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August 29, 2014

Religion, for me

Religion for me, is my business. Today when I write this post, I know the consequences might hit me hard right on my face but, hey there is something called blogging away my internal struggle. The struggle which is almost on the verge of concluding my decision for life.
  • My religion is faith. My faith. Be it in one God or some super power, who manages to give me hopes and positive vibes. Religion is peace and not a show off of whose religion is better. Religion is not spending crores from your bank account (or even money in black for that matter) when some kids on the street do not get food. 
  • My religion is not about worshiping hard. My religion is an energy which keeps me hopeful, which keeps my spirit alive. My religion is not about Gods,my  religion is about being human.
  • My religion would not compel me to fast. With scientific logic, detoxification of my body would happen only if I would feel peaceful from inside. With feelings of hatred, jealousy, ego,violence, complexes against others - nothing will happen even if I fast. Nothing.
  • My religion would not divide people of the country on the basis of faith.My religion would not stop me from co-existing with other religions with hearty attachments. My religion is about bringing humanity above all difference. 
  • My religion would never brain wash people's mind. My religion would make people think openly about all things-facts surrounding them. My religion would guide me to take correct decision in relevance with today's situation and would discourage me if I  follow age old traditions harming health or soul.
  • My religion would permit me to accept Eidee and hog the Sheer Khurma. My religion will teach me to say sorry if I have hurt some one. My religion will let me have Modaks too and will make me go to Haji Ali as well.  
  • My religion would not let me torture my body by starving myself. My religion will not force me to eat junk in the name of fasting as well. My religion would  not teach me unhealthy and unhygienic practices.
  • My religious place ( Temples, Pirs, Dargahs, Churches or Synagogues!) would only give me peace. I will never become the part of charity with name, spreading rubbish all over the place or even be a part of the religious function where people might get discriminated on the basis of caste, creed or financial status.
I am sure most of you think, I am bringing up a religion named 'No religious practices', but well that is how I see my way of life. I might deviate due to changing beliefs or even attempt to change my rules for not making others sad, but this is what my religion is.

August 20, 2014

Story telling for kids- The dying art!

Stories/Kahani/Varta - These words are exciting enough for me, even now. This article/post contains my own opinions based on my experience and surroundings around me till this day.

The art is dying if I decide to be honest. The mobile applications, animations on retina displays are killing it. We are killing it. Those parents who glue themselves on social media to show off how beautiful their kids look, make kids glue on gadgets too. I am not a parent yet and so I might be too harsh and impractical but then again , the bitter truth of today's life style can not be ignored.

If I consider my childhood the most interesting one, then it is because of stories narrated by my grand mother which resulted into my interest in reading. Story telling by grand parents or even parents have different effects on kids for sure. The narration leaves a big window of imagination in the little brain than those animated stories. For example, 'There was a biiiiig Neem tree near the well'. Each of the kids will have a different imagination for both things. In fact, each time they will listen to this, they will have different form of the tree and the well. If they have been shown both objects on the screen, they will not use the brain to imagine much. I feel the whole phenomena hinders the mental- logical, creative, imaginative growth of a kid.

In showing off. how modern and technically ahead we are of time, we are loosing on the art of story telling which works as a catalyst in the growth of a kid.

It has become so important to make a kid speak in English from the very first year that we forget that the age of 1-10 is the age you can make your kid - bilingual or even multilingual. Research shows how kids brought up in the environment of multiple languages grow faster. Then there is also an ego of couples who proudly says,'You know my son speaks English only, he does not understand Gujarati (or the mother tongue) at all.'This is so depressing. The young parents don't realize how they are missing on those words, stories, characters in regional stories which builds cultural values in tiny minds. I am not against English, but then story telling sessions in your own language will have a different impact, keeping the family closer to the roots. Not to mention the history of India, culture and values in those stories. Before they step in the school, they would be having vocabulary in multiple languages with a strong power called Imagination.

Then there are comics. They help kids to put actions into those sketched figures. I am sure, from my generation there will be really few pupils who would not have read 'Chacha Chaudhary' or 'Raju's squirrel'. They are dying too!

Again I am positive too.I have seen many young parents introducing story books and narration till they start reading on their own, but they are very few. While I was in Singapore, one of the best feature(?) of the country was kid's library in all major areas. Each of the library had sections for a year old baby ( Pictorial or the book for narration) too. I have personally met a two years old girl who narrated me a story referring to each of the pages/pictures of the book, of course the story never had sentences, the story had a lot of imagination and excitement.

I hope if at all a young parent reads this and think over the subject, gets tons of story books or tells their toddlers stories from all over the world - I will consider myself helpful in building next generation of India.

August 4, 2014

Pointless points hovering in mind!

Today is a day where I am ready to type away the glory. (If it makes sense and you are still ready to read!)


  • Mr.ISB is away for a week and honestly apart from nothing- really nothing to do (read, cleaning house) and no one to talk, it was getting bored when my destiny decided to take the ride and I forgot the key inside the house. Well, a gang of 'dadajis' and a care taker pondered over a few options like asking some one to climb into the balcony and open the door. Well, the matured lady in me called the key maker and he opened the door in flat two minutes. I also should write that I was drenched in the rain while coming back from office. I also lost my dream of dreaking 'Adarakh wali chai' after reaching as it was already the dinner time.
  • The office work has become a complex mixture of good work and boredom. A part of me has no work and another part of me has all non-value-added system details fill up to do which was never a priority before. Also I have not mentioned that I have managed to move two of my bosses from this role and an upcoming new organisation announcement might add one more feather in my hat. Thank you, but let me tell you, upcoming boss might not be that awesome. *Pray*
  • I have got this unusual itch of doing something on my own. Thousands of plans but nothing is so solid to implement. Some day...
  • Oh did I mention, we have rented a costly but a lovely house? I love it to the core and the fact that, I can experiment on my own- I love it even more. A mountain , a small river, a swimming pool from the balcony, a cup of tea and a book. Life can not be better.
  • I am in search of a fitness freak soul. I am loosing out again on health front with fatigue and frequent migraine head aches. The runner ( who runs like a buffalo) is yet to come out other wise the treadmill right there in the club house is waiting for me. 
  • The office people who disapproves me as a good wife (The guess, obviously!) and relatives who think I am a good wife leave me in identity crisis. Of course the weird thinking of yours truly, starts with the theory that no one in the couple can be good or bad. It is how the other one manages!! 
  • I really feel I should just do a little make over of myself, not only in terms of looks but also in terms of personality - finding new hobbies and doing things I never did! The problem lies in the fatigue I get after finishing daily work. Needs to buck up?
  • By the way I guess I am in love with Google Keep! :D 
Random points - Pointless points I said!