tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80976931417247848522012-01-26T18:05:53.361-08:00From East to West, the Journey Continues...RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.comBlogger631100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-2945576171236571932009-09-08T14:42:00.000-07:002009-09-09T20:04:51.508-07:00

I realize that I have been undercover for months. Just fell off the wagon and am slowly clambering back. When I saw this one minute video - a must watch, I knew I had to share because it so germane to all my writings about the concept of arranged marriages in India and the myths surrounding it. I thought, it would be nice to share this commercial which shows how marriages are still arranged

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-53797877787046771102009-03-12T16:34:00.001-07:002009-11-23T19:59:27.208-08:00

It has been a while- I have been underground because I have been inundated with work which in all honesty I truly enjoy, but now have surfaced to touch base with you all to share more of my rich culture. I will be writing more as and when I get the time so don't give up on me yet. In the interim, read on...A picture of my adorable niece who has also joined in the wild abandon of this

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-91275915823600550322009-02-05T17:45:00.000-08:002009-02-22T07:37:24.357-08:00

Last June, I wrote a conceptual article on arranged marriages in India. For knowing more about the criteria behind finding matches, I would highly recommend reading this post. Today I want to expand more on the real-life dynamics behind this institution because there is both a lot of hype as well as a real curiousity about it, as evident from the questions I am frequently asked. Since I want to

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-79611137085572126722009-01-23T02:54:00.000-08:002009-01-30T20:13:05.241-08:00

A while back I wrote an article on role of temples, which becomes even more magnified for the Indian-Americans thousands of miles away from their home country. Today I want to share another aspect of worship in Hinduism. While the Hindus visit the temple often for various occasions or as they desire, worship of their gods is not limited to temple visits but is an integral part of their lives. So

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-52892628720379928362009-01-18T10:34:00.000-08:002009-01-20T11:35:17.346-08:00

There has been a lot of activity and excitement in DC since the past few weeks. In my more than two decades here in US, I have witnessed the inaugration activities for Presidents Reagan, George Bush (Sr), Bill Clinton and the incumbent President,but never have I seen such intensity in the air as in the case of our 44th President-elect Obama. It is truly unprecedented! The pride, the excitement,

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-43083343071728844612009-01-14T14:17:00.000-08:002009-01-15T15:30:32.376-08:00

The last few posts that I have posted have been a medley of cherished memories of my years as a high school teacher in New Delhi leading to lifelong friendship with a colleague who is still teaching back home in the same school, Modern School. Malini as most of you have come to know through this blog has been here on a Fulbright Fellowship. The following is actually a comment written by one of

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-24450761473748317172008-12-19T08:08:00.000-08:002009-01-14T14:53:41.611-08:00

Ideally the previous post, Part I, should be read to get the complete backdrop against which these events are being described. What follows is a pictorial journey of a lifelong friendship in the context of a beloved high school where I was a teacher in my past life and my friend still is.Against this backdrop of my baptism by fire entered into the scene my lifelong friend Malini, the new English

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-23832021302108613072008-12-16T17:54:00.000-08:002009-01-14T14:54:31.587-08:00

It is a quiet winter evening during the Holidays- perfect to indulge in fond memories with a friend who is visiting the US on a high school teacher exchange program as a Fulbright Fellow. Every evening she and I chat face to face via Skype -Every evening! Late into the night-from Washington DC to a small town in Washington state where she is getting a hearty dose of different world reality. Yes,

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-86364384017710210032008-12-09T18:53:00.000-08:002009-02-02T18:50:47.976-08:00

This is a guest post written by, as they say here, my BFF or best friend forever, Malini (she has commented in many of my posts recently), who I have known when we both met as high school teachers in New Delhi in 1982. Since then our bond has been unbreakable even though we have been thousands of miles apart since early 1987 when I left India for the US. I will write a separate post on that later

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-13695658249771552832008-12-04T20:43:00.000-08:002008-12-09T12:52:55.023-08:00

Delving through my old pictures for Candid Carrie's Friday Foto Fiesta, I came across this college picture showing four of us, freshmen, in our undergrad days at a very-well known rather notorious college, according to the conservative Indian standards in those days. The college was Miranda House in University of Delhi. Undoubtedly the college had quite a reputation for its "wild and fast" girls.

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-73427160274162011662008-11-28T09:47:00.000-08:002008-11-29T13:14:51.672-08:00

Here is a favorite picture that I want to share. It is one of my son conversing with his great-grandmother in Delhi, India. This was an amazing bond and sight to behold as each technically had no clue as to what the other was talking about. An almost four-year old chattering nineteen to dozen innocently in American-accented English to an almost hundred year old rather crusty lady who did not know

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-15946889436999317092008-11-25T16:44:00.000-08:002008-11-26T11:12:06.851-08:00

This morning, I got a pleasant surprise from one of my new friends in the fascinating world of blogging, Sandi McBride, a very interesting writer whose blog I now visit daily to enjoy her candid views on life- a woman after my own heart. Calling me "intriguing" - I wonder why since I am so open- and wanting to know more about me, she tagged me with a meme.Before I proceed further, let me list the

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-74062799779973166912008-11-22T17:32:00.000-08:002008-11-24T06:21:32.711-08:00

This past Thursday, I attended the Eagles concert in DC. And it was a mind-blowing experience. There must have been thousands of middle-aged Americans including me who went totally berserk when the the well-suited Eagles sang "Lying Eyes," "Hotel California," "Take it Easy," and other greatest hits. Of course, having a great dinner with a margarita and great company certainly made it even more so

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-5719974054601608172008-11-13T15:49:00.000-08:002008-11-15T09:17:12.675-08:00

The seemingly mundane picture above is not really so! It was taken within the first few months of my arrival in the US. This picture along with others, few of which I am sharing here caused a big tizzy with my in-laws back home in New Delhi. See below for context...India in the eighties believed in very traditional attire for the women as shown below. Generally women from genteel families wear

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-3462288590190256562008-11-07T03:45:00.000-08:002008-11-07T05:39:54.738-08:00

I have been an empty-nester for almost two years now and my son is a sophomore in college only a couple of hours away at UVA. However each time he comes home to visit, I go through a hard time bidding him good-bye. They grow so fast!Having come from a culture where children live home with their parents well into their adulthood and often even after they marry, assuming there are no financial and

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-44116397069726545802008-11-05T17:47:00.000-08:002008-11-06T15:59:05.535-08:00

I am finally sitting down with my cherished cup of tea and enjoying solitude with my faithful canine at my feet. It has been a wonderful day of pure joy and wonder at the immense strides the nation has taken with the election of Barack Obama, undoubtedly a phenomenon who has swept away the last racial barrier in the American socio-political setup. I sincerely believe that.While on a more mundane

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-56065526217903234632008-11-04T19:23:00.000-08:002008-11-05T15:38:23.519-08:00

Tonight is going to be a long night. To be honest, I have been sleep-deprived for many nights now because I am hooked on CNN and MSNBC for constant election coverage. Since I became a US citizen in 1991, I have taken my civic duty very seriously and voted in every US election. But I am surely echoing the sentiments of many when I say that today was certainly a historic day. In all the years I

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-32272517772133764062008-10-30T18:47:00.000-07:002008-10-30T18:53:00.065-07:00

Just a note to let you all know that I am taking off for a bit because am extremely swamped on all fronts... Will return bright-eyed and bushy tailed whenever... Hopefully soon.Till then keep smiling!

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-65212019225440585242008-10-17T01:59:00.000-07:002008-10-17T21:49:54.711-07:00

After my last couple of articles on a journey of faith, thought for Carrie's Friday Foto Fiesta, I would share some pictures of Hindu temples in US that have been constructed to fulfill the religious and social needs of the Indian-Americans. When I arrived here in the late 80s, I had no idea that there were so many Hindu temples in the US, but should not have been surprised considering the US

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-89339916229736835652008-10-14T14:24:00.000-07:002008-10-17T21:52:22.890-07:00

Continued from Part I which provides the background for this incredible journey, which is basically a testimony of personal faith, in which the six of us -three adults and three kids under six-decided to continue with a pilgrimage against all odds.Read on...So here we were dazed in a packed train sitting essentially in a third class (the lowest) compartment without reservation huddled like cattle

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-27689241049711730552008-10-12T21:08:00.000-07:002008-10-13T16:42:06.121-07:00

Today my girlfriend (currently visiting the US from Delhi) and I were reminiscing about a couple of pilgrimages we had made together in India and the events that has occurred which basically reinforced our strong faith in the Supreme Force. This is how it all began...Despite all the modernization and education, spiritualism is so integrated in the Indian psyche that visiting holy places spread

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-11193283325553157232008-10-03T04:14:00.000-07:002008-10-02T20:37:55.206-07:00

Recently a couple of American girlfriends kept asking me about tattoos that they had seen on some of my Indian sisters. Perplexed I could not for the life of me fathom what they were talking about till it struck me what they had thought to be "tattoos" were actually the henna patterns which they must have seen on the hands and feet of a newly-wed Indian girl or her girlfriends who had attended

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-13687911333222888562008-09-27T20:18:00.000-07:002008-09-28T14:04:19.592-07:00

A modern multi-generational Indian middle class family today - a portrait of a dear friend's familyThis article is dedicated in honor of my father's birth centennial which is today- he passed away in January 1997. Yes, today is my father's birthday as he was born on September 28, 1908. Now he was a true patriarch not only of his many sons and daughter and grandchildren, but also with respect to

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-87646244219752010782008-09-19T15:14:00.000-07:002008-09-20T17:42:59.954-07:00

Chicago skylineI have returned today after a wonderful two-day business trip to Chicago. I have visited the city earlier also, but this time,the trip was different because the conference hotel I was staying in was right in the heart of downtown, one of those boutique hotels that have still managed to retain their old world charm. This stay was vastly different from the earlier day trips when one

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-65351061152217611532008-09-12T14:13:00.000-07:002008-09-30T19:10:38.290-07:00

Continued from Part I which MUST be read to get the complete story of the Bhandari family which now was in safe territory, but the saga continued...Interestingly, while the common theme was one of loss, displacement, rebuilding and ultimate transformation, the partition experiences were felt differently by different sections of society based on a number of factors including their social standing

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-56294475388237173172008-09-11T17:23:00.000-07:002008-09-30T19:11:14.737-07:00

These are articles for serious readers who genuinely want to learn about the world outside the US of A and thus get an international perspective which I genuinely believe could be an important factor in resolving so much world tension-but then I am an optimistic idealist!)This article is also based both on childhood reminisces and discussions with other family and friends in US. Unfortunately,

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-38887172821042864032008-09-02T19:52:00.000-07:002008-09-06T05:30:02.584-07:00

This past Labor Day weekend, a friend and I decided to do a day-trip visiting small towns outside the DC region. We decided to visit the beautiful Shenandoah valley in Virginia stopping in small towns on the way and ending it with the Skyline drive with its picture-postcard beautiful views. Shenandoah Valley is bound by the Blue-Ridge mountains. The scenery is so spectacular that one can go there

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-52999400272944640952008-08-29T22:40:00.000-07:002008-09-30T19:11:44.230-07:00

Continued from Part I which MUST be read to get the complete picture and claritySince I am a Punjabi privy to direct feedback from the family, Punjab is the focus of this Partition article.My parents in Lahore with my eldest brother, Arvind, who passed away prematurely this March 2008.The Partition of India especially hit home very hard. I am part of a family which truly reflects both the pre

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-20084333294234406642008-08-29T22:20:00.000-07:002008-09-30T19:12:14.339-07:00

en.wikivisual.com/index.php/IndiaPreviously, I talked about India's Independence Day celebrations on August 15 when it became free from British imperialistic rule in 1947. Today, I would like to shed some light on the tragic developments that took place in the state of Punjab in Northwest India in the summer and fall of 1947 when India was partitioned into two sovereign nations of India and

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-89217474466851715072008-08-20T22:00:00.000-07:002008-08-22T06:55:08.585-07:00

Tis that time of the year when I am sure most mothers feel the strongest maternal urge to cling to their offspring. The moment when the kids head back to their schools after a long break. I am taking a Sabbatical from blogging for a few days as I am frightfully busy and quite gloomy because my nineteen year-old son leaves for college in a few days... I will be back soon, ready to drown my sadness

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-91995313125403684502008-08-16T08:00:00.000-07:002008-08-30T08:49:58.081-07:00

It is a testimony to human nature that even though I have been a proud US citizen for almost two decades, I am still attached to and proud of my home country, India, which has made amazing strides all around even though it is a relatively new nation in terms of its political sovereignity. Undoubtedly, my heart still swells with tremendous pride at India's achievements and rich history. Yesterday

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-91330921884286890452008-08-09T20:43:00.000-07:002008-08-10T10:51:07.075-07:00

I won an award! This is really cool as it just came at a time when I was beginning to wonder if my writing was a bit way off mainstream since my theme is the perspective of an Asian Indian woman in the US... While one blogs for a host of personal reasons, it is nice to know that one's blog is being read otherwise it starts to feel like one is writing a personal journal. So thank you CareySue-that

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-80326301135256200062008-08-05T22:58:00.000-07:002008-10-03T14:58:48.200-07:00

Currently, an old friend of mine from New Delhi is visiting US for a few months on a teacher exchange program. Her spontaneous, yet uncannily familiar reactions to an almost diametrically different cultural environment made me chuckle while bringing back memories of my own initial impressions when I landed here on a cold winter day in February 87…Looking back it seems almost surreal as to how,

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-20899697495690504432008-07-29T22:30:00.000-07:002008-09-30T19:13:02.007-07:00

The last few travel essays have featured consumerism and the increasingly luxurious and Westernized lifestyle of India's burgeoning middle class. This has led to reactions from my American-born friends that ask upon reading my memoirs about whether I find everything back home perfect or are there things that I don't much care for? My response to them is that just like everything else that has two

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-91212798321163825582008-07-23T22:10:00.000-07:002008-10-03T14:58:27.971-07:00

You will notice from this pictorial journey that almost all my trips to India were made in the fall and winter season which is truly the best time to visit Delhi. (In all these years, I have only made two trips to Delhi in summer due to extremely sad circumstances when I had to be there) Winters in Delhi’s semi-arid weather run from November through February. The mornings are chilly and dull

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-89392675129704028162008-07-20T22:17:00.000-07:002008-07-24T05:20:20.331-07:00

Let’s continue with the Delhi travels. I have to admit each time I go home, I too get a culture shock. Of course not in the sense as visitors from the Western world do, but a jolt in terms of how the country has rapidly changed and continues to advance in terms of the expansive consumerism and luxurious lifestyle characterized by modern amenities that are now considered must-haves as opposed to

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-57075730040168946092008-07-15T19:51:00.000-07:002008-10-03T14:59:18.993-07:00

Yesterday, I wrote about a state fair held in Delhi's Connaught Place to depict the rural and folk arts of Western India. Those pictures belied the hubbub that is characteristic of the second largest commercial and business center in India built by the British in early 1930s. The following pictures will give a a better idea of how busy and urban the heart of the capital truly is...Note the

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-6946794173039138192008-07-15T00:00:00.000-07:002008-10-03T14:59:43.233-07:00

This weekend, I spent time in quiet introspection looking at the family pictures of visits back home over the years. In the almost twenty-two years I have been here, I have been back home in New Delhi, India, many times. Frankly, I have lost count, but I do know that after my first visit which was seven years after my arrival in Washington DC in January 87, I went back almost every other year

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-42478865261747355422008-07-11T20:00:00.000-07:002008-07-14T10:12:32.268-07:00

That's me on the prowl as a super sleuth very early am to checkout the habitual parking offenders in my neighborhood. Time for ActionIncreasingly frustrated with the parking situation in my townhouse complex, yours truly, who really doesn’t know how to let sleeping dogs lie, decided to take the initiative in addressing the situation, last month. Apparently, there have been many futile discussions

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-46814280183956544242008-07-10T18:16:00.000-07:002008-07-11T18:03:51.327-07:00

Today I want to vent about one of my major pet peeves. To search for parking when you go shopping or in business areas is bad enough, but to have serious parking issues in your own neighborhood due to the thoughtlessness of a few neighbors takes one’s annoyance to whole new level.The SituationI truly like the townhouse community where I have been now living for the last six years, but for one

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-69534017094197737092008-07-06T19:21:00.000-07:002008-07-07T16:31:46.782-07:00

Enjoying rich Indian food at a restaurant, not bathroom painting, is high on Baku's agenda as he "enjoys" his summer with me.This July 4 long weekend has been a very long weekend in more ways than one. Ashim aka Baku is home for the summer and while we have been enjoying an as easy and as close a rapport a mother and son can have, helped greatly by the fact that he is the lord of the lower level

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-59500242680449034752008-07-03T22:25:00.000-07:002008-07-07T15:55:01.608-07:00

http://www.innosight.com/blog/uploads/blogshakespearecomic.bmpAfter reading a friend’s blog for months and checking out others, I too have decided to jump into this fray… And here I am in my own "realm". Hey after all, I too want to add my two cents into this world of literary endeavor.… I have to say that this experience has been very entertaining and revealing on a number of levels. Before I

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-36038426583099385122008-07-01T19:17:00.000-07:002008-07-03T17:03:27.694-07:00

Today is Kalyan's birthday - he would have been 48 so I want to honor his memory, by sharing a bit about him. Kalyan Bhandari (my maiden name) was the youngest of all my brothers, often considered the brightest of the brood, he was emotionally not ready to go yet... His passing on June 23 last year, has hit me especially hard since we grew up together while the older ones left to go out of state

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-43667713492631385172008-06-26T19:48:00.000-07:002008-06-29T19:29:47.251-07:00

A couple of days ago, a friend asked me if I ever felt that I was a disappointment to my parents. (And this is one accomplished woman!) She said that she had always had that feeling despite all her achievements and wondered if she was alone. I hastily reassured her that in that regard, she had good company in me. Parental expectations can nag one for years and can play a significant role in one’s

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-38973289816915830462008-06-23T19:06:00.000-07:002008-10-03T15:00:12.947-07:00

With My closest Indian friend in US a few years ago when she was single too-she and I had a lot of fun laughing at our complete ineptness in the dating sceneOnce you have healed from the pain of a failed marriage and have transitioned to a good place in your life as a single parent, it is only natural to want to find a partner or at the very least someone to do things with. But putting yourself

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-73088666708143730702008-06-21T05:24:00.000-07:002009-08-23T18:57:55.274-07:00

King of his domain - he certainly likes his space.Charleigh's loss in February 2006 left a huge vacuum in our lives. I didn’t realize the magnitude till I saw my son within a week, checking out basset rescue websites to look for another basset. Unlike me, my son internalizes a lot and when I saw him doing this so soon, I knew he was hurting and we should start to look again. They say, the best

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A blue-blooded princess - she wasMy love affair with bassets started more than five years ago and is continuing. Basset hounds are beautiful dogs, also referred to as “hush puppies”. They have deep barks, low long bodies, silky long ears and those melting droopy eyes with the sweetest of temperaments. In short, they are addictive!How it All Began It all began when my son was in middle school

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Taken from www.kegcomputers.com When folks complain about traffic here- it makes me chuckle because they have no idea how much better they have it here in US. Today my drive on Route 66 where traffic always seems to be jammed, brought back memories of traffic in India…The Law of the JungleTraffic in Indian cities is a nightmare and this is not a myth but rather the unembellished truth. Foreigners

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An early morning in Washington DC, my home now.It's finally happened! I never thought it would, but it has and against my better wishes. Since the last couple of weeks, I have started waking up daily, very early in the morning like 5:30 a.m.or even slightly earlier and I feel good!. This is no mean feat because I am the proverbial night owl. I think the nagging of all my early bird friends and

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-10637254813331423902008-06-09T20:14:00.000-07:002008-09-26T18:41:09.843-07:00

In the last “Single Mom” segment, I talked about my son going to college at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. You would think, picking and dropping Baku from and back to school would be a routine affair, but not so in my case. It is funny how drama seems to follow me everywhere. Keep reading…The last few trips from Northern Virginia to UVA and back had been pretty much uneventful,

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Ashim Today- Baku is a nickname that never got unstuckVarsity BasketballAs you can surmise Baku is a true lover of sports, so scrambling to make it from DC to Baku’s games in Vienna or looking for carpools with other parents was the overriding theme of my life in his school years. I especially tried to make it to almost every game when Baku played Varsity basketball in high school since it is

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Baku in Middle schoolYesterday morning when I was leaving for work, I looked at the athletic tall young man in his business suit leaving for his summer internship with his briefcase in hand and it suddenly hit me hard that the bird had certainly flown the coop! Yes, I am talking about my son, now a sophomore in college. Looking at him with tremendous maternal pride and love, the memories of his

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I commute daily to my job in downtown DC on the Metro. Travel by Metro is a life enriching experience. In the thirty-five minutes or so that I am on the train, I get to read the daily newspaper, something that I would be unable to do otherwise in my crazy work day and on my way back home, I get to decompress from worklife stresses. Of course the best benefit is that I don’t have to deal with DC

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I am going to stop now on this subject because there is a lot that I can write and actually will continue to write as and when I feel strongly about something. For now, I am hoping that I have not only removed a few of the common fallacies, but that I have also piqued curiosity about my rich heritage. India today is a study in contradictions. While it is the world's biggest democracy with a

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-34932411996731547642008-06-03T18:07:00.000-07:002008-10-03T15:01:34.035-07:00

A serious pet peeve that I have is that Indian food is considered synonymous with curry and is hot, hot hot!!! Puh-leeeeeze Indian cooking is more than just curry! The curry is a British legacy which probably evolved when some fussy British officer in Colonial India wanted his Indian cook to make the thick spicy gravy that he so liked. Actually any self –respecting Indian chef is seriously

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-15085264294749387992008-06-01T14:49:00.000-07:002008-10-03T15:02:42.113-07:00

Did you have an arranged marriage? Another common question asked often of me and my sisters from the Indian subcontinent regarding which I would like to provide only a humorous glimpse, since books can and have been written on this subject.I did have an arranged marriage -here I am right after the ring ceremony i.e engagement. Per ritual the attire at this occasion is provided by the groom's

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Map of Asia In the more than two decades that I have been in US, I have received myriad queries about my Indian background. However while thrilled at the curiosity, I am also sometimes a bit appalled at how easy it is to stereotype. So, I am going to take advantage of this forum to address a few ubiquitous misconceptions about the Indian cultural norms and mores.When I initially arrived here,

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-82090877707231973132008-05-26T20:00:00.000-07:002008-06-27T18:57:56.276-07:00

Today I am going to talk about a topic that is not very mainstream but which has always intrigued me. I am referring to Intuition that deep sudden thought, feeling or vision which is referred to differently as psychic, ESP, sixth sense, gut feeling or a hunch. Even Einstein, the towering intellect of all time, said that scientific truth is revealed first through intuition and only later verified

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-32507961573024021322008-05-25T23:27:00.001-07:002009-02-03T15:38:54.387-08:00

Hello All:After much encouragement from some close friends who believe that I have led an interestng life and have a story to tell, but much trepidation at my own end due to the public nature of this forum and my own propensity for total candour, I am starting an online journal with the intent of converting it into book material one day. The initial segments are focused on my background against

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Vivid memories of the early years fill one’s mind. Robust dinner discussions ranged from current politics, books, to juicy family gossip. We were always enthralled with stories of India’s freedom in 1947. Both my parents grew up in the British era and barely escaped with their lives during India’s violent partition into Pakistan. An avid lover of British literature, I developed a vivid

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-10596280654867365902008-05-25T23:24:00.000-07:002008-06-27T17:59:38.784-07:00

www.modernschool.net/ Modern High SchoolAfter achieving two Bachelors with Honors in History and Education and a Masters in History, I started my career as a High School teacher of History at a private school in Delhi in the early 80s disappointing my father a bit that I had not gone on to law school to take over his practice or sat for the prestigous civil service exam that was the ultimate as

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At this fulfilling juncture of the happiest and carefree years of my life as a high school teacher with a great social circle, my parents introduced me in early 86, to what seemed a very eligible match,a professional who was visiting home from US. Yes, it was an arranged match and YES I could say NO if I wanted – ANYTIME! But, I did not as I was smitten and we got married within a month in 86.

RBK's Realmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17667401504159282979noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8097693141724784852.post-20787966000913304842008-05-25T23:18:00.001-07:002008-06-27T19:01:47.047-07:00

Finally, in June 98, I took three life changing decisions. I left our marriage, left a long time secure job took on a new better-paying position and moved into a new apartment, my new home for the next two plus years - all three EXTREMELY stressful steps at the same time. As a woman who grew up in a culture where divorce is almost taboo-these were certainly gigantic steps!!! But I discovered an

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