Did you do something about it?

I was reading comments on one of the Jithu's blogs and I got this inspiration to write about this:

I saw Yuva movie, i think last year, in the theater, and at the end of the movie, I was hoping that our yuth would get a message this movie sends out. our indian people complain about politics this and corruption that, and our police system another that! I would like to ask the same question to those complaining, whining people: ok, so what do you do about it? What is your effort to make these systems right? They- the self proclaimed "elites", would not even go to cast their vote where they directly can do something about it! and the more interesting thing is, they would take pride in not casting any vote!! Do these people have any right to whine?

I had seen this commercial on tv sometimes ago on tv: They show in girls' bathroom in some college dorms, and one of the sink taps was running without any person around it. Everyone gathers around that sink and starts complaining- ooh, someone left this tap running.. ohh, it's so wrong.. it's such a waste of natural resources.. and just kept gossiping-murmering-complaining. and finally there comes one bold girl and just turns the tap off! and the caption comes on the screen: "don't complain, do something about it. did you do something about it?"

Home Sick..

Oh my god, how much do I miss India! I had such a wonderful time there! And now back in very cold, very short day altitude, alone :(
I wish to go back home some day for good. And I think, I will. I realized how much my family misses me and how much I miss them :( I don't want to see my mom-dad-sis-bro every 2 years, I do want to celebrate all my holidays with them, in a traditional way. I swear to god, I was so surprized to see highways there! I loved driving there, though traffic was still a bit messy. I loved to sit under trees, read news paper, have some snacks in light breeze, half sun, half shadowy, where you don't have to worry about putting of hundred things before stepping outside of your door. you can have hundreds of varieties of fresh juices. Here in America, I don't know why, the concept of fresh juice is lots of ice blend with some fruite :( which I don't enjoy as much. Go to multiplex, go to malls, oh yeah, malls in India! Everythihng, one can imagine, is there in India. I surely wanna go back to my roots one day. going out for books shopping at crosswords with brother, going out for shopping with sis, going out for trekking, going out to places with cousins and brother and sis, spending time with cousins, it's a la grande! I and my brother made rangoli together :) didn't finish it though, had to redo once, and both of us got very tired, and in the evening, it was Diwali time! Oh my god, how much do I miss home...




Rangoli, I and my brother made..

Hasta la Vista

hello friends, I might be little irregular at least for a month now, since, I'm going on my the most awaited vacation finally! Yes, I am visiting my home town, seeing my family! I don't promise, but I try to find time to visit ya all..

Happy Diwali and Happy Halloween to ya all!
Go Chicago WHite Sox!! Congratulations White Sox, you did it !!


Hasta la Vista

Navratri

Navratri!

Navratri is one of the main celebrations in India. Worshipping Shakti- Amba, Durga, Kali, SarsWati, Gayatri or just called Maa - as Mother. The Sanskrit word Navratri is composed of joining two words: Nava + Ratri ‘nine nights’, Sanskrit language is very powerful ancient language, one can join words, one can make own words. About Sanskrit, some other time though!

Navratri is worshipping Shakti, literal meaning is Power. This nine-day period from the new moon day to the ninth day of Ashvina month is considered the most auspicious time of the Vikram Samvant year (Hindu Calendar) and is the most celebrated time of the year. Although it has different names in different parts of India, it is celebrated by Hindus from all regions. From Kashmir in the north to Tamil Nadu in the south, and from Gujarat in the west to Sikkim in the east, it is celebrated with great enthusiasm as the conquest of good over evil. Every region has its own myths and reasons to explain this.

The nine different aspects of Devi (Godess) or Shakti are worshipped over the nine days. These are the most popular forms under which she is worshipped: Durga: goddess beyond reach; Bhadrakali the auspicious power of time; Amba or Jagdamba: mother of the world; Annapurna: giver of food and plenty; Sarvamangala: auspicious goddess; Bhairavi: terrible, fearful, power of death; Chandika or Chandi: violent, wrathful, furious; Lalita: playful; and Bhavani: giver of existence. The festivities culminate on the tenth day, called variously Vijayadashmi, Dushehra or Dassain when people in most parts of the country burn effigies of Ravana, Meghanatha and Kumbhakarna (see also Dushehra). Some people fast on all nine days, eating only fruit and milk dishes. Some fast only on the eighth or ninth day.

Maa Durga 

The nine-day period from the first to the ninth day in the bright fortnight of the month of Chaitra is also known as Navaratri and is dedicated to the worship of nine different aspects of Devi. These nine days are however, popular in north India only. The ninth day in this month is also celebrated as Ramanavami.

In Gujarat, People celebrate with Garba and Dandiya Raas celebration. There is an interesting history behind so called Garba or Dandiya. The word Garba is coming from (again) Sanskrit word Garbha + Deep. Garbha literally means womb or inside and Deep is a burning cotton wick in oil in an earthen dish, also known as Diya. This Deep is put inside an earthe pot with holes. In ancient times, garba was performed only by women. It is a form of praying Maa, Shakti or Devi. Women would form concentric circles around this earthen pot-Garbo with clapping and twirling with rythmic foot steps moving forward in a concentric circle at the rythm of prayers sang with traditional instruments- Dhol, sort of a two sided drum; quite different than what it is rightnow, entertainment!

Garbo - an earthen pot with holes with diya inside 


Decorated Earthen Pots

The purpose of Dandiya is very different than Garba, originating in western part of Inida. In ancient times, there were very small communities, and every male of the community was responsible for the security of entire community. Dandiya was also performed during navratri in western part of india. Dandiya raas was sort of a swords fight drill with intrigue footwork! Even now if you happen to see the very traditional Dandiya Raas, it would be performed by men only, and it is very energetic and physically very demanding. And now people perform dandiya raas at movie songs!! I would hope that the heart of these celebrations would still survive...


My Contribution this Navaratri..
I also tried contributing something this navratri, a free-hand drawing of "Maa"..

a few quotes

I am willing to put myself through anything; temporary pain or discomfort means nothing to me as long as I can see that the experience will take me to a new level. I am interested in the unknown, and the only path to the unknown is through breaking barriers, an often-painful process.
--Diana Nyad

Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.
--F. Scott Fitzgerald

Alwaysmake a total effort, even when the odds are against you.
--Arnold Palmer

"A bend in the road is not the end of the road... ..Unless you fail to make the turn."
--Unknown

"When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself."
- Wayne Dyer

Where you stumble—that’s where your treasure is.

There's a difference between re-acting and responding to life. When one re-acts, one re-enacts the cliches embedded in our memory about have things have been done before. When one responds, one musters the courage and the strength needed to be creative. We can change what happens in our lives by changing the way we deal with what happens in our lives by responding in a gentle positive way. Be gentle with yourself and be aware of how you are thinking and feeling before you decide to respond or re-act. "If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary."
--Jim Rohn

"Some dream of doing great things, while others stay awake and get on with it."
--Unknown

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.
- Theodore Roosevelt.

"The state of your life is nothing more than a reflection of your state of mind."
- Wayne Dyer

GPS?

Scenario:
premise:
- driving, from home to, say, place-A you kind of know how to reach there. last you visited was 2-3 years back!
- you are on speaker phone, since hands free is enforced by law.
- place X is where you have never been to, neither you know directions to, nor where it is.
- you will be given directions when you drive to place X on phone.
- It's raining badly.
- the day is weekend.

goal:
- you need to reach from place A to place X.

thinkable outcome:
- the road, you are on, vanishes out of sight all of sudden and you end up turning on a street you think may lead you to highway.
- you get confused on a small road: seemingly a ramp, leading to highway and a sign right at the curve- 'no outlet'.
- you get so many honks from drivers behind you.
- you end up going straight on a one-way exit ramp, driving in wrong direction!
- you don't want to go to place X.
- you start crying.

Is this possible? In this universe, it actually happened not too far ago, on Sept 24, 2005..
but place X was visited finally..

dumb system

System is thought to be good, brings order, manages better, anything. But system can also be dumb. Though it brings orderliness, does not mean it is faultless. I want to see my family, celebrate diwali after 5 years with them, I bought airline tickets quite ahead of the time, i got vacation time approved from work, i got my ear doctor lined up too, everything worked out well, made plans with friends and family back home, but one system had to fail! This time, when I leave United States, I have to get my passport stamped from US Consulate to re-enter US, and that's where the failure emerges. I had planned earlier this year too to visit my family, and I had to cancel a week before my trip because of a scare of a surgery. I had sought an appointmet at US consulate then, and everything was perfect, but my doctor told me that something in my body might not had been perfect, and boom, no vacation, no family visit! now when everything else, is just fine, the visa-services appointment system failed! I booked apointment online again, I also let them know that I have booked appointment for such and such date asking them if i needed to re-submit anything again, not just once, twice. No repply from them, and now when my trip is less than a month away, I needed confirmation that my appointment has been confirmed, and now upon my asking, they are telling me that it's been cancelled because I did not sumbit documents-> which means, I can not get my passport stamped when I would take vacation! the wait is more than 3 months for getting another new appointment! Techically I am not requirted to re-submit anything for new appontment since I have already submitted everything!

Even if I want to go to some other country to get whole visa thing done, I don't have enough time to manage everything. what a dumb system they have, all the phone no.s, listed online, have changed, and it's really tough to get thru the recorded message playing numbers. I could some how, thinking I'm lucky to get, got a number I can talk to a person. I finally did speak to a person, who noted down my email address and told me that they would reply me through email. The reply I got was short and not at all sweet: "You called today. Please send us your query again." !!!!!! why did I call them, a question I could not answer myself.. neither they would consider my case where they give emergency appointment. I may not be not visiting my family, again.