Be Happy, Along with Me!

Recently, I saw a picture being shared on Facebook which read 'I am part of the 1 percent of the world which hasn't watched Star Wars in their lifetime'. To be frank, I am part of that one percent of the population too. Science fiction movies haven't been my favourite at any given time, honestly speaking. But, when you are given a chance to use science fiction and technology as an inspiration to bring out your fun side, who would want to refuse?  It is impressive to see HP come up with a special exclusive Star Wars edition notebook. I have been using HP notebooks for the past 7 years and I just love the sleek and elegant design of the notebooks. When my workplace gave me an option to purchase a laptop for work purpose with their funds, I chose a HP notebook over the other brands which were already in use by my colleagues. So, this time, what inspires me about the Star Wars edition notebook? A product can attract you, appeal to you with its features; but can a noteboo...

Friday. 9 PM. You get off the office bus that usually drops you on the main road and start walking to your house which is a ten minute walk from the bus stop through small lanes. Suddenly you find a shadow following you as you walk. You start taking faster steps but the figure behind you is catching up to your pace. You somehow manage to get to the last lap of your walk. That’s when you take to your heels to reach quickly to your apartment’s gate. Your pulse beats unstoppably as you shut the gate and enter the lift. As the lift’s door closes, you happen to get a glimpse of that figure that followed you, walking across the road. A tall man with a beard clad in casuals. He (and you) could have been on the newspapers tomorrow if you hadn’t managed to get to your apartment’s gate as you luckily did. You start thinking now. What could you have possible done earlier to avoid this panic? •         Keep a pepper-spray or a poc...

The divorce of the power couple - Infosys Murthy's son and TVS Venu's daughter made into the papers last week. A lot of people were talking about this. I got a chance to overhear one of those conversations: A: Did you know they spent crores and crores for the marriage? And today, this is all it is. B: These people have a lot of money. So they do not bother parting ways like this. They can use their money to set their lives straight again. C: Those on the top strata of the society feel free to do what they want to do in life. Only those of us in the middle class keep thinking what the society will speak about us if we take such a decision. I disagree with you Mr.C. I personally know a lot of people from the middle class strata who have taken a strong stand in their relationship and chosen divorce. A divorce is not a symbol of shame. In my opinion, it is a courageous decision. Recently I met with a friend of mine after a really long time. She wasn't a close frien...

We procrastinate, because we are not prepared. Why do you, me and anyone else like to put off  a task when in real it can be completed without much ado? Read on to find five reasons I discovered through my own experiences: 1) Not understanding the task being assigned When a task is assigned to us, many of us fail to spend some time to analyse and understand what has been given. Every task has an objective, means to achieve and requires a time planning exercise. Unless one spends at least five minutes to absorb the requirements of a particular task, understand the deadline and the route map to finish the task, he/she would most probably find it comfortable to put it off for a while. When you don't strike while the iron is hot, you lose track of the time and necessity. 2) Counting the number of tasks in hand When an employee already has five tasks at hand and is handed over a sixth task, he/she doesn't take the effort to read through the sixth. Some of us put it i...

I have a friend who calls me once in a fortnight to talk about her toxic relationship that is keeping peace away from her life almost all the time. Another friend texts me often about how she is sure of what she wants to do in life but doesn't have the financial security to pursue what she wants to become. This girl, whom I acquainted with in the recent past, is not too open about what her aim in life is. I don't see her talking about her dreams. She is happy and content with pushing each day of life as it goes. I know someone who dreams a lot everyday, has aspirations, is really capable of achieving them and yet tries to find a reason to compromise on all of them. This friend keeps talking to me about how she gave up a valuable career to move into a different city with her husband and is now baby-sitting her child without any career plans. Do I have only negative, complaining and sacrificing women in my life as friends? No. These are all capable women. Their heart...

If someone asks you to speak about a special someone in your life who left a lasting impression in you, who would you speak about? Would it be your best friend who lent her shoulder to you at times of grief? Would it be the teacher from your primary grade who constantly motivated you? Would it be your sibling with whom you fought a lot but yet ganged up with to do mischief? Or would it be your mother with whom you sat down everyday evening to share how your day was? For most of you, it would be your mother. Your mother with whom you spent a lot of time as a child and adult, sharing every single detail of your life without inhibitions. Who do you think I would speak about if I was asked the same question? I would speak about my mother too, but there is a small difference. I never dedicated my time to her, to speak to her, to listen to her aspirations about me or to share my innermost feelings with her. Never as a child; never as a teen; and now, I can't afford to do that i...

ஜூன் மாதம். அன்று வரை காலை எட்டு மணியளவில் வெறிச்சோடி இருந்த சாலைகள் மீண்டும் களை கட்ட ஆரம்பித்தன. இரண்டு மாத கோடை விடுமுறைக்கு பிறகு பள்ளிகள் திறந்தாகிவிட்டன. அப்பாவின் பைக்கில் ஜம்மென்று ஏறி அமர்ந்து, புத்தம் புது உற்சாகத்துடன் பள்ளிக்கூட வாசலில் வந்து இறங்கினான் கிருஷ்ணா.  "லஞ்ச் ஒழுங்கா சாப்பிடு. மார்க் ஷீட் குடுப்பாங்க..மறக்காம எடுத்துக்கிட்டு வா..ஆல் தி பெஸ்ட் கிருஷ்ணா" என்று அவனது கன்னத்தில் ஆசையாக ஒரு முத்தம் வைத்து, அவன் உள்ளே நடந்து செல்லும்வரை காத்திருந்து பின் கிளம்பினான் கிருஷ்ணாவின் அப்பா வாசு.  நான்காம் வகுப்பு 'A' பிரிவு. பத்து வயது கிருஷ்ணாவிற்கு மனதுக்குள் ஒரே சந்தோஷம். பள்ளிக்கூடம் திறக்கும் அந்த முதல் நாள் அன்று புதிதாக பல மாணவர்கள் வகுப்பில் சேருவார்கள். இந்த முறை அவர்களில் யாராவது ஒருவரை நமது பெஸ்ட் ப்ரெண்ட்  ஆக்கிக் கொள்ளவேண்டும் என்று மனதுக்குள்ளேயே கணக்கு போட்டுக் கொண்டிருந்தான். படி ஏறி தனது வகுப்பு எது என்று ஒவ்வொரு அறையாக கடந்து கடைசியில் வந்து சேர்ந்தான். Class 4-A என்று புதிய பலகை வகுப்பின் வாசலில் மாட்டப்பட...