The Dark Side of the Super Economy...

Ever since I Came to the US,I had been thinking if this place is all good..all riches with everyone having everything they wanted...if there were no poor/orphans in the city..and I never did actually see anyone in that category in our sweet and small place in Binghamton,NY..

But,a trip to Boston opened my eyes as I saw..Cobblers and Beggars do exist in the US too...Surprised...no am not surprised..I'm shocked...but even they have style here...beggars here do not beg they play different musical instruments at various places...metro stations...road sides...and cobblers charge $3 for polishing shoe.. wonder if an Indian cobbler makes that much thru the day!!

This city also showed the hard hearts of people living here.. no one cares for anyone here...yesterday at government center metro station, as everyone rushed to get into green line metro...an old lady fell off...no one bothered to give her a look or a helping hand to get up..I tried doing it...I gave her my hand once and pulled it back..2nd time and pulled it back again...3rd time and pulled it back yet again..didn't have the courage to give her that hand because at the back of my mind I had a thought running continuously...what if I give her a hand and am blamed to have pushed her from the back...

NO, I am not joking..am serious...for it's something we had learnt just this weekend when Sanju ran after a cart which went rolling down the parking and might have hit a parked car...when a friend said..good that you could get hold of it had you not and the cart would have hit a car in the parking you would have been in trap...responsible for any damage happening to it...Thus, even when I wanted to give that lady a hand..I thought it's better safe than sorry and just moved on like others..'With a hard heart'....The golden rule to live here probably is to ignore if you see someone in need... but then isn't that what we do in India also...we see someone in trouble and we try to evade as much as we can...until of course it's someone known & close to us...

I feel sorry for the oldies when I see them carrying oxygen cylinders on their wheel chairs when as they gather courage to go out for shopping all by themselves... but, ton a second thought I feel..good!at least they are self-dependent here...had it been our own country..they would have been totally dependent on someone...if lucky to afford maid..good for them...else being ridiculed and humiliated every now and then by the person(s) taking care (if, at all)...

I get confused if I like my place better or this...but then I certainly do appreciate the acceptance of special (they don't call them mentally or physically challenged here) people here....I really feel...if there is one thing we must copy from here..it is this value to human life in every possible way...

Life without internet..

If anyone wondered where was I absconding... my answer would be it wasn't me..just my internet connectivity...and then मैं और मेरी तनहाई अक्सर ये बातें करते थे.. इन्टरनेट ना होता तो ऐसा होता... इन्टरनेट ना होता तो वैसा होता..but essentially now i realize..इन्टरनेट ना होता तो कैसा होता... :)

Setting up Internet at our new home was hell of an experience :) Despite all assurances from the ISP our Internet would just not work and finally by the time it started working we had requested for deactivation of the services from this service provider :D and amazingly enough they took three weeks to activate the net but only 3 minutes to deactivate it...Hahaha...

I think Internet has now so much become part of our lives that it's presence/absence is missed like a family member :) Good to have you back and running dear INTERNET :)

Time for new look...

I don't want any confusions here...It's time for New look of my blog... liked this new template and changed mine..it's so soothing for eyes :)Ain't it?

याद बहुत आता है वो बिता हुआ जमाना..

जिंदगी का वो पड़ाव जहाँ अपने से ज्यादा दुसरे inspiring लगते थे ,

हर हफ्ते college में नए hair style दीखते थे ... :)

वो पढाई की tension...

वो career का mention....

वो class bunk करके movie देखने का मज़ा ....

और पकडे जाने पर class में present होने पर भी absent mark होने की सज़ा ...

वो friends से रूठना, झगड़ना और फिर मान जाना...

वो फ्री periods में चाय और समोसे बाँट के खाना ...

वो test से पहले notes की photocopy कराना..

याद बहुत आता है वो बिता हुआ जमाना..

वो physics के practicals वो chemistry के formulae ...

हैं कुछ ऐसी यादें जो हम शायद कभी न भूलें ..

वो exams से पहले रात भर जागना...

और inspirational quotes room में टांगना..

वो lunch के बाद boring maths की class ...

और साड़े बारह रुपये का DTC बस पास ...

वो बस में लग-भग हररोज लड़ाई...

और mom dad का डांटना करते क्यों नहीं मन लगाके पढाई...

वो planning करते हुए खिड़की से बाहर झांकना...

और movie से लेट होने पर friends से घर तक lift माँगना ....

वो डांट वो प्यार वो care वो टकरार.. आज भी वो दिन बहुत याद आते हैं ....

बीते हुए दिन जाने कहाँ चले जाते हैं ...

याद आता है वो दौर जब भी ..चेहरे पर हलकी सी एक मुस्कान ले आता है ...

पल भर में सब ग़मों को दूर कहीं दूर ले जाता है...

शायद कोई नहीं है जो वो बिता हुआ समय फिर वापस ले आएगा..

बाकी का जीवन तो सिर्फ उन यादों के सहारे ही चला जायेगा.... :)

India's got talent (Any doubts!!!)

Watch this video...the show's idea is a copy of Britain's got talent & America's got talent...but, the act makes me feel that probably there's still a ray of hope...a ray of hope that India will survive brain drain...that India can be a super power some day...for we still have youth who are not looking for short cuts to achieve success...who are ready to put in the labor and vigor that is required to deserve being there at the top...they might not have born in the best of homes to help them get what it needs to achieve luxuries of life...but they are born with something that money can't buy...the "WILL"...will to achieve everything on sheer talent!!

फुटपाथ पर पड़ा था ....वो भूख से मरा था..कपडा उठा के देखा तो पेट पर लिखा था... सारे जहां से अच्छा हिन्दुस्तान हमारा...

Pray for India...

Tera India..Mera India...Apna India....Pray for India..

After all if despite all the socio-political problems if India is still surviving god must be having some role in it :) :) :)

उत्तराखंड में है गाँव मेरा

पली बड़ी दिल्ली में मैं... दिल्ली है जन्म स्थान मेरा ...

पर मम्मी-पापा कहते हैं... उत्तराखंड के अल्मोड़ा में है गाँव तेरा...

हिमालाय के पहाडों से है जुड़ा पुश्तैनी नाम मेरा...

ऊँचे-ऊँचे हैं पहाड़ जहाँ और पेड़ों से है जो हरा-भरा ...

पापा जब भी बीते दिनों की बात बताते हैं...

उनके और अपने बचपन में अन्तर कई हम पाते हैं...

पहाडों में खेले कूदे वो, मीलों चलकर स्कूल को जाते थे...

पानी बहुत कम मिलता था..शायद हफ्तों में कभी नहाते थे ... :)

जो भी था, जैसा और जितना भी था, सब कुछ अपना-अपना था ...

आज की तरह सुविधायें ना थी, पर आंखों में सच्चा सपना था...

सपना था की पढ़ लिखके, मेहनत करके कुछ बन दिखाना है...

केवल अपना नहीं सभी अपनों का जीवन स्तर ऊपर उठाना है ..

इसी चाह में.. इसी राह में...पढ़ते रहे ...चलते रहे..

छूट गया पीछे घर उनसे...पर यादों में पहाड़ बसे रहे...

कई बार उन सपनो में वो दोबारा खो से जाते हैं...

कहते-कहते आंखों में उनकी आंसू भी आ जाते हैं...

प्यार बहुत है उन्हें अपने गाँव से, उनके आंसू एहसास दिलाते हैं ...

बसे हैं चाहे दिल्ली में आज, पर लौटकर फिर वहीं वो जाना चाहते हैं...

प्यार मिला संस्कार मिला उनको जिन पहाडों में...

बसा हुआ है आज भी वो उनकी मन की धारों में...

उनकी बातें सुनके लगता है.. शायद वो सच में कोई सपना था...

जहाँ प्यार बसता था दिलों में और हर कोई अपना-अपना था...

आज तो मतलब की है दुनिया.. कौन किसी का होता है...

वही धोखा देता है जिसपर सबसे ज्यादा भरोसा होता है...

कोई किसी का नहीं.. पैसा सबका बना चहेता है...

सुना है बाप और भाई से भी बड़ा आज रुपैया है...

कहाँ गए वो दिन जिनकी याद मेरे पापा करते हैं...

आज तो हम अपनों को भी अपना कहने से डरते हैं...

दिल्ली क्या पहाडों में भी अब ऐसा ही होता है...

देख अपनी मिट्टी की ये हालत ही शायद पापा का अंतर्मन रोता है...

याद करते हैं पापा जिनको क्या वो दिन लौटकर फिर आयेंगे...

हम अपने बच्चों को कौन से पहाड़ की कहानी सुनायेंगे ...

इजा-बाबू , अम्मा-बुबू कौन होते हैं ...कैसे उन्हें समझायेंगे..

शायद हम उन्हें अपनी येही दुनिया दिखायेंगे...

दुनिया जहाँ दिन के चौबीस घंटों में अपनों के लिए कोई वक्त नहीं...

और सौ किलो के शरीर में मातृभूमि के लिए दो ग्राम भी रक्त नहीं...

जहाँ खुली हवा में सांस लेने से जान को खतरा है....

प्रदूषण और जाने कितने ही रोगों ने इंसान को हर तरफ़ से जकडा है...

हाँ पापा की तरह उत्तरखंड में ही है गाँव मेरा ...

पर शायद उनकी तरह गहरा नही पहाडों से प्रेम मेरा ....

प्यार होता तो पहाडों की सच्चाई खोते देख मेरी आँख में भी आंसू आते...

और हम केवल उनके बारे में लिखते या पढ़ते नहीं... मिलजुल कर कुछ कर दिखाते...

Mummy main bhi jaaongaa.....

Songs with beautiful messages is what I would describe Anil Kant's songs as... here's another of his nice numbers politely striking on all major issues of our developing nation... wonder...it will be able to hit our society's conscience yet !!!

21 Years in Uttarakhand and still a Desi!!

I recently came across a senior of my ex-organization on Facebook...He had resigned & left the organization the very next month of my joining the same (2.5 years ago)... Therefore, I didn't get a chance to work with him...However, I had heard about him having a soft corner for people from Uttarakhand...His love for people from the foot hills of Himalayas became eminent from the skit that was organized on the occasion of his Farewell @ the company premises...His Surname gave me an inkling that perhaps he was a Kumaoni like me....

When I came across his profile on facebook I couldn't resist asking him his native place and what I got as an answer was surprising, "No, I am not Kumaoni. I did however grew up at Ranikhet and have spent first 21 years of my life at Uttaranchal. 17 years at Ranikhet and 4 at Roorkee! But am still a desi!!!"

I thought probably I had made a wrong guess and/or he didn't like my question so I apologized..but his response was overwhelming ,"That's the problem Bindia! One even does not get Utarakhand doicile even after spending first 21 years there!!! But what hurts is that you are still a Desi even after spending 21 years there!! LOL!! In US, you need much less to become citizen."

Coming from a grown up & well established man..with love for Uttarakhand and it's people...It's sad indeed that people wanting to work for it are denied it's domicile..is it justifiable?...can't say !!

Good news for little hearts (but, conditions apply!)

I recently got an email from a friend which carried nothing but an attachment.. the attachment carried information about availability of free of cost heart surgery facility for kids in Bangalore.

This mail was not new to me and as far as I remember has been floating on Internet for almost two years....anyhow I still forwarded it thinking it's an information worth sharing with everyone...

The attachment reminded me of a child with heart problem in Uttarakhand, about whom my husband (Sanju) had told me a couple of days back...his father was given all monitory support by NRI Uttrakhandis but every time he was admitted in AIIMS for the surgery his BP wud shoot up and operation had to be postponed.. his father became voracious and stating he had no more money for commuting from Uttarakhand to Delhi again and again with the child; he wanted all the money whether the operation was conducted or not because as per him,the money had been collected in his son's name...the NRIs sensed the greed and refused to make any money transfers until surgery was performed..I asked Sanju if that child could benefit from this...prompt I got the answer the child had already been taken there but they don't perform complicated surgeries... hey, I didn't see any disclaimer or asterisk signifying conditions apply to that good news!!

I don't know how many of such mails are forwarded on daily basis thinking it might help someone....some even say that for each person you forward this mail to I will get 10 Cents for my child's treatment.. we never ever try to find out the sanctity of such mails and keep forwarding, thinking and hoping it might actually help someone in need...whether it does or not..who bothers who cares...neither you nor I!!!

Munh Mein Mitti...Saanson Mein Dhuaa...

A fantabulous composition... About something we all know...

That something which most of us either don't dare to say or don't have time to say...A video worth any Indian's time... with words worth every Indian's thought !!!

My favorite lines... " Sachchee baat jo keh doonga to....Sulee par sar mera hoga!!" which exposes sanctity of India's claim to be largest democratic republic!!!

काश ...

कहते हैं मनुष्य योनी में जन्म बहुत मुश्किल से मिलता है... शायद इसीलिए मनुष्य का मन हमेशा व्याकुल रहता है ... उसमें तरह तरह के विचार और इच्छाएं पैदा होती रहती हैं... जिनके पूरा होने या अधूरा रह जाने के साथ हमारी खुशियाँ और ना-उम्मीदी जुड़े होते हैं॥ ऐसी ही कुछ इच्छाएं जब आज से पाँच साल पहले मेरे मन में आयी होंगी ...तब इन पंक्तियों का जन्म हुआ होगा :)

काश तेरे अर्थ को जिंदगी मैं समझ पाती,
चाहती है तू मुझसे क्या काश ये जान जाती...
काश तेरी पहेलियों का हल कहीं से ढूँढ लाती,
काश तेरे हर कदम से कदम मैं भी मिला पाती ...
काश तेरे रहते रोते किसी चेहरे पर मुस्कान ले आती ,
और खुशियों से भरा कोई गाना आज मैं भी गाती ...
काश किसी की निराशा को आशा में बदल पाती ,
और किसी अंधियारे जीवन को रंगों से भर जाती...
काश किसी की दुश्मनी को दोस्ती में बदल पाती ,
और शान्ति ही शान्ति चारों तरफ़ फैला पाती...
चाहती हूँ जो भी काश वो सब मैं कर पाती ,
काश किसी के जीने का सबब मैं बन पाती ....

New Delhi Versus New York

I never wished to leave my country..my loved ones....my Delhi...for anything... not even for a better job!! but thanks to the institution called "Marriage"...the journey from New Delhi to New York took only a few months of courtship followed by a traditional wedding & a visa interview :)

New Delhi...my place...with my people and my comfort zone...and New York...an alien place..with my partner for life...together working towards a comfort zone for both of us :) Though nothing compares my love for my Delhi and SWADESH still there are a few things which impresses me about this new place and which I feel if could be a part of our lives in India would anytime make living there much better..Let's talk about them...

Hi, How are you :)
If you thought I have got insane to be saying hi, how are you all of a sudden...you are not quite right :) That's just what one gets used to saying to anyone s/he comes across after a brief stay here..anyone means anyone... you happen to make an eye contact with someone by chance and prompt comes a smiling hi followed by how are you...s/he may not know you and may never meet you again but yes they greet you like that always...probably a manner of saying... "Hey, I acknowledge your existence and am glad about it!" isn't that great??? while back home we will most often notice people (not being an exception ourselves) trying to avoid each other unless they are friends/family or need each other's help/support/favor...here people see eye to eye and greet with a smile no matter who you are...

Car-Pool!!
Now what about this...we heard every now and then and yeah sometimes practiced it as well....well...what's new about it is, how it is promoted here... on all major highways in cities there's a Diamond Lane specially for Cars with more than 2 passengers during busy hours...and special check out windows on toll gates...so if your practice car pool you can invariably reach faster than your counterparts who wish to enjoy their ride alone!!!

911... Your emergency is ours too!!
Ever tried calling 100 number for emergency help by police??? I have.. Trust me they'll ensure to reach when situation crosses that emergency dead line... :) 911 is what is used for emergency help here...and amazingly enough...here emergency means emergency!!! Call them and they'll tell you exactly how many minutes and how many seconds they'll take to reach you for assistance...and they'll be there before that!!! All major highways and busy lanes have a special lane for these vehicles... phewww!!! Every cellular connection user pays a monthly tax which goes for this service..and I guess every bit of it is worth it...at least you get a service after paying for it!!

It's my work..I'll do it!!!
I remember how easily we get working aids in Delhi...you name it and you have it...be it a house-maid, car washer, plumber, gardener, etc..etc.. and we take great pride in using their services...here in NY... every one does all their work by themselves...even tiling...white-washing... because product services here are expensive in comparison to the products themselves..so I can do all on my own :)

Rules are meant to be followed...
Oh is it??? back home in India even before a law is enforced crooks would have in place a way to break it !! We believe, "Rules are meant to be broken!!" not the same case here..there are stringent traffic rules in place and everyone follows them even we Indians famous for breaking rules :) If you see a waiting school bus/an ambulance you must stop where you are no matter which side of the road that vehicle may be...if there's a STOP sign you must stop to see if someone else needs to pass...you can't just change lanes anywhere and everywhere...there are places well defined for these...if it's school area your speed must not exceed 15MPH....if there's a lane for bikes...you better not try overtaking using that way :) so on and so forth....it's good to see everyone following rules....and why wouldn't they follow...if not followed they bring huge penalties and tickets...and after a set number of tickets you lose your driving license!! makes sense!! pretty much..

No littering please!!
Men with the habit of considering all the roads a public toilet in Delhi better stay away from NY...because the pleasure of littering in public areas here comes for a price as much as USD 500.. which means you would probably find it better to pee in your car than on road :) what is more shameful is that to the limited amount of travelling that I have done here..I see that the fine is higher in localities with higher Indian population... are Indians that famous for it???

It's your life...Live it the way you want!!!
:) wondering what that means... simple as this.. no one cares what you wear..what you do for living...who are you roaming with..how's your life going??? Well, though I donot like this concept as a whole but then it has it's pros and cons... you are free to do your things your way..no old crabby neighbourhood aunt or too curious relative will keep poking nose in your affairs worrying about your wedding..your type of friends...or anything for that matter... I remember how irritating it used to be when everyone around except my family and I was worried about my growing age and not getting a good match for wedding!!! How I wished to say at times...for god's sake...concentrate on your life and let me live mine....it irritates..it hurts and at times its depressive... however, the biggest con of this right to freedom is lack of bonding between children and parents..it's sad to see old aged hardly able to walk...shopping for selves...with none to accompany them... gratefulness and thoughts for parents are limited to a few occasions... a card, a phone call or may be a gift or meeting parents on a Sunday reserved by the names mother's day & father's day.. Halloween....Christmas... it's sad indeed!! But then when I compare our circumstances... I ask myself what could we do for the ones who did everything to bring a smile on our faces...they were their to hold our hands when we needed...would we be there to hold theirs when they need ours???? Miles away from home...from my loved ones....am i not as bad as people here..calling near and dear ones at leisure.....wishing them on certain occasions....and rest being occupied with self... well I hope not??

Crimes are not gender-biased..
All said and done...it's not there are no crimes here...but I get solace in knowing that at least the crimes are not gender biased which means it may be unsafe for me to go out alone in the dark but that will not be because I'm a girl... I'm sorry to say this but I feel safer In NY than New Delhi...Any one listening back home??

My Journey From Miss to Mrs.

They say, the only thing constant in life is change.. I agree!!

My life took a full 360 degrees turn as I switched from Miss to Mrs. Changes were indispensable.. some expected..some unexpected.. some special..some obvious...some visible...some hidden...some known..some unknown.. some have happened..and probably many more than some are yet to come :)

Although a lot of changes are happening on day to day basis....the most natural & prominent change I experienced and others observed before and after the wedding is the way I look.... while others may notice only my changed outer persona... I'm talking about the way I look at life, people & relationships.... both new as well as the ones I was born with....

I remember being pointblank about what I felt and thought to and/or about anyone...the comfort with which I could show even my resentment...the liberty to initiate/stop talking to anyone..that ease..that fearlessness of calling a spade a spade is fading somehow....not that someone has restricted my freedom of expression....still, somehow...somewhere..something stops me...as if telling me...this world, these people & relations have existed this way for long.... do I...an outsider have the right to touch this harmony...would my views/opinions matter? may be yes...may be no...may be fifty-fifty at some places...yet, I try to restrain expressing them as much as possible...

The transit from Miss to Mrs. was pretty adventurous...as the journey continues I feel the changes that happen in me or my behavior are sometimes so smooth that the transition is not even noticed...they appear to be inherent in me :) Even the way I change has changed... I was never so flexible in changing... :) Changing with someone....for someone and for a common reason...to make life easier & better for both is a whole new experience and am enjoying it as of now..