What is age? Fun experiences of the 25 year old

I read back the journals I wrote while travelling, capturing my moments in words. They make me smile. While I was travelling, I met two types of people. People who thought I was much younger than I am and people who thought I was much older than I am. And I must say I surprised both groups. I was travelling from Singapore to Australia and just received a message with: "Good luck in Australia Doctor Kohli!" and boarded the airplane. I had an aisle seat next to an elderly couple, very sweet people. It was a night flight, I curled up in my seat, making myself very comfortable and when they thought I was sleeping, whispering the lady next to me said to her husband: "parents letting such a young girl fly alone" :D. I am happy with my young appearance acutally and they treated my like a fragile young girl haha, and hopefully my smile did not reveal, that this very young girl just got a message wishing her luck as a medical Doctor :). While when I give Talks or Lectures, people actually think I am closer to 30 before I start giving a talk. I don't like to list up all things I have done usually haha, but when they list it up in my intro, hmm, it is quite some yes. Then they listen to the Talk/lecture and after the Talk many people come up to me and ask: "How old are you actually Ma'm?" And all reactions made me smile. Mostly: "You are so young?"   I was entering a casino (I don't like gambling, but it was a beautiful casino), no guard believed I was older than 18 :D! - So what is young and what is old and what is age actually? What fits a certain age? You are as young as you feel :)?

A beauty loser?

While travelling I happened to meet some ladies. Nice ladies, but some things were a bit unbelievable for them. After hearing what so unbelievable was for them, I could not believe it . Was I a beauty loser for some? I wondered what a woman should and should not do for her beauty and what the perception of beauty really is and how that may be culturally defined for some people. My confessions that I hardly use make-up, when I do, as less as possible and actually am not a star in using it, a shock! Beauty salons are a quite unknown place for me, I never had a manicure or pedicure for example. The confession that I like my eyebrows just the way they are, did and do consider the tweezing once in while, but find they suit my face and give me the right expression, was also a shock! And, No I never straightened or curled or do whatever with my hair on my head. I do keep it clean . And there might have been some more shocking things as well for them. I loved all the beauty advice of very nice ladies and it is not that I do not like taking caring of myself and will never use the advice. I do, in fact, take a lot of care of myself in different ways! And also I do not mind getting tanned by the sun.. In no time I am lucky a tan will vanish again . I am Indian, naturally brown skinned, I am supposed to get brown in the sun, it is good for vitamin D. I am not saying I will never visit a beauty salon, I don't hate it, it does feel good and I might do go if I feel like it, but it does not make me less beautiful or less a lady if I don't visit it regularly. Lack of time plays a role too. If I a beauty loser now? I don't think so. Sometimes less is more. And with doing at the right times "more" I can at least surprise people .

Who Cares? An observation and an experience.

When in need who will come to a person to help? So many discussions and Talks and conferences around the world, I am also in those conferences and I hear beautiful words. I reflect after every conference I have been to or have been a speaker. Looking at ground level, looking at people around me, my own friends. When someone is in need: who will help? People will ask: are you okay and say they feel sorry. Or they will just gossip about you. Much gossip reaches my eyes and ears every day and I let it go, forget it, about friends and other people, they don't even know or perhaps they do know what is being said about them. They think nobody knows, but in fact, the whole world knows. And of course they do the same about me! Human nature at its best right? You must recognize what I write here. And I myself have also been in situations where I thought: who will help me now? Also upon asking people hesitate. To help. What is that makes people hesitate to help someone? Not to just ask: are you okay? But take initiative to actually do something? In most cases that is what someone needs, that physical support, that little push in the back taking you forward. I am not blaming anyone, but we should observe ourselves better on what we do. I am also part of not taking enough initiative yet (I am improving every day) and that same lack of initiative from a lot of people, who actually think: well that is not really my business, I don't want my own reputation to go, I do not want to get involved or it does not make me better: does not really help anyone :). So we listen to Talks and visit conferences and read books and claim we are there to help this world and in the meanwhile telling all other people, "this person was sick, so sad right? or this person had a fight with ..." not to start about all relationship break up and tie up news my ears reach :). I am not perfect, but a moment of reflection at least makes me realize again how much more work there is to be done for to keep improving every day!

Happy World Toilet Day!

Happy World Toilet day! While these type of "love toilets" come available, many people world wide are in big need of normal toilets! Be aware that 2.5 billion people lack access to improved sanitation. While travelling all over the world, many times experienced how important having access to a toilet is. An important cause that needs full attention, also to prevent spread of diseases.