Another new year, and some thoughts

Happy New Year.

Last year was a silent year. At least here, in the blog. How will this year be? I don't know. At least there will be one post. This one.

The month of January is the month of beginnings, resolutions, turning a new page, reviewing the past year, and so on. Frankly, I don't know what to review in the past year. I had bad days, and I had good days. I had people who supported during the bad ones and people who celebrated the good ones. So, pretty much like any other year. But the plot of my story hasn't really advanced, except that changed my job. And I am happy with the change. But having said that, I have high hopes for this year. But we wait and hope for better things like any other new year.

I have been thinking of writing this post from the 31st December. Somehow I had the time, like always. So, I have been wondering how do we evolve - it never is a drastic change. It is a slow transformation for our betterment (at least that is what we would like to believe) but we never realize those minute changes until it is too late to turn back.  

I am a woman from the modern era. I had the privilege to get good education, and the opportunity to apply my knowledge in a role of my choice and then continue to do so even after my marriage. Not to mention that I also skipped the elaborate ritual of arranged marriage and married for love. It might not be something to boast about in the western world but very few women in my country fall in this category. Many don't do it by choice, others never had the opportunity. I could consider myself lucky or be grateful to the people around me. I could also give the credit to my stubbornness but that will be too inconsiderate. I think it is a mix of everything. How many girls drop out of school because, they don't have the opportunity or because there is no school around? How many fathers fight with the government to get a school opened for the education of their daughters? How many students give up after their first failure in the entrance exams? How many mothers let their girls leave home for studies or work? There is more and I could go on and on but the point that I am trying to make is that it is not a one sided story. It never is. None of our stories are monologues. And while you should take your due credit, you should never forget all those people who have been responsible for your success in one way other.

So well, this post was not about this. At least not when I had thought of writing this. But I haven't written for so long that there are too many things to write. I am stopping here but I hope I will blog again soon.

On the journeys of my life

I remember travelling a lot. Every two or three years, we would pack our bags and set off for a new destination. Not all of them have been awesome but I grew to love them nevertheless. I loved the places and more than that I loved the preparation, the journey, the anticipation before knowing where I will be next.  I have never stopped boasting about it. Even today if I get a chance, I do that. I tell people that the number of states that I lived in is more than I can count on my fingers, I tell them that I have lived the life of the drought prone villages as well as the national capital of the country. I tell them I had travelled in trains, buses, flights, jeeps, and even trucks before I was even 10. I never, never regret those journeys or places. I am not in touch with any of the people from there. I don't think I will recognise them if I ever come across any of them. I don't think I remember the places much either but only in bits and pieces, the amazing journeys and the feelings that came with it. 

But I was young then, intrigued by the idea of new people, new places, new stories, new friends. Later in life, I have wondered how different would I have been if there were no journeys. I have wondered how is it to grow up rooted in a single place with same neighbours, with friends whom you know from childhood throughout your life. I have wondered if it would have been much the same. Perhaps not. Today I know that transfers are different from travels. That it is possible to travel and still be rooted to a place. I don't know how different that would have been or how similar. I know that if I have to choose for today, I will choose travel over transfer but not for yesterday. 

The yesterday's journeys have given me a thirst for novelty, curiosity to know more, travel (a little), to try and know people, to be a little more sensitive to differences, to be open to ideas, to be comfortable with solitude and more than that to love books. But perhaps it is also because of travels, that the idea of settling down unsettles me.To be in a place with no thoughts of ever leaving it, frightens me. The journeys have also made me detest cities. I like the calmness of towns and villages better. I probably miss out the fact that there are less luxuries and opportunities there, that my line of work allows me to stay only in big cities (That's not true at all. Never believe that no matter what your line of work is!). But the cities scare me and I continue to live there. (Such is life!) 

They say the towns are no better these days. But how can they say, when they don't know what is it that I am scared of, when I have no idea what is it that I scared of. We are shaped by the journeys we have taken and also the ones that we have missed. A person can be known better by the things he or she evades than the ones he or she is ready to confront. How much do I know myself?

Heroism and Martyrdom

When I took up the course for "Leadership: Inspiration, Dilemmas & Action", I hadn't realized what was in store. But with the end term over, I look back to a series of lectures that have rekindled my questioning. As part of the class presentation, groups had to take up sessions on given topics. Ours was "Heroism and Martyrdom" based on the book Saint Joan by George Bernard Shaw. The groups were given the creative freedom to decide how they wanted to present.The topic was chosen by us of course. Our choice was based two reasons, it was about Joan of Arc, and it was a little later in the term. The third reason that it was based on a book applied for all other topics.

Morning Blues

It is said that time flies. Usually I agree. And yet the last few days have been a challenge to watch the time pass. May be when they came up with the idea that anxiety dilates time, this is what they meant. They talked about fear but who knows if there are similar other feelings.They might have forgotten about boredom.
Morning sleep has never been a problem for me. Sleeping again after waking up in the wee hours of dawn has been what I may call my 'forte'. And my mom is sure to second that. Yet for the last few days that is exactly what has been a challenge to me. I wake up and I fail to fall asleep again. Let me clarify that I have nothing to do in the morning that might force me to wake up early. No office, no classes, no commitments to keep. I can wake up as late as I want but the 'can' part doesn't seem to work.

My Watchlist - Animation II

Now those of you who read my last movies post (My Watchlist - Animation), took my suggestion and watched the last 5 movies then decided never to take my suggestion ever again, this list is for you. Basically it is a fun list with animations as you expect them to be.

I will start with Up. Amazing movie!!! This is a movie that tells you that neither romance nor adventure has anything to do with age. So those of you thought that in the coming years, age is going to be your excuse for shying away from either of these, it is time you found another excuse. And there is another thing that this movie says ... but if I tell you that there wouldn't be much left in the movie. So go find it yourself. 

My Watch List - Animation

This is not a movie review.

During my stay in K, I had the chance to watch a couple of movies. Animation was top in my list and luckily I found quite a lot of them. :) Here is a list (not in any particular order) of some interesting animated movies that I came across. Not all of these are watched in K but I remember most of them are. I will skip the usual favorites of Toy Story, Lion King, etc but I cannot skip Wall E. 

Anybody with even the slightest interest in animation, must watch this.  I could tell you the summary but why spoil the fun, and anyways IMDB is always there for that. So it is the story of a lonely robot who falls in love and then moves across the universe (literally to find her). Now that plot itself would melt the heart of any romantic but that is not all. The movie is also about us and how we will have destroyed the earth. It is also about technology taking over us and about hope. But most of all I love it because there is so so much expressed in the movie with the minimum words.Lets start with the lighter ones now.

Back to books

If nothing else, this internship at least rekindled my first love. 

So one day I was updating my bookshelf in Shelfari when the about me section suddenly caught my attention and from there four little words stared back at me "Reading keeps me sane" and with that all those moments flashed before my eyes when reading had actually kept me sane. If then, why not now. :) So I was back to books. What about blogging then? Blogging keeps me alive. Not the 'alive and breathing' but the 'alive and living'. So in short last one year I had been insanely dead. Not that I can disagree.

So what am I blogging today? Obviously its about books. And why? Because I came across this post - "And so read on" and I thought, its time I added another list. This time not just classics :)

So here is a list (in no particular order) of what I have been reading in the last month:

1. Vampire Diaries by LJ Smith
2. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
3. A Room with a View by EM Forster
4. The Invisible Man by HG Wells
5. The Wedding by Nichloas Sparks

A walk to remember

“The journey to a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
So does the journey of a lifetime!

It all started with that walk, at least for me.

It was the month of June, 24th June to be precise. The year was 2007. He dropped in to Bangalore for a quick visit (that is how I perceived till then.) You can't do much with much with your friends on an unplanned weekend. The options are pretty much the same - movies, shopping, museums/places to see in the city or just sit in the cafe and talk/gossip. If it is not a girl, the option of shopping gets almost cancelled unless of course you have something specific in mind. We had the whole day in hand - sitting in the cafe for the whole day - doesn’t make much sense. I was new in the city, didn't have much idea of where to go. So we opted for the first option - movie. It was a Sunday and actually I had already watched a movie the day before (with him) – “The Fantastic Four”. But still, a movie was the preferred choice. I had reasons -

• I hadn’t seen a movie (other than on comp/TV) for a long time.
• I was still a broke (it was my first month of job) and he was paying.
• I was saved from one of the most dreaded activity - talking about me! Its not that I am bad at conversation, I just don't prefer initiating.
• One movie would mean at least 3 hours taken care of. Then there is the time in the queue and the transport time (with the traffic). So I don't have to worry what to do the whole day!

But I wasn't that lucky actually. We didn't get tickets. I was hopeful considering the last day's luck. (I got to know later it had more to do with his 'skills' than luck) So we came out of the complex and started considering our options once again. If you ask me, at that precise moment I was wondering if there was a way I could just go home. I knew what was coming - the cafe thing! Oh no!

"Let's take a walk" - I blurted out. "May be we can walk home." It wasn’t a small distance. And I actually didn’t consider that ever. But it was a spontaneous action to evade sitting and talking. Walking is much more fun. He was reluctant. He considered for a few moments and asked if I was sure that I wanted to do that. I was persistent. It was probably his disbelief that made him agree. He was sure I wouldn't last even fifteen minutes. I was in my sports shoes; his footwear was actually unfavorable for such a task. I hadn't noticed. He could have told me. He didn’t. To my surprise we started. Yes, to my surprise! Although it was my suggestion, I was hoping he would disagree and try to convince me that it was a foolish idea. It was actually. Even I knew. But I still wanted to do it because it was so spontaneous and out of the normal things to do.

We didn't know the way. In fact I didn’t know and he wasn’t expected to know because it was his first visit to the city. So we walked randomly. He asked directions sometimes in the local dialect (he knew that because it was a part of his work). And we ended up walking in the worst parts of the city. You know the slum-kind of areas that are hidden from public view but still exist, those parts. We talked while walking. I was enjoying the conversation mostly so much that I failed to notice the surrounding areas. Or I noticed but they failed to make any impression. Occasionally he looked at me. Or may be he did it always, I noticed it occasionally. It is difficult to notice if you prefer not to look directly. I enjoyed his fleeting glances. Sometimes he will ask "Are you sure you still want to walk?" and I would reply back "Sure. I am fine. Are you ok?" He would say "of course". He wouldn’t say "Let’s take an auto" even if he wanted. Something to do with male ego I guess. I wouldn't budge, he wouldn't budge. So we walked. And we walked for a little more than three hours until we reached a main road and I found a place to sit. He said 'let's take an auto' and we did.

I enjoyed the walk, although probably it wasn't the kind that one enjoyed. Walking through the slum areas, past the drains, the dumping grounds, dodging the piles of garbage is not one of the activities one enjoys. I did not enjoy because of these rather I enjoyed in spite of all these. I enjoyed because of the company, because I was doing something spontaneous without any worries of what will happen (after a long time), because I was happy (and surprised) to see him agree to a foolish idea for my sake (or so I think), because I was enjoying his fleeting glances without looking directly at him and because it was fun to see him walk with me (it was my idea) even when it had turned out such a bad idea.

In fact it was only after the walk that I became comfortable in his presence, laughed and talked to him without inhibitions. In the end of the day when we parted, he said he wouldn't forget the walk, that it was a 'walk to remember'. I smiled knowing that for me it was much more than just a walk...

Happy birthday sweetheart. :)

And... it rained

I glanced at the watch once again. It was getting late. I walked to the window, placed my face against the glass, cupped my eyes with hands and stared outside. The sky had darkened to another shade. The trees ruffled wildly. I couldn't hear it from this side of the glass but I could already make out the sounds in my mind. It almost felt like I was daring the clouds to rain before I left. Any other day, I would have left long ago. What was I waiting for today? I stepped back and looked at the watch again. There was no way I could finish the meeting before the phone rang. The phone was not important. It was a routine call that meant to remind me that I ought to leave. I walked to the cubicle of the concerned person with whom I had the meeting. He wasn't there, so I left a message for him about rescheduling the discussion, packed my bag and walked off.

May be if it were not a Friday, I would have left my laptop and walked back home without worrying about the dark clouds but Fridays are different. I signed out and reached to open the main glass door. A cold gust of wind struck my face and for a moment it took my breath away. It is on one of these days that I am glad that I decided to walk down to office everyday. The traffic was at its peak. The main road in front of my office was roaring with life or rather honking with life. The lights of the vehicles danced against the darkness that the clouds had enveloped the city in. The Leela continued to stand majestically above all the hustle bustle on the other side of the road. It was difficult to catch every aspect of one single moment. What did I miss, I had no idea. I looked up at the dark sky. There was nothing ominous about it but rather a feeling of celebration filled my heart. The wind was still blowing wildly and noisily - the noise rising with the roaring traffic. It was almost like they were competing against each other.

I took my usual way and walked down the foot-path. The familiar waft of freshly fried bhaajjis and roasted peanuts hit my stomach. They stood there everyday, but the weather today made it impossible for me to ignore them. Too lazy to open my backpack and find my wallet, I satisfied myself with the smells alone and continued to walk. When I reached the over-bridge, I looked down at the stretch of dancing lights on the road. I had always been awed by the sight. Stretching beyond the horizon the lights always looked like a parade of colorful stars, or may be reflection of the sky. But not today. Today the stars were not visible and so this stream of lights spoke for itself. I was still awed as I walked down the stairs and reached the familiar lane that reached the place that I called my home for now.

The sky growled once, and I looked up at the sky. It wouldn't be long. I increased my pace to reach my gate just as the first drop of rain fell on my face. Once beneath the roof of my room, I opened the windows to welcome the long awaited rain. The sound of the rain and the smell of the freshly wet ground intoxicated me. I looked out of the window. The flowers had already opened up to drink thier fill, the grass had soaked up to turn green and the leaves were dancing to the beats of the rain. What was it about first rain that I loved -  it was too difficult to make one choice.

Give me rain, the sweet intoxication of the first shower of rain... and it will fill all my senses.

College Chronicle I - The Skit Disaster

It was our first year of the college.True to the traditions, we were done with the "intro" sessions with our seniors. Now was the time of "fuccha skit". Every year the "fuchhas" i.e. the first year-ites were supposed to present a skit. This was done branch wise, and the first prize was really coveted. A lot of preparations were needed. Ours was a branch that was always in the top. The year before it was first and so the same thing was expected from us as well.The branches with low girls:boys ratio (read as zero) went about trying to convince girls from other branches to join their skits. Ours was one of the luckier ones. We were 6 girls in a class of 28. (That I think was the highest ratio. Correct me if I am wrong.) We were strictly instructed not to entertain any such offers. "Okay Sir as you wish."

So one fine morning the entire branch (us "fucchas") and a few seniors assembled in the old building in front of the hall where this event was to take place on the D-Day and we had the our (for me the first and the last) auditions. We were given and character, dialogues and then told to carry out the role. Then on the basis of that we were given our final characters. I don't think there was anybody who did not have a role. One or two may be. So the audition did not have any rejections. All of us were accomodated in the skit. We were told the story. It was written by one of our seniors and I must say he must have given a lot of thought and time to come out with such a story which had everything from the "hoors" of heaven to the remake of sholay to the 'dance of fire' (or something like that, I am forgetting the term.). And then from then on, our mornings were no more fine. We had to wake up early (oh how i disliked that!) for the practices session, then we had our class. I don't remember but I think we had practice sessions after the afternoon classes also. By the end of the day we were not really left with either time or enthusiasm for anything else. There was the secrecy part that we had to take care of. Other branches should not be aware of our story and we had to make sure that there was no one else present during our practice session or else the place of practice was changed or the timing and so on. I don't think it was ever cancelled.

Once we were all comfortable with our characters (which I never was!), the costumes were decided. It really needed to be innovative and relevant to the character. Few characters had to have different costumes at different part of the skits and so on. You know the usual stuffs of skits. And then we had the music at appropriate places. It was really thought over. I know you all must be wondering what the story was but really, it was a little complicated and I am sure I wouldn't be doing justice to the story if I tried to narrate it here so... , in other words, I am not telling. What was my role? I was playing Basanti, in the 'remake of Sholay' part. The scene was the part were Gabbar says to me "jab tak tere pair chalenge, tab tak iski saanse chalengi" (I think that is how the dialogue was). And I had to dance (ohhh I disliked that part so so much. I lost the count of how many times I tried to change my role. I still wish they had changed my role!!!). And that was not the "dance of fire". Well anyways, I was never prepared for the dance or the role or the skit for that matter but I wasn't prepared for the disaster that was to come either. To tell you the truth I was doing okay when we practiced. It was never great, I am not really cut out to be great in a skit.

The D-Day came. All of us stood there nervous waiting for our part to come. (I am not sure about others bu I was certainly nervous). When my part came, the audio system failed. There was not dialogue, just a song in background and my dance. So finally there was no song, just my dance, and probably the audience yelling at the disaster (which I thankfully don't remember). After that I had another small part which I completed. And then coming out of the stage I broke down and cried. I still don't know why I cried. But a lot of people did try to console me and I finally did manage to stop my streaming eyes. At the end of all of it, we had photo sessions. I don't have the photo but I remember looking horrible with my face completely blotched because of the tears. I also remember having being given chocolate to compensate for the disaster. ;) 

I never had the courage to face the crowd again after that


Btw we did win 2nd prize even after my disaster. And in case you are wondering the song to which I had to dance, it was ... "teri har ada sitam hai jaanlevaaa..."  ah never mind if you haven't heard it before

And it is morning already!

Insomnia is a wonderful thing for someone who knows how to utilize those extra hours. Not really for people like me who realize that there were a few extra hours at hand only after having wasted them.

Every night like a good girl I go to sleep at a normal hour (or rather an hour that I consider normal). Needless to say, in spite of that after some few good half hours, I still find myself staring at the black void of night. The moment I realize that I am still awake, various thoughts emerge from the same void that I was staring at. The thoughts vary - my office work, something I was reading, the last phone call, the book I was planning to read, will I have headache next day, will I reach office in time, what will I miss if I do not, when did I sleep last time, my next blog (it is altogether a different thing that I might never write it)... rewind... events from some 5-10 yrs back... fast forward ... something about the future. No wonder after some pondering, I sit up, switch on the light, boot up my laptop, connect to the internet. Internet is a wonderful thing, no? Sit back and the entire world at your finger tips. Read, watch, listen, chat and get lost.

But sometimes that is not enough. And during those times, I play that one single song (which has recently caught my attention) in repeat mode, pick that half read book and try to drown myself. If it is interesting (if it were really interesting, it wouldn't have been half read) then probably those thoughts will leave me alone for a while but not really for a long time. And soon they are back each one trying hard to get my attention. And I am still staring, my eyes wide open. Where does sleep go!

A few hours later, the sky has started to uncover itself from the shroud of darkness. The sun is almost up. People who have an early start have already woken up. I can hear the noises in the streets. The car that is kept outside my window is getting washed. And I am still wide awake. A glance at the watch frightens me. I stop the music or may be let it play. Set a realistic (but not late) alarm and go back to sleep. I keep the lights on, may be that will help.

"Oh please please get me some sleep. I didn't even sleep after coming back from office. Why am I not asleep! I should have done something more productive than simply staring. I should have blogged. I haven't blogged for like an year. I should have finished that book. It has been with me for months. That last book I read xyz wasn't that good. Wonder for what it got the award. May be I am not good enough for it. Oh well but I liked the other one. I can read it all over again. I have that thing to finish tomorrow. I hope so-and-so turns up or else it will get delayed. I had a meeting. Did I have to prepare something for that? May be not. I have those bills to pay. When is the last date? And I had to go to bank. I forgot again. May be this Saturday. I will wake up early. Oh but I have to go somewhere else that day. May be next then. I had some other work also, I am forgetting. Did I get the tickets. Oh I haven't booked my return tickets yet. Tomorrow first thing. I won't get them otherwise. I didn't call Mom today. She will be worried. And I had to call that person. But the office is closed tomorrow. I should really set reminders for all these. I am kind of hungry. May be I should get up and eat something. But I won't get any sleep after that. Not that I am getting any even now. I wonder if I was like this in my schooldays. No I slept a lot those days. Actually I still do. Sometimes. Why not now :( It is raining outside. I love the sound of rains :) May be I should go outside and feel the rain. Let me make a paper boat. No let me not get up. Tomorrow... I should stop behaving like a kid. May be a few more years... Where was I? No I should stop thinking now. How does one do that? Stop thinking that is... Oh no! Today was 12th. I forgot to wish! She is going to kill me. There is one more coming this month... and then there was that.. what was it? I should have completed those.. I haven't been studying for days... may be tomorrow... "

And then the alarm rings.

"Oh is it morning already...Oh so I did sleep finally. Nice!"

Snooze.
"Just 5 more minutes".

Zzzzzz Zzzzz zzzz

"Whats the time?" A glance at the mobile. "OH NO!!! I am LATE!!!"

Good Morning ;)

And so read on...

"Fact is stranger than fiction" and yet, we readily accept the facts of newspaper but have hard time believing the fictions of books.

Well, that was not what I am going to write though. :)
I was on a classic reading spree for sometime. It broke because a speed-breaker completely toppled me and I found myself fallen on my face! So while I was on my classic reading spree, I read some unusual classics and I thought I might as well compile a list of those books (together with some I read before) for those few people who still come and peek in my blog :D

Ok, so here it goes in no particular order:

1. 1984 by George Orwell.
2. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
   
3. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
   
4. The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
   
5. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
   
6. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
   
7. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
   
8. Love in the time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marqez
9. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
   
10. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
11. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
    

Now, I have seen that it is quite difficult to find a classic lover and usually they will still fall into various categories. So if you find classics tiring, slow-paced or tedious, I will still say, you try reading the first 3. Although, 1984 and Brave New world are almost on the same line.

Science fiction lovers, "Brave New world" and "1984" is just the kind of book you might like. They are classics so don't expect too much of modernity and of course, keep in mind the the era in which they were written. (There aren't any aliens btw so if you are looking for that, I suggest go somewhere else :D)

For people who like reading about unreal things, "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is a must, must, must! For me, it was an eye opener. If you haven't read this, you have no idea what a classic can be. And forget about the plot. Each of its sentence has so much depth that you can keep pondering upon it.

Lets see now... if you are one of those who like the female oriented classic sort of book then you will prefer "Jane Eyre", "Pride and Prejudice" or "Gone with the Wind". These are usually favorites among girls. "JE" was my first classic, so obviously it holds a special place :). In case of "P&P" and "GwtW", the main characters Lizzy and Scarlett have made the books special for me.
But then GwtW has a lot more. If War interests you, if you are curious to know about how wars have changed lives, "Gone with the wind" might interest you.

For all those people who have interests in psychology, "Lolita", "Crime and Punishment" and "Love in the time of Cholera" are sure to give you some new insights. However be warned, they can be slow. And especially for Lolita, I would suggest you read the plot first, it isn't the kind that triggers good feelings. "Love in the time of Cholera" - well actually it is a lot about love and cholera and once you read it, you wouldn't know where one ends and the other begins. No not the usual mushy-mushy love story. For "Crime and Punishment", the title suggests a lot. Existentialism readers, "Crime and Punishment" is the book for you. Go read the mind of person on how he justifies his actions.

That leaves us with "Anna Karenina" and "The Mayor of Casterbridge". You might call them typical classics.

Actually I read "The Mayor of Casterbridge" and "Far from madding crowd" one after the another and for some reason the first one caught my fancy. May be because the plot was a little different or the pace was a little faster. It is set on the rustic surroundings of a village and tells the story of ... well if you are so much interested, go and read the book!

Personally "Anna Karenina" is not one of my favorites. And if you have never read classics, I will suggest, you do not start with it. Let me tell you the reasons - firstly it is huge, close to 800 pages and slow. By the time you reach the end, you might have forgotten how it had started. No seriously! Secondly it has too many characters and somewhere in between the main focus changes from one character to another. So basically you might forget about whom you were reading. Thirdly, there are too many stories. You have to keep count. Fourthly, after all these, if you manage to finish it, you might not like the ending. I mean I did not find the end worth all the efforts :(

Inspite of all these, it is a masterpiece. You might want to read and know why. (Like I did :D)
I think, the character sketching is amazing. The way each of the characters develop with each situation. Nowhere, you will think the changes to be abrupt inspite of the fact that the characters actually undergo great changes. Ok, I told that it has a lot of stories bound together. But the binding part is quite good. In a way it feels likes you are watching a real life story and not a fiction. And probably the end part was more on the expected lines of the then society so I should not complain. Now I am leaving the choice to you.

I guess that should do for today. :)
Huge list and too many reasons. If you ever happen to read a classic, do let me know what you thought about it and why.

Happy reading

Small updates

I know, I know, I know. I know what you all have to say. I really have abandoned my blog!

Small update 1: I am going HOME :)
That will be after 6 months. It is not much may be but trust me it feels like years. So end of next week, I will be on my way. And this time it will be a long train journey to home. Frankly though, there is something about train journeys that I had been missing. It replaces the hurried moments of everyday with a lazy lingering essence. Especially when the journey extends from one day to another. Then again the journey in itself could give some mighty memorable moments.

All in all I am looking forward to it. And I have a lot to finish before that at my office as well as home.

Small update 2: I am shifting apartment (if i can call it so). That too as soon as I return. So I will have to finish all my packing before that. Now if you thought I don't have lot of things to pack. You are right. Except that I seem to have collected a good number of books.

This is how it was a year back. If I have added even half of this in rest of the time, you will realize I am not joking.
(In case you are wondering, no, I haven't read all of them. There are one or two that I have saved for dry spells. )

And of course there are clutters that I have to go through and decide which are the ones that I should keep. Now I understand why my Dad always insisted on me to go through my stuffs each time before we shifted. I always did. It is altogether a different thing that I never threw away anything :D. I can find long-lost-half-written-mostly-forgotten scribblings even today somewhere among them even though we have shifted 8-9 times. (I must be exaggerating! #Note to self: Ask Dad how many times we have shifted# ).

I guess that is all the update that I have. Hopefully I will have something more to write when I return.

Ciao

'Transit'

Most of the time, like most of the people, I find 'transit' periods awfully boring. Waiting for the results of an important exam (ask the 2007 CAT-takers :D), the duration between getting a job and leaving the college, the duration when you wait for your interview, the time when your preparation is mostly done and the examination seems to arrive too slowly, the time when train/flight gets late, the time when your work is done but you still have to wait in the office because its just too early to leave, traffic signals, long queues (for the movie, in the stores, bill payment, mess, etc), and many more.

Yet to think that the trip to home this Diwali had longer transit duration than the journey duration! The 'to' had a transit duration of 6 hours and the 'fro' had 9 hrs that makes a total of 15 hrs while total flight duration was at most 10 hrs. Both of these transit periods were spent in the Mumbai Airport. In the 6 hrs one, I had company so it was not at all irksome. But the 9 hrs were spent alone (mostly). The question however is 'was it then really tiresome?'. Well, not really.

I reached Mumbai at 9.30pm. Went on to the departure lounge and waited. For company I had phone, book and fm. Not bad. Once in a while some airport officer would come and ask if I was fine , tell me where I could find snacks/tea/coffee. The couple next to me had their flight at 5.30am. They left early but while they were there we had small chats about how bad the waiting lounge was, that Mumbai airport should have some kind of waiting room, and that it actually used to have. Other than this I was continuosly talking on phone (having arguments actually) during the early hours when it wasnt time to go to sleep for them. For the rest of the time I was busy probing into Orhan Pamuk's "My name is Red" and listening to the songs played on fm. (This finally discharged my cell and I had to stand and get it charged --> this too took some time :D)

Before long it was already time to get up and get going.
I didn't feel the passage of time. May be I didn't take it as a transit but rather as a part of the journey. Sitting there while I was observing the surroundings I thought it is stupid to think that our life stops during transits. Why, there was motion everywhere even in the 'waiting' of passengers, their loitering, reading, talking, and even dozing off.

Some more seashells

I never thought, when I will open my closed fist to see the shells that I treasured so much, I will find nothing but trifles from my childhood. [refer my post Seashells]

And I never thought that one day I would be still taking pleasure in collecting those trifles just as I did some 10 years back. Yes, thats what I did today. May be they never were trifles and never will be, not for me.

My treasure :)

So here I was, on the other side of the river Ganges with Shilpi, Arpita, Cherry and sands all round. For a moment my whole being was transferred to the beaches of my childhood. But I soon managed to come back to cherish the present with as much pleasure as I had then. It was not just the sand or the shells, there was so much more. The pony-ride for example in which Cherry continuosly coaxed and cajoled the pony to run but he was just too indifferent to her wishes and took a very relaxed stroll. Or my race with cherry which always stopped halfway because Cherry would say "Anki, nahi main yahan nahi daud sakti" and then she would reach me and start running again indicating the race has started again. Or the just sitting on the sand and laughing or talking absolute nonsense. Or the boat ride. In short we just had fun.

In the end weall had a shell to remind us of today. The white one you can see on the top the heap in my hand is Cherry's and is being mentioned here specially on her request.

:)

Going home :)

... And its a beautiful world...
Scattered with different shades
That paint my life so well...
With a colour that never fades!!!

Celebration - This word brings in many memories before my eyes. I guess celebration is not just about festivals that come only in a particular time of the year. Its about celebrating life, celebrating the beautiful moments that I relish so very much, celebrating friendships and the company of wonderful people, celebrating togetherness as well as sometimes even solitude.

But for now, wishing you all a very Happy Durga Puja.

Yes I am happy today

Ask me not the reason

And happiness comes this way

For no cause, no season :)

Dreams come true

"Miracles have a way of happening to those who believe in them."

I did, I do, I will... forever.

This post is a heartfelt gratitude for all the wonderful things I have had and for all the wonderful things that await me. This includes the people who have been a constant support for me.

On the strike of 00:00 hrs on 9th Sept 2006, yet another of my dream comes true. I get selected in Fair Isaac - the best company I could have thought of. My dream job! I did not apply in some of the other most wanted comapanies just because I wanted to sit for this one. At those times I didn't care whether FI will take me or not, I just wanted to sit for this one because this was the best that was offered to me.

I wanted to be here but I wasnt sure. There was just one small voice that kept telling me that I can take a chance and I just wanted to follow it. But the blow came when I came to know that probably my resume had not been short-listed. Then taking the advice of some friends and listening to that small voice of mine, I took a second chance and re-submitted my resume. Most probably my resume had never reached them and they short-listed me for the written among some 120 people (may be) after the re-submission.

Next I saw my name among the 13 people who had cleared the written and then I thought even this is worth relishing. Then after 3 rounds of interview, and waiting for some 2 hrs (just 2 hrs!, I thought I had waited for more than that!), I found myself shaking hands with the FI people for being selected as one of them!!!! :)

I have no more words. I am thrilled!!!
Thank you God. You have answered a lot of my queries.

Water Water Everywhere!!!

Well its rain again so whats so special about having "water, water, everywhere". Nothing except that I had a singualar experience. No, not the water actually... er...well :D
Curious? Read on.

July 12 2006.

Morning 7.00

I wake up at Anu's house to know that it had been raining for more than 3 hours and we might delay our return to the insti. Well, fine. No big deal. After some discussion we end up deciding that we will proceed as planned. So we load up our cartons in the maruti van and find some seats for ourselves as well. 5 of us - me, Anu and 3 other girls on our way to insti. All is fine, the music is on, outside its raining and we are enjoying watching the flooded surroundings. (never knew that in a few moments, the flooded surroundings will be enjoying watching us :D)

Oh by the way did I tell you, we were coming from parmanandpur, beyond the Kacheri and all. Ok, so then we reached the water tank area. The road was not visible, it was all water, water and more water. Our van in its attempt to cross the roadway stream or rivulet (whatever u wish to call) marched on, coughed twice and then to our utter bewilderment and dissapointment came to a sudden halt! The driver kept turning the keys that it might start again. But all the van had to give was coughs, more coughs and more of them with silence in between.

What next? Nothing much. 5 of us alighted from the van and started pushing it while the van still struggled with its coughs. First I thought 'thank god there are 5 of us'. But later i realised 'Well, its not that bad. In fact quite an experience'. So 1.. 2.. 3.. and here we go! and again! and yet again! Phew!!! And 1.. 2.. 3.. we go again and again and again till we reach Bhelupur and cross it and reach Diamond. Thats it! thoroughly drenched but successful, we are back seats again. Except that in less than 15 minutes our hands are once again positioned at the back of the van. And this time our legs are ankle deep in water and that too the water... you can imagine the kind of water that gets flooded in the roads. (Hey it wasnt that bad either). After this thankfully there wasn't another next time :D

We finally reach our hostel drenched, excited, exhausted and famished (had missed the breakfast). And we didnt miss the chance of a rare snap either :D

Phew! Quite an experience but once is enough. Not again!!! :D
Rain seems to have some unique journeys is store for me, last time it was the train and this time the van. :D

A Birthday is a gateway between old year and new
An opening to the future where we can get a wider view
Birthdays are gateways to what future holds

And to greater understanding as the story of life unfolds.

-Anon.

Aptly said! At least in my case it does, for my birthday marks the end of another session, another year here and the period of togetherness with some people.

So this year, finally the day came (246) :D. The day started at 00.00 with bone breaking, back bashing (to say the least) bumps. The cake was cut but it ended with the cream on my face. This was the beginning.

The end however was better (actually it would have been the best if only it were not the end).

A surprise treat (!!!) (to say the least)

All in all one of my most wonderful birthday. I will save the proceedings of the day for cherishing the people present and that too through their own memory for my words may not bring out their charms as they actually were.

Of course, this birthday or its speciality is not confined to just 24 hrs. It brings with itself all the times of my laughter throughout this year. As for gifts, well there are too many to mention, I will mention just one - of all the accessories I have, the one I treasure the most, the one that I nowadays wear too often (and may this always be so) is the sweet smile (read as horrible grin) that adorns my face - a gift forever!

A princess of her own world
A girl often termed special
There is nothing so unique about her
Nothing that makes her ideal
Except that there in her vicinity
Live people who are wonderful
Who treat her in a way that
Makes her think she does rule!

For all those wonderful people of my world, here in this hostel, and here in this institute, I don't have words to say how much grateful I am for you all. And on this special day, if I were asked to make a single wish, the only wish I would ask is that may I be saved from any invidious feelings from others for all the special people I have in my life.


"Always remember you are an absolutely unique individual just like everybody else". This often makes me wonder what is so special about me. I know it today. It is not me, it is the people around me.

An Italian Delicacy

Almost 1 month and I remember my first (and hopefully not the last) encounter with Tiramisu.

15th Jan
10:00

Ritu comes and tells me that, she plans to prepare an Italian Cake. The ingredients are ready and she will need a helper. Talk of cakes and I will jump at the mention of it.

14:00

So soon after the lunch I found myself in her room. The requirements placed on her table - eggs, Amul cream, coffee powder, sugar, containers, spoons, forks etc etc, and how can I forget the Italian Biscuits - ladyfingers. Anyways, I am not here to tell you the recipe of Tiramisu.

It so happened that our little adventure was waiting to strike us with small and sweet hurdles which we were absolutely unprepared for. The first happened at the start itself when while breaking the first egg, we messed up the yolk and the albumen instead of separating them. After much struggle, we managed to convince ourselves that they have been separated. The rest two eggs were broken smoothly. The 2 hours that followed were taken up by continuous beating of the eggs. At some moments we were almost close to giving up because of unavailability of electric blender but then we didn't. Finally the mixture was ready but not before making us realise that Amul cream was a bad option for making Tiramisu. We were letdown when we saw the cream fluidising our paste-like mixture. More than that we were unaware that the result of this fluidising will be more devastating in the coming hours. Anyways with a few more manipulation from our side we finally finished the paste-making process.

16:30

The next step was garnishing of the biscuits. So they were carefully placed in a thermocol box and covered with the paste made earlier. But the amount did not suffice, so the second round of paste-making started. The ingredients were bought once more and we started moving our hands yet again. While we were busy with the 2nd round, out first round of hard-work found its way out from the box through the corners and edges. :( We helplessly saw the fluidised paste trickling out of its appropriate place. :(( We were not interested to give up. So with cellotapes and polythenes, the box was mended to our best. Phew!!! 2nd round continues.

19:00

Preparation complete. Cake placed for refrigeration. Thanks to canteen. Well if only that was the end. Our plight continued as electricity decided to paly hide and seek during the entire duration of refrigeration.

23:00

Enter Tiramisu.

Looks delicious, doesn't it?

16th Jan
00:00

Ritu's BDay.
The cake is cut and tasted. We are pretty happy at the response. I of course could have onle one piece. But never mind that. The net result is that we completed the preparation, it turned out to be good enough to be eaten, I learned a new dish and more than that I enjoyed being a part of the whole thing. Thanks Ritu.

But one thing that disheartens me is that I will not be able to make it at home. So any of you going to Italy in near future, do bring me a pack of ladyfingers (tell them about Tiramisu, they will understand) .

[For Ritu's version of story, read this.]