hi friends
How are you all doing? Wish to share what I have been doing all these months after my return from Boston/silicon valley.
My days are hectic but I am never "busy". In India, specially in the capital everyone is always busy. They seem to talk a lot on mobile ( service providers cant hide their smile and bank accounts) but forget to converse and listen to their own friends, wives, children and parents. This is a new side of India.
I have been observing a lot about my own communities I work and live with. There is a new shine to India. Middle class has every world class has gadgets, cars and homes ( houses, rather). They are brimming with confidence. A confidence of a child, who has just learnt to walk and don't waste time on staying with it, but tries to run.
But back on track. Tea/ Chai/ Cha as it is called in western world/India/China respectively; made my me, for me, act as a booster for my day. Though I have been strongly ( self ) advised to work on losing my weight, but Chai, that cant leave me, neither can I leave "her".
Calls can begin as early as 5am, i.e. if I get up on time. Sometimes scrambled eggs with bbrown bread ( remember , I am health conscious!! ) or curd with Chura ( boiled and beaten rice ) or boiled eggs ( without the yolk, needless to say) with fruits.
Amongst my pouring mails and calls , I manage to cook and survive. Somedays are completely "designer" days like yesterday. Brochure design, T shirt design and biodegradable bags design. Branding is what I love, working with creative people, mild and tough mannered, gives me a high. Some of the days are filled with myriad cups of Chai, which I politely discard after sipping one or two times. ( A chai should be perfect according to time of the day; aromatic and delicate or strong and refreshing) Between teas and coffees meeting happens. That's India for me.
1-2 days ina week, I have to survive on street food ( no no, I am not into junk food, despite Mc Donald opening shops in every nook and corner), that is boiled eggs ( without yolk), bananas, or fruit juices. These days are filled with travel across the cities and lobbying with different agencies or enrolling people in our green reality. Communicating about green technologies and solar energy, brings my blood rushing to every nerve. The infection most of the times rub on the audience and I feel proud in what It can bring to the world.
But this is not always the case. India was a land of knowledge, with google it has become a land "-mine" of information.But one thing hasn't changed over last 3-4 decades, the cynicism. People ask too many questions and to your surprise everyone has an answer how anything canNOT be done. No one would waste time on proclivities on how anything can be made possible. That's "information age" for us !
Unperturbed by this deep rooted cynicism, created by our loss of faith in ourselves ( due to long domination of English) I march along and blow my "solar" trumpet.
Earlier I used to get cranky and upset by this noisy and aggressive Delhi and "Dilliwalas". Now I enjoy their traffic fights, as I call them and observing people in different moods. Lovers; oblivious to the honking, talking in whispers, are omnipresent ( Indians maybe the most romantic people on the Earth but they don't respect their "lovers), auto rickshaw drivers, haggling with customers or a corporate person, trying to manage both; the spouse and the boss, along with the drive wheel. Interesting ! delicious. Human beings are so colourful.
Few of these days I cook 2-3 vegetables simultaneously. You cant imagine the intoxicating aroma of sauteed onion and heady mix of Kenny G's saxophone. The only thing I fear is that my neighbours complaining about my chorus ( maybe its imaginary, maybe after all I am a bearable singer or maybe they just tolerate it as I am rarely home).
Oh I can forget about my professional circle. Specially, lawyers and charted accountants.Being an entrepreneur you don't really have a choice. You have to live with their meticulousness, trashing of your ideas and their breathlessness ( due to overload of their self devised complex lingo ). What about the myriad thereof's, semicolons and hyphens of lawyers or P&L account of CA's. All tightly and immaculately dressed, straight jacketed in their expression, even a smile is customised for a customer. But, but but ! Don't get me wrong. These are the very people, who save you a whole lot of wrangling and money. I bow to them , my lord !
I think my writing has become like a lawyer , too many brackets and semicolons. Maybe I should meet artists more. Next time when our manufacturers call, I would rather discuss the design than the thickness of the biodegradable bags !
As Khuswant Singh, one of India's colourful authors would say " with malice towards one and all "
have a great refreshing day !
cheers pranay
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