Petrichor

Check the news link. This was today's highlight! "People in the US use the road more than anywhere else in the world." That's no news. As a frequent roadtripper, I cannot help feeling guilty about the increase. Why? We hit the road often & contribute to the increasing demand. Every time I see the smog layer when I drive, it kills me. All of this is not going to last very long. Yeah, that's what I feel. California, in all of US ranks high in gasoline prices(that's not news). "California is also isolated from other refining centers in the United States. Because most of California is designated by the federal government as an air quality "non-attainment" area, our gasoline must meet stringent air quality requirements to burn cleanly to protect public health and the environment." Though, I really doubt if we would stop(or reduce) our trips due to the increase in gas prices, I do plead guilty. The least I can do! (God! Bring the gas prices d...

I just noticed that I've been mentioning hubby a lot lately. At one time, it gave me a feeling that I was picturing him like a lazy, crazy guy. Not to be mistaken, please. Hubby dubby is a very sweet guy who cares a heaven lot about me. These are just everyday's blabbering :-)

10 years ago...why 10, until the day I got married, Amma was constantly behind my back telling me to do my things on time, never postpone, keep things in their places, brush your teeth twice a day, don't rush to work, call before you leave work, close after you open anything in the kitchen....trust me, the list is endless. "Amma, give me a break"! I never really thought too much about it, though I should agree that I was getting better with age :-) I wouldn't call it nagging. If I didn't do anything properly, she would tell it again & again & finally end up doing it herself. Ana, ippo, I am at the giving side. I am telling my hubby to do things on time, to keep stuff in the right places etc. How different am I from Amma? Well, I nag!!! Now, I understand how much it means to keep things in place & watch less TV. I wonder now, how Amma managed to tell me & not nag even once! Guess, its a fine line(or not!). I better watch what I am doing from now on....

Television has changed a child from an irresistible force to an immovable object. ~Author Unknown Everytime me & hubby watch a movie, we end up feeling guilty for having wasted time & assume & assure one another that this will not happen again. But when there is a dvd on the shelf, we just watch it, again. Hubby calls it relaxation. Relaxation from me!!! We generally start watching a movie together, but he gets so into the TV/movie that he needs a relaxation from that. I've rarely seen him work with that much focus. One thing I understand is, it is addictive & you end up spending way more time than you have. But we do it, all the same. Guess, its one of the necessary evils! And yeah! Men watch more TV than women. I have a living proof at home :-| A general blah blah post!

...I seldom seem to do :-( I worked so hard for my piano test today. As always, I got nervous & missed a note here & there while playing. Well! My prof sure seems to have experience with such people. He could understand :-) Was a little overjoyed when I knew my marks. For how long? Until he told us the date of the next performance test, a little over a month away! Darn. I will have to start working on 6 new songs. Now, I think. I could not enjoy or relish one moment of my victory, huh? What a pity! Moral: Its good to plan, but not to the extent where I live in the future & not the present!

If you are a Harry Potter fan, I warn you: Do not read any further! I've been a little behind & was eager to catch up with Harry Potter's series. Order of the Phoenix was not heavy only by size, also by contents. Ok, now I am revealing the suspense!!! I can't take it anymore. My head it breaking into pieces already. Sirius gets killed :-( This came as much a shock to me as Harry himself. Probably because of this, I did not like the book very much. So, I borrowed "half-blood prince" from the library thinking this cannot give me a worser news than the previous one. Alas! it did! Dumbledore gets killed in this one :-((( I've been way to upset to do anything today. What next? Maybe as my husband says, probably Rowling will kill Potter in her final book. ugh! The issue here is, I hate what is happening in book now. But cannot stop reading. I've got to know how it ends. Would definitely read "Deathly hallows". Until then, will manage with as muc...

Being a hiker for a while, I've had the opportunity to come across some mighty animals like grasshoppers, spiders, bees & slugs. Of all of these, slugs, specially, banana slug makes me feel "yucky". Well! That's my problem, isn't it. I have looked down on these creatures on the trail & have wondered "why". Well, turns out, as all other creatures, they hold an important job! Never in my wildest dreams would I google for a "banana slug"! Apparently, in reality, I did :-( But seriously, considering their size & speed, they have a very important job & they do it every minute of every day. Next time I see one on a trail, I might not lift my hat, but at least hang around to see what it actually does.

My first try at Panning during our last road trip. On I5 S. Observation: Panning is not as easy as it sounds. Exposure is a major issue. It is not easy to move your camera as much as you think :-( Who the hell found this technique??? grrrr

Karadaya Nombu falls on March 14th this year. It is celebrated by married women in various names in different part of India; Karva Chauth by people in North India & Teejri by Sindhis. Though called by various names, the essence of the pooja is common: husbands welfare & long life. People may consider this as a chauvinistic attitude(there are very few poojas done by husbands for the wife's welfare). But I well agree with the above-obvious explanation: "While the husband's well being is considered central to the happiness of the family, it is the wife who plays the critical role behind the scenes, caring, nurturing and praying for them. These rituals recognize the strength of the woman and her inner commitment to family and happiness for ever after."

A lot has been happening in the past week. Surprisingly, no time to even think what is going on! I've been meeting up with a lot of people over the past week & still finding less time to meet the others. All of a sudden 24 hours seem not so sufficient. No time to even feel tired. It is definitely nice to catch up with old friends, but, I've not been having time for myself lately. And my classes don't help, though I personally relish them! It is like I've been caught up in a whirlpool pulling me down & down. Sometimes you meet people & just want to listen to them. Don't talk, just listen. I met a friend last night after a long time who made me laugh my heart out. It was just a tiring "last 7 days" & yesterday was fun! Thanks Anu. You haven't changed a bit. Loved meeting up with you. Keep brightening everyone's day!

I've heard people say, "Heaven & Hell are what we make". There are heaven days, there are hell days. But we often hear people complain about their hell days. Not very often do we thank or be grateful for our heaven days. There are days we hate to meet certain people. But for all other days, are we happy to meet everyone? I've started to realize that just because I hate to meet someone, it does not mean they would vanish from my life. So, to successfully survive, why don't we look on how to live harmoniously? Like it or not, it does not feel good to change for others. Then how can we expect others to change for us? I do not believe in ideal situation or ideal world. So, we do not always get back what we do. Why expect & be disappointed then? "Letting go" is easier said than done, but looks like the only way out. How difficult can it get? As a kid, I had a lot of questions to ask. I felt uninterested if someone did not have an answer. Now, I think,...

I am back after my trip. Seems like I've not written forever! We saw a lot, ate a lot & drove a hell lot :-) Each place I saw, I'd never seen before. I did not know such places exist. Life was everywhere, even in the desert-only we have to take the trouble to look in deep. When I saw all those Pueblo ruins in Northern Arizona, I could not help wonder how those people lived in such arid conditions. Mind you, they built houses almost 1000 years ago. They lived as a community. At least 10 people slept in a room. Maybe that's what kept them alive- being together. They cultivated in those barren lands. Some years, they received rain, some none. Their life expectancy was short, say 30 years, but they did fight to survive that long. I could not have managed for a couple of days, I think. There is beauty in that. Beauty in the way they lived, beauty in the way the mountains are formed, beauty in the way the wind howls across the desert, beauty in the red painted deserts, beaut...

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that 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." -- Mark Twain Yay! I will be on vacation for four days starting tomorrow! Strongly recommend you take yours too! Bon Voyage, travel souls.

This guy has practically driven down an unpaved road with his 2wd rental car into GC (as we all call it passionately). Amazing! Took me by surprise. Right when I thought I had covered a considerable part of Western US, here comes a guy with a website to show me all those places I seldom knew existed! At least, some more reasons that I should keep travelling :-)

I recently received an email. Excerpts : "hi... new yr. wuz gr8.... 10 days sem hols in house.... really gr8.... i went 2 XXX 4 a wknd....only 2 buy XXXXX... (XXX added for identity issues) stayed @ frnds house.... thats it 4 now.." This email had me staring at it for a while. Points to be noted: was is no more style- use wuz ! you no longer have friends - you have either frnds or frenz ! And huh, talk to da frenz, ok? If your email/letter has only alphas , you are from the 90's. In case you didn't notice alpha-numeric is in town! Some additional vocabulary: enuf! cm! - short for come (**&%&^$) jz - just (*^%*$) tym - so difficult to type 'time', is it? And yeah! the very famous 10x . 10 x? what is 10 x? Its not 10 x hon. Put it together: 10x is thanks, see! Oh God! And yeah, add a similar explanation for 10q too! ( sigh ) Looks like English has taken a wild turn these days. I don't know who the culprit is. Is it messenger...

If I could I'd protect you from the sadness in your eyes Give you courage in a world of compromise Yes, I would If I could I would teach you all the things I've never learned And I'd help you cross the bridges that I've burned Yes, I would If I could I would try to shield your innocence from time But the part of life I gave you isn't mine I've watched you grow So I could let you go If I could I would help you make it through the hungry years But I know that I can never cry your tears But I would; If I could If I live In a time and place where you don't want to be You don't have to walk along this road with me My yesterday Won't have to be your way If I knew I'd have tried to change the world I brought to you to And there isn't very much that I can do But I would If I could... Oh baby... mummy wants to protect you And help my baby through the hungry years It's part of me And if you ever... ever need Sad shoulder to cry on I'm just some...

If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. And so today I still have a dream. Martin Luther King, jr. These few words were quoted in her blog. I do not want to link it to her blog, I don't know why. Some people rock! And you move! Next time I want to wail about my toothache, I will think twice.

This is something I've never tried with my camera. But seems interesting. Will have to try it soon. I don't think this is going to be as easy as it looks, though.

As a kid, I was known for my speed. I never knew to do anything slow. When amma asked to me join yoga class during my college days, I told her, "Yoga is too slow for me, ma! I'd rather run for a mile". Well! She never forced me into it after that (just let me get into it when I had the right attitude I guess). That's one of the million good things she did for me :-) Yoga did not come into my life until maybe a couple of months ago. I have done asanas before, not as Yoga; But just to check if my flexibility is still ok. Age has caught up with me now. I do not know if that is the reason, but I love Yoga now. I am trying to get it as a part of my daily life. Other benefits apart, how much more relaxed & confident I feel? The feeling is intense. I have joined for a Hatha Yoga class now. Why would I even do that? I hated Yoga; mind you, not just "disliked" it. I really don't know. I do not regret why I did not learn it earlier. Some things are meant to be...

This sure sounded funny familiar!!! oh, God!