Is it a coincidence that this happens to be my 51 th post....and I complete a year in Bangalore.I want to believe, its some divine, magical connection.Those who always try to find logic in coincidences, may dismiss it, as just another quirky stroke of chance ,numbers and dates coming together.But,what’s wrong in putting 1 and 50 together to make it special and be happy about it.Nothing,in fact it’s also called………. another excuse to post on the blog.
I had been waiting to say this ,the entire year.Every time someone asked me, how long I had been in Bangalore, I would give a very precise (monthly) accurate figure(proudly).But, like a lot of things in life, which we wait to celebrate and forget to do so later, this too, passed away quietly.Well,better late than never. And this rule, hold true especially in blogger land. And since the blog has been a testament to so many high and low points through the year, why not one more.
So,sit back and be patient,for this is a long post as 365.25 days aren’t easy to compress.
1. Flashback to last April. Three sweaty souls come to Bangalore from Baroda, with a bag full of dreams and a truck load of luggage. When we landed in Bangalore, one of the first things (actually second, because the divine weather was the first)to hit me,was the irresistible aroma of coffee in the air. Can you fall in love with the smell of coffee?I did. The cothas coffee factory was right across the service apartment, where we stayed, and every morning and evening for 10 days, I was smitten, by this dark handsome fluid. The aroma was irresistible and the restaurant next door,was our secret meeting place,for many days to come.
Love is still in the air.
2. The big S .
This year was my sabbatical, and I just loved the sound of this word. This year I decided to take a break from work and rest. And ‘rest’ is something I probably I never found the time for. Being a full time mother and wife and home maker, blogger, friend and myself…... nearly took my breath away. Achievements……why should there be any. I never set out any, for this year. That’s the best thing about breaks, you don’t have to do anything and yet you are so busy with everything.
3. The best way to make you value something, is in and with the fear that it will be taken away form you. And I’m not taking about material things. The very essence of life lies in the power of choice and blessed are those who have this control. I came very close to giving up, the carefree life (that I enjoy, so much), at a certain point and I’m glad I had this power and the support of my loved ones.Count yourself lucky if you have the support and backing of your family ,to say no to a job that pays very well,but could have landed your happiness in a ‘well’.
WELL
4. Illusions don’t make reality any beautiful. And I’m glad, that this illusion remained unreal and inaccessible. Sometimes, it takes a nightmare to bring us back to reality, and I’m so glad that the night is over.(if this doesn’t make sense,don’t worry. It’s not supposed to. It’s part of my therapeutic conversation with myself, and believe me it works)
5. I learnt that humanity and charity doesn’t always, reward you back. Be kind but don’t expect any loyalty in return. The number of times, we were let down and duped by cunning maids and drivers, absconding with ‘urgent advance’ is unbelievable.
It’s the loss of faith that hurts, rather than the loss of money.
6.Bangalore will always remind me of yet another’ B’.I never thought blogging would become an obsessive, compulsive disorder. How? and Why? I started?…….The reasons for blogging become defunct at this juncture ,and the outcome more important and satisfying. A big thank you, to everyone who has been here, tolerating rants and thoughts and special and not so special moments. It’s amazing how you connect with people, whom you have never met, but they feel and sound so familiar.
7. I have learnt that in a new city it’s foolish to make resolutions, when you have just stepped in. After the initial maddening traffic encounters, I had vowed never to work far from home, to restrict shopping and friends close to home, to curse politicians and administration every time on the road. But then,Bangalore traffic is a great leveler, and made sure I broke every single pledge.
//God, give me the grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things that should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. //
I’m suddenly a more patient and forgiving person on the road.
8. And then of course I enrolled my knees for a total knee replacement, in the near future. All a result of the hours of badminton,that I picked up this year.I proved a lot of people wrong about how age and weight aren’t detrimental to learning, well that is if you find instructors as patient as the group of ladies who taught me. For without them, I would never be able to say at age 50.Check out my legs….err
new knees !!!
(a special mention about the enthusiastic but short burst of love to learn guitar…..some love stories are best left incomplete. Here’s hoping that I ‘ll pick up the threads err strings some day soon)
9. I updated my juvenile knowledge that TECHIES were much more than computer programmers and mechanics. That south Indian is too restrictive a word to describe the vast South and between the saru and sambhar lie a hundred flavours,which are 'unique' than ‘different’, and that I can differentiate a Kannadiga from a Malayalli to a TAM BRAM, is an achievement(and that my friend list contains hardly any north Indians, is a testament,to this)
10. If you tell people in the bean city,especially in Brigade, that you are taking a holiday to the U.S,chances are you’ll never gain any attention(forget about impressing them).When you tell them,you are travelling to the West coast,they ask,”Why not East?”.When you tell them you’ll spend a mammoth 25 days there,they tell you, “You should do 2 months?”.Almost every 2nd…no..correction… everyone except us has been to the U.S,here in Brigade.
That’s not the reason, for taking this trip.
It’s a like those things you always wished and dreamt of,the unachievable. For it hasn’t been easy to move out of the army and struggle to find your feet, over the past three years.So,it’s time to reward yourself for all the hard work,and give the blog(and readers) a break.I’ll be back,with a load of memories, pictures that speak a zillion words and an accent to show off, in Brigade. CIAO !!!
