Hibernation Period Over

Yes, my blog has officially regained consciousness! It has been over a year since I have written a post. More posts coming up! :D

"Failing doesn't make you a failure. Giving up, accepting your failure, refusing to try again does!"

Quarter Life Crisis

It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are a lot of things about yourself that you didn't know and may or may not like.

You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.

You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones.

You look at your job. It is not even close to what you thought you would be doing or maybe you are looking for one and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and are scared.

You miss the comforts of college, of groups, of socializing with the same people on a constant basis. But then you realize that maybe they weren't so great after all.

You are insecure and then secure. You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life; You feel alone and scared and confused; Suddenly change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.

You want to be independent but suddenly, the idea of having the stability of a special someone to trust and lean on doesn't seem all that bad. You want to be your own person and yet be taken care of at the same time.

You go through the same emotions and questions over and over and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision.

You worry about loans and money and the future and making a life for yourself and while winning the race would be great, right now you'd just like to be a contender.

We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out.

-A Fellow Blogger ..

Sounds Familiar? Don't worry folks! We are all on the same boat! =D

The tale of a sad thief!

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A Singaporean judge sentenced a man to four months in jail for stealing a Bible, admonishing him with Scripture before hauling him off to prison, The Straits Times newspaper reported Wednesday.

District judge Bala Reddy also gave a new Bible to the 26-year-old thief, who said he had tried to steal the book from a bookshop last month because he wanted to replace his old, tattered copy.

At the Tuesday sentencing, the judge told the defendant -- who has previous convictions for theft -- to open his gift.

"You will see at page 65 that it says "Thou shalt not steal. While you are in prison, sit in prison and read the Bible, and ensure that you don't come before the courts again," Reddy said.

Comic Craze

- www.phdcomics.com

100 Seitersweg

Well, for a good period of my childhood, I dreamt of living in a small hut in the middle of a forest or grass patch or a field. In my imagination, the field was a green grass one with fruit trees here and there and my home, a small hut, sat in the middle of it. Just outside my home was a pristine white tea table and my mom clad in her typical simple sky blue cotton saree served tea and hot bhajji and vadas on my dream tea table....!

This, was my dream home. When my school bus dropped me off, I would take the grass route instead of the pavement route to my home. I closed my eyes and imagined I was walking to my dream home through the field sometimes and forest at other times.



Now ...100 Seitersweg ..

When I first reached germany, I landed there alone and knew not a single soul. I was tremendously lonely and I badly needed to make friends with english speaking people till i got a hang of the german language. During break time at work, I vigourously browsed the net for people living in my city whom I could make friends with. Responses were slow and things were still bleak. Till across my brain flashed an idea! I had heard that Sai baba bhajan groups are wide spread and found in most countries and perhaps there would be a Sai Bhajan Centre in my city or somewhere nearby, and thr I could get to know people. So I did the regular search for that and wola! found it.. So I wrote to Robert, the president of the centre and his reply was as follows:

SAI RAM dear Raji,

i am not in germany in the moment and will come next week back to Darmstadt. Of course you are wellcome to join our Group, will be happy to meet you when i am back. Here is the adress, where we are singing:

Seitersweg 100
Darmstadt

Maybe i can contact someone else, whom you could ask to find the way. Our singing is every thurstday as usual at 19:30h. Will write you again, as possible.

Nice greetings and
Sai Ram
Robert

I awaited Thursday eagerly as I printed out maps to find my way. Thursday evening, I left my office sharp at six and made my way to 100 Seitersweg. I found my way somehow asking around and using the map to 1 Seitersweg and from then on followed the house numbers. I reached 99 and then realised there was no 100 next to it, instead the beginning of a field.

Confused, I had to only continue walking because there was no other way to go. And as I walked I began loving it and realized that it was nothing but my dream home materialising!! In the cold winter of -15 degrees, the long walk along the fields was divine (and a little scary I must admit!). As I neared the end of the field and saw the fence that probably marked the 100th house finally,my heart began beating faster!



The fence had a small wooden door only to my height..the number 100 was scribbled on it with chalk.. As the fence was covered from the other side by extensive growth of trees, the house that I had been unable to see came into clear view as I looked through the door.. Mann!! Was it be-auti-ful. It was a mini brown house (also a lot like the chocolate cake house in hansel and gratel) and by its side sat my dream white tea table. Portions of snow had gathered in random places on the roof. I stood watching the house and struggled to absorb it all at the same time. I followed a foot path that led to the house and to the door. As I entered the really small and cosy house the warmth comforted the loneliness I had faced all this while. I left my coat and bag in a room and entered the bhajan room.


There, in the front portion of the room was a big picture of Sai Baba, and three big candles had been lit making the whole atmosphere oh-so-serene. At the side was a small fire place where someone was renewing wood pieces. The fire led to a small "stove" that contained a big pot of water. The steam from the boiling water helped heat the room. I loved the simplicity and the serenity of the house. The warm faces of the people gathered there were welcoming, and before I knew it I was part of them.

I went every thursdays for bhajans. They loved the way I sang bhajans (not that it was great, just the fact that I was indian i think!) and before long I was singing every week and for them who were family to me there! We celebrated Shivarathri together and before long summer had arrived. We had an unforgettable summer fest!!

I miss 100 Seitersweg and the Sai family in Darmstadt!

Thats robert below..!

2nd Anniversary and Birthday!!

Hey there!

Today is an especially blue Monday. Rainy day + first day of the week syndrome + Hangover from a really exciting weekend!

Well for one.. Its been 2 years since I started writing my blog. My first blog was just a few days after my 21st birthday, September 22nd 2005, I am proud of it .. its still alive and kicking with 33 posts.. I dunno if people read it but it still survives on my excitement and cranky mood swings!

So other than the 2nd anniversary for my blog, day before yesterday was MY 23rd anniversary (i.e. birthday)!

Well, Friday night I had odissy class as usual, went home and hit the bed, it had been a very tiring day! Well at 12, among the calls I got wishing me was Bhav’s. “Happy Birthday. Could you open the door?” I was sleeping in the hall with the windows open and realized I smelt smoke. Awww.. I thought as I opened the door and saw her with a cake and candles all lit. So she had a chance for solo performance as she sang the birthday song and I blew the candles. I was so touched.

The rest of Saturday was pretty normal. Spent time mostly with my family. We had a nice family dinner and did the usual temple stuff. Met Div at North point. And we had our usual small talk, cursed a few guys for being mean and insensible (our usual venting session), had some nice ice cream at Swenson’s. A nice evening meet.

Sunday Evening, Anita (dance friend) had called me home for “birthday lunch”. I went over, and everything seemed normal till Anita got “the call” when, well I guessed it a bit. So sorry guys..hehehe.. And then when I saw the quantity she had cooked my doubt confirmed itself. Heheheh.. But well, when the door bell rang and I opened the door to a group of excited dance mates and an enticing cake I was very very touched. There was all the usual hugging and the wishing and gossiping and eating. It was super duper fun. Thanks anita, aruna, kalai, bhav, devi ma, mal and serena!!!

Overall, awesome birthday weekend.

Loves in Loads!

For The Cynical ...

• Whenever I find the key to success, someone changes the lock!
• To Err is human, to forgive is not company policy
• The road to success? ..is always under construction
• Alcohol doesn't solve any problems, but if u think again, neither does milk
• In order to get a loan..u gotta prove that you don't need it first!
• All desirable things in life is either illegal, expensive or fattening
• If at first you don't succeed? ..Then destroy all evidence that u even tried!
  
• You can never decide which side of the bread to butter.. If it falls down it always lands on the buttered side
  
• As soon as u mention something.. If its good its taken.. if its bad? It happens!
• If u come early the bus is late, if u come late? The bus is still late!
• When in a queue the other line always moves faster, and the person in front of u has the most complicated of transactions!
• If u have a paper u don't have a pen, If u have a pen u don't have paper. If u have both? No one calls!
• The door bell or the mobile always rings when u r in the bathroom

No more cynicism for the day!

- Raji