tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60451712960550726152024-02-18T22:47:46.965-08:00wordsloomMy channel for introspection and reflection on everything under the sun - life, current issues, society, relationships, humanity and random thoughts.Meghana Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11055102479241188675noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045171296055072615.post-40016517863391098042020-06-13T14:53:00.000-07:002024-01-21T14:55:11.336-08:00We’re really all the same!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCrvSxd4ANLlNx90LnR5JIwHwBAME5pZRVPBl89OLNlpGqr4Zp5Jirfbu0WHBQhI8UBfEB1CeWERPR_HgHyxUua6vvsgWsHq5tRkAilddYpxFwBdGLRaDShPEcS1M-H5Gi3r3bYcw0jjQbkWKDRxxcXnDaLIVZImrR_oK52BXbPlSY2CQK6UiEeqjW-Iw/s758/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="758" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCrvSxd4ANLlNx90LnR5JIwHwBAME5pZRVPBl89OLNlpGqr4Zp5Jirfbu0WHBQhI8UBfEB1CeWERPR_HgHyxUua6vvsgWsHq5tRkAilddYpxFwBdGLRaDShPEcS1M-H5Gi3r3bYcw0jjQbkWKDRxxcXnDaLIVZImrR_oK52BXbPlSY2CQK6UiEeqjW-Iw/w526-h268/Capture.PNG" width="526" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We paint goodness white and evil black<br />
Black money, black sheep, black mail.<br />
Just a colour – so much flak!<br />
Through the millennia, across the world, this logic prevails<br />
Our language colour-coded, just like our thoughts!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The colour of the skin speaks to us,<br />
Not the heart, nor the eyes, least the soul.<br />
We only see what’s most superfluous<br />
Our minds are closed, our choices made;<br />
Unaware that our judgement has totally misled us.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Why is it so easy to dismiss another,<br />
And to think we’re better than the rest?<br />
The colour of my skin decides my fate,<br />
my race determines my worth, all else fails the test.<br />
Were we born to slight each other thus?<br />
And never think beyond our nest.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">How about we raise the bar of our conscience<br />
To confront our own demons, and accept our share of the blame?<br />
Think before uttering an unfair word, discard mindless prejudice;<br />
Refuse to be silent spectators playing along with the game.<br />
Instead, put ourselves in others’ shoes, learn to feel their pain.<br />
‘cos underneath the sun tan, we’re really all the same!</p><p></p>Meghana Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11055102479241188675noreply@blogger.com0Ottawa, ON, Canada45.4215296 -75.69719309999999317.111295763821154 -110.85344309999999 73.731763436178852 -40.540943099999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045171296055072615.post-71670905924643724492020-05-29T14:51:00.000-07:002024-01-21T14:53:15.453-08:00Moment<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIv53tBQk-ed4_y1CwACzM7PVrscO3LmAiN0-YvVLGBt-ng5k_uOIEKRwhiUdPfYxtr0tizNto9VeEvLmvJVOxrt14HDIH6pamC83z3y870JM1q_3j2dpSpaZkSTGPuNBFIbSxxr63T_Ls3cSK5eDPLi01qM364pVEDPz7JWqp1jWEw7QIwSaldDUYnKo/s777/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="777" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIv53tBQk-ed4_y1CwACzM7PVrscO3LmAiN0-YvVLGBt-ng5k_uOIEKRwhiUdPfYxtr0tizNto9VeEvLmvJVOxrt14HDIH6pamC83z3y870JM1q_3j2dpSpaZkSTGPuNBFIbSxxr63T_Ls3cSK5eDPLi01qM364pVEDPz7JWqp1jWEw7QIwSaldDUYnKo/w544-h274/Capture.PNG" width="544" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>A dew drop of time that can hold an eternity within<br />
That fleeting instant when bonds of a lifetime may begin;<br />
Powerful enough to create memories to cherish<br />
Yet so ethereal – in a flash they vanish.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Moments of laughter and sorrow, moments of fear and fun;<br />
images from a reel like a dream well-spun.<br />
It only takes a moment to trust and another to hope,<br />
One fills you with warmth and the other helps you cope.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Capture it in a picture, or better still – hold it in your
heart<br />
But only the ones that in your smile put back the spark.<br />
These building blocks of life, if filled with love and care<br />
are ours to treasure, more precious than gems rarest of rare.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>An unkind moment may occasionally cross your path,<br />
Best to let it gently pass rather than give in to wrath.<br />
Moments of compassion more important than being right,<br />
Moments of letting grudges go better than holding on to them tight.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Too tiny to measure, delicate as a snowflake<br />
Each one is unique, there is no second take;<br />
Every moment well-lived creates an impact so profound,<br />
Can make your spirits soar and spread positivity all around.</i></p><p></p>Meghana Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11055102479241188675noreply@blogger.com0Ottawa, ON, Canada45.4215296 -75.69719309999999317.111295763821154 -110.85344309999999 73.731763436178852 -40.540943099999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045171296055072615.post-36587382567722595402020-04-14T14:49:00.000-07:002024-01-21T14:51:26.502-08:003 truths I gleaned from a great book<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQSPKnKNpOeM5Dv4vnH-hCfH6ZkAoERyHxxsi1yUD_Hmf1pcvXqoD8yP_BGEPeAi6Ab8K6WZWngKisYFC2JAd9ZeBN1fNS4-wMPQiu0lEO_w6hp5buL4RdrJuvWdM0eaUdwwnSFBlGOVqnfjaBA9x6VZfclWcuivkVEAPX2ZcL10hVQ8xCkFz-IpfqCeM/s773/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="773" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQSPKnKNpOeM5Dv4vnH-hCfH6ZkAoERyHxxsi1yUD_Hmf1pcvXqoD8yP_BGEPeAi6Ab8K6WZWngKisYFC2JAd9ZeBN1fNS4-wMPQiu0lEO_w6hp5buL4RdrJuvWdM0eaUdwwnSFBlGOVqnfjaBA9x6VZfclWcuivkVEAPX2ZcL10hVQ8xCkFz-IpfqCeM/w477-h240/Capture.PNG" width="477" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">As we’re all coming to grips with being confined to our
homes, life does have wonderfully strange ways of showing us the occasional
silver lining, or at least presenting us with opportunities to create it for
ourselves.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For me the silver lining has been to be able to catch up on
my first love – reading. The commute-less days leave me with plenty of time and
peace to curl up with a book and lose myself in another world. It’s an
experience I treasure and one which perhaps I had lost much of a connection
with during recent years, as I trudged through life’s mundane challenges.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The latest “treasure” that I had the good fortune of being
introduced to by my daughter, is the book “Educated” by Tara Westover. While
this isn’t a book review I am attempting to write, it’s more about what I took
away from this memoir and from the interviews of the author about her work.
There are some precious insights in there that are so valuable that I felt I
just had to document them, although they have made an indelible impression on
my mind and are a permanent addition to my repertoire of core beliefs and
ideals.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To begin with a brief backdrop – the author grew up in a
family adhering to a survivalist sect (in Idaho, U.S.) that believed in
minimalistic living. This meant never getting the chance of a formal education,
never availing the benefits of modern medicine and pretty much leading a
predictable, isolated life tucked away from the rest of the world.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Educated” is the author’s journey depicting her struggles
and conflicts as she finally breaks free from that mold to take her first steps
(at the age of seventeen) towards getting herself a formal education (finally
culminating in a PhD from Cambridge University). What’s fascinating about this
autobiography is not only the transformation that this journey brings about in
the author, but the manner in which her sensitive mind understands some deeper
truths that most of us who take our education for granted, often simply miss
out on.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Truth # 1: Stop putting people into boxes</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I doubt anyone of us can claim to be innocent of this trait.
Tara Westover admits in each of her interviews, that during her initial days at
the university, she still held the same prejudices about race, gender
stereotypes and homophobia that she had been raised with. She cringes at the
memory of the times when she had expressed her outdated opinions over casual
conversations, but at the same time is grateful to friends who did not give up
on her, countering her every argument with reason and logic until she could
expand her mind to grow out of them.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Taking a look at this from another perspective, she also
encountered religious bigots who although unflinching in their stance,
demonstrated unusual levels of compassion and generosity that many modern and
open-minded people may never have been capable of.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is value in every person and individuals are too
complex to be categorised based on their external and even internal traits.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Truth # 2: Reality is usually a far cry from our assumptions</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If the human race understood this fact, the world would be a
gentler, more peaceful place. The author talks about the rural-urban divide in
the U.S. that is characterized by heaps of misinformation and ignorance about
each by the other. Having been a part of both sides, she says that the way
people in rural Idaho describe city dwellers and vice versa couldn’t in fact be
farther away from the truth. Stereotypes are only a part and do not constitute
the whole.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Drawing parallels to our world – how easily do we fall prey
to prejudices about people from other ethnicities, religions or from “enemy
countries”, and cling on to them as if our very lives and faith depended on
those apprehensions and antipathies.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Beneath the layers of diverse cultural beliefs and
traditions, we are essentially the same beings, driven by the same motivations,
fuelled by the same feelings.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Truth # 3: The real meaning of education</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s normal to get carried away while we try to define what
being educated means. Does it only mean acquiring expertise in a field or
knowing more about a particular topic than most of those around you? The
author’s words from a recent interview sum it up beautifully when she describes
education as the “spirit of enquiry”. Being educated is not so much about
knowing a whole lot of things but more about trying to explore ideas alien to
yours. It’s about viewing the world with an open mind, allowing your curiosity
to broaden the horizons of your knowledge and having the grace and humility to
accept different points of view.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The long and short of it: being truly educated
necessarily means shedding every iota of arrogance and continuing to be a
life-long seeker in the quest for knowledge.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Grateful to this silver lining – a great book that
reconnected me with the three fundamental truths that are often forgotten in
the hustle and bustle of daily living.</p><p></p>Meghana Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11055102479241188675noreply@blogger.com0Ottawa, ON, Canada45.4215296 -75.69719309999999317.111295763821154 -110.85344309999999 73.731763436178852 -40.540943099999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045171296055072615.post-51504354049520707602019-07-25T14:47:00.000-07:002024-01-21T14:49:15.158-08:00The wonderful trend of inclusive workplaces – an immigrant’s perspective<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbcbXDCNW5TOLluF_-epa_uI_2G-U6Xg0pHiCGNB1OAwndpuW2iPMKo1jL2o-4d6FSN750tUzXRywYxMPzhrTNElBVjXmlIjp2VkBjrNVGCMuvhpjewHywiG_kjfv9rrI0HJHeCAt2rS5TiYMiDTFbObqnKvDODbGR44fHTysUwP9aVHq0XSauFcd1rZ0/s781/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="781" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbcbXDCNW5TOLluF_-epa_uI_2G-U6Xg0pHiCGNB1OAwndpuW2iPMKo1jL2o-4d6FSN750tUzXRywYxMPzhrTNElBVjXmlIjp2VkBjrNVGCMuvhpjewHywiG_kjfv9rrI0HJHeCAt2rS5TiYMiDTFbObqnKvDODbGR44fHTysUwP9aVHq0XSauFcd1rZ0/w501-h247/Capture.PNG" width="501" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Inclusion and diversity are the new buzz words in the modern
corporate world . Every employer vociferously emphasizes the importance of a
heterogeneous workforce where talent, expertise and character are the
main attributes that determine the worth of an employee, and never their
ethnicity.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What is truly commendable is that companies are doing the
best they can to weave cultural diversity and equality into the very ethos of
their daily interactions. This task isn’t easy, since it requires people in the
top management to cast aside many personal prejudices, most of which have been
too ingrained in their psyche as a result of societal mindsets passed down
through generations and centuries. Fortunately, the attitudes are fast changing
and more and more companies today are open enough to accept that stereotypes
can be misleading and that reality may not conform to a set of fixed beliefs
and impressions. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The most obvious stereotype to be busted in recent years is
that it is impossible for immigrants to possess anything but a working
knowledge of the English language. It is extremely reassuring to notice
that inclusive and diverse workplaces display an enhanced awareness about
the external world beyond one’s own limited sphere. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Employers in the modern age are more in tune with
international trends and acknowledge that having a non native English accent
(American/Canadian, British, Australian…etc) does not affect one’s grammar and
vocabulary and is not an indication of one’s ability to write and/or express
themselves in English. It is common knowledge today that many of the top awards
for English writing have been bagged by non-native speakers of English (Kiran
Desai, Aravind Adiga, Arundhati Roy, Ben Okri – winners of the Booker Prize are
just a few examples) and that a command over the English language is no longer
a prerogative of individuals only from English speaking countries. It is
heartening as an immigrant to work for companies that display the spirit of
multiculturalism at its best. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What I love about diverse workplaces is that they are open
to dissimilarities in cultural norms – where differences are perceived as
strengths and not aberrations. They are all about celebrating what
distinguishes people rather than trying to fit everyone into rigid, inflexible
molds just because they have, up until now, been the only benchmarks considered
to be of any value.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Our constantly changing world is giving way to constantly
changing realities. Inclusion and diversity, in their truest sense means
embracing these new realities by rising above outdated preconceptions. It means
dissociating ability and talent from race, origin and appearance by
obliterating the biases hidden within the deepest recesses of our subconscious
minds. It means cultivating a discerning intellect that is as high on the
emotional and human quotient as it is on skills and expertise. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As businesses develop the newest strategies to outpace one
another, companies that whole-heartedly join in this positive wave of change
will be the ones to contribute with a flourish to furthering the true spirit of
globalization. In return they will reap the rich benefits of having at their
disposal, a diverse pool of human resources from every corner of the world,
representing the collective talent of humanity as a whole.</p><p></p>Meghana Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11055102479241188675noreply@blogger.com0Ottawa, ON, Canada45.4215296 -75.69719309999999317.111295763821154 -110.85344309999999 73.731763436178852 -40.540943099999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045171296055072615.post-32067421717701465692019-05-15T14:45:00.000-07:002024-01-21T14:47:36.215-08:00The art of valuing an employee<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbgegTDHdBsd_omPBvYj40BMqV_3AvehzJ7BghBkYaeNwmesa8_GyOqUZ8teFIsXUANZgP2XwywS88S8pepoIg9jn7nB0wjzLs6-JmsoTgT2csigLEheF9zyxh_JJCPfHjrD5APYGnqsvZT34MEPlZUl9EYgSzpOCxlWCYvFt5k4L5CliAoB0fg55KVI8/s774/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="774" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbgegTDHdBsd_omPBvYj40BMqV_3AvehzJ7BghBkYaeNwmesa8_GyOqUZ8teFIsXUANZgP2XwywS88S8pepoIg9jn7nB0wjzLs6-JmsoTgT2csigLEheF9zyxh_JJCPfHjrD5APYGnqsvZT34MEPlZUl9EYgSzpOCxlWCYvFt5k4L5CliAoB0fg55KVI8/w501-h235/Capture.PNG" width="501" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">First impressions work both ways. It’s a given that new
employees are (often inadvertently) subject to not so subtle a scrutiny by
employers and colleagues during the first couple of weeks of their joining. But
what is often disregarded is the fact that employees too are judging the
company minutely, and as exaggerated as it may sound, their collective
impressions are going to shape its future.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I have always been particularly interested in the human
element of any corporate business. Whether it is human resource, customer
service, or talent acquisition & retention, it’s the intangible quality of
the human element of organizations that fascinates me. Metrics fall short of
measuring this attribute, yet it is this quality that proves to be the most
accurate predictor of a company’s future success.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A warm and welcoming first day at work, friendly,
approachable colleagues, a manager who has faith in my abilities, and senior
staff that gives credit to my experience was what I encountered as a new hire
at my current location. And I will take this opportunity to add that it has
been my good fortune to have previously worked with employers who have always
valued and appreciated my efforts. The mutual respect between us continues even
today, years after I have moved on.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In my opinion, that is real success for any company – the
fact that previous employees still vouch for an organization and speak with
nostalgia about the time spent there. For all the material wealth a business
may create, the goodwill that is generated between people far surpasses every
other parameter of success.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As businesses strive to get ahead of their competition,
drive more sales and generate greater profits, they need to focus on their most
valuable resource – their employee. Investing in this resource is an everyday
affair – it is a delicate rapport that is steadily built, bit by bit, at every
interaction. At the heart of this rapport is trust, respect and a belief in the
best that the employee can offer (unless absolutely proven otherwise). It
involves casting aside preconceived notions and prejudices, valuing the
differences and judging every individual as a unique entity.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The first few weeks in my new role have brought in a haul of
positive impressions for me. As I dive headlong to work on my tasks with
complete sincerity and integrity, I hope to achieve success and watch the
company grow from strength to strength – both tangibly & intangibly.</p><p></p>Meghana Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11055102479241188675noreply@blogger.com0Ottawa, ON, Canada45.4215296 -75.69719309999999317.111295763821154 -110.85344309999999 73.731763436178852 -40.540943099999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045171296055072615.post-41800991764133534172018-12-22T14:43:00.000-08:002024-01-21T14:45:28.120-08:00Isn’t Santa for real?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwha1FfRNyI8eezSavlv4fB9qFVTr_AcgQaCScnyrMnapFEfQNGM4EhjsXhsG59gklQOSnkHVnFy2OZFY-YZ_GsdnRmcRV6HDdbYzzzr8PKvWCQmV8B1UD63DHHR6ONVHpwsH_qv8wi7aJnJ3JRNxFYBft4Gsz_kqQaoso3f-s7w6CDOUMalUn7DNsKVw/s721/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="721" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwha1FfRNyI8eezSavlv4fB9qFVTr_AcgQaCScnyrMnapFEfQNGM4EhjsXhsG59gklQOSnkHVnFy2OZFY-YZ_GsdnRmcRV6HDdbYzzzr8PKvWCQmV8B1UD63DHHR6ONVHpwsH_qv8wi7aJnJ3JRNxFYBft4Gsz_kqQaoso3f-s7w6CDOUMalUn7DNsKVw/w489-h264/Capture.PNG" width="489" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">For me the most endearing and enduring symbols of Christmas
have been the Christmas tree, the stockings, Rudolph, and most of all, dear old
Santa – plump and jovial, generous and kind. As a child, I enjoyed letting my
imagination get the better of me and therefore readily believed in everything
that seemed to make the world a more exotic place. So there was no doubt in my
mind that Santa existed, as did fairies and elves, gnomes and witches. The only
glitch was that he rarely visited our part of the world – we only read about
him in books and got a glimpse of him on TV. That was another era – growing up
in the seventies in India was quite different from what it is like today when
Santa visits every mall, school and club carrying that huge bag of his, bursting
with gifts.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As childhood gave way to teenage and then adulthood, logic
and reason outpaced innocence. But the diehard romantic that I was, I never
left my imagination far behind. I always knew that I would keep the legend of
Santa Claus alive when I became a parent. And sure enough, I regaled both my
little girls with heartwarming tales of fairies with their magic wands, of a
fantastic world where nothing was impossible and of course – of good old Santa
who came all the way from the North Pole with a special gift for every child in
every home.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For as long as the magic of imagination and innocence
worked, they would wake up every Christmas morning and excitedly look for
Santa’s present. And I would be as excited as they were, delighted in their
delight, warmed by their belief. As the years passed that conviction changed to
a willing suspension of disbelief – my elder one had probably guessed the truth
about who left the gifts there for them but she still played along for the sake
of her younger sister. The years flew by and Santa eventually stopped visiting
our home too.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Fast forward to modern times. I read about how some children
were heartbroken and inconsolable upon suddenly learning one fine day that
there really was no Santa. Wanting to spare their kids from this heartbreak,
many parents were increasingly preferring to steer clear of the Santa myth
altogether. My elder daughter, just out of her teens told me that most of her
friends had never believed in Santa anyway, not even when they were little.
When I quizzed my younger one (now a teenager) about it, she said she too
hadn’t been taken in for too long. The truth had dawned on her even earlier
than it had for her elder sister and that she too had kept playing along for a
few years after that – for my sake. That was rather sweet of her, I think.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sometime between now and when I was a little girl, the world
has drastically changed. Reality has become virtual and we totally thrive in
that deception, yet why are we no longer able to willingly suspend disbelief
especially if it means adding an innocent joy to our life? Why is it all about
being precise and accurate to the point of missing the point altogether? Why
should the greeting switch from Merry Christmas to Happy Holidays depending on
who you are saying it to?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Christmas to me will forever mean a special warmth in the
cold December air, and Santa – the harbinger of joy and cheer. Reason, logic,
faith and belief notwithstanding! I guess a part of me has never grown up – and
am I glad about that!</p><p></p>Meghana Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11055102479241188675noreply@blogger.com0Ottawa, ON, Canada45.4215296 -75.69719309999999317.111295763821154 -110.85344309999999 73.731763436178852 -40.540943099999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045171296055072615.post-49190435472391550862018-01-02T14:41:00.000-08:002024-01-21T14:43:10.022-08:00New Year Resolutions – A Trip Down Memory Lane<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiENA2m0FtW27ndgxtasFeHLlrA0xLHd4OxJPj9d5IuOdYRkR_xObaYtXpzmlunp3VJYCQlaSEXtnXXJGkQksfxfNhxjpNb074CqwblJPHLNE1uDpcrVPlUn5lX_mn7embiln673e8gK07JKyriLoahpVBNu_x1p_dWVk_rmfGZyK5LY0vpitRuVbTpKOY/s778/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="778" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiENA2m0FtW27ndgxtasFeHLlrA0xLHd4OxJPj9d5IuOdYRkR_xObaYtXpzmlunp3VJYCQlaSEXtnXXJGkQksfxfNhxjpNb074CqwblJPHLNE1uDpcrVPlUn5lX_mn7embiln673e8gK07JKyriLoahpVBNu_x1p_dWVk_rmfGZyK5LY0vpitRuVbTpKOY/w492-h248/Capture.PNG" width="492" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">New Year Resolutions are made only to be broken – so
suggests my experience of more than four decades. Yet every 31st, most of
us end up making one. It is perhaps the sheer exuberance of the atmosphere and
the spirit of the fresh New Year standing at our doorstep, which infuses
optimism into our already lightheaded (dare I say tipsy?) minds that we decide
to give ourselves one more chance towards self enhancement. Before I take the
“plunge” for the coming year, let me embark on a journey back in time and reminisce
some of my previous New Year Resolutions and how long it was until they were
abandoned.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The earliest resolution made by yours truly was as a
determined ten year old sporting long waist length hair. My mother would
lovingly oil and braid my hair in two plaits. I detested the oil but nothing
would convince her otherwise. So I decided to take matters literally in my
own hands by triumphantly announcing to mommy dear, one chilly New
Year’s Eve that henceforth I would braid my own hair. She readily agreed,
casting a very condescending look at me. My valiant, determined efforts continued
for two whole days before the daily morning struggle cost me a missed school
bus and a host of subsequent problems. Finally better (or worse) sense
prevailed and mommy dear smiled knowingly as I reverted to my well oiled
plaits!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My next resolution was as a just turned thirteen dreamy
teenager. My parents had gifted me the book, ‘Diary of Anne Frank’ for my
birthday. So swept off my feet was I after reading it , that I wanted to
emulate her and thus sprang the resolution to maintain a diary. My crazy
adolescent brains fantasised how one day my diary would win the Booker and make
me famous. “Dream big! Nothing’s impossible – that’s what all great visionaries
vouch for”, my dreamy mind told my even dreamier heart as I religiously poured
out each day’s happenings and thoughts for as long as I could. As is
inevitable, the dreaminess faded and gave way to practical reality and other
worldly tensions (read studies) took much of my time and energies. Gradually
the frequency of my diary writing diminished, much like all the exaggerated
fantasies of ever bagging the Booker receded into the realm of impossibility.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There came many more after that, generated by an ever
idealistic and optimistic mind – will never use plastic bags, will eat only
healthy food and will keep mind and body fit by regular exercise and even
meditation!! While the optimism continues, the resolutions have, sooner or
later, met with the same fate as their predecessors.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Coming to the present, I certainly owe it to the spirit of
the New Year and all that it symbolises, to make a fresh resolution. Let’s
begin with learning to confront my fears – my phobia for driving for example
and get that driving license this summer. But there is also a resolution on a
wiser, more philosophical level – one that I have arrived at after four decades
of experience. Strive to create happiness in my everyday life rather than
trying to find it in imagined situations. Stay positive, love myself and be
content with knowing what limitations I can and cannot transcend.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s just the first step but I really want this one to be
for keeps!</p><p></p>Meghana Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11055102479241188675noreply@blogger.com0Burlington, ON, Canada43.3255196 -79.799031915.015285763821154 -114.9552819 71.635753436178845 -44.6427819tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045171296055072615.post-75329005966901674552017-11-16T13:59:00.000-08:002024-01-21T14:01:22.311-08:00The hijab wearing Barbie – a symbol of oppression or an expression of a liberated mind?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9LIW5-xSSdRG_lvfAc4Z2aUW3DBSAL2MV0CoUE_YcR1n4hPdBJk9Z_0FfpjF2b6tKXwR2KO5pRSb_E9ma0T9WWBM2rbxSGZXxj1LRnk6l0q6PzhXL46mI1BE6rWW2pkq5NrpDT6Wun9NMFFZD37IgM_x-vBG6VARRnUCN1vVTAiKO2b5dlwn_1iKEP1k/s775/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="775" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9LIW5-xSSdRG_lvfAc4Z2aUW3DBSAL2MV0CoUE_YcR1n4hPdBJk9Z_0FfpjF2b6tKXwR2KO5pRSb_E9ma0T9WWBM2rbxSGZXxj1LRnk6l0q6PzhXL46mI1BE6rWW2pkq5NrpDT6Wun9NMFFZD37IgM_x-vBG6VARRnUCN1vVTAiKO2b5dlwn_1iKEP1k/w475-h238/Capture.PNG" width="475" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I chanced upon a Facebook post today about the launch of a
hijab wearing Barbie and needless to say it has unleashed a barrage of animated
responses. I avoid getting into any kind of Twitter or FB wars but the
arguments sparked a debate in my mind as well.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Was the new Barbie glorifying what is widely believed to be
a symbol of oppression? Or does it instead stand for values of acceptance and
tolerance? Can we say with conviction that all women wearing the hijab are
oppressed? Is liberation defined by what we wear or by the maturity of thoughts
in our mind?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This could work both ways. It’s actually another example of
how quickly we fall prey to stereotypes – external appearances have always
determined how we perceive a person. This superficial evaluation only succeeds
in misleading us and more often than not, in clouding our judgement. Yet we
never learn.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We simply cannot assume that all women wearing the hijab are
oppressed. It could be that they feel more comfortable wearing one as that may
be the effect of the culture they have grown up in. If it is a choice that they
have made for themselves, we must respect their freedom to exercise it without
labelling them as regressive. Even if that choice has been the outcome of their
upbringing, they are totally within their rights to adhere to a dress code they
are familiar with.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But as I said it needs to work both ways if we want to
create an atmosphere of harmony and empowerment. As long as the women wearing a
hijab do not impose the same on their daughters and not even for a moment
believe that their dress code is the only way that defines grace and dignity in
a woman, they are completely justified in their choice.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Why not perceive the hijab as just a fabric
covering the head – why must we classify a woman who wears it (or doesn’t) into
a certain category? Neither should the hijab stand for oppression nor
should it be glorified as a measure of a woman’s decency or character. Neither
should a hijab wearing woman be dismissed as submissive nor should a
conventionally or unconventionally dressed woman be labelled as “immodest” or
“provocative”. Why are we reducing a woman merely to the clothes she wears?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If we want true empowerment for women, it’s also we women
who need to liberate ourselves from the temptation to assume. And why are we
only singling out the hijab? What about the countless other stereotypes that
abound about women, by women, among women? Even today in most of the Oriental
cultures a “good” girl is one who knows how to cook and make perfectly round
chapattis and any new bride that deviates from this is given a hard time by her
own kind.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Leave the hijab wearing Barbie alone – let her attire be an
example of our diversity as a race, an expression of our freedom to choose and
of our liberated minds that are open and secular.</p><p></p>Meghana Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11055102479241188675noreply@blogger.com0Burlington, ON, Canada43.3255196 -79.799031915.015285763821154 -114.9552819 71.635753436178845 -44.6427819tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045171296055072615.post-78564153201655747412017-08-22T13:57:00.000-07:002024-01-21T13:59:38.254-08:00My rendezvous with a celestial spectacle<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTJ-gNbB2T6hR0nMCtARn_chB5KQst-PFhhcgLhf1NssL07wFZpmQBQeUa6YkhLQKIx75EVVK1MgFg-6KOGx8BQzXbckWDXfj2FEDi9gW8VtPpsW4tqCFjuWTs80aoM5oOmgn7SAU1w0CFv2TikRwEfaNIUfzzEeu2qUIzyPyNSfzPsS1FtVHl1GhFpI/s778/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="778" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTJ-gNbB2T6hR0nMCtARn_chB5KQst-PFhhcgLhf1NssL07wFZpmQBQeUa6YkhLQKIx75EVVK1MgFg-6KOGx8BQzXbckWDXfj2FEDi9gW8VtPpsW4tqCFjuWTs80aoM5oOmgn7SAU1w0CFv2TikRwEfaNIUfzzEeu2qUIzyPyNSfzPsS1FtVHl1GhFpI/w488-h244/Capture.PNG" width="488" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The thought of having been witness to a play of light and
shadow at such a grand cosmic level is at once thrilling, awe-inspiring and
humbling. What can be more astounding than to have celestial bodies, millions
of kilometers apart demonstrate a simple principle just by conforming to
basic rules of physics!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I think this is what is so truly fascinating about eclipses
– they spur the imagination, inspire wonder and make us feel connected in an
uncanny, bizarre way with the workings of the universe. We get to experience
live the movement of the earth and the moon – it gives us a feeling of being
completely in tune with the rhythm of the universe albeit for a brief span of
time.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Although the moon obscuring the sun in totality would be one
of the most breathtakingly beautiful sights to behold, I found myself strangely
resigned at the prospect of watching the partial phenomenon. And it did not
diminish any of the marvel or the awe – the excitement was palpable in each and
every person present there, as people from diverse walks of life, of every hue
and colour gathered in unbridled enthusiasm and waited patiently for their turn
to use the special telescope.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Which brings me to another huge reason to absolutely love
eclipses. In our modern world such phenomena bring people together like little
else can as we unite with the common aim of being a spectator to a rare and
magnificent occurrence. Few can remain unmoved and unaffected as our planet,
star and satellite align themselves to create such a magical effect. Some
perceive it as a divine miracle and others as a splendid astronomical event but
no one can escape the excitement it triggers.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If only there were more occasions when humanity could unite
under a common cause – bound by a compelling desire to discover,
understand and experience nature in all her enigma and majesty – it might just
make us a more humble and tolerant species.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On that thought – eagerly awaiting my next rendezvous!</p><p></p>Meghana Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11055102479241188675noreply@blogger.com0Burlington, ON, Canada43.3255196 -79.799031915.015285763821154 -114.9552819 71.635753436178845 -44.6427819tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045171296055072615.post-44686270455739570552016-11-30T13:55:00.000-08:002024-01-21T13:57:19.526-08:00A link lost forever<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrFgldNOL7Nt2i_avmlElrmOkOD9QUD9tCr-z3JGmGt38aTRlsbZcyAb-L1ki_8ef2R93MvduHMPzsPlAIwuBxprRyx6lDkxm6IvDmZqqflXTT0O12Ks4Vo6VPqtUS0DOSuQHdah92JwExAJUM1NmcqSAiBUg_iEk6Uc4F2y8ujV297USg1R8xWmk7hqA/s777/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="777" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrFgldNOL7Nt2i_avmlElrmOkOD9QUD9tCr-z3JGmGt38aTRlsbZcyAb-L1ki_8ef2R93MvduHMPzsPlAIwuBxprRyx6lDkxm6IvDmZqqflXTT0O12Ks4Vo6VPqtUS0DOSuQHdah92JwExAJUM1NmcqSAiBUg_iEk6Uc4F2y8ujV297USg1R8xWmk7hqA/w483-h242/Capture.PNG" width="483" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">She was my link to a fascinating time in my country’s
history. She had been a witness to the freedom struggle, and to my pride and
delight, also a humble participant in it. That connected me irrevocably to a
glorious era of great men and women who selflessly gave their all to win
independence for our land. She had seen it all, and through her, I felt that I
had been a witness to it too. Her vivid descriptions would stir my imagination
and her stories of the pre-1947 days would never fail to intrigue me, no matter
how many times she narrated them. I would take great pride in telling my
classmates that my grandmother had met many of the heroes of the independence
struggle that most had only read about in textbooks.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I went through a whole range of emotions that I felt for her
at different stages of my life – the awe as a young child turned into a slight
wariness of her strict discipline and then the proverbial generation gap as a
teenager. As an adult, I may not have agreed with her on most topics but I
could never discount her opinion – she always made me stop and think. I would
always know whether or not she would approve of a situation and anticipating
her reaction would make me smile. But what remained unchanged were the
enthralling narrations of a bygone age that would spill into politics,
philosophy, psychology, current affairs and what have you.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Its therefore more than a personal loss that I feel today.
It’s as if I have lost a slice of history – a valuable connection with a
celebrated past. Although the direct link is unfortunately no more, her voice
will forever remain strong in my memories as will the most precious takeaway of
our times together – an endearing interest in people and a compelling passion
to share and discuss everything under the sun.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">R.I.P. Aaji.</p><p></p>Meghana Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11055102479241188675noreply@blogger.com0Burlington, ON, Canada43.3255196 -79.799031915.015285763821154 -114.9552819 71.635753436178845 -44.6427819tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045171296055072615.post-90427740421994500932016-09-06T13:53:00.000-07:002024-01-21T13:55:26.627-08:00Is the internet a bane to good parenting?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbeoMK2M4G7fkJeI57hOW-F111s4kh4AxcRlbfHFk55KcHPLoZhWBpam8mE0Nsj3q_jRi9ZtT_IHATk19Atk-PQ6VeEDi74AW7eNTEV6ZY-bHm45wG8juwXPM8Dh4K5lRT-4ptzAuRyY6GNNH3sG0ZHqBdWOjU7Pkq-nkouyoHv-Z-WiW5xe55-EUATgc/s774/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="774" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbeoMK2M4G7fkJeI57hOW-F111s4kh4AxcRlbfHFk55KcHPLoZhWBpam8mE0Nsj3q_jRi9ZtT_IHATk19Atk-PQ6VeEDi74AW7eNTEV6ZY-bHm45wG8juwXPM8Dh4K5lRT-4ptzAuRyY6GNNH3sG0ZHqBdWOjU7Pkq-nkouyoHv-Z-WiW5xe55-EUATgc/w506-h255/Capture.PNG" width="506" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Defining what’s right and what’s not is not always as simple
as it sounds. There are myriad layers of reality and situations depending on
individuals, their capabilities, interpretations and perspectives. Therefore
evaluating a person or situation based purely on popular notions may not often
be the best way to judge either.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In our modern world, one of the biggest challenges to
parenting has been posed by the ubiquitous internet – the great web of
information that has irreversibly altered the way we see our world. While it
comes with a plethora of advantages and conveniences there are very real
dangers that lurk just beneath that can threaten the safety and wellbeing of
our children, not to mention expose them to content that is ugly and
inappropriate for their age. Much has been rehashed about this topic by alarmed
parents who would do all they can to steer their kids away from the potential
dangers and improper influences that the virtual world could expose them to,
and understandably so.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So what is my stand on this topic – as a mother of two young
girls – one just entering her teens and the other on the threshold of
adulthood? While I am all for safeguarding the privacy and wellbeing of the
child on the internet, do I really support constant policing of each and every
online activity that my child engages in? Are we being too simplistic when we
blame the internet for spoiling our children? And are we being too judgmental
when we label parents and children as being too free, based on what they watch
on the internet?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Technology is going to outpace us and will continue
to spring new surprises on every generation of parents and children. These
are challenges that will never cease and parenting will forever reel under the
stress of the tug of war between the old and the new. We cannot really shut the
doors of technology on our children nor is it possible to monitor every
browsing activity especially when it comes to older children – those in their
late teens. Forbidding them from watching shows that we believe are inappropriate
would only serve, in my opinion, to heighten their curiosity and may even
encourage them to be furtive about it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What can come to our rescue are solid values and good old
trust. Parenting is an ongoing process – it is all about keeping communication
channels open, it is all about discussions, about reading together, having fun
together and letting your children know that no matter what, you will stand by
them. It is also about allowing them to make choices as they grow older, about
respecting their privacy (within reasonable limits of course) and about letting
them take responsibility for their decisions (again in moderation). It is about
being vigilant to their mood swings and in tune with the slightest changes in
their behaviour. Most of all it is about instinct –that gut feeling that tells
you more about your child than any psychological theories can.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It is these values that have held me in decent stead (or so
I believe) as a parent – and a working one at that. With spending so many hours
away from home, supervising the internet has never been an option. Neither has
blocking the children from using it. So do I come in the category of parents
that have raised children with too much freedom? And would it be correct to
assume that children who have been raised without strict adult controls would
necessarily go astray and lose all focus about their future?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I think it is time we let go of superficial assumptions of
morality and understand that the root cause of the problem is not the
technology but the lack of connection, communication and a sound value system.
Once these have been put in place, I am convinced that no force in the universe
can shake can shake that foundation.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Again – its only a gut feeling ….<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><br /><p></p>Meghana Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11055102479241188675noreply@blogger.com0Burlington, ON, Canada43.3255196 -79.799031915.015285763821154 -114.9552819 71.635753436178845 -44.6427819tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045171296055072615.post-9462232026945510512016-02-26T13:51:00.000-08:002024-01-21T13:53:11.555-08:00Temples of learning or cradles of treason?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSO1uFsoOfJOx6ZqtN0rhaKw8lgp2kRyR7__yCsEYsOwT021hXLbmp_FgeW97Tmca-KBB8YCJqtxKpCoGLAUEJQYpxo3e4OjdtmlMKh7REe2I9o1EQL1AHcRazaiSJHK0vwBzDezlKF9lRHwiTKtQi2EM-7UpX72ySbI70zRovjLIP1-XmcNN4UorxKUY/s776/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="776" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSO1uFsoOfJOx6ZqtN0rhaKw8lgp2kRyR7__yCsEYsOwT021hXLbmp_FgeW97Tmca-KBB8YCJqtxKpCoGLAUEJQYpxo3e4OjdtmlMKh7REe2I9o1EQL1AHcRazaiSJHK0vwBzDezlKF9lRHwiTKtQi2EM-7UpX72ySbI70zRovjLIP1-XmcNN4UorxKUY/w485-h244/Capture.PNG" width="485" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">My take on the JNU row in India<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Patriotism has become a complicated word today. In much the
same way as nationalism has become an outdated concept –
neither intellectual nor glamorous enough to be espoused by a certain
category of scholars and academia. Under the garb of high-flown statements and
using the rhetoric of democracy, what is being challenged is our very
nationhood and its sovereignty.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s a shame that some of our students and universities take
pride in asserting a brand of freedom of expression that reeks of betrayal and
sows seeds of discord. Shouting anti-national slogans and showing solidarity
with those convicted of terrorism by the Supreme Court of the land is certainly
not the way to conduct “debates” and hold “cultural” gatherings. Democracy
gives you the right to speak against the government but not against the
country. Voices raised in dissent can be tolerated but not voices that wish to
destroy the very soil that nurtured them. And if this sounds like emotional
drama – so be it. Sentimental patriots are far better for our country than
ruthless “intellectuals” spewing hatred without a shred of remorse or
sensitivity.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I do not see any two ways about this. All freedom comes with
a sense of responsibility and is bound by ideological limitations that cannot
be violated. Our constitution grants us the right to express and question but
never to breach the threshold that can threaten the integrity of our nation.
The constitution was formed not only to protect the rights of the individual
but also to safeguard the honour of our country as a whole. Any infringement to
that honour amounts to treason and I believe that measures to curb such
activity are totally justified.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">No university in the world would allow anti-national
uprisings within its precincts – and that too in the name of democracy. And
here we are, reluctant to hoist the tricolor at our temples of learning, as the
flag would represent conflicting ideas to confused minds – while being a symbol
of pride towards our motherland, it would also be a mute witness to the
mindless agitations carried out to defile it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Nothing can be simpler than this – no ideals, principles,
doctrines or religions supersede the country and her integrity. Any individuals
who want to challenge this cannot live on this soil. By all means go ahead and
debate about the concept of capital punishment. But those insensitively
supporting convicted terrorists and swearing to destroy the motherland do not
deserve to be citizens of this country.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Honestly, I don’t understand what the argument is all about
– am glad my simple definition works for me.</p><p></p>Meghana Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11055102479241188675noreply@blogger.com0Burlington, ON, Canada43.3255196 -79.799031915.015285763821154 -114.9552819 71.635753436178845 -44.6427819tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045171296055072615.post-34046765787163286762016-02-16T13:48:00.000-08:002024-01-21T13:50:48.318-08:00A pot-pourri of cultures<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw-LgXK77ofC808MWNIYgu71EDt_8dHbSz-16nxdFjd15CxVH0Q7xKsP3eCzJHsqlsmp7myYScQ-JWCdkXegbZVZnq7JGScmwUEypKwkXeyOvWZoE-aGCg_fG-adRq1_AwO4qPcjftDE0-oohETrIT0GtTrtY8ok0uh0Ml8h4qPm08QAQzZzuverc0nuc/s773/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="773" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw-LgXK77ofC808MWNIYgu71EDt_8dHbSz-16nxdFjd15CxVH0Q7xKsP3eCzJHsqlsmp7myYScQ-JWCdkXegbZVZnq7JGScmwUEypKwkXeyOvWZoE-aGCg_fG-adRq1_AwO4qPcjftDE0-oohETrIT0GtTrtY8ok0uh0Ml8h4qPm08QAQzZzuverc0nuc/w468-h233/Capture.PNG" width="468" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Being a foreigner in a country often makes you more
receptive, heightening your sensitivity to your surroundings and the people you
are amidst. The mind hungrily laps up everything it encounters only to chew
upon it later and draw impressions that become foundations of your rapport with
the new land. Separated from the motherland by thousands of miles, not only
do we begin to view things with a new perspective and realise
that there are two sides to every coin, but we also learn to value basic
aspects about our own culture whose importance we had never quite understood
all these years.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A casual conversation with an office colleague fuelled a
volley of thoughts in my head, compelling me to ponder about human
relationships and concepts like money and independence. While out on my
fifteen-minute break from work, I took a seat on the bench outside the office
and was soon joined by another member of our team, also out on his break. A
young boy, who had just entered his twenties, this was his first real job, he
said. He reached into his bag for a box of muffins and helped himself to one.
His mother had made two tray full of muffins to take along to her workplace but
he and his friends had unknowingly polished most of them off, much to her
astonishment on seeing the empty molds. This is a common scenario in every
household – especially ones with ever-hungry teenagers always on the hunt for
finger foods to tuck into. I smiled as a myriad childhood memories flooded my
mind, of times we had sneaked in to “steal” and devour delicious eats that my
mother had painstakingly made… that were meant to be hidden from us until after
the guests had left.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It was what he said then, that pulled me out of my reverie
and set off a chain of thoughts that forced me to contemplate on life itself.
“I paid my mom the exact price for the box of muffins – so it’s all fair and
square now”, he said nodding with satisfaction, “I’m glad I could pay her with
my own money!”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now this was something we would never, in our wildest
imaginations, have thought of doing – whether or not we were earning our “own”
money. At most, we would have offered to do an errand to the shops and fetch a
box of cupcakes for her to take to work, to save her the bother of stepping
out, or promised to pitch in and help her make more muffins. But paying one’s
mother for having dug into food seemed such a clinical response to me, a
strange way to “compensate.” Did not such an act take away all the warmth from
the relationship or was I reading too much into a simple incident?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In retrospect, this episode made me stumble upon the most
basic difference between the east and west. It was all about being exacting,
measured and individualistic as against the inclusive cultures that dominate
the eastern school of thought. In the west, it is the individual that is the
unit- which is why people learn to be financially independent at an early age
and understand the wisdom in disconnecting finances from relationships.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I guess that is why the east and west are intrinsically
different in their approach to life in general. Maybe there is no right or
wrong, it’s just a matter of outlook.</p><p></p>Meghana Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11055102479241188675noreply@blogger.com0Burlington, ON, Canada43.3255196 -79.799031915.015285763821154 -114.9552819 71.635753436178845 -44.6427819tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045171296055072615.post-29559726673949529032016-02-10T13:46:00.000-08:002024-01-21T13:48:24.862-08:00Entity<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkxqNS1_OwibU64lF1Rhq8f_v4ALeIbjcH0OTcRqnYUOC19nkr-ES_NbdoeLVI1MbB0Sr_gTFhx0EvkyZQwY0NT6iDQBlTv3f2uEK2kI3PeVPG7p-ZcDA44Ikv3p0GNb7FXRT73tjaq4IGU3BK07IB6li4Ipl5kiZQskMCZ8H4_rwz6TRhxzCbwmFUI-w/s779/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="779" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkxqNS1_OwibU64lF1Rhq8f_v4ALeIbjcH0OTcRqnYUOC19nkr-ES_NbdoeLVI1MbB0Sr_gTFhx0EvkyZQwY0NT6iDQBlTv3f2uEK2kI3PeVPG7p-ZcDA44Ikv3p0GNb7FXRT73tjaq4IGU3BK07IB6li4Ipl5kiZQskMCZ8H4_rwz6TRhxzCbwmFUI-w/w495-h246/Capture.PNG" width="495" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">One look at me is all they need<br />
To assume and to believe<br />
There’s not enough of me<br />
The flaw is obvious, “you’re so short”, they all agree!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s such a glaring defect that little else counts.<br />
The deception is unanimous; it’s the appearance that is paramount<br />
It’s only the perfect body that can house a perfect mind<br />
The lack of inches invariably mirror an intellect unrefined!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Strange are the ways of the world, its attitudes warped<br />
For things beyond our control we are summed up and marked<br />
We’re kinder to beauty nothing lesser stands a chance<br />
We only see what the eyes behold; seldom do we cast another glance!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Conditioned by norms and fuelled by nonchalance<br />
Sitting pretty in our perfections, ensconced in our arrogance<br />
We speak our mind with blatant insensitivity<br />
Blurring the line between assumption and clarity!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Who then is flawed – the beholder or the beheld?<br />
One who only lacks the inches or the one who lacks the sense?<br />
What’s more important – the perfection of the body or that of the mind?<br />
The vision to transcend the shortcomings, or a stunted view that misses the
essence?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Man-made yardsticks can never measure my worth<br />
Nor can my shortcoming become my identity<br />
I’m liberating myself from the shackles of underestimation<br />
To soar above the world, delve deeper into my soul and fathom my true entity!</p><p></p>Meghana Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11055102479241188675noreply@blogger.com0Burlington, ON, Canada43.3255196 -79.799031915.015285763821154 -114.9552819 71.635753436178845 -44.6427819tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045171296055072615.post-19810646905690472762015-12-30T13:44:00.000-08:002024-01-21T13:45:55.762-08:00It’s all about the sales – or is it?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihlnhnDSIte3VZ1EPs9COVhLnNIWO_kcfjNnNY1OQKiPeOU4XJDGpHyNihhj6dqk8RltyQJvv8QZ3RSD9wZNAhyphenhyphenWrXbi7uBzaOq71CViQbXR79PTwRM5tkH__57jbz9Ywwcut3jPRR15RP9vq_EK3p542vla_ZtO1uEGNoQgRLUTcyRZbYj07wSz3WpfA/s779/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="779" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihlnhnDSIte3VZ1EPs9COVhLnNIWO_kcfjNnNY1OQKiPeOU4XJDGpHyNihhj6dqk8RltyQJvv8QZ3RSD9wZNAhyphenhyphenWrXbi7uBzaOq71CViQbXR79PTwRM5tkH__57jbz9Ywwcut3jPRR15RP9vq_EK3p542vla_ZtO1uEGNoQgRLUTcyRZbYj07wSz3WpfA/w518-h257/Capture.PNG" width="518" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">“Get those sales guys – we have to hit today’s target.
Everybody pitch hard and bring me the numbers!”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Does that have a familiar ring to it? Am sure it does,
especially to all those working in direct sales, marketing or customer service
roles. We have all, at some point or the other had our supervisors and
team leaders “encourage” us to push the limits of our horizons and chase
targets with a determined frenzy. If by God’s grace you do achieve the coveted
sales– they top it off with “I’m so proud of you!”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Quantity has become synonymous with quality, profits with
caliber and money with success. More often than not, the ends justify the
means, and as long as the cash is flowing in, it little matters how it comes
in. And if your methods fail to yield immediate gains, your capabilities are
undermined, your sincere intent, genuine commitment and complete integrity
notwithstanding.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s this shortsightedness that, in my opinion, could well
prove counter productive and reverse fortunes of flourishing businesses. For
employees in sales and customer service roles, building a steady rapport with
the client fosters brand loyalty and ensures their long-term association with
the business. It reflects genuine concern for customers as against a typically
“salesy” attitude that reduces the customer to merely being an object to be
tapped into – a stepping-stone towards achieving the golden mark.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So single minded is our focus on short-term profits that we
prefer turning a blind eye to the real values intrinsic to the job at hand. If
there is nothing in the deal for us, customer queries and problems are simply
shrugged off or pushed behind in our agenda, to attend to “later”. So obsessed
are supervisors with attaining sales goals that they totally overlook
employees who may not have made a sale that day but have gone out of their way
to help a customer, solve his problem by clearing his doubts in an honest,
unselfish manner and earned his trust in the bargain. It is this employee who
deserves a pat on the back too – as he has paved the way for client retention
and brand advocacy – the true barometers of lasting success for any
business.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The corporate world urgently needs to come to grips with its
priorities and stop being swayed by superficial victories, which though heady
and intoxicating, will never be able to replace old fashioned principles. We
cannot raise the bar for profits by forgetting the larger objectives. The hare
may out pace the tortoise – but only in the beginning. In the end it’s the
ideals like consistency, sincerity and commitment that will most certainly
drive the way and emerge triumphant.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Related topic: <a href="https://www.meghanajoshi.in/2014/01/04/the-roi-of-the-intangibles/">The
ROI of the intangibles</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><br /><p></p>Meghana Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11055102479241188675noreply@blogger.com0Burlington, ON, Canada43.3255196 -79.799031915.015285763821154 -114.9552819 71.635753436178845 -44.6427819tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045171296055072615.post-22332375459933978592015-10-04T13:41:00.000-07:002024-01-21T13:43:54.158-08:00I hate writing about religion<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJN03c__a1RmzB6TKRjZyexfsLzR6PsiQQ35APZfgD4rrbZwA-GUHgezNODYWgof1v8RJD2iLqVQENzHHgUeRQf6gLBgADXcdkr4nkDK6V-dPK8SuL3X-khrznJMsUn-XcBX-s10nA66OyzY7rQdwwe6sMjhOw-EL-HIQiFTxVio5rnvM9hNpIzvjIHg/s777/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="777" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJN03c__a1RmzB6TKRjZyexfsLzR6PsiQQ35APZfgD4rrbZwA-GUHgezNODYWgof1v8RJD2iLqVQENzHHgUeRQf6gLBgADXcdkr4nkDK6V-dPK8SuL3X-khrznJMsUn-XcBX-s10nA66OyzY7rQdwwe6sMjhOw-EL-HIQiFTxVio5rnvM9hNpIzvjIHg/w482-h241/Capture.PNG" width="482" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">I hate writing about religion. Yet today I am going to tread
this dangerous path. It seems to have become a passionate cause for thousands
across the world – a cause important enough to defend, fight for and even kill
for.</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> What is religion? A set of rules that its followers
swear by? Beliefs that they want to thrust down unwilling throats using any
means they can? Or does it stem from an insecurity deep inside them that makes
them want to control and dominate? Or better still, is it a tit for tat game
pitting one’s God against the other?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">How can we deceive ourselves into thinking that God really
cares about our dietary preferences? Or about what we wear and how and where we
worship? But have these become the parameters that measure virtue today?
Whatever happened to reason, common sense and most of all compassion? Have our
respective Gods too decided to do away with these “frivolous” values in pursuit
of the more “important causes” that our respective religions staunchly espouse?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The crossroads that my country stands at today frightens me.
On the one hand we are the world’s fastest growing economy but we are
also heading towards becoming the world’s most mislead minds by mimicking
radical sects that spew intolerance and hatred. Why are we as a society seeking
to safeguard our culture by trying to efface others? Whether it is dictating
what foods our neighbours stock in their refrigerators, whether it is allowing
the caste of a person to determine who can and cannot enter a temple or
controlling personal choice in matters of love and marriage – are these today
the causes that are driving us as a society? Is this truly the focus of our
life and the reason for our existence?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It’s a pathetically pitiable condition to be in – an
insult to human intelligence not to mention the wisdom of our ancient
philosophy that we pretend to take so much pride in. If religion unleashes the
beast in us it is best left alone. As long as we think of religion as an
identity to cling on to rather than a way to live and let live, we will never
rise above all that is base and lowly – a far cry from what religion actually
meant us to be – humane and magnanimous.<o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Meghana Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11055102479241188675noreply@blogger.com0Burlington, ON, Canada43.3255196 -79.7990319-7.5021405040210567 -150.1115319 90 -9.4865319000000028tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045171296055072615.post-14740343190609270092015-09-10T13:38:00.000-07:002024-01-21T13:41:02.627-08:00Interviews or Superficial views? Woes of a foreign candidate in a foreign land<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ7b6Uo570WyfgfdXp6yu-b5Vt7scil4D-ZAR8d3YOiGHEdTdJib_u-D6G4I5hxpZcCOo3lD8-HceltvjKzHxJbRMqWUPQDlJkjFAgmsHYUXqLnL5WiNjaKiiBBsQxbG8IuBr5V6mPAgIHgG0LhfBzAjNcCWb2tF3YU2HdR3pXV0ERGqlmvJL_z4vp9Y4/s777/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="777" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ7b6Uo570WyfgfdXp6yu-b5Vt7scil4D-ZAR8d3YOiGHEdTdJib_u-D6G4I5hxpZcCOo3lD8-HceltvjKzHxJbRMqWUPQDlJkjFAgmsHYUXqLnL5WiNjaKiiBBsQxbG8IuBr5V6mPAgIHgG0LhfBzAjNcCWb2tF3YU2HdR3pXV0ERGqlmvJL_z4vp9Y4/w470-h236/Capture.PNG" width="470" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">That eagerly awaited interview call comes like a gust of
fresh air, sparking hope and optimism anew and sending your nerves into a
tizzy. You go over the probable questions for the umpteenth time, rehearse
responses that would flaunt your skills and project you in a
favourable light.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The D-day finally arrives and you set off dressed in
your most formal business attire, trying to appear calm and professional,
ignoring the butterflies in your stomach and valiantly battling all the
negativity and self doubt that may have inadvertently crept into your mind.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">You wait for your turn to be called in, all charged up,
enthusiastically braving the challenge that lies ahead, ready to rise to the
occasion, praying for just that one opportunity to prove yourself. After what
seems to have been an eternity, you hear your name being called and in you go
with a spring in your step and a smile on your lips hoping to ace this one and
moving a step closer to your goal.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">What happens after that is just a blur. You are out in a few
minutes – maybe 15 at most, feeling light headed and confused. Was that even an
interview? Were you even heard with an open mind? Or was every word uttered by
you conveniently interpreted to align with popular prejudices? If you said
you enjoyed a democratic atmosphere at work where you were free to express your
ideas, did you come across as someone who was not a team player or someone who
wouldn’t “fit in” with the “culture” of the organization? If you said you were
new to the country did it underline the fact that you do not possess local
experience and so would not be an asset to the employers?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">How did the interviewer learn so much about me in just 15
minutes? Or is this what he wants to believe about me, as it makes the
elimination process that much simpler? What about the talents and skills that
are my greatest assets – which would have more than countered my cultural
“shortcomings”? What about the unique dimension that my background would have
added to the diversity of the workplace? If they weren’t looking for
foreign candidates, why was I even shortlisted for the interview?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">My head is still spinning from the interview experiences. I
wish there was a way to let my work do the talking instead of me. But that
still requires me to clear the initial rounds unscathed. And that requires me
to have local experience…for which I need to get hired…how can I escape this
seemingly inescapable cycle?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Any ideas or advice by someone who’s been there, done that?<o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Meghana Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11055102479241188675noreply@blogger.com0Burlington, ON L7T 3A2, Canada43.3115849 -79.836830443.111710383498931 -80.111488603125 43.511459416501069 -79.562172196875tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045171296055072615.post-74441279727766700222015-06-03T13:36:00.000-07:002024-01-21T13:38:41.256-08:00Can you leave behind a legacy at your workplace after you have quit?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmiD0ldQR5dgfU4H6eNX8rBKqukgbDJ05eBCy_F_O5vW7KWnSggJW1sdKjy_zmuxIpf1QCfCwJai7xmFZXQmLtSCMdxOy8VlFdxMLLc6nT9DNZ3xhy9Nz6j34LO48hvxmtu_HNws85aDz_jZLEr3mqc6M6OixwwIvLjo5OA9Q_Byycg-Rod_VbgLMMkE/s778/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="778" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmiD0ldQR5dgfU4H6eNX8rBKqukgbDJ05eBCy_F_O5vW7KWnSggJW1sdKjy_zmuxIpf1QCfCwJai7xmFZXQmLtSCMdxOy8VlFdxMLLc6nT9DNZ3xhy9Nz6j34LO48hvxmtu_HNws85aDz_jZLEr3mqc6M6OixwwIvLjo5OA9Q_Byycg-Rod_VbgLMMkE/w510-h257/Capture.PNG" width="510" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Quitting a job is never easy. Especially when the decision
is an outcome of circumstances beyond one’s control – for example – the
relocation of the family to another city or some pressing requirements on the
home front.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Whatever be the reason, leaving a job that you invested your
energies in and devoted so much of yourself to, can be an extremely unsettling
experience.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s mainly got to do with the comfort zone that you have
established within the workplace, and the reputation of trust and sincerity
that your colleagues have come to associate you with. Letting go of all your
professional responsibilities and formally handing over your duties to your
successor can make even the most hardened employees a tad wistful and uncertain
about what the future has in store for them.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Myriad thoughts are bound to rush through your mind during
the last few weeks preceding and following your resignation date. Will you be
remembered with fondness and respect? Will your contributions and
accomplishments still be valued long after you have gone or will they just fade
away into oblivion much like old outdated files and dusty records of the
yesteryears? Will your successors give you credit for past achievements or
attribute all the present problems to your tenure?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Time and tide have indeed proven that no one is
indispensable. Much as we would hate to admit it – the best employees are
replaceable and the most stupendous successes can be repeated – with or without
you at the helm. So what do you carry with you as you step out of the portals
of the job you have loved and embark on a new professional quest all over
again? And, what legacy do you leave behind at your erstwhile workplace that
remains testimony to your whole-hearted efforts and talents?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">These were among the toughest questions to delve into when I
had found myself in a similar situation a couple of months ago. After much
contemplation and introspection, I arrived at some very frank and honest
conclusions.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What I carry with me are my moments of success – memories of
delighting a client with a task well done, of the shared joy of great team
spirit, of the happiness of an article well written, of the
satisfaction of targets achieved and deadlines met, and most of all, of
the wealth of goodwill earned. These are mine for keeps – a treasure that needs
no validation from any quarters.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As for the legacy I leave at the workplace – it is a bit of
me that still lingers within its walls, which breathes in the work I leave
behind. Work that makes me proud of myself and infuses me with all the
confidence I need to take on the future. Again – a
treasure that needs no validation!</p><p></p>Meghana Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11055102479241188675noreply@blogger.com0Mumbai, Maharashtra, India19.0134964 72.940383714.851349470969174 68.54585245 23.175643329030827 77.33491495tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045171296055072615.post-71243903470556162452015-05-09T13:34:00.000-07:002024-01-21T13:36:26.933-08:00The undercurrents in our social media interactions – a mirror of our real world?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8dM8FmA3WwYEYvdrj3zdWQ2P7vGSa7YR4kCVP2aAOs80Mn-TH7KGGNiUmsMNH92MMy-9lv1MOEjqMglre_hanDEikqTLj1JMgrq7wsvBOSp8vQILoP1LDDuJH1AwCrlBOrT1O1ZBNvGc5WEMj8A8vDDOa2EJHRKZnUkMg_uODg31X-ANHH3-Gi3VmeI/s776/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="776" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8dM8FmA3WwYEYvdrj3zdWQ2P7vGSa7YR4kCVP2aAOs80Mn-TH7KGGNiUmsMNH92MMy-9lv1MOEjqMglre_hanDEikqTLj1JMgrq7wsvBOSp8vQILoP1LDDuJH1AwCrlBOrT1O1ZBNvGc5WEMj8A8vDDOa2EJHRKZnUkMg_uODg31X-ANHH3-Gi3VmeI/w479-h241/Capture.PNG" width="479" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">It’s almost like a
taboo – something that most might never admit even to themselves – but there’s
a lot more than meets the eye when it comes to our behaviour and personal
interactions on social media.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Much like our daily
lives have their complexities cleverly concealed underneath layers of
pretentious garb, the world of social networking too isn’t without
its hidden motives. It may be a virtual space but it mirrors the real world in
more ways than one could imagine. It’s all about creating an image with utmost
care and caution all while giving the impression of spontaneity. It’s about
carefully cultivating a persona that exudes an aura of carefree intelligence
when in actuality nothing could have been more deliberate and calculated.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><b>It’s all to do with
the subtle workings of the mind</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">The rule governing
the game is one-upmanship and self –promotion and it is these two aspects that
are at play when people network on social channels. Every action or inaction is
governed by a motive – will liking someone’s post make that person more visible?
Will a comment by me on another’s post enhance that person’s reach among my
circle of influence? Does it befit me and my “image” to interact with a
particular connection? There is always an undercurrent of insecurity and the
constant need to maintain a positive impression among your virtual peers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">In this way every
response becomes a measured step that weighs all the hidden dynamics in a
matter of split seconds, before our conscious minds can even understand and
register the thought process.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><b>Status conscious
hierarchies – a déjà vu?</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">In both – the real
and virtual world, people display identical behaviour patterns, as is evident
in the way they like to professionally associate with those (at least publicly)
who are on an equal footing in terms of designation, authority and overall status.
There are unspoken hierarchies that determine whom you would like to be seen
hanging around with on social media and whom you would much rather avoid. The
same old biases (race, ethnicity, social standing, age) that have been
prevailing throughout the ages condition us to always appear at our practical
best. We dare not challenge stereotypes for fear of taking away some of the
lustre from our profiles and so we play safe in our professional networks too,
publicly mingling only with those that befit our reputation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Virtual networking then
is truly a parallel world we have created for ourselves replete with all the
double standards and trappings of class and position. It’s rare to find
influential persons connecting with the “lesser and lower mortals” without that
hint of condescension or ulterior motive.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Do we thus lack the
ability to simply be ourselves without always wanting to fit into established
norms that dictate our every action and decision? Do we lack the courage to be
completely honest about ourselves and the world? Do we lack the guts to keep at
least our virtual space what it should be – open, natural and free?</span></p><p></p>Meghana Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11055102479241188675noreply@blogger.com0Mumbai, Maharashtra, India18.7889599 72.912581314.607189388886781 68.51805005 22.970730411113216 77.30711255tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045171296055072615.post-27737649738687480262015-04-28T13:31:00.000-07:002024-01-21T13:33:53.235-08:00When nurturer turns destroyer<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5hTiOC8BnJDg4GhRmNSgx5Kvv73okYTa_5k2xZsJF7F4S-BkFzucqFE_EpR2odhGTQqF6uewkfTRX17RExfDlJPIvyFup_-VjmN6KlCBNFPunh8CoyMl7izXYByv5gdc58nt2tbeQ9ri9Z8TaS-mcaP5J9HdWsSpW8quk0AA0sMS1B7RIidyI88k-J8/s774/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="774" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5hTiOC8BnJDg4GhRmNSgx5Kvv73okYTa_5k2xZsJF7F4S-BkFzucqFE_EpR2odhGTQqF6uewkfTRX17RExfDlJPIvyFup_-VjmN6KlCBNFPunh8CoyMl7izXYByv5gdc58nt2tbeQ9ri9Z8TaS-mcaP5J9HdWsSpW8quk0AA0sMS1B7RIidyI88k-J8/w447-h224/Capture.PNG" width="447" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">She shudders and quavers, jolts and shivers<br />
And all hell is let loose<br />
Her fury unleashed, her force unimaginable,<br />
Nurturer turns destroyer as upon life she tightens the noose.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In a moment humanity stands humbled<br />
Brought down to its very knees,<br />
Our differences no longer matter, its only survival that’s paramount<br />
Cities collapse and hearts sink as everything crumbles to a debris<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">By the time she calms, the damage is done<br />
Irreversible, irreparable and complete.<br />
Lives bite the dust and dreams wither,<br />
Failing to withstand the fury, history too just ceases to be!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Coming to terms with the vagaries of life<br />
Resilience will triumph and life will begin to reknit.<br />
The tragedy spurs kindness hitherto eclipsed<br />
Shaken and saddened, the world pitches in to do its bit<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As we grieve the terrible losses,<br />
And mourn the void that would remain forever unfilled,<br />
The paradox never ceases to amaze – what do we inhabit?<br />
A merciless planet or a thriving earth – luxurious and fulfilled?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Is this nature’s way to humble us into kindness<br />
So we see each other’s worth and indispensability?<br />
To remind us of the value of beauty and art, of peace and serenity,<br />
So we pledge upon ourselves to steer our species towards blissful
eternity!</p><br /><p></p>Meghana Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11055102479241188675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045171296055072615.post-53848169448185871502015-03-17T12:07:00.002-07:002024-01-21T13:30:40.636-08:00A chain of kindness!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0b-2wD8gi5Ou3ADXITRp2kYMjcJdhjbbUY_NxGOd2Mp8by211DS1p4eIOVyS-F1A2aNNNtz-nRg8_maKgjEV7qrM4UhIuiX9ea440SEylaO-VxY1FyU5ZaZm9RUlxirQVEMz9gqIHjzA/s1600/kindness.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #444444;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0b-2wD8gi5Ou3ADXITRp2kYMjcJdhjbbUY_NxGOd2Mp8by211DS1p4eIOVyS-F1A2aNNNtz-nRg8_maKgjEV7qrM4UhIuiX9ea440SEylaO-VxY1FyU5ZaZm9RUlxirQVEMz9gqIHjzA/w403-h220/kindness.jpg" width="403" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><div style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Image courtesy: colourlovers.com/sundancer|moore at jakyastikblogs.blogspot.in</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><i>Wrote this article for the "Parents' Corner" of the Junior Edition of my daughter's school magazine - 2014-2015.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">Sometimes a single incident teaches you so
much and strengthens your faith in humanity.
Here is one such episode that I would like to recount – one that has
left an indelible mark on my mind.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">This is about a family who was holidaying
in Mussoorie – a young girl in her twenties, her parents and grandmother.
Although they were staying in a hotel at the hill station, they had many day
trips planned to the more remote scenic areas, higher up in the mountains. The
only way to get to these areas was by foot or by cycle rickshaw – mechanical
contraptions manually pulled by rickshaw pullers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">The family also had to use this means of
transport since there were two elderly ladies for whom the climb would have
been impossible on foot. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">So they called for one cycle rickshaw and
the two older ladies sat in it, while the young girl and her father decided to
walk alongside. The rickshaw puller seemed to be a middle aged man, probably in
his late forties or early fifties. They fixed the fare and the puller took to
the pedals and began to ferry the ladies towards their destination – a temple
at the end of a steep gradient that overlooked a beautiful valley.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">All seemed well till they approached the
gradient – an uphill slope that would mean quite a rigorous exertion for the
rickshaw puller, well past his youth. He began the climb, pushing down on the
pedals with all his strength but as it was very steep, he was soon struggling
at the task. Seeing this, the girl’s father promptly went to help him by
actually pushing the rickshaw from behind, using both his hands. Seeing her
father, the young girl too decided to pitch in. The look of surprise and
gratitude on the face of the rickshaw puller was priceless – he seemed at a complete loss for words to express his feelings.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;"> This
unique sight attracted many stares and some people actually followed suit with
their respective rickshaws, bringing forth a chain of kindness. It proved that
good begets good and that kindness and humility are what make us human –
qualities that unite us beyond man-made barriers of class, status, language and
religion.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">This makes me
wonder at how simple and uncomplicated our world would be if only we did not
allow our humane qualities to be eclipsed by arrogance, and our egos to be
flattered by a meaningless sense of superiority. Kindness is all it takes to be
a good person and we don’t really need any religion to teach us that. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">It is the only
thing our world desperately needs today! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #444444;">P.S - Dedicating this piece to my father, the protagonist
of this incident – the man who walked the talk and from whom I learnt some of
life’s most valuable lessons. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Meghana Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11055102479241188675noreply@blogger.com2Mumbai, Maharashtra 400071, India19.0018336 72.8985314.861812583083942 68.50399875 23.14185461691606 77.29306125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045171296055072615.post-55388410553612786142015-03-02T13:25:00.000-08:002024-01-21T13:28:49.240-08:00Is the term "soft leaders" an oxymoron?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc57QNM_M9Gzn74fKyiZU4VVktNmwFUxEIZx2UxXVz8JPRXHFnQlBuuOEKh6RMNx4gMIh8nKn8v61DJs-W7H1G-SJAHS_cDgLt0c6_mEB7RRoDZGKD0M1OCSxwB1J6i4t_RwpjYnGK9ZojKQvrFyJt1nbxLF3zQJ2axkWfxbsaK5AwxF5eQ_JRYB7ohXM/s776/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="776" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc57QNM_M9Gzn74fKyiZU4VVktNmwFUxEIZx2UxXVz8JPRXHFnQlBuuOEKh6RMNx4gMIh8nKn8v61DJs-W7H1G-SJAHS_cDgLt0c6_mEB7RRoDZGKD0M1OCSxwB1J6i4t_RwpjYnGK9ZojKQvrFyJt1nbxLF3zQJ2axkWfxbsaK5AwxF5eQ_JRYB7ohXM/w477-h239/Capture.PNG" width="477" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #27292b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.5em 0px;"></p><p class="MsoNormal">Think leadership and what is the first thought that comes to
your mind? Authority, Control, exclusivity? We imagine a dominating person with
a commanding personality, someone who remains elusive and elite, preferring to
maintain a distance lest the team members get too close for comfort. Leadership
has thus through the ages been considered synonymous with exclusivity, and
anyone who deviates from this established school of thought is termed as “soft”
and “mild”.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Do good leaders then deliberately work at carefully
maintaining that impression of aloofness by never crossing the line between
personal and professional, by never letting conversations stray into the zone
reserved for friends? Is this born from the fear that excessive proximity would
most certainly lead to excessive familiarity and blur the boundaries between
designations?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately, more often than not, we would have to
reluctantly admit that these barriers have become essential in order to
cultivate that authoritarian aura, an indispensable trait possessed by those at
the helm, without which it is seemingly impossible to exercise control, to have
people look up to you and defer to your leadership. Empathy, humility and
amiability are not normally traits one would associate with leaders and if such
a person were to don the leadership mantle, there is every possibility that he
would be considered a misfit, even before he got a chance to prove his critics
wrong.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The corporate world abounds with examples of situations
where employees, after having been promoted, choose to steadily distance
themselves from their former colleagues, either of their own accord or after
being “advised” so by their superiors. The same philosophy extends through all
walks of life wherever there exists a hierarchy – between juniors and seniors,
instructors and instructed, the administrators and administered.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This brings me to the question – are we programmed to accord
respect to those who demand it by virtue of their temperament rather than to
those who earn it by virtue of their emotional quotient? Do we unconsciously
give in more easily to the authority of the whip wielder rather than a more
tolerant, democratic and amiable leader? Do we tend to take the latter for
granted? Is that why the term “soft leader” assumes the sobriquet of an
oxymoron?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Leaders are those who can lead by example, who can bring out
the best in their subordinates simply by connecting with them, believing in
them and giving them the freedom to work without rigid controls. It’s time we
redefined the concept to accept individuals with softer qualities, a more
inclusive approach and less sterner exteriors as leaders instead of clinging on
to cliches that only serve to widen the chasm between the controller and the
controlled.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Do you think that this chasm is a necessary ingredient to
drive productivity? Or is it just a hype created to make it easier to wield
power? Do share your views and experiences.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Read more about some interesting nuances of corporate
culture <a href="https://www.meghanajoshi.in/the-roi-of-the-intangibles/" target="_blank">here</a></p><p></p></div>Meghana Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11055102479241188675noreply@blogger.com0Mumbai, Maharashtra, India19.0923661 72.963169410.834349171291855 64.1741069 27.350383028708144 81.7522319tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045171296055072615.post-45205066223197801492015-02-13T21:40:00.000-08:002024-01-21T12:53:23.038-08:00To my forever valentine<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #235491; font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjufQuc1USecz6wkpDwF99ypPFC5DJmtdd0nuQbTH4-xy_Az1tk2svxHwaEYM0i_pJuPd41p_Sj954ZwGD6tVvMUrTwh_Cqyhm59MvFGSNePLnv6d8x3czWEK_pQWB9S7LOLycZXdvoqRmVPcyLvHbPnTI8dfRBdAaE_nfayDHhWFMKPp_16LL5OJfzNeA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="493" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjufQuc1USecz6wkpDwF99ypPFC5DJmtdd0nuQbTH4-xy_Az1tk2svxHwaEYM0i_pJuPd41p_Sj954ZwGD6tVvMUrTwh_Cqyhm59MvFGSNePLnv6d8x3czWEK_pQWB9S7LOLycZXdvoqRmVPcyLvHbPnTI8dfRBdAaE_nfayDHhWFMKPp_16LL5OJfzNeA=w500-h252" width="500" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<i style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #235491; font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">A bond so warm and true is
what I share with you</span></i><br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #235491; font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">So much is unspoken, yet
the love beams through<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #235491; font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">the glint in your eyes,
the smile on your lips<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #235491; font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">Just being with you makes
my heart flip<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #235491; font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">Your teasing words,
mischievous gaze<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #235491; font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">drive me up the wall but
make me feel special anyways<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #235491; font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">With you I can be myself,
without all the frills that I find such a bore<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #235491; font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">And can rest assured that
it’s my mind and soul that you adore.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #235491; font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">To pull me out of the
dumps, you’re always there<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #235491; font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">through all our fights and
squabbles, I know you’ll always care<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #235491; font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">An all weather friend, a
confidant, a life partner and much more<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #235491; font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">Of all the times I have
counted on you, I have lost the score<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #235491; font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">So on this day of love, I
want you to know<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #235491; font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">Till the end of time, I’ll
be by your side through sun and snow<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #235491; font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">You are my forever
valentine, my eternal soulmate </span></i><br />
<i style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #235491; font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">Let’s breeze through life
together as if on a timeless date!</span></i><br />
<i style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #235491; font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";"><br /></span></i>
<i style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #235491; font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";"><br /></span></i>
<i style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #235491; font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";"><br /></span></i><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #235491; font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Apple Chancery";">All rights reserved. Any infringement to copyright laws will incur legal action.</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Meghana Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11055102479241188675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045171296055072615.post-27026575399148012382015-01-04T08:18:00.000-08:002024-01-21T19:28:22.681-08:00Ensnared!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswAxjRQncOX78GKWbNLRV4gVAtWp4UZHyCeXeV5wt17FZyebq-Z1Yn1BmGmtb0w2ifxrkUcJSCfNBz6q0hwUlrdLKs9teFgLvDQsoKec24Wb6TNyZyJbO2O04P4_Uv_hCsr18uU6XKJ0/s1600/Ensnared.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswAxjRQncOX78GKWbNLRV4gVAtWp4UZHyCeXeV5wt17FZyebq-Z1Yn1BmGmtb0w2ifxrkUcJSCfNBz6q0hwUlrdLKs9teFgLvDQsoKec24Wb6TNyZyJbO2O04P4_Uv_hCsr18uU6XKJ0/w512-h286/Ensnared.jpeg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" face="arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.2); background-color: #f1f1f1; color: #7d7d7d; cursor: pointer; line-height: 16px; margin-right: -2px; overflow: hidden; padding-right: 2px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-overflow: ellipsis; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">Image courtesy: <a class="_ZR irc_hol" data-href="http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013-09-09/news/os-lk-sherry-boas-090913-20130909_1_orb-weaving-spider-argiope" data-ved="0CAYQjB0" href="https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAYQjB0&url=http%3A%2F%2Farticles.orlandosentinel.com%2F2013-09-09%2Fnews%2Fos-lk-sherry-boas-090913-20130909_1_orb-weaving-spider-argiope&ei=BGOpVLKhB4KWOImKgfgG&bvm=bv.82001339,d.bGQ&psig=AFQjCNEJIpZ9baGFyx7dhfIi6oEib4nZFQ&ust=1420473186523959" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.2); background-color: #f1f1f1; color: #7d7d7d; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">articles.orlandosentinel.com</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">Dogmas and
doctrines, do’s and don’ts<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">Snuff out the questions,
demolish the won’ts.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">As mankind battles over an invisible God<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">Peace is conquered
by perpetual discord.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">Voices of dissent
are smothered, freedom of expression choked<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">To a set of mindless
beliefs our senses hopelessly yoked.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">God reduced to an
obsession, an idea gone terribly wrong<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">A thing to
possess, a tool to control, with arrogance headstrong!<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">We’re not even a
speck in the mighty cosmos,<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">Yet with inflated heads and grandiose egos<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">We stake claim to
a divinity we can’t ever fathom.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">Faiths fight,
Convictions kill and Reason goes numb!<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">Gone is the simple
goodness, there’s more take than give<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">Lost is the basic
kindness, the compassion to live and let live<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: -14.2pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While
fighting to prove our “own” God right, Humanity we have maimed<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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</xml><![endif]--></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">Ensnared in devastating inebriation, Divinity we have shamed!</span></i><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></span>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 24px;">All rights reserved. Any infringement to copyright laws will incur legal action.</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Meghana Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11055102479241188675noreply@blogger.com0Mumbai, Maharashtra, India18.9642539 72.922217314.823626631580687 68.52768605 23.104881168419311 77.31674855tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6045171296055072615.post-78274951273765136042014-12-16T08:57:00.000-08:002024-01-21T13:23:45.887-08:00Why??<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyqi0FUUR6yov9VLsR3KqhelpXABkU1l6qbKUtKkMw6wc9aT5swx7G_P0gaILXW3CijfPhlZpeIwwYBQogHsUPVqvsySLsFQIVO38MXUBUZH3ewTVoGNDGir8ffcIWAT52LQzGojmNnZU/s1600/ViolenceIsProblem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyqi0FUUR6yov9VLsR3KqhelpXABkU1l6qbKUtKkMw6wc9aT5swx7G_P0gaILXW3CijfPhlZpeIwwYBQogHsUPVqvsySLsFQIVO38MXUBUZH3ewTVoGNDGir8ffcIWAT52LQzGojmNnZU/s1600/ViolenceIsProblem.jpg" height="200" width="139" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image Courtesy: framology.org</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2AtPiFiy9CNwjn3SzirzNwD7WMje1AMorXDcvtvBHstkw9RQo586VLng67vOKU2E4ylSpaDfXgQORgK6juxleNGDEQCP7eIDte0MWoOjKPo2e1zA7_86ItiFIy1ZE3Jdc_ybuVgpzgM/s1600/stop-violence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2AtPiFiy9CNwjn3SzirzNwD7WMje1AMorXDcvtvBHstkw9RQo586VLng67vOKU2E4ylSpaDfXgQORgK6juxleNGDEQCP7eIDte0MWoOjKPo2e1zA7_86ItiFIy1ZE3Jdc_ybuVgpzgM/s1600/stop-violence.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy:www.quickanddirtytips.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It’s too much of a
disturbing coincidence. December 16, 2012 & December 16, 2014 – both among
the darkest times for humanity in recent years! Two years ago, shocked and traumatised
after the Nirbhaya incident, it seemed that mankind couldn’t descend any lower than
this, that this must surely be the nadir of brutality. Sadly, humanity continues to plummet to unbelievable levels.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It’s impossible to
escape the irony of it all – the callous manner in which the perpetrators
justify these insane acts in the name of “God” – the very idea that stands for love,
peace and goodness. It must take a sick mind to take a life and a twisted, cowardly, monster of a mind to murder innocent and defenceless children while they are at
school, in the process of imbibing lessons that will equip them to build a future.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The lucky ones who
escaped the chilling attack will be the ones scarred forever, embittered by this cruel
twist of fate. The first images pouring in of the tragedy showed a young boy expressing
his outrage by vowing to take revenge and destroy those who destroyed his
friends. While such a reaction is understandable in his present situation, it is scary too – as it fuels
the feeling of vengeance and lets continue the eye for an eye attitude that has dragged
humanity down to its lowest.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;">The unimaginable
anguish of the parents who have lost their children to this gruesome tragedy is
something that will stay with them forever – no condolences and support are going
to be able to console them. Words too fall short of expressing the utter
helplessness, devastation, disgust and pain that this incident has sparked in
millions of hearts. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;">It is a shameful day for humankind. The only prayer that we can collectively make is to hope
that no more minds allow themselves to get warped and twisted, that the human
race sees reason and stops this madness before it is too late. </span></div>
</div>
Meghana Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11055102479241188675noreply@blogger.com0Mumbai, India19.1000822 72.827690510.855057953858829 64.038628 27.34510644614117 81.616753