Links/Personal/Relationship/Thoughts

Friendly Strangers

Posted on by Archana K B / 2 Comments

Online friends, or unseen or unmet friends…

It had been my old habit of talking to strangers. The world of internet had opened to me long back, a new way to make new friends. Being member of various tech forums( don ask why I joined them! 😐 ), I had so many acquaintances to whom I could chat online in yahoo/msn messengers. There was a peak time, which even persuaded me to enter the chat rooms and I was chatting in 3-4 windows simultaneously with strangers starting with the “asl”. I don’t remember the names now, but I do remember that I had talked to one person who claimed to be from Pakistan. And there was also another person who was so talkative and so impressive in his talk and humour style. Now, when I think back of those days, a smile or rather a sheepish grin originates around the corner of my lips. 🙂

Though I had been the regular member of Tech Arena and then the Tech Enclave, it all started with the Digit forums. There are some long lost members who know me (and vice versa) by just an online name and nothing more. But there were few who kept the relation going, and thankfully to them, it is still active, through some strange bond, and also with the help of the common link Chennai, blogging and of course the messenger! Over these years, I knew them only through the posts they make in some new tech forums, the yahoo chats we have, and the photos in orkut, the mobile smses, and very few have gone up to the stage of mobile calls (that too some calling almost daily or twice a week!). The chains were missing in between for a while, but I guess its the Time who linked the broken links of the chain to bring us more closer. These unknown but, friendly strangers, have grown close to play important roles in my life in the form of brothers, friends and some more than that.. It is indeed a strange experience, to discuss with a person, whom you never met, though you have either seen the face or heard the voice. And especially, when they grow up to become your closest friends in your life, just like one of the Top friends in Facebook. The relation may get worse or better after the meet, but I guess its always the same whenever you meet any of them for the first time. Though I agree and I should warn others to be careful while disclosing the details to your online friends.

The month of October has lots of memories related to me in the past two years. And I hope, this month it will turn out to be yet another memorable month. Before any such meeting with online friends, I always feel an excitement, creating a big hush of waves in my mind shore, of past storms, of the hidden consolation, or of unknown future.. Maybe I am again just into such an emotion, as usual…

Hmmmm……

books/Reviews/Thoughts

Book Review – The Marriage by Timeri Murrari.

Posted on by Archana K B / 5 Comments

A simple book. I felt it like a film. This story takes place in England. There are two parallel tracks, one is about the love story of Leela and Roger and the other is the problems faced by Leela’s father, Tekchand in the factory he works for. Both tracks are described beautifully and independently by the author. And towards the end, it has a grasping twist which lasts an strong impression in your heart for a while…

I liked the book for the detailed description of the author in simple words of the pain felt by residents living outside India. The small small simple things about India and its land and the traditional living, for which its famous for. The book is written long back I guess, and I can see the reflections of the old traditions and customs of the times of the farmers and landlords. The difficulties in earning for your family doing small jobs abroad and all..

The book also portrays the feelings and emotions of a young girl. A growing woman in her initial stage, struggling with the traditional values and also with her dreams and wishes. Though the place is different, I guess it could be felt by any girl living with the family far from their village home town, say, even in any metro city.

To say as flaws, I did not find any, except that the work trouble may not be liked the present generation, who does not think of the simple village life, but instead prefers to settle abroad…Hence altogether, i would give 8/10 for this sweet novel.

Internet/Links/Webscape

Webscape Tidbits – Part 3

Posted on by Archana K B / 7 Comments

After a long time fram gap, I am back with the internet tidbits.

1.Blackle was hitting the news a little while ago. And one of my colleague even shifted to Blackle instead of Google for searches. But I did wonder how it saved energy. Found an article cum discussion on does it really do or not??

2. Random objects/links/articles at smorgasborg. Got this link as email forward and the article regarding the invention of C++ lured me into the main site.

3. Top 100 webware sites. Just got a bunch of handy commonly used websites in one page..So bookmarked for now. Who knows, I may try them out, sometime in future…

4. Real Simple. There are enormous list of sites which can help you live life, make the most out of it, or even live a happy simple life. I guess this is just one of them. There maybe many more.

5. By the way, did I mention about the live science website where you can get to know more about the facts and discussions of life science?

Bonus: Try copying the character given below called “COMBINING CYRILLIC MILLIONS SIGN” and start writing from the next position. It starts typing backwards.
‫‬‭‮‪‫‬‭‮҉

Why??

Personal/Thoughts

Change of Life style

Posted on by Archana K B / 12 Comments

Did you ever remember the time when you handled Rs 10 or Rs 100 as a big amount? The time when you thought flight travel is only for the hi-fi people. The times when you felt, any dress material above Rs 500 is an expensive costume. The times when giving treat was limited to Rs. 300 or Rs.400. The times when we think of travelling locally by bus or walk, as travel by auto rickshaws was too much. The times when we thought of America, US, Europe, Australia, Singapore, Dubai etc as unimaginable and never-can-be-visited destinations. The times, when your heart skipped a beat when every SMS of yours got charged. The times when you bought chappals or sandals worth 100 or 150 for daily use. The times when you think twice before lunching or having dinner out. The times when you made fun of the hi-fi people in mind, with their tight jeans n cool sun glasses and their life style. The times when you enjoyed the travel with your loved ones in bus, side by side. The times when you enjoyed the beauty and innocence of the village during a train journey or at your home town. The times when the simple things made you happy.

Now, I travel by local auto at minimum of Rs 60. I guess I have travelled by Air Deccan nearly or more than 20 times. I send national SMS and also even International ones. The dinner n lunch treats is not a new thing. I have sandals priced around Rs 500. I have two jeans already with uncountable tops and shirts. I recently bought new dresses worth around 1.4k!! I bear the city traffic in the peak hours daily morning and evening. You see people running behind hip-hop cool trendy outfits at the brand stores, including me. The famous hangout outlets include the shopping malls and theatres and not the parks. The beauty of the beach has been scratched by the enormous crowd.

Does it mean we don’t remember the good old days? Does it mean we have changed a lot from the past? Do we crave for those happiness?

I do. I do remember. And I did change. And I do crave for the small small happiness. But as long as the people around me are there, as always to enjoy those small happiness with me along with the change, I guess I won’t mind the change…

Relationship/Thoughts

Relations of life.

Posted on by Archana K B / 3 Comments

Every human being is a social animal. He craves for love and companionship. We may not realize or agree it when we think about it, but when you are left alone in the path of life, you realize that all successes, or all that you achieved does not make you fully happy. Family, relatives, friends, colleagues, life partner etc. Every person needs these, at least any one of them for survival. But the intricacies of the mind leaves us confused regarding all these relations and their meaning and essence in our life. All are different and plays a different role. Human beings are not so lucky to obtain all the relations in one person itself. The levels of importance and impact which these relations have on our life is distinguished by an unknown or undefined line of identification. But as always, this line is not clear or cannot be properly defined.

In this society, we consider family as the most important and is considered as the nucleus of which we are part of. Then there are the relatives, close friends, colleagues and acquaintances in that order. Even in Orkut, you can find the categorization of the same for the friends list. But recently when I tried to do the same, I got confused. There are friends who I have not met, but still are my good friends. There are people whom I know very well, but I seldom talk to them, just like an acquaintance. The same applies for relatives too. There maybe some distant distant relatives who may be integral part of family, but for us, they are just acquaintance. Then there are friends or colleagues to whom we reveal more than what we say to the family. All these complications therefore I feel is based on the dependency factor which becomes crucial in deciding the line of identification. More than blood or water or whatever which decides the thickness, I guess this dependency is what makes the relation thicker or thinner. But to make matters complicated while resolving them, this dependency factor is never constant. It keeps on changing over time, based on availability. But it keeps matters simple and plain, there by supporting the undefined and unnamed relations prevailing in the society.
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Personal

Happy 2nd anniversary!

Posted on by Archana K B / 6 Comments

Yesterday, I completed two years of my tenure in Chennai. Away from home, and as a working professional. You never know how time flies by, and what all you gain and what all you lose in the passing time.

Last year at around same time, I had made a post on my experiences in the first year. I had even thought of writing a sequel for the same. But the age n time is forcing me now to discard away the small trivial matters with a wave of thoughts, instead of penning it down here.

To those who have known me now for two years by this auspicious day,
Happy 2nd anniversary to you too, my dear…