The Unexpected!

Believe it or not! I have been awarded with the beautiful blogger award! Yaayy! It finally feels great to be recognized for what you write rather than estimating one’s blog by the number of visitors dropping down for a peep.

Anyways, I have been awarded by my little friend Magali @ Life etc. Thanks a lot! XOXO!     

There are a few rules for the award, some of which I thought were absurd. I will just put up what is necessary.

1. Share 7 things about yourself.

2. Pass on the awards to 6-7 different bloggers who you think are the best.

It's as simple as that. So let me kickoff with my 7 "characteristic features".

1.Born and breed for more than half of my life in the tiniest pearl island - Bahrain. Proud to be part of two unique countries.

2. I dream on opening up my own book store when I get really old. Books on everything you could possibly imagine. I even have ideas on having small reading sessions for kiddies (inspired from 'You've Got Mail'). Reading makes up most of my life and is absolutely necessary for my survival.    

3.I used to be a super nerd back in school with real geeky glasses. But I guess I straightened out alright in the end. I used to be the typical teenager with pimples, mouth full of braces, long stubborn hair and yes my dorky glasses.

4. I have to spend at least an hour everyday on my own. Maybe to reflect on varied ideas, think of how or where I will end up in 10 years or just sit there staring into the green and play with my hair with music.

5. Close friends say that I am a lot sweeter than required and that people get an incredible urge to take advantage of this. It’s true to an extend but the fact is I ain’t that meek people!  

6. As a kid I have had a blend of transitions of what I would want to become when I grow up. Starting from being an astronaut, archeologist, painter (inspired by my mom), news reader cum reporter, author of a thriller (always been a dream), designer, social worker, a kindergarten teacher, editor and lately the bookstore dream.

7. I am an engineer by profession but it was never my cup of tea. I quit two jobs in a year and I am still in search of what I want.

So this is what I have got. And as per the tradition, I would like to present the awards to:

Anirban @ It's a Miracle!

Anand Nair @ Like a Fish in the Net

Dave Fry @ Dave Fry's Picture of The Day

Magali Vaz @ Life etc

Prerna Malik @ The Mom Writes

Sachith Rajagopal @ Perception

A Tribute

This is a tribute to a magazine that made up most of my childhood and teen years. “YOUNG TIMES – CELEBRATING THE SPIRIT OF YOUTH” by Khaleej Times. I still remember when my dad got me the magazine way back in 1995 and from then on I simply fell in love with it. I waited for every Tuesday evening after dad got back from work to grab on to my favourite comic strips (which included Marvin, Blondie, Hi and Lois, Archie, Hagar, Beetle Bailey and a bunch of others), those short fiction columns, awesome posters, classic cover stories, Sanjeev Kappor (of the Khana Khazana fame) columns, word puzzles, Stampaid by Uncle Malik, music countdowns and what not! Call me childish, but I would always make sure I wouldn’t end up reading everything in a single day and would carry on till Monday evening and get ready for Tuesday. Oh those days bring in such warm memories and truly wish I could go back in time.

This time when I got back to Bahrain, I must have gone to every single store in the island in search of the magazine, though in vain. I thought they must have stopped their sale in the country but ultimately a few day back I heard (via facebook) they halted the publication altogether which is why I was prompted to write something about this incredible journal which I am sure has been cherished by millions of children for the past 25 years or so.

After a dig into my old treasures, I caught hold of a few old copies dating back to 1999. These are a few snaps. (Apologies for the terrible flaw in my shots)

Cinesphere

With a lot of time on my hands these days, I decided to check on some of the movies of 2009 that I had missed out on. So in the span of 3 weeks, I checked out on a lot of different ones, some absolutely appealing, some dull and the rest, well, I didn’t bother to watch after the initial 5 minutes. Of the whole bunch, there were three movies; The Blind Side, Julie and Julia and An Education; that I thought were remarkable in every sense. Interestingly all three are stories of real people and has the protagonist as a woman with each one scoring an academy award nomination. These characters have again, like their predecessors showcased how soaring woman can get to change perhaps one life and how their words can take you an extra mile. Amazing isn’t, how movies open you to these ‘global women’, whom perhaps you have never heard of until you’ve watched their true lives unfold through cinema, and end up googling or reading their blogs to sense their moments of life.    

I can’t help jotting down a word of criticism regarding our Indian cinema. Aren’t we done romancing with the age old fairy tales? Where are the stories of those survivors who have walked out of the flames and have enriched their lives for others to awe upon?  Other than for the somber Madhur Bhandakar movies, the year-end Aamir Khan splendors and works of a few other gifted filmmakers, we have a long way to dig out those special tales of special people. 

Another Jago India post. Hmmmm....

I was wondering whether to actually write a post on the ongoing “Mumbai is mine! No, Mumbai is ours!” issue. But then I have written enough about the pathetic state of our country and I am done. I have stopped believing in the democratic policies of this country and my hatred for Indian politics has reached a new height. Mr. SRK, I hope you don’t falter on your stance like the others in the past.  Of all the movies that you have done, this is THE showdown that has made me one among your million fans. 

Modern day nomad

I have gotten lost with time and travels for the past one year and two plus months. Today as I sit to write this piece of thought my mind wanders over everything that has happened till date. This has made me believe in destiny. I was/am destined to be what I am today.

As a newbie to the great city last year, I had no clue as to what was coming. All I had was a nervous heart and a bag full of dreams. I had not felt so light since my days in Bahrain. The city lifted me to a new dimension, created new hopes and I got days that I would never forget. Work was crazy but who cared. As long as the paychecks were fat and on time, nothing mattered. There were days when I used to catch the late evening bus, sit by the window with the wind on my face and wonder what more I could ask for in life. I loved everything around me (except work) and I loved the people who cared for me. My friends were great especially my roomie. If not for them, nothing would have gotten so perfect like the way it was. We would enter our room everyday with huge shopping bags and later at night laugh out on our stupidity and gossip out like crazy. Other than for the occasional bouts of homesickness, we were living life to the full, sharing every moment with laughs, tears, late night food poisoning, rat hunts and everything possible.

Three months went off like a flash. And then again I was off to another new city. Just that this time I didn’t feel so ecstatic. The place was familiar and so were the people. But yet there was something odd that I realize now. The people I met were so fresh and extremely cordial. I hadn’t come across such people for ages. I had stopped thinking that such people existed anymore. Every morning they all had a great eye-blinding smile to offer, great attitude and every ready to be at your service. It was as if the world was again a better place to live in. I loved taking long walks sometimes alone and sometimes with friends among the busy streets. The city was as good as the previous one in its vibrancy. There was an added advantage; I stayed right opposite to the big political HQ. The live violence, protests and strict policing wasn’t a very pretty sight but this was reality. The people who we usually see on our television were regulars on the streets. One thing that troubled me every weekend were the bus rides that I had to take back home. Nothing better than this would give you a stiff neck and a creaking back for a whole day.

Months again flew by and one fine day I was back to the place I always wanted to be in. You always know what you want the most. And to be here was mine. The feeling to be about ten years younger and carefree is awesome. I belonged there and to me, this was the best place in the whole world. The camera kept clicking in my hands every second. I didn’t want to miss anything. Life was perfect for the third time in a year at a different place and yet again I was left thinking what more I could ask for.

And again I after a few weeks I was back to the city where everything started out. The feeling to be back was great and to be with the people who meant so much to me was the cherry topping in my life.

And I am back after my nomadic days, looking out for another chance to crave out perfection in my life. Every place I visited has brought out a new shine inside me. Everything that has happened at each place was a path that led me to the new one. Life straightens out on its own as it is destined to be.
A new year has come and I hope someone who knows me would truly tell that I have become a little mature and a little of a better person. Don’t get me wrong. I am not asking for compliments. Critics are invited. More than that, I hope I have brought only smiles to everyone I have come across. So people go have a great year!

A few things that have left me thinking for a while

Why haven't I posted something in a long time? I almost forgot that I own a blog!


Babies are the best in the whole world. And to grow up with one at 22, is even better. Try to make them smile by screwing up your face or by singing lullabies (its tough to get the pitch right!) and the minute they sprout up that cheesy grin, oh boy, that itself can make your day shine as bright as ever.


Waiting for something, that you so eagerly expect to happen, is a pain in the neck. But it sure does make life a lot interesting with all that hope and positive energy building up in you.


If 'Slumdog Millionaire' was such a phenomenon, what on earth happened to a movie like 'Traffic Signal'?


Somebody once told me (or did I read it somewhere?) that luck is the sum of opportunity and preparation. I believe luck just pops out of the blue when you least expect it. Its a luck to get lucky!


Not an avid follower of politics myself, but its a hats off to the UPA government. If not for them, this place would have fallen like a pack of cards ages ago. While recession takes its toll, its only in India where you can still find a job for yourself (sort of an irony in my case).


Finally for the time being, ladies and gentlemen, I am a certified engineer. Whoohooo! An engineer with a pretty job offer in hand but is still unemployed.
Now who on earth thought that recession would pop out of nowhere in the exact year when I had to graduate. Is that destiny or the game of toss called......LIFE? Hmmmmmmm...

Confessions Part-I

This post is an insight of what has been wriggling inside my tiny head for almost half a year. I’m tired of waiting for a miracle to hit me. But there always this ray of hope that you want to cling on to, which makes things turn in your tummy. This is the truth about life.


College; somewhere I dread going to even till the last few months. I swore to my friends I wouldn’t miss this place at any cost for the fact that it had made my life weirder than ever. Even while performing these acts, I knew I would eventually be wrong. The reason and perhaps the secret was that, I kept going back to the same place everyday for four years ‘coz of a few irreplaceable people without whom I couldn’t get my day worked out. I required regular doses of their laughter, smiles, tears, rebukes, kicks, pokes, hugs, advices, winks, pull/slap on my cheeks to get me going; I got addicted unknowingly.


Today I’m left with an immense desire to go back to the old days, to be with those people, and have those quality times which I denied I wouldn’t miss. Life has been a living hell now without all the fun I’ve had. There have been occasions when I’ve returned back to college and had strolls around the corridors and classes that once belonged to us. Although, I saw new faces and couples at each corner, my mind went racing through the maze of old pictures of myself in their place.
Memories and thoughts pass by my eyes everyday. I look upon to a miracle to return those moments and people who touched and changed my life forever.