Because even if they’ve not been around for a while, you still maintain your connect with them, so much so that you almost forget that they were ever away at all!
Thank you for the comments, the million emails, the touching notes. Your old friend’s alive and well - and she’s back to blogging again 
It will no longer be here, but my new place MelodyonMumbai.in (which is, for my speedreaders, not dotcom, but dot IN)
The site’s spanking new and in much need of tweaking - but I’m giving you a sneak peek - as old friends often do. Tell me what you think. Am closing comments here so you can leave them there.
PS: It’s good frigging great to be back
I don’t know how quite to write this post, except to just say it - I’m closing down thevoiceinmyhead.
Why?
Well, the Lord Jesus Christ just spoke to me (and I can understand that those of you who don’t believe in God or communication with God will not get where I’m coming from, but well.) and He said, “Come”
So, I’m leaving - like Peter, who brought his boat to the shore and then left everything to follow Him (cf Luke 5:11)
This whole thing is kinda weird - even for someone like me, who back in 2002 just upped and went to an Ashram where I was for 2 years - you didn’t know? well, read this (ha! I’m leaving and can’t cut the blogging instinct to link!)
Anyway as I was saying, this is not something I was expecting - in fact as you’ll know I’ve just re-themed, not only this blog, but even my travel blog (re-themed today itself - for the first time since I started it in 2005 - I mean seriously) and I even confirmed a guest blogger to travel write on that. And, and, and, and. So many ideas, so many things I thought I wanted to do.
I love to blog - and it’s weird, I actually started blogging when I left for the Ashram, as a way for family and friends to remain connected to me. But I guess there comes a time in one’s life when one must prioritize.
He’s spoken - and now I don’t want to do anything but follow Him.
I know this is where I need to be - away from everything worldly for sometime - the internet, the parties, so many things that are not necessarily bad - but have been eating up way too much of my time - which I will now spend with Him, figuring out where He wants me to go.
I perhaps will be back, perhaps not. I’ll know when I know.
Until then, thank you, every single last one of you, it’s been fun. If I can leave you with one last piece of me, it should be this - whatever you do, do it passionately. I love the Lord Jesus Christ - and I’ve been too lukewarm too long. But, no more.
Be still, my soul, be still!
what you are going through is God’s will.
You are in His hands and under His care,
so be still, my soul, be still!Hush, oh my heart, just hush!
for there is no reason to rush.
Just follow His will, belong to Him still,
and hush, dear heart, just hush!(c) Monica Davis
Yes indeed, don’t think I’m all nice & sweet, come meet the Hypocrite that is me.
I did today - and let me tell you, I wasn’t happy at all meeting her. But perhaps I should start at the beginning.
One of my closest friends is a guy named Cal. He’s as diametrically opposite to me as they come. Quiet, unassuming, ridiculously talented, doing well in life, yet simple and completely unworldly. He calls himself a “birder” (yes, I laughed at him the first time he said it) and enjoys going on hikes (why anyone would want to carry heavy loads on their backs & then walk uphill, to sleep on unclean surfaces is still a mystery to me!) and derives great pleasure in taking photographs of wild animals mating. Ok, perhaps the last thing isn’t entirely true, but you get the picture.
we go from this:
to this:
Yes, after a time of needing bland, I need a slight dash of color again.
Tags: Template Changes, TVIMH
One of the things I did yesterday morning was pose for a photoshoot for photographer Satish Bate.
He’s with the Hindustan Times, which was doing an article on Women Bloggers and some of the negative issues the deal with. The outcome of that photoshoot was this (unphotoshopped pic, I might add!) in today’s Hindustan Times (Delhi):
(click to enlarge & read)
Tags: Blogosphere, Hindustan-Times, India, Photoshoot, press, Stalkers, TVIMH, Women Bloggers
Q: SO, how was the trip??!
Mell: The trip was FABULOUS - Switzerland is hands down the most beautiful place in the world that I’ve ever been to. Every angle, every single view - is a picture postcard waiting to happen! Breathtakingly gorgeous.
(click on pics to enlarge)
Q: And Paris?
Mell: Well, to be honest, after Switzerland, Paris was a bit of a let down. Not that it isn’t beautiful - it is! It’s got it’s own special charm & history. I loved the Louvre - could have spent a week in there itself - it’s just that I wouldn’t recommend anyone going anywhere after Switzerland - keep it for the end.
Tags: Birthdays, FaceBook, France, interview, Melody, Paris, Photographs, Q&A, Switzerland
Why? Because my blog has been nagging majorly fighting with me that I’ve just not been paying it any attention any more, that there’s been nothing really worthwhile written on it for a while, that I’m not replying to comments - *and* worst of all - that I’m flirting having an illicit affair with (God forbid!) Facebook! (seriously darling, how could you even think that?!)
So, here I am, trying to convince you, my dear dear dear darling thevoiceinmyhead.com; as much as I’ve neglected you & my commenters in the recent past, as perhaps not upto your high standards as recents posts may have been - and as much time as I’ve spent on Facebook recently - TVIMH, I do love you.
I love you very very very much. Really, really.
There have been SO many (so many!) times in the recent past I’ve wanted to post about stuff - like the time I “discovered” Pot Pourri has fabulous breakfasts - in fact it’s become my new favorite brekky place (I’ve done Crepe Station to death)..
Like all the stuff I want to tell you about my new favorite male-friend-in-a-supporting-role (deyamm you lead actor, where the bloody hell are you?) - he’s British (rather old fashioned & grandfatherly) and on occasion buys me African Daisies Oh, ho-hum & hurray!
Like when I saw ‘Get Smart’ and I wanted to tell everyone to go see, it was SUCH a fabulously fun movie. Oh, how I laughed. Laughed, laughed, laughed. I still have this nigling (is that a word? hmmm) doubt however, that they censored a bit of the movie… Anyway I enjoyed it despite that - and despite the loss of hundreds of my hard earned paisas (ok, the date’s paisas) that went into the Rs. 180/- popcorn at Metro Adlabs late late night show (seriously, it is just me or is popcorn at all our theaters becoming RIDICULOUSLY expensive???)
Tags: FaceBook, Pratibha Patil, Traffic, TVIMH
I have just completed reading Joyce Meyer’s latest book - the Secret to True Happiness.
I say “reading”, but the truth is that I took my time studying the book. I devoured every page of this book slowly and meticulously - underlining, highlighting and making notes - each page was a goldmine of ideas and facts written in Joyce’s straight talk and humouress way.
I think the best thing about the book, is that it is Simple and Practical. Each of the 28 chapters bring out truths which Joyce explains so simply, yet so powerfully, that I guarantee it will change your life if you truly follow them.
I have recently ordered Joyce’s Battlefield of the Mind, which I’ve been told by tons of people is also worth it’s weight in gold. Will review when I’m done.
Meanwhile, I’m placing this book in my top 3 Christian books (the other two being Fulton J. Sheen’s ‘Life of Christ’ & Merlin Carothers’s ‘Power in Praise’) that you MUST read - and re-read regularly - in order to fully absorb the wealth of information and truth and in order for them to change your life for the better.
More information on the book here.
Tags: Change your Life, Fulton J Sheen, Joyce Meyers, Life of Christ, Merlin Carothers, Power in Praise, The Secret to True Happiness
Are you superstitious?
I’m not.
In fact, I’m antisuperstitious, if that were indeed a term. If I see a ladder; I walk under it, if find a black cat; I pet it, if it’s Friday the 13th; I’m quite ridiculously happy
This is because I firmly believe all superstitions have evolved out of things which at some time in the past were just common sense. For example, the superstition about not cutting your nails after dark or something “bad” will happen, probably was due to the fact in ancient times there was no electricity. Add to that whatever they were using to cut their nails couldn’t have been too high tech, it’s understandable why they would want to avoid cutting their nails after dark! Perhaps someone with a missing digit added to it all.. “See Mr. Onefingerless? You’ll become like him if you cut your nails after dark!”
Being antisuperstitious is not always appreciated though.
I have been banned from watching cricket with the family - unless I solemnly swear not to say “Wow, he’s batting brilliantly!” for fear I might jinx him. Because apparently, the batsman, who is only just a few thousand miles away, in the middle of a stadium full of several thousand screaming fans, can hear my every word - and then he’s going to choose to do the opposite of what I say.
I am also not allowed to comment in the car “How empty the roads are!” (though seriously in Mumbai city, how often are we going to get a chance to say that anyway?!) for similar stupid brilliant reasons.
While I am thus censured however, I find no lack of people who continually use the phrase “touch wood” ostensibly to ward to evil spirits, but in my opinion just out of habit. These are the same people who say something, then look all around desperately for some wood to touch, fine none & then touch their heads. Yes, you know what I’m talking about. Heck, you probably do the same thing yourself, be honest now, wood-head you.
Back to me though, my “triumph” over superstition came one Friday the 13th, twelve years ago. There was this really cute pilot who wanted to date me, who’d call and call and be upset that I never called him back. He was ridiculously superstitious and refused to fly on that date or stay in a hotel on the 13th floor or anything of that sort. Incidentally, any of you notice that most five star hotels don’t have a 13th floor? They go from 12 to 14 - so my ridiculous pilot would then refuse to stay on the 14th floor also. Sigh.
Anyhoo, one Friday the 13th, early in the morning I did call him up, for the first time - and he was just so thrilled by the fact I had called, he forgot it was Friday the 13th. He had a brilliant day - and just before it ended we spoke again & I told him what date it was - and he swore to me I had “cured” him of all superstition.
Of course, I should have waited the full 24 hours before telling him, because an aunt of his died an hour after I called him that night and he insists it wasn’t a good day after all. Small lived victories.
So now, while I continue to be my antisuperstitious best, I don’t try to convert anyone around me anymore. I even manage to tell all my theatrical friends to break their legs before performances - how kind of me, indeed.
So today, I wish you all a very happy Friday the 13th. May you be as scared, as safe, as sorry as you want to be. Touch wood.
Tags: Antisuperstitious, Black Cat, Common Sense, Cricket, Friday the 13th, Jinx, Ladder, Sport, Superstition, Touch Wood
; ?>/feed-icon-24x24.png){kind=icon}
