Grumps and rants

I woke up late for work, in July oppressive,  muggy New York area heat. I caught jitney bus to port authority bus terminal as usual to catch subway. I landed in the back seat, always the back bencher since ages. I sit and involuntarily a person greets, exchange pleasantries in Spanish. I respond in Spanish, I only know two, three words and they do put smile on other when put and replied for exchanging greetings. He suddenly changes language and hello again, we both laugh. He was sipping coffee, I ask how it is, fine he replied. As conversation ignited he asked where am I from I responded India. The conversation furthered, traffic was notorious as was the day. He asks if I drink coffee, I told no, tea is my to-go; coffee is A-OK. He continued saying his country got tea from India (he turned out from Turkey), as I told him it was British rule that brought in India. Meanwhile he tells what and how tea in Turkish is pronounced, written with a tick beneath C in Chai , so and so forth. ...

I bought Troublemaker by Linda Howard on kindle as this was shown on my home screen. I purchased it looking at the ratings, title and thought to give a try as the author was unheard of. I finished reading it in around ten days and the reason I read it so quickly was that I had wanted to see when the title of book plays role.  The book begins with an attack on Morgan who works for an agency. In his journey to recover from a near-fatal attack he meets Bo (Isabelle) in a sub-urban Virginia town who is a police chief of town.  Book traverses how Morgan and Bo fall into love, flirt and how a lovely dog gets to be a focal point of plot. Novel is set in a small town where author does an A-OK job about case which Bo as a chief leads but nothing fancy about it. I'm truly disappointed the way book progresses. The book erroneously and perpetually revolves over the golden retriever dog (Tricks). With all due respect I love dogs and golden is my favorite. Dog's food time, dog's...

Tonight marks the end of year 2017. I'm at rest with the year-end and at peace how things have shaped up. I've few good news for the year-end; holidays are all lightened up for me. It's hard for me to express my solace with recent developments. Keeping the spirits high I'm listing books I read in 2017 as I'd done for 2016 : Anna Karenina translated by Constance Garnett City of thieves Night by Elie Wiesel translation by marion wiesel  Rape of Nanking the forgotten holocaust of world war II Dawn by Elie Wiesel Animal farm Old man and sea by Ernest Hemingway Day by Elie Wiesel Of mice and men Now the Hell will start One Soldier's Flight from the greatest manhunt of world War II  by Brendan I. Koerner To kill a mocking bird The martian by Andy Weir The Media Monopoly    The Grapes of wrath Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini  The heart divided by Mumtaz  Train to Pakistan  The Namesake  The girl with the dragon tatto...

It's 65°-ish Fahrenheit in the District. Evening is serene, save cruising sound of vehicles from highway across the apartment and loud noise from jets from airport near by.  This weather is totally marvelous, I could sit entire night without moving, yet enjoy every moment of it. Pleasantness is immeasurable in the Fall in DC. I'm going to miss it, very very much. Dawns are bit soggy, misty, foggy. Need an another layer to wrap, absorb a tad chilly weather with a savory tea. Time has changed. I'm inundated with some mixed feelings, doubts, some inhibitions. Things have changed, time has moved on, however, I reckon it's me who hasn't. Probably, time to rectify stuff within self. Not going to roll as always, had been, have been.  I ponder too hard on how and what causes these changes so slow, that are much needed yet take years to understand, identify, be cognizant of. People are mean, selfish. They are going to lie, absorb anything, nod, roll eyes as if things are ...

Over the last few months search is a suitable word, if at all, to summarize my thoughts. Apart from actual work I'm held up with things that keep my routine off the balance. Search for a right measure of red chilly powder. It still evades me honestly, its disproportionate quantity never stops me to try another pinch of it whilst cooking. Some times the powder changes, other times, dish gets changed, seldom both changed together. My quest for right number of laps in swimming pool that neither leaves me too tired, neither have me wanting to exercised more, is still ongoing. Although I think I'm good with the time for brisk walk. I baffle with the right quantity of food to cook. My tiny palms don't get it right on quantity. Unfailingly food is more than it was thought to last. Shoes I'm yet to buy another pair of running shoes, apparently, don't like the ones available in store. Person, or company, this search looks to have been ongoing for a duration more than I co...

I often get agitated with things, the way they remain calm and refuse to budge. Perhaps for me things have not been rolling, or maybe I like things flowing, prefer things that change their course keeping me on the go. Things tend to slow down in mid-life and slowest in old age unlike childhood where time flies insanely fast. I was told about this and its analogy with three clock hands long back in summers. I've gotten old that could be another plausible explanation. For some reason these thoughts perplex me. At times I agree to them, sometimes I fret over them. If I look around I see people doing same things for years and years some successfully, some in vain yet giving their best. If I take example from tennis sport the big four never let their matches to any other and have retained their supremacy on different tennis courts for over a decade now. Other players never gave up, the older ones are not letting thing give up too, quite evident from 2017's win in Australian Op...

Living in a small town gives a lot of mobility, or so I believe. Excuses for not checking out new things, events, places or even revisiting places you've been to get depleted. Of course, it's applicable to things you're interested for otherwise regardless of location, size of town, buildings, theaters, gardens, popular spots remain for namesake. May be for some clicking selfie though. It had been a long time I had gone to museums or attended any performance. Some how spaghetti situations got hold me, yikes. Visiting museums is delightful to me albeit not for many people whom I know. Others find museums boring, just throwing looks as if checking photos on smartphone with no interest or insignificant joy. One of the many reasons I enjoy museums in the District of Columbia is that they are free, yay! Not all are free, but mostly. There are wealth of things to look, read and learn from these places, free of cost. If you enjoy graphics, high-resolution colored photos, read...

Since the beginning of this year I immersed self in reading. One of the reasons was to surpass my last year's book tally and also, to read the vast number of classics available through library at my institution. In this effort I got engrossed and detached with outer world. There were few places in DC I'd wanted to go and would love to visit again and again.  Breaking the monotony I visited Library of Congress and Capitol Hill. I started my day at Library of Congress (LOC). I joined on time to get first tour. In there, personnel would took us through one of the rare collections of Bible, their manufacturing contents, the temperatures these treasures are maintained at. Over the tour you'd get to know meanings of different symbolisms in architecture - how sculptures are looking in a certain direction, various other props. Tour ends with an panoramic view of the library through a glass walled balcony. Library hosts one of the largest and rarest world's collections inc...

I think this post might quench doubts in many people's mind oozing frequently, when they see someone share, publish a blog, or write a column. What makes people pen down ideas? This question could be flung to many enthusiasts who virtually take pen, write, become a medium to convey events, privation, joy, disparity happening around. Or in more dissuasive tone question is oft put: why people have a sudden spike of interests to become writer, author? The mooted question is definitely worthy the attention it seeks. I'd attempt to touch it with broader strokes. First, the ubiquitous presence of social media has been pivotal in promoting writers, authors, journalists who were away due to lack of attention, waiting for the debut - the one opportunity that evaded endlessly. Empowered internet, social media gave an outlet to demonstrate skills and talent to the world. With constructive criticism many went up the ladder and few have achieved the unthinkable in short span of time. ...

One fine Friday evening whilst leaving workplace, colleague asked what plans do I have for the evening. As usual, the answer was nothing much and would get bored. She was surprised and asked why bored? I told her that I like being here and enjoy working. She chuckled and didn't believe. Ugh. I like constant reluctance from task not getting complete. That resistance drives me nuts nonetheless, and I get on to it every minute. Even I leave work, in the back of my mind I think about some or the thing related to work and get on it next day. Not that someone has put a pistol on my head for task, but how else does one steer through the day? There is an incessant pull and push from the work. Sometimes I enjoy and sometimes don't, either way. A long day and extended hours of work are something I prefer being soaked into. Totally disconnected from any other thing. Sheer numbness and absent mindedness, Ha! I like to hammer hard myself, as a blacksmith does to red hot iron on the anvil...

One of the top class hypocritical stuff I come across is when someone asks me what I like and having shared on it, one biting reply I get is I am picky. WAIT, what!? I can write a thesis on my preferences and on each and every part I've got a snarky reply upon asked or sharing. Berth preference side lower in train. Aisle seat in flight. Warm breakfast, lunch or any other meal. Stitched clothes. This list is endless and can go on for any random thing. I get these replies from people who themselves are extremely adamant and shall not budge even a tenth of milli-meter in either direction. Yeah, surprised to know reality? Let me explain, someone has made his/her mind for a vehicle of a certain variant and particular shade. Person would ask upon sharing his/her preference, after listening and having me/us go through all stuff the final verdict would be - I'm going to stick to the one I started on. I am like, kill me now and punch those stapler pins in my palm. Jeans? person has ...

This is not what I had signed up for. Alas, what is the worth of it doing!? After all, why do it? What would I accomplish from this? Is this what I'm ..., with that I fling another swearing.  Hurling more curses, adjusting and kicking on the chair, I try to focus on my monitor screen,  an over illuminated one. Monitor so agonizingly bright that I might want to wear sun glasses and work for some time, and perhaps hide swollen eyes which refused to open up on the name of Monday. Yikes!! With that, Monday for most, if not all, begins a gory first day of the week. May Lord help to elucidate what went over Sunday that drove to such an awful worn-out yet sunny, and shiny Monday. Having unable to demystify of went past day, I pour a hot brewing cup of coffee. Savoring it, stirring melting the un-melted sugar, gazing at it - forcing my eyes to adjust, smelling, soaking in the bean smell mustering power to beat numbness.  Despite futile attempts, trudging into the black h...