Thank you!

Here are 20 things that I am thankful for:
– God for the grace that he has showered on me
– the fresh air that I can breathe everyday
– to my wife and daughter
– to my parents for all they have done for me
– to my teachers for inculcating values that I cherish-
– to wake up to a new day everyday
– to be blessed with good senses and faculties
– for being able to afford 3 meals everyday
– for the clothing that I wear everyday
– for the shelter of my home
– for the great holidays that I have enjoyed
– for the fun times I have had with my family
– to toastmasters for the friendly support, communication and leadership
– Laughter
– Work
– Books that are an inspiration and knowledge
– my daughter for organising small parties for us
– Sleep for recharging me
– Music for relaxation and enjoyment
– Yoga for a great start to a new day

This post is in response to the Daily prompt from WordPress:
http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/09/11/daily-prompt-thanks/

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Things that make me go ROFL

Daily prompt: Tell us about the last time you had a real, deep, crying-from-laughing belly laugh.

I try not to miss my daily dose of Friends at 7pm after work.  It is a real recharger and put s me back in relaxed mode.   All the cast are marvelous actors who have great charisma and the whole unit has great camaraderie.    Joey is my favourite and he never fails to tickle my funny bone.  Other comedy sitcoms I like are ‘Whose line is it anyway’ and Seinfeld.

Standup comedies are fun too.  Russell Peters is a phenomenon and he is a fun to watch.  He has a wonderful understanding of different cultures and he can leave you in stitches.

A daily dose of laughter is a great stress-buster and it invigorates you.  Laughter that originates from your deep belly is a great massage for your internal organs , improves circulation and is contagious.  Laughter yoga clubs (founded by Madan Kataria) are sprouting everywhere in the world.

Comic strips are a great source of fun and  humour.  I  love R K Laxman’s  daily cartoon in the Times of India with his unique ‘common man’.  I also love Dilbert strips about office politics.

When it comes to books it has to be PG Wodehouse with his unique style of writing.  Jeeves never fails to make us laugh.   Then there are TinTin comics which are a fun read.

For more interesting posts on laughter see:

https://sajeevkmenon.wordpress.com/2011/01/04/things-that-make-me-smile/

https://sajeevkmenon.wordpress.com/2011/04/26/laugh-out-loud/

Our new pets

After giving away my cichlids and aquarium, I recently bought my daughter  2 pet hamsters .  One is ‘Shy’ and the other ‘Active’.  They are very cute pets.  She loves to carry them around every day and also takes care of their needs like feeding and cleaning.

Hamsters are nocturnal . They eat sunflower seeds, dried coix, wheat flakes, etc.  They drink water which is generally mixed with some vitamins.  They spend their time grooming and doing exercise in running wheels.

If……my favourite poem

One of my favourite poems is If by Rudyard Kipling.  This poem written to his son is thought-provoking and has practical value even a hundred years after it has been penned.  The message in the poem is to be humble, conquer our likes and dislikes and to enjoy life in even trying moments.

If by Rudyard Kipling  If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies, Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating, And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise; If you can dream – and not make dreams your master; If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with triumph and disaster And treat those two imposters just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to broken, And stoop and build ’em up with wornout tools; If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breath a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on”; If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch; If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run – Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And – which is more – you’ll be a Man my son!