found the tie-and-dye fancy things I’d made in college – looks ridiculously funny now. I found a good load of saree blouses – my inheritance from granny!! I don’t think I’d ever wear them nor do I have the heart to throw them! In fact, I don’t even remember why I took them.

I found a favorites dress of mine – a pretty orange one with beads and laces. I don’t know about you – but I have some favorite dresses – the ones that have some special memory or just made you feel like a princess (or a prince). This one and a couple of other pretty dresses have a story behind them.
Years later, when I was no longer the kid, when I could appreciate the prettiness of a saree, I got to know that some of my prettiest dresses of younger days were made from mom’s sarees. When they couldn’t buy nice dresses and new material for festivals, mom would cut one of her pretty sarees and make dresses for me and my sister. This orange frock is from one of her sarees. I don’t know if I’d have the heart to cut a saree as pretty as that! Mother’s love!

And then, I found a bunch of letters from school pals. You know, the good old days of writing in one of those inland covers, dropping it in a postbox and hoping they haven’t changed their address… and then you’d get the reply in a similar cover after a couple of weeks – or even months. No pings, no diggs, no tweets, no calls, no emails – just the good old snail mail.

And guess what – I found something that looked like a baptism dress and asked mom – it’s my brother’s. I can almost see a baby there

So, that’s how I spent my day today! Remembering my childhood and thanking God for my wonderful family

Eyes closed? Sleeping

Meeting? Busy

Slim? Weak

G? Loadsa money

SLR? Great photos

Analytics? Complicated

Got any to add?

…I sat watch over someone dear – I got to know what it’s like when you just can’t do anything to make things better

…I finished school – got out with 84%

… It was my first month in college

… I travelled long distance alone, for the first time!

… I didn’t have an email address :O [crazy, but true!]

…I don’t remember spending time online at all!

That’s the year of 1998!

Two things prompted this post – one, I found the Visitor card used in CMC and, two, I’d written Aug 22, 98 in my Bible [most probably, the day I got it!]

So, what were you doing?

I wonder why, I wonder how, I wonder what made you think the way you did
I wish I knew, I wish I had the answer.
But, there are things beyond comprehension.

I wonder if I will ever know!

– from A River Runs Through It.

How true is that in your life? How much do your closest know about you? And, how much do you know about your closest ones?

Ever imagined what it is like if Big Ben walks away? Can you imagine people’s reaction as he walks across the sea, across the oceans, to a land far far away – so far away you can’t see Big Ben anymore…No more pretty pictures, no bells ringing, no landmark, nothing to see but a plain piece of land!

One day I’ll fly away
Leave all this to yesterday
What more could your Love do for me?
When will Love be through with me?

Why live life from dream to dream?
And dread the day when dreaming ends

One day I’ll fly away
Leave all this to yesterday
Why live life from dream to dream?
And dread the day when dreaming ends

One day I’ll fly away
Fly, fly away

– William Wordsworth

A well-known poem, The Daffodils, was one of the poems I read in class X. I found the poetry book among other things when I was clearing up my desk back home. For me, the daffodils are my travel adventures. I can be on my own on a quiet day, immersed in my memories and travelling on my own – once more.

And then, days flew – as it can happen only when you work, work, and work – and then travel whenever you are free! It was the end of 2006 when I got to know quite an illustriuos friend… someone who made me walk around the biggest exhibition in Hyd before inviting me for his travel adventures. And there started our travelling spree – visiting just about every place around hyd!

Half way into the year, it was time to move to a new team, a new product – keeps you busy and learning for a while and, at the same time, makes you miss your buddies! It was a year of changes with friends across floors trying to stay in touch, catching up for lunch… and ended the year on a high note with my best friend’s desk quite close to mine! What a joy!

And then came Hampi-Jog Falls-Hogenakkal – after much preparation, the trip was one of the most memorable! The trek to reach the bottom of the falls, to be surrounded by walls of rock and stand there in the midst of the mist and the rain – is something to be experienced!

As if I had been too happy all along, there came the lull and swept me away! Fell in love and fell out of love too… Don’t wanna make the same mistake again! never ever….

Made new friends, got in touch with old friends and really, really old friends – thanks to social networking! I never thought I would get in touch with my classmates after 14 years of silence! Oh, the joy of getting in touch with old friends! … and the sadness of losing friends… and the mystery of people who are friends one day, not so friendly the next, friends again a few days later… Why do I even put up with them? I don’t know!!

Got a lot more online presence! A few blogs and, finally, a website! Though, not completely functional yet

All of this interspersed with visits to good ‘ole Chennai … the beach, Spencers, City Center, Coffee Day at Anna nagar… meeting friends, shopping till I dropped (quite literally!), fainting at a bus stop and getting hurt as if I fell from a bike!….

It’s been a year of brands, electronics, and going online big time – right from purchases to payments – all without a credit card … a year of delayed train arrivals, some crazy travelling, sleeping in a car, watching the sun rise over a dam… and some photography along the way!

Just as every other year, it was full of surprises that made me happy, and disappointments that drained me away! But then, the year ends on a happy note and let’s me look forward to the next year – I’ve travelled far and wanna travel more… I’ve taken risks and will take more… I’ve learnt and will learn more…Wonder what 2008 holds for me!

I couldn’t help but wonder what was running through the mind of the man dressed up as Santa. Dressed as Santa – standing in front of a shop, doing the dance quite monotonously, waving at the passers by, watching the world around on a shopping spree… what was on his mind? Did he celebrate Christmas? Does he have enough to shop for himself and his loved ones? Does he see the number of people coming to shop and wish he could too? Does he wish he was as happy as the mask he was wearing?

Doesn’t it hurt to do that monotonous dance and wave all evening? Doesn’t it hurt to stand there and have people ignore you? Does it hurt to stand there and watch the world go by?