the like minded.
If only people would tolerate more and expect less from their partners...

If only people would support my decision to pursue a career in social work...
Marriage has now taken a back-seat.

All the world's a stage...

2007-08-22T14:34:00.000+05:30

Who am I and Why am I here?
These were 2 questions that I was told to ask myself at a workshop in Mt. Abu, Rajasthan, India.

I was in Mt. Abu for about 10 days (in May-07) for a workshop on "Spirituality - The pathway to Success". It was conducted at the Brahma Kumaris headquarters and I was fortunate to be an attendee. Fortunate coz it was a beautiful experience to stay for over a week at the Spritual Academy called Gyan Sarovar. Delegates from all over India were present to gain knowledge about Spirituality. We were totally cut-off from the outside world as there was no TV or newspaper/magazine available; the amazing part is that i never once missed these 'worldly pleasures'! A week passed quickly and I didnt feel like coming back to the grind. But I had to and now I'm trying to sustain the peaceful feeling within. It's really tough to be peaceful, positive and ever happy in a crowded city like Mumbai where the only time people have, is to crib.

So, who am I and why am I here?
I am a soul. My soul has borrowed this body to reside in it for a particular period of time. When the time is up, I (soul) will leave the body and go back to where all souls belong - I will go back to God.
So why aren't I with God right now...? According to spiritual belief, we all have been created for a reason - A PURPOSE. We all are here (in this world) to play our parts.
Makes me wonder what my purpose is...

Reminds me of the famous quote "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances" -William Shakespeare.
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Religion v/s Spirituality

2007-05-25T10:54:00.000+05:30

Spirituality is different from religion. Various religions have their own beliefs about their respective God and the human relationship with that God. Spirituality, on the other hand, refers to the common experience behind these various points of view.
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What is 'feminism'...?

2007-04-02T18:34:00.000+05:30

someone asked me if im a feminist and i said I'm not... her frown got me thinking -
what exactly is feminism... why are some people for it and some against? maybe because it means different things to different people... ?
hmmmm... im still thinking...
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From my favourite author ...

2007-03-29T19:25:00.000+05:30

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I find this quote very interesting... From "The Alchemist"
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"When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it"
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Struggle - a small price to pay for Success

2007-03-29T18:40:00.000+05:30

About 2 days ago, I was sure my hospital campaign would go live by 30th March... but today I'm sure it wont; and, my boss is getting impatient with the 'nil' progress.
Yesterday and today, I avoided bumping into my boss... i knew the moment he would see me, he would ask me about my campaign brochures - borchures are not ready yet and i dont think they will be for another week.
My boss of course is only concerned with the end result. I've been working on this for 4 months now, and each day some new issue comes up; each day i have to find a new solution; and, each day i thank God for helping me out. I know I wouldn't have continued with this and without His help I would've probably given up a couple of months ago.
From - people playing games with me, To - me getting fired, everything that I could possibly think of, has happend at work. I left everything to God... Then one day I was asked to resume work after they realised that something was wrong somewhere else. I decided to resume coz i wanted to complete this campaign... but this campaign is not even taking off!!!
After endless drafts for 2 brochures, designs and layots, finally everything was submitted to the printing company yesterday. I thought, great, in 2 days I will get the printed brochures and get working with them on my campaign... as if 4 months of struggle was not enough over 1 measly thing, a problem cropped up (yet again) and a delay occured. Thanks to my lack of experience, there was some problem and one of the 2 brochures had to be re-designed!!!
I have to mention that the designer till date has been very supportive and patient with me and my errors... and once again he agreed to redo the whole thing. In a day he mailed me the new design and... there was another problem (thankfully not my mistake this time)... it took him another day to amend it. Today, I sent the design for printing but am not gonna relax till i get the printed brochures in my hands!!!
Almost everything that could go wrong, went wrong... maybe theres more in store for me...
but, with all this struggle I have gained insight and valuable experience which I'm quite proud of...

Struggle is very important in our life as it brings out the best in us...

In my opinion, every struggle has a good ending as it usually leads to success.
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Alice in Worry-land

2007-03-24T19:59:00.000+05:30

Nothing seems to be going right lately… too many things on my mind I guess.
Think I’ll jot them down to understand my mind better…

Father’s health: is always a worry… he has undergone a bypass and an angioplasty but doesn’t seem to slow down with his work… why? Can’t jot dwn the details…
Mum: is worried about my marriage and im worried about her worrying… makes sense?
My marriage: im not interested in a fling or a serious relationship or even marriage (at the moment)… but with my family silently worrying about it makes me feel as if one day I will give in to the pressure and end up with the wrong guy… and that’s what worries me….
My health: is 90% better than what it was during Diwali-2006… buttttt I still cant squat (sitting on the floor is a far-fetched thought)… not a big deal I know, but my knee joints still hurt if I walk too much or climb stairs or stand for a long time… I’ve learned that health is wealth and I’m not wealthy.
Further studies: confused whether I should pursue a Master’s degree in Social Work, OR, 1 year Master’s certificate in social work… Master’s degree is better coz it’s a degree and the exposure is very valuable… but I have to leave my job for 2 years for this, coz it’s a full time hectic course. 1 year certificate on the other hand is a weekend course that can be done along with my job… but I’m wondering how useful this will be in the long run… I was thinking of doing the 1 year weekend course this year… and if required, apply for a master’s degree next year…? The only problem is to leave my job for 2 years…
My current (hospital) job: is kinda okay… not what I wanted to do initially but I guess the experience will help in the long run. I’ve given myself about 6 years to settle dwn in the social work field… but this fund-raising thingie at the hospital is not emotionally fulfilling… maybe I should quit next year and pursue my master’s degree after all…?
My friends: best buddies Shivani, Giselle & Varsha are out of the country;
among close friends, Madz is also leaving the country, Binz is too busy with her new job/training and boyfriend;
Cavan is no more and I miss him a lot
And then there are loads of acquaintances who I don’t like meeting every week… (I guess that’s my problem…)
I want to travel… its been over a year since I’ve travelled and im not used to being in BOM without taking off for at least a week… I hate to be in BOM for such long periods of time, especially with the weather getting hotter by the day and the pollution going from bad to worse… thanks to all the dream-lovers who land up in aamchi Mumbai hoping to make it big! I need a break!!!!!!!!!! It’s so frustrating to be unable to take-off coz of leaves…. Wish I could just travel like a vagabond from place to another – even if its within India… coz India is undiscovered and beautiful!
I want to go for a movie every week… at least one movie… but people are very selective about watching movies like my friends and my mum… they will watch only if something is a huge hit (after the whole country has seen it)!!! for me, a typical masala hindi movie is a stress-buster - maybe I'll go watch one tomorrow...
I have this urge to do genuine social work but it’s just not happening… maybe I should MAKE it happen…! Need to send tee-shirts to Kolkata to an orphanage called Shishu Bhavan, but there’s just no help around… don’t know where to get tees printed from and how to send them all the way to Kolkata… people offer to help but don’t get back with any… it’s my fault, I shouldn’t depend on anyone… have to get this done myself! It’s was Cavan’s wish to help those kids and I know I’m going to get this done very soon.

So as of now this is the long list that’s on my mind… have to clear off the stuff one by one… too much to do, too little time!
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how do i feel today?

2007-03-24T19:53:00.001+05:30

questions on my mind...

just when i wanna talk... theres no one around to listen... :(
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2007-03-24T19:44:00.000+05:30

I dont understand MEN....!

A best friend is irreplaceable

2007-03-13T21:20:00.000+05:30

I'VE LEARNED:

that there are many good friends around, but true best friends are hard to come by
that a best friend is more important than a boyfriend
that sometimes the most used part of a friend is the shoulder you cry on, and the shoulder you are willing to lend
that the only one who truly understands is a true friend.
that sometimes it feels like a best friend is the only one who will ever care about you and think you are beautiful in your own way.
that a friend will call you in the middle of the night to talk without thinking, and it's OK.
that in many cases, a hug and a kind word from a friend is the only thing that helps get you through the day.
(this one's especially for Giz...) that friends can sing at the top of their lungs and not worry about singing the wrong words or being out of tune
(this is for shivani...) that when you are true best friends, everyone else knows it
that a best friend used to be just an acquaintance
that, most importantly, best friends will always be best friends, no matter what is happening in their lives, where they are, or what they are doing.

keep your ole friends, make some new...

2007-03-13T20:56:00.000+05:30

i have my school's batch-re-union coming up on the 15th of march... just about 5 of us will be meeting as most are out of the country... quite excited about it... hope we have another re-union when more people can make it...
its always great to meet ole pals.. and these are the ones i've been silly with, fought with, cried with and laughed with... was in touch only with my best buddy Shivani... will be meeting the rest of them after 14 years!!! all thnx to orkut.
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also thnx to orkut i've met a lot of people and hve the chance of making some new friends... just love chit-chattin with buddies, going for movies and shopping... :)
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I've learned that nothing ever sounds stupid, funny, or unbelievable to a close friend, and you never feel stupid saying whatever it is.
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Element: WATER

2007-03-13T20:29:00.000+05:30

Went to watch the oscar nominated movie 'WATER' and was quite disappointed. The movie is very well made, no doubt, but i didnt like the subject. Why would an Indian woamn want to show the dark side of India (that too 70 years later)? Why would she want to show her talent by making a film on the life of Indian widows' sheer torture?
Her work has class and being an international film-maker, she should have used her awesome talent to show the beautiful side of India and what prevails today! Maybe the widow torture still happens in a few villages... but by showing it to the world we are only telling them that this is what India was, this is what India is and this is what India will be... its like... letting ourselves down.
No wonder the cinema hall had about 20 people willing to watch this 'no storyline-highly technical' movie... as for me... i was in tears in the 2nd half... yaaaa i cry a lot while watching movies... :p
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Mind/Body Medicine

2007-03-03T12:14:00.000+05:30

Mind/body medicine is an approach to healing that uses the power of thoughts and emotions to positively influence physical health. Research now shows that many illnesses are impacted by the good and bad moods we have, as well as our attitudes. Some of the conditions that react to emotions include heart disease, asthma, digestive problems, pain, diabetes, fatigue, cancer, immune diseases, infertility, headache, and other chronic conditions such as arthritis. In addition, research shows that conditions such as depression, anxiety, can actually worsen by the way you react daily.

Learning new ways to manage your life and your emotional state can put you on the road to recovery.

The immune system is weakened by frequently experiencing stress, and is strengthened when social support is present. A weak immune system is responsible for the progression of the common cold, cancer, and AIDS. In one study people who learned a simple meditative relaxation- technique, significantly strengthened their immune functioning. Other studies indicate that social support may offer cancer patients a longer life.

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Which of these is stress?
· You receive a promotion at work.
· Your car has a flat tire.
· You go to a fun party that lasts till 2:00 a.m.
· Your dog gets sick.
· Your new bedroom set is being delivered.
· Your best friend and his wife come to stay at your house for a week.
· You get a bad case of hay fever.
· All of the above

All of the above.
If you are used to thinking that stress is something that makes you worry, you have the wrong idea of stress. Stress is many different kinds of things: happy things, sad things, allergic things, and physical things. Many people carry enormous stress loads and they do not even realize it!
TO YOUR BODY, STRESS IS SYNONYMOUS WITH CHANGE. Anything that causes a change in your life causes stress. It does not matter if it is a "good" change, or a "bad" change, they are both stress. When you find your dream apartment and get ready to move, that is stress. If you break your leg, that is stress. Good or bad, if it is a CHANGE in your life, it is stress as far as your body is concerned.

A few ways to de-stress your mind are mentioned below; it is advisable to pick the one that you are most comfortable with:

· ART Therapy

.....o Visual Arts (painting, clay, photography, crafts etc…)
.....o Performance Arts (acting, singing, playing instrument,

........dancing, stand-up comedy etc…)
.....o Writing (poetry, writing music, letters – not necessarily to

........be sent, blogging etc…)
· AROMA Therapy
· Yoga
· Meditation & Relaxation
· Guided Imagery
· Self help psychology
· Biofeedback

Quotable Quote - Writing is a form of therapy; sometimes I wonder how all those who do not write, compose or paint can manage to escape the madness, the melancholia, the panic fear which is inherent in a human situation. ~ Graham Greene

Get creative - An interesting form of journaling is a dialogue you can conduct by yourself. Using your dominant hand, write a question. It might be directed to your inner child, God, or a part of you that is hurting or confused. Then, with your non-dominant hand, respond to the question. You may get some surprising results.

I guess food for the body is not enough; there must be food for the soul.

The dark side of the moon...

2007-03-03T11:42:00.000+05:30

just wonderin... what kind of equipment would be required to click photographs of the Lunar Eclipse...? Tomorrow is the total lunar ecplipse and it will be visible in western Asia... fortunately the lunar eclipse can be viewed safely unlike the solar one... but not sure if i will get to see it from my building's terrace.... hmmm maybe I'll check on that... would love to see the copper red shade on the moon.... how i wish i had the professional equipment to click photographs...!!!

Pride of Mumbai Crime Branch

2007-02-10T20:22:00.000+05:30

Last week we had staff of the Maharashtra police at our hospital for a BMI check-up. Body Mass Index is a count calculated with your height and weight. It tells you if your weight is perfect according to your height.

We were quite impressed with the police uniform and the pride with which they all carried off their uniforms... our discussion started with how tough their life can be with upto 12 hours duty in any weather and how important it is to be fit. There were a few women present as well and we were happy to see them look as tough as their male counterparts. And thats how we started talking about Mrs. Meera Borwankar - never heard of her...????

Wellll..... meet the first lady-chief of the Mumbai Crime Branch...

The daughter of a police officer from Punjab, Meera Borwankar is known for her no-nonsense attitude. An IPS officer of the 1981 batch, the 48-year-old served as deputy commissioner of police in Mumbai from 1987-91.

In 1999, she was promoted as Deputy Inspector General of Police and sent to work with the Central Bureau of Investigation. After three years, she went to the US to do a comparative study of the police forces. On her return, she organised refresher courses and held programmes across the state to encourage women to join the police force. She was promoted to the rank of Inspector General of Police in September 2003.

She won praise for her investigation into the Jalgaon sex scandal and was honoured with President’s Medal in 1997.

With this appointment in 2004, Meera was in charge of all the 12 units of crime branch, anti extortion cell, economic offences wing, extradition cell, cyber crime cell, social service branch and various other units.

Interesting... isn't it? and also very inspiring...

PS: Am not quite sure if she's still the chief of the Crime Branch - maybe her designation has changed now (it happens quite often in government jobs...)

Awareness of Male Breast Cancer

2007-02-04T13:33:00.000+05:30

Something that is not often discussed - something that needs to be discussed openly as early detection and early treatment is the only way to treat any type of cancer successfully.

You may be thinking: Men don't have breasts, so how can they get breast cancer? The truth is that boys and girls, men and women all have breast tissue.

Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that develops from cells of the breast tissue. In India, there are 2000 cases of male breast cancer each year. It comes as a shock and even embarrasment for some men who are not entirely aware of the fact that men too, can develop this illness.

The breast is made up mainly of lobules (milk-producing glands in women), ducts (tiny tubes that carry the milk from the lobules to the nipple in women), and stroma (fatty tissue and connective tissue surrounding the ducts and lobules, blood vessels, and lymphatic vessels).Until puberty, young boys and girls have a small amount of breast tissue consisting of a few ducts located under the nipple and areola (area around the nipple). At puberty, a girl's ovaries produce female hormones, causing breast ducts to grow and lobules to form at the ends of ducts. Men's breast tissue contains ducts, but only a few lobules (if any).

Many types of breast disorders can affect both men and women. Most breast disorders are benign (not cancerous). Benign breast tumors do not spread outside of the breast and are not life threatening. Other tumors are malignant (cancerous) and may become life threatening.

If a man notices any persistent changes to his breast/s, he should contact his doctor. Here are some signs to watch for:

A lump felt in the breast.

Nipple pain.

An inverted nipple.

Nipple discharge (clear or bloody).

Sores on the nipple and areola (the small ring of color around the center of the nipple).

Enlarged lymph nodes under the arm.

It's important to note that enlargement of both breasts (not just on one side) is usually NOT cancer. Earlier diagnosis could make a life-saving difference. With more research and more public awareness, men will learn that—just like women—they need to go to their doctor right away if they detect any persistent changes to their breasts.

When the Aisan Sprint Queen hung up her spikes...

2007-02-04T12:18:00.000+05:30

PT Usha - a name that needs no introduction. The Asian Sprint Queen had the tracks on fire for 2 decades. Trained under coach Nambiar, Usha still remains the finest lady athelete from India. Her dream was to win an Olympic medal for her country.

After winning Golds & Silvers in many international championships, Usha participated in the Russian Olympics in 1980. This was her very first Olympic experience and turned out to be a disaster - why? Because she was trained only on mud and sand and found it hard to adjust on the concrete. In fact it was so tough that she failed to qualify for the Olympic finals. That's when she realised how much more she had to learn back home. She would have to wait for another 4 years before she could try for the medal.

Back home, she trained harder - unfortunately there was no support for her or her sport from the Indian officials. Cricket was the only craze in India (and sadly things have changed only a little) Usha was on her own and the only person who believed in her potential was her coach, Nambiar. In 1984, at the Los Angeles Olympics, PT Usha made it to the finals. That is when the entire nation took notice. She was more confident now and was aiming for a medal. She put in her best efforts and finished the race... the results were out. They announced the 1st and the 2nd winner and paused... they were not sure who the bronze winner was. Then after a long pause they announced PT Usha at number 4. The Asian Sprint Queen had missed the 3rd spot by a 1/100 th of a second in a photo-finish. Her dream was shattered... she was to realise later that only a dip in the front would have given her the silver or a bronze... her mistake was just that she did not bend in the front! Even today, she reminds her students of her mistake so that they dont repeat the same.

The Olympic effort was achieved solely by Usha and her Coach... it's very unfortunate that a nation couldnt make her run faster by 1/100 th of a second.

She went on to win many gold medals in the Asian Championships in the next few years... and in 1988 she took part once again in the Olympics. The training she received for 1988 Olympics was mostly on hurdles - so much, that she had an ankle injury. She would tell her coach and other officials about it, but everyone gave her a deaf ear... she had to pay the price for being over-trained... she didnt qualify in the finals of the 1988 Olympics!

This brought in a lot of criticism from the entire nation... people would pelt stones at her house in Kerala... but she didn't give up. She played on and in 1990 Beijing Asian Games she won 3 silver and announced retirement.

In 1991 she got married (arranged marriage) to a police officer named Srinivasan (only after she learnt that he was interested in sports!!!) and slipped comfortably into her new life with the birth of a son.

After some years, sensing her restlessness, her husband asked her if she wanted to join sports. The Olympic dream haunted her and she was keen to give it another shot. "Yes" came the reply and she approached her coach Nambiar. But her coach was not confident. So with a new coach training her and with the support of her husband, PT Usha once again aimed for the medal. She had 3 years to train for this and her training became very rigorous. Just a few months before the Olympics, she had a torn ligament and she couldnt participate in the Olympics. But at the age of 34, she participated in the Fukuoka Championships and won 2 bronze medals for India in 1998. In the year 2000 Usha hung up her spikes and took a vow to train the young women of India. Her dream still remains to win an Olympic medal.

She now runs U.S.H.A. (Usha ScHool of Athletics) in Kerala which helps youngsters in developing their talent. She's running a long race today hoping to make the Indian dream come true. And one day, it will. Coz I believe that India doesnt lack talent - what it lacks, is support for sports other than cricket.

Hats off to the lady who is an inspiration to many future athelets!

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2007-01-26T11:07:00.000+05:30

First impressions don't always last too long...

2007-01-19T23:07:00.000+05:30

i dont understand one thing - why do some people indulge in UN-NECESSARY small talk...? I eamn... it's okay at times to have a chit-chat for the heck of it - like maybe a short conversation with a stranger or an interesting topic to break the ice... butttttt it's so damn irritating when SOME people do it ALL the time!!!

Then there are others who try to act 'jack of all' by commenting on every topic being discussed, whether they know anything or not - this is just to make their presence felt.

The other day at the hospital, we had a couple of clients over; 1 - a medical director, the other - a social activist. I was really glad to meet an activist as i had never met one before. so impressed was i by her confident talk and commanding voice that i felt i had a lot to learn from her... then another doctor joined us and with just the 4 of us in the room, the conversation started with how crowded BOM has become, to, what the BMC should do to make this city like Shanghai, to, recent health problems, to, specifically STD's. Then the 2 docs went in deep conversation and discussed every detail possible about medicines and surgeries - needless to say i could barely understand it as they now used mostly medical jargon. So from a hostess, i became a listener...
Then noticed that the activist couldnt keep her mouth shut... she chipped in with phrases like, "Absolutely", "Ya, i know", "I agree", "You're right" (like anyone bothered to ask for her opinion)... and this went on for almost 30 mins... It was quite evident that she didnt know head nor tail of what they were saying, but she wanted to be a part of it anyways. I said to myself "you can only impress someone for 15 mins... after that... you better have something!"
Now why would anyone want to comment on something that is way beyond their reach? Am I being an introvert/reserved kinda person or is she just trying to be 'one of the group'..... i guess its just that perception differs... but i would really not be interested in reacting to anything that i dont even understand about.
Later whn i spoke to her alone, i brought up the common topic b/w us - social work - and i was disappointed with what she said and the way she spoke... a social activist who was only big talks...
sometimes, first impressions are not the last impressions...
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A night at the Eco-Village

2007-01-19T21:57:00.001+05:30

I havent been travelling as much as i would have liked to, thanks to my
'no discounted tickets' job... (being a social worker can be tough... in more ways than one!)... After my J&K trip in June-06, I never really had the time (or the money...) to go anywhere. But i didnt want to deprive mself of having fun, so, last week when my friend Madhu asked me if i was game for an overnight eco-village trip, i jumped for it! We had no expectations from this place; all 7 of us wanted to have a rockin time! Bindu, Shree n me were joined by Madhu, Anupam, Merlin & Avinash at Pune and around 10 in the night we reached the eco-village... it was pitch dark and we couldnt see anything as the only light available was from the stars in the sky... all of us were quite excited as we were half way up some mountain and had to descend steeply into the valley... there was no road or light leading us to the camp site, so in true trekking style, with just one lamp all of us started the last leg of the journey. I had carried a torch luckily which turned out to be a saving grace (as 1 lamp was not enough for 7 of us)... Shree & Binz were a sport as they accompanied me at the end; i was quite petrified by the narrow way and kept slipping every now and then.

Finally, after about 30 minutes, we reached the bottom of the hill. Though we couldnt see much, we were happy with the cool breeze - fresh air. Didnt take long for us to freshen up, and, within minutes, we were swinging to some R n B music which later turned into some mumbai masala and masala into trance (yes, my parties are incomplete without trance). the best part was, that we could blast our music as there was not a soul around for miles!!!

Then Avi lit a bonfire and we had delicious dinner around 3 in the mrn! After chilaxing for a while we had a look thru a telescope and for the first time i saw what craters on the moon look like... :) too tired to stay awake any longer, we hit the sack around 4 in the mrn... or was it 5...? i dont remember. The temp dipped to around 10 deg C... the 2 blankets were not enough for me as the tent was covered with dew...
Morning was breathtakingly beautiful... in the broad daylight we could now clearly see the beauty around us. Next to the owners big house was a tree-top (which Merl & Maddie had climbed the night before in a tipsy state). The house had a huge backyard where our tents had been put up the night before. The backyard ended with bright red mud that met the river... no fences, no boudaries... exactly why everyone (except Merl n me) jumped into the river for a swim... The water was so clear that we could see the rocks on the river-bed... merl enjoyed clicking pics (for a change it wasnt me) while i was happily lazyin around... infact everyone was just lazyin around and even took a nap after lunch...
unfortunately it ended quickly... we had to leave in the eve to reach BOM by at least mid-night.
A very memoriable trip indeed that lasted 1.5 day and cost us only Rs. 1,500 per head.
This is what i love the most about India... you dont have to go too far or spend too much to have fun... just look around and theres some untouched land waiting to be 'discovered'.
Thanks to Avi for 'discovering' this hide-out, to merl for reminding us to carry woolens (as it was freezing in the night); to Anupam for coming all the way from Riyadh; to Maddie for taking the initiative for this trip; to Binz to bunk a couple of days from wrk; to Stylo for being a sport.