Train Tales: “No – Thank you”

It seems like just yesterday I shared my first post on my interesting public transport encounters. Two years ago when I first ventured into blogging I opened up with a post called train tales and I have been meaning to share more of my train incidents and here goes.

Although I have built a certain level of tolerance towards metro transport as I have been commuting to work for the last few years, I can’t imagine riding the train standing throughout the length of the journey especially in the early hours of the day to get to work. The early rising during work week only drives me insane and aching for more rest and therefore I found a hack to find seats which is to catch the train at this specific station where the coach is almost completely empty during the mornings. This helps me tremendously to rest while traveling. I was relieved to find this empty station and every morning I take my train from this stop. In these hassle free mornings I usually slink into an empty seat pull out my oversized Ray-bans and wear them, figuratively drawing the curtains so that I may not be disturbed by anyone and can rest peacefully.

For a while everything was going smooth but one weekday morning as I was dozing away on my seat as usual, I hear a disgruntled tone of a woman from the entrance scolding the passengers around her for not offering seat to a pregnant woman. I am pretty sure all of us in the train had to do a double take staring at her tummy because she didn’t look any pregnant and only after she angrily brandished her finger indicating the tiny pregnant lady hidden behind her did we know that she was fighting tooth and nail on behalf of this other pregnant women and demanded righteous action from us to offer her a place to sit and the funny thing was she kept ordering the pregnant lady to speak up but the woman wouldn’t budge. She just kept mum and didn’t even so much as lift her head slightly even though she had unfailing support from this intimidating lady.

Honestly, without a shadow of a doubt had I noticed the woman first I would have offered my place and so did I and although I was seated much further behind in the coach, my empathy got the better of me and I instantly sprang up, called out to her and  offered my seat. As she loomed closer all I could notice was her heaving breath and her shiny sweaty forehead.

I was happy to have helped her that day and partly relieved seeing her seated safely, as the metro crowd can get overwhelmingly large in numbers once the journey progresses. I rode the train standing and let me mention that this isn’t entirely new to me as I voluntarily give away my seat all the time to old people and mothers with kids or if somebody requests kindly and I am always happy to relinquish my seat then. But this time it was a little different and I am hoping you will understand what I went through as I go on but if not, it’s still cool. To each his own 🙂

So the next morning I again catch the train and find my trusted seat and get settled and lay my head on the head rest and within a few stops the same fully pregnant woman from the previous morning gets in, in the exact same manner with her head hanging low and eyes unseen. However, she carefully weaves her way through the crowd and manages to stand right in front of me. (coincidence or what ???) So… What did I do? I obviously stood up and offered my seat and I gave her a look of recognition and quickly flashed a bright smile at her but she just continued to look down and seated herself quietly. My smile slowly faded and I just assumed she was having a tough day or something. I rode to work feeling a little taken aback but I immediately dismissed the thought because I wanted to be more understanding of her as she is carrying a baby in her and I was wondering if it must be really hard during pregnancy and told myself that I mustn’t be judging her and let her be.

The third morning came by and my routine continues but for some reason I decided to take a different seat and sat comfortably but my gut instinct said that my seat will be seized shortly even today and before I could barely finish my string of thoughts, walks in the silent pregnant woman who although never looks up somehow manages to track me down and stand right in front or next to me hoping that I would jump up to offer my seat. This confirmed two things very clearly. Number one being she knows me and number two being she was totally targeting me for her seat privileges!!

You can call me mean or rude but this time I wanted her to make a conscious effort from her end. Not that I expected or passively demanded her to beg for the seat but I naturally expected an acknowledgement of some sort or least a smile from her which obviously never came and  I silently observed her through my shades and stayed seated for a little longer than she expected to see what is she going to do. What came next was even more annoying. My idleness persuaded her to let out a strong AHEM!! which was obviously  directed to me and not the people sitting next to me She cleared her throat so loudly hoping that her voice will jolt me awake not knowing that I knew what she was up to. Then comes a second even more resounding AHEM!!

Thanks to her that I knew she was not dumb and that she could talk…. but no!!.. not even a “hi” or a “thank you” would come from her strictly pursed lips since her valuable energy has been spent in specifically targeting and hunting me down. Frankly I was quite irritated at that time and my empathy and understanding flew right through the window that very instant. I sharply emptied my seat for her to occupy it and as expected no look of acknowledgement or a thank you yet again!!.The whole world knows what’s “Excuse me” and  “thank you” except for this person!!  Thanks to my Big Ray ban frames she didn’t see my scornful eyes and the pent up fury coupled with this weird sense of humiliation I was feeling inside but am pretty sure people like her don’t care about others but themselves.

I battled between the overriding emotions of guilt and fury as a tiny voice inside me still insisted that she is pregnant!! And to leave it and be calm… but the other voice coursed through angrily and said “But what about being polite??”  Does this mean a pregnant woman can take advantage of her pregnancy and demand another person that too the very same person’s seat every single day whenever they want without any consideration?? Not a hello or a thank you? Not Even once?? Don’t we deserve a thank you and a warm smile at least?

Whatever happened to basic manners and courtesy?!! I caught myself thinking that as a person she right royally used me but to the outside world she might appear as a timid shy fully pregnant lady who needed care and attention but clearly I was being played and I got sick of being the victim. I was deeply tarnished by her inconsideration and it took a while for me to calm down and not be over ridden with guilt for experiencing these powerful negative emotions because I knew that my intentions were in the right place and I wanted to help and be kind but unfortunately kind people are considered doormats to some.

So the reason for this post is to spread the word that everyone deserves a smile and a thank you in exchange of a kind gesture. Don’t take undue advantage of anyone no matter what. Never take a kind person’s gesture for granted just because they are kind doesn’t mean they are spineless slugs. A smile is a universal language and saying a polite thank you costs nothing.

Cheers!

Advertisements

It’s a Start!!

January has always been my most liked month simply because it gives us a chance to renew and start fresh but just getting a chance to start new isn’t worthy if the required steps to create a real change are not performed.

I badly needed to shake things up a bit and alter my dispiriting routine. So I finally rolled up my sleeves, got working on finding someone from whom I can learn music and Voila !! I joined my classes this month. Just when you take a very important decision in your life your mind would whisper things like “why didn’t you do this earlier? You could have learnt a lot by now… now you have to start from the bottom!!” Well…. Care not to judge yourself and humiliate yourself by thinking that starting from the scratch is a bad thing because you need to be grateful for the fact that you took a decision and you are keeping at it. I ignored the disagreeable thoughts in my head and continued to practice my music lessons every week and I am so happy and content that all my weekend mornings begin on a musical note.

Apart from dedicating my time for classes I have also replaced watching binge-worthy series on Netflix to something useful and informative like “Tidying up with Marie Kondo” where the KonMari method of tidying has gained prominence and is indeed  very promising in viewing de-cluttering differently with the idea of ensuring to keep things that spark joy 🙂 . Marie Kondo the founder of Konmari method reminds me of full bloomed cherry blossoms and prancing dancing ponies. She is so full of energy and her dainty presence in the series is itself calming and reassuring. My most favourite part of the show is when she does her ritual of greeting the house right before initiating the de-cluttering process. She says she loves mess and that we need to thank our house and the things that helped us throughout our lives before parting away with it. Now isn’t that Wow???!! Although I watched some of the episodes I haven’t still executed Operation House but that’s definitely happening soon!! I can feel it 🙂

Learning to meditate or do focused chanting has always been a challenge for a wavering mind like mine but I did it for few days and I can’t explain how freeing it is to chant and reflect on nothingness. I want to make this a regular practice and continue to do this. Also recently, my friends and I got started off talking about this new trending concept called bullet journaling. On just a random look on how fun and creative this journal looks I am sensing that this is something I am going to love doing. I normally enjoy journaling  and I would like to learn more about bullet journaling !! 🙂 🙂 😀

I am already a fan of Jan and I am eagerly looking forward to the following months. Hope all of you are equally experiencing wonderful things in this Awesome !! New month!!:)

Cheers!!

Last post of 2018 :)

“Everything will happen for you all of a sudden and you will be thankful you didn’t give up. Blessings are coming. Believe that”- Jay Shetty

I am going to begin this post with the last sentence of my previous post (“A Jay of Hope“. Posted on October 29^th 2018)

The above lines couldn’t have been truer and yes things do happen all of a sudden!!!

2018 has seen the most of my worst but has also ultimately presented the opportunity to enable me to move out of my comfort zone. This was the year I started making music covers, the year I committed myself to posting at least one blog post a month, the year I got closer to my university pals, the year that I had attended the most number of special weddings, the year that saw the birth of many girl babies 🙂 of my dear friends and family, the year that had the most number of family get together, the year that I flew on an impromptu trip to surprise a Besttt friend for the very first time!! and yet this is the year that I hit rock bottom too, felt the lowest in terms of my purpose, a constant question hanging above my head asking me where am I heading to, a sense of foreboding always prevailed until recently when the light was finally shone upon us.:)

Good things have started coming, but I would also like to take a moment and send out long and sincere prayers to my dear ones who are currently going through a rough patch. Those who have been challenged mentally and physically you have my support and good vibes coming your way every single minute of the day.

Let’s ring in 2019 with a lot of hope and happiness and with some notes on the simple things that I taught myself this year

1. I wish for those who haven’t found their calling to uncover it very soon. It’s a great feeling to be able to get in touch with what feeds your soul
2. Happiness is an inside Job. Create it.
3. Open your windows often and allow fresh air to occupy your spaces. Breathing in fresh air clears the mind.
4. Potted green plants on the window sill make my morning view peaceful.
5. A Buddha Zen corner is always a good idea
6. Fill your time with doing what you love the most to feel on top of the game always!!
7. Never compare yourself with others, your time will come. You can own the initiative but not the results so be patient.
8. Aging is daunting but so is remaining the same way throughout. Age happily, evolve through your all your phases and never ever let your spirit and strength wane.
9. There is no expiry date for doing things that you have always wanted to do
10. Have a pet! It feels great
11. Pray every day not for what u want but for what u have today
12. Buy more scented candles and light them up every evening, gaze at the candle flames and feel the hope being re-ignited. It’s magical…
13. Maintain a daily gratitude journal, something that I have been doing for the past 2 years
14. Follow inspiring lifestyle bloggers or instagrammers to keep you motivated. Learn what they do right and apply it in your life.
15. Complaining doesn’t take you anywhere. Lose the habit for real!
16. Strive for progress not perfection
17. Read more. Expand your knowledge.
18. Enjoy cooking more. It is an amazing life skill
19. Laugh every day!!!
20. Never allow any person, situation or an experience to alter who you truly are. Always find your way back
21. Be content but there are times one must leave their comfort zone and take risks!! Never fear. Just do it !!
22. Always be grateful for what you have today.

 

🙂 Have an amazing New years 2019!!!!

That’s an idea!

For those of you who may have already read my previous post on Betta fishes, would know that I am a happy fish owner. Bubbles my fish, known for his keen observation skills loves to look at new objects. It is believed that Betta splendens are very fond of hideouts, which is why we placed an enormous white coral for him to swim around and hide away. However, the coral exposed to bright sunlight appeared to have started browning and we had to empty it from his home.

Poor bubbles would just lay on his rock staring back into the living room. Just when I had the  thought of buying an aquarium décor my husband came up with a bright idea. We placed a porcelain flat based cup horizontally on the floor of the tank to see if this piques his interest. The initial reaction from Bubbles was hilarious as he would give a long side way glance at the cup prepared for attack mode. To add on to that, the cup is a shade of dark blue, the exact colour of his scales. Initially he was intimidated by this new object and would slowly swim into the hole of the cup and perform his flare dance. It was great to see him fan out after a while as he was recovering from a fish fight injury with a female betta who shredded his fins off !! ( Oops!!… Feisty fishy)

Within a few hours he got perfectly accustomed to his new retreat and would often swim in to rest and would come out to greet us when we go up to feed or look at him. Our chance DIY plan worked out and we are happy that the idea worked fine. So well…  what am trying to say here is we can always find suitable items within our reach and create a lovely space for our pets. I found the crockery idea for a fish tank to be fun as it also resembles lost treasures in the sea bed and one can also avoid unnecessary expenditure on overly priced fish decors at the stores. Overall, it just feels so wonderful and rewarding to customize our tank with our stuff. Almost feels like we gifted him the cup for his home for being an adorable fish :P. Just make sure any item you place is safe from paint, doesn’t corrode or react to the minerals in the water. We also have plans to put some plants for his home to create an underwater tropics vibe 🙂

Do share any unique aquarium décor tips that are simple and effective. I would love to try them out too

I will share a good picture of it soon 🙂

A Jay of Hope

How does the word “Monotony” feel like? Back then I didn’t take this word seriously. As long as things are normal and stable what could be the issue is what I thought. All I recall ever being is to wish to have a job, a place to live and a good mate to share a life with. The usual criteria we all have as human beings security and social connection and it so happened that way and Yes!!, here I am leading my stable and secure life. However, certain truths surfaced in the process.

Just as how it takes time to uproot a bad habit that has been a part of your whole life, it takes as much effort to just basically process and understand the invisible lessons that life presents you with. You may not comprehend it at first because these aren’t hard hitting lessons, heck you may still not be able to put a finger on it because they are invisible but the moment you decide to slow down and think….. you are almost there. A lot of “why is this happening to me?” and self-questioning lead me to gather my thoughts more clearly.

I have heard that being self-reproaching, showing resentment and often feeling bouts of regret can be devastating to one’s self esteem. But my constant nagging question was “Why am I feeling this way when everything is going just fine?” “Why am I losing myself over nothing?”

I had some hardships to face during my childhood but nothing effaced me to a point where I felt useless like how I do now. All I could muster from my constant questioning was that Life is just lame. But was I right?

An Urban Monk called Jay Shetty once said “instead of asking ‘why is this happening to me?” ask yourself “what is this teaching me? Everything will change then. That’s when I saw things clearly and this is only based on my personal experience alone however, I am going to voice it in plural to resonate with those who are going through the same Monotony mayhem.

Since the time we were children to the time we graduate from college we are tested although we detest exams, it tests our knowledge and concentration and challenges us to do better, we go through physical education like sports which improves our determination and team spirit, Various art forms like dance and music bring out our talents and motivate us to perform better with every little word of encouragement and appreciation. We had a purpose back then which is to get good education, make friends, make our parents proud, be successful and then we land a job, get married, settle down and all too soon everything come to a sure halt but the years of basking in glory of our milestones as a child to a teen and a young adult carries on for a while, the charm doesn’t wear off so quickly. It keeps you going for a few good years but the magic spell rids itself slowly leaving you with stability and eventually emptiness. The recent years of leading a very stable normal life has locked me up in a prison of some sorts.

Again as Jay Shetty quotes” The most powerful prison is one that you don’t even know that you’re locked up”

Being in a comfort zone for far too long has corroded my nature to such an extent that any small challenges that I may have to face feels like a humongous task. I relate more with fear than with dealing things fiercely, my sensitiveness has reached its maximum point, more fear and anxiety to face a new day has become second nature now and the prospect of attending work is daunting to say the least as work is ridiculously boring as well. Consequently, I built a wall around myself away from the few good people I know, numbing myself down with snacks and TV hoping it would restore my sanity. Monotony is an invisible killer. It saps all the energy from you without your awareness like a parasite!

That’s when it hit me that I needed some adventure, some big change was needed but I didn’t know what to do. I had to do something quick to recover from this insane boredom fast spreading which is when I decided I was going to make a quick vacation. It was just a two day break that I wholeheartedly enjoyed but reality was staring at me back in the face again. I thought meeting my family and friends would boost me from within but the effects of the adventure pill was wearing down. Ecstasy died making way to monotony yet again.

Amidst this invisible pressure, I had to attend an important exam which I performed with utmost low confidence that I forgot what it felt like to be challenged as years had passed since I faced anything difficult!! such as attending competitive exams like how it used to be back in school and all I did was sulk about it relentlessly and eventually not clearing it.

I concluded that my life was just unfair and while I blamed and exhausted every external reason as the cause of my problems it dawned on me that all my issues arose due to my incapability of reacting to them wisely. I decided to dive into a self-help book and also watched more Jay videos to slap myself to get back on track and purify my ill mindset.

Jay’s words are thought provoking and has a powerful influence on anyone who fully absorbs it .His wisdom has indeed gone viral and his teachings are the need of the hour at a time when everything is fast paced including our thoughts that are filled with distracting noises and not voices of self-reflection.

There are a lot of take home message from his videos that I would love to list out on a different day as I am still in the process of self-reflecting and applying it into my life at this very moment. On the bright side all the good energy from his vlogs is allowing me to think positively, move ahead with focus, face my exam with less fear and more determination and I can certainly say that am up and ready for the challenge. In the meantime a few points from myself for all especially for my fellow monotony riders:

1. Please do not go with a flow. Spread your consciousness like an ocean full of energy and vibrancy.
2. If life is normal/good you take up the responsibility to thrill yourself with activities you would love to do and challenge yourself to find the time for it.
3. Transform the way you see other challenges. They can be intimidating but they really beckon us to grow and sharpen our skills
4. Focus on the inner world more than the outer world.
5. Throw away the filter of anger, fear and pain and see everything with love and hope. Your sight is bound to improve.

Although I am still healing from months of accumulated stress and pressure  I can feel the light entering back into me 🙂 as having listened to Jay Shetty has surely brought a certain ray of hope hence a ”Jay of Hope”. He is truly my master.

I would love to conclude the post with yet again one of the master’s lines which went

“Everything will happen for you all of a sudden and you will be thankful you didn’t give up. Blessings are coming. Believe that”

 

Vijaydashmi

On this auspicious day of Vijaydashmi ( the day of learning ) a lot of events unfolded. Apart from the traditional Pooja I performed just as I do every year I was excited about two other important events.

Today is the most important day for my two best friends. One was getting married off while the other was going into labour and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. 🙂

These two wonderful women are very dear to me and I am so happy for them.

On this day of learning we also practiced our art. My husband sketched something different and I did some classical singing. We also went to see the golu ( dolls of Indian tradition displayed on a step formation ) display at my boss’ place.

Those of you who want to learn a new skill, a language, start something today !!..

Lord Saraswati ( Hindu Goddess of Knowledge) will shower her blessings upon you

😀

Happy Vijaydashmi

Note to self

I woke up this morning to an excerpt posted by a friend which said

“You can’t skip chapters, that’s not how life works. You have to read every line, meet every character. You won’t enjoy all of it. Hell some chapters will make you cry for weeks. You will read things you don’t want to read, you will have moments when you don’t want the pages to end. But you have to keep going. Stories keep the world revolving. Live yours. Don’t miss out.

Bam! In an instant my mind was at ease on reading it. It couldn’t have come at a better time, at a time when everything seems to be going downhill. Every waking hour felt like a nightmare. I resented it all. It felt like I was this close to getting what is required but nope sometimes we have to attain something we really want in the hard way to realize its value. Everything comes at the most crucial hour to tease us and test us. Situations like these drive an obsessive thinker such as me insane and furious.

I wasn’t even in the mind frame to phrase things together but I told myself that I am going to write today no matter what. Whether I am out of context or not, it doesn’t matter but I need to plant some sense into myself and this is when I deeply appreciate the strength and clarity in the views and lines shared by other bloggers or self-help books authored by inspiring people like Tony Robbins or Louise Hay.

Note to self:

1. There is only one you and you are unique. Celebrate you.
2. Even at the worst when a person is grateful for the littlest things hope can be restored enormously.
3. Never complain. It is a very unattractive quality
4. Don’t let your anger blind you however justifiable it is. It is a recipe for disaster at any occasion.
5. Never mull over the past at any cost.
6. Always aim for consistency more than success.
7. Never forget to add colours every day to your life.
8. Focus more on your inner beauty which are your thoughts. Your values and your dreams.
9. Always be productive
10. You can always change yourself for the best, be it at 16 or 60. There is no age limit for it
11. Never let a day go by without being awed by the sun and the moon.
12. Breathe… you are alive and ready to kick ass.
13. Prayer is powerful. Pray every single day to warm your soul
14. Only you are responsible for the life you create.
15. Forgive yourself and others to relieve from the pain
16. People are great but people pleasers are not. So don’t be one.
17. Compare your problems to the size of the universe. There it is. You have your answer
18. Never lose your sense of creativity. You will feel handicapped until you have released your talent to the world to see.
19. Thank the creator and the caregivers always. God and your parents
20. There is always light at the end of the tunnel

 

Lunar Eclipse- Bloody Brilliant

The Moon puts on an elegant show, different every time in shape, colour and nuance- Says Arthur Smith, an English writer but what if the Moon gave us a complete cosmic entertainment of its many phases at one shot on a single evening? 😀 such is the brilliant spectacle of a Total lunar eclipse.

Much to my amusement I just realized the director of the moon show is none other than our very own planet, The Earth 🙂 . Just like without the moon we can’t ever have a solar eclipse, without the earth we can’t have a lunar eclipse and of course, the sun is always the star of the show but let’s give some credit to our dearest white and brown rocks too 😛

On July 27^th 2018 the skies were prepping up the stage for a fantastic celestial event to be expected to last nearly four hours. This lunar eclipse was even more special as it was going  to be the longest total lunar eclipse of the century and there was an honorable guest for this year’s show too, the shiny planet Mars which made a re appearance on our skies since its last in 2003. 🙂

So what can I say, on hearing the news I was super excited and was looking forward to this special event. I have always been enthralled by the moon. Its sheer brilliance in the dark night sky is something I never fail to notice every time I step out for a walk or draw the curtains just rightly in to allow a sliver of its light to fill my space with a dull glow eventually calming me to sleep 🙂 .Yes, the relationship I share with the moon is real 😛

Apparently, there is a word for a person who loves the moon like crazy, a Selenophile and both my husband and I are proud Selenophiles 🙂

July 27^th being a Friday turned out perfect as it was the weekend too and gave us enough time to rest and stay awake through the night to enjoy the eclipse. We were all set with our camera focused at the moon through the window and the Jazz radio playing on one side.

The evening was bright and gorgeous with the radiant full moon illuminating the night sky. Wispy clouds drifted along slowly, partially veiling the moon. I kept my eyes peeled to catch the first signs of the beginning of the eclipse but the clouds would deceive me and after about one hour of intermittently gazing at the moon through the clouds, a shadow fell over it slowly smudging away the left hand corner of the moon. Excitement soared and I couldn’t relax anymore, I prodded my husband to grab our camera gears and step out to see it, since the moon was slowly moving out of sight from our window. Not even the sickening humidity in the air could dampen my spirits. I grabbed a bag of chips (nope not popcorn this time) and munched away as I was watching this amazing cosmic show.

The earth’s shadow slowly but gradually smudged away the full moon causing it to almost disappear but the best part was that the earth couldn’t completely overshadow the moon as the moon looked a ruddy shade of brown due to the sun’s light scattering through the atmosphere and turning it into what is called a Blood Moon. It was surreal to see our natural satellite having a hint of pink surrounding it and this was the first time we got to see a blood moon. Although the naked eye couldn’t capture the scene as well as a camera does, the color transformation from bright white to pink was clearly evident. It was fantastic to experience it live with Mars shining brightly below the Blood moon. After 3 hours of patiently capturing every facet of the moon and its many moods we were satisfied and ready to wind up.

What a brilliant show that was…..”Shadow play” produced by Astro-productions featuring the “Blood Moon” :D. A moon struck evening indeed.

Pictures Clicked in NikonD3100 with zoom lens 😀

Yaaaaaay, One down from my wish list and I pray that I get to experience a Total solar eclipse someday and if I do I would definitely post my “Awesun” experience here 🙂

Fellow moon gazers…. Who else enjoyed the Blood moon 2018, post your experiences in the comment section below 🙂

Cheerzzz

 

A White Wedding

They say weddings are made in heaven and nothing could exemplify it better than a Christian white wedding 🙂 I have attended several weddings earlier but have never been to a white wedding. A church wedding is something I have always longed for attending someday and when a close friend announced his marriage date I couldn’t contain my excitement and the best part was it was happening in town. 🙂

I was all prepared to flaunt and was making plans as to what I must be wearing for the big day when my dear husband broke the news to me that the friend requested him to shoot his wedding. I went like “oh that’s great” and continued planning while he went ‘’ very well then!! So we gotta get you a camera soon :)”

I was like “what?? Why For??” 😮 and then he rolls his eyes and tells me that he needs an extra hand to cover the wedding.

For a moment I couldn’t think… I wondered if I could pull this off but I was quite certain that I wasn’t disappointed to be working during the wedding. After all this is for a dear friend and Hey this is even better than just being a boring guest isn’t it? 🙂

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. Hell yeah!! I was a nervous wreck. Train of thoughts were running on my mind as to how to learn to mount the camera on a tripod, how to hold It steady, settings that need to be memorized and then the mind goes into sheer blankness. As opposed to the happy excitement I felt initially, I was now consumed with nervous excitement as the wedding date was fast approaching. All I wanted was to get this assignment done properly. Lol!!

Finally my new camera arrived just a week before the big day. To my approval it looked retro, compact, handy and perfectly suitable for me. It was fun to learn the camera controls and slowly my nervousness was replaced with fervent determination to get this done right 🙂

I was all set when the day arrived and not in my wildest dreams had I thought that I could stay energetic for a whole day of shooting without breaks. For the most part, the challenge was to keep the hands steady while filming and be patient even while the shot was interrupted by several passersby.

It felt awesome to be able to observe and capture the expressions of the people behind the lens. The wedding was magical with the pretty bride in her pure white off shoulder ball gown dress and the groom looking suave in a blue suit and a lapel boutonniere. The bridesmaids, the flower girls and the groomsmen were quite exquisite themselves.  I flew to all corners possible to capture key moments and had to fight the urge to get swayed by the soulful singing of the choir situated on the top floor.

Good food and music filled the evening reception in the extravagant Royal Mirage hotel. The best part about the whole event was the fact that I supported and worked with my husband and that gave me more pleasure above the rest 🙂 Both of us love filming and doing it together for a close friend is very rewarding.

One task is done and next is the most painstaking part which is the editing 😛

I shall post a link below once its finished.

Cheers

❤

Cease and Seize

Like any other passing day I was in need of some hard cash and I walked to my trusted ATM which is right behind my house and I was left startled to see it latched. But it is still ok .. hey!  It’s just an ATM go find another one nearby… pfff. As easy as that isn’t it??

But what if every single place you went to was surprisingly shut down or inoperative around the same period?

I could still understand the shutting down of an ATM because how much could I have gotten attached to a cash dispenser besides just stabbing the pin number and waiting for the machine to spit out the banknotes…… but there were other places I am familiar with since the last few years and the end of its era was hardly anticipated.

Declare me odd, but I take pleasure even in doing groceries and always go to a favourite supermarket near my house that I really love to buy my veggies and meat from. Although I live in a city I consider my locality to be a small tiny town and the service lane behind my building to be a happy strip to make a trip 😛 and I have a reason to feel it to be a town loll :D…. The lane is lined with a busy gym, a clinic attached with a brightly lit pharmacy, a sea food joint, a cozy bookshop and then my favourite supermarket 🙂

On any given evening my schedule would be a sunset walk and to do some groceries for the week. Even though we have a huge hypermarket 10 minutes away I prefer the small but neatly organized stores as they are less crowded, easy to navigate and have almost all the necessary items for an average household. So there is this nice supermarket near my place that I go to every week. I love the feeling of entering this store and how effortlessly I can direct my shopping cart without having to swerve past frantic fellow shoppers and with over time we made friends with the cashier, the butcher and the delivery boys. We grew so familiar seeing their friendly faces often for the last few years that they perfectly knew what we wanted and helped us out even without having to request.  Besides their amazing customer service the veggies they sold were crisp and their meat fresh.

But all of a sudden unexpectedly they closed down their meat section and within two weeks they shut down the whole store. 😦

Now the very same lit up corner in the happy strip is dark and dusty with no movements except for the flapping of the hastily glued notice of the shop being closed down and then after a while even the paper notice wasn’t to be found, probably the wind brought it down. The shutter of the store was browning collecting grains of sand and I often found myself standing in front of the store during my evening walk wishfully thinking that one day it will reopen with the same familiar faces.

Likewise, there is this lovely Indochinese restaurant that we always go to with our family and incidentally on our drive from work we spotted it closed for good but on the bright side it is reopened in a different location 🙂 Nonetheless, I would miss this perfect place we often dined in during family get-together when we had people come visit us. Lot of special memories are attached to it 🙂

Don’t take the little things that helped you for granted. All of a sudden things will cease to exist and would feel like something was seized away from you unannounced.

Nothing lasts forever, but we can learn to enjoy it while it lasts…

Have a fabulous rest of the week 🙂

❤