Fun Times

Stinson Beach, California

A New Decade

As the new year drew ever closer, my thoughts reflected back to the start of 2009, thoughts of new beginnings, new opportunities, new possibilities, resolutions, hope. Of the past that I wanted to leave behind and of the future that I had wanted to embrace. Nothing turned out the way I had anticipated for 2009. Failure after failure. One bad news after the other. There was no stopping the deluge. It had probably been the lowest I had ever been in my life so far. So as another new year approached, my thoughts went back. My hopes for the coming year again began to lift. But I always had a bad feeling in the back of my head about another let down, and I was very wary of what I hoped for.

But then, when I tried to pen down my experiences of 2009, I remembered all the good things that had happened in the most unexpected ways possible. I would say that I had never had a better time in my life till now. Of the best time that I got to spend with my family after a long long time. The small but memorable vacation we had, after what could very well be said as ages. The opportunity that came my way unexpectedly, of meeting my dearest old friends whom I haven't seen in about half a decade. My small but very good spiritual trip to the various religious places in India.
Then an unexpected but very pleasant visit by a dear old friend. The amazing weekends we had together, which were just becoming better and better every week. Then a long hiatus to the East Coast that I had been looking forward to for a long time.
In short, 2009 for me has been kind of an eye opener. It gave me time to think of some events of the past. It taught me a lot too in terms of economical living and the value of money. It made me see the wide disparity present in society today. It made me think a lot. It reunited me with some of the best friends that I am sure not to lose touch again with. It showed me that some things in life are just not meant to be, while others will come into your life weather you like it or not. The difference lies in the fact weather you welcome them happily like you welcome old pals or you detest them like unwanted guests.
As for 2010, there already has been a very pleasant and unexpected surprise visit by another very dear friend whom I have literally not seen in a decade. I hope that the rest of 2010 is as much fun as 2009 was, if not better. And I wish the same for everyone of you. I know its quiet late but, Happy New Year to you all.

Some songs that'll make you feel better ...

Is there a lot on your mind ... Is there something that's troubling you ... Don't worry ... Just turn off your mobile, pull down the shades, turn the AC down , get a cup of hot chocolate and it'll all make sense ... Hit play and just relax ...

The Best Years of my Life

My good friend and CEO came by my cube last Friday to wish me in advance and ask me how I felt, now that I was about to cross the quarter century milestone. I looked and him and smiled. My whole life so far zipped past me.

I felt like I was leaving behind the best years of my life. A part life which I had never taken so seriously, but still remains the best remembered in my life of all the other parts. I wish I could relive some of them again someday. I have changed a lot some would say, but friends really close to me tell I haven't changed a bit. I have picked up many good habits, and maybe a few bad ones too along the way. I have had many happy moments which would always remain imprinted in my mind forever. First time I was recognized in front of everyone at school, first time I lived on my own away from my parents, my first crush, first time I was on a stage, my first.. no OUR first hugely successful science project, first time I stayed in a hostel, my first infatuation, my last days at school, the going away parties, first time slogging for over 14 hours a day, first time I felt free after junior college, my days in undergrad, the practicals and the viva's, days spent at the canteen or at movie theaters away from classes, the day I got my student visa, the day I landed here in US, when I got my first part time job, the day I got my first paycheck, the summer holidays, the projects and the impossible people we had to deal with at school, my first football game, the day I got a job offer, the day I left school, my graduation, my first big paycheck, the day I bought my car, the weekends and the parties, the long drives and the adventures. Yes I will remember them all.


The journey has been long and sometimes tiring, although I have enjoyed most of it, just as I enjoy my long drives. I did pick up a lot of friends on the way, some of who will remain with me forever, while others might not. Some of them rode on along with me for a while which seemed but like the blink of an eye. I wish some of them to have stayed longer, but their destination had come and they had to go.
Well anyways, I told my CEO that I felt like I was getting old, and he started laughing. He said I have a long life ahead. Heck he's close to 50 and still thinks that he has a long way to go. He said it doesn't matter how old you are, what matters is the quality of life you have lived, with happiness and joy, without regrets, remembering the good old times and always looking forward. I do have some regrets, but otherwise I have lived a happy life so far. Life is long, and it just keeps going on and on. Although I feel like I am leaving behind the best years of my life, the truth is, to quote one of my friends "It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives".

-- Life is a journey, not a destination, happiness lies along the way, and not at the end of the road, for then, the journey is over and 'tis too late.

Childhood ...

No..no .. You be the mommy and I'll be the baby ... You have to feed me ...
No ... I want to play princess, not mommy ...
OK, lets go and play something else then.
Shall we play hide and seek, theres so much place back there. There will be so many hiding places.
No lets play house house.
But we play that all the time...

You guys must be wondering "what the heck am I reading here" ... Well actually these were the exact words spoken by a bunch of lovely kids at the restaurant the other day when I went for dinner. There was lots more, but sadly, I can't remember any more. It must have been a party or something. Four families were occupying the four tables in the center of the restaurant, the parents occupied two tables while the kids were having the time of their life on the other two. They were all having dinner when I had first entered and written my name down for the maitre d to seat our group. By the time I was sitting at my table, the kids had finished and were running around playing all sorts of kids games. My best guess, they were all between 5-6 years of age.
Yes, I like kids. I love them. Its fun listening to them. They come up with all sorts of strange ideas for everything. They don't care for anything that doesn't concern them. Sometimes they don't even care if it's something that concerns them, 'coz what else are parents for. Enjoying a bindass life with no worries of yesterday, today or tomorrow or of anything for that matter. Aah... I wish I can go back in time.

The Art of Parting

I finally found the article that I promised you I would find. Yes I'm talking about my tenth class English composition about the art of saying goodbyes. No, I didn't google it :), although that was the first thing I tried and it showed me some really weird results. I know few of you guys and gals, with whom I had the pleasure of sharing my last few memorable days at school, do follow my blog. I hope you will be happy to read this beautiful article, which was one of the few last amazing compositions given to us by Padmaja Ma'm, again. So here it goes,

Everyone wants to make a good first impression. But have you ever thought the importance of the last impression? A well delivered farewell can secure a friendship forever. A well chosen exit line can close a business deal.
In any walk of life, dealing with partings partings positively and optimistically is not just a matter of good form, it is the way to make the last impression as memorable as the first. There's an art to leave taking and it can be learned. Good byes should be imprints of individual personalities. If you are the strong silent type, you don't have to be flowery or sentimental. A firm handshake, a straight look in the eye, or a simple "I'll miss you" is enough. The essential thing is to make the moment an impression of yourself and your feelings.
Goodbyes mark important changes. A goodbye signals a change, and change is rarely easy... Sometimes it breaks our hearts. When we sever ties with people, places and things we love,a thread of our own being is cut.
Goodbyes needn't always be in words. When you are tongue tied, a simple embrace or kiss is more poignant than overripe words. Touch has always been the most magical means for sealing people together. They can be momentous. The most meaningful goodbye gift is imbued with some measure of yourself. They come from the heart.
The final goodbye, of course, is death. Often the one departing has no chance to big farewell (really ...! :).. I very vividly remember saying this in my head during that exam). Few of us can compose a farewell statement eloquently, but then, we don't have to. All we need to do is speak honestly and sincerely from our hearts. That's the real secret of Good Byes.

I don't know if my English teacher has written this on her own or taken it from somewhere else. All credits go to the original creator of this article. Any comments will be most appreciated. Here's a nice song to go with it.

First Impressions ...

I guess you all know the importance of first impressions. One should always make a very good first impressions as it will take him/her a long way. But I have begun to doubt if it can be relied upon. I think (its my opinion, if you don't agree, then I don't care.), that the first impression should not be given so much of an importance. Why, you ask. Because, it is often misleading if not complete. People put on fake impressions just so they are able to achieve whatever it is that they are striving for.
In my opinion, its the last impression that should take the limelight. For example, when you leave a job, its very important that you leave the right way. My manager, Tony (The best and only manager I ever had) keeps telling me this over and over again. Not that he suspects that I may leave, but just so I know. Its very important that you never leave in the middle of a project that you are a part of (If you can help it that is). And even when you leave, its very important that you make sure that the person who's filling in your shoes, finds it really easy to do what ever you used to do. If you do otherwise, then no matter how good you were at work, people are going to bitch about you a lot for making their lives miserable.
Not only a job, but say even when you leave school and say good bye to your friends. You should make sure that you take their contacts and gives yours to them. You talk to them or not later, thats a completely different matter. What matters is that you let them know that you care about them enough to ask for their contact info and give them yours. Why contact info?? Well, thats what came to my mind right off the bat and I mentioned it. It can be anything to let them know that you valued their friendship. A memorable gift or may be a going away treat... yaaay... I am all up for that one....
What I want to emphasize is that, the memories of the last impression, live longer than the first impression. In some cases they are eternal. And the if the last impression that you left was not a good one, then even though the first impression might have been extraordinary, it does not matter any more. The last opinion that they have of you is tarnished and completely different now and it would remain that way till you take the effort to change it.
So my dear friends and readers, no matter which walk or aspect of life it is, always make that extra effort to learn the art of saying good bye the way it should be said and done. That reminds me of a very nice english composition we had when I was in 10'th standard "The art of saying good bye". Don't worry, I'll hunt it down for your benefit :).

The Four Agreements, By Don Miguel Ruiz ...

While browsing today I came across these interesting set of rules for a good and peaceful living. They sounded very simplistic and easy to follow, but are they?

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word - Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
2. Don’t Take Anything Personally- Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.
3. Don’t Make Assumptions- Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
4. Always Do Your Best- Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.

Can you follow any of these say, for a week.

Lessons learnt in life

I have come up with a few "lessons well learned" in my life so far. Its not a complete list but a good list nevertheless. Hope you find them interesting and useful too.

1. If everything is going very smooth, check everything again.

When everything around you seems impeccable and when you can see nothing in your path towards that small speck of light which is your door to success, check everything and make sure that the small speck of light you see is not actually a mirror reflecting the actual door to success, which is on a completely different path, strewn around with every hurdle you can ever think of. Life is never fair to anyone and as Calvin says, its never ever unfair in your favor (hope you got that).

2. You never get everything you ask for.

Oh yeah, this is so very true and I've had so much experience in it. If you wish for a few things to happen, the most insignificant of those would happen for sure not matter what, but your dearest wish that you wanted to be true will never happen no matter how much you yearn or however long you wait for it to happen. There may have been exceptions for others, but not for me. Yet.

3. Girls are hard to understand and are unpredictable.

Well I've had limited experience in this category, but whatever experience I've had will surely last me a lifetime.
[Didn't find a suitable picture for this...Any suggestions are welcome.]

4. Never lose you confidence.

Never ever in you entire life, not even for a minute, should you think that you are a loser. There are times in your life when you get lucky and accomplish something great, that even you thought you would never be able to do. Use such accomplishments in you favor by thinking that you got it right because you are good at what you do, not because you got lucky (sometimes that's what is actually true and you are being modest 'bout it). Build up your confidence. But its also very important to not be overconfident and put too much on your plate than you can eat.

5. Be optimistic.

Being optimistic almost aways goes hand in hand with being confident. But there is a slight difference. Being optimistic in the face of trouble doesn't actually mean that you should always think positive. In my opinion, it means that you should always be on the look out for those negative (pessimistic) effects too but be positive (optimistic) about them and think of solutions to solve problems. Being confident is believing in yourself that you can achieve those solutions.

6. Treasure your friends

There are a few situations in life when you feel lonely and helpless, when you are beyond the reach of any family or when although you are in reach of family, you can't ask them for any help. Only person that can come to your aid at such times is a friend. Never lose them, for they are not something which can be found if lost. Friends never ask for much, only a 'hi' or a 'hello' once in a while will ensure an everlasting friendship.

There are more but these are the ones that came to my mind right away. As a reader if you disagree with any, or if you want to add to the list, you are welcome to start a discussion.

For a Reason...!

Everything you do in life, you do it for a reason, for a goal that you have set for yourself. it's not been any different for me either. I went to school when I was a kid for a reason, to be aware of the society and life around me. I went to college after that for the same reason. I worked hard in college for another reason, to get the best job possible. I tried hard for a job for another reason, I wanted to be independent. But there was another reason, why I didn't take up the first job that came my way but instead chose the dependent life for a couple of more years and came to this so called land of opportunities.
But what happens to life if that reason dies? What if there is nothing to live upto for? There are a few reasons that I can give, like to support my parents in future, to be successful blah blah blah which are always there. But these are not reasons good enough to lead an exciting life. These are not the reasons, that would force you to accelerate through life or to live on the edge or to take risks. These are reasons that are good only if you want to cruise through life. And I believe that life without risks is no life worth living. I want to get back on to the fast lane again, but a good reason is the ticket that would get me there. And thats what I'm living for now, to find a good reason to get back the life as it was.

Follow your dreams...

"when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."

If you've never read the book "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho, I would recommend you to get it and read it. It doesn't matter if you are a big novel buff or have never ever read a book (I don't mean text books...Of course you would have read those for sure...atleast...). This book is meant for everyone to read. It would be a very good first read if this is the first ever novel you are reading. And for others it would be very refreshing and enlightening at the same time. Its very different from the violent, thrilling and action filled conspiracies like The Bourne series, Sum of all fears etc. or the slow, sentimental love stories like The Love Story, A Walk To Remember etc. or the innovative science fictions like Time Machine and Star Wars or the legerdemain fantasy novels like Harry Potter or Lord of The Rings.
The Alchemist deals with the experiences of a boy who decides to follow his dreams. Its his journey through the unknown land, which he had never ever dreamed of treading on before. Its about his losses and his realizations (as to how to deal with life). Its about his beliefs and trusts. And yeah of course its about The Alchemist himself and what the boy learns from him. But more than the fictional story in the book, its about what everyone who reads the book should do, is what I like the most about the book. Yes, its about believing in your dreams and trying your best to see them materialize before you. It tells you never to give up, to fight on, to always be hopeful and never to lose heart.
The core message of the book is "when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it" which I can't say is a 100% true. Because when you do something great or good and you're on your path the success, there are always a lot of people out there in this world, who try to see you unsuccessful and would do anything to achieve it even if they don't gain anything out of it. I would agree that there are also others who try to help you and see that you succeed, but saying "all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it" is a little contradictory for me. Well I would say that even in the book, the boy does has some bad luck when he gets robbed, and when he is put up to an impossible task by the army. Did they help him in achieving what he wanted or were they a hinderance to him? I would say he would've reached his goal faster otherwise. So then how could the core message be true.
So what I learned from the book was to follow your dreams, always listen to your heart, fight the hurdles placed in your way, never lose heart, never be so content that you lose sight of your dreams and yeah never trust everyone who agrees to help you out, although sometimes it may be for your own good to fail in certain circumstances. There are other things I learned too, but still I seriously don't think that "when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." Still read the book friends, maybe you can get a lot more out of it and do follow your dreams.