Little World

About 3years ago, my husband and I were preparing for the baby to arrive. As I think about those days now - it almost feels nostalgic. I was happily growing bigger and bigger and I remember feeling amazing, super happy, super tired, not a lot of nausea, not too many cravings. Almost made me wonder if this is how pregnancy was supposed to be?! Movies do influence us, I guess. (More to come...)

Bright sunny morning. Bizzare sounds of some cows mooing and people talking loudly. Yet I just turned around refusing to let the moment pass away. But as usual, my grandmother didnt let me sleep. She has this belief that you can get hold of the most positive energy from the universe only if you wake up early. A belief that I have believed in for the last 14 years now! Pondicherry is my birthplace and it has always been very special to me. School, friends, Grand-parents, college, moments, life. It has meant world to me and going back to the place after some 3 odd years had me trying hard to control all the old memories rushing and waiting to relive in my heart.

I am sure most of my school friends will remember this song and may be humming even till date! This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine Let it shine, Let it shine, Let it shine. Somehow this song always remained close to my heart. This morning was another busy Wednesday- Advait 's food, our breakfast, get ready, light the diya, pray and run! And of course we could do all this because Advait was still sleeping! We woke him up just in time to get to the car and as the sleepyhead was still finding a cozy spot on my shoulder, my husband opened the garage shutter. And the sleepyhead instantly brightens up, raises his finger towards the shutter and goes - aaah!  I know you must be wondering what my point is! Just think how many wonderful moments we lose and not get curious in the rush or when we are sleepy or just not alert or in the moment 😅 My son remi...

With the advent of intellisense, spell check, auto-complete - communication has gotten so much simpler and quicker. One would imagine with technology reaching ever growing unimaginable Heights - we can be so much more connected! And that has definitely happened! It's so easy to share my happy moments with my family spread across the country through Facebook or instagram - I never miss a birthday - thanks to whatsapp!! I can Skype with my family  or facetime with my cousins and now I even use duo to video call! Yet, it takes a humongous effort to really communicate. Not with friends or colleagues but even with people who are so close to you and may mean the world. How hard is it to drop by and give a hug? Or just call out of the blue and say hi, I just felt like  talking to you! Or leave a message and say - Hey am busy these days - let's catch up in a week 😉 In the rushed lifestyle that we lead - just getting through the day seems like a victory!  S...

Everything is so relative, as a friend of mine had once very intelligently stated. Sometimes, your mind is just clam, wanting nothing, desiring nothing, feeling full. And there are times, when it needs everything! Being at home all by myself after a long time, I awarded myself the gift of retrospection. Thinking through helps to put things in perspective. I am still wondering if being random is more rewarding...

My last post seemed so strange to me! How strictly I followed my own advice for the first time! Weeks since the last blog have been really active and fun too. Camping trip, Keith Urban concert, golfing one weekend, trip to Noah's Arc water park, some more movies, a sudden trip to New York, and finally Florida trip to Sonal didi's home! Phew!! wonderful way to spend the summer in US. And to top it all, certification! Its Infy's way to punish for being loyal to it :)Anyway, its fun to be "on-the-go". The rush in the adrenaline kind of gives you a feeling that you are alive, doing something, going somewhere! Another good side-effect is learning. Gosh, you get to learn, understand new or different things, almost exponentially. Well, all the exaggeration apart, I really had a good summer. My decision to camping was a bit reluctant since a friend wanted me to shop at the Great Mall of America with her! but my other friends at Milwaukee were totally keen for camping. And...

I have never been an avid movie watcher. But lately, I have begun enjoying watching good movies. Not sure how this happened...maybe the fact that I have been finding more time for myself in the weekends...Loads of friends around, but most of us end up doing something or other different and it’s nice to be on your own...make new friends and hey, watch movies!! I sure take looong to get to the point! Anyways, last weekend, I happened to see “Luck By Chance”. Farhan Akhtar and Konkana Sen Sharma duo was an attractive factor for me. I liked the way the script moved forward. An ambitious guy makes his way to the stardom with his talent and charm. I had an argument with a friend that there is nothing wrong in being ambitious and it just so happened that he could use people (read friends) and move still further. Others could not keep up with his pace! He said “Being ambitious does not mean cheating…period.” A good statement actually and well intentioned. Another movie for which there were no ...

Believe it or not, every thing that seemed special, every experience that seemed new now feels just so normal! So much of difference when you do something just for a second time. The long travel, jet lag, friends welcoming you at the airport (that still seems nice), office, home, just everything seems normal. I remember the first time I landed in Milwaukee, it felt like a dream come true. This time it felt home. Time and experience really teach you the difference between awe and normal. Although I do feel good being here for the second time. Getting back to work at NM is cool. Meeting and being with old friends feels good. But the best part of the second time has been new kind of work and meeting loads of new people. Cheers to the second time!

Not sure about being best friends but they do give you a sense of something that you want to sense :) Also, they are the best known way to rekindle your imagination. Same line could be interpreted in as many ways as your brain's interpreter’s versions vary. Some leave you wondering, some make you think, some just force you to shut your brains and sit back and enjoy the way you would enjoy a totally senseless hindi masala movie! But, all the same, make you realize there can be another world. A world created by author, a world visualised by both the author and the reader... Books that read in last 2-3 months alone - 1. The Secret - Must read for the philosophy lovers and even if you are not. 2. Twilight - Finally I learnt not to twitch at the mention of vampires. I was not very fond of them before reading this book. Beautiful stroy. 3. P.S. I love You - Needless to say, it’s for the romantic at the heart. 4. I too had a Love Story - Read this one bcoz it was written by a fellow Infos...

Need to start working on the real "To Do" list which I feel each one of us should have for reference! - A list which could remind us that we are here to do a little more than just work, more than mundane responsibilities. A list which I could use in case I am not able to fit in some stuff owing to lack of sufficient time. I can be ambitious after retiring too! So there...this is only the beginning though...there will most definitely be some add/delete/modify (phew..yeah stop reminding yourself you are an engineer). Ok...here it rolls off (In no particular order - who would waste time thinking which sorting algorithm to use??) 1. Travel to Paris. 2. Meet Shah Rukh Khan in person :) 3. Live in Bangalore (at least for a short phase in my life) 4. Learn Salsa, Jazz and maybe Waltz. 5. Few places to visit in India - Delhi, Punjab and definitely Kashmir. 6. Read as many books as possible - would love to shift some focus on Indian economics (does that sound jarry to the ears :)) 7. ...

March 11,2010. Time 4.55 pm. Closed all applications. Ctrl+Alt+Del = Yeah done for the day. Got the 5 pm bus to go to the Nethra DC. Yeah thats the new office of Mangalore. SEZ...where most of us dread to go. Well the thing is Mangalore STP folks are used to the pampering :) Most of us live 10-20 mins walking distance from the old office. So we treat it like our second home. But today I wanted to visit the dreaded office building. And voila! A new replica of the big Infy campus unfolds as the bus halts after an almost hour's drive. It can be spotted right on a hill-top surrounded by the true Mangalore greenery all over. Well at least humidity level seemed to be low there! For a person who's born and brought up in the Mangala DC, this was quite a treat to watch. Our office seemed to be a miniature model now. The Food Court can put several hotels to shame. Its large, magnificent and pompous. Yeah whatever that means! The best view is the horizon there. It was a treat to watch the...

Honk...Honk..Honk.. I sat up straight. Fear, anger and irritation, all running through my head at the same time. I was on my way to my sister's PG from Bangalore airport. I looked ahead, the streets were empty but the bus driver honked. I guess, that was out of habit :) Well that was my first reaction as I was arriving home. No, don't get me wrong. Don't count me among those Indians who cannot wait to crib about how everything is wrong in this country, but that was how I honestly felt. One year in the States can bring a few changes but more than anything your horizon of observations just widens! One thing that was more than welcome was the presence of fellow beings :) I guess one can barely feel lonely here. The noise, the peak hour traffic, the roadside quarrels, the loud laughs; I loved it all. By the way, I loved the year I spent in Milwaukee. It is a beautiful city and with a home in the downtown, it just adds to the pleasure :) Shopping got a whole new meaning there vi...

Loved these lyrics: I hope you never lose your sense of wonder You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger May you never take one single breath for granted God forbid love ever leave you empty handed I hope you still feel small When you stand beside the ocean Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance I HOPE YOU DANCE! I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance Never settle for the path of least resistance Living might mean taking chances But they're worth taking Loving might be a mistake But it's worth making Don't let some hell bent heart Leave you bitter When you come close to selling out Reconsider Give the heavens above More than just a passing glance And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance. I HOPE YOU DANCE Time is a real and constant motion always Rolling us along Tell me who Wants to look back on their youth and wonder Where those...

Who is your strength? And the answer just comes without a thought - my Family!

Focus..Focus..Focus So simple to say or hear, but really difficult to follow if you dont focus :) Time has proven to me that genious is nothing but prolonged focus on one simple thing by one simple fella. There are people with brilliant ideas and there are people who simply stick around and focus on completing a task. Very often, these are the people who go a long way in their career or life. WYSIWYG. I say WYFOIWYG. Yeah that is what is you focus on is what you get. You want to excel at work. Focus. You want to have a good and loving relationship, focus. You want to solve a problem, focus. But for heaven's sake not on problem but on solution. WYFOIWYG. Hope that's a nice thought for the day :)

Wonder where life goes on... This thought just came over me as i was having some Signature Hot Chocolate. You find a reason to live almost every day. And some days you wonder the very reason of life. All this has only become more complex for me to understand as i keep living through this life wondering where it leads to. The only way that i see to live is to lead a simple life. Everyone wants to be rich, famous and greatly known. I guess these things happen to you without you realizing it or working too hard towards it if you just keep living a simple life. Expect less, dont try too hard to please others, be yourself and of course share a laugh with other simple people around you. The lighter your life, the longer it spans :) Little world - tats the name of my blog and how truly it applies to each one of our lives. We all live in a little world of our own. A world which has your family, friends and your experiences. Along the path, this little world of yours keep growing as you make ne...

Yep finally here :) dont ask me why i used finally here. I have just started treading. Living another dream. I have come to know the feeling of growth. New place, new experiences, new situations, new people..well not so new too. Am i glad to see my friends around! They are the souls who are making the stay here a lot more palapable :) Well, i kinda liked this place. Everything is so much in order. The lake Michigan is a beauty :) I was a bit less lucky to see it just half frozen...Garni Mills discovered the shopper's soul in me. hehe I know that was a bit too much, but these are the only places i have seen in the past 3 weeks here. Definitely loads more to look forward to!

Crazy! Weird! This is the best way I can describe my fate... Lots of things that i wanted are happening but all at the not-so right time. Or is it the right time? No ideas :) Am just going to wait and watch.. Phew! Always thought one can control one's destiny. Still have a faint faith on that thought. But presently I feel there's no point in planning. Things just seem to be beyond my control. Well, i am going to check out the power of prayers (no ideas if i should belive in the power of karma or not :)) Hoping for the best to happen!

Woke up on Saturday morning with a thoughtless mind. Seemed so good. As this was happening after a very long time, when i was waking up with no to-do plans and no regrets for not-yet-done things :) I guess the 2 week break helped me.Granny thought i came there to be with her. I thought the same too. But i realized it was more for myself. I felt connected again. I was reminded that my presence mattered to some souls in this big bad(maybe not so bad) world. My soul was rejuvenated. Now I realize that there is no greater pain in this world than that of feeling lonely, unwanted. I am not sure if these feelings were self imposed or just circumstantial. But that phase of life was toughest for me. I had never known loneliness. I had never been without friends or family. But in those lonely days, i realized the importance of 'being'. True, you can find new friends, new ways to live life. But you can never find yourself. Atleast its difficult. But I am glad i have found myself. Yes, I a...