Living (re)defined

“my life is a perpetual question mark–my thirst for books, my observations of people, all tend to satisfy a great, overwhelming desire to know, to understand, to find an answer to a million questions. And gradually the answers are revealed, many things are explained, and above all, many things are given names and described, and my restlessness is subdued. Then I become an exclamatory person, clapping my hands to the immense surprises the world holds for me, and falling from one ecstasy into another. I have the habit of peeping and prying and listening and seeking–passionate curiosity and expectation. But I have also the habit of being surprised, the habit of being filled with wonder and satisfaction each time I stumble on some wondrous thing. The first habit could make me a philosopher or a cynic or perhaps a humorist. But the other habit destroys all the delicate foundations, and I find each day that I am still…”

“You live like this, sheltered, in a delicate world, and you believe you are living. Then you read a book…or you take a trip…and you discover that you are not living, that you are hibernating. The symptoms of hibernating are easily detectable: first, restlessness. The second symptom (when hibernating becomes dangerous and might degenerate into death): absence of pleasure. That is all. It appears like an innocuous illness. Monotony, boredom, death. Millions live like this (or die like this) without knowing it. They work in offices. They drive a car. They picnic with their families. They raise children. And then some shock treatment takes place, a person, a book, a song, and it awakens them and saves them from death. Some never awaken.”

~ Anias Nin

I try
not just try to live
but I try to live up
live up to the life..

Out of nowhere…

one fine day just recently, out of nowhere I got this facebook message from a stranger..

I lived in barcelona once, I love the city. I have a great romance to have such lifestyle to travel around make silly message, videos,..one day.. some day..

Let’s start talking

Growing up I was introvert, shy boy. While I was comfortable starting conversation with some people from common forum (school, university, work place…) but I didn’t feel comfortable among strangers and self-confidence wasn’t my USP. Like most Indians, we don’t always talk to strangers especially to opposite gender. We just look at them from distance and keep wondering should we talk or not.

Somewhere along my journey that got changed slowly. I always had great interest in travelling and I did travel all my life… family summer trip to various parts of India very couple of years from Kashmir to Andaman Islands and I started travelling very early in my career as well but before 6 or 7yrs ago I was relatively new to backpacking experience. I used to share my place-to-visit list, plan trips and would request friends to come along.

Once Me & friend of mine made trip to Romania. This was before Romania was part EU/schengen. He planned the trip and I tagged along. We flew into Bucharest and took train to Brasov. One impressive charming young girl and another gloriously beautiful young girl was sitting opposite to us. And If it’s like in the movies then boy would start talking to the girl and sooner or later song/dance would happen. But we were just two Indian boys still not sure how to start the conversation. 10mins into the journey, the girls started talking to each other in Romanian and we boy was still busy looking at them and imagine song/dance in our heads. 20mins into the journey, one girl saw my friend reading a newspaper. she asked if she would take look. Ofcourse he wasn’t going to deny it. within like 2/3mins later, she returned the paper back. Curious us asked why! and started talking to the gals. Turns out the girls weren’t travelling together. They were strangers to each others. This girl couldn’t even read English well. She asked for the newspaper just to start the conversations with us. so the Charming girl was a teacher(girl sitting left in the photo above) traveling back home and beautiful girl was model(girl sitting right) in Paris. Yes 🙂 30mins into the conversation, she started showing her portfolio book with all these great photos of her. The girls told us- what to do, where to go, what not to do, etc… by the end of the train ride, we exchanged our contact details. My friend & I kept wondering, admiring how impressive these girls started the conversation with strangers/boys and how we boys suck at it. After wonderful day trip around Brasov, we reached our hostel and noticed we share the hostel room with two young girls from Scotland doing backpacking trip. We are quick earners now we knew how to start a conversations. So started talking- our travel plans, their travel plans, good pubs nearby, etc… And that’s how I started my conversations with strangers.

This experience wasn’t about boys talking to gals. But It was about young Indian boy feeling comfortable with myself to make connects with any strangers regardless of nationality, gender… and making life experience more adventures, interesting & diverse. Since then I was never dependent of any of my friends to travel along because I realized world of full of yet-to-be-friends.

We appreciate our families & buddies for adding colors to our life but we tend to over look those souls who visit us just for brief period- during a trip, in a pub, in hotel/hostels, ticket queues, follow traveler. My life is full of those interesting people, fabulous moments and I am a better person because of them, you, all of you. I will not say thank you since there is no need for thanks & sorry among friends. right!?;)

Its one of those days

I got hooked Imogen Heap music. I found out that she is touring europe and visiting Luxembourg just couple of week before. Managed to get tickets & saw her Live. Opening act was by American singer Back Ted N Ted – Ryan. He was good. but when Imogen perform its like watching- birth of music. she is great, making wonderful tunes from anything & everything on the stage.

Imogen Heap Live Concert

Watch her interview & music

And that’s just start of my weekend.. I didn’t had any plans for the weekend. After wonderful music night on friday, slept late woke up late on saturday. Cooked myself nice bruch. It was a cloudy day, went for long walk. I got last minute message from a friend that old movies are been played in local theatre and if I would be interested to join her. checked the timing & surprised to find Cinema Paradiso was showing. No brainier. Someone was explaining about this movie but now I can’t recollect with whom I had this conventions. anyways, Movie was nice. finished at 10. meet another friend, went to local music bar watched live performance from 2 indie bands from UK- HomeLife and Savoy Grand.

Another wonderful day,weekend..one that I had no plans for. Well, turns out my plan was- to be surprised.

Its one of those days…

Life (un)defined

…do as little as possible, and that unwillingly, for it is better to receive a slight reprimand than to perform an arduous task. The corollary to this is that an awful lot of life’s problems solve themselves if you leave them be…

DisOrder Life…

That’s the current mood…
Nothing is according to plan and unable to plan/predict anything. not that it ever was but still this is heights. Moving into new Country is not new but trying to sort out basics is vvveerrrryyyy time consuming and boring. [/another good excuse for not being here for (long)sometime here.]
with NO new book, no internet, no TV,.. not following news atleast not at same frequency like before– ya, now I can imagine life in stone age.

OK. till next time… show some faith & patients.
till then– Peace for your soul. I was exposed to this music by the movie Constant Gardener.