My favourite methods of relaxation

Reading is one of my favorite past times since childhood. During my younger days, it used to be fantasy books. My fascination for Elves, Trolls, Dwarves, Dragons, Hobbits, etc have continued to fascinate me till these days. One of my favorite books during my childhood was the Hobbit series which I still like till today. Later on I moved on to science fiction/horror genre. The writers whose books/novels which I was constantly reading and fascinated by during this period were Mario Puzo (The Godfather & The Godfather Returns), Douglas Adams (The Hitchikers Guide To The Galaxy), Most Stephen King novels (Cujo, Salems Lot, Everything Eventual, The Dark Tower series, Duma Key, Skeleton Crew), Ray Bradbury (Farenheit 451,Martian Chronicles), Clive Barker (Cabal, The Great & Secret Show, The Essential Clive Barker, The books Of Blood series), etc. These days it’s just about anything that catches my eye. At one time, I had a really large book collection. I had to trim it down to manageable level once my bedroom started filling up and the books started piling up in the hallway. It really saddened me to see a lot of these books go but it seemed like there was no other choice. Reading still is one of my favorite past times today as it has the ability to transport me to another world where my imagination can run wild.
Music is another one of my hobbies which really helps me to relax and unwind after a long, hard and sometimes very stressful days especially when I am totally exhausted and I want to just sit there and unwind. Music is not just something I listen to every so often but it is a passion for me. Just like my reading habit, my music preferences have changed over a period of time. I think I started listening to anything that was playing on the radio and I don’t think I had any favorite one. The Top 40/Top 100 music seemed to be popular during the 80’s period. One radio station or another used to have at least one segment dedicated to it. Sometime during the early 1980’s one of my high school buddies introduced me to hard rock/metal music genre and there was no turning back for me. I think I started out listening to Jimmy Hendrix, ZZ Top, Eric Clapton, Doors, etc and over a period of time I discovered other groups which I discovered suited my music tastes. The only thing which has remained constant is my dislike for country music. Nothing personal but I simply cannot bear to listen to it for some reason. I distinctly remember that when I was growing up and if I needed to head off to head off to some distant part of Ohio, I sometimes used to run into certain areas/pockets where the radio stations used to play only country music. In these cases, I used to frantically such for any other station even if it was a Top 40 one.
Movies have been one of my favorite past times for a really long time and I guess this particular category is the only one which has more or less remained constant over many decades. I have always liked the action, science fiction, horror. The only book/movie craze which I couldn’t understand and didn’t like very much was the Harry Potter series. Everyone it seems had gone overboard on this character and the Potter craze it seems has fizzled out as quickly as it had started. The earliest movies which I remember watching were: Gone with the Wind, Godfather, Splash and Pretty Women. In the years that passed by I watched many movies since I am a movie buff. The ones which I still like to this day are: Beetle Juice, Omen series, The Godfather series, Aliens/Matrix/Terminator series, Indiana Jones series, and the Back to the Future series. The movies which I have seen recently are: X-Men Origins Wolverine, Terminator 4 Salvation, Punisher - War Zone, Batman Begins, and Batman- The Dark Knight. All the movies which I have watched recently were really well made and action packed but I do feel that the Wolverine and the Batman series have deviated from the original character story line a bit. This is not to say that I didn’t enjoy them but the movie makers should have followed the original comic character story line more closely in order to give a more true depiction. I especially like to watch the movies during the weekends when I have a few hours to spare. Sometimes I like to go back to my movie collection and watch something from the 80’s era if something worthwhile is not coming on one of the movie channel or no new movie releases have been announced.
Surfing the net it seems helps me to divert my mind from the daily grind since it is a great entertainment device if used correctly. It not only helps me to interact with my buddies who are spread out through the world but also keeps me up to date on the news front. I guess the net is the only true interactive medium where one can get what they what and in a way they want it. All one needs to know is how to use the search engine and know what to look for. I especially like visiting YouTube to watch video of my favorite groups or watch movie trailers of movies which are about to be released. But most of the time I am found on sites like Multiply and Facebook where I am either posting something or playing a really addictive games called Farm Town and Mafia Wars (on Facebook).
This post has gotten a bit lengthy as the words and ideas kept spilling out like water out of a dam. I really had a difficult time plugging the leak and stopping the flow. Usually I do a bit of editing of my posts before I post them on any site but it is basically limited to spelling check and word syntax check to make sure that the sentence structure is correct and whether all the sentences make sense or not. But like everything else in life errors do get through only to be caught at a much later stage by others. I hope you all don’t get bored by this rather lengthy post and hopefully I’ll write a much shorter one next time. So, on an ending note: How do you relax?

Do you slog it out or just give up?

I really do believe that almost every person who actually gave up trying to solve difficult situations in life always ended up in failure in life. A person is truly a winner if he or she never gives up in life and chases down each dream he has cherished in order to make it come true one day. Or else he will always have at the back of his mind the thoughts that would not allow him to be at peace with himself and he would be regretting his decision of refusing to get back up, stand tall and face every certain challenge ahead of him in a bold and assertive manner!! People who have the never say die attitude and are able to maintain this attitude in their life usually end up doing better in life than others.

Every one of us has gone through many trials through life. Sometimes we have succeeded in overcoming our problems. At other times we end up throwing our hands up in the air and admitting defeat. Each one of us have been ingrained with a certain types of attitude and mind set when it comes to dealing with certain types of situations. Some tend to give up the moment they see an unmanageable problem looming ahead while others dig in and find an appropriate solution.

Give it a little thought and tell me: Do you agree that falling down is not defeat and that the person who refuses to get back up and try again, is the one who has actually lost the battle? Have you ever tried doing something in life that you actually ended in giving up and not trying again to change what is not possible? Or have you slogged it out until you got yourself out of the mess?

Getting some free time in

For the last many days, I have been having another one of my writers block and couldn’t think of what to write. I had been sitting in front of this computer for what seemed like many hours and nothing seemed to come out no matter how hard I tried. My mind seemed like a blank slate. So, I had almost given up when I realized that the harder one tries at times to do what the thing in which they are having difficulty in, the more difficult it becomes to do. So I just it be and turned on some music and let my mind go into a free fall. It seems like music removes the bottlenecks in my mind and gets me thinking once more.

Whenever possible I like to make some free time especially during the weekends for some serious rest and relaxation. It’s really not possible for me to get some R&R during the weekdays as my work schedule is just too hectic unless I plan it out a few days in advance. I guess everyone has their own way in which they unwind and not everyone uses the same method. The most commonly used methods which I use to relax during my free time are: Reading, music, movies, surfing the net, etc. to unwind and reclaim my lost energy. Each person should find their own method and try to incorporate it in their life. If a person loses themselves in their favourite pasttime, then they will surely come away with a completly relaxed mind set.

What I ate today

Today I came home really early since it was Friday and I had wrapped up my work really early. There was the same old stuff in the fridge to eat. I wanted to make something different. So I thought, why not make a south Indian dish. One of my favorite is called dosa. It comes in may varieties. The pic which I have included is a masala dosa. it is really easy to make and will not take much of your time. So I took out the batter and poured some on the hot frying pan which was coated with a bit of oil.I leveled it out until it was a thin layer. Quickly take it out and put it on a plate. Take some boiled potatoes which have been fried in spices and put them on top of the dosa. Gently fold/roll it until you have the desired shape. If you are up to it, then you can make some sambar and coconut chutney. I really enjoyed not only making the dosa but eating it also. If you are interested, I have given the recipe below.

Ingrediants:

Dosa shell:

1 1/2 cups rice
1/2 cup urad dal
salt to taste
Oil
Masala Filling:

2 large potatoes
1 medium onion (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon yellow split peas
1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1-2 green chili
1 tablespoon oil
salt to taste

Preparation:

Dosa shell

Separately soak rice and urad dal at least 6 hour or overnight in water.
Grind to paste.
Mix together, add salt with water to make batter.
Leave in room temperature overnight.
Mix onion and chilies to the thin batter.
Heat pan or griddle with little ghee or oil.
Spread the mix on pan in circular motion to make thin Dosa.
Cook on both the sides, if desired.

Masala Filling (Spicy Filling):
Heat oil. Add mustard seed, peas, onions and spice.
Fry for about 5 minutes on medium heat or/until onions are turned into golden brown
Add potatoes and mix and cook some more Serve
Add filling inside Dosa and roll. Serve hot with Chutney.

Flats or independent Houses

Over the last decade or so, our life styles have changed dramatically. Before everyone led a laid back life and the joint family system was the norm. But with the ever changing fast paced change, the joint family system is fast fading into oblivion and it is rapidly being replaced by the nuclear family system. With more and more people going nuclear, the support system that joint system provided is fading fast.

Apartment living seems to have come to the rescue for all those people whom security and the feel of joint family reigns supreme. The fellow dwellers are able to provide a support system which is usually missing when the families are living in a stand alone house. There are other pus points of living in an apartment like lesser tension when doing maintenance of your apartment, no headache when it comes to gardeners and plumbers, electricians or baby sitters in some cases. This is because the apartment society handles these things on the behalf of the individual apartment owners. One of the biggest benefits is the shared environment and the feeling of security it provides. Plus, some localities sometimes provide additional security systems like identity cards for the maintenance crew and the domestic help that comes to the locality.

Independent house are quiet nice, since they provide spacious living quarters. People living in these types of houses have more freedom to do what they want. But the support system is missing here and there are many daily hassles when dealing with cleaning peoples, gardeners, plumbers, electricians, painters, etc. A proper security system is missing and people have to hire their own guards in most cases in case the colony has not made any arrangements.

Developers are nowadays cashing in on the apartment craze and are attracting the people by emphasising on the good floor plans, fitness centers, 24 hour maintenance, security, etc. Many people it seems are shifting towards apartment life since it has fewer hassles when compared to independent houses. These developers are offering easy finance, a large variety of apartments and price range to suit a large section of peoples. Almost everything it seems is located either in or around the apartment complex.

The adventures of a bargain hunter

Is it not great to travel with someone who really takes pleasure in bargaining and is always looking for the best deals in town? Bargaining is one ability which I find challenging even on one of my best days. I really do not have the so called ability or talent to out bargain the shop owner. As my friend and I made our way through the local market close to our house, we could not help wondering why a simple white cotton T-Shirt with no decorations was priced as the same rate as a taxi which could be hired for ferrying us around locally for 4 hours. No matter how hard we bargained, the shop boy simply stuck to his price. We left the stuff and started to move on. Just then we heard a familiar voice shouting above the noise asking us to come back. We turned around and looked and he quoted a lower price, but we stuck to our guns. We pretended as we were about to move on and asked him to lower his price. There was no response and we moved on and I thought that we had lost a good T-shirt just because it was overpriced by Rs 50. Just then, there was a tug at my sleeve and it was the same boy. Seems like he had finally agreed to our price.

It is not like he had lost money by reducing the price for us. Everyone knows that there is no fixed price when purchasing these items from the street vendors. Everyone it seems needs good bargaining skills when purchasing items from road side shops, since the majority of the items are overpriced and the shopkeepers want to make a quick buck. I really do think that the rules of bargaining are universal. A lot of people actually do enjoy bargaining and are quiet skilled at it. The shopkeeper at times knows that a lot of people will bargain no matter what, even if the product is priced just right. So their thinking is, why not set the price a little higher and then lowers it a little. So, if you are ever in this situation, just go out and have fun and try to get the best price.

The wait

Time is a funny thing. Even though we know that time ticks away at the same rate, we view it in a different manner at different times. Have you noticed that sometimes it just rushes by and at other times it flows by so slowly that it seems like time has virtually stopped. Time really drags by especially when I am waiting for my turn in a line to pay some utility bill or at some office or clinic. If I am at an office or clinic, I usually either end up staring at the ceiling, trying to start a conversation with the person sitting next to me, maybe just browsing through the reading material or listening to music on my MP3 player or cell phone. At times when I am just sitting there in the chair/seat and there is nothing to do at all, I sometimes like to observe the people around me. I really enjoy doing that at times, since I am able to see the different personalities of the people I am waiting with in the office... some are arrogant, some shy, some intelligent while the remainder are obviously impatient. Other times really flies by, especially when I have a deadline to meet, flight/train to catch or maybe when I am having fun. I like to think of time as a river. Sometimes it is like a lazy, slow moving one where you can just idyll away your time and you can navigate it with ease. At other times it is like a raging bull, you just have to go with the flow and you just do not have any control whatsoever. You just have to accept what is dished out to you.

Increased Security at public places.

The state government has finally woken up to the fact that due to the increased threat posed by the terrorists, we need to be extra cautious in public places. This realisation dawned upon them after the blasts which occurred in Bangalore and Ahmadabad. The private security units manning the shopping malls and multiplexes in Luck now have been authorised to frisk all individuals who are entering these premises. Individuals who are deemed suspicious will be barred from entering the mall/multiplexes premises. A close watch of the area immediately surrounding their premises will also have to be kept under watch by these private agencies. These malls can be targeted by terrorists as there is usually a large crowd gathered in one area with almost no security or very little security.

On a larger scale, we need to heighten the security of a lot of public places. For example, a proper security apparatus is missing at our railway stations where there is always a huge amount of traffic everyday. Sure there are police personnel stationed there but they have a very carefree attitude and at times they are not manning their area like they should. Metal detectors are installed at the main entrances, but usually the personnel manning them are either found missing or not doing their duties in a proper way. Plus there is no frisking and baggage check done. Bus stations should also be included in the list of places where security should be heightened and regular frisking of public boarding the buses and their baggage should be thoroughly checked whenever they board a bus. A watch should also be kept at public parking place used for cars, two wheelers and bicycle stands.

What the need of the day is that people need to be more vigilant when venturing outside in order to fight this grave threat more effectively. Even if the police and security personnel are performing their duties optimally, they can only do so much. People should actively participate with the police to ensure that we have a safer city to live in. One way in which people can help is by immediately informing the police if they find any unclaimed object lying anywhere as it might contain explosive material. Nothing should be left to chance. Everyone should be alert to their immediate surroundings. Enhanced security will lessen the dangers while increasing the confidence levels of public. Therefore, we can move around more freely without fear eating away at us. The SSP on his part has assured that the police department will leave no stone unturned to ensure a safe secure environment for the city’s population. He has asked the denizens to take precautions at the their own individual levels to ensure that maximum security can be maintained