We are only as strong as we are united as weak as we are divided ~ J K Rowling

Going back some years, we didn't have too many choices when it came to watching television. Since satellite TV and on demand had not made their appearance then we had but one channel. So life, I believe, was less complicated. All we had was a half hour of television viewing everyday. That would also explain the oaters I had mentioned about previously 😐. So this meant more time on our hands to spend on meaningful and constructive activities like "family-time" i.e. dinner together, catching up on each others day, reading books to better your knowledge 😋 and so on and so forth. Not to mention the time on my hands to bully my little sister. 😗 Oooops... However that half hour was precious time and something we looked forward to. The reason I got to writing this was to mention the documentaries that were aired on TV just before our shows began. These were simple social messages that focused on varied topics, Unity being one of them.
To me, a sense of being United is what overlooks cultural and racial barriers, encouraging fraternization across all humanity. In other words - Unity in Diversity. A recent share of this beautiful video on social media made me want to watch it again so many years later.

The above video can't boast of high-tech animation or fancy story telling but it can do it's job and get the message across.

Be Happy For this Moment. This moment is your life! ~ Omar Khayyam

On world happiness day I would like to wish my readers much happiness and joy.

How do you define happiness? That's a word, the definition of which, would mean different things to different people. And rightfully so! For some it could be emotional, for others material, then for some spiritual ....

We go through so much each day right from the moment we wake up, that in the whirl of all the busyness and the flurry of activities it's easy to forget the good moments. Most times it is the unpleasant ones that stays with us long after the day is over. So what can be done? Do what I do - be an accountant and keep a ledger/diary of happiness. Mostly as the day draws to an end out comes my book where I jot down the things that made me happy or simply smile. The end of the day works best - just as I'm winding down seems like the perfect time to acknowledge how lucky I am. Most times memory fades. My little journal helps to remind me of all the happy, silly and fun memories of moments passed. This is so therapeutic and a perfect reminder of how blessed we are in so many ways.

Here is 'Happy' sung by none other than my favorite singer. A young, innocent voice, 

So heart wrenchingly melancholic and haunting!

An Education! (2009)

Jenny (Carey Mulligan) has everything going for her - all of 16 years, she is pretty and clever.

Having been an A level student all the way she has her life charted out for herself, with plans to attend Oxford University. She comes from a middle class family with parents who are focused on making sure she gets the best in life.
All  this changes when Jenny meets flashy and rich David (Peter Sarsgaard), a man who is twice her age. David is charismatic and quite persuasive! He charms his way with her gullible parents and he is soon courting a naive Jenny. Beyond the protective confines of a secure home and school life there awaits a world that spells adventure and danger. She is drawn into a life of dinners at fancy restaurants, the auctions, attending the races, weekends away in Paris and the sort. It couldn't get any better when David proposes marriage. With her parents consent, giddy with happiness, Jenny says yes. In the bargain she must kiss her dream of attending University goodbye, which, at that time, seems a small price to pay.
But all of this sparkle and glamour comes at a cost and Jenny is soon privy to the darker side of David's life. Has she risked too much to play the role of the devoted wife? Gosh! For her sake I hope not.
A great film on life and it's various shades. A perfect education on life's complexities and of the 🐺 who comes dressed in sheep's clothing. This movie was nominated for three academy awards including Carey Mulligan for Best Actress who beautifully portrays a girl who is wise but not worldly wise enough.

Communication is 🔑 to a great relationship!

So to further my personal opinion on relationships .. Watch out for where you bare your soul. 🙊 🙈 🙉 Not everyone you consider to be a friend will have your best interest at heart and your story could be just the gossip they've been looking for .. How could anyone be trusted to give any advice when they haven't walked a day in your shoes to know your journey and where you're coming from? So trust your instincts implicitly.
And leave the lines of communication always open. It's easy to get all righteous during an argument. But try to remove yourself from the given situation, view it abstractly and the matter at hand will probably take on a whole different meaning. Give yourselves a break.
With digitization growing in leaps and bounds it is definitely invading personal space, whether we like it or not. But life is racing by super fast and the chasms created by busyness/business will only keep growing. So here's the perfect excuse to create some 'couple me time', something akin to a date-night. It doesn't​ have to get fancy - a delicious home-cooked meal even, some flowers to brighten things up, a scented candle wafting your favorite fragrance and with no interruptions from  the telly or telephones, mind you. This must be your time to unwind with each other, to talk and catch-up.
I can swear by this 👍. Again, communication is sooo important. I cannot say that enough. 😉

The following link is one I found extremely helpful and I thought it would be a great one to share.
7 ways to prepare for a lifelong relationship! Courtesy - MBG

The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)

Mr. Kadam (Om Puri), fondly called Papa, believes that "if the brakes break, it's for a reason." So as the almost broken down van 🚐  carrying the Kadam family smashes to a halt in the village of Saint Antonin, in rural France, Mr. Kadam is convinced this is home. Here is where the family would open the Indian restaurant they'd always dreamed of. However this idea is not welcomed by  the locals, especially Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren), the owner of a Michelin Star restaurant in the village. Madame Mallory is aspiring to achieve her second Michelin star and her restaurant boasts of feeding a delicious fare to the elite of French society, including the French President himself. And like any chef who takes immense pride in their culinary creations, soon war breaks out between the Indian murg mussallam 🐔  and the French pigeon 🐦 and truffles. However Hasan Haji (Manish Dayal), Papa's beloved son and cook who has immense potential, is able to win over the enemy with the perfect omelette. But Hasan must take a hundred foot walk that will change his life and future prospects - all for the best.
Watch the tale as it unfolds to tell you a story of brave beginnings, the power of negotiations and of standing by your convictions.
This is to my lovely friends who now live in France 🇫🇷 👊 😘.

On love and relationships!

While penning down my synopsis for 'Baby baby baby' I didn't feel like I had said all there was to say on my thoughts on relationships.
I adore the following verse from the Bible on LOVE ~ 'Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." 1 Corinthian 13:4-5

Can you really compete with that?
I may get a little candid here with my thoughts and believe me, it's not something I'm comfortable doing. As I see it, we seek the best deals in most things - like when buying a car, a home, furniture, clothes and even groceries for that matter. So why stop when it comes to something as huge as a relationship? Sow the seeds of your time and nurture with love and patience and reap the bounty of a fulfilled relationship. Dishonesty is the weed that could choke a beautiful bond and so as difficult as it may be being honest is paramount for every relationship to work.
Growing up I haven't been lucky to witness strong marriages and it's a heavy burden to carry for a young, impressionable mind. That would explain why, for the longest time, I carried a clouded opinion on the institution of marriage and what it stood for. To find someone to trust and for that someone to understand where I came from was extremely difficult. From my standpoint I had much to prove to myself and it was important to be open to learning, considering I was stepping in with a disadvantage. There is no reason to turn bitter but only better ( Oh the cliches .. 😐 please work with me here). But like I said, it takes a long time to settle in, like a good, mature and full-bodied wine ... I know, I know me glass of red again! 😃
                   ....... More to come 

Her Fearful Symmetry ~ Audrey Niffenegger

It was pure coincidence that I read two books on twins and both, extremely interesting.

Now about Julia and Valentina who are identical twins from Illinois. Intriguing is the fact that they are mirror images of each other, and in the literal sense too- in their appearance, anatomy and personalities as well. The twins are surprised by a letter that arrives in the post one day all the way from London. This letter is from an aunt they had no knowledge of, informing them of an inheritance bequeathed to the girls. Aunt Elspeth is the estranged twin sister of their mother Edwina. To their delight they learn that they are now owners of a flat with all its effects. There is but one condition, just that they must live there for a year before they decide to sell it, if at all. The news of their windfall and the possibility of striking it out on their own has the twins excited and they are soon on their way to London. The flat is gorgeous and it  faces the historic London Highgate Cemetery. Their neighbors - Martin who lives in the flat above theirs is a writer who hasn't left his flat in two years and suffers from an OCD; Robert who Iives in the flat on the lower level works as a tour guide in the cemetery and was their aunts' lover.
It gets interesting when Elspeth's spirit that is trapped in the flat gets friendly with her niece, Valentina. But there are motives deep and dark.
 A tale of self-discovery, of breaking free and about love in all its forms both dark and pure. The suspense and unpredictability will keep you on edge and will not let you put the book down, not till it's done atleast.
This is the second book by Audrey Niffenegger, after ''The Time Travellers Wife', another personal favorite.

Smile Women - This day is yours! 💝

I was wondering what words of wisdom I would impart this Women's Day! Inspiration strikes anytime ..
I haven't been doing too well lately - the flu bug paid me a visit and the past week has been nothing short of hell! But the work must go on and with all my grumbling, hubby decided to help out with the cooking. Now that is not always a good idea, but beggars can't be choosers. So hubby dearest decided to go native and make fish curry .... It was an interesting cooking experience and this is what my immaculate kitchen looked like after the ordeal ... 👇

Turmeric is not pretty on the floors 😕

I'm sure you can hear me groan as I write this! And this is only part of the mess, mind you. Art lovers forgive me, but the walls had something that resembled contemporary art on it (an art style I could never understand). But I only thought of taking pictures much later so I have none to prove my point. So that's that!

My messed and stressed up blender, now clean and doing some yoga 😉

I was ready to scream blue murder .. but if the end result was really good, must I complain?😇

Deliciousness in my curry pot 👌

And now on my plate ... 😃. Do forgive my weak presentation

So, happy cleaning 😒 and Happy Women's Day 💆 🍹 (in advance)

A Good Year (2006)

When your memories are of a 12 year old you and are of spending vacations by the pool playing chess, stealing a smoke and sipping vintage with your uncle on a balmy day in Provence, France ... what would you have to say? I would say that is darn marvellous. So when the years fly by and Max has lost touch with his uncle, the news of Uncle Henry's (Albert Finney) death and the knowledge that he is now the sole heir to the estate and vineyard, could come as quite a shock.
Max (Russell Crowe) has built a successful life in London and Provence is a distant memory. So when he makes a trip back to take assessments and sign papers with the intent to sell, Max finds himself jogging down memory lane reminiscing about a time gone by. The whisper of a voice he once loved, the faint ruffle of the curtain by the window, the radio blaring in some corner of the house, the inviting hammock nestled in the green depths of a luscious garden ... There is a hesitancy as the memories visit and a voice calling to reason.
As Max zips by on the narrow and unknown roads in a little rental and accidentally runs Fanny (Marion Cotillard) off the road, here begins a new chapter in his life.
Will Max sell his inheritance, the old vineyard and along with it the memories? A movie about the good things in life and about making personal choices that could change the course of your life and of the generations to come.

What's with me and vineyards of late. That's two movies in a row.
Guess I love my red after all! Cheers!