Reconnected with Life Positive

While cleaning up my Gmail account today, I came across my blog, Life Positive, which I had created 6 years ago for documenting my struggle with Bells Palsy. I have  now completely recovered from this dreadful condition  however it did leave some tiny signs of its existence on my face, which no one can notice except me. Dealing with Bells Palsy was extremely painful and exhausting but the entire experience of coming to peace with it and recovering from it taught me some of the most invaluable lessons of life that would remain with me forever.

Now that I have found back this amazing piece of my land, I would try to bring it back to life by posting often here.

Nature at its best :)

I am writing this post while sitting in a bus to Edinburgh. Its raining cats and dogs in kirkcaldy. Unfortunately I could not have the luxury to sit back at home and enjoy a hot steaming cup of coffee while listening to the soothing sound of the rain. I have an interview today in a marketing company based out of Edinburgh. I am enjoy this bus journey to the bits. I am passing right now from the main esplanade. And believe me I have not seen such violent sea in kirkcaldy till now. The heavy rain and windy weather have whipped waves up. Its utterly scary. The water looks grey with black clouds hovering in the sky. I am listening to the song “Give me Sunshine” from 3 idiots as the bus climbs through a steep road. The sight is just out of the world. Here I pass through verdant meadows. Sheep are grazing calmly. I can see rain following me . It sprinkles on the window and obstruct the lovely view. Autumn is approaching . The color of the leaves is turning to more brighter hues like orange and yellow. Its nothing but immense lush greenery that you can see all around. I can write and praise nature's beauty till I reach Edinburgh. But right now I am in a mood to enjoy this journey, rain, and the breathtaking vistas.

Kirckaldy- My New Home

In my dreams I always used to see a tiny town endowed with immense lush greenery where life crawls at a leisurely pace. Indeed, my dream of living at such a dreamy place fulfilled when I joined my husband in Kirkcaldy, a incredibly beautiful seaside town, located in the Fife region of Scotland. Born and brought in the chaotic city of New Delhi where noise is the part of our life, Kirkcaldy seemed like a meditation centre to me. For more than 5 days or so, I was struggling with getting acclimatised to the chilly weather and the deafening silence. The winding roads are lined with old 16^th century stone houses,which are synonymous to Scotland. However,new housing developments are popping up across the town.Unlike Delhi, cars perfectly parked at the either side of the road is really an amazing sight for me to see. The warm and welcoming Scots will never let you feel like an outsider. Their fresh and gentle smile will make your day.

Located on the east coast of Scotland, Kirkcaldy is the largest settlement between the cities of Edinburgh and Dundee. The town is well connected to all major cities and towns with a regular train and buses services. Kirkcaldy derives its name from the Pictish word Caer and Caled which perhaps mean as “ place of Caled Fort”. One of the major attractions is the long esplanade, which runs along the coast, and perfect for admiring breathtaking sunrise and sunset views. The biggest annual Link Market of Kirkcaldy is also held here, which is claimed to be Europe's longest street fair. As you approach the heart of the town you will see the splendid building of Kirkcaldy Museum and Art Gallery, which is one of the finest museums in Scotland. It houses an amazing collection of beautiful paintings by the Scottish painters and some other rare object that speak about the town's rich past. Facing the library are the well manicured gardens which are real feast to eyes. Opposite to the Library is the Adam Smith theatre, which was opened to commemorate the famous economist Adam Smith, one of the famous residents of Kirkcaldy. This theatre is home to the annual Fife Festival of Music and Fife Opera,as well as Kirkcaldy Amateur Dramatic Society. Scotland's third largest college, the Adam Smith College has three campuses in the town.

The prime shopping and eating area in Kirkcaldy is the High Street which runs parallel to the Esplanade, with the middle section pedestrianised. You will find all popular stores and showroom here like Marks & Spenser, Debenhams, Boots, Dorothy Perkins and much more. Besides, the street has a plethora of wonderful restaurants where not only can you savour authentic Scottish food but many popular Italian, French, Thai, Chinese, Turkish, and, Indian delicacies. Vibrant pubs and bars are also sprinkled in and around the High Street. The Mercat Shopping centre is a large complex that runs between the High Street and the Esplanade and houses an array of shops, cafes and restaurants. Postings is another shopping complex that has the main post office of the town and provides an entrance to TESCO.

Just a stone's throw away from High Street is the lovely Beveridge park, which is very well maintained and is an ideal place for spending time with your family and basking under the sun. The park has a amazing landscape and contains formal gardens and playground for kids. There is a small lake, which is home to dozens of ducks and other birds. I even spotted a pair of swans that add to the beauty of this serene lake. Located on the outskirts of the town is the ruined Ravenscraig Castle, which dates from around 1460. Recognised as a heritage building, it is a brilliant example of artillery defence in Scotland. From the top of the castle, you can admire the astounding views of the sea and the town.

I have fallen in love with this quaint town and its people. Time seems to be still here just like the emerald blue waters of the sea, which are so calm and peaceful. For hours I can stand along the esplanade and watch the waves smoothly kissing the sands, the ships cruising far away while enjoying the laid back atmosphere.

MY SWEET MOM :)

I understand the value of word " Maa", when my mummy is not here with me . Though I talk to her daily but I miss her a lot. Here's a poem I wrote for my sweet mom.

RANGBIRANGE SAPNO KE TU PANKH LAGAKE AJA MAA,

APNE GARAM GARAM ANCHAL MEIN, MUJHKO TU SULAJA MAA.

YAAD TERI MUJHKO ATI HAI, ANSU BEH BEH JATE HAIN,

APNE PAAS BULALE MUJHKO, YEH KEH KAR THAM JATE HAIN.

YU TO TU HAI PAS MEIN MERE, PHIR BHI MUJHSE BAHUT HAI DUR

JALDI APNE PAAS BULALE, TU HAI MERE DIL KA NUUR

lOVE YOU SO MUCH MOM :)

The last lecture

Yesterday I was watching late Professor Randy Pausch's Last Lecture videos. Its one of the most inspiring lectures I have ever listened to. Here are a few quotes by him :

"The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough".

"Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted"

"When you see yourself doing something badly and nobody’s bothering to tell you anymore, that’s a very bad place to be. Your critics are your ones telling you they still love you and care"

"Have something to bring to the table, because that will make you more welcome."..

Day 5 & Day:6

Abhi is not at home with me. No more work from home for him :( but he makes sure I take all my medicines on time. I have a mild headache that makes me sleep for long hours. I still have the pain but my face is showing some signs of recovery. I was going through some websites and articles about Bells Palsy, which have clearly mentioned that there may be an increase or a decrease in pain in patients who are recovering because the numbness and paralysis that they had previously experienced is subsiding. So, I am not so worried about it.

I can now close my right eye quite properly and eat on my own. :) very soon , a physiotherapist will be assigned by the hospital who I need to visit on weekends. :)

Day: 5

Sunday is meant to be a funday but of-late for me its more of a rest day. As I was totally fed up of sitting at home and doing nothing except eating healthy food or popping medicines, I needed a real good break. Abhi had told me about a small pretty village in Fife region, called North Queensferry, which houses the Scotland's National aquarium. I was all ready to explore it. Its a picturesque village, and all you can hear on its winding roads is the soothing rustling of leaves. Thanks to Abhi's new phone, which guided us to the SEA World. This is for the first time in my life I had seen incredibly beautiful fishes, frogs, crabs, lobsters and, above all, deadly sharks. The underwater glass tunnel was just out of the world. People were going crazy seeing those ferocious animals swimming majestically above them. A great experience indeed. for a while I had totally forgotten about my head ache and palsy. I was putting my best efforts to express my joy, fear and surprise after seeing that place. Abhi took some pics of mine but I was so reluctant to get clicked. :). I could feel a lot of pain on the right side of the face. But somehow I managed it as I didnt want to compromise with the fun and masti.

Meanwhile I got a call from Akshay who had just watched "Inception" and gave a terrific review about it. We were so pumped up that we boarded the train to Edinburgh and bought movie tickets and we were in the Q for the next show. Inception, the film, is a contemporary sci-fi actioner set within the architecture of the mind. The concept was very unique and complex that there was a pin drop silence in the hall, may be everybody was equally confused as I was. It talked about planting an idea in to someone's mind, which is not real. the action was mind blowing and brilliant. but nothing seemed to be getting in to my mind as I was so much distracted with my severe headache. Somehow I managed to spend two hours there.

I called up Abhi's frnd, Kshitij,who is a surgeon. He told me the pain was normal and it happens when the body is in recovery mode. I was bit relaxed then but was still worried about my health. Pain is the part of my life now and I am learning to live with it. But, as per doc, it is a temporary phase and everything will be fine soon. :)

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