I Feel the Feel You Feel.....

Facebook has many fans and I am one of them.It allows me to connect virtually even when I cannot do that in real time.It gives me an insight about what is happening around me....in the lives of my friends,cousins and colleagues.What keeps them happy,what bugs them,where they went ,what they did,what they ate???......it's all there for all to see. Selfies are also a rage but I for one am terrible at that though I wish I had the knack of clicking great self pictures,but I guess it is an art at which I am hopeless.I must confess,I am a photo-uploading monster.I keep on uploading photos of my trips,get-togethers,exhibitions I attend  and even the food I eat!!!

Another thing that interests me is the status updates of friends where they post shayaris,love couplets,words of wisdom,motivational quotes,Santa-Banta jokes,husband-wife jokes and what-have-you.What catches my interest and what appeals to me I re-post or copy-paste as my status update.Just recently I read some interesting lines on my friends status.I loved them as they aptly described my emotional state at that period.So what do I do next?Of course,I just copy-pasted the lines and put it up as my status.What a foot in the mouth moment it was!!!As soon as I did that I got a message from my friend requesting me to give credit for her writing.I was amazed and embarrassed to the core as I really never thought that she could have written those lines.....I assumed they were just some random lines written by some one and she had just posted it, just as I had.I felt like a fool for not giving her credit as I always make it a point to give due credit to my photographer friends who click photos at the many photo walks I attend.How shameful!I immediately assured her that I would rectify my mistake and within seconds I credited her for her wonderful lines.I sincerely apologised for my folly and told her that I never imagined that she had penned those lines herself.I appreciated her work and was glad that the issue was sorted.

What amazed me was that she had penned down some feelings that were so true to how I felt.The same emotions,the same yearning,the same everything that I felt.And she had told me that those lines were very personal.....wow!She was feeling exactly like how I was and vice-versa!!!I felt that those lines were written by me!It made me realize that we are not alone and there are so many of us out there who have the same feelings,emotions...a common thread runs through us that binds us...silently,unknowingly.Many a times we fail to realize that and think that whatever we suffer no one knows and understands....but someone ,somewhere is feeling the same pain,facing the same or similar challenge.Similarly ,even when we are ecstatic with joy and unfettered happiness there are some out there who are feeling the same emotional high.

Amazing....life is really amazing.

There is someone or so many out there who can feel the feel you feel.....

Life never ceases to surprise us,challenge us,motivate us,delight us and intrigue us.Wonder why we cannot live together as one unit without the upheavals and clashes even when we know that each one of us has similar emotions.Why can't that common thread of emotions and feeling bring us closer?

Finally,what we all crave for is happiness,love and understanding from those who are near and dear to us.Yet,we are all still searching.....yearning for that happiness,love and understanding that eludes us.

The search continues......

Aaj Mein Oopar!!!

I am sure what I am jotting down today may not be quite so interesting for many out there as they have experienced it many times before. I am talking about my first, my very first experience at flying!!!

I have always wanted to travel to as many places I could and luckily I had an opportunity to visit Kerala with my cousin and his wife. Since they had only a few days to tour with us they opted to take us, that is me and my daughter by flight., The whole trip in itself was awesome and the most memorable trip ever but what made it more so was the flight to and fro from Mumbai to Cochin.

It all began at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Vile parle where we were dropped in an auto by my brother-in-law. As we neared it we could see the brand new and sparkling terminal 2 or T2 which was to be inaugurated soon in January by the honourable President of India. Yes, I have been to the airport a few times but this was different as I was here to take flight and not just see someone off!!!

Shreya and I were a bit apprehensive as we did not know what the procedure exactly was. The sign boards put up all around the terminal were of great help and soon we had our boarding passes in our hands and had our luggage checked in. We were there much before departure so we had a mini photo session as we waited in the waiting area. I had a washroom break three times, not any less as it was quite cool or maybe it was nerves.

Both of us had a good look all around and we observed the passengers as they moved around with their baggage with different expressions on their faces. There were the frequent fliers who walked about as if they were in their hotel lobby, they knew where to go, what to .....they felt at home in these surroundings. Then there were families with kids (or is it the other way around?)The kids talked non-stop, played games, ran after each other, dropped things and fidgetted with the baggage looking for God knows what!!!There were the 'I need my beauty sleepy' types too. They were fast asleep and like magic they were up when their flight was announced or just a little before it was. They made themselves comfortable on the chairs or spread themselves on the ground and had a good snooze. There were the groups of tourists, honey-mooning couples, office goers out on work and those like us who were out on their first flight. We also saw the security personnel, service staff, receptionists and the air-hostesses.

Finally our flight was announced and we moved on towards gate number three (well ahead of the others),showed our boarding passes and sat in the king long bus that took us to our vaahan. Yay!!!At last we were climbing the steps and getting into the giant plane. Shreya was clicking away and was told by the airhostess who was there to welcome us with folded hands, to stop taking pictures. Both f us were too excited to mind and we got into the plane. We had the good fortune of having a window seat too!!!The personnel in the aircraft made themselves busy and there was a flurry of activity .The flight pilot and co-pilot was announced and the main doors were shut. Time to fly!!!!

The aircraft steered itself towards the runway and took off. Shreya and I ,like little kids kept our eyes glued to the window to see the take-off. There were lights all around the runway and the airplane slowly and steadily made its way into the dark sky. It was exactly 5:35 am when we took off. Immediately the airhostesses took their positions and as the announcement regarding the safety measures to be taken during the flight were announced, they enacted them. This was so  interesting for us to watch as we had had heard so many jokes about the "do dwaar aage aur do dwaar  picche" announcement. I think there were about 4 to 5 air-hostesses on the flight and they wore well ironed colourful printed sarees. Only one of them was young and beautiful and she enacted the safety drilll so well. while the other one was looking so fed up. After the drill we took time to gauge our surroundings in the plane. Surprisingly, we did not even feel as if we were in flight. On looking out we felt that we were moving so slowly. All we could see was pitch darkness and slowly when it was dawn we could see the bright sun.

Breakfast was served within a few minutes. Like well-oiled machinery, they got to work and soon every passenger had their breakfast before them on the little tables. I opted for non-vegetarian fare when Shreya settled for vegetarian. She had meduwada, sambar, chutney, bread, jam and butter while I had egg omlette ,potato wedges, bread,jam and butter. This was followed by coffee or tea. We had our fill and Shreya dozed off while I sat and just looked out of the tiny window afraid to miss out on anything exciting during the flight. Before long,it was time for me to use the wash room.the washroom was so small!!!It was clean and the sound of the flush was quite loud...whoooooshhh!!!!I whiled away my time by looking at my fellow passengers and just about ten minutes before landing it began.......the terrible ear ache!!!Shreya too awoke and she too said that there was unbearable pain in her ears. There was nothing we could do to reduce that pain as unfortunately, though I was told to chew on chewing gum during the flight ,I did not have any chewing gum. Thankfully ,it lasted only for about five minutes but even those few minutes we both were close to tears. Pain gone, we concentrated on the view outside and saw the famous backwaters of Kerala, tiled roofs and the approaching Cochin International airport. What a wonderful first-time flight it had been (minus the part where our ears had ached)From the high skies back to the ground, we collected our luggage from the carousal for baggage and walked out to see Mr.John, who had come to recieve  us on behalf of Paradise Holidays, holding a placard with my cousins name on it.

After a truly wonderful and memorable stay there we came back to Cochin International Airport for our return flight. Like the earlier flight, here too we had breakfast but this time I too opted for vegetarian fare. This time it was dosas and medu  wada  sambar.The wada was tasty but the dosa was like white cardboard and tasteless. Here too I enjoyed the hawai sundaris go through the emergency drill for passengers.As this flight was a morning one we could see the view below much more clearly. Shreya had the window seat and I had a huge passenger beside me who tried to occupy a quarter of my seat too as he spread himself comfortably in his seat. Miraculously, this time around even during the landing both of us did not experience any ear ache! What a relief! So,as we began to descend we looked out and saw the innumerable hutment colonies lining the airport. Sad to know that this is the view any tourist to India has when she/he lands at Mumbai airport. Anyway, we collected our bags and made our way out of the airport and though our mini vacations were awesome it was great to be back to Amchi Mumbai!!!
After all, home is where the heart is!
What a wonderful experience we had on our first ever flight!
Hoping this is a beginning of many more flights.......after all who does not want wings???

The window to the skies!

What a feeling!!!!!Truly sensational...!!!

Shreya getting the most of her window seat.....



Why Women Talk Too Much

Wish you knew the answer to that?Well ,I do!!!

Two women were imprisoned in a cell for six long years and when they had served their sentence they were set free.As they bid their good-byes to each other they were overheard saying, "There is so much we have not shared with each other ,let's catch up some time again soon."

A husband is reading the newspaper and the phone rings.the wife picks it up and talks to the other person on the line for half an hour.When she ends the call her husband asks,'Who was it on the line?' The wife replies,"No one we know.It was a wrong number."

There are so many jokes doing the rounds that tell us about the yakkity-yak or the amount of non-stop chatter women do.Be it any topic like clothes , food, shopping ,children,television serials,mother-in laws, husbands ,neighbours ..... women are said to be experts at talking on them like there is no tomorrow.

I do not talk too much (Really!) and so am amazed at the amount women talk.As a frequent traveller in local trains I have witnessed this very often.They sit and make themselves comfortable and then all the women,be it young or old, start talking on various topics.Even at the workplace they wait for a chance to get together and chat.Bus-stops,malls,road-side,temples,parties,weddings.....they can talk anywhere and everywhere!

Why is it that women talk so much or too much???
Or is it that men talk lesser? If so,why???

I got my answer to this when we had a doctor visiting our school for a workshop on the care of our vocal chords.She was basically a voice specialist and came to enlighten us about how to take care of our vocal chords.As teachers,we make the maximum use of our voices during the teaching/learning process so she was there to make sure that we take care of our voice boxes and vocal chords.I am sure many husbands would like to mention that their wives(or should I say bitter halves, according to them, that is) too talk too much so they should also take the same precautions.

Moving on, she explained that each one of us has got vocal chords that vibrate at a certain speed .The vocal chords of women vibrate 225 times a minute while that of males vibrate for 160 times a minute!!!She,the doctor who knew best,explained that it was but natural for women to talk more as their vocal chords vibrated more times per minute as compared to that of men.This bit of information had us all in splits.In the teaching profession women are always in a majority so we all applauded that bit of news.Seriously,our vocal chords are so designed that we speak more than the male species???

I explained about this bit of information (about the vibrations of the vocal chords) at home to the man of the house and my daughter.Each one had their own theory as to why the vocal chords vibrated as much as they did.(I guess this is what happens when you have intellectuals at home who have a view point of their own for everything.)
Theory number one-
My daughter,a psychology student who is going to be twenty in a few months,is of the opinion that a woman is structured to talk more because she has the male species as her audience most of the time.Women have to repeat what they have said at least four times so they have to speak more as compared to men.
This is why....
When women speak the first time the men fail to listen (They are either reading the newspaper,watching sports or share market news on the telly or doing anything else,but listening)
When women repeat what they have said the second time,the men fail to understand as obviously they have not been really listening carefully.
When women repeat it for the third time the men oppose and disagree with whatever has been said so the women have to repeat it for the fourth time!!!
Theory number two-
My husband feels that as women are the ones who give birth and are the nurturers, they are the ones in close contact with the new-born infants who have to be taught many things by repetition.Toddlers have to be taught things again and again so we women are structured to talk more.Another theory he thought made sense was that women have sharper and shriller voices as compared to the huskier and full-throat male voices hence the difference in the number of vibrations in the vocal chords.
(No prizes for guessing which theory I feel was more apt,my daughter's or my husbands)

Moving on......So now all the men and women like me who wonder why women talk too much please be informed that it was meant to be so by the wonders of nature.Women are the ones with the gift of the gab!!!So stop complaining and take their chatter in your stride.As even if you want to you cannot fight against nature.

More power to women!!!

Only wish they knew what to say,how to say and when,but then very few have mastered that art,even amongst  the men.

Sadly,we all have learnt to talk but have not really learnt how,what and when to talk.We do not know when to give our vocal chords the much needed rest.