Kal Ho Na Ho?

Kya pata kal ho na ho… today’s dream just shook me out of my slothful day-to-day life. It just shook me awake and shouted… hey beena you forgot to write the blog you promised …grrrr…. lol

Every one of us knows that life is full of surprises. You never know when your last day is. Today might be mine. So let me write this blog, who knows I would ever get to write again. Ok, ok now don’t pray for my death and save yourself from whatever stupid things I write.

:-) Sounds dim-witted but it’s the truth. Some days back I remembered those days in hospital. Well, ok-ok before you just make that stupid face saying …”now when was that” let me tell you when that was. It was in my 5^th sem of PG that I got seriously ill. 10 days in hospital and the docs said, we have no idea what the problem is. She is just not responding. The last thing we suggest is that there are chances that there is a heart problem (well, I am still surprised, how come he knew? Hehehehehe. Ok ok back to the story). There was a sonography done and the problem started then.. No problem with the heart too, oh is it!! 5 days later I just got tired of being sick and we shifted back to home. I promised the doc that I would be back if I don’t keep well. Once at home I recovered fast, more out of the excitement of facing the challenge of passing in that semester than anything else.

So what was the problem with my health, no idea. I felt as if my days were going to end. Its then for the first time in my life that I realized how much precious my family is to me. I had so many things to do for them, I just cannot go away like this. I have not done anything yet… Weird, funny but still the exact thoughts that come to a person who senses the end.

I recollected this just some time back, when I realized that I was off-track what I had planned. I started to take life for granted. Very granted. Being too practical is the way to live life nowadays but amidst that I just forgot the essence of life, family and friends. Strangely today my quote says “If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?”. I just took it seriously and shared things with my near and dear ones, things I had thought of sharing but the practical me said hey, why are you being sooo senti. Trust me, the next day my brain weighed a lot lot less than before. So many complex thoughts just cleared out.

These thoughts of mine were strengthened when a friend sent a mail that was from one of his colleague in the US. That US guy met with a major accident with his two kids and lost two of his fingers. He wrote to say thanks to all his friends and God. He was so thankful to god for taking his fingers instead of his kids. I was so surprised at the mail, more because I had the same thoughts on mind.

Life is tooo short for being serious over issues that you have no control. So just chill, relax and enjoy, kya pata kal ho na ho... keep smiling :-)

Feminists... hmmm....

I being a boring writer, dedicate this post to my lil sister as she was the one who gave me the topic. Ofcourse unknowingly, she would also not like spreading badly written blogs ;)

It was one of the everyday talks we have on phone. My sister studies in a different city. But thanks to the new technology dont feel that distance so much as we get to share our lives on phone. I told her an interesting incident and asked her to give a review... her words "Its difficult to know whats on someones mind, whether its he or she" just struck me. How right she is!!

The fight would never end, about who is the greatest, the strongest. Men or Women. hmm... difficult question!! Its often wrongly quoted that "Men are from Mars and Women from Venus"... I came across this quote as an answer "Men are from Earth and Women are from Earth deal with it". And thats the fact that is very difficult to make one understand.

I agree there are still differences made between a male and a female in our society. Again there is a misconception of the fact that its an Indian virus, this problem is basically spread all over the world. Whether you be in US or UK or any Developed country. Anyways coming back to the main topic.

It hurts me when you compare some good work done by any of the sexes, work that is generally one of the strengths of the opposite sex. If I work hard, earn good, people come to my parents saying that wow, she is like a boy to you. I was proud when my dad replied, "She is not my son, she is my daughter!!" :) On the other hand when boys cook well, they are given compliments as in see.... "Ladka hoke bhi achcha khana banata hai".

Arrey what difference does it make whether you are a ladki or a ladka. Its not that am too good!! I too make the same mistake that all of you make. Maybe there might be good people who dont really make this particular mistake. Its just that we need to clear it out... we all are human beings. Assignment of work was just a form of division of labour, home or office, both take equal amount of attention, skills... Whichever you develop just be proud of it!! :-)

And last but not the least... mera jaisa mat karna... jack of both, home and office and master of none!! :D

The Bathroom locked itself...

Well, I know, I know thats a strange title. But cannot help it, the title was the one that inspired me to write this blog. :-)

Nowadays my weekends are the busiest days of the whole week, with lots of things lined up - Study, Sleep, Cook, Movies and Drives (:D) Its strange but I get more time to cook on weekdays now. Ok, coming back to my "topic".

It was a normal saturday, wouldn't say very normal... but ya near to it. Not normal coz I woke up at 6:45. Had a big aim to complete a major topic I was reading for WCD (Java Web Component Developer exam) and to top it all there were two bucket full of clothes to be washed. Completed the washing by 7:30 and prepared aloo paratha and milk for breakfast.

And then the reading marathon started by 10:30 I was done with the topic and now tired too... Watched TV, ate daal-chawal for lunch and then slept... Woke up at around 3:00. The sleep was not ready to leave me so I headed straight towards the bathroom, tried to open the door but it wouldn't, I was surprised as to what Bindi (my roomie) was doing inside with the lights off. Its generally pretty dark without the lights.

Thought will watch TV so headed towards the hall, and then I got a biiiig shock. Bindi was there sitting on the sofa watching TV... then who the hell is inside the bathroom. I went back and tried to open it again. The door was not jammed it was moving expect near the lock portion. I was surpised as how can the door get locked from inside by itself. I went back to Bindi and told her that the bathroom is locked from inside, she first gave me a strange look (I know it must be, now she has started sleep walking too, types expression). I took her to the door and said, ok now try to open it. Her grin turned to laughter... coz then she also spoke the words, oh my: "The bathroom locked itself"!!

You have to be extra careful when you stay in a rented flat. Cannot call just anyone and get the door unlocked. We tried calling our landlord. Unluckily he too was drowned in the sleep sea. The next person to call was our broker. Well, the last person I would like to call to my house, but no option had to get the problem solved ASAP. He asked me calmly, ok beena tell me who is inside the bathroom!! Is your boyfriend in there? I said no there is no one. He didnt believe me, said will come there and have a look.

In the mean time our futile efforts to call up the landlord didnt go waste. He finally woke up from his never ending (seemingly) hibernation. Bindi told him clearly what had happened... he had lost his senses by the time he understood the problem. Finally he asked again... "Are you trying to tell me that there is no one inside and still the door is locked, matlab ke, THE BATHROOM LOCKED ITSELF" .... phew... since afternoon this was my last attempt to convince anyone that it was indeed the situation.

Finally the moment of truth arrived, with everyone coming in from our broker to the landlord and his brother. They all gave the same grin that bindi gave the first time she tried open the door... "OOO, the bathroom has locked itself". The broker then called up the carpenter who came only after calling him second time to tell him that there was someone locked inside the bathroom... After a long ordeal which for me started at 3:00, the door lock was finally broken and the door opened... AND voila!!! there was no one inside.. :-)

Well.....

Well, this one took me longer than I expected. Lots of bright ideas came to me for this blog. Some were given by others, some my own. But still I am lost, lost as in what is more important.

Actually the villain behind me not writing for long is a friend of mine… he gave me an idea of writing fiction and well, that was the cherry on the top of the pie which for me was just laziness.

Now on this lazy Sunday afternoon, am sitting in the hall of my rented flat with a laptop and watching the movie “The Family Stone” on Star Movies. With so many ideas of blog on my mind I wonder which one would eventually materialize. Just to name a few…. “Series of unfortunate incidents”, “The strange journey to ahmedabad…”,”My adventurous journey to Pune” and now that I am watching a romantic movie… “Romance”….hehehehehe… So much to write and its all jammed in my mind. I got some very good reviews of my last blog and that made this more difficult. Now any idea that comes to my mind gets scanned. But then it seems, am not writing for praises, am writing for myself. So, even if some find this one pathetic, well guys can’t help it. I am just typing in what’s popping in my mind…

Ok, ok, I know you still wondering what the topic of this one is, but don’t worry you are not alone, I am also wondering about the same thing. The wondering hit me heads on and I took a nap.

Well, I was wondering what kind of blogs people write. Are they all like me, just scrapping whatever that comes to their mind or are people writing in fiction, something they think should happen but isn’t actually happening.

I have read blogs which are varied in nature. I read a programmer’s blog and guess what all that was there were pieces of code. Whatever code excited him was there with the details. Then there was this mom’s blog in fact, this blog featured in reader’s digest too. Two moms from across the world had described the nine months of their pregnancy. Pretty interesting and emotional na!! I wish I had the link to share it with you people, but I don’t have it right now. Have you ever been to the Times of India blogs? Well, sometimes they are pretty interesting with people speaking on different articles published in the paper.

I guess today is not my day to round up on a single topic. So, am just using this one as a buffer till I get a real good idea. Don’t tell this to anyone but its going to rain soon and I just don’t want to miss the rain movie especially the first part. ;) So see ya soon people and keep smiling. :)

ICC :-)

FREE food is the best lucrative offer that a company could give to its employees and specially if its "good". I have heard the top most reason of having a very low attrition rate of the IT company I am working for recently is the "free", "eatable", "good" food that people get over here.

Coming back to the topic, it was one of those boring, silent breakfasts that I have over here... Silent did not become a part of my dictionary until I joined this corporate jungle. There was this usual regional discussion going on... for Gujarat!!.. ya thts my native state... and its a usual target for people to talk about. I take it very positively as per the guru dialog, "Agar log tumhare baarein mein baatein karne lage, samjlo tarakki kar rahe ho!!" Just during one of those good things discussed about gujarat, the topic of "Navratri" came up.

I described how people go for the garba dance for all nine nights during navratri. It was a big surprise for one of the top bosses sitting there... Nine nights and you keep on dancing... Yes I agree to that, for us gujaratis its very normal, but it really needs a high deal of energy to keep on going for all the nights...

It was then that the controversial statement came, the main inspiration of me writing this blog... The biggie quoted, "Oh!! Girls dancing looks fine, but gosh I cant see those men dancing and that also in those weird dresses!!" As a ardent follower of the garba spirit my first reaction (thank god, it didnt come out) was "What a hell!! You are such a hypocrit!! and you dont even appreciate others tradition, man!! YOu're surely going to suffer for this!! BANG!! BANG!! " HEHEHEHEHE

Luckily I didnt do that, changing jobs frequently is not my preference!! At first I took my reaction a bit harshly for myself. Thought that its just because the person is making fun of my culture and I am not taking it sportily. But then on further thinking it struck why to me that biggie seemed to be a hypocrite. It was the discussion we had just prior to the topic coming up. As we were all watching the boring news channel, it was showing glimpses of the Goa parade. With the men and women dancing in those parades it was very normal for that Indian boss to think that wow I wish we all went for a holiday to Goa.

It’s a general tendency of people all around us to make fun of men dancing or rather to be more politically correct (as per my politics… :D) who are into the Indian traditional dances. I am not sure why this happens and why don’t people take with the same spirit as any western dance. Whether its garba, bhangra, kathak or even the various dance forms coming from the southern part of the sub-continent.

Maybe we are so much confused over being traditional + modern that we really don’t know where to demarcate. Whats cool and whats not? Who’s going to define that, should be our choices rather than a general thought bubble, which might have originated from a perfect ABCD (ya right, American Born Confused Desi). I would really want to get back to a friend I am sure he would be reading this blog as I wont let him not read it. Who some days back was talking to me about his interests. The words he used… “Don’t laugh!! But I used to do classical dancing” Well, this reflects our confusion… he was not ashamed of sharing it out but still he had a doubt (and I am sure he still thinks I did make fun of it) that I would be laughing at the idea of him doing a traditional jig. Well, I actually didn’t only because I myself had tried my hands on it and was very familiar with the concept. But if it would have been some other person, or any of my counterparts back in Gujarat it would have been a funny thing for them.

I call this the great Indian Culture Confusion or ICC (well its not the International Cricket Board.. its world cup time and it’s an obvious full form). It not only penetrates a general culture clash but it also gives rise to the battle of the sexes. What are men supposed to do and what women? With the rising globalization the well defined roles of men and women are getting more and more vague.

India being a very very diverse country in terms of cultures and traditions it always is difficult for each of us to acknowledge the traditional values of the other. To me till date the greatest strength of Indian people has been the cultural and traditional tolerance but is globalization and modernization taking a toll over it? Are we heading towards another partition, this time a more cultural one? I know the issue with which I started this blog isn’t that great that I should be thinking to this extremes but it’s a question worth to be giving a thought!!!

The Levits...

Its 6:00 am in the morning and winter has just set in. Normally I would be cozying in my bed at this hour but instead today I am wide awake. It was a dream that I had last night, or was it early in the morning, that made me open my eyes with shock or rather FEAR. :-)

I can still feel the power of the "Levits" yes, thats the name I gave to those warriors. I chanced upon this name in my dream only. Levitation is the process where a person can lift himself up in the air, or say a zero gravity situation and that too on earth. Since ages magicians and those sadhus have known to have the power to levitate. But hardly anyone would have imagined an entire warrior race having the power.

I can still feel the warmth of those sun rays, the sound of the horns on a busy street is what comes to me as my first memories of that dream. Me along with some of my friends were having a stroll on that crowded streat when suddenly from nowhere appeared some birds in a flock against the backdrop of the clear blue sky. At first no one say what was so peculiar about those birds. It was just by chance that my attention went to those. It seemed very strange to me though, as the feathery scales of those aerial things, which definately looked like birds where seeming to grow larger and larger...

It didnt take much time for people around me to notice the same thing. As the size of this might be UFOs grew larger and larger the sky took on a darker shade. In no time did it grow pretty dark. Now it was very much visible to me, those well defined scales... and then... pufff!!!!! (as expected in a dream) the birds changed into small luna like bikes. Still it wasn't that clear in the dark as to who was riding these bikey UFOs.

"Mamma, mamma!!!" suddenly everyone's attention was drawn to this scream, and to everyone's horror the rider of one of the bikes had appeared. Even in the dark I could see the well polished armour and how could anyone miss that shining sword. There shine was hiding the face of the rider. It was still confusing whether he was part of a saviour warrior race or just a villian in my dream. This confusion had struck the entire crowd gathered there which now comprised of almost all the humans in that town. The chaos spread throught the crowd like waves... it was almost like those wave formations done by people during cricket/soccer matches in the stadium.

I was struck with fear too. Didn't know where to go, which building to go into... With every passing moment my dream was getting more and more weird. The villians (or were they saviours, please somebody tell me...) were now standing in air, their bird turned bikes had disappeared. One of theme was holding the child which was now wailing at the topmost pitch making the scene look more terrible. Suddenly from behing the group of warriors I heard of footsteps... (weird, how can you hear them in the sky... there is nothing in air to creating the tapping sound, well its my dream :-) )

The head of the warriors appeared on a dark horse. His sword mightier than the others and his armour shining as if it was made out of tubelight. I felt that he was approaching me and my feeling shockingly was true (arrey yaar, its my dream and I am supposed to be the center of attraction) He stood just above me and then he looked at the warrior holding the child. The next moment my BP ran as high as it could when he pointed his sword towards me. The warrior came to me along with the child and then he winked... ;-)

For the first time in this entire ordeal a smile came to my face and suddenly he let loose the child from the sky towards me.... wham!!! All that I remember after that is the smiling face of the child. My eyes had opened and it was 6 a.m. in the morning... the sun hadn't risen yet and my roommate was fast asleep ... as for me... even after three months I had this dream I still find it fresh!! As if it was last night...