Life Is Beautiful

Cooking & Philosophy

2008-06-28T02:14:00.000-07:00

Well well well... Cooking and I sure do share an interesting rapport. Today I made kabuli chana... was absolutely yummy even though salt was double of what it should have been.

My mother had kept the chana in the cooker and had already put salt at that time... Without bothering to check, while cooking it with masala, I generously added salt.

Life sure is filled with lots of interesting twists and turns. Never had I imagined that I would enjoy cooking. The aroma of onion ginger paste being cooked is a class apart in itself. Hmmm... I guess its my love for aromas that has made me develop a soft spot for trying my hand in the kitchen.

Cooking, travelling, reading... I sure am loving life the way its headed. I feel blessed indeed that I am able to savour each moment of life. There is so much more to learn and so much for me to apply.

God!!! I never imagined that a topic like cooking would ignite the philosophical fire within. But isn't that exactly the important point!!! All of us keep searching for a perfect recipe for our lives... what we often forget is that most of the time, its the journey and experimenting that makes life really worth it. Who cares what happens in the end as long the journey has enriched the soul within :)

That's exactly what happened with the chana today. I so enjoyed making the chana, that despite the extra bit of salt, my family and I relished the dish. And no, its not a one off case... Try it out sometime. Trust me, it works... it ALWAYS works... Its your approach and how much you actually believe in your approach that makes the world of a difference. Its never the perfect recipe that counts, its trying those 101 incorrect recipes and laughing with life that makes life seem perfect in the true sense of the word.

My Journey Has Begun!!!

2008-06-02T04:46:00.000-07:00

I wonder what is it that fascinates me about Life so much. Yesterday I had been to the Bannerghatta National Reserve and I was flooded with feelings of the richness of life. I had the same feeling later when I visited Landmark... There are books which literally beckon me to pick them up!!!
Somehow yesterday I felt as if there was a major change in my life. I could feel the vibrations of positive change enveloping me. It was as if a new meaning has been bestowed on my life. I now very much want to travel to new places. When I am talking of places, its not the cities. It is the national parks, the uncommercialized beaches, the temples, the wonders of the world and those that are not publicized by tourism. Its as if I have a new quest in my life and heart - this includes a thirst for travelling and a passion for reading.
Its as if knowledge is telling me to absorb myself in its vastness. I want to read books I have never read - books on science, poetry and what not! I want to build a personal collection of my books. And I look forward to the day when my quest actually begins. I would ideally place it sometime next year... Let my education be completed... Then I will buy books and travel extensively. It need not be travel to exotic places. I realize that I am content with just new places which are teeming with the beauty of life and nature.
10 years down the line, I want to feel that yes, I have gifted myself with the most precious gift ever - that of the richness of life and the purity of knowledge.
My Journey has Begun!!!

The Tide

2008-05-09T05:15:00.000-07:00

Its not often that I write an article... My expressions are usually through poems. But today, I feel like writing something and its not poetry that I have in mind!

A month has passed since my summer internship started. For those of you who are not aware, I have two years of experience in an IT firm, am currently pursuing my MBA from a good B-School in India and am now doing my internship in an IT firm again. Do I want to land up in IT again? No, definitely not. But isn't this the same thing I told myself when I quit my organization to join my B-School??!!

I have begun to realize that life is a game with complexity levels increasing in G.P. with age. Yes, I am sure that had I been a kid, I would have done exactly what I wanted. Nothing in the world would have swayed me away from my dreams. But today, that's not the case. And am I sailing this sea alone? No, the most amusing part is that I see an entire generation(or atleast most of it) in the same boat, let alone the sea. And no, I am not being cynical. What I am saying is something that I am seeing around me... There are very few people who are pursuing their dreams... The rest of us seem to be following the tide...

Yes, there are certain people who have set out to conquer their dreams...And I salute them with all respect.

Life n Me

2008-01-20T04:48:00.000-08:00

'O' Life,

Where are you taking me
Where do I go?
Inspite of capabilities and convictions,
Why do I feel so low?

I am becoming cynical
There's a rebel within me
Oh! I am so confused whether
This is how I want my life to be.

Why am I losing interest
When its knowledge that I seek
If I love u so much Life
Why do I think my future is bleak?

In a whirlpool of emotions
I think I am beginning to drown
For people who don't matter
I am pulling myself down

O help me rise once again
Drive some sense into me
Teach me to make the best of life
Because that's what will set me free...

My Heart N Me

2008-01-06T11:32:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I just wish I knew what is it that my mind wanted to write… so many thoughts flow from all directions, and I seek that light which will clear my confusion.

As my heart speaks to me
There is a hope in my eyes
Perhaps I might finally realize
Where my true paradise lies

My thoughts are wandering
As lonely clouds in the sky
I wish I could tell them
Where they actually ought to lie

My heart speaks of dreams
Spun in threads of light
I hope that the day isn’t far
When I get to see that sight

My heart confides to me
It has concerns galore
If dreams offer hope
It tells me life offers more

Tell me my friend
Oh what do I do?
Do I believe whatever my heart is saying
About my dreams coming true?

A Costly Mistake?!

2007-04-12T21:23:00.001-07:00

I had given up my pride
To make someone smile
I never dreamt that that someone
Doubted my motives all the while

There were times my family questioned
The investment of my time
I put their fears at rest and told them
That they worrying without reason or rhyme

I shed my inhibitions
To enjoy friendship as that person saw it
I never dreamt that that person thought
I was losing my individuality and wit

I happily gave up some dreams
To share a view with that person
To me that person was perhaps
The most special one under the sun.

The most lovely feeling comes
When you feel you are important in someone's heart
Without actually letting my friend know everything
With him/her , I have nearly perfected this art.

But today when the time has come
To make decisions new
I suddenly realize that
My friends are very few...

I know that my friend
Has a feeling in his/her mind
That to my family and to my friends
Today I am being selfishly blind!!!

I know my friend since years
I can read his/her every thought
My friend's unspoken attitude
Is hurting me a lot

No one has a right to judge
The support to my family that I lend
No one has a right to question
A single penny that I spend...

I was free with my friend
But perhaps I crossed the line
My life might be with my friends
But my family's decisions are only mine.

Friendship is a journey too beautiful
For such feelings to mar the way
Friendships are most intact
When such feelings are kept at bay...

So I hope that i understand
That this is just a passing phase
A day will come when my friend will realize
That he/she was wrong abt my ways...

Smile

2007-03-19T23:36:00.000-07:00

Smile little angel
Life moves on
Remember there is a special reason
As to why you were born

There is life in your smile
There is music in your laughter
To the weirdest of questions
You have an equally weird answer.

You are charming lil lady
And gifted with wit
You are unique without doubt
And the best part is that you know it

Please cheer up lass
Its disheartening to see you low
Can any reason be worth
A frown on thy brow?

Choice

2007-03-12T20:41:00.000-07:00

Question today
"Whom you'd call a friend"
Choose your friends in people
Who teach you that learning has no end.

Question today
"Who helps you in becoming wise"
Friends who are symbolic of only fun & comfort
Or those friends who risk a fight with you to make u rise?

Question today
"What is it that you will miss tomorrow"
Friends who make you forget sad times
Or those who teach you what to learn out of sorrow?

Question today
"The class of the language that you use"
Are your friends helping you imbibe in yourself
The language you'd want your kids to choose?

Life is full of answers
Just waiting to be sought
Remember to choose your friends in people
Who make you realize the beauty of a thought.

Monsoon in May

2006-12-22T01:15:00.001-08:00

If I had wings
Today I would happily fly
Reach out to the mountains
Which seem to be kissed by the sky

I would dance on the clouds
Leap from hill to hill
Sing , dance and cheer and laugh
At my own sweet free will

I would strain to hear
The whispering of the trees
I would listen to the songs
As they sway to the breeze

I would visit the sun
And chatter with Apollo
And then come back to earth
On his special rainbow

I would ask the moon about its changing shapes,
The moon would gift my eyes its light
So that I come back to earth and
See a full moon every night

I would colour autumn
With a green dress every day
My smile would hold the dazzle of lightning
I will celebrate monsoon in May.

My Little Angel

2006-12-05T00:57:00.000-08:00

A basket of happiness
A bundle of joy
An angel in my life
My lil baby boy

His touch is so soft
His face is so cute
He is the best baby ever born
Is a statement you daren't dispute

His face is like a cherub
He has almond like eyes
Oh my baby is without doubt
An angel in disguise.

I feel I am in heaven
When he smiles at me
May he smile all his life
Is my one and only plea.

His hands are so tiny
Yet they can pull many a heartstring
When they clasp my little finger
I can hear bells ring.

When he reaches out for me
Why does my heart melt
Tell me God , when u created life,
Is this how you felt?

If I Could

2006-11-27T21:41:00.000-08:00

I dedicate this poem to one of my best friends in this galaxy. She was my inspiration for this poem...I wrote this poem wanting to sort out a mistake that I had made which had left a scar in her heart and memories.

I know I have a temper
And I instigate yours too
I can be a porcupine at times
With the things I say and do

But for that one moment
That I behave unforgivably with you
Don't I try and create moments
When ecstacy visits you?

IF I COULD:

I would wipe your tear
And replace it with a smile
I would lend you my hand
As we traverse every mile

I would root you to victory
And cheer your every high
I am the happiest person on earth
Every time you touch the sky

I will take an extra step
When things are going bad
I will try to take the initiative
When we both are feeling sad

But when nothing happens
Even when I take up the lead
You will have to take up the reins
For our friendship to suceed

Judge me on my virtues
Instead of picking up on every vice
Weigh the friend in me
Before you make up your choice

Either way keep in mind
I know we both care like hell
No matter what we say or do
We always mean the other well

It hurts when we fight
How can I make it up to you
If you say that things are fine
Tell me what is it that I can do?

Things Can Be Worse

2006-10-10T21:07:00.000-07:00

6:30 a.m.
The alarm gave a shrill sound... I stuck to my daily routine and put it on "snooze" . Yes indeed , that was my daily routine. Yesterday night , with the million and one thoughts revolving in my head , I had fallen asleep. Some months back , days and nights alike used to symbolize "life" to me in its most beautiful aspect. Every moment seemed special , every second worth living. There had been almost a magic of sorts. Work was good , family was great and friends - beyond compare. I used to feel as if I wanted to smile a million times , but I had no option but to overlap smiles... yes , one would begin before the other had a chance to end.

That was five months ago.
Today , life has changed ...
Or perhaps , my perception of it definitely has.

Today , as the alarm rang , there was no excitement about starting a new day. I dragged myself out of bed and got ready ... I did everything slowly and without vivacity and vigour. My only aim was to catch the bus on time.

Five minutes had passed since the alarm had woken me up. As I peeped into the living room , an unexpected sight caught my eye. There were keys strewn all around the room.
The key stand ,which was actually quite sturdy , had fallen down after fracturing its neck .

There had been two umbrellas which had been hanging onto the stand. One was now under the table , and the other some inches afar.

I quickly retreated to my bedroom.
The first thought that came to my mind was a "pigeon". I am terrified of them .
My heart started beating rapidly.
A pigeon is something I just do not know how to face. When confronted with this creation , my mind stops thinking completely. And the only signs of life in me are:
A heart which seems to beat 172 times a minute
A reflex action to choose the best possible hiding location.
A shrieking cry to whosoever is with me to make the pigeon leave "my territory"

Alas! Today I was all alone in that 2 BHK . And I was at my wits end. I had to get ready for office and leave. So I definitely had to leave the sanctuary of the bedroom which I had bolted from inside.

Mustering courage , I opened the door. I first checked the bathroom. No way was I going to use it if there was the slightest possibility of a pigeon lurking in some corner.

That done , I checked the other bedroom. With fearful eyes , I checked the tubelight and the attic. All seemed clear.

Slowly , I was done with the entire house. Once I was sure that there wasn't a pigeon anywhere around , taking God's name , I shut all the windows.

Yes , there was one thing which was bothering me. If I discovered a pigeon after closing the windows , I would surely have a heart attack. So , preparing for the worst and leaving the rest to the Almighty... I got ready for office.

The next test of courage will be in the evening , when I will be returning home, taking unwilling steps.

But I will leave that description for a later time. If there was any good thing in what happened this morning , it was that it distracted me from my humdrum existence. It made me realize that things could be worse.

A Rainbow Wish For U

2006-10-09T03:21:00.000-07:00

I hope you find a rainbow
To brighten up ur day
Sprinkling love , cheer and laughter
To keep ur troubles at bay

I hope u find a rainbow
Every time u see the sky
Which lends wings to ur thoughts
And gives u an all time high

I hope u find a rainbow
In people u meet today
And listen to the best things ever
In everything they say

I hope u find a rainbow
In every task u do
In every question you ask
And in every answer too.

I hope you find a rainbow
In your heart of hearts today
One that is not time bound
And which shall brighten ur every single day.

I guess this angel could go on forever
About where all she hopes u find rainbows
But she doesn't want that u spank her
So she wisely ends this poetry and prose.

Sad

2006-10-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

The phone rang somewhere but Anita was too preoccupied to give the ring a second thought. Her parents were fighting again.
"Anita , for God sake's pick up the phone." She could hear her dad bellow that one line... She knew that he was expecting an important phone call...
If only her college would start !!! Three months at home was a nightmare for sure. 18 years - life seemed to be too heavy to shoulder. Her dad had quit his job three months back. Her mom was an emotional wreck . For the umpteenth time , Anita felt the emptiness of being the only child.
By the time she had picked the handset , the phone stopped ringing. "Dad.." she began and then stopped. She could hear a messy verbal duel . She edged closer to her parents' room . She couldn't help overhearing them. As usual , they were fighting over something which seemed trivial to Anita. It was always the case. Her parents were poles apart. And after 25 years of marriage , they still never understood that the other never meant to hurt. The fight would start with something as small as a TV serial and then it would reach heights with each person criticising what the other had done 20 years back.

Misery... yes , that was the perfect expression of what Anita's heart shaped face mirrored at the moment. Her almond shaped eyes were welling up with tears that refused to leave the sanctuary of her eyes. And yet they spoke... they reflected the 100 things that were crossing her mind and heart.

She stood rooted to the spot as her mother started crying. She wanted to go inside and tell them to stop. But her feet refused to listen to her mind. Finally , as the door was thrown open by her dad , she quickly retreated to her room .

The palatial balcony attached to her room overlooked the center of her society and the balconies of the surrounding four buildings. As she stood in the balcony , she could feel the stare of Mrs. Sharma and her daughter , Nitu.
Had they heard everything!!! Her parents had been loud as usual. She shut her balcony door and threw herself on her bed. Why couldn't her parents be like other parents... why did they rake up the past and bitter memories!!!

Her heart felt as if it weighed more than she did.

She opened her diary. She was always afraid of writing the day's events in case the diary fell into the wrong hands. She just used to write the one word that described her mood every day.

20th July.
Dear Diary ,

SAD.

Love
Anita

Two Views & A Vision

2006-09-19T05:27:00.000-07:00

His Version:
It was a summer noon
As hot as never before
I was on my garden porch
Locking my wooden door

It was just one step
That I took beyond the gate
The sight made me falter
My instincts made me wait

My mind stopped thinking
My heart skipped a beat
I was sure I was dreaming
About the lady I wanted to meet

She couldn't be real
With such a dazzling face
Her one look lighted my world
With a million and one rays

Her eyes were shaped liked almonds
A beautiful hazel brown
An intoxicating look
That would bring heaven down

She caught me staring
And gave me a smile
I felt like a fool
A first class juvenile

I threw a furtive glance
There wasn't a soul i could see
I felt I was in heaven
Happy that the smile was for me

I tried to take a step
But my legs wouldn't move
I tried to speak out
Alas! my lips were sealed too.

"Are you Mr.James?" she asked
What on earth was my name?
My God, I couldn't remember
I felt like dying of shame.

In a trance I spoke out
"Well ,yes that's me"
My next words horrified my mind
"If that is whom you wanna me to be"

She gave a musical gurgle
The sweetest sound I've ever heard
Smiling with amusement
Directed at my every word

"I guess then",she whispered
"You aren't Mr.James
You are one of those many
Who fall for pretty dames"

"Lady, you insult my honour
By terming me one of many
Nought for a single dame before
Have a cared even a penny

Charming and wise
Beautiful and witty
To call you anything but an angel
Would be surely a pity

You have cast a spell
You have enchanted me
My heart seems to be bewitched
By an unassuming lil lady."

Hearing my ode to her
She gave the sweetest look
"Even I don't know any Mr.James,
Its just a name from a book"

Her version:
"I couldn't remember
Why I came out here
One look at you, young man
No longer did anything seem clear"

"It was just one step
That I took outside ur gate
Your sight made me falter
My instincts made me wait"

"My mind stopped thinking
My heart skipped a beat
I was sure I was dreaming
About the man I wanted to meet"

"You couldn't be real
With your one in a million face
Your one look lighted my world
With a million and one rays"

"I gave you a smile
But you were as still as stone
Gathering my guts
Sally stepped into a never before zone"

"Now that I am sure
You too feel for me
Will you do the honour
Of telling who u might be."

I am Ian , dear Sally
I am glad to meet you
I feel I am in heaven
And am happy u feel that too.

What Makes Life Beautiful?

2006-09-19T05:25:00.000-07:00

Every day I tell myself
Life is really beautiful
So many things to explore
Beauty is truly plentiful

I smile a million times
I laugh like a child
I spread waves of optimism
I feel really wild

But today something is amiss
There is a frightening lull
Something is wrong somewhere
I feel really dull.

I am worried about lives
Of those around me
I am worried about dear ones
With whom I cannot be

I am sickened at some people
Their attitude disgusts me
Their friend is getting married
And they are being miserly.

I am truly jobless
It is just the mails I check
Nothing to do the entire day
I feel like a wreck.

My mind is overflowing
With decisions I need to make
I hope I have the guts
For steps I have to take.

I am searching a home
With a friend as dear as can be
And am not even getting a house
For her to be with me.

If there is one thing
That still makes me smile
Its my friends around me
Who are truly truly worthwhile.

When I think of them
I feel life is great
On a scale of 10
A million they would rate.

Their very thought is enough to teach me
Yes , beauty is plentiful
But its the love of good friends
That makes life beautiful.

A Smile on 1 in 50 Faces

2006-09-19T05:22:00.000-07:00

Today is one more day with the same routine stuff.
Got up late today and got ready in record time.
Its fun when things slip out of routine, something different is always welcome, even if it is just getting up late.
The company bus came on time. I got into the bus and as usual occupied the second last seat (the two seater window seat). I tried hard to open the window. I love the feel of fresh air on my face. It’s a different thing that the air loves to play havoc with my hair :( (Guess I will be left with a few strands by the time I am 30 yrs)
But I must have rubbed off some of my adamancy onto the window. So it refused to budge open.
As the bus continued its journey through the route it takes day after day after day, people poured in. Almost all seats were occupied.
I am one of those very few people who like the window open (even when the bus is on the highway)
So with my window closed today, there was just one window which was open in the entire bus and that was the driver's window, which obviously seemed miles away from my seat.
All windows closed... All people - sitting like robots... no chatter like the one which fills school buses, no small talk, no smiles...people with wooden expressions on their faces.
Occasionally a phone would ring and their answering it was perhaps the only sign of life in the otherwise morose atmosphere.
Normally with the window open, I am completely and totally lost in the scenery outside. I also love listening to Radio Mirchi, but today the radio in the bus did not seem to be working.
I stared out through the glass window and looked at the trees, hills, and people .There is a Shiva temple on the way, somehow it always fascinates me. But today I was pretty thoughtful and I somehow missed the temple, something that I haven't done in months...
I decided to do something different. I see approximately 200 to 300 faces on the roads as the bus undertakes its journey from Dahanukar Circle (Home) to Hinjewadi (Office).
Today something in me wanted to break free - thought of counting the number of smiling faces.
Was sure that on such a beautiful day, I would see atleast 30 smiling faces.
On Paud road, I saw many faces, but none with a smile. All seemed to be wearing tags of one organization or other ... waiting for their company bus with a face devoid of happiness , satisfaction and the one emotive expression that makes anyone and everyone seem beautiful... a smile
On the highway, I saw farmers tending to their lands, I saw lads (10 to 12 years old) carrying huge drums .Saw couples on bikes, people on their way to Mumbai in cars... truck drivers.... pedestrians ... village kids ...people in tamtams(these are six seater rickshaws/jeeps)
Three people had a smile on their faces...
One was a guy in a red Maruti 800..alone in the car and with a smile onto his face...
One was a truck driver who seemed to be explaining something to a lady who might have been his mother...
And the last one was a man, 25-30 years old, from Infosys...
Wait, there are 2 more people who had a smile transforming their faces today... As I had boarded the bus, had smiled at one of the passengers and she had smiled back...
Hmmm... 5 in 250 people...1in 50 faces...
Is their seriously something wrong or am I expecting too much from life? Does one need a reason to smile? Shouldn't it be the other way around... that people should not wear a smile if they have a reason???
A morning is the dawn of a new day; shouldn't it be filled with optimism?
One more chance to set things right, one more opportunity to realize that "life is beautiful"....
Over the years I have observed:
When I was a kid, my smiles were always returned...
As I grew up, the number of smiles reduced somewhat... basically because of some hesitation on the person at the receiving end...
Today, at 23 years, smiles have become rare... they are returned by few friends, and by those strangers who seem to have some life left in them...
there are others who do not return the smile because of some pride , there are yet others who can never understand why a stranger is smiling and many who have forgotten to smile... for them a smile is just a professional upward tug of the lips... a smile which seldom reaches the eyes...
Many people feel that I am childish; very few would understand as to why on earth was I counting the number of smiling faces today....
Ask yourself, as to how often you smile...feel blessed if it is often ...question whether over the years your frequency of smiling/laughing has reduced... because believe me, if you smile, it implies that innately you still have hope ... Hope that life is worth it... because it is hope which gets a smile onto your face... hope that makes you return a smile....
And if you don't smile often, don’t fret... just return each and every smile that comes your way today... and try passing on every smile you get...