Joy in the morning!!! ;)

To those of you who didn't know, this is the name of a wonderful work by one of my favourites, P.G.Wodehouse....
The title seems so apt to describe my morning ... Today, I was lucky enough to get a direct bus to my workplace and after that, I had an utterly delicious breakfast (yummy!!! )... And as I came down to my floor, this guy who does odd jobs at my workplace was coming up the stairs with a tray (tea and coffee for us!!) and he waved to me and said good morning... Now, you can guess why I chose this title for this blog post...
Before you let your imagination go wild, let me explain the circumstances a bit - this guy has joined the place very recently ( appointments in the face of recession ?? ;) ) And, when he first brought me a cup of tea, I thanked him... That brought a smile to his face, and though he asked why I was thanking him for doing his job, I continue to thank him every time he brings tea (or snacks, or even a bottle of water)... The people around us, they do so much for us, yet we very rarely thank them... It might be their job to help us, but that does not mean we can take them for granted... ( I see many people around me who just take them for granted - they just order them around, and leave used tea cups on their table - when there's a dustbin just below the table... And it makes me feel bad - it does not take too much effort to throw a used cup into the dustbin, when you don't even have to get up or walk a few steps... )
Now, back to theme (after a little digression, maybe it's the Emsworth Effect ;) )Now that you know the history behind it, you can understand why I felt glad in the morning - it felt good to know how much difference one little word, a gesture can make - my saying thanks to him actually made him remember me (and my preference for tea ;) ) Isn't that a lot for such a small gesture?
I find this guy's presence a defintie plus to the office environment - with his cheerful attitude ( though he comes to our section only a few times a day), it makes us all feel refreshed... (Maybe the cups of tea or coffee he brings has something to do with it :) (Give credit where it is due? )... He's cheerful even if he has a lot of work to do, and even if is doing some menial job...
Not just him, but the housekeeping staff is really friendly, and cheerful, and are an important presence, making our work so much better... Thanks to all these wonderful people - you deserve it...
P.s.: Guess there's a slightly Wodehousian influence in this blog, apart from the title ;) , and indeed I'm grateful to these people (am not saying this just for some snacks or tea;) )

Thoughts on music

I was reading the paper today, there was an article about a music band, the lead singer of which says that playing the drums and guitar gave him some of the happiest moments of his life... Isn't that true with so many of us? I believe many of us find solace in music - listening to music, singing, or playing an instrument....

I have had the good fortune of trying various avenues - I discovered the joy of playing drums - the power of the rhythm created is simply great... There's something about drum beats, which makes me perk up even when I feel absolutely down in the dumps...

I only wish I can continue playing the drums, devoting time to it, and letting the music take over, ...
As the song goes,
Let it fill my soul and drown my fears,
let it shatter the walls for a new sun"...

I'm lucky, as I get to listen to so many songs, different languages, different styles, a song for every mood & moment...

Life's not always about being in a hurry, we must take time for the little pleasures of life, such as music...

As Ringo Starr's song goes, we must

STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES :)


With this, I'm signing off, with a thought for Ringo, Sivamani and the other great drummers (include Amaral too!!! ) and to all musicians out there, thanks for the work u do, it does wonders for us !!!!

(p.s.: i have rambled on as usual, please don't mind, whoever reads this!!!)

Wasteful ways?

Sitting in an air-conditioned office with shaded windows... It's not my idea of heaven - the exteriors are so much fun - sitting in our corporate offices, we miss many beautiful sights like the golden rays of the sun ( we use tubelights even during daytime, when just drawing the curtains can provide good lighting - would it not be sensible? It would be economical and friendly to the environment as well - we would be using lesser amounts of natural resources) And air-conditioners even in rooms which are locked, are they really necessary? and in winter???? plus some fans to spread the cold air around... what is it that makes us switch on every switch that we come across? as if this wasn't enough, how many of us can honestly claim to switch off aplliances which are not in use ( and that those around us do the same?)
We claim to care for the environment and complain about those who don't respect the environment, yet the small actions (which don't take our time, just our effort) which we can do can make a huge change to the world...
Talking of the environment, how many of us are really plastic-free?? We try to free ourselves from it, but today plastic is everywhere around us... We donot even care to see if it is recycled properly...
There's so much we can do to save our planet, and with just minimal effort... Long live the Blue Planet... May it regain its lost beauty once more... Let us all do our bit to make the world a better place to live in... (Thank you all for doing your bit)

Innovation......

Innovation.... What comes to mind on seeing this word???

To me, innovation is not some fancy stuff done in posh buildings... To me, the real enterpreneur is the man on the street... The toy makers and sellers in the flea-market are real innovators - they donot use fancy materials or have fancy prices on what they sell, yet their toys never fail to amaze me with the variety they have to offer - if you want to see some real fancy toys, this is the place to be...

Then, there are the numerous small-time vendors, who use a range of ideas to sell their goods - from a set of wares laid out on a cloth in the ground, to setting up an umbrella (inverted) with their goods to displaying their wares on makeshift shops, and hanging bags and sheets on shoulders, backs and hands, like Enid Blyton's Saucepan Man, these vendors have a unique way of selling... And they are people you can haggle with... They are also friendly people with whom you can share some gossip and catch some hot news...

There are also a few enterprising individuals, who deliver tea and piping hot snacks to the busy working people (especially bachelors atying away from family), in the early hours of the day...

Innovation is not restricted to these people... As I read somewhere, you can find these people among your fellow travellers on train journeys - they almost create a house within their compartment... They make you stare with wonder with the ease they go about their chores even during journeys...

They are everywhere, the innovators... They donot always get the credit they deserve... But they continue with their innovations... Kudos to them and their imaginations... May they continue the same for a long time to come...