Another Milestone

I was going through my blog today, right from the most recent post to the oldest one,
I have seen myself grow, my thoughts change from it's inception to manifestation,
From friends being friends to being best friends or drifting apart,
From getting a job to quitting one.

From working hard to feeling lazy,
From relaxing to acting crazy,
From feeling down in the dumps to feeling exhiliration,
From the chai tapri to the coffee station.

From the factory to home,
From events occured to memories forgone
From being lost in thought to giving an extempore
From loving something to disliking another to it's core

I HAVE SEEN & BEEN ALL THIS AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN

As i wish my friend a Happy Married Life Ahead and as he achieves yet another milestone, i realize my life has been nothing short of full either and therefore, it is imperative for me to use this day as a time stamp for my life as well.

Kellu - we wish you the very best today and everyday forever with your life & now wife Akku!
:) 
 

A perfect Saturday!

Yesterday was a wonderful evening
Almost felt like a page from Dil Chahta Hai or the likes of movies that revolve around Friendship.
I went out, the only girl
With a group of four boys
And Hum Paanch-on ne khoob majje kiye.

From my favourite lil cafe in Chembur
Le Cafe' being the meeting spot as usual
We headed over to Colaba via the Freeway
Starbucks was host to a poetry reading event
Which we didn't attend because we were in our happy place
Just being with each other and because we managed
To make a table for two accomodate five!

Next stop... Marine Drive
Scores of people sitting, snuggling, giggling, jogging
along the long stretch from Nariman Point to Girgaum Chowpatty.
We were a hungry lot and decided to have our grub
So we walk towards Cafe Royal
And order Soup and Steak Sizzler

We discuss the H(B)ollywood painting themed on "The Last Supper"
and watch two couples enjoy their quiet dinner to our right
We wait for the drinks and food to arrive
And so it does in time
The yummiest steak, even better than one's i tasted in the U.S exclaims one.

With dinner done, there's only one thing on my mind
I need to get home, it's 21:30 already
Boys, let's go home, please.
Not without dessert at Rustomji's.
We walk to the legendary Icecream place
Enjoy our King Mango (which isn't Alphonso - but still tasty)

Now with a tummy full
We walk on Marine Drive once again and head towards the car
Taking in the sights and sounds of our beloved city
More contemplative than before
More aware of our blessings

Thankful for being part of the most wonderful city
Thankful for having each other
And as a closing statement
One of the boys says:
"Agar har ladki teri tarah hoti, toh hum ladkon ke life mein tension hi nahi hota"

I take that as the biggest compliment of my life
There have been days when i have questioned myself
About my personality, the way i am, speak, dress
But that one statement made in jest
Reinforced all i stand for.

Thank you boys, for a perfectly wonderful Saturday!


To my Minion: Sorry for hitting below the belt, literally.

NO DOPE better than Hope

It is the end of the Calendar year, well, technically - almost. I do realise i tend to write a lot of things about hope. The only reason for that being, many times in life all you need is a little Pixie dust called BELIEF and HOPE to set things straight with a tinge of PERSPECTIVE.

I had a pretty eventful year - tumultous, stressful (good and bad), exciting. I had quite a few adventures. Luck took me places - Haridwar, Shanghai, Bangkok. Hopefully, 2014 will take me West, East, South and North within and outside the country.

I live in hope, in some dreams that might never come true. But that's not the point. The point is in dreaming, in hoping, in believing - doesn't matter what the outcome is. As long as what's in your heart is pure. It can be anything. A New Year is a great time for new beginnings. While you can start something new on almost any day, a new year seems that much more memorable.

I might fall flat on my face for being naive but i feel like a child today. Almost untouched by the realities of life and fantasies are truth the moment i switch on Disney Channel. Where letters float in the air and we have Ummed wali Dhoop, Sunshine wali Asha!

I live in that world today where Impossible is Nothing and the only thing that can stop me from being what i want to be is me. At the confessional this Christmas - i discussed about how we let petty things get into the way - we give in to gossip, jealously, disrespect and i was told speak your mind without hurting anyone. People form opinions anyway so why bother. There isn't need to be a doormat. Do whatever you do with compassion and i felt at ease. Like as if a nagging thought was let out in the open and i haven't felt lighter.

So this coming year, all words need to be put into action. All thoughts have to be spoken or acted upon. For there is no other way than to show what one is capable of and there is no need to be afraid.
All i need is a little courage with a dollop of hope, added with hard/smart work to ensure the best for everyone!

Happy New Year 2014 :) Have a wonderfully memorable year ahead.

Set Yourself Free.

There comes a time in everyone's life when things always seem to go awry,
No matter what you do,
You may fight tooth and nail
But to no avail.

You are always left wanting more,
And in your misery they shall try and settle scores,
It is not revenge you seek, for not that's for your ultimate goal
Weak you are because you are meek.

Humbleness is not looked up to,
It is for the powerless
The high and mighty shall steal your thunder,
Only to make you sorely Wonder.

What might have been,
Could it have been at all?
Had i taken a different path-
Would i reach where i ought to be?

Then again the times change, just like seasons do,
Things being falling into place
And all you need do is be grateful
You are at your happiest best.
 Knowing it could be fleeting
So sieze the moment to be joyful
and set yourself  free - from the bondage of the mind.

The need to write

I always feel the need to do something. I am restless. I cannot sit staring into oblivion for long. Five seconds of that and i start fidgeting, sometimes i fear i might be suffering from ADHD. At this point after typing ADHD i quickly searched the internet to check if i do have similar symptoms and boy i am surprised. I feel like as if i have all of them.

So well... yeah i do feel the need to write. It is like a breath of fresh air for me.. Like as if writing/ blogging will keep me from choking on my word vomit and this is my personal space where i am free to do so. Without being fined/ judged. Free as a bird to type as i please. No word limit, no nothing. Just a blank page waiting to be decorated with black. Ooops! Blue!

Today was a fantastic day, 13th April. Slept till 11 am, got up, mini breakfast, lunch with a college friend :) followed by dessert and coffee at my favourite Costa (table no. 13), window shopping with mom to wind up buying two silver rings for myself. A Saturday of Pure Uninhibited INDULGENCE that hasn't happened in so long. Especially with the weekend at work or in transit.

Sometimes, writing is a reminder. A log of a break that was well deserved...

 

Something Out of the Ordinary

I woke up to an awesome start to July , not literally though considering the fact that we (Ali, Abu, Shaun, Zoo and Me) didn't really sleep the night of 30th June. It was a superb night. An experience i will never forget. Made a few new friends in (Rash, Pri, Dydoo, Bhavuk, Paras and Kunal) and not to forget my already friend Tin x 2.

We were to leave for Amritsar (Siddy's wedding) (that also being an experience i shall never forget) and we had to camp the night somewhere before heading to the airport at 4:30 in the morning. We had Abu being the full on entertainer, cracking jokes and yes! dancing. Witty comments were a galore. Good music - thanks to Shaun and Me... :) :)

This post is just a big thank you to my chud buds for being there (Ass we missed you). We had the most amazing trip as a group together and we don't know when it shall happen next... Soon INSHALLAH.
As well as a big thank you to the boys for having us over and letting us create a ruckus knowing very well that we might be inviting trouble.

It was a day i never imagined possible. I was anxious about how everyone would get along and man, were we all a house on fire. Of course, 4:30 came before we realized and we said our goodbyes, headed to the airport to experience Something Out of the Ordinary - Part 2 (The big fat Punju Wedding)

Bookmark RULES

Today is a day
Like a reminder in my book
A book mark of sorts that i can come back to
Long after i have turned the page
Reason for this being
I trust blindly
I give - most of the times without expectation
I care with all i can
I fight (sometimes) with all i have
And Life sometimes seems Unfair both in a good way and in a bad way
When i count my blessings, i see others sorrows
When i see my sorrow - i am blind again
I want to see
I want to feel
I want to live
Every emotion
Because  the only way to live is to FEEL EVERYTHING.

RULE # 1: Seeing is not ALWAYS believing
Never blindly believe what you see.

RULE #2: Always follow your heart/ gut feeling
It will never let you down

RULE #3: Be nice to people
The world can do without the unnecessary BS and you never know what someone else might be going through.

RULE# 4: Never Judge
You never know what one is capable of...

RULE#5: Believe
In yourself, in your values and all that you dream.
Believe because you are the only one responsible for yourself.
Believe because you have every right to.
Believe because if you believe it - you can be it.

Lastly, Nothing and absolutely Nothing in Life is Permanent.
Not even Life itself...
All of these have been written time and again by different people but i need this to remind myself of little somethings all the time...

A MAJOR DISCONNECT

Many times in life
There are times of strife
We try to understand why
Things are the way they are
It is about money and also about power
About who's the boss and how much dough one can shower
Status and name and claim to fame
Some day will drive us all insane
A disconnect between our wants and our needs
We all are checkers on a board game
But ultimately we are all Human
And we are all the SAME.

Written on 3rd February 2012, Haridwar

Beta, What's your Age?

To all those guys/ girls who are of..... :)
It was 1:30 am on 30th Jan morning and i was itching to write all day long the previous day. Infact, i had been day dreaming about writing a post since my trip to Chandigarh even though the trip was just an overnight stay. I did make a few friends there. :) :)
The actual inspiration for this post is Wedding Ceremonies, technically speaking "Receptions". The thought process sparked off as we attended the Maharashtrian Style reception of a close friend's brother. I have attended quite a few ceremonies from Oct 2011 - Jan 2012. The one you attend with friends is all fun and games but the ones you attend with parents is a different ballgame in itself.

Typical things that you could generally observe:
1. Close relatives come to you and ask you what you are doing career wise. Exclaim in fake disbelief when you say you are working followed with a "OH! I met you when you were a baby. Look how big you've become."
2. They quickly proceed to ask the all important question about your age and won't stop themselves from taking a gibe at you by saying -YOU are next in line to get married with the sarcastic smile plastered on their face. :p
3.Overtly concerned extended family then immediately divert their attention to one's parents and repeat your age and say: "He/ She is -- years old, time to get him/her married". The smile still in place without moving a millimeter.

I have been through this a couple of times and each time my answer has been pretty much the same thing worded differently. Mostly, i try to humour the goodnatured familee and then try to diplomatically change the topic. Many a times i fall short of words or just look around embarrassed with and SOS expression and then dad steps in. I remember he recently said.."Marriage, for her is a WIP that hasn't started yet :) :) " Oh, what would i do without my daddy dearest around to save the day?
Moms on the other hand might actually start looking for suitors... *Yikes*

I have nothing against weddings per se. They are out and out fun for everyone except the parents of the bride and groom who are worrying about every tiny detail. One thing i would never understand is the joy that extended families get in wanting to set you up with someone... I mean WHY??? Why should boys have all the fun while the poor girl who happens to catch the bouquet is deemed as the next bride to be? Wow, i'd never survive that nightmare. :)

It is not like i am against the whole marriage business. I am sure Shaadi.Com and the rest are very profitable but i am  also sure, I, for one have a long long way to go. So aunties and uncles i do hope you read this before we meet at the next wedding and the above ensues. Before yet another time when you go, "Beta, What's your age?" I know why you are asking this and i am sure my answer won't change, at least for sometime.
Like the famous Robert Frost's Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening, i would say "and miles to go before i leap and miles to go before i leap".

This one is dedicated to all my friends of ...marriageable age ;) ;) I am pretty sure you have been through this before.

Special thanks to K whose conversation about a wardrobe change into Indian attire was hilarious. Of course, i didn't mean to eavesdrop and tried hard to concentrate on the book in front of me but your conversation was more entertaining than the conspiracy of Don Corleone's cronies :)

This post was penned 1:30 AM to 1:50 AM 30th Jan
Published at 6:26 AM ( when i was Sleepless in a Hotel room of a quaint little town in India, since sleep keeps itself from me i'd just wait to watch the sun rise.... )

Thanksgiving

It is the 1st of January 2012. Looking back i am thankful for a lot of things. A lot of new people who have entered my life and this has mostly to do with people i know from office - both Reliance and HUL.
I feel truly blessed to have met colleagues who not only are Colleagues but also double up as friends. This i discovered on our Team Outbound to Goa. It was the most amazing experience of having people whom i understood on some weird frequency.

On a not so regular working day30th Dec, we decided to go out and have a blast. We went to one of the famous Cafes at Colaba and chilled, talking our random nonsensical crap but enjoying nevertheless. This was followed by us going to Marine Drive and sitting enjoying the breeze. The outing was fun apart from the fact that  one of us had a broken chappal and me having to lend my rubber band to fix it and also having my jeans ripped near the pocket.
 Sacrifices that one makes in order to have great memories.

Then i returned home only to join my school gang for dinner :) I love my group to the core. It's like i can't live with or without them. There are days when i get totally mad at them but i still love them enough :) 

As i look towards the future, i thank the Lord for my parents, a lot of strangers who are now my friends, my job and i do hope that i could do whatever it is big or small to help someone else's life become a little bit better. I wish to spread more smiles around, i resolve to do things to make it happen!

Ask me to Sing and I' ll ....Croak

21st October: A day to go into the History Book of my Life.

Reason: First Outing with my new Colleagues- Team Event

It started out on a sadistic note when the organizers announced that we wouldn't be going and we sure were disheartened but all that faded the moment we got into the bus that was supposed to take us to our destination.

I felt the extra energy that was hiding in me rush back in matter of moments. All the energy i was saving up for a good few months, i think i spent in matter of hours last evening. We played Paintball- something i 've always wanted to do. Amazing Race - something i have helped organize and thus lost out on participating in. So i was Happy and THEN all of a sudden - we were offered a GOLA treat.... Music to my ears.... More Smiles :) :)

Finally, we got to the place where dinner was organised and all of us Newbies were asked to SING. I was shocked! Sing? Did i hear that right? Eekz... i shrieked out loud inside my soul. Why would anyone want to hear me sing, i mean seriously. Then on i was conscious of every move i made, every letter i uttered.This is what happens to me everytime i go to parties or weddings or social gatherings. People ask you to entertain them and all of a sudden you become so aware of everyone staring at you that it just makes you very very uncomfortable for that time, till they divert their attention to another uninitiated.Has happened with me every single time but turn on the music in the car or have the music playing and you will catch me singing along every time without even paying much attention to who is around.

So for that moment I even tried to hide below the table but to no avail because the moment someone asks you to sing - you tend to forget that you know any songs at all. Trust me, i thought i would get it done with and not make too much of a fuss but i couldn't remember ONE song, it was as if all the songs just faded from my memory. Those that i listen to often as well. Then they started Antakshari - where i was put in an All Mens team - barring me of course. It was good fun and suddenly a letter came to our team to sing with and since i knew it - i started and midway i realised i was the only one singing... i mean Croaking. I am not good at many things. Singing is one of those.

THE END

Dil Se Dilli ho Dhadkan se Ho London

Well, i love listening to the radio on my train journeys to work and back. Yes, i would love to have an amazing collection of songs on my Memory Card but i am too lazy to add new songs and so invariably my fingers find the radio mode. I listen to 107.1 FM AIR RAINBOW in the mornings and in the evenings it is any one of the 24*7 Hindi Music Radio Stations.

So on a late evening like today, i was sitting there trying to avoid overhearing a group of girls discussing their itinerary for their GOA trip. It brought back memories of my trip with my girl friends too. I was browsing through stations but couldn't really pay attention to the music because of the Loud Conversation of those three girls. Of course, their conversation did make me smile and i eavesdropped not intentionally but by virtue of just being two seats away.

The point of this post though is something totally different. It is how music has evolved over time, especially that of Indian Cinema. There was a time when the male lead would sing songs like: Chaudhavin ka Chaand Ho ya Aftab Ho? Jo bhi ho, Khuda Ki Kasam, Lajawab ho... to woo the female lead in the movie.

We are essentially in the day and age when women are more or less equally involved in wooing a guy actively and so a "Wanna be my Chammak Challo" is replied with an equally bold " Munni" who is getting a bad name or a "Sheila" who talks of her jawani. Gone are the days of subtlety, no one has the time or patience for it. We want everything"Right Here, Right Now" now and we don't talk in riddles. Sex is sex and they don't show two flowers coming together anymore.

This post actually started out with quite something else in mind -a song for finding a Dulhan for somone in the family was the agenda. Only finding a song from the era gone by is difficult and i couldn't find one. The idea came from the title track of the movie Mere Brother Ki Dulhan. Sure the lyrics of most songs now a days hardly make any sense but this song has everything from Fashion to Geography, from Attitude to Technology all summed up. I actually shouldn't be surprised because songs like "Dum Maaro Dum" (the new one)
Oonche se Ooncha Banda, Potty pe baithe nanga type lyrics have actually done quite well or seem to be due to the sheer number of times it is aired on the radio.
Without futher ado - i will post the lines that caught my attention while listening Mohabbat ki ho woh Google
Jo dede har question ka hal
Nazar ke ek hi click se (soniye)
Walk pe sunti ho gaane
Brother ko khush karna jaane
Jo sabke dil mein dua si basse
Model ho world best par mitti ho Indian
Dhoondu mein dhoondu, mere brother ki dulhan
Dil se Dilli ho woh dhadkan se ho London
Dhoondu mein dhoondu, mere brother ki dulhan
Matrimonial si aankhein, sabko ab taake jhaakein
Matrimonial si aankhein, dhoondhe re chehre baanke

Kaam mein jo na ho lazy
Ho jis mein 3G ki tezzi
Aur ho chhok si adaa (soniye)
Relation samjhe jo ladki, rahe na ego mein badki
Jo laaye good luck hi good luck sadaa
Hai toh responsibility, phir bhi iss mein fun

It sure is a fun song which can make anyone smile just by listening to the lyrics closely. The qualities asked for in this song do put a lot of pressure on the girl who is expected to look like a Super Model but be the Laadli, Responsible, Loved, Respected and Caring Bahu as well. Not a mean feat you think huh? I can't think of any song where a girl is asking for so many qualities in a man. I am sure there might be a song or two of this kind but at 1:41 AM i don't expect my brain to work with 3G ki Tezzi.

Just hoping you guys do listen to the song, enjoy it and well, just wonder what happened to Gulzar's lyrics or his reaction to these songs.The song has been written by Irshad Kamil who has also penned some of my personal other favourite songs but i have never come across one that said... Dil se Dilli ho, Dhadkan se ho London..Dhundu main dhundu mere brother ki dulhan.
Mere brother Ki Dulhan Video

Ladies Compartment IInd Class

The second class ladies compartment is the most entertaining way to travel. Not everyone will be as amused but trust me if you do observe it in a detached manner you will find more than just a few instances that will make you laugh.
DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT TRYING TO TRIVIALIZE ISSUES. Just wanting to make people see the funnier side of life and if not that then just the gory reality of it.

1. THE GANGWAY is the way! The alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end- and hence, a lot of people (women) decide to just stand there even if the have to alight after another FIVE stations.

2. Push and Shove, elbow and bellow is the best way to get in or get out. Or so they think. Imagine if everyone went about their commute in an orderly fashion. Things would be easier, lesser people would be injured and the travel would be more pleasant.

3. It is a great place for women to knit, clean veggies and do some shopping on the go. You get everything here from Umbrella shaped mechanical pencils, mini hot water bags, accessories of all sorts, colouring books, stickers, combs, kitchen wares and eatables.

4. If you have noticed an argument in the compartment- refer #2 it starts with a push or a shove. The belligerent victim starts a verbal abuse of sorts and then starts explaining the situation to co passengers and including them into the fight. After that it becomes a jugalbandi when both the sides try to one up each other.

5. A baby in the compartment is a play toy for those around but the same baby if crying becomes a nuisance. When the baby smiles everyone wants to hold it but no one wants to comfort a crying baby.

6. People love to eat on the train... and then throw peels/ plastic bags/ any residue or remains out of the window. Now, i don't blame the uneducated but what about those who have a swanky mobile phone, seem to be from educated families and wear top class clothes and behave like.... This happens most often when the train crosses over some creek, out comes everyone's used garlands and other stuff the holy books say must be discarded only in water. Not trying to hurt religious sentiments but there are other ways to dispose.

7. The fourth seat is God send. Hell yeah! It sure is. Doesn't matter if less than half your butt fits on the edge of the seat and despite you almost slipping from on there you still hang on it for dear life cause your feet are killing you.

8. I have been travelling by trains for quite a while now but somehow i don't get used to the fact that people ask you "Where are you going to get off?" even before you sat on the seat that just got vacant. I know i have mentioned it in an earlier post but couldn't help it.

9. We turn a blind eye to the disparity among us. Yes, we do it and we say there is nothing we can do about it. I have seen more than a few times - women with children who aren't exactly normal trying to fight the unforgiving crowd and standing their way through while most others just choose to ignore. Giving your seat up (at least then) seems like a noble thing to do. Then there are the Seat Gangsters that reserve seats for their friends and pick fights if someone tries to reason it out.

10. Finally, the one thing i cannot afford to miss out. The advertisements stuck all over the train compartments - all compartments alike... There was this one that said "Love, Sex, Friendship, Call some number and some smarty pants had put an arrow below it and wrote DON'T CALL! :)

We Mumbaikars spend most of our waking hours on the train and thus they form an important part of our journey. Journey to work in the Journey of Life.

THE DEATH OF SIMPLICITY

Sometimes the answer is not in the complex,
Neither it is in the difficult.
We think and talk and try,
We fail and then we cry,
Baffled, we wonder why?

But- we fail to realize that
The answer is in the question
It is in something so obvious and evident
The answer is right before us
We just choose to not see it and turn a blind eye
Because Simplicity is Unfathomable.

Thus occurs the death of Simplicity.

Still Waiting

Have you ever found yourself just waiting...
Endlessly for
1. An auto rickshaw
2. A friend's phone call
3. For it to be time to get off work
4. For a bus/train (Happens a lot in Mumbai)
5. For your flight to finally take off
6. For it to start raining
7. For it to stop raining
8. For your results to Come Out Already.
9. For the person you are waiting for to finally SHOW UP...
10.For ...well there can be a million things.
The 10th one is whatever you please.
FYI - Sometimes waiting can just be fun!

IT IS OKAY TO NOT..

How we yearn for life to be different. How we complain that it is drab! It is boring, pakao, same old and it will be so. Not because there aren't a million things to do but because we choose not to do it. We set a later date to do whatever. We don't even bother to observe the beauty of nature - the scenery right outside our window unless it is IN YOUR FACE.
Our times are different from the times of our parents. We prefer to meet online than in person (yes, a boon for friends overseas but not someone who is next door!)
So on a drab day like today, i was forced to wake up early by my father and accompany him at work. I happened to sleep really late last night and the night before last. Monday is definitely the most awful day of the week. I could have slept on but i promised dad and so, very very reluctantly i got up and got ready for WORK.
I spent most of the time in office getting BORED and Yawning with a few moments of stamping papers with a rubber stamp in between!
Then we set out for some work at a bank.We reached near the gate and i couldn't help but notice a serpentine queue for GOD alone knows what and i shuddered to think i might have to join them. As it is, i was sleepy and beginning to feel hungry (not a good place to be)
My dad walked straight into the bank and (phew!) i followed suit only to be directed out of the building into a line which was tiny than the one i got intimidated by in the first place.
The line was small but it was a bad place to stand. Right above our heads was a Air Conditioner duct from which water was dripping. The droplets were splashing all over wetting our faces and shirts and we stood there cringing. The window next to ours was empty but we couldn't switch lines as it was meant for something else. Just then a man with his seemingly 4 year old kid in tow came along. The kid had worn a bright yellow t shirt and black jeans just like me. He stood next to his dad. Then all of a sudden he noticed the drops of water falling. He rushed to the spot and started catching drops in his tiny hands with a smile. His joy knew no bounds and it was evident. I couldn't help but grin looking at him. Suddenly, his dad realised that his son wasn't in the place he was asked to stand and turned around to see. He immediately scolded the kid and asked him to stop playing with the dripping water. The kid seemed to obey but only for a few seconds and then he was back again, unmindful of what people around him might think.
Makes me realize how growing up affects us in good ways as well as bad. More bad than good if you ask me. Rules are meant to be followed. Tiny things don't give us pleasure always just because we choose to think it is too tiny to give us any joy.
Money matters more than anything.
Seeing the kid just made me realize - it is okay to do what i want even if i get yelled at. It is okay to stand below an AC duct and catch falling drops and be joyful and IT IS OKAY TO NOT CARE about silly things and do your own thing.

The Quest to be Different

If you have been one of those who has read my first blog post, you'd know that i always considered myself to be a little different and quirky than girls my age. I have always desired to be different. I am an agreeable and amicable person and tolerant as well but i want different things in life. My goals might not be in line with most people my age. I am also a perpetually confused soul but not so confused as to know what i don't want. What i don't want i am sure i DON'T want it at all but when it comes to being aware of what i want i am baffled.

God/Providence/Luck- (call it what you may) played a part and set me on a path which after taking i never looked back. Engineering in Printing and Packaging has been the single most and wisest decision of my life and i cherish it. I started with rosy dreams of being a Comps/ EXTC Engg just like any other engineering aspirant. Not so long ago, i wasnt aspiring to take up engineering at all. I hated the word "Engineering" it sounded so drab. It didn't make sense and i would have gladly taken up Medicine/ B.A./BSc and in fact i had taken up Bsc BUT as luck would have it, i got PPT and grabbed the opportunity well aware of the risk of venturing on an untrodden path.

Engineering is done, so to speak. I stand at cross roads in my life once again. Awaiting examination results and chilling when most friends have settled for a job and remaining are flying to foreign shores to pursue masters, i am just EXISTING.

Everyone does ultimately want a steady income and the only way to get that is a) work hard or b) work smart... At this point, i don't know if i want to study abroad next year or work for a while and then continue with post graduation. Even if i did settle for higher education, i am not sure about the course i'd like to take. There are a million things i want to learn. I just want to do so much (SO much on my mind and i wonder if i ll even be able to do 1/4th of the things) I WANT TO ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF MY LIFE.

After 20 years, i want to look back and cherish memories of having achieved all i wanted and hopefully something worthwhile, not having kids and then cribbing saying "If i .....then i would/could/might have/....."

I guess there is no real answer to how i am going to chart my life. The only way to find out is to live each day till i get there.
It probably isn't all about doing really weird or different things as much as maybe doing things differently. Only in that shall my quest to be a little bit "hatke" be accomplished.
Like Mr. Shiv Khera says
"Winners don't do different things,
...they do things differently!"
and the meaning of WINNING for each one varies. At the end of it all it still means a sense of fulfillment.

The Really Pointless Post - In the Loo

Read only if you have nothing better to do.


In my house I have rooms that I like more than others. For ex: my living room. Why??? As it has the most important gadgets like the TV and my PC. My room is another place I favour but only for sleep and study purposes. Now that I am on vacation the study bit is eliminated. So, I hardly spend time in my room except at night.

That leaves the kitchen, bathroom and toilet. I don’t really venture into the kitchen, I leave that to mom. Bathroom, yea, well, whatever. The most important according to me is my “LOO”. I love my loo. Yes, you read that right.

It is definitely my most imp place in my home and not only because it is a need. If you are one of those people who spends more than just a few seconds in the toilet you will (maybe, I presume) know/ understand what I mean. Just to make it clear, I am not one of those who stacks Playboy/ Archies/ the daily newspaper in there, so I don’t spend hours in there either.

Of course, a pre requisite to spending a little more than usual amount of time in there is that it should be really clean and shouldn’t give off offensive odours. :P
My loo is well maintained and mom is the one responsible for keeping it so spick and span though dad and I help maintain it that way. None of us in my family are a fan of wet loos.

It doesn’t stink.
In fact it doesn’t smell anything at all unless you just pooped, then you’ll know that the room freshener is at hand too. It is not like I spend an insane amount of time there but whatever little I do, I learn a lot. No, I don’t stare at my $h**.
I oft times think. I actually think in there. It is such a quiet place after all and no one disturbs you unless they are in an emergency situation and need to get in before you get out leisurely.
1. No smell 2. No sound
Not exactly complete silence. If you are having gastronomic issues you sure might rumble – A LOT.
Perfect place to meditate… LOL

It is pretty much like Archimedes, you know, the whole public bath and screaming “EUREKA” while running naked on the streets. He probably would know exactly how I feel. I share his sentiment.
It is like as though I get enlightened or as if I get some sort of weird revelation or a brainwave.

It is quite a place to de-clutter (Not just the stomach but your mind also.) is a double whammy.
Think of it as a chair with a hole and it won’t be so bad. You don’t need to go up a mountain to find solitude. Just like it is for me, it might work for you too in the Loo.
They say if you have a problem sleep over it or sit on it, I‘d say Shit over it.

FINAL JUDGEMENT

I'm not going to explain it to the world,
I'm pretty sure they won't understand,
All of this wasn't part of my plan
But, Shit happens.

Shit happens when you least expect it
and before you manage to resurrect yourself
the world has dissected you.

They bisect your life and think
they've figured you all out
but don't they know - it's not for 'em to do so!

So, everyone everywhere come on all out
throw your crap at me.
Dump all you want at me,
There's a limit i can take and I Will;
just so you feel satisfied;
but when you cross that limit-
Don't expect to be let off easy,
I'm not doing this to please me.

You didn't - in my shoes walk,
and so you have no right to talk,
I tried my best but it didn't work,
My responsibility I didn't shirk.
I'm the captain of this ship,
If it sinks - I go down with it.

At the end of it all
I'd like to say
Hey, what YOU think doesn't matter
cause yours is not FINAL JUDGEMENT!!!

THE LAST SEM

The last semester before graduation is one wherein students are either nostalgic or very very happy to leave their abode - College.

Engineering does change you in more ways than one can imagine. I once had a discussion with one senior (who is a friend) regarding exactly this!

He wisely said to me,"There are 3 things one starts doing exclusively after joining an Engineering College:

1.You begin to drink lots of coffee/tea.
2.You start swearing unnecessarily. Every sentence is sprinkled with at least a few cuss words. The F word being the favourite.
3.You either start smoking or drinking.

The combination of all three or any two of the three or even anyone maybe true, as might be your case."

I listened intently to what he said and i realized this might actually be true in a girl's case but definitely true in case you are a guy.

4 years in one college may garner the following reactions
You might TOTALLY HATE IT or UNCONDITIONALLY LOVE IT.

The past 4 years made me realise THE FOLLOWING:

1. Don't take anything at FACE VALUE.
a) The people you think are weird might actually end up being your best friends by the time college ends. So, don't write anyone off.
b)People who look friendly might actually be the ones causing you more harm than good.

2. Respect your Seniors - if they are worth it.
You might actually get some pretty good advice from them regarding matters of college and also about life in general. Plus, you might become a pal to them and they might like to hang out with you OR better still call you when they JUST HANG OUT.

3. Be friendly to your juniors.
Now this one is a double edge sword because:
a) You never know what you actually mean to them. Some might consider you the older sibling they never had and some just look up to you because you are a SENIOR.
b)If your juniors disrespect you for no reason, don't think twice before SCREWING their ASS. It is you they will most definitely turn to if they are in trouble in legal issues of college. Thence, let them know their boundaries and make sure they don't cross it. That doesn't mean you abuse them but just make sure they realize it.

4. Be good to your teachers even if they are not.
They are the ones who teach you, someday it might dawn on them that they have no reason to hate you and might warm up to you.
That apart, if the teacher is like a few years elder to you then you might not really be in a Student Teacher relation (even though you are) but more like buddies.
Also, don't forget your TERM WORK LIES IN THEIR HANDS and if you are good to them they actually might help you out.

5. Do silly things-Don't take everything too seriously because in retrospect you might actually have something to remember.

6.Be close to your friends, don't ditch them EVEN IF YOU HAVE A GIRL FRIEND/BOY FRIEND cause when you BREAK UP they will be the people you run to.

7.Enjoy every moment including Frustrating Submissions and Vivas that make you a nervous wreck.

8. Take time to socialize.

9.Participate in college activities wholeheartedly and take part in events. Not necessarily you are the best but at least try. You might discover a hidden talent and it is here you learn more than what you do in lecture.

10.Break rules once in a while. Mass bunk classes. Even if it means you ll just go home after that. Supporting your class in such things is fun and if you do get caught- you won't die alone for sure.Besides, if you break stuff you will actually know where the miscellaneous fees will be put to use.

It is all these put together that make your life in an engineering college memorable.
I am in the final semester in my course in an Engineering college and i am sure going to miss each and everything about this SAD college of mine.
Will miss the people - nice ones, the mean ones, the bitchy ones, the shitty ones because it has taken one of every kind to make this BORING life of mine SLIGHTLY MORE INTERESTING.