A NEW DAY

A NEW DAY

Each new day that dawns is a completely new one as God created it to be But we try to make it similar to the past one-the yesterday It is out attitude that we try to make it similar May be because we are yet not ready to tread a different path

The same rigmarole of the out routine makes the new day worn out & makes us tired Trading on different paths will make our life more interesting

Yes I do agree that some things have to be dome routinely But I am also sure that we can always find some time may be 15 minutes or more to make things a bit different Do something which we want to do,plan something -think of something different I am sure if we can change our mind set tyhen each new day would be a really different NEW DAY

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TWO SIDES OF A COIN

yes I believe all living thing have two sides whether it is a human animals world or plant world

Heads one wins & tails we lose

A Mr Jekyll & Hyde is there in all of us - it depends who gets the upper hand & at what time in our lives

I believe we are mostly good in our lifetime those few who are bad due to their own circumstances they go wayward & we have the so called ''baddies'' of our society Every one is born innocent & it takes the same process to be born so then what causes the ''bad'' to come out & how?? For a short period or life long ? I believe it is the environment & society & wrong advice that makes one so

In the animal world too I feel goes through the same process For example a fruit bearing tree will give a good harvest whatever the circumstances but on the other hand under the same circumstances it will nor bear fruit as it should Is this a tantrum??

The same goes in the animal kingdom too A domesticated pet dog who is always subservient & at your beck & call & loves the owner to distraction taking anything you dole out to him one day suddenly may bite the hand that feeds him injure & tear one apart without any prior notice about the mood is it the ''bad'' in him that suddenly comes out? or is it some other reason? One will never know

We can only assume & try to give a reason for such a behaviour

well there are many what & why that we have no answer to

Life just goes on

A NEW DAY

Since my illness & admission in September end 2010 with severe pain in chest -I thought this is IT& was all prepared to GO Later when i was still around is the time I realised that going finally may not be difficult for me as I was very peaceful when i checked my blood pressure which was very high also my blood sugar which was also unusually high & severe excruciating pain on the left side under the left breast I diagnosed myself as Gastritis But an hour later when I started sweating profusely -I said to myself -may be it is my heart & THIS IS IT I quietly opened the veranda lock & kept the front door unlocked & came back & lay on my bed that anyone who came to the house could get in easily without breaking the front door & find me peacefully in bed!! But this was not to be. I finally called shyla & she came & took me to Sonia clinic -where i though i will have a IV injection of Ranitidine & come back home as my dogs were at home

But from here I was sent to KMC emergency where Dr Hande came & admitted me

They all thought it was it was my heart but I said no it is gastritis After all investigations all reports as negative

Finally it was said GALL stones & Cholecystitis as i have these stones since many nyears without any symptoms

I was discharged after 7 days & to date I have no problem

Every day when I get up in the morning to open the door & go out for my daily morning walk I say to myself -WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY!!

this & all the coming beautiful days I feel is a bonus for me

I am ready to go when the ''call'' comes But finally will i be as peaceful as i was on that day ?? I wonder!!

Hotmail - kayn123@hotmail.com - Windows Live

Hotmail - kayn123@hotmail.com - Windows Live

My Musings

Srilanka

SHRILANKA

this is the last about Srilanka

05/09/2010

After visiting Pinnavela we left for COLOMBO - After reaching Colombo we drove past many memories like the Cargill department store Ceylon Technical college where Emmannu did his engineering the railway station at Maradana many Government offices etc..

The highlight of this trip to me as this was my birthplace & where I did my primary schooling from Ananda Balika Vidyalaya now called MAHA VIDYALAYA as it has grown so much with a hostel & degree classes too we also drove past Ananda college & the place park where I used to play truant & spend time with friends when the school closed aerly nfor some reason

This isthe 1st stop in Colombo where we reached about 4PM I was just thrilled to enter my old school & very thrilled to see that ir has grown so much The watchman kindly allowed me to go in for my tour of the place It was Sunday so did not meet anyone. 'From here I went to visit the Buddhist temple across the road where as kids we used to go & pray every full moon day with flowers

.This place too has grown so much & now is a monastery[seminary] & I could see training monks walking around The Bodhi tree alter was much better now with a marble top & many Buddha statues adorning it the same place where as I kid I used to pray I did the same & prayed he stupa was the same .

We visited fountain house lane NO 4 -where I grew up The main road has been broadened so the area of Fountain house lane has been reduced & as we enter FHL I came to my house-No 4 almost at the entrance to FHL

All the houses are changed with a garage-covered area in front of the house. The interior is also changed the partituion between the sitting & dinning area is removed & it is a long bigger room the bedrooms were the same the store room wall from the dinning room area has been broken down & is now a small dinning room So there is no old storeroom The veranda leading to the Kitchen & bath/toilet & the courtyard is the same the kitchen is now changed to a mordern version with the fridge & stoves . The toilet has been changed to a utility room with the washing machine & the bathroom which was very big is now bath cum toilet.

The courtyard is the same but has been concreted & some nice colourful plants grown at one

end

when we went out we met Shivanah who is still staying at No 5 FHL with his daughter & her family he recognised when I said i was staying here 60 yrs ago -& he immediately said BAHAT ? From him I came to know about his sister Maheshwari who was a little older to me His Older sisters etc. & also about Padmini who lived in No 7 FHL we went on a tour of No 25FHL which is empty now -where I was born & also saw some other houses in the lane which were morable to me --like ''6 finger kunubakki's'' house

It was dusk by now

from here we went to Town hall on one side & Victoria park on the other side Gall face the beach which we used to visit often as kids -the beach By this time it was quite dark so we went to a vegetarian restaurant for dinner I bought some ''kaludodol'' -a memory from my childhood Finally left for the Grand Hotel where we stayed the night

Next morning about 4am we left for the Airport -& finally home to India on the7 nth September

It was such a delightful trip full ,of memories -that i ticked off Ceylon as-things to do before I die

it was a very satisfying memorable trip

Srilanka 5[ contd ]

From Dambula-Sigiriya we left for Anuradha pura-which is the most celebrated of the ancient ruined cities of the island the most treasured are the Dagbas- monastry's consrtucted with small sundrues bricks hemisphrical in shape the most notable is the Ruvanaveli which dates back to the 2nd century BC & i9s 300 ft in diameter. The Jetavanarama is 370 ft& the Thuparama which enshrines the collar bone of of the Buddha

the cities most renowned is the sacred BO tree grown from the original branch of the tree under which Buddha gained enlightenment brought from India by Sangamitra -daughter of King Ashok

She was also responsible to introduce Buddhism to the island it was planted 2200 yrs ago but in the recent Bomb blast by the LTTE the tree got destroyed

we stayed overnight at Hotel in Anuradha pura

The Government plans to bring another branch from the original tree from India & replace it.

PINNAVALA 05/09/10

This ia a elephant orphanage established on n1975 & has more than 65 elephants grand parents children & their babies It was fun watching then having a bath in the rivers the babies are bottle fed -the visitors can feed then by buying tickets They are fed 7 litres of milk at a time 5 times a day apart from solid food too it was fun watching them

to be contd

Srilanka 4 [ contd]

Kandy -Dambula-Sigiriya

After lunch we proceeded to Sigiriya-home to the 5th century''FORTRESS IN THE SKY''the most fantastic single wonder of the island.This is also known as the LION ROCK because of the huge lion that used to stand at the entrance to the fortress. Within its triple moated defence the huge rock rises to a height of 500 ft On nits summit is the foundation of what was once a great palace & gardens complete with swimming pool On one of the stairs a painting -fresco in the form of life sized damsels in all the freshness & delicacy of their original colour

we stayed overnight at the Dambula hotel aptly called Sigiriya Hotel from where we could see the Sigiriya rock this was a very nice homely hotel where just 2 days prior the Indian cricket team stayed when they played a match at Dambula against the Srilankan team--& lost the match to the Srilankans!!

to be contd

Hotmail - kayn123@hotmail.com - Windows Live

Hotmail - kayn123@hotmail.com - Windows Live

DEEPAVALI 05/11 2010

This year it was a very quiet one compared to last year with rains spoiling by its never ending down pour but at the same time maling it nice & cool ,when Jyothi was here & she wanted to spend the last Dewali in India in a grand way so it was. We had sparklers flower pots, nela chakra,rockets & the whole lot -only a few small crackers It was fun with the deeya's , candles .The food was special too with paisa-sweet sewai pudding Pullav, palak paneer & some other delicacies which I usually do not do daily It was indeed fun -I do not mean the food but I should say the company Loneliness is sometimes a bitter-sweet pill. Bitter as u do not have a single person to share what u have in mind & at the same time sweet as you are king/queen maker to do what/when u want or do just nothing & there would be nothing to catch up with No one to cater too or try to please,No one to anticipate what next from you !!

yes it is a bitter sweet experience

I would not be honest if I say that I do enjoy it -sometimes

Well life is like a coin with 2 sides- heads& tails Sometime you win & sometimes you lose

Take whatever comes on your stride-deal with it & be happy

Srilanks -3

Overnight we stayed at Hotel Kandy on 02/09/10

Here in Kandy we saw the Gem Museum

& in the evenine saw a beautiful Cukltural show -Kandyan Dancing Fire walking -a wonderful ! hour programme

Next morning we left for Dambula & Sigiriya

Dambula

here visited nthe CaveTemple dates back to the 1st centurythese caves sheltered the KingWalagamba for 14 yearsof Exile from Anaradhapura when he regained the throne he built the most Magnificent Rock temple to be found non the IslandIn the 1st cave is the recumbent image ofof the Budha 47feet cut out from the rock There are images of deities associated withBudhism -all around Frescoes on the ceiling dates back to15th -18th century In the 2nd cave the largest & finest of all there 150 life size statues of Gods from the Bhudhist religionalong with Numerous images of Buddha himself The cieling is also covered with frescos which depict great events in the life ofBuddha &landmarks in the life of the Sinhala people

to be contd---

SRILANKA [contd]

The Hotel Blue Oceanic at Negabo was on the beach & old but comfortable Hotel

Next morning we left by road to Nuwaraeliya -called little England full of tea gardens Gardens & English style houses this was the retreat for the British when they occupied Ceylon we went through beautiful landscaped saw the Widest waterfall of Srilanka =St Clair& also the Devon waterfalls

We made a stop at a tea kiosk Driving through Kithugala the oscar winning Movie ''Bridge on the River Kwai'' was filmed in this place

we did not see the actual place as it was interior

We checked in at St Andrews Hotel -A lovely Hotel with a panoramic view & beautiful well kept gardens & green Lawns

Next we visited ''SEETHALAYA'' the place Seetha was kept by the King Ravana under the Ashoka tree

here we saw the place where Seetha used to sit The river passing through Also the foot step of Hanuman when he landed in this place looking for Seetha

the temple was beautiful with statues of Seetha Rama Laxmana & Hanuman

from here we passed Gregory Lake & Victoria Gardens

KANDY

After breakfast we left Nuwaraeliya for Kandy On the way we visited the Botanical Gardens of Peradeniya -A huge bothanical garden with ever so many trees & plants -herbs Bamboo Lake with Lotus & Orchid house etc Here we saw ''Twin coconot tree'' with 2 coconuts on each branch they were Huge coconuts & takes about 5 years to mature This is the largest seed in the world & brought from Sechelles Island

In the afternoon we visited the ''tooth relic ''temple -tooth of lord Budha kept in a Golden It was very beautiful & the holiest of the Holy Places for the Bhudhist

SHRILANKA

At last I was travelling to my birthplace = Colombo my dream of about 60yrs we left on 3oth August from Bangalore by Srilanka Air & reached Negombo in about 2 hours We were met by a representative of Jet wings tour company & taken to our Hotel by the sea it was a comfortable Hotel & we loved sitting on the beach the best we were taken around Negambo by AC toyota -very comfortable

We did some shopping bread fruits cheese & lo& behold I foundGAL SIYAMBALA'' which i had tasted as a kid in colmbo this made my day -Imagine tasting it after about 60yrs Also had Mabgusteen to hearts content through out out stay in Srilanka-Ceylon as it was known before

Next day we left by road by the same vehicle for Nuwaraeliya -up country as it is called the highest place in SrilankaIt was quite cool surrounded by Tea gardens We were surprised to know that the tea gardens belonged to TATA though the brand name was kept the same & the name of the tea estate We visited one tea estate Labukelee where we were taken around & given the best tea i have ever tasted

To be continued------

Monsoon -once again

I wrote a continuation to this blog after the current shut down &a+

 posted/published it But today I find it is not there. I do not know what happened --washed away by the monsoon rains!!

The monsoon in North India is similar -current shut downs/bad roads /trouble for the farmers by too much or too little rains.

We as kids had sudden school holidays declared due to heavy rains .This was a bonus for us --the unexpected holidays Monsoon meant hot Pakoda session with dhania /pudina chutney or tomato sauce!! those were lovely times.eating then while watching the rain pitter patter outside . -I cycled to school -in the rain --just waited till it got less On the way if it again became heavy then just stopped under a tree or took shelter under the roof of some shop or veranda Nobody minded this an there was a crowd to share this shelter But it was real fun.The wet clothes dries soon under the fan in the school.

we had the usual cold/cough of the season -but never bothered about it.

We had a roof over our heads so we were very comfortable .Now looking back I think of all those people/families who did not have one They must have been cursing this season. I now can look at it in a different perspective.

Rashmi I now have a cordless phone which i have not yet started operating Waiting for the rains to stop The other day My friend Shyla 's cordless went ''phut'' due to the lightning & thunder & I told her''did you not know'' I felt more wiser than her due to my experience !!

All said & done I still love this season Mother nature has showered her bounty & the whole world around is ''HARIYALI green- at no cost we can feast our eyes & soul on this bounty & enjoy the greenery & cool weather

I know Money will never be able to buy this joy.

Monsoon

I have two inclusions Under this heading as when I was typing the current went off & I had to abandon this but it got ''posted'' as i had saved it

So after the current was restored I completed it

This shows the practical example of Current shut down '' when it rains heavily''!!

A practical point proved!!!

Monsoon

this is the coolest time in the South India This part of India is always is very hot the whole year round We have only one season most of the year --the summer But Monsoon is the other season which starts anytime May -June & last till September -some years i remember it rained up to December-January Oh it was lovely from the coolness point of view But this long monsoon is not good for the farmers Also even a short Monsoon heavy rains makes out roads into NO ROADS full of pits slug small ponds/puddles dot most of the roads well the kids enjoy jumping in to the puddles very happily -as it is the mothers that have to wash/clean the school uniforms!! The other thing is the washed clothes take so long to dry We have to have the Fan on to dry them Those who do not have a fan hang then above the fire place -the fire wood here plays a double role of cooking & drying the clothes But the one thing that goes with it is the smell of the wooden fire which lingers on the clothes!!

But I love this season Of coolness for a couple of months bad road,inconvenience & all I have to always remeber to disconnect the TV from the mains & the antena To disconnect the modem the the computer otherwise it gets burnt out with the lightning I lost a New cordless phone which Rashmi so lovingly got from me from the USA to the very first rain of the season due to the lightning

LONELINESS
I have realised that one can be lonely when one is all alone or even in a crowded room
The most common loneliness is when one is all alone But it is not all the time that one feels lonely in this circumstances. There are some days when I do not get a single phone call nor does the door bell ring. & also some days I just want to be this way & do not bother to call anyone too I am my own company,& I have started to like it though the dogs are around I feel like putting them outside & be on my own!!It feels like getting away from a child who needs attention all the time & a little time alone itself is a respite & relaxation.
I keep the TV on just to feel someone is around & on other times this is not needed.somehow the day /night pattern goes on smoothly without even thinking of how the day will go.
All this is is ones own attitude -to look at things one wants to see.the way things are at that particular moment of time.to feel self pity or to be elated.All is in our own hands.The way we deal with everyday problems which are small or big the way we look at it
even the most terrible ones look small with time & our attitude can make us laugh at them or despise them.
we should live life as fully as we can Taking each step sometimes with seriousness & sometimes with abundance But should learn to differentiate the trivial from the serious ones We may think we do not need anyone;s help but in reality living in a family/society one does need help.Whether we like it or not. But I always depend on myself for most of the things -this is my experience But this is not to say I do not need anyone .I also very much depend & believe on the SUPREME POWER above He has NEVER FAILED me. Yes there has been many dark clouds thunder & lightning but in the end there has always been calmness to rejoice Every cloud has a silver lining --very very true Just like the darkness will ALWAYS bring light after a few long hours Night has to be followed by day as day has to be followed by night This is the circle/cycle of life .take it or leave it
It is wise to take it the sweet/bitter spicy/hot /cold of life

Hotmail - kayn123@hotmail.com - Windows Live

Hotmail - kayn123@hotmail.com - Windows Live

this is supposed to be my ID

but I do not know how/why this ID does not respond 'After all this typing is on a heartless machine?? so it does not respond Yes I am sure this is IT

russia

i reaches St peters burgh on 25th july stayed at holiday Inn hotel Nice Hotel met my sis preethi & her friend there A good reunion
went arnd for next 3 days
BEAUTIFUL experience
next stop was Novogard Hotel was comfortable
Next was Moscow all there as 8 imagined a gr8 experiance Hilight was the Metro built in 1930 before i was born -each station a different theme just WOW
then it was visiting the Embalmed body of LENIN who died at the age of 54yrs due to stroke & now 86 yrs later here is is being visited by thousands!!! INCREDIBLE
My Russian Dream was all that i thought of
just WOW

I am fed up

evey time i get in to this blogger site I have problem signing in today I had to reset my password -May be it is time i chane mthis site

Hotmail - kayn123@hotmail.com - Windows Live

Hotmail - kayn123@hotmail.com - Windows Live

Russia

Here I come Russia after waiting & trying to find out ways & means to go to this It is exactly 4 years ago that I started planning a trip to this country When i was young I had read Tolstoy then later saw the film WAR & PEACE which I liked very much about the 2nd world war this film was Audrey Hepburn--Oh such a beautiful woman I still remember i line from the film when the daughter -Audrey tells something to her mother & her father comments''the chicken teaching the hen'' I loved the Idea of the daughter teaching her mother This has stuck with me all these years
I will be meeting Preethi in St Peters-burg on 25th July Looking forward to this We both had a good time in China & Japan I am sure we will here too she also being a pure Veg we share the food problems too though fruits yoghurt & bread & buns are available in plenty
I hope to see a Russian ballet & Russian circus The circus being made famous by Raj Kapoor in his film JOKER
After this one more on my wish list will be ticked off
Life[read GOD] has been very kind to me after the gruelling difficulty we had as kids & growing up which is now all behind me . Now it has become History-this history has helped me to be what I am now, so NO REGRETS at all
Every cloud has silver lining -how true
the dark clouds always will have to pass by no matter what & the beautiful Sunshine will shine through Just like the dark night is always followed by the beautiful day

Problem

I could never understand the great computer sometimes it works very well sometimes it just go berserk & lo everything that went buttery utterly smooth sailing U r faced with nothing is going right
today it happened again when I tried to open this blog It said username wrong ,password wrong
I must have tried at least 20 times -nothing worked then I clicked on HELP & it asked me to reset my password & I did the same --the old password & it worked-EUREKA How I do not know & do not have the patience to try to know the why's & how's of this EUREKA
In the bargain I opened a new gmail account as at sometime Google said New Bloggers should have a Gmail account So I ended up with
completing all the details even wrote a small blog on ''problem '' so I now have 2 BLOG sites but i want to continue on this-the old one as long as Google/Gmail allows me to do so Anyway I can always fall back on my 2nd Blog site if the need arises
''

MORNING WALKS

MORNING WALKS I love the morning walk in the walking track close to my home in MANIPAL
The Morning air is crisp clean& cool. With birds too waking up Hopping & calling each other chirping some nudging & encouraging the babies to hop & fly It is a beautiful sight -a feast to the eyes Sometimes if one is lucky peacocks too come at the edge of the track .Even in hot weather it is so cool & refreshing The walking track borders on to the valley below & I can see Malpe beach--or the Arabian sea in the very distance The sleepy Udupi town has become a bustling place with high rise buildings dotting the valley Thank God there is still a lot of green forests in between. The smoke rising from chimneys from early morning cooking in homes who do not have the modern gadgets.
There a green benches to sit if & rest around the track after my 5 rounds I like to sit & chat with the other walkers -Many of them I know only by faces but a good camaraderie between all walkers
it is good to sit & do Pranayama or just let the mind go over random thoughts. One thought leading to another & weaving a web & at some time I have to stop my process of thought & try to trace back how I reached this particular point!!It is like going in/out of a maze
after about an hour I walk back home .By then I can see kids ready for school waiting for the bus or others ready to start the working day
The day started happily shoulod /will end happily always -I firmly beleave this

Ceylon --Srilanka

Aibovan --greetings to all

I grew up in such a beautiful place that it has remained with me all these many years Nostalgic memories of our house -No 4 fountain house lane Colombo 10 Our neighbours all different sinhala Tamil Gujarati Berger Hindu Muslim Christian Buddhist a mixed neighbourhood taught me to live peacefully with anyone I wonder why all this fuss about the different caste language religion that people fight over for even murder all in the name of what/why? I wonder Is it not possible to live in harmony just as human beings --all being created in a similar manner by the supreme power above -GOD whom we all pray to in different forms Depending to which family we are born to A child is born caste-less without any religion just a human being How then can one grow up & be nasty to anyone all in the name of religion language & different caste? the more i think about it i say to myself -well to each his /her own
we as kids played together & had a real rollicking time a very happy childhood we had sports meets drama cricket Gulli danda ,seven stones Hide& seek Make believe stories were told to all creations/imaginations from the mind of a innocent child

Our school AnandaBalika Vidyalaya was about 1/2 walk from our home, me my two elder sisters walked together My eldest sister had to nudge & prod me on as i had the habit of just standing & watching anything on the way to school if it interested me -forgetting that i had to be in school on time school was from 8am to 1pm & were back home for lunch then homework & ready to go out to play at about 4pm Coming home time was about 6pm After coming home & a wash we lighted the deepa & we all sang -Ragupathy Raghave Raja Ram, Patita pavana seeta Ram'' Looking back I thing my father was a Gandhiji follower We did not know any other to sing together Then a bit of silent prayer I do not remember what I prayed for but I am sure in my very satisfied life there would not have much to ask for from GOD

every Full moon day we visited the Buddhist temple just walking distance from our school I just Loved this & waited for this day every month

school was a 5 day week with Saturday & Sunday off we had somewhere to go -either to the Town hall with its spacious unending green lawns I loved this & loved to just roll on the lawn! what simple joys the thought still fills my heart with warmth we went to Gall fa ce the beach temples dance classes -learning Manipuri dance we never had any toys as it was the 2nd world war raging on nothing was available but some vegetables &; bread--this was in plenty that by the time i was 10 years I was fed up with eating bread cheese /butter After we moved to India for the next 15 yrs or so I did not eat any bread if I could avoid it !! Now I again have started liking bread as it is handy when I do not cook- here I should say that I am now a ripe 70 year old<
In the good old 2nd world war days I can still hear the siren blaring & cutting into the night & my mother collected her herd & rushed us in to a bunker built by the government very close to the house Most of our neighbours also occupied it & for us kids it was like a midnight party -but without any music or food, later I do not know the reason we were herded in to the store room of our own house & were made to lie down prone with a spoon in our mouth & I still remember mostlt we slept off with saliva drooling from the mouth!! the spoon i still remember was to avoid biting on our tongue why & how we would bite our tongue I always pondered

life went on peacefully & very happily till my father decided that it was time for the family to move on to our home land India

again being a child I was very excited moving to a new country

Now India is my home & I have no regrets I think my outlook as a kid in Srilanka has helped me to shape my life<

Sri Lanka

I was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, a beautiful island known as the "Pearl of the Indian Ocean".