EARTH HOUR

We sat crosslegged
on little fibre mats
placed on our terrace floor ,
Big candles lit up the night
for us,
sending a warm glow to all ,

All the loving faces I knew
looked even more beautiful
in that soft light,
better than the harsh glare
of the artificial bright

People talked in soft voices,
laughed cheerfully
sang and danced around
the bonfires that lit up,
the city skyline
over the towering heights

Grandfathers played with babies
and grandmothers told stories,
placed her sweethearts on her knees,
and told long forgotten fables and wins
Mothers sat with Fathers - who knows after when ? ...

Sisters and brothers talked
and hugged,
Friends came over,
General merriment was in the air

Old ties were remade
fights forgotten,
New ties were forged,
to ripen over the years

Old love was given away
Hearts were healed,
New love made its way
Back to earth's beings

I saw the faces soften 
and wrinkles disappear
from peoples' faces,
people so young- the wrinkles
should never have been there,
I saw the tides of stress
ebbing away, as the 
hour grew old,
I saw the warmth of the fire
enter everyone souls

To go back to
how the world should
always have been,
even for an hour,
Did it take so much
to change something so little,
little enough to
change all that we always desired ?

Couldn't Earth Hour come 
more often?
So that Fairies and elves
pixies and godmothers
could come again,
and make the magic flow
in our veins ......

Remember Ruby

I know I said a good post was coming fast , but sadly it didn't happen  ... instead I have to post a memorial text for Ruby .

Who's Ruby , you may ask . I have to be honest , when someone asks me that , a righteous indignation rises up inside me  ... How can you not know Ruby . I'll tell you who she was ... Ruby was a 17 year girl living in South Hampshire, England United Kingdom . I never met her .I never talked to her .

But that is exactly how beautiful Ruby was ... She could be 10000 miles away from you, and still touch our heart . She could be dying of a deadly disease and still have the world's biggest sense of humour  ... She loved jokes , did I tell you that ... she really loved them ... When she was in the hospital , we emailed her some and her Twin Brother or her Mum printed these off the computer and read them to her . That is how we knew her - 140 characters every few hours ... but that sounds harsh - we knew her better ....

Ruby was a wonderfully strong person . She showed us a different way of looking at struggles in life . Yes she was Human , and it must have hurt her too ... She may have cried a few good tears ..... But she held her head up and walked on .

Towards the end , when she was really sick , she sat down with her friends , and told them her decision to stop chemotherapy ... Ruby's words " There is a big difference between Giving Up and Letting Go " .....

Ruby's donated her eyes .. Did you know that ... She given them to a girl in USA who was born Blind ... She will see her world now , through Ruby's eyes .......

Even though I never met her , Ruby has made such a big impact on my life . I know , from the bottom of my heart and soul , that one day when I snuggle up to my Son or my Daughter , on a lovely Spring Afternoon , I shall be telling them , Ruby's Story ......

I know it is unfair and possibly cruel to have someone else's work on your blog .... but mine has been empty for a while , so I think I better put up a good post really fast ! A nice poem by John Keats !:)

To Autumn

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, 
   Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
   With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
   And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
       To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
   With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
       For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.

Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
   Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
   Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,
   Drows'd with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
       Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
   Steady thy laden head across a brook;
   Or by a cyder-press, with patient look,
       Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.

Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
   Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,--
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
   And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
   Among the river sallows, borne aloft
       Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
   Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
   The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;
       And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

P.S. New Post coming soon I Promise !:) xxx

Harry potter and The Half blood Prince - The Movie . A Review

I have come across mixed reactions from people about the latest movie from the Harry Potter family . So I thought it was high time a die- hard fan wrote in their defence !

To begin with , lets start with the most obvious -

1. Tom Felton gives breath taking and awe inspiring performance in HBP and proves to the world  that He definitely deserves the role and the accolades. I never knew , watching a guy look sideways with the camera capturing only one eye , could prove to be so sinister .

Mr David Yates remarked , " If we can gather even an ounce of empathy for you , in the end , I'll consider my job well done."

Well Mr Yates , I think You job was VERY WELL done ....

2. The cinematography for this film is amazing! The darker shades rule the whole length of the movie , as they have been since movie no 3 . We hope we get to see the lighter brighter shades originally used in the first two movies, back again , in the Epilogue of DH 19 years after ....

3. Background score is fantastic. Enough said .

4. Daniel Radcliffe as usual is so remarkable as Harry , you would think He wasn't really acting at all. Though it was great fun to see his Behavior under the Felix's charm. His behavior with Prof. Slughorn while the poor guy's head is caught in the window of the greenhouse is brilliant , as is his sense of humour during Aragog's funeral . I believe , that part of the movie , may in fact , have given us a Sneak Peek into ' Dan in Real Life' . It seems to be the sort of things He'd love to say .....

His relationship with Ginny aka Bonnie Wright may seem to have accelerated fast , but their chemistry comes off amazingly onscreen .. it feels like love , and you understand why they choose to spend the rest of their lives together ....

5. if you have been one of the lucky ones to have caught HBO's behind the scenes first look at HBP , you will understand the amount of work and detailing that goes into making these films .

To put in so much detail for HP has always been a trademark of Heydey films and Warner Brothers , and it is great that all the cast and crew get very well paid for such time-consuming hard work .

6. Even though Hermione may sound 'highly irritating' in Book 6 , we can easily sympathise with Emma Watson on screen . She shows us what we girls have gone through atleast once in our lives... and Hermione definitely doesn't sound irritating in the movie.

7. Ron's predicament and Lavender's behavior is fantastic to watch. Even if the book keeps us bemused about Ron's situation , the movie makes us sympathise with him too. As for Jessie Cave , she has taken the opportunity  for 10 minute fame and given a very good performance !

8. What we find lacking in the movie , are our old friends Neville and the Weasley twins .

It may be easier to show passion on screen , but those of us who now know Matthew Lewis through his famous Twitter account , realise that it is hard work to keep you character under lock and key. It will be interesting to watch Matthew as He comes into his own while shooting the final battle in DH . To show the world that He rightly deserves to portray Neville, and to make us believe in the strength of Neville's personna. To show us exactly why He could very well have been 'The Chosen One'. To show that Harry knew what He was doing when He asked Neville to finish the battle if he Harry couldn't make it , and for us to see that Harry made all the right decisions that led to a victory for the Light Side in the Final Battle.

9. The Weasley Twins ! James and Oliver are the only ones I can possible think of as portraying them! There are no replacements. As the final battle looms in the horizon , we all wish to see both of them shine too. Showing unwavering fate in 3 kids younger to them , being constantly on the run so that our Heroes know what is happening in the real world .... From George's missing ear to Fred's death in the final battle , this is a nice juicy bit for the Phelp Twins and I'm sure they are savouring all of it , as we speak , as the filming for DH is going on at this very moment....

10. We have seen a lot of darkness been portrayed in these movies , showing us how Voldemort is busy wrecking people's lives. What we have yet to see is Hermione's pain in trying to shield her Muggle parents from the darkness , and Ron's deepest wish to be with his best friend , inspite of it Separating his family . To see Hermione performing the Memory charm on her parents will be interesting , painful and deeply inspiring to watch! [ If anyone from the HP family happens to be reading this too ;P]

So while the Love scenes from HBP leave people bemused , and the storyline moving slightly too fast , I believe it is Warner Brothers hint to us That something Very Big is happening in the next two years , and that they will enjoy seeing us gobsmacked and savouring very minute of the next two films. It will be very obvious that They will be the ones having the last laugh.

 

A good critic never asks for feedback , but I'm no critic , just a loyal fan. And I do know that there are many others out there , who like me , 'Have Stood By Harry Till The Very End' ......

A Letter from a Mother to her Daughter on her 16th Birthday

My darling baby girl ,

Happy Birthday sweetheart ! I know you are a 16 year old teenager today , a woman wise beyond her years .... but to me , you will always be that 7 pound baby girl who I held in my arms for the first time , that Spring Morning ...

Do you know that you were born as the first ray of sunshine burst in through the window , on that day , and it fell on your fair face and dark hair , and as I held you , I was the happiest mother alive ..:)

Do you know your first word was "Mumma" and I cried when you said that ... it was a relief .. the neighbour's kid had spoken his first words before you did , and him a month younger !! Us Mothers :) ....

I'm sure you are  a very beautiful girl, I saw that when you were a baby , and if right now you're thinking "Yeah right!" , I want you to look in the mirror and say 10 nice things about your looks.Beauty always lies in the heart baby , and only good values lets you were it modestly on your sleeve.

I hope you are studying hard , though I'm sure Daddy is taking care of that part pretty well !

Do you have a boyfriend yet ? I hope he respects you as much as he loves you . I hope he's told you he'd die for you ... Real love does run THAT deep darling ...If you haven't found him , I want you to know that you aren't alone , and your Prince is out there looking for you . He doesn't have to wear a crown to be a Prince , and you my precious  Princess are worth a million crowns.Your Prince will come .... and as old and ancient as this saying is , there is a very good reason why it has stood the test of time :)

I hope you realise that you have the strength to take on the world. Real feminine strength-deep in the heart , small , delicate , sweet and soft , but hard as steel at the core when you need it. You can get whatever you want .....

Do NOT  be afraid of this world. I am your Mother, and I'm always there with you . NOTHING wrong will ever happen to you  because I'll always be there ...

I'm sure that if you were to ask any mother if she would Die for her kid - she'd say Yes - I did  and I know you will too . But I hope you never have to write letters to your babies, I hope you can watch them grow up , tell them these things yourself , cry as your baby girl walks down the aisle , hug your son and brush away his tears after a fall. I hope you can kiss them goodnight and lean against the doorway and watch the fall asleep :)

And as you look up at the sky tonight , One more Star will be shining bright ...:)

God knew what He was doing when he made us Mothers ... oh yes he did :) I love you my baby girl :)

Love you forever and always , 

Mummy :)

P.S. When Daddy comes home , check on him to see if he still has his socks on , in bed , you know He still forgets ..

P.P.S.I love you , watching over you every second, you're never alone and don't be scared :) Mummy loves you very much sweetheart :) ......

I missed you !! xxx

 Thanks to Twitter I've been neglecting my blog and I realise thas I'm not being fair !! anyway when inspiration strikes - i shall make it a point to write  till then check out my tweets on www.twitter.com/aarteepotnis 

Did I mention I'm learning Jive , Salsa and Waltz ?! I learnt ' Th Drop ' in Salsa ! whoo Hoo ! its so exhilarating !! 

xxx

The Sinking of The Titanic

[ written in Nmmc hospital when a professor we've been trying to evade caught us and insisted that we hear his lecture .... of course he's famous for doing that and we are famous for running away from him . Concerned students know who I am talking about , and will agree that this was a better use of my time :P and since I still have to pass this year - I'm not saying the name - even on my blog ... maybe next year :P ]

The Sinking of The Titanic

An evening on the deck ,

The sun has set ,

and the rays have

stopped shimmering on

the ripples and the waves , 

I stand next to my beloved , 

His arms are around me

and we plan our lives together ,

after coming back home 

from the New World 

Lovers promenade across the deck ,

Excited children yell across ,

A blue eyed , blond , bonny lass

runs past us ,

Her sash almost getting caught in my purse ,

shrieking with laughter she is ,

Her brother runs after her ,

waving his cap as he 

canters across the deck ,

The moonlight starts shining 

on his copper curls 

The clinking of champagne glasses

is heard ,

Violins are being played ,

What sweet melodies and memories

are being drawn from its strings

Laughter and chatter is heard in the air

Old men and women are seated 

in the deck chairs ,

In all their English finery ,

Marvelling at the wonder 

which is ,

' The Unsinkable ' , it is 

' The Titanic '

My husband is whispering ,

"How about a dance now , dearest ?"

A shy glance at him ,

a look in his blue eyes ,

And I get ready for the ball

A cold dry wind , is blowing across

the icy Atlantic ,

ruffling up my soft brown curls ,

I smile , He laughs ,

his eyes crinkle up

Soft , fast music can be heard ,

from the lower decks ,

and gentle laughter and voices

filled with fun , drifts up to ours

"A waltz " , I think

" The privilege of the poor

to do everything fun and jolly

without inhibitions ,

with a right "

He lifts his arm

white and fair , with the

artistic grace required of a surgeon , 

to brush my hair out of my eyes , 

and then

A sudden sharp shrieking sound ,

grating across our ears , 

The ship rocks a bit , 

I lose my balance

and the same arm catches me

A puzzled silence , 

The world seems to stand still then

Even the wind has stopped swishing

A murmur of voices start

drifting across the deck , 

Like words that run off the page 

A feeling of dread fills me up , 

"This is not right " , 

and a sudden horrible thought

of it all ending badly 

engulfs me ,

"Its going to be fine 

this is the unsinkable ship "

I reassure myself 

And then , the winds of time

have changed ,

frantic cries of horror are heard ,

"Why does he look so worried ?

surely he knows its going to be fine ....?"

I am frantic , and rooted to the spot

He's pulling my arm ,

shouting to get to 

the other end of the ship

Time flies ,

One hour becomes two

and two become three ,

and Titanic is sinking ........

The lights go out ,

more screaming ,

People are falling 

in the icy coffin

of the Atlantic ,

and I know not whether 

They are dead or alive 

And a new fear begins to engulf me ,

I can't talk about it ,

think about it ,

He's shouting, " I'll love you 

forever , my darling ,

you know that ! "

I find myself repeating the same words , 

Hugging and kissing and moving ,

towards the lifeboats

And the we reach

and I finally wake up ,

enough to give my husband ,

a proper good - bye 

No words are needed ,

We hold each other long and hard

Then - then I am seated , 

in the 'Survivor's throne'

and it is lowered , 

Soft mournful music

floats over us , 

and I look up at his face , 

He is on the deck , 

The flares light up above him

For a moment there is hope ,

I feel , maybe he shall be saved , 

but I know that it is

not meant to be ,

He's a man , and I am a woman ,

and a woman always lives

and gives ,

His life is what she always gives

I know not , what will happen to him ,

Our boat touches the water ,

I can see him , no more ,

"What will he be ?" , I wonder

A survivor , a man stranded at sea , or ..."

something too dreadful - I shiver ,

and it is not the wind that makes it so ,

Then I notice my gloves are wet ,

They are my tears ........

"Who have you left behind my lass ?" 

asks an elderly woman next to me ,

"My husband ", I say , dazed and lost 

"How long ?", asks she

" Four days - we were newlyweds ", I say

and my lifeboat glides across the sea ,

into the ethereal eternity .

One night in the Labour Ward

Since this is my first post on this blog since New Years - hope you guys enjoyed yours . I really do not want to copy Chetan Bhagat's title because frankly speaking I really don't like his work - too substandard as far as literature and good reading goes - but the title seemed appropriate for the story . I realised that the last few blogs have had a serious undertone to it , and all our escapades have gone unpublished , so I realised one humorous tale was in order ......

 

Final year of Medicine has ' finally '  begun - and its hell . To top up the surprise internal medicine exam  which we have to give  next week - for 100 marks , since my batch is currently posted in Gynaecology and Obstetrics - we had to do a compulsory night shift at the Navi Mumbai municipal hospital . My chance was on last Tuesday .

Since Nerul and Borivali are unimaginable distance apart - I couldn't possible go home at 12.30 pm and come all the way back for the 6 pm to 6 am shift . So I did whatever any girl would have done at that point - I went there early - I could just sit in the interns room and read , or finish my hours till 9.30 pm and leave , right ? WRONG .

The Intern posted there was on a 5 day holiday as her mother had a backache [ so sweet of her na ? ] One resident had diarrhoea - which lasted only a day - Tuesday . So the entire ward with 25 pregnant women was managed by One resident AND  me from 1.30 pm to 7 pm !!!!!! 

The good - for - nothing boys who were going to complete the shift with me , and who were supposed to come at 5 , turned up in batches - 2 at 7 pm , 2 at 8.30 and another at 9.30 .

So obviously by that time both of us girls were thoroughly worn out . 

The Incident happened at 10.30 pm , by which time I was a pro at finding out the foetal position and monitoring foetal heart sounds , my mind was also beginning to be a little fuzzy about which patient needed monitoring of what vitals ......

One of the [ good for nothing ] guys had smartly written FHS in front of bed no 13 on a new card , so me and another student after going through the  other beds on our rounds just went over ,  applied the  liquid paraffin and used the doppler for listening to the heart sounds - except this time we weren't getting any . Also she wasn't looking 9 months along though her abdomen was swollen , but sometimes that happens in thin girls . Little worried - I asked her relative how far along she was - the lady replied - 8 months over , 9 th going on . We tried again and as we couldn't get it , and as we really didn't want it to be this night when such a complication happened , I hurried over to the resident and told her what was happening .

Two minutes later I was back in the ward shamelessly shrieking with laughter - and wide awake - explaining to the poor guy trying to find foetal heart sounds in the mother's womb , that the lady had already delivered  naturally , her baby was in another ward , and we were supposed to check her Blood pressure instead !!!

Her relative had totally forgotten to let us know that even though the mother had finished 8 months of pregnancy , she had delivered her baby early so there was no question of the 9th month existing !!! I checked the old papers to see that earlier I had checked her B.P. 

Horror of horrors !! But how we all enjoyed the joke ! Though we celebrated after delivering a baby girl of a first time mother at 11.26 pm - that is - I enjoyed it by making the guys go off to work for coming late , while I slept it all off ! :D