The year that went by ..

Yes,2011 comes to an end.....and I feel older....no longer a kid or a teen....it depressed me for a while amongst many other things....but then there were a whole lot of things the year taught and made me experience. A bullet point post again ( one of the best things university exams taught me ;)). So, people here's 2011 in bullets :

• A holiday start to the year to the "Scotland of India", Coorg, words might not be enough to describe the lovely place it was, a home stay amongst coffee plantations,a private waterfall, a tree house style room and the view outside,colours spread around in absolute harmony,balancing and complementing each other,a pretty house and the fairy tale life it was for 3 days :)
•  The initial excitement of first job faded with the year passing by, work does affect life in more than one way, financial independence makes way for a confidence boost,on the other hand a realization strikes when you get to know that this is not what you dreamt of since childhood, that dreams come true but yes, they have a cost,be it love, family or career and the balancing act can fade the dream itself.... I hate to believe still that luck does wonders for some people and NOT for some....and I still believe hard work might not pay instantly but it comes back in the form of pleasant surprises and I really want to live up to these beliefs
• Some relations did wonders to my life,leaving me amazed....My Parents are my pillar of strength and I wish I could be as supportive of my kids as they are of me when I myself become a mother....My sister is my mirror and my bond with her keeps getting stronger "anti jinxing"....Friends act as elixirs, I run to them when I am happy,I run to them when I am sad and I run to them when I am neither of the two....makes me believe that though a loner, I can't do much in life if I don't have people to share joys and sorrows with
• I worked hard for some things,not getting them is another thing,but I am happy I did not take anything for granted,neither work,nor relationships or studies for that matter
• I am unhappy that my reading list did not get any longer, read a very few books and lot many new blogs, I wonder how will I survive if I don't get to read them. I want to read a lot more in the year to come....a lot more means a lot lot more..
• My love for cooking grew manifold, thanks to the blog-world and Master-Chef India 2 :) Also, the fitness and diet freak in me has rebound in full swing, and I so feel happy shappy about it :)

I am bad at resolutions and its no point making them because for me well planned things do not work,so there is going to be just a wishlist for the life that waits by, and it starts with,

A lesser cribbing me, a lesser lazy me

A more happy me, A more prompt me

A little more singing, a little more dancing, a little more cooking and a lot more reading :) .

Wishing you all a very happy new year, May the year bring health,happiness and prosperity to all our families and friends !!!!

And May we make the world a better, greener and happier place to live in !!!!

Let me be me ........

It seems that I am being caught in the most cluttered state of  mind....and I when I try to take some decisions there are people who take take me back to ground zero(with their so called"thought processes")....Here is for them :

People please stop bugging me on the marriage issue,being 25 does not mean,"U HAVE TO GET MARRIED",there are a whole lot of things unaccomplished, unfulfilled desires and incomplete goals,and I just can't get married before I attain them....I want to settle down peacefully and successfully,Marriage is not a mad rush because age is passing by,I want to take up that phase as gracefully and happily as I can,so please stop forcing,I am working hard towards other priorities in life..do not distract me...And Marriage is not on my priority list for the next two years....I know my Parents are worried but I know they would understand....I am not the kind of person who can sit back without attaining certain set criteria for myself...and it would get difficult if marriage happens now....So please understand....Spare me !!!!

Job for me is also about satisfaction with what I do....its important to me that my work keeps motivating me....there are decisions that need fast action....so please do not confuse me....with that security oriented and money minded thinking of yours...even I know I hold responsibilities but then If I cannot experiment now...I will never be able to...If I cannot take risks now,do you expect me to be a risk taker after becoming the mother of two kids....so please grand-motherly thoughts are not invited...

Yes, I do not want to keep contact with some people,explanations required...Well take them down,I was sick of some kind of people around me, and I waited for them to go away,for the first time in life,I met people who were cheap,brainless and never missed a chance to fake themselves.....I was disgusted with them to the core and was shocked at myself for not giving them in face.....So when it came to the "keeping contact" thing ,Well...there's nothing more for me to say than...Good Riddance !!!!

(I know this post is just pure rant,but I really am so tired of suggestions and advises that I just am not being able to be me....:( So sorry folks,till some sanity arrives at this end,Please bear with me...)

To the new journey that you begin !!!

From under-graduates to post graduates....

From batch mates to best friends ....

A journey of  7 long years.......

From knowing to understanding.....

We met before I joined college,when I came to check out how University hostels are...and you gave an honest opinion,not too good but not bad,not posh but clean.... and I sometimes wonder If I hadn't met you,had I ever thought of staying there....I just can't say.....You were the first one whom I went to after Ma left, With those tear filled eyes,sobbing and wiping my tears....since it was the first time away from home,but somehow you managed to comfort me(even when you were sailing in the same boat)....helped me with the arrangements,made me eat dinner with you....and we began a friendship that could just grow stronger.......

The hilarious ragging days,I do not have a count of the number of times you were made to do"smile-shoots",and those silly dances and aarti's we sang for the seniors,laughing our hearts out when we came out of their rooms....

The running around from one building to another...to reach each other's rooms',studying together for exams,maggi treats and coffee breaks and the madness for street food and shopping that we shared....umpteen discussions about life and career and love and relationships....ahhh those dreamy nights were spent talking endlessly into the mornings....

The mad planning for birth day bashes and the midnight parties...the picnics where you did what not every time I had the "Mad Hydrophobic attacks ;)"

The cooking together and eating together....

The "falling ill days" when one of us got a bad cold-cough or a headache or viral fever or heat-stroke and the other went running around for medicines and food and books and photostats......

How mad I had been when I came to the hostel again for post-graduation and you had left....and how much I thanked my stars when you returned.......

Even when I came to Bangalore....how endlessly our phone conversations went....we just couldn't stay without sharing minute details about our lives.....till the big day :) your wedding....... which all of us enjoyed to the fullest,the coolest bride that you made(what do you call someone who can plan to have lunch with her friends on the day of her wedding with her night suit on :D)....the way we could not get enough of watching both of you as the loveliest couple on stage and how our hands never got tired clicking pictures...the lovely family of yours....we never felt we met all of them for the very first time....:)

And today when you have entered into wedded bliss...My heart goes out to wish you happiest of the happy things life can offer....:)

To the lovely smile of yours that brightens up your eyes.....

To the wonderful couple both of you make....(anti-jinx)

To the promise that I saw in his eyes to keep you happy always....

Happy Married Life Sweets !!!! :)

May God bless you both with all the happiness in the world  !!!! :)

Image 1 courtesy : http://www.123rf.com/photo_1696886_girl-friends.html

Image 2 courtesy : http://dilshil.com/wedding/religious-aspects-of-weddings/wedding-hindu-customs.shtml

Here's to the first first time :)

Standing beneath a waterfall,giant enough that the force of water can send u rolling in circles similar to being caught in a whirlpool :) and  I did stand beneath it,for the very very first time in life...the mystical experience that it was,with water rushing down your back with that thud thud sound....and the feeling that it is,one with nature....And Yes,for the first time in life conquering the crazy crazy fear of water :)I did that,Kudos to the self and some lovely lovely friends who made me do that..I am still at a distance from taking those no breath "Dubki's" but I will get there soon :)

Friends,this was a trip to Shivasamudram, a giant waterfall,150 Km's from Bangalore,set off in the morning at 7,a group of 7 friends,the day was Saturday,the 8th of October.....The journey started with a feast of Hot Idlis at Bidadi and then off to the destination which seemed too crowded at the first sight but then weekends are for everybody, Right !!!!

Stood beneath the water fall,securing a place that was cozy enough for the 7 of us to sit in a small cave like structure and take turns to enjoy water patting our backs .. :) After which the adventure crazy lot of the group wanted some trekking to be done and where would we do that???.The answer to which was..."We would find a way to the top of the waterfall"...now is that scary,If not,it will be when I post the pictures of the waterfall below and No,No we did not go to the top....We found a picturesque small,shallow pond,showered with water from 2 short and sweet "Baby falls" that I would call them....and the gala time we had there,resting in the "baby" fall and floating in the pond.....

The best part of the trip was the lovely set of people,some of whom met each other for the very first time but bonded like "age old trekking partners" at the end of it"Anti-jinxing"....So,here's posting some pics from the trip and hoping for many more in the time to come :)

     

 

I would love to...........

The sound of pitter patter of  mustard seeds in oil.....

The flavor of green chillies, ginger......

The colour of capsicum,tomatoes,corn,peas.......

The freshness of fenugreek, spinach and coriander leaves......

The smell of basmati rice boiling in water and corn on the cob......

These are some of the most important things that make cooking an essential dose to the soul for me. Its such a feeling of accomplishment when the vegetables are cooked in the right proportion,spices added to bring the right taste,mixing ingredients to experiment recipes and then the applause that my heart receives from myself.....:)

When rice boils in its full length and each particle is separate from the other after being fully cooked,when the smell of a tadka fills the house with that heavenly aroma....and my heart is full of joy......

Its not just the taste part of cooking that makes me cheer,the other aspects involve knowing the nutritive value of each and every ingredient added and taking care not to spoil the original taste of vegetables.....Knowing to balance the calorie intake and the fats.....and further to that hoping to build my own kitchen garden someday,plucking fresh organic vegetables and cooking them would be an absolute delight.....to see the those plants grow and taking care of each and every stage involved from flowering to bearing those wonderful green vegetables. That is still a long way to go...but I hope I do that sometime in future........ :)

Image courtesy : http://www.schoolguide2011.info

Then & Now ....

Then :


1. The first year in college + no mobile + a long line for that one land line connection that the hostel had + birthday+nostalgia = a wonderful surprise planned by a best friend and another best friends Mom+ another surprise planned by the newly made friends + a blunder done by inviting all seniors for a birth day bash = a fun filled first birth day away from home...


2. Classes that started at 7:00 am sharp,rush in the morning to start and the wonderful hours of sleep after returning,a college where an average of 8 hours were spent on a daily basis (that includes holidays),a library that was the witness of most of our group study hours read completing lab practical journals :)


3. The college hungry hours,a common room,one table, 3-4 tiffins,10-15 pairs of hands.....The college canteen,to reach where a small track with trees on both sides had to be followed....10 people walking in a line  to cross the same....


4. An evening,waking up at 7 after a long afternoon nap to find that chai time is over in the mess...rushing to the neighborhood chai stall after waking another friend...chai with yummy pakodas and green chutney...eating in a rush but chatting non-stop just to realise that the hostel gate will be closed at 8:00 PM sharp,taking a shortcut route and running like mad to reach just in time ;)


5. A definition of absolute fun after exams...a laptop loaded with English chick flicks enough to spend nights watching them back to back + packets of Maggi noodles for the mid night breaks and coffee mugs filled to brim with lather......


6. A college fest=  Preparing for the same a month in advance+ deciding upon the outfit to be worn+checking out the shops to find out something that fits in the budget + ending up borrowing from friends + accessories from the hostel mates = Finally the day arrives + hitting the dance floor like mad to the extent that the shoes start hurting in legs,legs aching to the extent that the joints are unable to move for the next two days ;)+hoping that the night never ends.... the aftermath= discussing the day in details for the coming few days + waiting for the pictures from that one and only friend in the group with a digi cam ;)


Now :


1. Office at 9:30,I get up at time,bath,pooja,yoga all come right after that :) ( I am a good girl that ways ),head straight to office,sometimes without breakfast....reaching where sometimes i message a colleague/friend about the no breakfast thing,and here comes whatever she can bring,straight on my office desk....


2. The lesser friends time that has been haunting since the past 1 year(for a person who has been with the closest friends for 6 years) makes me sad to the core but there comes one friend who has been a part of my life since long,someone who gets to bear a dose for all that lack of friends,midnight food cravings,home sickness,happy hugs and sad tears,I can't be more thankful for this one gem in my life


3. There have been parties and fun but I miss those old days,where with the limited money in hand we had the craziest fun,the non stop laughter..celebrations are still there,but they lack the familiar voices and love,the aura of sophistication and non familiar people,the pubs and the bars,no water-parks and water-falls,when a birth day party would be fun because of the people and not the place...I miss the innocent days where I could just be myself, when I would not have to worry talking about my interests,my favorites,everything would be accepted if not appreciated....


4. The being independent phase,emotionally,financially.....is what I feel good about,it keeps me sane and confident


5. The city that I live in,I love the weather,the cool breeze that makes the hottest summers cool and the weary nights refreshing....


6. The office colleagues,people of the same age group who joined the company at the same time,takes me back to the hostel days,giggles,laughter,fights....


Then & Now:


Wonderful Parents who stand like a pillar in all situations,lows and highs,who taught me to be honest to oneself,made me what I am....a rebel for a sister ;),who incidentally happens to be the cutest thing that ever happened to me...... :)


A set of lovely friends,from all phases of my  life....who handle all my worries n troubles in equal share....
and I thank the Almighty on my 25th Birthday......... for 


Some things that do not change.....wherever life leads me ...and
Some things that change forever ..........for the better :) :)

A PG switch and things that change !!!!

Wanted to update this space,so thought of adding some details that have been happening around.......Changed my PG accommodation and shifted to a place that is just a 2 minutes walk,to be more precise,it just the opposite lane,though it is quite comfortable now but here also we are actually confronted with major shortcomings ;) (I suppose now the perfect place for me to stay would be my own house for which I do not have hopes being single,so that is something to be left upon the person I marry, and guys this is not an indication that I am getting married soon,I am happily single for some more years to come :)) 

So talking about the shortcomings here :

• The bathroom here is slightly bigger than the ones we have in trains,though it is clean and well constructed,We cannot get enough of our hands touching the roof by just a slight raise.
• I am getting into a habit of cold water baths,because the solar heater provides hot water only till 7 AM in the morning which is too early for me to manage,so Cheers to another achievement in the list of adjustments
• The breakfast part is again a trouble,not a trouble actually it does not exist ,because till now I have not been able to put up with Rice and Oil clad chapatis in the morning,have switched to "Corn flakes" and I swear its such a saviour :)

Also there are so many things that I miss about the last PG,leave apart the monster owner,I can list them down as well :

• The open wide corridors with balconies at the end,where I did most of my phone conversations after office,ardent believer of "Walk when You talk",I am,"Abhishek Bachhan, are you listening ?",
• Jokes apart,the loved the open space outside our room there,here though the room is far better but as I step out,I find myself enclosed in a match box like structure,no open space,Have to run to the terrace on the 5th floor so as to take in some amount of fresh air :(
• The well lit market outside the lane,the lively feel of shops and people,everything was accessible at a distance of a few meters,be it medicines or ATM or grocery or small North Indian restaurants,Hot chips,Shanthi Sagar, and of course,the Cane Crush :( :(and most importantly,the small town feel the area had,I miss it the most
• The 2 km walk from from the old Pg to office,and back. In the morning when you see familiar faces on your way, an Uncle on morning walk,a lady on her way to office always dressed in smart western formals(we had times gossiping about her dresses and our expert comments on them :),girls after all ;),glancing at all the showrooms on the way and knowing the offers on almost all brands,discussing the new food outlets which caught our attraction and what not,also it was refreshing to walk back after office discussing the day in detail.
• Writing about the walk reminds me of many little kids on their way to school,chatting loudly,water bottles around their necks and cute bags on their back,it was such a treat to watch them every single morning,and here there was a special one who caught our attention,a small girl,might be 4-5 years old,with her bag and bottle along with a lunch box basket,she usually has a fresh flower in hand or her Mom's handbag,always smiling in glory,I have never seen so much happiness and gleam in the eyes of  a small kiddo on the way to school.Whenever we crossed paths,I can't remember a single day when I did not feel like hugging her,and the best part is she goes to school from somewhere besides my new Pg,though our timings do not match now,still I have some hope of seeing her :)

Its nice to take note of some short and sweet events happening around you in the course of the day,somewhere it reminds you that there are things happening everyday that can keep you fresh all day long,Thank You God for such memories from each place that I live in,Hope to build some more in the new place as well.

Tolerance ?#$%&*#

I had an amazing ability to tolerate human beings of all varied attributes till a year back,I could tolerate umpteen number of senseless talks because I am of the kind of nature wherein if talks cannot keep me interested in the starting 5-10 minutes of a conversation,my mind automatically turns off the switches and I stop listening but my facial expressions would manage to cover that up for the rest of the time.I also the ability to stay polite and calm towards people who do not know how to talk,I should rather say "Mannerless" folks,never ever did I become rude and arrogant except when it was ABSOLUTELY necessary............but since a few days,I have realised that their is a necessity to give people whom I have been tolerating for a long time, in face( not that I never felt like that before but now it has crossed limits enough to make me burst out),they have long considered that I cannot answer back,but that is just because I have not been taught to be rude and arrogant.There are a few people I have come across who have the guts to put blame even when they themselves are nothing less than brainless morons...(I know this post is becoming too much of rant but just cant help ;) Sorry folks but I find this the best way to deal with the confusions and situations I come across.......)I wish I could answer back and give in face.......Would be really happy if I accomplish that in the coming days ;)Yes that is the only way I can get a feel of satisfaction with my own self...........So please keep me in your good thoughts so that God really gives me some "real unequivocal,plain and candid" contradicting skills !!!!! ;) ;)

Best Friends !!!!!!!

Jotting down in bullet points what best friends are all about :

• Distance does not matter for them, they can fight for silly reasons like not chatting even when available on g-talk to giving them a call for reasons as stupid as craving for a nice cup of masala chai....
• They are all about trippling on a two wheeler,riding about the whole city, wandering without reasons on the familiar streets of your town :) :)
• An evening spent surrounded with people who have decided upon the agenda to be your leg pulling and still when you leave you feel like you spent the best few hours of the day with them
• They would be the first ones to yell at you for your stupid mistakes but would protect you to the core when some body else raises a finger against you
• Will listen to your cribbing about silly and odd things patiently but will not spare you without a dose of scolding,and also would have the guts of making fun of the same after you get over it
• In a restaurant, would order your favourite stuff even without glancing at you,also would pass a jargon" What else do you eat anyway??"
• Would tease you with names of the all the people whose thoughts are enough to irritate the worst out of you , but would be the first ones to come to your rescue when you are stuck with any of the aforementioned beings ;) ;)

Any further thoughts to add to the list ????

The "D" Devil .....

Definitely not about the "Delhi Daredevils"............

Would narrate an incidence which happened a few days back, me and a friend were on our way back from office and were discussing weddings("Weddings",that is what has been happening since the past six months,every time you open your facebook account,you would definitely find wedding pictures of friends and if not that, the relationship status would definitely change ...),we just heard a few friends discussing about the "talks on marriage" that have recently begun in their homes.....

To our surprise everybody present there,all the girls(well educated )along with the other discussions were completely fine with the devil that i was talking above...."DOWRY",the words uttered were:

• "that is how it happens in our society,my parents are worried about how would they get 3 daughters married,it would cost around 70 lakhs"
• "my parents said that if a guy is ready to marry you without dowry,you should definitely consider your self lucky"..

The reason to get married to a guy just because he is sort of a saint who does not hold a price tag on himself quoting a hefty some lakhs.....no matter whatever the girl's choice is,the "NO DOWRY" choice of the guy is a rare quality to find amongst the Engineers, the MBA's, the CA's,the Doctors,who have a definite no bargain prices according to their profession,the choice is yours, so what if your girl is educated, pretty, confident.... you definitely would have to pay a price for the reason she was born as a girl.

I don't know how many readers would read the above lines with  " WTF ??? expression", i felt it the moment i heard all that, and to my surprise most of the girls are okay with the "D-devil" because "that's the way it is in our society......."

I am surprised at the way the educated youth is completely fine with the concept....Education gives us the ability to understand, the ability to express,equips us with the knowledge to fight against wrong but here the degrees that guys hold are a predictor of their so called "Market Price" and not to blame the boys, girls are an equal partner in crime because they don't speak up,even when they are educated enough.....I feel ashamed because we talk of gender equality,but still we consider ourselves on a lower ground when we come to decisions as important as wedding,why cant we say no to "DOWRY",we compete for the best education, the best colleges,we put in equal efforts to achieve our ambitions,we dream about our careers,then why do we take a backseat here.......We are raised with equal affection by our parents, they spend equally for our education......they want to give us a happy, fulfilled life, then why do they fall a prey to this social vice......

I guess they are some serious loopholes in the society, in the way our thought process goes, and may be some of these petty causes are what make "India world's 4th most dangerous place for women"

Does that not need serious thinking ,to change mindsets,to change "that is how it is attitude"....

It does,and with that it requires the will to fight back, to say "No" to something that is wrong....

To My Alma Mater !!!!!!!

School life is long,the end seems so far,

But ambitions are hitched to a star,As we grow and we learn, we shall ever remember,

"Virtue Alone Ennobles"

Lines from our school anthem,just randomly came to my mind and urged me to dedicate a post to my School......St. Joseph's Convent Senior Secondary School,my second home,from Kinder Garten to Primary to Senior Secondary to High School,14 years of wonderful memories that the place gave me have been the most cherished of all the Institutes I studied at,I wonder if somebody would disagree at " There's nothing like school life "

The classic missionary building,the huge playground,the assembly stage,the magnificent auditorium,the beautiful Chapel, the calm Convent and the angelic statue of Mother Mary.........all flow like the flashback of a movie in my mind when I think about SJC.The place instilled discipline,punctuality and culture,by charging a modest fee that can be the lowest I could guess for a place like it is. Our day started with the wonderful prayer assemblies which refreshed us for the day... Yes, our school had an amazing concept for the morning assemblies,each class would get 3 days in which they would conduct morning assemblies accordingly

1. Life of a great personality,2. A topic in G.K, 3.Creative display,be it anything(skit,dance,drama)

These ideas never left us sleepy during our morning assemblies,the amount of effort we used to put to make our section's management of the same,the best. We had a class decoration competition in the starting of the academic year, the creativity with which we decorated our classrooms,the amazing charts that were prepared for each subject and the competition between different sections for the award of the "best decorated class". this was followed by elections for Captains and wise captains for each house(namely,Red, Blue,Green and Yellow),the same followed by Competitions on drama,dance and singing between all the four houses.

To participate and perform your best,we had awe-inspiring guidance from some of the best teachers in town,be it the Sports Day,or the Annual Day,teachers guided us with the same level of excitement as students....Thanks to them our school functions were amongst the best one could witness in terms of richness and performance..I still remember the Navras dance performance at one of our annual functions(all the 9 "rasas" of basic emotions,beautifully portrayed by a group of dancers on songs chosen across decades of Indian cinema,not even trained in classical dancing.......the kind of mystical experience it was,still lingers in my mind and freshens me up)

The way the teachers inspired students to take up extra-curricular activities,training them,spending extra time from work hours,that is what i guess is called devotion and love for what you do( when I am asked to spend an extra half an hour at work,frankly i know the kind of irritation it creates ;))Thanks to the blessings of those mentors(one name I would like to mention here is Mrs. Shetty,who was a mirror of what the definition of a teacher means,mentor, guide,Guru...words are not enough to express the gratitude that comes straight from heart...and Mrs. Juhi Mehra,one teacher who taught me to write and encouraged every single attempt that I made in the direction..Thanks to you,I am confident enough to dedicate this post to SJC.....

Not to forget the incredible staff,one name that comes to my mind is Nevel Uncle, a name that would come first whenever any kind of help was required. In today's world,where educational institutes have become  a source of making money,I truly feel lucky to have been to a place which has made me sense the pride in the same even after a gap of 7 years,and I am quite sure that this feeling would keep getting stronger in the years to come. The motto "Virtue Alone Ennobles" which emphasises on the strength of character,surely would be a source of inspiration to Josephites all over....Concluding the post with the remaining lines of the School Anthem..

Work and prayer are chosen ways of life,

Hope and peace to gladden every day,

Confidence and courage in every form of strife,

Faith and love to conquer all the way.

School life is a rock on which we shall build,

With a spirit of God to be filled.

As we grow in our minds

May this truth be instilled

"Virtue Alone Ennobles"

Long live SJC !!!!!!     

Nothing like home .....

Its been a week that I am back from home after a trip of 15 days and the post is just waiting to be written,The special things that make home,the most beautiful place...those talks of going home from the day u book the ticket,planning the trip,shopping for family.....the kind of anxiety just before 2 days of leaving.....u land up at the railway station 1 hour in advance,the journey always seems too long and u just keep on staring every hour at your watch........even the air of your hometown seems so familiar,so "yours",the special welcome at home,from neighbours to the maids at your place,flooded with lots of blessings,for all the days you are at home.....being the privileged one to decide the menu... from breakfast to dinner...to the envy of your siblings.......;)Dad coming home a little early than usual and staying awake a little late than usual just because your chit-chat does not take a break...........sister wanting to roam about on the streets of your town on your pet two-wheeler...shopping for all the unnecessary stuff with little sister...........Homecoming becomes a festival to Parents.....Mom becomes a little more busy to fulfill all in your wishlist for the trip.......Dad takes you to the native taking an extra leave from work......meeting grandparents after long long time..........a trip dedicated to graduation days to the second home Indore....spending quality time with best friends,wanting the hour glass to give you a break...but Alas !! one has to come back......the journey back is too short......even the train does not get late then......:( but henceforth starts the wait for another trip and the same circle continues :):)

The Good Old Days !!!!

Its 5::20PM in my watch and its raining heavily outside,My mind is full of flashbacks from the past urging me to write this post as soon as I can.

When I was a kid, the best thing that rain could bring was a holiday from school,it was just awesome to be on the way in the auto and you see schoolmates coming back shouting "Its a holiday",coming back home in those water filled raincoats,with Mom ready to cuddle your wet hair with a towel,and the wonderful hot food items,including those hot roasted "bhuttas".Apart from that seeking permission to get wet in rain with all the kids in the colony,making paper boats and struggling to keep them flowing intact, getting drenched with all the playfulness that those little raindrops could instill within yourself.

When I moved towards my graduation years,away from home,for the first year every single time it rained,I would miss home like anything,I would stare at the downpour,deeply soaked in those memories,Soon after those days passed,and things started getting on track,the shower would bring with itself lots of greenery in and around the hostel and college making me fall in love with my surroundings.Standing in the college labs performing those experiments,eyes stuck on the beauty that i could see outside,the ring road in Indore soaked wet and all that you could smell in the air was the intoxicating smell of sand.Planning to bunk classes and walking to the canteen taking a path that was some sort of a small jungle,lush green trees on both the sides,playing all sorts of silly games over those cups of tea,searching for carts selling "bhuttas" and savouring on them like we did not eat anything in ages.Even in the hostel,getting drenched on the terrace and demanding the Mess wali aunty to prepare "Hot Pakodas" for the evening snacks.

Again its raining today, I am stuck in office,staring at the downpour,makes me feel like running out and getting drenched but I am bound by the rope of discipline,still i love the beauty this season brings along(Here,Bangalore would never give you a chance to miss rains !!!!!)but I still feel the nostalgia in my nerves, wanting to go back to those carefree old days,the uninhibited joy that these "pitter-patter raindrops" bring, I am missing home,missing my college,friends and I miss my life back in Indore.........I wish I would relive those moments again. I am going to walk back to my Pg with an umbrella(I love to do that as well),would love to see those drops falling on to the surface of mother Earth,rejuvenating everything that comes its way.....

 

Simply Adorable !!!

I have a friend X who has another friend Y,and I have a small story to share about them........X was in a relationship with Z about which Y did not know(Z is a friend of Y as well)......Y has been the most special friend of X from a long long time,so it was quite unobvious for X and even Z not to disclose about this relationship to Z but they did not(because of some very obvious reasons).After more than a year of being in the relationship,X finally disclosed his"committed status" to Y and informed Z about it.

If I would have been in Y's place,I would have killed X and Z for not revealing their relationship to me for such a long time,would have fought to an extent where I would have reached to a conclusion that would just have said"How could they",would have sulked, cried and hated them for not telling me the truth...........Now I would tell you what his friend Y did.

She accepted the fact beautifully without any grudges,complaints or misunderstandings.She was happy for her friends and that could be felt as she spoke.She was graceful and sublime in considering the facts and I was just speechless by her manner. I just wondered that how could people be so simple , and have the ability to uncomplicate things. This must look like a very small incident but I am really amazed by the simplicity of the young lady who harmonized the whole matter and found happiness with her friends' decision. Hey "Y", in case you read this, I would just like to tell you that i just loved and and am ammmmmaaaaaaazeeeeed by your integrity and naturalness. You have taught me a basic ingredient of life" Welcoming happiness with open arms without hard feelings for the people whom you love even when they were a little late in sharing it with you".

No Boredom ahead .........

Boredom............I always wanted to analyse the term.....what does it actually mean..is it about not being able to do what you really want,being stuck up with something that seems dull to you,or doing what is same every single day....I guess boredom is one thing that all individuals feel at some point of time in their lives....The same has been happening to me every single day in the past one week which has eventually led me to write about Boredom(i feel its quite weird for someone to write about a topic as weird as this ;))

At every single stage in life till now,barring the childhood days when the mind was not so free to think about tedium(since there were lots of other inquisitions,dreams that never let the mind so jobless)....everything that continued for a long duration without a break would become boring and difficult to carry out any further....If I examine my life practically,when i moved from college to work,Boredom started haunting me more often than ever before.Every fifteen twenty days at work once i feel as if life has no meaning other than waiting for salary to come every last day of the month ;))But just a few days back i realised that not everybody's life would be full of many new things on and off,many new achievements,a milestone at every stage to cherish,refresh and motivate,all of us would settle down doing the same set of things after a certain point of time....and all those things would be what we call as life.....and I realised,"How can I be bored of LIFE"??

And then I came to a conclusion that Boredom is just a state of my mind and I will have to ensure that my daily routine does not lead me to it,Yes routines would be same but some spice can be added to that too,Listing below how would i do that :

•  Keep dreaming the same way i used to when i was a small kid and not letting them die beacuse my life has taken a turn different from what i dreamt of

• Will have to keep finding newer, innovative ways in my work, which would prevent my work to be monotonous
• Will have to try taking risks and responsibilities,being a liitle more proactive would rather help
• Would spend more time to my hobbies,reading, dancing, cooking and keep adding to what I am good at
• Giving the mind and heart a dose of self content by doing good and getting praise;)(after all being recognised for the good is equally important)
• Looking forward to achievements, however small they might be(achievements are a source of self pride ;))
• Would not force myself to do things that my mind forces to do, even when they are unimportant(I do them just because the mind is more towards the analytical side and wants things to be perfect)
• Would not burden myself with expectations but would look forward to continuous growth and make efforts for the same
• Enjoy the fact that it is wonderful to be imperfect at times :) :)
• Will take responsibility for decisions and would not regret them but rather try to avoid mistakes for the next ones to be taken

Life is not going to be a saga of great milestones achieved always, but it would definitely be a celebration of simple and stupid stuff that goes around it and i promise myself that i wont ever get bored of LIFE :):)

A well deserved VICTORY :) :)

A gap of 28 years, close to the trophy a couple of times but could not get it....Alas, 2nd April 2011, a very tough match, lots of hitches in between, people all over India with fingers crossed, lots of jinxes, not moving from their seats, as if celestial phenomenon links people from the same country together and adds to the destiny,or rather Victory :):)

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011,the most valuable trophy for any Cricket crazy nation, comes to India :):) and being one of the proud Indians to witness the game :) :) the feeling is a mix of emotions, patriotism and proud....Most importantly, when the Cup adds the most important feather to the cap of Master Blaster,"Sachin Tendulkar"a dream to come true after 19 years, watching him being carried on shoulders over the ground,kudos to Gautam Gambhir, and also Dhoni ,who is an addition to the list of most successful Indian Captains who managed to add to the outstanding performance of the Indian Cricket Team when they needed it the most....and above all when the match was so damn difficult to win,I suppose that is why its said, Victory tastes sweeter when it comes through lots of hard work.......:) :) and the Indian team tastes sweet sweet success....:D

Congs team India :)  You have made us all proud :)

Mann Lafanga Bada ;)

Mann lafanga bada, Apne mann ki kare......

Yun tou mera hi hai,mujhse bhi na dare.......

Bheege bheege khayalon mein khoya rahe......

Main sambhal ja kahoon woh  fisalta rahe........

Just was listening to this song when realised some crazy facts about my "Mann ;)" :

• The "mann" wants to go back from where it started,it always have to crib and cry about things and when it finally gets the desired thing,it realises this was not that it wanted
• It would think of all the possible ways to keep itself busy,to be the most utilized in the rat race of so called "intelligence" but it really wants to be in that child like state always,no inhibitions,no rules,it wants to be a free bird on one side but the other side forces to be what the world considers acceptable :( Poor thing, how to balance the extremes?? :(:(
• Has the ability to look calm but inside it would have killed the other person i dont know how many times (over something that was unacceptable to my "mann"),why does'nt it have the independence to answer straight on face....and enjoy the surprise by which people are taken aback ;)It wants the guts to tell people"Shut Up, I know better than you,keep those suggestions and advices with yourself :) :)

It needs wings to fly even if its just for a day,left upon by itself,free of everything that inhibits,binds.......I wonder if such a day would come :):)

Holi Hai :)

The festival of colours is here again....but this time I am in Bangalore,a place where Holi and Rakshabandhan do not even come in the list of holidays...thought would miss home, hostel like anything,no one to forcibly drag you amidst the colours,the more you plead,number of colours over you go on increasing....but amongst all the pictures of myself getting bored on the day of colours,my workplace proved to add one more pleasant memory to the list of best Holi celebrated by me.

We were actually informed about the plan of playing Holi in office quite a few days back,but took it as something that would be a very formal celebration,not the kind of crazy fun we were used to,but to our surprise when everybody got down to play Holi in the office garden,it was pure crazy fun, splashing each other ,dragging people to soak them in colours,not even thinking that we have to go to our homes in the same attire ;),shouting for mercy;),water balloons,and on top of that dancing like mad to just 4 odd dance numbers that were available at that time.. No matter what, we made the best use of them ;)danced and danced till our feet gave up. Thanks to the wonderful lot of friends(sharing the same set of tensions)together ,we buried them under the beautiful colours of Holi....It was a simple celebration that would turn into a beautiful memory in the days to come....

Wishing everyone a colourful Holi and may God fill everyones' life with such small moments of priceless joy :) !!!!

The Bangalore Story !!!!!!!

Bangalore or Bengaluru ........when i visited the city close to 7 years back,memories i carried from here were those of a green city with clean roads,trees planted on both sides of the road bearing beautiful purple flowers,a city that was unlike the other crowded metropolitan cities......the Bull temple,Vidhana Soudha, The Planetarium,The Visveswaraiah Science Museum and idlis and dosas.....Never thought that this would be the place where i ll get my first job....never thought i would come to this city as a resident.

The first few days of stay here were the most comfortable,staying in the Company sponsered accomodation for a week,cab carrying us to and fro to office,meals served as per our wish......The real story started when we started looking for an accomodation for ourselves (the city has downpours throughout the year and we landed up in the month of June ;) unaware of the fact that even when its sunny at the present moment, the next moment it would start pouring as if its been raining for the last few hours....the working hours not too hectice for the first 15 days,we would set to start searching for an accomodation as soon as we got free from office,walking in the rains on roads that we still do not know names of,baffled between crosses and mains(here in Bangalore,addresses consist of numbered streets,streets bisected as crossses and mains,which to your surprise would exist on both the sides of a road,in short if you do not know the closest landmark,it would be an irritable experience to reach an address laden with CROSSES and MAINS..;)....It was  painful to walk and walk endlessly and reach to accomodations with dingy rooms,nothing in the name of hygiene and not to mention food that we were not at all used to..(rice,rice and rice).Eventually our efforts resulted in a place decent enough to stay, north indian food and a nice location.The first day of office from that place,walked down to a place where we got stuck in between the road with four flyovers in front of us,not knowing which one to take for office ...But however we were not to be spared with those little efforts,the owner of the place we stayed in was an illiterate foolish man,claiming to understand everything we said but would keep in mind only the things that were of use to him. He gave us room different from what we wanted to have,troubled us with not getting the Geyser repaired,the lock of the room broken and not repaired until we stopped paying him the rent,electricity going off every now and then.Fighting with him became a daily routine.

Apart from all these there are daily efforts in finding out joints offering good north indian food,searching for ways to spend weekends,understanding bus routes and on top of that filling pockets of the defamed Bangalore rickshaw owners....but the city has its own charm being the most cosmopolitan of all south indian cities....varied cultures(we do not understand either of Kannada,Malayalam or Tamil ;))but still am getting used to the way of life here,most important,getting used to the food(started having rice as a full meal),relishing the distictiveness of this part of Indian Peninsula.....Nevertheless,Bangalore is beautiful and the best thing about this place is the weather,pleasant whatever time of the year it may be,the evenings will always be cool,you can walk on the roads without sweating yourself out.The place is a bliss for rose lovers,I have never seen such beautiful roses ever in my life that i have seen here.......bundles and bundles of them on carts whenever i cross the KR market,its a tonic to the eyes. The place is a mirror of modern India(Silicon Valley of India),preserving its heritage and imbibing other cultures at the same time.

The Bangalore story would continue in this blog as long as I am here in Bangalore.I love being here and would look forward to explore and share more stories and experiences.

Bundles of Joy !!!!

A hectic day at work, drooped amongst excel sheets,data analysis for the year,confused and muddled up to the core.Eventually fought with one of the closest friends. Poor friend :( did not even know the reason for my peevishness. I cancelled all plans for saturday evening but thank goodness some sort of inner wisdom came to my rescue and i landed up to the friend's place. Poor fellow,disappointed by my behavior was to start for some cafe with two more friends. I joined them but stilll the whole day's work was dwindling in my head.

Waiting for ordered stuff to come one of the friends noticed "UNO" cards being played by another group.The kind of inquisitive being he is, started gathering experiences to when we played it the last time and ultimately gathering the tit bits of information about rules by guesswork and the internet ,we had a gala time playing "UNO",the extent of which went up to even asking the cafe manager to lend it to us for the night since we could not find any toy shop open till 10:30 at night so that we would buy one for ourselves.

I am still in college, overloaded with project work which was not moving ahead according to expectations,fed up of the connectivity of internet in my hostel room,the deadlines to be met, and since these are last few days of my stay in this hostel,thousands of other chores to be completed before leaving. Its 6:30 PM and i get a message on my phone,"Chai?",a smile comes on my face and i reply instantly "Coming in 10 minutes". i walk up to the neighbouring "Chai centre", eyes searching for two friends who assumingly should be waiting catching hold of an extra place for me. I walk up to them ,share half an hour discussing the day's proceedings, share a laugh and come back to my routine.

I am working at my desk for some difficult task that I am trying to do since morning, not being able to accomplish even 10% of the same and its 1:10 in the afternoon.Friends calling up for lunch, i get up and walk straight up to the pantry where i hear giggling sounds from a group of 8-10 colleagues,i enjoy lunch with them,sharing a joke,discussing each other's lives,work,pulling each others leg. Most of my colleagues in office are girls within the same age group and we share excellent camaraderie.The kind of fun we have is difficult to find in one's professional life,makes my life at work a little more interesting,a little more fun and a little more exciting and I am back to work relieved and refreshed.

All the above are tit bits of my life at different stages, all being made a little more perfect by bundles of joy,called "FRIENDS",i meet some of them only once a week or  in a month or even a few months but sharing a laugh with them,discussing life and problems makes life simpler and happy. I am blessesd to have such people with whom life finds a new meaning and there's always something happening and exciting to look forward to.Thank you God for these wonderful people with whom life becomes a celebration without reasons.:):)

Happy Birth Day Maa !!!!

I have been waiting to write since the day i started blogging and what could have been a better day to write about my Mom,than her birthday...(although its still a week to go,but as i said i could not wait more..:)

Its been said that God creates mothers because he could not be with all his children(God you could not have made a better version of yourself....:)).Its been close to 7 years since i have been living away from home and the only thing that keeps me going is "You", Ma....I still remember the first day of hostel life when i waved her a bye. The first few days my seniors and batchmates did not utter the word "Mom" because being a cry baby,I would start shedding tears(though i can laugh about it now but i remember the pain it caused to live in another town away from Ma....)although the strength i gathered to stay away came only from her.

Since childhood, the thoughts of being self dependent, innovative, being with us(me n my sis) even when we turned out to be failures at times,encouraging us to experiment,learn and apply be it anything...reading, singing, dancing, sports. I remember whenever me and my sis were to face any competition or an exam,she would be the most active on our food habits,forcing us to eat and sleep on time,She would even not speak(Maun Vrat ;) until we would come home and tell her how we did..(even forcing us to study and study which at times irritated us too but if it would not have been there,i dont know where both of us would have landed ;)

She has been a friend always, I could share crushes and proposals,dreams and fears, and she would explain things to me in a manner that they did not come as imposed upon me.She would have her say but would leave decisions upto me. With all these,there came strictness where it was needed,(i remember the parties i missed because of one party i came late from ...;)

You have made us what we wanted to, we know that hurdles and cribbing will be there always but you have taught us to deal with everything and come out as a happier and better human being.

Sacrificing your own dreams and ambitions ( U could become all you dreamt of  but I am glad you chose to be our mother :) :)),you have made us realize our dreams . For us, you are the best cook, the best singer(even better than your favourite), the best opinions come from you.You are the most beautiful woman on earth and we are proud to be your daughters and its a promise,You and Papa will be proud of us always.....Wishing you health and happiness always...May all your wishes come true......Love u Ma....:)Wishing you a very very Happy Birthday !!!!!! :)

The day arrived !!!!!! :)

Hi All,

The title to my first post is just because i have been procrastinating this blog since 3 months,i guess......when a  friend started hers,introducing me to this amazing world of putting your thoughts via your keypad n screen to the world. Not that i never read one but ya,never thought even i can put thoughts to words ........:)n am finally doing it !!!! Takes me back to my childhood when i was intoduced by some teacher to the idea of penning down thoughts in a diary!! The idea caught my interest and the diary became a reflection of thoughts,moments captured through words..........the blog would be an extension to the same....ideas, thoughts, views,sometimes those odd moments of lots of cribbing and sometimes those moments of happiness that knows no bounds........would love to scribble about everything. Since I am a starter,would welcome criticism and suggestions from all those who would spend time reading my thoughts.........

Hey, did not mention the friend's name who has put this thought in my mind........Anjie:))Thanks to you,atlast the lazed out time comes to an end......

Last but not the least, wishing myself Happy Blogging !!!! :)