Preeti Shenoy's Blog, page 84
June 11, 2012
A few thoughts about all this celebrity business
We got back from Salem last evening after the
TED X event
where I had been invited a speaker. The drive from Salem to Bangalore was awesome.Beautiful roads indeed.
I hadn't been well for almost four whole days--bad body pain, sore throat, exhaustion and mild fever. I somehow managed to pop in medication and delivered my talk.
I was told by many that I spoke really well and that my talk was inspiring. I spoke from the heart. I shall share the link to the video of the talk as soon as it is uploaded. Meanwhile you can view the pictures here, if you want to see :)
This is what Saffin Mathew (Organiser and licensee of the Ted X event) said about me
Preeti Shenoy - A lady whom I admire a lot. Well after reading her 2nd
book (I still haven't read her 1st), I was not a big fan of her's. Not
that the book was bad, just that it had a dark side to it that I am not
very fond of. But i liked the writing style. Then came her 3rd book. I
pre-ordered the book after thinking twice. But once I started reading
it, I couldn't keep it down. Man! What a book. The
life of the lead character in the book was well portrayed. Since then I
am all praise for this author. She has 220v smile. Then when I got the
chance to meet her and hear her speak at TEDxSonaCollege, my admiration
just grew. But in all the excitement, I forgot to get the book
autographed by her.What energy and what talent she has. She is truly
blessed. I guess the support from her lovely family plays a big role.
May God bless this family.
Ma'am you truly are an amazing person. A big salute to you!!!
One thing which I have been wanting to speak out about for long, (but kept putting off) is this whole set of expectations that people have from other people they term 'celebrities' and 'successful people in their chosen fields'.
After my talk at Ted X, during the break, I was surrounded by people who wanted my autograph.
I was somehow surprised, touched and humbled.
In that single gesture by a group of people, I had been elevated to the status of a ' real celebrity'. It set me thinking as to how people treat celebrities differently.
For instance, many think it is okay to make any kind of demand. A few days back, someone said to me on Twitter-- "Don't you care about the country? Why can't you write about serious issues like Chetan Bhagat?" I honestly wanted to reply to that someone and say "Look, I have worked with slum children for two whole years teaching them English and math. I used to leave home at SEVEN A.M in the morning, travel a distance of fifteen kilometres just to be with them. The results we got with these kids I worked with were amazing. Many of them invited me home and I will never forget the love they showered on me and the change I was able to bring to their lives."
But I did not reply to this person, simply because she was rude, she knew nothing about me and I don't think she cared either. I also wanted to ask her what SHE had done for the country! But I chose to let it go.
In another incident, I was recognized by a reader/fan, when I was having a cup of coffee with a friend (who happens to be a guy). Next thing I know, there is a post on my FB wall, saying that he spotted me at Bangalore Central. He even mentioned a few snippets of the conversation I was having! I now know how hard it must be for 'celebrities' to even have a cup of coffee with a 'good friend'. ;-)
I ,of course, do feel happy when I am recognised when i walk into Crossword or Landmark.
But there are the pitfalls too.
There are these people who bombard me with pieces of their writing. They want me to read and review their books or something they have written. I get at least a fifty requests in a week, to read stuff people have written. I truly do not have the time to oblige. I do manage to reply to almost all mails personally. But to expect me to offer my opinion on writing, is expecting a lot! Firstly I would have to devote a lot of time to 'critiquing'. I will have to study it and offer constructive advice. I do not have that kind of time really. Secondly it is just plain rude to flood someone's inbox with a whole lot of things you wrote, demanding that they read it!
Then there was this person who sent me a long mail some months back, praising me to the skies saying how much he admired my writing and me as a person. He then said that he is saddened that I have not even responded to his friend request on FB. To be honest I get about forty requests a day. I do accept almost all, as and when I get time to get around to them. I apologized and said that I get many requests and his must have got buried. I added him as a 'friend'.
He later sent me a request for a book review which I refused.
This person must have irked me at some point or flooded my timeline (I truly do not remember even!) and I must have 'unfriended' him. (He claims I blocked him and the fact is, I don't even remember this guy!)
A few days back, this person wrote all kinds of nasty things about me on my FB wall, calling me vain, proud and boastful about my looks (am smiling now), accusing me of wanting only praise and saying I am harsh and egotistic and so full of myself. I replied saying that I know what I am and so do the people who truly know me.
Next thing I know, he has pulled out the private messages exchanged between him and me (where he has praised me to the skies and I have said a polite thank you) and posted them publicly in three places on my FB wall! Then he has said that success has gone to my head and not everyone is humble and kind like ______________. (he has named another author).
At this point I could only do one thing. I deleted all of the above nonsense. (Of course he is entitled to his opinion. But please not my FB page!) and blocked him promptly. He came back three more times with three different ids just to post some more nasty stuff on my wall!
I do follow a simple policy when it comes to my Blog as well as my FB page. I do not like negativity, mud-slinging or accusing. My blog is a happy place! So is my FB page!
And happy it shall stay.
What astounds me is that the very same people who praise the 'celebrities' and elevate them and place them on a pedestal are so quick to push them down and squish them under their feet too when they do not behave as per what they expect.
How much they judge, condemn and form opinions without ever meeting or interacting.
Says a lot about all the adulation and the whole business of 'celebritydom', doesn't it? :)
__________________________________________________________________________
If you like my blog, you might enjoy my books :) Grab them here. (You don't need a credit card. You can pay cash on delivery) or if you are an Amazon Fan, you can grab them here
And you can interact with me on my FB page. I always reply :)
http://preetishenoy.com/
I hadn't been well for almost four whole days--bad body pain, sore throat, exhaustion and mild fever. I somehow managed to pop in medication and delivered my talk.
I was told by many that I spoke really well and that my talk was inspiring. I spoke from the heart. I shall share the link to the video of the talk as soon as it is uploaded. Meanwhile you can view the pictures here, if you want to see :)
This is what Saffin Mathew (Organiser and licensee of the Ted X event) said about me
Preeti Shenoy - A lady whom I admire a lot. Well after reading her 2nd
book (I still haven't read her 1st), I was not a big fan of her's. Not
that the book was bad, just that it had a dark side to it that I am not
very fond of. But i liked the writing style. Then came her 3rd book. I
pre-ordered the book after thinking twice. But once I started reading
it, I couldn't keep it down. Man! What a book. The
life of the lead character in the book was well portrayed. Since then I
am all praise for this author. She has 220v smile. Then when I got the
chance to meet her and hear her speak at TEDxSonaCollege, my admiration
just grew. But in all the excitement, I forgot to get the book
autographed by her.What energy and what talent she has. She is truly
blessed. I guess the support from her lovely family plays a big role.
May God bless this family.
Ma'am you truly are an amazing person. A big salute to you!!!
One thing which I have been wanting to speak out about for long, (but kept putting off) is this whole set of expectations that people have from other people they term 'celebrities' and 'successful people in their chosen fields'.
After my talk at Ted X, during the break, I was surrounded by people who wanted my autograph.
I was somehow surprised, touched and humbled.
In that single gesture by a group of people, I had been elevated to the status of a ' real celebrity'. It set me thinking as to how people treat celebrities differently.
For instance, many think it is okay to make any kind of demand. A few days back, someone said to me on Twitter-- "Don't you care about the country? Why can't you write about serious issues like Chetan Bhagat?" I honestly wanted to reply to that someone and say "Look, I have worked with slum children for two whole years teaching them English and math. I used to leave home at SEVEN A.M in the morning, travel a distance of fifteen kilometres just to be with them. The results we got with these kids I worked with were amazing. Many of them invited me home and I will never forget the love they showered on me and the change I was able to bring to their lives."
But I did not reply to this person, simply because she was rude, she knew nothing about me and I don't think she cared either. I also wanted to ask her what SHE had done for the country! But I chose to let it go.
In another incident, I was recognized by a reader/fan, when I was having a cup of coffee with a friend (who happens to be a guy). Next thing I know, there is a post on my FB wall, saying that he spotted me at Bangalore Central. He even mentioned a few snippets of the conversation I was having! I now know how hard it must be for 'celebrities' to even have a cup of coffee with a 'good friend'. ;-)
I ,of course, do feel happy when I am recognised when i walk into Crossword or Landmark.
But there are the pitfalls too.
There are these people who bombard me with pieces of their writing. They want me to read and review their books or something they have written. I get at least a fifty requests in a week, to read stuff people have written. I truly do not have the time to oblige. I do manage to reply to almost all mails personally. But to expect me to offer my opinion on writing, is expecting a lot! Firstly I would have to devote a lot of time to 'critiquing'. I will have to study it and offer constructive advice. I do not have that kind of time really. Secondly it is just plain rude to flood someone's inbox with a whole lot of things you wrote, demanding that they read it!
Then there was this person who sent me a long mail some months back, praising me to the skies saying how much he admired my writing and me as a person. He then said that he is saddened that I have not even responded to his friend request on FB. To be honest I get about forty requests a day. I do accept almost all, as and when I get time to get around to them. I apologized and said that I get many requests and his must have got buried. I added him as a 'friend'.
He later sent me a request for a book review which I refused.
This person must have irked me at some point or flooded my timeline (I truly do not remember even!) and I must have 'unfriended' him. (He claims I blocked him and the fact is, I don't even remember this guy!)
A few days back, this person wrote all kinds of nasty things about me on my FB wall, calling me vain, proud and boastful about my looks (am smiling now), accusing me of wanting only praise and saying I am harsh and egotistic and so full of myself. I replied saying that I know what I am and so do the people who truly know me.
Next thing I know, he has pulled out the private messages exchanged between him and me (where he has praised me to the skies and I have said a polite thank you) and posted them publicly in three places on my FB wall! Then he has said that success has gone to my head and not everyone is humble and kind like ______________. (he has named another author).
At this point I could only do one thing. I deleted all of the above nonsense. (Of course he is entitled to his opinion. But please not my FB page!) and blocked him promptly. He came back three more times with three different ids just to post some more nasty stuff on my wall!
I do follow a simple policy when it comes to my Blog as well as my FB page. I do not like negativity, mud-slinging or accusing. My blog is a happy place! So is my FB page!
And happy it shall stay.
What astounds me is that the very same people who praise the 'celebrities' and elevate them and place them on a pedestal are so quick to push them down and squish them under their feet too when they do not behave as per what they expect.
How much they judge, condemn and form opinions without ever meeting or interacting.
Says a lot about all the adulation and the whole business of 'celebritydom', doesn't it? :)
__________________________________________________________________________
If you like my blog, you might enjoy my books :) Grab them here. (You don't need a credit card. You can pay cash on delivery) or if you are an Amazon Fan, you can grab them here
And you can interact with me on my FB page. I always reply :)
http://preetishenoy.com/
June 6, 2012
A story behind a quilled card
Time and again I have posted
pictures of the cards I make.
The cards I make have been so widely appreciated and I have been flooded with so many orders now that I have to now refuse some orders!
The thing is I make these cards in between the breaks I take from writing my fourth book.
The book-writing pays me one thousand times (yes--really a thousand times) more than card-making does. But the joy that the card making brings is unmatched, because it is a joy which is shared by the giver (the person who ordered the card) and the recipient.
Some days back I had posted a picture on FB of a personalised card (which said 'dodda'). Someone named Astha had ordered it and I have interacted with her only on mail. I wondered what kind of a name 'Dodda' was. But since I did not know Astha at all, I kept the writer in me, in check and made the card and sent it to her.
She was overjoyed with the card. She absolutely loved it.
Later she shared the story with me. The card was for her dad's brother ('bade papa' whom she calls 'dodda') . This is what Astha wrote. (Yes, she does not mind me sharing on this blog. Have taken her permission to do so.)
My dodda (bade papa) loved the card.. He has been ill since a long time, so when I went to meet him after a long time with this card, he was delighted! He loved the design & the message that I'd written inside.
Will never forget that sign of joy on his face...Thank you so much! :) :)
I felt elated that my work brought so much joy to someone. When I asked her if I could share her mail on my blog, she said she did not mind at all, and asked if I wanted to know what she wrote inside. She said she wanted the message inside to match the beauty of the card. Of course I wanted to know.
She was kind enough to share that as well. It really brought a lump to my throat when I read it. This is what she had written inside.
My Dearest Dodda,
Has anyone ever told you what a wonderful person you are?
I hope so! I hope you've been told dozens of times...
Because you are really amazing!
And, just in case you haven't heard those words in a while,
I want you to hear them now.
You deserve to know that.
It takes someone special to do what you do.. It takes someone rare and remarkable around them.. Nicer, brighter and more beautiful.. It takes someone who has a big heart and a caring soul.. It takes someone who's a living proof of how precious a person can be.. It takes someone...just like You!
Thank you for being so wonderful ! I feel blessed to have you in my life!
Your presence in my life brings wonderful smiles and loving thoughts within my heart.
You have inspired me to a degree which can't be expressed in words. You've taught me to enjoy the little things in life and live every moment to the fullest.
You are the most joyful and determined person I've ever come across.Your will-power and zest for life serves as my guiding light and helps me get back up even if I keep falling at every hurdle!
Inspite of everything that has happened, you've got to believe that you can handle it.. You've got what it takes! Keep fighting back and keep smiling so that life gets tired of upsetting you...Let the difficulty also know how difficult you are!
And, always remember, the will of God will never take you where the grace of God will not protect you!
Love you loads,
Yours Rani Maa "
What a magnificent message!
For me, being a part of something like this through my work, is truly beyond belief. I feel so wonderful to be a part of someone's life, in such a close and positive way.
Here is another personalised card I made for a friend's wife. He too LOVED the card and he said his wife is going to love it too. :)
A close up showing how raised the quilled letters are.
A close up of the roses. Each rose was made individually by hand.
Bessie Stanley had said (and this is often wrongly attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson)
To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
For me, I touch people's lives though my work which I totally love doing. I am passionate about it.
And I feel so darn fortunate and blessed to have succeeded.
_________________________________________________________________
If you like my blog, you might enjoy my books :) Grab them here. (You don't need a credit card. You can pay cash on delivery) or if you are an Amazon Fan, you can grab them here
And you can interact with me on my FB page. I always reply :)
http://preetishenoy.com/
The thing is I make these cards in between the breaks I take from writing my fourth book.
The book-writing pays me one thousand times (yes--really a thousand times) more than card-making does. But the joy that the card making brings is unmatched, because it is a joy which is shared by the giver (the person who ordered the card) and the recipient.
Some days back I had posted a picture on FB of a personalised card (which said 'dodda'). Someone named Astha had ordered it and I have interacted with her only on mail. I wondered what kind of a name 'Dodda' was. But since I did not know Astha at all, I kept the writer in me, in check and made the card and sent it to her.
She was overjoyed with the card. She absolutely loved it.
Later she shared the story with me. The card was for her dad's brother ('bade papa' whom she calls 'dodda') . This is what Astha wrote. (Yes, she does not mind me sharing on this blog. Have taken her permission to do so.)
My dodda (bade papa) loved the card.. He has been ill since a long time, so when I went to meet him after a long time with this card, he was delighted! He loved the design & the message that I'd written inside.
Will never forget that sign of joy on his face...Thank you so much! :) :)
I felt elated that my work brought so much joy to someone. When I asked her if I could share her mail on my blog, she said she did not mind at all, and asked if I wanted to know what she wrote inside. She said she wanted the message inside to match the beauty of the card. Of course I wanted to know.
She was kind enough to share that as well. It really brought a lump to my throat when I read it. This is what she had written inside.
My Dearest Dodda,
Has anyone ever told you what a wonderful person you are?
I hope so! I hope you've been told dozens of times...
Because you are really amazing!
And, just in case you haven't heard those words in a while,
I want you to hear them now.
You deserve to know that.
It takes someone special to do what you do.. It takes someone rare and remarkable around them.. Nicer, brighter and more beautiful.. It takes someone who has a big heart and a caring soul.. It takes someone who's a living proof of how precious a person can be.. It takes someone...just like You!
Thank you for being so wonderful ! I feel blessed to have you in my life!
Your presence in my life brings wonderful smiles and loving thoughts within my heart.
You have inspired me to a degree which can't be expressed in words. You've taught me to enjoy the little things in life and live every moment to the fullest.
You are the most joyful and determined person I've ever come across.Your will-power and zest for life serves as my guiding light and helps me get back up even if I keep falling at every hurdle!
Inspite of everything that has happened, you've got to believe that you can handle it.. You've got what it takes! Keep fighting back and keep smiling so that life gets tired of upsetting you...Let the difficulty also know how difficult you are!
And, always remember, the will of God will never take you where the grace of God will not protect you!
Love you loads,
Yours Rani Maa "
What a magnificent message!
For me, being a part of something like this through my work, is truly beyond belief. I feel so wonderful to be a part of someone's life, in such a close and positive way.
Here is another personalised card I made for a friend's wife. He too LOVED the card and he said his wife is going to love it too. :)
A close up showing how raised the quilled letters are.
A close up of the roses. Each rose was made individually by hand.
Bessie Stanley had said (and this is often wrongly attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson)
To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
For me, I touch people's lives though my work which I totally love doing. I am passionate about it.
And I feel so darn fortunate and blessed to have succeeded.
_________________________________________________________________
If you like my blog, you might enjoy my books :) Grab them here. (You don't need a credit card. You can pay cash on delivery) or if you are an Amazon Fan, you can grab them here
And you can interact with me on my FB page. I always reply :)
http://preetishenoy.com/
June 5, 2012
Some talks to remember
If you haven't heard of
Ted talks,
you have been missing a lot! They are described as 'riveting talks by remarkable people' free to the world. I have enjoyed a lot of these amazing talks, the most recent one I watched being this amazing talk by David Blaine on how he held his breath for seventeen minutes under water.
Ted X are created in the spirit of Ted's mission and they are independently organised Ted event. They happen all over the world.You can find a Ted X event near you, and attend it. You could use this link to know more.
I have been invited as a Ted X speaker for an event happening on 9th June. All details are here:
http://www.tedxsonacollege.in/
The talk I will be giving is called '5 lessons for growth or in other words, 5 important lessons life has taught me'. I would be sharing 5 important rules one needs to follow if one has to grow. I would be peppering it with all that I have learnt in my life's journey --right from school, to where I am today, how I grew, the mistakes I made, the failures I faced, the defeats I had to accept and the sacrifices I had to make to reach where I am today. It would be a honest, straight from the heart talk.
Once the event is over, the talk would be freely available on the Internet.
I am indeed looking forward to this as much as I am looking forward to hear what the other speakers have to say and share.
I think there is a LOT one can learn from talks like these. A talk which particularly impressed me was a recent one by Neil Gaiman.
If you haven't yet seen it, stop what you are doing right now and watch this:
And remember, never ever give up.
Yes--you CAN achieve anything that you have set your heart on. Do not be disheartened if the goal seems far. You will definitely get there--keep striving!
______________________________________________________________________
If you like my blog, you might enjoy my books :) Grab them here. (You don't need a credit card. You can pay cash on delivery) or if you are an Amazon Fan, you can grab them here
And you can interact with me on my FB page. I always reply :)
http://preetishenoy.com/
Ted X are created in the spirit of Ted's mission and they are independently organised Ted event. They happen all over the world.You can find a Ted X event near you, and attend it. You could use this link to know more.
I have been invited as a Ted X speaker for an event happening on 9th June. All details are here:
http://www.tedxsonacollege.in/
The talk I will be giving is called '5 lessons for growth or in other words, 5 important lessons life has taught me'. I would be sharing 5 important rules one needs to follow if one has to grow. I would be peppering it with all that I have learnt in my life's journey --right from school, to where I am today, how I grew, the mistakes I made, the failures I faced, the defeats I had to accept and the sacrifices I had to make to reach where I am today. It would be a honest, straight from the heart talk.
Once the event is over, the talk would be freely available on the Internet.
I am indeed looking forward to this as much as I am looking forward to hear what the other speakers have to say and share.
I think there is a LOT one can learn from talks like these. A talk which particularly impressed me was a recent one by Neil Gaiman.
If you haven't yet seen it, stop what you are doing right now and watch this:
Neil Gaiman Addresses the University of the Arts Class of 2012 .
And remember, never ever give up.
Yes--you CAN achieve anything that you have set your heart on. Do not be disheartened if the goal seems far. You will definitely get there--keep striving!
______________________________________________________________________
If you like my blog, you might enjoy my books :) Grab them here. (You don't need a credit card. You can pay cash on delivery) or if you are an Amazon Fan, you can grab them here
And you can interact with me on my FB page. I always reply :)
http://preetishenoy.com/
May 23, 2012
Cupcakes, a bicycle and some unforgettable memories.
Birthdays are only as special as the people who have them. If the person matters to me, then I go all out to make their day special.
21st of May was very special indeed. It was my daughter's eleventh birthday. All through the summer vacation, she had kept moaning about how none of her friends would be around for her birthday as they were all out of town. She kept telling me that she is sad as nobody is there for her to celebrate with. I couldn't stand her genuine disappointment.
Finally I told her to just leave it to me and that I would make her birthday special. She trusts me with her life. How could I let her down?!
The one thing that my daughter loves is baking. A few months back, a lady named Marina Charles, who runs baking and cooking classes in Bangalore, had written to me saying how much she appreciated my book "Tea for two and a piece of cake." She was a huge fan of my writing and had read all my three books. She had mentioned that anytime I want to learn baking, I am most welcome to her class.
So I dug out the old mail and a quick phone call was made to her. She was warm and welcoming on the phone. I told her the grand plan--I wanted an exclusive baking workshop for my daughter. She suggested that she would teach her to bake five different types of cup-cakes. It would be a one-on-one session. The participant would get to do it themselves and would learn it well. At Rs.900/- for a three hour session, it sounded a steal and I immediately signed up.My daughter would have no idea about it till she arrived at the class.
When she was told what it was all about, she went WOW. She could hardly believe it.
Marina truly makes baking look like a cakewalk! She explained so well to my daughter what it takes to bake good cupcakes.
My daughter studying the recipes. Seen in the picture is Marina Charles who runs the workshops..
Aren't they awesome?! They were as delicious as they looked!
Marina and me.
To know more about Marina's classes go here.
She also has some awesome recipes which she shares freely on her site.
She is also doing a 365 day 'a cake a day' project! (yeah, a new cake everyday!)
Thank you Marina for making my daughter's day really special!
Satish said that while I took my daughter for the surprise baking workshop, he would get her a bicycle which would be waiting when she arrived back. My daughter of course had no clue.
This is what was waiting for her at home:
Satish had added this note which I thought was a superb little touch! It made me go awwwww when i read it. (No wonder I fell for this man seventeen years ago! He does have a way of wringing your heart!). Here is the note:
'
My son and Satish blindfolded my daughter and when they took off the blindfold, this is what she saw.
The look on her face was the same look which a participant in a beauty pageant has when she is told she has won the Miss.Universe title. My daughter couldn't stop exclaiming :)
Later the day was flooded with phone calls from loved ones and a good friend's son dropped in to give her a gift.
To say that this was one truly memorable day would be an understatement.
To sum it up in my daughter's words "Maaa--this is the BESTEST birthday I ever had. Thaaaaaank you mummy!"
Like I was saying, Birthdays are only as special as the people who have them :)
This one was the BESTEST really :)
___________________________________________________________________
If you like my blog, you might enjoy my books :) Grab them here. (You don't need a credit card. You can pay cash on delivery) or if you are an Amazon Fan, you can grab them here
And you can interact with me on my FB page. I always reply :)
http://preetishenoy.com/
21st of May was very special indeed. It was my daughter's eleventh birthday. All through the summer vacation, she had kept moaning about how none of her friends would be around for her birthday as they were all out of town. She kept telling me that she is sad as nobody is there for her to celebrate with. I couldn't stand her genuine disappointment.
Finally I told her to just leave it to me and that I would make her birthday special. She trusts me with her life. How could I let her down?!
The one thing that my daughter loves is baking. A few months back, a lady named Marina Charles, who runs baking and cooking classes in Bangalore, had written to me saying how much she appreciated my book "Tea for two and a piece of cake." She was a huge fan of my writing and had read all my three books. She had mentioned that anytime I want to learn baking, I am most welcome to her class.
So I dug out the old mail and a quick phone call was made to her. She was warm and welcoming on the phone. I told her the grand plan--I wanted an exclusive baking workshop for my daughter. She suggested that she would teach her to bake five different types of cup-cakes. It would be a one-on-one session. The participant would get to do it themselves and would learn it well. At Rs.900/- for a three hour session, it sounded a steal and I immediately signed up.My daughter would have no idea about it till she arrived at the class.
When she was told what it was all about, she went WOW. She could hardly believe it.
Marina truly makes baking look like a cakewalk! She explained so well to my daughter what it takes to bake good cupcakes.
My daughter studying the recipes. Seen in the picture is Marina Charles who runs the workshops..
Aren't they awesome?! They were as delicious as they looked!
Marina and me.
To know more about Marina's classes go here.
She also has some awesome recipes which she shares freely on her site.
She is also doing a 365 day 'a cake a day' project! (yeah, a new cake everyday!)
Thank you Marina for making my daughter's day really special!
Satish said that while I took my daughter for the surprise baking workshop, he would get her a bicycle which would be waiting when she arrived back. My daughter of course had no clue.
This is what was waiting for her at home:
Satish had added this note which I thought was a superb little touch! It made me go awwwww when i read it. (No wonder I fell for this man seventeen years ago! He does have a way of wringing your heart!). Here is the note:
'
My son and Satish blindfolded my daughter and when they took off the blindfold, this is what she saw.
The look on her face was the same look which a participant in a beauty pageant has when she is told she has won the Miss.Universe title. My daughter couldn't stop exclaiming :)
Later the day was flooded with phone calls from loved ones and a good friend's son dropped in to give her a gift.
To say that this was one truly memorable day would be an understatement.
To sum it up in my daughter's words "Maaa--this is the BESTEST birthday I ever had. Thaaaaaank you mummy!"
Like I was saying, Birthdays are only as special as the people who have them :)
This one was the BESTEST really :)
___________________________________________________________________
If you like my blog, you might enjoy my books :) Grab them here. (You don't need a credit card. You can pay cash on delivery) or if you are an Amazon Fan, you can grab them here
And you can interact with me on my FB page. I always reply :)
http://preetishenoy.com/
May 16, 2012
Stars in a moonless sky
Stars in a moonless sky
What is it that you dream about she asks.
Your Smile,Your look
Your Kiss,Your hug
Your love,Your trust
Your words,Your feelings
Your warmth,Your concern
Your presence,Your eyes
He replies.
And she smiles as she understands the language of truth.
She mulls over his words
Long after he has slept
She lies awake
Weaving with them
Her security blanket
Wrapping them around herself
And then carefully squirreling them away
On the days when there is nothing but blackness
For his words are the stars that illuminate her moonless sky.
And they are hers.
Nothing can take them away from each other now.
For words once uttered find their way into hearts
And later spill over to paper
In form of poetry.
Immortalised forever.
Perhaps this is what they call love.
© 2012 Preeti Shenoy
For more poems click here. Some poems have already appeared in print. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.
__________________________________________________________________________
If you like my blog, you might enjoy my books :) Grab them here. (You don't need a credit card. You can pay cash on delivery) or if you are an Amazon Fan, you can grab them here
And you can interact with me on my FB page. I always reply :)
http://preetishenoy.com/
What is it that you dream about she asks.
Your Smile,Your look
Your Kiss,Your hug
Your love,Your trust
Your words,Your feelings
Your warmth,Your concern
Your presence,Your eyes
He replies.
And she smiles as she understands the language of truth.
She mulls over his words
Long after he has slept
She lies awake
Weaving with them
Her security blanket
Wrapping them around herself
And then carefully squirreling them away
On the days when there is nothing but blackness
For his words are the stars that illuminate her moonless sky.
And they are hers.
Nothing can take them away from each other now.
For words once uttered find their way into hearts
And later spill over to paper
In form of poetry.
Immortalised forever.
Perhaps this is what they call love.
© 2012 Preeti Shenoy
For more poems click here. Some poems have already appeared in print. Kindly do not reproduce without permission.
__________________________________________________________________________
If you like my blog, you might enjoy my books :) Grab them here. (You don't need a credit card. You can pay cash on delivery) or if you are an Amazon Fan, you can grab them here
And you can interact with me on my FB page. I always reply :)
http://preetishenoy.com/
May 12, 2012
What it means to be a mother. Happy mothers day!
My ten year old (soon to be eleven, she never fails to remind me) daughter made this for me, this morning. It was as delicious as it looks! I feel like a bloated whale right now, as I type this, as I gobbled it all up.
"Mummy, Happy mothers day. Today you aren't entering the kitchen. I will do everything for you," she said.
Satish and she headed off to the kitchen, while I sat and wrote my fourth book. (wrote one thousand six hundred words while they conjured up the breakfast). I couldn't have asked for a better start for the day!
If you had told me though sixteen years ago that I will give up my corporate career to be a stay-at-home mom I'd have scoffed at you. At that time I was working in the corporate sector. I had just been offered a wonderful opportunity at another multinational.There was nothing more I wanted than to have a high-flying career, become a CEO perhaps and truly rise to the top-level management in the corporate world.
But when I gave birth to a squealing, quivering 3.25 kg bundle who looked at me with button eyes that shone with curiosity and inquisitiveness, something in my DNA got altered forever. All I wanted to do was cuddle this baby and be with him forever. The tenderness he evoked in me, the sheer vulnerability I was experiencing, the feeling of awesomeness that overtook everything else and the terrifying realization that I am now responsible for another life took me by complete surprise. If you are a parent, you will know exactly what i am talking about. That moment when you first hold your new born baby in your hands is truly something that cannot be captured in words. I swore to God, I would do anything to protect this child.
I couldn't imagine leaving him in anybody else's care. So I didn't. I stayed at home, I bathed him, I read to him, I took him everywhere I went and I was so happy. Not a moment passed without him by my side.
We had always wanted two children and when we were blessed with a daughter three and a half years later, our joy knew no bounds.
If you ask them today what they remember most about their early childhood, they will probably tell you it is the amount of books I have read them (Thousands! I have a collection of more than 2000 children's books and an equal number of adults books too :)) and the amount of art activities I did with them. I threw myself with all I had, into my role as a mother. I read up a lot, I researched a lot, I did a course too as I wanted to be the best parent that I can be.
Today my fourteen year old is taller than me. He discusses everything with me including drugs, sex, values, what teens think, what he believes in, what he wants. He tells me about his friends, girl-friends, teachers, school. I am grateful I have made the cut for the 'teenage cool' (Oh i work so hard at it!) and happy to be included in his world. He is growing up so fast, yet in many ways he is still the baby I used to carry around.
My daughter thinks I am the most beautiful woman in the world. She adores me in a way only daughters can worship their mothers. She hears me talking to publishers, to newspaper journos, to numerous other people. She watches me speak at my events and then she says her eyes shining "Oh mummy--you spoke so awesome. You are so cool mummy and I am proud of you!".
I truly do not know if I have succeeded as a parent or not, but all I know is that I did
my best. I was there for them when they neeeded me. I still am.
I think in the end, that is all that matters.
The fact that you did your very best.
This mothers day, I am thankful to be a mom.
I wish all your mothers and I wish you (if you are a mother yourself) a very happy mother's day.
Celebrate the bond. No matter what kind of a mother you have had, it's the most selfless love you will ever come across.
________________________________________________________________________________
If you like my blog, you might enjoy my books :) Grab them here. (You don't need a credit card. You can pay cash on delivery) or if you are an Amazon Fan, you can grab them here
And you can interact with me on my FB page. I always reply :)
http://preetishenoy.com/
May 3, 2012
A book fair and some personalised happiness :)
Anything worth doing is worth doing well. This has been my credo, my motto, my belief ever since I was old enough to have a conviction. I have held on to it steadfast through all these years.
Anything I do, I give it all I have. That is the only way I know.
When I do my portraits, I do the very best I can.
It's the same with my quilled cards.
Most of my cards have been sold.
To be very honest, the money I make from writing my books is truly a
thousand times (yes a thousand!) more than what I make from selling
cards! But the emotional satisfaction in being a part of the joy of the
giver as well as the recipient is matchless!
I am delighted to get mails from people thanking me for adding happiness, magic and joy to their lives.
Recently I started taking orders for customised quilled monogrammed cards. Here are a few of my latest creations. The people who ordered them were overjoyed with the results :)
The cards are all mailed in a hard envelope, well packed. I need about 4 working days from date of placing order to make a personalized card for that special person in your life.
For the prices and other details, you can mail me on ps(at)preetishenoy(dot)com.
In the other news, I have been invited in my capacity as a popular author , to attend the National book-fair which is going on at Ahemdabad. (yeah the same one inaugurated by Narendra Modi).
The Director of the national book trust extended me the invitation and it was an honour speaking to him, as I have grown up reading books published by NBT and CBT . (national book trust and Childrens book trust) Check out their books, if you havent heard of them. They have some of the best books published in India.
I will be at Ahemdabad on 6th May. If you are around say a hello :)
And now I have to finish two more card orders!
So bye for now.
Have a super weekend! (I know I will--I will be at a book fair :) )
_____________________________________________________________________
If you like my blog, you might enjoy my books :) Grab them here. (You don't need a credit card. You can pay cash on delivery) or if you are an Amazon Fan, you can grab them here
And you can interact with me on my FB page. I always reply :)
http://preetishenoy.com/
Anything I do, I give it all I have. That is the only way I know.
When I do my portraits, I do the very best I can.
It's the same with my quilled cards.
Most of my cards have been sold.
To be very honest, the money I make from writing my books is truly a
thousand times (yes a thousand!) more than what I make from selling
cards! But the emotional satisfaction in being a part of the joy of the
giver as well as the recipient is matchless!
I am delighted to get mails from people thanking me for adding happiness, magic and joy to their lives.
Recently I started taking orders for customised quilled monogrammed cards. Here are a few of my latest creations. The people who ordered them were overjoyed with the results :)
The cards are all mailed in a hard envelope, well packed. I need about 4 working days from date of placing order to make a personalized card for that special person in your life.
For the prices and other details, you can mail me on ps(at)preetishenoy(dot)com.
In the other news, I have been invited in my capacity as a popular author , to attend the National book-fair which is going on at Ahemdabad. (yeah the same one inaugurated by Narendra Modi).
The Director of the national book trust extended me the invitation and it was an honour speaking to him, as I have grown up reading books published by NBT and CBT . (national book trust and Childrens book trust) Check out their books, if you havent heard of them. They have some of the best books published in India.
I will be at Ahemdabad on 6th May. If you are around say a hello :)
And now I have to finish two more card orders!
So bye for now.
Have a super weekend! (I know I will--I will be at a book fair :) )
_____________________________________________________________________
If you like my blog, you might enjoy my books :) Grab them here. (You don't need a credit card. You can pay cash on delivery) or if you are an Amazon Fan, you can grab them here
And you can interact with me on my FB page. I always reply :)
http://preetishenoy.com/
April 26, 2012
What is love?
Love is a lot of things to a lot of people, but if you ask me what it is I would say this:
Love is when you have that goofy look in your eyes and your smile stretches across your whole face and you still get goosebumps, listening to the song he dedicated to you, seventeen years back.
Love is when you still do crazy things like calling each other thrice a day even though you're in the same town.
Love is still waiting to see each other at the end of the day.
Love is that pride in his eyes when he sees me at the book-events signing copies.
Love is him telling all his friends about me, proudly.
Love is fighting like crazy but still hugging each other at the end of the day, because you can't sleep otherwise.
Love is doing something you hate, just because the other person loves it.
Love is each one thinking that they are lucky to have got the other person.
Love is something that casts a warm glow in your heart.
Love is him pushing me to write my fourth book and keeping on checking the progress.
Love is still feeling a bit (a teeny weeny bit) jealous when I say that some guy looks handsome. (hehheh, I do it sometimes just to listen to him swear :D)
Love is his telling me that to the world I may be a best-selling author, but to him I am still the same girl he married. :) (hmmmph--and you would think I deserve some respect! :D)
Love is saying cheeky things because you know you can get away with it :)
Love is what has stood the test of time.
This is the song that he dedicated to me, when he was wooing me :)
I still love it* blush blush* :) (yeah I am such a silly sentimentalist!)
Listen to the lyrics.They make you go awww.
Happy anniversary Mr.Shenoy. :)
It's been seventeen amazing years! :) :) :)
With all my love
Mrs.Shenoy :)
___________________________________________________________________________
http://preetishenoy.com/
Love is when you have that goofy look in your eyes and your smile stretches across your whole face and you still get goosebumps, listening to the song he dedicated to you, seventeen years back.
Love is when you still do crazy things like calling each other thrice a day even though you're in the same town.
Love is still waiting to see each other at the end of the day.
Love is that pride in his eyes when he sees me at the book-events signing copies.
Love is him telling all his friends about me, proudly.
Love is fighting like crazy but still hugging each other at the end of the day, because you can't sleep otherwise.
Love is doing something you hate, just because the other person loves it.
Love is each one thinking that they are lucky to have got the other person.
Love is something that casts a warm glow in your heart.
Love is him pushing me to write my fourth book and keeping on checking the progress.
Love is still feeling a bit (a teeny weeny bit) jealous when I say that some guy looks handsome. (hehheh, I do it sometimes just to listen to him swear :D)
Love is his telling me that to the world I may be a best-selling author, but to him I am still the same girl he married. :) (hmmmph--and you would think I deserve some respect! :D)
Love is saying cheeky things because you know you can get away with it :)
Love is what has stood the test of time.
This is the song that he dedicated to me, when he was wooing me :)
I still love it* blush blush* :) (yeah I am such a silly sentimentalist!)
Listen to the lyrics.They make you go awww.
Happy anniversary Mr.Shenoy. :)
It's been seventeen amazing years! :) :) :)
With all my love
Mrs.Shenoy :)
___________________________________________________________________________
http://preetishenoy.com/
April 20, 2012
Winners of card-giveaway. Blog marathon post 30.
So finally we come to the last day of the Blog marathon!
Image from freedigitalphotos.net
Oh my God, this has been exhausting to say the least and to be honest I am secretly relieved! It was so hard to come up with a new post every day. A new GOOD post that is, not just a filler post.There were times when I was so exhausted that I fell asleep a few times while writing the posts. It was that tiring. (especially as I had to travel for my book events)
But it was wonderful to have you along on the ride.
I must make a special mention of Anu, Gayu, Shachi who commented on almost ALL my posts.Thank you so much! I did read and look forward to all the comments even though I could not reply. The comments really helped me to keep going!
And a big thank you to all, of you who read me regularly too. (The stats are sky-rocketing and I am honoured and flattered!) Thanks for the love folks!
I had mentioned that the winners of the card giveaway ( Blog marathon post 23) would be announced on the last day, picked by random number generator.
Here are the two numbers that the Random number generator threw up.
*Drum Rolls please*
Number 40 and Number 42 !!
I just scrolled through my comments and discovered that 42 was picked by PK and 40 was picked by Grigory.
PK and Grigory--please identify yourselves and mail me your postal addresses!
PS (at) preetishenoy(dot) com
Thank you to all the others who took part too! In case you want to buy my cards (i sold six of them yesterday! some of them cant be replicated) you can have a look here.
Now I will go back to working on my fourth book!
My third book 'Tea for two and a piece of cake' is currently on all the best-seller lists (Infibeam, Flipkart, Asian Age)
I will be updating the blog regularly. (not every day of course. That is toooooooooooo taxing!) :)
So will see you around! :)
Bye for now and enjoy your weekend!
___________________________________________________________________________
If you like my blog, you might enjoy my books :) Grab them here. (You don't need a credit card. You can pay cash on delivery) or if you are an Amazon Fan, you can grab them here
And you can interact with me on my FB page. I always reply :)
http://preetishenoy.com/
Image from freedigitalphotos.net
Oh my God, this has been exhausting to say the least and to be honest I am secretly relieved! It was so hard to come up with a new post every day. A new GOOD post that is, not just a filler post.There were times when I was so exhausted that I fell asleep a few times while writing the posts. It was that tiring. (especially as I had to travel for my book events)
But it was wonderful to have you along on the ride.
I must make a special mention of Anu, Gayu, Shachi who commented on almost ALL my posts.Thank you so much! I did read and look forward to all the comments even though I could not reply. The comments really helped me to keep going!
And a big thank you to all, of you who read me regularly too. (The stats are sky-rocketing and I am honoured and flattered!) Thanks for the love folks!
I had mentioned that the winners of the card giveaway ( Blog marathon post 23) would be announced on the last day, picked by random number generator.
Here are the two numbers that the Random number generator threw up.
*Drum Rolls please*
Number 40 and Number 42 !!
I just scrolled through my comments and discovered that 42 was picked by PK and 40 was picked by Grigory.
PK and Grigory--please identify yourselves and mail me your postal addresses!
PS (at) preetishenoy(dot) com
Thank you to all the others who took part too! In case you want to buy my cards (i sold six of them yesterday! some of them cant be replicated) you can have a look here.
Now I will go back to working on my fourth book!
My third book 'Tea for two and a piece of cake' is currently on all the best-seller lists (Infibeam, Flipkart, Asian Age)
I will be updating the blog regularly. (not every day of course. That is toooooooooooo taxing!) :)
So will see you around! :)
Bye for now and enjoy your weekend!
___________________________________________________________________________
If you like my blog, you might enjoy my books :) Grab them here. (You don't need a credit card. You can pay cash on delivery) or if you are an Amazon Fan, you can grab them here
And you can interact with me on my FB page. I always reply :)
http://preetishenoy.com/
Blog marathon post 29. More cards and where to find creativity
Today was a great day in terms of my cards. Like i have said before, I make these cards, in between my writing. I find it an amazing way to de-stress. Today I sold six cards, and one of them was custom made, with a personalized quilled name of the future recipient. I feel wonderful about being appreciated for the cards I make.
Here are a few latest ones.
To see my full collection go here
People often ask me how can they find creativity and inspiration? My answer can be simplified into a few points which I think are important for creativity and inspiration:
1. Do nothing! Lie outdoors on the grass (if possible) for a while. Do nothing. Tune off every electonic device you own. Just lie there and gaze at the sky and observe your thoughts. Don't fight them--just observe them. You will be amazed at what you hear, when you listen to yourself!
2. Exercise. This stimulates the brain cells like anything, It wakes you out of lethargy. It';s a boost for your brain.
3. Do one thing which you have never done before. Stretch yourselves. At least once in three days do something you have never done before. It need not be grand. It can be something as simple as smiling at next door neighbour whom you have never spoken to. But do that one thing which will shake you up completely out of the comfort zone you cocoon yourself in.
4: Dance: yes! Put on some music that is peppy and makes you want to dance. Then do it!
5. Look at new stuff in your line of Interest. See Pinterest,. Explore, discover, learn. Internet is an amazing resource, Use it right!
Hope the above things help! They sure help me!
______________________________________________________________
ps: 1. Tomorrow is the last day of the blog marathon. I shall announce the winners of the cards (from the earlier post) tomorrow.
2. "tea for two and a piece of cake" is now on Infibeam bestsellers as well ad Flipkart best sellers.http://preetishenoy.com/
Here are a few latest ones.
To see my full collection go here
People often ask me how can they find creativity and inspiration? My answer can be simplified into a few points which I think are important for creativity and inspiration:
1. Do nothing! Lie outdoors on the grass (if possible) for a while. Do nothing. Tune off every electonic device you own. Just lie there and gaze at the sky and observe your thoughts. Don't fight them--just observe them. You will be amazed at what you hear, when you listen to yourself!
2. Exercise. This stimulates the brain cells like anything, It wakes you out of lethargy. It';s a boost for your brain.
3. Do one thing which you have never done before. Stretch yourselves. At least once in three days do something you have never done before. It need not be grand. It can be something as simple as smiling at next door neighbour whom you have never spoken to. But do that one thing which will shake you up completely out of the comfort zone you cocoon yourself in.
4: Dance: yes! Put on some music that is peppy and makes you want to dance. Then do it!
5. Look at new stuff in your line of Interest. See Pinterest,. Explore, discover, learn. Internet is an amazing resource, Use it right!
Hope the above things help! They sure help me!
______________________________________________________________
ps: 1. Tomorrow is the last day of the blog marathon. I shall announce the winners of the cards (from the earlier post) tomorrow.
2. "tea for two and a piece of cake" is now on Infibeam bestsellers as well ad Flipkart best sellers.http://preetishenoy.com/
