31st December

31st December.

A year of life gone by...or a year of life gained?

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The Best Song of 2009

Some songs are just excellent. How many ever times one hears it, it never grows out. One such song this year was the one that I have put down here.

I really end up hearing it, everytime. If you know what I mean.

Thought should put it down here as how strong this song stays for me, I'll see as the years go by.

Beautiful!

Festivity

Festivity is in the air! Wherever you go, there's lights, brightness & bedecked ambiance all around.

There's a joy in the air & even if you are the non-noticer types, you can't help to sit back & notice the tinge of excitement in people & things around.

The whole world wears a festooned look at this time of the year.

I too love festivity... who doesn't? :)
It gives a message of joyousness, celebrations & something to look forward to.

The bling & the aura of the climate apart from the usual gaiety, also sometimes makes this thought in me to creep out; -
In earlier days, we used simple lights, candles & bare decor to mark happiness in the air.. & yet we felt it deep within our hearts.

That was evidently visible on our selves. Now even after the replete kind of shouting of the festival time from everywhere, do we really feel it in our hearts? Is it now an occasion for us to let ourselves realise that its time to celebrate? To pause & let the year go by & welcome a new one..so that we don't miss the passing & advent of a new one?

Earlier, simple diyas were enough to bring out the happy sentiment & mood, now even if we light up the city, we don't have that much light in the heart to feel that joy to celebrate...no time to feel the occasion, except spend a bit, do a few typical customary things & make oneself realise that we are supposed to feel joyful.

Is life slowly becoming lifeless?

Somehow, this year's parting has gotten me in that mood. Sometimes all this merrymaking gets to me in this way.

For few many other times, I'm as happy as you to bring in the new year with all the dazzle which outshines any philosophical thoughts as I churned out above!

Wishes for a Very Happy New Year to All! :)

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Does God also need a God?

Since the time I was very young I remember being rewarded or appreciated for any good thing I did.

From getting good grades in school to scoring well in boards.

From helping some positive thing to doing any deed which was worth getting appreciated.

There used to be a small or big reward everytime.

In teen years too, when individuality develops, we get appreciated, rewarded for turning into responsible people.

& so is the common pattern.

We may not always win jackpots as rewards, but small/big token rewards in the form of happiness, satisfaction or even some materialistic surprises, do find ways to the fine deeds that we practice. & it makes us feel good. This does not mean that people always do things in anticipation of rewards only...I'm mentioning the general human pattern.

At every stage we get rewarded as a form of encouragement.
Be it at any place.

Sometimes I wonder if God believes in it too?

He is constantly testing us..& sometimes those exams become so cumbersome that one feels that it is better to give up & fail rather than keep the attempt on to complete it.

But, he does not even accept that. You have to sit thro' those phases of the so called exams for the designated time he has decided upon; attempting to work on every question he's thrown at you.

Bading the time for every question you wish to pass, every effort that you wish it succeeds, makes me on occasion think that God has pretty healthy sadistic tendencies.

Else, he definitely would not have made good people guinea pigs & have this twisted testing system in place.

This definitely does not encourage in any way.

I'm wondering over & over, has God also got corrupted in this corrupt world, has his plan also backfired from what he originally set out to do? So is he showing his displeasure this way? What does he wish? Is he also lost at times like most of us?

Does God also need a God now??

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Tag

Took this tag from a random blog I was surfing. Looked very interesting to me. After pinching it a little, thought would try my hand too. Sometimes these questionnaires make one think about things small/big that make us up.

Thirty Three.

1. What is your current obsession?
Going on a holiday. Even if its for the weekend. I'm due for one since quite a while now...esp as I had a very hectic year.
2. What was for dinner?
Khichdi, Bhaakri, Tomato curry & Dahi.
3. What is the meaning of your name?
Biraj means Welcome. :)
4. What are you listening to right now?
Silence of the night. Actually, I can hear the fan throwing its breeze & occasional vehicle sounds.
5. What do you think about the person who tagged you?
No one did. I picked it from my random flipping through blogs.
6. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
A cottage among the hills of Munnar......Wishhhhhhhhhh!! :)
7. What was the last thing you bought?
Face wash.
8. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
Where Else.
9. Which language do you want to learn?
Spanish. Near home, I wanna master speaking Telugu... after all I can read & write the language! Would like to learn Bengali too. Its a sweet sounding language.
10. What’s your favourite quote?
Really can't pick one! I am a quote aficionado. the latest to become my fave, I'll put here:"The grass is not, in fact, always greener on the other side of the fence. Fences have nothing to do with it. The grass is greenest where it is watered. When crossing over fences, carry water with you and tend the grass wherever you may be."
11. Who do you want to meet right now?
My dearest friend ...................
12. What is your favorite colour?
Tough! Umm..Wine red.
13. What is your dream job?
Where someone pays me for travelling!! Or a child psychiatrist. Or an editor for some meaningful magazine!
14. What’s your favourite read?
No permanent fave read, pick whatever frame of mind I am in. But can read Mills & Boon anyday! Total stress busters! :P
15. If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?
Save it.. for something I plan soon enough.
16. What do you consider a fashion faux pas?
In Girls, Innerwear peeping out of the low jeans & not knowing how to carry certain clothes!! Yet, they go about wearing them. Looks very cheap.
In Guys, there's nothing much to judge on, but yes, dressing in clashing colours is a big NO NO.
17.What are three cosmetic/makeup products that you love using? Name them.
Deos/Perfumes: Lily of the valley deo is my current fav.
Lip colour ...Earth Matte & Pink rose.
My dolphin earrings & pendant something I really love. I'm quite possessive & frugal in using it.
Smile is another best cosmetic I use a lot! :)
18. What are you going to do after this?
Post midnite? Ponder...till I crash out. That's the general pattern.
19. What are your favourite movies/songs? Name upto 3.
So many movies & songs....
Ye lamhe.. is an all time fav song from Lamhe & the movie is among my favs too.
20.What kind of haircut do you prefer?
The one that I wear! Maybe a lil longer... for Guys, Short hair please!
21. Who according to you is the most over-rated style icon?
Shahrukh Khan, Bipasha Basu & Aishwarya Rai.
22. What inspires you?
Anything, Children, Nature, People.

23. Give us three styling tips that always work for you .
Be yourself. Be sincere. Be clean.

24. What do you do when you “have nothing to wear” (even though your closet’s packed)?
Pick whatever comes in hand in the 3rd attempt!! :D
25. Coffee or tea or milk?
Tea. In the morning.
26. What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?
Ponder, write, listen to songs, Basically like to be left alone then.

27. Which other blogs do you love visiting?
Apart from the fave list of blogs that I follow, I generally like random surfing.
28. Favorite Dessert/Sweet?
Laapsi... & home made Fruit Salad, Chocolate Bomb...quite a few actually! :D

29. Favorite Season ?
If you have read my earlier posts..Do I need to even mention this one?
....Monsoons....
30. If I come to your house now, what would u cook for me?
Depends if I know your taste or no. Else, simple ghar ka khaana. :)

31. What is the right way to avoid people who purposefully hurt you?
Depends on Who is hurting you....you can't ignore everybody.....

32. What are you afraid of the most?
Losing the relations that are dearest in my heart.
33.Is it possible to be in love with two persons simultaneously?
Love as in 'Love-Love'? - No.
Else we do love many people who make up our life.
I'm tagging Abhishek....Mayuri, you mail your replies to me!Anybody else wanting to try..just tag on...its fun! :)

Tra la laa la laa!!

Ever know how it feels to get rid of a guilt & finally enjoy what you really wish to do?

I did not, till a while back...
...Merrily, I know that now! :))

For the longest time now, I had been into consciously trying to eat right, counting my calories...trying & exercising when I can, follow healthy food habits [well, that is more becoz of a passion..] in order to reach THE perfect weight [in my eyes] for ONCE...& hold that on for atleast 6 months time at a stretch.

Being a true Gujarati, I have this sweet tooth..[which seems a bane sometimes... :(] & I more than less had a problem containing the perfect weight on the correct needle for a consistent amount of time.


But the effort did finally pay off.....Hurray now!!! :D

I have somehow, miraculously [Touchwood!!] been able to hold onto THAT desired weight, THAT desired inch measure on the measure tape for a successful 6 months now!!!
Feels as if I broke the jinx of FWS. [Fluctuating weight syndrome! ..Yep, I've termed it so! :P ]

Can't express the exhilaration I'm feeling over this gleeful fact. :D

The result of which has been that I have been able to enjoy my most fave desserts, Laapsi/ chocolates/cakes/ice creams with relish ...& without a trickle of guilt!!

OK, before you think of letting me know,if I continue that, I'll be back to the FWS; lemme assure you, I do have that mental note very boldly etched at the back of my mind...so I won't trip! :D

As for now, let me just INDULGE!!!! :D :P

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Happy Day!

Life seems to be in such a rush these days..that everything else; except for a few very wanted things, are happening like stars that twinkle galore in a village sky.

I try to pause, try to catch a few breadths only to find that my mind though exhausted, has already reached the next 'to do' place & is waiting for me to catch up.

Among such zombie days, when refreshingly comes a day that suddenly takes you back to a past event, enjoyed happiness, in years gone by, that is when for a brief while, life suddenly looks up again & we automatedly reach out to that sphere where that particular delire was enjoyed.

Today is 1 such day. & though I am too tired & also unwell; to rejoice that happiness, my heart has been smug all day & I am with a shimmer smile about me.

Happy Day! :)

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Which Way?

Just because a relation/idea doesn't mould in the shape we desire it to,

Should it be abandoned or should it be allowed to take a form of its own?

I often ponder over this question. Whenever there is something that we see not going right...the way we had anticipated it to; should we put in more efforts to improvise it...[& in the bargain, ALWAYS be prepared for it to misfire & break...]

...Or should we just let it Be... & let it embody in a unique [Wishfully, delightful] cast of its own?

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What Scrabble Taught Me.

Offlate, I have been addicted to playing scrabble on the net. That is what is taking up my whatever li'l free time these days.
As I had gotten back to it after a really long time, expectedly I was out of sync. & so when I lost all of the initial 9 games like 9 pins... the modest plume I'd feel on my word power also got lost with that!


Now, armed back with a few forgotten tips from my friend & scrabble partner, I am getting better again.
Scrabble for me always was a game to test & improve my word power & I concentrated on just that- Improve my word power. - By trying on forming new words all the time.

If you have played scrabble on the net, you would know that it has a word dictionary where you will find 2 letter words, [which most of the time I have no knowledge of!]
There are also premium squares which help in scoring more by suggesting where one can place the high value alphabets. Those boxes do win games if used well.

So, along with enhancing word power, it is also important to balance playing on the right squares with the right letters to score more & win.

So far so good. But when I set off on scoring high & on 2 letter words, the word formation took a toss.. & vice-versa. Getting both of them working was requiring quite some practice!

That is when I learnt a profound lesson. Life is so similar to this game.

Where making words & improving vocabulary is important, it is also important to score fast & high even if it is coming from meaningless words! :)

Likewise in life too, its good to strive for an anchored life, but it is also necessary to know what it means to let loose & live life off the edge & enjoy that ride.

Commonly, while attempting this, most of us sway & fall & then stick on one side only.

Scrabble re-taught me how to play right to get the game well. The word game as well as the life game.

Yes, it needs loads of practice, but once got right, it'll fall in an euphonic rhythm.

...I'm off to practice... Chao!

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10 Uneducated habits of Educated Indians

Consistently over my growing up years I have noticed a few uneducated things that educated Indians do. I have not seen much of a visible change through the years, though there is a visible change in the lifestyle of our times.

Here are a few habits I have recorded which have been invariant as long as I can remember.

1] Littering: Making the roads a dustbin is subconscious embedded in us ...atleast most of us. Be it a guy from a high flying car or 2 wheeler driving techie, they all do this. Wonder what will it take to wake this subconscious?!?

2] Spitting: Some people are SO aware of the environment, that they feel it their duty to stop the wastage of water.. albeit in their own ridiculous way. So they spit right wherever they feel like. On the road, pavement, inside buildings, staircase walls...basically everywhere where one would not need to water it away.

3]Act as mock spectators: There are so many times wen we see accidents happening on the roads, & we just act as spectators. Honestly, people who are not that educated often are seen helping these people in need. Wonder where do we leave that education to? To plain indifference?

4]Talking on the phone while driving. Now almost EVERYBODY does this. With Bluetooth or without. When there is a rule, shouldn’t it be followed? If not for the law, atleast becoz its for the safety of us & others!

5] When we want to get our work done, its OK to bribe, but on the same, when there is a discussion on, we never cease to complain & complain. I do agree this is really easier said than done. Staying in the same pond, we too do invariably get forced to drink the same water, but then don’t sound as if you are Harishchandra’s avatar & crib about India. If it means that strongly to you, abide by it!

6] Indifference is our middle name: If we see anything around us which, as being educated citizens require attention, we shall only provide proverbial comfort! That is, IF we aren’t getting late for am appointment, job, movie, etc..then we think of providing help. Else, its generally, “too sad, but I have other things to attend to ,not my business."

7]Free ka maal wastage: Everybody loves freebies. Including me. : But how do you handle it? Many times we pick up tissue papers from the hotels, free food at work place, fill up our plates & not complete it & waste off half of it. Even the xerox'es at work place, we waste copies of it...just becoz its free. Why? Why??

8] Acknowledgement: While most will bend down & not only fake smile.., but smother artificial compliments to people who make a personal difference for gains; I wonder why is it so difficult to even acknowledge a nod, a smile to some attender at a restaurant, a security guard at a theater, the watchman of the building. Surely it will not take away any high qualification/money by doing that.

9] Exercising rights: OK. We are in a democracy. So everybody is allowed to exercise their free will.
But when I see perfectly well educated graduates/MBA’s/CA’ S..[yes I did confirm the levels of education from the plenty of non voters! Coz I could not believe these are educated people!!] not exercising their votes; but rather talking like some buffoons from a place even further down from villages, I am lost for reactions. What is education to them???? Just getting a paycheck of a so & so amount? Or where there will be some kind of something for them? By voting isin't there a lot for them? I do not get that, But certainly are some rules in democracy too right? I wonder why isin’t voting made a compulsory law? Coz as it is, though with or without the law, many things don’t work here, atleast it will make some tiny winy difference. Atleast that!?

10. Driving etiquette: More than etiquette [I wonder how many people can relate that word with 'Driving'!], its about basic manners. When there is a car/bike breakdown of a hapless person on the road, [God forbid if it is a busy road!!] the poor s/he would rather hope to dissolve into the ground beneath, than hearing the impatience in the other commuters vehicle horns & glares! There is rarely a sentiment like, stopping by & offering help. But there is ALWAYS the sentiment of blazing the horns away & act insensate.

These are the few things which I so hope that slowly yet steadily get out from our society & make us think of ourselves as being 'truly educated.'

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10K Run...Whatta Fun!

Sunday Morning 4:30 .

I woke up with the sudden alarm with a start. Hardly 3 hours back I had got into bed after going for an impulse movie last night..& now I am awakened by the mind clock ticking off earlier than it was supposed to. Uggghh! why can't it let me sleep!!

For more than 3 years now I had been wanting to go to the 10K run which happens annually on a November Sunday in my city. & for more than 3 years I had failed to make it...mostly due to lack of good company, [Such lazy friends I have.. & the active ones aren't in town! :O]

However, this year I decided, company or no company, I am going to be there. I will have loads of company once I get there.

Also, importantly I wanted to participate before the enthusiasm ran out of me. Next year is again far away...& killing procrastination was one of my this years resolutions!

For the nescient, The Hyderabad 10K Run is a 10 km run that goes around the Hussainsagar Lake. It is divided in 3 categories. 10k[regular], 5k [for beginners..] & half marathon [21.1 kms]

I was a beginner..but a confident one! If I run, it has to be for the 10k..however long I can make it.

So, here I was, at 4:30am, contemplating my decided options... I decided to wait till a lil dawn descends, so that I could start.

Hmm..so at 4:30Am, I was trying to get back to some more sleep, obviously very tired with the shindig of the previous night's impulse as well as my current erratic work timings.
Since I was already up & 6:30 was not far away, for the briefest of moment I thought I should straightaway attempt the half marathon! Thankfully, that thought flew out of the window with the cool breeze as immediately as it arrived!

Indeed half marathon!

I was apprehensive on how much I would make it in the regular 10k itself..half marathon looked like a sudden horrific nightmare. Reminded me of a scene in some movie made on a novel, 'Do Biga Zameen', how the hero suffers to reach the end point..& finally loses his breadth. I had similar filmy images of me trying to complete that Half marathon & desperately trying to reach the finish line & die on it!
Thankfully such nightmares don't become a reality.

5:40Am.

I was ready & waiting for a li'l Sun to be up. While waiting, I suddenly fell into a cat's nap! Now this NEVER happens...so before I realised, it was already 6:00 & I was in a panic mode. I was sure that I wouldn't be there on time..& that was so disappointing!

Yet, I did start. Unfortunately the road was cordoned off for 2/4 wheelers to quite a far off place & I had to walk quite a mile before reaching People's plaza. the destination for the start of the run.

On walking I realised I had almost 5kms to reach People's plaza! &*%$#@!!! I had to fall of that nap today of all days?? I would never be on time. :(

Anyways, I walked upto 3.5 kms & then stopped as I saw the Hyderabadis in full flow towards my direction. The run had started!

I caught up with quite a few known faces as well as friends & turned around to continue the run, which, at that moment seemed like trying to cross The great wall of China!

In the expanse of 10kms., I saw a varied mix of very interesting people. People propagating causes, people running with their families, a couple of celebrities, kids, many corporate employees displaying their company logos, quite a few number of foreigners, photographers, bands playing to entertain, beggars on the roads looking strangely at this Sunday morning hulla, few residents from their balconies... totally enjoyed it. In our daily lives, very few times one gets to actually watch & register the happenings around us.

As I took the 10k run, here is the route that was charted for this one:
People's Plaza, Necklace Road, as the start & end point. - Sanjeeviah park -Sailing Club [Here I resisted the biggest temptation to run away home...as home comes in between these 2 points! :)] - Tank Bund - Ambedkar Statue -Secretariat -Lumbini Park road- & then back to People's Plaza.

Though I totally exhausted myself even less than 5Km into the run, somehow I kept going, also with good timely help of a quite younger cousin, whom I accidentally met there. God Bless him.

Finally, when I did reach the finish point, the joy & exhilaration were indeed most fulfilling. The pains of the long run... jog & the eventual walk all suddenly gave meaning to the effort. Like some rewarding experience we gain after doing some worthwhile work.

All in All, 10K run was a lot more than 10K fun!!!

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Democratic India?

Sachin Tendulkar.

Who is he?
A Name? A Brand? An Icon? An uncommon man? A citizen of a democratic country, An Indian?

Where does one put him into? Can't right?

Coz he IS all of these!

When this man recently gave his opinion on something related to Mumbai, it all was over the news for totally wrong reasons.

Wrong reasons & Sachin? You may wonder; as Sachin is known to be one of the most soft spoken giants of the cricketing world.

Rightly so, it was not HE who was wrong, but a certain Mr. Bal Thackeray .

Now there was a time I used to like Mr. Thackeray for his standing against for what was wrong & calling spade a spade. Afterall, in the name of a soft & aggressionless country, there was a lot of crap happening on which Mr. Thackeray had taken a stand.

But that was earlier.

With time I guess a sense of proportion has gotten lost within him along & his confused warring family. The internal game of oneupmanship is being played nationally.

Being defensive & protective of your motherland is one thing & becoming a bigot is another.

Over the years The Shiv Sena has slowly & steadily become a pro-creed group within India, who have been choking the very spirit of the country for which they had started off to defend in the first place.

When Sachin made a comment that 'Mumbai is for all'; that comment was published in Mr. Thackeray's mouthpiece 'Saamna', asking Sachin not to ruin his image by interfering in political pitches. 'Affectionate warning' is was called!

Whatever that means!! :O

Mr. Thackeray seems to have forgotten that APART from being a legendary cricketer, Sachin is as much a part of India as he is...& India is still a democracy....so I just checked!

He has a total right to express whatever he wishes to!

Also, from being so much to so many Indians & his demi-God status he has acheived, I'd like to add, ESPECIALLY becoz of what he is, he has even more rights to express what he wishes too. After all he has got a lot of good glory for the country. People commenting on him should check the their contribution levels with Sachin's & then probably think of opening their mouths!

It is his right to express..or rather EVERY Indian's right to express anything unless it is inflammatory or criminal of nature. & even a primary school kid would be able to decipher Sachin's statement correctly! & I am pretty sure how correct the kids would understand Mr. Thackeray's statement too.

Safeguarding your interests, your heritage, your culture is fine until you do NOT trespass & suppress others rights to express.

I am very sure that this new pitch Mr Thackeray has put his foot into, Shiv Sena must've lost many of its erstwhile supporters.

Rest, as the party seems to be going, they will only be left with people who do cater to their current inclination towards denigration of the party. A gloomy regression towards the once validated party it used to be.

In ending, I just hope Sachin knows what exact importance to give to such 'affectionate warnings.'

A plain royal ignore!!!

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A Thought

It is said that life is all about understanding. & the ones who have understood it are Learned.
What's not realised is, there is a difference between those two words.

Understood can never be equalled to being learned. Understanding is realising, whereas Learning is implementing that understanding.

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Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai

The first time I had walked into my interior design class, I had this dream about building my own home, not a house, if you know what I mean.
A home which welcoming, calming, has a lot of love, warmth, comfort & my distinct reflection onto it. I call it a 'home' since it would have my touch since day one.

Over the years whenever I have helped design houses for people, at the back of my mind I'd always feel an alternating happiness to help someone realise their dream & a sweet longing to build mine.

So, last year when my parents decided to renovate our home, that was the next best opportunity! Until I don't build my own nest, this was as close as I could get in realising that dream.

After a year & a half today, of a clamorous roller coaster, after resourcing my best; coz of limited parameters...[It was the renovation of a very old building!] that dream is almost realised.

Clamorous roller coaster becoz, Apart from me, every department has changed hands from more than one group of craftsmen.

Let me count.

The contractor, the electrician, the plumber, the tiles guys, the painters, the fabricator, the carpenter...All these. Phew!! Am I still forgetting anybody?? :O

Also, being a very old structure, every day presented a new surprise/shock in turns... Had expected that. When undoing a thing to do it back, one needs to be doubly careful about it. Treading delicately was the mantra.

As one can never estimate the cost of a wedding, one can also never estimate the exact timeframe & cost of building a house. People who relegate building of their houses to others will not experience this, only people who have been through any of these rigmaroles of building their homes on their own can truly understand the analogy of this fact.

& Today, as I see the final results of a lot of restoring, recycling, reinventing & rebuilding; hear the various comments on it, there is a sense of verve, that I did manage to fulfil my promise to self; even with a few warts & all. It takes the fatigue away from all the upheavals from the past year & a half's stress, overthrows, dead-ends & blocks.
Today, it is a job well done.
[Ummm...Did you ask 'Modesty'? Well, I ask, what's that? :D ]

So as 15/16 is getting back on track again, improved & improvised, I'm making a wish for blessed beginnings, happy things & lots of good times!
You are invited to come over for a peekoo with your good wishes too. :)

Aakhir, 'Har ghar kuch kehta hai, ke andar isme koun rehta hai.'

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Immediate Next

In my last post I was musing what will it next be in terms of technology invading our lives.

Today while browsing channels, I came across the promo of a new show which'll be up on air soon. Its about getting to know your past life.

Hmmm....Spooky?

Somewhat.

It could very well be a Pandora's box opening up. I've not been able to make my mind up how i find it. I'm curious yet parelley have mixed feelings if I would like to know my past..past life to be precise. I've always heard that human avatar is achieved after a lot of good karma's...n then it repeats itself till the karma's are not burnt off. But, what if I hear that I was some other creature in my past life..? Now I don't know if I'd like to hear that!

The teaser of the show is interesting...well made rightly to attract the 'right' kind of people. By that I mean, the way a certain good percentage of people who are de trop on this, also people who just are the curious kinds to see what's it all about, [like me] are very much likely to lap it up. The Trp game [that I understand nothing about], will pretty much be in a good percentage for them.

Getting back on track, in India we believe in the past life stuff & all, yet, how are they going to present it & what chart is the show going to be tracked on is attracting.

Anyways, it did though answer to my question of 'what next' of my previous post. Technology is paving waters into infinite waters in our lives. How precise or a sham this particular show would be, we wouldn't know for sure...except perhaps the participants.

Makes me stop at another question,

Why are we so hell bent upon digging the past & improvising the future that we have no time to notice what we are doing in the present?

Any replies?

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Virtual Realities

Logging onto Facebook makes me feel as if I'm watching something like the Big Boss! Everything is so publicised here.... or published rather! Gosh!

The way Facebook status is treated... something as a twitter feed, gets me to believe that some people, even if they sneeze, they get their bacteria published!! [Err.. I know that was gross.. Sorry! :P]
Putting it in a factual way, every thing from a 'hey its a Sunday' to 'I woke up late & had a heavy lunch' gets published. We have time to update every damn thing happening which we want to tell the world about, but where does it go?
Do we even think of to call up a friend & say "Hi! How you been?" To hear them, to talk to them? ...Or do we get out of the house to actually go up to meet them? [ 'We' includes me too... : ]
No, we don't. Coz we hear all about them, what they want us to know... all about it through the various network sites which act as magnifiers in our daily going ons.. & we as well are busy with our own magnifiers!

I don't mind knowing what's new in people's lives...my friends lives, but in saner proportions. I don't really need to know when someone woke up or what someone is wearing to work!! or even when is someone going to bed for that matter!
I personally feel its getting closer to the death of real interactions & personal communications altogether. The more far we are reaching out in the world, the more compact our pesonal lives are becoming.

Makes me shudder to foresee that we have so gotten onto virtual social networking that we'd start living a totally virtual life someday. [Or are we there already?]
Human People may just stop existing someday!

...What's next?

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You Choose...?

While in between doing things, you suddenly hit something to your hand. You stop & notice it, check a while to see if its badly hurt & soothe it a little & carry on.

Steadily but surely over the days, you start noticing a pain in the hand at where it hurt ...& the pain has begun to reflect at surrounding places too.
You sit to inspect & find out; there visible inside the skin is a fine chaff of something you may have acquired while working.

It is so embedded by then that you cannot remove it & yet it is visible from the upper skin.
That it pains & constantly makes itself felt totally takes your concentration off from everything else.
You keep looking helplessly & try to do something about it, just don't know what to exactly..& how to precisely.
It may eventually dissolve in the skin & you'll become immune to it or you may have to take a decision on getting it removed through a drastic type measure, which is tearing open the skin & removing it.

Either ways very painful to undergo. Either ways there will be a scar.

What will you choose?

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Talkative Mind

When my thinking caps are on... & the mind is at her talkative best, rather than opening up 4 different windows to scribble 4 different thought trials, I wish I had 4 arms so that I could manage to scribble & regulate every thought befalling; .....to be able to reflect on it later.

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Love, Duece & many Aces.

Wimbledon 1994.

I had just started following a bit of tennis at that time. Did not understand much of it, so was only into watching a few matches in bits.

One day I followed the match of a very tall & lanky guy & he instantly caught my fancy. His spirit & attitude was so individualistic. Started keeping track of his progress & watched all his matches.

The more I watched, the more I liked him more for his selfhood. The way he carried himself on court & the kind of person he came across to me as, I was hooked onto his matches.
His quotable quotes were good chew to the press & his admirers.

Luckily he reached the finals & by then I had discovered a little of him. A Croatian, had been playing for a long time, had the most powerful serve, held the record for serving the most number of aces in a year & he had a long cherished dream of winning Wimbledon someday.

There was something which was very honest & endearing about him to me, even though for his temper tantrums & acts on the courts.

Already a runner-up once, this was his second time in the finals. Obviously I was rooting for him.
The match between Pete Sampras & him had him at tenterhooks. It was evident in the way he reacted on court. That match he lost. Looking at him, I felt as if I had lost the match!


Then after a long break of injuries & unavoidable breaks, he got back to Wimbledon in 2001.

By then my interest had waned too, coz there was no other player with such passion & life to the game.
So, when he got back, I made sure to watch all his matches as this was pitted to be his swan song of sorts. A wild card entrant, nobody much had hopes pinned on him. Yet, I was all hopes & fingers crossed for him. One by one he crossed the stages upto the quarterfinal.
By then there was an excited buzz getting generated about him reaching that far.
Then came the semis & he won! Everybody was dazed by his unanticipated victories.

The D-Day. Wimbledon Final. 2001.

Patrick Rafter was against him. I was on tenterhooks as if I was playing the match myself...I do remember it too well. If I was so that way, I remember thinking what he must be going through!

The match lasted Looonnnnnnnnnnggggg!! Such a thriller it was becoming that it was actually nerve wrecking to wait for it to end.
& then he Finally Won!
That moment got etched forever in the history of Wimbledon. A wild card entrant becoming the Wimbledon champion for the first time ever!

That guy was Goran Ivanisevic.



There are a few people in life one watches while in their growing up years & get charged by. He was one such person for me. & though I watched him play for a very short time, the way he played & pursued his goal till he finally did achieve it; was something I always associated with him for a long time.
Today when I watched a few kids play Shuttlecock, I remembered the days when I used to confuse Tennis with Shuttle. :)

& that memory got me writing about the best tennis player I have seen till date.

As he is retired from professional tennis from a while now & me almost from watching tennis, it was good to revive those teenage memories & put them here.
Sometimes the muddle which overpiles our daily lives hides away such distinct memories, that when they suddenly come knocking, you are left with an incredible joy reliving them.

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All Rights Reserved

The marriage/commitment season is on. All around me suddenly I find the people older, my peer group & many younger ones too getting committed left right & center!

Feel I'm the only one left out.
Really can't complain on that though, as it's been my choice to wait for the one whom I'll feel sure & happy to part with my 'All rights reserved' tag which I'm protective about.
It also brings the favorite follow up question that any singleton faces:
"So, when are you giving the good news." [Good news, as in getting hitched...not the traditional "good news" thankfully!! ;D ]

I have nothing against the question, except that sometimes people ask in such a way that one feels one has committed blasphemy by remaining single!
Am I choosy or am I NOT choosing well enough..or is plain destiny at work?

Often I feel like asking the ones who ask me, what are the deciding factors one should get married on; but I know few's version is going to go with mine & thus their lack of my understanding & my lack of their sensibilities for settling for someone, makes me jot down what would be the factors for which my All Rights Reserved tag, that I'm in control of now, can be forsaken.

All Rights Reserved. Such a nice ring it has to it. Of Independence & of exclusivity. Once parted, the term shall not be in use anymore. So, doesn't a little more thought go in whom I part it for?

To begin from the beginning. Why does one wish to get married?

To fulfil an obligation? To find security? to take care of a duty? to live upto our parents expectation? To follow a social norm? To procreate? to get rid of loneliness? To prove we are responsible citizens...?

OR

Because we find someone we wish to get married to? wish to belong to? becoz we found the one whom we wish to settle down with, somebody who we can make a home with, who believes in the similar value system of life, who shares our general common sensibilities? whom one can respect for the person they are? to get home to somebody special everyday... the one whom we are/could stay in love with?

Really, what are the factors one looks for when deciding on such a huge life changing decision?
The first seems practical & commonly followed & the second is heartful & thoughtful.

The most common norm is, becoz we found someone who is good natured, nice, honest, pleasant looking, from a nice family...the usual "good things."

Those are the typical traits one comes out with. Nothing at all wrong with that, except, honestly, how does one come to know the truth of all this? Except for trusting the given facts.
Good natured & nice everybody usually is at the beginning...coz we Do NOT have anything to differ on in the beginning of knowing someone. Lookswise - looks are perceptive. What is my beauty may not be someone else's. Nice family - Sure in India we get married to the family too.. yet I do personally believe that even if the family is good, that cannot be a criteria to say yes. People are distinct individuals.. & ultimately one marries an individual. Family is very important, but not as important than the person in question himself.
Also, listening to the heart is very important for me. Heart does give bad reality checks but it says the truth, if you hear honestly.

Apart from these, a very important trait would be, a desire to be with someone who believes in the word "marriage", "commitment" & the life sequels following the decision.

Ummm..Tough!!; Isin't it to find all this easily? So, even though the single tag gets over bearing at times, my grounded head reminds me of my belief system & then my current independence doesn't seem that bad. :D

Till destiny does not part with its cards, I'll trust I'm in control of the choosing part. :)
For I am a conscious, thinking & evolved person. & my All Rights would go to someone special only!
Wish me luck. :)

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VIBGYOR

Many many Suns ago on a winter noon, I remember when I was in the IVth standard in school, for some reason we were having a social studies class in the lovely campus outside my class & not within. Ofcourse everybody was more than happy to be outside the class for the while.

The warm winter sun & the huge trees were giving a light breeze to enjoy & no mood to pay attention to the class.

Obviously more distracted with what was happening everywhere around me except the class, I suddenly spotted a rainbow!

My first ever rainbow!! A good semi circled one! Wowww!!! I had only known about it from the books...& here it was right above me!

My mind shouted: VIBGYOR!

& I did first check the sequence:

Violet

Indigo
Blue

Green

Yellow

Orange

Red.

Yes, all 7 there..& in order!! As if they wouldn't! :P But seeing it for the first time always makes you to check on them! :D

I felt I was watching the 8th wonder of the world! I remember we were all so excited. We spent the period counting the colours, distinguishing one from the next, trying to connect the rainbow from one end of the horizon to the other...

***************************************************************************

After a decade & a half today, at almost dusk time.. I was busy on deciding upon some colours for the paint of my home from a very colourful paper shadecard. A glance toward the sky -- & I noticed the very natural shade card out in the skies!

Yes, I saw a rainbow today!! The 3rd of my life, but it always reminds me of the 1st time. Excited & with childish enthusiasm & falling in love with nature's beauty!

Though it was there for the shortest time, it still gave me enough time to run down to get my camera & capture a few clicks.

While I enjoyed the the beautiful sight & the flash of nostalgia, here are a couple of pics that you may enjoy too.

Makes me feel childlike happy again! :)

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Lord save my nation!

The CM of my state met with death in a helicopter crash yesterday.

Honestly speaking, apart from the sad way death descended on him, it did not affect me one way or the other.

It wasn't like that when he was there, it made a difference to me. Hundreds of people whom I don't know die daily in accidents, this was one of them. I do deeply condole the death of the rest of the staff onboard, as what would come on their families is very sad & unsure.
Too shrewd maybe, but that's the way it is.

As usual the media circus was in full swing from the time news of his vanishing came to light.

Okay, Maybe being a politician & an acting chief minister at that, he would merit such coverage. But it does get unreasonable after a while.

After being subjected to watch the same news over a period of 24 hours or so, today morning brought a piece of utterly farcical news. The news was, that the late CM's son was being touted as the next CM.

Now that news discomposed me more than any amount of coverage I watched in the preceding 2 days.

What the hell is that?

This guy, new to the political arena, just a first time MP & that too just 100 days old, having a controversial profile, not having proved his mettle as an MP; HE being touted as the next successor?

Really, What the hell!!!

The problem bugging me since is, exactly how many amount of losers & no-brainers have we voted back in power again?

Just because a chief minister dies in a mishap, I fail to understand, how does the son get qualified to become one?

This ofcourse is not a new thing to observe, we have a history creased with such unproved beneficiaries.

So, why am I still bothered? Coz, we as a nation are getting mature is a faith I trust in, so when I see something like this which negates the whole meaning of what sensibility is, I get rued.

What exactly makes the party people root on such deniable candidates? Is only being a son/daughter/wife of a slain politico victim enough to guarantee the charge of leading a full state?

News has been trickling in that if he is not approved to become the CM, there would be mass suicides across the state.

Beats me. This is not for real. Or is it? Fanatics are no less in numbers anywhere!

As I started scribbling this, I also learnt that the entertainment channels in the city have been shut off for a good 24 hours now. Only the news channels are being allowed to run with the minute my minute progress of the post death coverage & funeral procession.

Thankfully I do not have to depend on local cable TV for my entertainment. But makes me ponder, what a democracy we call ourselves! Or maybe I got the meaning wrong throughout?
It would a little easier to understand a ban on having public celebrations..that did happen yesterday with the regular Ganesh immersion celebrations in the city; but monitoring what I watch in the confines of my home? Its abhorable & strongly condemned!

As I wind up here, I fervently hope sense prevails over idiocy & the state does not fall in the trap of another heirloom saga.
Lord do please do save my nation!

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Love in the time of Swine flu...

This clip art in my mailbox was in regards to some other mail.

I thought it suits better in this spell of swine flu our country is experiencing... :P
Love in the times of the swine-of-a-flu could possibly be like this too!

The pic says it all. I don't need to add anything more! :D




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Impress

Like spring cleaning is required for clearance of clutter, I need to clear my phone inbox periodically of the messages too. Every now & then when I get the, "No space for new messages" warning; I am forced for this rueful task! Rueful coz I am forced to delete some wonderful messages each time!

So was clearing my phone inbox today & came across a fine message that I've had since a long time.

It goes:

A thoughtful thought: "When someone tries to impress you..it means he or she is already impressed by you...!!"

Hmm...introspective!

Commonly speaking, It does make sense & sounds very true. But becoz I beg to differ a little, I'm enlightening you to my view.

It is very natural & instinctive to want to try to bring yourself in somebody's good notice. It could be someone who's important/ someone you've fancied/ maybe somebody you have some work to get out of or someone whom you are just plain impressed by!

But does it work? Do we get impressed with someone who is trying to impress us? Reflective.

Let me take the quote around. Would I try to impress someone if I'm impressed?

I don't think so. Trying to impress is like Change, on which I had written a while back. It is an ever ongoing process.

In this case, it is ongoing coz its the effort to keep trying something which we aren't even sure of. It may work, it may not. Who's to say? & if its working too, is it right to actuate this? & how long would this carry on? There would be a time when the impressing would get tired. Then what?

Too many questions.

Again a question which leads to my answer: So, where can it be applied to?

For me, there is a clear demarcation of certain things I abide by in life. Things which are to be followed personally only & things to be etched for general reasons only.

This quote applies to the general stuff. It is alright to 'try' & impress somebody whom we are in ordinary terms with...for whatever reason we may deem important.

But in personal life, - an emphatic NO! Personal life cannot be built by trying to impress people or trying to be nice or trying to pretend anything which is not natural to self.

The eminent people of our lives are to be host to see our natural selves. That is what we are loved for, that is what makes us especial to them. It needs no special swaying on your part for getting people to feel the love that you send across. It should get felt, without trying too hard.

& if in case the things you do, sounds like impressing to somebody, then there is certainly something amiss in the relation. Depends on how we manage to hold the fork between the slight wisp of care & impress.

Either ways its too complicated!

& after all the rigmarole I've duly taken you through, lightening strikes now! :P So I'll summarise the whole thing in just a line:

'Be natural, Be yourself. There is no better gift you can give yourself & the others.' - & that is the only way to truly impress!

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Khan take it?

From 3 days there has been a decent newsprint space & mediabyte time dedicated to the detention of 'The' Shahrukh Khan at the Newark airport.

Unfortunately, I'm a little dumb to understand, what's the big hoopla about?

A few days back, when the news that our Ex President, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam had gone through a similar incident of security check in April came to light, I was impressed by the way he had taken the situation in his stride.
Whereas, he being what he is, could have created a lot of ripples for being treated such.

Then I wonder why did Mr. Khan feel offended at this treatment of him. I guess the huge star-ego of his which makes him believe that he should be treated princely wherever he steps foot, may have got him over-offended.

No, I am not supporting the US & their security measures...nor am I condemning it.
I'm stating my opinion that what is been given so much of importance is really not worth it. [Am I also not giving it importance by writing about it here, you ask? Well, Dr. APJ had inspired me to write...Mr. Khan only made me appreciate Dr. APJ more!]

For India & for a certain percentage of population outside India, he may be a big star, for the rest, he is plain Mr. Khan! .. & so they would treat him as they would treat any other with the same name for that matter. & I totally agree with what another Khan, Salman, mentioned about it; "It is because of these stringent security measures that US has had no attacks since 9/11. "
So, in a way, it is legitimate for them to be scared/alert/inconclusive of certain names for their own protection.

Interestingly, some of the reactions that I read on this incident included that, 'We should also treat their stars/dignitaries that way.' How immature is that? I mean, do what you have to, for your security, but please don't blindly follow somebody just because you want to 'teach them a lesson'. For all you know, whom we want to teach a lesson, would not need this learning in the first place.
So, rather than doing something only to bring somebody down, make the concerned thinking heads to come up with ways for better handling of our VIP citizens flying onto foreign [esp. US] lands.

Now coming back to Mr. Shahrukh Khan, All I would hope is that he should take it in well meaning, with a pinch of salt if he pleases & stop behaving like a faddy.

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Ye Lamhe, Ye Pal...

"ये लम्हे ये पल हम बरसों याद करेंगे, ये मौसम चले गए तो हम फरियाद करेंगे..."

These lines - Wonderful lines, from the title song of the movie "Lamhe", they always come to me in every major happening of my life. Every word of this song is like a timeless jewel stunned together by the Late Anand Bakshi.

To me its its like a spiritually uplifting song... always reminds me to breathe deep & to take life for what it is.

Life is all about moments. Moments which redesign our lives with every decision we choose or not choose.
In the most simplified way, this song truly describes the journey of life & how the moments,
Good, bad , ugly
Joyous, ecstatic, blissed
Decisive, risky, certainty
Moments taken, moments given..Moments hung in time..
...all these affect us & how we shall look back upon it as we transcend that stage.

We never know what the moments will bring ahead. What we know is, we do take the most apt seeming step at that point of time & unsuspectingly trust our hearts to lead us right.
It may mislead us, but that is a chance what defines a moment.

How time sews these moments in the symmetry of our life is what we'll look back later when we turn back, as we then see them as important pieces in the kaleidoscope of our life.

Ask me how to define a moment & I'll say, Moments are the seasoning that we add to get the flavour for the food called life.
Sometimes turns out right, sometimes way off from what we expect & sometimes the perfect blend of what we wished.
What we add & how much we add it depends on our taste. & this striving for managing it well, is what makes it all the more delectable. Right?

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Love Actually!

Have you suddenly ever felt the experience of cold sweat anticipation, tongue gabbling, wobbly knees, tingling at the pit of the stomach, dry throat... then dry mouth.. & the heart racing wildly & giving out the most thunderous beats that deafen the ears?

Then take it that your heart just ran away from your control & has become someone's pet.

S/he has willingly got sold in the stakes. [Heart is definitely not a thing..]

I trust Love is everything it's made out to be...talked about...& more.

The tapestry of emotions that single emotion gives, still makes my jaw drop each single time I think of it!

While your whole self goes for a whirlwind tour without knowing from one day to the other where it will lead to; When you finally start recognising the symptoms..you are way away lost somewhere to even think about finding your way to the start.

Then again, then why do most of us look forward to that emotion? Walk into the tornado?

The search for the enlightenment of this answer continues....

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Stunned

I am too stunned to react. This is the piece of news I open my Sunday morning to.
Today's Times of India carried this article & since then I have been too numb & lost for reactions.
Being a female & so empathizing with this, It feels as if someone has attacked me with this psycho law.
Barbaric is a timid word for describing this.
Are the people who make these laws feral or what? What kind of mental make-up do they possess?
I have just not been able to get any kind of grip on the 'how' of this.
Its baffling & its barren of any kind of line of thinking.

After reading this, I am even more eternally grateful to God that I am an Indian.
But I also feel so helpless that we live in such a world where Women still actually live in these horrifying conditions.
That too in this century?
I have no more thoughts right now.., only prayers for the women in such conditions.
& yes, I am again endlessly thankful to God for blessing me to be where I am... & in a secular place like India.

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62

She's flawed, She's getting old, she's got aplenty wrinkles which mar her beauty & she's got quite a many thankless children too.

Children, who grew up in her lap, got enriched by her guidance, became so becoming, that they started getting wooed by prospered beauties.

Forgetting the fact that the mother needs care & cherishing as she gets older, the children started leaving the nests without a sense of remorse; only to move out & crib about the very home they once lived in & became the people they are.

Alas, that is the case of our dear Mother India, who after gaining independence 62 years back, is yet struggling.

No doubt, there are a few bright spots too, but after a long battle, one needs an assured rest... & she is yet to become dependent on her children before taking that long deserved rest.

Yet...

She's strong, She's aristocratic, She's indomitable & She's too much graceful to let any of the blots ruin her spirit.

Inspite of everything, inspite of all the draining away that we [her children] are causing her, she still is the same, still is holding fort strongly among the heads of the world.

Vande Mataram to this great Motherland, to Mother India.

A Very Happy Independence Day.

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The Best days of our Lives.

Passed my school today during school closure time. Seeing all those girls rushing out from the gates, suddenly washed me in a wave of nostalgia of my own days.

School days. Carefree, exceptional & unequaled.

How does one define them? Which time frame do you put them in?
Except for looking back on them as days of framing infinite memories from kindergarten to high school. From tiny-tots to young teens.

I tried to come up with an apt description to define, but too many thoughts pile my mind... & here I am scribbling away few random memories brimming over my head right now.

Those days...

... Days of innocence, of uncomplications...

... Of sports days & parents days...

... days of unit tests & nightmares of quarterlies!!

... Preparations for debates & fun of dramatics...

...days of activities; from paper crafts to needle arts...

...joy of swings & slides; of hopping & skipping...

...days of running & cycling; of playing chor police & 7 stones...

...Savouring of lollipops to choclatey Mr. Pops! ...of fatafats & colour poppins.

..days of black ribbons & shoe laces... tidy keds & well cut nails!

...Of watching Mowgli to decking up Barbie...

...Getting to know Betty-Archie,
& how can to forget Chacha Chaudhary & Suppandi! :)

& most importantly,

The days of dreams & the days of naively believing in making each one of them come true.

Ohhh.. What wonderful memories those are. A time elapsed, a decade passed... but those will forever be etched in the hearts as 'The best days of our lives.'

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Enigmatic concerns

Had gone window shopping today. Its fun. It makes you [if you are a girl] make a quick list of the things that tempt & make u a prey to buy it. & you start scampering for the balance among the already existing list of the things to buy. Lol.

Anyways, set sights on my most enigmatic shopping concern. - Footwear. A pair of lovely foot beauties robbed my mind to it...& was almost reaching out to lighten up my wallet. & then my head screamed- WAIT!

Oh, I love those sole beauties, which ascend my height up from 5'4" to 5'7" in just the drop of a moment of my slipping my feet in them. Makes one feel SO good about oneself. ;)

But... [There's always one; isn't it? That's why it is enigmatic for me...]

... But then the thought of the low back pain that occurs with a wear for a prolonged period makes me jump back to 5'4" gladly again. [Never been those vain types. How wish I could act like a fashionista sometimes! ]

So while I was contemplating to indulge or no..my mind meandered away to someplace else.

Sometimes its such a task to be a girl. there are so many choices & we get slotted & categorized in types for the choices we make to present ourselves.

To enlighten, here are a few.
Eg: Diva types, Girl next door or Behenji. [I hate that word!]
These terms generally mean,

• Diva types = high maintenance, gets attention [..& whatever else she wants ;)] always.
• Girl next door = low maintenance & can charm through her demeanor.
• Auntie types [or the Behenji... :O] = no maintenance or rather, minus maintenance, is lucky if manages to get noticed!
  

[Are you thinking, What am I? Well, that's for me to read & you to tell!! Personally I think there should be a new category introduced...Lol... :D ]

Anyways, the categorizing thing does get me mad. What kind of a slotting is that?!! I can choose to select the best from all the 3...can't I? Why does almost everything to do with females have to be put, here there or somewhere?!?

Yet, slotted one does do get... How I wish I could find a way to break free from this.
Any tips anyone....?

Hmmph!

OK, Now I'm feeling good after ranting away, about my enigmatic & few other concerns here. :P

..Btw, are u still wondering did I end up buying those beauties or no? Read the first line. It was window shopping! I remembered just in time ...& so do you now.

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Change...

"........ Change yourself!" - Whenever I hear something like this, my eyes roll up in exasperation. The sound of it is so negative.

To me it actually means, 'reject yourself & become someone else.'

Now, I don't mean that change is bad, nor do I oppose it; its just that the change we expect in people is something I don't agree much with.

Change is inevitable & a required part of growing up.. of learning... of life. It happens & comes naturally.

I am of the belief that things can be changed, situations can be changed... but people must be accepted for what they are.

People progress gradually & by their own will to grow. It should not be by efforts* & surely not because someone is pinpointing them to it.**

But when people expect you to undertake change because, they have a different take on your personality or if it doesn't suit them, its no good.

To take efforts to change self is like waging a war, Its a battle in which you are constantly struggling with your inherent nature. Its like we are forever looking for something else within us that we do not possess.

I believe in acceptance. To me, Accepting means acknowledging.

I find its much better to accept & work around self. This is so much more easier than to keep an ongoing war.

Everybody is born with an inherent nature & we are moulded accordingly. & then later we also mould ourselves by the understanding we have of life around us.

Why not enhance life by working around our traits & learning how to balance it; rather than reject it outrightly?

What is needed is the 'CHANGE OF ATTITUDE' that we have towards ourselves, towards people. Guess that is one change we can do with. Wouldn't we?

Think about it.

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[* - There are exceptions for this..as there are certain situations where changes become mandatory than necessary; to be made.
** - Only people who are the closest to you can ask you that. If its coming from them, pay heed.]

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Ruins... or Ruined?

Had been to the Kolampak (Kulpakji) Jain temple last gone Sunday for an outing. Its around 75kms. & a good 2.5 hrs drive from the city.

With not many options left nearby the city limits, thought its good to pay God a visit once in a while too. :P
As it was really long since the last time I'd been there, almost 7-8 years; I was pleasantly surprised to see the change in the temple's surroundings. It's been expanded & beautifully done with all the intricate marble work & all...& also maintenance of neat surroundings. Temples always manage to get donors. We are such bound by faith. [That makes me think of how I support privatisation in many places....err...let me not get deviated.]

Had good darshan & had yummm prasad within the premises. [Whoever misses that!?! :D]Thankfully it was peaceful with not many people though it was a weekend.

The only source of entertainment there are the Tanga rides (Horse cart) just outside the temple. We too went for a ride & our cart man asked us if we would like to visit a nearby museum.

Having never heard of it, we assumed it would be a chota-mota museum with some history about the temple. Anyways, since we were there, we decided to visit.
As we reached the museum through an almost non existent track. (No roads there) I was shockingly surprised.

It was a really old stone structure, which was converted into a museum & temple. As we parked, my shock turned into disbelief & dismay at the unusual state of management of such a beautiful edifice.

As expected, but for the pandits, beggars & stray dogs, there were no visitors there. Though I was most surprised at the presence of a decent number of beggars at this forlorn place. Is there any place spared by them?

Getting further, once we were in, fresh greens greeted us. Thankfully those were well maintained.

There is a main Shiv temple in the premises, which is worshipped & there are couple of adjacent temples in the premises too...but those didn't need worshipping.
The people who manage the place were maybe told by God, not to keep those temples in good order. I can think of no other appalling reason for the sad upkeep of those temples. It was a very contrasting & horrid fact to look at.

Apart from the temples, there were a lot of old stone idols lined up, from different eras. Idols upto the 10Th century A.D. Yet, none of these could be related to any kind of history as there was no information about any kinds regarding these relics. It seemed as if they were all amassed together & placed at the nearest given site.

The whole place mostly constituted of stone pillars & with craftsmanship that would give a peek to the quality of work in those times.

Looking at this it makes me believe that there must be so many more places like this all over our country, places which are just left off to the care of handful of people, with no proper maintenance & most importantly no apt promotion of it.

India has such a vast & dissimilar culture from region to region, that if well maintained, our past treasures can fill up our national vaults with enough wealth. Moneywise & heritagewise.
I truly believe:
The way we represent our history shows the way, what our future will be like.

Except these mundane observations, I was very glad to have chanced upon this comely place. History is always very arresting for me, I love to learn about cultures & time periods. So, even though there was no much information on it, I did absorb into the beauty of the stone pieces which had stories of their own.

After spending quite some time there, we proceeded towards home, only to find the weather so beautiful, that the Bhongir fort that is on the way, made my quest for historical sights only deeper & we stopped by for a while.
Like in a race, we zoomed upto the fort, said, 'Yipee, we climbed up in record time' ; & then zoomed down again as dusk was falling & we had to yet almost a couple of hours to reach home.

Yet one thing that stayed with me was: Why are most historic places not well maintained & why are they not well promoted... provided sufficient information on?

Is it that becoz as we are advancing towards more & more fast lives, either the Govt. deems it unnecessary to update these places..or is it coz they as well as we, aren't plain bothered?

'Aren't plain bothered', can't be the case as we spend a bomb on archaeological findings all the time. Only to be left off like this?

Then am I correct in my observation that they are not 'Ruins' but 'Ruined' in fact?

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Reflections

It makes you sleep dreamily at nights, it makes you alive by free breathing, it makes your days fly, it gives you infinite mirthful joy, it makes you look forward to each new day, life becomes a breeze, every effort is worthwhile...

& it does not let you do anything without the constant content presence & realization of it.

*

It does not let you sleep at nights, it does not let you breathe deeply, the days seem to stretch beyond endurance, you are choked when you try to laugh heartily, it does not want you to face the days, life seems a task you have to endure, every effort a torment...

& it does not let you do anything without the constant afflictive presence & realization of it.

*********************************************************************************

Two sides of the same book. The content evolves by the pages unfolded giving the two sides two different reflections.
The euphoria & anguish of love is such that can negate the whole logic of logics.

No matter if you agree, no matter if you don't. No matter what you do, no matter what you don't. No matter how hard you try, no matter even if you don't. You can't escape it.

It's there & it comes atleast once in each one of our lives. Lucky are the ones who don't see heartbreak & luckier are the ones who are blessed to find it more than once.

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One Day.

"You know, I'll surely get that One day..."

"One day I'm going to visit & surprise them... "

"I'm surely building my own home One day..."

"I'm going to own that car One day.."

"I see myself in that place One day..."

"This is something I wish to achieve One day...."

"I'm going on that Trip One day..."

" I'll make time for running that marathon One day.."

"I'll tell him....One day."

Sounds familiar? This 'One day' is such an intrinsic part of our lives.

It proves the fact that life is about dreams, dreams & more dreams. They never end. Its like the glue which keeps the soul stuck to this material world. Otherwise we'd attain renunciation. :D

Since the time we start realising our passions & our choices for the life we'd love to live, we always dream of getting on the road we would like to live on...(but which seems not possible at the moment) to the mystifying, "ONE DAY."

Though some dreams are achievable, we push them them ahead due to procrastination. & for the others,

We do not know where to place THAT ONE DAY in the plan of our life.

How often do we actually reach that "One day" is something we lose sight of more often than not.
Also, too often, time passes away & the season to pursue that 'One day' becomes a lost dream.. like a piece of wrinkled paper carried in our wallets for too long.

Then either the way is past long gone to pursue them or the zeal within us has dimmed. [Oh, don't tell me that anything can be started anytime; I won't be dreaming to run a marathon at the age of 60. Not because maybe I can't..but its stupid to risk it when I could have planned better.]

Life is so full of immediate things that we forever keep pushing away our desires on distant hopes..telling ourselves, let these immediate few things get attended to in our life, then we'll plan for that big dream we are seeing.

These 'few things' happening in our lives will never end & thus taking us far way from the mirage called 'One day.'

Until we don't realise that; that it is not a mirage, we will end up with a wishlist of unfulfilled dreams & desires..many of which could have been attained.

"Life is waiting", is a lovely line from the movie- 'The Terminal.' I'd like to add to this lovely line:

Life is waiting...'Why am I?'

Maybe this check up is just what the doctor ordered right now. I'm on my way to following it. Are you starting too?

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Lost Generation

Discovered this video on youtube...& fell in love with it.

More than just Me...! [?]

Since the time I had started blogging under this title....somehow I always ended up grimacing.
It kept coming back to me that, - what does 'More than just me..!' exactly mean?

Does it mean that I shall not be pouring out the details of my vain self only? or does it mean that I shall be sharing topics which I feel about...apart from myself.
Or does it also mean that by writing so, I'll be keeping a lid on my irrepressible need to harp about myself? :P
But whatever it may be, Thing is that- it is "ME" out there..these are my opinions...my definitions, my take on things! So, how does it not become 'More than just Me' ?

Hmmm... This is called contradicting self ... Or is it? Maybe, I should be good to myself & say , I'm correcting myself. :P
Whatever it may be, So I went ahead to do just that. i.e. - to correct myself.
'More than just me...!' has officially changed name to - 'Notes on My Wall...' [Kindly welcome the re-christening. :D]

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Pyaar se zyaada..

While watching a movie today, something in it caught my attention.
The leading lady having been separated with her husband, was being counselled by her sister to get back with her husband.
While counselling, done -to - death typically the sister asks: "Pyaar se zyaada bhi kuch hai...?"
& assuredly, the heroine was speechless with the chronic melodramatic background music in place [Baaaaahh!!] ; for her to think & give out suitable facial expressions marking her sudden realisation of whatever... [:O !!!]
Thankfully I had no such special effects & could definitaly put out a better reply immediately.

- Nahi, pyaar se zyaada shayad kuch nahi, par pyaar se kam bhi kuch cheezein nahi.
Love is above everything..above all, but there are a few things which are if not more, but sure on par to love.

Respect is the topmost of them. If love is a fire, respect sure is the kindle to keep it going. If mutual respect is missing in love, then it is like having a cot to sleep but with no mattress on it....The relation is there...but not quite.

Passion is another. Passion for the relation, passion for one another & passion to keep it alive.

Communication. A healthy relation can never work out if there is a communication gap between partners. Communication binds the relation like a binder binds scattered pages into a book.

Silliness. Silliness is silly! Silliness is fun. A relation cannot survive well on a serious notes only. Playfullness brings about a comfort level, which keeps the couple & the relation young.

These are the basic most important ingredients for the food called love to stay alive, fresh & healthy always.
It maybe difficult to get the right balance of all of the above ingredients in one, but not impossible. The sweet & sour imbalances create opportunities to enhance the tempering to the relation.
& Don't we wish, hope & believe that we will create that, when we find That first step for all this - Love?

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Observant Records

Read in the news today that the Bandra-Worli sea link is named, : 'Rajiv Gandhi Setu.' Last year the opening of the new international airport at Hyderabad was again named after Rajiv Gandhi.

Whenever there is such an important structure being inaugurated in any part of the country, more often than not, it is named after a Late bigshot of the ruling political party. With this ruling Govt. you'd guess correctly who their favourite is.

Its oft amusing- this practice in the govt. Does every new initiate that happen in the country's progress have to be merited to a handful of leaders only? Doesn't our country have any other worthwhile heroes who can be remembered?

Such miserly mindset our leaders share, that they don't think of any other heroes than of their party.

One thing that really astounds is, the lack of any other national heroes other than THE Gandhi family. Even the other Gandhi - Mahatma Gandhi is secondary to deserve a place akin to 'THE' family.

Personally I would have loved to see names of our freedom fighters who have actually fought for the country & gallantly lain their life, knowing fully well they would.

By doing this, generations get to know the important people in the history of India's independence as well as they would live on forever in a more constant manner. They did deserve that.

But unfortunately our many leaders can only think of & suggest/approve names which can further their own personal causes in future. [Becoming a pet has its perks you know....]

Alas, inspite being such a huge country, biggest democracy... fighting an amazing freedom struggle, we yet cannot think of leaders above a numbered few.

My prayer today is for a little large heartedness in the leaders of my country.

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Let it Pour, Wet, Drench & Soak.

Keep hearing so many people crib about the Monsoons & how it gets the place dirty.

Its NOT the monsoons that gets the roads grimy... its the obnoxious infrastructure!!!

*Please don't confuse the two.*

Let the Rains arrive happily!

Horn NOT OK Please!!!

Everytime...just about EVERYTIME I'm on the roads driving, [& that's almost everyday..] I am seized with these thoughts: Why, Why...& till when!!! ...over & over again.

'Why' about what?

Everytime I'm driving on the roads of my city, I'm clouded by the thoughts of WHY does everybody have this insatiable, irrepressible, addictive, uncontrollable, irrevocable, untamed urge to HONK?

Everywhere, anywhere...where not!!??!!

Even if there is a need to honk, one gentle honk will not do...why are people hell bent on displaying their creative side by going easy on the horn as if it was a musical instrument?? Ofcourse little do they realise, that it is unmusical & its definitely not soothing to the ears! :O

As if by honking, the traffic in front of you is somehow going to get moving... or even, would get moving faster, for that matter. For what I understand, from what I learnt during driving these few  years.. is that we are supposed to honk, to make somebody aware...not Scare!!
-When at a turning, or to make pedestrians aware of the vehicle coming.. & also for moving any wayward animal away for that matter.

-There's a traffic jam, people honk, there's no traffic, STILL people honk....an elderly person walking...yet the honk goes, one sees some kids walking, off it goes again..a poor rickshawala is pulling his cart along...yet it goes.

The honk goes off at damned everything!!

I personally think, its the Indian mentality...we love to utilise each & everything that is available to us free..so we don't like to waste the horns provided in our vehicles & so off we let loose our fingers on that button. I fail to see how can people be so insensitive, ridiculous, dim witted & moronic when they get on the roads. & That was mildly put.

Its so difficult to believe that most of the people behind these various kinds of horns & wheels are educated... What is the meaning of education to them, I wonder? Is it only if one gets paid, it's worthy to apply basic education & manners? [Public transport drivers are not eligible for such... or any kind of evaluations!!]

One very interesting thing is that, by mistake if you happen to glare at someone who's been honking unnecessarily, [esp if you are a female], then the honk gets in double gear. It acts as a major jumbo boost to enjoy irritating some hapless being for these horn-o-maniacs!

Also, the astonishing urge for the guy behind your vehicle, to overtake, cut & zoom past you, [as if participating in a highway race!] literally shakes you off the seat.
Offlate, even an ambulance approaching does not much really move these blithely uncaring zombies to make much way.
Insensitivity is rapidly gaining upperhand.

Makes one believe that people actually must be starting on their vehicles each morning mentally preparing belligerently..for assaulting whoever or whatever coming in their way.
WHY - Why does this happen?
- I have failed to get an answer to that, how many ever times I have tried to solve this not so bright fact.

Apart from the incessant honking, there are numerous other things also which makes me shudder everytime I have to get on the roads. That I'll elaborate at some other time in some other blog...
Seems like how much ever resurging or Shining India is; some things will never change.

-I'd so much love to be proved wrong in this point for once.
High hopes to that!


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