Saturday, May 29, 2010

Dubai :)

Dubai.
The City. The Desert. The Roads. The Cars. The Malls. The Metro. The Towers. The People.

These past few weeks, I have seemed to realize once again, why I loved growing up in this city which is such a whirlwind of what we call, life. :) There’s this movie which was released recently, “The City of Life”, is what it is called. And trust me, the moment I got out of the cinema hall, I started looking at this wonderful city in a different light. Yes, I DID see the very high cost-of-living. I DID see the struggle of every man to ‘make it’. I DID see the not-so-pretty side of everything. And even when I give you this glittery, shining, image of Dubai to look at, I still remember the many things that remain hidden, for most of the time, behind the granduer that surrounds the word “Dubai”.

When I left Dubai, back in 2007, and went to Hyderabad. I was nothing less than fascinated. I was shocked momentarily, seeing what life in India was like. And it wasn’t that I had never stayed in India before. It was just that this was the first time, that I had felt ‘Welcome’. :) . The feeling of “Coming Home” as they call it. Yes, I did end up spending most of my time stuck between 4 walls trying to crack the JEE, but I did feel the essence of Hyderabad. I love that place, and always will.

But it made me forget, those things about Dubai, that I shall now, always try to remember. Those small things like having a Subway, or a McD, or a BR, at every corner. :P. Or those big things, like the fact that, we are able to survive in the city-in-the-desert, during the hot summer months. And those irritating things like the evening traffic or the afternoon heat. Those very minute things, like the way all of us, from various countries, regions, localities, communities, castes, and religions, seem to ‘bond’ in way, I find beautiful.

The way, an Indian talks and laughs about the recent T-20 world cup, with a Pakistani taxi-driver. :D The way, a Filipino shop-attendant, gives fashion advice to a young beautiful French lady. The way, a church exists right next to a mosque. The way, BITS and Manipal, have campuses right-next-door in Dubai. :P The way, a Hindu and a Muslim fall in love, and the relationship blossoms for the years to come. (Sappy eh? :D But yes, this DID happen.)

The way, a few weeks in Dubai, can make you fall in love with it all over again.
No longer will I ever feel this sense of missing out, when people tell me that I have grown up outside India. No longer will I feel bad when people tell me that I have missed out on the ‘learning experience’. Because, staying in Dubai, and then in Hyderabad, has given me a sense of satisfaction. It has taught me much more than many people learn in many years. I have a sense of joy now, a sense of elation, a sense of pride, when I realize that I have lived in not one, but two cities. Two whirlwinds of life.

And my smile only widens, when I look upon the fact that, my journey has just begun.

Friday, May 21, 2010

That Special Spice :)

Ever have that friend? That friend, who acts like a fool, looks like a fool, and is a fool? :) The type who takes you to parties, only to end up drunk and makes you take him back home, the type that makes you look like a jackass in front of the girls, and himself, an even bigger one? The type that takes a little longer than usual to understand a completely normal joke, and laughs like a baboon, just because he wants to make a point? The type who would learn how to hack and then hack into your Facebook profile just for a laugh? The ones who would kill to drive a Ferrari. (Ok, I admit, we all would do that. :P)

We all have those friends. Those irritating ones. Those I-refuse-to-grow-up ones. Those live-life-big ones. Those friends who refuse to see a less-than-happy face. And in my opinion, it’s those friends who give our lives that little extra spice that it needs. That pinch of something that your mom adds that makes food at home so much better? THAT’S what those friends are in life.

That little cherry on a Baskin Robbins ice cream which makes it so much more delicious. That little bit of chocolate syrup that they dish out in such miserly quantities when you order a chocolate cake. That little bit of chaat masala, that our very own Indian street vendors put on top of our Ragda Papdi’s. That little bit of spice. That’s what these friends bring into life.

It doesn’t even have to be a friend. An acquaintance, a person you got to know for only a week, but makes you smile every time he says “Howdy!” . :P. A person you know only for a month, but that person is just awesome at bringing out the best in you. Those are the people who could, and probably already have, added that little pinch of mom’s special ingredient into life.

The point of this post was that, when you find someone like that. Make sure you never let ‘em go. No matter what happens, try to hold on. Because it’s only going to be too late if you realize later on life, when they’re gone. I’ve made that mistake once before, and yes, I do regret it. But also, like I said, if it doesn’t work out, don’t even flinch an eye.:P Live life my friends. Find out who that one person is, who makes you who you are. Who ‘redefines’ you, as they say in sappy romantic films. Who knows? And yes, for your friends, YOU maybe that one person. :)

Good Night.

:)

Ciao.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Just Fooling Around. :)

Today was just another day. Me with friends. The Mall. The food. The fun. :P
So yeah, we decide to go to this Juice Centre, where we get fresh fruit juices and stuff. The normal in-the-mall, ever-so-expensive, we-offer-healthy-juices, juice centre. So, we walk up, and my friend (lets call her, X, just to make things easier for me while typing. :P), decides that she wants me to treat her.  Now, me being the Ive-never-had-a-girlfriend-and-now-wouldn’t-be-a-bad-time kinda guy, thought it would be best for me to just pay without argument. So, yes, I end up shelling out a twenty note, for her pineapple/mango/orange/and-whatever-the-hell-else-is-there-in-that-thing. While I wait for my change, I look at X, and she hits upon this brilliant idea to make fun of me. She takes the change (and luckily for her, it’s only a single coin….Like I said, ever-so-expensive.), and hands it to me, like a person would hand change to a beggar on the sidewalk.

Needless to say, I was pissed. In a good way, though. So, I take the coin, laugh. And turn to the cashier, and say,”Dude, got a girlfriend?” He looks at me with this “WTF is wrong with you?!!” expression (Don’t forget, I’m 6 ‘4” and I don’t shave that often, I’m pretty sure he thought I was drunk:P), and replies, “No Sir. “ I say, “That’s awesome man. Keep it that way. And if you ever get a girlfriend, this is what happens (I show him the coin), you end up collecting change, while she enjoys this (I point to her drink).” He laughs a laugh that I was pretty sure only the likes of Navjod Singh Sidhu could produce, wipes a tear from his eye, and says,”Sir, I’m already married.” Now I’m the one who laughed like I was at a Russel Peters Show, while X and the lady attendant at the counter, fumed like the burnt paratha’s I get at my mess back in IIT. :P

So that was that. Or atleast that’s what I thought it was, until the lady turned to X, and said,”That’s a nice guy you’ve got there.” While I stand mind-shocked for a second, X nearly spits out her drink, and says (yells),”What the heck?!!!” loudly.
(This is, or atleast I think it is, where I lost all chances of going out with her. :P)

Now, picture this. You’re in a mall, with front of thousands of people, and all you can hear, is “What the heck” echoing through the corridors. Yes. Your right, THAT loud.

The lady shuts up. Doesn’t open her mouth. She just looks at the counter, and stifles a laugh, almost choking while doing so. The guy? He looks at my t-shirt, not knowing what to say, thinks now is the right time to say,”Awesome T-Shirt man. :) I like it.”

I’m standing there like a jackass, with an awesome T-Shirt, mind you. And all I could think of was, God, Why in the world couldn’t you just make the drink cost a round 20.

So, we walk away. X with her pineapple/mango/orange/and-whatever-the-hell-else-is-there-in-that-thing smoothie, and me with a awesome T-Shirt, and a single coin in my hand.


Lesson?

When a girl asks you to, just buy the damn drink. And say no more.
:P


Ciao. :)

Thursday, May 13, 2010

The Very First. :)

When I was a kid, whenever I went to a temple, I used to pray for something stupid. :) Like the latest Harry Potter book or maybe for a new bicycle. And yes, as time went on, I went on to things like, “Bless me, and bless everyone.” Later, I went on to, “Damn! God, please! Get me into IIT” and nowadays, I just pray for something like my Dad’s or my Mom’s well-being. Pretty decent, right?

Well, let me tell you what happened when I did pray for those things. I DID get my Harry Potter book. I DID get my new bicycle. I DID get into IIT, and my Dad and my Mom, well, they’re pretty ok too. :)

But what did I not get? What did I loose? What did I loose in order for me to gain what I have gained? If praying helps in us achieving our goals. And I say IF it helps. :) Then I would say that I’ve prayed for the wrong things in life. :P

I haven’t got what I’ve wanted. Although, I did get what I wished for. Confusing? Let me explain. I did get my new bicycle but not without me falling down over and over and over again. :P I did get a new Harry Potter book, and ended up being a couch potato. I got into IIT, after loosing a friend. And I guess my parents are pretty good, but not without me getting into a war with my dad or my mom most of the time.

Well, the point of this post is, it’s pointless to wish for something, to pray for something to go right. Just do what you want to do, and make what you want to happen, happen. And if things don’t work out, don’t even flick an eyelid. It’s not worth it. :)Don't give a damn of what people think of you. Live life, it isn’t meant to played safe. Quit wishing for things to happen, make them happen, but just make sure that you really WANT that particular thing to happen. Get it?

Haha, you thought this was going to be a fun little blog didn’t you? A blog where you could come along and laugh away your worries because some crazy lunatic has the talent, and the time, to write funny little posts that make you smile.

Your right, in a way, because you DO have a crazy lunatic sitting over here. And he DOES have the talent to write funny little posts that make you smile. But no, this blog is a Diary. It’s my way of unwinding; of letting loose my feelings, my thoughts, and my memories. And in that way, yes, you’re going to get loads of laughter, you’re going to get bored, and you’re going to get entertained. J

Welcome, to The Official Diary.