Change

The only thing that is constant is CHANGE. And that scares me.

For some people, actually a lot of people, change is sought after. Whether it is food, clothes, your hairstyle, or then a house, a city and even people. As inevitable as it may be, it is not something I would choose.

The warmth of similarity, the comfort of resemblance and the assurance of stability is what a dormant part of me has been seeking. I say dormant because on the face of it everybody wants a new haircut, come on! , everybody wants to try something NEW. But deep down, when I am sitting in the salon chair, I am whispering a prayer; I hope it is not too short, I hope it is not to funky, I hope it is not a disaster. I believe everyone is like that; you would be lying if you say you’re not!

Honestly, I want to get rid of the frog-in-the-well syndrome. I want to be able to be as fearless as I seem to be. My heart needs to be what my face is showing.

Somewhere, somehow, I am of the belief that everyone is like this, some as latent and some as overt. They may seek change, but when it happens without a prior disclaimer (which is what happens most of the times) it stumps people, at least it stumps me.

Yes, change is unexpected, that is why it makes me so uneasy. Then again, I think, everything that happens happens for the good. Tried and tested.

With all the major changes that have taken place in the past few months, I have realized one thing. What does not KILL you makes you STONGER. And, now I may not be as petrified of I used to be. But one thing I confess, I need to learn is to get closure. It seems to be the hardest part for me. This is my lesson.

I have to get used to this,

And while I am writing this, I say to myself that I will take you on, Change. Bring it on.

Change

The only thing that is constant is CHANGE. And that scares me.

For some people, actually a lot of people, change is sought after. Whether it is food, clothes, your hairstyle, or then a house, a city or even people. As inevitable as it may be, it is not something I would choose.

The warmth of similarity, the comfort of resemblance and the assurance of stability is what a dormant part of me has always been seeking. I say dormant because on the face of it everybody wants a new haircut, come on! , everybody wants to try something NEW. But deep down, when I am sitting in the salon chair, I am whispering a prayer; I hope it is not too short, I hope it is not to funky, I hope it is not a disaster. I believe everyone is like that; you would be lying if you say you’re not!

Honestly, I want to get rid of the Frog-in-the-well syndrome. I want to be able to be as fearless as I seem to be. My heart needs to be what my face is showing.

Somewhere, somehow, I am of the belief that everyone is like this, some as latent and some as overt. They may seek change, but when it happens without a prior disclaimer (which is what happens most of the times) it stumps people, at least it stumps me.

Yes, change is unexpected, that is why it makes me so uneasy. Then again, I think, everything that happens happens for the good. Tried and tested.

With all the major changes that have taken place in the past few months, I have realized one thing. What does not KILL you makes you STONGER. And, now I may not be as petrified of I used to be. But one thing I confess, I need to learn is to get closure. It seems to be the hardest part for me. This is my lesson.

I have to get used to this,

And while I am writing this, I say to myself that I will take you on, Change. Bring it on.

Coco Chanel.

“Fashion Fades, Only Style Remains……”

Said once, the most influential pioneer in Fashion of the 20th Century, who continues to spread a distinctive style across the world, Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, fondly known as’ Coco’ and respectfully, ‘Mademoiselle ‘ . And how rightly said was that? What had started as a small hobby of designing hats has grown into one of the most renowned and coveted brands in the world. Anything with those intertwined C’s creates a desirable aspiration in every woman and is first on the list of every buyer. This is what Coco Chanel has created, a style that had remained, remains, and will remain for ever.

The portrait of her smoking a cigarette in front of the mirror, in a black outfit festooned with her statement strands of classy pearls, is how the world thinks of her; she creates a deliberate air of mystery and attraction that is seducing in its own way, as his her style.
Born on the 19th of August in 1883, in Saumur, France, her rags-to riches life is so inspirational, movies and broadways have been made on it.

Her contributions to fashion is unforgettable, she reinvented fashion, making people realize that style comes not only from clothes, but also from the attitude. She changed the perception of sophistication, liberated women from the layers of lace and the clutches of the corsets, dressing them in clothes that are simple, comfortable yet revealingly elegant. She gave the world a sense of freedom and spirit that still continues as ‘Chanel’

The Little black dress (LBD) is by far the greatest invention that will eternally exist; it has been a wardrobe staple for decades now. Pearls were Coco’s indispensible jewelry item and Camellias, her favorite flowers were transformed into delicate signature accessories that are ‘So Chanel’.
She designed the beige sling backs with a black toe, also called the two toned shoes. They were quite a creation, not only did they look classy and chic, but they were so intelligently and practically designed to hide stains on the front of the shoe. These shoes have been numerously rejuvenated by current chief designer Karl Lagerfeld.

Coco firmly believed that “Parfums is utmost important”. In 1921 she created a scent for a woman that smells like a woman and called it No.5 (as 5 happened to be her lucky number), with mystical notes of Ylang-Ylang and Neroli, with sweet Grasse Jasmine and May Rose. Sandalwood and Vanilla and unforgettable woody notes together created an artificial fabled composition that is way beyond a trend, as it is immortal.

Apart from these iconic inventions, she created the Tweed Jacket, which was her favorite fabric. She drew inspiration from the men in her life and their wardrobe and incorporated these ideas in her clothes, which was a fresh facet in fashion of those times.

She lived at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, often in solitude, like most great people.More than 1,000 people viewed Coco's last collection on 26 January 1971. She died on 10 January, the day after she had put the finishing touches to her spring/summer collection.
And with that her fashion might have faded, but she, like her style will always remain as an inspiration and a muse for so many…

A thought..

"Its not denial, its only that i am very selective about the reality i accept". people think its just a very strong assertive baised opinion..but i beg to differ once again.

The Tree

I don’t know if it was the sleep in my eyes or the December mist that made it difficult for me to see clearly. Well I can’t be blamed for either, it was 8 in the morning.
We parked our bike and got off for a cup of tea and a smoke (for those who did pull a drag or two).
A friend led us to ‘The Tree’ he told us that this is the ultimate Hippie spot in all of Goa.
‘Hippie’--- suddenly my eyes opened wide. I was always very fascinated by them.
And there, the first thing my eyes stopped at were his long blondish dread- locks, almost reaching his waist. He was in a dirty white banyan above Khaki multi-pocketed 3/4th. How is it, that my bones where shivering in this cold even though I was layered in clothes, and this man stood there in minimum clothes as if it’s the middle of march? The answer is the ‘Magical Mix’
As I moved a little closer to the tree, I was amazed to see a circle of Hippies waiting for a whiff of the magical mix.
‘The Magical Mix’, Tobacco and Marijuana, crumbled or roasted in a clay pot called the ‘Chillum’
The transcending music in the background, the smoke mixed with the mist, and the tree…..this seems to be another planet.
A word about this tree…. It’s crazy! Three trees entangled in one- Neem, Peepal, Bud
It is said by the Hindus that when all three trees meet, it creates positive energy. I think it was this positive vibe that energized me at an instance.

From a distance, I could see all of them rhythmically move to trance, and pulling huge drags from the chillum one by one in the circle, I couldn’t stop looking at them.
The bright colored psychedelic clothes the girls wore, the weird tattoos on their bodies, some of them were bald , most of them had dreads, which they tied up artistically, decorated with tiny ghungroos or woven with bright florescent green, acidic pink, eye catching orange and other glowing colored threads. The bald ones got rid of their dreads, my friend informed.
I was stirred out from my reverie, when the cup of tea finally arrived. Around the tree, there was a platform where you could sit and share the spliff or simply sip on the steaming tea. So I plonked up on the platform, still staring awkwardly at everything around, I made my self comfortable by sitting cross-legged.
Hari Om! All of them chanted as one of them kneeled down to shoot the chillum, one of them lit a matchstick and gave light, and thus started another round of charas.
I was still fighting against the cold, with my cup of tea passively; the enchantment somehow dissolved this feeling.
One of them turned around, his cold blue piercing eyes looked at me as if I am the offender, with a smile he pointed to the small temple on the other side of the platform,
‘No Shoes Please’ he said in a weird accent, maybe Russian, maybe German, or was it Israeli? Whatever it was, I quickly took of my chappals and apologized. An apology to him, an apology to the tree and an apology to myself for forgetting my own customs.
It’s funny when someone from another culture reminds you of your own.
I looked at the temple he pointed at, I saw a small Shivling. I smiled to myself.

Hari Om! This tree sheltered the porch and provided solace to the hundreds of Charasees, each leaf tells a tale, of which an echo I will never forget, of the culture I just saw…..an experience that shall remain!

Woh Purane Din.....

some of my Grandfathers Juniors and my dad's colleagues came home today. they had especially come to meet my grandfather. he is a retired chartered accountant, and a very good one. over a cup of tea and a few evening time Diwali special snacks, they spoke to my grandfather as i sat listening to them. they spoke about how my grandfather used to work, and how scared all of them used to be of him. they spoke about the times when they were training to be CA s, and how they used to doze off on the table where they used to tally the Balance sheets, how they ran to the 'Dhabaa s' the day they got their stipends....how they ran around to look for one piece of paper....woh purane din...
it was nice to see the smile on my grandfathers round shiny face. i felt proud. finally someone had taken him back to his times. they praised him and told him that he was their inspiration. no matter how modest one may be, two word of praise does make you feel loved and respected. its human nature.
their conversation left me thinking how my grandfather would have been in his prime, i would love to experience that side of my 'papa' as i call him fondly. when i look at his spectacles sliding down the bridge of his nose and his snow white hair, i wonder if those glasses would slide down in the same way in 1958?

Picture of Hollis Woods

Today, in the afternoon, when i had nothing much to accomplish, i put on the TV and surfed through the channels, suddenly my eye stopped at HBO, a movie was just starting, an animated kind with slow soft music.

This movie genuinely moved a heartbeat. it was about an orphan, who was shifted from family to family to find a perfect home.....this kept me wondering is there a perfect home?? a home where there are only laughs, no sorrows...only births no death?

she is made to believe from a very young age that she ruined everything around her, as the movie proceeds, the events because of certain situations do turn out to be that way,what she doubted did become her belief after all.
like most Hollywood stories, this one as well has a happy ending..she finally does get a family that she wants, but the journey up til there is very dramatically portrayed...a must watch.