learnings

Time to head back home...different feeling..This balance of life is wonderful..It's also wonderful if one can remain stress free as much as possible during outings/waiting for taxis. I am yet in the learning process i.e. to learn to laugh at myself. I need to take myself more lightly..

It has been a fabulous trip so far...A real family trip!! From the time we started planning this trip it has been taking different turns...It has been an adventure trip so far.. Imagine Leaving for foreign soil without having a hotel or transportation booking.. requires some adventurous tips is it not! But I relied on my son. I had the confidence that we would just make it and we did! We left for Malaysia on the last bus from Singapore.. we were just on time! We had decided, a few hours earlier, that we would visit Penang. We reached Kuala Lumpur  in the wee hours of the morning. To our pleasant surprise we stayed at the same motel we had stayed in a few years earlier. Later in the morning we had a photo stop at Petronas Towers. We hired a Toyota Altis and drove to Penang which is about 3-4 hours from KL. The drive was scenic and we had a lot of catching up to do. Of course we missed the 'gang'! Penang took us by surprise. Instead of a sleepy sea side town, here was a...

It's Xmas time..It's a special feeling....a time to share and care. a time to give and get gifts...lovely time of the year too. Time to reflect on the past days and prepare for the coming year. Time to say thank you. Time to revive relationships..Time to let go of the past.. Time to forge ahead... Merry Xmas..

15th Dec 2010, a memorable day in my life!!! Out of the blue, one wonderful day, my schoolmate called me and we 're-bonded'! Thanks to FB we remain in touch. Once again, on yet another wonderful day my friend called to inform that there is an alumni meet. Oh was I excited!!! After 1983 I stepped into the portal of my Alma Mater.. A tingling feeling ran thro' me.. With a pounding heart and a silly grin I gazed around. So many changes. A concrete jungle had taken over the green!! Amidst shrieks and hugs we re-united, the Ewartian sisters!!! It was amazing to meet our teachers. Some had aged while some remained almost the same. The joy in their faces was truly gratifying. After all we had tortured them so much. I think the torture was mutual. LOL.. Our school stood for DISCIPLINE and I was one of the most mischievous!!! I met one of my math teachers whom I did not really like much in those days. I was bad at Math and I used to hate her for reminding me that. I carried...

I am amazed at how teachers can be so pompous.. What is there to be so pompous about when you agree that your students are not learning!! Are we trying to change our methods of teaching? Are we looking at teaching /learning from the students' point of view? Are we humble enough to acknowledge that we ought to change.. It shocked me when one of my colleagues blatantly said that she 'knows' she is doing her best but students are not learning! And that traditional methods are good enough. She does not wish to experiment. If educators can be so blind what kind of generation are we bringing forth?  Reminds me of the two woodcutters who went to cut wood. Both were using the same quality of  axes and worked the same hours. Yet one was more productive than the other. The reason was that the productive woodcutter took time off to sharpen his axe in between!! Are we taking the time off to sharpen and hone our skills.....

De clutter your house De clutter your life De clutter your mind!!! I de- cluttered my wardrobe and study table. Wow it was a great feeling. Every time I de clutter I wonder why I did not do it earlier! It amazes me  always when  some memorabilia seem so important at one point of time and irrelevant at another!! De cluttering gives immense satisfaction, a sense of lightness and a clean feeling! So I pondered why not de clutter my life too. Of late I wonder why not I let go of some relationships; relationships which are more of a burden and imparting a 'downer' feeling when I am around such people! Even if I cant remove them from my life ,maybe I can sink them to the bottom of my priority list!! De cluttering the mind is for the Saatvik!! Most of us find the first option easy. The second option will be tougher as we are all students of diplomacy. The third option is the toughest. In a few more years as I walk on the chapters of life maybe I shall be on...

This morning as I listened to the radio while driving I heard a female voice singing a jingle in an ad. The tune was that of the very popular song,' rain drops on roses.... these are a few of my favorite things'. I was transported to the movie and also some delving into my own list. A long drive with family listening and braying along! a cosy evening at Le Yogi, a quaint restaurant at Mahabalipuram travel to quaint places with family or friends staring at the rain from my bedroom window having tea and settling down with a book or movie spring cleaning my wardrobe and discovering forgotten treasures. awaiting the weekend sitting up late with a book or movie a holiday by a waterfront lolling in bed day dreaming chit chatting with my baby. These are a few of my favorite things. What are yours?

We had two 'rain holidays' after a long break. I revel in such breaks. I had plenty to do and yet I did not really 'do' much. All I did was I finished a novel and watched a few movies! I was not bored at all. So I was surprised when my friends said that they were bored.. The difference is, I realized, I have increasingly begun to like my own company! I am very happy to be home and pottering around with my books or laptop!!!