As I look at life

The 4 am friend

Isn't it strange when you meet some people for the first time and at that moment have no idea that they will always be there with you... they will always be there for you!

They say you are determined by the company you keep. But the deeper fact is that the company you keep often makes you the person you are. The way it happened with me.

I am so thankful for that sunny day of my college life when I met Sush. Frankly, I do not remember the date I met her first, but that was the time I entered the degree program at Bhavans College, Andheri. And that was the time I can never thank God enough for.

It's Christmas and New Year time and most of us are buying lots of soft drinks. Now don't just discard the used bottle the next day. You can use it for several good purposes - RECYCLE!

Just tried this and it took very little time:

Recycling Used Sprite Bottle to make a Flowerpot in 4 simple steps:
1 - Cut the bottle carefully with a hot knife
2 - Paint it from the outside
3 - Punch 3 small holes to drain excess water in future
4 - Plant the plant!

Justice is blind, but is it deaf too?

Over 1 lakh women were raped in India since 2007!

Every single time there is any news about a rape, every woman is enraged. Over the months, with so many terrible incidents reported almost everyday in the newspaper, the anger, the sorrow and the feeling of being unsafe only builds up. And it comes to a point when some of us, including me, feel so terrified that we start having nightmares... that we stop reading the entire news about rapes... because it leaves us disturbed... very disturbed.

This happens to us when we read about a certain rape tragedy with someone we didn't even know. Try imagining the plight of the person actually going through the trauma! No, we can never imagine.

Remember how bad you feel when someone at a crowded railway station touches you inappropriately and disappears in the crowd? As if we are some public property!!! Even thinking about what we will do if someone tries to rape us is super scary. Even if the thought comes to our mind, we immediately switch off. We think, we are unnecessarily worrying, it won't happen to us. But deep within we are concerned:

Will we be able to protect ourselves when a gang of inhuman creatures arrives?

My city is known for its spirit in the face of disasters, calamities and unfortunate incidents. My city is known for getting back on foot no matter what. My city is known for the unity it has displayed during days that tried its patience. I love my city Mumbai.

My city is known for its love for the legends of the city - in Bollywood, Politics, Business and every other field. My city is known for the way it feels sad unanimously, not compulsorily, every time we lose a legend. I love my city Mumbai.

Letter to the thief

So Mrinal's wallet was stolen a few minutes back at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus. While we had loads of work to complete this Sunday, we are struggling to block credit cards and lodge complaints. Not to mention the disappointment and anger. All right, my househelp's 4th leave this week has added fuel to it. As househelps are meant to be pampered else they will leave you home alone with all the cleaning and washing, and since with Fibromyalgia, I cannot afford to lose a househelp, I am gonna talk to the thief. Here's a letter to the thief. All I need is the address now!

Addressing audience during
World Arthritis Meet, Mumbai

It's one thing when people say you are strong, it's one thing when you think you are strong, but when your inner voice says it to you... when no one but only you are listening... that's when it actually happens!

That's when you truly believe you have become strong.

I became strong last night.

We have been the best of friends for a long long time. Now that I mention it, let me count... 17 years... Wow Varsha, that's cool!

When we met in college, we were a huge gang of science students... I guess we were the biggest gang in our college bound by studies and fun. And as it happens with most of us, when we move towards the final year and the majors change, we get to spend lesser 'big-gang' time together. Eventually and mostly, Chem people stay together breaking countless burettes and flasks; Physics folks stay tied up as their frequencies match better; Botany and Zoology species form their own genus; and Maths, well their equations are a bit different and very intellectual. I call it The Big Gang Theory!

Age 15: I used to visit the vegetable market with my Mom. The vendors would call my Mom 'Bhabhi' and call me 'Beti'. How they would refer to a 20-something purchasing vegetables 'Madam'. How I wanted to grow up soon and be called 'Madam'! There was something magical about it then! I would call all vendors 'Uncle'.

Age 25: I visited the market with my Mom, who had now become 'Aunty' and I was finally 'Madam'. How I would look at newly wed young women wearing mangalsutra, beautiful dresses and lovely bangles who would come by themselves to buy the veggies. The vendors would call them 'Bhabhi' How I wondered what it would be like to shop alone and be referred to as 'Bhabhi'! The vendors became 'Bhaiyya' to me!

Kaat-te rehte mujhko
Saanjh savere

Paiiron mein... haaye
Paiiron mein... haaye..ae..ae..ae

Kaat-te rehte mujhko
Saanjh savere
Paiiron mein basya jaise
kaante ye tere
Paiiron mein basya jaise
kaante ye tere

The Goodness of IndiBloggers Meet:Learnings, Initiatives and Goodies!

One of the biggest things I did in May, in addition to launching my Fibromyalgia Awareness blog, was attending the Stayfree | UNICEF Women's IndiBlogger Meet. The meet that was organised around the theme Women For Change succeeded in bringing about a change in the way we would think and act from now.

After the initial interaction and introductions, we were taken through a couple of presentations. When I heard the word 'presentation' the first thought that came to my mind is, "Oh... a boring ppt... that too on a Sunday!" But the presentations, complete with shocking facts and numbers, grabbed our attention right from the start until the end. Actually, they stirred our brains!