More than half a year flew by !

So I was just browsing and thought about my blog...might as well pay a visit and that brought a realization - The last time I wrote felt like just yesterday but more than half a year has gone by. Time literally flew by without me realizing how fast life can move sometimes. Indeed this took me back to figuring out what has kept me away from sharing my thoughts for so long and I could evidently tell what that is :)

Yet another exciting hobby I'm proud to have inculcated and now that I look back I'm surprised how I did not get into it earlier ? Better late than never was my reaction to my own amazement. Anyone who is connected to me via any social media is well aware of what this new so called obsession is - yes I have joined the club of people who can be found strolling the streets with a big bag hanging onto their shoulders.

I'm now one of those who like to see the world through the lens and love to capture every possible moment. There's this passion about achieving perfection with the help of advanced machinery ofcourse. I am guilty of judging those with the camera as some kinda crazy given the amount of time, patience and energy it takes to compose those perfect frames but I totally get it now.

I wouldn't have called it an obsession until the two recent incidents where I happened to pass by some picturesque skies and regretted not having my camera with me. The phone camera does come handy but it feels like I missed an opportunity to get that out of the world picture. It is hard to express the emotions that you go through when you miss that chance or even when you get it right....I'm sure my fellow photography lovers would understand what I'm talking about here - Happy Clicking :)

2013...In retrospect

Before every article out there starts throwing in the top 20, 10, 5, 3 lists of the year in every possible arena, I figured I'd give it an early start. I mostly do this analysis every other year but this time I thought it's worth noting down given the mix of things in the year past. The special thing about this year was that there was nothing big or life changing yet I learnt a lots of life lessons.

The year started in my home land so couldn't ask for a better beginning. Visited some good old friends and had a blast with them making the trip sweeter. Then came a little bump with a foot injury which taught me to value what I have. Nothing major but these small hiccups remind you to cherish every moment because you don't know what the next one might bring. It is difficult to express how much more appreciative of life it has made me but I can definitely say that I look at life through a different lens now.

There has been an immense amount of energy around me this year. I've had days when I couldn't stop dancing for hours and then those when I couldn't get anything done for weeks. Random emotions, spontaneous decisions and unreasonable rage have all been a part of the fun. Also had those various professional moments of highs and lows. It seems like a lot to happen in a year yet nothing big enough not to fit into one.

Experiences are what make life what it's worth and there wasn't a dearth of those too in the year gone by. Be it some amazing get away with family or a simple dinner with friends - these pleasures came in small wonderful packages. Not that there weren't some unpleasant ones but my brain has a great optimistic filter so let's stick with the good ones.

It will be unfair if I do not talk about my cyber life given the hyper-activity out there as well. It has been instrumental in catching up with some childhood friends and of course the new found pass time of sharing pictures and enjoying the reactions that follow.

Music makes fifty percent of my life so it definitely deserves a special mention. I've fallen in love with many tracks through the months and some even stood the test of time. I could probably survive without food and water for a few days but life without music seems close to impossible.

All-in-all a great year so far with much to be thankful about including the tough times. Looking forward to many more such years that I can look back to without regrets and confidently say that I've grown wiser by a year :)

A part of the world..yet a world apart !

Having lived in this part of the world for a few years now I' have a lots of thoughts to share. It takes a lot of time to really understand people, culture and appreciate it but it takes a very few seconds to form the first impression. So let's start with first impressions - this is a place with freedom in the true sense. I started as a student so it's fair to say you're free to choose what you study and how you do it. There is so much structural flexibility which is quite evident if I tell you that they have take-home exams and even open book exams :)

The part I've enjoyed most is the freedom to study wherever and whenever you like ! I've studied at every hour of the day and at every possible place in the campus - be it the bench in the park, the building stairs, the couch at starbucks or on top of the wall outside the lab. All you need is a laptop(if you're a fellow computer science geek) and a good wi-fi connection which existed every possible place on campus. It's not just the liberty that comes with amenities, there's no social pressure...no one judges you or at least does not bother you with their opinion unless asked for.

Too much freedom can hurt you sometimes but I'll not walk that tangent; lets focus on the brighter side for now. This reminds me of another great quality people around here have and that is the wonderful habit to always greet with a bright smile and exchange pleasantries. It's true that most of it is superficial but you know sometimes a "Hi ! Have a nice day :)" from a stranger can make your day ! They know how to talk - they really do. It's no surprise how they make the best sales and marketing people in the world.

And yes they have an amazing sense of humour.You'll be glad to know I've recently figured out what makes them so funny - they make fun of themselves and once they have won over the audience they crack a few on the listeners as well. For example: I was at an event recently where the speaker was talking about his career and these were his exact words "I change my team every 2 years before people know what a fraud I am !". Even politicians in this country make jokes on themselves...infact they have an official dinner every year where they invite a famous witty guy to make fun of everyone including the President who sits there and laughs along.

Lastly, unlike our perception they also care and spend time with their families. They might not know every distant relative but there is a close bond that exists within their immediate family. The ideologies and customs are sure different but that's a part of the culture. At the end of the day it is yet another way of life !

Count your blessings name them one by one :)

Life is like a sine wave with lots of ups and downs. There are times in life when you are on top of the curve and do not realize what you've got. You're happy with tons of achievements and success becomes the new normal. It is when you are on the lower end of the curve that you understand the value of the happier times.

I believe it is the balance of nature to bring you to the lows so that you can appreciate your accomplishments. Just envision yourself sitting at the bottom of a hill mesmerized with the beauty there must be at the peak. The thought of the breathtaking views at the summit can be almost dreamy and inspiration enough to keep going.

I can proudly say that I have been through a few periods of 2 pi of these curves (geeks can chuckle :P). My experience says that to make the best of the time when you are moving along the negative Y-axis is to look back and enjoy what you missed when you were busy winning the game of life. It is very important for you to savour the blessed days and stay motivated to go uphill again. Take this opportunity to thank those who have been by your side all along.

Back in school we used to sing a hymn in the morning prayers which now makes so much more sense.
"Count your blessings name them one by one....and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done"

When mother nature gets furious !

Last week has been quite eventful and silent at the same time. There were predictions about an enormous hurricane hitting the east coast of the country. News channels and authorities were beginning to send out cautionary messages and the word of the town was Sandy now. Sandy is what the hurricane was named this time - again a feminine one...don't we have women out there in weather stations to prevent such nomenclature ? Anyway, preparations were catching pace by saturday evening. Grocery stores soon had people lining up to stock food and water in case things do get bad.

Loud wind gusts striking against my room windows woke me up around dawn on Sunday morning. It sounded like those ghostly winds typical of horror movies. I somehow managed to shield myself with layers of blanket and pillows and went back to sleep unaware that this would be the sound I would've to sleep to for the next couple of days. Wind speeds only got worse by the end of the day and stories of what to expect were all over the place. Evacuations had begun on lower grounds and 'do not come to work' emails were floating around. Mayor, Governor and even the President addressed the public urging them to follow instructions and take it seriously. It was expected to be the most devastating storm of the century.

Monday morning was full of anxiety and excitement for the worst was yet to come. My eyes were glued to the rising water level in the river that runs by my apartment building. Weather channels were giving minute by minute update of the location and intensity of Sandy as it made its way towards us. The sky was dark and the rain and waters looked angry. Power outage and communication loss were being anticipated and feared.

The day was passing by real slow until we approached the dreaded hour. Winds were going insane and rain water swept along. Soon, the news flashed that Sandy had made landfall and whoosh cable and internet went off. I stood by the window and saw water gushing up from the river. Within the next few minutes it was atleast a foot above the ground. It was also a full moon night so soon the high tide came in as well. Water rose a few more feet and then I saw something I had thought only happens in movies. A rescue boat appeared from somewhere and suddenly it felt like Venice where it is common to see boats instead of cars on the road. The only difference was it was just not a normal sight. The increasing flooding sent shivers down my spine - lots of thoughts crossed my brain. Although I was way above the ground but humans have a strange thought process. The only bright side was that all of this lasted only a short while. The waters receded soon and the gusts eventually slowed down. Life came to a standstill and darkness spread all around. It felt calm after a day of too much action and apprehension.

Next morning brought in newer challenges - no power and no connectivity days were ahead of us. Almost a week has gone by and there are still people who are living in the dark and those who have suffered property losses. A few unfortunate have even lost their loved ones. Millions of lives get affected by nature's single act of fury. I'm not sure if it is just how the universe works but this experience would not be forgotten in this lifetime. 

Words of wisdom :)

Here are a few quotes I wrote in the last couple of years:

• "You realize how wrong you were about life only when you start living your dreams" - GV (06/12/2010)

• "There's never an ideal or right way of living life. It all lies in your definition of happiness" - GV (06/13/2010)

• "The only thing predictable about life is that it's unpredictable" - GV (01/21/2012)

• "It is not lack of interesting things which makes life boring, it is the lack of passion" - GV (04/01/2012)

• "Wisdom does not come with age - it's learnt through our own foolish acts. The irony is that we act as fools more often as we grow old" - GV (07/08/2012)

And here are some that have inspired me through the years:

• "It is better to prepare and prevent rather than repair and repent" - Ezra Taft Benson

• "Do as well as you can do today and perhaps tomorrow you may be able to do better" - Anonymous

• “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” - Albert Einstein

• "Flattery is like Eau de Cologne - to be smelt but not swallowed" -  Josh Billings

• "Work, work, work till the brain begins to swim, Work, work, work till the eyes are heavy and dim" - Thomas Hood

And I'm back....after a long hiatus

Numerous thoughts and unlimited themes come to my mind. I could start writing and not stop for hours or even days together. It is one of those times when my brain just wants to pour itself out. The tougher part is where do I begin. School has long been over and I have moved to a different phase of life - the one which I dreamed of as a kid. That very idea of getting up in the morning, dressing into some formal attire and walking into a workplace has always fascinated me. Though the truth is that having done that for almost a year now I feel how people manage to do it over and over again for decades - it is tough to sustain in the monotony of life.

It's been rightly said - "Grass is always greener on the other side". You always want to have what you don't and do things ahead of time. There was a time when coding was my passion. I enjoyed doing it more than any of my peers. When everybody around me was busy studying Physics, Chemistry and Math - I was occupied in designing my own world of websites and softwares. Now that I get to do that each day I'm back to looking for something more exciting. That something which wouldn't let me sleep. Somewhere deep down I feel I know what it is but I ask myself how long will this last ?

When I was in high school my mother attempted to get me interested in the more girly task of cooking but I was a complete rebel. It felt as if she wanted me to do something I am not born to do. And now the joy that I derive after coming out of the kitchen with a plate full of a spicy appetizer or a sweet delicious dessert  is probably inexplicable. I surprise myself with this new found love for cooking and I'm sure my long wish list of things I want to learn and excel at will keep me amazed.

On that note I should make my way to the kitchen where lots of ingredients await to be baked into a delightful chocolate cake :)