27 Years Of Walking On Earth.

Probably you know that I’ve been walking around this earth for roughly 27 years now and have come to learn a bit about this world. I never claim to know everything & I don’t really like it when people assume they do. Even if one knows a lot, one still has a lot to learn, even about the things one “knows". I’m not certain where this is going to lead but I just wanted to list a few things that I understood recently:

I love having a conversation about old shows on Doordarshan we used to watch as kids.

No one is more vulnerable than when they are defecating in a public bathroom that has no latch.

The more devoid of colour a beverage is, the more likelihood of it being very alcoholic.

A small dog frightens one way more than a big dog will.

Voting makes one feel really good right after one does it and makes one feel very small once the results are in.

I am no longer self-conscious when I’m by myself in public and smile because something very funny or inappropriate just popped into my head.

The untidyness in my surrounding life parallels the clutter in my mind.

I find that making out can vary from casual to intimate; the only difference is one's intention.

All-in-all I’ve made several goals for myself this month. They include reducing at least 5 kgs of body fat, buying a vaio laptop, getting a titanium credit card, visiting as many cities as I can before terrorists destroy them, and learning to find more and more time to write. A lot of these goals are very simple, which is great. These aren’t all officially on the Before 28 list, but I’ve become a product of list making and I can see the benefits in making them. I got a message from someone that said that I write like a programmer. To illustrate the differences I will write the entire next paragraph in actionscript code:

//start
var Sourav:Workaholic = new Workaholic();
Sourav.workEthic = 100;
for(var i:Number=0;<7;i++){
Sourav.workEthic -= 10;
}
if(Sourav.workEthic < 50) {
Sourav.emotionalState = “lazy”;
getMotivated();
} else if(Sourav.workEthic > 100) {
Sourav.emotionalState = “over-worked”;
relax();
} else {
Sourav.emotionalState = “balanced”;
}
function getMotivated(){
getURL(”http://www.google.com”,”_blank”);
//type in inspiring words
}
function relax(){
sleep();
}
//end

Here's my present situation. As you may or may not know I’m constantly in touch with my friends through phone, sms or through the internet but the city I am in right now has no one who I can actually call a friend. Now I rarely mind this state of being; I think being alone is what I need right now because it helps me re-group and re-organize life's goals. That being said, I sometimes do get a bit lonely, and how could you not? Now I don’t actively go out trying to find someone to hang out with; I always find that doing that can actually make one start disbelieving that one can have real good friends and not "Fair-weather" ones. Instead I'm better off relying on my current social network to assist in finding new friends who can just be interactive without being judging and bitching behind my back. I find that making the most of life is fairly easy to do when you don’t have very many expectations. Think of it this way: If you expect something to go great and it doesn’t, then you feel bad. If you expect something to go bad and it goes bad, then you feel bad. If you don’t expect something and it goes bad, then it’s ok cause you didn’t really expect it to be good. If you don’t expect something and it goes great, then it’s always better because you didn’t expect anything and ended up with awesomeness. I feel like I’ve professed this to many people but I really do think that this thought process is the key to keeping one smiling. Expectations come from prejudice of a situation. And while a healthy dose of prejudice is fine… too much can restrict you. I’m a big proponent of limitlessness; I’m aware (and so is my spell check) that it’s not a real word but so what. You at least ended up on this page.

That all being said, I’ve made a new awesome friend Fritz, he's 22 and he writes fiction which I do too and hence, I get to discuss things that run through my head with him. I’ve been meaning to do that for a while now; yes both make a new friend and have a meaningful conversation with a person who can listen and give another point of view to my weird thoughts. As he has come to India for the first time (He's from NYC, U.S.A) and intends to stay for 10 long months, I can surely look forward to some exchange of thoughts and talk about cultural differences and some debates about stuff on which our views differ. All of the most talented people are now my friends so that’s very good! It’s great to keep talent around to inspire you and kick your butt a bit to push the boundaries and make one strive to do better.

By the way, I wanted to touch on traveling. I had a great time in Gangtok and Mandarmani but I haven't been travelling much for the past 1 year. I like that in all of those places I was able to seek peace and quiet whether it be the snow-capped mountains surrounding Tsongo Lake in Gangtok or the vast expanse of clear blue sea at Mandarmani. I feel like this whole month as well has been about reconnecting long lost bonds. Just the other day I talked to my school friend Parijat after 8 long years but it never felt any different than it was 8 years ago when we met everyday in college. It’s true what people say about friends: Even if you aren’t in constant contact with them, true friends can pick-up and continue on right from where they left off. I’m thankful for this. Only a few more weeks left till I can apply for leaves from my new-job. That’s going to be a great holiday.