To Pod or not to Pod...

Yesterday, I broke my iPod... and along with it, my heart.

The battery had gone dead. And so I ordered a battery replacement kit online. While trying to remove the old battery, the chord which connects the back cover to the hard disk broke.
Damn!

I'm depressed.

Life without music... is SO not happy...


~K.

July 23rd...

... is Amit's birthday. 28th birthday I think. Grammatically, the sentence should be - July 23rd would have been Amit's 28th birthday. But who cares about stupid grammar when all you can think of is a dear friend who is no more.

For those who didn't know him - that's him.

True Punjabi. Mad about Punjabi music. And Rajma Chawal. And Chicken. And Whisky. And Beer. And yes, Onions! Play any Punjabi song and he'd break into an impromptu Bhangra. Oh, and yes, also mad about Biking! Dude went to the highest motorable road in India, Leh, on his bike.

At work, a total stud in Oracle and Java! He used to treat Oracle with the familiarity that would be second to only the creators of it.

So full of life that I still can't imagine him without any. So I think of it this way - I shall never ever be able to imagine him getting old and ailing and the other degenerations that come as a part of aging. He is Forever Young!


Oh well, I'm planning to have a party Sunday night for the life that was Amit. You're invited!



ps: Amit, I'm sure heaven is too peaceful a place for you, bro! Hope you're back on earth driving someone else mad with your antics!!! Cheers to you!!
And hey.. if you're back as a girl this time... Mundeyaan ton bach ke rahin!!! ;-)
Lotsa love,
Kali.

Happiness is....

I don't know if anyone can ever really define that... But here's to the innumerable small things that make us happy throughout the day... We may notice them... or not... but well... if you find yourself smiling reading even one of these, you know what I mean...

• Looking at the beautiful weather and spending your time imagining yourself enjoying the outdoors instead of working...
• Having furtive conversations in the office with your friends while everybody else is working...
• Suppressing your smile / laughter in above conversations...
• The traffic signal turning green from red just as you approach it...
• No queue in the bank...
• The store you are in playing a song that you love...
• Singing in the bathroom...
  
• Finding a mail waiting for you when you reach home...
• Getting a surprise...
• Giving a surprise...
• Finding the right snacks in the vending machine...
• No crowd at the gym...
• Having a good workout...
• The TV at the gym is playing a movie / serial you love...
• A nice shower after a good workout...
• The temperature of the water is "just right"... :-)
• Journeys with people you like... (Road trips... bus journeys... flights... walks... just about anything.. )
• Smiling at a kid and the kid smiles back...
• Spending time with your friends doing nothing...
• Laughing your guts out with friends...
• Having a good cry with your friend...
• Stealing books / music / movies from friends and not giving them back...
• Getting back books / music / movies that you lent to friends... ;-)
• Sitting at the restaurant talking with friends even after the bill has been paid...
• Sending messages at midnight and getting a call back...
• Getting messages at midnight and giving a call back...
• Knowing that a friend you haven't spoken to in a long time is doing well...
• Getting a call or a mail from that friend...
• Silly "Girl Talk" with your room mate... (I don't know if boys do that too... and well... it doesn't really matter anyway)
  
• Suddenly getting the words of a song you've been trying to remember for a long time...
• A good coffee... (I am incorrigible when it comes to this!!!)
• Catching yourself smiling for no reason at all...
• Dancing.
• Flowers.
  
• Hugs.
  

And well.. a lot many more... I need to get out of office to enjoy a couple of these small things... else maybe I'd have written some more...

Anyway... if by now you do know what I mean, lemme know some of yours too...

Keep smiling!! :-)

~K.

Vanity is me.....

I've noticed this quite often now. Whenever I post a blog which (I think) is good... I don't post another one until quite some time... Maybe I'm waiting for people to read it and comment on it... or I want that post to be the first one that I read whenever I visit the page myself.... I don't quite know yet..

But well... that's how it is....


And ya... my new name is Modesty Blaise .... ;-)

Have a wonderful weekend!! It's just 2 days away... :D


~K.

I've come to look for America....

Pride -

Day before yesterday was the 4th of July.. Or should I say THE 4th of July. And like most of the typical tourists, I went to NYC to watch the fireworks. Let me add for the sake of information, my current state is somewhat handicapped as I have a sprained ankle (courtesy tennis) and though it happened last Sunday, I still hobble along my way with a slight limp.

Now, back to ummmm.... yesterday. Me and about 15 of my other colleagues went from Stamford to Manhattan for the fireworks. It was raining and we hoped that the display won't be cancelled. To our relief it wasn't. We were completely enraptured by the 30 minute show. The sky was bright with some lovely patterns - stars, cubes even smileys. :-) The way it was synchronized was, in one word, Brilliant! Suddenly there went a shot through the dark clouds and the next moment there was a burst of light above us. Looked like a really close view of the stars. And we felt like kids, clapping and cheering at all those lovely patterns. And after it was all over, I was left thinking - Here's a nation which takes pride in herself. And this is not just evident from the fireworks celebrating her independence. It's just about everywhere. It's in the way people live, work, the way they take care of their families and friends and even visitors like me. They show their best to the world, because that's what they believe they are.

All that long walk on the sprained ankle and standing to watch the fireworks for a half hour didn't feel as strenuous after all. And yes, I was impressed. So, Happy Birthday America!!!

*******

And Prejudice (??) -


Yesterday, the 5th, I was travelling from NYC to Miami. To meet my friend. (One of the best in the world!!) . I reached the airport well in time. And was waiting like all other passengers for the boarding to be announced. While I waited, I pulled out the book I had been reading - The Punjab Story. Finally, when the boarding was announced, I walked to the gate (with the still swollen ankle). Just before I reached the gate, a lady pulled me over for a security check. Not everyone was checked. I complied. They checked my laptop bag and my handbag. And I was frisked. I asked what the reason was for this "special treatment", but I was asked to proceed without an answer. Yes there were a few more in this line, but I couldn't quite make out the common factor. Was it because I was carrying 2 bags.. I don't think so. Was it because of the book I was reading? Or simply my Indian looks? I wouldn't know. 'Coz they never told me. And I was too disgusted to ask further questions.

And now, to all my very dear friends who have been trying to convince me to take up a job here and settle down in the US, this is my answer. I'd rather be a first class citizen in my own country even if I have to live with a few inconveniences here and there, than stay here in comfort, but never belong...

*******

... And Affection. -


Same day - July 5th. Seated next to me in my flight was an old gentleman, also going to Miami. He seemed to pick up conversations with utmost ease. And so I followed suit again. An interesting fellow I must say. He asked me where I was from; and when I told him I was from India, the conversation turned towards topics ranging from food to places in India to music in India (we even talked about Apache Indian!!) and even mindsets of Indian men and women. And let me clarify, it was him who was doing most of the talking. He had seemed a little flirtatious at first. Like most men here are. But flirting or not, he ended up giving me quite a few pieces of advice. Things that I always knew, but never really thought about. Coming right after the disparaging incident at the boarding gate, this was a most welcome change. And I thought - that's another face of the country called America.

All in all... not just a brick in the wall... but well... a wall for sure. And though the grass is much greener on the other side, it's a pasture I wouldn't really like to wander...


~K.

ps: the title is inspired from the S&G song - America.