A life of Crime

Hi All,

I never thought even in my wildest imagination that I would live a life of crime and worse - revel in it.

Here goes - I admit it. I am a crime lord!!!

Before you decide to dial to 100 - there's something you need to know. I lead a life of crime in Mafia wars. The facebook app rage that has millions succumbing to their baser need to destruct others. Its online, highly addictive and occupies most of the time I have for myself.

Thinking back I realize that I have been addicted to so many things and then typical of all fads, they faded out with time - only exception being books.

I am addicted to books when I am not addicted to anything else - sort of like the craving one has for home food when he/she had enough Continental, Mexican, Chinese to last a lifetime. Books - I can read anytime and once I start I usually don't stop till I finish all books of the author at a stretch or at the least all the books I can lay hands on. Have this on/off relationship with books and music. They are there when I am not interested in anything else. They are there even if I am interested in everything else. They are there when I am interested in only those. In short they are there, pretty much - always.

Thinking back, my first passion was science. With the help of my brother used to build turbines (unsuccessfully), try out all science experiments (must have broken a bottle or two), and have neighbouring kids from school help out with the apparatus set-up (used to ask the teacher to order the students to help - LOL!!!).

My next passion was dramatics and oration - used to attend every competition at school without fail (was an excellent way to bunk school. In X1th Standard the number of days outside school was greater than the number of days in class)

Then came craziness for songs, especially English numbers - guess I was trying to show off at that time when the number of satellite connection were few and MTV was yet to become an essential entity of youth.

F1 racing - my brothers' were addicted to it, and hence by virtue of viewing non-stop F1, week after week, became addicted.

Football (98 world Cup) - same as above

Bracelets - bought a bracelet for every dress I owned and I happened to be owning a lot many dresses at that point in time.

Bangles - same as above

Clothes - always and continuing

Harry Potter - from 2003 to 2007 (From the time I read the first book, till the time the last book was released)

Ayn Rand - from the last year of college

Math puzzles - same as above

Office work - during the golden period at Verizon

Blogging - during 2005/ 2006

Naruto - from 2007

Animations - from 2006, credit goes to the first anime I watched - Samurai - X

Dancing - from 2008, CGT (credit goes to) ISB parties

Pani poori noodles - from 2008, CGT ISB lifestyle

Facebooking - from 2009, CGT ISB

"How I met your mother" sitcom addiction - same as above

Movie watching - CGT boring evenings in Ludhiana

Mafia wars - same as above

Adventure tourism - last few weeks, CGT few crazy people I know from current workplace

Laptop addiction - ever since my brother gifted it to me. (If there's one thing I truly can't live without, it is, without any doubt my laptop. )

I wonder how long will it be before I return to books from Mafia wars. Don't know and don't care as long as I have something to occupy my boredom. So while I am out there satisfying my baser needs by looting, robbing, killing, mugging, thieving through Mafia wars application, watch out for regular updates about universe, life and everything else that captures my mind at that instant in my blog.

Later. Till the next time.

CIAO.

Change

Hi All,

There's a famous saying - "Change is the only thing which is permanent". I totally agree with the statement, but a recent happening makes me muse over the statement; while so many aspects of my life has changed, I am astounded that I am still the same person with the same thoughts I had few years ago. I was going through my old posts and it was surprise that, almost of my opinions back then hold true even today.

Reflecting on it a little makes me wonder whether I am un-adaptable or inflexible. Maybe the opinions make me the person I am right now and is in fact my identity. Identities can't change by definition, for it did it would cease to be an identity. One can't have multiple identities, and the uniqueness is gone if multiple reasoning are given for the same entity. It would then be self- defeating for it would contradict what you stand for and at some point the credibility is lost.

If this is so, why is change the only thing that's permanent? Maybe the external aspects such as outlook, lifestyle, features, behaviour, experiences are in agreement with the statement; whereas belief, faith, inner conviction, "the person who experiences", ought to be the same. Strange as it may seem, this is the time of life I would never get back - the chance to experiment. "Should I" or "Shouldn't I" battle is still on. Will have to wait and see how things pan out.

2009 has been by far, the most happening year of my life. Appa passed away, anna is about to be married, job searches, graduating from a school of my dreams, realizing my life long ambition to do a Master of Business Administration course, 3 month stint in manufacturing, living alone for the first time in my entire life, the yearning to go on tours - especially trekking and water - rafting, getting closer with the 4 most important people in my life outside family - B, J, D & V, forming new friendships, first time working as a manager responsible for people who report to me, living in a place which feels as though I stepped a decade back in time, getting introduced to a new genre of books which led to speed reading and crazy nights burning oil for reading books, long conversations with the people whom I love and respect, more time for myself, Sunday movie watching ritual, facebooking, twittering, everything is new - but everything expected of the me an year ago. Everything's changed, yet in a way nothing did.

I am wondering what difference does it make? Just wondering - not attempting to find a solution. Wondering whats in store - would there be another year that would make me eat my words and say - "this year superseded 2009". One can never say and one can never be sure. Living for the moment I realized is the best way to be and not regretting anything that makes me happy has led to bold decision making. I am happy - even if happiness is short lived.

With all conviction that whatever happens happens for good, I await new experiences that will shape the thoughts that I have currently and pave way for the new thoughts to formulate. This is probably auto-biographical, but someday when I peruse my old posts, I would be happy to have recorded this moment as this post is a reflection of my previous posts, and an indication of the posts to come.

Dedicated to the future me and the future us. Till the next time.

CIAO.