tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24576036654178411362024-02-06T18:29:08.644-08:00Tea 'n' CoffeeLeenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028303561219162483noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2457603665417841136.post-80529359253306557172015-01-30T11:40:00.001-08:002015-03-31T12:30:33.583-07:00Sleep on it!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><span style="background-color: #444444; color: white;">I don't know about you, but some things get me all riled up. They just keep on dancing on my head and give my subconscience a headache :) And try as I might I am not able to shrug them and move on. Not good for my system at all. It could just something someone has said to me which was out of line or something that happened which was not expected. All in all I would get super upset and end up sulking.</span></b><br />
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<b>Recently I attended a conference which had my company's CMO was asked a very simple thing. "How do you deal with a very stressful day where nothing goes your way and you are not able to do anything about it?" Her response was simple. " Just sleep on it". Her rationale was that the problem will not disappear tomorrow but it will not seem as daunting as it did today. That way you will get different ideas on how you can solve the issue.</b></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: white;">Hmm so I agree with that. My issue though is that if I have something on my mind I cannot fall asleep. It will keep spinning in my mind. A lot of times I will not even know something is bothering me until I get a headache. After which I have to do a complete analysis to figure out what my mind is disliking. Complicated I know. </span></b></span><br />
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<b>One fine particularly crappy day, I decided to put this theory to test. I told myself that I will step away and deal with the situation after I have slept on it. It was tough to fall asleep with the problem running to my head at first. Eventually when I woke up the next morning I felt surprisingly clear headed. I did not have a Eureka!!! moment right away but the situation was not such a big deal any more. I felt more confident that I will be able to solve the problem. </b></span><br />
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<b>Not a bad advice Ms CMO. So far this has helped me in the way I deal with personal dilemmas. </b></span><br />
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<b>Some food for thought for you too!</b></span><br />
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<b>Leena --<@</b></span><br />
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Leenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028303561219162483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2457603665417841136.post-85257741279689860702014-01-21T09:34:00.002-08:002015-03-31T12:30:56.354-07:00In the middle<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><span style="color: white;">It is the name of a series I really like of the quintessential middle class of America. But I am not going to talk about the middle class and their money problems. Today I am talking about the simple things you can do to motivate yourself while exercising.</span></b><br />
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<b>Now I love some intense cardio classes. The more crazy they are, the better. I don't enjoy zumba because they don't make me sweat as much. I do a lot of kick boxing, flex etc to keep my heart rate pumping.</b></span><br />
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<b>Here is the hypothesis: Your class output is directly proportional to where you are standing in the studio. Meaning are you in the center or on the right or in the front facing the mirror head on?</b></span><br />
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<b>Sample 1: Kick boxing class 1</b></span><br />
<b><span style="color: white;">Location: Middle right</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: white;">Output: Medium</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: white;">Reason: Took too many breaks to grab a sip of water which was right besides me. Felt like no one was judging me for taking breaks</span></b><br />
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<b>Sample 2: Flex class 2</b></span><br />
<b><span style="color: white;">My location in the class: Last row left</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: white;">Output: Medium Low</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: white;">Reason: Did not feel as engaged and made too many short cuts in the class</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: white;">Sample 3: Yoga Class 3</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: white;">My location in the class: Front center</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: white;">Output: High</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: white;">Reason: Every moment I saw myself in the mirror I knew others could see me too. That motivated me to try harder at getting all the positions correctly. Also you don't have anyone obstructing your view which helps you in ensuring the right posture.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: white;">There could be many more variables that could impact your performance like the instructor, the class structure itself, music, the number of attendees etc. </span></b><br />
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<b>I feel that for me who is on the more introvert side, it is natural to stay on the side and work out or do anything. The performance is good to great but not recognized or appreciated by you. On the other hand when I pushed myself more by being in the middle of the class, I saw exponential change in performance. It did feel uncomfortable the first 5 minutes but by the end of the class it felt great.</b></span><br />
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<b>Push yourself to explore the unknown. The results may surprise you. </b></span><br />
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<b>Leena --<@</b></span><br />
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Leenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028303561219162483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2457603665417841136.post-47385566994856469132013-07-31T11:38:00.002-07:002015-03-31T12:31:18.891-07:00One step at a time<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><span style="color: white;">Whenever I begin a new hobby, I have instant expectations that I will be awesome at it. No matter what it is. I will learn to crochet a exquisite afghan in a day, I will figure out ways to grow basil quicker in one hour of research. I know how unreasonable it all sounds, but let's admit we all do this sometimes. With the culture of instant gratification that we live in, we want everything at our finger steps quickly without effort or disappointment. </span></b><br />
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<b>Needless to say, I have learned the very hard way that it is not possible to get everything right the first time :) Proof is my first crochet scarf which looks more like a table cloth than a scarf. After that, it was so difficult for me to continue because I was scared of failing at it. </b></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: white;">I took up another hobby this year. Yes there are so many things to explore, that sticking with one hobby all my life did not seem fair :) Urban sketching is what I am exploring off late. Not too crazy and tough if you like drawing buildings. Sit outside a cafe in a city and simply sketch and paint what you see. Simple enough right. I bought the book,"<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Urban-Sketching-Location/dp/1592537251/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375295285&sr=8-1&keywords=urban+sketching"> The Art of Urban Sketching: Drawing On Location Around The World"</a>. Read it. Looked very tempting. </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: white;">Well I have 10 pictures that I have taken in the past few months that I need to sketch. Somehow I am not able to bring myself to start the process. The reason, I am scared that I will fail at it miserably and all the effort will go to waste. Yes, I am procrastinating, shying from my sketch book and colors :) So stupid you would say, still we do it. </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: white;">I listen to this song called," <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIE5QtkxzvM">One step at a time</a>" by Jordan Sparks. So simple, One step at a time. Easier said than done right. The book said one very simple thing. What you paint does not have to be an exact representation of the view you see. It should be a representation of your outlook. It is your creation and you can make it the way you want. You don't have to make it exactly like it is. I agree with all of this, yet I am not convinced if I can make it. </span></b><br />
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<span style="color: white;"><b>Tsk tsk. I finally got down to doing some sketching. </b><b><b> </b></b></span><br />
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<b><b><span style="color: white;">Below is my recreation of a picture I took in Elizabeth City, NC. A simple building in the corner of a sleepy town. </span></b></b><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6pDuFwYxtYn-6Kgq-WWO7BnWJeUBgvzkeG0cjvXBHwUQ7iBKc0dmaFhGVaptkL4zehPiMHrGhWtdkgNmEaGa0EnPRRe5grL3bQXXenIMj-Ugj7McYRp7DK-rXuL2iJbO7s_DYqbFm365/s1600/bldg+04.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6pDuFwYxtYn-6Kgq-WWO7BnWJeUBgvzkeG0cjvXBHwUQ7iBKc0dmaFhGVaptkL4zehPiMHrGhWtdkgNmEaGa0EnPRRe5grL3bQXXenIMj-Ugj7McYRp7DK-rXuL2iJbO7s_DYqbFm365/s400/bldg+04.JPG" height="400" width="298" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">Original picture</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWtEXJ-26HJ7F8PAFSWnWnpDU8MVtAqgQgKUMdQiALp5YZXY4Trykwo6yP7GUDJIVHlycnFWLVnWIsDOWCmetiZCnnRlWh4tEW2AwJYGjORadGIfN7douuncIuawzHJ01fVTZCMguFw15t/s1600/bldg+04+water.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWtEXJ-26HJ7F8PAFSWnWnpDU8MVtAqgQgKUMdQiALp5YZXY4Trykwo6yP7GUDJIVHlycnFWLVnWIsDOWCmetiZCnnRlWh4tEW2AwJYGjORadGIfN7douuncIuawzHJ01fVTZCMguFw15t/s400/bldg+04+water.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">My water color recreation</span></td></tr>
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<b><b><span style="color: white;"> This is my interpretation of the building above. Drew a basic sketch and water colored it. Finished off with a black pen outlining. This is my first attempt at urban sketching. I must say that I am happy with the outcome. The process was very easy and simple. It was not as bad as I thought it would be. </span></b></b><br />
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<b><b><span style="color: white;">One step at a time, right!</span></b></b><br />
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<span style="color: white;"><b><b>Leena --<@</b></b>
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Leenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028303561219162483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2457603665417841136.post-48426238591147499612013-06-27T15:03:00.003-07:002015-03-31T12:32:34.231-07:00What's in a design?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The wheel is always round. The keyboard always begins with qwerty. The electric socket looks a certain way always.We are so used to things being a certain way that we forget the number of iterations it took to be the way it is today. That is the power of design and a good design is so difficult to come by. Ask me. I have spent more than necessary resources (time, money and loads of efforts) finding the perfect kitchen tools. The pain and agony in buying and testing the various pieces. Truly agonizing I must say. Ya ya I know what you must be thinking. "what's the big deal!" It's not like you are trying to find the perfect car and have spent thousands of $$ in the search. I agree but I take my optimizations very seriously. I like getting the most out of what I pay for.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So I set out to find the ideal soap dispenser. No big deal. Go to Bed Bath and Beyond and pick out one or two. Yours truly did just that. One day of using and soap was flowing from it like a fountain. But not from when it should be flowing from. Evidence 1 (below):<br /> </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojnbn76LkVTRtnsHtXRNDAP72QYeDDqP6C8Kd_wFwQx5XLeZMZGaStSm44IZFXwvurVjh-t7HEBXozzyasKfWgsvTmp-_sfF4mfaCKHG8jEnLzvUdy9hoqp3PdTN3rUxJT2fPrhB7BmWu/s1280/soap+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojnbn76LkVTRtnsHtXRNDAP72QYeDDqP6C8Kd_wFwQx5XLeZMZGaStSm44IZFXwvurVjh-t7HEBXozzyasKfWgsvTmp-_sfF4mfaCKHG8jEnLzvUdy9hoqp3PdTN3rUxJT2fPrhB7BmWu/s320/soap+1.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1st Dispenser (alas!)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The spurting was so annoying but I hung in there hoping that the pump would start working without leaking. Alas! It did NOT work. I did not give in. I went to another retail store to get another hero for my kitchen. Too many expectations from such a small simple soap dispenser. I present to you, evidence # 2. This time I bought a plastic one hoping it would work better than metal. Yup, I know I am too much of an optimistic. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQA1bz0nCkUnSRDsV602COIhSH6wXSO07tNFif9bMLm4tkbJTVn93YcisibbTVTbUEIcqJTm4VPOKJJ3Y7LIQ0DT3-qObmVYjdHm9P_eGFecPiAIxhCfZdToMmB4yeF9i8RrAHLz4cbJjC/s1280/soap+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQA1bz0nCkUnSRDsV602COIhSH6wXSO07tNFif9bMLm4tkbJTVn93YcisibbTVTbUEIcqJTm4VPOKJJ3Y7LIQ0DT3-qObmVYjdHm9P_eGFecPiAIxhCfZdToMmB4yeF9i8RrAHLz4cbJjC/s320/soap+2.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Drip drip drip...</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Needless to say, it did not work either. Well after 3 more dispensers and broken hopes, I finally found one dispenser that WORKED. Really this one does and without dripping one bit. I am so happy and my faith in the genius of product design is reinstated. </span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90OmjvGQ1pO7EwiGmD7j_mUh83h-wsByYvxMVZzw36M60ibP6yJ3BqDIMTSUAaqPhoux5kXsRuTM_pp7-P3rsRNmvDvcOD3tbnTWP9bHMkUAn1RR2jeCH8cmtfkVzMP81DxGrF2B6Tffa/s1600/soap+04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90OmjvGQ1pO7EwiGmD7j_mUh83h-wsByYvxMVZzw36M60ibP6yJ3BqDIMTSUAaqPhoux5kXsRuTM_pp7-P3rsRNmvDvcOD3tbnTWP9bHMkUAn1RR2jeCH8cmtfkVzMP81DxGrF2B6Tffa/s320/soap+04.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Maybe we will see an oval tablet in the future. You never know :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Leena --<@</span></span></div>
Leenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028303561219162483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2457603665417841136.post-40246206436655171492013-01-29T13:10:00.001-08:002015-03-31T12:32:52.361-07:00Part of a group<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: white;">Pressures of living in a competitive society weighs heavily on every individual's shoulders. Are you the first in your class? Are you the captain of your team? Are you the highest paid member of your team? The list and intensity grows and grows. We spend most of our lives trying to distance ourselves from the crowd. To be different. To stand out. </span><br />
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Recently I heard about a report on the lives of Aids survivors. Heart breaking would be an understatement. Here were people who were trying to get by with a society imposed stigma and no support or empathy. The advancement of science has not helped people become more accepting. I don't think anyone wishes that they should get Aids. So why are we so quick to judge them and outcast them. </span><br />
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One young man who had Aids said in an interview," I would give anything to be a part of the normal group again." It struck a cord in my heart. Here we are trying so hard to be keep our differences alive. So hard to shine above everyone while completely forgetting that sometimes being a part of many is most comforting and a blessing. </span><br />
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Leena --<@</span></div>
Leenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028303561219162483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2457603665417841136.post-6467062722803217222012-10-04T11:41:00.002-07:002015-03-31T12:33:11.951-07:00The Best Choice?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><span style="color: white;">As a rational human being we try to answer every question to the best of our ability. There is so much you can answer with a scientific or even a logical answer. Don't worry I am not going to talk about the theory that everything happens because God has all the answers and he has a reason for doing what he is doing. I am not much a believer of God, so I will not delve in that matter. I am talking about the simple things like not knowing how your cake would come out because you changed the recipe a tad bit or when you go hiking or mountain climbing to a new place, you never know what you will see or experience around the corner. Yet you would still take the leap.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: white;">Another one that is always a dilemma for me to whether to read a book or watch its interpretation in a movie. Not quite a chicken and egg situation but for someone who loves a good story the decision is very important. I guess that's the reason I have put off seeing so many amazing movies just because I wanted to read the book. I am not complaining. </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: white;">All said and done it is a better dilemma to deal with so many other decisions we make on a daily basis that influence our lives forever. I think I can survive not watching another movie or reading another book after all. </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: white;">Cheers!</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: white;">Leena --<@ </span></b></div>
Leenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028303561219162483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2457603665417841136.post-60357068791964724262012-06-08T11:28:00.000-07:002015-03-31T12:33:33.374-07:00All in the SPICE!!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.vahrehvah.com/"></a><br />
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<b><span style="background-color: #444444; color: white;">I am not a big fan of food.. In fact I rarely entered the kitchen until I started my master's degree. Not too picky about what I should eat, hence the lifelong funky relationship with food.</span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white;"><b>Company changed all that. By that I mean my husband. He loves to eat. In fact I can safely say that he lives to eat. And here he was, married to a person who does not enjoy eating or cooking. Poor thing. After experimenting from books, listening non-stop to <a href="http://www.vahrehvah.com/">The Wah Chef</a></b><b> and the <a href="http://showmethecurry.com/">Show me the Curry</a> ladies I started getting the hang of cooking. Experimenting with with I mess a lot. Besides Indian food which I am conversant with, trying to recreate other cuisines is comparatively difficult. I must have tried the Yellow Thai Curry at least 3 times by now, but every time something is missing and I cannot figure out what. Everything was fresh and cooked perfectly. Yet did not taste good overall. </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: #444444; color: white;">Made many variations, still the amazing taste eluded me. Finally I decided to deviate from the recipe and change the spices. And voila the thai curry was the same you eat in restaurants. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: #444444; color: white;">It is all about the spice honey! Whether food or relationships, add a little bit of spice and see the difference. Oh and one more thing.. Never stop trying :)</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: #444444; color: white;">Leena --<@</span></b></div>
Leenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028303561219162483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2457603665417841136.post-14720338330580654592012-05-15T12:33:00.004-07:002012-05-15T12:33:55.866-07:00Mental Block :)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Ya ya, no matter how much you negate it, we all have mental blocks. I have so many. For example, I cannot run a marathon or I cannot ride a bicycle without hands for more than 5 seconds (yup, 5 seconds is my max). But we all have our mental blocks. No matter how whimsical, they are there. My husband and I love hiking. We have tried many trails over the course of the past 1 year. Unfortunately we have a mental block. One that involves the 9-12 mile PG&E trail in </b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/rancho-san-antonio-open-space-preserve-los-altos">Rancho San Antonio</a></b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>. We have been on the trail at least 5 times and have never completed it. We would always run away after 6 miles thinking we were too tired to complete the hike. </b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Now we have done more steep hikes like Mission Peak multiple times but the longer ones are more harder. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Two weeks ago, a friend of ours came along with us. He is a powerhouse of stories. You name the topic and he would know something about it. A walking talking podcast of everything. We were so engaged in our discussion that we barely remember hiking. I just recall that we discussed about everything under the sun. At the end of the hike, we were satisfied and energized to do it again. Our friend had to leave and we were not very sure if we could make it as a couple. </b></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsISWQND57vs-Nhkx1Qa-T5jb_DMYR8I2FBmEcqcqBPJOlHw9dWoGxE57kfZXe32mHMuWcqhqbCri3ixzSbYs-JGF4nM1IuQt2X3_GHNsg3jGyTrOYzz42ShbFHBAk7LzXQADqaWmAq2Mb/s1600/Rancho+01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsISWQND57vs-Nhkx1Qa-T5jb_DMYR8I2FBmEcqcqBPJOlHw9dWoGxE57kfZXe32mHMuWcqhqbCri3ixzSbYs-JGF4nM1IuQt2X3_GHNsg3jGyTrOYzz42ShbFHBAk7LzXQADqaWmAq2Mb/s320/Rancho+01.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PG&E Trail at Rancho San Antonio</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>I know what you might be thinking, why not just listen to something and complete your hike. Simple. No quite. When my husband and I go for a hike we make it a point not to use our "i" devices. The reason is only one. If we wanted to listen to our music why are we going together. So no devices, just you, your partner/friend, the trail and of course the nature. Bottom line the conversation matters. I was 100% sure that we would turn around midway after getting bored or fighting. </b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7DFvLDsvqBCtSTk19PRvGA1XyzJTSmKUR9dwySGChNAXZt5s7-ANggRijwLQKIhJ-YmhpAG6yocoxotB-0rucbYLxfo9C5FHukCsm4DGd2CQhrSlyHKgCkigIM8LKBqvyigUJjE07ZHU/s1600/Rancho+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7DFvLDsvqBCtSTk19PRvGA1XyzJTSmKUR9dwySGChNAXZt5s7-ANggRijwLQKIhJ-YmhpAG6yocoxotB-0rucbYLxfo9C5FHukCsm4DGd2CQhrSlyHKgCkigIM8LKBqvyigUJjE07ZHU/s320/Rancho+3.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the top of the trail :)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>So here we were walking along the 10 mile loop and we just started talking about all the random stuff. Sometimes talking sometimes just being silent with our thoughts. Something changed in those 4 hours. We started appreciating the beautiful nature. Being one with the mountains, the streams, the animals was so wonderful. We completed the hike. Came home exhausted but very satisfied. Ready for more next week. </b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3gBc59ffvuQBd3b8zzBve67N23_UlOYRn9Km8l2YX6gbnP27yDal0sVsL0D7HDK9BvKXs8Kj1WROcsiBMFOnBhduWK7ilX69pVIZSzvU2Zbsz-13zhssyT_lIYavJPewQsv_TPhpyeT7/s1600/Rancho+02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3gBc59ffvuQBd3b8zzBve67N23_UlOYRn9Km8l2YX6gbnP27yDal0sVsL0D7HDK9BvKXs8Kj1WROcsiBMFOnBhduWK7ilX69pVIZSzvU2Zbsz-13zhssyT_lIYavJPewQsv_TPhpyeT7/s320/Rancho+02.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking through the woods</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Moral of the story: It's all in the mind.. There should be no such thing as a mental block :)</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Happy Hiking</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Leena --<@</b></span><br />
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</div>Leenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028303561219162483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2457603665417841136.post-10381483083519618422012-04-30T10:29:00.001-07:002012-04-30T15:05:22.825-07:00Do you own your Happiness?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b style="color: #38761d;">I know the answer in your mind is," Of course!" What kind of a question is this? Well, most times it is not the case. Would you go to a concert alone? Would you go to a movie alone? Would you go for a game alone? If the answer to these and more is,"Yes" then yes you are the owner of your happiness. I know I am not, since my happiness depends on the happiness of others. My family, my friends all of them collectively define my happiness. </b><br />
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<b style="color: #38761d;">So if I am alone maybe I am not that happy after all. I don't know what the right state is or should be but I do know this, you should not be dependent on someone else to make you feel happy. That itself is really sad that you cannot make yourself feel happy doing something alone. </b><br />
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<b style="color: #38761d;">I attended a concert last weekend. I was there with a friend and my husband. There was a single guy sitting besides me. He was silent the entire time before the concert. When I saw him, the first thing that struck me was that,"Oh he is alone, that is so sad." He was listening to the opening bands while we were chatting away, making fun at one another. And then the concert began. He literally was off his feet the
moment the band started playing, enjoying every moment of it. He was
screaming, cheering, clapping and I would like to think that he was
tearing up a little bit too. Seemed like a big fan of the band.My perspective of that individual changed that moment. I thought,"I wish I could do that!" Follow my happiness and do the things I love no matter if I have company to do it with or not. I used to do it in school where I would go ahead and try different things even if I was not necessarily good at them. But just trying them would give me immense satisfaction and happiness. Now I look for people to do it with. Or just pull my husband along because he does not have much of a choice ;)</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatoRzAKzUgRB75QGoJYhQhRKj5Q6HD1PCXiIQToVQmD_QsqZ-eGI6wc7Nz2qKv7_-TMI8y6KfiojF04WuYYJ9FoUyrsaYDihs7Y-IMdLtCa0m7ME1O9_wud-AqQNmkEPpJOdCM0hoBXOv/s1600/Concert.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatoRzAKzUgRB75QGoJYhQhRKj5Q6HD1PCXiIQToVQmD_QsqZ-eGI6wc7Nz2qKv7_-TMI8y6KfiojF04WuYYJ9FoUyrsaYDihs7Y-IMdLtCa0m7ME1O9_wud-AqQNmkEPpJOdCM0hoBXOv/s320/Concert.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="color: #38761d;">My mid year resolution (yes, you can have a mid year resolution:) ) is now to go out there and explore new things that make me happy. If I find new or old friends on the way it is great, but that will not deter me from keep trying :)</b><br />
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<b style="color: #38761d;">Cheers to owning your Happiness!</b><br />
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<b style="color: #38761d;">Leena --<@</b></div>Leenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028303561219162483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2457603665417841136.post-3069458623565658582012-04-19T12:47:00.001-07:002012-04-19T15:23:10.795-07:002 Minute Noodles<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>In the old ages. I know I am aging myself by saying this but back in the 90's life used to be so simple. Kids would go to school, come back home, pretend to complete their homework, then run away for playing. Come back home, eat and sleep. Simple. Today's life is so complicated. I agree there are is an App for almost everything you might want to do. But the question I ask is,"Do you really need it?" Where is the effort to learn something? To build something from scratch. To experiment using a new instrument or learning a new sport.</b></div>
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<b>In the age of the i products, all that we are doing is straining our eyes, getting wrist pain and yet not really learning anything on the way.</b></div>
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<b>I listen to a podcast called,"The Moth Podcast". It has a simple concept. Real stories told by people without notes. The stories are funny, inspiring, saddening at times. But it always keeps me coming back for more. At the end of the podcast, the host exits by saying," Have a story worthy week!" Everytime he says that I think back on my week to analyze if I had a story worthy week. Some times I do some times I don't. But I definitely try to make it happen. Obviously these people could not have had these stories if they were huddled on their facebook or twitter accounts. They definitely would not have been speaking if they were in front of their technology products all day long.</b></div>
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<b>The gist is simple. "To keep things Simple." Yes there is a ton of information out there. But how much do you really read and retain or even learn from. If the answer is less than 40% it is time to step away from your gadgets, your facebook and the rest and step out to see what the world has to offer. De clutter your life which will help you think more clearly.</b></div>
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<b>I have so many friends who canbe in front of their laptops for 12 hours at a stretch. But if you ask them at the end of the day what did they learn or what did they get out of the 12 hours, you would rarely get 2 or 3 new things. If that is what you plan to do, there is not much difference between us and the rest of the animal world. We have a brain for a reason. The reason will be fulfilled if you decide and do use your brains. 2 minute noodles are easy to make but not healthy to eat. Think about it :)</b></div>
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<b>Leena --<@</b></div>
</div>Leenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028303561219162483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2457603665417841136.post-90547734677347845132011-12-19T15:22:00.000-08:002011-12-19T15:24:37.433-08:00The Cost of a Smile :)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Smile! Seems pretty harmless right. So many sayings that encourage smiling. So many songs written on ladies smiling. Smile and the world smiles with you. Cry and cry alone. Blah blah blah...Yet we are most frugal about things that are free. As if we will lose a million dollars if we smile at someone. Okay, maybe I am exaggerating a little. But think about it, when you are out walking or in a mall and you see a stranger in front of you. Your eyes meet. You both scrutinize each other. How often do you acknowledge him or her with a smile? If the answer to this question is often or every time, then I would put you in the exception category. Because most people don't really respond to another person with a smile or a nod. They would look at you from head to toe but will not smile at you or even nod. It is hilarious and intriguing to me. Sort of my pet peeve. I cannot understand that if you are spending a couple of seconds to look why not use that time to smile. Wouldn't that be more productive use of time.</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People working in customer care are taught to smile when they say hello to a customer. The rationale behind this is that people can sense the warmth from your voice. So if you smile and speak with your customers, they will be more willing to buy from you. Hence the over use of," Hello sir or ma'am, do you find everything ok?" or ,"Do you need help with something?" It is annoying but nice that someone cares or is at least pretending to care. Seeing someone smile does make you smile. No matter who it is. </span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I go out, I notice how people react when you are in front of them. We look, analyze and then when our eyes meet, I smile and 75% of the times the smile is not returned. Interesting right. In my apartment there is a sort of ego play. Two people will continue to look at each other with squinted eyes but will wait for the other person to acknowledge them, say hi or smile. Why the game I don't know. Maybe the lack of humility. Maybe the presence of ego. Either ways too much drama if you ask me. </span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I read a quote once which said people don't remember what you said, your praises or actions but they never forget how you made them feel. So true. Why not be the first smile, spread the happiness and make even a stranger feel special. Hopefully your efforts will be reciprocated. </span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keep smiling :)</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Leena --<@</span></b></div>Leenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028303561219162483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2457603665417841136.post-89961947033972741872011-08-24T16:06:00.000-07:002011-08-24T16:06:30.737-07:00First Love<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><b> Relationships are funny.Living or not, you can always have a relationship. Think about it.. so many people are in an awesome relationship with their iPads and iPhones. Fully content with their world of apps and tools. How do you know that? Simple when your friend or spouse goes missing or is upset, you get worried. Something very similar happens to people who lose their iPads or iPhones or when it stops working. I am sure it will not be an exaggeration if I were to say that my husband would go crazy if he loses his phone for even 5 minutes. I empathize with his obsession with his gadgets. Although I don't feel the same about my phone. </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><b> I have a different kind of relationship. And it is super special to me. It is not a phone or a laptop. It is my one and only 8 inch Chef knife from Cuisinart. Strange some might say, but ask a person laboring over cutting the veggies with a blunt knife. Before marriage I had never stepped foot in the kitchen. And post marriage I intended the situation to stay the same. Unfortunately things don't always go your way and when you start adding inches around the waistline, you need to watch what you put in your mouth. Cooking at home seemed like a logical choice then. The most irritating chore in the kitchen is prep work. And I hated it since my knife was so blunt by hands would start paining. I tried so many knives I lose count. And needless to say, they all sucked. I bought brands and they just didn't work for me. </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Until one day my husband brought home an 8 inch Cuisinart Chef knife. Wow it was love at first sight. I had to try 5 different knives to get to my lovely Cuisinart knife. It was and is so sharp that over the years have slit all my fingers and sliced all my finger nails. Instant manicure for me. AT one point of time I had band-aids on all fingers. No one would use it but me in my house. It was all mine and no one can touch it. Talk about exclusive rights. Alas, relationships go through rough times sometimes. In my case it happened when another knife entered my kitchen and my life. A beautiful 6 inch special vegetable knife from Cuisinart. I have been dabbling with buying this knife for almost 4 months before I bought. Sort of felt guilty of bringing another knife in my life. Could I manage two? It was a heartbreaking decision. </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><b> Alas I bought the knife and you know what it was fantastic. It was sharp and so smooth. And I did not cut any of my fingers. I used it non stop for one week and then tried my chef knife one day. It felt perfect in my hand. They say that you never forget your first love. And old habits die hard. Even though I still cut my fingers using my chef knife, I only use it. Occasionally give some time to the new one. First love is difficult to forget and move on, specially if it is an 8 inch amazingly sharp and beautiful chef knife :)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Leena --<@</b></span></div></div>Leenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028303561219162483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2457603665417841136.post-90422158958275860612011-06-29T15:54:00.000-07:002011-06-29T15:54:56.170-07:00The Group<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;">I think everyone aspires to be a part of some group at one point of time or another. Whether it is to be part of the cool group or the intellectual group or even the geek group, as social animals we want to be connected with some set of people. I always tried to create my own group and then include any one who wanted to enjoy being themselves.</span></b><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><br />
</span></b><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><b>Recently though, I have had this desperation to be part of a certain group. I have been on a weight loss regime since early 2011 and have taken up running as my cardio routine in my gym. I had no idea what I had gotten myself into, but I wanted to part of the group that can go on running for hours at a stretch without any problems. I remember the </b><b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyO6ayCb5rE">Nike Commercial</a> </b><b>in the movie " What Women Want" I would love to have that feeling when I am running. Easier said than done right! </b></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><br />
</span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;">With the resolution of doing my best I got on the tread mill. A lady and a guy were on my side running nonstop for 30 minutes. I did my 3 minute warm up and started running at the speed of 5. In 2 minutes I was gasping for breadth and pressed the emergency stop. I looked around and the people besides me went on running like they were flying effortlessly on thin air. I was super annoyed. </span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><br />
</span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;">My trainer took me aside and told me,"Leena the more you will push yourself, the farther you will go." Sounds simple enough. Well not in the gym. I started running for 2 minutes and started challenging myself to increase in 5 minute increments every week. </span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><br />
</span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;">It was very painful and for a person with a short attention span, it can get very boring. I tricked myself into thinking that it was fun and coupled it with loads of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Disney Channel feel-good shows. </span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><br />
</span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;">Today I can run for 45 mins non-stop at the speed of 5 - 5.5. The feeling you have after finishing that long stretch is simply amazing. I look forward to almost going "WOOHOOO !!!" once I am done. Now I don't care if I belong to the runners' group or not. I am just glad I was able to experience that feeling! I hope to run a 5k soon just to see if I can make it that far. I have discovered my love for running and I am not looking back.</span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><br />
</span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;">Cheers!</span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;">Leena --<@</span></b></div></div></div>Leenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028303561219162483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2457603665417841136.post-12991048334628479812011-06-13T11:18:00.000-07:002013-07-23T14:42:50.286-07:00Amazing Hike at Purisima<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tasked with completing our first 7+ mile hike, we set out to the Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve. Took the loop directions on a website and still lost our way :) Started at the foot of the reserve at 400 ft elevation and ended up at 2000 ft tip of the preserve. We did achieve our target distance of 7 miles but ended up 4 miles from our car. Sprinting the last 1 mile of the hike through the mystic mist(due to the elevation) we were almost dreaming of our comfortable car, only to find ourselves in the wrong parking lot. We found a ranger talking to some hikers and told her our sob story. She said," Oh, you can hike down to your parking. It is just 4 miles away." What.. we were ready to collapse on the ground.. What followed was another and more intense sob story of how tired we were. She finally agreed to give us a ride in her truck. How thoughtful! We were so relieved and so guilty at the same time :)</span></b><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I was feeling.. hmm if this happened to us, others would have experienced the same. I asked the ranger," Do you get a lot of these cases where hikers get lost?" She said," Yes, we do see cases once or twice." Pause.. I hoped she would say 'in a month'. Instead she said," In a year." Bummer :( Being the outlier in this case did not feel good, especially since I think I have good directional sense. She told us about other times when people got lost. They were funny but scary at the same time. She mentioned that there are quite a few musicians living in the area including Tracy Chapman and Neil Young. She did warn us about trespassing, saying that people have a different way of dealing with people who invade their private property. Note to self: Don't go wandering in private property while hiking in a large preserve. </span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We finally got back to our car and came home in one piece, thankful that everything was fine. We were tired but humbled by this experience. Learnt that nothing should be taken for granted at any time and we should try our best to be prepared.</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Some tips when you go hiking:</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1. Always carry water and some cereal bars</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2. A flash light should be helpful on shaded hikes (it tends to get dark very quickly up in the hills)</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3. An extra layer of clothes doesn't harm</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4. Cap, good shoes and sunscreen always :)</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">5. Most importantly: Rely on the trail map rather than any website while deciding on the appropriate trail. (Note: Knowing how to read the map would be prerequisite)</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Happy hiking!</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Leena --<@</span></b></div>
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Leenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028303561219162483noreply@blogger.com0Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019, USA37.4319363 -122.3471925999999737.409124799999994 -122.37799209999997 37.4547478 -122.31639309999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2457603665417841136.post-85019851687756986082011-06-12T11:53:00.000-07:002013-07-23T14:43:30.646-07:00Why Tea 'n' Coffee ??<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Finally I have gotten on the blogging bandwagon. The topic Tea 'n' Coffee is unique to my household. My husband has a lifelong desire that his wife(that's ME) would share a cup of tea with him in the morning.. Which I do not, simply because I am a coffee drinker :) and have no intention of leaving my coffee for tea. Interestingly, this is our favorite morning conversation. We call it a truce by me offering to make his tea in the morning and him not trying to convert me to a tea drinker. </span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In this blog I will bring in the flavors of my life (personal and professional), my learning from life and derivations as well.</span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Please feel free to provide your comments and I look forward to speaking with you soon!</span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Leena --<@</span></b></span></span></div>
Leenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17028303561219162483noreply@blogger.com2