embrace.

My cousin, Joey sent me an article today about a Sikh woman standing up for herself so humbly after being humiliated by someone else.

Please read it first before you continue to read my post:
http://jezebel.com/5946643/reddit-users-attempt-to-shame-sikh-woman-get-righteously-schooled

It is beautiful what Balpreet had to say and the fact that the person who wrote those comments about her ACTUALLY apologized.

Everyone makes mistakes in life and many people say things without realizing. I have done it so many times where I don't even think about what I say or how much it would affect others in my life. All I do know is the loving people in my life help me to be a better person and luckily I have learned at a very early age to surround myself with genuine people.

Life is about learning, so let's continue to learn, be less judgmental and embrace people from all walks of life.

PS: This was a nice story to read. 

growing.

A special person in my life brought up the Marc Lepine case. I actually never heard of this case until yesterday. Basically, he was a 25-year old man, born and raised in Montreal, Canada who murdered fourteen women who were engineering students. Why you may ask? Because he did not believe women should be engineering students, or anything of that matter but rather slaves to men.

After he killed the women, he ended up killing himself blaming feminists for his violence against the fourteen women. Might I add this was in 1989 when this took place. I was 2 years old, enjoying my life in India. (my only memories of my childhood were when I was that young, weird, hey?) Anyways, a lot has changed since that incident. More and more women are trying to break the glass ceiling and growing professionally alongside men.

The way men think is changing too, especially in my generation. I've spoken to so many men that love it when women are ambitious and educated and why wouldn't they be?
 
The reason why I brought this topic up is because so many women in my life, including me at times, have to hide who we really are. Now this doesn't even have to do with personality but hide what we do, so that others perceive us in a "perfect" light. By others I mean men. Many women change when they are around men. I see it everyday -- and now I question, why? Why do we put on a show of who we are not but with our girlfriends we are who we are?

Does it have to do with the psychology behind it? Men and women are different (obviously) and we have different connections but why do we slightly change when we initially meet the opposite sex. Eventually people get comfortable with one another but that initial meet and greet is so ... different. Noticing the difference in my own actions, I have made it a point to act the same both with men and women. Because honestly speaking, who the hell really cares? Plus age/experience DOES make you wiser- or at least I think it has.

So I leave this Thursday afternoon with a question/thought for you...Why is it so hard to be yourself when you find who you are? Or is the search continuous till the day you die?

My own opinion: the search is continuous till the day you leave this earth :)

balance.

I created a collage that had an Indian background theme for my Image Editing and Web Design class. It was my first time using Photoshop to this extent but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I hope all of you do too.

Priya Tandon 

keep it simple.patient.kind

I do not want this post to come off personal but every post I write is so I don't think it matters anymore.
I know I am not the only one feeling that the last two weeks have been a mix of emotions, fumbled with trying to stay organized, happy both in school and my personal life.

I have realized a new attribute about myself since school has begun- I lack patience. I admired that about myself when I used to have it, but slowly it is deteriorating. I can honestly say I hate it, but I am not doing anything to change it. I guess it's another item on my list that I need to work on.

Enough of my negativity! I am very excited to show you some of the pictures I have taken thus far. I have been learning a lot from the photography class I am taking, with the help of a wonderful classmate of mine who is incredibly knowledgeable in the field.

I hope you enjoy it and my motto hopefully for the entire month/year is to keep it simple, be patient and very kind.