A 'Whale' of a time

I came across this news yesterday. The story proved to be a touching one on hearing about the sensitivity of the Whale in coming to the rescue of a drowning diver.

Mammals/animals can indeed surprise humans with their gestures. One would have heard numerous instances of a dog rescuing an eight year old or cats proving to be a source of comfort. Even monkeys for that matter extending their warmth. Whoever said creatures don’t have a heart? Such incidents like these only prove them wrong.

It’s sad that such species are hunted and are on the verge of becoming extinct slowly. If only one would take efforts to preserve them as they truly deserve to be, the gratitude factor is sure to be met. Kudos to the fauna kingdom and the marine mammal.

http://current.com/items/90556255_whale-saves-drowning-diver.htm

The Book Launch

It isn’t everyday that one would even think about stepping out of the world of words to meet the creator of the same in the real one. While reading a book, one tends to get lost in the characters and events of the literary piece to an extent that the author’s name remains a hazy spell. One would occasionally make up an image of the writer based on his/her writings and forget to place a face to the name.

Yesterday was one such occasion to get the pleasure of meeting a debut author of the newly released fiction ‘The Wish Make’r- Ali Sethi along with a renowned writer and winner of the Crossword-Vodafone award-Amitav Ghosh. The former was apparently a student of the later in Harvard. The event started off with a welcome speech and the excerpts reading from the book by the Author. An interview commenced after that where Ali Sethi shared his experiences during the process of creating this piece of literary fiction. Questions posed by the audience were graciously obliged with the conversation steering into the political front of Pakistan and its turbulent conditions. However it ended on a lighter vein as Ali Sethi showcased his inherent talent of being a soulful singer which was met with an appreciative round of applause.

Buying a copy of The Glass Palace and The Wish Maker, I was more than thrilled to have gotten it signed by the respective authors. Ali Sethi’s novel seemed to indicate a Psychological angle to it as described by him during his speech. Complying with my area of interest I couldn’t help but pose a question to him about the possibility of getting back to the real world after getting away from it into another world of Bollywood films-an area which is prominent in his book apparently. He smiled and replied that the answer lay in his piece of work. “Is it about wishful thinking” I asked immediately, little realizing that I hit the nail on the head. Ali Sethi’s reply with gusto confirmed my thoughts which were heading in the right direction as I returned home happily with a copy more than eager to start reading it.

It was overall a wonderful experience meeting two authors and hearing their accounts of varied genre. It proved to be an enthralling and an enjoyable evening altogether. This was the first launch which compelled me to purchase a copy of a newly released book.

Mistaken Personality

Ever seen a quiet person huddled in a corner in a social set up observing the scenario around him/her in an intent manner? Or ever come across a friend/family member who prefers to get subsumed in the literary world or their thoughts?

Such are the kind of people others always seem to find weird, eccentric or lost in their own world. Sometimes the same are mistaken to be as ones who are arrogant or aloof. Parents/friends/relatives are found to always want to bring such people out of their 'shell' and be a people's person. Anxiety levels result in despair where one starts to believe if something is wrong with such people who Psychologists term as introverts.

Introverts are those who prefer to spend a lot of times by themselves rather than others. They seem to want more space than others' to channelize their energies into something more intellectually stimulating. It’s sad to see others labelling them as someone who needs to 'get a life' or ridiculing them for not being outgoing. It’s essential to realize that one should accept people for whom they are and not force them to change unless they are seeking a change. Below lies an interesting article and a thought provoking one which stresses on caring for an introvert.
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200303/rauch

The truth about Cats and Dogs

It’s an irony to note that how certain living beings possess the inability to speak our language and yet do wonders without actually speaking. It’s certainly true in the case of pets be it cats or dogs.

Stress, loneliness and depression are no strangers to the human body and mind. Busy lifestyles of people have made it quite difficult for them to give time to themselves leave alone to others. The concept of a ‘friend in need’ gradually diminishes with this lapse in the time factor. And those possessing a large circle may not always be blessed with a non judgemental stance even while talking about a problem.

Such instances make humans drawn towards their furry companions who love them unconditionally and are great listeners. They show their understanding in their own way like a soft touch or a friendly lick. It may surprise one to note how much better they feel after this and works even better than an anti depressant drug or a visit to a shrink.

While it may not always be feasible to possess a pet, research has proved wonders in enabling a strong correlation between animals and stress relief. A phenomenon that most animal lovers or pet owners will identify with in a ‘purrrrr’fect manner!!

The link as given below:

http://stress.about.com/od/lowstresslifestyle/a/petsandstress.htm

Stressing on exercise to combat stress

Fitness has become a rage across the globe accompanied by 'feel good' factor which has undoubtedly become a fad amongst varied age groups. Adolescents are anxious about fitting into their jeans, young adults about not wanting to gain that extra inch around their waist line, men wanting a la Arnold body and the older set of individuals combating ailments like cholesterol and diabetes.


It’s proved innumerable times that workouts apart from enhancing one’s physical appearance also improve mental health to a great extent. Stress has indeed become an everyday monster infiltrating into our regular regimes. The increasing levels of which results in several complicated disorders such as anxiety, depression and hyperactivity. While meeting personal and professional demands, it’s important to make a little time for yourself and get a little exercise.


Else life becomes an irony where slogging away even one's health for money will end up in utilising the same cash flow into medical expenses for not having taken care of your health. After all ' the saying health is wealth' isn’t coined for nothing.

The link below suggests how Exercise combats stress.

http://www.ottawa-psychologist.net/documents/drevafisherapaexercisefruelsthebrainoctober2005.pdf

Reminiscing Kargil War after 10 years

-By Swetha Amit
http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx?PageID=d23a82d1-615a-4c8a-a768-47538bd5db57

July 4th may mark the Independence Day of the United States of America and a long weekend for both the Americans as well as the Indians residing there. However it gives us Indians here a reason to cheer as well with immense pride and gusto as this day embarks a moment of the mother of all battles. Conquering Tiger Hill was no piece of cake for our valiant soldiers as they fought with resilience and fervour at a position which was at a disadvantage.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/10-years-of-kargil-heroes-recall-the-war/96326-3.html

Unfavourable weather conditions, surrounded by the enemy on all 3 sides and wounded severely, our Indian army indeed proved their grit and valour. July 4th 1999 indeed is a date that deserves to be imprinted in the history books and minds of every Indian as this war is the embodiment of the subcontinents' victory of the Kargil War.

While one holds their heads in pride on hearing of such escapades in the violent battle, it is sad to also realize that the army probably do not get their deserved due. Heroes are idol worshipped in many parts of the country for their stunts on screen, while the real ones off screen hardly get coverage. At times indifference is exhibited towards the same stating that it probably doesn’t affect people the way it ought to have. While a gay right is made a hue and cry about, shouldn’t such news also get their share of coverage?

We feel secure and safe in our cosy warm homes due to a section of individuals who sacrifice their lives for our country. It’s something that one takes for granted but sad that appreciation is found to be absent towards the same. Terrorism proves to be yet another thing altogether as one mentions security. However not so long ago, 26/11 again proves to be a moment of glory on hearing of how our NSG commandos fought the infiltrators with sheer courage. Yet it was an almost in ruins bus that they were escorted in while the stars of the glamour world are done so in the lap of luxurious cars.

Unfortunately the truth is stark and blatant raising pertinent questions in every patriotic person’s mind- Does the army get what it deserves? The answer probably lies in the reason where fewer individuals even consider joining the security forces.

In the meantime, it’s a moment to reminisce with great joy and pride as one says JAI HIND!!

Written for www.msn.co.in