“I’d rather be the firefly”, she said.
“I’ll buzz and hum and dance and celebrate, trying to reach the sky.
Though the lamp might last longer,
Never can she fly.”

beamed the lunch special menu. S was wowed. Well who wouldn’t be, look at the picture! She changed her order from bread and Earl Grey tea  to just the dessert. The waitress gave an understanding nod, openly feeling sorry for S’ state, the lonely vegetarian with meager choices and magnanimously approved S’ desperate attempt to fill her grumbling stomach with something. The cake looked big and S considered that she might be overestimating her appetite. “Big deal! It’s a piece of cake , how filling can it be?”  she thought, brushing such preposterous thoughts away. The waitress  brought the cheesecake ceremoniously and with a wink and a patronizing pat, left it on the table and busied herself with the arduous task  of filling the giant glasses with sparkling water and a slice of lemon.  The ambrosial aroma of freshly pulverized luscious strawberries blending with the citric tanginess and the curdled creaminess of the cold cheese tingled S’ nostrils and her pleasantly awoken taste buds without fail began their task of salivating. She took in the deliciously beautiful pink, white and brown on the swanky porcelain plate for a minute. Choosing the spoon was a feat of unimaginable controversies. All the high-society spoons made her uncomfortable for they resembled normal spoons in their design and dimensions save one or two tweaks in the whole shape of the spoon; and it looked more like the spoons were mutilated in an uncanny manner rather than made chic to reflect the sophistication of the place. Sighing , she picked the one that seemed closest to the fork family and dug right in.  In her first mouthful, she couldn’t help let out a low moan. It was THAT good. The strawberries were so fresh that it appeared like they were picked right then from the invisible fields behind the “Only Authorized Personnel” door and the corporate glass and plastics. The cheese was so creamy that she had to wonder what good deeds she had done over her different lifetimes and merits she had earned from the guy above that such a palatable pleasure was bestowed upon her. The cheese was so rich that she had to wonder what good deeds she had done over different lifetimes and merits she had earned from the guy above that such a palatable pleasure was bestowed upon her. The crust was light as air and the mocking hint of lemon danced lightly between spoonfuls. Her tongue had seen paradise.  The cake actually slipped from her mouth to the foodpipe, it was that flawlessly smooth. For the next few minutes, nothing in the physical world was actually perceivable except the wonderous dessert. Then suddenly her taste buds grumbled. They were saturated with the sweetness, they complained. Come on, S pushed. But she knew she was wearing herself out, she was exhausted from the creaminess of the cheese. Every mouthful introduced a fresh blast of the thin crust and the rich creamy cheese that felt like a blow and knocked her out. She tried everything , drinking sips of ice cold water, making conversation with the people sitting around her, interspersed with a million tongue clicks to free it of the sultry sweetness and the heavy aftertaste. It was impossible. All right, she decided. It’s you against me. The cake smiled back peacefully. She took a deep breath in and downed 3 spoonfuls blindly. Then drank water at once. Whew! She opened her eyes to see that the cake was hardly half done. Oh no! Her colleagues had started their main course already, after soup and starters. And she was still stuck with this royal cake which she had received even before the others’  starters had arrived. It was then when her stomach grunted. “I’m full! Stop stuffing me”, it instructed. She knew she had to ,but she couldn’t stop.  She had to finish what she had started. ” I cannot be defeated by a cake, and a cheesy one at it.” she declared. But she revamped her strategy and decided to tackle it one spoonful at a time, chanting ‘I can do this’ every time. The cake smiled back ruefully. After an hour, she looked proudly at the pink -white-brown crumbs sticking on the plate. And even though her motor skills were temporarily incapacitated and she couln’t move, she had finished the Colossal Strawberry Daiquiri Cheesecake for good. “Big deal! It’s a piece of cake , how filling can it be?” She shook her head and took out her red wallet.

Player Qualificashuns:

1. Name, age, class, gender, language, caste, subcaste, creed, marital status, sexual orientation, annual income, CITIZENSHIP, country of birth, Class of Honours, CAP, GPA, 10^th marks, 12^th marks, CCAs, work experience – NO BAR . Anyone can play this game. In fact from previous experiential episodes, 5 year olds are the sneakiest to complete the game as it is an unexpected genius strategy given their ability to run through players legs swiftly and the gift to bawl the loudest when they are ‘out’ ed by the defenders of the Sacred Stones.
2. Dress code: Strictly no long skirts, wrap arounds, loose pyjamas, flowy dresses billowing in the wind, Marilyn Monroe skirts, Veshtis, Lungis or anything of the category unless adorned in Raj Kiran shtyle (folded above the knees).
3. Team Spirit: This is a purely team game and so every player must scream and bawl and possess thee kuliching patriotism and provide encouragement for the team. Remember, your teammate is always right, if he says he ‘s not out, you swear you saw with your 2 perfectly functional eyes that he’s not out.
4. Decent Aim: The ball you throw must fairly hit the target or at least fall in the vicinity.
5. Force: Hit it with all the enthusiasm you can muster and give your 100 %, otherwise you’ll end up being an Uppuku chappa (‘every child is special’).
6. Eye contact: This is a major mode of communication (other than in rare cases of telepathy), and make sure you understand what your teammate is trying to tell you, and where to move.
7. Free time: Easily available with everyone, especially now with the recession and all.
8. Resourcefulness: Find means of playing the game no matter what – the passing vehicles, the cursing neighbours, the barking dogs, the bruises, accidents , falls , lack of materials.
9. Steel Body: The ability to withstand the physical violence and savage madness.

Equipment Needed:

1. A Ball: Tennis or the rubber kinds.
2. 7 stones: If not, suitable substitutes. (In the Great Game of 30^th May, 2009 at the Clementi block 319 badminton court, the irritatingly clean landscape provided no means to find stones and hence a pile of slippers was used instead: the material – or the smell, does not matter. Only the desire to win does.)
3. Minimum 2 players in each team. But it is much more fun with a lot more.

Procedure:

1. Players can adopt one of the numerous methods currently already in use for the process of selection of the captains and the teams ( Sha Boo 3, Ingy Pingy Pongy, oh god please tell me, etc… ) .New avenues in this area is also highly recommended.
2. After the teams have been selected, the toss is carried out, either using a coin or using the popular stone method, especially for the pocket-money deprived. One of the players holds a small stone in his hands and skilfully rotates his arm round and round in order to deceive the player of the opposition to lose track of the stone in his closed palms. The opposing team player then has to guess if the stone is still in or out. If he or she is right, that team can choose to defend or attack the stones. If not, this privilege goes to the other team.
3. The seven stones are piled on top each other within a circle and the defending team is in position wicket keeping behind the stones and each player of the attacking team lines up behind a crease line which is an appropriate distance away from the pile of stones, and has 3 chances to hit the pile of stones with the ball (Under or Overams) to disturb it.
4. If all the chances are over, then the defending and attacking team interchange places and continue to play, with 1 point for the formerly defending team in view of the worstu aiming skills of the formerly attacking team.
5. As soon as the ball disturbs the pile of stones, the defenders catch hold of the ball and try to get the opposing players ‘out’ by hitting them with the ball below their knee, in their legs.
6. The aim of the attacking team is to rearrange the pile of stones and trace the circle 3 times with their fingers before the other team can make all the players out. If they succeed in doing that , their team gets 1 point and they get the chance to throw the ball again. But if all the players are out, then the defending team now throws after gaining 1 point.

Rules:

1. The defending team player can only pivot with the ball and not move around. The maximum time he is permitted to have the ball in his hands is about 50 seconds. He has to pass the ball to other members of his team who will attempt the same – to make a player that they are marking ‘out’ by hitting their leg with a ball below the knee. People with the ball, however can dodge.
2. The stones have to fall within the circle only. If they fall outside the circle, then its again 1 point for the defending team plus they get to throw the ball now.
3. If any defending team player catches the ball after it has touched the pile of stones and before it has bounced, then they get 1 point and the teams interchange places.
4. The player of the attacking team can shield himself from the ball, by hitting it away from the main area, so that time is wasted when the opposing team player fetches it from far away. However, the palm should not be used and only a closed fist can be used to push the ball away.

Strategies:

Highly confidential content. Available upon request. (or buy the book ‘How to beat the Seven Stones during trying times: ISBN 0000000000 – 16 SGD only! Hurry, till stocks last! Now, also home delivering.)

The game can be played upto any number of points and double the fun when played on rainy days.

Future Works:

This project promises a lot of scope for future works, as people keeping having children, the target market for this objective.

Conclusion:

The game has been explained and the ideas explored. The challenges that were faced in the course of this served as an enhancement to the learning process and stepping stones to achieve the end result, whatever it is.

References:

Word of mouth. From many knowledgeable mouths.

Silence:

So profound in meaning, pregnant with prospects,

Swathed in unfathomable mystique, what is it you religiously conceal,

With a scornful derision, sardonic stillness?

With intangible nuances, what is it you won’t reveal?

So sinuously you smile, in your inflaming flatulent style:

An astute muteness and an enamouring calm,

You feel so close, yet so distant

I am powerless in your enthralling charm.

What do you hide? The future or the past?

A clandestine passion?a harsh truth? Eternal peace?

Current of black waters? The lambent tongues of a lucid flame?

Do you carry dying reminiscences, remembrances, waning memories?

What is it ? unconditional love, the language of the soul?

A virgin innocence?  An endearing blush? A formidable fear?

Distillates of wisdom? Truisms of life? Answers for posterity?

Surreptitious scandals? A prophecy? Or a frozen tear?

Do you contain the secret of exorcising the evil? The doorway to divinity?

An unspoken promise? An unsaid prayer? Hopes and dreams coagulated in time?

Untainted purity? Or plain treachery? Perhaps a bemoaned shame?

Sanguine ambitions? Liberated creativity ? Chronicles so sublime?

Voiceless sufferance? Pain? Or a buried guilt?

Infinite power? Limitless happiness, or the key to that?

Absolute authority? A ritual? Or fantasies of a forbidden love?

Utter understanding? An expression? Or the inanity of minds tightly shut?

What DO you mask, so unwilling to part, stories of heroes untold?

Silence, you vile temptress, break your charm and disclose what you hold.

When things transcend into a surreal world sans reason or logic

But full of love and an overwhelming security

A sense of belonging and freedom at the same time;

Where there is no limit or boundary,

Where the infinite space is a consecrated comfort and

A joy instead of trepidation,

And there is realization of a harmony

With each and all;

Nothing short of bliss.

Last evening, the 12^th of April 2009 , Guruji’s talk in Singapore took place at the Shangri La. After the incredible Satsang by Vikram ji and Kala (not just a singer, a total performer!), He spoke a few words and conducted a meditation session after answering questions. Then, poof! He was ready to end his short trip and leave the country. As soon as He was out the door, someone gushed ‘airport’, immediately followed by a lot of pushing and shoving and a few of us began hounding the road for taxis. The flight was in an hour and we were still calculating the number of taxis to take and calling people to find the terminal number et al… Would we make it to the airport in time to see Him up close? Of course it was a risk worth taking and frankly the whole ordeal was quite exciting … At long last we got into the cab and all hopes appeared implausible, when we heard the wonderful 2 words that brought joy for the first time in the history of their usage – “Flight Delayed”. We were not only early, but also got to enjoy some amazing stories by JD and Devang ji.

Here are a few excerpts from the evening; Words of Guruji as well as the 2 wonderful teachers … these are some phrases that left their footprint in me … and I feel it’s the simplicity that makes them even more beautiful. When something is expressed, the grace and adoration with which it is expressed makes it more meaningful, pleasurable and powerful.

“We are all obsessed with the bi-product rather the main product in life.”

“It is not possible to be disconnected from God. One only feels so, due to distractions and can feel connected to Him by meditation, Sadhana and inner peace through moments of Silence.”

“Only when you are out of the pool you realize you are wet and need to dry out the water.”

“Watch how your children are learn from them. Be aware that they are watching you always, like God….. or spies!”

“Keep yourself engaged and do something creative. Keep yourself busy yourself in Seva.”

“Honour every religion, but if it says this is the only way, be aware.”

“Encourage all the teenagers to take up YES!+ course… it will change their attitude and their level of connection with parents”

“What is the purpose of my life? Million dollar question…will not take that now…will let you know someday though.”

“It’s better to have doubts now. Once you have lived through them, they are the stepping stones to the next stage of unquestioningly being.”

“When there is no misery, no love or compassion is shown.”

“The planet goes through rough times as well. No one expected big shots like GM to come down. Greed is never good. They became greedy and important … so, God became jealous…and put them down for a while.”

“There is enough love in this world to go around.”

“Don’t doubt the love people give you. They shouldn’t have to prove it to you like they do to the rest of the world. A child never does a background check on his mother or asks her ‘Do you really love me? Will you love me all your life?’”

“Also, instead of saying ‘Why do you hate me?’ , say ‘Why do you love me so much?’”

To end it with my favourite of all,

“Leave your worries to me.”

It was one magical evening … every person walked out of that hall satisfied and happy, thinking Guruji had addressed him or her. Such was the unfathomable knowledge in his words.

I still cannot believe we were actually just two feet away, showered by his blessings and embraced by that priceless smile. Before walking to immigration, he gave a big ‘Yo’ pose for the camera, leaving us in peals of laughter and still enthralled in his effortless charm. I am proud of YES+ Singapore, and looking forward to many more such times.

Jai Gurudev.

P.S: Incase anyone wants to put down other things He said, please feel free to leave comments ; And thanks to Viksu for helping me with this blog!

German Project Interview

Whoa ! Long time since i updated this category … almost a year , i see !  i’ve had inertia to write recipes since then for inexplicable reasons … but my recently brilliant recipes have  driven it away and i ve got to share this:

1. Methi Pulao:

Soak rice aside. Use Kasoori methi (dry) / fresh leaves that are crushed to a fine texture ….  fry chillies ,  turmeric powder, heeng, jeera, elaichi, clove, cinnamon , basil with salt and the leaves.  Add any other masala needed .. i personally use lot of herbs instead of powder these days … enhances the flavour but retains the taste .. and ofc, its healthier.. then add some grated coconut, and finally the rice. fry for 4-5 min and then microwave it with a little extra water than usually needed to make plain rice. People with a fondness for ghee can pour a little ghee over it wen  its hot out from the microwave.

2. Pudina Rice:

All you need is the pudina powder, available in mustafa. Repeat above procedure with pudina powder instead of the methi. In this also add a little lemon juice wen its out of the microwave. Can also add urad dal and mustard.cashews, too.

3. Paneer in coconut gravy:

Soak/ Marinate the paneer. Fry the herbs also with methi powder, amchur, dhania , pepper  and nutmeg powder. Add generously turmeric powder, then the frozen vegetables and let it wallow in the melange .  Take coconut cream and dilute it to a considerable consistency , add it to the dish and let it simmer. When its thicker and boiling, add the paneer and stir for about 5-7 min. Just before taking it off the stove, add some curd and stir well.

4. Better Oats in Life:

Instead of just oats and milk, try adding bananas and some cut fruits in tin , also berries in syrup. Its really good, both like dinner and a dessert.

Tada !!!!!