Irene!!

In the eye of a forthcoming storm,
I stand by myself; notice not alone
It’s been a while since I realized
Not too many feel any different.

So I am told and am told again,
Where I live is probably out of danger;
Sure, in a way it’s like my life,
Maybe not a flood plain, but definitely storming!!

Of course everything will be alright;
Because there is a lot of calm now,
And am sure some tranquility after the storm,
But, what’ll become during passing…

So, it’ll probably uproot a few trees
Hamper a weekend escapade or two
Create this very watery gloom
And move along like all others do.

And during this waiting for me ahead
I’ll take anything you have to give;
Phone call, electronic mail or just a thought;
But I’ll watch and watch out for you.

Stay Safe folks!

So who goes next?

Its wedding season all around and oh boy..... facebook sure does keep you updated or what! Off late I have logged in everyday to find at least one relationship status update. As happy as I am with my friends' announcements, I cannot help wondering if such information should be classified.....especially you know....for parents! Peer pressure has different ways of getting the better of you and well....this way certainly is 'in-vogue'!! So who goes next is a primary thing on my mind these days.

One of my best friends got married a few weeks ago and I, by virtue of being an ocean or two and several land masses away, could not be there to see her get married. Nevertheless, I wish her the best of the best!! So.... are we already there? All the wise talk about lets cross the bridge when we get to it is just noise now, right??? We are at the bridge....you just have to walk a few more steps and there it is! And have we figured out a way to cross that damn thing....oh no!! Man, didn't we always think there was more time......Whatever happened?

Honestly nothing happened....just a bad dose of reality check or should I say its time to grow up! :)

So coming to more important things, there is a new addition to the list of small talk....a new sensational topic has made its way to the small talk hit list....we welcome, not so fervently, ECONOMY! So now three things to aid small talk...weekend, weather and economy! When I looked up the etymology of this word...it said it came from a Greek word which meant household management. Talk about getting blown out of proportion :)

So is it really possible to have the best of both worlds? Isn't it equivalent to asking for light but not too much Sun? Should the almighty even process such requests? The thing that really messed me up was The Kung-Fu Panda movie!! (why why why?!!) So you really think what set the adorable panda apart was his destiny? He was able to fast track through the challenging kung-fu training process because of destiny? And if destiny is the real deal...then why scratch your head for anything at all.... and if karma is the only thing you can control and hence do a good job of it and leave rest to destiny....what is karma really worth?

Alright, that's enough damage done for now! Hasta Luego!

I've been there..

So, I start walking swiftly
All the way down on Broadway,
The cognizance and the solitude
Beckoning a neophyte Newyorker.

The inevitable path I tread
From the ubiquitous sub-surface train station,
The thoroughfare offers numerous glares
At tourists, dwellers and freaks alike.

I remember like it was yesterday
Trying to see the twin tower memorial
Seeing the lady in green and thinking
Poised, just like in those post cards.

The Times Square, I went whoa!
Behold the sight of sights
The police, a wedding and me!
What a place, aflame with lights and much more.

The museums the metros and the edifices
Was this really happening
Wandering the up, down and mid towns
Strolling around 5th avenue, really now?!

I looked at people who worked there
Suited up, some dandy some pretty
And wondering, would there ever come such a day
Would I ever suit up for NYC...

And guess what, it did come,
I suited up, fairly presentable
Feeling the usual jitters
Of becoming a Newyorker.

Now I jostle through visitors and their maps
They stand awed by churches and cross roads
I look at them every day and smile
I've been there, done that and now....

I started working in THE CITY. New York city, a place of where Seinfeld and Friends happened :). The place for which, nature could not have done more. A place whose spirit is not daunted by numerous challenges it faces every single day! It can humble anyone and make anyone proud of just being a part of its function, in any which way.

I could go on writing about it, simply because I love that city! What better to shake off the laziness, other than an endearing subject :) !

A very American - Need indeed!

Scene: Before hitting the sack conversation with Panna.
Play: As Life likes it.

Characters:
Panna: A person whom I have known for a long time now.....I hope we can go on to discuss our grand-children with each other, someday... :)
Krith: Me, myself and I....Sigh...
Malleswaram: The quintessential old Bangalore residential area, where a lot can happen over a morning walk.
Madhavnagar: Place where Panna lives, an upscale - part residential, part commercial settlement.


Krith: Blah Blah yada yada...blah blah...more blah blah...
Panna: Absolutely Blah Blah...and yes Blah Blah...definitely Blah!
Krith: Blah Blah...Oh and Panna....I need to sleep now. Take care, good night!

(OK now here begins...)

Panna: Krith, why do people in America always say : "I NEED to..." for everything that they have to or want to do...
"I NEED to sleep" , "I NEED to go the Doctor", "I NEED to drop off something", "I NEED to go buy groceries" why is it that you Indians out there, feel this constant NEED to do things...why why why...

Krith: (Thanks for the feed!!) OK my dear, hear me out and I mean this is all earnestness (I really do). In this country, we do most things, because we "need" to do them.

Sleep: As much as I would love continue talking to you, I need to sleep so that I can avoid falling asleep at work, while I'm in the process of warming my extra comfortable chair for nine hours straight.

Doctor: Life hits a zenith of desperation here. I cannot continue ailing silently and am running out of ways to save money but putting off the visit, so you see I need to see the doctor before I get joked at by somebody about my miserable condition, for all you know a complete stranger.

Groceries: This is not Bangalore where its quite a pleasure to .....

Panna: HOLD ON! (Maybe sounded a little indignant :) but all in good humor) In Madhavnagar, its not fun to go buy vegetables!

Krith: OK, am sorry, but you see, Panna, in Malleswaram, it's a pleasure to shop for veggies....OK say you are on your morning walk, you see fresh, great looking, greater smelling green leafy vegetables, conveniently sold by a cycle vendor, standing and shouting at the top of his well honed voice.........You would definitely buy them and go that length of telling your neighbor about it.....you see its that simple. There are no such simple pleasures here(US of A). We "need" to buy groceries and drive at least three miles to get to the store......after all as the cliche goes, how much can you eat outside.

Panna: OK Krith, I need a break from you now, love ya gnite!

Krith: Man, I'm so gonna blog about this!! Luv you too bye!

Some where in the background, the winds sung (and that too, at 28 miles per hour!!)......its a long way home now.....

Curtains Close!!

Of the Biographies and Entrepreneurship

Recently I was on gtalk with Chandrika, doing my daily dose of chatting. Man......logging in to gtalk and facebook is as good as your ablutions! So I log in everyday.....jump in to the humdrum-ness of the society and enjoy it too :) (I resolved to get a life in 2011 BTW! :))

So ya... I was chatting with Chan and I remembered that I needed some blog feed (quite literally, things that my blog can feed on, things out of which, I can cough-up something), so I asked her: "Chan give me something to write about", without thinking twice she said, "Kriths, write about me!". And there it was!! My"blog feed".

Every human at the end of the day wants to be heard. Every person needs to feel 'listened to'. Its as simple as that. There lies a certain part within each of us, which wants our story told. By told, I do not mean gossiped about, oh no! Believe it or not its an ego swelling agent :) .The fact that someone would want to spend their time and energy telling your story, makes you feel good, and in today's day and age, mostly everything is about the feel good factor.

OK moving on, if someone asked you, where do you wish to get in life, what would you say? Well, I'd say that its most satisfying when you are able to create employment and are able to engage in charity work. By charity I mean, getting out on the field and doing something yourself, rather than cutting out big fat checks (cheques actually :)) from your father/spouse/anyone-fed bank account.

In India, almost 50 percent the households employ domestic helpers. This form of employment, benefits a lot of people and reminds you that in almost everyone of us, there lies an entrepreneur. I was amazed at how a normal, salaried, middle class-household, like most of ours, can create jobs. Try finding out how your domestic help makes his or her ends meet and that story, to me is a success story, worth being told. There's a saying, 'Stretch as much as your bed will allow you to' and that's exactly what most people do in our country. Never imagined how important the saying was, until I started living it myself.

I always try to stick to one topic, while writing, but that seems impossible. When there is so much going on around us, how is it possible to stay thematic?!! Maybe some blog-meditation should help.....what say :D!

When Gone Are Those Days

Its snowing this time around the year! What's new one would ask, true, sadly nothing about snow is new! But the way it makes me feel now, as compared to how it made me feel last year, has dramatically changed :) ! I hate all the white around me! Hate is a strong word and that's exactly how I feel about it! Maybe all this is coming out of getting stuck at home all alone during a scary blizzard :)....well maybe!!!

So out of this snow-inflicted boredom came a poem. This is probably tantamount to the worst possible boredom any of you have had ever, some of you might have watched a movie, taken a nap or well..... the options are endless, I decided to write a poem. Its absolutely cynical!! :) What the poem means, is left to you to figure out, if you really want to be a virtuoso :)

Yes, these are random writings,
Repeated if's, but's and may's,
Could meaning lie in musings,
When gone are those days.

So, strong willed you leave,
To take on the yessums and nays,
To feed on memories up your sleeve,
When gone are those days.

It is true, matter of factly,
Character builds with necessary frays,
There is no looking back, now, sadly,
When gone are those days.

You achieve, you get some where,
Having stood still during lulls and sways,
Tougher now, familiarity is rare,
When gone are those days.

Ultimately, down to this, it came,
Either one returns or stays,
But, will it, now, be the same,
When gone are those days.

Finally, inside you, tells a voice,
You go back home, to your own ways,
Hoping you will smile at your choice,
When gone, will be, those days.