Osama's End

Online media is buzzing with news of Osama's death... Headlines reading ‘Bin Laden's 'reign of terror' over’, and ‘Osama bin Laden dead’ are being picked by Twitter, Facebook and other popular social media. Mashable is running a poll asking users to vote and tell how they heard the news first.LinkedIn Today broke the news to me!

Well, it’s an event that every American was waiting for! President Obama announced to the world that Osama’s death was the result of a U.S. operation in Pakistan, against a compound where bin Laden was believed to be hiding. After a firefight, a small team of American forces killed bin Laden and took possession of his body.

The most wanted man in the world is no more. Is justice been done? The 9/11 attacks left the world stunned and emotionally charged. With Osama’s death, the world will now work for a future of peace and freedom. It is indeed an amazing feat for the world's super power to end the deadliest man on earth. 9/11 shook the world and the journey then has not been smooth for many. Thousands of books and movies have been made with 9/11 as the plot and sub-plot. People have had real-life experiences with the event and post event. The post event incidents and situations have impacted one and all. It's time for peace in the world, 9/11 has created differences between people and nations and it's time we bridge this gap for a safer and free world for future generations. Under Obama's presidency the world is seeing changes like never before.

The online sphere is tweeting, liking, sending information related to Osama's death with fervor. A page on Facebook titled "Osama Bin Laden is DEAD"has gathered more than 200,000 likes within hours of the first news of Osama's death. Millions of tweets will make this news the trending topic on Twitter. This is the news that people all over the globe were waiting to hear. Online space as we know is the fastest and simplest medium to disseminate information and bloggers, journalists, commoners are talking about it. People are venting their feelings and emotions... There won't be any surprises if this makes it to the most shared piece of content. Just when the world watched William-Kate enter wedlock and Sony’s honchos apologized to the world, the news of Osama's death left us all wonder. 'Did you hear that? Osama’s dead!'Is he really dead?

Read the news at Huffingtonpost.com

Matters of the heart

During college days, reading Sudha Pillai’s article in TOI on the ‘Matters of the Heart’ made me feel like a typical teen. I could identify with it. Today, when I’m no more a teen, it still makes sense.

When you are a teen you are all ‘mushy’ and waiting for your Prince charming! He/she makes your heart skip a beat and you hum love songs all day! It’s a phase that we all go through, until we find that someone special in our life who is meant to be that – ‘special’. Some find their special person early on and build dreams and cascades whereas for the others it takes a while. And it’s worth the wait.

‘Love’ has been man’s greatest strength and weakness. Men and women love differently but is it love that makes us all feel secure and confident? A single woman may have tasted the essence of love but chooses to stay single for various reasons. Many couples have loved truly and with all their heart and soul. Destiny chooses some to be successful whereas some others do not materialize but it does not fail.

In today’s fast paced world, loving means texting each other, calling up each other, Facebooking (while most avoid it) and of course enjoying the little time that they have like there is no tomorrow.

Love as they say makes the world a safer place. Look around and it is ‘love’ that makes us all look forward to a bright day. Differences have distanced people away from each other. Loving one another has become a ‘business’ than a ‘matter of the heart’. Hold onto it, all is not lost. People do seek ‘matters of the heart’. Let’s not lose the innocence and the joy of loving. We love to be loved and when you give love it is the most beautiful feeling ever :)

Break free and open up to a world of love!

Welcome Happiness into your life!

Happiness is a state of the mind. The ultimate aim of all is to achieve happiness in every aspect of our life. The best way to seek happiness is to give it to people around you. This creates a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. You are at peace with yourself and people around you. It is said that “It takes seventeen muscles to smile and forty-three to frown.”

Why do we have stress balls with smileys, why is every advertisement showing love and happiness with all the primary colors, why does every ad show a child or kid with a happy and uncomplaining mother? Because these create a positive energy and most of all honesty…Honesty is a virtue, which attracts us towards it making our lives much simpler. Children speak the truth, it may put you in an easy situation but that’s the beauty of being a child. Purity and innocence describe them.


Happiness is when you see a baby sleeping peacefully, happiness is when you look up at the stars in the sky, happiness is when you lend a helping hand to those in need, happiness is expressing love to your dear ones, happiness lies within you…

A silent prayer or a wish can make your day calm and serene. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs states self-actualization as the highest aim of all mankind. To reach this state, we need to move up the pyramid fulfilling the physiological, security, social, and esteem needs.

This isn’t as easy as it seems. Determination, integrity and a powerful personality will make you achieve success in all aspects of life.

Keep smiling and do pedal your bicycle of life with great energy and enthusiasm, spreading joy and cheer :))

Men will be men!

We want to take public transport, why? Because it reduces the need to get your own vehicle, traffic jams and it’s inexpensive...

But, traveling by the bus can be disastrous for a woman! This may sound like and old topic to write about but trust me it happens every day and women just zip their lips!

A man sitting in ladies seat is akin to victory! I would like to narrate an incident a 'bus incident'. I was traveling by the bus (which I do rarely, but need to in order to save money). The last ladies seat had just one lady sitting beside the window. This shameless man happily parked himself. I was just there waiting for a seat. I looked at him and said 'Ladies Seat’; he got up feeling not very embarrassed.

I was proud of myself and was feeling good :)) but the girl next to me got down at the next stop. Now what? All the men were vying for that seat! I didn’t budge. One of the men asked me to push in. I again said 'Ladies Seat'. They began to talk among themselves and express frustration.

I just couldn't sit there any longer. The seat in front of me was empty, I immediately went and sat there. Two shameless men sat there in the ladies seat like they had won the battle!

I was so proud of myself but eventually those uncivilized men won the battle. The problem also lies with women; they don’t have the guts to ask what is theirs. There were so many women who were standing who could have grabbed the seat next to me but they chose not to. Why? Only because men will be men!

Fight for your rights and when you have got it, make use of the rights given to you. It's not just about getting a seat in the bus but it’s about who you can be!

Be the change you want to see in the world

Indians will never learn civic manners and etiquette ever! Look around and you are sure to find every single person behaving the worst. It might include yourself too!

How many of us Indians are encountered by rude and ignorant auto drivers who complain about traffic and one-way roads? Traveling by the auto rickshaw is a nuisance and convincing them to go anywhere you want to makes it tougher. Also, a slight drizzle in namma Bengaluru will get them to charge extra and demand higher than the usual fare! Take a bus ride and you are sure to find women and men quarreling over seat or the conductor speaking rudely to the passengers.

We Indians love talking and with more than half of the population in India, now having a mobile phone, (According to Gartner, the mobile penetration in India will reach 82% in 2014), all hell's going to break loose! Talking non-stop with increasing decibel rate will certainly leave our ear drums damaged! Also, I don't get the point why people talk so loud so that others can hear what you say? Does it matter to me that you just had a bad day at work?

We complain of bad roads, and missing pavements, how many of us use the pavement for walking? What about two-wheelers using the pavement to escape the traffic jam! And then there are others who love spitting, littering, and running into others while walking or crossing...

These are things that we see everyday and let it happen cause we too are culprits. We travel abroad and follow the rules and have a disciplined life. As they say, “In Rome, do as the Romans do”. Once out, we are back to our old ways. Yes, old habits die hard.

But it is up to each individual to bring about a change. Lets make a difference and begin with ourselves first, so that others can follow.

As Gandhi said “Be the change you want to see in the world”.

Dearest Mom,

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers round the world! The most caring, beautiful and forgiving people on earth. A woman wears many hats, but it is motherhood that makes her a strong person. Love from a mother to a child is inexplicable. It is unconditional love that makes a mother-child relationship strong.

We all take this very relationship for granted and I do too. My mother pampers me with so much love and care that I want it more and more. The more I get, the more secure I feel.
Thank You, Mom for putting up with my foolishness and silly acts. Thank You for everything!
Love You!

The twinkle in your eyes, light up the house
Your sunshine smile, makes my day!
Your amazing talks is a source of inspiration
Your touch is heavenly!
Your the greatest joy I could ever ask for,
Thank You Mom!
Love You lots!

You Are All of This to Me

We have all grown up reading Chicken soup for the teenage soul... me too. Here is a poem that I enjoyed reading!

You're the thought that starts each morning,
the conclusion to each day.
You are in all that I do,
and everything I say.

You're the smile on my face,
the twinkle in my eye.
The warmth inside my heart,
the fullness in my life.

You're the hand that's laced in mine,
and the coat upon my back.
My friend, my love,
my shoulder to lean on.

You're my silly, mature, caring,
thoughtful, bright and honest guy.
The one who holds me tightly,
when I need to cry.

You're the dimple in my cheek,
the ever constant tingle in my soul.
The voice that makes me weak,
the happiness of my life.

You're are all I've wanted,
you are all I need.
You are all I've dreamed of,
you are all of this to me.

- Melissa Collette