In the Valley of Heaven...

As I landed in Srinagar, the first thing that hit me was the unbelievanly fresh smell in the air. It is sunny outside but the breeze is nice and cool. The last half an hour of the flight was breathtakingly beautiful. The   bird's eye view of the Himalayan snow capped mountain ranges was spectacular and I literally had my nose pressed against the window. Once the plane entered the valley and moutains were tinged all around there was another treat down below, patches of green fields in every possible shade. There was a bit of a delay before landing due to air traffic but I guess nobody minded circling around that scenery for a while.

The airport in Srinagar is a defence airport and is located in the middle of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) area. The first thing that strikes you about the city is the absolute lack of high rises, a very very refreshing change from usual and the next thing you notice is that the houses are so pretty! So we were on our way to the university where were to have a hiring exercise the next morning when it was decided that we first do some sightseeing. About turn and we found ourselves heading to Gulmarg. The entire two hour journey was beyond  description!

To be continued...

The end of the day...

The scene from the window was absolutely beautiful.  It was unbelievable how the bustle of a hot summer's day could lead to such peace and quiet. Street lamps lit up the empty roads with the occasional car passing by and lights twinkled in the windows of the buildings all around. The sky was overcast with white fluffy clouds with only glimpses of the dark blue sky above. But best part about this scene was the one thing you couldn't see: the cool and steady breeze. With the music softly playing in the background there was really nothing more I could've wished foe except maybe that the end of every day  could be spent peacefully contemplating the window from my window ledge with the breeze blowing through my hair. You don't need anything exotic to make you relax at the end of the day, just find that one thing that works for you and thats all you'll ever need.

Cheers!

Life is Transitory

Life is transitory. How do I know that? I looked it up in the dictionary and it says: Transitory means “of a passing nature; not enduring or permanent; temporary, fleeting”. And that is so true about life! The feeling really hit me when I was cleaning out a desk at home a few weeks ago. The things that came out of there, some of which I had almost forgotten about, all brought back to me so many memories of specific places in time that I was staggered. And this is only about eight or nine years worth of stuff, I don’t really have much from before that time. So it really hit me that this pile of stuff would only get bigger. What kind of stuff you ask? Well there are things ranging from birthday cards (especially the handmade kind but the other kind too, the message inside them make them special), bookmarks (I just love collecting those!), mementos (invitation cards, ribbons, fancy badges, sea shells), notes on scraps of paper, diaries with scribbles of song lyrics or half finished stories, calligraphy sheets, folders, old calendars with nice pictures on them, precious stationery, a few photographs from back in day we used to actually print them and the list simply goes on..

Anyway, this got me thinking (what’s new?!), and it occurred to me that we use this transitory nature of life as an excuse and keep planning for the future which never does really appear. We keep telling ourselves that this phase of life will just pass by soon and then we shall do all things that we have always planned. But actually it should be the absolute reverse of that! We should be living in the here and now, making the most of the phase we’re going through right now instead of waiting for it to finish and a better time to begin. There will be no better time if we don’t make it so; so the closet that we’re planning to clean out next month, or the early morning exercise that we so want to start but keep putting off till next week, or that we want to cook but next weekend always sounds better, all these things are just exercises in procrastination. Want to be more updated about happenings in the world? Start reading the news today; Want to get fit? Go for a walk right now; Want to read or write more? Start right now. It really doesn’t matter what it is, the answer always lies in taking action. Nothing stops us from doing the things we want to do or to put it the other way which I find that people respond to better is that nothing forces us to not act. Only that little fear inside of us that we may not be good enough or not be able to achieve what we set out to do or someone else might not like what we do; but quite frankly none of us is perfect and every mistake is an opportunity to learn so that we get just a little better at it. It’s just the decision that we need to make really and the rest will all take care of itself; the decision to be what we want and do what we want. So that in another ten years time when we clean out that desk full of memories we are satisfied with what we see and not regret that there are missing pieces that we could have had but just didn’t do anything about. Something to think about… Until next time, cheers!

Being Lost

Just yesterday a bunch of us were discussing how we view things differently at different points in our lives, in this case we were specifically talking about movies we have watched and loved at one point of time only to be disappointed by them in later years. Everyone agreed that there would always be those evergreen classics but for the most part the things we relate to at a certain time would most likely change with time. I decided to check the theory for myself today. There was a time in my life that I was addicted to the TV series aptly titled ‘Lost’. If you haven’t had a chance to see a bit of it, trust me you need to try it. I was so enthralled by this show that I have actually once watched 15 hours worth of episodes non-stop (yup, I can be crazy like that). After that even though the passion remained I wasn’t very religious about following the subsequent seasons as they came along. I kept up with the developments of the plot by reading about it on Wikepedia but that just wasn’t the same. At one point of time in college I had a brief reunion with the show and couldn’t believe I had stayed away for so long but once again fate did not permit us to stay with each other. Cutting to the present, a while back I managed to acquire all six seasons worth of episodes and I said to myself that I would shortly relive the joy of a Lost marathon but what do you know months have passed by with me hardly glancing at the folder or maybe having a look but choosing to go for something lighter instead (it’s a very intense show and you have to watch it in sequence else you’re lost quite literally). So today I dusted off the cobwebs and decided to give it a shot and see what my present self thought of Lost. After blankly staring at the screen for a few minutes I decided to randomly pick out an episode from the last season hoping I wouldn’t regret it. I was pleasantly surprised to find that from the first minute I was hooked on as if it was just yesterday! But I did discover that I was no longer eagerly sitting at the edge of my seat waiting for every next scene. Moreover I did not have the urge to keep watching one episode after the other. I did end up watching three random episodes but the curiosity was much diminished (I could blame it on Wikepedia but I have long forgotten what I had read on it so it wouldn’t be fair). I still wanted to watch the show and discover new things about the characters but it wasn’t an obsession anymore. I fact I think I’d be quite content to watch an episode every other day and be quite satisfied. So in conclusion, yes the time and place in our lives do effect our perception to things and how we react to them but I also believe that sometimes the new perceptions we build can be pretty great too. Until next time, cheers!

Of Books and Newspapers

In my family, we have a practical habit which has now become a tradition, which is that of covering all our books with old newspaper. Well the newspapers to begin with are all quite new and glossy but time soon does its magic and they take on that yellowish tinge that we are so familiar with. A glance at the bookshelves is always a pleasing array of bits of colours and text which is just so homey. My favourite part is the ability to glance at the books with their titles hidden behind their covers but still know exactly which book it is just by looking at it! Infact every time I pick up a book to read, I also inevitably glance through the newspaper cover to read the articles on them. We invariably use the Sunday Times Life edition as covers so there is always something quite interesting to read and a glance at the date also brings back back some nostalgia. However, as nothing lasts forever, eventually after some years have passed, we are forced to take off the faded and ragged covers and replace with new ones and then the cycle begins again. It is quite a herculean task this, replacing every book cover and I'm quite glad that I have given up numbering and labeling them as I did when I was a child. So as the dreaded task approaches me, I decided to take a moment to celebrate it, and reflect on the eternal temporariness of life, how everything always does come to an end (a sentiment expressed in the Sunday Times Life today :P). Until next time, Cheers!

 

Summer Day

The summer heat beat down on the ramshackle old car as it moved along the road, squeaking and squealing every step of the way. The driver, a woman, had come a long way and was now looking left and right seeming to be searching for something. She brought the car to a halt, took a deep breath and wished that the heat would subside. Taking a sip of water from the bottle beside her, she scanned the area around her from behind the dark glasses she wore. She was certainly nearing civilization after travelling through deserted roads for hours, but this was not the end of the journey. She was just looking for the turn she needed to make in her journey, trying to make sure that she didn't make a mistake. There seemed to be no road signs to guide her, it looked like she was hopelessly lost. There was no other option but to ask someone for help. She got out of the car, wondering which of the handful of houses to approach to ask for directions. She was suddenly filled with despair for reasons she couldn't quite explain. As she hesitated, as if in answer to a prayer, there was a deep rumbling in the distance and the skies were suddenly overcast with dark clouds. A thunderstorm approached, driving away the heat and replacing it with cool winds and the first drops of rain. As the smell of wet earth engulfed her, she smiled. It didn't matter anymore that she was lost, she was just content to enjoy the moment and trust that just like there was a way to cool down a summer's day, there would also be a way to find her way.

A Saturday Morning...

I wrote this a long time ago on the back of a bus ticket printout. Just found it recently while cleaning out my desk, so thought I'd put it up here..

I sit alone in an empty restaurant on a Sunday morning and just watch the world around. Traffic goes by easily, for there is no rush on the blessed weekend. The sun shines brightly today instead of the incessant rains of the week gone by. I look back on the week gone by, last Saturday at this time I was on a bus on the way to Pune, a journey of only three short hours but a place that is world's away from this one. I almost felt like I was going back in time; the closer I got to Pune, the more clearly I could see before my eyes - my life of three years.

In the quiet I can hear the hum of the air conditioner with the occasional sounds from the kitchen. Now they decide to put on some music, nice and slow just like the day. There is an ancient tree outside which actually blocks part of the road but nobody has bothered (or should I say dared?) to cut it down. Its as if the tree holds its own against this world of constant change and remains resolutely firm in the face of danger. It's scarred and drooping branches reach all the way across the road and offers its shade to all. And now the quiet of the restaurant is broken by the loud and carefree voices of schoolchildren who argue heatedly about the burgers, fries, choice of sauces and drinks. You can't help but smile at the innocence of the young.

I often think that the very young like the very old have the uncanny ability to see through the trappings and go straight to the truth. They pick up all the vibes around them, a lot of which depends on their parents with whom they spend most of their time. Children will imbibe all the good that they feel and repel all else. Even later in life, we come to resent certain manner of things without any particular reason for doing so; it is basically our subconscious that reminds us that sometime in our life we have seen something similar and not liked it.

Now there is a man who want his takeaway order and fast. He makes a few quick and impatient phone calls, all the while drumming his fingers on the table that is his temporary sanctuary. At last he collects his package and is on his way, leaving behind, in his wake, a trail of energy. How some people can be so constantly charged up, beats me!

And now comes the food, just as good as I remember it! There something very indestructible about food, it always lasts, no matter what. Food makes everything just a little bit better, a little less worse, a little more bearable, and basically you get my drift. And since my focus has now shifted to this delightful burger before me, I bid adieu. Until next time then, cheers!

Sleep!

I just discovered that it is just as hard to try to fall asleep when you are wide awake as it is to try to wake up when you are fast asleep! I never in my life imagined that this would be the case, being as fond of sleeping as I am. But its true nevertheless, I woke up at 3 am today and spent an hour trying to go back to sleep and I could not. So having thus woken, I have spent a delightful hour reading about 'How To Measure My Life' and other such interesting articles. Not a bad start to the day after all!

New Things

I have searched all day for inspiration for this post but have only drawn blanks everywhere I have looked. So I thought I'd write about some of the new things I have read this week.

I discovered this site which gives a pretty good overview of our tax laws as well as a site that lets you download the entire union budget (needless to say I have not completely finished going through either :P)
http://finance.indiamart.com/taxation/

A friend of mine introduced me to the world of 'vlogs' or video logs. Apparently there are people around the world who make their living out of it! Not surprising actually, its just the next stage of evolution after writing about stuff. There is one that I really liked.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pKOkB4Sigk

There are sites that generate word clouds! Its damn cool.

http://www.dontwasteyourtime.co.uk/elearning/alternative-word-cloud-generator-tagul/

That's all for today. Cheers!

Reality Bites...

I have often begun writing stories only to realise about halfway through that I am unconsciously basing my story on people I know or situations I have been in instead of inventing something completely new. There is some creative liberty that I take but essentially the story remains true to reality. It just helps prove that art does imitate life and maybe there is nothing wrong in that, but I just can't help feeling that it's wrong. I have deleted countless such stories only because I have felt all too strongly how I would feel being in another person's position and seeing my life out there for all to see, but maybe that's just me. Moreover, I think it really matters to me what people think and while we are always preached that 'it should never matter what someone else thinks', I think there is nothing wrong with that. Man is a social animal and needs to survive by getting along with people; sure, there might be a few outliers who genuinely do not care about what people think of them or their actions but even they value the opinion of those few people who matter to them. For the rest of us, things might not be so easy, we may even heed the opinion of a new acquaintance. While I wouldn't recommend that, I really think there is nothing wrong with going along with the crowd, or wanting approval from those around us, its all a part of life. But I digress, my point here was about being unable to write about things that are too close to reality. But ironically, some of best pieces of writing have been I have broken that mold and written true (but well disguised) stories. I guess this is why I am such a big fan of metaphors. I am so much more comfortable relating feelings to abstract things or everyday incidents instead of putting it down as an actual story. I am also good at it, so I don't think I'm going to change anything. My 'stories' shall continue to be metaphorical with the occasional one of reality thrown in, it should keep things interesting and prevent me from becoming predictable, for I do think that I tend to get predictable sometimes. Here's to keeping those surprises coming. Cheers!

24.02.2013

As this blog turns four years old,  the author is in a contemplative mood. So I do what I do best, stretch out on the couch, put on some soothing music, stare into the lamplight and contemplate. My thoughts are in a mood to wander today, and I am in no mood to organize them. Sometimes its good to let yourself wander. My mind goes back to random memories, both happy and sad: a sunny winter day spent in the park, a long walk at the end of a summer day, an amazing impromptu lunch and a roadside joint, a movie and dinner and all the laughs that come with it. I once read in someone's autobiography that when you look back on memories, if they are happy ones, you can actually re-live the joy of the moment by just thinking of it but if they are sad ones, you don't really feel it as acutely as it had been. I think this is so true and so wonderful, its like life telling us to go out there and do whatever pleases us best, for tomorrow all the bad stuff will feel just a little less bad. I have always tried to live my life that way with as little regrets as possible and I'm proud to say that I have managed quite well so far. When faced with life's toughest situations, just ask yourself if you could do it all over again, would you want to change anything? In most cases, no matter how bad, my guess is that your answer will be a 'no'. Likewise, when trying to make a difficult decision, always toss a coin: if you're disappointed with the result, then you've already made your decision. Take notice of all the little things around you and you will find yourself smiling even if you were in a foul mood seconds ago; and the best part is that the smile is something that shall make you smile when you remember it, where as the foul mood will just be a memory. So chalk up as many smiles as you possibly can for this is the most important scoreboard that you can have. Focus on all the positive stuff and accept the negative stuff too for what is life without them, just make sure when you look at your scoreboard, you have more smiles than frowns or tears. For there is nothing in this world that is greater than happiness and the pursuit of it.

Here's wishing it to be fruitful year ahead.

Cheers!

Share a Smile: Part 2

It was Thursday, the end of a very long day, not helped by the painful ankle caused by the car door slamming on my foot, the weekend nowhere in sight and I was just ready to drop. That was before I walked into my building lobby and witnessed the amusing sight of two children trying to play a game of badminton. From the look of them, I would say they were no older than two and four years old. The four year old was instructing the two year old on the nuances of the game. She was even considerate enough to kneel down and play to give him an even chance seeing as this way they were both of the same height. I watched them while I waited for the elevator: the looks of intense concentration, the complete disregard of their surroundings, and the earnest application of their little minds just made my day. We should all take a leaf out of children's games and apply it to our crazy, fast paced and (supposedly) adult lives. Live for the moment, give it everything you've got and don't think about what anyone else thinks, celebrate each little victory and most importantly keep things simple. The worst thing that could happen are a few scrapes and bruises and the best thing: the exhilaration that comes from having achieved something.

Cheers!

Go Google!

I am constantly amazed by the things you can do with +Google! Yesterday I discovered Google Reader and Google News. I knew they existed but had never really had a chance to explore them before (read: didn't really bother). But after reading 'The Google Story' a few months, I have really come to notice the role that Google plays in our lives. It is everywhere! And now I know for a fact that you can literally find anything on it. But I digress, it was the Google Reader and Google News that I was raving about. They have opened the doors for my latest mission to step into the world of current affairs and could not be more grateful. Now I have all the sites (and blogs: those have nothing to do with current affairs just the pleasure of stalking the web in search of hitherto undiscovered blogs) neatly categorized in folders (yes, I'm obsessive like that) and can view them all from one platform with hardly any need to go to each site individually unless searching for something old. Moreover for those of us with blogs on blogger.com, the blogs we follow from the dashboard can be fed into Google Reader and vice versa. Google News I still haven't grasped completely yet but the idea is the same: all the news on a topic gathered together on one page with options to view just the snippets or entire articles or just have an icon that takes you to the site page. I might as well also say how much I like the Google Dashboard which is landing page for all Google products that you subscribe to.

Anyway, this was not intended to be a technical review so all you techie folks can head over to http://googleblog.blogspot.in if you want some of that.

Until next time,
Cheers

A Very Happy New Year

So here comes another year. Time to make (and break) all those new year resolutions. My new year resolution is very simple and not very new. It is just to remind myself the power of positive thinking. Don't believe me? Think back to a situation where you've given up hoping and compare it to one where you felt confident of things working out and see which one worked out better. So I'm making a pledge this year to think positive at every step of the way. No matter how daunting the task ahead, no matter how chaotic the situation or how painful the climb ahead, think positive and half the battle is won. And when it seems that there is no way to find something to be positive about, then look around you, there is always going to be someone else that exudes that ray of sunshine, all you have to do is soak it up (its contagious you see!). There are these 2 quotes that perfectly define what I'm talking about:

“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”

"Watch your thoughts for they become words. Watch your words for they become actions. Watch your actions for they become... habits. Watch your habits, for they become your character. And watch your character, for it becomes your destiny! What we think we become..."

On that note I can safely say that it is going to be a very happy new year.

Cheers!

The Dreams We Dream...

Dreams are the most magical and beautiful things for the simple reason that they may never come true. We may spin as amazing stories as we want in our heads whilst never having a clue of what the future holds. We can create our own little world in our mind's eye, a place only for us, to visit when times are rough or simply when wanting some peace. It is so much fun to plan this place, 'the happy place' I call it, cram in every bit of joy that you can gather so that the place is overflowing with goodness. Banish all misery, pain and wrongdoing from here; keep at bay the darkness, fear and doubts that plague us in the real world and just be free to do anything you imagine. Imagine being an astronaut and shooting into space to explore infinity and beyond; or maybe you would prefer to be a mighty ruler of an empire; or a secret service agent a la James Bond; or just a world traveler flitting from place to place across the globe; or an author of best selling books; or a snake charmer; or a marine biologists discovering more and more of nature everyday; or a teacher addressing a roomful of earnest young beings; or an administrator par excellence; or an accountant, engineer, ballerina and the list simply goes on and on and on. Fate is such a cruel thing that one the one hand it offers us a world full of so many amazing things to do but such little time to do more than a few. So, I say again, even if it will never be a reality, it is wonderful to keep dreaming. Dream on..

Cheers!

Favourite Things

Just felt like listing a few of my favourite things...

Sunny days and clear blue skies

The smell of wet earth just before the rains

Late night movies in bed

Reading a favourite book by lamp light

Falling asleep listening to music

Cooking something delicious

Walks on the beach or anywhere actually

Wind blowing through my hair

Surprises and unexpected pleasures

Laughing till it hurts

High heels coz they make me look taller

Lots and lots of water

Spectacles

Photo albums (the printed kind)

Stationery (diaries, notebooks, pens, pencils, you name it!)

The sound of silence

Fiery sunsets on a summer days

The rain whipping in my face while travelling

Singing out loud

Dancing

Happy day


Cheers!

The Stories

Everyone of us has a story to tell and no stories are the same. Each and every life and it's story figures in the tapestry of human history. We may not always make it to the history books (lets face it, those are boring most of the time so we're lucky in a way :P); but it matters, every single thing that we do or do not do. There is a beautiful line that explains it so clearly, whatever you do in life will be insignificant, but it's very important that you do it because nobody else will. We may not even be remembered for it, but it is still important that we do it. Our stories are all unique, unmatched and make for a fascinating study. There are stories of courage, stories of love, stories of sadness, stories of pain, stories of joy and the list goes on. Take a moment when you are feeling blue to look at your story and see what it means to you. Look at every bend in the road and see how you have risen to the occasion; look and see the lives you have touched and have become richer for it; look at what you have achieved and be proud to be you; look at all the things you love and the joy they bring you; and lastly look at yourself and the person you are because you have all these stories behind you like a solid wall to lean on. Walk forward confidently and with every step, keep building those stories.

Rants of the MBA Aspirant

Writing about yourself is the hardest thing you shall ever have done. Just the very thought makes my forehead  frown and my stomach grumble and my hands itching to do anything but write (or type as the case may be). But unfortunately most B-schools set quite a store by what we think of ourselves and leave these interesting questions in the application forms that need to be answered. How would you rate yourself on versatility? Adversities faced in life? Responsibilities shouldered? And each application wants them just a little differently. So here I am now pulling my hair out trying to look at my CV and figure out where the hell the answers are hidden and how best to write them. Ultimately it will just come down to forcing myself to stick my butt to a chair for 3 straight hours and thrashing out the stuff cringing at every loftily written phrase and neatly glossy paragraph but alas it must be done for only then do the gates to these hallowed halls open to us.

While we are on the subject, I'll take a step back and talk about all the other things these erstwhile institutes have us do. I'll begin with the application fees shall I? It is anywhere between Rs. 950 and 1650 for entrance exams. Some institutes are kind enough to not charge additional fees to apply to the college but there are others where you will end up paying anywhere between Rs. 950 and 1650 over and above the entrance exam fees to fill out the application form for the institute. I wonder if anyone has ever studied what this means financially for the institute? With the number of students applying for their post graduation courses to B-schools increasing by the year, the corresponding increase in expenditure borne by the institute would only marginally increase. Many of these institutes do not even print their admission brochures any more, preferring instead to have downloadable PDF versions, very commendable of them and I am all for making the earth a greener place but that still leaves us with a lot of unaccounted for money! I can understand the reason for placing a fee on admissions as adding value to the process ensuring students who apply are actually serious about studying in the particular institute. But unfortunately it does not work like that anymore, students who can afford it (and some who can't!) are all filling out the endless forms for every exam and application form. The simplest solution I would say is to reduce the application fees to a minimal amount and instead design every application form (as opposed to only a handful who currently follow this procedure) with qualitative essay type question which will actually cull out the serious students from the 'also rans'. Of course entrance exams as method of elimination shall have to continue, without them managing logistics would be a nightmare, but application procedures should be better thought through.

Speaking of application procedures, having filled out my share of forms, I have come to believe that very few institutes actually have a clear cut vision of what they want in an applying candidates and design their forms accordingly while in others there are mostly run of the mill fields with very little scope for expressing individuality. And lets not even get started with the poor quality of online platforms that are used that some have and of course each has a different requirement of the kind of browser required and acceptable bank credit/ debit/ online payment options. I think that that effectively summarizes the pains of all MBA aspirants in the present day. However lets not forget that after all this, there still remains the little matter of actually taking the tests, speaking up at the GDs and acing the PIs. All the best all!

Cheers!

I just discovered 2 things about myself today:

1. I really need to write tasks down on paper to be able to complete them
2. I really need to write something everyday

Coincidence? Or maybe my life is all about writing To Do Lists :P

Cheers! 

The Gift of Life...

There is one school of thought that subscribes to the theory that everything in life is about chance and that nothing is planned. So it doesn't matter what we do or don't do with our lives, we will end up where we were meant to. Then there is the other point of view that says that we make our destiny, that the power is within us to shape and mould what we want our lives to become. I believe that they're both wrong and that life is actually a delightful combination of the two. We have with the raw materials if you will: all the characteristics and strengths that define who we are and there is no changing that. But what we do with them is something that is entirely up to us. We can throw up our hands and say that it is fate that hasn't let us become all that we could be but the truth remains that whatever gifts that we have with us can be used to bring out the absolute best in us and make us shine so bright that the entire world notices. The belief in who we are and what we are doing is what will make those dreams come true. The moment you give up hope is when you have written yourself off and no matter what you do, you won't be able to make anything of yourself. I think this quotation perfectly describes what life should be about and how to live it to the fullest:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Something to think about..
Cheers!

Pocketful of Sunshine =)

Sometimes when life gets you down, it's good to count your blessings and just celebrate everything that is good about it, so that is exactly what I'm gonna be doing!

1. The internet is the world's greatest invention. There is almost nothing that you cannot do on it. All those millions of forms and standing in queues or even making payments, remember the time when cheque payments felt so easy? Well not any more, coz you got, voila! the internet. I just logged on to netbanking for 15 minutes and am saved myself an hour long visit to the bank and I am just over the moon about it. Registrations for exams, ordering merchandise, social networking, music, videos, sheer timepass stuff, it has it all!
2. Early morning bliss is something else that I am grateful for. I am normally not a morning person but there are just some days that you wake up feeling like you can conquer the world and then you hear an absolutely amazing song that just makes your day (check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONVGfzRWxaU), and find some interesting emails in your inbox or chat with some people after quite a while and it just makes you smile. Not to mention all the peace and quiet around, everyone should try it out sometime. I don't sing reularly but I'm guessing this is why people who do, mostly practice early in the morning, makes for an amazing rest of the day.
3. Unexpected pleasures that come your way are the most precious gifts we can receive. Like yesterday travelling through Aarey Colony in Mumbai, I just did nothing except feast my eyes on the greenery all around and discovered what heaven on earth felt like. On reaching office, had a really good conversation with someone who I hadn't spoken to in a while, feels nice to just slow down and do that once in a while. Managed to play table tennis for a while, made for a refreshing break in the midst of a crazy day. We all lead such fast paced lives that it may be easy to miss out on these things as they don't come with signposts that will shout out to you to stop and take a look. But it is only these things that can bring a balance to the hectic life which would otherwise drive us into mental asylums by the dozen.
4. Another of life's great joys (and world's greatest inventions) is the earphones. Sometimes you just need to block the entire world out and lose yourself in your favourtie music. Whether it is good old hindi film music or hip hop hustle, whatever gets your mood going, just plug in those earphones to your phone, ipod, music player and you are set for a spell of bliss

So that concludes my random ramblings for the day. Felt good to put all this down, maybe we could all do that, just stop for a moment everyday and be grateful for all the good things that have happened in the day.

Until next time.
Cheers!

It was a beautiful morning, sunlight filtered through the fresh green leaves which swayed gently in the breeze. As I looked out of the large windows and saw the vast expanse of blue skies with bits of grey clouds floating across, I felt deeply content. It was uttlerly peaceful and made me want to keep day dreaming all day. The hills in the distance, the buildings tall and short in the foreground, the trees in the office compund, the railway track at a distance and not a soul in sight; just everything about the scene spelt serene. It made me feel grateful for all my blessings and happy about all the good things in life. Simple things which don't need to be put in words, I sat there just recounting them in my head and then glancing at the clock brought me back to reality. Until next time then! Cheers =)

To see a world in a grain of sand,

And a heaven in a wild flower,

Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,

And eternity in an hour...

- William Blake
Auguries of Innocence

Through the camera lens…

When I look at the world around me today, I see a lot of amazing things happening. And yet there is something in me that yearns for times that are behind me. The simplest example I think of is cameras. There was a time when it was a cumbersome and extremely precious object, prized and jealously guarded by its owner. Film roll was so valuable that each shot was considered from every angle before actually capturing so as to have a masterpiece. The disappointment when the roll finished and then the breathless wait for it to be developed after which you vowed to carefully preserve them in albums but unfortunately time would cause it to get tarnished to show its age until they became almost unrecognizable. Now with the leaps and bounds of technology, one can see digital cameras small enough to fit in your pockets and what’s more, you don’t even need cameras if you happen to have the latest smartphone with built in cameras, flashlights and countless other features that are enough to make your head spin. There is no need to think twice before clicking a picture when you can always delete it if you think it isn’t good enough. There is no thrill in getting that perfect shot when you know you can try it endlessly till you get it right and there is no mystery left as you can view the picture immediately. We are careless with what we choose to capture and so it doesn’t really inspire us to print them and want to preserve them. We tell ourselves that this is good, in this way we don’t need to pick and choose and can have all the million photographs saved in the computer memory or web albums, look over them all anytime and save the paper that we would have used, to print them. But really think about it, when was the last time you went back and browsed old photo albums stored on your hard disk? Wheras we all still definitely peruse the old hardbound albums from time to time and think back fondly to the moments in each carefully shot photograph (and sometimes even the hilariously gone wrong ones as there was no delete button back then!). Not to say that there isn’t anything good about this new age digital revolution, I just miss the charm of the good old days and just wish we could sometimes go back a few decades and lose ourselves in the simple pleasures of life.

Some Days...

There are days, not the best of days, which you wish would just end so that you could collapse into bed and it would be behind you. And then something happens to make you smile and hope springs up like a blade of green grass to say that maybe the day ain't so bad after all. It could be anything, a piece of good news, unexpected praise, a nice tune, a pretty picture, a memory flashing in your head, a phone conversation and the list goes on. There really is a silver lining to every cloud, we just have to look for it. And when the day winds down and you are in that drowsy state of half awake and half asleep, you should look back at that one shining moment which will guarantee a peaceful night's sleep. Life is too short and too fast paced these days to waste even a moment being unhappy. So let go of the grudges, the petty differences, the misunderstandings, the blame games, the feelings of being wronged, and just make the absolute best of every day. Just concentrate on being happy and see how good the world can be. Cheers! 

#Munnar Diaries: The Magic Continues...

When night falls, the stars come out. There is no other word for it except spectacular, you can see them all around bright and sparkling and breathtaking. The cresent moon looked like it was caught in the branches of the tree outside our window and the cold, clear night air was like a balm for the soul. Once inside however the picture was quite the opposite, the warm glow from the lamp by the table and a blanket to get cozy under and a good book to read. The combination ensured that I was dozing off within minutes. Waking up in the morning to the bracing air was heavenly. Since unlike my brother and mother I am not very fond of the early morning walk, I decided to drink in the views from the balcony; everything looked fresh and clean as if someone had worked their magic with a mop and broom overnight. The rolling hills covered in green all around and the white clouds floating lazily in the sky and the sun shining down and lighting everything up. The entire day was spent in lazing around and doing nothing, except reading my book and listening to music, my idea of the perfect vacation.

The next day we ventured out on a trip to the Eravikulam National Park, the tour bus took us up to a point beyond which it was a hike up the mountain with the zigzag pathway offering a different breathtaking view at every turn and of course the greenery lining the path on both sides was a definite bonus. After the long and leisurely walk up and down the trail with plenty of halts to click endless photographs, it was time for a very belated lunch of steaming maggi at a roadside stall accompanied by hot coffee, absolute heaven! Afterwards it was a trip to the Madupetty dam and a speed boat ride with the cold wind whipping at your face while the boat seemed to just skim over the surface of the clear as glass water. Breathing in that rush of cold air was so stimulating, it left you wanting for more. Back at the resort, the misty grey light of twilight hung all around as it slowly gave way to darkness and the warm glow of twinkling lights with oceans of black night in between. Just to watch this change without a worry in the world, with daily life so far away was just the most fabulous feeling. Vacations rock!

Until next time..Cheers!

#Munnar Diaries: Above the Clouds...

Getting away from the city is always refreshing but when the place you are getting away to is God's own country it is positively heavenly. Of course it was not as easy as it sounds since the getting away part had a lot of obstructions but once up in the air, all of it just fell away leaving you in a state of bliss and anticipation. Arriving in Kochi, the first thing you notice is the greenery all around interspersed with gorgeous red thatched roofs, a prettier picture I have rarely seen. Even in the midday sun, a cool breeze played around a lovely change from the heat and humidity of Mumbai. The drive from Kochi to Munnar took about three hours and the sights and sounds that kept us company will remain etched in my memory forever. Once outside of the city limits, the climb uphill began. The narrow roads, flanked by green on both sides, the gentle patter of the rain on the windshield and the ever changing sky above all made for a breathtaking spectacle. The views kept changing as we circled our way up the slope, the defining moment being when we found ourselves above the cloud cover looking down upon it. Fields of white cotton stretched out in every direction and through the breaks in the clouds we could see the patches of the green valleys lit up by the sunlight that forced itself through. There were tea gardens all around now, with signposts marking the properties of one and then another and yet another company. Somehow when we look at packets or boxes of tea leaves, this isn't the picture that comes to mind is it? Just goes to show that we should broaden our horizons every once in a while. But coming back to the journey, we now passed forests full of tall trees I know not the names of and calls of birds which were just as elusive. The rain continued to beat down, just enough so that a few drops found themselves inside the car but not so much that we had to roll the windows up. A short break in journey near a waterfall offered yet another delightful view to capture in our memories but the monkeys that roamed around freely we could have done without. We clicked the typical tourist pictures and were off on our way again. The climb was steeper and at every turn we were treated to yet another fascinating view of the valley beow. When at last it seemed like we could climb no higher, we arrived at our destination. Our room has a balcony from where you can almost reach out and touch the clouds, there is an envelope of trees all around and still more tea gardens on the sloping hills before. This is where I sit as I try to put in words all the pictures in my head, but since a picture speaks a thousand words, I guess this is the best I can do. I think I shall be spending a lot of my time out here in this balcony :)

Until next time.. Cheers!

Classrooms...

Classrooms are magical places, they bring together people in a way that nothing else can. From the moment you cross that threshold, the outside world just fades away and a different one is created. It doesn't matter if you're in the classroom to learn or not, there is always a lesson. I believe it is the most carefree place that one can ever find themselves in, the worries and cares of everyday life just don't exist in here. The room itself may differ from place to place, state of the art infrastructure in one to just four walls and a blackboard in another but it is really the state of mind of the people in it that makes it what it is. Human nature can be best studied within the confines of a classroom, it is quite the ready natural laboratory, and since no one is watching, people tend to be themselves instead of trying to be someone else. There will always be the person who is ready to debate anything under the sun, to question and challenge all that is said. Then there is the person who always has an answer to everything but may choose to be arrogant or humble about it, which decides whether the rest of the class finds him agreeable or not. The class joker, ready with a quip for every situation and provides comic relief  when the atmosphere gets too serious. Then there is the shy guy, the one who keeps to himself, says little but surprises the rest when he does speak up. Then there will inevitably be that one person who has no wish to be there in the first place and will spend their entire time sulking but they too will end up in the class picture when the time comes. Then of course there are people like me, the ones who are always looking around to see what they can see in the people around them, to understand what drives them, what makes them tick and why they behave in the way they do. The classroom is my playground and I am glad that I am back in one even if only for the weekend. Cheers!

The Other Side...

I visited Crossword bookstore yesterday and the sight that greeted me was heartwarming. The normally straight laced and perfectly ordered bookstore was having an overwhelming moment. There were books spilling out of everyone, in the shelves, on the floor and just about everywhere. The entire store looked like it was bursting out of it's seams and I couldn't help but smile. Firstly just to see the sheer number of books spread about and secondly because it just shows that there is always another side to things, the side that is not so rosy or comfortable or even sensible. It helps to be reminded of that every once in a while, just to know that it is there and you should pay it some mind. It is not as if you would like the thing any less because of it, in fact it would add to its charm. We human beings are quite the hypocritical creatures; we strive for perfection everywhere and look for it in everyone but what really touches us are the imperfections, the flaws, in short the other side. Here is to embracing that other side, that we all have within us, to know that it is a part of us and makes us who we are and to learn how best it can help us along in life. We may not like some of the things that we find but that is how it is, life isn't perfect and the sooner we realise that, the happier we shall be for then we shall know what things will make us happy which aren't necessarily the perfect things.

Moonlight shone brightly through the window and cast shadows around the room. The curtains fluttered in the gentle breeze from the open window and the wind chime softly swayed about. Together with the whirring fan overhead, it made for a charming lullaby one that was guaranteed to put you to sleep when you were already weary at the end of the day. So sleep I did, blissfully :)

Cheers!


Sent on my BlackBerry® from Vodafone

The Call

The phone rings, wakes her from a deep slumber. She reaches across to the nightstand and checks the readout on the caller ID, what could he possibly want at this time of the night? She considers just ignoring it, pretending not to have heard but she cannot lie to herself even if she could to him. She rises from the bed at the same time as she answers the phone, with just a hint of sleep mixed into the concern in her voice as she asks him what the matter is. ‘Nothing’ apparently is the matter, he just wants to talk and she was the first person he could think of. She smiles and tells him she’s all ears and wanders across to the window and throws it wide open. As the cool night breeze blows in, the voice at the other end of the line begins to tell her of his day and because he is a born storyteller, it immediately becomes exciting and comes alive in front of her eyes as he describes the things that have happened. He finishes and asks about her day, she takes a minute to collect her thoughts and hesitantly proceeds to tell him the bare bones of incidents. He interrupts her with questions about everything until she has made a story of it too, something she finds she is unable to do usually. They both laugh about it; the hour has been well spent. Goodbyes are exchanged and there is a gentle click as he disconnects the phone. She continues to stand still for a few more moments before stepping back from the window, shutting the panes and falling back into bed, falling asleep once again, this time with a smile on her face.

A Different World

Have you ever taken a bus ride in the middle of the day? It's absolute bliss, the roads are practically empty, the bus itself is empty, the world seems bright and shining under the dazzling sunshine and everything seems so peaceful. The bus journey takes me past the Powai lake whose cool blue waters are shimmering and gentle ripples dot the surface, a truly beautiful sight. The trees on the bank are all sporting fresh green leaves which only serves to remind me that my favourite season of the year has arrived. I love the summers, I revel in the heat no matter how scorching. The blast of hot air flowing in through the windows is comforting to me. The bus now passes by a flyover construction where normally the scene would resemble something like a battlefield with cars jam packed bumper to bumper honking in vain but at this time of the day, it's smooth sailing. Now we turn into Aarey Milk Colony, my favourite part of this city. Nowhere else will you find such abundance of greenery stretching around for miles. You could almost forget that you are in the middle of a crowded cosmopolitan, it could be a road on a mountainside or a forest so stark is the contrast. The return to the real world is however inevitable but here again the empty highway stretches ahead as the bus speeds up and brings me closer and closer to home. The familiar landmarks rush by and very soon the magical journey must come to an end. These occasions are rare when things are not exactly like your daily routine. I've learnt to always enjoy them to the fullest and be grateful for just about everything there is.

I'm glad I decided to take the bus today :)

Cheers!
Sent on my BlackBerry® from Vodafone

Rigmarole [Vol II]

(continued from... http://garbbled.wordpress.com/2012/04/01/rigmarole-vol-i/)

...creature called Twerp. He was a strange one, kept to himself, rarely speaking to others and when he did it was only about rainbows. The colours (though he couldn't name them), the beauty (though he couldn't describe it) and the sheer miracle of it. In the land where he lived, people had long given up trying to understand him (they had never seen a rainbow you see), leaving him alone to his mutterings. It wasn't unusual for mothers to pull their children closer or fathers to shut their doors when they heard him approaching. It wasn't that he meant any harm, that was just how he was, and as the years went on, he became more and more of a recluse, seldom seen around until one day he had a dream. He dreamt that the land was in danger and that he would be the one to save all its people from calamity. The next day, he went to the king's court and asked for an audience. Having been granted one, he approached the regent and blurted out, "The land is in danger, we must all leave". The entire court full of people burst out laughing and he was asked to be on his way. There was only one person who did not laugh, who believed in him and who had also been the only one to ever have listened to his stories of the rainbows. His name was Half-Pint and he decided to follow Twerp when he left the courthouse. Together they set off the next day for that land far far away where the rainbows met the earth and where they would be saved from disaster...

(to be continued...http://aishwaryathapa.blogspot.in/2012/04/rigmarole-vol-iii.html)

A new way for a new year...

So I have found the perfect solution to new year resolutions. Make the resolution in January but implement it in April. That way you have three blissful months in which you can just tell yourself that you'll start the next day! Imagine the peace of it and believe me it works, I've been meaning to start a morning walk regimen since the morning of January 1, 2012 (which happened to also be a Sunday) but I finally managed to get myself out in the crisp and cool, early morning air only today. We've heard a lot about the benefits of starting the day early but you only truly understand it if you experience it. Watching the sky get lighter and lighter until the sun is finally up, the lovely weather long before it gets unbearably hot and of course the peace all around, not to mention the fact that the day seems so much longer when you've been up since 6 am. Even that took a while to cultivate, being a person who used to on an average sleep at 3 am every day switching to 12 am was not easy. The first few weeks were accompanied by massive headaches every day since I'm assuming the head probably had no idea what hit it! Change is never easy but if you really want to make it happen, there is a very high chance that you actually will. Some things in life will never change but there are other things, things which have always been a certain way without you questioning it which will not make sense sometimes. It could be a bad habit, a nervous disposition, moody behaviour, an angry countenance or just a certain outlook towards life. The day you realise that it isn't helping you is the day you will set about changing it; it will be a long journey doubtless but when you reach the end it will have been worth it and it will be a lesson learnt for life. Its never too late or too early to change anything, you just have to make up your mind to do it. With that thought, I'm going to go an make my Sunday extremely productive as opposed to extremely lazy so lets how that goes!

Cheers!

Au Revoir

Modern air travel has always fascinated me, the entire process from origin to destination is one that fills me with wonder. From the moment I see the sign that tells me that the airport is just around the corner, I begin to feel a sense of anticipation and an excitement I cannot explain. I reach the departures terminal and join the queue that wishes to enter this building. A stern looking sentry stops me to check that I have that vital piece of paper that will allow me entry into this sacred lair. Not satisfied with just the piece of paper, he asks for identification; having duly proved to him that I am who I claim to be, I enter.

The difference in atmosphere from outside to in is almost tangible; outside it is harsh, bright and uncertain while on the inside the muted lighting, the smiling faces and the welcoming voices all spell comfort and warmth. I approach the clerk at the check in counter and he smilingly informs me that my flight is on schedule. I place my check in luggage on the conveyor belt, someone slaps a sticker on it and it slowly disappears behind a plastic curtain. I collect my boarding pass and baggage tag and head towards security check. Laptop goes into the box and through the scanner and the bag follows. The human baggage all passes through the scanner and is reunited with their possessions on the other side.

And then freedom, an entire expanse of the terminal for me to explore until such time the flight is called. I stroll around, glancing at all the shops with their shiny glass windows and colourful displays wondering who exactly does shop at the airport. The food joints are a different story, almost every table has occupants who are engrossed in their newspapers or laptops with a coffee cup by their side. I spend the time alternating between reading and observing the scene around.

The view from the upper floor where I sat was breathtaking, the entire airport stretched out before me, an ocean of space in the middle of the crowded city. The scenery inside was amusing as well, people rushing around, looking flustered and not really being able to settle down in one place for a minute. Somehow I think the feeling that this is something of their lives that they cannot control, gives them a reason for anxiety. They are completely dependent on the authorities to tell them what to do and where to go and that unsettles them. I have seen very few people who are relaxed in an airport. Children are the only ones who make the most of the situation, running around wherever they please.

But anyway I digress, the flight is announced, the people form a queue to board, anxious once again as if the plane would deliberately take off without them if they didn't rush. I board the plane and find my seat, a relatively easy task for me; being so short that I neither have the problem of bumping my head on the overhead bins nor of being cramped in my seat with no space for my legs :P. Having settled in, I find that I am able to continue with my reading while all the pre-boarding commotion plays on like background music. At last it is time for the flight to take wings, the roar of the engine fills the aircraft, images rush by and everything begins to shake and suddenly we're in the air. The city below gets smaller and smaller until you can see no more than a haze of clouds.

Inside the aircraft, things have settled down and the flight crew is busy handing out refreshments and all is well in the world. Very soon, the empty containers are cleared away and there is a peaceful silence on board; people reading, listening to music or just dozing. Before you know it, it is time to land, seat belts on, seats upright and tray tables folded away. Emerging from the cloud cover the city comes into view and slowly gets bigger and bigger as the aircraft descends. It gets closer and closer when finally with a thump, it touches down. Even before the aircraft has come to a complete standstill, there is a rush of people standing in the aisles and getting their luggage out of the overhead bins. The sounds of cell phones being switched on are heard all around. Here again people are as anxious to get off as they had been to get on. I wait my turn, pick up my luggage and smiling at the flight crew exit the plane.

A bus awaits below to ferry passengers to the terminal. Arriving there, there is another rush for collecting the bags from the giant conveyor belts and then out into the open air, turning my back to the magic of the airport. There is a throng of expectant faces outside which light up on seeing the one that they have been looking out for. I find my cab, place my bags inside and seat myself and take one last look at the airport before we pull away from the kerb. Until next time then..

Cheers!

Sent on my BlackBerry® from Vodafone

Chennai Diaries

I heard a lot about Chennai before I went there. The heat would be unbearable, the roads would be narrow, the language would be a problem and that all in all it would be an unpleasant experience. Well I decided to ignore everything that everyone said and go and see for myself and basically had an amazing time. The heat was more or less the same as Bombay, in fact the area where I was staying which is in the outskirts of the city near the IIT-M campus was actually very pleasant and the view from the hotel was breathtaking. The narrow roads weren't really a problem and I quite liked them, flyovers and highways are way over rated. And well when it came to language, since the basic left, right, straight and stop are the same everywhere it was easy to manage travel and in most places and in most cases English is understood in any case. I can't say I explored much but the places I did go to were heavenly. Besant Nagar beach in the morning is absolutely beautiful, from a distance the sea actually looks blue and green not muddy brown like in most other places. With the bright sunshine and cool breeze, it is the best place to laze around on a Saturday morning especially after a delicious breakfast at Chennai's famous Murugan Idli. It's a very colourful city, that's what struck me the most about the place, the plethora of colours that are everywhere around you. I brought back some of the colours with me, beaded necklaces, earrings and bracelets which will forever remind me of Chennai. With a lot of help from my friend, I also explored the areas of Khadar Nawas Khan and Adyar and amazing choices of food places. A place called Cream and Fudge especially caught my fancy with their amazing choice of desserts. I has something called a strawberry shortcake which isn't actually a cake but a delightful combination of ice cream, pie filling and caramel and spent the rest of the day in a sugar induced high and then vowed henceforth never to go without sweets again (There is a half empty tub of Baskin Robbins ice cream in my freezer as we speak :P). Another thing I enjoyed there was the solitude I found, away from my regular life, alone at the end of the day; it gave me a lot of time to think and reflect on my life. Everybody needs that sometimes I feel and I certainly found it in Chennai and I will always treasure the time that I spent there and I do hope we meet again.

Cheers!

Sent on my BlackBerry® from Vodafone

Like A Sunrise...

What was so amazing about the falling rain? That all lovers claimed that the monsoons were the most romantic season of the year? He hated it, the rain, the water logging, the slush, the endless traffic jams, the humidity and the stench that enveloped the entire city like a hangman's noose. Accidentally stepping into a puddle and losing his footing, he cursed the universe in general and trudged along, still a long way from home thanks to the auto rickshaw breaking down. As if on cue, he spotted a couple walking along hand in hand blissfully getting drenched in the downpour and seeming not to have a care in the world. Disgusted, he changed direction and decided to pay a visit to an old friend, she would certainly cheer him up he thought and quickened his pace as much as his heavy backpack and umbrella would allow. Reaching his destination, he rang the doorbell and waited. She opened the door, took one look at his face and just silently waited for him to stomp in and flop down on the sofa, he would take care to discard the dripping shoes at the door since that was the only thing she was particular about but that was about it. He sat down, laid his head back and closed his eyes and just felt grateful that she would understand without him having said a word that he had had a crappy day and was in no mood to discuss it, she would pry it out of him anyway but that would be later. He listened to the sounds of her moving about in the kitchen and knew instinctively that the food cooking would be delicious, and she would somehow have managed to make enough for two. He was content for the moment to just sit there and let the tiredness of the day drain out of him. She on her part continued with her chores without paying him any mind, she knew him only too well to recognize the 'had a bad day, don't want to talk about it' face so she let him be, for now that is. He was as predictable as an alarm clock which meant that in exactly 20 minutes he would be recharged, restless and getting in her way, asking about the food. She smiled at the thought, the man still behaved like a child sometimes, and added more ingredients to the sizzling pan. The 20 minutes having duly passed, he decided he had rested enough and rose to come and stand at the kitchen doorway. Perfect timing, she thought, just as the pressure cooker gave its final whistle, and asked him if he was hungry. The slow nod told her that today must have been more tiring than most, she would take extra care to see that he cheered up before he left. They sat down to dinner and the silence with bits of conversation thrown in was comforting, these were old friends, there was no need for the pomp and show that was reserved for the outside world. Eventually, he wasn't quite sure how, he got around to telling her about his day and the incidents that led to him arriving at her doorstep. She suppressed a smile, he would always do that, insist on explaining why he came over, it wasn't often but it wasn't a rare spectacle either but he would always explain himself as if in a court of law. He for his part knew that she was listening to everything and in her head disagreeing with quite a few things but wouldn't say a word till he had had his say. Then they would clear away the dishes and sit down on the sofa and talk about everything under the sun. From interesting bits of conversation, to news about mutual friends, to world politics and business, to books and music and then back again to how the day had been. By and by, he would get up to leave when they would exchange a hug and he would thank her for making his day better and she would just smile tell him to sleep well so that it would be a better day tomorrow. In all that time if he ever even fleetingly thought of her as anything more than just a friend he dismissed it as impossible. She was a romantic, and he a pragmatist, they would never be right for each other. At the time he wasn't to know that one day they would find that they were perfect for each other for just those reasons, that they wouldn't be able to imagine life without one another. It had been like watching a sunrise, the journey from darkness to light was so gradual that you didn't notice the change until it was broad daylight. He took in a deep breath as he watched the sun rise from the east and turning back towards the house, saw her standing at the door smiling at him and he knew that she too was thinking back to those days of shared laughter and conversations late into the night. He walked towards her and back into the house, the same place where their story had once begun...

Promises

There is dialogue from the movie 'Shall We Dance' that I really love. It goes like this:

We need a witness to our lives. There's a billion people on the planet... I mean, what does any one life really mean? But in a marriage, you're promising to care about everything. The good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mundane things... all of it, all of the time, every day. You're saying 'Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it. Your life will not go un-witnessed because I will be your witness'

Its an extraordinary thought and never fails to bring a smile to my face. Because really if you go to see, all the other things in a marriage can be found even without being married. But it would be very difficult to find someone to be your witness for life without having that kind of promise from them. Very simply sums up the idea of a marriage.

Cheers!

The Story

You walk down the road, you purposefully turn left at the crossroads, you know exactly where you are going. You ignore all the emptiness that surrounds you in every direction and just keep walking. A right here, a left there and suddenly after an hour of walking you are back where you began, an old and crumbling building at the corner of an empty street half hidden by the branches of a large banyan tree. You look up at the light shining though the window of the fourth storey flat, take a deep breath, push through the gates and pass through, thinking that it wasn't so hard after all. You begin the climb up the stairs and suddenly it seems like it's impossible again, the stairs feel like they go on forever. You pause and wonder, maybe it isn't such a good idea after all, it is 4 o'clock in the morning, but then the memory of the light shining through the window flashes across your eyes and you can almost feel its welcome warmth. You start climbing again, faster this time, willing your legs to carry you with utmost speed towards your destination. At last you reach, out of breath but feeling glad that you made it this far, for realization dawns that coming this far was the easy part. You steady your breathing and reach for the doorbell and give it a push with no effect, you let out a small laugh, feeling like fate was laughing at you, testing you to see if you would give up. Feeling steadier now, you raise your hand and gently knock three times and then take a step back. You wait for something to happen but nothing does, so you step forward and try the doorknob and find it unlocked. You hope to God that you did the right thing and push open the door and the sight that beholds you reassures you that it was the right thing to do. A small figure is curled up sleeping in an armchair pulled up near the window, a book has fallen from her outflung arm onto the floor, glasses are still perched on her nose. You continue to stand at the doorway and look around the room, hardly anything has changed since the last time you were here, the same old sofa, the ancient lamp on the table beside it, the armchair by the window, the cabinet with the assorted showpieces from around the world, even the television set looked unchanged. Your eyes were drawn back to the sleeping form in the armchair, you look at her for a long minute, then cross the room and crouch beside her so that your faces are level. You wonder if you should wake her up, she looks so peaceful, then feeling like you would go mad if you didn't speak with her, you place your hand on her shoulder and gently shake her awake. She opens her eyes but doesn't move and smiles her welcome like she has been waiting for you for a while and then she lifts her hand and slaps you across your face. You are shocked and jump up yelling, "What the...?" to which her only reply is, "What took you so long?". She sits up now amused at the stunned look on your face, "What? You forgot that I can be unexpected?". You make haste to rearrange your expression to one of mild annoyance, clear your throat and say, "Your door was unlocked, anyone could have come in". She looks over at the door, nodding her agreement and then looks back at you, "But nobody else did, did they? Besides, the doorbell was not working and I knew I could count on you to show up the most unearthly hour when I was bound to be asleep and knowing your fascination with fate, you would probably leave and I wouldn't see you again for another ten years." She spoke lightly but you couldn't help feeling that you were as predictable as ever while she would never cease to surprise you. You say, "I saw your light on" at which she throws back her head and laughs, "For heavens sake would you stop stating facts?" but you are tongue tied, having agonized over this moment for so long, now that it has come you don't know what to say. She sighs, rises from the chair, comes towards you and saves you the trouble of thinking of something to say by placing her lips on yours. And in that moment, all your doubts vanish as you pull her into an embrace and kiss her back with a passion that you haven't felt in years and time just stands still for you in that moment. Nothing else matters.

Living in the Moment...

There is much sense in the saying 'stop and smell the roses'. That, along with many other sayings all say the same thing: enjoy the moment that you have right now. Everybody's heard of this but few of us understand what it really means. It does not mean that life should all fun and games but that it should feel like it is so. Too many of us are of the belief that constantly worrying about the past or the future will somehow help improve our lives. Not to say that some amount of planning is not necessary for life but to be obsessed with every little detail all the time just drains you of all the joy that comes with it. Take life as it comes, face problems, weigh options, make decisions but more importantly laugh loudly, smile widely and feel happy every day! Care more than it is wise, risk more than it is safe and dream more than it is practical, just do the things that make you happy today. Its true that tomorrow you may not remember most of these things but you will certainly remember the feeling of satisfaction that came with it. The relief that you feel when you decide to live in the moment can make you quite light headed. So why don't more and more people embrace this feeling? The answer is that its too easy and we as human beings are wired to always believe that if it isn't hard then there must be something wrong. So we slog through our days doing things the hard way just to pat ourselves on the back at the end of the day feeling like we have accomplished something. Just ask yourself this question today: what is that feeling of accomplishment worth?
Sent on my BlackBerry® from Vodafone

Through The (Looking) Glass...

I should start off by explaining that without my glasses I am practically blind, hazy shapes and fuzzy colours are about all I can see! So a few days ago, just to experiment I decided to not wear my glasses for an entire bus journey and just get a glimpse of the world without my glasses, the result was pretty damn amazing. The entire irritation arising out of endless traffic jams was wiped out to be replaced by a moving portrait swiftly changing before me. Streetlights resembled yellow pools of light suspended in the air and the long row of these lamps almost seemed like a pathway to the heavens. Lower down on the ground, all I could see were yellow pinpricks of car and bike headlights zooming past and only shadowy images of the actual vehicles and their occupants. The green of the trees by the side of the road somehow looked more sinister than usual and the sky dark and looming. The buildings were only identifiable by the colours of lights in the windows, shining blues and yellows with the occasional bright white of a hoarding on the roof. Things like gates, walls, railings, speed breakers, potholes had absolutely no significance for the simple reason that they just could not be seen. The shops on the other hand for the large part were so brightly lit with so many different colours that they caught the eye without me even knowing what I was looking at! I played a game with myself to see if I could recognise all the familiar landmarks and I did but they looked so different that it was almost like another world altogether. This entire experience made me wonder at how life is full of surprises. I had never before bothered look around me without my glasses except in the familiar terrain of my own home and here I was having spent an hour looking at the outside world and feeling like 'Alice Through the Looking Glass'.

The world is a funny place, it shows you new things when you least expect them. Just goes to show that we should always keep our eyes and mind open lest we miss out something that could be of great value to us. No matter where we are in life, there is always something new waiting for us just around the corner, a new opportunity, a new perspective, a new direction, a new relationship, a new challenge and the list goes on! Just like I could never have imagined that I could see anything worthwhile without my glasses, most people spend their life imagining that this is it, this is all my life will ever be. You have to take the time look around and see things you have never bothered to look at before or look at old things with fresh eyes. The 'things' here could be anything really, that's the beauty of it, the world is your own backyard the minute you decide to see it as such! There is nothing we cannot achieve if we put our heart, mind and soul into it. So any obstacles standing in our path are nothing but excuses to keep living in our comfort zones. So think about it, open your eyes and find that something new in your life today, seize the day and trust me it will be worth it. Cheers!
Sent on my BlackBerry® from Vodafone

Pointless Things To Ponder About...

Just yesterday I was thinking of the most pointless things to ponder about. It started off with seeing a facebook status which was contemplating whether the batmobile is air conditioned! After that there was no looking back. Here are some of the things that I have pondered about since then:

1. How the best suicide hotline would be the Domino's Pizza hotline!

2. How in TV series, they always seem to remember the exact number of years ago something happened (in graphic detail mind you), they never even have to stop and think about it!

3. How we think that frantically charging the phone for 5 minutes before rushing out of the house will make any difference to the almost dead battery!

4. How trees grow upwards since ideally gravity should be pulling them down!

5. How they almost never seem to talk about basic bodily functions in thrillers! Its like the entire story takes place without anyone needing to use the loo!

6. How Iron Man created a whole new element without telling anyone! The least he could've done was to have added it to the periodic table :P

7. How Star Trek has only english speaking people! I mean think about it, they have a translator for every other alien language in the universe but you never hear any other language from planet earth!

8. How the staff at big hotels are such snobs! I mean what have they got to judge us with, its the hotel that's grand not them!

9. How Rajnikant jokes have taken everyone by storm and shows no signs of stopping. So much so that this is the joke going around now:

A frustrated message from Rajnikant to all

"Saalo ek limit hoti hai.. yeh kaun likh raha hai ki Rajnikant chawal khata hai aur piche se idli nikalti hai'' :)

And now since Rajni has been mentioned, nothing else can top that. So I shall stop my pondering now. Feel free to add anything you might have pondered about lately :P

Cheers!
Sent on my BlackBerry® from Vodafone

Sunday Evening

The Sunday evening drew slowly to a close. The pale yellow light from lamp on the table by the far corner shed its warmth all around. The pool of light illuminated a divan with a couple of books thrown around, the newspaper and its assorted supplements, the television remote, a pair of glasses and a mobile phone. On the table where the lamp stood was pile of old newspapers with an ashtray for a paperweight, a landline phone with its dust cover. Across the room, in the corner by the window was a study table overflowing with photo albums stacked haphazardly. The huge french windows were open, inviting in the gentle evening breeze making the curtains flutter lazily. In the armchair next to the divan, angled towards the T.V. was the evidence of human existence in the room: a very squashed cushion! And as the T.V. churned out its usual volley of advertisements, the Sunday evening drew slowly to a close...
Sent on my BlackBerry® from Vodafone