my journey...

India's cultural diversity is not a new thing to reckon. But you know what; I got a slightly different taste of this yesterday when I undertook this day long train journey to my native place,Kerala. In a journey you did end up meeting people from diverse walks of life and from diametrically opposite places. Its an interesting blend and if you are inquisitive enough then u actually end up learning a lot of things .These are some excerpts from my journey:


-met a few Andraite people <donno if they are called so>. There was this lady who had a strange manner of talking on the phone. She would virtually end up almost singing her sentences adding a 'naaaahhh','aaaahh '<add some 'rock on' type music to it to get the effect> to each one of her sentences, but would talk normally otherwise!

- seems most Andraite kids are nicknamed sunny/kanni/bunny or something to the same effect…

-the working middle class has to report to their boss on phone, even during a journey. And whether they like it or not, they don’t have choice!

-its strange how traditional customs can change human nature. Ever heard of two women being at peace with each other when they share the same husband!! Yea, I saw a living example. This 60 something Muslim gentleman was traveling with his 3 wives <yea boys! Get a life! [: P]> who were completely at peace with each other! Traditions, I say!

-its a lot of fun to watch children play, specially toddlers. Great time pass!

-children, again specially toddlers, are best left in the care of their parents. They are too much to handle for me!

-'jab we met' only happens in movies! And even when a moderately good looking guy ended up in the seat opposite to mine, I ran out of luck cause I was traveling with my parents. And if you knew my mother you would agree it’s not really a great idea to start conversing with random guys in front of her!

-I can spend hours just looking at the vast green lands through he window. Now I can successfully tell a maize plant from rice, recognize trees like Eucalyptus, chikoo etc, thanks to my mom!! <Donno what use they are to me! Just one of the many ways to kill boredom! Hmm.. Or is it?>[:P]

-I cut down my food consumption to almost one-half of my normal intake! <Wish I could spend many more days on the train, at least that way I did end up a bit lighter!>

-a good book and good music are my best companions in the otherwise boring journey!


Having reached my destination, I have to catch up with my relatives. It’s been a while since I have been here, though it doesn’t feel like anything must has changed down here except for a few cousins who have suddenly attained coconut tree heights! Hope I have a good stay.

In awe of the future..

Kids, these days, are so smart! I know i sound like some 50 yr old mother who has just been taught to operate the mobile phone by her teenage daughter, but hey I am not one! I am just 20 summers old and in awe of the kids of this upcoming generation! These kids who might be hardly 10 yrs younger than me, are so much more smarter and outgoing than we ever were at that age. I mean now I can totally relate to the reaction of elders to our age band.

Talking of that I am reminded of the numerous times I have been subjected to lectures by my mom and dad on how simple and undemanding their lifestyles used to be as compared to mine. Ah, well those were hard times I must admit! Well for me it does seem so . Mom says the only time she used to get money all to herself was during vishu ( a festival) when elders are supposed to gift the kids , as opposed to the ‘regular pocket money system’ implemented for me. They would get 2-3rs which they would save until the next time they go to the city and then would invest them in a nice pair of bangles or earrings. And I rush into the nearby mall every weekend to check out what’s new and happening! For them going for a film could be likened to a huge accomplishment, while I can be found on the premises of a hall for every second movie that hits the city. She would tell me of the times when she and all her siblings would sit together for the evening prayer and then wait by the door for grandpa to come in with eatables and how they all would share it .Evening prayers…well.. no comments! They did flock together to the school, which was around 4 km away, on foot! I can’t even imagine walking to my collage even if it were just 1 km away!

Ah, well those were hard times I must admit! Well for me it does seem so. Come to think of it, it’s a sad state of affairs, isn’t it? Or should I ask -is it? I guess one could argue that point. I mean we could always argue that we are in technologically a more superior world and have lives greatest comforts just a ‘supermarket or mall’ away! We have entertainment at our fingertips, be it television, cinema, playstations-you name it! Snail-mail has been replaced by super fast internet and mobile phones! I cant even mention half the technological advances that have taken place over a few decades time.

Well I do not intend to go into the same old brawl of the past vs the present. Its an age old debate with actually no definite answers. Lets just focus on how we can make ourselves a perfect future. And from what I perceive its going to be just fine!

Happy New Year!!

It’s the new year – again! Its that time of the year when the long forgotten friends and relatives who were seemingly hibernating till now, suddenly spring up and your mails, scraps and message inbox are flooded with messages from all and sundry. This continues till even the last person on the earth to know you, has wished you and when finally – finally the New Year no longer is ‘new’. That makes me wonder how long does it take for the ‘new year’ to finally become old? And who decides that? I keep receiving wishes, as also dish out wishes, as late as the end of jan! I guess only after the ‘new year’s’ one month old do people realize that its high time that stop celebrating the ‘new’ year and go back to work!


Some people do not find the ‘New Year’ worth celebrating . They say ‘what’s so special in the ‘new year ? Its just like any other day. The earth spins, sun rises, the day begins and like any other day people carry on with their day-to-day life, the day ends, sun sets and it’s the same moon (a bit reduced or increased) back in the sky! What’s so special about it? Is this the beginning of the new Academic year? No! Financial year? No! is it even the beginning of the harvesting season?! Nopes! Beginning of ANY season?!!! No! Naah! Then Why – O – Why is it so special??


Well I don’t know about other but I certainly consider it special. How many days in a year do we actually go ahead and wish people prosperity and happiness?! How many days in a year do all the people in the world come together to celebrate one particular event?( so what if its not at the same time but at least they share the same spirit!) Are’nt most of our memories sorted year wise? Imagine if there were no years. If life was just an assorted collection of days! How would we have celebrated our birthdays, anniversaries and the other important dates year after year?! There would be no passing year at school and no graduating year at colleges! There would be no yearly exams! But the then would be no yearly increments, bonuses, promotions either!( who gets yearly promotions anyways?!!)


Everyone wants the first day of the year to be special. Mom says one shouldn’t spend money on the first day else you did be spending lots in the coming year! You know the kind of logic which says ‘do this today and you end up doing it the for the whole year’! Silly logic ,I know! But hold that thought! Imagine all the things you could deliberately do on the first day of the year so that it would happen the whole year round!wow! that would be a lot of things!i would forcibly lend money to people and compel them to return it on the 1st!i will postpone my birthday treat till the 31st night so that I get all the presents after midnight! I did spend the whole day partying, having fun or even lazing around-anything but study! I would eat the best food available and wear the best clothes ! or better still I would take a holiday !( in case my college doesn’t declare one!) man! The wish list is endless! When I tried reasoning this with a crazy friend of mine, he completely shut me off by citing a case –suppose a person doesn’t go to the bathroom on the first day of the year?!

I don’t even want to imagine how the rest of the year would be if that logic was to hold true!!

Happy New Year!!!:)