Thursday, March 22, 2012

Only in India

Strolling along a typical Chennai street on one of my evening walks around the block where I live, the two way traffic is a tight jam :(. With no 'foot path' dedicated for such strollers like moi there's nothing to do but gingerly press along the compound walls of the buildings whilst dodging on-coming cyclists and bikers. Suddenly from out of the blue this cyclist comes straight at me and says 'side walk please ma'! meaning please step aside. This took my mind rambling to the many instances of chennai-ites and Indians on the whole using English words and phrases woven into the vernacular to convey meaning that makes perfect sense to the local listener. So only in India you have phrases like : 'nadu-centre' meaning bulls eye, 'aana-but', 'backside entrance', 'cooling glasses' meaning sun glasses, 'loose motion' (lol) , 'one tight slap' and 'time pass'!

Only Indians will get what 'wheat complexioned' is, or that the bridegroom 'purchases suitings and shirtings' while the bride 'itself' wears loads of jewelry around her neck though it may be 'paining' her but still pose with their 'batchmates' for an album pic. They also 'take the blessings' of their co-brother' and 'co-sister' who present the bride with a 'nose-pin' all the while 'ragging' the newly weds about their 'first night'!

Yes don't be surprised to hear words like 'godown', 'gully', 'mugging', 'tiffin-box', 'vote-bank', 'dickey' and 'flyover'. It is only in India that you will find people who 'cheat like anything', students who 'bunk' classes and get pulled up by the 'Princi', who will send for the 'lab ass' (laboratory assistant for those of you 'scratching your heads' wondering what a lab ass is) to buy her 'samosas' filled with spicy 'masala' while she thinks of a way to punish those playing truant.

Only in India going on outings with the extended family can be 'pakka' fun, 'chaddy buddy's' are 'childhood friends' and you may not like being called an 'enthu cutlet'! MIL's (mothers in law) are the real terrorists even in an 'arranged cum love marriage' and you call your friends mother 'aunty'.

Sigh! only in India while I stroll along I pass the 'puncher shop', near the corner 'bungalow' with its 'gurkha' keeping watch, I quicken my strides as I find 'pye dogs' sniffing at my heals while my nostrils are assaulted by the overpowering smells from the 'chaat' shop that's just a stones throw away from the 'bus stop' where 'traditional girls in modern dress' wait to get a ride home. Finally I reach home...sigh! only in India can I expect hot dinner waiting for me! freshly cooked steaming rice and curry courtesy my 'ayah'! If you are not a local reading this blog please google 'samosapedia' for the meanings of all the phrases you dint get! :)

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Be Yourself, Be Happy, Be Blessed, Be The Best!

Most often I have found myself looking at the wealth of talent around me and subconsciously comparing my strengths with people I meet. In the almost 40 years I've lived, I've been good at many things and yet there have been times when I've not been quite good enough in my own eyes! Over the years I have consciously weaned myself away from comparing my lot in life, my situations, my achievements, who I am with peers, colleagues, friends....all & sundry. And yet the subconscious pulls constantly towards doing just that.

Until recently I thought I was the only one having to deal with an over comparative subconscious, however I did realize there were others who also dealt with the similar predicament. This struck me when a friend commented: ' I really wish I had your youthful looks ya, how d you manage to look the same as you did when we used to hang out years ago'! We got talking & that's when it really hit me, Eureka! There were others on the planet who also had over comparative subconscious's that looked at my life, situations, achievements and compared these with their own. To all such and to myself I say : Be yourself, Be Happy, Be Blessed, Be The Best! You can only be what you are created to be - Unique.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

What I've learned in life

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes