Friday, 19 September 2008

Tasha and her friends at another of the legendary parties at our home



My Tasha's parties at our home have become legendary. This was a for-the fun-of-it gettogether in April and 75 teens arrived for lamb curry etc etc. Believe it or not, usually we have 200 teens in our home but this was a day of heavy rains and was an indoor party and we needed it 'small'! J and I are always ready to host these events and that is why we have become a bit of a 'celeb' parent duo; the kids love coming! Let's face it, they need to go somewhere, after all, and these days young people get so much abuse from society as people have lost faith in them totally. I absolutely love them and working with teenagers, to me, is my niche. God put me there!

Thursday, 18 September 2008

My daughter Tasha



Tasha and friend Jenny

Tash



Natasha, my older girl at her Easter party at home.

Tuesday, 16 September 2008

17 Sept to ABji

One singular individual that took that walk and changed the world. If all of us decided to be that one individual, the world would change !!'

So true indeed! And I agree with you that every one of us has the ability to make a difference...why don't we TODAY do a Pass It On? Thant means each person will do one good act for someone else...and tell them to pass it on..so that person will do something nice for someone else..and so on. Remind them to say the words, 'Pass it on'. While we may not see the difference it makes, it surely will. That is the Domino Effect!

I thought of this before the movie came out by the same name. It all happened around 17 years ago when I crashed into a parked car and the owner came out to see her car in a 'written off' state. Yet, despite the fact she was at work and could not even get home that day, she turned to me with a comforting smile and said, 'the important thing is, 'are you okay?' I was so relieved with her reaction and in my own heightened sense of upset and shock, I made the decision I would pass on a similar reaction in similar situations.

Oh, the opportunity came several times. I have had cars bump into the side, reverse into me, knock mirror off etc over the years and even when Tanya and I were in a major accident on a dual carriageway owing to the fault of the other driver, despite cuts and bruises and a written-off car, I hugged the other driver and said, 'the important thing is 'you are okay?'

I hope I pass this onto the thousands who read this today.

And ABji, I love the fact you have us as your extended family and you are the Head. We hope anytime we say to you when (not if) we meet you that we are your blogging family, we get a precious moment of your time and a warm handshake.

Can we shake on that?

Reshmi

Monday, 15 September 2008

Hilarious YouTube video on Onam Festival of Kerala. A Must Watch!

This is what Onam is all about, courtesy of www.malayalifestivals.com

Enjoy the video made by an American Malayalee by clicking on it!(Mallus for short:people of Kerala!)



Onam is one of the most significant harvest festivals of Kerala and is an attraction for thousands of people outside and within the state. All the activities during this season are centred on worshipping, music, dance, sports, boat races and good food. This festival is celebrated in the Malayalam month Chingam (ending of August and beginning of September). Onam is a harvest festival and celebrates the reward of nature after a year of hard work. The merry making of the festival includes an elaborate procession of Trichur and amusing boat races on River Pampa. Women dress up
in heavy jewellery and new saris and make complex and detailed designs of “rangolis” and “pookkalam”(with flowers) in front of their homes.

Onam is celebrated in the memory of King Mahabali. It was said that King Mahabali ruled Kerala a long time ago and looked after the welfare of the people. Thus Onam shows the blissful rule of the King and the freedom, which the people enjoyed under his rule. The people also believe that during Onam, the King returns to Kerala to pay a visit to his people.

The people in Kerala arrange for this festival by cleaning up their houses and decorating them. On the occasion of Onam, everybody in the family wears new clothes. Delicious sweets and dishes are prepared and served on the banana leaves. “Pookalam” a flower mat is visible outside every house. This mat is a symbol of welcoming King Mahabali. On the eve of Onam, traditional rituals are performed and the people celebrate the occasion with a grand feast. “Payasam” a sweet and tempting porridge is one of the favorite dessert served on the eve of Onam.

“Vallamkali” or a great boat race is an attractive feature of this festival. In this game hundreds of men row the boats to the beat of drums and cymbals. An interesting thing to note is that above each boat there is a scarlet silk umbrella and gold coins are hung from the umbrella. This event is extremely popular with various boats competing with each other in order to win the race.

Onam is celebrated not only by Hindus but also by Christians and Muslims. It is one such festival that unites all the people regardless of race and religion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvWWX_0I3zQ

Friday, 22 August 2008

Colin and I



Colin put me up for this! He's so funny that I think it is a shame that 'fame' passed him by! He makes me roar!

Wednesday, 20 August 2008

Richard Fleeshman and Tanya



Tanya with Richard Fleeshman and his girl friend. Richard's mother, a former Brookside actress introduced her talented actor/singer son!

My Tanya with a Spice Girl!!!!!



Lovely Mel C aka Sporty Spice with my 12 year old! Mel's mum sang a solo as well, a very talented woman.

Me with the Boardmans



This is at the after-show party for Rhys Jones charity fundraiser after Stan brought the house (all 9000) down!

My friends and I



Me, Viv, Sheila, Andrea and Eileen outside the Echo Arena on the docks!!!

Tuesday, 19 August 2008

Me in South Africa



This was taken at a family wedding in Johannesburg around three years ago!

I am just playing around with uploading images!

Me on YouTube



This is me on YouTube watching a South Indian cinematic troupe performing in the UK! Possibly around 3 years ago!

Friday, 15 August 2008

Abhinav Bindra Wins Gold For India

Hugely proud moment for all of us, Abhinav (AB)! I would have wept on seeing my country's flag go up as the national anthem played but by jove...you have masked your emotions well.

Well done. Amitabh Bachchan (the other iconic Indian AB) posted on his blog how proud he feels!

In response to AB's tribute to his mother

My response number 38

A sense of disquiet prevailed. I thought ‘this is that moment of all moments when silence is golden, when that itself speaks volumes.’

Now the moment…. after several hours on reading the blog, after a sleep that took a long time in coming, after a phone call to my own mother….. has come to break the silence and to tell you that it meant a lot, a great deal indeed.

Every community has a handful of individuals who stand apart from the rest..ordinary individuals they may be but they move on that little notch extra to be that little extraordinary!

Your mother was one such success story! Away from the limelight she ’saw and appreciated the finer qualities of life,’ the ever optimist’, ‘the aesthete, ‘the lover of nature,’ the dancer, the epitome of motherhood despite not growing up with one!, the brightness in a dark room, the strength in adversity, the exuberance in celebration,the believer in faith, the stubbornness in the given word, the honour in equality, the giver of life in any situation. The teacher of integrity and morals. The fighter.

She had the thirst to learn things anew and then to teach it to her sons.

Amitji, your ode, elegy, eulogy, tribute and acclamation to your mum beats any other legacy a son could leave for his mother to posterity.

I am unsure if there is another I would read in my lifetime that beats this tribute.

I salute you, sir!

Do rest after your closure in the US of A today. And welcome to my adopted country!

Humbly may I leave you today with the words ‘Vande Madaram’ and ponder pensively in solitude about women extraordinaire, my mother included!

Reshmi

Friday, 28 March 2008

Hello everyone

This is my first blog this new year. I cannot say why I have not been as it is personal. But it is good to be back.

Life is good, things are pretty settled at work and am enjoying it. Two new babies expected in my family this year and another wedding. Very exciting indeed.

At the moment am in the middle of something. Will tell you more about it in due course..not to wait as long as before, I promise.

Am loving escrabble at the moment. So passionate about it that I was up till 4.30 am playing with people all over the world including the creator. He's speaking at a conference in Toronto and I hope he accepts my invitation to come and stay with us..and speak at my school to the Business Studies group. He's only as old as my son and from my country so I feel a mother's pride when I speak to him.

Will keep you posted with more news.

Friday, 21 December 2007

Updates on the past and present ...and a Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!

Finally I can breathe a sigh of relief! Two weeks off work and I can relax! Woke up early and finished off all the laundry and the cooking for the day so I can take the girls shopping to our nearest city centre. Only 6.30 am now so it is a pretty good start so here I am sitting at my blogs with a cuppa and toast!

What a few busy weeks these were and so I posted jokes to give my readers something to go by. Tash is now a black belt in martial arts. She had 4 gruelling hours at the Town Hall before she was awarded the belt. We loved her solo demo and also her speech was easily the best (J said she gets that from me, aaaah!) of the ten. Her best friends were there to support her and then they came back for a sleepover and tiger prawns and lamb that J made. It was an emotional moment for the six friends when Tash gave them a red rose for being there for her. The culmination of three years of hard work. She is very proud of her muscles and the fact she can do 150 push ups without a break (I am lucky if I manage 2). But being at university may hinder her going for the second and third dan! Time will tell!

Tanya's birthday has come and gone and her party for 45 has been deferred to January. But she had the best time with an outing with her family as well as her close friends' sleepover.

Tom arrives today to spend both Christmas and New Year with the family! He is so looking forward to the break.

I have the rather unenviable job of being the mistress of ceremonies at our church Ecumenical end of December. Four of the Malayalee churches in the area will come together and present their Christmas carols and nativity play and the bishop's speech for around 4 to 5 hours. My church has 'kindly' put me in as the anchor with the words 'make us proud' not putting me under any pressure..not at all! Actually I am always ready for excitement in my life so am looking forward to it.

Two weeks ago was my best friend's husband's 70th. That sounds old except if you see Viv and Stan..they look younger than me! And I am the same age as their twins! It was a gala event and was a surprise for the birthday boy organised by Viv and the children Paul and Andrea at their friend's golf country club! All their parties are exceptional (they hold a few each year) but this was easily the best. Since Stan is in the public eye, he usually has a few celebrities, past and current, at these events. This time there were TV stars, football legends like Ron Atkinson and even singing legends like Mike McCartney (brother of Beatles' Paul) from the Scaffolds, Clive Abbot (the Black Abbots), the Four Tunes (60s fame), Paul McCoy a winner of Stars In their Eyes 10 years ago and above all Gerry Marsden from Gerry and the Pacemakers (the man behind some of the most famous songs from Britain 'Ferry across the Mersey' and 'You'll never walk alone'. Check out on YouTube, you'll have tears when you watch the Liverpool fans singing this at Anfield! It's entitled 'the greatest YNWA ever'!). I have heard them sing on a few occasions but they still have me overwhelmed and in tears each time.

Stan, although famed for his comedy not singing, has brought his second novelty song out which is currently being played on the radio called 'the Bin Bag Song'. His last one called 'Stan's World Cup Song' was a huge success and was number one in the charts in a few countries. The kids and I were in the music video and watched ourselves on MTV! (Check on YouTube someone's homemade video of the song). Check out both his songs by listening to the preview and see his gallery of photos of the hey days on www.stanboardman.co.uk. You can even download his funny songs or buy them on CD. Go for it. It lights up my day when I listen to him in my car! Our claim to fame is that Tasha designed his red World Cup Tshirt that sold well, you can see a revised version on the picture on the Download page of his website where it says 'Visit Stan's shop'.

The talent is there with their kids also in the media, Paul a sports presenter on Sky and Andrea an ex-children's TV presenter. Their improvised comedy routine on the night made both mum and dad very proud!!! and us too! Despite their busy lives, Viv came yesterday with a very generous Christmas gift for us! Life with my closest friends is never boring or tame! And I consider myself very lucky to have met Viv at a computer class 15 years ago where we both were getting ourselves into the modern world of PCs and log-ins!

Christmas spirit is well and truly here now...our tree, lights and decorations did go up over a week ago, close friends coming over to see us tomorrow (can't wait), Christmas day with other close friends and today there will be presents under the tree. New Year's will be with other friends visiting and then it will all be over...sigh! At least we will be back at the grind refreshed and recharged. It is very cold now but that is in itself exciting. I love the wintry days of this most exciting time of the year!

Keep reading! and here's to wishing all my readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New year!

LOL, people, it is Christmas after all

The couple were 85 years old, and had been married for sixty years. Though they were far from rich, they managed to get by because they watched their pennies.

Though not young, they were both in very good health, largely due to the wife's insistence on healthy foods and exercise for the last three decades.

One day, their good health didn't help when they went on a rare vacation and their plane crashed, sending them off to Heaven .....

They reached the Pearly Gates, and St. Peter duly escorted them inside. He took them to a beautiful mansion, furnished in gold and fine silks, with a fully stocked kitchen and bar and a waterfall in the master bath. A maid could be seen hanging their favourite clothes in the closet.

They gasped in astonishment when he said, "Welcome to Heaven. This will be your home now."

The old man asked Peter how much all this was going to cost. "Why, nothing," Peter replied, "remember, this is your Reward in Heaven."

The old man looked out the window and right there he saw a championship golf course, finer and more beautiful than any ever-built on Earth.

"What are the green's fees?", grumbled the old man.

"This is Heaven," St. Peter replied. "You can play for free, every day."

Next they went to the clubhouse and saw the lavish buffet lunch, with every imaginable cuisine laid out before them, from seafood to steaks to exotic salads and desserts and free flowing beverages.

"Don't even ask," said St. Peter to the man. "This is Heaven, it is all free for you to enjoy."

The old man looked around and glanced nervously at his wife.

"Well, where are the low fat and low cholesterol foods, and the diet colas and decaffeinated tea and coffee?" he asked.

"That's the best part," St. Peter replied. "You can eat and drink as much as you like of whatever you like, and you will never get fat or sick. This is Heaven!"

The old man pushed, "No gym to work out at?"

"Not unless you want to," was the answer.

"No testing my sugar or blood pressure or ..."

"Never again. All you do here is enjoy yourself."

The old man glared at his wife and said, "You and your stupid bran muffins. We could have been here thirty years ago!"

Wednesday, 19 December 2007

Jokes to keep you going till it's time for that Friday Feeling

A woman goes to the post office to buy stamps for her
Christmas cards. She says to the clerk, "May I have 100
Christmas stamps?"

The clerk says, "What denominations?"

The woman says, "God help us. Has it come to this? Give me
28 Catholic, 22 Presbyterian, 10 Lutheran, 22 Baptists and
18 Atheists."

--------------------------------------------------------------------

The recently married young woman was weeping and pouring
out her heart and troubles to the church's appointed
marriage counselor.

"Isn't there some way, without turning into a nag, that I
can keep my husband in line?"

The counselor scowled. "Well young lady," he said, "maybe
that's the problem, Your husband shouldn't have to wait in
line."
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Vegetarian - Indian word for bad hunter

--------------------------------------------------------------------
"I write down everything I want to remember. That way,
instead of spending a lot of time trying to remember what
it is I wrote down, I spend the time looking for the paper
I wrote it down on." -Beryl Pfizer, American journalist
--------------------------------------------------------------------
A policeman arrives at the scene of an accident, in which a
car smashed into a tree. The officer rushes over to the
vehicle and asks the driver, "Are you seriously hurt?"

"How do I know?" the driver responds. "I'm not a lawyer."
--------------------------------------------------------------------
"I don't mind coming to work,

But that eight hour wait to go home is a bit much."
--------------------------------------------------------------------
"I get those maternal feelings sometimes, like when I'm
lying on the couch and can't reach the remote, I think,
'Boy, a kid would be nice right now.'" --Kathleen Madigan
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Wife to Norm: "What's your excuse for coming home at this
time of the night?"

Norm to wife: "Golfing with friends, my dear."

Wife to Norm: "What? At 2 a.m?!"

Norm to wife: "Yes. We used night clubs."
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Q. What's the main difference between a woman and a dog?

A. The later you are, the more excited the dog is to see
you
--------------------------------------------------------------------

A doctor examining a woman who had been rushed to the
Emergency Room, took the husband aside, and said, "I don't
like the looks of your wife at all."

"Me neither doc," said the husband. "But she's a great cook
and really good with the kids".
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Two campers are walking through the woods when a huge brown
bear suddenly appears in the clearing about 50 feet in
front of them. The bear sees the campers and begins to head
toward them. The first guys drops his backpack, digs out a
pair of sneakers, and frantically begins to put them on.
The second guys says, "What are you doing? Sneakers won't
help you outrun that bear." "I don't need to outrun the
bear," the first guy says. "I just need to outrun you."
------------------------------------------------------------------
A guy shows up late for work. The boss yells "You should
have been here at 8:30!" he replies: "Why? What happened at
8:30?"

Sunday, 16 December 2007

Look what you can discover when you have talent and time!

PRINCESS DIANA
When you rearrange the letters:
END IS A CAR SPIN

MONICA LEWINSKY
When you rearrange the letters:
NICE SILKY WOMAN

ASTRONOMER:
When you rearrange the letters:
MOON STARER

DESPERATION:
When you rearrange the letters:
A ROPE ENDS IT

THE EYES:
When you rearrange the letters:
THEY SEE

GEORGE BUSH:
When you rearrange the letters:
HE BUGS GORE

THE MORSE CODE
When you rearrange the letters:
HERE COME DOTS

SLOT MACHINES:
When you rearrange the letters:
CASH LOST IN ME

ELECTION RESULTS:
When you rearrange the letters:
LIES - LET'S RECOUNT

SNOOZE ALARMS:
When you rearrange the letters:
ALAS! NO MORE Z 'S

A DECIMAL POINT:
When you rearrange the letters:
IM A DOT IN PLACE

THE EARTHQUAKES:
When you rearrange the letters:
THAT QUEER SHAKE

ELEVEN PLUS TWO:
When you rearrange the letters:
TWELVE PLUS ONE

AND FOR THE GRAND FINALE:
MOTHER-IN-LAW:
When you rearrange the letters:
WOMAN HITLER

My choice of 'quotes' of the day that I believe in and hope you do too!

"You only lose energy when life becomes dull in your mind. Your mind gets bored and therefore tired of doing nothing. Get interested in something! Get absolutely enthralled in something! Get out of yourself! Be somebody! Do something! The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have."
Norman Vincent Peale
1898-1993, Pastor, Speaker and Author

"The man or woman who treasures his friends is usually solid gold himself."
Marjorie Holmes
Author

"A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him."
Sidney Greenberg