Kahaan Ke Idiots! Aaaaall izz well :)

I had started this blog after I watched 3 idiots for the first time on the 27th of December, but somehow found myself out of words. The movie was brilliant...I hadn't laughed like that...or been moved like that during a film in forever! But still I just couldn't get past the rather tacky title! So I decided to get back to it.

And today I have..having watched the movie again :)...

Don't really want to analyze it...break it down...and what not...but I did leave the hall wishing I were more like Phunsuk Wangru! What would I not give to have that kind of certainty of purpose..of passion for SOME field...I mean I like what I do...I have loads of fun travelling...yet given a choice...I'd rather bury myself in a book or randomly surf the net than go to office! What does it take to want to wake up at 3 in the morning wanting to go back to work...What makes passionate people tick? What makes Aamir Khan re-invent himself and bring a 20 year old character to life at the age of 44 ...when others his age are either frustrated with their work...or longing for retirement! What makes Paulo Coelho get up early every morning and dedicate himself to writing...What makes Amitabh Bachchan...at an age when many Indians practically give up on life...hit the gym at 5...and do more in a day than I probably do in a month!

All these people have that spark...have flamed that fire within...but how do you and I do the same?? I have tried listening to my heart...it is by far the most confused thing on this entire planet! Doesn't really help!

Sigh...someday...I will know...till then I shall continue to hope ... Dil pe haat rakh ke bolungi...Aall izz Well :)

Sing Sleighing Songs Tonight!

It is THAT time of the year again...There's a chill in the air...Santa Claus movies on TV...plenty of hot soup/ hot chocolate in the kitchen...a collection of books to read...no more office till next year...Christmas is heeeeeeerrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeee!!!

This is one festival that has crossed the religion lines world over. There is a warm fuzzy feeling in the air despite the cold...people go out of their way to do their bit of good in the world...spirits are high (pun intended) and people are happy in general. It brings back memories of school days when we dressed up in "Fairy Frocks" and "Baby Tuxedoes" and sang Christmas Carols before the entire school! This was usually followed by a Ho-Ho-ing Santa (one of our fattest classmates :D)...who threw sweets down...and distributed cakes in the end....They were FUN days!

I had once read about some generators that scientists have set up that detect the mood of the world...to paint a picture...imagine bulbs lighting up across continents (yeah..even in Africa) when the world consciousness rises up in support of or against something. Apparently made the generators work overtime during the last US elections...I'm sure the same happens during this time of the year!

So let's get our act together...reflect on the year gone by and draw up our New Year Resolutions...do something awesome for the people we love...be creative...be happy...Just enjoy the moment...

Star Struck

One minute I was admiring the topmost floors of our hotel that seemed to disappear into the afternoon skies...and the next minute I hit the floor hard ... cheek first ... "Welcome to Dubai," said a sarcastic voice in my head as I pretended that it was no big deal and collected pieces of luggage from the floor in front of my new manager. The hotel was gorgeous inside too, but things were swimming around and my colleagues' voices came from somewhere far away as I tried to clear my head after my latest fall.

It wasn't my fault. After getting out of the massive airport, post a 4 hour marathon in-flight movie session, you somehow feel like you are part of some glitzy hollywood set. Buildings seem to swim upwards out of no where. They turn at angles you never thought they could...they lean towards the ground...the make waves in the air....or simply disappear into the sky. If that wasn't enough, the glass exteriors reflect sun's rays from every possible direction right into your eyes, till you start getting weird bright flashes in your head.

After the shock and awe ride from the hotel, how on earth was I supposed to see that tiny little step that came out of no where and tripped me and made me see a whole new set of stars...

So with an aching cheek, a purple shoulder and a painfully swollen hand began my trip in Dubai. Apart from the glitz and the sheikhs...it almost felt like home...probably pre-partition home...considering the large Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi diaspora.

With one weekend in hand to check out Dubai, we decided to make the most of it. So our first Friday was spent shopping for 7 hours straight at the famous Dubai mall (whoever said Dubai was a shopper's paradise was solely talking about the variety...the prices are crazy)...post which we ended up in a colleague's friend's house and had the most amazing time ever! Since IIFT I hadn't gotten together with interesting people and just talked away about almost everything under the sun right through the night! It was brilliant!

The next day we decided to go for the much heard of desert safari. So off we went "Dune Bashing" in Land Cruisers, followed by bike rides and camel rides in the desert...and then the whole desert camp feel...complete with Lebanese food, sheesha, falconry and a belly dancer!

Driving down the roads at night is even more amazing, as the city cools down...and the buildings light up...the exotic Burj Al-Arab changes shades ever so often...this city indeed never sleeps...

My best moment there however took place when I was coming back on the last day from my final shopping trip to one of the malls. I got a Pakistani driver, gave him the wrong address and then shouted at him for making me get lost. But he was the best! He patiently called his friend, found out what I was talking about in punjabi, patiently explained how I had got it all wrong...and then told me all about his family that had spread across the globe. He was from Sialkot, from where my grand mum has come too...and so we discussed how the partition had been the worst idea ever...and how the leadership was at fault...

I feel an instant connection with Pakistanis...whether I meet them in Buffalo or Dubai..maybe because one set of my grandparents came from there...Don't know...but would love to go there sometime...