getting touristy

or far from it. thats what i dont like about travelling. tourism.

i went around barcelona in december, people seeking different things on each occasion. further in my few days in london, i found the urge to explore in me. this urge has taken a stronghold, and i now want to go to diff places and try new activities. next in line are italy and skiing.

it cant be more true when they say that travelling together brings out the true nature of people. as a corollary to that, it also tells you who you are. the best travelling companion is the one who thinks like you, when you don't need any time discussion itineraries and logistical arrangements. and then looking beyond the self, travel tells you about the people around you. languages, food, climate, problems, everything can be read.

the climate has a big influence on people. i observed two things so far. think about romantic moments. in the colder regions compel you to stay indoors, near the warm fireplace, cuddled in your cozy blanket. In warmer countries, you go out on rides, go out to have icecream, look forward to getting wet in the rain after the sweltering summer heat and so on. the same can be extended to how social people are.

the other thing was that people from colder countries have more pronounced senses. sense of cold and of smell in particular. its like you keep something in the fridge, and the temp and smell stays preserved, outside the fridge at higher temperature, the changes in temp and smell is too fast to ascertain. this will sound ridiculous, it does to me as i write it, but maybe someday when i grow up i will be able to explain better.

anyway, on a lighter note, depending on where you have spent most of your growing up years, your nature and behaviour will be different in many different ways. i read that sentence again, and think to myself, 'really now, what a BIG revelation that is'. guess the rust from not writing for so long is yet to come off. better one next time!

Taking a breather

the mad rush. the meetings. the preparation. the lagging time. and the piling up work.

look for symptoms. are you enjoying a hot shower every morning? When was the last time you set out after a nice breakfast? And not having to look at your watch every second realizing you should have left home 30 mins ago. you find a nice looking impeccably dressed cab driver, and he is driving slower than the bus today. wonder why that is. do you make more heads turn when you haven't showered? shouldn't he want you out of the cab asap? when you do reach school, half of the discussion is over, and you realize, damn it, is this it? for the sleep that you gave up and the breakfast you ditched.. then in class you are too close to the professor's agent, so you cant use your time more productively. you have to pay attention to what the prof is saying. and wish deep down that you knew the context. then you promise yourself. today is the day when i will bring everything on track. i promise. the days passes by and suddenly you realize you have no time left to fulfill the turning-around promise. so what do you do? make use of the time you have. sleep!!

but you wake up every next day feeling worse. this is not how you have been. the control freak deep within gets the better of your lethargy. wake up sid! smell the coffee. this is a chance you have got where many others would have loved to be. make use of it. and then its time for redemption. time to get your life back in order. how do you do that? set a routine, take a stock of the situation and prioritize. eat, sleep, relax. breathe. look at the sun. feel the beauty.

the meaning of life becomes clearer when you realize you have lost time that you could have used better. make plans to travel. go see the world. let go of your fears. take the plunge and you will get your rewards. when the mess in your room clears up, you feel energized to sort out the mess in your head as well. so get back in touch with your friends. your family. talk to people about your fears, about your confusions, and you will find the answers. get back in charge of your time.

the key is to anticipate and stay one step ahead. how you would like to watch a movie.. when you can predict that this is going to be the next situation. no one will believe you. they will ask you to shut up and concentrate. and then they will look at you in shock when what you predicted actually happens in the next scene. of course it has to be the first time you all are watching it. life doesn't give you any chances to cheat and fool the world. either you succeed or you don't, and in both cases its only you that you can fall back on. so prepare for what you know about the future, and it will leave room for you to be ready for what you don't know. drive at breakneck speed till you can control the bike, so that no matter how blind the next turn is, you still glide through smoothly. you tilt but you don't slip.

life is like that. tilt but don't slip. keep driving. let the wind whiz by your face. it will keep your heart going and your mind focused.

what makes a human being?

this term started for me with reviewing a course from the last term with a philosophical perspective. the central theme was - what makes a human being a human being? I have been thinking about this question further beyond the review session and have come down to some key characteristics.

freedom to explore, the ability to think that drives this exploration. explore my value system, do i believe in Tit for Tat, or is it the Other Cheek phenomenon that suits me better? do i prefer languages or numbers? what kind of people do i like to interact with? primarily the answers to these three questions determine our behaviour, there are many more, but i consider these three the most important. i will elaborate these further as follows, on the assumption that i am human after all. all possible puns intended.

humility: so my value system says, humility is essential. no matter how intelligent you are, how how many achievements you might have had, but if you are not humble, well then you got off the bus of human life. to make this dose of philosophy stronger, and to not make it too complicated, if you can detach yourself from your achievements, then it will free up space for more. further, i was a strong believer of Tit for Tat, that i will do as the other person does. and in the process, i just became a jigsaw puzzle of whatever i could capture and reflect of all that other people are. i realised that it is my individuality that reflects the human in me. i don't want to be the same as every other person, i want to weave it all together and make a collage. to develop the courage the other cheek rather than imitate him by slapping him back.

attachment: is it impossible to attach languages with numbers? why does it have to be an either or. somewhere i had heard about sanskrit being increasingly used for computer programming as it is a highly grammatically-structured and less-prone-to-error language. even the spanish i am learning now, has a logical base to it, and then there are also some exceptions to the rules. similarly, on a larger canvas, why can't the various elements in a human life be attached? i am a social being, i like to talk, to share, the isolation of the mba curriculum that i have created around me needs to be broken. family, friends, interest, passion.. if i could my family with my passion and have a bunch of friends who have a similar interests, what more do i need to be human?

flexibility: can you listen to what the other person is saying? can you do that when you are bursting with this idea you have to tell the same moment? can you stand in my shoes for a moment and think from my perspective, feel my confusions, in short, give me a break? can you do me a favour without the expectation of getting one back from me? can you cut some slack for me, if i don't conform to your standards? if your answer is yes, i would really like to be surrounded with people like you. and if it is not to even one of them, then i have to ask one questions to myself. the most important one of all, can i still be surrounded by you and preserve my innocence, not let myself get corrupted? if the answer to that remains yes then i have the right to call myself human.

my conclusion is that these three elements constitute our attitude, and it is this evolution of attitude that is absent in other living beings. i am grateful for all that i have, and i will strive to preserve it.