After a grilling semester throughout which I had the feeling that I might just not be able to survive, I am happy to be back home!
I am experiencing winters in India after 3 long years. Winters has always been my favourite season - a major reason being that lizards hibernate during this season. I love the dresses and the food and definitely the fog, sleeping in quilts, and I have numerous reasons.
So for next 15 days, I am just chilling - in literal sense too :P
Thursday, 18 December 2008
Back Home!!
Wednesday, 3 December 2008
Breathing NLDS!!
Disclaimer: This post was written in my half an hour break at the office
So, I have just disappeared from blog, facebook, phone calls, parties or random chilling after the exams.. The reason being - National Leadership Development Seminar for AIESEC Singapore. I am almost breathing NLDS!! Thats the amount of work being done.
No matter how much stress it can sometimes give me, I know that I love AIESEC too much! I can't imagine my life without AIESEC being an integral part of it! It is one of the major factors in shaping me as the person I am today, given me some of the most cherishable moments, taken me around the world and given me some lifelong friends.
So if you are not able to find me in NUS or are wondering where I have disappeared, I am spending my entire day in the office and with some of the team members.. And its just so rejuvenating :D
Leia Mais…Thursday, 27 November 2008
New face of terror!
I just returned after giving my exam and was complaining that it didn't go upto my expectations, when I read the news just to destress a bit. And I read about the Mumbai gun attacks. Over 100 people have been killed and more than 300 are injured. There has been havoc in the entire city. With the terrorists still in the Taj mahal Palace Hotel and Oberoi Trident and the firing still on, no one can say what the final toll will be.
Actually, this is a new face of terror in India. Till now there have been bomb attacks. But now, the terrorists are coming out in the open, carrying out gun battles with the security forces. Does this mean that the security of the country is failing terribly??
I can never understand how people can get ready to kill other innocent people just to induce terror in a country. I pray for the souls of the dead to rest in peace, the ones captivated to come out safe and the families of the victims to bear the pain with full strength. This act of terror might trigger other acts of terror. I hope that no one kills others to revenge this act.
ps. England cricket team's ongoing tour of India has been cancelled following Mumbai terror attacks
Leia Mais…Saturday, 22 November 2008
Need Solace!!
I am not feeling good after giving today's exam! Somehow there was no feel good factor while writing the exam. Two of my close friends also didn't have a good exam so, I am just not happy!
The weather is much better now! It brings some solace. Pity that I am not able to relax. My next exam is in 5 days but there is just no peace. I am pre-occupied with a lot of things.
Missing my father a lot! Talked to him for quite some time today. Discussed all the political, economic and cricket issues. Fathers are just amazing! If you want to make them feel special, just start discussing world issues and they will give all their expert advice. Sometimes I just wonder why is it so difficult to say I love you to a father? I can probably count the number of times I have said it to him. I say it almost everyday to mummy but with papa its just a different equation. Might be just a cultural thing. In fact, it extends to all male figures - brothers, male friends, uncles, grandfathers!! Hmph!
Was just you-tubing when I found this amazing speech by Obama delivered on Father's day:
I still don't understand why I wrote this post!
Leia Mais…Thursday, 20 November 2008
First Exam over!!
I just finished writing the exam for my favourite module this sem - HR2002 : "Human Capital in Organizations". While coming out of the exam hall, I realized how much this module has taught me about life in general. I have definitely grown as a person, more accepting the differences in other people, understanding so many different aspects of work life. Understanding emotions, importance of postponing judgements, human moments, the double loop learning.. the list is endless.
I think a lot of credit goes to my lecturer Ms. Chua Siew Beng who was very effective in teaching the module and motivating us to realize the importance of the module. As she very rightly said in one of the lectures that the very reason that this non-technical 3 MC module is an essential for us is that it carries a huge value in our day-to-day behaviour. I can't agree more. I have seen myself change a lot during the course of the module. I have actually arranged my notes, readings and supplementary readings to put them in use when I need them during my work life. And I think I would really want to discuss the work related issues with Ms. Chua as well.
I loved the readings, the class discussions, the group project and all the members of the tutorial group E05. Getting up for a 9 o'clock lecture is always troublesome but I used to be so enthusiastic to go for my HR class. I made all I-am-not-interested-in-listening expressions when anyone said that the module is useless. I think these things teach us the small lessons in life which are usually neglected but make a significant difference :)
The other thing which I realized while doing the module is the importance of connecting with people. When I ask the NUS alumni about why they don't come often to the university, they often reply that they don't feel connected to the university. But then who's fault is it? We can't connect to the walls and the stairs of NUS. Its the people we connect to. But once we and our friends graduate, there is no one we have connected to because we never established connections with the lecturers who will be the ones staying back once we graduate. I am guilty of doing that too. Specially Professors like Dr. Faizal Bin Yahya and Dr. Winston Kwok who had once inspired me so much, motivated me to perform well and engage in very interesting and intellectual conversations. And now I have hardly tried to remain connected to them. I realized that its time that we look at the lecturers who inspire more than lecturers and more as mentors to learn from them and stay connected to them. Its all about learning through socialization!
I think I should stop writing now and concentrate on my next exam.
Leia Mais…Wednesday, 19 November 2008
Bring it ON!!!!
With the exams starting tomorrow, all I can say is Bring it On baby!! Doing 6 cores in engineering is one hell of a thing, but I am much better prepared than ever :D
Dear God, be with me as I sit to write the answers.. Keep my motivation high, mind focussed and desires under control throughout the exam period :D May I be able to remember and produce all that I have learnt till now! Help me to maintain my integrity as you always have helped and come what may, I don't want to resort to using unfair means. Keep my mind tension free and the heart willing to help others.
I say this prayer on behalf of everyone sitting for the exams!
Leia Mais…Tuesday, 18 November 2008
To my Tupin!!
Do you have a FRIEND who:
- listens to you for hours without complaining (sometimes the most stupid things, and be labeled as your 'Crap Bin' for doing the same :P) ?
- Is your must-have companion for places like sheare's supper shop and clubbing?
- Becomes a just-like -that-coming-with-you friend when random guys ask you out for coffee and you don't know how to say no (he also constantly fears that he might someday be beaten by those guys)?
- Gets scolded 10 times a day by you?
- Makes sure you finish your food or finishes it up for you :P?
- You just know is there when you need him?
- Personalizes songs which suit your situation just to lift up your mood and spends nights to find that song? (Actually he wanted to personalize your fav song but it doesn't suit the situation! and it is surprising that he remembers your fav song considering you are a music buff and like almost all songs)
- Accompanies you anywhere you suddenly feel like going?
- Never ever gives a good shot when you are taking a pic with him?
- Is so innocent that you feel like slapping the whole world out of his way?
- Is the only non-drinking person in your group (apart from you) and you thank God! that you have a companion?
- Is capable of making the geographic distances inversely proportional to distance in friendship?
- Constantly asks you 'Whair are we going? hahaha...
- Discusses his self evaluations with you on board a random bus and you wonder how come he feels like that about himself?
- Acts as a catalyst to keep your group as a group and not a cluster of one-to-one friendships?
- Makes you jealous by his ability of gelling well with all kinds of people?
- Has never been seen tired? He is a storehouse of energy
- Falls for the dumb girls around until you finally take up the arduous task of match-making him or atleast approving the girl before he starts dating :P?
- Never studies for exams and becomes a pain in the butt when you try to study? (Still manages to be a dean's lister :P)
I have TUPIN (Thats what we love calling him :D ).. He is the most awesome friend one can ask for..
A very apt line :
"Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few that you should hold on to"..
Tupin is definitely one of those precious few!!! Thanks for everything!!!
Leia Mais…Thursday, 13 November 2008
Memories!!
I walked in the rain today.. Only when it was just drizzling.. Felt good :)
Something has gone into my dreams.. I am getting all memories of my childhood back (and some weird dreams) Sign of missing home, that warmth of my mum, saloni and me planning our next prank..
I wake up in my funny joker night suit and wait for my mum to do her usual waking me up exercise.. She doesn't come!! My taiji comes and tells me she went to Delhi to give exams. I would have been 2 then and for the first time I realized what is being miserable.
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My mum returns after (I didn't know how to count then) ages.. I run away and hide in the corner of my bedroom.. I am happy and scared.. She comes in and I look at her.. She kisses me.. BLISS
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My cousin tells me that it is fun to cut the sofas with the blade my dad keeps away after shaving.. I cut all the sofas and play with their foam (I did it till the age of 5 I think)
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I love ice creams.. My family eats ice cream everyday at night.. My cousin teases me every morning.. I want to stay awake today.. I want ice cream.. I sleep early as usual.. But my other cousin wakes me up and gives me his ice cream ("I know he teases you everyday. You will have ice cream everyday from now on").. It just surprises me how the traits in childhood become one's character in adulthood.. Period.
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I want the gada Hanumanji has.. I really want it! (Come to think of it, I am a Hanuman Bhakt since my birth).. My dad and I search for it.. Its not there in entire janakpuri.. We search almost the entire Agra.. not there.. My dad orders a wholesale order of gadas for me.. I was so pampered by my dad! I still miss sitting on the tank of his bike.. I don't like cars.. I want the Kawasaki Bike he had.. We had it till I was 6!
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I can go on writing.. I love my childhood :D Being in a joint family is the best thing which I could have asked for as a child..
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Dimaag ka dahi!!
'Dimaag ka dahi' literally means brain becoming yogurt..
I always found this expression very funny until today when I used it for the first time in my life!
In the past 30 hrs, I have watched 12 hrs+ (stopped in the 13th hr) of webcast, prepared for the entire 2nd part of a module, prepared for a presentation and then delivered it, got my internship offer letter with some admin problems which were later settled, sat in a 3 hr long sectional teaching class, slept for only 5+ hrs, had only 2 meals (still so full), given a mid term. When I came out of the test venue I knew the precise meaning of information overload..
While walking towards the mid term venue I used the phrase dimaag ka dahi.. and a ganda followed : If more information is overloaded, the dahi will become Chhaach (The yogurt will become butter milk :P) due to the churning of the brain.
Now.. Its solace.. Awesome weather, feeling of accomplishment and SLEEP.. Need some rest! :)
Monday, 10 November 2008
Restless Bug!!
My travel bug is becoming quite restless these days.. I need to go to a different place now! The next destination is home :)
Apart from that, I can't see any other travel till July when I will be going to US.. Till then, keep the bug asleep! But how how how??
I can travel in India but I want to spend time at home this time as I have no idea when will be the next time I will be home again!
I guess I need to find something so that I can travel before July.. Any ideas?? I have my iLEAD internship from Jan to July so don't suggest a holiday in May p-lease..
Sunday, 9 November 2008
Lounge Music!!
A very soothing remix by Karunesh!! One of those favourite driving music :)
Thursday, 6 November 2008
Congrats to Obama!!
Congrats to a great leader!! I hope that he can deliver what he has promised :)
Wednesday, 5 November 2008
Too many countdowns to track!!
I have too many countdowns to keep track! Just hope that everything comes out good in the end:
15 days to first exam
25 days to last project submission
26 days to last exam
32 days to NLDS pre meeting
35 days to NLDS
40 days to home
61 days to my internship :)
I am living the countdown every moment!! Really looking forward to the break after the most stressful semester of my NUS life so far!!
Friday, 31 October 2008
You look so tired!!!
'You look so tired'
'Oh My God! I think you should get some sleep'
'Hey! Long Time! You have lost weight' *I lurve this one..
'Are you feeling ok?'
'Hey Babe! Saw you at the bus stop today. Are you alright?'
'Your face is losing its colour'
'Eat well!'
'You look so dead. Go sleep!!'
Thats not all, just the most frequently used ones!
This is what happens when you are doing 6 core modules out which 5 have projects and you have missed the first half of the sem to attend an AIESEC conference in Brazil! You are on the National Team of AIESEC and are the conference manager of the biggest conference in your country which will be held in Early December. You are also assisting at Landmark education and working at the Development Office.
I am tired but happy! I now know how much I can stretch myself at one time and I am learning a lot from all these things. In one and a half months, my exams and NLDS (the conference I mentioned) will be over. On 15th december I will be free and then will go back home the very same day! Really looking forward to the break!
Leia Mais…Saturday, 25 October 2008
Intelligent... are we?
I have finished reading the Kite Runner. Khaled Hosseini has done some justice to the children of Afghanistan in this emotionally breathtaking novel of his. Afghanistan has a lot of children but very little childhood! And he has presented this view in the most simple words possible.. A rare quality found in writers..
But this post is not about 'The Kite Runner' or Khaled Hosseini or Afghanistan. Its about a conversation I had a couple of hours back which indeed triggered a series of conversations inside my head. I was discussing about how the entire country (Afghanistan) has been devastated because of the whims and fancies of few - Soviet/US army or Taliban, we would never know! The irony of our times is that we are so well informed about the world and yet, so much in oblivion - seeing things through the eyes of the media. Never knowing what might be true!
She made a casual comment - 'You know Shub, we never know! People in today's world are just too intelligent. We will never know what is the real power/person behind it and what the real motive is...' I couldn't follow the remaining part. A separate conversation has started in my head!
Intelligent.. are they? To me they appeared to be the most stupid people ever born in this world. So much so that I feel they were born as humans by mistake, they were supposed to be some animal.
Is taking away love from the world (for whatever real motive was) intelligent?
Is taking away children's childhood intelligent?
Sometimes, I feel the older we get, the more stupid we become, and we feel we are becoming wise! When we are young, we fight over things worth fighting for, things that last for eternity. We fight for our parents' love, we eat with our servant's children, we don't hesitate in showing our love to strangers, we smile, we laugh!
And then we grow up! We become wise. We start fighting for things which we ourselves know won't last for long - money, religion, what inch of land is my country...
Are we actually becoming intelligent or becoming more and more stupid in the garb of maturity and wisdom? Some questions have no answer but they need to be posed.. These questions make us human again! And I think thats what human race is lacking - people with humanity. Will this vicious cycle ever break? I have no answer. Period.
Thursday, 23 October 2008
The Bestest Diwali Gift!!
Yay!.. I have got the Bestest Diwali/Bhai Dooj Gift from the Bestest Brother :) 
"The greater the intensity of desire and the later it gets fulfilled, the greater will be the gratitude."
I am going through the exact same experience as I have tried to get hold of the book since I don't know when! And from the time I have got it, I am not able to stop myself from reading it, even with the exams and project deadlines coming up. But hey.. this is the Kite Runner and I need a break! So I am now leaving everything behind and going into some serious reading :)
Thanks a lot Siddharth Bhaiya! I couldn't have got a better advance Diwali/Bhai Dooj gift!
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
Welcome back!
WHAM! Thats exactly what I needed from someone for the past few weeks for not being myself and turning into an all-time-complaining-and-seriously-retarded-paranoid-female. My enthusiasm and positivity was affected and I was losing my productivity! But hello, I am back again :) Yay! Thanks to the stranger who's blog generated life in me again. And now, I am super excited about life itself.
Leia Mais…Monday, 20 October 2008
Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen!
While having a conversation with my brother, I remembered a line from this song which is my all time motivation!! Enjoy!
Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '99: Wear sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you can imagine.
Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blind side you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing every day that scares you.
Sing.
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.
Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't know.
Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.
Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.
Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.
Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And then you do you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders. Respect your elders.
Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look like 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it.
Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more that it's worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen.
Wednesday, 15 October 2008
Nobel Peace Prize Winner is an AIESEC Alumnus!!
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded its 2008 peace prize on Friday to Martti Ahtisaari, the former Finnish president who has been associated over decades with peace efforts and quiet, cautious diplomacy from Asia to Africa and Europe.
Out of 197 people nominated for the annual prize, the committee said, Mr. Ahtisaari had been chosen for his important efforts in several continents and over three decades to resolve international conflicts.
To outsiders, Mr. Ahtisaari, 71, has often seemed an undemonstrative and aloof figure. But some people who worked with him praised what Gareth Evans, the head of the nongovernmental International Crisis Group in Brussels called charm and humor in dealing with his various negotiating partners.
He has played a central role in ending conflicts that took root in the late 20th century and threatened the early 21st century with conflagrations in many places, some of them remote and all of them complex, presenting mediators with tangles of ethnic, religious or racial passions.
Specifically, the committee mentioned his work in ending South African domination of Namibia, the former South-West Africa, from the 1970s to the late 1990s , and peace efforts in the Indonesian province of Aceh, Kosovo, Northern Ireland, Central Asia, the Horn of Africa and, most recently, in Iraq.
- from the New York Times
Martti Ahtisaari was an AIESECer from Finland. How cool is that? Not only are we the only student organization with a seat in the United Nations, we have a Nobel laureate among us. Congratulations Mr. Ahtisaari!
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
The Name Game!
What Shubhangi Means |
 You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong. You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know. You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do. You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out. Success comes rather easily for you... especially in business and academia. Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You're a strong person. You are a very lucky person. Things just always seem to go your way. And because you're so lucky, you don't really have a lot of worries. You just hope for the best in life. You're sometimes a little guilty of being greedy. Spread your luck around a little to people who need it. You are full of energy. You are spirited and boisterous. You are bold and daring. You are willing to do some pretty outrageous things. Your high energy sometimes gets you in trouble. You can have a pretty bad temper at times. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic “Type A” personality. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals. You are deeply philosophical and thoughtful. You tend to analyze every aspect of your life. You are intuitive, brilliant, and quite introverted. You value your time alone. Often times, you are grumpy with other people. You don't appreciate them trying to interfere in your affairs. You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing. You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long. You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start. |
Leia Mais…
Sunday, 5 October 2008
Keeping the inner child alive!
So, finally after having a week of emotional roller coaster, I have a reason to be happy all over again :).. For a lot of you, this post might have been from a 2 years old (if they knew how to blog) rather than a 20 years old, but as they say : always keep the inner child alive :D
So, do you remember this song : 'Tan ki shakti, mann ki shakti'
Yes, I am definitely talking about our good old Bournvita. Do you remember that morning glass of milk with Bournvita before you went to school, and the one which you drank in the evening before going out to play some random game with your colony's baccha party, and definitely the one which you drank after a tiring day just before going to bed? Oh and forgot to ask, the bournvita you nicked out of the kitchen when no one was watching! Hmmm... now u remember all those moments :P
Monday, 29 September 2008
A different Dimension!!
While talking to Udit Bhaiya, I realized how different the dimension was from which I was feeling the pain of my Nanu Passing away! I still have my exams, lab reports, assignments, meetings, classes.. Its not like it would have been in India, where I could have stopped my life for some days and cried with my family. Life is going with as fast a pace here. Nothing has changed here, even giving me the delusion that I am seeing some bad dream which will end soon. Its difficult to talk to the people back home, the way they are talking to me.
But I have got good friends who understand me well and hardly leave me alone. So, I am living a routine life. Its also bad in some respect, because there is something stuck in there which is not going out of my system. I get distracted while working and then get myself to concentrate coz I know the deadline is approaching. Nanu wanted me to do well in my studies, in my career and travel around the world. And thats what I should concentrate on doing now. Thats what will keep my Nanu happy and thats what I should devote my energy into.
Had a talk with Maa and Nani today. The strongest females I know of. Gave me a lot of strength and energy :)
Leia Mais…
But I have got good friends who understand me well and hardly leave me alone. So, I am living a routine life. Its also bad in some respect, because there is something stuck in there which is not going out of my system. I get distracted while working and then get myself to concentrate coz I know the deadline is approaching. Nanu wanted me to do well in my studies, in my career and travel around the world. And thats what I should concentrate on doing now. Thats what will keep my Nanu happy and thats what I should devote my energy into.
Had a talk with Maa and Nani today. The strongest females I know of. Gave me a lot of strength and energy :)
Sunday, 28 September 2008
I love you Nanu!!
Dear Nanu,
Just came to know that you have started your journey to heaven sometime back. I really regret not being able to talk to you before you went so far far away. Actually, I am really trying my best not to shed tears when you begin a new life, but then I realized that these tears are not because you left us, You are now free of all the pain of being human. These tears are because I didn't fulfill some of my promises to you, because I know you really wanted to see somethings, because now I have no one to say 'Desh bada gambhir hai' every 5-10 mins!
I know how much you wanted to come to Singapore and I promised that once I graduate, Nani and you can permanently shift to Singapore. All the passport issues which happened, when you applied for the passport after hearing this promise, they just show how much you wanted to see my life here. I am sorry that I can't fulfill that promise now.
I know how much you were waiting for me to go to US next year. That you have already announced to the whole Kosi about this, and I was so embarrassed when people were talking about it all the time. How you have shown anyone who is interested to, all the newspaper articles, all my cuttings, writings and anything at all. How happy you used to become when I got even a simple thing right! I used to get embarrassed when you used to tell everyone about it, but later I realized its just your way of showing how much you love me and are proud of all the little things I am doing.
I have heard and seen how great a father you are! And I realized that when mummy just couldn't talk today and passed the phone to Gudiya Mausi. You will be really missed Nanu, your pampering all your grandchildren will also be missed a lot. Ani-Apoorva, and Anu-Avi still have their Nanaji and Dadu with them, but Saloni and I have lost the 2 people who used to pamper us the most (Dadu and you).
And I just realized that I never thought that you will leave us, so I never told you that I love you!
Yours,
Shubhi
Saturday, 27 September 2008
I am happy!!
Just came across happiness after a long time! So,
Happiness is sitting with your previous MC team on one of the benches outside Gourmet cafe and laughing at the prospects of having either one of them as a Chair for an upcoming conference!
Happiness is also meeting all the wonderful AIESEC alumni who have done so much for the organization and are willing to do more so in the future.
Happiness is cracking random jokes with your Boss in the previous team and sharing all your workload of the current team!
Happiness is also finding a mentor in someone you give a call early morning and discuss your self doubts with her. And she listens to you and motivates you to a great extent to believe in yourself.
Happiness is getting a call from a company of your choice for an interview in about 5 hours time.
Happiness is having a good and meaningful chat with your interviewer.
Happiness is getting confirmation of your selection in that company withing an hour of the interview.
Happiness is hearing your dad say, "I told your mum that you will get through :)"
Happiness is getting a call from your mum in an AIESEC event being worried why you gave her 13 missed calls and then revealing that you got through the company you so dearly wanted.
Happiness is sitting with some of the team members and sharing with them about totally random things.
Happiness is getting the feeling of being competent again.
Happiness is sharing your happiness with a friend sitting in Finland :D
Wednesday, 24 September 2008
In the Name of God!
I finally watched he movie, 'Khuda Ke Liye' (In the name of God!). My interest in the movie actually came from my deep love in Pakistan and Afghanistan, which in itself comes from the great interest I have in Islam as a religion.
To be frank, the movie can be watched from 2 perspectives - one which might consider Islam as a very austere and rigid religion, the other which expresses that Islam is a religion, and what shape it takes in your life depends entirely on how you perceive it, how you practise it! I chose the latter perspective.
The movie makes you see the perspective of those people as well who might do anything In the name of God! Thats how Jehad can take so many different forms. The belief of these people is so strong in whatever they are doing that all logic leaves them. They are as keen to kill as they are to die. And its extremely difficult to make them see what impact that creates on the world.
But at the same time, it doesn't mean that all the followers of Islam are like that. Its just a matter of how the same religion can influence different people in so many different ways. How it can have so many different dimensions! The final objective of all this is to come close to God.
The movie also shows the Male Chauvinism so widely practised in Pakistan, Afghanistan and though not mentioned in the movie, I dare to say, the entire South Asia. Previously, I used to feel that Islam prefers males, by not allowing females to have more than 1 husband while men can have upto 3 legitimate wives. Then I came across the logic behind all this, and I actually started believing in it. And the male chauvinism is more of a culture thing than a religious thing.
All religions give you a way of living lives. They always have a valid logic and reason behind it which is very well explained in the holy scripts. To understand the religion with more depth and follow it, we need to understand the logic. If that logic applies in today's times, good enough, if not then we can chose to follow it or not!
Sunday, 21 September 2008
Back to where I was!
It all seems like a deja vu to me but I am back to where I was exactly 1 year back! All the catching up in academics, loads of AIESEC work, personal life screw ups and no hope of anything getting back to normal! At this time, I again see the same solution : run away from everything and go back home, if only it was possible. But the way I am taking it this year is much better than last year! I think some things are just not meant to be and workaholics like me should just study and do AIESEC work.
Yes, I have definitely grown and matured a lot in the past year. I am more accepting to let people go, more accepting to work like a machine all day long, more accepting to be an island once more, more accepting while writing this post on a Sunday night knowing that its mid sem break and probably every creature in NUS and NTU is partying!
Before coming from Brazil, I was telling Tarun how afraid I was that things might become just the way they were last year, me working all the time and paying heavily for it, and he said that I am the most stupid person in the world! Somehow, it turns that I am not (unfortunately). Lets see how things shape up in the future! :)
Friday, 19 September 2008
Mid Sem Break!!
Yay!! The mid sem break is here... Even though my first half of the sem was mostly spent in Brazil, mid sem break is always very welcome! I think for me mid sem brings a lot of things. Here are the keyones:
- I can catch up with the studies :)
- Get to be an AIESEC machine and do loads of AIESEC work
- Meet a lot of people I am not able to meet otherwise
- Read some books
- Watch loads of movies :D
- Go for random outings
- Sleep till bored of sleeping
- Get to write all sorts of random blogs (this one included)
Sunday, 14 September 2008
JumpStart! 2008
Before I forget, I want to write my experience and learning down! JumpStart (JS) this year gave me a chance to view a conference from a completely new dimension. I was the "Conference Manager" and the "Agenda Manager". Today at the closing I was very emotional, and the emotions were the ones which you get only when you have achieved something much more than you expected. To be frank with myself, I have kind of forgotten this feeling since December 2006. I am not saying that I did not achieve things or am among those vain people who think that achieving those things is almost nothing! I expect a lot from myself, sometimes a bit too much and most of the times, I cannot achieve as expected or just barely reach my target. But this time, I was able to get that sense of achievement and fulfillment which somehow was only predominant in my school life! And surely, it is one of the most beautiful things :) I did not achieve all this on my own definitely, and have a long list of people to thank for it! Specially Grace!
The best thing which happened to me was that I found myself back - the energy, passion, drive, zest for meeting people, which I was losing due to some things not going quite well, were revived. I still remember my conversation with Cheryl during IC about how we should not let our identity be affected by how other people receive it, and I actually did that in JS! The delegates are a major reason for this shift!
I learned a lot from my team too. The importance of team work, enthusiasm, love and the thirst for improvement and learning. The things which we always have in the back of our heads got reinforced. And I am now more confident of my abilities than I have been for quite some time! Leia Mais…
Wednesday, 10 September 2008
In Love with Afghanistan!!
One week from now, I had just landed after having an awesome experience from Brazil!! And the past week had gone in studying, catching up with school, preparing for JumpStart! 2008, catching up with friends, hardly coming online and entering room late at nights and wondering if I will ever be able to unpack and clear my room... Today, I decided that I needed a break. Those who know me well will agree that my break will be:
- Cleaning my room : A happy workaholic as I am, my break will definitely comprise some work
- Reading a book : One of my favourite weekday past-times
I have just started reading the book, "Ghost Wars : The secret history of the CIA, Afghanistan and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001" by Steve Coll (Co-incidentally, the date when the book ends, I start reading it - 10th September) Actually, my choice of this book goes well with my new found love for Afghanistan, a love which was conspired by the universe by a series of events.
On my way to Brazil, I watched "The Kite Runner" which covers the life of Afghans in a very touching way. Then I met Bashir from AIESEC in Afghanistan during the International Conference. He shared his experiences and the country's history and present. It was really great to see how the people who have actually gone through so much in life still haven't given up hope on the intrinsic goodness of the humankind! How much they are willing to build their country, to get different people into their country, how they have preserved their innocent child through all the tough times. And here I am, completely in love with the country!
The more I come to know about the country, the more I feel sympathetic for the general public of the country, the selfish of various countries surprises even more! There were deaths which could be prevented, there was destruction just to satisfy the egos of people and nations, there was chaos to invoke terror in people, there were rapes to make the young boys hate the world and be ready to kill anyone (their only fault being that they were born in Afghanistan). A country which is very strategically located, has some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world is famous only for terrorism.
And even now, people have a closed and narrow-minded mindset towards the country! Only the southern part is dangerous as the Taliban is taking refuge there but still no one is willing to go to Afghanistan! It needs the support of the entire world to build itself again, but how much help is it getting??
As far as I am concerned, I will definitely go to Afghanistan! I just hope that other people also change their mindsets about the country Leia Mais…
Saturday, 30 August 2008
Why I love International Congress!
I just love AIESEC International Congress! There are several reasons for that of which I want to highlight the key ones:
- I get to be with over 700 people from 106 countries and all these people are passionate about things which usually people our age find fluffy - changing the world, fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa, creating more awareness, being culturally sensitive and leaving this place better than we found it.
- I am motivated to work even harder to achieve my AIESEC as well as personal goals.
- I get trained by the top management people of top brands about management and leadership.
- I get to dance all the AIESEC roll calls and learn some more.
- I get inspired to continue my AIESEC XP and to complete it by participating in every stage.
- I find value in my life and get the confidence back which kind of seeps away during the course of the year.
- I become closer to whichever team I am part of.
- I get to talk to people from such countries which no one can imagine and change my perception about those countries - this year, the country about which I learnt the most is Afghanistan
- I get to make friends who will last the lifetime
- I understand the importance of my friends back in Singapore and most importantly my family.
- I get to thank God! for whatever vegetarian food variety I get to eat.
- I get inspired to travel round the world.
- I get to see the cultures of different countries and specially of the hosting country.
- I find the value in the phrase - "I am an AIESECer"
Friday, 29 August 2008
Achievement is a mental game!!
Go for your golds the way an athlete pushes himself to reach his full potential
What rating would you give yourself on personal productivity?
Do you have a systematic plan for improving your effectiveness in your daily work?
Super-achieving business people and athletes know what it takes to motivate themselves, maintain focus in the face of obstacles and drive forward to the completion of their vision and dreams.
They take charge of their work by being aware of their personal patterns of behaviour and adjusting and experimenting with new ways of doing things. Imagine if yu could quickly recover from fatigue, mental setbacks, surprise problems, overloaded task lists, lack of time and all else that can stand in your way of working near optimum levels.
Top achievers begin the process by carefully noting what is and what is not in their control. They then only focus on those things over which they have control and let go of those things that are out of their control.
If you list all the things you must do in a day and all the roadblocks that might fall in your way, you willl quickly realise that the only thing you have true control over is yourself.
Start with yourself
So to improve productivity and effectiveness, begin by focusing on yourself.
Focus on your attitude, your thoughts, how you feel, how you react to problems, how you prepare to succeed, how you review your performance and how you set and go after realising your goals.
Here are some tips for improving personal effectivess:
1. Plan your work and then work your plan
This is an old saying, but it contains simple wisdom. You have to know where you want to go before you get there.
2. Remember, "Mile by mile it's a trial, but inch by inch, it's a cinch"
But if you break down each project into tasks and objectives and just focus on these bite-size portions, you will be amazed at how quickly the little things combine to complete major tasks.
Take care of the little things, and the big things will take care of themselves.
3.Ask yourself, "A month or a year from now, will this matter?"
If you get mired in trivia, get distracted by surprises or get sidetracked by things that "feel good to complete, but that are off-task", then ask if what you are doing now will have any impact on your future goals. This will keep you focused on what is truly important.
4. Set deadlines and make timetables for executing each objective that takes you closer to your goal
Keeping records of tasks completed gives you proof that you are making progress.
Having a deadline creates some urgency to complete the task.5. Post and consult your priority list many times every day
This will keep you on track through those crazy, unpredictable days. It is so easy to lose sight of what is important and to begin putting out fires when you should remain focused.
6. Review your day and ask yourself, "What were the top three things I accomplished today?"
This makes you accountable to yourself and helps you measure how well you stayed focused on our priorities. It will also help you set up the next day.
7. Clean up the tasks and projects that annoy and frustrate you the most
This might be office clutter, paper piles, a messy desktop on your computer, not being able to find things, or anything else that bothers you every time you look at it or think about it. Conquer it and free your energy.
8. Celebrate your successes
Many people go through their days and weeks barely congratulating themselves for their good deeds and accomplishments.
Don't keep focusing on what you lack or on what you still have yet to complete. Give yourself credit for jobs well done and for wading through the many tasks you finish each day.
9. Continually reset new goals once you reach each goal
This is one of the true secrets of super achievers. They continually re-adjust strategically as each goal is met. They endlessly create new goals to fuel the fires of motivation and to take themselves closer to their potential.
Maintain your self-awareness, make adjustments and execute your plans like top business and sports performers, and you also can become a super achiever at personal effectiveness.
Leia Mais…
Adopted from The Straits Times, Saturday, August 16, 2008, which is adopted from Bill Cole, the Mental Game Coach.
Passion and The Future!
Today, I realized the power of my life and the difference I can make to the world, to the future. Being present in the plenary of International Congress means that I have the brains, the talent, the skills, the passion to make a positive impact in society and make up the top 2% of the 32,000 members present in the AIESEC network. This gives me immense influence, even beyond my realization, but only for one year. I have 2 options now. To have a good impact in this 1 year or to have an unbelievable impact on the future? I can celebrate the 60 years of AIESEC’s history or work hard to make history which impacts the next 60 years of AIESEC and the world in general. If I believe in anything, I need to be BOLD. If I don’t know what I can do to change the world, I still should be BOLD anyways.
If I am lucky enough, I have 60 more years to live. Do I have a dream to change the world? What am I doing this year to achieve my dream? And now I ask you, do you have a dream to change the world, to make a difference? What are you doing to achieve it?
they are not big enough”
What difference will I make when its time for me to move on in AIESEC?
What difference will I make in the world when I am done with life.
In the end, death always wins.
But what are you doing in the present to impact the future?
Living in fear always or being BOLD and creating the impact?
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
APGN Pre-meeting
Last year pre-meeting played a big role in deciding the direction of my IC XP, in instilling me with the high spirits that lasted through IC and in making some wonderful friends, so this year I was really looking forward to it. I just love the energy AP creates as a GN and makes sure that every member of the AP family gets immersed into this energy. The roll calls it showcases, the warmth it emits and the diversity it unites inspires me (and I am sure a lot of other people as well) and motivates me for giving my 100% to this GN and whatever I do in life. Another important aspect of Pre-meet which I simply love is the opportunity to talk about the hard-core AIESEC stuff with AIESECers from all the countries (at least most of them turn up for the pre-meet).
The most inspiring part of this year’s pre-meeting was the session on Talent Management run by Daz, the Talent Management Unit (TMU) Chair, exclusively for the VP Talent Management and Local Committee Presidents of the AP region. Those who know about my work life will definitely know that my topmost priority for this year’s IC was to develop a comprehensive Tracking template with quantitative and qualitative tracking. This session gave me very cool ideas about the tracking template and a lot of other things to motivate me to work harder. But the way the session was run by Daz really inspired and touched me through and through. I reached a new level of passion which I have never experienced before. I always thought that my passion for AIESEC is already at the maximum level possible, but I would say that this session proved me wrong.
Last year, I was thinking of heading for the future after my LCP term and go for the NOC programme of NUS. I remember very clearly that during Pre-meeting, something struck me and I decided that I will run for Vice President Talent Management. And here I am, Vice President Talent Management AIESEC Singapore 08/09. A similar thing happened to me this year during the pre-meeting. I thought that I will not be going to the exchange part of the AIESEC XP. The pre-meeting was very much focused on exchange and they presented Vijit Bhaiya’s case study. There I saw how my brother is not only impacting his life but also the lives of so many different people in both his internships inMonday, 25 August 2008
Rio De Janeiro!
If
Journey to Rio: So we joined the Study Tour to Rio on 15th (which is also the independence day of
Our next destination was the Maracana Stadium which is the largest Football stadium in the world and will be hosting the finals of FIFA world cup 2014. The finals were held in 1958 in which
Our next destination was Sugar Loaf. For this we could either go by cable car or hike up the mountain. Esvi and I decided to hike up (very tiring but a cool experience). The hiking was all worth it. The sight from the sugar loaf was mesmerizing. We could see the entire city of
The next day started by going to Ipanema Hippie Fair where I did a lot of shopping. And then boom - We saw the most inspiring sight of our tour – the Christ Redeemer. I don’t think I can describe the experience in words, but it truly is one of the seven wonders of the world. (So, now I have seen 2 wonders of the modern world).
Another key highlight of the tour was striking a lot of friendships, 2 of which are quite close – with Joey (LCP,
The OC had done a great job and they were all very warm people. But now was time to move on for the Asia Pacific Growth Network Pre-Meeting (APGN Pre-meeting) which was to be held in Hotel Del Verde,
Friday, 15 August 2008
Sao Paulo - Pre Congress
So I somehow managed to reach Sao Paulo after being in the air for about 29 hours and having very little food (they don't have veg food on board :P). My first impression of Sao Paulo was that its so much like India. And so it is-India in the mild winters at this moment.
All the buildings here are very different - different in the sense of architecture, the times they were built in, the material used etc etc. Most of them have the Portugal architecture, reminding me of the little of Europe I saw last year in Turkey. The roads remind you of the old Roman times as they are made of stones. One weird yet interesting fact is that they name their streets on dates 15 De Novembro, 3 de Dezember, 25 de Maio (May), etc etc. There are quite a lot of open squares in the place where u can easily spot fat (and really fat) pigeons. There was a road which reminded so much of Mussourie. I just couldn't get over the fact. The markets were bustling with people and samba songs. I even heard the song which inspired (for not wanting to show disrespect to Indian music directors) the music of Aap Jaisa Koi (Qurbani)
The people here are quite tall and sturdy. I won't be considered tall over here. Even the females are quite tall and sturdy. People, on the whole, are very friendly, sometimes too friendly to raise my suspicions. However, their sexual instincts get high after 4 pm, or so it seemed to us while walking. People were giving weird signs and it was no longer safe to walk on the streets even in a big group as ours. But we reckon that we went to the wrong place without knowing ;). Oh, and a interesting fact is that people think I am Portuguese and that is what I call truly exotic.
Language is a big barrier here. No one speaks English (Policemen to sales person in super markets or even the staff at the tourist places). But it is somehow a blessing in disguise. I have learnt more Portuguese in 1 day than I have learnt Chinese in 2 years.
As far as Tourism is concerned, Sao Paulo doesn't have a lot to offer. There's the Cathedral, Banco De Estado (the building from where I got to see the entire city of Sao Paulo) and the place where Sao Paulo was founded. These are pretty much the tourist spots. However, I would say that the city's normal life is a treat in itself to be savoured.
I kind of like the Brazilian food even though its very difficult to make people understand that I am vegetarian and there is very little vegetarian food. However, the fruits and milk are really good here and for someone who likes them a lot, Sao Paulo can be a paradise.
And now I am all excited to go to Rio de Janeiro in a couple of hours. :D
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
Life and How to Survive it!
I was just reading Sharon's blog and found this amazing Convocation speech at the NTU Convocation 2008.
Life and How To Survive It!!
I must say thank you to the faculty and staff of the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information for inviting me to give your convocation address. It’s a wonderful honour and a privilege for me to speak here for ten minutes without fear of contradiction, defamation or retaliation. I say this as a Singaporean and more so as a husband.
My wife is a wonderful person and perfect in every way except one. She is the editor of a magazine. She corrects people for a living. She has honed her expert skills over a quarter of a century, mostly by practising at home during conversations between her and me.
On the other hand, I am a litigator. Essentially, I spend my day telling people how wrong they are. I make my living being disagreeable.
Nevertheless, there is perfect harmony in our matrimonial home. That is because when an editor and a litigator have an argument, the one who triumphs is always the wife.
And so I want to start by giving one piece of advice to the men: when you’ve already won her heart, you don’t need to win every argument.
Marriage is considered one milestone of life. Some of you may already be married. Some of you may never be married. Some of you will be married. Some of you will enjoy the experience so much, you will be married many, many times. Good for you.
The next big milestone in your life is today: your graduation. The end of education. You’re done learning.
You’ve probably been told the big lie that “Learning is a lifelong process” and that therefore you will continue studying and taking masters’ degrees and doctorates and professorships and so on. You know the sort of people who tell you that? Teachers. Don’t you think there is some measure of conflict of interest? They are in the business of learning, after all. Where would they be without you? They need you to be repeat customers.
The good news is that they’re wrong.
The bad news is that you don’t need further education because your entire life is over. It is gone. That may come as a shock to some of you. You’re in your teens or early twenties. People may tell you that you will live to be 70, 80, 90 years old. That is your life expectancy.
I love that term: life expectancy. We all understand the term to mean the average life span of a group of people. But I’m here to talk about a bigger idea, which is what you expect from your life.
You may be very happy to know that Singapore is currently ranked as the country with the third highest life expectancy. We are behind Andorra and Japan, and tied with San Marino. It seems quite clear why people in those countries, and ours, live so long. We share one thing in common: our football teams are all hopeless. There’s very little danger of any of our citizens having their pulses raised by watching us play in the World Cup. Spectators are more likely to be lulled into a gentle and restful nap.
Singaporeans have a life expectancy of 81.8 years. Singapore men live to an average of 79.21 years, while Singapore women live more than five years longer, probably to take into account the additional time they need to spend in the bathroom.
So here you are, in your twenties, thinking that you’ll have another 40 years to go. Four decades in which to live long and prosper.
Bad news. Read the papers. There are people dropping dead when they’re 50, 40, 30 years old. Or quite possibly just after finishing their convocation. They would be very disappointed that they didn’t meet their life expectancy.
I’m here to tell you this. Forget about your life expectancy.
After all, it’s calculated based on an average. And you never, ever want to expect being average.
Revisit those expectations. You might be looking forward to working, falling in love, marrying, raising a family. You are told that, as graduates, you should expect to find a job paying so much, where your hours are so much, where your responsibilities are so much.
That is what is expected of you. And if you live up to it, it will be an awful waste.
If you expect that, you will be limiting yourself. You will be living your life according to boundaries set by average people. I have nothing against average people. But no one should aspire to be them. And you don’t need years of education by the best minds in Singapore to prepare you to be average.
What you should prepare for is mess. Life’s a mess. You are not entitled to expect anything from it. Life is not fair. Everything does not balance out in the end. Life happens, and you have no control over it. Good and bad things happen to you day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment. Your degree is a poor armour against fate.
Don’t expect anything. Erase all life expectancies. Just live. Your life is over as of today. At this point in time, you have grown as tall as you will ever be, you are physically the fittest you will ever be in your entire life and you are probably looking the best that you will ever look. This is as good as it gets. It is all downhill from here. Or up. No one knows.
What does this mean for you? It is good that your life is over.
Since your life is over, you are free. Let me tell you the many wonderful things that you can do when you are free.
The most important is this: do not work.
Work is anything that you are compelled to do. By its very nature, it is undesirable.
Work kills. The Japanese have a term “Karoshi”, which means death from overwork. That’s the most dramatic form of how work can kill. But it can also kill you in more subtle ways. If you work, then day by day, bit by bit, your soul is chipped away, disintegrating until there’s nothing left. A rock has been ground into sand and dust.
There’s a common misconception that work is necessary. You will meet people working at miserable jobs. They tell you they are “making a living”. No, they’re not. They’re dying, frittering away their fast-extinguishing lives doing things which are, at best, meaningless and, at worst, harmful.
People will tell you that work ennobles you, that work lends you a certain dignity. Work makes you free. The slogan "Arbeit macht frei" was placed at the entrances to a number of Nazi concentration camps. Utter nonsense.
Do not waste the vast majority of your life doing something you hate so that you can spend the small remainder sliver of your life in modest comfort. You may never reach that end anyway.
Resist the temptation to get a job. Instead, play. Find something you enjoy doing. Do it. Over and over again. You will become good at it for two reasons: you like it, and you do it often. Soon, that will have value in itself.
I like arguing, and I love language. So, I became a litigator. I enjoy it and I would do it for free. If I didn’t do that, I would’ve been in some other type of work that still involved writing fiction – probably a sports journalist.
So what should you do? You will find your own niche. I don’t imagine you will need to look very hard. By this time in your life, you will have a very good idea of what you will want to do. In fact, I’ll go further and say the ideal situation would be that you will not be able to stop yourself pursuing your passions. By this time you should know what your obsessions are. If you enjoy showing off your knowledge and feeling superior, you might become a teacher.
Find that pursuit that will energise you, consume you, become an obsession. Each day, you must rise with a restless enthusiasm. If you don’t, you are working.
Most of you will end up in activities which involve communication. To those of you I have a second message: be wary of the truth. I’m not asking you to speak it, or write it, for there are times when it is dangerous or impossible to do those things. The truth has a great capacity to offend and injure, and you will find that the closer you are to someone, the more care you must take to disguise or even conceal the truth. Often, there is great virtue in being evasive, or equivocating. There is also great skill. Any child can blurt out the truth, without thought to the consequences. It takes great maturity to appreciate the value of silence.
In order to be wary of the truth, you must first know it. That requires great frankness to yourself. Never fool the person in the mirror.
I have told you that your life is over, that you should not work, and that you should avoid telling the truth. I now say this to you: be hated.
It’s not as easy as it sounds. Do you know anyone who hates you? Yet every great figure who has contributed to the human race has been hated, not just by one person, but often by a great many. That hatred is so strong it has caused those great figures to be shunned, abused, murdered and in one famous instance, nailed to a cross.
One does not have to be evil to be hated. In fact, it’s often the case that one is hated precisely because one is trying to do right by one’s own convictions. It is far too easy to be liked, one merely has to be accommodating and hold no strong convictions. Then one will gravitate towards the centre and settle into the average. That cannot be your role. There are a great many bad people in the world, and if you are not offending them, you must be bad yourself. Popularity is a sure sign that you are doing something wrong.
The other side of the coin is this: fall in love.
I didn’t say “be loved”. That requires too much compromise. If one changes one’s looks, personality and values, one can be loved by anyone.
Rather, I exhort you to love another human being. It may seem odd for me to tell you this. You may expect it to happen naturally, without deliberation. That is false. Modern society is anti-love. We’ve taken a microscope to everyone to bring out their flaws and shortcomings. It far easier to find a reason not to love someone, than otherwise. Rejection requires only one reason. Love requires complete acceptance. It is hard work – the only kind of work that I find palatable.
Loving someone has great benefits. There is admiration, learning, attraction and something which, for the want of a better word, we call happiness. In loving someone, we become inspired to better ourselves in every way. We learn the truth worthlessness of material things. We celebrate being human. Loving is good for the soul.
Loving someone is therefore very important, and it is also important to choose the right person. Despite popular culture, love doesn’t happen by chance, at first sight, across a crowded dance floor. It grows slowly, sinking roots first before branching and blossoming. It is not a silly weed, but a mighty tree that weathers every storm.
You will find, that when you have someone to love, that the face is less important than the brain, and the body is less important than the heart.
You will also find that it is no great tragedy if your love is not reciprocated. You are not doing it to be loved back. Its value is to inspire you.
Finally, you will find that there is no half-measure when it comes to loving someone. You either don’t, or you do with every cell in your body, completely and utterly, without reservation or apology. It consumes you, and you are reborn, all the better for it.
Don’t work. Avoid telling the truth. Be hated. Love someone.
You’re going to have a busy life. Thank goodness there’s no life expectancy. Leia Mais…
Monday, 11 August 2008
Just Like That!
Hmm... I have been super lazy to update blog :P I was back in Singapore on 1st August and am a bit more learned than when I went to India.. I have learnt driving and microwave cooking... hee hee..
Birthday Bloopers
From a Different angle (My paternal side)
Vijit Bhaiya, you were missed a lot :D
Mausi and Me (City Palace)
Most of us (Hawa Mahal)
Elephant ride with Anu (Chowki Dhaani)
Rashika and me (My place)
Aadi-Diaa (Rakhi at Rashika's)
Wednesday, 18 June 2008
Ho gayi hai Mohabbat!
I was listening to the radio and heard this song.. I think I was 9 or 10 years old when this song was released and for the longest time I was searching for it... Some clue or something.. And finally found it on Youtube now.. Some great soul uploaded it
I was nostalgic, so many memories went through.. Not only is the video very cute but the song is one of my fav love song!! Even for someone as unromantic as me, this song can do magic!!
And thats why I have even embedded it on my blog forever!!
If anyone has it downloaded, please please please give it to me :D
Monday, 16 June 2008
No more a TEEN!!
So I just turned 20 today!! For all those who don't remember my B'day.. tsk tsk tsk... hehe
I think i just crossed the most innocent phase of my life. No, I am not suggesting that I am not going to be innocent anymore but I won't be as innocent as I was till yesterday :P
I absolutely love my life till now and want to capture 100 things about me and my life which everyone doesn't know.
1. I want to become a Politician in India later in my life because
2. I will (I have not written 'want to' as I am sure that I will) contribute to the progress and betterment of my country however,
3. I want to start my career as a HR professional in a start up/SME.
4. I like being called Shubhangi more than any of my nicknames as I think that it is one of the most beautiful names in the world.
5. I am not a very girly girl and
6. I can't stand very girly girls.
7. Among the 10 closest friends in my life, only 3 are girls and
8. All 4 of us are in 4 different countries at this moment.
9. I love travelling and
10. I know I will never be able to save a lot of money as I will spend it seeing the world.
11. I think my mum is the most caring and powerful lady ever born on this earth and
12. I respect her as much as I respect God.
13. I am a devotee of Hanumanji.
14. If re-birth exists, I will always want to be my parents' child.
15. I am very close to my extended family as well and
16. I refer to my cousins as brothers and sisters.
17. I have stayed in a joint family for 12 years and wish that every child gets the wonderful experience of being part of one.
18. I am still in touch with my School teachers.
19. I will contribute to my School, Uni and AIESEC with money and manpower when I am working.
20. I am very possessive about my sister and can't hear anything not-so-good about her.
21. I have a very sweet tooth but
22. I also crave for spicy Indian food.
23. I miss home cooked food.
24. I can't smoke. The last time I tried, I puffed out and then my friend complained that the cigarette is wet.
25. I have tried booze but I dun like it.
26. I have never got the urge to try non-veg food.
27. I have not kissed coz I feel that you should kiss only when you love someone.
28. I have fallen in love once and it was one of the most wonderful time of my life but I don't intend to fall again coz
29. I fear that I might be commitment-phobic thats why
30. I don't think I will marry but I love kids so
31. I will definitely adopt kids (most probably a girl).
32. My status is single and I don't want to change it.
33. I was never in a relationship but had an 'Extension of friendship' (borrowed term) for a bit over 2 months.
34. I can't differentiate between crush/finding someone cute/liking someone.
35. My first crush was at the age of over 15 on someone my mum's age.
36. I think I have the rare ability of liking more than one guy at a time (but only from a distance).
37. I hate guys who are Male Chauvinist pigs.
38. I dun like skimpy clothes.
39. I can bitch about only 7 people in this world so you have to do something too bad to be bitch-able in my standards.
40. I am very sensitive about Family, friends, India, Islam and Pakistan and can't hear anyone disrespecting them. But I am a follower of Hinduism.
41. My best friend is the most beautiful girl and person I have ever met.
42. The first few things I observe about guys are Eyes, smile and legs below knees.
43. I like cheap songs like jhumma chumma, teri naani mari, meri pant bhi sexy etc.
44. I have very strongly in-built Ideals in life and have the ability of making difficult decisions coz of them.
45. I value Integrity over everything and
46. I hate people who are always late for everything.
47. The one thing I regret about my school life is not being the Head girl of the school as my mum didn't allow.
48. The best thing which happened to me in Uni is AIESEC.
49. I still don't know how I became a topper in ICSE anhd ISC boards.
50. I want to stay with my parents forever.
51. I can get high on coke and milo.
52. I like pepsi more than coke.
53. I have 2 personalities,
54. I am independent, mature and sharp as far as work is concerned but
55. With my friends, I am crazy, immature and always high on life kind of a person.
56. I am workaholic and I am proud of this fact.
57. If I ever marry, I think I'll marry a non-Indian.
58. I want to learn swimming since forever.
59. I am very bad at lying coz,
60. I am brutally honest and express my feelings verbally or non verbally.
61. I started my 20th birthday drinking strawberry milk ;)
62. I love surprises but
63. I am bad at giving them as my feelings are always expressed.
64. I don't like people who give blood relations more importance.
65. I like independent people.
66. I am still gaining height.
67. I like flirting and people who flirt.
68. I love reading all kinds of books.
69. I love walking and cycling.
70. I want to try all adventure sports.
71. When I grow old, I would love to stay in a farm house in the countryside in India.
72. I am a very spiritual person.
73. I love dancing but
74. I am not a very big fan of clubbing but I do get urges to club once in a long while.
75. I want to go on a cruise.
76. I love music and movies.
77. I can't stand reptiles.
78. I don't like being fair, I wanted a darker complexion.
79. I always wanted to have an elder bro and finally got one in Singapore.
80. I dun like people who brag in front of others.
81. I am a people's person.
82. I don't like shopping, but can shop when there is the need to.
83. I find it difficult to trust guys even though my closest friends are usually guys.
84. I love milk and all dairy products.
85. I sometimes wish that I was at Hogwart's and was Hermione.
86. I can never go on a diet.
87. I like people who laugh a lot coz
88. I laugh a lot too.
89. I talk a lot.
90. Everytime I achieve something, the first person I think of is my Dadaji (Grandpa) and just wish he was alive.
91. I didn't use to understand any pervert jokes or sex talks when I came to Singapore.
92. I have fractured my bones a lot of times.
93. I have a good sense of direction, distance and time.
94. I love meeting new people and attending parties.
95. I studied in a catholic school and know a lot about Christianity.
96. I am very good with numbers.
97. I respect my teachers a lot.
98. I am very vocal, outspoken and a total rebel.
99. I am good at acting.
100. I love life!
Tuesday, 22 April 2008
Perplexity in Friendship!
A true friend accepts you the way you are! But aren't true friends supposed to be your best critics?? Lately this has been a great cause of perplexity in my life :P
What is the fine line which describes when a friend is being your critic and when that person is trying to find someone else in you?? The thing is your old friends always fall in the former category... They have already become quite used to your ways, have accepted you just as you are, and the rare times when they give you some suggestions to improve, they are just being your critics...
But the question here is when you are in the process of knowing a new person to be friends... Here comes the difficult dilemma of that person finding it difficult to accept you as you are or providing an objective opinion of a well wisher for your genuine improvement! What do you do in such situation?? Run away from that person or try to see the genuine concern that person has...
But then the next question is that if you choose the latter, how to do it?
May be consulting your old friends is a good idea... Now if your old friends disagree with the opinion of the new friend, then do you think that your old friends are too used to you or do you think your new friend is trying to find someone else in you?? And in case you choose the latter, what do you do??
Confusing... isn't it?? Answers anyone?? I am perplexed :P
Monday, 3 March 2008
Total Crap!!
Hmm.. so I am about 9 and a half hours away from EE2012 mid term test! And how much do I know... Well, I know everything except how to solve the questions!
But this post is not about my test or anything, its about the excitement i am going through.. Coz in less than 24 hours I would be realizing a dream which I have seen for more than 8 months now! Specially since January, the intensity of desire has been increasing exponentially! Strange right that till a week back I couldn't see the possibility of achieving it in the near future and now its going to be mine!!
Everything else seems so insignificant in life... Thats the power emotions hold in our life! :)
I know I am almost dead because there is a lot of pending work which hold a lot of significance for my future but I don't care.... I just don't! owww owww, emotions go away!!
I need to work rigorously for the next 19 hours and now time to sleep to be fresh for tomorrow :)
God bless you all! All the Best for your mid terms people!!
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