Gold, Golder, Goldest

Gold is one of the few things that has been wanted by the human race since ancient times. It must have led to the rise and fall of many empires. It's not much different now. Countries stock themselves up with this precious metal in times of economic distress.
It's quite amazing to see how the price of gold is zooming up so rapidly while the stock market and mutual funds are going to a rough and slow patch again. Just consider this. The price of 1 gm gold has crossed Rs.2000 while 1 kg silver can still be bought for around Rs.50,000. Some more calculating and I find out that to buy 1 kg of gold I'd have to shell out more than 20 Lakhs. Incredible and sad at the same time. Being an Indian woman I too have the strong urge to acquire some gold ornaments , but this being the scenario I wonder how feasible it will be in the years ahead. Till now gold was within reach of even the common man as he could buy at least a small quanity. The future looks bleak. It seems as there will come a time when gold becomes too hot to handle literally speaking and only the rich can afford to wear gold ornaments forget about investing in gold coins.

Just imagine, even the Olympic Games will be able to award the winner with gold plated medals only .... Sad, very sad ...

What Makes Me Happy

I was thinking about the small and big things in life that make me happy. And thinking about them made me happy again .... Here's just a few of them:


~ Eating Mango Dolly ice cream
~ Listening and humming to nice songs
~ Dancing alone or with Ryan
~ Holding Ryan in my arms
~ Hugs and kisses
~ Talking with Roy
~ Chatting with my dearest friends
~ Watching a sunrise or sunset in the quiet
~ Writing my blog
~ Ice cream
~ Listening to the twitter of birds in the morning
~ Looking at the beautiful flowers in the garden
~ Glass painting
~ Teaching Ryan
~ Yummy Pizza
~ Cooking with Roy or chatting with him in the kitchen while I cook
~ Watch a nice comedy at home
~ Watch an India cricket match
~ Surprise my loved ones
~ Spending time with my parents and Shobha
~ Eating masala dosa from Aaryaas
~ Walking barefoot on grass
~ Being with nature
~ Going for a stroll in the garden or park
~ Window shopping
~ Buying gifts for loved ones
~ Getting some nice earrings for myself
~ Just lazying around and doing nothing for a day
~ Go on short or long trips in the car with good music on
~ Lying in bed and read a nice book
~ Having a good laugh
~ Taking snaps and showing them to my loved ones

It is good to once in a while have a look at this list especially when I'm moody ...

A wonderful Thing

Today something wonderful happened. And I still don't know if it was true or not. I have been daily reading flash cards with words to my son Ryan. He is just 1 year 8 months old, but I have seen that babies can learn at that age. In the past days he wasn't really in a mood for that. So I thought he must have lost interest in learning. Nevertheless I tried to read some words to him. Usually I show him the flash card, then read it out and then explain. I reached the word "door" and I showed Ryan the flash card. And believe it or not he pointed to the door and showed me the symbol for knock, exactly as I taught him. For a moment I was dumbstruck. I couldn't believe what I saw. Has Ryan learnt to read after all ? I have seen so many toddlers read on the internet but to see this was really special. Even if it was just coincidence, even if it is just this one word that he recognized. It doesn't matter. I feel wonderful and it gives me increased zest in teaching my son more and more ...

Syl's Philosophy on Life

I have been reading so many quotations by some of the greatest people and philosophers. High time I came with one of my own:

If I do what I love doing, life will be good and money will follow.
But if I follow money, then I cannot do what I love doing and life won't be good.

Accepting my own fault.

Last Sunday's Malayala Manorama edition had a small but interesting article under the section "Innathe Chintavishayam" ("Thought for the Day"). The topic was "Blaming and accusing others". An interesting piece of thought. It said that this is one trait seen amongst all people and societies irrespective of age, sex or religion.In the Bible it is said to have started with the first human being. And since then it has continued. It also said that only very few people can accept their own fault and openly admit it.

In road accidents,a study had shown, every driver involved would blame the other guy for the accident. None of them would accept their own fault.
In politics you always hear that the difficulties and problems the current government faces is due to the bribery, carelessness and hopeless spending of the previously ruling government. They too, don't accept their own faults.

Looking into family relations, the situation isn't much better.
The drunkard husband blames his wife for his drinking. The wife blames him for the miserable situation at home. A spoilt son careless in his studies blames his parents for his plight. There too, noone accepts their own faults. This is the situation we all are in.

A Christian philosopher once wrote "It is often our own flaws and shortcomings that prompt us to accuse others of their shortcomings. Because of our love for ourselves, we do not see the love others have for themselves. And sometimes it makes us accuse people of things they didn't do actually.

There was a woman who always complained about other people and she was looking at her neighbour's home through her window. And she exclaimed "See the dirty windows of my neighbour.She doesn't know how to keep her home clean." One day when she told the same thing to the priest, he asked her to clean the windows of her own home. She followed his advice and then exclaimed. "I cannot believe it. When I started cleaning my windows, my neighbour also started cleaning her windows." The actual truth was that the neighbour's windows were always clean. But because this cribbing woman's windows were dirty, she saw her neighbour's windows as dirty too.

Due to our complaining nature we can never see other people's good nature or achievements. Jealousy often plays a role in that. Rather than watching what other people are doing or not doing, we should look at ourselves and see what shortcomings or failures we have so that we can rectify them. To accept one's own mistake is a symbol of greatness. And to rectify that mistake is a step in the right direction. To find the goodness in other people, congratulating and exchanging words of appreciation and encouragement with them should be our goal. Then certainly our life and relationships will improve, no doubt !

My Lyrics: Khaabon Ke Parinday

This is from the movie ZINDAGI NA MILEGI DOBARA. A fine tune that touches your heart and makes you hum ...


Ude, khule aasaman mein khwabon ke parindey
Ude, dil ke jahaan main khaabon ke parinday
Oho, kya pata, jaayenge kahan
Khule hain jo pal, kahe yeh nazar
Lagta hai ab hai jaage hum
Fikrein jo thi, peechhe reh gayi
Nikle unse aage hum
Hawa mein beh rahi hai zindagi
Yeh hum se keh rahi hai zindagi
Oho, ab toh, jo bhi ho so ho


Ude, khule aasaman mein khwabon ke parindey
Ude, dil ke jahaan main khwabon ke parindey
Oho, kya pata, jayenge kahaan
Kisi ne chhua toh yeh hua
Phirte hain mehake mehake hum
Khoyi hain kahin baatein nayi
Jab hain aise behake hum
Hua hai yun ke dil pighal gaye
Bas ek pal mein hum badal gaye
Oho, ab toh, jo bhi ho so ho


Roshni mili
Ab raah mein hai ik dilkashi si barsi
Har khusi mili
Ab zindagi pe hai zindagi si barsi
Ab jeena hamne seekha hai
Yaad hai kal, aaya tha woh pal
Jisme jaadoo aisa tha
Hum ho gaye jaise naye
Woh pal jaane kaisa tha
Kahe yeh dil ke jaaun dil ki tu
Jahan bhi leke jaaye aarzoo
Oho, ab toh...
Jo bhi ho so ho
Jo bhi ho so ho
Ude, jo bhi ho so ho
Ude, jo bhi ho so ho

My Lyrics: (Everything I Do) I Do It For You

This is one of the all-time great love songs by Bryan Adams.

Look into my eyes - you will see
What you mean to me
Search your heart - search your soul
And when you find me then you'll search no more

Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for
You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for
You know it's true
Everything I do - I do it for you

Look into your heart - you will find
There's nothin' there to hide
Take me as I am - take my life
I would give it all - I would sacrifice

Don't tell me it's not worth fightin' for
I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more
Ya know it's true
Everything I do - I do it for you

There's no love - like your love
And no other - could give more love
There's nowhere - unless you're there
All the time - all the way

Oh - you can't tell me it's not worth tryin' for
I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more
I would fight for you - I'd lie for you
Walk the wire for you - ya I'd die for you

Ya know it's true
Everything I do - I do it for you

Magical Lullaby

There was no power again, and it was time to get lil Ryan to sleep. He was finding it difficult to fall asleep and was turning from side to side. It was then I remembered that long time ago I had recorded a lullaby song on my mobile from the internet. I took Ryan in my arms and started playing the lullaby. I walked up and down and made him lie across my shoulder. And lo, he fell asleep soon. It is very rarely that my son falls asleep in my arms. And it is a wonderful feeling to have him in my arms. Lullabies have such a magical, soothing sound. I was looking for some meditation songs myself to help me sleep better. Why look so far ? These lullabies are excellent and soothe anyone, from small to big. There is so much to learn from our babies. They are fine tuned to the basic things in life - sleep, food and love, laughter, happiness. We just need to look up to them.

Mein Kochbuch: Spaghetti Bolognese

Wanted to try this out for a long time because my little one likes pasta. It tasted really good and that's why I thought of adding the recipe here.So here goes:

Spaghetti Bolognese (4 servings)

Ingredients:
400 gm Spaghetti
500 gm minced Beef
400 gm plum tomatoes
2 teaspoons tomato puree/paste
1 onion (roughly chopped)
1 medium carrot (roughly chopped)
4 medium cloves garlic
Salt and Pepper
Pinch of Sugar
Ketchup
Olive Oil (or Sunflower oil)
A few washed and torn Basil leaves and Oregano or their powder

1 large glass Red Wine ( I did it without and it still tasted great but most recipes suggest red wine)


Preparation Time: Around 1 hour

Steps:
1.Peel and chop the carrot and onion. Mix these in a food blender for a few seconds. Chop the garlic seperatly.

2.In a pan pour 2 table spoon of Olive oil (or Sunflower oil) and add the veggie mix from Step 1.Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes in a medium flame till the veggies softens and is glassy brown.

3.If you have red wine, add a quarter glass and cook for a minute for the alcohol to evaporate so that we retain only the taste of the wine.

4.Add the mince beef to this and stir well. Add salt and pepper as per your taste. Cook for 15 minutes in a medium flame for the beef to start cooking. If the sauce is too dry at any point, add the remaining wine or just water.

5.Add the tomato puree, basil and oregano and the chopped tomatoes next. Cook all this for another 30 minutes in a low flame. Keep stirring every 3-5 minutes and add water whenever it becomes too dry.

6. In the last 10 minutes you can cook the spaghetti.

7. Just before you are done with the sauce,add 5 table spoons of Ketchup (or as you like) and a small pinch of sugar to get your right taste.

8. Garnish with grated parmesan cheese.

Once the spaghetti is done , serve it with the sauce on top of it. And buon appetito !!!

I feel I should I have tried this out much much earlier since I too am a big fan of Spaghetti Bolognese. Hope you like it.

Who is to blame ?

Yesterday evening Mumbai was attacked again. Another terrorist attack in 3 different places in quick succession. Around 17 people killed and more than 100 injured. I really didn't spend so much time watching this news on TV, but in today's news I was trying to catch more info on it. There were certainly more important things going on in the country because either the channels didn't talk much about it or I missed it. But I caught on something. One guy from the Opposition was trying to openly blame PC - Union home minister P Chidambaram and said that it was because of PC's irresponsibility and negligence that this untoward incident happened. And I was thinking "Another election gimmick. Yea, blame the ruling party for whatever bad is happening in India.". It is true, the home minister has to look after and ensure the security of our country and citizens. But how much can he really do? He makes decisions based on the intelligence that he receives from the officials and who ensures that he always gets it before each attack is carried out? Also,mostly he delegates his orders and how sincere are the people who are asked to do the job? Then there are the terrorists. They are certainly not scared of PC and they will try anything to beat him at his wits. So who is to be blamed? Is it not everyone of us, the citizens of this country? Why should we sit idle and hope that PC or the government does it right? We all should be alert, wherever we go, at all times. We should always keep an eye open for strange things and always observe the people around us, because if we get involved in a terrorist attack, we can give useful information later.If we are alive, that is.

No need to be afraid of an Omelette anymore

Yesterday I was making an omelette. I often make omelettes when at home with Roy, but now at my parents' I haven't made one so far. But still it gives me the creeps coz there's one thing I never manage to do. And that is to turn it properly without breaking it into numerous pieces.So this time when I poured the liquid onto the pan I was saying: "oh oh how many pieces now??" But luck or not, I did it perfectly. And I felt really proud. I don't know if it was the different pan I was using or not, but some things will not always scare you. Try and try till you succeed. It applies to bigger things as well.

Life is Good

Life is Good! How often do we say that to ourselves or to others? More than often don't we complain about the small things that are really not so important? And we don't see how good life is. Indeed, life is phenomenal! There are so many things to be thankful for. The beautiful sun rise, the twitter of the birds welcoming each new day with their melodious language, the newly blossomed flowers and trees heavy with their fruits.We may come across small and large stones in our path of life and we complain and moan about them. Little do we realize that if we polish those stones, we'll get beautiful diamonds.