I read an article today and that kept me thinking……are we still in love with our pens or have these pens lost the charm that they held in the yesteryears…..
When I leaf through the pages of my childhood, I could clearly feel the excitement of that first day when I was finally allowed to graduate to pens from pencils…..it was the license that finally I was coming of age and I loved it like anything!!!
However, I never quite liked the idea of writing with fountain pens. Though I began with fountain pens, I shifted to ball points at the earliest chance and have stuck to it till date. I find them much more manageable and easy to write with if you are in a hurry.
However, with the invasion of computers in our life, that habit of writing is on the decline and I am no exception. Perhaps, a day would come again when I would be able to feel that charm of writing with pen, a charm that was an integral part of my growing up years….
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Food for thought
We belong to that lucky tribe who take pride in being the employed lot of a third world country (sadly, India still is called that). However, certain things are really needed to be brought to the forefront right now. I would list them as follows (not necessarily in this order of preference though…)
1) Salary: Despite the BPO and KPO boom, we are still paid just a pittance as compared to our counterparts on the western front. Time to shriek out at the top of our voice and ask….WHY, WHY, WHY?
2) Working hours: Though many of my friends are lucky enough to have a 5 day week, most I believe are not (sigh!). After the grueling schedule of 5 days, how many of us really look forward to coming to our work stations and put the best of our efforts is a big question. Can’t we start a movement right now? (Here again, our hands are tied somewhat, thanks to the bleak job scenario….nobody wants to be shown the door…that too for protesting!)
3) Amenities: Is it too much if we ask our employers to be bit considerate and offer some added facilities that would make our jobs a tad easier like proper conveyance facilities, subsidized meals and some incentives(in cash or kind, who minds as long as it lands in our kitty?)
Well, spare a thought or two on the aforesaid and also add noteworthy points from your end that deserves a serious thought from us.
1) Salary: Despite the BPO and KPO boom, we are still paid just a pittance as compared to our counterparts on the western front. Time to shriek out at the top of our voice and ask….WHY, WHY, WHY?
2) Working hours: Though many of my friends are lucky enough to have a 5 day week, most I believe are not (sigh!). After the grueling schedule of 5 days, how many of us really look forward to coming to our work stations and put the best of our efforts is a big question. Can’t we start a movement right now? (Here again, our hands are tied somewhat, thanks to the bleak job scenario….nobody wants to be shown the door…that too for protesting!)
3) Amenities: Is it too much if we ask our employers to be bit considerate and offer some added facilities that would make our jobs a tad easier like proper conveyance facilities, subsidized meals and some incentives(in cash or kind, who minds as long as it lands in our kitty?)
Well, spare a thought or two on the aforesaid and also add noteworthy points from your end that deserves a serious thought from us.
Public Display of Affection
With moral guardians waiting with prying eyes at every nook and corner of the city, how safe or desirable is it to display PDA(Public Display of Affection)??
I wondered a lot about it. However, as five fingers are not alike, so are people with their varied ways of showing affection. Sometimes, even a silent gaze is enough to convey the feelings that you harbor deep within your heart. At other times, it would need that touch, peck, hug or even a kiss to put forth your feelings.
Times have changed a lot since the age of our innocence. As Gen Y tells-it is the time for PDA. I find that Gen Y is a lot more vocal when it comes to wearing their hearts on their sleeves and a lot of kudos to them for the same!!
Really, if you want to hold the hands of your cherished one, want to get lost in the world of each other—why should you get bothered by the world??
There need to be a degree of restraint though!! You need to remember the famous saying which goes as-“with power, comes great responsibility”.
So, with the freedom that you enjoy and cherish so much, accountability should also be an integral element. Enjoy your share of PDA but without getting others annoyed by going on the wrong side of decency.
I wondered a lot about it. However, as five fingers are not alike, so are people with their varied ways of showing affection. Sometimes, even a silent gaze is enough to convey the feelings that you harbor deep within your heart. At other times, it would need that touch, peck, hug or even a kiss to put forth your feelings.
Times have changed a lot since the age of our innocence. As Gen Y tells-it is the time for PDA. I find that Gen Y is a lot more vocal when it comes to wearing their hearts on their sleeves and a lot of kudos to them for the same!!
Really, if you want to hold the hands of your cherished one, want to get lost in the world of each other—why should you get bothered by the world??
There need to be a degree of restraint though!! You need to remember the famous saying which goes as-“with power, comes great responsibility”.
So, with the freedom that you enjoy and cherish so much, accountability should also be an integral element. Enjoy your share of PDA but without getting others annoyed by going on the wrong side of decency.
Mantras to be Happy
Life itself is a great teacher. It has taught me many valuable lessons, blow by blow. Though I don’t boast of having nerves of steel, I have entwined some of these lessons in my own life. Definitely, these lessons have made life more beautiful than it was before. Today, I would love to share a few of these mantras with you (could be applicable to you as well, not necessarily in the same order though)…..
Love yourself more than anything else. Be selfish at times and don’t feel guilty about it. Pampering yourself has its own advantages, which you need to feel on your own.
Develop a positive mental attitude.
Have tremendous self belief.
However outgoing you may be, build a protective wall around yourself that would block majority of the self defeating verses of people.
Set your own benchmarks and strive to achieve them. Be your own competitor.
Don’t have great expectations from others. Give whatever you can and wish to, without any expectation of getting a favor in return.
Do those small things that make you happy.
Nourish your mind and soul by reading quality material and spending time with quality people.
Do your duties with a degree of detachment.
Search happiness within yourself. Don’t depend on external factors.
Love yourself more than anything else. Be selfish at times and don’t feel guilty about it. Pampering yourself has its own advantages, which you need to feel on your own.
Develop a positive mental attitude.
Have tremendous self belief.
However outgoing you may be, build a protective wall around yourself that would block majority of the self defeating verses of people.
Set your own benchmarks and strive to achieve them. Be your own competitor.
Don’t have great expectations from others. Give whatever you can and wish to, without any expectation of getting a favor in return.
Do those small things that make you happy.
Nourish your mind and soul by reading quality material and spending time with quality people.
Do your duties with a degree of detachment.
Search happiness within yourself. Don’t depend on external factors.
Teacher’s Day
Of late, teachers from various city and district schools have been in the news for all the wrong reasons- hitting the students nastily, molesting them, getting them involved in sleaze rackets etc. We have indeed come a long way from the days of Gurukul when teachers were revered even more than one’s parents.
When I take a journey back in time, I find many fond memories of teachers who not only guided me in my quest for knowledge but also inspired me to look beyond the obvious and dare to dream. However, most of these cherished moments are from my school life. Even after passing out from school, whenever I went back to my alma mater, I was made to feel blessed by my teachers.
So, my question is what has gone wrong in the present age? Is it the dedication that went missing or is it the system that overburdens the teachers?
I have been a teacher myself for quite long and have seen that students are always receptive to learn things. What they desire is a bit of love and care from the teacher’s end. I have handled classes which were branded as the nastiest senior class in the whole school. However, the students, especially the rowdy ones, became the most disciplined ones during my sessions with them. Did I do anything special? No. I only went into the class sans any preconceived notion and made them believe that they were equally good.
Perhaps the teachers of the modern age need to bring that zeal to teach and inspire the “young minds” which is sadly missing in most of the cases. All this needs to be done before it is too late.
When I take a journey back in time, I find many fond memories of teachers who not only guided me in my quest for knowledge but also inspired me to look beyond the obvious and dare to dream. However, most of these cherished moments are from my school life. Even after passing out from school, whenever I went back to my alma mater, I was made to feel blessed by my teachers.
So, my question is what has gone wrong in the present age? Is it the dedication that went missing or is it the system that overburdens the teachers?
I have been a teacher myself for quite long and have seen that students are always receptive to learn things. What they desire is a bit of love and care from the teacher’s end. I have handled classes which were branded as the nastiest senior class in the whole school. However, the students, especially the rowdy ones, became the most disciplined ones during my sessions with them. Did I do anything special? No. I only went into the class sans any preconceived notion and made them believe that they were equally good.
Perhaps the teachers of the modern age need to bring that zeal to teach and inspire the “young minds” which is sadly missing in most of the cases. All this needs to be done before it is too late.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Marriage-is it really worth it?
Lately, this marriage bug has been disturbing me quite a lot. Being the eldest of three sisters, my retired father and homemaker mother are hell bent on my traditional “vidaai”, the sooner, the better.
In the past, a lot of fight and tears have been devoted to this subject, quite a useless one from my point of view. What my parents fail to understand is that why should I tie the knot at all…but all my queries and reasonings have led to naught. My parents want social security for me via the route of marriage.
I, on the other hand, want to have my own say when I decide this question of utmost importance. I don’t want to be rushed into doing things. It’s true that I need a companion but can my parents assure that marriage would give me that? No, they can’t.
Another thing that bugs me is the freedom of my own identity. I want to be known as myself, not as someone’s daughter, sister or wife. Would tying the knot ensure my freedom of choice? Again, no answers!!
So, till I figure out the answers to these questions, wedding bells can wait.
In the past, a lot of fight and tears have been devoted to this subject, quite a useless one from my point of view. What my parents fail to understand is that why should I tie the knot at all…but all my queries and reasonings have led to naught. My parents want social security for me via the route of marriage.
I, on the other hand, want to have my own say when I decide this question of utmost importance. I don’t want to be rushed into doing things. It’s true that I need a companion but can my parents assure that marriage would give me that? No, they can’t.
Another thing that bugs me is the freedom of my own identity. I want to be known as myself, not as someone’s daughter, sister or wife. Would tying the knot ensure my freedom of choice? Again, no answers!!
So, till I figure out the answers to these questions, wedding bells can wait.
Matters of the heart
Have you ever wondered why do people fall in love? I have but could not figure it out till date.
According to me, you can’t decide to love. It just happens. Being loved by someone is truly a feeling that would take you to seventh heaven.
However, is love always reciprocated? No, goes my answer. That is where the trouble brews. Often the pages of newspapers pronounce jaded lovers taking revenge on their “objects of affection” by throwing acids or murdering them.
From my personal experience, I can say that rejection is really hard to digest, especially when it is your first love. However, rather than loosing a good friend, it is better to be friends with your erstwhile lover (erstwhile, because it was that love which never bloomed or bloomed only from one end)……
Nevertheless, it hurts and a lot at that!!
According to me, you can’t decide to love. It just happens. Being loved by someone is truly a feeling that would take you to seventh heaven.
However, is love always reciprocated? No, goes my answer. That is where the trouble brews. Often the pages of newspapers pronounce jaded lovers taking revenge on their “objects of affection” by throwing acids or murdering them.
From my personal experience, I can say that rejection is really hard to digest, especially when it is your first love. However, rather than loosing a good friend, it is better to be friends with your erstwhile lover (erstwhile, because it was that love which never bloomed or bloomed only from one end)……
Nevertheless, it hurts and a lot at that!!
Friendship
To quote Robert Louis Stevenson: A friend is a gift you give yourself.
It is indeed quite true that family ties are something that we are born with. However, friendship is a choice that we exercise at our own discretion. I don’t know of others but in my life till date, my bonds of friendship have often triumphed over the bonds of blood. In the deepest and darkest hours of my life, when I was on the verge of calling it quits, it were my friends who held fort for me and pulled me back by replenishing my levels of falling self belief.
I am indeed indebted to each and every friend of mine, some who are still with me and some who have drifted apart. Irrespective of wherever they are, I always pray for their well being and seek divine blessings for them, each of them being a special individual in his/her own right.
It is indeed quite true that family ties are something that we are born with. However, friendship is a choice that we exercise at our own discretion. I don’t know of others but in my life till date, my bonds of friendship have often triumphed over the bonds of blood. In the deepest and darkest hours of my life, when I was on the verge of calling it quits, it were my friends who held fort for me and pulled me back by replenishing my levels of falling self belief.
I am indeed indebted to each and every friend of mine, some who are still with me and some who have drifted apart. Irrespective of wherever they are, I always pray for their well being and seek divine blessings for them, each of them being a special individual in his/her own right.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Men vs. Women
Though the topic is somewhat cliché, I thought it would not be out of place to post some views of mine on the same. I wish to dwell on the emotional aspect rather than the physical one.
Women are conditioned by the society to be multitaskers from their childhood. This trait comes handy in the later stages of life though a woman is often burdened by playing so many roles to near perfection. Though women are portrayed as meek and weak, their strength is subtle and matchless in its own way. Emotionally too, women have a strength that is unforeseen. They may not pronounce it but they are comfortable and confident knowing the fact that they have this reserve of strength which they can fall back upon during their hard times.
Men, on the other hand, need constant pampering of their ego. They even need people to show their faith in their talents and are somewhat insecure without these.
Nevertheless, men and women are not warring parties. Rather, they need to work in collaboration to make this world a better place for the future generations.
Women are conditioned by the society to be multitaskers from their childhood. This trait comes handy in the later stages of life though a woman is often burdened by playing so many roles to near perfection. Though women are portrayed as meek and weak, their strength is subtle and matchless in its own way. Emotionally too, women have a strength that is unforeseen. They may not pronounce it but they are comfortable and confident knowing the fact that they have this reserve of strength which they can fall back upon during their hard times.
Men, on the other hand, need constant pampering of their ego. They even need people to show their faith in their talents and are somewhat insecure without these.
Nevertheless, men and women are not warring parties. Rather, they need to work in collaboration to make this world a better place for the future generations.
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