Dearest Polly,
I do not know what to feel. A part of me is happy. The other is sad. As she walks on the other side of airport security, I know I will have to fight to hold back my emotions.
You always appeared from nowhere. When someone asks how we know each other, I am still not sure. I remember 'Cousin R' probing that line of thought deeply and persistently. Or Saffron Aunt giving me the third degree. It did ‘suit’ the occasion.
So, we met through some random connection. Then there was that coffee at Moxa. The bubbly you, I was impressed with your joie de vivre. Then we bumped into each other in Newport. The bubbles still there while I was grappling with life in the trenches. I wish I knew you only as that person. But alas, life is one roller coaster of a ride. And so, one fine day past summer, I received the weirdest of messages. I have no idea why I received that call for help. But, I was shocked to see the ugly joke that life had played on you. As we sat in the park, I saw you there… a little kid grappling with a coffee. Wanting to talk and yet, not knowing where life was to lead. The C story, while funny, did not take away the fact that there was a huge perceptible change.
Your journey back home and then back to the city saw you crawl towards a semblance of normalcy. It has been close to a year since then. It’s interesting to see how I have made such a great friend within just under a year. I do not believe in numbers and rankings. But, I will go out on a limb and say that you are the best friend I made in NYC. NAF came a close second. The rice-cooker: the clincher. What we have is different. [Saffron Aunty and Anna, if you are reading this, we were just good friends. :D]
We have shared some great moments: random chats, nautanki, home drops, inane fights, walks in the park, bug bites, movies and the like. Some regrettable moments: inane fights, bug bites, name-calling and the like. Some disappointing moments: Ibuprofen, First Ave visits, late night D train travels and the like. Some awkward moments: Sea, 5am noises and clatter, life decisions, hard-facts and the like.
We are quite different in more ways than one. We stand on different sides of the line. And yet, there is some common ground. There is so much to write. And yet, there is nothing that I can write. As are the ways of life: It was a good ride while it lasted. The flight is now boarding. You return to a faraway land. I may be soon to follow. Out of sight we will be; out of mind, I believe not. I can be an annoying bug.
So long Polly, it has truly been a pleasure. Keep that smile. Be the kid you truly are. Don’t let that rebel die. Be your crazy jhola kurta self. Breathe in, breathe out.
It started with that walk in the park… It’s a new journey you embark upon. Tum toh thehre pardesi…
Jai Maharashtra!
Love and Hugs,
Max
Showing posts with label personal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label personal. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Fooled by Randomness
25 random things about me...
1. My name means ‘without boundaries’ in Sanskrit. It means ‘friend’ in Hebrew.
2. My name is often misspelled, something that irritates the hell out of me.
3. My brother gifted me a box of pencils at the hospital when I was born.
4. I wanted to be a pilot, eyesight killed that dream. I wanted to be a doctor, my aunt [a doc] knocked sense into me. I want to be a banker, is that dream killed already?
5. I once sported a haircut like the Brazilian soccer player Dida
6. My friends call me MAX
7. I hate jewelry. Unlikely to wear an ‘engaged’ ring
8. As a kid, I was an avid philatelist and had over 7000 stamps from 60 odd countries
9. I often street raced on my Kawasaki in India. Top speeds, weaving through traffic and straight-lining curves were not uncommon. I have had 5 accidents.
10. I write poems and short stories. I tend to dramatize a mountain out of a molehill when I write
11. My friends and I once watched ‘Friends’ for 18 straight hours.
12. I have never puked due to alcohol consumption. I feel nauseated in the back seat of a car though.
13. To celebrate India’s famous victory over Australia in cricket, I lit firecrackers on the college campus, causing a huge commotion.
14. I am allergic to tea. I have had tea four times in my life.
15. I almost drowned in a white water rafting expedition in the Ganges when our raft overturned in a grade 4 and I was stuck underneath the raft
16. I have gone through three days without any sleep. I sleep 4 hours on average
17. The love of my life is Rex, my German Shepherd in India
18. I have two blogs, but never had the discipline to update them regularly
19. I have never read a Harry Potter or watched any of the movies. Something about it just does not appeal to me.
20. my poison is Jameson’s 12 aged Irish Whiskey when had neat. For a cocktail, I love a vodka with lime cordial, tonic water, pepper, tinge of Tabasco sauce and lots of ice.
21. The head trader at work once asked me if I was British because of my accent.
22. As a dare, I once had 12 raw green chilies.
23. I was to swim across a river in India, but my dad never gave me the permission
24. I broke my leg as a kid jumping off the 2nd floor of my house, attempting to be superman
25. I am attempting to live my dream of writing a book
- max
1. My name means ‘without boundaries’ in Sanskrit. It means ‘friend’ in Hebrew.
2. My name is often misspelled, something that irritates the hell out of me.
3. My brother gifted me a box of pencils at the hospital when I was born.
4. I wanted to be a pilot, eyesight killed that dream. I wanted to be a doctor, my aunt [a doc] knocked sense into me. I want to be a banker, is that dream killed already?
5. I once sported a haircut like the Brazilian soccer player Dida
6. My friends call me MAX
7. I hate jewelry. Unlikely to wear an ‘engaged’ ring
8. As a kid, I was an avid philatelist and had over 7000 stamps from 60 odd countries
9. I often street raced on my Kawasaki in India. Top speeds, weaving through traffic and straight-lining curves were not uncommon. I have had 5 accidents.
10. I write poems and short stories. I tend to dramatize a mountain out of a molehill when I write
11. My friends and I once watched ‘Friends’ for 18 straight hours.
12. I have never puked due to alcohol consumption. I feel nauseated in the back seat of a car though.
13. To celebrate India’s famous victory over Australia in cricket, I lit firecrackers on the college campus, causing a huge commotion.
14. I am allergic to tea. I have had tea four times in my life.
15. I almost drowned in a white water rafting expedition in the Ganges when our raft overturned in a grade 4 and I was stuck underneath the raft
16. I have gone through three days without any sleep. I sleep 4 hours on average
17. The love of my life is Rex, my German Shepherd in India
18. I have two blogs, but never had the discipline to update them regularly
19. I have never read a Harry Potter or watched any of the movies. Something about it just does not appeal to me.
20. my poison is Jameson’s 12 aged Irish Whiskey when had neat. For a cocktail, I love a vodka with lime cordial, tonic water, pepper, tinge of Tabasco sauce and lots of ice.
21. The head trader at work once asked me if I was British because of my accent.
22. As a dare, I once had 12 raw green chilies.
23. I was to swim across a river in India, but my dad never gave me the permission
24. I broke my leg as a kid jumping off the 2nd floor of my house, attempting to be superman
25. I am attempting to live my dream of writing a book
- max
Friday, October 31, 2008
Change
Change is the only Constant
Given that the entire world is in a state of flux and is constantly changing. I too have decided and promised to change myself to what I wish to achieve. I got this idea from the most unlikliest of sources. It was one of those websites whose entire value proposition is to ask individuals to list things that they want to achieve in their lifetimes. Things like Backpacking at the foots of Mt. Tibedaabo, BASE Jumping among others.
I asked myself, what are the two most important things that I want to happen. I realized that both of them and many of the following ones were not entirely within my own hands. I decided to change myself in a way that was for my own good and in a way, in my own hand.
One is a personal trait while the other is a habit. I am hopeful. I am confident. I am going to try my best[est]. Wish me luck.
-max
Given that the entire world is in a state of flux and is constantly changing. I too have decided and promised to change myself to what I wish to achieve. I got this idea from the most unlikliest of sources. It was one of those websites whose entire value proposition is to ask individuals to list things that they want to achieve in their lifetimes. Things like Backpacking at the foots of Mt. Tibedaabo, BASE Jumping among others.
I asked myself, what are the two most important things that I want to happen. I realized that both of them and many of the following ones were not entirely within my own hands. I decided to change myself in a way that was for my own good and in a way, in my own hand.
One is a personal trait while the other is a habit. I am hopeful. I am confident. I am going to try my best[est]. Wish me luck.
-max
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Friends back home
As I left for future unknown, leaving life as I knew it behind... I left home... I left family and I left my workplace...
I also left an important part of my life... I left my friends behind...
This is dedicated to those special friends at work that went beyond just being colleagues at work and meant a lot to me!
I also left an important part of my life... I left my friends behind...
This is dedicated to those special friends at work that went beyond just being colleagues at work and meant a lot to me!
look not thy what you see
for all you see are words and pictures
understand rather the thoughts
something that you rather see
for the thoughts if you see
have a beautiful story
one of four people vastly different
yet similar in ways more than one
one of four people who walked their life
sharing moments and having fun<'p>
one of four walking away
all by himself on the river quay
time and tide wait for none
try you may, they still run
the rest at junctions in their own life
matter of time that they walk their paths
finding themselves far away
each walking their own way
life takes us down these paths
for we have to do what we have to do
and we take memories in our heart
for that is all there is to take
so smile it out and accept the fact
its time to sign the friendship pact
one with NY
one with PA
one with NJ
one with DJ
but path whatever shall we choose
what we have, we shall not lose
for we are what we are
let time not take us too far
-Max
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Trust
My mum says this all the time... Trust no one and you will never be deceived, fooled or compromised. I guess that mom knows what is best!
Contrary to what my mum has to say and what is essentially me, I have trusted people and shared some of my deepest thoughts! However, time and again, I have found myself fallen flat on my face...
It is best to talk about the journey after it has completed and not while its in progress or is yet to begin.
Two rules suddenly present a whole new meaning:
Golden Rule: Silence is golden
Silver Rule: If you believe otherwise, please refer to the Golden Rule.
Contrary to what my mum has to say and what is essentially me, I have trusted people and shared some of my deepest thoughts! However, time and again, I have found myself fallen flat on my face...
It is best to talk about the journey after it has completed and not while its in progress or is yet to begin.
Two rules suddenly present a whole new meaning:
Golden Rule: Silence is golden
Silver Rule: If you believe otherwise, please refer to the Golden Rule.
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Calling
Its not always that you get a call from a number that is unrecognizable and that results in a pleasant conversation.
The tele-marketing menace has reached alarming proportions.
But this call was not from a tele-marketeer. it was from a number that read +86...
I wondered who it was. I had never seen that country code before. and not a lot of my friends were in unrecognizable country-code countries.
It was a pleasant surprise to realize that it was an old friend who was currently in Guadong, China. He is a sailor and serves as the 5th engineer on one of the international maritime routes.
He routinely calls and talks of his travails...it feels nice that he chooses to keep in touch with me. i feel guilty as i have been unable to reciprocate the same with a few of those lost friends.
this friend taught me a valuable lesson.
I hope that i can learn something from the lesson...
The tele-marketing menace has reached alarming proportions.
But this call was not from a tele-marketeer. it was from a number that read +86...
I wondered who it was. I had never seen that country code before. and not a lot of my friends were in unrecognizable country-code countries.
It was a pleasant surprise to realize that it was an old friend who was currently in Guadong, China. He is a sailor and serves as the 5th engineer on one of the international maritime routes.
He routinely calls and talks of his travails...it feels nice that he chooses to keep in touch with me. i feel guilty as i have been unable to reciprocate the same with a few of those lost friends.
this friend taught me a valuable lesson.
I hope that i can learn something from the lesson...
Sunday, December 04, 2005
18:24 Borivali Slow
One of the things that you would come across within a few conversations with me is the unparalleled place that Pune and Koregaon Park, Main Street and FC Road hold in my heart. And how difficult it was for me to leave Pune and come to Mumbai...the city of dreams! Well, almost! It doesnt matter out here if people are stamping or standing on your feet in the dreams; it is still the place where the future is...well, atleast mine.
It wasnt like I didnt have other choices. Pune did have its options and Bangalore was calling...literally! But what I wanted to do was to move up the value chain. The southern sensibilities didn't appeal to me...Hence, Bangalore was out of the question! And Chennai would have been over my dead body! And Hyderabad already had the Nizam! :)
So when luck came knocking down the door, i embraced it with both hands! But not without a heavy heart! I am often asked the reason of my love for Pune. All i can say is that you have to live and experience life in Pune to understand the sentiments! And 2 years (well, almost) is a long time! You just cant help fall in love with the city...and its people! ;)
But the future was calling...And so i landed in Mumbai! Well, actually, i biked myself down to Mumbai with a back-pack! 200 odd minutes and I was there!
Mumbai wasnt a new place. I had been here quite a few times and was well versed with the city and its lifeline...the locals!
But, Mumbai as a city is nothing like Pune or Goa (which is where i hail from...). It is HUGE! and crowded!
If you pass through Chakala or Saki Naka in the suburbs or find yourself at the main foot-bridge at Dadar station, you will know exactly what i am talking about! Or else, if you have ever caught the 18:24 slow local to Borivali! Chances are that in this case, you will never want to look at a train again! (And yet I did...you just cant ignore them out here).
These...and many more like these are the symbols of Mumbai. What it stands for...
Before the 'Mee Mumbaikars' sulk, i must add that while I make it sound horrible, Mumbai isnt all that bad! It is just that my eyes, my thoughts and my mind are so clouded by Pune and its idyllic streets in Model Colony, KP... that i cant see much beyond them.
Just in case a thought crossed you mind that if I am from Goa, how come I root for Pune so much and not for Goa, then it would not surprise me. Well, the answer is unfortunately pretty simple. For the kind of work and future I am looking at, Goa just doesnt fit in the scheme of things. There just are no jobs for my profile. Atleast not for someone who is overly ambitious in life.
Hence, it is a point of making a choice.
And Mumbai it was! The first few days were tough. I'd probably spent more time travelling back and forth than in Mumbai or Pune! But, as things began to settle down, I started to get adjusted to the place. I wouldn't say that I started liking the place, 'coz I still haven't begun doing that...and it looks unlikely in the near future.
But, you just couldn't sulk and not venture out. It helped that i had a good set of friends out here. Partying was one thing that I enjoyed in Mumbai! Food was another! Well, actually in the reverse order! In fact these are the two things that have helped me adjust out here. That the work was good wasnt bad either! Lotsa friends and barely any time at my disposal to brood.
Since then, a lot of water and filth has flown from under the Mahim bridge. And lot over the bridge as well.
But as I look back at the 8 odd months that have gone by, I guess that things have not been all that bad!
New place...new friends...old friends...Bade Mian...ABC Farms...Fun Republic..E Square...Koregaon Park...Marine Drive...Colaba...Camp...Bhurjee at Khurshid...Bun Maska at Station...Mastani...Haji Ali...Velvet Lounge...Elysium...
Its been the best of the two worlds! Just an expressway in between...
And I can say...grudgingly...is that I now feel at home. Pune is where the heart is...but its just 3 hours away! :)
I can now finally proclaim...'Mee Mumbaikar'
Gotta go...have to catch the 22:04 local to Churchgate!
It wasnt like I didnt have other choices. Pune did have its options and Bangalore was calling...literally! But what I wanted to do was to move up the value chain. The southern sensibilities didn't appeal to me...Hence, Bangalore was out of the question! And Chennai would have been over my dead body! And Hyderabad already had the Nizam! :)
So when luck came knocking down the door, i embraced it with both hands! But not without a heavy heart! I am often asked the reason of my love for Pune. All i can say is that you have to live and experience life in Pune to understand the sentiments! And 2 years (well, almost) is a long time! You just cant help fall in love with the city...and its people! ;)
But the future was calling...And so i landed in Mumbai! Well, actually, i biked myself down to Mumbai with a back-pack! 200 odd minutes and I was there!
Mumbai wasnt a new place. I had been here quite a few times and was well versed with the city and its lifeline...the locals!
But, Mumbai as a city is nothing like Pune or Goa (which is where i hail from...). It is HUGE! and crowded!
If you pass through Chakala or Saki Naka in the suburbs or find yourself at the main foot-bridge at Dadar station, you will know exactly what i am talking about! Or else, if you have ever caught the 18:24 slow local to Borivali! Chances are that in this case, you will never want to look at a train again! (And yet I did...you just cant ignore them out here).
These...and many more like these are the symbols of Mumbai. What it stands for...
Before the 'Mee Mumbaikars' sulk, i must add that while I make it sound horrible, Mumbai isnt all that bad! It is just that my eyes, my thoughts and my mind are so clouded by Pune and its idyllic streets in Model Colony, KP... that i cant see much beyond them.
Just in case a thought crossed you mind that if I am from Goa, how come I root for Pune so much and not for Goa, then it would not surprise me. Well, the answer is unfortunately pretty simple. For the kind of work and future I am looking at, Goa just doesnt fit in the scheme of things. There just are no jobs for my profile. Atleast not for someone who is overly ambitious in life.
Hence, it is a point of making a choice.
And Mumbai it was! The first few days were tough. I'd probably spent more time travelling back and forth than in Mumbai or Pune! But, as things began to settle down, I started to get adjusted to the place. I wouldn't say that I started liking the place, 'coz I still haven't begun doing that...and it looks unlikely in the near future.
But, you just couldn't sulk and not venture out. It helped that i had a good set of friends out here. Partying was one thing that I enjoyed in Mumbai! Food was another! Well, actually in the reverse order! In fact these are the two things that have helped me adjust out here. That the work was good wasnt bad either! Lotsa friends and barely any time at my disposal to brood.
Since then, a lot of water and filth has flown from under the Mahim bridge. And lot over the bridge as well.
But as I look back at the 8 odd months that have gone by, I guess that things have not been all that bad!
New place...new friends...old friends...Bade Mian...ABC Farms...Fun Republic..E Square...Koregaon Park...Marine Drive...Colaba...Camp...Bhurjee at Khurshid...Bun Maska at Station...Mastani...Haji Ali...Velvet Lounge...Elysium...
Its been the best of the two worlds! Just an expressway in between...
And I can say...grudgingly...is that I now feel at home. Pune is where the heart is...but its just 3 hours away! :)
I can now finally proclaim...'Mee Mumbaikar'
Gotta go...have to catch the 22:04 local to Churchgate!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)