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You already know that the toddler years bring big changes for your child, but you may not have realized how much your role would change. Up until this point, you haven't really had to deal with behavior issues. But once your child can walk and talk, she needs your help to learn what she can and can't do. She needs your loving discipline.

These years set the stage for your child's future behavior. That's why it's essential that you take a long-term approach to disciplining your toddler. In his book Creative Parenting (Dodd-Mead), Dr. William Sears is clear that discipline not be seen as "negative punishment," but rather as gentle and positive guidance to help your child learn self-control. According to Sears, the best way to guide your toddler is to get to know him—his temperament, likes, dislikes and fears. As you learn more about your child, you'll find it easier to predict how he'll react in a certain situation and what you can do ahead of time to prevent behavior problems.

As you begin to discipline your toddler, keep these tips in mind:

Remove your child from situations that aren't safe or seem to increase defiant behavior. Guide her toward positive behavior with short, clear instructions, as you remind her of her limits and acceptable conduct. If you know she gets grumpy around naptime, schedule play dates or other activities for a part of the day when she'll be more likely to behave.

Try to keep his perspective in mind. If he gets upset when it's time to put his toys away and go to the store, remember that his tantrum is not disobedience. He's simply having fun with his toys and doesn't want that fun to end. Rather than getting angry, pick him up and carry him out of the playroom, away from the toys. Help your child transition from one activity to the next by telling him, "It's almost time to put the toys away and go to the store," a few minutes before you have to leave.

Use a time-out when your toddler doesn't respond to your words. Even 10 to 20 seconds on the couch can help your child calm down and end a power struggle or hurtful behavior.

Let your words and actions be guided by what you know instead of how you feel. In other words, don't let how you feel (tired, angry, stressed) dictate how you treat your child. Be firm but kind with your words and discipline.

Remember that her misbehavior usually isn't intended to annoy you. She's simply enjoying her growing independence and trying to figure out how her world works. When she misbehaves, focus less on what she did wrong and instead tell her and show her the acceptable behavior.

Explain your rules and expectations ahead of time. If you're about to spend time with other children, talk about negative behavior (hitting, biting, not sharing) and how it can hurt other people. Children at this stage learn best through repetition and practice, so take the time to talk about positive ways he can behave. Be consistent and praise him when he obeys or remembers the rules.

Spend time getting to know your toddler's temperament and plan activities according to his needs. Too much activity can add to more battles if your child is quiet by nature, while a more active child might need more stimulation to keep her busy.

Truly effective discipline is about positive relationships—understanding your child and then training her to understand and stay within her limits.

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Pope John Paul II Passes Away



 	  Prayers are being said across the world following the death
of the pontiff

-- Obituary - The Pontiff 1920-2005
Pope John Paul II, the Polish pontiff who led the Roman Catholic
Church for more than a quarter century and became history's most-
travelled pope, has died at 84, the Vatican has announced.
The pontiff's poor health worsened further as he suffered from a
failing heart and kidneys, and he died at 8.37pm British time the
Vatican said.

Related Links
 	 · The Vatican: Official site· Cathport: Catholic
Internet portal· Leave your thoughts and prayers

Millions of Catholics in the UK joined worldwide prayers, while tens
of thousands of faithful have kept a vigil in St Peter's Square.
Tributes poured in from fellow clergymen and the faithful for the
pontiff, who shunned hospital to remain in his quarters.
Former Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher paid tribute to Pope John
Paul II as the greatest pontiff of modern times and the "moral
force" behind victory in the Cold War.

 	  · Profile: Pope John Paul II

"We should remember Pope John Paul II not just as the greatest Pope
of modern times but also as a valiant fighter for the truth," she
said.
"His life was a long struggle against the lies employed to excuse
evil. By combating the falsehoods of communism and proclaiming the
true dignity of the individual, his was the moral force behind
victory in the Cold War.
"Millions owe him their freedom and self respect. The whole world is
inspired by his example."

by Rabbi Dr Asher Meir

Siddharth G J's mother and father are proud parents. And that's not
because of his masters in economics with distinction. The 24-year-old
has faced tougher tests, fought bigger bogeys and crossed higher hurdles
with his indomitable fighting spirit.
Siddharth has cerebral palsy.

In medical-speak, that means an affliction caused by the cut-off of
oxygen to the brain at the time of birth or early infancy. It
irreversibly damages the communication between the brain and muscles,
resulting in lack of coordination in muscular movements and defects in
posture.

In real life, it means being considered mentally retarded, being looked
down upon, and being refused admission in colleges and jobs despite an
outstanding academic record.

Siddharth's battles with fate began early. He had jaundice when he was
three days old, and was unconscious for three days. "As he grew, and did
not show the usual landmarks in development, we knew there was something
wrong. It was an extremely shocking news for us," says his mother
Komala.

Some doctors in Bangalore told Komala and her husband Jayakumar that
their son was 'mentally retarded.' "We knew from his responses that he
was as intelligent as any other child - if not more - but that was what
the doctors said."

Siddharth's early childhood was not the usual one with friends and
schoolmates. For eight years, he stayed at home. A neighbour worked with
a special school run by the Spastic Society of India, and Siddharth got
admission there. "The first thing they taught me was how to use a
typewriter. I typed with one finger, and even today, I type with one
finger. Except math, I started doing all my school work on my
typewriter,"
says a smiling Sidhharth. His school followed a different syllabus for
each student, depending on his/her ability. So, Siddharth was sent to
standard II from upper kindergarten.

Sidhharth's father Jayakumar got transferred to Chennai. Siddharth now
had to get used to a new school, a new environment and new challenges.
"I remember I cried when we left Bangalore," he says.

He studied at Vidyasagar, now a well-known school for spastic children.
"It was not as big as it is now," says Siddharth. "I have no words to
describe Vidyasagar's role in my son's life," says his mother.

When he finished standard VIII, the school authorities felt Siddharth
should go to a regular school. Before Siddharth, they had sent just one
other boy to a regular school. "I also feel disabled people should be
studying in regular schools because generally other children, and even
adults, are not aware of the disabled. The attitude of the public is
that the disabled can't do anything. Only when more and more disabled
children are integrated into regular schools will society understand
us," says Sidhharth.

"Initially, it was very difficult for me. Writing, people, the
workload...it was difficult to interact; I felt miserable."
In his standard X board exams, Siddharth took assistance to write his
answers. But the government sends people who are not proficient in math
and science, and "there were times I had to dictate letter by letter,"
says Siddharth. That did not stop him from scoring 98 percent in his
favourite subject, math. He opted for commerce, and in his standard XII
board exams, scored 90 percent.

Happily ever after? Far from it, says Siddharth. "Vivekananda College,
where I applied, looked at me and refused to look at my academic
performance. I was very upset. I asked myself, why are these people not
looking at my marks? Why are they looking at my disability?"

Siddharth's father spoke to the Vivekananda College principal, and also
his teacher at Vidyasagar, Deepthi Bhatia, who is blind. "I assured the
principal that he [Siddharth] would be an asset to the college," says
Jayaram..

College for Siddharth was again a different experience. "Many students
didn't know how to deal with disabled people like me. It is not that
many of them didn't want to make friends with me. They didn't know how
to approach me. As I am a shy person, I also couldn't initiate
conversation."

Despite "sleeping in most of the classes," Siddharth's brilliance shone.
He scored 100 percent in management accountancy and computer science -
the only one in his batch to do so - with an overall 74 percent in Bcom.

Siddharth wanted to do his masters in social work from the prestigious
Loyola College. "I was denied admission to the course I wanted: MSW.
They decided that I would not be able to do MSW because of my
disability. I was angry. How could somebody else decide for me? They
refused to listen to my arguments. Luckily, I had also applied for MA in
Economics. Though it was disappointing to miss out MSW, I joined the
college."

He thought his struggles ended with getting a postgraduate degree with
distinction. That was not to be. When he applied for jobs, people did
not look at his academic record or ability; they saw only his physical
disability. A family friend asked Siddharth to join his public relations
agency.

"Ma'am, all those press releases you received from Prism till a month
ago were written by me," Siddharth says, smiling. With his first salary,
he bought a pair of shoes for his father and gave the rest of the money
to his mother.

But Siddharth wanted a job on merit. "I continued applying to several
places. All of them called me because of my resume. I used to perform
well in the aptitude tests also but the moment they saw me at the
interview panel, they would say, 'We will get back to you.'"

"Big companies like Infosys and TCS [Tata Consultancy Services] appeared
satisfied with my technical knowledge in economics but they did not get
back to me. They don't trust people with disability. This distrust is
very, very bad," says a visibly angry Sidhharth.

At a job fair where there was a separate section for the disabled,
Siddharth gave an aptitude test for ABN Amro Bank. "They were very
co-operative. I passed the test."

At the interview, Siddharth spoke about himself. "They were stunned. On
the spot they said you are selected. I felt damn good! They didn't tell
me what my job would be but I told them I didn't want a data entry job.
I told them I was looking for a research-oriented job. They were very
receptive. For the first time, somebody realised my potential."

Surabhi Nikumbha, one of three on the interview panel, says, "We just
listened to him [Siddharth], rather his story, for 45 minutes. We just
couldn't ask a single question. All three of us were stunned. We didn't
even know how to react. It was an amazing experience.

"His academic performance was exceptional, and you should see the way he
answered our aptitude test. We were also impressed to find him so
independent. He came on his own, did everything on his own. His
department tells us that he is excellent in his work. He is an asset to
us. We are proud to have him in our organisation."

Today Siddharth G J, officer trainee, ABN Amro Bank, examines import and
export documents for compliance with international standards of
documentation. "I am enjoying every moment of it. People at ABN Amro
trust me wholeheartedly. It is just a beginning for me," says our hero.
And he still writes poems. "No, they are not for publishing. They are
very, very personal," he says.

Children like him need only love, affection and encouragement; not
sympathy," says his mother.

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Are you always stressed & burdened in office? If so, follow these tips & get more work done in less time.
1.Increase your productivity
Organize your desk, remove things you don't use everyday, keep high-priority items in plain sight
2.Manage your time well
Set specific deadline when people give you tasks. Keep them on master calendar & post it prominently
3.Deal with your colleagues in style
Take their guidance but don't let them take charge of you.
4.Fight stress effectively
Don't keep anything pending for the last minute. Plan out your schedule in advance & work accordingly
5.Don't throw your weight around
Avoid jargon & be modest. Ask 'How about doing X?' instead of 'Why don't we do X?'
6.Learn to listen to others
Don't start thinking about your next response while the other person is still talking.
7.Hold effective meetings
Interact with colleagues & discuss problems, if any. Also look for their solutions.
8.Express yourself to your boss
Take initiatives & communicate your ideas to your superiors. Don't let others tell you what to do.

Hi Francy,

I would like to share some article with the group

1) Article 1 is on Sudha Murthy's struggle.  This story is something what I
liked.
2) Article 2 is on health care which we usually ignore.  This information was
passed on to me during my Yoga training.

If you feel its informative, kindly include it in your next issue.

Eva Pereira
Wartsila India Ltd
------------
Sudha Murthy, wife of Infosys Chairman Narayanamurthy, talking about her life
and the story of how Infosys was born:

It was in Pune that I met Narayan Murty through my friend Prasanna who is now
the Wipro chief, who was also training in Telco. Most of the books that Prasanna
lent me had Murty's name on them, which meant that I had a preconceived image of
the man. Contrary to expectation, Murty was shy,
bespectacled and an introvert. When he invited us for dinner, I was a bit taken
aback as I thought the young man was making a very fast move. I refused since I
was the only girl in the group. But Murty was relentless and we all decided to
meet for dinner the next day at 7.30 p.m. at Green Fields hotel on the Main
Road, Pune. The next day I went there at 7 o clock since I had to go to the
tailor near the hotel. And what do I see? Mr. Murty waiting in front of the
hotel and it was only seven. Till today, Murty maintains that I had mentioned
(consciously!) that I would be going to the tailor at 7 so that I could meet
him...And I maintain that I did not say any such thing consciously or 
unconsciously because I did not think of Murty as anything other than a  friend
at that stage. We have agreed to disagree on this matter. Soon, we became
friends. Our conversations were filled with Murty's experiences abroad and the
books that he has read. My friends insisted that Murty was trying to impress me
because he was interested in me. I kept denying it till one fine day, after
dinner Murty said " I want to tell you something". I knew this was it. It was
coming. He said, I am 5'4" tall. I come from a lower middle class family. I can
never become rich in my life and I can never give you any riches. You are
beautiful, bright, intelligent and you can get anyone you want. But will you
marry me? I asked Murty to give me some time for an answer. My father didn't
want me to marry a wannabe politician,(a communist at that) who didn't have a
steady job and wanted to build an orphanage... When I went to Hubli I told my
parents about Murty and his proposal. My mother was positive since Murty was
also from Karnataka, seemed intelligent and comes from a good family. But my
father asked: What's his job, his salary, his qualifications etc? Murty was
working as a research assistant and was earning less than me.  He was willing to
go dutch with me on our outings.  My parents agreed to meet Murty in Pune on a
particular day at 10 a. m sharp. Murty did not turn up. How can I trust a man to
take care of my daughter if he cannot keep an appointment, asked my father.  At
12 noon Murty turned up in a bright red shirt! He had gone on work to Bombay,
was stuck in a traffic jam on the ghats, so he hired a taxi (though it was very
expensive for him) to meet his would-be father-in-law. Father was unimpressed.
My father asked him what he wanted to become in life. Murty said he wanted to
become a politician in the communist party and wanted to open an orphanage. My
father gave his verdict. NO. I don't want my daughter to marry somebody who
wants to become a communist and then open an orphanage when he himself didn't
have money to support his family. Ironically, today, I have opened many
orphanages something which Murty wanted to do 25 years ago. By this time I
realized I had developed a liking towards Murty which could only be termed as
love. I wanted to marry Murty because he is an honest man. He proposed to me
highlighting the negatives in his life. I promised my father that I will not
marry Murty without his blessings though at the same time, I cannot marry
anybody else. My father said he would agree if Murty promised to take up a
steady job. But Murty refused saying he will not do things in life because
somebody wanted him to. So, I was caught between the two most important people
in my life. The stalemate continued for three years during which our courtship
took us to every restaurant and cinema hall in Pune. In those days, Murty was
always broke. Moreover, he didn't earn much to manage. Ironically today, he
manages Infosys Technologies Ltd, one of the world's most reputed companies. He
always owed me money. We used to go for dinner and he would say, I don't have
money with me, you pay my share, I will return it to you later. For
three years I maintained a book on Murty's debt to me. No, he never returned the
money and I finally tore it up after my wedding. The amount was a little over
Rs. 4000. During this interim period Murty quit his job as research assistant
and started his own software business. Now, I had to pay his salary too! Towards
the late 70s computers were entering India in a big way. During the fag end of
1977 Murty decided to take up a job as General Manager at Patni Computers in
Bombay. But before he joined the company he wanted to marry me since he was to
go on training to the US after joining. My father gave in as he was happy Murty
had a decent job, now. We where married in Murty's house in Bangalore on
February 10, 1978 with only our two families present. I got My first silk sari.
The wedding expenses came to only Rs. 800(US$ 17) with
Murty and I pooling in Rs. 400 each. I went to the US with Murty after marriage.
Murty encouraged me to see America on my own because I loved travelling. I
toured America for three months on backpack and had interesting experiences
which will remain fresh in my mind forever. Like the time when I was taken into
custody by the New York police because they thought I was an Italian trafficking
drugs in Harlem. Or the time when I spent the night at the bottom of the Grand
Canyon with an old couple. Murty panicked because he couldn't get a response
from my hotel room even at midnight. He thought I was either killed or
kidnapped. In 1981 Murty wanted to start INFOSYS. he had a vision and zero
capital... initially I was very apprehensive about Murty getting into business.
We did not have any business background. Moreover we were living a comfortable
life in Bombay with a regular pay check and I didn't want to rock the boat. But
Murty was passionate about creating good quality software. I decided to support
him. Typical of Murty, he just had a dream and no money. So I gave him Rs.
10,000 which I had saved for a rainy day, without his knowledge and told him,
This is all I have. Take it. I give you three years sabbatical leave. I will
take care of the financial needs of our house. You go and chase your dreams
without any worry. But you have only three years! Murty and his six colleagues
started Infosys in 1981,with enormous interest and hard work.
In 1982 I left Telco and moved to Pune with Murty.  We bought a small house On
loan which also became the Infosys office. I was a
clerk-cum-cook-cum-programmer. I also took up a job as Senior Systems Analyst
with Walchand group of Industries to support the house. In 1983 Infosys got
their first client, MICO, in Bangalore. Murty moved to Bangalore and stayed with
his mother while I went to Hubli to deliver my second child, Rohan. Ten days
after my son was born, Murty left for the US on project work. I saw him only
after a year as I was unable to join Murty in the US because my son had
infantile eczema, an allergy to vaccinations. So for more than a year I did not
step outside our home for fear of my son contracting an infection. It was only
after Rohan got all his vaccinations that I came to Bangalore where we rented a
small house in Jayanagar and rented another house as Infosys headquarters. My
father presented Murty a scooter to commute. I once again became a cook,
programmer, clerk, secretary, office assistant et al.  Nandan Nilekani (MD of
Infosys) and his wife Rohini stayed with us. While Rohini babysat my son, I
wrote programmes for Infosys. There was no car, no phone, just two kids and a
bunch of us working hard, juggling our lives and having fun while Infosys was
taking shape. It was not only me but the wives of other partners too who gave
their unstinted support. We all knew that our men were trying to build something
good. It was like a big joint family, taking care and looking out for one
another. I still remember Sudha Gopalakrishna looking after my daughter Akshata
with all care and love while Kumari Shibulal cooked for all of us. Murty made it
very clear that it would either be me or him working at Infosys. Never the two
of us together... I was involved with Infosys initially. Nandan Nilekani
suggested I should be on the Board but Murty said he did not want a husband and
wife team at Infosys. I was shocked since I had the relevant experience and
technical qualifications. He said, Sudha if you want to work with Infosys, I
will withdraw, happily. I was pained to know that I will not be involved in the
company my husband was building and that I would have to give up a job that I am
qualified to do and love doing. It took me a couple of days to grasp the reason
behind Murty's request. I realised that to make Infosys a success one had to
give one's 100 percent.  One had to be focussed on it alone with no other
distractions. If the two of us had to give 100 percent to Infosys then what
would happen to our home and our children? One of us had to take care of our
home while the other took care of Infosys. I opted to be a homemaker, after all
Infosys was Murty's dream.  It was a big sacrifice but it was one that had to be
made. Even today, Murty says, Sudha, I stepped on your career to make mine. You
are responsible for my success. I might have given up my career for my husband's
sake. But that does not make me a doormat... Many think that I have been made
the sacrificial lamb at Narayan Murty's altar of success. A few women
journalists have even accused me of setting a wrong example by giving up my
dreams to make my husbands a reality. Is'nt freedom about living your life the
way you want it? What is right for one person might be wrong for another. It is
up to the individual to make a choice that is effective in her life.  I feel
that when a woman gives up her right to choose for herself is when she crosses
over from being an individual to a doormat. Murty's dreams encompassed not only
himself but a generation of people.  It was about founding something worthy,
exemplary and honorable. It was about creation and distribution of wealth. His
dreams were grander than my career plans, in all aspects. So, when I had to
choose between Murty's career and mine, I opted for what I thought was a right
choice. We had a home and two little children. Measles, mumps, fractures, PTA
meetings, wants and needs of growing children do not care much for grandiose
dreams. They just needed to be attended to. Somebody had to take care of it all.
Somebody had to stay back to create a home base that would be fertile for
healthy growth, happiness, and more dreams to dream.  I became that somebody
willingly.  I can confidently say that if I had had a dream like Infosys, Murty
would have given me his unstinted support.  The roles would have been reversed.
We are not bound by the archaic rules of marriage.  I cook for him but I don't
wait up to serve dinner like a traditional wife.  So, he has no hassles about
heating up the food and having his dinner.  He does not intrude into my time
especially when I am writing my novels.  He does not interfere in my work at the
Infosys Foundation and I don't interfere with the running of Infosys. I teach
Computer Science to MBA and MCA students at Christ college for a few hours every
week and I earn around Rs. 50,000 a year.  I value this financial independence
greatly though there is no need for me to pursue a teaching career. Murty
respects that.  I travel all over the world without Murty because he hates]
travelling.  We trust each other implicitly. We have another understanding too.
While he earns the money, I spend it, mostly through the charity. Philanthropy
is a profession and an art... The Infosys Foundation was born in 1997 with the
sole objective of uplifting the less-privileged sections of society. In the past
three years we have build hospitals, orphanges, rehabilitation centres, school
buildings, science centres and more than 3500 libraries. Our work is mainly in
the rural areas amongst women and children.  I am one of the trustees and our
activities span six states including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Orissa,
Chandigarh and Maharashtra.  I travel to around 800 villages constantly. Infosys
Foundation has a minimal staff of three trustees and three office members. We
all work very hard to achieve our goals and that is the reason why Infosys
Foundation has a distinct identity. Every year we donate around Rs. 5-6 crore
(Rs. 50 - 60 million). We run Infosys Foundation the way Murty runs Infosys in a
professional and scientific way. Philanthropy is a profession and an art. It can
be used or misused. We slowly want to increase the donations and we dream of a
time when Infosys Foundation could donate large amounts of money. Every year we
receive more than 10,000 applications for donations. Everyday I receive more
than 120 calls. Amongst these, there are those who genuinely need help and there
are hood winkers too. I receive letters asking me to donate Rs five lakh to
someone because five lakh is, like peanuts to Infosys. Some people write to us
asking for free Infosys shares.  Over the years I have learnt to differentiate
the wheat from the chaff, though I still give a patient hearing to all the
cases. Sometimes I feel I have lost the ability to trust people. I have become
shrewder to avoid being conned. It saddens me to realise that even as a person
is talking to me I try to analyse them: Has he come here for any donation? Why
is he praising my work or enquiring about my health, does he want some money
from me? Eight out of ten times I am right. They do want my money. But I feel
bad for the other two whom I suspected. I think that is the price that I have to
pay for the position that I am in now. The greatest difficulty in having money
is teaching your children the value of it and trying to keep them on a straight
line.... Bringing up children in a moneyed atmosphere is a difficult task. Even
today I think twice if I have to spend Rs10 on an auto when I can walk up to my
house. I cannot expect my children to do the same. They have seen money from the
time they were born. But we can lead by example. When they see Murty wash his
own plate after eating and clean the two toilets in the house everyday they
realise that no work is demeaning irrespective of how rich you are. I dont have
a maid at home because I dont see the need for
one. When children see both parents working hard, living a simple life, most of
the time they tend to follow. This doesn't mean we expect our children to live
an austere life. My children buy what they want and go where they want but they
have to follow certain rules. They will have to show me a bill for whatever they
buy.  My daughter can buy five new outfits but she has to give away five old
ones. My son can go out with his friends for lunch or dinner but if he wants to
go to a five star hotel, we discourage it. Or we accompany him.  So far my
children haven't given me any heartbreak. They are good children. My eldest
daughter is studying abroad, whereas my son is studying in Bangalore. They don't
use their father's name in vain. If asked, they only say that his name is Murty
and that he works for Infosys.  They don't want to be recognised and appreciated
because of their father or me but for themselves. I dont feel guilty about
having money for we have worked hard for it. But I dont feel compfortable
flaunting it.. It is a conscious decision on our part to live a simple, so-
called middle class life. We live in the same Two-bedroom, sparsely furnished
house before INFOSYS became a succedd. Our only extravagance is buying books and
CDs. My house has no lockers for I have no jewels. I wear a stone earring which
I bought in mumbai for Rs100. I don't even wear my mangalsutra until I attend
some family functions or I am with my mother-in-law. I am not fond of jewellery
or saris. Five years ago, I went to Kashi where tradition demands that you give
up something and I gave up shopping. Since then I haven't bought myself a sari
or gone shopping. It is my friends who gift me with saris. Murty bought me a
sari a long time ago. It was not to my taste and I told him to refrain from
buying saris for me in the future.  I am no good at selecting men's clothes
either. It is my daughter who does the shopping for us. I still have the same
sofa at home which my daughter wants to change. However, we have indulged
ourselves with each one having their own music system and computer. I don't
carry a purse and neither does Murty most of the time. I do tell him to keep
some small change with him but he doesn't. I borrow money from my secretary or
my driver if I need cash. They know my habit so they always carry extra cash
with them. But I settle the accounts every evening. Murty and I are very
comfortable with our lifestyle and we dont see the Need to change it now that we
have money. Murty and I are two opposites that complement each other... Murty is
sensitive and romantic in his own way. He always gifts me books addressed to
From Me to You. Or to the person I most admire etc. We both love books. We are
both complete opposites. I am an extrovert and he is an introvert. I love
watching movies and listening to classical music. Murty loves listening to
English classical music.  I go out for movies with my students and secretary
every other week. I am still young at heart. I really enjoyed watching "Kaho Na
Pyaar Hai" and I am a Hrithik Roshan fan. It has been more than 20 years since
Murty and I went for a movie. My daughter once gave us a surprise by booking
tickets for "Titanic". Since I had a prior engagement that day, Murty went for
the movie with his secretary Pandu. I love travelling whereas Murty loves
spending time at
home. Friends come and go with the share prices... Even in my dreams, I did not
expect Infosys to grow like the way it has. I don't think even Murty envisioned
this phenomenal success, at least not in 1981. After Infosys went public in
1993, we became what people would call as rich, moneyed people. I was shocked to
see what was happening to Infosys and to us. Suddenly you see and hear about so
much money. Your name and photo is splashed in the papers. People talk about
you. It was all new to me. Suddenly I have people walking up to me saying, oh we
where such good friends, we had a meal 25 years ago, they claim to have been
present at our wedding(which is an utter life because only my family was present
at my wedding). I dont even know all these people who claim to know Murty and me
so well.. But that doesn't mean I don't have true friends. I do have genuine
friends, a handful, who have been with me for a very long time. My equation with
these people has not changed and vice versa. I am also very close to Narayan
Murty's family, especially my sister-in-law Kamala Murty, a school teacher, who
is more of a dear friend to me. I have discovered that these are the few
relationships and friendships that don't fluctuate depending on the price of
Infosys shares. Have I lost my identity as a woman, in Murty's shadow?... No. I
might be Mrs Narayan Murty. I might be Akshata and Rohan's mother. I might be
the trustee of Infosys Foundation. But I am still
Sudha.. I play different roles like all women. That doesn't mean we don't have
our own identity. Women have that extra quality of adaptability and learn to fit
into different shoes. But we are our own selves still. And we have to exact our
freedom by making the right choices in our lives, dictated by us and not by the
world.

--sudha murthy
  -----------------------------


Don't smoke- Experiment from experts proves that smoking a cigarette after meal
is comparable to smoking 10 cigarettes (chances of cancer is higher).

Don't eat fruits immediately - Immediately eating fruits after meals will cause
stomach to be bloated with air. Therefore take fruit 1-2 hr after meal or 1hr
before meal.

Don't drink tea - Because tea leaves contain a high content of acid. This
substance will cause the Protein content in the food we consume to be hardened
thus difficult to digest.

Don't loosen your belt - Loosening the belt after a meal will easily cause the
intestine to be twisted & blocked.

Don't bathe - Bathing will cause the increase of blood flow to the hands, legs &
body thus the amount of blood around the stomach will therefore decrease.  This
will weaken the digestive system in our stomach.

Don't walk about - People always say that after a meal walk a hundred steps and
you will live till 99. In actual fact this is not true. Walking will cause the
digestive system to be unable to absorb the nutrition from the food we intake.

Don't sleep immediately - The food we intake will not be able to digest
properly. Thus will lead to gastric & infection in our intestine.