Trip to Australia

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Trip to Australia

Coooool... it was really cool both ways! Trip was real cool and so was the temperature. This is hard core winter season in Australia and we were able to grab those cool moments which are only possible during these winters speicially skiing in snow-cladded mountains while snowing is on, watching penguines returning from the freezing sea on their way back to their sand-dune burrows at dusk, enjoying the sea cruise in nearly freezing wheather.
Melbourne city in southern state of Victoria was the destination when we boarded Thai airways flight TG981. Suddenly mercury drops to single digit when to got out of the Tullamarine airport. I could smell the same fresh air that I used to get in Washington state of US - Victoria can also be regarded as evergreen state just like Washington. City was not really full of sky-skippers just like any third city but many things were there couldn't be found everywhere. Legacy tram system for an example, lush greenary almost everywhere and highways smooth like butter. Australia is called the land of immigrants - Indians, chinese and thai folks can be seen anywhere and everywhere. Main city is not very big but is colorful and vibrant. Public transportation a plus here - main city is conveniently approachable from all the adjoining suburbs. Vast lush green pastures with cattle grassing lesuirely on both side of the highway is a common scene as soon as you come out few miles out of the city. Snow mountains are very approachable and can be visited in a single day trip - Mount Buller was the one which we visited and it was a memorable trip. A cruise trip to Sorrento followed by a long drive along the great ocean road is something incredible - Twelve Apostles was the destination for us on this long drive. Watching penguins coming out of sea after day long fishing is one more attraction during this time of the year and Philip Island is the place. Quite a few zoo, parks, aquariums and museums are there in the city and tourist transportation at the city centre is absolutely free with tourist information centre pretty much accessible.

In a nutshell this was a worthwhile vacation closer to nature. It was a healty treat for our lungs and a good exposure to australian lifestle. We should say this trip was gifted as we never planned for it. There's a good saying that few things should be treasured quitely in our hearts and never thank those people and circumstances who realize those moments as it reduces their importance. This trip was just the right example of how volatile people and circumstances are and leaves behind few sweet and unforgettable memories for long long time to come.


I'll come back with yet another episode of my travel diary soon.
Keep smiling!

Naveen

10 Glorious Years of Togetherness

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We Three pics

It’s time to celebrate for all of us as Hema and I’ve achieved a big milestone today - completed 10 years of togetherness… witnessed 3650 days in a row with each other… 5 years with and 5 years without Oshin. Isn’t it sounds great?

This occasion gives us an excellent opportunity to pen down those remarkable and memorable milestones on the way and cherish the emotions associated with each of them. It’s time to recall all those sweet and sour memories and recollect all the good learning out of them and treasure them for times to come. In a nutshell these ten years were wonderful in many ways and taught us many lessons in a very sort span of time and that too in the very early stages of our marital stature. It taught us so many lessons that we were deprived of till now and makes us fully equipped to face such wild winds with greater vigor if similar situations arise in times to come. Though this time slipped off like fist-full sand (as we claim now!) but life was never a super-highway drive during those initial years as we faced quite a few rough patches on the way as we drove towards last few years of this debut-ton when life took an excellent turn and filled lot of colors in our life and gave a happy end to this great milestone – a glorious decade of togetherness.

Before marriage life was bit lonely and dull for me when I first came to Delhi in 1996 and this was one of the reasons why I didn’t opposed much when my parents insisted for my early marriage. I had nothing to loose when I came to Delhi and applied my sincere efforts to find my right place. Initial few years were bit tough but I eventually learnt to pace up with the surroundings. I always feel that the frequency with which the newer responsibilities entered my life that time was bit faster than what I could manage and marriage was one of them.

Hema and I tied up the knot on June, 11th 1998 as per typical Kumauni tradition in Pithoragarh - our beautiful home town - in the lap of majestic Himalayas. (More details and picture gallery can be found here). Soon after the marriage Hema joined me in Delhi, after completing her bachelors, where I was pursuing my masters along with a job as a programmer. Salary was not that good and soon came the recession time which brought scarcity of jobs and huge salary cuts. Hema’s excellent housekeeper skills came very handy during that time and we gracefully managed to survive those tough days. This period tells exactly what a typical career and life struggle means for a common young lad coming all the way from a small town and settling down in a metro without much financial and social (rather psychological) support. I’m very lucky that I got a partner life Hema who not only adapted to the odds very quickly but also supported me the best possible way to shape up my career and our future.

Time started changing drastically with the birth of our auspicious daughter Oshin - incarnation of goddess Lakshmi for us. Oshin was born on January 24th 2003 and I joined a big MNC in the same month well before her birth. We were still living in a small accommodation in Delhi which couldn’t meet our expectation from any angle but was a good buck-saver for us. We have a long series of unforgettable sweet and sour memories associated with that filthy setup which would take appreciable time to narrate (some other time folks!). Some more turmoil came in between due to which we faced big financial losses but things started getting smoother as we bought a house and shifted there on Oshin’s very first birthday. This new house proved lucky for us and we made progress in leaps and bounds in a very short span of time and planned to move to Hyderabad after getting an awesome job offer from Microsoft in July 2004. We literally entered heaven with this relocation and life showed a completely different picture to us (this time a beautiful one at last!). We really enjoyed each and every moment passed in this beautiful city of Hyderabad. We spent nearly two years there before I left Microsoft and joined IBM in early 2006 and flew to Bangkok in September on an international assignment. The kind of life we have been spending in Bangkok for last couple of years is again memorable and would require yet another volume to summarize this wonderful time (always next time folks!).

All this seems so simple and fast as we rewind through those sweet and sour times now but it took a span of ten long years when we think of some of the atrocities of those cruel times. On the other hand it also means ten quick years lived with lot of love and devotion with an understanding and smart partner like Hema. This journey would never have been so smooth and safe, with the kind of nature I possess and the circumstances we went through at times, without her tremendous patience and dedication who not only accepted those bad times without any fuss but also never allowed them to mount over our everyday life. Even after being a younger sibling in her family of riches she holds amazing capabilities to single-handedly manage her family though all kind of odds. I give her full credit for what we are and where we’re today and she comes out to be an anonymous winner of this adventurous journey.

Love,

Naveen

Ko-Samet Trip

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Ko-Samet Trip Photo Gallery









Weather was awesome with little drizzling in the morning when we took off for this amazing Rayong-Ko Samet trip on Saturday 12th April'08. We were two families with three kids including Oshin. Plan was to roam around Rayong province on Saturday and to visit Ko-Samet Island on Sunday. It was not a coincidence that we encountered water splashing incidents on the way as Thailand celebrates their 'Holi'-like beautiful festival of Songkran this week which added lot of fun and frolic to this outing. Songkran is Thai new year celebration which lasts for three days.

Vijay was driving the car, specially availed for this trip to make it more convenient while travelling with so many kids, and he was quite comfortable driving and locating places in this area as this place is also his work location which he visits quite often. Kids were very happy and excited and so were we two couples. Drive was not very tiring as the highways are smooth like butter here in Thailand.

On our way towards Rayong our first destination was 'Tiger Zoo Sriracha' beside the highway few kilometers before reaching Rayong city. Sriracha Tiger Zoo is amazing with tens of huge and healthy tigers and crockodiles within your close proximity. Shooting the tigers (obviously with my cam!) just behind a glass window and feeding the cubs with a milk bottle while holding them on our lap was amazing. Pig mother feeding tiger cubs along with it's own piglets, monks and tigers playing with each other in open, pig dog and tiger playing together, lady hanging tens of deadly scorpions on her abdomin, tens of crocks taking sun-bath, pig race, photo session while holding cubs and crocks, elephant show, crock show, tiger show are some of the other major attractions of this zoo.

Before sun could touch the adjoining sea horizon we reached 'Kantary Bay Sriracha', a premium resort in the town and our night halt destination. We had a good late lunch-cum-dinner at 6 O'clock after we got fresh after an eventful day. Something very interesting happened after we came back from our strawl at the beach and when we were about to call it a day. Ultimately we had to shift to an another nearby hotel, Hotel Botanica, in a jiffy and it was nearly midnight when we actually slipped into our beds.

Hotel Botanica is worth a mention here. It's a moderate sized hotel which has been completely turned into an open botanical lab full of vaious species of plants, trees and other unique shapes and structures. We checked out next day afternoon as we headed todards Ko-Samet island. Water splashing was in full swing when we came out on the main road. We ensured that all the window panes of the car were fully up and doors were locked before facing the Songkran crowd on the roads while going towards the nearest sea shore - Banpae Pier - to visit the island.

Clock struck 2 when we landed in Ko-Samet island, at Nuanthip Pier. We grabbed some drinks and eatables before taking a cab for 'Haad Sai Kaeo' beach - a beautiful white sand beach in this island. Again we met with lot of enthusiasts pouring water from both the sides while our journey, in a open cab, towards Haad Sai Kaeo.

Beach 'Haad Sai Kaeo' is simply amazing with a beautiful giant statue of a mermaid couple at the very entrance of the beach. Clean white sand beach and clean blue waters with hundreds of folks trying different kinds of activities ranging from kids and their parents engaged in making sand castles to enthusiasts trying para-gliding, speed boats and banana rides. Our whole afternoon at the beach was fully fun-filled and we tried almost all the fun activities available out there.

We had to leave as the clock arms became vertical as it was the last ferry trip towards Rayong from there. We wished if we could have stayed overnight there as it's always memorable to sleep on the beach enjoying camp fire at night and enjoy the morning sunrise.

Ko-Samet trip was yet another joyful and adventurous trip to a beach which will be in our memories for long long time to come. I'll come back with yet another episode of my travel to an another destination. See you till then and take good care of yourselves...

Naveen

Oshin turns 5

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Oshin's 5th BirthDay pics

It's a big celebration time as Oshin completed five springs this January the 24th 2008. I being a mother hardly believe that she has grown so fast. Time really flies and it seems as if she were born just yesterday.

If I look back at these five years spent with Oshin they felt no different than a quick sleep full of sweet dreams. Oshin has been our dream child and we've shared immense love and affection that's expected from any other ideal kid. She's so understanding on all matters and cares a lot for her family 'n friends and specially for me. I'd like to highlight here that she'd immediately pitch in and take my side in case her dad is at disagreement with us on something which could turn into an argument session. She would made him realised that he's at fault and would put a stop to any such unnecessary blame-games.

Her love and affection towards small kids is yet another interesting aspect of her behavioural characteristics. She's very possisive towards the kids and won't leave any stone unturned to cuddle them. It leaves us undertermined when it comes to call we three as our complete family after looking at her fondness for tiny tots.

She was no different during her initial years also and was a very calm and cool kid unlike other typical kids, except those initial couple of months which were very much forgettable. I really find myself fortunate while comparing Oshin with other kids that I see around me. First girl child in the family is regarded as Godess as per hindu mythology and Oshin literally realized this statement. We enjoyed all sort of prosperity and good luck since the day she entered our life. We feel really blessed being the parents of a kid like Oshin and also at the same time we've been enjoying seeing Oshin growing leaps and bounds.

I'm pretty sure that any mother would feel herself lucky to have a child like her and cherish the moments spent with her. I congratulate her on her fifth birthday and wish her all the luck for years to come.

Hema

Celebration being in Bangkok

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Life is pretty cool in Bangkok. In fact every day is a celebration and we are enjoying every bit of it. Though we don't celebrate each and every indian festival but also never missed any of our festival here as wer have a big indian community here in Oakwood and we gather to celebrate all major indian festival traditionally.

Join us here for Desi get-togethers

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Memorable Khao Yai Trip

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Khao Yai Trip Photo Gallery










Yet another amazing group outing in Thailand was our overnight tour to Khao Yai. This tour was undoubetly the best tour for us in this country. It was also not a package tour and also all the catering services were taken care by all of us only. It was a two-day adventurous tour which started on the saturday morning and we were back our hotel well in time on sunday evening.

It was September the 29th of 2007, a very beautiful morning just like any other dawn this green capital of the kingdom of Thailand. We were all 12 in number and all set to leave before we could get up on any other weekend day. It was a Saturday and we made sure that we could get an extra rest day after this trip full of activities. Enjoying our road travel of two and half hours - nicely utilized with singing, dancing, boozing and eating - we made sure that not a single moment was left unturned. We took couple of breaks on the way and grabbed cup of coffees 'n cans of beers and announced our presence at the resort (which we booked) by 11.

...

We finally bid goodbye to Khao Yai at 5 O'clock. While coming back we had a blast of dance inside the van. We also stopped on the way for coffee break and reached Oakwood before 8 O'clock.

Any feedback folks?
Naveen

Tour de Hua Hin Beach

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Tour de Hua Hin pics









Tour to Hua Hin beaches was wonderful and shall be in our memories for a long long time to come. It was special in many ways. It was the first team outing for all the India-IBMers here in Bangkok. Secondly we didn't book any package tour and it was completely self planned and with self catering and camping services. It was a one day fun-filled tightly stuffed tour which started as early as 7 O'clock in the morning and we were back to bed at Oakwood well before the clock joined the arms at the midnight.

It was July the 28th of 2007, a very beautiful morning just like any other dawn this green capital of the kingdom of Thailand. We were all 12 in number and all set to leave before we could get up on any other weekend day. It was a Saturday and we made sure that we could get an extra rest day after this trip full of activities.

Enjoying our road travel of two and half hours - nicely utilized with singing, dancing, boozing and eating - we made sure that not a single moment was left unturned. We took couple of breaks on the way and grabbed cup of coffees 'n cans of beers and announced our presence on the beaches of Hua Hin before our watches told 11.

There was a scream of sheer joy when everybody got the glimpses of the sea from inside the van. Jumping out of the cab and getting our feets wet was the priority at that moment. Oshin was with her bag 'n baggage which included her beach gear having all sort of spades, buckets, and the whole lot of equipment to build the sand-castle. We spent nearly an hour before we left to search for a shelter to start our Bar-b-que.

We drove to a nearby place which was also on the beach, in fact more beautiful and lonely then the earlier one, was perfect choice for all of us to setup our bar-b-que and start preparation for the group-feast. It was great fun to work collectively for the preparation of this lunch along with lite humourous conversation. We also took a quick strawl at the beach in while our peers were buzy preparing meals for us. Few other didn't missed the chance to grabb couple of beer, encashing these intoxicating moments completely.

After the meals were over and we were also little exhausted, we planned to drive little further and do some more photography. After sitting on stones wetting our feets in a group at the beach for a while, chatting, singing, shooting, we finally bid goodbye to Hua Hin at 5 O'clock.

While coming back we made a halt at Sofitel on the way and enjoyed cup of coffee after having a strawl on the wife soft sand inside. Now finally it was time to make a move for Bangkok as it was already 8. After this hardly anything happened before we were informed that we've reached our beloved hotel-Oakwood. We had lot of leftover food which was regarded as dinner that evening at our suite and before we could wish good nigh to each other it was a new day and 2 AM in the morning.

Now what you say folks? Wasn't it fantastic?

Naveen

Words from Chacha Kalaam

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The President of India DR. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam's Speech in Hyderabad

Why is the media here so negative?
Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements?
We are such a great nation.
We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why?
We are the first in milk production.
We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.
We are the second largest producer of wheat.
We are the second largest producer of rice.

Look at Dr. Sudarshan, he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.

I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news.

In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime. Why are we so NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign TVs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology.

Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India. For her, you and I will have to build this developed India. You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation.

Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance.

Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice is yours.

YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke,
The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.

YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it?
Take a person on his way to Singapore. Give him a name - YOURS. Give him a face - YOURS. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are. You pay $5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity... In Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai. YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah. YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds( Rs.650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.'YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, 'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost.' YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut
shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand.

Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo? Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston??? We are still talking of the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same here in India?

Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay, Mr.Tinaikar, had a point to make. 'Rich people's dogs are walked on the streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place,' he said. 'And then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the officers to do? Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure in his bowels?
In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan. Will l the Indian citizen do that here?' He's right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.

We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.

We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity.

This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the public. When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? 'It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry.' So who's going to change the system?

What does a system consist of ? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbours, other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr. Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away. Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to England. When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.

Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great deal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too.... I am echoing J. F. Kennedy's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians.....

'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA
AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA
WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY'

Lets do what India needs from us.


Thank you,

Dr. Abdul Kalaam
Ex President of India

What is Celebration?

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What is Celebration?

Celebration means...
A winter evening.
Four friends.
One barsaat. (Rain)
Four glasses of ‘chai’ (Tea).

Celebration means...
Hundred bucks of petrol.
A rusty old bike.
And an open road.


Celebration means...
Maggi noodles.
Your friends.
A hostel room.
4.25am.

Celebration means...
3 old friends.
3 separate cities.
3 coffee mugs.
1 internet messenger.

Celebration means...
Rain on a hot tin roof.
Pakoras deep-frying.
Neighbours dropping in.
A party.

Celebration means...
You and mom.
A summer night.
A bottle of coconut oil.
A head massage.
Gossiping about absent family members.

You can spend
Hundreds on birthdays,
Thousands on festivals,
Lakhs on weddings,

But to celebrate…
All you have to do is spend your Time with your loved ones
This New Year lets promise to keep in touch

Forget the Things that made you sad.....
Remember those that made you glad.....
Forget the troubles that passed away...
Remember the blessings that come each day !!!!!

My Other Pages:
My Photo Gallery
Welcome to Oshin's Oasis
About Oshin
Pithoragarh-My Home Town
I Love Bangkok
Sanju's Marriage
Naveen’s Sweet Memories
Why Moms are so special?
Words from Chacha Kalaam
Why Moms are so special?
Tour de Hua Hin Beach
Memorable Khao Yai Trip

Why Moms are so special?

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Mom and Dad were watching TV when Mom said, "I'm tired and it's getting late. I think I'll go to bed."

She went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day's lunches. Rinsed out the popcorn bowls, took meat out of the freezer for supper the following evening, checked the cereal box levels, filled the sugar container, put spoons and bowls on the table and started the coffee pot for rewing the next morning. She then put some wet clothes in the dryer, put a load of clothes into the washer, ironed a shirt and secured a loose button. She picked up the game pieces left on the table, put the phone back on the charger and put the telephone book into the drawer. She watered the plants, emptied a wastebasket and hung up a towel to dry.

She yawned and stretched and headed for the bedroom. She stopped by the desk and wrote a note to the teacher, counted out some cash for the excursion and pulled a text book out from hiding under the chair. She signed a birthday card for a friend, addressed and stamped the envelope and wrote a quick note for the grocery store. She put both near her bag Mum then washed her face with 3 in 1 cleanser, put on her Night Solution & age fighting moisturizer, brushed and flossed her teeth and filed her nails.

Dad called out, "I thought you were going to bed." "I'm on my way," she said. She put some water into the dog's dish and put the cat outside, then made sure the doors were locked and the patio light was on. She looked in on each of the kids and turned out their bedside lamps and radios, hung up a shirt, threw some dirty socks into the hamper, and had a brief conversation with the one up still doing homework. In her own room, she set the alarm; laid out clothing for the next day, straightened up the shoe rack. She added three things to her 6 most important things to do list. She said her prayers, and visualized the accomplishment of her goals.

About that time, Dad turned off the TV and announced to no one in particular. "I'm going to bed." And he did...without another thought.

Anything extraordinary here? Wonder why women live longer...?

Moms are made for the long haul… and they can't die sooner because they still have lot of good things to do!!

With Love...

Oshin