Koormavatharam : Popular story & truth it holds!

Eons of time ago, the Demigods ( Devas) due to their ignorance, arrogance and disrepectfulness, incured a curse from sage Durvasa. Losing all their prosperity and overwhelmed by the violence of the demons ( Asuras), they seek protection from Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu advises Indra, the king of Devas to remain calm and patient to regain their powers. He also insists him to make a pact with their enemy for a common greater cause - The churning of Milky Ocean that holds Amritha, the juice of immortality!

As directed by Lord Vishnu, Indra calls upon Mahabali for the big task. Although the Asura king remains highly skeptical about Indra's claims about the Amritha, he finally agrees to pitch in to the great endeavour. So, with Snake Vasuki as the rope & mountain Mandhara as the churning stick, the two teams carry out the daunting task for years keeping an eye for the pot of Amritha.

The Devas and Asuras find the task extremely challenging. During the process they get crushed, lose their steam & strength and even their lives. Whenever Devas & Asuras feel threat, fatigue, & utter hopelessness, the Lords Vishnu and Shiva appear before them as saviours and offer immense help . At one point, when Mt.Mandhara sinks in the ocean waters, Lord Vishnu lifts it up by taking the form of Koorma (Tortoise). Later , Lord Shiva drinks up the deadliest poison, Halahala spewn by Vasuki. So, reinvigorated by the lords, the teams continue the churning.

Patience always proves to be a game-changer, right?! Thus, after many years of focussed strength on the churning task, the ocean unfolds to them some stunning, priceless treasures. The Devas & Asuras with their jaws dropped, witness Goddess Lakshmi, Divine Animals & Trees, many Apsaraas like Urvashi, Rambha etc., rise from the ocean. Elated by these gifts from the Milky Ocean, they divide these gems among them, except, Goddess Lakshmi, who chooses Lord Vishnu as her consort. At last, comes the long-awaited precious gift, the Amritha in a pot held by Danvatri.

Asuras snatch the pot and begin their attrocities upon the Devas. To save the Divine Nectar, Lord Vishnu re- appears before them, this time in the form of an enchanting damsel, Mohini! Mesmerised by her unimaginably pure beauty, the Asuras entrust her, the job of distributing the Nectar. Mohini ushers both the Devas and Asuras in a sitting arrangment and starts distributing the nectar. She tricks the Asuras as they wait for their share and feeds just the Devas! Devas drink the Amritha happily, become young & super powerful! The invincible Devas defeat the Asuras and regain their power and glory.

Well, this Ocean- Churning episode is not only the most popular and loved historical event but also interestingly allegorical! That means, the story has hidden meanings that convey many subtle and powerful truths about Yoga, spirituality, Human mind, consciousness etc., Some of them are :

Devas & Asuras - Good and Evil traits in us
Mt. Mandhara - Our mind
Snake Vasuki - Thoughts & Desires that churn our mind
Tortoise - Control of senses by looking within

The path to achieve the eternal bliss (Amritha) is not an easy one. In that long and arduous journey, strong desires ( Snake Vasuki) will tear us apart between the good and bad tendencies within us ( Devas & Asuras) and throw up poison (Halahal) as well as treasures. Amidst all the struggles, the Human mind must be steady like Mt.Mandhara, supported by control of senses, just like the tortoise that pulls itself under its
robust shell.

The most important message here is the power of prayer to the Omnipresent Supreme One in our Sadhana. He helps us immensely when we are puzzled in our pursuits! Because Not even a blade of grass moves without His Will !

Koormavatharam beautifully encapsulates this amazing and powerful truth! Isn't it? We all have something to learn, re- learn from these age-old stories and our ancient scriptures! 

What's Driving Some Indian Doctors Crazy?

Aamir Khan in one of his Satyameva Jayate Episodes, brought to light the frail and fraudulent Medical system India. He also showed some statistics about the greedy doctors in the country, who are solely interested in making money from vulnerable patients. Immediately after this episode, there was a huge outcry from the medical fraternity, demanding an apology from Aamir. Well,  I see no good reason why the doctors had to go bananas over Aamir's comment, instead of being conscience-stricken about themselves or their colleagues.

I never thought I would be writing this blog post against doctors in India, until I had a bitter experience consulting a senior doctor in a top hospital in chennai.

Last month, my 4 year old daughter, all of a sudden, started to clear her throat frequently. After medicating her with home medicines like pepper, honey, turmeric combo for a week, I saw no improvement in her. Though she had no fever, no cold or chest congestion, she kept on clearing her throat. So, I consulted my paediatrician who said it might be due to dust allergy and prescribed an allergy medicine. Unfortunately, the medicine didn't have any effect and the problem worsened that she started clearing her throat for every 5-10 seconds.

I revisited my paediatrician and he told me it might be just a 'Mannerism' that she might have developed newly and asked me to ignore. However, he asked me to get a ENT(Ear, Nose, Throat) specialist's opinion on this problem. As I was pretty sure that this problem might not be due to any mannerism, I consulted the senior ENT in the same hospital.

The ENT briefly checked her nose, throat and asked me get an
'Naso Pharynx' X-Ray done immediately. After a quick look at the X-Ray, he said, there is a small growth in the nose that might cause this problem. When I asked him whether her throat is fine, he said that her throat is red and swollen too! That is, he said, she suffered from tonsillitis! He prescribed some medicines and asked me to visit a week later. In fact, I was shocked, because I found 'no redness' in her throat till that minute.

I put my daughter on the medication prescribed by the ENT and revisited him as there was no improvement in her even after a week. The moment the ENT heard that there is no improvement, he said, the tonsillitis and a small growth in the nose is causing the problem and he needs to SURGICALLY remove them.

As I feared a surgery, I politely asked him if the problem could be treated with just medicines. He got impatient and started giving examples of new-born babies undergoing open-heart surgeries these days. He also mocked that I'm so old-fashioned to ask for regular treatments! He also insisted that If my daughter is covered by medical insurance, the surgery is FREE!  He hastened me to get some blood tests done the next day and get her admitted within two days, otherwise the problem would go irreversible. That means, according to him, she can be never cured of her illness if we delay the SURGERY! I sat there still for few minutes all confused hearing all his mumbo-jumbos. And, I was not to the least bit convinced  about the need of a surgery here. None of my further questions to him were responded properly. He, in fact, was getting rude.


Note: On one side, I see a 4 year old girl who has no fever, no cold and no symptom of tonsillitis or any associated breathing difficulty; On the other side, I see an inhumane, unprofessional, greedy and ethically 'Nil' medico who wants to cut open her throat and nose for no good medical reason!

Later in the week, one of my daughter's teachers referred me to a Paediatric ENT. I rushed to her with all the reports and my luck, the ENT was very gentle and truly professional. She did a quick and systematic diagnosis of the problem on the spot and said there was nothing to worry. She also said it might be due to some allergy. Thankfully, by god's grace, her medicines worked and my daughter is alright now.

Well, I must admit that Chennai has some of the best breed of doctors compared to other Indian cities and I'm proud and happy about that. At the same time, there are some out there, like the senior ENT doctor I visited first! What's even more saddening is that, such doctors are employed in some of the top Hospitals in the city.

The greedy ENT is just one example. There are doctors who advocate Blood tests, Scans, X-Rays and finally surgery for almost every simple illness. What's driving these bunch of doctors crazy?

• MBBS course and further studies in medicine are all priced heavily-high. These doctors want to get back the money they paid for their studies in no time flat!
• 'Nil' knowledge and experience in diagnosing the problem by touch or feel or other basic, simplistic and systematic approaches. They resort to technologically advanced machines and tests to identify and root out the problems, even the 'not-so-serious' diseases!
• Constant pressure from the hospital honchos, Big bosses and medical entrepreneurs  to perform well and bring money to the hospital they are employed in.

Not all doctors are bad. There are wonderful and kind doctors abound. But, as a commoner at the receiving end, we have to be more cautious in separating the sheep out of the goat and ensure to keep a list of good doctors in the city. The basic assumption by a lot of us "This won't happen to me'. Yes, optimism is good, but only to a certain limit. It's better to be more alert beforehand than going through an ordeal.

Let's not fall prey to greedy, unprofessional and inexperienced doctors. Because, we are not their guinea pigs to undergo unwanted tests and trials.

Do You Have a Good Belly Laugh Daily ?

We are lucky to be born as Human beings - Why? Not just because we have the power to think great and innovate, but we have this unique power to 'laugh out loud'. Because, to my knowledge, I have never seen a dog, cat or cockroach laughing out loud. Perhaps, I'm wrong, but that's a different topic open to debate - Do animals and insects laugh or not?! But, as human beings we have this ability to appreciate humor and laugh, snort, chuckle or giggle seeing things and people. However, not many of us feel blessed to have this very special emotional stimuli called laughter in us. When was the last time you laughed till you got tears in your eyes?

"Laughter is the best medicine". I know this phrase sounds very cliched, but I certainly believe it's the Gospel truth! When I told this to my grim-faced neighbour, she asked me If I can get her a 'laughter pill' by any chance ?! That didn't surprise me because, a lot of us are hell-bent in popping pills for even the mildest sneeze! I made myself clear to my neighbour right away saying that laughter is the emotional medicine which she should dose herself up everyday!

If you are lucky enough to have a baby, toddler or a child around you, just observe them. For these small wonders, everything around them is new, interesting, funny and ready-to-explore. Nothing truly matters to the child apart from playing and laughing most of the day. Probably, that is why children do not need 'Blood pressure' monitors and follow-up Stress management sessions like we adults.

Next, If you think you have memory like a sieve and severely absent-minded, it's high time you start laughing or phenomenally increase your 'Daily laughing Quota". Because Laughter can credibly improve your memory. It puts a great deal of emotional context to all your conversations and learnings and commits them to your memory permanently. Well, In a way, I can relate this to my 'group-study' sessions which I used to be a part of, during my school and college days. A group of my friends and friends' friends will gang together and  study, explain concepts, pointers and ideas about a subject. In between, we cracked jokes on/off the topic and laughed our heads off! Truly, It worked wonders during my exams, because I was able to jog my memory up pretty well and reproduce what I learnt easily. I still believe 'group-study' in a way, is far better than sitting alone in a room and cramming for the exams all day and night.

Laughter always gives an inner feeling of joy and excitement to you and people around you. It can an make you elated in a half-a-moment with the maximum possible hangover. Just recollect your high school days when neighbours, teachers, friends, relatives and at times even strangers had been the subject of laughter for you. We either ridiculed others or poked fun at ourselves to have a hearty laugh with our friends. These days, during casual chats with my friends, I hear many of them yearning to back to those days of hearty laughter and fun. Now, that says it all- As adults we don't have that many laugh-out-loud moments in our life.

Today everyone of us is a part of some rat race, whether we like it or not. To relieve the boredom, I think, its good to cheer up as much as possible. If you are at work, do ensure you are surrounded by folks who can laugh and joke a lot and can lighten up the mood. If you are at home jobless, you can take some time out to watch comedy movies or shows, sign-up in online laughter forums or join some laughter clubs. By the way, Laughter Yoga or Hasya yoga is quite popular in many countries. Check this link to find some laughter clubs in your area. Lastly, If you love to read books, you can pick some light and funny reads from your library.

Because No medicine is handy, inexpensive and more effective than having a good belly laugh!

My Father - A Pillar of Strength in my Life!

The Third Sunday of June is here today and it is celebrated worldwide as Father's day. This was something unheard-of in a country like India, until few years back. And then suddenly, it was all in rage to celebrate Father's day (along with Mother's day, Valentine's day and so on). Well, if there's something to blame, its got to be Globalization. As more number of Youths go westernized, a trend is setting in the Indian Society, where you wish you dad, give him special cards, gifts and even throw a party on this day.

Personally, I'm not too keen in celebrating Father's day and shower him with gifts. At the same time, I'm not refusing these celebrations point-blank! Of course, its so nice to wish the one person who has been tirelessly working for you right from the moment you are born. But, the celebration must not stop with a plain wish or sending him a couple of goodies. If that be the case, I dare say our Father's day celebration is incomplete. Let's take this day to show our dads that we care for them, their beliefs and be thankful to them for their wonderful and irreplaceable role in our lives.

Dedicating a special day for Fathers is a pretty good idea, because it helps me sit and think about my dad who has got a greater role in moulding and coloring my whole life. Today I have a family of my own and live quite far away from my dad, but his advices, life tips, encouraging words still ring in my ears. And sure, yes, his precious few words help me to lead a sensible and thoughtful life, even during my tough times.

My dad is a quiet person who speaks calmly, weighing his words. He was a small time business man in Trichy and so never found difficulty in balancing his personal and work life. Not only he helped my mom in her kitchen chores by cutting vegetables, sprucing up our living rooms, he engaged us with our studies and play. He was as cool as a cucumber during his hard times, especially when his business ran into difficulties and bounced back pretty quickly. Whenever we were ill, he nursed us with utmost patience and got us back to health. I still remember how patiently and skillfully he removed a 'bush thorn' that had pierced my left foot, without causing me a slight pain.

In my growing up days as tweenager or a Teenager, though I had the greatest respect for him, I found his advices utterly boring. Blame it on my growth hormones, most of his advices (which I glorify today) fell on my deaf ears. For instance, I strongly protested his idea of waking up us in the morning and always wanted to doze-off an hour or two more. He religiously believed in healthy 'oil-less' cooking and the menu had lots of green leafy vegetables everyday.Though we slowly got accustomed to eating these stuff regularly, we often treated ourselves with tins of Home made snacks and sweets.

During my Holidays, my dad would ask me to visit the local bank for making small cash deposits. That was his idea of introducing to me the banking and other financial concepts when I was 15 year old. However, me an MTV fanatic, preferred to simply slouch on the couch watching Shahrukh and Aamir khan hits on the TV. Today, my knowledge of Numbers and Banking is 'Next to nil' and who is to be blamed for that?

My dad never had a collection of branded clothing and his wardrobe included a couple of shirts, pants and dhoties, all neatly washed and piled up. He washed his clothes himself and basically likes to keep everything neat and tidy. Occasionally he used to gently advise me to clean up my cup boards that was filled with crumpled clothes and book shelves that were mostly cluttered. However, I never minded the mess around me and happily lived with that. Well, the weirdest part is this: Today, I want everything to be utter clean in my house and get wild when my 4 year old daughter throws things everywhere! I insist her to clean her tiny book rack and make her organize her clothing in separate cartons.

To think of it, It took me nearly two decades to sink in the advices rendered by dad and mend my ways! Of course, other than some of these disciplinary rules I opposed to, I happily obliged to most of his sensible and crucial decisions in shaping my life. These days I converse with him regularly on subjects like Philosophy, Spiritualism, Astrology, Politics, Healthy cooking and eating. Believe me, whatever he talks today makes complete sense to me!

My dad has been my greatest pillar of strength till this day!
I'm sure every Father is too.. to his son and daughter! 

Happy Father's day to all the wonderful fathers in the world!

P.S.  I write this blog, as Ananya, my daughter is out with her dad to celebrate a special Father's day celebration organized in her Library!

How I hated Greens - the leafy Vegetable!

If there was one vegetable I hated the most in my childhood, it was undoubtedly the leafy vegetable – The Greens! I still remember my tween-age morning hours when I used to lie down completely curled up in my bed, the screeching voice of 80 year old Greens-seller used to disturb my sweet dreams. The old lady usually shouted at the top her voice calling out the names of different varieties of Greens. My dad always praised the energetic old lady to skies who sold Greens at the morning hours. He attributed her strength at this ripe old age to her daily intake of Greens! Oh, not just that, he took complete pride in buying some fresh bunches of Greens from her. That’s exactly when I used to start thinking of making lame excuses to skip lunch.

After a rigorous washing session by my dad, the Greens made its way to the Kitchen. Yes the baton was next handed over to my mom. My mom who was (is) an excellent cook in traditional south Indian dishes was not versatile in cooking these Greens. She always cooked Greens with dhal. For a change, sometimes she might simply steam, mash the Greens and spice it up with some cumin, pepper and salt. My dad found these plain cooking extraordinarily tasty (and healthy too), while I used to feel sick to my stomach by just looking at that Green stuff. I wish it had some Masaala in it. But ‘Garam Masaala’ was (is) a ‘taboo food’ in our house!

Every time I was served these mashed Greens I made faces and of course both my parents pretended not to notice or approve my silent protest. I was left with no choice but to transfer the 'Green stuff' to my sister’s plate whenever she was looking away or when everyone was busy talking (which rarely happened). So, after eating one serving of cooked Greens I used to complain of full-stomach and run away from the scene.

Even after several years I had no stomach for Greens. In spite of my parents, well-wishers, relatives extolling the virtues of eating cooked Greens, I always had a look of hate when I saw Greens. I was not in the least worried state or bothered about my low Haemoglobin level in my blood or about my ‘skin and bone’ looks.

Years later, I had a mind-lift when I became a working woman in Bangalore. I was staying in a Hostel there. My hostel had an un-written rule that they could ‘never’ have an interesting menu to eat. Yes, weekly once, Chapatti was served with Steamed Greens (and no dhal) as the only side dish. Finally, I had to go with the menu and eat the Great Greens + Chapatti Combo! Because, I thought it was better to eat it than starving after a hard day. And there was ‘Only’ one person who was extremely delighted at me eating Greens in the hostel. It was my dad dearest!

After my marriage, one day my husband bought some Paalak Greens and asked me to cook ‘Paalak Paneer’. Though the fresh bunch of paalak impressed me, I didn’t know how to cook the dish. As usual, I Googled a bit and wrote down the Paalak Paneer Recipe. Yeah, I must say that I would have long become extinct if Google website was not invented. For me the website is nothing less than the Bhagavath Gita – Too sacred and influential.

My first hands-on experience in cooking Paalak Paneer was not that bad. I slowly acquired taste for Greens – but restricted to Paalak greens and that too Paalak Paneer! :) In Trichy where I was brought up, I doubt if anyone heard of the word Paalak. I guess it’s not Tamil Nadu stuff.  The aroma of ghee-fried Paneer pieces soaked in the Greenish gravy that is  flavoured with spices gave me a good appetite. Finally, I used to dig in to the bowl of Paalak Panner along with Chapatti, every time the dish was made at home.

My perception of Greens changed for the better after reading a Tamil book about Greens and its importance in our daily lives. I will write about it my next post. I shall also include some simple yet interesting recipes you can make with Greens in that post.

A Latecomer's Day!

Here goes a re-cap of a typical working day during my hostel life in Bangalore ;)

*****************
Scene 1: In my Hostel

My Alarm rings on time trying to wake me up at 7:10 AM.
I usually set it @ 7:10 AM, so that I shall be awake at least by 7:30 AM. I love those short, sweet naps after the first Alarm ring and have never ever woken up on the first ring of the Alarm. So generally, I let the Alarm too snooze for a while...

One by one, various planned activities for the day run in my mind, trying to wake me up from my nap. With a great 'might' in my mind, I decide to open my eyes. Of course, I need a 'strong will' to get out of my bed in those misty cool morning hours in Bangalore. Still half asleep, I’m reminded of my dad’s advice “Wake-up before Sun rises to have a healthy mind and body”

For years, “Take-Advice-And-Forget-about it” has been my much-loved policy. So, I quickly brush aside any such advice that can possibly hamper my temper and set out to carry on with my daily morning routine.

When I’m ready to step out, I sheepishly look at the clock and it gives me back a sarcastic smile saying “I’m not surprised”.
Ah...I’m delayed to the work, as usual!
Well…What now? I start thinking of the contingency plans. How do I explain my delay today to my manager?! 
Oh…God! I should have got up early and finished off the morning works quickly! I regret for a nano- second.

Sitting in the Bus, I think of something called “Time Management” ... I yawn.
Is it too tough? I don’t think so.
How do I frame my time well to plan my day and perform my tasks ahead of time? I doze off in the bus…

Scene2 : At the office:

Hi Late-Gate! One of my team members greets me mockingly. "Late-Gate" is the title conferred to me by someone in honor of my frequent dealys to not just to office, but also for casual meets with friends. I sneak into my cubicle and turn on my computer. The desk phone almost frightens me with its eerie ring in the absolutely silent work space, where one can hear only a few mouse clicks.

"Come to my cubicle”- call from my manager.

“You are late again. Remember... You are on the Watch-list”. The manager says with a stern look on his already stiff-face.

“This is the ‘n’ th time you say this, Aren't you tired of warning me on this?" I want to ask him back, but keep quiet.

Scene 3: At the cafeteria

In my coffee break I ask my 'ever-punctual' colleague.
“Hey, how are you so punctual to work every day?
“C’mon Yaar Swetha..It is all about managing our time well! Pat came the reply!
Did she say that so easily? I’m puzzled.
“But, how do you manage time? ” I ask her again
“I do everything quickly on time…tuck tuck…That’s how I manage time” Her reply was full of mockery.

Sure enough, her reply didn't answer my question. Maybe she felt her time management tips are a closely guarded secret. Of course, when there's a cut-throat competition in every industry, it would be hard to find someone who will share the success secrets.

With some lapses and delays, the day ended quite well for me, with some compliments and some bitter comments. With the bitter comments running through my mind, I think I should sincerely do my homework..ie.to learn, how to manage time better.

Way back Home I formulate three steps that could help me do a better time management.

1. “Early to Bed Early to rise”

2. “No Diversion and More Concentration in the work I do”

3. “Learn and Master my work skills. This will help me do things in a faster pace”

I discover these three 'seemingly' simple steps and decide to follow them by all means .

Scene 4: In my hostel 

At night I set the alarm for the next day, knowing it's a weekend and go to bed.
Next day…
Alarm rings…I press the snooze button.
Somewhere from my brain I hear a voice “What happened to the 3 Time Management lessons you discovered last night “
“Er, yes, But let me sleep for few more minutes” I plead back.
“Wake up! Remember your 3 Time Management lessons” - Voice from the brain again.
I mutter softly, “C’mon, Take it easy...It’s a Weekend!!”! I fight back further thoughts; curl up on the bed with heavy eyes.

Ok..that good-part of my brain now only hopes that I don't forget about my 3 lessons after the weekend cheer!

Langkawi - A Nature Destination

Malaysia was my first trip abroad. I was extremely excited at the prospect of travelling abroad right from entering the airplane, visiting a new country and living in a foreign land! During our 9 months stay in Malaysia we explored almost every street in Malaysia, with our backpacks stuffed with food and drink. I will write more about my stay in Malaysia in my other posts.

Langkawi was on our "places-to-visit-at-any-cost" list, without  a second thought we were all packed and ready to go to that beachy place! Here is a post about Langkawi - one of my favourite nature destinations!

Langkawi is truly a memorable place mainly for its fantastic beaches and calm life. It's a place with pristine pure Bluish-Green beaches, a lot of cool Islands, serene lakes and streams bordered by thick green trees. The soft, chilly- fresh breeze is sure to lift up your holiday spirits as soon as you hit the city. The beauties of nature in Langkawi will make you believe that GOD lives right there with his huge hands tenderly touching the place.  You'll feel Life’s good…nope… Life’s GREAT!

Langkawi is located in Northern Malaysia, in a district called ‘Kedah’. Air Asia, Malaysian Airlines, Tiger Airways have 'exclusive offers' for trips to this place from Kuala Lumpur (Capital city of Malaysia). After you reach Langkawi International airport, you can hire taxis which take you into the city. Langkawi tourism board has setup makeshift stalls inside the airport, from where you can grab the route maps which would assist you in sightseeing.



One of the many beaches in Langkawi



Like I said, Langkawi sets you into the Holiday mood as it’s packed with beaches (Pantai) and Islands (Pulau). Beach resorts, hotels that offer classy facilities are everywhere. But ensure that you have enough converted currency (Malaysian Ringgits) in hand before you check in to the hotels or resorts, because few of them don’t have card swiping facilities (Even the good ones).

Tourist attractions in Langkawi.

Island Hopping: There are about 99 Islands in Langkawi. So Island hopping is a major attraction here where you pay for boating services and choose to visit a couple of Islands. You are considered lucky if the weather is great as Langkawi experiences rainfall from mild to heavy downpour, most of the year.

Underwater world: The smell of damp flora and fauna here makes you feel as if you are inside the Sea. This spot has exotic collections of Aquatic animals, reptiles with clear notes about them which will fascinate you to the core! 

Cable Car Ride

Cable Car ride: Get a breath taking ride on to those misty rainforest mountains sitting inside the cable Car. The entire system is meticulously constructed and it sure gives a big thrill!

Adventure and sports buffs will find numerous activities like  Trekking, Hiking, Mountaineering, Rock climbing, Eagle feeding, Jet skiing, paragliding, parasailing, Banana Boating and the list is endless. So, work up your nerves to experience the adrenaline rush in your body at Langkawi!!

Biking: Love to bike? Just hire a bike and have a ride on those lengthy, calm roads in the balmy weather. No traffic to halt you and break your back bones silently; No honks! Yes, life’s all yours!!
Eating Out: Indulge yourself with the food that will have a lingering taste! Langkawi is packed with fabulous restaurants serving international cuisines. Indian Vegetarian restaurants like Tulsi Garden, Papadam takes you to your Grandma or Mom’s kitchen inspite of living miles away from home. The aroma of the spices mixed in these dishes will boost up your appetite. Oh, you’ll think you are born only to eat!!

Unwind @ the Beach: Get comfortable in your Beach clothes, Goggles, Sandals, Beach balls and put on your trendy hats. Play in the Beach sand, plunge yourselves in the sea water or take a warm sun bath. The place is all for beachy folks.

Spas and Bars: What’s a vacation without shelling out for a superb health spa?!  Most of the resorts offer exclusive spa packages depending up on your choice. So, pamper yourselves and feel heavenly! Bars here are famous for their languid ambience.

Whether you want to curl on and sleep, or set out in thirst of Adventure, Langkawi is a place for all. So, Holidaymakers, pack your bags and set off to this Nature destination for utmost fun. What's more, your holiday album will have the best greenery and you smiling amidst it :)

Childhood Summer

How Sweet I roamed from field to field, and tasted all the summer’s pride”. That was William Blake’s quote on summer !
Summer does bring in a lot of sweet memories for everyone. During School days, Summer Holidays are no doubt the most enjoyed period. Now that Its been almost 15 years that I finished school, those summer days are unerasable from my mind. Here I sit back to rewind those childhood summer days.

Remember doing those last minute brush ups in the first few weeks in March - the feverish exam season? Ah, It was a pleasure to write those exams in a calm classroom near a big shady neem tree, listening to cuckoo’s cooing J . Well there were few exams I had dozed off because of burning the mid night oil the previous night for sake of preparations. However, irrespective of how I had given the subject papers, bad or worse, on the last day of the exam I used to rejoice with friends. We used to gather in an ice cream shop to eat softy (Cone ice cream which used to cost just rs.5) or in a juice shop to taste the juicy cool lemon.

Summer means playing with water. Taking bath in chilled water several times a day is something everyone does. Dipped till neck in a big bronze container with chilled water, we used to become bathroom poets..where lovely creative poems unfold from our minds till our moms come screaming to us seeing us waste water!

Summer means playing ...lots-  Hide and seek, catch me, treaure hunt, housie housie, carom, chess, card games, shuttle, badminton, at times cricket too ! Summer also means breaking neighbours glass windows & doors and bearing their grunts and scoldings.

Summer means eating Maavadu / Vadumaangai ( small little mangoes soaked in salty, spicy juice), Yummy Vadagams, Delicious mango varieties like Imampasand, Banganappalli, alphonsa etc., Extremely cool watermelons, Cucumber, Buttermilk.

Summer means trying to escape from the soaring temperature in all possible ways. These days to ward off the heat we have Airconditioners, Air coolers and there are chemicals that are painted on terrace floors that prevent heat. These are expensive and quite unhealthy too. Those days at the onset of summer, many homes get their roof over terrace made of dried coconut leaves and bamboo sticks termed in tamil as “Pandhal”. One can even sit under this pandhal at mid noon and still don’t feel the heat. Something very natural and the best.

Summer means sweet smelling air. The summer breeze carries with it the smell of neem flowers and neem leaves. What a delight it is to and relax under a big shady neem tree or a banyan tree!!!

Summer means traveling to cooler locations, a visit to granny's home, Listen to her stories and a stroll with grandpa….

Summer also means writing the answers for the exam question papers, attending tuitions, preparing for competitive exams and so on…ooof…which were too boring!

What do Summer Holidays mean to you ?   Pour your replies. Set the Summer nostalgia In. Kick start the Super Summer!

Early Thirty Crisis

Finally, I am back to this page after nearly 10 months. Though I am passionate about writing and wish to post blogs, I must confess that I’m a laid-back blogger. But thankfully, I am still committed to write some technology stuff regularly on Technofriends, a website owned by my friend’s friend. Well, If there has been some hold-up on writing some personal stuff in my blog here, it’s because I didn’t want to make a complete fool of myself while expressing my personal opinions and thoughts.

I’m sure many of us wanting to express our viewpoints are pretty scared of our public image, however small our circle of readers may be. After much thinking, I felt there should be a starting point for anything. So, I’m here today to step out boldly forward to write what I think! Whether you wish to offer me bouquets or throw brickbats, I have decided to take it more constructively.

Do I talk too much?

I’m now at my early thirties and for no reason I seem to be riding high these days! Off late I have started talking 'too much' and sort of trying to be a ‘know-all’. Yes, this is so recent. Because there have been years in my timeline when I used to talk less and act more. But presently, it’s like me putting all my energies into much thinking, talking, chatting, discussing, chattering, arguing and surprisingly counselling too! After too much of these, obviously I feel enervated and achieve no big purpose other than probably receiving some looks of contempt from people around me, including my 4- year old kid! J

It gets even harder when I work in a group or live in an extended or joint family. I talking a lot would often make no sense to them. Later, I go to my ‘retrospective’ mode and realize that I should have talked less. So, here I get a guilty look on my face after showing off the ‘know-all’ness! Behaving like an eager beaver to express only my views every time looks a lot of fun; but gradually I might burn my bridges with people around me.

Well, I seem to need some help, but I somehow tend to ignore advices that come my way from people. So, what’s the workaround? I have found some from my experience and here they are.

·       Light reading- This surely helps, preferably humour stuff. More the humour, lesser the pain in mind and heart. When you read silly stuff and jokes that make you laugh heartily, you will become a child. So, a good way to show the doors to a superior attitude!

·       Listening More- Of course, this task has been hard for me. But I guess, after much practising, it helps you to talk more sensibly when you listen till the other person finishes off conveying his/her points.

·       Reading philosophy. Hard thing to do! Not many of us might have the inclination to read philosophical stuff regularly. However, it’s good to start with some comprehensible philosophy stuff that you can easily relate to. At least you will gradually start believing that there is only person who is a “knows-all” and that’s your Maker- the God! Yes, it helps you to give some rest to unwanted superior thoughts.

The above list is surely not exhaustive. These are the ones that I found in my experience. How many of you sail my boat? Share your thoughts and opinions below.

Parent of a super active kid? Check out YOCee!!

For many of you, www.Yocee.in may not be something new. If you are a parent of a super active kid(s) who keeps you busy all the time and if you are frantically searching for a way to engage him or her with some useful activities, classes etc., this is the right time to know about this website.  Started by Miss. Revathi, a post graduate in Journalism and Mass communications, this website (www.Yocee.in) has whole lot of informative stuff for Chennai kids. Recently I was searching for a good art and craft classes for my 3 year old daughter and bumped into this website. Wow! The website is loaded with details you cannot just ignore.  Rightly titled as Yocee- The hub for young chennai’ , I’m sure this website will impress you and your kids too.

Yocee! – is for you, Chennai kids!

News about Chennai city and its suburbs, workshops, summer camps, contests and other programmes for kids of all age groups are exclusively reported by none other than a handful of students themselves. Yes, Yocee management hires and trains these talented kids on journalism under their “Young reporter’s programme”. Sounds cool, isn’t it? So what’s on the job for these trained reporters? The young reporters collect and present hot and happening news in the Chennai schools and about various useful events for children.

Kiddos! Steal the limelight
The website duly captures and presents a note about the events, contests in any corner of the city to benefit the budding young participants with incredible energy level. Also, Yocee team chronicles the interviews of ‘gifted’ children in their website featuring their achievements and awards. What’s more, if you have a talented kid doodling dozens of designs, drawings or arts and crafts work, you can easily bring their works on to the website! Yes, your kid’s work will be featured on ‘Your Page’ section in the website for more exposure. Children, waste not a moment! Shoot up a nice video, snap a cool picture or script an interesting story and send it to the Yocee team to get the limelight.
Every year, Yocee team prints out an exhaustive directory called ‘Chennai kid Directory’ listing all the important phone numbers to enrich your child’s life! Grab a copy now from specific outlets or shops in the city! As a parent of a pre-schooler, I have already bookmarked this website for my reference! Yocee rocks!Truly!