Turning 24...

What are the best memories of my birthday's, you ask? Well.. when I was a hundred years younger, I thrived in the glory of growing older, that probably meant I could wear heels, fashionable clothes, you know, the normal stuff! Basking in the attention, distributing chocolates, wearing colorful dresses and laughing at others kids in their uniforms!

You know how time changes things right? Well, I am awesome, but I can't escape time! Last year I crossed an important age milestone (and no it's not 30!). I clearly wasn't thrilled to bits to even thinking of an extra grey hair or god forbid, a WRINKLE! (Does anyone know when they start appearing? Please shoot me a mail with details!) Of course having "well wishers" say, "It's all down hill from now" did not boost my morale either! So as you would have guessed by now, my perceptions have changed. Heels are good, they bring your ass to limelight. But they screw every other ligament and bone in my body, so verdict - not worth it! Fashionable dresses, well I stock up my wardrobe with comfort wear which, well.. how do I put this delicately, which would definitely get me a job of a nanny! And finally chocolates.. any more in my tummy and people would definitely ask me how many babies am I carrying in me! (Yikooos!)

Obsessed as I am, I do tonnes of things to counter evil! For starters, simple steps like not giving my birthday details on FB! But I guess these things have a way of working themselves out. Miraculously I have a hundred "Happy Bday" posts. (Alright I am exaggerating. Lets say 10!) How people remember dates when you take away a most important source of memory, still remains a mystery to me!!!

Few years back, I had a rule. I don't work on birthdays. I like the whole day to myself, with family and friends who matter. Also, spending time with people who are a lot older than I am, gives me a sense of security I cant quite attempt to describe. (If you older ones are reading it, well, I love you guys!!!)

This one was different. In Chicago, far away from people who matter; Chocolate cake, pizza, "I am in Chicago and I am never going back" realization coffee mug and 3 awesome roomies stacked in my room, stirring at every sound in the hall (relax guys, there is no ghost in our apartment, it's just ME); Production issues at work, embracing me in their warmth, phone buzzing with calls missed and messages unattended, meaningless mails waiting to be replied, an impromptu birthday plan for a special person leading to a 3 hour bus delay (inclusive of 1 hour of evading frost bite!), my first snow - guess I am pretty special myself!

So here's to one of the most unconventional bday's of all time and hoping this was the last of its sort! Cheers!


P.S: For those who are interested, I didn't turn 24.. I remained 24 ;)

Free fall!

"Just remember one thing", he said. "If something were to happen to you both, I would still be fine!" Not exactly the most encouraging words to fill your ears 11000 ft above the ground. But hey, life is not all rosey all the time! At times you do have people whispering in your ears that they have no clue what would happen when you are mercilessly thrown out of the plane at spine chilling heights and that its completely fine to crash coz their company would ensure there would be double casualty than single! (And you guys think i am evil???) Sky diving is one mean encounter with nature and man!

Why? Who in their sane minds and jittery back wanna risk their lives in hands of a mad man? Take a deep breath, wait for it, take a bow - I WOULD! Don't have answers to weird questions like why, what and what the.... I am not exactly the most adventurous person walking on God's green earth. But I sure as hell am one crazy thing wanting to experience all there is to experience. The kinds who rather jump off a plane than face a camera for an interview!

I guess it was my karma coming back at me, when I saw my friends with instructors literally badgering their brains with all the information they need and my instructor on the other hand smoking a ciggy and flirting with ladies! (Nopes, I wasn't one of them and me not appealing to him was the last concern in my head back then. Now I can deduce that he was blind!) As I helplessly looked at him from a distance, wondering if he were qualified to be an instructor (his beer belly led to some serious concerns!), hoping against hope that I wasn't a goat he would slaughter to get back at his boss and praying he gave atleast a tiny rats ass to my safety!

The carrier arrived. So did the last minute photographer - sweaty, puffing-panting, tired.. well, not really giving me the most comforting feeling! "I am nervous" he said. "Just what I wanted", my heart thumped. I knew it was gonna be one hell of a ride with all the smart funny asses to give me company! With my right eye blinking, I knew something was gonna go wrong. I don't believe in proving myself wrong! i broke my nail! (Anyone close to me (even in proximity) knows I could kill to maintain my whities!)

Our instructors laid down the set of rules for us. Rule one - Smile. Rule two - Keep smiling. Rule three - Don't know what it is. But its something to do with the safety! No one really concentrates on the third one once your in the air!

For a normal person, these words would be enough to get the hair at the back of your necks stand! But didn't we establish that I am far superior to be addressed as normal??? Broad smile never left my face. On the hindsight, I guess the smile was more like "I am screwed!"

"It is coming", he said. The door opens. I pull down my goggles in the nick of time to ensure my lense doesn't fly away with the hopes of me watching the ground below crystal clear! OMG! This is what God sees everyday. Tiny trees, tiny fields and not one human soul! 

Hang on! I am not ready. I can't freaken do this now. It's too high and we are both fat! We'll hit the ground before your parachute opens.

Of course these were the words in my head. Dancing an evil dance of death. My lips were parched, frozen, open but shut at the same time.

"I am gonna die" I thought, "I know I will. I love you mom. I love you Dad. And babie, you rock my world, love you loooads!" The world stops.Before I get the time to comprehend what hit me, we were off the plane, spinning and rotating like a top caught in a strong gush of wind. All the monacos in my stomach threatened to come out. But hey, I was 11000 ft above the ground. I could do whatever the hell I wanted in the 60 seconds before I fall on the ground and break my skull!

I felt the tap on my shoulders. It was an indication for me to spread my arms and fly like a bird. The first thought in my head. Where the hell is the photographer? I need to smile for my pics! I find a man in black arising from no where. The "woooohooo - girl" takes over. The mojo's and various hand signs are raising their pompous heads against the heavy winds that threaten to deform my raised fingers! I don't care. I need a great pic! My grandchildren need to know their granny was super cool!

60 seconds of free fall and the parachutes are out. One jolt and we ascend quickly towards the heavens. The world stands still. Winds gushing through my ears making way to my brains. Looking at the minion under my feet I felt like an empress! Did you buy that? Dumb heads! I felt caught between the sky and ground, suspended with thin ropes tied to a flimsy peice of sheet which could've been stored in a rat infested place, with a stranger and was making polite conversations to know that we wouldn't find ourselves tangles to a tree on our way down!

"How do you know where you have to land?". My innocent words did stir up pure evil in him. "I have grown up here you know!" he says. I can almost feel him smiling end to end. Apparently some bright yellow numbers on the ground were our landing mark!

 Pressure on my back building, praying hard that my bone doesn't snap! But one look down and another look all around, I knew it was totally worth every breath I had taken!

Some experiences cannot be described in words. Not coz words would not do justice, but coz such words don't find a place in the dictionary! My world may not have changed since the dive, but my perspective in life sure as hell has. The one thing that remains, that has strengthened to the core - If I can do this, there's nothing in the world I can't do! If I can smile through this ordeal, quite frankly there are no situations that can take away the smile from me! I haven't conquered my fear. For all I know, this might have instilled fear of heights in me! But will I do this gain? HELL YEAH!

P.S: Don't tell me sky is the limit, when there are foot steps on the moon!

Place to call my own...

Three weeks, three different places, several goof ups and many of my most embarrassing moments later, here I am - sitting on my swiss gear sleeping bag (result of the last minute rush to the nearest Target store in downtown), on the 34th floor of a building, by the window side over looking a city buzzing with lights. Yo people, the time has come where I can finally call a place MINE!

A little Indian girl battling with 3 larger than life suitcases can cause a lot of commotion. Some of them like a hunk of a beast carrying her heaviest of suitcases without breaking a sweat, are surprisingly welcome! There you go - my home coming!!! One look at him and I know the purpose of me moving in to this new place - WORKING MY ASS OFF IN THE GYM! Did you guys buy that? Well, honestly I wish you did! I have had pizzas as my staple diet for almost over a week now - breakfast, lunch and dinner! (Thanking my stars that Mom is not net savvy and would not be at the receiving end of this post!)

As I look at the lights out side, I feel a strange rush which I can't quite comprehend! Life has been anything but as expected in the past few weeks. Everything that I would have imagined not doing has been done by me! Right from lasting an 18 hours flight without the slightest of urge to throw up to asking people for help for trivial things like using an oven (come on! It's different from the Onida back at home! Cut me some slack!) Any event I would've run away from, has come and slapped me in my face time and again. Getting lost in these never ending similar looking streets is my new way of finding myself! (There you go, I put in some philosophy, but trust me IT SUCKS!)

Smiling has indeed become a part of my nature (not complaining! I love what my smile can do! and not to forget I finally have a dental insurance!!!) I am no longer dumbstruck when I see people running vigorously  with minimal clothing while I shiver in spite of being covered head to toe. Although such athletic nature pokes me in my flab every now and then! I am still humbled to see men holding the doors open for me to pass as opposed to being pushed into space for blocking their path back home! (You know its true! Push and pull is a way of life in India!)

It's been 3 weeks since I left my comfortable life in Bangalore to explore a terrain of uncertainties here. I've yelped at the quality of tea and cried at the thought of eating; lived out of suitcases and roamed around downtown like an abandoned soul. If truth be told, LOVED every part of it. It may not show on my FB display pic, but I sure as hell am having a ball! My words say it all.

I can hear sirens, awakening the dead in the middle of the night. But I know I am safe, I am finally at a place I can call my own.

American Dreams

24 hours, an extremely ill-organized transit, 4 heavy bags, interesting fellow travelers, fake air turbulence's and 3 movies later - my first words of wisdom - "Her tits were in my face!" I turn around to see the source of this profound wisdom. A young american woman was describing her "escapades" with a bigger entity. (no pun intended guys!) It would be an understatement if I were to say my jaw dropped. I mean come on, when was the last time you heard something like this spoken in such high resonating frequency in India? Oh wait.. I am not in India any more am I? So lets say this was my "Welcome to America!" Not exactly one of the most conventional welcomes but hey, its the land of "liberty"!

I didn't pay a lot of heed to my teachers when they said, "Look left and then look right before crossing a road". This was the day they hadn't trained me for! Where do I look? I don't wanna get run over by a super fast car but I also don't wanna look stupid waiting for a signal to light my path! I am a bangalorean and no signal can ever slow a Bangalorean down! What do I do? Well, while most of you might use your brains, I blindly follow the person who appeared from nowhere and stood in front of me!Voila! Little Shubha is on the other side of the road!

An Indian has the strongest taste buds in the world! So what do we do when we step out of India? Crib about the tasteless food around! I am, quite clearly no different! My first visit to an Indian restaurant, a near disaster if I might add, witnessed me ordering more food than my jet lagged body could digest. After finishing half a parantha I look up only to see a family stealing glances at me. What? Haven't you guys ever seen a pretty Indian girl eating by herself??? Oh hang on? Am I supposed to eat with the silver ware? I mean use a fork and knife to tear my paranthas? Are you freaken retarded?? What do I do now? Do what this place is most known for - smile at strangers!

It's surprising that an Indian is the most Indian when he's outside India. The first independence day outside India, never felt so proud singing the national anthem with a group of fellow country men and women. Who says Independence day is just a holiday? I didn't get one this time!!!

Finally I find some time in the country of work-o-holic coffee drinkers (seriously! what's with the quantity of coffee people drink here!) to do something apart from be nice to people. As I see an untouched roti and half eaten bhindi curry, knowing I am staring at something that will find itself in my plate for lunch tomorrow; as I hear the metra hoot away to glory transporting people to a place diametrically opposite to their office; as I look out of my window seeing empty streets at 8:30 pm; I know this is a new leg of my journey. A journey where I would be attempting homicide my initiating cooking (a tear just rolled down my cheek), a journey where I would be adapting to a temperature of -20, a journey where my smile takes precedence over my middle finger! Lets rock!

One fine morning

Finally... Back in my kingdom! It's funny how things which invigorate you are over shadowed by things that compel you to lead a delusional "busy" life. Anyways, this ain't the time to talk philosophy! This is the time to celebrate for I finally got my password right and could log in just to play with words! Life is awesome again!

I have been looking for a topic to mark my comeback in the world of blogging. And it has been a reaallly long look out! After asking a bunch of sophisticated nobodies, I decided to acknowledge this time in my life - a time, where I voluntarily lost my life support system to the land of snakes and dragons (Ya babie, life ain't same without you in it!) ; a time where I decided to temporarily introduce my life with hot strangers only to realize they were generations younger to moi and felt dejected at the inevitable aging (SUCCKS!!); a time that has brought enough amount of distraction at work to keep me out of my seat for longer than on it (Yes, my lead doesn't have access to this link!); a time, where everything seems to have come to a standstill, just like still water. A time, where I decide to lose the extra buddies, strategically placing themselves on my body at all the wrong places (Thank you Pizzas and sweets. Life would've been "lighter" withotu you!)


The alarm shrieks at sharp 5:00 am. Thanks to my wise move of replacing my previous sober alarm with the current "awakening-the-dead" alarm, I cannot lazily drag my ass off bed a good 2 hours later pretending not having heard to it! I wake up. Oh wait, is this a head ache? I think it is? It's my exercise time! So most definitely it's a headache! Hang on, is that the wind banging against my windows? Surely, it's asking me to sleep extra long coz it doesn't wanna harm my fragile health and bring me under the weather. I get what it is. It's a voice in my head, saying it's not your cup of tea! That's my alarm right there! I pull the sheets off my ailing body. There's nothing in the world "I" can't do!!!

As I drag my yoga mat out, I am almost certain a cockroach would launch an attack for taking away its sleeping place! The cockroach eaten sides of my mat only fuel my suspicion! As the mat hits the floor, no living beings are found on/in and around it. The stage is set. Millions of thoughts run into my head. Which performance would be more appreciated? A splendid display of surya namaskars - only leading to a doctors visit the next day? A possessed dance to loosen my muscles, at the risk of waking any other sleeping soul around? Weighing all the pros and cons I decide to stick to the routine of strengthening my back and stretching my glutes. Meditation opens the door to a wonderful world of unknown. Looks like in my case, this door is gonna be shut for quite sometime! Hats off to you guys who manage to sit in the same position and think of well.. whatever it is you guys think off!

Time for some fresh air now! As I approach the park, fearing to be the only girl in midst of few people who ooze out an aura of mental instability, my eyes pop out of my sockets looking at the hustle bustle in the park at that hour! I mean, really guys! I know its a wonderful morning but do you have any idea how wonderful it is to lie under sheets and snuggle amongst your pillows? Anways ignoring the ever increasing population in bangalore I brave my way through the crowd. Stay focused, says the mind. Everytime I begin to concentrate on my breathing, some freak passes me by, gasping for oxygen. If only I could ask them to stop for a while and consume all the oxygen the plants around us seem to be giving out! But people always are in a hurry. Running on their two feet behind some elusive weight loss, I suppose!

Leave all this aside, FOCUS says the mind again. Ha ha ha ha.. ho ho ho ho.. The sound of laughters fills my ears. What the hell is this? Laughter club! I seriously do not understand the concept of laughter clubs. The same people who think its cool to mechanically laugh like a pshyco give me the looks when I laugh whole heartedly (may be without a reason as in most cases!)

I march on turning my face away from all the amusement that seems to surround me! As its said, obstacles are what you see when you lose focus on the goal. Guess it's high time I realise the seemingly elusive dream of weight loss! More humour just round the corner as the transformation begins!

P.S: Sitting in office, typing this post early morning only makes me wish I could be paid for keeping fit!!!

Ma

“I am not talking to you. You make me eat leaves! They are green, they are yuck and they are LEAVES!”. One of my first memories of my short vegan life! As my temper touched the roof, I stood inside the bathroom. The same bathroom that witnessed the crime of a bowl of spinach rice being flushed to oblivion! I had locked myself in, yelling periodically in midst of my sobs. The lady on the other side of the door was persuading me to let myself out. But I wouldn’t budge until she promised me to never stuff my face with veggies! This incident marked the initiation of a test – test of patience for a woman who I have always pushed to the wall; a woman who makes me wonder, “if this is how a lady is supposed to behave, I am surely a devil in disguise!”; a woman who has redefined the word patience; a woman who’s taught me the meaning of unconditional love and always left me wondering if I was even capable to returning it in minimal amounts! ;a woman of solid principles and a precious heart; a woman I call “Ma”. 

 Sometimes its best to leave things unspoken coz you may not do justice to them while capturing them in flow of words. What I feel for Mom is one such thing. I guess all of you would agree with me on this one. But I would still go ahead with my sincere efforts to recognize and appreciate this excellent creation of God, my mother. Being a home maker for around 30 years, Ma has shouldered the most vital responsibility of holding the family together and keeping us grounded at all points in time. I shudder at the very thought of not having my Mom serving as LOC during war times with Dad!  It’s surprises me at how the job of a home maker is thankless and doesn’t come with a retirement age! Imagine a work environment with peers/managers not stopping to as much as acknowledge your work and get back to you when you least expect only to dump more work on you! Sucks right? Now imagine working for free! Did you imagine that? Sorry, I couldn’t even think of it as a remote possibility!!! 

 It always amazes me how my salary sprouts wings and flies out of the window even before month end! Looking back at my growing up years, I had demands, few more expensive than the others! I would always use my puppy dog eyes to my advantage, “Ma! I want!”. Not hearing a no for an answer, my please would transform into, “Ma!!! I want! I WANT!!“. Guess what? I did get what I want. But I never knew what transpired between the initial no and the final conceding yes. I probably would never know, just like all the sacrifices Mom has made over the years, without keeping a count.  It’s said sacrificing comes naturally to a woman. As unfair and chauvinistic I find this statement, looking at the examples in my life, I know its true. I can’t count the number of sleepless nights Ma has had coz of my impending exams! It hurts me to relive those moments where my dreams took precedence over her needs. I can’t cook to save my life! But commenting on her cooking is like breathing! I am ashamed of all the times I cringed looking at the food, “Don’t you know I don’t like this! Why do you keep preparing this!!” without as much as sparing a thought that probably she liked it, probably she woke up at unearthly hours just to make sure I don’t leave house on an empty stomach.  My first ever drawing was made with my Mom holding my little hand, struggling to hold the crayon. My master piece comprised of a house and 2 trees. I was proud of it. She was proud of me! As the time passed, she was still proud of me. Not that I gave her a lot of reasons to feel that way. But the very thought that Ma appreciates me instills faith in me. “I must have something good going for Ma to feel this way about me“, I think. All the competitions I have participated, all the competitions I have won, have 2 things in common – an utterly nervous me and a loving confident presence next to me, Ma.  Being the only child, I redefined tantrums. From plaiting my hair to draping my first sari, from my first day at school to my last exam in college, my journey has seen her being a silent witness. I talk about a woman who gave away everything she wanted to make way for my dreams. She lived every minute of her motherhood making me the person I am today. I am very proud, not for who I have become but for the reason I am who I am. To say she changed my life would be unfair, for she is my life. I have lived in her for 9 months – a bond, which I may not even understand completely; the same bond which gave her reason to be what she is now. Who say’s there’s a woman behind every successful man? I say there’s a woman behind anything successful! Mom indeed is the world. Hands that rocked my cradle surely did rule my world. 

It ain't real!

Someone once said, "Life's a movie." I really wish I could summon that someone and give him a piece of my mind right now!

Reality check people. Life is a movie only when "Real life" is misspelled as "Reel life"! Stop grinning! Seriously! How many of you have actually heard instrumentals in the background when you found your special someone? How many times have the temple bells gone berserk when you encountered an injustice? How many times have you seen one man beating up 20 people and standing on his feet post the "mega-fight"?

I was involved in a freak accident last week. Freak - coz I did look like one, during and after the incident! Accident - well, I am trying to make it look cool! Anyways, continuing with my story. As I attempted to board the severely delayed late night cab, I felt a shooting pain in my calves. My calves did look like I had worked on them my whole life, all tight and shapely! I surely would've admired their muscular structure hadn't it been for the sharp pain threatening to go up my spine! I took a seemingly wise decision of getting of the cab and stretching my beauties. But hang on! Nothing is my life can be non-animated can it? 

I have an obedient body. Oh yeah! It's usually very obedient, very giving. I can't count the number of times it has held back regurgitation to avoid public display of displeasure or given me enough strength of conquer dizziness until I could find a nice place to rest my posterior! It has almost always given me enough time to have a silent conversation with it, to control it by force or plead! But alas, this wasn't one of those times!

I am barely on my feet when my beautiful legs decide they are way too delicate to handle my popularity-gaining-plump body! Before I knew it, my elite posterior was pasted on the ground. My eye were fixed to the ground too. But out of sheet shock and embarrassment of providing a tax-free entertainment to people around. Yes people, I had fallen hard. My butt did bite the dust! It must have been hear wrenching-ly hilarious. Usually, at such situations I laugh my ass off at people. I am sure their spirits were doing the same at me! In the end, I had to take my sorry figure and put in back on the back seat of the cab.

This brings me back to the topic. Had it been a movie, a handsome beast  would have rescued me in his muscular chunk of arms. If it was a really corny movie, we would have been in the same position, looking into each other's eyes until the song ends! And if it was a cornier movie I would have surely got my calf muscle attended to (if u know what I mean! ) But the point is, none of this happened! The only thing holding my fall was the concrete and need I tell you that it was far away from any cushioning! If you don't trust me ask my borrowed laptop that sits on my lap as my body is stretched on my bed!

So what in a movie could have culminated into an eternal love story, in real life turned into a week's bed rest! So there you go, life ain't a movie! Stop hearing music in your head, in all probabilities a branch just fell on you or you walked right into a wall!

P.S: You wanna make fun of my spine, first grow one before confronting moi!

Present

The most under-rated truth in the universe - the present. Puzzled? Well, let's have an opinion poll. How many of you are currently thinking of the big meeting lined up for tomorrow or planning for the weekend or dreaming of shopping for the marriage you would be attending next month? Ok, I can see 50%  of you raising your hands! Now, the rest of you. Are you thinking of things in the past you regret or wish to change or are you reminiscing the special moments you spent with your close ones to give you enough positiveness to carry on with your daily chores? Some of you are not raising your hands, so I urge the others to raise both their hands to compensate for this!!! So need I say more as to why "the present" is the most under-rated truth?

Few weeks back, work was chasing me like a possessed dog to bite me in my elite posterior. Being the nervous cat that I turn into at certain occasions, I plonked my pretty little butt on a high wall, hoping the dog doesn't get a taste of my flesh! The wall was my safety zone. I knew I was unreachable. But the only thought that ran through my head was, "what if that dog somehow managed to leap over the wall and take me down with it!". Could it cover that distance? Hell no! Could it get a taste of me? No-freaken-way! But did I waste my time on wall fretting about the "what-if's"? Hell yeah!!

My wall was my time off from work, a weekend, divine 48 hours of my life, which I'll never get back even if I were to kill the dog! Possessed dog was my work and surprisingly come Monday, it no longer seemed possessed! It was a domesticated pet which I had personified as plain evil! So owing to my misconceptions and pre-conceived notions I had ruined precious moments of my life. So you see what I am getting to? I wasted my today, coz of something I did yesterday and thinking about tomorrow's something that never happened!

How many of us have a hunch back coz of the burden of yesterday nicely resting on our backs? I can safely say that I have a spinal disorder owing to this! Yes, I have my share of shit. So does everybody! But the first thing you need to do with shit, is clean it off you! And not carry it as a heap on your shoulders! (Kinda gross, I know. Apologies!!!)

Coming to the essence of this post. The one thing that your future depends on is how you tackle your pasts in the present. That doesn't mean that you time travel to you future (i,e day dream in the present) or go back in time to change things. Deal with your issues in the present. No point tracing it back or procrastinating it till they reach a point of no return. Don't let your future become the "present" you spent thinking of your "past" or planning a "future" that never arrived.

The present offers you a present of this moment. Accept it graciously, live it completely.

Success network

Change is the only constant. Well said or should I say extremely apt. Seasons change, situations change, people change. Everyone and everything in life is susceptible to changes.

 Keeping this mind, I would go ahead and say, the definition of things also change in time. After all its a very subjective thing and it depends on who was defining what and when. Lemme give you an example. What is success? To different people it means different things. To the same person, it might mean different things at different points in time. While you were growing up, you defined success as a getting a job that payed you well to sponsor all your leisure activities. Your independence was the measure of your success.

One day, you were all grown up. You got the job you desired. Money danced in your hands. Things that at one point in time were luxury became a part of daily life - expensive restaurants, fancy coffee shops, shop-till-you-drop days, movies and everything that you desired when you had limited resources. But in the "grown up" eyes, were you successful then? No way!

At this point, you decided that you need to be the best at your craft or atleast be perceived as the best in your craft. Most of you didn't know what you were doing and why you were doing it. But you still persisted, coz you wanted more resources for even bigger dreams! You wanted shiny toys and a concrete jungle to call your own. Years passed. You eventually got them, even though most of you were burdened under unimaginable debts. But as long as this was obsolete to the world, you had no reason to bother. You could now flash what seemed rightfully yours! Now the thought of redefining success hits you again.

This time you being successful is a measure of your goodness/ compatibility with your spouse. Enter children and the definition of success is up-ed by a notch! So I hope none of you missed the constantly changing trend.  There are things that you wish for. More often than not, when you get them, you don't have the same value for them as you had while you were wishing for them.

But would you call this success? As I said earlier, this is merely subjective. But if you think this chain reaction of need for material things is success, you probably need to delve deep into the topic; if not now, then probably in due course of time.

Success has been associated with phrases like "survival of the fittest". This gets me thinking. Couple of weeks back, I was at one of the holy places in south India - a lake, where people "supposedly" got rid of their sins (not to mention dirtying the water beyond explanation!). This lake was flooded with fish. The devotees would throw bread crumbs at the fish, which would jump on each other to get the largest bite of food. Now, isn't this what all of us eventually end up doing? Jump over each other to get the easy things that are being handed over than explore the opportunities for finding our own food? So what makes us different from those fish? As I see it, barring the physical form, we exhibit the exact same tendencies. So how are we superior?

Recently, at the Robin Sharma leadership session, I bumped into this gentleman who was running from pillar to post in order to establish a strong network of people, to expand his business. Even though I thought it was extremely hilarious in the beginning, he had the last laugh! While the rest of us were pulled back from approaching Mr Sharma due to various reasons, from hesitation to laziness, this gentleman managed to get an autograph/photograph/ personal time with Mr Sharma and the CEO of the group! He might have made an ass of himself in front of the crowd, but he did get what he wanted. Now what was more important? What he wanted or how he looked in front people? So there you go. You can be successful even though people think otherwise!

This would be my definition of success. The minute you stop wondering and giving importance to the trash talk going on around you and devote yourself to your goal, you have achieved success. You may not be successful in the first attempt, but as a person you have not failed. It's ok to fail others but never fail yourself. No one can be a better you than you!


P.S : Dreams of today are reality of tomorrow provided you have faith. 

Mind, Body and more

It was a bright Saturday morning! Yes! you read it right! Saturday MORNING! I managed to achieve a once in a blue moon feat of waking up at 5:30 am on a weekend! Now lemme take you into a flash back mode. 24 hours before this eventful morning, I sat pondering about the twists and turns in my life. (I do that a lot!!!) At every single turn I had two constant companions. They pulled me through every situation with as much grace as I could muster. They were by my side when I was riding the high waves. They were by my side when I found myself claustrophobic under the same waves! Two constant companions that are always present, not just with me, but with every single one of you - Mind and Body.

All of us have complaints about our body; either we are short or we are excessively stretched!; either we occupy two seats in a bus or we can fit on a fuel tank of a bike; either we have evergreen forest growing on our bodies or we see fading glory on our scalps! Phew.. Enough of the list. Just hope you get the essence of it. The point is, no one is perfect. No one matches the definition of the word "perfect" in the rule book coz no one has ever and I mean EVER read this rule book! It's a thick volume and most importantly, we are humans! We do not have time for self improvement? Correct?

I have read tonnes of articles on maintaining a good bod and attaining peace of mind. Somehow the pictures accompanying the article were a lot more intriguing! I have always maintained that I stopped aging at 24! (oh yeah! It's a true story!) But for the past few days, the mirror in my room, the mirrors everywhere, seem to be telling a story I can't quite comprehend! That's when the realization stuck me, 24 hours before I write this post.

As I am applying brakes on my downhill journey with as much fanaticism as I can muster, the truth remains - peaceful mind resides in a healthy body. In today's world, where serenity has gone obscure, all of us at some point crave for calmness and stability in our lives. Working 16 hours a day has it's own gains and losses. (You  gain weight and lose hair!!!!)

No, I am not typing incoherently coz I don't fit into my clothes or my mirror frame. I am typing coz this realization may actually make me look the way I feel, like a rockstar! Alright alright, jokes apart. All of us are selfish at some point in life. All of us put ourselves first. It's most definitely a good thing. But what amazes me is how we neglect vital things that we own, that already belong to us to continue our obsession with far fetched things of little use! I mean, come on,  what's the use of an expensive evening gown when there's no body to sport it? What's the point in having a huge place to live physically when your mind is shunted!

For all my fellow software professionals, let "sick leaves" just remain as the fake stories concocted to achieve that almost impossible vacation you have been wanting to take! Your body is your temple, your mind - your God. Please worship it with passion, before either of the two decide to accelerate your journey down hill!


P.S : Make time for exercise, else you'll have to make time for illness!

Year so far..

Life is all about building castles and covering the journey to live in them. I decided to build a castle for myself. Nothing new about it. I have always build castles as every given opportunity. But I failed to do, is go on the journey leading to the castle of my dreams. Every stone I stumbled on got me thinking - is this the right path for me? Why is it such a rough road? Gawwd, why can't it be tarred! Sometimes, I gave up after the first stumble. The other times I pushed myself only to face more right-on-my-nose falls. But the common pattern here is I gave up every single time. Sometimes I put a brave face and said, "I have to let go of things". Sometimes I displayed a blunt loser attitude, said "I can't do this. I love my nose!". Sometimes I took a rather philosophical turn and said, "Probably this is not meant for me". 

Beginning of this year, I looked back at all of this and said, "What the hell man! Things cant be as bad as they seem. Lemme tread into the unknown rocky paths. But this time, with a level head and a hopeful heart. And I still love my nose!" I decided to dedicate this year into doing things that I don't particularly like. Things that give me goose bumps. Things that have been made supposedly "unattainable" due to the wall of fear I built around myself. I also decided to explore new avenues in life - places, books, people, basically anything new and refreshing. I wanted to live every single experience in my live, reinvigorating me and re-defining living.

Talking about new experiences, I have always wanted a mic in my hands to amplify the melodious noise waves being released by my vocal chords. As far as I can remember, this has been one of the top 10 things in my to-do list. So lemme get this straight. We are talking about a girl, who would not voluntarily take the spot light to as much as address people, unless bull-dozed to do so. So singing in front of the same audience would mean a milestone right? Well, come Jan 2012 and a glass of bullfrog (don't ask me what that is! I just remember it as a blue drink that got me "happy"!) I was in the spot light - voluntarily, mind you. With the music in the back ground and lyrics on the fore ground, I let my spirit free in terms of noise waves. What's surprising is, one look at the video (oh ya, you don't expect my special ones to let go of a golden opportunity to record this musical extravaganza, do you?) and I was no longer afraid of letting my voice resonate, where people can hear it! I won't say I am Lady Gaga but hey! People did go gaga over this lady! (however short it lasted! The free drink confirms the fact!) 

Last month brought with it woes that every Bangalorean dreads - long distance travel within the city. (I hear a lot of affirmative sighs! I am totally with you on this!) For those who are not aware of the plight of us tortured souls, lemme put it this way. Will you enjoy a 5 hours bus journey, to and fro, from your home to office? If your answer is yes, please email me your job description and pay slip! If not, I would appreciate your empathy. Anyways, I believe that your worse times lay a strong foundation for your good times. So as the situations get worse, believe that your good times are gonna be better!

Month end saw me checking one of my wishes off my bucketlist. I met the man I can safely and earnestly call my guru - Robin Sharma. Although not in person, I saw him up close and personal, convincing me that if your beliefs are strong they can move the mountains for you! Sometimes when you are down in dumps, you witness situations that alter your life for good and leave you fulfilled. This was my case!

As I look back at the past 2 adventurous months, I feel a process of liberation being kick started. I believe, more than ever now, that ask and you shall receive. Ideally this should have been a post written on 31st Dec 2012. But why wait that long to conduct a good deed? This is my attempt to record every highlight and express gratitude. I appreciate all your company in my journey. Do come back for more! Till then live good - feet firmly grounded but thoughts beyond the sky.

Lead without a title!

Certain incidents can change the course of your day in a matter of milliseconds. You are always thinking of ways to spice up your life, bring in incidents that can reinvigorate you. Sometimes they just happen to hover over your head and sit on your nose to get your attention!

One lazy afternoon, while I was attempting to pump up my lazy ass to get the work done, a mail arrives in my inbox. Knowing the source of the mail and appreciating his earnest attempts to bring a smile of my face at every given opportunity, I decided to read the mail before hitting the rut. What I felt after reading the mail cannot be described in words. It's one of those moments where you don't know what has to be done first - punch your fist in the air, scream out with joy, yelp like all the screws in your head have been loosened up, sob like a little girl or thank God for paying heed to your wishes! For all those who know me, I need not ramble about my reverence of Robin Sharma. So here's for all those who don't know this very integral part of my life - Robin Sharma has been my virtual tutor ever since I read "The saint the surfer and the CEO". This book has been my bible and this man has been a one-of-a-kind teacher. If you haven't guessed it yet, the mail informed me about a Robin Sharma leadership session in Bangalore!!!

With all the last minute scramble for the tickets, 5 hours of sleep, early morning rush to Taj Vivanta - the venue, empty yet full stomach, I reached the venue. I wouldn't be lying if I were to say that I looked like someone had stuck a pencil across my mouth! The anticipation of waiting for Mr Sharma had me smiling ear to ear! Finally, the man in black arrives midst the whistles and thunderous claps! I am not usually very star-struck. But something about the glowing aura around this man which is well complimented by a streak of humor will leave you all smiles!

The session that lasted for 3 hours turned out to be a life changer for people who believe that changes are avenues of growth. It empowered those who chose valuable work over mindless toil. It encourages people to take risks and live life, for you only live once.Acknowledging the strength each one of us possess, Mr Sharma speaks about how consistency is the mother of mastery. His philosophies combine the best of the east and west and bring forth to people principle values, which in one word can be described as "simple". The more you complicate life, the more complicated it is gonna get. Live simple and you will be nimble.

I got back from the session less than an hour back. I am already in front of my computer and I am typing this post with immense passion biding by one of the main points covered in the session - You can always do the run when you feel like. You need to do the run when you don't feel like doing the run. This is gonna shape your character. Push yourself to excellence while your competition sleeps. Accomplish small goals every day. They will mount up to a large number in no time. This is success. Did you ever think success would be this simple? No one told you it would be easy. The things you most resist are carrier of your greatest growth!

This is my attempt to conquer distraction and hone my creativity. Seeing Robin Sharma live, flesh,blood and bones has made me realize that all our wishes are being heard to. Probably processing time for some is greater than the other. But everything is being noted by the cosmic cycle nevertheless! Keep you eyes open for opportunities, for the best of opportunities come in the best of disguises.

P.S: Anyone who wants more information on the session is free to get in touch with moi!

You..

There are a lot of things in our daily life that can get hair at the back of necks stand. We fear so many things - dark, unknown, roaches and the list just keeps getting bigger. But there's something that forms an integral part of every person's list at some point or the other - rejection.

People really don't take rejections well. The worst part about this, is the pattern that develops. A string of rejections can kick in the poison that corrodes the soul. If you don't believe me, ask yourself. After being declined by the first person you ever proposed, rejection is the first thought that enters your head when you are on the road way to your next proposal. I understand the fear. But I also understand this can be curbed and taken care of.

I have always believed that if you are being rejected by a certain set of people snubbing your ideas, you and your thoughts are surely not worth the place. For good or for worse, you need to figure it out! Life unfolds according to a plan. Everything has its place, everyone has a purpose. Rejections faced by you are probably the signs trying to tell you something. Listen to them.

Failure at work can probably mean either you slog your ass hard or find your calling and slog harder. Rejection letters from companies could mean they are not worth your time. Roses crushed under heels could mean that there's a better person waiting for you, whom you would have never met had it not been for a rejection. So as you can see from the incidents, its all a part of the plan, the big picture. A wise person had once told me, you can connect all the dots only in hindsight. 

 Some people just don't have to wait till they are bald to gain wisdom! This one, is for one of them. The rest could use this as a pointer!

I see you, putting a brave face in front of the world. I know you are hurting. Even through your pain, I feel immense pride as I look in your eyes. These are the eyes that will provide the world a vision. I see the strong arms being thrown helplessly in the air; the arms, that will work tirelessly to build things from the scratch. I see the shrugged shoulders; massive shoulders being built to carry an empire. I see the finger, curled into a fist and wonder if they are even aware of the strength they possess. Your attitude to life is an epic in itself.

You are not like anyone I've ever come across. You are plain simple you. Your dreams give birth to your life. Your meant to breath life into your dreams. It's said - The finest of steel has to go through the hottest of fire. The more you sweat on the training ground, the less you bleed in the battleground. This is your training and it might get hotter. Promise me you'll never give up. Not coz giving up is cowardly. Coz giving up is not you. It's never been you. 

I am fortunate to be a part of the fire engulfing you. I take pride in being a part of your training, however insignificant and small it may seem. The wildest of colts make the finest of horses. Embrace your rejections as they are paving a path to your fine future. Your knowledge will set you free, your power will set you sailing. As I see you sailing through the storm, I see the clear skies ahead. Stay put dear soldier, stay strong. Winds of change are on their way.

All mine

I have always believed that what's yours cannot be taken from you. It always finds a way to come back to you. At the same time you cannot take into possession what's not yours. It will not remain yours, even if you were to safeguard it with your life. Now now, a very simple principle, ain't it? Then why is it so hard for a certain numb skulls to understand it? Oops, I answered my question! If you are numb, you ain't feeling anything right?

This post might as well be a fruit of frustration! But lemme try to objectify it as much as possible.

Long back a friend had told me something, that continues to haunt me till date - Expectation is a mother of all fuck-ups! You know what? It sure as hell is! Lets rationalize it. Why do we expect? Is it coz we think we deserve things? Or is it coz the person next door has it and we don't? The sources are disparate but the destination is the same.

People say, have realistic expectations. Now can these people please rise up to the occasion and tell me what exactly is a "realistic" expectation? Is it certain "cult" of expectations that are limited to your bounded brains? Something you perceive is achievable to you and hence generalize it coz you think you are the end of the world? So if my logic is correct, anything I think I deserve or can achieve that's beyond your limited and chained thought process is gonna be condemned! Once again, I am not even gonna delve on the realms of who gave you the right to write my life story!

Time and time again, I have been shaken up by my reliable sources asking me to come out of my "ideal" world. Well, if a world were honesty and truthfulness precedes manipulation is called ideal, then so be it! I dance to the music of my song. That's the only dance I know. If you wanna change the music to suit your ear drums, be assured I am gonna step on your toe. You could then go and cry to your mama!

I am not complaining that the world is claustrophobic. I am just saying that world can be such a better place to be where every breath one takes need not weaken one's spine! Looking around, I know its a tough job for me to survive being me. Can I emerge victorious? If I were to change even a single set of thoughts, it would be a small victory. Nopes, I don't wanna preach. Why would I? I am just a restless soul in mid 20's. How much of world have I seen? I have lived a principled life, guarding my values for they are what make me. You all are intelligent enough to recognize that success does not succeed values!

So why am I writing this post? I write this post to address people - believers. In the end, the good shall prevail. Sounds cliched right? Well, most of us haven't lived a full life. Meet me at the end of yours and we can discuss this then! For all you simple honest buggers wanting to live your live your way, there's still hope. Hope, that arises from each of your hearts. Please don't buckle under "peer pressure". You are answerable only to the person you see in the mirror. Dance to your music. Dance like no one is watching. Don't forget to give a "gentle" hook to anyone who tries to re-tune you. All the best warriors! See you on the other side!

Roo!

This one is gonna be rusty. Multitude of reasons attribute to the rustiness. A night spent roaming the streets of Bangalore, sipping delicious road-side "chai" at an unearthly hour, battling mosquitoes, cracking and comprehending jokes caused by extreme sleep deprivation, fighting with every ounce of left over energy to drive a super-cockroach out of the bath room, decking up at wee hours irrespective of the limited audience, begging for beverages to stop our eye lids from meeting; there you go - a short animated description of my first ever night out! As I re-read the above words I feel I may not have done enough justice. But come on, cut me some slack - this poor soul hasn't slept the whole night! (Lets discount the fact that I had my body pasted to the bed for a good part of the day today!)

Now that I am done hyping the whole episode, lemme tell you the real reason behind the "night-out". For those who are regulars here, you may recollect a post where I talk about a few angels in my life. Last night was dedicated to one of them - the best human being I have ever come across, an angel in true meaning of the term, a girl who redefines humanity (nopes, I am not going overboard and I can have people vouch for this one!)

Out of sheer distress comes the cause of your happiness and happy I was riding on the pillion seat of the biker girl. Happy I was, through a series of unforgettable (almost unimaginable) situations, be it stress testing a scooty for its pace or facing a principal who had clearly left his brains at home or taking turns to wake up each other to prepare for a Godforsaken exam or taking a walk whilst hunting for masca-chasca biscuits!

Without really spending a lot of thought I christened her Roo - my jittery attempt at cutting short a highly intellectual name. And boy oh boy did the name stick around! She's perhaps the most simplest person on earth, her humbleness will not go unnoticed (nor will her long legs!) The biker girl kicks ass whether on bike or on her strong long legs. Over 6 years of knowing each other, being inseparable in college (yup, hand over shoulders in ALL the photos!) we have come a long way. When someone this special decides to walk down the road of commitment, I am always left wondering. How can there be a "better half" to someone who's the best in the world! I guess my questions are answered today!

As I see this tomboy transform into a beautiful maiden holding hands with a man of her dreams, I know that  this is just a beginning to a beautiful journey - a journey of love, a journey of togetherness, probably the only road trip she hasn't been on till date! I see the sparkle in your eyes, I see the contentment behind the excitement, I see the love behind the curtain of shyness, I see a blissful life ahead!

Roo, you deserve the moon, the stars and everything this universe has to offer! You a "daaaaaarling" (if only you all could see her cringing now!). Don't ever be afraid to take what's yours. Words may not always help you describe things. So, I am not even gonna attempt on showing you how beautiful you are. Here's wishing you a lifetime of bliss. (May you be the success couple that change my opinion on marriage!)

P.S: You still have to pay me for unleashing the "Sand-mundu-man" on FG and moi! Ahaaaa

Trippinnn..

Just back from an awesome weekend getaway. What's surprising, is I am happy to be back home. In fact, I am even raring to go to my work place (strange eh??). As they say, truth is sometimes stranger than fiction!

My weekend trip to Hyderabad initially intended to be a "catching up with old friends (no pun intended!)", proved out to be much more than that! Last minute accommodation arrangement, early morning talks with long lost friends (and their husbands! Time has some grace after all!), "innocent" auto drivers conceding to my "negotiation skills" (Didn't you appreciate that Poosh??) and the super hot "cold wave" has been more than refreshing!

This was supposed to be my trip, as in MY TRIP, where I intended to carry my happening ass to all the places I wished without any human support! I must be God's favorite child, I had company ALL ALONG! (not that I am complaining!) I remember some one calling me anti-social (wait a minute.. that surely must be my alter ego! I rock with people around!). Having such fun people around me 24/7, I must be super cool!

What began on an auspicious note with a super yummy breakfast (once again, thanks auntie!!! Did I tell you, you rock???) ended on a jaw dropping event of announcement of an engagement. (not mine people, not mine) This probably would mean one more trip next week to a land I don't particularly like for a man I completely adore! (Hope I get my spa vouchers Poosh. Read my previous comment, I have EARNED it!)

Confused reading this post? Congrats! This attests your normalcy, although I would still say this ain't a good enough proof to hide your insanity! This post is more of a blabber post. I am just happy! (I just got back remember? Not been to work yet! I guess I have a good 3 hours between me and a (hopefully not) foul mood!!!)

For all those who think work sucks (yes, I am addressing the 99.99% of people reading this) take my word for it when I say, real life is outside work! Take a break (have a kit kat if you don't suffer from "weight issues!") One small trip, an encounter with people friends/strangers alike (believe you me, strangers can prove to be really S-T-R-A-N-G-EERRRSS!) a new place or an old place revisited is enough to keep you going till your next seizures! (remember the very frequent life-is-boring seizures??)

I am so kicked! I even called my yoga instructor and fixed up my "yoga plans" starting tomorrow! (Yes flab, you sure as hell are out of my body. New year seems to be bringing your end. *wicked laugh*)

Gotta scram now. Now, now, what do I do before I end a post? Say something (usually the first thing that hits my head!) and make it sound intelligent. (Yes, if you don't get what I mean you fall in negative IQ region! Now read and say.. ahhaaa epiphany!) I don't see any reason why this post should be any different! So here I go - Celebrate your time, for you know not what awaits for you tomorrow. (trust me you'll have a tomorrow. You most definitely will!! Else, when will you repent over lost time??)

Anyways people, here's wishing you a great week ahead! Will be back with my stories (hopefully more happening ones!) Till then, keep reading! C'est la vie!!!

Bon Voyage!

Travelling means different things to different people. For some it’s a passion, for some it’s a hobby, for some it’s a way of life and for some special people its life itself. Some travel to explore the world outside, while some travel to understand the world within. Some for developing a feeling “been there done that” while some for opening new avenues in life. 


As much as I talk about travelling, I haven’t done a lot of it myself. But I am hoping to, in the near future, which forms a big part of my new year resolutions! From whatever little travelling I’ve done, I know my actual reason behind wanting to travel. And it’s a lot more than just being photographed in front of a famous monument! I’ve always been intrigued by people and their culture. The best part being that it is almost an inexhaustible resource. Even if you have met a million people, learnt about a trillion cultures there is always more waiting to be discovered! This knowledge gives me a reason to go on my expedition with more vigor!
My first ever memorable trip to the Andaman’s was first in many ways. The first time I got to pick the location, first time I changed the itinerary, first time I met people who left me awestruck, for their passion for travelling was really overwhelming! ‘Backpacking’ is a very cool term. Really! Anyone who tells me “I went backpacking to XYZ place” gets me to applaud their attempt. I know what are the challenges people face when they wanna travel, most of which, prohibit them to do so. Money, society, blah blah forms a formidable barrier. So anyone who crosses this barrier manages to earn my respect!


In Havelock islands, I happened to bump into a passionate traveler from Holland. It took me a while to register what she meant when she said, “I sold my house and every single thing in it before I started globetrotting.”Once it did register I could hear my head reeling. WHAT??? My heart was in my mouth when I learnt that she had bid goodbye to her husband only coz she wanted to travel all around the world. With no security and no one to bank upon, she had set off on a journey, probably to find herself. Being used to my comfort zone, I thought that what she did was completely opposite to everything I ever believed in. You need your comforts, you need your people, you need somewhere to get back to, you need someone to get back too. But there was a part of me who kind of understood her. Most of you reading this would think this an act of sheer stupidity. Think again.


That was the first time it hit me, one can have all the materialistic things and worldly pleasures. But these cannot buy inner peace or help you find your true self. As I continued my conversation with this enigmatic woman, I discovered how uncomplicated her life was. Her entire life was in her backpack. A small “bathroom kit” with an even smaller mirror, few clothes which would soon find their way out to make place for the new ones, a book ,just about enough money and lots of memories. She believed in never having to repent. She danced with the locals under the moon light; she clicked pictures on her i-phone; she found a place on the ship deck without any complaints, when she saw that her seat had already been occupied; she travelled with no expectations; she travelled to live and lived to travel.


I may not remember her face, but I can never forget her spirit. 


May this serve as an inspiration to aspiring travelers. May this give you strength to jump the formidable walls and explore the world outside. May this lead you to the road of self discovery. Bon voyage!

2012

As the sound of firecrackers fill my ears, I have a very happy feeling seeping through ever pore of my body. A feeling, that assures me this year is gonna witness realization of dreams while new ones are being spun. A feeling that compels me to eagerly look ahead and live life queen style. A feeling that would reinforce my belief in miracles. A feeling, that can't be given a name, for it could scar its sanctity.

Every new year brings with it a lot of hope. We believe that bygones will be bygones and look forward to a new life which would heal our wounds, bring us relief.The hope that spurs up in my heart, which brings a smile of my face, which gives me the confidence to face the unknown, is the same hope that inspires a writer to write her next novel, an athlete to run a race of his lifetime, an actor to portray life on screen and a painter to capture colors of this universe on a canvas.  Every 1st of Jan marks the commencement of hoards of resolutions, most of which die a silent death in less than a week! But the same people make the same resolutions every year, without giving up!

It's said that what one does on Jan 1st, marks pretty much all he/she would do throughout the year. So, I decided to start my new year with something, that has, in the past few months become an avenue of expressing myself - writing. I won't say it completes me, but without it I surely am incomplete.There a lot of things I would like to do - Explore the world, Work for WWE/ National Geographic, Meet Edge (if I hear any of you laugh, I swear I am gonna have to take you to task!!!) and finally have a nice BIG ring on my finger!!!  But most importantly, I realize what shaping ones character means. So I decided to be the best person I can today, hoping this would rub on for as long as this year would last and a lot more! As for my wishlist, here's hoping I get to check all of them by end of this year!

2011 passed by at a break neck pace. I can't point my finger at one particular thing that made it rocking or boring! The most important lesson learnt has been about people. I had the good fortune of meeting few really genuine beings. Some in office, some outside and some online! A big thanks to all of you for reinforcing my faith in goodness. You guys have been like zephyr. Looking at your loved ones moving away is never easy.  All my friends in different continents, you guys are the most happening thing in my life!  But distance only brings you closer and closer we most definitely are. Then there were relations I almost lost, but were saved in the nick of time. I sincerely apologize for my follies. Can't promise that I won't repeat them, but will cherish you with all my life and not let go ever again. And that is my word. Finally, the ones who are around me, who have always been the closest to my heart, who give meaning to my life, here's praying this is just one of the many many happy new years we celebrate together!

I personally thank the super power for giving me one more Jan 1st to live and cherish with my loved ones. All my problems diminish when I see celebration of life all around me. Here's hoping the celebrations are here to stay! Happy new year to one and all. Make the best of this day, for you are fortunate to have it.