Health is Wealth
Posted by: A on: September 7, 2009
My friend has been diagnosed with Cancer. And it was found out recently. She has sinus problems since childhood. All the time when she had a bad cold, nose bleeds, numbness and difficulty to breath, she thought it was the sinus disturbing her. After a nose block removal surgery, her biopsy spelled out ”Cancer”.
Just pondering how careless we are with our health. A small issue(?!) sinus has just turned her life around. The word cancer scares us all ,and we are alarmed when we hear it. Cancer can affect anyone Doctors say. Here is a little insight into cancer.
Cancer (medical term: malignant neoplasm) is a class of diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled growth (division beyond the normal limits), invasion (intrusion on and destruction of adjacent tissues), and sometimes metastasis (spread to other locations in the body via lymph or blood).
These abnormalities may be due to the effects of carcinogens, such as tobacco smoke, radiation, chemicals, or infectious agents. Other cancer-promoting genetic abnormalities may be randomly acquired through errors in DNA replication, or are inherited, and thus present in all cells from birth. (so u cant really be safe, it can affect anyone)
Any organism, even plants, can acquire cancer. Nearly all known cancers arise gradually, as errors build up in the cancer cell and its progeny.Most forms of cancer are sporadic, meaning that there is no inherited cause of the cancer.
Cancer is NOT a transmissible disease.
The cancer-fighting components of food are also proving to be more numerous and varied than previously understood, so patients are increasingly being advised to consume fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables for maximal health benefits.
People with suspected cancer are investigated with medical tests. These commonly include blood tests, X-rays, CT scans and endoscopy.
Cancer can be treated by surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, monoclonal antibody therapy or other methods. The choice of therapy depends upon the location and grade of the tumor and the stage of the disease, as well as the general state of the patient (performance status).Complete removal of the cancer without damage to the rest of the body is the goal of treatment.
Cancer has a reputation for being a deadly disease. While this certainly applies to certain particular types, the truths behind the historical connotations of cancer are increasingly being overturned by advances in medical care.
(Thanks to wikipedia)
Lets take a little more care and pay attention to the wealth we have – our health! My friend’s surgery is scheduled tomorrow. Am praying. Take care people!
ABCD…..
Posted by: A on: September 7, 2009
A – Available/Single? married (drat!)
B – Best Friend? I’m sure he/she is reading this (lol)
C – Cake or Pie? The Apple pie made during thanksgiving ‘08 
D – Drink of choice? Amma’s filter kaapi !!!
E – Essential item you use every day? Lipstick & Moisturiser
F – Favorite colour? White
G – Gummy Bears Or Worms? Gummy,Yummy
H – Hometown? Madurai
I – Indulgence? Oryza in Chennai
J – January or February? Jan, love the new year celebrations
K – Kids & their names? Son, A Jr
L – Life is incomplete without? Friends
M – Marriage date? 23/May
N – Number of siblings? 2 sisters
O – Oranges or Apples? Apples, hands down
P – Phobias/Fears? Hate class arachnida
Q – Quote for today? Live the moment!
R – Reason to smile? Darling son
S – Season? Breezy
T – Time ? Now
U – Unknown fact about me? I can live on apples for 3 days at a stretch.
V – Vegetable you don’t like? Gweeeeeeens
W – Worst habit? Shopping like there is no tomorrow
X – X-rays you’ve had? Just one, my little finger on my left hand, a month ago.
Y – Your favorite food? My mom’s “vathakina kari” (lamb gravy)
Z – Zodiac sign? Undoubtedly a scorpio!
The Mobile phone saga
Posted by: A on: August 6, 2009
horrible !!).
I got this as soon as I found a job in Bangalore. Came in handy when I wanted to talk to my near and dear ones. Still a good phone and had all what we require to make or recieve calls and to message. period! No super dooper facilities in it. I was happy with this one.
After using it for a year or so, my mind started to look for a fancy mobile, with color display, MMS, camera,etc. I also wanted something like a slide or open out mobile handset, a little expensive and glossy. I found a really sleek one, small compact one – Nokia 6111! A collegue’s husband had gifted her with this one from the middle east. I loved it the moment I saw it. Didnt want to buy in Bangalore, so came down to Chennai and bought it in Univercell with my friend. He drove me all the way to this outlet in Besant Nagar(that was when Univercell started up). I bought it for 11000 and loved it a lot. I exchanged my 2100 for 1500 bucks, after buying it for 6000!!!
This mobile was the first one in my mobile saga to fail miserably. The display went blank after some time and disappointed me .. Also the sim card was difficult to insert and replace. But the phone looked great from outside. I truly appreciated the megapixel camera, and the flash ! Took many memorable pics and vidoes with this !! I got introduced to MMS only through this phone
Then moved to Chennai, went to Nokia priority just opposite to Satyam cinemas. We had booked tickets for a movie there, and had to while away 20 minutes. Our generation has a ridiculous habit of overspending and buying nonsense when we just have nothing else to do. We either overspend or eat when we are free I feel. So off goes another 5000 bucks for a new phone. Husband dear loved this phone and the docking system that came free with this phone which now sleeps in my attic amongst other junk! He is the reason for this expenditure – goes without saying!! A Jr broke my mom’s phone so I parted ways with my phone!! I forgot the model so cant google for the image… Nokia 6xxx I guess!! I had it for hardly 3-4 months
I had got this unlocked smart phone for dad on June 3rd 2007 from the US. Its a palm treo 680.I bought it in the Palm store in San Francisco Airport at around 10 pm Dad loved it, but was a little jittery to use it owing to its size and features. He was baffled with its n many features (Back in 2007,a hifi phone like this would seriously scare any elderly person in India).So it was in mom’s cupboard cum bureau happily sleeping. 
After I gave my phone to mom, I was happy with my phonelessness!! hee hee… (these days when every college goer, milk man, maid, pookari (flower seller), kai kara paati(vegetable vendor) has one,Iwas looked upon as if I was an alien on this planet! How can you be, without a mobile phone, my friends used to ask me. “You mean everytime I need to talk to you, I need to dial to your hubby’s phone and ask him to give the phone to you??????????” my sisters asked! Oh yeah -that was the practice in the good old land line days!! Not the husband’s phone though, it was common to every home had one land line. I still remember our first phone at home 25928! A red phone we had to put our fingers into the respective digit and pull till the end to dial! True dialing !!! STD, Trunk Calls, phonogram – lovely memories!!
So my mom suggested “unga appaku nee thantha phone summa than iruku, eduthu use pannu, ilana thuru giru pudichirapothu .. lol (translation: the phone that you gifted dad is not being used, use that, else it may rust!)”.. And hence here I am using a Palm Treo Nice one, like it. A Jr loves the concept of “Touch screen” wherever it is used. Be it my iPod Touch or this phone .. he gives a nakkal siripu (chuckle in ridicule) at other ipods/phones when he has these gadgets in hand.. These kids!! He asked my dad to gift him a touch screen TV and laptop for his birthday. Should I say dad was flabbergasted at this gift idea!! A Jr is a guy with B-I-G dreams indeed.
Thats it with the mobile saga..buzz me when you can. adios amigos for now!!
Nice Thought
Posted by: A on: July 28, 2009
Read this in TOI today .. loved the quote. It set a thinking cloud in me early in the morning.. So many times in life we are treated this way.. Enjoy the thinking! Catch you soon.
“So, let’s put it like this: I asked for a small round ice-cream cake with a cherry on top… and I got a 3-tier German chocolate cake with an extra supply of mango soufflé and butter cookies!! Now, that’s great. But the point is… where is my “small round ice-cream cake with a cherry on top?? Is that too much to ask for?”
Another way to look at this is, be happy and content when life offers you something more when you ask for less? If that be the case, should we be thankful for what we recieved or grieve that we didnt get what we wanted??
Thinking cloud rising …..
(image courtesy: bbcgoodfood site)
Why the name BeyondKrishna?
Posted by: A on: July 27, 2009
Coz everything changes in life when you go beyond a certain limit! When I went beyond my Krishna**, my life changed dramatically. Hence the name. When you come out of your comfort zone, thats when reality will strike and you start learning what life really is. I do miss the comfort and coziness I enjoyed with Him, but walking beyond that limit has sure taught me several facts of life. I am what I am now coz I met my Krishna and he still lives in me!
Want to write a little more on my Krishna, however cant help wondering how much a striking resemblence he has to Lord Krishna
Lord Krishna is a deity worshiped across many traditions in Hinduism in a variety of perspectives. They portray him in various perspectives: a god-child, a prankster, a model lover, a divine hero and the Supreme Being.Often, Krishna is pictured with his gopi-consort Radha.Krishna married with 16,108 wives,of which eight were chief—including Rukmini, Satyabhama, Jambavati.In Vaishnava traditions, Krishna’s wives are believed to be forms of the goddess Lakshmi—consort of Vishnu, or special souls who attained this qualification after many lifetimes of austerity, while his primary queen Satyabhama, is an expansion of Radha.Krishna is also interpreted as meaning “all-attractive one”.(thanks to Wikipedia)
A swim in the rain
Posted by: A on: July 20, 2009
- In: Childhood
- 2 Comments
- swimming
This summer like every other year made everyone in chennai say “Phew, last summer wasnt this bad, its terrible now”. It was raining cats and dogs all over the state, but not a drop in Chennai. The rain was dodging us, in the last 20 days like a cat and mouse game. It used to slighty drizzle and before we could realize it was raining, it would stop 
A Jr wanted to go for a swim at 5 pm yesterday. We went to the aquatic complex nearby. He was swimming happily and then it started to get dark.I alerted him to come out of the pool and take a shower. Like every other 5 year old he readily disagreed, and continued to swim 
It started to drizzle and he started to love the feeling of getting wet by rain and swimming in the pool.It started to rain heavily and I almost yelled at him looking at the weather. Then he finally listened to me and came out of the pool with a long face. I was momentarily guilty, for having spoilt the fun
Once he was out, I asked him if he wanted to go for another dip, his eyes were gleaming ;) He jumped in joy and went and played for some more time. And then it poured..Almost everyone left the pool due to the rain. We both were the only ones there!
The rain slashed the city. Trees were swaying and there was plenty of water running down the streets.After he was content, with his swim,he looked at me and asked if we could leave, I smiled. Then we quickly got ready and and I helped him with his raincoat and we zoomed back home in the bike.Went home, made some toast and cocoa for the little wonder, we pulled up a chair and looked out at the downpour as he was quietly sipping the cuppa,sitting on my lap all curled up! He hates to get his feet wet(Jus like me)! A beautiful feeling to enjoy the weather with your loved ones.
Rain is something people would long for, but once it starts, they start to crib about hygiene, inability to leave the house and consider it as an an inconvenience But A Jr and I love it! This evening it was so much fun to experience swimming in the rain.
What an eventful evening!
Got reminded of this bumper sticker on facebook, it says
So there’s this boy………….
He kind of stole my heart
he calls me “mom”!
Repercussions
Posted by: A on: July 17, 2009
- In: Childhood
- 2 Comments
Repercussion
The words we utter have a great effect. Some spilt here andthere hurt people. I experienced this today. Amidst all these repercussions, my little one A Jr, gives me a smile and an ubbbba**. I look at him and smile back. A kid knows when exactly to smile. Thanks to him, my cherub!
** kiss
The change
Posted by: A on: July 15, 2009
- In: Grievance
- 4 Comments
There are few things I’d like to change around me.
1. HONKING – This should be CHANGED. I hate to hear the honking noise. When really needed, please do, but where there’s no soul in front of you blocking your way or barring traffic rules why the *#!% do you honk???
2.INDIAN PENAL CODE - How relevant can the IPC be when it is totally outdated.Crimes and Criminals have greatly changed from the time IPC was drafted.
3. APPLICATION OF STUDY - Why dont our educational systems teach students first aid care, CPR, cooking for oneself, driving, gardening, martial arts, filing a complaint at any public office (police stn / EB /Corporation etc) ? Are’nt those inevitable to us??
4. UNIFORM- If uniforms are provided in school for considering every student the same, why is it not followed at all offices?Makes life more simpler.
5. PUBLIC TRANSPORT - I really appreciate cities where metro rail helps us a lot like Chennai,Mumbai,Kolkata. How about all other growing cities adapting to the same. Also when do the state transport plan to upgrade their buses?
6. PUBLIC TOILETS - Please , these need a change! Why do we hesitate to use the public toilets – unclean,stinky,yuck – how many words come to us when I say that! There should be a sanitation ministry I feel. Not to forget train toilets and the airport toilets.
7. HERBAL crap – If cosmetic products are created from aloe,bergamot,lime,honey,milk,fruits etc why the heck do we buy these,might as well buy the above natural resource and use it.
8. ORGANIC – Dude, we Indians were always using organic manure that was cheap in cost.It was other countries who made us use fertilizers and now all are getting back to square one and charge a whopping amount for such organic produce!
9. CLOTHES and EYES – A woman wears what she wants. Please refrain LADIES AND GENTLEMEN to give her those horrid looks, to make her feel uncomfortable. She knows what she is wearing and you dont need to teach her. If you have any suggestions, please use it yourself.
10. TELEVISION - When I was a child, DD promptly used to shut down all its programs by 10 I guess and resumed at 6 am. Why has this been changed? Why do we have 24X7 relay of programs? Isnt that an unwanted service. If you dont agree, please let me know how many of you’ll watch TV at 4 am..
ooh too much of feelings … time to relax .. cya 
Soulmate
Posted by: A on: July 14, 2009
Who is a soulmate? Have you met yours?
Here is a wonderful read from Paulo’s Brida that explains more about this subject. I reread this so many times, coz I can relate to this concept so well. I met my soulmate — yipeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
Dinner with S
Posted by: A on: July 14, 2009
My cousin S came over for dinner on Sunday. This is the first time she is visiting me. Her daughter,husband accompanied her.S and I are of the same age and are third cousins to be precise. Am supposed to call her “chithi” lol, but never did.
We share some beautiful memories together. I have spent days with her during my vacations when I was in school. She lived in the same place where my grand parents live, so anytime we are in my granny’s place, I am set to visit her atleast once. It was a time when there were no mobile phones, so my mom used to leave me in her place and then pick me up after 3-4 days. No inbetween calls to find out if “is she eating, is she comfortable” like we do today. I used to wear S’ clothes when at her place and she used to wear mine. We used to play all day with her lovely set of “choppu jaaman” (read little utensils in a kitchen set). Her father used to take us to their grocery shop, and we used to munch “naturo” mango bars, five stars(that came with a golden brown cover),raisins and if nothing was given, handful of wholewheat popped in the mouth that turns into a white chewing gum like stuff !
I very clearly remember, sometime in 1990 or so, there were some cute stickers that we can stick on our watch dials, and S gifted me a whole sheet of them… wow how I cherished them. S’ mom was an awesome cook and I can never forget how she always made “mundiri kothu” ( a sweet delicacy made in South India, with gram flour,jaggery and channa dhall) and “suyyam aka susiyam”(another sweet dish , little softer than the former). Yummmm…
When I had completed my graduation and wanted to look for a job, I came to Chennai where S lives. S got married then. I went straight to her place and stayed there for a month – thats the relationship we share. We had a wonderful time together then.S then went to south east asia and then to London,and is now in Chennai again.
We met after say 6-7 years and we had so much to speak about.. It is indeed good to meet old pals like this. Friendship is a beautiful thing and when its with someone in the family, its even more beautiful. Love you S. Wish you a wonderful life.
