I seem to be back to my once-a-month random posts :P bleh..
Two trips to NYC in a week..it's been crazy!!! But I couldn't even begin to describe how totally different these two trips were.
Case 1 : 6 friends from Philly decide to try and cover as many touristy things in New York that they can fit into 2 days. Madame Tussuad's, Empire State, Times Square (walked up and down for some reason or the other at least 6-7 times!), Rockefeller Center, Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, Ground Zero, Brooklyn Bridge, Little Italy, Jackson Heights. I think we would have easily walked around 30 miles (read 48 kms) in those 2 days.
We stayed in this 'hotel' which had small cubicles as rooms. It reminded some of us of prison cells and if you want to be a little more imaginative - those tiny bunks that you've heard exist in battleships ;) There were rules stuck in every possible crevice - "Don't be afraid of your freedom", "Please try not to slam doors or talk in your room after 10pm when your neighbours may be SLEEPING." , "Please flush frequently. Do not over stuff the toilets with paper. They clog easily. We appreciate your cooperation.", "Price subject to change according to customers attitude". Boy, were we glad to get out of there in the morning!
Overall..it was a trip to remember :) I'm pretty sure that the next time we go, we probably won't be staying overnight!
Case 2 : The congregation of 3 cousins. I just loved it. I haven't necessarily met these cousins many times before. There were the usual doses of chaotic family get-togethers, weddings and brief house visits. And there we were, all well into our 20s (as much as we'd like to deny it :P) , attempting to make a new beginning. Laughs turned into giggles and then eventually snorts over nothing much in particular :) Conversation flowed..opinions were exchanged..we had a lot to catch up on!
What I found weird was that even after all the years that have passed, we still had some vague sort of connection. Numerous attempts to get in touch earlier had failed for some reason or the other. But what was nice, was the fact that it had worked out this time :)
It's a refreshing change to meet someone after so long and for them to accept you unconditionally. For them to probably have more faith in you than you might have in yourself and vice versa. The fact that you can just kick back and relax - be yourself. I guess that's the magic of family. I just needed to be reminded of that..
Monday, March 16, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Tag
Was bugged of not posting anything new here. So decided to put this up. Feel free to consider yourself tagged if you read this :P
1. Give me a reason to procrastinate..and I will. Prime example: me actually bothering to write this!
2. I love reading tags. Not so much writing them :P
3. I dislike change. I end up becoming nostalgic and start craving for the past every once in a while.
4. I like to think that I'm organized. I own practically everything one would need to be so. But they all look so neat and cool that I just store it away (for future use).
5. I value my space and privacy. You encroach for longer than necessary or poke your nose into things which are of no concern to you, the chances of me biting your head off go up exponentially. Don't say I didn't warn you ;)
6. I love compliments! Who doesn't? I haven't quite learned how to accept them graciously though :P
7. The Cancerian in me shines through if you ever get a chance to look through my stash of things that I set aside to hold on to the memory. Movie tickets, gift wrapping paper, old cards, post-its, letters that I received when I was 5 or 6..you get the picture :P
8. It takes ages for me to open up to new people. All it takes is one moment where I'm utterly convinced that we're on the same page..but it takes a while :P
9. When I need to study, I have to clean my room first. By the end of that study session, it may look like a tornado just went through..but it has to start off clean!
10. I like reading those mushy romantic novels on gloomy and rainy days.
11. Until proven otherwise, I believe that all people are good people. I'm almost always in disbelief after I realize that some are quite the opposite.
12. It unnerves me when people get too familiar with me. I don't like it when people 'think' they know me. There are exceptions of course :)
13. Once you're in my bad books, chances are it'll take a miracle or a couple of years to get out of it :P Just kidding..the time period has now reduced to a couple of weeks or so..achievement!
14. I love planning short trips to new places. I haven't been doing much of that lately :(
15. I love morphed words which have bits of an Indian language in them and have found their way into Indian English conversation. 'adjust maadi' 'ulta-fy’ ‘fully faltoo’ ‘chillax’ 'bheja-fry'
16. I need my girly-gossipy session every once in a while. I’m so glad the people I rely on for that are either a free AT&T call or gtalk message away :D I still miss that single room corridor and the Chillar people back in VIT though. Those times were precious indeed..sigh :)
17. I’m always amused when I hear about the first impression different people had of me.
18. I love anything that is remotely artsy-craftsy.
19. I’ve always been amazed how some people know exactly what they want to do and where they want to be. I envy them. I have no clue where I’m going to be a year or two from now.
20. I’m running out of ideas here.
21. As much I like my space, there are times that all I want is good company. Contradiction? Maybe :P Difficult to get? Yes!
22. I believe that if I look hard enough, there is a song that describes exactly how I feel at pretty much every waking moment. I loooooove music!23. I get goose bumps when there is a sudden change in temperature, when I’m happy and when I’m sad all of a sudden. Goose bumps on Var-goose, you say? I've heard that one before!
24. I’ve learned that there is practically no bad mood of mine that a trip to a shoe store cannot fix :) I have also learned to minimize those trips..for now :P
25. If I had to be a punctuation mark, I would be '...' I don't know why I like them!!!
1. Give me a reason to procrastinate..and I will. Prime example: me actually bothering to write this!
2. I love reading tags. Not so much writing them :P
3. I dislike change. I end up becoming nostalgic and start craving for the past every once in a while.
4. I like to think that I'm organized. I own practically everything one would need to be so. But they all look so neat and cool that I just store it away (for future use).
5. I value my space and privacy. You encroach for longer than necessary or poke your nose into things which are of no concern to you, the chances of me biting your head off go up exponentially. Don't say I didn't warn you ;)
6. I love compliments! Who doesn't? I haven't quite learned how to accept them graciously though :P
7. The Cancerian in me shines through if you ever get a chance to look through my stash of things that I set aside to hold on to the memory. Movie tickets, gift wrapping paper, old cards, post-its, letters that I received when I was 5 or 6..you get the picture :P
8. It takes ages for me to open up to new people. All it takes is one moment where I'm utterly convinced that we're on the same page..but it takes a while :P
9. When I need to study, I have to clean my room first. By the end of that study session, it may look like a tornado just went through..but it has to start off clean!
10. I like reading those mushy romantic novels on gloomy and rainy days.
11. Until proven otherwise, I believe that all people are good people. I'm almost always in disbelief after I realize that some are quite the opposite.
12. It unnerves me when people get too familiar with me. I don't like it when people 'think' they know me. There are exceptions of course :)
13. Once you're in my bad books, chances are it'll take a miracle or a couple of years to get out of it :P Just kidding..the time period has now reduced to a couple of weeks or so..achievement!
14. I love planning short trips to new places. I haven't been doing much of that lately :(
15. I love morphed words which have bits of an Indian language in them and have found their way into Indian English conversation. 'adjust maadi' 'ulta-fy’ ‘fully faltoo’ ‘chillax’ 'bheja-fry'
16. I need my girly-gossipy session every once in a while. I’m so glad the people I rely on for that are either a free AT&T call or gtalk message away :D I still miss that single room corridor and the Chillar people back in VIT though. Those times were precious indeed..sigh :)
17. I’m always amused when I hear about the first impression different people had of me.
18. I love anything that is remotely artsy-craftsy.
19. I’ve always been amazed how some people know exactly what they want to do and where they want to be. I envy them. I have no clue where I’m going to be a year or two from now.
20. I’m running out of ideas here.
21. As much I like my space, there are times that all I want is good company. Contradiction? Maybe :P Difficult to get? Yes!
22. I believe that if I look hard enough, there is a song that describes exactly how I feel at pretty much every waking moment. I loooooove music!23. I get goose bumps when there is a sudden change in temperature, when I’m happy and when I’m sad all of a sudden. Goose bumps on Var-goose, you say? I've heard that one before!
24. I’ve learned that there is practically no bad mood of mine that a trip to a shoe store cannot fix :) I have also learned to minimize those trips..for now :P
25. If I had to be a punctuation mark, I would be '...' I don't know why I like them!!!
Monday, January 26, 2009
A New Day Has Come
Happy New Year! I know I'm a bit late..but I figured it was better late than never :D Although I'm not one who believes in making new year resolutions and sticking by them, I realized that the last year seemed like it had flown by a little too fast for my liking.
It's been a good year, as are most of them. A year of making new beginnings, carrying on with the old, picking up from where we left off...you get the picture.
Coming to a new place made me realize that I seem to have taken a lot of things for granted; family, friends. When these things are in short supply around you, you tend to look back and reminisce about what you once had. Then it eventually dawns on you that there's no point in living in the past, that there's nothing like the present. Each day will bring new challenges, more and more assignments to turn in. But I'm determined this year to have a little more 'me' time. When I can just kick off my shoes and truly enjoy the company of people around me. I want to meet more people, make new friends, see new places. I don't want to look back at the two years I've spent in Philly and regret that I didn't take advantage of so many things that it has to offer! I don't have any false hopes. I know I'm going to take baby steps initially and then slow down when there's too much work to do but I have to start somewhere. I might get hurt from time to time but like the saying goes - 'What doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger'.
Here we go! Wish me luck :P
It's been a good year, as are most of them. A year of making new beginnings, carrying on with the old, picking up from where we left off...you get the picture.
Coming to a new place made me realize that I seem to have taken a lot of things for granted; family, friends. When these things are in short supply around you, you tend to look back and reminisce about what you once had. Then it eventually dawns on you that there's no point in living in the past, that there's nothing like the present. Each day will bring new challenges, more and more assignments to turn in. But I'm determined this year to have a little more 'me' time. When I can just kick off my shoes and truly enjoy the company of people around me. I want to meet more people, make new friends, see new places. I don't want to look back at the two years I've spent in Philly and regret that I didn't take advantage of so many things that it has to offer! I don't have any false hopes. I know I'm going to take baby steps initially and then slow down when there's too much work to do but I have to start somewhere. I might get hurt from time to time but like the saying goes - 'What doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger'.
Here we go! Wish me luck :P
Monday, December 15, 2008
Final Countdown
1 more exam, 4 more days, 24 hours of travelling..and I will be home. Hip Hip Hurray! :D
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Thank You
It's been a year. I lit a candle today in honour of my grandfather. It's been an interesting year to say the least. I have a lot to be thankful for.
To the people who held my hand through the tough times, listened to me rant on the phone and went out in the morning to buy me a candle..you know who you are.
To the people who held my hand through the tough times, listened to me rant on the phone and went out in the morning to buy me a candle..you know who you are.
Thank you :)
Monday, December 1, 2008
Mumbai Meri Jaan
On Wednesday morning, I woke up in the morning dreading all the work I had to do before stepping on a flight to go to Houston. I was running around like a beheaded chicken, trying to finish off a particularly irritating assignment and at the same time trying to make sure that I packed whatever was required for my 3 day trip.
Needless to say, I reached the airport in time and had to stand in what seemed like a never-ending line before I could go through the security check at the airport. With a sense of achievement that I still had time to spare, I headed towards the gate to wait for them to call for boarding. Nothing in my wildest dream could have prepared me for what I would see on the TV screen. Mumbai...was under attack. Guests at the Taj Hotel had been taken hostage. Gunmen had opened fire at innocent travellers in the busiest train station I have ever seen till date. People had been shot in Cafe Leopold. I had to sit down in a chair because I couldn't believe my eyes. I could feel my legs buckle under me because I couldn't stop shaking. I watched in silence and disbelief as more news came in and pictures came up on the screen.
The places were familiar. I wasn't born in Mumbai and I have never lived there for any significant length of time. But less than one year ago, I made two visits to this vibrant city. At a time in my life when I was largely unhappy, recuperating from loss, confused about my future, extremely restless and desperate for a sense of belonging - I found myself in Mumbai. During those two visits, I marvelled at the sense of freedom I experienced there. We spent most of those days sitting on Marine Drive, watching the waves break against the rocks in silence, interspersed with some wise-cracks at someone else's expense. We stood near the Gateway of India marvelling at the beauty of the Taj and joking about how none of us had the money to have an entire meal there. We spent time in Leopold's soaking in the music and the atmosphere. We travelled by local train and passed through CST numerous times. The place had an energy about it which I had never experienced before. People were constantly on the move. The rhythm of their footsteps were somehow a source of comfort to me. Proof that in all the chaos of my life, there could eventually be some sense of order.
I was in Houston for Thanksgiving. But every moment that wasn't spent talking to family or preparing for the dinner was spent obsessing about what was happening in Mumbai; reading every single article I could lay my hands on, contacting friends in Mumbai to make sure they were ok, watching CNN for updates and reading various blogs. The sheer helplessness of the situation was overwhelming and annoying. I know I'm not the only one who has felt this way because I've lost track of the number of people who have told me this over the past few days - "Is there anything at all I can do to help? Why???"
In all this chaos, there's no dearth of stories which leave you with some sense of hope for the days to come. The railway authorities cleared the debris of the explosions in 12 hours. Volunteers came forward to carry the wounded and the dead, to donate blood and to assist traumatized survivors.This demonstration of courage and empathy is all the more remarkable in a metropolis whose residents must desensitise themselves in order to survive against failing infrastructure, strained amenities, official indifference and an unforgiving pace of life. The epitome of survival of the fittest.
It feels next to impossible for me to look at something like this objectively. The siege may be over for now. People have died. Fingers are being pointed. The general public is outraged at the state of affairs. All the people holding offices of power seem to have put in their papers. Does that really achieve anything? They step down and expect someone else to do the clean-up job. It just leaves a bad taste in one's mouth.
It's very easy to point fingers but I believe Indians have to change. And what better time than right now? Politicians can only make policies to point us in the right direction. It's the common man and the law enforcers who will ultimately ensure that the system runs efficiently. We, as a community, have to learn how to stop cutting corners. If we want a more effective security system, we have to be willing to sacrifice a little of our privacy. There's a price we're all going to have to pay if we want to live in a safer and more secure world. Blaming everything on the government has become a habit - an escape route for most. The fact still remains that most of our metros are unprepared to defend themselves against the perils of terrorist warfare.
Someone pointed out to me today that I give people too much credit. That I have way too much faith in humanity. The truth is, I don't think I'd like to have it any other way. I believe that the undaunted resilience of the human heart is something spectacular. That we can pick up the pieces and move on with our lives never fails to amaze me. But I regret to say, that in our hurry to "move on", we forget. We may have escaped the clutches of terror this time, but that doesn't guarantee that we will be as lucky tomorrow. I sincerely hope that we, as a nation, learn from these mistakes so that a tragedy of this magnitude can be avoided in the future. Resilience is good, but amnesia fatal.
Friday, November 21, 2008
November Rain
The gloomy weather seems to have been taking its toll on my mood lately. I don't like to have the rain in my shoes. I don't like to see the sky painted gray. I don't like it when nothing is going my way. I don't like to be the one with blues.
But then everything suddenly turned around when I looked outside my window today and saw SNOW. The immense beauty that nature has at its disposal left me speechless and brought the biggest of grins to my face. You haven't experienced anything until you've opened the window to your second floor apartment when it is sub-zero temperature outside and stuck your head out to see how it feels to have snow falling on the tip of your nose. Or stuck your tongue out to catch a snowflake and intercepted its journey to the ground. Or sat on the windowsill and dangled your feet in cold breeze, humming your favourite tune.
For that brief time period, you are transported back in time to the days when you didn't have a care in the world. When there were no exams around the corner. When you could afford to waste time and not feel even the smallest ounce of guilt. When your days weren't so structured and you didn't have any work to do.
I wish there were more of these days. But for now, I'm going to enjoy the moment, grab my boots and coat and do a little snow dance :D After all..it's not every day that it snows in Philadelphia!
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