June 28, 2007

Leisure















In awe of the Himalayan mountains, Sikkim



What is this life, if full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare? -
No time to stand beneath the boughs,
And stare as long as sheep and cows:
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night:
No time to turn at beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance:
No time to wait till her mouth can,
Enrich that smile her eyes began?
A poor life this if, full of care
We have no time to stand and stare

- Leisure by Davies

June 23, 2007

Introduction of a new blogger



I'm here. I'm here trying to blog, like everyone else is these days! Thanks to all my friends, online and others, who encouraged me to do so.

Right now I have nothing special to blog about. What shall I blog about then? I don’t know. I’ll think on that as the days pass by.

If nothing, I know I have some pictures of my travels and tours that I could upload here, or write on these haphazard cranial movements (which I not quite sure can be classified as ‘thoughts’) or I could publish some of my so called ‘poems’ which I have not exactly been ostentatiously displaying, as they probably deserved to be. Ahem. Am I not modest? Now the fact is, most of my poems are a result of my dolted emotional outbursts and since they are a fruit of my attempt at creativity, I’ll try and respect them for whatever they are! You reader please do the same and thank you.

I’ll blog. Not that I wish to revolutionize society with my ranting, but if one or more are affected with my writing or pictures, why not? I meant positively affected. In case anyone gets a seizure or two as a result of this blog, directly or indirectly, I shall take due credit for that too!

Now a little more about me (as if I haven't spoken enough already):

Born in Mangalore (now Mangalooru). To those unaware, Mangalore is a landscape dominated by coconut palms, in the west coast of India called the Konkan coast, on the Arabian (Persian) sea, with the majestic Western Ghats nearby, lying in the backwaters formed by the Netravati and Gurpura rivers, a roadstead along the Malabar leading up to Kerala. Mangalore has an average literacy rate of 83% when compared to the national average of 59%, and not surprisingly so since Mangaloreans give high importance to quality education. To think that such a humble town has the Mangalore University (the University College I graduated from) with over 100 affiliated colleges imparting education in the field of arts, commerce and management, science, medicine, law and education is indeed commendable.

I started out with the noble profession of teaching young students at St. Xavier’s in Jamnager, Gujarat. Later I relocated to Kuwait and it only seemed like the right thing to do since most of my family dwells here and it indeed is a large family, though a part of it is slowly spreading across to the rest of the world including the rest of Middle East, USA, Canada and Australia. We, however, stay easily well connected in this cyberage, through an e-group that sends out messages to 70 odd family members at the click of a single button!

When the armies of Saddam Hussein rolled into Kuwait, I left this place and went to live in the glorious, intriguing, amazing, well-oiled, exciting, lively city of Mumbai. I got a job with the first interview in the city at a reputable and rapidly expanding law office in Nariman Point. Mumbai, I salute you! After a couple of years of life in the hustle and bustle of wonderful Mumbai, am back to the oasis of Kuwait! This time I collected some diplomas in paralegalism, eventually specializing in civil litigation and corporation laws from an institute of paralegal studies in Atlanta, USA, while continuing to work in this law office.

Life in Kuwait is not as passionate as I’d like it to be, but there’s hardly anything to complain about. I bask in the luxury of my cosy home, my pleasant office atmosphere, my powerful SUV, the posh shopping malls, the innumerable restaurants, the well-maintained beaches and resorts, and my comfortable life, in general, here. I work in an office from where I am able to fly out of Kuwait on leave twice a year at least, and since my major passion now is to travel, it suits me just fine that I continue to enjoy the ‘dinar power’ as I take delight in making plans of my next journey.

I have traveled quite a bit the past few years; for now to 15 countries and 15 states of the Republic of India. As the cliche goes, I feel there’s so much more to see, and so little time left. Whether it’s a trip within India or abroad, whether it’s getting pampered in the luxury of a 5-star hotel or managing with the dearth during a trek to the remote mountains in Himalayas, I have thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it all and what matters to me is the experience I have gained during such trips which I shall always treasure in my life.

So much from myself. Let me hear what others have to say about me.

As I write this, I turned around and asked my colleague here to describe me in a few words and the three adjectives she came out with were ‘crazy’ ‘sweet’ and ‘naughty’. Nothing new there, considering that I am quite aware of such traits in me since long!

When I asked another colleague’s opinion of my personality just now as he was passing by, he cautioned me that he would like to refrain from voicing out since he fears that I’d need therapy if he did. Immediately I prepared myself to be tormented and asked him to utter his thoughts (mind you, that’s his point of view and not necessarily the truth.) He warned me I might also consider suicide if he speaks out. Yes, suicide it will be, but I’ll make sure he’ll commit it!