I want to be a monkey !

Yes, this is what I exactly told my uncle, when I was six. Unlike many other kids, who replied with fancy answers like ' I want to be a pilot ' , I naively and honestly said I wanted to be a monkey when I grow up. The 'grown - ups' found it 'wildly' amusing and since then it has been part of folk-lore, etched in my family's memory. It comes up in most family get togethers. All these years, I used to get embarassed hearing the narration again. I thought of myself, ' couldnt I have gone with the cliche ! ? Couldnt I make a cutie face and say that I wanted to be an engineer (I did graduate in electrical engineering)' .

I also remember the next question from my uncle. He asked ' Why do you want to be a monkey' ?. I had a darn good reason. According to my imaginative mind, built by many wildlife bedtime stories by my dad, a monkey can jump from tree to tree and can eat any fruit it wants. It can eat a banana now and a mango next. Simple pleasures! That was good enough to get the whole house erupt in laughter and comments such as , ' how adorable' ! Although my parents felt it was adorable, they were a bit embarrased then, I think. In a social circle, it doesnt help, if one's kid mentions that it wants to be a primate, when grown up. They would probably want their children to have the same aspirations that a society aspires for their offsprings. An engineer, a doctor, a lawyer....and dad's day at work would have been brighter, the next day.

Today, as I look back, I am glad I have fullfilled my naive ambition. I am like a monkey now. I am a raw vegan. I only eat fruits and vegetables (mostly greens, uncooked). I can proudly say, that I am one of the lucky few who has gone on to fulfill his/her ambition. How many of us, can say this, beamingly? :)

Three bags and no baggage

Recently used this phrase and kinda liked it. Thats how I can summarize my current state of affairs. Well, if you add my bagpack and the laptop and the guitar, its six bags and no baggage(s). No baggage, cause I feel free. The most, I have felt than ever before.

One should travel. Any person who has stayed at a single spot, needs to move. The movement, triggers upliftment. Or else you rot. Same is with the mind. Explore new ideas, listen to what others have to say, you dont have to agree, but atleast have an open mind. Dont be biased.

I want to live in the moment. No past to haunt, and no future to overplan. Patting myself on the back, actually, I am doing a pretty good job. I am happy, I am contented.

I have aspirations, plans and hopes. I have thought about them, and have written them down.

I have suffered pain in the past. I will suffer pain in the present. I know that. But I have forgotten the pain and will forget it again, whenever I am subjected to it.

And a place called Deerfield

I spent the weekend, going to the Venice and Santa Monica beaches, back in California. How busy were these spots? Folks, surfing, running, working out, cycling, etc and having a ball! I took a roller coaster ride, which on couple of turns, gives a breathtaking view of the ocean. I also took a free basketball throw challenge at the fun & games area. Three shots for 5 $ ! I got all three, and won three basketballs. I chose a Tar Heels ball and a Cal Ball. Tar Heels, of course the number one college basketball team and a favorite! I didnt take the third one. My hands were full.

And how about life in Deerfield? Although I have been there only for a week, I am wondering what outdoor activities, I could take up. Skiing? Hockey? Of course, only if I find time after soon to increase office hours! How can people live in these temperatures? A concept so alien to me! But again, I consider myself as an explorer, and I am sure, the field of deers, would ignite some local passion in me.

I hope I can write more on the local life in this town. Soon.

Omniprescence

The Art of Living group, is omnipresent. And thats what I like the most about it. I flew into Deerfield, and one of the first things I did, was to reach out over the internet to local AOL groups, and immediately found one at Northbrook. I look forward to meeting them and participating in the Satsangs and the kriyas. Monday, is the slotted time for the satsang, and I might end up missing the first one. No prizes for guessing why ! Work, work and work !!!

Coming back to the group, the AOL idealogy is spread across the globe. Groups exist in every town. And the entry is always wide open. Each group welcomes you with open arms and showers love.

IF not Monday, I am looking forward to Thursday!

Where am I headed next?

Hello world, happy new year. I am glad to be back and posting again. Well, one of my new year resolutions is to blog more. Lets see, how long this one lasts! :)

Well, its the first week of a new year. My next assignment is based out of deerfield, IL. I hope to see a lot of deer there!! I have to be at the client site, 8:30 am sharp on Monday, January 07th! Well, till last week, I was only going to be in Chicago during the last month of January, as a trainer for a new bunch of BI aspirants. With my next project in Illinois, I guess I will be spending more time in and around Chicago.

People would call me crazy for accepting a role/project in windy Chicago, at this time of the year. Well, I am addressing two of my (many) new year resolutions with this choice. One, I want to travel more this year. Traveling from west coast to the east or the midwest and back, and beyond probably. Second, I want to do more things that I fear. Cold, windy weather is what most of us dont fancy. I have been in California for a year now, and have got used to the sun. But, I want to step out of the comfort zone and face the snow!

Plus most of my buddies stay in the midwest and the east coast. I have some extended family too around there, and its high time I paid them a visit.

January 7th also marks a year for me at my new workplace. I remember December in Seattle last year. We had a rude snow and rain storm disrupting life. Power was out for two weeks, at a stretch, trees resting on roofs, houses swept away, and lives lost! Meanwhile, I was huddled with many at the Microsoft Sammamish Campus, as I used to consult there. The little time that I spent in the apartment, clothed in three trousers and four shirts, I played chess, ate fruits and listened to Bollywood music in my head. The phone battery and lines eventually died down, making communication difficult. We seeked warmer homes, places where power had returned. Folks, spent more time in their cars, with the heat on. Darkness everywhere. I was supposed to be in the most developed country, but the speed at which everything got disrupted, was similar to a similar incident in Mumbai. And the speed at which life came back to normalcy, Mumbai scored higher. The spirit of Mumbai, wins, everytime!