Day 154: Moments of Life

day 154: a moment you felt most satisfied in your life

Lots of moments like that. Touch wood. Thank you so much dear Lord.
But coming back to the topic, I guess a major moment of satisfaction was when I got my first job offer. 
Day Zero and am the first person to get recruited in my college. I still remember the pride and happiness on my Dad's face who was waiting anxiously for me outside the college. It was hugely satisfying to see him sharing the news with all our family and friends. 

I've always been a good student and a fairly reasonable child. (I think) But this was my first foray into the outside world and I feel that my parents were proud that I had successfully maneouvred my maiden step. 

Since then, there have been many more worthy occasions but definitely that first big leap that gave me the confidence to do more will always be the first to spring to mind.

Day 33: Lucky in Love

Day 33: someone who really hurt you


Cannot think of anybody who hurt me real bad. Possibly, because I choose my friends carefully. Also, I reserve entrusting my heart to all and sundry.


It sounds pompous and fake, am sure to make a statement like that. But I've always exercised caution in matters of the heart. I dislike getting hurt or rejected like so many of my friends and that is why I tread most carefully when it comes to people. Many say that perhaps it is a sorry way to mingle with people and doubtless, I am not a very trusting soul. But hey, I'd rather be called arrogant that a poor dear.


Also, I've been lucky in love. Touch wood. Thanks to a fair judgement in assessing people and wary cultivation of friendships, I've ended up being around people who were awesome and encouraging and loyal. Cheers to that!

Day 29: Date to Remember

Day 29: a date you’d love for someone to take you on


Hmm... this is a difficult post to publish. Note, I state publish and not write. Hubs is a dear and our outings are nothing short of the most romantic dates. I even had the perfect post all drafted and ready. But a minute after I saw the preview, which was absolutely wall-written, if I might say so myself, I hit delete.


And not unintentionally either. The post was a just a simple narrative of a walk in the Park after Hubby dear's birthday. There was nothing scandalous, licentious or even amazing about it. I had not added a single untrue or exaggerated word either. But that is just why, it was also too real and poignant and heart warming and PERSONAL. I felt like a cad just seeing it online. I simply could not publish it. 


There are some things that one does not share- except with the person you experienced it with. And this was one of those moments. Like the first look that parents share when they hold their baby together for the first time. Or the one last time that a girl says goodbye to her father when he motions her to stand by her groom at the altar. Or the first hug after a military man comes home. You cannot put words to such emotions or times, you can only feel and wonder. 


And that is why, I add here not a narrative as the title would suggest but the reason why I cannot elaborate on my date to remember. :)

Day 28: Losing My Cool

Day 28: something you makes you really angry


One thing that is sure to set me on the warpath is any interruption in the midst of a really good book. I just blow my top at such times. I rant and rave and sulk and fume. I am an avid reader and disrupting me while enjoying a lazy read completely  bugs me. 
In conjunction, missing final pages of a book, especially in secondhand books is also something that triggers extreme annoyance in me. I let loose my wrath on all the unsuspecting people around me. I just hate it when I'm cheated out of the finish to a gripping novel. I simply have to know the end, no matter how silly, anti-climatic or boring. 
Furthermore, badly handled books, mistreated classics, traumatized novels, all these inspire sympathy for my dogeared friends while inflaming my outrage at miscreants who think nothing of tearing and destroying storehouses of knowledge. 


So, what sets off your temper?

Day 27: So Near and Yet So Far

Day 27: a person you wished lived closer and why


I really wish my Mom lived closer to us. She is an eternal optimist, cheerful at the most depressing of times, patient always and really fun to be. In addition, she is also talkative like me. Or should I say, I am like her. Anyway, she is articulate and insightful on a wide array of topics and is most fun to be. 


With less than a year of marriage and the wonder of living in a new country, I obviously have loads to share. The joys of new relationships, enjoyable trips with my new life partner and new city, the agony and the ecstasy of settling in a new home and  unfamiliar continent are all conversations I wish to exchange with my Mom. She, having experienced a similar time when she got married is sure to have some great advice and tips to keep the blues away and slip into this life even better. 


One more reason that I would love to have her close by is our interests. We both love books, nature, music and shopping. I do miss our conversations on favorite books and authors and artists. I long for our long walks where we soaked in our surroundings, shared confidences and binged on street food. I crave the shopping sprees and the bargaining sessions and the chase for the clothes and bedding linens that would best fit our aesthetic sensibilities and our budget.


I also miss her because we two would have had a gala time exploring this city and drooling over all the things we love. In the land of free libraries (one of the best things about this place) and scenic highways, I think I need such a soul sister to melt over all the splendid things I find here. 
Unlimited free books for 21 days at the local library. Wow! 
Great scenery and fall colors and enormous blue lakes and white beaches. Awesome! 
Quick streaming music at all times. Stations dedicated to my favorite artists. Ooh la la! 
And the shopping- to die for. With all the coupons, groupons and sales going on- I'm speechless with delight. 


And to truly empathize with that feeling of pleased wonder, I really need my Mom. Going gaga over the things I love, mooning over scenic spots, gloating over every purchased merchandise- these require a person who shares the same feelings of gleeful delight and uninhibited adoration. And the one person who fits this description is Mommy dearest. 


And that is why I truly wish my Mom were close by.

Day 16: Trusting Hearts

Day 16: someone you trust


Actually, there are a bunch of people whom I trust unconditionally if not blindly.
The list is as follows : (though not in any order)

• Mom - Moms are always right, after all
• Daddy - Personal guide and mentor
• Hubbyji - the taller and definitely better half
• Twin sis - Friend and confidante since I came into this world. We rock as a team.
• Grandparents - Thatha and Dimma - Who are totally awesome
• Hubbyji's parents- From cooking tips to college, travelling and teasing, can be counted to give great and effective opinions on all.

Day 15- Song that Makes Me Cry

Day 15: a song that makes you cry and why


The one song that makes me sad if not burst into tears is 'Maa' from the Bollywood hit movie 'Tare Zameen Par'. An adorable but autistic child missing his Mom . The setting is quite tragic too. The child wandering bewildered in the hostel he is banished to, unable to comprehend the ways of the world and trying hard to not to despair. 
This is one song that just tugs at your heart strings.

Love the song and lyrics and rendition- both by the actors and the singer. 


P.S.: No idea whom the credit goes to for the song. So, to avoid any Copyright infringement, I'd like to mention that this video is courtesy YouTube and Aamir Khan Productions. 

Day10- Be Yourself

Day 10: what you think when you hear the words “be yourself”


When I hear the words 'Be Yourself', a host of emotions come over me and a flurry of thoughts circle my head like kids circling an ice cream vendor- all vying for immediate attention.
Being yourself :
Is Tough. It takes guts to remain true to oneself in spite of fear of rejection or ridicule.
Takes courage. Conforming to popular beliefs is easy not following our hearts even is it means being rebellious.
Is the right thing to do and is easier in the long run.
Possible only if you are strong and introspective.
Is the only way to be happy.
Always leads to success. 
Is simpler and more rewarding. 
Means being comfortable with yourself.
Is the first step to loving yourself. 


Finally, I have to end with my closing comments on the topic:
Better to be an average original than a splendid copycat.

Day 9 : Top Twenty Things That Make Me Happy

Day 9: things that make you happy

1. Books and libraries
2. Being with and Talking to family 
3. Desserts - ice creams, chocolates, custards, jelly
4. Grandparents
5. Junk food
6. Listening to music
7. Nature
8. Milk products - lassi, curds, pedas, milkshakes
9. Beaches, lakes, seas
10. Travelling in a train
11. Nuts
12. Accessories
13. Chatting with friends
14. Weddings
15. Lazy mornings
16. Chandeliers
17. Curtains
18. Flowers vases
19. Elocution competitions and Public Speaking
20. Mehendi

Day 8: Top Seven Things that Make Me Sad

Day 8: things that make you sad

1. Wedding 'bidaai' scenes
2. Missing Home and family
3. Tragic stories or novels with depressing ending
4. News articles about atrocities against women and children
5. Dull, cold, gloomy, wintry days
6. Crying babies
7. Saying goodbye to loved ones