At an arm's distance please!

Remember assembly time in school? When the teacher asked you to stand at an "One - Arm Distance"? In my opinion one of the most valuable lessons ever taught at school!

Now there are so many people who somehow never caught on to this all important concept. Its sometimes a necessity to step hard on peoples toes in a line just to make them realize they are imposing on your personal space. An elbow or an umbrella comes handy too! ;) Manageable so far.

But then there are people who just don't know where to draw the line. You really don't have to come right up to my face to speak. My hearing is alright and I am sure I can hear you from 5 feet away!

If I am polite doesn't mean you get to poke your curious nose into my life. I am not your new found best friend... I have my friends , thank you and guess what, they know how to respect personal space too! It makes you cringe to tolerate their over enthusiastic friendliness, the obvious inability to decipher or just an intentional overlooking of the subtle and not so subtle 'back off' hints! Whatever happened to minding your own business? So infuriating.

Then there are the kinds who want a minute by minute live update of everything in your life. Like a twitter feed into your day. Always, always an intrusion! Master of Art, Specialization: "Getting on people's nerves"

Boundaries are important. The more you respect that, the more respect you are bound to get!

On forgetfulness!

Seems like age is catching up....and I haven't even touched a quarter century yet! :|

How else do you explain things like forgetting names of people you went to school with, the song you heard in the morning, the name of the place where you gave your first college party and the weirdest of all - words!!!!

It was always a task to be able to remember by dinner what I had for lunch..Now that happens with most of us. I am sure even you don't rem what you had for lunch yesterday!... You do it without being aware of it but this is a whole new level! How can you forget words! Its almost comical filmy Paresh Rawalish... when you remember the concept and forget the bloody word :|

Too much dependence on google for everything you can't remember? Just Plain Distraction? Overwork? Beginning of Selective Amnesia? Information overload??? (!!)

Exaggeration? Well. Okay, Somewhat.
Worrying? Definitely!

The Futility of it all!

Such are times when words fail you. The shock of the situation is mind boggling. So is the stupidity. And then there are the reactions. The buffoonery of the media and the bottom of their heart felt concern of the 'leaders'. They could well be thrown down a bottomless pit.

So what do we do? Put up status messages saying "What is happening?" and " Can India ever put an end to terrorism?" and some say "We should kill the terrorists". Great Idea. Are you going to kill them?

Our heroes go in ill-fitting bullet proof jackets and helmets and are soon declared martyrs. While the terrorists tote AK 56's and hold the nation hostage. They are 'sophisticated' terrorists...We on the otherhand like to keep stone age weaponry and technology. The tax payers money can be put to better uses... You know we the politicians have a whole generation of our families to look after , after all!

The journalist shoves the mike up a newly released hostages face and wants to know how he feels. The Dim wit politician sitting in a studio discusses the political fall out of the situation. Oh look! the UPA's image is going down a notch. Oh and those English people being held hostage.... what would happen to the England India match now? Woe be us! :| Oh they have grenades, we are using our "fair share" of grenades too... Don't you worry! All terrorists are flushed out. Oh look there is one more! Must have been playing hide and seek.

Hey what was that 'we will stomp out all terror...' statement we issued last time to the public? Was a good one...change the date and issue it again. Keep it handy. We might need it again you know!

What else do we do? Discuss it over lunch and dinner? Sit glued to the TV, Blog about it? So its just one way of expressing yourself. Nothing against it. But the futility of it all is exasperating. Express your self all you want but what do you do about it? What am I doing about it? The answer is none of us have a clue. We could all debate endlessly about what needs to be done. I for sure have my ideas and you yours. So we debate. What then? What could or would a common person do about it?

The Charade continues and then we forget. The indifference is appalling. Its scary on how far the indifference can go. Maybe the only time we would be concerned would be when the bullet would come and hit us. Too late for concern then.

Numbing.

You know you are back in Chandigarh when...

Oh boy!
Back in Chandigarh after 2 years..... Saw the things I earlier took for granted about the City Beautiful in a totally new light!

• The place is like one big overextended family!
  The small world experiment would lead to just One Degree of Separation in Chandigarh! Everyone knows almost everyone else. You were either at school together or at coaching or in College or are related! :O
• It sure is a very small city.... You can get from one end to the other before you can clock 40 mins!
  
• You are bound to get challaned in the month of March or whenever the Chandigarh police runs short on money! (And in my case in the Month of August and that too twice!!!)
• Any one new enters a place and everyone else "checks you out"... the eyes go from your face to your shoes in 3 secs flat!
• The favourite past-time of guys is following girls! .....If you are a girl and out alone post 8pm, you are bound to be escorted back to your place by atleast 1 car with blaring loud music!
• Big cars with loud music and even bigger bumper stickers adorn most of the roads!

But the City Beautiful is beginning to take on a new flavour... letting go of its reputation of predominantly being a city of the retired or the spoilt neauvue rich kids.

The superficiality and irresponsibility have given way to a fresh vibrancy.With 50 years to its history, this young city is attaining a semblance of maturity, beginning to show signs of developing a culture and character of its own.

With all its idiosyncrasies... feels good to be back :)

Now.

"From now on , I'll connect the dots my own way!" ~ Calvin

Twenty and three years is a very confusing stage... believe you me! It's where you try and fill in most of the variables to give your equation a definitive value. So many of life's defining events to come. Those that'll decide what shape it takes.

I start with my first job very soon. Excited to say the least... dont know how long the excitement will last though! There's one variable down!

You've moved on with the flow till now. Taken some decisions on your own, let some be governed by others. Some have just come. Happenstance.

Now is different. Now is when you decide.

Now what you do, is what you get to pat (!!?) yourself on your back for the rest of ur life!!! Now is also when you want to let your self imposed cares go with the wind. Now is also when you want to take in everything and Enjoy every moment. Now is the defining moment.

Now is a connundrum , also an opportunity.

It can be overwhelming too.

Now is when you go and and connect the dots your own way!

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Aptly summed up by the song I am listening to right now ....

"Tu Dhoop hai... chham se bikhar... tu hai nadi , oh bekhabar.... beh chal kahin, ud chal kahin.... dil khush jahan... teri toh manzil hai wahin!"

Thank God for Anaesthesia!

To all those who contributed in inventing Local Anaesthesia.... I owe you one!

Well well well... in case you are wondering why a post on this of all things! One painful trip down to the dentist and you ll also be thanking the heavens! No matter how brave you are... u think u could handle anything in the world... but the dentist with his face hidden behind a mask and eyes peering out of thick glasses, while u r trapped in that chair ,is a different story all together! You turn into jelly the moment he comes at you with his arsenal of tiny shiny pointed metal weapons that he pokes and prods your mouth with!

and I turn into Ally McBeal imagining all sorts of things while putting up a brave face and repeating "IhatedentistsIhatedentistsIhatedentists" in my mind :D

and then came the life saver.... "would u prefer if I gave u Anaesthesia?' Yes! Yes! Oh please... I wonder if he could see the tears of thanks in my eyes :P

One prick and no feeling later.... I could stare him and any of his shiny pointed weaponary right in the face. :D

Here's to local anaesthesia!

On a different note altogether.... Life on the otherhand shouldnt have anything remotely like anaesthesia. Every painful moment is an experience too... Numbing it out wouldnt be a wise choice here :)

Cheers!

Yap yap yap $#%@%#

How in the world can people talk so much! Yap yap yap nonstop. It’s like a verbal form of diarrhea. And it’s equally painful to the one on whose ears the nonstop jabber falls! After a while the mind wanders away while those words still keep hammering away on your ears. Worse so if the person is talking to you and you have to give that occasional nod out of politeness.

One nod and the hammering begins with renewed gusto. So much for politeness. I mean don’t they ever take a break? So much potential energy being converted into sound….When it could be put into so many better uses :D

And as I listen to the endless talk, all of it stories of how they did this and that and that too. …my mind goes into this zone. I wonder if it would come to a stop if I suddenly stood up and screamed loudly….or maybe poured cold water on top of them. Pretended to faint…. Something!

Seriously. How in the world!

End of an Era

22nd March 2008.
The date goes down into history as the end of my 'formal' education.
IIMK Batch of 2006-2008.

Real life is yet to teach me its lessons though. Time to come out of the cocoon and fly...Hoping for a fulfilling journey!
I wonder how many graduates each year pen down these same many thoughts in the last days of their education.... so will many in years to come. .

Its like cutting the umbical cord a second time. It is a big moment.

and its ironical.

Life at K came with a lot of ups and downs... and no I don't mean just up and down those mesmerising hills of Kunnamangalam!

First time in a hostel... was all charged up when I got here. Cribbed to the end of eternity cause I had to get here 10 days before with some 60 odd others for the prep course... but boy was it worth it!
One class a day... and all the time in the world to admire the scenic hills, check out the vicinity.... which was full of Malyalam girls in Burkhas giggling at you while you tried to dumb charade your way into buying buckets and things in the local market!
Post midnight guitar sessions, trying to light a bonfire under rain! Controversial Classes :D
Bike rides into the country side. The amazingly beautiful hills did wonders to you. Look out of your room in the morning and you Had to smile.

and then classes... which put me in serious doubt of my ability to stay awake during a lecture!
and those darned lawn sprinklers along the shortest route to the classes... they had to start when I was in the middle of a hopeless attempt to reach class in time... reaching all drenched and 5 mins late... :

The place is full of memories... The C hostel, The parties with pgp 09, 10 and 11, Mess parties, Class rooms, NC, turning everytime Ranjit called out "Kiran-maggi!" (For the unaware... its a dish named after a pgp Niner of the same name!), The crossroads, Staying in the Library till 7 am before a submission... watching the sunrise thereafter, Section A , Harvard Steps, Amphitheater, Long walks... some in an attempt to lose some weight and some just to get your head thinking straight , IP messages, Spam Wars, Status message fights, Debates and discussions, Late night NC maggi, gossip sessions, bakar sessions, parties in the hostel rooms, Those project meetings trying to get some work done, and never ending Backwaters meetings... more bakar and less work! ... infinite moments... totally worth it!

And people too... Learnt a lot like no place else. Friends made and unmade. Met some wonderful people... those I will cherish forever. Others well. Having the same people around you 24X7 is nice at times but can drive you crazy too! Same people, all the time, everywhere. Been like a madhouse at times.

And then the beauty of the place began to wear off in the second year... the every morning groan when sunlight started streaming in at 6 am and you were yet to go to sleep! Those mornings could no longer make me smile :D
The last minute dash to the mess at 8:55 pm before you miss food. Ditto for the NC at 1:55 am! Projects done in a day....and here is something I hopefully wont miss ....The mess food :P

The first term break and I was raring to go home. Couldn't help grinning non stop that day. Was going away from this awful place to a place I loved.
And now.
The last days at Kampus... it felt miserable. Just didn't want to leave. This was Home. The people Family. The journey was a joy. Dont think I' ll miss any place as much as I would K.

Signing off
Klass of 2006-2008

Unbelong

There is something poetic about the word "Unbelong"
Or maybe its just what staying awake till 5 am in the morning does to you!!! Theres been so much said and written about belonging and its opposite. And there are so many times when you wish for one or the other. Diametrically opposite.

Its the comfort and power you derive from being together, the force of "many".

Solitude has its charms. The need to break free, sit in a corner of the valley, unseen, unheard, at one with everything around you...Connecting the past with the present. That one moment bridging together different moments,Warping space and time.
The essential rejuvenating force, slowly bringing you back into the fold. Pure joy.

Then the pendulum swings - from one of the ends to the other , briefly tilting to one side before slowly re-achieving its balance. Some Pendulums however defy the basic laws.

So does the way a human mind works. Perfectly logical at one moment and totally incomprehensible at the next. A Pendulum gone astray. A Chimerical Conundrum .
Felt so clearly yet difficult to put down into written words.
An inexplicable emotion.

A sense of reality. A nudge into the present.
A class at 8:30 in the morning and the reverie is broken! :D

More from me later and most likely less of these random philosophical musings. And more of narration! The Pendulum has swung.