Ammumma Left Us.....

An endless fight my mom had in  taking care of  ammumma. I am so  proud to be her daughter. Finally ammumma left this world for good to be in a better place. Her hardwork , pains , sacrifices and dedicated life will always be remembered. May her soul rest in peace and we will be missing you for all the good and bad. We could not attend her funeral but God knows , Ammumma knows that she was always on our mind.

Swami Vivekananda's Laws of Life

Here're 15 chosen gems gleaned from the immortal writings of  Swami Vivekananda that can well be termed as the laws of life :

1. Love Is The Law Of Life : All love is expansion, all selfishness is contraction. Love is therefore the only law of life. He who loves lives, he who is selfish is dying. Therefore, love for love's sake, because it is law of life, just as you breathe to live.


2. It's Your Outlook That Matters : It is our own mental attitude, which makes the world what it is for us. Our thoughts make things beautiful, our thoughts make things ugly. The whole world is in our own minds. Learn to see things in the proper light.

3. Life is Beautiful : First, believe in this world - that there is meaning behind everything. Everything in the world is good, is holy and beautiful. If you see something evil, think that you do not understand it in the right light. Throw the burden on yourselves!

4. It's The Way You Feel : Feel like Christ and you will be a Christ; feel like Buddha and you will be a Buddha. It is feeling that is the life, the strength, the vitality, without which no amount of intellectual activity can reach God.

5. Set Yourself Free : The moment I have realised God sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment I stand in reverence before every human being and see God in him - that moment I am free from bondage, everything that binds vanishes, and I am free.

6. Don't Play The Blame Game : Condemn none ,  if you can stretch out a helping hand, do so. If you cannot, fold your hands, bless your brothers, and let them go their own way.

7. Help Others : If money helps a man to do good to others, it is of some value; but if not, it is simply a mass of evil, and the sooner it is got rid of, the better.

8. Uphold Your Ideals : Our duty is to encourage every one in his struggle to live up to his own highest idea, and strive at the same time to make the ideal as near as possible to the Truth.

9. Listen To Your Soul : You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.

10. Be Yourself : The greatest religion is to be true to your own nature. Have faith in yourselves!

11. Nothing Is Impossible : Never think there is anything impossible for the soul. It is the greatest heresy to think so. If there is sin, this is the only sin - to say that you are weak, or others are weak.

12. You Have The Power : All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark.

13. Learn Everyday : The goal of mankind is knowledge... now this knowledge is inherent in man. No knowledge comes from outside: it is all inside. What we say a man 'knows', should, in strict psychological language, be what he 'discovers' or 'unveils'; what man 'learns' is really what he discovers by taking the cover off his own soul, which is a mine of infinite knowledge.

14. Be Truthful : Everything can be sacrificed for truth, but truth cannot be sacrificed for anything.

15. Think Different : All differences in this world are of degree, and not of kind, because oneness is the secret of everything.

As he said: "It is our own mental attitude, which makes the world what it is for us. Our thoughts make things beautiful, our thoughts make things ugly. The whole world is in our own minds. Learn to see things in the proper light..."
 

Chinese New Year Parade @ San Francisco

Beautiful evening , wrapped in thick fat jackets , we decided to get some Malaysian spirit by attending the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco. It was an awesome evening for all of us , we returned home with big smiles and Macy's coupons as gift  Angpows :))

Missing home

It's been sometime since we've visited Malaysia and India...... missing back home so much.

Himalaya Herbals

There are many people out there who swear by the effectiveness of Himalaya products. The one featured here is another one of those trusted products – Himalaya Herbals Face Moisturizing Lotion. My words are , it does what it claims. The lotion is helping out me to recover the dryness of  harsh winter season. Though my skin is oily , the surface seems to appear drier. Himalaya lotion is

• Non greasy.
• Protects your skin from damage caused by pollution and harsh sun rays.
• Anti oxidant properties nourish the skin.
• Makes skin soft and smooth.
• Perfect as a base for makeup.
• Hypoallergenic.

The moisturizer comes in a white bottle with a green flip open cap, which is easy to use. It is quite tight and does not leak at all.The lotion is quite light and is easily absorbed into the skin, and does not leave a shiny/oily residue. It gives a moisturized look and my skin feels smooth and cool after application. This helps the claim that it is a good base for makeup. But since this doesn’t offer sun protection, you would have to ensure that the makeup you use has SPF. Also, due to being hypoallergenic, it doesn’t create any irritation at all and is safe for sensitive skin.The lotion has a pleasant fragrance, but it doesn’t last long after it is absorbed. This moisturizer does not have other variants and is specified for all skin types. However I think it's a little greasy for oily skin during the summer months.

The Neem Scrub

It is an off white gel like consistency scrub which has minute green and orange coloured particles, the greens are available in plenty whereas the orange ones are quite less in number. As, I mentioned earlier, I have oily skin so I was a little sceptical in giving it a try but finally I conjured up the strength and squeezed good amount to apply on the face. Once I applied, it did not feel scratchy on my skin at all, I started liking it from the very first stint I had with it. Also, I liked the mild fresh fragrance this scrub exuded, I could actually smell fresh neem leaves. It did not sting my entire face only a slight sensation was felt on the sides of the nose. I rubbed for 2 minutes and washed off my face. My face came out so clean and my nose was particularly softer, I followed it up with Himalya Neem face pack, though instantly I coudn’t notice any major difference apart from my nose feeling softer. When I got up in the morning I noticed that the smaller zists had dried up and my blackheads were considerably less visible. However, it did not shrink my relatively larger pores.
I have been using this scrub for the past 10-12 days and I think I have found the scrub for my skin!

RATNAKARA

It's been sometime since I've stopped writing....... and it's time to start for the reason that I love writing !

Ratnakara...............is the sanskrit name of Indian Ocean , literally means "the maker of pearls". Well , why did I choose this name.....? I consider myself as an Indian Ocean , thats of deep , deep , deep feelings ! A Woman's heart is like an Ocean :)) thus , I consider myself as an Indian Ocean based on my upbringing.

Many consider me to be very global , truly a global citizen because I can easily adapt any lifestyle ( I'm of Indian ancestry , born and raised in Malaysia - truly Asia. )

Life itself is an ocean , the unpredictable waves , the storm , the beauty , the breeze , name it... it is an Ocean of hope , love , dedication and responsibility.

Ratnakara..... I'm going to make this Ratnakara for my mentors........my eyes , my mom and the love of my life !!

Land of Miracle - India

India is truly a land of miracle. Visiting India is a total happiness for me. Experiences and experiments..... beautiful and ugly memories :)) Our last visit in 2007 , we've managed visiting  Sri Kodandapaani Rama temple , Basara Gnana Saraswathy Temple , Kanipaakam Ganesha temple and Tirumala. The train journeys...was just too much of  fun and funny !!! Looking forward our next trip !

US in history , Barack Obama

America made the change ! The change which Americans and the world was eyeing for , the victory of  Barack Obama on Nov 4 , 2008 ! Memorable day for us as we were back in Phoenix , Arizona.

Last night, watching the results roll in, I spoke with my hubby  who commented that it feels like we are living within history. Record numbers of Americans have chosen to stand up, make their voices heard, and shape the destiny of this country. Enough with waiting for our luck to change. Enough with excuses, cynicism, and conspiracy theories. Millions of individuals are ready and willing to unite, to take a higher path, and to steer this country toward its ideals.


Now the challenge is getting to work. Where do we go from here?

As jubilant as I am, my one fear is that Americans will be content to celebrate this victory, and to wait for change to come to them. But we cannot rest. A cornerstone of this campaign is responsibility for our country. As Barack Obama has routinely stated, government cannot fix our problems for us:

"Because loving your country shouldn't just mean watching fireworks on the 4th of July; loving your country must mean accepting your responsibility to do your part to change it. And if you do stand up, I promise you that your life will be richer, and our country will be stronger.

We need your service, right now, in this moment - our moment - in history. I'm not going to tell you what your role should be; that's for you to discover. But I am going to ask you to play your part; ask you to stand up; ask you to put your foot firmly into the current of history. I am asking you to change history's course."

Obviously I admire Obama so much ! He is from Law background too !! :) Though my husband kept his love and choice for Senator John McCain....... here once again.... " YES, WE CAN ! ".

My favorite Barack Obama quote: " Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."

“The very essence of democracy is that every person represents all the varied interests which compose the nation.”

God Bless World , God Bless America !

Long drive to Phoenix, Arizona.

Right after my birthday celebrations at White Lotus in San Jose , we packed for a month long stay in Phoenix. It took us almost 16 hours with stops in between for meals and rest.... must say this is the longest and most tiring trip I ever had in US !

We discovered a beautiful place called San Louis Obispo , smittened by the beauty of nature , we decided to stop longer by the lakeside.

Gandhi's Talisman

"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man [woman] whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him [her]. Will he [she] gain anything by it? Will it restore him [her] to a control over his [her] own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to swaraj [freedom] for the hungry and spiritually starving millions?


Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."

- One of the last notes left behind by Gandhi in 1948, expressing his deepest social thought.

Source: Mahatma Gandhi [Last Phase, Vol. II (1958), P. 65].