Clouded thoughts

I am quite the cloud gazer and my mobile phone and I are partners in this. And why not?

I'm bookmarking this!

So like I mentioned before, I have been reading like never before. Recently, some friends were clearing out their house as they are moving abroad. Apart from the household stuff which we might take from them, I found my best junkyard sale yet: 3 new books given by them!

Yes!

This is better than anything I could have asked for! Looks like the job hunt will be on pause mode for a while. This holds true, especially for a reader like me.

A bit about my reading habits: 

I hate being interrupted in the middle of reading a book,

I hate keeping down a book to eat, drink or sleep,

I love to fall asleep while reading,

I love the smell of new books,

And I read to finish a book as soon as I can, preferably overnight

I usually order my books from Flipkart. And Flipkart sends these really cute and silly, yet extremely funny bookmarks with the books. These days I am in the habit of collecting them as and when I order a new book. 

This one is already my favorite titled Important reasons to use silly bookmarks 

What is the important reason ? 

(Click on the pic to read the text)

(even my long forgotten camera was put to use)

And on flipping, I get a pair of cool glasses to appear nerdy and keep the buggers away

Of course I don't mind one bit. 

Looks like for a change, these silly marks are going to keep me hooked on to the books ! 

Will keep posting more of these as and when I discover a new one.

Till then, its my book and me.

For the love of Mexican food - El Patio

It has been in my mind for sometime to experiment with Mexican food cooking. Other important stuff or just lack of ingredients has not let that happen. Though I have tried the most basic of Mexican sides, salsa. 

I love Mexican and have been craving for it for quite some time now. I am a sucker for this cuisine and well, what makes my liking delve into the realms of love are margaritas! Traditional unadulterated margaritas. This love, and the follow up craving, was also made possible by a restaurant which is ranked in the Top 5 of my all time favorite eating out places. Today I couldn't help but think about it.

El Patio.

Its never enough when its Harry Potter

After a delay of almost seven weeks and getting a final kick from the fast approaching deadline, I finally chose the day to attend the Harry Potter Exhibition at Marina Bay Sands ArtScience Museum.

I cannot emphasize enough on the excitement which watching actual props from the movie sets on display, can generate. Maybe other obsessive fans can help me here.

Not having any HP fans around, I was going for the exhibition alone.

Even better!

Harry Potter books have always brought out this childlike wonder in me. I have spent a lot of my idle time imagining the world which Rowling has created.

This time was no different. Waiting just outside the entry to the exhibition with dozens of kids around me, I could feel my excitement mingling with theirs. I could see wide smiles on parents and kids alike. And why  not! To be greeted with the flying car was a signal of what to expect next.

After been shown through the veiled mist door, the main exhibition started. Various props, clothes, sets used from the movie were on display. Be it Harry Potter's glasses (THE GLASSES!!), the snitch which Harry caught in his mouth, Lord Voldemort's wand, Half Blood Prince's potions book, recreation of Gryffindor dormitory, Hermione's Yule ball dress, I couldn't stare at these wonders enough.

Goosebumps, Yes!

Sadly, I could not take any pics as one of the witch attendants warned us of being thrown to Azkaban if found doing so! That's a warning enough, no? :D

And as is the case mostly, there was a souvenir shop at the end. How could I not shop from the goodie store sale (not a sale though, going by the prices). Wands, pens, Hoodies, tees, book, diaries, glasses and what not! After much adjustment to my budget and sacrificing some magical stuff for others, forty five stressful minutes later, I was armed with a Gryffindor Tee, a pic of mine superimposed in front of  Hogwarts, a Chocolate frog, Bertie Botts every flavor (Not the ones from the movie!) beans and a Marauder's map. 

Yes! My very own Marauder's map. I am going to be upto no good for sure.  

Whattay day! 

HP relived all over again. 

Simple Things

We all have our special moments and our special people that give us immense happiness; be it a pay-off for our hard work, a work assignment performed well, close friends, family etc. Apart from cherishing these precious memories, isn't it equally important to appreciate the everyday miracle that life itself is?

Amidst our mad rush to meet everyday deadlines and making it through the challenging and competitive times, we sometimes forget to stop, and simply look around us in awe; look around at this world which survived eons of time to be what it is today; look at the freshness of the green trees, the crystal blueness of a cloudless sky, the mysterious aura of the twilight settling in; look up at the heavens at those millions of spheres revolving around one another in perfect balance, all part of a perfect design.

There is a colossal sense of wonderment and amazement when we really go deep into 'trying' to understand the complex (and yet so simple) machinery that is making this planet and million others like ours, tick harmoniously. This itself makes everyday and anyday worth living for. We are so used to these things work for us so perfectly, that you and I sometimes just take them for granted, somethings as common as the working of the human body or the mere existence of life!

If we really open up our eyes and start Looking, small events happen all the time around us, something like listening to a completely new song and realizing that you can figure out the strumming pattern; walking that extra mile as an excuse to get drenched in the first rains of the season; watching, the next morning, two pigeons peck in the puddle of water left from the previous day; managing to sing a very low-scale song without wanting to murder yourself; that guy who is about to peck his girl's cheek, but stops abashed when he sees you smiling at them; buying a dozen ice candies just for yourself and your sister, and then licking them at one in the night; watching that motorcyclist jump a light when the traffic cop looks away to stop a similar offender; the stray dog which wags its tail at you on a display of affection; staying awake for two extra hours to master that song you love on your guitar, fully cognizant of the disastrous effects of sleep the next day; making it through that next day; pretending to work while actually writing this post.

After all, it takes just these simple things to make us smile. Who needs to wait for some major life changing event to make us happy? Why let the days go past us in that wait? Why not find one such moment everyday, a moment which gives us that sense of innate happiness and peace and brings a smile on our face, the one that comes from within us, from somewhere deep within our hearts? Its not that tough, you know!

Look around you. This world is scattered with millions of tiny specs of beauty which have the power to make every single day beautiful and your stay here on this wonderful planet all the more worthwhile.
They are simply waiting for your attention.

winds of change

Four years of "I-don't-have-a-care-in-the-world". Four years of "Arre-yaar-koi-tension-nahi-hai". Four years of "complete-masti-and-no-responsibilities".
So much has changed.

... 3 Rs. ki banta has given way to expensive cocktails.
... The "kadai paneer, do naan" of Canteen have been taken over by exotic mexican and thai cuisines.... Metro and Chawla dhabba have been dethroned by jazzy pubs and lounges.... Haggling with rickshaw and auto waalas has become unnecessary since that new shiny car was bought.... Keeping in touch with friends through "missed" calls and 1 ps texts have long been dismissed by Gtalk and other virtual agents.... Deadlines for finishing copied and xeroxed assignments no longer seem Herculean tasks in front of meeting project completion dates.

I look out of my office window and see two laborers relaxing and chatting under a tree in a lush green lawn. They probably just got done with their work for the day. I see a long driveway, flanked by fountains, leading up to a massive building. The building isn't a red-brick structure though. The doors open and strong winds blow through my hair.

Some memories stir.

The winds bring the same soothing effect they once did. The greenery, the driveway, the trees feel the same, the way they did years back. There is an image in my head. A huge green lawn with trees and shrubs planted randomly. A lazy afternoon with a balmy sun. Sunlight playing with the leaves, leaving beautiful patterns on the grass. Plates with some unfinished food lie strewn. A couple of 20 year olds sitting under a tree, completing practical files. A few others, sleeping. Still others talking aimlessly.

Its a nice image.

down and out

I think the last comic strip did not cut across as funny. Is it?

I found it damn funny! Especially, Calvin's expression in the third slide is unmatchable! It is so innocent! The thought conveyed was exactly my thought that day.

Anyhow, getting ill is so not cool. More so when it happens bang in the middle of the night. That is because your woozy brain simply refuses to signal your eyes to open up until the moment the pains reach their unbearable level.

So, after fighting nausea, drowsiness, a pathetic and stubborn stomach ache and innumerable dashes to the washroom for some three hours, at 3 o'clock in the night, I was left with a nearly empty stomach, which, by the way, could give Usain Bolt a run for his money, and an upper back muscle pull from the previous day. Yes, all the different kinds of commonly found virus (bacteria, whatever; Ingluorious Basterds for me) chose precisely the very same moment to attack.

Oh no, wait. The one that induces high temperature and full body ache kind of got left behind. But not for long. Whats a few hours in the grand scheme of things, isn't it?

Now, I am the kind of person who associates doctors with nothing less than God himself. In fact, every time I fall really sick, one of my thoughts runs as: "I should have become a Doc, what the hell Am I doing being an engineer(its not like I am serving any good to anyone right now anyway!)". The fact that they bring you out of your misery is no small feat, right? So what if it is some common malaise. Because when you are in the middle of it, even a splitting headache drives you crazy.

I don't even have to go far. I have two amazing doctors at home who also happen to be my parents. So, when I see my mother awake alongside me the entire night trying her best to cure me, that mushy, gooey feeling drowns my heart completely. Maybe, what I said above makes more sense now.

Anyhow, I was pretty much bed-ridden almost the entire next day and had more than usual time to observe things around me. And more than usual time to observe myself. I realized how much I was craving for the company of my people at home and how much closer I felt to them. My routine post-office hours are mostly spent either on my guitar or on casual catching up with friends. Last things on my mind this time around. Wherein phone calls from parents are quickly disposed off (unfortunately with some irritation if the number of calls exceeds umm ..two with the topic of the calls being the same), every call, once an hour, from my mother to check up on me felt so bloody awesome.
As for my siblings, I'm blessed to have such a sweet and caring brother; rushing off to buy food edible for my pampered stomach, albeit a lil grudgingly. Can't blame him. Pressures of competitive exams! And my sister; I think I can take a lesson or two in patience from her. Even though she had a big exam the next day, she took so, so much care of me, chatting with me when I wanted and keeping up with my irritating demands; all the while keeping her studies aside. Though an important point to be mentioned is that the studies would have in any case not commenced before satisfactory doses of sleep, chattering over the phone, commenting on facebook status messages and watching an Upper East Side saga of love and betrayal (dear sis, don't kill me for this),
The two of them probably ignored what a high-headed and impatient big sister I sometimes can be. Even my mother, who sometimes has to bear the brunt of a rebellious 25 year old going through changes in her life .... Basically, the whole thing made me realize, again, how strong and unconditional the bond that we call Family, is. Its not that I am some loner who doesn't value it. I know that when the whole world will turn its back on me, I will always have these people to fall back upon. For me, my family and friends are the most important people in this world. Its just that, in this fast life and in meeting day to day deadlines, I sometimes take my family for granted because I just expect them to be There anytime I need them. And I know that I will be there as well anytime I am required. That's what families are for, right? These couple of days just gave me time to introspect. Since then, I am trying to be more aware of their needs and demands. I just hope this lasts longer than the last time the realization dawned.

To sum it up, in the words of Joey Tribbiani:

".... and there is nothing more important in the whole world .... than family"