Pastry at Narula's !!

One fine evening in Gurgaon, i had some work went along with Siddharth, Vivek was having dinner out with some less important office people so thought of having dinner with Siddharth at nearby Narula’s restaurant, due to some technical error at ATM, could not withdraw money. With a thought of so called debit visa card as the payment mode me and Siddharth with a shaandar parking in the designated parking lot entered into the restaurant

To our first surprise the first person who seems to be a waiter to me said sorry madam we don’t accept card… here is Siddharth shouting with excitement on seeing all different kinds of cake Mummy i want the cake… so i thought of going to the manger and requested him the same problem….

Here is the manager with no believe into me that i am a genuine need and thinking of me as some crook , asked where do u live i said phase V and my office is nearby with a polite and innocent expression of motherly love answered…. With no expression of kindness he replied,” madam you don’t know that card are not accepted at any fast food restaurant , I was like what to do situation… since SIDDHRTH was still excited to see pastry and cakes … aur meri nazar padi ek black forest pastry ke rate par… 25/- .. and struck into my mind that had only this much change in my change bag..

Rushed to the car with siddharth baby let’s go to the car and bring the money… he was too good to understand that and came quietly with me…. Here was another twist MR. Rajindera the parking boy, requested him don’t have money the only money I have is to buy my son a pastry from so called professional people… to my kindness he agreed on first thought and asked me to give back the parking slip…

We entered again to the restaurant this time with more grand smile on our faces… paid him and Siddharth was enjoying his pastry to the last bite.. Unaware of all this which was going through my mind…

Then i remembered … that last time at PIZZA HUT we paid by VISA card…. Before leaving the restaurant i went to him and told him that PIZZAHUT accepts card.. and blessed him May God never put you into this kind of a situation…..

I hope i did right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here we go back thanking the Rajindera for waving the parking fee…i had the time of my life was playing in the car……………………..

Walking on the narrow path!!

He always amazes me with the small small achievements!!! When he will scream with joy on seeing a tiny light of the airplane in the dark, or seeing an airplane when i am trying to get him in the car from the crèche (that’s the routine time for an airplane), or seeing an airplane anywhere.

Last sunday while going from the front of the Mall he had really amazed both of us by noticing a small airplane moving from the back of a building…. which i believe can be noticed by us only after paying the attention…
Yesterday evening in the park, a small girl was walking on the narrow path, he got excited and wanted to walk on the same narrow path... and i am a kind of mother if he gets excited about anything i will be excited at the level double than him…

The challenge was when he actually was on the narrow path he got scared of falling down… suddenly an idea came to my mind.. While going up the path i holded his finger but while coming down i told him to walk himself, then he started sitting on the path, then all of a sudden another idea came and i started putting my finger in the middle of the path and asked him to concentrate on the finger… How fast these kids pick up things Kaash hum bhi aisse hote… after few while he was walking on his own on the narrow path and now it was my turn to scream with joy!!

September 11......

Satyagrah - a battle for the opponent's mind……………… September 11, the day when two aero planes smashed into New York's Twin Towers the day's abbreviated form, 9/11, immediately became shorthand for violence. And five years down the line, it continues to be so.

Few remember that the same day — 9/11 — was actually synonymous with non-violence. Exactly 100 years ago — September 11, 1906, to be precise — this day also marked the birth of Satyagrah……. Truth (Satya) implies Love and Firmness (Agraha) engenders and therefore serves as a synonym for force… that is to say, the Force which is born of Truth and Love or Non-violence… [If] we are Satyagrahis and offer Satyagraha, believing ourselves to be strong… we grow stronger and stronger everyday. With our increase in strength, our Satyagraha too becomes more effective, and we would never be casting about for an opportunity to give it up." –Gandhi

Recent Indian history provides hundreds of satyagraha movements within many environments.

Code of Discipline

The following points were laid down by Gandhi as a code for volunteers in the 1930 movement:
1 Harbour no anger but suffer the anger of the opponent. Refuse to return the assault of the opponent.
2 Do not submit to any order given in anger, even though severer punishment is threatened for disobeying.
3 Refrain from insults and swearing.
4 Protect opponents from insult or attack, even at the risk of life.
5 Do not resist arrest nor the attachment of property, unless holding property as a trustee.
6 Refuse to surrender any property held in trust at the risk of life.
7 If taken prisoner, behave in an exemplary manner.
8 As a member of a satyagraha unit, obey the orders of satyagraha leaders, and resign from the unit in the event of serious disagreement.
9 Do not expect guarantees for maintenance of dependents.

"In violence, you attack the enemy. Non-violence appeals to the conscience of the enemy. It is not anti-opponent. Satyagraha aims at stirring up the finer side of the opponent,"

Ganapati Bappa!!

Mumbai … Hadsoon ka shahar… These were the first words I had heard about Mumbai Amchi Mumbai… in one of the songs... The city sounded me very different than I have seen in movies.. I was there to halt for a night to catch an early morning flight to GOA for my product trials…

All over the streets the idols of Lord Ganesha were made to celebrate his birthday … the enthusiasm amongst people were so much it came on street from home……. The first introduction to me of this festival was from the movie Dard ka rishta where they celebrate this festival to save the life of Sunildutt’s daughter khoshboo... and now I was the part of it and worshiping with other people of Amchi mumbai…

Is it we really understand the meaning of Lord Ganesha the GOD of knowledge…A large forehead indicatation of a brilliant mind.

His ears, which appear like large winnowing baskets, to separate grains from dirt, one must use discrimination (viveka) to separate the real (Brahman) from the unreal (Maya). His large ears, like the winnow, also sift the bad from the good Ganapati meaning leader of the ganas (public) as a leader should listen to everybody. It is also important for a leader not to let out all that he knows or all that he has been told; that is why Lord Ganapati has a large stomach.
A large trunk to scent out the smallest problem. The biggest and minutest of tasks are within the range of this trunk which is symbolic of Ganesha's intellect and his powers of discrimination.

A unique combination of his elephant - like head and a quick moving tiny mouse vehicle represents tremendous wisdom, intelligence and presence of mind. Also, his corpulent body, awkward gait, broken tusk and guffaw tell us that outward beauty has no relation to inner perfection.

By following few of these things in our efforts and the culture, can lead us to big results … not much like the Lord Ganesha but at least to the positive direction…

Happy Ganesha Chaturthi!!