The sub directions to happiness

I have very few people around me, who discuss the Apple technology with the same fervour, I mean for people Macintosh just seems to provide cool gadgets and pricy ones, but its rare you find people who appreciate the technology behind it or is in as much love with Steve Jobs as I am... :P So I was talking to this one such rare person I know and while discussing through, I found how much he goes and on to work on his passion and hobby. It just got me thinking, when was the last time, I was even an iota bit near my hobby. I was involved in a lot of things as a kid, from reading to writing, singing, dancing, photography, visiting places..... And now I am well, just working. By the time the weekend comes, I am just too lazy and lost to even open the door and get myself out of the house. Huh!!! Thats bad, when i now think about it.. Isnt life supposed to be about celebrating each day as never ever and each moment as the best moment. I know, we arent supposed to be dancing and in exhilaration all the time, but doesnt mean we have to transform into a couch potato do we?
So guys get out of that room of yours and do what you think gives the best happiness in the world... And trust me, sleeping aint a hobby!! ;)

Its the end of another hectic day at work, it is 11:35 in the night, and i am half drowsy, half tired, yet there is this small zing, that I would have to go to office tomorrow!! Trust me, m excited!! :D Hard to hear, that at the end of a brain racking day of 12 hrs. But when you do something, you are most passionate about, things like fatigue and boredom, simply vanish out of your vocab.

I waited patiently for my current role at work, and finally, it landed up with a big noise and banter. It brought back life to my work. I was thoroughly enjoying my previous project, but this one, I am simply nurturing as a baby!! :P I was always known as a die hard Comp fan!! One of those typical Comp Sci Engineer, who loves opening up the screws of the CPU and glare into it, glazy eyed!! Or whose, hand is always up ,when an OS internal question is put up!! I once had a friend tell me, that i defend Linux's stand as an operating system, more than I would defend my own honour!! They had christened me a Linux "Patriot"!! But thats what peps me up!! All this geek talk, latest technologies, the new processor in the market, the new competition to Macintosh!! Books are my first love and Computers my second
And I am totally incomplete without them.

India is rapidly moving through this technological revolution, where one in every ten people own the latest gadget in the market!! Every 20th person can explain to you the difference between OS markets.. This revolution, is catching up really fast!! We have kids these days, making presentations for their school projects, while in my school times, microsoft office was like the 8th Wonder of the world. I am now reading a book on John Nash, and all the description of these great mathematicians, their theories and their research times, is simply exhilarating!! The World war II, is simply looked upon as a clash of the Titans, but it also brought about a refresher in the world of Science... A highly recommended book!!!

Time to go snooze up, before my alarm starts yelling into my ear with its ultrafrequency, or thats what I feel, no matter how much I sleep!! Thats rhetorical, a question, says Santosh!! :D

Love you life....

There are so many candid moments in life, that you simply want to hold on to... Just like a VMware snapshot, take a snap and then restart your life again and again from that instant. No matter all the turbulences, keep hitting like a bus on the street, what brings you back to life is that moment, spices you, and triggers the spark of life within you. I met with a terrible accident a couple of weeks ago. A really really bad one. My vehicle was completely a goner. Although Santosh & I werent hurt an iota bit, it completely smashed me from inside. I am still terrified when my vehicle takes a break. A lot of people who called me after the incident, said I was so lucky to come out of that accident unhurt. For a very long time, I was hungover, that incident. But then it changed the person in me. I stopped walking fast and now started looking around. I have slowed down the pace of my life and started seeing and beaming at the beauty of life around me. I have started smiling with the stars, and singing with the winds, dancing in the moonlight. Loving the people around me even more. Each time, I do something I love, I just think about my luck, had something happened to me, would I be able to restart this snapshot?

Its made me more forgiving, if I didnt have a chance, would I simply leave with anger and hatred in my heart? Each day now is very special to me. Each moment now is a treasure. This accident, was meant to jolt me from inside and make me realise, that I am not a machine, but a human....

Its about 5 weeks to this incident now, and now is the time, I could muster courage to write about it. And hush, I feel so much better.

Thank you, life for giving me a chance. I promise, I wont let you down. :)

Book Lovers' club

A friend of mine, started this whole book pool club at work,what started with a modest figure of 30 books, is now doubled, and the enthusiasm in people is just soaring like mercury. Today, we got into a relatively marginal conversation, on favourite books, and all of a sudden, it was like a huge whirlpool, grasping us in its arms.. The conversation, started off with the current books in our basket, and we ended up with childhood, sibling fights for books. It was fun to see the sparkle in people's eyes, when they talk of something, they are so passionate about. Your passion, engulfs you into this beautiful world, where everything you see and perceive is the definition of your dream life. We were laughing away, as to how, we even tend to forget our spouses, when we enter our book life. What is it, about this passion, which makes you forget your world, and enter into realms of mystery. To me, reading books are more than just a passion. It is a way of life, and to not read, or not blog is like heart attack. The big smile, when we see a discount offer, in Landmark or Crossword, the sparkle in our eyes, when we hear someone discuss a book, we have read makes us feel, that there is so much in us yet to be discovered. There is so much mystery, surrounding our own lives, that in this whirlpool, we actually try to find our own identity. I atleast have a habit of trying to relate to every character of my book in some way. Makes me feel a part of the journey I am reading.

It is very true, that books are the only company who would never betray you. They would impart wisdom and seldom do they distract you from your path. But to those of my friends, who keep on teasing me, to be a bookworm, well, I am proud of being one and I am sure, my lovely book lover friends, would agree too!! So happy reading! :D

A silent Transformation

It is often found that people who achieve even an iota bit in their lives, blare up every single loudspeaker possible with their achievement list. They make sure, that every living soul, they know, is rote with their achievement. Potray themselves to be the future of the mankind, the hope of this galaxy. But somewhere, there are people, who work toil day in and day out. Who leave behind their ambitions, to create a way ahead for the less privileged. To whom, a package of a couple of lakhs is greek and latin, however, what they need an assurance of is a chance to work in the remotest hamlets of India. To them buying a Mercedes is not even on their wish list but are very happy, when they can get a farmer to avail a loan to buy a tractor. I have often heard people say that the world is very selfish, very self-centered. But somewhere near us, in our daily walks of life, there are people, who with a smile on their face, wipe the tears from another’s eyes. People name them social workers, NGO guys, and so on. However, to me they represent the face of India. They are whom we must rightly call Indians. India has always been hailed as a land of peace, of spirituality, of reforms of happiness. And these people bring about this transformation in the lives of crores, who remain unspoken off.. Their problems are generalised as issues of an economically backward India, however these are the problems, which need to top our reforms list. Our lives are so busy worrying about the next appraisal cycle, and how much hike the guys sitting next to has bagged, to onsite plans. We plan taxes, we buy homes, we buy jazzy cars, eat at Dominoes, oh and not to forget try new cuisines, hit the gym, but don’t we have any responsibility towards our country. To our society, the ones who taught us how to live life, the ones who taught us the virtue of equanimity.
My experience of being with the villagers, is I think the best memory of my lifetime. Till date, when I encounter any issue, I remember the words of an elderly lady in the village, I taught. She said “vitthal is the giver, and he is the taker, the thorns in our life are nothing but the stem to reach the Rose”. Such clear and optimistic thinking from an Adivasi lady!! We speak of education, this is the truest essence of all books. The mere essence of vedas, and all the spiritual books across the world. Their smiles are true glimpses of innocence and beauty. I never leave an opportunity ever to visit a village, coz although the excuse is of I teaching them, in the truest sense, I am just an earnest student. Every action and every word of theirs, are my lessons. I am but a mere onlooker at the beauty of God’s beautiful creation.

Matters of the heart

“I never ever will speak to you again”!! All my closest friends, family everyone has heard this line atleast a thousand times from me.. But within 2 or 3 hours, I am back to my chirpy self, as if nothing ever happened. That’s me…. I am not a very short tempered person, I have my share of irritations, but nothing that leads to a fight. Actually being phobic to shouting, I rather become very silent when angry. End up listening to music, read a book or write a blog… ;)
But there have been quite some times when I swear to myself, that this time, X Person has crossed their limits and there is no way, I am gonna accept them without an apology and a sound lesson. But then after a while, there is this whole, barrage of questions that is thrown at me (by my dear old conscience) starting from, is this right, am I being fair to do you think, they would be hurt!! Then I start remembering the good times, I had with them… The fun times, the laughter times…. And then starts the cross questioning…. Whether all this silence is worth, the times we spent together.. Whether it is a balance… This weighing, finally leads to a conclusion that “All’s well that ends well”!! There goes my anger down the drain!! I don’t remember holding a fight for more than half a day! Hmmm!! Hard!
This I think of actually as a strength… I don’t want to lose the people I love to such tiny fights, I don’t want a scratch in my heart, because of a couple of heated words… What I would rather have is, someday down the line, when our vision gets blurred, we have silver hair and life would seem like an autumn time, I would not like to regret, having not saved a relation!!

Micchami Dukkadam

Micchami Dukkadam, a term, which when said with folded hands, and a sincere faith in heart can move even the mountains. It is the earnest effort to pay for our sins, right here, to keep the big fat burden of ego aside and to reach every individual known and ask for forgiveness for deeds, knowingly or unknowingly done. The deed of forgiveness, crossess all the noblest and virtuest of deeds. In the very famous Shakespearen play "The Merchant of Venice", Portia says that blessed are the ones who forgive and because of th nobility of their deed, blessed also are the ones who are forgiven.

In our fast & frenzied life, we completely overlook the emotional factor, between our 9-9 jobs, there is no time, to take a note of such trivial things. And in this process, we do not realise the big and strong wall of hatred that we build in our hearts. Gone are the days, when a simple flower and a tiny sorry, could heal hearts. Now there is no effort, and people dont care anymore..

So to all my friends, family and loved ones, if I have ever hurt you, knowingly or unknowingly, crushed your emotion for my selfish needs, overlooked your smile for my own! "Micchami Dukkadam"...