Take it ezee...

When the second handle of the clock crosses the mark 12, we say we are in a new year. But if you think carefully it nothing but some reason to celebrate. I am happy this new year, 'coz I used this opportunity to do a good turn [at least from my perspective ;-)]. I wrote a mail to all the people in my address book with whom I have lost contact for quite sometime. A few of them gave me calls and I relaised that new years is a time to not have reasons, egos, excuses. Its a time to do what you feel is right and reclaim some lost treasures, some lost memories, some lost friends.

 

Wish all those who read this blog a very happy and prosperous new year.

 

Party hard, drink responsibly and keep the faith.

Some time back I heard a story. It was titled, by the orator, "The glass and the water within". I was very impressed by it and I am repeating it here.

 

There was this time when a learned man called upon his students to teach them a valuable lesson of life. He called them over to his place, which was conveniently situated on the 10th floor of a multi-storied building (and the lift was not working).

 

The poor students walked all the way up. They were tired and thirsty. The learned man opened the door with a polite smile and a caring look. He called them all into his house and offered them water. There were as many glasses as there were students, but each glass was different. Some were made of clay and looked old and worn out, some were made of the finest cut glass in the world, some others were made of steel, and one each was mad from gold and silver. Some of the glasses were revoulting and some were exquisite.

 

The students all took glasses and drank the water. The best glasses got taken first. The older and poorer looking ones got left till the end. They were taken reluctantly. The moment the last student kept his glass down after downing the water, the learned man asked them all to sit down and then he spoke softly.

 

He said, "You all wanted water after that long and tiring climb to my house, but each one of you wanted the best glass to drink the water in. The older, dilapidated glasses was not wanted if avoidable. Right?"

 

"Yes, why should we drink water from glasses that only the underpriveliged would use", said one of his students, followed by vigourous nodding from all the others.

 

"That is what I would like to change today", the leaned man retorted, "All that you wanted was water and the water came from the same source. But all that you were interested in was the way the glass looked. That is how life is. You loose focus on what is important to you, and rather look at what you think should be important."

 

"What do you mean?" they asked in chorus.

 

"Life is what I am talking about. Your job, your salary, the size of your house, the cost of your automobile and so on and so forth, are merely the glass that will allow you to hold the water. What is the water? THAT is for each one of you to figure on your own. The water of each person is different, is unique, just like each person is unique. But remember to shift the focus from the glass, in other words the materialistic things in life, to the water, that SOMETHING each one of you will have to figure out, that will quench your thirst for a life well lived, the thirst for a satisfying lifetime rather than mere existence."

 

"Go find your water, 'coz without that, your glasses are empty." He concluded.

 

I am in awe of the depth and meaning of this story. Each time I hear this I interpret it differently. I love this story. And if I may add to this story, there is one line that is echoing in my mind right now.

 

Life is exciting people. At least some of the times, the foce of day to day running around makes me dizzy. No time to do what I have waited for a long time. Man, I want to blog everyday and everyday my mind is so cluttered that I don't know what to write about. But I am enjoying the rush. And I am blogging not withstanding that it is 5 lines of gibberish.

 

Brilliance is about writing everyday so that the flashes have some opportunity to surface. Won't you agree?

What you are is a sum total of your parts. If you are to be a success, you should be worth more than the sum of your experiences. And, if you are not, then the sum total of your experiences will not reflect through you.

 

Happy to be me, where enough people believe that I am more than the sum of my faliures. I just need to know how to prove them right. 'Coz there is no other way out of this life for me but through the top.

 

Be you for those who believe in you.

Ever think of buying Bangalore Property. Its quite different from only property. Bangalore Property is in a league of its own. I am not joking when I say that the property prices in Bangalore are insane. People from Bangalore will understand what I mean, but seriously, are these prices for real? What's going on people? I try to check out for a small commercial shop for a friend and guess what all problem I had to face. One person changed his mind after seeing my face, at least thats what I am led to believe (I looked too young and hence not trustworthy). Another person won't give it out for nn-veg restaurants (which by the way is what my friend is planning).

 

Now he is thinking of starting a veg restaurant, and trust me, that would be nothing less than suicide. There are so many of these Darshinis and Sagar all around the city that it is sheer madness to take them on. Some others said they will be willing but can confirm only after a week. Gosh, dealing in property is really sad. I pity those who have this as a way of life. The owner of a property is as finicky as the father of a girl.

 

Then there is the case of me wanting to rent a decent place to stay that is within my budget. What can I say, if I drop the decent, everything will be perfect. But you see, the decent tag comes at a great price. I am terrified of house hunting ever. The prices are absurd and the time you have to spend to get a good place can never be worth it. God has been kind though, that I still live in decent enough quarters. Then I thought, let me buy a house so that I don't ever again have to worry about rent. But that thought was walloped out of me by the first agent I spoke to. "Area", he said. "At least 1500sft" he said. "Budget", he said. "Less than 20", I said. "Location", he said. "Somewhere near Koramangala or Indiranagar. Even 2 kms away is ok." He gave me a look that I can't describe, but made me feel myself shrinking and standing 2 feet shorter than before. It was like, "How can you even think like this?" look. That ended my endevor for buying a house. Of course the agent kept trying to convince me that the 500sft, two bedroom house 12 kms from Indiranagar would be perfect for me. I then thought of a farm land away from the city. Thought that at least a couple of acres would do. Looked up the net and found that the average price charged is around 400 rupees per squarefeet. You do the arithmetic to know why even that idea is now burning at my fireplace (not a real one of course).

 

Anyway, no pain, no gain is all I am thinking right now. But affordable property in Bangalore is quite a pain away people.

I love Cold Weather and its so cold in Bangalore nowadays. They say in Chennai the rains are almost drowning some parts of the city. Sometimes the thought just creeps in that this might be just the way doomsday will come. It won't be a day at all, rather a decade of excess weather and we shall all perish but a few. Does not look likely though.

 

I hear a lot of people cribbing about the cold. And its a fact that the AC keeps the inside of our office warmer than the cold outside. But this is what I love. I miss those days, when Bangalore, in the Army parlance, was a "No Fan Station". Must have been fun then. I have faint recollections of getting down at Bangalore East at around 8 am in summer months and we needed sweaters. The culture, though not very evident now, was for everyone to have a blazer in Bangalore. Ask any old timer and he will tell you that even the roadside hawker used to sport blazers in bygone days. There is some romance in this thought. And I like rolling it in my head for kicks (and nostalgia)

Well, I am not sure if I ever was one of them.

 

 

It was in some other life, maybe.

Blogging and me are like a difficult couple. We need separation to keep us together.

 

I try blogging on a regular basis. But no matter what I do, there is always that sudden stretch of time where I can't. Laziness you say. Life I say. Its so difficult to get to my blog and post something there. (I know, its all just an excuse). Thus I downloaded a desktop blogging software to ease the pain. This is the first post from this Desktop blogger called Qumana . Lets hope this works. There is so much I would like to write about, but (again, the big but) by the time I get to the comp to post it, my mind goes blank.

 

Don't give me any fish. I'm learning to fish.

 

Just joined a new job and have been very very lucky, twice in a row. How you ask? I just got a great boss second time consequently. Can you imagine something like that happening? I just felt so blessed that I wanted to make a post on good bosses around the world. Searched google images for the picture of cartoons and caricatures signifying boss. Guess what I got?

Posting after a long long time. Life has taken me through its typically ironic journey. After some time of cribbing that I din't have it on a platter while the others enjoyed the pampering of life, I have succeeded in moving a huge rock out of my life. At least that is what I think right now. The rock I moved is my mental block. I just realised that I can do what I want to, only if I allow myself to. Absolute cliche, is it not? Yet, not many realise it. I am happy that I am being given another shot at it. Lets hope I know what I am talking.

Just a line that keeps scrolling in my mind nowadays---

"This is life, and I AM IN IT."

No point complaining, is there? Writing this blog to record my motivation. Will read back some day to either revive or relive it.