Saturday, November 19, 2016

Paralell Universe

Every visit back home, to India, is rejuvenating and re-calibrating.

Every visit home now also feels more disconnected to my life here. It is a funny feeling, where I stay the same person with my thoughts and views, needs and wants, dreams and duties... but the world around me and my position in this new cosmos changes dramatically.

It is like the singer performing in a musical where the set behind her changes while she is still singing the same song.

From the king of my jungle I turn into a claw less kitten, from chef extraordinaire to the ginger & green chilies retriever from the fridge, from a driver to scared passenger who closes her eyes and say a silent prayer just too often, from a decision maker to a permission taker ...

Characters of my musical change too quickly from friends who 'forget' their wallets when we go out for dinner to people who pay for my meals, shopping and existence, from people who think i am funny to those who see every hidden tear in my eye when i try to smile just a little too much, from taking care of myself to getting frustrated of being taken care of by the people who should take care of themselves before me.

..to knowing to each idea of mine will first be thrown out of the window, everyone proposal of help will be met with dismissal and from the head of the family i will move to being the kid of the family who has forgotten to act her expected age.

It is good to be part of two universes where you can still be yourself despite all the changes around you, wherehere you are loved, respected and missed ...is different ways for different reasons and how you love them both again for very different reasons.



Friday, September 09, 2016

#unpopularopinion

Here is my share

o   Making your bed in the morning is the most inefficient activity of the day. You will live through the day and get to sleep in it again!! Be positive people!!
o   I hate the name of the "family size" potato chips packs in the supermarket. They should be called “Motivated individual with right couch and good TV” size.
o   Your Dog or cat may be your babies, but they are still animals. You cannot love them unconditionally while eating other animals. Be Vegan/Vegetarian to declare your true love.
o   Facebook is not a conversion tool. Also the post about your opinion should follow the same rule of kindness and manners that you teach your kids.
o   "American (lack of) choice 2016" is a conspiracy for media ratings like the story of movie "Tomorrow Never Dies".
o   Netflix should have a “happy ratings” on the movie. I can’t afford to have another bad day at work and come back to watch a movie where the dog dies.
o   We should close all weapon manufacturers for one year and open them back only if the world become a worse place without them.  
o   We should introduce intolerance tax. I promise all governments will have enough for all the good work (if any) they want to do.

o   Everyone should be made to try five cuisines, visit four continents, have three passions, try two alcoholic drinks and fall in love with one CAR.


  



Monday, July 04, 2016

Professionally Amateur

I have a lot of ideas about an alternate career. I want to be a driver for a 18 wheeler truck or an auto mechanic. A writer, a photographer, a chef...

I am a good,safe driver, but I am not sure how easy it will be to take u-turns in a 18 wheeler's, I am known to miss exits or be jumpy and turn before its my turn. I also have a slight confusion with left and right. Just slight. Friends usually look at me when i navigate to match my words with the direction in which my hand points...

A mechanic with depleted strength, incapable of changing tires; a writer who writes short, random thought-farts because as a reader she skim over details consistently ; a photographer with no camera; a vegetarian chef  .... hmmm

A nutritionist with a serious chips addiction; an interior designer with money-matters attitude; a life coach with many socially-renounced life choices ...

All my talents lack a thing or two for me to completely adopt and bloom.

I think I need to go back to school. I definitely need a course in how to objectively weigh the complexity of personality and professional inclination to quantify the qualitative features of talent for deduction to acquire consistent financial gains. Also a guide on soul searching, mind reading and action taking...

Till then I do what I am happy to do everyday ... my current job.






Saturday, June 25, 2016

#Brexit #Regrexit #Badshit

Thursday evening was spent with a close friend talking about relationships, breakups, toxic associations, decisions and the impact of them and I woke up to the news of Britain's divorce with EU on Friday morning.

I felt like I was too distracted watching omelet while the tea boiled over, too engrossed in the US politics and totally unaware of the changing world just a few thousand miles away. You don't expect few things like UK quitting EU, Trump winning republic nomination, Rio allowed to host Olympics despite the epidemic of Zika or gun 'common sense' reforms sacrificed for politics.

The order seems to be crumbling. The foundations are shaking. The rights and wrongs, even the 'Absolutely!! Gosh!! Hell NO', are changing.

How do you make decisions on something which have both pro's and con's? British Exit from EU takes away its big brother role and contribution to EU, relieving UK of many responsibilities like contributing to EU budget and towards the security of the region but then the removal of the same big brother association with other countries hit it adversely in all aspects taking away the favorable climate of economic development, respect and power. Basically UK decided to stop being the cool kid in high school and no one knows the impact because it is absolutely unprecedented.

What is also questionable is that a complicated decision which holds most of its implications based on probability of events in the future was put through referendum and not left with the government and lawmakers. Common man tends to be governed by emotions and nearsightedness, this is why they select a body of people they trust to rule them. So was the referendum a right choice? Again the answer is not 'Absolutely not' because  there are many democratic governments that refuse to enact a very defined will of the common man like US government's apathy towards gun laws and change in economic safe-keepers by the Indian government, overlooking the gawking needs of their people.

But what is baffling is the issue of 'immigration' associated with #Brexit, the reason I am writing about UK, a country that I never even visited as a tourist is because this historic decision impacted me and may continue to impact if the predictions of global economic recession materialize.

Globalization is real. You cannot have globalization and trade without immigration. The problem of the world is not relocation of people but the economic disparity and aggressive fight for its preservation.

Hate, racism, crime, marginalization of communities, regionalism, religious intolerance, fear as a tool to grab power and money, difficulty is forming partnerships due of insecurities; these features have always existed in our socities, but now they grabbing headlines with their unadorned advocacy.

Sunday, April 03, 2016

Pain Only!!

At physiotherapy, I saw another patient and was absolutely baffled. Despite her injured knee, she wore makeup and her legs were shaved. I on the other hand, totally overwhelmed by pain look like the bear from the movie ‘The Revenant’.   I have gained weight, can’t sit still for a haircut and wear loose cloths in which I can sneak into without my right shoulder finding out.

My friends talk about my future as casually. new gym routine, travel and changes. I fail to comprehend all of their plans at this point. Its crazy i know, its a small non-life threatening injury, a injury which is only known to cause pain and temporary impact to the range of motion. My condition is debilitating to normal thinking as much as its to the routine of normal life.

Now I understand pain better. I am no longer surprised that people confess to the crimes they have not committed after ‘persuasive interrogating’ from cops.

My mom says health is the biggest wealth and she also says we don’t enjoy any of the luxuries in life while sick or in pain. Except for Netflix, she is right. 

I am not the bravest soul in the world. So there is no longer a quest to find balance in my life, with this pain. The plan is to accept my challenges/grumpiness/handicap with left open arm , till the pain starts to be my busy friend again visiting me only once in a blue moon.


Sunday, March 13, 2016

Pain and Zen

My idea of Zen, inner peace, attempts to be a better and kinder person along with detailed road map to anger, stress & health management, all went out of the window with my shoulder injury.

My biggest problem with my current situation is that it’s defying what I learned from the Indian and Chinese philosophy. The Yogi’s, saints, judo master , martial arts guru’s and kung fu pandas have taught us that pain, hunger, repetition makes you a better person. But I am grumpy and complaining and at my lowest level of patience and restraint.

How does one meditate with hungry stomach or sitting on the plank with nails or walk on fire and not want to punch someone. And mind you time is not a factor and you do not learn to see beyond the pain with time.

What am I  missing? Why was the term 'no pain, no gain' coined? I have only gained a dirty house, wasted gym membership and bad temper as the result of this pain. Are there easier paths of enlightenment for people with lower pain tolerance?

For now i work out a plan restore me to my painless, Zen-less self. But now i have a new quest for 'painless gain' and to find a way to add Ibuprofen to my Chi.

Monday, February 29, 2016

Back to Communities

When humans first came up with the idea to stay in groups, it stemmed from a genuine need for survival.

The geographical areas and its resources became territories. Weapons and the brave were soon diverted to defend these boundaries instead of fighting the wild animals. The history books almost singularly dedicated to Men defending and extending these territories. The boundaries became the best way to stay alive and the worst way to die

Another powerful way people organized, was in the name of God and faith. Religion transcends boundaries. It brings people together because of the fear of the almighty and the greed of a good life, before and after death.

When our forefather collaborated, they never fore saw their idea of forming groups will grow into this intricate system of societies, castes, religion and nations. Today there is a social order to societies and nations, too.

However, this has long stopped being the need for safety and is now a petri dish to multiply and groom the darkness of human nature. The high of power and wealth, the greed, the intolerance, the oppression and apathy for others, the rule of fear, the need to fake social hierarchy... all find multiple examples in today's world. There is actually a list of countries which are governed by dictators. There are research organization still dedicated to develop more lethal weapons by superpowers who do not face any real threat of wars.There are numerous religious heads and evangelist with unlimited money and private jets. 

Today the biggest reason for death, fear and human suffering is the overwhelming need of humans to protect or push boundaries and propagate religion. 

May be we should look for small nurturing communities, self sustaining societies and believers being faithful to all faiths. May be we should re-calibrate and reorganize, find reasons to live instead of finding excuses to kill.

Saturday, February 13, 2016

I love comics!! Again!!

As kids we grew up reading comics. We used to rent them to ensure we could afford as many as possible.  The excitement of papa coming with the new lot every evening was one of the highlights of my childhood.

Soon as youth set in, we were introduced to magazines. Politics and current affairs were much more intriguing then the template following, hero worshiping, imagination laden, safe and unreal comics. It felt mighty and empowering to be introduced to the real world. The comics were retired unceremoniously.

After few years in the real world, the intrigue changed to disdain and excitement to dejection. The problems of real world are persistent and seriously embarrassing. The deduction that we are still marred by the primal issues of greed, control, entitlement, hunger for power, reign of fear and apathy for others, is heartbreaking.

As the CNN world page refuse to change for the better, Social media drips with drama of humans who drool like babies for attention and life continues to be an oxymoron; I have decided to retreat to my happy place again and embrace the comfort of imaginative illustrations.


Contrary to popular belief i know exactly what i'm doing – Iron Man 

Saturday, January 23, 2016

New Muse!!

So if you know me personally you know I have serious commitment issues :) I not casual about it even in casual dressing... ;)
A photo posted by @pritisankhla on



But I have been smitten by Instagram for quite some time now. The crazy Arizona sunsets are poetic and soul rendering enough to captivate the imagination of a wanna be writer



Those along with the crazy beautiful places I have visited with beautiful friends
A photo posted by @pritisankhla on



Or anything that is a riot of colors ...
A photo posted by @pritisankhla on



I find worth loving and sharing, I am ardently posting on my Instagram.

Or may be like "MarkBaynard" tweets in the book Goodnight Tweetheart by Teresa Medeiros "May be" I am "just secretly one of those people who would rather have Followers than Friends."