Piri and rotating needle

In medivial Ottomon, when the heydays of the Sultans had not ended and Europe was still far from awakening to modernity and civilization, there lived a boy who would roam through seas on high-mast ships. 

His uncle was a naval commander for the ottoman navy and the boy aspired to become one like him someday. 

Once the little boy was given a “box with a rotating needle” to play to which his uncle remarked “It is the guardian of your life and destiny on sea, so learn to use it, for one day you would leave sea for land and then you ll have to thank it”.

 For hours after then the boy used to gaze into the compass and while holding it in one hand, he used to scratch weird lines on the shiny deck wood.

One day his uncle found him old enough to make him join the fleet of naval officers and he since enjoined him in battles that were fought on high-seas.

Years of playing with the compass and scratching shorelines in the wood made him gaze into the powers that lay inside the “small box with a needle”.

 He could look at seas and predict shorelines from a height none of his fellow could. In lost seas he navigated his ships through rough tides escaping shipwrecks but also arriving on shores whose sand and coastlines he could predict days before arrival. 

He detracted enemy ships, made his own invisible in the sea and knew of lands and islands existing in oceans that none knew before. 

It was famed that while ‘compass guided sailors, compass itself obeyed Piri’. 

In the fateful Battle of Lepanto, that changed the cource of world history, Piri was a hero to many who held the command of the victorious ships but Piri himself lost his beloved uncle. 

Saddened by his death, he withdrew from the world of seas and ships to the world of books and libraries, still holding his compass in nostalgia. It was now he thought  was his time to give gratitude to the “box with the rotating needle” as his uncle had once remarked. 

Piri set himself to the task of compiling his travels and the travels before him, not in any worded narration, but in maps. In libraries, with his compass by his side he would devour through sea of books to look for accounts of travellers and cartographers so that he could bring about the exact account of his own travel. 

Piri Reis gave to the world the gifts of his navigation in form of numerous maps covering almost all corners of the globe in his Book of Navigation. 

He described therein the secrets to many uncharted sea territories and advices to sailors to avoid shipwrecks. Most of his work was destroyed or stolen from libraries over the cource of time. Of what remained is a torn map which he drew in 1513. 

The map shows the coastline of Western Africa, North America and South, Europe and Greenland, but was still inconceivable to the world-Antarctica, which was only discovered 300 years after his death.

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

Navigating through our souls...

"Whatever you are physically...male or female, strong or weak, ill or healthy--all those things matter less than what your heart contains. If you have the soul of a warrior, you are a warrior. All those other things, they are the glass that contains the lamp, but you are the light inside". - Cassandra Clare

Life is strange. It bestows on us new challenges each day. It makes sure that we keep on our toes and the warriors in us never gets tired. 

In this whole process of accepting challenges and fighting with the outside world we sometimes tend to forget our insides. What lies within us. Our souls. 

We fail to understand that no matter the problems we face, the conflicts that go around us, the issues we are forced to tackle, our soul always takes part in our fights. And that is why it is utmost important to nourish and replenish it. 

Replenishing the soul is hard and easy at the same. 

All it requires is a way to navigate through it. A way to seep and extract what goes in and the desires it harbours. 

Our soul isn't timid or weak. It is not even shy. It is simply too modest and too patient. It would never shout or nudge you every now and then to listen or understand its needs. It simply waits. Hopeful, that you will eye through. 

To understand its demands. To accept the realities you have been running from. To accept your own needs. To find the things which make you grow and heal and love

"The soul is placed in the body like a rough diamond, and must be polished, or the luster of it will never appear". -Daniel Defoe

Simply put you need to wade through your inner self. Navigate, trying to ascertain where you are and where you want to be. 

Just like while driving, we navigate to find the direction of a place we want to go. We take the help of technology and also listen to what our impulses say. It is by this collaboration that we are able to find our way with ease.

In a similar way, navigating through our souls is important to locate things which would help us move on the desired path. 

Surprising it is that if you part ways or forget to replenish the soul, life seems to be lost somewhere. 

It really gets difficult to cope up with the hardships and problems. 

We may give it any name. Call it depression, fear, sadness, gloom. All of it are just synonymous to this phenomenon of unnourished soul. 

The moment you understand it and begin to seek solace within, things start to get better. The process of 'soul navigation' is the cure you need. It is all the therapy that is required to bring you back to an equilibrium. To set you back on a healthy and happy life.

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

Navigate safe! 3 products you should avoid buying online

Online market is the latest fad amongst shopaholics. Everyday we see new online shopping apps being launched and almost all the brands joining in the bandwagon of online shopping. 

This whole process of buying things is so interesting that most of us are unable to resist and have used one or the other app to buy things for ourselves or our loved ones. 

Its so heartening to see a plethora of products available online. Some of the items which are not easily available in the market can be very much seen on sites like amazon.com. 

Some of the popular ones have great delivery timings, the quick tracking details, amazing and prompt return policy, good discounts, decent variety and a lot of ease make shopping online so every trustworthy and secure.

Yet there are some hitches to this too. 

And as I always mention that we learn from experiences, more so from the bitter ones. 

Initially, I was a little skeptical about this whole fad of online shopping and ordering things. 

So I took baby steps at a time. At first, I began ordering just the books. I was impressed by the prompt delivery, good packing, cute bookmarks. 

Next came the turn of accessories and electronics. 

Well, buying electronics was a good move but I can't say the same for accessories. 

Only after I ordered certain cosmetics that I realised, Online sites are not 'jack of all trades' and safe navigation is needed. 

So, today I am here to give you a piece of advice on where to draw a line and where to steer clear of this amazing era of online buying. 

1)Cosmetics 

Agreed already that a lot of cosmetics which aren't so easily available especially in Indian market can be promptly found while navigating on online sites. More so, at luring and genuine prices. But I step in here to alert! 

Buying cosmetics online is an extremely bad idea.

 Why? One, the tones and shades, be it in case of lipsticks or foundation tend to differ on the screen and in real. Online companies too accept this fact and warn you. 

This could actually be suicidal in case you are ordering a foundation or compact powder etc. Where shade makes all the difference. 

Secondly, when you are buying cosmetics in the real market you can always compare the shades of different brands on your own skin and it does make a huge difference believe me. 

So no matter how good the deal, I advice you to avoid shopping for cosmetics online. 

2)Dress materials

Some of you may disagree but buying dress materials online hasn't lured me yet. 

Myntra.com does come close to trust with good brands selling wonderful products and prompt return policies but still, the kind of satisfaction you get trying on ten different dresses before buying one can't be achieved online. Also,lets accept that returning-ordering-returning gets quite tedious at times. 

3)Sunglasses

While buying watches or bags online is a good idea, I cannot say the same for sunglasses and spectacles too. The reason is clear, you need to really try the frames to know which one suits your facial features best. 

It may be a Dior or Ray Ban, uber sexy but that doesn't guarantee it to suit your face. 

Sounds sensible? 

Having said all that, both real and virtual have their pros and cons. 

It is for you to analyse and navigate safely. 

What are you thoughts and experiences about it? Do let me know. 

Enjoy shopping! 

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

Navigating through medical life..Doctors-Book Review

Source: www.sarahmalikdelhi.blogspot.com

Doctors is a story of Harvard medical student's class of 1962. 

The book beautifully navigates through the medical as well as personal life of these healers in white coats. 

Centring around Barney Livingston and Laura Castellano, the book opens up in the childhood of these would-be doctors and their families who are neighbours. 

Slowly it moves forward as they cross their teenage and finally enter the prestigious 'Harvard medical school'. 

After five years of grilling, the story progresses to their days of internship and how each of the batchmates moves towards various specialities. 

The book then revolves and vividly narrates the hardships faced by each one of them. Their struggles, the war, the racism, hopes, love and how they continue to progress into the medical field inspite of all odds. Finding love, experiencing heartbreaks, disease and calamities.

 No doubt, this work of Erich Segal is a page turner all the way. 

The poise with which he navigates into the medical world to show innumerable aspects of a doctor's life is commendable. The most wonderful aspect of the story is that it sticks to the central theme and yet manages to spread, showing so many aspects of a doctors life.

Be it the racism faced by Bennett or Seth's undue compassion for his patients. 

I also loved how he slowly and very beautifully depicts the relationship between story's main protagonists Laura and Barney and then how their platonic friendship ends to give way to romantic love.

Equation between Bennett and Barney is amazingly portrayed too. 

I also loved how Erich broadens our medical horizons and reasons out each of the characters moving on to practice their interests of speciality.

The ending is beautiful too and does explain many aspects between medicine and miracle. How even doctors who heal can be helpless and that they too look forward to miracles. 

Favourite character: It has to be Dr. Barney Livingston. This guy is a real charmer. Be his equation with Laura or Bennett. His passion, his knowledge and sarcasm, Depiction of Barney's character is simply awesome. 

I totally fell in love with our hero cum psychiatrist.

Favourite lines: 

1. "He had spent most of his lifetime studying the art of medicine and realized now that he would never really understand its mysteries. For medicine is an eternal quest for reasons - causes that explain effects. Science cannot comprehend a miracle".

2. "although science could pinpoint the exact spot in the brain that ignites rage, they had yet to identify the location that produces love". 

Favourite part: All of the medical college. Being a medical student, this was the part of the book I could relate to so very much. It just took me back to my medical college days, the sleepless nights during exams, endless discussions on the phone, how ruthless our medical professors were, how easily they failed, the incessant mugging and each and every detail is so real. 

Verdict: This book is a MUST read for every medical student. 

You will simply Love it!

Those of you who do not belong to the medical fraternity, this book is the best way to navigate and understand the life of these mortals in white coats. 

Rating : 4/5 

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

Navigating through life..

Life is complex. The fundamentals and philosophies around it are even more complex. 

A thousand mysteries run haphazardly in each direction and navigating through it is quite an exhausting if not an impossible task. 

No doubt, construction of a human mind and its fellow soul is an equally complex and haphazard process but somehow the complexities of life always overpower the mental problem solving.

There are times when you feel you have figured it all out and navigated through this daunting maze successfully when suddenly it roller coaster's to a new ride.

Destiny is a powerful word. The belief in it an infinitely powerful feeling.

We may not be able to fight the complex philosophies of life but we sure can try to simplify it. 

Of Course, simplification is easier said than done. It requires not just a firm belief but also in depth analysis, study and learning.

But once begun, the process keeps on auto progressing of sorts.

Sounds vague? 

Let me give you a clearer insight now.

Suppose, life presents you with an unpleasant situation. What is your instinctive reaction? 

You tend to fight. Instead of trying to understand why it happened and what impact it could create on your life or what you can learn from it, you tend to question why me or the harms it has temporarily bestowed .

Now, what if you had accepted it in a former way? What if you tried to simplify it.

As mentioned above, if you accepted it as an act of destiny with a firm belief that it is unarguably for your own benefit. 

That benefit is for you to experience sooner or later. 

The situation may not be in your favour as of now but it surely isn't forever.

Peace will envelope you.

This is the power of faith in destiny. It helps you navigate through the harsh surroundings and darker dungeons

 in the simplest and most calm ways. 

It helps you navigate through life in the most hopeful and positive way.

Some people believe that accepting all that occurs to us as an act of destiny is like taking a back seat in this car of life.

Although this is an extremely wrong way to look through the situation and life at large. 

Why? Because, even when we drive through unknown roads, the harsh or maybe dangerous ones, we never drive with a warrior mindset. At Least a sensible driver won't. We might be afraid that the path is untravelled and a crisis situation might create panic but that doesn't justify us to increase the speed or rash drive the situation.

Instead we drive calmly and sensibly, trying to simplify as we navigate through the unknown paths. 

We try to alter our moods by playing a peppy music or thinking of hopeful and impact creating memoirs.

That is an intelligent way to go about it. 

An intelligent way to navigate through the ups and downs of life.

Don't just rush through in an instinctive way. That would do much harm than good. Try and analyse it first, know your place on the path of life and then rationally take a step ahead.

A firm belief in destiny can be an incredible source of sanity and positivity, believe it or not.

Give it a thought and you would never have to take a backseat when navigating through the situations of life.

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.