To Dream (or not to)?

People said follow your dream, follow your passion. If your dream starts earning for you there is no one in the world who can stop you! Few other people said, life is different from a dream. What if you are not able to make it big? what if you fall back in the race?....studies, job and security is what that gives you insurance for it! My mind loudly heard the latter and, the heart that always was beating towards the former, took a back seat..to an extent where it became a mere whisper and eventually went mute!

So now...you get up, run for work, slog your ass out, come back and sleep and repeat. That small 10 min window between you go to bed and fall asleep is when you ask the question to yourself - Was this the life I wanted? and I literally feel that my heart, with a wicked smirk  saying.....You should have listened to me!

And I reply ....Yes!!...maybe I should have!! 

Another Year zooms past :-)

Firstly, congratulations for all the survivors of the so called 'Dooms Day'. Condolences for all the news channels, magazines and all the other media houses that did a count down for this event (How foolish). Unfortunately not many people were interested in watching them and neither did the event occur.....So all the valiant effort you guys put in to increase your TRP and popularity went down the drain - So make a resolution to cut all this crap and report something useful and important (I can bet you will never run out of topics in our sacred country)

As another year passes by, I was just sitting and pondering over all the good and useful things that I have done in one year...well...here is what I got

January - Sitting and planning for all the good things to be done over the course of the year and also made some resolutions (no I did not keep that up per usual practice - How shameless of me)

February - Feeling Jealous seeing all the wonderful couple around me and hoping to find a valentine by the same time next year.

March/April/May - Seeing all the children playing on the streets and wondering if I will ever get something called as 'Summer Vacations' again. Also preparing for the ICWAI - Inter exams I had to take up in June

June - ICWAI Inter exams

July - Exam Results (disappointment)

August/September - Feeling bad for results and trying to motivate myself to clear in the December Exams

October - Happy with HP (relief after a long time)

November - Birthday time.

December - Farewell Northern Trust :-(

Well if you just look at all the stuffs mentioned above, I can bet that you will not be able to find any interesting or a useful thing in that list (forget the HP part). Apart from dreaming the whole time, flunking in exams and lot of other not so good things that unfortunately I cannot tell in this platform. It was just a silent year that was very flat and flew past me before I could realize.

Today as we step into 2013, I feel I have to make my life a little more interesting (at least to make the above list look a little more vibrant). I do not want to take up any resolutions because I know it will never work. I just want to wish myself luck and put efforts to make the year a good one.

As some wise people have quoted "Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book - WRITE A GOOD ONE" (I surely will give it my best shot).

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year :-) Have a blast :-) See you next year..!!!!

For one Last time in 2012, it is

-Sethu-

Signing off :-)

I should have listened to my Dad...!!!!

When we were in our teens, there would have been a lot of people who would have given us advise on various things in life, most of it being with respect to our career..."Do this..Do that....it has a better scope....it will do wonders for your career"..so on and so forth....needless to say most of these come from our parents......we like it or not (which most of the times we don't) it keeps on coming and we have no option but to listen to all of them.....let alone following it for the time being

So why do you think I am telling all these??? Just read on for one such example in my life which has left a deep impression on me...a deep regret that I am not able to reverse......and I can stick my neck out a little bit and say most of you might relate this to similar incidents in your lives too..

Just after I finished my school, as all my friends did, I wanted to take up science too......but my dad had different things in his mind. He wanted me to take up commerce as I had not got very good grades............. especially in Science and Maths (which was unfortunately true).Though I secretly revolted the move, I had no option but to buy my dad's words to take up commerce....I had this revolt in my mind right through out my PUC...but since I had not good grades in my previous board exams and since I had a faced a little criticism from some stupid relatives of mine, I was determined to put up a better show this time around.....with some efforts I got a decent grade in my II PUC...and by the time I finished PUC I took a a liking towards this stream and started to enjoy it....but I still had this revolt in my mind that my dad did not let me pursue what I wanted to.

Now comes the biggest turning point of my career. I joined degree and when I was in my first year, my dad gave me another shock and asked me to do Chartered Accountancy (CA). He also got me enrolled to the foundation course (which was those days the gateway for the course).....This disappointed me to the core and with that earlier revolt in my mind still active, I decided to go against my dad's will....I faced him and told him that I did not want to do CA and wanted to do an MBA (I'm still not sure what made me take up the course). Fortunately my dad agreed.... I gave the entrance....courtesy a good rank, I got into a decent Institution...my 2yrs MBA went on smoothly as any other college life and god's grace, I got an offer from a reputed company wit a decent pay...I was thrilled.....parents were happy too...

While all these things happened, subconsciously I still liked commerce.....The talks of Profit and Loss account and Balance sheets were making me feel more comfortable than strategic and project managements. 2 yrs into my career, I started feeling that I was in a wrong stream altogether......I wanted to get into audit/accounting which I was more comfortable with and which I thought would be my long term career stream and rightly so. From then...till now I am putting all kinds of efforts to get into that profile but unfortunately for me...I did not have the required qualification nor prior relevant experience to get in!!

Now guess what was that qualification that I needed to get into Audit/Accounting???? It was Chartered Accountancy....a course that I had blindly and foolishly rejected and ignored a few years back..the course that my dad wanted me to do....the course that if pursued had put me into a very good position in my career.

I have been trying to do different things to gain entry into this field..I am doing my CWA (which is considered to be an equivalent to CA but with limited scope)....I am trying to do some certifications too but none of them is proving to be as good as the Chartered Accountancy course...

26 yrs under my ass....4 yrs into my job.....I cannot do CA now because of the time frame of the course and also because of some financial commitments......trying desperately to finish my CWA...struggling with work and studies together.......lost some very good opportunities in my current profile because of all these career talks that I had with my manager......I somehow get a feeling that I have totally messed it up.

Every night before I go to sleep....I keep thinking "If only I had listened to my dad".....but its all too late I guess....and I have this strong feeling that this regret is here to stay....and I have to live with it for the rest of my life!!!

Signing off

Sethu :-)

Is it so late already????

"Wedding".....these days it is a word that gives me shivers and chills that run down till my my spine....The magnitude of attention it grabs in the life of a youngster is incredible....the whole world around you seem to be interested only in your wedding and it would be as if they are working as a team - something like a  rapid action force with a tight deadline to get you married as soon as possible......!!!

Off late I have been in the eye of one such storm...everyone I meet has only one topic...."My wedding" and trust me..the topic itself is a pain in the wrong place..!! You are in such a fix that you never know what to answer and you foolishly smile to brush aside the topic ending up looking a bit stupid

Now a days I keep wondering what is the right age for a guy to get married...I know it is a debatable topic and it depends on a lot of external factors too but what made me think about it is....till 6 months back, per some people I was too young to get married but now all of a sudden after 6 months the same set of people seem to be in such a hurry for my wedding as if my 'sell by date' is about to near.....which seems a tad bit too strange to me....

For records..just as an FYI..I am still 26...surely not yet settled in life..still testing waters in my career and desperately trying to get my footing right with a lot of dreams and a definite goal in mind. Won't marriage mean added responsibility??......can't my wedding wait till I am ready for that responsibility...can't it wait till I get to a good position in my career...or

Is it so late already that I have no other option but to bow my head to this big responsibility...????

Only time will tell....


Sethu :-)

A Long Wait :-)

The Valentine's week.......A week where Love is in the air, in people's hearts, in people's mind...the feeling is just so gripping that you cannot escape from it...right from an Ad in the TV to a show in the radio, its Love everywhere.....Dedicating my post to this wonderful week :-)

I can simply go on and on with Love...the feelings...the romance..the magic...as, I always say..."There is something to love stories that always impresses me"......BUT.....on a personal front, love is something that has never happened in my life......the gifts, the long conversations, the care, the possessiveness, the tenderness,the compromises and the sacrifices are those that have never been a part of my routine......those things that I have thrived to have all my life......Every time, I have either been unfortunate not to recognize that special someone or.... unlucky to have recognized a bit too late to express my Love...

There are specific moments everyday which makes me feel that there is something which is missing from my life....the time where I am in the cab back home..when I see everyone in my cab busy talking to their special someone's........while listening to a romantic song on a lovely evening.....at a specific moment in the night after lying down and before falling asleep......at the time where I do not actually know with whom to share the feeling of a bad and stressful day at work...

are the moments which momentarily reminds me that I am actually handicapped...

But......on 14th February every year when I see those lovely greeting cards....the beautiful red roses.....the desperation in a friend's eyes in planning a perfect dinner date.....or giving my piece of thought in purchasing a romantic gift is when I feel......"One opportunity and I will show how beautiful can a relationship be"

Yes, as some wise people say.....never await love...you will always be deprived of it....Just leave it alone and it comes to you at the least expected time.....

But for me that extra wait to find that special someone.......or that surprise element in not knowing when love strikes is truly a fantastic feeling in itself and a feeling that has to be experienced......just that in my case I am so experienced that the magical feeling is lost altogether...

Still waiting.....and positively thinking that God is busy in scripting the best ever love story for me... :-)

as I end......wishing all the sweet couples a very happy Valentine's week :-)

Signing off.....

PS: 14th Feb is my Parents' wedding day too......"Appa Amma - Many Happy returns of the day in advance"

Sethu :-)

Me and My City....!!!

The place we live becomes a part of us over a period of time...You simply start loving every aspect of that....I am one of those fortunate few who got to stay at the same place for over 25 years. So there should be a fair idea as to how much I should be obsessed with the place.

As my dad works for railways, and the fact that I could travel in the train for free till i finished my education meant that I got to travel the length and breadth of the country...visiting many cities and places in a span of 15 yrs...But very few of them impressed me as much as my city did.

The strong smell of fresh filter coffee, the wonderful climate, the food, the people, the life..it just embraces you as soon as you step in here and no wonder lot of people from around the country wish to make it their hometown. Welcome to "Bengaluru" or rather welcome to "Namma Bengaluru" as we Bangaloreans call it.

I have a special bonding towards this city not just because I stayed here for so long...it is because I saw the city grow up with me. As people used to call it when I was small, it was a pensioner's paradise and a pretty laid back city more known for its rich culture and the wonderful climate.

But as I finished my schooling and in the duration of 7 yrs of my college life I saw an immense growth and I could see the face of the city changing......It used to give me immense pleasure as I could see the City grow up with me as my close friend......as I grew to be a responsible citizen, I saw my city grow up from a "pensioner's paradise" to the "Silicon valley of India".

Each and every stage....right from the First flyover built.....the first mall that came up...the first ever multiplex.......from a red BTS bus to a gleaming BMTC volvo......the first tech park.......the first ever Metro.......every change made me feel proud and with every change I started to love the city more and more.

And what more....I can proudly tell people that.....I am a native of this wonderful place.....and without a second thought...."Proud to be a Bangalorean"

Signing off.... :-)

ಅಮೃತಧಾರೆ

ನೀ ಅಮೃತಧಾರೆ...ಕೋಟಿ ಜನುಮ ಜೊತೆಗಾತಿ...

ನೀ ಅಮೃತಧಾರೆ...ಇಹಕು ಪರಕು ಸಂಗಾತಿ....

ನೀ ಇಲ್ಲವಾದರೆ ನಾ ಹೇಗೆ ಬಾಳಲಿ....!!!

I just love those lines....and the song itself should be one amongst the top in my all time playlist....Every time I listen to those lines there is a small tickle somewhere in the corner of my heart....and the feeling itself is simply amazing. I just get lost in my thoughts on the way to a small dream world of mine.

I always used to tell everyone (I do.. even now) that fortunately or unfortunately I have never fallen in love or got into a relationship till date and I am really happy about it... that I am always free and independent without any commitments...But do I mean what I say every time ??? Not always....

In real, somewhere in the corner of my heart, I really feel that if there is anything that I have truly missed in this wonderful phase of life...that would be to relish the tender feeling of love....and when ever I listen to this song especially the word "ಅಮೃತಧಾರೆ"...my thoughts simply take me to that Innocent, Talkative, down-to-earth girl of mine whom I'm yet to meet...!!!

A Girl who would make me feel that I am the most special and unique person in the world.....when most of the things around me are not in my favor.

Who talks so well that I forget all the headache and stress of a long and hectic day when I listen to her soft, soothing voice...

Who is so simple that just a silent walk and small conversation eating a paani poori on the road side would make her feel that it was her best day so far..!!

I know all these are Cliché-d statements and very rare happenings...But these are just dreams and might not be ideal situations ....I am just trying to give shape to all of them here.....so instead of analyzing it, just read and enjoy... and If possible try and relate it to similar happenings in your life so that this small effort of mine pays off..!!

šēţħũ

If I get to choose any Job in the World, I would……

I would definitely want to be in the place of 2 people who are true masters in their respective fields…Sonu Nigam and Harsha Bhogle…Before you ask me why only these two, Just read on……..

Music and Cricket have always been my biggest passions right from childhood. And as all aspiring youngsters I would always want to be the best in either of the two. And there would be no better way to do that if I could grab the Job of any one Individuals I named above.

Starting off with Music, my previous post should tell you about my passion for music and singing…and my craze to become a celebrity took my passion to the next level (i.e. to be a singer) and considering the amazing voice and the position Sonu Nigam enjoys currently in Indian Music….every aspiring Singer would surely want to take his place…!!

Secondly Cricket….Its a known fact that if you are born in India, Cricket is your religion..The sheer passion that the game has in this country is a treat to watch….This should be enough to explain that I am no different…As any average Indian Kid would do, I took to this game like a duck to water…loved each and every bit of it. And as any youngster would dream, I wanted to play this game at the highest level. But….In a Cricket Crazy country of 1.2 Billion People, with 90% of them wanting to play for the country, you gotta be really lucky to get through.. and no prizes for guessing- I was not lucky enough..So I gave up the Idea of playing the game….!!

Instead, I started following the game very keenly..used to read books on cricket…watch shows on Cricket…to put it in a simple way, i became a student of the game and not just a spectator…..This was when I saw this individual called Harsha Bhogle, who along with the top cricketers was always up there in the books of cricket for his immense knowledge and passion of the game..who showed the world that even if you do not get to represent the country in a game, you can still get famous at it…….He is currently employed as a cricket commentator and enthusiast with a top sports channel in the world….and if given a chance, would surely wanna take his place.

It takes a lot of strength to pursue your passion and unfortuantely not may people in this world are strong enough..!!!

Sethu..!!

Music...!!!

In Ancient India, there was a belief..If you are born as a Brahmin, you will either be a pandit or you will take to Music..!! Not too sure why this belief set in but on some serious thought I really think this is true.

Born in a Middle Class Smartha Brahmin family, where most of them were music lovers, It did not take me long to take liking to this art form. My Ajji was a fantastic artiste..she used give performances in radio in and teach music to lot of people she was very good at what she did. And my Mother, God!!! she is truly blessed with a very very sweet voice which has won her a lot of competitions at her work and other places. Infact she is very well know for her singing skills amongst our family circle

And I consider myself really lucky to have inherited this quality of both my mom and ajji...Initially I was not very much aware that I sing well....It was only when my mom go me admitted to a music class when I was 8 yrs old, I realized the rare skill I had...Unfortunately could not continue with my music classes for long because of some obstacles...But that stint in the music class was enough to boost my confidence. I started winning a lot of competitions in school and college. Came out victorious in many of the Inter Collegiate events.

I enjoyed singing so much that I wanted to take it as a profession. Wanted to be a playback singer and i used to dream of being one...Unfortunately, because of some complications, I could not pursue my dream..... That din mean I left singing...I still do sing when I'm happy, sad, at leisure and it still gives me immense pleasure every-time I do that.

As it is famously said..." you gotta be really lucky to be able to pursue your dream"

Hopefully my luck gives way and my dream comes true before my voice wears out...!!

Sethu