On the Edge of Moderation

Perspectives change when you least expect. That is what happened to me when I was coping to live a life in a land where I didn't belong. A land that had to offer plenty of what I need but little that I want.

It was a rare occasion of team dinner that turned out to be an unforgettable one. Our team member was elaborating on how he implemented the concept of moderation in his daily life. He applied moderation on everything from having sugar in coffee to work-life balance. We need to apply moderation whenever personal preference is not compromised. Below is an example of how I have used this principle and benefited in life.

I was a regular at Starbucks and used to consume atleast three venti per day. That's around 9 expressos. All was well until one night I could not sleep. I was awake the whole night, just sitting on the bed. For a person whom smell precedes the taste, I decided to cut down on caffeine without cutting down on coffee consumption. I asked the barista to add little bit of decaffinated coffee in a venti cup and dilute with hot water. Now coffee session continues throughout day during winters without loosing sleep. Decaffinated coffee is just powdered coffee washed down with water. This removes lot of the caffeine since it is water soluble.

All of use have preferences and habits that are difficult to eliminate without strong will. Instead of putting an end to these habits it is easier to just apply moderation.

Suggested: The Runaway Jury by Grisham for tobacco consumers.

Fighting Fear - The Vertical Drop

There is a constant battle between brain and heart. My heart skipped a beat when I first saw the Shiekra ride in Busch Gardens Tampa. Every time I saw it swing, turn and plummet at 90 degrees vertical drop, my heart grew weaker and there was a churning in my tummy. I could hear the riders shriek and scream like they were on a near death experience.

We went to Tampa Busch gardens for thanksgiving. The first day went in the train ride, SM’s pursuit to get colorful birds and animals on her camera and Elmo and Cookie Monster, the only TV characters that BM seems to care about. The following day we went for several baby rides for BM, the unforgettable Shiekra. Then, it was time for some memorabilia. Fridge magnets for SM, footballs and play bucket for BM.

We observed the Shiekra several times during the two days. Watching the ride was fearful by itself. Of the two 90 degrees plunges we noticed the first and higher one would be more challenging mainly due to the height. We also noticed that the part where it goes into the water would be a difficult one. The worst to observe was the part where it stops at the top most point at 90 degrees eagerly showing the height of the drop.

From then on the only reason that I wanted to go for the ride was to defeat the fear within me. It appeared that fear had won over me. As I was getting ready to give up and right after a good restroom break, I decide to walk up to the challenge. I was not sure if I would take up the challenge though. I was always ready to back out if I didn’t like what I was seeing. I have taken several decisions based on gut feeling and I would say this was one that I regretted only for the duration of the ride. I had seen the ride complete successfully at least 10 times and I think it was the statistics that drove me into this.

My real experience was far more fearful than what we had observed. From the time the ground moved for the ride to take off, to the time it arrived, it was filled with horror. “Who is the crazy maniac that designed this ride” was the first thought that crossed my mind when it stopped at 90 degrees in the top most point, which by the way was extremely high. My mind separated from body from that time onwards. I could see and hear but could not react. Everything seemed like an illusion. To my dismay, the second vertical drop was much worse than the first since it went underground into a tunnel. There were times when we were over 70 miles per hour. The plunge into water was the next thing to increase my heart rate and in all probability also my blood pressure.

It was in-fact a near life experience. I am glad that my mind and common sense finally won over fear. Not bad for a person with fear of heights. Here are some pictures.

We are all Equal - Sounds good but is it true

There are those that want to be treated as equals. Then there are those that want to be treated special. Question is, "is it ever possible to achieve equality"? Then, "is it desirable to have equality"?

Equality is possible if everybody thinks, looks and works the same. In other words although we strive a lot for equality, it is never possible.

I feel low even as a thousands stars glow in the night sky desperately trying to give me confidence and joy.

Sunrise

Yet nothing gives me the happiness that I can get when the Sun comes out. Not even close. It is so amazing that I get the same joy when the Sun sets. All my worries and sorrow seem to vanish and I am filled with a kind of joy that lasts long and every time that I can recollect the event. I would like to bow to all the people that have the same feelings. I bet a thousand stars could not equal the Sun in this aspect. And of course I would not expect to have a thousand Suns as I know the effect of one Sun in Chennai.

Game On

Scorecard
Rich Vs Poor
Christian Vs Muslim
White Vs Black
North Indian Vs South Indian
USA Vs USSR
Left Vs Right
Educated Vs Uneducated
Urban Vs Rural
...you name it.

Games in Progress
Abortion Vs anti-abortion
Gay Vs anti-gay

No matter who plays in the end the people that are determined and work hard or work smart are up against all the others. Quality of work is as important if not more than hard work and they are mutually replaceable.

Which side do you want to be on?

About

Mohan the Reviewer is inspired by Joe the Plumber.

Mohan the Reviewer is a poor guy whose life fell through the cracks of discrimination. He is about to give up hope at any moment now. But as it stands, he seems to have opinion on everything under this sky and beyond. With nobody to express his stand, this is a perfect platform to perform and dazzle the 6 billion earthlings and the 12 million aliens.

Mohan the Reviewer is an Alien
Mohan the Reviewer is Happy
Mohan the Reviewer is Sad
Mohan the Reviewer is Black and White
Mohan the Reviewer is ready to launch his ideas into cyber space


10 thangs that affected Mohan the reviewer:
1- Sunrise
10 - Sunset