We ushered in 2011 on the banks of the river Kabini in the Karnataka. Returning from a cousin's wedding in Kerala, we decided to take a short detour to spend New Year's eve at the cosy lodge in the tourist country. Ringing in the New Year with us was an interesting family, originally from Goa, and now spread all over the world. It was a quiet and peaceful beginning to what would be a year to remember!
We stayed over in Bangalore for a couple of days before driving back to Chennai in time for the school reopening. January is at the fag end of the Chennai Season and I was able to catch many of the classical dance shows at the prestigious Music Academy in the city. I spent several days in the Academy auditorium with no client calls to answer or deadlines to meet. Separately, I also caught some matches at the Chennai Open where I witnessed the team work of Lee and Hesh, the power of Somdev and the energy as they all came together. I was savouring my new found freedom from my job of 13 years - mostly glad, partly sad and somewhat nostalgic.
February saw me get a little interested in exploring "what next" in terms of a job. By now I was really in the thick of the "state of unemployedness" which went in tandem with a life that was slow paced. Mistake me not - this state may sometimes be referred to as "drifting" and that can leave you feeling very unsettled! I was also trying to come to terms with not being in a high pressured job and the losses of various kinds that come with it. It made me think about what I wanted from my life and what the many things that we normally take for granted - family, health, security, peace - mean to me. Such soul searching is often called "mid life crisis" for someone my age.
Pilates came to my rescue as I grappled with issues of my weight. Many months later I am amazed at my own ability to twist and turn myself to the instructions of my Yoga teacher. A dear friend recommended a dietician who turned out to be a star as she put me on a regimen that took little away from my plate but added perspective to how I should eat. Having shed 8 kilograms and several inches since then, I think I have found eternal buddies in Pilates and Yoga.
With March came the first signs of my wanting to get back to work and I believed I had found the answers to many of life's questions and dilemmas. With renewed self assurance, I plunged into entrepreneurship hoping that I would be able to call upon my skills and experience as a professional manager to run a company that I could call my own. It was with great pride that I signed the cheque for the capital investment and handed it to my partners as I embarked on the next chapter of my professional and possibly, personal life.
Soon after committing myself as a Partner, it was time for a holiday. After all, it was my company and I could treat myself to holidays as I wished. Believe me, there is nothing further from the truth that believing that you are your own master in the company that you own. And, I say that from experience. Building your own company takes more than double the effort and energies than working for someone else - it is further heightened by your emotional connect with all things associated with the firm that you are a founder of. Some more lessons for me and ones that I will always cherish.
So, off we went to Bali to experience a holiday of a lifetime. With its natural beauty and heart-warming ambience, the place worked like a balm for my soul. Besides visiting the oh-so-touristy places spread around the island, we ate, spa-ed, cycled, walked, rested and generally enjoyed ourselves. As a person from Kerala, I experienced a strange and inexplicable connect with this island and its people. I would never forego an opportunity to go back to the place.
June, July and August were relatively uneventful and the slow paced life was soon becoming a habit. If I said that I was preoccupied with work, I would be lying. I walked to my place of work, came home for lunch, hardly travelled out of town and found time for the many pleasures of life that I discovered or rediscovered. I was back to reading, prompted by friends from college and with two additional eyes that made reading easier.
We took a sailing boat in September for a trip along the Chennai coastline. The panoramic view of the city from the sea remains etched in my memory. A tree walk later, I was a wee bit more educated about trees in the city. September also was when I managed to watch the entire Kathakali festival organised at Kalakshetra which was a treat.
We were all very excited when a friend of ours declared his intention to stand for the local Councillor's election. Feeling proud and admiring his courage for getting into the election fray, we decided to help him with the campaign. What an eye opener the experience turned out to be.......It got us up, close and personal with democracy and people's power. It is an experience that I will always cherish. That was October for me.
November was a sweet-sad month for me. My mum broke her right wrist bone and my parents moved to our place as she nursed her injury. Although we live in the same city, my parents and us have retained our independent establishments and freedoms. So, this was a welcome change for all of us. We got a peek into the nitty gritties of each other lives and turned a lot more tolerant and understanding of each others' needs. It was a sad day when the Plaster of Paris cast was taken off my mother's hand and my parents decided to return to their home.
December has been unusually cold this year. I am trying my hand at composting household waste. My brothers are in town. The Season is in full swing - music and dance recitals are being staged all over the place. Dhruv's board exams are fast approaching. Another new year is closing in. I am still searching for answers to the questions that I had at the beginning of the year.
As I look back, I am thankful for the wonderful year gone by. There has been so much happiness. Dhruv is close to 6 feet tall and fitter than ever. Marriages have happened to my friends. Many people that I like have had children. I have earned and learned so much. But sadness also coexists.... Sadness that cannot be shared. Sadness that has to be borne alone. When a few whom I loved, have died.....when dreams die.......when there is no hope......when trust wanes........when silence grows....... when actions do not match expectations......
But it's the time to look ahead. To a new year.....To a new beginning.....To new dreams.......To new hopes......here's to a wonderful 2012!
We stayed over in Bangalore for a couple of days before driving back to Chennai in time for the school reopening. January is at the fag end of the Chennai Season and I was able to catch many of the classical dance shows at the prestigious Music Academy in the city. I spent several days in the Academy auditorium with no client calls to answer or deadlines to meet. Separately, I also caught some matches at the Chennai Open where I witnessed the team work of Lee and Hesh, the power of Somdev and the energy as they all came together. I was savouring my new found freedom from my job of 13 years - mostly glad, partly sad and somewhat nostalgic.
February saw me get a little interested in exploring "what next" in terms of a job. By now I was really in the thick of the "state of unemployedness" which went in tandem with a life that was slow paced. Mistake me not - this state may sometimes be referred to as "drifting" and that can leave you feeling very unsettled! I was also trying to come to terms with not being in a high pressured job and the losses of various kinds that come with it. It made me think about what I wanted from my life and what the many things that we normally take for granted - family, health, security, peace - mean to me. Such soul searching is often called "mid life crisis" for someone my age.
Pilates came to my rescue as I grappled with issues of my weight. Many months later I am amazed at my own ability to twist and turn myself to the instructions of my Yoga teacher. A dear friend recommended a dietician who turned out to be a star as she put me on a regimen that took little away from my plate but added perspective to how I should eat. Having shed 8 kilograms and several inches since then, I think I have found eternal buddies in Pilates and Yoga.
With March came the first signs of my wanting to get back to work and I believed I had found the answers to many of life's questions and dilemmas. With renewed self assurance, I plunged into entrepreneurship hoping that I would be able to call upon my skills and experience as a professional manager to run a company that I could call my own. It was with great pride that I signed the cheque for the capital investment and handed it to my partners as I embarked on the next chapter of my professional and possibly, personal life.
Soon after committing myself as a Partner, it was time for a holiday. After all, it was my company and I could treat myself to holidays as I wished. Believe me, there is nothing further from the truth that believing that you are your own master in the company that you own. And, I say that from experience. Building your own company takes more than double the effort and energies than working for someone else - it is further heightened by your emotional connect with all things associated with the firm that you are a founder of. Some more lessons for me and ones that I will always cherish.
So, off we went to Bali to experience a holiday of a lifetime. With its natural beauty and heart-warming ambience, the place worked like a balm for my soul. Besides visiting the oh-so-touristy places spread around the island, we ate, spa-ed, cycled, walked, rested and generally enjoyed ourselves. As a person from Kerala, I experienced a strange and inexplicable connect with this island and its people. I would never forego an opportunity to go back to the place.
June, July and August were relatively uneventful and the slow paced life was soon becoming a habit. If I said that I was preoccupied with work, I would be lying. I walked to my place of work, came home for lunch, hardly travelled out of town and found time for the many pleasures of life that I discovered or rediscovered. I was back to reading, prompted by friends from college and with two additional eyes that made reading easier.
We took a sailing boat in September for a trip along the Chennai coastline. The panoramic view of the city from the sea remains etched in my memory. A tree walk later, I was a wee bit more educated about trees in the city. September also was when I managed to watch the entire Kathakali festival organised at Kalakshetra which was a treat.
We were all very excited when a friend of ours declared his intention to stand for the local Councillor's election. Feeling proud and admiring his courage for getting into the election fray, we decided to help him with the campaign. What an eye opener the experience turned out to be.......It got us up, close and personal with democracy and people's power. It is an experience that I will always cherish. That was October for me.
November was a sweet-sad month for me. My mum broke her right wrist bone and my parents moved to our place as she nursed her injury. Although we live in the same city, my parents and us have retained our independent establishments and freedoms. So, this was a welcome change for all of us. We got a peek into the nitty gritties of each other lives and turned a lot more tolerant and understanding of each others' needs. It was a sad day when the Plaster of Paris cast was taken off my mother's hand and my parents decided to return to their home.
December has been unusually cold this year. I am trying my hand at composting household waste. My brothers are in town. The Season is in full swing - music and dance recitals are being staged all over the place. Dhruv's board exams are fast approaching. Another new year is closing in. I am still searching for answers to the questions that I had at the beginning of the year.
As I look back, I am thankful for the wonderful year gone by. There has been so much happiness. Dhruv is close to 6 feet tall and fitter than ever. Marriages have happened to my friends. Many people that I like have had children. I have earned and learned so much. But sadness also coexists.... Sadness that cannot be shared. Sadness that has to be borne alone. When a few whom I loved, have died.....when dreams die.......when there is no hope......when trust wanes........when silence grows....... when actions do not match expectations......
But it's the time to look ahead. To a new year.....To a new beginning.....To new dreams.......To new hopes......here's to a wonderful 2012!
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