The cell phone addiction :)

So, my phone conked off today. I was out for work, wasn’t carrying the charger along, a few important calls were expected, I was in a dilemma and while at work I kept looking around and asking everybody for a charger.. Nobody had the one I needed. This has also happened to you and I am not asking you. I am certain about it.. Once back home, the first task to do was locate the goddamn charger and plug in the phone, switch it on to find 101 messages on WhatsApp and 8 missed calls. I love it when friends create random groups and add me to them.  It is very thoughtful of them to have remembered me and to continue the process of remembering me through the day (this explains the 101 messages)

But, there are two sides to a coin. How did our parents and grandparents and their parents etc  manage without the cell phone ? Looks nearly impossible to survive solely on a big black immobile instrument lying dormant in a corner of the drawing hall. Mobile phones, on the other hand hand have brought the world closer. Its so much simpler now to keep tabs on anyone you would like to. The ‘Last seen today at am/pm’ feature of Whats App is absolutely incredible ! I met a lady this morning who has deactivated WhatsApp owing to the brawl that this feature led her to.

We like to crib and because the determination to do so is relatively intense, we do find the reasons as well. 

Pros and cons define everything in life. I would like to look at the brighter side of life ! Happy to be born in the age of cellphones, iphones, ipads, tablets..et all…  Want to add me to groups on WhatsApp ? Bring it on..  But please forgive me , if I mute the group ;)

Dekhna na bhoolein aj raat aath,nau, dus baje ;)

Bigg Boss 7 is going to hit our television screens soon. No, I am not excited in the least to see the bare-all Khan murmuring and whispering something as he swings from one side to the other, cracking jokes that are lame and celebrities going bonkers at the sight of the short heighted muscle man. Albeit, Mr Khan does have a great screen presence but watching quarrelsome strangers abusing, brawling, playing games, talking to the cameras with weird expressions and eccentric opinions is too much to take for a common mortal.

Arnab Goswami’s fiery debates and the news channels provide no respite either. With not many television sets in the Iyer household, the junior most dweller (i.e me) is forced to watch the Ichhas, the Tapasyas, the Banis, the Meghas and their marriages followed by divorces followed by remarriages followed by heart/liver transplants and road accidents, not to forget the manipulative mother-in-laws, the scheming brother-in-laws and the make up which is always in place, no matter what the hour of the day.

Television is a very powerful medium to entertain and create value. Unfortunately, the devious serials and reality shows are cashing on the contriving aspect of human interactions. One school of thought suggests that television programming is ultimately going to be a reflection of the societal values. I believe that most of us uphold good values and have a sound conscience. Then, why can’t the entertainment shows mirror this goodness ?

Well, as of now, the junior most lodger in the Iyer household (i.e me) has decided to go for a run every evening. This is a noble endeavour to unload the flab from both body and mind !

Note – The above determination shall last until a new television set graces my room with the remote control solely in my hands.

Thodi parking space dedo.. :D

My housing society is a crowded place… cramped with cars. The task of finding a teeny weeny parking space for my battered Swift is an arduous one indeed ! Every evening is a battle. If you are in the society premises by 8pm, your success rate will be good and you will manage to find some space for your dream machine. The verbal bombings begin post 8pm.

Today is a good day. My car is comfortably rested and on my morning stroll, I happened to strike up an interesting conversation with Surender, the famished guard at the apartment gate.

“Raat ko soye nahin kya ap?” He looked groggy and tired.

“Kahan madam, teen baje tak to gaadiyaan atee hain…Kaise soyein ?”

.. and then Surender unfolded the truth and began divulging all the secrets. Never before did I realise that I am the inhabitant of a prosperous society with filthy rich neighbours. I was overflowing with joy and pride when I was told..

“President sahib ki madam paanch gaadiyaan hain.. ghar mein teen log hain..”

Also, flat no 42 is occupied by a young couple and their charming 8 year old daughter. The family owns three cars. The little one often poses for pictures when seated on the driving seat but as a law abiding citizen of the country, she has refrained from driving. The third car (Honda Civic)  is driven by Mangal, the efficient driver who drives ‘bitiya’ to school and back and that’s it ! Adieu, civic sense !

Post this conversation, with abundant joy I have been sending heartfelt prayers for my prosperous neighbours to become wealthier by the day, acquire many more cars and buy an independent property with enough parking space to accommodate all of them ! My ‘poor’ Swift has been injured, wounded, bruised and blemished in the parking area of the apartment, more than on the streets of Delhi NCR.

Note – Thank God for small mercies ! None of my neighbours is an online friend.. Buahahaha !

Remembering the 'self assured' Tina..

Rejection ? Who wants it but we have experienced it at some point in our life ? I personally don’t like the word. But, when the world tells you that you are fat/anorexic/tall/short/lazy/arrogant and the likes, you could become judgemental of your own self.

I am reminded of late ‘Tina’ (my stubborn pet). She was fond of flirting with the other dogs in the locality. Labradors made her go weak in the knees. We were the conservative parents and tried our best to shield her. We called her names. But, she didn’t care and she wouldn’t listen. And then, followed a lineage of Labradors..

What the world thought of her didn’t matter to her.. She was clear about her choices.. Labradors.. Period !

When I checked my inbox this morning, I found an email from a kind lady sitting somewhere in a swank area of Delhi NCR. She had politely turned down my proposal (work related in case you are getting ideas).

At that moment, this is the word that hit me. But a thought followed thereafter. Nobody can reject no one as long as we don’t reject ourselves. Self-belief is the key to everything and this is the word I like.

Everyone around will have an opinion of you and they are entitled to having one but your opinion of yourself  should be the best !

P.S – I am certain. Tina is dating the handsomest Labrador in the eternal resting space !

I love 'freebies' !!

We are a festive nation. The Hindu calendar suggests that 2013 alone has 31 festivals. Most of these have already been celebrated with great verve and enthusiasm.

Bhai Dooj and Rakshabandhan , particularly, are a favourite. These are pocket friendly festivals (only for the fairer sex) and we look forward to them anxiously each year.

Freebies are exciting. Go to a mall, spend your hard earned money buying all the items you need.. Of course, you feel joyful but what adds to the joy is a freebie that is tagged along with one of the purchased items. The sports shoes I had purchased with a voucher gifted to me at work (yes, miracles happen !) is still the closest to my heart. The jute bag that bravely shoulders all the nonsensical stuff that has been stuffed into it was gifted by a generous relative. There is a hole in the bottom right corner of the bag but I will wait till the next one comes along.

The Nokia E5 is working absolutely fine and the WhatsApp is functional too. My brother is a kind hearted man. Not to forget, the red hued cover that warmly embraces and protects my handset. This was gifted by an ex-colleague. No wonder, we are friends till date !

Every freebie has a story behind it. You could forget where, when and how you purchased something but you will never forget when, how or with what did you manage to win the freebie !

Note – Bhai Dooj is on the 5^th of Nov, 2013 (Tuesday)

Did you read your forecast for the day ?

Socializing will bring me in contact with intelligent people. This was yesterday’s forecast for ‘scorpions’. Well, I did socialize yesterday. A free treat with family at a high-end city hotel with property consultants. They have the ability to squeeze, crush and thwart your thinking prowess and alas, when you are at your wits’ end, you decide to give in. They win and you are left confused if that was the right deal for you.

Coming back to the forecast, do you go through it daily ? The newspaper forecasts do find a reader in most of us. But, our responses are pretty much universal in nature.

If the forecast is exciting, for example.. ‘You will be able to grab/accomplish a project that will bring you much acclaim’ or ‘You will have a romantic evening with your beloved’ or ‘Family issues will soon be resolved’ , we feel encouraged and hopeful. If pleasant events unfold during the day, we feel jumpy and are reminded of the nice little thing Pandit Kumar Sharma had written for our star sign.

On the contrary, if the forecast is not so encouraging, for example.. ‘Do not invest in property.. The time is not right..’ or ‘Health is a matter of concern’ or ‘You could have a disagreement with your partner..’ or ‘Be cautious while driving..’.. we choose to look the other way and flip over the page.

Secret sources also confirm that often when the ‘Pandits’ and the ‘Matas’ and the ‘Daruwallas’ are on a vacation or out of office, the redundant, past forecasts come to rescue. These are comfortably recycled.

They know that we know. Yet, they don’t care and neither do we ! They write, we read ! After all, we believe that we are the ‘pandits’ and the ‘daruwallas’ of our lives. Our destiny is in our hands J

The magic of 'thank yous' !

Last night, while returning home after a late dinner, we met Mr. Beggar on a traffic signal. Middle aged and emaciated, Mr Beggar looked haggard and exhausted.

That evening, greed had taken over us and we ended up ordering more than our collective digestive systems could have churned. Good sense did prevail though and we were carrying along quite a lot of food back home. Mr Beggar painted a pitiable picture and immediately, I suggested handing over all the food to him. With a lot of compassion, my friend rolled down the car window and gave the food packet to Mr Beggar. He opened the packet and all the boxes with great enthusiasm. We were relieved to have made a difference in Mr Beggar’s life.

We weren’t expecting the ‘thank yous’ but we weren’t expecting what followed thereafter, either ! The signal had turned green and just when we were about to zip zap zoom past him, Mr Beggar waved to us.

“Ye kya hai ??” he looked angry. Well, then, he threw all the food in the adjacent drain as we kept looking with our mouths wide open. He was drunk and didn’t want food. Money was on his mind, honey ! Certainly, he values Indian currency much more than the world does.

“I could have had the ‘kadhai’ chicken tomorrow for lunch.. It was sumptuous.. what a waste ?” my compassionate friend remarked.

“Idiot, he dosen’t have an iota of gratitude.. huh..” was another response to this strange act.

This got me thinking. Gratitude should be a way of life. But, even to a child who is the purest form of life, it dosen’t come naturally.. Last week, when I gifted a ‘Fruit and Nut’ chocolate to a kid  in the neighbourhood, he accepted it with a huge smile but then, a voice echoed from behind him.. ‘beta, thank you bolo..’ !

It is relatively easier for us to focus on the things not moving and the misfortunes knocking at the door. Counting our blessings is an arduous task. It needs an effort and for Mr Beggar to practice gratitude, it would need a much greater effort.

The effort is certainly worth it because grateful people are happy people.

The next time someone gifts me a ‘Fruit and Nut’, I will remember to say ‘Thank you’.. So, anyone ?

By the way, 'Thank you' for reading this post ;D

Do you have a joke ?

Is there anything more attractive than a smiling face ? Doesn’t the sunflower grow in the direction of the sun-rays ?.. Similarly, a happy person functions as a magnet to draw people towards him/her.

A sense of humour is undeniably a personality trait that gets you the brownie points (if you have one, that is).. Don’t we love it when a silly friend/partner/colleague cracks something totally ‘daft’ when we are down and out and surprisingly, it makes us feel better.. It lightens our mood, hope returns and so does the joy of battling the odds !

But, there are many who try very hard to be funny ! Every sentence is followed by a hehehe with onlookers wondering about the context, the joke, as they struggle to locate the humour.. The well mannered ones join in the laughter while the honest, undiplomatic (can also be referred to as the ill-mannered) are expressive enough to pull the joker down along with his pants. Sometimes as the 'funny' boss, in an effort to be uber cool, one could make the employees go through some serious torture. The 'poor' things, are left without an option and have to applaud every 'hehehe' moment initiated by the boss.

On many occasions, such people are asked to explain the joke after they have finished and the honours are also done by the protagonist with great enthusiasm.

A humorous person grabs the spotlight with much ease, people like to rally around him. He/she is much loved and he does dispel the darkness the minute he walks into a room. But, it is perfectly okay if you don’t have a joke to crack each time you see the girl of your dreams or the boss who can influence your journey up-the-ladder. Not having a joke is always better than having to explain the joke ! 

Don’t try too hard to be humorous.. Try to be happy.. Happiness attracts all !