A Beautiful Morning

It was a beautiful morning today... As usual my morning started with me cooking food for my family, which now includes a task of mashing everything so that my boy can chew it easily and swallow. After my son left for school, I decided to spend some time in the balcony, sit on the grass though its artificial and just watch outside while listening to some music. And it resulted in me doing a full fledged stretching surrounded by nature around me. 

Yesterday I shifted the 6 big bricks to the terrace 3 floors up. And then with the help of Dinu shifted the granite piece lying in the backside of the house. I cleaned the terrace and arranged the bricks and granite slab in the center of it. The purpose is so one can sit there from time to time, soak in the sunrays, relax on a calm windy day. It was beautiful in the evening, lying down and observe the sky, the birds flying around, many gliding in the wind giving the sky an amazing beauty. Even the half moon in an early eveing sky looked so beautiful. It felt wonderful looking at everything straight up without lifting your chin. 

If the mosquitoes wouldn't have been there then I would have slept on the roof. Have to find a way to achieve that. Reminds me of my time in my native and in my village where we used to sleep on the terrace on Summers.

Anyways, after my husband returned from school, showered and left for office, I went upstairs and lied down on the granite piece and soaked in the shadowy sunrays. It wasn't harsh sun, yet it was so bright, looking straight up at the sky was impossible. So, I just closed my eyes and listened to all the sounds around me. Well, can't spend the whole day there, who would do the chores then?? Had my lunch and took a nap. When my son returned, made him coffee and sweetpotato chops. And dropped him for his badminton coaching. Husband picked him up after he returned from office. 

It was raining in batches through out the day today. Took few pics and videos while it was raining. It was serene. The parrots were sitting on high trees taking bath in the gentle shower. And then again I was busy with the chores again. No study time today, no reading books. 

Well, I have made some food preparations for tomorrow, so the work would be a little easy. All dishes sparkling clean too. Son's request is already there to make him some aaloo bhujia. Well, it would be experiment time for me. Wish me luck.

And I would be going to sleep in sometime from now. Just felt like writing while listening to the piano pieces by Austin Farwell. 

Good Night...

~Smile.

Fake Friends

Words have the power to make or break someone. Yet, often people casually taunt others, criticise others without realising whether the person at whom it's directed will get disheartened by it or not. Everyone has their own story. Just because you are in a superior position, than the other person, doesn't give you the right to taunt, or criticise them. 

Recently, I faced some situation like this where a person casually started comparing with another person, then taunted me on another occasion. Usually, I take the jokes lightly. This time too I took the comparison lightly. But, it continued and I couldn't take it any more and left the place. 

Another instance where another person started blaming me for not being informed by the instructor or the other fellow members. 

Bloody hell, am I a dustbin where everyone puts their complaint garbage or am I "Mandir ka Ghanta" / "Temple's Bell" whom everyone comes and beats.

I regret listening to the elders and changing myself from a straightforward person to someone who always thinks "whether I should upfront or not", "what if the other person is hurt by my words", "I should be more understanding of that person", "the other person is frustrated, so let me just listen to them so that their anger subsides". I wish I was the same old "Muhn phat". Alas, the change is permanent now. 

Yet, I heard in one video where the student was asking the Guru, "How much chance should we give to the other person who is hurting me?" And the guru said, "How much poison will you take before you die?"

Well, I think I have tolerated enough, I have forgiven enough. Now, I don't want to be in an environment where I'm constantly taken advantage of, or criticised for nothing and compared with others. 

Also, I quit the gossip groups because it is said, "The moment  you are out of the gossipping group, the next gossip topic will be you."

So, this time the lesson I got is - the new people who become your friends can't be your true friend. They will look for their selfishness. Won't even bother to know if they hurt you someway. Fake Friends.

~Smile

Identity Crisis - Who am I?

Who am I?

The identity crisis that I'm pondering over these days.

With these recent road rages related to the different language... And people's behavior towards non-State people is just so perplexing.

In our own country we fight among ourselves, First, in the name is religion - Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Chritian; Second, in the name is state/language - ODiya, KannaDika, Telugu, TamiL, Maharashtrian etc. 

Then inside state we would fight in the name of castes - Brahmin, KaraN, GouDa, SC, ST etc.

Inside each caste we would fight in the name of sub-castes - SoLakhanDiya GouDa, Gopa GouDa, Nanda GouDa etc.

In the root level we would fight in the name of gender.

Why do people adapt Hindi or English language to communicate?

In my childhood days, there were barely any English medium school. And it was a luxury to study in English medium school.

People wanted to dream high and reach out to the outer world which was propering faster because of the common laguages being spoken between countries. So, most would get their kids admission in English medium school. 

My siblings studied in English medium. I studied in Odia medium, state government school. 

I wrote, spoke and learnt everything in Odia till my 10th. I used to be terrified of English language and would feel feverish during the exams due the the fear of it. 11th was as if a lightning stroke on me. Everything was in English. It took me 11th grade completely to get adjusted with English and I was way behind my fellow students who were from English medium. 12th grade was finally a bit easy for by then my written English had improved.

Then Engineering was way better. However, my spoken English was still broken. And when the time for interviews came I was panicking. I have to speak the answers not write. It was a challenge. And I love challenges. So, yes, I had to work hard to be able to speak without fear. Practice, practice and practice... That's what I did. Finally clicked through the interviews and got my campus selection.

Fortunately and luckily we had a 3 months of Software Engieer Trainings, where we learnt various programming skills as well as communication skills. The trainers gave us tasks like News paper reading like an anchor, presentation skills, dining skills, listening to English radio channels, watching English movies without subtitles and rewind and repeat unless we understand the Americam accent.

I worked hard to be able to speak with customers, clients, colleagues from different countries. And yet, now I and the new generation kids are urged to learn all different state languages.

It's not like our days when we were surrounded by people from our own language. I never bothered to learn English, thinking I would be staying here in my state, why do I need to learn English. For me, life was Odisha, world was Odisha. Everything else didn't matter. However, as I grew and moved across few countries and many states in India, I realised that the common language that many respond to easily is Hindi and English. We were girls from Odisha, Karnataka, Delhi, Mumbai, Gujarat, Banaras, Hyderabad staying together in a house, sharing our food, our songs, our movies, our cosmetics and were happy conversing in English and Hindi. Our goal was to be successful in our profession and raise the name of our family, our caste, our gender. We didn't think about state. We thought of our family name first, then the castes we belonged to. Being women we wanted to prove that we too are beauty with brains. And next thing that came to mind was keeping the pride of our nation when we were out of our country.

I haven't met so far any IT professional who cribs about prople not knowing their language. People who deal with foreigners, have been to other countries too, have seen the different cultures - try to inculcate their culture in their kids, they show by example, they do themselves first and not just command others to do. They are the ones who have seen the world and know the value of knowing the other languages well too. 

The ones who have not even been outside their own state keep their minds closed, conservative and orthdox.

Once, everyone (from other states) learns the other state language, these same people would find some other reason to complain, fight and harrass others like gender may be or not being born in their state.

May be one day the animals would also start speaking and start harrassing us humans for not being animals.

As humans what we should do is save the kids from having these Identity Crisis, for they learn English language so that they can communicate with all the different state people that they live with. How many languages will they learn? Already the education pressure is huge, much more than what we studied in our times. And becoming experts in multiple languages is just overloading them and is taking away their fun childhood. 

Keeping them interested to learn all the different languages is definitely a challenge, but telling them, "You are living in our state, using our resources, breathing our air, eating our food but not showing interest to learn our language" is not going to create any interest or love in them to learn the language. They would just revolt and want to finish study fast and do higher studies and get out of the country, to a place they can live freely, away from these politics. 

With what's happening in our country, we better not complain in other countries that they are showing racism towards Indians. You are showing racism in your own country, then you have no right to complain about it when others do it to you, to your relatives or to your kids. Open up your minds and find different approach to create love in the kids heart to learn all different languages. All these languages have a beauty, a poetic form, a musical way in their vocabularies. Use that to create interest, may be create RAP songs in your own language and make it popular, so kids want to learn to understand. Take example from BrodhaV - I love his all different songs inculcating the different South Indian languages, it's memorable because of his beautiful lyrics and music. 

Love is what can bring things closer to one's heart. 

Hatred would just repell all your efforts.

Well, to address "Who am I?", I want peace of mind, so, "I am a human" is my answer. And I love (and learn) all different languages of the entire world and their unique cultures. 

With Love

~ Smile

Just few thoughts - 03

I want to revert to my old way of writing something everyday.

When I was working in an office I used to jot down my thoughts once I reach office. Whatever I observe, think through, experience - I used to jot down there. Now, since I work only at home, I am lost. What to write, it's the usual thing everyday. And even if something special comes to mind, I would forget  by being busy with other things. 

Office life was easier. Home life is more busier.

Just few thoughts - 02

Unless they face the problem themselves, they will always say you are being ridiculous about it. 

After they face the same problem they will exaggerate how huge it was, thus they had to get rid of that problem and how they couldn't live with it. 🤥

#People and their #Opinions... It changes when they are placed on that same spot as you. 

Just few thoughts - 01

We are women and we are unique in our own way. We have our own capabilities, our own qualities. We don't need any comparison with anybody. We are special in our own way. We don't need to become masculine just because we want to be independent. Being feminine we can achieve so much more. So better to compare with our own self and see what better things we can do than we have already done. 

My Observation: Books and Teachers are ineffective on Kids

My observation: 

There are so many beautiful stories in books of English subject in schools. I expect that the kids will feel the sentiments behind each stories. Only then the story is able to teach what's expected of it. However, all I see is kids studying it just another story, remembering the answers by heart. And that's it. They don't seem to learn the values from it. They don't implement it on real life. Even though they read about bullying is bad, talking rudely to elders is disrespectful, taunting others is mannerless, still they do all those things in real life. It's like parents are not making them aware that what they are doing is what's those characters were doing to the protagonist and thus, they felt ashamed in the end or the protagonist became even more established than them.

Thus, I always re-read and explain the stories to my kid after it's taught in school. I believe the teachers need to learn storytelling.

And the swearing languages kids use these days, it's shocking. And they tease my son for not knowing those words and for knowing things only according to his age. Alarming how they tell him, "Oh! you don't know who what's number 69 mean?" or "Go tell that girl that - I will lick your p****". Kids now-a-days when they swear they even dare to tell, "Go lick your mother's p****". It was horrifying to hear such things and my son asking me about the meaning of it. 

Honestly, I regret shifting to my Villa, for all these Villa owners behave so high and mighty and the attitude is reflected in their kids behavior (except the 10% who are still down to earth and I am really lucky to have one such neighbour). It was the same in my apartment. It's just that only a couple of kids had started using the f*** word then. But here it's an entire gang of such kids. 

It's scary world out there where the kids growing like animals in the jungle. Young teenagers locking themselves in the library, in gym, and doing age inappropriate things. They watch age inappropriate shows while taking the dog for walk in the night time. Truly society is becoming a jungle and uncivilized! Alas! 

UGLY

Can something be 'Ugly'? How can we say that this IS ugly? Something that's ugly to me can be beautiful to you, someone whose ugly to you can feel amazing to me. So, can something or someone be ever ugly to ALL of us in the whole world? Can we have a consensus on a particular 'Ugly' living or non-living thing? I don't think so. And in that case there is nothing in this world that's UGLY. Period.

~ Smile

The ungrateful ones

You know what amazes me is that there are so many people who take ideas from you and then show off to you and others as if they were theirs from the beginning... They take guidance from me and then after few days forget that they took it from me. Later when we discuss something, they say the same ideas to me and show off so proudly that they know it. "Hey, you know what? I had this problem and I tried this approach and I was successfully help myself out. You should also try it out. It's a great solution!"

Earlier I used to just think "Oh! so this person forgot that I only gave these thoughts and ideas to her and she forgot". Now-a-days in my mind I say, "Girl! You asked me for these ideas and suggestions few months back. Did you forget from whom you got those ideas that so proudly say are yours?" or "Hey! I only gave that suggestion". But I could say it only in one occasion, to only one person and then the person realised, "Oh right! You only gave the idea." And it made me feel worse. I thought, why did I say it aloud.

Their behaviours sure discourages me to share me knowledge with anyone.

I feel so disgusted at myself sometime. It's like I decide I am not gonna give them any help for their troubles. However, when they again start tell me about some other problem, I'm unable to resist helping them. 

My husband says, "You can never do that. You always say you are not going help these show offs any more, but then next time they will come again you won't be able to stop helping them. Later on they will forget that and show off to you that these kind of problems have these solutions. And you will again be upset and sad. All those sadness you will take out on Me." 

I just don't feel like talking to them. I wonder always how can people forget from whom they took the help and show off to the same person. 

Well, it's not that everyone does that. I have some really gentle ladies who still remember all the guidance then took from me and give proper credit to me. They say their thanks to my face and that surely makes me feel so happy.

Ah! I wish I could express myself properly, in cunning ways so people couldn't forget from whom the received those wise words.

hmm...

Anyways!

~ Smile

 

What was I doing being away from Blogger?

Wow! I haven't written a single word in my blog for past 2 years. Can't believe that 2 years have gone by. And this now forces me to think, to look back and really ponder about what have I been doing for past 2 years.

Well, writing posts I had left long back. However, not posting a single blog... Hmm... It was eventful 2 years of my life. There were disturbing parts which I would not want me or you to ponder over. And there were so many wonderful parts that I would love to recall again and again. 

And today I don't know why but I just felt like jotting down my thoughts like I used to before. 

Well, in these past 2 years 

1. I learnt yoga practices though for a short period of time,  
2. attended Bhagvat Geeta level 1 course, 
3. did my inner engineering program, 
4. got a back injury by an excited happy little one while playing with him, 
5. learnt keyboard from my 8 year old son, 
6. explored the ways of repairing the house (which includes, scrubbing - oiling - painting of iron grills, fixing hairline cracks, grouting of floors, putty work of walls), 
7. explored about painting of walls in a structured manner, 
8. painted designs in the walls (recently I applied so much of what I learnt in my parent's house, repaired my mom's kitchen and guest bedroom, re-organised everything, repaired the walls and painted the rooms from roof to sides, and painted designs in the room - it looks fabulous), 

Me and Maths-English-Science Research

I have never researched so much about anything as I have been researching about English from past 2 years... And all because my son asks me "Why?" for everything. Well, I sure am loving it as I don't have anytime for anything extra than finding out the best ways to teach him Maths, English, Science and the languages.

I am full busy with it. Though I have my dull days when I'm stuck in some series and forget about anything unless it's over. My recent hook up was with Suits series. I'm all out from Netflix for now and back to the world of English, phonics, syllables, reading and writing skills of it to be profound. And yeah the Fact family, Time and Money, Measurements, Tables etc.

Science is something that I usually never do any research and just go with it.

Smule hook up is kinda over and I rarely visit there to sing my heart out.


Wish me luck with my current path. Hope I continue to enjoy the research and implementation of my techniques to help him learn easy and better, easy being the primary intention.

Will come back here soon, hopefully.
~ Smile... Love... Care...

Bless me

My last post... if I read now I feel that I sound so desperate and stupid. Someone very close had died and every time someone dies, the whole situation reminds me that our time here on earth is limited. I tend to remember this line in times when I have a fight with someone. And with this thought I tend to forgive the other person and behave as if whatever happened is forgivable and forgettable. However, what I observe now is that people tend to take this quality for granted and keep on pouncing again and again. And slowly I am feeling enough is enough. 

Someone recently told me that, "you don't talk to much people, do not try to take any extra measures to maintain the relationship, yet if you notice, those people have kept you in their lives. There is something in you which is unselfish and innocent and that only those people know cause they know you from your childhood. Even people who hardly have spent few month with you in school time, know your quality of friendship. School days are when people make pure relationships. So, leave those stupid college day friends, focus on positive and strive to make your dream come true." So, yes when I observe the school friends know me well and never hurt me and vice versa. 

It's time, 

                a) to leave the garbage people to where they belong - the dustbin, 

              b) to progress in the path where I live with dignity, self respect and fulfill what needs to be done.

Wish me luck and bless me so I be true to my dreams.

And Thanks C for your assuring words!

~ Smile

My Heart's Longings

I don't write these days even though I want to. Writing here is like writing to own self. I'm not even sure if anybody reads what I write.

I never made any good friends. Always had trust issues. And that issue deep rooted when the few friends who became close friends, used to visit my home too, suddenly without any explanation disappeared from my life. And after years when they saw me they didn't even speak a single word to me. I got their contact numbers and messaged them, they didn't respond and blocked me. I wrote e-mails to them and never got a single response. I'm sure it went to their spam or they just simply didn't choose to respond and ignored.

Well, it feels so bad that the selected people you were friends with they too ignore you, want to erase you from their lives. And what hurts most is that you don't know why they are ignoring you. What heinous crime I did to deserve such treatment.

I searched my question in Google and this is what I read in a post in Quora:
______________________________
https://www.quora.com/When-someone-suddenly-stops-talking-to-you-without-any-reason-what-does-this-mean

It could mean a multitude of things !

1)They used to enjoy your company and your conversations but now they no longer do.
- Could be true.

2) You did something that upset them terribly and they don't think its worth explaining to you what the mistake was.
- Honestly, I don't want to die without knowing the reason.

3) They had an ulterior motive right from the beginning and that's why they started talking to you ! Now either the purpose is solved or it is no loger necessary.
- Umm, I don't think so.

4) They had a crush on you thinking you were single but they realised you are comitted and are no longer interested in you.
- Nah, they are not that kinda friend.

5) They just now got to know a part of your character that they completely loathe.
- I would be glad if they would tell me, so, I can die peacefully, knowing what mistakes I did in this birth.

6) They were your pen or chat friends, you met recently and your face-to -face personality and behaviour was completely different from what it used to be over messages, and they don't like it.
- I haven't met any of my chat friends, yet.

7) They hated you from the beginning , wanted to teach you that it hurts to suddenly stop talking especially after you’ve been close.
- If they did, they have my curse that noone will remember them ever.

8) Your common acquaintances said something really bad about you that they no longer want to talk to you.
- hmm... I'm really skeptical about this part.

9) They want you to miss them.
- About, one friend I think this could be the case, taking revenge from me by not talking to me.

10) They're playing a prank.
- Pranks don't last for years together.

11) They want to give you a surprise in the near future and they think not talking to you for sometime before that and then attempting a thoughtful gesture, adds to that element of surprise.
- I have a feeling that this is not happening in my life ever.

12) They're reeeeaaaaaaallllllllyyyyyy busy.
- Yes, they are, however, I visited them when they were having party. So, can't be busy in a party. Right?

13) They are somehow mentally depressed and are distancing themselves from everyone not just you.
- Could be. Or it could be vice versa. That I'm depressed and they are avoiding a depressed person.

14) They made a huge mistake, don't have the guts to own up and also can't bear to hide it from you when you talk , so they avoid you completely.
- I have no idea and I don't think so that this is the case.

15 ) They already told you the reason symbolically before they stopped talking , but you didn't catch it.
- Yeah. Could be the case. I'm a dumb person when it comes to understanding double meaning talks and understanding symbolic talks.

16) You might have misbehaved with them and they started hating you for the cause.
- if I have, I'm really sorry for that.

17) It probably means that you have not lived up to their expectations in some way. But it could also be because of your other associations. It also means that you need to expand your social group and activities to a level where one person’s apathy does not disturb you too much.
- I have. Still no friend can replace a school (or college) friends. Especially a Friend with whom you were friends for 7-8 years continuously.

18)  I'm sorry to say this but eventually everyone that comes into you life can't always stay they just teach you a lesson and their gone. You gotta accept that and remember that not everyone can stay. 
- True. Yet when life is on the downhill, I often remember my school college friends, those very few friends I had.

_______________________________

Honestly, before I leave this body and set off to don't know what life form or no life from at all, I would like to know the reasons, my mistakes. They don't have to be in talking terms with me. Just tell me my mistakes. What made them stop talking to me at all?

-------------------------------------------------

Edit as on 2021-07-05:

Check this post of mine for the updates... https://gayatrigouda.blogspot.com/2018/11/bless-me.html 

also

https://gayatrigouda.blogspot.com/2021/07/what-was-i-doing-being-away-from-blogger.html

~ Khushi.

After a long time.... Be a responsible parent, or don't become one at all

Hopefully, this year I'll start writing blogs again.

And yeah just a thought to the parents... If you can't give your time to your children, teaching them right from wrong, good manners, discipline, but leave it up to the kids to learn on their own, better don't have any kids of your own, cause the limited time that you spend with them, pampering them in those limited time, you are creating nothing but criminals and monsters who bully and torture other kids, unknown to the fact that they are taking out their frustrations from home on outsiders.

If you can't commit to parenthood, better don't become one. Cause it's really annoying to see the expressionless faces while your kid continues to bully and has no respect for others.

Become a responsible parent...

Just a thought - 02 (Surprising myself)

Most of the time rather than people surprising me, I keep surprising myself... I guess that's called as Maturity. My friends ask me several questions about my choices by seeing the display photos in my profile in various socializing platforms. Not that I'm in so many, yet the very few I have, to be exact WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram, I use it frequently. I give them reasons too. And while giving them reasons I realize about my own choices and thought levels too. When I tell them about what the DP is and why I have set it, it amazes not just them but it amazes me too. Funny and ridiculous haan ... Well it is what it is. And anyway it feels nice to explain to them. Some really appreciate it and some just make fun of it. In either case I realize the importance of those Das in my life. Be it just a celebrity's pic or a beautiful photo of nature, the wonderful quotes or a movie poster. Each one of them or those have influence in my life, in my thinking, teach wisdom to me. And realizing and remembering those wisdoms while talking about the photos makes me so happy. I hope I remain happy like this forever.

Want to know about my DP now. It's photos of few celebrities for now. And Michael Jackson is one of them. Today on June 25th I miss that sweet and marvelous person and wish to have him born again in mother Earth. Yet I know there can never be another Michael Jackson on this planet.

Hope he is resting in peace. I wish to be happy and keep on learning for as long as I am alive.

Smile

Just a Thought - 01

Sometimes... All I want to do is shut all the sounds that I hear around me and put on the headphones and turn on the music that I like.

And Sometimes... I want to stop all the music but to listen to the hustle of the trees by the wind and listen to all kinds of music that nature plays for us, the song of the cuckoo bird, the chirping of all the birds... the faraway noises of construction...

What I miss is the sound of a stream... If I hear that sound, well, it would be nostalgic.

Live Action Movies - Japanese

I am always an avid admirer of Japanese Animation movies, especially of Studio Ghibli. One of my all time favorite is "From Up on Poppy Hills" (I will write about in another post in detail)

 I recently came across this concept of "Live Action" movies. It means the manga series that are made into movies with actors/actress. I have fallen in love with the live action movies too. The beauty of the animation series very beautifully is transformed into movies. And the your actors are just so amazingly talented to portray those emotions that I equally love the live action movies too.

There is a lot of talent in the Japanese actors. Wish they would have good spoken English too with very less accent. Then we would like to see more of those talents in English movies too. Yet, the beauty of the nature shown in the Japanese movies is just immensely beautiful. I doubt if the English movies can ever achieve that. You barely see any nature in the English movies. It's all concrete. I am much more impressed by their depiction of traditions in glimpses along with the modern society.

Ah! They are just beautiful movies. I am in the exploration mood.
So, cheers!!

A message to the Indian Government

It's the mentality of everyone that needs a change that no matter what a girl is wearing the men have no rights to touch a girl without her permission.

It is these mentality that children get mostly from elders that women should wear saree or salwar and that anything else is inappropriate. It's the elders who confirm these ideas that the children get from outside world. When the parents support these ideas by discussing among themselves it gets reinforced in the audience's mind. These children then grow to become these molesters.

Also what's the government doing about these mentality? What's the education institutes doing about it? Why isn't those policemen not getting punished? Why aren't those politicians getting punished for in Karnataka administration seems to be always a problem - be it Kaveri water hearing leading to destruction of lives and commodity Or be it this New Year evening's molestation incidents. If government is ready to extend the celebration to 2am then it is the government's duty and responsibility to provide security to that extent.

~ The government in Karnataka has failed again and again; So is our so called hypocrite society who claim they are advanced yet are way more backwards.

The situation did not seem different than what it was in year 2000. Even then there was these molestation cases happening in MG Road #Bangalore. Even after 16 years the scene looks exactly the same in MG Road #Bengaluru.

What was the Karnataka Government  doing preparing for new years eve? Sleeping, is it? Why were the police men not doing their job with sincerity? They were thinking new years eve is a 15 day celebration, is it? That they can just stroll around the road and scare the mob, so the mob dares to come back.

Unless there is strict punishment nothing is going to change.

> Suspend those entire policemen force who were on duty that night!

> Don't give them their salary for this month for not performing their duties properly.

> The responsible politicians should be banished from politics for say 10 years. They should not be able to contest.

~ These departments and the Karnataka government needs a surgical strike as well.

~ Enough of taking women for granted!!!!

~ Give women protection. And if you can't, give us all the rights to protect ourselves without any law coming on our way.

What I don't understand is that what is the Government bodies doing in India when we are having such disgusting incidents again and again?

After You buy Jojo Moyes - Will's Legacy and Lou's Struggles

After You by Jojo Moyes

You must be wondering how come someone is writing review of the sequel book first... Well, I didn't feel like review at all. However, after reading this book I couldn't stop writing :)

This sequel book is a good read. I didn't particularly enjoy it after reading the first book Me Before You. Yet it's a good read. It was really difficult to focus on many parts of the book as the pain in Lou was very much dominant in the beginning that it over shadowed other aspects of the story. I particularly didn't enjoy the Moving On Rotaruy sessions where there are many other characters telling about their stories and pains. It was like I enjoyed Lou's story so much that I don't wanna know about any body else's. I skipped through many of those parts and was eager to know what happened to Lou, what's her thoughts and feelings. The sessiosns would feel good in real movie. Reading about them was a bit boring and the reason I explained above.

I enjoyed the entire Traynor family characters including the new suprising addition to the family. It felt right knowing how devastating Camilla Traynor was upon Will's absence in her life. After all she is a mother and was the beginning of Will Traynor. I would have liked the book a bit more if her pain and what she was going through would have been explained more. Yeah, yeah the book is about the caharacter Louisa. Yet the parents are an important of anybody. So, the aftermath for them would have added value to the story.

I enjoyed the confused Lou about whether to choose the new beginnings or still grieve over Will. The, Clark family parts were alright. It was a good story showing the struggles of Lou and her new lives. How she was coping with the love she felt for Will Traynor, the man who showed her what she is, what potential she has, helped her get out of her fears. Yet, it was dissapointing to see where Lou has landed in the end of the story. When Will had said that he saw potential in her, when Lou said she wanted to study Fashion however couldn't because of her family circumstances; I had felt in this story atleast she will make her way for the studies, she will reach new skies and make Will proud of what he did for her even in his Quadreplegic life span. Dissapointing it is, that she is still stuck taking care of others.

Now, Me Before You is still the most amazing love story. There was hope through out the book and the growing love and care of Lou and Will. This book felt like more of struggle and decision making and constant pain. Yet, it has a strong message about accepting the loved ones' absence, cherishing them for what they have left you with, about their precious memories. I feel there should be another book with the transformed Lou showing her new life, new way of living it, her wise decisions and happy moods and loving life. I hope while taking care of the new family, she would get a chance somehow to get back to her studies, by some miracle. I hope that she would work hard to make Will Traynor proud for what he had dreamt of her to be. I hope Will Traynor would walk beside her in every step of her way, to inspire her reaching her potential.

Loving someone in a way to build a life with, is different than loving someone just as a patient, as a care taker, as brother or sister. There's emotions involved, however, it isn't as powerful as the one you fall in love to spend the rest of your life with. That empathy for Lou by other characters, especially by Sam, I felt was missing. So far that empathy I could feel only by the character Nathan (dominantly) and Lily. Others seemed to be just telling her to move on. May be if there would have been a chapter from Sam's point of view, it would have been better.

Anyway, I hope there is a little more presence of Nathan in the next story, if there's one on the way. And I do wish to have a third one of this book. :)

Prem Ratan Dhan Payo - Movie Review

Prem is back… Truly Prem is back and Only Prem is back…

Things those are good in the movie –

• Amazing picturisation of songs. Halo Re, Prem Leela  are my favourite among the other beautiful ones. The choreography suits the songs best. And all the background dancers dance so well to bring out the best in the songs.
• Gorgeous and truly breath-taking sets. Jalte Diye, Prem Leela, Bachpan Kahan are the ones with eye catching backgrounds. The best sets… and light effects are simply awesome. And the ‘Sheesh Mahal’ is just felt like a wonder of the world. So beautiful sets.
• Fantastic camera work. Be it Halo Re, Jalte Diye, Prem Leela, Tod Tadaiya, Aaj Unse Milna Hai, or Bachpan Kahan – the camera work really is done very well. 
• Soul-touching music and ornamental lyrics, something that touches the core of a person. Amazing music by Himesh Reshamiya and some of the ‘jhakash’ voice of the new singers.
• Salman Khan, Deepak Dobriyal and Swara Bhaskar’s acting.
• The action sequence was good. Sword fighting was powerful and nicely worked out.

Things that went bad in the movie –

• Every scene of the movie was so deliberately told as if it’s being told to a small kid. It’s not a kids movie but family movie and Kids are more smarter than adults these days.
• The movie’s focus was more on Prem rather than the family or family value.
• All other actors other than Salman, Deepak, Swara and <the security chief person>, lawyer.  
• The story line was very slow and boring. The dialogue delivery by actors were way too slow and artificial. Many were seen doing over-acting. No role of villain in the movie. It felt as if he was put there to justify the sibling rivalry. There were hardly any dialogues for Armaan Kohli, yet he delivered it pathetically. The anger, frustration and pain were so artificial in Neel Nitin’s acting. Even Anupam Kher’s expressions felt un-natural.  
• The most disappointing acting was done by the leading lady Sonam Kapoor,  Neel Nitin Mukesh and Armaan Kohli.
• There was no family in the movie in the movie. 
• The climax of the movie is unnecessarily stretched. The worst mistake of this movie I felt is shooting the climax at the beginning and then since it’s already shot they ending scenes didn’t fit-in properly and were dragged. Climax should have been a ‘Bang-on’ climax. The climax takes away all the fun moments of the second part of movie and is totally disappointing.
• Very bad graphics work. From the top view of the palace it looks like it’s on the edge of the waterfall, and from the front angle it looks like the terrace is just at 15 feet height from the water level. 
• There are few other actors in the movie who have done their role with passion. Yet Anupam sir disappointed me. Also, every time I saw Armaan, I was remembering how powerfully Mohnish Bahl used to deliver his dialogues and his body language was truly villainous and negative.

What could have worked if changed?

• Just as the brother wondered that this person could not be his elder brother, the audience should have also wondered - who is the person who came the palace? The focus was more on the entry scene of Prem. The song could have been placed a bit afterwards. It felt like the song was picturised first and then they could not fit it in properly, since the character Vijay is also played by Salman Khan himself. So, the suspense factor was lost in the deliberately told scenes that Vijay had an accident and they accidentally got Prem. They should have kept that fact hidden and later on revealed that Vijay is still alive. 
• Most of the scenes felt as if they were made just to fit in the songs. So, the screen play was a head ache actually. The flow of the movie could have been directed better. And story should have covered most of the stories rather than having so many songs.
• The worst mistake of the movie, or rather I should say the director is, Sooraj ji chose Sonam Kapoor, Neel Nitin Mukesh and Armaan Kohli. The worst actors of the movie. Their dialogue delivery was as if they are novice in acting and are practicing those lines. The expressions were so made up expressions. 
• Sonam – her acting is pathetic. She only knows how to show her beautiful teeth. There was no sensuality in her expression in Jalte Diye song, the running scene in Prem Ratan Dhan Payo title song had the most unnatural and ridiculous smile – she doesn’t know what ‘Sharmaanaa’ is about and thus the ‘sharm and haya’ part was totally missing in her expressions and was so unnatural in “jab tum chaho” end scene and all other songs. A good actress is one who speaks more with her eyes than her words and thus she is pathetic actress in that sense.  All she has a beautiful smile, that’s it. So, the director shouldn’t have so adamant about having only Sonam as his lead actress, when there are more talented actresses who know what grace is and how to use those in the romantic scenes.
• Neel Nitin Mukesh’s worst performance is in this movie. Never expected that he would be so bad in acting. He should have been directed properly. I would rather blame the director for accepting such poor performances from these actors.
• Armaan Kohli – why was he taken? The worst actor of the movie. I wonder why was he taken. If it was to give his acting career another chance, then Sooraj sir should have given him a chance in some other movie. Anyway, his role was also not much, so I doubt if anyone else would have wanted to do the role. 

• There was no sad song in the movie when there were several places when one could have been used. A movie that doesn’t explore on the pain side of life will never be a movie to stay in audience’s mind. 

With all the glitches, the best thing in the movie is Salman Khan, who has done absolutely fantastic job in living 2 totally different characters. As Vijay he is very strict and upset, angry and sad, defeated but powerful, alone yet royal. He plays that role perfect. As Prem he is very charming and nice, funny and lovable, understanding and adorable, lovable and ‘perfect man’. As Prem he truly has stolen everyone’s heart again. Prem is back and truly he is back. It was wonderful watching him as Prem once again.

Deepak Dobriyal as in his other movies has done superb job of being in the character he is playing at the moment. Partner of Hero, be it actress or his side-kick , is always very important in making the Hero’s work memorable and Deepak has done just that. His acting is memorable just as Salman’s. Sonam on the other hand is an insult actually. Every time I watched her performance I wondered, if not any other actress, Sooraj sir could have taken Madhuri Dixit, she even at this age would have done way better acting than any actor of this generation. And I would have loved see Salman-Madhuri’s chemistry. Salman was right about hesitating to work with Sonam. He may have given the personal reason of being 19 years elder to Sonam, yet he knows better about who can do what and what will work.

One funny thing I noticed, not sure if you did too... There was Harshali's photo on the table, in the scene when Vijay comes to meet his sisters at their place.

I honestly missed the old team of Sooraj Barjatya’s movies, though many are no more with us, yet I feel it was always those professional actors who made Sooraj jis work memorable forever in our minds.

I would surely watch Prem Ratan Dhan Payo movie, but only and only for Salman Khan, for his acting is as he says ‘another level only together’ now a days. I would skip the sections I do not like and watch only him for he is the Best part of the movie.

About the family values that Soorj ji talks about in his movies, I liked the way the same situation with sisters is handled differently by Vijay and Prem. Lesson to learn from the 'family' story of the movie is, it's the way one deals with problems and situations, that decides whether it's going to be resolved or not.

You, who is reading my blog now.. Have a wonderful time ahead!! and Thanks for reading my blog.

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