My Colorful Evening: Zulu in Hyderabad

It was yesterday evening that with my Hyderabadi and Bengaluruian friends we decided to go for casual eat-out. So we started from Paradise-halim-take-away so that we can eat it in the car while we are going to our next formal dinner venue. While traveling to the city I made a call to reserve a table for us…for my surprise I couldn’t hear the lady on the other line properly due to the loud music behind her. I doubted whether I made a call to the right place. But, some how I managed to tell her we are on our way so that she would block us a sit.

The next few minute we are at our destination in Banajara hills, All of a sudden I sensed a change in it he air from usual scene I know. Any how we stepped in, as I sensed from outside I found the truth inside. Yes it’s a bit crazy, people faces are painted different color, the waiters are dancing while serving (especially one guys’ tribal dance move….. it killed me non-stop) Usually the chef wears hat. But, today every one is wearing paper made hats. I was like, “What happen to this place?”, “ What is happening?” As the same time my eyebrows don’t get singed from the fire juggling and fire spitting. What I heard when I made a call was Afro beat. Now if you wanted to order any thing raises your hands high and move ‘em swiftly with the beat. Then you are sure you won the waiter attention, may be other guests too.
Suddenly a young lady came and offered me colors menu to paint my face, before I was given my favorite Kebab’s menu. Strange huh? I was told the restaurant it celebrating ‘Hakuna Matata’ 1st Zulu Barbeque festival in Hyd…. Then again, I was like “here we come, African tribal’s in Hyderabad…” Bring it on. I chose tri-colors of my Ethiopia Green, Yellow and Red… I closed my eyes and lend her my face….i feel the brushes move on my fore head and cheeks…I also felt my feeling don’t tell me which color is currently is being applied on me, hmmmm.

Btw, This week end If you want to enjoy delicacies like the famous Lamb Marguez, Chicken Sosatie, sausages made out of soya beans laced with African Mustard and Gherkins and corn with Zulu sauce. The most relished Barbeques from Africa continent will surely create an excitement in Hyderabadis as the locale will get to taste for the first time such unique Barbeques. It happened @Barbeque Nation Restaurant. Banjara Hills Road No 1.

If you drop in there I’m sure it would make you smile, just for a change.

It is not my time

But it's not my time, I'm not going
There's a fear in me, it's not showing
This could be the end of me
And everything I know

But it's not my time, I'm not going
There's a will in me and now it's gonna show
This could be the end of me
And everything I know

There might be more than you believe
(There might be more than you believe)
And there might be more than you can see
But I won't go, oh no I won't go down, yeah

Lean on WE vs. WE

This is my “by default setting”. I view myself as independent person. You can call it independently-busy. This feeling of separateness sometimes creates an ego driven belief that we don’t need each other that much and that we can handle everything on our own. Sometimes we may even view reaching out to others and leaning on others as a sign of weakness. We tend to judge ourselves as weak or unworthy when we reach a point where we have to lean on someone else for support.

when we are greeting people and ask how they are doing they often express how stressful and busy their life is, as a matter of fact many people whom I spoke with told me that their days are so busy that they often feel overwhelmed and honestly I’m one of them. We live in a busy city of Hyderabad and lead busy lives. The question here is how do we reconcile Being buys by ourselves and Loving our neighbour as ourselves. Most of us philosophically agree about one of the commandments which is to love on another. But here is what makes me puzzled when i think of it in practical terms, How in the busyness and clutter of my life can I let others lean on me and Lean on others? Ps. Anand, He always says ‘God has called us for Interdependency not for Independency’. I agree 100% with that but to put it in practical terms i found it a bit tougher. Recently I wrote on my status about two kinds of people I came across, The ones who walk in to the room and say “Here I am” and The other ones who says “There you are”. So whichever one you are make it a point that it shouldn’t be always about you. This is my personal struggle to push the limit every day a little bit in order to be able to understand for myself what it means to be called to live in community by engaging proactively. This whole concept of “Lean on” can be seen from two angles. One is WE vs Divne in complete dependency and WE vs WE to relate interdependently. It can be said a lot on these two.(may be on other blog entry) When I think of WE vs WE, recently i’ve seen how far people can go to lend their shoulder to others to Lean on. I whisper to myself blessed are these kinds.

All of us are busy, all of us have our own stresses, all of us have our own issues to deal with and mess to be cleaned up. And by makeing this as an excuse we tend to stop to lending our shoulder for others to lean on. Surprisingly I’ve seen people who have their own shortcomings but the same people were willing to go extra mile for other person to help him clean up his mess. I feel it’s needs greater level of faith to help others while you yourself are in a storm. I was embarrassed and ashamed how silly excuse freezes me from being a blessing.
The Fact of the matter is each day is opportunity in your life to lean on others and to allow others to lean on you for when you do so you are allowing the love to flow and the opportunity for all of us to grow!

I invite you listen this old song, Lean on me which inspire me to write all this

Can't give up coz i know who my Sheherd is.

Most of the time we feel we've come too far from where we started. [ I'm not where I want to be but Thank God i'm not where i used to be either kinda feeling] At a times we've to remind ourselves to give up on giving up and Keep on, on keeping on climbing our mountains. But what happen as we stared at the mountain in all it's majestic beauty, we knew we had no chance of making it to the top, so we figured why even begin trying. One sure way to avoid mistakes is to avoid taking action. But in the long run, avoiding action would be the biggest mistake of all, for nothing would ever get done. Unknown Author (i don't remember where i read it) said Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles; it empties today of its strength."

If you are worried it means you are not worshiping properly, if you are worshiping properly you won't worry. But still you can be concerned about things with out worrying about 'em. Personally 2009 has been good year for me so far with it's twists and turns every day with more worship less worry. Nobody said it's gonna be easy.This song says I'don't belive he brought me thus far to leave me. If you're going to move forward, you're going to make some wrong turns along the way. Don't let that stop you from proceeding. There will be many times when you'll look back and wish you had done things differently. Don't let that stop you from moving forward. Mistakes are bad enough on their own. Don't be so afraid of them that you avoid life itself. The Good shepherd is watching over us.
You want to listen a song you'll relate to DO LISTEN THIS.

Hugged me with his pierced hand,
Whispered to my pierced ears
I LOVED YOU!EMMANUEL!

I'm in to... {thoughts of}

Lately I've been thinking lots of things to write about... somehow(Now) I've decide to pen 'em down via quotes that are in my mind day and night.... these quotes, I've found 'em very meaningful in my life journey so far and each one has it's own big chunk of explanation on how i relate to it. I'm sure if you ponder little bit about each, it will whisper you somethin'...

Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.
~ Barbara Johnson

What we are is God's gift to us. What we become is our gift to God.
~ Louis Nizer

Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.
~ 16th century poet

I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most profitable explanation is that I was made for another world.
~ C.S. Lewis

If you take too long in deciding what to do with your life, you’ll find you’ve done it.
~ George B. Shaw

It's so much easier to pray for a bore than to go and see one.
~ C.S. LewisQ

BB2 - It Will Be Me

The Rock Obama on Saturday Night Live