Share Your World – Week 24

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Here are my answers for this week's questions :

1)Are you left or right handed?

I am essentially right handed but often use both my hands. As a kid, this irked my parents because in Indian brahmin customs, you eat only with your right hand and the left hand is not supposed to touch the food ! I was often confused as a child and got whacks for handling food with my left hand. Eventually I began writing an 'L' & 'R' on my palms to make it easier for me !

2) What is one thing you love about being an adult?

For want of a better phrase - I think I'm a 'Grass-is-always-green-on-the-OTHER-side' kinda person! So there aren't too many things I love about being an adult. Probably the only thing that comes to my mind is being allowed to wear off-shoulder t-shirts & Skirts which I was often not allowed a child. This doesn't mean that I do wear them now ( I too shy!! ) but I can buy them if I wish too !!

3) What do I need to unlearn?

Assumptions - I tend to assume the worst and that keeps me worried the time! The logic is that if I assume the worst, the reality of things always will be good news to me.. but this also means unnecessary hours of playing out all different situations in my mind and my reactions to them ! So I wish I could unlearn this instinct.

4)What is success for me?

Success for me is that feeling inside when things go exactly as I planned them to. This can be in the form of successful exams, organizing events, patients' treatment results, appreciation by hubby for my cooking... I keep putting up tests for myself everyday and hope to succeed in them !

Share Your World – Week 23

Inspired by Cathy from http://catbirdinoman.wordpress.com Ihave decided to start answering Cee's Life questions and try to answer them asregularly as possible.

I enjoyed reading her answers for 22 weeks andloved that it made me think about things we label as routine .. So here goes.... betterlate than never -

Here are my answers:

You are comfortable doing nothing? For long stretches oftime?

No.. Doing nothing is not an option for me !! I cannot sitstill... !! I love to multi-task if I have nothing to do I create projectsto start..and hopefully finish. I have always been like this..indulging in a lot of crafting in my study leaves.... taking up upcyclingprojects in my free time at work.. or cooking up something special. Ofcourse Iwould love to laze around and do nothing during a vacation.. but then tooI would try to max it out by finishing a long pending book or swimming.

If you could inherit a vacation home anywhere in the worldin which you could spend two months a year, where would it be?

Well.. there are so many places in the world I still need tovisit.. but one thats top on my list is Bali.. So I would imagine if Icould inherit a vacation home.. It would probably be in Bali with myown garden, swimming pool, reading room & meditation area.

If you were instantly able to play one musical instrumentperfectly that you never have played before, what would it be?

The only musical instrument I have trained in & played isthe Harmonium - a classical south indian karnatic instrument but ifI had to play another one .. it would probably be drums (ina sound-proof studio) !!

Would you rather be given $10,000 for your own use or$100,000 to give anonymously to strangers?

At todays' dollar rate - complared to the Indian rupee...Iwould shamelessly choose to keep the 10,000$ ! We (Me and my husband)are presently working abroad so we can earn enough to open ourown exclusive Orthodontic clinic in Mumbai. So , we try to save asmuch as we can.. so 10,000$ would'nt hurt too much! We do believein charity but more as service and time rather than giving money.

My All-time Favorite boyfriend :)

"Shunka" That's a strange name for a cat.. what does it mean ?!

Shunki Popi... Shunka...

R.I.P

We lost our pet of 13 years.. 2 days back.... and my mind has been a mess... devastated.. muddled.... sad. This blog should help me reflect on all that he meant to us.. in a comprehendable manner.. though of course.. there are no words to gauge / express how much he did for us and me.

13 years is a long time..and even though the last 5 years have been spent away from him..cuddling him only on those weekends at home... he's never been away in my thoughts for more than a day.. each day's prayers included family members & shunki... That was the only way I learnt to be close to him...to not miss him too badly.. by sending him my kiss everyday... till now there was a definite address for that kiss to land on.. so to say... now i wonder where to send it..

To all those who knew him..or came across him even once.. they all knew he was no ordinary cat.. He had a mind of his own.. his attitude.. likes & dislikes.. He was more human than most people i know.. and it took time to crack his indifferent exterior to get some loving out of him :)

All our attempts at training him.. ( He was our mini dog/ cat - He sometimes had an identity crisis himself !! ) resulted in him learning 2 words in English.. "Fishhhhh " preferably in my dad's loud grizzly voice and "Shunka" when we were calling out to him .. desperately trying to locate him in the compound!! Anything more than that was simply not required to be learnt -according to him.. !! So try as we might.. he had a mind of his own..

To think that the Vet had proclaimed him to be terminal with ulcerative colitis when he was only a few months old.. and to literally have exhausted all his 9 cat lives.. maybe some extra too.. and live for 13 years seems like a miracle in itself.. in retrospect.. but still its really difficult to believe that I wont get to cuddle him the next time I go home.. it must be so empty at home...

All my college friends..even those who were only acquaintances have heard of him .. seen him.. meowed him.. laughed at his non-cat like antics ... and asked about him every time they spoke to me hence.. Difficult to ignore him.. and not like him.. everyone always patiently heard my stories too... coz I always had so many of them about him... My all time favorite boyfriend..

He sat up with me when I studied for my entrance exams.. both times... he tolerated my whining and never left when I was crying.. He loved my rajai as much as I did.. same goes for my bed ! He had his own bean bag too ! Who could have asked for a better partner.. especially coz he could not talk back !! I always wonder what he would have said.. or how much things would have changed .. if he could talk... More memories? More episodes to remember? Is it possible to miss someone anymore.. ?

His excited eyes when he would hear the sound of a plastic bag.. maybe with fish in it.. or the cracking of a boiled egg.. to his boredom at our antics.. trying to get him to play like a dog.. and his uninterested stare - like he was telling us to wrap it up and behave like adults..

His aversion to cold milk.. or milk which was only a few hours old.. His penchant for hitching a ride in the lift with the other residents of the building.. His circus in the car while going to the vet.. His circus in the bathroom while trying to give him a bath..and the cold shoulder for 2 days after it .. His loud meows asking us to open doors.. announcing his arrival or departure... His knack of making dad stop doing office work at home by sitting / sleeping on his papers.. sitting in front of the tv to gain attention.. getting us headless pigeons or rats for breakfast.... these and many many countless memories to live by.. and smile at..

Teaching me so many things..by not saying a word... Showing me what unconditional love was.. to only give.. and for showing me that I was capable of it... Shunka is loved and hugged every single day.. every moment .....

Thank you for coming into our lives.. and making it so much more livable.. even though its difficult to believe that you are no more.. You had a purpose .. in our lives.. and I'm hoping that what all those spiritual guides say is true.. That you will always be connected to us.. and come back soon.. :)

Love you always & forever,

One of your mommies.

Im Alive !!

Hello to my blog !!

After so so long!! a year almost...This year saw so many changes - Marriage, name, Address, priorities, weight ;) , food , mannerisms, worries...everything..and i mean everythings' changed !!

Am I happy with the changes....well .... some are good, some are bad....but all have been inevitable!!

For all those in the know, my marital status from 'Single' to 'Married' - so thats a good change.. :)

Name has gone from Deepti Rao to Deepti Gupta !! Thats good too...

I've changed addresses from Bombay-Pune-Belapur (New Bombay)-Salalah, Oman all in the matter of 9 months!! I hate packing !!!

Priorities - hmmm..heavy one!! Priorities are so different from when I was single....now one puts everyone else before self...somehow marriage does that to you I guess. The funny part it is- even I want to stop myself...I cant !! And the other strange fact - Those that are actually the closest to me often feature on the end of the priority list..! hmmm..lil too complicated to explain huh !

Along with my husband, Sumit we have opened a new clinic here for Exclusive Orthodontic practice...and as clinicians its been very fulfilling. Its the best of evything - equipment, material, work freedom, job satisfaction that we could dream off...ideal for us in every way..glad for all that we have.. :)

Weight ;) - well- this is what I meant by inevitable! Salalah air seems to suit me just fine...will have to start getting some exercise ...soon!!

Worries - Dont they ever leave us alone! New day, new problems, new solutions !! Gosh I sound like an ad for some construction company!! Adjusting to the new place has had its ups and downs...but together we are definitely learning to cope and in the company of friends we have here, life's definitely better... :)

Salalah seems to have a lovely set of bloggers whom I have been following queitly for a long time now...Its refreshing to read their views on many things relevant to the world here....shakes you up from the inertia of daily living...good and reponsible writing....

Hoping that I'm more regular from now on..!!

Secret Salalah: The Gulf Orthodontic Center Salalah

Secret Salalah: The Gulf Orthodontic Center Salalah: "Thanks to the newly opened Gulf Orthodontic Center, Salalah's smiles can now be even more beautiful. The highly trained husband-and-wife tea..."

25 Things about me !!

25 Things about me !!

1) I’m a typical Virgo, severely critical of myself and others and always over prepared.

2) Im a water baby.. I love to swim and used to tell myself when I was little that I was a mermaid in some other time.

3) I love the rains – the beauty as well as the muckiness of it..Rains make me smile from within.

4) I have a prickly conscience and have suffered a lot thanks to it

5) I love free-spirited people, who are not afraid to say their mind and not wary of experimenting and looking foolish. I’m so glad that a few have crossed my life.

6) I hate ‘ Know-it-all’ people who are calculated & cold in their conversations. Virtual databases of information but not an iota of common courtesy.

7) I hate long pauses and lack patience.

8) I love Shunka – my all time favorite bf. He has sat up by my side while I’ve been studying and been around in my deepest moments. He gets uncomfortable if he sees me cry – couldn’t ask for a better companion (plus he can never complain!!)

9) I can never remember the title of a song or the artist..never ever..all I can remember is maybe a line that caught my fancy or how it made me feel. This makes it very difficult for me to ever download songs from the internet!

10) I hate bullies, esp the pretty kind. Have dealt with them since school, through graduation and even at work. Have finally learnt to say ‘no’ to most of them. Lost many friends due to this but never missed them afterwards.

11) I love the adrenaline rush of adventure sports. I love nature in all its phases.

12) Though born and brought up in Bombay ( Ya- it will always be Bombay for me) I’m as Non-Bombay-ish as one can get. I have no sense of fashion, don’t like crowds ( Though I’m part of them I guess) and get lost on common roads all the time!

13) I have a high intelligence and a low emotional quotient. I’ve said & done some of the most stupid things only to realize them later.

14) But at the same time, I also know that whatever situation I’m in is my doing and no one else can really be blamed.

15) I get dreams in full-colour and often get the solutions to my problems played out I them. I deeply trust my dreams and the people I see in them.

16) I’ve just recently begun my journey of soul-searching & have a long way to go. Its hard to believe that I spent the first 25 years of my life being superficial and letting life whiz past without so much as a second thought.

17) I love to read & am an easily believe most spiritual books I read ( which I often get chided for). I’m a big fan of Paulo Coelho & Dr Brian Wiess’ work.

18) I keep all things given by friends. Whether it’s crochet sleeves & neckline made by Farah’s Grandmom , Ranade’s Eminem lyricson a piece of paper from pedo posting, Shalya’s note after debonding my braces, Aparna’s rose day card, Raksha’s cute lil smiley flower & many many more. I never tear or throw away wrapping paper..Guys I have all your wrapping papers right from forever !

19) I’m melodramatic when it comes to saying goodbyes – either to a place or person….how much ever I prepare myself mentally..I can never say good bye with a smile.

20) Im very grateful to have people around me who do not judge me .. Who tell me my strengths and weaknesses at face value and never try to fit me or my reactions into boxes ..

21) I get very Sentimental about my country – India, I swell up with pride everytime I sing our national anthem. I hate mass tragedies and cannot ever come to terms with them.

22) I have a healthy obsession for saving. Whether it’s from my pocket money or travel allowance, I will save as if my survival depends on it! My weakness lies in shoes ;)

23) I often feel I have a direct connect with Him, a hotline of sorts... which doesn’t need me to be sitting in a temple or praying in any manner…more like a radio channel that I tune into and have a word. Sometimes I can physically feel Him kiss my cheek to reassure me …

24) My motto in life- ‘Quality always scores’

25) The one thing I like to hear from my dearest ones and often end up telling myself – ‘ Its gonna be ok’

Talking flames..

Today we had a pooja at the crack of dawn..and while the panditji was going on and on with the chanting and the flames, and me and my sis were done cracking our usual pjs about how our parents did the rituals…and how everyone was maroing shortcuts to avoid repeatedly getting up or sitting down..some analogues have been cropping up in my head since morning thanks to the free time in front of the flames.

So I decided to inflict them upon those unsuspecting few who do follow me!! So reading ahead is definitely optional J

Analogy 1 :

Computers think in 1s and 0s right .. everything is calculable and finite. But if u actually ponder more..even our lives begin and end within these 2 numbers. Of course -everything is not finite , with decimals and grey shades in between but still life does begin at zero and finally everybody does reach 1 . It’s the segment in between.. the decisions we make to talk / ignore , the steps we chose to place our feet upon – those fractions we land on that decide how much time we take to reach ‘1’. We all do reach, with our plus signs and minuses..Its just how convoluted a path we take to get there. How many of those blocks which we thought would get us higher actually sink- and leave us below where we started. How many times we forgive ourselves and gather the will to continue the trek…

Life has this amazing quality – it blurs out hurtful things when it knows you cant bear it anymore..and when you think you have completely forgotten about it-it gets it back – in front of your face literally -only to remind you why you turned out the way you did – ofcourse-you feel like someone socked you in your guts – but it still feels liberating when you put one more piece of the puzzle in the right place..

Im not going to write analogy 2 – its too much –‘old wine in a new bottle-ey’…. J