Appreciate Yourself

How many times when you do something you feel that enthusiasm and sense of achievement? Do you feel that when you complete your project? Do you feel that when you have made that dish which required 3-4 hours of your time and tasted out of the world and your family can’t stop appreciating that effort of yours? Do you feel that when you are at top of that tallest lighthouse in the town? These are the tasks that you do once in a while and feel good about it and celebrate. What about the everyday tasks that you do? Do you ever feel the same sense of achievement in completing your day to day repetitive tasks?
A project that is successfully completed did not happen in one day. It takes every little step towards the success of that wonderful project. It takes your daily efforts and commitment to achieve that success which you aim for. We all celebrate the success but often do not even notice these small steps that we are taking towards that big success. Sometimes the road to success is so lengthy that some of us forget to praise ourselves on the way. And that lack of appreciation makes some of us feel that they are no good anymore. They feel that they cannot achieve anything and has a huge negative impact.
We all need to learn to appreciate ourselves and everyone around us for those little efforts that we all put in to move towards that ultimate goal. Mostly it happens with the women who are home makers and children whose parents are overly concerned about their grades. Women who are home makers, I believe are working 24 hours a day and 7 days a week to ensure that her family is free of any day to day worries. She is the one who can be a cook, nurse, driver, banker, carpenter, laundry women, plumber, cleaner and many more such roles as needed. So she should be really proud of achieving this everyday without getting noticed. She is the backbone of her family and she is the reason behind every success in her family. So if no one is appreciating her, she should learn to appreciate herself.
Parents should learn to appreciate every little thing that their kids learn every day and remember they are stepping towards the goal. Students should learn to appreciate themselves on every new lesson that they learn. This lesson might not be from their academic books but can be anything from riding a bike to playing a game to hearing about a new story that has some message or learning about those Great people and their biographies or about that new stone or stamp or flag or dance or music or painting or anything for that matter.
Most importantly we should all learn to appreciate every member of our family. We should appreciate parents, spouse, and kids for every small thing that they do daily to make our life worthwhile and make us feel confident so that we can take one more step towards that goal without any worries. So learn to appreciate everyone around you but first learn to appreciate yourself.

Future of Web

Looking say 12-13 years back, did anyone think of current form of web? I am talking about very early days of internet- when, to put up the web page on the internet people had to learn a markup language or contact a web site designer, when sending email was so fascinating. There was instant messenger, chat rooms where you could log in and talk to your friends who were available at that time.
Today with Web 2.0, especially with social networking sites like facebook, MySpace, twitter, flicker, blogs, Wikipedia, the face of web has changed completely. It has evaluated to its current form in around a decade's time. It has become more collaborative. Now uploading your data on web has become very easy with RSS. Sharing content, movies, pictures has become so easy that any common man who is not aware of underlying technology can share his views, broadcast the message to all his friends in one go, upload and share pictures/videos very easily. Internet is now accessible through cell phone too, which keeps people connected all the time.
In the very early days internet was just linking of machines (PCs). It has rapidly changed to linking of pages and making the same information accessible from mobile phones and other such devices. Same information is now available in different formats like text as well as audio and conversion happens on the go, as per the need.
What next? Future of web (for that matter web3.0) is very fascinating as well as scary. Technically it would mean linking of data in the page and not just the page. It focuses on building intelligence into the current form of web wherein by typing 'pune' the web would know that it's some location in India. It would have all other information available related to pune like its weather, landmarks etc. This is what is called as semantic web. Any word that appears web will know what it means. And it would be linking things related to that particular word together. Another aspect of future web is every day machines that we use like car, washing machine etc (anything you can think of, can be your pen) would be window the web. Everything would be chip based and would be connected to web. This is part of augmented reality.
All this is coming up really fast and 10 years from now we might have many of these things in place. You might have some small gadget in your pocket (I will call it your buddy) always, who is going to guide you for everything. Say you are hungry and want to have a MacD. You just express your thoughts and your buddy is going to give you information on the nearest MacD restaurant, traffic conditions, cost of the burger, weather conditions outside, approx time it will take for the delivery of burger at MacD and lot more. This is really fascinating but it has other side too. It would make everyone very much dependant. Also there would be some evil forces that could also use the same media adversely. Whatever it might be but at this time, this seems to be very attractive to explore and work upon.

Accessibility Vs Usability

There seems to be lot of confusion between accessibility and usability and what comes first. While working on different web projects we usually emphasize on ease of use. For that we customize our web pages for different types of users such that the users do not have to traverse through several pages to get to the topic of his/her interest.We not only provide the information but we make that a wonderful experience for the user.
For example, I go to canteen everyday and take orange juice. For this I have to stand in queue, place the order and wait for the juice to be delivered. Vendor observes this for few days and one day as soon as he looks at me entering the canteen, he prepares the juice and provides me the glass when I reach the counter. Not only that, he ensures that the juice is presented in such a way every day that I wait to go and have the juice. Vendor does the same thing for all different types of users by observing there behavior over a period of time. He keeps on refining the process. That is creating a user friendly environment and that is what usability is all about.
Then what is accessibility. Now take a similar example for a user who is not able to go out till canteen to have the juice. Vendor provides the on call delivery to his/her desk. That is how he ensures to make his service accessible to everyone at anytime.
What comes first, accessibility or usability? This can still be debated. But there are now legal implications of not addressing accessibility issues. There are guidelines which need to be followed to ensure that all the web pages are accessible to differently abled users. So every site now has to be accessible as well as usable. Infosys iProwe helps users to address the accessibility issue for their web pages. I always thought that usability was important in this competitive environment and now realize that accessibility is equally important.

Love & Break-up

See you after the break... 'Milte hai break ke baad'.... Oh I am not talking about the commercial break in television programs. I am talking about the break-up, real hard break-up from the one whom you loved the most. Who, you could not get out of your mind, no matter what you were actually doing? Someone whom you loved passionately and probably more than yourself at one point in time. Everything seemed so beautiful and perfect, just when you were with that person. You always had the feeling which is expressed as 'Made for each other' or 'Soul Mate'.
Suddenly one day you decide to breakup? for what? has that become a fashion? or now you realize that you have come so close to each other that it becomes difficult to live without the other one, and you just don't want to be so much dependent on other person. What is the reason for this breakup? or its just that it was best thing in that situation, now you change the college or organization or move to other city and now you feel that its not going to be same and just don't want to continue with this 'love' anymore. Its hard for you but you still want to take that step.
Such thing has become so common now a days. People madly fall in love and then crazily rise up again in breakup (just to fall in love again). Come on guys, why fall in love when you are more bothered about rising after the fall. Hey I'm not joking here. You see there are so many websites, who give tips over how to get over the worst breakup of your life? I don't know how useful they are but its definitely soothing to find other trapped in the same situation as you. So when you read the testimonial about what others did in that situation, it helps you feel that you have someone else also floating in the same boat and you are more confident of sailing through. I think this formula works in any kind of situation.
So many incidents of breakups are found these days that its really hard to understand if there was any love at first place? People just mutually decide to move on, that too all of a sudden, with no real reason. I have difficulty in understanding this kind of breakup. Breakups used to happen earlier also but they were different. They were not like love passionately for few days and then breakup never to see again with mutual consent. And even if you happen to see as sometimes its unavoidable, you maintain a good friendly relationship. What kind of relationship is this? Is that people can now switch on & off their emotional buttons. is there nothing like commitment left in these relations? What if someone is not aware and gets trapped in this new kind of emerging relation?
I know most of my blogs lately have questions & questions? may be because I have twin two year old kids who just keep on asking & asking tirelessly. Its just their influence on me. But this time I am really worried about this matter. Come on guys, let love be what it has been ever since the time of Laila-Majnu, Romeo-Juliet etc. Do not play with and test others and your emotions. And have some basic values of sacrifice & commitment in this most fulfilling relationship. Its the only relation that clicks through heart & remains the most mysterious & rewarding thing in any one's life. Just don't call it love when you do not have these feelings. It can be called anything else but love. And by chance there is a love that ends up because of some reason, do not try to find it again in something or someone else and make a joke out of it. Just feel lucky that it was with you for a while and you had those 'best moments' of your life. On the scientific aspect, the chemicals that your mind produce when you are really in love with someone cannot be produced again for someone else. So there is no point in you trying hard to get the same feeling for someone else. Stop your mad rush and let it click again. Who knows next time if (ever) it clicks, your mind will produce something that can give you a real 'high' that you never experienced before. But whatever it is, let love be love and even if it ends let it remain as love. The feelings and emotions that you experience are always yours and can never be taken away by anyone.

Working Mother

Last weekend, we had gone out for dinner with some of my husband's office colleagues and there family. In all we were 4 families and as usual we were chatting about kids, maids, work etc. But after sometime I realized that all the other women except me were house wives. 2 of them had left their job after kids and 1 never took up any job. They talked about how relieved they were after leaving their job and how much more time and attention they can give to their kids now. Suddenly I had few questions that came to my mind? Like am I doing something wrong by being a working mother? Is it really that my kids are missing out on something specially my time and amount of interaction I have with them? Am I really sacrificing anything on my home front by opting to be a working mother? I asked my husband casually how he would feel if I leave my job. Will I be a better wife and home maker and above all a better mother? He is very clever, he never gives me direct replies to such questions and smiled and said you have right to choose the way you want to live your life and you only are the best judge. I do not have any problem, whatever you choose. Oh I knew the answer but still gave a try.
So I introspected, I observed my kids, relived my routine life in my mind as to what compromises I am making, if any, by choosing to work. For me my mother was not working so I even tried talking to some of my friends whose mother was working to find out. Almost everyone said they never felt any difference. In fact they were all proud of the way they were brought up, specially the girls. I think girls realize what their mother have done for them after they are mothers themselves and same for guys too. Once you step into the role played by someone else you realize where exactly it bites the most :) So in all I spoke to some 10 women some working, some not working. And from the working one's I got the reply that they believe in spending quality time with kids. They never feel they are compromising anything instead they have learned to take help for the everyday household stuff and also learnt to let go at times. Also there kids are more independent. For the ones who are not working they said, they can plan activities related to kids more and they are able to socialize which was not possible before. They are always available for all the big to small needs of their child.
So really question that I had in beginning does not have any definite answer. I just believe that if you are happy everything else falls in place. You are able to spread that happiness to your family, your society and vice versa. So the key to all this is that women should see what is she happy doing. If she is happy when she steps out of house and do something she is skilled to do, she gets that extra energy & enthusiasm to handle the things at home. And if some women feel that they would be more happy to sit at home and take care of everything on their own. That is how they always wished to live their life. They should definitely take a break and enjoy. That is the only way you can take care of your family because I strongly believe that the charm, enthusiasm, togetherness and enjoyment in any family is brought by the women of that family. And kids are mirror image of their parents. So kids who are more happy, bubbly & cheerful are more likely to have similar parents. So it’s just that we should not be comparing ourselves with others in taking such decisions, it all depends on individual. There is nothing as right or wrong here. It’s the sense of responsibility that comes to everyone as soon as they enter the parenthood and how each one wants to handle that is left to that individual.

Next 3 Days

I think the name of the movie was 'next 3 days'. I missed the initial part of the movie as was busy cleaning up the stuff in kitchen after lunch yesterday and my hubby had already started the movie. He thought I would prefer afternoon nap as I was tired after preparing festival lunch and performing the rituals for gudipadwa and my kids went to sleep (which is very rare). I hardly get to sleep in afternoons as for my two little darling (twins), sleeping is never on priority, unlike me :) I opted for lying down in hall, where my hubby was already engrossed in the movie, instead of going in the bedroom and sleeping next to kids. So I missed the initial 10 mins of the movie and later on my hubby told me the name but I don't remember it exactly. As at that time I was again busy in multitasking, getting my kids ready to go to garden and also thinking about what can we have in dinner, also do I have everything ready for tomorrow as we have to go to daycare and office after 3 days of holiday, also did I put the keys in my wallet etc etc. Anyways, the movie was awesome. Be that the story or the acting or the editing. Everything about it was superb. I couldn't close my eyes for even a second. There were not many dialogues and many things left to the audience to interpret. But it is so well acted by Russell Crowe. I just fell in love with that man while watching him. I think my hubby sensed that too :) but his character was written and portrayed in a wonderful way. This man has tried his best to get his wife out of prison. He has appealed and appealed and failed. And then he is forced to accept that this is the kind of life his wife is going to live. It is when his wife attempts suicide and his son is going through all the emotional ups downs without his mother, that is when this man decides that he is going to bring his wife back. And once he has made up his mind, he is ready to do anything and everything. It was thrilling experience. I still have a little hang over, even after a day. I am happy that my kids slept for 2 hours yesterday afternoon and I could watch such a fantastic movie. It was really refreshing after a very long time :)

In Search

If we look at most of the people around, they are doing the same kind of thing everyday. Yet few people have a different charm. They are always in search of doing something different. They are the few who excel. If we choose the correct word for them then they are very passionate. I think they are at the place of there choice and they are fit for the work they are into. Most of them were bound to be doing only this as compared to others who are just following the mass. When I think about myself, I am still confused as to what is that I would have taken up as a profession would have given me more satisfaction then what I am currently into. But I am not able to find the answer. when I was in school, I wanted to be an architect. I used to admire the way building plans were made and implemented. When I was in college I wanted to be a RJ, I had even gone to Akashvani kendra to give inerview but was not selected. Actually was not aware of the process and realized that going for any exam without awareness can never give results. Only luck cannot make you shahrukh khan or bill gates or sachin tendulkar. It is there knowledge which makes them what they are today. Yeah but that was my dream. Then I also wanted to be an editor of magazine or news paper at one point in time. I used to like that job. I still love all these jobs and I also love the job I am into. But still not able to find out what is that I am passionate about most and which I can convert to my profession. Actually I am never fussy about anything I do that is the reason I am not able to find the answer. May be someday I will be able to find answer to this question.

I just don't want my life to end like this. I want to do something different and outstanding. That doesn't mean that I want to be famous but I want to be happy within and satisfied just to find out the way of expressing myself the best. I don't want to end up doing the same thing which 10s and thousands of others are also doing. if I can put a word for this it should be something innovative. Something that represents me as a person. I am in search of that and hope to find it soon.