Diwali for what I understand

Diwali, has always been a festival that meant "Lighting Diyas", for me. Not for the crackers and not for the sweets, but just the tiny diyas aligned in a row in sheer darkness, lighting up the environment and your life! A tiny flame of light..It means a lot to me. As a child, I used to wait for that time of the year when everyone's balcony was decorated with the best lanterns and diyas. For me, it meant buying three dozen diyas and painting them. This was the best memory of this festival that lingers on my mind. Later, to arrange them in proper rows, drawing a rangoli and no matter what, I would not allow any of the flames to die. Which meant, adding oil to it, for as long as I stayed up during the night. When my mom asked me, why I did that, my answer always used to be "I don't like the flame to die, it makes me sad" Diwali is supposed to be the darkest of all the days, but those tiny lights make the darkness disappear and makes the night reseplendent. Maybe, the undying killer instincts that I have in me, stems from this. To not let that flame vanish that signifies an undying spirit. Agreed, I am far away from my family and nothing beats the joy that you get by being with your family and your people. But, by constantly brooding that you are missing them, you neglect the very people who illuminate your lives by just being there. They are our friends here. They are the same people, who are our alternate family over here.People who look after you when you are sick, people who get food for you, people who present you with gifts and people who give you the joy of a family. But, I guess I have learnt a lot about myself and the festival, after I came here. The spirit of togetherness is what is the relevance of this festival for me. Diwali means to forget your differences and to come together as one community. At Gaurav's house on saturday's diwali festival, this was exactly what happened. There were many students and of course couple of them whom we dont really like, but the festival has something that makes you connect with people, whom you otherwise don't really relate to. The guys arranged the party and yes! it was comparable to what I would have found in India as well. Lights, lanterns, food and sweets. The guys proved themselves yet another time, by doing things with much more style and elan! We dressed up in exact same manner just like we did when in India. The sparkle, the joy and the spirit was comparable. On another occassion, I went to my cousin's house yesterday to celebrate the festival with my family. Gifts were exchanged and so were blessings. What I want to say is that the situation, the feeling, the thoughts are all the same.The only thing that is different between celebrating in Mumbai and in Omaha, is that the absence of my immediate family (the faces were different). But then, you form memories and based on that you shape your life. I still light those diyas. The ones that my friend for 8 years, Mayura presented me with, on my first diwali in US. She sent those as "Diwali present" through post. I light those diyas and feel the presence of my friends from India. Doing that makes me feel that I am in Kalyan, at my place where I have celebrated the festival for 21 years of my life. The festival still upholds the glorious past. Still.. My kitchen smells of ghee and sweets during that time. The gods are adorned with flowers and my temple smells of incense sticks. Wear a saree on that day and go to the temple, just like I always did. The air feels fresh and I send gifts to my family in India. Lakshmi Puja is performed. Gayatri Mantra is played in my CD player. Staying apart has made me appreciate the finer details of the festival. I now celebrate this festival in my home here. I still remember diwali as day of rejoice, and here we not only come together as one community, we have unity in diversity. Sikhs, Christians and people from other races wish you and are aware of this festival. I went to Starbucks wearing a saree yesterday, on my way to cousin's place. The lady who was making the coffee for me, wished me and complimented the great Indian attire and what more..she made a free coffee for me (I go to the same coffee place, so she knows me quite well). I felt a sense of pride in showing off Indian culture and that feeling makes me rejoice in this festival that I truly consider as "Festival of lights and enlightment" So here I wish all you guys a "Very Happy Diwali and a Prosperous New year"

All on one saturday

The post is kinda incoherent, as there is no link between the two parts. All that I can say about them is what happened in 'one single day'... Part I (First Half of the Day) Saturday dawned and I managed to catch some 3 hours sleep and rushed to the lab early at 7:00AM. Finally, I managed to write ONE PAGE of that marathon paper that I have been contemplating writing for a long time now! Hushhhhhhhhhhh Our lab members behave like one dedicated lot on weekends. So, we were having our usual dose of "Fast Tracks" playing on the computer. All of us busy in their own work, when this "Aashiq Banaya Aapne" was playing in the background, when the least unexpected persons "My Boss" walks in through the door!!!! Best part is, I was the one swirling to the music with a micropipette in my hand..and Jas..singing out aloud just like Himesh Reshammiya! It was funny to watch his expression. I mean, its OK..to listen to music n all that but not that loud that everyones peace of mind is disturbed. He was actually amazed to see us so much engrossed and actually enjoying whatever we were doing:) Well, sometimes, I think people should be given the right kind of environment in order to flourish and be productive. Part II: Later Half of the day Back from the salon and both, me and Jas got ready to attend our "Diwali Bash" at Gaurav's place. We looked our best and were feeling real enthusiastic about the event. It was 6:15 PM, when I was driving to get there. Did not know, I was going to get the greatest shocks of my life. To feel how it would be to escape an accident. Sometimes, when I am driving and if there's someone who is sitting next to me in the car, I get so engrossed in the conversation that I kinda drive less cautiously. This "saamne wala Gadi" was driving at 10 miles less than posted speed lilmit of 35 miles! That just irritates me. I know,. I should be patient and all that...but when you actually see someone driving at snail speed, and when you cant honk, you just change lanes!! Thats precisely what I did. Little did I realize that not looking at your 'blind spot' can cost you your life. I was almost about to be hit by an SUV driving at a speed of almost 45 mph. I got a jolt and stayed back in my lane. I know, I would probably not have got killed or anything, but then who knows, anything can happen in fraction of a second. At that given instant, all sorts of thoughts filled my brain spaces..What if, this was my last diwali??. What if I get crippled? What about family? If nothing, my poor car would have got smashed:( Thank God, nothing like that happened and I reached Gaurav's house and had the best diwali celebration during my entire stay in US. Now, I am here lighting 'diyas' at my home. Anyhow, am trying to finish this piece of writing for almost 12 hours! Party updates later

Spooky experiences

Its friday evening. No lab meeting. Life has never been this nice on a friday evening in a long time now. Reminds me of the statement that Aria had made last week.."Weekend to har week aata hai na" Right now relaxing to Shaan's "Woh pehli baar, jum hum mile".. So well, Haloween is just around the corner..[I dont dare think of diwali..as many of the junta here will bury me alive, if I have another post on food n diwali:p] I have always found the concept of "Halloween" kinda wierd, coz scaring away people is not the best thing to do, as a child.Totally discouraged by parents! But, I was taken aback when my almost 3 yr old nephew Aryan celebrated "Haloween"at his play school, in Bombay!! I had no clue what it meant until I came here. Well, wow..haloween-diwali-christmas..India celebrates it all! When I was a little child and even while I was growing up, I was not particularly good friends with ghosts (bhoots). I somehow used to beleive that ghosts do exist and if I did not study they would take me away:p I would also beleive that they came only at nights! So, at one time, I think when I was in 5th standard or so..me and my cousins were all watching this scary movie by our very old "Ramsay Brothers"..named "Aakhri Cheekh"! Our parents were all gone to some realtives place and we decided that we would watch this movie especially when none was around to watch us. That was a fourth floor apt and a 5 bedroom house. Just the 4 of us..ekdum "sannata".. I still remember that movie just like any other Ramsay movie, as usual started off with a lonely street at night with only a jeep and it somehow always stops at or near a graveyeard!!!! So, well we all sisters tightly clinged to each other, during the movie coz none of us were brave enuf to watch the terrified looking bhoot..with a mask that almost look like an unwashed-face pack. By the end of movie, me and my youngest cousin were in tears and were freaky scared to even go to the bathroom to take a shower (remember, just when the heroine in these movies enters the shower, instead of water, the shower will have all blood) So, all of us decided to sleep in one room for that night! None of us wanted to sleep alone and of course, since no elders were there..who will beat up the bhoot if it enters the house?:) The night progressed and there was an eerie silence. To add to the already grave situation, the window was slightly cracked and it started to rattle in the middle of night. Just outside, we had the "peepul ka tree" Thats it! This episode had occured when I was barely 11 years of age. It was enuf to cause a profound influence on my mind. After that I have never indulged into watching any hindi scary movie, especially coz my sister who was the oldest of us, got a sound bashing from elders. She was supposed to have controlled us against watching that kinda movie. After that, I had resolved not to watch any horror movie and I stuck to that for almost 13 years! I broke my resolve when I watched this "Vaastushastra" movie..One of my friends, Gaurav who can actually beat the life out of you by making wierd faces and actually imitating the bhoot! The movie was absoultely stupid, nevertheless by the end of it, I was crying, coz of the ambience the time of the night. I was scared to even drive alone at 2:00 AM. I reached home and started checking all the closets for presence of any "bhoot" in my house! That was almost 8 mths back or so, and even today, if I reach home on a friday or a saturday night beyond 1:00 AM, I make sure am on the phone talking to someone until I get home, just in case you know! I check all the closets and drawers. Switch on all the lights at home and play the music! I dont know why I do that, but I have no reasoning for that. The peepal ka tree still freaks me out! I still think that "aatma"(souls) talk, that bhoots are always dressed in "white". Even now, I can't be in alone in a gross anatomy lab that has "human skeleton", especially at nights. Of course, if I cant take hindi shows, its next to impossible for me to take any "Silence of the lambs, Evil Death" and movies such as that.. So this year, I have resolved that I am going to visit the "Haunted House"with my friends, just to get over my "bhoo-phobia" Hopefully, I should be able to survive that so that I can come and blog about diwali:D, the next day:)) Anyhow, I am already getting spooked and to top that..I have to go shower as well!

Lessons learnt from mommie dear

Today, I received a surprise package from my cousin in Boston. He had been to India and surprisingly he sent some goodies that he got for me! Can't beleive my face just lit up looking at the contents. Ladoos, pedas, Chaklis. Those things that were available at the neighborhood 'Ghasitaram Halwai', suddenly seems to have disappeared into oblivion. Those goodies that we took for granted at some point of time, seem to be on top of 'my list of cravings' There was a time, when I was a young-brash and stubborn kid, When my mom used to give 'Roti & subzi' for lunch, I used to throw tantrums at the constant menu options as far as lunch was concerned. I would thump my feet, behave arrogantly. That time, my mom used to just say "You will realize its value, when you wont' get to it everyday".Now, I know what she meant by that. Homemade round rotis are now the most desirable things. When I did not eat food cooked in the afternoon, at anytime later even during that day. For me, food should be cooked fresh everyday. But, now..I am more than happy to find leftovers in the refrigerator, when I get back home at night and when I dont have an iota of energy left to cook. When, I would throw food in the trash coz I did not feel like eating it or if I did not like it. She just said, "Wait until you start earning yourself". Now, I know what she meant..I hate to waste food now. I consider it a crime to just dispose it off in that garbage. That 60-hrs per week effort in the trash!!! When, she would ask me what I would wanted to eat for dinner and I would be more interested in watching "Disney Adventures' than worry about whats-cooking-tonite and answer "Cook, whatever you want"..and now I have to really think hard as to what I want to eat, rather cook! It used to drive her nuts and I find myself in the exact same situation, when I ask my friends as to what I should fix for them and they just tell me the same! I feel like sunaofying them left-right and center..Dude, atleast tell me what you want to eat!!!! Sometimes, you dont realize the value of certian things, unless you dont find that thing anymore. Its human to take things for granted and we will continue doing that for as long as we live. I only wish, if only I would have known it earlier that this is how I am going to feel after I 'grow-up'..but then isn't this what growing up is all about? You cannot learn all the lessons at once. & Some lessons only prove to be useful after you see its applications. After all life is all about practicals based on theories that you have learnt. The things that my brother sent were just regular stuff, but something that is priceless to me in current scenario, when I don't get to eat it. Whats more its come right at the time of Diwali... I am contented..

A childish crush

One of those times when I was in school! We were in the same class 9th Standard 'A'division, and same 'Green'house. He was the 'row monitor' as well. Then, I realized, I had a crush on him..My first crush! The reasons, that were quite stupid! Coz he was tall, and had those small twinking eyes and an ever smiling face. Above all, he used to top in Algebra, Geometry and Physics. Despite that, I was ahead of him as I was good in everything else:D But, I used to admire him coz of that. I had this thing for people who were good at maths, which was never my strong point anyways!Its wierd how we find people endearing. Well, somehow, I always used to be the second rank holder and never ever came at the top of the class. I was a teacher's pet, studious types, who always did her homework, who had a neat handwriting, punctual and who used to say the morning prayers on the stage along with 'Father' and who represented the 'Literary Club' Teacher's thought he was cool, coz he was in the 'Math & Science Club', the interschool' Quiz competition' and who was exceptionally gifted when it comes to calculations. This was the only thing that I found immensely attractive. I did not know a word of his family nor was aware of his personal life, nor did I know whether he was into tennis or into cricket. I did not know a word about him. I did not KNOW him. Come 10th std, when I got my spectacles. I so badly wanted those 'symbol of being studious' and to show the junta that 'Hey, am going to top the boards'. The only thing of loving those glasses, was that..he used to call me 'scholar' and the feeling was awesome! The next week, I found him with those pair of glasses as well:) I thought that this was something! In 10th standard, both of us got the same percentage and I topped the school amongst girls. We went to the same junior college, science stream. Was amazed to see him also there. He followed me to the same coaching classes as well. Well, anyhow with the occurance of so many chance events, the mind starts building castles in the air. You tend to read more into the situation, when the situation does not actually have anything that justifies your thinking! We passed out 12th grade and did consider engineering as an option,coz I had started liking 'Integration & Derivatives':) and coz of Priyanka and maybe subconsiouly to follow him (it was unlikely for him to consider any other option). Never mind, I chose to do something else. All this while, we never got in touch with each other, despite living in the same town. But, I knew where he studied. Finally, met him in final year while we were travelling in the train. Was amazed to see a huge change in him..his metamorphosis from a nerd to a smart engineer, who was selected in campus interview at 'Wipro'. From someone who never talked to any girl other than me in school to someone who was a sweetheart of the group, that had predominantly female members. I started to wonder... Finally, we exchanged email addresses of each other and kept in touch. During that time, I was all set to come to US. Later, he got a job at 'Infosys' and he moved to some other state. He kinda remained at the back of my mind. When I was to fly here, I visited him and he presented me with a 'Ganesh Idol' that stays in my 'mandir' here and a card that says ' As you embark on a new journey, full of promises and opportunities, always remember that there is this friend over here, who will miss you'. Last, I heard from his was when I went to India this Summer (talked to him, but did not meet him). He fell in love and is set to marry his sweetheart tommorrow. As, I read his wedding invitation, I cant help but think of a journey that has spanned for 9 years! Well, its another thing, I chose to be silent of what I had felt for him, then. He never knew and will never know. That was the beauty of this friendship. The only thing, that will remain in my mind is the autograph book that he had signed for me in 10th standard. It said, "Met you as a Stranger, Took you as a friend, Hope our friendship remains till we reach heaven, where friendship never ends" Here's to my friend, for a happy and a blissful married life! Apart from so many changes,he still remains the bespectacled cute looking, scholar guy whom I knew from my 9th standard. Its different that this girl, has moved on from glasses to contact lenses:D

A small incident!

In the lab at 6:00 PM..This HPLC is going to keep me here until 9:00 PM atleast. So, here my 'sweet cravings' started bothering me and I was frantically searching for a dollar bill, so I can go have a 'Hershey's bar' from the vending machine. Yet again, I was'nt carryin a penny. Lol! what happens next is a trivial thing, nevertheless..little joy that makes you wonder. I was walking down the hallway, when a Peruvian professors in the department, asks me to try a sweet dish that he had got from Peru!!! Well, I wanted a 60 cents 'Hersheys' but ended up with a much nicer thing. So, well..When life offers lemons, make lemonade! Its high time, that I start aiming for the stars now:)

Me,myself in my own words

One of my very good friends over here, said that she does not know much of me, despite having read my blogs..So. well..Here is an attempt to paint a picture of me..never done that..and I am going to pen down 50 facts about me:) So gurlie, this ones just for you! Here goes: Ms.ROS who is a typical cancerian Has been a vegeterian all her life without accidentally eating meat in any form Binges on 'Tiramisu' in Italian, 'Puran polis and jalebi' amongst Indian and 'Baklava'in Greek Loves travelling but hates driving Is never bored Has talked on the phone continuously for 5 hours Can't live without hindi music,adrak-chai, friends and family Sleeps less and thinks a lot Has friends right from Kindergarten years Can cook up a classy meal in 15 minutes Trusts easily Can never hurt anyone intentionally but gets hurt easily Keeps her house spik and span Beleives in destiny Serendipity is her all time favourite movie Thinks that the band MLTR has songs with the best lyrics Has not put on or lost a single pound in 2 years Loves wearing Indian outfits to american malls and lab on the weekends Can never grow nails Indulges in junk jewellery and clothes but cannot stand perfumes, at all Thinks that men in black T-shirt and faded blue jeans look 'WOW' Never eats frozen food, except for peas and french beans, of course Can relate to people and maintain friendships forever Thinks that 'Pehla Nasha' in Hindi music and 'Nothings gonna change my love for you' in english are the most romantic songs Travels by buses, local trains, eats at Udipi, relishes Bombay Pani puri and Pav Bhaji and never drinks Mineral water, after going to India Thinks that 'Marine Drive' and 'Band Stand' in Bombay are the most beautiful place on earth,despite having travelled to many places in US as well Considers 'New Orleans' to be the most extraordinary place in US Knows the lyrics to atleast 200 hindi songs by heart Has an immense capacity to love Is very impatient and restless Always wanted to be in the field of Pharmacy right from 8th grade Has never slapped anyone Can never manipulate others Can adapt to situations easily Beleives that freedom comes with responsibility Considers sarcasm as a big turn off Thinks that Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble are assets to Indian team Is bad at learning new languages Can never sulk for long Thinks that women look pretty with a smile on their face and twinkle in their eyes Loves pink tulip buds Has never played with dolls Is always well dressed Is very spontaneous Still eats "Amul Butter" and drinks "Bournvita" every day Never takes medicines Considers her height as her biggest asset Loves sunshine Has never read 'Mills and Boons' Is shy of public speaking Remembers birthdays

Guys and food

Today, we had a nice little party at Vivek's place. It was good end to a hectic saturday. Well, not exactly hectic, coz we work so much peacefully with full music on the weekend, that its actually fun:-) Its unbelievable that these guys here cook so 'wow'!!! That guy made a complete meal right from appetizer to dessert all by himself for 16 of us!!!! Though, I call myself a exceptionally good cook who loves experimenting on her guinea-pigs (err...friends:), but I cannot handle more than 8 people at one time (thats the maximum intake capacity);) There were french fries and then there was paneer, dal, pulav and subzi and kheer..I can so firmly say that when guys do cook....they follow the recipe to a T..Its amazing how people, exactly add two tomatoes and notthing less or more if the recipe demands for that quantity:-) Well, thats how these guys over here are...if not anything Vivek's wife will be a lucky girl:)) [Well, to digress over here, I know so many guys who actually can give some girl a complex! One of them being my 'Mama' (Uncle), who makes wonderful 'Biryani' ..as in making it a real traditional way, steaming in a vessel with kneaded dough and all that..No matter, how much I try, I can never make it so 'wow' nor do I have the patience to make it the xact way that it should be:D] But, the best part of the evening was dumb-charades!! We alwa'ys have a fun time playing that game! Towards the end, when we actually run out of 'difficult' movies..we end up making 'home production'...some wierd names...and then having a huge debate over the aunthenticity of the movie:)) examples that we used today: Nagin ke teesri aankh, Lootere ko ek sahara,Ganga kinare ghar basa!! I mean, we come up with these oft-forgotten movies only at this time! Thank god! the building has all indians, otherwise with the 'hungama' that we guys were doing at 2:00 AM, the police would have come in no time to give us a warning:))) OK! so I had this Indian style wine today..Want to know how we made it?? We girls were pretty much interested in trying this 'Merlot' wine today and since it was kinda bitter, we added some rock salt and some lemon to it:D..so it tasted as good as our good ol' 'Kala Khatta' lolz! as ridiculous as it sounds...we had the wine in our way:)) Much to the agonizing, bizzare looks that we got from the guys, as to how idiotic that can be! Spoiling the whole look-feel-taste of this eclectic drink such as wine:)) Hmm! looks like I need to hit the sack now. It was a time well spent!!

Why??

Why does it happen on a friday evening?? You are elated that the week has come to an end, and the next two days are going to be 'yours'. Little do you realize that, Murphy's law actually holds true. You get busted on the friday evening. Instead of heading home to plan for the evening, you are in the lab, running all sorts of experiments PLUS preparing for the next two days! Above all you are asked to show up at 8:00 AM for a one-to-one meeting on monday!!!! You hate being treated that way. You hate the very reason why you should be taking all this. You hate the way people feel that your logic is all screwed up..You want to just walk away from there. But, you cannot...coz hey its a professional world, you cannot act sissy and behave unprofessionally. You call up your friends who have been-there-done-that, But you know what...you reach their voice mails, coz they are all making plans!! The only song that makes sense is "Take me Home, Country Roads, to the place I belong" You want to get 'tullied', but you know what, you are a teetotaller?? Instead, you come and vent it all out on your keyboard when someone is going to leave a message, that I need a break! Hey, I want to and I need to..but I just CANNOT! Coz, this is my choice and now I have to live with it.

A Life so parallel

I met her for the first time, when we went to watch a circus, when I was 5 years of age. Though, I kept bumping into her every time, as she lived in the opposite building as mine..I never did like her. Precisely, coz she was from an all-girls convent school and I was from a co-ed catholic school. All the guys from our school flocked to their school's gate just to catch a glimpse of all the beauties who resided in one single place. Well, that was then, until my 10th std. Come junior college..and to my utter dismay, I find her in the same class as mine and both of us exchanging wierd glances. Since, we lived in the same 'locality', I happen to travel in the same bus as her! Her name is 'Priyanka'. As it turns out, she happens to be Roll # 1 and me Roll # 2, so we end up as being lab partners even during our practicals. How I hated the professor then! Well, chemistry classes, turned out to be beneficial coz due to a strange reaction process, a new unexpected covalent bond was formed------->Our friendship A serendipituous product that I am glad was formed. I do not call her my best friend, coz thats not what she is..She isn't someone with whom I share the tiny details of my life with. But, she is certainly the one with whom I can collect the thread from where we had left it. Seperated by miles but still very much close in thoughts. Someone with whom I can share the darkest of secrets, still be assured that I won't be judged. For someone whom I have an intutive feeling for. She is a 'soul-friend'. We all have heard of soul mates, but a soul friend??? One whose, life has been a mirror image as that of mine. A friendship that has stood the test of time and managed to weather all conditions. Ten years have passed, but both of us have been a pillar of strength for each other and the relationship has got only deeper with passage of time. Well, the events that have happened in our 'respective' lives have been similar and almost alike. Apart from superficial things, such as sharing a common passion for cricket and for Anil Kumble (at that time), we do have a lot of things common between us. For example: We share the same birth date The same language Same percentage of marks in our 12th grade, which made me consider engineering as an option too (thank god, I did not go behind her in that field) The same guy gave us a rose on rose day in 11th std We both had our first 'serious infatuation' in our second year of professional college (different guys) Our respective crushes were both gujratis and were from the same Undergraduate college as well Well, if that wasn't enough, both infatuations never proceeded to another level in both the cases:-) and we both got over that after final year:)) For beleiving in the 'andekha anjaana theory (ref Kajol's character in DDLJ) So, today I got an email from her explaining about a marriage proposal that has come for her and she sent me a picture of him for my opinion! For the first time, I sensed that there was something that is going to happen with her (as far as this matrimonial thing is concerned). I happened to call her instantaneously, and tell her about this wierd intuitive feeling that I am experiencing. To my surprise, she also feels that even though she has not met him or talked to him, she is still having an intuition. Now, I have no clue how that works. How can one 'feel' anything for someone whom you have not heard or not seen?? After she asked me how I felt looking at his pic, I stumped her saying that... "You guys look so much 'made-for-each-other' that he almost looks like your brother"!!!!! Now, I hope our lives remain parallel only until here:D But, I do hope that he is her "Andekha anjaana" My only question is, Can two lives me so parallel that you almost feel that the exact same thing is happening to you as well??

Tears..let them flow

A drop of tear rolled down my cheek..What triggered it, I don't know. But, I want to just let it flow.. The same song that I danced to in the lab from "Marasim" (Ek Purana mausam lauta) Yaadon ki boucharon se jab palkein bhigne lagthi hai Kithni soundhi laghthi hai thab maazi ki ruzvayi bhi is forcing those tears of pearls Do, I feel sad? No Do, I feel happy that I could not contain it, that it trickled down as a 'teardrop'...?No Its just a feeling...of going through peaks and troughs of emotions in one single day... Let them wash away all the anguish..I dare not control them. For-- "There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love.".....Washington Irving

Thoughts behind that 'bridge'

OK! so my last post regarding the bridge, intrigued quite a few people. Thanks guys, for all your inputs:D Well, the first pic on there was of a bridge in the lush green natural beauty of Duluth, Minesotta. A place rich in terms of beauty. So we (hikers) had loads of fun. Greenary, water bodies, Superior lake will cast a lasting impression on anyone's mind. Here, I am trying to unleash some of the moments from that trip and also about my previous post! So, here we were set out on our hiking trail and we heard some wierd screeching sounds...Oohhh scary ones..especially when there were not many people in the vicinity. We set out to begin our trek in the direction of that 'sound' From a far distance, we saw that bridge and there was something about it that mystified us and we thought of setting our foot there.Yes! Aria, you were right in that guess:) The expedition began and the 'sound' started to intensify. Our final destination was that 'bridge' and when we finally did reach there, we were astonished that the place was absolutely uninhabited. None ventured there. It looked desolate and lonely. Like in the first picture, there are lush green trees, lake in the middle (that signifies a rich life) and then an age-old bridge! (that I interpret as emptiness). Something that reminded me of a feeling of being lonely despite all the richness in life. If, you observe the picture there is a 'Ray of sun' that is peeking through and cutting across the bridge. To me it symbolizes 'Ray of hope'. This ray is ehancing the beauty of bridge despite its loneliness and it still appears charming. Maybe, we all have that ray of hope within us that helps us keep going despite all odds. Our 'disappointments' are like the bridge, we find ourselves lonely and secluded. The green leaves and water are like our 'goals', which are beautiful. Our family and friends represent THAT ray of sun, who will continue to enrich our lives and act as moral support for us as we embark on this journey. Well, thats that.. The second picture was absolutely nonsensical. Coz, as we stepped on that bridge it started to 'tremble'. That 'sound' was coming from this bridge. The bridge that looked sturdy, was hardly able to take MY weight:D Extrapolate it to real life, people appear strong and sturdy from outside, but they are as vulnerable from inside..it just need some right person to step on it:) Now the stupidity, I stepped on it to see if it crumbles under my weight:))) This was what I asked in my last post! Now, take it easy guys! Since, it was the first time that I did many things for the first time: 1.Experienced the incredible beauty of Fall colors for the first time 2. Experienced the 'sunrise'and the 'sunset' on the same day after a LONG time 3. Realized that the best way to know someone is to go bag-packing:D