Out of place ......and hence beautiful

Usually the Volvo buses in Bengaluru are crammed with the same type of people and with similar play things. Busy professionals checking emails on their smart phones or laptops, some unnecessarily going thru' files and folders as if the laptop is more interesting to stare at than people in flesh and blood. If nothing, they have their earphones on. The scene is the same every single day, irrespective of the time of the day. In the evening, it’s just haggard faces but the laptops, smart phones and earphones stay the same nevertheless. One major reason is the bus fares for these air conditioned Volvo buses really burn a hole in the pocket. So I guess it has become a trademark of the bustling professional who is ready to shell out exorbitantly for even an iota of more comfort.

Today was no different but when a candy floss man decided to take a seat amongst the honored professionals, it was a sight to watch. Many squirmed wondering where he would put his candy floss packets. Obviously none bothered to glance at their own baggage. But then you don't even utter candy floss and laptop in the same sentence let alone compare them ;) Many were obviously wondering if he could afford that ride, well I thought about it too, but I guess we all can get whimsical and choose to do what we like. So I quickly adjusted to the thought. Soon the man was forgotten and people resumed their tasks but all thru' my journey I kept looking at him. His pink candy floss looked so adorable in the sea of blacks, grays and whites. And of course not to forget the man himself who was completely at ease being out of place. How many of us dare to be that?

Friends!

Had been long since I called up Neha so thought Friendship's day was a good day to just reconnect.
Me: Hello Neha
Neha: Haan bol
Me: Happy Friendships day
Neha: Silence
Me: Hello, I said happy friendships day
Neha: Silence
Me: Silence
Neha: You ok? Did someone mix vodka in your coffee?
Me: Aye nalayak....
Neha: yes, NOW you sound normal...

So much for trying to be nice to an old buddy. I guess being nice is next to being unnatural when it comes to friends ;)

Happy friendships day [Yeah.....a very belated one ;)]

OMG! Maria doesn't know God ;)

Maria Sharapova said she didn’t know Sachin Tendulkar and the world was never the same again. Fans clambered to slam the tennis star for the insult she had heaped upon their own personal God. The fourth estate duly reported each and every tweet as if to state their stand against a lady whose GK was really bad. How does it matter that the sport in question is not prominent in the country she stays or was born. But since we ourselves know our hockey, football, badminton, etc. stars so very well, we have the full right to chastise her  :P

Amongst all this melodrama, the man himself said no word.
Well, what's a God who needs protection and the God knows it too; hence the perfect, elegant silence as the world scrambles to make hay while the sun shines ;)

A nice song

Songs are brilliant. You may start liking one after a certain situation in life, one can be your favorite for your lifetime. Some convey your expectations in just about the right way. Some manage to pep you up when no one can manage to do so.

This one is an old Lata di number. Brilliant composition by Gulzaar ji and the music is  Hemant da. The meaning is so deep and everything about it is to my liking.

The mukhda is so apt -

Hamne Dekhi Hai Un Aankho Ki Mehekti Khushboo 
Haath Se Chhoo Ke Ise Rishton Ka Ilzaam Na Do 
Sirf Ehsaas Hai Ye, Rooh Se Mehsoos Karo 
Pyar Ko Pyar Hi Rehne Do, Koi Naam Na Do 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8L5pndfks4

Choosing to be happy

People never cease to surprise me. Every human who changes my perception about the world generally has one blog entry associated. It just reminds me that the world is what you make of it.

The normal route I take to office was closed because there was a religious procession. The car in front of me, a really impressive car ;), took a left to take an alternate route. I followed suit. The alternate route wasn't exactly a main road but more of an alley that passed through many houses. Out of the blue, a water tanker joined us in between and we were forced to follow it. He led us comfortably at his own sweet pace. If you live in Bangalore, you know that the water tankers form approximately 10% of the vehicle population here ;) and on inner domestic roads they are capable of causing snarls and high tempers.

Back to my anecdote, at one particular juncture the water-tanker got stuck in a nasty pothole. Obviously the car behind it had to stop and so did I. Suddenly people came running with buckets, opened the tanker's water-tap and started filling water. All this in a matter of seconds! The little Kannada that I manage, I could understand that they were requesting the driver to just let them fill a bucket each since they do not have water at all. Suddenly the car door in front opened and from the passenger seat exited a well-to-do, formally dressed gentleman. I expected a blasting and some lecture about road and civic sense but he went and stood with the folks and started smiling. In manageable Kananda he asked them to resolve the issue fast because he was running very late and if he wouldn't reach on time he would have to join them with the water bucket. The gathered set erupted at his joke.

We were stuck there for some time till the tanker driver moved his vehicle but all this while the car guy stood happily with the locals. As most of us were fretting about our lost time he chatted away to glory. It just felt nice and human for a change and I realized that happiness is generally our own making :)

Standing up....for oneself

Rachna had come down to spend the summer vacations with me. We were 11 year old girls looking forward to spend some great time together. On one particular evening we were busy playing when my uncle came to visit us out of the blue. Since my parents were not back from work he decided to wait for them. Rachna has always been a quick thinker and she said "Uncle must be tired and hungry. He has directly come to our house from his office. Let’s make some dosas for him". "Yes", I croaked, as I wondered how she could always think the right things at the right time. I was no good at making dosa and I soon realized that neither was she. Her dosas could be put up for a display of "geometrical-shapes-of-dosa-batter-on-pan". I never knew there were so many shapes. I was also worried of the reaction from my uncle. But she continued enthusiastically without any apprehensions whatsoever.  She offered it to my uncle who gave it one look and retorted "Is this the way you make dosa?”  I turned to look at her and I saw how disappointed she had become after all the enthusiasm. I was unhappy too because I knew the thoughts that went behind those out-of-shape dosas.

And to my surprise my uncle continued - "Can you make some more of these? I am really hungry". Before I could say anything my quick thinker cousin blurted out - "The batter is over so that’s all that we can do". I gaped at her as she pulled me away to another room leaving the elderly uncle flabbergasted. I realized she was fuming red.

When my mom came, my uncle obviously complained about my rude cousin and my mother gave her an earful about being polite to elders. She haughtily retorted "Even elders should learn to be appreciative of an eleven year old making dosa and not be snooty"

I almost clapped. My mom probably got a gist of her thought process and left it at that. And I forever remember my first lesson in being able to stand up for oneself.

Mistakes and a woman driver

I reached a junction where there was a traffic snarl; the car in front of me found its way and steered left. Just as I thought I could follow, I realized the mini truck that was almost in front of me. One of us had to make a decision to back out else the snarl would have worsened. Since I had the space I chose to steer extreme left; just then someone came yelling! I was just above a big pothole, big enough to cause excessive damage. In my effort to play the ‘Good Samaritan’ I had messed up. Now I was stuck in a situation where any wrong move would land me in a hole ;). Being a new driver I was terrified. As I was weighing my options a man got down from his wheel and came towards me. He asked me to get out and he drove my car to safety. It was obvious that he was a well experienced driver. As he got out, I thanked him. His comment "Why do you woman drive if you don’t know how to?" I smiled and let it be.

Everyone has an opinion and a clichéd one at that! I have stopped trying to change the world and its inhabitants a long time back. Yes, it was my mistake, I ought to have paid attention to the left side of the road before I chose to steer extreme left....but does that mean I sinned. I would have appreciated a comment/rebuke asking me to drive carefully but a comment like that is what I generally get. I have got used to it and am on my way to get immune.

Every situation like this reminds me to have an open mind! A mind that's not biased....biased on the basis of sex, caste, age, and so many other things. It also reminds me to allow people around me to make mistakes. I need to learn to rebuke them so that they learn from their mistakes but not threaten them with "I told you so....” By threatening them to never make mistakes I thwart their growth. After all there are very few mistakes that are actually sins, most of the others for which we generally blow our top are very momentary. And if we choose a wrong reaction at that moment it may end up in a lot of negativity. What could be worse than my comment denting the confidence of the person to an extent that s/he never tries again?

I am just glad the driver helped me. I am choosing to ignore his comments with a firm thought that I have to learn to keep a keen eye on the left side of the road. And that can be done irrespective of me being a woman ;)