Mutterings

Some random mutterings:

1. I had a freak accident while coming back home in an auto. The autowallah dashed a car, riding at full speed. Fortunately for me, I escaped with only minor bruises. Was really very lucky I guess.

2. Till date I have not been able to figure out why some (Note: Educated) Indian parents still cannot digest the fact that their son or daughter can chose his/her own life partner. Quite a few of them still insist that their wards should only get married to a person of their choice (Note- Same caste, religion, region, blah blah). While this might seem okay in an arranged marriage, I have witnessed real life instances of a person having a boyfriend/girlfriend, and being forced to get married to another person against his/her will. Something which you might feel only happened in movies so far. Come on parents, learn to be a bit more broad minded. It will only serve you well in future. Do not think that you are the best judge for your child in every circumstance.

3. Finally catching up a bit on my Japanese. Need to clear N5 this year. Have started practicing Kanji as well. As they say- Nihongo wa Omoshiroi desu ne (Japanese is interesting).

4. If you want to get inspired, you can watch movies such as Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist, or the Samurai X live Action movie trilogy. They are really well made movies, with lot of effort gone into them. I love one scene in Street Fighter, where Akuma/Gouki trains in the Dark Hado path.

5. Job has become kind of repetitive and dull by now. I guess I need to focus more on where I am heading. They rightly say that most people are not satisfied with their corporate lives. It’s more like a struggle for existence.

6. Need to plan my first foreign trip. Hopefully Europe. Fingers crossed.

7. Finished reading Quiet. By Susan Cain. An excellent book on the power of introverts. A must read for anyone. Reading 4-5 other books currently.

8. Want to take up one sport this year. Inkling towards tennis or squash. But need to find the right venue.

9. Need to re-join the gym and lose some weight. Have really caught up on some inches on the mid-riff.

10. Want to buy a Bokken. No idea where I can get it in India though.

A New Year, as always

Yes, another year has passed, and I feel as if I am doing with the “Writer’ stage of my life. True, I have written numerous articles, have always been proud to have a CV point stating that I am an blogger, have mentioned that in numerous interviews as well, but I feel there comes a time when one should know when to move on.

The truth is that far few people are reading my posts than was the case earlier. Also, without a doubt the quality of my articles has deteriorated over time. Maybe its just that I do not get the feel or passion to write any more. I have moved on to other things, music, and drama[watching] for once.

2014 was a year of mixed feelings. I had my share of ups and downs, heartbreaks and joy givings, just like anybody else. Am not being overly optimistic and shall try not to be pessimistic either. Time just flies.

Yesterday I saw Naseeruddin Shah perform live in the NCPA theatre, donning the role of the legend, Einstein himself. And really, what a performance it was. Left me mesmerized to the core.

In life, there are so many things one wishes to achieve, but so little time to do them all. And I am sad to say that I have belonged more to the “Thinker’ than the ‘Doer’ category. But now, is the time for change. Now is the time to do something meaningful, and escape the clutches of negativity.

Books will be read, games will be played, hearts will be broken, songs will be sung. And yet the sun steadily rises and sets upon all our glooms and sorrows.
Now is the time to take initiatives and make the most of ones life.
Cheers to that. Adios.

Intolerance Dignified

So maybe, while I was watching Rang Rasiya, the thought came up to me- Why is it that so many people are intolerant about a host of various issues? Nudity, kissing in public, making diagrams of Goddesses, sex, religion, expressing opinion in public, writing something apolitical on social media, and the like.

Are we really such big hypocrites? Or, in todays India, we are witnessing a clash of the rigid patriarchal system, with the liberalism school of thought. In any case, there will always be a sect of people who will oppose anything which is against their ideals, and resort to all sort of vandalism for it.

Honestly speaking, a little bit of individualism can go a long way to promote our well being. Live and let live.

Of Samurai, Swords and More

Of late, I have been thinking of a topic to write upon. So let me combine some of my interests into this blog post: anime, swordfighting, ninjas/samurais.
I admit, I have been fascinated by samurais and ninjas ever since I was a child. I think that was the beginning of my passion for anything Japanese. It started off with watching the martial arts movies, and also the fictional accounts of Ninjas and Samurais. [Just for the record, do watch the classic masterpiece Seven Samurai by Akira Kurosawa if you haven’t already]. Of course, video games like Ninja Gaiden and Double Dragon added to the spirit.

So in this post, I shall be listing down some of the famous fictional swordsmen who have actually inspired me a lot.

1) Roronoa Zoro:

Arguably, one of the most loved anime characters in the entire history of anime, and also one of the most popular swordsman, Zoro is a class in himself. Originally a bounty hunter, he became a pirate under Luffy, with the sole aim of becoming the strongest swordsman in the world. Zoro has an incredible level of stamina, and is able to withstand the strongest of attacks, even though it might leave him in an exasperated state. Without having any special powers, Zoro relies on training the old fashioned way, using three swords to cut anything he wishes too. Zoro indeed stands for a ‘Never say Die’ Attitude.

2) Himura Kenshin:

Also called the Hito-kiri no Battosai, or Samurai X, Kenshin is said to be one of the best swordsmen of his generation. Labelled as the most feared manslayer during the times of war, Kenshin later adopts a more peaceful approach, and promises never to kill again. Of course in the anime, he seems to have several superhuman moves, using the Hiten Mitsurugi style of swordfighting. Kenshin is indeed the legendary samurai.
A similar character is Jin, from Samurai Champloo. Am not mentioning his name separately, but he too is a good swordsfighter.

3) Kuchiki Byakuya:

Although, technically speaking, he is not really a swordsman, but definitely depicts a samurai of the older Japanese times. I have written about him earlier, so will not repeat it again.

4) Raiden, from the Metal Gear Series:

Raiden is a very popular video gaming character, who is half human and half cyborg, fighting against the forces of evil, in the immensely popular Metal Gear Series. In fact, he is the major character in 2 of the games. Though his real swordfighting skills are involved in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.

5) Ryu Hayabusa from the Ninja Gaiden Series:

Ryu is the typical epitome of the Mystical Japanese Ninjas. The series combines swordfighting with magic, and other supernatural elements, but Ryu is arguably one of the best Ninjutsu users of his times.


Of course, there are other famous characters too, but am limiting to these five as of now. Keep tuned to more stuff in future.

A Little Pinch of Salt..

Okay, I know I haven’t blogged for a really long time now, and my blogging is reduced to a mere post a month. Maybe I just don’t like blogging nowadays. Cant think of a better reason. I know compared to the views and hits I used to get earlier, just a handful of people actually bother to read my blog posts as of now.

And maybe I don’t really have any concrete stuff to write either. Office life is going on as usual, with its shares of ups and downs. Still have to learn a few things, especially the art of prioritizing and managing time.

The good part is that, I am learning to keep myself involved. I have finally(partly thanks to Subodh for this) joined a gym, and will hopefully maintain the consistency to become fit. I have also joined Japanese classes, and my passion to learn Japanese will hopefully now help me learn this beautiful yet complex language.

Next stop is to start a particular sport. I hope this planned change in my life will bring in further benefits. Both professionally and personally. But I can finally say that I am indeed living life. Depression and frustration stay away.

Reading continues as usual. Occasional video gaming and tv watching too[which is time waste]. Sometimes, try my hand at cooking some basic stuff. Made anda bhurji for the first time, and liked it. I think now I do need to socialize a bit more. Maybe I will do the one thing i really hate, and go to some club, just once. Havent been to one for a long time.

Personal Stuff..Again!

To be honest, I admit I have been writing much less than I used to. Perhaps because I am now immersed in full time work, honeymoon period being over. Or because somehow I don’t really get the inspiration to write nowadays. The once a dream of becoming a writer has also slowly faded away with time, bringing way to new priorities and opportunities. That being said, I do want to publish at least one book in my lifetime. You never know what surprises life brings next.

I think I did some introspection and analysed a few of my weaknesses. Things which I need to improve. Somehow I feel that I can be more social, and take part in different activities outside of work. I have to prioritize and set things right. Sitting at home and doing nothing, will end up in disaster.

Right now, after being in Mumbai for over a year, I still have not made any major contacts outside of my company, and beyond my MBA batchmates. This definitely leaves scope for lot of improvement. Moreover, I have to look at my health, and fitness, which definitely needs lot of push ups(pun intended).

Somehow I have always wanted to travel to different places, but lacked the guts to do so. Now I am making it a point to visit at least two new places(namely cities) each year. Done with Bangalore for this year, looking at Hyderabad next.

Learning to manage finances and savings/investments is the next major challenge. This step, however is going to help me for the rest of my life, so is without a doubt, extremely important. And again, I want to pursue my interest in Astronomy too. So many things to do, so little time. Life is about priorities.

Quite a few people comment that I have become ‘settled’ in Mumbai now, with a decent job, all facilities, and the only thing left to do is to get a life. Short minded thinking notwithstanding, why do people believe marriage is like an ultimate goal in life? Now, with that being said, I do admit that I kind of regret the fact that I have never been in a relationship. Positive or negative, there are things you learn which you cannot if you have been single all your life.

There may not be any ultimate purpose of living, but if you are living, you better make every second count.

Recently completed the Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair. An interesting fiction book, which I would recommend. In gaming, I am occupied with Tomb Raide (2013), which is definitely a pretty good game. Looking forward to MGS V.

Thinking about picking up a Real sport now for a change.

Too many plans, and none executed. I think for a change, I need to focus less on planning, and more on doing the Execution part. This has been another weakness. Too many ideas and plans killed in the initial stage itself, mostly due to laziness than anything else.

See you all later. Till then, enjoy your lives to the fullest.

My First Designation

I write this post after completing 13 months in BASF, my first job. It has really been a roller coaster ride so far, and I hope I am a better person than I was an year ago. Both professionally and personally.

Tonight, I returned home at 9:30 pm, due to some last minute extra work. But I am still feeling happy. Amidst the heavy pouring rain, life goes on as normal in Mumbai. I got two more books today, and as ever my list is increasing like never before. Though of course, I moved into a new place, so still taking time settling down. The experience in the Dahej plant was pretty good, but as of now, am really glad to be back in Mumbai, the city of dreams.

We had a mini celebration in office as well, and of course got the confirmation certificate post completion of my yearlong training. Now I am officially an Assistant Manager in Human Resources, at age 25(one of the youngest in the company), and definitely looking forward to my new role. Working in a team, and dealing with policies which impact the welfare of all employees, is something which really gives you a kick from inside. Recently a senior colleague who met me, told me that I should be in Marketing, considering I am from FMS (known as one of the best bschools to pursue a career in marketing). However, I am quite sure that HR is my calling. Even in my batch, people remember me as ‘THE’ HR guy. But, its only now that I feel I am making a very tiny dent in the big ocean which is HR. But definitely a good start. And I am thankful to BASF, and my remarkable colleagues for giving me this opportunity.

I just saw the latest episode of Naruto, and even though the story may be too stretched or illogical, it still inspires me to do my best. Especially considering the spirit of Itachi Uchiha is still remembered and elaborated. He will definitely be the most inspiring fictional character for me till the end.
But I seriously do need to take a vacation to a proper place. Plans still pending.

But I am happy that I face very few periods of depression/frustration nowadays.