CSA Calling for Stories

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CSAAM

CSA is calling for stories…

We all carry our own demons. Memories we have buried in our subconscious which we wish never to confront again. But maybe writing about our experiences would provide a much needed catharsis. We, at CSAAM April 2011 invite you to tell us YOUR story. Anonymous stories will be more than welcome. We want to know what happened, how it affected you as a child, as an adult. We want to know how you dealt with the pain. Email us your stories at csa.awareness.april@gmail.com. Talk about it. Don’t bury your experiences.

If u have something to say please mail me or the above email id

Child Sexual Abuse Awareness Month–April 2011

Tags

csa awareness month, CSAAM

When we were coming back from Lavasa, a general chat with Kiran and some other bloggers in the taxi on the way back turned towards Child Sexual Abuse and how it is one of the worst things to happen to a child. Kiran suggested that we do a Child Sexual Abuse Awareness month across the blogsphere and the idea appealed to me. As a subject its really close to my heart. I have been abused when I was a child and I know how traumatic it is, I have known some victims who were severely abused and it affected their life as an adult. And the worst part which I feel is that its one of those things which is hushed under the carpet.

So across the month of April 2011, over 40 bloggers in the blogosphere will come together to post on various aspects of Child Sexual Abuse in a bid to create awareness about an issue which affects over 50 per cent of children. This, the Child Sexual Abuse Awareness Month April 2011, will run across their blogs as well as the CSA blog, which will be . In addition to these posts, the CSAAM blog will feature survivor stories, posts by experts and NGOs working in these fields. Through this concerted effort we hope to bring Child Sexual Abuse out of the closet and teach parents how to educate their children about predators, preventing their children from being abused and knowing how to deal with such a situation should it occur. Our children deserve a safe and happy childhood.

So come join us in the effort and Keep your child safe.

If you would like to add to the discussion or know somebody else who would, please note that we welcome entries

• mailed to csa.awareness.april@gmail.com OR
• posted as FB notes and linked to Child Sexual Abuse Awareness Month Page OR
• posted on your own blog with the badge and linked to the main blog OR
• linked or posted on Twitter tagged twitter.com/CSAAwareness OR

The list of topics is available here. Anonymous contributions are accepted and requests for anonymity will of course be honoured. I will probably be hosting at least one guest post and encourage you to do the same for non-blogging friends.

Please remember to send in a mail with all necessary links or just your input to csa.awareness.april@gmail.com so that we can track your contribution and make sure that it is not inadvertently lost or something.

U can also support it simply by adding our the logo of the initiative in your blog’s sidebar. Grab the below code to do so

<a href="http://csaawarenessmonth.wordpress.com/" target="blank"><img src=”http://csaawarenessmonth.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/csa-logo.jpg” _mce_src=”http://csaawarenessmonth.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/csa-logo.jpg” alt=”” /></a>

Pinch Me

Tags

australia, cricket, fun, india, pakistan, twitter

Please someone pinch me, was it India that won against Australia yesterday,

somebody pinch me again was it me who was totally enjoying the match,

somebody pinch me again is it me who is doing a post remotely related to cricket

Man but what a match…it was 6 hours of total excitement and fun. Though the match itself was a lot of fun to watch but as I just mentioned I am a new convert to cricket and I really don’t understand the technical things too much, what made the match killer for me was TWITTER… One should have been there to understand the sheer enthusiasm of people. I was home alone yesterday but not for a single minute I felt that I was watching the match alone.  The joy on every wicket we took for aussies.The madness on every 4 we hit… There were times when my timeline was full of choicest of words and man it was so much fun 😉 Thank you so much to all my twitter match partners

and it was so fun that I was locked out of twitter not once but three times yesterday because I exceeded my hourly tweet limit 😛

Boys in Blue the drinks are on Chandu as she says and the brownie is on me… U did a great job yesterday and now please please please don’t fly in air and win the even more important match on 30th… the match of the World Cup… India-Pakistan….

Me I am making multiple twitter accounts ready so if i get locked out of one I have another 😉

 

Chanakya’s Chant : A book Review

Tags

book review, chanakya chant, history, south asian book challenge

I have always admired Chanakya, when chanakya neeti was aired on TV I used to be glued to TV at the time of its airing. Loved his strong and cunning character so when I was contacted for the review request for Chanakya’s Chants I was both excited and skeptical. Excited because I was going to read about someone I loved, skeptical because I wasn’t sure the book will match upto the image I had of him.

Chanakya’s Chant is a book that takes the reader between two plots. One set in 340BC about 2300 years ago which is all about history and how Chanakya also known as Kautilya starts with the desire to avenge the murder of his father and how the desire becomes an obsession and he turns into a strategist whom history will remember, who will by his political tricks manage to prevent Alexander from taking over the entire Bharat and also who with great determination and yet some more tactics quite a lot of them grey in nature manages to start the build of Mayuran Empire under the leadership of his favorite pupil Chandragupta Maurya. The other part of the story brings us to the current time, to today’s Bharat. Pandit Gangasagar, who lost his father early in age learns about Chanakya and is totally inspired by him, he leaves the comfort of his job to enter the world of politics but not directly and just as his emotional mentor, he takes forward his pupil, his protégée Chandini Gupta. Its a well weaven story about how Pandit Gangasagar breaks every rule possible to take Chandni Malik to the position to Prime Minister.

The best thing about the book is the fact that the two stories go in parallel, there are yet differences in them, the decisions they make the same thought process but have totally different implications but in turn have the same nutshell result in the end. Its a book which is very cleverly keeps the reader hooked to it from the start till the end. The book highlights what we are seeing today in Indian politics that power is mostly not in the hands of but behind the person in power.…Its a clever, witty book just as Chanakya was 🙂 and the book feels well researched

Last Words : An interesting well researched fast paced book about politics, strategy and history.

Rating 3.5/5

Book Chanakya’s Chant

Authors Ashwin Sanghi

These are a few of my favorite things

Tags

books, fun, movies, music, tag

I have been having a bit of a writers block… inspite of having so much to write can get to write anything so when I saw this on Preeti’s blog I thought may be it will break it 🙂

So here are the rules

1.The tag has three parts..Movies,Music, Books/ Authors.

2.Write a movie, book and author with each alphabet of your first name. The book, movie or song should be one that you really liked. If you say why it  matters to you, it would be great! We will all discover new songs, movies and books this way.

3.Tag as many people as there are letters in your name. (if your name has 4  letters, you have to tag 4 people and so on)

4.Mention that the tag originated here and link back to this post 🙂

5.Copy paste these rules 🙂

My Name – everyone knows Monika….

Movies

Meet the Parents – I just love the movie and its one of those movies I can see over and over again

Omkara – I think one of the best adaption of a book ever. Vishal Bhardwaj is a star and I think every one in that movie acted just brilliantly

Notting Hill – Its a totally awwww inducing movie isn’t it?

Ishqiya – So clearly see a Vishal Bhardwaj fan here… 🙂 I think this was the first movie in which I thought its possible that anyone can over shadow Naseer but both Vidya and Arshad did… and what songs love them

Kings Speech – Saw it recently and I think it was lovely

A Beautiful Life – The movie (as well as the book) moved me even motivated me… lovely

Music

Michael Jackson – there was none like him, there will be none like him 🙂

O P Nayyar the music director who used to weave magic

N…. yes yes I am talking about my hubby I love it when he sings… 🙂 go awww now

Iktara – goonja sa hai koi iktara… a song which I have loved for the longest time ever…..

Killing me softly with his song…. Struming my pain with his fingers , Singing my life with his words,  killing me softy with his song,  telling my whole life with his words killing me softly with his song… how romantic and Roberta Flack absolutely rocked this mushy number

Asha Bhosle – I love her love the verstality and some how I have always loved her more than Lata

Books

Mahabharata – I dont think there is a book like that anywhere else… Palace of Illusions is my favorite book, I am reading Jaya next and now I am on a mission to read it every version and adaptation of that possible 🙂

One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest – A book I can read any number of times

Namesake by Jhumpa Lahri – I think this was the first book I read of hers and quite liked it

Interpreter of Maldies…. I actually didnt like it too much but cant think of anything else right now 🙂

Kite Runner – A story which touched me deep and left a mark forever

Amitav Gosh – My most favorite India Author, what story he weaves by the way when is the second one his trilogy come, the one next to Sea of Poppies?

I loved doing this, the names I have mentioned might or might not be my most favorite I just wrote what came to my mind without thinking much 🙂

And anyone who wants to do this please take it up

A small announcement

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comments closed

Friday Faces is being hosted at the Photo Blog : Thru Monika’s Lens…

If you are interested pls add ur link there 🙂

Thank u

The F- Word : Book Review

Tags

book, book review, food, food writing, review

 

The first time I heard of this book was from Kiran who said that this book got her into kitchen 🙂 she was all praises of the book and being a foodie having cooking as one of the hobbies it promptly went into my must reading list…I bought it on the first chance I had and went along with Mita for a ride in her world….

BTW if u are still confused the F in the F-Word is Food 😉 The book is about the life and culinary journey of a woman who loves to cook and loves to feed people, loves to explore street food and get lost while talking to the person making it and noting down the recipe… Damn that is a description that fits me well too

CM, I’ll eat salad for dinner, just go easy on the veggies.’

‘But kebabs are meant to be minced mutton, Mom!’

‘Has CM cooked today? If she has, it must be diet food and I’m not eating!’

CM is the lead lady in the book BTW, the book is a mad account of a working women who manages the different tastes of everyone in a joint family… juggling between peanuts, pappad and kebabs she takes us through the culinary journey which can almost be termed “Sexy”. The story in the book is interwined with some out standing recipes from all over over… from Luckhnow to Rajasthan, from Thailand to Europe… a ride which I love taking

Summary : If you love food reading this is a book you will love

Rating 4/5

Book The F- Word

Authors Mita Kapur

Price Rs 599 (available on flipkart at Rs 485)

PS: Have u checked out my WW and TC on my all photo blog….

Day 36 : Head over

Tags

announcement, new blog, project 365

To Thru Monika’s Lens for todays daily pic 🙂

Yes I created another blog for it… something I had always thought I will do if I last more than a month and something most of you said too in the previous post

 

Against All Odds

Tags

Feminism, fiction, personal, semi fiction, strong lady, womens web contest

Asha was playing hop-scotch with her sisters and brothers in the vast empty field behind her house in Punjab, they were a big family of 3 sisters and 2 brothers and a loving mother who used to stitch clothes for people in order to raise the five kids. Just when it was Asha’s turn to beat her elder sister, their mother called them saying their favorite newly wed uncle had come visiting them along with his bride…. She started dreaming of sweets and gifts that were always the part of uncle’s visits. They played and she instantly liked her aunt and just when the uncle and aunt were about to leave for the big city the aunt told her mother that she wants to take Asha along with her, not for a visit but to bring her up… to give her a life and education that she can’t afford her. The mother with a heavy heart packed Asha’s stuff and parceled her to Delhi without even checking with her, it was for her own good after all…

The aunt was very nice to Asha, send her to a school to take formal education at the same time taught her all the things right for a girl cooking, sewing, knitting, taking care of the house and years passed away. Aunt had her own kids and they loved Asha to bits she was their elder sister…. And than Asha was deemed to be of an age where we think its best to get rid of them… yes my dear friends Asha was ready for marriage or was declared ready for marriage…

Couple of alliances came by and she was married off to the one that her aunt and uncle seemed to be liked. From her side aunt did a good job of trying to go for the one which came through a reference, the wedding was done with the usual India fan fare and she once again had to leave the house she thought was hers and go make another house her own and live happily ever after. However God had different plans for her… Couple of months after the wedding she came to know that her husband actually had no work and it would not be tolerated if she tried to work too and just as she was thinking how to deal with it she missed her dreaded monthly period and came to know that well she is pregnant…

She decided to reason it out with her husband that he has to work, decided to reason out that he should let her work and all she got were abuses and along with abuses sometimes would follow a few slaps too… she tired to talk to her mother in law and more abuses flew her way, hasn’t her mother taught her anything? or wait your mother didn’t want you right , she sent u to your aunt. Hasn’t your aunt taught u anything? Burdened and not wanting to trouble her aunt and uncle she tolerated it till she could and than one fine day her husband dropped her back in her aunt’s house along with a toddler and another baby in the stomach.

Aunt and uncle were shocked according to them they had married her to a good guy.. what was all this now? However like any Indian parents they tried to solve the matter… Uncle gave the husband a job in his company and aunt advised Asha to be more tolerant and sent her back after all she had her own kids to take care of…

As if the problems in her life were not enough God decided to give her another blow… She fell sick really sick and was hospitalized for months all together when the aunt tried to manage the hospital, her house, her job and her kids. Asha’s mother was promptly called from the village to take care of her and she slowly recovered… Doctors told her and the family they can’t predict how long will she live, her platelets count had dipped down to 5000 (when the normal is 150,000 to 450,000) and all this while the only thing she was thinking was what will happen to her daughter if she dies… Asha decided that she had to live, she had to live for her daughter, her son and for the past 10 years that’s what she has been doing… living with a platelet count which ranges in anywhere between 5000 to a maximum of 20000… When she goes to a doctor they check her 5 times saying that no a person with such a low platelet count can’t even stand and you have come for the test yourself and she didn’t just live, she took care of the whole family, all the household work and cooking and managing the house in the small amount that she would get from her aunt and mother in law

Asha has battled against all odds to stand for her daughter, she gave her the education that she wanted to with the help of her aunt and uncle and her sisters… she got beaten herself so that she can prevent her daughter. Today Asha’s daughter is working in a company and earns a salary to make her live comfortably, Asha’s son has just finished his education and is looking for a job and the husband yeah all he does is shout why is he shirt not ironed but when he does that he knows his own children will tell him why

Asha is a women I am proud of, I may not agree with all her choices but hell she made them with whatever little she had in life and stood by them as a rock

And this is my entry for the Womens Web contest

When I got a mail from Women’s Web talking about this contest, since than its been running in my mind… who is my FemInspiration?

A lot of people came to my mind, my mum who brought up three crazy but strong daughter, my granny who was the emotional backbone of the whole family and kept them together till she was living, N’s granny who was handling the whole fields and living all by herself  in the village till about 4 years ago i.e till she was 80 or a maid who worked for me – who was married when she was 12 and is working only to raise money for her daughters education inspite of the fact that she has to often tolerate domestic abuse. If we look around us there are enough strong women around us… Women who have stood against the test of time and proven their worth, proven they can do anything… they are ordinary women like u and me…

But as I was thinking of all this I thought of an extra ordinary woman in terms of strength, in terms of sheer will power to live for her kids… she has defied medical science, she has defied all logic, she has fought with every force in her life through her silence and tolerance a path may be I won’t have chosen… The above is a true story (a little fictionalized for the sake of her life) of a woman who is very very dear to me and right now at the end of the post I have my eyes full of tears… I request you all to pray for her happiness and peace forever

And yeah Happy Womens Day to each one of you… All you Strong women out there.. u inspire me 🙂

And we start again

Tags

diet, low carbing, slow carb diet, Weight loss, Weight loss update

The weight loss trail that is, the last update I did on the blog was really really really long ago and I havent been able to do much on it since than apart from adding on some weight on self 😦 I have been doing yoga for the last 2 months and it hasn’t helped me reduced any weight though I agree that its not up since than but I have a lot to lose so I decided last week that drastic times need drastic measures and just when I was thinking of going back on the diet that my nutritionist had suggested me last time I lost 11kgs (out of which 4 is back 😦 ) a friend A suggested that he has been following a diet from the book called “The 4 hour body” , the way he spoke about it passionately the book was ordered the same night from Flipkart and read with much gusto… loved the book and craziness in Timothy enough to try it… Its basically a slow carb diet where we eat as much protein and stay away from direct carbs… and there is a cheat day every week 🙂

So starting today morning I have started the diet and I am totally excited abt it… will keep u guys posted as usual, wish me luck please