Tsunami..

The tsunami disaster struck unexpectedly and shook the unwarned public and outstripped many of their lives, possessions and dear ones. The pain is unbearable for many and the way the natural disaster occurred came as a rude shock for the whole world. Now everyone can write about the pain, destruction but the time really calls for global unity in fighting disasters. The Tsunami destruction should be considered as a rude warning and the media and public should ponder over the importance of the disaster management, emergency actions and the recovery methods to handle the disasters of this magnitude. Rather than crying over the past, we should be cautious and active in future and be prepared to handle such emergencies with proper preventive measures. These times of need reflect the need for being proactive and prepared for natural calamities. These times call for global unity. Lets contribute our share to offer relief to victims and be prepared so that no one else would be subjected to such toil and agony again.

Mera Naam Joker…

I think this is one of the best movies, which I have ever seen. This movie talks about the joys and sorrows of life in such a beautiful manner! It’s a movie of Raj Kapoor and depicts the story of a joker since childhood, his experience of love with the women in his life and what he learns from them. Raj Kapoor’s identity is depicted as a clown who tries to laugh and spread smiles even when he is all broken up inside. The Raju’s innocent heart is depicted symbolically through a laughing clown doll, which he gifts to all the women in his life only to get it back. The way he grows from an innocent child to a mature individual is depicted in a very delectable manner. The best part of the movie is that it touches your heart and leaves you spellbound. You laugh with the clown, feel his emotions and share his grief. I liked especially climax where in the Joker realizes that joys, sorrows, emotions and love, all is a part and parcel of life. Well, Jeena Yaha Marna Yaha, Iske Siva Jaana Kaha?

Swades!

Today I went to watch Swades.. These days I became a little bit complacent and been pampering myself with a lot of movies. Well, Swades came as a pleasant change from the usual bollywood line of romances and watching Shakrukh khan doing something otherthan romance was refreshing enough! What really surprised me was the story. The picture packed in quite a punch of patriotism, and showed quite a realistic picture of rural India. It really brought me back the memories of my Grand Parent's village and the bonding I experienced over there. I really loved the movie!

Sonnets from the Portuguese, XIV

Why this poem moves me? Why it touches my heart like a gentle breeze? Why I feel moved by the intensity of these emotions? Never could answer that. I hope you will enjoy this the way I did...


If thou must love me, let it be for nought
Except for love's sake only. Do not say
'I love her for her smile--her look--her way
Of speaking gently,--for a trick of thought
That falls in well with mine, and certes brought
A sense of pleasant ease on such a day
For these things in themselves, Beloved, may
Be changed, or change for thee,--and love, so wrought,
May be unwrought so. Neither love me for
Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheeks dry,
A creature might forget to weep, who bore
Thy comfort long, and lose thy love, thereby!
But love me for love's sake, that evermore
Thou mayst love on, through love's eternity.

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Its Always Possible by Kiran Bedi..

I am currently reading the Book titled Its Always Possible authored by Kiran Bedi. It depicts the transformation of the Tihar Jail, the largest jail in Asia-Pacific from a dreadful place to an Ashram. It depicts the grit and determination of the Kiran Bedi, which helped in uniting the staff and other stakeholders to work for the common goal of transformation of the Tihar with the aid of NGOs, community-building initiatives, and educational institutions so that it becomes a developmental institution for the prisoners. It gives a realistic idea of the conditions prevalent and the problems rampant in the Tihar backed with the records and how she went about handling her task in a passionate way. It’s remarkable of Kiran Bedi to bring this monumental task to fruition. Kudos to her, as she says, “Its Always Possible”..

Bounceback!!! ... Getup and Win the Race!!!

This is a forward which I have received just now. I really loved the passion and persistence which strongly comes out in this poem. I loved reading it, I hope you will enjoy it too!

THE RACE

"Quit! Give Up! You're beaten!"
They shout at me and plead.
"There's just too much against you now.
This time you can't succeed!"

And as I start to hang my head
In front of failure's face,
My downward fall is broken by
The Memory of a race.

And hope refills my weakened will
As I recall that scene;
For just the thought of that short race
Rejuvenates my being.

A children's race--young boys, young men
How I remember well.
Excitement, sure! But also fear;
It wasn't hard to tell.

They all lined up so full of hope'
Each thought to win the race.
Or tie for first, or if not that,
At least take second place.

And fathers' watched from off the side,
Each cheering for his son.
And each boy hoped to show his dad
That he would be the one.

The whistle blew and off they went!
Young hearts and hopes afire.
To win and be the hero there
Was each young boy's desire.

And one boy in particular
Whose dad was in the crowd,
Was running near the lead and thought:
"My dad will be so proud!"

But as they speeded down the field
Across a shallow dip,
The little boy who thought to win
Lost his step and slipped.

Trying hard to catch himself
His hands flew out to brace,
And mid the laughter of the crowd
He fell flat on his face.

So down he fell and with him hope
He couldn't win it now--
Embarrassed, sad, he only wished
To disappear somehow.

But as he fell his dad stood up
And showed his anxious face,
Which to the boy so clearly said:
"Get up and win the race."

He quickly rose, no damage done.
Behind a bit, that's all--
And ran with all his mind and might
To make up for his fall.

So anxious to restore himself
To catch up and to win--
His mind went faster that his legs;
He slipped and fell again!!

He wished then he had quit before
with only one disgrace.
"I'm hopeless as a runner now;
I shouldn't try to race."

But in the laughing crowd he searched
And found his father's face.
That steady look which said again:
"Get up and win the race!"

So up he jumped to try again
Ten yards behind the last--
"If I"m to gain those yards," he thought
"I've got to move real fast."

Exerting everything he had
He gained eight or ten
But trying so hard to catch the lead
He slipped and fell again!

Defeat!! He lay there silently
A tear dropped from his eye--
"There's no sense running anymore;
Three strikes: I'm out! Why try?"

The will to rise had disappeared
All hope had fled away;
So far behind, so error prone;
A loser all the way.

"I've lost, so what's the use," he thought.
"I'll live with my disgrace."
But then he thought about his dad
Who soon he'd have to face.

"Get up," and echo sounded low.
"Get up and take your place;
You were not meant for failure here.
Get up and win the race."

"With borrowed will, get up," it said
"You haven't lost at all,
For winning is no more than this:
To rise each time you fall."

So up he rose to run once more,
And with a new commit
He resolved that win or lose
At least he wouldn't quit.

So far behind the others now,
The most he'd ever been--
Still he gave it all he had
And ran as though to win.

Three times he'd fallen, stumbling;
Three times he rose again;
Too far behind to hope to win
He still ran to the end.

They cheered the winning runner
As he crossed the line first place,
Head high, and proud, and happy;
No falling, no disgrace.

But when the fallen youngster
crossed the line last place,
The crowd gave him the greater cheer
For finishing the race.

And even though he came in last
with head bowed low, unproud,
You would have thought he'd won the race
To listen to the crowd.

And to his dad he sadly said,
"I didn't do so well."
"To me, you won," his father said.
"You rose each time you fell."

And now when things seem dark and hard
And difficult to face,
The memory of that little boy
Helps me in my own race.

For all of life is like that race,
With ups and downs and all.
And all you have to do to win,
Is rise each time you fall.

"Quit! Give up! You're beaten!"
They still shout in my face.
But another voice within me says:
"GET UP AND WIN THE RACE!"

Being Health Conscious..

I believe that a person's health depends on the environment, what he eats and how he lives. I have seen practically how the kind of food I take alters my behavior. During my intermediate days, I was on a raw food diet for two months, and it really made me much peaceful and energetic. It was an another issue that I had difficulty digesting cooked food later on. I stopped the diet as its simply unmanageable for a person in Osmania Hostel. Even the difference food makes can be felt when I consume non vegetarian diet. I feel heavy and tired to work which is not the case with light food. What I have to say is that one has to keep a watch on the kind of food which enters one's system, to check if it's going to make any positive difference or you are just tempted because of taste. This kind of check helped me in self-control. I hope it will make a difference to you too.