I decided to get out and about today while it was snowing and as I was trying not to slip, I saw these kids enjoying themselves and I asked myself ‘when was the last time time I enjoyed without thinking about getting wet, dirty, etc’ – consequences! (not talking about illegal things).
So I decided that I will TRY and take life as is and live it.
“Our skies and oceans are shared. The manner in which we see and interpret them differs”.
Same as what we do on a daily basis. We see, we hear, we feel – the same, but transpiring its meaning in multiple forms, thoughts, feelings as we want to understand it; or we want it to be what we want it to be.
We never really stop or try to comprehend what we are being shown or told.
We all just perceive the same thing differently.
Copyright: Kirtan Varasia (2021)
Goodreads | Kirtan’s Year in Books
— Read on www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2020/70930050
I wanted to share the books I have read in 2020. If you are on #Goodreads platform, I will be happy to connect and expand my network. Please send me an invite via the Goodreads app to kirtanvarasia@gmail.com
Horse racing regulations require no racehorse’s name to contain more than 18 letters
Butterflies can taste with their feet
Fingernails grow faster than toenails
Men sweat approximately 40% more than women
The first paper was pronoun silk
The term cop came from England. It’s short for Constable on Patrol
Cows have best friends within their herds
There are one million ants to every human in the world
Starfish do not have brains
Podiatrists state that the average pair of feet travel about 190,000 km in a lifetime
Animals that lay eggs don’t have belly buttons
On average, a cow produces 40 glasses of milk daily
When you blush, the lining of your stomach also turns red
Right-handed people, on average, live nine years longer than left-handed people
All hurricanes form over water and last for about 10 days
Fish can get seasick
23% of all photocopier faults worldwide are caused by people sitting on them and photocopying their bottoms
Strawberries contain more vitamin C than oranges
Baby African elephants throw themselves headfirst into mud when they are grumpy
The loop on a belt that holds the loose end is called a ‘keeper’
There isn’t a word that rhymes with PURPLE
Men sweat approximately 40% more than women
Very small clouds are called ‘scuds’
The term karaoke means ‘empty orchestra’
A greyhound’s eyesight is the best of any breed of dog
The only thing that can destroy a diamond is intense heat
Honey is the only food that does not spoil
There are more than twice as kangaroos as people in Australia
China’s Beijing Duck Restaurant can seat 9000 people at one time
The Hollywood sign was erected in 1923
Porcupines float in water
Androphobia is the fear of rain
French fries are originally from Belgium
Human thigh bones are stronger than concrete
It is physically impossible for a crocodile to stick out its tongue
The hole in a pencil sharpener into which the pencil is placed is called the chuck
Chicken soup was believed to be an aphrodisiac in the Middle Ages
Huntsman spiders in Australia can hold their breath
On average, women dream more than men
The hair of an adult can stretch 25% of its length without breaking
Daily, the human race grows by about 214,000 people
In most advertisements, the time displayed on a watch is 10:10
Babies have taste buds all over the insides of their mouths not just on their tongues
A greyhound’s eyesight is the best of any breed of dog
The strength of all the hairs on one human head can support the weight of approximately 100 people
The rush of air produced by a cough can approach 1000km an hour
Women blink nearly twice as much as men
Kilogram for kilogram, humans produce more heat than the sun
David Bowie has a spider named after him
Lungs are 100 times easier to blow up than a child’s balloon
There are more female than male millionaires
The oyster is ambisexual. It begins life as a male and becomes a female. It may go back and forth many times
A fear of dying laughing is called cherophobia
A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out
Polar bears are left-handed
The average cob of corn has eight hundred kernels arranged in sixteen rows
The average person will consume 50 tonnes of food and 45,000 litres of water in a lifetime
Sir Isaac Newton refused to eat with a spoon
Human birth control pills work on gorillas
Embryos of tiger sharks fight each other while in their mother’s womb, the survivor being the baby shark that is born
Racecar spelt backward is racecar
Termites eat wood twice as fast when listening to heavy metal music
A ‘buccula’ is the name given to a person’s double chin
The average woman will spend nearly 1 year of her lifetime trying to figure out what to wear
In the time it takes to read this sentence, 50,000 cells in your body will die and be replaced
Most car horns honk in the key of F
Starfish do not have brains
Podiatrists state that the average pair of feet travel about 190,000 km in a lifetime
When glass breaks, the cracks move faster than 50000 km an hour
There are about 75000,000,000,000,000,000 grains of sand in the world
The game of badminton used to be called poona
High-heeled shoes were originally designed for male aristocrats
The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket
The mechanical shark in the movie ‘Jaws’ was nicknamed Bruce
Barbie’s full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts
For one year, in 1958, ‘Most Glamorous Actress’ was a category at the Golden Globes
The pug dog got its name from looking like the pug monkey
Dolphins sleep with one eye open
Ronald Reagan was the only divorced American President
Duelling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors
Six-year-olds laugh an average of 300 times a day. Adults laugh 15-100 times a day
Ringo translates to apple in Japanese
Goldfish can’t close their eyes
Sheep will not drink from running water
Gynophobia is the fear of women
In Tokyo, a bicycle is faster than a car for most trips of less than 50 minutes
Children born in May are, on average 200 grams heavier at birth than children born any other month
14.4 million letters are lost in the mail every year
On average, women say 7000 words per day. Men manage just over 2000
Tuna suffocate if they stop swimming
The size of your foot is approximately the size of your forearm
The statue of Liberty’s index finger is about 2.5 metres in length
Pearls melt in vinegar
Leonardo da Vinci could play tennis with one hand draw with the other at the same time
Facial hair is the fastest growing hair on the body
Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour
On average, women say 7000 words per day. Men manage just over 2000
Tuna suffocate if they stop swimming
In France, it is illegal for a person to kiss another on railways
There is a Hello Kitty themed maternity hospital in Taiwan
Men can read smaller print better than women. Women can hear better
Rats can tell the difference between two human languages
Gynophobia is the fear of women
In Tokyo, a bicycle is faster than a car for most trips of less than 50 minutes
‘Papparazzi’ means buzzing mosquitoes in Italian
Organ transplant recipients can often take on similar traits to that of their organ donor
In the time it takes to read this sentence, 50,000 cells in your body will die and be replaced
Most car horns honk in the way of F
Leonardo da Vinci could play tennis with one hand and draw with the other at the same time
The sound a camel makes is called nuzzling
Scientists have found chocolate has a chemical that helps counteract depression
OK is the world’s most popular word
In one day, the human brain generates more electrical impulses than all the telephones in the world put together
Scarlett O’Hara’s real first name is Katie
Children born in May are, on average, 200 grams heavier at birth than children born any other month
14.4 million letters are lost in the mail every year
A ‘jiffy’ is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second
Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the US treasury
Men can read smaller print better than women. Women can hear better
A cat has 32 muscles in each ear
Turtles can breathe through their butts
John Lennon’s cat was names Elvis
The only thing that can destroy a diamond is intense heat
The skeleton of a 70kg body weighs about 13kg
A baby grey whale consumes enough milk to fill more than 2000 bottles a day
The penguin is the only bird who swim, but not fly
A cat keeps purring when inhaling and exhaling
The brain is 74% water
A man’s voice is deeper than a woman’s because males have longer vocal cords
When nobody else is around 47% of people drink straight from the carton
Fortune cookies ware invented in Los Angeles in 1916
China was the first country to use paper money
Ketchup was sold in the 1830’s as medicine
Many fish can change sex during the course of their lives
On average, there are eight peas in a pod
Hippos sweat turns red when they become upset and angry
Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards
Penguins only have one mate their entire life and propose by giving their mate a pebble
A duck’s quack doesn’t echo and nobody knows why
There are more saunas than cars in Finland!
Cheetah’s can’t roar. The can just purr and chirp
Sea otters hold each other’s paws when they sleep so they don’t drift apart
The collective noun for a group of ferrets is a business
Cows have best friends within their herds
Stressed spelt backwards is Desserts
Hippopotamus’s mild is pink
A claque refers to a group of people hired to applaud an act or performer
On average, 150 couples get married in Las Vegas each day
TV’s ‘Bananas in Pyjamas’ characters are played by women
The first pair of high heels were made for male soldiers in the 1500’s
It is physically impossible for a pig to raise their head and look at the sky
Girls have more tastebuds than boys
Proportionately, Earth’s atmosphere is thinner than the skin of an apple
A skunk will not bite and throw its scent at the same time
A skunk can be detected by a human over one kilometre away
Count de Grisley was the first magician to perform the trick of sawing a woman in half
Kilogram for kilogram, humans produce more heat than sun
The average person spends 2 weeks of their life waiting for the traffic light to change
The very first alarm clock made could only ring at 4am
Demi Moore first found work as bill collector
Ancient Romans believed chickpeas to be a powerful aphrodisiac, especially for man
Eggplants aren’t vegetables, they are really fruit
Cats average 12 to 16 hours of sleep a day, more than any other mammal
When viewed from above, rainbows appear doughnut-shaped
There are around 6,500 spoken languages in the world
On average a human will spend up to 2 weeks kissing in their lifetime
The average pencil can draw a 56km line
Before appearing in Peter Pan, the name Wendy only appeared twice before
Your feet are bigger in the afternoon than at any other time of the day
A docufiction series about mermaids fooled so many people that the US government had to issue a statement
Your brain is more active sleeping than it is watching TV
Ostriches eat pebbles
The tulip actually originated in Turkey, not Holland
Baby sloths are addicted to cuddling. They can’t get enough!
Americans consume about 100 acres of pizza per day
You can always see your own nose, but your brain chooses to block it out most of the time
Most newborns cry without tears until they are three to six weeks old
Female elephants produce only one offspring every five years
In the Caribbean there are oysters that can climb trees
For most of us, one breast is usually larger than the other
The gastric juices of a snake can digest bones and teeth but not fur or hair
A newborn hedgehog starts to get its spines within 24 hours of its birth
Pigs get sunburnt
Not copyrighted as I am just putting someone else’s effort in one place 🙂
#libraoddspot #knowledge #knowing #kirtan #kirtanvarasia #varasia #worth #worthit
‘’Mommy I can see the clothes circling’’ said the little boy excited. ‘’Yes, this is called a washing machine and it cleans the clothes by washing it by circling it like the wheels of your bicycle’’ responded the mother. ‘’Why does it keep circling, then stops and then starts circling again?’’ Asked the boy. ‘’I think by doing the circles multiple times, with the water and detergent, it’s supposed to let the cleaning mix go through the small pores in the clothes and clean it for us to wear them again’’ said the Mom.
Placing his face just outside the glass cover of the washing machine, the little boy ‘Sam’ began circling his head along with the washing cycle, when I turned back to look at the machine which had my clothes. Before that, I was watching outside the window at the local laundromat.
Circling his head, ‘’but mommy I don’t go in circles when you say I need to clean myself, you make me stand in the small glass room telling the water to fall on me like rain and you put the white soapy thing on me’’.
Mom, looking around, found me and smiled. Returning the smile, I said ‘’Indeed the little one is intelligent’’. She sighed happily!
‘’Mommy’’ keeping pace of his head with the washing cycle. ‘’Yes’’ said the mom. ‘’I want to get cleaned like this, can you put me in this machine for my next washing’’.
I sat with a smile wondering how simple and innocent is this little boy, asking simple questions that we adults have no answer to, but we proclaim to know it all otherwise.
The machine i had my clothes in was about to end its cycle with the first ‘beep’.
Standing up from his circling head, now his body had the same rhythm, Sam came close my machine. ‘’You have one more question, give it a sec’’ I said to the lady.
‘’Mommy there was a sound from this machine, why isn’t our machine making the sound?’’ asked Sam. ‘’Because it has not ended’’ said the Mom.
‘Beep, beep, beep’, I picked myself from the seat, when the little one said ‘’mommy this stopped and there were three beeps’’.
I stopped myself from going forward, I was enamoured by this curious kid. I had a hunch he had another flipper up his sleeves.
Mom ‘‘yes the clothes in that machine are clean now, so it gave a signal with three beeps and stopped’’. Sam ‘’how do I know I am clean, there are no beeps in the glass room, you just tell me rain is over’’. Mom looking at me!
Walking to the machine, smiling at Sam, I said ‘‘keep it up mate, you will go a long way’’, packing the clothes I left acknowledging the Mom.
I had the most pleasant walk back to my place, as I was thinking about little Sam. Why have I stopped asking questions and who labelled it being ‘dumb questions’!
Copyright: Kirtan Varasia 2019
#curiosity #openmind #kirtan #varasia #kirtanvarasia
Distant lights talk.
Ali made himself comfortable in the seat, looking around he realised he was the only one there.
Darkness all around. He loved being in such a surrounding and to top it, he was the only soul present at this hour in this place.
Sound of him munching the popcorns was the only noise around. He closed his eyes to take the blackness of the dark inside him. Immediately he got transported to his childhood when the first drop of rains in Karachi, Pakistan meant darkness as the electricity went off until the time rains stopped completely. Ironically even if it rained during the day it was called by the news anchors as ‘the city fell in darkness as god blessed us with rain’. Well it would be grey outside but for people in apartments it was dark even during the day, during the time it rained. One apartment block beside another. No space to breathe, just concrete!
But his memories were of the night time, darkness around, sound of the rain drops clamouring the steel and iron sheds and the fluctuating speed of the rain was music to his ears. When other citizens were cursing the electricity supply company, he found peace and solace and thanked them. And if this happened during the winter months it was a bonus for him. With his quilt over his head, he closed his eyes and was transferred to another world in his mind, in the comfort from the warmth of his body.
Knowing his habits, to annoy him, his mother used to light a candle and bring it closer to him, the shimmering rays of which filtering through the quilt, he opened his eyes imagining the many stars in the sky through the cloth.
His day dreaming (or night dreaming) was all about travelling, new countries, living in a country side, with views of mountains, green large trees and the blue in the background with the moving clouds and vast oceans in the distance, sitting or playing in the comfort of his family’s abode, under the moonlight in the expansive and serene world.
It had been a while since he was sitting in this position, as the popcorns finished, he opened his eyes to see the stars in the dark sky reminding him of his mother and her antics.
He stood up from the bench at Balmoral Reserve in Sydney, Australia, to leave for home feeling his mother’s twinkling eyes looking over him through the stars.
Copyright: Kirtan Varasia (2019)
Yesterday, I was reading the weekly column by G*Nice (part of the weekly Gulf News Friday Magazine). His writing’s though have nothing extraordinary but every piece makes such a connection with the reader, as if he is writing on behalf of the reader. As if he is putting the reader’s feeling in a nicely crafted black and white picture frame.
I am sure I read somewhere where G*Nice informed the readers that he is ‘He’.
Yesterday’s article was about how he loves to watch the fantasy movies like The Chronicles of Narnia, Alice in Wonderland etc including children movies, the likes of Miracle on 34th street, Cars (well I have extended the movie list as I am expanding his thoughts and adding mine).
Talking about the fantasy world, we the average human being, likes to ever live in our very own fantasy world. Always on the lookout to be pleasantly surprised by a miracle. Why I mentioned the term ‘the average human being’ is because the above average human race are already living a fantasy life. They have the power, money, fame, right connections, aptitude and attitude, etc etc. And above all they then have the time to enjoy every bit of their fantasy.
On the other hand, the average person keeps dreaming of finding that door within the closet, which could take him/her to the fairyland on the other side which is complete with everything, no economic recessions, search for jobs, struggle for survival, peace and happiness,etc etc… endless list.
Some lucky ones of this average lot, fail to realise, that they have in one way found that door within the closet and to an extent are living the fairy-tale life, but they still carry on with the search. I refer here to the many who have been lucky to move to foreign lands or have been lucky to be successful in their own lands. They have crafted their lives (or is it the ALMIGHTY) that in a manner have given every material thing they have ever dreamt of. The one reason why I think they don’t realise that they are in their fantasy world is because they have not had the time to sit and enjoy their achievements or the blessings, as it is called in our culture. Or the other reason which I think of is that this lucky average class has gone so far in life (like swimming in the sea) that they have stopped dreaming and are just so tired (or afraid) that they are stuck in the struggle to maintain what they have (to be afloat) so they are not considered failures (get drowned).
A few of this lot, succeed in reaching the islands (milestones) one after the other and the remaining lot vanishes in the deep.
Life has its own natural calamities which tests the human race and mind you its not only for the average but for the unreachable also, only if we realised that we all have a wonderful fairy-tale / wonderland in our own entirety to be lived and enjoyed, as this life will not have a repeat telecast.
The search for the door within the closet continues…ever wondered this door is within each of us?
(7 April 2012)
Copyright: Kirtan Varasia
As life goes on, many people come in our lives and we become part of other’s lives and then vanish, to follow our own paths. Many a times even the inseparable friends move on in their chosen paths and before long you realise, you have been forgotten and without realising you have moved on.
I have lately been thinking about my past and have been conversing with myself. One of the things which is repeatedly coming to my mind is the question ‘Do we ever stop and think about all the people who have been in our lives in one way or the other, all throughout our life, at that point in time!’ Probably yes… if we don’t talk about them is another thing.
Imagine, these people could have just been the school gate-keeper or a commuter on a daily commute who happen to be on the same route, time and on the same method of transportation, etc. everyday. I believe these people, by default, become a part of our lives. Just saying a ‘Hi’ every morning and that’s the only conversation for years and one day it stops. And we move on. We know each other but are strangers and there are many who fall in this category.
I remember while growing up in a household where my parents, like many in this world, strived for the family to survive and be afloat and that they were able to provide for their children’s needs. Enabling my family to survive, were many people who were strangers, but I am pretty sure without them the struggle would have been two, three or even four-fold.
I was born and brought up in a Hindu family in Karachi, Pakistan where the dominant faith is Islam but never have we experienced any religious discrimination, we have always been and are Pakistanis. I remember, in my childhood, I used to hold my mum’s hand and go to buy groceries to these two shops. We didn’t have the big hyper-markets in the 80s. One shop was owned by a Pashtun family and the other by a Memon (Pashtun’s and Memon’s are another sect within the Muslim community).
Pashtun’s are hard-core Islamist’s and there is nothing wrong with that. It’s a way of life they have been taught to lead but never did we find them mistreating others because of who they were in the social setup or which faith did the others follow.
People belonging to the Memon community speak in Gujarati language along with Urdu, and because we belonged to a Gujarati family, it was easy for us to communicate. In fact, that Memon family was so close to my maternal family that the whole family was an extended family to my maternal side. Never did both families mix relationships with business.
Going back to our grocery shopping, at both the shops, after putting all the stuff in the plastic bags, it was time for payment and my mom was always short of cash (there were no credit cards in those days). This didn’t stop both the shop owners from letting us take the material. Both would simply write it down in a book, ask about my father and family in general and then say it’s ok sister, pay later. That was true humanism, without any hidden agenda or ulterior motive.
How ironic it is that today after 3-4 decades, I only remember their fuzzy faces, they may have forgotten us. I don’t even know if they are alive or what’s their status. World and life has changed and moved on. But while I remember them today, I want to thank them because in some way I believe, they and strangers like them have contributed the most in our lives.
Thankfully the time to pay off the monetary debts came within my parent’s lifetime and they left this world without any debt, but the kindness of these strangers was in part a big contribution to the survival of our family.
I now understand, how and why did my parents believe in giving to others, even when they themselves were struggling, they would somehow find a way to help others. Most of the time they were cheated at the end, by relatives/friends but it didn’t stop them until the end being at the side of others in good and bad times. And I am not saying this because they were my parents, I know this because I have seen them being swindled by extreme close people i.e. mainly family, that was heart-breaking!
There are still people in this world who have no reason to help others, but they are difficult to find.
Today, at the age of forty-one, reminiscing a journey which began in a small home in Karachi, Pakistan, and then to Dubai, United Arab Emirates and now sitting comfortably in our home in Sydney, Australia, I am grateful to GOD and want to thank ‘Lala’ (as my mum called the Pashtun shop owner and ‘Bhai’ to the Memon), both words mean ‘brother’ and both played the role of being true brothers.
Copyright: Kirtan Varasia 2018
18 June 2015, tomorrow 19 June 2015 is my 38th birthday, meaning it will be 38 years since I came into this world. Wow I completed all this time in this world, by the grace GOD with only a few scratches because I was always protected by my family, with their presence or/and their prayers!
Holy month of Ramzan has just begun today in the Gulf, last year it started around 28th of June’14. All was ok, football World Cup was also going on at that time, what great time just a year back. A month of awesome games, late night bars as matches were late, thankfully I lived near the hotel City Max which has a nice sports bar and nice people serving, getting up early for work and staying up late for matches. Exchanging messages with family back home on how the match was, dad, mom and sister watching matches in Karachi and me in Dubai, miles away but connected. Football truly a world sport.
As I remember, since I had left Karachi, every year on my birthday mom used to tell my sis to call me at mid-night to wish and I used to say, go to sleep guys. Today I am longing to receive that call…
Keeping the tradition alive, my sister sent me a message with a lovely picture exactly at 12 midnight Pakistan time. I called her back to thank her but I was searching for my mom and dad…their voice lost in the air waves somewhere in this universe, miss you guys! Love you.
I have always been a firm believer that things and circumstances don’t remain the same as ‘Change’ is the only constant. And we are a true example of this, how circumstances change in a year or to say within a span of four months our parents left us for their eternal abode. I remember my talks with my mom when she used to mention ‘I am getting old and I don’t know how much time I have’ and I used to reply jokingly don’t worry mom, GOD only calls good people, you will live long. Knowing that one day this is ought to happen but never realising that it might come soon. Here I am reflecting upon those conversations and both mom and dad are with the ALMIGHTY.
It wasn’t easy to get back in life without our parents but as in all situations, there are two choices, we had the same, live or retreat and we chose to live. Getting back was slightly easier for me but extremely difficult for my sister who spent almost all her time with them whereas for me, since I left home in 2005 for greener pastures, I was a visitor in my own home when I went back to see family.
Back home in Pakistan, i have always observed this notion that we view anyone who has gone abroad and settled themselves are a mega success, have plenty of money and are out of this world. We observe this in the way people start communicating with you on ones visit or with their families or some stop talking altogether for multiple reasons. Our society back home is quite interesting and intriguing. I did try to be connected earlier but slowly I moved on and let others do the same.
Going back to the point of view of others for the people who leave home, settling abroad, little do they understand or try to understand that what prompted the person to leave in the first place and what has the person sacrificed, and trust me they will never understand. I am very much thankful to the people who got me to Dubai and to the people who helped me settle and I thank Dubai for becoming a home and providing me with success, happiness, money and options!
Much can be mentioned but let imaginations work that out…
Copyright: Kirtan Varasia 2018
13 September 2005, Sunday, ten years ago, I arrived in Dubai, UAE and have been living here since then. I must say this decade is what I will remember all my life, not that I will forget the rest but these 10 years were the most eventful for me. During this time I achieved and lost a lot!
Achievement (s): I learnt how to live on my own away from family, decisions, good or bad were mine and the results were to be borne by myself. I learnt new skills pertinent to the finance industry and at a personal level: I swim a bit, talk and understand a bit of French, Personal financial management has been top on the agenda, by way of which and by the grace of GOD we were able to pay off the mortgage on our house in Karachi and then buy another bigger house, without another loan. Was also able to buy two apartments in Dubai. Was able to provide medical and general support to family. During this time I travelled twice to Sri Lanka, once each to Thailand, Germany, Austria, South Africa, Syria, Bahrain and thrice to the UK. Not a billionaire but have managed to become a millionaire in terms of Pakistani rupees. Able to make my family visit Dubai on holiday was the best of the achievements. The joy on their faces was evident. I have been successful in a new industry starting from scratch and moving up the ladder.
Self belief was strengthened with the learning that we can achieve whatever we want with our conviction and prayers however i also believe that nothing can change GODs plan for each individual!
Losses: Many, but my biggest loss has been losing my parents in succession in 2014.
Copyright: Kirtan Varasia 2018
as I view it