People go through a lot of crap in their lives in their path to destiny... or success... or happiness... whatever you may call it. Hell people go through crap outside of this path, in their day-to-day lives. If you don't want to get sucked in to this maelstrom and get depressed and wallow in self-pity (and by you I mean me too), the only thing to get by everyday is to step back and look at the big picture. And in the meanwhile look at the small but good things in life. Life is a hell-hole that can bring you down to your knees every day if you let it - it is up to you to find some reason to stand up again and jump to reach for the skies every time after you've taken a fall. I am reminded of the line from the movie 'The Matrix Revolutions' (in spite of the movie being a let-down in hindsight) :
Agent Smith: It's pointless to keep fighting. Why, Mr. Anderson? Why? Why do you persist?
Neo: Because I choose to.
As humans we choose to fight back everyday - some people immediately rebound from their failures, some take a little while to lick their wounds, some wallow a little longer in depression. Unless you literally give up on your life and and sail into the afterworld, it means you are still fighting back.
So fight back, man. Sh*t happens - there's no use getting depressed about something you can't change. Fight for what you still can - your destiny. It is coming.
"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference."
Friday, April 24, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
Vacation - lagged
It's been almost a week since I got back from my sister's place. Two and a half weeks of sleeping and eating and watching a cool big-screen TV so long the couch probably still has my ass-print. It's a miracle I didn't gain any holiday weight. No, seriously!
I read somewhere that “No one needs a vacation more than the person who just had one.” Absolutely! I still haven't got around my vacation mood. Feel like just watching movies and series on the laptop non-stop. Unfortunately, duty calls, and school starts in a week. So have to pull it together.
Weather-wise, I had to leave Phoenix with its positive Centigrade temperatures (upto 20 C) and sunny afternoons to come back to Minneapolis, which is right now drenched in snow due to a snowstorm all day today. And below freezing, around -20 C. For all you non-Minnesotans reading this, check out the trailer to the new movie, New In Town, to get an idea of what we're going through here every year!!
I read somewhere that “No one needs a vacation more than the person who just had one.” Absolutely! I still haven't got around my vacation mood. Feel like just watching movies and series on the laptop non-stop. Unfortunately, duty calls, and school starts in a week. So have to pull it together.
Weather-wise, I had to leave Phoenix with its positive Centigrade temperatures (upto 20 C) and sunny afternoons to come back to Minneapolis, which is right now drenched in snow due to a snowstorm all day today. And below freezing, around -20 C. For all you non-Minnesotans reading this, check out the trailer to the new movie, New In Town, to get an idea of what we're going through here every year!!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Waiting for warmer climes
It's been below -30C for the past two days, and hanging around -20C all day today. (To anyone who was wondering, yes I still feel more comfortable with the metric system than the impractical English one with the 3/8 and 5/16 inches) Ice frozen solid on the inside of my windows. The heater is cranked up to full. My teeth hurt in the cold. I'm sitting in front of my computer checking Accuweather every 5 minutes, willing the temperature to rise by sheer concentration power.
Winters in Minneapolis - the third one's the charm. The first winter I was so enthralled with my first snowfall. I was 'Ooooh! Snow!! Ooooh - it's all white and beautiful!!'. I even took skiing lessons during the semester. But by April it was 'Enough already - bring on the heat!' Winter Number 2 I took with dignity. I told myself what Calvin's dad always told him - It helps build character. OK concentrate on big picture, blah blah blah.
When it starts snowing weeks before Thanksgiving, and the temperature plunges below -30C in mid-December, it makes you kinda rethink your University selection procedure again. Thankfully, in less than a week I will be escaping to the warm clutches of Arizona. Where the temperature is a wonderful +10C (plus ten - Hallelujah!!!). For two whole weeks of R & R - and babysitting my nephew. That must be easy compared to grad school, right?
Winters in Minneapolis - the third one's the charm. The first winter I was so enthralled with my first snowfall. I was 'Ooooh! Snow!! Ooooh - it's all white and beautiful!!'. I even took skiing lessons during the semester. But by April it was 'Enough already - bring on the heat!' Winter Number 2 I took with dignity. I told myself what Calvin's dad always told him - It helps build character. OK concentrate on big picture, blah blah blah.
When it starts snowing weeks before Thanksgiving, and the temperature plunges below -30C in mid-December, it makes you kinda rethink your University selection procedure again. Thankfully, in less than a week I will be escaping to the warm clutches of Arizona. Where the temperature is a wonderful +10C (plus ten - Hallelujah!!!). For two whole weeks of R & R - and babysitting my nephew. That must be easy compared to grad school, right?
Back to my blog
After more than a year, (and the completion of the new 35W bridge), I return to my blog...
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Minneapolis Bridge is falling down... falling down... falling down... My fair lady
Tragedy struck the bright city of Minneapolis yesterday evening around 6pm when I was at neighboring St.Paul campus for my Salsa class. My house is just off the 35W interstate entry ramp, a few hundred feet away. I cannot believe it - I leave the city for a couple of hours, and look what these people did!!! Do I have to be here all the time ?!?!
Mokkais apart, it was really incredible - we went very close to the scene and tried to quench our curiosity. I didn't believe it when my friend called and told me about it on my way home - I thought 'ye,rite!' - coming close to my bus stop, the driver pointed out 'look at that point over there, beyond that there is no bridge'. I went close by and .... (jaw dropping)!
The emergency response was really awesome - lived up to its name. The first response vehicles were supposedly here one minute after the collapse. Curious onlookers like me were an impediment to rescue workers and were soon shoo-ed off the area. Traffic is still very slow around this area because of the huge number of rescue vehicles stationed near the bridge.
Emails and phone calls flew all around the place with people inquiring whether their friends and loved ones were alright. Incoming juniors from India to Minnesota all mailed their concern as well - how very sweet of them :)
My personal thanks to all my friends who rang or buzzed to inquire about my safety...
My prayers to the victims and their families...
Mokkais apart, it was really incredible - we went very close to the scene and tried to quench our curiosity. I didn't believe it when my friend called and told me about it on my way home - I thought 'ye,rite!' - coming close to my bus stop, the driver pointed out 'look at that point over there, beyond that there is no bridge'. I went close by and .... (jaw dropping)!
The emergency response was really awesome - lived up to its name. The first response vehicles were supposedly here one minute after the collapse. Curious onlookers like me were an impediment to rescue workers and were soon shoo-ed off the area. Traffic is still very slow around this area because of the huge number of rescue vehicles stationed near the bridge.
Emails and phone calls flew all around the place with people inquiring whether their friends and loved ones were alright. Incoming juniors from India to Minnesota all mailed their concern as well - how very sweet of them :)
My personal thanks to all my friends who rang or buzzed to inquire about my safety...
My prayers to the victims and their families...
Ctrl+Alt+Del
How great would it be if there was a Ctrl+Alt+Del for our lives? My tooth still aches from the surgery and there appears to be a gaping hole somewhere in there - I wish I could Ctrl+Alt+Del and restart my teeth so it starts again without any problems, brand new! Any system or organ or whatever in your body giving trouble - press the 3 magical keys - lo, behold! the program restarts afresh...
Excuse me, I seem to be going crazy from all the painkillers...
(P.S.: On the Monday following the surgery I did eat a Chipotle burrito bol - mmmmmmmm-aaaaaaaaahhh-mmmmmmmmmmmm!!!)
Excuse me, I seem to be going crazy from all the painkillers...
(P.S.: On the Monday following the surgery I did eat a Chipotle burrito bol - mmmmmmmm-aaaaaaaaahhh-mmmmmmmmmmmm!!!)
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Painkillers
After you are put under, and a couple of teeth are removed from your mouth, there seems an imbalance - two less teeth on one side does create an asymmetric bite.
Heavily dosed on Ibuprofen, the few days following are surely dull. In bed, watching movies and sleeping off in the middle of them. I yearn for the tasteful Chipotle burrito I eat almost every other day.
Food is many a time taken for granted. I have never followed a strict mealtime regime, I eat whenever I like and whatever I feel like. It was when the dentist told me not to eat anything for 8-10 hours before the surgery, because of general anesthesia, that I realized how much I steal a snack in irregular times. All through the night I felt hungry and fought the need to go grab a cookie or some chips.
Heavily dosed on Ibuprofen, the few days following are surely dull. In bed, watching movies and sleeping off in the middle of them. I yearn for the tasteful Chipotle burrito I eat almost every other day.
Food is many a time taken for granted. I have never followed a strict mealtime regime, I eat whenever I like and whatever I feel like. It was when the dentist told me not to eat anything for 8-10 hours before the surgery, because of general anesthesia, that I realized how much I steal a snack in irregular times. All through the night I felt hungry and fought the need to go grab a cookie or some chips.
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