I feel lost, in this crowd
There are gaps I wish are filled
I feel incomplete, don’t know why…
Wish the angels above showed some light...
I see light ahead of me, too far away from my reach
If I knew the path to choose, I’d be a step closer to my destiny
I feel incomplete, don’t know why…
Wish the angels above showed some light...
Just a week before the trip we went crazy shopping for stuffs (what can you expect from girls after all?!?) Yea, so we got track pants, floaters, bags, sun screen, odomos and all that…and made sure our cameras are fully charged and then set off to the trip.
So we reached college and had to wait for the bus for about 30 minutes…we got into the bus, settled down and blah bla bla (let me slip the boring part) in the bus, however we did have a nice time…told ghost stories to each other, seniors sang songs all the way ( yup till late night…say 1.30am) , and we also wished our mam, for it was her wedding anniversary…we would make it special, only if we knew about it before hand.
Okay…we expected the trip to be fun, it sure was fun in a different way…but we thought they would play songs, dance and sing…none of these happened…so you must be wondering what was so fun about this so called ‘outbound training’…I am coming to it…
So we reached Sharavathi Valley – Nandigodu , that is the place where we were camping. And it’s a beautiful place!! It has plenty of trees and cultivation lands, streams and rivers (since it was summer the stream was dried up … I’d go back to see the fully flowing stream) its even better at night… yes its dark but that’s what makes it beautiful for you can see plenty of stars in the sky (in Bangalore I cannot count 10 stars decently…thanks to the pollution) and there were pretty fire flies and there are plenty of them (just like in fairy tales) and it has livestock too - chickens, cows, buffaloes, dogs … however I didn’t spot any wild animals *disappointment*! Let me tell you about the food too…it was always simple vegetarian food, which was not too spicy nor was it salty….. I still remember the taste of upma, kesri bath, papad and the sambar....But still somehow it tasted so fresh and good!! And food was always served on time and I must appreciate the hardwork which was done behind the scene.
On day one, we where asked to get off the bus at around 6am…then they pulled out a map and compass and explained the map to us and also the working of the compass. Then, we were divided into three teams and dropped off at different points. Though the instructors were with us, they went mute and we had to find our destination ourselves. So we put the map on the ground and pointed the compass towards the north and started walking towards our ‘unknown’ destination. We came across a stream (the same stream mentioned above) and there was a catch, we had to cross the steep dried steam and we somehow did it with help of sticks and natural steps. And then we came across a cultivation land with small bridges and huge gaps…I was scared where I’d fall off and hurt myself…but then everyone helped everyone and we reached our destination – the camp site after 1.5hours of walking and exploring. And then Sarwath showed me our tent…I loved my tent at the first sight, for I’ve never stayed in a tent before. And then we were given breakfast and we had to introduce ourselves and all that… (Skips a few part)
And here comes the water time –which I’d had most awaited for, simply because I love water … first we were divided into two groups and our group was asked to build a river raft and we were provided with necessary tools –6 bamboo sticks, few ropes and 3 tubes. And our group built a triangle raft and building the raft was fun and this would not happen without the teamwork and coordination. And I’d say that our raft was one of the strongest for it could bear the weight of 5 people (two fat people!!) . And there was definitely a task given to us, we had to go on the other side of the river and come back, because the raccoons were gonna attack us in sometime! And we would be safe only in the water. And let me tell you, paddling the raft is not easy…it takes a lot of hardwork and coordination too. (Mostly, I’ve read about teamwork, coordination blab la in textbooks…but to implement it in real life is the real test.)and our raft was triangle...hence it kept going round and round...so we had to paddle the raft very carefully to reach the river bank; and somehow we did it :) we reached first while getting back from other side of the river bank.
River rafting was a nice experience but swimming in river which is about 90feet deep is an amazing feeling!! Yes, we had to swim in the river water, reach the other side of the bank and come back ‘as a team’ and we did it!! We had to convince people who are scared of water to swim along with us. And they did swim with us. I guess it was the encouragement and assurance that kept them going. Oh ya, by the way, we were given life jackets to swim in water!!
Then comes the ‘solo’ time. The word ‘solo’ is self explanatory…we were given a candle, a whistle and a pen and paper. We were dropped off at different points “all alone” at night. So I sat in the darkness…lit the candle and then looked around me. At first, I was scared!! Then I decided not to look around and started writing. We were asked to write about ‘things you want to do in life’ I did write a few things about what I want to do in life but then I got all philosophical and stared writing something else. I got used to the trees around me, it was like they were reading my thoughts and the wind was pleasant, it kept my candle lit through out…there were little insects and I made them my friends – the fire files for instance gave me company and make me feel like I was in a dream land and the flying cockroaches, well…they are not that bad after all. Many of them criticized ‘solo’ but somehow I liked it. Then we were picked up after some 2hours and then we were made to sit around the camp fire. The camp fire was unusual. We all sat mute. We lay down and looked at the stars; somehow none of them spoke much after the ‘solo’. I felt the warmth of the fire and presence of others around me. It was tranquil. I always thought we needed to dance and sing around the camp fire. May be I was wrong. After dinner we all had a peaceful sleep in the tent.
The next day they had planned rope climbing for us; this was about 60 feet high. And I so didn’t want to be a part of it. I was always scared of heights. And I just could not imagine myself at about 60 feet height that too on a few ropes. Thought there was safety, I just wanted the day to end quickly. But unfortunately (or fortunately) I was to climb the high ropes. At first I thought it won’t be that bad, but when I started climbing the ladder, I was maybe on the 5th step of the ladder and I gave up! But then I was encouraged to do it by a lot of people – friends, instructors and even my mam. They wanted me to do it. Nidhi came and spoke to me; I remember most of her words very clearly. At least this one line where she said “never give up Sheetal, don’t give up…it’s too easy to give up. But the real challenge lies ahead. Imagine this to be your real exam in life and do it.” I don’t know if it was those words which made me climb the ladder (not very easy if you ask me) and to walk on one rope below you and holding yourself to other rope above you…and then walking on another bridge kind of rope and then finally sliding down the rope like Tarzen or Mogli! I was scared even after I completed the task. My legs trembled and my hands shivered. But I went on… didn’t look down even once. All my attention was on the rope and on Nidhi’s voice and a few more who were cheering for me. I’m sure it sounds fun, but its not that much fun for a person who is scared to stand on the edge of 2nd floor balcony. I don’t know if I overcame the fear of heights, but I did learn one thing; that is “never to give up, because it’s the easy way out.” I must thank Nidhi for this, if she would not have believed in me, I’d never “NEVER” do such a thing in life!
It was only after this I realized why they called it ‘outbound training’ and not ‘trip’. Trip to me is all about thrill, excitement and fun fun and more fun.You do things you wish to and not do something you are scared of...But here you had to face all tasks, them each one of them as a challenge and we all did learn something from it. For me it was also very emotional (emotional because I almost cried while climbing the high ropes) and philosophical. At first, I did crib about the way things were done there and the food and tasks. But now when I look back I truly cherish these moments…!!
If you are expecting another sweet article from me, you are on the wrong blog!
“Live and Let Live” and “Do not step on my shoe and I won’t step on yours” are simple Fundas of my life… (Doesn’t it sound sweet?) I’m sure you must have one too…But what do I do when someone invades my space? Answer is simple. You stepped on my shoe, so be ready to face the devil inside me.
Remember Kareena Kapoor saying “mai apni favourite hu” in Jab We Met and Aisha from the movie Aisha? It is definitely good to love oneself like Kareena but if one turns out to be like Aisha, who tried to control others action for her own happiness that is mean, and selfish!
Trust me, this happens on daily basis…it is just that we do not notice it or when we do, we simply ignore it. But as time passes it builds on and on, like a volcano and someday the person who is accepting all your actions and listening to what only you have to say will take no more.
I went to Bangalore Central last week with my aunt. She picked up this pink kurthi with some blue and white flowery print. I convinced her that it is not nice and made sure she didn’t pick that up just because I hate pink! (No, this is not from ‘Aisha’ movie…I’m talking about my own experience.)I was chatting with Sumit a while back, and I forced him to change the fonts just because they were not ‘my type’. Consider this on a broader scale, Most of the times the manager cancels or postpones his meetings for his own convenience this is to show power and authority. (I am not talking about the genuine cause here.) which I again believe is selfish. Well…there are countless number of such acts, experienced both by you and me. I believe that there is a line for all the actions and when one crosses that line; they must also be ready to face consequences.
I believe that “what you do is what you get”. It doesn’t matter if you think “I know it all” and “I am always right” “I am the best” (like Sharukh Khan who keeps saying I am no.1) what matters is what people feel about you. They ‘always’ remember you for how you treated them. Your kind words and actions, even really silly and stupid ones are more acceptable than the rude and arrogant ones. At the end of the day, no matter how much you love yourself…you would always want to receive some love in return. If not love, People’s acceptance (whole-heartedly).
Now, I’m not saying that you should not love yourself or that I’m right. I may be wrong, but this is just my opinion, my view. But I also believe that too much sweetness can spoil the candy. Like my friend, Baban says, “we should always think before our acts...because only we will be held responsible for our own actions...”
Gone are the days when, one used to sit by their doorstep and wait for the postman to arrive with the letters of their loved ones. Things are way quicker now. One just sits at their home or at office desk and with just a single click e-mail[s] can be sent to the entire list, stored in the computer’s address book.
I remember my Nani waiting for postman to arrive with letters. It didn’t matter whether she was cooking, cleaning the house, or engaged in some other activity. She would know immediately when the postman would arrive, she would be excited while collecting the letter but once she had the letter in her hand and would open each letter patiently and read them for hours. They were letters from her distant brother and relatives. Sometimes they wrote everything happening in the village and other times they were simply wishes-like the New Year’s. Nani replied to each letter, she would spend hours doing just that and I would just look at her read- most of the times she smiled as she read the letter but sometimes she cried too and there were times where she would cry and smile at the same time. The whole thing just baffled me.
I wondered if I too had to read and write so many letters…but very little did I know that things would not remain the same. By the time I was 13 years old, there were faster modes of communication – the telephones (even mobile phones) and of course the e-mail. I assumed that one would never pick up a pen and write on the paper again – like my Nani did, but I was very wrong.
I received my very first letter from Bhaiya, he wrote one when he left to the
That was not my last letter, there were many more written by many others, but none with much love and care. But there is one other letter, which meant “a lot” to me when I received it. Like always, I was sitting in my room chatting with my friends when my Dad knocked the door…I went out and found a birthday card! I was more curious than surprised at first, as I didn’t expect anyone to send me a birthday card through post. My parents were as curious as I was, they were like, “which friend of yours is from
Have you ever written a letter or received it? Maybe next time before sending an e-mail we should all think about writing a letter. No, we don’t have to write them all the time, but we can at least write them on special occasions and tell them how much they mean to us.
Isn’t it surprising how small little things can mean so much to someone? It doesn’t have to be a letter; it could be a book, a key chain, a bunch of flowers, a locket, or even a simple drawing of something that connects two hearts.
“Simple things are the most extraordinary, but only a pure heart can recognize them!”-Paulo Coelho
Sunday, was Sarah’s favorite day of the week. She liked Sunday for three reasons. First, there was no school or tuition on a Sunday. Second, she had no homework to do and she would spend her time drawing, coloring and playing. Third, she would be spending her entire day with Mummy and Daddy – two people she loved and adored most in the world.
Autumn was here, the leaves on the trees had turned yellowish brown, and over a period of time trees started shedding their leaves. And when one walked on the street, it made a crushing sound due to the dry leaves fallen from the trees. Sarah sat beside the window for a long time and drew a beautiful picture of the trees and the leaves, and colored them very carefully. In the end, it turned out to be a lovely picture!
Happy and excited, Sarah went to her Mummy to show the picture she had drawn. Her mother, who was a teacher by profession, was correcting the test papers. With a twinkle in her eyes and smile on her face, she said, “Look mummy, I drew a picture of the trees”. Her mother who was correcting papers lost count of the marks she was calculating. Irritated she looked at Sarah, not even noticing the picture she told her daughter that it’s a nice picture and quickly got back to her work again. Slightly disappointed by her mother’s reaction Sarah quietly left the room…
Sarah desperately wanted to show the picture and the next person she headed to, was her Daddy. Her father was a Software Engineer by profession and today he was preparing slides on his laptop for an important presentation. Scared, yet with a smile on her face, she said, “Daddy! Look I drew something…tell me how is it?” Her father…too busy to even look up and talk to his daughter asked her to leave him alone. This time tears rolled down her eyes, she felt her heart heavy, speechless and sad she left her father alone and walked out of the room. Wouldn’t it be nice if Sarah’s mother and father put a pause to their work and then look at the picture Sarah wanted to show? Tell her nice words and make her happy?
This was just one small incident that took place in Sarah’s life. Like I always say, Kids hearts are the purest. Give them a chocolate and they are happy, take away the same chocolate and tell them ‘it’s mine’ and they will start crying. They never remember anything for long periods of time. Sarah too will soon forget about this Sunday…will continue to draw, color and love her parents. Well…that’s about kids…what about grown ups like us?
The ‘Global Village’ is what we call the world today (Another term used for Globalization) .There are hundreds and hundreds of BPO’s, KPO’s, IT companies and so on…People work for hours and hours without taking any breaks. They work not only in the office, but also at homes.
Is it necessary to work all the time and take relationships for granted? Is work more important than relationships? Now I am not saying that one should ‘not work’ and sit at home all day long. No, but at least it is possible for us to take some time off from work and spend some quality time with the family.
There are times when the husband and wife make some evening plans, but it does not take place because one of them gets stuck at work. Mother is waiting for her daughter to return from work so that she could go visit her relatives, but the daughter comes home all tired and cancels the plan. Postponements of plans are all right if it happens once, twice, thrice…but is this fair when it happens all the time? Will one lose the respect for each other or will they be able to strike a balance between work-life and relationships?
I’d say sometimes relationships are like autumn leaves – very delicate, they slowly lose their color, get separated from the tree and finally after they are crushed …they are blown away by the wind!
Gracias Todos. Didn’t understand? Well…
‘Gracias Todos’ in Spanish means ‘Thanks to all’. Today I want to thank a few people who really encouraged me to write these articles and in the process of writing these articles I realized that they are not just articles, they are one’s thoughts that are put on these blogs.
Until now I had convinced myself that I cannot write, on a piece of paper or on blogs. In fact, blogs never really interested me, until Aakriti kept sending me everything she wrote. She writes everyday and she writes really well…what she writes spreads positive vibes. At first, I never really liked reading them (yes Aakriti…and please don’t be mad at me for this) but after a while, I kept looking forward to read more and more of what she wrote. Then one day it occurred to me, that why can’t I write something too? I knew, I cannot write as well as Aakriti, but I really wanted to give it a try…wanted to write a small article about something….about anything….but I was scared and unsure if others will like it or not.
There were others who encouraged me too. Thursday evening I started writing ‘About Saaya’, I could start well…but at the end of it, it seemed that I could just not come up with a good conclusion. I felt that this article was a ‘fail’ and I decided not to post it on the blog. I shared this article with some of my friends who were online. They read it; some seemed to like it a lot and others did not find the ending too convincing. That’s when Baban, Ashu(Ashutosh) and Sumit asked me to work on it a little more and I again started writing it, but this time I did not put forward my views (well…I had presented my ideas before posting it on the blog) ,I rather put myself in place of Saaya and viewed life through her eyes. And after that I somehow managed to end the article well. Gracias Ashu, Baban and Sumit for not letting me give up!
I need to thank Prasoon and Vikram too…Prasoon for correcting my silly grammatical errors (well…I don’t know how many errors this one has, as I am not going to take anyone’s help to thank everyone. Frankly, even if it does have any errors…I don’t really care) and helping me decided the title(s), Vikarm for asking me to write ‘not for others satisfaction, but for my own’. Gracias una vez más.(Thank you once again).
Lastly, I want to thank Bhaiya, Amit, Alok and everyone else (really sorry if I forgot to mention your name (es) here) for liking what I write. I don’t know when I’ll write my next article, but I hope you will all like what I keep writing and also keep giving me that ‘little push’ when I am close to giving up!
Mucho Gracias!!
