Blissful Life

Blog

Notice: after planning it for years, I moved this blog out of blogger/blogspot (which google has abandoned long ago) to wordpress on a fine evening in Dec 2024. This notice will stay here to warn that things might be broken. Let me know if you find anything.

  • What Kerala and Keralites Can and Must Learn From Delhi City

    I’ve recently been to Delhi. Actually it’s been my first time visit. (Though, I dream of making it many more times)

    And though the heat there took the toll out of me, a poor Keralite, I still love Delhi and wish to be back there.

    There are two important things that we Keralites must learn from such big cities.

    First is transport. One thing that really mesmerized me into loving Delhi is the metro railway. It is comfortable, fast, affordable, time-savvy and reduces congestion in the roads. You do know that it is almost impossible to get from the North to the South of Cochin at 8 in any weekday morning. Metro railway need not be in metro cities.
    For roads, one thing that is absent in Delhi roads is gutters. There has been no compromise made with the health of roads, and that gives you a huge relief. At least you can mind other business while driving without hitting anything trying to avoid a hole in front.

    And the second, the lifestyle.
    We Keralites have a habit of thinking about others. How they look. How they see us. How nasty they are. How rude. How disgusting others can be. How helping others can be harmful. How a “sorry” can lower our respect. How a “good morning” makes us inferior.
    How rubbish!
    In the city, people don’t care about others. Everyone lives in a world of thier own, in which they need care about matters they are concerned with, and matters that need their attention. Can’t we just try to concentrate on ourselves?
    Not that we should replace our styles with their, but shouldn’t we adapt and perfect ourselves.

    And of course, Delhi is the capital of India

  • What Does Being Alive Mean?

    We are alive. For, we breathe, we move, we do things that pebbles probably cannot.
    But what does it mean, “to live”?

    There ARE more than 6 billion people on earth. And we are only a few among them. It doesn’t make a difference whether we live or we die. Nobody cares to see what we do, what we don’t. And even if we don’t do something, nothing happens to the system. The sky doesn’t break apart and fall on your roof.
    Then, why should we live?

    This of course is the question that philosophers have been asking themselves and others for centuries. This of course is the question that makes many men in their harshest times, lie on the railway track waiting for the train, or tie one end of a rope on a ceiling fan and the other end around the neck?

    Why?

    There are many ways to answer this:

    One way is the path of spirituality. You don’t know why you live, you ask why and move, hopefully, towards the answer. These are most often propelled by spirituality gurus. They tell you that God is there, but you can find him, only through unflinching devotion. But betting on a God one whose very existence is doubted, is a risk that no sane human is gonna take. (That’s why we call a saint, insane)

    Another way is to accept the truth and just live. You know you are living. And though you don’t know why you are living, you know how to live, so, you live.
    And to live so, there are many ways. Some people live luxuriously. Some miserably. Some are happy, that they are living. Some wait for death. You just live the way you lived until this why-question came to your mind.

    Yet another way is to know that you are blessed to be living, and more, to be living as a human, and then, to use your life to the best, reach out for the maximum and make it huge.
    This is the kind of life that we should aim at.
    We are alive. There is only one life. Then why not make it huge???

    Socialize. Volunteer. Participate in whatever is going on around. Read everything. Learn anything new. Help every one. Love all. Play for fun. Laugh. Smile. Make others happy. Talk. Teach. Dream. Do big things. Change the world.

    And finally you’ve got the answer. Why are you alive?

  • A Letter to Roger Federer from His Fan

    Dear Roger,
    You are the greatest tennis player I have seen playing. The elegance of your style is incredible. Nobody else on this planet can surpass you in that. And you are extremely handsome too.

    I thought I could give you some tips to beat Rafael Nadal.
    But I give in.
    Nadal is a contender. He runs on every ball that pitches in his side of the court. And, you cannot pitch the ball anywhere other than the court. Then how can you beat Rafa?
    I cannot answer this question.
    I am in no way

    But, I can bet that YOU can find a solution. I don’t know how anyone can tame that animal. (and I’m sure has entered a cheat code to get infinite stamina)
    But I know that if anyone can do it, it is only you.

    If you become a father, and you fail to beat Rafa, then how will the world see your son? Will he ever live in peace?

    The greatest gift you can ever give to your son and all your fans is defeating Rafa at the French Open, even before your son sees the sun.

    And YOU CAN DO IT. But only if you will.

    Your greatest fan
    Akshay

  • The Ultimate Cricket Event Bowls Off Today

    Indian Premier League’s second episode has already become hit news with pretty much happening before the season itself.

    Firstly, the INDIAN PL had been shifted to South Africa. This harsh reality with which many fans can’t still cope with has not reduced the enthusiasm of fans.

    Then, there are the teams’ internal issues.
    The Kolkata Knight Riders have been in the news for everyday, thanks to Shah Rukh and his comments, Buchanan and his crazy ideas. And Ganguly has been replaced as captain by McCullum.
    Banglore Royal Challengers’ Captain Rahul Dravid has also been axed.

    Now, with almost all teams having a foreign captain and the whole game happening at a foreign soil, Indians are looking eagerly towards the Indian Premier League.

  • Contact Sheet

    You can use any of the following options to chat with me or talk to me or contact me in any method.

    Mail me at
    gmail
    yahoo (or ymail, or rocketmail)
    hotmail
    any other

    Scrap me using orkut
    Write on my wall
    in Facebook
    in koottam

    Or tweet a reply to @asdofindia via twitter

    Google Talk

    Digsby

    This is Zoho Chat

  • In Case of Emergency, How Will Someone Find Whom to Contact With You Dying and Your Mobile in your Pocket?

    Dear All,

    We all carry our mobile phones with names & numbers stored in its memory but nobody, other than ourselves, knows which of these numbers belong to our closest family or friends.

    If we were to be involved in an accident or were taken ill, the people attending us would have our mobile phone but wouldn’t know who to call. Yes, there are hundreds of numbers stored but which one is the contact person in case of an emergency? Hence this “ICE” (In Case of Emergency) Campaign

    The concept of “ICE” is catching on quickly. It is a method of contact during emergency situations. As cell phones are carried by the majority of the population, all you need to do is store the number of a contact person or persons who should be contacted during emergency under the name “ICE” ( In Case Of Emergency).

    The idea was thought up by a paramedic who found that when he went to the scenes of accidents, there were always mobile phones with patients, but they didn’t know which number to call. He therefore thought that it would be a good idea if there was a nationally recognized name for this purpose. In an emergency situation, Emergency Service personnel and hospital Staff would be able to quickly contact the right person by simply dialing the number you have stored as “ICE.”

    For more than one contact name simply enter ICE1, ICE2 and ICE3 etc. A great idea that will make a difference!

    Let’s spread the concept of ICE by storing an ICE number in our mobile phones today!!! !

    Please forward this. It won’t take too many “forwards” before everybody will know about this It really could save your life, or put a loved one’s mind at rest .

    ICE will speak for you when you are not able to

  • Official Gmail Blog: Typing in Indian Languages

    If you didn’t notice it the last time you sent an email, go compose a mail now. There is a fine small button on the top left that lets you type Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. Don’t forget to check it out
    Official Gmail Blog: Typing in Indian Languages

  • I Recommend: Personal Development for Smart People – Steve Pavlina

    Personal Development for Smart People – Steve Pavlina

    This site is absolutely wonderful. It is just one man – Steve Pavlina. His experiences in life made him what he is and those have directly contributed to the quality of his posts. Has many excellent articles about self discipline like how to be an early riser

  • Do You Realize Your Value

    During the civil wars in feudal Japan, an invading army would quickly sweep into a town and take control. In one particular village, everyone fled just before the army arrived – everyone except the Zen master. Curious about this old fellow, the general went to the temple to see for himself what kind of man this master was. When he wasn’t treated with the deference and submissiveness to which he was accustomed, the general burst into anger. “You fool,” he shouted as he reached for his sword, “don’t you realize you are standing before a man who could run you through without blinking an eye!” But despite the threat, the master seemed unmoved. “And do you realize,” the master replied calmly, “that you are standing before a man who can be run through without blinking an eye?”

    The above story tells us more than one thing.

    1: Don’t be afraid: Don’t fear anyone. Fear never leads to productivity. It only leads to restriction. But that doesn’t mean we have to show fearlessness everywhere. Be brave when it matters. Stand up and speak out against injustice. But,

    2: Be tactful: Like the Zen master, show tact. Request something and you may get things that you may not have got if you had ordered for it. Inject humor (not satire) and you may be winning hearts even faster.

    3: Never give others a chance to devalue you:Ever found yourself shouting against someone to stop shouting? Ever wasted time watching senseless soaps in the television? Then you will understand what I mean by not giving others a chance to devalue you.

    Remember: You will be as much value to others as you have been to yourself.

  • Win Friends, Stop Worrying, Start Speaking – Dale Carnegie

    The Dale Carnegie Page

    Dale Carnegie’s summaries of his books :

     How to Win Friends and Influence People

             How to Stop Worrying and Start Living

       The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking

             Don't Grow Old - Grow Up! by Dorothy Carnegie

    Though these are only summaries, they are very useful