For auld lang syne

I'm back after an AMAZING weekend.This has been, undoubtedly, one of the best weekends in the recent past. The thing is, we had a small reunion of schoolmates. It was GREAT fun ! I was meeting most of 'em after a gap of 2-3 years; that was the best part. Most, infact, NONE of 'em have changed drastically, in looks or spirits !!

Nikhil KD is STILL the clown, mouthing funny one-liners and jokes; count on him to give all of us a good laugh.Gopi is also essentially the same; ek dum bindaas, "who-the-hell-cares" attitude. Keerthi is also the fun-filled gal I knew; ever-caring and TOTALLY herself. And so on and so forth. I could go on and on. But in short, that meeting transported me to the erstwhile part of my life which was latent.

All at once, I wished with all my heart that I could go back and be part of 12 Science,at Hari Sri, once more.If I could just relive those days. Oh boy ! how I wish...The saddest part is when everyone leaves. Somehow it feels as if a part of me is gone. And God alone knows if I'll ever meet them again. Sounds pessimistic...well maybe. But the fact is that most of them are placed in plush jobs and good companies. Excepting, of course, some jobless people, like me ! We will all move on with our lives. Things are going to be different. We will all have to assume responsibilities.

Well, as they say, "Do not cry because it is over, smile because it happened".

Of course, the internet is turning out to be a BIG boon. You may laugh off sites like Orkut, etc. But believe me, it helps to remain in touch with people. As also emails, chatting, SMSs. So that way, it is better. And we could meet up like this, once in a while. Meeting face-to-face has it's charms; heck, it's better !!!!

So that's it. You could say that I'm "school-sick" (like "home-sick" or something !).

Miss those days...

Let me end with a song appropriate for the occasion:

Verse One

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

And never brought to mind ?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

And auld lang syne ?

Chorus

For auld lang syne, my dear

For auld Lang syne,

We'll tak a cup o kindness yet,

For auld lang syne !

Verse Two

And there's a hand my trusty fiere,

And gie's a hand o thine

And we'll tak a right guid-willie waught,

For auld lang syne

Chorus (repeat)

For auld lang syne, my dear

For auld Lang syne,

We'll tak a cup o kindness yet,

For auld lang syne !

Translation

****************

Should old acquaintances be forgotten

and never remembered

Should old acquaintance be forgotten

For old long ago

For old long ago, my dear

For old long ago

We will take a cup of kindness yet

For old long ago

And there is a hand my trust friend

And give me a hand of yours

And we will take of a good drink/toast

For old long ago

For old long ago, my dear

For old long ago

We will take a cup of kindness yet

For old long ago

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Though for the day:" Make new friends and keep the old...one is silver, the other gold."

My everyday bus journey

Ok,so you are intrigued... Why should I write about such a mundane thing as a bus journey?

I started commuting by bus regularly only after I joined college. My school was a stone's throw from my house. Hence I used to walk to school. Otherwise I occasionally went by bus, but autorikshaws mostly for other purposes. Also since we owned a car, mom used pick us up or drop us off. But that was till I joined college. After that I had to travel by bus. And then I realised there is more to this. One has to be a 'regular' bus traveller to get the 'joys' of travelling by bus. What I say further pertains to the travelling I've done in my locality (Thrissur). I don't know what travelling out of this State is like. So here goes a brief (and hopefully) enlightening account of my daily bus journey.

There are peak times in a day (obviously) ; mostly in the mornings, when students are trying to reach their institutions , and when employees are scurrying to reach office. And believe me when I say that that is one heck of a time to travel by bus !! Buses come screeching down, packed with people. They compete among themselves to reach each bus-stop and grab the most number of commuters. They come at you as if they will strike you.

Then you board the bus. Hmmm....here the 'interesting' part begins. Morning travel has a disadvantage- people bath and come! You ask me- how is that bad?? When you are at the receiving end of all the water dripping down from women's hair, you will know !!! That is one thing I just cannot fathom. I guess women have no time (or maybe patience?) to dry their hair. Then as I stand in the packed bus, I also get the "opportunity" to identify soap/shampoo brands- How?????

I happen to be a wee bit taller than the average Malayali woman. Consequentially, my head (in effect, my nose) is above most women's head. That is when I am subjected to the' smell' (for lack of better words!) emanating from their heads !! It's mostly a sickening mixture of oil and the soap/shampoo (whatever !). The least said, the better !

And then, the usual prodding, pushing and what not as the impatient travellers try to board and leave the bus. You get stamped once in awhile. Also, men 'accidentally' (intentionally, rather) brush past you.

Another issue is being a student. Here, we are given concession for travelling, much to the discontent of bus owners, who obviously resent it ! Hence, we students are greatly loathed, and the bus conductors try making it difficult for us in every way possible. They bark at us, prevent us from sitting in seats (if they are vacant) ; their logic being that those who pay full amount 'deserve' it.

There have been incidents in Kerala, where buses intentionally took off before the students boarded them, causing injuries to many. Some even shower abuses. Needless to say, I've become more 'thick-skinned' (as they say) !! But not all of them are so mean. There are bus conductors who do not bother us much. But nevertheless, conditions have to improve.

Driving by the bus-drivers is another issue. They go at such alarming speed and drive so carelessly, one fears for one's life. There have been moments when I've thought that the bus is taking us straight to Heaven! They obviously have to be on time, but they are mostly reckless. Hence, we are left swaying from one end to the other, praying we get out of it alive !!!

So that pretty much sums up my experience in buses.

Till next time.........adios !

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Thought for the day: "If you can't see the bright side of life, polish the dull side."

English vs. Malayalam

Let me begin with what got me writing on this topic.

At college, as part of our Communication Aids and Methods course, we were asked to do a public speech. The catch was... it was to be in MALAYALAM ! Now, the funniest part was most of us had problems doing that ! Surprising? Well, I do not think so. It is strange , isn't it?? Your 'mother tongue' is an alien to you and the 'supposed' foreign language ( I hate calling English that !!) is what you prefer.

And before I get into more of this, let me tell you one thing. I am not among the many people who are "proud" of the fact that they don't know Malayalam well, and say so haughtily. I was born and educated till my 4th in Dubai. Obviously, I missed out on the basics of Malayalam and had to learn from scratch over here. Needless to say, it was never my cup of tea. But I did quite well till high school, after which my main language was Hindi. But of course I speak Malayalam very well !

I always wished and desired that I could talk (as in for a PUBLIC SPEECH) and write in Malayalam & English with consummate ease. Like, perhaps, Kamala Das (a.k.a Kamala Suraiyya !). In fact, I believe that it is a great loss. I thus, have lost out on great writers and poets , and of course, their works. And I have , frankly, not been motivated to pick up and read a Malayalam book. Primarily because I feel that my understanding of the intricacies of the language is inadequate.

But the fact I'm trying to highlight is this : We must try to promote our mother-tongue as far as possible. What is happening is that most schools are working hard on improving the English of students. Fair enough. But it should never be at the expense of the mother-tongue. The Kannada-English row in Karnataka is ample proof of 'language politics' (that is of course, another issue in itself. Let's not detour !)

Coming back, parents, teachers and the umpteen number of "Spoken English" classes stress on, perhaps, getting a British, American or whatever diction ! But fail to realise that students hardly mouth their own language properly !

Basically, what I suggest is that there should be a fine balance in the education policies regarding languages... let's give equal preference to both the mother tongue and English. That way, no one misses out on the best of both worlds !

As for my speech, it went quite well...I escaped with minor bruises.

Apo shari. Pinne kaanam ! ha !

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Thoughts for the day : "The limits of my language means the limits of my world."

"Language is the dress of thought."

Life is like a .....BUS RIDE !!

Hi fellow human beings. I have not been able to write for a loong time because I was busy with my exams. And that horror too has past. Let's just say, "good riddance to bad rubbish". And here I present before you a concept which I got whilst I was travelling by...bus !

Our life is pretty much like a bus ride.You start off your journey planning a route, or maybe not.

You are hopeful, enthusiastic; apprehensive, maybe. People walk in and out of the bus (life). Some give joy, some give pain. Some are a pleasure to have around; and you just wish some people didn't come at all ! Nevertheless, they all leave imprints on your heart. The ride is bumpy at times. And at times the weather is calm and sunny ! Then there are some unexpected detours one has to face, or one comes at crossroads...where choosing the right step could become one of life's greatest challenges. In the end, we reach somewhere...was it where we planned to go? How was the ride? And is it the destination that matters....or is it the journey itself?

And were you in the driver's seat?

Take control of YOUR life....Why?! Because it's YOURS.

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Thought for the day: "Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are."

I Have a Dream

Before you people think that I write only poems on LOVE (for some reason, I'm motivated in that direction most of the time !!), here's one.....

I Have a Dream
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I have a dream of a bright tomorrow,
Of a world which is devoid of sorrow;
Where communal clashes are a thing of the past,
Love and respect are here to last.

Women and men share equal rights,
Feminists and chauvinists are out of sight!
Children have fun laughing and singing;
Where each day is a new beginning.

Nature is loved and cared for by all,
To prevent the Earth from further fall.
Farmers are eager and ready to toil,
Prosperity reigns; and not turmoil.

I have a dream of a bright tomorrow,
Of a world which is devoid of sorrow.
"Such a day will I ever get to see?"
"YES!" confirms the Hope within me.

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Thought for the day: "Life consists not in holding good cards, but in playing those you hold well."

LOST LOVE

LOST LOVE
-----------------

Years have sped by, time has flown,
To forget you- that is what I had sworn;
To wipe off your memories from my heart,
To live on, knowing that we are poles apart.

But often on silent, lonely nights,
When the moon is shining bright;
Your thoughts come stealthily to my mind,
And prod other memories left far behind.

Of times we had, both good and bad,
Of tears we shared and fun we had !
But what went wrong, I have no clue;
But as long as it lasted, I know it was true.

You have touched my life in many ways,
I try explaining, but just cannot say.
But you have moved on and so must I;
Must accept the truth, though with a sigh.

Time heals all wounds, but not this one;
The scar remains; the harm is done.
Memories are to be treasured, or so they say,
That’s why you remain in my heart to this very day....

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another of my creations, people !! hope you liked it...Comments are very much expected !


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Thought for the day : "A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him or her. "

FOR YOU

For You
========
Emotions aplenty, words are few;
How much you move me, you have no clue.
My days are lonely, nights are blue;
Please do believe me; what I say is true.

To have you by my side – is all I care,
Your departure is much more than I can bear.
My dreams with you I want to share;
With you I want to climb Life’s stairs.

You are my anchor, you are my light;
Without you…Oh! It is just not right!
So on this mystic, moonlit night,
For you this poem, I dare to write…

Please come back like the morning dew,
And do refresh my heart anew.
Emotions aplenty, words are few…
How much you move me, you have no clue....

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Thought for the day : "Worry is like a rocking horse....it keeps you going, but gets you no where."

LOVE - does it mean anything NOW?

“True love is like ghosts, which everybody talks about and few have seen.”

So said someone. And I must say I agree with it now. Today, there is everything between two people involved except love.

Life has invariably changed over decades, and so has the concept of love. We have heard so much of erstwhile love stories like Romeo-Juliet. Coming closer to our own country, we had Salim-Anarkali, Heer-Ranjha; so on and so forth. There was a lot of passion then . They were even ready to give their life for their love. Their tales of misery and hardships have been glorified through songs, movies, ballads. And it still remains alive (so to say).

But today? Let me cite a quote:

“For, Heaven be thanked, we live in such an age,

When no man dies for love, but on the stage.”

(It is obviously a cynical take on the present state of affairs!)

In short, People are in love with the notion of falling in love. And it all begins at an alarmingly young age. Today, even school-going children talk of being in ‘relationships’ and having ‘boyfriends’ and ‘girlfriends’. It is even more alarming considering the fact that they get physically involved at a much earlier age, when they aren’t mature enough (physically, mentally, or psychologically). The end result? Not encouraging.

Kids at this age tend to feel attracted or infatuated by the opposite sex. True. But taking it to such hitherto unimaginable levels do more harm. By the time they are 19-20 years of age, they have had enough of ‘love’ or ‘relationships’ .Because, obviously, their school-crushes or relationships were not meant to last. But what suffers most is their ‘concept’ of love. Adolescents begin off with ‘idealistic’ concepts of love being ‘true’ and ‘forever’, etc.

But wrong relationships have taught them otherwise. They learn too soon and too fast at such a young age! and Net result? They get disappointed and end up not believing in love or relationships.

And that is very dangerous. Because then they tend to believe that true love does not exist, it’s all a hoax. They fail to see that their ‘premature’ relationships, in fact, have disillusioned them. And the implications are numerous. Such youngsters have distorted views of love, of life. They get cynical about love. They tend to be more wary of other people, cautious of ‘falling’ in love.

The net effect is that we have a bunch of youngsters who have a very casual (shallow, in fact) view of love. For them, love is “time pass”. They change partners faster than their clothes. Having relationships is just a way of satisfying their physical cravings. Tolerance levels drop to zero. You don’t like something about someone? Then just “dump” or “ditch” someone! Everything’s over; just in a flash! Another of the woes of the ‘instant’ lives we now lead. Youngsters now need partners for just a show. Just some “arm-trophy” or “eye-candy”. It’s a means of staying in the ‘social circuit’. You know, just to ‘show-off’ that “I’m-cool-I’m-popular-and-wanted”. Most people end up not believing in marriage, and even if they do, they are rendered incapable of loving or being true to their spouses. Failed marriages & divorces are ample proof.

As for me, I had this silly notion (when I was smaller) of “a prince coming on a white horse and sweeping me off my feet”. And honestly, I still do believe in it! But jokes apart, I’ve not been ‘in love’ and stuff. I’ve had my share of ‘crushes’ and ‘infatuations’ and I have had the sense to distinguish what it really was (just a ‘crush’, of course!). Hence, I’ve not been “disillusioned” by illusions (so to say!). What everyone must realize that you WILL find love, if it is meant to be. Rushing off and trying to hurry this ‘process’ won’t do good folks! Patience is rewarding.....Right?(Let’s hope so).

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Thought for the day: “The me I see is the me I'll be.”

My Dad ...my Hero

Today I’d like to talk about my Dad.

Once, when we were small (my sister and me), we fought over some trivial thing. I exactly don’t remember what it was; something about pencils or so (it was way back; maybe when we were in the 7th or 8th !! ). Then our dad came; he saw us fight. Instead of chiding us for fighting over such trivial things, he gave us a little talk; and that changed me for life. Before I get to that, I want to give a brief glimpse into his past.

Dad was born as the 5th child to my grandparents; and his dad died when he was only 4 or 5 yrs old. He has no vivid memory of his dad. He was the 1st boy in the family. Naturally the responsibility fell onto his shoulders very early. His was not an easy childhood. And he never told us about it; until that small ‘tiff’ between us.

That night as he began talking, the power went. In that dark night, by the aid of an emergency light, he told us things; of his past....

He told us about his childhood; he told of times when he was provided just ONE pencil (then they used slate and pencils). He had to use till it became so small a stub that he couldn’t even hold it in his hands. Of how he used to attend classes after looking into the chores of the house. He told of times when ‘fish’ curry to him meant having just ONE fish to cook and apportioning that one, itsy-bitsy fish among all the members of the family. He talked of times when he had no money to pay for bus-fares, of not having clothes to wear to college; and many more.

By the time he finished, we were in tears. Right then, us fighting for some pencils seemed so very petty. And I thanked dad in my heart for that ‘little’ talk. It changed my perspective of life. My dad, let me specify, is the kind of person who never shares any of his problems with us. His heart may be in turmoil, but he never lets us know it .

[This may seem a figment of someone's fertile imagination to some. It may seem fictitious; or rather something straight out of a story: the protagonist being this poor lad who makes it big one day....but this IS the truth. My dad has risen out of abject poverty by his own will and determination. Not that I am saying we are 'filthy rich'. But our dad provides for us well !]

And that day when he told us about his past, it was a revelation of sorts; because I hadn’t imagined until then that he had such a childhood. He has had a tough life since then as well. But he has never let us feel inadequate in any sphere of life. Because of his childhood experience, he was pretty adamant that we should not lack in anything. If we ask for one pencil, he would buy 10 !

Then I realized how strong my dad is at heart. He has been through a lot. And he has taught many things through his life, which I’m grateful for. He has taught me the value of education, of perseverance, of hard work and many more. Hence, from that day onwards, we both realized the value of the things we had. He also taught us to be content with what you have. And that day, by the time he finished his talk, the power came back; and indeed, a 'new' light had dawned on me.....

That is why my dad is, was and always will be my hero.

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Thought for the day: “First deserve; then desire.”

Count your blessings

Let me start with a small incident.

I was on my way, rushing to the bus stop. I had woken up late. Consequentially, I had to gather my wits and all the things I needed for the day (my bag with books; not to forget my lunch box!).

Was hurrying so that I wouldn't miss my bus.

As I was racing to reach the bus stop, I saw a small boy (walking with his grandpa). He had prosthetic legs. But the child somehow didn't seem to 'feel' crippled for life. He was very cheerful, oblivious to the fact that he was disabled in any way.

Suddenly, it hit me. There I was 'running' away to glory to catch the bus. But that child, he will never run. He will never leap with joy; he'll never enjoy outdoor sports. Then I thanked God ; for I did have two fine legs.

There are umpteen things one takes for granted in life. The house we live in, our family, friends... even our 'sanity' ! In this mad-rush called 'life', we do not (want to) think of things we have; instead we harp on things we don't have . We all lead safe and sound lives. Nestled away in the comforts of our homes, we eat three meals a day, we have fine clothes to wear, we have money to spend. But there are many for whom life means making ends meet. They don't have basic amenities like food, clothing, shelter, clean drinking water.We see beggars roaming on the roads, unkempt and unclean. Pause then and thank God....you are not one of them.

It seems to me that we are not "grateful" enough. All we do is whine about things we don't have; things which we 'think' will make us happier. Instead, why not pause and think of how fortunate we are to have what we have?

I read a forward on the net, and it BEAUTIFULLY conveys that we have to be thankful for what we have. It has been one of my all-time favourites.

___________________________________________________________________

"Today, upon a bus, I saw a girl with golden hair

I looked at her and sighed and wished I was as fair.

When suddenly she rose to leave,

I saw her hobble down the aisle.

She had one leg and used a crutch

But as she passed, she passed a smile.

Oh, God, forgive me when I whine

I have 2 legs, the world is mine.

I stopped to buy some candy

The lad who sold it had such charm

I talked with him a while, he seemed so very glad

If I were late, it'd do no harm.

And as I left, he said to me,

"I thank you, you've been so kind.

It's nice to talk with folks like you.

You see," he said, "I'm blind."

Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.

I have 2 eyes, the world is mine.

Later while walking down the street,

I saw a child with eyes of blue

He stood and watched the others play

He did not know what to do.

I stopped a moment and then I said,

"Why don't you join the others, dear?"

He looked ahead without a word.

And then I knew, he couldn't hear.

Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.

I have 2 ears, the world is mine.

With feet to take me where I'd go.

With eyes to see the sunset's glow.

With ears to hear what I would know.

Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.

I've been blessed indeed, The world is mine."

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So everyday, think of one thing you are grateful for. You will be much happier !

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Thought for the say: "Quitters never win; winners never quit"

Web+log= blog !!!

Hey! I thought a weblog- must be interesting. Half the world is hooked onto it; kind of interesting too. To carve a niche on the internet for oneself. Creating space for oneself. Posting one's thoughts, opinions, suggestions, comments. So I thought, what the heck, let me try it out too !! And so here I am! How 'faithful' I remain to my blog is left to be seen. Let me tell you something. Every year, I ambitiously start off my 'journal'. I swear I'll write daily. But frankly, it never lasts for more than 2 months (that's the maximum!).

Blame my laziness, forgetfullness, or sheer disinterest !! Anyways, I'm giving a shot at this.

Let's see how it turns out...adios folks!

[P.S : wish me luck!!]

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Thought for the day: "nobody can drive you crazy, unless you give them the keys."