Knock, knock...who's there?

As per Preeti's new Tuesday prompt. Here goes:

" The table is set perfectly, for 'tea for two'. (and the piece of cake is ready too).  I am really looking forward to this. There is still a good half an hour left for my guest to arrive as per the  text  I just got. Suddenly the door bell rings..............  "


....and in comes my long lost, and a little forgotten (please, pardon the Gemini in me), friend from the other side. She is everything I am not - respectful to all elders (deserving/undeserving), dedicated of her duty in the household, self-starter, serious, yet can induce laughter when occasion demands, studious, diligent, marvel in the kitchen, phew...the list is endless. She had disappeared a few years ago among rumors of forced marriage, where she apparently went on a "family" honeymoon...


Years have changed her. Her eyes are that of a stranger. So what is she doing here? My guests are going to arrive soon...how will I tell them that the tea-party is cancelled, as my friend of 18 years, even if she was absent for the last 5 years of them, takes precedence over every and anything. She would not have come if there was not something absolutely important for her, if things had not become too much for her to bear. 


I am about to ask her how has she been along with a thousand other questions racing through my mind; but before I can say anything, she smiles, tilts her head in the age-perfected manner, and says,"Thanks for inviting me tonight, I am Shivani, your friend Hitesh's date for the tea-party. He is coming here from the office; he gave me your address and asked me to reach here directly. I must this Alice in Wonderland theme tea-party was a totally wonderful idea. So different form any other New Year parties I have ever attended. So tell me what made you think of this? I here you are a writer...."

Her remaining words became merged into each other to form a kind of static noise. I am sure my impression of a dumb, mute person spooked her, for she is till date not too comfortable around me. This after knowing the reason of my state of shock that night. I was taught the meaning of the word doppelgänger in style. Because any other explanation is just too bizarre, right?  

Tea with the One, and the Only...

This post is in response for Preeti's creative prompt "If I could invite anybody for 'tea for two' today it would undoubtedly be ..........................." Now as I am already waiting for the book to reach me, it makes perfect sense to participate here and begin a story even before it starts unfolding when I'll have the book in my hands. 

If I could invite anyone for tea, I would invite the one person, author, celebrated wit, self-certified genius (and rightly so), Oscar Wilde. He is one person from whom even an insult will seem like praise. I fell in love with Ernest (Importance of Being Earnest) and Dorian Gray was definitely one true 'gray' character - he was not bad to begin with, only obsessed with his own perfect beauty...but then only Wilde could paint dangerous, fatal obsessions with such subtlety! And his poems! Ah! 


His one advice I have always taken to heart: 


"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” ― Oscar Wilde


Oh and also:

"The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself." ― Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

I would ask him to comment on the 'sensitive' sentiments of our country people who get offended with everything and everyone who does not tow the "normal" line. I wonder what he will tell both Rushdie and our government. [Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious. ― Oscar Wilde]


He would certainly have a unique view on everything - economy, humor, comics, books, blockbuster movies, novels, religion, outsourcing, and maybe even Stephanie Meyer (sorry, I enjoyed Twilight, but...). [One's real life is often the life that one does not lead. ― Oscar Wilde]


He was a lot of things, but never apologetic for living his life the way he wanted. And made fun of his own attitudes too!


To get back my youth I would do anything in the world, except take exercise, get up early, or be respectable. ― Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

I would also like to invite Osho and Douglas Adams, but I doubt they will be easy or even willing to pin-down. I will have to meet them both in the restaurant at the end of the Universe, they will not come, I'll have to go there.  

Past

I have always had problem with the past - because I cannot change it… So many times we have thought, “In a different life, this would have been possible, we would have then had a different present, and maybe even a different future.” So why don’t we? Because we are tied by our past and to our past.


Now, I know that past is not real…that it is just a memory, a story…but then why I do not feel that I have the power to change this story?
We do not have the authority/capacity/power to alter what has already happened. But why do we need it? We need it because we feel we are possessed by it, owned even. 


I bet we all feel helpless in face of our past/pasts - if only this has not happened, that had taken place instead - and so we keep looking back, trying to exorcise shadows that do not exist, but seem oh-so-real.


All that I have understood is that I may not be able to erase or disown my past (anyway it is not possible to do so), but I can certainly drop my attachment to it.


I can choose to not be bound by it.


I can choose to not be affected by it.


You can choose it to be so too.


Today.


Now.


This very moment.


Don’t wait anymore.

Leh Diaries: Milestones - Words of Wisdom at 10,000 ft

So I am just back from a wonderful 1 week holiday in Leh. Needless to say, it was rather wonderful, totally awe-inspiring and taught me new meanings of the words majestic, clam, serene, sheer-drop etc among others. But one thing stood out among all my excursions - the milestones and the words of wisdom printed on them as we went from Leh towards Nubra Valley, Pangong, etc.

One popular "quote" seen all across Leh and beyond:

"Speed is a knife,

that cuts through life"

I am posting some more such delightful Words of Road-side Wisdom, literally cast in stone. Regretfully, I could take snaps of only a few of them.

Sample one such gem:

Now tell me, who can NOT follow this well meaning advise? I mean will you now try to be a Gama (whatever that means) while you in Ladakh? No way! 

And in case, you have become confused or you have not understood that this milestone wisdom is to dissuade you from speeding, here's one that makes it clearer: 

If even this refuses to make sense to you, then you are probably one of those people who cannot take a hint. The BRO (Border Road Organization) is ready for even such dimwits, with clearly spelled out instruction about how to drive on the treacherous mountain roads:

And don't think think that they don't know about our penchant for driving after downing a peg or two, especially in these cold, cold mountains. They are on to it! Ergo, the solemn advise:

Even after all this cautioning, should you still decide to speed, here is a forecast about where you may end up: (yup, you guessed it!)

If you are by any chance not yet convinced, here's another gentle persuasion:

Now how can you speed? Another variation of this that was seen across the roads was: 

"Lower your gear,

Curve is near"

Further requests to avoid speeding include this grammatically confusing advise:

Then we also have some valuable life advise thrown in for good measure:

Now who says only the Lamas are spiritual in Ladakh? Something was bound to rub off.

However the ultimate Words of Road-side Wisdom Award went to this little gem:

 

"Safety on road,
'Safe Tea' at home"









Can one be more convincing?

And here's one other popular one in राष्ट्र भाषा:

"तेरा करते होंगे घरवाले इंतज़ार,

गाडी धीरे चला मेरे यार" 

(Translation: Your family must be waiting for you, drive slowly. )

Their concern for our safety is really heart-warming, if a little amusing. 

Is marriage so important?

I was reading this on buzz, which was forwarded by Preeti and I agree that the idea of 'happily ever after' and "all-your-troubles-will-be-over-if-you-just-get-married" are sold on glossy covers of the magazines who are selling all things bridal. And the worst part is, as long as the so-called society people are sold on this, they will force down this idea on other people. I personally feel the entire media is largely responsible for adding on to the social pressure already exerted by the relatives and apparent well wishers (my definition of well-wishers: people who wish we were at the bottom of a well), for messing with our parents' and other dear one's minds and getting into their head unreasonable expectations off their children.

What if I want to get married in a simple ceremony or in the court? Noooooo. I must have a "dream" wedding with all the over-hyped hoopla. My parents have kept aside lacs (or even crore, I really don't know) money to "marry me off", but refuse to help with a little bit of capital to start a business. So I am now looking at other people to help finance, which is a good thing actually as I am saved a lot of family drama.

Secondly, there are no expectations from the boy - software engineer and earning above 10 lac lpa - that's it! He is God himself! Dare I find a fault in him! Now I am expected become perfect for him - wear sari, well turned out, and of course a far slimmer version of myself. My parents actually give me deadlines to become perfect!! It never works out, that's a different story altogether :D

Recently, my mom asked if Manisha, my friend, mentor and teacher, was doing anything for me. I jokingly told her that she needs to first do things for herself as she is a co-founder of a very good OD Consulting firm. My mom's response was, "What does she have to worry about? She is married and has a child, what more does she need. Her life is set. If she is a true friend of yours, she should look for a suitable match for you." I was speechless! I asked if she had been appointed my guardian or something. To which the reply was more filmy dialogues. Go figure!

After 10 days...

Well, well, well...so much for the new plan!

I am very sorry to see that I have only been able to stick to the plan around 30% of the time. This is not a great figure obviously, but I have found out some holes in the plan that I had filed to cover. Today, however, was a better day in terms of physical activity.

I have also come across certain issues which were not there before, but have cropped up now (more about them in some later post, after some postmortem). So now this whole is dedicated to experiments with various techniques and finally coming up with a game plan.

It seems to me as if something is here already, but is just out of reach...Now working on increasing my reach. More power to me! :D

Can eating healthy really impact the way one feels?

I was reading this article at stevepavlina.com and I really started wondering when I reached the point where he says that vegans tend to have better relationships. Now I have been a vegetarian all my life but am I good at relationships? According to my friends, I suck at 'em. Do I really? That's a different story for different time...

For now, I need to understand if the way I eat affects the way I feel. Sure, I agree that if I put good stuff in my body, I am showing that I care about what happens to my body. But who will decide what is good and what is bad? If I crave a certain kind of food, what does it mean? Am I not caring for my body then? Am I numbing my senses to postpone facing ugly truths?

To know these answers once and for all, for the next 21 days I am going off anything that is called 'junk food'. No more eating anything that is not cooked/concocted in my house. I will also try to keep it as fresh as possible.

So for next 21 days I am committing to:
1. Light dinner, heavy breakfast
2. 50-60% raw diet
3. At least half hour of some physical activity everyday
4. No junk food, no sodas, no bakery item
5. Sweets as less as possible - can't swear off them completely, coz I have one heck of a sweet tooth!
6. Writing about my experience

This is a tall order, but I am going for it.

Hopefully, I will come out enlightened on the other side of this experiment.

Ciao for now.