Doors....

I was walking through the automatic doors of the Math Building at my University, when I literally heard myself say in my head, "That's right. You open for ME!" Well I did giggle in shock cause I didn't realize I actually was being sadistic about it, but something struck me when the next door wasn't automatic. I had to push it open, basically make the effort to get through. Doors pretty much give you the feel that you are visualizing life. Sometimes in life things get done, it flows unattended cause it just has to. And dare you stop it, cause you might end up getting hurt. Just like how you do not try to force open an automatic door (unless it isn't working) because you know you aren't helping your case at all. Other hard times- you have to make the effort to get through. Obstacle after obstacle and you have to open it, conquer it and move on. Sorta like the difference between an automatic door and a "manual" door. You get the point...

Some of us take life way too easy, and some of us take life way too seriously. I hate to admit that I am in the second group. I envy those people that make both the effort to have fun and get work done. Its really hard for me to do that. I have to have things done the way a perfect world would function, and no surprise, get smacked right in the face over and over; never learning the lesson. As I walked through the aforementioned door yesterday (which has been used like a million times before though), I realized what I was missing out in life. Getting things right always doesn't matter to the world neither should it to me. It , in turn, ends up hurting me. I have to let certain things flow their course and not stop it. I have preached to a million people' "Live in the moment, let life flow the way it has to!" , but often find myself scared to practice it with myself. I am going to make the honest effort to stop myself from committing the same mistake again.

I never knew doors could teach you a lesson......phew!


~Shreya

Songs....

While I was chatting with TK before he left for the US (... again), he said something very ..umm well...profound "Songs are so underrated as memory triggers." That one sentence made me think back on my existence if life, from a view point of songs. My dad once said that usually when we listen to songs, it just so happens that we have something in the ears, very rarely do we pay attention to it, especially in this age of iPods and MP3 players. Don't believe me? Just think to yourself- homework time, travelling, at the library, it usually ends up that you have it to "concentrate" or to fend people away. And after a while- you come to the sorry conclusion that you missed your favorite song; when it comes time to go back to that song- lo and behold your battery has died out on you. Getting back to the reason of post; off late a lot of songs on my favorite list have been playing on the radio- the likes of both old ones and new ones. Needless to say, flashbacks of where I have been and what I was doing when that song originally played have been cropping every time. I even ended up calling up Murjhi and Raju the other day when I heard a certain song yesterday. International call costs, at that point of time seem too trivial to even consider- you so want to be with the person especially when they are friends you have known for over 10 years.

Here is a list of songs that trigger my memory the most- I will try putting up little itty-bitty anecdotes whenever I can (just might end up having on all of them :P )

(Most of them are in India, when its in the US, I will make a note of it )

• Truly Madly Deeply- Savage Garden - whenever this song played on MTV, Cynthia and I screamed our lungs out. We would leave everything, cooking (cause we would expt a lot then) would be transferred to her mom and we would sit in front of the TV upright, forget the world and watch that video. Lost lovers, back together.....aaa seemed ....I dont have the words for it.
• The Hero- Enrique Iglesias - that was the first song Mahejabeen (Murjhi), Rajalakshmi (Raju), Priyanka (Priya), Cynthia (Cynthia) and Shreyasee (moi- Moti) had learnt the lyrics together. Lunch time was when the boys got bugged of us cause we were sitting and practicing (yea it was this song that triggered the call yesterday).
  
• Ek Pal Kaa Jeena- Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai- Item number 1 in the year 2000-2001. Cynthia and Murjhi best impersonators of the dance- and the three of us best pushers to get them to dance. Dang they even danced at Ramoji Film City now that I think of it.
  
• Zombie- The Cranberries (US)- Location--> the Econ Undergrad Lab. About 10 of us working on the infamous Econometrics homework. Diego, who is doing Game Theory at that point of time, asks me, "What are you listening to?" When I furnish him with the answer, his immediate reaction was " When did juice start singing?" If there was ever an eruption of laughter, it was then. Most of us had already fallen off the chair and on the floor, until we saw Dr. Thornton, who eventually joined in too. De-Stressing :D
• Waqt ne kiya- Kaagaz ke Phool - Thanks to my mom, I adore the song now. Its like the best song ever. Someone asks me sing, I always do this song.
  
• Kajra rey- Bunty aur Babli (US)- Location--> Lubbock, TX- graduate student's apt- someone's birthday- all of us dancing to it and then it happened- the cops came- someone called 911. Bloody hell!
  
• Get over it- Avril Lavigne- Poornaa sang a version of it for Varun's birthday and now I am absolutely in love with the song. Its like you have life reflections with that one...there are other songs too....Thank you Poornaa for introducing me to it, and she actually did a brilliant job.
  
• Tere Bina - Guru (US)- we were driving down to an Indian restaurant when in the car this song played on the Indian radio here. We pulled off to the shoulder and finished the song. Insane. People passing us thought what the hell, they aren't even outside the car...
• What goes around, comes around- Justin Timberlake - This is the most hilarious one. TK, Shilpa, Addy and I in Addy's car and this song played. Shilpa and I remark as to how good Justin sings and acts in this video. TK, visibly oblivious to the song goes," Its a guy who's singing!!!???!!!....WHAT!!! " Laughter eruption again. :D
  
• Dil Chahta Hai- Dil Chahta Hai- This was our song ( the 5 girls mentioned in The Hero). We were all gonna be like that. But now its what Sid said- that we won't be able to meet once in 10 years either ( I forgot the exact Hindi wordings). But I am glad I met Murjhi and Raju this time. It brought back memories, this song is a trigger of all the pranks the 5 of us pulled in school.. Fun times
• Unfaithful-Rihanna (US)- Annie and I jabber all the time in the car. But when this song is on, its the like the two of us have no clue who the other one is and we sing that song. Rihanna effects you see :D.
  
• As long as you love me- Backstreet Boys (US)- Annie and I in her car again or maybe her apt, I forget and the rest should be left unsaid. :D
  

There are many more, but this has to be the end for the moment!!
........
Shreya

Build Up Part II

This post is inspired by Rajeev's post "Build Up" that describes things that happen at the gym :).

So off late, I have had a surge of motivation to go the gym and get into shape. I have never been in shape, so this is something new to me. Needless to say, the gym is quite an interesting place, even the one in my apartments(which is where most of these take place). Except for a few dedicated people, most of us go there to show off and then also to "make friends" and "hit on people".

1. If there was ever a justification as to why the iPod, the MP3 player, heck even a CD man or a walkman, was invented it was because of the existence of gym. Helps you keep away unwanted "objects".
2. You walk in and go "Awww man !!!". Why? There are Indian aunties and unkules there staring at you as you get in. They are wondering why you are dressed the way you are and are not in a salwar. And the worst is when by an error of destiny you have forgotten your savior (reference to #1) and they start up a conversation - that begins with a smile, leads up to how old are you and how much you got on the GRE/TOEFL (Geez!!!)
3. Mirror problem. Too many mirrors for people to check themselves out and the unaware ones too.
   
4. Guys don't push yourself too much, you will end up going home and cursing yourself for it. You know what your limit is , some people present in the gym also can see when you have reached the point de torture.
   
5. Dumbells (dumb bells) are meant for use, not for show off and smiling at the girl who happens to catch your eye.
   
6. Oh, Indian guys please don't end up talking about the Indian girl in the gym. As fate will have it, she will know what language you are talking about and before she leaves will make it a point to let you know that :D.
   
7. Friends could end up being a curse at the gym cause sometimes they are more of a distraction than a help... x-(
8. Worst is when you have no idea how to use an equipment and can't find the right person to ask about it, a.k.a some hot guy who's just about to leave(oh well yes I defied the whole point of this post :-P )
9. And then there's the phone call that needs to be attended to immediately, and sometimes like a dimwit you forget you are on the treadmill. The rest you can decipher from there.
   
10. To top it all, the vending machine right outside the gym that is a gentle reminder of what is important in life. Have that coke (might as well right :D) - the neutralization effect- you burn that many calories, you replenish them, come back home and whine. But hey! You didn't put on weight :-P . Lovely logic, aint it??

~Shreya

Update!

I got back from India on the 31st of July! India trip= Fantabulous! It was great catching up with old friends, getting to know new friends, and getting to know long-lost friends all over again. Biggest thing- I learnt how to prioritize my life. I have been holding on too many things for a really long time, and a cause de couple of people, I have realized how much I was losing in life because of that. But now I am on a different track. You just have to meet me to know what I am talking about.

But definitely a special thanks to a couple of people, from the bottom of my heart, for making the vacation worth every second. I am not going to name names, but feel free to add yourself in the list :D. I miss all of you terribly though. Its as if I have nothing to do right now, as in you know 1 paisa messaging :P

I will try and blog regularly. Just that I got back on campus for math classes and it is plain TORTURE, nothing else. I am getting back to class in the next 15 mins so I have to run! All you crazy people take care !!!

~ Shreya