Keep the spark - speech by Chetan Bhagat.

This is a very nice speech by Chetan Bhagat , the author of 5-pt someone & 1 night @callcenter!

Couldn't help but paste it here ( well that's what a programmer does anyways - prgming hai waste, trust only cut-copy-paste! :P he he ).

Anyways, here's the speech:

Good Morning everyone and thank you for giving me this chance to speak to you. This day is about you. You, who have come to this college, leaving the comfort of your homes (or in some cases discomfort), to become something in your life. I am sure you are excited. There are few days in human life when one is truly elated. The first day in college is one of them. When you were getting ready today, you felt a tingling in your stomach. What would the auditorium be like, what would the teachers be like, who are my new classmates - there is so much to be curious about. I call this excitement, the spark within you that makes you feel truly alive today. Today I am going to talk about keeping the spark shining. Or to put it another way, how to be happy most, if not all the time.

Where do these sparks start? I think we are born with them. My 3-year old twin boys have a million sparks. A little Spiderman toy can make them jump on the bed. They get thrills from creaky swings in the park. A story from daddy gets them excited. They do a daily countdown for birthday party – several months in advance – just for the day they will cut their own birthday cake.

I see students like you, and I still see some sparks. But when I see older people, the spark is difficult to find. That means as we age, the spark fades. People whose spark has faded too much are dull, dejected, aimless and bitter. Remember Kareena in the first half of Jab We Met vs the second half? That is what happens when the spark is lost. So how to save the spark?

Imagine the spark to be a lamp’s flame. The first aspect is nurturing - to give your spark the fuel, continuously. The second is to guard against storms.

To nurture, always have goals. It is human nature to strive, improve and achieve full potential. In fact, that is success. It is what is possible for you. It isn’t any external measure - a certain cost to company pay package, a particular car or house.

Most of us are from middle class families. To us, having material landmarks is success and rightly so. When you have grown up where money constraints force everyday choices, financial freedom is a big achievement.

But it isn’t the purpose of life. If that was the case, Mr Ambani would not show up for work. Shah Rukh Khan would stay at home and not dance anymore. Steve Jobs won’t be working hard to make a better iPhone, as he sold Pixar for billions of dollars already. Why do they do it? What makes them come to work everyday?

They do it because it makes them happy. They do it because it makes them feel alive. Just getting better from current levels feels good. If you study hard, you can improve your rank. If you make an effort to interact with people, you will do better in interviews. If you practice, your cricket will get better. You may also know that you cannot become Tendulkar, yet. But you can get to the next level. Striving for that next level is important.

Nature designed with a random set of genes and circumstances in which we were born. To be happy, we have to accept it and make the most of nature’s design. Are you? Goals will help you do that.



I must add, don’t just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order.

There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.

You must have read some quotes - Life is a tough race, it is a marathon or whatever. No, from what I have seen so far, life is one of those races in nursery school. Where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same with life, where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.

One last thing about nurturing the spark - don’t take life seriously. One of my yoga teachers used to make students laugh during classes. One student asked him if these jokes would take away something from the yoga practice. The teacher said - don’t be serious, be sincere. This quote has defined my work ever since. Whether its my writing, my job, my relationships or any of my goals. I get thousands of opinions on my writing everyday. There is heaps of praise, there is intense criticism. If I take it all seriously, how will I write? Or rather, how will I live? Life is not to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? It’s ok, bunk a few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not programmed devices.

I’ve told you three things - reasonable goals, balance and not taking it too seriously that will nurture the spark. However, there are four storms in life that will threaten to completely put out the flame. These must be guarded against. These are disappointment, frustration, unfairness and loneliness of purpose.

Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you the expected return. If things don’t go as planned or if you face failure. Failure is extremely difficult to handle, but those that do come out stronger. What did this failure teach me? is the question you will need to ask. You will feel miserable. You will want to quit, like I wanted to when nine publishers rejected my first book. Some IITians kill themselves over low grades – how silly is that? But that is how much failure can hurt you.

But it’s life. If challenges could always be overcome, they would cease to be a challenge. And remember - if you are failing at something, that means you are at your limit or potential. And that’s where you want to be.

Disappointment’s cousin is frustration, the second storm. Have you ever been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck. This is especially relevant in India. From traffic jams to getting that job you deserve, sometimes things take so long that you don’t know if you chose the right goal. After books, I set the goal of writing for Bollywood, as I thought they needed writers. I am called extremely lucky, but it took me five years to get close to a release.

Frustration saps excitement, and turns your initial energy into something negative, making you a bitter person. How did I deal with it? A realistic assessment of the time involved – movies take a long time to make even though they are watched quickly, seeking a certain enjoyment in the process rather than the end result – at least I was learning how to write scripts , having a side plan – I had my third book to write and even something as simple as pleasurable distractions in your life - friends, food, travel can help you overcome it. Remember, nothing is to be taken seriously. Frustration is a sign somewhere, you took it too seriously.

Unfairness - this is hardest to deal with, but unfortunately that is how our country works. People with connections, rich dads, beautiful faces, pedigree find it easier to make it – not just in Bollywood, but everywhere. And sometimes it is just plain luck. There are so few opportunities in India, so many stars need to be aligned for you to make it happen. Merit and hard work is not always linked to achievement in the short term, but the long term correlation is high, and ultimately things do work out. But realize, there will be some people luckier than you.

In fact, to have an opportunity to go to college and understand this speech in English means you are pretty darn lucky by Indian standards. Let’s be grateful for what we have and get the strength to accept what we don’t. I have so much love from my readers that other writers cannot even imagine it. However, I don’t get literary praise. It’s ok. I don’t look like Aishwarya Rai, but I have two boys who I think are more beautiful than her. It’s ok. Don’t let unfairness kill your spark.

Finally, the last point that can kill your spark is isolation. As you grow older you will realize you are unique. When you are little, all kids want Ice cream and Spiderman. As you grow older to college, you still are a lot like your friends. But ten years later and you realize you are unique. What you want, what you believe in, what makes you feel, may be different from even the people closest to you. This can create conflict as your goals may not match with others. . And you may drop some of them. Basketball captains in college invariably stop playing basketball by the time they have their second child. They give up something that meant so much to them. They do it for their family. But in doing that, the spark dies. Never, ever make that compromise. Love yourself first, and then others.

There you go. I’ve told you the four thunderstorms - disappointment, frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot avoid them, as like the monsoon they will come into your life at regular intervals. You just need to keep the raincoat handy to not let the spark die.

I welcome you again to the most wonderful years of your life. If someone gave me the choice to go back in time, I will surely choose college. But I also hope that ten years later as well, you eyes will shine the same way as they do today. That you will Keep the Spark alive, not only through college, but through the next 2,500 weekends. And I hope not just you, but my whole country will keep that spark alive, as we really need it now more than any moment in history. And there is something cool about saying - I come from the land of a billion sparks.

Thank You.

Atishay sundar vichar...

Aajchya esakal madhe ha ek apratim lekh vachla. toch ithe lekhikechya naavasakat post karte ahe.

आभाळमाया - हे जीवना
नलिनी वाळिंबे यांचा लेख वाचला आणि मी माझ्या साताऱ्याच्या आयुष्यात परत गेले. मी, आई, बाबा, भाऊ असं आमचं कुटुंब त्यांच्या घरात राहायला गेलो. शेजारी आजी, आजोबा आणि त्यांची मुलगी सुलूमावशी राहायचे. लहानपणी पोलिओ झाल्याने मावशीचा एक पाय अधू होता. काही कारणाने त्यांची उंचीही खूपच लहान होती. त्यामुळे येणारा जाणारा तिऱ्हाईक त्यांच्याकडे केविलवाणे नजरेने बघायचा. परंतु अशी ही मावशी स्वतःच्या व्यंगाकडे दुर्लक्ष करून उच्च शिक्षण घेऊन स्वतः एका इन्स्टिट्यूटची प्रमुख होती. वाचन आणि कला हे त्यांच्या रक्तात भिनलं होतं. सुंदर पेंटिंग त्या करायच्या. त्यांच्या गच्चीवर त्यांनी छोटी बाग सजवली होती. नवीन नवीन छंद जोपासणे, निरनिराळी माहिती गोळा करणे, गाण्याच्या मैफिलीला जाणे, साहित्य संमेलनास जाणे हा त्यांचा आवडीचा विषय असायचा. पण असून नसलेल्या उणिवांची त्यांनी कधीही तक्रार केली नाही. प्रत्येक दिवसाला अभिवादन करून त्याचा स्वीकार त्यांनी केला.

""आजकाल तुझी काहीतरी सतत तक्रार चालू असते- हे दुखतंय... ते दुखतंय.. मग इथे जायलो नको, तिथे जायला नको,'' असं म्हणून रविवारी पतिराजांनी जरा लवकरच जागं केलं. आम्ही रांजणगावला जाण्याचं ठरवलं. जाता जाता शिक्रापूर या गावातून गेलो. हे नाव कानी पडताच पुन्हा एकदा मी साताऱ्याच्या आयुष्यात गेले. विचारांचा तळ ढवळला होता. एकदम माझ्यासमोर माझी शाळा, कॉलेज विश्‍व, माझ्या मैत्रिणी आल्या. आणि माझी जिवलग मैत्रीण नंदिनी. आम्ही एफ.वाय.मध्ये असतानाच तिचं लग्न झालं आणि लग्न करून ती या गावात आली होती. त्यांच्या घरात मुलीचं शिक्षण याला फारसं महत्त्व दिलं जात नव्हतं आणि तेव्हाच तिच्या आईवडिलांनी तिचं लग्न लावून दिलं. पुढे २/३ वर्षे आमचा पत्रव्यवहार व्हायचा. ती सर्व खुशाली सांगायची. एकंदरीत सासरी सर्व चांगलं आहे, हे ऐकून खूप आनंद झाला होता. आता पुन्हा "शिक्रापूर' गावातून जाताना आठवणी गोळा झाल्या. आणि ठरवलं की परतताना आपण तिची गाठ घेऊनच पुढं जायचं. कोणीतरी म्हणालं की त्यांच्या यजमानांचं नुकतंच निधन झालं आहे. विचारत विचारत तिच्या घरापाशी पोचलो तेवढ्यात ती अचानक बाहेर आली. तिच्या गळ्यात मंगळसूत्र पाहून मी सुटकेचा श्‍वास सोडला आणि आम्ही एकमेकींना आलिंगन दिलं. मला पाहून तिलाही आश्‍चर्याचा धक्का बसला. शब्दांची जागा अश्रूंनी घेतली होती. आत गेलो आणि कळलं, की तिच्या पतीचं निधन झालंय. पण एका खेडेगावात बाई असुरक्षित असते म्हणून तिनं मंगळसूत्र घातलं होतं. आजारपणात पाण्यासारखा पैसा गेला आणि आता जमीन, घर यासोबत ती सासू, मुलांसहित राहत होती. दिवस पालटले होते. आलेल्या परिस्थितीला धीरानं सामोरं जाऊन ती पुन्हा उभी होती. मी मात्र कोलमडून पडले होते. आयुष्यात एवढं मोठं दुःख पचवून ती पुढच्या जीवनप्रवासासाठी न खचता तयार होती. आणि "मी' छोट्या छोट्या कारणानं दुसऱ्यावर चिडत असे. वाटलं, एवढ्या ल
हानपणी नंदिनीला तिच्या आयुष्यानं काय काय दाखवलं, तरी ती पुन्हा उभी आहे. दुसरीकडे शरीरानं अधू असणारी सुलूमावशी सर्वत्वावर मात करून आयुष्य एका सेनापतीसारखं लढली आणि आयुष्याच्या संध्याकाळी तेवढीच उत्साही आहे. असं म्हणतात, की नेहमी आपल्यापेक्षा गरीब माणसाकडे बघावं म्हणजे आपल्याकडं असलेल्या गोष्टीची किंमत कळते. जीवन जगण्याची ताकद बघायची असेल तर नंदिनी व सुलूमावशीकडे मी बघते. कारण आपण जीवनात कुठे आहोत याची जाणीव होते.

- सौ. समृद्धी जोशी

Mazi aai mala nehmi hech sangaychi/ ajunhi sangte, ani te aatmasaat karaycha me prayatna hi kela. Pan tari ajunahi pushkalda chotya chotya goshtinvarun kach khanyachi manaachi tayaari hote. Tevha ase lekh vaachun maanasik ubhaari yete. Tymule navin varshachi mazya blogchi suruvat mee hya lekhadware karte ahe.

Aamchi maati.. Aamchi maanasa...

Aaj khup diwasanni esakal chi Pune patrika vaachun khup chhan vatla. Punyat sadhya gulabi thandi padli ahe. Mala Punyatli thandi hi faar priya. Ghari chhan sweater/shaal ghalun basne, garam garam chaha ghene, barobar masta kanda-bhaji - Aaichya haatchi - ahaha! apratim anubhav. Thandit office la janyachi tar majja kahi vegli. sakali sakali thoda andhuk prakaashat nighava.. baher rahadari kami aste nehmipexa, barech lok sweater-muffler vagere ghalun morning walk kartana distat.. kay diwas hote te. Khupach melancholic vattay te sagla aathavun. Vegvegle hindi-marathi pictures, naataka, mazya ganyachya bai.. mazi Activa :) .. ajunhi athavla tari harshacha shahara yeto angavar! ata kitihi chhan 4-wheeler chalavli tari mazya Activachi sar tyala nahi!

Punyatla tya hirvyagaar tekdya.. anek lokanchya morning walk la veglich rangat annarya. Tekdi ha kityek punekarancha jeev ki praan!

Laxmi road chi gardi, tithla to chamchamit chana-jor-garam, kharokhar amruta-tulya chahaa, tithli ti kapdyanchi rounak kahi niralich.. ithlya kuthlyahi posh shopping malls la ti majjach nahi ahe! Asel tithla jeevan dagdagicha, paper madhe roj apghatanchya batmya vachun potat gola yeinaka, asel tithla khaana aswachha, pan te lok, tithlya maatitla olava, te rutu, ti hava, aani kuthe pahayla milanar? Tithla jeevan khadtar asla tari tithlya bhojana pramanech chavdaar ahe. Americatla milmilit jeevan kadhikadhi tyapudhe ruchatach nahi! Mhantat na, amchi maati-amchi maanasa, tech khara.. Jya jaaget tumhi lahaanache mothe hota, tee jaga kashihi asli tari tumchya manaat ek vegla sthan asta tila. Tumhi jagaat kuthehi asa, tumchya maaticha sugandh ani mansanchi julleli mana hi tumhala parat parat bolavnaarach! Ashyach eka bolavyamule manachi zhaleli sukhad ghalmel tipnyacha prayatna kela ahe.. Punyacha ani Maharashtracha jaajvalya abhimaan aslelya mazya vachakanna nakkich avdel maza ha prayatna.. ho na? :)

Shraddhanjali (In Memoirs...)

29 October 2007.. a great life, Keshav Narayan Dandge, passed away peacefully in the city hospital of Kolhapur, India. For the past 2 days the hospital was swarmed with scores of people, his children, grandchildren, his relatives, friends, colleagues and all the people he had touched with his warmth, waiting for him to wake up from his unconsciousness. All of them were in tears and his capable younger son had a tough time to console them.

Keshav Narayan Dandge, one of the most successful advocates in Kolhapur and a genuinely great personality. He was a prominent figure in the law circle, with numerous successful cases to his name. He was not only a successful lawyer but also a successful father. He unfortunately lost his beloved wife very early in their married life to a minor illness. But he never let any of his 4 children feel deprived of motherly love. He raised them with all the love and care of both a father and a mother! All of his 4 children went on to become courageous and successful adults. In his old age, he was well taken care of by his loving youngest son. And the rest of his children were always in touch with him. They shared an inseparable bond of love. He was very generous and kind; he did good to everyone he met in his life; his house was alway full of warmth and care to everyone. He befriended all that he met; he rarely had days when there were no guests! His king-size ways to treat his guests were good enough to keep his loving daughter-in-law on her toes!

29 October 2007.. Keshav Narayan Dandge, my maternal grandfather, left for heavenly abode. He is my role model for an ideal and successful life! He truly lived life king-sized. There was no dearth of food and facilities in their house. I still cherish memories of the days when we used to gather to celebrate his birthday every year on 25th May. We used to celebrate his birthday pompously. We used to enjoy the sumptuous food specially cooked for his birthday and the sweet ripe Alphonso mangoes. We had loads of fun together.

My grandfather had a successful life. I am proud to have such a great lineage with me. When he passed away, the entire Kolhapur district court was declared closed for a day in his memory. The house and the hospital were full of people, his old friends, colleagues, his near and distant relatives, who were inconsolable with tears in their eyes. My uncle, his youngest son, had such a tough time controlling all of them, he had no time to think of his own loss! And my mother! my sweet mother is indeed very courageous; she consoled me even though her loss was bigger than mine!

29 October 2007.. my dearest aajoba left us all behind, to embark upon another successful journey in the other world. He was fortunate that he had all his children and grandchildren besides him when he was dying. I was the unfortunate one who could not meet him during his last days. But I remember his lively existence, his happy eyes when he saw me dressed up as a bride, our long late-night talks on life and everything else on earth, his subtle and intelligent humour, his smiling voice. I feel grateful to God that I could call him and hear his loving words just a week before his death, that he was present to give his blessings on my marriage and share his worldly wisdom with his eldest and his most beloved grandchild!

My dear aajoba.. I feel he is still there amongst us, watching us with his caring eyes and showering his blessings upon us. No, he has not left us.. he will always be there in our hearts. My beloved and dearest aajoba!

Why public speaking?

Here's a great article I found about public speaking:

http://www.freetoasthost.org/A_Quick_Guide_to_Public_Speaking.html

Exactly explains why anybody should bother about honing their public speaking skills. A few additional points on why I myself have joined the Toastmasters club, an organisation for developing your speaking skills:

1) Effective public speaking not only helps you in your career by giving you that edge over your colleagues, it also helps in every other facet of your life, in your relations (as I have been learning myself), in your friends, everytime you interact with people. Because as they say, "Man is a social animal" and You have to have good communication skills to make your presence effective in your society!

2) Different people speak different languages and have their own accents while conversing in English. Its unarguably useful to be able to understand what the other person is saying, without getting bogged down by his/her heavy or different accent. Atleast for me, this has been a strong motivation to join Toastmasters, ever since I moved to the US of A! We Indians are not at all used to the heavy American accent!

3) To carry forth my second point, A good conversationalist is always a Good listener first. I have myself being a very impatient listener in the past. Listening to other speakers in the club, performing small roles like checking grammer and verbal cliches, and taking part in the club activities, i believe, will definitely improve my listening skills.

Enough for a good motivation to myself! Yeah, I am happy I joined the toastmasters. I am already on my path of being a confident speaker.

The nobleman...

Here's a very inspiring story I received as a mail forward today.

"
His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while
trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from
a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog.There, mired to his
waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free
himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and
terrifying death.

The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse
surroundings.. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced
himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.

"I want to repay you," said the nobleman. "You saved my son's life."
"No, I can't accept payment for what I did," the Scottish farmer replied,
waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door
of the family hovel.

"Is that your son?" the nobleman asked.
"Yes," the farmer replied proudly.

"I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my
son will enjoy. If the lad is anything like his father, he'll no doubt grow
to be a man we both will be proud of." And that he did.

Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time, he
graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to
become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the
discoverer of Penicillin.

Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved from the bog was
stricken with pneumonia. What saved his life this time? ..... Penicillin.

The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill. His son's name? Sir
Winston Churchill.

Someone once said: What goes around comes around.

Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.
"


What goes around comes around! So true! Do good to others, you will recieve the rewards someday in some or other form. Bad deeds and you will reap the results for your life. Choice is yours!

Words!

Just heard again the immortal song from Boyzone! Here's the song lyrics, posted for the most special person in my life:

Smile an ever lasting smile
a smile can bring you near to me
don't ever let me find you gone
'cause that would bring a tear to me
this world has lost its glory
let's start a brand new story
now my love
you think that I don't even mean
a single word I say

it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away

talk in ever lasting words
and dedicate them all to me
and I will give you all my life
i'm here if you should call to me
you think that I don't even mean
a single word I say

it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away

it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away

da da da da da da da
da da da da da da da da da da
da da da da da da da
da da da da da da da da da da

this world has lost its glory
let's start a brand new story
now my love
you think that I don't even mean
a single word I say

it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away

it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away

it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away

The Ice-Breaker!

Here is my first speech at the Toastmasters club I joined recently. That speech mostly describes the person as I am, so the best place for the permanent writeup would be on my blogpage! So here it goes:



"I am the 'Geek' called Software Engineer!"


Hello Friends,

I would like to start my icebreaker speech with the inspiring words from the Chinese philosopher, Confucius: " Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life!"

Well Friends! I am a software engineer! I am a geek! Well I was fortunate enough to have a career in a field I thouroughly enjoyed. I started my career as an Embedded Systems Engineer about 6 years ago. For starters, Embedded systems are the computers designed to perform a few well-defined tasks, unlike the general purpose PCs. Examples vary from mp3 players like IPODs, microwaves, car dashboards to robots and aircraft control systems! We write the softwares that program these hardwares.

Coming back to my topic, I joined a small company called Aftek Ltd in central India in September 2001. I was yet to finish the last semester of my masters. That was soon after the Y2K bubble burst. The software industry was in a bad shape and the job markets were down. I was among the lucky few who could get through the few campus interviews that came our way. I was literally jumping with joy, excitement and pride when I got my appointment letter. I was to start as a trainee engineer with a meagre salary of 5000 Indian rupees per month, which was really peanuts. But still, I was lucky enough to get a job in an industry tormented with layoffs and pinkslips! I still remember the anxiety and excitement of my first day at work; the chill that went down my spine as I was introduced to the product I was to work on. It was a small portable ticket-issuing machine, with a tiny printer attached to it. I was awestruck when I read the source code that controlled the tiny device. It was so different from whatever i had learnt as a student! Real life experience as ALWAYS is SO different from the formal training! I was amature as a programmer.. how was I supposed to grasp all that knowledge? As time passed on, I not only learnt the nuances of the software but also understood the business aspect of my product. I could use the knowledge i learnt to help make my product a success in the local market. I eventually got absorbed in the company and got to work on many more exciting projects like an IR projection keyboard for handheld devices, bluetooth headsets for mobiles to name just a few. I really enjoyed all my projects and I can talk on and on for hours about them :)..

Ok, that was about the geek in me! Apart from this, there was also an important aspect of my career: the peopleware. That includes my colleagues, my clients & my bosses. I learnt a lot from all of them. What I learnt, could easily be another speech topic. I made some of my best friends at Aftek ltd. I still remember the time we used to spend sipping hot coffee while we took break from our glaring monitors! We used to call it coffee break. But it was more of chatting than coffee! I can still smell the hot and delicious snacks that our company served us every evening sharp at 5 pm. Ahaha! Good enough to stretch us for another 4-5 hours of hard work! Yes! We used to work from 10 am in morning to usually 9 at night, sometimes more than that. My family used to get really irritated bcoz of my irregular timings. They used to say "Why even bother coming home? Stay in your dear office forever!" But I never complained. My work gave me such a high, I didn't really need additional caffeine to keep me going! My company was my second home, and my team was my second family!

I spent 5 of my best years in Aftek ltd. But as they say all good things come to an end. November last year, i bid adieu to my exciting career and got married to my prince charming from Dallas! Life took a 360 degree turn as I started a new career as a simple homemaker. I completely enjoy doing that too, though I never imagined that from myself! :) .. As my luck would have it, I got the coveted work permit for this year meaning I can start the second innings of my career in a couple of months. Till then, I am making the best use of my time here with toastmasters. To conclude, I would quote Paul Clitheroe, a successful TV presenter and financial analyst. He said "For many people a job is more than an income - it's an important part of who we are." Yes, My job at Aftek gave me financial stability and freedom, a sense of satisfaction & achievement, the pride of having done something creative, and most important, my identity! I am sure something similar awaits me here, as I get ready to 'restart' my career as the Geek called Software engineer!

Dipawali in Dallas...

Surprised by the title eh?? Dipawali? that too in July/august? and in Dallas? what could be the occasion?

For starters, Dipawali (also called Diwali) is the festival of lights, celebrated in about the month of October/November according to lunar calendar in India. Its the time when the entire cities get lighted up with clay diyas (decorated oil lamps) and fireworks. The sky at night looks stunning with all the stunning fire displays by enthusiastic people from all corners of the society. I just love this festival for all the energy that runs in the air and all the lights.

And I saw Dipawali, right here in Dallas a few days ago! I was taking a walk with my family in a nearby park (on Alma road) late in the evening the other day. As time passed and it got darker, we started seeing a few lights in the distant bush. We were wondering what that could be when all of a sudden the path in front of us lit up by hundreds of small lights in the air. Those were the works of the nature's amazing little creatures called firebugs! I had never seen such a thing in such enormous proportion back home in India. It was fascinating to see the bush, the trail and everything in front of us sparkling with the tiny lights of these bugs! I was looking at the most beautiful & harmless firework in Dallas, so far away from my homeland. And it was all natural! "No artificial anything"! We were stunned and stupefied as if we were in some dreamland. We must have spent countless moments appreciating the splendid work of nature in front of us! I could have stayed in that dreamland for hours together, watching the marvelous displays by the tiny things; but we had to head home due to time constraints. A tasty Mediterranean food at the Kosta's Greek restaurant on our way back, with steaming hot n delicious pita bread and hummus completed the more-than-perfect evening for us! I am grateful to those tiny bugs for giving me the most beautiful evening of recent days!

My Acres of Diamonds!

Here I am on my blog page after a long long pause! Sometime ago, I was pondering about the tale of the Persian old man Ali Hafed in Russel Conwell's Acres of Diamonds. Well, without going into the specifics, I want to share something very close to my heart, which comes to my mind everytime I think about Ali Hafed.

Once upon a time, i was a very frustrated young girl. I was distressed about whatever my brain could fancy around me. I didn't like the way my life was turning out to be. I could see the grass greener on the other side of my fences! I used to ask God why can't I get this, why can't I have that! I used to blame my fate for all my want-haves which I was sure not to get soon. This continued for a long time & i was making myself more & more miserable.

Then one day something happened in my life & I saw a ray of hope, the light of my life! Suddenly I felt as if God has opened in front of me acres & acres of pearls & diamonds! I started seeing all the wonderful things life brought to me, all the beautiful things that previously I had failed to perceive! I began seeing my life more clearly & things seemed to start falling in place at their own time! I began feeling more and more thankful to God Allmighty, so much that once I almost cried with joy. I am truly grateful to God for all that I have in life; and this blogpost is dedicated to Him, my light-bearer!

I also want to send a message to those in distress thru' this blogpost. Be patient & optimistic. If you think you are going thru a really difficult phase in life, be hopeful; have faith that this is just a passing phase. There will be good times beyond this if you are strong & persistent. Be optimistic, believe in God & yourself, believe in all the good things that you want to happen to yourself. Believe me, You will see all those things materialise eventually. Dream, work hard to achieve it, and leave the stress of its results to God. He won't let you down if you trust Him. Because almost everything you seek elsewhere is right there within you! Trust yourself and your God; You will find your acres of diamonds soon!

For those to whom my hazy story didn't make much sense, I would recommend reading this: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/rconwellacresofdiamonds.htm

The H1 fiasco!

The last one month was the most difficult one since I came to the US of A! Thanks to the constant pressure of the H1 visa! We experienced a roller coaster ride thinking at various times what happens if my application doesn't survive the lottery, or if does, what if it doesn't go thru the approval, what will I do if I don't get the coveted H1, so on & so forth. Ofcourse there were thousands sailing in the same boat! But finally 1 fine morning, we got a mail saying my H1 went thru the lottery. Then after about a week we came to know about its approval too! So hurray! Now I could officially work for Uncle Sam! (For Uncle Sam? Nah! For Myself in Uncle Sam, eh? or is it actually the other way around? Anyways, the point is I crossed 1 big hurdle in life!)

Chintoo!!

Chintoo is the most loved comic strip and forms an inseparable part of an average young marathi reader. It portrays the innocent humour of the young kid named Chintoo! First appearing in the leading marathi daily 'Sakal' newspaper in 1991, it has steadily grown in popularity over the years. Why it is so loved & famous? Here is the proof:



The official site is www.chintoo.com where you can get tonnes of such fun-filled innocence!

Sweet Marathi song!

Found this very sweet Marathi song sung by Shankar Mahadevan:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB1Uq9LkUIc

The lyrics are very meaningful & very Maharashtrian, and the music is very fresh & cute! One of the few good marathi songs composed in the recent years! The movie is also very different & soulful, good direction, soulful acting & good music. Looks like Marathi film industry is back on its track, with movies like this one (Agabai Arrecchya), Shwaas, Dombivli Fast, etc making waves. Hope we see more & more such good marathi movies in future!

linux links

Good sites for those wanting to venture into the linux world:

Linux online support:
http://www.linux.org/docs/freesupport.html

Advanced linux programming:
http://www.advancedlinuxprogramming.com/resources.html

Resources for kernel programming:
http://www.linuxhq.com/lkprogram.html

Another good collection of linux links:
http://www.cbel.com/linux_programming/

Places to visit (wish list) in Dallas.

Okay so it has been a little over 3 months for me in Dallas. I had heard little about Dallas/Texas before I came here, except ofcourse in school geography when we learnt Prairie grasslands! I come from Pune, a city in Maharashtra India, surrounded by big & small mountains of the famous Sahyadri ranges and through which the once-beautiful twin-rivers called Mula-Mutha flow. Basically I am a nature person, and get attracted by jungles & mountains! I had been to Calif before & had already seen the nature & America's wild in its best form. So I was pretty excited for getting to stay in a completely different part of the US. The first glimpse of Dallas was however rather depressing, when I looked down from the plane before landing. It is a plain landscape! No hills, nothing!

Well, my dear hubby did his best to change my view about Dallas & he quite succeeded also! In my short stay of 3 months here, he eagerly showed me the best places around Dallas. I was pleasantly surprised to see how man can bring such a drastic change to turn a rather plain & arid terrain into a highly landscaped & green habitat! Man-made lakes of various sizes & shapes abound the city. These lakes are jogger's paradise with the numerous trails that go around them. Besides these, there are numerous other attractions in this city, some of which I could visit in my short time span here. Rest of them compete with each other for the top 10 items of my wishlist! I gather a few of them in the pages below (courtesy: Yahoo travels and few other such sites):

1) Dallas World Aquarium & Zoological Gardens:
1801 N Griffin St
Dallas, TX 75202-1503
+1 214 720 2224
daryl@dwazoo.com
Open Hours
10a-5p daily
http://www.dwazoo.com
A South American rainforest filled with unique plants and animals such as monkeys, colorful toucans, crocodiles, manatees and otters. The aquarium portion features 85,000-gallons of saltwater with marine life from around the world. Rare sea dragons, giant clams and endangered sea turtles are but a few of the intriguing animals on display. An outdoor lagoon-like exhibit features Black-footed penguins.

2) Dallas Asboretum:
8525 Garland Road
Dallas, TX 75218-4335
+1 214 515 6500
Open Hours
9a-5p M-Su, Closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Years Day
http://www.dallasarboretum.org/
Off the shores of White Rock Lake lies the garden of a lifetime. Sure to make anyone green with envy, the 66 acres of lush, perfectly manicured landscapes hold a treasure trove of trees, bushes and flowers. Quaint and quiet walkways meander throughout the grounds, with countless coves. Also located on the grounds is the DeGolyer House, a 1940s-style Spanish mansion. Tours of the house and its sculpture garden are offered. The Johnson Color Gardens, the Woman's Garden and the Lay Ornamental Garden with water walls are exquisite features of the picturesque grounds.

3) White Rock Lake:
8300 Garland Road
Dallas, TX 75218-4332
+1 214 670 4100
Open Hours
6am-midnight daily
White Rock Lake has 9-plus miles of waterfront trails—the complete loop around the lake takes about three hours. Also offered are fishing, sailing and horseback riding. Those who enjoy bird watching will find that the lake attracts a wide variety of birds

4) Reunion Tower:
300 Reunion Boulevard E.
Dallas, TX 75207-4409
+1 214 651 1234
Open Hours
10a-midnight F, 9a-midnight Sa, 10a-10p Su-Th
This Dallas landmark has graced the downtown skyline for 21 years. Three levels of activity top the 50-story structure, which are encircled in a dome of lights. The triangle formations of the structural cylinders encase the elevators that carry passengers to the top levels in 68 seconds. For the more actively inclined, an 837-step stairwell is located in the middle of the tower. Over 200 lights add shimmer to the geodesic dome, which can be programmed to form an infinite number of patterns. Some of the more famous include "The Electric Moon," "Texas Raindrops" and "Dallas Disco Fever." The tower opened in 1978, just two years after construction began and only five years after its conception. The Lookout is the lowest of the upper levels and provides both an indoor and outdoor observation area. Visitors can view many points of interest throughout the Dallas area from 360-degrees.

5) Cedar Ridge Preserve:
7171 Mountain Creek Pkwy
Dallas, TX 75249-1159
+1 972 293 5150
Open Hours
Tu-Su sunrise-sunset
http://www.audubondallas.org/
The beauty of Texas' nature can be experienced first-hand with a hike through this 630-acre preserve. With guided and self-guided tours available along the ten miles of wooded trails, outdoor enthusiasts can wander up to the Escarpment Nature Preserve, the highest point in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Along the way you can view ponds, wildflowers and a butterfly garden before arriving at vistas and an observation tower. The trails vary in difficulty. All are natural terrain paved with rock, mulch or dirt. They are designed for foot traffic only, and bikes or roller blades are not allowed. Hikes can last anywhere from 15 minutes to three hours, depending upon selected trail. A snack bar, gift shop and amphitheater are also scattered on the preserve grounds.

6)Southern Methodist University:
6425 Boaz Lane
Dallas, TX 75275-0001
+1 214 768 2000
http://www.smu.edu/
This private, four-year, liberal arts university has an enrollment of just over 9,000 students. People from more than 80 countries and all 50 states come to study on this campus. Though named after the Methodist denomination, students from every religious background are welcome. SMU has been ranked by U.S. News and World Report as one of the top 100 national universities. And plus its a beautiful campus, good place to take a walk & relax!

7) Boulder Park:
3200 West Redbird Lane
Dallas, TX 75237-2207
+1 214 670 4100
Open Hours
Daily during daylight hours
Maintained by the Dallas Off-Road Bicycle Association, this park is conveniently located near I-20 and Highway 67. Hosting approximately 6 miles of bike trails, Boulder Park offers the perfect ride for everyone. There are sections for beginners and others for advanced riders. Most of the trails have been created for bike use, but there is a soft-surface hiking trail for nature lovers. Here you'll find open sections, wooded areas, rocks and water.

8) Old City Park:
1717 Gano Street
Dallas, TX 75215-1211
+1 214 421 5141 (Dallas Heritage Village)
mguthrie@dallasheritagevillage.org
Open Hours
Vary
http://www.oldcitypark.org
The city's oldest park is full of lush and landscaped gardens and a recreated Victorian age town. Nestled near downtown, the 13 acres of sprawling green are accentuated with Victorian-era homes and stores. Inside each of these buildings, visitors will find volunteers demonstrating weaving, cooking, black smithing and other historic crafts of the era.

9) Dallas Arts District:
Northeast corner of Downtown Dallas
Dallas, TX 75201
+1 214 953 1977
info@artsdistrict.org
Open Hours
Office hours: 9a-5p M-F
http://www.artsdistrict.org/
One of the largest urban cultural districts nationwide, the Dallas Arts District is home to numerous performing and visual arts venues. Visitors will marvel at unique masterpieces on display in the district's museums and galleries. World-class culture abounds with ongoing art, music, drama and dance performances.

10) Fair Park Coliseum:
1300 Robert B Cullum Boulevard
Dallas, TX 75210-2364
+1 214 670 8400
This beautiful park is situated two miles east of downtown Dallas. It boasts of nine museums and six performance facilities, such as the Music Hall, Smirnoff Music Center, Band Shell, and the Cotton Bowl Stadium. With the largest collection of 1930s Art Deco style architecture, this National Historic Landmark is open to public and corporate events.


Other online resources about Dallas attractions:

Info about off-beat and little known lakes around dallas :
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/United_States_of_America/Texas/Dallas-876982/Off_the_Beaten_Path-Dallas-Parks_Lakes-BR-1.html



So, for those who, like me, thought there's nothing else to do in here except for food & shopping, well there's lot of interesting places to visit around Dallas! Just get hold of a good company & directions from google maps!

Happy Gudhi Padwa!

It was gudhi padwa yesterday, the start of Maharashtrian New Year! It is considered to be 1 of the most auspicious days of the Hindu calendar- 1 of the 3 and half muhurtas, as it is called! Traders try to make their most important deals on this day; for laymen, its the day when you make the most important shopping of the year, like house, car, gold or even saris!

Its the day which symbolizes the arrival of Spring, with markets loaded with bright yellow marigold flowers (zhendu chi fule) and mango trees swinging with fresh green leaves (paalavi). Maharashtrians celebrate gudhi padwa by erecting gudhis i.e. long bamboo sticks erected in their balconies or windows, with its end covered with bright silk cloth and garlands of zhendu flowers, mango and neem leaves, and sugar cakes, everything covered with a tambya, or a vessel kept upside down.



This gudhi is the symbol of the vibrant and fresh spring, and harvest season, as well as of victory and will. This is day when Brahma created the world after the deluge. This is also celebrated as the day when Lord Ram returned to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana.

In traditional marathi households, people erect these gudhis (also called the Brahma-Dhwaj) in the morning, and worship them with flowers, haldi-kunku and diyas. These gudhis are kept erected till the twilight. They also prepare a naivedya for the gudhi, with a typical maharashtrian sweet dish like puran-poli or shrikhand. They also eat a chutney of Neem leaves on this day, and it is believed that this neem leaves chutney purifies the blood and gives them immunity for the rest of the year.

This was also my first gudhi padwa out of India. And I so much missed my dear family in Pune, as also the festive celebrations and the joy that is in the air on this day there. We did celebrate this gudhi padwa in our own way though, & i tried my hand with gulab jamuns on this gudhi padwa! Sweet way to start this new year, isn't it!