Grumps and rants

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 ...

By no means I'm connected to art, not even in the remotest way. I'm awful with drawings, writings, performances or any other form which necessitates creativity or, and ingenuity. I profoundly lack artistic skills. I never learnt, never developed or perhaps had them in me. Never did I focus or knew what art is until I saw friends engaging in poems and similar works. Back in school couple of participation once or twice in Annual function at Ravindra Natya Grah or playground, but things never took off. For live shows I never had the massive desire to go to rock bands, nor I could know where and what to look out for such things. Also, given their location and exorbitant prices they were always a let go. But sometimes there always comes a window of opportunity. There were mass e-mails at my earlier workplace regarding blood donation drive or, corporate social responsibility (CSR) or any other outing. Out of curiosity I never stopped checking them and one fine day there was one ...

There is always a lurking thought in mind to reach certain height. For few it may be top level in firm, or stardom, or financial stability, or getting along with physical, or mental disability. And as and when these milestones are achieved, bar is raised to another level and endeavors start pouring in respective direction. Perhaps, that is how one keeps on striving and get the going? This post of mine doesn't cover any such aspect of life but is about my recent trip inside the Washington Monument. I had booked ticket 1.5-2 months online prior to my visit. I wanted to reach there before dusk hours but at the same time not in DC heat. Keeping everything in check I planned it for August 5, Friday evening. The weather was really nice by the time I entered monument and it got beautiful by exit hours. Elevator takes you to the top. You can spend any amount of time until closing. Upon reaching there you will notice big red blinking lights present, which are visible from any part of DC...

I wake up in the middle of night to hear someone call me from another room. I wake up in the middle of night to have someone ask if I'm doing fine, and allay me to sleep back. I wake up to pull my blanket, to wrestle it with myself. I wake up in the middle of night to see if the night has been crawling toward twilight. I wake up from my nightmares. I wake up to gulp down water even though I'm not thirsty. I wake up to see someone has texted, mailed, pinged. I wake up in the middle of night to wait for the dawn to hit, and have me out of the bed, to get me away from the abysmally long nights. I wake up to see if the clock hands can have me wait more before I begin my day. I wake up in the middle of night to listen to the deafening silence broken by clock's second hand. I wake up to see if it is still snowing out there. I wake up to see if the rain will stop before I walk out for the work. I wake up to shut off the cooling. I wake up to see if I've missed anyone's c...

This year Olympics will be organized in Rio. With all support, and positive vibes in media, social networks Indians are wishing, and aiming for a tally of 10 than 6 of last Olympics. Media flooded with greetings on qualifying of Dipa Karamakar in Gymnasts for Rio-16. A true moment of happiness, whence hard work, sweat and blood meet a coveted spot for a sports person. She is the first Indian woman to enter in gymnasts. A moment of pride for the nation, indeed. Warm wishes from the legendary God of Cricket - Sachin Tendulkar were relayed. Moments like these throw a tide of inspiration of many other athletes, and people whom nation doesn't know, and hear of. Boosts morale for sports persons to continue to persevere, and sweat out with one goal irrespective of the failures, and hurdles.  Running out of romantic, Hollywood, and South Indian movie scripts Indian cinema has of late shedded light on sports through biopics on Milkha Singh, Paan Singh Tomar, Mary Kom among few others. I...

Oft has been said books are the best friends. Little was understood of this before I started reading, or made reading as my hobby habit. Alike many other things this wasn't done in a fortnight, or single handedly. Back, as in once upon a time: that long back we were highly encouraged by one school teacher of ours to improve English, for she was teaching French, and unless we don't know what a verb (an example) is, and if a word in French is a verb, then it gets 2 levels difficult to demystify a thing. First know what is Verb, then understand what that verb means in English. Ugh.!! Never did I understand nothing of these things much save to eat, to sleep, to see, so on and so forth words. Over the span of the course she tried with her blood and sweat to instill to improve our English, but we were "we" after all: all in vain that time. Seldom we were told meaning in Hindi, for that would have beat the purpose of her teaching French for she was there to teach Frenc...

I've been in a train of thoughtfulness, and thoughtlessness where you know you're are thinking something yet no specific thing have been thought out. Yes, it is confusing, and as confusing it can get.  Nonetheless, I'll take this moment of complete unawareness of surroundings, and share some of the weird, blunders and funny stories. - In a rush to reach office I keep on punching elevator's button. As soon as the elevator arrives without discerning I board elevator, and go to the top floor. It stops again on my floor, and traveling all the floors I begin my day. Sigh. ** - This one is one of the tale tell things during lunch, everyone was praising and sharing their Uber ride experiences. Story is of coworker's husband and his friend. Person with his friend books a ride in Paris, a car arrives. Without looking and asking if that's an Uber driver, they opened door, and boarded in. This would have been normal had the driver would have been a male. Inst...