North Pole, South Pole

North Pole, South Pole; that’s how apart men and chivalry are nowadays. Where did all the chivalrous men go? Mars?! Or maybe they are a thing of the past. This is no attempt to generalise all men, because rare as it seems, they are some chivalrous men on planet earth itself. Every girl has the “likelihood” of meeting some chivalrous men along the way.

It’s kind of sad to put it as likelihood and not certainly. But that’s just stating the current state of affairs. Just as women are programmed to be kind in the tender, maternal way, guys were programmed to be kind in a thoughtful, just, caring and considerate manner. It is strange that men were and men aren’t. Can’t really ascertain the reasons for such a behaviour pattern in men these days. They are crude and coarse.

  Maybe reading a few classics, will work as guideline for adopting mannerisms. Or maybe there should have been chivalry classes for boys, instead of moral science classes in school. (The code of chivalry has to get to men somehow.) No man needs to hold the door of the car, for a woman, that’s asking for too much. But he can let a woman enter the elevator or walk through the door first. What’s the hurry anyway? 

For those who say, “Chivalry is dead, ladies you killed it.” How could that possibly be? Women were talking about equality all along, how did the message get out wrong, asking men all around to be rude. Being treated equally doesn’t imply to being treated rudely. I don’t remember any girl being rude or impolite to a guy.

Maybe the absence of a girl sibling causes men to be insensitive towards women. But at times it equally surprising how guys with no sister siblings are chivalrous and gentlemanly. So yeah, it is a rare virtue to find. It leads you to wonder if chivalry is dead already and just when you thought its dead, comes along a chivalrous courteous man:)

There is no harm in a guy being polite, well-mannered, considerate, courteous, gentlemanly, thoughtful, fair and kind. That’s just, in how many ways a man can be chivalrous. And these are good qualities to possess. Why do men shun them?

Gracious good manners and gallantry are a way to any woman’s heart, just as good food is the way to a man’s heart. Women dig chivalry. Period!

OSHO, ever so Inspiring!!

 Disclaimer: This is not what you think it is.

This is not about OSHO aka Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, rather about a friend OSHO aka Amit Patel. To start with he is a Patel but not a gujju!! (he’s got none of those flashy gujju clothes that gujju guys wear, rather he’s got an evidently cool dressing sense.) Amit, the unassuming guy, who's rather striking. He’s nicknamed Osho; for we were in the land of Osho’s ashram and the name suited the spirituality thats bundled into him.

He’s the one of the coolest people you’d have met. Its his most natural trait. Someone who inspires you to enjoy the splendor of life in its simplicity.  He doesn’t partake in any nonsense; neither receiving nor initiating any from his end. He prompts you to look beyond petty issues. He'll always tell you to overlook the trivial. Simplicity is his forte.

One of the people who never gave into drinking or smoking inspite of the company he kept. He finds no pleasure or solace in these things and believes in eating only ghaas phus. Healthy eating and simple living, is his disclosure.

Having known Osho for so long, I wont be surprised if one day, he packs his bags and wanders off into wilderness searching for the meaning of life, akin to Christopher McCandless from the movie 'Into the Wild'. McCandless, a 22 years old youth, who gave up his urban upbringing and wandered off into Alaska in the early 1990s, only to die of starvation and poisonous hemp seeds. Into the Wild, not only tells about the sad fate of McCandless but also about the troubles and joys of life and lessons that are bound to have a remarkable impact. 

However unlike McCandless, Osho is not rebellious against worldly ties and  functions, only that he believes it’s a vicious circle. He’s got his own views and is not hell bent on imposing them on anyone around him. (well, you’ll appreciate them anyway, and maybe feel overwhelmed by them!) 

The analogy between 'Into the Wild' and Osho, is that they are both bundled with life lessons that are set to always inspire one.

P.S: Into the Wild is based on a true story and the best selling book by Jon Krakauer.

Pune always...

Since not so long ago, the Mumbai-Pune expressway has become one of the bestest things about Pune! :) It’s a wonderful journey through the scenic beauty of the hill range between the two cities, especially so, when it is cloudy. A window seat in the bus feels like heaven! Plus the duration of the journey is considerably reduced, though one wishes the bus just keep going on and on…

Pune, with so many educational institutions is such a bouyant place. It houses some of the best colleges and management schools. Fortunately, my college, Fergusson College is the best in the city, with its vast campus, illustrious history and alumni, a very average canteen and the very famous Fergusson College Road. Strangely they have made FC road a one-way road and so many shops having cropped up, it looks different now, from what it did, when I was in college.

 However, FC road still has the "best looking crowd in the country, the best aloo-paratha restaurant, best tea & samosa, and also chocolate thickshake (though its price has been increased from a modest Rs.20 to Rs.35, how cruel is that.)". I can think of more food.. and places one could get food for such low prices, mostly attributed to the fact that Pune is such a student’s city. It’s a very safe city. You could loiter around on your scooty or bike, late into the night. (How I miss my scooty.)

The roads in the city are smooth and the local transportation is bad, so you can rely on your own bike the most, to reach any place. However, safety is where, Mumbai scores over Pune. The roads in mumbai are full of vehicles, but you wont risk your life while crossing the road, unlike in Pune, where it’s a mad mad rush for the two-wheeler riders; they don’t mind running over you, same goes for the untidy buses.

But what Pune gives you is space while walking, you won’t find yourself struggling to find place to put your foot, there won’t be a flood of people. Also, the weather in Pune is cool and chilly all through the year. You get a chance to don your winter wear, which is never going to be possible in Mumbai. Mumbai is so damn hot! Like a friend, once told me, after travelling from kharghar to andheri in the local train, that he’s going to stay home and rest for a month, as he deserves it after such a hot day in the local train! :D

Pune’s got a chilled out attitude through and through.. You’ll enjoy yourself any time of the year. There’s scope for random outings, movie plans, visit to your college, just to sit peaceful in Lower Rec and feel like a carefree Fergussonian. A weekend gateway to Pune is a great idea. It helps you enjoy many things and unwind yourself. The worries disappear for a bit!

Not just pune but I think everyone should try to go out to places over the weekends to rejuvenate themselves. You are sure to come back charged.

The Theory of Relativity..

Woody Allen once said, being funny is not anyone's first choice.  Its true.. One can’t always expect things to turn out the way they wanted, sometimes for the fault of the self and it’s sometimes the fault of the other. More often than not the ugly truth peeks at you. Truth knows how to get to you.. It does!! It sets you freee!

When you know it’s your fault, you make amends, (you better get rid of the guilt; it sucks! Period!)

I have failed to understand why one would get into a mess, to feel guilty and then try to get rid of it. It is no funny business, because “WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND”. No one can possibly dodge this one. Guilt finds its way to you. I wonder if it’s the lack of strength of character or the lack of a personality that motivates people to behave the way they do. For once in their lives probably they feel, they can defy everything, but it’s not true. Guess they are the ones who are being fooled. They realised it sooner or later..

Time plays an important role. For the truth to have surfaced at a much later period of time, a) its easy on you, b) you are easy on it. You would care less about it. Guilt can only manifest over a period of time. Realisation of one’s folly too dawns upon one with the passage of time.

The funny part is that you, at the receiving end can be assured that you can do much better than that. The next time you are faced with a unlikely situation, with a unlikely person or unlikely problem; any place, any time you can say to yourself, I can do much better than that! You are so going to feel better. And its true.. Alternately, you’ll be assured that it could have been worse. A worse place, where you wish, no one was in your shoes!

That’s the theory of relativity! An awesome theory applicable to all, no age bar, no gender bar, and also religion! Try it! 

P.S: I envy people with amazing sense of humours!

L.E.C.T.U.R.E.S

Attending lectures is part and parcel of student life and it becomes a greater part of student life, when you have three lectures a day for three hours each. This is in reference to our MBA lectures!!  Now that college is drawing to a close, I found myself reminiscing what MMS B did to keep boredom at bay.. :-)

It started with paper ball fights, launched by the back benchers and soon the whole class joined in.. :) The classroom used to be so messy at the end of the day, thanks to the paper balls pouring in from all corners of the class. But it is very much fun!! This was followed by photo sessions, yes the embarrassing ones of others and good ones of the self.. :P Facebook witnessed all the pictures in the first few months. And again much later in the third sem (thanks to Vipinsss and his great photography skills..) :)

 I am sure our profs must be wondering we were so religiously taking down running notes. If only they were ever to lay hands on our notebooks, they would discover the XOXO and Hollywood/bollywood we played during the lectures.. It was a good exercise for the brain.. :P and also all the banter in the notebooks, which helped us pass those three long hours.. Manalee, Daxa and I would always be at it..

Considering the long hours, I found time and convenience to read books. Sitting behind tall people or making people sit in a particular way, so that I could hide my novels, I managed to complete reading a good number of books..!! ;)  Many have read novels and some would study from the library books during the lectures..

One of the fun things to do, was observe the bored and startled expressions of people around.. One of the funniest being Nikhil, who would be gaping with utmost attention, especially in all the RDX lectures and sometimes even during the presentations.. :D :D it was also fun to look at Pratik dumb’s, Neeraj’s  and Chetan Samdadiya’s expressions.. They ranged over a million emotions from surprise to shock to startled, to amazement, to distress to hopefulness for the lecture to get over soon!! :D

The times during the presentations was fun, with people trying to distract the ones presenting and make them laugh.. I have been prey to this for two-third of my presentations.. :P and otherwise too, laughing which comes so easy to me, regardless of the place I am in, got me into trouble many a times.. Got kicked out of some lectures.. :P but when I was on the other side, during the presentations,  I would read my novels, listen to music and watch Big Bang theory with Farzad.. :) or talk/gossip or maybe laughing out loud.. ;)

One of the best value added services of the mobile phone comes to use during long lectures, when you can sms chat with friends outside the class and also with the person sitting next to you.. Sneha, Pooja, Manalee and I have exploited this VAS by sending messages to people in the class from manalee’s new number which no one had.. Our chief target being Neeraj.. :D :D he is a sweetheart! :-) During the Zee campus, we sent messages to Chetan saying its from Neeraj asking him to come sit next to Neeraj.. It was hillarous!! :D :D Chetan was so miffed with Neeraj for the smses.. :D

There was the hiding of mobile phones, books, stationery, chappals and what not.. Also during the break, there was the fighting session in process, seriously it was the time when we were all transported to MET Rishikul.. :P :D Gaurav, Pratik, Rohit and Anukool.. Really don’t know what came over them in those moments.. :D but it will be something all of us will remember, when we think of MMS B.. :-)

Well how could all this go on, without the two greatest loves of mankind, eating and sleeping.. Everyone done tons of it in the lectures.. As for me, eating was not majorly a concern as much as sleeping was! I found myself falling asleep so many times and the most embarrassing moments of all was, when I was caught slipping in my chair and sleeping by Max D’costa, who asked me about the CEO of Microsoft, (Steve Ballmer) in the e-com lecture,  I blurted Steve umm Jobs, Steve toh Jobs hi hoga na.. :P ;) (Sancheti remembered what the question was!! :)..)

Overall, all these help survive the long lectures and the last two years have been a enjoyable time! :) If I missed on anything, you may please add.. :)

Falling into Dimension Z!?!

The first thing that comes as a task when you start your blog is the blog title you need to choose!! Trust me, it took me a good twenty minutes to think of a nice title and incidentally its a beautiful piece of writing from my favorite romantic novel, "The Bridges of Madison County." by Robert James Waller. The story is presented as a novelization of a true story, but it is in fact fiction.

Falling into Dimension Z, is what Robert writes to Francesca, in his last letter telling her how all along he had been falling from the rim of a great high place, somewhere back in time, for many more years than that he had lived in this life. And through, all those years he had been falling towards her!! Well, I'll tell you the TBOMC story.

TBOMC is the intense love story of Robert Kincard, 52, a National Geographic photographer who meets Francesca Johnson, 45, a farmer's wife living in Iowa, while asking around for directions to the Roseman Bridge, one of the seven covered bridges of the Madison County. Franscesca is immensely drawn to Robert Kincaid and surprises herself by offering to guide him to Roseman Bridge and later asking him to join her for dinner. After a nice evening of chatter, food, budweiser beer and Camel cigarettes, Francesca leaves a note for Robert at the Roseman Bridge knowing that he was going to return to the bridge in the morning to shoot more pictures.

Robert finds the note and goes to have supper with Francesca after he finishes work, only to realise that he too has fallen in love with her. They spend the next four days together, while Francesca's husband and kids are away at the Illionis State Fair. However, the grave details of Francesca's married reality stops and finally seperates them.

Robert tries to reason with Francesca telling her that they have both lost themselves and created something else, and they were profoundly in love.

One of the most touching scenes in the book is when Francesca goes grocery shopping with her husband, she finds Robert's truck Harry just thirty feet away at the signal. It is one of the most difficult things for her to do, to let go of Robert, when she could have just reached out to him and left her husband and her children behind. Its then that she realises that she had underestimated her feelings for Robert and that he was right when he had said to her, "I have one thing to say, one thing only, I'll never say it another time, to anyone, and I ask you to remember it. In a universe of ambiguity, this kind of certainty comes only once, and never again, no matter how many lifetimes you live".

Robert sends her copies of the National Geographic, two pictures and a letter in the following years, telling her that he yearns for her and loves her profoundly, describing the way he feels most times as if it were a world that seems to be God-abandoned! Over a period of time, Francesca fills three notebooks with the details of her affair with Robert. Many years later when Richard Johnson is dead, Francesca tries to contact Robert at National Geographic, only to learn that he had died and had left her; his camera equipment, his estate and other belongings including his ashes, which he wishes to be  scattered over the Roseman Bridge of Madison County.

Francesca also requests for her remains to be cremated and ashes scattered over the Roseman Bridge. Its only after her death that her children learn about their mother's great love for one Robert Kincaid and understand how they were the reason for the end of a beautiful relationship! They decide upon having this tale told to the world!! Which brings us to the start of the book..

What Falling into Dimension Z, describes is how we are all racing towards something. Something, which is the purpose we have to fulfill, for which we have been put on this earth! It could be to put a smile on someone's face or invent something or to love someone as profoundly as Robert Kincaid and Francesca Johnson did! However, to find such a love is rare and a kind of certainty which comes only once.. :P considering the uncertainty of relationships in today's times! Maybe people dont know what their Dimension Z is, or maybe sometimes they ignore Dimension Z all along! Hope we all learn about our Dimension Z sooner than later and fall into it!! because that would be the most perfect thing to ever do! :)

I hope no one feel asleep reading this!!! and I might read the Bridges of Madison County yet again, very soon!! Its made into a movie too, Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep, though the book is magical! :) :)