Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Being a woman

I am feeling very irritated right now. I can't really pinpoint a reason. Suddenly I am very repulsed by the messiness of my room, my house, particularly my bathroom. If the way of drying clothes is a little stupid, (you hang them in a hanger and then lift them up with rods onto a bar high up), its just driving me nuts. Why can't there be simple clothes lining like we used to have in our homes or a dryer which dries everything. While doing all this, I just saw myself and realized that I was looking so haggard. My hair was unkempt, my face was dried up, I mean I had just taken a bath. I should have looked fresh, felt fresh. But even though I had a bath, I was feeling all hot and restless from within. Then all sorts of negative things started coming to my mind. About how frustrating certain days of the month can be, how irritating certain phases of life are, how sometimes you just feel like screaming or being snappy without any rhyme or reason. It really requires a patient person to understand a woman. Thats why there are so many jokes and wild humor that men share about 'women', 'marriage', 'unpredicatbility', 'no logic' and so on and so forth. I can't blame them cuz some times are really like that, senseless. But I think when God made a woman, he made her so rich from inside, that it became practically impossible for her to carry her weight all the time in a balanced manner...what people fondly call 'emotional baggage'. There is so much to a woman - love, passion, beauty...everything is more complicated than men, be it the physical exterior or the deep interior. Naturally to balance it out, God gave women the pains too...pains of being a girl when you reach age, pains of being a partner when you have to be careful about so many things, pains of being a mother, both biologically and emotionally, pains of being a home-keeper (by default it is more a responsibility of the woman in the house) and what not. I feel that a person who sees a woman in her wholeness is someone who truly appreciates God's creativity. While hanging some clothes today I remembered my mother, and got reminded of how I used to criticize her all the time for looking haggard, for suddenly scolding me and my sister without any reason, for suddenly bursting out at my father when he asked a simple question. The same mother, without whom I would not be what I am today, whose love, unconditional love and utmost care and concern come what may, for everyone in her family, made us all united as one. This capability, again, is a way of God's creativity in designing a woman, where he gave her an inner strength to endure everything. I sincerely hope that people who mock women seriously for what they are, realize that it is not easy to be everything for everyone in one lifetime...

No, nothing happened that made me write this. I guess its just a realization that came to me when I could see myself as I saw my mother a few years back. Just as a note to her, I love you Ma, for everything that you are. You are the world's best woman in my life...

A very special computer...

Right now I am at my workplace. Have set up some work to do and am waiting for the incubation time. I actually feel like going back home, and sitting alone in front of my comp where I can pen down my thoughts in peace without any distraction. But since I can't do that now, I thought I'll use a make-shift computer, the one at my workplace. Ok let me clear out the space on my desk so I can make it look like my home-desk....just a min :)

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Amm...sorry that took like 10 minutes...and it still doesnt give me that feeling :( But nevermind, I'll try to get into a bubble and use this comp now...

So you guys (whoever does read this post) must be wondering what I am talking about. There was a friend of mine, SNK, a couple of years back. She still is a friend but we don't meet that often nowadays. Anyway, I met her at a time when she was in her 2nd year of PhD, and was just slowly getting accustomed to the many gadgets evolving in the markets around the world. Finally after much research and thought, she bought a mac, I think Powerbook. It was a beauty. And the way she maintained it was amazing. She used all the accessories possible, and customized her screen with various stick-ons. Her screensaver was a slideshow of her photographs, in the mac way, having 3D boxing in and out effects and what not, with an audio file of 'roobarooo' playing in the background. That was the first time I had seen a computer like that, which was just beautiful. For a non-materialistic person like me, calling a computer beautiful means something. The relationship SNK had with her comp was special, she literally made it her best friend, her child, her pet, her companion...

Now why am I writing a post about a 'special computer', that too my friend's computer, a friend who is not too close, and above everything else, something that happened 2 years ago and may not even be the same anymore? The reason for this is that I didn't know at that time, that a name I heard so randomly would become such an integral part of my life 2 years later. A name that I had known while transferring something via bluetooth, the name my friend gave to her computer. To a non-malayali, this sounded like the name of a baby elephant then :| . Maybe cuz as a kid I had seen a movie with an elephant with a similar name. But that was it, it was just a fleeting thought and I forgot about it. Or so I thought...

Two years later, that is now, a few months back...I met this person, who shared things with me on numerous occasions. It started out with formality, then practical help, then a little bit of fun, and then finally reached the level of a mashed potato containing bits of fun, frolic, great times, useless moments and a huge coating of emotional support. Amidst all this, at a time without realizing it, I named this friend after that beautiful comp. Why I named her that, I wasn't quite sure at that time, probably just because I was trying hard to find a 'funny' nick for her. But now when I think about it I realise that I associate her with all the relationships SNK had associated her comp with...companion, kid, pet, and even though it might be too early to say this, one of my best friends :) A name that was so randomly heard and buried at the corner of my memory came out at the apt time, suited for the right person...

Seven years back, there was a time when I was in the lowest of lows, with no one to confide my sorrows in, no one whom i could call a true friend. That time someone had come into my life like an angel, and lifted me up like a feather, showing me the brighter parts of the world, the more colourful aspects of life, and brought out my true personality. Lots of things happened since then, and the past 2 years somehow became a near-repeat telecast of what happened before I met this angel, where in I can say I pretty much lost myself in the midst of all the events happening. I missed this angel of mine a lot, someone who isn't there in my life anymore. Never had I thought that God would send me another one...another person who would be able to see me for what I am, appreciate me for my nature, and love me because of my emotional nature...something that I had started to think was my biggest drawback. She was with me when I needed someone ...when I was alone, when I was bored, when I just needed to be quiet, or when I needed fun, she was always there. I had thought that I have lost the capability to express myself. She pulled me out of that shell and made me feel that she genuinely cares about me, my feelings, my thoughts and my emotions. Without me having to ask for anything, she would just write smses, emails or anything to make my day, make me feel that I am special just the way I am. I used to think that only a partner can make someone feel this way...but she made me realize that it just takes a person with equal understanding of emotions and feelings to make another person feel so secure and loved and cared for and confident, no matter what the relationship is. She made me realize how my friends would have felt when I did something for them. I had thought that I will never be able to get the same importance from my friends as I give them, but I was mistaken. I had my best birthday ever this year...and even though I can't thank everyone who were a part of it enough, I knew that my expectations were more than matched for the very first time...because of her.

Today, when I think of leaving this place with a heavy heart, I can say with utmost confidence, that the strength required to do this without sinking into depression has been given to me by her, who I know would be with me in this transition, and remind me of who I am, what I love, what I am capable of, and what I mean to this world. Whatever I write in this post cannot truly describe the gratitude I have in my heart to God for giving me an angel again...to guide me out of my blue phase. I guess I can just say that I bumped into a bumper offer when God decided to display a computer sale... :) :) :)

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Overdose of emotions

I don't know what to do. I am leaving a place where I spent the last couple of years away from home, cribbing about it every now and then. But, it did become my life. Everything about it, the people, the places, the conveniences and what not. I try to tell myself, change is good, and I really am wanting that change, but I just can't stop feeling sad or overwhelmed about the fact that I am leaving in a month's time. Everyday I just think of how it would be when I don't have this aspect of my life here anymore and it tears me apart. Seriously, just don't know what to do...

Friday, April 24, 2009

A fallen stack of cards

Someone once gave me this thing called a blue day book. It has pictures of all sorts of animals, pouting, showing puppy-eyes, snuggled in and what not. Its supposed to cheer you up when you are blue. But somehow it doesn't really help when you actually need it. Today, or rather yesterday was one such day.

I got a piece of news yesterday, that something I was really looking forward to above many things will not happen anymore. I had planned out so many things based on that, and its not planning of fun events (which keep falling out which is no big deal), but some time to spend with someone who matters a lot and whom I wont be meeting again for a long time once I take off from here. And its not just that. My stupid ankle prevents me from reaching out and doing things for this person, going to my favourite spots here, and basically having my last few moments of my time here after all these years. I had thought that when I make the trip again, for a week, when my injury would have healed, I will do all the things I had wanted to do, with my favourite person. But now, thats not happening. Really, when I heard this yesterday, it felt like a huge stack of cards, which I was building carefully at every stage in the past couple of years, suddenly came crashing down. I wonder if anyone really understands all the feelings that I went through. Well obviously no one will understand completely but I had hoped that at least this one person does.

I was in a sort of an uncontrollable state of mind yesterday, where you want to just scream out whatever is bothering you, even if that is a compilation of all the botherings for the past 2 years. And I did that, well not scream, but say it out to this one person. I knew while saying it that its just a matter of time that this would backfire (even though I felt I have a right to do this with my closest being without being careful ), and it did. It backfired like bad. Why do I have to end up feeling like the bad person here? Everything I do or say becomes like the wrong thing to have done. The world is full of practical people and their reasons, but does one ever think that the practicalities of the outside world can be tackled with much more ease if you can be totally yourself with somebody. Isn't it just reasonable to ask for this one person with whom you need not be practical? It was a blow on me yesterday, whatever happened, and yet I have to push it aside and be practical. Cuz if I am not, then I am the weak one, the one who needs to realise that 'no can help you, you alone can help yourself', Im the one who is a fool for thinking so deeply about one thing. If there is one thing that I can wish for at the moment, it is this, that please make me so merciless and practical and emotionless that the people who preach practicality look like emotional wrecks in front of me.

Yes I know whatever happens is for the best but you can't keep smiling at everything saying this is for the best so lets not be upset. I hate the way things are today, and I just hate everything right now. I know that everything is relative but what the heck this is one of the days when I feel everything is pointless, useless, over...just like a fallen stack of cards...

Thursday, April 23, 2009

The Harry Potter Freaks!

Can't believe I actually found some people who are as obsessed with the Harry Potter world if not more (actually I think it IS more!). Well I don't really claim to be like the biggest fan of the series or something, but I do have my own version of the HP mania :)

So ya here I mention again my accident, without going into the details. Apart from giving me a recall into the blogging world, it also did me some more great favours. Two of my new-found friends, who do not have to go to any class or any work-place at the moment because of exams, have been keeping me company throughout this otherwise-would-have-been-such-a-lonely-and-frustrating week. Yes its been a week that I fell. And I wasn't left alone to the mercy of my foot for a single day :) Apart from cracking jokes, watching funny youtube videos, being beside me quietly when I went into my shell, bringing me food, these guys made my time a hundred times more enjoyable by showing more enthusiasm than me at the prospect of the Harry-Potter movie watching marathon! I have the whole series with me, well the first five as the other two aren't out yet. And seeing that in my collection, one of them suggested having a marathon movie session! I can't even express how thrilled and surprised I was at the same time. I mean I have seen these movies again and again and thought it was just me and my little sister who understood and enjoyed the concept of watching an already seen movie over and over again, comment on the scenes, rewind the scenes a hundred times to watch a favourite dialogue or action etc. I mean I used to get to hear the usual 'these are for kids' dialogues every now n then from people...But these guys even surpassed that! Not only did we watch the movies, we showed off how much we knew the dialogues, criticized them about not being accurately matched with the book (well that can never happen, books are always better) and swooned over the characters! :D It was then that I realized that if I am an HP maniac, these guys are HP freaks!!! They remember each and every detail of the book even! And I was thinking I am crazy...

Staying up till 5 am and kicking each other for even looking slightly sleepy, we finally finished the five movies last night, or technically today morning! After some six hours of sleep, dreaming of Harry Potter coming to our place and befriending us (ok that was only my dream, not the others'), I finally woke up at 11:30 am. After freshening up, when I sit down to write this post, and the two of them wake up, I just ask one of them to show me the trailers for the 6th movie realeasing this July (as they had mentioned to me last night that some new trailers were out), I couldn't believe she was actually downloading the trailers already for me!!! The other one comes out of the bathroom and starts a 'fully-harry-pottered' conversation! I mean I was not the only one thinking of it throughout the night, in my dreams and the first thing in the morning as well...

Its just an amazing feeling when you connect with people based on common passions/obsessions/mania/interests, whatever you call it. And now if I think back, its not just the HP series, but the HSM series (for which we had an earlier marathon), Thai Express, 17-again, long emails, chain smses, quest for English-correction, British accent, 'cheese' and so much more that I have shared with these guys without having to think if they are getting bored or rather keeping mum about how much I enjoy these things.

To say everything in one sentence, I'd say that my college days were the best days of my life, and spending this one week (and much more earlier at the dog-abode) reminds me of my college days like nothing else does...MG and Clueless, you guys rock!!! Seriously, without you guys, I don't know how I would have spent these days alone at home. Thanks for coming into my life :)

So I start blogging...

Well, this would not really be a 'first blog', I mean I have a site where I used to post stuff quite regularly at one point of time. But then, without realizing, I drifted away from myself...from things I love to do, one of them being writing. So why back again to the abode of the expressive ones?? Lots of reasons I'd say...the biggest one being the most common excuse in the world, time.

So yeah, I have had a lot of time for myself in the past few days, thanks to my little accident. I sprained my ankle really badly, tore a couple of ligaments and am now dependent on a robotic looking thing called 'leg walker'. It certainly does help me walk, without which I can't even limp around, but its still painful, and I am supposed to be taking bed rest for a few days. What happened that led to this accident is a long and dramatic story, which I won't do justice to if I abridge here. That will be a separate post, sometime later when I feel like it. Now I just feel like making myself comfortable in this abode.

It feels great to be typing out my feelings again, only this time I have chosen to keep a low 'profile'. No matter how expressive one is, I believe a lot gets filtered if you tell the web who you are. And I don't want to filter anything now. This is the place where I am who I am, completely, a place where I don't have to please anyone or be apprehensive about offending anyone. Its my space, where I can lay out the intricacies, simplicities and complications of my feelings and emotions without trying to blend in with the world's practicalities.

So here I am, and I promise myself to be a regular this time, and not let anything or anyone else attain priority over this part of me. And to begin with a positive note, I would like to say that I am lucky to find a dear friend, a sweetheart, who re-introduced me to myself, reminded me of who I am, and brought me back to this space...thanks so much MG...you have no idea what this means to me :)

A note to the generous ones...

Thanks for visiting my blog. Please read on, at your own risk ;) And feel free to scold, advise, comment, reprimand, praise or just simply say 'hmm' :)