A Dog's Tale

I just love dogs! No matter big or small, puppy or grown I really like them all. Mom however never liked dogs or cats or any other pets. Whenever we kids brought up the idea of owning a puppy Mom would say, "It's me or an animal! You pick!" Of course we picked Mom :)

When I left for college, while my brother grew up, he once brought home a kitten for one rupee thirty five paise from his friend. This was the cutest kitten in the whole wide world and Amma fell for it! For one holiday when I returned home I was surprised to see this kitten running around. Delight - my brother, quickly filled me in with the news of  how we got it in the first place.

Having never been close to animals, at first I was reluctant to get familiar with this kitten but Delight slowly introduced me to first touching it when it was not looking, then touching it when it was looking, next holding it when it was not looking, then holding it when it was looking and finally to cuddle and muddle and everything else that goes with growing a kitten. Within days or maybe it was hours, I got quite fond of this new addition to our family! I don't think we ever named him but Delight called him 'Manjal' as it was yellow in color; Amma called him 'Royal Beauty' because he looked royal; Papa called him 'Poose'; Akka didn't bother with any name calling as such :) I just called him 'Meeyow' or anything else that came to my mind. It was my assumption that pussy cats did not respond to names - even to this day I have my doubts about this one.

A couple of visits later, when I arrived home once, I was shocked to see a different kind of furry friend - a puppy! I just couldn't believe my eyes! How come Mom agreed for a dog?! Got even more surprised when I got to know it was Mom who in the first place got the puppy home!! What?! Yes, true! How this happened? Well, Mom had her own reasoning...

Mom noticed that every day when Delight got back from school his adored kitten would just lie around majestically while Delight ran to it to pet him. So Mom thought how different a dog would be?! It would run out and receive Delight and will entertain him more! She happened to share this insight with her fellow staff and one Auntie right away said her dog had just yielded some puppies and there was only one male puppy for which there was a huge demand, but if Mom wanted it she could have it! That was it; Puppy was home! Few days later I arrived from college.

Good thing Delight had not named it yet, as otherwise I would have been very disappointed. This little guy looked grey in color and so we named him Ashy! Ashy was an instant hit! We spent sleepless hours feeding him, watching his every move, loving him all over again enjoying his puppy barks, even volunteering to clean after his morning duties and what not?!

Ashy grew up big and was loved by all except by my Grandma who didn't agree on the idea of letting dogs climb on our beds - not even the least bit!! But slowly Ashy won her heart too. What happened was one day Grandma yelled at Ashy and the next day coincidentally Ashy fell ill. Grandma felt very sorry and prayed for him telling him repeatedly she would never yell at him again and he should recover soon.

By the by Ashy recovered! I was back in college and one evening I received a letter from Mom! I was not expecting any letters from home as Mom often called me at the hostel and why now letter? I started reading the letter and towards the end of it, Mom had mentioned one line of how Ashy is no more!! It came as a blow and I was in tears! When Mom called later she explained it had happened a few weeks ago and Ashy had left home to roam around in the streets while Animal Control caught him. They went begging and pleading to the animal patrol to release him but alas they had already euthanized our beloved Ashy! That was a very sad incident. Mom was affected worse as Ashy had become her favorite by then.

Even before that somehow the cat had been out of sight. Now that Ashy too was gone, Mom went back to her original rule of, "No more pets!" not so much because she didn't like them, but because we all got so attached to these beings and get so upset when something happens to them and Mom was keen on not letting that happen to us again.

But eventually after a year or so, one Sunday afternoon one local man brought this very adorable snow white Pomeranian puppy - hardly 30 days old and was saying he is looking to sell it and wanted to see if we would buy it. Why did he approach us?! It turns out it was Delight's idea. Who can resist a doll like puppy with the whitest fur and the cutest eyes? Mom and Papa said okay and then they hesitated to spend Rs.500 on it. I had a collection of five rupee coins and when we counted them it was exactly Rs.500 and so we begged and pleaded to keep him. Then Papa decided to pay for it himself and Snowy was home!

It was my idea to name him Snowy because it was the name of a dog in my then favorite cartoon book - Tin Tin! It is a long story how we got two more puppies to raise alongside Snowy - Whitey and Tiny. It is ironic how Tiny turned out to be the biggest dog ever! He was huge, tall and handsome :) had horse like strong legs and was always hungry and stealing eggs, coconuts, fried fish, you name it. Whitey was the poorest of all - it was a stray dog and female and not much attractive to look at. We just kept her because Delight wouldn't allow us to send her away...

Then it was time for my marriage! On the very first conversation with Israel I brought up the subject of owning a dog and to my utter shock he responded, "No!" Whoever said guys are nice to girls in their first date?! Okay, it wasn't a real date; it was only a phone conversation but still... how can he say no to a simple request from such a lovely girl (ahem) after all?! But then that's what makes Israel unique!

Even to this day, whenever we come across cute furry doll like dogs, my begging and pleading continues and Israel's answer remains firm, "No!"

Question to the readers: Why the title "A Dog's Tale"? Who is the "Dog" I am talking about?

Sisters...

Sisters are they, the neighbors you see
Cousins are we, their children born free

Who gets to keep the ancestors' crown
Is the family feud that keeps them apart

One has it as crown; One will use it as shoes
Yet both of them wish to claim it as own

Bring home new crowns by victories won
While fighting the foes, say the sisters of steal

If it pleases dear Mothers that we remain as worse foes
Let's pretend so dear brothers but exchange our crowns

As we part our ways to rush back to our homes
Let's promise ourselves to return very soon

We will give Mom a hug as she kisses the crown
Not knowing it's yours, that will sure make her frown

Across the miles, beyond country lines
Our secret is safe with the stars of the night

No borders dear brothers, no feud dear sisters
Not even our Mothers can keep us apart

If we all believe it won't be too long
For the sisters once dear to share in our JOY!

P.S: Who are these sisters and who are these cousins? If at least one person gets it right, I will consider it a huge milestone for me...

SPAM warning!

Dear All: Just to let you know a possible SPAM email has gone out from my regular email account to all my contacts with the subject line reading 'starlh' which is also my email account name.

I do not suspect any of my blogger friends receiving this email as mostly I use a separate account for the blog correspondences. In any event if you have received such an email please do not click on the link or open any attachment as it could be potentially dangerous.

My apologies for any inconveniences this may have caused. I have taken the necessary steps to protect my email account. However if the problem persists I may have to abandon the account. Will keep you guys posted.

Happy Spring!

~ NRIGirl

Friendship Tree

Here's a little fun tree to find everyone easily. Try clicking on the image to visit the individual's interview page. If anybody is interested in displaying it on your blog please email me at nrigirl at hotmail dot com. I can send you the image location and the code for the mapping...

A Kaleidoscope of Friends

As we wrap up with the getting-to-know series, it only felt fitting to hear again from Mr. Balachandran V  whom we had started the series with. This way we make a complete circle you see... Special thanks to all of you for making the series a huge hit! It is not the idea, but the participation that excelled. So hats off to you!  Here's Balan Sir...

When I was a little boy in the ‘60s, one of my never-ending fascinations was with the kaleidoscopes that we had at home. They were invariably bought from Kanyakumari; there were cylindrical tubes, there were triangular shaped ones; some were a foot long, some, half a foot. I would spend hours peering through the kaleidoscope, rotating it or shaking it, as it produced infinite bejeweled patterns; each would be different from another. I was mesmerized, awed by them; and finally my curiosity getting the better of my aesthetic pleasure, I would tear them open hoping to see the millions of glass pieces in it – deflating my excitement, it would reveal a few pieces of broken bangles and rolls of old Tamil newspapers. The outer wrappers in brilliant red and yellow and green would swirl around me in sorrowful miniature whirlwinds.

Reading through NRIGirl’s (Hephzibah) series of interviews, which included mine, I was reminded of the kaleidoscopes of my boyhood. Such varieties of people, such different backgrounds, such different cultures, such different personalities! Like that little boy, I eagerly pounced upon the offer of interview and then blushed to find me sitting at the dining table all by myself! And then, Hephzibah slowly started rotating the kaleidoscope; I look at the wonderful people she has brought together, all the while marveling not only at the individuals whom she introduced, but at herself, the inventor of the Blog Kaleidoscope!

But first, let me do what many others have done and let me sheepishly admit –I didn’t. Thank you, Hephzibah, for honouring me with the request to sum up the series of blogger interviews. Thank you for your questions, thank you for giving me a space in your blog, thank you for bringing many, known and new friends to me!

As now I sit before my PC, wondering what to write, I am suddenly taken away to the memories of my bloglife. My first post was not on one thing – it was several – articles and poems, some which had seen the light of print and some which craved to be read. Comments came trickling in – frustrating was the fact that many people read my blog, some followed but only a few deigned to comment! Like a teenage girl craving for attention, I was silently screaming – ‘Read me, read me, say its good, its great, beautiful, superb, fantastic – at least – interesting’. As the excitement of discovering a new channel to let out my thoughts subsided, I chided myself for this craving for recognition. It is only natural, I realized; there is nothing to be ashamed about it, but take it easy, will ya, I told myself.

In the course of more than 3 years of blogging I have met several new friends – some have stayed on, faithful, some left abruptly even without a goodbye. I feel sad about those who have fallen silent, but then realize that the freedom to be in touch or not, the freedom to be a friend or not, is what makes friendships whether real or virtual, worthwhile. That is the spirit of friendship; freedom to be.

Those who have followed Hepzibah’s posts for sometime would recall her idea to scan up letters and post it in the blog. I was keeled over by its innovativeness – not the scanning up, but her idea to bring in love and warmth and life into this mundane thing called human relationship. She has yet again shown her capacity of great love through this series of interviews.

I read the interviews once again. Coumarane from Paris, Jyothi from Dubai and the rest of them. What strings them all together is the yearning to announce their existence and the eagerness to meet new friends. Executives, housewives, doctors, professors, businessmen – what a colourful extravaganza! In a few minutes the reader is shuttled around the globe in a supersonic jet! We have mouth-watering chocolate cookies from Mangala, fashion ideas from Emily, creative film maker Tomz, talented photographer Raji, loving mom Mrs. Livingston, a doctor who is true to his profession, Dr Antony – each of them is unique and special in their own way, yet we all share many common characteristics – like love for others, of having no regrets in what we have written, appreciation and admiration of how others lead their lives, despite the different circumstances.

This series of interviews once again underlines the truth that in spite of whatever differences we may have – in opinion, belief, morals – just like the billions of our fellow men and women across the globe, there runs the same blood in all of us. It reminds us that in whichever far flung corners of the world we may live in, we share the same air, water and land. It behooves us to love each other, to help each other and to protect this fragile planet to which we all belong.

In this moment of joyous reflection of our brief time together, my heart bleeds for our Japanese brethren. Earthquakes and Tsunamis might be natural catastrophes, but the bigger catastrophe of the exploding nuclear reactors is man-made. Radiation is spreading the slow mist of death and suffering across the geographical borders. Many such reactors – symbols of human greed for more – and more wait in the wings to dance the cosmic death dance. In these moments of togetherness, let us bow before Mother Nature and pray and act for its well-being.

Peace.Love.Unity.

~ Balachandran V, Trivandrum, 19-03-2011

From Always Happy

In response to Always Happy's question to NRIGirl...

Hey Dosts,

It has been a busy day. I was afraid I might not be able to catch up with you all today. Haven't completed half my work at home, but just thought 'let it be' and decided to sit down for a while. I had set myself one goal and one goal only as the day started - that was to be Always Happy!

Now that we are at the end of the day I can assure you I have been happy. Not that everything went smooth. In fact many things went wrong. To begin with I was running late. Didn't have a minute to wait for the toast to pop or the coffee to brew. Just had to run. To make matters worse gas was low in the car. And cell phone battery was beeping. No, I can't really afford to stop now for filling up the tank or looking for the charger; such precious minutes will be wasted, I can worry about it on my return. Clock was ticking and getting so close to the minute-mark by which we have to be at our desks. Unfortunately it is not flexi hours for me :(

Here's an itemized list of how time flew by:

8:00 AM- Children are off to school, let me quickly check comments on my blog
8:13 AM - Oh my! I forgot I have to print the peacock pictures and maple tree pictures for children's science fair which is due tomorrow.
8:23 AM - Pictures uploaded to website, I will have to order the prints during lunch break, no time now.
8:25 AM - "Can I call in sick? Are you really sick? No! At least a headache? No! How about a tummy ache? No! Remember you had sore throat yesterday? But that was yesterday! Anything else you feel? No! I am fine. Then what's the question? Just go, go, go!!"
8:36 AM - leaving home
8:45 AM - talking to Amma while driving
8:57 AM - looking at the clock driving
9:17 AM - looking at the clock again - still driving
9:21 AM - oh! no! only nine more minutes left but seven exits to pass.
9:28 AM - Pulling in to the garage
9:30 AM - At my desk! Finally!!

From there another roller coaster ride of a different kind.

6:00 PM - leaving work
6:03 PM - Gas indicator goes on! Didn't expect it so soon. Had hoped it would last for ten miles at the least.
6:07 PM - Skip this exit, seems scary
6:11 PM - Skip this exit also, no sign for gas
6:13 PM - No, not this exit, that will put me right on Garden State Parkway which is a nightmare in itself.
6:17 PM - EXIT!!! Frantically looking for a Gas Station.
6:18 PM - Thank God! There is one right there! Can't they put up a sign on the Interstate so that people will know?!
6:19 PM - Regular! Fill it up Please!
6:25 PM - Thank you! After swipping off $57.34!
6:27 PM - Back on Interstate
6:33 PM - Zoom
6:47 PM - Zoooooo  ....mmmmm
7:00 PM - Pulling in to the garage of Home sweet home!
8:27 PM - Here and now...

As you see it has been a busy day! However I can honestly say I have been Always Happy! Had a chance to take a brisk walk around the block during lunch. Ah! The feeling of Spring! Isn't that amazing?! The weather was picture perfect - probably in the mid sixties. Noticed plenty of sprouts from the garden bulbs. It won't be long before tulips are here! Or is it daffodils?! I should take some pictures to share.

Okay guys, let me get back to my chores. Take it easy and try to be Always Happy.

Yours Truly,

Always Happy

~ Gotcha! This is NRIGirl!!

Interview with an Anonymous Blogger

"Be Happy Always!" says our anonymous friend here. Conveniently she has picked her nick name as 'Always Happy'. Only during this getting-to-know interview series I "met" her. When I visited her space I could sense a lot of me in her and felt connected right away. She was little hesitant when I contacted her about this interview; I assured her readers would be excited to meet 'face-to-face' with an anonymous too.

From her profile picture to how she has described about her in the profile - to some of her posts - we have great similarity. Here's some proof:

Always Happy	NRIGirl
Says: I am glad I am ME...	Says: I am Me and I love being Me...
Calls her dad: Papa	Calls her dad: Papa
Talks to her inner self: A Letter to my best companion	Talks to her inner self: Mirror Mirror On the Wall
Talks to Mom: Thank you Amma	Talks to Mom: Conversations: Between Me and my Mom
Shares her childhood beliefs: Ae dil e Naadan	Shares her childhood beliefs: When I was a child

So here we go, let's hear from Always Happy as she shares her secrets for being happy always...
The quote here caught my attention as I was browsing through her posts:

"Sometimes I wish I had a time machine that could take me back to my childhood days especially when it comes to taking decisions, to be precise, when it comes to making the right choices. Back in those days I trusted completely my magic mantra IN PIN SAFETY PIN IN PIN OUT…. It always used to offer solutions when I used to be confused..."


?Can you tell us a little about yourself? Please include where you are from.

! I am a simple girl from South India currently living in the UK. I am easy to get along with and I like meeting new people and making new friends. People who know me well would describe me as bubbly, chirpy , eversmiling and Always Happy! I have a positive outlook for life and I believe in living life to its fullest while taking each day as it comes.

?How did you first get involved in blogging?

! I had been lurking around in the blog world since 2008 mainly following Recipe blogs. While looking for a particular recipe one day I stumbled across a personal blog and thus began reading personal blogs. In October 2010 I created my blog Dil ki Baat, Blog Ke Saath.

? What do you do when you aren’t blogging?

! I am very passionate about cooking and when I am not blogging most of the time I am cooking. I like trying new recipes. Other than that I am a big time movie buff and watch a lot of bollywood and hollywood movies. I also spend a lot of time watching old TV serials such as yes Minister, Mind your language, Friends, Yeh Jo hai Zindagi, Malgudi Days.

? How did you come up with the name for your blog?
! Dil ki Baat, Blog Ke Saath means using blog to convey the heartfelt messages. My primary purpose behind creating a blog was to convey my thoughts and expressions. I could not have come up with a title better than that for the type of things I write in my blog.

? What is your favorite post that you have written? What makes it special?
! Every single post in my blog is special to me. Generally I write about things that are happening in my life and about things around me. Someday in future when I look back at my posts, they will do nothing but bring a smile on my face. That is what makes them special. Apart from that, the blog posts have served to attract readers across the blogosphere who make my day with their vauable comments . My blog as well as all my blog friends are special to me for making my life different from what it was before I started blogging.

? Any regrets about any of your posts?
! None.

? Tell us a joke please.
! Well, it would have to be a joke about myself. An incident that my school friends remind me and have a laugh about everytime I see them. It was about my one and only dance performance in life. If there is one thing that I am very bad at then it is dancing. Yet, once I took part in a dance competition in my school . For me it was a big deal because I was trying my hands at something that I am just not good at. It was dancing to the tunes of a malayalam song depicting a peacock dancing in the rain. In the first sequence I was to enter the stage from the left side, complete a whole circular motion and come to the centre of the stage. Unfortunately, as I was taking the circular motion, the tape got stuck and the music stopped but the 8 year old silly peacock continued Singing and dancing much to the audiences' amusement!

? What can readers expect in your blog? What is it about?
! My blog is about simple things in life. I write about the incidents that have made me what I am today, the incidents that are a part of me currently and that will shape my future. I like to keep all my posts short like a snack pack with an appropriate picture to go along with each post for readers to sit back and enjoy.

? Is there anything else you want to share?
! Always Happy learnt to be happy always by looking beyond the imperfections , disappointments and sorrows in life. Life must move on despite all the ups and downs. So we might as well move on spreading smiles and joy and receiving them back from others around us.

? Now, if you have a question for me (NRIGirl) this is your chance to ask.
! If tomorrow, just for a day you were to be Always Happy what would you say to your readers?

Interview with NRIGirl

Hello everyone! Hope you are all still with me as we meet our fellow bloggers one-on-one. I am truly impressed by the overwhelming response from readers and bloggers alike on this getting-to-know series. I am grateful to everyone who were willing to share. Only 3 bloggers turned down the offer among the 23 I had contacted. Few more coming our way, please stay tuned. Some of you had asked me to take the same interview myself and hence this attempt.

NRIGirl as we know her is my favorite, not because I am her but because I know her true self. I can guarantee that who you see is who she really is - no pretense. It was her intention to remain anonymous when she first started to blog, however she had to soon give it up and reveal herself as otherwise it was not just her true self.

As a lioness she might have loved being the center-of-attraction once but lately very cautiousely she is working towards doing more behind the scenes. One thing I am still working with her is to stop being opinionated. I agree she speaks her mind, but not necessary in most cases - now that is my opinion! Why should she bother to tell someone that their choice of wall color is not her favorite when indeed it is not her who is going to live there but the other person? But you see, to tell otherwise would sound to be pretense to her and so she tells what she really thinks. That's where I say she needs wisdom. She can just keep quite without telling anything - can't she? I am sure she is trying.

Okay, before I go on and on and on complaining about her let me give way to NRIGirl! The quote here is  from her award winning post: Garbage Collection.

"Imagine how it will be if we don't empty our garbage bins regularly. Now imagine keeping the garbage for years and years to come... Can we stand the smell of it? Will people care to stop by? Will it keep us all hale and healthy? Will it help improve the quality of life? Will it help make a happy family?"




Picture taken on 31-DEC-2009

  ?Can you tell us a little about yourself? Please include where you are from.

! This is NRIGirl! I have shared a lot about me in my posts however if you insist on a snapshot of who I really am, I suggest you check out my page: The Me I see.
I am originally from Karinkal and now belong to Manjuvilai (I can visualize my family laughing as Karinkal is my Papa's native and Manjuvilai is my husband's native). Currently we live in New Jersey.

? How did you first get involved in blogging?

! Writing has been my passion. When I say, 'writing' I don't mean serious stuff or fiction, I have always liked to write letters detailed with happenings at my end. For whatever reason I wasn't aware of blogs though I am in the field of Technology. I had slowly started hearing the word 'blog' here and there but didn't know how it worked. Then one day my friend casually mentioned she writes a blog and shared the link with me. I checked it out and knew immediately that that's where I belong.

In addition to NRIGirl, I do a daily devotional blog called: Coffee with Jesus & share my simple recipes on: NRIMenu.

? What do you do when you aren’t blogging?

! I work. Having a clean house is my passion. Computer Programming is my profession.

? How did you come up with the name for your blog?
! NRIGirl - Non Resident Indian Girl - because that's what I am.

? What is your favorite post that you have written? What makes it special?
! I would say all my poems are special to me as I am surprised every time I come up with one that even I could write poem. Of the other posts if I were to pick one I would say When I was a child - as it helped me grow up!

? Any regrets about any of your posts?
! Yes, I could have avoided the post Papaya.

? Tell us a joke please.
! Here's an NRI joke I had recently heard: There was this salon where as a promotional offer the salon owner decided to offer free hair cuts for a week.

One day a cop comes in for a hair cut, when he goes to pay the owner says it is on the house explaining the current offer. He thanks the owner and leaves. A little while later a flower shop owner stops by for a hair cut. After the work is done, when she goes in to pay she wasn't charged. She thanks and leaves. A little later an NRI shows up for a hair cut. The scene repeats.

The next day morning as the salon owner comes to open the store, there is a dozen donuts delivered at his door steps with a thank you note from the Cop for the free hair cut. A little later a dozen roses are delivered as a thank you token from the flower shop owner. All of a sudden a dozen NRI's show up at the stall saying they heard about the free promotional offer through their NRI friend!

? What can readers expect in your blog? What is it about?
! Traces of the past... Moments of the Present... Dreams of the future... Joy of Life... and lately they can get to know about fellow bloggers.

? Is there anything else you want to share?
! I must thank all of you - the readers and fellow bloggers who stop by my blog(s) as often as you can.

? Now, if you have a question for me (NRIGirl) this is your chance to ask.
! Hello NRIGirl! How are you doing?

Interview with Bawa Kaseem of Sillvandu

Bawa Kaseem and I go way back to 15 years ago! Just can't believe it has been 15 years since we passed out of MCA from the 1993-96 batch at Hans Roever College. It can't be! I quickly resorted to the calculator tool in the computer and yes indeed 15 years have come and gone!!

Inspite of feeling sad about the years gone by, I actually feel happy knowing that our friendship has lasted the test of times. Bawa & I used to exchange our handwritten articles to one another for comments for improvement way back when. The way he appreciated one of my simple article - later translated into My First Drop of Sweat - set the stage for my writing adventure.

When we were lost and found after many years thru' Facebook one of the first questions we asked each other was "Do you write these days?" I was very excited to hear about his blog and rushed in to read every single post right away. It was such a treat!

Bawa is very skilled in producing skits, staging dramas, video snippets, poetry, story telling - which all revolves around his creative writing skill. Though he is well versed in English, Malayalam and Tamil he has a special affinity towards Tamil. His blog Sillvandu is one of my favorites; however my huge complaint is that he doesn't write often.

Here is Bawa joining us on the bandwagon as we go around the blogosphere getting to know fellow bloggers up close. I am sure you all look forward to hear him share his side of the story. Here we go... Just from the quote here you see how excited he is to share with us :)

"Questions! Questions! Questions! Never could escape from facing questions..."



?Can you tell us a little about yourself? Please include where you are from.

! Questions.. Questions.. Questions! Never could escape from facing questions. Starting from school days, then in College, then in job interviews and in matrimony interviews, the unexpected and unanswerable ones from my “sahadharmini” (better half), Interesting but unanswerable from my 3yr old… questions questions questions… never could escape from them starting then till today!

Questions makes me nerves, I get tensed, I struggle, makes me to put lots of efforts only to finally fumble. Anyway, lemme try now..!

I am Bawa Kaseem, Queen’s classmate in MCA. I am from a very beautiful place called Nagerkovil, near to Kanyakumari – the southern tip of our great nation India. Little about myself… actually, frankly, the honest answer for this would be “No idea sir ji…!”. But then, I think I always try to be happy and make others also happy! Do I succeed in this or not… is a big ?

? How did you first get involved in blogging?

! I am not an active blogger because I am not a regular writer. But I love writing, so I experiment with writings. Because it is my experiment whenever I happen to write something I used to send it to my friends to get their comments. When I learnt about blogs I thought it is a good tool for my experiment! Because, I can post and get the review for the same in one place (but, not getting expected amount of comments is a different (sad) story).

This is how I started blogging… but I must say this… after seeing so many good blogs and wonderful writings… including yours… I’ve become a good reader than a writer (So, it is not my fault for not being an active blogger?!). I also want to register the fact here that, I am a big fan of your writings/blog. Your ideas are awesome. Keep the good work up my fellow blogger!

? What do you do when you aren’t blogging?

! N/A (This question is not applicable to me as I am not an active blogger)

? How did you come up with the name for your blog?
! Interesting question! Somehow I picked up “Sillvandu” as my penname. Vandu (Bee) used to do “Reengaarams” right (Buzzing sound!) So made the sound of the bee as the name for my blog! Sillvandu Reeenggggg…..!

? What is your favorite post that you have written? What makes it special?
! Hmmm… I guess it would be the series that I am writing now… “Vaanavill Pookkall” (Rainbow flowers) especially the latest episode “Karuppoo”! This will be my favorite till I post the next episode in this series I guess. Conveying the emotions properly to the readers is a big challenge… I guess, I have achieved this task successfully to some extent thru' this story. I happen to get good comments and reviews from some ‘Serious readers’ (meaning, those who keep a standard in what they read), and also from some good writers/bloggers that I admire… including you.

? Any regrets about any of your posts?
! Hmmm… no. No regrets! But I felt bad when I did not get any comments for one of my postings “Duryo & Co Vs Panda boys”!

? Tell us a joke please.
! “JOKE” – told…! See… it misfired! This is what happens when I try to crake any joke. It won’t work well and I end up becoming a big joke myself! Well, let me do one more attempt! [Past history shows I always do better in my second attempts!] ok here we go…

A person gets a job as a journalist in one of the local English daily. He is much worried that his English is not up to the standards. One of his friends suggests him to learn minimum 10 new words from the dictionary to improve his vocabulary. This person takes his friend’s advice and starts learning new words from the dictionary. One of the words he learnt in that process was the word “Pregnant” and the meaning of which, given in the dictionary, was “Carrying a child”.

Days went by… and one day there was a big fire accident in the town and this reporter wrote his report about it… the report goes like this… “It was a devastating scene! The entire building was on fire. A brave fireman boldly entered in to the building and came back pregnant!”

? What can readers expect in your blog? What is it about?
! Since I am not a regular blogger currently readers can expect nothingJ! But if they visit I guess they can get something. It is like a rest area in a high speed highway! Busy riders would just ignore the rest area and keep on driving… those who like to take a break will come in! If they are hungry they can get something to eat (reading stories?!), or can have some coffee (some articles?!), buy some snacks (Poetry or other stuffs?!) or just can spend some time and leave after using or without using the restrooms (writing good/trashing comments??!!). It is specifically about nothing yet it is about everything.

? Is there anything else you want to share?
! Yes… I was looking for an opportunity to tell this and I think this is the right place for that so, I should mention it here… and it is a fact too, is that, of all the articles I wrote till today, the most number of reviews and appreciations I got was for the article about NRI life (“Ikkizhandha vaazhkai”) that I wrote in your blog. So, big thanks to you Queen, for making me write some “serious stuff” (to my standards)!

? Now, if you have a question for me (NRIGirl) this is your chance to ask.
! Are you satisfied now? After making me fumble again in front of everybody by asking questions which I am allergic to from my childhood? “Thrupthiya? Santhoshama?” Ha ha… just joking…!

I always wanted to ask one question to you Queen. I have seen you in your difficult times and I always admired you for the fact that you never allowed the difficult situation or problems or challenges to take away your happiness. I always wanted to ask you how you do that? I guess you will not have any answer for that… because you don’t do anything special to be like that.. that’s you.. this is what Queen is… that’s what her quality is, this is what Queen’s identity is… right?

So, I decided, just to learn this quality from you instead of bothering you with questions. So, I’ve learnt that quality from you Queen. And I am trying to implement in my life too! So, another big thanks to you for that Queen.

Proud to be your friend… my friend! Too many thanks is not good for health. So winding up without thanking you….!

Interview with Mangala from Mumbai

"The World's my Oyster" says Mangala as she allows us to peep through a window into her life through her blog. Mangala loves to experiment the layout of her blog changing the look and feel of it quite often making you wonder if you have indeed arrived at the right place or somehow landed elsewhere every time you visit :)

Her blog is a proof for her creativity where she shares her handy work of crochet bags and mouth watering recipes. Her love for life and laughter is evident in her posts.

Here's Mangala in her own words, sharing with us one-on-one from her 'oyster'. The quote here is from one of her posts where Mangala has raised few questions. Does any one have the answers?

"Each day, the world is progressing, becoming better in science and technology, but are we losing our values? In our quest for becoming better in terms of wealth and status, are we forgetting to become better individuals?"



?Can you tell us a little about yourself? Please include where you are from.

! I was born in Mysore, Karnataka. After spending my initial years in North Kerala, we moved to Mangalore, the coastal city, where I did my schooling and then completed my education with a BSc in Microbiology. Got married to my best friend, Satyajit, in 2005 and moved to Mumbai where we reside now. Since 2004, I had been working as a Medical Transcriptionist, but I have always been inclined towards handicraft like embroidery, fabric painting, and now crochet. Recently quit my job as a Medical Transcriptionist and now spending most of my time with my hooks and yarn.

? How did you first get involved in blogging?

! Last year when I was planning a family vacation to Rajasthan, I surfed the Net for information regarding the same as I like to be well informed about the places we go to. I came across some blogs who had detailed every thing regarding a trip to Rajasthan like what to do, what not to do, etc. These blogs helped me a lot to plan out every detail of our trip, and our trip went without any glitches. Inspired by those blogs, I decided to start blogging too, so that I could have a travelogue of my own which would not only help others but would also refresh my memories whenever I read it.

? What do you do when you aren’t blogging?

! When I am not blogging, most of my time is spent in crocheting and sometimes trying out new recipes, both of which I reflect in my blog. I also like to travel a lot to see new places.  I am also fond of reading, mostly nonfictional. I have a big collection of books, mostly bought during my travels.

? How did you come up with the name for your blog?
! "The world's my oyster" basically means that the world is the place where I seek my fortune. I have always felt that there is no end to knowledge. There is no age to learn something new. There is no limit to education. I love to learn new languages, learn new crafts, read about different cultures, meet new people etc. There is always something to learn in this world. A new lesson each day. Knowledge takes care of you, and you take care of your riches. Therefore the world is my oyster!

? What is your favorite post that you have written? What makes it special?
! All my posts are special to me. They are a reflection of my thoughts and my feelings. My posts on crochet and recipes are also special as they help me share my knowledge and I believe one can only learn more by sharing one's knowledge.

? Any regrets about any of your posts?
! None.

? Tell us a joke please.
! It is difficult for me to remember a joke, though I can have a good laugh. However, here's one which I read in today's paper.

Judge: Why did you hit your husband with the chair?
Wife: Coz the table was very heavy!!

? What can readers expect in your blog? What is it about?
! My blog is basically a compilation of my thoughts, my travels, and my creativity. It is like a journal which I had always wanted to maintain but never could maintain one regularly.

? Is there anything else you want to share?
! I am glad that I started blogging as I have made so many new friends who not only support and encourage me by reading and commenting on my posts, but also help me to better myself.

? Now, if you have a question for me (NRIGirl) this is your chance to ask.
! How did u come up with this idea of interviewing fellow bloggers? Thanks for the innovative idea though. It really helps us understand each other better.

Interview with Tomz of Vanity Moments

To tell you the truth it has been only days since I came across Vanity Moments but I instantly connected with the stories Tomz has to share. As he points out these are not imaginary stories, these are happenings in his life but the way he portrays it makes it fun to read.

When someone writes fiction and the readers believe it was real, it is a compliment to the author. Same way, when someone narrates a true incident which the readers believe is fictional, it is equally complimenting to the author. That way, Tomz has what it takes to entice his readers and fellow bloggers.

The quote here is from his blog profile which sets the stage as we go on to meet with Tomz!

"Answering the Who Am I question. A person with dual personality. As a citizen of the outer world I am known as Tom. As a netizen of the cyber world I assume the other self as Tomz. The cyber man is more expressive. Not like the worldly man with charming pretentions. This introduction is the version of the cyber man. The outer man may have another story to tell"



?Can you tell us a little about yourself? Please include where you are from.

! First of all, let me thank the NRI Girl for giving an opportunity to let on what I really mean by blogging, and why do I blog. Most often I feel confused about answering certain questions, and this is such a question when I really feel awkward to speak about myself. I strongly believe that talking about oneself is far far away from telling only one’s name and address. Well, if I follow the traditional way of speaking about myself, let me tell you I am Tom Thomas, blogging for a while under the name Tomz, hailing from the beautiful South Indian state Kerala. And if you ask me how did I derive the pseudonym Tomz, I can simply tell you that it was a result of just following the new-generation e-traditions of ending everything with an ‘z’ in order to make them appear ‘hot’.

? How did you first get involved in blogging?

! Quite accidental! The idea of blogging and writing on the internet world came to me as a result of my association with social networking sites. At that time, I happened to make a short documentary video on the beautiful Kerala beach, Shankhumugham, in which I appeared as narrating the things to be visited around the Beach in my mother tongue Malayalam. After uploading it in YouTube, I searched for a better platform to promote it among my friends in the social networking sites and that search finally ended in the idea of creating a blog.

Seeing the video, a well wisher from Hyderabad, appreciated me and expressed her wish to see the video remade with my English speech. To explain what I speak in the video to my non-Kerala friends, I wrote a screen made script and added it below the video in my blog. So, that’s how I first get involved in blogging. It is to be mentioned that this video film later was recognized by Kerala Tourism and YouTube as a consolation prize winner in an amateur video festival.

? What do you do when you aren’t blogging?

! Well, If I answer to this question from a Blogger’s perspective, I would say, blogging has become a way of life for me. I am not a frequent blogger, updates my blog only twice or thrice a month. But, when I am not blogging also, I used to think and scrutinize themes for my next post. I used to keenly watch and observe things wherever I go, whatever I do, or whoever I meet, to get creatively inspired so that I can consolidate those experiences into a new post sooner or at least in a later stage. And to tell you the truth, I often face criticism from some of my close-ones for approaching everything with a Blogger’s perspective.

? How did you come up with the name for your blog?
! When I started my blog Vanity Moments, first I gave the name Droplets to my blog inspired by my first header image, which was an image of a water drop hanging on the tip of a lively green leaf. But, when I later continued writing with my experiences featured, and developed a writing style, I found that I write about only myself, about my own funny, romantic, tragic or proud moments. I use the word Vanity in order to express sarcasm. Through the title itself, I am trying to mock myself for becoming a persistent boaster. The sub-title, ‘My Boastful Blog’ also expresses the same idea. I am fancied by titles with two words, preferably two rhyming words. Even if Vanity does not rhyme with Moments, I feel this coinage as a whole, generates a musical tone.

? What is your favorite post that you have written? What makes it special?
! Well, I like many of my posts, but if you ask my most favorite, I would say, it is Girl on Crutches. Not because it is about a girl, or about love, or about something other, which are appealing to the youth, but only because of its narrative technique, which I came to apply in some distorted forms to my several later entries. Girl on Crutches follows almost the same pattern of a Frame Story, that means, a story within a story.

? Any regrets about any of your posts?
! If I feel regret about any of my posts, I would soon go to my dashboard and would hide it from the public view. So far it has happened once, and that post is still there in a draft form. I am planning to edit the post so that I can republish it after making the contents agreeable for everyone mentioned there. In fact, I want to edit those parts where I mentioned about myself.

? Tell us a joke please.
! I have not yet succeeded in cracking jokes successfully. Because, whenever I begin to tell a joke, I used to laugh uncontrollably preventing the listeners from understanding what I am trying to speak…Ha Ha Ha...see, I have already started laughing.

? What can readers expect in your blog? What is it about?
! Hmm…I always wanted to write about issues which will make my readers think, like socially relevant ones or serious issues. I hope if I can write thoughtful articles regarding poverty in India, women empowerment in villages, education of underprivileged children, politics, corruption, policing, tourism destinations, film and book reviews or anything which will provoke others into a serious discussion. But being an introvert, I am able to only introspect and thus being able to write about myself only.

My readers often become confused about the credibility of what I write. They often consider my entries as tactically fabricated stories. They often ask me in comments if I really underwent such an incident or if I fabricated it. To tell the truth, I don’t write stories. I write only my own experiences after making it beautified with a fictitious coating.

? Is there anything else you want to share?
! My pessimistic perspective says that the life is not good. It is generally bitter. So, to make the life of people around us better, I prefer to write about happiness. I think, that’s why my readers often comment that my posts made them smile. I also blog at Little Lyrics. By each post, I am trying to become a better writer.

? Now, if you have a question for me (NRIGirl) this is your chance to ask.
! Hi NRIGirl, do you think, you are making the network of the Bloggers around you a bit more close-knit through this interview series?

Interview with the Doctor in the House!

It feels good to have a doctor in the house and here he is our fellow blogger Dr. Antony of Heart Beats! @Doc as we know him is set apart from the crowd on that he speaks from his heart. He shares his life's lessons in his blog posts which helps in our learning process too.

He appreciates the little things in everyday life that some doctors might over look - the smiles of the patients, the dedication of the nurses, the tears of the spouses and the like. My favorite of his posts is A Malice called Tongue in which he shares about the damaging effect of the gossipping tongue.

I am glad @Doc too decided to be part of our ongoing series getting to know one another. Let's give @Doc a hearty welcome as he comes here to share from his heart. The quote below is from his blogger profile and can not be denied.

"It is in pain that we find the meaning of life"



? Can you tell us a little about yourself? Please include where you are from.

! I am just a simple, ordinary man, from Changanacherry, a small town in Central Kerala. I did my schooling and college at the same place till I joined Trivandrum Medical College. There is nothing much to say about me.From the beginning my life seemed to have been on a straight course. I had always wanted to be a doctor and was lucky I could become one.With all your capabilities and effort, if you are not lucky,you don't reach where you wanted to.By the time I reached college I had made the decision to become a Physician. I met Celin while I was at college, and our friendship changed to romance and decided to continue the romance for life. I am a Physician and currently work for the Ministry of Health,UAE. I know there is a reason for every thing in life and nothing happens by chance.

? How did you first get involved in blogging?

! Blogging was accidental. I stumbled up on some blogs and liked the way some bloggers expressed their ideas. That was at a time when I was at the cross roads, in the middle of serious problems,not knowing whom to talk to. I had lost trust in friends. Whatever I had told them,had bounced back on me. I found it easier to talk to unseen friends. And so I started blogging. It was easy when I started,because no one would read my blogs.

? What do you do when you aren’t blogging?

! I read whenever I find time. I am fond of music. If I hadn't become a doctor, I would be a musician. Without music,life would be a journey through a desert.

? How did you come up with the name for your blog?
! What ever I had written,came from my heart. There was no better name than Heart Beat!

 ? What is your favorite post that you have written? What makes it special?
! I can't single out a post. But the one I had written about my daughter in law,who died at a young age, is special to me. It was posted in Jan 2010 and titled "An angel lost her way". I wrote that while I was on the flight,returning home after her funeral. I had difficulty to hide my tears, and wept all through the journey. I scribbled those lines on to a tissue paper wet with my tears.

? Any regrets about any of your posts?
! Definitely. I was new to blogging when I wrote about many personal problems.My grief and anger came out in my blogs. In doing so,I would have hurt the feelings of others. But I have learned from my mistakes. It is better if you can keep personal matters out of the blog.

? Tell us a joke please.
! Why do we need a special joke, when the whole life is a joke !

? What can readers expect in your blog? What is it about?
! Don't expect anything special. I write what comes to my mind.It could be about myself or events happening around me or about something which caught my attention. I also try to tell others what I have learned from life. Intelligent people learn from the mistakes made by others. I always try to tell everyone" There is no perfect situation in life" and also "'there is a price tag behind everything you get in life". Nothing comes free.

? Is there anything else you want to share?
! Whatever I want to share, is there in my blogs. I have made some good friends through blogging. It is as if I had known them for long time. Unseen friends are easier to talk to, they will never take advantage of you.

? Now, if you have a question for me (NRIGirl) this is your chance to ask.
! How do you keep your faith when you pass through adversities in life?

Interview with Mr. Anil Kurup of Musings from Trivandrum

Here's a blogger who doesn't open up much on his posts; however when he writes a comment on someone's posts that's where you will come to know him more. Especially his comments on Doc's & Balan Sir's posts are one of it's kind and I am a big fan of his comments.

His blog Musings is my frequent stop. I don't make out much of any political arguments however in some rare moments Mr. Anil Kurup does share from his heart and not mind.  Here's my favorite of his posts where he dedicates a song to his beautiful wife: "Sweet Caroline"

The quote here is by Chief Seattle which makes a bold statement on the blog header and makes you pause and appreciate the air we share. Please join me on my quest to getting-to-know yet another fellow blogger Mr. Anil Kurup!

"...all things share the same breath - the beast, the tree, the man ... the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports." Chief Seattle, Dwamish"



 ? Can you tell us a little about yourself? Please include where you are from.

! Born and brought up in Thiruvananthapuram. About me? nothing much, honestly. Just another ordinary person.

? How did you first get involved in blogging?

! Stumbled upon a few blogs and began to love the idea of having ones own little space to vent and peep into what others offer.

? What do you do when you aren’t blogging?

! Planning the next blog , I guess.Well, worrying and running my life.

? How did you come up with the name for your blog?
! It reflects the posts itself. They are just thoughts that go through my mind "musings".

? What is your favorite post that you have written? What makes it special?
! I cannot tell that specifically. How can I determine if what I think today is better than my thoughts of the other day, or may be lesser than of tomorrow?

? Any regrets about any of your posts?
! Certainly no.

? Tell us a joke please.
! Man is the best in the animal kingdom and the most reliable.

? What can readers expect in your blog? What is it about?
! You see I do not offer anything to the reader. I do not write in blogs to entertain or put down others. My postings are my musings, thoughts that I vent in my own virtual world.If any is appreciated or ridiculed , critiqued or ignored that is only incidental.

? Is there anything else you want to share?
! About what?

? Now, if you have a question for me (NRIGirl) this is your chance to ask.
! How do you rate the quality of "self respect"?. I'm not talking about ego, just simple plain self respect.

Interview with the Dream Girl - Punam JR

You know who the Dream Girl is! Of course it is Punam I am refering to. She never fails to read our blogs and when time is not a constraint she leaves a comment to let us know she was there. Punam paints Dreamz Forever with her words and Painting Dreamz Forever with her beautiful art work.

We all know her well or do we? Here's an attempt to get to know Punam a little bit more. I admit I enjoyed reading her answers so much. She is poetic, witty and a fun "to be with". She has a quote on her blog which is by the English poet Christopher Louge. I can see how she relates to that in her writing.

Here's Punam among us! Let's go dreaming with her...

"Come to the edge. We might fall. Come to the edge. It's too high! Come to the Edge! And they came, he pushed, and they flew."



? Can you tell us a little about yourself? Please include where you are from.

! I am a pretty simple girl, from a small town in South India. I have led a closed-up life for a long time, before getting out there and facing the world head on. I am learning how to be tough now.

A little about myself - I am my Dad’s princess. And when I am not that, I am a person who is fumbling her way in this big bad world. In the process, she meets many people, some good, some bad, some angels, some demons. And she courses through her life, recording important events and milestones in her book of memory.

As of now, I am embarked on an interesting career as a content writer, with my full time job taking up a good 12 hours of my day. Each day is a new day. I have met a lot of people, both online and offline, and have managed to make a few good friends. Life is good. Life is great. I am thankful to the ‘Guru’ for being there in my life, as a ray of guidance.

? How did you first get involved in blogging?

! I got into blogging because I happened to stumble upon a blog of an acquaintance. And I, being a writer since childhood, blogging was an obvious step for me. Suddenly, my diary got converted into a blog. My experiences started taking the shape of blog posts pasted on different backgrounds… pinks, blues, tulips, horses, unicorns, greys and silvers - A whole new world to explore upon.

? What do you do when you aren’t blogging?

! My life has got divided into two basic parts - office and phone. When I am not in the office, I am on my cell phone, ears plugged and songs blasting away to glory. If it’s not that, I am having lonnnnnnnnnnnng conversations with a whole lot of people, relatives n friends.. alike. That is my life as of now.

Before this, I was a mad mad artist - creative arts n craft - I used to crochet handbags, create landscapes in watercolour, embroider, cook and what not… !! I used to read books too. Now, everything has been left far behind. BUT… just for a short time. I intend to get back to all those wonderful hobbies, hopefully within a year.

? How did you come up with the name for your blog?
! Hmm, Dreamzzz Forever…!! Isn’t that obvious? I am a silly girl.. always wrapped up in fantasy stories and Cinderella tales.. unicorns and destiny and Paulo Coelho… dreams and hopes.. so Dreamz Forever is the name that echoed inside the heart of this little dreamer inside me.. I never had second thoughts about it. This was the name that came in my mind.. and this was the one that remained.

? What is your favorite post that you have written? What makes it special?
! My favourite post is a very lovey-dovey poem called ‘A Walk into the Woods’. It is special because it is something very very close to my heart. I wrote it out of a great desire for a picture-perfect life that would have no strife and that would literally be like a perfect M&B story.

It expresses the desires of a very vulnerable girl, asking her man to take her for a walk into the woods… and pleading him to give her just that and nothing else. The intrinsic meaning is the desire for togetherness - a hand-in-hand walk that is enveloped in a silence echoing only heartbeats.

? Any regrets about any of your posts?
! Of course not! None.

? Tell us a joke please.
! Now that’s like dialing the wrong number. I am always at odds with jokes.. I can’t say one, and usually, I fail to understand most too.. so if anybody EVER risks telling me a joke, they better have a backup plan, for they may as well have to EXPLAIN the entire joke to me.

? What can readers expect in your blog? What is it about?
! My blog is about life, relationships, poetry and inspiration. You will find serious stuff here, but also some poetic renditions. Apart from my written work, Dreamz Forever is the place where I display my art work.I have written a lot of inspiring posts the past few months, because I believe if I am getting divine guidance through mortals, and if I have benefitted from good deeds, it’s only fair to pass on the good deeds in the circle of life. My blog is one way I pass across my lessons learnt to the world. And if my inspiration affects at least one reader in a positive way, my purpose is done.

? Is there anything else you want to share?
! Yes. Life tends to be unfair, but you need to hang on to the thought that there is a guardian angel in your life and ultimately, you will be smiling. And that the Cosmos will bring what you want into your arms, provided you are ready to welcome it with arms wide open. For that, you must have unwavering faith. In yourself. Be a survivor.

And I thank you, Hephzibah, for considering me worthy of an interview on your blog. I am glad to have known you through your blog.

? Now, if you have a question for me (NRIGirl) this is your chance to ask.
! I’d like to ask you how you deal with the ebbs in your life.

Interview From Sindh, Pakistan - Shabana Shaneen

When I first landed on 'Baili and I' from somewhere I right away became her follower as I really liked her posts.  Baili is also known as - Shabana Shaheen and hails from Sindh, Pakistan. Just the name Sindh suggests it is a beautiful place. Baili writes from her heart & expresses her genuine feelings through her posts. Another enticing charm about her posts are the very beautiful pictures she comes up with, for which she credits google images.

Since I couldn't get her picture I decided to pick one from her most recent post. For those of us who wish to associate a face with the blogger we are getting to know, let's imagine it closely representing Baili... Baili is here to share one on one with us as part of our interview series. Let's show her how much we love having her here!

"I think miseries awake us and make us grow and learn more...I am sure that happiness can't be found from out side, its an innate quality..."



? Can you tell us a little about yourself? Please include where you are from.

! I am from a beautiful village of Northern area of Pakistan.this heaven helped me to become a writer and poet.i spent the best part of my life there, hanging and swinging on trees playing in fields and hills,it is still fresh and alive inside me. i belonged to a middle class family but one thing which still gives me pleasure that our home was all about love and positivity. even in our hard times none of my family member ever felt disappointed or sadness. we were connected to our creator and strength was coming from him.

? How did you first get involved in blogging?

!  After  having computer in house  for the first time, my eldest son told me that he can make me a blog if i am interested to. that time i learnt from him basic things about PC.

? What do you do when you aren’t blogging?

! If i am not in touch with my blogging world it means that the huge eagle of business has taken me away for a while,but it could not keep me away much longer.

? How did you come up with the name for your blog?
! Actually baili means friend in one of our local languages, so i gave this name to my imaginary friend ,when it came to a blog "baili and i" was best for it, a place where i can share true feeling of me and my friend.
 
? What is your favorite post that you have written? What makes it special?
! My all writing is instant reflection of my thoughts, but my poem "pampered" is a desire of my heart.it is about a princess who lives in her castle with all comfort of life and know nothing about sorrows of outside world, then one day she got out of her luxurious castle and found that the true peace and happiness can only be achieved by giving joy to others. i wish we all should stop seeing the world only through our windows and reviewing about it, lets be friends and help each other. because all that we leave behind becomes a memory in other's hearts and it should be sweet not bitter.

? Any regrets about any of your posts?
! Nothing special, but i really want to stop writing about dark side of the picture or about missing my childhood, and one more thing, my desire for self earning.

? Tell us a joke please.
! When i was in third standard, once i was waiting for my father who promised to bring me a small radio so i can keep it with me all the time even in bed, he had to return from the shop till 4 pm, but it was hard for me to wait that long. as it was two pm yet, so i got up and moved the hour-hand of wall clock from two to four thinking that it will make the real 4 pm of day and that was the day when i came to know that sun does not follow the hands of our clock.

? What can readers expect in your blog? What is it about?
! I am not skilled writer, they will read simple and straight writing which flows from my heart just to share myself and connect with friends.

? Is there anything else you want to share?
! Life  is a gift and we all should share it with good heart.

? Now, if you have a question for me (NRIGirl) this is your chance to ask.
! How did you get such great idea to interview your friend bloggers?