Age ain't maturity...it ain't nothing but a number!

"A person's age and their level of maturity aren't connected...not one bit", she thought to herself. It had taken little observations over time, small chit chats here and there and one big conversation to realize that. It made her think about so many things...how a person's mind worked, what made them think the way they did, whether there was any rationality behind it, whether it was just a simple acceptance of facts, whether it was that unquestioning trust in the person(s) that mattered most...the trust that they would be cared for no matter what? So many thoughts bombarded her.

She recalled the phrase 'older and wiser' and thought about how much it was thrown around by adults. Why, there were  songs (and even blogs!) by that title. But she remembered another one...a complete contradiction.

“The older I grow, the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom.” 


Did it mean that the younger the person, the more mature they were? Was this because acceptance came so much easier as a child?

Did this mean that she still had a lot to learn...from her children?

A little gap = big smile!

Dated Dec 11, 2012

It was about 6:45 am on 11/12/2012. A little girl sat at the table eating her bowl of Chocos. As always, she was crunching through them merrily when all of a sudden, she stopped and squealed! "Amma! It's out! My tooth's fallen"! Amma's immediate response was "Oh I hope you haven't swallowed it along with the Chocos"! "No silly, it's right here", came the answer. And there it was...one shiny, pearly white tooth in the palm of her hand. And it was special...it was the first one to fall out, after all.

A great deal of excitement ensued! She proudly displayed it to all present, especially her little brother! His first question? "What will the tooth fairy give you"? Ah...the unavoidable question had been asked, that too by an unaffected party! So she relayed that back to her mother who said that the tooth fairy will give her something...but wasn't sure what. There weren't many demands...maybe a gold coin? Her mother smiled. The innocence with which it was asked made her heart melt. And in that soppy state, she shook her head...."yes, maybe".

So the tooth was stashed in a secret place so it would be safe until she could tuck it under her pillow at night. Her mother wanted to get a gold foil covered chocolate coin that she could put under the pillow...but forgot until too late at night! Luckily, rummaging through her wallet, she came across a 1 pound coin. It wasn't gold but it seemed close enough. It was something that she had saved since 2004. It had been memorable but somehow, the memory associated with it, had vanished. She realized that it was time to put the coin to better use. Enough of it sitting inside a cold, dark wallet.

The next morning dawned. "Amma! I got a gold coin! I'm so happy"! She ran up and hugged her mother tight. "I know you put it under my pillow, amma...thank you"! I'm going to put this away in my piggy bank"!
"From one closed space into another", her mother thought" but a new association created".

A tiny gap, the tooth fairy, a fake gold coin and a big, wide, ear-to-ear smile. :)

Alternate reality...or a wish?

She racked her brains really hard. She just couldn’t figure out what to write about. She had many thoughts…too many, actually. What could she write about that would be interesting for someone else to read? Could she write about incidents from her past or events that were currently going on in her life? What if they thought it were boring? What about something relating to her children? That always seemed interesting to her!  But what if they thought it wasn’t funny at all! And then she thought for a second…what if she closed her eyes to see if there was some inspiration? A wise person whom she loved dearly had once told her to try this if she ever faced writer’s block.

She sat on her chair and closed her eyes. And just like that, thoughts came floating in and out...
A bright orange coloured all day sucker! It was so big that it almost covered her face entirely! It smelt divine and tasted even better. She pictured herself licking it greedily, the juice dripping down her cheeks making them all sticky. Just as she thought that she could write about that, another thought flashed in her mind.

She was on Center Court at Wimbledon! No, not a ball girl but she was on the court itself playing against her hero Pete Sampras! She stood behind the baseline about to receive his serve. Funnily though, she wasn’t grimacing at the expected ‘thwack’ that could’ve ploughed through a metal wall! She was grinning…goofily even! So excited at the thought of walking to the net at the end of the match and shaking his hand…or even hugging him! There was something she could write about…the mixture of emotions that were going through her, right? DING DONG! DING DONG! She opened her eyes and got out of her chair with a start! She rushed off downstairs to answer the door. Her eyes opened wide and her jaw dropped down low! Who should stand there but Pete Sampras holding a bright orange coloured all day sucker!!!! The first thought that crossed her mind? “Wait till I go back to my computer and write about this!”

Love and all its little expressions

She picked him up in the morning and held him close. The sun was shining straight into her eyes and so she wrinkled them a bit. She caught him looking at her in a strange way and she realized that she had forgotten to wear her glasses. He looked at her as if he was observing something for the first time and then said, "Amma, your eyes are like the beach! Was it that innocent remark that made her teary or was it the bright light of the sun? She wondered what he meant by that. Did he mean that the colour of her eyes was like the brown (slightly dirty) sand at Marina beach? Or did he mean that they had a calming effect on him much like the beach did on all of us?

Before she could ask him why he said that, he learned forward and kissed her on the cheek and said, "Amma, I can see the water in your eyes like in the beach". Was it just his imagination or had he seen the tears that glistened in her eyes threatening to overflow like the waves about to crash onto the shore? She held him close and kissed him on his cheeks.

Sometimes, it doesn't take much to feel loved. And very often, it is just innocence...especially one of a child.

Child, no more!

Being a parent isn't easy. We are expected to know a lot...a lot more than our children do, anyway. Because we're older and supposedly, wiser too. Our experiences have taught us a lot over the years and we expect to be able to pass on this knowledge to our children...so that we can guard them, protect them, shield them from 'bad' things happening to them. Often, it doesn't pass on as knowledge but more as instruction. There is a subtle difference between the two - only one lets them learn for themselves.

But why should it be that way? Do age and experience mean so much that we feel many times, beyond a doubt, that we know everything? Can we not let our children make mistakes and figure out things for themselves? OK, maybe not all the time...like if they wanted to lie down in the middle of the road to find out the probability of getting hit by a car, we can stop them and say, "No...don't do that" and secretly think to ourselves, "We know...we almost tried it too but were stopped just in time!"

At what point do we learn that our children are children no more but adults (little adults, even!) who are capable of making a choice for themselves whether right or wrong? If there are no guarantees in life anyway, then what makes us so sure that what we know is the only truth? What makes us so sure that staying within the boundaries that have been drawn for us will result in positives...for them?

What makes us so sure that letting them take the path less trodden may not be the best thing they've ever done?

The Wall

There it was...a high steep wall with holds all over the place but it didn't seem easy at all. Many seemed within her grasp and yet, she couldn't get a hold of them that easily. Not one to give up, she braved it and carried on upwards, trying all the while not to keep looking down below. But it was incredibly hard. Looking back, looking down...it was impossible not to do that. She faltered but kept going.

It took awhile...and she almost reached the top...just a few holds away and suddenly, her hand slipped! She was holding on with just one hand. She knew that she couldn't let go...that wasn't an option. To go back to where she started seemed impossible! Not after all that effort, all that it took to get her to where she was...she couldn't let that happen! And yet, the surge that she needed to haul herself back up seemed a little too hard. Stuck at that spot, her body started to ache. She wished someone would just pull her up and yet, she wanted to make it on her own. 

And then, she closed her eyes and saw a familiar face...or was it faces? Smiling at her almost as if to say, "It is hard but not that bad. And you don't have to do it all alone". 

She took a deep breath and grabbed on to the nearest hold. It took all of her strength and all of her toughness...but she held on. And she reached out and pulled herself into a more stable position. But it wasn't over...the hardest bit was yet to come. Everyone had told her that the last step was the toughest. It nearly took your life out...but it was well worth it. 

She felt like the only way she could do it was if she almost let go of both hands and leapt to the last hold...holding nothing back. And she did just that...and made it! Just about. But it was good enough! She got to the top, not in a fancy way...but good enough. 

That's all mattered. Good enough.

Preview to the future?

The three of them sat next to each other...two tubs of popcorn between them. And a bottle of water. One of them looked to her right and said, "Look at them....that's how we will be many years down the road". Another said, "Yes, I was just thinking about that". And the third one said, "Yeah but we won't be in saris". And all three smiled, happy and secure about their friendship.

The three of them sat next to each other...two tubs of popcorn between them. And a bottle of water. One of them looked to her left and said, "Look at them...that's how we were many years ago". Another said, "Yes, I was just thinking about that". And the third one said, "Yeah but we weren't in jeans". And all three smiled, happy and secure about their friendship.

We go through so much in life. There are times when we need friends more than we may be willing to admit. There are times when they make so much sense...so much that we may sometimes not want to see it.  There are times when all we need is a hug, a cup of tea, a chat or a drive.

There are times when we feel that some friendships are forever - be it jeans, sari, make-up, long hair, short hair, mismatched clothes, out-of-fashion chappals or everything else in between.

Outburst...of a different kind

It doesn't take much, sometimes, to realize how much love you can feel for someone. A glance, a smile, a gesture, a word, a moment...that's all you need for that feeling to erupt. Love, affection, warmth...your heart is almost ready to burst. So powerful! Words can't capture or express that...they wouldn't do any justice. Do they know or understand the depth of this feeling? You can only hope...from glances, smiles, gestures, moments. 


Saying, sometimes, just doesn't cut it. Maybe an outburst is the need of the hour....or a 'heartburst'!

Serenity...now

Listening to familiar tracks....tracks that take you back in time...to a time when life was simple, thinking about the days gone by...days when the fun seemed never-ending, dreaming about the days to come...days that might become as much fun or maybe even a bit more, holding loved ones close...watching them sleep...wondering if they might be dreaming and what those dreams might hold...

It's hard to describe that feeling of complete and total serenity...maybe for good reason. 

Under the transparent umbrella

Rainfall...watching it and listening to its pitter patter, the first splash of water hitting your face, little drops that sneak in from the side of the umbrella onto your hands, puddles that make you want to jump into them, buses swerving to avoid water-filled potholes, the smell of fresh water and mud, the birds that happily bathe under open skies...the chain of events that even a little bit of rain sets off is incredible...

Experiencing all this with a loved one on your lap - holding a transparent baby umbrella, oozing innocence, bursting into peals of laughter and squealing with delight every time the rain falls with a dull thud onto the umbrella top - is just priceless.


Things do seem different when seen through another's eyes...with a little bit of transparency and innocence.  

These are a few of my favourite things

When the mind wanders searching for comfort, it tends to think of things....familiar things...things that help it remember good times, good moments, good memories. While my favourite things are a far cry from Julie Andrews', they are mine and mine alone.

Long drives on empty roads, old tracks on the radio, silly movies that show unexpectedly on the TV, hanging out at a friend's terrace, gossiping all through the night, late night phone conversations, train rides with loved ones, open empty spaces where dreams and plans are made, eating dosa while sitting in the car, watching the endless waves hit the shore, walking around the mall with a best friend, coffee breaks at the office, reading an old dog-eared book, playing tennis and basketball, grilled cheese & chilly sandwiches, dark chocolate & breezers, grandparents and their unquestioning love...

The list seems endless but comfort seems a little far away too, at times. Hmmmmmmmmmm

Paused

There are times when one has a lot to say about so many things...the thoughts just keep flowing. Any and every situation becomes a little story...funny, insightful or just random. And there are other times when one just glides over everything...in a way that only a passer-by can. That doesn't mean that the observations stop or that things don't register. It's just that there isn't time to process the things that matter and translate them into a form that can be easily understood.

Busy and preoccupied...that's my excuse. Back to the grind soon...the good grind, though. Observing, noticing...and then writing.

Dreaming away the day...dreaming away life

It's so nice to dream...especially day dream. It isn't easy, though, because in order to be able to dream, the mind has to be free...sort of empty, vacant, relaxed...like it's chilling out.

She closed her eyes...and the images came flooding in. Running carefree across wide open spaces, jumping madly in puddles, climbing tall trees, talking late into the night with friends, dreaming big, imagining that everything was possible and just doing the sorts of things that people would call crazy! The kind of crazy that can only be attributed to youth and the madness of it all.

Why do we let this stop? Why do we allow the madness to end? Why do we build a shield around ourselves and become guarded? Why are we unable to allow maturity and carefreeness (if there is such a word) to coexist?

Why do we not realize that growing up doesn't mean giving up the simple pleasures of life?

You can't take your eyes off it!

Diego, Dora, Peppa Pig, Charlie and Lola, Teletubbies, Thomas the tank engine and countless others...but none of these have kept both my children so glued to the telly as this - Infomercials! No, it's not a new show on any kids channel! It's what airs from midnight to 7am on many of the kids channels. For whatever reason, the kids turned on the TV at 6:30 and watched in absolute silence for a half hour! The best part was the endorsement from my daughter that the steam vacuum is great because there are no chemicals!

Finally, a TV show for all! Chemical-free too :).

Memories for life

It's nice to recount incidents from the past...old stories, events, people, places...memories. What makes this recounting even better is that it's being recounted with the people that you are about to make new memories with! Like a circle of memories...or something like that.

I've always believed that memories that you make in the course of life are not just for yourself...that would be too selfish! Make memories that will live on in other's minds too.

I definitely think I have!

Buzz buzz buzzzzzzzzzzzz

What a nice word...or sound...or feeling....whatever!

:)

The Cheekiness Of Chat

Just the tongue-in-cheek emoticon says it all. You can say whatever you want...almost whatever you want, anyway, and get away with it by using an emoticon. Something like "I didn't mean that...just joking, really" when you may or may not have been. That's the beauty of chat.

On a deeper level, what is it that makes it easy to chat up someone on 'chat'? Is it the knowledge that you can say anything and the other person won't see through you? Is this what allows you to mask your true emotions and feelings? Or sometimes, the other way around?

Either way, the person on the receiving end may never truly get the intended meaning. Or maybe they will but don't let on...they're probably using a complementary emoticon as well. An emoticon face-off, if you will.

Which emoticon will blink first?

Swalpa Kannada learn maadi

I wrote this post soon as I moved to Bangalore. It's almost 2 years now and I'm nowhere close to learning even a little more Kannada than just that. Except for one term - the ubiquitous 'Adjust maadi or swalpa adjust maadi', which means 'Adjust a bit please'. The term is so famous around here that it should be legal to say 'I got adjust maadied'!

Legal or not, I got 'adjust maadied' a few days ago. While driving through the absurd traffic, I'm not sure why I had my windows down. But waiting for the signal to change, I suddenly heard a 'swalpa adjust maadi, madam'...auto driver trying to squeeze into a non-existent space in front of my car!

If that term didn't bring a smile to my face, I might've adjust maadied his face :)

Routine and Randomness

The words routine and random might sound contradictory but they are related in a funny way. Routine facilitates randomness. When you do certain things at certain times day in and day out, there are some things that you will eventually observe. Some patterns will emerge and some deviations as well. But to observe the deviation, you need to understand the pattern first.

Where am I going with this? Nowhere, really. It's more an argument within...to tell myself that as boring as a routine might be, it does have its uses...as random as they might be.

Randomness - what would I do without it!

Oh to escape from the madness!

The mind is a crazy thing...thoughts, memories, wishes, dreams, conversations, emotions...an endless barrage pounding constantly without any relief. You want to tell it to just let up for a bit...just chill out. But you know it won't happen. There's just too much in there.

Imagine being able to escape to that imaginary space where it's calm, still, blissful even. A space where only what you want, you do. Where only what you feel, you touch. Where only what you picture, you see. Where only what you sense, you believe. Where only what you believe, you live.

A space where it all comes together...fits in...and makes perfect sense.

Un-pennable

You don't have to be able to express in words or some other tangible form everything that you feel. Maybe the extremeness of that feeling might be lost, then. Yes, some things are best left un-penned.

Un-pennable or should it be unpennable?

Technology and me - Part 1

I've never thought of myself as being addicted to technology of any kind. I don't have too many gadgets and even the ones I have are nowhere near top of the line. The only thing I use everyday is my laptop. Since it's always around, I guess I never realized how addicted to it I was...until 3 days ago...when I turned it on.

Instead of seeing the familiar login screen, I saw the black screen of death! Pandemonium ensued, solely in my mind. Loads of questions but no answers. I was panic-struck and very upset. Denial, anger, sadness and finally, much needed acceptance. The hard disk was gone. The data might be there but I wouldn't have my dear little laptop for another couple of weeks. Thanks to a friend, I'm at least online but it's just not the same.

Being connected by technology is so much more than just being able to stay online. Connections...how important they are...

Road Rage

Traffic in Bangalore is a nightmare. Everyone knows that. What annoys me is that most of the time, the reason it gets so crazy is something absolutely foolish. Here are my top 10 road rage causers...all during peak hour traffic time too.

• Heavy vehicles (minimum 16 wheels) carrying ridiculously heavy loads and crawling between two lanes
• BBMP workers sweeping near the median and loading all the sand and dirt onto a tractor that is parked in the middle of the road (tractor driver stares with a puzzled expression when passers-by honk and show make rude gestures towards him)
• BBMP workers drawing white divider lines, which people drive over even before it gets a chance to dry (we don't have a lane system...are the white lines really necessary?)
• Random dig-ups for either water or electricity cables
• Pot holes the size of cars
• L-board drivers who always lose the battle with the clutch, just in time for others to miss the traffic signal, too
• Garbage collection trucks parked in the center of a service lane with the garbage collectors nowhere in sight
• Autos and bikes who block the oncoming traffic in an effort to squeeze through before the traffic light changes
• The jaywalker (pedestrian) who, while on the phone, puts his hand out to stop vehicles coming his way and just saunters across
• And my all-time favorite, cows being ferried to their eateries and watering holes

And to think that everyone believes that traffic woes in Bangalore will be sorted once the innumerable flyovers are completed.

Hmppppppppphhhhhhhhhhh

Music and Lyrics

Music has a way of moving us. It could be the tune, the lyrics, the voice of the singer, the mesmerizing beat....anything. But what is amazing about music is how it adapts to our mood. The same song heard many times over, can mean something completely different each time. The same lyrics can bring a smile or a tear. The same tune can make us hum along gently or scream it out loud. The same voice can trigger memories both good and bad.

What better song to bring out these thoughts in a usually more fun me than Pink Floyd's High Hopes.

I hope you don't skip this post thinking that it's about the movie by the same name. Don't judge a book by its cover and don't judge a post by its title!

Wedding wows

South Indian (rather Tam Bram) weddings are mostly quite boring...the actual wedding ceremonies, anyway. The rest of it - the guests, the food, the outfits and jewelry, the gifts and the drama make up for the boredom in many ways.

Guests

Most often, the guest list i filled with people that the bride and groom don't know. So introductions during the ceremony are mandatory. What makes this horribly painful is that the couple is presented with boring facts about how the guest is known to whichever family member invited them. And to top it off, it usually ends with the guest telling either the bride or groom "I saw you when you were x years old...do you remember me?" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Food

This is the most interesting part of the wedding, especially for people like me who really don't care about all the dressing up and the socializing. Yelai saapadu filled with items including vadai, payasam, a host of other sweets and savouries make any wedding bearable. What is very interesting is that close family and friends, who are fortunate enough to get a personal face-to-face invitation routinely ask who the cook for the wedding is! Like it matters really! I mean, if it's someone who isn't that great, will they not attend the wedding? Seriously! And it's a given that people will ask...so better be ready with a good enough answer in case you're not the kind to want to disclose such information.

Outfits and Jewelry

The majority of people who attend weddings like this part the best! It's a great time to show off all the finery that they possess. What's funny is that some people end up looking grander than the bride herself! Talk about stealing someone's thunder! What I love the most is the after wedding conversation between friends/family. "Did you see what she was wearing? It must have cost a bomb!" or "How could she have worn that choker? It didn't go with the sari at all!" I have an answer for such types of questions..."I didn't notice at all"! :)

Gifts

One wouldn't think that something as nice as gifts could be a talked-about topic...but it is! Mostly because other than the cash and gift vouchers that the couple get, the rest of the stuff is rubbish! Clocks - 10, Flasks - 7, Wall hangings (not coordinated) - 4, Paintings - 20. Gift registries are the need of the hour...much more than cricket wins in test matches!

Drama

It's hard to classify what actually goes into this category. It's like a pot-pourri of things...or events...that lead up to the wedding, or happen at the wedding, or even just after. There's the usual family squabbles about absolutely unimportant stuff, out-of-town relatives reaching the wedding hall even before the bride and groom have entered, the groom forgetting his belt and realizing just before the reception, kids feeling sleepy at inopportune moments, the kitchen running out of sambar...the list is endless.

On reading all this, it seems like weddings aren't so bad after all...even Tam Bram ones...right?

:)

Celebrating good times - the Social Horror's take

Weddings and other family functions are a two-edged sword. Lots of fun but lots of socializing too. Social gatherings are fun but also get a little tiring after some time...the clothes, the food, the chit chat and the rest of the gossip. But if you take away all the 'in your face' aspects, these gatherings make for an interesting experience.

These are 'her' experiences...the social horror's I mean. And any coincidence to anyone you might know of is purely coincidental...really!

The Social Horror and Jewelry

She's never been a fan of jewelry and related accessories. Ironically though, she always found herself caught in the thick of conversations about it. Questions about what stone it is, whether it's set in gold, who made it, which store it came from, how much it cost were always thrown at her. Not one to get caught without having a retort, these situations were hard for her as she never had a good-enough answer...almost all the time. So she took the easy way out - ask amma!

The Social Horror and Beauty

You've become so fair! Your complexion is lovely! Your skin is glowing! As much as these sound like fantastic compliments, the social horror found that there was actually a hidden question in them which she was expected to answer voluntarily - what have you done to yourself? What cream have you been using? Which parlor have you gone to? Again, not one to spend much time in parlors, not having a suitable answer to these questions only made her look a bit suspect...like she didn't want to share her secret beauty tips! Use kadala maavu on your face - her planned retort for the next time!

The Social Horror and Clothes

I love your salwar! What material is it? Who designed it? Who stitched it? The answer raced through her mind even before the questions were asked...I have no idea! Whoever stitched it is the person who said they will give it to me the soonest, really that's it. Really! I'm not lying! No, it's not that I don't want to give you the name...hang on, let me find the bill!

The Social Horror and Music/Dance

She was good at music but not good at dance. Did that mean that she had to sing every time there was an occasion? Did it? Dodging requests with excuses like bad throat, out of practice and so on she mostly escaped but had to put in considerable effort to come up with 'good-enough' excuses. Dancing, on the other hand, was never a part of boring Tam-Bram wedding customs, so she was spared. The 'two left feet syndrome' yet unexplored...in a 'high-free' setting anyway!

The Social Horror and Mehendi :)

She did not like mehendi...the smell, the awful color when it started to fade...everything! But as an important part of the wedding she was about to take part it, she just HAD to get it. After some dodging and time-delaying tactics (gone wrong), she got a wee bit on one of her palms. Unacceptable was the verdict! She had to get more! She was one of the important ones at the ceremony...no, she wasn't the bride but still! So what did she do? Did she get out of it or did she cave in?

To be continued...once the mehendi dries out... :)

Random...really!

After watching this match, the first thought that crossed my mind was not about the level of tennis or the fitness of the two players. It was "Will Federer text Nadal saying tough luck but great match"?

Random...but true. :)

Time

An oft written-about/ sung-about subject - time. My three all time favorites songs:

Time - Pink Floyd

Time - The Alan Parsons Project

Time Stand Still - Rush

The theme is common. That time doesn't wait for anyone. That as we get older, we get less innocent. That everyone and everything changes. That we shouldn't look back. And the most important - that we should seize the moment.

It's a pity that the meanings of these tunes don't really hit home until we are older, wiser, less innocent and more experienced.

To the circus

I went to the circus today after probably 20+ years. I felt the same excitement that I remember feeling all those years ago. It was awesome to see similar expressions on my kids' faces too!

The show was fantastic and featured all the usual acts except the animal shows. The trapeze, my favorite act, was simply superb. Such talented and hard-working artists. It's a pity that circuses are a dying trade. There isn't much money to be made after all the expenses are taken care of. Some of the acrobats are just so gifted that you wonder how they might fare under different (and obviously better) circumstances.

As a first-time adult watching the show, a few other things than the main show itself amazed me.

• The size of the tent! How much effort it probably takes to get something so big up!
• The number of support staff and the amazing coordination with which they execute their tasks.
• The acrobats level of skill. If you notice closely, the same acrobat does different events wearing different costumes. While all involve a similar skill set, they aren't exactly the same kind of moves.
• The obvious passion these artists have for their job. It's certainly not the money that keeps them going.

I wonder if circuses, as I know it today, will still be around when my children get older.

Hmmmmmmmmmm

The famous writer

She installed an application called Stat counter/ Total Pageviews on her blog about a month ago. At that time, the total 'hits' number was at 2000 something. One morning, when she was reading her past entries (writers do that, you know...it's a feel-good thing), it was at 4006.

Her first thought was "Wow, a lot of people are reading my blog"! And then, for whatever reason, she opened her blog page in another window....and the counter went to 4007!

Ah...that explained it...her few seconds of fame!

Gym room 'ones'

Have you seen:

• The one who runs many miles like a maniac but uses his feet to turn off the treadmill power switch located at a horribly low height of 1 inch from the floor?
• The one who stretches himself like elastic for a half hour but wraps up the rest of his tiring workout in 5 min?
• The one who thinks it's cool to let his sweat drip all over the cross trainer and, for greater effect, shake his hair out lest some sweat be left over?
• The one who sings along to his iPod tunes sounding like a siren but thoroughly enjoying himself?
• The one who insists on playing the radio station of his choice (without asking the rest of the gym room gang) but spends his time on the phone talking louder than the music?
• The one who has a conference call while walking at 3.5 km/hour? And still panting?
• The one who insists on carrying on a conversation with the person on the neighboring machine...who is, sort of, gasping for breath?
• The one who is watching and listening to all this and thinking "Now, that will make an interesting post"...all this while working out very hard, naturally!

Not being biased to gender or anything. 'His' just came naturally while typing.

Use 'her' wherever you like.

Same difference.

Practicing how to write

I woke up in the middle of the night and thought, 'Maybe I should write a book'! And the next thought, I mean immediately next thought, was not 'What should I write about'? but it was 'Who all will I acknowledge and thank and who will I dedicate the book to'?

Odd? Maybe. But just think about how many people have entered and exited your life with valuable and not so valuable contributions? Influences from home, school, extended family, friends, other social groups...?

So how does one weed through this seemingly endless list of people? The Pyramid of Importance - a book that tells you how to value people in your life. No, it's not yet available on Amazon or Flipkart...it's still being written. The author has a severe case of writer's block - on the Acknowledgments page.

:)

Time Capsule

Ever wondered what 10 things you would have buried in a time capsule 15 years ago?

Here's my list...

1. Audio cassettes and player
2. Walkman
3. Friendship bands with instructions on how to make them
4. Autograph/Slam books
5. First cell phone
6. Mickey and Donald comics
7. Floppy disk
8. Neon shoe laces
9. Tube of Pepsi Cola
10. Double Decker chocolate bar

I wonder what will go in my Time Capsule 15 years from now. And how I'll even record that entry.

Maybe I'll have to bury my blog, the way I know it, too.

Apartment Rules - Part Trois

I've written a couple of posts about Apartments before... read them here... 1, 2

It's been almost 2 years since I moved out of Hyderabad to Bangalore. Overall, the apartment 'scene' is far better here. Or maybe I feel that way because I'm more used to the way people function in apartments in India. Or maybe it's because the number of apartments in most complexes around where I live are a lot. But more people would mean more crazies, right? Whatever. Here's what prompted this post.

This morning, after a tiring workout at the gym, I was walking (crawling) back home. All of a sudden, I spotted something strange at a balcony above. Turned out to be a bare-chested lungi-clad neighbor standing outside and brushing his teeth...at nearly 10 a.m! I didn't know whether to be shocked about the outfit (or lack of it) or the lateness of the teeth-brushing! Either way, since I was caught off-guard, I didn't have time to look away and he caught me staring at him with a horrified expression! Thankfully, since I was close to the foyer, I quickly went inside the building.

I wonder if his eyesight is as bad as his apartments manners. What are the chances that he will recognize me when we wait for the lift or something...we are, after all, in the same block.

Yeeeeesh, wait for that post now!

1

First post of the year on the first day of the year - hence the title. And for those of us that partied together last night, tn1 rocks! :).

Here's to a great year ahead with lots of laughter, love and happiness to all!

Happy New Year 2012!