I have always been overly affected by any kind of "end" be it end of a movie, end of a tv show, end of school, college or colleagues leaving office. I often think why am I this way and slowly realized that some of it has got to do with the fact that I was constantly shifting from one place to another in childhood due to my dad's job. So there used to be these "end" things at regular intervals.
So I was just randomly checking out videos in YouTube and found this one which was the last episode of a popular hindi serial. Even though I have not followed this daily soap, watching the final episode kind of generated some stirs in me. The fact that something is coming to an end is always disturbing to me. And this is not the first time, I could still clearly remember, when I was in 8th the same had happened when a cartoon show i was a fan of came to an end. The show was about aliens coming to earth in search of some power which would save their alien planet. The memories are so clear that I can still picture the characters in my mind. I even remember being moody for a couple of days, kind of mourning the end of the show :)
Then the time when we were shifting from Jamshedpur to Mumbai. I had such a tough time. Leaving my old school and my friends going to a big city, the thought was frightening. So many goodbye sessions took place with my friends, so many pictures taken and scrap books filled, so many promises to forever keep in touch. That feeling of something slipping by inspite of you trying to hold on tight, sends jitters. But what has to go will go no matter how much one wants to grip at it. As a kid I always had trouble with this, I could simply never let go.
By the time I was in college, things were worse. My emotional bonds with people somehow get so deep rooted that I cannot stop myself from getting overly affected by the end of something. Final year in college and post exams good byes were an emotional trauma. I can still remember very distinctly the Rourkela railway station platform where I tightly hugged Akhila when she was finally going back home after final exams of final year. I knew that we were friends for life. I knew we would always stay in touch. I also knew we would keep meeting. But just the thought of letting go of a person who was my pillar of strength through the 4 years of college life was overwhelming. As the train pushed off, the scene was no less than a super hit bollywood movie scene, with Akhila on train waving good by and me crying my eyes out standing on the platform.
But through each and every such incident I think I have learnt slowly and steadily to let go. Now I am more confident in how I handle these situations and have an optimistic approach to them. In my opinion what is more important is to always promise yourself to never lose touch with people who matter to you instead of clinging on to physical proximity. More so as in today's fast paced life and smaller world, more often than not, your loved ones are farther away in terms of physical distance. Hence always try to bridge that by keeping the communication on.
And not to forget every end marks a new beginning and thats what life is all about. So cherish your memories and stay close to the hearts of your loved ones. Never take any one for granted and live each day with love. This will ensure that when the last end comes, it marks an eternal new beginning !!!!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
Open Your Eyes
So after a long time I got a small but very enriching Puja vacation. Did not really go pandal hopping due to my ill health but got to observe a lot. This brought back a lot of insights which I had lost somewhere in the busy corporate life. Most of this was from a weekend trip to my grandpa's town some 6 hrs from Kolkata by train.
So I was travelling in a train after a long long time. Reminded me of my childhood days when we used to go on trips every summer/winter vacation, by train. All that packing and preparations. Those days we used to travel in sleeper class. So carrying the bed sheets and air pillows. I can still remember the air pillow blowing competitions between my bro and me, my dad setting up our berths for sleeping, mom carrying odd snacks for the journey, fighitng with bro for window seats.......there was so much love and happiness in even most trivial of things. Although we didn't have the confort, we had the warmth of each other's presence to comfort us. Life was simple, uncomplicated and happy.
So as the train rumbled along the tracks from Howrah, I put on my head phones and listened to music. Music really helps my imagination to fly and my memories to roll over in front of my eyes. I could vividly picture the days when we used to come back from school and rush out to play. There were big fields and open spaces for us kids to just run around. Playing all kinds of outdoor games and getting all dirty was a daily scene :) Friends were as innocent as we were and we didnt really care about falling down and hurting ourselves while playing. I can still remember catching dragon flies, fishing for tadpoles in muddy waters after rains, playing hide and seek in neighborhood gardens...........playing was such an important aspect of growing up. There was no tension of multiple tuition classes like kids of today. We never needed expensive toys to keep us happy, all we wanted were open spaces and freedom to run around and thankfully we got plenty of that. Just makes me wonder how easy it can be to feel happy.
As I grew up, the complications in life were more. Even then, till college life was really simple, money was never a factor nor was a driving point. In fact in college we learnt that money was not at all important when you wanted to have fun, do new things, have some adventure etc. We literally used to survive on 2 digit mobile recharges and limited pocket money. But the amount of fun we had was never constrained. I think the reason why the finance never mattered was because we always did what we liked doing. So there was never a problem. I remember travelling in general compartments with friends when going on trips or fests to other colleges. Sometimes even in chilly winters, but the company of great people kept me warm and made the general compartment seem beter than an air conditioned one :)
So coming back to my Puja trip, I also got a chance to have a very enriching chat with my grandpa. He always has so many stories to tell and so many memories to talk about. He was talking about his childhood days, how they used to go to school, how they even as kids knew most household chores. I started wondering I do not even know all the kinds of vegetables and my grandpa could identify some 100 kinds of fish alone. Since they were so exposed to regular grocery/vegetable/food shopping, they know almost all the fruits/vegetables and other food items under the sun. So does my dad. But all this knowledge is slowly vaporizing with every generation. My generation prefers to go to a mall and pick up things based on their english names, there is no inspecting whether the item is good, no price negotiations, no searching 10 shops to buy one thing. We have become very used to the comfort of malls and programmed to air conditioned shopping areas. My mom talks of so many different kinds of trees and flower plants when she mentions her childhood stories, most of them I have neither heard nor seen. We are going so much away from nature that in no time all our kids will know are apples and oranges only. Makes me feel not just sad but scared....... a sense of loss.......we are losing our heritage day by day.
So all this travel back to memories of different time phases helped me realize one thing. Its not at all difficult to be happy. In fact happiness comes more often with small things than with larger lavish things. With more things come more insecurities, worries and stress. Also we should stop and do some analysis on what are the things which are really important to our happiness. It may not always be money, career or success, it may even be as small as a nice tasty meal. Its important in life to not choose paths just because someone is telling you to or because it is the most sure shot path to things which are considered important. We should walk on even deserted roads if we think we want to do so. I was reading an article in a magazine on my flight back to Hyd about 3 ladies who left their comfortable cozy lives to do things which they found real happiness in. One such lady and her husband decided to move from busy Mumbai life to a more secluded town near Nasik. They not just themselves got used to the more peaceful life of the small town but also are bringing up their kids in that environment. It really takes a lot of courage to break away from well known social stanrdards of living, but every one has just one life and what you do with it should completely be driven by what you want to do rather than what people expect you to do .
I think we should give few things a little more space in our lives, like nature. We should also never bury our dreams under ths huge load of social expectations. After all we all have one life to dream.....so its better to keep the dream on until the very last and trying to turn it into reality than just killing it.
Lastly, open your eyes is what I would say. Only when your eyes are open you will realize how many less birds you watch when compared to when you were a kid, how many less trees are around you, how many less animals you see, how much less time you give to do things which your heart wants you to do. Open your eyes and see how much less life you are living.............
So I was travelling in a train after a long long time. Reminded me of my childhood days when we used to go on trips every summer/winter vacation, by train. All that packing and preparations. Those days we used to travel in sleeper class. So carrying the bed sheets and air pillows. I can still remember the air pillow blowing competitions between my bro and me, my dad setting up our berths for sleeping, mom carrying odd snacks for the journey, fighitng with bro for window seats.......there was so much love and happiness in even most trivial of things. Although we didn't have the confort, we had the warmth of each other's presence to comfort us. Life was simple, uncomplicated and happy.
So as the train rumbled along the tracks from Howrah, I put on my head phones and listened to music. Music really helps my imagination to fly and my memories to roll over in front of my eyes. I could vividly picture the days when we used to come back from school and rush out to play. There were big fields and open spaces for us kids to just run around. Playing all kinds of outdoor games and getting all dirty was a daily scene :) Friends were as innocent as we were and we didnt really care about falling down and hurting ourselves while playing. I can still remember catching dragon flies, fishing for tadpoles in muddy waters after rains, playing hide and seek in neighborhood gardens...........playing was such an important aspect of growing up. There was no tension of multiple tuition classes like kids of today. We never needed expensive toys to keep us happy, all we wanted were open spaces and freedom to run around and thankfully we got plenty of that. Just makes me wonder how easy it can be to feel happy.
As I grew up, the complications in life were more. Even then, till college life was really simple, money was never a factor nor was a driving point. In fact in college we learnt that money was not at all important when you wanted to have fun, do new things, have some adventure etc. We literally used to survive on 2 digit mobile recharges and limited pocket money. But the amount of fun we had was never constrained. I think the reason why the finance never mattered was because we always did what we liked doing. So there was never a problem. I remember travelling in general compartments with friends when going on trips or fests to other colleges. Sometimes even in chilly winters, but the company of great people kept me warm and made the general compartment seem beter than an air conditioned one :)
So coming back to my Puja trip, I also got a chance to have a very enriching chat with my grandpa. He always has so many stories to tell and so many memories to talk about. He was talking about his childhood days, how they used to go to school, how they even as kids knew most household chores. I started wondering I do not even know all the kinds of vegetables and my grandpa could identify some 100 kinds of fish alone. Since they were so exposed to regular grocery/vegetable/food shopping, they know almost all the fruits/vegetables and other food items under the sun. So does my dad. But all this knowledge is slowly vaporizing with every generation. My generation prefers to go to a mall and pick up things based on their english names, there is no inspecting whether the item is good, no price negotiations, no searching 10 shops to buy one thing. We have become very used to the comfort of malls and programmed to air conditioned shopping areas. My mom talks of so many different kinds of trees and flower plants when she mentions her childhood stories, most of them I have neither heard nor seen. We are going so much away from nature that in no time all our kids will know are apples and oranges only. Makes me feel not just sad but scared....... a sense of loss.......we are losing our heritage day by day.
So all this travel back to memories of different time phases helped me realize one thing. Its not at all difficult to be happy. In fact happiness comes more often with small things than with larger lavish things. With more things come more insecurities, worries and stress. Also we should stop and do some analysis on what are the things which are really important to our happiness. It may not always be money, career or success, it may even be as small as a nice tasty meal. Its important in life to not choose paths just because someone is telling you to or because it is the most sure shot path to things which are considered important. We should walk on even deserted roads if we think we want to do so. I was reading an article in a magazine on my flight back to Hyd about 3 ladies who left their comfortable cozy lives to do things which they found real happiness in. One such lady and her husband decided to move from busy Mumbai life to a more secluded town near Nasik. They not just themselves got used to the more peaceful life of the small town but also are bringing up their kids in that environment. It really takes a lot of courage to break away from well known social stanrdards of living, but every one has just one life and what you do with it should completely be driven by what you want to do rather than what people expect you to do .
I think we should give few things a little more space in our lives, like nature. We should also never bury our dreams under ths huge load of social expectations. After all we all have one life to dream.....so its better to keep the dream on until the very last and trying to turn it into reality than just killing it.
Lastly, open your eyes is what I would say. Only when your eyes are open you will realize how many less birds you watch when compared to when you were a kid, how many less trees are around you, how many less animals you see, how much less time you give to do things which your heart wants you to do. Open your eyes and see how much less life you are living.............
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Reel n Real
The 2 words from the title of this post have just a letter to distinguish their spelling, but in meaning have a world of differences. Now why am I suddenly going into the spelling ???? I am not :) Since the time I started the blog I always wanted it to be a channel to share my experiences with a virtual audience and this one too keeps that spirit alive. So what triggered this post ?
Off late I have spent some time analyzing my Reel activities, namely watching movies, TV, or just any form of media. Unlike my childhood days when all we had was Chitrahar on DD or the chance to watch a few "family" movies once in a blue moon, these days the channels and options and numerous. So what makes one pick and choose ?
I realized that all I watch in terms of movies and TV was just a reflection of my dreamy world !!!! Before we go ahead, I am NOT including news & current affairs here. So here I was sitting on a weekday, glued to the TV watching a hindi serial at 9.30 in the night. So glued that I even forgot how hungry I was !!! Now what I was watching is the usual hindi TV serial drama, not the saas bahu types, but a romantic drama between 2 people in love. The sight of the handsome well built guy romancing the beautiful sweet girl gave me goose bumps. I watched them fight, crack jokes, get angry with each other and then spend some romantic moments without even battling an eye lid. The 30 mins episode finally culminated with my hunger ringing an alarm in my brain and I rushed to kitchen to appease my tummy. Once done, I was back on internet, doing what ???? Finding ways to download episodes of the same daily soap !!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had never attempted this kind of thing in my life so far. So as a starter my ignorance started to show. Although I have spent quite some time on Youtube watching videos of the missed episodes, it never dawned on me to download them. So here I was trying ways to figure out how to download the videos. I tried my luck with Google search, but no, all I found was online viewing portals, fan pages, discussion forums. I then realized that I am not the only one :) there wre numerous others who idolize these small screen characters as much as I do.
I read discussion posts varying in topics from daily episode analysis to fans commenting on their love for the actors. I even joined a community on Facebook of the serial AND posted a question to the fans on how I could catch hold of the episode videos !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was really the pinnacle of the fan in me :)
So finally I did find a way and spent a good 4 hrs meticulously downloading episodes of the serial. What I learnt ? Few not so surprising things :
1. There has always been some point in a person's life when they have idolized these characters from a movie or a TV soap. I still remember the huge Hrithik Roshan poster in my hostel room.
2. There are times in our lives when we live our dreams or fantasies or wishes through these movies or TV soaps. I still remember dreaming about European country side after watching DDLJ, imagining myself in place of Kate Winslet in Titanic, wanting a similar house like Konkona Sen in Wake Up Sid and the latest, finding a prince charming like the male lead character of my hindi TV serial.
3. Through the movies/ daily soaps. we sometimes live the lives we cannot in our real lives. Things like being the heir of a rich tycoon, going on some international cruise, saving the world in 2012 etc :) The list in endless.
In short our real lives are hugely affected (if not influenced) by our reel life characters. This reel side of our real lives is entertaining, sometimes inspiring and for most times keeps our imagination alive. And this imagination forms the foundation for dreams. Yes, not all dreams arise from the reel but some do. And what is a life without dreams !!!! so dream on.
So the crux of the matter is that there is an influence of reel in our real, the intensity may vary from person to person. And this influence often gives us some unpredictable experiences, I have my share and it adds lots of colors to my life. So lets blend some reel in real and turn into a new shade of color each time. The more the colors the richer the experience !!!!
And as I always say, Life's Like That.......
Off late I have spent some time analyzing my Reel activities, namely watching movies, TV, or just any form of media. Unlike my childhood days when all we had was Chitrahar on DD or the chance to watch a few "family" movies once in a blue moon, these days the channels and options and numerous. So what makes one pick and choose ?
I realized that all I watch in terms of movies and TV was just a reflection of my dreamy world !!!! Before we go ahead, I am NOT including news & current affairs here. So here I was sitting on a weekday, glued to the TV watching a hindi serial at 9.30 in the night. So glued that I even forgot how hungry I was !!! Now what I was watching is the usual hindi TV serial drama, not the saas bahu types, but a romantic drama between 2 people in love. The sight of the handsome well built guy romancing the beautiful sweet girl gave me goose bumps. I watched them fight, crack jokes, get angry with each other and then spend some romantic moments without even battling an eye lid. The 30 mins episode finally culminated with my hunger ringing an alarm in my brain and I rushed to kitchen to appease my tummy. Once done, I was back on internet, doing what ???? Finding ways to download episodes of the same daily soap !!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had never attempted this kind of thing in my life so far. So as a starter my ignorance started to show. Although I have spent quite some time on Youtube watching videos of the missed episodes, it never dawned on me to download them. So here I was trying ways to figure out how to download the videos. I tried my luck with Google search, but no, all I found was online viewing portals, fan pages, discussion forums. I then realized that I am not the only one :) there wre numerous others who idolize these small screen characters as much as I do.
I read discussion posts varying in topics from daily episode analysis to fans commenting on their love for the actors. I even joined a community on Facebook of the serial AND posted a question to the fans on how I could catch hold of the episode videos !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was really the pinnacle of the fan in me :)
So finally I did find a way and spent a good 4 hrs meticulously downloading episodes of the serial. What I learnt ? Few not so surprising things :
1. There has always been some point in a person's life when they have idolized these characters from a movie or a TV soap. I still remember the huge Hrithik Roshan poster in my hostel room.
2. There are times in our lives when we live our dreams or fantasies or wishes through these movies or TV soaps. I still remember dreaming about European country side after watching DDLJ, imagining myself in place of Kate Winslet in Titanic, wanting a similar house like Konkona Sen in Wake Up Sid and the latest, finding a prince charming like the male lead character of my hindi TV serial.
3. Through the movies/ daily soaps. we sometimes live the lives we cannot in our real lives. Things like being the heir of a rich tycoon, going on some international cruise, saving the world in 2012 etc :) The list in endless.
In short our real lives are hugely affected (if not influenced) by our reel life characters. This reel side of our real lives is entertaining, sometimes inspiring and for most times keeps our imagination alive. And this imagination forms the foundation for dreams. Yes, not all dreams arise from the reel but some do. And what is a life without dreams !!!! so dream on.
So the crux of the matter is that there is an influence of reel in our real, the intensity may vary from person to person. And this influence often gives us some unpredictable experiences, I have my share and it adds lots of colors to my life. So lets blend some reel in real and turn into a new shade of color each time. The more the colors the richer the experience !!!!
And as I always say, Life's Like That.......
Monday, August 23, 2010
Simply Happy People
Have been wanting to write a blog post for quite some time now but with the busy schedule I had it was difficult. The busy schedule culminated last evening with a rocking Salsa performance at SDIPA's Monsoon Masti. But this post is not about dance. Maybe some other time. This post is about simple things in our lives.
So the inspiration of this post are 5 very colourful people in my life at present - Zu, Sha, Dolly, Milli and Vasu. And these guys have simply mastered the Art of Living (literally). The simple things that they do and the immense joy that it gives is no less than a real Art of Living course. So here goes a post dedicated to my Art of Living friends.
I'll start with Sha. When I met this guy for the first time, I found him no different than any other guy. But gradually I realized how much positive energy this guy has and spreads all around. He is a never say no person. Whatever you may plan or whatever you may propose to do, he is ever ready. And this ever ready and ever willing to do things is an attitude that I have never seen in anyone after my very good friend Perseus :) This kind of attitude is so positive that it can simply draw you into things even if you may not be willing at first. Sha forms the energy centre of the whole gang. One thing I know now is that if ever I want to try something or do something in which no one else will accompany me, I can count on Sha not only to plunge in the activity with me but also add more colour to it.
After Sha its the turn of Dolly. She is a fire brand girl. Bustling with energy, this dame is a no nonsense girl who can bully even the toughest of guys. She oozes poise and elegance inspite of giving a tom boyish appearance in the first meeting.What I like about Dolly is the way she handles people. She can be rough, sweet, caring, friendly and a complete darling - all at the same time. I cannot think of any person who cannot be influenced by her in a nice way. Dolly is just like a coconut, tough on the outside and soft at heart. She is a complete Doll :)
Next comes Zu. This guy is a rockstar when it comes to dance. You just play music and Zu is on the floor. My first impression of him was of a studious serious guy but he completely proved me wrong later. Zu is the motional one of the gang. He really cares about all his friends and sometimes gets emotional when he is alone :) He is one of the simplest persons I have ever known. After spending a whole day in company of our gang when Zu goes home, he feels lonely......you can imaging how much he feels connected to the gang. One more great quality of Zu is his sporting spirit. He is the invariable teasing target in the gang but he never minds and takes it all with his famous smile :) Zu - you are the best dude !!!!
Now comes Milli. She is the quiet one. Although she does talk but lesser compared to other members. But this dame is intelligent and smart. She gives you the impression of a poised lady of few words. But when in company of the gang, she is as enthusiastic and as energetic as the rest of us. Sometimes she may not agree to join the gang but always ends up giving in to our plans :) just showing how much she cherishes her friends. She is one person who touches your life in a subtle way but having a lasting impression !!
Last but definitely not the least, its Vasu. He is one person who has done everything in life. If ever you wish to learn how to live all our dreams and still manage it perfectly, you should go to Vasu. Although he claims to be a very serious guy, he is the prankster of the gang. Constantly pulling everyone's leg, writing fully poetry or talking about his woes, he is a sure entertainer in all his ways. He is one person who can make friends at lightning speed. Just give him 5 mins with any person and he would become friends with that person. But he is very caring and protective about his close friends and we in the gang are lucky to have such a person with us :) Vasu with his stories, poems and pranks makes the hole experience a wonderful treat.
So in the last 2 months of my life, these 5 people have not only added colour to my life but also taught me the importance of being happy, of being positive and also shown how simple it is to achieve all this. And hence I realize again...... Life's About Simplicity
So the inspiration of this post are 5 very colourful people in my life at present - Zu, Sha, Dolly, Milli and Vasu. And these guys have simply mastered the Art of Living (literally). The simple things that they do and the immense joy that it gives is no less than a real Art of Living course. So here goes a post dedicated to my Art of Living friends.
I'll start with Sha. When I met this guy for the first time, I found him no different than any other guy. But gradually I realized how much positive energy this guy has and spreads all around. He is a never say no person. Whatever you may plan or whatever you may propose to do, he is ever ready. And this ever ready and ever willing to do things is an attitude that I have never seen in anyone after my very good friend Perseus :) This kind of attitude is so positive that it can simply draw you into things even if you may not be willing at first. Sha forms the energy centre of the whole gang. One thing I know now is that if ever I want to try something or do something in which no one else will accompany me, I can count on Sha not only to plunge in the activity with me but also add more colour to it.
After Sha its the turn of Dolly. She is a fire brand girl. Bustling with energy, this dame is a no nonsense girl who can bully even the toughest of guys. She oozes poise and elegance inspite of giving a tom boyish appearance in the first meeting.What I like about Dolly is the way she handles people. She can be rough, sweet, caring, friendly and a complete darling - all at the same time. I cannot think of any person who cannot be influenced by her in a nice way. Dolly is just like a coconut, tough on the outside and soft at heart. She is a complete Doll :)
Next comes Zu. This guy is a rockstar when it comes to dance. You just play music and Zu is on the floor. My first impression of him was of a studious serious guy but he completely proved me wrong later. Zu is the motional one of the gang. He really cares about all his friends and sometimes gets emotional when he is alone :) He is one of the simplest persons I have ever known. After spending a whole day in company of our gang when Zu goes home, he feels lonely......you can imaging how much he feels connected to the gang. One more great quality of Zu is his sporting spirit. He is the invariable teasing target in the gang but he never minds and takes it all with his famous smile :) Zu - you are the best dude !!!!
Now comes Milli. She is the quiet one. Although she does talk but lesser compared to other members. But this dame is intelligent and smart. She gives you the impression of a poised lady of few words. But when in company of the gang, she is as enthusiastic and as energetic as the rest of us. Sometimes she may not agree to join the gang but always ends up giving in to our plans :) just showing how much she cherishes her friends. She is one person who touches your life in a subtle way but having a lasting impression !!
Last but definitely not the least, its Vasu. He is one person who has done everything in life. If ever you wish to learn how to live all our dreams and still manage it perfectly, you should go to Vasu. Although he claims to be a very serious guy, he is the prankster of the gang. Constantly pulling everyone's leg, writing fully poetry or talking about his woes, he is a sure entertainer in all his ways. He is one person who can make friends at lightning speed. Just give him 5 mins with any person and he would become friends with that person. But he is very caring and protective about his close friends and we in the gang are lucky to have such a person with us :) Vasu with his stories, poems and pranks makes the hole experience a wonderful treat.
So in the last 2 months of my life, these 5 people have not only added colour to my life but also taught me the importance of being happy, of being positive and also shown how simple it is to achieve all this. And hence I realize again...... Life's About Simplicity
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Being 25 Blues
The number 25 never really struck a chord in me while looking at it numerous times in my maths class. But now somehow it always glares at me where ever I happen to chance a look at it !!!! Yes, I am in the 25th year of my life, silver jubilee year you may say. But off late I don't see anything jubilant about it.
These days I somehow get flashbacks about my teen days. Maybe its just my mind but in every occasion, I get reminded of something I did as a teenager. As a result I have started missing those teen days. That carefree attitude and that uncomplicated life. Friends were easy to make and life was all about simple things. At 25 you kind of miss that carefree attitude. Even if you heart wants to be carefree, your mind quickly puts so many checks in place - it uses weapons like responsibility, maturity, "act like your age". Poor heart finally gives up :(
You also experience a lot of change in your day to day life at 25. Somethings are just thrust right into your face and some just quietly make an appearance. Although by Govt norms you attain adulthood at 18, its not until you have reached this magic number that you are socially considered an adult. So that makes people critically scrutinize you where ever you go. For example,if you are out with your friends at a fancy restaurant and crack a silly joke ending up laughing loud, you could draw some stares from elderly around you. They would think/say "Abhi bhi bachhon ki tarah behave karte hain ". So then you decide to act all adult and want to go on this fantasy trip. Of course every well bred Indian child will ask his parents before venturing on such trips. So you ask your too and what do you hear "Akele ghumne jane layak bade nahin huye abhi". There goes your adulthood :)
25 is also a year, especially for girls in India, when you suddenly find your single girl friends diminishing in number at a fast pace. So most of your girl friends are either married or engaged. In either case they are no longer freely accessible to you. The intensity is not that great for guys but in quite a few parts of India you even find single male friends diminishing in number. So you are left alone to tackle you "Being 25" issues.
So in all this dilemma of who you are and what you want to do with your life, being at 25 can be difficult. You have access to so many new aspects of life but you also have to shut the door on quite few. In the end all that helps you not go crazy is a good balance. Eat well, sleep well, feel good and live your life. Because this 25 will never again come back in your life. So celebrate this silver jubilee in your life with color, passion, youth, independence and wisdom. Take all these trials and tribulations with ease so that another 25 years later you can laugh and joke about it :)
To all the people who are going through the "Being 25" syndrome.......Life's Like That !!!
These days I somehow get flashbacks about my teen days. Maybe its just my mind but in every occasion, I get reminded of something I did as a teenager. As a result I have started missing those teen days. That carefree attitude and that uncomplicated life. Friends were easy to make and life was all about simple things. At 25 you kind of miss that carefree attitude. Even if you heart wants to be carefree, your mind quickly puts so many checks in place - it uses weapons like responsibility, maturity, "act like your age". Poor heart finally gives up :(
You also experience a lot of change in your day to day life at 25. Somethings are just thrust right into your face and some just quietly make an appearance. Although by Govt norms you attain adulthood at 18, its not until you have reached this magic number that you are socially considered an adult. So that makes people critically scrutinize you where ever you go. For example,if you are out with your friends at a fancy restaurant and crack a silly joke ending up laughing loud, you could draw some stares from elderly around you. They would think/say "Abhi bhi bachhon ki tarah behave karte hain ". So then you decide to act all adult and want to go on this fantasy trip. Of course every well bred Indian child will ask his parents before venturing on such trips. So you ask your too and what do you hear "Akele ghumne jane layak bade nahin huye abhi". There goes your adulthood :)
25 is also a year, especially for girls in India, when you suddenly find your single girl friends diminishing in number at a fast pace. So most of your girl friends are either married or engaged. In either case they are no longer freely accessible to you. The intensity is not that great for guys but in quite a few parts of India you even find single male friends diminishing in number. So you are left alone to tackle you "Being 25" issues.
So in all this dilemma of who you are and what you want to do with your life, being at 25 can be difficult. You have access to so many new aspects of life but you also have to shut the door on quite few. In the end all that helps you not go crazy is a good balance. Eat well, sleep well, feel good and live your life. Because this 25 will never again come back in your life. So celebrate this silver jubilee in your life with color, passion, youth, independence and wisdom. Take all these trials and tribulations with ease so that another 25 years later you can laugh and joke about it :)
To all the people who are going through the "Being 25" syndrome.......Life's Like That !!!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Unexpected Angels
Ever wondered how many people we meet on a daily basis and how many register a place in our day to day lives ? I had the opportunity to do so today. So as I watching the movie Wake Up Sid (for like the 10th time now), one of Konkona's dialogues registered in my mind. She said that in today's fast paced hectic life we often ignore the people who make our lives beautiful in their own small ways.
So in this rainy Hyderabad evening I started to ponder how many such people I have in my life right now. Now let me clarify that I am not talking about family, siblings or close friends. I am talking about unassuming people who contribute a small percentage to our day to day smiles.
First came my house maid. Although she comes only on weekends, she always comes wearing a smile. An old frail lady who doesn't know my language neither I know hers. But we have an awesome level of understanding and communication. She knows that I sleep till late on weekends and hence doesn't knock my door before 11 AM. And I am so happy to see her as she would then clean my house which would have a week's backlog of dust. She like all other maids could have thrown tantrums and would have come early morning at 6 like she does for all the other houses in my apartment but she gives me that privilege. You know why - coz once I gave her my old clothes for he grand daughter. Also because I offer her a glass of water every time she comes to work.
Next comes Joy Mukherjee (name changed :P). The new entry in my life. He talks a lot and talks almost through out the day. We have gone through similar situations in life and so have common topics. But he brings so much freshness and new perspective to my thought process. I never expected us to talk so frequently so soon. But thats what is so charming about him, the unexpectedness. He is funny and full of optimism, to the extent that I sometimes envy him for being so unaffected. Now I don't know why he talks to me so much but believe me its such a relief coz I actually laugh at his jokes. By the way technically I am a person who doesn't really laugh easily at jokes. But his one liners are hilarious and that too over chat !!!! I am just so fortunate to find people like him around me......gives me that additional positive energy and positive spirit.....Thanks Joy :D
And this post would be totally worthless without the mention of Chandu Ke Chacha (name changed again :P). I hope the person gets that I am referring to him :) So this guy is like the dude around, winner of so many best dancer, best party animal and best hist awards. But even after being such a celebrity, he manages to do social service and help poor people like me. Poor because I still don't have the amount of energy, enthusiasm and charisma that he does. He may not have realized it, but I attribute a major chunk of my revival (from what people who know me know) to him. He has managed to pull me out of my so called imaginary shell and plunge me into his world of full on life living. Its a world where you don't take no for an answer and where you drink life to its last drop. He is my true unexpected angel !!!!
Now there are so many other examples also. Like this auto wala with whom I was coming back from Banjara Hills today. He noticed a scooter wala following the auto constantly. Although I was dressed from head to toe, didn't know what the scooter wala was following me for. But my nice auto wala bhaiya (auto walas are always your bhaiyas) took the responsibility on him to protect me :) and started driving real fast totally overtaking the scooter and driving from left of the road to right, not giving even a single opportunity to the scooter wala to either overtake or stare at me. Such an angel and these people go totally unnoticed.
Now before wrapping up the post, I want to tell all my close friends that I love you guys and would write another post some day on each of you :)
But for now, Life has Unexpected Angels
Monday, July 12, 2010
Hikes - The ever elusive chase
So finally its officially announced and we got our hikes today. As usual there is disappointment and dissatisfaction. There is so much variance that even a trending tool cannot find a correct trend. I can see people reasoning with themselves, their peers and even their superiors. Its just not what they wanted or rather expected.
I do realize that its basic human nature to always be discontent in some way or another and inspite of telling myself I am discontent too :) What an irony but that's how life is. The more you get the more you want. There are very few people in this world who are content with what they have and hence are at peace......maybe these are the people who are called Saints. But then you find simple people who have achieved this great feat as well. Take my granny for example. She never complains and is always satisfied no matter how she is health wise or comfort wise.
So coming back to the topic of hikes. In these times we often wonder how valuable we are to our organization and what the organization will do to keep us happy. Well the answer is really simple.......they don't care a bit and it doesn't matter even if you leave and go. The moment you understand this plain truth life in such highly competitive organizations becomes extremely simple. This is because when you understand this basic fact, all you stay on is for your own good and own liking.
But believe me I was not this logical myself. A year ago I was also this highly frustrated soul trying to figure out complicated answers to simple questions. But then my mentor told me quite a few things. He explained the scenario to me from the CEO's perspective. From the level where all major decisions are made, my problem seemed so puny...... so small that hardly ever would be noticed. And yes, if you think from the perspective of the decision maker, you understand why and how extremely easily.
So to all my friends and dear colleagues who are not at all happy with hikes......I can understand when you say its unfair, I can understand when you say its disappointing and believe me I thought the same not very long ago :)
But Life's Like That :)
Sunday, July 11, 2010
My first blog post
So here I go finally writing my own blog. Credit goes to my dear friend Jits (aka Jithin Ravishankar) for seeding this idea of writing a blog, though is a different context all together. I haven't really read many blogs except a couple ?(literally 2 of them). But this space would just be about me and my thoughts. So here goes......wishing myself happy blogging :)
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