2010 - Recap

Where did all the months go ? I'm still on my hangovers that we are bidding 2010 a  big  goodbye ! 2010 , the year which brought lots of changes ever since 2008. Compared to the last two years , this year appeared to be of  better year socially. At least , I've been totally occupied doing things in accordingly. It's been a very stressful year for both of  us. Yes, we've moved to a lovely place for betterment. We are now in a nicer place , but the stress ? Undescribable ! The good side -
learnt to be a better cook , being able to make dosas and chutneys at home , baked goodies and cakes , of course not forgetting the ever best super sales of  JCP.Super bargains! Each day seems to be new , life's beautiful.

Lany

One of  my ever , ever best student. Being  just  5 , this little angel sang so well today and yes with her favourite chocolate cake :) It's  such  a blessing for me to teach her music. I wish every child on earth is as polite , intelligent and smart like Lavanya. God bless her. I've seen people from every walks of  life , every part and corner of  the world and I feel nothing is comparable , the manners , bhaya bhakti and intelligence a tamil child have. Proud to be a tamilian , I pray , every birth I get a chance to be a tamilian just to chant Sivapuranam , Abirami Andathi , Aandal pasurams , Skantha sashti and skantha guru kavasam !

Tree

"We can learn a lot from trees: they're always grounded but never stop reaching heavenward"  :)

I stood like a tree , taking all the pains and I think I'm meant to be like one. I can embrace death because I am a tree.

I give shade , I take thunderstorm , I take rain , I face nature. I live all the years , there's no birth , there's no death , I embrace ending. I am a tree. 

I am strong , I am passionate , I am a women. I love the love and I am rooted. I live in my world , I cry in my world , I laugh in my world. I am a tree , I am a women. My eye speak love , my heart cries for love and my love you will only realize when I drop down to earth. 

I am happy that one fine , you realize I am a women. The only women in your life who've always dreamed good for you, I'm your wife. I am a tree , that loves love.

-Lotus-

Sani Pradosham December.

Lost all the sleep time, too many things to do and so little time!

Ipod Touch 2010

The 4th generation , finally managed a piece at the Sunnyvale's Best Buy ! :)

Luxury or need ?

It's been sometime since I've heard of the word "maid" till my current block neighbour Kalpana went on talking about having a maid/servant. This is amusing and I thought I should write this now.........down the memory I may look back and re-think my views.

Maid, the word in itself carries a lot of meaning. I still could not adapt to the real Indian mindsets..... well....blame it on my school, family or friends but certainly I cannot tolerate bla blahs.

Making use of another person is claimed to be of status quo. Yes, I do understand that India is such a big country with overwhelming population and everyone needs a job as a mean of earning. I dont deny that. My heart cried when I saw children working in restaurants cleaning up tables and sweeping the floor. It was like...what the hell are they doing ? I was playing with my barbie doll at that age !!! I hardly came across Indian citizens who treated those tiny legs with due respect , at least with a heart ! I agree with the idea because when these children work, they earn a  little money to keep their life going though child labour is legally and morally wrong.

Now coming back to the bla blahs of  the maid subject , I do not understand why is everyone asking me again and again whether I had a maid when I lived in India. I cannot imagine seeing another lady working hard to keep my own home clean. Home is home anywhere in the world. People claim that in India it's dusty and they need a maid to sweep and mop their home :) Well , in my Malaysia , London and California , we live under a roof too. We still have dust , dirt and everything else people in India face. I'm not claiming or making a statement that I'm a superwoman and I could do wonders but I feel everyone have their own way of living their life. Unless I'm really not well , I may require someone's help to keep my home clean.

I am proud to say that I never had a maid :) You may think that I have no money to maintain a maid , but I feel lot more cleaner and healthier doing my own things and keeping my home clean by myself ! Psychologically and emotionally I feel that  I need to complete my own task.

Having a maid is a need or a luxury ? At least the working maids sweat their blood out to find an income to feed their families but the middle class wive's of working Indians in America are totally wasting their time talking about others ! Oh good lord , please give me the wisdom not to slap such fake people who are here to eat my mind !!!!!!!!

Christmas in the Park revisited

It was a nice Saturday to spend lunch out at Vegetarian House , San Jose. Spontaneously right after lunch we decided to revisit Christmas in the Park. Such a fabulous feeling to see the decorations again ! I've missed the ice skating and I could not find the rink this time, hopefully I'll be able to make it this year ! Loved the live band and Elvis Presley look alike guy ! Overall it was a simple yet happy weekend.

December 2010.

Where did all the months go ???????

Bye bye Utah, Hello California !

TIRING , ear blasting journey. So sick and tired of  ladies who keep talking continuously !! Finally we've reached back home at 2.am beating up all the slow traffic in Vegas. Overall it was such an average trip and stressful !

Zion National Park, UT

Only an hour drive ! I told them but all these people think they're genius :) Let it be ......... let it be...... :)))

Such an awesome experience and  I've enjoyed a little bit apart from suffering cold , wet feet in the suede boots ! We missed the 11 miles river hiking and hope we could do it sometime soon ! It was just perfect to hike up alone without Bee's support as I was less tensed :)

Watched mountain climbing , must say it takes lots of courage for a person to do that. My heart was pounding when Bee left me alone to hike up to a dangerous mountain. I was just praying that this guy should be back safe! Thank god !

Bryce Canyon , Utah.

One the most breathtaking place to be at. The pain of hiking in suede boots, when I've clearly stated that I need my snow boots! Now, I've learnt a lesson that I should never let my hubby to pack my luggage for travels. This is nothing new ! I think it was one of my toughest challenge to walk in the snow with my terribly wet feet but Utah is surely beauty on it's own!

Thanksgiving 2010

We had the longest drive ever for this year's Thanksgiving weekend. It was continuous tiring days completing the chores at home. Despite cooking a night earlier, I was challenged with totally useless work on the day of travel which again was wasted of course.

I'm not blessed like other Indian ladies who could easily win help or favors from other men on earth :) All my hardwork will go to dogs , though I do it in pain ! My London stay , my working life , my search............. even anything current has no value. Finally I managed tolerating the pain and awaited for everyone to start almost at 3pm. Such a tiring drive, we reached Las Vegas at 3am.

Okay now the challenges are........how are we gonna spend the next few days. Each time travelling out is never a relaxation for me , in fact travel means extra pain, extra work and extra time waste. I wish I could drive my life. I miss those days when I was a princess on my own , lived in my dreams , lived in my reality , the very strong willed , proud to take help , the very hardworking girl. I miss those days where I earned my living , I searched my job. I am proud to say that I never lived on other men's mercy. Everything in this world is very easy to be attained as long as we have no self respect and dignity.

Thirukarthikai Deepam 2010

For the ever first time in the last 4 years, I've been blessed with an opportunity to light up karthikai deepam. Only a wish , to complete my girivalam at Tiruvannamalai , been thinking of Annamalaiyan and Unnamalai ambaal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zU5OxcTJXY&feature=related

L'Occitane Shea Butter cream.

This is truly a hero product. I've always thought that the handcreams are greasy and oily. I did try the other superstore brands but it left my palms oily where I get irritated to drive! I stopped using handcreams and recently the harsh winter has left my hands super dry and it's quite painful to manage the cracks between the thumb! I was wrong about the handcreams till I was given a free L'Occitane Shea Butter cream @ Stanford Mall.

An award winning L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream. I fell in love with it and I am already planning buying more, as I want the smaller size for my handbag. It smells amazing and makes my hands feel really soft.

Imagine the most luxury hand cream you can think of! This is it! The best hand cream I've ever tried. The formula is rich and creamy and it sinks into the skin really fast, leaving my hands silky soft! Now I know why it won so many awards. It smells absolutely beautiful, kind of nutty but flowery and sweet at the same time. Every time I use it, I keep sniffing my hands. A little goes a long way. The amount you can see on the pictures above is enough to moisturise your full hands and elbows. I always moisturise my elbows when I use hand cream :) You can also use it on your knees and any dry areas of your body. I use it on my ankles- they are really dry for some reason:(

You should definitely try this and I bet you'll be pleased with the results! The travel size costs only $10. Though they have the bigger size at $28 , I prefer the travel size because it easily fits into my handbag. Just love it, truly wonderful on my skin and my skin appreciate them!

The SICK season

I'm darn tired of this sick season. The cold is nasty ! Sinus infection is no fun and the wait for the doctor's appointment , America you need a change on your medical policy........seriously!!!!

Live and let live!

 Have an aim for yourself so that you can live and let live.

Learn to love people and use things , not use people and love things ! For what we do , there is someone , a power watching above us. Life is a boomerang , you get what you give. 

When Amma not well.

Absolute sadness , blank mind ! I miss my mom. Last 2 weeks have been a phone marathon and I cant wait to go back home !

Sri Krishna Janmashtami 2010

I'm glad that this year I'm able to do something for Krishna ! That's like after 4 years !! I so miss my home in Brickfields , the aura and the grand celebrations , oh......the garlands and our beautiful Krishna temple !

Thank god for the fact I did not join and do my puja , the mistake I've done in doing this year Varalakshmi vratham , however I'm contended that I've helped Kalpana to successfully do the puja and that she's overwhelmed with the puja. At least I made someone happy !

It's a total surprise for Bunny seeing the baby feet of  Krishna Paramatma ! :) I knew how painful it was to sit down and trying to do on carpets !

Krishna , without your blessings , this would have never been possible - after 4 years !

Always in love with you , your namam......"Om Namo Bagavathe Vasudevaya" , all glories at your feet !

Strike with God

There are situations we pass through in life where we feel there is no meaning for what we are doing. It just amazes me how life drives us to an extent where things collapse totally. Have anyone gone through times where we have to strike with God ? I know that sounds absurd but........ I think I'm going through this tough time. Only if  I could get sound sleep. It's been a long sleepless nights and I'm tired !!

The fine lines of Friendship

"We grow a little when we do not take advantage of somebody's weakness" - Bern Williams

 

You get to keep up good friends when you realize the fine lines of friendship.

Good friends care and share. They dont judge you, they are there for you in your ups and downs.

 

Varalakshmi Vratham

Finally , the pooja went on smoothly , felt happy that everyone loved my decor. I , however prefer the usual pooja done authentically rather than the decorations. The pooja was performed at a friend's place.

Happy !

I always hated the fact Amma forced me to learn music , ohh...those were the days as  a kid , I've always disliked carnatic music !!! It's just not me. However it's now giving a peace of  mind for me to handle myself  in the US.

I think the biggest compliment I've got ever in teaching music is from Sanjana's mom, Madhavi. It's a different feeling to hear someone saying they're so happy to have found me and that the child have progressed tremendously in one month. 

Well , it's a challenge always to make a child understand what we're teaching but nevertheless , it's also my personal satisfaction that I've succeeded in passing on my knowledge. There's a lot to learn for me myself....... art is an ocean , we're never complete ! 

When TRUST means love and love means LIFE.

Materialistic world , everyone is in search of  something....but to many , we dont even realize what are we searching for. We end up disagreeing or even arguing on what is right and wrong. The problem arises when everyone thinks they are right ! I think the simplest human relationships have come so complicated that today we are even forgetting the essence of  mutual respect and trust in keeping up relationships. Yes, each relationship requires a room of  it's own. Every entity deserves individuality. However when these are taken into granted, then one becomes a fool or victim of that relationship. Only if  people are wise enough not to pain each other and give mutual respect , after all trust is gained through one's conduct. It really saddens me to know how people struggle  between relationships , where is the equality of mere talked becomes theoretical.....

So remember , ALWAYS  TREAT  PEOPLE  AS  HOW  YOU  WANT  TO BE TREATED ! After all , life is a boomerang  !!!

The World's Bestest Amma ever !!!!!!

Love and love for all only one woman of  my life , Amma , the bestest mom ever in the world. She proved it again that she could do anything for me. Love you Amma, miss you so much , cant wait to meet you !

Ghirradeli Square

The worst drive ever to San Francisco in the traffic @ 101 and I cant believe that I actually got up so early for my man to start at 5pm !!! We had the best ever homemade waffle  ice cream at 9pm and yes the Nikon experience over thee GG Bridge.I say one of  the romantic walks again!

American complements..........

Just remembered the funniest event in Phoenix. Okay.....................authorities wanted me to produce my ID card to ensure that I'm over 21 *blush*. Is that supposed to be a complement ? I felt like I never grew up all these years haha....! I saw how your face went blank to know someone asking you the permission to check my ID ,  I'm over the age of 21 ! Booo booo ! You remembered how many complements you've gotten through your wife haha... okay now that I dont wanna boast it off , with pleasure My Lord ! Now, get me back to my United Kingdom, I'm not liking United States ! 

Be happy for such a young, vibrant wifey ! Love u , love u , love u heaps ! 

But right now, why am I craving for chutneys , idlis and the bestest amma's cooking ?
:(  Mood swings aren't good ha ha...poor boy. Blame on America or aging factor , yikes that scares me...haha.. i know u doooooooo ! Stay young forever !

August

It's going to be free August , one month off dancing :)

Another paati is gone forever.

Pavaayammal paati is gone forever. It hurts to think that I'm not able to visit my homeland. Every nice ones have left.  Miss you forever paati , Uncle Venkatesh and Uncle Dass. Not forgetting you Aunty Murugamma. Will always remember your heartfelt blessings on my wedding day and the very hilarious yet motivating moments and conversations spent with all of  you. May all of  you rest in peace.

Just one night !

Just one night ruined driving back home from Evergreen, San Jose. It was all dark and do the road works need to take place to ruin my hungry tummy ! The 101 junction was closed and I missed out the 280 !! Finally ended up in missing out on Montague -------> Lafayette ? haha...I will mark this day !!

Trixie Buxom :))

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Quizzes by Quibblo.com

Stanford Shopping !

Fabulous place to live !! So much so like my homeland KL. It was a great lesson learnt driving up to Palo Alto. Had the best home made Poori and less tasty mixed vege. Thank u heaps Bunny :P  You know what I knew ha ha.

Mid July 2010

Dont suffer insanity but enjoy every minute of it, yes I do agree totally on getting insanity injected into mind but seeing the calendar moving front isn't something nice to enjoy. Clock is ticking , man you gotta get up and complete things ! Time is chasing me, I'm all so drained down for the last few days........................ what's wrong with this summer ?!

Tonight is going to be another great challenge reaching San Jose. Hope all goes well *fingers crossed*. I'm screaming, is it 15th July ???? I seriously need to make a chart of my 2010. What  I want to do ? Here goes the list.

1. Badly , I mean it ! Need to visit KL and India. I miss mommy's food ! I'm totally craving for the best Malaysian food !

2. Sky diving !! Dear husband , I knew your heart would stop to see me doing this but please give me a chance !  Life is to be accomplished , I bet when we're 60 years old ( IF i'm still there , I would be chewing your ears on the most memorable times we've spent together ---------- if you decide to spend some time with me...:P )

3. To meet all my friends back in Malaysia !

4. My designer ( remember this , PRADA , MARC JACOBS & RALPH LAUREN ) are my favs...... tag the label and get that surprise for me for once !!!!!!

5. Fulfilling our parents wishes........you knew it.........you knew it.........so dont pretend and stop kidding me !

6. To get a haircut , I'm so tired with the bugging sinus and having heavy head , I'm totally not trusting your Golden Hair salon ! haha.

7. To build better circle of  friends , to achieve what I was 10 years ago. I know I was a kid so life lesson started then only.

8. To stop playing CRACKVILLE FARMVILLE , I'm darn so over it. I think I must stop playing !!

I shall continue when I get better peace of mind ! Thank u ! xoxooxoxo

Your green monster.

"Blessed is he who has learned to admire but not envy, to follow but not imitate, to praise but not flatter, and to lead but not manipulate." - W.A.Ward

Viva La Espana !

Loving the fact ------ SPAIN ~~ !!  Done with my  panda eyes of  being the soccer mania ! Was cool enough to watch the final and getting my pedicure done at QT's :) Today, it turned out to be a great weekend at Hakone. Thank you my darl Bunny !

CARRERA

Yay ! Finally found the best deal of  Carrera @ Macy's  ! Thank you heaps Bunny !  I'm still upset for not able to get my ever fav Butterfly collection , mark that on your mind !

Sedona , Arizona

We've  finally escaped the Phoenix phobia. The sun killed us at 111 •F ! Sedona experience was good enough to begin with , jumping around the water........walking on the wooden block , rather very thrilling and scarry !

Back on track !

Thanks again for the emails !! Been so busy returning back to Bay Area.  I know I've been so hooked to the football , distraction or love.........name it what you want.... just feels good to return back to childhood where I sat with my dad , uncle and brother to watch IPLs and FIFAs till 3a.m.

I would say those were the golden days of my life. Only if  life has pause buttons , I never want to grow older :))) Spain proved it once again today defeating the Hitler boys ! I'm still recuperating from the fact that the Samba Kings are no more in for the match this season !! We love you forever Pele !

It's a mixed feelings over the Dutch boys and Furias Rojas as I've always been with Ruud Gullit as a kid :)))) The winning boys deserves it !!!!

L'Occitane Amande Shower Oil.

Hey lovelies, today's review is going to be all about a product that I have been loving a lot lately. This is the L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil which is my absolute favorite product to use in the shower. Keep reading if you want to know what I think about this product :)

The Almond Shower Oil is a shower oil that transforms into a lavish, softening foam that gently cleanses your skin leaving it with a satiny softness. I absolutely love how soft, moisturized and pampered my skin feels after using this product and it doesn't leave my skin feeling greasy at all which is a huge plus.

 

The smell is one off the things that I love and adore about this product. It has a divine flowery almond scent that is soft, subtle and feminine and it lasts on my skin for hours after I have stepped out off the shower. It’s no wonder that this product is one of L’Occitane’s bestsellers.

If you have dry skin like me, this will help keep it soft, moisturized and hydrated. The packaging allows you to control the amount of product you want to use, that way you wont waste any off your precious product. If you want to try out this product but you don't want to spend too much money on it before you know if you like it or not, I highly recommend that you pick up the travel size. You get 35ml off product which is quite a lot off product. I have used mine several times and I still have a lot off product left in my bottle. The great thing about this shower oil is that you don't need to use very much as it foams and lathers beautifully. This is a product that is going to last you a long time and its definitely worth the money :)

I'm so in love with this product and I hope L'Occitane never stops making it.

Milkshake hair mask :)

Sounds yummy ??? This trick does all that shine for your hair. It's a homemade recipe shared by a friend of  mine living in the East Coast.

A while ago, Dr. Oz assembled a crack team of enthusiastic researchers to determine what food, in fact, was the most repairing, the most conditioning, for hair. They determined it was spicy sirloin chili. Just kidding. It’s bananas.

Bananas as a hair mask is effective, because bananas contain things like potassium, vitamin B6, folate, and other properties that are great for your hair (and also help with hair loss).
And milk? Milk is full of protein to make your hair stronger, as well as lactic acid to help whisk away old, dead skin cells that might have accumulated on your hair and caused it to become lifeless, limp, and mildly suicidal.

Some people also insist that using milk on your hair before you wash it causes curls to relax and help to straighten the hair. This seems to be a hotly debated issue (as it should be, because it’s very important), but some people say it works and some people say it doesn’t. Homemade beauty treatments: They’re like politics, only not as messy.

Either way, I can tell you from my own personal experience over the years that both milk and bananas make my hair silky, smooth, and extra shiny. I already have pretty straight hair, so who knows if it helped straighten it, but my hair (today, because I did this last night) feels like a tranquil waterfall looks. Swishy and sparkly, like a curtain of silk.
Enough talk. Let’s do it.

Smooth ‘n Silky Banana Milkshake Hair Mask

• 1-2 bananas (maybe 3, if your hair is really, really long and thick)
• Whole milk or coconut milk, enough to thin out the bananas
• Honey (optional)
• Cocoa powder, strawberries, or a peach (optional)

Apply on your hair and wash it off. Nature's shampoo for a beautiful hair.

The HEAT

It's 105 °F. Tomorrow's challenge , its gonna hit the baking power of 115°F !!!

Yet another summer travel......

Very much tensed on our travel driving to the planned location yesterday. I was all worn out by the time we reached Indio. The sun was just killing my eyes ! Adding to that my ever fav  Brazillians will be playing tomorrow morning. Ultimately, we successfully completed the 12 hours drive challenge. Slept like a child after swallowing 2 advils........and was so terribly disturbed by a 5 am wake up call. How annoying is that.

Blackheads

Crunchy Betty gives a pretty good run down of what exactly those little black things are:

Blackheads are just pimples that don’t have skin over them. That’s all they are. Because there’s no skin, and they’re exposed to the air, the top layer of gunk in your pores oxidizes and turns that darkish black color.
 

We still have so much complains about the blackheads that bug us now and then, even after bidding goodbye to teenage years ! Recently the doctors have introduced the baking soda as the nature's nurture for curing blackheads.

 Make exfoliation as part of the weekly routine. MILK & NUTMEG
 - I know I can talk about this but when it comes to doing it myself, the laziest on earth! Sometimes with the short of time, lack of  motivation or not in mood. I think many of us are there in the same boat. Especially for oily skin and getting rid of blackheads. Nutmeg helps get rid of the oil, offers the scrubby power, and leaves behind really smooth skin. The lactic acid in milk helps break down old skin cells so they disappear when you rinse your face. If you really want to take it up a notch, use buttermilk instead of regular milk (it contains even more lactic acid).

You could also use: Baking soda and water, lemon juice and sugar, or salt and sour cream.
How you do it: Simply combine your “scrubby” ingredient with your liquid/wet ingredient until you have a thin paste. Starting with a clean face, rinse it once with water, and then begin to apply your exfoliator in light, circular motions.
Concentrate on the blackheads, but remember to use a very light touch. Too rough, and you could damage your skin.
Do this for 3-5 minutes. Rinse well. Enjoy your clean face.

Prince of Persia

To my surprise , Bunny took us to Baskin Robbins :) Yay :) The world class chocolate and very berry was fantabulous ! Instead of  heading to Homedepot we'd decided to go to Cupertino Sq for Prince of  Persia. Aahh..it was such a relief after 6 months of  hectic weekends !

FIFA World Cup 2010

Back to memories !!! I so miss the fun we had back in Malaysia. The football fever !!! Go go Samba !!

Chocolate strawberry cake

Tried the vegan version of chocolate strawberry cake.

Thought for Today

Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people.


Eleanor Roosevelt
US diplomat & reformer (1884 - 1962)

JUNE 2010

It is June ???  Cant believe half of the year is passed in a blink of  an eye ! I'm all so tired today , if you what is panicking me on and on and on........... go ahead and... you will know what you get.... Lotus is currently unsupervised :) I know, that scares me too ! haha.

May 30 weekend.

It was a moment to remember , dance performance at Albert and Janet Schultz Theater , Palo Alto , California. Thank you for the support , love and everything !  xoxoxoxo

Tensed

Month of  tensions and stress. Been out since morning and now back with banging headache. 2 more days to go.........

Lucky husband to appreciate Wife

When we can celebrate Valentine's day , why not appreciate all the gorgeous ladies on earth for a Wife's Day ? haha.. I know you're calling me insane but it's alright to be mentally hilarious most of the times !Hey Bunny , you're a lucky husband. You dont think so ? Here you go :

1.Your wife did not spend Rs.1 lakh unlike her girl friends for their marriage ceremony to do facials.
2. You wife is so obedient that she is mad at you and she gets mad at herself.
3. She does not spend $400 getting a facial done in the United States. In fact never-  *eyes rolling*
4. She is very hygienic girl. She is so clean that she maintains her home like a temple WITHOUT a maid.
5. Love bullying  you.
6. Though you owed her lotsa promised gifts , she is taking the crap in her.
7. Though you gave her some sorta runaway torture , she is facing IT.
8. Guys proposed her in front of you ( that itself means , she is pretty right ?! haha )
9. She actually tolerated lots of your dirty habits , kitchen was constantly a messy place if you'd start cooking.
10. Above all , she is just lovely , admit it.

If you give her one heart , she will give you her breath. One day Mr.President , Obama will appreciate you :))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))  You've got 2 beautiful diamonds ? :P


Read all of the above and tell about your complaints , no one is ever going to listen to you. Yay. I love u.

Blessing ceremony !

I was too tired to even get out of my bed. As usual, I had a fight with my alarm and set him aside only to realize that it's almost 8 a.m. My lucky Bunny took the place of my guru and mom to tie the bells on my feet !! It was almost 10 a.m reaching Akka's place , another blessing ceremony :) Nataraja Sabesan's blessings , it's a total different feeling ! Too much to love , too much to complain !

A beautiful Vaikasi Visakham @ Livermore temple.

Happy Birthday Subrahmanya Karthikeya :) Blessed to have some energy for fasting. Must I say how stressful the day was roaming out but it turned out to be a happy day. Subrahmanya's blessings on my bells... we had great darshan at Livermore temple.

May 16 to remember @ Westfield Valley Fair

Almost after 3 years , I know what I got on this day. My ever best friend :)))) Thank u  heaps Bunny ! xoxo

Food for soul!

When people fail to appreciate

Recently I came across so many new things in life. It's people around us , how wonderful is each creation of god ! Each day taught me about life. Everyone that I come across in the last 6 years living away from my parents, I've learnt the world is not our home!

Good and bad exist everywhere , yes , rotten apples are everywhere in the basket but somehow it hurts to know that people really hurt each other for their own reasoning causes. 6 years ago , I met one wonderful teenage father in Tottenham station in London , it was such a life gaining experience hearing a 18 year old boy speaking how fatherhood changed his life ! Everyone make mistakes , after all we are human being but we need to learn from our mistake. I dont know what is so bothering me today that so many things chattering in my mind. Is it the fear of  bringing up my family in the proper way , just like how my mother did ? Or am I just being pessismistic about the entire thing ? Or.......am I just getting restless due to stress ? I'm not able to distinguish this factor.

When two people meet, fall in love, and live happily ever after is one of the biggest myths ever perpetrated on Western civilization. The real truth is two people begin living together, and then do just about everything they can to diminish and destroy their love for each other. Am I just taking everyone's problem as my own ? I dont know but it's just bothering me a lot , I know I have such a large tendency to take people's problem as my own and I get so restless. It just bugs me why people are so selfish that they have to hurt each other because I never grew up in the environment , blame it on Asian values , we were over protected even at the age of  20.

I guess all the problem starts when people fail to appreciate each other, value the importance of one's existence and appreciate relationships.We don't appreciate what we have until it's gone. Freedom is like that. It's like air. When you have it, you don't notice it.  It's never late for anything if we accept today's life and make the change , we cant change the world , we can change ourselves. Remember charity begins at home !

M.K.Gandhi

"The ideal that marriage aims at is that of spiritual union through the physical. The human love that it incarnates is intended to serve as a stepping stone to divine or universal love." - M.K.Gandhi

Protect your mind!

We all know how destructive viruses on our computer can be and how important it is to have virus protection installed. However we’re not so careful when it comes to protecting our own minds with the often devastating effects our own thoughts can have on it.

The more serious of these thought viruses can lead to mental health problems such as loss of confidence, mild depression, self esteem issues, and a distorted perception of ourselves.

Science has shown that there is a link between physical and mental well being and positive attitudes in life. When you are happy and content with life and your thought processes are working correctly your brain releases endorphins which is your brains way of dealing with pain and making your feel happier. The brain also releases something called Gamma Globulin to strengthen our immune system and another chemical called Interferon which combats viruses, infections and even cancer.

How then do we combat these thought viruses and protect our minds in order to stay healthy mentally and physically.

The answer could be ‘thought awareness’. This is when we recognize the thoughts that could lead to a downward spiral of  negative emotion resulting in mental and physical problems, in effect viruses in our minds.


4 Ways to to control the viruses in your mind

1. Negative self talk.
When you recognize that you are talking to yourself in a negative way, recognize it for what it is; Your mind has tried to protect you from being hurt emotionally so starts talking to you in a negative way in order to protect your feelings.

For example; you want to start your own business and have a desire to work for yourself. At first you are really excited by the prospect, but immediately your mind start telling you it will be too hard, you will have to work very long hours, you will have to network, which you hate doing, you will have to do this and that and it will be way too hard.

As soon as you recognize these thoughts creeping in, it’s time to stop them dead in their tracks and carry on with your plans. Everything you don’t know yet is difficult simply because you don’t know it, but when you take steps towards knowing, it becomes less difficult and therefore easier.

When you recognize and stop the negative self talk your thoughts will then start naturally flowing to a positive mind state. Kind of like when you were a child and you believed you could do anything, only this time you have the tools to actually do anything you want.



2. Get rid of the past.
We tend to dwell on negative events from our past in an effort to understand why they happened. This can often occur with traumatic events from our past.

I had a client who had been trying to understand why a certain series of events had happened to her and she had been trying for 25 years and still getting herself upset every time she spoke about it. When I asked her why she was still trying to understand it when she had not been able to figure it out for the last 25 years, she looked at me with a blank stare. I then went on to advise her to acknowledge what had happened to her, not dismiss it, and put it on the shelf at the back of her mind. I advised her, at the moment, she was taking the item from the shelf of her mind every day and trying to analyze it when it would be better just to know it’s on the back shelf and get on with doing other things in her life. This was a turning point for her.


3. Use affirmations to train your mind.
The use of affirmations is well documented ever since the classic book: ‘Creative Visualization’ by Shakti Gawain back in 1978.

Affirmations are short phrases or sentences you repeat to yourself mentally in order to induce a certain state of mind. the classic one being:

‘Everyday in every way, I am getting better and better’ (Emile Coue).

By stating affirmations to yourself in a mantra like way and repeatedly over weeks, months and years your mind becomes trained to think in a different way. If you don’t think this works think about your fears for a second or two. people who are afraid of going into elevators have literally used affirmations and visualization to train their mind to produce a state of panic whenever they have to enter an elevator. So it is true in reverse. People who are confident have affirmed, at every opportunity, to tell their mind they are confident in every situation and confident enough to try new situations. We all use affirmations in our lives without ever knowing that we do so why not put affirmations to good use and consciously train your brain to a better way of thinking.


4. Open yourself to new experiences.
You are only on this earth for around 80 years, on average, if you are lucky, so why not try and experience as much as you can before you die. We all live in comfort zones and that’s great because comfort zones protect us to a degree. However comfort zones also stop us from learning about ourselves and growing as individuals.

We also we pass on our comfort zones to our children and we all want what’s best for our children so why not try to experience something totally new and step outside your comfort zone. Imagine what the world would have been like if the likes of Emily Panckhurst, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and Alexander Graeme Bell had not stepped outside their comfort zone.


Apathy is found within the comfort zone, greatness lives outside of it.

Realize that every thought cannot be controlled

It would be naive to say that we can literally control all of our thoughts. It would be impossible to do this. Our aim is not to control our thoughts it is to steer them in the right direction. Right now your thoughts can be likened to 10,000 young children all running about, screaming and shouting in a very large playground somewhere, it would be impossible to control them, however imagine having a big purple dinosaur show up in the playground what do you think would happen. The kids would quieten down and start watching the show the big purple dinosaur was putting on.

So our aim here is not to control our thoughts but to control the big purple dinosaur and that can be done using a handful of techniques like the 4 techniques above.

In love with Wadi Rum

 

 

At this is moment , I just want to be in the breath taking Wadi Rum and Petra , Jordan. :)))

Busy March

I'm still trying to settle down with our move. It's been a long time since I took good rest ! Such a lovely place to be but I'm not finding the right time for myself !

Another milestone !

The new music classes !!

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Mask

This is truly a winner. I've just love going to the Stanford Shopping Mall. I'm lucky that I decided to go to the mall just for a coffee @ Starbucks and guess what.......the Caudalie there actually gave away some samples at Sephora. Yay!

So, I've been loving their products so far. I know that they are free of  parabens and other dangerous chemicals. Caudalie is pregger friendly and safe to be used on sensitive skin.

I’ve been using this mask for 2 weeks and I have to say, it’s pure perfection! Oh Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Revealing Mask how I love thee. My skin can be fairly sensitive and it hasn’t caused any irritation, it leaves my skin exfoliated and glowing, and it helps to reduce the appearance of my large pores.

It's costly ($42)  but a little goes a long way. This is a clear mask, just leave on for 10 mins and wash it off. I discovered a smooth, soft and clean skin. Will buy this for sure!

Our new place

We've decided to move to a new place , new beginning ! It was all hard work paid off ! Happy moments.Since it's an auspicious day today , we've decided to get the move started. Everything went fine !

Valentine's day

Another surprise ! LOVE U , LOVE U , LOVE U ! xoxo

THE LAME EXCUSES !!

We all make excuses. But the successful ones are those who can kill the excuses like the miserable maggots they are.

I’m too tired. I don’t have the time. I don’t feel motivated. I’d rather do nothing. I don’t have the money, equipment, space. I can’t because …

We’ve all made the excuses. Here’s how to kill them.

See the positive. Excuses are usually made because we don’t feel like doing something — we’re accentuating the negative. Instead, see the fun in something, the joy in it. And maintain a positive attitude, or you’ll never beat the excuses.

Take responsibility. Excuses are ways to get out of owning up to something. If we don’t have the time, money, equipment, etc., then it’s not our fault, right? Wrong. Take responsibility, and own the solution.

Find a solution. Just about every problem has a solution. Don’t have time? Start with just 5-10 minutes. Make the time. Wake earlier. Do it during lunch. Don’t have a gym membership? Workout at home or in the office. Don’t have the energy? Do it when you have higher levels of energy. You’re smart. Figure out the solution.

See your goal. This is your motivation — your reason for doing it. Sure, you could just lay on the couch, but if you think about why you really want to pursue a goal, you’ll be motivated. Visualize that goal and just get started.

Be accountable. Have a workout partner, a project partner, a team, someone to report to. If you have to meet a coach or partner, you’re more likely to do something.

Go ahead and make your excuses. Then do it anyway.

Surprises !

For the real ever first time , received a surprise gift  from my Tarzan ! Cant believe we've spent  years as husband and wife ! Love u cuppy cake ! You surprised me today !!! More , more please ! :)

HAPPY 2010

A decade passed by just in a blink of an eye ! I so miss the times spent at college. Oh..........those millenium party we were at La Bodegas and Alexxis , Bangsar 10 years ago seems to be so fresh as ever in my memories !! Too many things have changed in the past 10 years , I say GROWING PAINS :))) 

It's gonna be a different new year for us. Srini and I decided to spend our brand new 2010 in LA. The lovely night wishes started on , then we spent our beautiful morning at Concord Murugan Temple. We got delayed but it was such a happy day to start with lots of blessings from good ones !

We had great Indian lunch and started driving to LA. Yay.........our team of gundu gundas reached the LA Lemon Tree ( awesome place ! ) and we ended up sleeping like babies ( so tiring !! ).  The next morning..... I'm a baby again :D 

It's Disney babeh !! It was such a beautiful day , lotsa lotsa lotttsa fun ! Though..........I was kinda upset that he did not take me to California Adventure ! Well....I;m not going to waste my next chance ! We walked for 12 hours and the late night laser show was such a magical experience. This day is mixed in my breath , I will always remember as one of our best days together as a family.

Then I drove to the land of ....................Grand Canyon - Phoenix , Arizona. Oh my my........must I speak the fun I had......, thanks to Srini for making us wait for almost 3 hours , due to missing hotel reservation !! I so loved the Avondale city.....and of course the so Malaysian-Thai - Pei Wei Restaurant. Great food. Next day , drove back to the lovely Bay Area !!

New Year resolution ? Haha.........that never worked with me. Let me begin this year with more of good thoughts , hope and better health for everyone around us. Happy New Year and have fun ! xoxo