It's not just on paper

Source: http://someguyindc.blogspot.in/ So how does one define maturity? Is maturity the state of realising that life isn't a bed of roses? Or is it about growing old enough to acknowledge that life is as much about seeking little pleasures as it is about chasing our lofty dreams? I believe maturity is nothing more than a mere mirage construed by humanity to appease egos. A man's abilities are applauded for his successes whereas his lack of maturity is blamed for his failures. We run after maturity as if it is 'that' pot of gold which sits at the end of the rainbow. How pitiful it is then, that we ignore the beauty of the rainbow and expedite our journey across it, only to reach its Finish Line and possess the Pot of Gold. If we look at it metaphorically, the rainbow signifies life which we fail to enjoy while it lasts and the pot of gold- which is maturity- is attained only when life or living truly ends! While we are our own culprits, we are also respon...

It's such a task to be a woman in the 21st Century! >.< Women always have woes.. not just the melodramatic ones, but the very genuine ones too. She's gotta: Grow her hair and wax her hair, Cook for four then clean the floor, Carry bags and social tags, Raise a child then rest a while. She's singular in plural roles, In your pocket not burning holes, Runs the house, traps the mouse, She does it all.. her job's not small. And only if it ended there! Women, on top of everything, need to maintain a pretty face and a captivating body at any and every point of time. So what if she recently delivered a baby? She has to start watching her diet in order to watch her weight. The pressure to meet a certain standard of plastic beauty is subtle yet continuous and often stifling! Photo credit: www.aliexpress.com Luckily, unconventional beauty- as it is paradoxically termed- is gaining momentum in the entertainment industry. Bespectacled and/or plump f...

When the denizens of Mumbai venture out of their homes to claim their streets, the Carnival Begins!! :) Sacrificing their Sunday morning sleep, city lovers and sports enthusiasts participate in Times of India’s recent initiative called Equal Streets. The premise of this undertaking is simple- people have as much right to the roads as do vehicles! Last Sunday morning, I participated in the campaign by walking the long stretch between Santcruz (West) to Bandra (West) and back. Accompanied by two uncles, an aunt and my father, I finally joined the bandwagon, I so eagerly wanted to be a part of. The traffic on one side of this ever-so-busy stretch was reserved for people to do literally whatever they liked… Iskcon’s Hare Ramas chanted and artists painted. Yoga co-existed with zumba and folk music with indie-pop; bollywood music was not left far too behind. People were seen walking, jogging, bicycling, tricycling, skating and skateboarding. Infants were escorted in...

It's Ok to be Creative so long as the lines between Creative and Real are not Blurred! But when do you realize how much is too much? One night, while traveling in Mumbai's city bus, I was looking out of the window, absorbing the sights under the moonlit sky.  Even though it was close to midnight, the road was well lit- partly by the street lights and partly by the lights emanating from residential buildings and commercial set ups lining the road. I soon noticed a high rise, sitting on top of which, was the spelling 'Arkade'. This got me thinking about the kind of spellings the next generation will grow up with. Now are the times when cool isn't kool enough and abbreviations like ttyl and brb are the norm. the spill over from Twitter's 140 character limit is felt in real life as well. Every word and every sentence needs to be reduced to its lowest denominator.   Creativity is now seeming to blur the lines between what's considered correct and inc...

India is well known for many of its its popular beaches like Goa’s Calangute or Kerala’s Kovalam beaches. But, just like any Asli Mumbai-chi Mulgi , my favourite beach is Juhu Chowpatty. Juhu Beach is an ultimate weekend attraction for families, couples, friends, tourists, all the same. The Arabian Sea overlooks an assembly of plush hotels on one end and make-shift, crowded food stalls on the other end. This beach meets with a wide variety of visitors every day, starting with morning walkers, joggers, runners and yoga practitioners at dawn, to groups of friends, stuntmen and privacy-seeking couples in the afternoon, to families with children and tourists in the evening. Source: http://i1.trekearth.com/photos/9161/juhu-beach1.jpg   Apart from all the ‘legal’ stores at the rear end of the beach, there are many stray vendors selling local delicacies like Chana Chaat, Bhel and Kulfi . What’s more, one gets greeted by many ‘photographers’ and ‘mehandi designers’ in a s...

In yet another instance of divisive politics, prior to the April 2014 elections, Mr. Subramanian Swamy of BJP party asserted that Indian Muslims who don’t admit their Hindu ancestry must be stripped of their voting rights. Votes of the 14% Indian Muslim population must be divided among different political parties while those of 80% Indian Hindu population must be bagged by the BJP, he added. This, I heard in a video with interview clips of Mr. Swamy on various news channels.   He made many other statements on the issue.   A couple of things that struck me as odd and inexplicable include: 1.        The onus of establishing the ‘Indian’ identity as a Hindu state solely lies with the Muslims among the minority populace. The other minority communities such as Christians, Zoroastrians, Jews, etc. are exempt from such or similar allegiances. 2.        Politics in the name of religion is being pro...

                                                                                                                        July 21, 2012   Dear _________: Professional training in Journalism is getting Big. That’s something to be happy about. But it’s something to worry about, too, and I don’t mind telling you I’m damned worried.  I’m worried that we’re going to fall into the trap of bigness, that we’re going to worship structures instead of substance, that we’re going to dwell in history instead of making it, that we’re going to be drowned by responsibilities instead of buoyed up by recognition.   I’m worried lest hardening of creative experimentations begin...

India is a country which breaths cricket; and the fervor surrounding the fifth DLF IPL was almost palpable. In the midst of all the milestones and controversies which marked this tournament, there were some moments which you wanted to freeze and others you hoped never had happened. Through this long journey, there were many players, owners and umpires who have challenged my cricketing knowledge. Beginning with the most upsetting episode of drama; the dismissal of Deccan Charger’s (DC) skipper Kumar Sangakkara by the Mumbai Indians (MI). The ruckus created by MI captain Harbhajan Singh accompanied by Munaf Patel was shocking! The scene got dirty when the umpire declared Sangakkara Not Out, and the MI players literally forced the third umpire’s intervention. Though they had made a strong appeal, their conduct on the field was Barbaric! This incident was also upsetting to the commentators who insisted that players need to respect the decision of the umpire and should not cha...

‘Ignorance is Bliss’, they say. I couldn't agree more! Let me begin the story of my dilemma with a simple illustration. Wonder if a teenage girl had to splurge during her summer vacation, what would she invest in? Shoes, Clothes, Make Over!!?? Well, in my case, I invested my MET* resources on a three month membership to a reputed gymnasium. (MET: Money-Effort-Time) Investing an hour a day and literally sweating it out, I was confident that I was showing ‘results’. Impressed by the remunerations, I easily floated through my first two months at the Gym. However, little I did I know that like a mirage of an oasis in a desert, I was seeing a mirage in the mirror of a slimmer, fitter me. And I believed it, in spite of the scale on the weight machine stubbornly stuck in its place. And then the day arrived when numbers would testify or squash all the wonderful assumptions I’d made in my leisure hours. Not to your surprise, but pretty much to mine, the la...

What would you call a place will tall trees, lush greenery, fresh waters and quaint peacefulness? God's Own Garden?  We call it Mawlynnong Read on to Uncover its Mystic Beauty... TripEngineers.com: Mawlynnong: God’s Own Garden! : ‘God’s Own Garden !’ These words excite my senses in an unusual way. My eyes see images of colourful flowers and tall trees, my ears ...