Its been one year since I last attempted to write something and I just realized this !
Its Diwali time again and like in my previous post a year back, Anubha is at her parents again but this time its not a reunion with family for Diwali but to give birth to our first child in March !
I have not been married too long but the impact of tying the knot has definitely impacted my life big time in a good way of course :-) Its almost as if my stars could not play much of a role in my first 26 years since my free will did not do anything out of the ordinary for the stars to have any role until I did the unexpected and got married ! Writing this is making me laugh. The starts have really begun kicking in now.
But seriously I don't know what life feels like if its perfect but this is pretty close to it I think.
I don't feel like I have matured but objectively observing myself as a soul looking into myself from above I feel like I act now to keep everyone happy as much as possible which is important. Take for example my spontaneous plan to visit the Valley of Flowers of Maharashtra in Satara district last weekend which is nature's celebration of allowing 156 species of wild flowers to bloom in all its bounty in a 3 km stretch lasting only a month. Over the years I have been berated on several occasions for not informing my parents about my whereabouts if I am out of town or not in possession of my cell phone. Their imagination of me in trouble runs wild e.g. Sonai has fallen into a ditch and cannot answer his cell phone. With Anubha its gets even more dramatic. I have Friday meetings with my Director during which I silence my phone. One day I forgot to activate sound and within one hour the company security and my office colleagues were all over looking for me. Good thing she did not have my Director's number otherwise he too would be on 'official' search and find duty :-)
Finally when I got home with my phone still silent I found Anubha sobbing with a N-95 Swine flu mask roaming around Eden Garden to see if I was visible from the main road ! Her premonition was that I had probably got swine flu symptoms and was in hospital and hiding it from her. So the long and short of my Valley of Flowers trip is that I did not go because I felt the trepidation in their voices on hearing of my next adventure . I was plannng a solo trip which did not help. My mom asked with much bemusement 'Why don't you call over a friend and order a Pizza or something ? . That day I stayed home and cooked tomato fish Bengali style.
So the most important test of my life is coming up. Being a father. I pretty much wan't to be able to do what my father did for me. Instill life long values early that stick, which include all that I have learnt from my dad on proper eating habits and exercise, provide a good education both within the home and outside, feed him/her (based on symptoms it seems like a boy) what I have understood about our universe thus far and about us which is that we are souls in a body and not the other way around so that he too has the urge in him to dig deeper someday and not be oblivious completely to our spritual aspect. Essentially I need to be the best example that I could be.
Based on what I have read and understood thus far about life from various sources the latest being the Vedas, a lot of effort goes into a soul's search of finding parents that suit the soul's desire to learn certain lessons out of life which is why the soul incarnates. All this is subconcious mind you. You need to contact your soul within to understand your life's original plan.The soul is not afraid to incarnate. Based on our karmic vibrations and the soul's , the contract has been signed for next March for junior Banerjee to enter the world ! Sometimes knowing too much can be a bit intimidating !
I do not think any new parent is ever aware of how it must feel to hold you first child for the first time . It's just got to be experienced. I do not feel anything at the moment since its too big a event in my life. Anything too big or small does not occupy much of our consciousness.
Everything is by the Almighty's mercy .
Next March there will we that extra sunshine shining on the Banerjee and Bhattacharaya families . I hope I can do my bit for this soul to shine in his life.
Happy Diwali !
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Made in heaven
It struck me like a passing shower. It was discussed,decided and executed so swiftly that I hardly got to contemplate on why,when and who .
I got married in August and here I am reflecting on life nearly three months into my marriage.
Only reason perhaps I am doing so is that somehow I feel like a bachelor again for a few days, now that my wife it at her parents for Divali. My clothes are strewn all over the living room like the goold old days, there is a layer or two of dust on top of everything which I choose not to dust off until Sunday (when Anubha returns) and dishes are piling on. I do water the plants everyday though.
Time has flown quickly since August and I have been immersed into living each day and understanding how things are different forever!. My daily routine is quite different than it used to be and my mom would definitely think for the better knowing my routine well before and after tying the nuptial.
Anyways marriage time was all hustle,bustle and all in all very gratifying a experience which I shall cherish. Most of my elderly relatives came and so did my Canadian sis who till last minute was keeping us in tentherhooks. Was lovely to see all these relatives together coming to bless me.
Hats off to my dad who cooked for everyone day in and out , who had food ready before even most of us got up and did all the dishes too !
The gifts pappa brought down for everyone were unique and tasteful. Kakima's artistic flair lent themselves very well into beautifully wrapped presents.
The ceremonies were very interesting and I felt good doing all of them earnestly and sincerely seeing most of them for the first time. Marriage itself came and went like a flash and lo and behold I was married !
Family and relatives left one by one and quickly as they had come until it was just us.
Ok, so now I get wonderful freshly cooked meals every morning,lunch and dinner. I also get my face washed, cleansed and massaged every night. My cupboard is meticulously arranged for me and I get a call asking me whether I have eaten or not and feedback on the food solicited just after my lunch. These are the salient bits that come to mind ,since they all suddenly have stopped.
In between we have had a few trips to Anubha's parents place where I have been treated royally. I have made Anubha taste dishes she has never seen or had before and made here go places she has never been to before, the most exciting being camping out in the open in an interior village on the Sayhadri hills under the stars with the wind blowing furiously and the only sound emanating from a distance being those of insects and animals alien to us.
Spending Diwali with Anubha and bursting crackers was fun and will be fond memories in retrospect I am sure.
In all this, I remember my mom and dad who got me to where I am today and got me married to the girl of their choice. Anubha loves my dad's humour which we could not eally identify and appreciate all these years :-) Thanks mamma for all the tireless shopping trips and arrangements you made leading up to the marriage. Thanks Tupi for coming ! Pls do answer your phone sometimes :-)
My parents did a lot of filtering,soul searching and dutiful diligence before zeroing down on the girl in just one week !Anubha's parents who diligently searched for a groom for their daughter for more than two years finally matched my horoscope with Anubha's using a incorrect birthday for me and it all matched and we got married ! An astrolger to Choki Dhani expressed astonishment looking at my hand because I was still in India and not abroad as my stars indicated I should be. His conclusion was that I had come back to India to just get married !
Are marriages made in heaven ?
I am not sure but I would surely like to thank my parents, Anubha's parents and last but not cretainly the least my stars for getting me into this situation !
I got married in August and here I am reflecting on life nearly three months into my marriage.
Only reason perhaps I am doing so is that somehow I feel like a bachelor again for a few days, now that my wife it at her parents for Divali. My clothes are strewn all over the living room like the goold old days, there is a layer or two of dust on top of everything which I choose not to dust off until Sunday (when Anubha returns) and dishes are piling on. I do water the plants everyday though.
Time has flown quickly since August and I have been immersed into living each day and understanding how things are different forever!. My daily routine is quite different than it used to be and my mom would definitely think for the better knowing my routine well before and after tying the nuptial.
Anyways marriage time was all hustle,bustle and all in all very gratifying a experience which I shall cherish. Most of my elderly relatives came and so did my Canadian sis who till last minute was keeping us in tentherhooks. Was lovely to see all these relatives together coming to bless me.
Hats off to my dad who cooked for everyone day in and out , who had food ready before even most of us got up and did all the dishes too !
The gifts pappa brought down for everyone were unique and tasteful. Kakima's artistic flair lent themselves very well into beautifully wrapped presents.
The ceremonies were very interesting and I felt good doing all of them earnestly and sincerely seeing most of them for the first time. Marriage itself came and went like a flash and lo and behold I was married !
Family and relatives left one by one and quickly as they had come until it was just us.
Ok, so now I get wonderful freshly cooked meals every morning,lunch and dinner. I also get my face washed, cleansed and massaged every night. My cupboard is meticulously arranged for me and I get a call asking me whether I have eaten or not and feedback on the food solicited just after my lunch. These are the salient bits that come to mind ,since they all suddenly have stopped.
In between we have had a few trips to Anubha's parents place where I have been treated royally. I have made Anubha taste dishes she has never seen or had before and made here go places she has never been to before, the most exciting being camping out in the open in an interior village on the Sayhadri hills under the stars with the wind blowing furiously and the only sound emanating from a distance being those of insects and animals alien to us.
Spending Diwali with Anubha and bursting crackers was fun and will be fond memories in retrospect I am sure.
In all this, I remember my mom and dad who got me to where I am today and got me married to the girl of their choice. Anubha loves my dad's humour which we could not eally identify and appreciate all these years :-) Thanks mamma for all the tireless shopping trips and arrangements you made leading up to the marriage. Thanks Tupi for coming ! Pls do answer your phone sometimes :-)
My parents did a lot of filtering,soul searching and dutiful diligence before zeroing down on the girl in just one week !Anubha's parents who diligently searched for a groom for their daughter for more than two years finally matched my horoscope with Anubha's using a incorrect birthday for me and it all matched and we got married ! An astrolger to Choki Dhani expressed astonishment looking at my hand because I was still in India and not abroad as my stars indicated I should be. His conclusion was that I had come back to India to just get married !
Are marriages made in heaven ?
I am not sure but I would surely like to thank my parents, Anubha's parents and last but not cretainly the least my stars for getting me into this situation !
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
God Incarnate
God acts through people and nature. This I say as an absolute. God has no other way as we know it. How many times have we in our lives been helped or saved in the nick of time from the most unlikely souls? Do you attribute this to sheer coincidence ? Then how come each of these six billion human souls in this world have all had such moments all through their lives ? How come good things that one truly,deeply desires for just happen in ways inconceivable when least expected when earlier nothing bears fruit even if you are ready to take on the world? How come pessimistic,perennially sulky folks never seem to have good things come upon them and vice versa? Coincidence does not have a mind of its own. Nature does.And its constantly working . Coyotes give birth to three or four pups at a time and only half or less survive. At the time when the coyote population was being wiped out in Canada and their population dwindling , all of a sudden all coyote pups around the world started surviving lo and behold ! As soon as the equilibrium was attained, back to normal as usual :-) People who think that we are destroying mother earth and will bring nature to its knees one day where upon life for humans will be a 'water world' could not be believing in any greater a fallacy. Nature has pre-existed us and shall live long after we are gone. Natural disasters are very much intentional.
Whats the point of all this esoteric dissertation ? This supreme being, cosmic energy or whatever name have you that we call God is all around us and in us. Prayer, positive thought, forgiveness and things albeit intangible do very much work and are the most powerful tools at our disposable. I am convinced that there are no miracles in this world. I go to the clinic of my teacher who is a accomplished pranic healer and I am seeing miracles with my own eyes ridding people of their pains and diseases using nothing but the energy field that we live in. Its incredible to realize that God is in us, all the time around us and when we sincerely ask for the right type of help, God is so very obliging.
Last night my eyes were moist. I had come to the realization that all my life the parents I had taken for granted were the closest I have come to feeling God's selfless love , kindness,forgiveness and guidance. Parents are mortals,have their limitations and they would be highly embarrassed to be hearing all this from me, but last night my life rode past me in a flashback, and all I could remember was their selfless ,untiring care and affection all through these years . How can mere mortals whose primary instinct is self survival pour all their grey matter into me and expect nothing in return ? When things don't go my way , I find it very convenient to cast blame on them and sulk knowing very well that it will be them who will take me back into their open arms always. Their one hug is the best feeling in the world.
Great ones have found God through nature ,meditation,prayer ,music and God's innumerable other facets. I , a ordinary mortal like any other, have experienced God in my parents. I pray to God for forgiveness for all my shortcomings. God please give me the power to do justice to my parents. God thank you for my parents.
Whats the point of all this esoteric dissertation ? This supreme being, cosmic energy or whatever name have you that we call God is all around us and in us. Prayer, positive thought, forgiveness and things albeit intangible do very much work and are the most powerful tools at our disposable. I am convinced that there are no miracles in this world. I go to the clinic of my teacher who is a accomplished pranic healer and I am seeing miracles with my own eyes ridding people of their pains and diseases using nothing but the energy field that we live in. Its incredible to realize that God is in us, all the time around us and when we sincerely ask for the right type of help, God is so very obliging.
Last night my eyes were moist. I had come to the realization that all my life the parents I had taken for granted were the closest I have come to feeling God's selfless love , kindness,forgiveness and guidance. Parents are mortals,have their limitations and they would be highly embarrassed to be hearing all this from me, but last night my life rode past me in a flashback, and all I could remember was their selfless ,untiring care and affection all through these years . How can mere mortals whose primary instinct is self survival pour all their grey matter into me and expect nothing in return ? When things don't go my way , I find it very convenient to cast blame on them and sulk knowing very well that it will be them who will take me back into their open arms always. Their one hug is the best feeling in the world.
Great ones have found God through nature ,meditation,prayer ,music and God's innumerable other facets. I , a ordinary mortal like any other, have experienced God in my parents. I pray to God for forgiveness for all my shortcomings. God please give me the power to do justice to my parents. God thank you for my parents.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Murud, Janjira and Kashid
Had a truly memorable Saturday.
India just simply never fails to turn out one surprise after another.
Sitting in Pune I simply could not fathom that just 150 kms away , sitting snug in the Arabian sea, overlooking idyllic villages and a pristine coastline, was a gargantuan fort built 1000 yrs back , spread over 22 acres, supporting more than 2500 people with its own mosques, temples, homes, bird shop, fresh water ponds and more, all sitting in the middle of the Arabian sea !
I am speaking of the Janjira fort built by the Siddhis a 1000 yrs back in the Konkan region of Maharashtra. Most of us hear of the famed Marathas but very few have even heard of the Siddhis. In short a Iranian king came from South Africa(where he was domiciled) to India, captured some territory in Konkan, subsequently bought salves from East Africa and built this massive fort in the sea known as Janjira over 22 yrs ! The Marathas tried to defeat the Siddhis in multiple occasions ,five hundred years into the fort's existence but failed , and to make the story even more interesting after that, Sambhaji (Shivaji's son) built another fort in the sea overlooking Janira, albeit smaller over another 16 years in readiness to face off again! People were living in Janjira all the way till 1972.
Our journey from Pune begun at 4 am in the morning , yes you read right ! The sunrise and the drive through the Konkan region was spell binding. The roads were very good for the most part and the neat and clean villages with their distinct architecture and sprawling abodes and greenery all around must leave Pune city dwellers in today's day and age of 'luxirious living' green with envy. We stopped off in some very interesting points to take pics and go to the loo :-) I enjoyed walking right into a lady farmer's small plot while she was farming with her daughter and getting her to show us around her crops ! She was one of those typical vendors you see sitting on the city pavements. She grew everything under the sun and had the largest cauliflower plant I have ever seen. If she had a bumper crop she would sell in Alibaug market otherwise right there in her village. Right across the road from the farm we bought a packet full of 'kala jaam' and relished it thoroughly with a sprinkling of salt. Stopping along the way in the middle of remote villages to have chai and lapping up the village life was nice. In one village we saw a very peculiar species of a 'dog' which was not really like a dog. It was a mix of a pig and a dog and looked very funny. We saw several of these in that village, I think it was Nizampur.
Finally we got to Rajpuri which houses the tombs of the Siddhi nawabs. Architecture was imposing. You felt the Muslim presence in the area. We walked past schools and homes in the fishing village until we got to the shore from where lo and behold we could see Janjira out of nowhere really . We stood on the beach just to take in the incredible sight. Boats haul visitors of Rajpuri to the fort. These boats too seem to date from the Siddhis time architecturilly atleast with these white sails fluttering the air. Reminded me of the 'Pirates in the Caribbean'.
Once on the boat, we had this sweet bunch of muslim school children with their teachers who started singing some beautiful urdu songs. Still humming the tune at home today. The fort is so cleverly built that one cannot see any entrance from a distance unless they know where it is. The fort is truly imposing. We had a great guide who spoke in a very peculiar urdu accent which sounded very cool to me. The fort has India's third largest cannon and is built with a material in such a fashion that it never heats up. Our heads were hot from the searing heat but the cannon was as cool as a dog's nose. The exterior door's in the fort are designed such that they look like tiny windows from outside confusing the enemy. The main door still stands and cannot be burnt or made to rot ! There is a emblem in the fort which is either tatooed on each dweller's body or each person has a ring with the emblem. The emblem depicts a lion crushing seven elephants ! How crazy a emblem is that ! If someone comes knocking disguised as a friend and cannot provide this emblem on them, then they are finished off right away by pouring hot oil on them and body dumped in the sea ! Too many exclamatory points to write about in this visit ! What is also incredible is that in case enemy did surround the fort dwellers , then there was a secret passage way seven feet under the sea that lead to a palace on the village overlooking the fort. We even saw this palace from shore.
Had a superb fish thali in Murud a short distance away under a multi layered canapy of palm trees , with the the sound of breaking waves emanating from a distance. We then ran straight for the Muruf beach and had the typical beach fun and frolic which included a ride in a horse carriage. Proceeded from there towards Pune. Stopped off in Kashid beach on the way, where we had tea swinging on a hammock, while seeing the glowing sun slowly setting.
Murud Janjira and Kashid . They are worthy enough of being called jewels in the Increible India crown metaphorically speaking. However true to India's character, its a land so ancient and wise, that there I am sure there are countless Murud's and Janjira scattered across the length and breath of this great nation and perhaps its only fair that the curios,persevering traveller who dares to look beyond the beaten track is rewarded with such amazing slices of history and experiences the magnificence of mother nature in the least heard of places.I have been amazed at the hospitality, innocence and honesty of our people.
I shall surely return to Janjira one day. Pics to follow soon.
India just simply never fails to turn out one surprise after another.
Sitting in Pune I simply could not fathom that just 150 kms away , sitting snug in the Arabian sea, overlooking idyllic villages and a pristine coastline, was a gargantuan fort built 1000 yrs back , spread over 22 acres, supporting more than 2500 people with its own mosques, temples, homes, bird shop, fresh water ponds and more, all sitting in the middle of the Arabian sea !
I am speaking of the Janjira fort built by the Siddhis a 1000 yrs back in the Konkan region of Maharashtra. Most of us hear of the famed Marathas but very few have even heard of the Siddhis. In short a Iranian king came from South Africa(where he was domiciled) to India, captured some territory in Konkan, subsequently bought salves from East Africa and built this massive fort in the sea known as Janjira over 22 yrs ! The Marathas tried to defeat the Siddhis in multiple occasions ,five hundred years into the fort's existence but failed , and to make the story even more interesting after that, Sambhaji (Shivaji's son) built another fort in the sea overlooking Janira, albeit smaller over another 16 years in readiness to face off again! People were living in Janjira all the way till 1972.
Our journey from Pune begun at 4 am in the morning , yes you read right ! The sunrise and the drive through the Konkan region was spell binding. The roads were very good for the most part and the neat and clean villages with their distinct architecture and sprawling abodes and greenery all around must leave Pune city dwellers in today's day and age of 'luxirious living' green with envy. We stopped off in some very interesting points to take pics and go to the loo :-) I enjoyed walking right into a lady farmer's small plot while she was farming with her daughter and getting her to show us around her crops ! She was one of those typical vendors you see sitting on the city pavements. She grew everything under the sun and had the largest cauliflower plant I have ever seen. If she had a bumper crop she would sell in Alibaug market otherwise right there in her village. Right across the road from the farm we bought a packet full of 'kala jaam' and relished it thoroughly with a sprinkling of salt. Stopping along the way in the middle of remote villages to have chai and lapping up the village life was nice. In one village we saw a very peculiar species of a 'dog' which was not really like a dog. It was a mix of a pig and a dog and looked very funny. We saw several of these in that village, I think it was Nizampur.
Finally we got to Rajpuri which houses the tombs of the Siddhi nawabs. Architecture was imposing. You felt the Muslim presence in the area. We walked past schools and homes in the fishing village until we got to the shore from where lo and behold we could see Janjira out of nowhere really . We stood on the beach just to take in the incredible sight. Boats haul visitors of Rajpuri to the fort. These boats too seem to date from the Siddhis time architecturilly atleast with these white sails fluttering the air. Reminded me of the 'Pirates in the Caribbean'.
Once on the boat, we had this sweet bunch of muslim school children with their teachers who started singing some beautiful urdu songs. Still humming the tune at home today. The fort is so cleverly built that one cannot see any entrance from a distance unless they know where it is. The fort is truly imposing. We had a great guide who spoke in a very peculiar urdu accent which sounded very cool to me. The fort has India's third largest cannon and is built with a material in such a fashion that it never heats up. Our heads were hot from the searing heat but the cannon was as cool as a dog's nose. The exterior door's in the fort are designed such that they look like tiny windows from outside confusing the enemy. The main door still stands and cannot be burnt or made to rot ! There is a emblem in the fort which is either tatooed on each dweller's body or each person has a ring with the emblem. The emblem depicts a lion crushing seven elephants ! How crazy a emblem is that ! If someone comes knocking disguised as a friend and cannot provide this emblem on them, then they are finished off right away by pouring hot oil on them and body dumped in the sea ! Too many exclamatory points to write about in this visit ! What is also incredible is that in case enemy did surround the fort dwellers , then there was a secret passage way seven feet under the sea that lead to a palace on the village overlooking the fort. We even saw this palace from shore.
Had a superb fish thali in Murud a short distance away under a multi layered canapy of palm trees , with the the sound of breaking waves emanating from a distance. We then ran straight for the Muruf beach and had the typical beach fun and frolic which included a ride in a horse carriage. Proceeded from there towards Pune. Stopped off in Kashid beach on the way, where we had tea swinging on a hammock, while seeing the glowing sun slowly setting.
Murud Janjira and Kashid . They are worthy enough of being called jewels in the Increible India crown metaphorically speaking. However true to India's character, its a land so ancient and wise, that there I am sure there are countless Murud's and Janjira scattered across the length and breath of this great nation and perhaps its only fair that the curios,persevering traveller who dares to look beyond the beaten track is rewarded with such amazing slices of history and experiences the magnificence of mother nature in the least heard of places.I have been amazed at the hospitality, innocence and honesty of our people.
I shall surely return to Janjira one day. Pics to follow soon.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
A year on and life is set
A year has flown by in the blink of an eye and my homecoming to India after seventeen years is running towards its second anniversary in a few months time ! Life seems more complete and yet from a personal capacity I feel the yearning to do so much to make a difference outside the eight hours of routine work, which I have settled into quite nicely now.
Life at work is very colourful, happening and formality is thrown out of the wind which is great !
Food in the canteen after a year or so no longer enthralls like it used to. However I am tasting new fruits which I never had in the US or Trinidad such as 'chiku' and custard apple which keep me alive and kicking during the day quite often now :-)
Socialized a fair amount, did some lovely sight seeing and have also tried making yoga asanas a habit. Focussing on the shoulder stand mainly which my sis claims is going to do everything for me :-)
So all in all, life is balanced, infact rocking and I am grateful to the almighty for everything.
However the desire to go out there and just do it for a good cause, for my country and my people still burns. I am exploring things that are troubling me in society personally such as the traffic sense amongst people here and our notorious civic sense, which I plan to write about so that I can bring clarity to myself as to what I think is wrong with it and what perhaps what I can do to ameliorate the condition even slightly.
For now Diwali is in the air and its interesting to observe how its celebrated in India having for so many years missed the wonderful ambience of the festival in Trinidad and the fun times spent at Diwali Nagar. Shall be paying respects to Goa this Diwali weekend with friends.
Happy Diwali !
Life at work is very colourful, happening and formality is thrown out of the wind which is great !
Food in the canteen after a year or so no longer enthralls like it used to. However I am tasting new fruits which I never had in the US or Trinidad such as 'chiku' and custard apple which keep me alive and kicking during the day quite often now :-)
Socialized a fair amount, did some lovely sight seeing and have also tried making yoga asanas a habit. Focussing on the shoulder stand mainly which my sis claims is going to do everything for me :-)
So all in all, life is balanced, infact rocking and I am grateful to the almighty for everything.
However the desire to go out there and just do it for a good cause, for my country and my people still burns. I am exploring things that are troubling me in society personally such as the traffic sense amongst people here and our notorious civic sense, which I plan to write about so that I can bring clarity to myself as to what I think is wrong with it and what perhaps what I can do to ameliorate the condition even slightly.
For now Diwali is in the air and its interesting to observe how its celebrated in India having for so many years missed the wonderful ambience of the festival in Trinidad and the fun times spent at Diwali Nagar. Shall be paying respects to Goa this Diwali weekend with friends.
Happy Diwali !
Friday, November 17, 2006
Thanks to the pages of my bygone life
Imagine reading a book filled with such suspense,drama and excitement that you just cannot take your eyes of it ! Come what may, be it surreptitiously catching up on your book cleverly hidden under your math and physics books during your study time so that mom does not catch you, or carrying your book along to work, so that you can continue what you want to do most while you commute or during your lunch break or maybe even postpone some evening plans with friends under the pretext of a headache or body pains so that its just you and your favourite book :-) Really it seems sometimes that we can go to any extent just to know whats next !
But have we ever thought of those crumpled, smudged,dog eared pages in the book that we have already read that brought us so much excitement in the past ? If it were not for the role of every single one of those old pages, your book wouldn't make any sense and neither would the book, which after all is a small, not so imposing an inanimate object made out of trees, and just by the look of it does not provide any semblance of pleasure and joy that its known to provide to so many avid and voracious readers over the ages !
A similar analogy can be drawn towards life I think. To draw maximum juice out of life and to be be also able to lick the juices of your fingers afterwards, one relies most often on family, friends,teachers and guardians without whom life would simply not be the beautiful journey it has been thus far. For each one of us, life's many forms, circumstances and stages brings across a lesson or an experience which shapes us every day , for most of us unknowingly.
I thank my family, teachers, neighbours, well wishers, friends and colleagues for the entire gamut of experiences. I used to earlier wonder what is life's purpose. Now I am convinced that one has to draw meaning out of life. If everyone's meaning was the same then there would be nothing to discover ! Living in the moment fully itself is the purpose.
On a closing note,a wise man said that often we learn silence from the talkative, manners from the ill-mannered and kindness from the ruthless, yet we never thank such teachers from whom we learn important lessons in life. So last but certainly not the least, my thanks goes out to those within whom I saw traits which I did not want to inculcate and tried becoming the opposite :-)
But have we ever thought of those crumpled, smudged,dog eared pages in the book that we have already read that brought us so much excitement in the past ? If it were not for the role of every single one of those old pages, your book wouldn't make any sense and neither would the book, which after all is a small, not so imposing an inanimate object made out of trees, and just by the look of it does not provide any semblance of pleasure and joy that its known to provide to so many avid and voracious readers over the ages !
A similar analogy can be drawn towards life I think. To draw maximum juice out of life and to be be also able to lick the juices of your fingers afterwards, one relies most often on family, friends,teachers and guardians without whom life would simply not be the beautiful journey it has been thus far. For each one of us, life's many forms, circumstances and stages brings across a lesson or an experience which shapes us every day , for most of us unknowingly.
I thank my family, teachers, neighbours, well wishers, friends and colleagues for the entire gamut of experiences. I used to earlier wonder what is life's purpose. Now I am convinced that one has to draw meaning out of life. If everyone's meaning was the same then there would be nothing to discover ! Living in the moment fully itself is the purpose.
On a closing note,a wise man said that often we learn silence from the talkative, manners from the ill-mannered and kindness from the ruthless, yet we never thank such teachers from whom we learn important lessons in life. So last but certainly not the least, my thanks goes out to those within whom I saw traits which I did not want to inculcate and tried becoming the opposite :-)
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Homecoming
They say that the power of human will can even move mountains ! Most ordinary guys like me would probably consider this a hyperbole but only when we have personal experiences of our own, we start wondering to what extent our will,dreams and ambitions truly get converted into realizations knowingly or unknowingly, maybe with a little or a lot of help from God perhaps ? Or is it all sheer coincidence ?
Anyways I have returned to India after 17 years outside. I was outside for so long, that I had forgotten how India looked, what it smelled like or how its cacophony of city traffic, prayers, traffic jams, mooing of the ubiquitous cows and how just general Indian life assualted the senses of the unsuspecting visitor! I would literally dream of this country while trying to sleep and what I would like utopian Indian society to be like and what I would do if I were PM and so on :-) The internet was a great freind to me during my stay in Columbus, IN where I spent considerable part of my free time learning about developments in India, its history and what the future held for our nation.
Call it fate,will or God, due to a queer and sudden turn of events, I am in India when I least expected it! God works in strange ways they say. India no longer lives in my dreams anymore.
I now eat and drink Indian, work with Indians, commute with Indians, talk Indian,celebrate like an Indian ,do what any other Indian does every day and feel Indian!
I had no idea what to expect really. No amount of internet reading and talking to people prepares you for a homecoming 17 years late ! When we landed in Pune in July at night, all I could see in the dimly lit streets were undulating roads and haphazard patches of pitch. Quite a shocker coming from US and Dubai roads. India is such an old civilization that seeing and comparing from a brain washed western perspective is a grave mistake. Let go all inhibtions and soak it in. Do not react is my humble advice. After more the 4 months, all I can say is that life is good. Workplace is fun, energetic and modern. People are simple, kind, family oriented and most of all very human. Food is great and and in many ways I find practices here much more hygenic that what I was practicing all these years. Will not get into the details :-)
India today during my short time here seems like an ancient civilization , steeped in customs, traditions,folklore,religion and values juxtaposed next to a modern,funky,cool India that advertenly or inadvertently looks a lot like the west. These two faces are much like our Hindu Gods who are the same but have various 'roops' and forms. Indian economy is booming and you can feel the energy. The country is the youngest in the world and people seem to be making good money. However I think we need to find a way to make sure growth hits everyone and not the so called 'creamy' layer only. They use this term 'creamy' quite a lot in newspaers and talk shows. Made me laugh initially. I am sure this too would happen like everything else happens in India sooner or later.
Even in year 2050 when India would become the world's 3rd largest economy in USD terms, these two faces of India would remain. This is what makes this country so great, beautiful and amazing. There is no need to sit in some chartered tour bus and go to 'fake settlements' in order to see the history of the people of the land and its traditions. For me what defines India is the variety and diversity of life that exists here in many forms, shapes, colours and origins all co-existing happily for the most part.
For me , I am counting my blessings. Life is good and thats all I know. My past experience has taught me not to plan too far out in the future. Not sure what life has in store niether do I know what I would be doing or where I would be. But truth be told, I do not want to know ! In India though you will find many talented folks who claim to tell you all about your past and future and prvious lives from just an imprint of your thumb ! My boss at work has clandestinely ordered for his report, incase his wife finds out about his past affairs !
Homecoming has been sweet . Thank you God for making this happen .
Anyways I have returned to India after 17 years outside. I was outside for so long, that I had forgotten how India looked, what it smelled like or how its cacophony of city traffic, prayers, traffic jams, mooing of the ubiquitous cows and how just general Indian life assualted the senses of the unsuspecting visitor! I would literally dream of this country while trying to sleep and what I would like utopian Indian society to be like and what I would do if I were PM and so on :-) The internet was a great freind to me during my stay in Columbus, IN where I spent considerable part of my free time learning about developments in India, its history and what the future held for our nation.
Call it fate,will or God, due to a queer and sudden turn of events, I am in India when I least expected it! God works in strange ways they say. India no longer lives in my dreams anymore.
I now eat and drink Indian, work with Indians, commute with Indians, talk Indian,celebrate like an Indian ,do what any other Indian does every day and feel Indian!
I had no idea what to expect really. No amount of internet reading and talking to people prepares you for a homecoming 17 years late ! When we landed in Pune in July at night, all I could see in the dimly lit streets were undulating roads and haphazard patches of pitch. Quite a shocker coming from US and Dubai roads. India is such an old civilization that seeing and comparing from a brain washed western perspective is a grave mistake. Let go all inhibtions and soak it in. Do not react is my humble advice. After more the 4 months, all I can say is that life is good. Workplace is fun, energetic and modern. People are simple, kind, family oriented and most of all very human. Food is great and and in many ways I find practices here much more hygenic that what I was practicing all these years. Will not get into the details :-)
India today during my short time here seems like an ancient civilization , steeped in customs, traditions,folklore,religion and values juxtaposed next to a modern,funky,cool India that advertenly or inadvertently looks a lot like the west. These two faces are much like our Hindu Gods who are the same but have various 'roops' and forms. Indian economy is booming and you can feel the energy. The country is the youngest in the world and people seem to be making good money. However I think we need to find a way to make sure growth hits everyone and not the so called 'creamy' layer only. They use this term 'creamy' quite a lot in newspaers and talk shows. Made me laugh initially. I am sure this too would happen like everything else happens in India sooner or later.
Even in year 2050 when India would become the world's 3rd largest economy in USD terms, these two faces of India would remain. This is what makes this country so great, beautiful and amazing. There is no need to sit in some chartered tour bus and go to 'fake settlements' in order to see the history of the people of the land and its traditions. For me what defines India is the variety and diversity of life that exists here in many forms, shapes, colours and origins all co-existing happily for the most part.
For me , I am counting my blessings. Life is good and thats all I know. My past experience has taught me not to plan too far out in the future. Not sure what life has in store niether do I know what I would be doing or where I would be. But truth be told, I do not want to know ! In India though you will find many talented folks who claim to tell you all about your past and future and prvious lives from just an imprint of your thumb ! My boss at work has clandestinely ordered for his report, incase his wife finds out about his past affairs !
Homecoming has been sweet . Thank you God for making this happen .
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