The Rebelle blog

My constant unhappiness over the past few days, has thankfully come to an end. And, how? Two phone calls from two very dear people. One of them, Sneha, my far-away continent friend; and the other, a not-so-far-away yet distant friend. It never ceases to amuse me that when someone is unhappy, how little of an effort it takes for someone else to bring back the cheer in their lives. Think of a phone call from their loved ones, letters(now, emails) though infrequent, a surprise visit, an old tune, that long-lost book you've been meaning to read but didn't, suddenly it springs in front of your eyes! Such small things that bring indescribable joys! One of my architect friends, who teaches in a school and has lots of free time after 2 pm, often would tell me that she has nothing to do post school. Nowadays, she's happy working on a project that's located in an extreme end of the city, and she has to commute for nearly 3 hrs to reach there. But, she's not complaining. ...

I am a little dejected, since quite a few months now. That's why the blog writing, I guess. And the reason being- I am utterly clueless as to what Am I doing with my life? After finishing my formal education, at least for time being, I think a Bachelors is all I could really live on for sometime. I am not motivated for a master's study- too expensive, and seems pointless, as I think more about the future- trying to envisage it- of course, its everything that scares me, to take a higher leap in the unknown. After working for some years now, I am unsure if this is the path I want to continue for the rest of my life! I cannot talk endlessly about building materials to someone, nor do I like arguing about why glass is not my preferred choice of material to other architects. For a while, I've enjoyed some group sessions on Urban renewal and infrastructure happening in mumbai, pedestrian-friendly ventures, but is that all there is to life? All these panel discussions leave m...

I fail to understand why people get angry so often and so quickly? And, why do they scream at the top of their lungs? Do they not realize, they are storing all that hatred in themselves and by screaming at others, it not only affects the other person but themselves most? It disturbs me to a great deal if my inner peace is busted, say early morning, while I am boarding a train and some woman randomly insults me and pulls off a meany comment and keeps on going...or, my younger sibling starts throwing a tantrum if she cannot find her study books (which she was studying from the previous night), or her stack of project papers or even her clothes! Most disgusting is when she starts arguing in loud tones with her mother. At times like these, if I am present in the room where such loud aggression is seen, I try to be calm; or leave the room; or mostly just try to ignore the ongoing hullabaloo. I remember once visiting a family member and as soon as I entered their house, the teen daughte...

Sea Poison Tree- Always wondered why they are known by this name! These are such pretty flowers with their pinkish-white fibers. When I first saw them strewn on the ground, I was captured by their beauty and thought they resemble stars fallen on earth. These were clicked in October 2007, at Bombay Port Trust Garden, also known as BPT Garden, Colaba . The official name of this Botanical Garden is Sagar Upvan. I first went there following a Landscaping Studio in School. Landed at the garden at sharp 8am, since its open from 5am- 9pm. Its one of the richest and lushest gardens in Mumbai along the Arabian sea. For me, the only other Botanical garden that made my jaw drop is Lalbagh Botanical Garden in Bangalore. Its one of the biggest gardens in the city. Cubbon Park is another favorite of mine. Its called 'lung' area of the city and rightly so, for its located right within the heart of the city. My short stay in Bangalore in 2008 was made beautiful and memorable b...

In June 2009, I read 'Tuesdays with Morrie' written by Mitch Albom after seeing it on a friend's bookshelf. And, inspired by Albom's return to his college professor, I tracked down my highschool teacher Mrs. Mandira Dutta and called her. I heard the phone ring and Mrs. Dutta's familiar voice from the other side. I was so happy that I could barely speak without being excited. In very loud tones that I didn't bother to lower although I was in my college building, I introduced myself and told her how extremely happy I was to talk to her! She sounded just like she did back in school. I almost could visualize her expressions and her cheery face! We spoke for a long time and then I asked her address and told her that I would like to meet her. And almost the next Saturday, I paid her a visit. She lives 45 minutes from my place and my excitement knew no bounds. As I was getting out of my vehicle, I saw her wave at me from her window and I jumped and rushed to climb t...

I like Short Stories by Paulo Coelho. I came across these micro-stories  (another name for Flash Fiction) -  Paulo Coelho's    Stories for Parents, Children and Grandchildren , on a book website and loved them so much, that I instantly wanted to share them here. In the future, this is going to be my referral point.  Enjoy the stories. He is so good at them! Rebuilding the world A father was trying to read the newspaper, but his little son kept pestering him. Finally, the father grew tired of this and, tearing a page from the newspaper - one that bore a map of the world - he cut it into several pieces and handed them to his son. 'Right, now you've got something to do. I've given you a map of the world and I want to see if you can put it back together correctly.' He resumed his reading, knowing that the task would keep the child occupied for the rest of the day. However, a quarter of an hour later, the boy returned with the map. 'Has your mother been teach...

Why does it happen that the thing you most want to do, when you are so excited about it, finally comes to mean a little less than it did when you first heard about it? Here's what has happened! A friend of mine, asked me to attend a two-day workshop on Urban Disaster Risk Management in another city, along with her. I told her, I'll try to tell her my commitment to the workshop in a few days and I did let her know yesterday that I could come, after taking care of my exams and studies. Only to find, my friend very conveniently messages me on a social networking site, that she wouldn't be able to make it! And this is the same girl who once said to me, 'You always cancel plans Sharayu!' Really? I find it hard to believe now like I did then! How can people not honor their word and just let go off things in such a casual manner? I've always attended events and workshops alone for most of the time, even when I was in Architecture school. This callousness of ...