Apparently turning 30 is a big
thing. I guess I will figure it out as and when I turn 30. But the year before has
been no less awesome either. The day I turned 29, was pretty big, at least for
me. I was not just in a new city, it was the first time I was out of the
country for my birthday and it felt like some long forgotten dream of a school
boy in Calcutta was coming true.
When I was growing up I was hooked
on to the idea of wanderlust – but like so many of us growing up in the
eighties and the nineties, I could only travel to the Pyramids in my mind and
that’s why I read. I read to feel what it would be like to stand on the shores
of a different ocean, what the world beyond my window looked like. This year
was the one when I actually became what I had dreamt of becoming, well not in
its entirety but to a great extent. And it feels nice. The best part is however
not visiting new countries but about meeting new people, understand how they
are living their lives, how the world is so different, yet so alike. To be
honest, if I ever visit Egypt, which I really want to, I would perhaps choose
meeting an Egyptian mother talking about her vision for her kids rather than
stand beneath the pyramids.
I guess priorities change as we
grow up.
To be frank, birthdays don’t mean
much to me. If I believe in the Advaita philosophy of life, it’s just one more
illusion. I really like what was said of Osho (Osho and Advaita are as
different perhaps as Megan Fox and me) when he passed away. It went something
like, “he was neither born, nor did he die; he just came to travel between
these dates.”
I do believe I am on a journey
here. I meet people on the way, have a great time and then we continue on our
own respective journeys. Some people we spend more time with than others but
ultimately it’s all about being alone.
This is why I probably don’t
remember anyone else’s birthday either. But I really respect people who make it
an effort to remember birthdays and ensure that their friends are not alone on
this day.
While I was in college, my
birthday marked the beginning of the exams. And it took away peace and tranquillity
from my life as everyone came together to spend their pent up frustration on my
posterior in true BITSian tradition. When I started working, it was typically
working till late on the night before, trying to finish stuff before the
holiday season. This year the good part was that a very close friend took the time
out to make sure the date it not forgotten and somewhere you do begin to feel
good about the fact that you were born even though you know it’s all an
illusion at the end of the day.
I was woken up around 5:30 in the
morning being addressed as the female species of the canine family. When Mallus
go to Nigeria, they typically acquire a new sense of humour. Anyway, apparently
I had committed a grave crime by not putting up my birthday on Facebook. So
while on the phone, before the sun was up on World Aids Day, I was updating my
FB profile. Now you actually can’t think clearly that early in the morning.
This year has been kind to me. I
have seen the best and the worst a professional life can show you. I have made friends
beyond my usual circle. I have started my journey to understand numerous
cultures beyond my own, I have sung karaoke, I have done kick boxing! I have
finally figured out the order of my cols preferences with Pepsi Max winning the
top honours.
On the flip side – my grandmother
still can’t figure out what I do for a living.
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