ABC Wednesday - Round 10 - T is for ....

Three songs from Engelbert Humperdink.
Why EH? Because I enjoy listening to his music and some of my favourite songs are sung by him.





Take my heart 
written by Gordon Mills and released in 1967.
love the lyrics and the melody.


Youtube - Take my heart


To the ends of the earth 
Written by N&J Sherman and released in 1967.
Another song I enjoy listening to.


Youtube - To the ends of the earth


Three Little words
Written by Gordon Mills and released in 1968.
One of my favourite EH songs.


Youtube - Three little words


Check out some other T entries at ABC Wednesday


Wish you all a terrific day when someone takes your heart and says those three little words and follows you to the ends of the earth.


Warm Regards

Haiku - Joy and Celebrate

Haiku Heights - Joy
Sensational Haiku Wednesday - Celebrate

My joyous thoughts drift
A moment when time stands still
A dream to savour






The joy that I feel
Drifts outwards to touch others
Celebrate veiled bonds





Also linking to Tackle it Tuesday


Warm Regards

GBE2 - Pick a line from a book

The prompt this week at GBE2 is - pick a line from a book and write from there.

I thought this would be quite easy - how wrong was I. Finding a line was easy, writing from there - major mental block!

Each nifty line that I picked, drew a complete blank. So eventually I just opened a page from one of my favourite books - The Tao of Pooh - and found this line:

So quite often, the easiest way to get rid of a minus is to change it into a plus

How apt was that!

So how do you change a minus into a plus?

Mathematically you can:

•       multiply by another negative number or 
•       divide by another negative number or 
•       add a higher positive number (than the negative integer) 

But how do you do it in life?

I have no idea how you do it, but here are some ways in which I do it.

When things aren't going my way and I start to despair, I simply go with the flow. I've learned over the years that the Universe has a plan all of it's own and going against that flow makes things so much harder. Eventually I end up where the Universe wants me, to not where I want to, so it's just infinitely easier to

go with the flow.

     
"This too shall pass" is one of my favourite quotes. Whenever I'm going through a rough patch, I know that eventually there will be light at the end of a dark tunnel. I can't get away from going through the tunnel, I need to travel through it and focussing on that darkness isn't productive. So I find it best to accept the situation and focus on other things while I ride the storm because I know that 

this too shall pass. 

Not saying that I can do these every time but they help to keep me sane most times.

And there are other ways too, but I think these two have been most effective for me.

Would love to know your methods, so please share. Thanks.

Wish you all an awesome day.

Warm Regards

ABC Wednesday - Round 10 - S is for ...

All things me - Suzy





So let's start with my name ... Suzy was a nickname I had in school (some school friends still call me Suzy).  And I often heard this song being sung around me.

So here it is

Suzie Q written by Dale Hawkins and made famous by Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Youtube - Suzie Q

Someday Somewhere, the name of my blog.
I just couldn't think of a name for my blog and then the name came to me as I was listening to this song -

Someday Somewhere - Demis Roussos

Youtube-Someday Somewhere

Shirley Bassey is one of my favourite singers and Something (written by George Harrison) is one of my favourite songs so the perfect choice for the S prompt.

I've often been asked what the physical attraction factor is for me and I've had to think a bit about this. But this song sums it up nicely ... Something in the way he moves, something in the way he knows, something in the way he smiles.

So here it is,  Something by Shirley Bassey

Youtube - Something

Have a simply super day and check out some more S entries at ABC Wednesday


Warm Regards

Haiku - Fire

Sensational Haiku Wednesday  - Fire

A warm cosy fire
A gentle glow in the dark
Intimate moments


Bolt of lightening
And fire sweeps through the forest
Nature's swift fury









Warm Regards

BFF - Thank You

The topic some weeks ago at Blogging For Fun was "Thank You".

But today it came up as the first post on my Facebook news feed with this description:

"Is there a person (dead, alive or fiction) who changed your life in any way (good, bad or ugly) who you would like to thank? Let's hear it"

So the person who popped into my mind was my dear Grandmother. The Universe is trying to get a message through to me as the prompt for the Thursday Challenge this week was also "Mother, Grandmother etc".

For those who also read my Photos are Fun blog: the post there describes in general, her life story. In this post I bring in the personal aspects of my relationship with her and little anecdotes of our life together that I cherish.

So here is my Thank You to my grandmother who was an awesome human being and a light-filled soul.

My fondest memory is of her sitting with all her grandchildren gathered around her at the table, telling us stories of the Mahabharata and Ramayana, the great epic tales of India. stories of Rama, Krishna, and Buddha. (I learned all my Indian scriptures from her). She told us stories of her childhood and of the Quit India movement when India was under British rule. She was an amazing story-teller and she kept us riveted.

She loved playing scrabble and my grandfather and I would spend many hours playing scrabble with her.  She taught me how to play Rummy and Teen-Do-Paanch (a card game played by 3 players) and we often played together.

She always celebrated our Indian birthdays. The Indian calendar is based on the lunar calendar so she calculated our birthdays on the phase of the moon at the time of our birth. (Incidentally every 19 years our Indian and Solar calendar birth dates align).

And Diwali was a grand celebration in our house. As she was the eldest in the family (among her brothers and sisters), everyone congregated at our place to celebrate the festival.  Family was so important to her. She was the glue that kept us all together. She loved her step mother (her mother died when she was in her early teens) with all her heart and her half brothers and sisters were just as dear to her as her real ones. That love was reciprocated by them to her. Even today all of us who are part of her extended family, are just as close.

She loved everyone unconditionally and she taught us the same.  I love India (the country of my birth) but there is one aspect of it that makes me infinitely sad and that is the caste system there. I think we may have been one of the very few households in India where no caste system prevailed. In her eyes all human beings were equal and all were warmly welcomed into our home and respected. She instilled that into all of her family and I am eternally grateful that she was such an evolved soul.

My grandfather was her soulmate. He loved her with all his heart and soul. Looking back, I now re-call, she always sat at the head of the table. He had a great love of life too and they both complemented each other perfectly. I was only 8 years old when he passed away but this I remember vividly. I always sat to her left and he sat to her right opposite me. And at mealtimes he would sing "J is a Goddess. She is a Goddess of Goddesses".  I think he summed it up beautifully.

Her love for all living things translated into her lifework. She dedicated her life to humanitarian work particularly to the upliftment of underprivileged women and children in India. Only in the last 2 months of her life (she died at the age of 90), did she eventually stop working. And in the last 5 years of her life, after 2 major heart attacks, did she stop travelling to villages in Gujarat where the bulk of her work was. She always travelled by train in third class as she felt that this was the heart of India.

And she fought for women's rights in India. The anti-dowry bill, the adoption of children bill,  bills for women's rights to divorce and the suspension of immoral traffic in women are her legacy to the women of India. (She was a member of the Lok Sabha, the house of commons, in the first Indian parliament after Independence and introduced these bills).

I think she sowed the seeds of humanitarian aid work into my soul for that is what I dream to do.

I am so honoured, privileged and thankful to be part of her family and heritage.  I try to live by her example - of kindness, compassion, gentleness, love and humility.

Thank You Dadima (Grandmother in the Indian language) - you are forever in my heart.

my Dadima (Grandmother) and me circa 1962

Thank you all my lovely readers for allowing me to share a little snippet of my life with you and thank you BFF for this prompt.

I wish you all an awesome day.


Warm Regards

ABC Wednesday - Round 10 - R is for ...

RIVER is my word this week for my ABC Wednesday post.

This was an easy one as one of these songs is one of my favourites.




River Deep Mountain High

Is a 1966 single by Ike and Tina Turner. It was written and produced by Phil Spector and became one of Tina Turner's signature songs. In 1999 it was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Several artists have released this song - Jimmy Barnes, Neil Diamond, Annie Lenox. Celine Dion sung this one in several of her live shows.

It's one of my favourite songs.

I thought of posting Tina Turner's version but I like this version by Glee.


Youtube - River deep mountain high


Rivers of Babylon

Was written and recorded by Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton of the Jamaican reggae group The Melodiansin in 1970 but was popularised in Europe in 1978 by Boney M.

The song is based on the Biblical hymn Psalm 137:1-4 and also has words from Psalm 19:14.

It's one of my favourite Boney M numbers.

Youtube - Rivers of Babylon

Check out other riveting R entries at ABC Wednesday and have a relaxing day.


Warm Regards

GBE2 - Parody - Ma He's Making Eyes At Me

The topic this week at GBE2 is Parody.

 I couldn't think of a single thing to post for this prompt.

And then as I got into the shower, this song came into my head and I remembered a really cute and silly version sung by Lena Zavaroni many years ago.

Not sure if this qualifies for a "Parody" but here it is anyway.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSnNbZnCIY4


Have a fun filled day.

Warm Regards

ABC Wednesday - Round 10 - Q is for ...

The songs just ran through my mind, but writing an introduction for them just eludes me. So instead, I'll just launch into them.

Here they are, my Q songs:



Quando Quando Quando 

Italian or Portuguese for "When When When", Quando Quando Quando is an Italian pop song from 1962 composed by Tony Renis and written by Aloberto Tresta.

It was originally sung in English by Pat Boone, but the song was made famous by Engelbert Humperdink.

It has also been sung by many other artists including Connie Francis (in Italian), Cliff Richard, Michael Buble and Nelly Furtado (duet). But as I like Engelbert's version the best, here it is:


Youtube - Quando Quando Quando



Quizzaz Quizzaz Quizzaz 

Also known as "Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps", is a pop song by Cuban songwriter Osvaldo Farres who  wrote the music and original Spanish lyrics for the song.

The English lyrics were written by Joe Davis but are not a translation of the Spanish lyrics.

Several artists have recorded this song including Nat King Cole, Trini Lopez, and Celia Cruz.

Here is Nat King Cole's very soothing version from his album Cole Espanol:


Youtube - Quizas Quizas Quizas - Nat King Cole

But I also found this version by a Korean singer that has a faster beat. Enjoy.


Youtube - Quizas Quizas Quizas - Korean Singer



Que Sera Sera 

Whatever Will Be, Will Be, was written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. The song was  made popular by Doris Day and was introduced in the Alfred Hitchcock film "The Man Who Knew Too Much" in 1956 (starring Doris Day and James Stewart).

Doris Day's version of the song was a hit in the US and the UK and from 1968 to 1973 it was the theme song for "The Doris Day Show". It became her signature song.

Que Sera Sera became a figure of speech though it is not grammatical in any language.




Youtube - Que Sera Sera

Wish you all an awesome day. Perhaps (quizas) this is your day when (quando) dreams come true or if not then whatever will be will be (que sera sera).


Check out some other Q posts at ABC Wednesday


Warm Regards

Haiku - Raindrops

Tackle it Tuesday - Raindrops

Raindrops splashing down
Creating puddles of fun
Children jumping in



Nectar from Heaven
Raindrops falling silently
Nourishing our Earth


Clouds hiding the sun
Thunder heralds the monsoons
Raindrops cascading


picture taken from here





Warm Regards

An Opportunity to tell my story about blogging and friends

Do you believe in Synchronicity?

Well here's a classic example - three unrelated topics that will make the perfect post together.

Opportunity from  The Writers Post


Telling My Story from Blogging for Fun

Blogging and Friends from Living with Food Allergies and Celiac Disease and Bongo and Me




So here is my post, an opportunity to tell my story about blogging and friends.

An Opportunity Arises
I've always wanted to write. When I was in school, my teacher thought I was a pretty poor writer, and because of that I never tried hard at it. But years later, the web presented the perfect opportunity for creative expression. So here I am ... writing, blogging. How cool is that.


Blogging - My Story
I started blogging 2 years ago when a workmate asked me to join in a "30 days of me" challenge.

I had never blogged before so I made this a private blog and invited family and friends to join me in my 30 day journey. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to keep blogging when that was completed. Still private 'cos I wasn't comfortable in a public space.

Then a year ago, I was between jobs and a sense of panic overcame me. And one day I suddenly had an urge to write in the public arena. It was scary. But I went with the feeling and trusted that the Universe knows what I must do. And so I started and I write as I am guided by it (the Universe).

I know over the year my style of blogging has changed and I've experimented with different posts.
I've enjoyed writing each one but I think the ones I've had the most fun with are my haiku posts. In the last 5 months, I've also felt a shift in my perspective of life and my blog now reflects that - being positive, hopeful, joyful and loving, enjoying life and having fun. I hope you feel it too.

I have two blogs, this one, where I write and my Photos are Fun blog, where I post pictures from my travels. My photo blog is dedicated to my late father whose love of photography I share.

Friends 
Long before the days of the Internet, friends were "made" through social interactions - in school, at University, at work, through our friends and relatives. Friends come and go but some of them stick around with you for the long haul. These are my lovely school / university friends that I still love and cherish and feel an inexplicable bond with. When we meet, the years simply melt away.

And then I had my pen-friends or pen-pals. Much like the internet, these were friends you wrote to (via pen and paper, the old fashioned way) from around the world and shared a friendship with. I had about 100 pen-pals much to my father's dismay as postage was not cheap back then in India. But this was perfect for me. A chance to "write" and not requiring a face to face interaction, a chance to just be myself. (I was a shy quiet kid).

I still keep in touch with 4 of my pen-pals. We've been friends for nearly 40 years. And I've had the pleasure of meeting two of them. What a thrill that was!

In 1988 I moved to New Zealand and have made some lovely friends here. And then a year ago when I took up blogging, I have linked up with so many wonderful people, all of you my lovely virtual friends.

So my friends are all over the world. Each one brings a new dimension to my life. Some uplift me with fun and laughter, others nourish my spiritual needs and others provide a sympathetic ear and support when I need it. But above all I feel the love, virtual or real, it's always there.

Thank you my wonderful friends. This world of mine is a happier, lovelier place because you are in it.

Sending you all a virtual hug and tons of love.

Warm Regards

   

Haiku - Spring and Hour

Sensational Haiku Wednesday - Spring

It's actually Autumn herein New Zealand so writing about Spring seems odd. But here's one I wrote a long time ago on Spring. This one was inspired by the hills around my house

Tranquil lush green hills

Pretty flowers everywhere

New beginnings, Spring

Haiku Heights - Hour

The hour has arrived
Life changing moments occur
Make a fresh new start















Also linking to Thursday Poet's Rally week 67


Enjoy your day


Warm Regards

ABC Wednesday - Round 10 - P is for ..

Pretty Little Baby

This was an easy choice this week as this song brings back a whole lot of memories.

Many moons ago just after I finished University, I worked in a travel agency that belonged to a friend.


One of the overseas clients who visited Bombay on his many business trips would drop by the agency and on each of his visits, he would sing this song to me. A most embarrassing moment back then, but it brings a smile to my face now.

A stranger tucked away in the far recesses of my mind, suddenly surfaces to provide a moment of happy thoughts.

Flashback to that day when the stranger first walked into that agency. He sat in front of me, a smile on his face. Then he leaned forward, looked into my eyes and crooned this number.

But back to the song ...

Pretty little baby was released in 1962 by Connie Francis and was subsequently sung by her in Italian and Japanese.

Here is the english version that takes me back to 1980 and makes me giggle.


Youtube - Pretty Little Baby


 But I think the Japanese version is just too cute, even though I don't understand a word of it.

And perhaps if the stranger had sung Kawaii baby instead, I might have followed him. (oh lol).


Youtube - Kawaii baby

Lyrics
kawaii baby hai hai, kawaii baby hai hai 
kawaii baby to yobuno wa aishiiteru kara ka shira 
pretty little baby kawaii baby . 
kotoritachino utau koe aino uta ni kikoeru no 
pretty little baby suteki na baby 
koi wo suru tte suteki janai wakai ko no hi wo 
futaride sugoshimashou itsu itsu made mo
ima sugu atte, soshite itte 
wasurerarenu ano kotoba
pretty little baby watashino baby 
pretty little baby hai hai watashino baby hai hai

(lyrics copied from the youtube page so  I have no idea if they are correct - update - my Japanese friend tells me the lyrics are correct.)


To all you pretty little babies, have the most perfect day.

Check out some other P entries at ABC Wednesday  and some "Strangers" at GBE2


Warm Regards