Day 1: 179 days more to go...

Yes, I have already started counting backwards for an approximate date when my mumma will be back here with me. It's just been 16 hours since I hugged her passionately, trying to hold back my tears at the airport but I'm already feeling like it's been days. I just don't know what's happening to me. I have never seen or heard of someone who feels about his/her mother the way I feel. It's like I can't see anyone/anything without having my mom at the back of my mind.

I've been doing stuff that hardly anyone does. I brought prasad from a local temple (where mumma used to go frequently) and before eating it, virtually 'fed' it to mumma's photo thinking that she would also get lord's blessings. Right now, when she's in the flight to Mumbai from Newark (connecting flight), I'm constantly monitoring the flight status/current location on continental.com and take solace in the fact that she'll reach home soon safely.

Mom tried her best everyday before leaving to strengthen me emotionally so that I don't inflict pain on myself by grieving and staying lost.

I am mad! But I can be mad for mom :)

Want to write some more...

5 minutes ago, I uploaded my first post of the day. But I have 1 more thing to write about: just four days and my mom will be 13000 km away from me.

I am sad all day, every day. Just can't control my emotions. SHITTTTT MAN! WHAT THE HELL...the next 6 months are going to be...I don't know what. Last semester, I could at least come back on weekends to see her. Now, I feel I've been 'orphaned' for 6 months. Although my brother and bhabhi will take good care of me but I won't feel like coming to Houston anymore. I can live without anybody, anything in this world. I can fight any situation without complain with grit but I can't live away from mom.

Yes, the last post said this too: We Cancerians are very tough on the outside but we have a swirling emotional tornado within us if we are depressed. More so in my case because I have got only my mom's love almost all my life - dad left when I was 7, brother left when I was 14. The time when one actually enters the outside world and learn a million things everyday is after school. And that's when I only had my mom with me, to teach me, to guide me, to love me.

But now, I will have to go through, live through all this. That's because I have chosen this path of mine. I just hope time flies by until mom returns...

Stubborn unbeliever turns a fan of Star Signs!

Until a couple of months ago, if somebody started any discussion about star signs in front of me, I hated it. I felt that all that 'nonscientific' science was baseless.

But when my close ones chided me for being too independent, for being so attached to home and my mom, honestly I started feeling "Am I really different, abnormal?" I just thought of googling about such traits and what I found truly astonished me.

I landed on the Astro signs page on various websites and started reading about my sign - Cancer. Believe me, I was amazed to see that each and every characteristic of people born under this sign were present in me! I was like, "Man, I am not alone! There are millions out there like me." And I took heart in this fact that I am not doing anything special with my life. I've been made like this. Some specific characteristics about me that I found 100% correct (although almost all were perfect):

DEFINITION:A cardinal (creative and original) sign, Cancer governs home life, matters to do with women (especially the mother), as well as sensitivity and emotional intensity. It is a water sign, so Cancerian people are emotionally intense and deeper than they appear on the surface, while quite sensitive and understanding once you get through that tough exterior.

1> The Cancerian’s most positive point is his understanding nature. On the whole, he is a loving and sympathetic person. He would never go out of his way to hurt anyone.

2> They are often very concerned about the world. Their interest in people generally foes beyond that of just their own families and close friends; they have a deep sense of brotherhood and respect humanitarian values. The Cancerian means what he says, as a rule; he is honest about his feelings.

3> The Cancer man or woman is a person who knows the art of patience. When something seems difficult, he is willing to wait until the situation become manageable again. He is a person who knows how to bide his time.

4> The Cancerian knows how to concentrate on one thing at a time. When he has made his mind up he generally sticks with what he does, seeing it through to the end. The crab's large claws hang on to its possessions for dear life, just as the Cancerian collects things to beautify the environment and bravely defends the home turf.

5> The Cancerian is a person who loves his home. He enjoys being surrounded by familiar things and the people he loves. Of all the signs, Cancer is the most maternal. Even the men born under this sign often have a motherly or protective quality about the,. They like to take care of people in the their family-to see that they are well loved and well provided for. They are usually loyal and faithful. Family ties mean a lot to the Cancer man or woman. Parents and in-laws are respected and loved.

6> The Cancerian has a strong sense of tradition.

7> He is a true romantic and sees fairytale dreams frequently. However, he is as close to reality as anyone can be. Baffled? Don't worry, it takes some time, but people will start understanding the Cancerian man slowly and gradually. The changes in him do not mean a changing personality like the Geminis. It is just a change of moods and he will soon be his usual self again.

8> Just like a crab, he retreats into a shell when his emotions are hurt. The shell is his haven and he will remain there till he is ready to face the world again. Cancerian men may look harsh and distant at times, but inside they are very gentle, kind and affectionate. Rudeness is not one of their personality traits. It just acts a cover to hide their true, vulnerable feelings.

9> He is the one who always pays his bills on time and he likes saving more than spending. He is not stingy, but he is also not extravagant.

10> There is another thing a Cancer male cannot live without - talking about his Mommy Dearest! She is most likely to be there in his every second conversation. Cancer is all about the home. Those born under this Sign like to stick to their roots, they take great pleasure in the comforts of home and family. Traditions are upheld with great enthusiasm in a Cancerian's household, since these people prize family history and love communal activities. They also tend to be patriotic, waving the flag, whenever possible.


11> With a Cancerian man, there is one thing people around him will never be short of - Love!

12> Cancerians are creative. Even those among you who may not have any particular talent can use some involvement with art, music, or writing as another method of emotional release, rather than indulging in eating binges or other destructive habits.

13> Cancerians are doers. They set out to accomplish things and, one way or another, they want to obtain their goals. In spite of their emotional sensitivity, they are strong-willed and have no trouble expressing what they want, then finding a way to get it. The Crab is their astrological symbol and there are certain crab-like gestures directly associated with the behavior of Cancerians. Just as the crab walks sideways rather than straight ahead, Cancerians use an indirect approach in accomplishing their goals.

14> Cancerians have good memory for the past, be it some past incidents of their own life, or history in general. That is the reason they take time to come out afresh of their habits and emotional patterns. They also have good sense of humor and are fun to be with. They are thoughtful and compassionate. Cancerians love nature. Water bodies and full moon have special effects on their being. They are good leaders, and can create stable, long-lasting careers for themselves in whichever field they go. Most of the successful businessmen are born under this sign.

These traits are not present in only 1 website; almost all websites mention about these things regarding Cancerians. Those that I read are:

http://www.astrologycom.com/cancer.html
http://www.iloveindia.com/astrology/sun-signs/cancer/man.html
http://www.iloveindia.com/astrology/sun-signs/cancer/index.html
http://horoscope.xaapa.com/personalities-the-positive-side-of-cancer/
http://horoscope.xaapa.com/personalities-the-negative-side-of-cancer/
http://www.dailyscopes.com/cancer-sun.php
http://www.dgreetings.com/birthday/cancer.html
http://www.astrology.com/ssc/cancer.html
http://www.indianetzone.com/2/cancer_astrology.htm
http://www.astroshastra.com/sunsign/cancer.asp



This has made me a firm believer of star signs (personality traits). NOTE THAT I still dont believe in horoscope i.e. future predictions and how to avoid bad things that peope say will happen in future. I mean, if you say things will happen in future, how can one avoid them?

A few statistics of a 'noble' gift to India by jihadis

Sometimes I wonder why are the letters jumbled up in the word 'jihadis'... It should actually be 'HIJADAS'!!!!!! The statistics that I have compiled go as:

Bomb Blasts in India since 1993:
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March 12, 1993: A series of thirteen explosions in Mumbai, then called Bombay, resulted in 257 deaths and over 700 injuries. The blasts were orchestrated by the organized crime syndicate called the D-Company, headed by Dawood Ibrahim.

Feb. 14, 1998: Coimbatore bombings: 46 deaths, 200 wounded as a result of 13 bomb attacks in 11 places.

Oct. 1, 2001: Militants attack Jammu & Kashmir Assembly complex in Srinagar, killing about 35. The Muslim extremist group Jaish-e-Mohammed was allegedly involved.

Dec. 13, 2001: Attack on the Indian Parliament complex in New Delhi led to the killing of a dozen people and 18 injured. Pakistan-based terror groups were blamed for the attack.

Sept. 24, 2002: Akshardham temple in Gujarat: The first major hostage taking since Sept. 11 in the U.S.; 31 people were killed and another 79 wounded.

May 14, 2002: Militants attack on an Army camp near Jammu, killing more than 30 people.

March 13, 2003: A bomb attack on a commuter train in Mumbai killed 11.

Aug. 25, 2003: Twin car bombings (Gateway of India) in Mumbai killed at least 52 people and injured 150. Indian officials blamed a Pakistan-based terror outfit.

Aug. 15, 2004: An explosion in the northeastern state of Assam killed 16 people, mostly school children.

July 5, 2005: Militants attack the Ram Janmabhoomi complex, the site of the destroyed Babri Mosque at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.

Oct. 29, 2005: Three powerful serial blasts rocked the busy shopping areas of south Delhi, two days before the Hindu festival of Diwali, killing 59 and injuring 200. A Pakistan-based terrorist outfit, the Islamic Inquilab Mahaz (believed to have links with Lashkar-e-Taiba) claimed responsibility.

March 7, 2006: A series of bombings in the holy city of Varanasi killed at least 28 and injured 101. Indian police put the blame on some Pakistan-based terror outfits.

July 11, 2006: Seven bomb blasts occurred at various places on the Mumbai Suburban Railway, killing 200. Investigations revealed that terror outfits with a base in Pakistan were behind the blasts.

Sept. 8, 2006: At least 37 people were killed and 125 were injured in a series of bomb blasts in the vicinity of a mosque in Malegaon, Maharashtra. The blasts were followed by an explosion and most of the people killed were Muslim pilgrims. The students Islamic Movement of India was responsible.

February 2007:
Two bombs explode aboard a train bound from India to Pakistan, burning to death at least 66 passengers, most of them Pakistanis.

May 18, 2007: A bombing during Friday prayers at Mecca Masjid, Hyderabad, killed 13 people. Four were killed by Indian police in the rioting that followed.

May 26, 2007: Six people killed and 30 injured in a bomb blast in India's northeastern city of Guwahati.

June 10, 2007: Gunmen killed 11 people in separate incidents of firing in Manipur's border town of Moreh.

Aug. 25, 2007: Forty-two people killed and 50 injured in twin explosions at a crowded park and a popular eatery in Hyderabad by Harkat-ul-Jehad-i-Islami (HuJI) activist.

November 2007: 15 people killed in seven well-synchronised explosions near court premises in three cities of Uttar Pradesh -- Lucknow, Varanasi and Faizabad.

October 2007: 2 killed in a blast inside Ajmer Sharif shrine during Ramadan, in Rajasthan.

January 2008: Terrorist attack on CRPF camp in Rampur kills eight.

May 13, 2008: A series of six explosions tore through Jaipur, a popular tourist destination in the Rajasthan state in western India, killing 63 people and injuring more than 150.

July 25, 2008: Seven blasts in quick succession across the south Indian tech city of Bangalore killed one and injured more than 150 people.

July 26, 2008: Serial blasts in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad killed 45 people and injured more than 150. A group calling itself Indian Mujahideen claimed responsibility.

Sept. 13, 2008: Five bomb blasts in New Delhi's popular shopping centers left 21 people dead and more than 100 injured. The Indian Mujahideen claimed responsibility.

Sept. 27, 2008: A blast in a New Delhi flower market left one dead.

September 29, 2008, Modasa blast: One killed in blast at Modasa in Gujarat.

September 29, 2008, Malegaon blasts: Five persons killed after bomb placed on a motor bike went off.

October 21, 2008, Imphal blasts: 17 killed in blast near Manipur police commando complex.

Oct. 30, 2008: Thirteen bomb blasts in India's northeastern state of Assam and three other towns left at least 61 people dead more than 300 injured.

November 26, 2008: The 2008 Mumbai attacks were a series of ten coordinated terrorist attacks across Mumbai, India's financial capital and its largest city. At least 173 people were killed and at least 308 were injured in the attacks that shook the whole world.