learnings

 Within  months of reading several articles raving about quiet quitting, I read a recent one with amusement. A journalist  had interviewed a recruiter going by the pseudonym Justin. Justin cut back his working hours and and could be practically called the 'father' of quiet quitting concept.  6 months later the journalist caught up with him and found out that Justin has now taken a different stance. He is putting in 50 hours a week. The reasons were several- job market coo ling off, recession etc.  I was reminded of a conversation I had with my son. I use articles (confirmation bias) and research surveys to my advantage when suited. My son pointed out the flimsiness of my arguments. Theories and research surveys will come and go. We ought to know what would suit us, our personality, our value system and our needs. This applies to our personal and professional front.  The concept of quiet quitting has always been there. It has the fancy label now. As a Profes...

  At 11.00 pm three of us women were dropped off at the main road. We walked through very narrow dark alleys to reach the ghat.  A friend of mine suggested we visit at midnight. Not nearly midnight but we made it. Very bravely we went through the maze of alleys; fortunately for us we met one odd or soul or the other who guided us. When we reached the cremation area we found only men there- some were selling logs of wood for the cremation; some were tonsuring their heads ( a ritual followed during death ceremony) and some were seated staring into the sky or at us. One chap was selling tea. One chap offered to give us the 'guide' know how of the place. Politely declining and ignoring the looks we climbed up the stairs- yes there is this three storied building with huge furnaces where the cremation is done. The electric crematorium is also housed here. We climbed up to get a closer look. We could not take the fuming heat. We stood; observed a few seconds of silence, staring into ...

  I visited Mukthi Bhavan out of sheer curiosity. I am glad I did. It helped me remove a lot of misconceptions too. This place is otherwise known as the Death Hotel.  It does sound morbid. But a visit to this place removes all such thoughts and feelings. I was greeted very politely at their office. I was directed inside to meet with one of the caretakers who was dressed in white kurta and dhoti.  It is an old haveli with ten rooms. It is managed smoothly by the Dalmia trust.  It welcomes people on their death beds- especially those who are terminally ill. The dying person must check in with a family member. The are checked in for two weeks. The room is given free along with cooking utensils and an LPG gas cylinder. Usually families stay in one room; very rarely if they are big in number they take up two rooms. The family is expected to take care of their daily chores. All help is rendered to achieve the last wishes of the dying person. I heard of one person wanting t...

  My journey to fitness began at this unobtrusive gym. I began with trepidation. I had too many fears within- would my body withstand? would my knees go for a toss? what if I overwork and collapse? and above all I hate the ache of sore muscles. So I specified that I wasn't here for weight loss.  Revive Fit began as a popular physiotherapy centre owned by a very humble and soft spoken Keshav Tantri. A fitness module was gradually included due to popular demand.  My initial 3 months was a gradual entry into endurance and stamina building.  During the  next 3 months, my trainer, a young enthusiastic and passionate learner (Jai) took it upon himself to get a few of us hooked to tech-fitness.  A group of young women using Apple watches had formed a group to challenge and compete. Now I am a beneficiary of the regime too. Jai, sensing their motivation and grit, began to familiarise with the varied fitness workout features in Apple watch. He has begun to create fa...

  I began watching period drama initially on Netflix- European, British and Oriental. I got hooked on with Korean stories- both period and modern.  Ah theses rom com series are just perfect. They are  mushy mushy and mushy, with soulful songs, beautiful landscapes, cuteness overloaded, costumes and make up that one could gaze upon, lot of appetising food scenes, families and friends thrown in, have scenes that tug at your heart... that lingering feel good dreamy after effect..... I do not miss my Mills& Boon any longer (😂). 

 I am continuing with the dreams/stories gathered by the recent interaction I had with a group of young working adults.  Their stories stirred my soul. One person began his career as a car driver. Today he stands proudly among the engineering graduates wearing formals and working in the IT sector. He said his dream is to travel with his family to different parts of India. His most adventurous trip was when he had to take a customer to two neighbouring states within 36 hours. He spoke with such excitement that he visited Hyderabad and Bangalore in such a short interval. Yet another person mentioned he wanted to build a house for his parents. One youngster is determined to go on a long bike ride from Chennai to Kanyakumari.  Beautiful dreams and beautiful people. Once again it was so humbling to listen to each one of them.  I am grateful they shared their stories with me. 

 A recent interaction with a group of young adults left me so humbled. Time and again we need reinforcements to weave through life. Reinforcements to satiate the physique, the mind and the soul! They shared some of their dreams and unforgettable moments.  One mentioned that his unforgettable moment was his travel in a VOLVO 'luxury' bus from his native to the city of Chennai. His eyes lit up as he explained to me the 'smooth' ride, the comfort of the luxury bus, the excellent braking system and the experience of sleeping on such a bus. The pace of his speech increased and he was so excited. His dream is to travel by various forms of transport- the train, ship and the aeroplane.  It was a humbling moment for me. A gratitude reminder for the privileges I have experienced and experiencing.