"Life, where did you go?"

Someone once told me that they cannot live this life. They told me it was painful and that they cant stand it. Something was missing. They needed life, raw and uncut, with fear and love, passion and loss.

It impacted me. I thought to myself "Is this life not whatever we make of it?"

The words they spoke seemed so tied to a single path, not realizing that every step forward could be a different one. That every step could be in any direction including going backwards. I looked at them and felt so troubled that my passion for doing things, the love for the people I cared about was not clear. I wanted nothing more than to give them a moment of awakening to show them that all roads are not equal, yet all roads are as unique as you make them.

I am not a god nor a god-sent angel, yet I can choose to do anything. So can they. Every path is mine to choose. So is theirs. Yet every moment of moving down a path is defined by one thing. Who will I share it with? Who amongst the millions of people will this path be shared? Will they realize that the path I have taken leads me to them not by coincidence but by choice? Will they understand that the moment I spent with them was special and unique? Will they believe in knowing that they can do anything, be anyone, and become something greater than I can imagine?

Do they know they can change into anything and that they can choose any path? I don’t know. But I believe. I believe that the faces of every unique person in my life are wonderful ones. As unique as I am.

Do not give up, do not lose hope. Do not give in, and do not let go.  Hold on to everything you believe in as if it is the only thing worth believing in. This is the essence of our little life.

A tick of silence!

Some people express themselves in action far more than they do in words. I used to be a lot more expressive in action and inaction. I did a lot of art and creative things, yet often my silence had more to say than I ever realized about myself. As a hit the end of my teenage years I realized a lot about myself and the things I kept within me. But occasionally others could read my silence like I was shouting at the top of my lungs

Dear Coffee, I love you!

I have a lot of coffee stories. Yes, its a love story!

My love for coffee started when I was a young teen, sitting with mum and dad, and watching them enjoying a cup of coffee.  My brother was never a coffee drinker. My parents always added milk and sugar to their coffee, so naturally I added milk and sugar to mine thinking that was the only way you could drink coffee.  We shared coffee many Saturdays and some Sunday mornings. My mum insisted I did coffee only weekends. Wonder why? Well, now that I think of it, she probably worried that coffee was bad for health. Later, during my undergrad school, going out with friends for a cup of coffee was a daily routine. This continued for many years.

Now, at 24, I simply am addicted to coffee because I work in a scientific research lab and still being a grad student, I pound over pages of research articles and drink pots and pots of coffee :P May be it helps my creative thinking. Or may be not. Who cares!? The once upon a time weekend drink is more a passionate life saver today. It simply is an obsession, a survival criteria.

That rich bitter taste of chicory embraces every bit of me. Its like childish romance. Be it winter or summer, its something that I simply WANT.

Sometimes, I forget chocolates. Its a rarity. But when I do, the pleasure of my life  - that brown colored liquid is the culprit. Please forgive my coffee!

Art of Flirting - VDay Special

Ah...that long lasting look. A modest smile. Standing just a bit too close. An accidental brush.

Flirtation is an art.  It marks a preliminary stage—in a first meeting or an existing relationship—when interested people look toward a tantalizingly unknown future. We flirt to establish a connection, and to gauge the interest of others in reciprocating that connection. While not all flirting is intentional or done with the aim of establishing a romantic or sexual encounter, it does help us determine the potential for romantic relationships.

However, its not easy! Duh!! Communicating and determining romantic interest in social encounters are often cloaked by uncertainty. Both the message and the interpretation are intentionally vague - it serves to protect the interests of the person and adds an element of suspense that makes the act seem more like a game (now you see why I call it a game!). Flirting captures the interest of the other person and says 'Would you like to play?'" And one of the most heady things about the game is that the normal rules of social interaction are rubberized. Clarity is not at all the point. Well, the key for it is to be a mystery!

Despite this uncertainty, are there ways to perfection?  Does a lingering glance mean the same in all encounters? So much of flirting is dependent on non-verbal cues: a glance, a touch, a seemingly casual movement—can these actions really be interpreted differently across cultures and contexts?

Flirtation is a game we play, a dance for which everyone knows the moves. But, its dangerous out there! If you think you can do it responsibly, why not? Go ahead and flirt!!

--- Valentine's Day Special

P.S: Thanks to those 10-12 articles on flirting that I read. Damn :|
       Oh and I dont flirt :P