I am a new wave, but am old school!

I am no expert, nor qualified to speak about the benefits. But what I do know is its pretty straightforward that 'Natural' is the way to go. We have been there. We tried everything available in the market, consumed all the colourful things, applied all the fairness creams in the wake of turning into a white reflective body! In plain, we were stupid enough to fall for the propaganda.

We pay, pay more and hope that we will be transformed into everything beautiful and healthy. We trust in the people wearing white lab coats researching with the test tubes with whirring fumes coming out. Infact, if we pay for it, it should be good. If we paid more, it 'ought' to be better!

Go to any grocery store and you see a sudden onslaught of everything 'organic'. They are trying to push in less chemicals into the body. Where is this circle ending at? We started with everything natural, then realized that its easily perishable. Half the vegetables are reaped even before they grow full size which in turn reduces the activity inside them which makes them to last longer. In this process, half the nutrients will not be present in the food we eat. To offset this, we started consuming synthetic products loaded with preservatives. Deficiencies? swallow that multivitamin tablet. Fatigue? Drink that energy drink.

They almost taste good, easy to buy. No hassles to store. More like adopting allopathy over good old traditional Ayurveda. No one has the patience to wait and think it over. We wanted fast relief. Again, we went ahead and realized that these chemicals are doing more harm than good. We are slowly shifting to 'organic' stuff now. 'Vegan', 'Decaf', 'Low-fat' are the words of the day. Intense workouts, green smoothies, low carb diets are the new fads.

This battle of methodologies never ensue an answer. Probably because one is not better than the other. What you follow is your creed. It affects you directly and you are solely responsible. After trying all products, all means and after hundred different hapless pitiful trials, we realize that what our mom and grannies told are the best. Go back to roots. Home remedies work most of the time. Even though we dont have such cleaner, unpolluted produce now, we atleast are controlling the intake of known chemicals.

Its so easy to pop a pill of Aspirin but tougher to just endure it for a little longer to cure that headache. Stress is causing all the pain but in the process we forgot to stress on basic important points. Its more for a holistic development of the entire body and soul.



P.S: The title is from the most legendary standup comedian George Carlin

This post is part of the Indiblogger "Traditional Knowledge, Natural Growth" contest!

Stumbling upon Stumbleupon

The google search autocomplete throws up some absurdly ridiculous results. Often times, making us to digress from the original object we were searching for. On one of those boredom trials, I searched for things to do when bored and feeling lousy (yes, it can get to that sometimes! ). It lead to Quora and to a particular post catering to the same. Stumbleupon can help you keep entertained for hours. Come here, 'entertained' is a mere euphemism for addiction. Am hooked on Stumbleupon.

Am not complaining. The way it works is pretty neat. You give a list of your interests and it customizes the webpages according to it. Ranging from science, entertainment, arts to pretty colourful pictures, anecdotes, trivias : they cater to everything.

There are thousands of things to do when bored (or not). Why I chose this was pure luck. I have read many a dozen articles on this before, but the moment you find something interesting and want to click on that, it prompts you to subscribe. It lures you uptil there and I usually give up when I have to sign up.

So this time, on the pretext of boredom, I mustered the courage to sign up to go beyond the homepage (They always have a breathtaking natural wonder or a sight of wilderness which entices you).

A serendipitous occurrence, I saw this- http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/4thYJO/360vr.com/2011/06/22-discovery-flight-deck-opf_6236/index.html/
Fine, I love rockets ! But this is something unlike I had seen anything before. The panoramic shot of the cockpit of Space shuttle is simply stunning. Turn it, stare at it long enough and you feel you are infact inside that with a zillion switches. "Oh Boy ! one click and am ready to zoooommm...."

I felt like Calvin for a moment.

Other interesting finds- http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/6hJDaz/www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/the-ultimate-guide-to-writing-better-than-you-normally-do/
Timothy McSweeney's 'Internet Tendency' is pure bliss for me. Maybe its boring for everyone other than bibliophiles, I like the organization and language (content comes last to me).

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/324fat/www.streetartutopia.com/?p=10554/
I dont want to use my brain or feel responsible to save earth, Streetartutopia is a visual treat. It oozes with creativity and brings a smile.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2Vlo4M/:2rztrjfs:jnHO5sTy/www.wannalol.com/p/72138/
I want to have a hearty laugh watching Ellen.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1QGIv5/:u_3EAr8J:eRMUZJ+x/www.gillesvidal.com/blogpano/paris.htm/
For a breathtaking view of Paris!

I click thumbs up or down, but constantly I 'stumble'. In the span of two weeks, I feel I suddenly know more than my neighbour, I suddenly have seen more places than the hikers, I suddenly am gazing at more art than the people strolling the museums ;-)

It has something for everyone. Hold on, I gotta change my next wallpaper.
Er..I meant 'Happy Stumbling' :-)

Courtesy-StumbleUpon

Gravity- sure does attract you !

I was glad that am standing on the surface where I dont have to struggle to walk. Thanks to "g". A movie which lives upto its hype. Seeing it in IMAX 3D makes you actually walk in space. Being a space enthusiast and sharing a dream of being an astronaut someday, am contented for now. Its so gripping and jaw dropping that I dint realize almost till the end, that the cast of the movie was mainly just Sandra. Clearly explaining the plight of the astronauts and the loneliness in space, it strucks you hard when your hear the voices in her head. You hope that her conscience can hear it, leave alone the mission control. I found it scientifically apt till I searched for the inaccuracies out of my curiosity, to be so meagre that one would not realize unless he is an astronaut himself.

Breathtaking view of the earth, the shimmer of sunlight and the lovely soundtracks engulf you with excitement. I shuddered everytime she let the rope loose, I sighed with relief everytime she got a thing working, I lost hope everytime she conveyed the whereabouts to Houston. I lived through the whole experience. Its so humbling that I appreciate immensely the ability to 'walk' the surface of earth, to 'hear' the fears and hopes, to 'breathe' the air here. I know how heartening it is to hear "copy that" from the other side !
Coz, 'In space, no one can hear you scream'. Amen.

Moonlight is bleeding from out of your soul

I clicked on the notepad icon, started typing few sentences which made no sense to me. Words failed to flow, sentences were woven loose, ideas were going through commotion.
"Maybe it was never meant to be and definitely not preordained" said a voice in my head.
"Its not that the folks are waiting for the next writeup eagerly. That happens to Khaled Hosseini, not me" assuring the previous voice.
"Its definitely the lowest ebb, but you do go up as a tide. Its never late to make a start or restart" disagreed another.
"The moment you lose the ability to have the seamless flow of words, its a sign of decline"

The riots in my head got stronger. The disorderly outburst of depressing thoughts and a few encouraging ones were fighting their way to the victory. One almost loses faith when a loved activity becomes a feared one. When the quarter life crisis hits, everything becomes questionable. The worthiness of the tasks become important, or not !

Excellence is good, eccentric is even better, sloppiness-a strict no no. With this burden and the pre-conceived notion, we start weighing everything around us. Am either too good for that or I dont even care trying. Its not my cup of tea.

I shifted from a wonderland, nestled comfortably in my innocence, to a practical world where am being judged. Let loose your fear, and it grows to be a gigantic monster who blocks your line of sight. I felt I cant get myself to write again. Reason? Nothing I do will be good enough. Experiences I have had, can never be jotted down or can be done justice to. I hardly ask myself "What do I want?" Instead, am bogged down by "How I am perceived". I heard someone say-" If you fight, you can either win or lose. But if you dont fight, you can never win". This simple truth is so comforting. Its easy for me to not write. Thats my general state of being. Its tempting to give an excuse and convince myself, but hard to talk myself to do it.

If you could find a passion where you dint see clock ticking or stomach grumbling, you are blessed. (You can be paired with the likes of Einstein)
If you cant find a passion, but willing to find one, you are a go-getter. (With the thought that, half the life goes in finding one)
If you had one, left it and want to retrieve it, why are you a cynical? (I feel starting from scratch all over again with little baby steps, has its advantages. There is only one way to traverse- forward)
Thus the post. Call it mediocre or plain hapless, am happy that for once, I can do something just for myself.

Its a perfectly reasonable deviation from my routine.

"A brave one at that", said the voice inside.

And the lazarus started playing... "I survived against the will of my twisted folk But in the deafness of my world the silence broke....follow me ..."

A journey, undefined !

Alrighty..! Hiatus. .. A big one at that. A phase where we are caught up in a spiral where we cant do the very thing we used to love the most. You stop writing and it feels like you can never write again. You stop reading, the mammoth sized book seems scary. Things change, and it comes as a grievous surprise.

Taking the huge leap from one coast to another sure teaches a lesson or two. Good and bad, beautiful and ugly, dreams and realities. I would not have discovered so much about me or the world if not for this change. If its an awakening to realize about yourself, I think that can never happen .You just have no idea how you choose to react to anything that life holds for you.

Be it visiting the holy shrines of academia or doing all the crazy adventures whose names I was unaware of, all the lonely moments with the dawn of a new truth or the triumphant memories, this land has SOMETHING. Did I foresee, NO. Did I learn, Definitely. Black or White? No, its only Grey !!

America-You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains; You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas.....(From Josh Groban)

Beauty ain't skin deep !

Dragging my feet, still revelling in my own sweet world, it was only when the super chilling water fell on my face that I realised I slipped from my dream slot. 'Oh, what a beautiful dream it was'. She was the princess anyone for that matter would envy, a beauty any charming prince would aspire to have. A grace which any opulence can never match. A heaven where nothing is at stake. Everything you name and its there. Lovely ! Is nt it? Beauty as in exact dictionary words.
Alas, only to realise it was just a dream.

Getting rid of my vertigo, after savouring the aroma of the filter coffee, the mind-ignited told me 'Hey, hold on..it aint so bad, things around you and those that happen to you are even more beautiful '. Really? How do we seek beauty !

Its in the new hope with which we get up everyday and the very hope that gives us something to look forward to..

Its in the green reflection of the drop falling off the leaves..

Its in the little pup who comes to you wagging his tail everytime..

Its in the passing thought when you finished your newspaper thinking
'what if you were to be a politician running this country '..

Its in the smile the old neighbour bestows on you every morning when you leave your house..

Its in the eyes of the intense gaze of the baby you saw in your sister's lap..

Its in the nod of your head in sync with your favourite tune whenever you hear it on the go..

Its in the triumphant moment when u did the most stupid thing and no1 looked at it..

Its in the little breaks you look for ,to hold on to the gossip and stuff..

Its in the cheerful hug you give your buddy , when you meet after ages..

Its in the powerful hold of your dad when he pats your back n says 'things
ll be alright'..

Its in the vacation you get after toiling for that grueling exam..

Its in the mindless argument you have with your friend , jus to end up laughing in the end..

Its in the never ending harmless teasing you do and beaming a sheepish smile that you were at your creative best..

Its in the tears you shed when you dint know the reason why..

Its in the conversation you had with yourself when watching the lovely waves on the shore..

Its in the deserving sleep you look forward to when the next day is a holiday..


Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and in the heart of simple beings. Only if we know how to look for it.
Infact.., its in the very ugliness which makes beauty look more beautiful !

The King's Speech

A movie which takes you to the depth of human emotions- Fear . Set in the times of 1930s, takes us effortlessly through the pages of history. Admitting that I wanted to see it for this movie being nominated in most of the categories in this year’s Academy awards, I could not but help feel satisfied and triumphant at the end of it. Telling the story of King George VI facing the problem of speech impediment and his efforts to overcome his stammering , makes one face the truth that nearly no one is spared of imperfections.

One actor who took my breath particularly is Geoffrey Rush as the speech trainer. An impeccable performance. His character as Lionel Logue trying his informal ways at the task in hand is truly attractive. He just steals the show. The way he calls the king as ‘Bertie’ instead of ‘your highness’ speak volumes as to the promise of friendship. The ways he adopt to teach the king to ‘have faith in his own voice’ is remarkable. Helena Bonham Carter dons a great role too as wife of the king. The dialogues with its poetic stature and the fascinating screenplay is a treat to the ears.



And ofcourse, there is Colin Firth. My most favourite character as ‘Mr.Darcy’ in the famous ‘Pride and Prejudice’, lives upto the expectations. He just speak volumes through his eyes. I do hope he bags the best actor award. In all, a great movie and worth all the nominations.
It takes leadership to confront a nation's fear and it takes friendship to conquer your own.