Don’t Interrupt the DJ !

It had to be told at some point of time or the other , so I guess I should start my rant on this. I’ve been to a few parties here and there and the one thing that annoys me is the inevitable issues with the music. More than half the time I see the DJ being inundated with requests and for all of you out there who need to listen to that special song in order to get on the floor- I have one thing to say to you – A DJ is not a JukeBox !!

The DJ has one primary function – to make people dance. If you at that point of time are going to be sending the DJ requests then you might as well get rid of him , take your ipod and calcluate how many songs you need for the entire set. (3.5 minutes per song givcs you approx 17 songs per hour) . So let me explain what a DJ really does:

  • Select the songs – Where his artisty comes into play. He has to know the crowd that he is playing for and select songs that would mix nicely with each other. When he does his job well , the crowd is with him on his musical journey that usually starts off slow, builds momentum and energy to reach its crescendo . If he is hired for a private party then he uses his party-friendly sets with well-known hits and classics.
  • Create his mixset  – Where he blends his songs so that the tracks appear seamless. The audience feels one track flow into the other without a jarring sound inbetween. He can do this live , if he wants to go with the reaction of the crowd.

Now for all the people who interrupt the DJ, I would also blame the DJ. Here in Kuwait I can often see DJ’s who don’t have mixsets and can be seeing flipping through their collection of CD’s to find songs whenever they get a request.For them I say , could you please:

  • Get an external drive and move all your music to it
  • Get a second drive and have a copy of all your music on it too. (you can never be too safe)
  • Use a tag editor to fix your tags (http://www.mp3tag.de/en/index.html) , even with all your music on the drive, you need the tags to start searching for songs.  Trying to find a Kate Perry song when your mp3 is tagged as {Best.Music.Mr.Download.K.9erry}.mp3 is just no use to anyone!

And while im harping on DJ’s could you please follow some basic rules to make sure that you get invited again :

Before the event , come in a day or two earlier and check the location of the event. You need to know where the place is, where  you and your equipment will be located and confirm the availability of electrical points – It just looks unprofessional when you come in the last minute and run around trying to find extension cords that snake across the room. Also talk to the people who have hired you – What type of music to they want to hear, what are the demographics of the people attending, and if there are any songs and artists that they don’t want played.

On the day of the event, Come in an hour earlier with your crew to set your systems up, and then get your crew to leave – You are getting paid to DJ not to get your crew to hang around behind you and oggle!

The Perfect Woman Myth

Ugh, so this morning, I was reading Arab Times online about how social life is driving women to plastic surgery (http://bit.ly/uf23X1) and it got me fuming.

If you have ever gazing in the mirror disliked what you see, if you have ever started a crazy diet or exhausted yourself from working intensely  at the gym in order to reduce those extra few kilos, if you have ever found yourself commenting at other women, saying things like, “Ugh, she shouldn’t be eating that,” or “Honey, you sure you want to wear that ?”, if you have ever claimed that you’ll commit suicide once you turn 40: (which I regularly hear from my over conscious friends) than this read is for you!

Seriously Ladies! This has gotta stop! The opinions of ourselves and other women about looks, clothes, age, weight and the pros and cons of Botox, liposuction etc.  are wasting away our time and surrendering our integral power to an anonymous society that dictates to us a concept of beauty that is followed by many of us blindly.

Flip through any magazine and you’ll gather a message loud and clear about what exactly comprises a perfect woman:   36-24-36 , between 5 ft. 2 in to 5 ft. 8 in, flawless skin, perfect brilliant white teeth and a long mane of hair, between the ages of 21-31. It doesn’t matter if you speak four languages or could talk for hours about the art of binomial nomenclature. No one is paying any attention if you have more books than pairs of boots or that you came first in school’s debating championship.  Or at least, that’s what they would like you to believe.

All this is nothing new, and it will keep happening of course. I believe the media has played an important role in limiting the view of the perfect woman and imposing their own version of it for eons. However Women – we are not doing anything about it to help ourselves. We try to look dazed or disregard it completely, but we typically surrender to it, in one way or another. We assess ourselves to this version of the “perfect woman” and slowly but surely begin to view others to the same unit of measurement. We’ve all given a “missy” a stare over a skirt that’s too short or too tight, or with make-up too thick, or that extra chocolate coated filled donut being eaten by someone who is not a size zero. Even if you don’t do it, someone else still does and that is sorrowful.

We are part of a social dogma that we as women self-perpetuate and give credence to the myth of the perfect women – wrapped in a box – always glittery and graceful. And that very woman who you are judging for wearing a bright red lipstick or a dress that’s two sizes too small for her is doing so , so that she too can be part of the myth.

Ladies, this is a vicious circle and we all have to take a deep breath and realize that we are all here in different shapes and sizes, and that’s how we were meant to be! Look after yourself but do not demean your existence for the myth! Appreciate your curves if you have them and if you don’t, appreciate the fact that you can shop from anywhere. And to all my friends you have turned 40 or will soon be – Be delighted that you have the life long experience of understanding the world around you and wisdom to share with ones younger than you. No one looks up to a 20 year old for an advice?? I can very proudly say that  the most motivating and thought-provoking ladies I have met are over 35, who have fascinating stories to share and more exciting ones to look forward to.

Admire, encourage, compliment and congratulate our dear femmes in whatever they do, and please learn to let go of the myth and enjoy who we really are.

Happy Children’s Day

Today being Children’s day got me thinking, and as nostalgia hit in came the thoughts of my carefree youth, the best of days as being the youngest of three – I was the most pampered one and got away with all my mischief.
Looking at my son today, I can now see how things were not so easy for my parents having all us three running around causing havoc and for having put up with us I want to say a big Thank You to them.

To my son I would like to thank him to teaching me the following:
If you don’t know what it is and how it works, go ahead and try it
Before you do anything strange, make sure you are being watched.
A hug and a kiss will always do the trick, if not try the puppy face move – that always works
It’s okay to fall down, the point is to get up and start running again.
All important things in life like homework can be delayed by napping or bathroom breaks.
Half your habits are the fault of your parents – Yes I too bite my nails and eat way too much chocolate
You can cry even when you are happy
You don’t need to comb your hair daily, your looks are enough
Older people are always right, well at least tell them that so they stop talking! and last but not the least,
Playing outdoor games indoors is always more fun – Yes son that vase was really not that expensive.

No matter what moment in time – Children will be Children and I would like to wish everyone including my one and only son, a very Happy Children’s Day.

Gurpurab Greetings!

The Sikh Gurus were responsible for sculpting the principles of the Sikhs. Their birthdays, known as Gurpurab (or Gurpurb), are times for festivity and prayer among the Sikhs, Nanakpanthi Hindus and other followers of Guru Nanak philosophy worldwide.

Guru Nanak Gurpurab also known as Guru Nanak Birthday, is the birthday of the first Sikh Guru.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji was born in 1469 in Rai-Bhoi-di Talwandi now NankanaSahib.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji bought about the concepts of:

Naam Japna: Meditation on the word of the Guru and thus reminiscing God at all times.

Kirat Karni: To live righteous lives and to earn honestly by our own physical and mental energy while accepting both pains and pleasures as the Guru’s gifts and blessings.

Vand Chakna: To share our fortune within the society – especially with those who are most in need.

Today is a day to celebrate and remind each one of us to exercise these beliefs.

Thank You

Since it is the 1st of November and I have this unknown fascination for round numbers, esp. if I want to start something or do something, it has to be on 1st, 5th, 10th and so on… I guess i can keep a better record of things this way!!

I know I have mentioned Gratitude before and its officially been six months since I began this blog and I feel today is a good day to thank each one of you who have stopped by here, just had a look, or left their encouraging words, or even met me personally and took the time to appreciate it.

Of all the people, I would like to thank a very dear friend of mine, who actually got me started on this and believed in me that if I want I can be serious and stick to something for a long time.. So thank you for being there and helping me out..

I would like to thank the friends I have who are genuinely happy for me as they would be for themselves. (Only they would know in their heart of hearts)

Thank you for my dear family and friends (also includes some of my present colleagues and some in the past) who overlook my faults and tolerate my moronic jokes.

Thank you for all the wishes which came in different forms of calls, sms’s, fb’s bb’s, emails, e-cards, flowers, chocolates, gifts, hugs, visitors, (4) cakes for my birthday and even the warm
wishes on Diwali from everyone.

For some long distance friends, thank you for still being my friend and not allowing time to affect that.

Thank you friends for creating beautiful memories with me in the past / present and hopefully in the future (if not, I have the past – lol!)

I also thank you for your kindness for bearing in with me on this long post. And how much it means to me to write this.

So I would like all of you to be sincere to yourself first and then with your friends. Once in a while stop and ask them how they are doing or just w ait and watch if they have anything they want to share with you – it could be something as simple as they jokes, they smiles, they embarrassments or could be something painful, but please tell them they have a friend and that friend is YOU.

Take a moment, to thank your family or friends, pen a few lines here to them or email them or even sms them. They is nothing wrong in expressing your feelings, you will be grateful you did and they will be so glad to receive it.

In case, they are confused with your ultra-nice behavior – just send them my link 😉

You never know you might make someone else’s day and they will get inspired to do the same!! It’s just two Words : THANK YOU! It can help you and paint the prettiest smile on your face too!

Bandi Chhor Divas

Diwali also falls on the same day as Bandi Chhor Divas, a good explanation of this day can be found on :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandi_Chhor_Divas

It just seems like yesterday when my son and I were busy buying crackers and lighting up the house last year, time flies so quickly and its already Diwali again… Time to celebrate with family and friends. It is so deep rooted in our culture that no matter where you are in any part of the world, it is a must to light diyas (candles) make sure every corner in your house is lit, welcoming the New Year with lots of brightness.

With each year passing so quickly, I find myself lost in thought about the days gone by and those yet to dawn.. I am so glad that all these years I have had the opportunity to celebrate this festivity with my dear family and friends, the chance to share in their liveliness and energy. To see my son and his friends grow, to watch the excitement in they eyes, to perfect them at their community/ school functions, to see our parents performing the rituals every year with the same enthusiasm, is surely a blessing.

The best part of the day is watching the children play fireworks, the little ones of last year are now the brave ones of this year – begging to be the one to light a firecracker, with anxious mothers watching over them and over enthusiastic cousins and friends trying to create the biggest bang possible with the available fireworks. Their shrieks of laughter and the twinkle in their eyes while watching the fireworks always make me smile.

It is remarkable how, days like this that give us the phenomenal strength to actually wake and make thingshappen, whether that’s telling your help to clean the house or having to do it yourself (highly depends on the help’s mood and what Diwali gift she’s receiving – LOL) , or actually sitting down with your children to make colorful diyas or wrapping up gifts for family and friends or just being happy for yourself and for the lovely people who surround you.

Here’ s to a very Happy Diwali to ALL! I wish everyone lots of peace, health and prosperity.