Sunday morning it is, and its different today

Just finished a play session in the ground with some new friends in Trivandrum. 

I used to participate very actively in sports when in school and college. It used to be fun. In school days I used to play for representing our school. Everytime I practiced, I practiced to learn but every time I played I played to win. In my four years of participation, I along with my new team mate every time won at least a prize. Only in the last year, when I was in tenth standard we were winners, rest all the times we were only runners up. Those last year memories have been undoubtedly valuable so far and they will remain to be for sure.

In college, again mostly I played out of no practice and to win. But as I approached towards my graduation, sports started inspiring me. Rather, I must say I started getting inspiration from all types of sports, what I play and which I don't. I started learning more. More than the game, how it's played. I got attracted towards fair play and aggressive play over the period of years. Team games used to interest me in the begining but when I started eating tennis, I really got into the individual play. I mean, the singles. I was amused by their strength and presence of mind. At some point of time I thought even the presence of mind can be practice's too. 

It carried on a lot later on and every time in increasing manner. One can get that very easily through my previous posts too. 

Today, during the play session few things clicked to me. Now I know why the fielding team, in cricket, tends to appeal again and again. Its not the mind that does, its the subconscious one I guess. We just shout, we might know from inside that there is no point, but we just go ahead at that very moment. Henceforth I will curse the opposition team less when they appeal against the Indian players. I also learnt that you need to be quick to begin with but not just that. You need to complete the job, no relaxation until then. 

Also,I felt the following. Every time you lose you will have a strong desire for one more chance. And if you win, its nothing different , still you wish for one more chance, unless you do not aim big. When we play the game just as a game by following the rules, you need not be conscious about supporting your team mate. You will just flow with the game and it will flourish.  That makes the best teams as well. Of course, we are all humans and we tend to think many things but if the game can be played just as a game, you need not tell anyone to be with the game. He will anyway do. 

This is how my experience is as far as today's play is concerned. Enjoyed a lot, laughed to the fullest, encouraged very much, felt active and relaxed. Thanks to everyone who were present out there. That's a Sunday morning, something different. 

Listen... Take Home #306

Listen to the people. Try to understand. Its ok if you understand. But do not conclude if you have your own doubts. 

Railway stations, clean and neat

I travelled in Delhi metro six years back. So I knew how a cleaner railway track looked like. Unfortunately I could not see a cleaner railway platform, as Delhi metro used to be very rush, mainly at the main junctions. Until I visited Kerala for the first time in April this year, I could not imagine a regular railway station and the tracks in it could be so clean and neat. Although the metro was of international standard, if you visit any of the two main railway stations of Delhi, you will not believe you are in the national capital. Same is the scene with Pune, Hyderabad, Mumbai etc. They are nothing much different from each other. 

When I first visited Trivandrum railway station, I could not look away from what I was seeing. They had series of dustbins next to every pillar and passenger sitting area on the platform. They are all with the decomposable dustbin bag around them. The tracks were absolutely clean, I tried hard to find out at least a piece of paper or a banana peal, but I failed miserably but that feeling was very pleasant. What they do is the authorities allocate a certain location of the tracks and platform to a set of workers. They keep cleaning them from one side to the other side continuously, at least I could see that as long as I was on the platform waiting for the train. The aptly placed dustbins do the rest of the job. People can see more dustbins than a place to through the trash. Hence the scrap gets filled up in there. 

Hats off to the maintenance. As soon as I got down the train back in Pune, I realized that I was again amidst the papers, banana peals, empty water bottles and you name them. It must be learnt from the Kerala railway station authorities of how to keep the so rushy public places so clean. Yes, Kerala's income is mostly from tourism hence they take that extra step to keep areas clean. But tourism need not be a reason for you to keep the surroundings clean. Health matters as well. Comfort matters as well. Pleasantness matters as well. A very impressive way of maintenance that these people have here. Truly appreciable and worth practicing as well. 

Away from home, friends are the family!

It's been since very long that this post is lying in the drafts. Somehow, I could never put enough stuff into it so that I will be able to post it. I thought I must do this post as part of my writing spree of these days. Here it goes.

Most of us stay away from home these days. By home, I mean the houses which once we felt as our homes, where either they or their memories stay. Its always a wonderful feeling to stay home, get relaxed, have mom-made food and enjoy flipping through the TV channels however bore they may be. Its blissful to be surrounded by the family. No matter what, they are there to support you or you are there around in need for them. Once you leave your home, be it for work or for your career whichever is its type, it's one and the same if you are just few kilometers away or if you are millions of miles away. You can reach out to them or they can attend to you quickly if you stay near by and in the other case it just a matter of time. Sometimes the time is not sufficient but most of the times its good enough I guess. 

Well, we reach out to each other, there is no doubt about it. But the fact is that you need not do so every time and in case of every need. You may just have to reach out to your friends. Anyway, these days, as much as I'm aware of, the understanding that friends have to help each other while they stay away from home is getting more and more correct among people. I have many friends who help me, whom I help and who help each other, as if they are the family. In fact, it might be proper to say that they are the extended part of your family. Its not just for the fact that you can be carefree, your parents can also stay free and away from and concerned thoughts about you and your partner, kids etc. Parents are parents. You may be are surrounded by thousands of friends, but they keep thinking of you. There is a difference between thinking and being concerned. You can avoid their concern by having and by maintaining your friends' circle in the city where you stay. Parents as well have to maintain their own friends circle such that their sons and daughters can be free of anxiety. One need not worry that he or she is helpless. The feeling that the friends are there to look after at least until you reach there in case of emergency gives immense peace to heart and hence the goodness. 

Having been staying away from home from past fourteen years, I think I can say the above based on my experience. Its not easy to stay away from mom when you are ill. Most of the times, that news does not even reaches her. It can be done only if you have someone playing an important role, although not as mom which is impossible too. Same is the case with her. She cares for you more than she cares for herself and she is quiet most of the times of her sickness, unless you get the news from someone else or she decides to share with you, as she takes you as her best friend. 

Friends play an important role and hence its important that they are cared for. Away from home, they are your family. Realize as early as possible. Choose them as wisely as possible. 

A walk alongside the road and railway track...

You can learn a lot if you can observe your surroundings, people, nature etc is what they say. This is true as far as my experience goes. Observing the surroundings is nothing but the involvement we have into our lives, after all we are also surroundings to someone else. If we feel we are doing good and people learn from us, we must also believe that we can learn from anyone too.

I roamed around a little today. I walked alongside a main road. I could do two things things for myself while I was going through the street. One, ATM, it does not change you go anywhere, except the prompt for the local language, you anyway choose 'English' as option. I doubt if I ever choose my local language, will I be able to go through the transaction cycle with same ease as that of it by choosing the 'English' option. Two, I had coconut water. If you have not yet visited Kerala, you must believe me, You can see hundreds of coconut trees in your surroundings, you have to search a lot for the shop where you can get coconut water. I have been told that here people get more profit by exporting them than by selling them road side. Fair enough. But good that at least some shop keepers, by chance or choice, have their shops. Having said that, I'd like to share one more recent learning of me about the coconut water. That is, you can actually prepare coconut water at home. There is a power in the market these days, it costs nine rupees and you can make a coconut water. I didn't try it but my friends did. I'm yet to check for feedback from them.

In Trivandrum, auto riksha costs less, relatively when compared to Pune. In the Pune city, yes it costs similar but in the area where I stay, it appears as if they are charging for one sitting into it instead of the distance of travel. I got down the auto and I was walking in the same direction where the auto was heading when I was in it. The auto driver who came next to me and stopped the auto to ask me if I wanted to get dropped after some more distance. I nodded but I could not stop myself from thanking him. Here I do not want to generalize. May be that particular person would have behaved the same if he is somewhere else in the world or some other person might have not said what he said. Anyway, the point is he offered me a ride for free of cost. 

After sometime, I found myself walking next to a railway track and the other side of it were the coconut trees and many other trees in green color with colorful flowers. I think it was due to the rain, they were afresh. I walked long and after I was approached the end of the road I thought, only things missing in the entire walk were the train on the track as I was walking and rain. As a last step, I stepped into the rain water on the road as that was the only way to cross it, I took it positively and thought, ok, now my new rainy season sandals have been tested for the first time. 

I enjoyed it all throughout. It is feeling great as I share my experiences here at my blog. Looking forward for few more. 

The best that you can do... Take Home #305

Acceptance is the best that you can do about your present. Desire and work out is the best that you can do about your future. Past carries a lot of value in every person's life, after all we are what we are is because of our past to a greater extent. Being thankful to it and to the people, incidents involved is the best that you can do about your past. 

Not just love, shopping too has no language limits!

When I was in school, it was taught in social studies that Kerala was the state with highest literacy rate in India. The literacy percentage was also very good, around ninety eight or so, if I remember it correctly. The same was given as an answer in the examinations that time. I was unaware then that this will be helpful to me in future to carry out a short shopping spree without knowing the local language, Malayalam. 

I had been to a shop to buy mainly two things. One, a pair of sandals which can be used in rain. Two, an umbrella, of course to use in rain, although it is used under the sun in the northern states of India. It was simple to start with. I had to look around for a footwear shop. I got one and entered. I said three English words, here they follow: 'Sandles', 'rainy season' and 'size ok'. My shopping of sandals was done. At the bill counted I got a bill which I paid. Fortunately I needed not to bargain, there was a fifteen percent discount offer already. Then I looked around in the shop. I could locate the umbrellas. Again I had to utter few English words to buy one. 

The words I mentioned above or the word 'Umbrella' might appear very common as you read through this. But to buy an umbrella, I along with some of my colleagues suffered a lot in one of the shops in the capital city of India. Its called as 'Chaatha' in Hindi and we were unaware that time. Couple of shop keepers were unaware of the English word. They kept showing us their questioning faces. We had to literally pick a shop in which umbrellas were displayed for sale to show the shop owner that we wanted to buy 'that one'. It happened eight years before, back in 2006. There has been a lot of change in the awareness level in people for education. But we must appreciate the government of Kerala to be able to maintain a literacy rate of just short of hundred during the last decade of twentieth century. 

Now I can state that shopping has no language limits, as of now here in Kerala. Of course, you must be able to express yourself to your partner or the other person if its in the case of  shopping, but you need not be fluent in expression. You just have to utter all the simple words. The rest will happen your way. Most of the people know English, if not the complete language but a few words which are sufficient for a person from other state with English knowledge to live on. As I said that, why just shopping, even if you travel in an Auto or you buy some vegetables at the Mandi, you will be said the cost in English numbers, without any change in the price between the shopping by an Malayali or you. That has impressed me too. 

A green bed sheet?

In continuation to one of my just previous posts, I'd like to mention something that amused me very recently on a flight journey.

I was fortunate to get the cleaner window that I much desired. As I chose a seat on the western side of the plane and since the journey was in the morning, I could greatly escape the sun light shade in the photos as expected. I was travelling to the beautiful state, Kerala. When you are in a domestic plane, you may never know where you are flying at the moment unless the pilot or the crew discloses. But here, as and when the plane entered Kerala, I was pretty sure that it was it. It appeared as if the nature was enjoying its rainy season's sleep under the green  bed sheet. Everywhere, literally everywhere it was green. Houses appeared to be placed in between the greenery, as if the seeds of the watermelon were placed amidst the red carpet. I specifically noticed and also clicked a play ground, probably a school's or a college's. It was with red soil and the scene appeared just perfect. 

The only time when I wondered why I had chosen a seat that side was when the plane took its turn to land. Because, the otherside of the plane was the sea view. You cannot afford to miss viewing it in a monsoon season! Well, I could not do more than just remain seated and buckle up. Nonetheless, I could witness it prior to the flight's turn for landing. Immensly exciting it was. You fly all the way from the middle-west of the country to the south-western tip and when a sea view welcomes you to the city along with the total greenery, you never mind if no one waits for you in the airport. Once you come out of the airport in a cab and you are on your way to your place, if your cab passes by the beach road, whatelse can be a perfect finish? Awesome trip I had. I loved it and it was worth the expenditure. 

I'm going to enjoy the season in here. I'm sure the nature will inspire me again and again to write from here. 

The limitless more!

Limit is what a human being dislike in general. Limitlessness is the most desired. If its about good that happens to you, or a happy situation, or the enjoyment or a celebration, its quite general that we want it more. Fair enough. But if its about misery, debacle, losing someone so close, hurting the ego etc, scene gets quite reversed. Enough is enough is what most of us say. Well, this is fair enough too. 

When it comes to money matters, we do not go for any kind of limited wish. Its always to earn more and more. If you have some money, you need more. And if you do not have money, you wish for it much more. Unless you are facing problems because of the money you have, you never get convinced to say enough is enough. Still, its doubtful if you wish to get rid of the money or you try to get rid off the problem using the same money. This is how the culture that we have been brought in. Earn money irrespective of the needs. Fortunately or unfortunately, there is no specific way to teach someone how to and how not to spend it. If we are still experiencing a few cases of generousness, it is because someone is not taught that he should spend money for something profitable investment.

The way we are heading with every person's deep wish, we might end up in a situation where money matters and only it matters. Today at least we are in a situation where we can claim that some of us are still sensible to the problems in society and we spend not just efforts but also money to sort out some. We must ensure this thinking gets perculated to our next generation as well. Otherwise, we might have to together step into the darkness of the money and world.

Reason to be proud... Take Home #304

Try your best to find a reason to be proud of what you are doing. You will be optimistic yourself. Positive nature will surround you. 

Have more, live more... Take Home #303

Life is all about experiences. Have more to live more.

Desire... Take Home #302

Do not kill your desires. Rather, attactk everything that comes between you and your desire fulfilment. 

A ride, above the clouds and below the sky

Not sure why the flight journey sits on my head and gets to me all possible fearful thoughts. May be its because I have not yet travelled enough to get used to all such thoughts, wherein they appear very normal and I become thoughtful about something else irrespective of the planned journey. 

Today I had an early morning flight for an hour or so. I realised or  I must say I discovered as soon as the flight took off, that the sun exists behind the clouds even if its not the sun rise time what you witness everyday. The light becomes much brighter as you reach the height of the feets just short of forty thousands. If you are a photography lover, you must wish that you get a window seat on the eastern side. One more thing you must wish for, which I have also learnt today, is a cleaned window next to you. 

The ride at tens of kilometres from the ground and between the white clouds and bluish skies has of course made my day today. I could manage to click some of the shots from there although I had to look back and side occasionally to see if anyone was noticing me to understand that it was one of my first few hours of flying experience.

Well, I have another flight now. This time I ensured a window seat on the western side of the flight so that I can click the beautiful greenery of the southern most part of India, without the shad due to sun-light on the window. Hope to see a relatively cleaner window this time.

Post:1000 - Work it out...

I wanted to write something else for the 1000th post. But the below is on my mind at this very moment and I never like to get compromised on what I choose to write here. 

Work it out with yourself to develop your personality in such a way that you get inspired very easily and you get hardly demotivated. Hence, make it easy for your well wishers and difficult for the rest.

Thank you everyone for being with me during this journey towards 1000th post. 

Post-999: Punishing yourself is easier than forgiving yourself

Mistakes are committed by everyone. That's not the excuse itself but that helps us in making ourselves understand that everyone can go wrong at some point of time. And that you had gone wrong as well. Whatever you tell yourself, at times, it becomes definitely difficult convince yourself. At those times, what might help is to punish yourself. 

Punishing yourself is easier than forgiving yourself. Yes, it is definitely so. It also helps in getting down that regret feeling which otherwise pinches you at every possible occasion. Choose some reasonable punishment for yourself in case you strongly believe you deserve one. It need not be so demanding. It need not be so tough. It can be so which can get some peace of mind for you for the moment. At least until the moment when you get yourself involved in something else, more cautiously this time. After all you better know what you have done and you know how it could have been different with you thinking better about it in the given moment. This realization must go in the next immediate task you do, whatever it might be and however easier it could be. 

Choose punishments wisely, thoughtfully and rightly. There is no point in paining yourself too much, for the fact that there might come a chance to you to do and contribute your best next time. Believe in such opportunities. Wait for one and prefer to prove yourself to your innerself first. And hence try to reduce the tough feelings you have for yourself. It keeps you happy, motivated, energetic and confident. 

You may just try it out and observe what happens! 

PS: This post is written on a lighter note! Nothing in specific as such has probed me to say the above at this point of time. I thought the post number 999 at my blog shall be of my trademarks, what people say as 'thought provoking'.  

Less than the best... Take Home #301

At no point of time one must choose to play less than his best! Its for the simple reason that you never know how things can keep you up and let you fall down. Try to give your best all the time. 

Everyone can win...

Wars need to be fought not just for the sake of winning them but also with a motive that even if you lose, your fighting spirit must keep alive the belief of people, that there will come a day when even the strongest opponent can get defeated.

Win and loss never remain with one. But the belief that everyone can win remains. 

My blog, one of the top ones @2013-14

As I march towards the post number thousand at my blog, I never thought I would be writing this as one of those last few posts. This is to convey my sincere thanks to www.indiantopblogs.com for choosing my blog as one of the best blogs for the years 2013-14. I learnt the news a week late as I've not been that much regular lately in operating my gmail account. It's all in pleasure I'm writing this note. Whatever was the selection criteria, I'm happy that I could get through all that. Also, congratulations to my fellow bloggers whose blogs have also been listed out there. Keep up the good work.

For any writer, one of the most motivating factors is recognition. For that matter, to do any job, the recognition is important for us to believe that what's being done is one of the important tasks. Blogging is one of my passions. I've always been fast in writing down my thoughts here. There were times when I stayed long during the night after a tiresome day's work. I remember all those moments now and thanks to all the readers and fellow bloggers for being an inspiration. 

Thank you! I will definitely try my best to keep up my passion towards writing. 

French Open 2014 - All the best, Rafa!

French open this time around has been very unpredictable. Most of the women top players were sent packed by the new comers or rather by their fellow but young players. As I write this, it's known now that Maria Sharapova has won the women's singles title for this year. Congratulations to her and her team. Her opponent in the final, the young Halep has come long way in this tournament. Congratulations to her as well. Hope to see more fight from this young lady.

Road was ended long back for the former champion, Roger Federer. Good that he has got more time to spend with his twin kids. Although he might be enjoying his time with them, I'm sure at the back of his mind his game must be played on. Champion players don't leave the defeats easily. I wish his all the very best to cope up and come back fighting. Andy Murray has done a good job until the Semifinal clash with the title favorite and reigning champion, Rafael Nadal. Rafa proved too good to him. Djokovic to meet the too proven Rafa in the men's singles final clash today. It might be Rafa's play field, having been a champion here for eight times, but knowing Djokovic, I'm sure he will fight till his last effort and the opponent's championship point. 

I'd live to watch this match but my bad luck, Tata Sky and Neo Prime are not in good terms. It's not getting telecasted on Tata Sky! I might opt for the live stream of the last set, I hope there will be a decider set played today on the clay. 

As always, my support is for Rafael Nadal. Ever since I read his autobiography, I stopped expecting his win, for that matter any player's win. A lot goes around them and without knowing an inch of it, we keep our expectations high. That's not fair I feel. Well, nonetheless, I wish him all the best to give his best  possible performance. May the best win. 

Movie: Queen

Having been recently married, I understand how it feels two days before marriage. You are all surrounded by your relatives. You always see your parents running with both the legs with work in both the hands. You can hardly find your face wash and tooth brush. If there are kids at home and you have just purchased a new mobile, you never know where to hide it, at times forgetting the location which you chose to hide it, you end up roaming around for that. A lot goes in bride's mind. That everything is happening so quickly. That she has to leave this place soon and comes back only as someone's wife and not as a full-fledged daughter of her house. Amidst all this, if her fiancee, who once proposed her and she eventually loved, comes to her to say that he would not be able to marry her just because her life style does not suit to his as he has changed over the years, it does not just spoil her bride-mood but it actually kills her from inside. If the very thought that she has been left out pinches her from inside, doubts from her innerself like what people think and how her parents will be able to cope up with all that stress, etc ruin her further. 

With all this going inside her, if the bride, a girl can take a decision of going on her pre-booked honeymoon, it's the ultimate thought a movie director or the story writer can get in the contemporary world. With this start, the way the movie has been run is a fantastic example of the thoughtfulness of the director and co. Kangana Ranaut is the best suited for the role, Rani, meaning the Queen.

A lot might happen to you, good or bad, there is always a lot more goes on around the world. A lot can happen, a lot bad can happen to the people around the world whom you might never be aware of their existence. While you sink in the misery about your unfortunate self, you tend to shut the doors of your thoughts about what goes around. In this situation, if the life stories and miseries of your fellow human beings come your way, you tend to think for them and hence realize how similar are your experience to that of your fellow mates. You start realizing the fact that there is a lot more than tears and depression in the world. A lot that you can actually do, contribute to the world. That there are many ways you can live your life in an inspiring way. That you can actually handle a lot more misery that you have even thought of. 

The script of this movie is written in too many languages, but still it makes you comfortable in understanding the very meaning of it. You witness every emotion of a girl, including her unbreakable confidence towards the end of the movie. A relief, a satisfaction, a realization and happiness are the emotions that you witness and go through during the last few reels of the movie. The care that the movie crew have taken to ensure nothing other than the story that dominates the show has mesmerized me and in fact it taught me the focus that one must have about what to convey and how to do it crystal clear.

The basic necessity of anyone to live is to love his or her own self. Once you do that you are more satisfied from inside that you will be able to accept the fact that there are better people than you. You then know that you have to help someone and you have to follow someone. You will also realize that you will have to inspire someone and to do which you will put your best effort. Life is not just about marrying someone. If you get marriage there is a lot life and for any reason, if your marriage breaks up, there is still a lot to live for and strive for. 

It felt great to see the Queen, Rani, realizing her way of life. All throughout the movie, it's only her waves that surrounded me. I was actually watching the movie on a small screen, which before the start of the movie jumped a lot in mute mode, that the script and the emotional content of the movie never allowed me to realize the dimensions of the screen after the start. At the end, there was a feeling of satisfaction that I got, it felt so peaceful from inside. 

Don't just sit back thinking the bad that you think that has happened to you. Go out and see what's going on. You might just realize that the bad that has happened to you is for good. The 'bad' is actually something else or there is nothing of that sort! 

Respect among the teams... Take Home #300

In a team, respect among people/players bring them together to work/play for each other. They respect each other when they know each other's work role and contribution towards the team. Similarly for any organization, it's important that there is transparency in what each team is going through or being demanded for so that the rest of the teams can support them to deliver together. 

Happy days...!

Memories of the happy days most of the times bring tears, tears of joy and of the deep feeling of missing those beautiful moments, days and friends. 

Remembering my friends from my hostel life! 

I always felt it as an opportunity than pain, whenever I had to stay in hostel. Probably my dad's words kept motivating me to stay back and just have fun around. There were definitely some painful moments but you know what, humans with positive outlook have very less memory of the sad moments, that's what I believe in. Thanks to my friends, seniors, wardens and everyone else who took care of me. Sharing and caring is what I majorly learnt. 'Don't care' attitude at times is as well the outcomes of some of those learning moments. I shall go into further details in later posts; this is it for now.  

Girls' Chat and Gossips!

Although it's not the fundamental right of any girl, every girl including me feels that gossiping is made for girls. Leave two girls alone and if you can manage to listen to them, I bet no entertainment in the world proves the best than that of what you listen. Coffee maker to the history maker, everyone can be the topic of girls' chatting and gossiping. 

If it's in college, it can be either a topper or the best player, a lecturer or the hostel warden, you never know who becomes the topic of girls' chats. It begins no where, ends no where, and the funny portion of it is that it is for no reason the topic keeps changing all the way. When it comes to office, you have multiple options to chat on and gossip on. Out of all the options, the least chosen is about another female colleague. Most of the times and I must say almost all the times, it's about a male colleague! Peer to boss, no one is an exception. If anytime a girl becomes a topic, there must be a boy associated with it. You only have to experience all this to understand how much fun it is. 

I think it keeps girls moving, stress-free. Although i'm sure of it, I don't want to conclude it here. As far as I'm concerned, I feel comfortable and probably more focused after doing that. It basically takes out the garbage thoughts off my mind. It refreshes me more than deviating me from the target. Well, this is all applicable for a funny type of chatting and gossiping, but not for the type of it when you talk about someone beyond the limits. If you go out of control in doing so, you are the major sufferer as all that what you have said attacks back on you immediately after you say that. Better be a fun-gossiper than a serious, emotional and exotic.   

Girls, make use of it wisely! Be humorous, be happy, and make everyone refresh. Don't lose your way by overdoing it.

The way out... Take Home #299

To sustain in any organisation you need to know the ways of the organisation. But if you dream to become an essential employee of an organization, you need to build your confidence and competence in such a way that you can find a way out from any situation that appears 'no way'. 

Learn for yourself... Take Home #298

Work for the organisation, its yourresponsibility. Learn for yourself, its your basic necessity.