"Work"ing your Way

I attempt here to write about the change in lifestyle, opinion and priorities we experience as we step out of college in to the world of fending for yourself and what better time to write about it than on a Monday morning, right after the customary coffee cup.

I have been up since five, scurrying around to get ready for the two hour journey that takes me to office from my home. The breakfast will just have to be rolled up in Aluminum foil because getting late is not an option: they will charge you a half day's salary. Besides, you are perennially struggling to beat your supervisor in the race called 'I got here first' and somehow he is always there, sipping his morning tea while you frantically urge your system to boot up and record your attendance.

Contrast this with just six-seven months back: I would have lazily albeit unhappily got up at eight, had my fill at the breakfast table because home cooked food is so hard to come by and reached the metro station in a mock hurry. Yes, yes, there would be lectures to attend but who cared if you missed a couple? A well-modulated voice could always mark your presence, anyway. And, then, timings never really mattered. There was no pride to be gained in entering the lecture room before your professor. More importantly, it was all a matter of choice. A crucial (by that I obviously allude to attendance and internal assessment issues) lecture was worth a couple of hours of sleep and hunger pangs... Continue reading

Abracadabra: A review

I am reviewing Ruchira Khanna's Abracadabra as a part of the Secret Elves thingy initiated by the very lovely Indiblogeshwaris. The first thing that struck me was, of course, the title. I mean, who thinks of something so unique, intriguing and exciting? Whoosh! Also, it literally translates to 'I create what I speak' in some language (read that on Facebook sometime back). And, well, that is what the posts are all about: the wisdom gained from life and a set of action mantras to keep the magic intact.This was the first time I paid the blog a visit and was pleasantly surprised with the sheer positivism radiated by the content. There are songs, poems, images and write-ups dealing with every thing life throws at you and all of them end on a happy note. It is a good thing that I came across her blog in the Christmas season as it heightened the spirit of festivity for me. :)

Borrowing from one of her Mantras: "Only a writer has ways to keep his audience fascinated" and that is exactly how I feel going through her posts. You can't just stop with a single post or page, you have to go in and delve deeper, looking for the gems, searching for the snippets of wisdom to take in and keep with you. Then, you may come across a post that strikes a chord inside you so deep that you have to bookmark it and maybe come back to it time and again to elicit that smile. The good thing about Ruchira's posts are that she takes up the commonplace of things: a hard disk crashing, a change of season, a flashy image and weaves her words around them to create something magical. She transforms them to something exciting and forces you to pause and reflect, maybe she'll leave you with a question and have you mull it over while you walk to work or cook. Then, there is the quintessential life mantra in the end which motivates and inspires you.

All in all, I think Ruchira is doing a great job running an inspirational blog: there are too few of them and god knows how badly they are needed. She writes often which is a great thing for her followers (the newest addition being me). Her posts are concise and direct: delivering the message across efficiently. The blog's layout and design is convenient. Hmm. But if I have to suggest a change, I would be asking her to make previous posts more accessible: the blog archive link is hardly visible. Oh, and also to go with a fancier headline style for such a fancy blog title!

So, well, here was my little Christmas review for a wonderful lady. Do check out her work, it would make you smile and nod your head in that silly way... :)

Merry Christmas!