this is....RT

Hello blog-world, i am really new at this so i start off an a tentative step. 

A simple introduction first?

Well im Aarti, a 27 year old Singaporean-Indian. Singapore is this tiny fragment of an island that has closest proximity to Malaysia and Indonesia. Often it is easy to get confused when you mention ur nationality - what on earth is Singaporean-Indian? Well, it simply means my parents are Indian and i am a first-generation Singaporean with Indian descent. This tiny country is a melting pot of languages and cultures. It's original natives are the Malays followed by the immigrant Chinese and Indian from the early 1800s. We were ruled by the British until WW2, and were originally part of Malaysia but gained our own independence in 1965. Very young nation indeed! So our schools incorporated English as the 1st language to overcome multilingual barriers amongst the main three cultures, and our native languages are taught as a 2nd language. This does not mean we do not have misunderstandings within the cultures, but we work through our barriers better (having lived together as a unit for a century). A lot of people who do not know better would label our government as extremely authoritarian. I do have my own personal difficulties relating to legislation and other rules, laws. But i acknowledge the fact that they have a big task on their hands to stay muticulturally integrative and globally entreprenurial. Can you imagine the chaos that can happen in an unruly country, even if its as tiny as ours? That too with so many cultures. And we're so small that we HAVE to make a mark globally because we'd be completely ignored! 

On a more personal level, I have been married to the love of my life Suresh for 2 out of the 9 years we have known each other. We live in a flat which is the most common-sense method of life in an intensely small and saturated population of people. I love animals, and have 2 beautiful, sassy, funny cats named Bindi and Zadie :) I hope to adopt dogs and other animals in the future, Suresh fears we're going to have a farm on our hands once i'm done with that wishlist! I will upload pictures in time of the kitties (or kites as we lovingly call 'em), pls allow this newbie to get herself used to the blogworld first! 

I have an immediate family of 4 - Momma, The father, younger sista Archana and Me. I am the eldest of two sisters, mom's favorite (psst don't tell Archana that!), sister's sounding board/2nd mom/confidante/sparring partner/partner in 'crime'. I am not close to the dad, and i do not usually refer him any other way except for the father or the man of the house (moth-hmm, somehow it seems apt!). I don't like him, but it isn't like i hold him in total disdain..well not anymore. We have a river of bad blood between us. Perhaps it may someday see light of day and we actually might reconcile, but for now some safe distance (literally and/or metaphorically) helps. 

I am an avid observer of life's nuances..its simplest and euphoric moments, the fears and trials, the idiosyncracies, oxymorons, patterns and swirls, nature, people. I am constantly keen to learn something new, its almost a habit. I love to learn-relearn-unlearn, life would be so boring if we stopped living just a wee bit curious. What do you think? 

I am currently a busy full-time Masters student in the field of Counseling. I also teach kids in a public school part-time, like a relief-teacher. I am active within the social network circle i have gained through facebook, and we have created quite a few groups i participate in regularly. I LOVE books and am in a cosy book club. Book of the month currently is Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. We have read quite a varied spread of authors that include Jodi Picoult(My sister's keeper), Louis De Berniere(Captain Corelli's Mandolin), Zoe Heller(Notes on a Scandal). We call the book club members pithy generalists as we try not to stick to conventional, typical top ten bestsellers or specifically read a particular genre. 

Although born in an orthodox Hindu family, I am an agnostic. The decision to be agnostic did not come about on some sudden whim or cool phase, my life's journey has just directed my inner Zen-ness to an alternative spiritual path. I participate in what is known as the Singapore Humanist Meetup. A group of us like-minded individuals meet every month with the purpose of sharing our opinions on what the term humanism actually means to each of us, gaining knowledge from fellow speakers and enjoying some live music-socialising at the same time. It can get really heated at times, oof! But it is also a chance for people to have an open platform to voice their ideas and share in their amusements/grievances. 

I love music, i am a better person just for the sheer love of it. I love everything about it and find it hard to answer the question 'What is your favorite music genre?' okay admittedly i do get a headache from some brain-pounding trash/death-metal, trance, stupid pop tunes but thats about it really. My taste in music varies from Chopin to The Beatles to Black Sabbath to Ciara to Busta Rhymes to Asian Dub Foundation. I am quite the movie-buff as well, i love movies from Hollywood, Bollywood of all possible genres (Horror, Indie, Foreign, Sci-Fi, Comedy, Animation..you name the genre). 

When motivated, i am an active athlete - swimming, running, power-walking, dancing (i'm trained in 3 forms of classical Indian dance, contemporary dance), singing (that happens only when i am a)very drunk, b) very happy, c)in the shower). I do however live with the aim of maintaining a balance, so i practice meditation, indulge in home-spa treats (ever made a lavender ball bath soak?), have lovely afternoon siestas when i have the luxury of doing so. I have a wide collection of candles - in the attempt to 'go green' they are either made of beeswax or paraffin, they of course are complemented by dozens of candle holders and assortments of incense sticks,essential oils and plenty of ambient tunes. The most vivid soothing memory I remember is taking a lavender bath surrounded by white pillar candles on a wintry night in Australia, with the tune 'Moonlight in Vermont' by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong playing in the background.....ah bliss.....

well study time beckons so this is Me for today. more intro will be done soon.

Til the next entry, much love from bellapetitebebe x