A dusty nickel or token of love.

This short clip really set me thinking. The powerful message serves as a reminder to human beings on earth. This reverberating message is that we may have come alone into this world and will leave alone, but the people we meet along the way will mould our lives, both consciously and subconsciously. Many people may be too preoccupied with their daily routines and humdrum of life that they fail to notice the nuances around them - the tiny gestures that make a whirlpool of a difference. Garnering that realization within ourselves makes us appreciative of every tiny detail and every tiny gesture that may change someone's life forever. We may not realize it at the present moment, but we will realize in the near future that even a single dusty nickel or a lifeless pencil can serve as a turning point in someone's life. Occurrences around us may seem insignificant, but they can become steering wheels for change and improvement. It is through these selfless acts that we can be the oil for the gears in someone’s life and set things into motion. Every tiny act can make a gargantuan difference and can change one’s life forever. As humble servants of God, we should never underestimate the power of unconditional love and the fact that one person CAN indeed make a difference to the world, one human being at a time.

If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make that change – Michael Jackson

Two sides of the same, beautiful coin.

He detests most fruits, while she loves them. She loves playing the guitar and singing while he used to bunk music classes. He dances in the shower, while she sings using the shower head as a microphone. Her dancing is abysmal while he takes joy in dancing. She can spend hours reading books, while he falls asleep one page into the novel. He loves swimming and she thrives on yoga. He can eat eggplants like there is no tomorrow, while she squirms at the sight of them. The list goes on.

Opposites attract, according to the 1988 hit by Paula Abdul. This belief has been bolstered by several studies and challenged by a few. A study conducted by the University of Iowa in 2005 claims that similarity in personality was found to more important that other traits such as attitude, religion and values and this forms an everlasting union of two souls. I beg to differ.

My personal take on this matter is that, yes, people who are opposites in their interests may fall for one another. But ultimately, those who are similar in their character and deep-set beliefs will fall for one another and then keep falling for one another for the rest of their lives. It becomes a bond that lasts for life. Once that base is strong, the interests, nuances in daily life as well as idiosyncrasies may be starkly different but they will complement one another in a couple and add that spice to the relationship. After all, two people who are exactly the same will be like bland soup without flavourings.

One may classify someone as having multiple levels of being, but for illustration purposes one may take it as a two-level model. The top level is the conscious level, which includes one’s personality, interests and attitude. These include favourite authors, hobbies and basically one’s idiosyncrasies. The second level is the core of a person, including deep-set beliefs, underlying principles, character and of course, the soul. Matching of the conscious level is not as crucial as the congruency of beliefs at that second level. Someone who is able to match one’s second level of being will be someone who will love you for the rest of your life. If the top level is slightly mismatched, it just adds to the flavour of the relationship.

Marriage is not just a union of two people, but a merging of two souls. It takes understanding from both parties and compromise on tiny aspects to create magic. This is not an overnight event, but one that unfolds over the course of one’s life. Ultimately, if one is able to open one’s heart to possibilities and wholeheartedly accept someone without conditions attached, one would be able to love another and accept the tiny nuances.

Once you find that someone, the heart knows - if you let it know. Partners are made in heaven and delivered to us in packages when we least expect them. Opening them wholeheartedly gives you joy like no other - love, in its purest form. That is, if you choose to have faith.

So yes, opposites can attract when two hearts beat with the same rhythm and two souls understand the depths of each other - it is nothing short of magic.

In the name of God

The sands of time have witnessed the rise of countless numbers of religions worldwide – the rise of belief systems and faiths which guide our actions, conduct, morality and basically our spirituality. Religion can be anything ranging from the established faiths to unofficial religions such as sports or food. It is not uncommon for sportsmen or musicians to label their respective interest a religion. But whichever governing set of belief one has, they strengthen one and ideally make one a better person for oneself and for the world one lives in.

However much the birth of religion has instilled peace and harmony and enlightenment in mankind, religion has also been used as an excuse for committing heinous acts. In fact, the past has seen several ghastly atrocities committed in the name of religion. Often these atrocities are committed not by atheists or agnostics but by people who call themselves God’s servants.

One such example is the Aztec practice of human sacrifice in the 1300s, where about 20,000 people were massacred to appease Gods such as the Sun God, who required a daily “nourishment of blood”. The Roman persecution of Christians by the emperor Nero in 64 AD is another instance of this in history. Christians were rounded up and ordered to be torn apart by dogs or burned alive as human torches, before Christianity was legalised. In the 1950s, members of a sect in India known as the Thungee sect are believed to have strangled a whopping two million people to appease the bloodthirsty goddess Kali.

These are just a handful of the gargantuan numbers of instances in the murky past where heinous acts were conducted in the name of religion, to supposedly appease God. While one may argue that these culprits may have been misinformed or perhaps that the initial stages of establishment may have been shaky, the question arises as to why these atrocities still prevail in the world today. One would think that the development and modernization of the world would allow human beings to make much more educated and informed decisions – but not quite.

Islamic jihads or holy wars which are mandated by the Qur’an have led to the loss of millions of lives over 12 centuries. As Muslim armies spread their faith to India and Morocco, these sects branded other Muslims as infidels and declared jihads against them. The Kharijis battled Sunni rulers; the Azariqis declared death to all “sinners” and their families. Traditionally, jihads have been utilized for one of three purposes – to signify the struggle to maintain faith, to improve the Muslim society or to defend Islam. However, extremists use jihad-ism with an entirely new coat of meaning and interpretation. This extremism manifested itself in the form of the catastrophic September 11 attack, which shook not just North America but the entire world, as well as terrorism in the name of religion. Morphing the interpretation of religious scriptures to support such fallacies has led to the death of millions of innocent people and continues to do so.

Religious discrimination is also not an uncommon sight today, and sadly so. Some people feel that certain religious practices are superior to others and hence worthy of the upper echelons of society. Spreading one’s faith and urging others to convert is commonplace today. For example, the state of Orissa in India was the target of much religious discrimination in the past. Select tribes in Orissa labelled certain people as Panas or untouchables and these were mainly those who had adopted the Christian faith instead of Hinduism.

Evangelism or the communication of the Christian faith to new areas and cultures has also been a target for extremists. An apt example is the longstanding history of the persecution of Jews by Christians which began with the burning of synagogues in the fourth century and led to the numerous killings of Jews who refused to convert to Christianity. Extreme measures such as extermination camps of Jewish communities also transpired during World War II in countries such as Yugoslavia.

It is appalling how religion is used as a scapegoat for such heinous deeds. What is common in all the stated examples is extremism. Religious scriptures or books may have a certain set of teachings but these are often exaggerated or blown out of proportion. People use loop-holes to justify their fallacies and get away with acts like murder. Furthermore, picking and choosing of certain beliefs eventually leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy, where people choose to believe whatever justifies their own actions. They use a cocktail of beliefs specially tailored to them to go ahead with thinking that what they are doing indeed brings them closer to God, when I think it actually does the opposite.

I do not think any religion, be it the worshipping of a rock or an established religion, would permit the disrespect of a fellow human being or grant the right to tarnish their lives. I do not believe God would permit anyone to hurt another human being, who is also a creation of God, no matter what the reason might be. I do not feel that it is right to use religion as an excuse for any of these deeds because that is a downright insult to God. Last but not the least, I do not think humans should pretend to be God and mess with the lives of others.

Love all; live and let live – that is what religion teaches.

Dear Michael

In my early years as a young child, I still remember vividly how I would grab a bottle of powder, sprinkle some on the floor, slip on a pair of socks and attempt the moonwalk. I tried at it for hours, relentlessly and I still cannot quite master it I would say. I grew up listening to him, on records, then VCRs, then VCDs and tapes and finally DVDs and MP3s. The point I am trying to make is that he has surpassed generations after generations of music and what he gave to the world is unlike any artiste till date. A child today may not know much about Adolph Hitler’s reign or the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. but would definitely know who Michael Jackson was. Alas, his famous moonwalk left generations after generations in a daze, attempting to master the art of moving like him.

It makes me tear talking about him in the past tense and even though two years have passed since his demise, the loss is fresh and reverberates within the capacity of this world. The world has lost not just a world-class artiste but a wonderful human being who leaves behind much to be emulated. The world yearns for more love for others, for selflessness and for unconditional care and concern and MJ was one of the few artistes who went beyond his career to reach out to others. It was not for personal aggrandizement, but for pure love; a rare sight in the world today.

I still remember the events of 25^th of June every so clearly, with the images flashing within my brain like a slideshow – an extremely melancholic one. I still cannot quite digest as to how fortunate I am to have been in the same city as him during his last moments on earth. So near, yet so far. The events had transpired as such:

I was having an early dinner with my friends at a Burger King outlet opposite of the UCLA campus, within stone’s throw from Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Centre. It was then one of my friends received an SMS from someone we knew regarding an incident with MJ and how he was in critical condition or had possible died. Being a huge fan of MJ, I dismissed it as a distasteful joke or a nasty attempt at humour and pushed away the thought. It was then that we heard helicopters and noticed media commotion in the distance through the window pane. My heart plummeted and so did whatever I was holding and we dashed out towards the melee gathered outside the medical centre. With my heart beating wildly in my ribcage and ignoring the media vans lined up alongside the road, I approached someone in the crowd and asked her what was going on. She replied as frantically that MJ had been brought into the hospital earlier in a critical state and could possibly be dead and were waiting for a press release on the outcome. Upon confirming the news, my friend (also an ardent fan) and I just stood there for a couple of minutes, gap-mouthed trying to understand the implications of the whole situation. It did not matter that there was chilly breeze that day and did not matter that the press kept pushing past us, the situation felt surreal. It did not register till much later, that this could indeed be true. As we stood with the hundreds of others, waiting for an announcement, we got interviewed by BBC radio as well. But more than anything what touched me were the hundreds of other fans gathered, grieving together and holding each others’ hands in deep prayer and with apprehensive looks splashed across. Some were crying, some were tense, others were hugging and some praying. It was surreal. But it happened. He was literally footsteps away in his final hours on earth; at a walking distance. I know that what transpires is hardly ever within our control, especially something like that, and so I thank God for the opportunity to have at least been this close to my treasured idol in his last moments on earth (for driving me to go for a summer exchange to UCLA).

Walking home heavy-heartedly back to our apartment in Westwood, Los Angeles, we realized that however grievous the situation was; that he was in a better place. A place without slander, false accusations and law suits and in a place where he was not judged wrongfully and given the due peace he has always deserved.

He was not just an artiste with the voice of an angel; he was a human being with a heart and a yearning to be understood by the world. But the tabloids did not leave him be even till his last breath. Today, I salute MJ for making the world a better place, through his music and the simplest humanitarian acts. He has provided aid to so many charities worldwide; a philanthropist who wanted to make a personal difference to the lives of many. I salute you for the music you passed to generations and generations beyond to appreciate and treasure. I salute you for the dedication towards loving everything around you unconditionally – from animals to nature to children and your peers. I salute you for being a wonderful human being.

If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make that, change ~ Michael Jackson.

We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

Love you Michael.

yogi-cally speaking.

When one thinks of yoga, immediately images of people twisted in the shapes of pretzels and contorted like twisted long balloons at a circus pop to mind. Highly glamorized today, it has even been linked to hippie culture and the road to the achievement of Zen. But the sands of time have morphed the true meaning of yoga for a large number of people worldwide. The credit goes to movies and television shows which sensationalize this archaic art which dates back to more than 5000 years ago around the Indus Valley.

It is heartening, however, to note that there have been burgeoning numbers of good yogis and trained professionals around the globe. These are individuals who dedicate their lives to truly master this art and not promote it as an alternative for aerobics or gym training. True yoga is not merely about practising different positions or asanas but gaining a control over one’s self in terms of mind, body and soul. Bending one’s legs behind one’s head and propping the body up on one hand is not considered as yoga if one’s mind drifts to something else altogether or if one does not have peace of mind and a soulful connection with the body, for instance.

I went for my first proper yoga class last week and I say proper because the previous aerobics yoga class was far from comparable. The previous class stressed so much on asanas that it eventually felt like an aerobics or gymnastics class more than anything! Every second, the instructor ordered the class to change their position and I found myself in a tangled heap of legs and hands.

This class, however, was drastically different – and in a good way. It stressed on breathing, meditation and using asanas to guide that and achieve a connection between not just the body parts but the soul. Starting off as a beginner, I was initially apprehensive about my having to compete with A-type personalities who would jeer at you if you are unable to perform up to par. But to my relief, the class comprised of individuals who were all there for one purpose – to practice good yoga and to heal through yoga. I got assimilated into the serene environment in almost no time; with the calm voice of the yogi conducting the class and the gentle sound of nature from the CD-player in the corner of the room. Albeit small, the room had a comfort of its own and I grew less aware of my lack of flexibility and concentrated on my internal self.

The yogi is Chinese but has a Sanskrit name Shukla; and I deeply salute her dedication towards yoga. She has been practising for 7 years till date. She stressed on how yoga is not merely about asanas but about having a certain lifestyle and way of living and I immediately thought about my previous class which taught the absolute opposite and smiled to myself. I made a sound decision to trust my gut instinct and sign up for this class and hope that I can truly embrace this yoga lifestyle in its entirety. Though I probably would not be able to twist myself into a pretzel anytime soon!

Tie a yellow ribbon round the ole oak tree.

We live not in a static world, but one that fluctuates in tandem with time. One which evolves, with huts being bulldozed away to make way for skyscrapers, where older politicians get replaced by new ones adorning sparkly shoes and well-tailored coats, where generations get replaced by new generations. We live in a world that is constantly changing inevitably and surely with each tick of the second hand on the face of a clock.

With physical changes, it is almost necessary to change mindsets and reservations we may have and to adapt to the novel environment around us. Take for example Facebook, the social network that was brought social interaction to the next level. While the younger generation may breathe, eat and sleep Facebook, the older generations may feel phased out and even obsolete, that is if they decide to remain static. Keeping an open mind, however allows them to embrace this new culture albeit with a pinch of salt and stay relevant to the youths of today, perhaps to even understand their own children better. This may apply to an assortment of things – from technology to brands to even the pop icons of today!

Changing our mindset with time and constantly bettering ourselves is not just crucial to stay relevant but also in terms of how we accept the world around us. We can either fight change or swallow the bitter pill and honestly speaking, the latter is much less catastrophic. As human beings we do not have the capacity to fight change, to deny it or even insist that certain things are supposed to be sacrosanct. Nothing is sacrosanct. So we adjust ourselves to the novel situations and go with the flow, without wishing the past would reprise.

Changes aside, human beings are ever so comparable to a tree. We start off, with our foundations (the roots) before we branch out and reach the rest of the world through our actions and words (the shoots) and benefit the world in any way we can (through fruits and flowers) and eventually we give rise to new generations to take over our place (through seeds). I think before the entire process of life unfolds before us and before we are subjected to this ever-changing world, the foundations are extremely important. These comprise our values, our morals and our utmost connection with God. If these are compromised in any way, whether one has shoots or flowers or fruits does not matter at the end of the day. The most important issue is whether the base is stable, because if it is not, a gust of wind may topple the entire tree over, regardless of how much it has given to the world. The ultimate goal is ultimately to reach a stage where we are deeply rooted (pun intended) in our belief systems for ourselves before we branch out to reach others and before we branch out into the evolving world. But of course, while maintaining a feedback system to continually renew and better oneself and replace old roots as well those getting ebbed away by termites. One should always embrace change but stay grounded in (good) values at the end of the day and make sure the oak grows deep into the ground before it gives back to the world and embraces changes over years and years to come!

Memoirs of a lab rat.

As honours year draws to an end, a mixture of emotions well up within me. This has by far been one of the most trying years of my University life – physically and mentally. Whatever it may be, subsequently tiding over the bad moments allows one to come out more polished and undeniably stronger. After all, even a piece of coal requires years of pressure and harsh conditions to emerge in the form of a diamond – nature says it all.

Being my first research experience proper, I was initially highly apprehensive about what to expect from a research lab. Being the bottommost rung of the ladder (below the phD and masters students), it was harsh, often painful. As with every organisational structure, the bottommost rung inevitably gets stepped on and treated unjustly. It was then I realised that lab dynamics were far from an easy game. In lab you need to prove yourself in terms of your capabilities, your passion and your drive. Many a times, the harsh treatment chipped at me (because I wear my heart on my sleeve), but I never held grudges. If I had, I would not be standing here today, appreciative of every single person in lab. In one way or another, each of these people has played a role in making a difference to my life – be it via hurtful remarks or kind words. And each of these people was sent by God for some purpose.

It was all worthwhile at the end of the day – skipping meals, the late nights at lab alone, the minor accidents (I am thankful I have not grown an extra toe yet), the eye strain, the backaches, the harsh comments; the list goes on. But I am also deeply appreciative of the people I came to know and the quirky incidents every now and then which made my day. As a whole package, this has been one rollercoaster ride of emotions which remain forever etched in my brain.