Questions in/about/of life

There are many things haunting my mind now a days. Global warming, zero water day, death etc... These have been scaring me a lot as future does not look rosy to me. I have wondered how people seem to be at peace even though there are plenty of scary predictions by scientists about the future of Humans. I have literally lost sleep over these things.

Here are a few questions I have been pondering over. Do write to me if you have answers to them. My parents are grappling with it as much as I am but are doing a decent job of hiding it ;)


Question 1
What is the world going to look like in 40-45 yrs? Is global warming going to destroy the world?

Question 2
Which is the right religion to follow?

Question 3
Does God exist? How do you know? What makes you believe He/She exists?

Question 4
How do I feel God so that I truly believe Him/Her?

Question 5
Why did God create this confusion with so many religions? Why did He/She not give us only one religion to follow?

Question 6
What is the purpose of life if everyone is going to die one day?

Having heard news of death in the recent past and now that I understand this as a reality, it scares me :( How lonely will it be when my parents are no more - this scares me to no end!

My parents are hoping I will mature over time to find answers by reading/introspecting and dealing with ambiguity until then.

Confidence is everything

Life has been teaching me many lessons. I am a good learner when I figure out things by myself. No amount of advice from others works for me. I have discovered the value of confidence and have also figured cheeky ways to get out off sticky situations. I try my best to pass my wisdom to the young ones :) Yes, to my younger unwilling sister who insists on making her own mistakes:(

But I keep doling gyaan :) as I am thrilled with my enlightenment.

M (tense, just before leaving for school) - ammA, nAn nagam cut panna marandhuten. nyAbagapaduta sonnen!
M - Inniki PT irukku and teacher check pannuvA. Romba strict teacher
P -  kai kAmi
P (After seeing) - Ok dhaan.
M - ila. onakku theiryAdhu yen teacher patthi
P - Ennakkum andha PT teacher irundhurukkA. Enakku theriyum ok?
M is almost in the verge of tears while ammA is rushing to bring the nail cutter
P - time ila M. nAn sollaradha kelu.
P - Teacher ketkarache kai-a kAmi. Confident-a kAmi
M - ??
P - Straight-a kAmi negam cut panninA madhiri
P - Teacher oda kaN-a straight-a paru.. Confident-a kamichA teacher kku doubt varAdhu
P - nee thalaiya kuninju pArthA teacher kku doubt vandhu onnoda kaiyya check pannuvA
M was doubtful but decided to roll with it as it was already late

Curious as to what happened to M ?
She did escape with my tactics :)

Jelebi demysitfied

Oh...hot, crispy jelebi-s. It is a work of art.. a complicated delicious thing or so I thought

On the way back from a shop where I tried my best to behave well, I pleaded for some jelebi-s from the local street shop. ammA decided to buy them and asked for 100 gms. The shopkeeper packed a few pieces in a newspaper and handed over the small package. I was unimpressed..

pAdukA - ivalavu dhaana (that's all)

ammA - 100 gms.. avalavu dhaan (100 gms is all that much)

ammA - seri innum 100 gms vangalAm ( ok let's buy 100 gms more)

The shopkeeper did not have more ready to pack and asked us to wait while he prepared jelebi-s.

pAdukA - so easy.. andha bag-a pidichi round round-a maava podanum oil la (so easy, you have to make round shape into the oil with the dough in the bag  )

ammA - adhu pannaradhu kashtam pAdukA (that's hard to do pAdukA)

pAdukA - idhu enna heat pannarAr (What is he heating?)

ammA - sugar syrup

pAdukA - Ooh... 

Watching the fried jelebi-s thrown into the sugar syrup 

pAdukA - apparam enna pannanum (What has to be done next?)

ammA - pack 100 gms

pAdukA - huh? eppadi sweet aagum?(How will it become sweet?)

ammA - Sweet syrup la potta illayA?(Did he not put it in sweet syrup?)
pAdukA - Oh.. nAn ninaichen, sugar syrup-a syringe la eduthu jelebi oda oru end la inject panna, adhu full jelebi la flow aagum.. (I thought that the sugar syrup is injected from one end of the jelebi and the syrup will flow through the entire jelebi)

ammA - ! (that will be cool :)

Good samaritan

One phone call made my ammA's and appA's day. It's not the news of their daughter being a topper/a star at school but news that she is a good human being. I did not think it was a great deed as it seemed like the right thing for anyone to do. I did not even mention this to my parents. So here is what happened...


My friend S came to school with a box of pizza for lunch. Her family was moving from one house to another and it was her lunch for the day. Imagine what kind of jealous response she would have got from the class. She is a generous soul and everyone just surrounded her and took some portion of the pizza without a thought. She was left with  2 meagre pieces for lunch and nothing else.

Feeling sad and alone, she sat in the class. I felt bad seeing her. I called her and sat with her for lunch. I offered the box of fruits which I had with me. She liked fruits and was happy to have them. She even offered to share what was left of her pizza. It was sooo... tempting  (you know I love cheese) but I refused as she needed the food and company to cheer her up.

We had a good time chatting and finishing our lunch. That's all happened and it was not much to go back home and report. But my friend thought it was so kind and sweet of me and recollected the incident to her parents. S's mom was touched that she picked up the phone to make that call...


(P.S. - Paaduka, when you read this post that we recorded on your behalf, know that you made appA and ammA proud as you are a good human being with a pure heart. Never ever trade that for anything as that's what makes you stand tall and head and shoulder above the rest)

and I think some more...

I was watching the video of Joe Biden receiving the medal of freedom for his service and listened to the citation that we read before it was conferred on him. I just started thinking aloud.

pAdukA - ivalavu years service pannirkAlA.. wow...
ammA - AmAm pAdukA.. adhaan dedication
pAdukA - I am sure avar kalyANam pannikalai
ammA - ennA?
pAdukA - single ammA.. illana how can he achieve so much
ammA - !!???! (where did this come from?)

Ok... here is what I think... For someone to be an achiever or be dedicated to something, that person has to be single. It is hard to be married and achieve with thorough dedication for a long duration. ammA told me that Joe Biden is married and gave many other examples of achievers who are married. I am digesting all of these information but I wonder if the achievers would have achieved much more or much earlier if they were not not married .... Hmmmm.....??

and I keep learning and thinking.....

and I think....

Well, hello there after a long time.... What can I say? It has been a long time as I was busy growing up and all ;) There is information overload all around me. Many things are happening which I am absorbing continuously  and it is moulding my thoughts and opinions. Yes, you heard it right.. I have opinions on things now a days :)


Here are my thoughts on being a woman -

Nature has made it woman's responsibility to bear a child and give birth. My science knowledge as of today tells me that cells keep building and increasing in a woman's body and forms into a baby which she gives birth to. I think that it is not possible for a woman to raise a kid by herself and that is why she needs to be married. Think about how many things that a woman needs to do if she has to raise the child by herself -
-Take care of the kid
-Work at office
-Do household work
-Teach the kid (this includes helping for school and home work, help them pursue extra curricular activities)

I think anyone with a kid should be married so that they can get help for all the work. Isn't it? My parents did not give me any solid answer to this. All they say is that my views will evolve when I see more things around this world.

Waiting to know more about the ways of the world...

Counselling

Sometimes I have to play a strong big sister's role for my little sister. She needs guidance :) My extra 3 years of experience is useful for her. How do I help? Here is an instance -

My little sister, MadhurA is upset that her friend joined with another boy who was troubling her in the bus. She has been whining about that for sometime continuously.

M - R ennoda friend ila nnu sonnaan. avan innoru paiynodu serndhu enna keli pannaraan. ennakku busla friends ila  (R said I am not his friend anymore and joined with the other boy N to tease me. I don't like this at all. R is not playing with me in the bus. I am so bored and I don't have a friend in the bus now :(

P who was listening to this after coming school was frustrated with the constant whining and steps in the put an end to this.

P - R onnoda friend illana nee E and N oda vilaiyaadu. onnakku R vendaam dhaane. (If R is not your friend, it is ok. Just go and sit and play with others. I know E and N come in the same bus. So, you don't need R at all.)

P - R apparam onnoda vilaiyaada vanda "po" nnu sollidu. ippo nee friend-a irukka maatten nnu sollu. (Even if he comes later and wants to play with you, you should just send him saying that you do not want to be his friend now)

M - andha N ala dhaan R ennoda friend-a illa. N oda anna onnoda dhaan padikarAn ila pAdukA? (It is because of N that R is not being my friend. N's brother studies with you no?)

P - amaam. good boy avan (Yes he does. He is a nice person)

M - nee avan kitta sollu avan thambi enna trouble pannaraan nnu (Can you tell him that his little brother is troubling me?)

P (after thinking for a while) - No

M- yen? nee nalla akka ve ila po (Why? You are not a good sister)

P - anna sonna N ketpaanaa? enna use? N ona keli pannitAn ippo enna panna mudiyum? (Do you know the N listens to his brother? What is the use? N has already teased you and that is not going to change.)

P - nee vera friends oda vilaiyaadu (you play with other friends)

M (whining and talking to herself)- At least R ennoda vilaiyaaduvaan. indha N dhaan problem. I will go down to R's house and ask him ( At least R will play with me. It is all because of N. I will go to R's house now and ask him)

P (stopping M) - avan aatthukku pogaadhey.  nalla friend-a irundha N tease pannarche onakku help pannirupaan. avan onnoda friend ilave ilai beginning lerndhu ( Don't go to his house. If R was a good friend he would have helped you when N teased. So he has not been your friend from the beginning)

M does not go anywhere and P plays with her for sometime.