I had chanced upon this beautiful poem a couple of years back and had totally forgotten about it. Read it again in "Bridget Jones". So here it is, "If" by Rudyard Kipling
If
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
to do or not to do....
The topics of conversation be it in the social, friends or family circle, seem to be drifting towards higher education, getting that coveted Master's degree. For some it has become essential to get a degree to change their line of work, MBA being the most common. For some others it is an MS degree preferably from a US university. And for people who cant move away from their homes/commitments, distance education seems to be the option.
I too had aspirations of having an MS degree from a US university. Even went as far as preparing for GRE exams and managed to get a decent score.
For me it was the experience of having studied in a different country, living independently which was the premise. The kind of course work, the radically different teaching approaches was what i wanted to experience. Of course i was also to gain from the "technical expertise" :)
Circumstances forced me to give this up and i can confidently say i am happy to have taken that decision.
Let me go on to enumerate the various options that i have and why it wouldn't suit me.
I don't see the point of distance education. I can never take it up full time i.e sitting at home and reading up pages of technical stuff. It isn't challenging enough for me. I can think of doing it part time. I cant handle the stress that would result from balancing deadlines at work, course work, projects and ofcourse domestic life. I would end up in a similar job in India that i now have, with only a slight increase in pay.
So what is the point of this rambling you ask? :) i see an increasing number of people around me doing their master's degree. And that leaves me wondering if i am missing out on something. Sheep mentality perhaps!
However i feel the reasons for me pursuing one now are not strong enough. It also feels like time is running out. But that nag of not doing anything about it keeps coming back.....
I too had aspirations of having an MS degree from a US university. Even went as far as preparing for GRE exams and managed to get a decent score.
For me it was the experience of having studied in a different country, living independently which was the premise. The kind of course work, the radically different teaching approaches was what i wanted to experience. Of course i was also to gain from the "technical expertise" :)
Circumstances forced me to give this up and i can confidently say i am happy to have taken that decision.
Let me go on to enumerate the various options that i have and why it wouldn't suit me.
I don't see the point of distance education. I can never take it up full time i.e sitting at home and reading up pages of technical stuff. It isn't challenging enough for me. I can think of doing it part time. I cant handle the stress that would result from balancing deadlines at work, course work, projects and ofcourse domestic life. I would end up in a similar job in India that i now have, with only a slight increase in pay.
So what is the point of this rambling you ask? :) i see an increasing number of people around me doing their master's degree. And that leaves me wondering if i am missing out on something. Sheep mentality perhaps!
However i feel the reasons for me pursuing one now are not strong enough. It also feels like time is running out. But that nag of not doing anything about it keeps coming back.....
Thursday, November 12, 2009
hmmm....
It was a dream i had last night. One of my friends was visiting me during Diwali at my place. Nothing strange about the dream. It was just that "my place" was really my parents place and not my in-laws place. Close to two years of marriage, my subconcious has difficulty calling the place where i live, home. Even though i saw it built brick by brick, was part of every decision that was made and decorated the place myself. I guess more than 25 years of calling something yours can't be changed. My parents house will always be MY home. :)
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
shopaholic?
At the new campus at work, there are splashes of motivational phrases and quotes every where!
One such was written on a curved wall when we were on a tour of the new office to check out the interiors. I could see only a part of the word which said "ALE!" written in bold uppercase letters .My brain immediately made a connection and i excitedly shouted out "SALE!".
On approaching the other side of the wall, I realized that word was "EXHALE!", much to the amusement of my colleagues.
Oh well! the point i am trying to make here is that its been ages and ages since i went on a shopping spree. And i am not even a person who waits for a sale to be put up. I hate shopping whenever there is a sale. It was quite sad to realize that I have been completely off the addiction because of lack of time :( :D
One such was written on a curved wall when we were on a tour of the new office to check out the interiors. I could see only a part of the word which said "ALE!" written in bold uppercase letters .My brain immediately made a connection and i excitedly shouted out "SALE!".
On approaching the other side of the wall, I realized that word was "EXHALE!", much to the amusement of my colleagues.
Oh well! the point i am trying to make here is that its been ages and ages since i went on a shopping spree. And i am not even a person who waits for a sale to be put up. I hate shopping whenever there is a sale. It was quite sad to realize that I have been completely off the addiction because of lack of time :( :D
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Old age bites back?
An after dinner stroll turned out to be quite eventful and saddening today.
Close by home there is a temple outside which sits a security guard every night.
As we approached the temple we saw of couple of people milling around an old man who seem to be fast asleep. Looking at this i thought maybe the old man had lost his way. Having lived all my life in the same locality i can recognize quite a few people in the neighborhood. Thinking that maybe i would help the old man reach home, we approached the people who were standing around him. Turned out that this person wasn't someone i know. The security then told us it looked like the old man had deliberately left home as he had some bottled water and bread with him. It was his way of preparation to fend for himself.
One of the neighbors had got a blanket for the old man and asked him who he was and if he had lost his way. The old man looked like he was from a respected and well to-do-family. Any question that was asked to the old man to place his whereabouts, met with the same answer "Gottilla" (I don't know).
This situation moved me to tears. We stood there for sometime looking at the old man sleeping on the cold stone slab. And we moved on. Apparently this was the second time in the week that such an incident happened by the temple.
I wonder why people are ill-treated as they get old. I agree that they become senile and child-like. All they ask is for food,shelter and some love and affection if you are generous enough. After all the sacrifices and hardships parents face to bring up their kids, is it too difficult to take care of them nicely during their old age? Isn't it every child's responsibility and every parent's right?
It also made me think, how selfish the society in general is. All we did was, show sympathy for the old man ,feel bad for him and just get on with our lives. But then, I am an average person, whose decisions are impacted by/impact others around me. Or maybe i am using it as an excuse.
I have new found respect for people who are into serving the society. It takes a lot of selflessness and compassion to reach out and help people and give them permanent solutions to their problems.
Maybe i will go back with some food tomorrow, if not help find a shelter for the old man, thats the least i can do, if he is still around.
Close by home there is a temple outside which sits a security guard every night.
As we approached the temple we saw of couple of people milling around an old man who seem to be fast asleep. Looking at this i thought maybe the old man had lost his way. Having lived all my life in the same locality i can recognize quite a few people in the neighborhood. Thinking that maybe i would help the old man reach home, we approached the people who were standing around him. Turned out that this person wasn't someone i know. The security then told us it looked like the old man had deliberately left home as he had some bottled water and bread with him. It was his way of preparation to fend for himself.
One of the neighbors had got a blanket for the old man and asked him who he was and if he had lost his way. The old man looked like he was from a respected and well to-do-family. Any question that was asked to the old man to place his whereabouts, met with the same answer "Gottilla" (I don't know).
This situation moved me to tears. We stood there for sometime looking at the old man sleeping on the cold stone slab. And we moved on. Apparently this was the second time in the week that such an incident happened by the temple.
I wonder why people are ill-treated as they get old. I agree that they become senile and child-like. All they ask is for food,shelter and some love and affection if you are generous enough. After all the sacrifices and hardships parents face to bring up their kids, is it too difficult to take care of them nicely during their old age? Isn't it every child's responsibility and every parent's right?
It also made me think, how selfish the society in general is. All we did was, show sympathy for the old man ,feel bad for him and just get on with our lives. But then, I am an average person, whose decisions are impacted by/impact others around me. Or maybe i am using it as an excuse.
I have new found respect for people who are into serving the society. It takes a lot of selflessness and compassion to reach out and help people and give them permanent solutions to their problems.
Maybe i will go back with some food tomorrow, if not help find a shelter for the old man, thats the least i can do, if he is still around.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Weekend Gateaway : Coonoor
After a 6 month hiatus we finally managed to getaway from Bangalore for the weekend.
After a lot of internet research by K, we chose Coonoor as that was the most easily accessible place by bus. Owing K's vision still not being clear, we chose not drive.
We took the overnight bus to Coonoor and landed there at 6 AM after a bumpy ride thanks to the last minute booking of the only remaining seats at the back. The place which we had booked is around 7 kms from the Coonoor town.
We were told to look for a place called "Bison Country" opposite the 7th milestone on the road. It was quite easy to locate contrary to some of the reviews that we read about people taking hours to locate the place.
It was the most amazing weekend in a long time that we had. There was no agenda...no places to visit and we were in no hurry to get anywhere!
Between eating sumptuous meals, catching naps we managed to go on long walks on roads that seem to lead nowhere or just sit at the balcony curled up with a book. We even threw darts and even played carrom. K managed to win every single time as my carron skills are rusty :D .
The silence was defeaning sometimes to us city dwellers. The only sounds we could hear were from the farms and the plant nurseries nearby. And ofcourse the incessant chirping of the birds. :)
The homestay itself is very pleasant. It has 2 suites called "hoofs" and "horns".
And 2 rooms called "Dens". The decor is tasteful, simple and sticks to the theme of wildlife :)
We also went on a 3 km walk through the Nilgiri forest to reach the Raliah dam. It was built in 1935 and supplies water to the town of Coonoor. We even managed to spot some Malabar Giant squirrels. I was only thankful we didnt encounter any bisons. Before we set out for the dam , the caretaker asked us not to worry about the bisons. He told us we could take pictures should we encounter bisons on our way!
After a lot of internet research by K, we chose Coonoor as that was the most easily accessible place by bus. Owing K's vision still not being clear, we chose not drive.
We took the overnight bus to Coonoor and landed there at 6 AM after a bumpy ride thanks to the last minute booking of the only remaining seats at the back. The place which we had booked is around 7 kms from the Coonoor town.
We were told to look for a place called "Bison Country" opposite the 7th milestone on the road. It was quite easy to locate contrary to some of the reviews that we read about people taking hours to locate the place.
It was the most amazing weekend in a long time that we had. There was no agenda...no places to visit and we were in no hurry to get anywhere!
Between eating sumptuous meals, catching naps we managed to go on long walks on roads that seem to lead nowhere or just sit at the balcony curled up with a book. We even threw darts and even played carrom. K managed to win every single time as my carron skills are rusty :D .
The silence was defeaning sometimes to us city dwellers. The only sounds we could hear were from the farms and the plant nurseries nearby. And ofcourse the incessant chirping of the birds. :)
The homestay itself is very pleasant. It has 2 suites called "hoofs" and "horns".
And 2 rooms called "Dens". The decor is tasteful, simple and sticks to the theme of wildlife :)
We also went on a 3 km walk through the Nilgiri forest to reach the Raliah dam. It was built in 1935 and supplies water to the town of Coonoor. We even managed to spot some Malabar Giant squirrels. I was only thankful we didnt encounter any bisons. Before we set out for the dam , the caretaker asked us not to worry about the bisons. He told us we could take pictures should we encounter bisons on our way!
Friday, June 26, 2009
Music for the soul!! :)
Pandit Ravishankar's Vedic Chants of India never fails to relax me when I am mentally exhausted.
Simple every day chants set to soothing music be it the Gayathri Mantra or Asathoma. Brings tranquility to mind in troubled times. :)
Here is Sarve Bhavanthu Sukhinaha :
Here is the entire set : http://www.rhapsody.com/ravi-shankar/chants-of-india
Simple every day chants set to soothing music be it the Gayathri Mantra or Asathoma. Brings tranquility to mind in troubled times. :)
Here is Sarve Bhavanthu Sukhinaha :
Here is the entire set : http://www.rhapsody.com/ravi-shankar/chants-of-india
Friday, June 19, 2009
Maggi Maggi Maggi!!!
The other day i heard on radio that Maggi noodles is celebrating 25 years of its existence.25 years of comfort food for me :). It is almost as old as I am.
I am almost tempted to say that any child born in the Maggi era wouldn't have had a complete childhood without growing up on Maggi. Its almost like a cult.
I dont remember when i got hooked on to it. Even to this day, on the rare days that i come home early, Maggi has to be my evening snack.
There were so many variations that sis and me tried with Maggi. Adding vegetables would make it a "wholesome" meal. Mixing it with spoonfuls of tomato ketchup, am sure is a common practice. Or adding dollops of butter would make it yummmmmmy!!
Then there was the Indo-Chinese style Maggi, with veggies, soy sauce and chilli sauce. Perfect for a rainy day in Bangalore.
Maggi over the years tried to innovate with their product. They tried various flavours like chicken, tomato etc. They tried to sell it as health product with the atta noodles concept. Then came the rice mania concept ( Lemon, Pulao...yikes! ).
I guess its their original flavour that appeals to the masses!
Long live Maggi :D
I am almost tempted to say that any child born in the Maggi era wouldn't have had a complete childhood without growing up on Maggi. Its almost like a cult.
I dont remember when i got hooked on to it. Even to this day, on the rare days that i come home early, Maggi has to be my evening snack.
There were so many variations that sis and me tried with Maggi. Adding vegetables would make it a "wholesome" meal. Mixing it with spoonfuls of tomato ketchup, am sure is a common practice. Or adding dollops of butter would make it yummmmmmy!!
Then there was the Indo-Chinese style Maggi, with veggies, soy sauce and chilli sauce. Perfect for a rainy day in Bangalore.
Maggi over the years tried to innovate with their product. They tried various flavours like chicken, tomato etc. They tried to sell it as health product with the atta noodles concept. Then came the rice mania concept ( Lemon, Pulao...yikes! ).
I guess its their original flavour that appeals to the masses!
Long live Maggi :D
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Richard Bach
While i was blog hopping, i chanced upon this book review. Boy, i was glad i did that.
Richard back has been one of my favorite writers after having read Jonathan Livingstone Seagull and The bridge across forever. I discovered these wonderful books after digging through K's collections of books. Although he doesn't remember how he ended up with those books :).
Richard Bach's stories leave you astounded for the simplicity of the thoughts yet powerful living philosophies. Although I am never into reading philosophy, his books have had me wanting for more. Ordinary things which one wouldn't have thought about in daily life, get a new meaning. And reading them through Richard Bach's words is an experience in itself.
Illusions is about a Messiah, David Shimoda who is overwhelmed by people's demands for performing miracles, decides to quit being one. The very idea of Messiah quitting is something new and exciting. The book then talks about how he meets Richard, a barnstorming pilot and how he slowly makes him realise that everything is in the mind. One only has to think about it, for it come true. It is about how everyone of us is under an illusion regarding our abilities. We are only limited by our thoughts. He goes on to give Richard Bach,the "Hand book of Messiah" from which i leave behind some of my favourite quotes.
You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it true.
You may have to work for it however.
Your only obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself. Being true to anyone else is not only impossible but the mark of a fake messiah.
There is no such things as a problem without a gift for you in its hands. You seek problems because you need their gifts.
The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life.Rarely do members of one family grow under the same roof.
Your conscience is the measure of the honesty of your selfishness. Listen to it carefully.
Every person, all the events of your life are there because you have drawn them there. What you choose to do with them is upto you.
190 pages of sheer brilliance!
Richard back has been one of my favorite writers after having read Jonathan Livingstone Seagull and The bridge across forever. I discovered these wonderful books after digging through K's collections of books. Although he doesn't remember how he ended up with those books :).
Richard Bach's stories leave you astounded for the simplicity of the thoughts yet powerful living philosophies. Although I am never into reading philosophy, his books have had me wanting for more. Ordinary things which one wouldn't have thought about in daily life, get a new meaning. And reading them through Richard Bach's words is an experience in itself.
Illusions is about a Messiah, David Shimoda who is overwhelmed by people's demands for performing miracles, decides to quit being one. The very idea of Messiah quitting is something new and exciting. The book then talks about how he meets Richard, a barnstorming pilot and how he slowly makes him realise that everything is in the mind. One only has to think about it, for it come true. It is about how everyone of us is under an illusion regarding our abilities. We are only limited by our thoughts. He goes on to give Richard Bach,the "Hand book of Messiah" from which i leave behind some of my favourite quotes.
You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it true.
You may have to work for it however.
Your only obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself. Being true to anyone else is not only impossible but the mark of a fake messiah.
There is no such things as a problem without a gift for you in its hands. You seek problems because you need their gifts.
The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life.Rarely do members of one family grow under the same roof.
Your conscience is the measure of the honesty of your selfishness. Listen to it carefully.
Every person, all the events of your life are there because you have drawn them there. What you choose to do with them is upto you.
190 pages of sheer brilliance!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
The day after....
Its not worth spending time on people who bother you. It only saps all the energy out of .Not just that i wouldnt give people the satisfaction that the hurtful things they say is actually affecting me.
The previous post took away a lot of my time,energy and peace of mind. It just wasn't worth spoiling the nice things we have going on in our lives. :)
As the age-old saying goes "Dont worry be happy" is what i will be sticking to!!
The previous post took away a lot of my time,energy and peace of mind. It just wasn't worth spoiling the nice things we have going on in our lives. :)
As the age-old saying goes "Dont worry be happy" is what i will be sticking to!!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
RANT!!
I will probably laugh at this later...but right now I am very very mad.
The conversations with people in my family(?) revolves around the same topic all the time.Yes I married someone of my choice, WITH my parent's approval .So what????
You, yes the lady who is my mom's close pal and a relative, that doesn't give you the right to remind my parent's about it every time. They have accepted it and moved on. But what is your problem? Why do you deliberately bring up that topic every time and indirectly tell them that they failed to get me suitably married off to someone of the same caste! And stop gloating that your daughter is getting an arranged marriage. Its not like a trophy that you won in a race against my mother. That doesn't make you or your daughter saintly. And if you really have a problem, talk to me about it. It is me you have a problem with, don't bother my parents or hurt them. I am responsible for my life and not them.
And you, the cousin stop being miss-two-goody-shoes. There is no halo around your head simply because you chose to marry someone your parents picked for you. I am leading a happy life ,thank you very much. And please move on with your life. I can only wish you the very best ahead! :)
And you, the cousin No.2 . Dont give me a once over and tell me "you have lost weight after marriage". Are you trying to say they dont give me enough food? Stop trying to beat about the bush. I know you want to say it out loud :P I almost laugh at your stupidity.
And you, the aunt in the first circle of relatives, i dont care you if refuse to touch the food at my house. You and your holiness i care a damn about. We dont feed crap to our guests. I am almost tempted to not even offer you a drop of water the next time!
And all you people giving me condescending looks, how many more years before you stop that? How different am I form you except for a bunch of rituals that you cant explain about. I have never been mean to you guys, so why dont you treat me the same?
And why do you bother my parents about it. They are perfectly happy, why dont you just let them be!!
Thank god for this blog that i can speak my mind out. I would never say this to your faces , because i can never act mean like you guys. I am better mannered and cultured and i thank my parents for that. I have enough sense not to point fingers at others and mind my own business.
phew!!!
The conversations with people in my family(?) revolves around the same topic all the time.Yes I married someone of my choice, WITH my parent's approval .So what????
You, yes the lady who is my mom's close pal and a relative, that doesn't give you the right to remind my parent's about it every time. They have accepted it and moved on. But what is your problem? Why do you deliberately bring up that topic every time and indirectly tell them that they failed to get me suitably married off to someone of the same caste! And stop gloating that your daughter is getting an arranged marriage. Its not like a trophy that you won in a race against my mother. That doesn't make you or your daughter saintly. And if you really have a problem, talk to me about it. It is me you have a problem with, don't bother my parents or hurt them. I am responsible for my life and not them.
And you, the cousin stop being miss-two-goody-shoes. There is no halo around your head simply because you chose to marry someone your parents picked for you. I am leading a happy life ,thank you very much. And please move on with your life. I can only wish you the very best ahead! :)
And you, the cousin No.2 . Dont give me a once over and tell me "you have lost weight after marriage". Are you trying to say they dont give me enough food? Stop trying to beat about the bush. I know you want to say it out loud :P I almost laugh at your stupidity.
And you, the aunt in the first circle of relatives, i dont care you if refuse to touch the food at my house. You and your holiness i care a damn about. We dont feed crap to our guests. I am almost tempted to not even offer you a drop of water the next time!
And all you people giving me condescending looks, how many more years before you stop that? How different am I form you except for a bunch of rituals that you cant explain about. I have never been mean to you guys, so why dont you treat me the same?
And why do you bother my parents about it. They are perfectly happy, why dont you just let them be!!
Thank god for this blog that i can speak my mind out. I would never say this to your faces , because i can never act mean like you guys. I am better mannered and cultured and i thank my parents for that. I have enough sense not to point fingers at others and mind my own business.
phew!!!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Up close and personal?
Conversation over the lunch table at office steered to job interviews. One of my colleagues wife attended an interview recently.In the HR round, after asking the usual set of questions, the HR asked her if she was married. When she answered in the affirmative, the HR wanted to know how long she had been married for. Later the interviewer wants to know if they plan to have kids any time soon. Thats none of his/her damn business if you ask me. My colleague's reasoning was they wouldnt want to hire someone who is likely to go away on maternity leave as soon as she joins the job.
But how far can one go when asking such personal questions? Are they even allowed to ask such questions?
But how far can one go when asking such personal questions? Are they even allowed to ask such questions?
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Get well soon sweetheart!
Its been a long day for us in the family and yet the one person who is at the center of it all is serene and patient. K just got his eye surgery done this morning and it is a big deal to me! Its scary to think about someone poking around one's eyes.
Surprisingly i was calm throughout the hour long surgery. Thanks to K's parents who deal with situations with practiced calmness. Be it a happy occasion or a tough one, their emotions don't go beyond a certain threshold! My family is diametrically opposite. We like to get our emotions out in the open. We get very excited when happy and freak out easily at small things :D
After the surgery was done, the doctor called me in for instructions. K seemed to be doing fine except for the huge bandage on his eye. And he seems to be following the doctor's advise to the T! Poor thing has been sitting with his eyes closed all day just listening to us talk. And he seems to be in considerable pain once the medication starts to wear off! And not once has he complained about it. I feel even more sad for him. Its tough to see him like this when he isn't usual self. :(
I wonder how one can have so much patience to be sitting all day idle with eyes closed. I know i wouldn't have coped with it, i would have complained and driven everyone around me crazy because of all the pain and boredom.
And nothing can make him miss watching cricket especially when India is playing. He is "listening" to the T20 practice matches. Thank god its Harsha Bhogle's commentary :D
It hopefully gets better when the bandage comes off tomorrow. But its going to be a trying week for him.
Surprisingly i was calm throughout the hour long surgery. Thanks to K's parents who deal with situations with practiced calmness. Be it a happy occasion or a tough one, their emotions don't go beyond a certain threshold! My family is diametrically opposite. We like to get our emotions out in the open. We get very excited when happy and freak out easily at small things :D
After the surgery was done, the doctor called me in for instructions. K seemed to be doing fine except for the huge bandage on his eye. And he seems to be following the doctor's advise to the T! Poor thing has been sitting with his eyes closed all day just listening to us talk. And he seems to be in considerable pain once the medication starts to wear off! And not once has he complained about it. I feel even more sad for him. Its tough to see him like this when he isn't usual self. :(
I wonder how one can have so much patience to be sitting all day idle with eyes closed. I know i wouldn't have coped with it, i would have complained and driven everyone around me crazy because of all the pain and boredom.
And nothing can make him miss watching cricket especially when India is playing. He is "listening" to the T20 practice matches. Thank god its Harsha Bhogle's commentary :D
It hopefully gets better when the bandage comes off tomorrow. But its going to be a trying week for him.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Just some things off the top of my head ...
Looks like i have run into a dry patch for blogging already..... so now i am planning to follow what all popular bloggers do when they have nothing interesting to write about! write about what they have been upto in their lives. Although i fail to see why some one would be interested in reading about what i have been upto, I am sure i will read it some years later ( if my blog still exists ) and thinking about how boring or interesting my life was a few years earlier!! The 2 or 3 readers i have will know i am still an active blogger :)
phew...now that the rather lengthy disclaimer is over... i will get down to the actuals..
Firstly i had been crazy busy at work with some kind of an initiative that everyone had to work towards. It took ages to finish and took away most of my weekends too :(
And then I am in a top priority project for the schedules are quite hectic. so expecting a few more months of hectic schedules. But I suppose in these times i should be glad about having good work.
The house has been coming along quite nicely with most of the stuff put away where they are supposed to be. I am yet to tackle the curio cabinet which will house the crockery. I dont know what to do with the sheer amount of serving bowl sets we got as gifts. Combining the ones we got for our wedding it must be around 8-9 sets of serving bowls :P . Oh and the number of Ganeshas we got is enough to start one of those Ganesha collections. We got them in all sizes,shapes and colors. My MIL managed to give away a few of them and now she is feeling bad and thinks that it would offend Lord Ganesha and is planning to use some of the nicer ones around the house :)
After K and I realised that we have not been spending enough time together what with the house, office work and social commitments, we seem to be doing some fun things. Caught up on a lot of movies of all languages... I suffered through the movie "300" and gave it up half way as it was too gory! and poor K suffered through "sex and the city". Not sure what the hooplah was all about. I suppose one had to watch the entire series to know what the hype was all about.
K has an upcoming eye procedure this weekend. A little worried about that and hoping everything goes smoothly. Although it wont solve the condition, it will atleast prevent further progression of the condition. Keeping my fingers crossed!!
We joined a 12 session astronomy course at the planetarium. I was so hoping we would actually have live demonstrations inside the planetarium. Turns out that it is a series of lectures and the concluding session has a free show!
The lectures are very technical but it is fun. All the physics we studied in college are being talked about in the sessions. What was boring in college is now so interesting. It is so refreshing to go back to basic sciences than working on computer related stuff all the time.
A lot of introspection has been happening off late and as i understand people better, i am learning to tolerate people's quirkiness and look beyond it. Now that i know how certain people react, i dont waste my time thinking what i did or didn't do for them to react the way they did.
There has been this thing nagging me. Is it ok to be relieved/happy that some one from the group at work is quitting? We are supposed to be this close-knit group so not sure about how i should be feeling. I know i will be spared a lot of negativity in the group now! I dont have to worry about being judged harshly, or picking up arguements or generally putting up with the person's high and mighty attitude! :)
ok...i think i will get back to work now!
phew...now that the rather lengthy disclaimer is over... i will get down to the actuals..
Firstly i had been crazy busy at work with some kind of an initiative that everyone had to work towards. It took ages to finish and took away most of my weekends too :(
And then I am in a top priority project for the schedules are quite hectic. so expecting a few more months of hectic schedules. But I suppose in these times i should be glad about having good work.
The house has been coming along quite nicely with most of the stuff put away where they are supposed to be. I am yet to tackle the curio cabinet which will house the crockery. I dont know what to do with the sheer amount of serving bowl sets we got as gifts. Combining the ones we got for our wedding it must be around 8-9 sets of serving bowls :P . Oh and the number of Ganeshas we got is enough to start one of those Ganesha collections. We got them in all sizes,shapes and colors. My MIL managed to give away a few of them and now she is feeling bad and thinks that it would offend Lord Ganesha and is planning to use some of the nicer ones around the house :)
After K and I realised that we have not been spending enough time together what with the house, office work and social commitments, we seem to be doing some fun things. Caught up on a lot of movies of all languages... I suffered through the movie "300" and gave it up half way as it was too gory! and poor K suffered through "sex and the city". Not sure what the hooplah was all about. I suppose one had to watch the entire series to know what the hype was all about.
K has an upcoming eye procedure this weekend. A little worried about that and hoping everything goes smoothly. Although it wont solve the condition, it will atleast prevent further progression of the condition. Keeping my fingers crossed!!
We joined a 12 session astronomy course at the planetarium. I was so hoping we would actually have live demonstrations inside the planetarium. Turns out that it is a series of lectures and the concluding session has a free show!
The lectures are very technical but it is fun. All the physics we studied in college are being talked about in the sessions. What was boring in college is now so interesting. It is so refreshing to go back to basic sciences than working on computer related stuff all the time.
A lot of introspection has been happening off late and as i understand people better, i am learning to tolerate people's quirkiness and look beyond it. Now that i know how certain people react, i dont waste my time thinking what i did or didn't do for them to react the way they did.
There has been this thing nagging me. Is it ok to be relieved/happy that some one from the group at work is quitting? We are supposed to be this close-knit group so not sure about how i should be feeling. I know i will be spared a lot of negativity in the group now! I dont have to worry about being judged harshly, or picking up arguements or generally putting up with the person's high and mighty attitude! :)
ok...i think i will get back to work now!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
I hadnt realised that....
something as inane as shopping for groceries can be fun!
Going to the busy market place, just looking at all the fresh produce makes me happy!
yup...i can be that weird!
Things look so colorful and it is so much fun to take in all the sights and the smells.
I even haggled with the lady selling flowers just to see if it works considering that I am a novice at it.
Maybe it wont be fun anymore if i'll have to do it on daily basis ;)
Going to the busy market place, just looking at all the fresh produce makes me happy!
yup...i can be that weird!
Things look so colorful and it is so much fun to take in all the sights and the smells.
I even haggled with the lady selling flowers just to see if it works considering that I am a novice at it.
Maybe it wont be fun anymore if i'll have to do it on daily basis ;)
Monday, April 6, 2009
Yeh Tera Ghar Yeh Mera Ghar....
Seeing a house turning into a home is an exciting journey. Its like a piece of clay being moulded into something meaningful right before your eyes. And thats what we have been going through these past few months building a new home for ourselves.
At the end of each day, we would rush back home from work to see what amount of progress had happened. The walls have come up, the windows have been installed, the tiles have been laid on the floor. And then dreaming up of all the nice things what color you want the walls, what furniture would look good, the color of the curtains . We painstakingly researched, measured, matched, compared every thing that went into the making of our new home!
And then it happened, what we were waiting for almost a year. We moved into our new home yesterday. After all the arduous task of packing up and moving all the belongings, entering the new house filled us with excitement and a strange feeling as everything felt new and unfamiliar. It doesn't matter that the curtains haven't been installed yet or our entire belongings are still boxed, or that the smell of fresh paint lingers, or that the furniture we ordered is yet to be delivered but its still feels good to be home. :)
At the end of each day, we would rush back home from work to see what amount of progress had happened. The walls have come up, the windows have been installed, the tiles have been laid on the floor. And then dreaming up of all the nice things what color you want the walls, what furniture would look good, the color of the curtains . We painstakingly researched, measured, matched, compared every thing that went into the making of our new home!
And then it happened, what we were waiting for almost a year. We moved into our new home yesterday. After all the arduous task of packing up and moving all the belongings, entering the new house filled us with excitement and a strange feeling as everything felt new and unfamiliar. It doesn't matter that the curtains haven't been installed yet or our entire belongings are still boxed, or that the smell of fresh paint lingers, or that the furniture we ordered is yet to be delivered but its still feels good to be home. :)
Friday, March 20, 2009
Musings 3
Why is it that people are so forthcoming with negative criticism and cannot get themselves to speak about the good things?
Is it so difficult to show appreciation? My take on this is, if people talk about things which could have been done better, they sure can talk about things which went right. Not that I need to hear good things all the time, but it just goes to show the kind of person he/she is, who is reluctant to agree that something is good!
Is it so difficult to show appreciation? My take on this is, if people talk about things which could have been done better, they sure can talk about things which went right. Not that I need to hear good things all the time, but it just goes to show the kind of person he/she is, who is reluctant to agree that something is good!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Reliving Holi....
Its a day past Holi and as i was on my way to work, i remembered the Holi celebrations that we used to have a few years ago. Being from Southern India, Holi was not celebrated as a festival but only for the revelry. Seeing the remnants of Holi celebrations on Bangalore's roads reminded me of times gone by, of times that will not come back and of times that remind me that i have probably moved on from that phase of life. Nostalgia took over!
When i was a kid, Holi was celebrated with me tagging along sis and her gang of friends. I would be so thrilled at being included in the "older and therefore cooler" gang.
Years went by, and "The Gang of neighborhood kids" became an integral part of any celebrations including Holi.( Some of the greatest times where spent with the gang. It figures, since I met K there :) )
Much to the annoyance of dad, sis and I would beg and plead to go play Holi with them.
Dad didnt approve of girls going out and pouring colors on other people(read boys) on the streets! :D
It didnt matter even if we tried convincing him that we would all gather at a friend's place.
Only after a lot of coaxing by mom would he agree begrudgingly! (oh well, thats appa!)
Off we would go in old faded dresses that could be discarded after Holi, mositurizer applied to face,hands and legs, oil applied to our hair so as to get the colors off easily!
What would start as a just appying colors on people's faces would end up in tossing people into water tanks filled with colored water! And ofcourse the photo session later with unrecognisable faces. People who wouldnt turn up had it worse, the gang would head up to their houses, knock on their doors and smear colors.
And now Holi is not the same anymore, people have moved out of the country, drifted apart, gotten married and are busy with their lives . I somehow cannot fathom the same set of people playing Holi together anymore :) I guess those were our Wonder Years!
When i was a kid, Holi was celebrated with me tagging along sis and her gang of friends. I would be so thrilled at being included in the "older and therefore cooler" gang.
Years went by, and "The Gang of neighborhood kids" became an integral part of any celebrations including Holi.( Some of the greatest times where spent with the gang. It figures, since I met K there :) )
Much to the annoyance of dad, sis and I would beg and plead to go play Holi with them.
Dad didnt approve of girls going out and pouring colors on other people(read boys) on the streets! :D
It didnt matter even if we tried convincing him that we would all gather at a friend's place.
Only after a lot of coaxing by mom would he agree begrudgingly! (oh well, thats appa!)
Off we would go in old faded dresses that could be discarded after Holi, mositurizer applied to face,hands and legs, oil applied to our hair so as to get the colors off easily!
What would start as a just appying colors on people's faces would end up in tossing people into water tanks filled with colored water! And ofcourse the photo session later with unrecognisable faces. People who wouldnt turn up had it worse, the gang would head up to their houses, knock on their doors and smear colors.
And now Holi is not the same anymore, people have moved out of the country, drifted apart, gotten married and are busy with their lives . I somehow cannot fathom the same set of people playing Holi together anymore :) I guess those were our Wonder Years!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Experience speaks..
Of late most conversations with my mother seem to be centred around the same topic. I usually take her advice on people management, what with her plethora of experience managing people. Perhaps this sounds strange if you dont have to interact with relatives on an everyday basis. With friends its different. Its more casual and you are pretty sure of how they would react.
But with relatives, you have to be more gaurded. They are constantly judging you, watching your every move, critiquing every word that you utter. If i had it my way, I would have thrown all caution to wind and wouldnt have cared a damn and spoken out what exactly i think of them, but sometimes it doesnt work that way. You need to have that harmony and maintain outwardly appearances atleast for the family's sake. That way i am lucky that K's parents are some of the nicest people i know and i dont have to worry about such things with them.
Anyway, coming back to what i started off with, one such conversation i had with my mom, it was interesting to note her reaction . "try to do those things which people want, especially with those who are always judging you and waiting for that one wrong move from your side. One should never give an opportunity for them to comment on you. With people who matter , its different, they understand you." However warped that logic sounds, i have seen that it works. Atleast you are at peace with yourself and spared all the negativity which would arise otherwise.
I have seen more often than not , sometimes experience in dealing with people matters more than just "doing the right thing". You sometimes have to compromise and do whatever it is that people want you to do. That way you are at peace. I guess thats the reason that she has successfully managed a big and happy household for 30 odd years.
She has humongous amounts of patience and tolerance for all kinds of people.Not sure if i can emulate her, but one thing that i have decided is atleast be patient when dealing with people, even though they have been nasty in the past and dont deserve the attention. Sigh, quite a task it will turn out to be.
But with relatives, you have to be more gaurded. They are constantly judging you, watching your every move, critiquing every word that you utter. If i had it my way, I would have thrown all caution to wind and wouldnt have cared a damn and spoken out what exactly i think of them, but sometimes it doesnt work that way. You need to have that harmony and maintain outwardly appearances atleast for the family's sake. That way i am lucky that K's parents are some of the nicest people i know and i dont have to worry about such things with them.
Anyway, coming back to what i started off with, one such conversation i had with my mom, it was interesting to note her reaction . "try to do those things which people want, especially with those who are always judging you and waiting for that one wrong move from your side. One should never give an opportunity for them to comment on you. With people who matter , its different, they understand you." However warped that logic sounds, i have seen that it works. Atleast you are at peace with yourself and spared all the negativity which would arise otherwise.
I have seen more often than not , sometimes experience in dealing with people matters more than just "doing the right thing". You sometimes have to compromise and do whatever it is that people want you to do. That way you are at peace. I guess thats the reason that she has successfully managed a big and happy household for 30 odd years.
She has humongous amounts of patience and tolerance for all kinds of people.Not sure if i can emulate her, but one thing that i have decided is atleast be patient when dealing with people, even though they have been nasty in the past and dont deserve the attention. Sigh, quite a task it will turn out to be.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Writing prompt
Writing prompt # 4 from blogpourri
Rules: Take 10 minutes to write. Please time yourself. When you have finished writing, please leave a link to your response in the comments box. Have fun!
Prompt: Write about an ordinary, everyday event in your family's life. It could be something that your mother or father did every day - ironing clothes, cutting vegetables, doing puja. Or something one of your siblings did - washing the moped or scooter, perhaps. May be even something that all of you did together regularly.
This was not an everyday event but a Sunday morning ritual throughout my childhood. It was the only thing that prompted me to wake up early even on Sundays. Back then when it was a large family and a small house, we would sleep on mattresses spread on the living room floor. And without missing a single Sunday, my sis and I would wake up to the strains of the title track of Rangoli on Doordarshan. We would lie in bed and watch the program wide-eyed lest we miss a single moment of the 30 minute show. We would be thrilled to bits if they telecast songs from the latest movies. We would also tease dad to no end when his favorite actress, Hemamalini started hosting the show.
That half an hour would transport us to a technicolor world only to be brought back to reality once the program ended. It would only keep us wishing every day was Sunday.
Rules: Take 10 minutes to write. Please time yourself. When you have finished writing, please leave a link to your response in the comments box. Have fun!
Prompt: Write about an ordinary, everyday event in your family's life. It could be something that your mother or father did every day - ironing clothes, cutting vegetables, doing puja. Or something one of your siblings did - washing the moped or scooter, perhaps. May be even something that all of you did together regularly.
This was not an everyday event but a Sunday morning ritual throughout my childhood. It was the only thing that prompted me to wake up early even on Sundays. Back then when it was a large family and a small house, we would sleep on mattresses spread on the living room floor. And without missing a single Sunday, my sis and I would wake up to the strains of the title track of Rangoli on Doordarshan. We would lie in bed and watch the program wide-eyed lest we miss a single moment of the 30 minute show. We would be thrilled to bits if they telecast songs from the latest movies. We would also tease dad to no end when his favorite actress, Hemamalini started hosting the show.
That half an hour would transport us to a technicolor world only to be brought back to reality once the program ended. It would only keep us wishing every day was Sunday.
Friday, February 13, 2009
At Death's door...
I was returning home from office and saw a group of people huddled in front of the neighbour's house. I didnt make too much of it. I thought it was just a bunch of women gathered around to share local gossip. Being new to the neighborhood we have not yet reached a stage of familiarity where we indulge in friendly banter with neighbors. It was only later in the night when we saw an ambulance parked by that something was amiss. And we learnt that a 30-year old man had committed suicide. As we learned more, i realised that i had actually known the guy when a bunch of us kids had given a program on radio. That was 15 years ago and i hadnt seen him after that.
The news of his death saddened me and the realisation that i had actually known the person hit me hard. I remember him as a gangly kid with bright eyes and a ready smile. He was the most talkitive amongst us kids.
I still cant fathom what was so unbearable in his life that prompted him to end it. What could have been so irreversible that he resorted to this heinous act?
What went through his mind in those last few minutes before he made the decision?
How did he summon up so much courage to knock on death's door?
These questions, i know are the same that his family is trying to seek answers for.
His parents will never know his last thoughts. I can only pray that they find solace in this difficult time. I can only pray that his soul rests in peace.
The news of his death saddened me and the realisation that i had actually known the person hit me hard. I remember him as a gangly kid with bright eyes and a ready smile. He was the most talkitive amongst us kids.
I still cant fathom what was so unbearable in his life that prompted him to end it. What could have been so irreversible that he resorted to this heinous act?
What went through his mind in those last few minutes before he made the decision?
How did he summon up so much courage to knock on death's door?
These questions, i know are the same that his family is trying to seek answers for.
His parents will never know his last thoughts. I can only pray that they find solace in this difficult time. I can only pray that his soul rests in peace.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Bangalore's answer to Rama Sena
Here is what Bangalore's doing in response to the Mangalore pub attacks and other atrocious claims by Rama Sena
http://bangalore.citizenmatters.in/articles/view/800-bangaloreans-oppose-moral-policing
http://bangalore.citizenmatters.in/articles/view/800-bangaloreans-oppose-moral-policing
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Marriages are made in heaven?
Cliched as the topic sounds, what made me blog about it was an email my sister sent me.
It was sent because my family went through a lot and was a lot apprehensive when i announced my intentions of getting married to K. This was at a time when the search for a groom for me by my family was intense and anything less than a traditional arranged marriage was unacceptable. Things finally fell into place and the rest as they say is history.
I thought the email was sweet and touching especially because she was my pillar of strength throughout the ordeal! Here goes the excerpt:
hey ...
wanted to share a cute li'l story with you guys.A friend of mine who is 45 yrs old lost her husband last year when he committed suicide coz they never got along well!!She tried really hard to make the marriage work, but could never satisfy him and I trust her when she says that because I ve known her for the past 4 years and she is an absolutely wonderful person.
Anyway, she is from Capetown South Africa and went back home for Christmas this year.There she meets this guy whom she knew since she was 6 years old and had not been in touch for 27 years.He apparently had never been married because he thought she was the love of his life and he was frustrated that he had lost her to some one else! So after 27 yrs and 1 dead husband, my friend finally hooked up with this guy and they had a beautiful beach side wedding with just the two of them and a priest at the ceremony.And the first thing she told me when she came back was that she had been looking for the ideal partner all her life when he had shown up in her life at the age of 6!!and so I told her, Marriages are surely made in heaven!!
Anyway, sounds like a movie story , but it's true! I kinda got reminded of S and K and how foolish it would have been for them to not have been together !!
This brought a smile to my face :)
It was sent because my family went through a lot and was a lot apprehensive when i announced my intentions of getting married to K. This was at a time when the search for a groom for me by my family was intense and anything less than a traditional arranged marriage was unacceptable. Things finally fell into place and the rest as they say is history.
I thought the email was sweet and touching especially because she was my pillar of strength throughout the ordeal! Here goes the excerpt:
hey ...
wanted to share a cute li'l story with you guys.A friend of mine who is 45 yrs old lost her husband last year when he committed suicide coz they never got along well!!She tried really hard to make the marriage work, but could never satisfy him and I trust her when she says that because I ve known her for the past 4 years and she is an absolutely wonderful person.
Anyway, she is from Capetown South Africa and went back home for Christmas this year.There she meets this guy whom she knew since she was 6 years old and had not been in touch for 27 years.He apparently had never been married because he thought she was the love of his life and he was frustrated that he had lost her to some one else! So after 27 yrs and 1 dead husband, my friend finally hooked up with this guy and they had a beautiful beach side wedding with just the two of them and a priest at the ceremony.And the first thing she told me when she came back was that she had been looking for the ideal partner all her life when he had shown up in her life at the age of 6!!and so I told her, Marriages are surely made in heaven!!
Anyway, sounds like a movie story , but it's true! I kinda got reminded of S and K and how foolish it would have been for them to not have been together !!
This brought a smile to my face :)
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Thought for the day??
Have you ever been in a situation where you thought you were doing the perfectly normal thing and then suddenly the world is criticizing you?
Everyone sets certain expectations and wants you to live upto them. And you are trying hard not to give in and do things the way you want to!
This is what i saw on The Bride's blog which echoes my thoughts today!
Everyone sets certain expectations and wants you to live upto them. And you are trying hard not to give in and do things the way you want to!
This is what i saw on The Bride's blog which echoes my thoughts today!
Monday, January 5, 2009
Rant!
Here i go...my first rant post! Actually the second one because i never posted the first rant. Sigh...never mind.
People I know, especially the women who have a lot of time on their hands for evil thoughts, go by physical appearance to decide the happiness quotient in a person's life.
A few days after an arduous 2-week trek in the Himalayas, when i came back happy,tanned and lighter by a few kilos, i met a relative who lives down the lane. Oblivious of my recent vacation and going by my weight loss, she wants to know, if i had some problems in my married life and whether i was being treated well!
Such busy bodies!!
People I know, especially the women who have a lot of time on their hands for evil thoughts, go by physical appearance to decide the happiness quotient in a person's life.
A few days after an arduous 2-week trek in the Himalayas, when i came back happy,tanned and lighter by a few kilos, i met a relative who lives down the lane. Oblivious of my recent vacation and going by my weight loss, she wants to know, if i had some problems in my married life and whether i was being treated well!
Such busy bodies!!
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