Of(f) Thoughts and Things

Thursday Challenge - TWO

2012-02-23T13:40:00.003+05:30

The Not-So-Great Return!

2011-12-24T20:45:00.002+05:30

Hello everyone! :) Firstly, I apologize to all my readers for being away for so long.

Many reasons which I'm feeling too lazy to recall and mention for the long desertion. Plus, during this time, I've become more lazy than I already was and my sleeping hours have increased considerably. Although, I very much love sleeping, but when you have nothing to do except sleep, you start getting bored of it. Tell you the details later in the next post.

As for now, I hope to return to blogging just like before. I really missed the space here.

Till then, and A Very Happy New Year 2012. :D :party

Hope you all have a wonderful time. :D

Speak Up!

2011-05-15T03:08:00.003+05:30

I've always been a complicated personality from close. From afar I may seem as every other normal girl laughing and .. laughing only(because that's only the thing I do :P).

Among other complications, my one problem is that I don't speak up to the people things that are going on in my mind which are concerned with them. These things actually make me a slave of anger and self-frustration.

If any of my friends are doing something wrong that I do not approve of, then I get angry by myself thinking that why in the world are they doing this, but I do not say anything to them about it.
Then again if I expect a few things from my friends(now I don't but I do hope for them) and they are not fulfilled then again I go into my weirdo mode.
While all this is happening, I do not actually say anything to them but I do show full signs which clearly indicate that I am disappointed or angry(in most cases) with them. My friends obviously are not so dumb that they won't catch the signs and then then do ask me if anything's wrong with me or anything they did to make me act that way. And to this I say a flat 'NO', saying that they haven't done anything wrong and it's not their fault.
Also the times I think that things are not going to change I do not say anything.
I wanted that or hoped that they'd understand. But after doing some self-psychoanalysis I came to the conclusion that whatever I wanted or was hoping for actually has no sense in itself.

You know, all this time all I did was keep mum every time such a situation occurred, leading both the parties in a state of misery. On one hand people are confused as to what they did wrong and thinking of possibilities for my abnormal behavior and on the other hand I am there, cursing myself as to why I didn't say anything to them and why won't they understand such a simple thing.

But as I said, it's not actually very complicated. It was me all the time that made it complicated and miserable for them as well as for me. I figured out that just saying things that are in your mind to the people concerned helps a lot. It might be the case that people think they have done nothing wrong. There may also be possibilities that even after saying things your friends take them lightly. But, the main thing here is first actually saying things that are in your mind. People won't understand things or your feelings unless you actually tell them. Just tell them clearly that you do not like some things in them and may be they'll change for the good. I am not saying that you go on telling people that you expect 'this or that' from them but then if at certain point your expectations are not fulfilled and you act the way I did, after people ask you what's wrong, tell them what is actually the reason for your sadness+anger.

Saying and clearing out a few things can actually make life simpler, rather than keeping it with yourself and I realized that not so long ago and I am happy that at least I figured out that I was wrong with something! :D

Unanswered Feelings

2011-04-29T21:36:00.002+05:30

Life can sure be cruel at times. As the human nature goes, it always wants more; more of everything.
One such greediness of the human nature is of to be liked and loved by more and more people. Also, a person always wants to be in the priority list of the person who is in his/her priority list.

But there are certain times when your feelings are not answered. You may love and respect a person very much but there is no guarantee that the person loves you back.
Sometimes, even when we know that we are not as important to a person as he/she is to us, even then we choose to be by their side and also end up getting hurt.

On the other hand, there are people who like and love you dearly, but you don't have the same feelings for them. You very well know that they will give you all the happiness you need but even then you run after the people who you treat as a priority not after the ones who treats you as their priority!

I always wondered why the human nature is so? Even after getting hurt, we still long for those people who hurt us rather than staying up with the people who love us, who treats us more nicely!

For me these are the "Unanswered Feelings." It's good if they are answered though. But I highly doubt they do! Have you ever been in a similar situation?

PS: I am not sure if this holds true for everyone. This is all my personal thinking and analysis. And I really don't know why I am even writing this post! :f

The Big Fool's Day!

2011-04-01T21:27:00.006+05:30

April the 1st
The first of April, some do say, April The 1st
Is set apart for All Fools' Day.
But why the people call it so,
Nor I, nor they themselves do know.
But on this day are people sent
On purpose for pure merriment.
-- Poor Robin's Almanac (1790)

The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows
himself to be a fool.
Shakespeare - As You Like It (Act V, Scene I)

You all must have guessed by the title itself what the rest of the post has to say to you.
This year no one fooled me neither did I go into great lengths of stressing my mind and creating ideas to fool anybody!

When I was a kid I never knew that April fool's was an international event. I thought that it's some Indian tradition or something like that. And I don't remember any April fool that was memorable enough except for one when I was in fifth grade.
I wikied 'April Fool's Day' but my poor brain refused to grab anything from it! :P

Not to mention on every April Fool's day Google comes up with something weird and this time too it came up with this 'Gmail-Motion' which lets you interact with gmail using some funny and stupid body gestures! To be honest my eyes never sway to any other part of the page except for the two blank boxes. I wouldn't have knwn about this Google-Motion hadn't it been for VoiCE(Official blog of Crazy Engineers). Read the article. It's really funny!

Anyway, I do not think there's much I can write about this day since I have no good-bitter memories of it. Share your memories of the All-Fools Day as it is also called if you have any!

Ciao! ;)

A Little Dedication

2011-03-13T22:40:00.006+05:30

Words can never be enough to show you how I feel,
It's so wonderful around you that it seems too good to be real.

And I couldn't ask for more,
Coz I already have the best with me.

Always being there when I need you,
I knew you were the one I could hold on to.

You dwell in my heart so deep,
My relation with you is the definition of MY Friendship!

This was a little something I wrote for my two best friends sometime ago. I even sent them an MMS, with the picture above. Ouch, my balance that time!

Anyway, I do not remember what occasion it was, or there was one at all. Still, showing your love in the form of words, a hug, a small-nice gift, or anything gives you double the pleasure than the ones receiving them, because you are happy when the person you love/like is happy because of you! :$ That is one of the best feelings that I have experienced, of watching people I love happy although for a very short while because of me.

What all I want to say is, never miss a chance of showing your dear ones that you love them, care for them. An occasion is not always necessary! There are some who feel no need of doing this crap, but there is. Also some feel shy and embarrassed to portray their feelings. But what's there to be ashamed of, I don't get it. :brow

As the saying goes "If you love somebody, show it rather than telling them and if you hate somebody, tell them rather than showing them."
Well, we can ditch the hate part for now! :P

PS: I don't resemble to any of the girls in the pic! :P

Story Telling

2011-02-24T21:38:00.007+05:30

A few days back, I think the day before yesterday I went to my brother's farewell program(of course to see his irritated expression every time he saw me :P). No no that wasn't really the case. I went because parents were invited and also to capture his last happy-sad moments.

The program was wonderful and each student was given a memento and some gift. After returning home I unwrapped the gift and it was a novel. Well, you can't really call it a novel since it was the kiddo version of the novel. The book was Gulliver's travels. My brother started cursing his school for gifting such an useless thing. Stupid brother. I then realized that maybe it was a bit childish of the school to gift tenth graders such version of the novel. But then, it struck to me that it was not totally useless. Every book that the students received, yes each of them received different books and had a different story to tell with a different moral.

I just flipped over the pages of the book and I could see some pages with pictures on them. It reminded me of my childhood story books. One page was the story and on the other there was a picture that described a moment in the story.

As children, we get more interest when we see any drawing and more than that the book catches our eyes if there are colors. My mind drifted into the past and I could clearly, okay not so clearly remember some of the stories along with the picture beside it and the most important, I also could remember the moral of those stories.

Yes, it all comes down to moral in the end. Our society is made up of individuals who have certain morals in their life. Likewise we have those people too who do not follow any kind of morals. And the population of the latter is increasing day by day. As children, our parents try to instill morals into our growing brains so that we become a better person and be a good part of the society. But how many of us are actually following those morals? I have many people sending me hoards of messages everyday with something like "A great saying" or "A thought for a lifetime." But most of the senders have no morals at all themselves. I wonder if they themselves read the message before forwarding it to someone else. :brow

Things like moral, they cannot be forced on people. They themselves should have at least few morals in their life which they should follow. Morals make a person and such people make up the society. Morals/Sayings, give them a little place in your life because they are somehow true and they can help you get through the dark phases of your life. Morals don't always work xP; that is also true, but they do work most of the times! :i

Snow Snow Everywhere! :)

2011-01-27T00:48:00.007+05:30

It's been quite a while since I last published a post. New year came and now it has become old. In the meantime, I had the time of my life.

It was our college tour to Shimla and Kullu-Manali. It was my first I visit to those places and it was way too amazing. Snow snow everywhere. :) Just can't help but smile over and over remembering the moments spent during the tour.

The tour was scheduled to be from 8th to 18th of Jan and then because of poor response from students because of the location, it was postponed from 8th to 9th to 11th to finally 13th. There was a time when it seemed that the tour would get canceled. Also, the girls from our class arghh.. so much attitude. We were just seven girls in a group of 38. But now that I think about it, may be it was for the best that those who didn't come didn't come. :P

We left Nagpur on 13th in the evening and reached Delhi on 14th. There we visited Rajghat - Gandhiji's samadhi and the famous Akshardham temple. Photography was forbidden at Akshardham, but let me tell you, the temple is too beautiful. Each and every carving was very delicate yet precise.

Rajghat

Next we visited Chandigarh. There we saw the famous Rock Garden and then visited some lake whose name I don't remember. xP

The Rock Garden

The lake

Our next destination was Shimla. It had snowed the night before. When we reached Shimla, everything was carpeted in snow. All pure white!

Shimla(Early morning)

Then next we visited Manali. We had three nights and two days stay there. The first day, we visited the Hadimba temple. There we all had dressed in the northern region's traditional/local clothing. Some of us skied, others had a yak ride. It was a nice time. And the most wonderful moment there was while it snowed. While returning to our hotels from Hadimba temple it snowed and that was the best part there. It lasted only for a few minutes, I think 20-25 mins, but that was enough to make our faces bright with smile more than they already were.

Hadimba Temple

In traditional/local clothing.

The next day we visited Solang valley. We had also planned of visiting the Rohtang pass but it was closed because of the heavy snow. The day at Solang valley was the best. Had loads of fun there.

Ice covered Solang valley.

Me paragliding. :O

And the best night was the DJ night. Yup, we had a DJ night on 18th. It was meant to be for two hours, went on for three and a half or so. Danced like crazy. The room was hot in a few minutes; and when we stepped out of the room, we all went During the DJ

We returned on 22nd early morning at 4.
And the following two days all I did was sleep. Zzzz...
And that was the reason I didn't write this whole time plus I kept procrastinating.

All in all, those days were some of the best days of my life. :h

Thursday Challenge - LIGHTS

2010-12-30T17:51:00.000+05:30

Thursday Challenge - Lights (Holiday Lights, Candles, Street Lights, Fireplace, Fireworks)

Wordless Wednesday: Friendship Flowers

2010-12-30T01:15:00.000+05:30

Leave ME Alone

2010-12-12T23:28:00.000+05:30

I am sick of hanging around those people who don't have a zilch of mannerism in them. My old friends and classmates which were my good friends back then have turned out to be people that I could never imagine of. Be it the influence of change of city, change of friend circle or whatever, but I never in my wildest dream thought that one day these old friends will turn into shit.

When I started realizing that these old friends of mine are undergoing mental change, I tried my best to avoid them. I never answered their calls, did not reply to their messages and did everything in my power to stay away from them. As of now, I'm hardly in contact with my old mates and I don't regret my doings even a bit.
But even now, there are few people that are in contact with me and I have to bear with their mannerlessness.

I meet these old friends of mine for two hours in 4-5 months and even so, after I return home I can't stop blaming myself to have met them. Even the two hours drown me deep into the pool of depression+regression+disgustness telling me that I once again took the wrong decision.
Here is what I have to hear from my old friends:
- "Why do you wear loose clothes? Nobody around has that kind of attire."
- Seeing my photo with one so-not-good-looking friend of mine. - "Hey who's this aunty?"
- After knowing that I don't have an account on any of the social networking sites - "You are such a bore! Why aren't you registered? Everyone has their account. You make one too."
- Seeing me putting away the wrapper of a chocolate or ice-cream in the roadside dustbin if there's one, or in my bag - "You alone cannot control global warming."

There are many such situations when I feel that there is no hope that these people will turn into innocent souls they once were. It's not only on matters which concerns me, but their overall behavior is gross. I *really* do not want to have any contact with these people anymore but I don't know why I cannot do so.
Even when they show their sick behavior(which they do not realize at all), all I can do is just let it pass away with a (fake) smile. I have no clue as to why I do not speak back to them. But I am damn sure that even if I do speak back to them, they will just laugh it off and won't improve themselves.

These people I am talking about belong to both genders(male and female). For some of them, appearance matters more than personality. For others living without a girlfriend/boyfriend at this age(around 20 years) is a crime and a shame.

I really wonder why people have lost their brains. I get to hear about my old once-were friends from these people and believe me, they are worse than these people I'm talking about.

I hope one day I'll be able to cut-off all my ties with all these people that I'm talking about. *sigh*

Brkn Wrdz (Broken Words)

2010-12-03T01:17:00.001+05:30

A few days back, I got this message on my mobile. -

I m a lonly rod f brkn drmz
itz a bolivrd dat i m serchin fr

thse strs r al so dul (I actually read the second word as 'streets')
itz d moon dat i m serchin fr.

hapines is so angry at me
itz d lyf dat m searcin fr.

ders a crwd arnd me evrytym
itz a frnd dat m serchin fr

ma lyf's jus lyk a path
itz d destnatn dat i m serchin fr

donno wht is it i hv lst
may b itz "ME" dat m serchin fr.

I stared the screen with wide eyes trying to figure out the message. I am hopeless when it comes to using SMS language. Now there, I really have some serious issues regarding the usage of SMS language.

First of all, all the spellings are screwed up like anything! If you are texting anybody, which is not free for you then it's quite understandable as to why you use the SMS language. Less letters, lesser the number of text pages and lesser the delivery cost and more the balance.
But nowadays, everybody has some messaging scheme or something like that. So why can't they type the whole word properly?

Secondly, this 'ma' or 'mah' word seriously get on my nerves. The word 'my' consists of two letters and so does 'ma.' Somebody told me that spelling 'my' as 'ma' seemed cool. Let me tell you such people appear totally dumb to me. The definition of coolness is all messed up by such people. Secondly, spelling 'mah' instead of 'my' puts you totally in the black hole of asininity.
You may as well replace the second letter 'a' with 'e' and become a goat!!

Thirdly, some people are so nitwitted that they use this SMS language in some professional forums or somewhere where they are supposedly not to be used.

Then again, what is this system with long infinite trail of dots(..........................................................), question marks(?????????????????????????????????????) and exclamation marks(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)?
It's really frustrating to see sentences ending in such patterns.
The apostrophe( ' ) and the coma ( , ), these punctuations are hardly ever used. May be in future days, these punctuation marks will be obsolete.

People are getting used to the SMS language very fast. I wonder one day students will scribble their exam papers in this language and resumes will be handed out in this fashion.
All in all I ~~absolutely~~ hate SMS language.

So people and all my amazing readers DO NOT use SMS language unless very necessary(I know that will never be the case.) It will do you no good. It will deteriorate your English spellings and your brains too.

Wouldn't it be more nice to read a good message like the one mentioned above in correct English?
Like-

I am a lonely road of broken dreams,
it's a boulevard that I am searching for.

These stars are all so dull,
It's the moon that I'm searching for.

Happiness is so angry at me,
It is the life that I am searching for.

There's crowd around me every time,
It's a friend that I am searching for.

My life is just like a path,
It's the destination that I'm searching for.

Don't know what it is that I have lost,
May be it is "ME" that I am searching for.

PS: I could not think of any suitable title for this post other than the one currently mentioned.

The 'November Goodies'

2010-11-29T23:53:00.000+05:30

Okay! This post was to be published on the 1st of this month, but I couldn't find words to express my thoughts(and got lazy too xP), so I nearly gave up on this post when I one more time felt that November brings me so much of happiness, and it's my duty to repay it back and hence this post.
Now that I think about it, may be it was for the best that I didn't publish this post at the beginning of this month.

So, as the title goes, November Goodies basically means the happiness it gives me, the warmth I feel at some special occasions that come up this month and not to mention all the sweet and lovely people that celebrate their birthdays in this wonderful month.

November has always been lucky for me. There has always been something about this month that I more and more fall in love with the fact that I was born in this month. And when I realize that some nice people or the people I like also have their b'days this month, I can't help but like those people even more, also the month. Also, one more dumb reason for liking this month, the word 'November' starts with the letter 'N' the same letter as that of my first name.

This year too, November gave me loads of blissful and long lasting memories. The month ends tomorrow but I hope the in the years to come, this month proves to be as lucky as happy as it have until today.

To all the November goodies:
-My Father
-My Mother
-My Dearest, Loving and Best Friend
-Bikram
-Renu
-Cooltwins
-Civilprincess
-My other good friends
and finally
-Myself

I wish this month be as auspicious and blessed to you all as it has been for me.
Cheers for November!! :party

The 'If.. Then' Tag

2010-11-26T13:45:00.000+05:30

I have been tagged for the third time by a blogger friend Renu, and let me tell you I was really surprised, happy at the same moment so see my name in the list of her tagged bloggers.

Whenever there is an 'if'', there's definitely a 'then'.
So here are my thens to some ifs.

If I were a month-
Then undoubtedly I'd be November. I just love this month and the feelings of love, warmth and happiness it brings for me.

If I were a day of the week-
Then I would be Saturday because then I won't have to sleep early to wake up early the next day. I can enjoy myself to the fullest without getting worried thinking about the next day.

If I were a time of day-
Then I'd be the hour between when the sun is about to set and the time after that. I love going for a stroll in the evening after the sunset. I love the night time too, but evening time is much more better.

If I were a season-
Then I would no doubt be Winter. I love when it snows. (Although I've never witnessed a snowfall. ) I like cozying up myself in the blanket. And don't forget the hoods and jackets. I like to dress myself up in it.

If I were a planet-
Then I would be the Earth, sustaining lives for thousands and millions of creatures.

If I were a sea animal-
Then I would be the Dolphin because they are friendly and they are so kawaii.

If I were a direction-
Then I would be the west because the Arabian sea and Ratnagiri whom I share my childhood memories with is to the geographical west of India.

If I were a piece of furniture-
Then I would be a Bed. Multipurpose you see. And I can sleep anytime which I tend to do often.

If I were a liquid-
Then I would be Cold Water. I drink water from the fridge 24/7.

If I were a tree-
Then I would be the Coconut Tree, because that's what surrounds the sea. And yes, I do love the 'Nariyal pani' and the white cream inside the coconut flavoured with some sugar.

If I were a tool-
Then I'd be a Paint Brush because I like arts, drawing and painting especially.

If I were an element-
Then I'd be Platinum. I like the silvery-white shine on it.

If I were a gemstone-
Then I'd be a Sapphire or a Diamond. (I am not aware of much of the stones)

If I were a musical instrument-
Then I'd be the violin. People think that only sad feelings can be conveyed through it but they've got it all wrong. I love the violin tunes played with piano.

If I were a color-
Then I'd be Red for some certain, stupid, can't-be-explained reasons. (Not the deep red).
I also love ocean blue and ocean green color. Purple is also one of my favorites.

If I were a emotion-
Then I'd be happiness for obvious reasons.

If I were a fruit-
Then I'd be a mango. Again, because that's all what I've been eating since my childhood.

If I were a sound-
Then I'd be the sound of flute. So soothing and joyous sometimes.

If I were a car-
Err.. I don't know much about cars.
I'd be umm.. I'd be Honda City.

If I were food-
Then I'd be rice because many mouth watering dishes can be prepared from it.

If I were a taste-
Then I'd be Namkeen. I don't know what it is called in English.
I also love the taste of Pav Bhaji, Chole Bhature, etc.
I like chocolaty taste too.

If I were a scent-
Then I'd be that of when mother earth is soaked in water.

If I were a pair of shoes-
Then I'd be anything that looks elegant.

If I were a bird-
Then I'd be a Seagull, always soaring high above the oceans.

I am tagging Ankita, Siddhant, Pallavi and Madhav.
Please take up the tag.

Birthday Magic

2010-11-16T13:25:00.000+05:30

The hour hand and the minute hand of the clock point together at 12 in the mid-night and that is when the magic spell starts.

The clock strikes 12 and your phone starts ringing. You pick up the phone and comes an exited sometimes soft silent voice from the other end wishing you "HAPPY BIRTHDAY."
And then you can't get enough of it. It's midnight and you are continously on the phone thanking people for remembering your birthday and wishing you. In between the calls, there's this 'tue-tue' sound telling you that someone else is calling you and you have put that person in waiting. You then hurry and try to end the current call to receive the waiting call. The process goes on, and now the clock shows 1. You are in a good mood and are off to bed with the sweet smile of happiness.

It's morning time now. You get up early, check your mobiles to see whether anybody has called while you were making plans for your birthday in a dreamy state. You get out of bed, get all ready and go to a temple to get blessings from the Almighty. You come back. Your phone is not left idle for even an hour. Hoards of messages from your loved ones and friends pop up your mobile screen. Everyone in the family treats you nicely and more specially than the rest of the days. Delicacies are prepared and everyone gives you the prince's/princess's treatment.

It's now afternoon. You do some random stuff while still typing a 'Thank you' message on your mobile. Time passes and it's the party time now.

It's evening; Your close friends and relatives come to your house, bring you gifts. Some are big surprises, others are little feelings of warmth. You light the candles cut the cake(although I advise you not to blow the candles if you belong to the Hindu religion) and everybody's singing b'day praises for you. You have a blast that evening.

While all these things happening, you get a call from an unknown number and you're to guess who the person is. You remember every person in your life and are still unable to tell the person on the other end. The person then finally reveals himself/herself and then you are like how long has it been. No contact all these months/years and suddenly calling up. But then an unexpected call makes you happy even more.
On the other hand, you wait for the calls or message from some special people who never make it. You're down for a little while but brighten up again after some time.

It's night time now and the magic is slowly fading. You remember the happy and sad moments of the day, smile alone by yourself reminiscing those wonderful moments and go to bed.

The spell is broken. The next day you wake up, everything's back to normal. The phone sits silently in a corner for hours, everybody around you treating you the same as always. Friends calling you by stupid names. Your siblings fighting with you for a chocolate.
This magic is casted onto you only for a day in a year. So, enjoy, love it live it while you are a prince/princess of your parents and loved ones. Neglect those who forgot to wish you. Be thankful to those who did.

Like few of my blogger friends, Bikram and Cooltwins, I too am a fellow scorpion who turns a year older exactly in the mid-November.

I had a wonderful b'day this year too(a little similar to the above mentioned). My best friend's result got declared while she was at my house and she's the second topper of her college. Am extremely happy for her. This moment will always be remembered by the three of us(my other best friend). It was an enchanting and a magical moment.

Thirst for Revenge

2010-11-14T13:25:00.000+05:30

"I and the public know
What all school children learn,
Those to whom evil is done
Do evil in return."
-W.H. Auden

Even today, not only in India and Pakistan but in the Middle East too, there are many families that are slaughtered in the name of religion. The children of those families if survive have only one goal - To kill the cause which killed his family years back and in time he becomes a terrorist, jihad(whatever).

Roots of terrorism lie very deep and we cannot uproot it in one go. While watching any movie of this genre, a question always bugs me. What makes suicide bombers give up their own lives for killing other innocent people? It's not like that they do not understand the consequences of their actions, but still their thirst for revenge is so powerful that it blurs their vision and make them incompetent of doing the right thing, taking the right decision.

We see children at roadside or near religious places begging for money. Once I was standing at the gates of a temple with my father and a child came up to us begging. My father didn't give him any money and shove him off. On the way there was a conversation between the two of us on this topic.

Me: Why didn't you give him two-three rupees?
My father: Do you know what they do with that money?
Me: No.
My father: They give it to their head and with this money that head does God knows what.
Me: Don't these children cheat their heads. Do they hand over all the money collected honestly?
My father: Yes.
Me: How come? By begging they can somehow manage to fill their stomach anyways. Why do they need a head?
My father: Because the head provides them with shelter and security which they cannot manage by themselves. And it's not everyday that they earn sufficient amount of money to buy a bread.

This is the scene in many parts of India and other nations. Children without any place to go are mostly the people who turn terrorists or jihadis. Their minds are setup in such a way by the older members of the group that they no longer care about their existence. One word and they willingly sacrifice their lives for a cause that they think is doing justice to them.

Next is the question of religion. It is always believed that all terrorist are Muslims(may be that is true). But not all Muslims are terrorists. Even the innocent Muslims are looked down by the people of another religion(mostly Hindu religion). What is their fault in all of this? Their only fault is being born a Muslim. This way, hatred is created in innocent souls.

This is the cycle that will go on forever. A terrorist group attacks a city. Most people loose their lives and families. The Hindus blame the Muslims living in the city and vice-versa and kill their families. One of the child survives. He cannot forget the way his family is killed and wants to avenge his brethren no matter what. He then join some terrorist organization. The organization plans to make their presence known to the world. That child, is happy thinking that he finally gets to avenge his dead family and then there is another attack which again takes away thousands of lives and the wheel of death and hatred goes on.

Itsy-bitsy Happines

2010-10-29T12:14:00.000+05:30

One of my blogger friend, et published a similar post a few weeks back, and the concept is hackneyed, but could not restrain from writing this post.
The definition of happiness differs from people to people. One cannot possibly be happy for the same reason his friend is(or could be).
Some phases of my life were so good that my happiness meter was at it's zenith, the others where it had reached below the zero level. But that all is to say just one thing- Happiness cannot be captured. One cannot force himself/herself to be happy at all times, and one can never be. I believe that only when one tastes the pain of sadness can one have the pleasure of happiness. It might be unconvincing to some people, but that's how I feel.

You're happy because you have a great reason to be happy. But what after that reason, that cause has passed. You are back from cloud nine to the soils of the earth. However, when you're happy because of some itsy-bitsy things; things that won't benefit you in any way, things that makes no sense to other people around you, and the happiness you gain from it is a true pleasure. Search for these small packets of happiness that can brighten up your mood at the most unexpected moments.

For me there are many things that provide me with this itsy-bitsy of happiness. It was just yesterday that I found a song on the internet which I've been searching for ages and was nowhere to be found. I was definitely happy, but somewhere there was a feeling that I had achieved something(I know it makes no sense). I was in a trance for a few moments and was pulled back into reality by my brother. There have been many such moments when I feel really happy although for a short period of time, but aren't those moments what we urge for?

One day, while watching 'Highway on my plate' and a thought struck my mind; Not all shows telecasted are useless(Like Big boss, all MTV shows,etc). I was happy to know that shows like them existed, and I must tell you the anchors from this show are just truly amazing. I am happy when I feel that humanity, good people, honesty are still alive in this world and my happiness is doubled nay quadrupled when I this feeling turns into reality.

Thus, this all is to say just one thing which already all of us know right from when our brains started working that always be happy(which ideally is impossible :f). What they say that happiness multiplies is indeed true. Seeing a person you care and love happy, gives you too a small packet of happiness no matter how deep you are drowned in the pool of sadness. So, be happy and spread the radiance of happiness to the people you love, people that are down. Don't wear a mask of happiness because that won't do any good, instead it will backfire on you because your near ones who know you well enough will immediately figure out that something's wrong with you and they will be worried. It's okay to cry, to cry out loud and lighten your heart if that is what makes you even a little happy.

Being greedy is not a good thing, but I say that being greedy for happiness sure is. May your heart conjure new heights of happiness!! :h

Wordless Wednesday: Winding Path, Undulating Waves

2010-10-13T23:57:00.001+05:30

Losing Innocence

2010-09-29T22:13:00.000+05:30

I think kids nowadays are deprived of this beautiful quality named 'innocence.'
I'm not writing this post just on a whim. It is the outcome of my careful observation and hence the conclusion. I do not know what is the scenario elsewhere, but from wherever I had been, innocence in children was definitely lost.

I once went to a friend's house to get some notes. She was playing with her niece who was in I guess 1st or 2nd standard. As soon as the clock struck 8, she insisted on watching the TV. And guess what she wanted to see? It was some daily soap on the famous star plus. My friend asked her as to what else did she watch and she mentioned it all, all were some daily soaps and the only cartoon she watched was Shin-chan.

Secondly, everyone has a girlfriend or a boyfriend right from their 9th or 10th grade. That really pisses me off. It's their age to play around, have fun and here they are having mushy talks with their girlfriend/boyfriend. They don't even know what exactly a relationship means. It has become a trend now to have a girlfriend or boyfriend right from childhood.

There are also cases where I have seen children avoiding drinking milk. What they say is "Milk is for children." What the hell? What do they think they are at the age of 10-11?

I really feel sorry for kids like them. The qualities of a child have completely been altered.

At their age we were so free, full of energy, not caring about what people say about us. Watching Ducktales, Talespin, Tom and Jerry, playing around till you'd get a call from your parents was all we did(I don't know about others, am talking about me and my friends). We did not know what a girlfriend or boyfriend was. We were oblivious to any other drinks than Bournvita. Fashion made no sense to us. Having clothes on our body was all we cared about.

That was the innocence when we were kids.

PS: The above post is not applicable to all the kids and children (of today's date).

Another Tag - The Concealed Facts

2010-09-10T13:36:00.000+05:30

This time again, this post is an outcome of me being tagged by one of my blogger friend. Thank you Pallavi.

This tag mentions:

7 things about me that are not known to anybody other than me. (God that's a little tough because my close friends and family know me inside out. But I'll try.)
Pass the tag to 7 people. (Again, this too is a little troublesome because all my readers have already been tagged)
Notify them that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So, here goes-

First of all I love kittens and cats more that any other pet. I know people don't think too nicely of cats because they are sly, but I like them anyway. There's a long story as to why I love them so much, will tell sometime later. And I like the cats shown in the pic below, not the fat, furry ones.
I lick my plate all clean every time I eat Maggi.
I have never missed the flag hoisting ceremony on Independence day or Republic day till date. I like the feeling of just living that moment.
I can survive whole 2-3 days on Kellogg's Chocos-the original flavor.
I have done black magic-the Planchet. Please, don't question on this part. I don't regret it but I think it'd have been better if I had not fallen into that stuff. And I'll never do it again ever.
I never get tired of watching Get Backers. I can watch it over and over no matter how many times I have seen it before. And I love their chibi versions too(chibi versions of anime characters are the reason as to why I like emoticons so much). Man they(the Get Backers) are just so adorable!
I bribe and blackmail my younger brother to do certain things. The intensity has lessened now, but don't get the wrong idea that "Oh! How pitiful of him!" He's himself very shrewd sometimes. He is like this -

So, those were the seven things people around me don't know.

Sorry Pallavi, but I'm not tagging anyone! :(

PS: I changed the 3rd point.

Choices MAKE you

2010-09-03T10:10:00.000+05:30

All of you are definitely aware of it, but I felt it so strongly yesterday, hence this post. All of us here have different tastes and interests, but what matters is the quality. By CHOICE, I do not mean choosing something between right or wrong, good or bad; I mean the kind of songs people like, sing or the kind of clothes they wear, movies they watch and so on.

Once, I had gone shopping with my sister to our regular shop. There I saw some clothes, which I felt were very useless in terms of color and look. The color was bright orange and the look, oh never mind that. I said to didi, "Why do they make such clothes? It's so ." And she bluntly replied because people like to wear that kind of clothes and they buy them.

Next is the songs that people hear. I do not want to offend anybody out there, but some people really have no choice. Some of my friends actually like/sing and listen to that stupid, idiotic and hopeless song 'munni' from bollywood's latest flick 'Dabaang.' There are many such songs that they like/hear. I really had no words to express my disgust.

Then comes the movie part. Everyone around me have surely seen a Titanic, because of course it was a great movie, but they haven't gone further than that. Ask them if whether they have seen 'Pirsuit of happiness' or 'A beautiful mind', their reply is "Never heard of that movie before" or sometimes even worse, "What is that, is it a movie or a song title?" Even if anyone recommends them to watch those movies, they won't because they don't have that choice.

Also we have the novel section. Ask anybody around me which novel have they read, and without a doubt you'll hear either 'none' or any one of Chetan Bhagat's novels. I doubt they even know that there are other talented and good Indian authors other than Chetan Bhagat in India, Dr. Abdul Kalam being one of them. And to tell you the height, people don't know what 'Reader's Digest' is. Believe me, they really don't; But they do know 'Femina'.

Anyway coming to an end, this is what I meant to say about choices making a person. Many people out there have loads of talent, ability and the power to make things happen, but the sad part is they are not channelizing their potential through the right path. As said earlier, many people fail to recognize and appreciate anything good and simple. They just fail to see the greatness in any person, the goodness in any movie, the tune/lyrics in any song and more.

We live in a society, where all type of people exist, but I really feel that we can make our societies really a better place to live if only people there have the CHOICE.

In the Name of GOD

2010-08-14T14:55:00.000+05:30

Toady, the Hindus are celebrating the Nag Panchami, a festival in which snakes are worshiped. There is a small Nag(snake) temple nearby from where I live. Today, right from 6 AM, songs are being played on loudspeakers there. What I don't get is why do people don't get this simple logic that how can any God be happy when you are disturbing the people around you in the name of God or religion. It's the same scenario every year. Even on the festivals related to lord Shiva the same thing happens and it gets on my nerves.

I am not an atheist and I don't have any objections as to whatever or however people worship the Gods, but disturbing and causing trouble for people around is I think unacceptable. What's more irritating is that the music to these religious songs is from some bollywood film or album. The tune is the same, ditto only the lyrics are changed. That's what I hate the most. And what's the use of playing the songs all day long? It goes on right from morning till evening 8 PM to 9 PM.

Many more things are done in the name of God and religion. Tomorrow, we Indians will be celebrating our 63rd independence day, but still even after 63 years of independence people are still discriminated on the grounds of religion. After independence Pakistan was born and people were slaughtered like animals, all in the name of religion. The Muslims killed the Hindus to avenge their brothers who were killed by the Hindus who killed the Muslims to take revenge for their families. This vicious wheel of dying and killing is moving even now, crushing lots of innocent lives in its path.

A humble request to all my readers, please do not discriminate among people on the basis of religion, caste or creed. Help a person, whoever he/she may be without thinking about their religion, caste.(I'll also try my best not to). There is only one almighty and the only discrimination can be made between what is good and bad, right or wrong. Every religion preaches the same things and values. At the most if you are not able to accept that religion, do not do anything that will hurt the ethics of that religion.

Finally, what all I want to say is do not do or assist anybody in doing anything wrong in the name of religion. If you believe in God, worship him in the proper way. Remember that He is watching all your actions and your deeds(good or bad) will pay for you one day.

PS: If you are an avid reader, I suggest you go through 'Prisoners of Hate' by C.V Murli. Here is a short review of the book.

The Archangels of my Life!

2010-08-02T00:28:00.000+05:30

There are a few people in life that affect and change your lives drastically. Their words mean so much to you that before doing any task that you're not sure of you concern them with it. Of course, our parents and siblings are always there ready to help us and listen to our mourning, but besides them there are people who can (sometimes)understand us much more than our siblings or parents. These people are called friends.

I've been blessed with two wonderful and the best buddies ever.
To say, we've been friends since we were in fourth grade but, only after our tenth did we become what we call as 'true friends.' It's a long story as how the three of us met, who approached whom first and eventually how we became the best buddies ever, but just to mention it will always be fresh in my mind. In these past ten years I have experienced both happy and sad moments and I cherish them dearly. Everybody thinks that their friendship is different and special from others, but I think that ours is the most wonderful and pure friendship.

We ourselves didn't realize that when our friendship evolved to such an extent that today, it's impossible to define life without them in the picture. We don't give each other any gifts. I wonder when was the last time anyone of us had received a gift from the other two except for greeting cards. We give our feelings to each other as gift. Not all of us are artistic, but we try our best to convey our feelings to each other by whatever handmade gifts we give and there is always some written note along with it. I can't even count now, for it has been so many times that we have penned our feelings and gave it to each other. For us, there was/is no special occasion(except for our birthdays) on which we give each other anything. It's just the the caprice of the moment. We feel it and we express our thoughts (many times through writing) then and there.

I am always very happy whenever the three of us meet. Just a small talk with them brightens up my mood. One if them is especially good at cracking jokes and all and there is always an aura of happiness and hope around them. We share many interests in common, not all three but any two of us. We can go on and on on/about any topic and there's no topic left that we haven't discussed about. The good thing is, we every time we discuss about a topic, I get to learn more and more. Not to mention, we seldom talk on the girly matters which is what I like the most being with them. Being with them is when I feel that I am myself completely.

Once, one of my old friends asked me that don't you have any new friends that you are constantly with those two? And I answered flatly that I like to be with those two more than being with anyone else around. For me, no matter how many people I meet, no matter how many friends I make those two will always be the most special to me. I can't explain it but I cannot have more special feelings for anyone than I have for those two no matter how good those other friends may be.

There have been times when I have been insecure about our friendship. You see I'm very possessive about those two. I may not show it, but I am. And I hate it when someone tries to be more familiar with either of them. But now, this feeling has vanished because I have faith in those two. I can believe them and follow them blindly.

Our friendship is the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me. I can never ask for more because I already have the best with me.

Ankita and Rucha, I don't know how many times I have said it, but as days pass by I love you both more and more and you are the dearest and best buddies ever. Thank you for always being there for me. I am proud to have you both as my friends.

PS: There are also many friends that are important to me, but these two are my archangels. Can never think of a world without them.

Happy Friendship Day to all!

The Macho-girls and the Sissy-boys

2010-07-26T23:16:00.000+05:30

This is the first time that I've been tagged and hence this post.
Thank you Gaurav for tagging me.

From infancy, we have been taught what requires to justify our gender. Yes, it's from the childhood that we are put into the process of proving ourselves as a worthy man or woman.

There are certain stereotype based on our gender that if we portray even a single one of them publicly, or even in some cases within the people we know, we are tagged sissy(in case of males) and macho(in case of females).

I am a different case. I mean, I do not do things what the other girls around me usually do. The things I do or like cannot be considered as manly, but can in no way considered girly. So, here goes my saga on about me vs. my gender stereotype.

The first and foremost, I hate to dress myself up in pink. That doesn't mean that I hate pink color. I like certain flowers, cards that are pink.
I like action movies. I have watched so many of them and I think they're amazing.
I used to play cricket when I was a kid, and I'm good at balling. Whenever I took a wicket a smile dropped on my face.
I do not like chocolates very much. I do not go crazy over them(like some of my friends).
I like the t-shirts and shirts in the men section, rather than the tops in the female section. I've even picked some of my t-shirts from the men section.
I do not like(or wear) any accessories other than earrings, provided they're short. Either tops or ones not longer than 2 cm.
I do not watch any of the saas-bahu or in that case daily soap. I'd rather shut down the TV and take a nap than watching them.
I'm not afraid of darkness or ghosts. I do not shout on the sight of an insect. The only creature that has ever been capable of invoking a disgust feeling in me is the lizard.
I know how to whistle. I can whistle almost any tune. Sometimes, I start whistling from out of nowhere and people around give me an astonishing glare. And then I realize that it's not a good sign for a girl to be whistling in public. But I enjoy whistling!
I hate it when people address me with cuddly words like 'dear', 'sweety.' Ack!!

I've always hated the way people differentiate others on the basis of their gender. I think that one should do what he/she likes irrespective of his/her gender. There can be case where a man wants to do ballet or a girl wants to race on a bike. Just because your gender doesn't define what interests you doesn't mean you turn your back towards it. Just do it, and be happy. People who know you will appreciate what you do for sure.

Whom should I tag now? All my (quality)readers who blog have already been tagged. Ok, then one good blogger is still left.
Manjiri, I'm tagging you.

Oh! I forgot to mention the most important. I loved them when I was a kid, but gradually my love for them waned as time passed by. I absolutely hate soft toys, especially the TEDDY BEARS.

Outlook Traveller

2010-07-18T19:03:00.000+05:30

For those who adore travelling and are crazy for exploring new places, Outlook Traveller is the best guide. My father has had interest in travelling since his childhood. He has visited almost all of India but still wishes to travel to some places again. We subscribe this travel magazine every year. Outlook Traveller is India's largest and best selling travel magazine and it's really good. The travel lovers and enthusiasts are aware of this magazine. Outlook Traveller provides with the best and wonderful travelling locations in India as well as around the world. The pictures in the magazine are so spectacular and mesmerizing that you are lost in a fantasy world.

I personally feel that travelling is a good thing to keep yourself busy with while you have some free time. You of course need to know certain things before setting out to a voyage. Outlook traveller gives it all. I like taking photographs although I'm no where as compared to a professional, but still I urge and long for the day when I'll be able to take pictures like the ones that are printed in the Outlook Traveller that compels the readers to raise their brows up in fascination, like I do.

Travelling doesn't necessarily mean by land or air. Have you ever tried travelling to any place by waterway? Believe me, it's more adventurous and spectacular than travelling by roadways or airways unless you are prone to sea sickness. I've travelled through waterways many times when I was younger from Mumbai to several places. There's nothing around you other than the clear blue water with golden rays of the sun glittering on the surface(ignore if it's night time). Even though, the environment is so placid that you can't help but get overwhelmed. This month's issue on Outlook Traveller reads an article about expedition to the remotest island in the Andamans titled 'Devil's Island - The pit of hell or paradise.'

Some people think that travelling is a waste of time and money. They are of the opinion that if you get to see it on television or elsewhere, why visit it. But they do not get the fact that a touch of actuality and reality gives a different type of sensation and satisfaction. Not to mention that they won't have any pictures of them posing at different locations and neither will they have any memory of it.

Travelling is a good way to distance yourself from your day to day life for a few days. Travelling gives you a different experience, a different vision. Travelling and change of place impart new vigor to the mind. You meet various people, explore certain things and most important you get to eat and savor something different(hopefully good). You can't be always travelling but you can sure for once in a while. So, go hiking, camping or any other related to that matter but keep travelling!

PS: A heartfelt thanks to all the photographers who artistically capture the beauty of the actual thing ant put it on paper.

Brazil gets knocked out!

2010-07-02T21:39:00.000+05:30

The team I was rooting for in the FIFA 2010, Brazil was knocked out in the quarter finals much to the surprise of the viewers. xo Robinho(position:forward) from Brazil, scored the first goal of the match in the first half but then in the second half, the tables were turned. Netherlands scored two goals, both in the second half and the Brazilian team failed to even the goals. :(

I even planned of throwing a party to my close friends had Brazil won the FIFA 2010. But seems nothing can be done. All those, party canceled!!

The five times world champions were crashed in the quarter finals, leaving behind hundreds and thousands of broken and disappointed hearts. :c

Time Travel

2010-07-01T00:34:00.000+05:30

There have been certain moments in everyone's life when they wish that if only they could go back in time and change the outcome of that situation. This is where the question of time travel or time machine steps in. Human mind is full of curiosity. Curiosity is what led man to the world we live today.

What do you think? Can time machine ever be invented or travelling through time is possible? I discussed with a close friend and she said that time machine can be invented. According to me, no matter how far we go(in terms of technology) time machine cannot be created/invented. All this stuff I'm cogitating over is of course the effect of anime because I'm not in particular interested in Science or Physics. There are animes that are based on time travel or travelling in different dimensions. That made me think if really one can travel back in time which in turn made me read certain scientific theories. Time travel falls under the genre of fantasy as well as science fiction. In the movie 'Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azakaban,' time travel plays a vital role. That was the crux of the movie. There are many fantasy and science-fiction novels and movies on time travel.(I haven't read any, if you're asking for any suggestions)

There are certain theories stating that time machine can be invented and therefore time travel is possible, the major support being Einstein's Theory of Relativity.
But then again, there's the Grandfather's paradox which states that traveling into the past is impossible. The paradox is: suppose a man travels to the past and kills his grandfather before the latter meets the traveller's grandmother. This implies that one of the traveller's parents would not have been born which clearly proves that the traveller himself would have not been born. This would again imply that he could not have travelled back in time after all(because he's not born) which means that his grandfather is still alive and the traveller would have been born allowing him to go back in time and kill his grandfather. Thus each possibility seems to imply its own negation, a type of logical paradox. It's a little complicated, but couldn't explain you in a more simple manner.

Also, one cannot travel to the future in my opinion. Suppose you travel into the future and you foresee that something bad is happening to you. You'll return to the present and try to change your future. If by some means you are successful in changing the future, then how come you travelled into the future? Because future must happen to you; it was something else because your just changed it. What I mean to say is how can that moment be your future if you are changing it?

Scientists, researchers and engineers are trying to find out if time travel is possible and whether or not time machine can be invented. It has been as well a topic of debate for many of us.

Time is really a vast entity, larger than the universe. Is has no beginning and neither will it have any end. Time is something which will continue to live on forever.

The future is constantly being transformed into the past with the present only lasting for a fleeting moment.

Mr. Déjà vu

2010-06-20T00:46:00.000+05:30

There have been many moments in my life when I feel that I've been sometime before in the situation that I'm currently in. Yesterday was one such moment. It was raining cats and dogs in our town and the wind was so fierce that the glass of my balcony's windows were broken. The wind was howling like anything. It was then that I crossed path with Mr. Déjà vu. I tried to follow him but lost his sight. I mean to say I tried to remember what followed next, but in vain. There have been many such incidences before too. Mr. Déjà vu appears from time to time.

I want to know what causes Mr. Déjà vu to appear from time to time. Earlier, I thought that I was the only one Mr. Déjà vu pays a visit. But, after discussing it with my father and my friends I realized that Mr. Déjà vu visited everyone. I want to know why this phenomenon occurs. I read theories about this 'Déjà vu' but it wasn't to my satisfaction.

As the rain water seeps through my window
And the wind howls as if in pain,
Mr. Déjà vu, you once again cross my path,
The moment I try to refrain.

Like always I follow you around,
But you leave without saying Good-bye,
I still try to find you,
Ending up alone under the vast grey sky.

I still don't understand why you appear,
It feels as if you are an illusion,
Soon I realize that you're gone,
And I'm left with unanswered questions.

Do What You Love and Vice-versa

2010-06-03T00:05:00.000+05:30

I very well know that it's very hard to implement it in our lives but there's nothing wrong in trying.
From the past few days I had been very worried regarding my future as to what should I do.
I didn't want to do anything that I was not interested in. I hate doing things just for the heck of it. I believe that one should do things (in this case, it's learning; learning anything. It can be dance, playing a musical instrument, learning about computers, any damn thing) only if he/she has an interest in it.
My friends and people around me were doing all sorts of things. Some had joined the dance classes, some were doing some course in computers, some had joined the swimming classes, some were doing some sort of training or internship etc. etc. and there I was sitting all alone and doing nothing but pondering about what measure should be taken next. I consulted my friends and asked for their advice. After listening to them, I was left even more vexed and confused than I was before.
Don't get the wrong idea that they directed me the wrong path. Whatever they advised was cent percent correct and that was the reason why I was more puzzled than before because then I had to consider the aspects that I had overlooked earlier.

Days passed by(only two-three), and yet I was unable to make up my mind for anything. As I said earlier, I don't like doing anything that does not interest me. But then, I also felt that I had to do something. My friend said to me "Try doing it, may be you'll start liking it once you have a taste of it." Then I thought to myself, may be she is right. I'll never know unless I try it. And then, I finally went for it. And guess what, I've taken a liking to it.

Doing something which you love is tricky in it's own way. You have to have a lot of patience. If you are doing something which is not-so-common or are walking against the so-called flow, you may be faced with many difficulties. Your very own people start pestering you asking you to do something worth(in their sense that which everyone around you is doing, which is totally senseless). But you need to have endurance, and rise above it all. And one day, as long as your love for your work doesn't diminish, you'll surely achieve what you wished for.

On the other hand, loving something that you do is quite a thing to appraise. Like me, I'm sure there are many others out there who are doing things out of compulsion, pressure or due some others reasons. But if you are doing anything, no matter what made you do it, try and enjoy it. Take full advantage of it. Try to understand it and love it. You never know, you might actually perform well if you do it with a positive attitude. I'm not saying that you absolutely must like what you do, but don't condemn it. Don't do things out of sheer malevolence.

Coming back to my story, today I am doing something I've loved from way back and also loving what I'm doing for which I was left puzzled. They are both different things and I hope I do my very best in both the fields. There are yet many things I love which are yet to be learned but slowly and surely I will, someday.

In the end, the ball's in your court. Amongst all the people, you are the only one who have to come up with an answer.

So, DO WHAT YOU LOVE, AND (TRY) LOVE(ING) WHAT YOU DO.

Good luck with whatever(good) you do.

A Must Watch!

2010-05-21T01:00:00.000+05:30

This is my favourite scene from my favourite Anime 'Get Backers.'

Ban Mido and Ginji Amano run a recovery service with a 100% success rate and call themselves as the 'Get backers.'
The guy with the specs is Ban and the guy playing chess is Ginji. The girl playing against Ginji is Natsumi, a high schooler who works part time at the cafe named 'Honky Tonk' where Ban and Ginji usually hang out. The one reading the newspaper is Paul, the owner of Honky Tonk.

The suffix "-chan" after the name is commonly used the most affectionate term in Japanese to address friends, family members and children. -chan is also used as a term of endearment.
The guy who enters the cafe after a short while is Shido, a friend of Ginji and former Volts member.
The Get Backers have no luck with money and have a high tab to pay to Paul, the cafe owner.
Yen is the currency of Japan.

I see this video whenever I feel down or sad. It really cheers me up!

Anime World

2010-05-21T00:56:00.000+05:30

I've been dwelling in this world for about eight years now, and I love this world. In India, the concept of anime is very less known or rather it might not be wrong to say it is an alien topic.

Anime is the short for 'Japanese Animation' i.e. animation originating in Japan. To make it clear, Anime is not cartoon. Both are entirely different. Both hand-drawn and computer-animated anime exists. It is used in television series, films, video, video games, commercials and internet-base releases, and represents most genres of fiction.

I've been watching anime since I was thirteen and back then, even now when I mention people anything about anime, they say "Oh! You watch cartoon even at this age!" or something like that.
Watching anime or reading manga was always fun. Manga is the comics originally published in Japan. There are many genres in Anime as well as in Manga including a broad range of subjects: action-adventure, romance, sports and games, historical, drama, fantasy, science-fiction, mystery, horror, music and many more. I usually prefer comedy, sci-fic, supernatural, and mystery. Although I have watched and read others too.

It's a totally different world and it teaches you many basic things you need to learn for leading a happy life. Watching a good Anime or reading a manga is way better than watching some daily soap or shows like Roadies or Splitsvilla. I still wonder why the television industry in India come up with such shows.
Anyway, coming back to the topic, The Anime world is amazing. One of my dreams is to watch with my very own eyes how an anime is made. Everything, right from the starting script to the release of the anime. Even if it is a one-shot I want to witness the whole process. This is my most unrealistic and far-fetched dream.

All the anime I have seen are good but some of them are the best, and my all time favourites. The most popular anime and manga in the world is Naruto followed by Bleach.
Ah! I forgot to mention the most important thing. The soundtracks from anime are really amazing. They surpass many famous English and Hindi songs. I'm a great anime-music addict too. The soundtracks from the anime 'Tsubasa Resevoir Chronicles,' 'La Corda D'oro' and 'Wolf's Rain' are the ones I love the most.

Here are some of my all-time favourite Anime:

Get Backers.

The series tells us the story of Ban Mido and Ginji Amano, a pair of super- powered individuals known as the Get-Backers. For a fee, they will recover any lost or stolen item for a client with "a 100% success rate".

Hungry Heart/Wild Striker:

Hungry Heart: Wild Striker tells the story of Kanō Kyōsuke, a teenage high-school student, who, at the beginning of the series, is seen as a trouble maker and looses his interest in soccer because people compare him with his older brother who is now a famous A. C. Milan player.Kyōsuke, along with his friends at Jyoyō, invigorated with his friends' care and help, and by his love and determination to excel in soccer, takes on the best, and discovers an immense and determined passion for the game.

La corda d' oro:

Kahoko Hino is a student at Seiso Academy, one with an ordinary life. One day, Lili - the mischievous musical fairy who had blessed the original founder of the school - finds Kahoko running late to class.

Delighted that she is able to see him, Lilli grants Kahoko a magical violin, and a place in the school's annual musical competition, which many students in the music department die to partake in. 'La Corda d'oro' literally translates to 'the rope of gold', but it is taken into consideration as 'the golden string'.

Tsubasa Chronicles:

It's basically a little complicated to explain. If you're interested wiki it.

Inuyasha:

Higurashi Kagome is a typical high school girl whose family takes care of an ancient shrine. One day, a giant centipede-like demon breaks through a boarded up well in the shrine and drags Kagome inside in an attempt to get at the Shikon jewel inside Kagome’s body. Kagome awakens to find herself in feudal Japan. In the ensuing battle with the centipede demon, Kagome frees a half-demon, Inu Yasha, from a spell that was to make him sleep for all eternity. In the confusion after the centipede demon is defeated, the Shikon jewel is shattered and its shards scattered all over Japan. Kagome and Inu Yasha team up to recover the jewel shards to keep them out of the hands of demons who would use them to increase their powers.

Inuyasha is one of the most popular anime in Japan and the world.

Ultra Maniac:

Nina, a young girl from the Magic Kingdom, is a candidate for princess. She travels to Earth to search for Holy Stones required for her to be qualified as a candidate. On Earth, she meets Ayu Tateishi, who right away discovered her magical powers and who eventually became her best friend. They continue their friendship as Ayu further learns about Nina's mission. Finally, she collected the 5 Holy Stones. However, a dilemma then came: Nina cannot decipher on what road will she take -- to become a princess, or remain on Earth with her friends.

Ultra Maniac was my first anime. It's pretty funny and a light hearted comedy.

This was my first post about Anime. There will a whole lot more coming.

State Board or CBSE? Doesn't really matter!

2010-05-18T11:28:00.000+05:30

I went to a camp during the summer vacations of my eighth grade. There, as we were introducing ourselves and getting to know everybody, many of them asked me from which school I was. I replied to them, and to my surprise, most of them didn't know my school.
Now that I think, the reason was pretty obvious. It was because all the students were from CBSE schools and I guess only a handful of us were from state board schools. That was my first time experiencing the change of attitude of people towards the state board students and the CBSE students.

I have noticed it quite a few times after that. When you meet up with a person of CBSE background, before you tell him/her that you are a state board student, you are one of them. But as soon as they know that you are from a state board background, you are the black sheep of the group. Not all the CBSE people are treat you like that, but some of them do.

In my opinion, whether its CBSE or state board, it has nothing to do with your education as long as you are working hard for your dreams. I agree that the course for the CBSE is advanced than the state board, but the children who are in the CBSE board don't feel like that because they are used to the contents. However, if you pick up a state board child and place him in the CBSE class, he/she will definitely find it a little bit difficult to cope up with the syllabus, the contents of a particular subject, etc. even if he/she is a topper in his/her state board class. But its a matter of time that those students get used to the life at CBSE schools. I have seen some students shifting from state board to CBSE after their seventh grade and scoring wonderful marks at the board examinations.

Today, parents prefer admitting their children to CBSE schools rather than in state board. They are probably under the wrong impression that:

Their child's standard will increase. (That's bullshit).
Their child will speak a fluent English. (I have a friend who studied in Marathi medium(lower English) and today is well versed in English.)
He will have more opportunity. (Everyone is given an equal opportunity to prove themselves their worth.)

This is not done. I don't understand the mentality of people. Why do they think that a student from CBSE is more intelligent than a state board student? People even say that 90% of CBSE is proportional to 82-84% in state board. That's not correct. A student whether in CBSE or state try and study equally hard to get 90% irrespective of their boards. I think judgement of intelligence of any student shouldn't be made or based on the floor of their education. That's totally gross. I guess knowledge doesn't need any of your "personal information." It just goes to who deserves it - may be a poor farmer's child or a millionare's child.

PS-1:
My school was/is great. Although not very well known, it had/has the best faculty and resources. Even today, I visit my school occasionally because I feel that I'm the way I am because I was in that school. Would I have been in some different school, I wonder what my personality would have been like today. My school has given me the best of everything. I never would have known that a teacher-student relationship could be so wonderful. And the best my school gave me were my two best friends. I don't like to brag about it but both of them are the best one could ever get. They simply rock and so does my school!

PS-2:
Do not ask which school.

PS-3:
I haven't suffered from any kind of discrimination regarding the state board, but some people I know have.

A Moment in Time

2010-05-12T10:38:00.000+05:30

Lens, the photography blog of 'The New York Times' had organized a fascinating and marvelous project titled - "A Moment in Time."
Anyone with a camera, an amateur or a pro could join this project.

The idea was to create an international mosaic, an astonishingly varied gallery of images clicked on Sunday, May 2 at 15:00(U.T.C./G.M.T) all over the globe.

Due to my ignorance, I could not contribute. But I will next time, for sure.

The photos were published today(Tuesday, May 11)
Here are some of the clicks from INDIA which made it into "A Moment of Time."

Just click the photos to have an enlarged and clear view.

Dehradun, Uttrakhand, India.

This is a small town bakery shop in Mussorie called Casa Mia. The photo shows a hundred rupees note which means a lot to all the labourers in India. The unforgettable reunion by the Kuari pass hikers.

The Last Watermelon.
Mumbai, India.

A fruit seller wait to sell the last few slices of watermelon in a crowded market street in Mumbai. He reads the newspaper to beat the boredom of waiting even as the day ends and people pass by.

Asad Ud Rehman Kidwai
Greater Kailash l, New Delhi.

Preparing the night bulletin. NDTV, New Delhi, India.

Chandigarh, India.

Lingering lights, enlightened paths.

Romil Bhansali
Siddhivinayak, Lower Parel, Mumbai, India.

The Bandra-Worli sea link by night. The link has an average daily traffic of around 37,500 vehicles per day. It's now among the most beautiful landscapes that Mumbai boasts of.

Pune, India.

People returning home after a Sunday evening of shopping and dinner with families, thereby building up the traffic in Pune city amidst welcome summer showers on a very hot day.

Akanksha Mittal
India.

Paradise on earth.

Ashish Gajera
Hyderabad, India

The light, dressed in an alphonso-orange sari, peeked through a window and wondered if the darkness was ready for a date.

Simran Jagdev
Gurgaon, India.

"Life is a highway. I wanna ride it all night long."
Delhi-Gurgaon Highway, India@8:30 pm.

If you are interested in viewing the photographs from around the globe you can see them here.

The Summer Visitors

2010-05-10T05:40:00.000+05:30

Yesterday, I went to the kitchen to grab something to eat. My attention was caught by a long trail of red ants and I tried to trace it. The trail was coming from outside the window and ended up in a small hole in one of the kitchen walls. I went there and took a close look. The ants who were entering had small lumps of food with them and those who were leaving were empty handed.

The red ants are our regular summer visitors. As far as I remember, every summer one of the family members finds a trail of ants and give a call to my father. My father then traces the trail as to where it is coming from and to where it is going and then seals the entrance of their home with the ant powder.

Looking to the ants yesterday, I began thinking and wondering "Why did God create them. Such small creatures, they possibly couldn't be used for anything. People hate them and as soon as they are seen anywhere people try to get rid of them and kill them. Then the question drifted from ants to other animals. Why did God create so many animals and insects? Moreover there are over one million species of insects on the planet." My mind has many questions with no answers.

This year, we had two more summer visitors. A pair of squirrels and some birds. We have planted some plants in our house, not many as we live in a flat system. They are placed outside the window of my room. During summers, we usually keep the window closed because of the hot summer air. We have those glass panes on the window, the ones where from one side you can see over the other side but from the other side you see your own image. I don't know what those glass panes are called. One day I spotted a squirrel resting on one of the pots. I kept gazing it. Then another squirrel showed up after a few minutes and he also laid there beside the first one.
The next day too, I found them resting on the soil of the earthen pots. I tried to open the window, but as soon as they heard the sound, they moved and went away never to return.
But it was only for a day. The next day they were again there on the pots lazying in the summer afternoon. And birds as our visitors, we have many. In one of the pots, the soil is not very porous. The water seeps very slowly through that soil. After watering, the water remains for two to three hours on the surface. Many birds(especially sparrows) come and quench their thirst here.

Coming back to the ants, as they were not taking food from our home I let them be as they were and went away without saying anything to my father. For every living being on this planet the first thing is to fill their stomach and they do it by any possible means. I guess the ants were doing the same.

The photos were taken from behind the window, so they are not very clear.

I tried to feed them with the nuts. I thought they might come more often.

The Old 'Black Magic'

2010-05-02T17:48:00.000+05:30

Do you believe in it?

From the ancient ages, not only in India but people all around the globe have been using black magic to fulfill their wishes and desires(indirectly). It is said that black magic uses the negative energy of the universe to fulfill the task. There are some people who perform black magic to quench their thirst of curiosity. Many people are such that they completely don't believe in black magic.
The world has surely changed, there have been a rise in technology at a very high rate, but even at this age, black magic is performed by individuals for various reasons. Not specifically black magic but other practices which don't have any scientific basis like the Tarot card reading, palm reading and others. I guess there are some things that won't ever have any proof to them!
There are many ways of performing black magic. I don't know all of them but sure know the very famous ones(because they are famous). It is said that black magic is related to the worshiping of the Satan(the God of evil) or a daemon. As far as my knowledge regarding this matter goes, I know to some extent about the Planchet and the Voodoo spell.
Some people don't believe in these supernatural powers because they claim that they have never experienced or seen it before. I personally don't want to believe that supernatural beings like the spirits or ghosts(they both are different in case you think they are one and the same) exists, but there's a reason that I now believe they do exist(I'm not telling the reason).

The planchet I mentioned is known by almost everyone; may be even tried. In this, you are supposed to call a spirit you know and then ask him/her any sort of questions. In many films(both hollywood and bollywood) planchet is shown. Of course, they sometimes do exaggerate the scenes(I think).

The other one I mentioned is the voodoo. Voodoo is a powerful mystical practice that is supposed to bring spectacular gifts and rewards to anyone who believes, who is willing to place his destiny in the hands of loving spirits, who await the call of service. The voodoo doll is used to represent the spirit of a specific person. You can address the doll as if you are talking to that person, requesting a change in attitude, influencing the person to act in accordance with your wishes, your desires.
Once in possession of an authentic voodoo doll, you can request the doll to call upon powerful forces known as Loa. You can perform a simple but effective ritual to fulfill a specific dream, an urgent desire. This timeless ceremony is carried out to persuade the spirits to exert their influence in this world.
The above two practices I mentioned, I'm not sure if they belong to the category of black magic because in both, you're associated with supernatural beings but not necessarily evil, whereas the black magic refers to the evil practices that are carried on.

I heard this news some time back that two-three college students were found mysteriously dead in their rooms. Sends a chill to your bones, doesn't it? Sources reveal that they were trying to perform some kind of magic. I don't know the details but that news surely caught my head. Some advice for those who intend to perform the 'Black Magic'.

First of all don't perform any kind of magic. You don't know what lies in there. Don't give me the crap that we won't know unless we try. Don't play with it.
Even then, if you are very adamant and want to try it, have at least one elder with you.
Don't perform it at your home. They say that if you do, the portals between the two worlds have one entrance at your home and then bad things are bound to happen.
Don't perform any kind of magic more than once in a day or more than three times in a month.

I'll advice that you don't try any such thing. If you harm others(that is what black magic is used for) by any means possible, you'll be paid back by double in time. You'll have to face the consequences of your doings one day or the other. So, better be good to everyone around you(not always though, I know that is near to impossible) and good will happen to you.
Finally, it's your own perception as to how you take these matters. It's all in the mind. As for me, I believe that God and Satan both exists. The only thing, I believe that my positive energy is superior and overcome my negative energy.

PS: If you are wondering that how do I know these things then don't(wonder). :v

A Fake Somebody, A Real Nobody

2010-04-28T13:39:00.000+05:30

As the title suggests, you might have already discovered what this post is about. When person is faced with a sense of their own insignificance, as everyone is now and then, they pretend to be someone that they are not and in most cases become a people-pleasing machine along that path.

Few people around me have worn this mask. They try to be someone that they are not or perhaps are never meant to be. Copying someone else's character is also one of those facets. People who are not admired or liked to their consent try to copy or imitate the other person whom they think is more admired by others. And thus begins their journey of losing their own identity. They become so involved trying to be the perfect somebody that they loose their true self. But along the way they forget that no matter what they are not the original. They are so accustomed to disguise themselves to others(for some mere praise-worthy words) that in the end they become disguised to themselves. To be someone else, you just have to lie and pretend. Although these are manipulative talents that will provide short-term pleasures, they entrench a pretender in a life that offers no long-term anything.
It may be too late for somebody to realize that that have gained nothing for themselves. Whatever they have is for their false being. (So, pretenders wake-up. Be yourself.)

There's nothing wrong with seeking be good in someone's view the only thing is that you have to be yourself while doing so. In the whole process, the person you are deceiving the most is you, yourself. Although you might think that there's nothing wrong in it, especially when you are being wanted but someday you'll definitely regret it. In my opinion it is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for something you are not. Try to be your original self no matter what. The first step in becoming better than you are is being what you are.

Everyone deserves a fulfilling life. Everyone can have it. It is achieved through continuous pursuit of an authentic identity-based existence. You want a great life? Don't be a "fake somebody." Be real(even if you are a nobody).

Childhood Dreams

2010-04-24T13:01:00.000+05:30

As a child, we all have some dreams. Dreams of becoming what we are interested in. Dreams of having the same career as that of our parents. Remember those times when some fat old lady or some uncle asking you "What do want to become when you grow up?" and you, oblivious to the many occupations innocently smile and answer "I'll become a/an ______ when I grow".
When I was a kid, I wanted to become a doctor just because my father is one. (Little kids are so simple!) And now, I'm no where related to the field of medicine. Everyone I know, is today nothing what they dreamed of in their childhood. Some wanted to become an architect, some a journalist and so on.

As we grow up, we gradually forget that childhood dream. We begin to face the so-called true face of life and are drawn into it. Our childhood dream remains sealed in some remote part of our heart. Then, when we grow up a little our thinking and likings change. Accordingly, we dream of becoming someone who is on a high post in the field of our liking or interest. As for me, during my school days, I dreamed of becoming an animator (the sole reason, I was an anime-maniac during those times).

The day finally arrives which becomes a turning path in your life. Your parents and elders keep on asking you what you want to do in the future and some of us are like - "I don't know. Haven't decided yet." The elders constantly keep on asking you the same question unless you have made up your mind for some course or else you have to surrender to their decision.

And today you are far away from your once childhood dream. It's not if as I'm saying that you don't like or love your current job or profession, but somewhere you miss that dream of yours. (At least I do. I keep on thinking how life would have turned out had I chosen a medical field or animation. Would I have been more happy doing those courses? All sorts of questions pile up my mind).

And someday if you feel like chasing your childhood dream, no matter how small, how weird it may be, you should give it all that you've got. It may seem embarrassing to you after you have grown up to do such childish acts. But there's nothing wrong with chasing your childhood dream. You have missed it once and you do not want to miss it again now, do you? And after you've achieved that dream the little kid inside of you that has been running after that dream will be more happy than you are. Definitely!

PS: You can share your childhood dreams if you want. :)

A New Beginning

2010-04-22T14:06:00.000+05:30

Hello people!

I have been reading blogs for over a year now. The person who introduced me to the world of blogging is one of my close friends and I'm indeed very thankful to her for that. From then on, I've been reading many blogs (including hers). I find it interesting reading some blog rather than posting scraps on Orkut or Facebook or other social networking sites(The reason why I'm not registered on any social networking sites. Also, no offense meant for those who are registered.It's just my personal view). The world of blogging is indeed very huge and some of them give you actually a pretty good read that you can't help but bookmark that page.

Also, this is my first post so I'm very confused as to what to include in it. :O

Well then, keep visiting. Hope you have a good time here. :)

PS: While commenting please avoid use of SMS language.