The adventures of the Indian local trains.

Have you ever travelled by an Indian local train in Mumbai? If you have, I am sure you are quite sympathetic to my fate.

My college being so far off from my house, a train ride six days a week to and for is a must for me. Trying to get a seat in a local train during peak hours is a equivalent to a war. A spartan war to be precise. You have to know the exact point where the train will stop and where would you be able to get in the fastest avoiding all the rush if angry ladies. It's very strategic. One can learn but only by experience.

While coming back from college, it becomes a full blown world war. People are tired after work, frustrated to the Core. All they want to do is just get that seat and go home and watch some TV. If you get a seat at that peak hour, you can get a seat in any train, in any country.

Getting down from the train is another story entirely. You get up from your seat two stations before only to look down and see two women bickering about who gets to take your seat and entirely pushing you out of the picture. You get away and push your way to the tightly packed crowd on the train where people keep getting on and no one gets off. Only through sheer will power do you manage to get your way through the entrance of the train and get down. Sometimes if the crowd is too frustrated, they don't even let you get off and you miss your station.

As soon as you are on the platform of your station, you feel safe. Survived the wars. I am proud to say that I, survive these train wars everyday and cheers to the others who are in this war with me :P

A perspective

I had the mindset that I was going to attend college, I really did. Instead, I ended up running around due to all the projects and ultimately going to my friend, Twisha's house.

Her building has a beautiful terrace where you can just sit and let your mind wander. It's funny how your mind takes you to places where you thought you would never end up being- my future. I sat there, wondering what my future would be like. Where would I see myself in a month? A year? Ten years perhaps. Wonders of the mind, never fail to awe you.

For me, my mind decided to take to me my career. What do you want to be? It asked me. I answered clinical psychology without missing a beat. And then it asked wh? Do you think to have it in you? I could not wrest up an answer for that.

Why clinical psychology of all things? I don't know but hell, I just know that one day I will be able to answer that too :]

I also wondered about some important things... But that I am very far from going into. Basically, a terrace like that is a beautiful place to have moments. It entrances and captures your breath, it makes you feel like you are on the top of the world and all the problems are below, like little ants that can be dealt with later. Today was a legendary day. Literally.

The first day of the fresh start.

The day that I have been waiting for eagerly, almost impatiently, has finally arrived. I have moved into my new flat! After all the tedious formalities, packing, cleaning, unpacking, everything is in place at last. Sitting in my new room, I proudly type out this post. A few more adjustments and that's it, my new home.

Although, I do admit leaving behind my old, rented flat is a bit of a bummer, many memories and good times spent there, all my friends screaming my name when they get free from their tuition, even the lonely howl of the dogs at night shall be remembered by me :P

It is never easy to let go of all the old stuff and immediately plunge into the new but, handling it graciously, leaving it at it's place, that is what we call life. Clinging on to the old never lets us move forward either. Instead, it just drags us down with it. But when these bad memories turn into good memories, something you can laugh about in the future and learn from it, that's when you walk away with the win.

Life, I was told, is never a bed of roses. Well I think, life is definitely a bed of roses but we sometimes tend to forget the fact that even roses can have thorns that prick you. What you do, is make an effort and remove the thorns. This last paragraph is dedicated to a friend, who is feeling down. I am there for you :]

Life of Pi review

I just watched this movie yesterday and though I did not like it much, I cannot stop thinking about it... Not being biased, I am going to write this review. The main character, Pi, plays such a strong role in the movie that it's like he imprints himself on your mind.

In the entire movie, he was stranded alone, with a tiger on the boat. How they survived is pretty much the entire movie. But, it is not as boring as it sounds. Pi's courage, his mental stability, his never losing hope attitude, his thoughts, his skills, are laudable. They are so strong in the movie, that apart from the tiger in the boat, that was all that supported the movie. 

Basically, this movie has many unexpected twists and turns. Sometimes, they there are some heart stopping moments. It's ironical how the directors showed the ocean. The ocean that took away his family from him and gave him suffering is also shown as hauntingly beautiful at times that you cannot look away from the screen.

The writer, who comes to write pi's story later on in life is forced to believe in god as Pi sits down and tells him the journey he had embarked on and how he had managed to keep himself sane and alive. As for me, I don't see any relevance to god during any part of the journey. Maybe the philosophical stuff is not my type.

I would not lie, there are some disappointing moments, like the ending and the sadistic scenes when the animals eat each other for the sake of their survival. Maybe three and a half stars (this is a totally just rating). But this movie is definitely worth a watch  if philosophical movies float your boat. ;]