Reading Traveller

Travelling alone always makes me savour my time with better, the taste is always sweet, mishti.
Today, I decided to take my own trip to Salt Lake to attend my dancing class. It is located at the centre of the city, totally different from where I stay and work.

On the way to Salt Lake, in the bus, I met a lady. It is true that Indians are collective. In the bus, even there are plenty of seats, people tend to sit beside you, do not be surprised of that. It happened. The wise lady, Mdm Chotika, after few random conversations, we talked about reading habit after I asked for places selling good books. She agreed that reading habit has been faded as time passes. Reading used to be the activity for leisure, sadly to say that today the tv and computer have been substituting the role of books.

She mentioned about parents used to give their children books as birthday gifts in those years. I agreed. I thought of dad at that moment. I appreciate it. Without reading, I won't have come so far. Without reading, I won't have the courage to pursue my pathway. Without reading, I am simply nothing.

Yet, I am still so small, so ignorant in the ocean of knowledge. The wise lady spoke wisdoms. She even read the translation of Lu Xun's literature! Amazing. Her passion of reading makes me ashamed. I told her honestly, I do still have many more to learn. She answered, everybody does! Life is just a learning process.

Reading the past makes you understand the future. The present is shaped by past, while shaping the future. That's what she told me. Inspired.

In this very short half day trip, I met few people. Had some chatting session with them. A traveller shall never get alone.

On my mystical pathway...cheers!

Public Speaking

First time out for our OWN assignment - giving talk on HIV issue!

It was at a software company. Though our participants were only comprised of 5 persons, it was a good start for us as it was our FIRST time.

It was encouraging as the participants were willing to share and interect with us. There was some language problem as they used to converse in Bengali. Fortunately our dear colleague, Miss Aru was knowlegable and always be there to do the translation. Besides, she was an expertise in the awareness campaign. She knew the techniques to keep the audience intrigued.

In school, I am always looking forward to presentation as it is the 2-way communication between students and lecturer. We are given a platform to present ourselves. Yet, the thought of speaking in front of the audience raises my fear. It is common that most people have this kind of fear, I realized. Talking to a group of people draws us from the security that we tend to live in and forces us to confront an entirely foreign experience.

Anyway, after all, if the audiences are benefited from what you have presented, the joy is there! Sharing knowledge is a great joy in life! Presentation, as I mentioned, is a 2-way communication, the knowledge is not really imparted through the presenter. It is like a spark of knowledge, where by the audiences, most of the time may give unexpected surprise to the presenter himself/herself!

Public speaking, undeniably, boosts our confidence. It forces us to do more and more preparation and practice.

I deeply appreciate I am given this kind of platform to train myself. Everyday is just so different for me here! Each moment of live is a miracle! I was so tired of the routine daily lives, this trip is my gateway, my exile in searching deeper of myself. Living in the confines of comfort zone, as if you die at twenty but being buried at eighty!

Take the road less travelled...

Purpose of Life

The purpose of life is to have a life of purpose (according to the Law of Dharma).

Today, another visit to the slum - Motijheel. This is a bigger and better equipment resident area if compared to the other slum we went yesterday, Trijana.

If choosing one word to describe the area, I would say: crowdy. Imagine, 1 family normally has 6-8 children, living in a space not much bigger than our bathroom. Squeeze inside a bed, some even sleep on the floor under the bed. Kids go to school because the school provides free lunch. So some parents just make sure their kids go to school during lunch time. Scolding and fighting, as some scenes I have witnessed. Healthy men linger around the place. To make ends meet, some work for factory (even children), some sell fruits in the road side, some open small stores...

A question turns up: What is their purpose of life? Do they even think of it before? Answer given: They do not mind. They grow from young until reaching the puberty, they marry. Their mission: producing more offsprings. Then, trying not to starve themselves, until the day of life ends. Simple but sad.

But as the communication tools improving, many of them are exposing to the world outside. Some are educated and knowing the importance of knowledge. Furthermore, many organizations and government sectors have trying various methods to reach this grassroot society.
I deeply wish, one day, poverty would vanish. The world is enough to feed all the people's need, not people's greed. Leading a moderate life but ceaselessly richer the mind. This is my purpose - learning more about the others by witnessing and thinking...
Children are dovelike, innocent...

Dance

I decided to follow my heart, since I always want to learn something about dancing. Thus, this trip must not be excluded from dancing as well. Has been signing up for a dancing class, instructed by an experienced and wise guru.

While dancing, it as if tunnelling me to another world, another dimension, where I enjoy so much. I feel I am closer to my soul. Everytime I dance, the objects surrounded me transform, they are all beautiful.

Instead of hanging around with friends and chatting at the cafe and shopping at the malls, I prefer to be mesmerized into the music and movements.

Being objective. Set your goal and focus on your goal. Others which would distract you from the goal, reject it gracefully...Well, this is only a statement. How to honestly tell the others: Sorry I do not enjoy that, sorry I do not like it...? We are taught all the way long to appreciate everything, to be polite. Until, most of the time, we are just too polite to say NO. We are into the business we do not really like or enjoy. And then, a person full of regeret and remorse and depress and indigence in mind causing hatred and low in productivity. Everyday passing by, sun rise and set, what we have done in the midst of it?

Anyway, we need certain social life...picture with aiesecers...

Development Traineeship

weeks passed...Basically I feel I am doing nothing in the office.

One of the purpose I come for this internship is to seek meaning. In our lives, we keep looking for acceptance, self-actualization, and discover more about the question: WHO AM I?

In the office for the past 2 weeks, I was exposed to the project the organization has been done. I must say those are really meaningful project, helping the unables and poor, they are really good at approaching those grassroots...Yet, I feel worthless of being here, I cannot see what can I do. So a question arised: What do you expect from us (the interns)? The answer given was they are not expecting any great contribution from us, for we only stay here 2 months. Nothing much we can do. But they expect us to grow, to see this city more, to learn something from them!

So this is the purpose. It's not what we give, but what we gain. 

What have I learnt in the past 14days? From workplace, after exposing to those videos and reports, I have gained a wider perspective of this kind of organizations. Process is something more important than the result. When the product goes wrong, always check the process (according to our Banlanatak.com founder). He speaks wisdom, so do the other staffs! I find Indians are wise. They read. They think. 

So after reading 2 books - The Alchemist and Who will cry when you die?, I'm really inspired to a certain extent. Do not try to be others, just be myself. 

The tragedy of life is not death, but what we let die inside us while we live. So, keep seeking the meaning and looking for the real me, developing...   

Chinese Dining Out

Saturday, we were staying at home, not going anywhere...spending the day with reading - Who will cry when you die? Great book, to kill time and to change your life (according to my dear roommate, Elaine). Shall post a blog about the book...be anticipated...

In the lovely evening, after the rain and the marching of with winning party of recent election, 3 of us could actually hear the drum sounding from our stomach. We were hungry! We were so eager to some food, I mean FOOD, stuffing food, not that kind of banana, snacks or maggi...
So we decided to find places like restaurant to pamper our appetite. We turned to a chinese restaurant (of course run by Indians).

Ordered noodles in gravy (Rs 35), lemon chicken (Rs 60) and Chinese fried rice (Rs 30). Well, not as cheap as we expected. More disappoiting was the taste of the food...Maybe it is a bad idea to have chinese food in india... Well a nice experience though..
Cheers!

The Cradle of Culture

Kolkata is the born place of Great Mother Teresa.

This place is also famous with the Nobel winner, Tagore, who had left a great impact in the art of theatre.

This is an ancient city with lots of authentic bengali heritage. Besides, the buildings are a mixture of Western Architecture - English, Italian Renaissance, Doric style etc.

There are much happenings in the city. Especially nowadays, in celebrating the 150th year of Tagore's Nobel Prize winning, the city has so much theatre shows. This is something impressing me! I always like to see a city with rich arts! This is how the city grow. People here are raised in the harmony of arts, embrace the joy of music and drama. As if they are borned as the happy folks. Dancing and singing is part and parcel of the life! Besides, the citra (paintings) has been adding the hues in the city as well. The ancient people used to draw in a long fabric, citing a story. The long fabric as if the great story book, telling the indelible history. To diversify this industry, the paintings have been printed on the shirts, bags, faience (earthenware) and some other souvenirs. Talking about the souvenirs, there are jukes. The weaving arts have made it into various workmanlike souvenirs. The tradition + creativity have been transformed this culture into industry. To preserve certain tradition, we mustadd the value in it. Modern promotion is needed in the industry, i believe.

Be proud of the traditional cultures as it is the heritage from our wise and erudite ancestors...