Tag: optimism

Spreading a little Happiness

From all the trips that I’ve done till now, the one last year to Pondicherry has been the best yet. Reasons ? Well I have a lot of em.

This happened to be my first solo trip. I was excited to finally get something off my bucket list. I loved the whole experience of what it brought along with it. Travelling around to explore something new. Meeting people, trying out new cuisines and spending time without having to worry about time itself. Interestingly, the Pondicherry tourism tagline goes by, “Give time a break”. And I did.

During my stay, I was roaming around the town on a bicycle as well as a Vespa on the two days. On the second day, when I had pretty much roamed around the place, was left with time and petrol to spare.

One person, a middle-aged man, was asking for lift to passerby. I stopped my bike close to him. Happily, he boarded the bike and said something in Tamil. After having established that I knew none of it. Except of course Tamil Terriyadu (which means I don’t know Tamil). We conversed in a little broken hindi which he knew, surprisingly. He thanked me for that and I moved on.

Although it was just a start. When you’re driving you can see a lot many asking for lift. In strange and peculiar ways sometimes. Some do the standard waving, while others excitedly wave around to catch attention.

I again met this young lad, clad in a lungi who asked me for lift. We talked a little where he was surprised as to why I was travelling alone. Yes, I get that a lot too. And due to some reasons, I’ve not been able to travel alone much. He enquired about my stay and whether I liked his town or not.

I was almost on my way back, where I met this teenager. Torn jeans and sadly not for his fashion sense, but actually torn, without any shoes or slippers walking along. Occasionally turning back to see if someone stops their vehicle to reduce his effort to walk back home. Or to wherever he meant to be taken to.

I stopped and he was almost expressionless at that time. I signaled him to hop on, which he did and finally put on a little smile. He knew a little English, so we talked. I asked him about what he does to which he replied that he was a daily wage labor and usually heads back home at this time. From what we could talk, it was not very clear because of the language issue. I took out my camera and told him to pose for it, which he was very reluctant to. He then offered to take a picture of me in my camera. Even though I had to teach him on handling the camera, he did take one.

This picture was clicked by the him..

This picture was clicked by him..

 

Having clicked me, he was happy. As if he has learnt something new. He returned me the camera and shaking hands he went away. I was waiting for the signal to turn Red,  while I saw him dancing happily and running into the lane.

I was smiling. It felt good. A different kind of good.

This Entry is part of the #LookUp Stories series by Housing.com in association with Indiblogger.

6 long months…

 

7.00AM!! An early start to the day (by my established standards), I woke up to find the bathroom already occupied. Looked around to find one of other guy in the room was still sleeping. Sat there on my bed itself, waiting for my turn, deep into thoughts about what all was going to come from today onwards. With this initiation of thoughts, the “early-morning-formalities” continued followed by namaz and then the day started and a new journey.

Well, that was exactly 6 months back. 18th june.

Wish I could use, “time flies fast” here. But, I just cannot. It seems pretty long ago. 6 months in itself is long. 220 days!! 5280 hours!!! 316800 minutes!! 19008000 seconds!!! It’s effing that long.

From running a 10k marathon to playing a amazing-race kinda game to late night coffees to food hunting post-midnight. All of this could happen because of me being here and yes, I loved them all.

And today, after two trimesters!! 13 papers!! Numerous lectures and interactions, Events, fests and competitions, if I had to just ask one question to myself, as to what I have learnt. The biggest of them has been to understand myself. Myself, the complicated one. My flaws, misjudgments, strengths and weaknesses. Also, understood that this was just an initiation of my realization process, there’s still more to find out.

During this long stay over here (yes, I’ll stress on that long, for a long-long time), there were many events that made me learn (sadly, books are not part of it).The people of this college being the ones from whom the actual learning process happened. There were learning from what they said, and what they didn’t.  Learning from what they thought about me and how that in turn influenced changing my perceptions towards them, learning from adjusting with them by seeing how they do the same. There was learning as to how people even change with course of time, how just for the sake of girls they change. How there are people who selflessly help you, how some are selfish too. How getting low marks, change their attitude, how some get a joke, some don’t. How things change from one culture to another, from one language to another. How bad food can be made, how money doesn’t last post the first week after you take it out from your account, how to manage without water before going to class, how breakfast just goes out of your schedule, how different festivals bring about a sense of happiness and bonhomie, and many such how’s and their answers.

Even how some insensitive people even post “blogs” regarding cultural differences out there on public platforms!!  Seriously, how idiotic ? 🙂

Waise blog se yaad aaya, been blogging quite a lot. So much so, that people keep telling. “Dude!! Stop writing”,” yaar, ye kyun nahi likhta blog me”, “ab ise bhi mat likh dena”, “firse ?”  and some also had nice encouraging words too.

I know, I am not one of the best in terms of writing out here, yet the one saying, I’ve always followed “the only way to improve your writing is, to write more”.

Learning, yes.  Learning again.

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There are many changes that I can notice in myself. Per se, there’s this new found optimism. Optimism, that everything happens for good. What has happened is for the good and what is going to take place in future will also be good (in sha ALLAH). Understanding, things I didn’t use to before and many such things in my long-list of learning from these 6 months, 6 Long months actually.

With practice, I have become quite a good dhobi too and can wash two full buckets of clothes in one go. Although, there’s too much to learn In terms of how to make them look clean too.

Academically, well don’t have anything to brag about. But yes, have learnt to put in hard work and devote time to studies.

 

Right now, I’m just 1/3rd of an MBA. A whole lot of things to look forward to, new experiences, new friends and new beginnings. Forgetting things, which doesn’t matter and keeping focus on the ones which does. Ending the ends, and starting new trends.

Its happiness all around XIME, every face looks just so happy. Bidding goodbyes and New Year wishes is to be seen everywhere. Even I’ve finished packing my bags and not to mention just how happy I am. 🙂Image

Happy holidays. 🙂

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