Preeti Shenoy's blog.

Really sorry--I have had to remove this post as it will soon appear in a book. Making it available online would have been very unfair to my publisher who has placed so much trust in me. I hope you enjoy the other posts as much as you enjoyed this one. A heartfelt thanks for your support and understanding.Thanks for continuing to read what I write.

Most bloggers seem to have gone on vacation.(I just got back from mine in Kerala) There seems to be quietness and calmness that has arrived on a bus that seems to have lost its way, and is now unwilling to find its track. Niall's blogseems to have been taken over by Oskur.Keshiseems to be whisked away into party zone. Prats is off to Goa. Thinking aloud is thinking quietly, with her parents visiting.Tys is in Kathmandu. Joe is in Fort Lauderdale.

And while all this was happening, my 36th birthday arrived and it left quietly too. (On 21st December) I had to constantly remind myself that it was special. It didnt feel so. I almost forgot my birthday myself. We were too busy heaving sigh of relief that our tickets came through. (Why do I still feel like I'm 20?!)

See you all when you get back.Or rather, see you all when my mind gets back. (It seems to be still on vacation and I am trying hard to drag it back to write mode--pun intended)

I wish you peace, joy, calmness and all thing…

One of my favourite activity is thinking about various things. As adults, we become so mechanical, going about our daily routine that we forget to think.

When I interact with children (I conduct workshops for children on developing thinking skills) I am amazed at their perspectives. They come up with the most unique ideas about the most mundane things. As a part of the workshop, I have 'thinking questions' which are a lot of fun and which the children really enjoy. At one of my sessions, the children were asked to think of five uses of an umbrella apart from using it for the rain. A little girl aged 6, really surprised me when she said that you can hide in it when you are naked!




We went to Empress Garden, for a picnic, a few days back. I came across this amazing tree. It made me stand and stare. It made me think. I loved the way the branches twisted and turned. A bit like life, don't you think?


And this one made me think that sometimes, our live are so enmeshed with the liv…

Really sorry--I have had to remove this post as it will soon appear in a book. Making it available online would have been very unfair to my publisher who has placed so much trust in me. I hope you enjoy the other posts as much as you enjoyed this one. A heartfelt thanks for your support and understanding.Thanks for continuing to read what I write.

Really sorry--I have had to remove this post as it will soon appear in a book. Making it available online would have been very unfair to my publisher who has placed so much trust in me. I hope you enjoy the other posts as much as you enjoyed this one. A heartfelt thanks for your support and understanding.Thanks for continuing to read what I write.

The prompt at Writers Island this time is 'The moment'. This is what I wrote.

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Themoment.Isn’t life made up of moments? Some worth re-living over and over, some causing deep pain, hurt and resentment and some passing by insignificant, unnoticed, yet silently contributing to the span of your life?

Sometimes it takes just a moment to let a mindless thought slip out. You said it in anger; you were irritated when you said it and you did not mean it at all. Yet, you hurt deeply the person to whom you uttered these words. It takes only a moment to apologize, but it can take a lifetime to forget. Sometimes, a lifetime is not enough.Sometimes, it takes just a moment to say something nice. You might have said it spontaneously. You might have meant it at that moment, but forgotten later. But the recipient of those words will remember it for a long long time. Kindness is usually not forgotten, perhaps because it seems to be r…

"May I take you order Sir?”“We’ll have grilled sandwiches and some orange juice and some wine for the lady please.”“Sir—you have to be eighteen for that! Sandwiches and orange juice coming right up”In case you are confused, what this conversation is all about-- it is a game the children, (my son who is 10 and daughter who is 6) Satish and I sometimes play on weekends, before breakfast. The conversation is between my son and me. This game is one of their favourites.We pretend that they are the customers in a restaurant. (The best in the world, according to them) Satish and I take turns being the Chief Maitre de, Chef and restaurant owner all rolled into one. (When one of us is in charge of the restaurant, the other joins the children and becomes the customer.) The best part is that we have so much fun. The fringe benefit is that the kids eat really well!We set up a table outdoors. We present the food interestingly. One of my closest friends told me that eighty percent of the app…

At least 14 people instant- messaged me and asked me the same set of questions that I felt like making a FAQ!! (Frequently asked questions) Here it is! Please forgive me if it seems presumptuous—It is not intended that way at all. I’m merely clarifying as so many people asked the same things.1.Why do you write for Sulekha?
I write for Sulekha simply because they are running something in association with Penguin publishers, where 25 best posts will be published in a book. Besides this, every month they pick 8 winners in various categories.(They have certain guidelines for the kind of posts they are looking for) The competition is intenseand I love chalenges.2. Does that mean you won’t write on blogspot?Blogspot is my first and last love! All my good friends are on blogspot. So I shall continue writing on blogspot, just like I used to.3. Why am I unable to leave a comment on Sulekha?Firstly, one has to register on Sulekha to be able to comment on the posts. That takes only two minutes an…

Paulo Coelho in Alchemist says “When you want something badly enough, the whole Universe conspires to give it to you.” This is essentially the message in Rhonda Byrne’s Secret too. Sometimes, you just have to believe in some things. Rationalists, Scientific thinkers and Oprah bashers might call it bunkum and nonsense without proof for weak willed people.
I do not agree with them at all. I know it works. It is strange, but till now, every thing I have badly wanted, I have got. It is incredible—it is amazing. That does not mean that I have not had my share of struggles. I have.Yet, what I wanted I have got. (I consider myself very fortunate and blessed that way.)
Suddenly my writing seems to have turned into a profession from a hobby. I am pleased about it and I cannot yet believe that I am writer! (I am writing for a magazine published by Delhi press, I am also writing for a local monthly nowand two of my articles got chosen to be published in 'Chicken soup' series) Writing is so…

Everyone has heard of the series of best selling books ‘Chicken soup for the soul’. I used to read them avidly when they were first published. There came a whole series and the stories continued to be as inspiring and moving as the ones in the first book.What I never even thought was that I would one day, be a contributor in this great series of inspiring writing. A piece I wrote, got chosen to be featured in ‘Chicken Soup for the Indian Mother’s soul.’ I got an email today from Raksha Bharadia who is an author, compiling the collection on behalf of the publishing house, saying that she liked my piece and would I consent for it to be included in the book? (I had not even submitted it for consideration--Therefore the mail from her was so unexpected.)
I was pleasantly surprised and really happy. The icing on the cake was that this piece got selected as a ‘featured blog’ today. (Every day, out of hundreds of posts, 8-10 best ones are selected as ‘featured posts’)I want to say a big thank…

The prompt at Writers Island is 'The letter'. Writers Island gives you prompts, on which you can write short stories, essays, poems--anything that you want to. What I have shared is a true incident.(as is evident from the photograph)
*********************************************** The letterThe letter arrived as unexpectedly as a cool gust of wind on a sultry day. It brought so much joy-- not for its contents, but for the fact that the sender had taken so much effort. It was in response to a birthday card I had sent earlier.“Dear Preeti”, it began.“Thank you so much for your thoughtful birthday card. That the heart remembered is what is needed—delay did not matter. My initial reaction was to send a short message on the cell-phone. But decided otherwise as I feel that if one can sit and send a short letter, as you have done with the card, it may go a long way?” It continued and it was a treat to read the rest of it. These are the times of cell phone text messages and e-mails an…

Really sorry--I have had to remove this post as it will soon appear in a book. Making it available online would have been very unfair to my publisher who has placed so much trust in me. I hope you enjoy the other posts as much as you enjoyed this one. A heartfelt thanks for your support and understanding.Thanks for continuing to read what I write.

Doing a Wordless Wednesdayafter long.


This picture was clicked by me, in London, when we were waiting to get into the Millenium Wheel, also called the 'London Eye'. It had just stopped raining.When I looked up, this is what I saw.

I just loved this picture.

It has been a while since I did memes now.I found a nice one at 'Curious as a cat' and I decided to do it.Here it is.
1)Which one person would you choose to understand you better?A childhood friend of mine who is still in touch with me. Sadly she has never understood me. We grew up together and were great friends. As adults, life took us in different directions.Our priorities in life are totally different but we are still friends.2) What do you think is the best age to be? Why?My current age. I’m really enjoying life. The diaper changing days and the sleepless nights are long over.Kids are independent, yet not ‘grown up’ and we have a great time together.
3) Of all the people you know, who would be the easiest to seduce? Why?‘Easiest’ very obviously be my husband. Why--because at times I don’t even have to try ;-)4) What's the best advice you didn't heed?I tried hard to think if there indeed was any. Cannot think of anything! I usually ask for advice of a trusted friend,…

I took my mom out shopping today. She is visiting me for a few days. By itself, it seems such an insignificant thing. To me it was not. I’m fighting my tears as I type this.It was always Dad who used to take her out. They have spent 35 years together, and were still very much in love. My dad adored my mom. My mom had to just mention, “I feel like going out today” and my Dad would take out the car (he loved to drive and was excellent behind the wheels) and off they would go. They were like teenagers, even at that age. I loved the way my mom made an effort to look pretty, when it was time for my dad to come back from work. Even after he retired, this ritual would continue. They would sit together, have a cup of tea, laugh, talk and even squabble at times. They hated spending time apart from each other. My mom would blush when my dad told her how pretty she looked.She is incredibly brave. She is picking up the pieces remarkably. I admire the way she is dealing with her deep grief and hel…

A friend called me up when I was cooking. I told him that I cannot do two things at the same time and switched off my stove.“But you are a woman. You are supposed to be able to multi task.” he said“Well—That part of my brain is not developed enough” I replied.
It seems to be true. Last few days I have been struggling to multi task. Really exciting news has been that I am now writing articles, for a soon to be launched magazine, published by Delhi Press. Not so exciting news is that I have not been able to blog—worse I have not even been able to visit you all and see what you have been up to.Somehow, I don’t feel like writing till I read what you have to say. So I didn’t write—and I didn’t read and didn’t write and didn’t read, and I discovered to my chagrin that a whole week has gone by! Two articles of mine got submitted---and finally today I decided that I simply must take a break.Kids are at home as they still have Diwali vacations going on. Poor things have been warned that until 4…

We took off from India. We were on our way to UK. The plane had not yet landed. The pilot announced that it would land in Heathrow airport, in about 30 minutes and the local time was 5:30 am. My watch was still on India time and it showed me 10:00am.I set it back. It felt funny to ‘go back’ in time.Suspended in air, 30,000 feet above the ground,I wished I really could. Just to re-live those happy moments. Revel in them. Cherish them. Savour them and relish them.But we cannot. Each moment that ticks by, is gone forever. Sometimes forgotten, other times,unforgettable. I guess that is why each picture tells a story. I looked out of the window. The sun was just rising. It filled me with a sense of exhilaration.
It made me want to click a picture. And freeze this moment, in time.

I did.

How real are virtual relationships?The Internet has totally revolutionized the way we socialize. It has broken barriers of time, geographical boundaries and distances. It has shrunk the world, and you can reach anyplace in any remote corner of the world, including inside minds of people, with just a click, without even moving out of your bedroom.There are reams and reams written about dangers of social networking, as well as advantages of them. All of us, who are regular internet users, have at least a few ‘online’ friends, whom we have never met. They fulfill all the requirements of a friend in ‘real life’. They listen to your problems, offer you help, are there when you need them and you can count on them for emotional and moral support.Apart from the social networking sights, there is the enormous blogosphere, which serves as an ideal platform, to interact with many interesting people. It is amazing how quickly relationships move, on the internet, almost at the speed of light. You …

The prompt at Writers Island this time is 'Haunted.'Strangely it matched my mood, and compelled me to doodle this picture,after I wrote this piece.
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Haunted.Haunted is when you wake up and the dreams still continue.Haunted is when you cannot stop thinking and thoughts continue inside your head like a whirlwind.Haunted is when you know it is not possible, but you hope anyway.Haunted is when you wish and wish you could have just five minutes, with that person.Haunted is when you go through every photograph you have of them, at least a 100 times.Haunted is when you comb and comb your memory just in case, you pick up little bits of togetherness, that by a miniscule chance got left behind.Haunted is a lump in your throat at just the mention of their name.Haunted is feeling sad, even at a very happy bit of news, just because they aren’t there to share it.Haunted is when the pain still stays, even after what seems like eternity..Haunted…

The prompt this time at writers islandis 'The stranger'. This is my piece.
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The strangerReally sorry--I have had to remove this post as it will soon appear in a book. Making it available online would have been very unfair to my publisher who has placed so much trust in me. I hope you enjoy the other posts as much as you enjoyed this one. A heartfelt thanks for your support and understanding.Thanks for continuing to read what I write.

There is SO MUCH written about weight loss. Weight loss industry in India alone, stands at about Rs.8000 crores (1 crore =10 millions) Every day, when I open the newspaper, there are at least 5 advertisements for weight loss and fitness. There are many which charge you for the number of kilos you want to lose!
Almost all my friends are trying to lose weight. They ask me how I manage to be, the way I am, despite having two kids and despite being 35. (I am 5 ft 4 inches tall & weigh 53 kgs which is about 117 pounds) When I say that I watch what I eat and I work out, they say “Oh!—but YOU don’t need to work out. You never put on weight.”
Excuse me!!! EVERYONE puts on weight (yes—I have had my share of battles with the bulges too.) and I NEED to work out. Isn’t prevention better than cure?
Somehow, I am paranoid about putting on weight. I watch my weight carefully and the moment it goes to 54, I step up my work out and eat healthier. (more fruits, less fried stuff etc )
It is no picnic…

Mothers—Aren’t they darlings? I never understood my own mother, till I became a mom. When I was expecting my first child, I had absolutely no clue what it all involved. As I went from stage to stage, realization dawned on me for the first time, that this is exactly what my mother must have gone through, when she was having me. My respect for her increased hundredfold. Instantly. When I was in college and she worried about me when I got home late, I used to laugh at her concern and tell her not be paranoid. When my own two, started going to school, I understood exactly why she worried. When she used to proudly tell her close friends about my achievements in sports as well as academics, I used to be embarrassed and insist that she should NOT talk about me. Now that I have my own children, I know just how much it must have meant to her. When she used to stay up the whole night, just because I had a fever, I used to tell her to stop being fussy, and it was only a fever, for God’s sake. N…

The prompt for Writers island this time, is 'Message in a bottle'. I had made a painting (Oil on canvas) nearly 12 years back--and it seems apt for this poem I wrote, as my entry for this prompt.


Message in a bottle.
Past washed ashore
In bits unseen,
Snatched glimpses,
Of what could have been. Perhaps life would
Have taken a different turn,
Had you felt my pain,
And seen me yearn. Bottled up now
And thrown to the sea,
I wait no more,
Yet I am never free. © Ps

Of all the electrical and electronic appliances that reside in my home, my laptop probably is the most hardworking! So it was only inevitable that she (yes --the laptop is definitely a she—Can any male endure such harsh treatment, unintentional neglect and so much work?!) wanted a break. So off she went, on Tuesday night, with a total stranger (the software engineer who had come over to take her on a ‘date’) riding pillion, in his backpack. She did not even look back. (Sigh!)She was supposed to be back on Thursday morning. But I think she was having too much of a good time. 4 frantic calls to the software engineer (The rogue refused to answer two of my calls.) and I came to know that she would be coming back ‘for sure’ on Friday morning. Friday went by.The calls multiplied to 16.( They have a way of increasing in geometric progressions, when interlaced with panic and internet withdrawal symptoms—not to mention a gnawing worry, that SHE had been kidnapped) “Pukka madam—aaj raat tak ho …

The prompt for Writers Islandthis week, is "Renewal". Here is what I have to say on it.

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Renewal


They say you have to reinvent yourself every seven years, in order to not stagnate, and in order to grow—emotionally and psychologically.

Whether we like it or not, we all grow older, as each second ticks by. As children, we are constantly discovering things. We are growing –both physically and mentally. There is so much to learn and so much to do.

As adults, we seem to have seen it all and done it all. Very often, we define ourselves by our work identities. “I am John and I am a senior Vice president at Microsoft” or “I am Lina, and I head HR at Glaxo.” Somehow I feel, this work identity seems hollow—simply because you do not get to know the person underneath. Also, if your identity is your job, it is frightening to think what happens if you get laid off or retire.

I know of many mothers who gave up corporate jobs to …

Some things leave you with an ache, a longing and deep despair to hold on to them, even as they slip through your fingers, like sand on a beach. My meeting with Niall and my holiday was one such thing.

Niall already wrote about it—you can read it here.

For me too, it was a like a dream come true. I couldn’t believe that I was actually inside this dream, and this dream in reality, is a reality! I was interacting with Jan, for the first time and I felt I had known her all my life. My kids too got along with Annie really well.

Niall gifted me EIGHT of his pictures. I just couldn’t take my eyes of them. Seeing them ‘in the flesh’ (as he puts it) is something else. The prints that he has of his pictures, are such high quality that you cannot distinguish at all, between the prints and the originals. They are incredible. He had inscribed them, and it makes it so special. He later told me that he has given his originals to very few people--and I felt so honoured to be among those few.

At the hote…

Hello there!

Excited, excited as I am going on a vacation. I leave tonight.I am goinghere and will also be meetinghim!
I get back on October 4th.I leave you with a crystal ball that will answer your questions!(if you don't like the answer it gives, just keep trying till it gives you one you like!) :-)Good luck! And see you when I get back!Ps

This time, Vidyatagged me. And I told her I would do it later. (usually I keep up my word!) So here it is...

1. Pick out a scar you have, and explain how you got it.
To be honest I have many scars. Collecting them seems to have become a hobby! Here is my last one.(picture was taken when it was still raw. Now it is a fading scar) Can you guess how I got it? Am sure you will NEVER guess!

*Sorry* Have removed picture as it no longer exists.




2. What does your phone look like? List your reasons to buy it?
This is my phone.I didn’t buy it.It was gifted to me on valentines day, three (or was it four--don't remember!) years ago.I continue using it as I have dropped it at least 50 times and it still functions !






3. What is on the walls of your bedroom?
A painting I did and gifted to Satish on one of our anniversaries.This is the one.





4. What is your current desktop picture?
This one. I simply love it.




5. Do you believe in gay marriage?
Yes.

6. What do you want more than anything right now?
To bring som…

Writers Islandis a wonderful site that I discovered from Blue’s blog. Every Tuesday they give a prompt. You have to write a story, poem essay or anything you feel apt, on the topic.The topic this time is “The gift”. This is my entry. And hey—it is a true story!
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Really sorry--I have had to remove this post as it will soon appear in a book. Making it available online would have been very unfair to my publisher who has placed so much trust in me. I hope you enjoy the other posts as much as you enjoyed this one. A heartfelt thanks for your support and understanding.Thanks for continuing to read what I write.

This is a painting I made in February 1996. It hangs on the wall, in my mother’s cottage, in Kerala.
It shows Lord Krishna and Radha. Theirs is an immortal love story that that has inspired painters, musicians, poets and artists for centuries. There are thousands of songs and paintings ,dating back to the 16th century,describing and expressing this love affair .It has an element of adultery too--but oh, the passion! The story is indeed timeless and continues to inspire and fascinate people, even in this age. I was no different. I remember that day, when I made this painting. I was just 24 then and barely 10 months, into my marriage. I hadn’t had my children. I had accompanied Satish, on one of his official trips, to this beautiful place called Hyderabad. He had taken permission from his company, for me to accompany him. We were staying in a luxurious and posh place. He left for work early that morning. I was free, to do what I pleased-- to explore the city on my own or just laze around…

Today is Vinayak chaturthi—an important Hindu festival. To put it simply, it means it is the birthday of Lord Ganesh.
In the state where I stay, it is celebrated on a very grand scale. There are beautiful idols everywhere. The whole city reverberates with beats of the drum. People dance in front of elaborately decorated ‘pandals’.There is no equivalent of a pandal in English language—One has to see it to understand what it is. At best, it can be described as decorated raised wooden structure, on which Ganesha is housed, in all his splendour –majestic and towering with offerings of incense, flowers and fruits surrounding him like a sea.There are pandals in every nook and cranny in my city right now.The mood is festive. Today, I read in the newspapers that even in Paris, Ganesh festival was celebrated.
Click here to know more.

On a slightly different note---when it rains it pours!

So many people are being really kind to me—and I’m feeling happy about it. One should always be thankful for ki…

One of the fringe benefits of having kids is that they are a great de-stressor (when they aren’t stressing you out that is!)

Yesterday, my two, invented this ridiculous game, which had all of us, rolling on the floor with laughter. The game involved a current bollywood number which is topping the charts. The song is choreographed in such a way, that the dance steps involved itself, makes one smile. It stars one my favourite stars-- Salman Khan(I find him really good at comedy. My husband insists that it is only his well toned body that appeals to me!) It also stars Govinda who is well known, in India, for his comedy sequences.

This is the song that I’m talking about.



The rules of the game were simple. All of us had to dance in turns, to this song individually. (and copy the steps in the song!) Suddenly, any one of the audience, would shout 'freeze' and we had to freeze at once, in that very posture. If you laughed or moved you were out!

None of us lasted more than 10 seconds!!
Gett…

Hi there,
How are you all doing? I got back yesterday (see previous post) and this is a picture I clicked in kerala at my mom's house.Somehow it seemed apt for what I'm going to tell you.
This is a note from the heart. A heartfelt, deep and a sincere thanks to all those who cared enough to leave comments on whatever I wrote. A big thank you, to all those who wrote such encouraging words. A big thank you to all of you, who continue to read what I have to say.

You have no idea how much your words have helped me .When I first started this blog (click here to read my first post) I had no idea what to expect. Many people , whom I thought were good friends, suddenly became very busy when I called to tell about my loss. Maybe they had no idea what to say. Till then, I had always been the laughter generator, the life of the party, the clown, the bubbly, enthusiastic, jovial, ever smiling, ever ready fun person. Suddenly I wanted to share something a bit more deep. I was hurting, I wante…

Kerala, known the world over as God’s own country, true to its well earned sobriquet, is a magical place. I must have been there more than a hundred times --(as my dad and mom both grew up in this place) as a child and as an adult. (Had written a post about it once. Clickhere to read it and click on 'kerala' for official website) My mom, still lives there, in a very picturesque cottage, surrounded by a lovely garden that she tends to, herself. It is picture perfect, serene, peaceful and an oasis for city wracked nerves. Here are some pictures. (yes--that's my mom,kids and me in the pics)

This is however, the first time, that I will be going there alone. All by myself. No parents, no sibling, no husband, no kids. It is a journey I have to make. And I want to make. I’m going there to meet my mom and spend a few days with her. I don’t want her to be alone on September 7th.It was last year on this day that my dad died. It has been exactly a year since I went back to Kerala.
In …