Weekend hiking/camping!

I had finally got to visit my cousin brother over the weekend, who stays in the Alameda county of California. On Saturday,on my way i came across this,

Yolo!
Though it made me laugh at that moment, I think one should live life doing whatever pleases them not fearing the consequences of the risks they take.
Apparently, I did an off trail hike, getting frequent helping hand from my husband and my cousin. Momentarily i feared skidding down as the climb was very steep but ultimately I was utmost satisfied climbing to almost the top of the mountain.
This was the best hike I have done, also because this was the first time i saw a snake so close

The common king snake!

After camping for the night, we hiked around the Anthony Chabot lake. Came across a variety of vegetation there; the water fowls, People fishing, the golden eagle. The view was amazing!  It was my longest hike so far, - 10 miles and I realize how much my stamina has improved over one year, motivating me to improve more over my upcoming hiking/camping trips.

a short visit to the land of enchantment!!

On my visit to my brothers place for the July 4th long weekend, with a desperate need to escape from my mundane stuffs, this was the first time I was able to explore some good places at the land of enchantment -New Mexico. Though the weather was as bad as it is right now in California, the place has always made me feel relaxing. It's architectural design which matched is desert environment; the New Mexican authentic cuisine; and of course my brother who made me feel like I'm home. I enjoyed everything thoroughly.

These were some amusingly unusual things I came across in the four days

1.

This was an advertisement of the arts and handicrafts at one of the native Americans village. Real indians ;)

2.

This made all of us Lol at once.

3.

House on wheels. :P

Some shocking tamil quotes

With my love for poems, and as an amateur poetess, I learn a lot from reading the works of some great poets. Today, I came across this blog while searching for some old Tamil poems online. Till this time I had a positive impact about quotations and proverbs because of the philosophical nature of most proverbs I have read. But the proverbs that are talked about in this blog shows how much of differences people had in the society a century ago. How peoples perception changes about an individual based on his/her profession.

Dance, which is today considered a very lively form of art, was some time back considered as the prostitute's job, and the dark comparison people have made with their superstitious beliefs, cultural and ethical standards, comparisons with laziness, selfishness etc had all the more brought down the reputation of dancers in those days.

The blog gives detailed explanations of the foreign authors interpretation and the view points of the present day dancers and other people, regarding this topic.

But what confuses me is, if dance and dancers were considered so awful, then how did  bharathanatayam, kuchipudi and other classical dances get popularity over time? Were they specific about what kind of dance/dancers to be put in the above mentioned category?
Brahmins are considered the highest caste in the tamil society, And as far as my knowledge goes, almost all my Tamil brahmin friends have classical dancing as their hobby. How did they face this situation then?

Having read this article in the blog, with the foreigner's 'so-called' exaggerated interpretation of these proverbs may not actually be as hyped. May be the Indian society before the British Raj would have had more number of prostitution going on.

Can stress be one cause for having nightmares? depression?

It's been two years since Deepthi has moved to the states along with her husband, she often feels home sick. She is a home maker who mostly spend her time watching atleast one movie a day, cooking, cleaning the house, painting, gardening and a little bit of reading books. Though she had taken a few courses at the community college and was keeping herself busy, she decided to relax a bit for the summer staying at home.
Since her coming to the US, Deepthi has also developed some health issues like hypothyroidism, and some vitamin deficiencies which she was worried about and even asked me for some home remedies that could help her in improving the levels.
She often feels low on self esteem, lonely which makes her feel like she is having some psychological problem. I try cheering up in ways I can but lately she has even started having nightmares about losing some loved one or something evil happening around her. I have no clue what to do or how to help her.  She said she started watching this new series called 'the orange is a new black' which is about the life of a lady in the prison. And from that time, she even looks much stressed out. She is not willing to consult any kind of a psycartrist or any counselor regarding this issue as she thinks that might affect her personal and professional life.
Since I am the only person she has told this to other than her husband who is also worried and helpless about this situation, neither of us know how to help this girl.
If you have any suggestions please give.. This is equally stressful for me who is hearing to Deepthi about her troubles.

Some songs that make me write!

Its  surprises me how an old hindi classic app ki nazron ne samjha has led me to this thought about life.. This song is apt for the lover affair i have with life.. for all the wonderful things it has gifted me with.

Check out my poetry/lyrics blog - I Write, to see what I came out with.

There are some songs I listen to and get carried away with its lyrics. With such deep meaning, that I can relate it to my own life, becoming one with the music..  It makes one cherish their memories, forget all the tension in their mundane life, and enjoy the song with the such intensity, like having attained nirvana

Like I had quoted on my Quotation blog - My Scribblings!  "Meditation and Music together makes an effective pain killer"

It reminds me to enjoy life the way it is.
There are times when things don't happen the way I wanted it to, or times when I feel bored, or may be  just warming my couch day-dreaming about the most absurd things in life, but to my surprise, these are the days I listen to some of these audible energizers, I tend to have a buoyancy to do some of the most unexpected things that I least imagined to be possible by me..

Like Falling in love with Shreya Ghosal's  voice singing Chickni chameli which led me to write the Delicious Butter chicken recipe into a song.. Chickeni makhani.. 

Do share with me if you have felt the same listening to some songs.. has it led you to do something innovative?

The worry that worries me of all the worries

As confusing the title might seem, is my confused mind. I always have a bad habit, I rather call it a weakness of pondering a lot about too many things that happen around me or in the world

I watched this animated movie called 'the wrinkles' about the way life is for the old people, their survival in the old age home and so on.


Here is the link for the movie.

http://viooz.co/movies/24163-wrinkles-arrugas-2011.html

 It made me cry!

There are people in this world, who are too busy to spend time with family, especially with parents. When parents get old that is when they want their children to be by their side, spend some time with them, talk to them, care for them the way they did when their children were small.
But some people, don't have time for all these. They would rather send their aged parents to the "senior's home", thinking that is a better place for them; thinking that is a place where they would get better care; friends of the same age to talk to. But is this the case?
The movie speaks it all..

Like any other commercial business, even old age home (some private ones) have become one of the kind. They all definitely have the amenities, all the luxury, may be even a swimming pool and spa for the seniors apart from fitness centers etc.But there are some senior living communities which have these facilities for an eye wash. May be there isn't even a proper trainer appointed for these jobs. Though there are some good senior living places which have all these and are even very friendly, but are these people really here for these pleasures?

All that the aged parents might ask is for their children and grandchildren to be with them, and spend a little time from their busy schedules with them. This happiness cannot be got from anybody else apart from ones own family. It is cruel for some people in this world to sent their own parents in care of someone else without taking any responsibilities.
Even if they do send their parents to a senior living community, one should always call and even meet their parents at the old age home everyday to keep them happy and make them feel they are cared for by their children.

This worries me, for I know of people who are in such a situation.

I fear of what may come tomorrow, when people who go abroad for studying, working and settle down in the foreign country for various reasons , and their parents back in the home land who may not like it there as much, or not willing to leave their mother land...

This is the worry that worries me most.

mumma..

mein  kya karoon teri pyaare baaton ke bina?

jo likhta hai mujhme  pyaari si kahaniyaan,

mere dil se na hata saku, yeh hai nahi koi mazaak.

ab yeh kya ho raha hai mere mann mein tu hi bata?

pyaar ki nasha mere sar pe hai yeh chada.

tu jo mili mujhe hui ek nayi shuruwaat

na ho door humse yeh anoki jasbaat

jab tu pass ho mere, na hoon mein kabhi tanha

mann mera gaa raha hai, rok na saku, sunja

tu hi meri zindagi hai  har pal sun le zara