Viking River Cruise ( Part 1)

Let me take my readers to my another very adventurous journey, to a wonderful River Cruise in Europe . River cruises are very different from ocean Cruises ,as you are always near the habitation & not in amidst of the  vast unending body of water . I have done couple of Ocean cruises as well as a River cruises. My first River Cruise was in Russia . It was on Mighty River Volga —- our journey was from Moscow to St. Petersburg .The cruise was extremely enjoyable & educative . But now we are going to talk about my Viking River Cruise on the River Danube . I found Viking Cruise Company very profesional & Technology savvy . 

  Me , and my friend Sue Malik , took a United Airline flight from LAX to Prague ( Check Republic) — a land tour for 3 days as an extension tour offered by Viking Travel Company . We were very happy to find that our hotel Hilton was centrally located in the beautiful city of Prague. Viking staff was very hospitable & helped us with  all the travel arrangements we had decided to take . You know Viking Travels make a personal portal for all the guest & one can log on to note all the details of when ,where ,what time , duration , details of the cite we were going to visit . Our local guides were very knowledgeable & professional, very helpful to us at all times . We were given hearing aids so that we can listen to all the explanations narrated by our guides 

. Prague is like a diamond in the trajectory of Historical landmarks of Europe, History comes through its Breathtaking Landmarks and diverse architectural styles. There are stories from its medieval beginnings to its vibrant present, museums, cycling through the street gliding along the Vltava River.

Prague , capital city of Czech Republic is bisected by the Vitava River nicknamed “ the City Of Hundred Spires” it is known for its old Town Square , the heart of its historic core , with colorful baroque buildings, Gothic churches ,and the medieval Astronomical Clock ,which gives an animated hourly show .

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PRAGUE CASTLE 

Prague castle is the  collective name for an aggregation of palaces , churches,offices,fortifications,courtyards and gardens in Prague.It is sprawled on an area of 43.5 Square miles. It is sitting on the hill , built in the 9th century for Prince Borivoi . 

CHARLES BRIDGE 

Charles Bridge , spanning the Vitava River with 16 pillars, is rich in status & decorative lamps . It is possibly the most iconic Prague landmark . It goes back to 14th century , nearly half a kilometer long , made of stone . It is always very crowded, a pedestrian only bridge . No visit to Prague is complete without crossing the Charles Bridge . It connects Prague & old town . We were instructed not to lose each other’s hands as one can easily be pushed around & fall . All the visitors are busy clicking pictures with the varios sculptures beautifully made on the pillars . Small vendors were selling their very arty souvenirs , we too bought few & clicked some pictures. 

WENCESLAS SQUARE 

Wenceslas Square is one of the main city squares and the center of the business & cultural communities in the new town of Prague . 

KUTNA HORA CHURCH :-

This place is about one & half hour drive city east of  Prague . It is known for the Gothic St. Barbara’s church. 

So we did visit the market to buy some souvenirs for back home for family & friends . But we could not get any thing local , actually these days where ever we go for shopping, markets are selling only items made in China . It is really surprising that Chinese people make all the items ——- small purses . Keychains, magnets , crockery—-putting “ logos “ of the country where they are selling . I have visited many countries & bought items from all countries—- same old story . The quality of manufacturing is also sometimes different . Things bought from USA ,UK may be Chinese made but the quality is definitely better. 

From Prague we were going to Budapest, Hungry. This journey was for about 6-7 hours by motor coach . 

It was very comfortable . The driving distance fromPrague to Budapest is about 350 miles. We crossed many small towns—— Bratislava , Kutna Hora & Bruno . Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia , a charming city along the River Danube. We did not stop anywhere for site seeing , took one break for lunch . We were excited to see new county Hungry, especially its capital , Budapest. 

  Viking Cruise company is very professional, our visit to Prague was part ( Extension Tour ) of Danube River Cruise. This Cruise run from Budapest to Bucharest ( Romania ) up & down . Some tourist start from Bucharest & some start from Budapest. We were to start from Budapest. 

  So friends , we settled in our new hotel in Budapest in the evening. We had to take the city tour the same evening. 

  I will continue with this spectacular tour in my next Blog ——- Viking Cruise Part 2 

 Good bye .

Trip to Japan

I am going to write about my international Trip taken after the great pandemic of 2020 to 2022 . This COVID pandemic was an absolutely new phenomenon for us . I had never seen such a deadly threat to  humanity in my seven decades  of life . 

Actually we friends were booked for our International Trip to Croatia, for August 2020 but the onset of COVID had cancelled our plans . It seemed frustrating but for all Valid reasons, traveling was prohibited & there were strict ban on tourism . 

So when the opportunity came , we went to Japan in October- November 2023 . I had been traveling since 2007 with a group of about 10-12 single women friends but lately the number of women traveling has reduced dramatically. We were 12 ppl in 2007 to Peru &  ,Ecuador . This number reduced to 11,10 ,8, 8,6 ,4, 9 , 3, & 2 to our Trips to Alaska , Africa ,Turkey , Scandinavia,Spain Portugal,South America, Panama ,Russia , Israel & Greece . OMG we used to have a lot of fun — all like minded women . We learnt so much from different parts of world . I am of the opinion that human emotions , thoughts , behavior & character are similar but the socio - Economic factors influence our lives .

So our Trip to Japan consisted of Three friends , many more were interested but due to some unavoidable issues ,could not make it . Our trip was for about 13-14 days . We took the flight from LOS ANGELES to Tokyo on 8th October 2023. We were truly very excited to visit a very beautiful , very small but very modern country . 

Tokyo is a very clean , crowded but very disciplined city . My unforgettable journey to Japan was really exciting . Our spirits were very high & we were all ready to venture out to unknown surroundings. I ,frankly did not feel the discomfort of feeing tightness of my economy class seat where I was sitting for eleven hours . Oh , poor me . 

We reached Tokyo at about 5 pm local time & our Local Guide Eric Menager Shuji met us very warmly . We were comfortably put in our Very grand Hotel —- Keio Plaza Hotel in Nishi - Shinjuku . It was a very grand & Beautiful hotel , very centrally located .I cud judge its popularity as there were lots of travel groups staying in this hotel . 

Next morning , 10 October we headed for our first Tokyo landmark & it was “ The Tokyo Tower “ . This Tower is a communication & observation Tower situated in Shiba - Koen district of Minto , Tokyo. It is a blended color of white & orange .

So our next destination was very interesting, well it was “ Art of Making Sushi “ , it is a special type of Japanese food which has become very popular all over the world 

Its base is rice, sea food ,wasabi & certain type of sea weeds .The master chef ,who taught us the art of making Sushi was an interesting & good teacher —— accompanied by his a very smart son , a kid 8 years old . Child was really very smart , knowledgeable in the art of making sushi .We all made sushi & it was part of our lunch.

We were taken to a local exciting GINZA district, known for its street food & local shopping . We did not like anything as it is full of “ Sea Food “ items . I do not eat sea food so it was not of my taste but market was over crowded & i think local people were doing lot of shopping . 

We visited Asakusa Kannon , most sacred Buddhist Temple. It was a very calm & serene place , but we could not understand the sermon given by a priest as she was speaking in Japanese witch was Greek to us .Then we visited a beautiful Japanese Meiji Shrine which is situated in thick forests . 

Let me explain the difference between “ TEMPLE “ and “ SHRINE “ . Both are the places of worship in Japan . Shinto religion uses the word “ Shrine “ . Shinto Shrine use the suffix “ Jingu “ . In the simplest terms— “Temples are Buddhist” and “Shrines are Shintos “. 

On 3 Day we went to Mt. Fuji , it is the tallest mountain in Japan . We could not go to the Fifth Station as it was engulfed in Clouds but we enjoyed the beautiful weather & splendid country side of Tokyo . Actually Mt.Fuji is a dormant volcano which erupted 300 years ago . 

Our day concluded with a scenic boat ride on the lake “ ASHI “. Later we had a góndola Ride on the “ Komagatake Ropeway . I found it scary but it was an adventure . 

Next day was a free day for us , we just went to local markets ,not taking the risk of getting lost as language was a barrier . Most people were speaking Japanese ,& we did not understand it . This put us in a really difficult situation as we nearly got lost in one of the railway stations. You know ,in Japan , Shopping malls are situated on the Railway stations . We landed in a very difficult situation on the station , we had to take Bullet Train & there was some free time so we decided to roam around the shopping mall but kept on walking the wrong side —- we tried to ask ppl about the platform for our train but nobody could converse in English. Thank God . One girl guided us in the right direction & we took our journey.

I will like to appreciate the punctuality of Japanese Railways , these are punctual up to a second . It is really a great deal .There are vending machines on the platforms we had very tasty ice creams before getting on the train . 

 So next , I will catch later , Goodbye,

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 Hi all , it is almost 5 years since I wrote something on my blog . Actually the difficult circumstances in the whole world were little bit responsible for my being inactive. We all were in a state of shock & miserable because of dangerous COVID pandemic, This pandemic had affected our lives in a shocking way. We lost so many lives all over the world . I also was affected by this calamity —- loosing 3-4 loving lives . 

In Hindu Mythology,we are told that there are four periods affecting our universe . These cycles of different phases keep on repeating—- known as 4 Yugas or Epochs of the Huge Hindu Time Scale .

Satya Yuga , Treta Yuga , Dwaper Yuga & Kala Yug . Their time scale refers to a generations,a long period . Running into millions of years . 

Kala Yug is the most difficult time for humanity . When the suffering of people keep on multiplying in the form of wars , volcanos , floods , pandemics , killings  & lots of moral degradation.

 

Travels 2023- 2024

 Today I am writing almost after a gap of 2 years. Actually the year

2023 & 2024 have been quite busy as I was traveling a lot.I had been to India for almost 6 months & went to Kerala ,Mumbai , Kashmir & Varanasi.

India is a country of Diversities ,I will like to talk little about all the places I visited. 

First of all We went to Kerala —- Kovlam Beach — the Resort

Udaya Samudra , it was a beautiful property, situated on the ocean with fantastic views of dense forests , walkways , Theater, gym and other facilities. South Indian Food was excellent . We had the luxury of private car with Driver7. But the problem we faced was , the driver could not converse in any language which we could understand. This barrier of conversation was a stumbling block in our travels . 

We went to Kochi ,another coastal town with Naval Headquarters. We stayed in a boat at Kochi & enjoyed the hospitality provided by the Travel company . 

Now let me talk about Mumbai , I always visit Mumbai during my visit to India as my sister lives there . She is a great person , full of life ,very caring , loving & loves me a lot . We get so nostalgic when we talk about our childhood, college life & other sisterly talks about life . I visit her friends & other relatives for dinners or other festivities . I always cherish such activities. I did lots of shopping at Mumbai —- Diamond jewelry, clothes, some sweets , spicy snacks & tit bits.shopping is another obsession, I like to shop where ever I go . It is fun especially if I am visiting some new country or location .

Next destination was Varanasi , a very famous Temple Town where

Hindus like to visit & die to achieve “Moksh “ —- salvation from this “ Birth- Death “ cycle of humanity . We had gone there for visiting Famous Kashi Vishavnath Temple . I had visited this place 20-25 years ago , but now what a transition, it is beautifully remade with huge corridors made with marble & granite , it is spic and span , very pretty but full of millions of people ,so crowded . Pious river Ganges is another attraction of Varanasi. We did witness Ganga Aarti , another attraction of this place . In nutshell visiting this historical Temple town was worth the effort .

We also visited Sarnath ——— It is one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage destinations in the world . It is located 13 kilometers north east of Varanasi . It was here that Buddha preached his first discourse in the deer park . 

After that we had enjoyed the famous street food of Varanasi before ending our journey & returning to Delhi .ok good bye 

 

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HARMONY OF BODY AND SOUL: GRATITUDE IN MORNING RITUALS

ASHA MARWAHA

Sailing through the Panama Canal

As I reach my seventh decade, I find myself reflecting on the abundance of blessings in my life, particularly the gift of health and well-being that has carried me this far. Looking back, I feel I owe much of my state of well-being to my humble beginnings in India, where I was raised in the warm embrace of a large and loving joint family. 

Growing up amidst eight siblings and the families of my father's brothers, love and affection enveloped me from all sides. Our mornings were a testament to the importance of starting the day right, a practice instilled in me by my wise family members. Rising before the sun, we embraced the concept of Brahma Mahurat or the Creator’s Time, the early morning dawn, engaging in activities that nurtured our physical and spiritual well-being. Some practiced yoga, others took early morning walks, and together, we set a positive tone for the day ahead. Brahma means force or God or Creator and Mahurat means auspicious minute or time, which is believed to be an hour and forty minutes before sunrise.

From my mother, I learned the art of healthy cooking, watching her skillfully prepare meals with fresh spices and locally sourced vegetables, taught me the value of nourishing both body and soul. These early lessons in health and mindfulness have remained with me throughout my life. To this day I enjoy preparing healthy meals for my family and myself.

In my kitchen

Of course, life has presented me with its share of challenges. The sudden loss of my husband to a spider bite when he was still in his 40s marked a painful chapter in my journey. Yet, with the unwavering support of my family, I navigated through those difficult times, fulfilling my responsibilities as a professor and later as a college Principal while caring for my children. The love of my family and friends became a constant source of strength and joy during those trying moments. Even during those days, I tried to lead my life with the concepts that had been instilled in me by my elders.

Today, as I bask in the success of my children, now accomplished doctors in the United States, my heart remains deeply rooted in India, where I have my own home and a close-knit family circle. The love and support from my family and friends have been a steadfast pillar throughout my life's journey, making it richer and more meaningful. I also love and cherish the time I spend with my three children and their families. 

As an ardent traveler, I treasure the adventures I've shared with dear friends in California and cherished moments with family in India. Exploring different countries and cultures has enriched my life, broadened my perspectives, and instilled a sense of wonder and curiosity within me. My upcoming trip to Japan is another opportunity to revel in the beauty of this diverse world we inhabit.

I am also a forever learner. I keep my mind and heart active as I learn how to play the piano and learn Spanish on the Internet.

Enjoying the music I play

However, there's something truly magical about waking up early in the morning, a tradition I carry with pride from my joint family upbringing. The serene ambiance and tranquility during Brahma Muhurta connect me deeply with my spiritual side, fostering a profound connection with the Creator. The fresh air and the peacefulness of dawn provide the perfect canvas for me to recite the prayers passed down by my parents. 

These prayers are an integral part of my morning walks. They are based in Hindu mythology and my belief in a higher power. These morning prayers are my anchor. I start with the recitation of the Hanuman Chalisa. It is a poem of forty quatrains written by the poet Tulsidas. Reciting these verses chronologically this prayer takes about 20 minutes to complete. I recite a few more prayers concluding them with the powerful Gayatri Mantra. This mantra is recited to lift our consciousness and to learn about our higher purpose in life. It goes like this: Om bhur bhuvah svah, Tat savitur varenyan, Bhargo devasya dhimahi, dhiyo yo nah prachodayat.

I recite my prayer mantras in a chronological order during my walk. I have memorized these mantras and as I start my walk, the mantras flow automatically through my lips. These prayers reinforce my faith and ground me for the day ahead.

During these cherished moments, I also perform my acupressure exercises. This is an alternative medical technique where you put pressure on certain parts of the body called pressure points. I believe, pressing these points help to improve our blood flow and reenergize our body and mind. These practices have undoubtedly contributed to my well-being, granting me the strength to face life's challenges and the capacity to savor life's joys.

As I wander through my tranquil surroundings, I find myself in awe of nature's beauty. The sunrise, with its warm and golden glow, transforms the landscape, enveloping everything in a gentle embrace. I draw inspiration from observing the morning dew on the grass which glows like small diamonds; from the beautiful vibrant colors of yellow, pink, white, red, and violet blossoms; and from the resilient and vibrant weeds that flourish independently, without a need for someone to tend to them with fertilizer and water.

My early morning walks in California offer a different experience compared to those in New Delhi, yet both hold a special place in

I pass vibrant and colorful flowers on my walks

my heart. In California, I enjoy the quiet solitude, encountering the occasional dog walker with whom I exchange warm greetings. In New Delhi, where the population is larger and the early mornings are buzzing with activity, it's heartwarming to witness many people taking advantage of the cooler morning weather to exercise and connect with each other. There are also the sounds of hymns over the loudspeakers. I hear the rooster crowing his morning call and the birds all seem to come alive.

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As I reflect on my seven decades of life, I've come to understand that gratitude is the key to happiness. I am profoundly grateful for my upbringing, the love of my family, the cherished memories, and the life experiences that have shaped me into the person I am today. Each day, as I wake with a heart full of gratitude, I am eager to embrace whatever comes my way, knowing that life's journey is a tapestry woven from blessings, challenges, and moments of profound joy. 

 As I belong to India , was.  raised in an Indian household———,staunch believers of Indian Hinduism mythology ——it has influenced my thoughts, actions & beliefs, and these were imbibed in me by my parents and grand parents .we all know that a child’s upbringing and character is hugely influenced by parents ,neighbors & school.I as a growing child was influenced by my uncle ( My father’s older brother) My uncle was a very religious,disciplined & wise person. He used to wake up in the wee hours of morning ,at about 4 am to offer his prayers ,do yoga & start the day at such an early hour . He was a lawyer by profesión . I used to wonder as to why he gets up so early when we all like to sleep little more . It created lot of anxiety & I asked him about it .

He introduced me with a very strange word belonging to Hindu Mythology i.e 

“ BRAHAMA MUHURTA “ —- Meaning & Ideology of this phrase and explained it .

This ideology has affected my thought process and I am impressed by it so let us first analyze the word — “ BRAHMAMUHURTA “ .This  word is the combination of two words ——— “ BRAHMA “ and “ MUHURTA”

      Word     Brahma in Indian Mythology is supposed to be” A FORCE “or God ”— 

The  “C REATER “ of this world , denotes  knowledgeability  ,creation ,propagation in a systematic & disciplined way . So it signifies the progress ,growth ,personal development,positive thinking . It is the epitome of our existence,this world.

“MUHURAT “ means the auspicious “minute “ or the time which is best to start our endeavors.” MUHURAT “ is used in Vedic astrology to determine the most auspicious time .This hour can be rightly labeled as “ The Creater Hour “ 

 So in nutshell “ Brahma. MUHURAT “ signifies the “ creater’ hour “ This is approximately an hour & forty minutes before sunrise. It is that auspicious hour or minute or time at which we should start any. important event .It is a commen practice in Hinduism to perform or avoid activities on the basis of the quality of “ MUHURTA. “ 

This is generally used to performing of some very important & significant events of our lives —— like solmenising marriage ceremonies, celebrations of child birth ,starting a business,” Bhumi Pujan “ ( construction of the house ) & so on .

Well  I am not emphasizing the importance of “ MUHURTA “ as such .

Technically ,” BRAHMAMUHARTA “ is the time ,an hour and forty minutes before sunrise . 

In our daily lives we look forward for  happiness , prosperity & peaceful atmosphere I like to go for my morning walks at least an hour befor e sunrise .This is a great time to start our daily routine. When we get up at this early hour ,go for morning walk , our mind is fresh & tranquil , free of all thoughts, Atmosphere is calm,fresh & soothig .Nature is at its best ,birds are chirping, cool air is  caressing us . 

When I start my morning walk ,I feel the whole nature has started it’s daily routine.In a country side atmosphere ythere are music like sounds of “ Cock A Doodle Doo” like an alarm to announce to the world of beginning of a brand new day .some times a see very tiny “ Bubbles Of Dew “ scattered on the green grass glowing like small diamonds.Sometimes I see ,small pretty flowers in very vibrant colors of yellow ,pink ,white ,red & even violet blossoms,screaming for our attention to appreciate their beauty so natural & surreal, as these coming from a bundle of weeds in this wilderness.

These weeds look really very majestic telling me that these can take care of their existence themselves.Nobody cares for their needs of fertilizer,water or pesticides & attention . It is a  time when we can discover ourselves , use the immense energy in some positive way . This HOUR can be rightly called “ The Creater’ Hour “

       I get inspired by this concept in my daily routine . In my view that auspicious hour is associated with a morning walk —- nature is so mesmerizing- a deep orange color glorifying the east & sun is peeping out to announce another beautiful day .what a fantastic view. Early morning boosts my immune system . 

 The atmosphere of morning times is different in different surroundings. In USA — I find morning walks are devoid of much human presence in the wee hours of morning. 

Usually I do not see any walker  during my first mile of walk ,after that I do find very skeleton presence of some people , mostly walking their dogs . Another interesting fact is that usually I find the same people at the same time & at the same location every day . So I am kind of looking for those at that moment , exchanging “ hello “ or “good morning “ . 

 When I am in New Delhi,India ,where I do spend few months every year ,there are lots of walkers —- men ,women ,boys ,girls — young. , old , kids —- belonging to all types of families —— rich ,poor ,middle income groups—-all walk with vigor 

Some times I see some women plucking flowers free of cost for offering to gods or for their prayers .Mostly I see small kids with their heavy school bags ,walking to their schools excitedly hand  in hand with their parents . The excitement & happiness on their faces can be seen clearly . These kids usually go to local government schools and do not need bus or car rides .On Sundays or holidays I find them enjoying in the park on swings or playing cricket . 

 I would like to share another aspect of my “ walk routine “. I recite my prayers during my entire walk , in a regular chronological way .I remember all my  mantras by heart , I have to repeat these all the time of my walk and . The moment I start my walk , these mantras automatically are on my lips . 

Besides chanting of religious mantras , I do my acupressure of fingers of hands .

I have been doing it for the last four dacads . It is also done in a systematic way . First I press the “big finger “ of right hand with the right hand “ thumb “. Same action is done with the  left hand . It is done for 15-20 minutes. After this I press the tip of my index finger with thumb —- I keep on switching all the fingers 

until all have been pressed equally , approximately 10 minutes each . I am sure this action of acupressure has helped me in my health . I believe this .

  India is really very different. I have observed lots of changes in the social fabric on Indian society during my seven dacads of life . As kids I used to accompany my father for morning walks. My father used to pluck a small ,soft branch of “ Neem Tree “ to make a “tooth brush “ for the teeth , known as “ Datun “ . He was very sure of medicinals value of “ Neem Tree “ I used to find it very bitter and never used it . But now I see the important medical value of “ Neem Tree “ in the Westeren society . 

For the last 20-25 years,I live in USA but I spend few months in India every year . As Indians we have very strong family ties & social values .I always look forward for my visit to India . My siblings , living in India eagerly wait for my visits . I am really blessed to have such a loving family. We always get nostalgic talking about our happy , simple,loving ,peaceful & enjoyable child hood . 

 This year I traveled a lot during my six months stay in India . I went to Different parts of our great country—- Kerala , Mumbai , Varanasi ,Jammu & Kashmir and had lots of fun . Srinagar was very beautiful . Gulmarg & Pehalgam  were  full of tourists — valleys with a thick carpet of Snow . All other places are worth going , for shopping & merry making . 

 I would like to wind up now , I hope readers may get inspired for going for morning walks , if not doing already . 

 

 

Hi , all i am here again after spending so much time in different part of world.It is really a very different life ,with different____ culture, language,food,social fabric,politics,religious beliefs -----
yes i am refering to India .

well i was in India for about 5-6 months ,it was a very varied type of experience .one feels so relaxed ,it is a very relaxed atmosphere ,
people are quite satisfied in a way with their lives.They may be poor ,sick,downtrodden,uneducated ,--- but put blame on their previous lives "KARMA"-- they feel very strongly about it .If they do not have a job or house or any other assets - they do not believe in other happenings but their destiny.it gives them lot of satisfaction in their daily lives.at the same time almost all of them whether they are daily workers like ,gardener,vegetable venders,servents ,small traders --------------- any one for that matter ----- have mobile phones with all the moderen apps.is'nt it strange.It definately shows their mental state of affairs ------- not much worried about financial problems but enjoying their lives with minimum resources.
       India is a country with dual or triple economy -------------- richest of people .middle income groups ,low income groups --- all are happy in their lives.The recent growth of social media has widened their horizen of  social spread.India has advanced in Television,Radio & print media.When i watch reality shows on television ,i am happy to see so many contestents from comparitively lower strata of soceity ,which was not the case in earlier times.This is a very positive shift in the society.Ok 

       To day ,1st November is my friends Birth Day .She shares my sun sign ,we are scorpion , i think there  are some similarities in our lives , looking at that i feel if there is some truth in the effects of  sun sign on our lives. we both were class mates in school and university ,but unfortunately we both had lost our mothers in very young age.We used to discuss our lives and problems. Our friendship is very mature , it spans over 45 years.we both have seen many ups and downs in life.But there is one big difference in our personalities---- i am very bold but she gets sub duded by her family members very quickly and cannot take a stand by herself.Well i think one has to protect oneself  from injustice.we need not be quarrelsome but can show our anger with humility too.
well does it mean our sun sign is responsible----- no way --- Perhaps there are some other forces which affect our actions.one leaves all this to one's destiny.
  well is there any thing as ?--- DESTINY--- we have seen very ordinary people getting all the goodies of life ,by ordinary i do not mean they are with out any wisdom.I think they have taken right decision at the right time in the right direction at the cross roads
some times our own attitude towards others make people around us good or bad. Positive thinking  is also a very important attribute in our lives.Positive attitude brightens our lives and negative feelings ruin our life and pushes us in a very dark corner and it has bad cascading effects on our existence,so let positivity  takes control of our behaviour.we should let certain events take their own shape and ignore these feelings of helplessness.

hi readers ,good morning ,really enjoying the good weather ,especially at the east coast of USA------ Washington DC.nature has blessed us with all the wonders of the universe.While travelling to different parts of Caribbean islands during my last vacation on a cruise ship ,I observed nature ,----------forests,vegetation,landscapes,birds species,rivers,oceans.and most important human beings of those areas.Different parts of nations have varied types of interests,----people are busy in their daily life  routines------,manufacturing ,selling,farming ,guiding tours,driving taxis ,doing exotic cooking to entice tourists and all such stuffs .we are all living our lives according to our beliefs.
    Our beliefs are very strong and depend on our upbringing ----.religious ,social.economic,family values,schooling and parenting.We are so much dependent on our circumstances,Some of us like to be different from accepted norms but then we have to be prepared for the resentment of our family ,friends ,and society.But the reaction of the society also depends on our social standing , attitude and strong conviction of ideas.I personally feel that there is nothing really good or very bad.If we are good persons, compassionate,,caring for other's feelings ,kind and loving ,then nobody will be mean to us,There is so much misery and unhappiness in this world that some  people have to resort to some type of aggressive actions  to  achieve  their goals.Any way i had wonderful time with my friends on the cruise. 
      Cruises are a good vacation ,we r away from all the hulla-balla of our daily life and routine living .when i stand outside in the balcony of big vast ocean--- specifically ---- Pacific Ocean, it looks unending ,infinite very powerful.i feel like going down and looking for the vast marine organism which is supposed to be much more than what we have on the earth,but it is only in my imaginary world as i am not a swimmer not an adventurist.I think all this in a make believe world of mine.
   we spent seven days on the cruise ,touring four islands and merry making with friends.i would advise my friends to do some adventure like this and have fun.