My Reflections

Love Byte #1 - Love is an everyday expression ..

2012-02-01T11:52:00.000-08:00

"If you love someone,you say it,you say it right there,out loud.
Otherwise the moment just passes you by. "

- My Best Friend's Wedding

This movie always gets me in way that's inexplicable .. maybe because when I thought I'd found the one , I chose to express it right then , right there , out loud ..or maybe because what would/could have happened if I'd waited for an opportune time ..

All I know now is that in every relationship that you share , love needs to be expressed - simple knowledge of this fact is never enough nor should it be an excuse ..

It might mean taking out that little extra time or putting in that extra effort but with the countless ways one can

express love , methinks sometimes its way easier than just saying it .. not that you shouldn't say it .. infact you should say it a lot , you should say it everyday if you can..because words are not a substitute for expression..

but little things like a compliment , a smile , a phone call , a thoughtful gift , a thank you note , a miss you card , spending time , taking a walk , sending flowers , doing a favor , having coffee , a hug , a kiss and so many more go a long long way ..

because , no matter how small or big the act , it reaffirms and rejuvenates your love ..

because , no matter how small or big the act , people never forget how you've made them feel .. and every one of us ,more than we'd like to acknowledge , absolutely love being made to feel 'special ' .

Image courtesy- Google

So go on , make someone feel special today ..make someone feel LOVED !!

and then do it as often as you can ..

Much love !

P.S - You might also like Gambler's Choice and A question of Love

The tradition continues..

2012-01-31T20:53:00.000-08:00

Its that time of the year again when love is in the air and love is in every post ..

Yup , Love Bytes is back lovies .. woooooot wooooooooot :)

And as elated as I am right now , would you believe it if I said I was every bit uncertain about doing it this year ..infact I was mulling over it up until this morning .. and to be honest with the kind of schedule I have right now , I was ( still am ) doubtful if I can do love bytes for all 29 days but then I decided why not ? I mean I started the tradition , I made up the rules and I can always bend them right .. so I promise you your daily dose of love up until Valentine's day and then we'll take it one day at a time ..

So don't forget and be back .. the excitement starts tomorrow !

Houston Chronicles - Tex in the City

2012-01-29T23:50:00.000-08:00

And then there are weekends like these , spent in the company of good friends and great food ..

but that's precisely what you should be doing if you ever find yourself in Houston ..

I remember the first time I visited here , this ad for a restaurant ( don't remember which one ) caught my fancy..it read ' You got yourself to Houston , now get yourself to a great restaurant..'

Up until then all I knew about this city was that it was in Texas and that it was the fourth largest city in the States , and then a day here and I knew I was in foodie paradise ..

and then a week here and I realised I was no gourmand , I was a glutton !!!

This second visit is no different ..except there's even more food and gluttonous behaviour all round and the single redeeming , albeit slightly sadistic factor being that I'm not alone ;)

and also that my ~~weight~~ gain is your ~~knowledge~~ gain - a small price to pay , is it not ..

So here are my favorites so far ..

1. Indika - Unusual , creative and distinctly flavorful would be the best words to describe this award winning Indian restaurant which has been creating quite the wave for a little over a decade now .. and all the hype that surrounds it - totally deserving.. It's a little extravagant on your pocket if you consider that even the Sunday brunch is priced at $25 per person but then dining here is more than just about the food , its an experience , one that you're quite likely to remember for years !

2. Anvil Bar and Refuge - Creativity seems to be the buzz word here too , whether it be the decor , the drinks , the food .. but what took this bar to a whole different level for me was their use of local and house made ingredients ..I mean the cult favorite on the menu Pimms Cup was undoubtedly the most refreshing and original cocktail I've had in a long time.. The only downer was the service , a tad bit too slow ..

3. Bombay Pizza Co. - I drool even as write about this but Bombay pizza was an amazing find , and oddly even though it was pizza with an Indian twist that led me there ( I tried Mitul's masala and Bombay ranch ) but it was the Chicken kathi roll that was a slice of heaven and utterly delectable .. I mean the pizza was good , so were the desserts but the roll was my favorite ..

As much as I love food , I'm glad Houston happens once in a while cause there are way too many amazing places and way too little time - Thank GOD !

But still I'm curious and I'd love to know if you know a place I must try ?

and whats your favorit'est' cuisine ?

Restaurant photos courtesy - Indika 29-95 , Anvil -My life in cocktails , Bombay Pizza - Bombay Pizza co.

The Salt of Life ..

2012-01-21T23:38:00.000-08:00

Some of my favorite weekends with the husband are the ones we spend watching movies and this new Italian movie The Salt of Life by Gianni Di Gregorio looks every bit as charming and funny as the award winning Mid August Lunch of which this is , a follow up ..

It has a limited release here in the US but I am really looking forward to watching it when it releases on March 9th here in LA ..

Are you looking forward to any particular movie ? and what's your favorite kind of weekend ?

Much Love and have a relaxing weekend !

Then and now ..

2012-01-17T22:57:00.000-08:00

Been away for way too long ..so much so that I've almost forgotten how good it feels to write ..but I don't want to complain or apologize for my absence coz this holiday season has been way too amazing and not only that but as I go through my last years post I realise I've skipped months together .. but then 2011 has been a year like no other ... who would have thought that a road trip taken on the first day of the year would result in , quite literally and unbelievably , being on the road the whole year through .. but then some years are exceptional and 2011 was truly that and am immensely blessed and grateful for experiencing the magic I did ..
And on that note Happy 2012 to you ..
hope you and yours have/are having the best year ever :)

I just celebrated a milestone birthday this week , starting a new decade is like starting a whole new chapter , right ? so my year is already looking good .. so far .. except of course on the blogging front :( which I promise to put more than the usual sincere effort into and write 2-3 times a week .. but thank you for thinking of me , checking on me and writing to me when I'm away - it's the only thing that keeps me coming back !

Much Love ..

Happy Thanksgiving :)

2011-11-25T22:54:00.001-08:00

For me , Thanksgiving is all about being thankful for the simple everyday things and people that we sometimes take for granted yet they make our life special every day of the year ..
It's about family , friends and loved ones and there is no greater joy than sharing this and every festival with them - and that's precisely what I am doing - celebrating with family and friends on a trip to Zion national park .. but it would be incomplete if I did not thank you -my lil family here , for being there always to laugh , listen , share and care.. You make the blogging world a better place :)
I wish you and your loved ones a Happy Thanksgiving :)

Have a funfilled weekend :)

2011-11-12T13:08:00.001-08:00

Back home and feeling a bit under the weather , but if only that was reason enough to keep me home :P ...I've a midnight birthday party to attend to and before that I intend catching the latest Bollywood movie ' Rockstar ' - so off I go to get ready ..

What are your plans this weekend ..well whatever you do , have a wonderful weekend and stay warm ..

Love in the Lone State ..

2011-11-08T22:58:00.000-08:00

I've had a lot of time this past week - one of the perks of accompanying the husband on work trips ..others being relaxing , eating out , shopping , catching up on sleep and conversations , also bringing myself upto speed on all the writing and reading I've been missing in this bloggy world and speaking of which I read this great article on love and marriage last night .. part of the Modern Love column series published in the NY times.

While you can read the entire article here , I'll just share the part which reverberated most with me ...

"My husband and I don’t have a great “meeting” story. We met in a conventional way and had a conventional wedding. And in some sense, we lead a conventional life.

But my husband has seen me at my worst, at my most vile. And he has seen me at my best. He knows the things I don’t tell anyone, and the lies that I tell everyone but him. I have made sacrifices for him and been angry about it. Sometimes his flaws are so egregious, so blatant, they are all I see. And sometimes his kindness is so stunning that I am humbled.

And that’s love. Big, epic, fairy-tale love. The kind of love people write about. The kind of love that could inspire a poem."

The kind of love that for me could inspire the next blog post maybe :P

-a blog post on my one week's epicurean lifestyle in this city of Texas called Houston ..which btw lasts another 2 days so if you've been here , share some wisdom on the best of the best , will you :)

Its been so long since I've seen your face ..

2011-11-05T23:11:00.000-07:00

Where does one begin and what does one say when someone's been as bad as me and not penned down a single word , thought , happening these past 2 months .. I guess even sorry doesn't cut it :( ..

The worst was when my own flesh and blood , my mom ( et tu Brutus ) commented on if I planned to resuscitate the blog in February with love bytes .. come to think of it - it wouldn't have been half as bad if this were the month of February instead of November ..after all love conquers all , right ?

So where have I been and what have I been upto .. lets just say ...

Couldn't resist sharing this forwarded message I received the other day , it really made me laugh out loud , but the truth be told ( with all the awesomeness ;) I can muster ) is that I've literally been all over the place with both good stuff and not so good stuff happening in plenty but I'm alive and kicking and grateful for everything .. infact couldn't sum it up better than this status message I posted on my wall the other day ..

" Sometimes things have a funny way of falling in place , like when you least expect them to , but then , just maybe , that's how its supposed to be .. "

and if they don't , bring out the lemons , the salt and that shot of tequila ;)

Have a great weekend.. Much love :)

Minnesota Chronicles - Getting here ..

2011-08-30T10:14:00.000-07:00

Its been a crazy few days packing for my two week trip to MN ..its crazy if you take two weeks to pack for a two week trip , right ? :O

but the good news is I finally made it here yesterday afternoon :D ( that I forgot to still pack a couple of things is a different story but I am here,with family and that feels SERIOUSLY awesome !!! )

and since I've slacked on the Hawaiian chronicles, so much so that I still haven't got down to penning them , I promise to do a better job with this , the Minnesota Chronicles ..

You would agree if I said - the craziest part of travelling anywhere is getting there.. but for me, its also the funnest especially when you're travelling alone because it gives you the opportunity to observe people and their antics and top on the list yesterday was this man sitting next to me , who slept like that was all life was about ..he slept nonstop ..from the minute we boarded till the time the row infront of us cleared .. he even slept while having his beverage ..like a sip of Coke and he conked out - I mean 'snoring' conked out ...like it was horse tranquilizer and not Coke ... Jesus .. you would really have to see it to believe it .. and his only saviour was my book ( I was reading ' Shopgirl ' by Steve Martin ) that kept me occupied for the most part ..occupied enough to not elbow him or knee him or even stab him .. if the need arose .. infact if you haven't learnt the most important truth about flying yet ..its this ..

A good book in hand is every bit worth the pee attack you don't have ;) :P

Happy 2nd birthday :)

2011-08-21T21:15:00.000-07:00

Yup ..I can't believe it but my blog officially turned 2 today ..needless to say its been quite the journey ..a journey I am proud of !!

I still remember when I wrote my first post ..elated as I was ..I wondered what next and so remained the question for many months - and then it slowly began to get easier...

However, having said that I must still admit that writing is and will not always be a piece of cake but whats important is I revel in it , and over the last two years I've particularly enjoyed writing about movies , travel and relationships ( like the new layout din't already spell it out for you ;) .. ) but it wouldn't be half as much fun if it weren't for all the comments, feedback that all you lovies keep sending my way ..

So thank you for being my friend on this journey and for being there ..it means a lot :)

Movie Mondays - Summer favorites !!

2011-08-15T23:37:00.001-07:00

I haven't done this in a while ..come to think of it the last movie I wrote about was Midnight in Paris back in June.. but by now you must know that hubs and me watch as many movies as we can ..so here's a couple of them I really loved , laughed and adored ( even cried ) these past months or so ..

First on that list Horrible Bosses - All I want to say about this one is that its freakin HILARIOUS , hands down the best comedy caper of the year and that if you haven't seen it yet , you've got to see it like NOW .. like asap !

ZNMD is truly the best Hindi movie I've seen like in a long long time and I loved every bit , every frame of it ..the fact that its shot in Spain is an added incentive but even otherwise there's a certain relatability associated with the kind of films Farhan Akhtar makes ..the kind that makes it all too realistic and believable and yet inspires you to dream ..

and speaking of dream , Crazy, Stupid , Love reminded me of how love has the power to make you go crazy and feel stupid all at the same time .. I don't mean for this to be a spoiler but one of the most poignant scenes in the film is the conversation the protagonists share on a bench outside the classroom that got me .. and then I saw Ryan Gosling's booty ..is he hot or is HE HOT ..and as I still swoon over him , I also remember him in Blue Valentine ..wasn't that one sad-happy-sad movie ?

The next two movies I wouldn't have watched if it weren't for hubs but I'm glad I did ..

Conviction is the inspirational true story of Betty Anne Waters , a sister whose unflinching belief in her brother leads her to finish law school , fight the system and overturn her brother's unjust wrongful conviction .. The movie took 9 years to make and was almost shelved due to lack of funds but its one of those movies that take you beyond just film making , it takes you on the extra ordinary journey of how far one is willing to sacrifice for the sake of family ..

And if the above gets you all in knots , here's one to help you unwind ..and while some may contend that this crazy goofy social satire belongs to Jim Carrey all the way , I'll tell you that Ewan Mcgregor is quite the revelation , bringing in just the right amount of sweetness to make you love him too .. Admittedly the movie is quite brazen , inappropriate and ridiculous but therein lies the movie's USP ..

This is not even half the list but I was worried you'd run away :P

So assuming you're still with me , tell me , have you seen the above movies ? What did you think of them ? and do you have any recommendations ?

Changing hearts ..

2011-08-10T00:20:00.000-07:00

Sunday the 7th of Aug was Friendship day , which is when this post was supposed to be up but then sometimes in my case well begun is literally ' half ' done :P .. anyways here it is ..

My FB page is inundated with friendship day messages yet most of them seem perfunctory ..perhaps one of the reasons why I wish to refrain from posting any ' friendship ' messages today..

I still believe in the institution of friendship but I'd much rather celebrate and rejoice in the company of good friends all year round than wish each other this one day and forget they existed the remaining days..and as rhetorical as it sounds , its what I've come to believe in ..

blame it on all the exciting episodes I've had with people I thought were my friends or

blame it all on just growing up ..

either ways the meaning of ' friendship ' has changed ..

and every time I wrote a post about friendship that change was even more apparant whether it was about friends growing apart or about moving on or even about reuniting with a lost friend ..

And who knows it might change to mean something else in the future but for now I want to remember it as this ..

It might hurt to let go

sometimes a little , sometimes more ..

but let not despair in your heart grow

for every friend that turns a foe ,

there's always a good one in store

to rekindle the flames of friendship aglow..

Happy Friendship day to you and your best friends :)

Crazy , Stupid , LIFE !!

2011-08-01T23:52:00.000-07:00

July has disappeared without so much as me blinking ..it seems to me the lesser I write the faster time flies ..

now is that how its supposed to be ?

Who knows , all I know is July was not such a blur either .. atleast not the first half ..when me and hubs took time off and went for a real vacation not a work cum pleasure vacation but a real one ... Weekend breaks are good and I'm glad to make good use of them as and when the time and money allows but after a while they just don't seem to cut it out for me ... my heart desires for a getaway that's longer than just the weekend

Infact isnt that what a getaway means ..

when you really get away ,

when you feel you've gotten away ..

Pardon me if I seem a bit carried away with all this getting away but you do get me right ?

Call me a romantic if you may but nothing beats the crap of everyday life than spending quality time together and doing what you enjoy most together be it travelling , watching a movie , going to a park , exercising ..hell even shopping counts .. the idea is to take out the time every once in a while , to stop and smell the roses .. and I mean it in the literal sense of the word too ...

coz the whole purpose is to slacken the pace of an otherwise crazy life and get away and we did just that on our trip to Hawaii .. and believe me when I tell you that we've been to quite a few places together but this trip , visiting Hawaii was an out of this world experience..

because Hawaii is a place with something for everyone , from the nature lover to the beach goer to the savvy shopper ...

a place with a little bit of all, from tropical rainforests to stunning waterfalls , from tranquil mountains and lush valleys to one very active volcano and even snow on the highest peaks ..not to mention the never ending stretch of gorgeous beaches ..

maybe its just the traveler in me falling in love with every new place I visit ..wanting to savour every moment , every sight , smell and every experience but its the truth .. and as a Jewish proverb goes ,

"No matter what happens, travel gives you a story to tell."

and so even with all its rockers and some shockers ..HAWAII is still every bit magical ..

Movie Mondays - Midnight in Paris !

2011-06-20T17:15:00.001-07:00

Arguably one of the best movies I've seen this year , Midnight in Paris had me nudging the husband and smiling ear to ear in as much as the first two mins .. coz the movie opens with a montage of Paris's tourist landmarks and having visted Paris barely 3 months back , 2 mins were all it took to wish I could go back ..

and ironically enough this feeling of ' nostalgia ' is wherein lies the heart of this story , coercing one to ruminate on the endless possibilities if we could only just go back in time ..

presuming naturally that a life different from their present would be much better ..

like I wrote earlier this month , that a life different from their own would be much better ..

But as universal , powerful and relatable is Woody Allen's message of 'appreciating and living life in the present' , even more charming is the fact that its so beautifully woven in the movie that one doesn't even realize it ..

For me , before I saw the movie ' Midnight ' was only about Paris but Owen Wilson (sigh !!!!) kudos to him for playing his part to the hilt ..

and for making the 'un'reality of it believable , fun , goofy and yet sincere ..

Hands down a must watch this summer and I'll rate it a 4.5/5 :))

Have you seen any movie lately you really liked

and what's on your must watch list for this summer ?

Thursday Thoughts # Every day matters ...

2011-06-16T16:57:00.000-07:00

Image via weheartit

“You can find energizing moments in each aspect of your life, but to do so you must learn how to catch them, hold on to them, to feel the pull of their weight and allow yourself to follow where they lead.”

— Marcus Buckingham

The Royal Wedding Invitation arrives _

2011-06-06T22:59:00.001-07:00

Yipeeeeeeee , Wowieeeeee .....

While I catch my breath , lets just watch it once more ...

I haven't stopped swoonin since this came out yesterday ..

but as bad as I feel for Jacob , Edward still has my heart <3

and this is already my favorite movie love quote of the year ..

"No measure of time with you will be long enough..

but we'll start with Forever."

An Attitude of Gratitude ..

2011-06-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

In this past month of little writing and reading on le blog and blogosphere ..

I've been doing a lot of thinking , infact introspection might just be the more appropriate word here ..

Coz remember when we were young and life had a plan , as idealistic as it may have been ..

there still was a plan ..and mine was you'd say pretty conventional - to study , get a degree , get a job , get married , continue working , buy a house , a car , a dog , have kids ..

and then as life went by , I realised I was slowly accomplishing these goals I had set for myself , though not necessarily in the order above but life was happening and things moving ..and then somewhere in the middle of it all , crept a doubt ..

All and any attempts at ignoring it failed , and it forced me to deliberate , if this is how I wanted my life to turn out ?It wasn't like I was miserable but admit it aren't there times when it feels like everyone has it good except you ? that somehow your struggles are greater than anyone and everyone else ?

But its just normal human tendency or should I say normal woman tendency to sulk because sulking always makes everything better - doesn't it :D :D

Jokes apart , what does amaze me though is how a single have-not can make us more miserable than a dozen have's .. and how the have-nots always seem to yield more power than the have's ..

Maybe the grass is greener on the other side , but maybe its time to CROSS OVER and look at where you're standing .. because in most cases while we're busy ruminating over how he or she has it all, we forget to consider the possibility that he or she might be feeling the exact same way.

So ,

does it really matter if the timelines I set for myself need more time ?

does it really matter if my plan din't materialise the way I wanted to ??

I guess not because this life - the one I am living right now would never have happened ..

Joseph Campbell aptly said ,

"You must give up the life you've planned in order to live the life that is waiting for you ."

So like I said before , bring it on life - I'm game for you , I may not have it all but I have plenty and life is good , much better than I could have ever imagined and for that I am more than THANKFUL :)

For you , Joanie =)

2011-05-18T17:41:00.000-07:00

I've been a bad , bad blogger but the sweetest thing happened to me like a week ago ..

well having a blogpost written especially for you qualifies as the sweetest thing , doesn't it ??

and moreover it also reminded me that friendships created over the course of writing a blog and sharing your life / experiences are very real and special .. and I'm lucky to have come to know some of these very wonderful people ..

and one of these is Joanie.. She's no stranger to my blog having guest posted earlier this year

sharing what 'Love' means to her and I tell you just with that one post she won so many hearts ..

I ain't a mommy yet but its almost like I can feel her love in her words for her children , for her family and I love that about her ..the most precious moment being - seeing her dream of having a lil girl after 3 boys come true ..

and you would agree if I said I just had to , had to be part of such awesomeness..

So here's what I did , I sent her a lil pressie for her princess ..and here she is wearing it ..

Its taken her almost a year to grow into it but its been worth the wait and those big beautiful eyes ..I'm in love ..

Thanks Jo for such a heartfelt post and the mini photo shoot, you made my day, my friend :))

<3 <3 <3 to you and your beautiful family ..

Belgian Chronicles # Tidbits and treasures ..

2011-04-18T18:04:00.000-07:00

The weekend just zipped past but for a change it was full of excitement ..does gorgeous weather and spending a day on the beach have anything to do with it .. TOTALLY !!

But this post is not about the beach ( maybe later .. ) its about a certain kind of thrill you experience while exploring new things and places like when I was in Brussels ..

Assuming that you still remember all those places I showed you ,today I'm going to give you a lil behind the scenes action like Oprah..because all those pics you see were taken the second time around when we visited the attractions together ..

The first time ... well it just happened that I went alone ..coz with hubs working the whole day and having only a couple of hours in the evening it made sense for me to check out the places ,

ponder on the logistics where , how , what ..

and believe me when I say , its not something I get to do everyday , show hubs the way or order him around and therefore I admit to ' sadistically ' enjoying being in charge hehehe :D

Being and feeling at ease is not what you'd consider my forte ..but much to my surprise I was ... and so armed with a map in one hand and my handwritten lists in another I took to the city as if I belonged there ..

not that I didnt commit the odd mistake - like you'd expect any tourist to ..

take for example the transport system in Brussels ..Its well connected but its extensive ..

There's STIB/MIVB , there's TEC and DE LIJN and there's SNCB/NMBS

and there's Greek and Latin-which is what the above is,till you get a first hand experience...

and my first hand experience went like this ..

In an attempt to be the boss who knew it all ..I assumed I knew the diff transport systems and that I had hit the jackpot when I found I could purchase a 3 day pass that would give me the freedom to travel freely and not worry about paying every time I boarded a tram , bus or train ..

Smart , eh ?

Yeah if I was living in Brussels ..

apparently I wasn't ..

I was told later , I was living in Flanders where the jackpot wasn't acceptable coz it was a different provider .. so 9.20 euros * 2 go straight down the drain ..

I read somewhere “When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money.Then take half the clothes and twice the money”.

and now you too , know one of the reasons ..

why you need ' twice the money ' :P

The other reason is ofcourse the love for good food and drink.. only that my love for good food even while travelling is limited to what I like ..I just don't have the excitement to try out something new except this time I sorta found myself in ' Osaka ' a Japanese restaurant and had to admit I had the yummiest dinner .. the ambience was quite good too ..

But if you're in beer heaven , food should come second .. right ? and top on our list was this place called ' Delirium Cafe ' ..

Did you know Delirium cafe is known to house as many varieties of beer as the year we're in ..so 2011 for 2011 ??

but did you also know that there's a Delirium cafe right next to the Delirium pub ..??

So guess what happened ...

we went , we drank and we SAW ..

we saw that all this time we were supposed to be in the cafe ,we were actually in the pub ..

Looks like what usually happens with people post binging happened to us in anticipation of binging .. hehe :D

A classic case of mix up..but compensated by the bartender who gave me this..

Delirium in Delirium Cafe ..

you bet ;)

I get knocked down , but I get up again ...

2011-04-15T19:41:00.000-07:00

So today was Day 2 of Zumba ..and guess who didn't turn up for class ...

Guess , guess ..

Yeah you're right , it was the old lady ..

So much for cheers of ' more , more ' and not that she was my competition

but hehehehe .. guess who's having the last laugh ..

if laughing for a nanosecond counts .. that is ..

coz the other surprise was I was the only one for class today ..

Ideally you'd love the one on one session having paid for a group session but in Zumbaaa ..no way, Jose ..

Either ways I was high on confidence , my mind misleading my body to think I was better equipped to handle Day 2 ..

... yeah for about 10 mins .. and then the realisation dawned..

By the end of the class it felt like I was all over the place ..my arms flailing in all directions , my legs din't know left step from right or vice versa and need I say co-ordination sucked ...

The trainer must have gauged my predicament from my shameful sheepish grins and said for a beginner I was doing really well -

but as frustrated I was , the bitchy me almost replied - Geeee thanks - am I not suffering enough ?

but better sense prevailed and the pleasant me smiled for the much needed encouragement ..

What also encouraged me were Erika Harris's words ..she aptly said,"I frequently-regularly-often trip while reaching for my high ideals. Then I giggle, or cry, and get back up."

So I'm going to giggle and cry about it here on my blog ..

and maybe , just maybe in a couple of ~~years~~ months have the courage to brag and post pics , like Corinne asked ..

and pics reminds me of the Brussels post , I was supposed to do ..

After dinner tonight ...

Promise !!

Killing me softly with a song ;-)

2011-04-13T19:00:00.000-07:00

Its been a while since I felt this happy .. and guilty as charged - Zumba hogs the credit for it..

though that wasn't quite the sentiment barely 10 mins into the class when I found myself huffing and puffing like an old woman whilst the ' literally ' old woman next to me cheered for more ..

or the thought last night when the joints in my body decided to pull a coup d’etat, yelling ' Torture '

coz it really , really hurts the first day ..

and if truth be spoken it does the next day too ...

* wincing in pain *

but in my case - deservingly so coz I've been a lazy ass for a long time now ..

If only I knew Zumba had the power to kill me and uplift me at the same time , you betcha I would have done it sooner ..coz as much as I hate exercising or going to the gym , I love eating ..

and even more , I love dancing ..

So my dear Calories ..screw you ..

I've found your nemesis..

I've found ZUMBAAAAAAA

and together we're taking you down ..

P.S ..tomorrow comes part 2 of Bustling Brussels - about time you'd say ?

Yeah yeah - whatever :P :D

Its a dream come BLUE India ..

2011-04-03T01:55:00.000-07:00

To many around the World , yesterday still seems surreal ..after all its not everyday you win the coveted WORLD CUP ..

but Team INDIA has done it ,

Team INDIA has done us proud ..

and they are well deservingly the new WORLD CUP Champions ..

Woooohoooooooooooooo :D :D

I can tell you its been a long and arduous wait - 28 years and for most , like me ,having little or no recollection of that historic day in 1983 when it all first happened , this is what we've craved and prayed for -

to see India rewrite history once in our lifetime ..

and the dreams of a billion Indians for whom cricket is religion , for whom cricket is life have FINALLY been fulfilled ..

It really doesn't get any bigger or better than this and I am certain that every Indian , however ardent a fan of cricket he may or may not be , is still a very proud Indian today..

My favorite moment of the day most definitely was when Sachin Tendulkar said " It’s the proudest moment of my life. It’s never too late... "

For someone whose been around 21 long years and whose unflinching dedication to the sport and nation is and will be an inspiration for generations to come ...

Indeed , its never too late ..

This one's for you Sachin , from your team and from every Indian - an early , but surely the best'est' birthday gift ..

Happy Birthday ..

Image Courtesy : EspnCricinfo.com

Belgian Chronicles # Bustling Brussels ..

2011-03-29T17:56:00.001-07:00

I cant believe March is almost over ..here I was all eager to pen down my experiences , managed the first one too ..

but then the 'unexpected' happens..Infact more and more I am inclined to believe that 'Unexpected ' is going to be the trend for me , this year ..

No reason to complain , you argue ?

I guess .. coz if nothing much it sure makes life interesting , right ?

But easier said than done I guess ..so much has been happening in my life right now or maybe just in my head ..I still ain't quite sure but whatever the case , you would agree if I said once in a while , it does good to just step back and breathe ..

More interestingly , I read somewhere that the time to enjoy a European vacation is three weeks after unpacking ;)

So let the enjoyment begin .. ** glasses clinking **

This first picture , as blurred as it is , is one of my favorites , coz no sooner does the camera makes it's way out ..the glare follows , the glare that reads , " Whaaat ..a picture , really ?? at the airport ..this is embarrassing "

No hubs darling , this is not embarrassing , this is marriage ..I love doing it coz you hate it soooo ..

hahhahahaha ...mwaaahahahhahaha :D

This next picture is where we stayed ..and it gets the award for being the worst hotel ever ...

Did I tell you that even air conditioning is on request and chargeable ..duhhhhhhhhh !!

To the good part now ..city sightseeing ...

Described by Victor Hugo as "the most beautiful square in Europe," , the next two pics are of the Grand Place ..

This memorable landmark is located in the very heart of Brussels yet its surprisingly hidden, accessible only through the narrow alleys that lead up to the cobblestone square ..but be prepared to be charmed instantly as you gaze in awe at the baroque guildhalls and the gothic architecture ..

The courtyard also houses the Town hall or the Hôtel de Ville another Gothic masterpiece dating back to 1402 ..

3 blocks from the Grand Place square , located on the corner of Stoofstraat lies another famous attraction the Mannekin Pis .. a little boy peeing into a fountain. Plenty of folkore surrounds the existence of this bronze statue but he's definitely the most photographed and has quite the fan following ..

Infact , few know that there are two more statues the Jeanneke Pis - a statue of a girl relieving herself erected in 1987 and the Zinnekin Pis - the statue of a dog peeing erected in 1998. Jeanneke Pis is tucked away behind some bars just outside Delerium cafe on Rue de Bouchers ..

Just writing about all this is making me hungry coz after all the sightseeing we did , we had the most awesome waffles or " des gaufres " ..the best part , you can top it with ..strawberries ,bananas, whipped cream , chocolate syrup , caramel syrup , icecream ..anything you like , you name it and you get it ..We just stuck to a topping of Nutella and it was so delicious ...my mouth waters for it still ..

If only it dint have like a hundred thousand calories , maybe I would have had the heart to have another one .. Do you think about what you're eating when travelling or do you give into such sinful temptation?

Happy Birthday Grandpa ..

2011-03-12T11:52:00.000-08:00

The best place to be when you're sad is Grandpa's lap ..

coz no matter how old you grow , you never outgrow his lap ..

coz no matter how old you grow , you're still his grandchild ..

Happy Birthday to the coolest dude I know ..

Happy Birthday Nana ..

Love you :))

Belgian Chronicles # Rocker Vs Shocker

2011-03-09T18:38:00.000-08:00

Remember this , my first post of the year ?

Well life certainly seems to be making plans for me ..how else can I explain the most unexpected / unplanned trips of all ..all I can say is whichever way it happened , I am certainly thankful .. ( to you too my hubs ) ..

We might be short on time but I still managed to visit not only Brussels , but Bruges ( thanks Bella for the advice ) and best'est' of all PARIS and the only way I can relive this fantabulous vacation is penning down my experiences on this sojourn and so with immense pleasure I bring to you the " Belgian Chronicles " edition ..

They say “You never get a second chance to make a first impression” and first impressions are almost always the truest ..so here are some of mine ..

* A 'No Smoking' room meant getting a room that apparently reeked of smoke ...Before you come to conclusions perhaps it would be fair to tell you that the hotel we put up in def ranks as the worst hotel we've stayed in ever ..I mean lifetime ever .. but since it was prearranged for us, being an official trip, we had to grin and bear it ..

* Shocker *

* Bus drivers ( both male and female ) are the most ingenious people I came across - the dexterity with which they drive the biggest of the buses on the smallest of roads .. hats off !!

Definitely a ** Rocker **

(and just for this I am willing to ignore the annoying fact that buses never stop at a bus stop , always 10 to 15 ft ahead of the bus stop ..)

Moving staircases better known as escalators are meant for running / walking up ..If you're standing comfortably and not running up ( Lord forbid if you are ..) you're most definitely a tourist.. I would understand running / walking up the escalator once in a while if you're missing a bus/ tram/train but always , everyone ??

* Shocker *

If you know the right place , you're definitely in for the most amazing frites or fries , chocolates and beer .. I have fallen in love with the chocolates from Galler ..if you've not had them , you must and when you do , think of me and ship some my way too ..you'll forever be my best friend !!

Double ** Rocker **

You have to pay for everything ..and I mean literally everything ..

Tourist maps are free ..right ?? Wrong ..they're available for .50 euros ...and that makes it the only place where I've paid for a tourist map.. * Shocker *
General Shopping - be sure to carry a bag coz plastic bags aren't free ...I support eco friendly so I do agree that the only way to cut down on plastic bag consumption is to ask ppl to pay ..This one gets my support - ** Rocker **
Going to have a burger , be prepared to pay for burger and ketchup ( .60 euros )..Maybe being in America has spoiled me but even back home in India ketchup in restaurants is free ..* Shocker *
If the above doesn't rattle you this will , every time you use a public restroom you have to pay .30 to .50 euros ( even restaurant restrooms are not free ) ..and judging by the number of times I need to use the restroom ..well.. there's where all my money for shopping went ..I'm telling you someone should have prepared me for this ...coz seriously for me , when I'm travelling , looking up a restroom within running distance is perhaps as important as researching the tourist attraction .. **Whammy Shocker ****

I'm not saying I din't enjoy myself but one invariably compares it to what you have back home ..I always do , do you ?

and have you been somewhere you found a rocker/shocker you'd like to share ?

Love byte # 28 - Dare to Dream

2011-03-02T15:45:00.000-08:00

So much has been said about love this past month and the beauty of it all is , so much remains to be said ..
And I guess that what makes Love so special , the fact that even though it means different things to different people it is essentially the same and most importantly no matter who we are or where we live or what we do , Love is and will always remain an intrinsic part of our lives , then be it our love for a spouse , lover , friend , parent , sibling or even an animal ...
Love is LOVE !!

So , Thank you Bella , Katie , Joanie , Aneesh , Mom , Alinka , Una , Ken , Corinne , Micaela , Sneha , Claudia , Heidi , Elizabeth , Brenda , Sara , Betty , Teresa , Sheba , Lauren , Jasmeet , Kary for sharing your thoughts on ubiquitous love ..and I believe it's our love for LOVE that brought us together and made this love byte feature possible and such a success :)

Now for one last love byte ...
Love to me is .. dreaming together and then making those dreams come true ..
It's no secret that neither love nor life is always perfect , everyone in life has their own share of struggles that one must deal with .. But like the quote goes
“We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand!”
So dream , when things aren't that great , dream together about the car / house you wanna buy , about the vacation you want to take , about the life you wanna make ..
Dream together , big or small , about anything and everything and when it's possible make those dreams come true !!

I say that out of experience coz hubs and me have been planning a trip to Europe for what seems like forever and this month our dream came true :)
So here I am writing this post in a small cafe in Grand Place in Brussels .. Who would have known love bytes would end here but dreams come true ..

Signing off for now but will be back with the ' Belgian Chronicles ' soon :D
Until then, I'd love to hear some of your dreams that came true ..

Love Byte # 27 - "A happy family is but an earlier heaven" - Guest Post by Karina

2011-02-27T13:03:00.000-08:00

Hi loves - It is such an honor to be posting on Pria's blog for you her dear readers :)

My name is Karina and I'm popping over from "Ramblings Of A Simple Girl".

It's been great reading the Love Byte's segment and it feels great to be a part of this segment along with

all of the lovely girls that have contributed.

It will be a year in April that I came across darling Pria's blog, and what a blessing she has been.

Pria has come to be like family, just a phone call away. Full of encouraging and soothing words during

some of the hardest moments in my life. I love my darling Pria and can not wait to meet her in person when she does get to come to New York City :)

And give her a big Kary Hug!!

Love, Hmmmmm... What does love mean to me?

Love means everything to me, it is my world and my life.

I am after all the girl who is in love with love :)

I owe it all to my beautiful parents, who made sure I grew up surrounded by love.

We might have been poor material wise, but love wise I was and still am the richest girl ever!

Me & my beautiful Mamma

Me & my beautiful Pappa

I am SO thankful and blessed to have the parents that I have.

They immigrated from Mexico leaving behind everything and everyone they knew, with out thinking

twice about themselves, but about us their future children.

So that we could have the opportunities that they didn't have.

They suffered and struggled hard to give us a good life, sometimes suffering because we

couldn't have certain material things.

But to my beautiful parents I say:

Thank you for putting a roof over my head.

Thank you for keeping me away from harm.

Thank you for always holding my hand when we crossed the street.

Thank you for staying up late and by my side when I was sick.

Thank you for holding up my hair while I threw up.

Thank you for threatening to beat up whoever bothered me at school :)

Thank you for soothing me when my heart was broken.

Thank you for always believing in me and teaching me to believe in myself.

Thank you for all the values and lessons that you have thought me.
Thank you for everything!!

Thank you Mamma & Pappa for bringing me into this world and for teaching me that the most important thing in life is family and love!

So you see in the end we were swimming in nuggets of love.

It is a blessing to live so close to my parents, and have my Miguelito so close to his Grandparents.

And I wouldn't have it any other way, I love being able to see my parents everyday, to hug them, and listen to their voices. It is like music to my ears.

To some I might sound like a little girl and even though I'm not,

to my parents I will always be their little girl.

And they will always be my everything, my love's, and my life!

Love,

Kary xoxo

There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other, wings
- Hodding Carter

Love Byte # 25 - " Love is Everything " - Guest post by "Jasmeet "

2011-02-26T05:23:00.000-08:00

Hi, I am Jasmeet, the stalker of Priya's lovely blog and in the true spirit of my own blog "its never too late", I go on to post Byte # 25 after # 26. That's me, I guess (sheepish). Heartfelt apologies to disrupt the chronology of this absolutely fantastic blog. I have been with Priya when this blog was only a baby, and my love for it has only grown. Like most of the readers would agree with me, this blog has heart. Priya's heart. And nothing is more endearing and courageous as to be able to invite the world to be audience to your thoughts, specially when its truly from the heart.

I have known Priya for almost five years now, and as the cliche goes, it seems like Ive known her forever. Friends by chance and sisters by choice, if not blood, is how we term our relationship. And I am more than honoured to be asked to write for her blog. To be a guest author for a blog on which eyes are set from so many parts of the world is not an easy task. And especially towards the end of the series, where such thought provoking posts have already been written. But try I will.

What does Love mean to me? A million things, i'd say.

* Love is the concern a parent has when you're out late and haven't called.

* Love is the warmth you feel in your heart when you hug your mum when you see her after two months.

* Love is when a guy sends you a 100 roses, even though he cannot figure out the fuss over Valentine's Day.

* Love is when a brother chooses to travel 80 kms every day to work and back, only so that he can live with his little sister, lest she feels alone in the big city.

* Love is the reassuring hug a father gives his child, despite her failure at school, saying "its not the end of the world baby".

* Love is the smile with which a friend greets you, after having to wait for you at a cafe for over an hour.

* Love is when a friend chooses you and your company to watch a movie marathon, instead of a boring day at work.

* Love is the feeling you get when some one expresses concern about you not eating well or getting proper rest.

* Love is the sensible advice an elder sister lends, even though you did not ask for any :)

* Love is the forgiveness that easily comes even though you have erred gravely against a friend.

* Love is when mum crumples up some money into your hand, when she hugs you good bye, knowing fully well you probably have enough.

* Love is when you're told to focus on your career instead of the relationship of your dreams, because just in case it doesn't work, at least you never compromised on your future.

* Love is when dad kisses mom's hands when she makes his favourite dish, every single time, even after 30 years.

* Love is the anger mum shows when you scrape your knee after slipping from the see-saw in the park (if only she could uproot that see-saw).

* Love is the appreciation in your father's eyes, when you bag your first job.

* Love is when a friend travels 48 hours so that she could get to spend four with you.

* Love is when your flat mates take turns to make your favourite cuppa when you're sick and cranky.

* Love is the faith that cements friendship.

* Love is the trust that keeps two hearts together despite 10201.97 kms between them.

* Love is when you get back from a tiring day, only to have your room mates finish up cooking the dinner and doing the dishes.

* Love is in the text your sibling sends the next day after a huge fight, saying "still angry?"

* Love is what makes you strong enough to stay apart, not weak enough to never let go.

* Love is what you have for your parents and what you share with your sibling.

* Love is what friendship teaches you and lovers further the learning.

* Love is everything.

Well, a million things I could not write, but I am sure you get the drift. Love to me means all these things and a lot lot more. Hope you'd agree.

Thanks for this opportunity Priya. Love you lots :*

Love Byte #26 - Love is Imperfect - Guest post by Lauren

2011-02-26T01:08:00.000-08:00

Hello!

My name is Lauren and I am the blogger over at The Little Things We Do.... and I am thrilled that Priya asked me to guest blog, especially about the topic of love and what it means to me.

Some people might think that this is what love looks like:

Sitting in a field of flowers, utterly and blissfully in love without a care in the world. Well....I think it's true....sometimes love does look like that. The example in the above photo is of my husband Craig and I, and while it's true that we are sitting in a field of flowers making googly eyes at each other, things are not always as they seem. This photo was from our engagement photo session and the field of flowers you see is actually a small patch of grass off the side of a city street and we're sitting on a towel because the ground was covered in mud and prickly thorns. We also seem to be smiling in the photo, but we're really just joking about how awkward it is getting photos taken. I think this is kind of like an analogy about love. It's not always perfect and doesn't always happen the way you thought it would.

BUT...while love isn't perfect, it's what makes life worth living. It may not be a fairy tale every single day, but it's real and it can be so beautiful if you put in the work. I think love isn't so much a feeling as it is an action.

Love to me is:

*Getting up early to make lunch for him

*When he warms up my side of the bed before I get there.

*Staying in, curled up with pizza and Netflix on a Friday night.

*Saying what needs to be said even when it's hard.

*Noticing a new freckle....even when it's just a little one.

*Complete trust.

*Silly inside jokes.

*Remembering my favorite flowers

*Coffee dates.

*Hard times that can be worked through together

*Fighting (fair) and then making up.

*Putting the other person's needs/feelings first.

Love looks different for everyone and there is no "perfect" love story. Just people who choose to show love to one another a day at a time. Hope you choose love today!

{Lauren}

Love Byte #24 - Forevermore - Guest Post by Sheba

2011-02-24T09:23:00.000-08:00

Hi! I'm Sheba [you can read my musings at Perpetual Bounce] and I am delighted to be writing a guest post for Priya. I recently started reading Priya's blog and am so glad I stumbled upon it because her posts are so uplifting that they can get me out of a funk or remind me of the little things that make me smile.

Eight years ago my life changed through the chance meeting of another soul; one that didn't seem separate from mine, but rather my missing piece, my perfect complement. It was like we knew each other in another life, another time, and were finally being reunited. I didn't know what it meant to truly be in love until I met E.

In the short time we've been together, we've had so many wonderful *ups*, but it is the storms that we've weathered together, side by side, that solidify for me that this really is my *perfect match*.

No matter what life throws me, if I have my E beside me, I know it's going to be alright.

On Marriage
Kahlil Gibran

You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.

Love one another, but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.

Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.

Love Byte # 23 - Love has no distance - Guest post by Betty

2011-02-23T12:43:00.000-08:00

Guest post by Betty Manousos of CUT AND DRY

I am so happy to be posting here today...Love Bytes is a totally exciting idea of Priya's. I have been following Priya's blog for a while and although we've never met we've been good on-line friends. Thanks Priya, it's always been my pleasure to visit your lovely blog.

I'd love to share with you a beautiful poem by E.E. Cummings.

I Carry Your Heart with Me.

I carry your heart with me (I'm carry it in my heart)

I am never without it (anywhere I go you go, my

dear, and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling.)

I fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet),

I want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)

and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you.

~~~

Ahh, being in love is the best inspiration! It's amazing! The feeling that our life is complete and nothing could ever going wrong. The beauty of love, but what happens when the relationship is long distance? I think it's still the same, only hundreds-if not thousands of miles away.

Love has no distance.

Love Byte # 22 - History of Love - Guest Post by Teresa

2011-02-22T00:26:00.000-08:00

Hi, my name is Teresa and my Blog is Checa LA movie . It is all about Movies !!! I am from Mexico. I have been living in the United States for 15 years. I am a mother. I have my Bachelors Degree of Communications Sciences from the Universidad de Monterrey, Mexico. I have forth my knowledge under many positions, including Anchor and Reporter. In this new chapter of my life, I have dedicated myself to using my knowledge to explore the world of "Blogging: and share my real passion: "The Art of Film". The fact that I think / write mostly in Spanish does not deter me from doing this guest post for Priya, whose blog is as unique as her ..Isn't she lovely ?? Long version is in Spanish !!

Mi imaginación sin límites me invita a compartir con ustedes un cuento. Un cuento de "Amor" en el que resumo mi apreciación sobre la importancia que damos comercialmente a esta celebración, olvidándonos poner en práctica este sentimiento los 364 días restantes. Por cierto, soy Fan de Disney, así que me encantan los cuentos de príncipes y princesas.

"… Había una vez una princesita cuya virtud principal era la nobleza envuelta en un enorme corazón. Su amor era tan grande, que de acuerdo a su madre, no cabía en el castillo. La Reina decidió guardar el amor de la princesa en botecitos para regalarlo a quienes lo necesitaban. Pero extrañamente los adultos fingían o ignoraban a la pequeña, ya que el amor era lo menos importante en su vida. La Reina comenzó a llenar las bódegas con tarros, ya que aparentemente nadie lo necesitaba. Un día llego una pareja desolada por una decepción que solicito el primer envase. El resultado de su uso se convirtió en una leyenda tan popular que las demandas de los botes de amor llegaron de todos los rincones de la tierra y entoncés la Reina comenzó a comercializarlo. La niña se sintió muy triste, su capacidad para amar y apreciar los pequeños detalles disminuyo. Un día la princesita decidió liberar el poco amor capturado y que la suave brisa se encargara del resto. Así que sin ser anunciado, sin protocolos, sin presiones, el amor comenzó a esparcirse por todos lados y la primera que la aspiro y suspiro ante lo sublime de un atardecer de colores sepia, fue la princesa. La Reina avergonzada por su avaricia se dio cuenta que en el Castillo había lugar para el amor de su princesa y que perdía su magia cuando había monedas de oro de por medio. La calma volvió al recinto y de ahí en adelante, el amor dejo de ser un objeto comercial en el Reino y recuperó su autenticidad. El amor de la princesa y sus virtudes crecieron al mismo tiempo que se convertía en una hermosa jovencita. Encontró a su príncipe azul y decidieron no capturar el amor sino compartirlo y celebrar todos los días como si fuera el "Día de San Valentín"… y Vivieron felices para siempre.

Este es solo un cuento, pero los invito a reflexionar ya que solemenos condicionar y capturar el amor de acuerdo a nuestra conveniencia. No es justo solo dejemos libre y amemos. A nuestros hijos, nuestra pareja, nuestros amigos, nuestras vidas, pero sobre todo a nosotros mismos.

If I translate the story it would go like this... actually it is like a shorter version, because I use too many adjectives in Spanish.. lol

"... There was once a Princess who had a huge heart filled with love .. Her love was so great that her mother, the Queen, asked her to place all her love in little jars and bottles and give it only to those who needed it. The Princess obeyed and began storing her love in jars and bottles of all shapes and sizes, but when she asked people if they needed love, strangely no one wanted it. Princess was disappointed because people had no time for love in their lives, or perhaps love was less important on their list of priorities. However , one fine day came a couple devastated by disappointment and asked for love... She gave them a jar with immense faith in the power of love and soon enough all their troubles disappeared. News of this spread and the demand for love came from all corners of the world. The Queen realised she could make money out of it; but as soon as she placed a price on love, the Princess's magical love powers diminished so much so that she found herself incapable of spreading love. The Princess was wise enough to know true love was unconditional and that love would only grow and spread if it was free for all , and so she opened all the jars and bottles and let love free. Soon, love blossomed for the Princess also, she found her Prince Charming and they decided never to capture their love. Instead share it every day of the year. They made everyday a Valentine's day and lived happily ever after.."

This is just an imaginary story, but I invite you to reflect on the fact that Love is not at our convenience. Let it spread all around. It is fair. Love.. Love your children, love your partner, love your friends, love your live, but most of all love yourself.

Love Byte # 21 - Books and Me - Guest Post by Sneha

2011-02-21T17:50:00.000-08:00

Hey , I hope you're loving the series ..

Me , I enjoyed doing my first post so much that I'm back again for my second one ..hope you enjoy it :)

I confess I am, unabashedly, a romantic at heart. I just adore romance novels. There are just so many which I like. From the classics like Gone with the Wind, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and The Blue Castle (by L.M Montgomery, I just love, love, love the book) to the more popular Judith Macnaught’s. I especially like reading such novels set in historical time, it adds that little extra something.

Following are excerpts which stayed on with me after I finished reading them. I keep going back to the magic of these books time and again : )

This extract is from Charlotte Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. Here Catherine explains her relation with Heathcliff and Linton, when Nelly questions her about it.

“I cannot express it; but surely you and everybody have a notion that there is, or should be, an existence of yours beyond yourself. What were the use of my creation if I were entirely contained here? My greatest miseries in the world have been Heathcliff’s miseries, and I watched and felt each from the beginning; my great thought in living is in himself. If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and, if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger. I should not seem a part of it. My love for Linton is like foliage in the woods.Time will change it, I’m well aware, as winter changes the trees – my love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath- a source of little visible delight but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff – he’s always, always on my mind – not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself – but as my own being …”

The following two excerpts are from the book Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

“I am glad it cannot happen twice, the fever of first love. For it is a fever, and a burden, too, whatever the poets may say. They are not brave, the days when we are twenty one. They are full of little cowardices, little fears without foundation, and one is so easily bruised, so swiftly wounded, one falls to the first barbed word. Today, wrapped in the complacent armor of approaching middle age, the infinitesimal pricks of day by day brush one lightly and are soon forgotten, but then - how a careless word would linger, become a fiery stigma, and how a look, a glance over a shoulder, branded themselves as things eternal. A denial heralded the thrice crowing of a cock, and an insincerity was like the kiss of Judas.

Not for me the languor and the subtlety (of love) I had read about in books. The challenge and the chase. The sword-play, the swift glance, the stimulating smile. The art of provocation was unknown to me, and I would sit with his map upon my lap, the wind blowing my dull, lanky hair, happy in his silence, yet eager for his words. Whether he talked or not made little difference to my moods. My only enemy was the clock on the dashboard, whose hands would move relentlessly to one o’ clock. We drove east, we drove west, amidst the myriad villages that cling like limpets to the Mediterranean shore, and today I remember none of them.

This one is from my all time favourites “Blue Castle” by L.M Montgomery.

“Valancy was perfectly happy. Some things dawn on you slowly. Some things came by lightning flashes. Valancy had had a lightning flash. She knew quite well no that she loved Barney. Yesterday she had been all her own. Now she was this man’s. Yet he had done nothing – said nothing. He had not even looked at her as a woman. But that didn’t matter. Nor did it matter what he was or what he had done. She loved him without any reservations. Everything in her went out wholly to him. She had no wish to stifle or disown her love. She seemed to be his so absolutely that thought apart from him – thought in which he did not predominate – was an impossibility. She had realized, quite simply and fully, that she loved him, in that moment when he was leaning on the car door explaining that Lady Jane (car) had no gas. She looked deep into his eyes in the moonlight and had known. In that infinitesimal space of time everything was changed. Old things passed away and all things became new.

She was no longer unimportant, little old maid Valancy Stirling. She was a woman full of love and therefore rich and significant – justified to herself. Life was no longer empty and futile, and death could cheat her of nothing. Love had cast out her last fear…

Love Byte # 20 - My Sister , My Friend !!

2011-02-20T22:53:00.000-08:00

"Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of. You know whatever you do, they'll still be there."

I love that quote , more so now coz over the years of growing up , the years of fighting over nothing and yet everything ,the years of competing with each other ..you come to realize that a sister really is there to stay and no matter what you do , where you go in life or how old you get ..she's someone who grows closer as the years go by ..

For me , my sisters were always my sisters but now they are my best friends, my ally's , my support , my encouragement ,my critics and the reason for some of the best times I've had ..

Here's a poem I found on the net and that aptly sums up my sentiments ..

Three Sister's

by Francis I. Gillespie

We are three sisters

Three sisters are we

I love each of you,

And I know you love me

We’re not always together,

Life sometimes keeps us apart.

But we're never separated

We’re in each other's heart.

Now I know we've had our troubles,

But we always get thru.

The real message is you love me,

And I also love you.

We have had lots of good times

That we'll never forget

Sometimes we worry

And sometimes we fret

But if God ever gave me

Something special you see,

It might have been the blessing of,

Three sisters are we.

The Lord above has gave me lots

Of happiness and glee

But the most special thing he did was

Make us sisters, all three.

Love Byte # 19 - " Unconditional " - Guest post by " Sara- One Long Road "

2011-02-19T02:50:00.000-08:00

I got the email from Priya amidst a very important time in my country. I am Sara from One Long Road, I am Egyptian, and I love my country. I always have. I am 23, and all my life, we've had only one president. I just had to mention that on here because well, my generation and I have just made history!!

I am so happy to be part of this series, and part of a blog that is so very personal that you can't help but relate to :)

It has taken me a lot of trials and losses to finally reach the conclusion or the definition of what love is to me. I have had my heart broken in so many different ways..

My brother and cousin- unconditional.

I have grown to believe that love is in aura that surrounds you; and you only get as much love as you radiate. Having an open heart, always, an open heart that is filled with warmth and is willing to share that warmth with the world guarantees that you will be loved- no matter what. (I know that isn't the easiest thing to do, sometimes a temper gets in the way, or reality- since this is a very idealistic notion.)

Yes, I love the sun, I love the trees, I love my brother (and my family) and (as of recent- oh so very much) my boyfriend, I have always loved Egypt (even at times when it gave me no reason to) I love my blog and development economics. I love the universe, and the sea, I love the full moon and oranges....the colour blue and shoes..I love wind in my hair, I love beautiful things, and mind you- everything is beautiful. (And everyone is. too)

It's what makes me smile.

Love is unconditional. I don't love anyone because of how they make me feel, or what they do to me, or how they look or what they do in general...I don't love anything because of the "utility" I derive from it (I am sorry, the economist in my had to use the term)...

I love just because...

And "just because", to me, is the most noble of reasons to love.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post!

Sara

Love Byte # 18 - Love Is A Maroon Tux - Guest Post by Brenda Susan at Walking Butterfly

2011-02-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

I am Walking Butterfly and I'm so happy to be invited to do one of the Love Bytes for Priya's wonderful February series! I have been enjoying all the great variety of posts about the huge subject of love! I mean how could we ever get to the end of such an amazing thing as love? Thank you sweet Priya, I love your blog and feel honored to be included in it.

So my story of LOVE?...........

Thirty-three years ago my husband, whom I will call Hubs, was doing some serious bargaining. He even had the scary nerve to give God an ultimatum!

I was twenty-two and engaged to a guy who was determined to remodel me into his idea of the perfect woman. (Clinton Kelly on What Not To Wear is the only one allowed to tell me how to dress these days!)

Hubs had returned to our hometown after graduating from college. On his first Sunday back, we crossed paths in the church we had both grown up in and I welcomed him home. We had each liked one another in high school but our likings had never happened at the same time.

What may have appeared to be a random moment of ordinary small talk between two old school friends, was actually two very different experiences.

For me, it was just a quick catch up with a sweet guy I used to have a crush on in high school.

For Hubs, it was anything but small talk. His heart was racing fast and his mind was struggling to catch up with his heart. He was asking himself if he was being delusional or if his imagination was running away with him. Because as I had walked toward him, he heard an unexpected thought cross his mind……

“You are going to marry her.”

Hubs knew I was engaged. So he did his best to chat with me about moving back to our hometown and finding a job. I told him that the shoe store I worked in had an opening and I would put in a good word for him.

Now it got really interesting! Hubs and I began to spend every day together in a tiny shoe store. Our friendship grew, but to me that is all it was, a great friendship. For him, it became more and more difficult to watch my unhealthy relationship with my fiancé day after day. He kept remembering those words he had heard and could not understand what in the world he was supposed to do about it!

In the meantime my mother was heartbroken over my destructive relationship also. She prayed for me constantly and had no idea how to help me.

Finally, there came a night when it all changed! Three separate events occurred to three separate people in three separate towns.

Hubs was in his little apartment thinking about what he had heard and he prayed a desperate prayer……

“God, I believe those words came from you, but I

can’t stand this anymore. If I don’t see a change tomorrow

I am never talking to you about her again!”

My mom was also praying about me that night. She begged God to help me get out of my unhealthy relationship and as she prayed she suddenly felt a peace about it and knew she could go to bed without worrying anymore.

I told you there were three events didn’t I? The third happening was mine. I was in a busload of young people I was chaperoning to a concert. As I rode along I opened a new letter from my fiancé. In the letter he was berating me and putting me down and for the very first time it really hit me wrong. I distinctly remember thinking…..

“I don’t deserve this treatment!”

Now, I had never thought that thought before because I believed that I did deserve his bad treatment. But my eyes were just suddenly and unexplainably opened! I broke off the engagement that night.

The next morning I went to work with one less piece of jewelry on my fingers. Can you imagine the racing heart and stuttering small talk Hubs had to endure that morning?

Hubs is not an idiot, he did not tell me any of this until long after we were engaged many months later. After my break-up he was a kind and gentle friend to me and taught me how I should be treated. I had no idea how wonderful it felt to be treasured and respected. He took his time, letting me heal and come to love him in a way that has lasted and grown for thirty-three years today. I am loved………..how else could you explain why a man would stand up in front of 400 people in a maroon tux with a pink shirt?

Brenda Susan

Love Byte #17 – "What is love?" A Guest Post by E from Whining at the World

2011-02-17T17:18:00.000-08:00

Hello people. I’m E. and I’m doing my FIRST EVER guest post over here today!!! You can see I’m excited about this. I am honoured to be invited to guest blog. In fact, I’m pretty sure my response to Priya started off with Wow!

Anyway Priya, thank you for Love Bytes, it is such a great idea. I have loved reading the series. It has been great to be introduced to everyone’s different ideas of Love and a whole lot of new blogs as well. I must also say a big thank you for inviting me to take part.

So, I’m supposed to be writing about what love is to me. It’s a tough question that some of the other Love Bytes have already answered. These answers have been:

Love is what makes the ride worthwhile

Love is the devil

Love is my Life

Love is sharing… even your popcorn

Image by Claire and found on We Heart It.

It seems that everyone has an opinion on what love is. What kind of love are we talking about? Romantic love, the bond of love between a parent and child, sibling love there are many different kinds of love.
I’ve been to a few weddings where a particular passage from the bible is read out. You may have heard it - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. To me this passage is about love in all it’s different forms.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

That’s a lot to live up to. I’m really not sure we do that in our family. For those of you who don’t know me (Drop over to Whining and say hi!), my family consists of Mr E. (my husband), Boy Child (12), Girl Child (7) and me. While we may not live up to those bible verses it is unusual for someone to leave for the day without saying “I love you.” to everyone else. But as actions speak louder than words, here are some examples of the love shown in our house.

Love is: whacking your brother because he did something that annoyed you BUT wanting to have a sleepover in his room because you miss him despite your rooms being next door to each other. Girl Child

Love is: calling your sister a little freak BUT willingly playing with her and cheering her up when she is sad. Boy Child

Love is: being away from your family for work but calling every day to see how we are going and to say goodnight to us. Mr E.

Love is: sharing the chocolate. Me. Note: I have a Will Blog for Chocolate button over at Whining.

As I said earlier, love is expressed verbally in our house but I think it’s the actions that really show it. We may not live up to that passage but we still know that we are loved. So what is love? I dont think I can answer that. It is so many different things to so many people.

What is love to you? What do things others do that make you feel loved?

Love Byte #16 "Opposites Attract" Guest Post By Heidi Of Me As A Mother

2011-02-16T11:11:00.000-08:00

Hello everybody, Heidi here, visiting from Me As A Mother, and I am so happy to be a part of this wonderful series. Thank you lovely Priya, for letting me share today.

OK, so I'm just gonna lay this one out for you. I'm in love. Whole-heartedly. No turning back. In it for life. Stuck like glue. But this person scares the shit out of me. A few adjectives to describe my love: intense, critical, perfectionist, overly-dramatic, know-it-all.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet my 5-year-old, Ava Rae.

This kiddo is my first born and the exact opposite of me in almost every way. There are some days when I look at my husband and say "I don't know how to parent her. I really don't." There are some nights when I go to bed and think "I failed her today." There are moments when I quantum leap into the future and see Ava at 15, arguing with me, fighting dirty. Where's the bourbon? Make it a double, please.

And yet. My love for her is so big that none of the aforementioned matters. These challenges are making me a better parent; to Ava and to her sisters. These challenges are making me a more empathetic person, helping me to realize that everybody responds to patience and kindness, regardless of their innate personality. These challenges are helping me to be kinder to myself.

But I am totally keeping a bottle of bourbon on hand.

Love Byte # 15 - " Love is Sharing...even your popcorn "

2011-02-15T11:57:00.000-08:00

guest post by Claudia from moncy3


photo courtesy by just popping

Hi there, my name is Claudia from moncy3 I'd like to thank Priya for the opportunity of being a part of these wonderful love bytes. Every time I visit Priya's blog 'My reflections' I feel at home and welcomed.

I'm being honest I am not one to write much, besides everything about love as been said in an impeccable way already. As I was browsing the web to find the perfect love quote, get some inspiration and elaborate on it I came across this one... clever and transparent...

'Love is sharing your popcorn' by Charles Schultz.

So I thought of doing a little...lets' call it 'research' just like my daughter tells me when she's about to log in and engulf into Club Penguin. Let's go ahead and read shall we:

Social Etiquette and Good Manners/Sharing Popcorn

Expert: Amanda Gamble - 2/21/2005

Question

I recently went to the movies with my wife and a new friend from work. I bought popcorn and snacks. Without asking, my new friend reaches over and grabs a big handful of popcorn, and does this about 4 or 5 times without mentioning a word, except for little comments about the movie. He's a friend, but the act made me uncomfortable! I thought he should have bought his own, and at the very least asked before reaching into my popcorn...

What do you think about this "Popcorn Etiquette" situation?

Any help would be appreciated! It's driving me crazy thinking about it!

-Mike (Seattle)

Answer

Dear Mike,

Wow! Not only rude,but disgusting,too. Why he would

think that it as okay to get grabby with your popcorn

is beyond me. Perhaps he was raised by wolves. In any

case,there isn't anything that you can do about it now.

The moment has passed. Next time,let your wife hold the

popcorn with you between him and the food!

Best regards,

Amanda Gamble

Fascinating, and so real! We never think twice or hesitate not a bit to share our personal hopes and wishes, our intimate dreams, our most inner desires, our emotional feelings,
our pains, frustrations and fears. The good, the bad and the ugly,
uphill or downhill,
rain or shine we all share it with our
loved ones without reservations...even the simplest things like popcorn.

...and if I may add to this funny quote Love is also drinking
from the same straw!

Have a blessed life my friends and many hugs your way!

Claudia

Love Byte # 14 - Love Letters

2011-02-14T11:38:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's day lovies !!

I hoped to get hubs to do today's love byte but between all the packing , moving , shifting to a new place , we've had a pretty back breaking weekend and therefore no time for le blog ..

But last night as I was unpacking , sifting through old cards and letters , I found this one particular letter that has always intrigued me ...it dates back to the year 2000 ( yup don't even remind me again it's been that long :P ) ..

So , those were the good ol' days when he 'willingly' wrote me long letters but this one wasn't like a letter , it was something he wrote for me.. it's something that still sends a tingle down my spine..

This might sound a lil silly, considering we were both really young, but thats what love was back then , naive , immature , unsophisticated , uncomplicated yet ever so charming !! It still is the most beautiful part of our lives but you know what I mean ;)

I don't know why but the woman in her is attracting me, pulling me closer.. appealing to me , to love her and kiss her yet again ..

I don't know why but I am unable to resist her glowing face, her twinkling eyes and her seductive smile ,

this all's pulling me like a magnet attracts iron ..

She has that expression on her face which has something, something eternal about it..

The God within me is urging me to love her, love her as if you (me) are going to succumb the very next moment.. Give her everything you have .Treat her like a goddess coz she's the one who'll give you real happiness and set you free..

Each time I look into her eyes, I hear them saying ,

"Give me love, make me experience the height of passion and the madness in you. Love me wild, love me hard, love me with complete abandon, love me till you feel a part of a whole another world, our world . "

I think I've fallen in love with her all over again and this time its supernormal or shall I say supernal .

Now I'll love her more than I ever did , coz I want her to marry me , only me ..
She belongs to me and I can't afford to lose her..

Call it possessiveness or any damn thing but she's MINE

and to her I belong.

Love Byte #13 "Reminiscence.." Guest Post by Sneha

2011-02-13T06:59:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone, Happy Valentine's Day !!! one day in advance :)

Priya's Blog is driving me nuts. How do you do it so regularly sis? I had to write just one and i was stumped. How did you do it alone last year? I tried starting my own blog. Its been two years now and I've written just one. Blogging really isn't for the faint hearted.

My contribution to Priya's blog is a tribute to my sisters. Being me, i don't tell them very often, but i love you both, a lot. My life would be insipid without you.

Here goes...

Being one of three sisters seemed like such a pain when I was younger, especially with me being the middle one, I was left hanging – neither here nor there, the worst of both worlds (being elder and younger at the same time), or so it seemed then. I hated being teased mercilessly by Priya, aka your blogger (the eldest). Soumaya, the youngest, was, well, the youngest. Her favorite dialogue was, “I’ll tell Papa” and then she would go wailing “Papaaaaaaaa…”

I am sure both my sisters will have their own woes to tell from their perspective.

We had an excess of everything, an excess of love, hate, drama, joy, fun, the fights. I pity my mum when I look back now. How she managed to handle a full time job, a house and the three of us, no one will ever know.

Let me give you and insight of how we were as kids. Priya was outgoing, smart, good in studies and fun to be around (she still is). Soumaya talked nineteen to a dozen. She had to narrate the day’s events to mum every evening, and not just narrate it, she would be dramatic about it too. She loved dancing. I was a complete introvert, content in my dream world. I became better once I discovered books, they added fuel to my overactive imagination I guess.

Now you can imagine what a house full of such characters would have been like. Usually two of us would gang up on the third one (the poor kid). I reckon the treatment toughened us up. We would bicker about the T.V remote, where we wanted to sleep, what we wanted to do. Priya and I used to have wrestling bouts. At times Priya would sit on us. (She still does, but those were the good days, she was slim then ). We did have more than our share of fights, but in fun times we had thrice the amount. We never needed friends outside of us. We would dance, play around, act, pull each other’s leg, dance some more. The best part was that we got to share each other’s clothes and shoes, not always with mutual consent or knowledge ;)

“If a sister is in a tearing hurry to go out and won’t catch your eye, she’s wearing your best sweater.” When I read this quote, I burst out laughing. This was surely written for us.

Since I was the quiet one in the family I would, more often than not, end up being “the ear” to both my sisters. Oh! How many secrets I still have stored up (rubbing my hands in glee). These secrets come in handy when I need something. Hahahaaa hahahaha (diabolical laughter)

I remember Priya and I were given a separate room when we had our crucial high school exams. How tired we would get playing cards at night. One of us would always say, “One last game, just one last one”, and last it did for an hour more. Mum and Dad will read this and think, “This explains Sneha’s marks.” Well, no harm done in the long run.

Through the years there were times when we drifted apart and then there were these other times when we felt, no one knew us better. When Priya moved to another city for graduate studies, the house felt empty. I would always feel my heart sink when I waved her off at the railway station, wondering what I would do without her. One time I returned from school and walked into the bedroom to see Priya sitting there with mum. I stood at the door for a minute, shock written on my face, my mouth agape, wondering if my mind was playing tricks on me. She had decided to come home early. That’s what Priya was like.

Soumaya filled up the silence in my life. With her around, there was never a dull moment. Now she is gone too. I enjoy having a room to myself, but I’d much rather have my pestiferous younger sister than my room.

We’ve all grown up now (have we really ???). Priya’s there in the U.S., Soumaya’s in Delhi and I am here, working as a full time teacher.

I spent a wonderful summer with Priya last year. Soumaya keeps coming home, or I visit her in Delhi. I wish the three of us could take a holiday together. We haven’t been together in two years now. Hope the time comes soon.

So this was my take on what love means to me – my sisters and I.

Love Byte #12 "Our Parent's Example" Guest Post by Micaela of Dolce Vita

2011-02-12T09:32:00.000-08:00

hello all of Priya's darling readers! It's Micaela from my little corner of the internet Dolce Vita, so happy and honored to be part of Priya's wonderful series.

there's so many reasons i adore Priya. We share the same love of films and quotes. But most of all, i love how she shares a piece of herself (her life) with each post.

I'm honored to get to share a bit of my heart with you today.

As a newly wed, i wanted to be the wife that audrey hepburn was talking about when she said, "If I get married, I want to be very married."

I love being very married. On our big day, we had photographs of our parents framed from their magical day--

my parents

his parents

we come from good stock... both our parents celebrated 40 years of marriage this year. My example is both of them. Because love to me is family. When family is your center (not work or money) it's you two against the rest of the world isn't it?

I don't know the secret of marriage just yet but I love knowing we're in it together. We're a family now. That it's a vow you make with all your heart. For better or for worse because marriage is hard work (even when you're a newly wed).

so dance together in your small kitchen. tell them when you're hurting and try never to say things you can't take back when you're fighting. write little love notes (because it's always the little things).

be their biggest cheerleader and laugh a lot. love to me is his laugh... my husband has one of those great laughs that fill the room.

I'm looking forward to that laugh for 40 years because he truly is my life's greatest blessing.

Thank-you Priya and lovies for letting me be a part of your day today. And just because I'm curious by nature... if you're married how long have you been married and what's one of life's little things that make your marriage a happy one?

Love Byte # 11 - Taking Turns With The Gardening

2011-02-11T01:22:00.000-08:00

Guest Post by Corinne of Everyday Gyaan

I have been following Priya's blog for a while now and although we've never met, we've been been good blogger friends - encouraging each other now and then. I find her posts are always thoughtful and positive.

I am so happy to be posting here today. Priya and I have done the love theme in the past, but Love Bytes is a totally new and exciting idea of Priya's and it's an absolute pleasure to read all the great posts that other bloggers have have written here. Thanks, Pri for this opportunity - you rock sistah!

@ Deviant Art

The other day I watched a BBC documentary on Carla Bruni Sarkozy, out of curiosity. I don't want to make any comments about her, but one thing she said struck me very much. In talking about her marriage she quoted a poet who said "In any good marriage, one partner is the gardener and the other is the garden. We take it in turns to be either......"

I thought how true this is of marriage and indeed of any significant relationship. Sometimes we're needy and the other tends to us. And sometimes we are strong and take care of the other.

If only we would see it that way. Problems in relationships occur when we take fixed roles. One person thinks that s/he has to always be the strong one....always have the answers.....always be the provider. In other words, one is always the gardener. Then there is the other side, when one always wants to be the garden. S/he is constantly needy and insecure.....and requires the other to always be the provider and the nurturer. If we get stuck this way, we can never evolve as individuals and neither can our relationship truly grow or blossom.

I've always found it harder to be the 'garden.' I would rather be the strong one, than be the needy one. It takes courage and a lot of trust to say, 'Hey, I need help...I'm hurting right now......I need a hand....I'm not okay." But I've learned to love and to trust and to say to the other, "Please be the gardener for now. I need tending to."

Perhaps today is as good a time as any for us to review our significant relationships.

~ Corinne

Love Byte #10 - Traces Left Behind

2011-02-10T05:35:00.000-08:00

Guest post by Ken of sketchbookstuff.com

I have an art blog and I post drawings of people and things I see in my daily life. Most of the blogs I follow are not art related however and the type of blogs I enjoy the most have personal stories.

Priya's blog appeals to me because it is a delightful peek into her life and viewpoint.

What is that thing whose whose absence frustrates us, whose arrival excites us, whose presence we cherish and whose loss we mourn? What is the feeling we chase after, hold tightly to, grow bored of and forever want more of?

A love story is remembered by the traces it leaves. The faint shadows and imprints. Tiny details in the background which in reminiscence become prized relics. In memory, the traces of what love leaves behind are polished to a high sheen. They are guarded, revisited and preserved, even as they fade and blur.

Memories she left me with:

- The Japanese comfort food that she served in tiny ceramic dishes.

- Bathing together by candlelight.

- Walking through the snow in Montreal while holding hands and wearing thick warm gloves.

- Sushi and green tea on Ninth Street in the East Village.

- Making love in the afternoon.

- Watching her innocent, expressionless eyes watching me, as the metro stops are announced in French.

- Waiting while she cooks, as Bossa nova plays in the background.

- The small black suitcase on wheels trailing after her as she walks away.

-----

Love Byte # 9: It wasn't love at first sight.

2011-02-09T11:09:00.000-08:00

Guest post by CurvyEveryday

I instantly fell in love Priya’s blog simply because of the pure genuineness of her writing. Her posts are filled with kindness and love so it couldn’t be more fitting that she hosts a month on Love. I on the other hand write a frivolous blog about trying to find some style that I misplaced a few years back. I wasn’t sure what I would write about, and decided to write about what love wasn’t for me. And hence the title.

I can honestly say I never knew love at first sight, there were no instant fireworks.

We met on the first day of college in our very first class. I can remember exactly what he was wearing and how cool I thought he looked. I remember being instantly drawn to him but it wasn’t love at first sight.

When I would walk into a room he would be the first person I would look for and we would always leave together at the end of the night. When we would walk home he’d sing “I would for you” and I would poorly chime in. It wasn’t love at first sight because it didn’t feel like time stood still; it felt like it flew by.

We were competitive design students who thought they knew it all but had very fragile egos to back it up. I would doubt myself and he would push me through. The only opinion that mattered to me was his. He made me want to do better. But it wasn’t love at first sight; I didn’t feel as if my legs were going to go from under me. Instead he gave me the strength to stand on my own.

He was the first person I would want to start my day with and the last person I would want to talk to at the end of the night. But it wasn’t love at first sight since he didn’t take my breath away. It was as if he breathed life into me.

We were “ just friends” at first, and everyone but us seemed to know it was love at first sight. I will still argue it wasn’t love at first sight. It was so much more. It was and is the great love of my life and I almost missed it. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t thank god for having him. And just when I think I couldn’t possibly love him anymore than I already do, I do. It grows more and more every day.

I write this because I think sometimes we have such expectations of what we think love is and how it should feel that we could miss the gift of true love even when placed right under our noses.

And I lied, we experienced all the symptoms of love at first sight 16 years later when our daughter was born and then again when our son was born.

Thank You Priya for your generosity of letting me be a part of your blog and this feature.

Image credits:

Fireworks cc licensed flickr photo by dodsworld

Tree, Roots: cc licensed istockphoto.com (modified by me)

Love Byte#8—Love is my life

2011-02-08T10:45:00.000-08:00

Guest Post by Alinka Johnson of Linka Living

I am really excited to guest post for My Reflections. I love the sincerity of this blog, because most blogs lack heart and Priya’s got it. I consider it an honor to be a part of the love byte series.

When I was asked to write about what love is to me…. I drew a complete blank. I mean to think I write every day for my site Linka Living and I couldn’t think of one word for what love is to me. Then I began to think about what I love the most. And it came to me…

Love is waking up to my son peaking out of his crib
Love is the three of us lying in bed on Sunday mornings
Love is honesty
Love is after dinner washing dishes and the husband cleaning the counters
Love is sharing the best inside jokes
Love is putting him first even when I feel selfish
Love is being strong enough to fight
Love is being weak enough to be protected
Love is reaching the point where you don’t argue but discuss
Love is saying I love you just because
Love is saying what I don’t want to hear because I need to hear it
Love is leaving the house with Gerber squash and peas in my hair
Love is learning from the past and growing in the future
Love is tricking the husband into changing all the stinky pampers
Love is reading Psalm 118 every morning for family worship
Love is leaning on each other through hard times instead of pushing away
Love is putting the little one to sleep only to miss him all night

Love is everything, every day, every moment with the loves of my life.

I never knew what real love was until they showed me. I never knew the sacrifice, the joy, the complete peace of unconditional love until God blessed my soul with my husband and son.

Love is a lesson, a journey, a life—my life

Love Byte # 7 - Something to talk about..

2011-02-07T11:51:00.000-08:00

Its been a fantastic week having blogger friends like Bella , Katie , Joanie and non-blogger friends like my mom and Aneesh rock the love byte series .. and I hope you're enjoying reading as much as me coz all I can say is that the excitement has only begun, as has week 2 ..so keep reading , sharing , spreading this daily dose of love ..

Here's todays love byte from moi :)

{ Image courtesy : weheartit }

"Marriage is hard... Just two people slogging through the shit, year after year, getting older, changing.

It's a fucking marathon, okay? So, sometimes, you know, you're together for so long, that you just...

You stop seeing the other person.

You just see weird projections of your own junk.

Instead of talking to each other, you go off the rails and act grubby and make stupid choices...

A poignant scene from the movie “The Kids are all right "

A movie we watched a couple of days back, raison d’etre - Annette Bening won the Golden Globes.. and maybe just coz we love watching movies , anyhow ;)

True that movies are the great escape to life but also true that movies sometimes mirror / replicate life .. coz haven't you on more than one occasion found yourself identifying with the movie , the character or the situation ?

I know I have and this was one of those, because even after the movie ended, these powerful words stayed with me..

I know I have because I've been through this ...and its true not just for marriage but every relationship ..

When you've shared and bared a whole lot of yourself in any relationship, you begin to take the other person for granted and vice versa and sometimes that leads to things you know you shouldn't have done, words that were better left unsaid..

Love is about communication and while I've written about this before, I believe in it more than ever.. because it truly alters your relationship..

If you're able to speak your mind , your heart,if you're willing to talk things through with each other , if you’re willing to put in the effort , even if it’s hard to begin with .. believe you me , you'll emerge through even hell unscathed ..

because you've found something that has the magic to pull you through , to make your relationship work..

Let the fact that hubs has nothing to share with me , when he's back home after a day @ work coz ,well, all days @ work for men are just work , nothing extra-ordinary ..

Let this fact not blind you at all ,

coz when it comes to talking..real stuff..not even I can shut him up ;) :D

Love Byte # 6 - Love is the Devil ..

2011-02-06T00:32:00.001-08:00

Now what would love be without a man's perspective ..right ?

So this post is from my buddy Aneesh .. someone who was a great colleague to work with and who is and will always be a wonderful friend ..

Enjoyyy :))

First off, a big thank you to Priya for being crazy enough to publish my thoughts on love! She manages by far the most interesting blog around, and it’s always been a pleasure following her introspections on a variety of matters.

The previous love bytes encompass love almost in its entirety, and are virtually an impossible act to follow! I believe that ‘when it’s already been said, say something else’, so here are a few random, albeit melancholic views on the subject:

No human being on Earth is incapable of love – it is inherent in us all. Despite all mankind’s faults (and there are plenty), it is our ability to selflessly love another human being that makes us a species worthy of redemption.
Love is virtually invulnerable. It endures even the death or distance of a loved one. Its only real adversary unfortunately – is man.
Man is capable of love, but often has no idea about what it means. Relationships formed in a hotbed of passion rivalling that of a famous Shakespearean play increasingly meet with a tragic end, simply because the so-called ‘love’ that once existed has now ‘disappeared’ or ‘faded away’. Several couples now fall ‘in and out of love’ within a matter of years, months or even days (tabloid romances bear testament to these unfortunate stats). It is clear now that love is no longer a powerful word that it is meant to be, and it is often misused by people who cannot comprehend the feelings and actions that accompany it.
Love is indeed a beautiful phenomenon; however the love exchanged between two people is rarely identical. Love between two people is not necessarily expressed in the same manner, nor does a person always meet a loved one’s expectations as to how his / her love should be expressed. Love is not always felt towards one other at the same time either. These disparities along with many more culminate in the sad truth that people in general are more often than not hurt the most by the ones they love rather than the ones who wish them ill, regardless of the motives behind their loved one’s actions.
We all without exception love the key players in our own little universe – our spouses, our parents, our children, our pets, and so on. There is thus more than a tinge of irony in the fact that much of the world’s problems today are borne out of the absence of love amongst our fellowmen. Nations to this day wage war with each other, innumerable atrocities are committed against one another on a daily basis, and it is acts of hate and not love that are streamed to us each day via a plethora of media. Needless to say, that if man loved his fellow man (and not materialism); the world could be a very different place.

We know of love. We are capable of love. We have even experienced love. But can we replicate love beyond a single bond between two individuals or beings which is so revered over the bigger picture to this day? The answer to that question will dictate where the human race goes from here.

Given that blogs shouldn’t end on such a pensive note, I would like to share something I think about immediately when the word ‘love’ comes to my mind – it’s an excerpt of dialogue from the movie ‘Bruce Almighty’ involving a conversation between Bruce and God. What was said truly describes what love means to me.

“God: Grace. You want her back?

Bruce: ……..no. I want her to be happy, no matter what that means. I want her to find someone

who will treat her with all the love she deserved from me. I want her to meet someone who will
see her always as I do now……through Your eyes.

God: Now THAT'S a prayer!”

Love Byte # 5 - Love is what makes the ride worthwhile ..

2011-02-05T00:16:00.000-08:00

If yesterday's post was about a mother's love , today's is from a mother I love ..

My mother , she's not a blogger but that wasn't going to stop her from contributing ;-) or maybe it was her daughter's insistence or maybe her enthusiasm to always be a part of my life :-D ..

whatever the reason I'm glad she wrote this and Mom , thank you :) ..

Photo courtesy :Photos8.com

Last year in February , she took up the challenge of writing a love byte each day of the month and she did it! This year she’s come up with this wonderful idea of involving others to contribute and share their thoughts on love. I’m proud of my eldest daughter and as a proud mom I’ve been following her blog since she began writing over a year and a half back and am happy to see shades of her maturity and sensitivity reflected in what she writes. Infact I’ve often been moved to tears or had a lump in my throat while reading her posts particularly the ones about family.

LOVE to me is ..well it’s difficult to express it in words coz for me.. Love is more about how it makes you feel yet I make this attempt and I dedicate it to all the people in my life who mean the world to me ..

Love to me is companionship , its an unspoken understanding , its a comfort zone ..

Love to me is always WANTING to spend as much time as possible with my loved ones, talking about anything and everything that’s happened in the hours not spent together , sharing the eventful and the not so eventful moments of the day ..

Love to me is always WANTING to happily share the responsibilities that are such an intrinsic part of every relationship , about balancing each other out , harmonizing and syncing energies ..

The fulfillment of this WANTING energizes my days…

The presence of love makes me happy and contented.. it’s absence sends me down in the dumps.

Henry Drummond said ,

"As you look back upon your life, you will find , that the moments when you really lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love."

and that sums up love for me, Love is what makes life's journey..thrilling.. exhilarating…breathtaking …Love is what makes the ride worthwhile ..

Love Bytes #4 - A Mother's Love

2011-02-04T07:30:00.001-08:00

Guest Post by Joanie at “Raising an Army” I brought children into this dark world because it needed the light that only a child can bring. ~Liz Armbruster

When Priya asked me to be a guest poster on her blog this month and share a little something about what love means to me, I was thrilled and honored. Priya is, after all, one of my bloggy heroes. Every time that I read her blog I am inspired by her words. As the time for my post drew ever nearer, however, I started to get worried. Could I meet her expectations? What could I possibly bring to a blog whose author I admire so greatly?

Then I read Bella's post and went into full-blown panic mode. That was an awesome post. She set the bar really high! How could I possibly hope to measure up to that? What could I write about that I had any insight on?

The answer came to me as I went to my own blog to type up my “Whine and Roses” post yesterday. My blog is (mostly) a humor blog about (mostly) parenting, aptly titled “Raising an Army” as I have four children of varying ages (with no intentions of stopping at four!) and a husband who is in the application process for the Canadian Armed Forces. If there's anything I know about, it's children!

When I was twenty, I thought I knew everything I needed to know about love. An idealist, I believed that the ultimate adventure lay before me when I packed everything I owned and moved to the other side of the country to be with the man I “loved”. We were college sweethearts and eager to start a life together. Neither of us wanted children. We had a very specific lifestyle – filled with partying, alcohol and drugs – and children just simply did not fit into that mix. No, we were too selfish for children...they might cramp our style.

When I was twenty-one, two pink lines appeared on a home pregnancy test and my house of cards came tumbling down. Everything changed and what I knew about love was foremost among those things. I began to change my way of living to better accommodate the little bean that was growing inside me...but my boyfriend was a little more resistant to the change. Why should he adjust his attitudes and behavior? He wasn't pregnant, after all.

On July 12, 2002 my son James was born. I would love to tell you a perfect tale about an easy delivery and how my baby was laid in my arms for me to fall instantly in love with, but that would not be the true story. James had aspirated meconium in the womb and instead of the sweet cries of a newborn upon his delivery, there was a deathly silence. Instead of happy and delighted faces there were looks of fear and concern. After what seemed like the longest moment of my life they managed to coax weak cries from him and he was rushed from the room after I got a brief peek at him. (I very much wish I had pictures of this moment to share with you, but this was in the days before I went digital, and I have no scanner right now.)

It wasn't until later that night I got to hold my fragile little boy, but the moment I did I learned about love all over again. This love was different. It was not only tender and heartwarming, it was fierce and primal. It was a love unlike any I'd ever experienced before. This love was the love of a Mama. The love that says, “Put a hand on my baby and I'll make sure you experience a world of hurt.” In that moment I knew that I could never return to my old lifestyle. This little creature deserved more. He deserved better.

His father and I lasted about four months after that, but the inevitable breakup wasn't nearly as heartbreaking as I thought it would be. After all, anyone that couldn't have my baby's best interests at heart...wasn't really worthy of my love after all.

Shortly after I broke up with my ex, I met Johnny. I never expected it to work because this long-haired hooligan with multiple piercings couldn't possibly know what it meant to love a tiny baby so fragile and dependant...could he? But he could. The more time he spent with my son, the more evident his love for James became, and as a result the more my love for him grew.

We married in January of 2004 and in April I discovered that I was pregnant again. I was simultaneously thrilled and worried. Could I love another child like I loved my firstborn? James was the center of our universe, our sun as well as our son – Johnny and I merely revolved around him.

Hayden arrived triumphantly on November 23rd and this time there was no health scare. He was a healthy screaming 8lb, 13oz bundle. They placed this shrieking red infant on my stomach and I learned something new about love again. A mother's love doesn't divide – it multiplies. There was no need to take some of the love I had for James and share it with Hayden because I had an equal amount for Hayden already.

I learned this again on December 5th, 2006 with the arrival of Silas and again this past July 14th when Lola Sophia joined us. As a mother of four, my heart is so full of love that sometimes I feel as if it could burst.

I have now been a mother for 8 years, 6 months, 3 weeks and 2 days. Here's just a taste of what I have learned about a mother's love in that time:

- Love multiplies exponentially with every child you add into the mix.

- Love has no limits. It doesn't cut off with, say, three children. It just grows and grows.

- Love sees you capable of doing things you always said was impossible. Quitting a drug habit or freeing yourself from an alcohol dependency is more than possible when you have a child to love.

- Love isn't perfect, but it is forgiving. You will do things that you swore you would never do, and that's okay because...

- Love is flexible. It doesn't box itself into a corner and it changes to suit each individual child and their specific needs.

- Love is unconditional and without end. It doesn't matter what your child says or does, you will always love them. No matter what. You may not always agree with or approve of their choices, but you will never stop loving them.

- Love is not always gentle and soothing, it is also brutal and fierce. If you've ever seen anyone trying to mess with a mama bear's cubs, you'll know just what I mean. There is absolutely nothing a mother won't do for her children in order to ensure their safety. Sometimes I surprise even myself.

- Love hurts. It hurts when they hurt. It hurts when they're sick. It hurts when you see them doing things that you know is going to lead to heartache and pain...but you wouldn't trade the love that they bring away in order to get rid of that hurt. You just love all the more with the hurt.

Because they're worth it.

Allow me to introduce you to my babies, left to right; Silas (4 years), James (8 years), Lola (6 months) and Hayden (6 years)

(Thank you Priya for the opportunity to share with your readers! Much love from the Army!)

Love Byte # 3 - Open Your Eyes to Love

2011-02-03T00:15:00.000-08:00

Guest post by Katie at Love is Everywhere

I first would like to take a moment to thank the ever so lovely Priya. She has a beautiful and genuine soul. This feature on Love has to be one of my favorites that I’ve come across since I began blogging. Love is the greatest feeling that anyone could experience and to be asked to define this in my own way is an honor. I appreciate being given this opportunity.

I love love, the whole concept of it. I feel that Love has no limits. You can’t even spread your arms far enough to even physically describe it. There's so many different types of 'love'. There's the L word that people are scared to say to someone they may be falling for. There's the love we feel for our pets, our friends, people who made a difference in our lives, a stranger that made your day. A moment, a shirt or pair of jeans, flowers, a book that changes your life. We love air condition when it's hot. There's the love that we can't explain and just feel. All of these people, moments, things around us that play a part of our life we love when we stop to think about it.

With all that I have.. I truly believe that love is everywhere. I can see it where ever I go and that's why I began writing to hopefully show everyone that they too can see it. In a nutshell, every positive movement we make in our lives, a sweet thought, gifts, a hug when we're sad, a phone call to check up, dancing in the kitchen with your significant other, picking flowers.. this is Love to me.

I spent some time last summer and made a list of things that I felt Love were to me. It was very therapeutic and was a sweet reminder that helped me appreciate so much more of my life. I wanted to share a few of those items on my list. I hope you have time some day to make one for yourself!

Love is...

.... waking up, walking outside to a rose bush that happened to bloom over night. Never owning a house and here I am picking my first rose, putting it in a shotglass on my counter.

.... the excitement of our puppy, Peanut wagging his stubby tail the moment I come home.

.... watching 'It's a Wonderful Life' every yr before Christmas time and thinking what a wonderful life I have being able to share with my family and friends.

.... someone asking 'How are you today' when I'm having an awful day and even though I always say 'I'm doing great'. I love that you asked.

.... silence when my mind and heart need it.

I wish you all a fabulous journey!

With all my love - Katie

Love Byte # 2 - What's love got to do with it?

2011-02-02T05:50:00.000-08:00

cc licensed flickr photo shared by jcoterhals

Guest post by Bella of One Sister's Rant

When Priya contacted me to do a guest blog post that defined what love is, I have to admit I was both elated and a little trepadacious.

After all, this was the first time I was being asked to do a guest post and on top of that, on a subject that had yet to be proven empirically.

I mean, no one's really been able to provide a concrete definition of what love is and I wasn't arrogant enough to think I'd be able to.

So how to write something worthy of Priya's inspirational and informative blog and not stray too much from my own writing style?

By providing you with guidelines of what love is, from a humorous perspective.

Okay, so you know how there's this kind of love where you live and breathe simply for the sake of your loved one?

How you're so in love with your spouse or significant other that you're willing to give up a kidney in a heartbeat?

How you'd be utterly incapable of going on with life if something were to happen to your lover?

This is NOT the kind of love I want to talk about.

Instead, I give you what I feel love is from my "funny" side of the street.

Love is telling your lover that he's sexy bald like Jason Statham from The Transporter, even though nothing could be further from the truth.

Love is not paying attention to how he makes noises when he chews, how he slurps his drink, or licks his fingers instead of using a napkin.

Love is making him believe he's stronger than you are even though you know you can back flip him in .2 seconds flat.

Love is pretending to be interested in his conversations about cars, dinosaurs, or King Tut's tomb.

Love is not laughing at him when he tucks his shirt in his pants and pulls them all the way up to his armpits like Sponge Bob, just because he's cold.

Love is grabbing a non-existing bicep and asking, "Honey, have you been working out?"

Love is not becoming irritated at how he drools every time he sees images of Angelina Jolie.

Love is not telling your lover that he has skunky breath even though you're certain his breath is bad enough to singe your hair off.

Love is smiling when he says, "I"ll take out the trash tomorrow," and there's five bags of it on your kitchen floor.

Love is pretending you didn't see him kick his dirty socks under the bed.

Love is laughing at his not so funny jokes when all you want to do is kick him under the table so he'll stop.

Love is recognizing that your life would be a little less funny if he weren't in it.

There you have it, ladies. My own twist on what love is.

Won't you add to the list? Just remember, make it funny!

Love Byte # 1 - A Question of Love

2011-02-01T14:17:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's lovies ..and welcome to the 2011 edition of Love Bytes ..

Jan has flown by at an amazing speed but Feb is here and I've plenty a surprises up my sleeve.. So grab a seat, a cuppa coffee and stay awhile as my most awesom'est' blogger and non blogger friends come together to give you your daily dose of LOVE ..

W. Somerset Maugham said,

"We are not the same persons this year as last; nor are those we love.

It is a happy chance if we, changing, continue to love a changed person."

To me , the most important lesson I've learnt over the years as I've dated , been engaged to and now married to the man I love is this ..

Love changes and the veritable truth that Love grows only when it changes ..

Every once in a while , I go down memory lane and remember the reasons why I first fell in love with him . .you'd say not much has changed ..well to some extent yes, but at 16 life has a limited perspective ..everything's simpler , easier and everything revolves around love ..

As life changes , circumstances change , status changes and you change ..you find yourself loving your partner for whole lotta different reasons than the ones you just started with ...

why ?

because you've grown together ..

'coz you've been through the highs and lows enjoying the good times and enduring the storms ,

'coz you've taken the time to understand and respect the differences ,

'coz you've nurtured each other through sickness and in health ,

'coz you've had the sense of humor to laugh at the lemons life gave you ..adding tequila and salt to it ..

'coz you've grown and experienced life together..

I know so ..

because I've grown so much in these past years , both individually and as a part of him .. and even as I write this I know there is so much more that life will toss our way because change is the only constant and love the only variable that makes it all worth it :)

Share the L♥VE..

2011-01-31T22:29:00.000-08:00

I've put you in the mood for gifts , haven't I ?

Well I am just doing a lil shopping on Etsy and getting ready for my " All you need is Love " swap..

6 more days to join in people ..all the rules here but

In a nutshell ..

you have to sign up by 6th Feb and I'll pair you up by 7th ..
you have to send a Valentine's day card to your partner plus three things you love ( it could be a movie, book,baked goodies , jewelry , artwork , absolutely anything that you associate love with )
handmade or store bought , it should be wrapped in love .

So feel free to share the button , spread the love and join in ..

and don't forget to be back for all the fun thats starting tomorrow ..

Let the Odyssey of Love begin..

2011-01-30T23:26:00.000-08:00

"In our life there is a single color, as on an artist's palette, which provides the meaning of life and art.

It is the color of love."

Just one day to go before Feb begins and Valentine month celebrations kick off..

Just one more day before I fill your lives with the color of love coz Love Bytes is back people!! Yohooooooooooo ...

I'm nervous but super excited..for those of you who're new here , let me just fill you in quickly..

Last year for Valentine's I had started this tradition of writing a love byte everyday for the entire month of Feb.. you can check them out here ...

and since it was so popular, I'm bringing it back and this time I'm being joined by my blogger and non blogger friends from all over the world to give you your daily dose of love..and you don't wanna miss all the fun that's happening..right ?

So just bookmark this page and be back everyday for your daily dose of love or love byte ..

and all I ask you in return is to reciprocate the same love that you receive as so many friends share their hearts , love stories , learnings ..

as so many friends share LOVE ... !!

Magical Moments ..contd..

2011-01-26T23:35:00.000-08:00

The title was only apt because just when I thought my birthday was over ..here's what I receive in the mail from back home..

Thank you , you guys for sending so much love ..

My sis ,I love you for taking the time to make me a card ..Its precious despite the hints at healthy eating ;-) :-P

and mommy , I love you for choosing the kind of card that made me both smile and cry at the same time ..

and since we're talking about birthdays , I have to also thank my lovely friend and neighbor Teresa, coz look at what she did ..

Yes , she baked me a cake ..It was the most thoughtful gift ever and I just want to say again ..thank you T ..and did I tell you it was the yummiest ever ??

I have a feeling that this might just be my year , presumptuous as this may sound since the year has just begun but I have a good feeling, coz apart from all the loveliness I've received for my birthday ..I've also got this ...

Yup, I am the proud recipient of

from E @ Whining at the world

and

from FJ @ Theta Cube

and amidst all the hoopla of the award season, this sure seems like winning the Academy because its indeed an overwhelming feeling to be appreciated and acknowledged, so with all my heart, thank you ladies for thinking of me,keeping up with me and reading all that I write ..

I am blessed ..

and truly its life's lil blessings that are the most magical..

Movie Mondays - No Strings Attached ..

2011-01-24T23:19:00.000-08:00

This love story is about Emma and Adam ..

Adam played by Ashton Kutcher is his usual puppy self , the ever charming , adorable and considerate guy who's looking for love and commitment while Emma played by Natalie Portman is a medical resident who works emergency shifts , has 80 hour weeks and no time for a serious relationship ..

They decide to tread the unfamiliar path of having a physical relationship without an emotional one and simply be sex friends, mutually consenting to pull the plug if either of them gets any serious 'feelings' ..

But sex without love ..yeah right ..like it ever happens ..

So, ironically and soon enough they find that there are strings attached, pulling them closer ..

and from there on the movie ambles along journeying the all too proverbial route of denial , break up , loss and eventually the realization of being in love ..

It is no doubt your usual run of the mill romcom's, but it is surprisingly witty and entertaining.. The funny one liners and the oodles of chemistry keep you glued to your seat ..

and Natalie Portman ...I think I've fallen in love with her ..

in her own words from the movie ..

she gives me 'premature ventricular contraction '

she makes my heart skip a beat ;-)

Magical Moments ..

2011-01-21T23:37:00.000-08:00

Beautiful isn't it ..

and the best birthday gift wouldn't you agree ...??

So, last Saturday as I turned a year older this is what hubs and me did..We drove down to Sunset Cliffs Blvd in San Diego to witness this, the miracle of nature we so take for granted in our day to day lives ...

It was amazing how as the Sun began its descent, scores of people turned up , some with coffee, others with soft drinks , some with their beach chairs and others with their beach mats ..like there was a party thrown by Nature and everyone invited ..

For once it didn't seem to matter who you were , where you came from , what you did ..no one cared ..everyone was there for the simple reason ..

to watch the glorious performance of Nature ..

to watch the fiery orange slowly soften and embrace the indigo of the night ..

and me , well I watched too , sitting beside the man who I so love ,

and I marvelled ..

Someone rightly said,

"It is almost impossible to watch a sunset and not dream."

I am still dreaming ..

I know the best is yet to be ..

Thursday Thoughts # Happiness is a choice..

2011-01-20T11:50:00.000-08:00

There are times when it is hard to believe in the future,

when we are temporarily just not brave enough.

When this happens, concentrate on the present.

Cultivate le petit bonheur (the little happiness) until courage returns.

Look forward to the beauty of the next moment, the next hour,

the promise of a good meal, sleep, a book, a movie,

the likelihood that tonight the stars will shine

and tomorrow the sun will shine.
Sink roots into the present until the strength grows to think about tomorrow.

~Ardis Whitman~

There is so much going on right now, so much that I am planning for this blog, changing the layout, organizing a swap, co-ordinating the love byte feature for next month and as much as I am hoping and praying that its a success, I have a gnawing feeling at the back of my mind I'll fail..

I can be such a pessimist at times :O

and hence the quote , I needed it so much ..

Have a wonderful Thursday , you all :)

All you need is L♥VE swap

2011-01-18T15:18:00.000-08:00

Even as Blue valentine , the movie I watched yesterday , tore my heart .. I still believe in love ,in making it work ..and I guess I always will ..

Love to me is everything , its the soul of life ..its what keeps the fire burning !!

And therefore I kick off the Valentine day celebrations today with this - " All you need is Love Swap " ..yayyyy .. am so stoked ..

but wait , there's more in store ..

Remember this - my Love bytes feature ..well its back too .. and this time with a lil twist ..You've got to wait to see what I've planned this year but for those of you who're new here ,its the time of the year when every day for the month of Feb , a love byte is featured or simply put Love is celebrated ..I've a lot to do, lot to plan but I'll keep you posted and you ..you stay tuned :)

and meanwhile join me for the swap

email me at priasingh82@gmail.com with the subject as " All you need is Love swap "
mention both your postal address and blog link and if you're willing to send overseas ..
you must sign up by 31st Jan and send your package by 5th Feb so everyone receives it well in time .
there's no limit to what you'd like to spend but $15 bucks is a nice number .
don't forget to include a Valentine's day card with your favorite love quote ..it just makes it so much more endearing ..not to mention personal
Also Valentine is all about the reds and pinks so put in a lil color and send three things you love ( it could be a movie, book,baked goodies , jewelry , artwork , absolutely anything that you associate love with ) ..be creative and send as much love as you can ..

Off you go now ,

♥Spread the word, share the link and join me in spreading some Valentine cheer!♥

Movie Mondays - Blue Valentine ♥ ♥

2011-01-17T23:50:00.000-08:00

Essentially a love story but with a tragic twist, this is a simple story about a crumbling marriage..

Told in flash back style the movie teeters back and forth, taking us deeper into the lives of a couple Dean and Cindy falling in love only to find themselves falling out of love.. Their angst evident as they both go through the motions of marriage, Dean trying hard to salvage his marriage , save his family and Cindy having given up hope , yet fighting visibly expressing her anger and anguish at what could have been ..

The storyline is not new but the approach fascinatingly different , not to mention extremely poignant and powerful performances by Gosling and Williams ..

Two of my favorite moments in the movie are ..

The first - a scene during flashback when they go out together for the first time , when Dean renders his version of the " You always hurt the one you love " and Cindy does the impromptu tap dance ..

and the second - a scene towards the end of the movie , where Dean makes a desperate plea to save his marriage reminding Cindy of the vows she made to him on the day of their marriage..of promising to love him for better or for worse..also telling her that " I'm at my worst now but I'll get better.."

The emotion so raw ,the fear so palpable , its gut wrenching ..

and its not surprising to find yourself relating to it .. because the questions it raises are even more important .

What happened ? What went wrong ?

Is it beyond repair ? Can nothing be done to salvage it ?

Was it the right decision , right person , right time , right relationship ?

Everyone, including me,at one point in life or other has had one or all these questions looming large..

I believe in love

I believe in romance ..

but ...

Maybe all romances are not fairy tale romances.. maybe they are..

Maybe all fairy tale romances have a happy ending ..maybe they don't ..

Who decides .. ??

Cindy's grandma in the movie shares this piece of advise with her ..she says,"When you love someone , make sure he's worth it ...To YOU !! "

Maybe herein lies the answer ..

When you love someone , make sure he's/ she's worth it ...To YOU !!

My rating - 4/5

P.S.. Don't forget to watch as the film ends , the most awesome and totally emotional credit sequences ever put to film ..

yes , its a tug at your heartstrings... again ..sighhhh !!

Thursday Thoughts # Make it Meaningful ..

2011-01-13T22:14:00.000-08:00

Old friends pass away , new friends appear .
It is just like the days ..An old day passes , a new day arrives .
The important thing is to make it meaningful :
a meaningful friend or a meaningful day.

~ Dalai Lama ~

Movie Mondays - The King's Speech ..

2011-01-10T23:41:00.000-08:00

Remember this post when I had started the weekly meme Movie Mondays ..which apparently lasted just about a week :O ..So not intended ..

So anyways with all the enthusiasm I can muster, I am infusing fresh life into this meme and doing it all over again.. and meanwhile counting on your support..

I had the pleasure of watching today's movie with my friend Teresa also a blogger who blogs @ checalamovie.net.. She writes in Spanish but don't forget to show her some love too ..

So the movie I watched is "The Kings speech" -a conventional Brit period drama about the royal family at a critical moment in history but conventional it is not ..

Infact to tell you the truth I had lil or absolutely no clue what to expect going in, from this movie except that it revolved around the speech impediment that plagued the King.. and the fact that hubs categorically said I wouldn't like it coz its not the genre of movie I usually go for and that made me a tad bit nervous too .. but I bet you its one of those poignant and powerful movies that have you admitting soon enough that you're going to love this ..and I did absolutely !!!!

and more so, for once I was more than just glad to prove hubs wrong ..I was relieved :P :D

The opening scene of the movie finds you in Wembley stadium , waiting for the Duke of York's address but what follows is acute embarassment for him as his words get stuck in his throat and every stammer and stutter seems to resonate louder than the previous, and this embarrassment and anguish deeply shared by his wife ..

and that sets the tone for the entire movie with Colin Firth , the shy, repressive, bullied by his father and overshadowed by his brother, Duke making this colossal effort to overcome his speech impediment with unrelenting support from his wife Helena Carter and an unlikely friend he finds in Geoffrey Rush - his speech therapist..

Superbly crafted and excellently written , this film boasts of brilliant scenes peppered with great comedic dialogue between Firth and Rush that keep you on the edge of your seat laughing out loud and thoroughly entertained ..

The movie builds up, incrementally leading to " The King's speech " which I guarantee will leave you speechless !

I would love to tell you more but if you appreciate good cinema you've got to watch this one and even if you don't go watch it to prove yourself wrong ;) ..Truly Oscar-worthy performances ..I hope Firth , no more " A Single Man " clenches this one !

Here's to life and the best laid plans ;-)

2011-01-06T21:57:00.001-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

I am sorry I didnt mean to yell :P but I am still so happy ..the holidays were good and the New year's begun on just the kind of positive note I wanted.. Also, if Day 1 is any indicator of how this year is going to turn out , boy oh boy am I in for a crazy year ...

So day one of the New year kicked off with us heading to Morro bay , a 3 and a half hr drive from where we live ..

or maybe not ..

Actually it started with complains of how I never wake up on time, almost never get ready on time and therefore there was no point in driving the 200 odd mile coz it was way too late.. which by the way if you're married, you just know that the madder he gets, the more you love him ;) ( sometimes the loving takes a while though :P) and more importantly that the destination is not quite as important as the ride even if it comes with its share of pee breaks :P

So with all the excitement, we drove on but guess what, we never made it to Morro Bay coz by the time we reached Pismo beach ,the bright sunny morning turned into this chilly rainy afternoon.. Our destination was another 25 miles but it seemed like we had reached ..The beach beckoned ..and a magical sight it was , watching the rain dancing on the ocean waves ..feeling it fall on my face and kiss my lips as I walked hand in hand..

Thats how life is too , isn't it ?

You make plans for life and sometimes along the way life has plans for you ..

and to truly enjoy the life that is waiting for you, sometimes, its best to let go of the life you've planned, to take a risk, play along who knows what lies beyond..

and Mark Twain rightly said,

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor.Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore. Dream. Discover. "

and I am going to do just that ..What are you exploring , dreaming and discovering this year ?

L'arte d'arrangiarsi..

2010-12-30T22:25:00.000-08:00

"There's a wonderful Italian expression - L'arte d'arrangiarsi - the art of making something out of nothing. The art of turning a few simple ingredients into a feast.. or a few gathered friends into a festival..Anyone with a talent for happiness can do this."

~an excerpt from my current read ..Eat Pray love ..

With New Year just around the corner , waiting with bated breath to come knock on my door,these words are even more significant to me..because they inevitably reflect the reality of life we sometimes forget..the fact that life is about ' this moment ' about Now..

Perfect or Imperfect, Opportune or Inopportune, People or Situations, Something or Absolutely nothing ..its our perspective.. its the way we handle and deal with it ...

coz no matter how hard you try , every once in a while there are things that go wrong , there are friends who become ungrateful ..

AND

as I reflect on the year gone by ..even though things haven't quite gone that wrong, people have.. Infact I've had more than my share of ' undeserving ' friends.. and believe you me, I've sulked and moaned,got angry with myself because my friendships , my relationships , they are important to me.. and I take them seriously..

Perhaps too seriously sometimes..

and therein lies my learning from this year ..

The fact that there will always be people who deserve you and who don't ..

and people who bring you down , take you for granted or don't give you the respect you deserve--they DON'T deserve you ..

people who say all the right words at the right times but don't convey it via their actions--they DON'T deserve you either ..

and these are people who are best left in the past ..

As I embrace the New year , I know I have yet another chance to get things right and therefore L'arte d'arrangiarsi..thats going to be mantra.. because someone said,"Many things can make you miserable for weeks, but there are few that can bring you a whole day of happiness"

and I am going to turn that " Few " into " Many " ..

Thats my mantra , thats my plan ..

What's yours ? What have you learnt from this year and what do you wish to change ?

A Berry Merry Christmas to you ..

2010-12-25T23:21:00.001-08:00

"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree ..the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other .."

Hope you're enjoying this special day in the warm circle of family and friends ..I know I am :)

Oh! how I love the rainy days ..

2010-12-22T23:55:00.000-08:00

The rain against my window brings back memories galore

Of crazy times spent together and more..

Never a care in the world , no sore

I've always loved you baby, you I still adore ..

Oh how I love the rain and how it brings out the poet or poetess in me ;) Remember this poem ? It ranks as one of my best ones, so says hubs :D and I agree too ..

On a serious note, it has been raining incessantly and its crazy, yet amidst this craziness I am glad I’ve still somehow managed to mail all my cards.. and as I wrote my cards this year I thought this is one of those many hundred things I want to pass on , teach my children someday in the future ..Christmas after all is all about family, love and relationships ..wouldn’t you agree ?

Two more days to Christmas !!!

P.S. I Love You

2010-12-05T22:26:00.000-08:00

With you my love , every journey is replete with a myriad adventures , be it the one we started four years back on this day or the one we took to commemorate our four years of togetherness ..

As we grow old together , I know the best is yet to be ..

I know the best is the * being together * part ..

Happy Anniversary sweetheart ♥‿♥

Love ya always !

So much to be grateful for..

2010-12-01T17:50:00.000-08:00

for my adorable grandparents who celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary y'day ..

I am so happy we got to spend some amazing time together ..Thank you for all the thoughtful things that you've done and all that you continue to still do ..

Love you guys and hope we'll make it to your milestone someday..

for being in Chicago aka Windy City or more apt for now Snowy Windy City ..

I wanted to travel someplace new for our 4th anniversary this year and here I am ..

Thank you my darling hubs for always always making my every wish come true ..

Feeling terribly happy and blessed !!!

Strings of Friendship

2010-11-29T19:21:00.000-08:00

You would agree if I said its easier to make a friend than to let go but then don't we all lose friends every once in a while ? We lose some to time , some to distance , some to differences ..whatever be the reason, the result is the same .. 'coz we may all choose to take different paths but no matter where we go , we always tend to take a little of each other with us, tucked in our heart , everywhere and perhaps in the all the different kinds of friends and friendships we share over the years with people , the best kinds are ones where you can just pick up right where you left off ... the years apart simply don't matter ..what matters is the simple fact that you were destined to be friends ..

and I know this because destiny with a little help from Facebook ;) brought her back in my life ..She was my best friend in school and not only was my best friend , she was the kind of person everyone liked to be friends with ..caring , loving , trustworthy , thoughtful , kind ..We always knew we were going to be friends for the long run , little did we know that life had other plans , a tumultuous phase in her life took us so far away from each other that all our attempts at staying in touch failed miserably ..

until now ..

Nothing describes the sheer happiness I feel, as succinctly as this poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"I shot an arrow into the air,

It fell to earth, I knew not where;

For so swiftly it flew, the sight

Could not follow it in its flight.

I breathed a song into the air,

It fell to earth, I knew not where;

For, who has sight so keen and strong

That it can follow the flight of song?

Long, long afterward, in an oak

I found the arrow, still unbroke;

And the song, from beginning to end,

I found again in the heart of my friend."

Thank you for finding me but more so for always staying my friend !!

Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers ..

2010-11-25T19:32:00.000-08:00

Before I apologise for disappearing on you let me wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving first ..Its the time of the year when family gets together, eats together and most importantly prays together ..thanking the Lord above for his infinite blessings and I hope each one of you is truly happy and content today and everyday ..

Now for where I disappeared , well lets just say Thanksgiving came a lil early for me... pretty much the whole of last month I spent , back home in India with family and friends .. and am I thankful ? You bet ..even though it was a last min trip,a trip that was initially planned for the month of December ..I'm smiling

even though hubs couldn't be part of this trip back home .I'm smiling

even though I was sick for pretty much the last fortnight of my trip ..I'm smiling ..

even though I couldn't touchbase with as many friends as I would have liked..

I'm smiling ..

coz not just today but everyday of my life ..my mantra / my goal is to try and be thankful for what I have ..for NOW ..for what life brings my life today.. coz who knows what lies in store tomorrow.. what I do know is that either way things are a lot better - a lot better than they were or a lot better than they're going to be ... so count your blessings and enjoy/ cherish every moment ..I'll leave you with this forward that is just perfect for today ..

BE THANKFUL

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire. If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something, for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations, because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you're tired and weary, because it means you've made a difference.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.

A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.

Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can become your blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving y'all :)

What is a Man ?

2010-09-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

Its not everyday I wake up early , Infact I ain't a morning person at all so today's been a particularly lethargic day for me and I desperately needed a dose of laughter so here's what I found on the net that cracked me up ....

Well every year Esquire does a feature called " What is a man ? " teaching those who wish to learn about the mystery called man and so Marie Claire put a little spin on it and and asked some of the funniest women in the country their thoughts on " What is a man ? "

So while you read the whole article here ..I'll share 3 favorite thoughts that literally had me LOL :D :D :D

A man is unapologetic, unless he knows you are mad at him, in which case he is busy.

A man is someone who, at some point, will sport a handlebar mustache or secretly wish he could.

A man goes through toilet paper at a surprisingly slow rate.

-Alison Rosen

A man thinks you are "crazy." If you call him more often than he likes, you are crazy.

If you don't return his phone calls as often as he'd like, you are crazy.

If you move on quickly after your breakup with him, you are crazy.

If you mourn for a while and stay single, you are crazy and clearly still obsessed with him.

A man is needy. He needs you to be a lady in the streets, a freak in the sheets, and a mommy/babysitter the rest of the time.

-Sara Benincasa

A man is someone who has five or fewer friends, and can only say five or fewer words to each friend at a time, resulting in a maximum of 5x5x4=100 words exchanged amongst a group of men in any given social situation.

A man thinks the ability to go on and on about different types of Scotch is a marketable skill set.

-Jen Kwok

Got some funny thoughts on " What is a Man ? " , I'm all ears :D

Movie Mondays- The Town has a Sicko on Wall Street ..

2010-09-27T17:27:00.000-07:00

"I am in love with someone who loves someone else .."

Appalling as it may seem , I assure you this line is not from a movie , infact quite the truth .. But "what am I going to do ?" perhaps maybe the question on your mind .. How should I take it ? Accept it , make peace with it ? or share it by blogging about it ? …Well, I know for sure I surrendered a long time ago , and made my peace some time ago ..so the only viable thing to do now is blog about it ..

So friends, Romans and Country men ,with great pleasure I announce that my hubs is a certified cinephile and I dedicate this segment " Movie Mondays" in honor of his craziness and passion for films.Starting today and hopefully every Monday be back to read reviews about the movie/s I thought I would watch , movie/s he thought he was watching and which we eventually did ;)

Disclaimer-This will have old movies and new, English movies or Hindi, a trailer and sometimes a spoiler, most importantly its my own, sometimes our, take on the movie.. so just in case you disagree , I wanted to be sure I warned you !

Not always in order of box office collections,

Essentially a heist film, this skillfully made crime flick ranks as my favorite this week.. What intrigued me most was what Ben Affleck revealed in one of his interviews, ‘that the actors and production crew went to visit former bank robbers and the FBI to explore the mindset of the characters they had to portray onscreen’ and this, his meticulous research is apparent in the entire movie..The movie is gripping and tense.. Ben’s direction is flawless and his performance stellar , not to mention Jeremy Runner who I quite liked in the movie and who pretty much steals every scene he’s in as the no holds barred hot headed thug .. Infact almost all the supporting cast has done its bit with their engaging performances and contributed to making this gut wrenching movie well worth your cinematic buck :)

My rating – 4/5

A documentary by Michael Moore on the failing health care system in America.. Even if you are aware of how decrepit the system is and waiting for a change that would someday come , this movie is still a worth a dekko..albeit the horror stories from the American health care system in which people die or are refused treatment are not pleasant to watch or for the fainthearted and the comparison to the system in France, Canada, England or even Cuba too good to be true but the fact that the movie provides a platform for dialogue about an issue that’s been politicized and ignored for too long is reason enough that you owe it to yourself to watch the movie and be your own judge..

My rating – 3/5

For me, this movie did not quite live up to the hype it created ..Infact to quote one of the reviews I read on the internet it said " Money may never sleep, but if you watch this in a comfy chair , there’s a good chance you will " .. OK, maybe the review was a little too harsh , and everyone from the wiser now mellower Gordon Gecko / MD to the Life after Transformers Shia Lebouf, from Josh Brolin to Carey Mulligan, has given solid acting performances but even then , it did not work for me.. or maybe it did coz it makes me wanna go watch the original ;) :P

My rating - 2.5/5

Strangers are just friends waiting to happen...

2010-09-24T22:37:00.001-07:00

Back in April this year , I had hosted a magnet swap and even though the swap wasn’t quite the raging success I’d hoped it would be , it wasn’t quite the disaster either ;) reason being I met a very special person Karina @ Peacelovecupcakeshappiness or Kary as I call her.. She was new to blogosphere and had just started her own blog.. Well, the swap led us to exchange mails and we became friends in no time.. Whoever would have thought that someone I had never met, I could end up sharing so much in common but it was real almost surreal..

Anyways while we were laughing on all the similarities we shared particularly the goofy ones, little did I know that she was also my partner in the Accessory swap that I participated in and I wouldn't be exaggerating if I told you she spoilt me , the absolute lovely accessories she sent me , the anklet , the earrings , the letter , the handbag and more .. I know all the goodness she sent my way deserved a blog post that I never got down to doing ..tsk tsk L but she literally made my day or days is more like it .. and therefore I must absolutely share this with you ..

Her lil partner in crime Miguelito recently turned 7 and here’s a little something special I sent him ..

but what made it even more special is this ..his sheer delight and joy as he unwraps each of his presents ..I had asked Kary to take some pictures so I could see for myself and she did a fabulous job coz it felt like I was right there watching him live .. and while you can check out all the photos here , on her blog , I’ll share a few favorites ..

I hope I’ve got you smiling too ..Have a great weekend J

Happy Birthday Mommy :)

2010-09-15T18:23:00.000-07:00

This is kinda how I always imagined a relationship with my mother in law or in popular parlance monster in law, would be like, much before I had gotten married.. thanks to the countless stories I had heard , innumerable examples that I had seen ..Maybe it’s the nature of this relationship that a mother in law and daughter in law shouldn’t get along or maybe it’s just a coincidence I’d like to presume that the word in-law seems to destruct any potential for a good relationship to grow into something meaningful even before the seed is sown. What so ever maybe the cause of this love-hate relationship, I know I neither liked the effect nor quite understood it and luckily I never have to..

To you, my mommy, I dedicate this poem by Joanna Fuchs, on your birthday and everyday..

Some mother-in-laws are possessive,

Their child they still want to own.

My mother-in-law’s love is like sunlight,

On both of us it shone.

Some mother-in-laws put you down,

They think you’re not good enough.

My mother-in-law shows approval,

Affection, and other good stuff.

Some mother-in-laws interfere,

They think that they know best.

My mother-in-law lets us be,

She’s better than the rest.

And so I just want to thank you,

For being who you are,

You’ve made everything so easy,

As a mother-in-law, you’re a star!

Life's a journey , not a destination ..

2010-09-13T23:27:00.000-07:00

Between bidding goodbye to one sister, preparing for the welcome of another and then bidding her goodbye too, the month of August in its entirety has been an absolute crazy but nevertheless fun filled family time.. not to mention it’s flown past with tremendous speed and all and any attempts to be regular with my writing have been in vain … but then again, it’s not every day one gets to be in the joyous company of family.. and whilst the first visit entailed dealing only with my sister.. the second visit had me around children , my 10yr old niece and 6yr old nephew and what a riot that was.. and one hell of a glimpse into the future too ;)

It might sound strange but ever since I remember I have always wanted 2 children, a boy and a girl.. that I haven’t even started working on one is an entirely different subject matter but if I could have my way I’d love to have a boy and a girl , if not , I guess two boys or two girls would work too ;) .. Anyways the point I was making was that having children around made me realize that while I do look forward to having my own someday ..the fact that life will never ever be the same again once they are born is also true.. coz no matter how much one plans , prepares or speculates ..what it really comes down to, is the fact that no one really knows how life will change when they become a parent , they only know for certain that it will .. and while a part of me looks forward to the seismic changes a child will bring in our lives and maybe a tiny part of me also wistfully wishes I could fast forward time, the more 'sensible' part of me also realizes the fact that "this part" of my life , the one that has the two of us together , this will never ever be or feel the same again ..

To sum it all up , I share this quote ..

"The other day a man asked me what I thought was the best time of life. "Why," I answered without a thought, "NOW." ~ David Grayson ..

100th Post ..

2010-08-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

To all who read , its with great pleasure and pride that I announce that this is my 100th post and I'm positively stoked ..This couldnt' have happened at a more opportune time as Sat the 21st of Aug is my first blog-o-versary..Yes, my blog will officially be 1 year old :)

It took me quite some time to get here but its been one helluva roller coaster ride from " Writing , you mean blogging , who me ?? " to " Hmm ..I can give it a try " to " I think I'm getting good at this ;) " to " I am having fun with this :) "

The ride has had its share of disappointments and frustrations too , like this never-ending phase when after coercing as many people as I could , the no. of followers seemed to have gotten stuck at 14, for what seemed like forever..then this time when life seemed to have been reduced to this wretched obsession with blog stats ..the no. of clicks/ hits i had , the no. of followers , the no. of comments.. Is anyone reading my blog at all ?? Gosh I should stop writing !!

But despite it all, its been a rewarding journey and one I've thoroughly enjoyed.. And while this does call for a celebration, I'd also like to use my 100th post for feedback/ ideas/suggestions.. I'd especially love to hear about which has been your favorite post/posts ..

and this implies to all those who read and never comment, you know who you are and i know you can do it, just this once ;)

and to all those who read and comment ,this implies, Thank you and I know I can count on you to continue doing it :)

xoxo

I found you ...Again !!

2010-08-16T20:36:00.000-07:00

Woke up Sunday morning to this comment from my sister and that sort of got me smiling and thinking.. I particularly got stuck with this one word in particular -"reacquainted".. to reacquaint oneself means to familiarize oneself anew ..

Strange isn't it ? My sister is someone who's known me all my life.. why use the word reacquaint then ?? but in a weird way what she wrote made absolute sense.. b'coz its true... As long as you're living with your sibling under one roof ..there's time for everything except talking ..and I mean talking , not "Why have you worn my sweater ?" , "I want my earrings back !!" , "I hate you !!" , "Mom , its her turn to do the dishes" etc.. Back then, even sharing a bedroom doesn't seem to make things any easier, coz each sibling is more worried about the fact that the other has access, easy access to her stuff.. Whispering/ Giggling after being forced to turn the lights off may be one of the few joys that you cherish and the fact that you've managed to collect a whole

repertoire of funny stories , family jokes on the way to growing up too..but then marriage , work , studies take you on different paths ..and life moves on in different directions ..

And thats when relationships begin to change ..because even though you may not have let go off each other but you let loose ..Amy E Dean says,

"Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread, remade all the time, made new..”

And that perhaps , is true for all kinds of relationships too , not just between siblings ..because every relationship needs to be nurtured from time to time ..and quite often , stuck in the rut of daily chores and busy lives , one forgets to do exactly that .." make time " !!

Being a good spouse , parent , sibling , friend everything takes work so make that time today and promise to make time for every relationship that matters as often as you can.. a phone call , a message , a letter , snail mail ..anything ..

After all , its the thought " that you thought " that matters :)

Hasta Luego :)

2010-08-12T23:51:00.000-07:00

Its been a month since I updated anything at all here ..I did not even get to post the pictures I promised for Day 2 and even though I feel a tad bit guilty, I also shamelessly accept I din't seem to mind 'not' blogging at all coz if you've been following , well you know my sister had come to visit me for a month and naturally so, life for me has been busy and good this past month ..or should i say its been better ..

But like all good things come to an end , the joy ride ended and my sister finally went back this Monday ..and boy have i been down in the dumps ever since.. Infact I dont think I've ever missed my sibling so much but the truth also is that I dont think we've ever enjoyed each other's company more than we did now ..and noooo that in no way indicates we're the'perfect' sisters or that it was all happy go lucky all the time ..It was more like this quote of Pam Brown ..she says " Sisters annoy, interfere, criticize. Indulge in monumental sulks, in huffs, in snide remarks.Borrow. Break. Monopolize the bathroom.Are always underfoot .." and we were all that and more ...chatting endlessly , watching back to back movies , sipping on cocktails in the middle of the day ,snacking at midnight , doing chores together , laughing hysterically , trading wardrobes , shopping like maniacs ..add to this fighting and arguing , even sulking a while but thats what sisterhood is all about ..

Aptly worded by Amy Li , " Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of. You know whatever you do, they'll still be there ;) "

So this one's especially for you my sistah .. Thank you , for being there , for being a special part of my life and for giving me special memories, we both shall treasure .. I miss you and till we meet again !!