U r Special...

what matters the most ? Money, Job, Love ????  Well , my answer varies from time to time. The important point is that every point , there is that one thing that matter to you. And when you aspire , you only think about that one thing.. I live for moments. I am back from one such moment. And , this post is dedicated to her.. She is my chaddi buddy.. stood like a rock through thick and thin. Today she catches a midnight train to Bombay to spend New years and will be back to her uni tomo. A trip for 24 hours ! Now , no heaps of money, flashy cars, or gold biscuits can match , how happy and content I feel , at this moment. Some adorable friends arranged to meet at a shopping mall. I meet them.. and hop on the escalator leading to the food court.. And there she stood... like an angel from the sky, who has come down to give me hope and happiness for the coming year.  I do the obvious.. scream on top my lungs, hug her tight like i would never let go, making a terrible attempt to fight my my tears.  I cannot explain , the life that this moment has put into me..  There are people you love and love you back unconditionally. But people who show their love  at the time when it is needed the most is precious. I realise, I live for such moments... and i could die such people.  I have had very little luck this year, and was almost crumbling down to issues faced... Girl, you lifted me up.  It is because of you, i am excited for the next 24 hours.. every minute will be cherished. While i see u laugh, i will capture those moments in my heart and keep them with me to get through the troubling times i may have to face in 2012..  I love you so much.. Thank you for being you...

"meri zindagi savari, mujhko gale lagaake,, baitha diya falak pe,, mujhe khaak se uthaa ke..

   yaara teri yaari ko... maine khuda maana.... yaad karegi  duniyaaa... tera mera afsaana..."

khaareka.. (lovely to meet you)

Its 10.00 pm , Tesco employees are about to call it a day. Every visit to tesco, I have more of less the same purchases.. Yogurt, hummus , pasta, sauce are some of the regulars..Today, as I  walk through dairy aisle, I see feta cheese... I smile... A little ahead I reach out to pick Greek yogurt, I break into a smile.. Two aisle past.. I walk across the oil section and see a collection of olive oils...  and i smile..  

I'm taken back by 3 months...I was in Greece. I went to visit my dear dear friend... Let's call her 'kharalambe'. Although she is not my blog follower, if she ever reads this post , it would make her laugh.. 'inside joke'  She is wonderful.. What i learnt later that , the people in her life are wonderful too.   Greeks and Indians are similar in more than one way.. i couldn't help but the notice the similarities of our cultures. People who love food, noisy family gatherings,religion, culture and traditions, music and dance are like mirror reflection of the curry lovers in the Indian subcontinent. No wonder i got on with these people...  Swap a few things like Zeibekiko with Bhangra, coffee with tea,  curry with feta cheese and there you go.. we have very similar loud people dancing and belching some gorgeous scrumptious food !    When I landed into her city she was the only person I knew...and each day that number went on increasing..    Similarities between Indians and the Greeks.. 

• We do not wait... not in queues , not on traffic lights , no where.. everything we need should be delivered at rocket speed or else be sure of some "customer lovin"
• we can break into song and dance at any time of the day... u meet a new person.. u break the ice.. u dance a few sirtaki steps... thats normal..
• dads should have beLLy... they aint dads without their cute beLLY
• FOOD FOOD FOOD... we eat all the time... Indian meal comprise of daal rice vegetables meat ... A greek meal comprises of baked dishes, 2-3 salads, stuffed peppers, fresh feta cheese and more..
• homosexuality,is a no-no... greek women should find a nice greek boy, date for a few years... get married and dance sirtaki all night, and make babies... 
• Indian and Greek public sector work at snail space... money and status can open all doors.. laid-back bureaucrats are all couch potatoes feasting on tax payers monies and looking to make some more under the table
• we swear... a LOT.. 
• its okay to enter a no entry once in a while.. and then when confronted with an incoming vehicle.. resort to damage control, smile, apologize.. if that doesn't work.. say some swear words and drive on.

When i got back home, i felt rejuvenated. I was touched by their hospitality, their love and their kindness. When I saw families bonding over dinner conversations.. i couldn't help but miss my own family. I called mom & dad almost every other day.  When you meet a stranger, they meet you as though they have known you for years.. No person seems aloof.  I made these judgements by experiencing 2 weeks in Greece. I may have had a small glimpse of people and their lifestyle.. make not be sufficient to make such accurate judgements... but for me... greece gave me what i needed at that time. I went there, a broken soul.. I was healed by feeling welcomed by my hosts.  Its not that place that makes the a holiday special.. Its the people. And this was one trip where i felt as though i struck gold, the place is breath taking.. more importantly the people are warm and have hearts of gold.  Greece is undergoing changes, financially it the country is suffering. I saw homeless people asking for money, food... i saw pubs and restaurants with locks on it due to increasing overheads and no business, i met people looking for jobs for over 12 months...  This was October. This aint summer.. where people are carefree and relaxed.. This was the crunch time... And i found what i was looking for. I wanted to experience humility, kindness, endurance.. and i saw these traits in people on many occasions. I met people who seemed to be the happiest souls , but layers below they have loads of worries.. They embrace it with a smile..  Sakis Rouvaz, is one of the most popular singing, style icon sings "OLA KALA >> OLA KALA" which means.. All is well..  and i felt people actually practicing it. They are positive and fearless. Some simple words that i needed to inculcate in my life the, even now.  

I came to Greece empty handed.. but i left with a bit of "greece" with me..  
When i boarded my return flight.. i didnt say my goodbyes.. i know i'll be back soon.. Yaamas.. 


(This sat in my drafts for 3 months... it finally gets published)

Burning out

Mess. With great difficulty. Don't know what has got into me.. as this year ends i am taking a step each day to discontentment, acute dissatisfaction and hints of failure. I am standing in front of deadly crossroads. Don't know where to go from here ? Life seems fragmented.. the optimist in me reassures me that these distorted fragments will all result into a beautiful picture. But, my patience is running out.  What I thought will always make me happy, I discover it doesn't anymore. When I clear out the thought in my head, I fail to clear out one sound 'tick-tock.. tick-tock'  And i honestly don't know what will let me be at peace. As this year comes to an end, i am hoping on to a Mayan theory of life ending in 2012! 

They say, life makes sense when looked at it backwards.. too bad we got to live it looking forward..

Baby u're all that i wAnt... (to watch)

"After watching him perform, i think i like his music"  You think ???? This is so unfair. There are a million fans of this MAN dying to watch him perform (ME ME ME ME x million times) and when my younger sister gets the privilege to watch him perform up close in Bombay , she tells me that she THINKS she likes him..  That's it, i have got to kill her , NOW..  I sounded dead on the other side of the receiver as filled me up with Bryan Adams goodness.  For days to come, I learnt that half of the people i know in Bombay went for his show. This is why i hate facebook. Sometimes it gives us a little more information than we need. All my friends were there, i don't blame them.. the man ain't growing any younger, who would want to miss the opportunity of listening to him live. I know who.. William+Kate Wedding fans. I missed it as, I was rotting in London, forcefully watching Prince William and Kate Middleton get married live (yawn). Why didn't i change the channel ? Thats because every channel aired it live.. hmph.


If there is one distinct memory of my school days, then it has to be singing "Everything I do, I do it for you" seated at the back benches with a few friends with so much passion as though we are looking into our Prince-Charming's sparkly eyes.. Those were my school days. When I got done with school , college and university, nothing ever changed. With every new phone I purchased, transferring Bryan Adams songs on to it was a ritual.  Song after song, i loved his voice even more.


Last night,*ecstatic* I scratched a big bullet point of my bucket list. I watched him perform LIVE. It was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. When he sang, i didn't sing along (i thought i would sing my lungs out ).. all i did is watched him , with very less blinking of the eye. For 2 hours 13 mins, I couldn't take my eyes off him.  Bryan Adams walked in to a house full at the O2 Arena at the age of 52 ! People around me were from all age groups. There were students, professionals, mums... everyone. How can one man appeal to so many age groups ? When u look around you see a 50 something man singing along with a 20 year old with the same enthusiasm.. They didn't know each other but now they are happily singing arm in arm.  That's what music should do, bring people together.

An Italian couple we met, had been to more than 20 Bryan Adam concerts till date. The lady happily said, she had attended 4 this year. 4 of BRYAN ADAMS concerts ?? (to confirm my hearing is right ) I looked at her jaw dropped. They flew down from Italy to watch him perform and this is the usual for them.  Where do you work , honey ?any vacancies ? You can see the her forehead in the pic LOL.
What can i say, Some people make full use of their EU status ! Bless her. I'd do the same in her place. She said that she has always returned happy after each concert. Mr Adams does not disappoint his audience.. They leave the venue singing in chorus "I am comin BACK to You". And i can vouch for that.

You will find no dancers, no fancy props, no glitz-glamour, no fake boobs/ eyelashes, no corsets, no dress changes, no pole dancers.. just soulful, money's worth  MUSIC.. :-)  A band of 5 can create MAGIC. 

I hate this chubby man's hand on my pic. He ruined it. Couldn't he make out with his petite girlfriend/ wife a bit more ? tsk tsk

I got goosebumps when he sang 'Heaven', my favourite song for years now. I was star-struck stared at him  fighting tears bottling up in the corner of my eyes. His voice is mesmerising. I could see my life flash in front of my eyes. I was taken back in time. It was surreal. I stared at him as though it was my last time at his concert. I don't know if i would be fortunate enough to attend another of his stellar performances. This was my only chance. I thought to myself, what if he doesn't tour again ? Or what if Prince Harry gets married to Pippa ?

At the end, his band members left the stage and Bryan sang three of his classics all by himself with the help of his acoustic guitar and occasionally played the harmonica.. all at once.. He asked the audience to flash their phones in air, the auditorium. It looked as though we stood under a blanket of stars !

Perfect ending to a magical night..

I had always wished to watch him perform live. And somehow it all fell into place. It gave me so much happiness, i cannot even start to tell you ! *wink*  I bought these expensive tickets 4 months in advance hesitantly. After last night, i felt it was worth every dime.. 

So, if you have anything you wish for... then just do it and MAKE IT HAPPEN (E.Pittinger,2010)

BRYAN ADAMS  I  LOVE YOU !!!

leavin on a jet plane..

 Its December already ! I barely got accustomed to write 2011 everywhere and now its time to move to 2012.  Next year this time we'd be praying for the world not to end.. but the media will fry our brains enough to feel suicidal.  Well, I haven't blogged for days now. I duly apologise to you (cut the crap.. get to the point woman !)

Ever wondered , as we move on.. what do we take in from people around us ? I have a handful of my people in life. These are people who I treasure dearly and will do anything for their happiness. Circumstances change , locations change , hair colour changes, size of our waist changes but we remain the same... A dear friend of mine, my brother, my shadow (literally) left UK to settle abroad. When distance comes in between dear ones,  a part of missing them involves the analysis of how you notice that you are doing/ saying/ thinking the way that loved one did.. 

It is now that I totally understand, what Elizabeth Gilbert's couple friend meant , when they said '' its strange that when you have been for a while with someone , you start to resemble them '' Then i didn't get that one... but now TRUE STORY 

I consider myself to be borderline sane, someone who does not get attached to people or inanimate objects that easily, takes time to trust others and confides in only 1 - 2 people. (you know who you are *wink*). This is what I believe and have lived my entire life so far thinking that nothing in this world is indispensable. Change is the only constant of our lives.And that Change is good, great sometimes. If one wants something and works towards it.. then  will achieve it.. Talking about change, with the world coming closer , people are easily moving away farther.. We think about alternate jobs, shift in our careers a lot frequently and even relocate ourselves to juicy opportunities.. Spouses bear the brunt the most with divorce being a common word used in many households today. We program our fickle minds to love and leave easily. With zero tolerance levels, we often sport  "no biggie" attitude.

On Sunday night, I came home sleep deprived and tired... dreading the coming week and red ink of my pending bills . I enter my room and see the guitar. Despite several attempts , shamefully, I do not know how to play it..Thinking why i bought it ? well i didn't. The owner left it for me and moved away abroad. He did teach me two chords that make broken pieces of one of my favourite songs days before he left.. that i can play with great effort. So i walk in to the room , on a cold December night, look at the guitar.. and smile.. Must be lonely (what ??? what did i just think ... ) i bring it to the living room. and strum and hum the broken verses of the only song i can ever attempt to play.. like all other times, I didn't play it for me.. i played for the guitar.. (am i going insane).. being the next of kin, i got it.. and how could i not do justice to this beautiful thing .. And this is a trait of my guitar owning friend that i would often mock.. I 'd repeatedly poke his habit of developing emotional attachment to objects of importance.

The guitar sat there for 2 days since my friend left  :'(  nobody looked at it.. nobody touched it.. well somebody had to.. *next of kin enters*   when did i change ? emotional attachment to inanimate objects.. it wasn't me (calling out shaggy)  here i am... attempting to fulfil the purpose of the guitar by playing it.. if I have this attitude, I might BE making full use of all my inanimate objects at home.. or am I just getting all psyched with things changing arnd me? who cares.. .. a few years later, I shall proclaim, I am self taught guitarist.. who will know that the guitar taught me.. !

http://yourlisten.com/channel/content/109945/snowflake

this made me so so happy.. Now i have one more thing to thank my guitar friend for..

I am getting back to strumming now.. Ciao Ciao..