Old is indeed gold

When I have some spare time to myself (which isn't often lately) there are two things that I enjoy doing.

I love to read. I'll read just about anything that's put in front of me. I love a good book more than anything else. I can find myself getting completely lost in them, losing track of time and just reading until I reach the last page.

The other thing I do when i'm relaxing on the couch after work is to play with my laptop. I'm completely addicted to it. Mostly it's scrabble or card games (pretty low-tech for such a high-tech device) and also a lot of web browsing and IM-ing.

Given these two uses of my time, one would think that the concept of a book that I can read on the laptop would be ideal! And, given the gadget-freak I am, and add to it - dying to try out new things, it was really only  a matter of time before I would give it a go. I wasn't much interested in the idea at first, because I spend my entire day at work reading things on the laptop screen, so the idea of coming home to do the same thing didn't really thrill me. But the idea of having any book I decided I wanted to read in a matter of seconds was something that did appeal to me. So after failing to find a book that I wanted at the local bookstore, I bit the bullet and arranged for it. Yes, you heard it right..I "arranged" for it. ;)

At first, it seemed kinda cool. I mean, reading on a brightly lit screen was a bit odd at first, but that aside, being able to change the font style and size was great. Not having to hold a book open while I lay in bed was also pretty great. I could read without moving a muscle, which is really what you want when you read.

But after a little while I began to miss the feel of the paper in my hands, and the satisfying feeling of flipping through the pages, watching the heavy side of the book move from the right to the left as I made my way towards the end.

Then I came across the biggest flaw in the entire e-book concept, something that would put me off e-Books altogether.  Something that no amount of touch screen and processor technology could overcome. It's the reason why e-books, or even ibooks will never replace the trusty old paperback. The reason that Sony, HP, Dell, even the iPad, the Kindle, the Nook will never ever take the place of beautifully bound sheets of paper with plain, black type.

After a particularly long and draining 11 hour work day, I came home and ran myself a nice hot bath. As I was preparing myself to get in, I realized that the ridiculously over-rated e-Book had left me in the lurch. When all I wanted to do was relax by soaking in a hot bubble bath and reading a good book, I found myself without anything to read - because you can't take a laptop into the bath with you.

A paper book - yes. Sure, it's not waterproof, but if you drop it in the water, you can still dry it out and use it again. At worst, you've ruined a 500rs. product. If you take a laptop into the bath with you and drop it in, no amount of drying can repair it. You will have killed a 40,000rs.(minimum) product by trying to use it in the way you would a regular book. You can't really take it into the bathroom with you at all.

So, Sony, HP, Lenovo, Dell, Apple - you may have invented a product that was not so long ago just a thing of science fiction books, but you haven't created the greatest product the world has ever seen. Because until you make that thing waterproof, it's just a toy that will never be as good as a couple hundred sheets of paper bound together.

After all, old IS gold..!!

~PeAcE oUt~

Creating a storm, but unable to bear the rain!

Today morning itself, I read it somewhere: "Some people create their own storm, but get upset when it rains". The moment I read it, I related myself with it. This is one of many other such incidences happening since the past couple of days. It's like the universe is trying to bring my own reality in front of me, so that I can see it as a third-person's point of view. As they say, "When you really want to do something, the whole universe will conspire for you to achieve it". Nobody told me what the dear universe will do when I really, badly don't want something to happen. If you answer it with this: "The universe will conspire for that thing not to happen", then either you are wrong, or the universe should really get its facts straight, because it is doing only those things nowadays, which I really, badly don't want to happen.

Anyway, enough of universe stuff. The real thing here is: I am getting affected by a new symptom, a disease or whatever word from the dictionary you chose and call it. It is something that is unpleasant. Really, really, really unpleasant. There is a thing called "Midas touch". I am having just the opposite of that. I touch, and things screw up. In fact, it's even worse. I don't even touch, just the thought is enough to mess up things. Should I call it an "Anti-midas touch" or a "You-das touch"??? Anyway, I know I am in a really screwed up state of mind right now, and before I start seeing hands emerging out of my laptop screen to slap me, I should stop all this.

This usually happens to me. I go out as a very strong person, thinking whatever has to happen, will happen. I'll manage. But the fact is, the moment things start to go out of order, the loser in me strikes back again, who starts bothering about what people are thinking of me, why they are pissed off with me, what should I do to make them happy - there it is, I said it - to make THEM happy - and then, my actions start getting influenced by my thoughts. I start doing things to make others happy, not myself. 

While I was writing this article, suddenly, from somewhere a mail came flying in my mailbox, which said, "Success is not about being the best and winning the race. It's about facing the worst, and still finishing". That's what I am trying to do here - no matter how tough things are, I DO NOT want to QUIT. 

This was like a drop of rain in the desert. It suddenly opened my eyes, and I began to saw the immense love dear mother universe has for me. It is, indeed, trying to do what I badly want. I want to overcome this negative side of my persona - where the loser in me strikes back the moment the equilibrium of things start to disbalance - and that's what it is giving me - opportunities to improve myself!! 

~PeAcE oUt~

BaCk AfTeR hAlF a YeAr..!!

Whoaa...what is happening..?? I am coming back to write after like 6 months and 9 days to be precise..probably the writer in me is waking up again..!!

Seems it will take time for me to be back in the flow..keep waiting..!!

Last post of the year!!

Heyyy...the last morning of the year...and hopefully, this is my last post of the year, too. Got the last salary of the year today, so planning to go on the last shopping-spree.

But the funniest part is, today, when I should have been out enjoying this last day having all the year-end moments, I am feeling like lazying around the whole day. I skipped the office today, when I could have had a little party in the office itself, just felt like lying around in the room. I am not even feeling like going out somewhere. I don't know, my body is screaming to me, "Today, don't ask me to get up!" I don't understand what the darn has happened to me? Am I having grey hair, walking with a stick, a pair of old-fashioned spectacles on my nose and coughing all the day around? I think I am feeling the symptoms - not the physical ones, but the mental ones for sure. OMG, I am growing olddd...NOOOOOO!!!!! Wait, is that lady on the top ME????? Noooooooooooooooooooo.............uhooo uhhhu uhhhhooooooo uhh[ COUGHING]..Harruummmpppphhhh!! Oh, excuse the old lady, I was just clearing my throat..!! [ DOES THAT REALLY SOUND LIKE ME? NO WAY!!]

I don't want to spend the last day of my deary goody goody year lying around watching TV or sitting in front of laptop. Actually you know what, 31st December comes once a year, but a weekend is a very lovely amazing charming thing. And a loonnng weekend of three days is an icing over the cake. It's like a lifetime opportunity for me :P

Let's see...maybe this is because I have just come back from the morning exercise and naturally, I am completely exhausted. I'll just have some rest, have a lovely lovely cozy cozy warm bubble-bath and then, if my body is in sync with my mind, I can go out spending my salary :)

~PeAcE oUt~

Three days to goooooo..!!

With just three days to go for 2011 to enter my insignificant life, all the goody goody things about my deary 2010 just blew away in a snap. Just as the new year eve was approaching, we were getting more and more excited. We decided to spend this 31st in Bangalore, so even got the tickets booked. Luckily, it was a weekend so I didn't bother about getting stuck up in any hassle of applying for leave or whatever other crappy formalities are there. (I am quite sure, even for managers these formalities are crappy!! Uuggghhh!!) And just today, at the eleventh hour, an important task came up in the project which I handled before, so I couldn't even say NO. 

God is again playing with me. So, now the score is 2-1. Huh!! But dude, I am a tough one to beat. I called up my friends whom I was supposed to meet, and now because its a weekend, even they, too, don't have to get stuck up in any leave-applying procedure, they decided to come over and we'll be celebrating new year's eve in Hyderabad instead of Bangalore. Yayyy...whooppiiiieeeeeeeeee....I made the score 2-each!! 

Hopefully, everything now goes as planned. I don't want to spoil my new year's eve. And, to admit honestly, at some corner of my heart, I felt good. My brother  and my friends  are actually flying down to Hyderabad, specially to spend the new year's eve with me. The feeling of importance is getting the best of me right now and therefore, I conclude that this last significant thing that could have happened to me in this year also turned out to be good. So, now the score is actually 3-2!! Yoohooooo I am winning...keep up dude, you are doing good !! :P

~PeAcE oUt~

Bring on 2011

So, the time has come for my deary 2010 to be over. Actually, compared to the past few years, this year was the best. All the good things happened to me this year. With 2011 stepping slowly towards us, I would just like to take out a minute and count all the best things that happened to me this year. I began 2010 with my internship, and trust me it was the best period of my graduation. Then, I topped my college with aweeesssoooommmmeeee 97% in the last semester. I got the best job in my college, and within two months of starting the actual job, just after finishing the training, I got the employee excellence award. And the list goes on....

But, you can't always hold on to the good things. So now, I am excitingly waiting for 2011 to knock at my door. I hope it turns out to be better than 2010. Just be nice, 2011!!

And now, lets count the things I am waiting for in the new year.

Now, as the new year turns up, its the commonest tradition to have a new year resolution. I haven't thought about it yet, but never is too late. So, let's see...ummm....uuummmm...

I don't know..maybe to continue my aerobics classes...I can think of nothing else to resolve. Aah yes, I have to control my temper. Normally, I am not that high-tempered. Let me tell you that I am a very patient person. But when the threshold limit is crossed (and trust me that is very very difficult), nobody can control my anger - not even me. The fury gets the best of me and then only God knows what happens That is something I need to work upon. 

Now, amidst all this, I want to steal a vacation and visit my parents. Honestly, this was my first time I had been away from them for such a loooooonnnnnnnngggggg period of time. I'll take time to get used to it. Till then, I'll keep on missing them. 

The rest is still a mystery, but I am ready for whatever comes my way. Head ONNNN!!! 

~PeAcE oUt~

Merry christmas!!!

Whooooaaaaa...it's christmas..!! First of all, MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of you!! And its a weekend...I won't lie I am more excited about it being a weekend than it being christmas. In India, there is not much craze of christmas...but weekend is a weekend!!

As the festive season tip-toes towards us, I am getting more and more excited everyday to go to office. No, festivals are not the reason. The only reason being, all the managers of our units are on a vacation since Monday until next week. And it's going to be US..all the friends, having fun all day. WOWWWW...now that's a consolation. For me, a vacation doesn't mean much because already I am staying out of my home, and honestly, this place doesn't appeal to me as much as Delhi does. So, taking an off doesn't ring any "jingly-jingly" bells inside. I would prefer having a good time in office. And this is a weekend....awesomeeee!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, today me and my room-mate are planning to go for a movie. We should have left by now, but we are feeling so lazy this weekend - we don't feel like getting up - we haven't even started getting ready. Let's see what haaaa..yaaawwwwwwwnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!!!!!!!!

~PeAcE oUt~