An interesting word

It is very easy to remember a word when you associate it with an image. I like to do this.

And there is usually a legend associated with the origin of the word as well which makes it doubly exciting.

The  word I have selected  is

NARCISSISM

From oxford dictionary;

Narcissism (noun) means an excessive or sexual interest in yourself and your appearance.

Origin is from Narcissus, a beautiful youth in Greek Mythology who fell in love with his reflection.

Narcissus by Caravaggio

There is a nice story behind it and you can read it HERE. The article also talks about narcissism that exists everywhere. A nice read.

The flower Narcissus is supposed to have bloomed at the place where Narcissus died.

Narcissus

Narcissism:

His narcissism made him think that he was a God's gift to the women all over the world.

:)

I will post another when I come across a similar interesting word.

Things I really want from my man

I love the TOUCH prompts. Thank you Preeti Shenoy for coming up with such innovative ideas.

The writing Prompt for TOUCH Thursday Number 3 is:

Anjali is a character in the book. She has dated 6 men and rejected all of them. She is still looking for Mr.Right. She feels it is hard to get what she is looking for.

If you are a woman, write 3 things (or more) that you really want from men.

Well, reading Anjali's thoughts made me think. Did I ever really understand any man I have met in my whole life?

The Answer is No, with a bold capital N.

Men come in myriad shades of character.The ability of some to change colours puts even a chameleon to shame. So how can one really understand them? 

But you can always have a wish list for things you want/expect from them. Whether you tick off every single item on your wish list when you find your Mr. Right, depends entirely on your luck.

My wish list goes like this, and all of them are equally important. I am addressing you my Mr. Right. Take note:

1.     Appreciation:  When you appreciate me for the things I do, you make me happy. Well! That doesn't mean that you must sing my praise at every single thing that I do. But praise me truly and you might just spur me to be a touch more benevolent.

2.     Laughter:  I dearly love a laugh. If my man has the ability to make me burst out laughing, when I even don’t feel like smiling, he wins my heart hands down.You do!!

3.     Support:  By this, I mean emotional, physical and financial support. Give me a shoulder to cry on when I am in pain. Give me a warm hug when I badly need one. Give me financial support when I am in a crisis. If you did this without my nagging or ever so subtle (?) hints, you have cemented a place in my heart.

4.     Love: Which woman doesn't want her man to be truly and madly in love with her? Unconditional love is a bit overrated.I guess only babies know how to love that way. But I won’t mind if you love me unconditionally.

5.     Happiness: Simple things make me happy. Walking down the street holding your hands, a small outing with family, allowing me to curl down with a favorite book while you take care of our kid... You know how much happy you make me then?

6.     Security: When I was my daddy’s little girl, I never had a single moment of fear. I was under his protection all way through. When I am with you, I want you to take care of me like my father did. I want to be the apple of your eye. Hide me under the shadow of thy wings.

Hmm… That is all I can think for now. It may change as time progresses I believe.

And  Anjali, All the Best for your search for Mr. Right. I sincerely hope you find him.

Welcome to Incredible India, Mark...

Hey Mark,
I heard you are planning to come to India. That is great news.

Be prepared to have a mind blowing trip. My country will enchant and cast a spell on you. 

See it is not only me saying...Many other brainy people have praised my country.Some like Einstein are grateful to us Indians...Just see what he said...

Impressed...? After all, we are the land of the four Vedas, which contains the basic truths about everything under the sun. We are indeed a very blessed lot, having thousands of deities, a variety of religions and hundreds of languages (the various dialects included).

 I know you already think of Indian women as being Gorgeous... Pretty, Intelligent and Warm...

We are all that... But we are also much more... We are paragons of virtue. Our country also known as Bharat, has many historical and mythological females who may amaze you.

If you are interested, I will tell you in detail about all these wonderful ladies while we travel around my charming country.

Expect some bumpy rides though... Excuse us, we are a developing country. Pot- holes keeps on developing on our roads.

Get ready to experience exotic climates. Unlike the United Kingdom where you have quite an unpredictable climate, we have a pretty well disciplined but varying climate all over. Take a plane ride to any corner of the country; you will experience a different climate compared to the place you just left.

We have the whole world right here. Snowy mountains, magical deserts, misty hill stations, charming backwaters, enchanting golden beaches…. 

You name it…we have it.

Now a peek into what I think you should see in India.

Taj Mahal

You should visit the Taj Mahal… It is among the seven wonders of the world:

a symbol of Love. (Forget that the emperor Shahjahan build it in memory of his 4th wife, who died delivering his 14^th child, as far as the legends go. I told you... Indian women are paragons)

You should visit the Ajanta and Ellora caves which have some magnificent paintings and sculptures.

Ajanta and Ellora Caves

We will go to the Khajuraho temples from there, where you will get proof that we are indeed the land of the Kamasutra. (ahem, ahem…I find that your interest is suddenly piqued)

Khajuraho Temple

Vivekananda rock in Kanyakumari

I want you to visit Kanyakumari, the meeting point of the three oceans, the Bay of Bengal, The Arabian sea and the Indian Ocean. We will visit the Vivekananda Rock there, where you can spend some glorious moments meditating in the serene chamber inside the Swami Vivekananda memorial. (Who knows…You too may attain enlightenment there)

Alleppey House boat

We can next visit the Venice of the East, Alleppey. The cruise along the labyrinthine backwaters abroad a houseboat is going to be a magical experience that will give you memories that will last forever.

Then if we get time, we will visit all the places that you find interesting from any tourist guide book. O.k?

I know Mark that your visit is not just to explore my land. May be you are coming with Aman.

I hope you understand that Indian men have the habit of giving up on their lady love quite easily. They fail to understand that Indian women are in chains everywhere. They don't listen to their cries for help. I doubt Aman is one among them. Shruti is definitely one of us.

We Indian women are taught about the pitfalls of young love from a very young age. A rape victim is victimized in our land while the rapists roam free without much ado. I know it happens all around the world, but in our land it is legendary.

In my country we (ladies) give up very easily on love and end up in marriages of convenience arranged by our parents and tragically forget all about love.

We need strong men who will stand up for us, who will fight for us and will convince us to live our lives for what it is worth. Not end up pining for a lost love or a lost honor.

Tell Aman that many Indian females do fall in love with one guy and marry someone else.To understand why, he needs to know what goes on deep inside our hearts. Alas, God didn’t give anyone the ability to read another’s mind. Half our problems would be solved if we could speak out what we hide in the depths of our heart.

Coming from the land of birth of a thousand sonnets on love, I believe you are coming here with a mission of love. Teach Aman to listen to his heart. Indian men rarely do.

I wish you the very best on your mission.

See you soon…

Warm regards,

Preethi Venugopal

Thank You, Preeti Shenoy for yet another interesting TOUCH prompt.
This is my entry for TOUCH thursday No.2.

My Forever Friend...

I was thinking about what I should post as my fiftieth post on my blog.

Just on time, as it always happens, Preeti Shenoy in her popular blog http://justamotheroftwo.blogspot.in  gave a fun writing prompt as part of a contest, heralding the release of her much awaited book ,The One You Cannot Have named as TOUCH.

The prompt for TOUCH Thursday no.1 was:

If I could have anyone I choose as my 'forever friend'/ 'life partner' , I would choose..................................................

So …I decided to participate.

Since I am already married, that too quite happily, I choose the ‘forever friend’ part of the prompt.

If I could have anyone I choose as my forever friend, I will choose an ‘Angel’ to be my forever friend.

My Angel: Image courtesy:http://gallery.yopriceville.com/var/albums/Free-Clipart-Pictures/Angels

I have always lived in a fantasy world, right from my childhood.

I believe in mischievous leprechauns, who makes shoes all day long and store away all their gold coins in a hidden pot, at the end of a rainbow.

Leprechauns: Image courtesy:http://wpcontent.answcdn.com

I believe that the dew drops shining on the grass are actually beads which fell from the sparkling necklaces of fairies, who danced away last night under the moon.

Image courtesy: https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/

I believe there exists a world of Wizards and that Harry potter is just a wink away.

Image courtesy: http://us.123rf.com/

I believe in Guardian Angels, who are with us right from the moment we begin our sojourn on earth.

So naturally, I want my forever friend to be an Angel. One who will take guidance from god and my guardian angel and help me fulfill my soul’s purpose.

My angel, being a celestial being isn’t affected by emotions, trauma or doubt. This helps my angel to guide me when I am in doubt, soothe me when I am in pain and heal me when I am ill.

Whenever I need help, all I need to do is just ask and help comes to me in seconds. My Angel talks to me through my thoughts, my dreams and my intuitions. When I want to write, I hear true and divine messages that I can express through the written word. 

My Angel protects me from all things that have no place in my life. I am shielded from negativity by the feathery shield of my Angel’s wings. I find people motivated  by my Angel, to help me. Miracles always wait to happen.

When a feather silently floats towards me, when I feel the warmth of a soothing embrace, when the breeze brings in an enchanting smell, I know my Angel is near.

I need my Angel to be near me always... 

Keep me in your arms forever...

Do remain with me always… Please...

PS: This post got a special mention in the contest and a several hundred views.
Thank You Preeti Shenoy for this writing prompt.

Somebody is me.... and a Charcoal Portrait

The charcoal portrait I did yesterday

I love 'Somebody is me' by Enrique Iglesias...

While doing this portrait I had put it on repeat... It kind of haunts me. I always loved sad songs.  Sad words together with enrique's voice- it was magical.

If you want to listen to it, click here

                                                    

Hmmmmmmm... It is divine...:)