Tagged again!

*Satisfied sigh*…Yet another tag to feed my narcissistic obsessions (oh, how I love talking about myself!!). This time it’s 30 questions long!

1. Last Movie You Saw In A Theater:
   Bhoothnath. It was my mother’s day treat to my mum - she’s seeing a movie in a theater after 2 years!! Gosh. Does not speak volumes about my generosity but in my defense, I have suggested movie-escapades numerous times, only to be turned down by her with the response that we should snuggle at home with a dvd. We both loved the movie. And it was a bigger treat to see my mum giggling at the gawky irascible ghost who’d started doubting his own ghostly abilities after having met his match in a razor-sharp kid. There were some cliched emotions and a tad too many songs I’d wished the director had left out of this movie but nevertheless, this is recommended for all of you who still have the child within alive and  kicking!!
2. What Book Are You Reading?
   Re-reading “Conversations with God - Part II” by Neale Donald Walsch. (This is life-changing material)
3. Favorite Board Game:
   (Political) Games played during board meetings :P. Highly entertaining… *Wicked chuckle*
4. Favorite Magazine:
   Been ages since I’ve read any of the regular magazines. The ones I’ve been reading regularly these days are in-flight magazines *smirk*.
5. Favorite Smells:
   The smell of rain on earth. Warm smell of a hug. Smell of hot tea on a cold evening. Jasmine flowers. Freshly baked croissants. Babies (except when they’ve pottied :)). Countless other smells that remind me constantly what a pleasure it is to be alive.
6. Favorite Sound:
   Pitter patter of rain, on a window sill/roof. The delighted gurgle of an infant.
   The sleepy baritone murmurs of my husband on the phone when I have just woken him up with my call
   The sound of a flute, a mridangam, a ghunghroo…
7. Worst Feeling In The World:
   Fear.
8. What Is The First Thing You Think Of When You Wake?
   *Squirm* 5 more minutes, please, please… *sets alarm to snooze*
9. Favorite Fast Food Place:
   Don’t particularly crave “fast-food”. I prefer good food served in a luxurious, candle-light, wine-dine setting ;-).
10. Future Child’s Name:
    My teen-diary has about 150 children names, penned laboriously by me for the naming needs of my entire battalion of cousins. There were a few names out of the lot that I never shared however. Those were my favorites; the ones I’d kept to decide upon when I had a child of my own someday.
    Now if you think I am going to list them here, you’ve got another thing coming mister!
11. Finish This Statement. “If I Had A Lot of Money I’d…”
    Pay my MBA course fee, elaborately furnish our new apartment (with expensive designer stuff) and fund hubby n me for a romantic trip around Europe.
    (Ah. What lovely and pleasant visions… oh wait. This was just a rhetorical question, not reality! *Pouting in self-pity* :()
12. Do You Drive Fast?
    I hope to be out on the roads as a significant threat to public health very soon. And I think I can achieve enough danger without even attempting speed-driving.
13. Do You Sleep With A Stuffed Animal?
    I do NOT like stuffed animals. I did have a stuffed Koala Bear as a child - someone gifted it to me - but I kept him in a showcase, preferring to sleep on my own :). Now of course, I have a non-stuffed, non-animal cuddly alternative
14. Storms-Cool or Scary?
    Cool when I kick up the storm. Scary when my hubby does the honours…hehe.
15. What Was Your First Car?
    I don’t have a car yet. I am about to buy one soon, but I’m on the lookout for something that can survive lots of damage… one that isn’t pretty :).
16. Favourite drink?
    Fruit Smoothies! (Recently was pretty impressed by a banana-strawberry combo)
    Mango milkshakes (I have wonderful memories of many a milkshake guzzled down on rainy afternoons…*smacking lips*)
17. Finish This Statement, “If I Had The Time I Would …..”
    I’m striving to be independent of time from now on. No more driving myself up a wall, counting the minutes left on my  watch. This is a new mantra of mine - “I have all that I want, just need to re-prioritize and live each moment fully”.
18. Do You Eat The Stems On Broccoli?
    I don’t like wasting food, so yes, I do eat the stems; But only if I choose to eat broccoli at all
19. If You Could Dye Your Hair Any Color, What Would Be Your Choice?
    Blonde and burgundy streaks for sure!!
20. Name All The Different Cities/Towns You Have Lived In.
    The main ones in chronological order: Anand-Gujarat (born, and kindergarten years), Dammam-KSA (schooling), Cochin-Kerala (college), Bangalore-Karnataka (work), Erlangen-Germany (work again), Sharjah-UAE (my hubby’s there!).
21. Favorite Sports To Watch:
    With the luxury the TV has become these days for me, I simply have more things to watch than sports. But otherwise, I do like  tennis, pool and cricket. And since my hubby is a football fanatic, I am trying to get better acquainted with that too in a bid to avoid “remote-control” fights. *Screws up eyes indicating concentrated thought*.
22. One Nice Thing About The Person Who Sent This To You:
    Is being a fraud mallu, named after a popular accompaniment to south indian breakfast foods, a nice thing?
    Well, a bachelor boy (though not for long probably) he’s extremely talented at penning humorous conversations and satirical notes (specially about mallu eccentricities :)). NC: thank you for the tag!
23. What’s Under Your Bed?
    Would like to say bhoothnath, but its probably dustnath for now
24. Would You Like To Be Born As Yourself Again?
    The answer to this question would depend on what is meant by “yourself”. I believe that the soul lives forever, so definitely, it will be me who’s back :). However, I have lived a good life as this persona, and more than wanting to be the same again, I would want to be surrounded by the people I love in this life… whenever and whoever I am born as again.
25. Morning Person or Night Owl?
    Owl, for sure. My energy peaks after 8 p.m. (*psst*… secretly: people report that I’m much more inclined to bounce about and giggle after this crucial hour ;)). However sunny-spirited a person I am otherwise, the morning sun sees me as the worst grouch on the planet - Waking up in the mornings is the biggest test for my willpower.
26. Over Easy Or Sunny Side Up?
    Sunny side up ( I hope! )
27. Favorite Place To Relax:
    I am generally a person who can relax anywhere as long as I’m tuned into my ipod. But my most favorite place is a beautiful hammock, at the Taj Coral Reef, Maldives beach - tied just outside my honeymoon beach villa. One could lay there under the shade of trees, listening to the waves of the sea 10 feet away, hear the birds chirping and never know what time meant. And to have your love next to you in such a place is … bliss 
28. Favorite Pie:
    Apple crumble.
29. Favorite Ice Cream Flavor:
    The king of all flavours - Vanilla.
30. Of all The People You Tagged This To, Who’s Most Likely To Respond First?
    I pass this onto the following hapless victims *Evil laugh* ;): Ooomz, Karthick, Raman Sir and Sawani.

An end to the hiatus - Part III - Happy New Year!!!

So, 2007 has been amazing.

I’ve travelled in Europe (albeit at the excuse of work :)), and I’ve gotten married - infact, spent more than half a year in nurturing and giving wings to a relationship that promises to take me on a joy ride, into the sunset of the future  - with my partner for life.

Other important things have happened too, materialistically and professionally speaking. Materialistically (actually *technologically*):

1) I’ve FINALLY got myself a Laptop in July this year. This is after contemplating the extreme step (for a person who thinks as much as I do, of course ;)) first in August last year!  It’s an HP Pavilion dv2000 - and in addition to being sleek and chic, it is top-class in terms of features. The experience so far has been worth every penny spent, and I look forward to more “intimate” times with this new companion of mine (of course, second to you-know-who ;)).

2) To utilize my laptop effectively, I also got a BSNL DataOne Broadband connection at home. Getting the connection was probably the only thorn in the bed of roses last year - whew. What a wait!! (although I know people who’ve endured far more than me) - how many times did I go up and down the road that leads to the Telecom office in BTM?! (In case anyone needs directions, you know whom to approach!!). The connection (UL900) thankfully is great in terms of speed, and download capability - and I’ve just discovered the pleasures of watching movies online :), at YouTube & Google Videos. So, three cheers to internet liberation at home!

3) I’ve also got an Apple 80 GB Video iPod as a companion for all the nightmarish journeys on Bangalore’s famed Hosur Road (although I must divulge that BTM Main Road is worthier of the honour now) - from home to office and back. If all this time, I was worried about storing my 15 GB songs somewhere, my iPod ensures that I have this worry no longer. And looking at the bright side, I still have 65 GB left to fill!! Its musical-heaven for me these days… *Dreamy smile*.

To avoid being labelled an incorrigible show-off, I resist the temptation to list all the other material gains

As for work, this year has been hectic. But it’s also been extremely productive - the year has ended with a promotion, incredible insight, new distinct directions of growth, and I’ve fulfilled one of my long standing goals at work (Gosh, can it get better than this?) - so I’m heaving huge sighs of satisfaction.

Standing where I do now and looking back at the year past, I also go back to my Happy New Year post - way back in December 2006:

“2007 promises to be an important year in my life… what with lots of professional and personal changes on the horizon. I don’t have any material/physically quantifiable resolutions yet, and generally never do, since I doubt my ability (*smirk*) to stick to them with a steadfast resolve.”

I (tongue-in-cheek) state that the resolutions I made, still stand; Much easier to stick to them you see, than for e.g., the tried and tested I-promise-to-exercise-and-lose-weight one ;). Any more new ones? - would have to be only one:

• Be grateful to God and to myself.  Thank you God, - for being there, showing me the way - in fact, the countless ways, and proving that “No matter how screwed up you perceive your life to be, never underestimate God’s love that rescues you right back” is completely true. And my last vote of thanks goes to myself - for falling, but knowing enough to pick myself up, wipe the tears and stumble onwards with vigour. For learning that life is best lived with the least complexity - just a dash of innocence, a thimble of honesty, a pinch of hope and loads and loads of Love.

Happy New Year everybody!!!

P.S. Last year this time, I also exulted at having my blog registering 10,000 visitors. Today, its speeding towards 50,000! So, although I did announce a closure of vote of thanks, it cannot be truly closed unless I count you out there - Thank YOU :). And yes, I will see you later!

An end to the hiatus - Part II

It’s been an eventful year.

Coming back from my trip to Germany, all I knew was that I would be getting back to the groove, with all things that were familiar - my life, my family, friends, and work in Bangalore. What did happen however, was something I wouldn’t have even dreamt of.

Looking back, I (the ever-romantic, raised on the staple diet of Indian love stories and international-chick-flicks) wonder if it wasn’t all like a fantasy… scripted by God. How is it that you’re never prepared for the most momentous of life’s occasions? I waited upon all corners, for love to turn up… and yet, it snuck on me when I was least expecting.

He dropped into my life one Wednesday evening; his baritone (or so I believe ;)) echoing at the other end of my mobile phone. I started off with a strange tinge of nervousness, my mind throwing up a whirl of questions. The conversations started there… but nervousness was soon replaced by comfort, and ease. Laughter came on next, followed by intrigue, excitement and an unmistakeable vibe. Finally, one day, it all came to a point where we both just knew at the same time… this had to be it :).

As I made the second call from my phone that night, to my parents at 11.00 p.m., I didn’t know what to say - all I remember is “I said Yes”.

On the 7th of July, we were engaged formally - our engagement pictures are at http://picasaweb.google.com/shikhagp/Engagement. Was it the special date (7-7-7), or the torrential shower that ensued as soon as he had finished putting the ring on my finger, moving everyone present to murmur about its auspiciousness, or just the fact that he’s made me aware of happiness I never knew existed, which makes me feel so right about it all?

The only thing difficult about the engagement period was the countdown :). Almost 4 months went by; announcing my commitment, or talking about my “fiancee” were experiences unto themselves. Alongside, I found myself in the midst of new found attention ;), an altogether new set of people to get to know and adopt, and dozens of things to do… courtesy our elaborate plans of course!

And then, there was love. To attempt to write about love would be to open the floodgates of my romantic aspirations, and that I would leave for now… only to point at what I have called my description of love through lyrics.
 

Incredible love led to an incredible wedding :)… on the 28th of October. The pictures are up at http://picasaweb.google.com/shikhagp/Wedding, and http://picasaweb.google.com/shikhagp/Reception. So far, its been two months of marital bliss, experiencing my dreams of companionship and love, in life; and looking forward to much more in the coming years. Yes, 2007 has definitely been an eventful year :).

And for those of you wondering why I’ve neglected to say the name that comes with mine now… its Binoj.

An end to the hiatus - Part I

After mulling over silently, chewing on it anxiously, and coming close to exasperation about not being able to find time to blog, I’m finally back. (Yes, yes, stop rubbing your eyes in amazement ;))

Whew!!! It’s been a looong time - and more importantly, one hell of a ride, these past few months.

Not one to keep you nibbling your finger nails - here is part one, of trying to reconstruct the highlights:

Germany to India

My Germany adventure turned out to be much more than I’d bargained for. All I knew when I went from Bangalore, that fateful day on 3rd February 2007, was that I was going for a 2 month work stint, in Erlangen, Germany, with the additional hope of visiting the city of my dreams - Paris.

After reaching Germany, I spent 2 weeks battling the confusion of whether to like or dislike the place I was in. Soon after, liking won hands down, and I was firmly and happily ensconced in the chill of the European winter, basking in the warmth of the friendly people, and the comfort of exciting things to do - at work, and at play.

Till I knew better, I spent the first two weekends in office, doing what I enjoyed so much - hearing the steady drum of my fingers on the keyboard, churning out, what I call works of art, in code :). And then, I discovered my newfound love - (before you start conjuring up visions of Prince Charming) - Travel.

Ah… (*contented sigh follows*)…Travelling in Europe - has got to be the most wonderful thing to do!

  

  

Be it the dynamism of Munich, the quaintness of Chiemsee, the storybook-romantic paths of Rothenburg, the youth-filled-freshness of Wurzburg, the stunning Rhine and Moselle valleys, on the side of which you would find Koblenz, Rüdesheim (famous for its wine gardens), and other tiny little hamlets, or going, on two consecutive days, to drastically different places like Nuremburg, a city peppered with everything you would ever want, and the Bavarian Forest, where you could walk miles in the chill of the woods, only to find at the end of it, a cafe filled with happy people, waiting to welcome you into their lives with a cup of freshly brewed cappucino. 

I saw a different facet of Germany each weekend and picked up little souvenirs from each place visited. And even then, it’s the memories of drinking hot soup after a tiring walk, yummy ice-cream eaten on cold winter mornings, a cable-car ride over acres of wine gardens, and sweet strains of an lonely saxophone heard in a train station, that keep coming back in my reminiscences. Even though I began my travels with treks in the winter, soon, it was to be in the glory of the sun shining fully and splendidly on me, while flowers of every imaginable color decked even the loneliest of paths. The only thing I ever regretted was not having the fortune of seeing the full extent of spring, and the onset of summer, in Europe. Well, those are reserved then for later ;-).

Apart from Germany, my travels took me to the Paris and to the Netherlands.

Paris fulfilled a life-long dream of mine. Just to be in the sheer romance of Paris - a city I’d read so much and imagined even more about - was SO worth the wait! J’aime Paris!!

  

I went up the Eiffel Tower and discovered that it made my heart skip a beat each time I looked up its complete glory - night or day. Stand anywhere on the landscape of Paris, and see it emerging - a beacon on the cityscape. At night, the tower is sheer brilliance, with millions of lights and a breathtaking view of the city.

I was totally enamoured with Paris - I ate hot waffles dripping with cream and sugar, and heavenly crepes with bananas and chocolate, visited the Notre Dame cathedral and felt its sanctity touch my soul, marvelled at the opulence of that which is Louvre - a maze of hallways filled with all kinds of art - that would take you 3 months to look at, even if you were to devote only a minute per artifact! Walked across the Champs-Élysées (pronounced as Shaanz-Eleezay) twice to experience just being in the centre of Parisian haute couture, prayed for the soldier’s souls at the Arc De Triomphe, and topped it all with an incredibly romantic (sans a romantic partner ;)) river cruise on the Seine, music playing in the background, a slight drizzle decorating the city, and falling in love with Paris’ sights. At the end of it all, I said: I’ll be back :).

Netherlands was yet another experience to cherish - going to Amsterdam, The Hague (or Den Haag), to a windmill village (Zaanse Schans) and to Keukenhof over the Easter weekend.

Amsterdam is a city for poets (if we ignore their fame for not-so-soulful exploits ;)). The below-sea-level city is built with an intricate network of waterways to prevent the water from flooding it, and these canals are nestled between the streets lined with the quaintly designed houses. Canal buses are an alternative mode of transport (other than trams/buses) and give you a view of the bustling crowd, canal-side cafes, boat houses, the city square, the parks and the museums (some are frightfully expensive) of Amsterdam. From there, off to Den Haag, a strikingly different place - all glass, metal, high rise buildings and a completely commercial setup. Madurodam is the miniature of an entire city in Den Haag, showcasing Holland’s premier sights and is therefore, a very popular tourist destination. I felt the inner child in me awaken :), as I gleefully peered through the windows of tiny chateaus and clock towers, saw minature trams on Madurodam’s roads, and was lucky enough to visit the Magic Ice Zoo, which is a May attraction in Madurodam - a zoo containing ice sculptures of all kinds of animals - sculpted to perfection, and maintained in -11 degrees temperature.

And finally I and my friends were extremely lucky to catch the yearly tulip extravaganza in Keukenhof, which is an hour away from Amsterdam. If you wish to see God’s creativity and man’s ability to nurture that creativity, on full display, a visit to Keukenhof is a good idea. Acres and acres of gardens, showcasing flowers so exotic and unbelievably beautiful, that your breath would surely be on hold all the time. A paradise for flower lovers and almost all women :), including me.

  

And so, that was a glimpse of my travels earlier this year. Returning to India in May, armed with pictures, and curios, I knew that the trip had warped me for life - it had discovered in me a newfound passion for travel and given me enough picturesque settings to have all my romantic dreams in.

Wait; the story is not over yet. There’s been much more happening in my life, and I’ll keep you posted with the follow ups, so don’t go anywhere ;-). Be right back!!

I’m in Germany!

- Yes, you’re reading the title right. [This will also perhaps explain my silence for the past 1 month- I can safely blame it on the chaos before a trip]

For 2 months, or to be precise, for atleast 7 more weeks from now, I will be staying in Erlangen, Germany… which is geographically in the Middle Franconian region in Bavaria, Germany. I reached here a week ago. Its not a pleasure trip; I’ve come for work reasons entirely. Although, I will not be ignoring the pleasure aspect atleast on weekends ;).

Here’s my update:

Details of my trip: Air France flights from Bangalore to Paris, and then onward to Nuremberg (or Nürnberg). Travelling to here wasn’t all too pleasant - there was turbulence during both flights (esp. the second one, which was a tiny plane, and decidedly uncomfortable :(, although the flight attendent was very sweet), and my digestion system turned topsy-turvy, esp. since I have previously also demonstrated an uncanny ability to turn air-sick. Its taken me a week almost to get back to normal.

Lifestyle: I’m doing well. Living in a nice (in fact, luxurious) 2-room apartment, on Paul Gossen Strasse (that’s how its called, but in German it’s written as Paul-Gossen-Straße). I have company - one of my friends, is living in the same apartment bldg as me, so we’re together most of the time. There are also other Indians (with and without family) from office in nearby apartment complexes, so my first weekend was spent in visiting some of their homes, and feeling less homesick.

Weather: I’ve reached Germany on a not so nice time technically - its winter here and temperatures are varying from 0 to 5 to 10 degrees centigrade. However, it could have been worse - supposedly there’s much less cold here than there is usually at this time of the year. In a week, I was blessed with sightings of snow for only about an hour. There is rain though, and there is considerable wind, which is making the cold worse. I’m hoping I can see more of snow later. Of course, its important to have the right kind of clothes here. I’m decked from head to toe except when in the office and at home. So if you see someone looking like a tiny terrorist in Erlangen, you could think that it’s me :). Here is the pic which shows what I look like here - I’m showing off my black head-to-toe attire, including gloves, taken in my apartment:

Food: Not really much of an issue, since I’m comfortable with continental and the like, food. Had a couple of trips to the supermarket over the week, and loaded my fridge with goodies. Once in a while, my friend n I are cooking Indian food, so nothing much to miss. My only worry is the extra calories which I’m going to put on because of the cheesy, fatty stuff I eat over the week. Have to hit a gym soon.

General impressions about the place:

  

After getting over the initial feelings of “no place can beat India” :), I have started to appreciate the place for what it is. Erlangen is a picturesque place - I’m hoping to take pics and upload them soon. On the top are two pictures of the wonderful view from my apartment window.

Erlangen is spic n span; sometimes, I feel like I’m walking in a fairy tale setting - what with all the cottages, the stone pathways, the clock towers etc. Lots of pretty sights around, including the people. The areas surrounding my apartment are more businesslike, but the places around Siemens City (my office i.e. - Siemens AG takes up a substantial part of Erlangen, and its people, so I’m just using the phrase because there are just so many offices of Siemens around here that its almost like a city in itself) are very pretty and have an old-world charm.

People: Germans here are friendly, and strictly polite. The reason I say the latter is that you’ll get Good morning (Guten morgen), Good day (Guten Tag) etc, with a smile, from virtual strangers, sometimes on the road, sometimes in the supermarket, always in the elevator, and many times in the office. It’s almost like a rule. But beyond that, they are a little hesitant. I’ve been told that for socializing more, they would probably wait for an invite, and you would do good to follow the same. They are also less likely to go over-the-top or shake themselves loose in public (like Indians ;)), and going by protocol is important for many of them. So they may appear stiff/unfriendly sometimes. But the truth is far from that - so don’t go by initial impressions.

Infrastructure, and rules: Both of these bowled me over in the first week. The infrastructure here is very good - they have marked paths for cyclists on the road, and for walking in some places, and since there’s the population is small here, everything is well under control. There is no manic rush, no honking, yelling, no road-rage, and no crazy pedestrians waiting to jump in front of your car. There are signals for walking, and hence you must wait for the signal (even if there are no cars in the vicinity) - dashing on the road when you feel fit, is totally a no-no. The pedestrian has the upper hand here, so if you happen to be in the middle of the road, when the walk signal changes, you need not make a break for it. The cars will wait till you are safely on the other side of the road.

Travelling within the city: The bus transport system here in fantastic - very well laid out, lots of buses at all times. There are numbers for each buses - At each bus stop, there will be a map posted along with information about all the buses coming and going from that stop. The information for a bus is usually: the number of the bus, the stops it goes to, the timings for all the days of the week. There are usually buses, every 5 minutes in all the main stops. And they adhere to the time very well. At the max, you can expect a 2 min delay. A traveller like me would take a monthly pass (Mobi card) which I can get for 34.17 Euros, and with that I can get on any bus, and go anywhere within the city, any number of times. There are no conductors in the buses, so no one will ask you for your ticket, except after 8, when the driver of the bus will open only the door next to him for entry, and you have to show him your card. Within the bus, there is a digital display of the forthcoming stops. Also there is an announcement mechanism, where a nice female/mail voice in German, will tell you what the next stop is. If you want to get down at the next stop, you will have to press a button inside the bus (there are many of such buttons strategically placed on bars within the bus - so you will have easy access wherever you are sitting), and the digital display will then display “Wagen halt” next to the stop name, which will mean that the bus will stop there. Only one person needs to press the button of course - but don’t automatically assume that the bus will stop at all stops. You need to look for the “Wagen halt” on the display next to the stop name. If it is not displayed, press the button, and it will be. If it is already displayed, it probably means that someone else has pressed the button, and the bus will stop.

Whoa. What a load of details. I would have liked to write about entertainment and the like here, but will reserve it for future posts. Right now, this one almost sounds like parts of a German cultural training :). Anyway, this will do for the first set of my initial impressions here. More updates will be coming later hopefully, so for now, Guten Tag :)!

I’m an ENFJ! What are you?

This seems to be the season for personality analysis tests, what with me getting multiple requests to take them and find out what I am

I started off the week by doing a test that told me what gender my brain was. Here’s a brief description of the test, from the page:

Some researchers say that men can have ‘women’s brains’ and that women can think more like men.
Find out more about ‘brain sex’ differences by taking the Sex ID test:

• Get a brain sex profile and find out if you think like a man or a woman.
• See if you can gaze into someone’s eyes and know what they’re thinking.
• Find out why scientists are interested in the length of your fingers.
• See how your results relate to theories about brain sex.

The test has a series of logic-based puzzles, some face ’n eye-gazing (to know how intuitive you are), some calculations and voila! Your brain sex profile is out. As I had suspected all along in my life ;-), the test told me that I had a mostly male brain - or think like a man.

Of course, it doesn’t mean that I need to have a sex change ;)… I think the whole assumption in the test is that “logical, mathematical” thinking is a typically male characteristic, while “intuitive, feeling-based” thinking is a typically female characteristic. I scored well on all of the logical/mathematical tests (not a surprise, considering my profession also validates my ability ;)), and since there were more of them than intuitive tests (where also I did score well), I was mapped to have a “more male” brain.

Mid-week, I got a suggestion from Raman Sir that I should attempt the Jung Typology Test to discover which of the Myers-Briggs personality types I was. I did, and discovered that I am an ENFJ - Extroverted iNtuitive Feeling Judging Personality - also known as the Idealist/Teacher. If you’re left saying “Whaa…t??”, then here are some of the  (very flattering) descriptions to give you a general idea of what I am [*Halo on my head*] -

From Portrait of the Teacher Idealist:

The eNFj, rightly called the educative mentor or Teacher for short is especially capable of educing or calling forth those inner potentials each learner possesses. Teachers expect the very best of those around them, and this expectation, usually expressed as enthusiastic encouragement, motivates action in others and the desire to live up to their expectations. Teachers value harmonious human relations about all else, can handle people with charm and concern, and are usually popular wherever they are. They are found in no more than 2 or 3 percent of the population. 

From ENFJ Profile:

Many ENFJs have tremendous power to manipulate others with their phenomenal interpersonal skills and unique salesmanship. But it’s usually not meant as manipulation — ENFJs generally believe in their dreams, and see themselves as helpers and enablers, which they usually are. ENFJs are global learners. Some can juggle an amazing number of responsibilities or projects simultaneously. Many ENFJs have tremendous entrepreneurial ability.

Whoa! Too much, I say ;)…Truthfully though, I was quite surprised to see the word “Teacher” in my profile, since that is something I enjoy doing the most.

Wait, I’m not done. Don’t you wanna know what type of blogger I am? Here it is from Bloginality:

As a weblogger, ENFJ’s enjoy the relationships with other bloggers because of their rich insights and people skills. Even while they enjoy journaling, they may still feel alone in their thoughts despite the number of people linking to them.

Hmmm, that could explain my title “Lonely In Space”… [*Contemplative*].

TeamTechnology tells me what type of a person I am in the team environment:

In a team environment, the ENFJ can contribute by:

• promoting insight and common understanding amongst the team
• facilitating discussions, encouraging contributions from all team members by asking questions in a structured way
• seeking to arrive at consensus decisions
• focusing on areas of agreement and building on others’ proposals
• bringing discussions to positive conclusions

Sounds good. Now, I realize why I am so obsessed with structure, conclusions and consensus. Now, here’s the not-so-nice part (Just to bring me back to earth level from the clouds):

The potential ways in which an ENFJ can irritate others include:

• talking too much
• avoiding conflict and not giving criticism when it is needed
• taking criticism personally

Ahem. Talking too much?… me?? I guess that’s a dead give-away considering that you can judge my verbal ability from the length of my blog posts. Yup, I need some cellotape on my mouth, sometimes.

And finally, here’s what I can be at home, from ENFJ - The Sage:

ENFJ’s are socially adept and make excellent companions and mates. They also are deeply devoted to their children, yet tend not to be domineering to either the children or mate. In fact, the ENFJ is so even-tempered that he or she can be victimized by a mate who might have become more and more demanding.

:O. Victim, huh? Well, that should teach me to keep an eye open for demanding mates ;-).

All in all, the personal profiling was fun. And the personality typing was amazing, because much of it fit the description I had in my head of my *best* self.

For those of you, who have some time on your hands, I would suggest that you attempt to find out your type too… who knows, it could be a real revelation!!

P.S. Similar Posts from my friends

• What Jungian type are you? by The Visitor
• Open Intentions Initiative by RKVS Raman
• The type logic by Umesh Gopinath

Happy New Year!!

Welcome 2007, and to all those of you, who’re reading this post, Happy New Year!!! :).

Here’s wishing all of you a wonderful, productive, thrilling and entertaining year ahead!!!

2007 promises to be an important year in my life… what with lots of professional and personal changes on the horizon. I don’t have any material/physically quantifiable resolutions yet, and generally never do, since I doubt my ability (*smirk*) to stick to them with a steadfast resolve.

Instead, (as is my practice), I do a mental review of my life in the past year, and wonder if there are any regrets / emotional burdens that I do not wish to carry into the new year, or any profound lessons that I’ve learnt. And while I analyze my actions / in-actions in a whole year, I also grade myself on how much of a better person I have become - sort of a soul analysis :). 

I’ve realized over time that this activity is quite spiritually rewarding, because it keeps me rooted, gives me insights about myself, and provides a chance to correct, to repent and to move forward, as a person. 

As part of the activity, I put forth for myself some behavioural resolutions - rather like a set of moral do’s and don’ts for me -  which I believe are important, and hope to practice everyday of my future life. And since this post is about New Year and resolutions, I thought of sharing some of these - in the hope that it will benefit one or more people out there, in their path of personal growth, re-discovery of happiness and peace, thereby making them better persons who truly embody the human spirit. And so *Drum roll*… here are my resolutions:

1. Say “Thank you” (and be truly thankful) anytime you are in the receiving end of a service (however insignificant it may be): Of course, with very close friends/family, it is often not expected, and may be met with resistance/surprise. However, it is a good thing to practice saying “Thank you” because it goes a long way in instilling gratitude in you, and will ensure that you don’t take anything for granted.
2. Take time to notice the wonderful aspects of the people you love, and the people who love you: Take a moment (or more) to wonder when was the last time you genuinely appreciated some aspect of (one or more) people close to you.
3. Say “Sorry” with real feeling, instead of just as a word which is used to expect excuse for any kind of behavior or error. As much as possible, make sure you don’t get into situations where you may have to say “Sorry”.
4. Stop encouraging thoughts of worry, hatred and fear in your mind: Thoughts have creative power, and negative thoughts can eat the life, the essence out of you - making you physically and mentally sick. 
5. Open your senses - your eyes, ears, nose, mind - wide enough to notice the beauty of the little things in this world: sunshine and rain, colors, clouds and a clear blue sky, sound of water, the warm ‘n cozy smell of home, a child’s smile, innocence and love.
6. Stop saying “Yes” or “Maybe”, if what you really want to say is “No”.
7. Stop donning masks / faking behaviour, just to be acceptable to some people: Be yourself. If they’re truly people you need to be around with, they’ll appreciate you for what you are, than what you project yourself to be.
8. Be truthful to yourself: You maybe saying lies to the entire world, but please make sure you’re not lying to yourself. You’ll be happier if you are comfortable with yourself, and the whys of what you do, what you’ve done and what you’re going to do.
9. Stop ignoring your instincts and your feelings: Often, there is a lot of wisdom hidden in them.
10. Take the time to feel connected: to yourself, to people, to nature, to the world, and to the universe.  You’ll realize that there is a omnipresent, omniscient higher power that loves you.

Once again, Happy 2007 everybody!!!

P.S. Forgot to mention - my blog has got a new year present already btw :). It has registered over 10,000 hits, from the time I started it - which was June 2006. Yay!!! :D. Thank you everyone! - my heartfelt gratitude goes out to all the people who have read and are still reading, commented and are still commenting on this blog! I’m honored to have your virtual company!

Simple Joys of Life

Ever wondered about those simple pleasures of life that you probably didn’t give much importance to, but contributed to making the experience of your life pleasant and wonderful?

Ever realized how sometimes, very trivial and at times, even funny, experiences or probably some routine things you do, turn out to be that which uplifts your mind and soul from the problems and worries of daily life?

Today I thought of listing some of those experiences that were important to me - the simple joys of my life. (And no, this isn’t a forward I received, but I vaguely remember receiving something similar a long time ago :)). Here they are in random order - coming directly out of my memory:

1. Enjoying the wind blowing in my face while travelling in an auto/bus - I deliberately remove the hairbands that keep my hair in place, because I love the sensation of the wind playing with my hair, and the strands dancing around
2. Seeing a child laugh. Infact, anything associated with a child is adorable, except for potty ;). Their laughter is the most uncomplicated thing in this universe.
3. Rain and all of its associated sensations.
4. Vanilla Icecream. I love the texture of icecream, and vanilla is my fav flavour.
5. Switching on the radio/to another radio channel, only to hear one of my favorite songs playing…
6. Listening to music on the walkman/mobile, and dancing like crazy at home. At times, when I walk into my home in the evening, after the trip in the office bus, the earphones are plugged in, and there’s this amazing dance number playing on radio, I just go shake, prance and groove all around the rooms of my house. Yeaaaah
7. Standing in a glass lift and peering through the glass with glee, while the lift moves up or down.
8. Throwing my head back and laughing heartily after hearing a joke/anything witty.
9. Hugging my cuddly n cute mum
10. Watching TV till late on a Friday night…Its my way of rebellion to compensate for the days I reluctantly drag myself into bed cos I have to go early to office.
11. Going for long walks with a dear friend
12. Taking a cool, refreshing bath (with sweet smelling soap) on a hot, sweltering, summer day.
13. Floating, neck deep in water. As a child, I loved floating in a tub full of warm water, with soap bubbles all around me. In recent times, a place I enjoyed being soaked and floating in water, was Hoganekkal… and with me, was my friend - we just lay neck deep in water for hours, bobbing up and down and feeling the waves of the water course through us. It was amazing.
14. The feeling of deja vu I get when I sense particular smells… I have always been able to associate many of my experiences, places and even people by smell - so much so that when I get a particular smell, I always have a sense of deja vu, and feel like I’ve been through it before.  It wasn’t till Balaji wrote about Synesthesia,that I realized what it may be :).
15. Getting in touch with a long lost friend
16. Cuddling in bed, wrapped in a blanket, on a cold wintry morning.
17. Shopping for accessories - mainly junk jewellery - I am a total junkie when it comes to stuff that hangs on my wrists and ears… bells, chains, stars, tinkling things, stones, metal…you name it. I love looking around for quirky looking stuff that matches with my clothes.
18. Discovering money (that’s been forgotten) in an old purse/jeans pocket. Ah! It makes me feel so rich in a moment :)…and sometimes, I purposely stash away some money somewhere for that experience of finding a treasure
19. Coming home to a warm, lovely meal with the family… in my case, its with mum and dad.
20. Getting a bouquet of red roses
21. Renting a video cd to watch on a lonely day
22. Solving a particularly difficult puzzle. To this day, I feel the same thrill when I solve a complex problem at work, or even sudoku in the paper, as I used to feel when I was solving math (mainly algebra) problems in school. Its wonderful.
23. Giving a compliment. I’m generally prone to blushing when I get a compliment - still don’t know how to deal with it :). However, I love giving compliments where they are needed. I’ve realized that it takes a very small effort to notice something extra special in a person. And contrary to popular thought, giving a compliment actually makes the giver feel much better than the one it is intended for… I think it brings about a connection between the humans: you feel appreciation/respect flowing out of it, and it is wonderful,… spiritually rejuvenating.
24. Reading the Sunday newspaper,whilst drinking a hot cup of delicious tea. Its my favorite activity on a Sunday morning, and one of the most relaxing ones. In fact, tea features in a couple of my other favorite activities, and I love drinking tea at odd hours… way into the night :).
25. Hearing an old song and being transported back into time. A lot of songs have that effect on me, and one I distinctly remember in terms of even the first time I heard the song, what I was doing, and what I felt, is Tere Dar Par Sanam from the movie Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayi. To this day, when I hear the violin piece at the start of the song, I get transported to my room in Dammam, Saudi Arabia - on a cold winter evening in my bedroom, looking outside the balcony adjoining the room, while listening to this song for the first time on my walkman.
26. The high of performing on stage. Dance is my passion.
27. Seeing ducks/swans/lotuses in ponds. Often, as I’m travelling on a train to Kerala, once the picturesque locales of the Kerala countryside appear in the train windows, it isn’t uncommon to see ponds filled with pink and white lotus flowers. I also get to see ducks and swans paddling peacefully in the ponds, and I always wonder what lovely looking birds they are… so fluffy and cute… and clumsy, like me :).
28. Going through old photo albums. Photo albums are the only way of holding time still. Which is why I like photography - because I think it is a way of bringing time to a stop and getting a slice of life in a picture… I have a lot of old family pictures at home, and in my school years, it was often a hobby (a very pleasing one at that :)) of mine to categorise the pictures and put them into different albums chronologically, or distinguished by the families they belonged to, or by events etc,to write labels for all the albums and arrange them neatly in a bag. Today, Flickr is the online equivalent of that for me.
29. Poring over book titles in a library/book store, anxiously reading their summaries, biting my nails and wondering which one to rent / buy. I love reading books and it gives me great pleasure to curl up on a bed/couch with one and spend an entire evening reading it and musing dazedly on its contents.
30. Watching my favorite TV shows - right now, its re-runs of Friends, Full House and Bigg Boss, to name a few.

Some list there, eh? I wasn’t planning on such a huge list when I started out, but as I started counting the pleasures of my life… one by one of them popped up on its own accord. Just goes to show that even though we may not know it, we would probably have many such wonderful things that make our lives so special, and make us blessed to be alive and kicking in this world!

Weird things I do

Yet another tag - this time I’ve been tagged by Karthick, and I’ve got to list down 6 of the weird stuff I do in life [I wonder how difficult this is going to be]… Here goes:

• Wake up at 1 in the night, switch on the TV, make a cup of black tea, and sip it in contentment while watching some program on Travel and Living, or some age-old movie that’s playing in a movie channel. The whole exercise lasts for about an hour, and is usually initiated by a couple of sneezes, or a sudden runny nose that I develop in the middle of the night. As I go back to sleep after an hour, warmed by the tea, the runny nose curbed, and my mind fresh from the mental activity of watching the telly, I also mull on how this has become one of the tiny pleasures of my life now
• Turn off the gas knob and the main electricity switch, whilst leaving home, and going back to check both of them atleast 3 more times, before I finally lock the door. When I come back home, I inevitably first sniff the air, make sure there is no smell of gas around, and then switch on the lights. I’m completely paranoid about this, and I’ve never been sure why - maybe I died of a gas leak accident in my previous life.
• While travelling on a train/airplane/bus, and the train is going too fast for comfort (this usually happens in the dead of the night - I, the night prowler, am awake as usual ;)), or the airplane is experiencing turbulence, or the bus is veering on the edge of the road (and there is a steep drop on that side), I pray to God. I tell Him “Oh God… Please take care of me and my fellow passengers. I’m relying on you. However, in case I do have to die today, please take care of my parents”.
• When I hear the sound of rain outside for the first time, I run, open the nearest door/window, take a deep breath (to experience the smell that the dry earth emanates when it first rains), put my hands out, collect a few droplets in my palms and then wipe my face with that. And then I have an enigmatic smile on my face
• I weep buckets (yeah, *smirk*… *blush*) when I am alone at home, and watching a movie that features some sort of a sob-story. The last time I did this was last weekend, when I watched The Deep End of the Ocean starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Whoopi Goldberg, Treat Williams, Jonathan Jackson etc, on Sony Pix. The movie was about a family that has their 3 yr old son kidnapped, only to have him turn up on their doorstep, 9 years later. Very poignant, touching story, that dealt with the trauma and guilt of the mother (Michelle Pfeiffer, wonderful as usual), and of the family, that almost falls apart. A particular scene where the distraught mother (5 hrs after she’s realized the boy is missing), sees the child’s picture, and becomes hysterical, screaming and crying - it had me in copious tears. I wondered afterwards, whether I would have cried so much had I been in someone else’s company - hmmm, guess not :).
• I used to cross my fingers and make a wish whenever I saw a mail-van. It was actually a wierd practice that I (and countless other girls) followed in college (I wonder how many now have even heard of it…). Let me explain the meaning of the practice - we used to believe that when you saw a mail-van, you could make a wish (and the crossing of fingers would symbolize that) - the fingers had then to be un-crossed only when you saw a four legged animal(?!!, yeah, I know, can’t believe that we thought up such things)… Anway this was then supposed to make our wishes come true. Of course, not many of my wishes ever came true, but my belief was pretty strong then, so I would still persist. And till today, sometimes involuntarily, I spy the red vehicle on the road and make the crossing gesture. And then remember that it was after all, just a silly game :). However, more than the silliness of the practice, what brings a smile to my face today is  the realization about how gullible and trusting we’d been at that age - and how cynicism hadn’t invaded our thoughts then. *Sigh*… those were the days.

Yay! I’m done. Phew. *Wipes sweat off brow*.

I’m not going to tag anyone specific here … if anyone is interested to take up the tag, they’re welcome! Meanwhile, I think I enjoyed writing about my idiosyncrasies here - I guess everybody has some wierd quirks that are hidden under the layers of their personality - its fun to write about them once in a while

Tagged!

Well, well, well. The inevitable has happened. I’ve finally been tagged!. In fact, its been sometime that I’ve been tagged, but I couldn’t get around to it till today because I was busy all of last week.

So here is the standardised output:

I am thinking about…

• How to find time between work and other chores, to write posts on everything I’m thinking about these days (Trust me, there are a lot many ideas festering in my brain).
• Buying a laptop before this year ends… I’m not an impulsive buyer btw. I usually do lots of research and buy something only when I’m completely convinced that I need it, and I will have total use for it. What motivates me to do the research, thinking and mulling over the idea of buying, is the need to never regret a decision I’ve made. I positively hate to do things and then spend the rest of my life regretting (life is too precious, you see). And I also believe that once the action is done, there is usually no “Undo” button in life, so having that extra thought never hurts. This ideology has stood me in good stead over the years, and I sleep pretty well in the nights, so I guess its my mantra for a good life. I’ve ventured out and away from the initial topic (as usual), so coming back to the laptop -I need to have a good look at features and price et al - once I’m done, I’ll know whether I’ll actually be buying one soon or not. Right now, it looks like I will be buying one
• How to stop procrastinating and get my driving license and finish that task in my ToDo list asap.

I want to…

• Be of some use to the society. I’ve been contemplating things that I could do as a person, to help make a difference, and children seem to be the cause that’s closest to my heart. It tears my heart apart to think of children in distress; orphaned, made to beg, sexually exploited, physically exploited… and even if I can’t make a difference to all of them, I’d like to do something in the near future, that would help atleast a single child. I would also like to remind all of you reading this, that if each one of us think of helping a single child, we can go a long way in securing the future of our country and our world, and making this a better place to live in.
• Become more fit [Typical bane of any software engineer -> long hours at the workstation + no exercise = bad back, no stamina, unfit body]. I’m dabbling in a bit of yoga, but I need to make more concerted efforts, so that I don’t end up with a whole host of lifetstyle-related-diseases in middle age.

I wish…

• I could remember to be silent more often and learn to hear the voice of God.

I hear…

• Music. If I’m not actually listening to music on Radio City/Radio Mirchi/Radio One/Rainbow FM (yes, yes, those are the main FM radio channels in Bangalore) or on my PC, then there’s always some song playing out in my head (amazingly in great detail - even the background music, interludes, bass etc are adjusted to be exactly the same as the actual song :)). Music is my lifeline. As soon as I step out of my house, I plug in my earphones and there starts my sojourn with Bangalore’s FM channels. The radio is switched off after I’m seated at my workstation, but the earphones don’t come out - the plug is pulled out from my walkman and pushed into my PC’s earphone outlet. And then when I’m going home, radio is my companion - in fact, Bangalore’s much-publicised traffic woes never really get to me :).

I wonder…

• about the complex patterns of humans, their behaviour, their physical attributes, and their peculiarities.
• that if creation on the earth is so beautiful, how magnificent the creator must be.

I regret…

• Nothing. See my entry in “I’m thinking about…”.
• I understand that regret is inevitable at times, because you can always not do the right thing. But I still think its better to understand, accept your mistakes and move on in life, rather than to spend it regretting. Regret is a powerful way of degeneration. With each moment spent regretting, you’re losing a moment that you can use to make a difference, to make a change.
• It takes a strong effort, but believe me: for every new decision you take, spend a minute thinking whether you’ll be regretting it ever. If you think you will, stop and consider. Always make the decision knowing that you won’t regret. This is not equivalent to doing the right thing. You may still take the wrong or right path, but not regretting the path you’ve taken makes all the difference.

I am…

• a Sagi-Scorpio combination.
• Outward, I am the typical Sagittarius, which is my sun sign. Clumsy, likely to put her foot in her mouth most of the time, childlike, enthusiastic, broadminded, optimistic, procrastinating. I epitomize the archer aiming the arrow at the sun.
• My moon sign is Scorpio, which makes me a little brooding inside, emotionally complex, inclined to mystery and magic, determined, a little vengeful and intolerant at times.

I dance…

• When I’m happy, when I’m sad, when I’m angry, and when I’m stressed-out. If music is my lifeline, dancing is my passion. If I am not dancing myself, I choreograph :). Most of the time when I listen to music while travelling on the office bus, I visualize groups of dancers on stage, dancing to the tune of the song I’m listening to, and I think of elaborate choreography routines… [Hmmm... I wonder if I sound like a wierdo *blush*]

I sing…

• Whilst taking a bath, when I’m cooking, when there’s no one in the house and I want to hear my sound echoing off the walls… I used to sing more often as a child, and have performed number of times on stage in school, and in college too. But Bangalore and its cold climate usually gifts me a blocked nose or a sore throat, so public singing is ruled out since my vocal condition isn’t always reliable.

I cry…

• After a particularly damaging verbal argument. Almost always after an argument, esp. with my mum/dad. Arguments always leave me feeling guilty about the things I said, and my irritation/anger at myself gives way to tears. My mother has started calling me a softy nowadays.
• When I watch emotional scenes in movies/hard-hitting documentaries. Yes, I’m ashamed at myself at times, but I admit. I’m the one in the theatre, who’ll be watching a particularly heart rending scene, and holding her hand near her face (so that the people next to her don’t see the streaks of tears on the cheeks) and then with a casual flick of the finger, wiping the tear drop that’s threatening to fall and divulge her secret. When I’m alone at home, and am watching a sob story, I feel the odd pain in my heart (which always precedes the tears), and then the tears are running down my face in copious volumes, and I’m crying away to glory… then of course, I don’t bother to hide.
• Just as a note, I think crying cleans my inner self and makes me more aware of my soul.

I am not always…

• able to understand my own motives for certain actions/decisions, or some of my emotions. I guess life is a learning process, and as you learn about other people, you also learn a lot about yourself through them, and through your actions. If you think you know yourself completely, please think again… Most of the time, what we think we know about ourself is usually something we would like us to be, not necessarily what we already are. Always think twice before judging someone else, because you never really know/can predict what you’ll do in their situation, and you can end up doing something you once condemned. This has been by far, the biggest lesson in my life, and I’m glad I’ve understood it already.

I make with my hands…

• Roses out of clay. I love moulding clay to form the shape of roses and other interesting stuff. Once, for a science project (in 8th standard I guess), I fashioned tree trunks out of clay. The project was about environmental pollution, and we won first prize by the way :).
• Dance mudras (symbolic gestures).
• Knitting (I have learnt knitting, and like it very much, but I don’t know how to make useful material like sweaters). Strangely, I don’t like stitching much.
• Food. I love watching cookery shows, but am not a particularly experienced cook - because I don’t like cooking on a day-to-day basis, and also because as a bachelor girl, I can indulge and laze around, and cook only maggi/cornflakes/eat bread for survival. BTW, I said I may not be an experienced cook, but I didn’t say I’m a bad one. I do cook irregularly, and usually the food comes out okay, so I guess I can survive without burning the kitchen down, or having people admitted in the hospital.
• Drawings (on paper, on Microsoft Paint and in Adobe Photoshop).

I write…

• My blog (this one was easy wasn’t it? :))
• Official documentation for my project - concept manuals, functional specs, design specs, make presentations, excel sheets for quality analysis and estimation, training material… yes, the works.
• I also scribble during meetings. My hand is constantly at work, and I have scores of paper lying around with scribbles, doodles, and drawings - all output from my meetings.

I confuse…

• People by talking too much about a particular topic. I have a very logical approach to thinking so I inevitably try to convince by saying things that may be like A = B and B= C so naturally A = C. But the problem with logical thinking is that it should be brief. My problem is that I have lots of information, so when I use all of it to convey some idea/solution, my listeners are initially always confused. Then I have to repeat and structure the information bit by bit till I finally convince and people agree… Yes, I’ve confused you too, haven’t I?

I need… (in no particular order)

• Love.
• Fresh air, water, food, clothes and a home to live in.
• Emotional security.
• Money.
• Work. I love working. Work makes me complete. Work provides the structure in my life. Although I do have Monday blues, and sometimes a dislike for routine, I would be incapacitated if there was no work.
• Challenges. Life is a challenge, and even though there are hardships, I realize that we become powerful by overcoming each challenge. I’m constantly inspired by people who try to make the most of what they have, and often overcome debilitating challenges to find more meaning in and to life itself. I thank God for not making my life a cake-walk, or else, I would have become a lazy, useless piece of s**t.

And finally…

• I love life.
• And I tag my friends and everyone who reads this post, who hasn’t been tagged yet and has a blog, so that they can spare some time for introspection, clear the clouds in their thoughts, and hopefully make new discoveries about themselves.
• I enjoyed being tagged :). Thank you, Visitor.