Delayed Day 4: Parents

If anyone ever asks me if I have seen gods, I would definitely say yes! The two people that have created my universe are the very definition of gods and goddesses. It may sound very strange to hear such things about one's parents at an age interval that I am in. However, I've noticed that sometimes people take too long to express their affection and love for another. This may lead to some misunderstandings but more importantly, there is NO reason to hesitate. Because if we don't live in the present, we can never be grateful enough for what we have and never be in a state to be eager for the tomorrow that is to approach.

Since 1993, my parents have been looking after my brown behind and today I get to thank them for a lot of what they've done through the means of this post. It's obvious that no matter how much I thank them, it'll never be enough. It's like lighting a lamp in front of the Sun! It may sound like an ideal parent to child relationship, and when I sit back and watch the stills of life flip through in my mind.. it IS! When you remember the details, there are arguments, disagreements and some difference of opinions. It's like watching an artist start to paint, when you see the strokes, it may be strange and foreign but when you watch it in the end, its all one piece of beauty.

My parents have come from very interesting backgrounds and have lived a phenomenal life till date. My mother comes from a very rich family and her great grandfather lived beside my father's house when he was a child. They knew each other since they were children but never really talked or interacted. My father came from a family of farmers and a very economically unstable background. His father (my grandfather) had started the revolution in the family by becoming a teacher and his wife joined him as well in the same profession. My father continued the revolution and left for university at an age of 14 years. He lived in a hostel in Bombay and lived off of a couple of bread slices and a cup of tea for food during the weekends when the hostel didn't serve food.

He lived through by tutoring students younger than him and studying for his own exams at the same time. His life wasn't as smooth as mine and he never took any money from his parents after he had moved out. He says, 'it was all a big learning experience'. He got married, finished his education and then got a job to start off the family. My mother is also an amazing personality, I've never met such a tremendous women who can fit the roles of a wife, mother and many more for the society that we live in. She was from a family of rich people in western India but never complained about the economic conditions she faced in the earlier years of their marriage. She always ensured that she respected every elder, every guest and basically every person that came to our house and greeted them with whatever we had to offer.

After living these years in India, the states and Canada, I've learned a lot about different people and their relationships. If there is one thing that my parents do an excellent job in, its complimenting each other. I don't mean the praises and empty 'love you's but its what they demonstrate. If my mother sits back, my father would lead and then my mother would back him up by helping him make the decision. Along with the other morals like respect and humility, they show that a relationship is supposed to be complimentary and so the man and the woman aren't equal in the same respects at all because they are completely different. So, they aren't supposed to compete but instead overlap their strengths and weaknesses in a way where if one is weak, the other will step up and protect both of them and so when they are together, they are one powerful character!

And I've been a witness of this for the seventeen years that I've lived and who wouldn't want to have a god and goddess as their parents, their mentors, their role models?!

-Jr.Pandya

Day 3: First Love

I'm a believer of two beautiful words: 'one love'. I've been told that life cant be THAT ideal and sometimes you may just have to get in some relationships before you finally know that 'she's the one'. However, I think a little differently because I have always believed that our heart will recognize the person and then the moments will unfold slowly from there. People have said that 'love' is something you can never be prepared for in any way because you will probably find it where you least expect it.

I've never really paid attention to these relationships because I never saw any need for them but if I felt the need for some serious relationship, I would follow something I have read from a book of Deepak Chopra. There is a story of a man who wants to live a very happy and prosperous life. He goes to his spiritual master and asks him for advice. The master tells him that there are two goddesses that reside within every human and the human is immensely in love with both of them. One is the goddess of wealth, 'Lakshmi' and the goddess of knowledge, 'Saraswati'. The master tells him to pay all of his attention to the goddess of knowledge because if he has knowledge, he will have power to live the abundant life that he seeks. He says that if you pray and devote yourself to Saraswati, Lakshmi will then be jealous and follow you around to gain more of your attention. The moral of the story was to say that knowledge is power but what I took away from the story was a little bit more than that. I saw that the person that I will admire and genuinely love will be the embodiment of the goddess of knowledge, Saraswati. So, with this master plan haha.. we shall achieve our first and last love. In two simple words, 'one love'!

Love ;D
Devarsh

Day 2: the meaning behind the name of the blog

'My Life & Times', a perfect title for a place that I call home. A
place where everything is in perspective. A place that isn't bound by
people but by timeless thoughts that surface to my mind. This is the
meaning behind my blog and so let it be said and let it be done, the
official re-opening of my blog with a formal welcome to everyone.

The 30 Day Challenge!

I'm not the type of person that gets intimidated by challenges so when I came across the 30 day blog challenge, I knew in my mind that I WAS going to do it. Thanks to that person, I will be blogging more often now and hopefully be hooked to blogging for a long stretch before school officially starts again.

So, here we go:
Day 1: I am about to introduce myself formally and present a recent picture of myself along with 15 interesting facts.



This is probably one of the most recent pictures as I looked 'presentable' for the occasion here haha.. I am a 17 year old Canadian who plans to pursue a career in Energy Systems Engineering (one line description.. amazing!)

NUMERO UNO: I am an Indian by origin and birth. However, I do have a dual citizenship of both India and Canada so I am a proud Indo-Canadian haha

2. I am a Hindu by religion and part of a family of 'brahmins'; these group of individuals were part of the highest respect in the social hierarchy back in the day. Obviously, I am against any such discrimination but this entails that I have a certain role in the society and it used to be that I would be the successors of the priests and spiritual leaders of the society. However, the world has grown and now allows for opportunities to many more people to do many more things that they please. BUT, there is one thing that I follow as a brahmin, and it is to pray, and commit myself as a vegetarian and one that will never drink any form of alcohol to intoxicate this body temple that has been granted to us.

3. I love to travel. I have lived in two cities of India and three cities of the United States before coming to Canada and I feel like I'm just getting started because there are so many wonderful places and people to discover.

4. I love to listen to 'bhangra' music, it is played by traditional punjabi artists and has an intense drum beat and a dance that goes along with it. That being said, I also enjoy many different forms of music that I have come across as I have traveled. I have listened to classical music of Chopin to country music of Mr. Brad Paisley to my recent introduction to the many Korean music artists.

5. I do not like taking pictures. It's one weird fact but its the truth. I believe in taking pictures with the mind's eyes.

6. I love to write poetry and I'd love to try and get one of my pieces published someday.

7. I mentioned earlier that I am a Hindu by religion but if there is anything else that I believe in, it is potential of one's thoughts and how we have it within us to bring about the change that we seek.

8. When it comes to learning, I am an audio-visual learner. I can learn things very quickly if someone tells me or shows me how its done and maybe that's why I love to try to sing and dance whenever people try to teach me (they end up leaving after the first attempt to teach me haha)

9. I am a fashion disaster. This is why I look to find artistic people around me to shop with so they can suggest clothes for me so I don't look like a clown on the street.

10. I have learned some Tae-Kwon-Do when I was back in India but I'd love to continue learning karate and judo someday. While I'm at home, I try and make sure that I don't loose whatever shape I have haha..

11. I want to have a car, motorcycle, airplane, boat and a gun license.. someday!

12. I love to play sports. Some of my favorites are: Cricket, Basketball, Badminton and Tennis. Someday, I want to play all the others that I have yet to prance upon.

13. I choose friends that fill up the wide and varied spectrum of the 'type' of people I have met and learned about. So, I like to meet new people and learn from one and all so I can be a well rounded individual.

14. This one is very important.. in this day and age! I love women!!

15. This one is the one that keeps me going for every day, 'Whatever I do, I do it with the best of my ability'. 'I will never do anything for which I have to hide'. This last one is the one that I have understood very recently, 'there are no such things as failures, because these occurrences are the ones that hold the seeds of success'. This moral is helping me create affluence and abundance in my life everyday to live and look ahead beyond this materialism to the truth that beats inside everyone's hearts; to be happy.. and THAT is the goal in life.

So, THAT was day one of this tremendous challenge that I've taken on. I'll be back tomorrow with more..

My love to one and all,
-Devarsh Pandya

The Day Before Prom!

How much time do you need to encase a good dance and a party? How about six hours? My first and last prom will be six hours in length and I am going to attend it to celebrate. To celebrate not only the final year but the years of hard work that led up to it. Also, to celebrate with the people that I've worked with and cherished memories that reside and resonate close to our hearts. I asked a lot of people about their opinion on prom; should I go to prom? The first yes led to all the questions that prevailed..

With friends or date? Should I buy a suit or a tux? Should I wear a Windsor tie or a bow tie? Should I buy dress shoes or POINTY dress shoes? Should I wear my glasses or contacts? Should I wear a white dress shirt and risk looking like a waiter or wear a light pink dress shirt and risk matching with people I don't even know?

I stopped after a bit of this craziness and asked myself.. Was I picking the greater good? or the lesser of two evils?! Then again, I was asking myself yet ANOTHER question, wasn't I? The truth is, I have no idea what I am picking for myself. Not only for prom, but even for the time that is to come. I feel oblivious even after 12 grades of greatness, my mind still wonders, do I know enough to take on this world?
So then, there is one way to take a break here, to distract myself for a bit to prepare for prom as the subconscious thinks up an appropriate explanation and solution to this drowning dilemma.

A Reason To Rejoice, A Reality To Realize.

Today has been a very historic day of my life. I have come to a very strong realization. This time has also convinced me that in order to achieve true righteousness, and chase the world's vast boundaries to explore. You must understand the enormity of the fortunate lives we live today. And the fortunate nature of the people's nature and considerate courtesy. Let me try and lead you into this zone that I have been exploring in my mind.I understand that the past sometimes seems to have been so much different from what we live by in the present. I have been thinking deeply about this feeling and I've come to realize that the reality is actually closer to all these experiences than we have ever interpreted it to be. I have come by this same junction during my journey over the past few weeks. In this expedition of my life, I walk by different people, places and notice that most people feel a 'difference of love' if you will, for one person compared to another. Sometimes because one is 'related' to us in a form of our parents, or children, our siblings or cousins, our spouses and, our uncles or nephews, or aunts or nieces. The truth that I feel is that the relationship between you and that person is an infinite bond that always existed but has either been reinforced because you have recognized them yet again through a 'relation' in this realm of our reality OR is hidden under the dust of doubt and uncertainty. But genuinely, I now feel that I am just as 'related' to the lady that smiles at me when I walk by the bus stop, as I am related to my own mother! If the people of this world would believe this.. even as some sort of 'scientific proven constant', the world would be a completely different place. The love that you hold for one would be almost the same if not the same for another. THIS is my dream! To establish this belief in hearts that love human nature or humanity as a whole. Think it through and imagine it, and focus on the enormity of the change and revolution we will bring! The world we can live in.. for the love of the universe!

I walk through the building and feel the fatigue already. I didn't have any major assignment, lab or exam but I felt it coming. I felt like an animal getting ready for the insinuated change that was about to come from a natural calamity. So, here are the lines that run through my head today as I sit and study.

Its almost like its Friday, but I don't feel any better,
Like I'm stuck in a message, within a letter,
'Cause its crunch time, time to absorb and condense,
Like the water cycle except I'm stressed and tense,
Just waiting for the paper so I can slap it down,
everything BUT the nonsense,

And then I see a problem I don't understand,
I look at the time and watch the second hand,
Time escaping like never before,
And it feels so coveted because it determines,
my future, for evermore...

I wish I could end this entry but my brain is taking over and saying 'All systems are shutting down' so I'll take your leave today and return with new thoughts later.