11th of the Month - To the friends of bygone days...

Hello People of the abyss!

I love Deadpool

It's not an astonishing fact that we make friends, we keep them for some years, and then we inevitably drift apart. Some might have been our best buddies, some "fair weather friends", or just acquaintances you got connected to. Life took them away, maybe even death. Sometimes distance separates us, or we just stopped putting in the effort for the friendship to be sustained. Many times it happens because of some mistakes we make. But eventually, many people leave our side in life, and that's okay. Because there are many more people you can find to fill the gap. They might not be the same as the ones you had, but they'll be different, and that's fun.

I've had my fair share of friends in life till now, many came, many went back. But somehow I've retained myself through the whole process.

For me, the best kind of experience with people is when both parties are accepting of the new person. I've been around people who blatantly ignored my presence and made me feel like an outsider; and fortunately I've been around angelic folks who acted as if they were my best friends from the first time they met me.

Here's looking at you, current besties (Source)

I admit, I'll be a bit quiet in the first 30 minutes or so of meeting you, but after that, I'm a riot! (based on actual reviews).
And I have had enough people walk out of my life that it doesn't worry me much when it looks like certain people are on their way out. I say "Room for more!"

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All I have to say to the friends of olden days, is -  Thank you, for your presence, it taught me more about friendship; and more thanks for your absence, it taught me more about life.

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Stay Awesome \m/

On Coexistence

Hello Peeps of the Internet!

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After careful contemplation I have come across this fact that as humans we are going against our  natural structure as a race and doing something we most certainly should be doing the opposite of. In other words - we are working towards staying apart, when we should be living together as a unit. Now don't get me wrong, I am not suggesting that you know the world should be ALWAYS at peace blah blah blah, I'm not that naive.

That's not happening anytime soon...(Source)

But where we should be making things easier, we complicate them further. An accidental scratch on someone's car becomes the cause for a full on MMA fight. I'm watching things escalate too quickly and it's laughable for the most part. Like, Seriously?

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And I think this happens more during the frustrating times, like on a hot summer day, or a rainy day with no sunlight. You can clearly see these people with their misplaced anger shouting at the unfortunate person on the receiving side of the battle.

As humans, we've lost the primal instinct of "giving a damn" or in other words, caring about someone other than yourself. Regardless of caste, creed, job title, status, hierarchy, etc., as human beings, we should be more considerate to the feelings of others. The world is so beyond us now that we can't figure out which beggar is "real" and which one is just a front for a major drug scheme.

(Source) Hmmm.....

So in this topsy turvy environment, one thing we can do is become caring without expectation. Not like "Nooo he didn't do that for me", or "there's no way she'll be able to top that! So why should I go the extra mile?" Do it! Not for yourself, or the other person, but for someone else who will be watching. People do learn by watching you know. Especially the young ones. Let there be more good in this world, there are enough of those who want to blow it up. Let's live together, cohabit, coexist.

Don't make me shake good sense into you!

Some (many) may think this post is too out there. Guess what? This is my rant and I don't care if you don't find it appealing. I'm just tired of people with their "me time". Get some "we time" in there too for Dumbledore's sake. You didn't fall out of the sky to be "unique". You're ONE OF US.

Even cats and dogs can do things together!

Stay Awesome \m/

Social etiquette of the 21st Century

As a society, we are bound to evolve. With the introduction of new technology, and it's constant evolution, the way we interact with each other has also changed overtime. Communication has many routes now, most of them being digital. And we have adapted to this change quite well.

The majority of 90's kids have experienced the advent of the telephone (in India), TVs getting thinner and school bags getting heavier. We saw the old phones, which had a wheel on them, then moved on to a key-pad system and then the 'cordless' phones. We can see that the cordless was the harbinger of the mobile phones we extensively use today.
So most of us (90's kids) remember that we had systems of missed calls, even before caller id's were in use, to signal a certain person's call. We've seen the God of all phones, Nokia's initial range of mobiles, and the games in it; most of us have played on it for hours, because the battery never ran out.

We have the front seat to this show and it hasn't ended yet.

As technology found it's way into our everyday lives, the way we handled things changed a great deal. So much so, that now you can even WhatsApp (btw, this word is a verb now) your kabaadi to buy newspapers from you.
 
So here's a quick observation on how I've seen the scenario change; some of these moves may result in social suicide in the Digital Age:-

*Disclaimer- Some things have been exaggerated for dramatic effect, please respond accordingly.*

1) Replying with "K" is generally an invite to getting blocked or never getting a message again.

Source Yeah K.

2) If you're talking to a person in real life, still you keep texting another person, be assured the former will get pissed off at you. This is really rude. Don't text someone else while talking to another in person. Please.

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This has an explanation though (sometimes). I've done this to avoid talking to people. Sorry.

Sorry. (Source)

3)Incessantly texting someone, even after you can see they are busy otherwise. No.

4)Tagging in really stupid group photos when you're not even there. Huh.

5)*Purely personal* Using any type of wrong usage of a language, not restricted to English. Please read a grammar book.

*Burns with anger*

6) Texting in only emoticons/emojis. This confuses me a lot because I don't know what you're saying since most of the emojis have no damn relation to what you're saying. Please type something, you won't die from that.

You're not this cat. I hope. (Source)

7)*Another Purely personal* People who post ambiguous statuses, photos, etc. (FB, Insta, etc.). To quote the great Justin Bieber, WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

8) Game invites. I'm guilty of these (in the days of yore), and I literally thanked the lord the day I read a post about how not to get them. Saved brain cells.

9) When people don't add any details to a photo you post on Insta/ FB. What am I supposed to understand?

Umm what? (Source)

10)When you type "Hi" or "Hey" and then don't reply for a 100 years. That's all you had to say huh?


In that case,

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That's all for now!

Stay Awesome \m/

11th of the Month special - Pranav Kumar, "Not JUST a designer".

Hello peeps of the internet!

   People who know me know that I have the utmost respect for those who work in the creative fields, like writing, painting, etc. So when it comes to someone who is harnessing technology to put forth a much more visually appealing presentation, a modern twist to normal designing, I was eager to find out more. By sheer happenstance I made a friend on Facebook a year ago, who is a brilliant graphic designer.
You might have seen a lot of memes floating around the internet on several occasions, have you ever thought who made them? Who gave a thought the platform to manifest?

Meet Pranav Kumar, a 21 year old Delhi-ite, currently studying B.Tech Computer Science at SRM University Chennai, who in a year's time has amassed over 12 thousand likes on his page on Facebook, titled - "Minimalistic Soul".

"Less in more"

His passion for designing had a rather comic beginning. Pranav says that "I started designing because my camera was broken and I was bored. I didn't know about Photoshop or designing before I joined college". His journey started when a senior of his Srijan Sharma, who is also the CEO of 365 Degrees, took time to explain to him about the various tools of Photoshop. Rest of his knowledge he attributes to YouTube videos and constant practice. A website he finds inspiring is The Minimalist.

 After dabbling for around 7-8 months, he created Minimalistic Soul in 2015, his page on Facebook, to reach out to a wider audience for his work. In his words, graphic designing is "a way to express one's thoughts, emotions or even to convey the message." When asked about his first success as a designer, he considers a feature piece in Indiatimes online published in April 2015 to be a milestone. You can check it out here. Over the course of more than a year, he has managed to create a fan base of more than 10,000 people, and attributes his progress to the constant criticism he receives from the people on his page.In August 2015, he decided to take his initiative further and now through his website he offers a variety of designing services. 

   Along with creating cool designs himself, Pranav is also active in teaching others to do the same. He has taught in Graphic designing workshops under 365 Degrees' initiative, Mirus. It focuses on organizing creative sessions in colleges to help students understand different creative domains. Pranav says the experience was particularly nostalgic for him, as it brought back memories of the times he was first introduced to the world of graphic designing. This helped him to understand the students better and teach accordingly. 
Apart from being a funny guy and designing cool stuff, Pranav is also an avid photographer and keyboardist.

As a message for aspiring graphic designers, Pranav says -
"If you're reading this and you're really trying to enter the world of graphic designing, Beware.
Those who are about to start I salute you :') 
P.S. Have a lot of patience. Rome wasn't built in a day."

Here's wishing Pranav all the best for the future!

Stay awesome \m/

P.S - (This post is a super special one as this is my first attempt at an interview. Feedback is most welcome!)

Check out Pranav's blog here to know more.
Follow him on Twitter! - @gareeb_designer
Connect on Facebook - Pranav Kumar

Get a life!

Disclaimer-This will be a weird (sentimental) post for some.

So my dad’s sitting, looking through some of his old documents; job appointment letters, blood donation certificates, even his first salary slip! (Btw it was 750 rupees. Just wow.) That’s when he found a file with my brother’s old report cards in it. (Note: My brother has always been good with grades, and I have been average. Shocker) A few days ago, I surfed through my old school pictures and report cards. And it dawned on me that I remember very little of what all was in those photos. Though I am sure my parents would remember most of it.

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Someday, I’ll be in the same position as them. Looking through old things; finding my old documents. Pictures from my school and college farewells will bring back memories of that stick thin girl. Certificates of dance performances; and the feeling of euphoria that came with winning competitions. My first internship certificate, even my CV! And I’ll look misty eyed and stare in the distance thinking, “Life has been so great!”

Truth be told, I had a lukewarm childhood, and my teenage years, not so thrilling; so the real fun I’m having is now and in all probability for all my coming life. I’m basing all my plans on having as much fun as possible. It’s been going on pretty well with this protocol. In the last year, I did more stuff than I’d done during my three years of graduation. I went to Jaipur Literature Festival; spent a gala time during my internship in Mumbai (learned a LOT); and then to end the year, another awesome experience with the Mood Indigo fest (Best Time Ever)! That’s my one year’s worth of memories when I decided I was going to live.

I saw Vir Das live!

There are enough shitty people around you to bum you out, so you just have to ignore all that and focus on the real stuff, the experiences, the memories; because when you’re eighty years old and clinging to a box of medicines to keep you alive, this treasure trove of memories is what’s going to give you the satisfaction of a life well lived before the time had passed. You can earn all the money you want and spend it on luxurious dinners in your 30s, but you won’t ever have the pure fun of having plain 20 rupees idli sambar at 6 in the morning after having stayed up all night chatting about random stuff with people you’ve just met 3 days ago.

Life is unpredictable, and not always fun; but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. Go out and do something! Live! You’re not going to be here that long, might as well enjoy it while it lasts.

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And Stay Awesome \m/

Wandering

I drift away like a leaf in the river. And I like it. I am a wisp of cotton, riding on the wings of the wind and going God knows where... But this wandering is what keeps me alive. I was never built for routine. Randomness is what keeps me going.

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Many people like me are not as lucky as I am, and there are many who are much more fortunate than I am. The choices you can make in your life without having to face any questions or restrictions are truly yours. But there is a cost which comes with them. If you succeed, well and good. But if you fail, you have no one to blame but yourself and the people around you will make sure you blame yourself to the point of self destruction.

So what's the point?

I have always valued failure more than success because to succeed is final. But when you fail, you know that there is something more to be done. And then life goes on. A purpose to exist is always at hand when you have a few failures in life.

Even drifting aimlessly has its perks. You are able to weave an unimaginable pattern, because you don't know how it ends. So you won't know until you are over and then the pattern will be complete. And because you won't be finished, the pattern will always go on, as does life.

The journey is what makes life all the more awesome. Reaching the destination just to set out again. A respite from the voyage. But ultimately we all need to pack and leave for the next place. We the Wanderers.

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Stay Awesome \m/

11

It seems like a pretty cool number; looks like two skinny people standing, a couple. 

In sports, there are eleven team members in soccer (football, if you’re British), cricket, and hockey.

In Hollywood, three films -- Ben-Hur (1959), Titanic (1997), and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) -- have each won 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture of their respective years.

On the Flag of Canada, the maple leaf has eleven points.

It is so important that it has its own Wikipedia page!

Of course all of this information is irrelevant to why I am talking about it now. Or is it? Hmmm...

This New Year has been great, but not on this blog. Also, I have had a poor blog performance which I will try to better this year. The question was, how do I do that?

After randomly ranting yesterday, I figured, “Well, 11 seems a pretty good day to do stuff, why not write something on the 11^th of every month!”

So here’s the deal, every 11^th of every month, there will be a mandatory new post on this blog. Whoever reads it will get... I don’t know what. But I’ll try to make the posts interesting and read-worthy.

This obviously doesn’t mean that there won’t be posts on other days, but they will count as bonus!

One more 11 fact – I am 22, which is 11 x 2!  Teehee  

Kthnxbye

Stay awesome \m/

An Essay on Selflessness and the Poison called ‘Anger’

What is happiness?

Some find it in the way they look in a certain dress, some find it in the sky and the beauty of nature, but some people find joy in the happiness of others. Being selflessly there for someone just because your presence matters to them even a little bit brings happiness to these wonderful people. I am happy to say that I am one of these people. I may be selfish in some aspects and kind of on this front as well. I get happy when the people I care about are happy, that’s a bit selfish, I guess.

And this is why I am baffled when people act all high and mighty in comparison to others. I recently observed the people around me have this type of an attitude; where they would choose to skip a gathering just because they were either snubbed or are still angry about something which may or may not have actually happened with the invitees. Long story short, these people don’t show up for important functions and the hosts are left feeling morose.

I have a question for these people. What do you think you’ll achieve by doing such a thing? Who do you think looks bad after such an event takes place? The one who is taking ‘revenge’ or the one who is waiting for your arrival like a child waits for its parents in the evening. I hope most of you would think the first one would be the most stupidly selfish person.

Is anger really that important? Have you not learned that all of life is an act of letting go? Here, I must clarify – I am against forgetting exceptionally devilish acts which cause irreparable damage. But one must consider the consequences of holding on to one’s anger for a ridiculously long amount of time. I for one cannot stay angry at a person for long. It is a useless toxic emotion which should be kicked out from the soul as soon as possible.  Happiness is what I strive for; it will always be my ultimate goal. With you, or without you.

So here’s the bottom line – You will never benefit from snubbing someone else in return, because you will keep the stupid hate cycle going, which is good for nobody. So get up and go make up with that friend, relative, companion, colleague, or anybody else who is mad at you, or vice versa.   

  

And please, always try and be there for someone who cares for you and will have even a little bit of joy in their lives if you’re there.  You’ll feel awesome doing that, trust me.

Stay awesome \m/