New dreams...

The first few days seemed like a dream. I had absolutely no hard memory of my previous life in India. My home, family, friends and everything else seemed like clouds in the sky that are visible, yet not tangible somehow. Maybe it was the jet lag, but I doubt it. I guess this is the same feeling most people experience when they travel to new places. To say the least, it is blissful and exactly what liberation feels like. Just that liberation doesn't depend on any physical movement of this sort. Before new memories and connections get formed, before old memories come haunting back, this is going to continue and I'll be enjoying it totally :-)

Potpourri of experiences

This is my last post from Bangalore for a while, as I head to fulfill the great Indian dream of representing the country abroad, going ‘onsite’… a term more common than ondu, eradu, mooru in Bangalore today!

Here’s what I look forward to in UK:
Great work & a lot of learning
Good quality of life, including air
Short commute
Great pubs, restaurants, dance clubs and hang out places
Week end travel
Holiday travel (if any) to Europe or other distant places
Lack of too many people, thereby silence
Get to make some moolah
New experiences, new people, new sights, sounds, smells and thoughts basically sum these up!

Here’s what I’ll miss about Bangalore:
Family and friends
Good, home made food
Long hours playing tennis in the mid day sun

It goes without saying that these are for the most part mutually exclusive lists.
When I summarize thus, there’s a stark contrast and it appears that Bangalore has almost nothing to offer. This is true, not an exaggeration. Other than family, friends and a ‘comfort zone’ there is nothing much else here. But these things weigh in heavily when you stay away for long periods (ever heard about settled abroad phrase?). Right now, there’s a very different feeling compared to my past when I was based in the US. Now the base is India, and that makes a huge difference. Thankfully, there’s no such thing as settling in one place for the global traveler in me.

Times they are a changin'

There used to be a time when friendships meant spending time together – hanging out, going out or simply walking around. These days most of my friends are either engaged or married. Thus, they hardly find even 5 minutes a week to catch up. This is an alarming trend in my view. Being totally closeted with only 1 person all the time is fine for a while. It may even be necessary in the beginning – a necessary evil. It might be an addiction to 1 person, a direct consequence of being in love. But eventually, there is the necessity to bond with a larger set of people, to expand your horizons, ideas and experiences.

Some of my friends might think the same fate awaits me once I get hitched. I know that will not be the case! In fact, I do have other friends who socialize as a couple, not in isolation. That’s definitely the way to be!

I’ve observed this habit among most couples who’re newly coupled. In the hostel too, the guy who used to be in love with the girl took on shades of the girl. He missed out totally on every other happening in the guy’s block. He knew all about what’s going on in the girl’s block (GB)!

This might be common among couples in love or doing the courtship routine. That is fine, since it only lasts for a brief period. But for married folks, this disturbing trend cannot continue for long, since marriage is a lifetime event. In my parents’ days, I’d observed that there was a healthy socializing among friends. Today’s world has changed perhaps for the worse. Maybe girls today are too demanding and attention seeking. It could be the result of long hours spent away from home either working or commuting. It could be the influence of Western society, where people have to actually ‘work’ to keep their marriage intact. It could be all that bull shit about ‘personal space and time’. What ever it is, the dynamics are against traditional Indian set up of society.

Another incidence showcasing the same is: How many of you actually call friends & family before visiting them? It’s fine to call to check if they’re home. But calling to check if they’re ‘free’ to meet… that’s unheard of. Guests used to always be welcome at home. In my house, they still are, even with changing times. The surprise element of meeting a long lost friend who just turns up at home is gone. Thanks in part to SMS, cell phones, Orkut & such non personal means of networking.

A post a day keeps the blues at bay!

A lot of friends have been reading my blog. They had nice things to say & urged me to continue writing, though I don't think a lot of posts make sense to the majority :-). I would like to see all my friends start a blog - it doesn't matter if one is a talented writer. A blog helps to keep in touch both with the physical & mental coordinates.

I never knew many of them even knew about the existence of my blog! I can only track no. of visitors per day & guess about who might be reading it, based on some statistics. The only way to make it interactive is if people start posting comments. I also took some pains to ensure this remains semi-anonymous. Those who know me personally know about my blog. But its unlikely somebody searching for me out of the blue will chance upon this! I dont think my identity is important, just the ideas & their effective communication to an audience. Though, I can safely say that I write nothing that I wouldn't want to own up to!

Dreams that can never come true

These are days when the dream character is engrossed & believes in being a part of the dream. This post is the time when the character is writing, yet knowing the existence of a mere dream of which he’s a part of. This is cryptic as can be. Yet, to the knowers, it makes complete sense.