Experience Air… AAAAH!

This happened a couple years ago.... in an airline I'll call Experience Air.. It's a true experience which I had written about, but I don't want to name the airline here...

On March 25 I flew down to Delhi – my first on a low cost airline. And for Christ sake was it shaky!

Ok, so we arrive at the tarmac to board the plane. My father travelling with me mulls over...trying to decide whether one tyre really has lesser air than the other, or is it his flight of imagination. I blissfully unaware climb on board, only to discover I am stuck with a young mother with a wailing baby in her arms. Ah, I decide, there goes my sleep. Thankfully soon after the child seems amused by a plastic giraffe his mother offers Bunny – that is what the lady keeps calling him.
The plane starts…thuk thuk, dichik dichik, thuk thuk….vroooom vrroooooooooooooooom. I am not used to so much of noise and certainly not the amount of jolts during the run up that are usual of train travel. My father and I look at each other…we are still more amused than afraid. The airplane noses up into the air and the engine seems to be struggling under the pressure. It reminds me of my 10 year old Maruti when it got stuck in a 1-foot deep 'pot-hole' last monsoon.
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Finally we are in the air; Bunny is quickly losing interest in the yellow and purple polka dotted giraffe and is tugging at his mother's T-shirt for something more intellectually stimulating. Sadly, mum dear only takes the giraffe and tries to make it jump around on the now open table in front. Really, do giraffes jump… it seems that is what my rabbit named co-passenger is thinking as he gawks and tries to catch his plastic buddy in action.
I quickly put on my ear-plugs, turn on the Sony Walkman that my boyfriend loaned me as my cell phone conked off sometime back and relax. The familiar strains of Bryan Adams, Richard Marx and Westlife soothe my soul.
The air hostess – Garima – soon comes along vending vegetable croissants combos and some sandwich. I buy the croissant combo – it tastes horrible…but then all airplane food does. The fruit cake though is very scrumptious. Poor dad tries eating some of the ice cold croissant with similar success or should I say displeasure!
All the while the plane seems to be a bit too turbulent. And I am qualified to make that statement – frankly if I did not know for sure that I was born in a hospital, I would swear I made my big entry on an airplane.
Now, I am sleepy, but Bunny's mum wants to make small talk.
So, which class are you in?
Urgh, I am tired of convincing people that I am definitely an adult and working.
Oh, so you are a journalist…when are you getting married?
Now, why is that my being an adult mean I necessarily need to be married, anyway I grumble on, amiably of course, saying yes I will some day. Unsatisfied, she goes on: Oh, so you are looking for a suitor? Ok, what is this? FBI for interrogating eligible spinsters. Or is this like a matrimony.com on air. Oh, and who is travelling with you, she starts off again.
Thankfully I decide to play with baby Bunny and in turn distract my interrogator. The journey is quickly ending; I smile at the prospect of seeing my mum and brother again. Dichik, thuk thuk, dichik dichik, thuk thuk…no, not the jolts again! The funny sounding pilot announces we are soon to arrive at the Indira Gandhi airport. The plane seems so shaky, my father and I are saying our prayers. It seems to be wobbling. And then it hits the tarmac with a loud thud! And it shudders as I hold on to my seat…the air hostess had announced we could rip out the seat cushions to use as "floatation devices" if we land at sea.. huh, talk about low cost! Look ma, no life jacket just seat cushions.
Anyway, we land. And when we get off we notice that the airplane hatch door is covered with black soot or fungus, as it seems from afar. The side view glass for the co-pilot is also covered in muck or perhaps something is peeling off it… God, help us!
I have arrived safely, but shall be making the flight back on Saturday. I have already paid up and now I really can't change.  May the lord be with us, and I get another stab at writing my experiences. Amen!

40th Anniversary of the Moonwalk... Where are the aliens?

It has been 40 years since we had our little stroll on the moon. It was giant step for mankind, remember. Space tourism, they say, will soon be on the menu. You will replace the term globe trotters to universe trotters…

Yet what we await is sign of intelligent life out there. Personally even an alien goldfish swimming around out there in a space bowl sounds good enough. Have you ever taken a leap of faith and believed in something no one ever did?

If you had to imagine aliens, how would they be? Maybe they have pink skin like ours, three small eyes, but no lips. They can read minds and send signals, but they cannot express themselves like us. We have emotions that make us vulnerable and well, human! And this facet attracts them…

Maybe they listen to our radio and television broadcasts and wonder why Joey and Chandler laugh apparently for no reason. Maybe they want Angelina Jolie to adopt a few space kids and are reviewing her profile. Yet again they might love Mozart, but have planned to hit Prince with a meteorite.

Who knows we might one day have a new MySpace social network, where your profile page would ask for your home planet, and current planet. We’d have travel sites where you could choose a freezing stint in former planet, Pluto or a hot bath at Venus. Maybe a 2 night, 3 days package on the Saturn rings, before you start another interstellar operation…

I would ask them to just tell me how to make all fatty calorie rich food into zero calorie deserts. Dreamy, ain’t it?

Aliens if you reading this, please pay us a visit sometime before we trigger-happy earthlings blow all of us up or melt all the polar caps and be one with the fishes…

A car named life

Sometimes life behaves just like a car. We steer it in a direction, and voila you suddenly find yourself at Disneyland. Hand over the steers to another, and there you land yourself a flat tyre. Life needs controlling, it needs direction and it needs to reach a destination.

Why are so many of us trapped in following the route laid out by others? Why is that we are afraid to make a U turn and take time to explore opportunities? It is never too late to follow your dreams…my grandpa got a law degree after he retired from his day job at around 60!

And for heaven’s sake you’ve got just these pair of wheels, look after them, oil them, nurture them…. Stop ogling at the Ferrari. Each life has its own unique purpose; find it!

Make things happen, don’t let things happen to you.

Picture Imperfect

You know we love to hoard things. Memories, photos, food, old clothes, gift wrapping paper…. Anything that can tie down the good times forever.

Photographs – these are those beautiful tools when memories fade, and you start questioning how you landed up here. They are sacred.

I am amazed how freely people show off their very personal private moments for the rest of the world. Do you need the validation of friends on how wonderful your chemistry is, or how smart your new haircut looks…how much weight you lost?

Unfortunately, to some those questions the answer is yes. When you look good, feel great, you do want to share. Yet in this virtual world, one has started seeking constant approval. So you have Photoshoped images, lightening of the complexion, removing the pudgy lines under your chin etc etc.

That’s when it gets crazy. Nothing is good enough. Not even your partner. Even he/she goes under the Photoshop cropping knife. The little bulge is immediately deleted, the extra lock of hair is chopped off, the smile zoomed in, even a touch of sparkle in the eye – your pairing must be perfect.

Artificial, rather!

Nothing in this world is perfect, not even true lovey dovey relationships. And that is the beauty of it…

Mirage

You move ahead trusting what you feel, what you see…Promises that ring true.
Yet when you close in you find out it was just a mirage.
A mirage you wanted to hold, but tighter you held it, the more it slipped away.
Unbelieving you go ahead, and look to move and see a new tomorrow.
Mirages once more engulf you, this time you can see it.
Yet you accept it.
The reality of illusion seems better than the isolation...

Amma

She was a beautiful, positive and a very strong lady. There was never a dull moment around her. When she laughed, she’d clap her hands and burst out loud. Her hair all silver, and had quite thinned out. Yet, she liked to dress in style. Her eyes were bright and alert. And god, if any one tried hurting her children or her family, her glare was enough to turn a person into pure putty.

This was my grandmother…

She passed away quite recently. And somehow we all knew she was planning her last journey to heaven… She had stopped eating, but still till the end her eyesight and memory was perfect. When I walked into her room, a day prior to her final farewell, she looked at me with a hint of confusion. I had shortened my hair, maybe that’s why…
And then she grasped my hand, and repeated my name over and over again. She playfully felt my face with her hands. They felt a bit cold and coarse. She used to be very diligent about using a cold cream – a brand I cannot recall – which had a white silver tinge to it. She’d then use Cinthol powder. I guess my elder brother had insisted on that over the ‘girlish’ Ponds.

As she lay down on her bed and looked at me I could not bear to see her so old, weak and in pain. She had been bed ridden for the past month and had a whisper of a body. This was a lady who’d walk up and down with a straight back, love to shop, visit new places, make friends every where she’d go and was clearly a party gal.

After I met her, she as per her nature enquired if I had tea… It was crazy and emotional. I had a major break down…nearly lost my breath. It affected my mother, as she held me whispering I get a hold of myself.

The rest of the evening passed without event. She disliked any one of us sitting next to her too long; she did not need pity. Headstrong and stubborn were the other two qualities that perfectly described her.

In the morning she passed away after seeing my father. She had slight smile on her face and looked so at peace. Even in her death, beauty had not evaded her.

Do I wish talk to her again? Yes, of course. I miss her a lot…

She had taught me some old bhajans – something called
‘Baba Damruwale, Nacho na humare angana
Humar agana, Ji humare angana
Baba Damruwale, Nacho na humare angana’

I remember I wanted to run off to play hide-n-seek, but she insisted I learn some songs and train my voice. I had loved the attention, spending time with her. In fact, when we would want to play Antakshari, she’d quickly add bhajans to the list.

She also loved to eat ice-cream and Fun Flips, a common snack back home. Vanilla ice-cream was a huge favourite. If she could, she’d have eaten an entire tub. And could have easily been the brand ambassador for Mother Dairy ice-creams.

Her way at looking at life was very different from the rest. Take for example an incident when we kids wanted to have lemon juice. We were watching an Indiana Jones movie together and Amma mentioned she’d make us lime juice. Now I reminded her that I just had looked in the morning, and had discovered we’d run out of lemons. She looked at me and smiled. No problem, let’s mix water and sugar and drink it now. Let’s not get worried over one missing ingredient.

I loved her, and still do. I always will. And I hope she will too…

What changed?

Logged to an old networking site… Been there for ages; though in the past year I have been quite invisible…

I was reading my old messages. Mails I sent, and many that I received over the years….yes I have a problem deleting old letters, cards etc…

You know, what I noticed? I was different…or may be my life was different.

I have grown up now. Become less patient, exuberant and spontaneous as I used to be.

Yet I have come into my own; I am confident, secure and more a girl than the tomboy of yesteryears. I do not exchange SMSes like a love struck teenager, and I do not appreciate being called ‘babes’, ‘sweetie’, ‘bubbly’…except from my loved ones.

I do not care for virtual friends; I have started valuing far too greatly the real world relationships.

I even look much better; gone are the flared jeans and oversized pullovers. You’d most likely see me in a snug trouser or jeans and a lovely smart top/t-shirt.

I used to laugh with little inhibition; and the people around me joined in. We used to have a wonderful time together. But the city changed, people changed, work changed and I grew up….

Today I still miss laughing with my friends and colleagues. Flashing a smile and winking at my friends when a cute group of guys passed by…. Going to sleep with no one asking me to ensure I have my cell phone, laptop and other senses on stand by in case one of the super Bosses had to ask me a trivial question…

I love my life today as a confident young professional; but I have started questioning why we all are expected to lock up our innocence and youth each day as we grow older?

Friends forgotten and lost

We all have in our life friends, tucked into the folds of memory, who have made life special. Some have forgotten you and some you have forgotten.

I had read an article in which the author shared that sometimes let memories be just that. Do not try to catch it again. That moment is gone, and trying to catch up/relive them is not a wonderful affair. You may end up remembering the botched up conversation and lose the beautiful moments of yesteryears.

To confess there was someone whom I wanted to speak to for years together. She was my childhood friend. We might have not known each other for more that three years, but her memory was deeply etched in my mind. I googled her name, searched in Orkut, batchmate sites and then after 16 years found her again on Facebook.

It should have been great. Yet the lady responded in pleasant surprise in one mail and then never wrote back. I do not know if I was happy to hear she was alive, happy and doing well; or feel cheated for losing my fondest of childhood memories.

Life has dealt us our cards; and I believe each person meets you at a point of time in your life for a reason. Yes, one can argue that sites like I mentioned above have united many long lost friends.

Perhaps I am just unlucky in this field. I have lost dear friends to time, to their busy lifestyles, to their better halves…. Some, I realized much later, were around only because I had the power influence great decisions at work; their bonuses depended on what I thought of their ideas. Sad!! I am such an oaf; never recognized them.

Hmmm, anyway the better halves line is interesting…I need to do another post for that!

Unlearning to fit in

There are few comic strips that become legend, and Calvin & Hobbes is surely one.

Calvin is charming with his viewpoints that do not restrict themselves in the realm of the plausible.

He is like every child, and the child within us. He is curious and can entertain himself endlessly. A bathtub can be a boat, his rubber duck can be a shark. His closet a haunted house...

Calvin and his imaginary friend Hobbes are very reminiscent of children who are very bright. So much so that the ordinary holds no value for them. Since they have the capability to think differently, they are shunned by peers.

It our desire to ‘fit-in’ that diminished our creativity. We try to ‘fit-in’ to mainstream jobs, we try to ‘fit-in’ by appearing to read tombs of classic literature, we try to ‘fit-in’ by nodding in approval to what the general team’s opinion….

It takes a unusual thinker to progress. If Galileo really believed the Earth was flat, we’d be sitting here worshipping the rain gods and singings peons to the sun and moon.

Self-belief is important; and so is the courage to share a different opinion.

They will judge for what you build, not destroy

It is such a great line…From Barack Obama’s speech, “To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West: Know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy…”

If one really understood the essence of the line, individuals, families and nations will be transformed.

We focus too clearly, or too unilaterally rather, that many a times we do not realise whose feet we just stomped on; whose dreams we squashed.

Build a city of joy and see each one blossom. Give encouragement to new ideas, ask for productive inventions, seek newer paths…

War is ultimately futile. I put a bullet through your head, and you put one in mine. Great, now what?!?!

History remembers those who contributed to the welfare of the people – economic or emotional. If you want to be really valued, then respect differences. Only a room full of different opinions can think of an out-of-the-box new idea.

This is my opinion; I respect yours…

Mysticism

Mysticism is search for the divine. And this quest is the underlying thread of all religions in the world.

We all are seeking that one lesson that we need to imbibe to reach God. Yet, many have abused in the name of the Almighty.

There are terrible sacrificial ceremonies propagated by insane groups. From the child to the goat, nothing is spared. This is no religion, but some idiots who claim it pious to kill.

Why people follow such groups is fathomless…

God, is actually a form of energy. Energy that is pure and powers our life.

There should be no set formula to find God; it just too personal a journey to be put in watertight compartments.

They love the chase, and they love to pursue

Even married women love being pursued. In fact the need to chase and be chased seems like an intrinsic need.

A friend of mine is quite married, but her ‘networking’ brings her a variety of suitors ever so often. Now the act to her mind is innocent, but there is a clear feeler sent out each time she communicates.

The way one dresses, crosses her legs or simply brushes her hair can be a signal. Men pick up on the scent. And trust me the women know it!

A gentle pat on the back can mean a lot… In fact, most outside observers can easily tell you who is going steady, who is bored and who is ready for merriment.

There is a tone that will be a little extra gentle, there is that confused look as if you never got a hint and then a suffused smile that just spreads itself…

Love is wonderful; but many people just love the act of falling in love. Once that is over, the mystery is over…and only true love can survive that!

Office politics

If we could legally get away with murder, then office politics will be a motive behind many such attacks.

Yes, I have seen some nasty fights between people. Oh no, never verbal. It is that snubbing, marking cc to his/her boss each time you ask a question, sending repeated reminders with a reply all email, walking out of the doorway just when it his/her birthday celebration etc etc.

Why?

It is such a petty thing. Waste of a lot of happy hormones, if you ask me… It is human nature to constantly compare. But the best one to compete with is you!

How can you degrade yourself to benchmark your success based on someone else’s accomplishment. Be happy for them and move on.

No amount of fretting and fuming changes anything. Then why bother to spoil your own mood? Trust me some just do it to make you annoyed…and when they see you sufficiently irritated, a wide grin will be plastered on their faces.

It is best not to give anyone that chance. Enjoy your own life; each one has a destiny. Just follow it…

Work life balance

There is beautiful quote, “Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow’”

It is something that keeps me always motivated and not bogged down by work pressures.

In this high stress, over achieving arena, it seems to be compulsory never to fail, to always be right and never apologize. Personally, I cannot stand fools. Yet, let us look at this in another light – we are human, and we can err. It is a mark of great character to apologize if you have made a mistake.

And, the world will not fall apart if you make an error. (Unless you are a nuclear scientist or the President who accidently imagined WMDs and went to war)

It is important to unwind and spend time with oneself. Indulgence is not a crime, and yes you deserve to buy that exquisite pair of shoes or earrings or a watch that will cost perhaps half your month’s paycheck. Sometimes, it is just ok to be happy.

Saving for the rainy day is encouraged, but do not miss out on life. Live it and love it!