Flora's World...!

  NEOTENY  is a trait in humans that causes us to retain juvenile characteristics, enhancing our curiosity and capacity to learn. This "juvenilization" leads to a prolonged childhood, allowing us to absorb more from the environment, including cultural knowledge. Furthermore, our brains are designed for synergistic processing, combining different information types to enable complex cognitive functions like learning and social cognition.  As a 30-year-old, one of the most important questions I asked myself daily was "What did I learn today?" Learning doesn't have to be academic, it doesn't have to have a measure, or even always have a monetary expectation after. Learning to me is to feel alive, to feel like myself. And the best teachers in the world are kids. I hate that the term "childish" has a negative meaning attached to it. When in reality, in my experience, free people are childish, those who allow themselves to feel deeply, to experience life,...

  Turning 30 was quiet an experience for me.  I wasn't nervous or sad that I was turning 30, I was excited - I always thought that people in their 30s has their shit sorted out and I wanted to be that person. I had had a challenging late 20s due to many factors so 30s felt like a breath of fresh air.  I learnt so many thing about me, my relationships, my body, my health and so much more. If I had to turn 30 again, I would want to know some things so here are my top 5 pieces of advice for those turning 30 soon, as I cross it and move to my 40s.4 1. Your relationship with your body is THE  MOST important one Learn to listen to your body, its limitations, its strengths and what it loves. Mine is a movement body. I need to move whether I am happy or sad, excited or upset - for me, movement is the secret to feeling everything, to feeling deeply and to experience it all. I was diagnosed with  endometriosis  when I was 32 and learnt that I had been living with it ...

  Congratulations! You are "half" senior-citizen now. You're not very far from being eligible to get money without working (pension) or getting wow percent off on your flight bookings (sp. discounts) or getting the highest order of respect (as grand parents) or high interest rates on fixed deposits (as the elderly) or avail free carrying services at all airports (with wheelchairs) - everything is just half the way farther than it was. Talking about the near future, you are included in the new market segment list of all anti-aging products which would make sure that you don't age gracefully. It will make you look (as they claim) younger than you are, so keep dealing with the same crap for next decade! You are going to be showered with a lot of regimes to be followed from diet to exercise to hormonal pills to medical check-ups, everything! You will be bombarded to get married (if you're still single), or have kids (if you are married but still just two) or have the ...

 Turning 30, it's not just another year wiser, its also a year older and your body is turning the age too! Whether you like it or not, whether you accept it or not, your body is changing and with it, the need to listen to your body rises. Ignorant Indian Women are we when it comes to our body. Everything is a priority, our children, husbands, relatives, friends - but our body. We have all the time in the world to listen tot he woes of our dear friend and cook a lavish meal for hubby dear but if we are asked to run half an hour everyday, we're like, I don't really need it you know and I also don't have the time and oh yeah I get tired by the time it's evening and the list of excuses is endless. Let's make it clear, if your body is healthy everything will follow but if your body will not support, all your aspirations will go down the gutter! Your hair, skin, bones - everything needs your attention. Healthy Habits to a fitter you @ 30 Understand the nutritional nee...

 Whether single or mingled, finance is always a matter of concern. Especially when you're turning a special age where money matters a lot in every way, it is important for us all to be reminded of these few things. 1. Have it all and Shit it out or Save it all and Hit it hard That blue dress or those black shoes? And if you end up having it all, you're sure to shit it out soon. Because, someone wise one said, if you keep buying things you din't need, you'll soon sell the ones you need! So, 30 is to be responsible and save it as much as you can to make sure that you hit it hard in a decade when you'd need this saved wealth for various reasons. This has nothing to do worth your relationship status or the number of children you have or not.  2. Shop till you Drop or Store and never Drop Sale Sale, whether end of season or beginning, they are not for you! It may be very cool hanging around a coffee shop with a lot of shopping bags. They do give temporary happiness too. ...

 Some of the blogs here, I left them incomplete because it was unfair to complete them as a person who had just turned 30. Giving advice is easy and free and I have always hated receiving it especially from someone who hasn't done what I want to. So by the time I turned 30, I had been married, had a child and had a very ugly divorce. so, I was all clear to live my life whatever the hell way I wanted to and the most important thing on my list was to travel with my son and go everywhere. I remember making a post on Facebook when my son was 6 month old and we were traveling to Oman. In the said post I mentioned "A lifetime of travel begins" and I got so much hate and laughter for it, I deleted the post. People said things like "are you hallucinating?", "did you win a lottery in your alimony?" and I realized that all the negative comments were from people who never left their city. How little are the minds of people who didn't travel. This made me more...

  Terrified are those who are about to turn 30, but once there, they are terrified of anyone younger than that. It's said that a woman who's turned thirty is most likely to be hit by a bomb than a man, well, I would dare to disagree here, since, it took me 30 whole years to look this good & well, no comments on how  I haven't yet been hit by a bomb! Just a few days before we turn 30, we are constantly and rudely reminded that most of our friends are married and have kids, while we are still single, that our body parts are going to hurt for no reason, that early to bed & early to rise will keep us healthy, wealthy & wise, that we are just half way to being 60, that we won't be able to blow all the candles on our birthday cake at one go, that we're going to be older than 42% of Americans and the last, most frantic of all is that I MUST stay away from all sinfully delicious food since it would only add to my waistline. At one point it feels like I'm fig...

A Mugga still remains my soul mate as I turn a year younger, my dreams still being chased, my aspirations still being cherished, moments being lived, and memories being made! I'm alive - every single moment that life has to offer. I promise myself to make the most of what I have, cry a little less and laugh out loud, love a little more and complain rarely, smile often and frown not! I am what I am; the metal in me is immovable. Turning 30 seems like just yesterday, and now I'm 365 days more experienced than I was! More love, more space for forgiveness in my heart, a little piece of brain increased, and a tiny amount of courage has risen. The older I get, the younger I feel, unlike a cougar though ;-). My free will breaking the glass ceiling slowly, my thoughts gaining more energy, my determination sturdier, and my imagination wilder - that's what has changed in me in the last 365 days. A year full of excitement it was. So many changes at the same time that I could hard...

He is the first son of our family, my nephew, BRO and everyone favoruite. I was in grade 7 and 12 years old when the universe gifted us a little angel! He turns 18 today, and with him, I grow prouder to have him in my life, humbler to know his talents, more grateful to God for letting us have him - in short, I love him more than words can say or emotions can express! Timir, the son I had at 12, my friend - no relationship doesn't exists between us. I remember holding the tiny, petite, little baby boy in my hands for the first time when he was just a couple of hours old. Tears welled up in my eyes even at an age when I didn't know what motherhood meant. I can never thank my sister enough for bringing Timir into my life. I remember his first cry, his first smile, the way I used to watch him for any sign of new expression, making him learn how to walk, step by step, making him mischievous, feeding him, running behind him to scare him.... This is when you were just a toddler! I ...

Weddings, they say, are made in heaven. This one, The Big Fat (in all always) Indian Wedding, truly looks like it was made there. There's so much "Fatness" and "madness" in it. Anshi knows almost all my family since she's been with me since forever and Kaushal knows almost all my pals since he keeps a close eye on me ;-) but, it's amazing how they never met each other till recently, they never fell in love till now, they never thought that they'll marry each other till now. Isn't it like a fairy tale turning true! Is till remember how one fine day Anshi received a "biodata" of a potential "to be" husband. She called me up and said "guess what" and, that expression never fails to scare me. She immediately told me that the only common friend between him and her was me. I was so excited when I imagined them together, as a couple. But, it was impossible, considering how different our families were and how they bot...

Two of my very close friends, at the newest turns of their lives! And it's terrific that they are the better halves of each other! Both of them are at the threshold of the best time of their lives, parenthood! And here I am, unable to go to them, unable to hug them and let them know how much I love them, unable to let them see my tears of joy, unable to express my feelings for them. All I can do is, write this and let them know how much their special occasions mean to me.  Baiju & Nish - The one couple I know who is like mercury. Firm like metal to make sure that they rule their life and not the other way round BUT as flexible as liquid, getting fit in every role that life has to offer them. They're the rocks of my life, the pillar which silently supports me, come what may. We don't talk often, we meet rarely - but when we do, we can catch up from the end of thread we left. No complaints, no regrets in our relationship.  They're there, stan...

Having a sister is like having a best friend, an enemy, a critic, an admirer - all in one for a lifetime. Imagine, all the 3 of us are blessed to have 2 of these kind besides us. The best ever made life support system are siblings. I'm not sure if they were God sent, but I'm sure that if one of us chooses to go to hell, the other two will shout abuses at her, but, eventually choose to join her to hell rather than be alone in heaven. That's the love we share. We are that part of each other's childhood that will never be lost, whatsoever. Although we love each other like crazy, we still want to wring each other's neck more often than not. It's only those people who have siblings will understand the magic that weaves these two extreme emotions in the same thread. We know each other in and out and yet, we accept everything that's told us, with a smile. (smile: because we know very well where the decoration of the story has been added from.) We fight like ca...

I would surely not call my relationship with either of you as friendship!  "Hello, who is this?"I asked curiously picking up the call from an unknown land-line number. "Ankit" came a sharp brief reply.  "Oh, Ankit as in Ankit Kansagra?"  I exclaimed surprised. "Yes, how are you?" he said curtly.  And the memories of school days flashed. It was amazing catching up with an old school mate. I hadn't seen him for 5 years and probably never talked to him while in school. Simply because he was in section B & I was in A and hence we were meant to be competitors.  So, how did he make to my special 30 list. Because, although we had our share of rough times in the strong long years we spent as friends, we always could keep our egos aside when the other one needed us.He'd been there, quiet, strong & supportive. Even though we would fight and not talk to one another for months, we could still catch up as easily as ever.  ...

Holding hands, as we all try to hold back our tears on the first day at school, we never knew we would come so far, so strong.  Pre-school: I hardly remember anything except that her enemies were mine too and naturally enough, anyone I disliked was always out of her friends list. I Baiju and are chuddy-buddies in real terms, because we've been together since as young as 4 or 5 year old's. Grade 3: "Ma'am, can I borrow a pencil from Anshi?" and even before ma'am would say "Yes", I'd have one pencil on my desk and as I smile and loo up to say thanks, she frowns and say, "Don't tell me you forgot your pencil box even today Flora." and  we both giggle. Grade 4: "buck up Flora, buck up" I hear them scream as I continue with the game. Although we belonged to rival houses back in school, we never failed to cheer each other. Grade 5: "Oye, take her along." shouts Baiju from a far end as they officially bunk a m...