March 2016: Nothing so great about it…

On the last day of every month, I write a summary post about that month. Today is that day to write about my March 2016. Frankly, I do not remember most of the things happened this month. That says it was not that great a month.

I remember this month for two things. One, I read numerous inspirational stories and productivity enhancing articles. I devised my goals in detail and set goals and deadlines to fulfill each. I am ready to start working from tomorrow. Two, my niece is here. Her laughter makes this house 'a sweet home'. To talk about work, it wasn’t that great. I was slower in doing works. I did not follow my office timing properly. Altogether, the work in March was dull. Personally, there was nothing so memorable in March.

Look forward to fulfilling my goals from April 2016. In fact, I expect a lot this month. Hope for the best. Meanwhile, I miss my papa so much. I was conversing with him most of the time while at home. I do not know why, perhaps, he is looking at me now. Miss you Dad. Thank you for growing up me like the way I’m. Be there and show me the way. I miss you terribly!

My niece’s first train journey…

The days at home ended soon. We are back today to the bustles of the city. The journey was fun because we had our princess with us – my niece. My sister and niece are going to stay with us for a few days, which is why April is going to be fun. It was my niece’s first train journey. We were worried about how she would adapt to the ambiance in the train. Surprisingly, she was comfortable. It was as if she owns the compartment of the train. She ran everywhere, sat on every possible seat, and made sure she gets a smile even from the rudest man sitting inside. Unusually, the train was fast and reached the destination at the right time.

From Shornur station, I went down to get tea and snacks for all of us. By fractions, I was about to miss the train as the train left the station soon. However, I managed to enter inside the running train. We got a comfortable Red Taxi to reach home. My niece liked our spacious apartment. The balls and the new big teddy bear entertained her. She is still busy playing and running around.

The day is good. We are not tired and are still active to do more for the day. A small shopping is pending. We are planning to go for it soon.

Meanwhile, April scares me. I have lots of plans and schedules to do. I am not sure how far I am going to accomplish those. Hopefully, April 2016 is going to be a fabulous month.

The days at home begin...

Here comes the day at home, at my native place. In fact, the visit home this month got much delayed than anticipated. The journey was relaxed. This time there was no hurry to catch the train, nor any sweating at the heat. We, my Mom and I, took breaks between the journey, halting at places we felt and eating what we want. We were also lucky to get the recently introduced low-floor bus. The unexpected entry into the air-conditioned bus in summer was heavenly.

Sitting opposite to our seat was a man with his mother. Similar to us, the man was also visiting home after a gap. The mother kept describing the recent developments at home and in the neighborhood. He seems to be inquisitive, inquiring about the people. After a while, they got down at a place. Again, my Mom and I were left alone. She fell asleep soon, whereas I delved deep into the book ‘The Underground Girls of Kabul’ by an investigative journalist Jenny Nordberg. The story is about the girls disguised as boys in Kabul.

Two boys soon got into the bus and sat opposite to us. They are chasing after some loans and were busy discussing the interest rates of banks. I liked the shirt one of them were wearing and imagined how it will be if I could get a dress in the similar design. The guys must have thought I am overhearing them. They soon shifted their seats to another place.

The journey ended much early. The summer at my native place makes me think I shouldn’t have booked my return ticket so late. On the way back, we have two people accompanying us – my sister and one-year-old niece.

April is going to be a month filled with her play and laughter. My mother and I are prepared for her visit that we have bought few toys and shifted things from the floor to the shelves on the wall. We are sure my niece is going to bring in more laughter and noise to our silent abode. I am equally concerned about my house getting dirty due to her naughty acts. With all the excitement, worry, and anxieties, we are set to celebrate days together for a month.

The new project planning…

It has been a while since I logged into the Blue Signature. The reason was that I was ‘free’, but too ‘busy’. The view contradicts, but let me clarify. The Easter and Holi came as a blessing in between the days of hectic work schedule because I could grab few holidays. I sat at home and unlike the usual holidays, I was totally free. But, my mind was not. I kept thinking and scribbling on things I am not clear. I did a review of my days. Alas! Finally, I found, I lack a detailed plan on future.

I spent days scratching my head with thick smokes emanating from my ears. At last, the clear-cut targets were listed on paper. Then I needed a journal I could always carry, and obviously, that turned to be online – OneNote. It seems the life is a vast project and I need a good project management skill to deal with it.

The plans begin in April, vivaciously on 1 April. Perhaps, I chose this date because I decided to celebrate Fool’s Day by myself becoming a fool! 

The aftermath of knowing your wallet closer…

The trouble of tracking your expenses is that you realize how bad you are at savings. I just felt the same when I happened to calculate my last month’s expenses. However, I was happy because I have managed to meet the ends without any debts. That also implies that I have earned well last month. Money is the ultimate thing I hardly get a grip. I am weak in writing finance articles, and I am weak at maintaining it.

I always try to console myself saying it’s an art. Like many other arts that I do not possess, such as photography, dance, music, etc., Finance is also another art that is alien to me. But, not knowing this art creates trouble, disheartens us. Every time I plan to be better at it. This time too, I promised myself to be a 'super saver'.

Meanwhile, the girl in the next cubicle advised me not to care so much about the money. She had vivid examples including how Illuminati control the world and made us slaves of the money. She is true, but at the end of the day, a fact triggers my conscious. The shopkeeper next to my house will not give me a packet of curd, if I don’t pay him Rs. 15.

These trivial things make my days at office fun...

Long back, I wrote about an old lady who cleans my workplace. She continues to manage the place with her laughter and age. Today, she was cleaning the hall. There is an evening tea session at our office, where the tea comes to a lounge and we carry our glasses to fetch the tea. The tea has come early today, so I asked her to drink tea and then, continue the work.

Image Courtesy: Gulfu Photography

“Here people (office staff) have asked me not to take tea. Hence, I stopped drinking tea from this office,” she replied angrily. I tried consoling her saying they may not have meant anything by that, rather would have made fun of her. But, she presented more arguments of her co-workers always getting preferences in trivial matters.

In between, she also blamed me for not heeding her. Last week, she was on leave for five days and I didn’t notice her absence. For almost 15 minutes, she continued to share her grievances, every time highlighting the ‘tea’ issue. In a nutshell, unless the Dean tells her, she has decided not to take tea from the office. Finally, I decided to give up and offered her a cup of tea. She lowered her voice and said, “I will drink because you give me.” 

I smiled looking at her cute face and nodded the head. She reminded me of a 6-year-old kid, and I silently thought 'old age is a second childhood.'

I miss my blue signature...

Why did I name the blog ‘The Blue Signature’? In fact, the name is a memory of my journal writing habit. When I was a 10-year old kid, I used to maintain personal journals. I scribbled my routines in the notebook with an ink pen. After every entry, I put a sign at the bottom of it. That blue signature is still a vivid memory.

Image Source: northcountrypublicradio.org

In this blog, I do the same thing - document my days in writing. It’s like maintaining a journal of yours. In fact, the entries in this blog are conversations I have with me. I can know myself better. The thoughts turn clearer when I put into words. After ages, I would read them again and rewind the days. 

Also, when thoughts keep running in my head, I tend to think more about it. I am a true daydreamer. This habit prevents me from working. Once when I put those thoughts into words, it goes out of my head, and my brain is free to focus on another work.

Another weekend is here….

Yesterday was a busy day at work. I have to write the content for a coffee table book and I am currently in the race to finish that. After a long time, I worked late in the office until 8 pm (Initially, it used to be daily affair) and rushed to catch a movie at 9.30pm. Repeating my regular style, we reached the theater by 9.40 pm. Oh! By the way, the ‘we’ include, my Mom, myself and a colleague of mine. My Mom found it difficult to walk through the darkness and stumbled down, hitting herself on a sharp corner of the rail. Luckily, no major hazards occurred.  

It was a Malayalam movie ‘Darvinte Parinamam’, produced and acted by Prithviraj, the veteran actor. Frankly, we were forced to sit through the 2.5 hours of torture because you paid a hefty amount for the tickets. It has been a while that I watched bad movies. These days, I have turned choosy and read reviews before I choose one.  Since this movie was released only yesterday, no reviews were available. So, the choice was taken based on the previous movies of Prithviraj. His movies are usually good. But, this was an exception. Perhaps, they might have tried a new style of story-telling, and to say, ‘IT DIDN’T WORK AT ALL’. Period. 

Today is Sunday, but as I said earlier, I have my race to finish. Hence, I am in the office. The late evenings and holidays are the best time to work. It's because nobody is there to disturb you. On those days, you can work at your own pace. There is neither any phones to ring nor any colleagues to interfere your work. 

By the way, my workplace has an ambiance of tranquility. With plenty of trees around and the silence ruling the space, this is a perfect place for people to better themselves. Precisely, this is a place for you to begin your second life. Once on track, you need to do to fly higher and far away. There is a danger existing as well. There are people who come here and recover, but they get so used to the place that they settle here forever. It’s like you give comfort to a bird for long that it forgets how to fly.

I forgot to tell you. Today, I bought a red teddy bear. An old man was selling it on the road and its height is almost four feet. I love bears, balls, etc. these days. During my childhood, the toys never excited me. I loved books and crafts then. 

So, that was a quick update about my days. For now, let me begin my race to finish the coffee table book. Happy Sunday!

A retrospection of my present life…

Sleep, food, books, radio, office, freelance writing, Rubix cube, blogging and tracking expenses. I’m counting the things that define my life now. I have not done anything else for quite a long time. The reason I thought this is because I had a conversation with a colleague of mine, who asked about my future. In fact, there is nothing brewing in the pot at present. So, that left me dubious. Am I becoming like a bench in the park? The usage sounds weird, still that looks most apt in my scenario. A bench in the park witnesses almost similar things every day, which is the exact situation I go through.

But, I’m not bored about the current phase of the life. I chose this life months ago when I realized my deficiencies. I knew I should take a break, clear those deficiencies that prevent me from achieving the best. It is the best time to take a break because I am neither burdened nor aged to worry about anything. I’m identifying my errors, rectifying them, and moving ahead stronger. The human nature of stumbling does exist for me as well, that I sometimes lose track of things. But, I ensure I get back to things fast.

The deliberate choice and the special effort with passion are the reasons why I am happy with my choice. There is the brighter life I see ahead, ready to pamper me with everything I love. Hence, I realize that this period is the most beautiful time of my life. It is the time of life when I act to fulfill my dreams. I may not get another perfect time to take a break ever again.

If somebody is reading this post, I tell you, take a break from your busy life! It enables you to discover an unknown side of you and the world.

An early day…

When I start the day early, I always feel there is plenty of time left. Those days I work to my satisfaction as well. Today is one such day. I woke up at 4.30am, made my own morning coffee and began writing for few blogs. At 6 am, I went for the morning walk and was keen to see many of them walking then. Most of them were elderly, forcing me to think ‘health comes first only after your retirements’.

There is a big playground, which belongs to the police department of the city. There were people practicing various kinds of sports. I was always away from sports most of my life and hence, did not bother to peep inside.

As I continued my stride, I saw people staring at me. In fact, we are accustomed to this Indian habit that we tend to ignore and walk. Few bikers on the other lane took U-turn on the road and crossed me as if they have some serious business of watching me. There were ladies selling vegetables and newspaper agents throwing newspapers at the gates.

The road was otherwise calm, with plenty of papers and leaves scattered around. We are used to the sight of dirty roads and ignore the trouble because we are the ones who make them dirty. The crows were obviously having some good time, pecking at the waste thrown by the people.

I returned home at 7 am and got ready for office. Unlike other days, the journey to office was sleepy, perhaps due to my new early morning walk. Overall, the day feels good and I’m all set to finish mammoth tasks at the office.

The Girl in the next Cubicle: Part II

The summer has taken its extremity in Coimbatore. It has almost turned impossible to walk without an umbrella in the city. My workplace has plenty of trees around and provides a good shade to anybody who walks in. Today, the topic of conversation between the girl in the next cubicle and me was about the heat.

Image Courtesy: Internet

We shared the agony of walking under the scorching sun. The people are ready to fetch drinking water by walking miles away during the summer. But, they are reluctant to plant a tree near their house. She happened to share her experience at home on the topic. Her father refused to plant trees in the courtyard in front of the house, instead chose to build a double-storied building to rent the building as shops.

It is true that a generation has turned blind towards the environment. We think money solves anything in the world. When there is a small population trying to become eco-friendly in their deeds, a larger community still remains deaf towards the need. I cannot see a tree nearby my residence. The concrete buildings entirely cover the place.

My mother has started enjoying the paintings of the buildings as if she is enjoying the colors of the flower petals. Added to the bad sight are the hot wind and the noise that emanate from the vehicles. There is nothing to enjoy at the balconies. I seriously intend to shift my home towards a hilly place, where there are plenty of trees and fewer buildings to see. In fact, I am on my mission to construct a tree house, ignoring all the safety and maintenance issues people warn me about it.

I truly wish to experience a better environment before I take my last breath from this lovely earth.

The sequence of events this week…

Shall I count the blessings? Shall I cry at the curse? The days were hectic.

I would describe the last few days as those rare moments when I lost my patience. There was a freelance project, in which the client acted bonkers. I ended up getting calls and messages every hour asking for the status that pissed me off. Finally, I switched off my phone to finish the work and sent an e-mail stating how to deal with me better in future. Rude (from both parts). Isn’t it? In fact, I was disappointed in dealing with a client badly and suddenly lost the energy to do freelance projects. The result – I decided to take a break from freelance works.\

Image Courtesy: weandthecolor.com

At home, my mother has started acting crazy. She suddenly stopped talking, began behaving rudely to me, to the guests at home, and even to the cat that peeped through the kitchen window. I choose to the path of silence and mind my own business. The result – we have a silent home and bad food.

At the office, my boss has become inquisitive about me. He keeps asking about the status of the works. I’m not in a mood to act good and has decided to send him daily updates about the works. My companion at the office, the girl next cubicle, has abandoned the idea of meeting 'celebrated' human gods, and instead, has decided to find the sadhus living in caves. The result – I’m badly in search of an enlightened sadhu or a guru, who can help her.

The good thing about the week is the movie 'Spotlight'. The movie is an investigative story about child abuse in Churches. Besides the plot, the journalistic take in the movie fascinated me. It ignited my passion for journalism.

It was also the week of Maha Sivaratri. Although I am lazy to celebrate such days, I didn't sleep the entire night due to the freelance projects I mentioned earlier. It was holiday for two days, but, was boring to sit idle at home and truly missed office.

So, here I begin another day, with a focused and purified mind to do office works.

The television and me...

People often complain about the lack of television at the place where I reside. Few days back, a friend of mine literally brought a television set home and I had to convince him to take it back. In fact, I do not hate television. I enjoy watching it.

Earlier, there were days when we never watched television. Those days were the best in our life. I found time to make crafts works, do paintings, write stories and poems, and read a lot. My mother used to do plenty of cooking and gardening. We had a well-maintained lawn at home with white roses planted around. It was such a pleasant sight to see them. My sister too found time to draw, read books and so on.

I am back to 'television-less' days and find time to do things. I feel active once again. On thinking a little deeper about this, it’s solely my fault. If you are passionate about something, you will find time to do it (irrespective of the presence of television sets at your home).

Acknowledging the fact, let me tell you one thing. I am not in a mood to buy a television at home. It’s because I enjoy walking through the empty spaces at home and the silence it gives. It gives much peace than you can ever imagine. I would like to sustain my days little longer this way.

PS: The reason for this post is the long conversation I had with the girl next cubicle today.

So far, so good: A summary of the March till date

I started March 2016 by missing the bus to the office. That showed in the rest of the days as well. I was struggling to keep pace with things. However, I can say things aren’t bad. Last week, a work given at the office was to collate few reports into a book. I appreciate the efforts shown by students in making those reports. However, I got disappointed at the manner they presented them. The reports had multiple issues in terms of font size, alignment, language et cetera. Of any kind, I got annoyed by it and kept talking to people about it.

Image Courtesy: Internet

The next thing happened was a freelance article writing for a recruitment agency. Luckily, it went fine as the person who assigned me the work liked it much. My friends are complaining about my frequent absence from their lives. It’s true I spent less time with them, but I expect them to understand that my priorities have changed after I lost my father. I do not enjoy things I relished earlier. My world became a lot more about my mother, making her happy. The new responsibilities have changed me.  I truly enjoy them and feel happy that I’m on track with my life. Most people do not get it. In fact, I get more time to read books, spend time with Mom, to eat, to dream, etc. All these things excite me.  I feel I had wasted enough time by staying away from things I love to do. It’s like rediscovering me.

Another important thing is about the book ‘The Diary of a Young Girl’ by Anne Frank. I finished reading it. The book is a diary written by a 13-year old Jewish teenager, who unfortunately ended up in hiding during the Second World War. Hitler and his Nazi party ill-treated Jews then. Even in the middle of hiding, Anne stayed cheerful, talkative and inquisitive. The style of writing is conversational, similar to the one I write and post on this blog. She mostly scribbled about the daily lives in their ‘Secret Annexe’, about the people who shared the hiding space with her. Probably,  I'm much late in reading it. I should have read it when I was in 6th or 7th standard and not now.

The next book I have started reading is ‘How much should a person consume?’, written by Ramachandra Guha. I read it once during my post-graduation. Since then, I am a fan of Guha and keep reading his articles if I spot one.

Although tomorrow is a holiday, it's going to be a busy day. I have plenty to write, mostly the works I have kept pending last week. Hoping the week ahead to be cheerful and with fewer surprises.