Matter of Opinion


Child-like Curiosity

Do you remember the time when life was simple? Do you remember the time when you thought anything in the world is possible? A rainy day was a perfectly good day to play outside and jump in the puddle; knowing you are going to get it from your mother. You were not afraid your clothes will get dirty. You were not afraid that you will fall sick.

When something as simple as Rs 5. worth chocolate from a visitor would make your day. Did you care about the cavity in your tooth? You cared more that you will have to share it with your sibling. Yet, you used to end up sharing it with them. Were you ever worried about scrapped elbow, bruised knee, bleeding teeth?

One little thing would light up your day. One close friend was all you needed to be happy and feel important. If dad got you a toy (not necessarily your favourite), it was the best day of your life; no matter what had happened before or after that. It was the best day ever, every time! You used to be so enthusiastic about an activity that you never cared about the consequences.

Don’t you just wish to collect all these memories, the enthusiasm in a bottle, shake it up and drink it all up, so that you may be like that again? So that you can cheer your adult, responsible life for once, with all the innocence and purity? We often try to take a vacation, go out of town to de-stress ourselves and mostly stress ourselves more to decide where to go, how to go and the other details. Instead, in our daily life if we can have a child-like curiosity, won’t it be great? Can’t we be innovative in what we do in our daily lives? At least, dare to dream and ask questions, no one can think of. Does it strike a chord? Do you know someone who fits the description? I bet it would be a 5 – 6 yrs old kid.

How ridiculous? I am 40 yrs old, how can think like a 5 year old? Choose a number, your age. It is your choice. I started at 21. You can start whenever you want. I have compiled a list of (silly) ideas. I am not saying I have done them all. But I wish to!


Don’t be satisfied before you get an answer – If there is something you are curious about, find the answer. Do not settle for ‘because it is so’, or ‘because it is like that’ for an answer. Be persistent, not irritating though, till you are satisfied with the answer.

Ignore people who say, “You can’t do it” – They simply don’t know. They have never tried it themselves. So how can they tell you that you can’t? Even if they have tried and succeeded what makes you limit your chances to try the same thing? If you can do it, so can I.

Each day is new and brings endless possibilities – Look at each day as today you can make some thing possible.

Be flexible – Remember how kids change their minds easily? It can be irritating sometimes but it is irritating for you, not the kid. He is happy with his change of mind.

If past was tough, forget about it – Yes, we fail all the time and every time you have failed, it seems tougher. But everyday is a new start. Could be a lot easier today than yesterday because you already know the monster you are facing.

Cry – I cry all the time. I cry when I am too happy, I cry when I am angry and I cry when I am heartbroken. I get the best sleep once I have cried it all out. Some days are more difficult than others and the constant need to put up a strong face can get on you. It is okay to cry. Yes, even for men.

Do nothing– If sometimes you have nothing to do, do not stress over it. Doing nothing is the most difficult thing to do. How many times have you purposely switched your music off and looked out of the window of a bus? Or just sit in a room on a sofa with no phone in hand, TV switched off, no newspaper; just sit.

Assume you will do great at a new task – Half the war is won when you are not scared of new challenges. Playing a musical instrument, take up a course, dance, sing, it could be anything.

Get yourself a piggy bank – Remember the joy when the jar starts to become heavy over a period of time? Save small. Put the coins in. Once it is full, buy yourself an ice cream. It is the same money you had, just out of a piggy bank. So much better!

Surround yourself with colours – Didn’t you have a favourite colour as a kid? You used to end up buying something just because it was that colour. Surround yourself with your favourite colour. It lifts your mood up.

Sit on the floor and eat – Most Indian families still do that because it is a custom or some families do not have the furniture. What I am talking about is sitting cross-legged and enjoying your meal. You can sit cross legged on a chair as well. I am short. So, at times, I sit cross legged on a chair, in office as well. It gives you a different kind of comfort.

Make a mess in kitchen – Most of us women aspire to be wonderful cooks. With cooking what is more important is the cleanliness of the kitchen after you have cooked a delicious meal. Sometimes, just don’t bother. As long as you have enough space in the kitchen, let it mess up.

Tell your parents that you love them – They are the two people in the world you have whom you take granted for, the most. Of course, you love your parents! Won’t they love to hear it from you once?

Share a meal – Do you remember sharing your lunch with your classmates? Mom used to pack 1 dish. You used to have 7-8 different kinds of food for lunch. Every friend’s tiffin was famous for that one dish! Mine was idli chutney. No one can beat my mom at that.

Make friends with work people – You spend most of your time at work. It will be great to know more about them than what project they are on. They are people, after all.

Lastly….happy thoughts! Think of a lot of happy thoughts. Spot a bird, pretend you can understand a puppy’s expression, look at the wide blue sky, get drenched in the rain, drink a cup of hot cocoa, share, do a good deed, play with a baby, help a friend/stranger, listen to someone, talk silly, dance, and laugh. These things are my happy thoughts. I am glad to share them with you!

And if you have more to add to my list you are most welcome. I can use a longer list before I run out of ideas!


Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Aata Hai

I had heard about this movie long time back but got to see it only now. Thanks to my bestie for planting the thought in my head. Usually I am not patient with slow movies but the stillness of this movie (what an irony,eh?) held my attention. The movie focuses on a normal garage mechanic, Naseeruddin Shah (Albert), who is very proud of his job. He takes pride in saying that his customers are actually his friends; he never calls them by salutations like ‘Sahib’. His other job in life is to fight with his, very patient I must say, girl friend, played by Shabana Azmi (Stella). She is a very sharp and smart girl and you will observe she is nothing less than a girl from today’s generation. I was surprised to see that a movie that was made in 1981 could portray a character that can fit in our daily life today.

Albert finds himself in the midst of a situation where his father is participating in the strike of ‘Greater Bombay Textile Strike’ and has a brother who goes to jail as he was held for robbing some warehouse. This is where it got very interesting for me. As a kid, growing up in a mill area in Lower Parel, I have heard so many stories of mills shutting down. One of the reasons why we moved out of there was because the crime rates were all time high due to unemployment. My father was scared for our lives. Of course, you see a very different picture of that place now. Back then, it was very unsustainable. As a five year old kid, I have a very vague memory of these stories but this movie brought it all alive. I could imagine the anger, frustration and irritability of the people gone on strike for bonus and better wage.

Did you guys know? The name Girgoan literally means ‘mill village’. Girni is mill. Once upon a time, this place employed a sizable number of people in the cotton mills. This place has seen strikes that  lasted for one or two years. Today, corporate offices have popped up on this land. Billions of rupees have been invested and the place is buzzing and booming. Couple of years back I returned to this place as I landed a job there and I couldn’t recognise the place anymore. So many people get down at currey rd and chichpokli stations to reach their offices, located in Lower Parel, Worli and Girgoan. It is hard to believe that a couple of decades back 100,000 people might have faced unemployment on this very land.

The beauty of the movie is that it is very grounded. Good example of low budget, parallel cinema where the importance is more on putting the message across. This movie, the style of direction also reminds me of old serials like Wagle ki duniya, Nukkad. I sometimes get goosebumps when I think of those times. Why was the focus on Albert? Yes, he was angry all the time. With everyone. But he was always right. He made sense. He had his fears, he had his insecurities but he used to say the right thing. His inability to decide what to do with life other than repairing cars would also add to his frustration. He believed nothing good is possible in India but did not know what else to do. Kind of like most youngsters even today, right? His love for his hairstyle and dressing style helped him keep his sanity. Nothing else would make him happy. Everything, everybody made him angry. I must admit he is also the funniest character in this rather serious movie.

Having faced all this, his anger finds an appropriate target. He challenges the company management who have been trying to stop the strike with help of gundas. Only, in his capacity, all he could do was shout at the cinema screen where this particular message by the company manager was played. He attracted unpleasant reactions by other people in the cinema hall but he stayed true to what he believed and refused to keep quiet. This movie sympathised with people like Albert whose father was insulted in the strike. Thousands of young people might have gone through what Albert went through. It also sympathises with the mill workers, which I think is a very strong stand to take. The angst, the anger was justified. Isiliye Albert Pinto ko gussa aata hai!

Note: The role of Smita Patil (Joan) who played Albert’s sister and Sulbha Deshpande (Albert’s Mother) was rather peripheral but well done.

Guide to write a romantic Hindi song

1. Use of word DIL 10 times in the song is compulsory. These days people are innovating by using ‘Rooh’, ‘Jaan’, ‘Heart’ etc.,
2. Use words like ‘Inteha’, ‘Intezaar’, ‘Ilteja’, ‘beshumar’, ‘khumar’ and ‘Pyar ’ in different combinations.
3. Use a nickname for the person ‘Saathiya’, ‘Piya’, ‘Mahiya’, ‘Sanam’, ‘Jane jigar’, Janam, Jane Tammanna (Last three one is very 90s), Meri Jind, Meri Jaan
4. Ask a question. ‘Mujhe tumse itna pyaar kyun hai’ or Tum ho kaha, main hoon yahan
5. Plead for an answer, ‘Tu mujhe bata dey na’ or ‘Koi toh samkhaye ise’
6. Convince the person that he is the one. She/He is all you could ever ask for. ‘Tu hi hai’, ‘Tu hi mera sab kuch’, ‘Tu hi hai mere DIL ki tamanna’.
7. And that you can’t live without him/her. ‘Na ji sakenge’, ‘Na reh sakenge’, ‘Tere siva yeh zindagi adhuri’
8. Or that you are restless when he/she is not around. ‘Bechain hai yeh DIL’, Bekarar karke hume yu na jayiye, Tere bin nahi lagta yeh DIL.

This formula is 5-6 decades old. And it still works…

Some Music directors have gone ahead and made new rules for all other genres. But I think for romantic songs we will stick to the basics for another 5 decades.

Disclaimer: All the thoughts are personal and original. Kindly don’t try to remake, recreate, restructure and improve it

Picture courtesy: (Unknown / Google)

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Gearing up for Cricket Season World Cup 2015 – For non fans of Cricket

The title could be misleading hence, here’s a disclaimer-

The blog post talks about ‘things to do’ when others in the house are watching cricket. It could be worth while for everybody to read it but the post is not for cricket fans. Yes, not for cricket fans. Although, you can suggest these things to your wife, girlfriend, sister, mother, brother or father who might be losing out on their TV air time. Even I am not a huge fan, I can watch a few matches if need be but that is all.

Tip 1:

Hog TV during non-match hours –

The most difficult thing to do is manage time. Since the matches are in Australia they will start early and end early. So manage your time well and watch TV when the matches are not on. If someone in the house is going to watch the highlights then may god save you.


Tip 2:

Collect sitcoms –

Every household now have a laptop or a computer. Invest is a good headphone and watch all those sitcoms that you did not have time for, earlier. Re-watch some seasons or watch some movies. It could be a blessing in disguise. I, for example, am going to watch FRIENDS, back to back. I never found time to do so earlier. Beat that! Get your friends to source your sitcoms and movies. Sit back and enjoy!

82-90-of-the-90s-Full House

Tip 3:

Take up a hobby –

Not into sitcoms? Take up a hobby. My latest fetish is paper quilling. I have my projects lined up. If you think you never had the time to take up a hobby, now is the time. Do paper crafts, paint, origami, pot painting or even experimental cooking. I know cooking should be a special subject but you can do small experiments in the kitchen while people are busy staring at the computer screens.


Tip 4:

Write by hand

Come Internet age we hardly write by hand. Research says that writing by hand can help keep your brain sharp as you grow old (1). Take up a book and copy on a notebook or write something on your own. You have a blog? For a change, write it down on a piece of paper before typing it. Dedicate half an hour for writing something. If you have anything important for which you need to take notes for sake of record keeping, now is a good time.



Tip 5:

Recipe book

Make your personalised recipe book. I am on a mission to cook good food and try new stuff. So I think after craft and stuff this is on priority for me. Buy a fancy notebook and doodle around a little to keep you motivated. Hunt for simple recipes and write them down. Call up your friends or relatives to get the recipe for the daal or a curry you had at their place the last time. You can actually merge this with ‘Tip 5’ as well.


Tip 6:

Cook or Bake

If you are really interested in cooking not like a hobby as I mentioned in Tip 3 then try the new recipe you have been sitting on forever. With no one to disturb you and lot of time in hand just do it. Have you ever tried baking? Me neither. Time to do that! Try whatever you were skeptical about making. All the best!



Tip 7:

Visit the parlour

Get that long pending body spa you have been wanting to go for. Get that hair colour done. Go get a hair cut! Do what the parlour has to offer to sooth your senses. It will actually take your mind off the fact you can’t watch TV and you will be in a better mood for the rest of the month.



Tip 8:


I know, avid readers might be thinking why I didn’t mention this earlier. Not that this is in order of priority or importance here. Make an experience out of reading. Wear something you are comfortable in. Make yourself a cup of tea or coffee. Shut that door. Put your leg up and read. Warning! You might be so relaxed that you might fall asleep. So sit somewhere from where you won’t fall off. Do you have a terrace or a garden or balcony? Go up, put a carpet and read to your heart’s content.



Tip 9:

Listen to Music

I, for example, have a huge collection of music. So huge that I have not even heard a lot of songs. Dig those up and listen. Make a perfect playlist. Sit back and enjoy.



Tip 10:


We are all deprived of sleep in one way or the other. Take a nap whenever you can. Complete the back log.



Tip 11:

Do whatever you wanted to do forever

There are so many things we can’t do because we end up watching TV instead. Cycling, swimming, dancing, meeting up with friends, planting saplings etc. I am sure you can help me a make a huge list. Coming one and half month is a big opportunity for non-fans of cricket for doing something they wanted to do alone. Use this as ‘Me Time’. Line up things to do. You will enjoy it and you will make it easy for cricket fans to get rid of you 😛

So? All geared up for cricket season? Have more ideas? Do leave your comments. Enjoy!

Anyone but Me

Could I have been a doctor,

Could I have been a multi-millionaire,

Could I have been an astronaut,

Could I have been an artist,

Could I have been anyone but me?

Would it matter if I was working in defence,

Would it matter if I was a great chef,

Would it matter if I were a social worker,

Would it make me a better person,

Could I be anyone but me?

Could I have rather danced all day,

Could I have rather given speeches,

Could I have rather done yoga for a living,

Could I be anyone but me?

The thought makes me crazy,

That sometimes I don’t want to be me.

Is there anyone who thinks the same,

Who want to change their being, change their name.

But every time I so fall in love with me,

I don’t want to be anyone but me.

Men will be Men

No matter how grown up they are,

They are boyish; they are childish,

They will throw tantrums, catch you by surprise,

They will do everything you despise,

Men will be men.


They will forget your birthdays and anniversaries,

But they will put you out of your misery,

They will melt your heart in seconds,

With their smiles, sweet and gingery.

Men will be men.


They will be all bossy at work,

But they will be your pet at home,

Your heart will bubble up with light sweet foam,

What more do you need then,

As men will be men.


They will insist on walking to side of the road,

Where cars speed, dashing with a roar,

They will stand in the sun to give you shade,

They will do it even if it is clichéd,

But men will be men.


They were told not to cry,

They were told to be brave,

They will shed a tear alone,

And not share their sorrows again,

But men will be men.


Our strength, our courage, our pet, our care taker,

Things will have to go through them before they harm us,

These mischief makers will never change,

Why should I not hold them close then?

Because men will be men.








Love never dies

We as humans, love. We have a capacity of loving anything and everything. It is very natural. We too have a capacity to fall out of love. And we do that more often than we think we do. It is scary but it is the reality. You find yourself not feeling anything for people you loved once so much. This applies to the things you love as well. I was so much in love with the toys on my work desk that I secretly used to talk to them when no one was looking. Now they are packed up in a box and I do not even remember the time they were on my desk. It is difficult to tell why parents submerge themselves in their interest for cigarettes, drugs and alcohol and neglect their kids altogether. Why do couples, once in love can’t stand each other after a few years? How do they forget what they once shared?

Falling in love is like a dream but our ability to fall out of it is like a nightmare.

Some people give into the hatred and dislike and, some initiate this act of creating the wall between the two. Spouse, siblings, friends, neighbours all of us are only a little away from changing our love into hatred. We think shutting off the person will end the problem, will help you get control of your feelings and surroundings. We just make it worse. We are creating a war within us. The revenge, the agony, it kills us. Why then we not give love a chance? Why do we act rude to something we couldn’t part with earlier? Why is there a competition amongst you on who did how much or what, for the other?

Give love a chance. Give each other a chance. Give this world a chance. Hatred doesn’t solve anything. You will agree that, two filthy hands can’t wash one another clean. It will only make your life mucky and unclear. When I see people fight, my imagination just goes wild. I imagine 2 dogs barking at each other. Aren’t we different then that?

Dear Santa, I wish we all learn to love each other. It is easy and natural. Let people’s heart grow closer to each other. Let everybody appreciate each other for what they are. Everyone in our lives are important. Mostly, give us strength to fight anything that grows inside us that leads to hatred.

Love will live forever. Love never fails us. Love never dies.

RIP Humanity- The darkest day in Peshawar

The children might have woken up to their mother’s voice. Eaten their favourite breakfast. She might have dressed her son, perfecting his tie. She might have tied a pigtail for her pretty daughter. She might have loved them more than ever. She might have wanted to hold them a little longer like she feels like every morning. Her little angels. Little did she know that her tiny angels will never come back. That they will be shot in their head by some merciless creatures; who did not hesitate for even a bit.

What a horrifying day in the history of humanity! What were they thinking? Were a even thinking? Couldn’t they have changed their minds when they looked in the kids’ eyes. Innocent little children. What was their fault? Why has revenge become bigger than people and mercy?
It is a shame that innocent people are still paying price of somebody’s wrong doings. But children? How could they possibly even point the gun at those kids? They were not even worth threatening with a lethal weapon like that. Head shots?
I froze the moment I heard the news. I was terrified when I read the details. Minutes after the incident the pictures showed a very nightmare-ish situation. I wished it was just a nightmare. We are so used to despise Pakistan that I thought, whatever wrong may happen to them; it will never affect me. I just wanted to run and hold on to a kid and cry.
No human deserves to be killed like this. It is no different for any child, anyone. These representatives of devils! Die in hell. Burn in hell you monsters!


Twitter 101: Discover, learn and use Twitter (Part 1)

What is Twitter?

Simply put, it is a micro-blogging network which is real time and is limited to 140 characters per post. You can share videos and pictures as well. Most people might have heard about the site but few people understand its benefits. Twitter is used by different people for different purposes. There are endless examples. Let us know more about Twitter.

Watch this video to get a better idea of what Twitter is all about


Evolution of Twitter

Twitter has been around since 2006 and since then it has changed a lot. With new interfaces rolled out time and again, Twitter experience has enhanced over a period of time. It has gone from “What are you doing?” to “What’s going on?”. Twitter has become a source of information on endless topics and real time that! People have been sharing relevant information, keeping people updated about traffic or weather conditions, connected and helped crowd sourcing, and engaging in interesting conversations. Many people now go to Twitter to find out what is happening around the world or in their field of interest. It is more than just a social network.


Consider this while Signing Up

Your Twitter profile is public. You should consider how you want  to be perceived by others. This is how the world will see you. Hence, give it a thought before you sign up.

Twitter Handle: Since, the profile is public do not give out your full name, preferably. Your Twitter handle says a lot about it. Make sure it is quirky, simple to understand and unique. It is your first impression when you engage in conversations with someone.

Profile Picture: It should represent what you want people to perceive about you. If you are on Twitter for professional purpose then the picture should be more professional than casual. A picture with you vacationing somewhere will be inappropriate. Similarly, if you want to send out a message that you are on Twitter for fun then upload an interesting picture of yours from places where you go for fun. If you are here to promote an NGO show put a picture where you are seen helping someone. If you want to protect your identity then do not upload your own picture. Upload abstract pictures. However, remember that people tend to connect with real people on Twitter than with random pictures.

Bio: This a quick introduction to who you are what your interests are. You cannot write very descriptive introduction because of lack of space. Hence, you have to be smart in using the space and yet able to attract new followers. You need to build an image for yourself. Some people only add a one-liner that is humorous, some add their professional and education achievements, some write their hobbies. You can add your website details if you are on Twitter for business. Do not give out your personal information like phone number and address. You can give the same in case you are a business.

Following: You can start following people the moment you sign up. Other people can see who you are following as well. You can be selective in who you are following depending upon your interest. Your timeline is your responsibility. Content from people you follow shapes your timeline. If your timeline is getting boring probably you need to follow some interesting Twitter handles. People also follow movie celebrity, music celebrity, sports celebrity to keep themselves updated about their lives. Your following list reflects on the kind of person you are.

List: A list is simply that. If you have identified 10 people who are experts in education or sports or movies or outings, you can create a list of those people and keep. You can refer to them when you have news or information specific to that industry whom you want to tweet to.


Think before you tweet:

Tweets that are racists, sexist and offensive in nature to any gender, caste or religion can create a bad impression about you. We do tend to find some inappropriate jokes funny but it can seriously hurt someone’s feelings or ego and can harm your reputation in turn. Twitter is about connecting, sharing information that can be of help or things that can make people aware or bring happiness. Hence, resist to tweet or retweet anything inappropriate even though it is encouraged by a few of your followers

Follow me @tinyvibhaa

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