Zaire, an unforgettable experience

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Zaire is in Central Africa.

Very frequently, we had parties. It was always pot luck where the women made their favorite dishes for the party.

One day it was my turn to make sambhar sadham, a south Indian delicacy.

Actually, I did not know the traditional method of making it and did not want to disclose my ignorance because I thought everyone would make fun of me since I lived in Chennai for a few years.

I took it up as a challenge and put in great efforts to make it in the way that I invented proving the saying- Necessity is the mother of invention.

I kept adding more spices, salt and tamirind to the mixed rice and sambhar, tasting it for some iota of taste and finally felt it was quite OK.

I took it to the party with mixed feelings thinking the ladies would surely ridicule me.

When all the different food was served and tasted, wonder of wonders, everyone proclaimed that the sambhar sadham was the best.

It was also heartening when my husband's friend told the ladies to ask the expert ( meaning me) to tell how the South Indian food made by an African couple was.

Linking this to A-Z challenge
Z is for Zaire

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.comZaire, an unforgettable experience

Yadon Ki Baraat

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Y for Yadon Ki Baarat

This movie was released in the mid 70's when I was doing my graduation.
Along with a few friends, I bunked classes to see the movie. It had a multi star cast and melodious songs and was a blockbuster  during that time. Amir Khan was a 4 year old boy who grew up to be Tahir Hussain,( Amir Khan's father and younger brother of director Nasir Hussain). Tahir Hussain  was handsome and dashing and swept my friends and me off our feet. My friends kept raving about him.One friend was so smitten that said she did not mind having an affair with him. Each had her own opinion. I was still grounded. May be because I was an ardent fan of Rajesh Khanna during those days. I saw one more of Tahir Hussain's movie- Hum Kissi se Kam Nahi. Wonder why he did not act in more movies?

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Xanadu

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Xanadu takes me down memory lane. I was an ardent fan of Indrajal comics as a child and would eagerly wait for my father to bring  a copy. Zanadu is the high-security mansion where Mandrake the Magician lived. He was the main character in the Indrajal Comics.  He was a master-illusionist, thanks to his incredible hypnotic powers.  These magical abilities stood 
 him in good stead as a crime-fighter - a career he chose after leaving the Collegium Magikos where he grew up and was trained in magic by the grandmaster Theron.  A wealthy man, Mandrake lived with his girlfriend Narda, sidekick Lothar and chef Hojo.. Usually dressed in his trade-mark magician's top-hat, coat and tails and cape, he frequently sallied out of Xanadu to solve crimes. 

Taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandrake_the_Magician.

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Worth watching/ Wine Incident

                 
                 

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                                                                    What's that?

                                                   
                                                    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNK6h1dfy2o

      A very inspiring and thoughtful video about a father, son and a sparrow.

Linking this to A-Z challenge. W is for What's that?

If URL doesn't work, I have one more post on W

Wine is my weakness. The  incident took place in Kolkatta when I was newly married.( 1977) . 
Venu and I were invited to a friend's house for a dinner party. 
Upon going there, I saw that it was a lavish party with a large gathering.
We were ushered into the friend's stylish bar and offered drinks.
I was given a small goblet (I was seeing such a glass for the first time) and my husband was offered a bigger glass. 
The friend then poured whisky in the bigger glass and poured what he called a 'Lady's drink' into my goblet. Everything was new to me. 
It so happened that when the friend filled my goblet with wine, (I came to know that the drink was called wine) I gulped it down. 
He kept pouring and I kept gulping without knowing that it should be sipped little by little. Finally, the exasperated friend showed venu the empty bottle.
Venu looked shell-shocked. The friend then told Venu, "Either your wife is a drunkard or she does not know what this is". Luckily, I was in my senses throughout the party.
Maybe, that incident made me fall in love with wine. So at times, I whine for some wine!!

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Wine Incident
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Vaisnodevi trip

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Vasisno devi shrine is  located on the Trikuta Mountains.
In Hinduism, Vaishno Devi, also known as Mata Rani and Vaishnavi, is a manifestation of the Mother Goddess or Durga. The words "maa" and "mata" are commonly used in India for "mother", and thus are often used in connection with Vaishno Devi..Vaishno devi shrine is one of 108 shakti Peetha.

In the year 2003 on a very cold winter, I went on a trip with my nieces with a group of college students.
The itinerary was to Delhi, Agra, Amritsar and Vaisnodevi in Jammu. It was a wonderful trip by train to Delhi and then in a luxury bus with a very aged driver maticulously. manouvering the roads amidst dense fog.

On the way to Agra, we halted at Mathura Bridavan to offer our worship to Lord Krishna.
As I was walking on rocky terrain, I chanced to see a  monkey on the overhead wires and thought how dirty and ugly it looked. It seems that I annoyed Lord Hanuman because the next moment, I found myself hitting against a huge stone and being thrown to the ground in full force.

I lay stunned on the ground and was helped to my feet by my nieces. It was not as bad as I thought, but
gradually, my right knee started aching badly as there was a nasty bruise which started swelling. I found it painful to bend it while sitting cross legged on the floor in front of the idol of Lord Krishna and his consort Radha.

Somehow, I managed to get into the bus and reach the hotel in Agra where we were put up for the night.
As it was a bitter winter month, the cold took its toll on my left foot. I was unable to climb down from the bus because of the excruciating pain I felt when putting my leg down to get out from the bus.

Seeing my plight, everyone was worried. My nieces called an auto and took me to the nearest ortho clinic. I was helped up the steps by my nieces and the auto driver. There was a group of  rural people watching an English movie and their laughter filled the room. It was really funny, and I had to smile in spite of the unbearable pain.The doctor took sometime in coming as he was at an operation theatre.

As soon as he appeared, I was taken into his chamber. At the first glance itself,  the doctor said that I had a nasty fracture. I was heartbroken as I was to go to Vaishnodevi shrine the next day. I told the doctor, and he simply said that if  Mata wanted, I would surely visit her shrine.

Even with the pain, I did some toe exercises and prayed with my heart and soul for some miracle which would make me walk normally. In the morning, I was a bit satisfied to see that the pain  had slightly reduced, and I was able to walk. I got into the bus and went with everyone to see the famed Taj Mahal.
Though I had seen the Taj Mahal a few times, I did not want to sit in the bus and slowly walked to join the queue. Surprisingly, the pain had disappeared. Goddess Vaisnodevi did want me to visit her.

I climbed the hills without any difficulty and reached the shrine. I had a grand darshan and then it was time to go to Amritsar to see the golden temple and the heavily crowded Wagh border which were covered easily with my loving nieces forming a protective circle around me to avoid someone from stepping on my injured foot.

When we reached Chennai, my husband oblivious to everthing took me immediately to see the ortho when he came to know of everything. An xray was taken which showed a split bone on my left foot.
The doctor looked at me in wonder and said, " It is a miracle. I wonder how you walked"?.
Prayer that comes from the bottom of your heart is always heard by god.
It's true Prayer has the power to move mountains

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V is for Vaishnodevi trip.

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Vaisnodevi

Unity is strength

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Unity is strength is a very well known proverb.
It brings to mind the story from Aesop's Fables- The bundle of sticks.
A father had a family of sons who were perpetually quarreling among themselves. When he failed to heal their disputes by his exhortations, he determined to give them a practical illustration of the evils of disunion; and for this purpose he one day told them to bring him a bundle of sticks.
When they had done so, he placed the bundle into the hands of each of them in succession, and ordered them to break it in pieces. They tried with all their strength, and were not able to do it.
He next opened the bundle, took the sticks separately, one by one, and again put them into his sons' hands, upon which they broke them easily.
He then addressed them in these words: "My sons, if you are of one mind, and unite to assist each other, you will be as this bundle, uninjured by all the attempts of your enemies; but if you are divided among yourselves, you will be broken as easily as these sticks."
Downloaded from
http://www.umass.edu/aesop/content.php?n=4&i=1
Unity establishes love, affection and  friendship.
As a saying goes- In olden days it was united family and in modern age it is attached bathrooms.
A united family brings forth responsible children.
I came across such a family in Jodhpur where the mother was the head of the family.
Her sons handed over their salary to her and she was the treasurer.
The daughters-in-law too were loving, affectionate and polite and were seen doing the household chores
as a team.
Hope modern age too realizes the importance of this saying - Unity is strength.

                                                                   My family

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Terrifying night

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Terrifying Night
The experience that I had as a child in Kolkatta is really unforgettable
One day as I was having dinner all alone, I felt something pulling my toe from under the table.
I couregously looked under and got a fright to see something big and dark moving to and fro.
I panicked, took to my heels with all the strength I had crying out, " A ghost", and ran to my parents room and collapsed.

My mother, a courageous woman, wanted to prove that ghosts did not exist. She carried me to the room and looked under the table and lo and behold!, it was a mosquito net freshly dried that had dropped off the chair and comfortably settled under the table. The rope had got entangled on my toe, so as I moved my leg, the net too had moved to and fro.
Even now, this incident is narrated to children and they have a good laugh.

An apt example for the proverb- Look before you leap.

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Shades of life now and then

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Shades of life now and then. 
In olden days, there was less crime and criminals. People worked hard, so there were less diseases.
Housewives did all work like grinding. pounding and washing manually. So childbirths were normal and cesarean birth were unheard of.
Woman lead healthy and happy lives.

In the modern age, thanks to technology, everyone finds life easy, but with a spate of ill health due to various diseases brought about by Man's reckless lifestyle. 

Regarding the spate of rapes in the modern age, rapists and criminals are not born, but made. Parents, schools and society are to be blamed more than the criminals and rapists themselves. It brings to mind the saying in The Merchant of Venice - More sinned against than sinning.

Giving capital punishment or life imprisonment is not the solution.
Such people need counselling and given a new lease of life to see whether they improve especially juvenile offenders.

Inspite of the Nirbhaya incident, there is no improvement in rape cases.
People worship Shakthi, but some miscreants insult her in various abominable ways.

Children are asked to read newspapers to improve their knowledge, but I believe that newspapers today are not meant for children.
Technology is no doubt useful but has opened Pandora's Box.

The olden days without technology seems to have been much better and healthy.
Technology is a boon as well as bane in modern life.

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Shades of life now and then

Queer snaky experience

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Q for queer.

The queer happening  took place in the early 60s. I used to spend my vacation in a small town called Chittur, a district in Palakkad in Kerala. I was staying in my father's ancestral home. My aunts used to go to the river for bathing. One day, I went with my aunts, but sat on the riverbank as I was not very keen to bathe in full view of everyone.
As I sat there, admiring the thick green vegetation, I chanced to see a snake, a foot long, appear suddenly and disappearing into a hole.
I don't know what prompted me to go behind the poor thing and before it could get into the hole, I stamped on its tail that was the only part visible. It wriggled and disappeared.
It would have sent an SOS to its species because within moments, the whole riverbank was filled with its kith and kin. What unity! Humans ignore a wounded person on the street and here were the reptiles showing brotherhood. I have seen such things with birds especially crows. I stood rooted with fright.
The snakes were getting to be too many. Seeing this, my frightened aunt  told me to leave the place immediately.
I ran as fast as I could thinking hell was let loose. I ran till I reached home. I heaved a sigh of relief to see that there was no army of revengeful snakes slithering behind me.
Later, I heard that Nagaraga was pacified with milk, some pooja etc. Because I was not haunted by any Nagin, I believe Nagaraja was pacified.
But I am really very sorry even now for my ignorant action. Forgive me Lord Najaraja!!!

Linking this to A-Z challenge. Q is for Queer Snaky Experience Snaky experience

Sorry sent post on R by mistake

Rickshaw puller

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Rickshaws are a very popular transport in Kolkatta. I get onto a rickshaw not because I love to save time but to provide some money to the hardworking rickshawpullers whose livehood are the rickshaws.

One day along with my mom-in-law, I decided to go to my parents' house. We got into a tram and got down at the stop.
From the stop, we got into a rickshaw to reach our destination.
While nearing my parents' house, I got down from the rickshaw to buy some sweets.
To my horror, I found that I had lost my wallet. I was at a loss how to pay the sweetmonger when the tired rickshaw puler came up and offered to pay saying I could pay him back when I reached my parents' house.
It was indeed kind of him.

I will ever remain grateful to the kindhearted rickshaw puller.
http//wwa-a-z-challengeRicks haw puller
I used to stay in an area where rickshaw pullers had their dwellings.
Every night from the adjacent dwelling, I could hear their revelry till late night. Maybe dancing away their blues pulling human loads.


Rickshaw puller

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Poiizon Studio

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 Linking this to A-Z challenge. P for Poiizon studio.

Poiizon Studio in Chennai catered to dances for corporates and programmes. Amateurs practiced to shake a leg and people who knew how to dance came to brush up their skills.
My husband who was the president of a Rotary club in the year 12-13 and I participated in a program Happy India for a district conference where a dozen other couples were enacting couples from the different states of India..
My husband and I were a Bengali couple.
The complete week of rehearsal was full of fun, frolic and feast.
A few husbands used to get mouth watering snacks from a hotel nearby and serve the snacks with coffee/tea.
The ladies then decided to have pot luck and brought lunch from home (including me).
There was an array of delicious veg and non-veg items.
A wonderful week that will  be cherished for ever.
The outcome of our hectic practice was a brilliant success.

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.comPoiizen Studio

                                                               The Bengali couple snap

Orange Peels

                                                               

Orange peels remind me of my dad who was insistent that he squeezed the juice into everyone's eyes.
He used to have a tough time with me as I always dodged him, but he used to have his way in the end. May be that is the reason I have a good eyesight. I really miss his pranks now.
I am also reminded of the short story Seventeen Oranges by Bill Naughton.

Linking this to A-Z challenge. O is for orange.

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Nepal elephant ride

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Nepal elephant ride
The unforgettable ride  took took place in the early 80s.
Along with my mom, husband and son, we went for an elephant ride in a safari park in Nepal.
It was the monsoon weather, so everyone talked to us against taking the ride on such a bad weather.
Since we thought that the elephant was going to make a simple circle around the park, we decided to take the ride.
Much to everyone's chagrin, the elephant started climbing a hill where there was a temple dedicated to a goddess- Vanadevata.
As the elephant started climbing the steep hill, its feet were slipping on the loosened mud. I noticed that the elephant had climbed a long way and the gorge below was frightening. I was expecting the elephant to slip and hurtle down.
I closed my eyes praying fervently while my mom who had given up praying after the death of my father was calling out to Lord Ganesha.
The mahout was  hitting the elephant occasionally to make it walk faster much to my shock.
After a long time, the elephant halted in front of the temple. We offered our prayers and soon it was the return journey down. With thumping hearts, we sat on the elephant which managed to bring us down in one piece.
My husband enquired if there was any untoward happening during the monsoon season.
It was heartening to know that there were no frightening cases.
He offered the mahout double the amount that was quoted for bringing us back safely.

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Monkey menace.

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Monkeys ruled the roost in our society when we were staying in Delhi in the mid 90s.
Groups of monkeys used to bask in the sun at the back side of the building during peak winter months.
They used to terrorize adults and children, snatch shopping bags and snarl at people.
Once a  relative who had come for a wedding was going out with her husband when a huge monkey tugged at the husband's belt and stood up equal to him in height (the man was over six feet).
The wife seeing this let out a scream and brandished her handbag at the monkey thinking of saving her husband.
The infuriated monkey turned towards her and bit deeply on her thigh.
She had to be administered rabies injection.
The monkeys used to shift places as per their convenience.
One day thinking that the monkeys would'be at the back side. I decided to take the front entrance to avoid coming in contact with them.
To my chagrin, I walked straight into a circle of monkeys behind a bush at the front entrance.
I stood rooted with shock. A big monkey came up to me and knocked off my shopping bag and started searching the contents.
I let out a piercing shriek which frightened the monkey, and it fled along with the other monkeys.

When my relative came to know of the incident, she was upset saying that she recited Hanuman Chalisa everyday, and in spite of it got bitten by a monkey. Wonder what made the monkey leave me unharmed! Maybe, Lord Hanuman was watching and took pity on me.

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M is for Monkeys.

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Monkey menace

Learning and teaching is not anymore traditional.

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Learning and teaching is not traditional anymore.
There was a saying Spare the rod and spoil the child.
Caning a child for misbehavior is tolerable, but teachers in the modern age have become tormentors. There is physical abuse by sadist teachers, mental torment where a student studying in class 10 committed suicide, bones broken, eyes damaged with the wooden duster being thrown at the student and lots more. There are cases of girl students eloping with male teachers and even a lady teacher luring a male student.
There was a case of a student stabbing his teacher to death. There are cases in the US where students shoot down everyone at random.
I think rather than burying students in books, they should be given training on how to conduct themselves in society.
Like charity begins at home, good ethics too must start from home.
It is the duty of the parents especially mothers to train their daughters on how to behave before marriage and after marriage.
Couples should keep their fights and uncivilized talks and behavior away from their children. Not be over possessive about themselves as well as their children.
Give each other space and be free of doubts. It is a knowledgeable couple who can bring forth responsible children.
Only when human behavior changes for the better can we think of a civilized society or else there won't be any difference between humans and animals.

Linking this to A-Z challenge. L is for Learning.


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Learning

Knowledge is power

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Knowledge is power is an apt saying.
These days all efforts are being put in to educate women.
Empowerment of women is the new mantra.
Female infanticides have reduced and girl children being welcomed.
A doctor in Gujarat took a vow to take care of the expenses of the girl child delivered in his hospital.

Girls are essential agents of change in breaking the cycle of poverty and deprivation: By investing in their economic potential through education and by delaying child marriage, multiple issues such as maternal mortality, child survival, gender-based violence and HIV can be resolved and the cycle of poverty can be broken.
Shared from

DASRA PHILANTHROPY WEEK

An educated woman educates entire society.

In modern days, women are not confined to the four walls, cook and clean and rear children.

She is at par with a man whether it be as a pilot, in the army, in the police force or as a collector.
Nowadays, there are women pilots, woman police officers (how can one forget Kiren Bedi) ( bus drivers, auto drivers  and they work at petrol bunks.

Now there is no need to differentiate between a boy child and a girl child since both are capable.

So parents with girl children, please be proud of your girl children. and educate them as you would educate your sons.

Education will help them to avoid being dormats and live with heads held high.

Linking this to A-Z challenge. K is for knowledge.

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Jealousy

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Jealousy is one of the seven deadly sins.
Jealous people can never think straight. They are more worried about others than themselves.
They can stoop to any length to have their way.
There are incidents of  a colleague murdering his friend through sheer jealousy at his progress, a business partner murdering his partner's son over some conflict between them. Anger and jealousy make people involve in acid attacks, shootings and stabbings.
There are true cases of such incidents taking place in places like Delhi, Kolkatta etc.
Jealousy is a very destructive emotion not only for the person concerned but also for the victims.

 The stories I can think of is the woodcutter and the axe and Alibaba and the 40 thieves.
The jealous woodcutter seeing the golden axe with the honest woodcutter is consumed with jealousy and realizes when it is too late.
Alibaba's brother's wife is jealous of Alibaba's good fortune and forces her husband to bring some treasure for themselves. The wife's jealousy and greed ends in misfortune. The husband is caught while getting the treasure and killed..

Seen incidents where jealous wives in order to compete with rich neighbors pester their husbands to buy them expensive items which make the husbands take loans and struggle life long.

Neither the husbands nor the wives are happy.

Jealousy is indeed a green eyed monster, and it is better to keep away from it before it consumes us.

Linking this to A-Z challenge.

 J is for jealousy.

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Jealousy

Car mystery

The car mystery  took place in the year 2012 on Eliot's beach where we had the eat festival.
It was conducted by Rotary district 3230.
Late night when the festival closed for the day, our driver looking really scared as he informed that our car was missing.
My distraught husband immediately called a rotarian friend who knew the commissioner well and a message was sent..

The local police station was alerted. All present were upset at what happened to an exciting evening.
All along, I felt that our car was somewhere close by and nothing had happened. I always pray to Lord Ganesha when something like this happens. I was scared to tell my husband what was in my mind when we took a taxi to reach home.
On reaching home, I was literally in tears to see the empty garage.
Next day early morning there was a call from the police station informing that our car was located.

There was a showdown by the inspector who said that the car was found in the same place where it was parked.
Our driver had forgotten the place and mistook another place for having parked the car.
It was a real comedy of errors and everyone still teases us about it.

Health is wealth

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Health is wealth is a well known saying which everyone should follow.
Many youngsters these days feel it is a fashion to smoke, drink and do all sorts of unwanted things without realizing what such a lifestyle will do to them in the future.
For a moment's enjoyment, they are ruining their whole life.
Drug addicts and heavy smokers are at a risk.
They are not only ruining themselves, but society at large.
A true story is of a 15 year old girl, a very good student who falls in the company of a rich classmate( a girl) whose mother is a socialite and does not have time for her.
Both the girls spend time with boys who are drug addicts.
The father of the middleclass girl is overpossessive of her and keeps forcing her to get better and better marks. The girl is exasperated and starts hating her father and finds calm in her friend's company.
She bluffs about going to school and the lie is found out one day when the prinicipal calls up the father regarding his daughter's absence from school.
When the parents come to know of her drug addiction, they are heartbroken.
She is admitted to a rehabilitation center for recovering.
The father is asked to handle her with love and affection.
Thinking that if she had her mobile with her she will again begin to talk to her friends, the father takes her mobile away.
All day long she is under house arrest and occasionally turns wild asking for some money to buy drugs.
When refused, she is like someone possessed.
One day she runs into her room locking the door refusing to come out.
The parent's and sister's screams do not have any effect. All are scared and has the door broken open.
They find the girl hanging from the ceiling.
A sad end to a young life.
Please keep away from drugs. It will make you inhuman, spoil your health and lead to your destruction.

Linking this to A-Z challenge. H is for Health is wealth.


http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime

Alphabet

                                             

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime is a proverbial saying which suggests that the ability to work is of greater benefit than a one-off handout.

By giving money to beggars, people are only encouraging them to beg for a living and not work for a living.
Beggars these days have become  incorrigible.
                                               

I remember of an incident where I gave a ten rupee note to a lame beggar telling him to share with the others with him. I was taken aback when he started running in full speed so as not to share the money.
In another incident, I gave a ten rupee note to a beggar telling her to share with her partner.
She grimaced and threw the money away.
Such people who insult Goddess Lakshmi will remain beggars throughout their lives and also in their next life.
I believe the given proverb to be the best solution

I am a Rotarian and our club has taken upon itself to develop a deprived village and the village school.
Only compassion at the state of affairs will not improve the village, but providing the necessary amenities like training the women and men in various activities, educating the students and providing all the benefits as well as a nutritious diet.
Our club's endeavour has  reduced drop outs considerably and made the village happy. Students are studying well and making the village proud of their results not only in academics but also in sports.

Linking this to A-Z challenge.
G is for Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread

Staring the writing with alphabet F.

 Fools rush in where angels fear to tread is a well known proverb meaning The rash or inexperienced will attempt things that wiser people are more cautious of.
I will explain this with a true life incident.
The incident took place in Kolkatta in the early 80s.
My maid was on leave for a few days and gave me a substitute.
One day, I noticed a few gold items and a 50 rupee note missing from my cupboard.
I confronted the subsitute maid along with my neighbors.
She denied vehemently.
Since my husband was on tour, I was at a loss.
Along with a neighbor's daughter, I went to the slum area where the maid resided. I came to know that she had left for her daughter's house and it convinced me that she had fled to her daughter with the booty.
When my husband returned at night, I informed him, and he immediately informed the police.
The inspector (shame on the police force), refused to go to the slum area saying that there was a murder a few days back and the area was famous for criminals.
He was shocked to hear that along with my neighbor, I had visited the area.
Though I did not get back my jewels I proved the saying Fools rush in where angels fear to tread true much to my husband's displeasure.

Linking this to A-Z challenge. F is for  Fools rush in where angels fear to tread

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The car mystery

The car mystery  took place in the year 2012 on Eliot's beach where we had the eat festival.
It was conducted by Rotary district 3230.
Late night when the festival closed for the day, our driver looking really scared as he informed that our car was missing.
My distraught husband immediately called a rotarian friend who knew the commissioner well and a message was sent..

The local police station was alerted. All present were upset at what happened to an exciting evening.
All along, I felt that our car was somewhere close by and nothing had happened. I always pray to Lord Ganesha when something like this happens. I was scared to tell my husband what was in my mind when we took a taxi to reach home.
On reaching home, I was literally in tears to see the empty garage.
Next day early morning there was a call from the police station informing that our car was located.

There was a showdown by the inspector who said that the car was found in the same place where it was parked.
Our driver had forgotten the place and mistook another place for having parked the car.
It was a real comedy of errors and everyone still teases us about it.

Every cloud has a silver lining

Day 5 alphabet E

Every cloud has a silver lining is usually said as an encouragement to a person who is overcome by some difficulty and is unable to see any positive way forward.
It so happened that a friend was in a very dire condition and on the verge of committing suicide.
Another friend coaxed him to meet Mata Amrithanandamaye to seek her advice.
Amma as the mata was fondly called told him that the pepper business he was into was not good for him and suggested him to deal in stone and steel materials.
He did accordingly by manufacturing grinding stones for idli, dosa batter which had steel and stone.
He thus flourished in his business.
It was the friend who came as the silver lining.
Every dark cloud has a silver lining

Another true incident:
My son and Meena had come down to Chennai on holiday.
The ladies in Rotary wanted to buy uniform sarees, so Meena too joined us to select the sarees in a showroom in T.Nagar.
As we were choosing sarees, there was a phone call from Pravin saying a neighbor's wife had come saying that her husband had a severe heart attack. Pravin and his father left their lunch and rushed the  patient immediately to the hospital. The delay there irked my husband and he gave the staff a piece of his mind and before he could call the chief cardiologist, the patient was put in ICU. An angiography and stent were done together. A life was thus saved. I believe Pravin and his father came as the silver lining.

Linking this to A-Z challenge. E is for Every cloud has a silver lining.

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

Character is destiny

It is man who makes or mars his destiny.

A true story is about Mohan who is overtly possessive of his son Amrith.
His neigborhood dhobi's son also called Amrith is of the same age as Mohan's son.
Mohan brainwashes his son regarding their social status and the dhobi's povery and admonishes him whenever he sees them together.
Mohan's son Amrith begins to blackmail his friends by telling them that he will not share anything with them if they keep in touch with Amrith.
One day Mohan admonishes the dhobi for naming his son Amrith. The poor dhobhi is at a loss.
Seeing his son's eagerness to learn, with the help of a kind neighbor who coaches Amrith and is instrumental in admitting the boy in the same school and class as Mohan's son.
There is a great misunderstanding because of the similar names but finally it is the dhobi's son who surpasses Mohan's son in studies and sports.
Mohan is consumed with anger and jealousy.
One day the dhobi's son is found drowned in the swimming pool.
Investigations reveal the hand of Mohan in the crime.
He is arrested and jailed.
It was his egocentric nature that ruined him and his family.

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth

Day 4

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. is a well known English proverb. It means one should be happy and grateful when receiving a gift. It is not the gift that counts but the goodwill of the giver which should be appreciated.
I know of quite a few incidents where the gifts were looked down upon.
A husband presented his wife a diamond ring which was criticized by the wife's mother saying that it was hardly seen on the finger and did not look expensive.
For all the mother-in-laws haughtiness, her daughter is in dire strait now since her husband lost all his business and they have to live with their daughter whose husband is kindhearted and willing to take care of the parents.

There are cases at south Indian weddings where sweets or snacks are criticized because of its shape.
Why can't the loud-mouthed people think it  a blessing to have a sumptuous meal  when there are people who do not get to eat a square meal.

Linking this to A-Z challenge.

D is for Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

Incident in Chennai

                                                                     Alphabet

                                                   

I was travelling by bus to my school in Chennai with the corrected model answer papers of the class 10 students.

The year was 1990.
The bus was very crowded. I somehow managed to give the bag containing the papers to a passenger to be able to hang on to the bar to avoid falling down.
When I reached my stop, I got down and walked up to my school without realizing that I had not collected my bag from the passenger.
Reality struck me when the principal called all teachers with their corrected scripts.
I told the principal what had happened, but she was insistent that I should get back the papers before students started asking for them.
My husband was abroad, so I called up his friend asking for help to trace the lost bag.
He said that he will do the needful in the  morning as it was too late.
The next morning with a forlorn face I went to school expecting a showdown from the principal.
As I was entering my class room, a teacher came in swaying the bag in front of my face saying that a bus conductor had  deposited the bag at the reception.
I thanked god for the turn of events and was upset that I was not able to thank the conductor for his noble deed.
Then I came to know that a raffle ticket coupon in myy bag had saved me.
The address on it it had helped the conductor trace the school. He had made the driver stop the bus in front of the school and handed the bag at the reception. May his tribe increase.

Linking this to A-Z challenge. I for Incident in Chennai .

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/ 

Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.

Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.

Each person has his own interpretation of beauty.A man may fall in love with a woman not for her beautiful face but the beauty within her.She may be plain looking but her good character and the beautiful soul inside can charm a man.

Recently I saw a dance show on a channel where a pretty woman and her husband without legs were dancing much to the wonder and surprise of the audience. The man's movements were effortless.The couple who had eloped and got married and boycotted by the respective families were given a warm welcome and the person without legs was embraced by the girls family on stage.

The audience and judges had tears in their eyes.

Linking this to A-Z challenge.

B is for Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder

As you Sow - So you Reap....

A wonderful April month which has given me a chance to showcase my writing talent for a full 26 days beginning with alphabet A and ending with Z.

Starting the topic with the first letter of the English alphabet- A

As you sow, so you reap.

No one can expect an apple tree by sowing a mango seed. Everyone has to face the consequences of his/her action.Good deeds yield good results and wicked deeds will only bring bad results.The proverb takes me down memory lane of an incident that took place in Kolkatta.

Our landlady, her handsome son, beautiful wife and three lovely children  lead a really happy life.
Into this wonderful family life came a villain in the form of a young  slum dweller who used to sit under the landlady's balcony rendering melodious songs.
I used to see the daughter-in-law standing on the balcony admiring his versatile singing talent.

I soon left  Kolkatta and a few years later came to know that the DIL and the singer had eloped.
The DIL had taken all her ornaments and money to have a good time with the singer.
After having spent everything, they did not have money to survive. She was seen by a known person in dire straits in a slum where she was staying. She had lost her beauty and was in tatters. I am sure she would be cursing the day she met the slum dweller and ruined her life.

Linking this to A-Z challenge. A is for As You Sow, So You Reap.

A is for As you sow, so you reap.

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com As you sow, so you reap