September 2022, Period.

I am having monthly resolutions this year and the way August ended, and as I had claimed, I am still in September Blues. I wanted to surprise myself for the second fortnight of September and I pretty much did. All of my blog posts this month were inspired by the travel which I did spanning August and September. I resumed back blogging (increased frequency of posts) and it feels good. Writing is a medicine is almost everything.

There was lot of writing and reading from general writings to research articles. I am pretty sure I have crossed more than 2 lakh words this month. More. Definitely more. Well, let me give the other highlights:

• Purchased and started reading three books to improve my writing and editing skills
• Watched some amazing movies that inspired me to do and be better
• Was invited as a guest speaker for a workshop and I kept smiling the whole day and the next (Well, got invited for another next month, so I assume I did good)
• Birthdays of my personal favorites (wife, son and a friend) – most of it had outside lunch/dinner
• Spent more than 15 hours in cafes and outdoors for research
• Bunked all the useless meetings at work (I am so proud of it)
• Had many Eureka moments in my research journey
• Spent most of my time with people I love and doing things that are close to me
• And of course a few others that I am keeping to myself!

Well, I am excited for what October has in its bucket. What do I next do? I have a white paper deadline. Once I submit that, I plan to make some insane plans for October.

Pieces and Misfits

In everything I see,
I see an art
natural and god made
designed,
by invisible hands.

In every art
I see a piece of me
and I wish
for another piece
and if that was you!

Each of us have our own traits. I like how, though we are distinguishably apart and still connected, always try to find if we both fit inside the same piece of art! At least, I do. Our ideas are different but we still blend in together, a perfect piece.

And A Wish

Most of us and our days are determined by tiny wishes. Okay, let me re-phrase it and say most my wishes are simple and small ones like: hoping to meet a person, making time to read a book, a conversation, an intriguing discussion, a phone call, a delicious lunch, a warm tea, making time for exercise, watching my favorite series, and the list goes on. I am usually not a person who prefers to sit at one place for long if it is a confined space. I prefer outdoors. I prefer places that do not need a light at day time. I can sit hours and hours at the place if and preferably connected to the nature, also doing nothing. I usually check mark everything that I plan for the day – usually and mostly.

Kavadikeri Temple, Yellapur

And I called my friend to wish him for his birthday yesterday which went on for more than 70 minutes and as he expressed, he wished and expected for my call. Last year I had closed with a text message and of course I never missed a year wishing, call or text, and not needing any social media reminder (he is not on any). And yes, everything else, between me and him.

Life is simple, when wishes are simple. It is beautiful when they are accomplished.

Dear Sun

Why does it feel like,

every day
awaits for us
to see the moon
together!??

Murudeshwar at night has its own bliss!

We all have those people in our life, who make the clock tick in flash speed!

Little I Do

little do I know
of the world
little do I care
to the world.
little is what
we do know
of each other
but,
in those little
is my world.

When you are surrounded with people who make all the sense in the world, your every single day is a bliss!

Everyday Matters

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai has a long and continued history.

It’s okay, if you feel lost!

Well, now who would agree that the above wonder is the entry to a railway station? It’s altogether a different beauty with lights at night. For me, it’s one of the places that I stand for seconds (many) whenever I visit and feel the charm it carries.

I wonder the effort it took to make it look like that. I wonder what was in the designers mind to weave those intricate complicated designs. I wonder if each part in it has a story that we don’t have ears for. I wonder how satisfying it would have been on the day-end when it stood completed.  I wonder for all the things that I don’t know and would never know the history behind. I wonder who will tell the lost glory!

I have spent a lot of time where I zoom the image and watch carefully each of its parts. I have many such in my collection and it’s this that inspire me to work hard and deliver better every single day.

Owning the Day

When I started my teaching journey, in around a year, and since then, every single day has been me going back home with utmost satisfaction. There are days of distress and for me, they are part of satisfaction too. Over the years the process made me learn what to take in to make myself better. Between all this chaos’s, there are days where I feel proud of those 24 hours.

Starting the day with lot of interactions, to completing every commitment at personal ends, to professional work-lets, I love how some of my days pass by. My yesterday, I smile while I type this, was iteratively perfect. From being at work and managing the mongoose to running back home to finish my one hour exercise and bath and then coming back to the work to complete review works was an adventure at unlike level.  Why all this? Because we had an evening movie to watch and all movie halls had 75/- ticket. I have liked quite a many movies directed by R. Balki and “Chup: Revenge of the Artist” was released with an amazing star cast. The movie is a creative mess and I loved it. There are tiny woven threads in the movie that go beyond the heart connection. The song lyrics are to the context and deep. I had a perfect company and ended the day with a peaceful dinner.

Every walk has its beauty!

I love my days for all the smiles and hand waves that happen throughout the day. I love the days when everything is planned so as to welcome many and any unplanned in the day slot. I love it when day inevitabilities flow by and take you with the whole kit and caboodle that feel like this was a perfect plan for the day. I love how uncertainty makes the day reminiscent.  

From not knowing how to start, to crafting this piece, while listening to my favorite songs and having a critical research presentation in next 30 minutes is perhaps what I mean by owning the day. When you pour in your satisfaction into the works, you will start seeing everything in different hues. The end results does not matter and what matters is what you fashioned through it. And that landscape is what I mean when I say – Own the day.

Make A Way

I was asked to pen a four line poem for a painting today. I wont be able to share the painting but here are the lines I have.

Painting Description: There was a mermaid, in the deep below water, which is seen from back that gives a perspective that she was lost with hopes (in hopes). The play on colors was spot-on. A perfect blend of light and dark.

Lost and found is a pair
Lost in the woods
Found in the sky
Making way through everything else

My interpretation was: We could be lost in many spaces, but there is always a place we could be king/queen.

A Mentor, A Friend

Everybody needs a mentor. With reverse learning and the current affairs, one, it’s hard to find a good one because every individual has specific needs and two, mentor is also a friend or eventually becomes one. We all learn from each other and that is the beauty of current generation. I don’t know where to draw the line as it all seems blurry. So, I believe, it is better not to draw the line and be accepting to the acts that play around. Be it professional work or the hobby endeavors I must say I have been lucky in several aspects. My count of good mentors and friends is a lot more than the otherwise. Eventually being friends within the spaces we create, I have been guided and put through proper direction to move ahead.

I have been part of NaNoWriMo community since six years now and it has helped me ace my writing undertakings, methodically with an amazing support from my team. As it’s a virtual event and we are spread across different parts of India, our interactions are usually online. The three of us who have been managing event every November in India from last 3 years are in different states, hundreds of miles apart. Please check out the community if you are into writing and need a company.

Cheers!

I recently got an opportunity to meet one of my co-ml (municipal liaison) who resides in Mumbai. Sonia Rao has been handling this event more than a decade now. Over time I have had a lot of learning’s from her. I was lucky enough to be invited for lunch and it felt like a meet of two friends who knew each other from decades. There was delicious food and as much more delicious conversations (my taste buds even today converse about the Thai curry, as much my mind reminds me of our conversations). Well, apart from writing, we talked about everything that has to do with writing. I am already in love with Mumbai and this only increased it, more and more-er. I also returned with lot of goodies and chocolates.  I know there is a lot more of us in the bundles of the future.

I know, right!? I am blessed!  

Unravel the Travel

I have had my share of travels – of all kinds. A stay in a comfortable five star room to a night at bus stand, I have had them all. From an end to end planned vacation to a what-next road trip, have lived them all. I have been with friends who were worried because stay was not booked and also been with friends who were totally cool with reaching a place and still having no clue of what next. I don’t want to be a judge between certainty and uncertainty and decide what is best.  Neither have I had a responsibility to give my verdict on which is better and hence why, with no attached commitments, I unravel that a travel is a ‘travel’ – no strings attached. And that, is the magic ingredient.

I would only recommend that one must experience every part of it. A ride on a horse to a ride on airplane, everything has its own essence. There is no comparison. Each of those modes has indigenous responsibilities that rinse you the life protocols. You get to live moments that no photographs can capture. You get to live the time where you can’t share it with anyone because you don’t know how to.  A travel is lot about one’s personality and lot more about one’s identity.

From a travel of no bath for 3 days to the ones with more than 2 baths in one day, everything has its beauty. A bus has. A train window has. The people have. The ones sitting along with us have. A lot of adventure has been talked about when it comes to travel. Here I am, sliding back to the messy thoughts of which among the ones I had is possibly my favorite!