Life of a Social Recluse

Hello, dear blog! I haven't written in you since ages, and I realized that I would miss out transcribing life updates if I stayed away any longer. There hasn't been much in action, but at the same time, life has never been as good. Okay, it has, but this kind of good has come after a long time. I've had such a change in perspective on a lot many things, it feels like I've learned so much more in the past few months than in the past few years, and that I'm finally, 'living'.

Anyway, what I do these days is:

1. Spend hours each day excluding weekends at work, mostly reading, writing, reading some more and hoping against hope that my eyesight is not affected. The evenings are spent chilling at home, talking to friends, visiting relatives or the market or the park, reading websites and articles or for the most part, browsing the shelves for something new and interesting to read. Thankfully, I've managed to collect quite a bit. That reminds me, I've had people remark how I manage to get those books. What do you mean how I've managed? It is very much possible if you refrain spending on ridiculous restaurant food, if you don't over indulge in shopping, if you basically prefer books over anything else. It is very much possible.

2. Read different kinds of books, experimenting with genres I never tried before, and reading between the lines. This is one of the new things that has happened, for I no longer read just the words to get what has been written, but almost naturally, also look at the author's intention, writing style, phrases used, metaphors, character sketches, etc etc. I say naturally because I've been given a grand, vast view of the inside world of books, and it makes me just so curious to get to the depth of words! 

*_*

3. Getting an insider's view of the publishing industry has made me very happy indeed. It's not all glamour or as perfect as the final results a.k.a books are, but it gives me a lot of satisfaction. To be a part of the process that once made me very happy as a kid, is amazing. True, it gets dull and dreary every now and then. You get bored, doubt yourself, sometimes multiple times a day, get frustrated when things go slow, but it can be endured if you always have a larger goal in your mind, and you know that the dullness of the present is anyway important to help you achieve those goals. 

It sometimes gets sad too, when you realize that the things you consider sacred are not treated as well in the places where they are produced. There is a lot of work, and people get frustrated. Businesses need to earn money, and sometimes it feels like it is only for money that books get traded, which of course is not true, but it just seems like it sometimes. What is necessary is to stick to your own beliefs, treat books as sources of knowledge/wisdom/entertainment/whatever at your own end, and do your work to the best of your ability. It is also sad to see hundreds of people writing books. That's not bad, actually, but the fact that they are mostly overconfident people who already call themselves authors before being published, believe their work to be a masterpiece while it is indeed, for want of a better word, trash, is quite disheartening. It used to bug me a lot earlier, but now since I've grown used to it, I feel somewhat emotionless most of the times. But it still annoys me sometimes. People are seriously deluded.

4. Traveling in the metro has become ... monotonous and irritating for the most part. I so wanted to do a separate metro diaries post, but I don't think it would be well-deserved. Ever since the first women-only coupe started, I've always traveled in that, except for a few times. The trouble is that I'm not the only one who made that decision, so the first coach is always excessively crowded. You'd think that stuck between women (as a girl yourself) would be way better than being among creepy-guys-who-think-a-girl-in-their-coach-is-a-rarity (don't you go berating me for generalizing or whatever, because there are a lot of such creepy weirdos). Anyway, you might be right, but only partially. 

Now just imagine all these as
women, with cell phones and
earphones plugged in.

First, women have little regard for other women. I might be killed for this statement, but at least when it comes to traveling in the metro, it is true. There are good Samaritans too, but you would have to agree that: 

- A majority of women travelers will NOT budge more than a couple of inches when you need to pass them to get to the door because you have to get down at the next station. 

- You will find some who fix themselves at the doors, completely disregarding the crowd behind them. Incidentally, the fixture doesn't need to get down at the next ten stations at least. It just doesn't want to literally gel with the crowd. And to add to that, they have the audacity to look angry when you unknowingly push them a little while getting off. Sometimes I do not even push unknowingly, but it has no effect whatsoever. 

- Apart from Rajiv Chowk or other major stations with guards overseeing the queues on platforms, people will never learn that they are supposed to stand on the sides and leave space in between for those who wish to get out. In fact, if you are the ones standing on the side, you would be the last person to board the train.

- God save you during the rush hour! You would be squeezed in from all sides, your arms would be coiled around bulging waists of at least four different women, your nose would be desperately seeking a bit of fresh air, you would be assaulting your toes to stand a little higher to breathe in right at the air conditioners, your hair would be a foot or two away from your body, and the steady brush of hard cloth at your ankles would make you feel secure that your bag has not yet been washed away by the sea of jostling women. 

- There is something incredibly putting off about having cell phones in hand. Even when there is no space to stand. Even when other people are suffocating and struggling to stand on their own two feet, some people demand extra space for their cell phones, because they cannot bear to part with those even till the distance of their jeans' pocket. Urghhh!

- There has hardly been a metro ride where I haven't had generous intake of someone's gastric misadventure. Even in a fifteen minute ride.

5. I've taken to baking cakes! Yay! The fact that till date, the first two cakes were entirely flawless (one with eggs, one eggless) and the others were not-so-great experiments, doesn't matter as much because whoever talked about baking being such a stress-free activity was so right. There is something very relaxing about baking a cake. I was at first alarmed looking at the ingredients, going all 'Whoa. SO totally unhealthy', but once in a while is okay, I guess (or else all those with a sweet tooth would murder me anyway). 

Trust me, this was the most delicious experiment ever!

6. Feeling that gut wrenching feeling whenever I find a great children's book, because I don't know, I feel just. so. drawn to them! They're the best kind of books. Ever.

7. Making lists and lists of work and interesting stuff to do, to take my mind off life's lower aspects. Getting out of touch with some people, hearing ridiculous gossip in family gatherings, feeling put off with Facebook but not being able to get off it entirely, not having enough clouds during weekends for photography, to name a few. I've tried writing here a lot many times, but they've always ended up as drafts. I was a little peeved that I wasn't getting the time and energy to write here, but then as a friend helped me realize:

- I'm still working towards making a career in something I believe in, and love.

- I am anyway too blessed to feel jealous of anyone.

- This is my blog that I started purely for my own self, not to make anyone read it. So what if readers don't respond? The 2-3 people who matter, do. And that is really what one needs, innit? :) 

PS- Did you realize the post has nothing to do with the title? I might call myself a social recluse, but the real story behind the title is just this - type anything random if you don't get an idea within ten seconds. Tada!!

Unrandom Updates!

Heylo beautiful peepul! Have I been missing from this lovely space for ages or what? And it's not a very good thing, considering how I've been learning and experiencing and thinking so much that it should be put down. I mean, when I'm 60 and bored and reading my old posts, it would suck if I wouldn't even remember how I changed, right? Plus, one of you lovely readers mentioned how I haven't updated the blog since forever, while wishing me a happy happy birthday, which was so sweet, so this is for you! (For those who don't know, this *very* talented blogger's birthday has just passed. I'm still accepting wishes. *wink wink*)

Back to the point. This is not a very random post, as you intelligent people might have inferred from the title already (duh), even though it's not entirely planned either. I just realized there have been incidents and stuff that should be recorded for future reference, hence, the post. My life's been... what do we call something that seems boring on the surface but isn't? I've been enjoying my work life so far, and I don't mean we party in office all the time (except for the occasional ordering-out food nearly twice or thrice a week, which has very conveniently made me unfit for almost all my clothes!). What I mean is that it's the work I'm enjoying so far. It's kind of cool. Heck, it's very cool! And I say it seems boring because well, normal people won't understand it. It looks boring on the surface, but I love it. So yay! Besides, have I been feeling all mature or what? I so have a separate post ready to talk about the gyaan stuff I have realized. I can't wait to put it down! 

Back again, to this post. (I think I have ODD - Obsessive Distraction Disorder)

# 1: Scoot-ery adventures!

I just recalled after coining this term, that my grandmom used to call Scoot, scootery. :') I know. I inherited my cuteness from her. 

You'd know by now how Scoot forms an imperative part of my life. She is the reason I even reach office (and previously, colleges and tuitions and grocery stores and what-not), and it's obvious that I'd have a range of stories relating to her, some of which I've mentioned before. So for the.... fourth? Fifth time, without any inkling as to what was going to happen, I set out for office. It was 9 am in the morning. (OK, I was late. So maybe ten minutes after that) Just as I reached 1/5th of the distance to reach the metro station, Scoot stopped and refused to restart. Dragging it aside, I tired a few times, not bothering to try the kick-start because it was cold, and who wants to get their feet hurt in such a weather? So after some fruitless tries, it finally dawned on me. Uh oh. I had, as always, ignored mom's warnings and dad's rules, and not checked the quantity of petrol (the petrol indicator is moody, so it's become kind of non-trustworthy). 

Scoot!

Putting the helmet aside (still haven't got a purple one), I opened the rubber seal and peeped inside. *Gulp* The petrol tank was dry. I had no idea how that was even possible. I'd got a lot of petrol for Scoot just some days ago! Or was it weeks? Time passes by so quickly that we don't even realize it. How was I to realize it in the case of petrol, of all things? I called dad, who, after laughing at me first (I heard that, dad -_-), asked me what I'd do now. Since the petrol pump was a little distance away, I figured I'd just drag Scoot there and get it filled up. Dad wished me luck and hung up. See? That's called confidence. ;)

So yeah, donning my bond-avatar in a matter of seconds, I set to work. Got Scoot to cross the road and started walking with it to the petrol pump, which was actually fun. To begin with, I got started on the much-needed exercise in the fresh morning air. Then I'm assuming that the glances I received from random people were appreciative, and not piteous. Since I was anyway late, I decided not to worry and just chill in the winter chill. :P Finally when it was my turn at the petrol pump and the guy opened the tank to fill some in, he looked at me wide eyed. 

'But this is entirely empty!' he said, nearly hysterical. 

Now, why do people worry about strangers so much? I almost wanted to pat him on the shoulder and say, 'It's all right dude. I'm fine.'

'Yeah I know,' I replied. 'I dragged it all the way.' *hides a smile*

I'm sure he must have kept my story to narrate to his friends and family, just like I did. 

# 2: Happy Birthday!

Birthday was cool this year. I think birthdays help us realize the level of closeness we have in all sorts of relationships! Think about it. You get to see your current status of harmony with different people, which of course, keeps fluctuating throughout, but it becomes oh-so-clear on birthdays. That's a different point, though. Beginning this year, I started sharing my birthday with someone else in the family. He's a cute little nephew, who I obviously love more just by virtue of being born on the same day. :P Since it was his first birthday, the family had a grand celebration, and in all of it, I ended up meeting my extended family, all of whom warmly wished me too. To add to that, they had a separate cake and all for me as well, so that was a beautiful surprise. We ended up having a gala time - food, fun, dance, pictures, jokes, chocolates and lots of love!

That's not all. That was also the day when I formally began a year-long mission I've set with dad. We have this idea about exploring Delhi, together, throughout the year and document it all. There is this old gurudwara behind Humanyun's Tomb where I had once been as a kid, and just the memory of it made me love it so much. We went there in the morning and that's the first place we visited as part of that plan. Isn't that awesome? :') If any of you have ideas about how this can be made to work out better, do write to me!

Gurudwara Damdama Sahib, Delhi

# 3: The Candy Kid

There's a house being constructed near my place, on a road that I use every evening. One of such evenings, I spotted a candy-floss bhaiya outside our gate and just for the sake of childhood, got one and started walking to the gurudwara nearby. It took just one small bite to realize that I could never finish it, what with being mentally allergic to sweets and all. That's when I spotted this tiny kid doing something comical in front of this construction house, while a woman in a red sari, presumably his mother, looked on, smiling at him. His eyes found the pink wad of cotton candy in my hands and he stood still, while his mother transferred the smile on to me.

'Will he have this?'

The woman nodded.

The kid nearly snatched it away and with a shout of joy and a tumble of words on top of his voice, went running inside to show it to his siblings. 

The next time I found the candy bhaiya, I got one for the kid. But the kid was not at home, so I handed it to the delighted mother. On my way back, I saw three grown-ups - the red sari woman and another couple, sharing bits of candy and having it. Who says candy's only for little children? :')

# 4: Photographic Happiness

It was a weekend, and I was home. Recalling my pre-MBA days, I picked up a book and my camera and went to the park. It was afternoon, and that time of the year when flowers actually bloom and birds, real birds actually happen to be on those flowers! While I was busy clicking tiny spiderhunters, a group of kids came running from nowhere and scrambled towards the swings, shouting and rejoicing in merriment. After a while, a young girl called out to me.

'Didi! Hamari bhi photo le lo!'

She seemed to be the leader of the group, barely ten years old. I set out to click some candid, and some not-so-candid pictures as the group slowly warmed up to me, and to the idea of getting their pictures clicked. They told me their parents worked 'somewhere just outside the block', and that they're here to play and usually stay till evening. They seemed delighted when they saw their pictures on the camera's screen, so I told them that I'd get some of them printed and get those for them. 

'Didi, isko de dena meri photo. Mai school jaati hu,' said the group leader, pushing forward a tiny girl who matched her features. Her sister, probably.

Smile!

Two weeks later as I made my way into the park with a brown envelope in hand, it was amazing to see how, when the lead-girl recognized me, shouted out for everyone to come over and they all came running up to me. Their excitement was contagious, and you had to look at the restraint and control they had! While I carefully laid down the photos for them to choose, there was hardly any pushing around, and the little ones waited while the eldest handed them the photos in which they featured. The next second, the group leader put her thin arms around me in a hug and asked me to click some more. 

What did I get out of it? Happiness. Was it charity? No. It was just something I felt like doing, at that moment, never realizing how much it can mean to a bunch of kids whose parents are everyday labourers in a city like Delhi. I also saw how these kids, deprived of most things those middle-class and above take for granted, are much more capable of patience and discipline. Can you imagine handing a thin sheet of a picture to a five year old in your family, fully trusting them to take care of it? With the way I've seen so many brutes, I can't do that. But these children did, holding those pieces of paper like they were delicate treasures, which I suppose for them, they were.

# 5: The Work Life

Life as a professional worker is so different from college life, although I realized that it is up to a person to make it different. For me, it's something that suits me more than college, because here, I can really, actually do what I think is right without worrying that much about the mundane things. Probably because I was exhausted by the end of it, I prefer this life way more than college. It's more empowering, it's more satisfying (dealing with sensible people rather than being forced into a classroom with weird people) and it's a lot more about learning. Again, it depends on how you perceive it and how seriously you take it. 

For those of you just out of college, or going to be out of college, I'd suggest you to put in your best, plan everything and do the kind of work you want to, in the way you want to. It might not be possible initially, but if you know where your goal is, that journey would feel great. You'll meet nice people, you'll learn amazing stuff, and trust me, you won't miss the masti in college as much as you think. You might just feel too grown up for all that stuff, like I do these days. I know, I sound like a 35 year old, right? But that's just the truth. And that mostly applies to work. It is now that I feel truly at peace with myself, it is now that I have begun to understand myself, and this is something everyone must experience in order to live happier lives. 

Psst: I have a new blog for my adventures at the work place, but it won't disclose my identity. I got it up more than a month ago, but there are no posts yet. If you'd like to read it too, send me an email and I'll let you know what that is! Provided though, you fill in a secrecy form where you pledge not to disclose my identity, failing which the curse with which the form is bound, would befall on you. (Told ya I'm a witch. If you still don't know how, read my previous post already!) So that's really up to you, and for those really interested.   

# 6: Culinary Crafts

I want to start this point with a LOL, but since that'd be self derogatory, I won't. I'm someone who is so not interested in cooking. I respect it a lot, because that's how I get to eat food in the first place, and some dishes just look like a work of art, but I don't particularly feel inclined towards cooking anything myself. Except recently, sometimes, I do. Don't ask why, because I don't know it myself. So whatever, I liked this page on Facebook where recipes by Masterchef Pankaj Bhadouria are shared, and today, I made this dish called Paneer Hariyali Tikka, except that I added baby corn and mushroom to the mix (umm. Not a very good idea). But it was still yum, so you can check it out too!

The point here was how I managed to make it. For someone who's the nightmare of chefs, it can be difficult. I decided to check for ingredients in the afternoon, so I could get what was missing in the meantime. As soon as I opened the fridge, I realized dad had been to the mandi today, so it was loaded with vegetables. I needed mint and coriander. There were about five different bundle of leaves in front of me. How is someone supposed to differentiate? I knew how mint should smell, so the first bundle that felt like mint was taken aside. I knew how spinach looked like, so that was out. By way of this shortlisting, I was left with one bundle, but that was not coriander. Because coriander leaves have a design, and these were plain. (Stop laughing already, you -_-)

Me: *calls G* What are you doing?

G: Having lunch. 

Me: How are we supposed to differentiate between dhaniya and pudina?

G: *pause* What did you say?

Me: HOW SHOULD I RECOGNIZE DHANIYA?

G: *munches his own lunch*

Me: Dude, I need to cook something for dad and I can't find dhaniya. I'll whatsapp you pictures, tell me which one is that, okay?

G: *bursts out laughing* You're crazy.

Me: -_- Whatever. Sending them soon.

I'm not explaining anymore, since you're probably guffawing by now, or already left the blog thinking what a crackpot I am. In either case, here, take this stare --> -_- and know that I don't care. Huh. 

In the end, this was the result. And it tasted good. ;)

Are you still reading? Are you awesome or what? :') If you reached here, leave a comment so I'll know who all deserve a bone-crushing hug. Until next time, see you! *_*  

PS- Does anyone remember I started a meme called Theandric Thursday? The most ardent follower of it recently posted a TT post. Check it out here.