Caught my attention

“On July 30, India will make its biggest noise against the global killer HIV/AIDS.

In a unique effort to spread AIDS awareness, the ministry of health has asked all citizens of Andhra Pradesh to make as much noise as possible, as a way to announce their fight against AIDS.

Drivers have been asked to blow their horns, housewives will rattle their utensils, police officials and ministers will blow their sirens, cyclists will ring their bells and curious onlookers will scream, moments after Andhra Chief Minister Y.S. R Reddy reads out a public pledge to fight the disease at a sports stadium in Hyderabad. The pledge will be taken by and in front of over 3,500 VVIPs and who’s who of Hyderabad.

Over 500 street plays will be performed and 500 condom machines will also be installed and inaugurated on the same day.

Condom blowing and tearing competitions will also be held.
Four renowned filmstars of the South will flag off four rallies. The rallies will culminate at the stadium where the public pledge will be read out exactly at 12 noon. It will be broadcast live on the national television. This will be by far India’s biggest and loudest public campaign against AIDS.” - TOI

And here I would like to share the punch lines of a small film where my friend’s sister has worked on. The concept is simple and very beautiful made with young adults as the target audience. The shots are straight forward with light music on the background. The theme-“Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS”

I am just a normal girl,
I help my mother,
I love watching the T.V with my family,
I love surfing the net,
I dance alone…..Sometimes,
I love to read
…and I am aware about AIDS.

I am concerned
I am aware
I am safe.

Then she says it in her own voice, ” I am also an AIDS activist. Be concerned. Join the campaign “

Let’s share the issue
&
Feel the change.

SASO world AIDS campaign, 2004.

Non-Harrypotterian, Nonhairypotty, hairypotty, potty

A day before the latest volume was released, my friend asked me to accompany him and grab the book the next day. I am a Non-Harrypotterian and was like eeks! Old man, what are you going to do reading that spectacled lad? Don’t you have better things to do like taking me out for a movie, buying me a dress but his enthusiasm appalled me. Next day we grabbed the book and he was busy making all kinds of calls long distance, short distance, no distance (I mean calling me to stand by his side as he paid) announcing his purchase as though he was announcing to the world that he is dating Yana minus Gupta. (He is waiting for Yana to ditch Aftaab and vice-versa)

I went back thinking what will happen to the world and a good samaritan like me should do something about it. But the next day, I see my colleagues talking about it, friends and even foes know about it. They are like please don’t tell me which character dies. So sad and all that stuff. Finally I realised, I am the odd man out for being Harry Potter illiterate.
Something must be there in this lad. Am I realising 6 volumes too late? So, I am doing some disaster recovery by watching the movies and reading up the rest.

After a few weeks, let’s talk Hairy oops Harry Ponting.

The weekend

Legends of rock, peanut masala, fish finger, music, wine, dine, Shoppers’ Stop, Jute bag, Skirts, tops, Fabmall, coke, chicken tikka biryani, French fries, baby food, Formula milk Powder, orphanage, baby smell, baby cries. Lovely names- Neela, Brinda, Ishani, Aryamaan. Hesitant steps, slow smiles, then sweet little hugs, easy laughters.

Aryamman pissed on my friend. Yeah baby! I kissed him for that. Decide what to carry along next time- diapers along with baby food. Yes, I agree having a child sleep in your arms must be one of the most peaceful feelings. ATM, rain, fruit juice, The Last Song of Dusk.

Quite Sunday, The last song of dusk. Raindrops, some soul searching, re-aligned my thoughts.

Sang loudly, soulfully- Lagja Gale…,

Yahi wo Jagah hain, yahi wo fizaayein, yahi par kabhie aap humse mille the...

Sweet Child

She is the darling of the place. All of 2 years and 9 months old. She knows she is going to be adopted and is looking forward to it, to have parents and siblings to call her own.

If you ask her who her mom is, she replies intelligently according to who is around. If the aaya is there, she takes her name. If the founder is there, it’s the founder and if her foster parents are around, it’s her.

I hope to meet this gem. Please wish me luck. While chasing a dream, while contemplating my career, next jump, next hike, I may forget to enjoy the simple pleasures of life as one thing is sure, I am never going to earn enough to feel like giving to charity. Some friends had been to a children’s cancer hospital from the convent. I didn’t. I did’t want to come back thinking some them would die. I am not that strong yet. Perhaps, there will never be an Arunima Charitable Trust. There is an Arunima Education Foundation and it’s not mine (sigh!!) Perhaps, I’ll die a mediocre. I want to do it with passion. Perhaps, some of you are into it and don’t write about it. I am writing it because I want to. I am promising myself.

A year back Paddu and me had made some phone calls and enquiries. We were met with cold shoulders. Some of them said that the children won’t appreciate people coming once in a blue moon. We respected that too as our priorities were different too. We were busy dating guys. She is engaged now. ( her caller tune sings the gayatri mantra. It used to sing “tu tu hain wahi…” :-) ) I have met enough guys who’ve tried to impress me. Yes, I have found some well meaning friends too.

I wish to be amidst some beautiful minds who woudn’t try to impress but inspire me to be a better person because I believe, "if you inspire, you will impress."

I need to be there for my own happiness.

It's been a while...

It’s been a while that I F@#$ up with my life. So, I just did that.

There comes a rare moment in time when you are given a chance to right the wrong, to change what you destroyed in unthinking rage. I was given that chance and I threw it all away.

It’s been a while…

Mirage

”There is a seductive shimmer on the horizon of life.Within it lies the promise of love, the joy of fulfillment, and the tranquility of peace. Approach it with great care, for it is as fragile as a mirage” ~ Layla K

In the lines of ‘Sleeping with the enemy’, ‘Not without my daughter’, ‘escape from Taliban’ etc. Mirage by Soheir Khashoggi deals with the struggle and courage of a woman against the middle east aristocracy. It is lively, provocative at times and offers a glamorous, exotic setting with a fast moving plot.

I quote a few lines which gave me goose bumps:

“Slipping her hand into his, she held it tight. He was whispering something, and as she strained to hear she realized it was a prayer. An official read a declaration of the crime and sentence. Then, at some signal Amira missed, Laila’s eldest brother stepped forward, a fist sized stone in his hand only a few feet from his sister, he suddenly hurled the rock with all his might straight at her forehead. This image burned itself into Amira’s brain. Did he throw with such strength out of hatred, for some shame Laila had brought her family or out of love, to kill her instantly and spare her what was to follow?”

Jenny

Gentlewomen and gentlemen, please welcome the bride-to-be, J D'Souza

I have plans to overtake her. Yes, I have plans for getting married without an engagement. My only question at the moment and a very big one at that is with whom?
Figuring that out might take me 2 yrs. So, for the next two years whenever I talk about friends' marriage, please don't ask me when I am getting married?( please note it down)

Dear J,

I am scared the year will come to an end, I am scared a new year will come and I'll lose you but I also wait eagerly for the day when you will wear your wedding gown and walk down the aisle. With love in your eyes, you will exchange your vows. I will stand and exclaim, how lucky he is!

May all good things in life be yours!!

Faith

A few days back, I heard this news about an ex colleague and it left me thinking that God, in all His greatness has got a good sense of humour. He was in the marketing team and was staying with his younger brother who was a BPO employee. He lost his brother in an accident and his father succumbed to his illness after three days. Now, my colleague has gone back to his town in Orissa as he is the only man in the family to stand by his mom and sis and to look after their family business leaving his career in Bangalore forever.

The same day, as I was going back from work I saw a couple doing puja with a Pandit in front of a car showroom for their new “Swift”. It was kind of touching to see them engrossed in prayer. Our faith remains unshaken whatever happens!!

I had retired for the day when a friend called me up at midnight enthusiastically, to announce that he has grabbed some kick-ass deals and some biggies are interested in investing on his company. The same day yet gave me another reason to rejoice, to hope and to pray but I also realized it is the human spirit that conquers all and inspite of all the trials, what is life without some extraordinary dreams!!!!