I started this blog aimlessly however with deep urge of writing something. That something could be just expressing my happiness, my anger, my observations, my experiences or may be just something which I don’t know right now but with intention of making us smile, laugh, think , rethink, change……….and make us better WE at the end of the day!
This weekend I went to a village near Uksan dam which is about 60 kms from pune towards lonavala. I went there from company for outbound training program for 2 days. The place is located on the dam side surrounded by mountains. First monsoon of this season made them all "GREEN"!! They were already TALL, DARK & HANDSOME :)
I was there for training purpose. They call it as “Adult Traninng Program”. This program is held by institution named PEGASUS !! (www.pegasusinstitute.com)
Trainers were army officers and so needless to say well maintained place and very well organized program! We played interesting team building games with wonderful indirect lessons!! I like this way of learing. Indirect – experimantal – fun filled.I got a chance to do self introsepction which was well needed!!
I did few wonderful things which are not part of my daily routine. Morning Trekking - sitting on lake side till it gets dark – gazing at stars till my eyes pain – watching fireflies till they disppear – staying in tents – using common toilets – laughing hard until stomach hurts and list goes on…
Our Tents
Late evening and Earlt morning!!
met him on the way!!
kaide number 6!!
I spent some amazing time with myself and also with team. These are some special clicks from that place…
I joined John Deere as an Employee on 15th July 2009.Official one year!! However including internship it’s 1 year, 6 months and 18 days!! Along with this job two big things came into life!! Self confidence and financial independence. Self confidence to take my own decisions in life. Over the time I gained maturity not to regret on my decisions if they are wrong and rather go ahead with lessons!! Finanancial independence comes with lots of responsibilty. I’m still my dad’s little angel and on every birthdays I still ask giftS from mom and dad…But it gives me feeling of proud that for remaining 364 days I’m contributing in family needs! I buy books every month, I do atleast small outings/trekkings every month, I hang out with friends and sometimes do make long calls…When I wasn’t earning I still had this freedom but I always was concerned about my monthy budget. Now I have earned little more freedom on this part. It’s a great feeling!!
Ananda Valley trip in the same week I joined as an employee, 2 months of training- “the class room training”, excitement to find out team with whom I was suppose to work, gathering information about vehicles which I have never thought I’m gonna work with(construction and forestry machines), new year sweets, first few pat on the backs, stack of empty coffee cups on table, cubical decoration and a small trophy for it, new friends at work ,opener in girls cricket team, Marathi language lessons, everyday bus travelling, chats on lunch table, team building events, 3 projects so far, working late sometimes due to work pressure and sometimes due to my own curiosity…kept the charm alive!! And today when I completed circle of 365, I’m off to outbound event for next two days!!!
This is the first job and whatever I’m learning would be life time experience! Working in a team, interacting with people from different culture and gaining something new at the end of the day…may it be on professional or personal front...worth experiencing! It gives a great sense of achievement!!
I realized today….life has become so monotonus in last few months!! Just round da clock!! Morning tea- newspapaer – window seat- cooking – shower – breakfast- "OFFICE OFFICE"- cooking – Phone-ing – MiGhT be walking – MiGhT be reading – sleeping – dreaming – morning tea…………
And somehow I‘m following this monotony without knowing “WHY”? I thought of watching FIFA finals y’day…I knew it gonna be late and modays are usually long!!I didn’t change my mind…Watched da match and slept around 2…with determination of not waking up early…
Monotony is difficult to break, woke up by 6:30 as usual…but reminded my self that I want to sleep today!! I asked my heart…what he wants rather than asking my mind this time!!! Happily slept again…
Finally woke up 9 by as if it’s Sunday!! 5 mins of war….should I go to office or not?? But then had lods of work too!! Job teaches you to be responsible!! Had shower and then breakfast while taking to dad….Just in relaxed mood!!
And left for job!! Happily :)
It was not a big deal, but it was necessary!! Until few months back I didn’t have to search for reasons to break monotony…a call from friend at 2 a.m. inviting for tea, a new movie – just a ping away, late night walks, birthday bash, chit chat for no reasons, cricket matches!!! And I never thought of next morning while enjoying them!! I have changed myself...well time demands that!! How I’m gonna work entire day without a nice sleep…and you have to do justice with ya job too!!
But I really felt good!! My mind was so cheerful while going to office!! I dint realize when I reached office (10 kms) It was FUN!! Breaking monotony is FUN!!!
Something too good happened a month back!! Got a book from a friend..Book named "connect the dots". It has got stories about people (entrepreneurs) who have made their lives their own way!! Way which is not traditional!! i started flipping pages and read story about "crossword" guy!! Amazing!! I was suppose to return da book to my friend same day but i kept it with me!!
I usually get time while I travel to office in office bus! Dats da only time I have on weekdays! While going back home I ususally prefer radio going on in bus! Tired mind, too much traffic and dark evenings don’t allow me to read!!
More over I had a headche that day!! First rain of this monsoon created traffic on roads and as radio was not working people started playing songs on their mobiles!!foooohhhhhhhh!!! I hated that..I hated that music….why can’t people be just quite!! And then I remembered da book!! Inspite of headche I took it out from my bag…
It has got 15 stories…my eyes were searching for something interesting!! And there I found, KALAYAN VERMA!!! A story of a photographer!! I started reading it….one page after another and it continued…and did not relaize when I reached home…still 5 pages left…I went to resturant with my friend (obviously with a book)!!Again into it…she understood somethng going on in my head and did not even interuupted!! We had dinner without many words!!
A tale of crazy, fun loving, curious mind!! As always dad concerned about son getting into engineering and then son is directionless!! Finally understood computer is his passion when he was in 10th grade while playing with linux and networking stuff. (I know playing with linux in 10th grade means crazy mind!! I’m with computers since years and still in love with Microsoft…simple and my kinda!!) then less percentage in 12th and now what to do? But one thing was clear…he did not want to move (just to get into computer engineering???neeehhh!!)He has spent all these years moving around with his dad due to government job!! Finally his dad settled down to one place and so does he!! Ohk, if not computer I will deal with meachnaical stuff!! Simple, isn’t it?? But that’s the scenario…sometimes we just make some decision and don’t know why?? But his passion for computers led him to free lencing jobs for netwroking and security and finally to dream career at yahoo!! (inspite of his meachnical degree) . but when he relaized (after two long years at the age of 25) yahoo is turning into typical indican IT company, he took a break!! Big money, big position & big brand name did not matter to him!! You know I truly believe that when you earn somethng and achieve a power to let it go happily, you are turely a gentle man!!
But now what’s next?? He thought to do something which he has never done be before…photography?? How about this? He had this hobby and ofcourse a very good camrea (atleast big job helps your hobby grow if you are able to find time for them :))but it was not preofession..he stayed three months in national park in mysore(if i remember correctly) and enjoyed wild life photography…3 months stay converted into 8 months journey and he found yet another passion for himself…
Live blogging and his photographs floating on internet helped him caught by BBC. Wow!!!
Finally I'm back home…still 2 pages…but as I found blog address…I can’t resist myself checking out his photography…something was calling me…I had headche…but then I don’t know…I would not have got sleep without chckeing those snaps!! AMAZING was the word!!! I spend an hour over his blog and thought to drop him an email…I was searching his address and out of my surprise I found him online on his blog…I don’t know I just pinged…"hey…" without hope of him replying back!! But just a second after I was chattin with him!! I was actually chatting with him!!! Wow…
We talked about his current work and mine! Our passion and stuff….short and “to be remebered” chat! Thanks for that kalyan!! Sometimes such stuff makes you to pause ya running life and force you to think…rethink…and change...I completed his remaing story and slept with sense of some sort of achievement!!
I do like photography and I keep taking pictures but yeah without any specific purpose!! The same weekend I went out with a friend and clicked some pics…let me share them here….
Had a working saturday after an year I believe!! tried hard to assume it's Friday!! and it worked till 3 p.m. Then office environment itself influenced my mind not to believe that :)
Quickly wrapped up my office work and left office...some shooping, food, nice cheerful faces and walk at koregaon park helped me to come out from office mode!! Dint feel like going back home but then i was on Activa and walk with office laptop was troublesome!!Back home.....aaahhh!! what's next??
How does a long walk on pune roads at night sound?? Just perfect!! Cold breeze, Ice cream, Juice and a long walk...to be precise 4.7 km...was just perfect to end working saturday!! Talkin while walking with dad and friend alongside..dint let me realize the distance!! and woh kutteee....I mean it literally!!! Street dogs :) We were about to reach bike and found street dogs fighting with black labrador....fooohhhhhhhhhh!! it was scray!! I prefered long way....2 more kms to reach bike completeing circle!!! but calm roads...no people....no pollution!!!Amazing time!! I enjoyed each moment..............
Back home! I asked myself, tired?? I replied........neehhhh!!!! Novel.....2 pages...............zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!! :)
On Sunday eve, bored irritated frustrated me… Sitting on my window seat with cup of tea…
But you know when I’m bored I love to remember those cheerful moments which always make me smile… Have you ever got a call at 6 a.m in the morning and at other end of it someone singing a song for you? I know… it’s WOW!!! Yeah indeed it is… The song is “Jaaaaannneeeeeeee tu, jaaannnnnneeee tuuu ya jaaanneee naaaa” I have a buddy!!! For us friendship is something like this… “Tu bole glass aadha khali…. Main bolu aadha bhara…. Tu bole din hai to Main boolu raat nahe….” We always wanted to say same stuff, but kinda attitude you know you show it to ya friend “Eeeehhh,I do differently than you do!!!”
Two years back from now, when we were in college, He used to sing this song and I started singing my lines…specially on after dinner walks….It was so natural, I never realized that when it became “OUR SONG”
Other day, I got a call from him at 6:00 am and I was surprised….what’s wrong with this guy? Early morning…not possible…I picked up the phone…and what I heard was “jaane tu, jaane tu ya jaane na, mane tu…mane tu ya mane naaaaa” Not just Neer, but somebody else was also singing along…ohh sorry…I forgot to introduce him…he is Neeraj!!I really loved da way they were singing…and I dint realize when I slept again listening to it… I woke up around 8 am and called him up…what happened to you in the morning? He replied in such a funny way… “yeah me and my friend were awake entire night(UNSAID – TO BE UNDERSTOOD- PARTY ALL THE NIGHT)…and then we listened this song on radio and I could not stop myself from calling you..And when I started singing this song, my friend assumed that even he is suppose to sing (you see after effects of partying)” Hahahhaa….I’m smiling even now!! You know as I always say “that’s how we make memories” It’s not just guy singing a song for his gul is special…these moments too are priceless….they become part of your small brain and you always want to cherish them..you want to look back and smile all over again!!! You know do sing a song for someone you like, make them smile, annoy them, argue with them, do clean your running nose on their arm, have walk, have fight!!! All these make real good memories…I bet !!!!
