Wednesday, October 30, 2013

We have it easy!!

Early morning annoyance it is today. Whenever the topic of household work comes up with someone back home in India - their first and prompt reaction is - "Oh but you have it easy there as you people have all facilities like dishwasher etc"

I cannot begin to explain how deeply it annoys me and drives me crazy. Does Having appliances means NO work? They are bloody appliances NOT robots who will go around doing things on their own. You still need to load the dishwasher. You still need to empty it. You still need to clean the dishwasher too every now and then to keep it working. You need to put the wash in the machine to wash clothes, take it out, hang it for drying, iron, fold and put them back. You still need to walk the whole house up and down with that vacuum cleaner. And then mop the floors. You still need to dust off the whole furniture and shelves and everything & don't forgets to clean the glass tables. You need to clean the windows - inside out. You need to clean the doors. You need to arrange cupboards. And did i forget to mention - you need to clean up the toilets and bathrooms - and that includes not just the floor but commode and tiles and taps and wash basin AND THERE ARE NO APPLIANCES FOR THAT WORK. And you need to work in your garden too (if you have one) And did i mention that in all this you still have to do - cooking, take care of child and work full time and do socializing. And Oh please keep your hobbies and interests going...!!

You can add or ignore "tiny" tasks - like cleaning fridge, cupboards, stairs, mending all your clothes, hand wash some clothes etc etc etc

Yes we have it very easy here as we have ALL facilities!!

Thanks!!

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Carrots, Eggs, or Coffee; "Which are you?"

Read this on fb posted on page called Useful Info. Immediately felt like i had to save this... Perhaps the circumstances demand an answer from me.

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Carrots, Eggs, or Coffee; "Which are you?" she asked her granddaughter. [a little long but a good read]

A young woman went to her grandmother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose.

Her grandmother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs and the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her granddaughter, she asked, "Tell me what do you see?"

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they got soft.She then asked her to take an egg and break it.

After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.

Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The granddaughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma. The granddaughter then asked. "What's the point,grandmother?"

Her grandmother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity--boiling water--but each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her granddaughter.

"When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"

Think of this: Which am I?

Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff?

Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.

When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate to another level?