Ooh..La..la

So the other day I bumped into a School pal – I saw her almost after 6-7 years. We were together in the same class for a few years. Later she took science while I opted for commerce. As we met in a market area, I guess both of us weren’t willing to chitachat for long as we had our own shopping goals to accomplish :P.. The conversation lasted hardly for 8-10 minutes but what an impact it had! It wasn’t the regular “how are you”..”so hwz your life going” kind stuff..

I have to share the interesting conversation we guys had! (I wouldn’t like to mention her name, let she be X..)

Me: So where are you working? Google right? Great

X: Ya, it’s supposed to be the best company to work for

X: So what are your plans for the future?

Me: I plan to go for executive MBA next year?

X: Ya but they don’t provide good placements

Me: Ya I know but I don’t wish to do my MBA for placement, it’s just for learning.

X: Money Matters Swati

Me: Ya, I agree to it but I’ve always got what I need. SO I’m not really looking at the placement part.

X: hahahahha…you haven’t changed Swati

Me: So you in touch with anyone from School?

X: Ya I’m in touch with A and B

[Assume A and B to be 2 students of our batch]

Me: Who’s B? Oh! Must be a sciencee

X: What a reverence you have for people Swati (said this in a sarcastic tone with a smile)..I mean “sciencee” hoga..

Me: Ha toh that’s what science students were called and tum bhi toh “commerce wale” jaise words use karte the.

X: So you must be in touch with your whole gang? So what’s’ Kanika doing? I’ve heard she is in London these days?

Me: Ya, she completed her NIFT and chadaarein (ya I used this term for bedsheet) design karti thi..she gone for some course in London

X: Wow Swati! Just bcoz you have passed out from Sukhdev doesn’t mean you say things like that ..”chadarein design karti thi” ..I mean show some reverence (again that sarcastic tone)

Me: Isme kya hai? That’s how we guys talk. Nobody takes it offensively.

Me: I went to school a few days back and “Aana Paana*” is still on there! Torture for students! I’d starting hating meditation due to it till I came into YES!+

{* Aana paana is a silly and stupid so called meditation we were made to do everyday after assembly}

X: hahahhaha…ya philanthropy at the age of 24..so like you

Me: So give me your Number, we’ll keep in touch.

[ I took out my cell which had the photo of Sri Sri Ravi shankar as the wallpaper]

X: Oh! Sri Sri Ravi Shankar! Philantrophy! You haven’t changed Swati

Though the conversation lasted a few minutes, it played in my mind for a while. I realized something which I would call the societal syndrome. If you conform to what others are doing, it is OK but if you aren’t, there’s really something wrong with you! How silly! People are loosing their naturalness and just being what they are supposed to be rather than what they want to be! A good education, a good career have become the defining factors!

The whole thing didn’t irritate me but just made me laugh..at the sheer ignorance…

One can only laugh at the fact that what is an illusion is taken as the reality and what IS actually the reality isn’t even been given a consideration

Funny society we live in, must say!

Anyways,

Keep Smiling :)

Fun@ life

I enjoyed my Independence Day! Sometimes its so fun to just sit back and relax, enjoy the breeze, sit with friends and just chitchat..15 August was one such day :)

I saw Peepli LIVE– one thing is certain it’s so good to catch up with your old pals and nothing beats than a good movie together (combined with good eating and some shopping:))

I am not a movie buff and rarely make a plan to watch a movie but whenever I get the privilege to go to a cinema hall; I end up seeing 3-4 movies in a span of 1-2 months! I saw Rajneeti, then Inception and now this one. All 3 have been amazingly good (devoid of Yash chopra kind romance and KJo kind emotions ...hah!). I found Peepli Live silly yet a sweet movie. Out of myriad of issues, this movie chose to explore an unsaid side of media in a way that makes watching worth! The language used is funny (and highly filthy at times must say!!) and the backdrop is simple and realistic. I have to accept that this movie made me woke up to the fact that media, in the name of social cause and responsibility, at times serves its own purpose.

Golmaal hai bhai sab golmaal hai!

**********************************************************

Though a late news, I finally completed my YES!+ DSN!!! Huraaaayyy!! No, don’t get me wrong, I’m perfectly sane but I’d been dying to do this course for the past one and a half year , enrolled thrice but couldn’t do it and this time was desperate for it!!

I simply love one thing about myself – once I decide on a thing, NOTHING can stop me. This reminds me of the favorite Salman Khan dialogue “ Jab mein commitment de deta hu, toh mein apne aap ki bhi nahi sunta” ( sounds filmy I know ;) ) I love my attitude – “I’m gonna do it, come what may!” So doing this course involved taking 3 day leave (in a job which I’d joined just a month back) and that too on a weekend, which is supposedly a busy time for the job. Who cares! Leaves done, no issue, next hurdle was the back pain. Since this course is all and all physical tasks based, this seemed to be a challenge! But, ki farq painda hai! I simply dived into the DSN waves – coz I had the life jacket – Grace :). When the course started, I was a little wary but I was determined to give my 100%. And I tell you, once you do what you can, the invisible forces (You-know-who:))will do what they can to help you. I vouch for it!

My DSN was miraculous!! The feeling I had after completing the course was eclectic – victory, gratitude, amazed and perplexed! Though I can’t unveil the tasks we did ( Man!! When we got them we were like “why???” and when we completed them, it was simply “wow”). One thing I can definitely share which I am very proud of is our boisterous “Power Yoga” performance on Shakira’s hit number “ Hips don’t Lie” at Select City Walk, Saket!

Am grateful that I got yet another opportunity which bolstered my faith

Keep smiling :)

CON-FLU-ENCE

First thing first, have to tell about my new job, my first YES!+ DSN experience BUT first about the amazing “CONFULENCE” I attended!

Well, don’t tire your knees too much in thinking: P, “Confluence” was a concert ( a spiritual satsang u can say) by Vikram Hazra where Bawa and Dinesh were also coming. To give a background incase these 3 names sound alien, Vikram Hazra is a renowned singer and musician of the Art of Living. He is a very senior AOL teacher and is married to the TV personality Tina Parekh. He has a spectacular blog (vikramhazra.com).I’d never met Vikram Bhaiya but have been a fan of his blog nad music since my initial AOL days, had heard a lot about his charismatic personality, his cute smile and his simple yet suave way of imparting knowledge. Oh! I forgot to tell about Bawa and Dinesh (Vikram Mania to blame ;)). Bau and Dinesh are both IIT Bombay passouts and the founders of the brilliant YES! + course…so the idea to get to see the trio on a single platform was simply WOW!!

The sad part – Bawa and Dinesh Bhaiya didn’t turn up owing to poor health of the latter but this didn’t dampen our spirits. Vikram Bhaiya made it up for their absence. :)

The best part of any event in my life is the grace I experience time and again. My reaching to the venue nearly seemed impossible but grace helped, I was able to convince a dear friend to come for this concert but was apprehensive that she may find it boring but was so filled with gratitude to see her smiling and dancing and rejoicing in the divine music. Vikram Bhaiya is class apart – though I’ve attended a lot many satsangs, I’ve never experienced such energy, such magic in any voice or music..he puts his body, mind and soul in singing..the serenity and the divinity combined with a rock/jazzy flavor…I had somethings going on in my mind, some questions and confusions bt Vikram Bhaiya’s saying – “ Mere paas Guru Hai!” just evaporated them all! Why to bother when you have the creator as well as the protector with you!

For once, I really felt pity for those who didn’t attend despite knowing it, they may never even realize what they missed but I just hope next time when once again opportunity knocks, they are able to grab it!

Keep Smiling:)

P.S: Just encountered Shobha De's post on vikram Bhaiya, dnt know hw d linking thing works in blog so copying the link

http://shobhaade.blogspot.com/2009/01/bhajan-aur-bhojan.html