Freedom

I have been driving my two wheeler for a long time and I am very sensitive about it.

I get very offened if someone calls my Scooter, 'scooty' coz I dont drive a non geared vehicle as I Hate them.

I have driven my scooter at all possible speeds and there was a time when we friends used to compete to drive the slowest....On the contrary We used to indulge in racing too....
But those were my school/college days!
Driving my scooter later had become just a necessity and somehow I just stopped driving.

About 2 years back I started driving again.
I once again realised the joy of driving, rediscoverd the feeling of ecstasy when the breeze kisses your face!
But this joy was not long lived and again I went back to days without my scooter.

I was back on the seat of my scooter few months ago but the elation I used to feel was missing and driving it from IP Extn to Okhla -III & back had become a normal, monotonus routine.

But all changed today.

I like most days was running late for work and to top it all there was a HUGE traffic jam from Sarai Kale Khan till Ashram which meant a delay of atleast 1/2 hour.
I dont know what came to my mind and I made a U turn and took the Pragati Maidan way to Okhla via Jangpura and Nehru Place. After I crossed Pragati Maidan, I was pleasently surpried to get traffic less road and I raced up the accelator and was driving at a speed of slightly above 80 km/hr. But before I could start enjoying it, I reached office! I must add, in time....

But opportunity knocked my door again.
Later in the day, I was running late for a very important meeting in NOIDA and to cover up the lost time, I decided to drive down.
I took the DND Flyway and I didn't realise when I reached my destination. The most surprising part was that I didn't think about the meeting at all.

So on my way back I again took the DND Flyway and relived the joy of driving.
I rediscovered the feeling of ecstacy when the breeze kisses your face, driving with half closed eyes with a smile playing on your face.

I felt that the glass wall around me has broken!

The breeze had taken away all my worries and the capacity of few emotions to make me gloomy. Oh I was alive again.
I was free......................... yet again!

Changing Ways!... But

I have been noticing certain changing ways.
Of????
Of we Indians. Yes the ones staying in big city. I won't be able to comment on the ways of smaller towns or villages as have recently not been exposed much to the way of living there.

Rakhi came and went two days back.

I was happy that my office had declared leave on the occasion of Rakhi and would give me some time to spend at home and do some pending household work.

But, I was not atall ready for what I experienced.
(Un)Fortunately I had to step out of home, and no not to tie rakhi as I don't have any real brother and my cousins don't stay in the same city.

The first 10 minutes on road were a smooth drive and then suddenly all hell broke lose. There was traffic chaos everywhere. The vehicles would not stop coming and we were stuck in the middle, couldnot go in front nor could turn back.

In all the chaos and confusion as usual my mind started running on another tangent.

In my mind I was running backwards, yes back in time.

I ran back in my memory to that thread end which I could remember and stopped.

Then I started walking again from my past towards my present.

Festivals in my childhood (won't say my younger days as it will sound as if I have gone old!) were also occasion of celebrations and ways of sociallising with family and friends. And such occasions were few to be precise 3 occasion throughout the year viz; Holi, Dushera & Diwali.
But with years more festivals started gaining importance socially.
Soon it started becoming a status symbol to celebrate festivals.

And after the Indian Economy boom it is reaching a new high...Commercially.

Yes Our festivals have become commercial.

Just think and see around you. The euphoria created due to any occasion is so inflated that its glitter sometimes take my breath away.

On the brighter side, we are becoming more and more secular and flexible. Baisakhi is no longer a festival celebrated in specific states of North India. Be it Pongal, Idul-Zuha, Id (oh I love demanding Idde from elders), rakhi, karva chauth, chat puja, christmas or anything, everyone wants to celebrate every festival, give and receive gifts, and just have a gala time.

But, I don't know how right or wrong is this.

It's just that I find it wierd. Guess somewhere deep down in my heart I am still old fashioned.
Maybe my lifestlye, my behaviour, my actions have changed as per the 'culture' prevalent around me. But somewhere a corner of my heart has refused to change...

May Be...

Sex

Oh Yes!
Sex!

A three letter word, which results in 1,050,000,000 results when searched on Google web and 2,690,000 results when searched on Google Image and yes I had removed all filters before giving the search command.

Phew!
Why is it the most talked about, most hidden about topic is beyond me.
Yes, I also don't talk about it infront of anyone because either I am asked to shut up or people around me get uncomfortable. But, the biggest reason is that people start making a pass at me thinking me to be someone of losse character!
Well, aren't we all result of this three letter word?
We may use n number of ways to discribe it, reproductive process, natures law, love making.. but it is after all SEX. Thats it.
So???
I fail to understand the heu n cry made about it.
Yes, people say that we live in a society and should follow it's rules. Accepted and we most of the time do that. So then why is it a tabbu to talk about even in the socially acceptable relationships.

I tried, believe me very patiently and earnestly tried to find the reason but couldnot.

And yes I never broched this subject infront of my parents..
After all we need to follow the rules of the society..

Isn't It?

The Contrasting faces of Nature

I have recently been visiting some sites and seeing some great work done by the camera or rather the bperson behind it.....

Just thought to bring forth two contrasting views of the city called Mumbai......

The first is a view of Gate way of India on my way back from Elephenta Caves at Dusk... The Sun can been seen shining on the wall of gateway of India....


The second snap is of the landscape between Neral & Matheran taken from the toy train on way to Matheran at Dawn... There was lot of cloud and drizzle.. But suddenly the clouds cleared and this view came infront of our eyes.. A view which gives the feel that the mountains have been just washed.....

Well the camera used was a simple Yashica Camera with auto focus....

Sometimes I feel I could almost catch what I wanted to....
But there are days when I close my eyes and relive these beauties of nature, I feel a lot got left out and there is a long way to go before I would be able to capture the main essence of nature.....

But still donno why.. these snaps never fail to amaze me on the vastness and versetality of nature....

Well yes Nature IS amazing!

Work Place Politics!

Politics! A word that brings a frown on almost everyones face.... A dirty game we all watch and comment with all our heart and mind but don't want to get into....

Something similar goes for politics in a workplace scenario only difference is we can't stay away from it.
The reason.. purely selfish... If you don't get in there someone else will steal the limelight.
I don't understand that why can't people just get on with there respective work, but I guess thats the only thing they do'nt know how to do.
So in order to cover up this important deficiency they work on their "Strengths"...

In the process they tend to walk over many genuine people leaving a feeling of discontenment...

So with my experience of life and corporate world.. I have learned a very very important leasson.......
BALANCE.. Yes Balance.. If you can work out the correct receipe of working with pride and appreciation where the main ingredients are work and power politics, then you have hit the bulls eye dude....

I guess I am learning the ropes of getting there to maintain this 'healthy' balance between work and politics...

I feel like applauding myself for this 'achivement' for 'improving' from an obsessed workaholic to my current level...
But sometimes I feel that I am abusing my cababilities and intelligent but then reconcile by thinking that you win some you lose some..

I donno if I am right or wrong..

Time has been my best healer and time will tell....

Job Search Oh My God!!!

Hey!!!
I never knew job search could be so neck breaking...
I have been working for quite sometime to think that I have see a lot of the corporate world... Even have shifted jobs few times with no hassles.. They were always there before I asked for it.. In short a pretty easy going life for me.. Then one day somethjing happened and boom my life changed I resigned with no other job in hand....And my search for an "Ideal Job" started....
It has been about six months n I'm still searching for that "Ideal Job" which I once had......
The other day an article on the front page of the newspaper made me laugh for a long time n people around me actually thought that I have gone insane under the pressure of trying to look for a job!Actually the article was about the dialemma faced by companies looking for "deserving" candidates to take in... It said there are lots of jobs ready to be grabed enough number of resumes flowing in but not enough number of deserving candidates....
Well here I was one of the so called "deserving candidate"( a name given to me by my previous employers) without a job of my liking!..Or was it that I had become once upon a time deserving candidate.. and that was not good enough anymore..I donno... well but my search for a good job is still on.. well sometime i think the terms we use are so subjective.. like desrving, good etc etc....
Well another bright day tomorrow lets see what does it have in store for me....