Shaka laka baby:)

Happy Diwali to all!

Diwali is here...and then Christmas will come ..and then New Year.

New year is not a festival but yeah 31st each year is gr8 fun....nostalgia sweeps in and each year we wish new things and happiness to embark our beautifully distorted lives:)

Pun intended here!

With me everything is going ok ...ahem ahem!

Last night i had a gr8 time ... singing, dancing, lighting candles and had so much of food....damn!

I am against crackers which r noisy n nasty coz some of them scare the hell outta me!

Something interesting here...had luck on my side when I won some money at Housie game we played on 26th with relatives...usually I am bad at this..but it's good to win some than go empty handed..haha

I have my cousin at home for some days...much much younger than me...cute one and adorable too..plays with me as if I am 11..lol but i enjoy doing silly things wit him...playing hide n seek...and letting him win everytime!


So, this is it for now...

MOMENTS CAPTURED!

SUNSET AT DOHA WHEN I WAS IN GENEVA....(LAKE GENEVE)

THIS IS WHAT WE SEE HANGING ON ELECTRIC POLES IN INDIA!

AMAZING DISPLAY OF ART..AT A RANGOLI COMPETITION

THE CALM SEA..BEFORE THE TIDES!

THE CUTE LI'L PUPPIES NEAR MY HOME!

VOLCANIC SUN CLICKED FROM AIRCRAFT THE GOLDEN STREET....

THE HEART, THE SAND AND THE FLOWER

THE SPLASH

THE BEST...BIRDIE!

Enjoy them!

A PASLM OF LIFE - MY FAV. POEM

Written by - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)

TELL me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream ! —
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real ! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal ;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way ;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle !
Be a hero in the strife !

Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant !
Let the dead Past bury its dead !
Act,— act in the living Present !
Heart within, and God o'erhead !

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time ;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate ;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

Questions & Answers

I have some questions puzzling me. To me, questions never cease. I make my own questions and try to reason out myself to get answers for the same. Sometimes these questions perplex me so much that I wonder is there an end to this?

How far one can imagine? Is it just me or is it something else? I am a day-dreamer...Ican create images in my mind and be happy with them.....And yes, at the same time I am level headed and very much attuned with this real world.....So many things bother us everyday...so many people we meet each day at work or in personal life..in someway or the other each of us is connected directly or indirectly. This makes us behave in wierd fashion. Is it all about some force that keeps this chain going?

With some people I find easy to interact and with some it is so hard that it becomes difficult...This is strange because talking comes naturally to me...and I like intelligent conversation as well has whacky humour. Is it all about comfort level or is it just a whim? Why some relations start spontaneously and others need lot of fuel to take it a mile ahead?

Not complaining...beacause that phase is over now....Its more about understanding and dealing with it. Contemplation helps in realsing the cause and effect theory of human behaviour....

I know myself a great deal...Sometimes I laugh out at my beahviour as well..when I do things out of impulse and wildness of spirit in me.

My soul is wild enough to carry anything in this world....every mortal is capable of that so why do I single out myself!

Certain beliefs we carry along with us since we were small and they continue to help us out in every stage of life. But with time and situation, these beliefs change and new beliefs emerge.

Who creates them? Our mind/heart?

Often I have seen that I follow my heart rather than mind...mind is practical, calulative, sharp etc...and heart is true, compassionate and strong.

Strength has nothing to do with physical abilites..this I have learned years back. Its all about character and the ability to act and react in a wise manner.

How often I have faltered from my beliefs and how often I have let my emotions rule my wisdom...Behaving maturely or immaturely depends on me and me alone..situations don't decide me..I am the doer so I am accountable for my actions and reactions...Its better to understand certain things before than to whine about them in future.

I know one thing that no one can live for long in a pressure-cooker situation. Accepting things which we dont want is not easy and I can not accept it. I have followed my heart and will always do so no matter I stay away from being practical.

Life is the golden chance of enjoying the beauty of this world....wherever we are and with whomsoever we are....

Cribbing about small -small things doesnot make any sense neither does it take away the agonies...But how do I learn this?

At times, I feel that life is a great teacher and I am a stubborn pupil:)

But it is fun to make blunders and goofups...and its an easy way to make an excuse anytime we repeat them!

I was in a really bad mood when I started to write this post...But its ok now.

So, are my questions resolved? To some extent yes, but soon new questions will arise.

MAHATMA GANDHI vs CHE GUEVARA

Mahatma Gandhi - Our Father of the nation...We all know about him, through our History books, from movies like Gandhi and Lage Raho Munnabhai..and also from our own jugdement......I draw inspiration from him..not completely but in certain ways....
His famous quotes -

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."

"There are many causes that I am prepared to die for but no causes that I am prepared to kill for."

Now, lets mover further to another hero, another visionary....

Che Guevara - We know him as a heroic figure, the new man of the 20th century .....
Ernesto (Che) Guevara de la Serna ,nickname "Che" derived from Guevara's habit of punctuating his speech with the interjection che, a common Argentine expression for a friend .

We have heard about Che but don't know much about him..So here is an attempt to portray this Latin American revolutionary leader, who rejected both capitalism and orthodox Soviet communism.

He is a cultural symbol, an icon ..a symbol of freedom..and has a cult following.
An intellectual and an idealist, was able to speak coherently about Aristotle, Kant, Marx, or Faulkner.... he also loved poetry...

It was this great sensitivity to injustice that forged his political views and led him to distrust imperialism, specifically the American government.
Che Guevara was executed in Vallegrande. He was 39 years old. The circumstances surrounding his death have added to his mystique. He was taken to an old school house and was tied to a board. Che Guevara’s alleged last words to the firing squad were "Shoot, coward, you are only going to kill a man".

Many people have documented his life through books and movies....However I have seen only one and that is The Motorcycle Diaries...the journey of his early years, his encounters with different beliefs, his transformation from a medical student to a revolutionay.

He had no military training and yet he used guerrilla warfare to execute his strategies....so well !

Though I am inspired by Gandhian philosophy in someway and Che's ideologies differ from the former, yet both had something in common.

The desire for liberty, passion for their people, sacrificing life for a greater cause...bind the two leaders of their times together in one common thread of being an iconic figure...their means to achieve the goals were different but motive was the same..
Both started their movement with a confusion regarding intellect and practical theories. Moved on to become tacticians, planners and statesmen.

Many people believe that revolutions emerge by merely picking up the gun...but its not true...its the idea that strikes and the person who ignites it and executes well becomes the leader of the masses.

So, this is it....for now !

FROM BIG TV TO Rs. 100 TO JAMUNA!

I dont know why i am writing this...I was watching TV some time back and caught the glimpse of BIG TVad ....and it just occured to me what's the worth of Rs.100 in my life?Well that doesnot match anywhere but a thought captured my mind and a few hours later I am puttingthat thought in my blog...

Lets see, what all I can have in 100 bucks-

Can watch a movie or Have a pizza /pringles or magazine or lipstick or many things....or I can just keep it with me..and do what...duhhhhh

I see my young cousins getting every single thing they demand from their parents. And that's turning them into brats...Well I have nothing to question because when I was young I did the same them but it feels so sad to see that certain wants overshadow certain needs...

And that doesnot spare me from anything because I still spend without thinking sometimes ..

But the big question is the growing disparity between the rich and the poor..It is alarming...

We talk about globalisation, fluctuating sensex (and make stupid movies..saas, bahu and sensex!!!), wrath of global economic depression, booming corporate culture and everything thats too flashy about the emerging India..but we forget that beyond this superpower there exist some people who are striving for a piece of bread!

Very easy to put blame on Government, but it fails everytime. Faulty education sysytem, poverty, unemployment in rural areas still figure in Indian map.

Last year only, we witnessed a major media cum political campaign..Lead India..what happend after that? Maybe people like us are too busy living life in ACs and watching CNBC..and Big Boss..yeah I happen to be one of them!!!

I havenot made a major difference to anyone as of now..but done something which really satisfies me to some extent....And this is not about blowing my own trumpet..this about an experience ....

I tried to educate my house maid when I went on vacation (for 1 month after my Masters) to Guwahati where my parents were for 2 yrs....She is an Assamese woman..Her name is Jamuna..and she got married when she was 15....she has a small kid who lives with her because her husband has left her for drinking habits and other activities!

So she is raising her child on her own...educating him and seeing big dreams for him! And she is not the only case..atleast she is financially independent.

So during my stay over there for a period of 1 month I taught her to write and read Hindi..beacuse she was only conversant in Assamese and some broken Hindi words she had learnt from watching Bollywood flicks...She managed to make a signature instead of thumb pressing...She can now write her name in Hindi and English and read Hindi words as well...It was hard to make her sit but I was later so amazed by her enthusiasm and willingness to learn and remember..She still has the notebook I gave her filled with words, sentences, pictures, numbers...

Well, this was about Jamuna..I just hope she remembers her lessons and speaks in Hindi in a better way...

Saying things is very easy but moving even an inch takes time and effort...instead of waiting for a miracle to happen, each of us must try to do something constructive for our people whenever time permits us from our 9to5 jobs and deadlines!

Byeeeeeeeeeee

Freedom is momentary..AHH!

Everyone at certain point of time, feels to be free..But that is one thing that has got many connotations attached to it.

Freedom in physical sense means when one loses the breath. That is one inevitable reality and one inescapable truth...So lets not get into the darker side because I am not in a mood to think about it right now.

Freedom..when i think of this word I immediately picture myself in a different state of mind...something unexplored and something peaceful...whats that supposed to mean when i am so much materialistic, so much glued to my self , my family, my friends and even to strangers whom we see everyday and some faces we never forget.....and yet sometimes find immense solace in spirituality...my belief in destiny and divine force is also pretty strong.

Paulo Coehlo has nothing to do with this...although Eleven Minutes was crazily nice!

Getting back to Freedom (personifying this feeling of pleasure which is so addictive), it means

a.some moments where one allows to live for oneself without any pros and cons.

b.some moments where no one dictates do this, don't do this

c.some moments where professional hazards don't come in our way...the work which we love and hate simultaneously!

d.some moments where one is free to be oneself...

even though such freedom is for some moments only its ours and only ours...
What? Does that sound too self -centred? Maybe, Maybe not!

Freedom ...people use and misuse in speech, expression and way of living...Since no one is perfect I cannot judge any one's behaviour..But i have seen myself getting way too much attracted to this phenomenal thing called FREEDOM!

It means getting time to do what i like to do.. this is the easiest and simplest way to free myself from sloppy, crap thoughts and routine - monotonous life...

I don't mean detachment because that's not me..I am very much grounded to this life..but still sometimes the pressure gets too much to handle.
That's why writing diaries and blogs is a creative way of freeing oneself from thoughts...which later becomes a humongous stock of funny, happy, sad, strange incidents...

However, freedom means getting rid of vices..again a mammoth task...so atleast making an attempt on avoiding things which later prick the conscience...Hmmm..getting somewhere!!!

Happy to put my thoughts once again...In the coming days, I think my next posts will be about the people, the world we live in and the diversities of modern urban culture.

WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT - When Harry Met Sally

Today i am writing abt my fav movie which is - when harry met sally..

its a romantic comedy but what makes it different from the rest...

a.story and the theme...(Can women and men ever be friends......and two friends sleep together and still love each other in the morning?)

b.the plot..going for a span of 11 yrs.

c.the witty dialogues...and quotes

• "It is so nice when you can sit with someone and not have to talk"


• "When I buy a new book, I always read the last page first. That way, in case I die before I finish, I know how it ends. That, my friend, is a dark side."


• Sally: We are just going to be friends, OK?


• Harry: Great, friends. It's the best thing...You realize, of course, that we can never be friends.


• Sally: Why not?


• Harry: What I'm saying is - and this is not a come-on in any way, shape, or form - is that men and women can't be friends, because the sex part always gets in the way.


• Sally: That's not true. I have a number of men friends and there is no sex involved."

d.the acting ..meg ryan and billy crystal..

but thats not the whole point...coz neither i am a critic nor i am here for a review

this post is about the theme---

can men and women be friends ?

ofcourse they can...hmmmmmm lets see

I, Me & Myself

i am trying to bring a balance between my thoughts, actions and speech..difficult thing..but trying

i love to read ...and love to watch movies...depending upon lot many things..my type would be comedy-more into a slice of life kind of! , drama(sensible one), horror(that too which really horrifies..), romantic movies (i dont cry while watching movies..but it should give a feel good feeling)

i find human nature very dynamic so studying it sometimes helps me in knowing the kind of person i am ..

i try to experiment with food..i am a vegetarian and advocate the same!and am crazy about cheese and chocolates..yummmy....

international politics interests me a lot...got an opinion abt everything!trying to understand the forces the current world is being driven by...

i take pride in whatever goal i set for myself.....i dnt want to remember the new year resolutions...huh coz they r unrealistic..i mean other goals..u know priorities n focus on high-funda philosohies of life!!!!

sometimes i dont realise them and sometimes i do..so its just that i need to have more patience in me..thats really required right now

and i love to talk..but i am also a good listener..i have got a great imagination....create images in my mind and enjoy them..

i dont like rock music..i am more into hip-hop, instrumental genre..indian music..and ofcourse bollywood music..i like old melodies n some amazing tracks in my cds but puhleez no himesh kinda..i love to dance...

i have started to love french..and here it goes..je crois en me....it means i believe in myself

then i like adventure sports..no need to go with my figure..its all in the mood and mind!
i love taking snaps...its wonderful to capture moments in a click..and it gives so much of pleasure to sit back n see them.. i love swings and hammocks...

also i want to have a pet..a labrador perhaps...maybe someday...i have comeup a name...zorro

what i dont like abt myself is that sometimes i get prejudiced about certain thngs...also i am a bit..no a lot lazy..sometimes i am lost in my thoughts but thats ok coz, otherwise life would be perfect...and i like this imperfect world of mine and the world around me:)

I HAVE WHEELS ON MY FEET

I love to travel and this is the reason why i find myself connected to so many things.
Basically, i have been to many parts of our country and a few places outside India, and today i am making a list of it.

Allahabad where my initial schooling took place and then i shifted to Ahmedabad for 11th- 12th and graduation. went to Kolkata as my dad got transferred..been thr for a couple of months and then landed up in New Delhi for MBA...

Came back to Ahmedabad for job and then found myself working in Mumbai...i love this city..it attracts the adrenaline rush in me for some strande reason!!!

so currently i am again in ahmedabad..what am i ? a nomadic girl..haaa!

But apart from all of my movements i have been to other places with family and friends ..and its always been a pleasure.

Vacations used to be awesome when we were in schools..finishing off the holiday homework and packing bags with mounting happiness and excitement to meet cousins, playing games..hide and seek to scrabble, dumb charadze to collecting marbles and what not...school days r the best!

well well...this reminds of my visit to south india..Mysore, Bangalore, Tirupati, Chennai..wish i coud see Kanyakumari..the tip of india..some day

Goa had been too cool..it was long time back but the beaches, the sand, the carnival..gr8
similarly Gangtok was another hillarious trip....waterfalls and chill in the air...Lhasa river was huge!
then i went to Haridwar and Rhishikesh with my Delhi friends...and had some of the greatest memories with them...the journey was by road and my group was also wonderful which added more fun to it..
and i had been to Himachal Pradesh for trekking during my college dayss....went with my cousin..to Dalhousie and a nearby village Khajjiar...and i fell in love with the scenic beauty..too much to behold!

also had fun with rock climbing, mountaineering and rappling...the only sad part was i got blisters..aaah painful!

and then..i went to Switzerland and Doha (Qatar) as a parti of training program in my mba curriculum...wow..Switz is just like heaven..no wonder its the fav holiday destionation of millions....chocolates and cheese, the watches, the river rhine, geneva's malls, zurich's arhitecture, the snowfall, the frozen lakes, the gstaad..where ddlj's major shooting took place...can feel love is in the air for sure...
the group was a bunch of friends n othe classmates, faculty was gr8...we celebrated holi over there..with snow!
Doha we had 2n half day to spend..we did enjoy desert safari...living in tents..bonfire ..worth an experience....

Maybe i missed out some places..but i will edit this when i go down the memory lane again !!!

MY BLOGGING vs MY DIARY WRITING

things are just moving as they should. meaning thereby, life's full of surprises..not knowing whats going to happen next..sounds like a cliched statement..so what?
i have got an opinion for everything..and i speak my mind..most of the times..
well this is my second post and am on a desperate attempt to make it interesting for myself..
sometimes i feel that i think a lot about myself...but its ok..i cant get enough of me..justifying haaa!
wel whats new with me these days apart from my routine stuff..i have stated to develop an art for taking pix..on various aspects,its kinda kewl..then writing is going full on!
also trying my hand with cooking..i am loving it...coz i have time for doing all that i want to do...
hmmmm writing blog is better than writing a diary...

MY FIRST POST

hi....welcome to my new found interest...blogging!