Yahooooo!

I am happy, very happy, for a couple of reasons! To begin with it's Thanksgiving tomorrow! And for the first time in many years we are invited over for Thanksgiving - not just one but two in a row - yes, both Thursday and Friday! Why am I so excited about that?!

Well, Thanksgiving is one feast we don't prefer to be alone. For many years we have been the host and we enjoyed doing that. However, last year since Israel's Mom suddenly passed away we skipped any and all celebrations but would have definitely preferred some company. Guess what? No one even bothered to call and see how we were faring or what we were doing for Christmas or New year, let alone Thanksgiving!

This broke my heart - actually 'shattered' might be a better word - to million pieces... I was crying at work, homesick, wanted to forever leave America and return to Amma & Co, even wrote a few sad poems in those lines... Israel was helpless and even I was taken aback by my own emotions!

Letting bygones be bygones, here we are at Thanksgiving 2011 with tons of things to be thankful for, plenty of company to cherish and wonderful home cooked meals to enjoy! What more can one ask for?

So, here's wishing all my friends, dear and near ones, those in the States and even those abroad, a hearty Thanksgiving along with many thanks! Yahooooo!!

The Me I see is the Me I will Be...

My very first blog post was written exactly two years ago on 20-Nov-2009. Hats off to Google Blogger and my blog world friends for making my joy full and my life complete by allowing me to share traces of my past, moments of my present, dreams of my future and joy of my life. Thank you!

Now, here's my very first blog post...

Dear All: Thank you for stopping by! I am all excited as this has been my long time desire to be a blogger and now I am!!

Let me first introduce myself. I am Me and I love being Me. I especially love my name Hephzibah as it means "God's Delight" in Hebrew. I mostly feel that way. I recently came across a saying, "Jesus Loves You; But I am His Favorite". This fits my fancy perfectly...

I love to write and have written few articles in my journal since childhood; though hardly a few eyes have seen it. I love to write letters to friends/family when they least expect it - to cheer them up. I love to read too.

I love the rain, the sun, the stars, the sea, the trees, the butterflies, the doves, the snow, the lilies, most people, all friends, some movies, My God, my Machan, my children, need I say more?! I honestly love the life God has blessed me with. It is beautiful, it is mesmerizing, it is fantastic.... I am an optimist - try to be.

I love the fresh air, the quietness, the colorful birds & the scenic beauty of our back yard. I love lying in our deck looking at the bare summer skies and counting the stars as they come by...

I love the moon when it appears so close that it feels you might stretch your arm and touch it in an instant.

I love the night lights as you drive down a mountain, the chimney smoke as you drive early mornings.

I love the two swans in Lake Denmark and the gentle noise of running water.

I love the thundering Niagara - especially watching it from the huge hot air balloon.

I love chestnuts, persimmons, green dates and jack fruits.

Above all I love the feeling God loves me and I am His Delight! I do not waver my thoughts on other possibilities. I believe truly that the Me I see is the Me I will Be...

Thanks for your time to look at Me.

Dear Mangala!

Dear Mangala! I am so excited to be writing to you! Let me first wish you a very happy birthday and many happy returns!

I am sure you have made big plans for the day. Whether you are celebrating it with lot of friends or just keeping it to your family, here's wishing you lot of fun and abundance of love around.

It's funny when our kids were little we had come up an unwritten rule that each child gets that many number of gifts according to their birthday number. But now that the older two are in two digits (12 and 10 respectively) we had to add an amendment to our rule that once the birthday becomes two digits they will get only one gift.

Sharon is not happy about it as she is 10 now and Joshua is only 8. She calls it unfair. How so?! She can't explain it. Since it makes her really upset with tears and all, we have decided to wait for Joshua to turn ten to even put that amended rule to practice, so that all will get only one gift. I know it is not fair for Joshua but I don't think he will even take notice.

One thing I insist on giving as well as receiving is number of kisses for each number of birthdays. If they don't lift their lips, it is still counted as one kiss. They will be out of breath by the time they fully deposit all the kisses properly - up to the last count. Little things like this makes life more interesting and keeps the family together.

Interesting how the birthday letter to you took an altogether different form. I guess it's because I write without filtering my thoughts. Okay then! Let me not take up much of your time. Happy birthday once again! May all your fondest wishes come true! God bless.
 
Friend always,
~ NRIGirl

Missing Blogger Alert!

Following bloggers are missing for a while. Few like The Stranger and Baili took leave so we can understand their silence; but these just disappeared without trace. If you can reach out to them great! Let them know the whole blogosphere is looking for them. Finders please inform NRIGirl.You will be $rewarded$!

Blogger: Always Happy, UK

Blog: Dil ki Baat, Blog ke saath

Last seen: 5 May 2011
Last post: Hippy Happy Hoppy Day

Blogger: Mrs. Y Livingston, India
Blog: Jesus, my Lord and my God!
Last seen: 24 July 2011
Last post: One greater than the temple

Blogger: Raji, California
Blog: Why
Last seen: 19 August 2011
Last post: Kailowesome

Blogger: Sanand, Delhi
Blog: Accesslegalcorp
Last seen: 7 September 2011
Last post: Delhi high court blast: Why I disagree with the media's blame game

Blogger: Kavita, Assam
Blog: My Room
Last seen: 29 September 2011
Last Post: Sharadiya Navratri in North East India

Silence of rain

It's raining here! Not the kind you could sing in or dance
Almost like a mother's tears; Ignored by all and silently shed.

No single bird flies by to wipe the drops of tears that silently roll;

Not even the clouds nor winds to share; there stand the trees still and bare.

Could it be the sun that hides his face or was it the moon overnight;
Whoever caused such pain for the rain, please at once plead her mild.

Whatever happened to the joy she brings? Wherever went the child she thrives?
However hard I try to cheer; shuts down my mind on the silence of rain...

Hard time with hard boiled eggs

Not sure about you but I have always had tough time making hard boiled eggs. I understand it looks so simple and doesn't seem worthy of a blog post... But only I know what it feels like not being able to make the perfectly smooth hard boiled eggs!

Anytime I intend to make it, I am faced with a dilemma: Should I first boil the water then put the eggs, or put the eggs in the cold water and then bring it to a boil. Either way it has failed me...

Mom says "Count to 100". I have tried counting to 100 and even as much as five times that sometimes. But nope, it won't care. I have let it cool in the same pot or immediately rushed it to the sink for a run of cold water. Neither has helped.

Either it comes out undercooked or cracked or too difficult to de-shell. I would end up using spoons, fork, knife etc to pry open the shell which would result in an unsightly uneven egg.

Once for a summer get together I volunteered to bring hard boiled eggs. I thought it would be a breeze than making an elaborate dish. We had bought 5 dozen eggs and cooked it in 3 or 4 pots. This time I was extra cautious and didn't rush through the process. Gave enough time to cook, cool and clean. Believe it or not, not even a single egg came out with smooth surface!! Worse yet, we were two hours late for the get together ...

I was beginning to shun away from recipes that called for hard boiled eggs. We were satisfied scrambling them or frying them as omelets or bulls-eye... Then I found an egg cooker that perfectly made it for a while - seven at a time. These days it is also giving me a hard time.

 Tips for hard boiled eggs anyone?

P.S: This is a repost from August 2010. This is what @A and @Bikram had suggested then.

@A: 1. Take cold water a pan
2. Add salt
3. Add eggs
4. Boil for 20 min

@Bikram:
No high flame!

11/11/11!

Happy 11/11/11 everyone! I know, it is not yet 11/11/11 on this part of the world. It is only 7:00 PM on 10th Nov here while folks in the Eastern hemisphere are half way through the day already. It is a beautiful night here with the moon shining bright with no stars for company! Hope you all got a chance to look at yours and enjoyed the breeze it brought along.

The day is special for yet another reason. It is Bikram's birthday!! Timing the post in such a way that it gets published on London time 12:01 AM

Also wishing are Amrit , Punam and many others. Happy Birthday Bikram! Many happy returns! Here's a special order cake for your special day!

The Substitute

The Substitute is an MTV game show where a "substitute professor" walks into a regular class room and conducts a fun quiz game on the spot to the amusement of the unsuspecting students.

The winner walks away with $5,000.

Recently one of our friends' daughter - Margaret - took the prize in NJIT! We are very happy for her. Margaret has a sweet personality, volunteers as an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) and has a soft corner for aging seniors in nursing homes. She desires to become a doctor some day. We wish her the best for her dreams to come true!

Now, sit back, relax and enjoy the show! The commercials are a little annoying but hope you will stay thru' it. It is a fun game after all!

Rest of the journey

And so the journey continued... I was sleeping rest of the way. Actually may be I was drowsy as I remember being very hungry at one time. Every now and then when I opened my eyes there were new people in my compartment (remember I was traveling unreserved). I would soon drift back to sleeping - I am sure it wasn't a good sight but I didn't care for it much.

The next scene I remember was the rather interesting conversation I had with some lovely ladies. They were poor but rich in compassion. One of them kind of waited for me to open my eyes and quickly started a conversation. They inquired if I ate anything and when I nodded no someone gave me a plantain - ripe to the right consistency I like it. I was awake now and so I guess my sleeping was to do with my hunger.

No longer hungry I started answering their questions after questions after questions. They wanted to know why I was traveling alone and why I didn't eat anything and where I was coming from and where I was going etc. Interesting part was that they inquired in Malayalam and I answered in Tamil which was understood by both sides. Soon it was their station to get down and few minutes before that itself one lady started asking if she could adopt me as her own child. Ha ha ha! That was when I fully understood the extent of their compassion for me. Somehow they had concluded I had no family. It took a while to convince them I very well had a Mom and Dad and Brother and Sister who loved me their best. I waved them good bye and continued the rest of the journey amusing over the conversation I had had with them.

I was finally home - more than three days after my departure from Bangalore! When I got refreshed I started sharing about the adventures of the journey with my family and of course I had to start from the very beginning, how just like that my friends decided to leave for home since college was closed and how I too decided to tag along etc etc.

Rolling back to all the way from leaving from hostel I recalled how we took an auto rickshaw to reach the local train station from where we took a train to Bangalore main station. One detail I could have avoided but did not - caused a great deal of eruption from Papa. He was so upset that he started SCREAMING and YELLING and I ended up in tears. What for?!

Well, the auto rickshaw had stopped on the wrong side of the station and we had to cross the railway tracks to go to the other side to board our train. I was dragging my heavy luggage and slowly moving while my friends had already crossed over with their lighter loads.

What I didn't notice nor expected was a train coming on one of the tracks. A man at the platform screamed "TRAIN! TRAIN!" and I turned to see and there it was a MONSTROUS train looming around the bent corner - just a few yards away from where I was!!

I had to act quickly. Not sure which track the train was actually on I ran across all the tracks towards the station still carrying my luggage. My friends looking over in horror and screaming, this man hurrying me with an outstretched arm, the train roaring closer I reached the platform.

Just as the man pulled me off the tracks on to the platform the train thundered down the lane!! Our faces were pale, hearts seemed to have stopped while the limbs went weak and the surroundings appeared frozen that very moment which seemed like eternity. Still!

Gathering up the luggage, finding my sandals, friends to my support, still shaking I thanked the man and he was shaking too! No wonder hearing that Papa was shaking too! If I had been better at narrating the incident, you would be too!!

The End!

How is he? Where is he? What is he?

The year was 1992. I was a student then traveling unreserved from Bangalore to Tirunelveli via Cochin. I know it is a long route but then it is a looo..ng story too. I was wearing a beautiful pink chudidhar with grey prints on it with a black bottom and a blacker dhuppattah; I remember it because it was my travel favorite; comfortable, covered and yet stylish! Had very limited funds at hand - barely enough to survive my three days long journey. Three days? From Bangalore to Tirunelveli? Yes, I told you it is a looo..ng story!

There was a strike going on between Karnataka and TamilNadu and no buses were running between the states; so I decided to take the train via Kerala. Was it a smart idea? Hardly so. First of all, I had never done that before. So had no clue what route it would go, what connections I should take, how long it would take, how much it would cost, none of that. Secondly every one had similar plans it seemed like. Bangalore station was FULL! Full to the rim and overflowing! Only at the station I am deciding which train I should take. Since I didn't know anything, my Cochin friends suggested I go with them upto Cochin and then from there I could go home. Of course, I could if only I knew what was next. Anyways, we went and bought a ticket - upto Tirunelveli, via wherever, who cares; the destination was home!

So where were we? Yes on the train! The journey had started with a lot of company in a very crowded train. It was so packed that we were only sitting on our suitcases for a long time. However soon (may be after 8 hours) we got seats. Sooner it was time to wave off my friends. Here I am all alone in the compartment, with no friends and only scattered passangers. Did I tell you I had limited funds at hand? Actually I was exaggerating. I had no funds at all! My ticket was all paid for but since the journey took a day or two longer than expected my funds at hand had dried up. All I had was a guava; a very memorable guava at that! A very cherished one too. Juicey and crispy just the way I like it. My heart was content.

Don't recall which station the train had stopped at. But I remember it was somewhere in Tamilnadu as the boards and ads were in Tamil. Just as the train pulled off I decided to dig into the guava I had. The train was off the platform and slowly moving. That's when I saw this little boy outside who came running towards the train.

His clothes were dirty and his face only dirtier. He came running to my window and said, "Akka! Akka! Please give me something. I am very hungry. It has been three days since I ate anything". Sure, he looked hungry. I wanted to help him; feed him, clean him up, put him in a school, raise him with us, all these thoughts flashed in my mind. But I didn't have anything to give; told you already!

I felt miserable. I told him, "Sorry! I don't have anything." He persisted, "Akka! Please-ka. Anything ka. Something ka..." I said, "I am honest thambi. I really don't have anything to spare you". For whatever reason the train had stopped at the trailing end, making me more miserable having to argue with a hungry little boy.

He looked sad. I felt even sadder. Looked in my purse, pouch, luggage zipper and everywhere to see if I can find at least some coins to give him. Alas, none! The train was almost moving. I frantically continued my search for a coin, looking under the seats, over the seats, in between the seats to see if I could find one out of nowhere. None! Not even one! Pity!

I was just hoping he would move on to another compartment with "richer" people. He wouldn't budge. I was almost in tears and he seemed so too. Then suddenly he pointed at the guava in my hand and said, "Can I please have it?". I responded, "This? I don't think so. I have bitten it already!" He insisted, "It is okay akka. Please give it akka. Asking you like my own sister akka. Please give it."

I just reluctantly gave it to him the last minute as the train moved on. I could see him eating the guava with such a glee. I kept staring in that direction with tears in my eyes even long after the scene had rolled. After all these years, with life speeding away in such a frenzy, amidst my busy day, I can still recall the scene  as fresh as it was just yesterday.

How is he? Where is he? What is he? My mind ponders. Before it gets heavy again, I tell myself he made it in life - a big man now, loved much, lacking nothing, having his kids in school! I honestly believe so. Wish him so...


P.S: How the hungry me finally reached home, that's a whole another story; I will save it for later!

At the water cooler

It is a Bible college  in Kerala. She was washing her hands at the water cooler and the guy next to her did not like that. She continued to go about her business ignoring his comments of objection as he kept staring at her. Though she felt a little intimidated she did not show it. He suddenly realized that he actually liked this girl who was apparently fearless. Right away he fell in love with her - head over heels! She cared the least and would not oblige.

He was a Pentecost, handsome, neither of them were married, seemed to have the same calling, parents wouldn't object and there was no apparent reason why she would reject him. He kept asking her to consider him and there seemed no valid answer she could give him. He insistsed she come and meet his friends later that day.

The friends, two young married couples were cheerful, lively and welcome her as one of them. He was very happy, way too nice and seemed full of joy. She wanted to make things straight from the beginning. So she told his friends it was nothing like they imagined and that she was not interested in him. They spoke up for him, recommending him and pleading her to consider him.

Just as she was contemplating what to do next the alarm went off and she woke up with a startle realizing it was all just a dream!

Point to note, she never went to a Bible college, never had such an encounter, never knew these people, never watched/heard of a similar scene in a movie or elsewhere. Why this dream out of the blue she has no clue. Do you?

New November

There is something about new months that makes me bubbly; not just November, any given month. Here's wishing you all a very happy November 2011! Hard to believe we are in the last lapse of the year 2011.

Yesterday was Halloween. It was fun to see neighborhood kids dressed up as different monsters and animals and fairies come knocking at the door saying, "Trick or Treat!" The cutest was a baby elephant with chocolate smudges all over his/her face. I wish I had taken a picture to show you all.

Halloween is a pagan ritual which is not encouraged in our children's school but they wished to go trick or treating in the last minute. So they made up costumes like pirates and doctor and went knocking at a few doors.

November is unique in NJ in the sense that the old things give way to new. The trees shed their leaves and homes their junk and some their weight to be prepared for the much celebrated Thanksgiving feast. It kind of makes me sad to see the trees become bare but then soon snow covers them to bring back some joy.

This year surprisingly we got the snowfall earlier than expected. We had a heavy downpour over the weekend causing downed trees and power loss across the state. In fact my children's school is closed for the second day in a row. Hopefully things will be back to normal soon.

Chestnuts are in. It is one snack we look forward to during this time of the year. I have figured out an easy way to roast it in the microwave. All it takes is 2 1/2 minutes for a tempting treat!

Every year we host Thanksgiving - gathering a few friends, roasting a turkey. But this year I am tired of even thinking about it. May be as the day gets closer I might get charged up, but for now it seems impossible.

Soon it will be Christmas and I am not looking forward to it either. I hate to spend Christmas alone by ourselves and I do not feel up to hosting either. The only option it leaves us with is to do some traveling. We are thinking of ideas; let's see how it turns out.

Why am I telling you all this? Well, what else friends are for? Happy November once again! Looking forward to plenty of posts from you all this new month.