..because not everything in life is meant to be known - Fourth Station: SURPRISE

       Unexpected events, uncertain happenings, unpredicted shocks, unknown occurrences – combine these experiences together and the outcome comes across as ‘SURPRISE’. Happy, sad, desired, undesired, wanted, unwanted and an endless list of contrast feelings tag along, when such surprises enter into our lives. While we explored HOPE and continued to our next destination, this land of SURPRISE may have lot of surprises in store!

        Happy surprises in the form of an unexpected gift or an unknown plan work wonders in our routine schedule. Be it any age or any stage of life, the word surprise does lighten up our spirits and brighten our smiles. Surprises are not meant to be set across a backdrop of materialistic pleasures or monetary gains alone. Beyond the resources spent in the process, underlying feelings and thoughts perform the main job.

      A manner of displaying affection, love, gratitude and appreciation; surprises add elements of happiness in every relationship. Renewing the enthusiasm and energy, exchange of surprises amplify the excitement and strength of any bond. With advent of digital era, fast paced lifestyle, excellent connectivity and virtual excellence, surprises have been delivering joy at new levels altogether. As a novel method for conveyance of feelings, surprises have almost taken the role of essential necessities.

     While receiving end of surprises offer great joy and fun, planning and executing them flawlessly at the other end is nothing else than an art. From careful strategies to fool-proof deliveries, surprises demand utmost presence of mind. While it may be imperative to depend on lies for a successful surprise, the outcome of happy faces and contented hearts make them worth it.  

      As a tutor for essential out-of-book affairs, my elder sister had ensured proper development of this art in me, right since childhood.  A happy partner in surprise plans for parents and friends, following her instructions carefully offered great sense of satisfaction, after all error-free execution demanded a sincere conduct!

      An advocate of delivering surprises and expecting them in return, existence of a separate group with a different view point surprises me to a great extent. With two important members of my life subscribing to its membership, I often wonder about their contrast opinion on surprises. Fearing about its unexpected outcome and dreading its failure, while my father and husband choose to stay away from it, I have been working really hard to convince them about its magic.

       A sweet shock that delivers joy, surprises are certainly necessary for some excitement in life. As uncertainties are our companions, element of surprise enhances their value. Calculations, measurements, analysis and reasoning may not be necessary always. Enjoying the unknown and waiting for the unexpected can offer an unusual taste of happiness. 

     Surprises born with an aim of delivering joy are the most wonderful ones, sudden unexpected shocks that may not go well with the audience are nothing but means of disappointment. Respecting sentiments and taking care of feelings are the two most essential rules for a successful attempt of surprise.

What are the most common form of surprises we all see around? Let us look at them and relish the true essence of this land!

• Surprise parties for friends on their birthdays

       Though the outcome is joyful and the birthday girl/boy glows with happiness – the process of    planning, coordination and execution between many people together is nothing less than a challenge!

•  Surprise gifts delivered at the doorstep of those far away

   Hoping for its proper delivery and wishing that the receiver realizes the surprise behind it are         certainly tough tasks as things happen far away from our eyes!

•  Surprise visits to family at home while settled at a different location

Skeptical about this one since never tried before, this surprise needs support of prayers to reach at an unlocked door!

•  Surprise announcement of important events

Delivering joy about significant happenings in life, this surprise may not really demand any preparation.

• Surprise for closed ones with a task never done before

Depending on the outcome and amount of homework done for its execution, a surprise cooked meal or a surprise holiday itinerary plan may either turn out to be successful or a total failure!

     With surprises for every occasion, every reason, every event or every function, the joy of their occurrence is massive indeed.

   Taking us away from the daily course of life, sudden little surprises appear exciting and wonderful. Engage yourself in little moments of surprise, after all not everything in life is meant to be known.

P.S: Hope this 700 words long article can influence the views of my father and husband to a little extent!

As we celebrate our first wedding anniversary, this information may come handy J  

    

                                                                                                                     

Feeling-emotion-sentiment express: Third station: HOPE

 

     A four- letter word for every situation, a small, little answer for every question, a power dose for every difficulty, a belief for every occasion– HOPE fits into our puzzle as a perfectly crafted piece, completing the picture of life. While we explored the land of smile and gratitude, hope is our next destination as an important refill station for the journey ahead.

    Be it happiness or sorrow, excitement or anxiety, success or failure, laughter or tears, hope chooses to be a perfect companion in each of these occurrences. Designed with an aim to motivate, inspire, energize and enlighten, hope enters with a guaranteed formula for happiness. 

     

    Presence of hope teaches us to look forward to upcoming hurdles and approaching adventures. On a never-ending path of challenges, worries, difficulties and novelties, as we march one step at a time, we are delighted to have a constant partner throughout. Surrounded with uncertainties, when we appear to lose our direction, we always find hope waiting at the other end with a big, broad smile. Though hope is not a confirmed offer, giving away calculated dosages of success, it is an essential ingredient to keep us moving. Hope prompts us to believe in the magic of endless possibilities, driving us towards improvement each passing day.

   Influencing our lives in many ways than we can think about, hope reaches out to every single area. Right from our birth as we open eyes to the beauty of living, along every single stage, all we need is hope for a smooth transaction. Powerful over our fears and worries, seeds of hope reap moments of joy. Born with an aim to of fill our lives with purpose, hope does a fantastic job, yielding fruitful results.
 
    Belief and trust are extremely essential to experience the power of hope.Unless we believe in our skills and trust our own efforts, hope cannot deliver its benefits. Possession of hope, even though in small amounts, depicts our enthusiasm to march ahead. Though every road may not turn in our direction, every step may not march in our favor - hope offers its charm to keep us moving. Without a fixed plan or a confirmed output, job of hope is limited towards execution of efforts. Though we may achieve success to grab all that is needed or we may fail owing to lack of hard work, hope fits into every kind of situation with a motto 'Continue your wishes'.

What are the different ways in which 'HOPE' influences our journey?

What purpose does it solve, while entering our lives in every situation?

 How does it help to stay charged during each experience?

If we think about our memories and encounters till date, we may certainly be able to hunt for answers. As hope touches each one's life, it undoubtedly holds the key to many aspects.

HOPE works when we are....

HAPPY - It tempts us to magnify the amount of happiness and joy. Prompting us to hope for more fun, it ensures a happy mind with a happy heart.
Hope opens the door to wonderful memories, as we create more stock of happiness along the way. It inspires us to sustain our efforts, ensuring unrestricted continuation of its smooth course.



SAD-  Hope works to offer a ray of light amidst clouds of sorrow or moments of sadness. With tough path and challenging future within the scope of our vision, hope is extremely essential to keep us moving.
 It may not yield any successful results, but it inspires us to continue the job. Pushing us away from tears and defeat, it fills our heart with excitement for the next big opportunity.


EXCITED - Pouring energy for trying out novel ideas and experiencing diverse options, hope elevates the level of excitement to a great height. While looking forward to any event or occasion in life, as we encounter moments of excitement, hope does the job of keeping us motivated.
The hope of pleasant uncertainty and excitement of novelty certainly light up our spirits.



DEFEATED - As two sides of the same coin, defeat and victory balance its course in our lives. While some tasks do offer us joy of achievement, we should also be prepared to meet sorrow of failure. In such a state of defeat, hope does keep us glued to the track. The hope of encountering success during our next attempt, inspires us to stay focused.

Though we may come across defeat or failure, hope never chooses to leave our side. Magic of hope lies in its capability of working under any kind of situation.


INEXPERIENCED - No matter what task we engage into, trials and experiments are essential as its initial steps. A starting point for any job, hope offers a preparatory tool as source of guidance. Though inexperience may bring anxiety towards a particular job, hope for a good output keeps us well occupied.


   Such is the power of hope that seems to fit under every circumstance and every situation. HOPE you enjoyed this post, while we move ahead on this thoughtful journey.

Feeling-Emotion-Sentiment express- Second Station: GRATITUDE

      While flashing our smiles and rejoicing in the happiness of this facial exercise, the next station awaits our arrival. A land that shows us the beauty of gratitude, expressing ‘thank-you’ to those around deliver us with unlimited stock of happiness. Gratitude is not limited to materialistic favors alone; thanking someone in exchange for a product or service does not reflect its true essence. Real gratitude lies in the power of thanking this universe for every single factor of living.

     Though it is impossible to appreciate each and every aspect of life, the realization that everything is significant in one way or the other gets us closer to this expression of gratitude. While we detest problems and hope for their elimination, encountering bad incidences highlight the value of good ones. As a preparatory lesson for life, being grateful about challenges is essential for smooth future transactions.

     As celebration of ‘Thanksgiving’ decorated our last weekend, I was amazed by this interesting ritual. Initiated with an aim to thank the mother earth for a successful harvest and extending gratitude for a wonderful year, these holidays of ‘Thanksgiving’ bring happiness in every life story.

     While family and friends gather together to celebrate this holiday, each one realizes that the list of ‘being grateful to’ is exceptionally long indeed. Engrossed in the daily routine of life, special days like these enlighten us about the value of every single individual, every single phenomenon. Though we may not be able to express, many aspects are involved in making our everyday journey smooth and hassle-free. 

    

     From sunrise to sunset, first day of the month to its last, start of the year to its end- there are so many happenings that deserve our gratitude. Though our near and dear ones never expect these words of gratefulness, they are essential for the heart within us. Adding sweetness to our memories and experiences, expression of ‘thank-you’ is all that keeps us alive with humanity.

                                             

If given a chance to express gratitude under spotlight on a world stage, whom would you like to thank and why?

  

     Away from conventional reasons, let us think out of the box. Thanking people for unrecognized causes and unexpected aspects will highlight the magic in our lives. Let me prepare a thank-you note for such interesting reasons. It is better to be prepared well in advance, if the spotlight decides to shine over me!

  I would like to thank my

1.       DAD for:

-      never feeding me with ready information and encouraging me to hunt for answers

-       never discouraging my silly ideas,while explaining the good and bad with equal weight-age

-       never spoiling or pampering me, though I still continue to ask for it, even today!

-       enjoying every kind of food that I ever made, with smile over face and silent words of appreciation.

1.        MOM for:

-       giving me so many reasons to thank that enlisting those are impossible!

-        never showering me with false praises, while giving clear instructions for every task.

-        experimenting different cuisines or latest styles, while offering an honest feedback!

-        keeping an account of money, while forcing me to learn the same

2.       SISTER for:

-      being a younger and cooler version of mother by magnifying love, care, happiness and amplifying instructions, increasing scrutiny and encouraging improvements

-       being an honest critic and for having opinions about everything – right from color of clothes to choice of food; from dealing with people to planning of activities; she is truly an end-to-end guide for survival!

-       pointing out my mistakes under backdrop of fights to make me realize that the future journey shall not be filled with roses alone.

-      teaching me the value of sharing that began from Day 1 by sharing of parents!

3.       HUBBY for :

-          never expecting gratitude, as I find it extremely difficult to thank him!

-          listening to my long stories, yet never yawning over them

-          offering a master-chef touch to my dishes, yet never claiming its success

-          handing the car-keys, while patiently accompanying me with unwanted instructions!

4.        RELATIVES for: 

-     their presence in every occasion, from clapping hands for my childish dances as a kid to celebrating important events along the way.

-   giving a pure, lively feel of extended family and showering blessings forever  

5.       FRIENDS for

               - offering me the hope that life is not perfect, and it is absolutely acceptable to laugh                       over mistakes, smile over mishaps and encounter troubles

-      sharing their funny experiences over every stage of life, strengthening the thought that I am not alone with my half-baked experiences!

-       teasing and scaring me about exciting challenges ahead, yet preparing me in their own special way

       From teachers who loaded me with studies to teach about the value of hard work to smiles from unknown people that make me feel one among them; from my little nephew who radiates his innocence to my brother-in-law who is a value-addition into the family, from my in-laws who team with me while teasing their son to editors who encourage my writing; from failures that push me towards practice to negative remarks that improve my style, there are so many factors to be grateful about.

    Mother Nature, environmental resources, facilities, opportunities, neighborhood, hometown, birth nation, every single profession and entire globe as a whole deserve this gratitude as they make our life worth living.

      These interesting aspects of people and situations color our usual life with unusual shades. Express gratitude for all those things you never thought about and experience confirmed instant happiness!

 P.S: A big thank you to all the readers since you complete my blogs. Writing is absolutely incomplete without the contact of your eyes with its words! 

FEELING- EMOTION- SENTIMENT express: train of thoughts in the journey of life

Smile: reflection of happiness from heart, shining over the curves of face

Laughter: projection of joy with sound of delight

Tears: expression of emotions soaked in true feelings

Surprise: unexpected encounter with unexpected emotions

Gratitude: report of joy for the act of assistance

Kindness: incorporation of good conduct

Defeat: unavoidable instance of failure

Hope: energy to march ahead

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 …don’t worry, you have not reached some online version of dictionary! Though they express meaning of a few words, the aim is to introduce you to a ride over the train of thoughts. A train that shall connect us with stations such as smile, laughter, tears, surprise and many more on the way, the blogger in me hopped onto such an express for an interesting experience.

     With a ride to many wonderful places, I hope you will enjoy the journey too! Though some stations may appeal you more with a desire to stay longer; while some may disinterest you with nothing great to offer, sticking to the route and moving along is essential for the complete package.

    Feel free to share your comments while we travel, as this FEELING-EMOTION-SENTIMENT express runs on the fuel called experience. As each one of us have an unlimited stock of this fuel, we can hope to enjoy a hassle-free journey!

1^st station: SMILE

  What to look forward to: Expect happiness, joy, fun and pleasure at this destination as it has an abundant stock and unlimited supply!

   A curve on face for the joy in heart, smile is an expression to communicate. Not limited to our own acquaintances alone, smile is a perfect way to connect with everyone around. Breaking the ice with strangers, as smile extends a way to network, it provides an excellent fool-proof solution. Though it may last for a short while, smile can speak our heart and mirror our mind.

      It holds a great influence on our mood. At times, smile is all we need to change our frame of mind within minutes. Bringing enthusiasm when soaked in boredom, happiness when absorbed by sorrow, hope when surrounded by failure and support when gripped by loneliness, greeting by a smile can open all the doors. Acknowledging and appreciating the presence of people around, smile offers an opportunity to express our gratitude in a sweet, little way.

       An expression that connects people of all age groups, smile makes us feel loved, accepted and one among all. While words may refuse to accompany us at the most needed moment, smile does come to the rescue! Bridging people of different natures, smile is the universal tool used by all. From a shy introvert who finds it difficult to communicate to an extrovert instantly connecting with the crowd, from a listener with patient ears to an orator with stock of speeches, smile equates all in an expression of happiness.

     Smile from our dear ones work wonders as they energize our mission and fill our hearts with love. While smile from an elder does possess a unique charm, the magic of baby’s facial curve can never be expressed in words. Though photographs and videos of my little nephew’s smile bring joy and excitement, even simple narration of this expression by his parents offer an unusual taste of happiness. Since he is not yet equipped with the tool of speech, smile is his perfect flawless weapon to demand attention and enjoy the limelight! As innocence and truthfulness reflect from a child’s heart, their smile is the best gift to experience selfless and unbiased love.

       Willingness to smile demonstrates our desire to stay connected. It offers happiness of belonging to a particular place. As a first step to initiate contact, smile works towards this goal. A smiling face spreads positive radiance and ensures a good start. Though we may encounter challenges and troubles on our path, smile gives that much needed push, providing hope for success. An ornament that decorates our personality, this comparison shall explain the need to wear it always!

     Smiling at those around is certainly the best way to help. We may never realize, but our smile could be the only interesting event in a person’s course of day. Without demanding any materialistic resources, it is a wonderful way to deliver happiness.

    As a badge that brings each one together, smile is an identity to our humanity. Smile at an unknown figure on a foreign land and happiness shall definitely follow.

    Hope you enjoyed the halt at this land of smile. Make sure to shop well and grab as many smiles as possible, after all you have to flash them forever.

   Time to move to the second stop. Also named as the ‘Thank you land’, our NEXT STATION is called _____ (fill in the blank!)

    

For the child in us...

     

      Mention of our favorite cartoon show, sight of our most-savored chocolate as a kid, photographs filled with our innocent acts, memories of our unusual pranks - one single thought about these wonderful aspects and life takes us to our amazing childhood. A phase too fantastic to put down into words, a phase too colorful to paint it on our canvas, childhood is undoubtedly the best time in each one's life.
 
     An interesting story in itself, every life has a fun-filled plot along this journey as a kid. Century may vary, decade may differ, year may change and world may show diverse colors of modern times, yet every individual has a wonderful period to cherish. While talking to younger generation of today, each one's bag of kiddish memories open up to offer lot of meaningful lessons, unusual experiences and naughty secrets!

        As messages and wishes of Children’s day floated on this Saturday, it spread around happiness of a child’s life. Not willing to grow up and still hoping to be treated as a kid, as I forced my sister to include me in her wishes, along with my cute, little nephew; it made me realize that life as a kid was so amazing. With worries restricted to broken toys and hopes limited to daily supply of chocolates, this childhood journey was certainly colorful in every way.

     Now while, childhood has chosen to transfer us to other departments of life- offering duties of career, marriage, finances and parenthood, we definitely hoped to stay with that first wonderful phase a little longer. If given a chance, as we all would love to go back to our childhood, growing digit of age does the crucial work of pushing us towards maturity. Though it is impossible to reverse our clocks and move back to the innocent acts and childish talks, we can still preserve some aspects of it.

 Which are these factors that awaken the child in us?

 What are the actions that can lead to wonderful reactions filled with innocence, enjoyment        and laughter?

  How would it feel to seek happiness in little acts and aim for fun with no action-plan?

       While we all can create our own version of answers for this question bank, thinking about these aspects shall certainly pull you towards the magic of childhood. Preserving the child in us brings us closer to the joy of life, it prompts us to accept failures, magnify our efforts, laugh at our mistakes and be truthful to ourselves. Though we teach and train children with an aim to transform them into responsible individuals, we unknowingly lose our tricks of trade in the process. While surviving in the reality of world, as we are forced to accept maturity, it is necessary to have momentary revisits to that sweet, little inner child.

Let me help you with my answers, those may prompt you to frame your own!

Several fun-filled incidences in our daily life, pull us towards that little master.

1.       Favoring our favorites

    Favorite food item, favorite cuisine, favorite color, favorite outfit, favorite activity, favorite place and an endless list of personal favorites. Each of these dearly loved factors offer us unexplained joy. As we enjoy an unlimited stock of fun radiating from this list, it makes us feel like a child once again. Though our choice may evolve with age, the amount of happiness with each of these remain the same.

      So next time you sing your favorite song or order your most loved dish, be guilt-free while you enjoy it as a little kid.

2.       Exploring novelties

         When life offers us a chance to explore new experiences – an activity never tried before, a place never visited in the past or a cuisine never tasted earlier, a child-like excitement rises from the core. With an interest to explore these novelties and energy to try out diverse experiences, we get closer to an unbiased frame of mind.

     Try your hand at a different game or plan a holiday to an exotic location, but make sure to leave your judgments at bay and enjoy it with the heart of a kid!

3.       Looking at the junior versions

          Sight of a child engrossed in the same kind of mischief like ours, once upon a time or stories about their activities, school, enjoyment and fun tempt us to compare it with our own childhood. As we enjoy this nostalgia and run along the memory lane with complete enthusiasm, we enter their shoes to be kids once again. Watching children and their conduct around us certainly has the power to make us young as we grab the opportunity to draw comparisons and make conclusions.

      Share your childhood mischievous stories with your kids, nephew, niece or grand-kids to relive as a child once again- but as a word of caution, do this only after you have signed a ‘non-repetition’ agreement with them!

     As a means to fill our hearts with love, energy, happiness and excitement, protecting the inner child is essential by all means. Keeping this child alive, while climbing the ladder of maturity is the only way of spreading sweet fragrance of life all around. 

   Wish a 'HAPPY CHILDREN'S DAY to the child in each one of us, after all we need a reason to celebrate.

…because light travels everywhere, and so do feelings!

     Bright lights, colorful clothes, delicious food, interesting gifts, lovely wishes and happiness all around. When presence of these wonders dominate our typical routine, we realize the influence of an amazing festive aura. As this festival of light enters our lives with brightness, energy, enthusiasm and love, it feels wonderful to grab an opportunity of celebration. Bringing families, relatives, friends and well-wishers under a roof, no agenda is necessary to begin the festival. With focus on fun, food, happiness and prayers, DIWALI certainly lights our feelings and brightens our emotions.

     So while till date, celebrating this wonderful festival meant shopping, cooking, decorating and being with family on home ground, presence of foreign soil was expected to make a difference in this year’s schedule. Celebration of a special festival miles away from home country, yet the happiness of exploring a new style in a new land was definitely a cocktail of several feelings together.

    Following parents’ instructions every year, as I enjoyed being a loyal helper, there was a drastic change in my job role this time! I realized a badge of ‘in-charge’ waited to greet me with new responsibilities. This important festival post marriage was turning into an independent attempt, demanding plans and acts of execution.

     As I put my previous knowledge into action and looked forward towards the novel touch of new location, there was lot of excitement in picture. With no elder to validate my festive information, the opportunity of bossing over husband with my personalized set of instructions amplified the joy to a great extent! From preparing a shopping list for essential festive items to searching traditional recipes on the internet, from lighting little lamps in the house to adding a foreign twist to every aspect, this change of job was certainly fun in every way.

     While bringing this festival joy within the scope of ‘home away from home’, I realized it was not very different from the ones we celebrated during all these years. Though it was impossible to replicate every single aspect, it did offer us joy of experiencing love, devotion, values and enthusiasm. Savoring the taste of my experimental sweets while analyzing and comparing it with those made by mom each year, I pondered about the real meaning of a festival.

Is it about the location where you celebrate or the amount of money you spent?

Is it about the resources or materials that spell out traditional value or about the pure flavor of homely ingredients?

    While it is impossible to hunt for perfect and correct answers, life on a far-away shore tempted me to share my words, once again! Series of little lights shining over windows of many houses for this grand festival on foreign soil gave birth to the title of this blog. As light and feelings travel all around the world, it has taught me some interesting facets of festivals.

1.       Festivals do not have a PIN code

    Born with an aim to spread happiness and cheer in every household, festivals cannot be restricted to any particular address or location. Celebrated with feelings of love, care, trust and togetherness, they can be enjoyed in any part of the world. Be it a city far away from home or a country miles away from our birth soil, festivals do not validate your address to grant you access in its aura.

2.       Festivals do not have a price tag

                           While relationships cannot be purchased and feelings cannot be bought from the market,   festivals are not for sale either. They do not demand a fixed amount or expect a certain budget as celebrations involve feelings and emotions. With love and happiness as their initial raw materials, we can only amplify their presence year after year.  Though we look forward to gifting our loved ones with special surprises, they are nothing but fun-filled materials to symbolize our love.

3.       Celebrations cannot follow a protocol

     Be it a religious festival or a cultural one, be it a national celebration or international day of significance, festivals cannot be celebrated with a fixed agenda or defined protocol. As we found happiness in our own version of celebration at home, I realized the joy in adapting to the surroundings. Festivals do not validate our methods but provide joy in the process of designing them. From lighting candles in place of traditional oil lamps to watching traditional music videos on YouTube, we created our interesting protocol.

4.       Festivals are virtual too!

    Now while we all agree, nothing can replace the joy of seeing our loved ones or the purpose of any festival is to bring everyone together, we did enjoy an unusual virtual mode of celebration. Encoded within messages, captured by pictures and flowing with videos, as we enjoyed long-distance version of celebration, our phones appeared to be much smarter than before!

Hope many such festivals continue to spread happiness and joy in our world as these feelings do not look at boundaries or stop at any location. They are meant to travel all around- delivering smiles, refilling laughter!

Daylight saving – playing with time!

      ‘Time and tide waits for no man’, we all have been taught about this since childhood and experience it along the course of our life. While this thought shall never change, no matter how many technological advances we bring in or how many breakthroughs we target at, daylight saving is one little exception that forces time to wait!

       As we put an end to daylight saving on 1^st November by switching our clocks back by an hour, we experienced the magic of creating time. At 1:59 am, when our digital clocks shifted back to 1 am rather than moving to 2am, we were about to experience one extra hour in our lives! Though additional set of 60 minutes may appear as a small, little change, my first ever encounter was totally interesting. 

     

      Excited to witness this rather unusual trend, as my eyes were glued to the clock on cell phone, staying awake at such an odd hour was totally worth it. After all, we were about to grab an extra hour for sleeping, anyways! Breaking the stereotype of 24 hours a day, we had 25 hours in our hand.

       Curious about this exciting phenomenon, as I turned to ‘Google’ for all the answers, there was so much to read about. From history of daylight saving to its advantages limited to the past, from controversies about its significance today to its irrelevance in modern times, from undesirable effects on body clock to impact on general life, daylight saving was surely a hot topic; enjoying all the attention.

A look at its birth

    Daylight saving was introduced in many countries of the Northern hemisphere during the summer months, with an aim to make more use of natural sunlight. Implemented in United States during World War I, it soon became a trend observed till date. While its main purpose was to cope with lack of electricity and perform maximum activities under natural light during summer, shifting the clock by an hour ahead proved helpful.

     For almost 8-9 months as the clock was programmed ahead of time, it enabled people to benefit with long days and more light for the evenings. This meant a start to daylight saving, giving 23 hours for the first time when the change was made. The clock was brought back to its original time during fall, putting an end to DST and gifting each one with 25 hours for one single day!

The story today..

      This practice of daylight saving is followed till date, as we run ahead in summer by an hour and come back to the original in fall. Days chosen for the start and end of DST are weekends as this facilitates people to come back to their normal schedule during the week. By pushing ahead 1.59 am to 3 am in summer, we begin our day early and by moving back 1.59 am to 1 am in winter, we enjoy an extra hour.

      With controversies about its significance today, many states among the United States are proposing an end to this practice.

Impact on life

     Wondering about these man-made changes to the natural course of time, made me realize that disturbance to nature can impact life to certain extent.Start to daylight saving appears normal as we are all used to flying speed of time. Shifting ahead by an hour seems usual as time never waits for anyone! It does disturb the body clock to a certain extent as we lose one precious hour of our lives.     

     On the other hand as we gained an extra hour on Sunday, the day appeared exceptionally long. While long Sundays are certainly a boon, an abnormal shift to the clock did leave an impact on the mind. Reminded about this extra time all along the course of day, it was impossible to stop thinking. Change of 60 minutes spelled out an effect when stomach demanded early food!

      Besides this shift of body clock, daylight saving has an effect on machinery in industries programmed for round the clock or staff working on shift basis. While the effect of this comes back to normal after a day, it does involve adjustments. Though network auto-updates this change with cellular phones, laptops and computers displaying the correct time instantly, manual clocks and watches need thoughtful shift.

    If one misses to make this change at the start of saving, it may lead to delay by an hour, with chances of being labelled ‘non-punctual’. While error in the shift at end of daylight saving will mean being ‘overly’ punctual!

      

What it meant to me!

      While debates about the pros and cons of DST are fresh and live in the government, I wonder if the weight-age of my request shall add any value! With 12.5 hours away from people back home, as we have further moved to a difference of 13.5 hours, new adjustments will have to be made. Adding to the already existing chaos, as our off-track comments and messages shall enter into the common group, this daylight saving change may force us to be an ‘outcast’!

       

     Shifting hands of my wrist watch was exciting as it gave me the feel of creating time. Talking about this difference, as my mother mocked us for playing with time, the least I could offer was ask them to shift their clocks as well! 

    Though the real purpose of this DST may have been lost in the long run, this novel experience does add some excitement.

 P.S: Special thanks to my Dad for a long and patient virtual discussion on this DST and mention of my husband for a live one (sorry hubby, not just your wife but even this keyboard refused to type out thanks to you!) 

Planting a green housemate – exciting, novel company within our roof!

        When asked about living and non-living things in school, we all were taught to answer, “Plants, animals, humans are living in nature”. While this statement was to be accepted as an answer, classification of plants under the category of ‘living’ always appeared unusual. 

      

       With no hands, legs, eyes, ears, nose or skin, accepting trees as one among us was extremely difficult to digest. Though we love them for their green shade, soothing warmth, freshness of leaves and beauty of flowers, I never imagined to be able to visualize this life in them.

         It is only after me and my husband welcomed a very first plant within the roof of our house, when a wonderful feeling entered our lives. A feeling that introduced us to the life embedded within its roots, a feeling that showed us the magic within its leaves, a feeling that made us realize strength within its soil, we experienced the entry of a new house-mate! While till date, I always wondered about the joy of gardening, presence of one single plant changed it all.Amazed by how people experienced happiness with hands in soil and mind in its nurturing, my gardening experience in childhood was only limited to the job of watering; owing to forceful instructions from parents!

     Though a student of Horticulture, I could never contemplate my mother’s happiness on seeing roses bloomed to her plant or father’s excitement to feed with them fertilizers. Filled with energy as if they played with little kids, I always struggled to experience the same kind of joy with these potted green mates.

     Not sure if I could ever understand this form of life, my husband’s enthusiasm to nurture a plant provided a much needed opportunity. As we brought his favorite lemon grass plant and began preparations for its stay, the entire experience resembled the arrival of a housemate! Shopping for pot, soil, fertilizer and planning for its watering schedule, we were filled with unusual energy and experience.Displaying my horticultural knowledge, as I won my husband’s confidence to take care of our new roomie, I experienced the joy of being an in-charge. As a new friend entered into our lives, I was amazed at the power of its love. Blessing us with its company, I saw myself appreciating its presence. 

   Though we have been enjoying the company of this green housemate from a very short while, it inspired me to pen down some interesting aspects of these green friends.

Ø Silent motivators: As quiet spectators that offer us their presence, plants are the best silent motivators. With their fresh energy and beautiful existence, they inspire us to continue our efforts with magnified strength and amplified vigor.

Ø     Selfless beliefs: Trees and plants inspire us to live for others. With no agenda for themselves, plants introduce us to their selfless beliefs. Providing every part for the benefit of others, their life equips us with many lessons for the future.

Ø    Modest needs, simple living: While plants never communicate with us in the form of speech, their life demonstrates modest and simple practices. Adapting themselves to the surrounding conditions, they inspire us to be flexible in life. Survival in any given condition is an important lesson to be learnt from these green teachers.

Ø    Radiating joy, spreading energy: One single look at these plants in the morning can fill our life with joy. Capable of transmitting energy within our system, their freshness can wish us with wonderful moments ahead.

Ø    Punctual schedule, timely conduct: With schedule in line with the rising and setting sun, plants seem to have a fantastic body clock! Rising with morning greenery, shining with afternoon sun and resting with evening darkness, they move along with the rest of nature.

Ø    Essential and beneficial company: With need for industries, thirst for development and love for materials, our efforts are being directed towards destruction of this green cover. While we march towards their elimination, while ignoring their significance, we may find ourselves alone on a barren land. Their presence is very essential for our planet as our mother earth relies on perfect coordination and balance between all life forms.

So while, this new member in our house has filled our lives with exciting experiences and amazing lessons, it has brought me closer to the life within plants. Though it may not be able to acknowledge our happiness with a nod or greet us with a smile, its thin swaying leaves seem to convey a lot!

       

     

A walk down the school memory lane - Part 10

Nothing good about this ‘Good-bye’ – farewell to school life!
 

     As all roads have to end somewhere, walking down the school memory lane brought me to the unavoidable farewell. A ten-part series of blogs that took me to the most beautiful memories, these posts offered me an opportunity to be back in school once again. While I wished to admire, enjoy, talk and be soaked in this nostalgia forever, I saw myself at the end of road with no access ahead.

   

     Past memories shower us with happiness only if we leave the present for a short while, nostalgia spreads around enthusiasm only if lasts for a brief time. With this, as I reluctantly agreed to end the school series, the sadness to leave and a longing to continue for just a little while, resembled my school farewell in every way. Disliking its compulsion and discipline while entering and exiting the school gate each single day, yet hoping to never depart away from it, the final day of farewell delivers the sad truth to each of its students.

      During the final year of school, every student longs to taste freedom of the outside world, only to realize that the voice of teachers’ instructions inside was more melodious than the chaos of independence outside. Eagerly waiting to march in a free field with no limitations and restrictions, farewell day appears totally appealing to mark an end to school life. 

      It is only on the day of farewell that we realize, we are forced to leave so many things behind! Beyond the perfect discipline, punctual conduct, forced instructions and supportive teachers, we bid farewell to every single moment of growth. A place that developed us into responsible individuals, our farewell extends to the supportive environment, joyful atmosphere, cheerful surrounding and competitive aura.

      It spells out separation from our classmates who stood by us in every single adventure. Be it an examination or a routine day at school; be it a picnic, function or competition filled with fun, farewell forces us to say ‘good bye’ to all such memorable moments.

        Struggling to cope with studies, working hard to excel in every grade and striving to deliver the best, school life keeps each one occupied. While engrossed in it, we detest it to the core, but the day of farewell leaves us with an emptiness, marking an end to everything. Though challenges of further studies await our admission, they can never replace the innocence, fear, excitement and joy of being at school.

      Bidding good-bye to school friends was undoubtedly the most difficult task. The sudden realization of being away from classroom chaos, group discussions, adventurous plans and random talks cannot be put into words. Though as friends we stay in touch forever, it can never replicate the feel of being right inside the school building. Writing, reading, studying, fighting, talking, thinking, complaining, discussing, planning - every single activity carried out within the four walls of classroom remind us of a beautiful era.

       Nothing can bring this phase back where worries of homework, excitement of tiffin and joy of meeting friends kept everyone busy, day in and day out. While each student had long list of complaints during every single day at school, they would be magically converted into praises on the day of farewell. Though all have reasons to be sad about the feel of school or reasons to run away from its grip, final day soaks everyone in its shower of love. Warmth of its care and comfort of its safety seem so wonderful, leaving behind fearful thoughts of the future. Worried about the challenges ahead, separation from school and uncertainty of course ahead combine into complicated feelings.

        A wonderful phase in each one’s life, school stays within the heart forever. Be it any occasion or any location, be it any audience or any situation, mention about school memories brighten up the moment.  A topic close to all, school converts each person into a wonderful speaker, offering so many factors to talk about!

      From tears of nursery classes to excitement of primary grades, from friendship in secondary grades to seriousness of final year, school life shall follow me as a wonderful dream. Though I may conclude this series about school, I shall never be able to conclude my thoughts as we all hold an unlimited access pass to this land of happiness, joy, fun and memories!

A walk down the school memory lane-Part 9

‘Out of the book’ learning

         A place that imparts knowledge, a place that offers education, a place that takes us through a planned curriculum, a place that evaluates our step-wise learning – besides polishing us with knowledge from the books, a school teaches us a lot more. 

        Though course taught in the classroom tests our skills in examination, our school blesses us with several opportunities of ‘out of the book’ learning. Not included in any subject or printed in any book, this valuable knowledge takes us a long way in real life.

        While seated on the benches of classroom, in front of the blackboard; as we focused on our subjects and stayed engrossed in books, the child in us was unable to appreciate this precious knowledge. Only after we leave school forever and walk ahead on the path of future, we understand those pieces of essential learning.

        As memories of school, we understand the meaning of every single experience, be it strict discipline of our Principal or light moments with teachers, be it random talks with friends or any group activity with classmates. Every moment spent in school decodes itself to reveal its true significance. As puzzles that never made sense back then, we come closer to the real purpose of school education. Molding young minds, preparing them for the world ahead, guiding them at every step, encouraging them for trials and errors; school certainly does a lot more.

        Complaining about every single aspect of school, it takes years and years of separation to appreciate all that it offered. As we sit back and think about our progress, school dominates every single sphere of life. From bookish knowledge to extra-curricular activities, from sharing with friends to communication with elders; school was nothing less than a finishing academy, bringing out the best in each of its students. Treating every student equally, its goal was to transform little kids into strong individuals.

Though schools differ, generations change and cities vary, school life is always same for each one. Memories, moments, learning and experiences unite everyone under the same banner.

 So what are these ‘out of the book’ lessons that school taught us? Are they same for you and me?

 Here is the syllabus sheet of my ‘out of the box’ learning course. Let us see if it matches yours!

Chapter 1: Treat every individual equally

               Just as the school uniform dresses everyone with the same attire and unites all; it is essential to avoid discrimination and treat each one equally with same amount of respect.

Chapter 2: Participate in every activity

                One may not ace in sports or be an expert in dance, one many not enjoy singing or  look forward to fitness exercises; yet school motivates each one to try out every  activity. It is more about enjoying oneself and less about winning that brings happiness in a monotonous life.

Chapter 3:  Make new friends, meet new people

                 Not restricting to a comfort zone or set of same friends right from the nursery class,       school encouraged us to make new friends and talk to different people. Shuffling of  classes  and creating new groups during activities imparted this necessary confidence.

Chapter 4: Share and care in a team

               Offering the experience of team right from junior classes, the entire class strength worked  as one single unit. Providing equal opportunities to answer, read, discuss or participate during  every event in class, it taught us the meaning of team spirit besides sharing and caring with  those around.

Chapter 5: Discipline and punctuality take you a long way

                While punctuality of school bell and discipline within school premises pushed us away  from it over and over again, we realize the melody of its sound during independent  phase of  life. Sincerity in work, discipline in approach and punctuality in every task  were our unwanted guests back then, while today they are the only keys to open the  doors of success.

Chapter 6: Comparisons and jealousy fill your life with negativity

                Discouraging feelings of jealously and acts of comparison, school taught us the need to be satisfied with our own things. Demanding, fighting, complaining or crying could lead us nowhere as their job was nothing else besides spreading dark negativity.

Chapter 7: Practice till you master  

                Innumerable efforts, consistent hard work and determination are routes to master any single job. Unless one practices with complete dedication, it is impossible to be an expert at anything and everything under the sun.

Chapter 8: Honesty is the best policy

               School teaches each one to adopt the policy of honesty. Lies, cheating, misconduct may take one towards success through a short-cut , only to realize it was a wrong location in an opposite direction.

Chapter 9: Habits and manners accessorize our appearance

               Good habits and manners give identity to our existence. These seeds sown right from school shall remain with our character forever.

Chapter 10: March ahead with pride but never forget the roots

                As the first ever training place that prepares us for the future, our school contributes to a great extent. Memories of school always remind us to appreciate our roots. While we walk towards success, we must never forget the role of our parents, siblings, friends, college as they make us what we are today.

   This ‘out of the book’ learning course has been interesting in every way. Nostalgic walk on the school memory lane has taken me back to its premises – forcibly pushed as a student, longing to enter as an adult!