The Living Room Sofa

Since my childhood, I have always slept in the Living room, only now do I have a different room.
Earlier our house had only 2 rooms, the Living room and the Kitchen. So naturally it was the living room. We were kids then and getting up at 6:30 to start for school at 7 was a task !!! Poor mom and dad had a daily Herculean task..
Then we moved to another apartment which had same number of rooms but just a size bigger. It wasnt the age of Sofa-cum-beds yet, only a bed was prevalent and that took a big space in our living room. My Granny ( she was with us for that short time)  used to sleep on it.
So till all this time I always liked the bed-roll on the floor.
We moved in our Bigger home, with an additional room called bedroom. We children took the Living room and the balcony separately, after a proposition to exchange places on a periodic basis. (its another thing, that I never left the balcony till the Sofa came in)
So this home was remodeled so many times, that I almost remember staying in different places instead of one. and with each makeover, the balcony was more and more out of sight and Living room was the biggest room. Sometime in between, the Red Sofa-cum-bed arrived in our Living room. My brother declared it unfit for him to sleep due to his height and I was the sole contender to it !
I never looked at any other option unless there was some guest, or my mom had a restraining order on how late I could sleep in the Living Room.
When I went to US, I was placed in a 2 bedroom apartment with 2 roommates. I was supposed to share 1 bedroom with one of them. But with no cellphone, and house phone in the living room next to the Sofa, and my Long calls to Home and friends and my team back in India, I ended up sleeping on the Living room sofa.. When I was at my friends place ( I spent most of my time there), the Living room Sofa was much more comfortable than any other place.- for me it was my home in US !
I moved into another Apartment and shared it with one other roommate. Dint have a Sofa but just a mattress. Although I had a choice, I put it in the Living room and settled out there :)
When I relocated to another city, I rented another 1 bedroom apartment and naturally I chose the Living room over the bedroom. My roomie came in another month later, till then the Bedroom was only a store-room. As we collected furniture - mattresses and sofa, my roomie helped me change my habits by citing saving electricity as a reason. Although I did find reasons to sleep on the two-seater sofa with my legs hanging out e.g late night calls with my team in India, or work or watching online movies , etc. , I was comfortable sleeping anywhere :).
When I was back home to India, we had shifted to a new place. Its a 2 Bedroom plus Living room plus kitchen. Anticipating Brother's marriage, he was in one of the bedrooms and my parents in another.. Me was back in Living Room..My father got it partitioned so that I get some privacy of my own, yet it was still my favorite Living Room.

Post Marriage - I miss the Living room sleeping and after a kid its much more farther. Although I do find time to nap on the Living room sofa , its still a rare occasion.

How life changes!

Crazy to be Happy

Do you need to be crazy to be happy ?

Morning 9 am in Kuala Lumpur everyone is rushing towards offices on a Wednesday so halfway through the week. I saw a well dressed lady getting out of LRT.  She had a stuffed Koala Bear  and a small bouquet of flowers in her hand and was very happy. She was enthusiastically smiling and laughing and bouncing and saying something with the bouquet and stuffed animal held up high for display. She moved fast out of the LRT coach down the steps and out of the station. Everyone around was looking at her and I am sure wondering if she is crazy.
I did not see the lady beyond the ticketing point. I wanted to follow her , find the reason of her happiness.. see if I can catch the bug..

I was thinking, do you need to be crazy to be so happy ? I think we need to be soo crazy to forget every trouble and be happy regardless to what is happening around.

I had a smile on my face to see someone so happy .. and the incident bade me a good morning !

Grow Young..

Grow young - seems like such a senior citizen kind post ! But no .. this is a lesson I want to remember always. Because I read somewhere - If you think you are a grown-up already, you think you cant grow anymore, So be  child ..always.

Well this post is supposed to be the feeling of growing young - Not that I am too old, but once you cross the third decade of age, you feel you should act a little more mature - but this is about defying the same feeling.
My friend who is a Engineering college professor once mentioned - Teaching to this 18-20 aged kids keeps me young, their thoughts are fresh and different in each batch, I am very much kept up to date on how the generation thinks and hence I can gauge the generation gaps and understand people more.
I am currently having the same feeling. I go for lunch with a kid who is around 18-19. But she helps me understand her thoughts, aspirations, her idea of relationships, life and also makes me loosen up a bit and enjoy the lunch time. I feel I am letting go of my fears, learning new things and living it a little. Sometimes, you need just that !
Just few days back, we played a prank on a unsuspecting new colleague - as we did not want to mess up with office politics when we met a ex-colleague. And it was real  good fun. I probably wouldnt have done it, if I did not have the young company.
So yes, it refreshes me .. a lot !

But the key is being observant of their thoughts and empathize with it - not brush it off thinking its immature.. 'cause that's the attitude that results in generation gap.. Don't we know by our experience with some of our elders ?

Gender Discrimination..continued

Discrimination is prejudicial treatment .. So a when a baby is born, if its a girl, she is swathed in pink, if its a boy, he is swathed in blue .. Already decided what colours the kid should wear.. anyways they cant choose, but lets decide for them ..
Little Girls are always presented with toys of fairies, Play house, Dolls.. and Little Guys - Guns, Cars, Robots.. Very rarely I see it vice versa.. So far, I havent.. Even I havent gifted any kid otherwise ! Isnt that as well prejudicial treatment ?

Its churning up a lot a thoughts - I am suddenly reminiscing a conversation with a friends mother- who is a professor in Engg College in one of the tier two cities in Maharashtra a few years back. My friend's younger sister was in 12th Std. , a point of her education where she has to decide which field she wants to study further.. Her interest was in Medical , her mother insisting on Engg or any other Sciences - Reason ? if she went into Medical, it would be difficult for her to find a husband !!  Being a hot-headed college student, I tried to protest, but you cant protest much in the confines of respecting the elders.

There are other cases I remember, where the son was sent out to Hostel for studies, but the daughter wasnt..on account of her not being mature enough.. ( as far as I know the girl, she has a mind far mature than a lot of people of my age)

Workplaces - A male project manager always discouraged addition of female resources to his team, if he ever got one, he would by hook or crook pass the team member to other teams. His reasoning, Girls create more fuss about work, have issues staying back late, etc. etc. Although his reasoning was shared in confidence with his peer friends- you cant do it officially or openly..A sideline discussion, if I have to retain one out of girl and guy, I would retain the guy..

I have had juniors who did not like me leading the team ! A complete peacock he was ..

I dont even have to talk about a lot of other places..

I am not of the opinion that Girls can do everything a Guy can or even vice versa.. But That is not applicable to all..I simply dont like the typecasting that this is Girl's work and that is Guy's.. Identify and Recognise individuals , individual strength and weaknesses and let them develop..

I am going to take Cars for my nieces.. and not dolls and fairies .. My nieces will love them ..

Gender Discrimination..

I wanted to write about this one today.. but just too many thoughts and all jumbled up.

For starters, here is a video - Again focused on Indian issues, but I feel Gender Discrimination is a Global thing.. Starts with Pink and Blue and continues .. 

Rapes are not always about Sex

Need some research too to make sure I am opining on facts.. Not just experiences..

Discrimation.. Gender, Racial or otherwise

Very heavy and loaded topic.. One slip and I will be boycotted from this world.. But then again, these are my personal opinions - You can argue, discuss, comment. You have no right to Force me to change them. If I agree with you, I will rethink on my opinions. Still, it is my choice.

First thing is to define.. So here is the definition from Google. I dont care for the third one.. and I am not sure why the first one comes first and why not the second one. I think that is the problem. Instead of recognizing and understanding the difference, the prejudicial treatment of categories is being given more importance these days. Dont we see it everywhere ?

I will talk about Gender discrimination separately- that is much more pronounced and global phenomena. 

Take Racial Discrimination - Its the top news these days.. Two countries fighting over a piece of land to prove their race has more right over the land and the other is unjustly creating terror. Lot of sensationalised news is plastered on Social Media when any altercation happens between two different race/religion based people. If they were of the same race/religion, it wouldnt have been a news item (sounds like a item number, doesnt it ) Killings in various countries due to racial discrimination or hatred is a monthly news item. But then does it really exist ? I have seen it in subtle ways in Foreign countries, where the Cafe counter person smilingly takes the order from a previous and next person and stops smiling and becomes very professional when I stand in front of them. I have seen Property Agents who try to go by book when it is me and lax the policies for others who are of his own country/race/religion.  Thats why I say it subtle..Its not outright - its simply 'You are an outsider, you get completely professional treatment, I dont want to be friendly or helpful with you'. But is it only foreign countries ? It could happen in your neighbourhood. No offense meant: but walk in a Hindu area in a burkha- some people cross the road to be away from you. Vice versa, walk in a Muslim area with a large bindi - same thing happens. Or you get stared at -"Why is this person in this area"  You see it trains- I have seen it in Mumbai Locals.. either fought out or whispered or just through facial expressions of dislike towards each other.

Workplaces are supposed to be professional places. But If your Lead /Manager of your own religion/caste/area - you tend to get the vibes from other team members "Ahh Favoritism" even if you are a superior at your work any praising act done to you or scolding act done to your team members is looked through the same jaundiced, prejudiced eyes. Or it could go other way too.. The Lead/Manager my treat you poorly in spite of the quality of work, just to ensure nobody is tagging him for favoritism. I am not even getting into the Gender Discrimination area yet. The point is we are already prejudiced.. We have already decided that the race/religion/caste/creed are a Discriminating factor - Not in the sense of the Definition 2 but in the sense of Definition 1 .. and since we are prejudiced, we have also somewhere decided in our mind that My Race/Religion/Caste/Creed is superior than yours. This is where the root of the problem is..

The whole post started based on another type of discrimination. I read a post on Facebook about a well-educated Sr. Citizen trying to get a person sitting next to him to stand up only because he did not look sophisticated. That I believe is Class-based discrimination . Sort of the ones which when get out of the hand become something like the French Revolution. I am taking it to extremes.. But isnt it just similar ?

The one I want to mention is Skin colour. And this again is not country specific. In our own country, the lighter shades of brown feel superior than the darker shades.. the cosmetic companies make money happily based on this one by selling products that promise lightening your shade of brown for guys and girls alike. Dont believe in discrimination based on colour ? Try creating identical profile for Matrimonial for two guys ( forget girls) of the two shades and see the response. The discrimination is subtle but its there.. and the darker shades also possess an unnecessary and unhealthy inferiority complex over their shade.

Cant we just simply revert back to Definition 2. Recognize and Understand the difference ? Race, Religion, Caste, Creed, Class, Colour are a part of what we are. But then do we NEED to apply prejudicial treatment ? Cant we just take a person on face and behavioural value ? Do we need to typecast them? or do we need to make others feel inferior to feel superior ? That sounds more like Chatur from '3 Idiots' - Agar exam me top karna hai to khud acche marks lao ya dusron ke kam karo.. 
Cant we Simply treat the next person as another human being ? When I think back, I feel even I am not so clean.. there might have been occasions when I have discriminated amongst people .. I need to change my mindset as well.
Actually it is conditioning of mind that will take time to change.. but can we start one step at a time. One person at  time.. One barrier at a time.. It will be difficult, tedious but not so impossible.


Pls Note: My contexts are India based. So anything outside India is Foreign.(Putting it lightly duniya me ek hi des hai , baki sab to Pardes hai :) )

National Obsession

Ok. Thats copied from very famous TV series by a famous actor.. dont want to increase my blog hits for mentioning them.. but I will always remember that the National Obsession of our country is Marriage !!

I used to think its only my parents .."You want to buy a house? Do it after your marriage", "You want to go somewhere ? Do it after your marriage" , "We will go on a India tour but after your marriage" , "We want to do something, but after your marriage" .. That's a different story that I did what I wanted to do after convincing them yet, getting them do what they want to "after my marriage" is something not attained it. It hurts, but then cant help :)
Recently I heard a similar case with one of my friends parents.. Its a little more crazy .. They are not ready to take up any treatment for their chronic ailments at a faraway place..till my friend's sister gets married !!
Earlier a few years back, I was at another friends place, where my friend's mom was telling her other daughter to not to take up medicine because it will be difficult to find a guy who will marry a doctor. The Aunty in question is a professor in a Engg. college.
The trigger for this post was actually a FB post from an acquaintance.. younger than me.. "Finally Climbed the ladder of Success....................proved myself rite in every aspect of Life..........Love u My Life:)" 
People who have commented hinted at her marriage getting fixed .. including her father saying "I am relieved"!!
I hope she is not talking about what I am assuming, but based on the overall tone and knowing her it seems to be the same.. and if it is then damn! Ladder of Success ?!?!

And its not just for girls.. One of my cousin was contemplating on selling off his business and taking up a job because he was not able to find a girl to marry !! 
Some of my team-members wanted a transfer to locations other than Mumbai because back in their native Mumbai was supposed to be a dangerous place and girls would not agree to marry them !! 

Not that I undermine the aspect that you require a life partner for companionship or sometimes put as a physical need or even the aspect of Security for women in the eyes of the Society - But should it really be sooo important that parents should put everything on hold for this ? 

And then is there really a surety of having the required outcomes from a marriage? I have seen happy couples. But then I have also seen people struggling through their marriages, getting separated,   being constantly unhappy in their marriages. Not really getting the companionship or even basic understanding from the partner is very common. An awful lot adjust with it for the society and the fear of gossip affecting their family.. and some do get out of it with repercussions.. 

But then, do we have to be so obsessed with it ? Whatever you plan to do, or wherever you plan to go  - does it have to be always weighed against marriage ? The cases I have mentioned are very few from those I have seen.. There would be lot more..

I am not against the institution of marriage.. Someday I will get married too when I find the right person or when I am destined to or as my mother puts it "When the time comes" .. But till that time, is it really worth putting all decisions on hold for it ?

Change

Thats what I feel I am undergoing.. I wasnt such a loner. Being so happy about staying alone.. I dreaded it. Used to cling to friends - even if I did not like them.
Now, am ok if people dont accept me around. I am ok roaming around alone. If people do come along they are welcome.. If they are happy staying away,I am happy with that too. To some extent.. I mean I do sometimes feel am I doing something wrong to see people refuse to be with me but I think thats hormonal :) (What a nice excuse)

So I have dined alone.. Went on a trip alone. And today when I was roaming in the mall, I actually thought of   going to watch a movie alone !! No thats not so good..I am not such a movie buff although allI watch on the TV entire day is CSI, Law and order like series or Movies.

And what I do while the TV is on is amazing.. I cook ! My mother would faint.. People who have suffered through my cooking disasters would be really ask - Do we know this person?
Not only regular Chapati Bhaji , but also parathas, pasta and today - height of all - A chocolate cake ! and fortunately these experiments are turning out good too. So far so good.
I hope this post doesnt jinx any of the fun I am having.. I am ok if it jinxes the loneliness that comes over sometimes..
Thank God for some really great friends who are always around Online or a phone call away help in those bouts..

(Ok I know my writing skills needs some polish, its got rusty and the posts are really not so good..But I will get to it.. soon..)

What a day!!

Waking up not so early .. getting ready and get out to the Ferry wharf not too far.. go on a Ferry trip to the Sydney City in a beautiful weather..Clear skies, cool breeze and a camera :)

Now at the end of day it seems like did I really do it? I am such a lazy person..waking up before 9 on Saturday Sunday without any predefined plan is definitely not me.. But I did it today..

The Ferry wharf isnt too far just a 4-5 mins walk.. Got the tickets and got on to the Wharf of Baramada (in Aboriginal Language) The weather helped out.. although its sunny its not hot.. Its breezy and not too windy..

not many thoughts on mind, Just clicking away whatever you feel nice is also a good experience..

 

Some shots have been good.. some havent.. Nevertheless, it has given me a confidence I can roam around alone :)

After reaching the Circular Quay and watching the Opera house from outside, since it was already 12:30 ( and I was supposed to meet a few people at 4) I planned to have lunch and then come back.. 

Found a little open air cafe and enjoyed lunch in nice cool breeze at the roadside. Alone obviously..but now I am pretty comfy with dining alone :)

Started back on Train as I had to get tea for the party coming in and probably a cap or a hat. The trains had trackwork on..just like the Mega blocks back home (yes they happen here too on weekends :))  So had to get down halfway and get on to a bus. Then reaching Parramatta and I got a bit confused which direction to go !! After a few steps in the wrong direction, found the right one..Not only that found  a nice hat too.. 

although dint get the cost ..so left it back in search of the original thing.. After another round of roaming around, getting things till the time I was back, the 4 o'clock meeting was canceled and probably the Christmas trip plan too. When I saw the hat back and on sale at a good price, I bought it.

When I reached home, I was tired and just wanted to lie down.. and thats what I was doing when I thought of writing down... 

So with aching legs, I write - because if I dont.. I never will do that and while you watch Harry Potter film  the last one, you always can :)

Its been a nice day although you cannot be really happy if the people you love are not so..But then every good thing needs to have a 'nazar na lage'  I hope the evening is as nice as I want it ...

Dining Alone

I dint think it takes so much courage to just walk into a restaurant alone and sit and eat.

Its a little overwhelming feeling, But I did it twice in last week. Cos I had no option.
First time, I picked out a little one - Italian- hardly seats 20 . But the food was good. You can see the amazement on the people's faces when you say you are dining in alone :)
Second time, a bit bigger  - Malaysian. Here it was pretty much evident they were surprised. They asked me Takeaway ? I said no, will be sitting down here.

It better than a take away. With that I would have to eat in the room - alone. In the restaurant there were others around :) so not alone..
But it ends up simply having food and then stand up and go . Its difficult to taste food. And people all around keep wondering..is she waiting for someone ..

Nevertheless a different experience..Try it sometime. 

Sangeet Natak.. Musical Play

Sangeet Natak.. Something I am seeing for first time..a play where everyone simply enters and starts singing :)
And yes, the story moves ahead with the songs..all of them classical songs..and sung beautifully..

For those who dont know, sangeet Natak are the way plays in Marathi started..and I guess thats where the songs in Bollywood started too..

So I watched two plays, one on Saturday and another on Sunday.. Dint know the story of "Jai jai Gourishankar" and had an idea of story for "Sangeet Saubhadra"

"Jai Jai Gourishankar" is a play that tells the story of Mangeshi-Shantadurga temple.. How Narad tries to start a quarrel between Shiv and Parvati using a game of dice.. He succeeds in starting it because the Omniscient Shiv allows it to.. and then Shiv Parvati separate to meet in Gomantak vana.. ( It was here I realised it was story of some temple in Goa, till then I was wondering whats it about) The story then unfolded to how Parvati tried to entice the ascetic Shiv in the garb of a Bhill (Adivasi). In a Sangeet natak, the story is punctuated woth Songs..after probably every 10 dialogues.. and every actor ..and I mean every actor sings.. even the Nandi and the Gana named Shundi too.. It was surely a fun..Mukund Marathe played Shiv.. rest I dont remember now..

Next day, "Sangeet Saubhadra"  was more fun.. This one had star actor-singers. Story of the marriage of Arjun and Subhadra- Sister of Krishna & Balram. Now where there is Krishna, there sure is some mischief..and thats what the story is about :) Wellknown songs sung by wellknown singer-actors and listening them live is an altogether different experience.. Anand Bhate (Lead singer in Baal Gandharva and singer of my favorite song "Chinmaya Sakal Hridaya") was Krishna, Rahul Deshpande (ex-Judge in Z Marathi Sa re ga ma) was Narad and Ajay Purkar (seen in lot of Marathi serials) was Arjun. I dont remember names of the actresses although they have also been awesome with their performance and Songs..

About the songs from these Plays.. some other time.. Just in case you get time, watch both these plays.. 

I hate bad English

Actually not only english, but any language spoken / written wrongly gets me in the corrective mode..

Bad English is something that occurs more frequently than others..
"I got an update from P that she needs assignments at ABC location because she is having a medical issue. In her earlier project she was worked from XYZ that time she felled in a faint 2-3 times in a bus during travel due to traffic congestion & suffocation. She informed about this to her earlier PM. She joined here just because it was just 2-3 weeks assignment as communicated earlier to her"

and this this written by a person with 8 years of experience and a team lead!

A conference call is going on, a remotely talking person says "Guys are you able to hear me, have you put me on hold?" A person at my end of phone immediately presses the "hold" button and when questioned he says "Usne bola na hold par daalo" ...I felled in a faint !!!! :D

These are very few examples that I have clear memory of.. There are many more and will put it soon.

An year that was

I remember the year had started with no chutti to MBA classes and an impromptu trip with my mother's school teachers..first working day and I had bunked office :-D..
Over the year, I really dint have many vacations except the one that my parents took me to Anjarle..but surely finished up lot of leaves..so much so that my Boss has an allergy to my leave plans :)
The overall year so study and exams and assignments too. When the final paper was done on 18 Dec I felt such a heavy relief..Although it was a part time course the pressure has been quite something. And what have I gained? Additon to my EQ and some amount of Management jargon :) one thing I learnt this year is that nothing can compensate experience! No management theories tell us what is the right decision to take..it can only analyse after a decision has been taken. It gave me quite some good friends and a lot of intellectually stimulating discussions too which I will miss now :(

Our car was another event..being a newly launched model, Tata Venture was just fit for our farm needs.. It first was terrifying due to hugeness yet once it started running it has been a pleasure.. It took a 2 months leave from us and got a heart transplant..sorry engine transplant, still I got to have my dream drive on it ..and this year!!

The important and the best thing that happened in our family was my brother and sis-in-law declaring that we would have a bundle of joy by end of the year!!! The 9 months have been soo exciting and when the wait was over, the little one has been a real treasure.. Our little Princess - will call her Chinu - is so little so cute so lovely so nice.. So much so that she will fill all the years to come..

Happy New Year!!

Random thoughts

Was thinking over multiple things, and realized that I have lost lot of friends due to loss of communication and not due to actual fight or quarrels.. 

Fights or Quarrels can actually be resolved..even at a later stage.. but catching up later? it doesn't always work..because till then each one of them has already built a novel on what the other person should have done and has not done.. 

Other is, does constant pressure situation make you impatient and panicky? Am dealing with a new PM for last three days, and he seems to have pressed the panic button already when the project is still in its 1st week. Is it his normal behaviour or has he been moulded into it due to situations he has been ? So far, I haven't heard a good thing about him barring one person.. so also my experience in last three days hasnt been encouraging.. the dilemma is should I escalate now or give him more rope.. 

Its also been interesting to see how shy people get pushed to react strongly when a limit of frustration is caused. Wishing that shy person luck to tide over the situation and upcoming inquisitions the person might have to face to.. or may be the escalation would simply pass by and the residue would be negative sentiments.. 

When the world is struggling with inflation and earthquakes and floods and bombblasts.. I am stuck in the world of musings of my own with too many random thoughts.. 

Tere mere beach me...

Sometimes you cant share everything with others..the relaxed feeling that overwhelms you when the waves at the beach hit you.. The light rain that just touches you to  bring the cooling effect.. And the feeling it brings when it makes circles in the retreating waves..its simply amazing.. The thousand circles forming with drops of rain greeting each other at the curves looks like thousand smiles.. It affirms the fact that smiles bring more smiles..
Its simply awesome feeliing that compels you to share but you just cant describe enough..probably you need someone to share the same wavelength as you..
I have been to the beach in rains earlier.. And I have always yearned to go again.. The beach, the sea always overwhelms me..and the rains make me happy...when they both come together, they make a memorable experience..
Can I have some more time on the beach please..


(As I post this, I remember its August, and I did not mention the dream drive I had prior to the Beach experience, A drive with trees on both sides of the road empty up and down road and no other vehicle around.....)

Searching for Water..

Would you believe if someone said that if you walk with a coconut in hand and it will react to the presence of water table underground?
When I heard of it from one of our acquaintance, I refuted the claims. He was damn confident that it works.. and I was looking for a logic in it.. Finally he agreed to come with us to our farm and look for water for us..

When we reached our farm and took out the coconut, he asked to take it hand and walk with it in a area.. It was only dangling on my palm as I walked and I was laughing at the idea and as I reached a point, it started taking a direction upward, as if there was a magnet pulling it.. and the coconut stood up! I moved back few steps and walked it up again.. The coconut went horizontal when i was back and when I returned to the point , it stood up again !!

The person who works on our farm is one of the tribals, and there were another 2-3 guys from the village on our farm.. Everyone came around to see where the coconut was standing up.. They knew that it stands when there is water!

Do you believe it ? If not see the video..

Link to the video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq9l0vmiE78

It happens only in India!

Emotions

A painting or a picture can evoke a lot of emotions.. And it all depends on the state of mind you are in..
In a absolutely disturbed state of mind, I see it as a lonely sailorsailing out..companion ship is leaving towards the horizon leaving this boat alone.. Beech manjhdhar me akela sorts..the sun setting down and the thought of approaching darkness brings in a gloom..
To put it positively, I can think of a morning glory, the night has passed and the rays of sun have shown that the boat is not alone in the water and possibly it knows some direction..the thinning clouds are residue of the dark storm that has passed and promises of a clearer day ahead ..
What emotions do you see in it?

Conversations

As I am returning back from office today after putting in 10 hours on a holiday, am thinking about the sms conversation with the friend who was going to join me in office..
It went as follows:
I have started, will reach in another 45 mins to one hour.
'On my way. Will take 35 mins more to reach,
'So you will be the first one to reach :)'
'Sometimes i too manage to be first :)'
'Everyone cant be first. :) happy you are getting the chance.'
'Dont you think coming first to work on a holidayis not an achievement to be happy about'
'Coming to work is not a happy thing. Coming first is.
now that you know you will be first would you slow down? if yes, its not a happy thing, if no, its not.'
'not all journey are happy. But as said by someone ..-its the need of the hour and go an extra mile..'
'Dont quote someone, being content with the miles travelled is also a virtue. Also, the journey is always happy, the destination may not be..'

After this, his battery died, and the conversation stopped. Knowing his experience, am I way too optimistic or positive about life? Not that I have been overburdened by work always like he has been, but I do try lifting up spirits of people around me.. Not sure if this helped, but we had a pretty successful day..

What do I say about this:.

Dunno how it works.. And what do these girls feel when they are doing this..
In our daily bus to office, a burkha-clad girl gets in the bus at a stop near Mumbra which is a predominantly Muslim area. By the time, we reach office, the burkha is nowhere seen, not even a scarf over the head and I wont even be able to identify who the girl is. Similarly, on the way back, the same girl gets down at the same stop clad in burkha, which is obviously not seen at the Starting point at the Company.
I just saw one girl in the train. At Thane, she climbed with her dupatta put on both shoulders. By the time, she was ready to get down at Mumbra, she had wound her dupatta all around her face and head to have only her eyes uncovered.
What do they feel? Societal pressure to be seen conservative? I feel these girls are facing a lot of criticism when they step out of their area. Is this just the trade-off they do to be able to step out?
I believe right and wrong are relative terms. Right for someone may be wrong for someone else. But I really wonder, what do these girls feel..

Optimism

Is it possible to be optimistic all the time ?

I used to get frustrated over lot of things at a point of time in life. Then a friend showed me, getting frustrated is taking me nowhere.. the situation remains the same, the people remain the same and I also stay in the same place.. There is only one difference, I have grown bitter and angry and it does not affect anyone else.

I had to check my emotions and words - continuously - to stay away from frustrations in adverse situations, keep thinking to find a way because there is always a way out. and it has helped me so far..

God, As I enter the world of indefinite, please help me keep my optimism, come what may.. and when I start losing it, I will remind you of this Blog prayer :)