The Secret for the last decade

The last time a whole decade passed in 1990 – 2000 – i pretty much didn’t care that the decade was over ! It also meant i was just passing each school year– one after the other. I didn’t really care to sit back and think what that decade meant for me. But in all consciousness, today , i can say, this last decade from 2000 – 2010 has been eventful. Now hang on – eventful can be good, bad, ugly and beautiful. Yes ! These years have been a complete roller coaster. And I am pretty much sure the coming decade and the one after that, and the one after that, and the one after that – and I hope I have none after that !! I wish for a small happy healthy life – however, that’s not the point – the coming years are not going to be half as eventful as this last one was. For starters – I went from being a rude, strong minded, outgoing teenager, to a strong headed and yet diplomatic adult. Well, some may beg to differ – but what the hell ! I like to believe Life threw melons at me – and I learnt to make a Gin and Tonic with it : ))

So, I owe this decade a round of applause. Not that I am sorted in my ways of life. Each new day i surprise myself and the people around me. This is what keeps life complicated and eventful ! So, today i have come to a conclusion – Simple and uncomplicated life might be good for the others – they might want to lead a life of peace – but what’s the fun ? Can you believe it – I passed a decade trying to find a balance – wherein I am neither too happy not too sad... But at the onset of a very fine new year – my thoughts are different. I want each day to be a struggle – I want to be an achiever at the end of the day – i want life to be a challenge – I want to strive to achieve excellence. Ofcourse I know I will bitch about the hardships that come my way. But the point is – I love the feeling of success. And that can only come to a person with very low rate of being called a stable person ! Yes Folks – it might not make sense – but this is MOI !

Each new day when I do something new for instance – I find it compelling to write about it – to blog about it. And then there are days like these days in December – when I am knee deep in social engagements and struggle to come up with something for my blog and find time to eat Pani Puri at my favourite Pani Puri walla – and an old friend from kinder garden walks by and appreciates my blogs – That is it. It makes every sleepy moment after a hard day at work worth it – when I strive to come up with something interesting for my readers. It is no JOB FOR ME ! It is a matter of the heart, it is my passion ! And hence, I am going to enjoy the process too. The process of going through everything – thats my New Decades Resolution. Not complain about the ups and downs – but enjoy the process !!

This also holds true to the classic New Decades Resolution – To Loose weight. I am a whinner when it comes to gym and excercises. My lasy bones refuse to work out – but I am going to stop complaining and get going !! Enjoy the pain, enjoy the sweat, enjoy the thrill of lifting weights, enjoy stepping upto another plate ! I am going to keep you posted on how that is going !!

Ofcourse the key to the last decade was finding the SECRET – literarily and philosophically. The book, THE SECRET holds a good SECRET. I just wish I am going to carry THE SECRET into the next decade to see it beautifully unfolding before my eyes. And before we all know it, like this decade another beautiful decade is going to swoop in and we will find ourselves appreciating GOD for his creation !

New Years Resolutions !

As you count down the hours to the new year’s eve, all you can think about is of New Beginnings ! “2011 is going to hold many promises which 2010 failed to deliver.” But, do you remember the promise you made to yourself on the 31/12 last year ? Many of us have even forgotten the promise. Such is a case with 98% of the individuals. So what does it take to be in the 2% of achievers ?



The trick is in maintaining a pocket size diary. This diary, at the end of each day is like an open day at school. The empty page will reflect as a measure of what you have done and how far you are from achieving your goal. When you will see many empty pages in a row, your mind will start competing against you ! It will plot and scheme against the negative energies of the universe.



Each day you will find yourself getting up earlier and earlier than usual, in order to fill these empty pages ! you will experience that time has expanded itself and you can inculcate a lot more productive things in your day. Each day starts with an enthusiasm unmatched – and at the end of the day you will feel victorious of having achieved so much !



“My life is boring. There is Nothing worth mentioning !” is your thought. Then you are wrong ! A personal diary can start with just some simple ideas and answers to :
Did I experience/take part in some exciting/surprising situations/events?
What were the various tasks I performed today?
Did I meet some new person, made some contacts?
Did I share some thoughts/took part in some discussions with someone?
Did I achieve success/completion in my tasks (small or big)?



Also make a note of the emotion of the day : Positive/Abstract/Negative Emotions. Over a period of time you will also see your emotions Neutralizing. Use affirmative words to reassure yourself of your goal.



The important thing is the discipline ! BEWARE of the devil-voice inside you ! Initially he will bar you, tease you to stop writing, To give up in order to get rid of the feeling of not having done anything. Whenever you think of failure – open your success Diary. When you turn the pages, You will soon realise you do not need anyone to Pat you on the Back. You have done it several times and success is here to stay. Failure is only a process. Through your diary you will be able to rewind and refresh those lovely memories, those cherished moments which will instantly light up your dull day !



But be true to yourself and see your world change in front of you. See the clock tick on 31/12/2011 – and when you reflect back, experience the satisfaction! In the words of Latesh Joshi, “If you want your life to be a magnificent story, then you will begin by realizing that you are the author and everyday you have the opportunity to write a new page.”

Teaching at Mithibai College

I came back home from the party at 1 last night. After which I spent an hour reading the course work for my teaching class today. It’s at a time like this I wonder why I take up something more than I can handle - sure my 24 years and some days old bones are getting lazier ! It is one thing to know what you do – and excel at it day after day, but teaching that to a whole bunch of 60 students ( who are sleepy ) x 2 classes Export/ import is another ball game .

Honestly – I do remember very well , nodding profusely in a 7 a.m. lecture – back in the day when I was a student of Mithibai College, BMS – but not understanding a word of what is being taught. Especially on a fine wintery morning, where it’s just cosy enough to drift into outer space till everything around me turns dark pink and purple – and then.... then... a whole other world – which definitely looked more interesting than the OHP projector reflecting the transparency and its contents. The flutter of pages every now and then. The slightest irk caused by the chalk. The teacher hmming and ahhhing in between. The low hummmm of the A/c working – and then suddenly the entire class becomes silent !

I was woken up by a teacher – much to my embarrassment ! Today, being on the other side – and trying to snooze at a student felt so weird. Strangely it made me feel way older than 24. I said a silent thank you for not letting that guy buy me a drink last night – imagine this with the alcohol residue in my body – would have been disastrous. For the very first time I thought I needed to refuse the drink and behave older and more mature and get back into bed.

Being funny comes easy to me – but sometimes as a teacher – I feel awkwardly conscious cracking into a joke – will i be over stepping the friendliness border ? I added the first few of my students over Facebook today.. !! Will they accept the friendship request ? only time will tell ! But one thing is for sure – I am a lot more relaxed than I was when I had first walked into the class. I only hope i do not lose my drive to wake up morning after morning and come to the class. Especially saying goodbye to Friday night parties 2 hours before I would have actually come back is the hardest thing to do !! I hope in the end it is worth it. I hope in the end I make a difference !

Recycle your Blood !

One phone call, it just takes one phone call from a friend in need. And that’s it. You go there no matter what. And not matter for what ! I was on my way to the office and took a little detour and went to Nanavati Hospital. A friend’s cousin aunt needed to replace blood. Many were called, many were scared, many made “I faint at the sight of blood” stories. It was pretty terrible to know that some people didn’t come since they had doped the previous night or were high on alcohol a few days ago. It makes you wonder where is our world headed ??

The BLOOD BANK might look like the scariest place to enter – but really it was just a tiny simple room with 5 posters – all promoting donate blood ! Recycle yourself ! only 350ml, and you can save 4 lives ! Interesting enough – when all people can think of these days is bloodshed ! Do they even know how difficult it is to replace blood ??

A very extremely friend staff waits long hours in the bank encouraging people to donate. Calming them down. And even answering the same questions to every person that walks into the room – but with a smile. The warmth bowled me over.

So, here is what happened – those of you scared please read to know, nothing, not even remotely anything gets affected. A small prick to check haemoglobin and blood type test later, it was determined that one can be a donor or not. The friendly staff lets you sleep in an air conditioned room. They even make you comfortable and give you a blanket to feel cosy. They give you a stress ball with which you keep flexing your muscles.

The actual prick which is attached to a tube, which in turn is attached to a plastic bag to fill the blood doesn’t feel anywhere close to what it looks like. In fact its lesser of a prick than those lab tests you do ! The bag has a chemical which is an anti-clot, Which slowly mixes with the blood. The bag itself is on a moving lever – to prevent it from clotting.

And that’s it. By the time you actually make conversation with the doctor and ask all your queries about blood and blood donating, you are DONE !

Did you know, blood can only stay in the bank for 35 days ?? So the bank needs to be replenished all the time ! There are so many people who cannot donate blood because of the lifestyles we lead – but those of you who can – and the only thing between you and actually donating the blood is the FRIGHT – then I hope you overcome it. You can save 4 lives with 350 ml of your blood.

The blood which is pumped out will be automatically replaced by your heart within 24 hours – this is actually recycling yourself !! This is a brilliant opportunity to walk into your nearest blood bank every 4 months and recycle your blood and help save lives.

And if not for anything else, the blood bank gives you a sweet dose of Mango Fruity at the end of your heroic gesture...and a warm thank-you by the staff and the person who you donate blood to will be indebted to you for life – will all make the small prick 3 times a year all worth it !!

Baking

It's that time of the year when you get back home and its dark. But the weather is just perfect for a warm batch of cookies !! I do not get tired after a long day at work. Infact i am quite excited to make some really cute little cookies today ! Will you come to sample some of them ?? To be very honest, I am not a great cook. neither do I decorate well !! But the pleasure of standing next to the oven to see even 1 perfect golden brown cookie pop up is worth the effort.

Here are some pictures to get you excited to BAKE as well.

Beyond Walls , By Lina Jaros

Photographer Stylist Lina Jaros's new series called "Beyond Walls" has lived upto her unmatchable design standards. she manages to create yet again a scene out of my imagination. Of when I was little and would set up my doll house and play "House house." I would use my tea cups and host high tea, make dinners effortlessly for everyone in the house !!

she goes onto to say ." Using photography as an instrument I explore the psychology connected to ambiguity, and the circumstances under which we doubt an environment and its content, or categorize it as strange or incomprehensible.

Through environmental distortions of everyday surroundings I challenge the ordinary, natural or authentic. I take interest in the illusory and appearances of objects, and search for a condition when interiors gets separated from their traditional representations, and leave room for a new interpretation and evaluation of familiar space. " Check out the Beyond the Walls Series.. !

Breaking into Coco Rocha's home

Breaking into Top Model Coco-Rocha’s home. This was done by artist, stylist, and fashion editor Lela for Vogue for their APT with LSD” and Coco has been honored as the owner of Apartment One. This Model and husband opened their home to the magazine for a sneak peek at their decorative apartment and its memorable features.

It is a great shoot that captures her Rimmel heavy makeup wardrobe, a limited look at her custom designed closet, a piggy bank that looks like a YSL bag, a DIY project that originated from a street find, and details about Steven Meisel‘s wedding present for Coco – a portrait of the model – by the artist. Take a look!

Forbidden Fruit Desert

Common now, everybody knows GOOD LOOKING FOOD is like the forbidden food for people who are on a DIET. This is my everytime thing. When on a diet – I automatically finds myself surfing Food related blogs, websites etc. So I have only just dieted for 5 days and I have started making a list of MUST-COOK-AND-EAT once I reach my GOAL weight !!! Hahahahaha ... the sad sad story of my life. So instead of boring you with the blah blah of weight and my life I am going to quickly tell you an easy desert receipt which involves Peaches !


Spiced Peaches après Leslie Thompson
1 can large firm peach halves
1 tsp. whole cloves
1 stick 3″ cinnamon
2/3 c. firmly packed brown sugar
2 T. vinegar
Drain syrup from peaches and pour syrup in sauce pan. Add the cloves and cinnamon. Boil rapidly until 1/2 c. syrup remains. Add brown sugar and vinegar and simmer 5 minutes. Pour over peaches in jar. Let stand overnight. Can be served hot or cold.
You can also serve on top of a tart, too. Now making a TART is another BALL GAME ! But thanks fo Hyper Market and Super Markets around the corner – you can now find ready made Tart Shells !!! Happy Eating !

Spa Home

I did not know certain places in the leg and the thigh area had muscles till they started hurting. All those Spinning Class PAINS I hope are leading to weight and FAT LOSS most importantly. So yesterday after I couldn’t walk, not even for that dear remote control –I had to beckon my Malish Wali Bai, in modern English language the masseuse. So while I lay naked in front of her, she battered and bruised my muscles some more. There are 2 things about this kind of massage.

1. The obvious embarrassment of lying naked in front of someone. Now this is no SPA. This is a home ! Lights cannot be dimmed. And she does not cover your assets with freshly baked linens and towels. This is full on Indian Style Tail Malish

2. What is it with Indian Style Malish Bai. She uses all her force to massage you – and this hurts even more than you tearing a muscle of two at the gym ! And not to mention her proud proclaim that this malish will tone your body up ! And it will help you reduce in inches. Of course one can reduce if put through such torture.

So I suffered for about 40 mins to be precise – this includes the changing time. After which I had to rush for a dear friends Wedding. And then I came across Donna Karan’s SPA home in the New Hamptons, New York. Now, who wouldn’t like A SPA HOME !! No more laying down on a thin chattai and getting the malish wali to do your massage, when you own a HOME which is actually a SPA. MONEY, DESIGN and LIFESTYLE always surpass all known and linger in the unknown when it comes to the rich and the famous.

Spinning

It’s just another cheap trick to make money was my opinion on FRIDAY morning. My Gym instructor to kick things up – asked me to come for a class of spinning. Now I am a fan of changing the routine – but certainly not of ways to get exhausted. Which is the irony of the weight loss program. This is my umpteenth effort to lose weight – but I never lose hope ! Sheila Ki Jawaani surely does wonders in motivation. Even if this motivation will last only but a few days.

Imagine a whole bunch of exercise bikes lined up inside a health club studio. Riders are on each one, spinning the pedals at a rapid pace. The lights are turned down, pumped up music fills the air and an instructor with a headset sits atop a lead bike, calling out commands. Now my instructor looks like one of the choreographers of these reality dance lessons – there is something amusing about the latka jatka way of expressing everything. “Common disha, pedal faster !”

Now I have already pushed myself to pedal the fastest – but the music makes you want to go with the beat and you do eventually. Much to the misery of every fat cell in the leg screaming NO. And then the rider next to me stands up and starts spinning. So only when i had thought this is it – I now had to stand and pedal. I was only relived for a moment – because the hard seat was hurting my bum area. It made me wonder why they did not make bigger seats on a bicycle ?? Is it something to do with reducing the speed phenomenon ?? I will have to Google that one for sure.

Gone are the days when I learnt to bicycle and rode around with my friends in the neighbourhood. We stopped for “Gola” I was so proud of the little basket my mother had attached to the front of the cycle – I wanted to fill it up with bread and milk from the grocery – just to help my mother.


“Disha, common faster !!” The instructor snapped at me. My little fantasy that had helped me escape the class came to a crushing stop. I was dripping. And what was even disgusting is that the both the riders between whom I was sandwiched were sweating profusely. It is pretty disgusting to see them like that.

And then I took one look in the mirror in front of me. It was a horrifying sight !! I had sweat stains in different places .. and I was dripping too. My legs gad given up by the end of 20 minutes. The instructor wanted me to go for another song. ANOTHER SONG – I thought to myself – I hope it’s an English song – they are usually shorter !! Turned out my current favourite – “Gal Mitthi mitthi Bol !” I pedalled first with all force and by the time the song was in its second para – i was hardly spinning.

Of course – the result of this whole session was loss of calories ! But the real outcome was felt on Saturday, when I couldn’t get out of my bed. It felt I had needles piercing my body. And then on Sunday where I literally was hoping I could float. Climbing the stairs of the cinemas was also not an incentive. Come Monday I stepped on the weighing machine – it had moved to the LEFT. And quite THANKFULLY. I entered the Spinning Class with a SMILE !

Decoration de Table !

Have spent quite a few evenings in frantic haste trying to decorate my house to host a dinner party... !! Design and decorations comes quite easily to my sister, Dhwani Doshi of Creative Chase Design. You can check her work out on www.creativechase.in - who can cook up stuff out of thin air. But I am a person of method. And for me - I file and folder pictures so that when in need I pull this one book out and find stuff to put together. Here are some beautiful center pieces for tables !! Have fun exploring..

E Club

Elite organization, often are rumoured about because of their tightly held structures. Their meetings and memebers are often undisclosed till the last moment. The Porcellian club at Harvard, has a bit of attention, probably unwanted by the premiere of the movie The Social Network. In the film, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, tries desperately to try to enter the club – but meets failure. But not many know that even here in India – Universities have Elite clubs.

One such rumoured Elite Organisation is “E” – the Elite club of Family Managed Business Program ( FMB) at S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research. Club’s like “E” are often widely criticized for their exclusiveness, their membership initiation process and their activities and secretive meetings. But “E” was formed by a bunch of rich and ambitious students who live by “E” Standards. The Club was founded in Hong Kong, but when it was founded is unknown. The prominence of this Social Club is on a rise. With many of its members, heading large corporations and on their way to becoming India’s fastest growing companies.

The university – S.P. Jain has no jurisdiction over the club’s activities. While most Elite Clubs are of male bonding nature, E is rumoured to be headed by a 3 chairpersons team, out of which 2 are Females. The club’s members are located in different cities’ of India. I met one such member over dinner who was surprised that I knew about “E” at all. He expressed an interest in the topic, but declined to speak at all. Despite the fact that a large number of S. P. Jain students—members and nonmembers alike—are critical of Elite clubs, there is a prevalent culture of silence around this topic inside the campus.

The lack of free-flowing public discourse about the “E” club has been largely responsible for the long history of unsuccessful movements to address problematic aspects of “E” club: Stop Withholding Access Today (SWAT), led by the general body of students; Memebership Access Parliment are all examples of efforts abandoned due to lack of public support and commitment.

Despite the exclusivity and mystique, “E” is believed to be formed to “cultivate the intellect”. The list of members is small, owing in part to the need of remaining active on the forum as well as at meetings. “E” is the iconic "hotsy-totsy final club," often bracketed with Yale's Skull and Bones. Harvard Porcellian club and Princeton's Ivy Club. But as in the case of virtually any legend, these narratives can rarely be traced to an original source . Also, an urban legends page mentions a belief that "if members of the “E” do not become newsworthy by the time they turn 50, they resign themselves. Such is the conditioning provided in these individuals.”

Maison Moschino

Fashion giant Moschino have transformed the Viale Monte Grappa 12 – a neoclassical railway station built 1840, into a sixty-five room hotel. The hotel urges visitors to ‘expect the unexpected’ decking out their rooms with fairytale-inspired designs. With each room telling a different story Moschino has added their trademarked stylish-quirk touches with teacup tables, a forest bedpost, a rose petal-covered bedspread and even a wolf creeping out of the bedcovers.
Check out how design meets inspiration in vivid forms to give the world some of the best lifestyle !!.. in this world of luxury and design, MONEY CAN NEVER BE ENOUGH...

Picture Puuurrrffffeeeccctttt !

“Slightly to the left..!” “No, no madam, bahut ho gaya !!” “CHIN UP.” “Thoda Down, Bus zarra saa...” clicking a photograph is a mission for me each time. I have had over the years only 1 passport size photograph that i can actually say is a good picture. I have seen millions of pretty faces – but when you see what picture they have in their passport – it would be something ridiculous. After my mundane ( when i went bald) I have faced the camera only twice – the first time being one of the worst pictures in the history of pictures !!!

1.
To get my passport re-newed ! i look like the SON of a Nigerian MAFIA. Ofcourse there is a big bad world out there – so i have erased out the other details... !! YES thts me. In my defense – it was a hot sunny day and i was sweating like a pig – i had a deadline to chase cause i wanted to leave the country for an import business meeting !! and so i had to make do with this picture !!!!


Posing or anti-posing has been my thing for the past couple of years... !! Here is what I do to most people – just for the kicks ! To make a happy frame ! To get that quirky smile on their faces.. !! and most times i have been quite successful in getting them to smile...!