Category: Stories Around the World

Posted in Daily, Family and Society, Life, poetry, Stories Around the World, Work

Stay On through the Storm

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“The phoenix must burn to emerge.”  Janet Fitch

During the recent economy crisis few years ago, many employees were laid off, forced to look into new or different income options. Organizations and companies were forced to overhaul and find alternative measures to stay afloat with a basic profit as well as meet the expenditure and salaried pay roll. On the whole it was a messy time. Some lost, some gained, many survived. Few years from then on, a chance meeting with few of the friends of those days, saw some settled in a much better environment now as compared to then; while others have just survived. The enlightening thought was that they had tried but never gave up.

“I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” Michael Jordan

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All of us have had our own ups and downs in life. While it’s easier to pack up bags and leave the responsibility of life in the hands of the other or the state, especially when children and family are concerned; it mayn’t be the right solution or wise decision to make. Staying on and trying again makes all the difference.

“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default.” J. K. Rowling

Every successful person has their own set of failures. On the surface, it may seem that one has it all, but the reality may be something totally different. Life is all about handling the twists and turns. Straight roads are nevr fun while going for long drives. Instead curvy roads have always something to look out for around the bend, which may be the beginning of a brand new start. Chase the dreams, strive to be the best at what one engages in whether by choice or necessity and stay grounded in reality with the vision ahead. As the mind contemplates, it may be easier to step back, but no ship ever explores new lands by always staying docked.

“In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or step back into safety.” Abraham Maslow

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Stick To It
When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill.
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile but you have to sigh.
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns.
And many a fellow turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man.
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor’s cup.
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt.
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar.
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit,
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.

Author Unknown

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Posted in Family and Society, Life, Personal Musings, Stories Around the World, Work

To Explore the Sky

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.” Confucius

During the annual regional inter school cultural festival, one of the eagerly awaited events was the “prose recital” contest. One of the new entries in the middle school level was none other than my niece who made her first debut this year. Although she loves poetry and was selected through the school competition, this entry was an impromptu choice. Given her innate manner of being on the quiet side, her entry was in response to the challenge of being labelled as a mouse by her classmates. When the call was made for the participants at school level, she had enrolled her name. Whether it was for avoiding the labeling or improving her confidence onstage, this opportunity had opened the door to her hidden talent at declamation.

“We’ll never know our full potential unless we push ourselves to find it.” Travis Rice

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Reflecting back on the entire episode, one finds themselves in similar situations across the various stages of life. Whether it is the professional, academics, family or personal life; we are limited by the lines we set internally in our minds. For the introvert who may have a hidden talent at playing music or the extrovert who is the life of a party may be an excellent writer. While the former has to acquire the confidence to face the crowd; the latter fears the label of “nerd”. Living in their insecurities, their hidden gifts may be wasted over time. These are just two of the many scenarios that one may be able to recollect, feel or relate to.

“Find the place inside yourself where nothing is impossible.” Deepak Chopra

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Choosing to break the set mould and soar high is no simple feat. Barriers are there at each and every level. Be it lack of time, innate fears, insecurities, the diatribe of words around oneself, criticism, comments or snide remarks; they all come as we move on and ahead. Yet as long as one believes themselves and knows their true talent, keeping the inner flame alive and strong; the rest all are just flies to be swatted, avoided or ignored. No one can stop the person who really wants to explore their talent. Confidence and courage will come along the way, when the innate self-belief and assurance stays strong. If not for the latter, the eagle would never learnt to soar high. Be oneself, find oneself and test their own limits to know own potential. Don’t fit yourself in the label made by others. Find your own niche and grow the hidden potential. Take courage and fly.

“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

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A man found an eagle’s egg and put it in a nest of a barnyard hen. The eagle hatched with the brood of chicks and grew up with them. All his life, the eagle did what the barnyard chicks did, thinking he was a barnyard chicken. He scratched the earth for worms and insects. He clucked and cackled. And he thrashed his wings and flew a few feet in the air. Years passed and the eagle grew very old. One day he saw a magnificent bird above him in the cloudless sky. It glided in graceful majesty among powerful wind currents, with scarcely a beat of its strong, golden wings. The old eagle looked up in awe. ‘Who’s that?’ he asked. ‘That’s the eagle, the king of the birds,’ said his neighbour. ‘He belongs to the sky. We belong to the earth – we’re chickens.’ So the eagle lived and died a chicken, for that is what he thought he was.
(Author unknown) (African American folktale)

What would have happened if the running eaglet decided to fly to sit on the coop rafters? What would have happened if the eagle was taken out of it’s surroundings and given a chance to fly ? What would have happened if the eagle tried to mid flap in it’s adult life and found the courage to try and see the effect, instead of listening to the remarks around it ?

“Sooner or later, those who win are those who think they can.” Richard Bach

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Posted in Daily, Food, Stories Around the World

Of Chocolate

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“Can I offer you a slice of this amazing caramelized white chocolate apricot brioche made by my favorite granddaughter?” “You may indeed.”
When you slice the rich, buttery bread topped with crunchy bits of pearl sugar, you get a swirl of white chocolate, which now also has hints of caramel flavor from having been roasted, and chunks of apricot. ” ? Stacey Ballis ( Author of Wedding Girl)

One of the drawbacks of reading books revolving or having a bit of the food factor, is the sudden trigger for that particular dish or meal. Using this as a justifiable excuse to dig into my toddler’s stash of white chocolate, would satisfy the sudden craving for the chocolate, creamy and white.

Interestingly white chocolate isn’t exactly chocolate. Made from cocoa butter, milk solids, sugar, lecithin and flavorings (most commonly, vanilla); it doesn’t include chocolate liquor. The latter beside s giving the bitter flavour and dark colour to chocolate, by the FDA Guidelines state that chocolate liquor has to be present in a product to be known as “chocolate”. Though today as per the US Guidelines (2004), white chocolate (by weight) should have at least 20% cocoa butter, 14% total milk solids, 3.5% milk fat with maximum of 55% sugar or other sweeteners. On a plus point, white choclate has very minimum caffeine as compared to the regular chocolate.

 

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On tracing to the exact origin of chocolate being white, no definite person or country can be given credit. While the Swiss company Nestlé takes almost sole claim to being the initial source of marketable white chocolate (1930s, Milkybar) in Europe; rumours exist of a New Hampshire man producing white chocolate shortly after World War I. Other records state of Kuno Baedeker, who had developed white chocolate (1945) and is widely considered the first creator of the same in North America. Though as records mostly show that Nestlé was the heart of creation and development of the modern white chocolate.

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All said and done, one can melt it, chip it in, drink it or just have it like that. Like the regular choclate, white choclate has become a very prominent add on in the cookie dough, cake mix, quick desserts, melted with hot choclate and a regular combination with ice cream. Which is why, a bar of white chocolate has it’s own role of cheering up the depressing bits of life, no matter how old one grows.

“I like caramel flavors; some people prefer a lighter taste, like rose, at least to start with. The chocolate-flavored ones are lovely, of course…” I am rambling; it is like choosing a favorite child, practically impossible. “What’s in this one then?” She points at my newest creation, a pale, creamy white with soft flecks of yellow, like glints of gold in white marble.
“Reve d’un Ange. It means ‘dream of an angel.'” She tilts her head, interested, and I shrug. “Hopelessly romantic name, I know. Couldn’t help myself.” “What’s in it?” she asked, lowering her voice.
“It’s my white chocolate macaron. Ganache, that’s a kind of chocolate cream, sandwiched in the middle. I’ve added a little lemon rind and cinnamon.”
-Hannah Tunnicliffe ( author of The Color of Tea)

 

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Posted in Daily, Family and Society, Personal Musings, Quotes, Stories Around the World, Work

Ignite the Spark

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“Potential is a priceless treasure, like gold. All of us have gold hidden within, but we have to dig to get it out.” Joyce Meyer

Trying to reason with a preschooler or a primary school child isn’t easy. When the word “no” appears in any manner, directly or very subtly, the effect and chaos created is quite remarkable. For instance, telling a toddler to not climb and sit on the table as he may pull the tablecloth and spill the milk may sound like a challenge. After trying to give many more reasons or distractions, the best way out as few of us parents have discovered is the way through. That is, spoil the fun of the climb by lifting him on to the table, distract and then take him to the sturdy outdoor table for a climb. At times, these similar “way out” may be a better alternative than the screaming, mutinous expression and tantrums courtesy of the “essential no’s”.

“To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.” Mary Oliver

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One of the innate elements of children is their ability to experiment and do things different. While handling the antics of a toddler, one is reminded of how similar techniques may have to apply while reasoning with adults. Whether they be siblings, extended family, friends, neighbours or even colleagues, motivating or reasoning out with someone involves a wide range of means to get the point across. From scientific reasoning, display of facts to emotional cajoling and threatening ways in order to change of a set thinking or behaviour may be attempted. Some ways may work, other don’t.

“We can see through others only when we can see through ourselves.” Bruce Lee

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Among the better ways to incite a change in attitude, behaviour, manners or thoughts; is to stimulate their curiosity, project out the possible sequence of events and excite their sense of accomplishment. The challenge to change is half done when one realizes how important the change is, in order to be a part of something great. To quote the words of Antoine de Saint-Exupery,”If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.” By exploring their dreams, aligning a little bit of it to the bigger goals and stimulating their interest, the potential of what can be achieved when the right changes are made, is immense. When the true and just vision of one person joins with similar dreams of those around him, it isn’t just the society that becomes better but life in general, becomes more beautiful, meaningful and of purpose.

“There is no man living who isn’t capable of doing more than he thinks he can do.” Henry Ford

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There was once a small boy who banged a drum all day and loved every moment of it. He would not be quiet, no matter what anyone else said or did. Various attempts were made to do something about the child. One person told the boy that he would, if he continued to make so much noise, perforate his eardrums. This reasoning was too advanced for the child, who was neither a scientist nor a scholar. A second person told him that drum beating was a sacred activity and should be carried out only on special occasions. The third person offered the neighbours plugs for their ears; a fourth gave the boy a book; a fifth gave the neighbours books that described a method of controlling anger through biofeedback; a sixth person gave the boy meditation exercises to make him placid and docile. None of these attempts worked. Eventually, a wise person came along with an effective motivation. He looked at the situation, handed the child a hammer and chisel, and asked, ‘I wonder what is inside the drum?’ No more problem.
-Author Unknown

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Posted in Daily, Life, Random Thoughts, Stories Around the World, Work

Find the Lighter Side

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“I think the next best thing to solving a problem is finding some humor in it.” Frank A. Clark

Time was running to the final minutes at the end of the shift, as one was rushing to complete the daily plans or work scheduled for the day. With barely few minuted left, imagine a quick pop up messages or call, resulting in the loss of those precious minutes. Consequently by the time the “urgent call or task” ends, the daily work scheduled is still yet to be completed.

Amidst all the melee’ there is one person that occasionally arises from the entire crowd, who asks the most obvious question; like the listener who asks the speaker at the end of the story, who was “X” where the latter was the central character all along. On some days, the question might irritate the running mood; on other days it lightens the load and provides a much needed stress breaker. Such questioners may arise on purpose to diffuse the stress of the crowd. Those times, when taken in the right spirit and manner, can provide a heavy dose of hearty humour.

“Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it.” Bill Cosby

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Finding the lighter side of life is a necessity for survival in today’s world. While one may be bogged down by the lists of to-do’s or must-have’s; finding humour on cloudy days may provide the gap for the scarce sun rays to shine through. After all, life is a never ending game. Learning to not forfeit but being a sporty loser as well as a gracious winner is what makes the days, moments and seconds count.

“A sense of humor… is needed armor. Joy in one’s heart and some laughter on one’s lips is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life.” Hugh Sidey

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A barber Shop was filled with customers when a little boy walks into the shop. Looking at the little boy, the barber whispers to his customer, “This is the most foolish kid in the world. Watch while I prove it to you.” The barber puts a dollar bill in one hand and two quarters in the other, then calls the boy over and asks, “Which do you want, son?” The boy takes the quarters and leaves. “What did I tell you?” said the barber. “That kid never learns!” the barber said laughing. Later, when the customer leaves the shop, he sees the same young boy coming out of the ice cream store.
“Hey, son! May I ask you a question? Why did you take the quarters instead of the dollar bill?” asked the man. The boy licked his favorite ice-cream and replied,“Because the day I take the dollar, the game is over.”

“A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It’s jolted by every pebble on the road.” Henry Ward Beecher

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Posted in Daily, Family and Society, Personal Musings, Stories Around the World, Work

Share to Succeed

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“People achieve more as a result of working with others than against them.” Dr. Allan Fromme

With clearing of the heavy rains, the town had needed a complete revamp of the municipal bock lawns, with tree limbs broken and scattered and muddy pools run all over the lawn. On the first look, clearing of the lawn seemed to be an impossible task. As the council meeting took place, every one of the attendees had pitched in, bringing more volunteers along the way. Slowly order was restored of what had looked like a seemingly impossible task.

“The power of one, if fearless and focused, is formidable, but the power of many working together is better.” Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

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Above instances and many more similar ones, have always shown that the power of a team or set of people working in a synchronous mode can make the most drab, mundane or difficult task feasible. Each one has their own strengths and weakness. On pooling the efforts, the strengths add on, cancelling out the respective weakness amongst each other. Eventually together the task at hand is settles. While man is an social animal; each one has their own plate to handle. Learning when to combine the plates together for a splendid meal and when to have them independently at the right time, helps to balance the individual mind with the social order. Life needs both, individual as well as group effort. Too much of wither can result in proper gain of none or loss of all.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” Helen Keller

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The Stone Soup Story
Many years ago three soldiers, hungry and weary of battle, came upon a small village. The villagers, suffering a meagre harvest and the many years of war, quickly hid what little they had to eat and met the three at the village square, wringing their hands and bemoaning the lack of anything to eat. The soldiers spoke quietly among themselves and the first soldier then turned to the village elders. Your tired fields have left you nothing to share, so we will share what little we have – the secret of how to make soup from stones.’

Naturally the villagers were intrigued and soon a fire was put to the town’s greatest kettle as the soldiers dropped in three smooth stones. ‘Now this will be a fine soup’, said the second soldier; ‘but a pinch of salt and some parsley would make it wonderful!’
Up jumped a villager, crying ‘What luck! I’ve just remembered where some’s been left!’
Then off she ran, returning with an apron full of parsley and a turnip. As the kettle boiled on, the memory of the village improved: soon barley, carrots, beef and cream had found their way into the great pot, and a cask of wine was rolled into the square as all sat down to feast. They ate and danced and sang well into the night, refreshed by the feast and their new-found friends.

In the morning the three soldiers awoke to find the entire village standing before them. At their feet lay a satchel of the village’s best breads and cheese. ‘You have given us the greatest of gifts – the secret of how to make soup from stones’, said an elder, ‘and we shall never forget.’ The third soldier turned to the crowd, and said: ‘There is no secret, but this is certain, it is only by sharing that we may make a feast’, then off the soldiers wandered, down the road.
Author Unknown

“Happiness quite unshared can scarcely be called happiness; it has no taste.” Charlotte Bronte

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Posted in Daily, Family and Society, Life, Reflections, Stories Around the World, Work

Maintain the Balance

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right.” Confucius

Of recent, few multinational companies have been allotting compulsory leave days for their top employees. These few days after every four months or so, come with a half pay and an order not to be seen in the company premises for either completing the new projects, clear the back log or develop new ideas. The whole idea was to “take a break” from the professional life and grow the personal one. In a way, these organizations have done this so as to increase the employee productivity as well as better the general work efficiency on the whole.

“No other success can compensate for failure in the home.” David O. McKay

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When a young adult enters the modern career world, the importance is laid in establishing a good professional life, earning good money and save for the future. As time goes on, one may start a family or become a part of one. Being social beings, we crave for close relationships and bonds as thick as blood. Yet once family and friends arrives, certain things may be taken for granted; especially time spent with the latter. When one realizes the error soon, time may be left to pick up the broken links and rebuild them.

“In family relationships love is really spelled t-i-m-e, time.” Dieter F. Uchtdorf

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In the process of rebuilding, the metal once scarred or bent mayn’t be as strong as it looks. For the builder it involves immense effort to re-link the chains as compared to when building in flow with the fresh meta links. While wealth, riches, fame and materials are necessary for the social or professional order in life; it is the close knit web of family and bonds that help one to heal, grow, nurture and flourish away from the outside world. As one nurtures or is being nurtured by the family, the children of tomorrow are minor extensions of today. These inquisitive minds learn more from actions and deeds than words. In order to live life to the fullest, learning to balance the entire framework of professional as well as personal life is what brings fruit to the former. Time is always there to reform as long as one decides to put their priorities and focus in the right manner.

“The single most important factor in our long-term happiness is the relationships we have with our family and close friends.” Clayton M. Christensen

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‘So now you have a farm, two houses, and four cars, correct?’ asked Marcelo. Ivan nodded. ‘Well done!’ Marcelo smiled amicably to his old friend. ‘And what else have you got? A master’s degree from University of Chile, a good and stable job, and what else? Money, ah, how much money have you got? More than a hundred million pesos, I suppose?’
Ivan did not reply, but his smile meant a ‘yes’ to all of the questions. ‘And with all of these in your hands, you’re still the first to arrive at work and the last to leave, yes?’ For the second time, Ivan nodded. ‘For how long?”Three years and a half.’ ‘Oh, poor Ivan Espinoza,’ Marcelo sighed. For a moment he stopped talking. The conversation that previously was filled with laughter and jokes suddenly turned itself into a deep silence. Marcelo gazed over Ivan and tapped his right shoulder tenderly. An air of confidence was transpired from the light of his eyes, despite his graying eyebrow. ‘My friend, did you see that table?’ ‘Yes,’ Ivan glanced to a table next to them. ‘How many legs?’ ‘Four’
‘If you break one of the table’s legs, will you have a balanced table?’ ‘No’
‘So is life. It’s got four legs: education, money, a job you love, and a family you adore. If you break one of life’s legs, you will have an imbalanced life,’ remarked Marcelo. Sighing, the man paused for a little while before continuing. ‘Now you have a good job, money, and proper education, but you don’t see your children except when they are asleep before and after work. Is that a balanced life? You work for your family, don’t you?”Yes.’
‘So why do you work so hard but spend less time with them?’
Written by Subhan Zein

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