Tomorrow will shine with promises ahead...

The past tugs and pulls, tying you down,

Leaves a tear stained face and many a frowns.

The battle of past can never be won,

The pain and misery is never undone.

But heed to your heart & it will find a way,

Sooner than later, it will have it's say.

And like worn out robes the past will fade,

Your tomorrow will shine with promises ahead.

Image from here

2011: You were a darling!

The thing about naming your last post as 'Not the Year-end Post' is that it comes and bites you in the rear when only 25 minutes just before the Year End you are actually compelled to write one.

2011:
The Year of Challenges. Welcoming Change. Embracing it.Infact, embracing it so tightly and refusing to let go that change became me.

From Mumbai to Hyderbad
From Account Manager to Brand Manager
From Online Marketing to Pharma Marketing

From holding-on-for-too-long to letting-go
From 'mom-wheres-my-blue-shirt' to drawing and doing my own laundry lists
From lazy interdependence to embarrassing self-reliance

From Queen's necklace in Mumbai to Queen's Crown in London

Cheers to you 2011 for the AWESOMENESS that you have been.
And you, 2012, better match up!!

Wishing for a healthy, happy and divine New Year!
PEACE.

Difficult to Digest...

Reader's Digest. It was the ultimate reading delight while I was growing up. Like the Holy Grail of grown-up-ism that one wanted to achieve in their teens. A monthly magazine subscription with MY name on it!! And one that arrives in a very 'official' looking envelope - that was possibly the only mail I received in that age.

An RD issue - coming at a princely price of 38 rupees (subscription price, 42 rupees - stall price) was indeed a luxury for middle class families when I was in school. Silly how time changes quickly and one doesn't even bat an eyelid while ordering a veg burger in college canteen at a price twice that. 

But RD was good education and every good education comes at a heavy price - and so my parents spent hundreds on year-on-year subscriptions on what they thought was a wise investment for their bibliophile daughter. Little wonder, to this date, I have never thrown away any issue of RD (firsthand or other-wise) that I ever laid my hands on. It is a treasured possession in my book-shelf sitting proudly next to other literary classics.

RD opened up a whole new world and culture that was quite alien initially but welcoming nevertheless. If Enid Blyton took me to English countrysides with picnic baskets in hand and having tea and scones on lazy summer holidays...RD brought along a pragmatic outlook of the out-spoken American lifestyle. 

It was quite dizzying initially - there was crime, suspense, love stories, life crises and day-to-day humour. What made RD different, was the fact that all was very REAL! Nothing was left to imagination - those were stories that had happened to real people just like me - only sitting on the other side of the world. Also the fact that RD wasn't a children's magazine but one for a mature audience meant that it wasn't a watered down, over-simplified version of life stories.

To say that I wasn't up for a lot of rude shocks while reading RD would be an understatement. Especially the medical crises section - there was always this one story on a victim of a grave medical problem and his/her battle to stay alive. I still remember so many of them and especially unforgettable is Lee's Story. I still remember crying myself to bed that night on reading the story was a boy named Lee who was suffering from cystic fibrosis. His battle for a normal life against the fatal congenital condition gave me the glimpse of real life heroes at a very early age. What made it all the more poignant was the fact that the story was written by his mother. I guess I was in 7th std then and spent a sleepless week accepting the fragility of life.

I don't really remember when and how, but I stopped reading RD's. In a hurry to grow up I somehow forgot the one thing that really made me grow up. Today after all these years, I found the October issue of RD in a colleague's hand. Even without me asking for it, he offered me the copy. I guess the joy of meeting an old friend showed a bit too much on my face. But it felt like the friend had changed....45 advertisements in 180 pages!! Infact I stopped counting after 45 and there were still more to go. With dwindling readership, one can imagine the kind of firefighting that even a good content needs to put up to survive in print media these days...the media management major in me understands that. But a little girl whose first ever glimpses of real world around her were through the windows of Reader's Digest feels like shedding a tear.

I don't think one can quite put into words the relationship one shares with a good book. Great memories. Amazing life lessons. Learnings that go a long way into shaping the very you. How do ever say 'thank you' to a teacher like that? How do we share this feeling of gratitude towards perhaps one the best teachers in the world - a humble book? May be the answer lies in treasuring those lessons all your life and revisiting that old teacher that sits snugly on the book shelf, time and again. After all every teacher loves a student dropping by, once in a while, for a visit...

Love at first sight...

Sometimes it doesn't really take too long to find the perfect one. The one that will go a long, long way with you. There you are...minding your regular business..not really looking for the one...not even bothering to look around for the one. But its there for you..just round the corner waiting for you to cast a glance and make it your own. Just a simple glance and you know it in your heart that you two are just meant to be. That's all it takes...a moment - to accept and give in. 

Happy Feet Indeed!!

Ain't we a perfect match? ;)  

Yo MICA Yo!!

So I hit the 'publish' button on the previous post, switched off the laptop and crashed on to my bed some 5 minutes back and then I remembered!! Of course I could not sleep knowing that I had forgotten to update my loyal fan base of 10 about one of the most historic events of all times!

MICA THRASHED IIM AHMEDABAD AT FOOTBALL (2-1)

Yay!! Remember you read this here first! Though we have already seen to it that tomorrow's DNA or Ahmedabad Mirror will carry a dramatic, 'will-make-you-sit-at-the-edge-of-your-seat' half-page story on the same. (Go Team Interface! ;))

Aah! First match of the season and the boys have already made me proud.

P.S: MICANs/ IIM A junta - kindly ignore the fact that we didn't win a single match last season cause as darling Celine Dion croons 'A new term has cometh!' :)

Gunda..no, not the movie!

Yesterday the happiest moment in the day came at 4.25 am. The Chandni junta (if awake) must have thought I am seriously demented to laugh my head off in the dead silence of the wee hours. All this over one pic of a 'gunda'.

If the above lines don't make any sense, well they aren't supposed to. Thanks Abhijit. You know you were my best friend once...and now I know why :)

*****

Ever since 2nd year has started, I am becoming more and more aware of the fact that my MICA days have remained largely un-jotted. Apart from the few idle evenings, Mathew movies and random bakwaas nothing is recorded :( Memories are fading fast! Need to hold on to them...coz there is nothing worse than forgetting about a good time you once had!

Amchya gharcha Ganpati

My dissertation research proposal looks back at me. I haven't typed a single word for the last 30 mins. I simply stare blankly...the mind clearly lost in a myriad of thoughts. Of some place else...

Kai challa asel aata tithe? Babdu office madhun aala asel...Baba, Kaka hi aale astil. Jevana zali astil..rather urakanyat aali astil. Murti kitpat tayar zali he baghnyat Shashi kaka dang astil. Dar varshi pramane ajun chehra, dole, shela ani dhotaracha painting urlela ashnaar. Mag Shashi Kaka damdaati karun tya JJ chya artist la pakdun basavnaar...pandhra dhotar ani tyavar silver-green ashi patent border. Shela matra gulabi ani soneri border. Shindenchya murtichya hya goshtinvar compromise karna shakyach nahi!! Dole kadhnyat matra tya artist cha talent panala lagta..aaju-bajuchyanni bolaycha hi naahi..fakt thakk houn baghat basaycha ani zala ki tya mhatarya artistcha chehryavarcha anand baghaycha! Hey sagla Shashi Kakanchya able guidance khali..afterall in-house artist tech. Tashi majhi aai hi artist..magchya varshi Ganpati che dole ani moracha pisara tinech paint kela hota!! (Pose hoti : Moravarcha Ganpati)

Shashi Kaka murtiche incharge tarr..Baba ani Sharad Kaka decoration incharge. Varchya maalyavarcha (attic) toh lokhandi trunk khaali aanlyashivay decoration chi survatach hou shakat nahi. Tya pitaaryat kai kai nahi asa vicharu naka...Ganpati che vastra, bhandi, lightings, ekda chukun aanlele ani kadhich na vaparlele disco bulbs, devache daagine, plastic chi phula-veli, kadhikali vaparlele thermocol che blocks, 5 varshanpurvi decoration la vaparlela velvet ani moon paper ani lahan mulanchya crafts chya kit madhye saptil tya rangi-berangi tiklya, mani, khade, laces ani metallic borders!! Darr varshi tyat navin navin goshti sapadtat..almost like a Pandora's box!

So Sharad Kakanni toh jad (almost 20 kilo) pitaara malyavarun khali kadayla Babdu la sangitla asnaar jo tyane soyiskar ritya Kaustubh var dhakalla asel. Kaustubh hi shevti Babdu Shethchach bhau...tyane te Sai var paas on kela asnaar!! Shevti Kakancha patience sampnaar...ani High Command chidlele baghun doghahi Kaustubh-Babdu maalyavar chadun toh trunk mukatyane khaali kadhtil!

Mag decoration kai karaycha hya var ek kautumbik discussion-cum-debate hoil. Baba mhantil - "Hya varshi kahi tari saadhach karuya" Tyavar Kaki ani Aai hi duzora detil "Ho, ho..aata vay zala aapla..nahi jhepat aata..barrich varsha kela khoop..." Babdu-Kaustubh faar kahi bolnar nahit..tyanna mahitiye..hey dar-varshi che dialogues ahet...kiti hi saadha mhantla tari tya doghanna akkhi ratra sagle jagavnaar ani nahi nahi mhanta..decoration "saadhach aapla kahitari" chya definition chya well beyond janaar.

Ratri 11 vajta finally decoration chi theme tharel.. Hya varshi chya Ganpati chi pose : Shri Krishna chya avtaratla Ganpati! "Ubhi murti..mhanje side la jaast decoration hava..maage kami..kimaan 5 ft che pillars tari have bajula..Garden scene karuya...Pillars varun hirvya veli soduya..samor ek fence karuya...sawdust la green colour deuya ani suklyavar gavat mhanun vapruya....ki khara gavat ugvaycha?? ani ceiling varun ek laaman diva soduya. Bhinti var curtains chya magun dhaga paint karuya...nahitar sandhyakal cha effect dakhvayla dark navy blue cha background ani tyavar chandane...ani 3 varshan purvi vaparlela card board cha chandra aselach na? Kai?? Tutla? Thike...punha banvu..ani tyanchyavar white paint maarun silver colour chi chamki takuya!!" Sarvanumate finally decoration chi theme tharel!

Thermocol
Cardboard
Plywood
Velvet papers
Paint
Silver glitter
Golden glitter
Sawdust
Curtains
Khoti phula
Khotya veli
Khari phula
Laaman diva

Ashi checklist tayar hoil...kaam delegate karnyat yeil. Aai aavdine pillars la grey colour marayla basel. Sai ugaach madhye madhye karayla yeil. "Mala yeta na painting, mala karu de! Mi elementary chi exam pan pass zale na" vagaire ugaach justifications deil..bakiche sagle tila major ignore martil :P Tichyavar avishwas mhanun nahi..mhanje toh aahe! pan mostly konalahi aapla kaam sodaycha nahiye...Kaahich kaam naslelyanna saglyat tukkar kaama miltat he anubhavane mahitiye - "Jaa thanda panyachi bottle gheun ye", "He khali padlele khile uchal" , kinva "Fevicol madhye pani taakun dilute kar" vagaire vagaire...

12-1 vajta Utpal Kaki ani Mothi Aai (Aaji)chi wicket padel...sakali laukar uthun naivedya karaychay mhanun tya zopayla jaanar...Magchya varshi saarkhi agdich crisis situation asel tar matra Utpal Kaki madatila thambel..nahitar ticha baakichyanvar major confidence asto! Neeta Kaki entertainment quotient sathi thambel ani 'olya chandanyanvar chamki taak' - ashi Sai-level chi kama karel :P

Ratri 3 vajta Aai chi wicket padel ani ti zopayla jaeel..Kaka ani Babancha to paryant teesra chaha zalela asnaar. Suddenly realise hoil ki thermocol kinva paper samplay...pahate 3 vajta mag Kaustubh Sheth gadi kaadhtil ani drive cum shopping saathi baher padtil. (Ganpatichya aadlya ratri Dadar-Lalbaug chi decorations-viknaari dukana suru astat). Ratrabhar kaam chalel ani pahate kadhitari Shashi kakancha murti tayaar aslyacha nirop yeil.

Murti aanayla jaane ha ek major thrilling experience asto. Pahate-pahate tar ultimate majja yete! Murti gharat yei paryant baki tayari zaleli aste - mhanje kasa-basa to paryant sagla neet aavarlela asta. Murti baghun sagle as usual ultimate khush hotat ani Mothi aai che dole panavtat.

Sakal hoil ani decoration la finishing touches lagayla lagtil..."Almost done" he vakya kiman 15-20 vela mhanun zalya nantar Ganpati stthanapanna hoil ani puja suru hoil...aarti hoil, naivedya vadhnyat yeil. Ani mag amche Babdu sheth, Kaustubh sheth dharadhurr zopayla jaatil. Baba tarihi davakhanyat jaatil ani donhi kaka aaplya factory madhye.

He sagla chitra dolyasamuran jatay..geli 22 varsha tya chitraat mi hi hote...madhye madhye ludbudat..ratrabhar jaagat..majhya so-called exemplary creative ani imaginative skills display karat...ani Ganpatit 11 divas ka hoina 'Joint Family' cha anand ghet. Aaplyavar aalela kaam dusryavar dhakalne..airvi 4 pan aata eka velis 12 jevanachya patravalya vadhat, ani 12 mansaat ek toilet-bathroom share karat (!!!) he divas ayushyacha ek immemorable part zale..

Aaj ratri kharach Cost Management kinva Dissertation proposal honaar nahiye majhya kadun! Mi ithe ka aahe...hech kalat nahiye mala :( Deva saathi nahi tar ghara saathi tari aaj mala ghari asayla hava hota asa saarkha vattay..Aai ugaach 2 vela call karun senti suddha karun geli. Hmph!

Pan 'It sux' chya palikade kharach kahi uttar nahiye..
Udya sakali laukar uthun, zara traditionally dress up honyache nakhare karnare..
Campus mandiratlya pujela hi jaeen...pan gharchi majja nahi.
Aso.
So finally, jithe asal tithe..."Ganpati Bappa Morya" ani "Pudhchya varshi Ganpati barobar tumhi hi ghari (me suddha) ya!!" :)

Maa kasam!

So it finally rained in the lands of Modi!
and yes, motherhood beckons!

Before you raise your hairy eyebrows..lemme explain.
At MICA, we have this tradition that the junior who occupies your 1st year's room, becomes your Room-Beta/Beti which effectively makes the senior his/her Room Baap/Maa. Its an unsaid, unspoken version of Mentor-mentee but yes, much more fun than the formal protocol.

So for every tuccha (senior) there is a faccha (junior) who is his/her baccha! :D

This new on-campus relation is very sweet. During the notorious 'culturization', Room-parents take their kiddos' unlimited case and the kiddo has to run around the campus deciphering his new-found family tree. So if I have a brother on campus he becomes the Room Mama and a boyfriend - then the Room Baap. My best friend - the torturous Room Maasi and so on and so forth...

On the surface this may seem a lil' frivolous, even childish. But it isnt either. A junie - say a fresher, first time away from home, away from friends and family in a faraway place can get easily lost in the crowds. First year brings with it a wave of insecurities and self-doubt. In such times, it feels nice to have someone keeping an eye on you. The assignments, groupisms, grade-cuts and occasional incidents of being thrown out of class can get to you. The insane company rankings (they never matter!), summer placements and wrath of professors can drive anyone to the verge of insanity. Add to this, that we stay on a campus far away from civilisation and see the same 300 people every single day!! Phew!

So you do need someone...apart from your batchmates - whom you can crib and complain about the workload, bitch about your batchmates and go running for notes one night before the exams.

My room-ma was the non-interefering kind. A sweet soul who always inquired how things were with me. I wish I had known her better but yeah, she was known to be a bit of a loner.
I hope I am good to my room beti. I have already ragged the poor thing during the 'interaction' and made her run all over the campus during the Treasure Hunt, but she took the whole thing so sportingly! It felt nice that she tagged along with me introducing me as her Room ma..it just felt so nice that Parijat Paanch is now in safe hands. I hope that place showers her with same love, warmth and homeliness that I got from it...moreso, wonderful memories to last a lifetime and a legacy to pass on to someonelse...

I cant put it any better than this - (which btw, was written on the ceiling of Chandni Chaar - my favourite senior Bhatter's room)

They were the worst of times;
They were the best of times.

Mi majh harpun basle ga...

Has it ever happened to you that you have one of the most depressing afternoons of your life and short nap later you wake up to a cheerful evening?
Today I 'decidedly' tried to be happy and you know what? I didn't take much of an effort:) No chats or phone calls - I decided, seeking out others to make myself feel good temporarily isn't an option. 'Nirmal Anand' is the way to nirvana :D

मराठी गाणी ऐकायचा mood झाला. Youtube गाठलं आणी पहिल्या गाण्यातंच घरची आठावण आली. Not the teary-eyed one; the one which leaves a smile on the face. बाबांनी सुधीर भटांच्या एखाद्या कवितेचा अर्थ समजवला होता ती संध्याकाळ - किंवा एकत्र बसून 'Nakshtranche Dene' बघितलेला रविवार, पटकन डोळ्यासमोर आला . आमच्या घरात संगीताला फार फार जपतात अणि जोपासतात. आई-बाबा दोघांनाही आवड आहे. अगदी शास्त्रीय संगीत ते भावगीत, भक्ति गीत, सुगम संगीत काहीही असो. बाबांना नाट्य संगीत आणी ग़ज़ल वर अधिक प्रेम. कुमार गन्धर्व, बाळ गन्धर्व, मास्टर दीनानाथ, पु ला, गा दी माँ, पंडित वसंतराव देशपांडे, सुधीर फडके ही सगळी मंडली आमच्या घरात वरचेवर स्मरली जातात.

Anyway. ठरवून नविन गाणी ऐकायचा तसा ज़रा कठिणंच असतं. नेमका कोणतं निवडावं - आणी एक संपला की दूसरा कुठला शोधावं! जुनी मराठी गाणी आठवता आठवत न्हवती - शेवटी Sa Re Ga Ma Pa च्या episodes मधून गाणी घेतली त्यांच्ये original videos शोडून काढले. भन्नाट मज्जा आली!! जुनी गाणी झाली अणि मध्येच आपल्या संदीप खरे ची आठावण आली! माझ्या बाबांना अगदी recently त्याचा शोध लागला अणि झालं!! एका patient च्या recommendation वर त्याच्या गाण्याची CD घरात आली अणि दिवस रात्र आम्ही खरेमय झालो. बाबांनी शाळेतल्या मुलाला एखादा नविन विषय पटकन आवडून जावा ह्या उत्साहाने एका diary मध्ये सगळया गाण्यांचे lyrics लिहून काढले. ती process पण फार गमतीदार होती - आधी ते गाणं अक्खं ऐकायचं - मग appreciate वगैरे करूँ जाला की diary आणि pen घेउन बसायचा आणि ते परत लावायचं. गाणं सुरु झालं की realisation व्हायचा की pen चालत नाहीये - पण गाणं असं मध्ये थांबवणं बरं नाही ह्या विचाराने or rather CD player वर expertise establish न झाल्या मुळे ते पुन्हा तसच संपूर्ण वाजू द्यायचं. अत्ता नविन पेनाच्या तयारी ने ते तीस्र्यंदा लावायचं अणि word to word लिहून काढायचं! ऑनलाइन lyrics मिळतात आणि printouts काढता येतात ह्या टुक्कार गोष्टिन्कडे माझे बाबा फारसे लक्ष देत नाहीत. ते त्यांनी मनावर घेतला तर माझी पंचैत होइल हे नक्की! :D

So finally संदीप खरे ची गाणी ऐकली - अगदी साध्य सोप्प्या भाषेतले त्याचे मार्मिक observations खूप appealing असतात. Highly recommended!
Special mention - मी मोर्चा नेला नाही हे गाणं कुणाच्या अध्यात-न-मध्यात, सरळ आयुष्य जगणार्या typical middle-class मराठी मेंटालिटी च एक fantastic depiction आहे!!

Phew! Removing marathi typos is sucha pain!! Wanted to try it out for sometime but this is probably my first and last attempt at it. One more reason to not like Google! :D
So. Aata hya pudhe majha marathi asa vachava lagnaar!

I thought I would end this post by sharing my playlist - if you guys find some of your favourites here, do let me know. And any recommendations are welcome too :)
So here it is:-

शुरा आम्ही वंदिले
मागे उभा मंगेश, पुढे उभा मंगेश
लख लख चंदेरी
भय इथले संपत नाही
त्या फुलांच्या गंधकोशी
ऐरणीच्या देवा तुला
ती गेली तेंव्हा
रुणुझुणु रुणुझुणु दे भ्रमरा
कौसल्येचा राम
झाला महार पंधरिनाथ
तू तेंव्हा तशी

Ek sundar sandhyakal record karnyacha prayatna. Majhya saathi hi pahilich vel hoti. Assignments ani case studies madhye haravnyaadhi ghalavlela ek chamatkarik vel. Kadachit hyat navin asa konala vatla nasel...youtube var videos akkha jag baghta pan aajchya saarkha jagavegla anand mala aadhi nahi milala :)

I need to stop searching my happiness in others; I shall find it in me :)