Vote, because we really need to!

Elections are just around the corner.. All political parties are campaigning like there is no tomorrow.. Every advertiser and government body is asking us to vote.. Because its our fundamental right! I will vote this time, for sure, not because I should, but because I really want to. And honestly, I believe I need to.

Not like my one vote is going to change the country, or make it the most ideal place in the world. But I want a lot of changes and this is the only way I know that could initiate them.

I am not a very big hearted humanitarian or a Miss World contestant, I am just an average Bombay girl (yes, we still call it Bombay) who has a fairly good life. I'm not going to ask for zero corruption, no terrorism, 100% education etc. Obviously I want all that for India!! But these are long term goals which will need lots of hard work and dedication. As of today, I have slightly more selfish, self-centered requirements.

I have been lucky because my dad was always willing to get me what I wanted, but now I don't go to him for every small thing and truthfully, I can't afford every object I desire. Thus, there are some basic changes I am praying for, after this national election.

1. Petrol prices

I'm lucky enough to own a personal car in Bombay city. But it kills me every time I refuel it.  Every 3 months, the amount I pay goes up by a few hundred and I can hear my wallet cry. Also, not like the cars here give us the best mileage, all thanks to the ever changing condition of the roads. Which bring me to my next point.

2. Infrastructure

I can't remember a single day, in the last 10 years or more, that the roads were not dug up. What I have come to like about the entire infrastructure development routine are the reasons/excuses we are given every single time. Installing the gas/water line, removing the pot holes, making a new bridge, construction of the metro and the list can go on. They say they are doing it for our convenience but it doesn't help anyone when the roads are blocked for months at an end. The sea link took 10 years to build! The metro is in the testing phase since more than a year and the new airport is something I don't even want to talk about. The main junction on the Western Express Highway is clogged every day because they are making a bridge, but Juhu Circle has traffic because of potholes!! The roads, the construction, is suppose to provide us a smoother day to day function but that hardly seems to be the case.

3. Dollar!!

The whole country is talking about this, not because it’s too expensive for us to travel to other countries, but because it affects our daily lives. Businesses and profit margins go for a toss, with the ever fluctuating dollar. And then there are the growing expenses. From vegetables to clothes, and alcohol to luxury products.

Let me admit one thing. I am a guju. So how much ever disposable income I have, I love free stuff. All of that goes down with the dollar going up! Also, if I were to travel, I could buy only 50% of the things I fall in love with.

4. Corruption

This is an issue that every single Indian faces, on daily basis. I'm not saying I'm a saint. Obviously I have given a bribe to a traffic cop, but honestly that is the max I remember doing. There are days when I wish I was smart enough to do the ‘Jhols’ we read about in the papers. The 2G scam, the Adarsh Society Scam, the CWG Scam, the Indian Coal Mines Scam. I can just keep going on. What really gets to me is the fact that obviously this money did not come directly from the India Government Mint or RBI, which means it is our hard earned money!! We pay taxes so the country can grow, and not to increase someone’s net worth in the Swiss Bank. When I read about the Food Bill in the news, I wanted to go on a killing spree. I am all for the poor getting ration at subsidized costs, but we all know that these subsidiaries never reach the public.

After all this also, I am not saying that India hasn’t grown in the last few years. Of course we have!! But this is because of the hard work of every citizen. The government doesn’t have much to do with this.

So I am not asking anyone to pick a side this election. All of us should do what we believe will be the best for each one of us. But I personally am not willing to leave my fate and the fate of my country in the hands of someone who doesn’t know what he is talking about. The public is very very smart. Promising Women Empowerment & RTI cannot get votes anymore. The people today know exactly what they want. I just hope we will find someone who will help us get there…

I am Back!

I started this blog about 3 years ago. Not because I wanted to be a blogger, but because I always always have so much to say. I thought of lots of different themes for my blog but never came up with anything that really convinced me. So now, a few years and a lot of shots later, I have decided to make this blog about me, and some randomness.

I can completely imagine the reaction of my friends. Them thinking I am so full of myself to actually have a blog about ME! Them cursing me because they anyways hear enough about me every day, all through the day, now they will have to read about it and pretend to like it also. But, now that’s life. You have to deal with it!

I am not going to post it on any social media to promote it, but if you guys ever come across it, it means I am really famous, at least on the net!

Now, for people who actually decide to read my blog, I have a pretty fun life. A fancy job, lots of travel, people, parties, a little bit of gyan once in a way and lot of problems. Problems related to guys, parents (I have the coolest brother!), orthodox people around me, my independent thoughts, undying desire to start a business, and the mother of all problems, marriage. Actually I am sure every girl my age faces this. So I am probably just writing what you are feeling.

So stick around if you feel like, as I am planning to talk lots of crap here. But this could also be a secret NASA mission where I am sending Coded messages to Russia, related to the Chinese Mafia. Crap!! I wasn’t suppose to say that out loud.

Heavens got a plan for you...

We all plan our days, years & have a vision for our entire Life. But as correctly said by someone,

 

‘Life is what happens when You are busy making other Plans’.

We start a phase of our life, thinking & hoping it will go the way we want it to. Find the perfect guy & know he will be your best friend, take an important career decision that will make you reach your 5 year Goal, go to a friend’s party & hook up with the cute guy you eyed last time. 

And then Reality Strikes!! Some of these plans come true, the others don’t.

When I was 3, I wanted to be an actress & at 13, I wanted to be Dhirubhai Ambani. I am not even sure of exactly what I want today, and honestly, I know lots of people like me. Obviously I know I want a happy life and make truck loads of money. But is it only about the goal, or the desire to have a fun and crazy journey while reaching there.

Do we only want Love & Peace to be happy or is it the clarity that someone or something is going to keep you motivated forever, stimulate that grey matter & keep that spark alive. And at what cost!!! Is it just one kiss on a cold winter night, or a continuous challenge of different opinions, or the excitement to fight with your bosses & burn the house down.

Different people, and sure as hell, lot of different desires. 

And which is the correct plan!! The one I thought of last year, or the one I just cooked up in my head 5 minutes ago.

I love it when I’m told “Don’t you worry, don’t you worry child… see Heavens got a Plan for You”. But Dear Smoke Fairy, I have been waiting on you for a while now, following your rituals too, on daily basis. So please, just get on with it.

I have decided to follow the Yellow Brick Road, just that the glare of the sunlight is confusing me. Is it 3 different yellow paths, or am I just suppose to wait for the sun to set!!

Rules & Choices!

The general belief around Rules is that following them will give you a safe and secure life. But how happy will your existence be. And what kind of people are we. The ones who have to do the right thing, or the ones who enjoy the things they do.

I'm not saying that it is amazing to go and smoke up or break into someones house just for fun. But its not a big deal to dance with a stranger once in the way or to max out your credit card just because you saw your ex-boyfriend. And no he doesn’t have a hot new girlfriend, you were just embarrassed that you dated him in the first place!

Our society has made some ridiculous and funny  rules over the centuries, and though all of us would have discussed this with our friends at some stage or the other, I can’t think of another topic that appeals more to me right now.

Living in a city like Mumbai and having cool unorthodox parents also doesn’t always guarantee the permission to be out till 5.30 in the morning, 3 times a week. So yes, we need to follow the rules, but which rules is the main question.

I am not going to talk about stuff like the Kama sutra being invented in India or why should sex be a taboo or that virginity is overpriced. But I do want to mention a particular topic - why is it compulsory to get married after a certain age.

A smart sensible person who is perfectly capable to live alone should not be forced to live with someone just because ‘that’s the way its always been!’

This is where our choices come in. Choice to find the right person at the right time. Yes, it is very important to find a partner and yes, it would be amazing to have a person that cares about you. But should we not consider the risks involved in this ritual – fondly known as ‘Arrange Marriage’.

I am not trying to defy the world here, just trying to make a point. I know it is pretty much useless to talk about this and this post would go in vain as the relevant people might not even read it. But blogging is about expressing thoughts anyways, not your readership (please repost, retweet this, I wanna be famous! J).

Ofcourse this would not apply to everyone, but I am talking from 1 perspective only.

Mine!!.. And a few unlucky others who are in a position as mine.

Who knows, we could be nicer to our kids. Shoots, but that would require us to get married in the first place!

Just do what you have to do!!

Life is so busy and there always is somewhere else to be. There are a ton of things you want to do but just never seem to have the time. The same story with a hundred different versions.

Ofcourse it is simple to talk, or write about it but doing something is not that difficult either.

You don’t need to make a bucket list and start following it already, but just do what makes you happy. Like walking in the rain with loud music or telling someone you like them or simply getting drunk.

Everything need not be serious and everything need not have a consequence, just do it because you want to. Smile at a random stranger and you might actually meet your ‘New Gay Best Friend.’ J

Being rude or full of yourself might work more times then you know.

Being a jerk is good too, Steve Jobs was one. And I’m not saying this, an article in Forbes is. I just wish he had given me an ipad before he died!!

Your boss harasses you and your girlfriend won’t stop cribbing, there is nothing you can do about that. But getting a tattoo that you always wanted will surely make that weekend so much better. Settling in front of the TV with a bowl of chips and a movie marathon might not be bad but being a rebel might give you the high you are looking for.

You need to think about tomorrow but can’t do it if you are worried today. So just suck it up, deal with the devil and make it a happen. The results might not be good, O Hell, they might be disastrous, but you do earn points for trying. And that’s how it all begins.

For the Malyas and Brandsons, it might be a tab easy but it can’t be that bad for us either.

Just do what you have to do because this is the youngest you’ll ever be and the oldest you ever were.

Individualism, or Watever!!

Individualism – a familiar concept but an unfamiliar territory. People have a tendency to follow trends. They want to copy someone who is popular and successful, hoping to bank on his equity.

Everyone wants to be famous but since most people don’t have a mind of their own or are conditioned to follow the herd, copying others is the only option they have.

These clones are not restricted to any particular society. You can find them in the lower class where the auto-walas dress to be Salman Khan or in a posh Night Club where all the girls are wearing the same outfit from the latest fashion magazine.

This is the case not just in clothes or fashion, but also in life style, politics and the business world.

There was a rage to name new borns ‘Aryan’ as it sounded good in a Shahrukh Khan movie.

A series of candle marchs were organized against the corruption but to no avail.

The new trend, of course, is to go on a death fast so that you get media coverage and publicity for something you never intended to do. And someone who actually dies in a genuine fast goes with just a mention in the side column of the daily newspaper.

Aspiration to be the next Dhirubhai Ambani is very common but without an idea and the passion to see it through, against all odds and market patterns, is just a dream.

Businessmen want to follow strategies that are widely successful and are afraid to experiment. They want to make money from the tried and tested, but how can you ignore the fact that new strategies can yield much higher returns with just marginal increase in the effort.

Experiments made our world what it is today. Comfortable and Fun. Beer was invented in 5000 BC by some Egyptian Pharaoh. Now how much does the world owe this guy!! Electricity and the Wheel were also just as important. So we should be willing to take the risk, or the leap of faith, as in many cases. Failing is just another episode in a grand success story.

Everyone wants to be someone, a grand success story, but no one wants to be their own person. They don’t want to be a trendsetter, just follow who is successful.

People want to fit-in. They want to be like the others and that is human nature but we do have a small section of people who think differently and these are the people who steer the generation of followers in the right direction. These are the people we look upto and remember for decades.

Normal People will always need Smart People. So step aside, here we come!

Employment - by choice!!

Well, most of the people are proud to have a job. And when you are just passing out of a B-school, it means the world. Some people want to work, to make a good living and a career. And then there are ‘The Others’, who want a job just because they don’t want to ask their father for money or don’t know how they will deal with the peer pressure once college is over. Another very common reason is the associated ego boost and the fact that they can rub it in their parents’ face every time a comparison comes up.

No points for guessing whom we are going to talk about.

‘The Others’, what many people would like to call us. But the truth is that there would be no employment without people like us. If everyone wanted to work, who would make so many people work. Someone had to take that responsibility. We are required for the development of society and the betterment of mankind.

Ok. Maybe that’s a little too much, but I have a point.

If Bill Gates and Steve Jobs had not taken a chance, there would be no personal computers and thus no ‘Blogs’ to express thoughts, and Mark Zuckerberg could not have given us our daily mode of entertainment.

If Mr. Dhirubhai Ambani had not left his job at Aden, India would be two people short in the World’s Richest List.

If Mr. Jamsedji Tata (not J.R.D Tata) had not started Tata Group, there would be no company that churned out one of the world’s most luxurious car and the cheapest car, simultaneously.

            Point being, the world needs risk-takers, and we are here for just that.

            But life of course is not a cake walk and starting a company is no joke. I know that, and You know that, but I don’t think they know, We know that. This is a huge, life changing decision and keeping our minimal experience in mind, I do believe that we could miss out on important details. But is this enough reason to not move forward and initiate something you truely believe in.

            When do you draw the line, and how are you going to be sure of yourself. Deciding when to leave the job that guarantees an income and facing the heat of innumerable critics is a tough call. But this is a risk you should be willing to take so that you can prove to the world that you were right all along.

And if you are wrong, get up, dust your pants and Move On.