Happy kick - Visitors of the prettiest kind

A few days back, these gorgeous 2 visited me - I was getting ready for work and I hear a pecking at my window - I jumped in surprise and I was pleasantly surprised to see these 2 trying to get my attention! I walked slowly and opened the window and they didn't fly away - I quickly whisked out my camera and the clicks made them move away  but they stayed. The posed for me at the grill and that's when I captured this lovely shot. I got them some food but they just looked me - spread their wings and flew off. They circled my window for a while but didn't come back. They were so pretty and I thought they'd just come to say "Hi! Take a few pics of us will ya?" :-))

A few years back, a similar incident happened. I stay at a place where there used to be a lot of parrots. It used to be a delight to wake up to the sounds of parrots screeching. One such morning, I walked into my room that they're being particularly very noisy! And i saw a baby parrot at my window ledge. He was super cute. I reached out to him - he didn't fly away. I played with him for a while and when he started nipping at my finger I realized he was really hungry. He seemed quite familiar with a human so I assumed he was being fed regularly by one and he'd by mistake come to my window that day. I was eating then and I suppose he wanted that as well.

I rushed to the kitchen and mum was making 'Paratha's' - she made a tiny one for the parrot as well. So mum, dad and I went into my room and I fed him. It was so cute watching him wipe out a full Paratha. We then got him a guava but by then the older parrots realized that there is food and came in flocks. The poor baby parrot was outnumbered by the biggies and we had to shut our window. He flew off after a while. He didn't come back again, but he left a very nice memory in our minds.

The parrot population dwindled over the years - people captured them and sold them in cages. GRRRRRRR. I'd missed seeing them the last 2 years but this year they seem to be a making a come back. So I do have these special mornings when a few visitors stop by and say hello and I love to greet them with a 'Welcome back my friends' :-))

Mumbai meri jaan - Marking 5 years of the blasts, Jul 13, 2011

You were wounded today my love,

Damaged and broken in parts.

In your body, seeped the blood of the injured

And the dead.

What happened to you,

Sent shock waves through the world.

And my heart sank

For I knew they'd hurt you again.

You'll bounce back

Like you always do.

Everyone will call it - Resilience of the Indians

The spirit of you.

But deep down inside you,

Somethings changed forever

We'll all move on tomorrow

And you, my love, will bear it like you always do.

Music for the soul

Yesterday I spent a lovely Saturday noon shopping with my sister - We did the usual when we drive together - Put on some music and sang our loudest to the music - Those are some of my best times with my sister. I owe her my love and passion for music - growing up she was so instrumental in introducing me to great music. So now when I joke about retro 80's music being "Music from her time", I think that's also music from "my" time. 

107.1 FM has the best English music played on Radio - I think now they're the only ones who air English music as well. Last night while driving home, they were playing the Moody Blues. I've always loved "Nights in White Satin" by then. And I don't know how I missed this lovely number - its called "Haunted". It is so beautiful. Justin Hayward - song writer, guitarist, singer in the band has a truly haunting voice. This song takes me back in time and makes me pensive. Its been on loop since today. Listen Here

I hope you love it just as much as I do. Happy listening :-)

Moody Blues - Haunted

I really miss you when the nights are long

                                                   And only silence is heard in this world of song

But life goes on

And forever more

I'll be haunted by your love

I see you walking through the gates of home

And then I wake up to find I'm still all alone

I should have known

But forever more

I'll be haunted by your love

Lonely is the river as it tumbles to the ocean

Searching for our future

We can't find our way back home

My only comfort is the love we shared

And as I walk through this world

With sadness everywhere

I've had my share

And forever more

I'll be haunted by your love

And forever more

I'll be haunted by your love

Standing in the doorway

As the sunrise greets the morning

Searching for our future

We can't find our way back home

I really miss you when the nights are long

And only silence is heard in this world of song

But life goes on

And forever more

I'll be haunted by your love

Haunted by your love

Don't Quit - Author unknown

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, 

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill, 

When the funds are low and the debts are high, 

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, 

When care is pressing you down a bit, 

Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns, 

As every one of us sometimes learns, 

And many a failure turns about, 

When he might have won had he stuck it out; 

Don't give up though the pace seems slow-- 

You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than, 

It seems to a faint and faltering man, 

Often the struggler has given up, 

When he might have captured the victor's cup, 

And he learned too late when the night slipped down, 

How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out-- 

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, 

And you never can tell how close you are, 

It may be near when it seems so far, 

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit-- 

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

July wish list! Wishing you Wisdom

May you have the hind sight to know where you've been,

the foresight to know where you are going

and the insight to know when you're going too far

When Love and Hate collide

A conversation with a dear friend triggered off writing this post. I was asked if I could ever hate someone I loved. The answer came from me without a pause. You cant hate someone you truly loved. How much ever you try, it just does not happen. Does that mean something is wrong with you? Not one bit - Hate is way too extreme an emotion. And when you love with all your heart and soul, there is simply no room for hatred.

So people who meant a lot to you don't talk to you, dear friends move to different countries, you nurse a broken heart for a long time, your long distance relationship collapses like a pack of cards, your lover does not feel the same way about you anymore, your best friend is now someone else s best friend, your soul-mate, soul sister, soul brother has not called you in years - you just fell apart with each other. Sound familiar? We've all been through one of these situations. If you feel hatred for someone for any one or more of these situations, know that you've then not loved the person a 100%. There is simply no room for it :-) 

Love is a strong emotion as well - few are lucky to experience unconditional love. The purest form being the love your mum has for you. You could be a rascal of a child, however you can still crawl back into mummy's arms and feel loved. You're forgiven-just like that. You may not need to dig too deep or look too far to remember moments when you've experienced love in purity. Hatred just does not feature in the scheme of things. No you're not being noble and self sacrificing because you don't hate - you're acknowledging yourself for being able to look beyond the fact that someone is no longer a part of your life in the present and may not even be in the future, but in the past this person made you feel super special with his or her love for you. Remember that feeling, breathe that feeling in, revel in it once in a while.  Sadness may take over when your heart yearns for that feeling again, and a tear of longing may roll down your cheek, but rest assured you'll smile thinking that you are incapable of feeling hatred for that person for the love was just so beautiful.

This monsoon, I wish for you moments filled with love. 

Moments with your dear ones filled with joy and happiness. 

And if ever you feel lonely know that you're capable of being loved. 

And that you're capable of sharing that love too. 

And when all else seems lost and anger and hatred threaten to take over, 

You step back and fill yourself with the belief that 

Love and only love will help you sail through your moment of doubt.