A short clip worth watching

This heart tugging clip arrived in my inbox today. Just wanted to share it with all you beautiful souls as well. We are truly blessed indeed. Have a splendid week.

http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/1081/Chicken-a-la-Carte

Why try?

I've not been faithful with my postings lately. And I would tell you why. I've started working for a firm where they deal with "at risk" students. These are students who are about to be expelled due to their much "commendable" conduct. I'm not going to lie here. This job is emotionally and physically draining yet it's also gratifying in its own way. I could so relate to these students. They are crying out for help by acting out. It's so easy for us, the adults, to negatively label them for their boisterous, rebellious, hardcore actions. But how many of us make an attempt to understand where they are coming from; what causes them to act in such ways; what is their background like. I will remember this particular student forever. He is 14 years old. His dad was hung for murder and his mum is in prison. He has been sent to a boys' home. He has been labeled as the hardcore rebel who has no hope by his teachers. However, during my sessions with him, this is what I have observed. He is a refined, sensible, matured young man. He gives respect to those who treat him with mutual respect. He is very encouraging when I'm feeling helpless. Yes, I do feel helpless when I'm not able to reach out to the kids. When all they do is curse and swear, I feel like throwing in the towel. But his encouragement has pulled me through. He even advised me to read the book on "emo" ... lol. For all those of you who do not know what emo is ... it means emotional in the teenage lingo. I do miss his friendship. I would not be able to see him anymore because my session with him ended last Friday. Knowing my nurturing personality, my employers warned me not to exchange any contact info with him. I wish this young man all the best and he has definitely been one of the best teachers I have ever come across. I would not be coming here often as I am pretty tied down with this new challenge in life. But trust me, when I do have the time to let my hair down, this would be one of the venues I would be heading to. Till then, you guys take care and have an amazing life.

Start writing your own future

The following story came to me in nick of time when I started questioning myself on my past. It was inevitably easy to blame myself for all the painful episodes that had taken place before.But this story made me sit up and realise that none of it was my fault. It was meant to be. Those painful consequences have transformed and moulded me into what I am today. So I thank my bitter past for giving me a better present and a much beautiful future. This is what I learnt from this story. The past may not be my fault, but the future is my responsibility alone. Enjoy reading :)



One evening a young woman went alone to walk barefoot by the ocean after the sun had set. She stopped in her path and turned so she could see the footsteps she had left in the sand. But they had already been washed away by the waves. When she turned to continue her walk, she was startled by the presence of an old woman wrapped in a blanket who out of nowhere appeared sitting by a fire, slowly paging through the leaves of a leather covered book.

She walked up to the woman and asked. "Where did you come from? I didn't see you here a moment ago. And how did you start this fire so quickly?"

Her questions went unanswered but were instead met with a reply in a serene voice, "Sit with me, child. I have something to show you."

As the young woman sat down beside the fire, the mysterious stranger handed her the book. She curiously turned the pages one by one and was amazed to discover they contained the story of her whole life from the early days of childhood to the present. She then came to the page telling of her encounter with the old woman by the fire during her walk on the beach, but upon turning to the next page, she found it empty. She frantically began to turn the rest of the pages in the book only to find that they, too, were all empty. In bewilderment, she looked to the old woman and pleaded with her to explain.

"Does this mean my life ends this night?"

"No, my child. It means tonight your life begins."

At that moment the old woman took the book into her own hands and began to tear out each of the pages with words, throwing them one by one into the fire until all that was left were blank pages.

She handed the book of empty pages to the young woman.

"You see," she said, "just as the waves washed away your footsteps in the sand, your past is forever gone, never to return. The only moment you ever truly possess is here and now. Each new moment is the beginning of the rest of your life and is to be lived to the fullest, for you will not have a chance to live that moment a second time. Most important of all, each new day brings an opportunity to love--one that may never come to you again.

"As for your future, you are free to shape it as you wish, for it has not yet been written."

Then, as mysteriously as she had appeared, the old woman stood to walk away and disappeared into the darkness of the night.

The above story is one of 25 lessons written in allegorical form in the book "For Love or Nothing - Lessons to Illuminate the Path to Love" by William Oak.

Thank You For All the Lovely Comments :)

I have been badly hit by a flu bug for the last one week.Hope to recover soon.Thank you for all your comments.Karla,thank you so much for the beautiful wishes. Wanted to wish you on your special day so badly but couldnt :(. But its better late than never. So here its goes: HAPPY BIRTHDAY KARLA :)

Length of Our Lives Vs Its Width and Depth

“We cannot do much about the length of our lives; but we can do plenty about its width and depth”. Evan Esara

Meet Oogy

Love comes in many different packages—even in the form of a lovable pet! For Larry and his family, love came in the form of a dog named Oogy.

When he was just a puppy, Larry says Oogy was living in a hell on earth. He was tied to a stake and used as bait for pit bulls in a dogfighting ring. "He basically had the side of his face ripped off, his jaw was crushed, his skull was damaged," says veterinarian Dr. Bianco. "He's lucky to be alive."

Larry and his twin boys were at the vet to drop off their cat when Oogy walked down the hall…and right into their hearts. "He looked like part of him had melted," Larry says. "But he just covered us with kisses. It's like he didn't know that anything bad had happened to him—he was just full of love. He jumped in our arms."

When Larry found out the dog didn't belong to anyone, he asked Dr. Bianco if he could adopt him. "I couldn't believe my good luck," Larry says. "That's how I felt about this dog right from the start."

Oogy was given a loving home, but he still had an agonizing road to recovery. A second major surgery was necessary to rebuild Oogy's face and put an end to his chronic pain. "I think that every day my family tries to atone for what happened to Oogy. He's been through the worst imaginable horrors, and we feel very lucky because of what he gives back to us—an immeasurable amount of devotion and love."

Larry's twin sons, Noah and Dan, have something special in common with Oogy—they were also adopted. "I'm sure when our parents adopted us, I hope it was one of the greatest days of their lives. And I know in my life, my experience when we adopted [Oogy], it was one of the greatest days of my life," Dan says.

Although Noah and Dan will be off to college soon, Larry plans to make sure Oogy still gets plenty of attention. "One of the things I want to do for Oogy is train him to work with kids and take him to kid's hospitals, because I think he'll be an inspiration to young kids who are facing a lot of adversity," Larry says.

Calling All Animal Lovers

The Animal Rescue Site is having trouble getting enough people to click on it daily so they can meet their quota of getting FREE FOOD donated every day to abused and neglected animals. It takes less than a minute (about 15 seconds) to go to their site and click on the purple box 'fund food for animals for free'. This doesn't cost you a thing.

Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate food to abandoned/neglected animals in exchange for advertising.

Here's the web site! Please pass it along to people you know.

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/

p.s: We have checked the authenticity of this site to make sure it is not a scam.Thankfully its not so lets do our part today.

Doubt

Last weekend, hubby and I rented the movie Doubt, starring Philip Seymour and Meryl Streep. Excellent casting. Powerful acting by both dynamic actors. There is one scene that has most impacted me. Father Flynn's (Philip Seymour)sermon on gossip. Here it is:


A woman was gossiping with a friend about a man she hardly knew - I know none of you have ever done this - that night she had a dream. A great hand appeared over her and pointed down at her. She was immediately seized with an overwhelming sense of guilt. The next day she went to confession. She got the old parish priest, Father O’Rourke, and she told him the whole thing.

‘Is gossiping a sin?’ she asked the old man. ‘Was that the hand of God Almighty pointing a finger at me? Should I be asking your absolution? Father, tell me, have I done something wrong?’

‘Yes!’ Father O’Rourke answered her. ‘Yes, you ignorant, badly brought up female! You have borne false witness against your neighbor, you have played fast and loose with his reputation, and you should be heartily ashamed!’

So the woman said she was sorry and asked for forgiveness.

‘Not so fast!’ says O’Rourke. ‘I want you to go home, take a pillow up on your roof, cut it open with a knife, and return here to me!’

So the woman went home, took a pillow off her bed, a knife from the drawer, went up the fire escape to the roof, and stabbed the pillow. Then she went back to the old parish priest as instructed.

‘Did you gut the pillow with the knife?’ he says.

‘Yes, Father.’

‘And what was the result?’

‘Feathers,’ she said.

‘Feathers?’ he repeated.

‘Feathers everywhere, Father!’

‘Now I want you to go back and gather up every last feather that flew out on the wind!’

‘Well,’ she said, ‘it can’t be done. I don’t know where they went. The wind took them all over.’

‘And that,’ said Father O’Rourke, ‘is GOSSIP!’

Are You a Bucket-Filler or a Dipper?

Author Unknown, Source Unknown



You have heard of the cup that overflowed. This is a story of a bucket that is like the cup, only larger, it is an invisible bucket. Everyone has one. It determines how we feel about ourselves, about others, and how we get along with people. Have you ever experienced a series of very favorable things which made you want to be good to people for a week? At that time, your bucket was full.

A bucket can be filled by a lot of things that happen. When a person speaks to you, recognizing you as a human being, your bucket is filled a little. Even more if he calls you by name, especially if it is the name you like to be called. If he compliments you on your dress or on a job well done, the level in your bucket goes up still higher. There must be a million ways to raise the level in another's bucket. Writing a friendly letter, remembering something that is special to him, knowing the names of his children, expressing sympathy for his loss, giving him a hand when his work is heavy, taking time for conversation, or, perhaps more important, listing to him.

When one's bucket is full of this emotional support, one can express warmth and friendliness to people. But, remember, this is a theory about a bucket and a dipper. Other people have dippers and they can get their dippers in your bucket. This, too, can be done in a million ways.

Lets say I am at a dinner and inadvertently upset a glass of thick, sticky chocolate milk that spills over the table cloth, on a lady's skirt, down onto the carpet. I am embarrassed. "Bright Eyes" across the table says, "You upset that glass of chocolate milk." I made a mistake, I know I did, and then he told me about it! He got his dipper in my bucket! Think of the times a person makes a mistake, feels terrible about it, only to have someone tell him about the known mistake ("Red pencil" mentality!)

Buckets are filled and buckets are emptied ? emptied many times because people don't really think about what are doing. When a person's bucket is emptied, he is very different than when it is full. You say to a person whose bucket is empty, "That is a pretty tie you have," and he may reply in a very irritated, defensive manner.

Although there is a limit to such an analogy, there are people who seem to have holes in their buckets. When a person has a hole in his bucket, he irritates lots of people by trying to get his dipper in their buckets. This is when he really needs somebody to pour it in his bucket because he keeps losing.

The story of our lives is the interplay of the bucket and the dipper. Everyone has both. The unyielding secret of the bucket and the dipper is that when you fill another's bucket it does not take anything out of your own bucket. The level in our own bucket gets higher when we fill another's, and, on the other hand, when we dip into another's bucket we do not fill our own ... we lose a little.

For a variety of reasons, people hesitate filling the bucket of another and consequently do not experience the fun, joy, happiness, fulfillment, and satisfaction connected with making another person happy. Some reasons for this hesitancy are that people think it sounds "fakey," or the other person will be suspicious of the motive, or it is "brown-nosing."

Therefore, let us put aside our dipper and resolve to touch someone's life in order to fill their bucket.

For All You Cookie Lovers Out There

An interesting email was forwarded to me by my cousin today. I think its a hoax but we don't have anything to lose by trying out the recipe...do we!Here's the email.If you do ever try the recipe out, please let me know how it turned out.I would love to know if the $250 was worth it after all ;).





Neiman-Marcus, if you don't know already, is a very expensive boutique shop (they sell a typical $8.00 T-shirt for $50.00)

My daughter and I had just finished lunch at a Neiman-Marcus Cafe in Dallas , USA . Because both of us are such biscuit lovers, we decided to try the 'Neiman-Marcus cookie'. It was so excellent that I asked if they would give me the recipe. The waitress said with a small frown, 'I'm afraid not, but you can buy the recipe.'

I asked how much, and she responded; 'Only two fifty - it's a great deal'. I agreed to that, and told her to add it to my bill.

Thirty days later, I got my Visa statement, and the Neiman-Marcus charge was $285. I looked at it again, and I remembered I had only spent $9.95 for two sandwiches and about $20 for a scarf. At the bottom of the statement, it said, 'Cookie Recipe - $250.00'. That was outrageous!

I called Neiman's Accounting Department and told them the waitress had said it was 'two fifty', which clearly does not mean 'two hundred and fifty dollars' by any reasonable interpretation of the phrase.. Neiman-Marcus refused to budge. They would not refund my money because according to them; 'What the waitress told you is not our problem. You have already seen the recipe. We absolutely will not refund your money.

I explained to the Accounting Department lady the criminal statutes which govern fraud in the state of Texas. I threatened to report them to the Better Business Bureau and The Texas Attorney General's office. I was basically told: Do what you want. Don't bother thinking of how you can get even, and don't bother trying to get any of your money back'

I said, OK, you've got my $250, and now I'm going to have $250 worth of fun. I told her that I was going to see to it that every cookie lover in the world with an e-mail account gets a $250 cookie recipe from Neiman-Marcus for free. She replied, 'I wish you wouldn't do that.' I said, 'Well, perhaps you should have thought of that before you RIPPED ME OFF!' and slammed down the phone.

So here it is! Please pass it on to everyone you can possibly think of. I paid $250 for this, and I don't want Neiman-Marcus to EVER make another penny from this recipe!


NEIMAN-MARCUS COOKIES (Recipe may be halved as this makes heaps)

2 (500 ml) cups butter
680 g chocolate chips
4 (1000 ml) cups flour
2 (500 ml) cups brown sugar
2 tsp. (10 ml) Bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp. (5 ml) salt
2 (500 ml) cups sugar
500 g Grated Cadbury chocolate
5 (1250 ml) cups blended oatmeal
4 eggs
2 tsp. (10 ml) baking powder
2 tsp. (10 ml) vanilla
3 cups (375 ml) chopped nuts (optional)

Measure oatmeal, and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda. Add chocolate chips, grated Chocolate and nuts. Roll into balls, and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees (180 C).

The above quantities make 112 cookies. Enjoy!

When Will They Ever Stop???????????????

The dog, known as Kiwi, was believed to have been hurt by metal traps set for wild boars . A vet had to amputate the remainder of its leg. According to Gandhi, the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. What do such inhumane, ruthless acts say about my nation I wonder!!!!!!

Love A Dog For Who He Is!

Recently, a report I read in the paper left me sick in my stomach. A barbaric, ruthless, heartless creature, in the form of a human of course, tied up a beautiful pomeranian (photo above), in a plastic bag and dumped him near a rubbish bin to die. Luckily, this fortunate soul was discovered in time by a smart husky. He was found motionless by the husky's owner, covered in poo and pee. This dog is a true survivor and a fighter cus he is alive and kicking now, waiting to be adopted by numerous kindred souls who were taken in by his plight. Kudos to the husky and its owner. You guys deserve a standing ovation. As for this beautiful, traumatized soul, I wish him a speedy recovery and may he find a home where he is showered with heaps of love, care, bliss and lets not forget respect....respect for all lives....regardless how big or small.


This is for all you heartless morons out there.

Judge not a dog for how he looks, for like humans, they outgrow their cuteness and child like antics.

Judge not his lineage, be it a champion's bloodline, or a mongrel's humble beginnings.

His past doesn't matter, his future does. Love a dog from your heart, not from society's standards.

A dog symbolizes loyalty, love, faithfulness and friendship. He does not represent status, affluence, beauty or your ego.

A dog is happy with himself. He doesn't need anything to improve his standings among his peers. We all can learn a thing or two from them.

Look not with your eyes but feel with your heart, the soul of a dog, his trust, his affection, his loyalty, his total surrender.

Treasure them, for you will find these qualities scarce amongst us.

Love a dog for who he is, because he loves you for who you are, unconditionally and without expectations.

My parting line to you barbarians, what goes around comes around. Thats what we call KARMA.

My Reflections on India

India is a land filled with richness. Richness in tradition; culture; spirituality and above all, resilience, the everlasting human spirit that is conveyed in the form of smiles. Every single minute, you could see the people drowning in poverty.Not having proper sandals to wear in the unbearable scorching heat. We had to remove our footwear to enter the holy sites and boy did I sprint for my life. It was above 40 degrees and it felt like I was walking on fire. Yet these resilient souls walked calmly, barefoot, without a cringe. Maybe they were immune or shall I say accustomed to all these hardships. But what did not fail to catch my attention was the bliss. The bliss they had on their faces. These are souls who do not even have a proper roof over their heads.They either live by the roadsides in small tents or in dilapidated slums. If you have seen Slumdog Millionaire, you would know what I'm talking about.

There was one particular soul who tugged my heart strings. He was around 7 or 8. When he approached me, I thought he was a tout,trying to harass me for money. But I was so wrong. All he wanted was a notepad and a pen to write. His family doesn't have the means to send him to school. He had the burning desire to study and that could be seen in his eyes.

What was a real awakening was the fact that these souls are deeply embedded in poverty and yet they are able to smile from the bottom of their hearts despite their daily battles with life. The bliss they were expressing among themselves was definitely not a facade. It was a heartfelt genuine contentment that they showed. We, on the other hand, the ones from the developed nations, who are living a materialistic life, cant be easily contented. Why is that so? Are we really blessed or cursed? That burning question has been on my mind ever since.

I'm Bacccccccck

Finally, I'm back. Feeling much settled in life at this point in time. No dramas. No emotional stress. A much deserved "ME" time is here finally. Just returned from a mindblowing trip in India. It was spiritually charging and enlightening. It really feels great to be back. Thank you to all for leaving your comments behind despite my much obvious absence. I appreciate it deeply. Hope everything is fine with all of you. We have lots of catching up to do :).

To A Special You!

Your presence is a present to the world.
You are unique and one of a kind.
Your life can be what you want it to be.
Take the days just one at a time.

Count your blessings, not your troubles.
You will make it through whatever comes along.
Within you are so many answers.
Understand, have courage, be strong.

Do not put limits on yourself.
So many dreams are waiting to be realized.
Decisions are too important to leave to chance.
Reach for your peak, your goal and you prize.

Nothing wastes more energy than worrying.
The longer one carries a problem the heavier it gets.
Do not take things too seriously.
Live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets.

Remember that a little love goes a long way.
Remember that a lot … goes forever.
Remember that friendship is a wise investment.
Life’s treasure are people together.

Realize that it is never too late.
Do ordinary things in an extraordinary way.
Have hearth and hope and happiness.
Take the time to wish upon a start.

AND DO NOT EVER FORGET ….
FOR EVEN A DAY
HOW VERY SPECIAL YOU ARE !

Keep The Faith!

On a long journey of human life, faith is the best of companions;

it is the best refreshment on the journey; and it is the greatest property.

-Buddha

Dont We All?

I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car. I had just come from the car wash and was waiting for my wife to get out of work. Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society would consider a bum. From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes, and no money. There are times when you feel generous but there are other times that you just don't want to be bothered. This was one of those "don't want to be bothered times."

"I hope he doesn't ask me for any money," I thought. He didn't. He came and sat on the curb in front of the bus stop but he didn't look like he could have enough money to even ride the bus. After a few minutes he spoke. "That's a very pretty car," he said. He was ragged but he had an air of dignity around him. His scraggly blond beard keep more than his face warm. I said, "thanks," and continued wiping off my car.

He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected plea for money never came. As the silence between us widened something inside said, "ask him if he needs any help." I was sure that he would say "yes" but I held true to the inner voice. "Do you need any help?" I asked. He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never forget. We often look for wisdom in great men and women. We expect it from those of higher learning and accomplishments. I expected nothing but an outstretched grimy hand.

He spoke the three words that shook me. "Don't we all?" he said. I was feeling high and mighty, successful and important, above a bum in the street, until those three words hit me like a twelve gauge shotgun. Don't we all? I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I needed help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus fare, but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the day. Those three little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, no matter how much you have accomplished, you need help too. No matter how little you have, no matter how loaded you are with problems, even without money or a place to sleep, you can give help.

Even if it's just a compliment, you can give that. You never know when you may see someone that appears to have it all. They are waiting on you to give them what they don't have. A different perspective on life, a glimpse at something beautiful, a respite from daily chaos, that only you through a torn world can see.

Maybe the man was just a homeless stranger wandering the streets. Maybe he was more than that. Maybe he was sent by a power that is great and wise, to minister to a soul too comfortable in themselves. Maybe God looked down, called an Angel, dressed him like a bum, then said, "go minister to that man cleaning the car, that man needs help."

Don't we all?

-Author Unknown

Winds of Grace

" The winds of grace are always blowing, but you have to raise the sail."

-Ramakrishna

Word Magic

During my trip, I was reading this book 'The Unmistakable Touch of Grace' where the author talks about word magic. It is a prophetic game whereby the visitor holds a question in mind while several colored spheres circle around the page to the sound of calming music. Then, when ready, the visitor clicks on a sphere to reveal a word that represents the answer. It is all in the name of fun. This is the website: www.innerworldmedia.com. Click on word magic on the navigation bar. For some bizzare reason, I keep on getting the word perseverance. Now, the chances of getting the same word over and over again is pretty slim because there are more than seventy-five words available to be assigned to a sphere at any given moment and the words were assigned at random with each visit. So, isnt it weird that I'm given the same word every time I click on the spheres?And for all you curious souls out there, my question was obviously related to pregnancy.Looks like we have to keep on trying. Lets PERSEVERE!

Back from a magical trip

We returned from our trip yesterday. We had such a fabulous time in Shanghai. It was a challenging trip in its own way. Foreigners are called 'aliens' there. Not being able to communicate fluently in Mandarin was not a handicap to us as we imagined. I felt a sense of accomplishment everytime we ventured out to a strange new place all by ourselves and not being able to speak the language made it even more fun and thrilling. Soaking in the atmosphere of the colorful chinese culture was truly enchanting . Being a vegetarian, it was challenging as usual to find meat free dishes, especially in a foreign land where you have no clue what is kind to your stomach and what is not but that did not stop us from being adventurous nevertheless. I loved exploring Shanghai and stumbling upon its various delicious street food. I immensely enjoyed letting the vendors know that I'm a vegetarian and yes I have to emphasise that I dont eat meat, otherwise they would just slide in a few pieces of seafood here and there. I had a ball everytime I said "wo chi su. bu you rou" literally translated to "I eat only vegetables. No meat". I got addicted to this deliciously sinful street food called jian bing big time. It is a little slice of heaven that consists of a very thin batter poured onto a hot round flat griddle (think crepes) and with added elements of egg, green onions, cilantro, some hot sauce and then all wrapped around some crispy fried dough. I got high everytime I ate it. Kinda experiencing cold turkey back home now.

Enough about food. I want to stop drooling. How were the people you may ask? Especially those of you who sensed a slight apprehensiveness in my last post? Well, they were...FANTASTIC. Differences in language, culture, skin colour, food were never an issue to us nor them. There is this one particular chap who has left an everlasting impeccable impression on us. He was one of the waiters we came across in this historical vegetarian restaurant. Why historical? Well, it is the oldest vegetarian restaurant in China. It was founded in 1875 by the Qing Dynasty Emperor Xuantong.

From the moment we stepped into the restaurant, I fell in love with his energy and exuberance. His smile and mannerisms were so endearing. Infact, he was so infectious that everytime he came to our table to chat with us or serve us, we would be burst out into laughters. Strangely enough, we even bumped into him once again while strolling through the night streets. Guess what we all did. Yes, we all burst out into laughters again....middle of the street. The Chinese would have thought we were nuts or something. Or maybe it was just us being high on jianbing. Seriously, its souls like him who make our trip simply enchanting and memorable.

All in all, we love Shanghai and whatever it had to offer us....not to mention the addictive mouth-watering jianbing and that infectious waiter :).

p.s: when we have a child, i think we would name him/her jianbing.