Alone you can do so little; together we can do so much ;)

 Thoughts have been going around in mind since the world cup season started but then I couldn’t find time to jot it down.

Besides engaging myself at work, these days giving time to read. Reading is like spending time to reflect and I am sure those who write would agree with me that it is important to reflect and read because that helps 😊.

Having said all of that, my main topic is about the game. Indeed, last time I was cheering for Brazil, Spain and then we all know what happened. But hey, that didn’t let me lose hope this year I cheered for Brazil and I wished for Argentina to make it to the finals and play opposite to Brazil, I did support Spain and with all that has happened I did support Croatia and was really happy to see they won the match against England. 

I have friends all over the world and the beauty about this so called ‘diversity’ is that you change jobs, you meet new people from different parts of the world and it’s an engaging experience. I have so many friends from England and felt sorry to see their reaction when they asked me ‘Why Croatia?’

Yes, it is hard to justify anyone when you are not from one of those countries who is participating in the world cup. I feel I am above all those barriers. To me its people and as I watch and read about these players my support and cheer goes to those and main reason to be with Croatia is because of the captain of the team Modric. I sincerely felt that match they should win because of their performance on the field.

“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up” ~ Babe Ruth

Anyway, I was more here to share my thoughts in the form of poetry, when I thought of soccer and golf:

Happen to be a fan of soccer as a kid and played in the rain too

Eleven players on a rectangular field with spherical ball

Run and chase around without touching the ball with hands,

Only to put the ball in the oppositions goal to score a point,

You use your feet to strike or pass the ball around,

When you make a goal against the opposite team,

Depending who scored highest will win,

If they are equal, then it’s a draw and if not,

You get extra time to play or penalty shootout,

To make things even with your opponent,

Isn’t that something we all would like 😊,

When we are losing, or struggling an extra time can help,

Soccer the rough game we play by kicking and heading,

Running and chase to get the ball and put it in others post,

For all this one does some tricks, kick and play foul too,

Like a punishment a colorful card is given to you by referee,

What a fun game which originated as a kick ball.

The I saw this club and ball sport called Golf,

The players will use various clubs to hit the ball

Into series of holes on a Golf course in as few strokes,

This one needs usually has progressing 18 holes,

For some recreational ones have 9 holes,

Each hole on the course must have a tee box,

And putting green with actual hole or cup,

Each hole on a course is unique in specific layout,

Golf is played with lowest strokes called stroke play,

Or lowest in the entire round called match play,

Some say it originated from Romans paganica and

Some say it originated from China chuiwan or is it the

Cambuca or chaugan or kolven, wherever it originated,

The rule is to play with all fairness,

I often looked the two balls and wondered…

How two balls make the world go crazy around

Some with teeing ground and some with rectangular field

One is individual and the other is the team sport

All I know soccer is fun even if you kick one another!!!

 That reminds me the weekend is busy with finals I am excited, are you?

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships” ~ Michael Jordan

~ Dawn

Go? No go?

Sitting around the coders,

Programmers and testers,

Fun discussions on P1s,

Some updates on projects,

As the deadline approaches,

The pressure to kill and rebuilds,

Tests and some more tests,

To get to a zero P1s and twos,

It’s a marathon at stand-ups,

And by the end of the days,

Checking on team off-shores,

At dawn it’s 100% good news,

We close as much of the gaps,

Final run and final calls,

Go? No go?

~ Dawn 

#happypoetrymonth

Let your memory be your travel bag...!

For the first time in my life I became a chaperone for my son's school field trip. I have two kids and believe me work has always kept me busy and I used to feel guilty if I ask for a day off to go for a field trip.
This year I have decided to give time to my kids and making sure that I be part of their activities, thanks to work-life balance concept :)
My son was so excited that he had been looking forward for this day since his birthday which was last month.
The fact is that I took a day off from work for this but I was mentally still preparing myself because I have never done this and I was kind of nervous what to expect?
I am sure many would say there is nothing much to do as you will be looking after your kid so two more gets added to you. However, that's easier said than done.

In my eyes all kids are good and well-behaving but I am not sure what I will have to do and not to do because there are rules everywhere.
Hence, my trip was more or less like a student in the bus. We woke up early got ready with our lunchables and reached school on time. I signed up and took the charge as a Chaperone!
Our group's name was Purple and we were three parents in this group with 5 kids and each chaperone was one of the kid's parent so we had really two kids whom we had to keep an eye to make sure we are as a team visiting each place and not getting misplaced.
It was easy to mingle with the kids because I knew each one of them as they have been part of my son's birthday celebration. All kids are well-mannered and well-behaving and I give the credit to the class teacher Mrs Brown.

"The soul is healed by being with children" ~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Every kid and every parent is happy with this class teacher and believe me when your class teacher is good and caring then every child is a happy and following rules is just a piece of cake.
This trip was to Sacramento, which is the capital of California. We have friends here hence this was not a new place for me. However, we have never been to these places where I visited today and in fact, I fell in love with Sacramento in this trip.

This was not because of the beautiful place but the history that it carries and made me feel proud to live in this part of the California State.
We visited the Railroad museum, which had long history of coal engine train to today's fastest train and why not? Because during gold rush times Sacramento was the major distribution point, a commercial and agricultural center and a terminus for wagon trains. One can see all the experienced senior members who were giving briefing to the kids about the history and the functions of coal engine trains.

We also visited the John Sutter's fort. The first swiss immigrant who came and built his fort as a pioneer and then to the gold fever. After that we all were eager to visit the Capitol building. The tour guide Richard was very nice and patient to explain us the entire story from 1800s and the true democracy that we exhibit here in the Capitol building when the parliament sessions are taking place and anyone can enter during that session and give their vote based on their opinion on it whether they belong to this country or not. That's called true democracy - for the people and by the people. I felt proud to be a Californian specially after the elections.

It was a good insight for me along with building a soft corner for Sacramento as a place to live and work. It also gave opportunity for me to be with kids and be myself and meet with few parents.

A day that was full of activity, fun and tiresome... happy to go to bed after a warm shower and a good dinner!!!

" There is no real ending. It's just the place where you stop the story" ~ Frank Herbert

~ Dawn

As long as I am breathing, in my eyes, I am just beginning... :)

It was very nice to follow my daughter’s car this evening. As we were coming from her Lacrosse game, she picked her car and my car was following hers.

It feels good to see your kid growing in front of your eyes, from a tiny baby to a naughty one, to a funny, to crazy, to sensible, to a teenager, to-be an adult... it’s an awesome journey!

I just love the feeling as it felt she was guiding me and I was following her path to home. I want to tell every mother, no matter whether you have delivered or not but it’s all in raising a kid than delivering a kid.

Even though I have a kid who will be soon 18 an adult by law, I don’t myself feel that I am getting old or my kiddo is getting old. I always looked at her as my extension hence the mother-child never came in picture. In fact, my friendship with my gal has grown up so much that I have started feeling like to fulfill my dreams to travel around with my daughter. What would be so best to have your kiddo as your best friend and you are fulfilling the dream that you always had which is to travel around the world.

I am really excited to see my kid getting to be an adult and somewhere I am looking for my company to do things that many times you put away for one or the other reason. 

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I like this growing up again, people can think whatever because we girls are going to rock ;-)
As a mother or parent we all strive for safety and well being of our kid and I believe as nature's way is to quit when the right time comes. I also felt that, when she drove ahead towards the home, I slowed down because I know she is heading the right way and will reach safely to her destination... it's time to let go and fly high!!!

"Sometimes you just have to jump in a mud puddle because it's there. Never get so old that you forget about having fun." - Tom Giaquinto, Be A Good Human

~ Dawn

Childhood is the most beautiful of all life’s seasons

I still remember my first day in 2nd grade. It was a new admission for me in KVK NDA. I was kind of nervous entering the class as the 2nd A class was in a different building altogether. I had reached after the prayers hence the filled class made me more nervous. Everyone was staring at me. Those eyes were screaming and telling me as if ‘you’re late!’.

“Don’t wait for people to be friendly, show them how”.

My class teacher Mahajan Maa’m called me close to her and introduced me to everyone in the class. She was very nice, I felt someone knows me here.
The teacher asked me to be seated and asked our class monitor Arunima to help if anything is needed.
Arunima, was a tall girl in our class and her caring nature always made us felt like she is our elder sister. She used to help with sharpening our pencils and making sure we have our homework done. If not she will ask us to do and when and where ever needed she will help us.
The boys in the class were naughty and hence I don’t remember a single guy from my class except A.R. Manoj.
Manoj was a short and cute guy. Our parents knew each other and hence we felt it’s okay to be friends.
I was so afraid to walk around in the class as I remember one of the classmate Anagha who used to scare me out with her big eyes. She was my bench partner. Arunima made me feel so comfortable that I wished if I could sit with her but she was sitting at the last bench as she was the tallest girl in our class.
I remember telling Arunima about it and she used to make sure Anagha behaves with me.

“Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you – not because they are nice, but because you are”.

I can say I learned singing and dancing from there. Arunima used to make sure that all the girls are engaged with one or the other task. Arunima and her sister Gaitry both were in the same class and we used to dance on the number that they used to sing – Dhitang -Dhitang bole oh madhurletal tole – a bengali number which Arunima and Gaitry used to sing and make all of us dance. It turned out to be a action song for us.
I used to be amazed when I first heard Arunima singing the song ‘My heart is beating’. She was like our role model. I used to do things that will make her happy and never missed an opportunity where she used to smile and give a hug.
We became so close that after school Arunima and Gaitry used to visit my home and all evening we used to play until it’s 6:00 p.m. when they used to pick up their school bags and say bye to go home.
Evening always brought those parting sadness. But the next dawn was with hope to meet them in the class.
Arunima was one of those monitors who not only used to monitor the class but always took care of the classmates as if they were her own kids. If anyone fell or not playing… sitting hungry or alone, she used to make sure that child is taken care of. A very soft spoken with a melodious voice – that’s the Arunima I have in my mind even today.

“It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.”

I still can’t forget those ‘booth (ghost) dance’ in Arunima’s own words…she used to make sure that after our lunch time we don’t go and mess around outside hence she used to tell all of us to let’s play ‘booth dance – ghost dance’ – but the way she taught us was all like the tribal dance. We used to make similar noises and jump around and dance like the tribal in South Africa. In short, there was a not a single opportunity where we didn’t enjoy.
How life passed since then was never noticed as happiness takes you through all ups and down and then she was moved to Southern Command KV school.
She came back to our class again but this time she was a matured girl only to be reserved.

“Friendship isn’t a big thing – it’s a million little things”

I always cherished – Arunima of 2nd grade. Never got to know what happened but inside our heart we had that warmth for each other.
Today after many years I happened to talk to her and I could feel the same soft voice of hers which used to sing and make everyone soothing.
It’s true, we say past is past but how much happiness they bring to present is a present in itself.

“Bring the past only if you are going to build from it.” ~ Domenico Cieri Estrada

Thank You Arunima for bringing those moments alive once again in thoughts!

This post of mine is dedicated to all my school and college mates – with whom I have spent my best of childhood and teenage life which brings back all that moments alive as I am meeting them one by one.

“If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older” ~ Tom Stoppard

“You play the hand you're dealt. I think the game's worthwhile.”

I was reading one of the blogger's post and I found there 'What Famous Leader Are You?' and I thought to give a trial.

“The integrity of the game is everything.” ~ Peter Ueberroth

The most questions you answer the most accurate the result would be...this inspired me to attempt all the 45- 48 questions and guess what ...I was totally zapped at the result hahaha
and am sure you will also be ;)

“Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us.” ~ Boris Pasternak

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

“If it's not fun, you're not doing it right”