The One in which my hair grew the longest
I am currently engrossed in a classic mystery novel that 'couldn't be more British, if it came packaged with fish and chips' - 'The Case of the gilded fly' and also am in possession of a precious 'handle-with-care' signed copy of 'The God of small things'. I have great hopes that 2015 will end well proving the adage of, 'All that begins well, ends well', true.
Come December, its that time of the year, to remind people to say Merry Christmas and not Merry Xmas, like it was some dark you-know-who wizard. But the best part for me about this time of the year is not the paper chains and tinsel or the fairy lights. Neither is it the long time I inevitably get off work. But it is the fact that I get to sit back, take out my 'thank you' book and pen and 'Count my blessings' and to reflect, re-live and cherish the moments that stood out in the year, while I am still a part of it.
The best decision of last year to quit my 'leading nowhere' job to grab an opportunity to work on something I loved followed as 2015 kicked off, January 2nd , my last day at work saw me happily bidding farewell to my colleagues, though basically I was still clueless as to where I was headed. The next few months were trying, until in March I landed the position of 'Data Analyst' a.k.a dream job. Consequently I had to move to Trivandrum, which is where most of my 2015 was spent. Trivandrum , infact a town masquerading as a city; the more I tried to run away from it, the more reasons it gave me to stay back. It makes up for its hostility with its unending scenic treats, affordability, availability, traffic-free roads, comfortable living and finance-friendly livelihood. Life here, as it so happens, brought along with it, a series of perks this year because sometimes a slow paced life could possibly mean a better quality of life.
Without further blah, here are the highlights
1) Good Reads
What started off, when someone dear to me gifted me 'Fountainhead', triggered me off to indulge more in reading ,to write better and basically re-discover the gratifications of finishing a good book. Careful evaluations were done and a list of must-reads was finalized and good progress was made with the list. Though the goal was to read 15 books in 2015, I managed 8, and all 8 of them, I enjoyed immensely. Here's a look at the progress I made
2) The View from my Balcony
Last year, I wrote 'The view from the balcony' and this year, life gifted me with a kickass view from my balcony, which I doubt if any of my future balconies would ever be able to contend with. There is always something extremely awesome about living in an apartment that overlooks the sea. To hang out in the balcony with a cup of delicious coffee and have interesting conversations. A perfect place to try out meditation and Yoga poses. And sometimes just sit there soaking in the view, when it rains and let the heart wander places. Since I am annoyingly proud of it, I will let the picture speak for itself.
3) Back to the roots
This year, I visited Kochi four times, for work and for personal reasons and every visit was better than the previous one. For my best friend's wedding, Kochi Biennale, for meeting the dutch clients, for another friend's wedding. For some cosmic reason, things fall into place, when I am in Kochi, Life makes incredibly more sense and the purpose becomes definite...I don't know how. And Kochi, is where dreams most unexpectedly come true. Long forgotten dreams...even if it was for a day. Much like a 'Thakkaram' or 'Maktub'.
4) Cooking Good
How convenient that I no longer have to lie to the 'prospective groom' community about my love for cooking. It happened when I realized that cooking calms me in ways watching TV, reading or music cannot. Cooking basics, shopping for the ingredient list and trying out exotic dishes. Learning the names of all the masalas and knowing when to use which. Not to mention the support of colleagues who would readily give painfully honest feedback about the food, without mincing words.
5) Crabs love water
Great things come in small packages. And her name was Sheetal. The most exciting person I met in Trivandrum. Her hobbies include fire-breathing, water-painting, being awesome, driving two-wheeler in thunderstorms only, completing three certifications in a span of 8 months, landing jobs overseas and of course, sleeping for insane number of hours. I have her to thank for, for convincing me that anyone can learn to swim in a week's time. If she hadn't convinced me that I could learn the 'dead man's float' in a single day, I probably wouldn't have.
6) Microsoft certified Professional
Probably driven by the fact that if Sheetal could do it, it was high time I should have already done it. An incredibly smart boss who motivated me and a job environment which helped me to literally soak my feet into my area of interest. Slow, steady and disciplined efforts finally paid off; The minute I saw 'Congratulations' on the screen and the feeling when I walked out of the exam center was one of the most fulfilling rewarding moments of this year. In addition, two other courses from edX, which made my LinkedIN profile look much better.
7) Happyness factor
All along, people, friends and Tiny Buddha told me that I should not be leaving the 'key' to my happiness in someone else's hands or that true happiness lies within. While I have nodded along, I had not truly understood what it actually meant. Everyone in my opinion should be given time and space to figure that out for themselves. It took me considerable amount of time to fully comprehend this. Basically, I have made peace with what this year did NOT give me, something much craved for. Learnt to let go. Learnt to embrace humility. Learnt that happiness is sometimes a conscious choice.
In hindsight, though I complained a lot about this place, Trivandrum gave me so much. More than anything, the space, the drive, patience and perseverance to tick off many items of the goals check list. I will always be grateful for that. 2015 has certainly been an amazing year; which makes me want, so badly, to make the coming years count as equally if not more amazing...
Thank you dear 2015, you have been so kind; you reminded me how awesome I truly am; and you will be dearly missed.
Come December, its that time of the year, to remind people to say Merry Christmas and not Merry Xmas, like it was some dark you-know-who wizard. But the best part for me about this time of the year is not the paper chains and tinsel or the fairy lights. Neither is it the long time I inevitably get off work. But it is the fact that I get to sit back, take out my 'thank you' book and pen and 'Count my blessings' and to reflect, re-live and cherish the moments that stood out in the year, while I am still a part of it.
The best decision of last year to quit my 'leading nowhere' job to grab an opportunity to work on something I loved followed as 2015 kicked off, January 2nd , my last day at work saw me happily bidding farewell to my colleagues, though basically I was still clueless as to where I was headed. The next few months were trying, until in March I landed the position of 'Data Analyst' a.k.a dream job. Consequently I had to move to Trivandrum, which is where most of my 2015 was spent. Trivandrum , infact a town masquerading as a city; the more I tried to run away from it, the more reasons it gave me to stay back. It makes up for its hostility with its unending scenic treats, affordability, availability, traffic-free roads, comfortable living and finance-friendly livelihood. Life here, as it so happens, brought along with it, a series of perks this year because sometimes a slow paced life could possibly mean a better quality of life.
Without further blah, here are the highlights
1) Good Reads
What started off, when someone dear to me gifted me 'Fountainhead', triggered me off to indulge more in reading ,to write better and basically re-discover the gratifications of finishing a good book. Careful evaluations were done and a list of must-reads was finalized and good progress was made with the list. Though the goal was to read 15 books in 2015, I managed 8, and all 8 of them, I enjoyed immensely. Here's a look at the progress I made
2) The View from my Balcony
Last year, I wrote 'The view from the balcony' and this year, life gifted me with a kickass view from my balcony, which I doubt if any of my future balconies would ever be able to contend with. There is always something extremely awesome about living in an apartment that overlooks the sea. To hang out in the balcony with a cup of delicious coffee and have interesting conversations. A perfect place to try out meditation and Yoga poses. And sometimes just sit there soaking in the view, when it rains and let the heart wander places. Since I am annoyingly proud of it, I will let the picture speak for itself.
3) Back to the roots
This year, I visited Kochi four times, for work and for personal reasons and every visit was better than the previous one. For my best friend's wedding, Kochi Biennale, for meeting the dutch clients, for another friend's wedding. For some cosmic reason, things fall into place, when I am in Kochi, Life makes incredibly more sense and the purpose becomes definite...I don't know how. And Kochi, is where dreams most unexpectedly come true. Long forgotten dreams...even if it was for a day. Much like a 'Thakkaram' or 'Maktub'.
4) Cooking Good
How convenient that I no longer have to lie to the 'prospective groom' community about my love for cooking. It happened when I realized that cooking calms me in ways watching TV, reading or music cannot. Cooking basics, shopping for the ingredient list and trying out exotic dishes. Learning the names of all the masalas and knowing when to use which. Not to mention the support of colleagues who would readily give painfully honest feedback about the food, without mincing words.
5) Crabs love water
Great things come in small packages. And her name was Sheetal. The most exciting person I met in Trivandrum. Her hobbies include fire-breathing, water-painting, being awesome, driving two-wheeler in thunderstorms only, completing three certifications in a span of 8 months, landing jobs overseas and of course, sleeping for insane number of hours. I have her to thank for, for convincing me that anyone can learn to swim in a week's time. If she hadn't convinced me that I could learn the 'dead man's float' in a single day, I probably wouldn't have.
6) Microsoft certified Professional
Probably driven by the fact that if Sheetal could do it, it was high time I should have already done it. An incredibly smart boss who motivated me and a job environment which helped me to literally soak my feet into my area of interest. Slow, steady and disciplined efforts finally paid off; The minute I saw 'Congratulations' on the screen and the feeling when I walked out of the exam center was one of the most fulfilling rewarding moments of this year. In addition, two other courses from edX, which made my LinkedIN profile look much better.
7) Happyness factor
All along, people, friends and Tiny Buddha told me that I should not be leaving the 'key' to my happiness in someone else's hands or that true happiness lies within. While I have nodded along, I had not truly understood what it actually meant. Everyone in my opinion should be given time and space to figure that out for themselves. It took me considerable amount of time to fully comprehend this. Basically, I have made peace with what this year did NOT give me, something much craved for. Learnt to let go. Learnt to embrace humility. Learnt that happiness is sometimes a conscious choice.
In hindsight, though I complained a lot about this place, Trivandrum gave me so much. More than anything, the space, the drive, patience and perseverance to tick off many items of the goals check list. I will always be grateful for that. 2015 has certainly been an amazing year; which makes me want, so badly, to make the coming years count as equally if not more amazing...
Thank you dear 2015, you have been so kind; you reminded me how awesome I truly am; and you will be dearly missed.
Wonderful round-up of the year that went by. :) It's wonderful that you are back into serious reading and point no.7 just proves how wise 2015 has left you. Like you said, everyone should be given time to discover that true happiness lies within. 2015 has been life-changing and I am glad my wedding gave you a reason to be in Kochi! :D But wait, growing wiser, I agree...where's the part about growing your hair? Was that a metaphor or simply a trick to get your readers to read the entire post looking for it? Either way, I read it in one go thoroughly enjoying myself. :)
ReplyDeleteThe hair growing was more like an unexpected bonus; It was like, one fine day, I realized that my hair had grown pretty long. Couple of compliments later, I decided not to go for trims.
DeleteThank you for the comment :)