True Friends????

True friends???

Really... these days, the 'true friend' spicies is going extinct.

we should have them conserved.

I have so many acquaintances but few friends and very few true freinds.

I have friends who are worth everything to me. They are with me when I am not the very best of myself. They never forget to wish me on my birthday. They always put up with my temper tantrums. If we have a disagreement, they always call 'truce' first. They understand my needs, but never claim their right. These freinds are hard to find. And I will trade the world for friends like them.

I think the song by Hannah Montana 'True Freind' is sung for friends like Sarada (India), Mumtaz (GA), Prashanti (Bombay), Archana (Atlanta). Guys, you are my true friends.

On second thought....

Many claim to be true to you. But their true nature comes out either in a troubled time or prosperous time. I have so many who left my side when I was going through a tough time. And there are those who ignored me when they were in a high position.

Frankly speaking, I just pity them. I have a favorite song for them too.

I am not ready to make nice - Dixie Chicks

People.... don't you know that you are so transparent and we don't care for the likes of you???

I, the way I am, always want to do good to others and go out of my way to help everyone in whatever way I can. Even if I meet someone for the first time, I feel like I have been friends with them forever and if this 'new friend' has a need... I immediatly jump to resue them.

I know... its very immature of me. But, I am growing and learning everyday.

And now I have learnt a new lesson, that I should not go out of my way for everyone... hahaha it might sound rude on my part and sounds as if I am very angry with someone.

NO honey, NO.

I am very calm and composed right now. People like this used to frustrate me at one time, but not any more. Becuase, its guys like them that make someone like me mature, enlightened and successful. They are my stepping stones to a better person.

I might be sounding like a spiritual class. But if Amitabh Bachan can sound like this, then who am I not to.

Just stop for a min and think... we face different kind of personalities everyday and if the world is just filled with true friends, loving and faithful people, optimists... then it is a perfect world. And dear me!! a perfect world will be sooo dull. The more pessimist, hypocrites, chauvinists, nitpickers are around us the more we appreciate the value of true friends and reality show entertainment.

So, dear acquaintance/friend, what role are you playing in my life this coming year 09???

It will be interesting to label those roles.

But, I am still searching for that one 'true friend' in chattanooga. Hope I will find that person this 09.

Chao for now

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Happy and Prosperous 2009

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Butter Murruku Recipe

Ingredients :

Rice flour - 2 cups
Gram flour - 1 cup
Zeera powder - 1 tbsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt - for taste
Butter - 1 stick

water - to make dough

Oil - to deep fry

Method :

Seive all the ingredients except water. Heat butter and mix with the ingredients along with water. Now make dough of chapatti dough consistancy.
Heat oil in a kadai.
Fill the murruku maker with the dough and make murruku's on a silver foil. Once the oil is hot wear cooking gloves on your hand and put the murrukus in oil and fry till lightly brown.
Make sure that you do not over cook them or they will taste bitter.
Remove murruku and spread them on a paper towel to drain the remaining oil.
Let them cool and store them in a air tight container.

Try and see they taste wonderful.

Besan Rava Laddu

Ingredients:

Rava - 1cup
Besan - 1cup
Sugar - 2cups
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Kaju - handful
Elaichi powder - 1tsp

Method:

1) fry rava in 1/4 cup ghee for atleast 15-20 min on low heat and keep it aside.
2) fry besan in 1/4cup ghee for 15-20 min on low heat and keep it aside.
3) fry kaju in 2tbsp ghee and keep them aside.
4) in a seperate dish, make sugar syrup ( Theega pakam - Keep cooking the sugar mixture on stove on medium heat....until u see theega pakam. Theega pakam can be seen if u put the sugar mixture in a plate of water, it should form LUMP. so it means desired consistency is reached. )
5) now remove the pakam from stove and add rava, besan, elaichi powder and kaju.
6) let it cool for 10 min.
7) make laddus by frequently dipping your hand in cold water ( this will keep your hands from burning ).

The only thing you have to remember is always fry the besan and rava well so that the 'kacha' taste of these will be gone.

Store them in a container and they will last for 3 weeks.

Chao for now

Christmas to me...

Its Christmas time of the year again.

I love this season. I have so many memories and am making right now too.

This month I want to share some of those with you.

We have started by decorating our tree and putting lights up. Now, I am making some Andhra sweats and I will post the recipies once they turn out fine.

I also baught few gifts from my gifts list. will have to shop a lil bit more.

will post more soon....

You need change...

A situation that happened today put my brain to work, again....

Why do people not like change?

Everything changes.
All the natural elements change.
Seasons change, our bodies change, planets change, cultures change and also our individual natures change.
But, why not us?

Change for better is most of the times good. We always want everything around us to get better. We want others to bring that change in their companies or homes or organizations. But, if that same change is proposed, to make things better in your/our personal sphere, only makes our limbs weak.

I feel that why nobody likes change, is because they are afraid of losing control or authority.

People are always ready to critisize or correct others. They give big 'bhashans' about how to run the world. But, what is this critisizm doing???
NOTHING, ZIT, NATA.
Guys we will only listen to you for a while. After that you are just a target of our jokes.

I dare these people to do the same in their small world. I bet they all will fail. No wonder these so called 'critiques' have never contributed for the betterment of the world. But, if someone else want to make things better, then they will surely not like it and if possible not allow it.

I have always faced this kinda 'critiques'. Whenever I talk about change, people around me change.

This is Einstein's answer to people like this :

‘I am thankful to all those that said NO. Its because of them that I did it myself’. “
“Have indomitable faith in your strengths. Then victory over weaknesses is an easy task.”
“Kind words can be soft, but their echoes can be truly endless.”

Amitabh Bachan said:
'It is easy to reconcile oneself with, but when others do not find themselves in the same situation as I do, the task of passing judgement seems so much simpler. For them it is a passing remark. For me it is a scar in the brain; one that never heals.'

When successful people like them say these words, then I think I am on the right path. I am a 'Revolution' and if things does not work at one place .... I will move on till I find 'the place'.

until next time ...
try to understand me with a smile
Chao

Hyderabad - My love

Hyderabad is my birth place. I love it from the bottom of my heart. I still remember the lanes and by lanes, the smell of jasmine, the honking of autos, voices of kids playing on the streets, the kuragayallu bandi...

Life was care free and fun. At that time being an adult was fun because of no homework. So many sweet memories.

Hyderabad is famous for biriyani, mirchi ka salan, haleem, pulla reddy sweets, swaghruha foods, bangle stores, inter cafe. When ever I visit it again, I always feel at home. I still can bargain a deal and come home happy. When I am there any simple pleasure is fulfilling. When I was a teenager, I was very adventurous. I was confident that I can get out of any trouble because my dad was a police officer, even though my dad made it clear to us that following rules is no execption for us.

But, once I got married and came here I lost that confidence for a while, 'cause my parents are not here to back me up. After a while I regained my confidence and now I have turned Chattanooga into Hyderabad for myself. Even though it is not a cosmopolitan city, the people here are very loving and considerate. Although, I still long to live in a metro and have a fast paced life, Chattanooga is presently my sweet home away from home.

Here are some links about Hyderabad :

http://www.fullhyderabad.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=491HMSj9xGE

http://www.hyderabad.co.uk/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyderabad,_India

Chao for now

The dress that changes colour to reflect your mood

Phillips designed the Bubelle Dress, the dress that changes color to reflect the wearer's mood. It is made up of two layers, the inner layer contains biometric sensors that pick up a person's emotions and projects them in colors onto the second layer, the outer textile.
Ingrid Bal from Philip's Design said: "You could programme the material so that it turned red if you were angry or stressed, or green when you're calm."

Indian moms in US

Well, every mom is different. But, I also realized that Indian moms are different from other ethncity moms. I realized this yesterday, at the Diwali party. After observing many Indian moms at the event... I realized one thing - that Indian moms are very pushy and competitive. Pushing their kids to be the best. To achieve more than their friend's kid. I do not understand the point ( pushing their kids to the limit ) as yet. I say as 'yet' becuase I have a two year old and I am not sure if I will also turn into a pushy mom or not.....
well, this made me think. why are indian moms this way. and i realized that it is because of the social situation. even if you are a rich or middle class or poor kid, becuase of the large population in India, Darwins theory is fully at work. 'The survival of the fittest.' and so indian mom even in US do the same. and I wonder if they are the same way in all situations..... what I mean is, these moms are so competitive around indians... so are they the same way around americans.
But I also wonder who will I be in five years???

Flash back....

Today, I spent the entire day googling about India.

I am compiling some videos and photos for Indian association' Diwali event. Looking at the photos and videos reminded me of my childhood. India, Hyderabad - my home country. where you see a familiar face every few minutes. where colors are bright and the language is sweet. you can see the extremes of anything and everything. A country full of culture and traditions. my country.

I can still remember the sweet scent of jasmine in our front yard. every morning the rikshaw vala comes in the morning to pick us and take us to the school. The streets that we walked to school everyday. The park where we played every evening. The roads where all our neighbouring kids gathered to play kabaddi, I-spy, cricket....

sigh.....!!

I never dreamt of leaving my country and settling in US. I always was independent. And so I always thought that I will after my graduation start my own business and get married later and have a fun filled life surrounded by family and friends.

uhm...

I fell in love got married and came to US.
But, India - did not stop. The globalization that started in 1991 took India to an entirely different level. A level where people are debating about its future as next super power.

Well, I do not know what the future holds for India and me. but right now my two-year-old is calling for my attention. so will keep my thinking cap aside and attend to my motherly duties.

Thats it for now
Chao

Hello !!! World !!!!

Finaly, finaly.
Yes, finaly I started my own blog. I always love to read blogs and comment about different things. But writing my own blog is not one of the things to do. I love to write about different things and I always thought that I can express better in writing. So,.... what do I want to write about. Oh!! thats a good question. My passion is reading, writing, painting, singing, dancing, listning to music, aromatherapy, color therapy, children, love, parties, fun, hosting, event planning, graphic design, web design, history, sigh-seeing, travelling, cooking, decorating, and much much more. Well, you see basically, I am a Gemini. uh-ha that explains it all. So stay tuned to be memerized by my life.
Chao