Long Distance

I have a long distance relationship! And, man it sucks! Yes, with my parents. The only disadvantage about Bengaluru is that I'm so far away from home. Just can't hop over to meet Ma, have a good cuppa tea, chat with Dad, or attend a friend's engagement :(. Wonder whether this is all worth it. I'm sorry Anda. It's really a pity that I won't be there. And sorry Mum and Dad that I couldn't be there to celebrate my birthday with you. I still love you all. (Ma, Daddy, Anda, Chadhu, Mehta):)

The importance of a hug

Someone once called me a hug master. Well, not that I really am but after reading an article on the importance of hugs, I think I'm close.

The opening lines say "We need 4 hugs a day for survival, 8 hugs a day for maintenance and 12 hugs a day for growth" I couldn't agree more. And they also have a full one page theory on how to hug. Wow! I think I've found my calling. I want to be a 'hug therapist'!

Anyway, here's the technique, with full credit to the writer:

HOW TO HUG

Hugging may sound like the simplest thing on earth, but it will help to keep a few things in mind. Non-hugs are no good. In his book Caring, Feeling, Touching, Dr Sidney Simon describes five non-hugs:
I. The A-frame hug, in which nothing but the huggers' heads touch.
2. The half-hug, where the huggers' upper bodies touch—while the other half twists away.
3. The chest-to-chest burp, in which the huggers pat each other on the back, defusing the physical contact by treating each other like infants being burped.
4. The wallet-rub, in which two people stand side-by-side and touch hips.
5. The jock-twirl, in which the hugger, who is stronger or bigger, lifts the other person off the ground and twirls him.

The real thing, the full body hug, touches all the bases. Dr Simon describes it like this: "The two people coming together take time to really look at each other. There is no evasion or ignoring that they are about to hug... You try as hard as you can to personalize and customize each hug you give... With a full body hug there is a sense of complete giving and fearless. Communication, one uncomplicated by words.

"It is the attitude that is important," says Vikas Malkani. "It need not be a full, frontal hug. It could be sideways. Generally, hug only friends and people you know."

"Many people do not like their personal space to be invaded. Still others may feel too vulnerable at times to like to be touched," warns Dr Bhagat.

The stereotype of men being less demonstrative than women in their love and affection is by and large true. "But men are more open to hugging after a few drinks at parties," says Pommi Malhotra. From her experience she says that even the tough ones respond to hugging.

Many people feel embarrassed or uncomfortable when hugged, but Malkani's advice is to still go at it because they are bound to feel good afterwards and may even feel grateful to you. When you feel the need to be hugged, ask for one. Any place is good enough for hugging: home, office, school, church, a party, a conference. You may, however, feel uncomfortable hugging, for example, at work. In that case, prefer a more intimate environment, such as at home with friends or at a party.

Bengaluru Babe

So here I am...everything set. Bags unpacked, house...check, workplace...check, indira nagar...check. Just bought some books...'Fragrance of Osho (I'm a big fan), Laws of Manu (The laws set by the first man on earth according to Hindus or something like that), All things wise and wonderful (written by a vet in Ireland..well i got sold by the cover). Sitting at home and taking in the fragrance of Osho. Saturday evenings were never so peaceful. I love it! Who says you need to party on a saturday. A nice cup of ginger tea, my balcony and a book in hand is all you need.

I love Bengaluru already.

Tragedy!

Tragedy strikes on an idle Tuesday when you're least expecting it. So true! On an idle Sunday, as I was rejoicing my increased capacity for sleep and dragging myself out of the bed, I saw it. A red dot at the tip of my nose. It was dormant yet prominent. I couldn't believe my skin. I got a boil! Right at the tip of my nose!! I mean I know I'm not supposed to behave like a teenager but what the hell! Today, it's been a week and it refuses to go; feels like a headlight! Am I being too girlie? vain? thrifty? cranky? Hell Yeah! Tragedy does strange things to you. Come on girls, I need support, sympathy and loads of soframycin!!!

Taliban vows to take over Pak

I can feel goose pimples all over as I read this. "Taliban on Monday vowed to capture Pakistan if the democratic leadership does not alter its stand on North Atlantic Treaty Organisation" As an Indian citizen, it's not just some news to amuse, it's an outright alarm, a note of suicide. The Pakistani government has recognized Taliban rule in the Swat Valley region in exchange for a temporary cease-fire and they're not far away from the Indo-Pak border. It might sound silly but the thought of myself and my peers in burqas getting no form of entertainment or education whatsoever and being denied basic human rights doesn't seem unreal anymore. It could happen tomorrow, day after or next week. The most disturbing is the complacency of the Indian Army. The Indian Army Vice Chief Lt Gen Noble Thamburaj is of the view that it is not a "direct threat" to India. Yeah right! The ruthless rats blew our cities to pieces and we couldn't do anything and you still have the balls to say that extremist forces like Taliban are not a direct threat to India?

Our neighboring country is breathing fear of being taken over completely by Taliban and we can still afford to sit in peace. What if Taliban has already established it's presence in India?

Seeing the public protests and peace marches in the recent past by Indian people, I'm confident that the public of India is capable of coming together in a state of emergency. We just need to wake up and realize the threat before it's too late. Otherwise, we may not 'live' to regret.

And I'm freeee...

Ok, so in case you were wondering why I was dormant for so long, here's the answer. I've been in training for a month now and today finally!! I"m freeeee!!! I'm someone who never liked school. Can you imagine putting me through a month of that time again? Variety of trainers, heavy information download, classroom jokes(the better part) and the killer...Homework!!! Eww. And what's the key takeaway? An extensive research in the field of the behavior of the organism that exists in the four walls of a classroom/training room and is usually found in the forefront. Yes, the Trainer! Here are my keen observations:

- The I'm-too-stylish-for-you trainer: I usually carry my extra dose of concentration pills for her class coz I'm sure to get distracted with her accent, flowing hair, shiny/silly clothes, nail paint, shoes, earrings, or cleavage.

- The let-me-sing-for-you trainer: This one's called singy-songy. An aspiring singer caught in the wrong profession. Someone told her lessons could be sung and she took it a little too seriously. ;D

- The Shatabdi Express: This one probably wanted to be an F1 racer. The one who loves to go full speed and the brightest student shall be he who can catch up. Doesn't matter how many are left behind.

- The I-don't-know-but-I-can-get-back trainer: That's their typical line and it gets you thinking whether they're actually a trainer. I mean isn't it convenient to promise to get back to us with a solution and never do? I'm sure my fellow colleagues would relate to this line. ;d

- The d-r-r-r-a-a-a-b-b-b bore: This one dresses up so terribly that it distracts you. You itch to fix that broken button, iron the shirt, hide the glaring undershirt and comb their hair. Ok, I'm not a control freak but this one will give a big moral boost to your dressing sense.

This might sound mean but it was struggling to come out. Phew!!

The pink chaddi campaign...

Do you remember the mangalore incident? Were you outraged and wanna do something about it? Well, I'm gonna do this.
Show some love to the Sri Ram Sene. Send them the Pink Chaddi this Valentine's Day. Do it NOW!

Proud to be an Indian?

We're a country of fools. We've grown up to believe someone else, to follow someone else and to blame someone else. We're a country that follows a particular religion because our family has been following it even if it doesn't work for us. A country where priests actually tell people to follow rules of religion to live their lives. Isn't religion supposed to be something that leads you to God? Then how can we forget that and use religion to dictate people's everyday living? Someone said 'India is anything but a spiritual nation, infact a highly materialistic one. Because all the religious rituals ceremonies and sermons are actually conducted to achieve something in the material world. Very True! We exist in extremes, may it be Christianity, Hinduism or Islam. We follow people like Raj Thackeray without even applying our minds and thinking how it's going to affect our world. And this is the most ironic, we excel in blaming other people. It's a very common site to see someone saying 'City roads are so bad. The govt. is not doing anything.' Someone should ask him, "Dude, since how many years have you been evading taxes?' 'Politics is a dirty game. All the politicians are fake'..'Okay! How bout getting into politics yourself and cleaning up the mess? or even going out and casting a vote??'

I guess it's one of those moments where I'm not feeling very proud to be an Indian.

Turning into vegetables...

So this is the mood of the day. Incedibly beautiful..this poem.

The good ol' times that we're having right now...

Yeah, that was the sign I saw at TGI's Friday yesterday. It was something more than that, but I liked this part the most. It truly reflects the time I'm having right now. So many ol' friends that I had lost touch with, are cropping up from nowhere..thanks to Facebook!

Here are some of them I found recently:

- Apaar - Cute guy from tuition class in 10th grade. One of those mischievious guys that every girl sorta finds cute but is too shy to admit. Well, that was the case with the girls in my tuition, I know it. Let's see how he looks now.

- Dhruv aka Sunny: My childhood friend. The 'Chris Griffin' of our times. :D Two things I remember distinctly, his style of running and the boisterous laughter. All in all, a very good friend.

Mahiti: Friend from work. Ex-Googler. Nice girl :)

Oh yeah, it's the week of ol' friends and I've decided I'm gonna make an effort to find long lost friends online. Heil Facebook!!!