And some things do remain the same

Ben Franklin once remarked , "In this world, nothing is certain but death and tax".
In a world of constant change, where everything and everyone changes  I am amazed that few things still do remain the same.

I have been in London for almost 4 years now and as I was munching my Lemon Houmous Sandwich with Thai Sweet Potato soup from E.A.T, I do realise not all things necessarily change all the time, over the time.
Struck with this realisation while having my bite of this heavenly sandwich, I was pondering upon what else remained the same in my life for the past 4 years. (Now thinking about anything beyond that would be such a waste of time especially when I am meant to enjoy this sandwich and soup in a short period of time and afterwards dive straight into my work).


Although Lemon Houmous Sandwich has been a latest addition to a list of my favorites, E.A.T has always been a favorite place for a quick bite. For those of you unaware and unfamiliar with E.A.T, let me tell you, it's one of those few places in London where you get (at a reasonable price) fresh, healthy food mainly sandwiches and soup and the likes and gives Pret' A Manger and similar places, a run for their money. Everytime they introduce some new sandwiches or salad, I am amazed with how they get the ingredients and the combination right. Its so healthy(comparatively) and tasty too. My personal favorite has always been Gyozo Dumpling soup. Anyways the point is, this is the place I have been going for the past nearly 3 years and so and I can't count the number of Gyozo Dumpling soups I have bought from this place. And there is no intention of stopping the routine whatsoever.

Palmer's Cocoa Body Butter is another obsession that has successfully been with me longer than any of my relationships. So you see I have a very special bond with this body butter. Its so perfect for my skin that needs TLC every now and then. The smell is divinely(though I do have friends who do not like the smell of it). I personally love the Butter Scotchy smell  and for me, having tried other numerous body creams, no expensive or less-expensive body butters can replace this humble, hard working, delicious smelling body butter and this is why it remains at the top of my favorites' list to this date. And my love and reliance on it hasn't changed a bit over the years.

Finally, a TFL (Transport for London) employee at the Hanger Lane tube station is another existence that hasn't changed over the period of nearly 4 years now. He was the first person in London, to top up an Oyster for me when I was new to the city. He is a medium aged man. No actually, someone nearing the old age with a few strokes of white in his beard. He was kind but the encounter was brief and nothing friendly (unfriendly me who wouldn't talk to strangers then). But then everyday after that, on my way to work/college I would see this person, but we would be busy with our own ways and not show any signs of recognition or anything. Its London after all. Who has time? or so I thought. After nearly 2 years I moved places. A little farther but time and again when I do actually use the station sometimes I see this man and its the same expression of recognition but no friendly chat or simple "Hi"  and then I realise how some things don't change much over time. 

I agree, four years isn't a long time to expect a change but don't we all like to bask at the comfort and certainty  that a routine provides? Don't we just hang on to the things not necessarily because its the best but because we don't like the idea of having to adapt to a newness? No, thanks I am happy with the way things are Or No, thanks I am not happy with the way things are but would like to stick to it nevertheless. Who knows, there might be better body butters or sandwiches or dumpling soups out there that are waiting to be discovered and explored and who knows, the guy at the station is actually the twin brother of previous one (highly dramatic and unlikely prospect but still possible) or a totally different person and me being the one, bad at remembering faces and names, mistook both of them for the same person or his twin for that matter.

Either way, these things have stayed the same for me throughout the years or so I would like to think. But maybe I am too wrapped up in the comfort of the routine and should try something different. I am not sure about the Body Butter and the dumpling soup, but next time when I pass the station and regardless of whether its the other twin or a totally different person, I am going to smile at him. 

Maybe its time for me to change, and besides it doesn't cost me a penny to flash these calcified yellowish uneven structures in my jaw, that I call teeth.

Inbox Woes

I am one of the 10% of the women (according to a Yahoo survey) who has 2000+ messages in their inbox and among one third of them who would rather clean their toilet than their inbox. No, I am not proud of this fact and only God knows why I have so much rubbish not just in my brain but in my Inbox too. (Wondering if a woman's personality, to certain extent, can be estimated/judged by the state of her Inbox? or Are all the women same, that is hopelessly unorganised with their Inbox or even love life for that matter, for some of us.)

This morning, as other mornings and other times of the days (midnights too and once in the middle of an interview), with best interest in my heart, I decided to springclean my Inbox. I thought, at least I can try and declutter something that is totally do-able and within my ability and doesn't require me to go through 26 poses of Bikram yoga at least(note: I don't practice Bikram Yoga). Now if I could possibly succeed in my mission is a totally different story but while in the process, I did come across old emails from my friends with whom I have lost contact these days. Before you shift the entire blame on me, I think I should defend myself here using the same old line, communication is a two way process. Pretty much like tango and of course it does take two, right?

I do understand there are circumstances and people do get caught up with the matters at hand. Physical absence and proximity are other major contributing factors. However moaning aside, I am much more amused at how the act of writing an email has in itself become so sacred and rare. (Sacred, mainly because its accessible and its presence acknowledged but somehow we don't seem to use it that often, maybe out of sheer respect for the act itself and the belief that it should be used sparsely).

With Twitter and Facebook and other social sites, writing to your friends has become just so easier. You can just write on their walls, you can go through their profiles and send a message in a spilt second. This very accessibility has made the act of writing to your friend, not a very big deal. You can write whenever,wherever to whoever (unlike the times when we used to write emails and had specific person in mind and write their email address and send an email to them) and we are finding it so much easier to do this that we are actually not doing it so often (maybe the complexities of the modern world has made us ignore the easier things in life and just run after challenges). The reverse effect, as I would like to call it.

These days if you ever see an email from your friends, its most likely a spam. And I am not even bothered to open when I see an email from a familiar email address. I know its a spam and hit the delete button most of the times. Few times, out of curiosity, thinking if my friends actually did decide to message me via their email addresses, when I open the message, I am proved wrong, almost instantly. So there goes my faith in emails sent by my friends or rather their email addresses.

Now, this might not be the case for everyone out there, but then again I am someone who has logged in their MSN mesesenger for as much as 3-4 times(in total) in 2 years' time. Now am I seriously being so disconnected to the internet because of the loss in the very faith of virtual networking or because there are so many options to choose from that I am overwhelmed to the point where I am happy rather not choosing any.

The dilemmas aside, it was great going through the old emails and things I've written to my friends about that particular point of time in my life. I would happily spring back to the days of emailing my friends again, hoping the emails won't be considered a spam and deleted straight away. Even worst, hope it doesn't get marked as junk.

Happy Springcleaning everyone!!! :)

P.S. Just for the record, I did manage to get my inbox messages to 1792 and I hope to maintain the number if not decrease it. ;)

Questions and more questions.

Life is pretty random or rather say my choices are? Do I need to put more thoughts into my actions or more actions to my thoughts? Its a long journey of self learning, self evaluation and self help probably.

As you grow up, you will eventually learn that nothing goes as planned. There are obstructions, U-turns and unexpected falls and rise in life. The days when you think that the sky is just inches away from your stretched arms will probably cease to be and you suddenly realise the aches in the arms, that you couldn't lift them anymore and you'd actually start questioning if you really need to lift them at all. Then you see what's around because all this time you were busy stretching your arms and looking at the sky. You missed what was around all this time, what could have been yours and what could have been enjoyed together, cherished. Should we all be living life this way?

Of what not said

And when all is said and done, what is not left

You pack your bags, close the chapter and take up a pace;

Brisk walk, run, sashay or pretend to fly

It all comes down, one day;

Like everything else

All comes down to what’s left

Of what not said.

Words guilty, of not being spoken

Disguised truths, change of direction

Heart, head, mind and lungs

Blood, skin, fat and cells

Mere cover ups, pile on pile

Burns down to bits with regret

Of what not said.

Monologues with empty purposes

A body without a soul

Forgone chances, never returned

Outweighing words, sore throats

Burnt tongue, sealed lips

What can they probably speak?

Oh! Of what not said