Of Adversities #NaPoWriMo2018 Day30

Adversities can teach you a lot
How you face them separates you from the lot

Do you run away from them?
Or face them boldly?

Running away has never solved problems
Facing situation with courage requires toughness

Have the grit, work hard to come out of deep mess
It might not be easy but thats the best you can do I guess

Nothing is impossible if you try
Its just a mental block that prevents you from aiming for the sky

Try try till you succeed
One day life will surely give you a best deal

-Dhanashree

Exams #NaPoWriMo2018 Day30

What are marks for

Exams do not deserve so much tension at all  

Tension is not that bad

In the right amount, it motivates us to work hard

Exams are not just a paper

When prepared for well, they teach us diligence and sustained effort

Treat every day as an exam

Perform your best in your programme

Giving your best is the only thing you can do

Marks high or low should not affect you

Getting better by the day should be the target

Exam Results should be the outcome as a result of hard work mindset

Someone gets low someone gets high

When you do your best there is no need to sigh

Habits… #NaPoWriMo2018 Day30.

Habits , they are formed by repetition

Once formed, changing them is a near to impossible mission

Good habits are difficult to form at start

But once cultivated they provide your life a healthy start

There is no gain without pain

Hence good habits will take some effort but will never go in vain

Bad habits are easy to form

But changing them is difficult overall

Always try to learn from  the good

It will never go wasted and will always be useful

-Dhanashree

What-if.. #NaPoWriMo2018 Day29

My poem for #NaPoWriMo2018 Day29..

Talks about what-ifs and uncertainty

What if I don’t crack GMAT

What if I don’t pass the interviews

What if I don’t get my dream job

What if my kid doesn’t get well soon

What if my job turns stressful too soon

What if I can’t manage home and work both

What if my parents are not well

What if I can’t help them when they are unwell

What if they are alone at that moment

This list of what-ifs is never ending

There will always be worries impending

Not worrying may not be the solution

But preparing and doing your best in the moment maybe the answer

There will always be what - ifs

What is life without its uncertainty 

Some things will go wrong

Some things will go right

What’s important is taking both wins and losses in your stride

Let the what-ifs not shaken your confidence 

Do the best in your present and let the future will do justice to your competence

Gone are the days.....#NaPoWriMo2018 Day28

I was born in the mid 1980s. My todays poetry for NaPoWriMo is a trip back to that memory lane...

Gone are the days when I used to long for a Amul vanilla ice cream

And when going to an IIM was a dream

Gone are the days when I used to sleep in my granny’s lap

And when  I used to talk any nonsense

Gone are the days when I longed for a geometry box

And waited for a Superhit Muqabla favourite song

Gone are the days of a Pepsi cola

And of roohhafza and rol- a- cola

Gone are the days when there were simpler times

When we played songs and sang nursery rhymes 

Those were the days gone are the days

Leaving behind memories and nostalgia stays

-Dhanashree

Accepting Difference #NaPoWriMo2018 Day27

My poetry for #NaPoWriMo Day27
I just finished reading Dear Ijeawele which contains 15 suggestions for how to empower a daughter to become a strong independent woman. The fifteenth suggestion in the book is about accepting differences and equipping her to survive in a diverse world.
A poetry based on the chapter 15.

Difference is normal
It’s ok to be different
Not to prove you are different
But to accept you are different

Someone is a single mommy
Someone is gay
Someone likes to read
Someone likes to travel

Let your standards not define what others should do
Let people live their way as long they don’t trouble you
Independence is both ways
For you and others
Let’s not impose what you want on others
Everyone has a way of life
Let them have it their way
Lets not have opinions based on double standards
But be full of humane approach anyways

-Dhanashree

My own “true” people #NaPoWriMo2018 Day26

How do you know who are really you own people- people that stand by you in any situation? In good times, everybody wants to stand by you and show how much they know you/ help you. When you actually need someone’s help in your tough times, you will know who are your true people that stand by you. A short poem on this topic

My own “true” people

Who are really your own people
How would you know

Let life throw tough situations at you once
Their true colours people will show

A rich man will have many friends
But in poverty only true friends remain

Lot of people will give gifts to a rich man
But only few will pay fees for a needy deserving man

Everybody wishes to come for a party
But the people  that come to help in the hospital are your “true own” party

The earlier you know who is your own party the better
Let life throw tough situations at you , the earlier the better

- Dhanashree
https://dsaidso.blogspot.com

I write because.. #NaPoWriMo2018 Day25

My poem for #NaPoWriMo Day 25

I write because....

I write because I want to write

The flood of emotions in my mind

The thoughts flowing otherwise

The things I want to talk

The things I don’t want to talk

Writing is my expression

It provides me solace

It is my way of conversation in peace 

A piece of paper who is willing to bear

Without any reactions just plain and clear

I write because I want to write

It’s my way of expression in day and night

I write not because I have time

I write because I find time to write

Writing is my love, my expression outlet for life 

And I write because I want to write

-Dhanashree

Women leader welcome #NaPoWriMo2018 Day24

Welcome poetry for Nuray, a Director from my client side. She came from Switzerland to visit India office

I am writing poems for NaPoWriMo

Here’s one for you Nuray too

Cheerful and enthusiastic is a voice on the call

Then you know that Nuray has joined it after all

Precise , to the point and meaning business 

Her working style is no-nonsense

Always keeping the team informed

Communication is her forte, she excels at it overall

Home and Work , managing them both is tough

Nuray manages both of them well enough

Happy to meet you face to face 

Welcome to India , we want to learn from your mental database

The Reading Attitude.. #NaPoWriMo2018 Day23

It’s World Book day today.As per Wikipedia “ World Book Day or World Book and Copyright Day (also known as International Day of the Book or World Book Days) is a yearly event on April 23rd, organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), to promote reading, publishing and copyright.” My poetry for #NaPoWriMo Day23 on the occasion of #WorldBookDay . I talk about how books enrich us with experiences of different authors. I also talk about how reading is an attitude and a passion.

The Reading attitude...

One day you are in Australia the next day in Poland
How, you may wonder?  Books take you to different wonderland

Read the experiences and learn from them
There is a treasure of wisdom written by a lot of wise men and women

Reading as a habit is always good
Continuous learning it imparts as it should

There is no time to read , I hear someone say
Time is to be found for it everyday
Read while travelling, read for atleast 15 mins
All this is doable , sky is the limit

Books are expensive is never a deterrent to read
There are ways to pursue reading even in days of monetary need
Join a library, borrow from friends
Hobbies will find a way to get your time always

Reading doesn’t mean only joining a library
Reading doesn’t mean only buying books
Reading is an attitude
It is the attitude to get a book and find time to read irrespective of your social economic standing

-Dhanashree

Happy Birthday ACP- #NaPoWriMo2018 Day22

My poetry for #NaPoWriMo
It was ACP Pradyumans aka Shivaji Satam’s birthday yesterday. A poetry for him from a CID fan—

Happy birthday ACP

There is a CID who investigates
And there is a CID who investigates and Entertains

ACP Pradyuman we are talking of
Who kept us hooked to TV sets all along

In the era of cable as well as Netflix
CID retains its entertainment quotient in the age of clicks

It’s the series I grew up watching
And yet feel like watching again

ACP Pradyuman the star magic was always rocking
Suspense , drama, thrill CID had a mix of everything

CID series turned 21 this year
And on this 21 we wish you happy birthday ACP pradyuman dear

Ending this one in CID style
“ Daya DARWAZA tod do,
And wish ACP Pradyuman a happy birthday too”

-Dhanashree

Wedding wishes poetry #NaPoWriMo2018 Day21

My poetry for #NaPoWriMo2018 Day21

Online matrimony is where it all began

As husband wife your new life is about to begin

The initial dating days are always good 

As a couple, your life as “ Mr and Mrs” is beginning is the truth

Couple fights are a regularity

You win some, you lose some (or most :P) is the reality

Relationship is like a stock that fluctuates

Hedge the risk by buying an option from the gift market

Investing in this relationship is a must

Time spent, gifts is the collateral you must trust

Remembering special days is a home regulatory requirement 

Loss given forgetting them is unpredictable at best

There is one SQL you must remember 

You will never regret this ever 

Select wife’s instructions from the choices table 

Execute them as fast as you are able 

Here’s wishing you a happy married life

Filled with fun and exciting times

-Dhanashree

Brainwashing #NaPoWriMo2018 Day20

My poem on #NaPoWriMo Day20
The topic is brainwashing- how minds are manipulated through repetition and specific directed talk

Brainwashing is taking control of your mind
Using propoganda to paralyse your thinking mind

It’s telling you what to think
And not how to think

It’s like saying you think as you want
With a small caveat - “ Let the results be compatible with my beliefs after all”

It’s convincing people that freedom is injustice
So that they believe that slavery is freedom

It’s convincing people what you want
Like being a salesperson all along

You can sell anything as long as there is a buyer
Brainwashing and repetition have to get exposed some day or other

-Dhanashree
https://dsaidso.blogspot.com
#NaPoWriMo

Tea- Chapati's teamwork #NaPoWriMo2018 Day19

Poetry  on tea chapati for #NaPoWriMo2018 Day19. Talking of how, tea and chapati blending together also talks of teamwork. 

Did you have your breakfast? She asked
I just had tea chapati and thats all

What ? Who eats chapati with tea?
I eat, don’t know about others you see

It’s like having fresh wheat flakes in milk
Yummy and nutritious they are for your health

Different ways of having chapati and tea
Some dip chapati just in tea cup
Others in a saucer
The third ones dip the chapati in saucer till it blends
It some time to dip fully in the tea

Both chapati and tea taste amazing together  you see
It’s the same for teams
Time it takes to blend
Teamwork results in an amazing game
Getting alongwith each other is the message it sends

Lots of things a tea chapati can teach
Open your eyes to the world lessons and farther you will reach
-Dhanashree

चहा चपाती

आज सकाळचा नाश्ता झाला का? हा प्रश्न मी हल्लीच ऐकला असेल. लहानपणापासून माझ्या आईकडे “ आज सकाळची चपाती खाऊन झाली का?” हाच प्रश्न असायचा. चहा आणि चपाती हे जणू काही माझं सकाळचं खाणं. अगदी कितीही लवकर बाहेर पडायचं असेल तरी चहा आणि चपाती खाल्ल्याशिवाय बाहेर पडायचं नाही. माझे जेव्हा सकाळचे क्लास असायचे तेव्हा मी अगदी सकाळी ५:३० ला गरम चपाती आणि चहा असं खाऊन जायचे. चहा आणि चपाती खाण्याची प्रत्येकाची तऱ्हा वेगळी. काहींना चहाच्या कपात थोडीशी चपाती बुडवून खायला आवडते. काहींना चहा बशीत ओतून त्यात चपाती बुडवून खायला आवडते. काहींना चहा बशीत ओतून त्यात चपाती अगदी पूर्णपणे बुडवून खायला आवडते. आणि हो मग तो चहा त्या बशीतून प्यायला आवडतो, त्यात म्हणे चपातीची चव उतरते आणि तो चहा अजून चवदार लागतो. बऱ्याच लोकांना सकाळी पोळी भाजी / चपाती भाजी खाण्याची सवय असते.त्यांना जेव्हा मी चहा चपाती खाते असं सांगते तेव्हा त्यांना असं चहा चपाती काय खातात ह्याचं नवल वाटतं . आणि माझ्यामते हल्ली जसे cornflakes, wheatflakes खातात, ते पण दुधात बुडवून खातात ना, तर हे तर चहात ताजी ताजी चपाती बुडवून खाणं झालं. Fresh is best नाही का? ही चहा चपाती खाण्याची पद्धत कुठली हे मला ठामपणे माहित नाही. पण कोकणात बालपण गेलेल्या लोकांची  ही सवय असावी असं माझं निरीक्षण सांगतं. माझा संपर्क असं खाणाऱ्या कोकणातल्या सारस्वत लोकांशी जास्त आहे ( ह्यात कसलाही जातीयवाद नाही).
माझ्या घरी आता सकाळचा नाश्ता असतो- जसं कि इडली, डोसा , उपमा. मला हे सगळे पदार्थ आवडतातच. पण माझं सकाळचं comfort food चहा चपाती आहे. माझ्या घरी चपातीला  पोळी म्हणतात . मी पण पोळी म्हणते. पण  चहा पोळी  म्हणण्यापेक्षा चहा  चपाती म्हणण्यात  मज्जा  आहे. आणि हो बोलण्यापेक्षा मी करण्याला महत्व देते
-धनश्री

Of words #NaPoWriMo2018 Day18

Words are not just words
Who said them matters first

The “who said” gives words it’s weight
The background created...
The impression management generated can suggest love or hate

Words can be used to talk sense
Sentences which have substance
Else they are just words for total non-sense

Dunning- Kruger effect is in play
Idiots think highly of them anyways
They talk nonsense still think it makes sense
While smart people are generally tense
Thinking Am I rightly speaking that makes sense?

Keeping your word suggests a lot
Liars get caught easily by this plot
You can lie once you can lie twice
People can be fooled once but are wise otherwise

-Dhanashree

The Paratha Story #NaPoWriMo2018 Day17

My poem for #NaPoWriMo day 17 using this prompt “Our prompt for the day (optional as always) follows Gowrishankar’s suggestion that we write a poem re-telling a family anecdote that has stuck with you over time. It could be the story of the time your Uncle Louis caught a home run ball, the time your Cousin May accidentally brought home a coyote and gave it a bath, thinking it was a stray dog, or something “

Sharing an anecdote which I heard from my aunt. My mom had many uncles - it’s a story about 2 of them Bhau Kaka and Datta kaka. The poetry suggests what happens when Datta kaka eats Bhau Kaka made parathas. Read on—

Eat only as much as you can digest

Always check your appetite I suggest

Parathas are yum , home made ones are the more tempting even

Bhau Kaka the expert made dilliwale parathe even yummier

“One more please” said Datta Kaka

Round shaped parathas entered in stomach with aloo and Atta

The tongue lost its control

Bhau Kaka’s divine taste magic was on a roll

Suddenly Datta Kaka had to stop

Eating parathas cost his stomach a lot

Natures call he had to answer

Anything in Moderation is always good was the lesson

Remembering this anecdote later

The whole family still bursts in laughter many years after 

- Dhanashree

On becoming a mother.. #NaPoWriMo2018 Day16

My poetry for #NaPoWriMo on motherhood

Around 3 years ago I got promoted

It’s a girl was the message and I was elated

Those tiny little feet and hands

And those cat coloured eyes

They had an unusual charm

Made me forget my delivery pain alright

When will she speak, when will she walk

We all waited for her to talk

Time as you know passes fast

My little one now talks so much , you might feel lost

Mumma I love you she says always

Wants to sleep hugging me tight anyways

“You will know this when you become a mom” my mom used to say

“I know it now, what it means to have your heart in other body anyways”

Motherhood is not a role it’s not only giving birth

It’s a feeling which is unexplained in any words 

-Dhanashree

Of wickedness - #NaPoWriMo2018 Day15

My poetry for NaPoWriMo day 15 Basis the prompt.”And now for our prompt (optional, as always). In her interview, Blake suggests writing a poem in which a villain faces an unfortunate situation, and is revealed to be human (but still evil). Perhaps this could mean the witch from Hansel & Gretel has lost her beloved cat, and is going about the neighborhood sticking up heart-wrenching “Lost Cat” signs, but still finds human children delicious. Maybe Blackbeard the Pirate is lost at sea in an open boat, remembering how much he loved his grandmother (although he will still kill the first person dumb enough to scoop him from the waves).”

 I will only do what I want

At the cost of anyone’s emotions at all

Wickedness was in her blood 

Doing bad was her normal

She Ill-treated her niece

Hardly gave her a food piece

The little soul starved 

But goodwill and help sailed the baby along

Time passed fast

Aunty grew old and not so strong

Her granddaughter had an issue 

Swallowing was not possible for her tissue

Aunty made yummy food

The little one could not swallow it in any mood

Time turned it tables

Aunty sobbed , emotions became uncontrollable 

Prayed to god, let a miracle take place

Please let the little one eat , please bestow some grace

A neighbor turned to aunty for some monetary help

She insulted him there without offering any help

Attitude didn’t change her wickedness remains

It’s in the blood situations can’t change


-Dhanashree

5 saal baad---

Its been 5 years since I graduated from IIM Bangalore. It was exactly on 1^st April 2013 that I was convocated and 2 weeks back I could see a flood of picture posts on my facebook timeline depicting convocation pictures. It was a throwback in time. I remembered the CAT prep, the congratulatory letter from IIM Bangalore, the first day, the 2 years that went by and the convocation. It felt like everything went by so fast. Lot of people ask me, is the IIM MBA worth it? Is there a return on investment? To this, I have no direct answer. Let me tell you what this MBA taught me or meant to me. I made/met some really amazing friends in IIM Bangalore. People who were not only brilliant in academics, but also excelled in sports, arts or the likes. People who despite all this were humble.  Let me tell you, I am yet to find one dumb student in IIM Bangalore. People who had to repeat a year just had to because the system of relative grading means bottom 5% in  x number of subjects qualifies as fail. But they had some amazing ideas too.

I met people who came from remote villages of India, whose parents were not as economically well off, who came due to their persistence and merit. People who studied in vernacular medium till class 10 but who did extremely well. People who had hardly ventured outside their hometown and college town, but had amazing ideas. IIM brought all these diverse bunch of people together. It made  the world flat for the rich guy and the poor guy, for a city bred guy and a remote village guy  , it gave them an equal chance. It showed merit matters, it is a living example of making it big despite all odds. If anyone feels today whether putting their kid in a smaller school deters their chances for a good degree, I can show you many examples of IIM grads coming from small places.

The faculty was equally amazing. Faculty who despite their global degrees would talk so nicely and mostly devoid of ego. Some of them being on boards of banks etc but will talk to you as a friend when you meet them even now. Extremely well read people who you can have a sensible conversation about almost any topic.

In terms of monetary return of investment, I have no right answer whether IIM gives ROI or not. Because again this answer is time and person dependent. But I am sure , IIM gives a worth to remember experience to everybody. Of meeting and studying with some of the best people in the country who come from varied socio economic backgrounds. This is something to cherish and worth to remember for a lifetime.

And hence I feel , IIM fee increase should be rationalized at some point. It should not deter any meritorious student from pursuing the IIM dream. Because if that happens, IIM would remain a rich man’s dream which would defeat the main purpose of this diverse experience.

With this I end the post..

Cheers to IIM B times!

-Dhanashree

The Dentist dream #NaPoWriMo2018 Day14

My poem for #NaPoWriMo day 14

The dentist dream

A big chair with a camera at the top
That means you are at the dentists and he’s doing his job

He looks at my teeth and says root canal
Thinking of it makes me go sad

I go for one toothache and he sees others are bad
My visits to the dentist are driving me mad
Do I pay you to give me pain?
I ask
I am preventing further decay, he says that’s my task

Cement, filling, canal, implant is what I hear
Am I some construction piece? , the pain gives me tears

I only bear this to be able to eat
Food is my first love that nothing can beat
“Wake up” I hear my mums voice
“ Husssh!!  “All this was just a dream and now I rejoice

-Dhanashree

On Birthdays #NaPoWriMo2018 Day13

My poem for #NaPoWriMo on birthdays

Birthdays- What  are they for?

It’s the day when Cake cutting and celebrations galore

Probably they are a time to reflect on your past

Plan for the future

Be grateful for all the good

And forget the bad

A rich man celebrates birthdays lavishly

Whereas a poor person has a modest celebration

Both have the same feeling in the heart

Lavish or modest , the presence of love should set celebrations apart

Should you be happy getting a year older

Or be sad about the same

You should probably be reminded of the passage of time in life’s game

Time cannot come back, make most of it , no two days are same

Let birthdays remind you of that - live your life to the fullest

-Dhanashree  

What’s in the future? #NaPoWriMo2018 Day12

What’s in the future?

My poem for #NaPoWriMo day 12

What’s in store for the future do you know
Hope for the best and prepare for the worst is all I know

There was a girl who made big plans
Ambition was in her blood
Astronaut she had to become
Time was cruel , she didn’t know
An accident took her family in its tow
Nothing could deter her , hardwork was her normal
Dreams were fulfilled albeit without her loved ones

Someone had ego, someone false pride
Time took all if it in it’s stride
I only travel with my husband said an aunty
My widowed aunty remembered her husband and cried plenty
Aunty’s future had a shock in store
Illness took away her beloved
No choice but to do things alone is a compulsion
Ego was killed without any Confusion

Keep your feet on the ground they say
Time has the power to change your future any day

-Dhanashree
HTTPS://dsaidso.blogspot.com

The use of a degree #NaPoWriMo2018 Day11

What is the use of studying engineering

If you are doing a finance job 

What is the use of studying accounting 

If you are doing an HR job 

What is the use of studying medicine

If you are finally going to be a performing actor

To all this , I just want to say

Education is not just a degree 

It’s a skill to learn new things

It imparts a rigour a discipline

Which can used in any stream

The rigour of math in engineering 

And the numbers in finance 

The balance sheets in accounting

And the emotional balance in HR

The science of medicine

Or the art of acting

All this is inter-related 

Keep your mind open to learns new things

Learn from the good ignore the bad

It will add to your overall well-being

-Dhanashree

While the world was.. #NaPoWriMo2018 Day10

My poem for #NaPoWriMo day 10.

While the world was watching movies and making weekend plans
Here I was preparing for my term end

When they were out their partying
Here I was burning the midnight oil preparing

When the peeps around were sleeping
My mom woke up for cooking
To get my Tiffin ready for my classes
While my granny woke up and put on her glasses

While the world was spending on their shopping as they may
Delayed gratification was my thing to save money for a rainy day

While I book a Cab to go to office now
People around exclaim “ Wow, life is so easy for you “
I just wish to tell them- “ life is about hard choices and luck”
Luck Is by chance but choosing hard work is a choice

While the world was watching movies and making weekend plans
Here I was preparing for my term end

For every person who works for a better future
He has made hardwork as his way of life hereafter

-Dhanashree
https://dsaidso.blogspot.com

Of Persistence in facing the situation— #NaPoWriMo2018 Day9

My poem for #NaPoWriMo day 9

A drop of water or an ocean
Daily practice on the net or a championship
Mock Tests or directly GMAT
Breaking down into small problems or going to the big one
Daily exercise for weight loss Or crash diet for  size zero if at all
Nothing gets done in a day
Practice , persistence and small steps go a long way

Which is better - David or a Goliath
Maybe Sometimes there are advantages to disadvantages
Or
Disadvantages to advantages
Hard work doesn’t fail
Smart work does work
David or a Goliath- how you face the situation is the Crux

-Dhanashree

Do Miracles happen? #NaPoWriMo2018 Day8

My poem for #NaPoWriMo for day 8, April 8.
The prompt was -“And now for our prompt (optional, as always). Let’s take a leaf from Shelley’s book, and write poems in which mysterious and magical things occur. Your poem could take the form of a spell, for example, or simply describe an event that can’t be understood literally. Feel free to incorporate crystal balls, fauns, “

My poetry is inspired by the Marathi movie Gulabjaam. I find it magical when Radha from the movie comes out  of coma and does what she does. Read the poetry for more

Do miracles happen?

Growing up in Maharashtra’s cultural capital
Cooking food was Radha’s forte typical

It was her sister’s wedding
Decked up and ready she was for attending

Thud.. Thud .. was a sound of a truck
Ouch..she screamed and was thrown down amuck
Her body lay in a pool of blood
Admitted to the hospital for better

She lay motionless for god knows how long
The clock ticked and went further along

11 years later, she woke up
Forgotten everything except one
Her hands still had this amazing skill
To cook Food and feed hungry peeps

In a faraway land Aditya dreamed of starting a hotel chain
Learning maharashtrian cooking he had to begin
He went to pune in search of a teacher
Good cook she must be was his condition

Radha’s cooking reminded him of his childhood
He wanted to learn cooking from her as much as he could

Yumminess personified in a plate
Lip smacking food was continuously being made
Varan Bhat tup ukdiche modak
Bhaji polya the list is endless thereafter

Aditya’s dream came true
Started a restaurant in London anew

Do miracles happen , I ask?
How can someone comeback from coma and do such tasks?
There is a spell of goodwill
That helps good folks
Radha’s food probably had it
To get her out of coma and make her fit

-Dhanashree

Who Am I? #NaPoWriMo2018 Day7

My poetry for day 7 #NaPoWriMo #NaPoWriMo2018 basis the prompt “And now for our (optional) prompt. In our interview, Kyle Dargan suggests writing out a list of all of your different layers of identity. For example, you might be a wife, a grandmother, a Philadelphian, a dental assistant, a rabid Phillies fan, a seamstress, retiree, agnostic, cancer survivor, etc.. These are all ways you could be described or lenses you could be viewed through. Now divide all of those things into lists of what makes you feel powerful and what makes you feel vulnerable. Now write a poem in which one of the identities from the first list contends or talks with an identity from the second list. This might turn out to be kind of a “heavy” exercise, emotionally, but I hope you will find the results enlightening.”

Who am I ?

As I lay asleep on the hospital bed
“It’s a girl”my doctor said
That little face I remember
Momma she made me forever

At office I am a Risk professional
Looking at risk systems and doing brainstorming
There is nothing that seems insurmountable
But..
Then a phonebell Rings
Swara is unwell , I hear
My mind worries till I see her
Simple things seem too difficult to bear

My momma makes me feel like a little girl again
“ All will be well” she says again and again
Swara kisses and says “ I love u momma”
My biggest strength and weakness is her being

A wife to my husband , a companion for life
We have seen the ups and down and taken them in stride
A girlfriend then a wife and now a mother to his kid
Are the different roles I have played in his life

There is one thing I miss terribly
There’s no one left who I can call aaji
Granddaughters role I miss paaji
I wish I could go into that phase
And hug my aaji again

Who am I now- A daughter or a daughter in law or a mother or a wife?
I don’t Know exactly but - My daughter is the biggest strength as well as the weakness in my life

-Dhanashree

Farewell poetry #NaPoWriMo2018 Day6

April is National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo- http://www.napowrimo.net/) As a part of this poetry writing challenge , sharing a poetry for today. The context is a farewell of my colleague. Since I work as a risk management professional, have used some of the terminologies from risk domain.
Have also used the prompt from day 6 of NaPoWriMo which is "we’d like to challenge you to write a poem that stretches your comfort zone with line breaks. That could be a poem with very long lines, or very short lines. Or a poem that blends the two. You might break to emphasize (or de-emphasize) sounds or rhymes, or to create a moment of hesitation in the middle of a thought."

So Here's the poetry

The rollout of a new offer, a new job to begin
Induction, learnings it all seems exciting

Your first project, your first travel
It all seems rosy, until you spot some trouble

Challenges are meant to be solved
New things to be learnt
Change is the only constant in this VUCA* world

Opportunity knocks at the door
Asks you to look outside and explore

Should I take this new position
                                                 OR
                                                  Live with the old?
                                                  What would be my new exposure
                                                   No quant model could have told

Farewells are in a sense
                                     A new start,
                                     A new beginning

In this constantly changing world
                                                       Farewell is a checkpoint
                                                       To see where you are
                                                       And learn from your past
                                                       Use the experience as a collateral
                                                        And grow multilateral

-Dhanashree

*VUCA- volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity
#NaPoWriMo, #NaPoWriMo2018 #Day6NaPoWriMo

My watermelon dhondas poetry #NaPoWriMo2018 Day5

Mrinmayee Ranade from a facebook food group that I am a part of (Angat Pangat) recently shared a watermelon dhondas recipe. It basically consists of grating watermelon white(which is quite nutritious but otherwise thrown away) , and adding equal measure of rawa and jaggery. Then keeping it aside and steaming it. This easy yet nutritious recipe was tried by a lot of members in the group. Thinking about it I made a poetry on the same. Sharing it--

Who doesn’t love desserts  I ask
Finding such people is not an easy task

I look at a sweet and then myself in mirror
 I don’t want to gain weight by eating it here

Sugar is the weight loss enemy clear
How can you forget our jaggery dear

Use a watermelon white , Jaggery and rava
Steam it in the cooker no need of a tava
A dessert fluffy and nutritious is ready for you to eat
It finishes quickly leaving you waiting for another treat
Dhondas it is called , you may call it cake
Finish it fast else someone else will take

Add a bit of variations to the recipe
Share your dhondas story , inspiration to cook it will be

-Dhanashree

Mumbai Trains #NaPoWriMo2018 Day4

My poem on Mumbai trains for #NaPoWriMo day4

Will I get the 7:58? Or the 8:08?

My mind wondered as the auto waited

With a bag in one hand , I took the stairs

Reached just in time for the 7:58 there

Passing through the crowd and securing a place to stand

Went to the side where I had to land

What am I talking about you may think

It’s about none other than the mumbai lifeline the train

A place which brings together people from the 20s and the 50s

From different professions and backgrounds

All concerned about one thing getting down and reaching on time

Some people reading in train some people knitting

Someone  checking papers someone sleeping

Someone talking someone waiting for a seat

Someone anxious someone happy 

There are all kinds of people there from nice to crappy

Whatever it maybe if you are in mumbai

Take the train atleast once 

It’s the lifeline that runs mumbai

Used by students and professionals alike 

-Dhanashree

My strengths #NaPoWriMo2018 Day3

What do I look forward in day ?

“A sense of having achieved better than yesterday “ I say

A constant need of achievement keeps me alive

Supplies me the energy to work long hours without burning out

Inquisitive I am, and like to know new things

And add this knowledge to my being

Learning is my first love that supplements my inquisitive self

Deep learning curve and mastering a new skill is enticing in itself

Ownership of tasks is in my DNA

Taking a task to completion is my responsibility anyway

I do what I do, keeping the focus on my goal without much ado

If something distracts me from it, I ignore

That’s one of my strengths I am told

Achiever, Input, Learner, Responsibility, Focus are my strengths

I bring them to the table to give my best

Welcome Anne #NaPoWriMo2018 Day2

My poem welcoming Anne from UK who visited India. #NaPoWriMo

Welcome to India Anne
Hope you enjoy your time in our Mumbai-Pune-Mumbai clan

“Women in Power” may be lesser
The glass ceiling can be broken, your presence reaffirms our belief better

Skype, e-mail help us work in a globalised world
Your visit represents a warm gesture of meeting in the real world

We would love to interact and learn from your experience
And hope that our mind learns with zero variance

Let’s all say “ Saath de tu Mala, saath de tu Mala”
Collaboration and teamwork is the key to make our deliverables “quality” trendsetters

 * Saath de tu Mala- song from the Marathi movie Mumbai Pune Mumbai which means let’s support each other

-Dhanashree

Only April Fools anyone?

"April fool banaya to unko gussa aaya" or so goes an old Hindi song .

1st April is officially April fools day. I sometimes genuinely wonder do we only need one day to celebrate foolishness? Look at the recent Cambridge Analytica episode. It is claimed that the  company made psychographic profiles of millions of voters so that it could influence them to vote for Trump in the US Presidential Elections.All this while the actual Facebook users/voters being unaware of all this happening.Isn't this the equivalent of getting fooled? This Cambridge Analytica episode brought into light the larger issues of the data on social media and how it might be used so that the marketers/sellers can influence us. I am sure each of us using social media is blissfully unaware of how our data is being used to influence us. We are being fooled by social media but because #deletefacebook does not save us from the ills anyways we don't know what to do.Long ago I had written a blog post about "Whose choice is it anyways "(http://dsaidso.blogspot.in/…/whose-choice-is-it-anyways.html) which talks about how influencers tend to affect our subconscious mind and influence our choices.
Let us see some examples of these influencers in our daily life. If the influence is for good, its awesome. But if its for some other intent then?
- Lets say you pack a healthy nutritious lunch box for your child named "A". Your child's friend named "B" gets a some ready made not home cooked yet fancy looking stuff in his lunch box. Now normal common sense suggests that home cooked meal is good. But because cooking at home is time consuming and requires effort B's mom suggests how A's mom is stingy and thats why cooks at home. So before some else points out at B’s mom at how lazy she is to not cook at home, she points out first to A’s mom for a non issue and makes seem like how it’s her fault. This stems from B’s mom’s own insecurity about her image. Otherwise who said everyone should cook at home?This is just one example. The broader topic that this example tries to address is how someone tries to hide their shortcomings/ laziness/ faults by portraying others in bad light. They try to fool and influence the world by their propagandist tactics of impression management in a specific way.
- One of a friends used to say - “ My kids like only dal rice for dinner”. When I got to know better, I realised that she had gotten them into this habit because she did not want to cook any effort intensive meals for them. Right since childhood she had given them that only , so that when they grew up they got so used to it, they did not even realise that it was intentionally done. Moreover since Our culture glorifies mom’s ( I have nothing against that, I love my mom ) some moms use this to their advantage when questions are raised about the intent behind the actions for raising their own kids. The child gets fooled by his own mom.
- In our own social circles, people who desire to influence us about a specific person for some advantage will portray some facets of him repeatedly. Even before the cambridge analytica saga , look around and think why certain impressions were created in your mind. Maybe you avoided going to a certain person because someone else created a certain impression subconsciously. Some of those impressions were purely due to some xyz person and the mutual admiration committee that the person was a part of reinforcing that belief repeatedly.
Wasn’t that equivalent to us getting fooled subconsciously?

I think the only way we can avoid this is by being more self aware and as I said previously that it is worth questioning “Is what we hear some sort of propaganda? and are we getting fooled by it? “

In the end, let’s just have only one April fool’s day and be self aware otherwise! Let us only be April 1 fools only please:)

Note-the examples used in this post do not suggest that the mom’s using ready made meals are bad or that moms giving dal rice are intentionally doing so. Because to each his own .They are purely some examples which are certainly not comprehensive enough to bring out all facets in the society, yet they help to bring out certain facets to the fore in the context of my post here.

- Dhanashree