Earth Hour!

The logo for Earth Hour
Overview of Sydney in Earth Hour 2008

Last year an idea was sparked by lights being turned off for an hour in Australia's lead city- Sydney, today Earth Hour is an International Event which asks household and businesses to turn off their lights and shut down non-essential appliances on the evening of March 29th between the hours of 8-9 pm to promote electricity conservation thus reducing carbon emissions. Hopes of a cleaner world to shine in our darkest hour. Communities and individuals are getting together to find new ways to reduce their impact on their environment and to start a movement that ends with a solution to the common challenge we all face. Millions of Americans and around the globe, people on five continents took part, from Albania to Zimbabwe, Bosnia to Uzbekistan, Canada to Uruguay to spread awareness and make it a highly successful event.

Earth Hour now being a huge global success therefore sends a strong message that we need to take action on climate change now. There were Celebrations around the world to mark the end of Earth Hour. Sydney celebrated with fireworks while Nelly Furtado held a concert at Nathan Philips Square in downtown Toronto to celebrate Earth Hour.

Hence the message that even the longest journey begins with a single step!

A Twist of Fate!

How cruel is that of an individual to make use of somebody's love, money, emotions,energy and probably many more to land onto a foreign land, when he anxiously waits for her in the airport after six long months of paperwork to start a new beginning in his life...and then she says upon arrival that "I don't love you, I love somebody else, give me all that requires to set me free"...By that I mean divorce...Those were his moments of truth...His fate took a weird twist...You live with him in his own house which was bought to provide all comfort and luxuries, does expenses to keep his loved one happy and and he gets nothing in return...while he puts his heart and soul, makes extra effort, 100% positive that the marriage will work , believing "let bygones be bygones"....she continues to do her homework as to how to rip him off through his wallet ( one's own hard earned money) , thinking how to amputate him...ask what's his fault, prompt comes the response "Because he tries to make this relationship work"....

There you go somebody wants to go Scott free and upgrade her status at the expense of somebody else's money yet talks about her own entitlement. What kind of conscience is that? Dirt Cheap I would say....For him "It was First Love", she meant the world to him, dreamt many dreams, planned probably five years ahead....I can imagine the "monumental assault on his heart".....and the hatred planted within him will never fade...Reminds me of a song of Michael Learns to Rock titled "Breaking my heart" which goes "There is no excuse my friend for breaking my heart, breaking my heart again, this is where our journey ends for breaking my heart again"! True some journeys cant be traveled together so it stops there....

It hurts me specially when its not meant for a deep loyal soul....I know it will take years for you to amend but I'm always there when the whole world has gone out ! After all "A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are"

Cheers!

Picture Perfect!

Here's some more pics of Risha ( on demand)....hope you enjoy!

A World of Colours!

Just wondering how colors dominate our lives...whether its the colors of the season, reading signs on road, decor of our homes and its background ( which speaks volumes of one's individual tastes and preferences) or seeing if fruit is ripe to eat. We use and experience color everyday without us noticing much about it.

According to the Kueppers theory, color is merely a "color sensation". In the same way we feel the prick of a needle on our skin, we sense color through an irritation of the retina. This is only one cornerstone of the theory, but it instantly opens the door to the notion that feelings are linked to the perception of colors. Depending on our nature and background, we understand better why certain tones bother us while others delight us. Awakening the emotions-cold tones calm us, warm ones excite us, and a zillion colors between these extremes can bring balance.

I think colors have immense power, not only to stimulate the human mind but also affect human emotions. According to psychologist colors have an impact on our mood, the colors we choose speak a lot about the way we feel. For example when we think of "Red" we associate "Love" with it or "Yellow for Friendship", "White for Peace" and so on. Color soothes the eye, it makes things more distinct for the eye to observe.

Thanks to evolving trends, each year we rediscover shades that awaken in us forgotten emotions. Provides coherence between the things that adorn our world.

Pablo Picasso is right when he quoted "Colors like features, follow the changes of the emotions"

Peaceful, Easy Feeling!

March 24th..Risha's pink cast has been removed....seeing her hand straight and meeting the Physiotherapist gave me a feeling of calm ....though her arm is soar right now and for obvious reason( the cast which hugged her tight for the last three weeks)....the process goes on..doesn't stop here....physiotherapy, reviews and probably more....still keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that this should be it....

The collapsed feeling under my skin has made me strong now....and the latent force within me made me hop off the straight and narrow...all these came from an indomitable will I guess..A month ago it was painful and now its an experience....That's life I suppose when we come across challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions and with each step we take we become more skilled, confident and successful...

Yet Peaceful, easy feeling is what I'm going through!....

Its Easter Day!

Happy Easter Day!

From what I've learned in my history classes back in the days that on this day Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christians believe according to scriptures, that Jesus Christ came back to life after three days of his death on the cross. The death of Jesus Christ by crucifixion is commemorated on Good Friday, always the Friday just before Easter. Through his death, burial and resurrection, Jesus paid the penalty for sin.

On that note let us all share the warm and wonderful spirit of Spring and Easter with this beautiful poem "May the love of Jesus Christ, our Saviour, surround you, protect you and guide you in everything you do on this holy day and always"!

"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" ( KJV) John 1:29

Happy Holi!

Holi GreetingsHoli Colours
Holi Fun

Today is the colorful festival of Holi, where people apply colors on each other...children will already have special plans for this day...This festival welcomes the spring and throw off the gloom of winter....In my homeland the play is all over but here it just started...Good time for friends and family to get together and have a good time...and this gives people a good reason to rejoice, make merry and submerge themselves into the spirit of Holi!.....exchange of gifts, sweets and greetings also takes place...

This festival has its ancient origin and celebrates the triumph of "good over bad". Numerous legends and stories are associated with Holi Celebration which makes the festival even more exuberant and vivid. Not to forget that I have several memories too attached with this festival and they are all coming back to me now....Still remember how I used to be drenched in colors and my dad not recognizing me, thinking me to be an outsider and telling me to leave the premises....Funny ha!

On that note folks I conclude "Happy Holi", Happy Weekend and "Happy Easter"!

Fresh Outlook!

March 20th was the first day of spring yet no signs of relief. Still has to be layered..though the sun is shinning and warms and lights us on a regular basis but unknown what its signaling to....Heard one more snow storm to go....This is what happens to me...come March third week and I get impatient about summers...here I am sitting anxiously, waiting to welcome summer but doesn't seem to come any sooner...Cant go against Nature I guess! But still would say "May the sun shine all day long"!

In this part of the world people are blessed with a fine appreciation for warm weather. After all, we wait so long for it to arrive. And when it does we tend to make the most of it and this season I intend to come up with some fresh decorating ideas to help bring my lawn-both front and back to life this spring, summer and beyond..Ideas all set in my mind and mere thought of it makes me fall in love with my backyard once again ....Truly nature can help you bridge the seemingly contradictory aims of creating an attractively grown-up yet kid friendly outdoor space. I'm planning to decorate my backyard in such a way so it demarcates zones for kids and adults so everyone has room to unwind in. Still don't know as to what I'm going to do with the space that I have near where my Air Conditioner is placed...probably plant some vegetations or nice marigold flowers in bunches and maintaining gaps between each bunches and surround this with brick boundaries....Overall a neat look yet should look beautiful, easy to maintain...

For my front outdoor space "Planters would be a perfect ten"...as they provide the crowning touch to your outdoor space...specially the ones with rustic Terra cotta or classic cast iron look along with best selection of seasonal plants and flowers are a perfect blend.

Besides this I'm going to light the way with solar powered path-lights which would add style and function without costing the planet. This time my eye is set on Malibu solar light with frosted shade in Satin Bronze.

I guess that's all for this season...Too many plans ..hope it results to be a treat that we all can relish...After all "Its designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything is new again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings and then as soon as the chill rains comes, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone" as A Bartlett Giamatti quotes!

Counting Days!

Four more days left and my daughter's cast will be removed and we would know the results... though I'm pretty confident that with physiotherapy the movement of her hand will be much better...after all the surgery was not to worsen the case but to improve it....( for many of you may not notice anything at all with her left hand but there's a slight twist in her left arm for which she was operated)....for an outsider not noticing her hands at all and before surgery was all "natural recovery" and she compensated well....she has enough strength in her hand overall....

After she was discharged from the hospital I didn't know what to do if she complained of pain or how she will manage with the cast for 3 weeks...My heart used to beat fast all the time because I had no means to pacify her..Felt helpless..and this Spica cast is different...its like a wrap-a-round around her chest and another cast on her left arm and these two has been supported with a wood and her hand has been kept straight for the last 3 weeks...the five centimeter incission has been done just below the shoulder at the back....Difficult! Still find it hard to digest.

But I'm glad God gave me the courage and strength to face it all and I'm finally here. Thank you all for your prayers and wishes. Believe me it was tough!

And that reminds me of a Swedish Proverb " Fear less, hope more. Eat less, chew more. Whine less, breathe more. Talk less, say more. Hate less, love more..And all good things are yours"!

Stratford and its People!

Ontario Street in Stratford during Summertime!

Statue of William Shakespeare

Shakespeare Theater (view from outside)

Stratford's City Hall

Swan-symbol of Stratford


Gardens
Galleries

Hi Guys I'm finally into blogging again....weekend being gorgeous, bright and sunny, was tempted enough to be outdoor.

Just an update for all those who wants to know as to how's Risha doing..she doing Great! She's brave like I always say and I'm not bragging at all and she took it all with a SMILE!

So back to what I was saying ...On Tuesday i.e March 11th my favorite uncle and aunt visited us. My last blog does mention of this place Stratford, yes they are the ones who belong to this place and we make it a point to visit them on most long weekends...makes us relax and away from daily routine....to top it all who wouldn't love to chit chat with such amazing couple who make you feel at home...Though the world is a mixture of good and bad but its a rare sight to see such wonderful people ( my uncle and aunt ). Someone with whom you can be yourself and don't have to put on a plastic smile. Finding people in your own relations is kinda difficult..having age gap of good 35 years yet they make me at ease instantly...the moment we meet them we immediately get connected....they are someone who has no hang ups in life....no formalities whatsoever...complete straightforward people....I think next to my best friend if I could discuss something it would be them....conversations could go on ....they are full of qualities...My hats off to them for being who they are and how they are! ...and where they are ...the place they belong to... beautifies them even more....lush green landscapes, Shakespearean gardens, heritage buildings, downtown and the eating joints with patio beautifully decorated with impatience flowers all these and many more make it even more enchanting....Gives me calmness of mind, evenness of temper, undisturbed state, coolness and composure....

Stratford is a city located on Avon River in Southwestern Ontario. Its small town image is indeed worth seeing. Swan is the symbol of the city. From what I've heard is that the city was named after Stratford of England, Shakespearean fame...Mainly retired people reside in this city...not that young couples don't live here....to add to it the quality of life is better compared to big cities....Considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in Canada...a must see Gateway...Stratford has the magic to make it memorable....

On that note folks "Prepare to be enchanted"!

Thinkpad: I'm over and done with two...no more angels...
Yes ..you got it...I combined Risha and Sanaya to make it "Rinaya"

Blessed!

Didn't really hibernate but as an Aquarian sometimes do hide the considerable depths of one's character under a cloak frivolity. Jokes apart! today I really feel blessed for having "Sanaya" ( my little one) in my life. As Mark Twain quoted "A baby is inestimable blessing and bother". Truly ever since she was born she's always been quite and no trouble at all. If she cried at all then it was an indication that she wanted to be fed or diaper needs to be changed. Still remember when she was only seven days old we took her to African Lion Safari and she was not troubled at all...just diaper change, nurse her and she was good to go...Many of you might say that this is the time when babies sleeps most of the time so its nothing unusual ....but believe me like "every pregnancy is different, same way every babies are different". Even though her sleeping pattern changed after a month yet she wouldn't trouble me and I could leave her in the crib and do my work...I can only think of one night when she cried of stomach pain ( colic) and that's it....she began to enjoy the company of her elder sister and so was the elder one....We traveled to Stratford which is 120 kms from my place, takes exactly one and a half hours of travel time yet no signs of discomfort.....We spend hours in Malls and she's very comfortable....Even on the day of my elder daughter's surgery we left early and spent the whole day there and she was very co-operative, no cry absolutely and I had no choice anyways where I could keep her....to add to it when my husband was traveling back home...I was worried thinking "if she cries on highway" but heard she slept while traveling back and while coming back to the hospital next day.....couldn't have asked for more....As rightly quoted by an unknown author "When they placed you in my arm, you slipped into my heart" Truly Sanaya!

On that note I want to Thank God and Thanks mom for helping me in my most difficult times!

Hi! All

Cathy: Nice to know that you grew up in Montreal and yeah it is indeed a nice travel destination, though I have been there for a day and a half but would like to explore the city in length..The night life there is awesome..the other one that is incomplete is Quebec....the French Connection and all that....

Erica: My email is updated...so we're good to go now!

Thinkpad: I'm okay with you providing link to my blog! Keep commenting.

Rina: Sure I will visit the places you mentioned...not to forget Dilli Haat's fruit beer and momos...yummy yummy in my tummy!

Now and Then

Wow! finally managed to get some time to work on my blogs....guess too much work...but at the same time love the idea of multi-tasking...keeps me busy!.....

Just wondering how life takes a turn when you are having an affair and when you get married and have kids....A drastic change takes place...Back in 1997 when I met my husband ( now) then my boyfriend it used to be only us...just me and him and nothing in between....He used to be my center of attraction and I used to be him...We were focal point for each other...Meeting him thrice a week was compulsory but we both used to wait eagerly for weekends.....come weekend and we used to be out for the whole day....watching movie, eating out, shopping, just hanging around in Priya ( Delhites.... are quite familiar with this place) used to be our favorite pastime. What a feeling! Its the best thing that one could ever experience...falling in love and in love with the person you always wanted...and if its love at first sight...half of your job is done....and that's what happened to me...Yes! it was Love at First sight....Felt like we knew each other for the longest time just like a sailor would know the open sea....We were growing together...We were mad about each other...didn't care about the world....we became rebels at that time and nothing could stop us.....at that time it was like "Take away love and our earth is tomb" as rightly quoted by Robert Browning.....

But sooner or later we had to enter into the institution of marriage and we did but since then life has never been the same....all those pampering and nurturing were all gone....lost all freedom....Family mattered most, I mean in-laws, relations etc. That's why in our religion people say that when a girl gets married she just not gets married to the boy but to the whole family. At one point I almost felt like me and my husband were stretched enough to make spaces for all these third parties to fit in....But I am glad we made the right move at that time according to situations....And after having kids one becomes all the more busy....taking care of them, raising them, thinking about their betterment,one tends to think about their kid's future, education, career plans and all these then takes the front seat.....all these and many more and then we fail to strike a balance between all the areas of life....

Huge difference between now and then! Its a Paradigm Shift....Yet to conclude I would say "Love is all we have, the only way that each can help the other" by Euripides

Erb's Palsy

Thanks Thinkpad Risha is doing Great! Getting close to D-day when her cast will be removed...March 24th....

For most of you, who are wondering as to why my daughter has undergone surgery....here's why....She had Brachial Plexus Injury or commonly known as Erb's Palsy at the time of birth. Couple of reasons why it happens...could be due to prolonged labor, the way the child is positioned or it is subjected to force or traction. Difficult childbirth basically. This usually happens when the arm and shoulder are forced down while the head and neck are stretched sideways in the opposite direction. Additional force ruptures the nerves.

When she was born her left arm was absolutely dead and as suggested by Orthopedics, we supported her hand by keeping it folded inside the shirt like a splint...no surgery or physiotherapy was recommended as she was too young for it. We left it at that but after coming here we started diagnosis again and found out that surgery or physiotherapy could have been done when she was born....Anyways the panel of doctors here recommended surgery after CT Scan which showed that one of the muscle is tight, as a result the surgeon did a Sub scapula Muscle Release and Applied Spica Cast.

Now I just hope that this is the first and last surgery for her. Its traumatic!

One on One!

Its all about me today!

Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

First thing you'll notice about me: My height

My idea of perfect happiness: My kids and hubby in good health, going happy go lucky

Most treasured possession: My angels

Idea of a perfect date: Long drive...and miles to go....

Happiest Moment: 16th June,1997 ( when I met him for the first time)

What brings tears to my eyes ?: Onions

My favorite holiday spot: Montreal for now..hope to add many more

Favorite One liner: "I want three things in life Books, Books and Books" by Leo Tolstoy

Favorite pastime: Gardening in the summer, long phone calls, activities with kids etc.

How would I like to die?: In my sleep

Cheers!

Adventures in Immigration!

The mere thought of landing on a foreign land is exciting and a "dream come true" for many but it isn't the same when you land to start afresh right from the scratch. Its a new beginning though and takes a lot of courage to move into a new country specially couples having infants. Its a challenge!

It takes a lot of time to learn what to expect and what is expected out of you. Just shortly after we arrived in Canada, we had high hopes and expectations but tension crops in when you see families who arrived months before you, are still jobless or still looking or barely making something. We felt frustrated, confused and depressed. We dealt with different kinds of experiences and feelings. At one point even thought of going back...thinking this is not worth it....why take all these struggle when we already climbed the "ladder of success"....but thought to oneself....let's give it a try...Eventually you do become comfortable, may have few good experiences, some less enjoyable ones but the "feeling of being at home" takes time.

Babysitting is another problem that most families experiences. Finding the right one and then your child adapting well to it, is another point to be taken into consideration. Its more of a concern for those moms who never left their child with anybody and as a result kids are more attached to their mom as well. But on the other hand kids are very adjustable and they well adapt themselves with every situation. For example my daughter never cried when I first began to leave her with a Spanish babysitter on a trial basis... in fact I had tears in my eyes!

Medicare in this country is again so different from your own native land. How it works here is that you first have to register with a family physician and then get referred upon, depending upon the nature of problem. At the first sight it sounded ridiculous to me but it took good 4 years for me to understand the system and now I would proudly say that medical system here is par excellent! It looks silly in the beginning as we were so used to directly approaching a specialist in our hometown. But here its very systematic. Again needless to say we have heard about people having bad medical experiences as well and which is everywhere!

Coping up with weather conditions specially when you hail from a warm country is another challenge. Best way to overcome the severe winters is to be prepared and be well-layered. Summer is undoubtedly beautiful. What is worth mentioning is that during "autumn the city looks really beautiful when the leaves change colour, turn yellow and red and falls on the ground".

Lastly and the most important one is Job Hunting. Its the hardest part to handle and most of us loose self-confidence in the process, gets demotivated, low energy and financial hardship. This is the only country which doesn't recognize any International Qualification and the idea of studying all over again is kinda difficult. Not that immigrants don't do it but for me it was next to impossible. At that time "Sustenance" was more important than anything else.

Overall the journey wasn't too bad. Though the journey is still on and we have a long way to go. For most of you will be glad to know that we finally made it. On that note I would like to conclude that "There is light at the end of each tunnel"

Remembering Yesteryears!!!

Now that snow storm is over and sun is shinning bright, its time for some “Fresh Ideas inside and out”. Before I proceed any further with my thought process here’s some highlights that I don’t want to be overlooked:-

Thanks Maxey, it was you who inspired me to start my own Blogs. This is just a beginning and I hope to climb up the learning curve!

This goes to all of you- Thinkpad, Needs, Cathy, Rina, Ellisa,Mohit and Tanya….Thank you for your comments ..and continue to do so….it keeps me going….my thought process works even faster….And I do want to reply you all back but I guess my setting restricts me to do so…I’m trying to work on it and the moment its fixed….I will write to you all!

Cant imagine how days, weeks, months, years are passing by so fast….Speeding like a “Go Train” leaving all poles behind, by the time you look back, its long gone…At this point I want to rewind and take a trip down the memory lane. Probably go as far as AG days when I used to be a back bencher, fond of PT classes all the time, always looking for an opportunity to practice sports, used to be an active participant in every choir, elocution contest, painting or ads poof…at that time could lay my hands on anything…be it running , relay race, long jump, high jump, shot put, badminton or baseball for that matter. Athletics was my passion. Won awards for all the category and raising score cards for my house…still remember “ I belonged to Griesen House” or popularly known as “Red House”. High school days wasn’t that great and fun, it was only studies, career and all that. Then comes the so called “peak time” era when you get into University and all you hear about is right course for right career where many people believe that university or college is all about being serious most of the time..Well this theory didn’t apply to me ….there was no looking back ever since I enrolled into University…the best days of my life starts here….University days! I will always cherish forever….It was a heady time of freedom…. Friends, fun, bunking college, taking hitch to go home, U-specials, College Festivals, visiting rural places to complete Rural Management Projects, to name a few…..Luckily my love life was also blossoming at this time ( same person eleven years ago...now my husband)…..it was like an extra cheese topping on a cheese pizza….with him I “lived life king size” and on my own terms! Like someone wrote a testimonial for him..."A true diamond in this rhinestone world!!! Way more precious and totally out of the league for most. Yup, he is a treasure"!! No doubt about it....

Finally comes the days of “Independence”..I’m talking about “working life”….those were good old days….shopping in GK, partying at “Blues” and "Ruby Tuesday" is worth remembering….night outs in JNU Campus and watching how close can people get at “Djinns” are some of my fondest memories. GE Cafeteria laugh during dinner time will be remembered by most GE-ites ( now Gen pact) as we used to be the loudest….what else can you expect with me and Chidiya having infectious laughter…The “Sariska Trip”, its up-close encounters with wildlife, gaudy sunrise and sunsets and amazing solitude…all these and memories from the trip will always endure…Its something which will always “be with me, for me and by me” ! ….

Now its only “Orkut” that keeps me connected….but “Gone are those days…Only Memories remains”!

City in White!

While I was having a blast laughing inside this is how it looked outside....city was hit by another Snow Storm!


View far and near....completely snow laden!



Big backyard!



Not the greatest view folks...tried still! Enjoy

Laughed En-lightened!

As the saying goes that "Laughter is the best medicine" or even "Smile" for that matter as it "Cost Nothing", I can now sense it already. Feel so much better today after laughing on stupid things that me and my best friend were chit-chatting for good two hours. Talking about how people stress on certain words like "But"and make it sound like "Butt" in other words how accent makes a difference, husband talking about wife's labor pain indicating that in case wife doesn't deliver by due date then doctor will have to seduce her, should have used the word"Induce", friends asking "where are you calling from, sky-pe se?"( all Hindi speaking people would understand this) instead of saying "Are you calling from Skype"...now that was a "pun on the word". These are the few examples that we were laughing about. Indeed it is a blessing to have someone with whom you can share and talk anything and everything possible under the sun...What a feeling!.For the longest time didn't have a chance to laugh like this. Thanks Dcen. Like researchers say that "laughing can be a total body workout" I guess that's what I had today..."complete aerobic workout". For someone like me who often store negative emotions such as anger, sadness and fear rather than expressing them...the laugh today provided a way for these emotions to be harmlessly released. Feels good. Agree! Laughter is cathartic.

Think Spring

Thought no "tell tales" today rather KISS ( keep it short n' simple).

On an opening note special thanks to all those who commented for Risha's speedy recovery. Risha is getting better everyday. So happy to see her getting used to daily routine ( although her cast is still on), she's playing, eating, back to her "monkey business" basically. Managing all with one hand for now. She's brave. I am proud that she took it all in her stride. She's indeed special !

Daylight Saving starts tomorrow, already feeling the loss of one hour sleep everyday. Damn it! don't like the idea of setting the clock one hour ahead. But guess I have to being in this part of the world.

On an experimental basis, yesterday I was listening to the song "Jashn E Baharaa" ( "Jashn" means "Celebration" and "Baharaa" means "spring" ) from Jodha Akbar, I fell in love with this song. Love this song to death.Right from lyrics, music and above all the singer is mesmerizing. I know credit goes to AR Rehman but the singer ( Does anyone know who's the singer?) and his voice is out of the world. Its a Masterpiece. Now that Spring is approaching, this song fits the mood and as someone correctly mentioned, yup... it is the song of the season ,what a song!! The English Translation of the song is :

"Although its time of the spring festival, love is surprised to see that fragrance is annoyed with the flowers in the garden (hence the flower and fragrance are separated)
someone is hiding in the veil of sadness, all the beauty is hesitant, the threads of time are dormant, and there are unsure thoughts in the heart."

On that note "Think Spring" and "Happy Weekend Folks"

One Good Act !

Today I feel very happy and contented. I have known this friend of mine "Kashish" since 2006 when she was working just to make both ends meet and to sustain and survive, was also struggling to get the right reference to manage a choiceable job. Coming from a Government Institution, it was very difficult for her to cope up with the current situation. And then she sees a "Ray of Light" knowing me and that we both belong to the same community, speak the same language was like an "Icing on the cake" for her.

Gradually we both got down to working out a suitable resume for suitable position, taking all possible help from Google, professional help from Region of Peel, Indian Rainbow but in vain. Attending co-op program was useless and that too doing voluntary job for 3 months without pay when one has a family is next to impossible. Nothing seemed to work for her. Even referring her in my own organization wasn't fruitful.She ran from "Pillar to Post". She almost broke down, thought to herself "is this why she's here for?" But her children gave her hope and the strength to move on. She was so close to getting a permanent job but came out with no job at all and that made her even more depressed. The level of stress increased which is anyways the main cause of people falling sick in this part of world. Finally she decided to go for temp jobs and then we got hold of " Dixie Bloor Neighborhood" ( Thanks Evelyn) which gave her a boost. The 3 day workshop did wonders for her.

Today she made it to "Walmart" ( which is truly an international company) in Customer Support where she will have direct interface with customers & will gain some more experience and eventually she would know where to go from here. I think this is a new beginning for her & wish her "All the luck"

Thank God that I proved to be a Good Reference for her. At least helping someone who deserved to be helped is immensely satisfying.

Love Story Mania!

I guess the " Love Story" mania hasn't completely gone yet. On and off I keep watching some of the most romantic episodes of "Love Story" to keep me going. Probably after ages I've seen brilliant TV program in the making which took away all my sleep. Now that this is the era of "saas-bahu" sagas you don't get to watch very many different work like this one. After all it has been directed by one of the best Directors-Anurag Basu and probably he knew how to extract the best out of the two.

The cast in the serial is just perfect. Don't think anyone else would have fitted so perfectly like Akash & Shruti aka Mishal Raheja & Payal Sarkar. On the same note I would be doing injustice to my blog if I don't mention about the other two characters in the serial "Bhatti" aka Rohan Tiwari and "Dev" aka Ajay Chaudhari who contributed equally in making the serial so successful. In addition to it Harsh Chaya ( Rohit) and Rupa Ganguly ( Ritu) were fabulous too & they did justice to the role they played in the serial as Akash's mom and dad. Every character in this serial is portrayed beautifully and made it look so natural as if its hapenning in front of us and we can relate to it. I think the next best natural actor and actress in Bollywood after Kajol and SRK would be Mishal Raheja and Payal Sarkar. The way they played their character depicts as if its them in their real life, looks like they had to put no effort to bring out the charactered person ( which is even harder) . It is linked to our lives. The storyline is indeed different and creative. Contains fun, romance, drama, suspense and action. Specially when they show Hindu College and what usually happens or what one goes through in college life. Typical college environment. I get nostalgic and reminds me of my days in Miranda House....after all its the same North Campus.

The story goes like this : Akash who hails from a broken family is very reserved, rowdy at times, has 2 friends Bhatti and Dev and he doesn't know anything beyond them. If he sees that his friends are in trouble, he immediately gets into a fight or if he sees that a Rickshaw wala is beaten for no reason then he makes sure that the person pays for it. Not a bad guy though. Is a back bencher, loves to drink tea several times in a day and above all "hates" injustice. On the other hand Shruti is bubbly, young and energetic...falls in love with Akash who happens to be her senior and she's extremely expressive about her love for him. Great chemistry between the two. This romance soon turns out into drawn out fight for power and love. Personalities clash, egos are tested and relationship strained, all owing to this love affair. The innocence of love and its growth is well defined in the story.

The songs from the serial are already a hit specially "Teri Yaadein" and the title song "Tujhe Main Dhoondhta Phiru"

But what I didnt like is the ending of the serial with Dev killing himself...could have been better with Rohit finding Dev as the killer of Shruti's brother-Kunal and may be giving him Life Imprisonment and Akash, Shruti and Bhatti living happily ever after! Well those were my thoughts on the ending but the Director did what best suited the story!

Love Story worked not only for youngsters but for parents and family as well. I still remember the word by Akash's father which speaks in volumes - "to live inside the bars of prison is a much easier job but to live in a society and still live happily is a much difficult job to do"

Fuel for Life!

Exactly one week passed by after Bebo's surgery..time flies....and I'm so happy that she's no longer complaining of pain....though she's itchy most of the time because of her cast.....days nearing fast...March 24th when her cast will be removed....

Now that everything falling into place, I must jot down my "To do List"....Obviously Vacationing tops my list..Destination already decided....Fly to Vancouver ( Deen you get ready)... Bebo demanded too to go to a beach for vacation.For the longest time ever I have been wanting to learn Dance Form more precisely Shiamak Davar's Dance Form so hopefully will enroll into that....Luckily saved the cutting & glad that they have classes at Living Arts Centre, Square One....My dad never wanted us ( me and my sister) to get rid of books....so thinking of hitting back to books again and making his dreams come true....studying "Human Resource Management" and becoming "Certified Human Resource Professional" ( Deen thank you for the info and you know the next step)....Aquiring G2 license is a must.....Finally enjoying the 2008 Summer ( enjoying the scorching sun, gardening, backyard & BBQ) before I get back to Wells. Guess will "Save the Best for Last" off to Cancun ( Mexico) or Hawaii in the winters, a sigh of relief from the chilling winters,heaps of snow, gusty winds and number of layers.

Two blogs in a day. Guess I'm in high spirits!

Bundle of Joy

I finally watched "Taare Zameen Par" after debating over it for a long time. For some reasons I never wanted to watch it but I must admit that it indeed is a nice movie-a movie which has a lot to say to a lot of parents, a movie that has deep intensity. Specially after my daughter's surgery in one of the famous hospitals for kids "Sick Kids Foundation", Toronto, "Every child is special" ( as the movie quotes).

I have come across some of the most pretty and cute looking faces in the hospital having weird complications that we cant even imagine in our day-to-day lives. To top it all they were all born with it. So to all those parents who have given birth or about to give birth, all that matters is that the "Child should be Healthy" dont worry about the sex of the child.

I came across this little girl called "Sunehri" ( original name not revealed) who was born healthy, infact healthiest amongst her five brother's and sisters, weighed more than all of her siblings and all of a sudden for the last two years her eyes are shutting down....Parents are clueless as to why its happening.

The other "Prince" ( that's what I would call him as he was one of the good looking boy there) that I came across always had his neck bended to right, I assumed he's undergoing neck surgery but according to his parents its his eye....when he bends his neck to right his vision is perfect & when he straightens his head he gets double vision. He has a problem with a muscle in his eye.

Last but not the least "New born kids" with complication's coming down for surgeries & parents simply bursting down in tears is so painful to see.

You may be thinking as to why I'm only mentioning about kids, surgeries etc for the last 2 days is because that's all in my mind these days. I constantly think about all those parents who are battling for their kids speedy recovery and attending their respective religious destinations for their child's betterment. And what "Mother's" go through is even beyond explanations. So all you pregnant mother's "Dont go against Nature".

Cheers!!!

Tear for Fear

Ever since I got the phone call from Sick Kids Foundation for Risha's surgery, I was petrified. Varoius kinds of thoughts were streaming down my mind. Made several calls to close friends to ease myself but nothing helped. Didnt know what to do. On one hand I knew that nothing's gonna happen as its an external surgery nothing related to the major organs but on the other hand I was worried about aneasthesia & all that. I could not even concieve of the idea that my precious daughter would go to an operation theatre and come out unconscious with all kinds of wires hanging around her. Cant even imagine! My eyes almost went dry. Tears for Fear. Thanks to Decn and Chhabi for their constant support. But on the contrary I was absoulutely tensionless when Risha was in the OT, I guess the migrane took it all, partially also left it all upto the panel of doctors & the confidence they instilled in me.

Thank God, its all over. I must mention here & it is indeed worth mentioning that the services rendered by Sick Kids Foundation is par excellent. Special thanks to Dr. Sevan Hopyan, Dr. Farshid Tabloie, Nurse:Jesse, Kaitlyn & Cast Specialist:Fay.

Now I just hope & pray that Risha recovers soon & the purpose for which the surgery is done is met & we dont have to go thru it again. Good Luck Risha & Mummy loves you. You are my most treasured possession!!!