You are beautiful!

One day your eyelashes will turn white, one day your lips will be covered with wrinkles and so will be your palm. And I will still say, "you are beautiful!" For, the love in your eyes will still be the same, the smile on your lips will still brighten my day and the warmth of the touch of your palm in my hand will still give me all the strength to overcome the challenges in life. And whenever I will tell you that you are beautiful, I will mean it, irrespective of how you look then, for the real beauty never ages, it only becomes richer and richer with time.
It takes time, not to look beautiful, but to 'be' beautiful, to be perceived beautiful, for you to understand yourselves that you are beautiful. 'Cause the real beauty is something to be experienced and not just seen!
I always wondered what is that makes you look so beautiful, all the time! I knew it is something beyond your beautiful tender skin, your silky hair and your deep black eyes. And then one day I saw you with that baby oil bottle in your hand! Eureka! No, it's not your skin as tender as a baby's, neither your eyes as expressive as a baby's. It's your heart! You have a pure heart, as pure as that of a baby. A heart that brings such a beautiful smile on your lips, the heart that says it all through eyes, without any hesitance, without any hidden intentions. It's this ability of yours to have maintained the purity of heart, which makes you beautiful. It's this lovely spotless heart which makes you happy and smiling about all those tiniest of the things, from a mere thought of having an icecream to making new plans of travelling to places. A happy person always looks beautiful. I can now see all those small things you do and you have to make yourself happy. 'Cause to be happy you need to love yourself, appreciate yourself and be confident about what you are. I wonder if this is what you think about when you sit in front of the mirror, with all those colourful tiny bottles and brushes? Trying to do things to make yourself happy and not exactly beautiful? Or actually giving that beautiful expression of your pure heart, a finishing touch? Yes you are beautiful, and now I know your real beauty is in the happiness you have and the happiness you spread, and that this way you will be beautiful forever!


image from Juliettesunshine.wordpress.com

To indulge in more discussions about realy beauty, visit Yahoo! Real Beauty

Windows IR

When will Indian Railways have windows which will actually close and remain closed for the intended period, mostly during night when its cold outside and you don't want to keep smelling all the villages, towns, cities churning out some or the other chemicals?
And the ones which will not keep falling when you want them open?
According to this webpage, there's no privacy in sleeper class, and it's noisy, crowded and dirty. But trust me, you get an option (or rather variety) of listening to families discussing personal matter for all compartment to listen, or adult friends who keep you guessing if they are fighting or joking, or the loud mothers of innocent (and loud) kids playing.... throughout the night.

P.S. I hope, that (wherever possible) round bank employee was actually interested in listening to my late night interactive lecture about 'what Industrial Design is and how design makes 'THE DIFFERENCE' in human life etc etc etc.' Anyway we designers have to spread design awareness among common people, good for designers atleast!

young India, the spilt water

For those who didn't visit Maithili's blog, this is a very nicely articulated post.
The letter to Uddhav Thackeray from Rajdeep Sardesai.
I have been thinking about writing on an aspect for a long time, which he has covered very well in the last paragraph.

aman ki asha

(clic to enlarge, preferably in new window)
I have always liked campaigns by Times of India, and this one seems to be the most interesting and biggest of them all. I liked the idea on the very first day of its release (or launch). I, or actually, most of us have always appreciated and enjoyed pakistani music and singers. So why not do it in a more open and positive way? Isn't it great to accept and acknowledge what is undoubtedly good about someone, be it a country mostly looked upon as an enemy? Art follows no rules, it knows no limits, it reaches hearts and hearts know no LOCs. The way these intangible aspects are put on paper by TOI, is just amazing and convincing, from the very first print saying 'LOVE PAKISTAN'.
And this matrimonial ad above, just made me appreciate the efforts and detailing gone into executing this campaign. I am not aware about Lead India outcome but Teach India campaign has very clearly positive responses and outcomes. 'aman ki asha' also shows a similar promise. And like some projects/ campaigns, the cause and execution is so nice that you are actuclly not bothered so much about the outcome! Good going TOI. Though I missed one performance in Ahmedabad, I would make sure I don't miss any such rare opportunity in future, rather I hope such opportunities will not be 'rare' anymore!
:)

Indian 'स्त्री'

Sharing something which made me feel good today morning while reading Times of India.
Read it here.
Loved the last line... smart!

Trance Sitar

Found this interesting type of playing sitar, the 'trance sitar'. I had earlier enjoyed Niladri Kumar's electric sitar performance, and this one is quite different extention of that experience. Not everyone is expected to like it though. Sounds much better if you minimize the video and use headphone.

watch (rather listen) it here.

For more information about the artist (Prosad) and trance sitar visit http://trancesitar.com/

Congratulations to Team Agni on their historic victory in the world's first electric motoGP

As mentioned in my earlier post, out of 17 teams from all over the world two Indian teams participated in world’ first electric superbike race at Isle of Man TT. The race was won by Team Agni yesterday!
Our hearty congratulations to the team and we feel proud to see the Indian flag behind the winning rider Rob Barber in the media.

Winning team members are;
Rob Barber (rider)
Arvind Rabadia (Director, Organizer, India)
Hasmuk Rabadia (organizer UK)
Cedric Lynch (motor inventor, team mechanic)
Some work was done in factory in Gujarat, India.

About Agni motors: Joint Indian-English company Agni Motors’s claim of making quality, high efficiency and high performance electric motors gained massive credence today when it clearly bested the world’s fastest electric motorcycles to win the first clean emissions (AKA electric) motorcycle Grand Prix at an average speed of 87.434 mph (140.71kmph). It’s place in history is assured by the landmark win, but it was the team’s dominance that was most surprising.

For more details visit,
http://www.gizmag.com/ttxgp-electric-agni-first-clean-emissions-grand-prix/11949/
http://www.ttxgp.com/index_nav.php?page=team_agni
http://blog.ttxgp.com/
http://www.ttxgp.com/index_nav.php?page=livecams

Green is getting faster, really!!! :)

TTXGP, the world's first zero carbon clean emission Superbike race will take place on 12th June 2009, on the world famous Isle of Man TT circuit creating huge international press interest. More than a typical motorbike race, TTXGP is a showcase for the next generation of motorsports. All the entrants have built unique prototype machines. The excitement that has been building around alternative forms of transport and clean energy consumption has been harnessed and pushed to the edge to produce a major, international sporting event. TTXGP provides an opportunity to see these exciting machines close up and as well as stretched to their limits on a course that is one of the most challenging road races in the world.
The interesting thing is that out of the 17 teams, two are Indian! Team Agni and Team Tork.
For more information and pictures of bikes please visit following links
http://www.ttxgp.com/
http://www.gov.im/tourism/events/ttxgp.xml
http://blog.ttxgp.com/

(the bike in pic above is by Mission Motors)

7 old indian bikes I still long to ride

1. kinetic Honda (2 stroke)
2. Yamaha RX 100
3. Yamaha RD 350 (torque induction)
4. Suzuki Shogun
5. Enfield Bullet 500 Diesel (i am not joking)
6. Rajdoot
7. Yezdi/Jawa 250

( the first 2 wheeler I rode in my life was my grandpa's Bajaj M80! And That is the only 2 stroke I have ever ridden!!!)