It just takes a bit of courtesy

My hands were full and was struggling to hold pepsi, pop corn and a movie ticket, life seemed superbly exciting at that very moment as we bunch of friends were very busy having merry time. Just out of college when we friends had landed in our so called dream job, we all exactly had what we really dreamt of, an IT Job with some “XX”thousands salary in which “XX” was actually greater than our age at that time! And all we did was movies, parties and trips.  On the pretext of hectic work life I was ok to miss talking to Amma, a good dinner time discussion with Appa and a warm hug to darling sister but never missed meeting random people and catching up for some merry time over the weekends. Such was the age where we dint understand what all this really meant!

On that Saturday as we all friends were standing in queue a friend of mine playing prank spilt her snacks all over my dress unfortunately we couldn’t find tissues and a very clever friend of mine passed on a set of promotional pamphlet which someone forcefully gave it to him on the way to theater, praising his time sense which was of help to me I used some and rest kept it in my bag as we were already late to the movie.

Later that evening once I got back to home and as I was cleaning my handbag I realized the presence of these pamphlet, Just a pause of a moment to read them before putting it into dustbin changed the way I see life. Yes it won’t be exaggeration to say that it takes a second to change your life and that exactly happened to me that moment.

Pamphlet was full of happy smiling little kids, Pictures of some dancing, some singing, some playing anybody would pass it to some nursery promotion but then this was of a foundation named “Courtesy” which is an NGO which works for underprivileged children. A cute hand stretched out towards the reader and mention of help and request for donation as low as of rupees 50 really moved me. I was left perplexed thinking the amount I spent in an evening can actually feed a hungry kid and thought of just by sacrificing my one weekend I would have fed a needy kid really left me shocked.

Very next day, I made a call to the foundation and requested them if I can visit them. Dragging my colleague who I had promised to meet over that Sunday to “Courtesy”, I was there in the small but neat complex of “Courtesy foundation”. As we spoke to the manager there he told us that the place was home for needy children, for some where orphaned by parents as they couldn’t meet the ends and some where orphans by fate.  Manager showed us the neatly made up place with playing area for kids, library, and computer education center which were all made and maintained by the very little donations that they were getting.  Not only this all the kids where provided education in the nearby government school and their complete education was taken care until they reached the age of 18. As I was not surprised enough, Manager also told us that kids were very talented and they would love to perform for us.Vishnu, a5yr old kid stood up from the crowd did namasthe to the crowd and started singing melodiously

 “hetha tayiya nenpagi naan athena mana marugi, sigudila aaki tirugi naan athena mana marugi”

I was wiping my tears wondering if the kid knew the meaning of the song that it was singing so melodiously, my non kannadiga colleague gave a friendly pat to console me. As we bid bye to them and walked out my colleague asked me the meaning of the song.

And this time even his eyes were moist when I told him that kid sang a song which meant that he is crying in memories of his mother who has given birth to him as he knows that he will never again get her back in his life…

It is been 7yrs from that day now, the value of a hug, a compliment, a friendly talk with your family member and warmth of all the people around me was restored in me from that day. Worth of selfless love which I saw in the eyes of little kids there keeps dragging me to that place.

 “Courtesy foundation” has struggled a lot to get to this level of providing good education and healthy living to all the kids who come to this shelter.  I bow to the dedication of “Courtesy foundation” that has been doing this from decade now and I pray that their dream of expanding these facilities to Special children as well comes true with the help of humble people. I will pray and try to be of some help to them to make their dreams come true.Visit: http://www.courtesyfoundation.org/contact.html for more details of this place

I whole heartedly thank indiblogger and ISB http://www.isb.edu/idiya/ for having provided an opportunity to share with larger audience about all this and giving us a chance to voice the needs of such organization. I hope all the deserving organization gets some financial help and attention via this blog contest.

And I realized it just takes a bit of courtesy to stretch out our hands strong and firm and there will be hundreds who will cling on to that and walk with you for long… Be that strong hand and take as many as people along with you it will be truly memorable!

BBBB- Bit by Brand Bug!

No no no sorry I don’t take the blame, I should be completely blaming it on “Sex and The City” series which I watched, watching and will always watch. For those who know about this series I need not tell them but for those who haven’t dared to see any of the episode then let me just tell you what the series is famous for. Apart from the first part of the title which is most interesting there is an awesome role in marketing played by this series trust me an episode of “Sex and the City” can upturn the whole fashion industry and promote ground breaking sales for a brand in a jiffy!  You don’t get it? OK here is an example just to illustrate the impact of these series on the Fashion industry!

Take any random brand “Jai Manik lal”, Consider an episode where the columnist and the leading lady beautiful Carrie Bradshaw monologues saying “I will never be the woman with the perfect hair, who can wear beautiful Jai Manik lal skirt and not spill on it.” That’s it you are bound to see all the duty free shops in every other airport showing Carrie Bradshaw in white top and “Jai Manik lal” scribbled in it. There would be very fashionable stores of “Jai Manik lal” in Fashion capitals like, London, Milan, New York, Paris, Japan and Singapore where who’s who of Fashion and movie Industry will frequent. Definitely the next red carpet event will have a TV host announcing that it was a visual treat to see Anne Hathaway walking in “Jai Manik lal” gown and the world will be crazily clicking picture and uploading about it. For sure your Facebook will be full of people posting  “I just can’t believe my fiancee\ Boy friend\Husband\whosoever gifted me “Jai Manik lal” handbag!” of course an episode of Oprah winfrey hosting a talk show showing of her beautiful  stilettos of brand “Jai Manik lal”. BTW the owner of our “Jai Manik lal” Sri Sri Manik lal ji, would have already proceeded with legal procedures to change the brand name to “JML” to make it more cool and fancy!!! And because of which the loyal customer like Mahadeven, Bittu, Monty, Gullu of “Jai Manik lal’s Chaddis and Baniyans” will now on will never be able to think of those as each one of them would cost 100s hello its 100s of dollors or pounds, mind you!!!

Oh forgot to tell you, all this happens even before the next episode of "Sex and The city" is aired on the television such is the power of S&C series!!! If you don’t trust me ask all The Fashion gurus and Fashionistas  J surely it’s a crime for them to admit this open secret and so they mask it with words like QUALITY, CULT, TRADITION, FASHION STATEMENT etc….

Now let me come to my story, a poor simple living female after watching back to back series of “Sex and The city” was bit by this “Brands” bug and so I started learning about almost all the brands that were mentioned repeatedly in those series. The list kept growing, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Antonio Bandera’s, Chanel, Paris, Dolce & Gabbana, DKNY, Versace, Armani… oh this list and my desire to own one of those was increasing exponentially. On one fine day when I and my hubs were walking in one of the kingpin’s mall in Bangalore crazily decided to go to the “LOUIS VUITTON” store in it. Yeah yeah I can see your reaction now!!! We clearly knew it would be dead expensive to buy anything there but my darling hubs to work his charm on me, he asked me to pick any Sunglasses as we thought that alone would be the only affordable of the lot so I hesitatingly zeroed in on one, with all his grace the salesman told that it costs 40850/- INR only!!!! I and my hubs suck in oxygen in that place and dint dare to breathe out until we ran out of the store hysterically in fear of being priced for breathing inside LV store!!!!!!

UFFFFFFFFFFFF Now I am totally immune to this bite of “Brand Bug” Thanks to the reality!!!!

PS: We are still gasping!!!

I am proud to be one ....

What a wonderful day today is… I get wished for just being me!!! Yes I actually haven’t done anything worth wishing but my morning started with happy calls and beautiful messages filled in my inbox with wishes and messages for being a woman. But then when I see all these beautiful women around me, day in and out it really justifies that yes Women need to be wished today and everyday for all that she is and by just being herself she is extraordinarily special.

So much to write about the blessed one but so less words which just can’t justify all that she is… Stumbling upon a quote which said world without men would be crime free and full of fat happy women! May be true! But I just can imagine world without women! Would there be these many colors? Would there be so many Perfumes? Would there be so many accessories to make the world around so beautiful? Forget all this World without women I strongly feel would be only about Politics, Money, Machines, Football \Cricket matches and with this world which is untidy and unclean ;)!!!! Jokes apart, Life needs a balance and so world requires both women and men equally to create and maintain the harmony of nature. But If only women was not there I am sure it would be very difficult to actually explain what words like kindness, humble, Beauty, charm, elegance, attitude, warmth, love and care really meant isn’t it?

I wonder how much research god would have done to create a woman. God gave all the grace to her but never forgot to add the responsibility in her, he gave her tenderness but she is strong to face the world, He gave her the capabilities to portray herself in umpteen different roles and he add the courage with which she meets the expectation of each role very beautifully with complete dedication and with all these he added a part of himself in every women and that’s the power of creation… One needs to salute this creation which is total perfection.

One of my dearest colleagues says there is nothing like a baby, girl, women, division you can actually see a complete woman in your darling daughter when she hugs you and feels proud about you… I am sure every Father and brothers will accept this fact. We are born with all the wonderful characters with us and we carry it elegantly till our last breathe. I am proud to be one among them…

 On this day and always I will have loads of respect to every woman I have ever met and I again covey my loads of affection to all you Beautiful diva’s for you make this world worth living.

This post is dedicated to my friends, my mom, sisters, aunts, my colleagues, my teachers, doctors, my blog friends… Thank you one and all and Happy Women’s Day.

Last but never the least,

 A big thanks to all those humble caring and very supportive men who have been our world always.