Senorita - Zindagi na milegi dobara

A very sweet song from one of the best movies of last year..."Zindagi na milegi dobara."

Love and Light,

From one sufi to another,

anita

Chikni Chameli - Agneepath

This "item" song is in the likes of Sheila ki jawani and Munni badnaam hui.

This is from the upcoming movie "Agneepath" which is scheduled to be released on 1/26/12 starring Hritik Roshan, Sanjay Dutt, Priyanka Chopra and Rishi Kapoor.

This song is already topping the charts in India. 

It's the Hindi version of the top charting Marathi song, "Komri".

It's raunchy but so is Bollywood these days. 

Sadly,  given the glorification of alcohol and drug use in songs like this and others, India is headed into a generation of alcoholics and drug addicts. 

Either way, enjoy the song!

Love and Light,

From one sufi to another,

anita

Welcome to India!

Namaste, Salaam, Shash-ria-kaal-ji!

Greetings from India!

India is a land of contradictions! 

There is so much beauty here yet so much ugliness.

Tradition nestles comfortably with modernity. 

Tall buildings overlook the slums of Dharavee and roads are shared with cars, buses, people, dogs and the occasionally cow, horse or camel cart depending on where you are in India. 

Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Parsis and countless others have lived side by side in peace and harmony (for the most part); partaking in each other's religious and social festivities and at the least, sharing a healthy dose of reverence for the right of the other to practice their religious beliefs. 

There are at least 33 recognized languages in India with Hindi being the national language. 

The average Indian speaks at least two languages and literacy is up to a 100% in Southern India.

A busy street in Bandra, the suburbs of Mumbai.

 Be ready to have all five of your senses overwhelmed from the minute you step off the airplane.

The first thing to hit you is the smell. 

It's the smell of India that is a combination of dust, dirt, smog, sweat, the spices, a lysol like disinfectant and some remote resemblance of fresh air. 

Now please understand that I am not complaining. I rather like the smell. 

It's the smell of my childhood, the smell of my people, the smell of my mother land. 

Once we walked out of customs to the greeting area, I was immediately struck by what appeared to be the sea of brown, Indian people waiting to greet their relatives. 

This "sea" of people is a pretty normal sight no matter where you go in India.
India's population in 2011 was estimated at 1.2 billion people. 

In comparison, China's population is estimated to be about 1.3 billion people and America's population is estimated at 311 million people in 2011.   

Comparatively, India is a rather small country.  

There are literally more people per square inch in India and thus the "sea" of people. 

A snapshot of the sea of rickshaws also know as auto-rickshaws or "ricks" or simply "auto". These are smaller than the average car and therefore more efficient to navigate the busy streets of Mumbai.

 Indian's flock to the big cities such as Delhi, Calcutta, Bangalore, Mumbai or Bombay for an opportunity to make a living.

But due to the limited land available, people build up instead of out and thus we see buildings and skyscrapers lining the skies. 

Those who are too poor to afford the fancy flats (condos/apartments), have chosen to build on top of each other, literally, in the countless slums all over India.

The Indian currency is in Rupees and Paisas which is equivalent to the American Dollars and cents.

On an average, 1 US Dollar is equal to 50 Indian Rupees.

These pictures were taken from the 1st floor of the shop we walked into. The manager was nice enough to let me take pictures not only of the streets but also of his shop. This was rare since most designer stores do not allow photography since they want to prevent people from copying their designs.

Motorcycles and scooters (not pictured here) are also preferred modes of transportation.

Indians are beautiful, intelligent people.
Old India divided its people by the caste system but the new India divides by one's ability to earn.

There is a distinct upper class, middle class and lower class which is determined more so by a family's bank balance, their physical address, the cars they drive and their lifestyles.

The upper class is rich and live in the fancy high rise condos, own cars like Honda, Toyota and luxury cars like Mercedes, BMW and Range Rovers etc and live to party! 

Most of them have full-time drivers to maneuver the horrendous traffic and literally are at their beck and call. 

All of them have at least one or multiple live in maid/servant who tends to the cooking, cleaning, laundry and overall upkeep of the home.

They eat in expensive restaurants a few nights of the week and watch the latest Bollywood film released the opening weekend. 

In fact, Bollywood films are only in their local theaters for a few weeks. 

Their children go to the best private schools that have obscenely long waiting lists and usually come to  the United States to pursue higher education with the intent of returning back to India.
The Western higher education provides a competitive edge in their business dealings and social circles. 

Thus, most are fluent in English and prefer it to be the language of business and communication.

They also take regular holidays (vacations) to the hottest destinations all round the world and make sure they take plenty of pictures to post on Facebook, which they upload from their latest IPhone or Blackberry.

They have more than they need and want more!

The high rises in Bandra.

These are facing the Indian Oceann.

The growing middle class is an interesting lot. 
Many of them own small businesses or have several members of their family who have jobs in an office somewhere. They might also have a young adult in their home that work the night shift in the many call centers that have sprouted all over India.

These are families who have in recent years seen a distinct increase in their monthly incomes from 10,000 Rupees a month to the amounts of 25,000 - 50,000 rupees a month. 

The additional income has allowed them to perhaps relocate to a nicer neighborhood, own a scooter, a motorbike or a smaller car.
They eat in the local restaurants maybe a few times a month preferring to cook at home so that they can live within their means.

They have at least one maid/servant who comes in daily for a few hours a day, to clean, cook, do laundry etc.

They have Facebook accounts and are savvy internet users.

Their children go to the private schools which they usually have to pay a lump some premium to gain a spot in. 

They too make it to the theaters on a regular basis to catch the latest Bollywood release.

They have just enough and want more!

Buildings which have seen better days but house the middle class and upper middle class families.

Notice the clothes line in almost every balcony.
Indians still prefer to handwash their clothes and dry them on their clothes line.
Given the smog, dust and pollution, even the clean clothes end up with this distinct smell.
For the few that have washing machines and dryers, they still avoid using it to keep their electric bill low.
Further, since no fabric softer is used, clothes are rough to the touch and deteriorate much quickly.

Then there is the lower class!

This consists of the labor force that are the oil that lubricate the machine that is India and keep it running smoothly.

These are the everyday people.

The drivers, the lift (elevator) operators, the chaiwallas (tea guys), the kaamwallis (the female servants/maids in the house), the rickshaw or taxi drivers, the shop and factory workers.

They take public transportation like the local bus or train, ride the bicycle, take the rickshaw or taxi or simply walk to where they need to go.

They are happy to have a roof over their heads. 

Many come to the cities to work while they send home the 2000 - 4000 Rupees they earn monthly.

Their families (mothers, fathers, husbands, wives and children) might live in a village in another state where the standard of living is much cheaper.

They sleep on the job or in their cars or on the sidewalk with as little as a sheet under them and over them.

It seems that they live to work and work to live.

It's a matter of survival for them.

They have so little and want just a bit more.

A shot of the slums where their windows open to the open sewer below. Imagine the filth, flies, germs and the smell.
Yet people live in these conditions.

These "homes" start off as illegal little shacks and over time take over entire neighborhoods.
Notice the old, rusted tin sheets used as siding and walls.
 The large blue containers is the only supply of water.
Since these are made-shift homes, there is no plumbing.
Electricity is stolen from the city lines and illegal lines run amok providing electricity to these homes.
Some of these homes are fully equipped with fans, air-conditioning units, flat-screen tvs, refrigerators etc.
More to come in an upcoming post on the slums of Mumbai.

This is my India!
Home of one of the 7th wonder of the world, the Taj Mahal!!!
The land that was once rich with silks, gold, gems, tea and spices!
The land that the British came and stayed in longer than they should have;
 leaving their mark on us long after they left.

Welcome to my journey through India.

PS: Please note that the above mentioned are simply my personal observations, experiences and opinions that I've formed from my numerous interactions and conversations with the locals while visiting India.

Somebody else might have a completely different experience of India.

I strive to share with the intent to give one a taste of India and hopefully, entice one to go visit and see this beautiful land on their own.  

Love and Light,

From one sufi to another,

anita

My sincere apologies...

Please do accept my sincere apologies for not yet posting any updates on our India trip. It's just that I was totally out of it for the first 5 days (jet-lagged). There were also technical difficulties such as my laptop battery dying and dummy files eating up like over 90gb on my mac ....rest assured, it's all taken care of. 

So now I'm in the process of literally going through the 6000 or so pictures and sorting them out. Not to mention, I had accidently imported about 3500 of those pictures twice and had to manually go and delete the extras! 

And finally, I have to be honest and admit that I am relaxed but also quite drained from this trip and literally from the many graphic pictures. 

I promise I'll post soon!!!

In the meantime, check out these images.

Love and Light,

From one sufi to another,

anita

Happy New Year!!!

Out with the old, in with the new! 

Let's pray that we all learn from our mistakes this past year and are grateful for all the blessings we've been granted. 

Inshallah (God willing), 2012 will bring with it peace, happiness, prosperity, good health, security and love for all!!!! 

Ameen

Hope you all had a joyous holiday season and are enjoying the new year! I just got back yesterday from a three week trip to India. The last of my cousin, Nisha Kheraj, got married to Karim Bhandvani (great guy, awesome family) and we had a blast at her wedding. We also did the Golden Triangle tour which is a 4-5 day tour of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur with stops in Fatehpur Sikhri, Sikandhara and Mathura along the way.

Between shopping, tailors, loads of delicious desi food, family, Mumbai traffic, pollution, over-population, the poverty and the beauty of India, I've literally taken a few thousand pictures. I am hoping to blog about the above topics for the next few months. So please keep reading and posting your comments and your thoughts.

Also, may I suggest you sign up to follow this blog by email, if at all interested in the subject matter so that you don't miss any of the posts/pictures.

I am hoping to blog about the Indian wedding which is a week affair with numerous ceremonies.

Also, I'll be blogging about the DAJ (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur) trip with lots of photos and videos.

Lastly, I will be blogging about the slums of Mumbai, the poverty, the street kids, the countryside etc where I'm hoping to share my thoughts and my impressions of India.

Here are a few pictures to start off with. The first one is our family at one of the ceremonies. 

This one is of my niece Inaara sitting to have her mehndi put on.

Remember to sign up if interested.

Love and Light, 

From one sufi to another,

anita

cravings...

Merriam-Webster defines "craving" as "an intense, urgent or abnormal desire or longing."

I have to admit that my definition of craving isn't much different.

 I go through phases which sometimes last a few hours, a few days and sometimes even a few weeks or months. 

I have cravings for chocolates, warm soup and fresh baked bread with butter, sometimes all at the same time. 

These are my comfort

foods.

Delicious chocolate ganache cups with strawberry, chocolate or pumpkin
mousse at our local Whole Foods Market.

I tend to crave my comfort foods when I'm hormonal or emotional. 

Sometimes, these two things go hand in hand. 

But I've only recently realized that I also tend to crave comfort foods when I feel confronted, conflicted, lonely or sad. 

Let's not forget that we, people of all culture, turn to food to celebrate our many moments in life such as birthdays, weddings and anniversaries. 

But today, let's focus on how some of us abuse food, or worse, use food as a drug, without even realizing it. 

I have certainly done that since I was a little girl but only realized this recently.

Over-eating is a classic form of using food as a drug to numb painful emotions that might be stirring within us.

When we over-eat, we literally are stuffing ourselves so that we don't have to deal with the emotions bubbling up to the surface, which is our consciousness or our attention.

Food helps to temporarily neutralize the emotions.

Foods containing sugar or carbohydrates, help us feel good as they create a temporary feeling of elation within our body.

The sugar gives our body a rush where we literally get a "high" for a short period of time.

This is called a sugar rush.

We eat carbohydrates in the form of bread, cakes, rice, pizza, pasta etc. 

Our body breaks down the carbs and we experience a "sugar rush" not unlike the rush our body experiences when we indulge in sweets.

As the sugar works itself through our body, we might experience a "crash" where our energy level falters and we once again, crave a boost and reach for either sugar or carbs. 

Thus the vicious cycle continues.

Caffeine works in the same way as sugar or carbs. 

We experience a rush of energy which allows us to have a sudden and unwarranted boost of energy but then we crash. 

Thus the cycle continues. 

As a grad student, I certainly consciously used and abused coffee by over-loading my system with caffeine when I had a paper to write or an exam to study for. 

Even today, I turn to a strong cup of java when I need to prepare for a presentation or a training.

But I also realize that I turn to food to comfort me. 

I crave a warm, nurturing cup of soup when I'm feeling sick. 

Nothing hits home like some of my favorite soups served with a generous side of fresh, baked bread and butter. 

Some might say, I have a love affair with butter. 

Not margerine, not the artificial wanna be stuff, I'm talking about the real, creamy, rich delicious butter.

And might I admit that my behind is proof of our love affair. :)

My favorite soups include chicken noodle (when I'm sick), lobster bisque, creamy tomato, crab and spinach soup, miso soup just to name a few. 

I love soup!

I wish there were soup shops at every corner, like there are Starbucks, where one could walk in and pick from a variety of fresh soup, made daily. 

Of course, they better serve fresh, baked bread and butter too. 

Many restaurants like Panera's have done just that.

I'd say Panera's is a food junkie's haven. 

We can get a delicious sandwich on our choice of yummy, fresh baked bread with a side of our choice of soup. 

And they serve different coffees, lattes, cappuciones and shakes.

Ok so I digress.

Now I am not a dietician or an expert when it comes to healthy eating. 

I am struggling, like so many others, to lose weight.

I hate exercising. I might enjoy the occasional swim or the walk but I am just too lazy to actually change out of my comfy home clothes into my workout clothes.

But as I am getting older, (I'll be 40 in a couple of years), I am realizing the value of being healthy.

So I am a work in progress....and I do the best that I can do.

The purpose of writing this blog was to share a few thoughts and shed some light. 

I wish I could tell you about my daily yoga practice and my daily meditation practice but I can't because they don't exist, YET!

I wish I could tell you about eating clean, vegan, organic etc etc..

but I can't because I am a newborn in the world of eating clean.

But I do realize that there are a few of you who do read this...

And I'm committed to being honest and real with you all, thus I share.

I pray we all find our true balance in life!

I pray that we eat healthy and find time, energy and motivation to exercise on a daily basis.

I pray that we find time to connect with ourselves and our higher power on a daily basis.

The photographs were taken at the bakery of our local Whole Foods store.

Sending you love and light,

From one sufi to another,

anita

Bole Chudiyan - Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (KKKK)

This song is just FUN!!!

It's from Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham.

Enjoy!

Love and Light,

From one sufi to another,

anita

Swimming Iguana!

I saw something moving in the lake and was so surprised when this iguana swam over to the other shore and joined it's buddy!

They were too quick for me to get any pictures of them both.

Here is the iguana as he walked on shore. 

I had completely forgotten that iguanas are amphibians. 

I have seen plenty of them in South Florida but seeing one swimming was a first!

I just love seeing all the beautiful creatures in Florida's natural habitat!

Sending you love and light,

From one sufi to another,

anita

Peacock in the middle of the street!

This past Saturday, as mom and I were leaving our community, we stopped in the middle of the street behind this car. 

We realized that the car in front of us had stopped because there was a peacock in the middle of the street. 

So I jumped out of the car with my camera and started clicking.  

Mom got out of the car and along with the other people from the community, started admiring this gorgeous bird.

Saw him again a few days later. 

A neighbor shared that they are a male and female pair and have been in the neighborhood for the past three weeks.

It's one thing to see this beautiful bird at the zoo, but it's entirely different to see it in your own neighborhood!

So in sharing with friends who live in South Florida, turns out that others have seen peacocks on their roofs or in their neighborhoods and not just one or two but small groups of 5-6 of them...Amazing! 

Only in Florida...aka PARADISE!!!  

Shukranlillah Wal hamdullilah!

Just look how he moves his neck out of curiosity. We were watching him and he was watching us!

Check out this brief video!

Then scroll down to see the rest of the pictures.

I am always just amazed at the natural colors and markings!!!!

WOW!!!!!

And he was posing for the camera!

Check out his crown!

What a blessing!

Love and Light,
From one sufi to another,
anita

Latika's Theme - A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire)

This is a soul-stirring song that is best enjoyed with the volume turned up and your eyes closed.

Love and Light,

From one sufi to another,

anita

White Swans - literally! :)

Just the other day, as I was driving on Glades in Boca Raton to go pick up my son and the carpool kids, I was on my cell phone and had stopped at the red light when I noticed these beautiful, white swans out of the corner of my eye.  They were just sitting on the grass off to the side of the road, pruning themselves while the afternoon traffic rolled on by. They were oblivious to it all.

I was so excited to see them that I chose to turn around at the next light after quickly glancing at the car clock and calculating that I was about ten minutes early, which gave me plenty of time to stop and take some pictures. As always, I had my camera in my purse on the seat right next to me.
I got off the phone...the swans were calling...:), parked and slowly made my way toward them.

They just ignored me and carried on!

Just observe how flexible their long necks are.

Check out their feet. I have another closer picture of their webbed feet.
White gorgeous feathers....black rubbery, scaly not so pretty feet.

They were quite tolerant of me as I inched closer and closer, snapping away the entire time.

These swans were entirely too comfortable with. These are city swans. :)
Just look at her beautiful features...black beady eyes...gorgeous orange/pink beak!
The two strips on her beak...her nostrils perhaps?

When I got too close, they would stop plucking their feathers, or eating the grass and just stare at me.
It's hard to tell if they're looking at me since their eye is part of the gorgeous black leading toward their pink beaks.

And once again, after realizing that I was harmless, it was back to business.

Again, notice how their long neck moves in all directions....

Their long neck even allows them to prune their back and tail feathers.
How cool is that!

Check out the feathers on the grass around them!

Ohhh Be Still My Beating Heart!!!! !!!!

Sigh!!!!!! Grace!!!! Beauty!!!!!

Check out the webbed feet.

Amazing aren't they! Black, leathery, webbed, scaly feet!
Totally functional.

Postcard!!!!
Ain't she a beauty!

I'm reminded once again, of being blessed with His beauty all around me. 

I just have to be present in the moment and the gifts keep coming! 

I do realize that there are days when we just are too tired, 

Too rushed, 

Too late,

 Too stressed, 

Too worried,

Too _____________ (fill in the blank)....you get the picture...

 Sadly, we all know what that feels like...

When we are in our heads and hearts and not present in the moment. 

I am aware that I am not sharing any new information here. 

I'm sure you've heard this before. 

BUT

We're humans...

We tend to forget...

And we all need reminders every now and then, 

To forgive ourselves, 

To stop over-thinking the situation, 

To accept whatever life/ God throws our way with grace, humility and gratitude,

To surrender to His will for our lives,

To trust that He knows us best and has the better plan for our lives,

So make plans, 

Do the best we can do,

But then, let it go...Surrender!

Please remember that we all only have so many breaths allocated to each of us...

Once we're out of breaths, our time is up.

So be in the moment with every breath you take.

Enjoy the journey, the process, your life!!!

Sending you LOVE AND LIGHT!!!!

From one sufi to another,

anita