Saturday, November 29, 2008

As I see it

Happiness isn't just the ability to smile through hardships, it is also the ability to hide the effort

Sorrow isn't just crying over a loss, it is also the wish to not think about it, to avoid the tears

Sacrifice isn't just giving up something you love for someone you love, it is also the act of never letting them know

Anger isn't just yelling and throwing things around, it is also the feeling of helplessness that accompanies it

Ego isn't just the inability to admit you were wrong, it is also the stubborn belief that you were right

Faith isn't just the act of holding on, it is also the strength to let go

Distance isn't just the barrier in between, it is also the gaps you had failed to see

Fear isn't just the shadow that scares you in the dark, it is also your own image that makes the shadow

Truth isn't just what everyone wants to speak, it is also what no one wants to hear

Jealousy isn't just wanting what the other has, it is also wanting to destroy what cannot be yours

Love isn't just about giving up your whole self, it is also about accepting the other

Friendship isn't just about saying what you would do, it is also about doing what you don't say

Character isn't just what you show yourself to be, it is also what others see you as

Monday, November 10, 2008

Situation: Cynical

I would be so freaking rich if I had a nickel everytime:

1. Someone did a quick hand maneuver on spotting a temple/church/any other place of worship while passing it by.

2. Someone said sorry and did the quick hand-to-forehead maneuver on mistakenly hitting me/ kicking me/ their foot coming in contact with any single cell of my body.

3. Someone said the F word. For the record, I don't.

4. Someone asked me "How are you?", said "Sorry" and "Thank You" and not mean it. Not in the same order, Einstein!

5. Someone gave me a fake smile. OK, sometimes even I am guilty of it.

6. Someone expressed surprise at me being a twin. Yeah, it's a little different, but really? That fascinating eh?

7. Someone joked about one twin feeling the pain when the other is hurt. Yup, so original. Har Har.

8. Someone asked me "what platform do you work on?". Seriously, you have no idea how irritating it is to answer that question. Unless you want to recruit me, do you really care?

9. Someone asked me if I know so and so person in my company. Dear Uncle/Aunty, there are at least 90,000 other employees! Providing their nickname, height, colour and weight does not help in any way either!

10. Someone commented on my smile. Don't get me wrong, I love all the attention. You can keep talking about it. No complaints. I am just making a list to get rich, you know. Don't mind.

11. Some ignorant half-desi-who-thinks-he-knows-my-country makes some random, derogatory comment which is lapped up by the media. Dude(yeah, I said "dude"), if you don't live here and do nothing to improve the situation, you don't get to talk. Comprehende?

12. Someone(Indian resident) sent me the Obama vs Bush pics. I am waiting for the honeymoon period to get over. We'll see how much you like this man after that.

13. Someone gave me gyan on the reasons of the collapse of Lehmann Brothers and the current economic crisis. I have access to Wikipedia too, you know.

14. I meet a hypocrite. If you are so concerned about child labour, pay for your maid's child's education, don't preach. We have Miss India's for that.

15. A Hollywood star flaunts their United Colours of Benetton adopted child. Get your house in order first, you rehab regular, now married, now divorced, now happy, now gay freak.

Monday, November 3, 2008

First time!

They say that the first impression is the last impression. OK, that was just to give a nice, serious start to the post. My problem with first impressions is this- it turns out that it isn't the first at all! Confused? It means that whenever I meet new people, they tell me something about me which is a little, er, bordering on creepy. So I am not exactly a stranger to them! This post can be best explained with the use of examples:

I:Year 2006; Company training
My friend, who was in the adjacent class, a class with only guys, wanted to get a little "info" about a girl in my class. Don't raise your eyebrows as yet, I can vouch for his harmlessness and the girl in question wasn't exactly a stranger. They studied in the same school, but he wasn't sure. So noble old me volunteered to help out. Now, it so happened that I barely knew the girl's name(we were a class of 80 plus girls) but wondering how tough could it be to talk to another one of the same species, went upto her:

Me: Hi, did you by any chance study in *bleep* school in Ranchi?
Stranger classmate: Yeah! How did you know?
Me: My friend, *bleep*, he told me. *Good words about my friend, introduction etc.*
SC: Oh ok, that's nice. Such a small world!
Me: Yeah. Oh by the way, silly me. I never introduced myself. I am Karuna. *sheepish grin*
SC: I know. *smug, suggestive smile*

II: Late 2006; Company provided room in the hostel
I had got "pity hostel". It's a long story, and an old one at that but for the time being, just know that I had got hostel for a limited period-one month. So here I was, huffing and puffing, dragging my luggage up three floors, lifting it one at a time(had it been a public place, one item would have disappeared by the time I got another). I did not know who my roommate would be and I did not care. To me people aren't a problem, if I can live with this mixture of species, specimen and subjects(of research) known as my family, I can live with anyone. There she was, sitting on her bed, chewing on an apple, amused by my state.

New roomie: Hi, are you moving in here?
Me(*gasp*): yeah, I shall be living here for a month.
NR: Ok, which batch?
Me: *details* What about you?
NR: *details* Which branch in college?
Me: *details* And you?
NR: *details* Aren't you from *college name*?
Me: Yeah! How did you know that? Have we met before?
NR: No, I have seen you on Orkut. *smug, suggestive smile*

III: Flashback time over, year 2008, month of October
It was my best friend's birthday. Everyone was busy so instead of a grand treat, we decided to have ice cream at the parlour known for its fantastic flavours. Of course, now that they know that we are getting addicted to it, the thugs have increased the prices to such an extent that paying for research to grow such ice cream trees would be cheaper! I seem to have got distracted, back to the point! The company involved all of her classmates from college, most of whom I knew just by name, and yours truly. Again, no people problem, so I did not expect to feel out of place and had no hesitation in tagging along. We were supposed to pick up one of her friends on the way.

Best Friend: Sorry I kept you waiting
Best Friend's Friend: No problem, I didn't have to wait that long
BF: *banter*
BFF: *banter* *banter*
Me: *wisecrack*
BF, BFF: ha ha
Me: oh I don't think we have been officially introduced before or met. Hi, I am Karuna.
BFF: that's ok, I know. We have never met but I have seen you a lot in college. *smug,suggestive smile*

Now my problem is this, all three times, the other person involved was a girl! Why are girls keeping a tab on me? Why is it that everytime I introduce myself, I am greeted with that smug smile? Why can't I be anonymous, for a change?

Yeah right. Weird as it may be, I have to admit, it's flattering to learn that people you barely or don't even know, know at least something about you. Famous or infamous, that, is a different point to ponder over, altogether!