A Different Kind of Winning

The second edition of Bengaluru Marathon saw a whopping 10,000+ runners. For some it was their debut half or full marathon and for some the number went into double digits. On October 17, 2015, Kanteerava Stadium was brimming with the enthusiasm and camaraderie of all types of runners — young, old, amateurs, and pros. Although some were aiming for a PB (personal best) and some were all out to have fun, the common goal of every runner was to finish strong.

Those were the runners, and I applaud their spirit. But it was the kind gestures all around me that stole the show. The people at the sidelines who were cheering nonstop were the good Samaritans. Every time a distraught, tired runner heard his or her name from the crowd, it brought an inexplicable spark in their eyes. It was beautiful to see how a cheer can act as an energy booster, a push to cross the finish line.

Among the cheerers were a group of runners, individuals who stood out as an epitome of kindness. One of them was Pani sir. Even after being unwell, with constant coughs and sneezes troubling him, he didn't leave a chance to pass on his infectious smile (pun intended :) to a struggling runner. His cheers were a breath of fresh air and electrolyte to everyone who knows him (I doubt if there's anyone in the running community who doesn't know him). I couldn't have been happier to have found him as a coach to start my running journey. Thank you, sir!

If you're a runner or happen to know one too many, you'll agree that it's difficult to keep them away from running. Talk about itchy feet! That holds good for my husband too. He was disappointed that he was not in the race. But the disappointment was short lived, and I saw it fade away completely while he was cheering other runners on race day. And then the itchy feet took over! He started with pacing a friend and ended up helping four or five runners see it through, finish strong, and win their medals. He didn't win a medal in this race, but he sure won their hearts. To quote him "sometimes, winning hearts is more valuable and more precious than winning a medal." True that.

These men are only a few of those I know who have won hearts and touched lives without realizing it. Kudos to all the people who came out early in the morning just to cheer friends and strangers, and made a difference. No podium for them, but this was a different kind of winning.

Do you know anyone like them? Have you made someone happy with a small, simple gesture? Feel free to share your stories in the comments.

Hope in a Shroud of Smoke

We've all heard, read, and seen enough negative stuff about Bangalore, and we get enough reasons to crib. Every day on the way to work and back, we lament upon how much time we have to spend on the road. We complain about the bad roads, narrow roads, traffic jams, noise, pollution, reckless Volvo drivers and cabbies, and so on. But if there's a dark side of the moon, there's a bright side too.

Behind the veil of problems is a city that has so much more to it. So it's no serendipity when I was delighted at the sights, sounds, and smells that my city has to offer. For once, I wasn't complaining, but only enjoying and absorbing the beauty of Bangalore.

It was a usual Sunday morning. My day started early as I had planned to go cycling. I'm not used to cycling on Bangalore roads, so I decided to ride at a leisurely pace behind a group of runners from Team Miles Ahead, a Whitefield-based running group. Soon after I started, I realized I would be doing more than just cycling!

First, I met the newspaper boys, separating different newspapers, and around them were people waiting to grab a copy of their daily dose of news. It made me happy to see that there are people who value newspapers when technology has made it extremely easy to get instant news.

Then I got an olfactory treat, twice. First was while cycling past a temple. The divine fragrance of sandalwood was otherworldly. The second was while crossing a Sagar (one of the many small, standing eateries). The aroma of the piping hot sambar made me realize how hungry I was. So much that I could visualize the cook pouring the sizzling tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves into the cooked lentils and veggies!

Every now and then I was brought out of my reverie with the sound of running shoes grinding asphalt and sand. There was a rhythm to the footsteps, which was quite pleasing to my ears. The constant crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch was once or twice overpowered by the fancy motorbikes whizzing and zooming past me.

And then there were the chirping birds that added sweet, high-pitched musical notes to the city air. It was nothing less than beautiful.

There was so much energy around with the many runners out so early for their morning run, some training for a personal best at the next marathon and some just for fitness. Most of them smile as they pass by. A simple gesture that reflects mutual respect and understanding can make anyone's day.

Every city has its own set of issues. But Rome wasn't built in a day. And neither can our problems be sorted in a day. A little patience and a little effort from each of us can highlight the beauty of Bangalore that we often ignore.

An Ocean in the Sky

What would it be like if the waves in the ocean were to freeze? And time were to stop? Would we freeze in the moment too? All this might not happen in the real world, but your imagination has the power to take you to the moon and back.

Cruising at an altitude of 36,000 ft, I could see an ocean below me with waves standstill. A hue of orange and purple spreads across the horizon. The grey stripes only added to the splendour of the whole scene.

They say you can catch the most beautiful sunset at a beach. I say you can catch it at its best up there — at 36,000 ft. The setting sun lights up the whole horizon and spreads the beautiful shades of orange on the painting in front of me.

This unadulterated beauty and the sheer thrill of being one with the cumulus clouds makes me love flying. But I don't wish I were a bird. I'm happy taking in the sights and relishing them as a mortal human.

As the earth rotates and I lose the sun to the clouds, I can't help but thank the elements for making me witness this real beauty. The bright orange turns to a tinge and eventually fades away. The setting sun gives me hope that it'll rise again for you and me.

The sun drew a line at the horizon

Not Ready for 10

Those of you have read my experience at Ajmera Life Is Calling Marathon & 10K at NICE road in Bangalore would know that I run, well, on and off. It's been over a year since I started, and I still feel shy to call myself a runner when I see people flying past me. But I'm proud to have started at least.

This post is about my experience at the same course but a different event. The Bengaluru 10K Challenge, on 12 July 2015, saw over 2000 runners from different walks of life. There were the super-fast ones, the moderately fast ones, the slow ones, and then me too. I was surprisingly positive and happy for someone who hadn't run in a long time. So there I was at the start line, full of energy.

The run started quite smoothly on the rolling course, and the first 5K was quite comfortable. Adrenaline was pumping at the right quantity and going to the right synapses. The race was very well-organized, with volunteers every 100M and water stations at every 1K. What more could a runner ask for, right? I was enjoying the run.

And then, suddenly, at the 5K U-turn, my adrenaline supply stopped, or so I believe. Every step after that felt like torture with the sun working overtime. The weather in Bangalore is very pretentious. You would be happy in the morning with the cold breeze and all that, but soon enough it gets so sunny that you can't help but complain. For a moment I couldn't see anything and my legs felt like slabs of concrete. It was just like the time I almost had a baby.

Pushing yourself beyond your limits also makes you have funny conversations with yourself. Your heart and your mind are in constant conflict. My head would say "Why did you have to run when you knew how the course is" and my heart would console me with "Aren't you happy you're trying?" It's a mental game, but what do you do!

All these thoughts and not concentrating on how tough the uphill run was took me till 8K. Then there was this thought that made complete sense. I had not trained at all for this run and there I was at the 10K course. Shouldn't I have done the 5K run instead? Of course, I should have. It's foolish to be overconfident about your body and how much you can take. Training is the key to an injury-free way to fitness. There's no two ways about it.

"Oh wow, I've reached 9.5K. Oh my God, there's a full 500M left. And I struggled like I've never before and crossed the finish line. Someone wise had once said, " The first thing that a person says after crossing the finish line at a marathon says nothing but only the truth." It's so true! When I crossed the finish line, the first thing I said was, "I'm not ready for 10, but I'm ready to begin again."

With the best runner in my family

The Scoop That Changed Their Life

Once upon a time, on a rather hot and sunny evening in Delhi, two friends — D and T — waited at a bus stop. It was just another day in the life of two college-going kids. There was nothing much to look forward to but a few math problems they could never solve as quickly as the other "sharp" kids in class. However, there was something that was bothering the usually bubbly and energetic T. She was dull and upset.

D and T had been best friends for a long time, and each one of them could tell when the other one was happy or sad. So D asked T what the matter was, and T gave her the scoop. But no, that's not the scoop that changed their life! Well, read on.

D started thinking what she could do to lighten up T's mood. That's when D remembered the 500-rupee note she had lost and found in her old jeans pocket. She thought "We can use that to eat." Eureka moment!

Both of them were big time foodies. But the limitations of a regular student's pocket kept them from indulging their taste buds in the many tastes of the world! They would make peace with a Satyaniketan egg roll (a famous food joint near Sri Venkateshwara college), McDonald's, KFC, or steaming hot momos from the roadside stalls. Hey, don't judge! They didn't have a great pocket money to splurge.

So D asked T, "How about we eat something nice to fix your mood?" T brightened up a bit and agreed without second thought. Yes, they loved eating!

A jolly good bus ride later they parked themselves at Pizza Hut. The "meal for 1" offer looked quite appealing to them, and their pockets. They weren't so hungry anyway. T started to relax a little and looked less upset.

Done with the pizza, it was time for desserts. They loved ice cream and a scoop was included in the offer. While waiting for the dessert, little did they expect what was in store for them, and that this moment will change their lives forever.

Their server came swooshing out of the kitchen with a plate. And there it was — their ice cream, and an extra scoop. They had not expected to get the extra scoop of ice cream. They were very touched by the gesture, by the kindness of the server. He could have just brought the one scoop that was part of the offer and be done with his job. But he went out of his way to give them an extra one. It became the most memorable moment for the two best friends. And T's sorrows melted away.

True story this! It's been almost 10 years now, but that evening is etched in my best friend and my memory forever. That extra scoop of ice cream will make us smile for the rest of our lives.

How many people do you know who do this? Usually, if you're two people at a table and order one item to share, you're looked down upon. Either you get frowned at or get a blank questioning look that translates to "and what more"! But all this man did was smile and understand the situation.

Although it was not really a life-changing event, it taught us that anyone can be kind, and happiness can come in many ways and forms. Isn't that right? Do you and your best friend have a similar story? Oh! And did I tell you about the day I met happiness at a grocery store?

Story of the Fine Lines on Her Face

She has her opinions about Russia and talks like she's friends with Putin.
She tells me what Manmohan Singh should have done to be a better prime minister.
She tends to her tulsi garden that feels so pure and smells so divine.
She'll give the best athletes a run for their medals with the way she runs around the house and the yard.
She says there's a secret to her energy, but doesn't shy away from spilling the beans.
She's ready to take the world after downing a big mug full of Complan.
She fluently recites verses in Sanskrit from her college speech.
The words flow effortlessly from her lips as if she's reading them out.
She can't start her day without the newspaper and has to read it all.
She has world history on her fingertips and shares it with the bubbling enthusiasm of a highschool kid.
No, she's not 20, nor is she 30.
She's my granny, who's all but 90.

When I think how I can't do a petty this or a pettier that,
She reminds me of her child-like curiosity and enthusiasm to do all of this and learn all of that.
We have decades between us.
Yet, I have so much to learn from her.
The soft skin on her face and the fine lines have a story to tell.
A story of her dedication to everything she's done and is still doing.
She doesn't crib for what she doesn't have or didn't do,
But shows off her tulsi garden with pride, smiling a toothless smile.
She inspires me in her own sweet way.
She's confident, she's happy.
For me she's a woman of substance.
She's my sweet little granny.

Are you from Japan?

Those who have seen me would know that no one could have asked me this question. There, I did it. I translated the question to looks. Why does what someone looks like make us judge people or decide where they're from?

One fine day, a random woman, a complete stranger, asked my friend, "Are you from Japan?" You would have guessed by now that my friend might have oriental facial features. If you did, you're absolutely right. She's from our northeastern state Manipur. But is that motivation enough to ask a stranger if she's from Japan? How amusing is that?

This reminds me of another such instance that one of my friends from Darjeeling had experienced. She's a kindergarten teacher. One of her little students called her "China aunty." She told me that she didn't know how to react to this innocent kid's remark.

If you thought it's all in the eyes, I'll have to disappoint you. This is the most recent. One of my Assamese friends had been asked this question, indirectly though. May be the asker didn't have the guts like our stranger who wanted to know if my friend was from Japan. This one wanted to know how does he breathe with small nostrils! Do you have an answer to that?

It may sound funny, but it's far from being funny. This is about ignorance, which will only continue to increase if we don't educate ourselves about our own country. Why judge an individual by how big or small her eyes are? Or nose, for that matter. If curiosity is killing you, how about asking, "Where are you from," instead of "Are you from Japan?"

The Downsizing Drama

Agreed that companies can neither be empathetic or sympathetic towards their employees. But can't they at least try? Just laying off people one fine morning is almost like meeting with an accident. You leave your home in the morning happy, with a lot of dreams just to find out that the dreams are on the verge of being shattered.

A lot of people were laid off at my company, without warning. May be that's how it works. But why? I'm sure the management doesn't figure out overnight that the business or a process is not doing well. Isn't there a stage of gradual decline? Of course, there is. Then why do employees have to bear the brunt? Isn't it too easy to say that "they should have seen it coming"?

To add insult to injury, the severance pay is mostly a joke. What about their households, their dependents, and everything else that depends on their monthly income, the full income? And what if the job market is not so welcoming? What happens then?

Those of us who still have our jobs can only feel bad when the news about the layoff breaks. And pray that the human beings who are the decision makers of companies get closer to being human and learn a thing or two about humanity.

Dear Happiness, You Show Up in Silly Ways!

I went grocery shopping yesterday, and I came out of the mall happier than I was when I went in. You might think I'm crazy! Well, let me give it a better perspective. It was not the process that made me happy, but something happened that made me think how little things can add to our happiness quotient, with little to no effort whatsoever.

Let's go back a few years and forget grocery for some time. When I was in school, a PT period or a free period would make me happy. In college it was mostly lab and practicals; I hated theory classes. In work life, it's safe to say that good work and some free time in between jobs adds to the happiness that's otherwise dulled by the usual corporate politics, etc.

Now let's come back to the present. Bring the groceries back as well. What made me happy? After a long time, I finally found fresh, green and leafy spinach. Yeah, spinach, my favorite vegetable (oh, how I have a craving now)! But the keywords are fresh, green, and leafy. How often does that happen? I had grown tired of the wilted, dead leaves. Now you get it? So when I picked up a bunch, I smiled, and soon realized how crazy I would have looked standing in the middle of a mall smiling at spinach.

The spinach episode is just a little example of how the silliest of things in life make us happy. And how the definition of happiness changes as we grow older (read wiser). I used to get angry as a kid when mom would ask "what do I make for lunch tomorrow?" Now I totally empathize with her. I'm happy when I know what I can make the next day rather than being clueless and scratch my confused head standing in front of my open refrigerator. I'm happy when my rotis are perfectly round and turn out as phulkas rather than burnt maps of Sri Lanka or Australia, like they used to be. I'm happy with so many things that don't have anything to do with me.

Happiness has funny ways of showing up! Can you relate to this? Feel free to comment about the silly things that make you happy!

The Seatbelt Syndrome

A silly disease! Why I call it a syndrome is because it's a disease of the intelligent brain. It's really funny how some people, educated people (mind it), can be so silly when it comes to something that's in the best interest of their safety. I call this common silliness the seatbelt syndrome.

However, there's effective treatment available. It can be treated with the right doses of common sense and then some love for your precious. No, not the ring of the Lord of the Rings fame, but your precious dear life.

By the way, there's another treatment. You know what it is. It's the fear of being caught by a traffic cop and having to pay a Rs.100 as fine. Isn't it funny how we need a fear of a petty fine for our own safety.

Let's not forget those who quickly wear their seatbelt when they see the white and khaki at a distance! I've seen and heard it umpteen number of times from my near and dear ones. "Is there a fine for not wearing seatbelt?" Well, there will soon be a fine for sure for not using those dormant gray cells! Do you know anyone suffering from the seatbelt system?

'So Who's Poor, Him or Me?'

This is not a first-hand experience but one shared by my mother-in-law. But it's something that made me think about how we, the middle-class folks, may be the new 'poor.'

It happened outside a temple. When she came out of the temple she saw some 'poor' people waiting for alms. So, out of goodwill, she gave 10 bucks to one of them, a man in ragged clothes. Little was she prepared for what happened next. The man threw the money back at her and said, "You're giving me 10 bucks? I'll give you 100!" She was, not-surprisingly, shocked and hurt.

After she narrated this incident, she innocently asked, "So who's poor, him or me?" That's something to think about.

Baby, Say Hello!

Well, I might be touching upon a very sensitive topic, especially for those of you who're parents. I'm not one, yet, so I must say I find it most amusing when parents make their little ones, yeah really tiny, little ones, to do things to show off how talented the little one is at say 8.5 months!

Only recently I came across such a situation. The mom asked her 11-month-old baby, a very cute kid, to "say hello" and "bye-bye." What she really meant was for him to wave, may be. The kid kept clapping and smiling all the while when his mother kept on asking him to "say" goodbye. I thought it was quite funny at how hard she was trying, only to be disappointed.

In hindsight, this is not the first time I've witnessed such an act. It's happened before, but I never really thought about it so much as to share my thoughts on a blog post. But considering how common this is, why not!

Do babies really understand what we adults say in our grown-up language? They sure respond with their goos and gaas, so you may think they do. But there's no way of knowing the science behind it. This is one fascinating, thought-provoking communication, isn't it? Well it does leave you thinking "what did that baby say?" Are you a parent who's been there, done that?

'What's the best price?'

"No, no, no! That's too much. What's the best price?" Haven't all of us said this most of the times we went shopping? I am guilty!

Negotiating and bargaining is our birthright, or so we feel. We see a window of opportunity, and we'll haggle with all we've got. Talk about little joys even those measly discounts can bring. Oh the awesome feeling of achievement on getting a "big" discount!

For some of us it happens in phases: You ask the price. The shopkeeper tells you the price. You saw the price sticker even before he told you, but you pretend not to know. Then you look astonished with the 'hey I saw a UFO' expression. Nod your head in disapproval. Contemplate for a few seconds maybe. Then, finally, the verdict. "That's too much!"

And how it suddenly makes us a quality expert is amazing. "This is not even good cotton." What is good cotton again? When it comes to bargaining, we can even tell that the third carbon on the polymer chain is slightly out of place. Okay, that's exaggeration. But hey "I see invisible holes in this dress, give me a discount!"

Rarely do we have a context or reason to bargain. But still we do. And we will till the end of time. Even when we know the prices are already inflated and the "after-discount" price is just a drama. That feel-good factor I say!

The 'Good News' Phenomenon

Unlike the El Niño phenomenon and other rare ones, this one is very common — at least in India! If you're married, especially if you're a woman, you already know what I'm talking about. And if you're not married, then I'm sure by now you've got a hint!

I'm talking about the 'good news' phenomenon. And the rate at which it happens will blow your mind. Still clueless? Let me put it in layman terms. The only news that makes it to the 'good news' category is that you're pregnant!

So it happened to me! After only a week of being married. No, I didn't get pregnant. Seriously? Does it even happen so fast! But i made a mistake of calling up relatives whom I don't usually call. So much for being good!

What pleasure do relatives and friends-of-parents get in asking for 'good news' every time you meet or call them? Are they curious about your sex life? Or is it because they're worried about extinction of human life on planet Earth?

I don't know what it is. But if you find out, please feel free to leave a comment!