Eleven things #2

I have been doing way too many serious post. And it has been amazing to see cheeky replies even to those! I thought it is time for something light. I am not too much of a funny writer, if you haven't already noticed it. Anyways, I will attempt something simply to break the monotony.

Hmm… Probably doing a list will help. Another eleven things now post perhaps. So here goes…

Now

1. I am waiting for the clock to strike 7.30 am. This means that I can leave to the airport to pick up my friend.

2. Trying to think up of another 9 points.

3. On leave from work so that I can spend time with my friend!

4. Am happy because a colleague from down under has given birth to a baby girl and both mom and baby are doing fine!

5. I would like to finish reading a book that I started long, long ago… It is a great book. I simply lost momentum as I started reading something else before I finished that.

6. I am currently in the middle of three books that need finishing.The one mentioned above is one of them.

7. I am addicted to blogging and blog hopping. In other words, to blogosphere.

8. I am happy with the way my house is beginning to look with the new furniture in place and stuff.

9. Wondering what might happen at the airport. In the sense, how am I going to react…

10. I haven't gone swimming because I am too excited.

11. I have a half-full laundry basket...

Be stirred

Questions - when we are faced with them, we always seek answers. It may be that all questions do not have answers. Questions can be complete. They don’t need answers to make them whole. However, questions do demand answers.

Questions, even when there are no answers, are good for the soul. They drive us. They make us seekers after truth. We are pushed to the horizons. The boundaries are tested. Battles ensue. Thresholds are crossed. New knowledge is obtained. Perspectives are broadened. More questions follow… And the journey continues...

Despite the frustrating nature of questions, we should strive to embrace them and not avoid them. They should be accepted for what they are . They are not our enemies, but allies. They challenge us and cajole us. They stretch us. They push us continuously.

Without questions learning ceases. Without learning boundaries are never tested. New worlds fail to be discovered. Life becomes mere existance.

Let questions continue to stir us…

Giving - Today's thought #8

It is more blessed to give than to receive...

The above statement is soaked, laden and oozing with the blessing that was felt.

Perception - Today's Thought #7

A person who has been able to obtain an additional perspective is indeed in a better position to judge things. However, this position should not be used to judge people who do not have the advantage of other perspectives…

One more of my random thoughts I was thinking when riding to work.

If the future comes...

I really, really loved this post by Liz Strauss.

And this was my reponse to her post...

If the future comes, i will be who i am supposed to be...

Untill then, i shall be happy with who i am becoming...
With each passing day, i am becoming me... Hopefully...

Interrupted

Who likes their smooth journey on the road interrupted? The signals and the potholes. The bikes and the autos. The nasty cabs and the cars. The trucks and the buses.

I have become a more aggressive rider*. Dodging big vehicles, tackling funnily moving cars and bikes, finding that narrow crook through which I can pass, overtaking vehicles on the wrong side, swimming… erm... riding against the tide…

It is all like one big game on the road. Just that this is not a virtual game and you have only one life. It is an obstacle race of sorts…

The other vehicles on the road are obstacles blocking my path. They interrupt my smooth and quick ride.

However, there have been moments of revelation and flashes of insight that these other vehicles are manned by people. By persons not unlike myself. The graciousness of the car guy that lets me pass, the girl I allowed to cross, the auto-rickshaw guy who gave me directions… These are people. Not obstacles.

We have choices when we journey through life. We can dodge, use, misuse and abuse people, tackle tough guys, overtake slow-runners and swim against the tide. We will get where we want to go. Or we can treat these interruptions as opportunities to be human and to allow others to be human**. We may not reach our destination quicker but we will surely get there happier.

* I am working on toning down a bit… Honest…
** The others may not always make use of the opportunity. But don't let that bother you.

Pollution

While the big heads debate about pollution, what are you* and I going to do about it?

I'm hoping to use my cycle when commuting around in the neighbourhood.
I'm going to try to use the public transport to work more often.
I will not use my air-con if the weather is bearable.
I will turn off the lights and fans when not in the room.
I will try not to waste water.
I will ride my scooter in a way that I get the maximum mileage out of it.

Thanks, Joy for giving me the link to the article.

*If you are an Indian and are accessing the net, chances are you are a "first world Indian."

p.s. - While you are at this, you can also check out my new audio post - "I'm still searching, I'm still running..." - in my other blog.

Lucky, aren't you?

I have been wondering about luck and fortune. What are they anyways? Aren't they just some relative terms we use to compare ourselves with others or vice versa?

When someone says they are lucky, don't they usually mean they have all that they want and desire? But is that being lucky and fortunate really?

What we think is good for may turn out to be not so good after all. And what we consider misfortune may be a blessing in disguise.

I guess life is more than mere luck and fortune. It is the ability to be able to smile at seemingly bad circumstances and believing that all is not lost yet. And not being deceived by seemingly favourable circumstances and think you have made it.

Above all, it is knowing that the best is yet to come and keeping at it…

Me, for some reason I was thinking of you when I wrote this post. No, I did not write this based on what is happening in your life, but as I was writing it I remembered your situation. Well, the best is yet to come, me!

Questions

Why do i miss you as much as i do?

Why does my heart feel anxious?

Why does the wait have to be so long?

Why do three weeks seem longer than three years?

Why are you so close yet so far away?

And why are you so far away yet so close?

What is this strange restlessness in my heart?

This hollow feeling in the subconscious mind?

Do you know what i am talking about?

Among all the questions asked,

i am confident of the answer to only one...

Second day in the pool

Conversation among fellow swimmers:

Swimmer 1: I managed to knock against only three people today. Wow! That is an achievement!
Swimmer 2: (to me) This pool is really crowded. It is the survival of the fittest here!
Swimmer 1: If anybody knocks you, just elbow them and then apologize... [Oh my! I really need to watch my back in this pool!]
Swimmer 2: (to me again) The surprise element was, someone was doing backstroke diagonally across the pool!!
Me: (looking surprised) Oh! [Dang! That would be me! :O]

Note: Like in the Mahathma's blog, things said within '[]' would imply my thoughts.
Note 2: I am pretty decent with my free-style. Honest. And umm... my backstroke is good too except that i lose my sense of direction...

Equilibrium

My life seems to be slowly returning to normal. You see, I am a creature of habit. Well, not quite, really. I do not think that 'creature of habit' would be the right way to describe me. I do not get up at the same time every morning. I do go to work during the weekdays and chillout during the weekends. I need that pattern. If my weekend gets disturbed, my equilibrium tilts. The end result can vary from being sleepy at work at the milder end of the spectrum to being a grouchy, snappy, nervy, insane person at the other end of the spectrum.

The month of May was full of events that disturbed that fine balance. I had to travel to my hometown like three weekends last month. And the last trip home and back was made worse by the bus trip. Also, May was a major transition month at work. Changes, changes, changes. There were too many to handle last month.

Anyways, coming back to the point, my life is returning to normal. This is good. This whole thing of the unsettling and then settling again. Guess I will go mad without this cycle. (See? That is a 'habit' again. Sheesh! Don't think we will really be rid of it.)

I have been doing a lot of fun things during this feeling nice and settled phase. Watching movies, going out with friends, hanging out at Anju's place, the weekly Bible study has started, and work seems to be returning to normal. I am in love with our clients and staff again. I seem to have rediscovered the spark as well! I thought it was gone forever. I thought I will highlight some of the really fun things I did in the last few days.

Joy-ride - Partner in crime - Maddy. She was getting two days compensatory off at work and she was traveling home (Chennai is her home) earlier than expected. She got this really cheap flight and she decided to surprise her folks. Who was called in to help her arrange the surprise? The one and only Bungi (pronounced Bu as in 'book' + ng as in 'coming+ i as in 'bee'). So, I offered to pick up Maddy from the airport and take her home.

Now, I did not intend to ride my awesome bike all the way to the airport as I thought of the peak hour traffic trying to snake its way out of the city. The idea was to park my bike in the train station closest to mine and Maddy's house, take the train, get Maddy, take the train back, and take the bike home. That is what we did. The cheap flight was late. Maddy got me a second return ticket to the train station. We got stared at by some dumba** guys in the train. Lots of giggles and lots of fun. And finally a pair of really surprised parents! It was totally worth it, although Maddy's mom almost promised to kill me!

Badminton - I had forgotten how long it was since I've been to Anju's house. All of us got busy this season and we were hardly meeting up. Badminton on Saturdays is routine, guys. And this was NOT happening for a LONG time! Well, to be honest, I wouldn't play really. But this Saturday, I played. And it was good. Four girls, lots of goofing, lots of laughter, lots of heady talk, and some bit of one-to-one as well. Ah, I forgot to mention the good food, the good waiter, the good movie and the good wine.

Cycling - The heat has subsided a great deal. So, I have started cycling again. It is fun! Totally!

Quiet Saturday mornings - I go absolutely crazy without my Saturday mornings. Just chilling out at home. Waking up late. Eating straight from the fridge. Lazing about. Not making my bed. Music. Reading. Well, spending time with me.

Movies - Two movies in two days in the cinema! Shrek 3 and Pirates 3! Awesome! Awesome!

Snickers bar - Having one after a long time.

Almost empty laundry basket - Need I say more?

Work - Doing my favourite stuff at work! Training, talking to clients, etc. Love it!

The out of the ordinary nice things are - Robyn is coming this weekend. And I spoke to G, my best friend. It was so good talking to her, even if it was only for some 7 minutes or so…

Chocolate should be called chocolate

Why is white 'chocolate' called chocolate when it doesn't have anything chocolate in it?

I am not saying white chocolate is bad. I am only saying it should be called something else...

Maddy, this one is especially for you. :P