My mind has a mind of its own!!!

My mind has a mind of its own!  It most certainly does.. It never stops talking and that second track that mostly sings.. But what do you do when your mind doesn't stop singing and playing antakshri.. when you try hard to make it stop and tell it to allow you to sleep but it won't... Forget it, I've told 'stop' to myself often  enough and after all what  worst can happen. Well nothing I can think of for sure... And what is the best that can happen. Hey, I can win an Antakshri competition for sure. The last thoughts in your mind before you sleep turn into dreams and often return to you in the morning when you wake. Thoughts during the day build up into a chatter in your mind and it's all that anxiety, fear, unanswered questions, confusion,  judgment, etc. they say.... In my case it's just not any of this because there is no one to judge, no fears, no confusion. I am retired and free to do as I please so then what??

So how do I stop talking to myself or singing that song over and over and over again..... should I tell my mind to wander elsewhere, perhaps start solving word puzzles (which I do) or meditate or turn to spirituality to calm my racing over active mind. Did I say meditate? Did I say turn to spirituality? Let me quote something I wrote in my book YOUNG AND SIXTY (do pick a copy!!) and it's just about me with due respect to others. 

"My friends often suggest I consider yoga, art of living, meditation and I would like to think that it is my spiritual growth they are talking about. I definitely make it a point to strike them off my friends list, if they just mean to say, "you are old now and so you should". Some of us see it as a spiritual journey that should begin, while some prefer to journey into the past and reflect about what is still to come. As the years pass, a fear of the unknown grows stronger by the day and we begin to lean on God.  If it were really possible to talk to God today, what would you say to Him and would He even bother to listen? I do not know what you feel about this but I am a firm believer in talking to God. I fight with him too on a regular basis and I firmly believe that he listens to me. Yet for someone like me who believes in the power of prayer, I still can't see myself meditating or sitting in silence."

Then when I am singing or talking to God, is it because of stress. Let me quote my thoughts from my book yet again...

"The only way to handling stress is perhaps to control that wandering and over imaginative mind. It is not at all easy, because mine never stops talking to me even when I lay my head on my pillow at night. I keep running over conversations in my head and in the morning I find myself remembering all the conversations that I have had and with whom. I can be a little nuts at times, but that’s fine by me as it is not impacting how I feel or behave. Talking to myself is actually my way of clearing my cobwebs. I love talking to myself and in fact it helps me write my stories and scripts better too."

Google search says that psychologists believe they have figured out exactly why certain songs tend to stick in our heads more than others. The phenomenon according to them is called 'involuntary musical imagery' more commonly known as “earworms.” .... Earworms????? Oh yes, I do most certainly have loads of those keedas in my head, but they are mostly about getting out there, having fun and making new friends and memories. Then it is also said that singing and talking to yourself isn't just normal but it is good for your mental health too... That's good the hear. So I guess I am okay looking at things differently, making up weird questions and think up even weirder answers to that in my head. Again quoting from my book... Well, I have written one so why not?..  and it has all these thoughts on living life in the now, so yeah, why not? Have you ever tried having mental fights with people who make you miserable. I advise you to do that. I do that all the time, especially when I don't want to argue standing there and then with that irrational person. I just simply go home, have these big mental fights in my head with that person in my mind at night. I know that if I did that face to face, it might make it worst, so it's just me and my mind arguing it out with that person in my head till I am spent.... and soon I find myself letting go and then it just does not matter anymore.

I love to meet people, make friends, love to touch hearts and keep on wandering to seize more opportunities on the way. So what's up with me and what's my mind up to? Should I be worried? I thinknot for I think I've got it. We are just happy talking and singing together to release this too much energy I have these days after retirement.... With a mix of singing and talking....arguments and decisions... I think we are doing just fine. There is nothing wrong with my mind having a mind of its own.... AND ofcourse my heart has a heart of its own too, but that is another story....

.................and so it's time for that dramatic moment overused phrase in movies I'd like to say to you, "If anyone has any objections, speak now or forever hold your peace".

A perfect start for 2019 - a Health and Wellness Meet-Up

As the year draws to a close each one of us every year make promises and resolutions to ourselves, some which we keep and some which we never get down to. So do I.  Mine being to start exercising. My one and only resolution that I lost somewhere along the line when my knees started troubling me. So when my friends, Dr. Bhavi Mody and Moushumi Pal, invited me to attend their first knowledge sharing and fun event of the year, "Your Health In Your Hands presents Wellness Meet-Up", I was happy to do so. A joint venture by Dr. Bhavi, Vrudhi and Moushumi Pal, Woodpecker Media was not just a meet and greet, but a well curated event organised to talk about something that's most important to each one of  us - our own health.  Topics that were presented by a number of eminent ladies were surprisingly all those that I have covered in my latest published book "Young and Sixty", that talks about my failings, sharing and life experiences to help inspire people to look within again, move forward and play a winning game on your own terms by taking control and living life in the Now!  The event organised on January 5th at Workbay, Bandra was hosted by Niddhi Puranik, the Fitness Ambassador, was indeed a perfect start for 2019. 

Learnings are always to be shared so here are some of the nuggets that I picked up from the speakers and am sure you will like me learn a lot from it too.

Dr.Bhavi Mody, Homeopath, Health Evangelist, Holistic Health Blogger, Speaker

§   When you talk about wellness, you as a centre,  need to feel good about yourself first. Lifestyle changes means go back to the basics. Move, sleep, workout and hydrate. Happiness is state of mind"

Dr Dimple Bhankharia, Dermatologist, Divine Skin Clinic on the secret to timeless beauty

§       Causes of ageing are smoking, prolonged exposure to the sun, stress, pollution, excess sugar and excess smoking.   Ageing happens 10 years earlier to a smoker.

§       As we age our skin begins to dry, get thinner, bruise easily, gets dull and loses its elasticity. 

Tips:

§          Vitamins A,C, E are good for skin

§          Think darker colour of fruits.. the lighter your skin will be..

§          Daily skin care routine important

§         Use a sunscreen every 3 hours with SPF >30 and definitely before moving out

§         Eye cream once you cross 35.

§         Exfoliate your skin. Exfoliating scrub once a week

§         Not just fruits, vegetables and nuts, add oil, green tea, flax seeds and dark chocolate to  your diet.

Dr Rashi Gupta, Dentist

§     Butterfly effect is an optical phenomenon seen in some sections of tooth roots but it is not only about mouth teeth and guns but  proper alignment of jaws also.  Jaws are important to be aligned properly for breathing and therefore attention must be paid to this even in children.  Yawning is important it supplies extra oxygen to the brain. Avoid free dental check-ups and take a proper check up occasionally.

Wellness talk by Dr Naavnidhi Wadhwa, Celebrity Life, Health and Business Coach

§     You need to be aware of your five senses for example we never use our senses especially when eating.. You need to be with food which is the source of our energy.  Mind learns only when you involve 5 senses. There is no stress when you use the five senses properly with mindfulness.  She conducted a unique meditation exercise unlike others where you are asked to blank out your mind first.  She explained that creating thought is work of the mind so we can't ask it to become blank (love this) .

Ms. Marrgalit on Bach Flower Remedies

§   Bach therapy focuses on outlook and personality of person to eradicate seven negative emotions using 38 flower essences that corresponds to a particular negative emotion. For example: White chestnut for persistent unwanted thoughts, Vine for my way or the highway, Beech helps develop tolerance

§      Bach Rescue Remedy combination of 5 flower essence brings you awareness and calms you down was recommended by her

§     These remedies however, cannot be bought off the shelf as the practitioner takes history of person and creates the essence suitably.

§       Up to 7 flowers can be combined to solve two or more specific emotions and situations.

Doodles and health session by Shambhavi Tarotforu, Award Winning Celebrity, Tarot Reader, Life Coach,Vaastu, Colour Therapist

§        An engaging activity and an ice breaker was conducted with the ladies which was fun. From the absent mind random designing on paper is doodles. Each one of us were given a piece of paper and pencil to doodle.  The paper colour and the pencil colour that we actually picked up also spoke volumes about us as per her.  Green being progression, Yellow  being positivity and healing, Orange being spiritually and so on.  On explaining the significance of doodling squares, rounds, etc. she explained when too many doodles are Squares or Circles close eyes and see what you see first. Be aware of what you draw or Doodles..it speaks volumes about you...example when we write names on paper, the way the alphabets are written shows how much attention you seek.

Neha Suradhkar talked about Self Love, Positive Body Image and Loving Yourself Unconditionally.

§        Looking good and feeling good both are important.

§       Do what you can do best with what you have.

§       Dressing up by understanding colours, styles and what works for you and your skin focusing on features that you can highlight

§        If you are on heavier side make sure your negatives are downplayed.

§       Don't put any conditions on yourself but accept yourself the way you are

Dr. Nikhil Shah, WinSoles on the benefits of the soles they create to align the body as per each individual requirement. Some facts he shared were walking for just routine work like market runs does not  count as walking. 15 minutes of concentrated walking is important. Checking right posture, foot alignment, whether flat footed or not, are you standing climbing and running in a proper surface are important for  walking correctly and foot balance.

Rashmi Bagri, Corporate Trainer, conducted an exercise to appreciate, experience and get to know the person sitting next to you. Each one was asked to draw the person and then list features that attracted you or those that you liked. A feel good exercise for participants.

Trupti Sawant  (Trups S Sawant) on Science of Forgiveness - Is it a Choice or a Compulsion today?

§       There are  11 major chakras or energy centre that starts from the sub conscious mind.

§       When a person does not troubled you anymore in thought dream or physically then it is true forgiveness.

§       Write Letter S on unruled paper in script style and say  that you forgive..

Riddhi Doshi Patel, Performance Skills Trainer, Behavioral Coach, Psychologist, Integrated Art Therapy Practitioner on accepting yourself.

§     Made all the ladies get up and loosen up with a bit of stretching exercises and an exercise using modality of dance moves. As she explained, nothing works if there is no connect between mind and body. She conducted an exercise to thank every part of the body by asking us to close our eyes and touch each part of your body in appreciation and thanks.

My take away was simple, that being, to look after my health, exercise and sleep well.  As for eating healthy, I am not the one who can lecture anyone on it for sure, but I do believe in eating in moderation and with a thought that at the end of the day, that I  do not want to be at the mercy of others on account of any ill health.

You too can learn more so join Dr. Bhavi Mody and Moushomi Pal in their endeavour to take you on the path of good health. Like their FB page:  

https://www.facebook.com/groups/vrudhihwc/?ref=search

And do pick up a copy of  my book that talks of this too ..........

India Links : Flipkart, Amazon.in,  Infibeam, Notionpress.com

International : Amazon.com  Amazon.co.uk

AGE WITH HUMOUR

WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?

GUILT? …….    STRESS!!

INCOMPLETE BUCKET LIST?

MONEY WISE- MONEY FOOLISH

MEMORIES MAKEOVER

LET’S TALK #MENTAL HEALTH

FOLLOW YOUR HEART

WHEN PANIC ATTACKS !!

GEN-NEXT AND US !!!

  GETTING OFF THE GRUDGE TRAIN

WHY CAN’T I ENJOY MY MONEY?

THE GRANDPARENT GUILT TRAP

   DECONSTRUCTING  DEMENTIA

& ALZHEIMER‘S

BRAIN POWER…   SOUL MATTERS!

…….AND  MORE

Friendship " QUOTE- UNQUOTE" line up

My mom had a fascination of  reading and then writing down in a note book all the quotes that she loved. That book  in her own handwriting is now a fond memory with us three sisters. I guess that is where I got my passion for writing quotes which I write an upload on my social media almost every day.... and you what I realised?  That there were so many quotes out there by people from around the globe, that I could actually write a whole blog just using those quotes in a proper sequence and by just adding a few words (those you see in italics)  to string  it together... so  this is what my love for quotes inspired me to do... Here goes one on "Friendship"...

"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one^{."(~C.S, Lewis).}   ... "No friendship is an accident." ^{(~ O.Henry)}. but 'Making a friend and maintaining a friendship are two different things. Be picky about who you keep around you. Personalities, words and traits do rub of naturally' ^{(~Sonya Teclai, the Goodvibe.co).}  'It is important to make friendships that are deeper than gossiping, drinking and going out.  Make friends who can you can go out with, make friends you can cry with, make friends who support your life goals and believe in you' ^{(~Word Porn)..} 'Anyone that encourages intellectual, emotional, artistic or spiritual growth is worth keeping. Don't let them go' ^{(~Dau-CosmicExtensions).} So it is simple, “Don’t make friends who are comfortable to be with. Make friends who will force you to lever yourself up.” ^{(~Thomas J. Watson).} After all it is said that, 'Friends are the siblings God never gave us. ^(~Mencius). and that "Friends are born, not made' ^{(~Henry Adams)} ... Think about it. "God gives us relatives; thank God, we can choose our friends". ^{(~Addison Mizner)}.  'Friends can help each other. A true friend is someone who lets you have total freedom to be yourself - and especially to feel. Or, not feel. Whatever you happen to be feeling at the moment is fine with them. That's what real love amounts to is letting a person be what he/she really is' ^{(~Jim Morrison)....} because  "A friend is someone who can see the truth and pain in you even when you are fooling everyone else "^{(~ Unknown).}

"Friends should be like books, few, but hand-selected." ^{(~C.J. Langenhoven)...} More importantly it is true that,  “If you go looking for a friend, you’re going to find they’re very scarce. If you go out to be a friend, you’ll find them everywhere.” ^{(~ Zig Ziglar).} Even then,  "I don’t need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better.”^{(~Plutarch). ).} It is therefore better to remember that  “In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” ^{(~Martin Luther King, Jr.)}  So, "If you wanna find out who's a true friend, screw up or go through a challenging time.. then see who sticks around." ^{(~Karen Salmonsohn)}

Let me end with one of my own thoughts about friendship.

"Friendship is not something you learn in school.

But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship,

you really haven't learned anything. There comes a

moment in life when one must acknowledge

that some friends will hurt you, intentionally and

sometimes unintentionally too...It is then best to

either keep quiet and forget about it....or move on !!"

Garba for Global Peace and Me!!

It was like Ma Ambe had especially designed a beautiful visit to my hometown to take her blessings. I found myself at Vadodara with family singing Garbas and being invited for events that I had always wanted to be there for.  One such was an invitation from my niece, Nishita, who insisted I attend her office event at Ahmedabad on 14^th October 2018, since I was so close. An event to promote world peace by bringing together exchange students from around the world and over 250+ well-wishers!! ...Now that was one I could never say NO to, not just because I love participating and working for social cause events, but also because AFS has been an indirect part of my life too.  When she was just a little girl in the 10th standard, Nishita had flown off on a student exchange program from AFS India, an inclusive educational community of global citizens, students, families and volunteers that builds bridges between cultures. Despite the choice of innumerable places, such as the US, an opportunity that every child would grab, I must admit I was truly proud that she chose to experience a culture that was different. She chose to go to Italy for a year not just for a cultural experience but for wanting to learn a new language. As she tells me often even today that had she chosen an English speaking country today, Italian would not be on her list of spoken and written languages. I must admit that her experiences and the stories she shared, opened up a new world for me too and I am immensely proud of her. A one and a half hour drive from Vadodara to Ahmedabad, therefore, obviously did not seem to matter and in fact proved to be worth every minute of my time.

A beautifully decorated ground exploding with myriad of colourful chaniya-cholis and people dancing was indeed inviting. Presented by AFS Intercultural Programs India and hosted by Ahmedabad Chapter titled "Garba for Global Peace", the evening was planned as an unique experience for its exchange students, in keeping with Gujarat's culture and tradition of "Garba" to celebrate Navratri, the 9-day festival of Goddess Durga.  The event was not just planned as a fun event but had an underlined focus and purpose - a fundraising campaign designed with a plan of using the donations received to create life-changing opportunities and scholarships for under served students to avail prestigious AFS exchange Programs. It was heartwarming to see over 50+ young exchange students from so many countries such as USA, Thailand, Italy, Germany, Japan, Spain, etc. and other supporters, on the ground dancing in one large circle to traditional music and songs. The exchange students dressed in traditional wear with head gear enjoying dancing the Garba, and actually non-stop too, with such perfection put me to shame. Of course, me being me, I did break into a dance too despite creaking knees, take a picture with the students and talk to them. When they expressed how much they were loving the experience of studying and living in India, it made truly understand the power of the program that my niece experienced.

Today, I when I look at my niece achieving great heights not just professionally but her confidence and the way she handles herself as a person, it makes me wish that I could have given my children an opportunity like that.  Imagine what it can give your child, if she/he were to take off to a new country and learn to live with a totally unknown family with their own rules of life. Today we pamper our children and everything is given to them on a platter but what Nishita learnt in 2010 and came back with,is so much more that just becoming independent. I see a true professional, values-driven, confident, tolerant of others, appreciative, understanding and extremely hard working woman. Such programs build intercultural friendship and create lifelong cultural memories and empower children to study abroad facilitated by trained AFS volunteers and staff in 60+ countries. AFS India is amongst the leading organizations in intercultural education and experience that focuses on life-changing opportunities.

When I returned back home I thought to myself that today with all the mayhem around us and despite all our differences, everyone who was there at the event was somehow connected as one with the hope of a happier and a more meaningful life. There is so much out there to learn and the world is so much bigger with incredibly more to offer, then why are we living like frogs in a well?  I find a friend in everyone who sits next to me for more than five minutes because I love to talk and share. Experiences and friendships add new meaning to my life and am sure to yours too!!

Instead of drifting along like a leaf in a river, understand who you are and

how you come across to people and what kind of an impact you

have on the people around you and the community around you and the world,

so that when you go out, you can feel you have made a positive difference ~Jane Fonda

For more information  about  AFS India  get in touch at aadil.fahim@afs.org or nishita.mehta@afs.org or call at (+91-9971148406) or (+91-8586925131)

#LetsWalk, an initiative to promote health and fitness

An invitation to participate in a beach walk to promote health is honestly something I never saw myself agree to doing. #LetsWalk - Beach Walk, the initiative "your health in your hands" to promote health and fitness got me out of bed on September 2nd, that too on a Sunday; the day I refuse to get up early.  I landed up at Juhu Beach and found myself  enjoying a great morning at the beach and even more so because I found myself screaming out in joy. Everywhere I turned, I found a friend was there too and that was truly uplifting and awesome. 

The walk was organised by Moushumi Pal founder of Woodpecker Media, a consulting company catering to conceptualised events, transformational digital marketing strategies and creative brand design and Dr. Bhavi Mody, a postgraduate with over two decades of clinical experience in providing Holistic Healing and Founder and Director at Vrudhi Holistic Health Care. The event had a participation of over 150 health enthusiasts, started with a round of Yoga (me and yoga. Wow! I did that too), was followed by a 2 km walk on the beach. Fun childhood games such as tug-of-war, passing the parcel and thumbs-up that we have all played as children were a part of the event to bring back that magic into their lives.

I love to interview people and talk to them about their initiatives. so it was obvious that I found myself interviewing these wonderful ladies live on face book. Talking to me about the initiative, Moushumi said "We want to touch lives. We want inclusion. What Dr. Bhavi Mody advocates is making things very simple to follow, like eat less, sleep less, breathe well, things we forget in mundane routine of today's life styles we have. Then gradually I started thinking how can we make it more engaging and that's is why we thought of organising the first walk. We wanted everyone from all walks of life to come out in the fresh air. We want to do it at different locations now. First one was a nature walk and this our second one which is the beach walk."

Dr. Bhavi Mody adds, "This initiative is to help you stress on little changes that you can get into your everyday life to make your life more healthy. Mission #StayHealthyStayHappy is what we believe in. We started out in December last year. As Moushumi mentioned, the first walk that happened was a nature walk at Sanjay Gandhi National Park and today we are on the beach. Next who knows where. Maybe the mountains".

The first walk organised by them was on June 3, 2018. It was an educational 2 km walk around Borivali National Park and I must admit  even though I was invited to that one too, I was just too lazy to get out of bed. What I missed was an opportunity to learn about various species of flora and fauna along with the environmentalists there and more importantly an opportunity to click loads of photos (which is my passion).  I am never missing another walk ever again for sure.

At the end of the walk the participants were given refreshments and goody bags. Each one of us had been given a T-shirt too before the walk.  Eminent power women such as Pinky Rajgharhia (Mrs Universe Business lady 2017, Mrs Asia 2017, Mrs Fitness 2016, Social Activist), Gehna Mehra (Writer & Entrepreneur), Nabomita Mazumdar (Businesswoman  and Speaker for Future of Work, HR, Startup, Women and Business, Social media and Technology), Nidhika Bahl (Celebrity Life Coach), Savneet Kaur  (Vice Chair,  ALL) and Daulatbi Khan (Acid Survivors Saahas Foundation) participated in the walk to support the initiative.

I must admit that I am not much of a health freak,  but the walk did not help me to realise the value of being outdoors. I realised that morning, that I had also bonded and shared so much more with my friends there and even though I could not walk for long (I have painful knees, you see), it was lovely to be out breathing in the fresh air. A big thank you to Moushumi for inviting me to join and cheers to you and your team mates, Ridhi Doshi and Sonu Bajaj for a well organised event.  

I can happily say that the event was not just  #LetsWalk but a lovely #FriendshipWalk for me and that I am looking forward to the next one too.

Connect on FB page for joining the next walk: 

www.facebook.com/groups/vrudhihwc

#BeHappy wins the Radio City' #CityIconAwards 2018' in the NGO category

#BeHappy wins the Radio City' #CityIconAwards 2018' (a Jagran initiative) in the NGO category  in the NGO category at Thane/Navi Mumbai. Shalini Thackeray M'am and her daughter Muskaan are invited on stage. Shalini M'am invites the entire team on stage to receive it along with them. The team thanks her  for the honour.  The award is given to us by stalwart and actor, Ashok Saraf. 

#BeHappy, a first of its kind community togetherness initiative in Lokhandwala Complex  is the brainchild of Surjeet Dadalia, a businessman by profession and eminent Ms. Shalini Thakerey, MNS, Mumbai North West and ably supported by Prashant Rane, MNS and a team of enthusiastic committee members (one of them being me). #BeHappy today is successful concept where irrespective of their standing in the society, residents come together as as a team to organise the event to encorage community spirit through entertainment, art, sports and health programs and more importantly, to celebrate life itself!  The initiative provides a platform for a family to come together in a car free zone from 7 am to 11 am to spend time together and participate in activities as a family. #BeHappy also offers stalls and a stage to people to showcase their talent.

BeHappy, has been spreading smiles and bringing the neighbourhood together for more than a year every 3rd Sunday of the month. The event has a footfall of  8000-9000+ adults and children and is graced by film stars and celebrities, all enjoying a morning of family fun such as art craft for children, sport activities like badminton, football, cycling, food & activities stalls and on-stage performances such as Yoga, Zumba,  dances and song and much more. #BeHappy will be back soon with its next season after the rains.

Connect with us to participate on https://www.facebook.com/BEHAPPYMumbai

From #Mokhada to #Ekjute at Prithvi...... every commitment matters!!

 

From #Mokhada to #Ekjute at Prithvi...... every commitment matters!!

It was one of those days when you have two commitments that you just want to keep both but don't know how. Not easy but I did it. One being the trip to Mokhada to distribute note books that I too had donated towards in a small way. The other to watch Juuhi Babbar Sonii and my Ekjute family perform at Prithvi.  A big dilemma - but then they say when you want something real bad, things begin to work for you. It did and how !! because I managed not only to travel four hours back and forth to Mokhada and a touch-and-go to Prithvi dishevelled and tired but happily refreshed to watch "Salaam 50s ke Naam".

Note books donations, such an easy way to say you care. It has given me a joy and an opportunity to contribute in a small way to a social cause - education. So every year when my friend, Dipesh Tank, founder, Youth for People, a Malad-based NGO joined hands with Diganta Swaraj Foundation and reached out to seeking support for note book donations, I am happy to participate as always. The icing on the cake is travelling to Mokhada and Jawahar, which is a rural area which lies in the outskirts of Nashik to personally distribute note books to students belonging to the scheduled tribes of that region. There I was again this year waiting to board the bus. One normally won't thank a pain one has, but this year I can happily say that thanks to a knee pain, Dipesh, Poonam and Narayan offered to send us in one of the cars which worked to my advantage to keep my second commitment. So there we were, three friends, Sailesh Mishra, Surjit Kaur and Me along with Agilan Ramaswamy (Narayan's friend) who had no idea what was going to hit him speeding off to Mokhada.  Four hours on the road flanked by beautiful scenery and a continuous banter, Agilan not only survived but had fun too and I made another friend for life. It was not long before we happily bonded at the crossroad of Mokhada over tea, waiting for the bus to arrive. As always, everyone was teamed up and given notebooks to distribute. The four of us were sent off to a school in Chikenpada and Chas Village, a small little school amidst lush green with a rocky path leading downwards to a village just past it. Done with distributing books there to the happy children, as we motored down the hills flanked by green trees and scenery to die for towards the main Ashram School, Surjit spotted a small bridge over a river.  A detour to that spot.... and now all I can say is that, I am glad we did stop, thanks to Surjit,  because it was worth it. The filmy keeda in me took over and we posed and posed.  It was the most calming but definitely the filmy moments that I insisted on,  I know for sure that the four of us are going to cherish and never going to forget that madness. 

The main Ashram Shala, we visited houses 350+ resident students and many more students come in from the neighbouring areas. The class rooms and the main hall double up as classroom area during day and as bedrooms at night - even as eating areas. Electricity is a rare commodity here. Greeted by a hall filled with students, the team distributed notebooks to them. The most beautiful part of being there is always the way we are greeted with swagat songs and heartfelt thank-you. From there we moved on to another school. Here we were greeted and treated to a Lezim performance followed by a small program in the main hall where the Zilla people and our team exchanged thoughts and ideas. Over 40+ thousand books were distributed. 

It was 3.30 pm and as we were going back in the same car, we sought permission to leave and the ride back to Borivili was just as fun-filled as the morning. Guess what, we were in Mumbai by 730 pm and Yeah, I jumped into a rickshaw with cross fingers hoping to reach Prithvi in time..... I did..I did.....

Literally jumping out of the rickshaw exhausted but excited to have made it,  "Salaam 50s ke Naam" was a nostalgic ride down the memory lane. As introduced by Nadira Babbar ji this performance was Ekjute's tribute to the golden era of cinema. All about  of those films that had the zamindaar ka ladka and the kaabile ki ladki, it was  filled with the most beautiful songs of the 50s like suhana safar aur yeh mausam, shola joh bhadke, suhaani raat dhal chuki and so many more that made my eyes moist.  Well, I would have jumped on stage but for the fact that I knew I had to behave (ha ha!) and  flanked by an awesome actor, Suhant Singh (and his sweet son) and director, Kajri Babbar on either side of me. The performance by stalwarts Juuhi Babbar Soni, Pilu Vidhyarthi, Hanif Patni and all the awesome actors with choreography by my dear friend Raj Yadav (who I must thank here again for introducing me to Juuhi and the Ekjute Young Talent Company family) was super indeed. What can I say about actor friend, Ankur Parekh - was it Dev Anand, Dilip Kumar or my favourite Biswajeet that he reminded me of ?  I think it was just a mix of all those stalwarts and more that added to the 50s experience along with Juuhi M'am as the lovely kabile_ki kanya performance. A musical play filled with dance and song beautifully intertwined indeed ..... and think about it -  what is better than to see all your friends performing on stage, applauding them and then going backstage to hug each one of them.... and what can I add again here about Juuhi M'am except that I adore her not just for her acting but for her love  and inviting me to watch the play..most importantly because it is all thanks to her that I am getting to be a part of the one thing I always craved for and wanted  in my life - theatre!!!

Keep a good attitude and do the right thing even when it's hard. 

When you do that you are passing the test. 

And God promises you your marked moments are on their way

~Joel Osteen

because COMMITMENTS MATTER and so does FRIENDSHIP !!!