A piece of poetry that touched me - Hum Dono

Came across this shair today and couldn't help but putting it on my blog so I don't forget it.

Kabhi Khud Pe Kabhi Haalat Pe Rona Aaya.
Baat Nikli To Har Baat par rona aaya..

Hum To Samjhe The Ki Hum Bhool Gaye Hain Unko
Kya Hua Aaj Yeh Kis Baat Pe Rona Aaya.

Kaun rota hai kissi aur ki khaatir eh dost
Sab ko apni hi kissi baat pe rona Aaya

A dive to remember !

Sky-dive at 18,000 feet. The world's highest tandem Jump. Yes, finally after a procrastination of over a year I did it.

I wanted to sky-dive for a long time but I chickened out at the last moment earlier. Then came along an opportunity where my friends were gonna do it. I jumped at it. Well all I can tell you about this dive is, that it took me more courage to take this decision than to jump out of a perfectly fine air-craft.
Yeah, it sounds moronic to just go up there and jump out but the experience that follows is phenomenal. It is a must-do in a life-time.

So first time we went there. Boy, was I nervous? Sure! The signs at their registration clearly said "Do not play on the run-way." Are they kidding me...I am not here to play around...I am here to Jump...
However, due to inclement weather they canceled the dives for that day. The catch was that our money is not refunded, we receive a rain-check. 2 months later, we were back on-site determined to "get over" with it.

This time I really didn't think about it too much. Finally my turn came up and there was my tandem master. He fastened on the harness on us. Did I feel like going on a Mission ( that is) Impossible? Sure I did as he tightened my harness as much as possible. (what if I just get detached from him lol..)

Eventually the commandos, as I deemed myself to be at this moment, were ready to be transported to the run-way. All hauled up in a bus were dropped to ground zero.

Finally I was up on the aircraft. My video-grapher cached on my expressions at the right moments and was I smiling at the camera all the time...Sure was! With the lens on me I was ready to give it my best shot..haha...my first movie...hehe

This really small aircraft was filled with 16 of us. I was pretty much focused on the fact that my tandem master should properly fasten me to him...ehee that I realized much later that we were air-borne. Eventually 10,000 ft, 12000ft and then 18...Yay....

1, 2 ,3 and jump..If you ask me what were my thoughts at this time...None...I DIVED

The fall through clouds...the air-pressure on my face....the earth above me and suddenly the skies....The 90seconds free-fall was FANTABULOUS....the 360 degree turn until our balancer opened....amazing...

Soon our parachute opened up and what followed after that follows falls short of words to describe....The horizon...the bay...the mountains...the earth...WOW...did I feel like a bird?

After confirming with me that I have no motion sickness the tandem master turned me around 360 degrees.....

The slow descent, the amazing feel of being at flight as a bird..the miniscule we are before this entire world....practically mind boggling...A perfect landing was all that was needed and sure enough I had it!

Do I wanna do it once again? Definitely...

The experience didn't end here. I recieved my DVD the next day from my co-worker. On sharing the video with one of them, she made pretty much everyone watch it around her. Objective: Inspiring others to go with her to do it as their next team outing.
Results: And sure enough my co-worker managed a group to go with her. Buzz word : Shalini Sky-dived..how did u do it? Boy, you don't look like one who would? We didn't expect you doing this?
phew!
What can I say? Looks can be decieving!

I would just end it at this note that having conquered land and water...it was time for Shalini to go for the skies....Skies are NOT actually the limit....

California...such a lovely place

You can checkout any time you like,

But you can never leave!

Life comes at you fast

We begin and end each day with a trillion things on our mind. Hardly do we put the glass down to give the rush of thoughts a rest and slow down to enjoy the little things around us.

Ever since I started working, this had been my life. Completely unlike me. Those who know me could tell how much I'd gather happiness from every possible and smallest of events that might happen daily. I found mirth in the simplest of incidents and just smile. But somewhere along the way, something within made me forget myself. I stopped smiling and laughing as such and not even enjoying the stupidest and silliest of things (most of the time it was me laughing at my own self for something that I did). My perception towards life was dramatically duller and lacked any luster. It was all about work, work and work. May be it was because it is my first job that is indeed challenging and I need to prove to myself that I can do it. Nevertheless I enjoyed and continue to too every bit of it. Possibly it's the new place, alien locations and the absence of my good old friends.

Then along came my family. Truly what makes me go on and on is the continuous support and the smile on their faces. Specially my young cousins. The moment I am with them, I am transported back to childhood. I forget my worries and life is all good. Watching the Kung-Fu Panda with the kids in the theatre, offset this string of events that brings out in me what I actually am...a girl who loves to smile for no rhyme or reason..no am not a moron am just too smiley...heheheeeeee..well what else am I supposed to do when one of them in the middle of the movie stands up to stretch and I pull him back to sit down...while another one shouts out " I LOVE KUNG FU!" and as I laugh louder than them at something in the movie...

I think I have found the missing link now and have begun to carry my sunshine along with me yet again. Making new friends with each passing day, learning to play Ping-pong, shooting some pool, bowling and trying out something I enjoy the most - Dancing. Was at this Swing Dance class and simply loved it. Not that I fell in love with the dance form. Salsa and Hindi movie dancing is still my first love! However, this brought back to me the happiness that was hidden within me somewhere and all I needed to do was to identify it and consume this candy of happiness. Having it in my hand and just craving for it won't help, would it?

So the sunshine is all around now...and I will continue to carry it no matter what the weather! Cheers peeps and relish each moment of your life...because life is indeed too short...OH did I mention I am gonna be Sky-diving very soon....heheheeeeee :-D