'Y' : For Yoga, Bikram Yoga

BTW today with this blog I complete 200 blogs. A little slow, but I like it this way.

Today, I have chosen the topic "Yoga", and that too Bikram Yoga.

You might be wondering what is so special about Bikram Yoga, for Yoga is supposed to be the same, but read on for Bikram's Yoga is a little different.

Yogiraj Bikram Choudhury is the founder of the worldwide Yoga College of India™. Born in Calcutta in 1946, Bikram began Yoga at the age of four with India's most-renowned physical culturist at that time, Bishnu Ghosh, the younger brother of Paramahansa Yogananda (Author of the most popular book on Yoga, The Autobiography of a Yogi, and founder of the Self-Realization Fellowship in Los Angeles).

"It's never too late, you're never too old, you're never too sick to start from scratch again, to be born again."Bikram Choudhury, Founder, Bikram Yoga

Bikram practiced Yoga at least four to six hours every day at Ghosh's College of Physical Education in Calcutta. At the age of thirteen, he won the National India Yoga Championship. He was undefeated for the following three years and retired as the undisputed All-India National Yoga Champion.
 At seventeen, an injury to his knee during a weight-lifting accident brought the prediction from leading European doctors that he would never walk again. Not accepting their pronouncement, he had himself carried back to Bishnu Ghosh's school, for he knew that if anyone could help to heal his knee, it was his teacher. Six months later, his knee had totally recovered. Ghosh was a celebrated physical culturist and the first to scientifically document Yoga's ability to cure chronic physical ailments and heal the body.

Bikram later on devised the 26 postures sequence, which work irrespective of age groups. These 26 postures series has a profound healing power on your body and mind. He founded Bikram’s Yoga College of India. Bikram has shown the light of healthy life to millions of people around the world.

Bikram is the most respected living Yoga Guru in the world. He has written books on Bikram Yoga. These books are wonderful work for the entire yoga world.

Bikram Yoga is not a special branch of yoga. Rather it is a set of twenty-six specific postures or asanas which need to be performed in a certain sequence in an environment that is pre-heated to 105-Fahrenheit degrees.

The whole exercise takes about 90 minutes and it has to be done every day – in return Bikram yoga claims it would keep you as healthy as it comes. The Bikram Yoga is special in the fact that it is copyrighted to Bikram Choudhury, a person who has been giving yoga classes since he was 20 years old.

Bikram wrote a book on the way he thought that yoga could be used for maximum benefit - "Bikram’s Beginning Yoga Class" for which he obtained copyright in 1979. Ever since, he had demanded that anyone who taught his style of yoga should apply for a license from him – as Bikram Yoga had become copyrighted style of yoga. In 2002 a court in USA granted him this right and ever since Bikram Yoga has been a style or method of yoga that intellectually belonged to Bikram.

There are plenty of ways in which you could learn about Bikram Yoga postures. You could use the book, the video cassette or DVD and self tutor yourself with the help of the material you buy. However, the best is to learn it in a Bikram Yoga (licensed) center as you would be guided carefully into mastering the whole set of 26 postures.

Bikram claims that he had chosen these 26 postures in such a manner that the person who practices them would be able to exercise each and every muscle, tendon, organ and even bone and skin once he/ she completes the whole set. The postures should always be performed in the sequence given; it is important that the sequence be maintained as this too has been chosen to optimize the impact it has on the body as well as gradually increase the capacity of the body to perform.

The 1st to 12th pose are done standing and are known collectively as 'Standing Poses'. The other poses are done lying on the floor or by sitting up. All these postures have to be done twice before going to the next posture and the whole set should take about 90 minutes from end to end.

TEMPERATURE: 105f degree Heat / 40% Humidity. (Temperature can be adjusted for extremes in humidity; LOW humidity + HIGHER temperature; HIGH humidity + LOWER temperature). Bikram was the first to  introduce heat in his classes, others who have come up with so called "Hot Yoga" have tried to copy his method. So if one really wants to experience Hot Bikram Yoga, then one must go to one of licensed studios, spread all over the world. (except India, where I still have no idea where his licensed studio is, maybe there are but I could not find them).

You might ask why hot yoga why not any yoga?
There is a meaning behind this madness.

Yoga changes the construction of the body from the inside out, from bones to skin and from fingertips to toes. So before you change it, you have to heat it up to soften it, because a warm body is a flexible body. Then you can reshape the body any way you want.

Hatha Yoga flushes away the waste products, the toxins of all the glands and organs of your body. It provides a natural irrigation of the body through the circulatory system, with the help of the respiratory system. It brings nourishment to every cell of your body so that each one can perform its function and keep your body healthy. Bikram Yoga also employs heat to further that cleaning process: When you sweat, impurities are flushed out of the body through the skin. Practicing yoga not only increases our supplies of oxygen, but it also teaches us how to use that oxygen properly – we learn to control the breath through pranayama.

It is not unusual to feel nauseous or dizzy during your first class. Practicing yoga in a heated room reveals to us our present condition, and inspires us take much better care of ourselves. Usually the problem is that we do not drink enough water for daily living, let alone for exercising in a heated room. Nutritionists tell us that we need 2-3 liters of water a day to help the body function properly. 

In the heated yoga room, your body needs adequate fund of water to allow perspiration to release heat from the body as you practice. So we estimate you need somewhere around 5- 6 liters of water/ fluid in the form of juices and watery vegetables / fruits (sometime during the day) to allow for your 90 minutes in the room. Once you are drinking enough water your body will tolerate the heat better and you will actually enjoy the heat.  In Bangalore itself I manage to drink about 4 liters of water/ fluids in a day.
One can read the various testimonials by the students, who claim initially they felt terrible doing yoga in such heated studio, but soon they got used to it and started enjoying their classes and also started reaping the benefits of Hot Yoga of Bikram. Once they have liked his class they often become an addict to his class.

In India,  in many places we need not go looking for heat, we already have that temperature, all we have to do is to do it in shade that's all.

One can practice BY by using his Yoga book and the BY CD in our home too, either by creating the heated environment, or without the heat. Without the heat, we may not get the full benefits, but still it is better to do it for we would get most of the benefits. Also, since he has created a specific order in which the various asanas have to be performed everyday without any change, it makes it easier for us to do them effectively.  Though his his classes are called Beginner's Yoga class everywhere,  it is quite challenging, so in his class you would find both the beginner, as well as advanced students practicing his moves  together, each at his/her level, but with every body doing it  together.  Also, the routine is the same always, however, the body and mind are always different so the postures, and their order, don’t ever get boring. Bikram scientifically designed the series so that one posture opens a specific area of the body in preparation for the next posture. By practicing the same order every class one will be able to mark one's improvement. Remember, this is a lifetime practice that can always improve, deepen and advance!

I just love this \Bikram Yoga, for there are no new postures to be learnt, struggling, and finally not getting any of the postures perfectly, and it is true, that the asanas are pretty tough, but one can see improvements everyday, for it needs lots of concentration, patience and dedication, and when we are able to get most of it perfect, the pleasure is simply great. 

There is never anything like doing the asanas perfectly, for there is always room for some more  improvement, and that is the challenge that keeps one going from day to day, always looking forward to doing better and better.

My son who lives in Chicago, is BY fan. On my request, has sent me a  CD and a book which I follow everyday without fail, and I am just loving it.( though I am doing it  in the cool weather of Bangalore). However, I am pretty warmed up after my Aerobics class, and also  make it a point to drink lots of hot water with lemon and honey to keep me quite hot in this cool weather. I have been to many yoga classes, but after coming across BY, (years ago) I feel  it really makes sense to follow this very disciplined, scientifically programmed series of Yoga asanas.
This is how BY class looks all over the world, this one is in Chicago in River North area.

                                The practice is so intense, that one need not go to other classes like aerobics                                                                                                                                                                                                or weight training to build muscles, one can get everything here itself

                                      One is allowed to sit if one is feeling little tired or sick in the first few                                                          classes

                                     Not everyone can sit with  one knee folded and on the toes, but those who                                      are  able to, were also once struggling like the ones who cannot sit. 

                             You can see the Instructor standing on the platform watching every student, correcting, encouraging them.

Here you can see Bikram with all  the students from all over the world who have come to him to be trained as Instructors

The beauty of his class is that all BY trained Instructors would teach it in the same way, using the same words, ( that is how they are supposed to do, it is part of their training) so that no matter which part of the world you happen to be, you would not have  any problems following them. 
While you are moving very slowly: Stretching, holding, balancing, don't be shocked to feel your heart beating like you have been running for miles, for that is Bikram yoga.
People who live in naturally hot places in India should definitely, give it a try doing it in their homes following his CD.

I know this topic is too long, but I had to share this with all of you.
Tell me would you like to try this kind of Yoga if you had BY studio near your  place?

'X' for Xi'an, one of the oldest cities in China

I am sure many of us have a bucket list of things to be done, before we leave this world. Well, I too have a bucket list and one among them is to visit Xian in China. I have seen lots of pictures, read about it and also seen many travel programs on it on the TV. Here I share with you a few things about this beautiful place, gathered from the net.I want to see the Terracotta Army, which is supposed to be one of the eight wonders of the world. 

The Terracotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archaeological excavations of the 20th century. Upon ascending the throne at the age of 13 (in 246 BC), Qin Shi Huang, later the first Emperor of all China, had begun to work for his mausoleum.

It is speculated that many buried treasures and sacrificial objects had accompanied the emperor in his after life. A group of peasants uncovered some pottery while digging for a well nearby the royal tomb in 1974. It caught the attention of archaeologists immediately. They came to Xian in droves to study and to extend the digs.                  .

They had established beyond doubt that these artifacts were associated with the Qin Dynasty (211-206 BC).

The State Council authorized to build a museum on site in 1975. When completed, people from far and near came to visit. The Museum of Qin Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses have become landmarks on all visitors' itinerary

These soldiers were made to accompany the first Qin Emperor in the after life. The soldiers are hollow, so their spirits can enter,  with each face being different, and they are all  supposed to be very realistic. There are foot soldiers, generals, horsemen and archers, all wearing the proper uniforms.

Emperor Qin ordered the construction of his tomb when he was only 13 years old, an order that involved hundreds of thousands of workers and thirty-six years to complete. It is also believed that Qin ordered that the tomb workers and supervisors involved in its design be buried alive to protect its secrets.

Reminds us of Shah Jahan, who too ordered that all the hands of the workers who were involved in the building of the Taj Mahal be cut. Some say it  was just man made rumors, while some claim it was true.

If one  wants to have an idea about QIn's life, then one can rent the movie,  "The Emperor and The Assassin" a 2 hour 41 minutes  movie which apparently gives an accurate history of Qin's efforts and struggles to unite China. It has sub-tiles in English.

Each soldier is life size and dressed according to his unit within the army. Many carried spears, arrows, swords, and other instruments. However, unlike the warriors and  horses, these were the actual articles and have disintegrated over the two thousand years the army has lain dormant covered by earth.

It is suspected Qin Shi Huang died due to the mercury pills he was ingesting. It is ironic that he thought these would allow him to be immortal.

The site of his tomb is 1.5 km from the Terracotta warriors. The small, forested hill (see photo above) has not been excavated. Supposedly, the tomb contains a wealth of wonders, including man-made streams to resemble the Yellow and Yangtze rivers flowing with mercury to mimic water and pearls inset in the ceiling to resemble the evening sky. Scientists have conducted tests of the area and found the mercury levels are 100 times higher than normal. Nobody knows for certain what is in the tomb. All of the workmen and the artists that built the tomb and warriors were killed. Experts also suggest 3000 concubines were buried alive to escort the Emperor into the after world. All of this will remain a mystery until technology exists which will allow excavation without damaging the artifacts.

It is always so shocking to imagine kings of olden days, spend their money in such bizarre projects. Probably they thought their senseless acts would a source of income for the future generations of their countries.

Sometimes, after reading in detail, how these things have come about, I feel, do I really have to go and see things, behind which lies so much torture and horror: what are your feelings?

Here is a video from Youtube for you and you can watch more of such videos, here telling you the story of this bizarre project of a crazy emperor, they are indeed very spooky and spine chilling:

'W' For: Wisdom

We all have a "Me Day", when we crib about various things that have gone wrong in our lives. We feel totally sorry for ourselves, we shed silent tears, or sometimes we become very hysterical, we don't know whom to blame for all our misfortunes, we want answers.
We go into a total 'complain' mode, we find ourselves complaining about things, about people, about anything and anybody.
Being too engrossed with oneself, we lose sight of the things we already have, we take things we already have for granted, and go chasing after things, we somehow feel that we must have at any cost.

We have all gone through it, we cannot deny it.
How to come out this terrible "Me Day"?
We can, if we spend our time productively:

 we can talk to people who are more knowledgeable than us, people who have had some life changing experiences in their lives, and gain wisdom by interacting them. They maybe our parents, our friends, our teachers, or wisdom may even come up on us while reading some books, watching some TV programs, some movie, from anywhere, anybody, or anything, the possibilities are endless, provided we keep our eyes, ears and our mind open.

However, if we choose to drown ourselves in our own negative thinking, we are doomed forever.
Do we want to find ourselves trapped in our own self made prison with no escape, or do we want to demolish all our self imagined obstacles, and walk out free and really feel from the bottom of our hearts, the beauty of this wonderful world we are in?
This poem set me free, and I am sure, it would help you also to be thankful for everything you already have, and set you free from the most dreaded "Me Day"

Oh Lord, Forgive Me When I Whine
By Red Foley

Today, upon a bus, I saw a girl with golden hair.
I envied her, she seemed so gay, and wished I was as fair.
When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobbled down the aisle.
She had one leg and wore a crutch.
And as she passed she wore a smile.

Oh lord, forgive me when I whine.
I have two legs, the world is mine

I stopped to buy some candy. The lad who sold it had such charm.
I talked with him, he seemed so glad.
If I were late, it’d do no harm.
And as I left, he said to me, “I thank you, you’ve been so kind.
It’s nice to talk with folks like you. You see,” he said, “I’m blind.”

Oh lord, forgive me when I whine.
I have two eyes, the world is mine.

Later while walking down the street,
I saw a child with eyes of blue.
He stood and watched the others play.
He did not know what to do.
I stopped a moment and then I said,
“Why don’t you join the others, dear?”
He looked ahead without a word. And then I knew,
he couldn’t hear.

Oh lord, forgive me when I whine.
I have two ears, the world is mine.
With feet to take me where I’d go.
With eyes to see the sunset’s glow.
With ears to hear what I would know.

Oh lord, forgive me when I whine.
I’m blessed indeed, the world is mine……..

Clyde Julian Foley (June 17, 1910–September 19, 1968), better known as Red Foley, was an American singer, musician, and radio and TV personality who made a major contribution to the growth of country music after World War II.


For more than two decades, Foley was one of the biggest stars of the genre, selling more than 25 million records. His 1951 hit, "Peace in the Valley", was among the first million-selling gospel records. A Grand Ole Opry veteran until his death, Foley also hosted the first popular country music series on network television, Ozark Jubilee, from 1955–60.


He is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, which called him "one of the most versatile and moving performers of all time" and "a giant influence during the formative years of contemporary Country music."


Biography from Wikipedia

Do share your experiences of your own "Me Day", and tell us, what set you free.

'V' for Violet: My Favorite Color

Violet: My Favorite color.The significance of Violet color:

Taken from: The LoveColors Website
Pamala Oslie | Psychic
Founder of LoveColors.com

How to Recognize a Violet Aura Color Personality

Most likely you are watching a Violet if he or she . . .

· is charismatic and often the center of attention.

· attracts attention whenever he or she enters a room.

· is very passionate — about art, performing, sex, causes, or saving the planet.

· loves music or is involved in music.

· is a performer, writer, or artist.

· is self-employed or is in a position of leadership.

· communicates in a way that inspires and motivates people.

· has a sense of urgency, feeling as if he or she is running out of the time necessary to accomplish major dreams and goals.

· has a strong desire to travel, especially globally.

· seems to have a million ideas or visions he or she wants to accomplish in this lifetime.

Love this violet Hibiscus: we don't see it so often in people's garden. Now I have it in my garden.

                     

Purple flowers in our garden

· often feels overwhelmed and scattered. Violets tend to multitask.

· talks a lot. Violets need to communicate, and often words of wisdom pour forth as if they were teachers or philosophers.

· talks about what he or she "sees," "dreams," or "envisions."

· discusses global, political, humanitarian, or social concerns often.

· is involved or wants to be involved in humanitarian causes or charities.

· cares about animals, especially exotic or global animals.

· seems older or wiser than his or her years. Violets often appear physically older or more mature.

· tends to be a serious and deep thinker

· feels very deeply and has strong emotions.

· believes that accomplishing his or her dreams is ultimately more important than, or at least equally important as, relationships.

·  has little desire to be a stay-at-home parent. Violets sense that, in time, they will need to be out in the world making a difference.
· becomes easily bored at parties if there is meaningless chatter and gossip rather than intelligent discussions about world events, travel, philosophy, spirituality, politics, or other significant topics.

· has a powerful personality that often intimidates people.

· can be highly self-absorbed. (when out of power)

· is dramatic or has a lot of dramatic situations in his or her life.

This saree  in gold/ violet  double shade with deep violet border was a gift from my husband for our engagement. I look at it as coincidence, that he chose a saree in my favorite color.

· is easily bored in relationships, outgrows them quickly, or has had affairs.

· can become easily depressed or sullen, often feeling that he or she is not like other people.

Famous Violets: movers and shakers Oprah Winfrey, Nelson Mandela, John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Maya Angelou, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Abraham Lincoln (all Violet/Yellows); singers and musicians the Beatles, Bono (of U2), Beyonce, Elvis Presley, Nora Jones, Cher, and Barbra Streisand (all Violet/Yellows); actors George Clooney, Tom Hanks, Emma Watson, Catherine Zeta Jones, Julia Roberts, and Sandra Bullock (all Violet/Yellows); and film directors Steven Spielberg and George Lucas (both Violet/Yellows).

Well, I also claim that colors like Aqua blue/ green and orange  are my favorite colors, and when I read about their significance, I can relate to them too, so which personality is true, one can never really say.

My mother's favorite color was violet too.

I feel I can relate to most of the points stated here, what about you, are you a 'Violet' person?

'U' For Umbrella

                                               
Today, I share with you a nice and inspiring story about Umbrella. I am also sharing a beautiful song on Umbrella by the famous country singer Faith Hill.

First the story:

                                                     Bring Your Umbrella

When severe drought hit a small farming community in the Midwest of the USA, a local church called a prayer meeting & everybody showed up. A crisis has a way of getting our attention!

As the pastor stood before his packed church he noticed an 11 year girl sitting in the front row, beaming with excitement. Lying next to her was her bright red umbrella poised for use. The beauty & innocence of this sight made him smile as he compared the faith of this child with that of the rest of the people in the room. You see, the rest of them had come just to pray for rain – but she had come to see God answer!

One of the dangers of praying, is praying, yet not really expecting anything: “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that… He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Heb11:6)

But what if your prayer lines up with God’s word, yet the answer is delayed? Keep praying & believing! “Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised” (Heb 10:35-36).

So, when you pray for rain, bring your umbrella.

I am reminded of the same concept in Reiki too, which also emphasises that we must always believe that whatever we want has already happened, for when we go with that kind of confidence, the Universe has to give it to us. If on the other hand we go with 'hope', we are going with doubt, which automatically puts blockages in our wish being actualised for our prayers lack confidence. A little girl too can show us the way  to achieve our goals in life.


Now listen to this lovely song called the "Red Umbrella"

Lyrics of the song " Red Umbrella":

Sometimes life can get a little dark
I’m sure I’ve got bruises on my heart
Here come the black clouds full of pain
Yeah, you can’t break away without the chains

Your love is like a red umbrella
Walk the streets like Cinderella
Everyone can see it on my face

So let it rain, it’s pouring all around me
Let it fall, it ain’t gonna drown me
After all, I’m gonna be okay
So let it rain

You can wear your sorrow like an old raincoat
You can save your tears in a bottle made of gold
But the glitter on the sidewalk always shines
Yeah, even God needs to cry sometimes

Your love is like a red umbrella
Always there to make me better
When my broken dreams are falling from the sky

Oh let it rain
Let it fall, I’m gonna be okay so let it rain
Let it wash my tears away
Tomorrow’s another day, yeah

So let it rain, it’s pouring all around me
Let it fall, it ain’t gonna drown me
After all, I’m gonna be okay
So let it rain.

"Red Umbrella" is an up-tempo song consisting of abstract imagery, in which the narrator explains that she will be all right despite the troubles in her life. She compares love to a "red umbrella" to cover her from the rain.

Billboard gave Red Umbrella a positive review, saying "It's a positive love song that is uplifting and sweet, but doesn't venture too far into saccharine territory. And just when you'd think the world's songwriters might have run out of new ways to describe love, here's a fresh analogy: 'Your love is like a red umbrella/Walk the streets like Cinderella/Everyone can see it on my face.' Hill's performance is perfection."

Faith Hill the singer too, had struggled a lot to come to a stage where she  is now: it was her faith in her talents and abilities that has brought her here.  So have faith in your goals, intent your intentions with faith and see them happen, for it is all in our hands. Never pray or ask for things halfheartedly

Isn't it interesting, how even a simple Umbrella  can  be turned into an inspiring topic?

Do you also know some Umbrella story?

I would love to hear from you.

Travelling Back In Time : A re- post

During my younger days, (eons ago, I must admit) I had the great good fortune of traveling and living in several distant parts of India, thanks to my father who was serving in the Indian Army.

My traveling days started with my father being transferred from Bombay ( my birth place, now rechristened Mumbai ) to Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. I was barely a year old at that time. We moved into a neighbourhood called Halwasiya Market, Hazrathganj. I remember we had a spacious apartment on the third floor of an old residential building. The rooms were laid out along a straight line like compartments of a train, each opening out to a corridor running alongside :

first the kitchen, then a living room and then two bedrooms, and at the far end the bathroom and toilet, a design reminiscent again of the Indian Railways. Breaking the monotony, the living room also opened out onto to a fairly large grilled verandah, an appendage to the corridor. From here a view of the several tall minarets, a legacy of the Moghul past of this gracious city, and a vista of open terraces of lowlier tenements that spread out as far as the eye could see. And during the kite flying season, the eyes of the entire city would turn to the skies to watch the kites bobbing, dancing, and suddenly fiercely swooping down and pouncing upon unsuspecting targets, much like the bird of prey they are named after.



We were a family of six : my parents, my two elder sisters and one brother. I was the youngest of the lot. We also had countless pups and kittens roaming around the house, for my father loved to rescue stray pups and kittens and give them a home and shelter. You can read about these (mis) adventures here :

http://rama-ananth.blogspot.com/2010/09/tragic-leaps.html
Do read it, for it will move you to tears.

For my education, I was admitted to a nearby convent school called "The Cathedral". School days very pretty boring, always dreading the arrival of my class teacher, Miss Williams, whom my mother and I nick named as “Miss Pulliams” (Pulli means Tiger in Tamil), for she would pounce on us the minute she saw us and start complaining to my poor mother how hopeless I was in my studies.

My mother would come everyday around 12 Noon with my lunch of Rasam mixed with rice and some vegetable curry. She would feed me, and I would make such a fuss saying everything was so hot with lots of chilies, and she used to somehow cajole me into finishing to the last morsel saying it was not hot at all, as she had put lots ghee/ clarified butter, and that it was very tasty. If that didn't work she would say to eat fast as she could see The Pulliams coming our way.

My nose can never forget the aroma of my mother's rasam, nor my tongue the sweet, sour pungency of the heavenly thin tomato soup(Rasam) garnished with a myriad condiments. And on occasions when I manage to recreate the aroma and taste of my mother’s rasam, I am absolutely thrilled, literally over the moon.

After lunch, I would not want to go to the students’ washroom as it always had a nasty stink like all school washrooms of the day and public toilets in India to this day. So we would quietly sneak into the staff wash room and hurriedly finish our business inside and walk quickly away with a conspiratorial grin on our faces. My poor mother, she had to put up with all my tantrums.

Later in the afternoon when school was over, my mother would come to fetch me home. And when we reached home, I would start pestering her to buy me a bar of Cadburys Chocolate from one of the several shops on the Ground floor of our building. I would simply refuse to climb the stairs to our third floor apartment without that prize in my hand. Without exception this was the sequence of events every school day as long we lived in Lucknow.
In the evening my second sister used to go to Bharatanatyam dance classes, and I would tag along with her, for I also wanted to learn dancing. But after just a few lessons, I refused to go, for I was clumsy of foot, lacked the suppleness in various body parts and graceful movements this dance form calls for. The dance teacher, never the one to spare the rod, took a devilish delight in spanking me for every single misstep that I was unable to even sit down for hours after class.

In the evenings my father would take me out with him, to free mother from my constant badgering while she cooked dinner for the family. I did not relish the prospect of going out with my dad, for he was a strict disciplinarian. But he would cajole me, saying he would buy me an ice cream and take me to his friend's place where I could play with kids my own age.

He would take me to the nearby Mayfair Cinema, famous in the city for its ice cream parlor, and buy me a big plate of ice cream. How I used to love those ice creams at Mayfair! A large thick slab of ice cream was served with two triangular crème wafer biscuits stuck artistically at an angle to each other. I can't say which I enjoyed the more - the wafer crème or the ice cream.

One such evening my father took me along to a photo studio run by a turbaned true blue Sardarji (a Sikh) since had to collect some passport photo prints he had ordered. The Sardar was a good friend of my father and never missed an opportunity to kid my father that I was so cute, (I looked a lot like the famous child artist of the day - Daisy Irani) that he would like to take a photograph of me, and put it up on the wall like you see in such shops all over India as testimonials of their craft. So the very next day my father took me to the studio dressed in lovely orange colored pants, a matching green printed shirt, and me holding a yellow and orange coloured umbrella for a prop : Colour photographs were a novelty and all the rage in those days.

The good Sardarji kept on asking me to smile, ( ismile pleej – ismile pleej ) but I could not smile, for this tall, hefty figure with the long Osama like bushy beard and moustache and the turban really frightened me. I was so fidgety, I could barely stand still leave alone smile. With the promise of a bar of chocolate and two helpings of ice cream at the Mayfair parlor, my father finally succeeded in making me stand on the bench with my colorful umbrella. The photo did indeed come out smashingly well. For many years thereafter this framed picture of mine found pride of place in our home wherever we went, till one fine day when we were living in Guwahati in Assam, it just vanished into thin air, never to resurface. I somehow suspect it was appropriated by my sneaky second sister and it must be with her in Boston where she now lives. I only have an impoverished copy of it - a small smudgy black and white passport size picture… sad really sad.

                                                    My God! how frightened I look

There is another tale I must recount which to this day makes me recoil in shame and horror. 

 For the Annual School day celebrations, the short skit staged was that of the adventures of Little Red Riding Hood. Out of the hundreds of kids, I was singled out to be part of the forest shrubbery in the background : No lead role, No Little Red Riding Hood dialogues for me, not even the big bad wolf / grandma role. A green coloured saree with flowery prints was wrapped around me and I was made to sit absolutely still in the background through the ten minutes of the play, and not so much as a whisper from me, nor the slightest movement. I daresay I played my part with great equanimity despite the Sardarji’s false prophetic words ringing in my ears, taunting me – “you are fit to be another Daisy Irani” .

Finally to my one memorable culinary experience in Lucknow, which still lingers on my mind and on my palate. Being a strict Vegetarian at home (and outside of home as well, unlike my dear husband), I am unable to make any learned, authentic comments on the much touted “Awadhi Cuisine” of Lucknow fit for debauched carnivorous moghuls. I simply loved the “Milk Badam” (Almond Milk) of streetside vendors. Yes – Milk Badam it was called and not the other way around. I am yet to taste a concoction close to that heavenly beverage of Lucknow, although I do believe MTR Badam milk today comes close - but no cigar. I also loved drinking ice cold Coca Cola and Fanta in glass bottles. Somehow it doesn't taste the same these days, - may be it is my aversion to PET bottles, and I hate drinking from a can (I am yet to master the intricate art of opening the can with the pull tab on top). In fact I have stopped drinking soda pop for a long time now.

Oh, the good old days will they ever come back? Lucknow ! Dear Lucknow ! how I miss you.

Our family next moved to Assam on the Eastern frontier of India. Can you imagine travelling all the way from Lucknow to Guwahati by train?

It is a very, very, looooong journey, with so many states to pass through, and so many trains to change.... well that is another story and another blog to come

Happy Ganesh Chathurti Y’all.

                                   My home made wheat Ganesha, eating Ladoos and Modhaks
                                               
P. S : Did you enjoy the travel back in time with me?

'S' For : Sleepless In Seattle and Serendipity

Last Saturday, I was bored and was just surfing through various TV channels, when I came upon some movie channel, and got to know that the movie "Sleepless in Seattle" was going to be aired in a few minutes, I was happy, that at last a movie which I always loved very much was going to be aired.
I must tell you that, I must have seen this movie at least 10 times, but still I never get tired of watching it. I literally know almost all the dialogues by heart.
Everybody from Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks, the boy, Ross Malinger who acts as his son, all the actors have acted very well in this movie.
 I loved the way they connected the story of yet another romantic classic "An Affair to Remember" with this movie very much. I am a hopeless romantic, for I too believe in all the nonsense that is shown in such movies. Me and my daughter, we have watched "Sleepless in Seattle" together  on the TV many times together.
This is the houseboat/ floating house in Seattle in which the hero  Sam Baldwin ( Tom Hanks) and his son Jonah (Ross Malinger) live. I really fell in love with this house, and why wouldn't I?


Anybody would love to live in a house like this. 
One couple who saw the movie fell in love with this house and they were lucky for they grabbed this house as soon as the house was put up on sale.


This what I read about them:

Loretta and Jim Healy bought the four-bedroom houseboat in 1993 for $550,000

Couple briefly put home on the market in 2008 for $2.5 million, but decided in the end that they could not part with it

They had their wedding there six months later, and claim that they have lived happily ever after since then. 

'I love the place,' Loretta says. 'It's really magical.' 

The unique property is one of the largest floating homes in Seattle, and features floating gardens and killer views. 

Jim (her husband) even jokes that he doesn't mind being mistaken for Tom Hanks, who played widower Sam Baldwin in the film. 

And finally they meet, everything is so magical, and so natural: the best scene, not many words, and they don't need words.

(PUBLISHED: 19:51 GMT, 14 August 2013 | UPDATED: 14:56 GMT, 15 August in MailOnline)

Another movie is : "Serendipity". This movie too, I have seen as many times as the previous one. The actors in this movie too have done a really lovable job. The title itself sounds so romantic, and the movie was awesome. Some of the best scenes from this movie:

 

And finally they meet : destiny led them to each other

I am sure many of you must have surely seen these movies, and those of you who have not seen should make it a  point to see these two lovely movies, where the people in the movie want to leave it to destiny but, they come to a point, where they can't wait till it happens, for their love is so powerful, and this quote is so true: 

"when you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true". Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist.


Did you enjoy these movie clips?
Do you also have some favourite scenes from these two movies?
 Please share them, it would be so good .

'R' For: Rewards Of Good Deed

One stormy night many years ago, an elderly man and his wife entered the lobby of a small hotel in Philadelphia, USA. Trying to get out of the rain, the couple approached the front desk hoping to get some shelter for the night.


“Could you possibly give us a room here?” – the husband asked.

The clerk, a friendly man with a winning smile, looked at the couple and explained that there were three conventions in town. “All of our rooms are taken,” the clerk said. “But I can’t send a nice couple like you out into the rain at one o’clock in the morning. Would you perhaps be willing to sleep in my room? It’s not exactly a suite, but it will be good enough to make you folks comfortable for the night.”

When the couple declined, the young man pressed on. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll make out just fine,” the clerk told them.

So the couple agreed.
As he paid his bill the next morning, the elderly man said to the clerk, “You are the kind of manager who should be the boss of the best hotel. Maybe someday I’ll build one for you.”

The clerk looked at them and smiled. The three of them had a good laugh. As they drove away, the elderly couple agreed that the helpful clerk was indeed exceptional, as finding people who are both friendly and helpful isn’t easy.

Two years passed. The clerk had almost forgotten the incident when he received a letter from the old man. It recalled that stormy night and enclosed a round-trip ticket to New York, asking the young man to pay them a visit.

The old man met him in New York, and led him to the corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th Street. He then pointed to a great new building there, a pale reddish stone, with turrets and watchtowers thrusting up to the sky.

“That,” said the older man, “is the hotel I have just built for you to manage.”

“You must be joking.” – the young man said.

“I can assure you I am not.” – said the older man, a sly smile playing around his mouth.

The older man’s name was William Waldorf-Aster, and that magnificent structure was the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The young clerk who became its first manager was George C. Boldt. This young clerk never foresaw the turn of events that would lead him to become the manager of one of the world’s most glamorous hotel.

Author Unknown.

I had passed by this famous hotel many times during our stay, in New York,  but I was not aware of this lovely story. I had even taken pictures  of this hotel, but I could not find it, so I had to take this photo from the net.

"‎Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue."
Buddha.

A story to inspire each one of us. The moral of the story is to do good to others without any expectations