Monday, May 28, 2007

A CAT's LIFE!!

This is an amazing video I found at random!! Oh so cute!!

Thursday, May 03, 2007

A YEAR IN PARADISE

It sometimes amazes me how, being away from civilization and people you know, gives you so much extra time for your own self. A simple comparison would be a weekend in Amsterdam and the last 4 days offshore. Two full days never seem to be enough time to sit down and pen something worthwhile!! Its either calling up friends to make plans for exploring new places which might offer some more thrills of Amsterdam (very few left actually) or taking a quiet walk around the neighbourhood contemplating about future plans!! And yet here I am, sitting offshore, supposed to be on duty and work; only to have the time and tempo to sit down and type out an article.

Catching up with the last few months, namely February to April, life had been busy like never before till the end of March, so much so that everybody was on the point of losing it and mouthing the ultimatum!! But a trip to Italy and Greece, away from all the stress seemed to work miracles. Yet again, I feel indebted to my best chum for turning up beside me when I needed him most!!

April seemed to go by in a crazy rush as well ... audits at office, preparations for career growth et al and it was time for Queen's day already!! More importantly, it marked a year for me in Amsterdam, undoubtedly the wildest in my life!! And after all the crazy stuff I've seen n done over the past 12 months, guess its a welcome relief to see my parents and spend a quiet couple of months with them!!

22 Apr 06 - the day I landed in Schipol to 29 Apr 07 - I must admit has been an eye-opener of a year for me. The cultural difference that Amsterdam has to offer from any other place is in every sense unique and incomparable to what even the best authors can pen down!! After the initial partying till the end of last year, things indeed had quietened down among us a bit (not that the city had changed but more because all of us seemed to grow "older" :D). Add to that the transfer of two of our closest colleagues, re-bonding with a new team, with all the work, didnt just seem to work out!! I won't even try penning down more details of 2006-07, not just for censorship issues but also the sheer volume of trash I could fill this place up with !! :)

However, in spite of all the same things in life ... same work, same friends ... somewhere deep inside I feel an intrinsic change. Guess I haven't been able to give much time to what it wants me to do but a sense of weariness seems to be growing since I felt the change; there seems to be a willingness to accept more responsibility, to take pride in what you do ... dunno where i'm exactly headed for!! Strangely enough, it also gives a serene feeling to life - I spent my birthday on a wellsite working the whole day, spent Queen's Day offshore working as well even when it wasn't necessary; yet, I don't feel bad about either. Something tells me these are not as appealing as they are made out to be!! Life moves on irrespective of whether one cuts a cake or not, irrespective of whether one gets stoned and laid or not!!

Wonder what others in my position feel!! Or am I the only one??