Just hanging around!

I'm out of things to post after doing such a long challenge ;) 

So here's some randomness -

I loved Salman Khan's character in Ready. I used to dislike him when I was younger, now as he's growing older, he's become so entertaining and so adorable. Only he can carry on a whole movie based on such random silliness and still make it so much fun to watch. And the title of the post is dedicated to him!

I am a NO direction-sense kind of person. I turn left when someone says take the right turn. I point to the opposite direction when people ask me a location. Oh yes, strangers ask me directions thinking I'm a sensible localite in my city and I give them wrong directions almost always. I'm sure they must be cursing me later! The few times I manage to guide someone correctly, I swell with pride. But now I feel it is safer to just apologize and say I do not know the way. But what do you do when people ask directions to your house?? And that too on the phone?!  I just handover the phone to someone else who's not so direction blind, but when I am alone, I stutter and mutter and just pray that they manage to reach without any difficulty or endless calls to me. And now after more than a year, when I was finally getting the hang of directions and whereabouts in my city, I will have to move. And start off in a new city, new turns, new places and new directions. *prays fervently*

There is this quote from the movie P.S. I Love You (which I did not like, the movie; not the quote) -

''Watch out for the signal, when life as you know it ends''

I have finally experienced that. Though for me, it is only the beginning of the change. But I can see the changes slowly unfolding. I see signs about why a certain thing occurs. I see signs about why a certain thing wasn't meant to be. It feels as if the life I am living, is moving ahead in a slow motion, so that I get to appreciate every change as it occurs. And today, I thank God for giving me the signal. 

Realizations of a quarter-century survivor.

When you are young and you think about how life would be when you've grown up, you generally think/imagine the good stuff that's going to happen. But as they say, life has it's own course, own way of unfolding; sometimes in a way better than you had imagined and sometimes in a way worse than what you could ever imagine.

A friend and I were discussing sometime back, how old one really is? Is it the number of years we have spend on this earth or the number of years we feel in our hearts? I feel it is the latter. For me age is defined by our personality, by our aura, by our way of thinking and living. You are as old as you think you are, said Muhammad Ali. So as long as I feel young in my heart and mind, body and soul, I don't mind getting older!

Don't we all learn something new, experience something new as we reach the age, when we finally start feeling like a grown up? I definitely did and here I'll try to put down the things I've ''realized'' over the past few years, things I know happened for a reason, things I know happened for good, things which have made the person I am today. 

Realizations of a quarter-century survivor *

I know, I make it sound like it's a courageous thing ;)

• You realize no matter how much you want to slow down, you have to keep moving forward to keep up with the world.
• You realize not all friends are going to be there with you in the end, even those whom you expected to be.
• You realize, in the end, it's just you. You alone can make yourself, you alone can break yourself.
• You realize, sooner or later: Things may not always happen for a reason, but 90% things happen for good.
• You realize the friends who do stick around, end up being a part of your family. 
• You realize you can make friends with people of all ages. Younger. Older. Age doesn't matter in friendship. Compatibility does.
• You realize it's high time you start taking care of your body!
• You realize it is necessary to prioritize people in your life. Not everyone can hold the same importance always.
• You realize yellow can actually look good on you.
• You realize it is better to let go than to hold grudges.
• You realize you need to tune out people at times.
• You realize watching a movie all alone in the theater actually feels nice.
• You realize you have a right to pamper yourself.
• You realize your mother can be one of your closest confidantes.
• You realize you are a good enough person, when your father reaches you for advice.
• You realize the importance of signs.

*To be updated as and when realizations occur.

My kind of heaven

Suddenly I am all the more obsessed with books and bookshelves!

One day when I have a house of my own, I want to make a cozy and comfortable study/library in it, with huge plush armchairs and couches (I am not a fan of bean bags!) and huge french windows (for plenty of sunshine!) and the room filled with bookshelves crammed with the most amazing books ever written. And the huge french windows would lead to a brilliant garden outside. Ahh.. Heaven!

True, ain't it?

I adore bookstores and the smell of bookstores.. how I wish I could capture that smell in a bottle and spray it around in my study! :D And I love online book stores too. It's another charm to order books through the Internet and then wait for them to arrive. And when I open the bubble wrapped slice of heaven, I get as happy as a kid opening his birthday presents!

------

So in the evening, I am waiting for the lift in the foyer of my building and my brother joins me. He's just come back from office. He reaches into his bag and handles me out a packet wrapped in bubble wrap. I scream out loud with joy. It's the birthday gift I've been waiting for!

The Book Of Awesome!

Here's my copy of the book nestled in bubble wrap :)

I am not sure if I can express exactly what this awesome book is about. This is something which every one needs to read to know how awesome it really is. It started off as blog called 1000 Awesome things by Neil Pasricha. 

As the name suggests it talks about the little things of everyday life which make us feel awesome, like

• A really cold glass of water on a really hot day
• Getting something with actual handwriting on it in the mail
• High fiving babies
• When the dentist says you have no cavities
• Seeing someone laugh in their sleep
• When you’re sitting in the backseat of a packed car and the driver takes a turn really fast

Awesome, ain't? ;)

Yes I do!

My slice of heaven!

Women Only!

I thank the DMRC for putting up a 'women only' coach in the metro (usually the first coach of every train). One gets saved from being touched and pinched and ogled at from the male junta. But not really. The ogling still happens. Coz the second coach is for men and so is the third, fourth, fifth and sixth. But one won't see so much crowd in the latter coaches as compared to the second coach and that too at the entrance of the second coach (more so the area where the first and second are joined). That place, between the two coaches is hogged by men. Men who stare blatantly at the female crowd. Men who stare with their mouths open (oh yes, literally!). Men who could've easily found a seat had they moved their lazy a**es to the subsequent coaches. But no they don't, they like standing and giving dead stares crammed in the small area!

I do not mean that the women only coach is filled with goody two shoes women who follow all the rules. I once saw a 45-50 year old woman, who opened her lunch box, unwrapped some aluminium foil and picked up a piece of pickled raw mango and started licking it!!! The whole coach was smelling of pickles and there she was, nibbling away her pickle to glory. 

Once after a tiring day, I was glad to find a  place to sit in the coach. It was a two seater (which means two people with average or small size derrière could fit easily) and I was happy to have it all to myself. I had just heaved a sigh of relief, and then I saw this women getting up from her seat farther away in the coach and moving towards me. She smiled at me as she got near and then next thing I know, she has plonked herself on the same seat! The process of plonking her derrière (which was neither average nor small sized) with such force, got my a** (which is average sized) push out of the seat and I gave her a mean look. She smiled again said, ''Oh, it gets so crowded during evenings!''

Apart from the few annoying incidents, traveling in a metro can be very interesting. You get to see all kinds of people ( It is one of my hobbies, people watching :] ) and one can never get bored. It is also a place, where you can compare see all kinds of clothes and shoes and make up and what not. From fashionable wear to drab wear, it's all there! Once in a crowded coach, something bright pink caught my eye. On close inspection it was a pair of baby knickers lying abandoned on the floor. Poor baby, who had to probably go on without his knickers!

It's Sunday. Don't forget to have a good time!

Are you happy with your given name?
Yes I am.

What is your guaranteed weeping movie?
I'm not a very weepy person when it comes to movies, but certain movies do give me a lump in the throat, namely; My Sister's Keeper, The Kite Runner, Rang de Basanti.

What is the one thing you like to do alone?
Cook!

What do you carry with you at all times?
Cellphone, hand sanitizer, wallet, keys, sunglasses, a book.

How do you eat an apple?
I rinse it and bite into it :D

What kind of first impression do you think you give people?
Hmm.. I think some find me arrogant when they meet me for the first time.. but of course their opinion always changes :P

What should you be doing instead of this?
Right now? Nothing really.

Who was the last person who called you?
My dad.

Are you ready?
I'm as ready as I can be!

What is the last gift you gave someone?
A coffee mug to a friend on her b'day.

Does everything happen for a reason?
I say that to myself to make me feel better. But no, not everything happens for a reason.

What color is your bedroom?
Off-white walls, off white doors, beige and sheer maroon curtains.

Do you consider yourself to be a nice person?
Nice as in nice to others? Well I am nice when the people are ;)

What’s one car you will never buy?
Lol, there are many!

Would you die to save the life of someone you dearly love?
I would.

What was the last thing you typed before this survey?
A text message.

What is the little physical habit that gives away your insecure moments?
Chewing my fingers :-/

Name ONE trait you hate in a person.
Hypocrisy. 

What’s one thing you’re a loser at?
C'mon, why embarrass me on my own blog?

Do you like the rain?
I love it. A lot.

Who was the last person you talked to in person?
Mom.

What are your plans for the weekend?
Saturday's over. Sunday, meeting friends.

How much money would it take for you to give up the Internet for a year?
If you have money lying around uselessly, give it to me anyway!

How long have you known your best friend?
Twelve years for one. Sever years for another three.

What are you listening to?
The humming of the AC!

What was the last thing you laughed at?
Some TV show.

What do you wish you were doing right now?
Reading an amazing book!

What musical instrument do you wish you could play?
Drums!

What's the greatest thing that happened to you today?
Blackcurrant frozen yogurt with white chocolate and oreo cookie crumble!

What's on your bedroom floor right now?
You know... stuff! ;)

What's currently bothering you?
I can do without listing all that here.

Are your toe nails painted pink?
No, my toes won't look good in pink.

When were you last outside?
About three hours back.

Look to your left. What is there?
The door.

What time did you go to sleep last night?
2:00 am :(

Why did you kiss the last person you kissed?
I don't really remember :P

What were you doing at 8 am?
Snoozing.

What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
Typing this out.

Do you like your life as of now?
I'm working on making it more likable.

Last text message from?
C'mon... every time?!

Are you happy right now?
I try to be so all the time.

Do you wear the seat belt in the car?
Always. That is when I'm driving or shotgun.

What are you going to do tomorrow?
Going to spa for a massage. Bliss!

When my mind weaves a tale...

For his novel, "The Kite Runner", Khaled Hosseini Says:

''I've always written for an audience of one. For me, writing has always been the selfish, self-serving act of telling myself a story. You know, something grabs my interest and compels me to sit down and see through it.''

And how easily can I relate to that! (I'm sure almost every writer of any kind feels the same)

As it pleases a writer to write, so does it pleases him to read. For me at times it has been a random thought that struck a chord, or a certain person or sometimes a memory. And my mind starts weaving a tale on its own, I don't need a pen and paper or a computer in front of me. I see certain characters in my head, I see them living and interacting, thinking and evolving. They live their unique lives and they catch my attention. And that is when I feel the urge to write my story down, so that I can get can get deeper into my story, so that I get to know more about the characters I saw in my mind.

But when that doesn't happen, when I don't get to write it  as soon I see it in my mind, the characters soon perish and their lives fizzle out. And they become a distant memory, like a half forgotten dream.

Symmetry

The universe is built on a plan the profound symmetry of which is somehow present in the inner structure of our intellect.
- Paul Valery



Symmetry from Everynone on Vimeo.