B I T C H O L O G Y !

I was forwarded this email and while I am sure that nobody would have dreamt of calling you this, enjoy it for what it is...

When I stand up for myself and my beliefs,
They call me a bitch.

When I stand up for those I love,
They call me a bitch.

When I speak my mind, think my own thoughts
Or do things my own way, they call me a bitch.

Being a bitch means I won't compromise what's in my heart.
It means I live my life MY way.
It means I won't allow anyone to step on me.

When I refuse to tolerate injustice and
Speak against it; I am defined as a bitch.

The same thing happens when I take time for
Myself instead of being everyone's maid,
Or when I act a little selfish.

It means I have the courage and strength to allow
Myself to be who I truly am and won't become
Anyone else's idea of what they think I "should" be.

I am outspoken,
Opinionated and determined. I want what I want
And there is nothing wrong with that!

So try to stomp on me,
Try to douse my inner flame, try to squash every
Ounce of beauty I hold within me.
You won't succeed.

And if that makes me a bitch,
So be it...
I embrace the title and am proud to bear it!

One or Two??

Ohhhh.. ok... will someone please explain to me why oh why are people walking around with two-two cell phones???? I mean, one is difficult to handle as it is, so why would you need two? And funnily I am seeing a lot of the fairer sex carrying two phones…!!

What is happening? Are people suddenly scared that they will miss “the” important call when busy on another? How would you speak to two important people at once? Weirder and weirder this human race becomes day by day….

Though on second thoughts, one of the phones could be given by the office – for official purposes.. a benefit they say, but actually it means you have given them your soul 24/7.. .. But to be honest, I see (n hear) conversations taking place on both phones to be more of a personal kind than of an official kind!

Take just now for instance I have a lady sitting in front of me with 2 flap phones – 1 Nokia and 1 Sony… she is listening to music (or radio) on the Nokia one which is kept hidden in her purse (dunno why!!) and she has the Sony one open in her hand waiting for a reply to an sms she just sent… couldn’t she listen to music on the phone in her hand??

Am I being unnecessarily paranoid or am I just noticing more things than usual? Are we letting technology overtake us slowly and surely? I mean - just look at me for instance… here I am sitting in the train, texting all this on my notes page on my cell to be later transferred to my computer..

Where is that paper and pen or should I just get another phone to text these posts to you?

The 8.46 Goregaon fast local…

Ever wondered what went on in a ladies’ first class compartment? Well let me enlighten those who dare to imagine… An assortment of ladies sprinkles the bogie… A lady takes out her mini prayer booklet and settles comfortably into her place, softly reciting to herself. I have often wondered how we ladies have the knack of applying make up (read lipstick and eye liner) in a moving train all the while managing to get the perfect line while defying the laws of motion when my travelling companion goes ahead and does exactly that!!

A young girl removes her foil wrapped cheese sandwich and after offering it to her companion starts nibbling on the same… A sweet elderly lady with a white flower tucked securely in her hair removes her reading glasses and proceeds to read today’s paper – how does she manage a neat sari everyday???

At the other corner a group of train buddies (yes we do have these!!) exchange tit bits of their life which revolve around the weird colleagues at work, a 3 year old daughter’s latest pranks or updates on their various family members who take the shape of faceless human beings. Oh yes and how can I ignore the ones giving sound advice to their travel companions about what to do and not to do in their relationship at the moment! There are a few like myself who have shut out the bustle by listening to music thru their headsets…

There are some familiar faces, some new faces as we race towards our destination, some who exchange a smile or two with each other and me.. An assortment and a fine mix of ladies is what you will find in the ladies compartment today morning…

And now it is time for me to stand near the door to await the tidal wave of women that will flood the compartment for the ride back to Churchgate…

Men and their Machines...

You definately must have heard about breaking in of new shoes, but have you ever heard of someone breaking in a bike? So imagine the look of utter and mild disbelief when a friend came upto me and said "Hey! Guess what?? My bike is broken into..." Into what?? I asked and with a look of sheer impatience he answered - "It has been broken into!" - as if repeating the phrase will make it more understandable to me! Well, when I showed a blank expression yet again he proceeded to explain with a "I don't believe this! - Girls!!" look....

He was on his way home on his new bike last saturday night from visiting cousins when he realised that the roads at Cuffe Parade were sprinkled with raindrops (yeah it actually drizzled on saturday night!).... As he made his way with his brother behind him he mentioned that they would need to proceed a little carefully on the wet roads. The heavens suddenly thought of cooling them off with a small cloudburst as they started out... When, suddenly he felt the bike swaying to strains of music audible only to the 350cc bullet and as he struggled to go against the music by applying the brakes, he suddenly saw the road coming up to kiss him... He let go of the swaying enfield and flung himself and his brother away from the bike... The bullet suffered a minor setback with a dent on the front guard (weird term for a bike part!!) as the passengers escaped unharmed...

And that my friends is how a bike gets broken in... who can understand Men and their Machines!

Holding on ...

The moment you think of giving up..
Think of the reason you have held on for so long…

What is it that makes us get up every morning to face the new day? Is it the hope that things will improve today? That I will be able to smile a genuine smile today? That my life partner who is out there will find me today? That today my husband will find me as sexy as on our first night together? That my boss will not reprimand me today? Will I finally get peace? Will I be able to see me grandchild’s first birthday?

As these thoughts keep plaguing our brainwaves, we do think of giving it all up and walking away from life… Is walking away the correct thing to do? Is giving up the easier way out? Maybe at times yes.. for walking away from a cheating spouse or from a broken marriage or from a business gone bust is good as it gives you one more chance to let LIFE know that it hasn’t broken you as yet!!

Does the hope of a bright new day keep all of us running that last mile over and over again? Is it about the hope or just the survival instinct of us human beings?

I have a dream…

I have a dream, a song to sing
To help me cope with anything…
I have a dream, a fantasy
To help me through reality…

These lyrics of Abba are ones that every individual relates to in their life. What are dreams? Are dreams those unattainable pinnacles in ones’ life that each individual wishes to scale and be triumphant or are they the aimless ramblings of one’s hopes and imaginations with no meaning at all?

All of us have dreams, whether they are to be a successful actor, or a Ms. India, to be rich or to be famous… Dreams are what makes each one of us wake up every morning to face the world out there and to overcome the obstacles of the day ahead.

How many of us actually work towards fulfilling these dreams? Is this because we feel they will not be taken seriously? Or is it that their dreams are just a way of them to live another life away from their present ones?

A lot of dreams are given up and kept in that little place in our hearts and heads where we go to dig them up and find solace in them when we are afraid of what is happening to us in the present real world.

Dreams given up because of peer pressure, because of parents’ pressure, because of circumstances – can they ever be achieved? Maybe if we take out time in our busy and hectic lives we could be able to reach towards achieving at least a large part of these dreams… these dreams that have kept us going every second of every hour of every day… I think we owe it to them…

Nectar from the Fruit of the Gods…

As we walked towards the lights and the music, through the vineyards, we took in the cool fresh air around us and looking up I saw the stars sparkling in the clear night sky. We were attending the Sula Wine Fest at Nasik and as we passed the tasting rooms the aroma of wines greeted us. We rounded a corner and our eyes feasted upon the assortment of colour and individuals around us.

Individuals, whether connoisseurs of wine or not, smiled at one another over the sharing of the fermented juice of carefully picked grapes.

Isn’t it interesting that individuals who would not interact with one another on a normal day come together over glasses of red / white / rose wine and become the best of acquaintances which may blossom into ever lasting friendships?

In today’s fast moving world we are all on the look out for that first glass of nectar from the Fruit of the Gods…

The start of my break and Rs. 1,200/- for a water bottle!

You know those days when you hear about instances when family or friends get divided while traveling and you say to yourself - Thank God that hasn’t happened to me!! ??

Well, Saturday wasn’t one of those days! :-) We reached Dadar station with 2 minutes and 30 seconds to spare as we leaped onto the train to Nasik with sweat beads threatening to trickle down our bodies. We made our way to our seats making a strange sight of 6 girls being accompanied by 1 boy!! The other 3 of our group were in a different compartment. A quick call confirmed that they were comfortably seated.

Quick introductions were made, smiles and hellos exchanged, and we went about settling ourselves for the three and a half hour journey to the land of the grapes - Nasik and our much awaited break! As the train pulled out of the station, a quick glance around showed me a elderly gentleman looking wistfully out of the window, a young lady helping a slightly disabled child towards an empty seat, a gentleman fast asleep with a folded paper on his face (how do people manage to sleep like that?), when suddenly a whiff of “bhindi sabzi” entered my nose and I looked up towards the source to one of the top berths where a Maharashtrian couple were partaking in their lunch.

As the train picked up speed we started to relax, thanking our good fortune on catching the train in time and getting fluids back into our dehydrated bodies, when suddenly it dawned upon us that the 7 of us had just finished the only one bottle of water we had!!

As we were figuring out how to go through the rest of the journey without water, the train started slowing down as it approached Thane station and the same thought relayed through all of our minds – we could buy more water here!! The guy in our group graciously volunteered (after much teasing from us about being chivalrous about it!) to get down and buy a couple of bottles of water for us, when one of the girls also volunteered to get off the train and accompany him; stating that he better hurry with buying the bottles as she would not board a moving train!

As the rest of us awaited their return with the nectar for our parched throats we started talking about the fun evening awaiting us in Nasik. The train suddenly heaved and started to leave the station when we realized the two water bearers had not yet come back. A friend of mine craned her neck at the window to look for them, when suddenly we noticed them on the departing platform looking bewildered as the train passed away in front of their eyes!! We suddenly came out of our calm reviere and started reacting to the fact that two members of our group were left on the station behind us without their bags and that we were suddenly two members short!! Frantic calls were made through our mobile networks and after assuring ourselves that they were safe we suddenly started seeing the funny side of the event and started chuckling!!

The last call from them within 20 minutes of our train leaving the station and them behind confirmed that they were going to make the journey by road and meet us at Nasik… and the cab journey would cost them Rs. 1,200/- !! And all this for a bottle of water!! :-)

Ignorance is bliss?

Have you noticed how all of us have entered our little world of music and ear phones? It seems that we all have chosen to ignore all that goes around us by jamming those 2 little buttons into our delicate ears... Whether it is a young college girl trying out her new shuffle or working individuals who plug themselves into another world...

Have we as a race suddenly become aware of the magical world of music or do we choose it as a means to cut ourselves away from the hair clip vendors, the nagging voices of the beggars or the world in general? Well for myself I use my music to wander away from the daily humbug of life....

Another interesting scenario is when one finds an individual lamenting about his/her pitiful existence to a "friend" who has the notorious buttons plugged in with music shaking their heads in agreement... Do they actually listen??

Human beings are selfish... they choose to be ignorant of events which do not touch the boundaries of their lives..

So, is ignorance bliss?? Or is it that we perceive it to be such? This can be a deterrent to humanity as in closing out the existence of others we tend to forget to help those we encounter in our daily life cycle like the elderly lady who requires a helping hand while alighting from the train… the visually impaired gentleman who thanks you graciously for helping him cross the road.. the countless orphans at our NGOs whose eyes sparkle when they meet a new “didi” who sits and shares their time with them.. the taxi driver whose car battery needs a push to ignite the spark in its life… the family member who pleads for love through their eyes..

Is ignorance bliss??

Musings about one of our strongest nouns :-)

Answers.com defines it as "A facial expression characterized by an upward curving of the corners of the mouth and indicating pleasure, amusement, or derision."

I would define it as a release of fond memories, of love, of sadness, of loneliness, of togetherness, of happiness, of courage, of cunningness... yes, it can be used in a lot of different ways and it will be one of the most used, most lovable and most adored noun of the English language!

So, what brings the Smile onto my face?

A baby's gurgle after being bathed and fed; A school boy helping a blind man on the station platform towards the subway steps; When an old lady I meet every morning recognises me as she steps off the train to my waiting, helping hand; Balloons tugging at the threads that bind them to earth; Roadside children splashing in puddles on the road; A smiley :-) on the IM from a dear friend who is miles away; When a mother combs her son's hair before dropping him off at school; Friends and team members who gave me a surprise me on my bday (like they did this month!!)

And many more... what about you?

Does one need a reason?

Hey Cool!! .... Congrats!! .... Welcome to the blogger family .... So, you gonna write like everyday?? .... What will u write on? .... Whatever possessed u to...?

These and other similar questions greeted my invite to my blog... So, why did I start this blog? Could it have been that I was tired of speaking only to that "imaginary voice" (one that we all have but do not admit to?) inside my head... OR is it because it helped me destress? Was I just joining the bandwagon so to speak?

Funny .... I didn't think about all of this when I started penning or is it texting my thoughts onto my cell (yeah its true!!) :-) Well for whatever the reasons - which I still have to figure out (or do I ?)... I am glad I did start!!!

Aimless (or are they?) meanders of the mind...

Mystical is the way life works whether it is good or bad...

We all end up blaming something or the other... What is it that life demands of us? Does life demand it or do WE subconsciously demand it of ourselves? I really think the answer is that Humans are never, never, ever satisfied - take Maslow's theory of need... to achieve self actualisation we feed one need after another!!

Are we puppets in someone's hands??

Is there a parallel universe....?

Musings at a railway reservation counter...

There are all different kinds of people here... Those who look with glazed eyes at the railway time tables trying to decipher the various trains and their timings.. Students filling up their concession forms going home to meet the folks... wives standing in the "only for ladies" line, while husbands look after their kids... men of all ages and backgrounds helping each other fill up the reservation forms.. ladies shaking their heads while making changes in their forms bec their choice of train is not available.... And then there are people like me - waiting to finish the reservations so that we could go back to the grindstone called "work"!
And I have just been witness to our efficient railways wherein an individual can only book tickets for 6 people at a time.. So after booking the first lot I am whisked back to the end of the line that I had just conquered :-) such is life isn't it? he he he he
And the line grows on after me adding to it housewives, working ladies, a dad with his daughter... and this is a nice touch... a husband had just given his wife a piece of "bun maska" while she fills up the form!!
Lo behold it will now be my turn (again) - hope she gives me seats together!!
Bye bye from the station till we meet again to discuss other musings!!

A Break...

Why do we need a break from life? Or the question should be DO we need a break from life OR is it from ourselves? That is the question!!
Well, life goes on and a break is definately good, hence I am off for a day or shall a I say a night? Am off to Nasik for a wine fest...
Shall I enjoy it? Will I get drunk? That is the fun of going for a break... U don't know what to expect :)

Welcome to the journey...

My very first post on my very first blog ! :)
This blog will be about my thoughts about anything and everything around me..
So grab a snack while you get whisked away on a Mystical Journey called Life!