26 things i learnt in 26 years (25 years and 6 months rather)

Being happy certainly prompts you to write more article like stuff and being down in the dumps, more poems. Naturally. Also, being forced to write a Research proposal paper, prompts you to do everything but that. Even staring blankly at my water bottle appears more enlightening and appealing at this point. Someone, anyone at all, please remind me, why i though pursuing MSc was fun?! Blegh! And to make matters worse, Masters by Research?! Anyhoooo, coming back to the 26thing i think I've learnt.

1. Love is always fun. Life is too. Dont let anyone, absolutely anybody tell you otherwise. Suffering is never part of life's requirement. If you're down in the dumps, all you need is a smile and the attitude to pull yourself together, and be happy.

2. A day spent without laughter is a day wasted. That being said, laughing at a funeral house is wrong, do so on your own risk. Author can NOT be held responsible for any repercussions thereafter.

3. You have friends, and then you have friends who are family. You're lucky if you manage to find those who are family.

4. I love photographs, i love photographers. I love being in photographs, i love being clicked, but if there's one thing i absolutely cannot stand, is someone clicking away inanimate objects to glory while ignoring other people (esp on a tour/holiday) around them. Plain inconsiderate (especially if it goes on for hours)

5.Love thy parents. They're the best you have, will have and ever have. No replacements. Although there are some retards out there, undeserving to be parents and/or children.

6. Respect is something one commands, not demands. Respect everyone even if they dont deserve it.  Never disrespect anyone below your social status and more importantly, dont kiss ass.

7. Never intimidate or be intimidated. If there is something you can/should earn, is a persons respect and never their fear. We arent really living in some action movie/ violent video games

8. Never let anyone tell you you're not worth it. You are everything you can ever have, be happy, be glad. but more importantly, never let anyone, absolutely anyone dictate how you live. What works for one, may not work for the other, my 26, probably is you 26 not's ;-)

9. Dont get stuck in a rut. You will get bored, eventually. Dont let yourself think the rut means stability, you'l regret wasting your life there.

10. Opposites dont attract. Find someone who's like you, mad, crazy, funny or even as dead boring as you are, because even if opposites do attract (for a while) it fizzles out before you can say fizzzzz

11. Pat yourself if you're among the lucky people who's got the chance to attend college. Its probably the only place you will experience heaven on earth (you realize that later though). If you're still in college, have all the fun you can, remember to study a few days prior to the exams, but dont make that the entire agenda ;-) You'll have all your remaining donkey years to learn.

12. Never sign up for Masters by research if you hate reading journals and writing citations. Blergh!

13. Spend. Save. Money. Do not hesitate to spend money if it will make memories. Do not spend unnecessarily if it make nightmares :-p. You'll always spend when you shouldn't. there will be phases in life you'll overspend, and during moments like that, remind yourself, NEVER to have credit card :-p

14. Love your pets. Adopt if possible. Dont buy. Dont promote breeding. Dogs, in my case, as ive learnt, are probably the only creature which loves and depends on you more than you do, yourself. Reminds me of a quote i read sometime ago, it went somewhat like this, " Be the person your dog thinks you are" - Honestly, your pet thinks youre the best :-)

15.Go out, Spend time outdoors. Realise how small you are in the course of action and realise you're part of a bigger scheme of things. A small speck.

16. fall down, Bruise yourself. Have scars, they'll remind you of the good times youve had, better than photographs.

17. Never try evaluating another person, let alone judging. Also, dont bother trying to completely understand another person. Its futile, one cannot understand oneself even after all the years spent together ;-)

18. Pray. To god, a higher power, nature, mankind. To anyone. Doesn't  quite matter.As long as one is thankful and recognizes the good, the god in another. That will reduce alot of hatred, and bring you calm and peace.

19.  Pani Puri is the best street food/ snack ever created by human. Fullstop.

20.Secrets exist for a reason. You can never be (and shouldn't' too) completely transparent with another person. Some secrets are meant to stay the way they are. Forgotten over time or grained onto the heart carrying it. Dont bother making them public, no one will probably understand, neither do they need to.

21. Have all kind of friends. The quiet one, the mad one, the party animal, the stupid one. the evil one. the showoff, the holier than thou one, the happy one, the depressed one, all of them. Entertainment ;-)

22. Be positive. Surround yourself with positiveness and dont let the negative energy bog you down too long. Find yourself a little mr/miss sunshine, oozing with positivity and latch yourself onto him/her, and never let go ;-)

23. Drink. Be merry. In moderation. Drink, Get drunk, Pass out.  Drink, Fall asleep. Drink, discuss politics, talk, share ideas. The conversations you'll have while drunk, has no match and you'll never have the frank carefree, honest dialogues sans alcohol. Drink, but know when to stop. Drink, dont kill your liver.

24. The joy of laughing while sitting on a tree with your best friend/ love/ anyone, doesn't change with your age bracket. Probably increase but never will decrease. Never stop climbing tree's and sitting on the branches. Its fun and life has a different perspective from that view.

25. I'll forever have a book in hand. Wherever i go. I cannot give away my storybooks, Even if i will probably not read it ever, anymore. They take you to a whole new world,without you having to move even an inch. They save you from conversation you wish to avoid ;-), awkward social pleasantries, boredom and sometimes even brings you closer to people :-)

26. Eat, gobble, speak about food, cook, eat, plan what to eat, where to eat, make food plans, food holiday. eat. eat some more and be happy. Try new food (although im a creature of habit and always tend to stick to the safer bet- doesnt quite matter since happy child loves eating and i can always sample some from him). Lose your way trying to look for food, find new food places in the process. Eat and be thankful.

These probably are the few things im passionate about (considering how i wrote these down instead of the others, and although there are many other things ive learnt, they well, remain secret ;-) )

Its 4 freaking am and i havent completed my proposal yet! Why shanky why?! FTW..

-.-

Happy Happy Joy Joy

Some of the most beautiful things in life sometimes cannot be measured my its monetary value alone, or cannot be bought with how much ever money :-) I've seen the numerous posts about Money can buy Happiness (but i'd rather sit in a Mercedes Benz/ Big House and cry), well it makes the cry a little more comfortable, but you still cry and that pain can not be comforted with anything other than the genuine warmth a person can offer :-)

Everyone is lucky, one way or the other and it truly depends on how thankful and adept  we are at recognizing the blessings in life. Its impossible to be saintly and be thankful for what you have and not feel a twinge of jealousy when you see someone seemingly luckier/prettier/richer/happier than you are, but what one has, another wouldnt and what one wants another doesnt ;-)

Im happy, as a bumblebee, right now :-) I've got my moments of

*Self hate (every-time i loose my way, i feel like  slamming th car and just dying off, i hate making wrong turns and getting stuck in a jam or paying extra toll's because of the dumb-ass mistakes i make)

*Regret (Whenever i walk into a grocery shop, im a self confessed Grocer-o-holic :-( i cannot for the love of God walk out of a store without buying anything from it, and I instantly regret the purchase after iv paid for it)

and the list goes on but yeah, im Happy today :-)

I got to Skype with my little sister from another Mother a.k.a Step a.k.a Riya Palchaudhuri after so many dragon years. And it was as if we never left the hostel at all. the laughter and the madness. to see how beautiful she is now without ever changing from the goofy self she always was, is and will be (Eg, when i attached my earphone to the laptop, which ideally means i can hear her better, she says, Yay! You've attached the earphones, now i can hear you clearly, we ended up Rolling on the floor giggling) . We say half a sentence and laugh, knowing the other would understand. Giggling over life or death matters, being serious over frivolous issues such as how to travel from Delhi to Goa without appearing to be too ambitious. Reminded me of how lucky i truly am, to have friends like her, who never change, and would not hesitate to kick my ass if i screw up.

I got to jog up the tiny hills near my house with a Mr.Happy and Mr Happier, (one is Rocky and the other one is Happy Child) and at the end of the jog we managed to find a sturdy tree overlooking the hills to the town to sit on. With a little jump, hang, grab and push i was sitting on the tree with the widest smile on my face. Stinky, covered with pollen, bloody ankle, and scratches all over, but i was happy. I got to be the child i always was and the Happy Child lets me be who i am, without judging and joining me in the fun :-)

And my Mom packed lunch for me today!! My favorite Spinach curry with yummy Pudina Chutney and sauteed french beans with Sambal'ed Potatoes.. I was in food heaven ( mini visual orgasm too :-p) and at the end of the yummylicious meal (which was prepared with loads and heaps of love), i found a tiny bag in the lunch bag. With bated breath and trembling hands i reached out for it (Dramatic Shanky) lo and behold, there was pink coconut burfi in the tiny bag!!!!! Coconut Burfi happens to be one of my favorite Indian sweets! i was beaming with joy and decided to write this post then :-D

coconut burfiiii ;-)

Another reason im a bumblebee now? I'll be going to Ipoh on Saturday, going caving ;-) Yeepeee..

See ya'll :)

The Christmas Weekend :-)

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year ya'll strangers of the night and the rest of you minions.

Had the awesome-est of time on Christmas eve and the next 2 days were spent drinking and making merry :-) Which has left me now with a bad case of running nose and sinus :-( of which i need to fight off before tomorrow night! :-D Time for another round of pigging out and laughing myself out hoarse :-)

Christmas 2011 has easily been the most fun of all times ;-)

The eve was kick started with a game of Paintball. It seemed innocently fun till the first pellet hit my bare thighs... Ouch was all i could scream. The guys kept pelting as i screamed ( i forgot to put my hand up to signal I've been hit). After losing 3 last man standing games, my team won Capture the Flag :-D :-D The opponent team claimed they couldn't see me running as i was too short.. Heh heh heh.. Being short does have its perks after all ;-) I dont have the pics from the evening sadly :-(

And a quick shower and change later, I rushed to my cousin's place for an amazing night of Love, Food and Laughter :-) Its always nice to know you're loved and that you're part of an awesome family! That exactly is what i'm blessed with ;-) And Yay, i have loads of pics from the Eve :-)

Yummy Sangria courtesy of Hema ka ;)

Guna and Me :)

Syama ka my Love :)

The AwesomePawsome host(s

Big Ane, Guna nd Hema ka's xmas gift! The most beautiful gift, ever! :)

The favourite Anni (and the only one)

the whole mad Family :)

My favourite Pic from the night :)

A lot of booze and laughter and gift exchanges later, i left for home with a cousin sister and i dont remember anything that happened the minute i stepped into her car. The next thing i remember was waking up to laughter and yummmmmy coffee ;-) I realized i was in Syama ka's place then. The unmistakable aroma of coffee! Heaven!

Another Christmas party later that night at Aunts place. Sober and battling the urge to pig out on the yummy prawn sambal, mutton perattal and chili chicken. And the yummy carrot cake!! Year ends are bad times for dieting, Just saying.

The next day was spent with cousins again! This time, one last lunch (and Sangria) with Hema ka before she left for Singapore :( but we managed to click dozens of pictures and had a whale of a time!

de girls :)

Lovely lawn calls for a poyo pose :p

Love the shot :) 

the ever goofy Sanjay 

the funniest and happiest child, ever :-)

So, well thats pretty much how Christmas Weekend went. Filled with FUN and Laughter.

Its 2012 already (i started the post in 2011 :-p, and finished it only today), so technically this is my first post for 2012! WooHoo!! Happy new year folks and hope you guys had an awesome time welcoming the new year. I had the best start in 26 years ;-) , Friends, towers of beer, dance floor and the perfect midnight with perfect someone :-)

Happy New Year again and Adios!

p/s - All photos are by Hema Ramasamy, my cousin sister, with magical touch of perfection in everything she does, warmest of all people with a beautiful heart that shows so beautifully on her and in her works.

© Hema R Photography
Reproduction or use only possible with written permission.


So, if you're loving the pics ive put up, as much as i do ( and there are more perfect ones!) do write in to her and she'll be glad to share her works with you :)