Solar eclipse warnings - Superstition or Super Funny??? :)

"Will the eclipse cast a shadow upon your life?"

Funny, right? This was the subject of an email that I received from an astro website this morning (pic above, click to enlarge). I am not registered with them ('coz I think astrology is an outright sham) but these sites gather e-mail ids from anywhere to keep sending spams. Damn.

The email claimed that one 'celebrity astrologer' will predict my future and my prospects after the solar eclipse if I subscribe to their services. Stupid and outright dim-witted. This is what I precisely think of such claims.

If these astrologers can predict anybody's future, then why don't they read their own life-lines and predict self prosperity and disease? Why do they wear stones to appease the nakshatras (planets)? Why don’t they proclaim to be God? Can their silly predictions stop anyone from dying? Are they trying to replace God?

Anyway, the point here is very different. The lunch group at office postponed lunch to 4pm, after the eclipse precisely. Mom called up to warn me that I shouldn’t be having any food cooked before the eclipse, else I’d be doomed.

Please. Eclipse is a natural phenomenon. It will occur when it has to. Useless warnings like don't watch the eclipse - especially if you are pregnant, don’t have any food cooked before the eclipse and nothing more than a waste of time.

Astrologers spend years to catch a glimpse of this beautiful phenomenon, let’s keep it to that. Unless there is a serious logic that I m unaware of.

Does 'Aman ki Asha’ have any relevance?

Two newspaper groups - India-based The Times of India & Pakistan-based Jang Group -have started a peace campaign called 'Aman Ki Asha'. These dailies are filled with glitzy advts displaying messages of Indo-Pak peace and harmony.

Seems like a great concept except that:
- While this campaign hopes for peace, Indian soldiers are still losing lives fighting for our safety on the border - While it’s good to talk about brotherhood, neighbourhood and whatever; hundreds of terrorists are still crossing border to cause chaos here
- While it looks fancy to love anything that hails from the other side of the border, we shouldn't forget many many terror attacks originate from that land. Have we forgotten the Mumbai attacks?

It's all OK to love your neighbours provided they also respect (if not love) you? Would you be friendly with your neighbour if he was encroaching in your backyard? No, you certainly won’t.

Anyway, a vague attempt to bring artists from the two countries together to croon and sing about peace won't really cement the ties between the two countries.

What we really need is serious attempts - no firing across the border, no killing there, no blood shedding, no land poaching and no terror.

As for ‘Aman ki Asha', sorry to say but it's a lame attempt to fulfill Corporate Social Responsibility CSR. Don't think it’s of much help.

This day, that year - happiest moment of my existence

Today's lunch-on discussions routed to discuss the happiest day/moment of our lives. Some described their wedding days, other remembered their first dates, many talked about their birthdays and still one chirpy soul said, "It’ll be the day when I get married to Ms. X and drive her home in my dream car".

I leapt back in time. January 8, 2008 - the day when I discovered the priorities of my life and it eventually became the happiest day of my life.

REWIND - Jan 2008

Hectic work hours, crazy friends circle, loving family and a caring special soul - this was the portrait of my life.

I was juggling with many things that time. Like many others, I was pressurised for time, unsure of the way things could frame up in life. What should come first and what could become the second lead. But was still happy with the way things had shaped up.

Things came to a slow in January when mom had to undergo a surgery. Family was prepared for the surgery and post-surgery care for her. I had taken a month's leave from the office. Mom's surgery was a regular case, as per the docs. No major complications, they said. Touch wood.

Things turned hay wired on Jan 8 while she was being 'dressed up' for the surgery. She was administered 'anema' and other chemical stuff to clean the digestive tract. (I can recollect things vividly since I was her attendant there. We stayed in a VIP ward where I stayed with her all these days)

She woke up at 6am. She wore a shirt-dress, handed over by the hospital people. She took off her jewellery and hair let loose. It was a distinct sight to see mom like that. Without food, lying there. She had a blank face. And then she was being taken away on the stretcher. I wanted time to freeze for a moment, wanted to hug her. May be push away the staff coz I wanted to cuddle her.

That day, that instant I realised how much I missed her. We all love our moms, but that moment made me realise how hollow my life was without her.

She was operated in the next one and half hour and brought out of the OT in a semi-conscious state. Later, as the day passed by she gained more consciousness. She moved her eyes and tried to move her fingers too. That was the most precious moment of my life. I won’t trade off that emotion with any damn promotion, boyfriend, wealth and success.

This one moment, one realisation and one thought shook many of my misconceptions. It helped me priorotise things.

Fancy job titles can be put off for later in life, handsome hunks can come in and walk out of your life but precious little moments shared with parents cannot be replaced with another moment or opportunity.

This was my moment of bliss and happiness. Of course I have been a part of many jubilant celebrations (some personal, other related to fellows around) but this still remains my cherished moment.

What had been your most cherished moment? Share with me in the 'comments' section.
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Welcome 2010

Wishing all a rocking year ahead. Here's a little snippet for all:




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Amazing Andamans and the spoilers

Ah, finally I get to update the blog. Was cringing to update the blog for long. But some attributions kept me off from the cyber space for more than a month.

Have joined workplace again, albeit in a new avatar. Thanks to this new get up, I have a new found recognition in the office. Many hailed the ‘new look’. And still many others cheekily asked, “how’z it going?”

More on these concerns later.

Have many-many memories, moments and thoughts to share with blog readers. Here’s one such musing.

Spotted this one in the Andamans. Tourists who throng this beautiful and serene island surely know how to leave their pug marks. Please note the heap of garbage piled in front of a temple. Ugly spots like this will shoo away more travelers.

What say?



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Of a peacock called Coco

This is not a fable guys. There’s a peacock in my neighbourhood (at South Extension, New Delhi) that is called Coco.

Funny…. Huh. I mean a peacock called Coco. There’s a fashion designer called Coco Chanel and then cocoa beans can be called ‘coco (pronunciation: koko)’ colloquially, but a peacock called Coco?

I spotted this peacock one morning on my way back from morning jog in mid-August. I presumed the bird must have flied into South Extension from nearby areas. It looked very pretty. It was walking along a road with its beautiful plumage held high. I thought it was a snooty bird and was acting too pricey. Anyway, I grabbed this moment in my phone.

I saw it again last week (in October) in the same neighbourhood. I was stunned. Just before I could grab my mobile phone again (to click a picture), an old man standing on the road side asked me if this bird was beautiful. I nodded. Indeed it was. This man swelled with pride and declared, “Humne pala hai. Iska naam Coco hai” (This is our pet. We call it Coco).

I really didn’t know what to say. I just smiled and walked along. Check out Coco – the peacock here.



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Finally discovered God’s abode – He runs a hospital!!!

Sounds funny but it’s true (see the picture below). I spotted a small dispensary in Chandigarh that is called ‘GOD HOSPITAL’. Can you believe it?

This is a reminiscence of my latest trip to the city. This ‘hospital’ is located at Sector 18. I spotted it at the end of a lane. And yes, people queued up outside the ‘GOD HOSPITAL’ to find cures for their headaches/stomach aches.

Finally, I know where God works. Next time I’ll address all my queries to this hospital, like:
- Why does this (mess) happen with me?
- Why don’t hardworking people get their due?
- Why are people so fake?
- Why is it necessary to be every one's favourite?
And the most awaited question, when will I lose some flab?

Do you have any questions for God??? Think..... Think..... You could post them in the ‘comments’ section. I will forward it to him :):)



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