An Ode to all the Homemakers....

Have you ever felt that you are carrying the whole weight of the world on your shoulder? Why is it that only you have to do everything to keep thethings moving? Why should only you struggle to make your house a home?

Well these questions were pondering in my mind on a Friday evening. It was raining heavily and I was completely drenched on the way to my home from office. The first thing I wanted was a nice hot cup of Ginger Tea, Coz no matter what, there is no combination better than heavy rain and hot tea. I rushed to the kitchen only to find that the Fridge didn’t have any milk in it. I braved the rain, went to the nearest departmental store and purchased a carton of milk. I went back to the kitchen, all excited with the thought of having a hot tea. But things were not going my way. I found out that the Gas cylinder was empty. No matter how much I try and extract the last bit of LPG from the cylinder, the burner wouldn’t budge. I was pissed, but there was nothing I could do for a cup of tea. I mumbled a bit but thenrealised the best thing to do is accept the fact. So I decided to watchTV..

The hunt was on for the remote amongst the stack of magazines, CDs, andnewspapers and finally the remote. Switched on the TV, tuned in to themovie category only to be welcomed by a blank screen. There was a message from Tata Sky – “ Dear subscriber, Your services have been temporarily withdrawn for non-payment of the monthly subscription charges. Please makethe payment immediately to resume your services..” OH craap !! I forgot topay the charges.. Bloody hell !! No TV, and that too its a weekend !! Nooo !!

It was a good Friday evening. Our plans for a party had to be cancelled cozof the heavy rains. So I thought of spending some quality time at home allby myself as my roomie had also left for his hometown. But little did iknow what was in store for me!

All pissed off and irritated, I finally decided to catch up with my friends online and I barged into the bedroom to grab my laptop. By the time the laptop was booting up, I had somehow managed to calm myself down. I clicked on the Mozilla browser, and by default hit the Facebook URL. You won’t believe, I was again welcomed by an alert message. – “Dear Airtel Customer,Please pay the current month outstanding amount to enjoy uninterrupted services”.. I was spell bound. Have never felt so frustrated in life. I was like wondering, why is it that only I have to do everything. Why aren’t my roommates concerned at all? But what is the point.With nothing working in favour of me and left with no choices, I decided toread a novel. Still feeling irritated, Pissed and helpless somehow byaround 12.30, I slept off.

But unfortunately, it was not over yet. I had to wake up the very next day,early in the morning as the maid had already come. Still groggy, somehowmanaged to get up, opened the door and went back to sleep, only to be wokenup by the maid, as there was no detergent powder and she couldn’t wash the clothes. I just could not believe it was happening to me. There are so many things to be taken care of in the house. I somehow told the maid to washthe clothes the next day, and finally just managed to doze off again.The door bell goes off again. It was the cook. Yes ! We have a cook. Abachelor’s boon. But not necessarily mine. She enters the kitchen andshouts out a list of things not available ranging from vegetables to atta and so on.. Man I had to finally pay her extra 50 bucks to go buy it andthen prepare brunch for me !! Add to it the additional effort of making her understand how to prepapre the normal roti – sabji without adding herown favourite masalas.. My God !! No one can ever dare to taste itagain... he he...

This was the time when i truly missed my Mom.. It is only now that Irealise how difficult it would have been for her to manage me, my sis, Dad, the maid, the cable wala, the newspaper wala, the household shopping etc etc etc.. the list goes on and on and on.... She never ever made any of us uncomfortable. Whatever we wanted was always available. She used to solely manage the entire household with such great perfection that I had almost taken it for granted. It is now when I have to personally manage these things that I realise the difficulty.

I want to take this opportunity to salute all wonderful homemakers who havebeen making houses as homes for so many years and meeting the needs of the entire family....

I salute u Ma...This one is dedicated to you.. :)

Cheers..Kash !

** This post was written way back on 25th of September 2009. But Re-publishing the same to mark the celebration of the International Women's Day...**

[Well , atleast this is a better way to cover up my laziness of not coming up with a new post.. :)]

Thank you...

His career graph had reached the spot earlier than he himself had expected. He was so much obsessed with what he wanted to achieve, that he had almost let go of his personal self. He had channelized all his energy and focus towards achieving what he dreamt of !..

His own sense of accomplishment had driven him to a totally different world where he felt that he had to prove himself even more. In his mad quest for success, he had not even realized that he had climbed up the corporate ladder so swiftly that he had left behind many of his friends, many of his colleagues and even his close family members. Sometimes he himself was perplexed at the thought .. “ Against whom am I racing? Why am I in such a big hurry ? Who else do I have to prove? How much more do I need to achieve? When should I stop? “

He was at the Dubai International Airport, he was bound for London for another one of his regular Business visits. He decided to while away the transit time at the airport by enjoying the Dubai Shopping Festival. Suddenly an announcement was made that his flight to Heathrow airport was delayed by an hour. He was done wandering around in the airport. He gifted himself in some expensive watches, perfumes and Liquor, that’s when he decided to immerse himself into his laptop so he could be well prepared for the presentation. In the midst of the crowded lobby filled with people enjoying the festive and shopping mood he was the only person with a serious look on his face, with his eyes perched on the laptop.

Suddenly he catches a very beautiful pair of eyes staring at him. He casually notices and digs himself back on to the laptop screen. Suddenly his heart skipped a beat ! Oh my God ! Was it her ?? He lifted his head up rather hesitantly this time and there she was. It was indeed her. How could he ever forget those beautiful eyes. All of a sudden he felt very weak on his knees. He could feel all of the blood from his body gushing towards his head. He was feeling very uneasy. Unable to hold himself back, he decided to get up and walk away.

Four long years had passed after she had walked away from his life for no possible reason. Every single day he prayed to God that one day, he needs to confront her and ask her Why? But when it actually happened, he found out that he was unable to get a hold of himself. The aura that surrounded him, that of a young and extremely successful executive had shattered to that of a regular guy trying hard to get a hold of his personal self !

Just as he was about to leave, she walked up to him. The moment he looked into her eyes, everything around him had come to a standstill. The life that he had left behind, his past was very vivid and vibrant before him. After a momentary silence and an awkward minute later, she broke the silence with a very feeble “Hi”. Though his mind was screaming with in himself to vent out his emotions, he finally came out with a very courteous greeting. After the exchange of pleasantries, she mustered up the courage to say “I am sorry for what had happened. I truly am.”

He looked into her eyes for a couple of seconds longer, and finally managed to say that , everybody has a right to make a choice and that she had made hers and that she doesn’t need to apologize.

Saying this he just walked away from her still trying to get a hold of himself. He desperately wanted to look back at her, but didn’t. He fumbled with his laptop bag as he found that his hands and legs were no longer listening to him.

The flight to London had announced its boarding and he proceeded towards it. He never got an answer to his question , Why she had done it coz he never managed to ask. But after meeting her he realized the reason for things currently happening around him. This was the reason why he set on a Race, a race with himself. His endless effort to prove himself at every opportunity that came his way. He realized that he should be thanking her for what has happened, as this has only lead to betterment of his life. The flight was taking off to a new destination and so was his life. He let off a smooth smile with her thoughts in his mind and was looking forward to life with a renewed sense of excitement.

PS: A slightly longer post than the usual. Just felt like sharing this short story with all you people..

What makes me write??

Several times I have wondered what is it that makes me write... Well to be very honest I had started this blog just as a trip log when I used to go on frequent biking trips. It used to be just a periodical update on the different places visited, different experiences etc. Even my blog name was riderash.blogspot.com.. :o) Initially I used to enjoy it, but later on when the excitement died down, so did the frequency of my posts.

After a while I did change the content of my blog.. Started writing on two wheelers and automobiles and F1 sports etc, stuffs on which I can go on for hours together. Stuff which really interests me.. But then i realised i wasn't blogging in the true spirit. I was just sharing my interests and views on the latest happenings in the automotive world. I felt as though my blog had become an update centre of the auto industry without doing proper justice to it. Gradually the posts dwindled..

My blog had literally gone on a long slumber as I had completely left it for a while. Though there was always something in me that used to tell me, "Ashwin, Dude, revive your blog man, think of something, do something".. But still there was no action at all.

2008 December.. An incident in my life jolted me so wildly that I was just knocked out of my regular track. It was a really tough time and with no one around I decided to just pen down random thoughts. I realised that this was the place where I could just honestly express myself without caring about anyone else. Unknowingly I started to love the freedom associated with writing in my own space. I could express my opinions on anything..

It was at this point that I realised that all this while I was thinking of a topic to write about, an idea to keep my blog alive, when I actually don't need a particular topic that confines my thoughts. I want it to be boundryless. I no longer felt like - " Oh today I have to post something ". The feeling was more like - " Wow, I can write about this too.. " That explains the current blog name - mymindscribblings.blogspot.com.. A random scribbling pad for the never ending thoughts that flow everyday.

Psst... :o) All this high Funda gyaan on free flow of thoughts etc apart, I should honestly admit that the real reason that motivates me ultimately is the lovely comments that I receive from my wonderful readers who still put up with my crap and the increasing number that you see on the little blue widget below. [Yes.. I have managed to scale up from a poor 31 to a fairly decent 69 on the Indiblogger rankings.. :)]..

Am I letting my free flow of thoughts get tainted by a meagre number game or am I actually expressing my thoughts ... Umm.. I don't know the answer.. I leave it to you guys....

Cheers

Kash !

Image Source

http://www.wpromote.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/pen-and-paper.jpg

Tag Along......

I would like to thank Shas for tagging me into this.. I have made an attempt to be as honest as possible...

RULES: Respond and rework – answer these questions on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own, and add one more question to the list.

1. What is your current obsession? Attempts at understanding What I want?
2. What are you wearing today? Cargo Shorts and a Sleeveless Tee
3. What’s for dinner? Whatever is available on the menu in the near by Dhaba.. J
4. What’s the last thing you bought? Let me make it last Things .. Two Bottles of Jack Daniel’s premium scotch Whiskey, A Watch for myself and Loads of Chocolates …
5. What are you listening to right now? Always the last to Know – Del Amitri
6. What do you think about the person who tagged you? A fantastic Blogger.. Someone whose blog is so vibrant and full of action that it doesn’t fail to generate an excitement every time I visit it. This is basically coz the posts are exactly a mirror image of her thoughts without any adulteration.. Her interests in Trekking and Photography reveal her love for nature and an eye to appreciate the same..Hey BTW, would love to see your work of art through your camera as well, coz I share a similar interest in capturing beautiful moments through the lens.. J
7. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be? A Bunglow at Munnar, Kerala
8. What are your must-have pieces for summer? My Ipod, My Shades, and of course, My Bike
9. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go? To the top of Alps, Switzerland
10. Which language do you want to learn? There is something very classy about Spanish. So Spanish it is…
11. What’s your favourite quote? “Of all the things I have lost, I miss my mind the most.” – Read it on a T-shirt, but just loved it !! J
12. Who do you want to meet right now? Someone who was and still is very special to my heart !
13. What is your favorite color? Black
14. What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own closet? A faded navy blue slim fit jeans.
15. What is your dream job? To travel around the world, meet all types of people..
16. What’s your favourite magazines? Overdrive, Autocar, Readers’ Digest, The Economist
17. If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on? Another one of those expensive Watches
18. What do you consider a fashion faux pas? Women in Platform heals.. Yikes !!!
19. Who according to you is the most over-rated style icon? Gauri Khan (wife of SRK) (I stick with your answer Shas.. J)
20. What kind of haircut do you prefer? Jus the regular trimming..
21. What are you going to do after this? Work.. Loads of office work to be completed.. Naa.. Doze off !!
22. Who is your favourite sport star? Lewis Hamilton, F1, Mclaren Mercedes.
23. What are three cosmetic/makeup/perfume products that you can't live without? My Perfume, Hair gel, Moisturizer. Can’t believe I just said that….
24. What inspires you? My past..
25. Give us three styling tips that always work for you: Blue Denim and White shirt, A Cap and My attitude..
26. What do you do when you “have nothing to wear” (even though your closet’s packed)? I make a compromise and settle for something
27. Coffee or tea? Coffee it is..
28. What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed? Music.. love it..
29. What is your nickname? Ash ,Ashu, Akki.. That’s it.. you cant trick me into revealing everything here....No way…
30. Which other blogs do you love visiting? The Midnight Sun, Whrahoolz Ramblings, I am Here to stay the list just goes on and on..
31. Favorite Dessert/Sweet? Chocolate Ice cream..
32. Favorite Season? Winter..
33. If I come to your house now, what would u cook for me? I am a very bad Chef, but stil you get a very nice warm cup of Coffee and a fantastic Plate of Hot Maggi Noodles.. That’s what I was actually about to prepare.. Wink wink.
34. What is the right way to avoid people who purposefully hurt you? Forget about their existence in this world !
35. What are you afraid of the most? Reliving the past.
36. If you could undo any one of your past actions or acts which would be that? Would have never said YES !
37. My Question: What does one have to do to live a Care free life forever?

An Ode to Homemakers....

Have you ever felt that you are carrying the whole weight of the world onyour shoulder? Why is it that only you have to do everything to keep thethings moving? Why should only you struggle to make your house a home?

Well these questions were pondering in my mind on a Friday evening. It wasraining heavily and I was completely drenched on the way to my home fromoffice. The first thing I wanted was a nice hot cup of Ginger Tea, Coz no matter what, there is no combination better than heavy rain and hot tea. Irushed to the kitchen only to find that the Fridge didn’t have any milk in it. I braved the rain, went to the nearest departmental store and purchaseda packet of milk. I went back to the kitchen, all excited with the thoughtof having a hot tea. But things were not going my way. I found out that theGas cylinder was empty. No matter how much I try and extract the last bitof LPG from the cylinder, the burner wouldn’t budge. I was pissed, butthere was nothing I could do for a cup of tea. I mumbled a bit but thenrealised the best thing to do is accept the fact. So I decided to watchTV..

The hunt was on for the remote amongst the stack of magazines, CDs, andnewspapers and finally the remote. Switched on the TV, tuned in to themovie category only to be welcomed by a blank screen. There was a messagefrom Tata Sky – “ Dear subscriber, Your services have been temporarilywithdrawn for non-payment of the monthly subscription charges. Please makethe payment immediately to resume your services..” OH craap !! I forgot topay the charges.. Bloody hell !! No TV, and that too its a weekend !! Nooo !!

It was a good Friday evening. Our plans for a party had to be cancelled cozof the heavy rains. So I thought of spending some quality time at home allby myself as my roomie had also left for his hometown. But little did iknow what was in store for me!

All pissed and irritated, I finally decided to catch up with my friendsonline and I barged into the bedroom to grab my laptop. By the time thelappy was booting up, I had somehow managed to calm myself down. I clickedon the Mozilla browser, and by default hit the Facebook URL. You won’tbelieve, I was again welcomed by an alert message. – “Dear Airtel Customer,Please pay the current month outstanding amount to enjoy uninterruptedservices”.. I was spell bound. Have never felt so frustrated in life. I waslike wondering, why is it that only I have to do everything. Why aren’t myroommates concerned at all? But what is the point.With nothing working in favour of me and left with no choices, I decided toread a novel. Still feeling irritated, Pissed and helpless somehow byaround 12.30, I slept off.

But unfortunately, it was not over yet. I had to wake up the very next day,early in the morning as the maid had already come. Still groggy, somehowmanaged to get up, opened the door and went back to sleep, only to be wokenup by the maid, as there was no detergent powder and she couldn’t wash the clothes. I just could not believe it was happening to me. There are so many things to be taken care of in the house. I somehow told the maid to washthe clothes the next day, and finally just managed to doze off again.The door bell goes off again. It was the cook. Yes ! We have a cook. Abachelor’s boon. But not necessarily mine. She enters the kitchen andshouts out a list of things not available ranging from vegetables to atta and so on.. Man I had to finally pay her extra 50 bucks to go buy it andthen prepare brunch for me !! Add to it the additional effort of makingher understand how to prepapre the normal roti – sabji without adding herown favourite masalas.. My God !! No one can ever dare to taste itagain... he he...

This was the time when i truly missed my Mom.. It is only now that Irealise how difficult it would have been for her to manage me, my sis, Dadthe maid, the cable wala, the newspaper wala, the household shopping etcetc etc.. the list goes on and on and on.... She never ever made any of usuncomfortable. Whatever we wanted was always available. She used to solely manage the entire household with such great perfection that I had almosttaken it for granted. It is now when I have to personally manage thesethings that I realise the difficulty.

I want to take this opportunity to salute all wonderful homemakers who havebeen making houses as homes for so many years and meeting the needs of theentire family....

I salute u Ma...

Cheers..Kash !

A Reason to Celebrate...

It was a regular day in Office.. The same old Client presentations, the same old pretending to be busy etc etc.. Somehow spent 11 hours in office and reached home.. As expected out of a typical Bachelor, the first thing I did was to turn on the Television.

I love the company of some good music especially when I am alone at home. So the obvious choice was VH1. Made myself a cup of tea all the while enjoying the latest number from Lady Gaga. Finally I freshened up and decided to watch a beautiful series on Discovery Channel – TIME WARP.. ( A Genuine statement to people who have not watched it.. you are missing something).. And so I was watching Time Warp and enjoying every bit of it till the inevitable ad break..

I was just staring at the screen when suddenly one ad caught my attention… My Hero, My Daughter… Celebrate Daughters’ day on 27th September, with Archies Cards.. I was like.. Duh.. WTF… Daughters’ Day. Hey... I am not against the Fairer sex or anything like that. I am just amused by the way these Greeting card companies make regular calendar days something really important.. I mean, no one ever celebrated these kinda stuff had these Greeting Card companies not made cards on Mothers’ Day, Fathers’ Day, Teachers’ Day even Valentine’s Day. I mean there is nothing wrong in it, but somewhere I feel the emotional value is getting lost... (I am bound to find plety of differences in opinion in this context)

But now , somehow I feel there has to be a limit somewhere. There is nothing wrong in Celebrating a day specially for someone, but there has to be a history behind it. There is a specific reason why Valentine’s day is celebrated, why Teachers; Day is celebrated and so on. But Daughters’ Day – on what context.. May be I am ignorant or unaware, but I don’t think the significance of an Intense relationship between a Father, Mother and their children should intensify on a particular day! It is something to be celebrated throughout ones’ life…

May Be I am thinking too much.. May be it would be better if I set my mind at rest and enjoy the next episode of Time Warp…

Disclaimer -- I have nothing against the celebration of any day, Just that I personally feel that the significance of certain relationships are lost into thin air behind the marketing gimmicks by a few companies..

Cheers.. I sign off...