Journal art

A well wisher recently told me that he's bored of what I've put up here. And everytime I have been thinking of writing something since, a small teeny weeny performance pressure grips me. Anyhow, now I am over it, so here goes:

1. Have found myself actioning on the things I have been wanting to do for a while now, and I am loving it. For starters, this was possibly the first birthday of it's kind I had. Yes, I did turn 28 - but you know, it's really not that old. It's only and hopefully only half my life - there is so much more in store to learn from the second half. Anyway, so turning old is not what made me spiritual/religious and took me to Amritsar - and neither was it to meet a marriage prospect (I had atleast 4 people asking me that question). It was the want of doing something different. Given the liking I have taken to travel, the desire to see more of my own country, and value of the time I have with my parents, I decided to give up the usual wining and dining and do this instead. And I thoroughly enjoyed turning 28.


2. Have taken to a new interest - Art. No, not visiting art galleries and museums and trying to comprehend what others express. But trying to express myself in black and white, and a little bit of water and colour. And it is fascinating. Well, am just a beginner and am yet only trying my hand at the simpler techniques. But hopefully, the interest will last long enough so I can finally have something to tell the mummy's and daddy's when they ask me about my hobbies :-). Come on, you know me better than that - that's not even remotely the reason.


3. I called up the organisers of various dance classes conducted in Delhi. I will soon pay up for the weekend batch, but atleast I have a registration number now - am moving in that direction.


4. Am also finally back to the rythm of one hindi movie a week. And am so glad Ads has moved to Delhi - Its what they call 'ek teer se do nishane' - I can pamper her, as well as have company for the most trashy movies ;-) But I am thinking about BeeforBollywood.


5. The other thing that is keeping me busy these days is reading the shopaholic series. Am still on confessions, but it already has made me confess on the shopaholic instincts I am developing. Am hoping its a commonality with women my generation and age. And more so, just a phase..


6. Work is really uninteresting these days. The Organisation has done some bit of restructuring and everyone is trying to deal with the change. So am I. Hopefully I have made the right decisions. One of my oldest colleagues and once upon a time the only friend at work has resigned. And that is pretty much seems the end of our roller coaster ride together.

Journal art is something I read about as I was researching my new found interest. You get rid of the clutter in the mind by writing a journal, and then close your eyes and draw random lines with a blank mind. A shape automatically emerges, which you fill in for a complete painting. My journal's done, so now lets give the art a try.

Jai Hind

With all entertainment channels at their patriotic best this weekend, it dawned on me (Its a pity, I need external influence to trigger such thoughts)...How selfless were the people who fought for our country? What did they get in return? Pride and honour? From who? Generations like ours and the ones to follow who don't even know the names of all the martyrs who bled for us. Such immense passion for something you don't even reap the benefits of. Does the mass Indian even value the armed forces...does he even know that in so many countries in the world, every citizen needs to serve in the army for a period of their lives..

And its not just the freedom fighters or the soldiers of the armed forces...August 14 was one of those nightmarish days when our good ol' capital could not handle the downpour, and it took commuters an average of 4-5 hours to return home from work. What did the traffic policeman get by soaking himself in the rain, wading through the water barefeet and controlling traffic. Ok, that's his job and that is what he is paid for - but he is doing a job thats for the welfare of people, and not just himself. How many of us would like to leave the comforts of our homes and do something like that.

Wow.. and here I am torn between my day to day saga of what is wrong in my life. What am I doing thats beyond the influence of my material needs. Can't think of anything. And how many people do I personally know who are....

If I were the chief minister of Delhi..

Yeah, reminds me of the creative writing sessions in school where we were supposed to let our imagination go wild in trying to think on what the people in positions of power could do to better the situation of our country, city etc.

Now considering my low political awareness quotient, I do not know which lists (state, centre or concurrent) do these subjects fall under, but I wonder why the responsible people in the appropriate positions power cannot do anything like the following:

1. Make laws to restrict sale of cars to households having cars in excess of the driving capacity of the household
2. Make laws to restrict launch of the new bandwagon of small and affordable cars in cities with existing traffic congestion
3. Restrict auto rickshaws and cycle rikshaws to operate on certain crowded streets of Delhi (like in Bombay, no autos are allowed beyond Bandra). Delhi can do with a lot more people walking greater distances.
4. Impose a toll on cars in peak traffic times, like they do in Singapore
5. Reward honest traffic policemen
6. Make rural education more than just a voluntary initiative by Corporates as well as economically respectable professionals and businesses
7. Reward rural households that are sensitive towards birth control
8. Have a small component of income tax towards the well being of orphans in the country
9. Organise infrastructure reforms in a manner that don't lead to disasterous increases in traffic congestion

Wise and Otherwise

The title caught my attention when I picked this book at Cafe Turtle. And was it the best book on short stories that I have read? You bet. I was kind of skeptical buying it because I thought it would be one more of those books written on social causes in an Indian scenario, which I may just not enjoy midway. But I was proved wrong. The book is a compilation of the author's (Sudha Murthy) experiences over the years of her association with the Infosys Foundation. And I haven't read such a simple and well written re-iteration of human values. Definitely wisdom for keeps.

The other book I picked for a friend but read it before gifting it to her was Randy Pausch's last lecture. I saw the video on you tube, which just about ignited a spark because I thought the guy was humourous. Did not quite pay attention to the messages in the lecture. The book however, managed to arouse more interest and was a good read. It wasn't just another 'motivational' speech or talk on achieveing dreams. The messages were so beautifully interwined with the author's personal experiences, that now am actually motivated to buy a copy for myself and mark the meaningful lessons on life. I did wonder on the psyche behind publicising something you want to leave behind for your children, but after reading the book, I guess its a deed well done.

Mamma Mia

If you can give up alcohol for the longest time
If you can give up snoozing on alarms 'coz monitors is what you wake up to
If you can fill your plate with warm food; and leave it mid way to calm the upset soul

If you have courage to take responsibility for disturbing the decorum of a public place

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If you can order chocolate milk at a bistro when what you want is hot chocolate
If you no longer need weights but the car seat, stroller, "Godi" etc to tone up
If you can give up cuddling with your mate at night 'coz sleep is what you treasure more

If the only time you have with yourself is in the bath

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If you have the art of making up stories for almost everything
If you can run your life based on their schedule
If you can go to amusement parks and give up on the rides you once enjoyed

If you have the unconditional support of your mate to take over when you are burnt out

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If the giggles and the incessant (and at at times incoherent) chatter mean the world to you...
Only then are you ready to be Mamma, my friend..

For my childhood friend who's doing such a 'good job' at being Mamma