11!!

11 is considered to be an auspicious number in the Hindu tradition. Doesn't come as a surprise that the 11th country I visited is my favourite place so far. Earlier this month, I went to New Zealand and fell deeply in love with the country. Apart from an awesome company, there were many things which I loved about my trip to New Zealand. Let me try to summarize it in 11 points.

1. The place is an untouched paradise. It is too beautiful to be believed and very well preserved. It seems that all the beautiful photos of scenery and houses have been pasted right in front of my eyes.
2. The people surely are very helpful. They always give way, help people out and the place is quite safe.
3. I did skydiving from 15,000 ft at Queenstown with an amazing view
4. Nevis bungy from 134 m, in between the mountains and falling just above a fast flowing river
5. White water rafting in Rapids of class IV even when I have just started learning how to swim
6. Got a speeding ticket of a good amount and burst into laughing about it
7. Drove like crazy for 10 days but the drive was totally worth it with beautiful scenery all around
8. Stayed in all kinds of accommodation ranging from 5 star hotel to haunted palace to home stay
9. Saw Haka Dance by actual Maori live in front of me
10. Saw very distinct animals and plants, and of course cattle grazing on the mountains like in Bollywood movies
11. With this, I cover all inhabited continents of the world.

New Zealand is definitely a must visit place from my side.

Leia Mais…

The most memorable day of my stay in Kenya!!

I can with full confidence call yesterday as the most memorable day of my stay here. It was a Parents’ Visiting/Prize giving day in Jane’s school and I decided to go. This time Julie (one of the interns at Living Positive and a very close friend of mine) also decided to come along. I was happy to see that Jane recognized me even after I had opened my braids and this time I could feel her exercising her authority over me, a pleasant change from the last time when I was finding it hard to explain to her that I am hers.. She was trying to talk to me with whatever limited English she knew showing me around, telling me how a snake entered their dorm and telling me that she has lost her plate already.

Apart from the normal Mom-Daughter bonding, there were some other aspects which made the day memorable for me:

Giving the awards

The Ceremony: African schools have a pretty fun way of singing hymns.. They all dance and they use a broken water barrel as drums and everybody sings.. Julie and I also joined and danced with the kids and the teachers. There were some plays in Swahili and poems and traditional dances. It was a good peek at the standard of the school, and the general running of the schools.


Helen, Jane and me

Prize Giving: Most of the awards were given by teachers and the manager but there were a couple of categories which were to be given by parents to appreciate their support and effort towards their child and to the school. And the Emcee called for “Shubhu” to give the awards for Best Teacher in each class. After 10 seconds, Julie and Lucy started tapping me to go. It was then that I realized that they had called me forward. Julie and I burst out laughing at “Shubhu” with every eye in the hall at us. I found it amazingly difficult to stop the fit of laughter which I was getting. And we pretty much laughed the whole day at the name..

Motorbike ride: Jane didn’t have a lot of daily use stuff so Julie, she and I went to the market to buy her stuff. Our mode of transport was a motor bike and this was the first time I quadrupled ever in my life. I was the last one on the bike and was sitting on the steel handle at the end of the bike. Every bump on the road was accompanied by a distinct squeal from me. And the entire village was running after us or making noises or jeering at the two Msungus. But all in all, it was the most memorable journey..

Goodbye: I had to tell Jane that I won’t be visiting her for a long long time now but I will call her and write to her regularly. The last image I have of her is wiping tears by the sleeves of her sweater, trying to wave bye to me and being held by her matron so that she doesn’t run after my vehicle. It took all my will-power to not go back to her – that would have made it even more difficult for her and me.

I probably didn’t do much justice to this post. Some things can just never be explained in words.

Leia Mais…

Life's Lessons from Kenya!!

#1. Small things often make big things bearable.
Whether it is the stupid rooster with no sense of timing who starts waking you up at 2 am, the warm greetings from the Aunty at the Cyber cafe, the fire lit every evening or the pregnant cat who takes refuge at the house - small things can give you pleasure in an inexplicable way.

#2. There is nothing you cannot do.
Till last week I thought that I was incapable of sitting quietly. I needed to talk and talk and talk. In the past week, I have hardly spoken - just speaking the minimal required words to survive and I am managing quite well :) And for those who thought I can never sit calm and quiet - come and see me here.

#3. It is more important to be friends with the house keepers than the house owner for a comfortable stay.
Because they stay in the house all the time and know everything you need to know. Specially after the Canadians left today, I discovered that I am surviving well because I made friends with Grace and Elizabeth.

#4. Doing nothing is more painful than working from dawn to midnight.
One week of a laid back life and I am finding it almost impossible to contain my energy. The workaholic that I am known to be is dying to find some work. The fact that we have to be inside by 5 pm as it is dangerous after that and there is no internet at home is making it difficult to be productive.

#5. Books are true friends in a strange land.
After suffering a bit through #4, I have taken up on reading African Literature. Currently reading I dreamed of Africa y Kuki Gallmann gifted to me by Siddharth Bhaiya, I welcome all suggestions for rich African Literature.

#6. Home Sickness is a great way for self discovery.
Something which Wan Xin said to me really touched me and I found it so true - "Be in deep experience with your homesickness Shub. It itself is a wonderful self-discovery. =) And Shub, you are strong enough to take this experience, and at times you feel you don't, let yourself break. We are here to catch you! Love, Wan Xin "
But remember that #5 doesn't help in home sickness. You might end up reading the same line for over 5 hrs and still not understand it. Then resort to #7.

#7. Find a child to laugh with.
Whether it is a 2 months old or someone who has just entered his/her teen, children have a beautiful gift of taking you into their world, totally immerse you in their life till you forget about your own. Make stupid faces with a baby, talk about issues with a 10 year old or watch a dumb teenage movie with them, you will soon find a sense of happiness which adults unfortunately can't give.

#8. Be open to break your own rules.
Do you remember me saying that I don't even drink tea, coffee and soft drinks.,I am a healthy girl and drink Milk and juices only? Well, I stayed stubborn on that for 2 days till the damp and cold weather slapped me hard. Now I drink hot tea (called Chai here) atleast 2 times a day. I still don't enjoy it and will go back to my old self when I leave Kenya.

#9. No matter how hard you try, you will always be different from them - Just accept it.
I am known as the "Wasungu" here - "the different one usually used to refer a white person". When I walk on the streets, children point at me and shout Wasungu. Everybody shouts "How are you" at me without even understanding its meaning. Weeping children stop crying if I smile at them. Matatu drivers want me in their Matatus so that they can attract more passengers. At first I used to find it very annoying but now I have realized that it is better to accept it. After all, being the different one does give a power of its own.

#10. Be in touch with your Mum.
Mothers have a gift to making you feel comfortable with all the discomforts even when she is miles away. I look forward to her next call as soon as she hangs up. Her voice is a constant source of strength in everything I am undertaking.

Leia Mais…

End of the Beginning!!

“This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

-Winston Churchill

Finally, this is the last week of my university life (hopefully) and a life of a student in general.. The secure and most care-free time of life is about to end.. Now, I will have to face the world and worry about small little things.. Parents won't be an ATM anymore - if I get a job soon.. But it is exciting.. 

May be how Monica puts it in F.R.I.E.N.D.S. "Welcome to the real world. It sucks!! You will love it"

Leia Mais…

Increasing Excitement!!

“I learned that the richness of life is found in adventure. . . . It develops self-reliance and independence. Life then teems with excitement. There is stagnation only in security.” - William Orville Douglas

Its exactly 4 weeks before I leave for Africa which means that I need to start taking my Malaria prevention pills from today! Wow!! Finally taking pills and all.. Thankfully, all the vaccination shots are done and I survived them :)

The excitement is on a constant increase nowadays. I have been introduced to some people in Kenya and I can already relate to what everybody has been telling me about the warmth of the people there. Anyone and everyone who has ever gone to Africa tells me that I am going to have an experience of a lifetime, something that I will cherish forever..

I particularly liked Jovin's response - "shub, here's why you should NOT go to africa!

- you will me mesmerized! you would not want to return to the lion city, after you'd have courted the real lions!
- you will see the soccer talents, take up women's soccer, and show them how you can juggle with many balls at once
- last but not the least, the wonderful people you'd meet would break your stereotypes on hospitality and love and seduction!

you want not be a victim of all this in your one and only youth, do you?"

Makes me want to leave right away.. Sharing a video which Muti (a Kenyan friend of mine) shared with me to introduce magical Kenya..

Leia Mais…

Finding your Passion!!

If there is no passion in your life, then have you really lived? Find your passion, whatever it may be. Become it, and let it become you and you will find great things happen FOR you, TO you and BECAUSE of you.

-T. Alan Armstrong

When I look around, I see so many people living life out of habit. They wake up every morning because thats what they have been doing, they go to work because they have to, they work and come back. What a waste of the human ability - doing something because you have to, because thats what most of the people do.

Being at the crossroads of my life when I am about to choose what I am supposed to do for a living, the most important thing which I am looking for is something which I love to do. I don't want to work just for money/status, these are for the world.. I want to work for job satisfaction, something which will be totally mine and no one can take it from me. Thankfully, I have the internship in Kenya to keep me going, to make me have something to really look forward to in my life.

Steve Jobs said, "I always ask myself the question - "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something." Something which I think is very true.

I have always loved working for AIESEC and that always kept me going. I loved my iLEAD programme and it was one of the most amazing experiences I have had. And  when I do something which I am not very passionate about, time becomes so slow.

Your passion does not need to be a long term passion like I want to change the world. It can be a simple short term passion like I want to spend some time with HIV positive people in Africa, and when you are living that passion, find something you are passionate about for the next step in your journey.

If you really really want to live life and not just survive, it is essential to find your passion. Ask yourself everyday, "What is it that I want to do?" If you get the same answer for a long time, you have found your passion.. So, lets promise ourselves today to live life, not just survive it!!

Leia Mais…

Phew!!

Finally done with my Final Year Project (FYP) thesis and technical paper.. Still a long way to go (precisely 5 weeks) before I get done with university but a big stress is off my head.. A grilling experience it was in the past week - the whole FYP work.

5 weeks of Uni and 7 weeks of Kenya, I have no idea where life will take me after that.. I hate this period of uncertainty, though I know that a couple of months down the road, I will laugh at how foolish I was to be so stressed up.. Fortunately, I have the trip to Kenya to look forward to.

This whole experience of uncertainty has made me get to know myself slightly better. I hate uncertainties like most people but these uncertainties give me the push to think out of the box or out of place as I would like to call it. I am still very selective about the kind of job I want to start my career with and I am not sure when that will break - when I will join the crowd and accept high-paying jobs with minimal job satisfaction and no learning.

Two important things which I look for in a job are how much will I be allowed to contribute and what are the opportunities of interacting with people from all over the world. Will my opinion be considered or will I just be a highly paid clerk who is delegated work everyday? Will I get to make a difference to the company and to the world in general? Will I be proud to tell what I do in my job or just be satisfied that I am earning? Will I travel around meeting people or just face my computer every single day? Will I be working in an enjoyable and healthy work environment or just become numb to all emotions when it comes to work?

I don't know what life holds for me! I can just take action and wait..

Leia Mais…

A Tribute!!

A human being is a part of the whole, called by us, “Universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest — a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.

-Albert Einstein

If I can think of a group of people who have achieved this liberation, it will be the Annual Giving Campaign donors. Annual Giving Campaign is an annual appeal by NUS to its alumni to help support the students who are facing financial difficulties. The donors are the people who have made a contribution to the campaign and helped in providing education to the people who are deserving.

I had the privilege of meeting some of the donors today at the AG Donor appreciation tea and I think that words will not be able to do justice to the impact which they are creating in the society. It is not only about the direct monetary help which the students get, it is also about the spirit of giving which they instill in the youth through their example and about keeping our faith in the inherent goodness of human beings.

Though I wasn't able to meet all the donors, I say a BIG THANK YOU to all of them. I am about to graduate from the university soon, and their example makes me want to contribute to the cause as well. It is something which I will definitely do, in my own capacity and make sure that feeling of paying it forward which has been instilled in us, doesn't go off. 

Leia Mais…

You can do it!!

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square hole. The ones who see things differently. They are not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

— Apple Computer Inc.

It is not always necessary that your ideas of creating a positive change will be understood or appreciated. The most important thing is not to let self-doubt kill you.. People usually laugh at big ideas - if you have seen them, be happy that you are courageous enough to see them. If you can implement them, a big kudos.. You might succeed or not, but at least you tried.

If you think that you need the whole world to support you, always remember this:

"Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

- Margaret Mead

Believe in yourself, stand up for your belief, and go change the world! You can do it!!

If you are ever in doubt, watch this video which very beautifully describes how 1 person or small group of people can bring about a revolution. (I always manage to get goosebumps while seeing this video)

Leia Mais…

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…

Congrats to Obama!!

Congrats to a great leader!! I hope that he can deliver what he has promised :)

Leia Mais…