Don't Let Your Fears Win.....

There is a saying, if you really want to kill someone then kill the fear inside you. My goal in life always had been around this.

I have been always scared of water, even though as a child I used to play in the Pamba (holy river in Kerala) river, which was near my grandma's home. Every other summer vacation we used to be at grandma's and the best part of visiting there was that I used to go to the river with everyone from the house that goes to take a dip.

Playing inside the river with my brother and cousins, throwing stones and then dive to fetch that same stone and what not but those days fear was not there. I realized as a kid when we don't know much we just take a step and move forward. Fear is not there of anything as its unknown but the moment we grow up and knows a hell lot or even little it builds that fear and then we try to pull ourselves backward.

I had a long time wish to do snorkeling even though I don't know how to swim. My aunt used to teach me whenever I used to visit Kerala for summer vacation but after I return I used to forget it. 

My visit to Hawaii a first time here, but doesn't feel that I don't know anything about it. Because every tree and flower, birds, ocean makes me feel I know them from back home. It gives me a feel of Kerala.

We planned today to snorkel and hence I was also prepared as I was more eager to see how I kill this fear and enjoy when I don't know how to swim. The crew was awesome and really made everyone very comfortable. Since I told them that I don't know swimming and this is my first time to snorkel, they literally spent one on one time with me. 

The captain of the boat Chad who very carefully asked me to step into the ocean while he let me hold to the boogie board and without anything he just said, try to look inside the water.

First I couldn't figured out as how come he is asking me to look down without wearing my mask and gear. Yet, I listened to him. Its one of those moments when you know the expert knows better than you so let go and give the control to them.

I looked down inside the ocean and the sight was mesmerizing. It was all colorful beautiful shaped coral reefs and different colored fishes around me and all across. I looked up to Chad and he said isn't this beautiful what you see there down? 

That lead me to wear my mask and gear but I was scared when Chad was about to leave me saying your life jacket will not let you drown. This will keep you floating in the water and you can hang on to the board and look inside. He was right, but the fear inside me was not letting me to.

I just requested him not to leave and he helped me through out to take my own time to feel comfortable with floating and taking support of the boogie board. 

After an hours snorkeling at 180 feet we came on board to move from Molokini - a crescent shaped submerged volcanic crater to another location for watching Green Hawaiian Turtles at the Turtle Town.

This time I was much confident and was feeling better to go for another round of snorkeling. The crew knew that I needed their help hence Allison the life guard she helped me in fact she was nice to be with me while I started focussing on the underwater world living creatures. It was beautiful to watch those colorful fishes, star fishes, octopus and many beautiful coral reefs. As I was going through each one of them I saw this big green colored Hawaiian turtles that were swimming in their own pace and mood. The world is so beautiful inside there, as everyone is in their own space and no one is bothering anyone, even we as humans have intervened their world yet they are so peaceful.

I somehow fell in love with the underwater world where there is beauty, peace and harmony too. It was tough to make the decision to go back to the boat because at the end we all had to come back to the shore.

A unique experience for me, it was like looking through the window and you see the clear sight of beautiful world. The world where we as human were also moving around in the similar fashion as the sea creatures were, with the mask and gear breathing and floating around.

I wish we human also did the same in our own world? 

~ Dawn

A captivating evening with Antara Asthaayi - Tale of a Kathaka

What an enthralling evening it was, I am yet to get over with it. Antara Asthaayi - Tale of a Kathaka, the journey of this Kathaka to the world was an amazing story telling event by Antara Bhardwaj.
I mean every art is a way of telling us a story in one or the other form and this one through Kathak was one of a kind.
I have watched Pt. Birju Maharaj performing at the age of 75 and then Antonia Minnecola (Mrs Ustaad Zakir Hussain), what a graceful performance and after that I never felt so mesmerized until this evening.

Antara Bhardwaj, the fastest feet dancer in the world, around 12 slaps per second performer rocked the stage by engaging the audience with her story as an immigrant to a country where she could dream to be a kathak dancer that too watching old Hindi movies such as Guide, Pakeeza and many more. 
Most of the time you will see in mehafils, the kathak dancer will play in tukra (short dance composition) and toda (long dance composition), and tell the story and here what I loved about Antara is that as she was explaining about the story she was performing in tihais (footwork). She also did few tukra for Sader to play on his tabla - that was unseen where the tabla player is playing on the bols and tukras of kathak dancer.

I agree when people say learn the basic schooling which is so important as lot of logics that we use in our day to day life is based on that elementary to high-school level of subjects and Math being one of them. Antara explained very well how the rhythmic play with its time cycle be calculated by splitting it into triplets or quintuplets marked on the footwork so that it counterpoint to the rhythm of the percussion.

All this was summarized in a sequential and a very well choreographed performance along with internationally renowned musicians from India and US. Salar Nader on tabla, whom I have been watching since long time when he performed at SF Jazz and there on in many such events and its amazing to see his creativity as I follow him on twitter too. One must learn from them to understand the basic so that everyone can have their little creation on the bols (dha, ge, na 'ti' 'na' 'ka' 'dhi na').
Pankaj Mishra on Sarangi, Ben Kunin on Sarod, Rajib Karmakar on Sitar - we were told it was his first performance on the stage - but frankly speaking his performance didn't say that as he rocked the solo and the jugalbandi like a pro.

When Deewani Mastani started with 'mastani' song from Bajirao Mastani film, it gave a feeling of reawakened may be because I am bias towards Hindi-Urdu poetry but I knew my evening is going to rock. The beauty of this piece was the fusion of Kathak with Khepri (Belly Dance) very beautifully choreographed by Antara herself and Andrea Sendek - both had the sensuality and passion that this deewani needed.

Thaat, actually we all have it within our selves and we do use at times whether to show love, mischief, or even when you are upset with something. The expression with your face, eyes, neck and all this was done by Antara which reminded me of Ustaad Zakir Hussain's residency class that takes place in SF Jazz center every year - an amazing one.

Every time I go for a Kathak I learn something new and the eagerness of what this dancer will relate to is the curious part which Antara here was able to fulfill with the journey of steam engine and I being grown up with that time really helped to relate it and such a beautiful and graceful depiction of that with her footwork. I wished it could be replayed again and again :).

The jugalbandi by musicians I have always loved since my childhood and I remember how my feet and my hand used to play with that rhythm, it took me back then when I used to watch these with my dad. Pankaj Mishra and Ben Kunin's communication through Sarangi and Sarod along with the solo Sitar by Rajib Karmakar was captivating.

There was Gat Bhao where the dancer tells a story as well as she will play all the characters of that story and a small piece of incident which I have read in my school days about the naughtiness of Krishna, Radha and the Gopis. Beautifully performed and best was that each performance had its own costumes. Antara did spend time in changing costumes based on the dance she was performing and it was an epic selection of all - kudos to Alka Garg. The funny part was when she said she always loved the Radha but not the Krishna's Radha, instead the Radha characters which Subhash Ghai's movies have, I tell you what an influence of Hindi films and this kind of influence is not bad at all.

The Hindol Tarana is something I have heard and watched the dancers performing but it was not known to me that there is no meaning in here other than the dancer portrays the beauty, delicacy, and technique along with the rhythm. I think I enjoyed it more when I understood the meaning of tarana here.

There wasn't a moment where audience was not kept engaged, as Salar Nader took everyone on his journey from Kabul express to Mumbai express while the bullet train from Japan came over. Tabla has always made my feet restless and unknowingly I would play the beat and his tali and khali was reminding me of Ustaad Zakir Hussian sahab. 

It was not over yet when Chilman (veil) happened, this was the last piece of the evening. Urdu has been my weakness and chilman is something which expresses the beauty of a woman thats what I believe. This dance was a creation of Antara and it really did surprise me when Antara started the dance with Javed Akhtar's (my favorite poet), lyrics and ended with Hazrat Amir Khusro on chaap tilak... I swear to anything I was thrilled and mesmerized with this creativity. 

Antara has gained many fans I am sure and I have become one this evening for being such a graceful performer with the professionalism which she carried through out that audience could only applause until the end. It was an amazing performance package and I am looking forward to her next one The Conference of the Birds - I am sure its going to create history right here in this silicon valley and its dance and music direction is done by none other than Antara Bhardwaj. Its with thirty dancers and fifteen actors representing twelve cultures from four continents - its going to be a heaven with mystical sufi allegory.... the wait is worth!!!!

I am so happy to be part of Sangam Arts and along with Sangam Enacte bringing these events for audiences like us in bay area - its a true blessing. The evening dosage was such that I am still high :)

~ Dawn     

“Every moment is the paradox of now or never.” ;)

VMWorld is an annual conference for IT professionals, focusing on virtual server environments, put on by VMWare . It is the largest virtualization-specific event. It is held in San Francisco, California, and in Europe.

I had attended some of the expo-events of other high-tech companies in the past and yes I wouldn't say that I didn't enjoy. But attending VMware's event that too being an employee of the company it was not only a sheer pride but also an excitement of the  announcement of the products that they launched and the celebration of all was the cherry on the cake.

I have never thought I would get an opportunity to attend even a single day but thanks to good friends that you never know where they come from and make you feel so special.

I had the opportunity to visit the VMWorld's 10th Annual 2013 Defy Convention event on the day where the discussion was on Solution Exchange, Training and Education and the VMware Time Machine - I missed the game but it was fun to know that people had to express if they want to go backward or go forward in time perspective and why? 

It was amazing to see VMware and it's partners how they clubbed together and put up a brilliant show. My enthusiasm had no limit as I was witnessing other companies where some them I have worked for and some of them I am working with as they being our partners and vendors. Having a connection with them in one or the other way really puts you on the Cloud Sphere Horizons :)

I was thrilled and overwhelmed with the presentation and overall event management. As the day was getting over everyone was getting ready for the Party at AT&T Park. 

There were huge buses and many buses were arranged as shuttle for people to go from Mascone Center to AT&T Park for the party. 

To manage something of this level definitely a lot of money the company has spent and its for the people to come and learn and enjoy - what a goodwill thought. It gives me goosebumps as I write this line and that's how I feel about the company - Very Proud.

The exciting part was that I attended the concert of the two awesome bands - Dragon - a rock band from Sydney - where Todd Hunter (bass guitar, vocals), Pete Drummond (drums, vocals, keyboards), Mark William (vocals, guitar) were awesome to warm up the crowd. People were playing games on the field and winning toys and the band really kept up to the par to make people those moves as well.

The second one was Train - an American pop rock band from San Francisco, California. The band currently consists of a core trio of Pat Monahan, Jimmy Stafford, and Scott Underwood. It need not to say as they started the crowd went loco all the way and I couldn't resist when they started with 'Hey, Soul Sister' - I think one of my best event that I have attended in a long time.

As the night was turning into a beautiful queen, the pride of being part of this history was sinking in and was thanking for all the pieces of the puzzle that made this picture come into reality.

For a long time, I will remember this world of VM - which not only brings the company's product to launch but it brings people together.

I don't even know some of the people around who encouraged and wished good luck for the games and clapped when I won and some of them shared their own toys and batches and at the end I had a final ride on the field where I could yell out and bring out my sheer joy and excitement of the entire day.

Some moments in life are just to be THANKFUL!

How corrupt you are to follow corruption?

‘Dandi March’ which our Father of Nation MK Gandhi initiated for ‘Salt Satyagraha’ – an important part of Indian independence movement that was taught to us in History took place around 1930. Recently I read an article where in some NRI’s are initiating this ‘Dandi March II’ on March 12^th from MLK’s memorial park in San Diego through LA and it will end on March 26^th at Gandhi Statue in San Francisco. I also hear that this date coincides with the dates when actually MK Gandhi did this in 1930. This is against the corruption in India.
When I read this article, I remembered my days when I was working with Marico Industries – a food manufacturing company where I alone participated against corruption only to bring hope within my team that if we decide ‘We Can’ then we will definitely be successful in eradicating corruption from our system, it’s up to us .
I had completed my education in Employee Relations and Labor Laws & Labor Welfare where along the way while fulfilling my duties towards the company I used to also help the workers know about their rights.

Every year we have to get the factory records signed by the Labor Welfare Officer who will check if we are maintaining the law and order for the factory requirements as per the State Act – this is a special and empowered rights to the state of Maharashtra workers.
After joining the company this was my first off-site job where I had to take all the files and registers to the government office to get their approval signature which allows us to be a true citizen in the field of Factory law and also proving justice towards our employees/workers. I was asked by my Factory manager to meet the Finance manager before leaving to meet the Labor Welfare Officer.
I had made sure we have all reasons under the law for things to have and not to have. I was very confident that my report and register will be signed and hence we don’t have to bribe anyone, as my Finance manager asked me to get cash from the accountant for my visit. I took an envelope that was handed over to me saying this is Rs. 5000.
I went to the government office in my Company car to meet the official and get the signature approval. I had to wait even though I was in there on time. The peon kept telling me, ‘our sir will go home and I kept telling him he can’t go without meeting me as I have taken an appointment.
He said by using his hand for money, ‘If you would want me to place your file ahead let me know’!
I hated that gesture and keeping my cool, I said, ‘I will give it straight to him so if he wants he will share it with you.’
My turn came and I went to the office and introduced myself to him and handed over the register for him to look through. The government official started looking through the register and he started asking about some Mr. Joshi who used to come with these files. I said he was an acting HR during that time though his role is to be a QA manager and now I am permanently placed at this position so you will have to deal with me and not Mr. Joshi.
He didn’t like that.
He looked through the documents and he said you guys do not have a CRESH for women and I see you have some 450 women employees as laborers. I said if you look through the list of names – we only have 22 permanent women employees for which we do not have to provide CRESH facility inside the factory and the rest of them are contract labors and medically certified that they are not able to produce any kids due to age and/or other medical operations that individuals have adopted with.
He had nothing to point out and hence he signed the documents and I thanked him.
Next day I reported first thing in the morning to my Finance department and made sure accountant adds back the Rs 5000 in the company account.
Our morning coffee conversation was – What happened that the money is submitted back into company accounts? All I gave them was a big smile!!!

This was a proud moment for me as I changed the history in the Marico Industry at Pune, where everyone advised me to give bribe as there is no other way to get away with it. We will be in serious trouble and I kept telling them it’s we who promote such things and hence this will never end from our system. To get this bacteria out of our system we have to take that initiative and that too without fear of any consequences.
I did it! You can too!!!
I support the cause of eradicating corruption from our system do you and how are you doing it?

A new year is unfolding – like a blossom with petals curled tightly concealing the beauty within…

 

New Year’s Eve is a moment when you happily and content-fully say – Good-bye to old year and welcome the new year with lots of hope and aspirations.

My this year’s 2010 New Year’s Eve was well spent with meeting my blog friend – Pria.
Yes, I always have made plans with my blog friends based on my visit to a particular city and so far I only got lucky meeting Pria and her family in my favorite city Toronto.

It’s so easy when your thoughts match on the blog world with friends, it doesn’t take much to connect with them when you meet in person and that’s the feeling I got when I met Pria at her residence.
The eve is leading to the new year with the hope and aspiration of meeting more and more friends from all over the world…and I am hopeful with that thought with a kick-start meet with Pria.

As I say good-bye to this city Toronto, I also wish good luck to my friends for everything to go well as the new year approaches…I am sure things will change for better and it will…


Happy New Year To All My Friends…this year’s motto is :

“Drive yourself happy instead of crazy. Every minute spent stressing is one less minute being happy” – so let’s enjoy and be merry

Anywhere is paradise; it’s up to you ;-)

 

Visiting Niagara was a usual weekend activity for a person like me who never looked at what time or hour of the night it is.
Same spirit I have this time too – which made me feel I am still the same and not changed a bit. Quick decision making and preparing in the limited given time had always been my nature and I guess I find it thrilling.
My drive was amazing as going through the huge buildings made me realize how city gal I am and how I used to drive through these places so often.
Every thought was cherishing the old one and adding the new one to the current one. I always enjoyed the night part of Niagara as it lights up with lights and music bands. The winter never killed or took away the spirit of joy and fun – I witnessed it even today.
People covered with winter jackets, caps and mufflers and yet smiling and running away from the mist as it hit their faces.
Nature always gave solace to my heart in times then and even today. Speechless yet with mind full of thoughts. Unknowingly so many times it ran over to the past to present…the mist of life was getting spread all over and yet the feeling is refreshing.
Once again I felt like living in that freshness.

“By seeing the seed of failure in every success, we remain humble. By seeing the seed of success in every failure we remain hopeful.”

I always wondered what was that cold war between Canada and US and I always felt the attitude is what made them think about Americans.
This time coming from America looking at Canadians…I felt Canadians are more humble – no offense to any Americans but then coming from US this time I could relate it to one thing – People in Canada come as immigrants no matter how educated one is, they have to go through the struggle part of it which takes them from all ups and downs of life.
Americans do have immigrants too however, they are all well placed with jobs if not with status in the country – this small element does bring that big impact to one’s attitude.
To add to it when A Visa status moves to Green Card the attitude has no limits!
No matter what, one needs to go through a phase where it does bring the mankind to be down to earth and I think one gets there in Canada.

“Swallow your pride occasionally, it’s non-fattening!”

“The busy man is troubled with but one devil; the idle man by a thousand”

Lately its so busy at work…they say early to bed early to rise…yes rising early is a fact for me but not early to bed!

“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” ~ Dale Carnegie

In all these…there were things that were happening around and my mind kept saying this is a good topic for my blog and things kept on piling…!! Today something happened and I just couldn’t stop writing this to myself ~

“I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” ~ Jimmy Dean

Recently one of our friends was flying from Phoenix and he got late though boarding took place on time…! The question came up then what delayed the flight, and the answer was that – just when the pilot was about to take-off the plane in the air, he remembered that the passenger’s luggage they forgot to board hahahaha! I first thought must be a joke…but then it was said that…literally on the run-way plane was running with its speed to takeoff and suddenly it was slowed down and started turning back! First people started worrying when the pilot announced – Sorry guys we have to go back as we got to load the entire passenger’s luggage!!!!

The entire situation reminded me like traveling in a bus :) ! It seems after 45 minutes delay when the flight started taking off someone asked if the fuel is filled… lol! That was the joke of the day!!

“I can stand brute force, but brute reason is quite unbearable. There is something unfair about its use. It is hitting below the intellect.” ~ Oscar Wilde

Well, in between all this I moved from one apartment to another …still needs to unpack! As you can see my busy schedule didn’t allow unpacking everything.

“You owe it to everyone you love (including yourself) to find pockets of tranquility in your busy world.”

At work…I just gaze at my biker colleagues…when they all come in and go ….those sexy bikes…keep me tempting…! My temptation can be very well guessed by my colleagues when they see the sexy Ducati in red picture on my Office ID profile.

It happened so that this colleague of mine took me to show his bike…! I had a chance to sit on it….boy!!!! I was numb for a while. It’s a mesmerizing feeling…nostalgic!!!

“We all need to look into the dark side of our nature - that's where the energy is, the passion. People are afraid of that because it holds pieces of us we're busy denying.” ~ Sue Grafton

They all give me all kinds of details of where to get the bike and the places where one can go to ride….!

Today my experience I just cant express….but hope these pictures will depict the drop of my emotion and feeling..

“Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.” ~ Gloria Steinem

When I was driving back…I was on my bike in my thought! I did race couple of cars on the freeway (highway) and finally a good bye with my stranger racing buddies on the road.

I just remember the song….I believe I can fly….. ;)

“Get excited and enthusiastic about you own dream. This excitement is like a forest fire - you can smell it, taste it, and see it from a mile away.”