The Artist inside me.... :)

In my younger days I loved art. I loved doing creative things. The focus has shifted as I became busy in studies and job. There where be a time when I can do art again. Now as a housewife my art looks like putting together my husband outfits, a clean kitchen, plannings, etc... Basically as a housewife my priorities have changed. Today, I have lot of leisure time and thought to focus on my passion which I left behind. As, I am not a good drawer, I thought to start with simple sketches. I googled for pencil sketches and saved few which was easy and simple for me to draw and started with basic layout sketches. I put all my best efforts to bring out my artist inside me….

Young women Face - Pencil Sketch

Looking at the pic, I thought it was very easy to draw, but I wasted 4 A4 sheet papers and took 4 hours to draw this young women face. But finally, I drew it with all my efforts put and made it successful.

Boat on the Lake Shore -- Pencil Sketch

I took almost half an hour to draw this scenery. In our childhood we drew so many scenery's and we all were very good in drawing sceneries. As for my knowledge, scenery means, a big tree near a big river which is around the amountains and on the top of that mountains, one round sun..hehehe...I draw this pic from one magazine at my home. A 5th standard student posted this scenery in that magazine.

Buddha - Pencil Sketch

We all are aware of Gautama Buddha, who was a spirtual teacher from the indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. I put all my efforts and tried my best to draw this face of Buddha. I learned a lot about curving and darking the curves.

Lord Shiva - Pencil Sketch

Today is Mahashivratri.Mahashivaratri falls on the 13th day of the dark half of Phalgun. It means "the night of Shiva". All the prayers and rituals are performed at night. Shiva got married to Parvati on this auspicious day. Lord Shiva appeared in the form of a ling in front of Brahma and Vishnu on this day.Lord Shiva is known as the Lord of Destruction. He has three eyes and is said that when his third eye opens, the whole universe gets destroyed. So, I just quick sketched this portrait of Lord Shiva.

Rose - Pencil Sketch

This is my first attempt at doing a shaded pencil drawing of a rose. I have wanted to draw one for a while, and have been looking for weeks for a rose to draw. I finally found the inspiration for this one in a flower magazine last week. It was fun to do, and I learned a lot drawing it.

Rajasthani Women Potrait - Pencil sketch

This is a Rajasthani Woman, whom I have tried to portray in Graphite Pencil. As you can see, she is holding her pallu in her hand to cover her face. I loved her facial expression and gave an attempt as a graphite sketch! I hope you all will like it! :)

Urs,

Sudha Rani

My trip experience from INDIA to USA

It was first trip outside India and was extremely excited about it. We decided the trip in such a short span of time and almost booked the tickets instantly.

I was very busy in roaming, packing and attending calls from my friends and relatives throughout my 2 days prior to flight. And mom, dad, MIL n FIL dont ask, they cared like anything before leaving. They all helped me a lot in my luggage packing. And my sister was continuously calling me in between, just to make sure I am safe as I am little careless about things. They wanted me to call once when I am in the Airplane. I too didn’t disappoint them.

So, finally cabs came and we arranged our luggage’s in cab and started for Airport. When we went to Airport, I felt like I am lost somewhere. The formalities were not as stringent and tough as I thought; they were quite friendly and easy. When we were done through check-in of our luggage’s, we went near to our parents and started chatting and taking pictures and also waiting for my grandmother, uncle and aunty who were stuck in the traffic. But, finally they reached when we were about to check-in for immigration formalities. After all formalities, I was busy in seeing the shops around there, gift items, and CHOCOLATES!!(as it was first time. I never entered inside).

My Family @Hyderabad Airport

Here, they called us to board the flight. My excitement was reaching high. I went in queue, searched for my seat and sat. Ok, 1, 2, 3.. the pilot announced the takeoff. I put on my seat belt. Was very curiously watching the window, and flight started with high speed. I could see the clouds. Oh man, it was so good to see the thick clouds. I took snaps one after another, (which I realized after coming home that clouds are good only to see- not in pictures).

Then it all started my trip to USA with my husband after marriage. Snacks, coffee, lunch, drinks, juices, I just remembered all my train trips, where all the bajji bondawalas and men with "chai chai,,, coffee coffee,," and all the juice, bhel, dosa, idli, etc etc. But I thought this was quite sophisticated.

@Delhi Airport

@Chicago Airport

We spend our time by watching our marriage pics and videos, chitchat for some time, some romance and then went to sleep without our knowledge. In the morning, Air Hostesses served breakfast and after having it again we started watching movies in our laptop and discussed about our marriage time scenes. After travelling of 14 hours, we landed in Chicago Airport.

There, again we just checked in our luggage’s and completed all the security check-ins. Later, went in the train to our terminal for our next connecting flight to Austin. We went near our board and sat with my husband for around 2 Hours. My husband offered me for snacks and coffee and at the very first time, i was confused what to order. I ordered banana wrap and starbucks coffee. Now today, I became a big fan of starbucks coffee after tasting it.

On the way to Austin from Chicago

However, I heard an announcement from our gate and quickly landed into our next flight. This flight was small and journey was only 1-1/2 hrs. After reaching our final destination, we soon grabbed our luggages from the counter.  It was evening and in meanwhile got a call from a friend of my husband that he is waiting outside. At the entrance, we were welcomed by him and started our final journey towards our home at Austin.

All the way to home I was seeing outside from window and surprised myself that finally I am in USA. When I entered my home, I was extremely excited to it and took bath. My husband friend arranged milk, rice, jaggery and ghee at home. So, as a custom, I at first prepared parvaannanam(it’s a kind of sweet prepared with rice) and offered to God. As I was feeling very hungry and tied of long journey from India to USA, we had dinner at restaurant and went to sleep.

Parvaannanam

@gruhapravesham

 This is my journey experience from India (Hyderabad) to USA (Austin)

Urs,

Sudha Rani

My first Flight experience!! :-)

I guess everyone on earth wish to travel in flight, Same dream I had...yes my first flight was on December 2010. I was travelling from Pune to Hyderabad. My flight timing was 1:30 P.M, outside it was raining heavily, yes it’s a monsoon period.

Departing from my office, i was moving towards check in counter all alone having my passport and ticket copy @ 12 pm itself. As its first time, i was having confusion with check in baggage and hand luggage, finally I put all the bags in the check-in and I was carrying a backpack along with my heavy jacket (as it should not add to my luggage). Offcourse my baggage was beyond the max what, so happened to remove some food items :( then reached the boarding area...waiting for the call....now the time is 12:45pm. I was in half sleep waiting to board..but due to rain, flights got rescheduled oooufff..and my stomach started grumbling @ 3...still no mood to eat anything. Thank god, we were provided with snacks from airline authorities then finally @4 they announce the call.

I was quite excited about the flight journey and at the same time started feeling quite nervous. Yes I happily landed into the flight, was able to meet my expectation like I see in movies. Luckily my seat was near the window..Within 10 to 15 mins after the takeoff..I went to sleep without my knowledge. A wake up call by airhostess with wet tissue provided....and heard announcement from the pilot that our flight is about to land…I put on my seat belt and was very curiously watching outside the window. I could see the clouds. Oh man, it was so good to see the thick clouds. As I finally reached my final destination, I soon grabbed my luggage from the counter and came outside the airport to catch my cab to reach home.

As there was a delay in my first flight....i missed my cab which I booked, so looking for other cab....Mean while I must mention Hyderabad International Airport...Wow it was really lovely and majestic. I got some friends who are travelling to the same place.

As soon as I got a cab, I grabbed a sandwich and quickly landed into my cab. This cab was small and journey was 1 and 1/2 hrs. After reaching my home, i was welcomed by my loveable parents.

Urs,

Sudha Rani

When do u know some one is special?

It is kind of weird the way in which some people in your life “suddenly” become special; rather, you suddenly start feeling that they are special to you even though they always were!!

You do not realize it unless till the time you start thinking “What if we had to part ways some day!!?” which is certainly going to happen at some stage of life. The word “what if”; gosh, it can take you to the heights of Everest one moment and to the depths of the Pacific the next. And this is the word that more often than not makes you realize that they are special.

You usually know they are special when some of the most inexpensive items become priceless for u; when u are more concerned on not finding a pen given by them than when you are not able to find your mobile; when the eclairs chocolate given to you by them tastes better than a celebrations; when their voice makes you feel happy whatever mood you be in!!

I am inclined to think that most people encounter this at some point of time in their life; thereby changing it for the better. Wonder if that’s true!!

And today I realized, infact I feel that the person in my life who is very special to me is my HUSBAND and I very proud of myself for him getting as a life partner in my life.

Love u BUZZI, forever and ever.

Urs,

Sudha Rani

Your strength often becomes your weakness…

There have been very few “good” dancers in India. There is Hrithik, Prabhudeva, Govinda, Chiranjeevi and now there are many more. But there is one more name which, though not as popular as the ones mentioned above, according to me, is the first dancing star that India has seen.

Some of you must have understood who I am talking about. But for those who are still in a limbo, I am talking about Javed Jaffery. He has been the first dancing star India has produced. Man, what a dancer!!

But the saying “Your strength often becomes your weakness” fits well for this guy coz his own dancing skills became a bane for him as they overshadowed his acting skills more or less taking him into oblivion!! But look at the irony of life, the same strength of his makes him claw himself back into the limelight with his show ‘Boogie Woogie’ (the first dance show in India) and look at the heights he and his show have reached now.

This is a real good example that demonstrates the fact that even if your strength lets you down sometimes, it is only with the help of this strength of yours that you can make a strong comeback in you life. So never let go your strengths!!

Urs,

Sudha Rani

Man… How ridiculous some ads can be!!

In this age of electronic media, ads play a major part in the marketing strategies of companies. Where concepts of some of these are really awesome, some others are equally awful and absolutely senseless!! I’ll just list out a few of them. 

1.    Ad of a construction company shows a lady coming out of a beach in a swimming costume. No idea what the meaning of that ad could be.

2.    Drink an energy drink and grow twice as fast. Does that mean a boy who would be 6 ft. tall normally would be 12 ft after drinking the energy drink? Ridiculous!!

3.    Deo stops sweat. Really!! Will the body not rot then?

4.    Hrithik in the Karizma ad where the mud on his bike flies off onto the faces of others. What does this ad mean; not sure even if the director knows!! 

5.    Mother who take bath with santoor soap, wouldn’t have a kid or wt?

Urs,

Sudha Rani

Experience makes a better person?

People say experience makes a person better. May be in some cases, I can say this is not entirely true in my case.

When you are a kid, you have no knowledge about the world and so you go about your work without any concerns; sometimes not even knowing how challenging that task can be for an adult.

This is the feeling i have after 3 losses in the past 11 months. First my best friend shivani, and then harika and again then my Love (cant reveal his name) who I have been with from the days I roamed on the roads. Though these experiences have given me an insight into how deceptive life can be and also the truth of life, this has in many ways made me a “coward” who has a thousand things, which cannot be controlled, in mind and not thinking about the more “controllable” part of life. So, life has not entirely made me a better person… but I feel most people would have a similar opinion about life.

Urs,

Sudha Rani.

Never felt so lonely… :((

Ooh man… Never felt so lonely throughout my life, and it has been quite a long one (just under 27yrs ;) ). Always had people around me with whom I could share my ups and downs, joy and sadness, triumph and failure; and then they would feel happy when I shared my joy and buck me up when I was down!! Those were the days when I had spent enough time for all my friends; and used to look for a reason to spend time with everyone and say ‘Work emundi le, eppudaina chesede’.

Days have passed and the time I spend has reduced drastically. But I am quite sure I still have them around and can share whatever I want to, with them, at any time; the only difference is that earlier I spent time so frequently that they would just have a glance at my face and read my mind, that’s not the case now as the meetings and chatting are relatively limited. But I know they are just a phone call, rather a missed call away!! 

Everything seems fine, and then what makes me feel lonely!!?? As always, I suppose it’s my thought that has done me in again. It says – “U fool, they have their own damn important things to worry about. Why disturb them just to have a meaningless chat and say ‘inkenti viseshalu’!!”. It is right at this thought that I put down my phone that I had picked up to speak to them; or else I just send ‘em a message rather than speaking to them. I sometimes feel that it is not me, but…

And then I only find time to crack a joke on myself and see my brother have a hearty laugh, or laugh at myself before going to sleep. The same cycle continues the next day and so on. Wonder how long this is going to continue and whether what I am doing is right or not, but that’s the way it is at the moment. In fact, I have been trying to adjust to this much like a true “Indian” who tries to adjust to whatever comes to them; and guess what, I haven’t been successful as yet and I know I wouldn’t be either!!

To be frank I think this is the situation many of us are in and I just put forth this content on their behalf, me included of-course. Hope things fall into place and we don’t have to “adjust” as much!!

PS: Finding it difficult even to end the post with a smiley, but do keeps that smile going on your face; it’s quite valuable!!

–Cheers,
Sudha Rani

I became an aunt today! - 27th March 2012

There are times in your life when not living within driving distance of your family really hits you hard. For me, it was last night when I got the call at about two in the morning that my sister was at the hospital and my baby niece was born. My parents, younger brother, and sister were all in hospital in Hyderabad.

My sister who had eagerly waited for about four years and now today she is officially became mother. Within hours I got to see a picture of the perfect little baby who arrived in the world.

As doctors told that my sister will be in hospital for one more day, my brother in law and my mother remained there and took the responsibility to take care of my sister and my niece at hospital. All remaining relatives, brother, sister and friends went back to their own homes.

But my mind was roaming all over USA to India, as I am very anxious to see my sister and my niece, but need to wait for some more time to give her a big kiss and hug. I love you and I am so, so proud of you.  

---All my love to my sister n my niece, forever n ever.---

Urs,

Sudha Rani

I Entered the Bloggers' World!

"Me, blogging?!! No Way!!"

This is what i said till last night! Although i've always been very fond of writing, and i do write a lot, i never felt my words were good enough to be shared with the world... More than the words, i was apprehensive about sharing my feelings.

And i still am!!!

But last night, after reading a few lines written by me, a very dear friend threatened me that she would not update her blog till she had mine up! Now i can't let all those suffer who love to read her blog (that includes me!). So, here i am...

Hope you enjoy reading my thoughts and my words!!! :-)
Cheers!

P.S. Want to Thank (or blame :p) Shilpa for providing me with the driving force (or the threat :D) to create this blog!

Thanks a ton Shilpa!! :-)

Urs,

Sudha Rani