BEST FRIEND -- the word brings memories of time when I was a little kid; I was in maybe 3rd grade and I had this amazing friend. We did everything together, except lunch and dinner.......meeting up at school bus-stop, sitting at same bench in school, playing together etc etc.....and after 6th grade all I remember having are good friends....
I moved to a city in that grade so that's why my defining moment is 6th grade. Yes, we (my good friends and I) met in bus, we sat together and called each other up as soon as we reached home. We would meet in the evenings and essentially all was same. But I could never have another best friend. I still wrote letters to my best friend and till date we meet up every year. We both have changed so much.....and yet we are the same. Still, couple of my good friends from school are still my good friends.
The worst phase was at college......being part of huge friend group, entering adulthood together, going to first party, staying in hostel, bunking classes etc should have forged stronger bonds......but these turned out to be superficial relationships and ended soon. Thereafter, at every place of my stay I have formed very good friendships and some of them have lasted, some of them will last......but all these friendships change with time, they take on new dimensions and new meanings....but what doesn't change is my relationship with my BEST FRIEND. I am glad to have known that sort of friendship....
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Sunday, January 31, 2010
problems which weigh me down - weight problems!!!!!
Since I have got married, everyone keeps on asking me to put on some weight.
firstly, I am purposefully not trying to "maintain" my weight. secondly, i don't need anyone to tell me to put on weight - it has been a life long attempt on my part to put on weight. thirdly, after marriage i have world's licence to put on weight. and lastly, is it a mandate that i have to put on weight after marriage. i mean what has changed that i need to put on weight???? is it because my work portfolio now includes working as a house maid that i need extra energy?
another reason could be that it will look like bride torture if i don't put on weight in my husbands family.
i am SLIM (not thin), and up to an extent i m proud of the fact. i m not happy that i m unable to gain even couple of pounds quickly, but that does not make me anorexic, bulimic or weak. i have ample stamina to work 12 hours straight on my feet. i m rarely sick and have good innate immunity. i have a strong constitution and i am healthier than many pseudo healthy (appropriately weighing) people. by appropriately weighing people, i mean three things. one they have proper height - weight ratio. they have correct BMI and they have correct weight according to people and their current situation in life. for eg, in india if u r 5' 6" tall female, before marriage your ideal weight should be 55kgs. after getting a job u r allowed to become 58kgs, around marriage time u should be 56kgs, after marriage u should be 60kgs and after 1 kid 63kgs and after 10 years of marriage and 2 kids later who cares if u r as big as a whale, u have a husband and family, u r non existent as a singular entity............you are obscure.
i don't need any ones permission/ suggestion to gain weight. i am proud of the fact that i can eat 1pound bag of chips and not worry about gaining flab. i feel happy when i slip into size small shirts and size 4pants. i am happy that i m quick n agile, i can fold my body into any position without slightest discomfort. i am happy that while my contemporaries are looking like aunty's i m still thin. i cant stop age advancing on me, my body or my face, but at least i can retain the body from my youth!!!!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Oh GOD!
'Yuganta' is a very good book......It is originally a Marathi book (I had 'me marathi manus' kind of pride while reading it in English). The person who introduced me to the book is a Tamil Brahman - and as everyone knows I love south Indians - so that means I trust her. On a serious note, she is a fountain of knowledge on ancient Indian literature. After reading the book, we have had many discussions on how the Hindu Vedas go hand in hand with science and the presence of one or several supreme being. A side note: I am an Aries and she is a Leo, we do have very healthy discussions and if I suffer grievous bodily injury because of my opinions, please contact her.
Hinduism is a very strong belief. It is not a religion but a way of living. A Hindu is not forced to pray, to do charity or follow any strictures. We love some of our god's, we consider some of them as our friends, we are indifferent to some and we hate some. We 'butter them up' for our gains. But the most important point is that we can discuss the existence of our deity's. And hence, the below presented thoughts are mine as I understand them. There might or might not be any resemblance to actual Vedas or any sacred text/ event.
Yuganta explains entire Mahabharata and its characters in a realistic setting. It unites fact and fiction. Assuming that the characters were real and the events occurred, then all the people were mere mortals, who were trapped in a sad situation. Everyone was right at their place, and yet they all were wrong. Some of the things -- like fire spewing arrows - can be explained scientifically (for those of lesser scientific knowledge - high friction can ignite an inflammable substance) or they might have been pure embellishment by narrators. But the most controversial chapter in the book was about Lord Krishna.
Was Krishna a normal human with extremely shrewd mind and good management capabilities? or was he indeed a demigod/god with supernatural powers? I was a bit disturbed after reading the chapter. I am not a big 'Bhakth', but I sincerely believe in Lord Krishna. I have found his presence in my life and it would break my spirit if he were figment of someones imagination. The book says that it was the narrator (here I mean the people who have told the story to people across generations) and the listener who made Krishna into Lord Krishna. So I have decided to be a listener who knows facts and who knows fiction, but who is still ready to believe in god, for the reason that this god provides me companionship when I am stressed, friendship when I am lonely, strength when I am tired and knowledge when I need it. Besides, I have another twisted logic to it.........................
It is difficult to accept that maybe Krishna was just a human being. But doubting the 'GOD' status of Krishna puts HINDU'S in bigger dilemma. After all, Krishna is the ninth avatar of Lord Vishnu, and if he isn't, then who is? where is he? are we ever going to have Kalki avatar? if not, then that means, we are safe and world is definitely not going to end in 2012 because we have yet to wait for Lord Vishnu's ninth and tenth avatar!!
Friday, March 6, 2009
being womanly -- any girl above 23 will understand
I want to keep my trip to France 'hush hush' and so what better way than to post it on Internet and let the whole wide world know about it.
I wake up at midnight, 6:30am and get ready for the lab. I am in the lab at sharp 7am and work straight till1pm. lot of productive work too.........which enforces my point, that I follow the carrot principle (for those who don't know the principle: a donkey responds to carrot or stick. I work like a donkey and i respond to carrot......i think donkeys are cute). My boss then keeps on discussing the results till2:30pm and doesn't seem to notice that I am in a rush to leave. Anyways, I catch the bus at 4pm. I reach Chicago and the hotel subsequently (my life is not full of adventure so stop expecting one in next few lines). I use my extreme charm and get a studio room with a kitchenette for the price of an economy room from desk attendant. AND THEN.............i get to watch TV for 2 hours before I sleep!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So next day I wake up, get dressed, and I am carrying my papers in this trendy bag slung over my shoulder..............I wear a light blue jeans for the casual effect and a black shirt for that formal feel. I wear a light wool pink sweater on top............so I am feeling as if I have achieved the pinnacle of BALANCED FASHION and I am walking PURPOSEFULLY (very important -- walking purposefully, generally the only purpose of my walking anywhere is that I have no car) down the Michigan avenue; looking like a smart confident focused WOMAN. I see this blind man walking across from me, and he stumbles and since I have been diagnosed with probable glaucoma, I have had special regards for blinds........so I think, I should be a good women and help him, when.....................I fall -- notice that i haven't said i stumble --- I scraped both my knees, my palms and two knuckles. all purpose, fashion, focus, and womanliness faded away!!!!!!!!!!
So, that's my adventure of Chicago. to cut long story short and save myself from further embarrassment I will cut the story short and just say that, few women came to help me up, I crossed the street went to consulate, finished my interview and then to cheer me up bought new sandals.............maybe next time they will help me to feel womanly!!!!!!!!!!!
I wake up at midnight, 6:30am and get ready for the lab. I am in the lab at sharp 7am and work straight till1pm. lot of productive work too.........which enforces my point, that I follow the carrot principle (for those who don't know the principle: a donkey responds to carrot or stick. I work like a donkey and i respond to carrot......i think donkeys are cute). My boss then keeps on discussing the results till2:30pm and doesn't seem to notice that I am in a rush to leave. Anyways, I catch the bus at 4pm. I reach Chicago and the hotel subsequently (my life is not full of adventure so stop expecting one in next few lines). I use my extreme charm and get a studio room with a kitchenette for the price of an economy room from desk attendant. AND THEN.............i get to watch TV for 2 hours before I sleep!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So next day I wake up, get dressed, and I am carrying my papers in this trendy bag slung over my shoulder..............I wear a light blue jeans for the casual effect and a black shirt for that formal feel. I wear a light wool pink sweater on top............so I am feeling as if I have achieved the pinnacle of BALANCED FASHION and I am walking PURPOSEFULLY (very important -- walking purposefully, generally the only purpose of my walking anywhere is that I have no car) down the Michigan avenue; looking like a smart confident focused WOMAN. I see this blind man walking across from me, and he stumbles and since I have been diagnosed with probable glaucoma, I have had special regards for blinds........so I think, I should be a good women and help him, when.....................I fall -- notice that i haven't said i stumble --- I scraped both my knees, my palms and two knuckles. all purpose, fashion, focus, and womanliness faded away!!!!!!!!!!
So, that's my adventure of Chicago. to cut long story short and save myself from further embarrassment I will cut the story short and just say that, few women came to help me up, I crossed the street went to consulate, finished my interview and then to cheer me up bought new sandals.............maybe next time they will help me to feel womanly!!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Phil : Deliberate OR Foolish
every year on Feb 2 or 12 they have this day called -- ground hog day -- in USA. now stop scurrying for wikipedia to know more abt ground hog, to understand this blog u just need to know its one of those furry hibernating animals which dig up holes n live in them. almost like humans, after all we sleep for 8 hrs a day and i know many people who happily sleep for more than 12 hrs......besides we dig situational holes for ourselves.
anyways, so in Pennsylvania, in middle of forest i.e. nowhere, the cloaked n hooded human figures go and they find a ground hog called Phil. now an interesting thing is, that a particular ground hog is Phil, coz this tradition has been going on for more than 200 years, i m sure many Phil's must have come and gone. continuing further with my story, they find this Phil and dig him out of his nice little hole. the theory is that if the Phil sees his shadow he will go back into his hole and America will suffer 6 weeks of further intense cold, but if he fails to see his shadow then spring will arrive sooner. i am pretty sure that Phil doesn't even know what a shadow is. and poor Phil is so scarred being woken up in middle of winter and being held by its tail in air by various hooded humans that it is no wonder that he goes back into his hole regardless of shadow being present or not.
this makes u wonder that in every human there is a Phil. we all roam around on warm sunny days gathering nuts and on those cold horrid days, we take our booty of happiness i.e. nuts, or in human case, chocolates; and go into our comfort zone - in front of TV. we become so comfortable being sad and depressed, that any hint of sunshine scares us. and then when sunshine comes we do bask in it but we are always aware of those horrid winters for which we have to collect nuts. then in middle of depression, when a stranger accosts us (Feb 2) we run, and run hard......to escape our shadow.
u see we humans know what a shadow is. and at that time we get to wonder, if our actions were deliberate or foolish, coz if we would have not run, then we would have seen sunshine!!!
so all u humans, don't think too seriously over this blog, coz this Phil (that's me) knows that the summer is going to be here soon..........i already have my capris n t's ready......................
warning: last year i was preparing for summer since before my b'day, but winter got over after 1st week of April. so this Phil might be little unreliable which might be injurious to ur health!!!
p.s. dedicated to krish. hope u get it.
anyways, so in Pennsylvania, in middle of forest i.e. nowhere, the cloaked n hooded human figures go and they find a ground hog called Phil. now an interesting thing is, that a particular ground hog is Phil, coz this tradition has been going on for more than 200 years, i m sure many Phil's must have come and gone. continuing further with my story, they find this Phil and dig him out of his nice little hole. the theory is that if the Phil sees his shadow he will go back into his hole and America will suffer 6 weeks of further intense cold, but if he fails to see his shadow then spring will arrive sooner. i am pretty sure that Phil doesn't even know what a shadow is. and poor Phil is so scarred being woken up in middle of winter and being held by its tail in air by various hooded humans that it is no wonder that he goes back into his hole regardless of shadow being present or not.
this makes u wonder that in every human there is a Phil. we all roam around on warm sunny days gathering nuts and on those cold horrid days, we take our booty of happiness i.e. nuts, or in human case, chocolates; and go into our comfort zone - in front of TV. we become so comfortable being sad and depressed, that any hint of sunshine scares us. and then when sunshine comes we do bask in it but we are always aware of those horrid winters for which we have to collect nuts. then in middle of depression, when a stranger accosts us (Feb 2) we run, and run hard......to escape our shadow.
u see we humans know what a shadow is. and at that time we get to wonder, if our actions were deliberate or foolish, coz if we would have not run, then we would have seen sunshine!!!
so all u humans, don't think too seriously over this blog, coz this Phil (that's me) knows that the summer is going to be here soon..........i already have my capris n t's ready......................
warning: last year i was preparing for summer since before my b'day, but winter got over after 1st week of April. so this Phil might be little unreliable which might be injurious to ur health!!!
p.s. dedicated to krish. hope u get it.
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