The road less travelled

As you build your personal and professional brand, one thing to think about is how your education, or lack thereof, is impacting your reputation.

I have a distant cousin who wanted to become an eengineer. So, she took up Science in 11th. Later when she went to do graduation, she took up literature. Weird! Isn't it?

Choosing a right career option is the most vital decision in everyone's life. Students may goes through a dilemma of choosing a career after completing their 10th, 12th or graduation
For all those in tenth, It's the last year to decide what to take up in future. It will have a great impact on our future. I knew what to do right since when I was three. And I stick to it. Fortunately, I have always had my parents support and encouragement.

Have faith in your capibilities and choose a career that will pay off. So that you don't regrett ten years later.

Choose the road less travelled...You will never regrett it!

Prince charming

There is something about fairytales that has helped them survive for so long. And that is their 'happily ever after' factor. It gives a hope that things will be fine till the very end.Superlatives can define the charm of fairytales but what invokes evokingly is the 'prince charming' thing.

The fact about the disney tales that most of you must have noticed is that they focus more on the charm of the disney princess than the concept of prince charming.But the fairytales will be remembered anyway...

Though I have never experienced this, I have had friends who have gone through this stage which looks glittery in the beginning and shatters your heart into a million pieces in the end. I also know people who have had a positive fate. But good things don't happen to everybody.

My mom says" we all go through a stage in life when we began to believe in the concept of prince charming or soulmate. No matter what happens, don't trust or give yourself completely. The stronger the bond gets the more it hurts."

Don't expect your prince charming to come on a white horse or something. He may come that way or may not come at all. There are other important things in life which we tend to ignore. A soulmate can be anyone. You mom, sister or a bestfriend.

I have had my own struggles..

I sat there argueing with my dad (something which I usually do). "You have never struggled" he said "You have always got what you wanted."

 My light brown eyes reflected anger and astonishment.Later, when I  reflected at his thoughts I was battered. It's not that i have not struggled. I never faced ay sort of financial problem. I was a bright kid and never had to struggle in that aspect too.I have never faced teachers who were against me or any severe form of bullying. I have never had any rivals or somethng like that and have lived my every dream and persued every interest.I have had the best of friends and come from a close-knit family. But hold on. That does not mean that I have not struggled.

I have had my own struggles. I struggled to make myself better each day.My battles were internal. I was fighting with myself, my own negativity. Over the few years I have transformed. I can see a completely new me. People think that the only struggle is struggle for money. But that' not true. My dad has had his own struggles. His struggles were purely financial.

As they say, a lot cannot grow under the banyan tree.

My failed attempts at matchmaking

Admit it or not, we all have tried matchmaking at one point of time. I tried it too with disasterous results. Not the intense kind but just for pleasure. So here I bare by heart and share some of my deepest secret with you all. (Try this at your own risk).

Once while casually going through one of my friend's profile on orkut (my hangout), my eyes stuck at a particular name. The name sounded familiar the picture deceived me.  A few wrinkles appeared on my forehead and tried to remember the person.After a brief research ( melodramatic) I finally knew who the   guy was. My class 4 friend. Let's call him 'A'. The most popular guy in the class. I sent him a friend request hesitantly which he accepted soon after. After a few weeks of regularly chatting with him about school, friends teachers and other unimportant things he told me he wanted to tell me something. I understood at that instant that it has something to do with love ( I had been watching a lot of romantic films at that time). So here's what followed

A: There's a girl I really like.
Me: Wow! that's great..Why don't you tell it to her?
A: She's not the kind of girl who will instantly agree.

The picture that his words framed, suddenly began to resemble me. Subconsiously I knew that he was talking about me. It's not that I liked the guy, but just was pretty curious to know about 'the girl'.

A: okay, so You know who she is.
Me: Send me the link na!

I was mentally prepared for the scene where he would send me my own link. I had even prepared how I would yell at him and throw around dialogues like "How could you even think so!" and "We are just friends"

He sent me her link. Contradictory to my thoughts, It was not me. But a very good friend of mine. I wasn't shattered but found the situation quite funy.

A: She is your friend na! Please Please Please convince her!
Me:Okay baba! I'll try

I lay on my couch for the next few hours thinking about their match. I couldn't shirk the fact that they don't make a good couple. I talked to my sister who is five years younger than me but turns elder as soon as i do something stupid.She told me to go ahead with the plan.

(Next day)
I called up the girl. Let's call her 'B'. After talking for a few minutes about school, friends and other unimportant things, the following conversation took place.
Me: Hey have you heard about A
B: Yeah that *******. Don't talk about him

My heart skipped a beat. What did she mean?

Me:  Hey! What happened?
B: He called me at my home and said the most unpleasant things possible. He told me that you are helping him in 'impressing' me. Can you believe that! (What he said cannot be posted on this site)

I hung up soon after. After throwing a volley of abuses at that guy, I slept with a clear mind and a promise to never try matchmaking again!

Assorted memories.

Assorted memories.

Sometimes life moves so fast, that we tend to forget what mattered. I remember while leaving Bangalore, all my friends cried and promised that we will always remain friends and stay in touch. Now when I call them I am greeted by a “I’m busy” or “I’ll call you later”.  Those people who became an important part of my life and never wished to part with them now don’t seem important. My thoughts were beckoned by hot steaming coffee. While lying on my couch and peeing out of my window I began to think about the past which shaped my present and my present which is sculpturing my future. The things which were a part of me. Their memories refuse to fade of...

* passing chits in the class. I love the way we would stealthily pass the chits so the teacher wouldn’t see them. The ultimate consequences would be detention.

*the long phone calls to friends and friends of friends in which go on and on till our parents yell at us.

* going out to eat ice-creams in the night with our pajamas on.

*Eating gol-gappas at roadside stalls and fighting to pay the bill.

*Dancing to the tunes of latest songs.

*Sleepovers! How can I ever miss them out?

*Cooking something which turns out to be terrible.(I loved the way my dad praised it)

*Bad hair days and mood swings.

*Those picnics in which we would go singing in the bus all the way.

*Movies which made our heart melt. We would memorize the dialogues and repeat them next time we would watch the movie.

This blog has become a catalyst. A key that has unlocked so many memories.

These small things make life worth living. Isn’t it?

Beyond boundaries

“Where do you belong to?” A girl of about my age asked me on my flight to Mumbai. “Rajasthan” I swiftly replied. “Oh!” she said with excitement in her voice “Royal Rajasthan. Isn’t it?”. “Yeah” I mumbled. Then what followed was a conversation about Rajasthani cuisines, outfit and places of interests. This is how it dawned on me that how geographical coordinates can change people’s attitude towards you.

 I come from a Military background. I was born in Allahabad. I had the pleasure of eating Gol gappas and Mughlai food in Delhi, enjoyed shopping at Bangalore, endured the climate of Ooty, and relished the mouth watering Gujarati delicacies. Stayed in different parts of the country, adapted their cultures and actively took part in all the festivals and cultural activities let it be the Navaratra in Gujarat or the Durga Puja in Kolkata.  Learnt to speak different languages from Guajarati to Punjabi. I can talk with a tamilian hours about Tamil culture and can dance to the tune of bhangra. My house includes a wide range of handicrafts like any defense personnel’s; the collection includes hay statues from Orissa to silver ornaments from Gujarat.  Then why is my cultural background only limited to Rajasthan?

 When I think about my childhood, what I see looks like a collage with pictures of different states and cultures.  I have immense pleasure in telling people about my colorful childhood. I can go on and on for hours. So why do I have to limit myself to a particular state.  You have to admit, when a person from some other country asks about your heritage, your held lifts high, chest expands, and with a 3 inch wide grin you reply ‘INDIA’. Isn’t that feeling wonderful? People should acknowledge and understand the fact that there is something beyond boundaries.

So next time, if someone asks me about my heritage or state. I am simply going to reply India. Because I do not want to miss the pleasure of discussing about the Indian culture rather than a particular state.