How much to give?

     This week CNN posted the Top 10 CNN Heroes for 2010.You get to vote for the person ,as many times as you want ,you think has made a significant impact in various fields through their efforts and initiative.I found one whom we have been involved with and felt proud of it.Scientifically this is called "Helpers High"-endorphins release in your body which gives an elation (like being high) when you feel good/happy for donating to a cause.
     Reading and voting for each of those "entries" for this "competition" kinda empowers me ,like a reality show.Come to think of it.THIS is as real as it gets.The hard thing is for me is to prioritize which of these entrants get my vote. Therein lies the dilemma..Am I eligible ,worthy of making that decision?Does the one who comes 10th not deserve as much of my contribution or vote as the one who came first.
    The american tax payer contributes $3000(earning above $100K) .Sometimes charity does not mean money but volunteering and time for charitable activities,donating blood etc.We are doing neither of these to be in the average group.We plan to this year and choose charities here in the US and India.(again not that other countries deserve less).
    Reference :http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=736&print=1
Few of the organizations that we are involved with:

• http:/www.akshayatrust.org
• http://www.thulir.org
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
• http://www.butterflieschildrights.org/profile.php
• http://www.indiateam.org/ -Through this organization you can decide whom to help.A little more involved and needs resources in India to complete your project.We did a build of classroom benches and desks and utensils for midday meals.

Reading Hindu

      Reading the Hindu online version always transports me back to Chennai.The sections I mostly read Are by state-Tamilnadu and then drill down to Chennai,Coimbatore.The way Hindu captures each city's news is fascinating.These are not in-depth coverages,sometimes they leave you hanging,these are tidbits.At a glance under "Chennai",we get the Naattu Nadappu(as my mom used to say).
      Then we move onto the "In Chennai Today".This is my favorite..Over the years I have seen the tidbits under this section expand quite significantly.Sections under those are Religion,Culture,General.These provide information on recitals,competition,meetings,gatherings,functions.And depending on the season and festivals there is more to digest.
      What this gives me is a glimpse of  how people are changing,adapting to change in Chennai.The connection that i can establish,as though I am seeing this city morph and sometimes when they don't.I react to this in some way in my life here.It is like an observer,non-participant watching the time go by.

Are we good parents?

         This thought nags my mind every week...Are we doing the best we can to raise our children to their full potential?Is the "Best" I mentioned above the"Best" for the kids..or the what we perceive it to be?Should we constantly throw them into activities and see what sticks?Oh..the pressure..of not being certain that you are making the correct choices.
        This makes me wonder..did I make good choices in my life till now?Have I been successful in what I deemed to be important to my life?Am I making it difficult for my kids to make good choices?How does someone objectively measure the quality of life we provide for our kids?
        It is not only the everyday affect we have on our kids but the long-term effect that may be caused by my actions.Am I responsible for my kids actions in school,college and later in Life?Did I sow the seeds for her success/goals/ambitions?

Being a single parent

for 4 days and 3 nights was not something I volunteered for.But Vidya had to go out of town and so it happened.I hate being told what to do...but I did let her cook some side dishes(not That I couldn't do that,but I mostly prefer not to:).
       All the while in our house we play good cop- bad cop.When Vidya is disciplining the kids I play nice and talk normally and do not interfere.And Vice-versa.We try not to be angry or chiding at the same time.When she was away I had to make them follow the normal routine and enforce it at times.This time Sahana did not have Vidya to run to and surprise she actually listened to em the first time!.Surprise..surprise..so much for my parenting regime. Also I had to make some more rules..no games till you have snacks..and that worked too.I did manage  well(Vidya was annoyed that I did so and the house was still there when she came back).
      Now I really appreciate what single parents go through without support of relatives here..work,daycare,school,weekends,activities..I don't think the 4 days was an achievement at all since I was looking forward to Friday and this was temporary..I am glad she is here..still..with me:))

Fall colors and more

               Fall is my favorite season.The air is cool and crisp,the colors are amazing (on my way to work) and we get to visit farms and pick apples.My kids love the visit to the Apple and pumpkin farms.The thing is Apple farms waste about 20-25% apples that grow in a season.According to CT state law,once an apple falls to the ground it has to be disposed of and cannot be used even as animal fodder.Wouldn't it be nice to "catch" the apples b4 they hit the ground and process it ..maybe for cider.

               Pumpkin farms have acres of patches and and poeple can pick them up and are sold by the pound.They have an all you can carry competition for 20 bucks.There are hay rides and haunted ones to keep the kids interested.
              We got one and carved it ..came out pretty good for beginners.
 

Yearly goals-Sequel 2009

Last year I posted about my goal for 2009.

http://sankarsays.blogspot.com/2008/08/yearly-goals.html

     I succeeded in setting up my home theater..though not dedicated,nevertheless satisfying to my current demands:)I have tweaked to my hearts content (and wallet depth) and am truly happy to report..it is heavenly..But this hobby is obsessive and addictive and long ways to go before I am done with it.
    In march I took up photography.I can now say I can understand what National Geographic photographers go through in their mind!I understand Photography as a science which is important to mature to the next phase, practicing it as an art.A photo can be compositionally correct,optimally exposed and beautifully framed but to make it an art you have to have the soul and convey your thoughts through this visual to an observer..Now comes the challenge and the obsession to make it happen.So this will surely go on my list to pursue next year.