What has your work life taught you?

If there was one question I could ask all my friends - near and far, it would be this -

"What has your work life taught you?"

Source : Google Images

I worked as a software professional for close to 8 years at my first job. So what were the takeaways from my work life ? Read on.

• Every day is a new learning - We never stop learning and I love this the best about my work. Words to live by at work - 'Every day brings a new experience and with it comes new learning. The day you stop learning, you cease to grow'. :) 
• Independence - Nothing beats the feeling I get when I earn my own money. The sense of independence that comes along with it is such a huge satisfaction that can never be replaced by anything else. :)
• Confidence - Since childhood, there was one thing I was always confident about - that I can never be "confident". That changed once I started working. I get the opportunity to speak to different clients from around the world and my job gives me the platform to garner confidence in order to deal with them successfully. :)
• Communication - There was a time when I feared public speaking. My legs would shiver and my voice would tremble just at the thought of it. Now when I look back, it makes me realize that hosting that event at work or speaking about that presentation wasn't as bad as I thought it to be. :)
• 'Monday Blues' is a thing of the past - When I had just started working, I dreaded the so-called 'Monday Blues'. But only with time comes experience. Hence, after a year or so of actual job experience, there was no such thing called 'Monday Blues'. :)
• Make a new friend everyday - My job involved working with different teams and different people on a constant basis. Just what I want since I love meeting new people. It's weird but my face glistens when I get to add new contacts to my phone book. :)
• Good memories everyday- Today, I recollect the tons of good memories that my workplace gave me right from the first day. Sure, there were some not-so-good memories too, but the good ones definitely outnumber the not-so-good ones by a vast difference.
• Some workplace friends are forever - Just like how we have "Best Friends Forever" at school and college, even workplace friends are forever. I befriended a group of 15 good friends right from the first day of work who are there for me at all times even today. Psssst...... we call ourselves - Oceans' 16 even today. :) 
• Work is fun too - Not only did I enjoy celebrating every festival at home, I equally enjoyed celebrating them at work. Back in India, the favorite festival to look out for was 'Diwali'. And while here in the US, I just can't get enough of Christmas and New Years. :)

Now, it's your turn.

Go on and tell me - "What is your profession and what has your work life taught you?"

You can either reply in the comments below or post on your blog.

I would love to read it. :)

Yours' truly,

**Linking to the Ultimate Blogging Challenge - January 2014, Blogathon - 2014 and NaBloPoMo**

My Little Sister...

Source : Google Images

My sister – a trained sniper, had the strength of a man. I wished she were here now.

“Please let me go.” My voice trembled as I begged for my life.

But he threatened with a gun– “You do realize that things would be much easier if you just sign this power of attorney.” But who was this masked person?

I signed the paper. He pushed me aside and checked my signature.

“Thanks. But you know what? Never trust an armed person.” My eyes popped out as he removed his mask and shot me down.

My little sister had shot me.

- Written for Write Tribe’s 100 Words on Saturday Prompt: My Little Sister

Yours' truly,

**Linking to the Ultimate Blogging Challenge - January 2014, Blogathon - 2014 and NaBloPoMo**

Are you a Rain Child or a Hot Bird ?

Source : Google Images

Oh dark clouds! I wait by the window watching you...

Curled up in my blanket sitting on the sill...

With a hot cup of tea in my hand...

Waiting for you to thunder and pour...

To engulf this soil in its moisture...

And turn it damp and rich at once...

To drench this earth...

And give it a fresh scent...

To soak the leaves on all the trees...

And give it a new color...

Now and then, I await for a rainy day...

To reminisce those days spent back home...

To recollect those memories close to my heart...

To lose myself in my thoughts...

Oh dark clouds! I wait by the window watching you...

**************

When it comes to cool rains or hot summers, for me it has to be cool rains. I love the rains.

But this was not the case during childhood days. Back then, I used to love summers. Why and when did this change ? Read on... :) 

My baby bro and I were brought up in the Middle East - lands with hot, humid summers and scanty rains. Our academic years used to be planned in such a way that the first term of a new school year would begin in March/April and go until June. This is when the first term exams were conducted.

Once the exams were done and dusted with, our summer vacations would start. And these vacations weren't just 2-3 weeks. They were 2 months long. Yup, 2 whole months of enjoyment and merriment. Summers meant sheer happiness. All play and no studies till the start of the second term of school.

Our schools had summer vacations in the middle of the year was so that kids could escape traveling in the school bus during those hot sweltering days. Summers are pretty brutal there during July-August months with temperatures soaring up to 50 Celsius or 122 Fahrenheit.

However, this scene changed once we moved to India for higher studies. Once there, we got to experience the true beauty of monsoons. At first, it got pretty dull to just watch the water pouring here and there. But my outlook changed.

As the years progressed. I would wait for the monsoons to appear. The things I mentioned in the short poem above, are the reasons I wait for the rains. It's not only an enjoyable time to just gaze and watch the rains sitting cozily at home but it also keeps my mind at peace.

So tell me, what are you when it comes to the weather ? A rain child or a hot bird ? :)  

Yours' truly,

**Linking to the Ultimate Blogging Challenge - January 2014, Blogathon - 2014 and NaBloPoMo**

Would you believe me if I told you ...

...that I haven't read the books or watched the movies of the following classics ?

Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Hunger Games, Twilight series... and many more. 

Source : Google Images

Source : Google Images

...that I haven't watched the classic or epic movies of our time ?

Forrest Gump, Castaway, Saving Private Ryan, The Sixth Sense, Good Will Hunting, The Shawshank Redemption... and many more.

...that I haven't had the chance to watch a complete season of good shows like Frasier, the Monk, Grey's Anatomy, Once Upon a Time, Law and Order.... Ok ! I need to stop. You get the picture right ?

As I sit on the couch writing this post, I am also feeling guilty and sulking deep, deep, deep inside thinking how I might be coming across at this moment.

At times, I ponder - Is it too late to watch those classics now ? Will it be as exciting for me to read those epic novels now like everyone found them back then? When I look back to understand why I missed some of these classics, there seem to be like a hundred reasons but none worth mentioning. Sigh !

So high time for a change, don't you think ?

With the Harry Potter series, I ended up reading half of the books and watching the other half in movies. But last month, after taking a look at the very few books that I read in 2013 and inspired by Anisha on how she dealt with the Pottermania, I decided it was time to take things into hand. So I made a quick stop to the library and picked up the first book - 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'. Once I started reading through the few first few chapters, I could not keep the book down.

Is it just me or have others experienced the same situation ? Do you watch the movie/read the book as soon as it is released into the market ?

Tell me, if you were in my place, what would the first thing that you would read or watch ?

Yours' truly,


**Linking to the Ultimate Blogging Challenge - January 2014, Blogathon - 2014 and NaBloPoMo**

Hello 2014

Wishing you a very Happy New Year :) May the new year bring in a lot of happiness and prosperity for everyone.

Source : Google Images

Hope you had a wonderful New Years' Eve with family or friends.

I had a nice, quiet evening at home with my LP and Baby Girl. A couple of hours before midnight - we called up our loved ones and family back home in India and exchanged greetings. My phone was buzzing with a million New Year greetings from all around the world. Everyone right from my school, college, work and close family kept sending in wishes.

Around 11PM, we drove to the nearest park where New Year fireworks were being displayed. The weather was biting cold but the fireworks and the excitement of the people around definitely made up for an enjoyable sight.

I am sharing some pictures below. Apologize for the bad quality :(

 

I also found time to read the last blog posts of 2013 posted by my blogger friends. It felt good knowing that the earlier year has been so wonderful for so many of you. *Touchwood*!

Well, I can't wait to share my end of the experiences in 2014 with you too.

So, did you do anything exciting to bring in the new year ? Do share. :)

Yours' truly,

**Linking to the Ultimate Blogging Challenge - January 2014, Blogathon 2014 and NaBloPoMo**



What was 2013 like ?

One word - amazing. 2013 has been the best year on the personal front. On the blogging front, I would say - not very good.

Source : Google Images

The start of the year was not very pleasing since LP and I were returning to US after our annual vacation in India. February and March were really busy months with work and a lot of planning on personal front.

After a 3-month hibernation, I was back on the blog in April with a comeback post. I realized that few of my long lost loves needed revival and so I made sure I had time for those interests. I also made a second attempt at NaBloPoMo (after an unsuccessful stint in November 2012) and made it successfully this time around.

In April, I celebrated the 2nd blogoversary, shared my packing experience from my last vacation, complained about the snow we received last winter, bragged about our new little Dalmatian and  thanked Anisha for the Liebster award and talked about 10 random facts about myself.

I explored my creative side with poems in 'A Rainy Day', 'Breathing Life' and a drabble - 'A Leap of Faith' and shared my photos from the April Photo-A-Day challenge (here, here and here).

I also relocated (for the nth time already) and shared about how it has always been an emotional experience for me, thought aloud about a "profession" vs. "hobby job" and bragged yet again (I think I need an intervention on that ;p) about my new Stickygram magnets.

I ran a quick retrospection about how my past equation with few friends has been.

When LP and I moved closer to New York, I shared about what I missed in my earlier city and what I look forward to in this new city. I loved it when summer was finally here. I posted about how my laptop went on a trip for a couple of days.

In May, I posted a tribute for my mom for Mothers' Day and my May Photo-A-Day challenge.

Post May, I went on a 6-month long hiatus during which I stayed away from the blog but enjoyed my life to the most with family.

The best thing happened to LP and me when we welcomed our little angel - "Baby Girl" in this interim. Life has not been the same since then. :)

I returned back to the blog with yet another comeback post and soon after with a 100 word drabble - "If Only...".

Last but not the least, I made myself a wish list which I want to continue in the coming years.

This year was quite eventful in my life and I hope the same has been the case for you too.

Before I go, I want to wish all of you a very Happy New Year 2014. See you on the other side soon. :)

Your's truly,

A fresh start...

The last time I took part in the Photo-A-Day challenge was in May 2013.

It's been a while so I think it's time for another take at the challenge starting tomorrow and what best month to start other than January 2014.

Here's a look at the prompts created by Fat Mum Slim for January 2014 -

If you would like to join in, you can find the details here.

And if would like to follow me and my pictures for the next month, head to the social media icons on the right sidebar under "Follow me here".

You can find me on Instagram at @momentsilike and on Twitter at @eloquent_mind.

Are you going to take part for the challenge ? :)

Your's truly,

My New Year resolution for 2014 is ...

... to not keep a resolution. Seriously. Why ? Because, every year in December, just as the new year's around the corner, I make some resolutions only to break them within the first 10 days of the new year.

So this year, I have decided - "No more resolutions". Instead, I am going to have a "wish list". 

Source : Google images

A wish list, in so many ways, is similar to a resolution yet different at the same time. Many of my blogger friends have their own wish lists or bucket lists published and I've seen them work towards it successfully. So drawing inspiration from there, I think I should give it a try too. 

Firstly, you get to build your goals in a Work-In-Progress list. You can keep adding on new stuff as and when you like. Secondly, you get to decide by when you wish to accomplish the items on the wish list like in the next year or coming years, so the deadline depends on you entirely. And last but not the least, it's much more inspiring and makes you feel great when you get to strike off items on your wish list.

Now, having my own wish list was something I longed to do much earlier. Something that I regret not doing and putting it off all the past years. I think the main reason behind it was I was afraid of not being able to accomplish it. But this year, I'm not going to let that affect me. If I do 'complete' everything on my wish list, good for me. And if I don't then I just need a pretty good reason for not achieving it. Atleast this way, I'll take out the fear within me and give myself a chance to retrospect on how well/worse this is going.

Having said that, the next question on my mind was - So what do I want on my wish list ? In order to get a head start, I decided to write down the first thoughts that come to my mind - 

• Read at least 25 new books -
  2013 was pretty disastrous in terms of my reading. On one hand my reading challenge never got completed while on the other, I read few books but didn't bother to keep track of them. Since I don't want to repeat that next year, I am starting with a small target and hope to achieve a little bit more than with every passing year. Fingers crossed on that one.
• Write a book review - 
  Another item which has been on my mind for quite some time, I think it's high time to give it a shot. 
• Lose weight - 
  Now that the post-pregnancy phase is slowly returning to normal, I want to lose weight and firstly return to my pre-pregnancy weight. Once that's achieved, focus on managing a healthy weight. This also means that I am going to stick to more healthier foods and stay from junk food altogether.
• Stay away from chocolates and caffeine - 
  Ok ok, you can remove that "who-is-she-kidding" look from your face. You know what, even I feel like I'm gonna cave in on this item in the first few days. Maybe I'll grab a cup of Joe or sneak on a choco once or twice but this item stays on my wish list :) Stay tuned to see how I fare.
• Control my anger - 
  This year has been pretty much disappointing in terms of controlling my emotions. Blame it on my pregnancy hormones or not, I think I can do much better if I stay away from certain people and situations in order to not get affected. 'Forgive and forget' will be my motto to help me be on track. :)
• Visit at least 3 new states in the US - 
  This is going to be a joint item on my and LP's wish list. After our last relocation from Illinois to New Jersey, we really haven't got a chance to do much long-distance sightseeing. So 2014 will be the year to break that jinx and do some serious exploring. Can't wait for it.
• Learn to read and write a new language - 
  Out of the 4 languages that I know, I can't read or write in 2 of them. So I am going to work on that in 2014.
• Learn classical music - 
  Ever since childhood, my mom has struggled to teach me classical music. Unfortunately it never took off and I always ended up learning just the basic notes. Also, this was at a time when I was not too keen on learning the art. However, as the years flew by, I noticed that the desire to learn music grew stronger and stronger in my heart. It's reached such a point where I long to nurture this art. So this goes into my wish list for sure. 

Obviously, this is not a very exhaustive list but it's a decent start. This list will soon make its way as a separate page on this blog for better tracking.

Now you tell me, what's your resolution for 2014 ? Or do you have a wish list like mine ?

Your's truly,

If only...

Source : Google images

“Sigh !”

Kristy served coffee to the last customer at his table. With five minutes left to strike 12AM, she trailed off into thoughts again.

If only she wasn’t working on Christmas eve…

If only someone tipped her 500 bucks to fly home…

If only wishes came true…

The gentleman left with a smile as Kristy walked to his table and found a note.

“Spend this Christmas with your loved ones!”.

And underneath the note – 500 bucks!

It was 12AM. Kristy was wonderstruck. Did her wish just come true ? Or was it a blessing in disguise ?

- Written for Write Tribe’s 100 Words on Saturday Prompt: A Blessing in Disguise

Your's truly,

My 'comeback' post plus "something new"...

6 months and 23 days.

That's how long it's been since my last post. Gosh ! Time has flown, seasons have changed, milestones have been completed and most importantly, newer relationships have taken center-stage. 

I truly missed this space and yet I never remained totally away from it. I never could. 

Even though my writing was on a break, my reading was not. Your lovely posts and exciting stories kept me hooked like a child watching TV. Your blogs made me want to read and know more about the interesting events happening in your lives. 

Source : Google Images

So then why did I choose to go "away" ? Well, it was a conscious decision to take a break from the surfing world (read - Facebook, Twitter and the likes) to spend more quality time with family. And I am happy I went ahead with this decision. I guess, in this fast moving world you need a break sometimes to retrospect and come back with a bang. Truly, the last few months feel like a dream now. I should say - not only was it the best break, it has also been the best time of my life so far.

And now for the "something new" part. :)

Till now, this blog has only been about me and my hubby (LP). But going forth, I want to write about another member as well who has, in the recent past, taken the spotlight of my life and that is my "Baby Girl". :) Not only does she keep me on my toes & busy as a bee but she also keeps me sane enough to find time at late nights to get back to my blogging. :) 

I don't mean to turn this into a mommy blog or anything but I still want to utilize this space to record my experiences & special moments with her so that one day, I can go back, read these posts and say - "Now that wasn't too bad." ;) Who knows maybe even share these experiences with the little one too.

Yours truly,