When God Shuts a Door, He Opens a Window

"Only in our dreams are we free, the rest of the time we need wages." - Terry Pratchett, an English writer

After three months, the sky turns blue again. At least I am happy to see it turn blue after a seemingly long dark and grey sky. Unfortunately, however much we aspire of a sky completely free of clouds, it is always studded with patches of clouds as if they are meant for each other forever. And so is life not completely free of sorrows and unpleasant things that accompany it. So smile on them anyway and they will smile back in return. They are meant to be friends, not foes.

To stay in tune with the sentiments around my surroundings and myself, I have changed my blog theme. It's sky blue with patches of clouds now. And I chose purple color for my blog title but I don't know why.

It is after almost two months I am writing this blog post. In these two months many things happened. On August 15, on Independence Day, I ventured into something that I had been longing for. I knew it was not going to be easy but life mein risk lena parta hain; hain na? And I am still working on it. I felt as if I got freedom after seven  years. But I have now realized that being independent isn't a license to freedom from accountability.

Now I am working more hours than I used to. Sometimes 24 hours in a day is not enough. Yet I don't see any tangible results. Sadly, I keep failing and falling downhill. It's like spending a sleepless night and waiting for the first sun rays gushing through the window. Sometimes I feel like giving up altogether. But I am not giving up too soon. Now I have come to know that the dreams that I used to envision and the reality that I see are two separate worlds and don't stay together. If they are, then you must be very lucky. Everything can go your way in mind but not in reality.

At times it seems all the doors have been shut and I have nowhere to go. And it's certainly a nightmarish feeling if you have come to this point any time. Of course, life is beautiful in all its splendor but when it turns cruel, it becomes nasty and it's not easy to talk about it. It takes a little courage to stand up and walk again.

I always envy of birds flying so freely in the sky without having to worry about anything. I guess, I don't know whether they have such a thing called 'worry' in their dictionary. But it just doesn't seem to be. They don't worry about anything. They don't worry about what to eat. They don't worry about what clothes to wear. In fact, God has given them exquisitely elegant clothes to wear. He is so generous! Isn't He? And of course, they don't worry about shelter. If there was no 'worry' in life, majority of the problems we face in life wouldn't exist at all. Even after this realization, surprisingly I still worry a lot about various things in my life. It's not a good thing to keep up as we grow old in age. But it is natural to worry about life: what to eat, what to wear and where to stay, and what not.

As I write this post, Manipur is reeling under the eternal curse of the economic blockade with its two lifelines being throttled. For a gas cylinder, it costs Rs. 2000 now in the Land of Jewels. And prices of all available commodities in the state have shot up to astronomical highs and is beyond a common man's purchasing power.

Now the 'worry-meter' in Manipur measures the highest in India, or possibly in the whole world, as the prices of daily use commodities have far exceeded the common man's purchasing power. People there are suffering to the highest degree as the whole Manipur is being choked to a 'possible death'. Nowhere in India, or perhaps the whole planet Earth is such a dismal state of affairs seen and it is very sad to see people of Manipur -- the people who impose the economic blockade as well as people who don't -- are suffering silently. In Mumbai, when onion prices reached Rs 50 per kg for a week or so, the whole India rose up and within a month, the issue was resolved amicably. But nobody from Delhi is saying anything or doing the least when 'nobody-like-Manipur' is suffering to the extreme. Maybe because it's a small state, or maybe it doesn't contribute anything to the GDP of the country, or maybe it's silent and not doing anything on purpose. I feel so sad that I can't do anything about it.

Well, I wanted to write something else as I began writing and instead I ran into rants. Forgive me being offtrack a bit.

Now I envy the two pigeon birds who come to visit my dwelling place every single day without fail. [Recently they returned from a long trip somewhere] My dwelling place has become their playfield. They play all day long outside the window while I grind as many hours as I can before my monitor. They are so free and they are so independent. I envy them. When I left my job after working seven years a few months ago and began to dive into my personal project, I knew it was not going to be easy. And it's still not easy. Free from bosses is no freedom. Freedom comes with a great price. And I am paying now.

For me, 2011 will be an unforgettable year in my memory lane for many reasons. This year I saw the end of many beautiful things I built for many years and this year set the start of my journey all over again. It's like the beginner's mind. The late technology icon, Steve Jobs said, "It's wonderful to have a beginner's mind." But it's not easy that way. I am starting all over again. Again, 1999 was the year I started all over again.

When something beautiful ends, something else beautiful begins. It's the way how life goes on. It's our choice to snap it off but let it go. At the end of the day, it's destiny that finally decides. One professor describes what destiny is in a simple term like this: Suppose there is a nail pinned on the ground and a needle falling from the sky. Destiny  is the probability of the needle hitting the nail on the ground. After all, God is such a mathematician.

It's destiny that binds people together and it's destiny that separates people from one another. We don't have to feel sorry about it. Instead, flow like the river; run like the wind, be generous like the trees. There is so much to learn from them. Life's meant to be a beautiful thing, but not drudgery.

And of course, when God shuts a door, there is always a window open for you. All cannot be shut at the same time. God can't be that cruel.      

The Two Little Pigeons

It's a beautiful day. I got up from sleep to the melodious songs of two chirping birds, just outside my window pane. They are lovely, sweet little creatures. They come once in a while and chirp their choicest tunes, just outside my window, early in the morning, just to wake me up. It just feels good to hear their chirps early in the morning and begin my day. And I wish I knew the meaning of all their chirps.


But I am a little sad today, too. Not because I had a bad dream, or a bad sleep either. By the way, I had a great sleep last night. I even had a series of dreams wherein I saw many of my friends, chatting and talking about how life has been up to. It was a sweet dream. [Maybe because today is Friendship Day. I remember you guys and you all still live in my memories even today. And I wish you guys a very Happy Friendship Day. Just want to say: There is no goodbye in Friendship. Just like memories, Friendship never dies.]

But I am a little upset these past few days. The reason: I haven't seen two couple pigeons on my balcony railings outside the window the last three days. They were a little sweet things to me. Every morning, they would visit and sit on the balcony railings and spend there for hours, and sometimes even for whole day. They would talk in a language that I don't understand. I wish very much if I knew what they were talking each other.

At times they would stare each other, and other times, they would just come and sit quietly without speaking a word. A week or so ago, I saw both of them having a fight, just like husbands and wives do sometime. I don't know why those two sweet little creatures were fighting. It was sad to see both of them fighting. But at the same time, I was surprised to learn that these little creatures do have disagreements and conflicts at times, just like we humans do. And the next day, I saw them reunited again. I was happy to see both of them talking, staring each other and playing in the balcony railing outside my window.

All this drama of these two little, lovely pigeons, I watched daily from my small personal office like set-up inside my room, facing the balcony railings outside the window.

Sometimes, they both would kiss each other. But those moments, I won't stare at them. Because I was afraid they would feel shy and would never come back to their love nest again. Moreover, that's their private moments. You know, they are soft-hearted and the gentlest of all creatures. They both are a lovely sight to behold when they are playing, doing all sorts of things upon the balcony railings outside the window.

I don't know why, but wherever I stay, or move to a new building, these homely birds always follow me -- or, I don't know whether they are following me, or me following them. But they just come and visit my dwelling place anyway. In my previous apartment building too, where I stayed few years on rent, there were two couple pigeons -- lovelier and sweetier than this two couple. Theirs story is a bit different. I may tell about them some day.

I think it was last month. I rarely open my window panes because I don't want to give any chance to mosquitoes to enter my room. Honestly speaking, I hate mosquitoes the most of all creatures that I have seen or heard. I don't know why, but I hate these little, tiny creatures the most. Forgive me for hating them so much.

It was raining heavily that day. And I opened my window panes wide open. I wanted to feel the rain and watch it falling down on the earth in full view. Suddenly, the fairer and littler of the two couple pigeons, accidentally flew inside my room. But unfortunately, she couldn't fly away outside. After much try and failed attempts, she couldn't fly outside the window. Instead, she was flying to and fro across the length and breadth of my room. And outside the window, the fatter one, presumably her lover boy, was frantically kicking legs and hissing in helplessness. Maybe he was afraid that I would do something bad to his sweetheart. It was a sad sight to behold, because I seem to have a heart that knows what is love.

So I stepped in and joined the drama of the two little couple. I tried to catch hold of the fairer one who was frantically flying from corner to corner of my room. After a while, she had no other option but to land on my hands. I felt the heat and utter fear running all over her veins and body.

And now, outside the window, her lover boy's kicking legs and hissing sounds began more intense. And I knew it was time to let her go through the window. Sooner the better, lest he might do something stupid. Or he might get a heart attack!

Truth to be told: I ate pigeons in the past. They are soft and delicious. But this time I can't -- I can't break a lover's heart. And so I let her go through the window. At last, I felt happy to see both of them reunited again, kissing and talking in their unknown language. At that moment, I realized I had so much to learn from these little creatures.

But today, I am a bit sad that these two little birds haven't come back to my balcony railings for the past few days. As always, birds do come and go, just like we humans do. But I had to learn a lot from these two little couple pigeons. And I am glad I did.

Aye Khuda Mujhako Bata....(Tell me O God!....)

Aye Khuda Mujhako Bata...(Lyrics...in English)

Tell me O God, where do you live? What is your address?
We are travelers here searching for our own destinations
Your memory comes back to me and takes my life away
I get lost in loneliness and keep talking to me every moment that...
Why did you break my heart? Why did you leave me like this?
Why is my heart still waiting for you?
Why do the memories keep coming back? Why are they teasing me?
Why am I still restless?


Tell me O God, where do you live? What is your address?
We are travelers here searching for our own destinations.


Distances are far, but you are not away from me
I agree I am, but you are not helpless
Every moment it teases me and takes my life away
I get lost in loneliness and keep talking to me every moment that...
Why did you break my heart? Why did you leave me like this?
Why is my heart still waiting for you?
Why do the memories keep coming back? Why are they teasing me?
Why am I still restless?


Tell me O God, where do you live? What is your address?
We are travelers here searching for our own destinations
Your memory comes back to me and takes my life away.
I get lost in loneliness and keep talking to me every moment that... 
Why did you break my heart? Why did you leave me like this?
Why is my heart still waiting for you?
Why do the memories keep coming back? Why are they teasing me?
Why am I still restless?


Tell me O God, where do you live? What is your address?
We are travelers here searching for our own destinations.
Why did you break my heart? Why did you leave me like this?
Why is my heart still waiting for you?
Why do the memories keep coming back? Why are they teasing me?
Why am I still restless?

8 Again! (Contd.)

"If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older." (Tom Stoppard)

As a kid, the world was a playing field. As a teen, the world was a stage. And now as a grown-up adult, the world is a work-field. 

As a kid, all we thought was the world was a playground and we were all players. And we came into this world just to play. Only just to play. Nothing else. Studies and schools were just a time pass. Our main purpose in this world was to play and have fun. Well, it may be true metaphorically also to a grown-up, but we never thought about it metaphorically, we always thought everything literally. We thought everything in simple terms. And far from any complications, simplicity was the way of life. But as a grown-up, we tend to complicate things. 

Those days, life was all about playing and having fun. Yes, we grown-ups do play and have fun too... now we play in the computer or mobile or playing machines. Everything is becoming digital now. But as a kid, life was full, alive and vibrant like the seas. 

Happiness curve is U-shaped

Happiness Curve (Courtesy: Daily Telegraph)

Studies have shown that life begins to recede in the late 20's and doesn't recover up until 65 and it hits rock bottom at 44. It also supports Victor Hugo's viewpoint of 40 as the old age of youth and 50 the youth of old age. All I want to say here is that childhood days are the happiest and funnest. And we tend to keep going back to those days again and again. Sadly, 40s are the grimmest. Even worse if you happen to get a bad wife. Socrates once said that if you got a bad wife, you would become a philosopher. But for good or worse, I don't know, I have become one already. Hmm, wife? Yet to find one.

In fact, a kid will never understand fully the mind of a grown-up. But sadly, a grown-up easily forgets that he was once a kid too, long time back. As a matter of fact, both belongs to the different worlds but within the same world. But above all, I still cherish those childhood days most -- in fact, mucher more than my teens days. Because I was living my life in full. But now as a grown-up, it's hard to live a life that way -- like the one I once used to as a kid. Now I am busy chasing after my dreams and money. Like chasing after the wind.

In many ways, being innocent and foolish like a kid is a great gain. In doing so, the life will become simpler free of tensions, free of strife, and free of heart failures. And the world will become a peaceful place to live. And there won't be any sleep disorders anymore. And we all will be able to sleep peacefully. Like a child again. 

Stanley Ka Dabba effect

Drizzling rain, I am half wet with a half pant, and about to be dipped in the sea 

Too much of a good stuff is a bad stuff, courtesy, The Karate Kid

I read, a few years back, the importance of observing some kind of a ritual called ME TIME. Since then whenever I can, I have been observing this ritual. Let me tell you it's been quite helpful, health wise, soul-wise, and heart wise. I call myself a busy person, though I don't know exactly what I am busy at actually. When I work, I work as if the world is going to end tomorrow. But when I sleep, you can say, I sleep no less than the old-time Kumbakarna. In fact, few of my friends do know this. So a difficult to understand person you will ever come across in your life.

And at the end of the day, being busy makes me drained out all the time without me noticing it myself. But the last three or four months have been a heck of a time for me, doing good stuffs only, not bad stuff though, but it was becoming too much for me. So I thought I would have this Me Time. A long one this time. Only 'Me' Time. No one else. Um, too selfish, nah, huh? But I have found this ritual to be soul-enriching and soul-rejuvenating. Every time I have this ritual, I come out as a renewed soul. So you will know today how renewed I am after all this.

But in essence, we are all like rechargeable batteries. We are never constant. We change all the time even though we hardly notice it ourselves. We go down and we go up. We lose and we gain. We drain out ourselves and we need to get those back again to 'soar like eagles against the wind'. It's as simple as 'in giving that we receive' equation and vice versa. But sometimes we need to receive too.

Just one month back, it was, oh, my God, unbearable. In Mumbai, the mercury soared to 40 or something. Oh, my... Yes, as it is always, the sun is splendidly generous and warm-hearted fellow, umm, like me, hmm, but when it is too generous, it is unbearable. It was too hot to bear. Poor me, I don't have ACs installed in my room. But fortunately very recently the rescuer came for us poor people from these too generous sunbeams. The Mumbai Rain. The unpredictable Mumbai rain came earlier than usual this time. Now I got a clear respite from the blazing heat. And not the least, I got myself wet in the rain. Being wet in the rain is a different feeling altogether. Wow, I didn't fall sick. Sometimes try it and see it for yourself. But please don't blame me if you get sick after doing it, though.

Stanley Ka Dabba effect     

Lately some strange things are happening in my life. But I will be writing only the good, bad... but not the ugly part. I have to keep some secret too.

I have been having this strange idea, or you can say bizarre idea, lately. Oh, I want to become an eight-year old boy all over again. If God were to give me a chance. Like they do in Project Makeover wherein a lady was given a chance to go back to her past. But unlike the movie here, I won't want to be a grown-up. I would request to God that I would want to remain a child... forever kid... and die as a kid. Somewhere like in the age of Stanley in the Stanley ka Dabba. I don't think I would be bored of being a forever child. And forever is not always forever anyway. And yes, for sure, on the other hand, you will be bored of being a forever grown-up sooner. Because both the worlds of a kid and a grown-up are entirely different things.    

As a kid, and ironically, our hearts were as huge as the ocean and as wide-open like the sky. But as a grown-up, our hearts are like dome. It has a roof now. I don't know from where this roof came from. As a kid, we never had one. Our eyes were as pure as the morning dew without a dirt. As a grown up, now we see everything through a 'stained-glass' eyes.

Those days, it was easier to make friends. All it needed was just your name. That's it. It didn't matter much how many marks you scored in Maths or Science. Or whether your parents were Doctor, or Engineer or a Carpenter. Or whether your house was beautiful made of bricks or a thatched one. Friends were all around. Now no worries for friends. Thanks to Mark Zuckerberg, we have Facebook now.

Oh, we sometimes, too, fought over some petty things. But it never lasted long. Umm, I don't know whether I should tell you this or not. All right. I am going to write this anyway because you're not going to believe this. Till my II grade, I had involved myself in fights that involved fist, kicks and what not. All kids at that age do that by the way. I was not spared from it despite being an innocent-looking chap. But since starting my III grade, I have never involved in fights with anyone till date.

It was in my grade I. Just like the Stanley and his bench-mate started the fight in the movie, it did too on that day, though we had a slightly different issue. There were five of us sitting in a bench. The problem was, I didn't want to sit in the corner against the wall. That guy too didn't want either. And because it was the last class of the day, we all wanted to run out of the class and reach home first. Sitting in the corner would mean that you would be the last person to leave the class. And I didn't want to be the last person to leave either. So we both started verbal first. Then he seemed out of control, he first punched me out of nowhere. I still don't know why he punched me on my teeth. Oooh!!! And in return, amidst the other classmates trying to dissuade us both from fighting, I managed to give a nice punch on his face. Wow. By that time, the Headmaster... not like the 'how are my kids today?' kind of Rosie teacher in the movie... came running with his famous cane-stick. [I respect this Headmaster a lot till this day]. And we both got a nice beating from him and were made to stand out of the class for the whole period. Oh, so bad! Surprisingly, I have never seen him since my grade II till this day.

Bad boy, huh?


[To be continued....]

     
   

I love you Ma!

Ma!, you're my greatest treasure
I ever received from Heavens above;
As generous and splendid as the Sun
As tireless and strong as the Wind
As friendly and faithfulness as the Trees
As kind and gentle as the Rain Drops 
As enchanting and magnificent as the Rainbow after the rain
As melodious and comforting as the Songbirds at Dawn
As vivacious and charming as the Sunrise
And as beautiful and loving as you are
And I know these few words of mine 
Are like tiny drops compared to Ocean
Even then, for all that you have been and 
for all that you are to me, I proudly say:
"All that I am, or hope to be,
I owe to you...my angel Mother"
I love you Ma!

Ma!, I pray for your good health and pray to God to add many more years to live!

Here's wishing to all moms out there a Happy Mother's Day! 

Green ATMs and Brown ATMs

People standing in line to withdraw their cash from ATM (Source: E-pao.net)

I was on a trip to my native place recently. And on that fateful day, I needed to withdraw some cash from ATM. And I needed it desperately for some urgent needs. But I never knew it would be so ho-hum task just to withdraw your money from a machine called ATM. Technology may be advanced and already borne fruits elsewhere but in Manipur, it is just the opposite.

Around 7 o’clock in the morning that day, I, with my younger brother, drove out from my house to withdraw some cash from nearby ATM. And Canchipur (Imphal) SBI ATM came to mind first. So we drove towards Canchipur SBI ATM. By the time we reached Manipur University Gate, three commando personnel were already there guarding the ‘fortress’. Few years ago when I visited there then, I hardly saw commandos there at MU gate. But maybe due to the unfotunate incidents that happened in the not too long ago past, now Manipur University has become a 'fortress' now. Just as we were about to enter the MU gate, one commando personnel rushed towards us and enquired about our visit with a growling voice from his throat, as if we were deaf. And I told him politely that we were coming to fetch some cash from the SBI ATM inside the campus. But in return, in a hoarse and grumbling voice, without any provocation, he said that there was no cash at that time and you could come at 11 o’clock. It was almost deafening. It might have been much better if he said it politely, and I guess, in doing so, he could have saved more calories during that 10 second long speech.

Without a doubt, our first destination bore not fruit. I told my brother that we should go straight to Secretariat SBI, Imphal. By the time we reached Secretariat SBI, some thirty people were already there standing in line and one of them said to us that we could only check balances but not withdraw cash. Because money was not there in the ‘automated terror machine’. Elsewhere this machine is called Automated Teller Machine. But once it reaches Manipur, it becomes ‘Automated Terror Machine’.

Our second destination too proved futile. Then we drove towards SBI Thangal Bazar, the main MG Avenue SBI office in Manipur. And I was stunned to see some 200 people standing in queque outside the ATM from a distance. By the time we reached the ATM, the only words I could utter was, ‘Oh, my gosh!’ and no further words came out. We all need cash desperately at some point and we do anything to acquire it. But in this, it’s nobody’s money; it’s your money after all. People don’t mind standing in queue the whole day if they see a ray of hope that they would get cash at the end of the day. No matter what.

Our third destination also failed. I won’t think it twice if I was going to stand in queque for five-six hours just to withdraw my money from a machine called ATM. We then proceeded towards AXIS Bank, also in Thangal Bazar, Imphal. We were delighted to see a few people standing in line just outside the AXIS ATM. And the security guard inside the ATM assured us that money would be coming at 11 o’clock. So we joined the line that was already there.

Now it’s already 10:00 am. My brother and I exchanged line from time to time. And the scorching sunbeam was overhead and was showering abundantly, heavily heated airwaves over our head. And I was sweating profusely. Poor people us! That day, the sun was ungenial, the ATM was unmerciful.

Standing in the sun outside the ATM was an awkward and tiresome. In such situation, just to spend the time, gossip was the only way to keep the spirit high. There was a middle-aged man, maybe in the early 50s or so, among the queue liners. He was talking to someone who was already there with him before we joined them. “ATMs in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and other cities elsewhere in India have ‘green’ ATMs”, he said. “You won’t see people there standing in queue like we do here now. There is always availability of cash in the ATM machine, 99.99% of the case, 24x7. In Manipur, it’s just the opposite. Here in Manipur, ATM machines are cash-starved and are always on a ‘hunger strike mode’. These machines here in Manipur are ‘brown’ ATMs”. I was listening to him, too, from a distance.    

The person who was listening to the middle-aged man looked inquisitive, and asked him, “Why do you call those ATMs elsewhere in India Green ATMs and Brown in Manipur?

The man thoughtfully cleared his throat and started slowly with a question to the listener. “Were you passing those traffic signals while coming here? The listener nodded in affirmative. The man continued further, “Did you see the green light there?” The listener said yes and nodded his head in realization.

The man continued like a good teacher, “At traffic point, green light lets you proceed and you’re not supposed to standstill there the moment green light comes. In other words, you are free to flow. Free flow of movement starts. So ATMs elsewhere in India are just like that. These machines are ready to give you cash at any point in time. They are always 'green.' Another thing is that green also symbolizes friendliness. They don’t terrorize you at all. Instead, they instill in you a sense of trust, hope and a sense of worthiness.” Everybody there in the line was nodding their head in agreement, including myself.

He continued, “But here in our once-known little paradise, it’s just the opposite. These machines are not ‘friendly’ at all. Instead, they instill in you a sense of fear, insecurity and hopelessness. Now you are standing in queue, like all of us, not knowing with certainty that you will return home with your cash back. Sometimes you get and most of the time we all return home empty handed. That’s why I call ATMs in Manipur ‘brown’, a node better than being ‘black’.”

After a pause, he added, “After all, you don’t have to blame these machines. It’s the system that manages.”

It was around 11 o’clock now, and to our utter dismay, we were informed by the security guard that money was not coming that day. And in no time, the long queue was disappeared like the mists do in the sunbeam in the early morning. Some people were grumbling, some people disappeared slowly and silently. And I and my brother visited my brother-in-law’s shop in Thangal Bazar nearby for sometime.

And we returned home empty handed, like the rest of the liners.
  

Milky Way Video Wows Web

This was filmed between 4th and 11th April 2011 on El Teide, Spain´s highest mountain.

(Courtesy: Yahoo!)

Home is where your heart is...

It's so truly said. Home is truly where your heart always longs to be.

I felt a bit nostalgic these days from being away from home quite a bit longer than usual. Usually I visited home every year in December, until 2008, as I like winter season in Manipur. Winter season, I like the most, because I get to eat all those delicious mouthwatering Manipuri foods which I have been missing for quite a long time now. But this time I couldn't wait till December. And I am already at Home Sweet Home. No matter how ugly it looks to be, it is always sweet. Because your heart is always there.

I don't know why it can't be so in love. We despise ugly, we disdain them. We always extol and praise the beauty. Nothing wrong with that. We always do that. But God created all, whether it's ugly or beautiful. He created them all 'bright and beautiful.' So why can't ugly be beautiful, because He created them all? In fact, there should not be any ugly as such. A bit philosophical here but anyway I am trying to find one that people say is ugly, but that, to me, is the most beautiful for myself. I will tell you the day I find.

Now at home, there is constant blackout. Most of the time, or throughout 24 hours, there is no power. It's no new news to many. But it's utterly uncomfortable when you have come down from a city like Mumbai. But  you have to accept it because it's Manipur, not Mumbai. People here are used to it and are not complaining about it. And I sigh, it's a long way to go.

Now I'm already getting bored with only two days here at home. Those college days are gone and most of my friends are now either married, or away from home like me. It's true somehow that married and bachelors do not go along very well... even the best friends too. After getting married, somehow people change and seem different. Another thing is that they are always busy. And those days when we used to have plenty of time at our disposal are gone. But anyway I do not regret coming back home whenever I like.  

Fortunately, a friend of mine (an IAF pilot) was at home on Sunday, yesterday and he was free and had to go somewhere the day after and busy thereafter. After a gap of four years we met. We drove around the Imphal city and saw not much change though since I last saw them. But I noticed something when we reached Khuman Lampak. Eviction drive was going on around Khuman Lampak area. In some way, it's disheartening to see it taking place. It's not new to me, though. It happens in Mumbai everyday. And it's an inevitable price people have to pay. Because their buildings and shops were there in the wrong place. Development always comes with a price and people have to pay for it for the benefit of the common mass and for the several generations to come.

Eviction drive at Khuman Lampak

Sadly, the land space doesn't grow with time. It's only getting smaller. Population of not only people, but vehicles are all the more growing at an astronomical rate. And they add to the enormity of the problems of congestion in the city.

Another beauty or sweetness of home is family bonding -- the bond of love. It's kind of a get-together celebration in some way. In fact, my family feels the completeness with me being at home. And being away from home in a stranger's land may not bring you that completeness of joy. In your native place, you are completely at 'home and in sync'. That is the power of home sweet home.

Because anyone who knows love loves home. Because you are in love with 'home' whether it's ugly or nice, whether it's thatched or bricked.

To my dear Darling...! [A Follow-up from DREAMGIRL]

Dear Darling,

It's my first time I am writing to you declaring my unwavering love and undivided commitment that I have for you. However, you may find yourself stunned and off-guarded to see my writing and also to hear that I am your husband from the future in a time machine. Now I am in the middle of 2012. I guess, I am a little bit ahead of you into the future in time, and I am sure you may be somewhere in the year 2011. So please try to understand me.

Just to refresh your memory as a bit of background, some years ago, I wrote a poem about you, called 'DREAMGIRL' on my blog: SINGJU ONLINE. It's a lovely poem about you. And I waited a long time for you but you never showed up. Being an impulsive and impatient lover, I couldn't wait any longer. So I went into the future in a time machine only to find myself getting married with you... my DREAMGIRL.  Just to find you was a dream come true. And I thought I'd better despatch this reciprocation online through the ubiquitous internet.

Now that you are by my side, a lovely wife, I'm the happiest man on earth, and I hope you'll too. As I had hoped, you are such a special someone that I had dreamed of. Yes, you may not be the most beautiful woman on earth but you are the sweetest and the most lovely one I've ever met. And you fill my heart -- the whole of it. Full of love. And you make my little world a pleasant place to live.

Being with the woman of my dream is a wonderful thing to have. You are the first ray of sunlight that fills my room and wakes me up at dawn. You are the sound of those little melodious singing birds in the early morning that spreads the word of peace and love. Your sweet whispers of love and the touches of your soft lips to my hot lips do all the wonders that the world can't do. What a beautiful day to begin with, with such a lovely wife by my side.

Your sweet scent of your silky long hair gives such a warm comfort to my heart. Your bell-tingling sound like laughs, when I crack jokes, makes me soar to the highest high of the universe. Your child-like smile makes me joy and drives away all my fears. Darling, what a beautiful smile you have!

You know what, we do a little different than most couples do. We make love mostly at dawn. At the beginning, you didn't agree with me. But now we do make love mostly at dawn. And I see your happy smiles. You know what, making love at dawn, as people say, keeps your heart healthy and makes you look young and fresh. And no matter what happens, it makes you happy and helps keep your mood high and jolly throughout the day. It's turned out to be true. And I see you smiling and laughing throughout the day. And it makes me a happy man.

Darling, I'll tell you something very important at closing. Now I know why God created woman. To make her man happy.  

Until the times meet.

Lots of Love and lots of Kisses.

Your Husband,

Pangamba777

[On Time Machine]

The world is a tragedy to those who feel, but a comedy to those who drink!

The world is a tragedy for feelers, but a comedy for drinkers!

All said beautifully by H Walpole, a few hundreds before.  I know now fully what he knew some hundreds of years ago.  Nothing more to add. But a little change now. 21st century, na? Now it's comedy for drinkers!

Scrumblr

Ever thought of sharing your thoughts or anything with your friends or loved ones real-time online? Then in that case, Scrumblr is a great online tool you'd love to use. Of course, there are similar online tools like ManageWithUs, TheDeadline, GQueues etc, but I love to use Scrumblr. It's user-friendly and you get a unique virtual board. You don't have to sign-up. It's free and easy to use.

When you want to share something special with your love ones real-time, Scrumblr comes handy. With Scrumblr, you can wish someone Happy Birthday or say, I Love You or anything that comes to your mind. You know sometimes mobile phones can't be trusted and at times, SMSes wander around and don't go directly to destinations on time. Anyway, you can take it as another arrow in your quiver.

http://www.scrumblr.ca/
   

When Tsunami Hit Japan...

Tsunami- Water Monster (Courtesy: Guardian)

It's irony that Japan invented the word 'Tsunami' and never thought that it would turn its fury against its own. Since last Friday, we have seen and heard on TV or other media the exceedingly ferocious fury of tsunami and its aftermath on Japan in particular and the world in general. It's disheartening to see the country in crisis.   

For the last couple of years, Japan has been in a state of down-trend in the world economy chart. The former Asian economy giant hit a major setback recently after China toppled them to get to the second spot only after the United States. In fact, Japan had held the second spot for the last four decades or so. Now seeing after the cataclysmic earthquake of 9.0 magnitude on Richter scale on Thursday and followed by the mammoth sized 23 foot high tsunami on Friday, and the colossal aftermath thereafter, it's expected, for sure, for the Japan's down-trend in the near future or so.      

What a mess! (Photo Courtesy: Huffington Post)

Now, Nikkei is sinking. Most companies have shut down their factories and plants. And for a country whose economy depends on 80% of its exports to other countries, this means a huge dampening effect on the economy of Japan. In fact, the Japanese Prime Minister today termed this disaster as the biggest crisis after the WWII. With a few thousand deaths thanks to its preparedness, and more than 10,000 missing, the search is still on. And now another Chernobyl-like nuclear disaster looms large on the horizon. 


In a country where people feel tremor every five minutes and upto 2000 quakes in a year, owing to its geographical location in the so called Ring of Fire, magnitude of this disaster was never on people's mind. The powerful tsunami swallowed everything in its path, buildings, cars and other debris. A huge, huge water monster indeed. And its consequence far exceeding than anyone could think of.   

And now there is also a rumor milling around the corner as Supermoon comes close by on March 19th this year. Many astrologers associate supermoons with natural disasters and cite the examples of Indonesian earthquake in 2005, which caused massive destruction in many countries, including India, and the massive flood in Australia in 1955, which all happened within days of supermoons. But many experts deny the direct link of supermoons with disasters. 

But, I would say, though, that Moon and water are linked indirectly or directly. When full moon comes, the water tide becomes high, sometimes exceedingly high. I used to go to Juhu Beach (Mumbai) on full moon days, it's true and I experienced that. Sometimes the tide rises much higher than usual on Full Moon days. Sometimes they are dangerously high and forceful. But while supermoons caused natural disasters has no valid scientific proof, natural calamities do occur within days or near supermoons. And others, God only knows.   

My principle. Hope for the best. Expect the unexpected. Preparedness is the only key in any situation. Don't be mesmerized only by its Beauty. Remember the other side. The Beast.

2011: A Year of Marriages

2011. It was what i thought in 2010. When it was going to come! I thought it was just yesterday when we ushered into 2011 with astronomically high hopes and exponentially powered dreams. Maybe I am dreaming -- day dreaming by the way. But time seems to go so fast too even notice before your eyes, when it feels like spending years to only pass a lonely full moon night remembering someone you lost in the past.

Today is 30th Jan 2011, very close to pass a month into the year. I feel like I have woken up from the middle of a delicious dream only to find myself I am late for work. Maybe you all might have gone through this experience, if you are sort of a lazy person like me. You need to do this and that. You hurry up things because you are already late for work and your boss will be waiting for you in office to have 'some nice words' with you. More late means 'more nice words'. It's unpleasant by the way, right?

For me, being a lazy man, maybe by birth, it happens most of the time. Sometimes, when this happens, it takes only 5 minutes or so from out of bed to taking bath to dressing up. Sometimes you forget brushing your teeth or you avoid doing so intentionally. It's like fast forwarding at 32x in a movie. It's the fastest thing you could in such instance. Everything becomes rolling on its own in fast forwarding pace. I wish I could do like this in all that I do.

I would call this year 2011 as the 'year of marriages'. Because most of my friends are going to be tying their heavily and long-awaited knots to their sweethearts in marriage. So in advance, I wish all of them a happy and joyous married life with some beautiful kids, who knows if some among them becomes Miss World or Mr. Universe or something sort of that in the future. But my friends are insisting on me a lot these days that I should get married this year, but surprisingly less pressure from my parents. It's understandable, there are some pressing issues on hand right now, by the way.

Being a bachelor is a boon in some way. You are absolutely independent. You can do whatever you like, good, bad or otherwise. But once it's gone, you will be like tying to a stationary pole. Being bachelorhood and married are two worlds apart. But anyway I need to get married sooner or later. Sooner the better, my married friends say so. That's how life's supposed to be.

Looking Back: The Year 2010 In Retrospect!

The old has gone, the new has come. 2010 is gone into history. The new guest 2011 has come to the fore. I have no idea of what it brings with for us, the world and humanity; God only knows. We'll have to see when it unveils those surprises in its own time.

By the way, i am writing on my blog after a long gap, maybe around three months on a stretch, i guess. My apologies in advance. I am a person, by habit, who writes and writes. But sometimes i had to be away from my blog for some personal reasons.

For me, 2010 was a year of many happenings, from highs to lows, from success to failure or vice versa. But nothing significance did happen. For the first time, i tried a different thing in 2010. I started internet marketing because i wanted to give it a try. I created many sites, did all campaigns online, used Google Adwords, Bing, Yahoo! I invested in dollars. But at the end of the day, in my P&L account, losses outweighed the profits. So only recently I pushed the PAUSE button in my newfound endeavor. That was my first online venture. But it burned my finger unfortunately the first time. But I am not giving up. Failures do come and they are the stepping stones to success. That was the business front.

As you all know, change is constant in life. In fact, 2010 was a year of changes. i changed the company after working almost 6 years. It was a hard decision but it became clear it had to happen. I had to 'relinquish' the comfort of being the most senior person in the team. We all want comfort and benefits in life. Not only did i change the company, i also changed my place of stay. If you had experienced it before, change of place of stay in a city like mumbai is uncomfortable -- always, because it takes time to adapt to the new place.

For me, love is one thing i cannot live without. Love is an amazing thing. It makes you high even when you are in the low. It makes you feel happy even when you are sad. No wonder the world goes round and round with this one thing - love. But for me, 2010 was a year of heart-break. But hope is one thing that propels you forward in life when there is no love. Hope is a good thing.

But when i look back as to what happened in 2010 in the whole world, it's the same shame world. First half was less of it, but second half was full of it. It's just enough to only look at India, the largest democracy in the world. Commonwealth Games 2010 comes to mind to the fore first.

The year 2010 started with high hopes in anticipation of the CWG. Even before it began, newspapers went overboard flashing on the front pages about the rampant corruption involving the Games officials -- Kalmadi and associates. And eventually, it was the beginning of the unfolding drama of rampant corruption and various scams in the Indian system. Adarsh land scam, 2G scams, all kinds of scams involving politicians and bureaucrats for which investigations are still ongoing. And the results we all know beforehand, no prizes for guess. Even the premiere agency in the country or even in the world like CBI is beating around the bush. They are crippled these days. Don't blame them but the system. But the saddest thing is that the India image was mired severely by these scams in the recent past. And that's India. And the year 2010 filled with corruption and scams. But WHO CARES?

And what happened in my home state, Manipur, the Northeastern state, so called the Land of Jewels where the jewels are nowhere to be found. Again, the same shame -- or even worse than the previous year. WHO CARES after all?

It's getting worse day after day, sad to say so. Band, blockades, violence, killing civilians for money etc. 'Commandos' are self appointed or 'anointed' kings there. There's no one born yet in Manipur to rein them once for all.

Again, being a multi-ethnic state of over 30 different ethnic tribes, now nagas in the hills of Manipur are demanding for a separate administration -- as equal as demanding a separate state though; kukis are, on the other hand, demanding for a Kukiland. In the middle, SPF government is playing hide and seek game. They can't do anything worthwhile even into the future. Riches are getting richer and richer, poors are getting poorer and poorer. Nothing new anywhere in the world but in a state like Manipur, it's different.

In Manipur, human rights as equal as extinct - non-existent, guns rule the whole of it. People are afraid to go out of their homes after the dark. Security forces, instead of instilling security in the minds of people, instills terror among the people. Militants are rampant these days in extortion and kidnapping, especially government officials.

In fact, Manipuris are living between the devil and dead sea. Sore state of the State. The SPF government is just the mere spectator, can do nothing to resolve these longstanding problems of the common man. Very sorry to say this, animals are better taken care of in zoo than the human beings walking on the streets of Manipur. Needless to say it again, if somebody dies in Manipur, he or she would have prayed to God, that if they were to be born in Manipur again, they be born as animals in the zoo. Abysmal state of the human rights in the land of jewels!

Well it's impossible to write all of what happened in 2010. Not to mention, though, not all clouds were dark, there were silver linings too. Obama's India visit was a silver lining on the business front. Sensex crossing 20K and many others. But the fact of the matter is dark spots overshadowed the little bright spots in 2010 overall.

Let me come to a close. For our new guest 2011, let's hope for the best and plan for the unexpected. Let me use a quote from the classic Shawshank Redemption, 'Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.' Even if when all seems gone wrong, let it not die -- at all. HOPE. Keep it close to your chest -- HEART -- all the time.

And not the least, I wish you all a good health, peace of mind and of heart, fulfillment and success, happy and prosperity in this coming NEW YEAR 2011.

***
My New Year Resolution for 2011: LIVE MORE IN LIFE ['it's not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years that count'], THINK MORE ['imagination is more important than knowledge'], DREAM MORE ['I am a big, huge dreamer'].

***

Cheers!

Take care all!