Being real is beauty

One day, we were driving through Corniche, Qatar.
Papa was driving. Cheriyachan (Papa's younger brother) was sitting in the passenger seat.
Achamma (Paternal Grandmother), Amma, my sister Anu and I were sitting in the back seat. If there is a place in Qatar which reminds me of Dubai, its Corniche and West Bay.

City lights, tall buildings, cars were all around me. Except for the annoying traffic, it was not bad at all.
I did quite enjoy it. Lost in my own thoughts, I stared out the window. That's when Cheriyachan commented, "Wow", looking at something outside the window. And of course, as a reflex, our heads turned to the right side.. And believe me, I was awestruck.
It reminded of something my teacher said in Malayalam class : When the background is dull, the picture seems brighter. The moon shone bright in the dark night sky. The moonlight reflected on the water and that was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Seeing the reflection dance on the water ripples was indeed a feast to our eyes.

What fascinated me was the fact that, even though there were a lot of tall buildings, cars, lights and everything man-made, what caught our attention was a 'natural' thing. Once we saw the moon and its reflection, we forgot about the other so-called-man-made-beautiful-things (Or should I say the fake things?). Everyone does appreciate the beauty of nature. And yet, people are doing everything possible to exploit the nature. Wow.. The irony!

The world is filled with 'fake' things. So, when we see something pure and natural, we are just drawn towards it. We can't help it. Because, we are always attracted to those things that are rare.
Its more like the case of people these days. If there are 7 billion people, there are 14 billion faces.
What people act like in front of us are not who they really are. Some just pretends to be our friends. They are just fake. Outside and inside. So, when we see someone who is actually pure at heart, we feel a special kind of attachment towards them and the need to know them more.

Every small thing about the nature is so beautiful that we can never get enough of it. Each time I see the moon or a even a butterfly I get mesmerized by it all over again! Similarly, the people who are not fake and not two-faced are the most beautiful people born. They are true to themselves and to us. They never change so that everyone will love them. They just be themselves so that the right persons will love them.

I guess that's something we all should learn from nature. We should just be natural and true to ourselves. Never be fake because that ain't attractive. Be real. Be different. Be you.
Smile 'cause that the best make up anyone could wear. Its natural. Its beautiful.



Love,
Malavika.

Somethings I left out to say

This post is not about any social issues or any 'Revolutionary Ideas of a Stupid Teenage Girl'. It's a bit more personal this time. Lots of things has happened in this mess called 'Life' and I haven't mentioned them here.
So, this post is about everything I missed out. I'm not really good at writing down personal stuffs, if you haven't noticed. So read at your own risk.

A life changing incident happened. I moved out of Dubai to Qatar.
I had to leave my friends, school, teachers, the beautiful city...
All this happened two months ago. But I never felt like writing about it. Maybe because it brought back a lot of memories which still makes me regret coming here.

 27.06.2013, Thursday, my last day in OOIS. It was an unforgettable day! Also because, it was Talent Day, we all had loads of fun! Dance, Music, Mime.. you name it! By the end of the day, horror slapped me on my face when I realized that those moments were my last moments in OOIS. I might never be a student here again. It was my last my day with my friends at school living our life without any worries!
The day before 27th, my classmates along with my other friends organized a surprise party for me.. at school! It was awesome! After P.E. class when I reached class, everyone started hooting and clapping for some reason I don't know. But who cares?! I joined them. That's when I looked around the class and saw everyone standing around me with balloons. There was a Cake on the table.

Then everything happened in a rush.In the next 5 minutes, all balloons were burst. Cake was over with more than half of it on my face and hair.

Guys, I know that you are reading this. I just want to thank you all for being there for me during everything. Whether it was bad or good, I knew I could always rely on you. Even during my first day at my new school, you all mailed me wishing me luck and reminding me that you will always be there for me, no matter what.

Those idiots I call best friends, made this for me! Aren't they the best?

Thank you for everything! For changing that timid girl into the owner for this blog. For making me confident and giving me support every time when I went on stage for any school program. For being the shoulder I could cry on and the hand that would wipe away my tears. For laughing along with me after every lame joke we cracked. For gifting me those unforgettable memories. For just being yourselves and caring for me. I could write a whole book of reasons for why I miss you all so much and why I can never forget you! Only you people have seen the most craziest, happiest, sad and stubbornest and maddest version of me.

We've known each other for more than 5 years. It's such an ill-fortune that our ways have separated. But, don't worry. It's not the end of the world. So, we will meet again one day. And that one day, we will laugh thinking about those stupid fights and tears and memories.
Aren't you looking forward for it? Because I know I am!
 

Kargil War

Dear Indian Readers,

Do you know what day it is today? Obviously, it's 26th of July 2013. But do you know what's special on this day? Today is 14th anniversary of the Kargil War.

"Kargil War? I haven't heard of that.", For those of you who thought this, here is some information.
Kargil War was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place in 1999 between the months of May and July. It took place in Kargil district of Kashmir. Quoting Wikipedia, " The cause of the war was the infiltration of Pakistani soldiers and Kashmiri militants into positions on the Indian side of the Line Of Control ( LOC,) which serves as the de facto border between the two states."

The Kargil War is also referred as the "Operation Vijay"... and that being the reason, today is called the "Vijay Divas". I saw Papa's posts on Facebook about the Vijay Divas. He went a bit nostalgic when I asked him about it. Papa was in Indian Navy and he had a memory to share about the Kargil War. He had written about it in his blog, and here is a copy-paste of it.

"

Vijay Diwas 1

Vijay Diwas

1999 June - July days.. It’s raining cats and dogs in southern parts of India… South-West monsoon lashing the Konkan shores with ferocious beating.

And in North West of India, what’s raining are shells, bullets, bombs, rockets etc.. Yes, let me invite you to one of those days of Kargil Conflict between India and Pak in 1999 May- July days.

I was in Navy, posted at Goa, Dabolim Naval Air Base called INS Hansa. All Naval Air Bases are named after some birds like Garuda in Kochi, Rajali in Arakkonam, Madras, etc. for obvious reasons. I was Chief-in-charge of the Second line maintenance Unit for the Russian made Kamov 25 Helo( Helicopter). Our job is to support the Front line Air squadrons and ship borne flights to ensure serviceability and operability of the ‘birds’.

As you know, Kargil was a ‘localized’ conflict and not a full fledged war. While Army and Air force was in the upfront, Navy’s contribution was to ensure, there were no attacks through the Arabian Sea to the western parts like Gujarat and Mumbai. For this purpose Navy had mobilized most of its fleet from western command based at Mumbai and some major destroyers from Eastern Fleet based at Vishakhapatnam. All the fighter aircraft and helos were onboard their respective ships.

With Monsoon at it’s peak, Arabian sea was at it’s roughest and sea state was generally ‘6’ ( very rough with wave height generally 4 -6 mtrs) and for a sailor, the toughest of time in the sea. Ships roll and pitch at the max amplitude causing even the toughest of the sailor to succumb to sea sickness. It’s never easy to sail at these conditions, but that’s no excuse. Captains have no options to choose from. And they don’t look for them too….

We were on alert and have to maintain all critical spares at all times and keep them ready for a short notice requirement. My men were reduced to minimum as many of them were assigned on other general duties. We were all discussing the daily happening at the front line and our blood were fuming at some of the un-soldier like activities by Pak army. Our daily meeting with the Officers in charge (OIC) turned out to be blood boosters and we were all eager to be part of the action, some how.

And there we are…., I am called upstairs to the O I C and he shows me a ‘signal’ (Signal is a Military telegram send through morse coding) from the leading destroyer ship from R class, INS Rana. It says something like this… IN 574 stbd ( right side) Landing gear brace strut Pt No….. cracked. INS Rana reaching goa port with the U/s helo at ….. . Request supports for repair and replacement.

OIC writes ‘na pls’ in the signal and hands it to me. We had around 8 hrs for the preparations till the ship to reach Goa Mormugoa port in Vasco. Rana was sailing off- Mumbai and they would rush firing in all cylinders to Goa and by then we had to prepare the substitute for the cracked brace strut which connects the wheels with shock absorber to the aircraft body.

It was not the usual what we expected. Scenario is very serious. Helo is standing on support jacks. We need to replace the brace support either inside the ship hangar or we need to lift the whole hello to the jetty, by a large crane, and try replacing the strut on the jetty. Second option is not practicable because of many reasons, like arranging and setting up crane on the jetty, dangers of jacking up the helo out doors with the windy and rainy conditions etc.

We decided to go with the first option, but it had many difficulties of it’s own. The helo hanger inside the ship is a small room, which can barely accommodate the helo. The sea state even along the jetty was not good causing ship to move, even if she is tightly moored to the bollards. And jacking up the helo to almost 1 meter to offload the wheels on a moving ship is highly risky. Jacking up the helo, onboard has never been done earlier.

To know what happened later, milthe hein break ke baad….."

Over the turn of events, Papa became busy and he never got time to complete this post. But fortunately for you, he did tell me what happened next.
The Helo was successfully repaired and the ship returned to the war front. They did this on war foot and Rana went back to guard our waters near Karachi. Later it was told that NAVY's strong presence in Arabian sea prevented an escalated war.

Papa was awarded this 'commendation' by the Commander-In-Chief during the Independence Day Parade in the year 2000.

Wow...I am so proud him *pats him on his back* !

Another memory he had to share was something that happened when I was 3 years old. So, obviously, I

don't remember it. We went and lighted candles at the War Memorial, Visakhapatnam in memory of the

War Memorial, Visakhpatnam

soldiers who died during the war. This happened in the year 2001 on the July 26th.
I'm glad I have done that and I hope I will get to do it again. 

Before ending this post, I humbly request you to close your eyes for AT LEAST 2 minutes and pray sincerely for those soldiers who are sacrificing their lives to keep us safe and sound. 

Let me remind you, 2 minutes is next to nothing.
Even a lifetime of prayers is not enough.
Are you thinking how I know this? To quote Papa,
"We are ignorant about life of soldiers. So we become apathetic about it."

Think about it and the respect will come as a reflex.

 

With utmost Love and Respect,

Malavika.

The story of the birds on my balcony

I have been thinking about writing about these birds on my balcony for a week. And today is the day when I finally put my thoughts into action.

I live in second floor of my building. There is a small balcony attached on the bedroom. To the left side of my balcony, we've kept some old cardboard pieces. One day, we started to notice a Myna coming and depositing twigs and sticks and even chocolate wrappers on top of these cardboard pieces. The climate was really hot. So, Papa suggested, "why not make a nest for the bird?". So, we put another cardboard piece and adjusted it in such a way that it made roof and a door. We also put two bowls ; one, for water and another for food grains. So in short, it was a luxurious life for a bird!

After some days, when Amma went to give the bird water, she saw 3 eggs in the nest!

And from that day onwards, everyday I used to go and check whether the eggs had hatched. And one fine day, I heard chirping!Yes, the eggs had hatched! Believe me, it wasn't a very beautiful sight. They were really small, featherless and pink. Yuck!

After the eggs had hatched, it was not very easy to go out and stand in the balcony. The Mama Myna and Papa Myna will razz and fly over our heads. It was scary. Especially how they come out of nowhere. What to say... they are very protective.

Mama Myna on duty

 After 2-3 weeks, the babies grew feathers. But something disastrous happened. One of them went missing. How that happened is still a mystery unsolved. I believe, that a crow ate it. Or else, it might have fallen off the balcony.

Some days ago, when I checked, one of the remaining two was trying to get out of their 'home'. It was as if it wanted to fly. And it looked as if it could fly. I told Amma, to take off their door, so that it can come out and fly. We took off the door. The two birds came out. One of it had injured it's leg. The other one looked perfectly fine. We left them like that and went back in.
The Myna parents came home and started razzing like crazy! I didn't know why! Was it because they wanted us to close the nest's door? I don't know. What do we do now? I don't know. We just left it like the way it is.


Next day, I was ill and couldn't go to school. Amma went with my sister, downstairs to drop her to the bus stop. Over there, she saw the injured baby myna. The mama myna and papa myna were close by. They were trying to save their baby from the hungry crow sitting nearby. Amma wanted to take the Baby myna with her to put her in the balcony again. But when she went close to it, the Mama Myna came and poked my Mom on her head and flew away! My Mom gave up soon and came back upstairs. The other Baby Myna was nowhere to be seen.

I don't know if they are alive now. I feel guilty over the whole situation. What if the birds were not ready to fly? I shouldn't have told Amma to open the door to the nest. I am calm now because I keep reminding myself that, this is how Nature works (Papa's words, by the way). Only humans question the nature. The animals and birds just accept everything the way it is.

The heart breaking part of the whole story is that, the Mama Myna still comes at times. It goes inside the nest, looks around and flies away to somewhere-I-don't-know. I wonder whether it is looking for it's kids.

End of the World or A Change in the World?

All of us, in one point of our lives, have thought about the end of the world. Am I right or Am I not wrong?
I have thought about it. Life and Death are two things that cannot be explained properly. There are many unanswerable questions under both these topics. Have you ever thought about it? Why do people die? Every second, a person is dying. Every second, a baby is born. I am not going to try to answer these questions or write philosophies or make my own theories. I saw a picture recently... well not recently... somewhere before the 21st of 2012 December. The picture you see below :

I never wanted the world to end. In spite of all the bad things in this world, I always thought that this World is a beautiful place to live in. I guess I am way too optimistic!
Let me confess, I forget to think about the people who wish that they could be in my place while I complain about how 'less' I have.
Then I think about this. It's really true... It will be better if the world ends rather than it continuing the way it is. There are a lot of terrible things happening in our world! The causes are none other than, Humans.
You see the kids in the picture...? I'm pretty sure, there will be more fruits in the shampoo of a rich man than their plates. We might cry silently in our homes thinking about these innocent kids. We might pray for them. But, is that the least you can do? No, it ain't.
There is a lot of changes that need to happen in our present world to make it a better place. There is world hunger, there are political problems, terrorism, atrocities against women... the list goes on and on.

It is a pity that our world has so many problems. The biggest problem : People's attitude towards them.
Half the world doesn't give a damn about things. The other half thinks that they can't do anything about it.
And there a few. very few, trying to bring a change. But they are not recognized in the big chaos. In fact, they are pushed away.

I can't possibly sit and type solutions for each and every problem in the entire world.
This post is just a reminder that we have the freedom to speak up. When we see something that is wrong, we have to speak and try to bring a change. It might be risky in some situations... but if you succeed, you will be the Hero.
You must have heard this : Life is short and it's all about taking risks.
So.. ready to be a Hero? Or give a Zero?

Growing Up...

Two weeks since I blogged. During these two weeks, I finished my 9th Grade and I am officially a 10th Grader now. I feel responsible, you know! It's not very likely to find a responsible Sagittarius girl. But that's what I am now. This is the first academic year that I started studying from the very first week. And this, makes me realize, I am 'growing up'. It still sounds weird to me!

Growing up is something I hate, but at the same, I love!

I miss those old days when we had nothing to worry about (Don't think too much. I am talking about simple stuffs.). Well, basically, I worry about every single thing even if I don't show it out.When we were kids, all we had to think was 'playing'! Not that I don't play nowadays... but there are other things which comes between playing and me. My childhood, I mostly spend them in India. We (my cousins and I) used to climb up trees and pretend that the trees were our homes. We used make up our own stories, enact them and record them.
- Sigh - .... If only I knew where those videos are now!!
We used to play lot many 'pretending games'. Our imaginations..! Oh... They were out this world..!!
During those days, I never thought, "Oh..what would she think if I did that?" , "Is it wrong if I do that?".
There were no "What if's " .... there were just... "Why not's ".
It reminds me of the song 'Never Grow Up' by Taylor Swift.
I still wonder why I can't stay like a kid forever... Scientifically, that's a very stupid question and I know it!

 Now you must be wondering "Then for what reason does Malavika love growing up?"

Oh! That's easy! I want to be independent.My dream is to be that girl who can stand on her own feet (do not take the literal meaning, please!). A stable job and happiness!
That's the only reason actually.

So yeah...basically I prefer to stay young as a kid!

Just another post!

Hey all..!!

No, I am not going to write about any social issues today...
It's just a school issue. A problem faced by the students! EXAMS!!!

Yeah, I couldn't blog for some days and it was because of exams. It's my final exams for 9th Grade.
First one was Maths. And it was the lengthiest Maths question paper I have ever seen in my life! Most of us couldn't complete... According to my calculations, if I see my maths teacher smiling through the school corridors, it means she hasn't started correcting our papers yet. If she is angry, that means she started correcting our papers. Till today, I always see her smiling... and that, obviously makes me smile too!

Writing the paper isn't a very BIG deal for me... But preparing for it, is. Studying for Geography is worst part in Social Studies..!! Sometimes, it makes me wish that my country wasn't that diverse (no, I don't actually mean that!) !! Sometimes, I get really tensed for some exams that I wish for weird, impossible things to happen. Like, "Oh god, I wish the earth will rotate super fast that tomorrow gets over in a minute and our exam gets cancelled!". The thing is, even if Earth does rotate super fast and one whole day is missed, our school wouldn't cancel our exams!! I know.... it's really stupid but in helpless situations, wishes become weird.
Till now, all the exams went well. Just well. I have this superstition that if I say my paper went really good, then my results will go bad... So, even if my paper went SUPER GOOD, I always say "It went okay, not bad.".

You know what? Tomorrow is the BIG day!! It's that last day of Exams!
Then, during these holidays, I will sleep and sleep a lot..! I need to compensate with all the 'waking-up-early' I did to prepare for the exams.

What young India wants

Most of you must have heard about the Indian writer, Chetan Bhagat.

' Chetan’s books have remained bestsellers since their release, and have been adapted into major Bollywood films. The New York Times called him the ‘the biggest selling English language novelist in India’s history.’ Time magazine named him in the “100 Most Influential People in the world” and Fast Company, USA listed him as one of the world’s “100 most creative people in business.” '

He has written six amazing books and I have read all of it... Well, at least most of it. My favorite ones are "Five point someone" and "Two States - The Story of my Marriage" . Currently, I'm reading his first non-fictional book, What Young Indian Wants. I thought I will share my thoughts about that book.

I bought this book on the month of September of the year 2012. But, someone who had read the book, told me that she found it boring as it wasn't fictional. It was just so many essays together in a book. That is exactly the reason why I did not read it until yesterday night. That proves that I haven't finished the book yet. But this book is going to help me in the long run, I'm sure.
I started reading this book and I just was so sunken in the book and couldn't stop reading. You see, I am that type of a person who looks for a change. And in this book, Chetan Bhagat looks at and analyses the complex issues that India is facing. Not just that, he suggests solutions.

He teaches us the true meaning of wealth. He talks about the corruption in India. We pin-point countless mistakes in our political leaders. But the irony of the situation is that, we are the ones who elected them.
Chetan Bhagat makes us realize the irony here.

"Citizens should be the strict teachers who will tell leaders they have a lot of homework to do.".

I love India. I'm proud to be an Indian. But, yes, there is still a long way to go for India to be corruption-less and better country. 'What young India wants' is a book which can motivate us for a change.
So please... All Indians out there... looking for a change...? Don't know what to do? Unsatisfied with how things are? Want to know what problems our country is facing and what we can do about it? What young India wants is the book that you have to get yourself next!

Minute by Minute...

Day by day, minute by minute, second by second, we are growing old.

Staying young forever is a dream that is impossible to become true. Of course, with regular exercising, yoga and meditation, it is possible stay young at heart.  But, not all are blessed with that. They are desolated by their own children. Once the children gets everything they need in life, their parents becomes a 'burden'.

It's just so cruel how people can leave , desert or be unwilling to take care of their own parents! After all the things your parents have done for the benefit of you, you decide to leave them... forever.
Maybe, it's the situations that makes one come up with the decision of leaving their parents in old age homes. But, still....
Old age is the second childhood. When one becomes old, he/she will need help for most of the things they do. In a stage like that, if there is no one to help, that's the biggest punishment. But why punish the innocent?

Recently, Papa told me about this old age home, Santhinikethanam.
Santhinikethanam was found by a nurse, Ms. Razia Banu on 8th May 2006. It is situated in a place called Vadakkanthara in the district of Palakkad, Kerala.
The life of Ms Razia wasn't a complete paradise but her dedication and hard work needs immense appreciation.
It's not everyday we come across people like Ms Razia. Not all of us can take the initiative to do things like this. But, it's always good if we do the very little we can. Little things add up.

Santhinikethanam is somewhere close to my home, in India. But, I never had the opportunity to visit Santhinikethanam. Every year, when Papa goes to India, he visits Santhinikethanam and pays some amount as charity. I would really appreciate it if you could spare a bit of precious time to go through the blog of Santhinikethanam.  Please do read the blog.
Our lives are so busy. We have got no time to think of how blessed we are. But after reading about the lives of Ms Razia and those ladies living in Santhinikethanam, you will learn to appreciate all those little things happening in our lives. And to thank God.

Just love and care for her...

There is only one special 'person' in this world, who gives everything she has to everyone and does not expect anything back. And she is the one who deserves all the care and love. Though, very few people love and care for her. If you think it's your Mom, you are right. But she's not only your Mom, she is our Mom. A little confused, are you? We all have a common Mom. I mean, our Mother Nature/Mother Earth.

If Earth wasn't existing, we wouldn't be existing. Nature gives us everything we need. But we still continue to kill her day by day. Look around you. Look at the pollution around you. Everyone, from a primary school student to a President of country knows, that we shouldn't cut trees, we shouldn't waste water, we should reduce the usage of plastic. Everyone knows the 3 R's. But only 3 out of 10 people practice what they preach. And their mere presence cannot change the environmental issues of this world. Think about how much Earth gives us. It's the reason why we survive. But, you are just taking advantages of it. Cutting down forests and building Malls in place of it. As if Malls can give us fresh air, water and bring rain.
I understand. Even I enjoy all this developments. But, we should learn to compensate. No, there is no blame from my side to the government. I blame those people out there, with very little minds.
Government is doing what they can (but I would appreciate if they could take more initiative), like Natural Parks, Botanical Gardens etc...

Everyday, I come across people who waste water and tear up papers and throw them away as if papers are the reason for all the problems in their life. It's pathetic..! Trees go through pain when they are being cut down. No, it ain't funny. It's true. If you don't believe me, you should research about it. You will see what I said is true. I do the little I can to not waste too much water. Some times, in the rest rooms of some malls, I see ladies, turn the water tap on and talk over the phone. Little do they realize that there will be one day in their lives when they cannot find even a drop a fresh water to drink.
I do the little I can by recycling used papers. I take the papers to my school and put them in the recycling bin we have. And my schoolmates make  funny comments on me for that. And I say in my mind, that one day they will remember me for my actions. I know that what I am doing is a good thing. So, I will just continue it.

I told Papa about this. He said environmentalists go through a lot of rejection. Society thinks environmentalists has 'lost their marbles'. But if you ask me, Society has lost their marbles.

I could write a lot more, but that would make the post boring for some. I will save all that for another post.

And remember, No body will blame you for global warming, except for your kids. At least, for your kids, do something to save our earth from danger. For the pain we put our Mother Nature into, natural disasters are nothing.

I guess your carefree attitude towards Earth changed at least after taking a look at the posters.

Stop Bullying

Bullying is a serious problem faced by many teenagers all around the world.
And most of us are aware of it. Bullying makes a person feel like he or she is nothing. They become depressed, they feel lonely and worthless. It can happen anywhere... at school, home, online... anywhere.
People get bullied... but there is no specific reason for it. It is really sad how the bullies treat others. And worse, what the victims feel. They become very depressed that, they might do unexpected, reckless, stupid things.
Here is a video that I saw recently. And I really want to share this. Because, it made me want to take a step forward to stop bullying. And after watching this, you will feel the same.

Continue to read only after you watch the video, please.

So you now know what I mean by the reckless, stupid things. Maybe, at that moment, he (victim in the video) did not feel what he was going to do was stupid.

People bully others by physically harming them (hitting, kicking...), by abusing them (loser, nerd, ugly..), spreading rumours about them which can very much harm their reputation. It's like, spoiling their life in short.

The world has never been a peaceful place. If there can be a change, it's in hand the hands of us, the youth. I am just trying to spread awareness through my blog. If I can do more, I will.

Bullies should be aware of what the victims feel. But you never know... maybe the bully, himself is being bullied outside the school. And he is letting his anger and vengeance out on someone else at school. So we can't completely blame him, either.

Schools can arrange awareness programmes, if anything of this matter happens. Comment below, if you have any suggestions. My friend, Azzah, has written something in her blog about bullying. Please see it.

I have been made fun of. I have heard people talking about me behind my back. I have been called a nerd in a rude way. So I know how it feels.

If you are a bully, I hope you got my message. If you are being bullied, get help before things get worse. If you are not both, spread awareness, try to stop others from bullying.

Everyone wishes for peace. But wishing alone doesn't help. We need to work towards it. Think positive, talk positive and walk the talk.





Hangout at Dubai Mall

In my first post in this blog, I had mentioned, that I love hanging out with friends. And nothing has changed in the past one year. I still love hanging out with friends. But the sad thing is, I don't get the chance to go for any. There will be some problem and we will have to cancel the whole thing at the last minute.

Of course, we can't go on any working days. And as we all live in different corners of Dubai, going out on a working day, is not an option. Friday is a holiday for everyone. So, naturally, we will have our own programs with our family. So, no Fridays. Saturday, I have keyboard classes in the morning, and on Saturday evening, everyone will be busy completing their home-works for the next week at school. Sad life, huh?
 Another reason for why our hangouts gets cancelled is, sacrifices. If one girl says that she can't come, the other says, "If she is not coming, then even I am not coming.". And the next person says "If you are not coming then I am also not going.". And another one says, "If they are not coming, I don't want to come.". And finally, the last person says, "If all of you are not coming, what is the point of me going alone?". You see what I mean...?

(Left to Right) Me, Maryam, Azzah, Megha

Usually, when I make last minute plans, it doesn't work out well. But this time, for the first time in my history, the last minute plan did work out. Maryam, Azzah, Megha and I decided to meet up at Azzah's place, have lunch and then go to Dubai Mall. Everything worked out perfectly alright. Of course, as usual, we fooled around the place. The best part, was eating "Burj Al Emlaq" from Baskin Robbins. We didn't have place to sit. So we stood on the way and ate the whole thing. It was a mess with all the Ice Cream in our fingers. But if there is no mess, there is no fun (Yeah...I made that up myself). I guess, if I wasn't so good at remembering  ways, it would have been more fun. It was Maryam's and Megha's first time in metro, and they thoroughly enjoyed it.

It was a fun day! I just wished that there were more people with us and the time went slow.
I also hope that we can have more hangouts soon. 

Where is Justice..?

When the whole world celebrated the coming of a New Year... One place remained silent.
When the whole world enjoyed the fireworks and lights... One place remained in the dark.
When the whole world was happy and laughed... Some people cried and remained sad.

Some of you must have guessed already. Yes. Delhi remained silent, remained in the dark and cried. Wept for the girl who became the victim of extreme cruelty. I am sure, all of you would have heard of that girl. She was a 23 year old girl. She was raped in a moving bus by 6 men. It's unbelievable how inhumane people can get!! She battled for her life for 13 days. She was sent to a hospital in Singapore for better treatment. She wanted to live... But she lost the battle.
I was totally devastated after hearing the news, even though I did not show it out. I let my feelings stay inside me. But maybe no. I should let it out. I have been watching many talk shows about this incident and many said they wanted these rapists to be hanged. Well, I say no. They shouldn't be hanged. They should be made to suffer. Suffer so much that they should wish to die. But, they shouldn't die. They should live with the regret for doing such a cruel thing, behind the bars for the rest of their lives.
I have always loved my country and always wanted to work for my country and live in my country after I get a job. But after hearing this news, I feel like I will be deliberately pushing myself into danger. I hate to say that, but that is the truth.
What I am thinking is, why not make the laws more strict..? I used to think, why in Saudi Arabia, they have very strict laws... Now, if someone asks me that, I would say, cause they knew the consequences if the case was otherwise. Did it cost a life for people to finally raise their voices? This is not the first time it's happening in India. There has been a hundred cases similar to this (but not as cruel). Isn't it just too late now..? But I am glad people raised their voices now... it can save many lives, at least that's was I hope and wish.

What I have noticed is, long back, there was an incident similar to this, but people were around, but people just watched what was happening to that girl. It's shameful, but it's true. Here is something I heard, and I totally agree to it : "The day people starts to react and act, things will change.". The attitude of people should change. When one sees things happening that are unacceptable in the society, of course, no one would encourage it... but no one will go and stop it. Maybe because they are scared. But you take a step forward, and people will follow you. Keep it in mind. Otherwise, what do they mean by saying "Be the change you want to see in the world"...? In the Indian Pledge, we say "All Indians are my brothers and sisters". Would you let you sisters to go through atrocities like this..? Won't you go protect her?
And girls, all around the world, should be taught to protect themselves. Of course, not all can go for Karate classes... but carrying a pepper spray with you, or knowing some kind of defense moves can save you. And I have read in many places, that if someone comes to attack you, scream! Scream on the peak of your voice... that helps too.

Here is a Malayalam Poem I came across in one of those TV shows. Its presumed that it is written by Mundur Ravunni. Mundur Ravunni is one of my close relatives. He was a person who fought against social injustices and inequalities. He was a very brave person.

 കൈ  കെട്ടി  നില്‍ക്കുക  ഭരണപ്രമത്തതെ  

മേയട്ടെ  രാക്ഷസക്കൂട്ടങ്ങള്‍  പിന്നേയും 

പെണ്‍മക്കളൊക്കെ  നശിക്കട്ടവരുടെ 

മാനം  കവര്‍ന്നാലും 

പ്രാണന്‍  തുലഞ്ഞാലും 

കാണല്ലെ,  കേള്‍ക്കല്ലേ , കൈവിരല്‍  ചൂണ്ടല്ലെ 

ഇളകാതിരിക്കുക   സിംഹാസനങ്ങളില്‍ 

If I translate it straight away, you won't understand. So let me explain it to you. The concept of the poem is actually criticizing the people on power. And their passiveness even after repeated atrocities against women . In Malayalam, its a well written poem showing the strong criticism. 

There has been a lot of Protest going on, in Delhi. Many women and men together protesting for women's safety. Even when strikes and protests are going on, similar cases keeps on piling up. How come men lost their fear and their respect towards women? It's time they stopped demanding for women and girls. People like this should be entirely deleted from this world. That is the final solution I can find. And when girls fight for women empowerment, they are in danger. In danger if being killed. The recent case, is of this girl of my age, named Malala. She fought for Education rights for Women, through her blog, and she was shot in the head. She is very lucky she survived. Let's hope, no one is next on the list.
There has been developments in the field of rights of women in India. True. Like, demolition of Sati System and bringing women in the politics field. But, when can a girl, walk alone feeling free and safe at anytime through the streets of India..?
All women is asking for, is the same rights of men. All women is asking for, is her being able to walk through the streets feeling safe and be safe. All women is asking for, is justice. Let the story of this girl, India's Daughter, be a lesson for everyone. All I can do is pray for the soul of this girl. She will live forever on our hearts. I haven't seen her, I don't know her... But I feel she is there, out somewhere... watching all this happening.
And asking "Where is Justice?"

Adieu 2012... Hello 2013!

Today,
It's a fresh new start.. isn't it..?
A new year... 2013. I kind of feel making resolutions are completely useless...unless you are so determined to follow it. But in my case, it is useless. So this year, No resolution. That can be my resolution.
The most exciting 10 seconds of my life is that 10 seconds countdown before the fireworks. This is we did not have a countdown as such. But, the Fireworks, were BRILLIANT!!

 I guess, the picture said it all. And I got to witness it!! Yeah... I saw it and saw it really close..!
If you were in Dubai, and you did not see this, you missed it like anything!! It's a loss!!
Try to find it in the internet. You will be able to see the video. I have no words to explain it!! I was watching it in the TV today, and I realized, from far, it would have looked like some kind of Alien invasion in Burj Khalifa. And at the end the whole building just blasts!! Let's hope it never happens, though. The crowd was just so HUGE! So many people walking together and howling like crazy!
Of course, I really enjoyed the fireworks but when it was over, the environmentalist, inside me knocked on my head and said "Dude! Look at the Pollution!!". I shooed her away. It happens only once a year, after all!

I am glad 2012 is over. I don't know why. I enjoy new things...whatever it is. Maybe, that's the reason.
But 2012, was a good year. I had good times... REALLY good moments..! I wish it all just repeats...
Only the good moments, duh!

I don't know what to say. I am just saying...

WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR...!!

Almost There!

I am not fully recovered from Chicken Pox. But I am almost there!
Maybe 3 or 4 days more. But I feel normal. I guess I will be dusting my books today after more than 10 days. Trust me... those days when I was sick feels like heaven. Because, I had nothing to do. Just lie down in my bed and read. No chores. I kind of miss it. Anyone would.
It reminds me of a comic story I read. It was in a 'Betty and Veronica' book. Betty broke her leg and even she feels the same after she recovers from it. She has to run many errands for her Mom. She has to clean up her room... Lots of chores.
But, yeah, every good thing has an end.

I have these marks in my face after the poxes dried. But unlike the 'Pimple-conscious' teenage girls, I went out to a Mall yesterday. Oh yes, I did! Actually, I am in the starting stages of being a pimple-conscious girl and I didn't want to 'show-off' my marks. But I forced myself. Because, we were planning to go for a movie.
So, yesterday night, I saw the movie 'Life of Pi'.

I am kind of confused after the movie, actually. That is because, I found two endings for the movie. One, what I thought that happened and another, what Papa said that happened.
The movie is of this Indian boy, who is following 3 religions, named Piscine Patel. He changes his name to Pi because his school mates make fun of his name and call him 'Pissing Patel'. LOL!
He is named after a French swimming pool, you see. His family has to move to Canada because of some government issues and they set of to Canada in a Japanese boat. The boat sinks due to a storm. But Pi survives and he is isolated in the middle of an ocean, in the deepest point of earth in a small boat with a Zebra, a Orangutan, a Hyena and a Bengali tiger named Richard Parker. The hyena, zebra and the orangutan dies. And only Richard Parker and Pi lives. Then its full of adventure, starvation, fantasy.
I feel, there is a lot of fantasy... thing you can't believe. I mean what do you think of a carnivorous island and water that turns acidic during the night. And sparkling whale?!

But the movie is good. The animation and stuff, its cool. This is the second movie that made me scream in the theater. Yeah... I screamed when the tiger jumped to the screen. The first time I screamed was when a snake jumped onto the screen in the movie Harry Potter- Deathly Hallows.
 I am looking forward in reading the book of Pi. I did read from another blog, of a tween, that the book is really inspirational. She has written a lot about the book, including a poem from the book. I guess its worth reading. You could also give it a try!

Excitement is bad for Health

On 18th of this month, I turned 14.
Yeah... it was supposed to be fun, exciting and all. But in my case, it was a lot opposite to my expectations.
You want to know what happened..? Well, here's what happened....

Another normal day at school. Waiting for the next teacher to come to the class and start her class. But my mind, filled with thoughts which were acting like monkeys, jumping around that little head of mine. I was waiting for my birthday like I was to become a Millionaire on that day. I started blabbering to Rahanuma about what was going on in my mind. I needed to go shopping for new clothes because, suddenly there seems to be a lack of mind-blowing dresses in my wardrobe. I guess it is like that for any other teenager. At the shop, all the dresses are so good. You buy one of those, wear that and go out twice, the dress now seems a year old! Well, after getting a new dress, I really needed a hair-cut. My hair is just too long now. What about foot-wear?! If I am wearing a Dress, I need the heels which goes with it... otherwise it won't look good. But I don't have heels because I don't find them comfortable. And I don't want to wear Jeans and Canvas shoes because that's what I wore last year. I want something different. Something different what my friends won't expect from me. Because, I claim to be a  tomboy (which I think I am losing touch with) and I am one, mentally, at least. But this time, I want to look like a girl, a real girl. Too much talking I did and too much excitement I had, about my birthday, that all I cared after that was looking good on my birthday. And I still remember word-to-word what I said "I am getting soooo excited that I am starting to feel I will be sick on my birthday and I will miss school!".

And you know what... I regret saying that. I have always been optimistic, I don't know why such an idea struck my mind! To say something so pessimistic! That too when my Birthday was so close that the number of days left could be counted on our fingers!
I guess you got the hint... yes... unfortunately, my great prediction came true. I fell sick. And this time, not the normal cold or cough... I am suffering from Chicken Pox!! And that's how I spend my birthday. Bed-ridden.
At least, I was in a condition when I could walk to the phone to receive those Birthday wishes.

Sir Isaac Newton found the three laws of motion.
And I found one, myself! Not on Motion... just a random one. Like a moral of this story. And here goes...

"Excitement and Good Health are inversely proportional to each other, especially on the cases of desperate teenagers."

That's weird

Just like any other human being, I opened the Google page today...again.
You know, when there is any special occasion, the style in which 'Google' is written will be related to that occasion. Its called Google Doodle. So today, according to my knowledge, the special occasion is Taylor Swift's Birthday. And when I opened Google, the Doodle was Birthday cakes. I put the cursor on top of one cake, and it showed 'Happy Birthday Malavika!!'. And I am like 'Today is not my birthday.. there are 5 more days left for mine'.

Then I clicked on it, and my Google+ profile opened... I was online at that time. Then, I scrolled down, and my birthday was shown as 'Dec-13-1998'. I don't remember when me saving my birth date as Dec 13th. I let that doubt stay uncleared. And I tried to change my birth date in G+ account before I forget to do it. I changed the 13th to an 18th... (and here's where the weird part comes).... and clicked 'Save' Button and they are showing 'Please enter a valid date'.

And I go '"Okaay... well, that's weird..". I tried 2-3 times, but it is still showing 'Please enter a valid date'.
I don't know what they mean by this 'valid date'.
It's irritating and I am like 'Dude, it's not Feb 31st, its Dec 18th!'

Why can't everyone be like that..?

Some weeks ago, Papa, Amma, My sister Anu and I went to Dubai Mall.
We went there to get a new shirt for my sister. But the luck was on my side! She did not get anything and I got a new top! WooHoo..!

Recently, Anu had gone for ice skating with our cousins. And she is loving it! So, she wanted to go for ice skating again and her wish was granted. It's not that I am scared to skate, but I don't like to do anything of that type without my friends. So, I thought I would go explore the book shop, 'Kinokuniya' and Virgin Mega-store. I went alone. You might think I am kind of stupid to not carry money with me. But I did not want to buy anything that day.
So, I was wandering through Virgin store and then I went to the book shop later. Inside, Kinokuniya, I saw a book of Taylor Swift! I got carried away by that book. I was flipping the last page of the book when i realized that I should be getting back to the Ice Rink. There was this window inside the book shop which faces another atrium of the mall and I saw two people; one playing the Grand Piano and the other playing the Violin. I wanted to listen to the music. That was my next destination.I wasn't so sure which way to go... But I wasn't lost. I found my way and I stood there listened to the music. Then again, the alarm in my head started ringing! I should be getting back to the Ice Rink. I turned around briskly, when I did not exactly hit her, but was nearly very close to hitting her. I took a step back and a 'Sorry' came out of my mouth in reflex. My eyes were fixed on the way I should go. That lady's voice is still inside my head. She rudely said "Watch, where you are going!". I, sincerely did not expect such a reply and I did not like it either. I didn't bother to turn around and walked super fast back to my family.

                                                          ***********************

It was dinner time! We were still in the mall. But that doesn't matter. The food court has ALL kinds of food. Papa is interested in trying out new dishes from different parts of the world. That day, it was German food. We bought our food and took our places. We were talking and eating. That's when a European family passed by; A lady pushing a pram, her husband carrying a cute little girl and two elderly people. This man carrying the little girl was passing by, by Amma's chair. Amma leaned to her chair and this man moved his hand. Both at the same time. So, by mistake, his hand touched Amma. Amma turned around to say 'Sorry' but before she could even open her mouth, he looked at her and said "Oh! I am so sorry.". Then he looked at Papa and said "I am really sorry!". He had such an innocent face. We said its all right. But he apologized one more time and only after that he left. After few minutes, they came back, maybe because they had taken the wrong way before... And this time,  he moved a bit far from Amma's chair and said "Safe distance", looked at  my dad and smiled. Then all of us laughed. They left and we were eating again.
I told Papa "Such a gentleman, right?".
Then I also told Papa, about that lady who I came across near the Musicians.

The world would have been such a beautiful and better place if everyone was like that European Gentleman. What is the point of being rude? What is the point of living with a frown in your face, when we can actually smile and live with the positive things in life? What do you lose when you say 'Sorry' to someone?
I am not saying that, that lady, should apologize to me. Why should she...? She didn't come and hit me. But at least a "It's all right" or a "Oops! I didn't see that coming" wouldn't harm or hurt anyone. It's just a suggestion.

Now,  think about yourself... are you like that lady or that gentleman...?
If suppose you are like that lady, would you take my suggestion... or continue to be 'yourself'?
The choice is yours... Now that you know how people you who have seen only once in your lifetime can judge you with those words that slip out of your mouth.... I hope you choose the correct option.

UAE National Day!

2. 12. 2012

Today is the 41st 'Birthday' of United Arab Emirates!
And I feel awesome! The reason is obvious : I LOVE U.A.E!!!

Last Thursday, we had National Day celebration and it was totally amazing. The dance was so good!

WE LOVE U.A.E.!!!

Girls dressed up as guys and dancing. It was so 'I-dont-know-what-to-say' type, in a good way. It was far much better than the boys doing do the dance... We had fun within the students. There was a Throw Ball match between students and teachers. And guess what? Teachers won!

Now, let me write, well....type to be precise, about U.A.E. I consider my self very lucky to be living in U.A.E. You know, surrounded by the 'World's Tallest' , 'World's Biggest', 'World's Largest' and the 'World's Longest'. Maybe, I am one of those 'World's Luckiest Teenagers'. WOW! That's a lot in the World!

Going through the History of U.A.E., we get to know that, U.A.E. came to existence in 1971, when 6 emirates joined together to form a country. Later, in 1972, the Emirate, Ras-Al- Khaimah also joined the U.A.E. It's a very much developed Arab country. Anyone would just love it here! It's not a place filled greenery, but the Government's efforts to bring that bit of greenery to the country deserves praise.
The whole country is filled with the National Flag of U.A.E. and decorations from last week. I bet everyone was eagerly waiting for today! I guess, there is going to be fireworks in the capital, Abu Dhabi... And that is really, totally, worth watching! Let me end this post, by saying it once again :

                                               I LOVE U.A.E.!!!!!

.

I gotta feeling

The topic of this post may give a wrong conception that this post is about Black Eyed Peas. But it's not.

Last to last week, my Father's brother (I call him Cheriyachan) and family from Singapore, came here, to Dubai for a visit. They left last week. And it feels really uncomfortable now.

It's a nice feeling when all of us are here together. My cheriyachan has two kids : Sidharth (Sidhu) and Neharika (Neha). This is post is about something that I never felt before. It is actually, a very great feeling and I would like to share it with all of you...

I feel it is natural to fight with your siblings. But, being with siblings is a very different feeling. I realized that some weeks ago. I still remember the date, November 10th. It was a Saturday and I sleep till the sun's rays attack me eyes. It was really comfortable on my bed under the blanket, when the A/C is switched on and it is a holiday. I woke up but did not get out of the bed. That when I realized, someone kissed my cheeks. I smiled with me eyes closed and looked at who it was. It was my little cousin sister, Neha. That day, everything went good. It was so sweet of her to kiss me and make my day! A kiss from a cute girl in the beginning of a day... Who wouldn't love that..?! I felt like a sister loved by her... It was a good feeling.
And during another night, we were travelling through the city, returning home after a tiring day. Sidhu was sleeping and he was sleeping, leaning his head on my shoulder. I could feel a source of joy in my heart. I felt like a responsible elder sister. I don't know. I never felt this way before. Never before.

And they day the left, we went to leave them in the airport. After we reached the airport, and when it was time for them to leave, my dad and cheriyachan hugged each other so tightly. I nearly brought me and Shruthy (in between, she also joined us in DXB) to tears! It was such a wonderful sight!!

Then I started wondering why I always fight with my sister... I could stop fighting... I am finally understanding why Papa always tells that I should me more nice to my sister and be a role model to her.
Think about it... and hopefully you will also feel the same.