Parted Away

My key chain feels lighter.
My purse feels heavier.
My heart feels lighter.
My frequent traveler bus miles feels heavier.
The earth says I am lighter.

Sold my car. One less key in my key chain. My dear car that served me so well, in rain and shine, and in snow - in all quantities is off my service. It was there for me when I needed it. Never once uttering a word or disobeying. Whatever be the condition. That's what I liked about it. It talked softly and worked hard. The engine was extremely smooth and sweet. And the response to my commands - just right. Not too responsive. Never under responding.

Features I miss so much when I drive those all electronics rental cars. You stamp the gas and it takes its own sweet time to decide if it has to accelerate and then blurps once before catching up with my desired speed. If I turn the steering, thinks for a second before deciding to execute my turn. I feel it just does that to irritate me. Thanx to all the mechtronics with the tronics part literally taking over the mechs.

Contrary to popular beliefs, not having a car saves a lot of time. Like not having to go to places I don't have to go. Reading useful stuff in a book or newspaper rather than road signs and bill boards while traveling. Chatting with a co-passenger instead of shouting obscenities at the guy in the adjacent car. It also helps me do nice things like watching the people on the bus and the road, enjoying the passing scenery instead of keeping an eye for morons behind wheels, speedometer behind the speed limit and a cop behind me.

And you know what pisses me off the most about owning a car? Paying for insurance. Yes I need the financial security for making sure I am fully covered if I do something stupid on the road or if someone does something stupid. But from what I hear, insurance companies are more than glad not to help their customers. So much so, there are so many I know who are reluctant to go to the insurance company after an accident because their premium will go up so much, it would be cheaper to get a loan and pay for the repair rather than get it from the insurance company. The premiums sky rocket so much for so long, it gives a new meaning to the advice that you are paying for your mistakes in your previous birth. Heck we even pay for mistakes committed by others in their previous birth. The worst part is, even if it is not my mistake, my premium will go up.

Looks like the only reason why we buy insurance is because the government mandates it. I thought it was called tax.

New card

Got a new credit card by mail and unlike what I do with most unsolicited cards that I receive, I am going to keep this one. It touched my heart like no other card has ever before. Wondering why? It has my full name. No letters lost. You might think big deal. But with a name that is 25 characters long, its a once in a life time happening for me. My name has been chopped, murdered, spoilt, tossed around in every credit card that I have received till now. And this card comes in the mail with my name intact. Exactly how it should be. Should I thank the credit card company for sqeezing in my name or the postal department for the safe handling? But actually I don't care much. As long as they keep the name sufficiently long and resembles my name, its fine.

Having a long name and a longer last name brings with it a nice set of conversation appetizers. The typical cute girl at the counter looks at my name in the card and goes wow. (It could be that she looked at me and went awe but pretended looking at my cc. Just one of my pet theories. Never bother). Then she picks a conversation with me. It typically goes like this:

CGC (Cute Girl at the Counter) : You have such a long name. How did you tell your name to your teacher as a kid?
D to himself: Shd I lie that I cud handle any tough tongue twister even as a kid??? Na.. take a safe route.
D: Wow that was fast. I just gave you my card and you already completed reading my name. You are pretty (pause for a few seconds till her eyes expand and winks once) fast in reading and comprehending.
CGC: Come on. That's nothing. I used to ...
(At this point I stop listening and think of the best place I can take her for dinner ).
D: So how about discussing more about this and other stuff over dinner at Taco Bell?
CGC: Hmm... But can I bring my boy friend along? He would be interested in your name too.
D Talking to himself.: Heck she is interested only in my name and not in me.
D To No longer Cute GC: Actually I just remembered I promised to take my girl friend to a movie. Better luck next time.
D again to himself: Better luck next time.

And after trying to use my credit card for the umpteenth time, however small the purchase, so that I can pick up a conversation, I end up disappointed, staring at my card and thinking - 'will it ever help me?'.

But me being myself, never losing hope in me, my name and my credit card, I am continuing in my pursuit of ...

The very same everywhere?

Something strange happened on my way home from office in the bus. A conversation I would have expected to
hear on MTC route 70 from RedHills to Tambaram in Chennai took place on route 270 from Downtown to Maple Wood. A bunch of us, including a middle aged lady, a middle aged guy, a slightly older lady were sitting close to the driver. This middle aged lady gets a call on her cell and after finishing the call, comments - "My kids. " Shakes her head and continues "It was my husband on the phone and called to say the kids threw some cooked stuff in the bin by mistake ...". "And was wondering when I would come home.". To add to the good laugh we all had, I added " Good that it was not your kids calling to say the same about your husband. ". After another round of laughter, the guy asks her "Guys or Girls?". She says "Both are boys. How about you?". he replies a boy and a girl.

Surprise upon surprise. She comments "Girls are so expensive to grow. They need so much while growing up, and once they are grown up, their marriage is so expensive. Their wedding dress and everything."

This was from a typical middle aged American women from a family living in the suburbs. I am not sure about my counterparts living here and trying to understand the American way. To me, it was a rude shock. Perception and media portrayal says people in developing and third countries consider girls more of a liability, having to live with the concern of getting them married.`I should not be generalizing based on one person's statement, but what she said, I assume, was based on her observations and her experiences here. I don't see any reason why she would make that comment if it was not close to reality.

It was a shaterring of all the myth about the American way - where it really does not matter if it is a guy or a girl. Thats the message I got from the movies and the television. And here we have someone saying exactly what we would expect someone struggling to meet ends meet traveling for 2 hrs in a crowded bus in Chennai. For having said that, I have never heard such a statement made by any one in a Chennai bus. Probably its just a perception that the media portrays on the society and tries to fit the society into that mold.

Questions

Sitting in the office  designing solutions, fixing problems, it made me wonder.
Right from kindergarten, why is that we are taught and asked  to come up with answers? Why is that we are not taught and asked to come up with questions? Infact, if anything, we are discouraged from questioning authority. Questioning what the teacher says. What the text book says.  And my favourite - assumptions. Assumptions are the foundation of any solution and questioning it is shaking its very bottom. But most of the time, based on the available knowledge and given assumptions, we proceed to the solution. We are all well trained in that - finding solutions and answers given the required information. What we are not taught or asked to do - question that information, assumption. Don't we have to verify if the starting point is correct? If our premise will not lead to the demise of our solutions?
 
As a toddler, with minimal knowledge, we question everything. 'Why' becomes the most dreaded word to our parents. They run out of options and answers and invoke authority. The teacher in school does not have the time or the inclination to field questions. Forget about encouraging the kids to ask more.
 
Where does this all lead to? Denizens who are great at fixing but who fail miserably in questioning why the hell did the problem occur in the first place and why the hell am I fixing this? I understand. Asking questions raises bp in other people. Fixing problems make others happy and gives you an adrenaline rush. So people are content solving. People who are supposed to question everything - journalist - have failed miserably.  They too have stopped questioning and just listen to prepared statements.
 

Morris Dancers

One simple turn made my day :):):)....

Let me explain. I went to my friend's place to pick a book. On exiting from that place, I decided to turn right to the Como lake to spend some time reading that book. On reaching the lake, I noticed a bunch of ladies dancing to traditional English music. They were wearing authentic English dress that were similar to what I remember seeing worn by bagpiper. I could not believe ladies in their 40s executing those steps. Not too difficult but certainly tiring. Practice might explain their agility. It was totally awesome and every one who had come there for a nice stroll simply stopped to watch them. The lead lady explained to the crowd between songs about the history of the dance, the people in twin cities doing it and the gender criteria that came with the dance. It was tradionally done by men. By the end of 19th century, it was introduced to the ladies. Very rarely do they mix men and women in the dance. Except...

There are 5 groups in the twin cities area. 2 men's group, 1 women's group , 1 mixed group and 1 children's group. The women's group was practising and performing there at the lake. The lead, towards the end of the performance, invited some in the crowd for a dance.

Deena was invited too. It was like waking him up from a dream. Only, now the reality was better than the dream. Too bad other men in the crowd refused to join. So it was Deena, a few ladies from the crowd and those amazing ladies who showed so much enthusiam at such an age, that it made everyone wonder if we grew younger as time progresses. A few practice steps to get a hang of things and boom the live music went live. The audience who took the challenge and crossed the line were well rewarded with an experience that made them feel like kids playing in the park oblivious to what awaits them once they grow up. Our friend Deena was giggling away to glory.

Wish life was a dance...

LV & GC

Just back from a whirlwind trip to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. Hectic. Tiring. Fun. Awed and amazed at what nature has made and what man can make. The two places, which are the flagship creation of man and nature respectively, are vying for attention. Flying into Vegas was like going to an island of lights and show and party in the middle of a sea of sand and parched land. Similarly, driving to the Grand Canyon, the sudden sight of Grand Canyon sort of throws you back. You shake your head to make double sure what you are seeing is what you are seeing. It's simply awesome. The man made wonders at Las Vegas look miniscule in size over what nature has carved over a million years. But what took nature millions of years - attract thousands of people everyday, man did it in less than 30 years at Las Vegas. The river knew how to slowly and carefully erode the rocks to create that wonder. Smart bussiness people knew how to carve the sands of Nevada into Timbuktu of fun and frolic. Money is eroded out of people's pocket to create those marvels. The rocks don't complain. Neither do the people.

Each of those two places were a visual treat. Both places offered wonderful opportunities for photography. While these photos cannot and will not tell what it means to see it person, those not convinced may take a glance to tell themselves that ya its certainly worth a visit.