Saturday, August 29, 2015

Monsoon bustle

1st July, 2015

The monsoon creatures are out.

Wriggling and snuggling on raw earth
Taking refuge under the clouds of the sky
As if blanketed by them,
Shielded from the scorch of the sun

The lush green leaves of trees and plants
Sway to the cool breeze
Happily expanding their foliage
After an especially scorching summer

The wind is mild and intermittent
Easing down to a gentle breeze
The scent and the anticipation of rain
Preceding its draft

The earth is moist
From the rains of the past
Supporting a universe of creatures
And sprouts of tender and juvenile flora

The dragonflies and butterflies flit about
From tiny surprising plants
Budding out of crevices on the pavement
And living on trees - well matured

Fresh blossoms scatter the path
As do leaves, fresh and tender
Plucked, no doubt, by the mischievous rain
The wind, no doubt, an accomplice

All sorts of our annelid brethren are out
Wrestling each other, trying to get in
Foraging for food in the bounty of the monsoon
Or otherwise looking for a safe haven.

Bumblebees and hornets busy themselves
Gathering nectar, from the monsoon flourish
Brightening the atmosphere with their flight

Wild mushrooms grow
Beneath the shade of a fallen tree
As do moss and fern
On anything moist, stone or abandon.

Little birds chirp and fly
Playful and merry;
Enjoying the variety in their meal
That this season has to offer



A Woman Strong

"A strong woman stands firm, even when the world is against her. She still loves fiercely, laughs hard and isn't afraid to be silly once in a while."

Hm. Define a strong woman. I believe every woman is born with inherent strength. In fact, every human is born with wisdom. It's embedded deep in our bones. It takes circumstances  for such strength to surface to see that wisdom used to some effect.
Yes, if encouraged properly women can be strong, firm and witty, a combination seen in the women of the old. Today's women are strong in an oddly different way. We see most of that strength invested in fighting discrimination and bias and unfortunately expend our energy in trying to prove our mettle. Very few are those women who are setting the trend, who are beyond being judged and belittled and for the good of all, that number is on the rise. This world, which had surreptitiously tilted in men's favor, is now being set back to balance by certain outspoken women who like to call themselves as feminists. While I'm not an active feminist, I definitely do not appreciate being looked down upon based on my gender. There is much I can tolerate, but not being assumed to be what the imaginations of such non-realists conjure up. Yes, I call them non-realists, for lack of a better word, because they do not look at things/people the way they really are, but give in to their preconceptions that would usually be fuelled by bias and second-hand observations.
Now I say, when people, men or women, detach themselves of such societal images however attractive they be, and put themselves in their own shoes, for a change, use their own beautiful cognition, rely on their own observations and deductions and act sorely on their own gut instinct,  it will be a mark of their "true" strength. For what is a  (wo)man, if not his/her thoughts and instincts and what is strength that is not open to the world.

Friday, August 28, 2015

Little Enchanted Places

29th August, 2015

http://brightside.me/article/25-little-places-which-are-just-too-wonderful-to-be-real-5855/

I tried to rank them according to where I'd like to visit first. All 25 of them are amazing. Or at least amazingly photographed. I mean one can take photogenic pictures of even the worst places and present them as something other-worldly. Why am I dampening the mood!?
Tucked in some obscure area of each city will lie enchanted places like these waiting for us. They wait for us to get out of the couch, of our homes, into our exploring boots and out there. We need not go to Laos or Austria to get a taste of a seemingly fantastical world. We just need to look around us. We need to start looking at what we see.

Confidence

26th August, 2015


Now that's a bold statement to say. In this world where acceptance is everything, we find it hard to let go of what society thinks of us, despite what we say on our social networks. Let's face it, we DO care what others think of us not just as a social-life-indicator, but as a self-esteem-booster as well. It truly takes a lot of trials for us to realize that it's quite alright not to be accepted the way we are. It takes a highly mature mind to stay strong on who we are and stop projecting ourselves as objects of others' interests. I was so lost in that tangle that I would rarely speak out of fear of failure or ridicule. When engaged in a conversation, I would reply after so much thought that it wouldn't be surprising if I seemed slow in the mind. Oh, and group conversations were like don't-even-ask. I would steer clear of groups as much as possible because at that time, it only seemed logical to me that, if I said something wrong in front of one person, I would be laughed at, but if I slipped up in a group, well, it would be a thousand times more embarrassing, what with so many people to make fun of me.
Not only does that show how weak my self-esteem was, not able to speak for myself, but it also shows how low I thought of other people, not respecting them enough to be myself. And there in lies the key to this whole issue. It's all about how much you respect yourself and others to be yourself, for the world deserves nothing less than your true self, however quirky, stupid, weird or crazy you are. If you are yourself, your passion will shine through your words, it will light up your face, it will bring a sort of sparkle in your eye and when that happens, you will be guided by that energy within you to say and do the "right" things (things that you are totally confident about). Others will probably be too mesmerized by your awesome aura to even remember to criticize you (if that is what they truly intend to do). And the best part, even if they do openly criticize or express their opinion to you, you will not fight for it. Yes, you may enjoy a good conversation at that point.. But you are at peace within, knowing you have done well. Knowing that you are all you can be. And that knowledge shall be your confidence.

Time & Patience

26th August, 2015

"Things take time. Just be patient." 


That is soo true! I mean, how many times have we turned off the faucet just before the bucket is full? How many times have we not waited for the water to fully boil for tea? I have done this a lot. Or, at least I used to. Then I learnt the value of patience. I had taken it upon myself to try out a complicated recipe. It required the patience of a monk. I usually don't give things the time they need. Only later, after a few burnt or badly-tasting dishes, did I realize that everything takes it's time. Not every food requires the same time for preparation. No two people take the same time to get over a situation. I had a moment of clarity and then I found myself being really patient with people, with cooking and more significantly with driving. My life changed profoundly. And I have become visibly calmer, my thoughts take better shape since I afford them more time now and the way I deal with people is more open and free. I feel less restrained and am free to feel!
Such changes coming about only by giving things time is amazing. I have enjoyed this journey of being patient. And will continue to do so, only wondering what beautiful qualities will creep into my character!

Writing & Reading

26th August, 2015
I remember having learned from reading when I was as young as 10. My first books being one of the many Children Books written by Enid Blyton. It was an experience with enormous consequences. It opened my mind to exploring the world through books, it showed me the power of my imagination and its magical land I got transported to, from which I would reluctantly return.. These were quite life-changing revelations for a 10-year-old.
I remember even more vividly my first writing experience. We would write essays for school, sure! But I had my own journal when I was 12. It showed me how to organize thought and helped me work out kinks and tangles in my ideas I wouldn't be able to work out in my mind. When I read my journals the other day, I was transported to that world I lived in at that time, the world that I had described, albeit in broken English and with a lot of grammatical errors. The clarity of expression shocked me. I had never read my writings in all these years. Now when I did, it again opened a whole new vista in me. My writing got better over the years, as did the expressions I used. I enjoyed writing, for it gave me clarity of thought like nothing else. It helped me in those moments when even talking to a friend didn't help. I do write occasionally now. I compose. I write stories. I enjoy it even today, in a different way, but nothing beats the desperate scribbles of my first journals. They are precious to me despite their flaws for it shows how I fought my battles and how I evolved as much from writing as from the books that shaped my imagination.

P.S. Thank you, Sreedhar maam for giving me this idea. I'm learning ever more from writing now. Not only am I learning by reading the posts but am also learning by writing my thoughts down about it! It's almost like you quoted this quote to me the other day. Haha.

Cheers!

Of Work & Travel

26th August, 2015

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5663300?ir=India

Yes, I love to travel. Feeling the wind in my hair as I am whisked away across distances by a bus or a chugging train comes as naturally to me as feeling rock beneath my feet as I trek.
I can relate to most of what Jinna Yang, author of this article, says about living your life out in some obscure cubicle of one of the many "big" companies around. A 9-to-5 sucks. Unless, of course, you are the perfect embodiment of the job (aka, the job is right for you and you enjoy it). Well, I'm going through a phase in my life where I'm exploring my options in my career. I'd live to make a career out of something I love. Until then I'm jumping jobs, trying to pinpoint all things I'm good at and could make my life working on.
Quitting job? Well, I've been there, done that. I don't want to give up yet. I kNow there's something out there that's just for me and I'ma endeavour to find iut what it is even if it means slogging meaninglessly for months in an idiotic job. Well, I guess in the end, when you see light at the end of the tunnel, you'll realize that not all of that slogging was meaningless.
I love to travel, but I'm not yet ready to give up having a job for travel. Plus money IS a factor for me. I don't have any money that I can actually consider "investing" in travel, for it is an investment! And I drew up a blank when I asked myself if I could earn anyother way while travelling. All in good time. I believe that I will travel quite a lot in my life and I put my faith in the fact that by the time I do, I shall have gained the wisdom to get by.

Until then,
Happy Vacations!

Cheers!

P.S. Thank you, Jinna Yang, for this lovely article! Thanks for believing in all those who have the "travel-streak" in them. Hope you post more about your travels. Happy Travelling, fellow-traveller!