Dew Drops

2010 in a 'Nut'shell

2011-01-11T04:29:00.004+05:30

A lame attempt to revive my blog ...stole it from Aditya's blog!!!

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before? Sports - tennis, badminton and squash became my favorites

2. Did you keep your new years resolutions, and will you make more for next? I think I did. Wanted to connect to more people, make friends and become more outgoing, and now people around me refuse to identify me as an introvert!!!

3. What date from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? This should be something positive, hence 1st Nov - flew to the US.

4. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Learning to drive on bngalore roads, and doing it independantly.

5. What was your biggest failure? Fitness - couldnt keep as fit as I wanted to :(

6. Did you suffer illness? Yes. But nothing major.

7. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed? Some loudmouth.

8. Where did most of your money go? Shopping, hanging out and shopping!

9. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Going to the States!

10. What song will always remind you of 2010? Nirvana songs, cant believe I hadnt heard them before!!

11. Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder? Happier.

12. What do you wish you’d done more of? Working more pro-actively in office.

13. What do you wish you’d done less of? Less of daydreaming.

14. Did you fall in love in 2010? No.

15. How many one night stands? None.

16. What was your greatest musical discovery? Curt Kobain.

17. What did you want and get? More work in office, and better work.

18. What did you want and not get? Better health.

19. What was your favourite film of this year? Oh, I watched so many that I cannot recall any of them anymore!

20. What did you do on your birthday? Spent the day at the consulate trying to get my US visa

21. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Well ...

22. What kept you sane? My adorable friends :)

23. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010. Friends rock! Smile works wonders :)

24. Which new places did you visit in 2010? In and around Bangalore, Chikmangalur, Austin, Panama City, Desin, New Orleans, Houston

25. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year -
All izzz welll!

Almighty

2010-08-18T13:41:00.001+05:30

The weekend was supposed to be a spiritual retreat. A trip to a very famous temple.

What it turned out was the biggest let-down I have known. Made me question the extent and rationale of devotion. It was a circus out there, and it would probably be the last place where I’ll find Him. I still have my faith intact, and notwithstanding those agonizing hours of waiting in a line and then in prison-like cells, I still pray. Now I pray in quiet, sometimes on my bed, sometimes at work, sometimes on the go, but I pray when I need his strength, and I pray without any shenanigans or without any of the blind rituals. I just pray, and I know He listens.

Lets discuss ...

2010-04-08T20:33:00.003+05:30

It could be a boring old topic. It could be like hearing an old tape recorder that you may have heard a hundred times before. It could sound like the ranting of an insecure girl. It could make you resist me and detest me. It could spoil your perfectly bright and happy mood. It could feel like an alien's blabbering. It could make you wonder. It could feel harsh and caustic. It could feel unapologetic. It could make you feel helpless. It could make me feel helpless. Lets do it anyway. Lets discuss Me.

Walk in the park

2010-01-24T22:02:00.004+05:30

My apartment complex has the prettiest landscape, and taking a walk around the manicured grass patches feels so heavenly. The light Bangalore breeze blowing my hair, the fountains and cascades of water that punctuate every turn, the Roma-like statues, the night lamps that dot the entire facade - the place looks straight out of a fairy tale.

I've been spending quite some of my evenings here - the ones when I'm not out with friends or out shopping. Its amazing what a stroll in these greens does to my mood. I've often taken these gorgeous little walks when I've been down and out, and come back refreshed and at peace.

The Ride

2009-11-16T20:55:00.003+05:30

At first it was scary. Like having a big bazooka in your hand and knowing that one mistake would be one too many. But I had come back to India with a wishlist and this featured at the very top, and I wasnt about to give-up so easily. I was a slow learner. I would return back home each time moist and dizzy - not so much from the heat but from the stress.

Then it got better. Slowly, silently, calm returned. The big machine in my hands felt not so intimidating any more. I loved the freedom it gave me. I loved the possibilities and the opportunities it presented. More than anything else, I felt the triumph of having broken down a barrier - a barrier that had existed in my mind as well those of others. The barrier that no other girl in my family had dared to cross. And I loved proving a lot of people very very wrong about me.

Now, as I slide into my car behind the wheels, I feel dizzy again - not the stress this time but the light-headedness of joy and freedom and of being in control. Its a symbolic victory for me and dont I know it! The engine revvs up and roars into life, and so does my spirit. See ya after the ride!

Back

2009-11-15T23:00:00.003+05:30

I'm not sure what happened in between, where I got lost. Amidst all the chaos and confusion called life, something gripped me so hard that it was nearly impossible to let go. But I tried. It took a while, and I'm here now, not afraid to show who I am to the world. It was a decision that was long overdue, and now that its done there will not be any second thoughts and hesitations.

Selective Amnesia

2009-05-13T10:00:00.002+05:30

If only there was such a thing, an automatic process that would let me forget everything I wanted to, and only retain the precious little that make me smile.
If only there was a switch somewhere, like on a computer, where we could delete the unwanted, erase it forever from the memory like it was never meant to be.
If only life had a preview option.

So long!

2009-04-27T18:03:00.003+05:30

Last day in this office today.
It hasnt hit me yet that I may never meet some of these people again.
It hasnt hit me yet that life is about to change drastically, very soon.

What I do know is that it has been a long road for me, settling down on alien shores, making friends, getting familiar with the culture, knowing what the country looks like, how it behaves, how it smells, getting used to frequent winds and rain, boarding the ubiquitous trains and trams to go to any corner, crossing the bike lanes, smelling the tulips.

I feel uneasy. I hadnt expected this feeling. I thought I would be delighted to go back home, to be with familiar people, to taste spicy Indian food, to know that roads would be jam-packed with traffic, to get back to cheaper currency.

Perhaps I am uneasy because this has been the great escape - an escape from the pains that I have seen so often all my life. Its been like a dream – this place. Everything has worked out so good, everybody here seems so content, so fulfilled, its almost like this sea of humanity is so far untouched by the troubles that a developing country like ours takes for granted. But that is a long story, to be saved for another day.

For all I care at this moment, I will miss this place dearly. I really will.

So Long, and Thanks for all the fish!

2009-03-18T17:42:00.006+05:30

A speech for Toastmasters:

Sometime ago, I read a book by Douglas Adams called the Hitchhikers’s Guide to the galaxy. The book starts with some alien creatures on the verge of demolishing Earth!
And for a moment, I felt something happen in the pit of my stomach, something outrageous, even though it was a fictional story. I was a little uneasy because they were demolishing our planet, which in galactic proportions is my home! After all, the home and the heart are supposed to reside in the same place! I wondered if this was a common sentiment, or was it just me?

Looking more closely, and in more real-life terms, things didn’t seem very different. I have been to many beautiful places, I’ve met many wonderful people, but at the end of the day, I am tired. I want to go home.

I was browsing through the internet once, and I discovered that in some places like the US, there are actually traditions associated with homecoming. People, towns, high schools and colleges come together, usually in late September or early October, to welcome back former residents and alumni. They are built around a central event, such as a banquet and, very often, a game of American football, or, basketball, or ice hockey. Homecomings were occasions to revive old and fond memories, to put things in a different perspective and to provide a bridge to the future.
When I was little kid, my homecoming would be different. I would go to school in the morning, and go to play in the evenings with my friends. At the end of the day I would be tired and longing to come back to my parents, I would be very hungry and I would want food cooked at home.
I would sometimes go visit some relatives or my grandparents, and spend a few days, or weeks with them. It would be very comfortable, I would be pampered and treated like royalty. But it would never feel home. It was not my home.

When I grew up a bit, I went to a college in another city, and I’m talking about a huge country like India, where unlike NL distances could be quite far. Fortunately this was quite close – only 8 hours by train. I was quite excited to go as this was the first time I would be on my own. I would have freedom to live the way I wanted to. I could spend more time with friends, stay out late with friends, and take my own decisions. I stayed in a hostel- and I visited home during all the breaks and major holidays. But despite all the freedom, I would get all excited whenever a break came up. And when they ended, I felt sad every time I left home. On retrospection, it seemed like Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to get back to. The home is the bottom line of life, the anvil upon which attitudes and convictions are hammered out. It is the single most influential force in our earthly existence. It is at home, among family members that we come to terms with circumstances. It is here life makes up its mind.

Now I have a job and I am working in a different country, a different continent. Things have changed, but have they? My assignment in Netherlands is about to end in a few weeks. And I am already dreaming about all the things I would do when I get back home, my mind is already drawing up plans of friends to meet, of places to visit, of things to do, of food to eat, of movies to see, of things to buy! This in no way means that I haven’t enjoyed my stay here – I have, immensely. I’ve seen so many amazingly beautiful places, I’ve seen different cultures and met some very smart people. But its time to go home!

Thank you all for making my stay even more memorable. As they said in the Hitchikers guide, So Long, and thanks for all the fish!

The year for me

2009-01-14T16:23:00.005+05:30

The good...

1. One year of solid job experience with a couple of big projects.
2. The year of Europe travel - I travelled more than I ever have in my entire life.
3. Financial independence.
4. I got back closer to books - have read more than a score this year.
5. A good year for my family - my siblings on solid ground with their education and career.
6. Toastmasters saved my bruised ego!

The bad...

1. Personal life and sanity went for a toss - visited my parents once, and saw him only twice.
2. Did not make too many good friends. Did not keep in touch with old ones either.
3. Lack of clarity and poor vision for my future, and what I would want my life to be.

The learnings...

1. Give people a chance, even if at first sight they may seem not-my-type.
2. Sharpening the axe, polishing the tools, keep learning and self-improving.
3. Physical fitness is vital for mental well-being!
4. Meeting people with a pre-concieved idea that you already share a good rapport with them actually helps.
5. Spend smartly.
6. To have friends, you have to be a friend first.

The books...

1. No 1 has to be Stephen Covey's 7 habits. One of the rare self-improvement books that really appealed to me.
2. The hitchhikers guide - amusing, tickling and a very entertaning read.
3. The kite runner and the thousand splendid suns - no other book shook me as much as these 2 did.
4. Flawless consulting- lots of common sense and good book to read in the consulting business.
5. Essential economics - introduced me to an area that I would like to explore further.

The could-have-beens...and the wishlist keeps growing...

1. Salsa. I dropped after a few lessons, excuses offered are a lack of partner and lack of enthusiasm.
2. More friends, if I had tried.
3. Another sport, or regular gymming.

What I want from 2009?

1. Clarity, both in my professional and personal life.
2. More time spent with him, and with friends.
3. A degree in Economics, or a few steps towards it.
4. IIT JEE for my brother, MBA for him.
5. Better management scheme of my finance and savings.
5. The usuals - a fatter pay-check, a prettier wardrobe, a more rewarding work life, some good holidays, good food, good music, the list goes on...:D

Shallow Hal

2008-07-07T19:48:00.004+05:30

I like the Modern.
I like tall skysrapers, the glow of streetlights and wide roads.
I like a city buzzing with shopping streets and restaurants.
I like trendy clothes, good shoes and the fashion magazines.
I like well groomed people, who dress up well and make themselves look good.
I like having food in an expensive restaurant with the waitors treating you like royalty.
I like living in a house which is big, spacious and has big windows.
I like indulging myself...
...Even if that makes me sound materialistic and shallow.

Its a beautiful world

2008-07-07T19:35:00.002+05:30

Its been cold, and windy, and beautiful. Back from a holiday in one of the most beautiful parts of the world has its rewards, and emotional luggage. Its been six months in an alien nation, and its already beginning to feel like home. Its convenient, its expensive and its away from the one I so dearly love. I've never had more doubts about myself, but I've never been happier either. I mostly spend my weekends alone, cooking, gymming, reading, watching TV; but my life has seldom felt so enriched by the number of people I have met. I've become aware of my shortcomings, yet I've rarely been more confident. I felt lost before, but now I have a blueprint. I feel different, yet the same.
Its probably the best phase of my life yet, despite all the tears I've shed.

the new and the beautiful

2007-10-12T14:12:00.000+05:30

Times have changed, and how!

Sitting in office, with a monitor in front of me, and attending meetings and conferences, life hasnt been the same. I arrived in Bangalore some three months back. Having stayed in hotels and service apartments for the entire time, and seeing a bit of Europe in between has been exhilirating and astonishing. Yet somewhere I feel that this was the life I had always wanted for myself, and despite the little things that I miss, it appeals to me more and more.

Things that I had taken for granted a few months back seem like distant memory now. Hours spent just talking and sharing every single day have shrunk to a quick trip once in a few months.

Yet the positives have been immense. I get to spend as I like. I stay in gorgeous hotels and rooms that have all the amenities one could possibly ask for. I get to give my expertise on projects with the realization that the customer thinks my advice is good enough to pay for. I know I control and affect a chain of events and it might affect revenues worth millions of dollars somewhere on the earth. The feeling is one of being empowered, of being blessed, and of feeling lucky. And then I wonder why the air looks fresher and the breeze feels so good nowadays!

Of people and times

2007-04-20T13:40:00.000+05:30

It’s a mixed bag of emotions. Sitting in my room and trying to study for what could be the last exam of my academic life is not easy. My mind wanders off every minute. More than anything else it wanders and settles to some soul I have known within the last 5 years. Good and bad, sweet and mean, loyal and deceptive, brilliant and utter-fools.

I hope to get a Master’s degree in technology soon, but the art of reading people is something I have yet to master. The good news is that Kgp has helped immensely. For it is here that my little world expanded to accommodate hundreds of strangers. A handful of them, I hope will stay in my world forever. A few, I hope and pray that I never meet again. This is not to say that anybody will be forgotten, even though I would love to. But me being me, and with a law of nature that states how 'the more things change the more they remain the same', I will not have that pleasure.

I’ve found some friends, lovely friends who have been with me no matter what. These are the ones I will truly treasure, and the ones I hope to keep in touch with.

I’ve found some friends who were friends by default, and not because we shared some extraordinary bonds then or now. Guess it was more a matter of convenience.

I’ve found some so-called friends, people whose genuineness leaves a lot to be desired.

I’ve found friends who never ever really considered me their friend. These hurt me the most, because I really liked them, and they let me walk away when I did, without a word and without any remorse.

I’ve met people who could have been my friends, but somehow we never could find a common ground to start. Mere acquaintances, but it was a pleasure knowing them.

I’ve met people who were mean and selfish. Unfortunately, I could never let them know this, but I made sure I kept my distance. Not always possible because I had to work with them at close quarters, and I bore all selfish acts with a shrug, and all deeds of being mean to me with another shrug, choosing to keep my feelings to myself and not worsening things any further. According to some, it was a wrong thing to do, and I should be giving them a piece of my mind. In hindsight, they were probably right, but I was just being me. These people taught me the most valuable lessons of all.

My silence was often misinterpreted, sometimes as an attitude problem and sometimes as me being weird and incapable, and I’ve paid the price in no small way.

I’ve made some mistakes, knowingly and unknowingly. I’ve also lived by certain principles and I’m glad that I stood firm on them.

I’ve changed for sure, but I still am what I was when I first walked into the hallowed gateway of engineering. I have discovered more of myself through all the people I have met. I’ve found love. I’ve found the source of my insecurities and troubles. I’ve found my weaknesses and strengths. I’ve found hope, of a better future and life. This is what we all had been searching for, when we had slogged hard to get into our dream institutions. We had hoped for education, little knowing that it would be education for life that we would treasure more. At least I do.

The dream

2007-03-08T09:45:00.000+05:30

I don’t know how I got so lucky.

I don’t know if I have become a better person. I don’t know if God suddenly woke up to all the good karma I had done in my previous life. But someone up there sure did pull some strings for me.

For I haven’t been this happy ever. I have gone through more than 20 years of my life and it all feels like a different era. The world is still as mean. There still are people who are selfish and insensitive. Some friends have gone, the inevitable clash of personalities bearing too much strain on relationships. Some friends have stayed, surviving the rough and the storms. I am still a doof. Nothing much has changed with life as we know it.

Except one. He.

He decided to fill my life with sunshine. He decided I was worth the effort after all. He has made me feel loved. He has shown me a part of myself that i never knew existed. He makes me feel the way I had always wanted to feel about myself. He has made a moron like me fall in love. I never thought it would happen, but it has. I love him. Its the least I can say. And it is the most diminutive expression of emotions that I can allow myself.

I’m living a dream, and I don’t want to wake up!

The one and only

2006-07-08T18:46:00.000+05:30

A tribute to a brilliant performer
And the guy who has made me fall in luv with tennis all over again

Now and again...

2006-07-08T18:40:00.000+05:30

Friendship is a tough commitment.

We find friends without whom life seems impossible. We expect them to be with us when we are having fun. We expect them to give us company when it gets lonely and rough. We expect them to give us advice when we fall in a dilemma. We expect them to lend us a sympathetic shoulder when we feel like crying.

Sometimes, maybe we expect too much.

Sometimes, it’s better to let go of them, and like that age-old wisdom from time immemorial, wait for them to come back to us.

Or maybe not. Perhaps its better to get on with your life than wait for someone who hasn’t realized your worth.

Have had a strange nagging feeling for some time now. It’s that kind of depressing feeling you have when you have too much free time on your hands, when you are fed up of having your computer and your teddie bear as the only constant dependable companions, and when you feel everyone else around you is too busy with their lives to give a damn about you. A morose feeling when nobody in this world cares.

I hope I am wrong.

In fact I know I am. I'm just waiting for the vacations to end. I'm waiting for life to get back to normal. In the meantime, miss you all my dear friends.

O ye sleeping child

2006-06-20T00:23:00.000+05:30

No excuse for the hiatus without any warnings.

But then that is how life usually is, unfolding without giving you a chance to prepare, springing a surprise before you can say cock-a-doodle-doo.

The last few months have given me a whole new perspective on The Great Game.

Change is inevitable, they say.

Not quite sure if all of them have been propitious, but there have been no regrets unlike previous times.

There have been memories etched for the yore, and lessons learnt, and experiences that would forever remain unparalleled.

Like the fragrance of fresh flowers that a friend greets you with, the sweetness filling the whole wide universe and the heart alike.

Like the phone call from somebody who cares to make sure you have had your breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Like the feeling of struggling, exhausting all your strength to unfasten that single stubborn screw, then fasten it again and repeat it forty times a day!

Like being all alone and solitary in familiar vista and savoring every moment discovering new chips on the block!

Like getting soaked in the rain, feeling the pitter-patter on your head and your nose and your arms and the drops slowly trickling off your finger tips into oblivion.

Like hugging someone and not wanting to let go…

Like quietly bearing the anguish of separation and accepting the inevitable.

Like waking up and realizing that you are the luckiest soul in the galaxy, and also the silliest moron for not having realized it as yet :)

random crap

2006-03-20T22:24:00.000+05:30

For the first time I have come to my blog without having any specific topic in mind ...hope this doesnt turn out real bad, mad n incoherent ...

Another week has gone by. My project stands exactly where it was when the last post was written. Work expands to fill up the time you have. I hope the converse is also true and my work contracts and completes in time, especially since I don’t have much of it left. But there is something for me to be happy about here. I got a project for next year under a proff I really had wanted to work for since eternity. So hopefully I can find some incentive to put in some serious hours into this.

A deluge of hall dayz this week. Socializing and sleeping are the only two things I seem to remember doing this week with unwavering frequency.

A new week ...new stories ...and new moments to savor ...
Painting doors and walls can be a whole lot of fun, especially when they don’t belong to you [:P] ...maaroing sento like ‘yeh comp to tumhaare paas hamesha rahega, main nahi rahoongi hamesha’ to some comp freak ...playing TT with rackets that either don’t have rubber or don’t have handles n grips ...playing under-par and not feeling the need to compete n show everyone how good/bad I am ...gazing at the midnight sky n trying to identify the constellations ...watching an orange colored full moon at the horizon ...thinking about all the people I have met and realizing how insignificant and clueless I am ...reaffirming the faith in people I truly treasure, and vowing never to doubt them again ...being told by someone how much I mean to them, and deep inside knowing that it was actually meant ...discovering how easy it is to put a smile on someone’s face ...realizing how lucky I have been uptil now, and why I need to be grateful to god ...driving home the fact that the journey isn’t over yet, there is a lot of work still left, and that I shouldn’t give in to the temptation of taking it easy ...and somewhere in all this melee, that inexplicable moment of loneliness when the world seems all colorful and cheerful, but realizing that its not meant for me ...wondering why i need someone else to make me happy ...and also wondering why i cant find that someone to make me happy ...

Oh its a tough world all right.

The week that was

2006-03-13T20:22:00.000+05:30

Had one hell of a crazy week - one that i may not forget in a hurry. This is how it began ...

The cal trip
Rain on our faces at 6 o’clock in the morning
City Centre-an ossum place to find out how poor you are
The shopping that didn’t seem to end
KFC- heavenly burgers [:)]
The vodka icecream [:P]
The kid who kept staring at me and refused her icecream [:D]

ChemInsIghT
Chaos n drama galore
Late nights in dep
Finalizing deco plans
Phone calls and emails to guests
My cell phone balance fast approaching zero
That sweet secretary
Spray painting on my specs[:D]
D-day
Lots of nice guests
Mr Patodia’s gifts and anecdotes
That crazy bike [:D]
Another crazy bike [:P]
Maruti car with the front seat missing

The music lesson
My third class
Mam thinks I’m good [:)]
I’m good
*on top of the world*
My sweet cute amazing adorable little bro’s bday
Class bunking
Mass bunking

Hall day
Sid’s surprise
Guys threatening to dirty my room
Guys actually dirtying my room [:(]
The archi gang’s antics
Sketching on Sunny’s hand

Himadri n Naari’s cartooning skills

Himadri’s laughter
My adorable teddie- the star of the night
Basant – the life size teddie [:P]
The PJ session with SA members
Baffling’s infatuation
Exhaustion
Sleep

A week of accomplishments
The hammock finally finds its place
The Painted House finally approaches its last pages
My bank account finally vanishing
Peace
Me finally found something I’ve been looking for since long
Me finally happy after a long time
Change is the only constant thing in this world
But the more things change
The more they remain the same
Phew
This is how the cookie crumbles
If life is a waste of time and time is a waste of life
Lets all get wasted and have the time of our lives
Life’s tuff [:P]
But I love it
[:)]

I am bad :(

2006-02-23T13:38:00.000+05:30

Well…dunno why I’m writing this post…and dunno why I’m publicly proclaiming I’m bad…dunno why I’m blogging at all considering my very limited writing skills. Maybe I’m just writing for the heck of writing, or probably using this post as some sort of confession medium. After all, accepting what’s wrong is the first step towards correcting it …and I’m so tired of my sweet girl rep…wonder what it is like being at the other end of the road, being called a super bitch and all that…! Anyway…here’s dispelling all the wrong notions people ever had about me, here’s shattering all those illusions ( God! This feels soooo gooood !!!) and breaking all the myths…

I am emotionally unstable. Its mind-boggling the number of people who have complimented me on my cool and calm composure and my serene reactions…I sometimes wonder how deceptive looks could be! If only they knew…

I am intolerant. I cannot stand people I don’t like, though there are very few who fall in this category, but the problem is it takes a lottt for me to start liking someone. So the gap between who I like and who I don’t is as wide as the Indian Ocean, and the majority of the junta falls into this category...and they could go plunge and drown into it for all I care. I get bored easily. I am indifferent towards this lot, I don’t pay any attention to them through no fault of theirs, I am not interested in any kind of small talk with them…mostly this lot doesn’t exist for me.

I am moody. You wouldn’t believe how much. A good friend once told me that if somebody was to plot my mood fluctuations as a mathematical function on a graph, they would put the most happening stock markets to shame… [:))]…[:(]

I am an introvert. I stop talking when something’s wrong. It’s more like you could gauge the level of my mental well-being by the amount of talking I do. If there’s something I don’t like, or someone I’m not quite comfortable with, the rendezvous turns into a disaster. Instead of getting things out of me, I let them grow and blossom inside me until I’m too overwhelmed by them or until a friend pulls me out of it [:((]…and then I find something else to worry about.

I am lazy. I have just been lucky to have what I have. I waste my time, I don’t compete, yet I dream of reaching for the stars. I dillydally often. I want too much but I do too little.

I have a very big imagination. I dream. It could be a good thing if used properly. I use it to create characters and situations that don’t exist and have nothing to do with self-advancement…

Sometimes I get too easily influenced. Sometimes I’m as stubborn as one can get. It’s like I have a multiple personality disorder. Sometimes I’m this little girl who craves for attention and affection. Sometimes I’m a grown up who wants to be responsible and independent. Sometimes I just don’t care!

I can’t write. So if anybody comes here hoping for sparks of creative literary genius, sorry for the disappointment!

This list is by no means exhaustive, but now that I’ve gotten a few things off my head, maybe I can sleep a little more peacefully.

And yeah. I’m bad!

Hell! Boys will remain boys!

2006-02-15T22:26:00.000+05:30

This isnt a new post really, just a sequel to the previous one. Was forced into writing this after the heavy and not-so-happy feedbacks I recieved [:(].
My previous post seemed to have hurt a few sentiments. So time to cheer up guys!

Guy no. 3, you aint a mutant, just a very sweet mutant...[:P]

Guy no. 4, I dont really 'dont like you anymore' but then, cant help it... U gotta sometimes put up with my whims and fancies. And once in a while, u cud stop pulling my leg too [:P]

And just for the record, I am actually very happy and lucky to have you guys as my friends!

Boys will be boys

2006-02-09T11:30:00.000+05:30

read this somewhere..."men are like government bonds, they take forever to mature" :P
and it started a chain of thoughts in my mind. i've had the fortune/misfortune of being very close to a few of them and it will be immensely clear to everyone( like it is to me) as to why this is a fortune/misfortune.

( All characters featured here are real living men and any resemblance to fictitious characters is purely coincidental )

guy no. 1 : one of my closest friends. means the world to me...well, almost. meets me once in 30 days. treats me like a princess. for the remaining 29 days i dunno where he is. my guess is he disappears into some outer galaxy. so i need to call him and fix an appointment when i wish to see him so that he can take a break from his hitch-hiking trip of the galaxy.

guy no. 2 : another good friend. has never ever disappointed me when i needed his help. reminds me of good old days when i'm sad. reminds me of the good days to come when i'm down. most stable of the lot [:P]...and hence least like me ...and hence the guy i least identify with...and hence least expect anythin.

guy no. 3 : newest of the lot. loves to have fun. and is serious at the same time. has a girlfriend, still manages to have more time for me than the rest [:D]. a year ago featured on my list of most useless and lazy guys. suddenly metamorphosed into a hard-working n caring mutant(dont mind plz :)]. how did he do that??????am still wondering...

guy no. 4 : another new entrant. most mysterious so far. forever keeps pulling my leg. has managed to convince himself (and in the process me too )that i'm some alien. spends a lot of time with me without quite being with me. i dont like him anymore...coz he manages to push me on my defensive [:(]

guy no. 5 : puts me in a state of awe and terror at once. i think he is a genius. sometimes too big a success and sometimes too big a failure. cant make up my mind whether to love him or loathe him. *sigh*

but then these guys have enriched/impoverished my life like no one else.
these guys are complicated creatures. they're mean, bad and insensitive. they're carefree, happy and smart. they've given me tears. they've given me smiles.
and whatever the fortune or misfortune they've bestowed upon me...i'm just thankful they are here!

I've been blessed...

2006-01-29T11:25:00.000+05:30

The piece ahead is hardly original, but I just stumbled upon it, and I couldnt have rediscovered it at a better time...

Today, upon a bus, I saw a girl with golden hair
I looked at her and sighed and wished I was as fair.
When suddenly she rose to leave,
I saw her hobble down the aisle.
She had one leg and used a crutch
But as she passed, she passed a smile.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine
I have 2 legs, the world is mine.

I stopped to buy some candy
The lad who sold it had such charm
I talked with him a while, he seemed so very glad
If I were late, it'd do no harm.
And as I left, he said to me,
"I thank you, you've been so kind.
It's nice to talk with folks like you.
You see," he said, "I'm blind."
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
I have 2 eyes, the world is mine.

Later while walking down the street,
I saw a child with eyes of blue
She stood and watched the others play
It seemed she knew not what to do.
I stopped a moment and then I said,
"Why don't you join the others, dear?"
She looked ahead without a word.
And then I knew, she couldn't hear.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
I have 2 ears, the world is mine.

With feet to take me where I'd go.
With eyes to see the sunset's glow.
With ears to hear what I would know.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
I've been blessed indeed, the world is mine.

A few drops of dew

2006-01-25T16:59:00.000+05:30

I have been asked the significance of the title of my blog a million times by now. And to all those curious souls who are wondering, my answer is simple: its the meaning of my name! Apart from signifying a constellation of stars ( think astronomy, and think 'nakshatra'), it has another little known connection - a drop of dew!

Let your life lightly dance on the edges of Time like dew on the tip of a leaf

As the flowers are all made sweeter by the sunshine and the dew, so this old world is made brighter by the lives of folks like you

Dewdrops, Nature's tears, which she Sheds in her own breast for the fair which die. The sun insists on gladness; but at night, When he is gone, poor Nature loves to weep

In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.

Man's life is like a drop of dew on a leaf

PS: Thanx Aditya for posting my pic! :)

Talking the talk...

2006-01-08T04:39:00.000+05:30

Wonder what it is about a person that forms an impression on other people the most...

Whatever it is I hope it is not the ability to talk ...and I also wish pigs could fly...and I hope to live to see a 100 years...and I also wish I had the ability to talk non-stop.

I have been blessed with friends, fantastic individuals with outstanding speech delivery organs. Being shy or reserved is not a virtue, but it often gets misinterpreted. 'Snobbish', 'arrogant' and 'high-headed' are just a few tags to begin with, slowly graduating into being labeled as having an attitude problem!

As for yours truly, being the regular shy kid with an inexplicable soft voice, life hasnt been easy! It was perhaps the only thing my teachers at school found wrong with me. It was the only thing my parents tried to change about me. It was, and is the only thing that my friends find baffling. And years of lecturing hasnt seemed to have an effect...

While I am not a big fan of people who talk gibberish and nonsense, I have often tried to get into a blabbering mode only to discover that I'm not made for it.

Borrowing a quote from a friend,
Never explain yourself. Your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it.
...perhaps its time I'm accepted for what I am!

An End and A Beginning

2005-12-29T09:57:00.000+05:30

Hope and faith...
A sermon isnt intended here, just an encapsulation of the time that was, the time that promises to come and the lesson that it has chosen to impart in the only way it can. Anything is possible, be prepared for it. When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, and when there's nothing you can do about it, keep a little hope. And faith too, in yourself and your ability.
Its been a long time since I last posted on this blog. All this while I had been trying hard to come up with something that could make me smile, but it seems this is all I have at the moment...
The year has been drawing to a close. A year that I can best describe as 'an eclectic medley of extremes'! For I have seen the extreme facets of life this year, in sentiments, emotions, luck, society, success, failure, acads, relationships and friendships. Changes happened constantly and the constants kept changing...
I can already hear the footsteps of the New Year... Still have no idea how to welcome it, perhaps in quiet solitude and with a smile. My only resolution this time would be, come what may, have hope and faith...Guess thats one resolution for the keeping[:)]

What's the good word?

2005-11-27T15:00:00.000+05:30

A word is a word is a word...
but what if the word isn't a word?

Stumbled upon this great article some time back which takes a long hard look at words which should have existed, but don't. Sometimes referred to as Sniglets and sometimes as urban slangs, here are a few gems...

anecdultery : the moment you r halfway through telling someone a story -acting in the know and exxagerating like crazy-when you realize it was their story in the first place

boastbuster : a person who, when asked to guess how cheaply something or the size of your payrise at work, always picks up a figure so extreme that your story falls flat

buckstop : the space left between the person using an ATM and the person in the queue behind

hope couture : the item of clothing you keep for years in the vain hope that you might fit back into it someday

knack-knicker : someone who cant leave a hotel room without taking every tea bag, sugar sachet, complimentary shampoo etc.

edgehog : a person who hogs the aisle seat so you have to climb over them to get to a vacant stop

eyesberg : the icy look a teenager gives to his mother when he wants her to stop talking to her girlfriend

flaparazzi : someone who is always in the back-ground of a live news report, waving stupidly at the camera

tearerist : a person in the cinema who seems to take ages to unwrap their lollies or open their chips, then eats them one by one, oblivious to the noise

lovestuck : the moment on a first date when both people want to make a move but are scared of getting a knockback, and as a result nothing happens

cosmetic perjury : the tactful response required when you meet an acquaintance who have proudly changed his/her hair, face or body in a failed attempt to improve appearance

piece de resistance : the last bit of food left on a plate because everyone wants to be polite

moanatone : the faltering voice tou use when you ring work to tell them you're sick

tortune : A catchy yet awful song that you just cant't get outta ur head, even after hearing it played just once

suffermore : A person who is always sicker than or worse off than you. if you say , you are a bit tired , thay are exhausted. If you are snowed under, they tell you to try with six kids

shinterjection : At a party or dinner , the sharp kick under the table you give to your partner to indicate that whatever it is they are saying, they must stop saying it right now.

No matter how fabulous your vocabulary is, guess there will always be something out there to surprise you...

An ode from a sis!

2005-11-03T01:02:00.000+05:30

On the auspicious occasion of bhai-door...err...bhai-dooj...a lowdown on two fantastic individuals....

Mr Crowning Glory : I miss him and he doesnt realize that... Separated by constraints of space and distance...Dunno what's wrong with him, but he knows more about everything than I do, despite being eight years my junior...The most adorable creature I have set my eyes on till now...loves sketching, painting, computers and me...Taller than me...Could talk my heart out to him...very smart and intelligent...prefers to see the pink side of life...doesnt have a gal, still is very busy...The guy who taught me humility...who reminds me to be strong...The guy who shows me how to handle criticism...and how not to give up...Thinks I dont need him, but I DO...
What more can I say, except...Thanx for being there for me and I love you!

Mr Principle : I miss him and he doesnt realize that...Sometimes I miss him enough to be angry with him...Separated by constraints of time and so-called distance...Dunno what's wrong with him, but he knows so-much more about everything than I do...The cutest creature I have set my eyes on till now...loves sketching, painting, computers and me...Taller than me...Could talk my heart out to him...very smart and intelligent...prefers to see the pink side of life...does have a gal, and is very busy...The guy who is always there to make me see the good in my life when all that I can see is failure...and who can make me talk...The guy from whom I derive so much strength...Thinks I dont need him, but I DO...
What more can I say, except...Thanx for being there for me and I love you!

And Let there be Light!

2005-10-30T15:01:00.000+05:30

In the beginning of this world, God said, "Let there be light...".
Once a year, we get to play God...
As the Indian community gears up to celebrate Deepawali, turning the darkest night of the year to the brightest, my favourite memories of the festival we all love so much...

Never been much into crackers and those bombs...remember being really scared once when one of my friends tried bursting one of them in my presence...since then I have stuck to small fuljharis and anaars...

My mom synchronizing the lighting of diyas, as if organizing an orchestra...and we kids eagerly awaiting the green signal to light those diyas placed at every concievable nook and corner of the house...I believe, and still do, that my home never looked more stunning and picturesque...

The sweets!Though I do not have a sweet tooth,I love making them...or rather, help my mom make them...

New clothes...hmmm...and someone's looking good!...Never mind...girls gotta dress up once in a while!

Diwali cleaning...hmmm...lots of work...really really hard work!

Lakshmi Pooja...I'd been told once that we had to specially clean our houses and light up all the corners so that Goddess Lakshmi could find her way in!

And of course, Illu and Rangoli in Kgp...
Well...its a lot of hard work...and a lot of dirty work too...I mean just go take a look at someone who's just finished working on a chatai or done a few hours of rangoli, and you'll know!...But at the end of the day, relax and enjoy...and take in and appreciate all the work and bucks that go into making Illu such a big event in the Kgp calendar!

Happy Diwali to all of you!

Five reasons to cheer after all!

2005-10-29T00:00:00.000+05:30

We can all find a zillion different reasons to detest our campus at any given time. But love it or loathe it, you can’t ignore it. And just in case you are tired of the constant whining of what could have been, why not appreciate what we already have and can get from it( apart from a degree that is!). At least five reasons come to my mind, and here they are:

1. Clean Kgp, Green Kgp ! Its one of those very rare places where you can go out for a walk and not wrinkle your nose in disgust because the road side garbage pit got even more appalling. What’s more, the later and darker it is, the more breathtaking it becomes!

2. Friends are forever ! They come in all forms : the jhandaaoing kind, the peace-maaroing kind, the nocturnal kind, the muggu kind, the stud variety, the anti-muggu brigade, the nahalis, the atthis, the sattis, the chhaggies and what have you! A plethora of categories exist to choose from, and boy, do they last! Where else can you form friendships like you do here? Anybody who has spent any amount of time here would agree that life without them would have been, well…a different story altogether!.

3. It’s a whole new world! So you were the topper of your school. So you thought you were on top of the world. So you thought books are all that is there to conquer. Well dude, think again. There are limitless avenues to explore and Kgp teaches you that it’s never too late. You can start over all again from scratch and still find the time and resources to excel. Be it sports, dramatics, music, or good ol’ literary skills, many a talent were discovered and honed here!

4. Are you man enough?! Talk about education going beyond textbooks and actually molding character and personality. Remember the time you failed in that interview, or the time a prof screwed you in viva, or those heady days of illu and rangoli, or the time your friend was sick and lying in a hospital, or the time your hall won that all important G.C., each experience is there to savor. Life does have its own queer way of imparting its lessons!

5. Live and let live! I remember being really fussy about my choice of food, with a million nakhras about what kind of spread would be allowed to pass through my oesophagus. Then Kgp happened! Now, I don’t throw tantrums if the ‘cuisine’ in front of me doesn’t match my very high standards. In other words, I have become tolerant, and I can survive without those very things which had seemed to make life so impossible just a few years ago! I can live without eating, without sleeping for hours, without cleaning my room, without money in my pocket, without switching off my computer, and sometimes, without a shoulder to cry on. I have learnt to survive. When I walk out of this place, I know I can face anything!