To All My Girl friends

A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day, drinking iced tea and visiting her Mother. As they talked about life, about marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter. Don't forget your girlfriends," she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass. "They'll be more important as you get older. No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children you'll have, you are still going to need girlfriends. Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them. And remember that "girlfriends" are not only your friends, but your sisters, your daughters, and other relatives too. You'll need other women. Women always do. What a funny piece of advice, the young woman thought. 'Haven't I just gotten married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a married woman, for goodness sake, a grownup, not a young girl who needs girlfriends! Surely my husband and the family we'll start will be all I need to make my life worthwhile!'

But she listened to her Mother; she kept contact with her girlfriends and made more each year. As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to understand that her Mom really knew what she was talking about. As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, girlfriends are the mainstays of her life. After 50 years
of living in this world, here is what I know about girlfriends:

Girlfriends bring you chicken curry when you need help.
Girlfriends keep your children and keep your secrets.
Girlfriends give advice when you ask for it. Sometimes you take it, sometimes you don't. Girlfriends don't always tell you that you're right, but they're usually honest.
Girlfriends still love you, even when they don't agree with your choices.
Girlfriends laugh with you, and you don't need canned jokes to start the laughter.
Girlfriends pull you out of jams.
Girlfriends help you get out of bad relationships.
Girlfriends help you look for a new apartment, help you pack, and help you move.
Girlfriends will give a party for your son or daughter when they get married or have a baby, in whichever order that comes!
Girlfriends are there for you, in an instant and when the hard times come.
Girlfriends listen when you lose a job or a friend.
Girlfriends listen when your children break your heart.
Girlfriends listen when your parents' minds and bodies fail.
Girlfriends support you when the men in your life let you down.
Girlfriends help you pick up the pieces when men pack up and go.
Girlfriends rejoice at what makes you happy, and are ready to go out and kill what makes you unhappy.
Times passes.
Life happens.
Distance separates.
Children grow up.
Love waxes and wanes.
Hearts break.
Careers end.
Jobs come and go.
Parents die.
Colleagues forget favors.
Men don't call when they say they will.
BUT girlfriends are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you.
A girlfriend is never farther away than needing her can reach.

If I had my life to live over again...!!!

If I had my life to live over, I'd dare to make more mistakes next time.

I'd relax; I'd limber up. I would be sillier than I have been this trip.

I would take fewer things seriously.

I would take more chances.

I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers.

I would eat more ice cream and less beans.

I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I'd have fewer imaginary ones.

I would have played more often and pored less over my books....

I would have sailed more paper boats in the rain, than wonder if I would catch a cold in the weather....

I would have enjoyed a few more chocolates, regardless of cavities....

I would have painted more empty egg shells ....

I would have been less conscious about having a perfect smile for the camera, and rather been myself....

I would have clicked more black-and-white pictures.....

I would have stomped through some more puddles during the monsoon... and crunched a lot more dry foliage during autumn......

I would have gone on more treks...... and thought less about falling down a ravine....

I would have been more receptive when accepting criticism and more thoughtful before giving it...

I would have burst more bubble-wrap!

I would have said more "thank Q"s and "I love you"s and lesser "Sorry"s

I would have sat on more roller coasters and screamed my head off, rather than be watching from the scared-albeit-envious crowd below......

I would have believed in Santa till I was 18 :)

I would have learnt to play the guitar.

I would have roamed around India in my early twenties instead of wasting them away.

I would have seen more sunrises.

You see, I'm one of those people who lived sensibly and sanely hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I had my moments, and if I had to do it over again, I'd have more of them. In fact, I'd try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after the other, instead of living so many years ahead of each day. I've been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat, and a parachute. If I had it to do over again, I would travel lighter than I have.

If I had my life to live over again, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall.

I would go to more dance.

I would ride more merry-go-rounds.

I would pick more daisies.

I would have winked at some good looking hunk ;-) .... just this once !!!

If you want to know who I am... ASK...!!

Sail Away...!!!

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore. Dream. Discover.

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF - The Survey
Name:	Swati
Birthday:	3rd Nov. U really want met to tell u the year.
Birthplace:	that was a hospital..
Current Location:	India
Eye Color:	Black
Hair Color:	Black
Height:	5'4"
Right Handed or Left Handed:	Righty..
Your Heritage:	I think my grandparents were from UP.
The Shoes You Wore Today:	Actually Flip flops. Haven't worn them in forever. It's nice.
Your Weakness:	Good surprises.
Your Fears:	Someone I love getting hurt.
Your Perfect Pizza:	Veggies & lots of cheese.
Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year:	loose those extra pounds.. hahaha
Your Most Overused Phrase On an instant messenger:	lol
Thoughts First Waking Up:	I wish I would have gone to bed earlier...
Your Best Physical Feature:	eyes
Your Bedtime:	I love staying up late.
Your Most Missed Memory:	Spending weekends with besties.
Pepsi or Coke:	Coke all the way.
MacDonalds or Burger King:	Mac for sure.
Single or Group Dates:	Both.
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea:	Not really a fan of either.
Chocolate or Vanilla:	Chocolate is a way to a girl's heart.
Cappuccino or Coffee:	Coffee Coffee Coffee
Do you Smoke:	Nope.
Do you Swear:	Who the hell doesn't.
Do you Sing:	In the shower and the car.. rather u name the place and I can do it.
Do you Shower Daily:	Of course. I'm kinda a clean freak. Kinda.
Have you Been in Love:	Sure have.
Do you want to go to College:	I have been.
Do you want to get Married:	Someday.
Do you belive in yourself:	Always.
Do you get Motion Sickness:	Naah.
Do you think you are Attractive:	For sure. A girl's gotta be confident.
Are you a Health Freak:	I think balence in everything is the only way to be.
Do you get along with your Parents:	I love my mom & dad.
Do you like Thunderstorms:	Love them!
Do you play an Instrument:	I wish I could learn to play guitar or violin.
In the past month have you Drank Alcohol:	Nope.
In the past month have you Smoked:	No go on that.
In the past month have you been on Drugs:	Nope sorry.
In the past month have you gone on a Date:	Been busy.
In the past month have you gone to a Mall:	Haha. I think shopping is a great addiction. lol.
In the past month have you eaten a box of Oreos:	Naah.
In the past month have you eaten Sushi:	Not a sushi fan.
In the past month have you been on Stage:	I haven't been on stage but I have given a lot of trainings.
In the past month have you been Dumped:	No. I haven't had a serious relationship.
In the past month have you gone Skinny Dipping:	Haha. No.
In the past month have you Stolen Anything:	Nope.
Ever been Drunk:	Um. Never... Ok I have.
Ever been called a Tease:	No teasin here just straight up skills.
Ever been Beaten up:	Naah.
Ever Shoplifted:	Ok so 4 questions above they ask if you have ever stolen anything. Are they serious.
How do you want to Die:	When I'm old.
What do you want to be when you Grow Up:	M I still supposed to Grow Up.. lol.
What country would you most like to Visit:	Australia or South Africa
Number of things in my Past I Regret:	Sorry, I don't really count my regrets. Didn't mean to let you down.
CREATE YOUR OWN! - or - GET PAID TO TAKE SURVEYS!

Goodbye Sam Bahadur..!!!

If you have to die, do so around Delhi or Mumbai

By: Krishna Prasad.

The passing away of the only Indian to be appointed Field Marshal when in active service has been remarkable for the warmth of the ordinary men and women, who queued up to say meebeenamet to the adorable dikra who put his life on the line for them.

It has also been remarkable for the complete lack of grace and gratitude, civility and courtesy, decency and decorum on the part of the bold-faced names rapaciously grazing the lawns of power in Delhi and elsewhere, for the brain behind India's only decisive military victory.

Sam, the Bahadur, had been unwell for a while now. From about 1000 hours on June 26, reports of his being 'critically ill' had appeared in the media. Yet, when the 'expected tocsin' sounded at 0030 hours till the guns were fired in salute around 1500 hours on June 27, 'civil society' chose to show its incivility.

Pratibha Patil, the commander-in- chief of the armed forces with all the time in the world: Absent
Hamid Ansari: Vice-president releasing books and writing reviews of books by fellow-travellers: Absent
Manmohan Singh, the prime minister who could do with a bit of the field marshal's charisma and heroism: Absent
Sonia Gandhi: daughter-in- law of the woman the field marshal called 'sweetie': Absent
L K Advani: prime minister in waiting of the party which would like to do to Pakistan what Manekshaw did: Absent
M Karunanidhi and Surjit Singh Barnala: chief minister and governor of the state which Manekshaw had made his home for 35 years: Absent

Politicians may have their reasons. They always do. Maybe, there are issues like protocol. Maybe, this is one way in which 'civil India ' shows the armed forces its place. Maybe, this is why we are not as militaristic as Pakistan. Maybe, the knees are just too old to climb the hills.

But what about the armed forces itself?

A K Antony: the defence minister 'now behaving like the chairman of the confederation of the armed forces' trade unions: absent 'due to prior political engagements'.
The Chief of Army Staff: absent (away in Russia)
The Chief of Navy Staff: absent
The Chief of Air Staff: absent
The fact that the defence minister was represented by his deputy Pallam Raju, the fact that the navy and air staff sent two-star general rank officers, shows that however high or mighty, however rich or powerful, civilian or military, if you should die as you must, you should do so somewhere in the vicinity of New Delhi or Bombay.

Or else, they must have some use for you. Or else, too bad.

As he rightly surmised once: 'I wonder whether those of our political masters who have been put in charge of the defence of the country can distinguish a mortar from a motor; a gun from a howitzer; a guerrilla from a gorilla -- although a great many of them in the past have resembled the latter.'

The contrast couldn't be starker:

When Amitabh Bachchan was ill after being socked in the stomach during the shooting of Coolie, Indira Gandhi flew down to Bombay to show her concern.
When Dhirubhai Ambani died, L K Advani cut short his Gujarat tour to pay his respects to an 'embodiment of initiative, enterprise and determination'.
When Pramod Mahajan was shot dead by his brother, Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekawat had the time to attend the funeral.
Our VIPs and VVIPs have time for dead and dying celebrities, charlatans, fixers. Not for a field marshal?

In his biography, K M Cariappa, the only other field marshal India has had (and who too died at age 94), writes of his father's cremation in May 1993:

'Honouring him in death as they did in life were Field Marshal Manekshaw, the three service chiefs all of whom belonged to the same course and at whose passing out parade from the joint services wing father had presided, the gracious chief minister M Veerappa Moily and C K Jaffer Sharief, Minister for Railways representing the President as the supreme commanded of the armed forces.'

Somebody should have told the geniuses in Delhi that Sam, the Bahadur, passed away in Wellington, Ooty, not Wellington, New Zealand.

The nearest civil airport is Coimbatore, just 80 km away.

If this is how we say goodbye to Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, any wonder why Rang de Basanti could successfully tap into the angst of an entire generation?

Just another roller coaster ride...

This one post have been in draft for almost a month.. somehow I decided not to write anymore, well who knows when ur mind can again change and you decide to start writting again... well here I am back yet once again and decided to finish this post..

March got over long back and its seems like that the life went through hell lot of miserable things... A job, people & place that I used to love but hated the management so decided to leave it at the start of the year.. Few friends whom I decided to leave behind as it was more of a burden & a formality to keep them further as a friend..

Lost two dear friends in last twelve months.

Life went through lot of changes, people who were close went far and people who were far came close... last two years of my life made me meet some of the worst people I have ever come across in my personal and professional life.. people who like to assume, make perceptions, dis-respect others, can perform cheap stunts to show others down, selfish & self centered.. and the list goes on...

Its an old saying but yes its true.. people can be egoistic bastards.. when u have already lost a battle and it does not exist anymore, they want to still give it another try to win an already lost battle... they find it so hard to accept that they have lost and they lost it being a MAN, and that too they lost it from a WOMAN..

I dont understand why people find it so difficult to leave their past behind and move on.. why they want to try and stop the sand of time to slip from their hands even when they know that when they would open their hands nothing would be left... Is it so diifficult to face the reality or the truth, well I believe not..