Concluding line...

Finally the concluding line is:

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

First Time...

We all decided to go for a picnic to Arnala beach. After a very long time I was actually going for a picnic and that too with my office colleagues, so was very excited. We were supposed to meet at Virar station and then take a rickshaw to Green Paradise resort. We were 13 friends and the rickshaw was an eight seater Dukki (type of rickshaw in Virar). We adjusted ourself in a Dukki to make it look small. The picnic had already started in the Dukki itself with a dozen plus people cracking jokes.

We reached the Green Paradise Resort which was really green with trees. This one was a water resort with swimming pool. All were very excited to get into the water. Some started hitting the ball against the bat as a warm up session. While some started measuring water depth and the amount of chlorine in swimming pool. "It’s not very deep, let’s go" shouted one. Every one was finding reason to get into the water except for me. I always watch people enjoying in water while I start guarding their mobiles, watches and spectacles. But this time it was different. I was not willing to waste my day. Before any one hands over his mobile and belongings to me, I handed over mine to one and slowly stepped into the water. The water started grabbing me slowly as I stepped into the swimming pool. My colleagues were ready to drench me with water. I was wet allover and found myself enjoying and playing with water. I started stroking my legs in an attempt to swim in water but could only manage splashing water on others. After the water game we went for a rain dance.

Everything was first time for me. I forgot that I could catch a cold in water or I am allergic to chlorine. One of my colleagues encouraged me to plunge into the water through the water slider and I was brave enough to accept the challenge and climbed up the slider to slide down into the water. I was holding my body tight, which led me straight into the water and hit the floor of the swimming pool. I tried coming out of the water like James Bond would have done in any of his movie but could not and came with my hands at the back. Water was dripping down from the nose and ears and my back was paining. But this pain dissolved in the water itself and I again joined the rain dance.

Sometimes kickoff is required to come out of the state of inertia.

The Others

There are sections of people in society living for food, money, fame and power. All have their own life, priorities and family. We come across different kinds of people in our daily life. It depends on our acceptance what comes our way i.e. kind of people we accept, which actually affects our lifestyle in a way.

The world is too big to explore all the elements in it.

Different sections of people live in different areas of world which is further divided into countries, states, cities and villages. People residing in cities have a different lifestyles to live with and different work culture to deal with. People are fast enough to get hold of the technology available in the market. Food is available in bulk in varieties awaiting a mass wastage to the extent of throwing comestible food. We are used to such site seeing as we are one of them leading same lifestyle.

But there are other sections of people in society, the people in villages who actually are connected to us but we are separated from them. Its only when we meet people, we get to know them. People we face in our daily life is from our society. But when we start moving places and start meeting other people who are not actually leading our lifestyle we come to know about their dilemmas which is very different than us. Even if the rural areas are developing, there are still sections of people who live hand to mouth on daily basis. People who grow rice in their fields know the real value of it. Rice is gold for them for they know the sweat utilized in it. They have their own wet eye story to tell.

We live a very different lifestyle no where close to the others. The others too lead completely a different life than we do. They are unaware of our very different problem and vice versa.

They are others for us or are we, for them...

The Others.

Fall in Love!

I saw her for the first time but was unable to make out who she was and from where she had come. I couldn’t remember her in any of the serials in TV as told by my friends. She was beautiful but never attracted me. Most of my friends liked her but I was not in their favor.

And one day after a long time when I managed to watch “Lage Raho Munnabhai” in Fames. There she was. She was looking gorgeous. She had a charming face. Her hair was coming in front of her eyes and she just flipped it behind her ears. I just fall in love with Janavi ... the character played by Vidya Balan in Lage Raho Munnabhai. I never liked her in her first movie "Parineeta" but this time everything has changed.

"Good Morning Mumbai" she said with a resonating voice. Her vibrant sound was good to feel. I couldn’t believe one can change somebody’s likes and dislikes. She changed mine.

Munnabhai and Circuit have done a great job in the movie. Gandhiji was well presented in the movie. What I liked is the changeover of Vidya Balan in the movie. But that is virtual reality displayed on silver screen and we start reacting to situations. What were displayed on the screen were the script, direction, beauty and talent. Virtual world is only meant for entertainment most of the time. In real world if we want to change others view towards oneself then we need to fall in love with the positive aspect of life. It’s only the makeover of oneself with efforts put in if he/she wants to change his/her image to change others perspective towards oneself. One needs to change, if ever he/she wants to change his/her image in life.

So the next time we get up in the morning lets say...

Gooood Mooornning Muumbaai... And think what good change we can bring in for the day.

Race… Udupi

Recently we had been to Mangalore for my cousin’s marriage and were very excited about it. It was morning 9.00 am and we all were getting ready with blazers put on and shining in front of mirror combing our hair several times.

Marriage was scheduled at 12.15 pm and we all had to reach the hall at 11.00 am in UDUPI. Two buses were arranged for the journey and we were instructed to get into the bus and be seated. But decorating the car for the bride was our first priority and there we were with flowers, cello tapes, blade and scissors. Till we could book our seats in the bus, it was almost flooded with people from the village. All the ladies and children were seated tightly packed. The sun was shining bright on us along with the blazers to top up the heat.

Any how we managed to stand at the back door of the bus and the bus started. Wind was flowing through the window but failed to reach us. Every one of us (cousins) was asking a common question “How long will it take to reach UDUPI”. Bus moved on to pick up people from another location further down the road. We removed our handkerchief and started patting our self while looking at each other in dismay. We could feel the heat crawling through our eyebrows and moving down.

Then suddenly some vibrations occurred in the pocket. It was our mobile phone ringing midst the entire crowd. One of my cousins in Mangalore had called up to say that a Maruti 800 has been booked for all of us. We jumped with joy and at the next pick up point we waved to everyone in the bus. What a relief! Cool air was blowing from the windows. Now we knew we will reach Udupi before the bus reaches. Within 5 minutes bus was overtaken by us. We were four at the back seat but were quite comfortable and relieved. The heat vanished and we could feel the cool breeze flowing.

Suddenly car halted. "What happened?" We asked in chorus. Our friend who had been driving told we have to push the car to get the engine started. We again looked at each other with a grin. It was 10.20 am and we were in the middle of the highway. But the car was not willing to start. We had to arrange for a mechanic. Mechanic rushed to the site in 10 minutes. He tried to fix it but in vain. We all planned to take an Express Bus and just reach Udupi somehow while the mechanic fixes the car. And there came the Express Bus. We waved our hands to the Express Bus but it just ignored us. After a while we could see another bus coming our way. We again waved our hand and it slowed down to pick all five of us. The car started as well with a bang. We chose the car and left the bus. The car moved for a while and again halted. Now we were worried because we were already late. We all started walking towards the Express Bus stop and finally managed to catch an Express Bus. We took a window seat and the bus conductor screeched “raaaaace”. I couldn’t make out what he screeched. He actually screeched as "Right" means GO. That sounded good. And finally we reached our destination at 11.30 am.

And I just thought…

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush...

Shub Deepavali!

Diwali is not only festival of lights but also about reviving our relations. During Diwali we all start wishing each other and in the course we come closer. Otherwise we are far off busy with our daily corporate life, lost in the crowd.

Diwali festival is the time when we start making calls, SMS to our relatives, friends and people around us. This helps us in reviving our relations. We start off with talk regarding other activities going in life and thus get to know each other.

In the corporate world small parties are held for Diwali which again gets us to know each other and we start off with “Hi, How are you?”

After Diwali we have a new financial year with new relations and old relations revived for the Next Year...

Happy Diwali and Prosperous New Year!!!!

Kickoff Blog

From past few days I have been reading blogs of people near and around me. Airtel is not the only medium to “Express Yourself”… I will express it through blogs:)

Today is 2nd October 2006, Dasshera and Gandhi Jayanti coinciding on the same day. Got a holiday and thought of blogging.

So now that I have started blogging, will continue to blog .....and whisper my thoughts and views.