The Experiment of Life

Diamonds v/s Flowers

2013-05-13T22:54:00.000+04:00

I've never been much of a bling bling girl; more the T-shirt, shorts and sandals wearing type. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against diamonds, bien au contraire like they say in french.

I was randomly surfing (Pinterest actually, that's where I go when I'm bored on Sunday nights). I came across this phrase and it more than just caught my attention:

"I'd rather have flowers on my table than diamonds on my neck" - Emma Goldman

It hit home beautifully. I have to admit I didn't know who Emma Goldman was but I just had to, this woman had just made my day. I googled :D Turns out she's a German anarcha-feminist who lived a few centuries ago. That was just side information. Let's get to the point where we analyse things. It's said that diamonds are forever and a girl's best friend. They are shiny, lustrous, elegant, precious, expensive, mostly expensive and they last an indefinite amount of time which can be considered as forever. As for flowers they are pretty, colourful, smell good, bloom out of nowhere, are available everywhere, share their beauty and then fade to nothingness. Put like this the diamonds seem like a more intelligent deal than the flowers, right? For anyone in their right mind.

Then why does the flower have so much more appeal for the free-thinking "rebel woman" Emma Goldman and I, not to forget countless other women, I hope? Would it be because the flower is a living thing? Or would it be because the flower reminds us of the fragility and impermanence of our own lives. It could also be because of the cycle the flower goes through. The flower becomes the fruit which becomes the seeds which then becomes the plant to become the flower again. This one is my personal favourite. Whatever it is, fresh flowers make me happy. I love having them in my bedroom, they breathe life and sunshine, even and specially in winter.

Dialogue: Letting go and moving on, one worrier to another

2013-01-31T14:09:00.001+04:00

Today, after a long while I finally had the time to catch up with one of my best friends, Yashweena (aka Yash). It’s surprising how time takes a toll on us and we get caught up in life: work, colleagues, money, university, dissertation, exams, health, weight issues, home, boyfriends, other friends, boyfriends’ friends, family, siblings, distance (she’s in the UK and I’m in heavenly Mauritius). Yet somehow, we always find a way to always find each other again. Here’s an extract of my refreshing conversation with her about all these things.
…
Anjalee: Don’t let yourself get blown by these events. Be stable and remain positive else you’ll be submerged
Yash: Already feeling submerged right now T_T. I just feel so conflicted in so many areas in life; trying to sort them out is such a struggle.
Anjalee: It doesn't have to be.
Yash: emotionally mentally physically draining
Anjalee: you are trying to control too many things. Just let them be. Ani Kim told me yesterday
loads of things don’t work out in life. We just have to let go and move on, move on and on.
Yash: So hard to let go. How do you do it? O.O
Anjalee: It's hard. Specially when one is a worrier. I tell myself if I can’t do anything about it, my worrying will only add to the overall negative energy and make it worse. And every time I think of that situation I tell myself: it's temporary, it'll pass
Yash: Sounds like a good method. Lol, worrier incarnate although way way less than before
Anjalee: When you know things don’t last even if you need to remind yourself of that it takes away the fatality of the situation.
Yash: So true it does seem so end of the worldish when there is a problem which you can’t seem to deal with. Arigato. Feel a bit lighter.
...
Then we go on talking about other stuffs. I blogged about this because often we know things but we forget (I've been there so many times)or when in a situation it doesn’t cross our mind and we need to be reminded. Like this time I reminded Yash, and at countless other times she reminded me that we do have methods, ways to be almost at peace, no matter the situation even happier. Oh happiness, I have to blog about that one too... Soon. Until then…

The Shiva Trilogy by Amish Tripathi gives Indian mythology a new feel

2013-01-18T09:47:00.000+04:00

I finally got my hands on a series of books I have pinned for a long long time. It made my Christmas (I'm not a very Christmasy person) really merry. Big thanks to my bro Julie.

The series in question is the Shiva Trilogy, which consists of three books (obviously, since it's a trilogy. duh!):
1. The Immortals of Meluha
2. The Secret of the Nagas
3. The Oath of the Vayuputras (released in March 2013)

The main protagonist is the much loved hindu deity Shiva, also known as the Destroyer (Brahma being the Creator and Vishnu the Sustainer, thus forming the Trinity, but this story is not about them but about Shiva so let's focus on that.) The author intelligently fished in the vast sea of gods and goddesses of the Hindu mythology. There's also Nandi, Shiva's bodyguard and companion; Sati, his love interest who then becomes his wife... Daksha, Kali... He breathed life into them in the backdrop of the Indus Valley territory (makes me reminiscent of my Social Studies classes and gives it a whole new dimension).

I believe if I keep going, I could get unfairly accused of spoiling... so I'll just share a few of the quotes I collected from the books (yes, I do that) which made me stop and reflect.

"People do what their society rewards them to do. If the society rewards trust, people will be trusting."
-Amish Tripathi
The Immortals of Meluha

"It doesn't matter if the people that evil is being committed against don't fight back. It doesn't matter if the entire world chooses to look the other way. Always remember this. You don't live with the consequences of other people's actions. You live with the consequences of your own. "
-Amish Tripathi
The Secret of the Nagas

The first book will get made into a movie soon. Hopefully they are able to match to the grandeur of the cities and forests and characters etc etc... of our imagination (I'm saying our, but I really mean mine :D but I don't wanna sound too self focused.) I waited a long time to get the books and now waiting for the third one. I'd say it's worth a read, not two, but one definitely.

2 more days: Story of the old monk and the woman

2012-12-04T16:30:00.000+04:00

I love stories. I came across one and it made me reflect. Here it goes:

Two more days

Long ago, in some far away land, there was an old monk going on a pilgrimage on a mountain far far away. Aged and weak, he was treading the long dusty road alone, seeking alms along the way. After many long months, one morning he gazed upwards and saw the majestic mountain in a distance. By the roadside, there was an old woman working the field.

"Please tell me," he asked, "how much longer I must proceed before reaching the mountain?"

The woman just looked at him, uttered a guttural sound and returned to her hoeing. He repeated the question a second and third time, but still there was no answer.

Thinking the woman must be deaf, he decided to push on. After he had taken a few dozen steps, he heard the woman call out to him, "Two more days, it will take you two more days."

Somewhat annoyed, the monk responded, "I thought you were deaf. Why didn't you answer my question earlier?"

The woman replied, "You asked the question while you were standing put, Master. I had to see how fast your pace was, how determined your walk!"

We often find ourselves in the same position as the old monk in the story, standing still and wondering why no one tells us how fast we'll get "there", where ever there would be. Sometimes walking through life, not willing to ask for any direction and, getting frustrated as to why no one comes to our assistance. It may be that we are being assessed, our strength and determination being tested or just that we forgot to ask. I believe that whatever we go through, someone somewhere must have been there before. The conditions may be different, the circumstances not the same but life is too big for it to be entirely different.
And like says Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, "Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."

Therefore discouraged be not, but forge ahead!

Too much dairy for my own good

2012-12-01T19:30:00.000+04:00

This is the story of how I almost got sick because of too much dairy.

It was a fine summer evening, the sun was setting and there was a light breeze.
I was heading to my humble abode after a long day at work. I met one of my best friends and we ended up ingesting an enormous amount of ice cream.

I am personally not a great fan of dairy products specially if sugar is added. I just feel like milk is sweet enough as it is. And I don't like sweet stuffs much, not too sweet. It ruins the taste of things. I love desert though.

The only time I can tolerate milk is every morning, that also plain (just to ensure that I have enough calcium intake ) Not a fan of yogurt (unless it's very little and on top of a variety of fresh fruits) either nor any other form. I like cheese normally but again that depends on what. I like ice cream though, not chocolate ice-cream.

Love chocolate; love ice-cream but not the combination.
Chocolate ice-cream just tastes wrong. *Sigh* I am so full of oxymora.
Initially I wanted chocolate but here's what we got:

When I said I wanted ice-cream, I wanted a little ice-cream. So, the nice person that he is (not!), he challenged me to finish that gallon with him.
He loves milk by the way, knowing very well that I don't. The guy gets high just by hearing about milkshakes and that's an understatement. Now I'm not the
kind of person who says no to a challenge

At 18 03
Initially it was yummy. There was a slight taste of coffee with chocolate and nuts sprinkles.

Half way through... I had my dose... too much sugar, my brain was on "i don't want this anymore!" mode

At 18 16
Most of the ice cream had melted... all that remained was a kind of sauce comprising of milk and caramel. It just tasted wrong!

The bet was that the one who stops eating first or the one who can't get a spoonful last loses.

I didn't give up just on principle. I forced myself to eat until the last drop. Sad that I couldn't get a spoonful in the end and I lost.
I cannot speak of what the loser had to do... it would just be inappropriate.

It was horrible though. I still have the foul taste of caramel and the texture of condensed milk in my mouth as I blog about this.

I have to work out so much to burn all that off!

Note to self: think of that before accepting an eating challenge next time! Or just don't accept challenges!

Why we heart Adele

2012-11-11T15:17:00.000+04:00

But why do we love Adele?

Here are a few reasons why I think we love Adele:

The voice, THE VOICE, what other than that VOICE. Those high notes she reaches give goosebumps and the huskiness...
The lyrics, for all of us, for at least one of her songs it feels like it's been written just for you. It's o.O mind boggling how accurate the feeling of that far far away long lost and forgotten love of one time and her songs match. A bit over dramatic sometimes but lets face it, we've been there time and again, cried those tears, wiped them, cried again and moved on. Some of her songs help get the tears flowing, the earier they are out of your system the quicker you can move on.
She's real. It's actually refreshing to see a star of that caliber with some real curves, makes the rest of us mortals relate to her more.

The charm. It's weird but Adele has the kind of smile that just lights up a room and even her laugh is musical. She laughs a lot! And the wit. You just have to watch one of her interviews and you'll see what I mean.
The face. Adele has a gorgeous face. Period.
The makeup and the hair. I'm not a very make up person (hate lipstick, how can girls wear that, doesn't it feel heavy on their lips?! o.O) but I love the way she does her eyes, it's sexy and I like sexy.

I could go on, there's so much to say about her or more my opinion of her but I think I made it pretty clear already. We <3 Adele!

Here's one of my favourites, I have so many but here's one and only :

Reading reeks of sexiness!

2012-11-04T20:44:00.001+04:00

Books are amazing and reading is sexy!

I can't say it enough.

When one grabs a book and opens the first page, one embarks on an unknown adventure. You don't just read a book, you live it. A book is a personal thing. It's a one to one relationship between the reader and the book, and a very intimate one for that matter. Not only the book finally but also the author, because the book is always tainted by the author's experience. Always!

As one breezes through the pages one sees things the way the author is projecting them, tainted once again by one's own experience, the imagination being the channel. You feel what the protagonists feel, you get wrapped up in the book, well some books. Some just blow your mind, some leave you breathless, some to nothing more than just annoy you. But a book never leaves one indifferent. One is always changed in some way after reading a book. Maybe it taught you a few new words or it actually made you rethink concepts you hold or ponder upon where you are at that point in time and space in your life.

All in all, I maintain, books are amazing, and reading is sexy!

The habit of uneasiness?

2012-10-09T22:39:00.001+04:00

There are days like that when you just don't feel right and you can't put your finger on the reason. You keep digging your head. Is it the headache, the weight on the shoulders, not hearing from someone you wanna hear from, missing your bus, your car breaking down, your boss shouting at you, not getting your favourite meal? What is it that's making you feel so small? It may be all those reasons but it just doesn't seem to add up to how bad you're feeling. You try to rationalize look for a reason big enough , to smile (as a test of how dark the cloud is) but even the idea of a smile is strenuous. You wonder, there have been worse days and you weren't feeling so low. It doesn't make sense, not at all...

This unease, dissatisfaction, sense of disillusionment has been around for quite some time now, you wonder if it hasn't been here all along, (at different degree of course). Do we all suffer from the habit of uneasiness because it's familiar? You think back about the last time you were genuinely happy, (not talking about gloating or ecstasy). Not because you won the lottery, not because you got a promotion, not because your favourite team won, but happiness without any particular reason other than your own existence. We often grow so accustomed to this dis-ease that we start to think of it as normal. It is only on days like these when you can't figure out that it occurs to you maybe it is not normal...

We (I'm using we because I am no different) so often get caught up, entangled even in the Dos and Don'ts and the Whys and the Hows that we forget what is essential. How can we appreciate the ingenuity of that which is complex when we see fail to see the the beauty in the simplest of things? We run after things which we don't really need taking the most basic things given to us for granted. Then like myself, we complain about life lacking meaning, not having depth. What do we then do? We can either go to sleep hoping tomorrow will be a different day or we grab life by the horns and throw in some meaning in it! Exercise or some chocolate always work for me :)

Master - Slave paradox

2012-05-05T21:34:00.000+04:00

Thought for today:

"The master is only master as long as the slave is slave."

Love, Relationships, Exes, etc...

2012-04-06T13:16:00.003+04:00

We all want a fairy tale love story with a prince on a white horse

and/or a sweet beautiful princess

It's what we've seen since childhood (I'm a huge fan of Classic Disney movies). But more often than not Mr Prince Charming and Miss Dream Girl are stuck over their exes. Even we've been there at some point at least once in our life. We've all thought "Oh! My life means nothing without this or that person. How can I live without him/her? and bla bla bla . I can love no other this much and bla bla bla again". But how can you make such claims? Have you lived through the whole of your life already?

No matter how smart you are, the drama of the situation gets the better of you. *Sigh*
Quoting from an article I recently read, Karma and Relationships :"There are men and women in their 30's and 40's that are still in love with Mr. or Miss. X from 1962!"

Seems pretty lame put like this, doesn't it? They probably met in their teens which is barely 1/4 of proportion of the time they'll live and they spend 3/4 of it lamenting over something that didn't work out. That seems like such a waste of resources and potential to me. Yes, they were very important to you and you were very important to them. Yes, you thought they were 'The One'. And no it didn't work out. Get over it. There must be a reason why it didn't, right? It's like keeping in your house the dead body of your beloved. It's fine for a few days but after that it starts decaying and it's downright harmful to your health and that of people around you. The logical thing to do would be to morn but then bury the corpse.

Nevertheless, they may get into other relationships, get married, have kids but still to them their heart belongs to this or that person. It's unfair towards the person in their life currently. Please don't think someone else can help you get over another. It's not true. The work is internal, private and has to be done by oneself. It doesn't mean forgetting, neither does it mean pretending that it never happened. It's acceptance, making peace with what is and keeping the door open for new possibilities. Take your time, one month, a year, ten years(that's way too long), all the time necessary but don't walk around stinking of past relationships and poisoning current ones.

I'm not saying the next relationship will work, nobody can say that. There are no guarantees in life, if there were it would be staged drama with a written plot. That's the beauty of it. When you're free from your past, you can be a 100% in your present. If it doesn't work out, you walk out with your head held up high, purge and get ready for the next one. And please have enough respect for yourself not to be at the receiving end of "You can help me forget/get over him/her." Chances of that happening are very slim (because you cannot control what goes on inside another) and chances of you being left feeling inadequate and unworthy are definitely higher. You may not be a genius but don't be not that kind of stupid either, even in love.

Some may disagree but at the end of the day it's just me giving my opinion about the experiment of life. Everyone is entitled to theirs ;)

Just a thought: pleasure

2012-04-02T14:49:00.002+04:00

"One may seek all the pleasure one wishes for but it should never come from a place of pain for another."

My current state of mind

2012-03-29T14:52:00.000+04:00

"I am continuously baffled and slightly amused at the arrogance and self-centeredness of my own kind which is the human kind."

A hymn to my old pair of jeans

2012-03-06T15:50:00.001+04:00

We all have that one old pair of jeans which defined our teen years. Here's mine:

Ten years old this year. It also happens to be my favourite pair of jeans.
This is the pair of jeans my dad bought me in some random market when I was thirteen (wasn't torn then, nor that faded). It's also the pair of jeans I was wearing on my first official date and on the first time I had to break up (or was it a dress..., I don't quite remember). I was wearing them for my SC results
It's strange that it still survives because it's been torn, sewed, scratched, loosened, fitted, stained, thrown away, hidden, confiscated, caused controversies, been saved from fire,amongst other things.
In short this is the pair of jeans that has been with me in almost all the key moments of my precious adolescent years and still going strong.
And, and, and they are not going anywhere anytime soon.

Detachment, the little I understand of it

2012-01-20T01:49:00.000+04:00

I had a superb conversation with my best friend (most of our conversations are somewhat amazing) and thought I absolutely had to share this one.

Here's some background information first: We celebrated a decade of bestfriendship last year.

How and when we met: At the tender age of twelve in the home economics class at school. I remember it like it was yesterday!

Scenario:First week of school, I, nonchalantly packing my stuff up after having cut out the pattern for the apron we were supposed to sew during the year. I turn around and see this tiny girl(I was already tall for my age), with bangs and glasses, desperately struggling with her scissors. I asked "Need help?", she said "Please!" I cut her patterns, she packed my stuffs, ever since we've been inseparable. I also remember us deciding to be best friends on the stairs, not sure if it was the same day though. There's a third (important) member to our little gang but that's another great story. I call them my soulsisters.

Here's an extract from the chat log:

sheekha: Actually I didn't understand the concept of detachment that The Venerable was talking about, wanted some clarifications
me: Sure, what do you understand by the word detachment?
sheekha: Hmmm not to feel sad or affected if the thing you're attached to moves away from you that is in terms of material things. In terms of relationships, for me detachment is keeping distance as a means to protect myself from hurt. me: Not far but not exactly. In fact detachment in Buddhism doesn't not have the same notation as in English.
It can also be called non-attachment and attachment is not associated with love but with a need to possess, a sense of dependence. The goal is to reach ultimate freedom. Detachment is seen as one of the freedoms. When you see reality and realise that nothing is permanent, you become peaceful and detachment happens. It's not like you said "staying away from relationships in order to protect yourself", that's protection. You are protecting your own ego whereas in detachment you love even more, you go even closer because you are free from the need to possess, free from your ego. For example, being detached from your parents doesn't mean that you don't care about them that you keep a distance. It means that you realise that they are humans, they will age and someday pass away. It's seeing the reality and still caring. When they pass away of course you will be hurt, being detached doesn't mean that you don't feel anything, it means that you accept things as they are. You'll be hurt but you'll know that it's only temporary and you will do as much good as you can instead of drowning yourself in your own sorrow.
Another example would be of a mother and her son. A mother is so attached to her child that she doesn't let the child go out of her sight from fear of him hurting himself.
Is the mother protecting her child?
Probably
Is the mother protecting herself?
Definitely. She is scared of losing her son. It's her attachment for her son which creates the fear in her,
Is she doing her child any good?
Probably not
What would a healthy mother do?
She would warn her child of the dangers, ask him to be careful and let him out to play. In case he falls, she will gently care for his wounds.
Does the first mother love her son more than the second mother?
Not necessarily.
sheekha: So it's kind of growing up, of feeling independent and self-sufficient
me: Not exactly ultimately but kind of. Because at the end you even have to detach from what you've learnt: concepts, ideas, words like independence. It's like giving up freedom to be free. There are many levels. The ones I'm telling you about are the grossest, the most "tangible" if you want: relationships with others. But then there are bodily attachments, mind attachments, thought attachments which are far more subtle.
sheekha: Yes, it's vast and a bit vague at the same time
me: It is.
sheekha: I think the degree of non-attachment depends on what stage of life you are in
me: Definitely. And it's not something that just happens. It's after reflection and experience that detachment can even start to occur. It's not giving up on things you love. It's not going on exile or keeping away from people.
sheekha: That's how English has defined it but not from a Buddhist perspective
me: Yes, in English it has a negative connotation and the word attachment has a positive one
sheekha: That's the thing, I didn't quite understand that part and it seemed intriguing since that day. At the end of the day, the best investment that anyone can do in oneself
me: Yes, but the intention should be bigger. Why do you wanna invest in yourself? Is it to find peace for yourself? Or is it to make something bigger?
Sheekha: No, it's not that I'm not at peace with myself, it's a way of refining skills. You know what's your worth but there's no harm in fine-tuning everything.You should know where you want to go and know where to stop.
me: I want it all! The whole way! But it's the path that matters. The journey to self discovery and the discovery of others. How at the end of the day, we are all only suffering and why add up to the load of others by being a pain in the !@#? But it's easier to put in practice when things are stable around you. When you are in a negative state of mind it takes more effort being compassionate
sheekha: Right, that's another one- compassion, what is it?
me: That's a very nice one. What do you understand by that one?
sheekha: In fact, I don't really understand it, is it sympathy?
me: It's more than that...

And the conversation goes on about compassion(for another hour or so)but that's for some other time.
At some point I asked if I could post this conversation on my blog. That's when she discovered I actually had a blog. She got a little mad (justified! How can I forget to tell such things??!) but she gladly accepted :D

And yes, I know I talk a lot (occasionally only!) but after ten plus years you kind of get used to it, isn't it Bestie?
Thank you for inspiring this conversation. What's the point of experimenting with something interesting if you don't have someone interested to share it with?

Old age is a scary thing!

2012-01-08T01:21:00.000+04:00

Old age is a scary thing indeed.

I haven't written it's been a very long time indeed. My thoughts today are too strong to be kept to myself . So here's me lightening my brain.

Some background: a week ago was the first of January. Like every year, first thing in the morning we seek the blessings of elders. So we dropped by at my dad's old aunt's place (not that we don't often do so).
She'll be around 88 years of age, not so much strength anymore, gets lost in her thoughts, doesn't remember faces (she asked me around four times who I was). All in all, we took her for a ride today around town, checking out the new mall. I was being her guide, telling her how things have changed. She was holding my hand the whole time. She was telling me how she is scared to be alone at home, how she might get attacked and how happy she was that we took her out, she even started crying but I blackmailed her into not doing so.

On our way back, I was thinking about the woman I knew when I was a kid and the person she transformed into, sitting next to me in the car, sipping grape juice and eating lemon biscuits. The roles were reversed. Suddenly I was the protector and she was the protegé. This was a woman who in her prime days walked tens of kilometres in the search of grass and wood in sun and rain alike, who reared cows, who worked the sugarcane fields ardently.

Another thought occurred to me, in a few decades, I'll be like her: old. How will I, someone who loves her freedom with a passion, cannot stand being dependent be it to people, things and even thoughts, react given her situation? The answer I got was: probably not as well as she is handling it.

We'll all have to face old age (those who make it that far that is) and the finally die. It's not optional. Like a friend just told me: it's up to us what we make of the situation we are in. Therefore hopefully I'll live as long as I can put on a pair of jeans and swing my hips to some séga and bhojpuri song and do so as long as I live. The moment I can't do the above anymore, I'll know my time has finally come. At the end of the day, we're all just experimenting with life.

PS: Happy New Year 2012 All!

Guardian Angel

2011-06-29T20:55:00.000+04:00

What do you do when your guardian angel turns against you?

No, no, no need to get worried I'm not talking about me. It's just a question that's been on my mind lately. I think the question popped up when I heard some news on the radio about a three year old getting beaten up to death by her mother and another case of a mother forcing the thirteen year old daughter to prostitute because of lack of finance. I was pondering on the state of mind of those kids. Parents are like guardian angels to their babies: protecting, nurturing. What can they do when the same angels turn against them? Now that I think of it, not them but us...
What if my parents hadn't treated me right? I would definitely not be the person I am today. All I can say is I am deeply grateful for my loving and caring parents, family and friends. I wouldn't be much without them. My heart goes out to those tiny defenseless creatures left at the mercy of the one supposed to care for them but who's suddenly turned evil. I wish that some other angel more powerful notices their sorrow and mends their broken hearts or their own guardian angels turn towards light...

Why?

2011-06-16T21:31:00.000+04:00

I have often prized my habit of asking questions, so what if I get called a curious cat at least I have a vivid mind. Many questions get asked. Some of them even get answered but not all. It doesn't matter so much. The thought of a question itself is a form of art: the art of questioning. Here are a few questions off the top of my head.

Why do we get angry so much?

Why is it that the people we love the most we fight the most with?

Why do we run from what we want when we get it?

Why do we get bored?

Why do we pick on those weaker than us? 

Why do we have the need to possess, be it things or people?

Why are we so scared?  

Why can't two people of the opposite sex be very close friends without attraction getting in between?

Why do we judge so quickly?

Why do we feel threatened faced with adversity?

Why to we condemn everything that's different from what we perceive?

Why can't we just speak our mind without being called a loudmouth?

Why can't we just be who we are without any facade?

Why is rejection painful?

Why do we wish to control others?

Why can't we trust each other?

Why can't we be genuinely happy for others just the way we would be for ourselves? 

Why do we like some and dislike some?

Why can't we just shut up?

Why do things have to be complicated?

Why can't people accept each other just the way they are? 

Is it so difficult to be simple?

Be A Tree

2011-04-21T22:38:00.001+04:00

Back when I was a child (15 years of age) , searching for answers for my many questions very often too deep and complicated for my age and repose for my heart and soul... I came across an article in the news papers. I found is so interestingly intriguing that I cut it out and pasted it in my "diary" of that time. Six years later here it goes online on my blog :

Be a Tree 

by Kapil Kakar

All of us want to make our lives better but often fall short of our desire. In order to succeed, we should first quit desiring. Desire is a manifestation of a craving which we wish to satisfy some day and it creates further expectations from everyone around us. Our actions are small but our expectations are very high.

We react to everything, whether it concerns us or not and if it concerns us, our reactions are totally self-centered. It may not seem like the perfect teacher, but a tree can teach us a lot about life and living. Here's how:

Composure: A tree always remains relaxed and calm. It does not oppose anything though it experienced everything. It remains unaffected by strong winds, scorching heat, cold breeze, rain, etc, and firmly and uncomplainingly faces the forces of nature, secure in the knowledge that everything is temporary.

Sharing: A tree provides home and shelter for everyone without discriminating between animals and humans or strong  and weak. Birds nest in it, animals eat its fruits, but the tree is happy because others are happy. It is selfless, not expecting any returns for serving others.

Introspection:  A tree remains static, meditating on itself in a attempt to realise its creator and grow materially. It silently observes its surroundings and reflects on all that imbibes from outside.

Acceptance: A tree does not react to wrong or right but observes everything as a beautiful experience. It accepts everything - predatory animals  or human exploitation - without complaining or being judgemental about it even when pelted with sticks and stones for its fruits.

A tree arouses in us the ability to observe things with a pure mind and relish and rejoice in what we have. In such a position, even the greatest difficulty cannot perturb us. This is actual living. 

Back then, little did I know that these words would become my way of living the Experiment of Life. So people let's all be trees in our life.

Early mornings

2011-03-06T14:27:00.000+04:00

For years now, I've heard people say "The world belongs to those who wake up early." Early mornings have always been a difficult time for me. Without my alarm (my mom calling my name a dozen times) I just cannot wake up... well unless on special occasions.
Finally after 21 years of existence on this planet, I decided to give it a try and see for myself that is experiment.

Here's what you're gonna need:

An alarm clock (I use the one on my phone )
An old pair of trainers
Dad's old hoodie (you can wear your own if you wish, I like my dad's; makes me feel safe and protected)
A long quiet road surrounded by green
A willing best friend or any other friend or random stranger who'll walk with you (Special Note: Thank You Babe )

Here are a few observations of the experiment:

Breath-taking Sunrise
Sunrise :)
Vast Lands
Hills	Birds that evaded my lenses
Palm trees	Breath of fresh air
Oasis of water
A new Perspective	Pond

Conclusion of Experiment
I totally agree. The world does belong to those who wake up early to see Mother Nature at her best. Most importantly you seize the day and take control instead of stumbling into it and it taking you on a ride. My advice: wake up early and go for morning walks. It's a sure investment not only short term but also long term. It's the gift of good health to yourself. ;)

The passion of first love

2011-01-26T23:00:00.000+04:00

We've all fallen in love at least once in a lifetime. I'm not talking first love as in your school teacher or some hero from a movie but requited passionate love between two individuals. It's like a fire, all you want is to be with that person and when you're not with the person you're thinking about the person. Your whole world revolves around that other person. Fortunately so, it doesn't last. Can you imagine spending your life according to some external object over which you have no precise control. It's such an ordeal controlling things inside oneself now another person..., it's mighty exhausting.
The reason why I'm pondering over the matter is because recently a book found it's way into my hands and I happened to open it randomly and my eyes fell on these following words :

"The same goes for love. Why is it said that young love makes us completely blind? It doesn't listen to reason and it is stubborn and defiant. Try explaining away young love to lovers lost in its vice-like grasp. Use reason and logic and tell them it won't work, even a brick wall will appear compliant in comparison. Young love is almost always a folly; desperate love certainly always is. Try telling this to lovers in question and no words could sound more foolish to young ears.
But don't intervene. Allow the lovers to journey the course of their love; don't stop it. They will be blinded by it. The fury of love will consume them. They will emerge from it cured.
Once a person has been eaten by love, given his all to it, he will emerge from the flames a better human being; chastised and cured of it, ready to take on the challenge of life with an open heart. There is a new maturity. With it also comes a humility seasoned by the flames of love."- Rajendar Menen

After reading that, it made so much sense to me, I had a very strong feeling of "been there, done that". I just had to share it. To all those who haven't fallen madly in love yet, brace yourself it's surely gonna happen one day or the other, age is irrelevant in this matter, and to all those who have and been able to get out of it to build something much stronger than just passionate love, hats off to you. As for me, I'm just experimenting with life ;)

Driving simplified

2010-11-14T15:29:00.000+04:00

I've been digging my mind on what should my first post be about as first impressions are the only impressions.
Talking of firsts, I had my first official driving lesson today (something I've avoided like the plague until now). Yay me!!!
Here's the story of how it all happened.
I was peacefully in the kitchen peeling carrots for a dish of fried rice when I was summoned to go driving!!!! -.-''
My initial reaction was to deny of course, 'cause that's how I react to things. After some persuading and being kicked out of the kitchen, I went to my "driving teacher" making him promise that he won't shout and we set off. As it turns out... driving has nothing genius about it. It's just a series of steps that need to be coordinated. All it needs is some getting used to.
Here's a flowchart:

And here's what I learnt more:

The clutch and the accelerator are mutually exclusive .
The brakes and the accelerator are also mutually exclusive.
To know if you are in the required area you need to be able to see the white line . (How about roads where there are no white lines? :O )

With that...Happy Sunday everyone.