Her Hands

Categories: a woman's strength · angels in our midst · Existentialism · Family · Mourning · Nostalgia · Photography · Through Frog EyesLeave a comment

We held hands since the the moment I was born, sometime with anger, others with frustration, but always with love. Her hands were the ones that taught me how to play, eat, cook, explore, and fight back. It was her hands I always sought whenever I woke up from all the reconstructive surgeries I underwent in my life. They were always there to comfort me, reassure my soul that all would be well. I miss those hands in mine, telling me some outrageous story or what program she fell asleep on, or even just holding on to me while walking….

Bridges of Berlin: Rosa-Luxemburg-Steg

Categories: After-work quickies (Berlin photography) · Berlin Through Frog Eyes · bridges of Berlin · Culture Vulture · customer service · Existentialism · Photography · politics · Social Condition · Through Frog Eyes · Urban ExplorationLeave a comment

Or as the proper title should be: Lichtensteinbrücke Re-discovered, since I already wrote about this particular bridge. Berlin is one of the few metropolitan cities that I did not fall in love with instantly, like Vienna, Paris, Prague, or Delhi. It is a rough city with scorching summers and winters that make you aware of every little bone in your body. The bus drivers are rude, the racism is prevalent, it is incredibly difficult to find an affordable apartment for under 900EUR/month, and so on, BUT if you are into art, photography and theatre, it is incredible. Not to mention…

Difficulties of Healing

Categories: a woman's strength · Battling depression · Existentialism · Photography · Social Condition · Surviving loss · Through Frog Eyes · women of substanceLeave a comment

I write this with great difficulty today, simply because my shoulder is absolutely killing me. The first batch of therapy sessions is over, and the healing process is well underway, albeit the excrutiating pain. The physiotherapist did warn me that the worst is yet to come, and that is a good sign. The trouble with broken bones is that it is pretty much like a broken spirit, there is no medicine that can speed up the healing, you just have to give it time. There is a beautiful quote I want to share with you today: You can’t heal where…

The Secret Admirer

Categories: a woman's strength · Adventures in my own home · After-work quickies (Berlin photography) · angels in our midst · Berlin Through Frog Eyes · community service · Culture Vulture · Existentialism · Food Adventures · Social Condition · Through Frog EyesLeave a comment

Life is full of surprises, some good, some bad, and the trick to enjoying it all in spite of the outcome is acceptance. I met an old friend for dinner last night and had a marvellous time catching up. Family and careers prevent us from meeting more often, so when we do, we definitely make the most of it. The greatest blessing of having such friendships that span almost 30 years, is that we know each other’s backgrounds, culture, family quirks, values and everything that has happened in our professional lives. There is a genuine interest in the professional as…

Stop, Look, & Stay

Categories: a woman's strength · Berlin Through Frog Eyes · commuter life · Culture Vulture · Existentialism · Photography · Social Condition · Through Frog Eyes · Urban Exploration · women of substanceLeave a comment

Schools re-opened in Berlin today, ushering in the new school year. Everywhere I turned there were people with very mixed feelings about this. I lost count of the number of parents at the end of their patience walking ahead of children throwing some tantrum or another. Clearly the first day of school can be just as traumatic for the children as it is for the parents. Then there the groups of young students eager to show off new clothes, make-up, or cool new gadgets acquired over the summer. I couldn’t stop and watch every interesting moment I passed today, otherwise…

“Stop, Look, Go” – Gratitude

Categories: a woman's strength · Battling depression · Culture Vulture · Existentialism · Midlife Crossroads · Nostalgia · Religion and Faith · Through Frog Eyes · women of substanceLeave a comment

Stop, Look, Go is the golden. rule for crossing the street, playing tennis, running, photography, and as I learned today, gratitude. The US-based Austrian monk, Brother David Steindl-Rast has written wonderful books on finding inner peace and happiness by addressing individual topics in depth. Available in both German and English, Brother David’s language is clear, simple, digestible, and carries a profound insight that leaves you wondering why you have not been doing this before. Have a look at his TED Talk on gratitude and happiness (1993): Brother David reminds us that we often make the mistake of being grateful only…

Reclaiming My Home

Categories: a woman's strength · Adventures in my own home · Battling depression · Berlin Through Frog Eyes · Empty Nest · Existentialism · Living with cats · Midlife Crossroads · Photography · Social Condition · Through Frog Eyes · women of substanceLeave a comment

Turbulence is an unwelcome guest, but often times unavoidable. Serenity and Balance are my preferred guests but also high maintenance ones. It is so much easier to just let Turbulence in, who usually has Chaos and Confusion in tow, give them free range of the place, and allow them to do what they do best – an unholy mess. Turbulence can be asked to leave politely, but Chaos and Confusion, when left to their own devices, like to remain invite Hurt, Disillusionment, and Frustration over as well for an extended soiree, unpleasantly rooted inside my home and soul, much to…