Mothers are some of the most beautiful creatures walking this planet.

The pride and joy that you see in a mothers eye for her child is unrivalled and nothing, practically nothing can change the compassion and concern a mother feels for her child.

This morning I finally got to speak a few words to our new cleaner aunty at work. I noticed she was wearing a uniform today, over her dress, and it was something that did not make me happy. Just yesterday, I was actually thinking about how it was nice that she also got to wear her normal brightly coloured clothes while cleaning her way around the office, bringing some form of cheer, and today I see her in this uniform, and it hurt me. Why do people have to be classified, uniformed, judged based on their occupation? ( This is again a topic for another post that’s been running in my head for quite some time now)

So I decide to ask her why she’s wearing her uniform, n she says the management asked her to wear a uniform so that they could easily identify her and call out to her. Is that even a reason? I don’t think so. Nevertheless, I told her I would give her a badge to decorate her uniform, n she smiled J

Then she, out of the blue, told me her son was also like us (pointing to the employees sitting at her desks). He is studying in ITE (The Institute of Technical Education, a post-secondary educational institution), and apparently he’s studying how to design oil pipelines and stuff.  More than what she was saying, the pride in her eyes when she sais her son was studying something connected to what we were working on in our company, and how he was enjoying his studies – that was what enthralled me. The visions she had for him, the wonderful future she saw for him, oh it was all so evident in those eyes. I could see how she saw him working like us at a desk, with a computer, unlike her walking around with a broom and a mop.

I told her how it was wonderful he was studying, and how he should go on to study more in this field since it had a lot of opportunities. She asked me how much an engineer would earn, apologetic that she was asking me a personal / sensitive question. I laughed and told her that one could probably start off with a 3k salary and that totally brightened up her face. I could see her mentally calculating how many of their loans they could wipe off, how much the salary would uplift their daily lifestyle, such joy unmasked…

But then again, it was not the prospect of him earning money and helping her with the running of the family that mainly contributed to her happiness. It was more the better future that she saw for him, how much she valued education, how she regretted not having an opportunity to be educated, and all her various expectations for his life yet to come. I only hope her dear son lives up to her hopes and more, and keeps her happy, forever in gratitude of her sacrifices towards a better future for him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Her eyes unmasked

Reveled in pride

Regretted in lost chances

Brimmed with hope

Basked in joy

Glittered with resilience

Mirrored an image

An image of her small boy

Turning into a young lad

Taking the charge

Swelling with pride

Oh dear mother!

Ur eyes reveal it all

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

We read to know we are not alone

“From that time on, the world was hers for the reading. She would never be lonely again, never miss the lack of intimate friends. Books became her friends and there was one for every mood. There was poetry for quiet companionship. There was adventure when she tired of quiet hours. There would be love stories when she came into adolescence and when she wanted to feel a closeness to someone she could read a biography. On that day when she first knew she could read, she made a vow to read one book a day as long as she lived.”  - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

A rainy rainy morning.. the incessant downpour providing the necessary music to my ears…

After my battle with the trains getting stuck in between stations (which I totally cannot stand cos I get completely suffocated..), missing the crowded bus and having to wait for the next one, I finally reach office.. 40 mins later than I normally do. And believe me I like my early mornings at work – gives me time to absorb the silence, collect my thoughts and decide how I want my day to proceed…

This song, and my cup of coffee however totally cheered me up...

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuEYQgh3-b8

What a beautiful line… 

”Chanda suraj laakhon taare hain jab tere hi yeh saare

Kis baat par hothi hai phir thakraarein “

And to hear the children sing…

“What are you waiting for another sign another call,

Somewhere we have to find a new way to peace!!!”

Hoping that the day brightens up as it passes…

“Cos what are clouds but mists of vapour

That must fade away at the onset of sunshine

To give way to rainbows and vast blue skies

And the bright bright light…”

Hmmm...Serious Attempts to bump me off social-networking...

“Welcome to the fallout

Welcome to Resistance

The tension is here

The tension is here..”

Right.. so its not like I’m not a happy person.. Innately I am.. (Ahem.. refer smiley at the end of the post to believe me..)

But this joint effort by the world to get me to disable my facebook account.. Its kinda annoying me…

There was once when I could tolerate “Happily Married”, “Forever and After”, “Our beautiful Wedding” pics flooding my Facebook wall..couples holding hands, going through the same old ceremonies, all the shine n glitter n gloss that accompanies one’s wedding… and everybody else commenting how beautiful the bride looks.. I mean yes, they are MADE to look beautiful on their wedding day… if not that day, then when??

And even if the bride did really not look that great, I bet nobody would be cruel enough to go ahead and say “Oh my! U look ghastly! Y didn’t u try a different salon for your bridal makeup?? “

Then came the Baby-boom.. Somehow everyone decided to sync their Timelines, and go ahead and have babies around the same time… and then add all the “Cute baby”, “My newborn baby”, ‘The latest addition to my family” albums to their Facebook pages….. and in effect.. my wall was yet again flooded… but this time with the salivating, rosy cheeked, ogling eyed babies… Then again, I bit my lip, held my breath and told myself, its only a phase… 5 years down the road, you wont find these people posting so many pictures of their babies (then again, not that I am opposed to babies, I love them and think they are extremely cute)…

And now, to top it all, almost as if people cant get enough of themselves, theres a new thief on the prowl… “Pre-wedding pics”.. Its almost as if they cant foresee all the posing they’ll have to do during their wedding, or maybe it’s a trial-run to the big-day… When I look at these pics I just feel like screaming my lungs out “Look dudes, u guys r posing”..atleast if the pics were entirely natural, in-the-moment ones, I would totally understand, cos most wedding photographers do not seem to understand the term ‘Capturing the moment’.. and most wedding photographs end up being theatrical attempts at replaying the festivities.. and hence in no way end up being natural (thanks to the friends who actually come down and salvage the event by actually capturing the moments selectively).

On the whole, all this just makes me ponder over the following once again:

1. What was the original point of social-networking websites?

2. Why is there an inherent need for social-acceptance among human-beings?

3. Why would anyone want to go through the ordeal of posing and re-posing and re-posing? (I especially pity the girls cos they are the ones who carry n-layers of makeup on their faces)

4. Why is the world plotting to get me off Facebook???

I definitely don’t have an answer to the last two questions. The first two.. another day, another post maybe..

And once again… I am an extremely happy person by nature! U’ve gotta trust me on that one J

Bit by the travel bug

"You say the hills too steep to climb,

Chiding!

You say you'd like to see me try,

Climing!

You pick the place and I'll choose the time

And I'll climb the hill in my own way."

Yes, I agree…every little thing does excite me. But nothing does as much as the prospect of flying to a new land, seeing new people and dreaming about the shots I can get on my camera of the entire experience.

And that's what happened yesterday, I was bit by the travel bug again.. and this time it bit me pretty hard..

We (my CB n me) once again started making travel plans... and this time to the long-forgotten, laid back land of Laos. I started my usual 'googling' around, opening a zillion tabs and trying my best to keep track of how I ended up on the current webpage. 

But oh wasn't it all worth it... Laos does seem like a totally wonderful travel experience altogether, promising me that I could get lost in time once I set my foot on it. The treks, the temples and the food (heavily influenced by the history of the French colonialism) awed me. Little did I know that this small land had so many varied experiences to offer, and now, thanks to my extensive 'research', and my greed of course *evil grin*.. I am contemplating what kind of experience I would want to absorb. 

Should I go back in time again with the peace and quiet of the temples, or should I let myself be completely engulfed by nature and go on a 3-day trek visiting the local village and getting to know their culture <might get some exercise also in the bargain? *sheesh*>?

Spoilt for choice, I'm still wondering….he he... but Laos I am definitely coming down soon to visit you baby... May you form a deep deep dent in my heart and love me enough to call out to me again! :-D

                                 

Now if only everyone didnt ask you the same question.. "How are you?".. and if only you didnt have to answer it the same old way.."Yea I'm fine.. how are u?".. cos really.. all you wanna do at times is scream at the top of your lungs.. "No.. Am not fine! Can you help me out here? Or can you stop asking the question for the umpteenth time so that I dont have to give u a fake answer?".. but then again.. little do the people who ask you that question know whats going on in your life. The "How are you" is asked either out of courtesy, or out of genuine concern, neither which can be answered with the scream. And so you go politely and politically correctly ..."Yes I'm fine.. Hope u r doing good too"... Without any idea of whats going on on the other side of the 'Hope'.. :-)

14th Feb 2012

Ok, so then I thought posts have to be put up only by people who are truly happy so that they spread the joy.. cos then again arent u supposed to spread the joy, n hide the sorrow..

But what the heck.. I thought I have my small joys in life - like a glass of wine, meeting an old friend, chit-chatting with my CB, gazing at the stars, listening to the sound of waves, n receiving messages.. So y not start reminiscing these small joys and living for them, rather than brooding over the sorrows.

So hear goes my first post as Isabella, oh how I love that name(and why I came up with it will be part of another post I suppose)...

A lovely day with an old friend... and Maggi and a glass of wine... I welcome myself into the blogger world! :) Cheers to me and a wonderful experience that lays ahead!