Two questions

Do optimism and hope set you up for more disappointment than otherwise?

Does an optimistic attitude reflect in and thereby improve the way you work - would that mean lesser chances of disappointment?

Of big bags and Tags

WnG here tagged me a while ago. Quite some time ago. A month and more has passed and now I get down to doing it. In my defense, I was merely waiting for more interesting times. But then I realised that this is as interesting as it gets, so I've taken out my rose-coloured glasses and I'm telling y'all what my handbag contains ('tis more like a backpack, but ah poe-tay-to po-tah-to!)

Anyway, here goes. If this gets boring, you have her to blame.

1. A blue folder with papers (ooh, official, can't tell you about them!)
2. Blue scarf. This is to protect my hair when I'm travelling in autos or to keep underneath my helmet. I'm paranoid the elements of nature will blow my hair away someday if I don't protect them. There isn't much that I can afford to lose at this point.
3. A pamphlet of a rajashthani/gujarati buffet lunch near the workplace. From almost 7-8 months back. Hmm.. I've been clearing my desk at work and adding junk to the bag.
4. Bills. Old bills, new bills. Credit card, phone. Bah.
5. Notepads. One partially used, one recently acquired and therefore being used with fresh enthusiasm. I have a thing for notepads, they excite me. I never end up writing anything substantial, neither do I read what I've written, but I get excited nonetheless.
6. Thick wallet. And no, not because I carry a lot of cash. There's enough junk in there to warrant an entire new post.
7. Hee haa. Bare necessities. For the post-gym-shower to the office transition. The next few numbers - Sunscreen.
8. Comb.
9. Livon. (Hair again).
10. Deodarant.
11. Chapstick. (Lotus, chocolate flavour)
12. A book on Digital Design. Ah, interesting times.
13. Broken earphones for listening to my type of music in the gym.
14. ID card. Ho-hum.
15. Those face-wipe tissues from flights and otherwise. I have 3 of them in my bag. And I wonder if I'll ever use them.
16. Sanitary pad.
17. Safety pins. Cautious Rach. Prepared-for-worst Rach. Carries-junk Rach.
18. [Sheepish] An old diet plan that I never really followed. Atleast I still carry it. Sigh.
19. Pens and pencils. Broken and unbroken..yet.
20. More notepads. A special mention for my CRY notepad. While I'm on that, I wonder if any of you would like to donate to CRY.
21. Two lovely, smooth, tiny pebbles that come from some beach during my visit to bhaiyya-bhabhi in UK.  I've a thing for pebbles also. I remember picking out the nice smooth ones from the ground (bachpan mein) and considering them to be my lucky charms. For about 3 minutes. I'd forget soon enough about it. These ones are still in the bag.
22. Oh my mouth freshener. I carry that or Orbit gums. I've found it useful, I have. :)
23. Old passport photographs that i'd die if anyone saw. Hmm.. one thing to put away.
24. Book. The Road Less Travelled, gifted to me by him on this day.
25. And, not to forget, my Cobra Pepper Spray!! Thankfully, I've never had to use it till now. But I'd suggest to most people out there (girls, especially) to keep one handy for self defense. You never know.

And at 25 I end this rather elaborate list. If you're still awake, I'd like to tag Suprita on this. C'mon girl :) I'm waiting.

Gah + Bah!

I feel depleted of creativity.

My writing is lacking 'freshness'.

Something's got to be done.

But what?

Then again, I'm feeling .. alright.

Life's alright. Still haven't found my wave. But life's seems alright. :)

My latest gtalk status message reflects just that - Just tell yourself, Ducky, you're really quite lucky. :-) Quoted by a Dr. Seuss. You can find more words of wisdom here.

My picks :

I'm sorry to say so
But, sadly it's true
That bang-ups and hang-ups
Can happen to you.

and

Will you succeed?
Yes you will indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

Nothing spectacular, I know. But the matter-of-fact-ness topped off with rhyme are but little pleasures of life. :-) I'm loving it...! :-D

---------------------------------------------------------

:s/Freshness/General Rant

Haf fun. Life goes on.

Vishu !

Happy new Mallu year!!

Today I'll tell you of the other of the only two Malayali festivals I know of. Here's the first one.

It is basically the first day of the our new year, and the harvest festival.

So every year we make (read Mom makes) this setting in front of the Gods called Vishukanni (meaning seen first on Vishu). It is the first thing we look at when we wake up. The custom actually is that the eldest lady of the house sets up the kanni the previous night, wakes up first and lights the lamp and sets it up completely, wakes up the rest of the family, who usually are supposed go to the puja room with closed eyes, and look at the Vishukanni first thing. It is believed to be auspicious for the year that follows.

This time I took special care to note what goes into the kanni. Mom first mixed 9 kinds of daals (pulses), kept it with rice.

Alongside were vegetables like coconut, white melon and fruits like bananas, mango, jackfruit.

Then she kept gold jewellery, silver coins, money, new clothes, kumkum, etc. Lamps are lit beside it and there is a Kanni Konnapoovu or Indian laburnum that's also around.

A vital part of the setup is a mirror, through which we should be looking at all these things.

And so, here is the final Vishukanni that I looked at first thing this morning!

Now we come to the kaineetam part. How can I not dedicate a special section to the Vishu kaineetam that is sort of the central part of this festival for all children. The elders of the family starting with the grand father or father give away Kaineetam to the younger ones. The Kaineetam consists of coins (now mostly notes) with Konna flowers, rice and the gold from the Uruli. The gold and the rice are returned to the Uruli and touch the eyes with flower. This is when you would see the kids back home become rich overnight, what with the large numbers of doting adult relatives.. :)

And what good is a festival of prosperity with out great food or our Saddhya, and fireworks too!

Life and a friend called Uncertainty.

I can say with fair amount of certainty that I have never had to deal with much uncertainty. Life flowed along, and I drifted well with the waves. Somehow, everything always fell in place. It was a rare thing to be thrown off one wave and not find another to surf on soon enough.

I'm not complaining. I understand how much worse things could have been. Trying times are also known as interesting times in another world. I'm sure I have it in me. But how long will it take to find my next wave? The answer to that, my friend, is something that only my cliched buddy, Time, can tell.

Until then, I cannot miss on all the opportunities that these times bring, even if they are camouflaged beyond recognition. I'll find them, and I'll enjoy the character building. :)