Chupke Chupke...Shhhh..

I am sipping coffee at my office, talking to my male colleagues about sanitary napkins. I would never have even broached the subject on my own without worrying about embarrassing them in the process. Movies like Padman are helping everyone feel comfortable talking about something that we actually should not feel ashamed to be discussing. It is interesting that men are actually aware of and shop for these for their wives without hesitation. Mine still gets squirmy if I ever mention him to get one for me. Thanks to online shopping, he will never be asked to.  I am enjoying the openness in conversation that movies like Padman are bringing about. Cheers to Arunachalam Muruganantham, the real Padman. Read more about him here.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arunachalam_Muruganantham

"If someone is not married yet, do not ask if they aren't actively searching. They have their own struggles. I know of certain relatives who asked my parents if my husband and I needed to go to a doctor since we were married for 3 years and did not have a kid yet! I think that is an invasion of personal space, no matter how close you think you are. I am not saying do not care about anyone. All I am saying is be aware that everyone has their own timelines and then there is fate. Do not ask or comment unless you are asked for help. Everyone goes through a lot and may not share everything on FB or WhatsApp. Do not assume things and hurt people. Wait for your turn to be asked, else stay SHHHH!" I just posted this today on Facebook and it has been receiving a lot of support from people I know. I am aware of the struggles many people face on a day to day basis. I know of friends who tried everything under then sun to have a kid and failed miserably. I would not want anyone t

I have started noting and tracking my New Year Resolutions since last year. Making a list is probably the first step towards reaching the goals. This is what I have noted for this year.  First 3 were carried forward from last year since they need to be a continuous improvement. I started 2017 at 62.5kg. Ended it at 59 kg. I had damaged my knee in February last year and that had a huge setback to my fitness goals. When my brother's wedding got fixed, I wanted to look my absolute best. I managed to do that by limiting portions that I ate when we went out on team lunches. Also, I found a new lunch mate who loves walking. We end up walking around office building for 15-20 minutes post lunch. That gives me a good feeling of being active every day. Learning new skills - I am a techie. It means that my skills will become obsolete if I do not stay updated. So that is one focus area that will need to be there each year. Writing more often on this blog - I am doing this just to satisfy

Yesterday I read a post by someone I know mentioning how her success was only because of her hard work; no support from her family. All this while she was still living with her parents at a big house, having food and an unlimited supply of raw materials to pursue her passion. All those things were financially provided by her parents. Yes, they opposed, only because it was not what she had majored in. She wished and studied a course for 5 years in another city. Her parents provided her with the education that she desired. Then after 5 years, and one year of not pursuing a job, she all of a sudden wanted to choose a different profession in which she was still an amateur. How she expected everyone to just say "Saabash" and pat her on her back and immediately jump into support. Sigh! That is not how everything works. While parents think that  a steady job matters, kids think it is more important to follow their passion. Thankfully she was great at what she was passionate about