I am India

WE now have:
Big houses – Small families
Buy More – Enjoy Less
Taller Buildings – Narrow Minds
More Technology – Less Solutions
More Degrees – Less Sense
More Medicine – Less Health
More Farmville – Less of Real Gardening
Made Living – Not Life
Reached Moon – Not Hearts of family and friends

Result:
Restless lifestyle, overweight bodies, loud music, artificial environment, polluted air, busy schedule, frequent travels, less time and crazy race to catch success train.

But NOW, countdown has started for a new beginning yet again. With this new page, we can try to reduce some clumsiness in our daily routine and spend some time with our loved ones as they are not going to stay around us forever. This New Year, try to give time to love, to speak, to listen and to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

For me, this year was very good giving me opportunities to rediscover my love for my family and I could give them the affection and support they needed. I am happy with the lessons I have learned.

With this, I give a pleasant goodbye to 2009 and warm welcome to 2010.

You too have a very HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Hyderabad, this is the place I am born and bought up. This city gave me good friends, many opportunities to become an achiever in life. I love this city. Not just for me, it has been same for people coming from other places as well.

This city of Nizams now developed into a complete cosmopolitan hub accommodating people from various cultures and diversities.

So what? Why this essay on Hyderabad? Hmm, it’s because today this has become center of discussion for everybody in the wake of dividing Andhra Pradesh.

After statement from center that process for new state formation is on, first heard from other regions was, “Oh, then what about Hyderabad?” There was restlessness but were expecting some more updates. Then one senior IAS officer stated that “Hyderabad” will be capital of newly formed state, agitations hit the sky even more and they started saying we want to be united and splitting is not a good idea. Now, if only A.P capital was not Hyderabad and if Vizag or Kurnool was, will these people ever be bothered of “telangana” formation? Now if they announce Hyderabad an UT, will they agitate in the same way? This is one side story.

Now the other side story, one person started fasting and within 11 days statement for formation of separate state came in. This same person was with one regional party and as long as he was with that party, leave alone talking about separate telangana, he never even strived to do anything for telangana people. The same person, who was M.P and had few MLAs from telangana region, never went to parliament nor interacted with government to get grants for “his” telangana people. So now, if he heads newly formed state, what can he do? Does he require a separate state to develop? If only Hyderabad is made an UT will he be still interested in separate state?

So, the cream of the cake is Hyderabad and nobody wants to lose it.

Personally, I am not in favor of any separate state formation because this is not going to solve problems in any manner. Giving a separate state is like giving license to greedy politicians to make big money. Instead of concentrating on splitting the state into pieces we should work hand in hand to develop it.

Frankly speaking, whether it is Telangana, Andhra or Rayalaseema, common man (farmer, daily labour, workers, and middle class) is in same condition of buying groceries with half of their earnings, many families not able to even afford proper meal a day, tons of graduates lining up for employment but not finding one, villagers till hoping for some good light after sun sets, drinking water etc etc. Instead of spending huge money on building a new capital and infrastructure, it is better to spend on such needs and develop the area.

Celebrate development of state not formation of state .

Cheerio,
Padma

“Who wants tea?” one of the girls stood from the chair and asked the roomies. It was 12:30am, weekend.

“Me with one spoon of sugar, mine with calorie less sugar, and mine with a pinch of ginger”, rest of the three voices responded one by one.

Tea has arrived with some snacks and girls started enjoying their respective tea. Along with tea, there were various activities like gossip, discussions on topics included but not limited to diet, career, office, saas-bahu serials, movies and the list goes on.

These were all our fun loving activities over weekend and venue for this was 103, SMR Vinay Prangan, Madhapur. We have lot of memories with that place. There was an ear to hear and shoulder to lean when someone was in depression, there were happy celebrations when someone achieved something and hand to help when needed. Though I had my home, this was my second home where most of my weekends were spent.

For us weekend night outs is to watch full length telugu/tamil songs and make fun of all those uncle type heroes trying to tuck their tummies to woo the heroines. For us partying is to have multiple cups of ginger tea and imitating any “chosen” one for the day. We had colorful diwali here, small treats when someone had great news to share, cute surprises for each other’s birthdays, quick walk to nearby Baskin Robins to grab an ice-cream bite, occasional visit to Punjabi Dhaba in next lane to taste yummy paratas and awesome lassi etc etc.

Today all most all of them are moving away from that place to settle in their lives or for the chosen career path leaving me to become nostalgic whenever I pass that place. This will definitely leave the place empty but my mind will be full of jingles of all those moments.

Life is a bouquet of various flowers, every petal gives fragrance to life and one such special fragrance is the time spent with my sweet friends.

Those were the days when all of us had good fun and today when they are busy with their lives, I wish them a glorious future.

Hope we again gather together to celebrate and remember a lovely phase of our life.

Don't get lockup with your life.

Do "tring tring" sometimes to catch up some gossip :D

Cheerio,
Paddy :) (my roomies address me)