The year gone by....

In a few hours we will bid adieu to 2012 and will be welcoming 2013. I won’t be out for a party (Sadly, my family won’t allow girls alone in a party at night and keeping in mind the latest scenario of North India, I better not ask also).  Me and my friends had planned since years for a Goa New Year with our salaries the year we become CA’s but sadly none of us are as well employed (in my case, simply employed also) so as to afford a trip, so the plan shifts to next year (hopefully).So here in pretty harsh winters I sit in my cosy blanket and write about twelve major events in my life during 2012.

1.  The year started with a road trip with friends to Rang De Basanti Fort near Ludhiana. For those who don’t know about it, it is the place where the song “tu bin bataye” from the movie Rang De Basanti is being shot. Its basically the remains of a fort from olden times which has become a popular outing spot since the movie discovered it.  Now it was a special event because it was the first time I went out with my friends to such a trip. (I can see many eyes rolling out on reading first, yes it is :P )

2. My brother who was posted in Chennai left his job and settled into a business with his friend in Ludhiana. Though its major event in his life and should not be listed here, but it lead to me meeting him more often, almost every weekend (which I used to wait for months during last four years), so its a happy event for me too. :)

3.  Then came my failure in CA exams which resulted in months of slogging and sleepless nights re-reading the income tax rules and laws. (Oh, I so hate those dreadful books, can never remember those sections, neither at those times, not today, not in future). A quarter of the year passed with exam preparation only.

4.  While I waited for my results my mom enrolled me to a cooking course and I did learn a few dishes. Though I love cooking, but I never had the time or opportunity to learn, so this time was well utilized and enjoyed by me. (Plus who minds the daily dose of appreciation when you cook new things at home) ;)

5. This year’s best moment and achievement any day would be the day of my CA results. 19^th July it was and I finished off with my 5 years of hard work. Had dreamed about this prefix to my name since so long and it turned a reality this year. :)

6.  I guess birthday can also be considered another major event.  After-all I’m not a celebrity having multiple big events in my life to choose from, so I have to find them as I had started with writing about 12, it being 2012 (Wonder what I’ll do in 2025, if I write then). So birthday was quite a fun affair with friends and family. 

7.  In August my brother gifted me a guitar, and I finally started learning one after wishing and dreaming about learning music since my childhood. But I’m still at the chords friends. Quite slow I know, but I'm very irregular there and to top it all a month after I joined it, the academy was sold out and was shut for more than a month (I never knew I could be such a torture). :D

8. September bought with it the wedding season and the first one I attended was of my best friend. The first wedding among my friends and it started the dreaded topic of my wedding too. Gosh, I hate it when relatives and family members say “beta padhai te khatam ho gayi, hun agla kaam karo, naukri eko vaari shuru kari jithe hamesha li rehna hai” (Child, you have finished with your studies, now go for the next work i.e. wedding. Search for a job after you permanently settle down). Thanks to my mom-dad who had promised to marry my brother first, So thankfully I’m safe till I find a bhabhi. ;)

9. This year a major portion of my time had been involved in disappointing  job-hunting with no results till date. It led to so many trips from Chandigarh-Delhi, that I no longer find it a big deal if I have to travel to Delhi. Being unemployed for almost six months now, it has been a major reality-check year for me. Brought down my many expectations and has increased the value of job for me. I don't think I will ever take it for granted now.

10.   In October I went for a family trip to Kerala and it was so beautiful . Kerala is a wonderful place, a must visit for all nature and peace loving people out there. 10 days of ultimate bliss it was. Thoroughly enjoyed the break. :)

11.   November finally marked my entry to the blogging world and I’m so excited about it. Don’t know how long it would last, or whether I will have any readers or not, but yes it will surely give me so memories to read along in future. (Its so difficult to find fodder for blog posts :O )

12.   12-12-12, till last year I so made fun of people making big deals of such dates. But this year I did too. It was my brother’s birthday and I was hell bent on making it special and was successful in it. Weeks of planning and preparations, it went so well, surprising him to the core. This date will always remain a beautiful memory in our hearts. :)

Finally I  finished writing twelve of them.. ;) :P

Here’s another year passing by. Hoping the coming year comes in with a positive note and brings out success in personal and professional lives of each one of us, I wish all of you a very happy and prosperous 2013.

Love you all.

Will see you all in the next year now. Have fun.. :) :)

World Ending...Nah!!!!

21.12.2012….

The date seems to give cold sweats to many… Maya calendar says the world will end tomorrow. Some celestial attack or a catastrophe or godknowswhat..  Doomsday it will be, that’s what people believe in. I actually was shocked to read that in a survey it was found out that 9 out of 10 people believe the world will end tomorrow. .  Are you kidding me?? Can people seriously get so superstitious or am I the only abnormal inhumane person alive???

I just loved this ad by ‘Coca Cola’ which was aired for the first time somewhere around this date only showing a ray of positivity, a ray of hope. 

Umeedon Wali Dhoop

Ummeed Wali Dhoop
Sunshine Waali Aasha
Rone Ki Wajah Kam Hain
Hansne Ke Bahane Zyada
(The sunshine of hope,
the hope of sunshine..
there are lesser reasons to cry,
and more excuses to laugh..)

Zid Hai Muskurayenge
Khush Rehne Ka Hai Waada
(It's our stubbornness, we'll smile,
it's a promise to stay happy..)

Umeed Wali Dhoop
Sunshine Waali Asha

Tum Dil Se Agar Poochhoge
Woh Khush Rehna Hi Chaahe
Jab Sachche Mann Se Maango
Toh Khul Jaati Hain Raahein
Toh Khul Ke Khushi Lutao
Ye Kya Aadha-Aadha
(If you ask the heart,
it always wants to be happy 
when you wish with a pure heart,
the paths open on their own,
so distribute joy freely,
what's this half-hearted thing..)

Wish everyone gets the underline message. And all those who actually survive tomorrow (pun intended :D..) learn to look for that silver lining in the cloud and be more hopeful and optimistic in life... Live everyday, every moment, If you start thinking about the end and what to do now that it is going to end, I'm sure you will not do what you actually wanted to do in you life. Death is inevitable, so why fear it. Live life as it comes... :) :)

PS: After reading that article, I actually tried to think if it the last day tomorrow what would I like to do, and I couldn't shortlist and prejudice among so many of my wishes...;)

 I had started this post on my last day wishes, but I myself couldn't decide so here I write on what I actually believe. .So its better neither do I have any negative thought and nor do I let you guys have them.. ;)

The Ghost Story...

“Jo tenu dekhiya, saansein gayi tham, saari saari raat soye na hum”

Now I’m not in awe with this latest romantic number in the ever-so-loved  voice of the Nasal Voice King Mr. Himesh Reshammiya. Take the lyrics of this song literally and that will describe the essence of this post.

Last week, the tellywood as well as bollywood both were possessed with spirits. Be it the new show on Sony TV “Anamika” (though I have not seen it, just saw the promos) or the latest movie from The Mr. Perfectionist “Talaash”, both were themed on the concept of spirits and ghosts. I saw this movie yesterday, and during the movie itself I had started imagining about my next blog post. I normally concentrate on movie only, but couldn’t enjoy this one much, because of a dumb friend of mine, who had posted  the suspense of the movie on facebook, so the thought process started there itself.

Bhoot.. Pret… Aatma… Chudail… Vashikaran… Ghosts… Spirits… Witches..And don’t know how many more descriptions. In India itself they have different names in different states. While I thought about doing some research on this topic, (though I couldn’t find much relevant things other than people’s incidents with these ghosts) I did came across this interesting post on names of different ghosts in India. I have no idea about its truth and genuineness, but if interested you can give it a read here…  http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?action=blog&bact=memberart&member=229&blogid=6&article=120&where=Member_Article

I actually don’t have a strong belief in these assumed-to-be-restless supernatural creatures, but they are believed to be there, to be present around us. Both good and evil spirits are assumed to be there. Either they have an incomplete mission, or they died an untimely or cruel death, or their bodies were not cremated properly, or they came for revenge,  there are ‘n’ number of stories related to them. Some believe, some are completely against there existence, some have actually faced them and some like me are confused. I have heard people telling stories they experienced or others told them, so somewhere in a corner of my heart I think they might be there, but if I consider the scientific approach towards life and death, and listen to my brain then it scraps such thoughts as mere foolishness and superstition.

Tales of ghosts tell they have inverted feet, don’t have a shadow, can be seen in mirrors, normally come in white clothes,  normally stay inverted on peepal trees, are afraid of steel and fire, run away when you chant the name of God, possess you through milk, via hair, or through any belonging of yours. Kids in school are always so excited about such things and have a keen interest in calling the spirits of dead by drawing circles on paper, using candles and coins, etc. And how can I forget to mention they are the rozi-roti (bread and butter) of loads of tantriks and babas in India, who earn in the name of freeing you from these evil spirits.

 But here in Punjab bhoots or ghosts have a very important usage in our daily usage idioms.  “Bhoot sawaar ho gaya”(being obsessed by ghosts) refers to an obsession for something which the other persons finds irrational.  “Bhoot banya hoeya hai” (you have turned into a ghost) is used to describe your looks are shabby and messy. “Tera bhoot utarna paega” (will have to free you from the ghost) is a sort of warning to make people understand something. And how can we forget even Akshay Kumar helped them in their publicity with his song in the movie ‘Singh is King’, tenu ghodhi kinhe chadaya bhootni ke which here refers to the groom’s mother to be evil like a ghost. When I was young my grandmother used to hate me leaving my hair open after having a head bath, and she used to scare me saying if you roam around in open hair outside the house, the chudail(witch) will stick to you via your hair from the trees (in crude punjabi words, je khule waalan nal bahar ghumi, te pedh nal latki chudail tenu chimbadh jaegi).

Scary, creepy, imaginary, interesting, haunted, dark, horrifying, terrible, disgusting, whatever you say, but you surely can’t ignore these not-so-present- but-still-present creatures.  Do share your list of any ghost experiences you had or heard of.

 

PS: I’m sure tonight they will come and scare me to death in my dreams, I have used ‘creatures’ word for them so many times in this post, many of them might feel offended... Does this sound like I’m believing in their existence… ;)