PAGE 242/366: Rain, Nostalgia, Traffic Jam And A Stupid Question.

Been meaning to write something for a while but I haven’t had the time. Kind of busy with life lately and it’s a welcome change for me. I have started going out more than before and sometimes a bit too much for my liking to tell you the truth.

I had thought about writing this like 4-5 days back, but as you can see, I had been slightly occupied with things a bit more important.

I am sorry, if I kept anyone waiting, though I doubt if there is anybody eagerly waiting for my blogs. A sad truth. Who cares anyways!!!!!!

So moving on, I might probably have to go back and refresh my memory on how I want this one to be like. And remembering things is not my forte.

Will try however.

Hmmmmmmmm……. So the day started with rain.

Rain. It’s something that I never fell in love with. I like it when it rains, however just as much I wanna love it, it rather leaves me with a bit of nostalgia every time. I don’t know why it happens, but whenever it rains, everything seems so gloomy.

I was never friends with rain either. It’s always happened, whenever I wanted to enjoy it, I end up being sick.

So I stopped it, honestly I had to.

That’s when the love hate relation between rain and I started.

There is one more reason why I don’t like rain.

Nostalgia, the feeling that follows rain. Not an easy one to deal with, especially when you don’t know who and what are you exactly missing or longing for.

I always feel lonely when it rains and it’s depressing sometimes. To make everything worse, being with friends doesn’t help much either.

Strange?? I know it, but that’s me.

So, we had to go out in the rain, had some important work to do. Had to buy few stuff and send it to a cousin of mine. His order list was rather long so, it took us a long time to finish with the shopping. It took friggin 5 hours!!!!!!!!!!

But the job wasn’t done yet. This is just the halfway line.

Now we gotta send everything to my cousin through cargo. The next stop…. Airport.

Here we go…… 

Seatbelts. Check. Rearview mirror. Check. Side view mirrors. Check.

Driving en route for the airport now. Music on.

Still raining and I am still not okay, though I didn’t let anyone know about it. I am pretty good at hiding my feelings, however constantly annoyed with everything around me.

Oh… And yes, I forgot to tell you. The worst part about rainy seasons, whenever it rains here, water clogging on the roads. The result………….. Traffic jams!!!!! One of the most annoying things.

The worst thing about traffic jams. The constant honking. Yes. People here don’t have enough civility or should I say, road mannerism.

People here are a bit too trigger happy when it comes to blowing horn.

When someone honks from the back, it freaks me out. I proper hate it.

Question. To everyone addicted to horn blowing.

Will constantly honking in the traffic open the road? If yes, I would never stop doing it. But sadly, it doesn’t. Then is it really important?? I don’t think so……. And I reckon I am right on this one here.

It usually takes about an hour, but today, it took us friggin 3 and a half hours just to reach there.

3 and a half hour drive.

My back and Arse hurts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Finally at the airport.

Another hour in the airport. Sorting things out and running here and there to get the cargo done.

Finally……………

Everything done at the airport and on our way back home. Another hour in the car. It’s driving me insane.

While in the car and stuck in a traffic jam, it annoyed the shit out of me to see the vehicles on the other side just running freely.

Hmmmmm……. Another question. A stupid one though.

Why does it always happen, whenever stuck in a traffic jam, the opposite side of the road is always free. Why???

Did this question ever tiptoed into your mind? Deffo not worth losing sleep over, however worth giving a thought.

Rain finally stopped. Thank goodness. Now I am a bit better.

But another hour and a half inside the car!!!!!Ughhhhhhhhhhhh. Shoot me.

After like 2 hours, at last, reached home. Soooooo friggin tired, I could just lie down and sleep for 16 straight hours.

Well, today, no stories to tell, no lessons learnt, just a normal day however slightly on the annoying side. A day worth remembering though, of course as one of the most annoying days.

Really tired!!!!! So I guess I’ll just stop annoying you and leave you in peace. Till the next time we meet again, take care and stay safe. Au Revoir!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PAGE 240/366: Another Story, Another Lesson!!!!!

The day began for me on just a normal note, nothing unusual, did the same things that I do every day. This day however, will be remembered for a long time to come and when I look back at it, I am gonna have plenty to thank GOD for. I am sure about it.

Life is a constant learning process and a lot of them come without even knocking on your door or should I say, they just come unexpectedly.

Alright, I am not going to beat around the bush too much and neither am I going to keep you guessing what it possibly may be.

So…. Here it goes………

As you all know that I started driving once again about a week back, still in the learning process though. So, once again back on the road with my instructor (also a friend) to drive around one of the busier roads. Mind you…. Previously we had been driving around the small roads with a lot less traffic.

Nervous and excited. Yeah I am friggin nervous but a lot of excitement inside me.

Hmmmmm… I took a deep breath. Here I am, on the road once again.

First few rounds, and it seemed it’s not as tough as it looked or as I had imagined. Eased my way past other vehicles and it all seemed so much fun. I had other friends with me, sitting in the back seat and talking, playing music. You could say we were having a good time around.

After a while, we changed the route and to the real thing. A steep left turn and a two way road with no divider!!!!!!!!!!! Are you friggin kidding me!!!!!!!

 Yeah I know it might be a small thing for those who drive but for a learner like me, it’s a friggin HUGE thing!!!!!!!!!!!

First try and I did everything just about right. A small grin on my face for a while…. But kinda happy with how I worked it out.

Upon our return to the same place; I was more confident about negating it. Kind of relaxed this time around and I did everything I could to not screw anything up.

On the turn however, a man out of nowhere emerged in front of my car. FUCK!!!!!! I was friggin shocked. To avoid any contact with him I swerved to the left and almost lost control. Yes I did friggin hit the divider though.

But I was serene enough not to scream, shout or yell at him. He was crossing the road and whilst avoiding a car from the other side he almost bumped into me. He was just as much freaked out as I was.

Then, to avoid further damage I turned the vehicle to the right and instead of pulling the brakes I friggin hit the accelerator. Nervousness got the better of me and by now you can imagine the kind of shit I was in.

The car took off almost like a rocket and again, almost bumped into an old couple walking on the road. Yes, I admit, had it not been for some quick thinking of my friend then I am sure I wouldn’t be writing and telling you about what’s happened. It’d have been a different story altogether then.

Brakes on, and I closed my eyes and recounted everything that happened. Emotions, check.. Anxiety, check.. Nervousness, check. Deep breath in... Deep breath out. 
After a while, I got down to check the damage on the car. Thank goodness, it wasn’t much, just a dent on the side, a small one. I however, felt kind of lucky because it could have been a lot worse than this.

Friends joked around about it for a while and we drove back home. I know they were just trying to comfort me….. And me??????? Yeah, I am pretty calm about it.

Okay, I thought I would never say or do this and it’s been some time now, but eventually I thanked GOD. Yes, I friggin did.

Looking back at it, everything seems normal but when I think about how things could have turned out, just couldn’t stop but thank him.

Second spell of driving lessons and the first accident (a small one though) so far.

I left home to learn how to drive, however as fate would have it, I learnt other lessons as well. This one is just as important as driving, I wouldn’t be wrong if I say, it’s much more important in fact.

Life is short and there is uncertainty looming all over it throughout. You’d never know what life has in stores for you and what drama is going to unfold every moment. It’s the fun part of it at the same time the sad truth that, no one can ever decipher the mystery that life is.

Okay, the point here is… There are always two sides of everything. You probably must have heard about the two sides of coins. For me however, it’s in everything. Everything that happens could be either good for us or bad. It depends on how you wanna see it.

I could look at today as one of the worst but on the other hand it could have gone a lot worse than this. Trust me, it could have.

“Thank GOD for everything that happens to you, remember that if it makes you happy, it’s good and if it doesn’t then it’s a lesson. Always know that things always could have been a lot worse than they actually are”. A lesson well learnt in time.

As they say, a sometimes best thing in life comes in small packages, and it surely did for me. A small incident definitely worth forgetting but a lesson well learnt. That sums up page: 240/366. Stay safe till I see you next time, stay safe. Adios!!!!!!!!

CHAPTER 34/52: Lifeless Yet Exciting

Okay, so the week began with a disappointment of seeing Liverpool lose their first match of this season to West Brom, that too in a way that it hurts more when I think about it. Barcelona restored some elation inside me, and my boy Messi once again brought back the smile to my face. He always does. Got over all this sooner rather than later and started the week once again, which didn’t have much excitement in the store for me though.

So…. Driving….. Hmmmmmmmm…. Once again back to it and honestly, I am getting better and getting the confidence back. Drove around the roads for a while, though I wouldn’t say I was totally in control but yes, I did make good progress from where I left off last week. Good thing for me I reckon.

Then the much awaited India Vs. Syria match. I had been waiting for it for a while. I and a bunch of the guys went to the match and it was really great experience. Okay, but let me tell you, there were not too many people in the stadium. Football is not as popular here, to be honest. But the Stadium, the atmosphere and the weather........ Awe-Friggin-Some. Sitting just near the tunnel and watching the players from close range…….. Boy, I was freaking out. To top everything, India won the match and as you might have guessed it, we all went berserk. Our sore throats are the evidence of what we went through for two hours inside the stadium. Proper Insanity!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was wrong, sometimes a guy’s day out like this is really refreshing and I did have whole loads of fun, to tell you the truth.

Taken on the match day, nevermind the picture though. It's been edited but that's the only thing I could find. Mind you, I am the one wearing Yellow shirt.

Now I am at the middle of the week and looking ahead for an interview I am supposed to give the next day. Kind of nervous but a bit excited from the inside. I am ready for it. Woke up early and reached the centre in time. But little did I know that I was supposed to carry whole loads of documents along.  Clumsy me… Yeah, I know I am, but that’s who I am. I was given time to actually get all these things, which I did and then the real thing happened. The much awaited interview. The panel interviewing me was kinda nice towards me and I had a good time with them. I am not sure if I did enough to impress them but I surely did have a great time. Done and dusted. Results……. Errrrrrmmmmmm… I’d probably tell you about it when it comes out. So don’t worry about it.

Alright now…. Did I ever tell you that I have a football team? If I haven’t then I apologize. Yes, I do play in a football team, though I don’t play just that much but I am still a part of it.

So, we had this one team that wanted to play with us, and we had everything fixed but the venue and the responsibility fell on me. I had a bit hectic schedule than usual that week so, I couldn’t do it. My fault. So, because of me….. No match this Saturday and the team is disappointed and I know it.

In my defense though, I’d like to just tell you that I had a busy week and couldn’t get the time. What annoys me however is that no one else came up to take the responsibility of booking the ground. Yes, it really is annoying. But as they say, whatever rocks their boat. I don’t care about it.

I, however feel sometimes that as a team everyone should be ready to take any kind of responsibility. Honestly, I hate them people who instead of doing anything just sit back and point out flaws when others work their arse off to get it done. Proper HATE IT!!!!!!! And sad thing, I have a lot of people like that around me.

Annoying? Yes, very much, but there is nothing I could possibly do about it. So I guess, it’s okay.

Oh, well, did I also tell you that I have started writing for live4liverpool.com again, and I am starting to enjoy it once again. Thank goodness. If I haven’t then…. Yes, I have started writing again.

So the week is at its end now, I am writing this instead of going out, so you could probably figure out the kind of life I live and the kind weekends I usually have. Nothing new, so I guess it’s okay for me.

Yes boring and lifeless it may be but I am looking forward to Sunday for a lot of reasons. First, Liverpool will be playing their first home game this season against none other than the champions Manchester City. If you are a Liverpool fan then I suggest you not to miss it at any cost. This one is going to be great.

And the other reason…. Hmmmmmmmmm, you’d know when the right time comes, till then I reckon you just have to play the guessing game.

Alright, I guess the time has come, so I will take a leave, but remember you and I have a lot to talk about and we will, in due time though. Till then take good care and stay safe, Adios!!!!!!!

HOMOPHOBIA: Is This Justified?

Just the other day, while speaking with a friend, we just bumped into one topic that hasn’t been ever touched. Not that I never liked talking about it, it however was the hesitation that always kept me away from it. So yeah, we never spoke about it. However those who know me and those who read what I write should know by now that I can be very random while talking. I can start from one topic and drift away to another without even completing what’s been said before and sometimes it so happens that I just forget about the topic or bring something in entirely out of context. Yeah, that’s what I am.

Okay so, we were talking about football, mind you he’s my teammate and also my best buddy in the team. We don’t have any problems touching any kind of topic; he is just as much random as I am.

After a while of discussing about the latest news around the transfer season, don’t know from where but I just asked him.

Me: Okay, listen, what if you found out that your best buddy was “homosexual” ?

He gave me a weird look at first with a sort of wicked smile…..

Him: That would change a lot of things between us; I wouldn’t be just as much comfortable with him anymore.

Me: Would you tease him for that?

Him: Yeah I probably would and maybe stop talking or hanging out with him just as much.

Shocking!!!!!!!!!! But that’s what he said…

Me: Fair enough, and if he told you that he’s in love with somebody else?

Him: Even if that was the case, it would still be very awkward and uncomfortable.

Okay, by this time I was kinda wondering what to ask next…… So,

Me: Why?

Him: Hmmmmmmm… that’s because it’s unnatural and I think it’s just not right.

Okay that probably was the answer I was kinda hoping for but it took me by surprise to be honest.

Me: And why is it unnatural?

Him (With a slightly annoyed tone): Come on, you are supposed to love the opposite sex, it’s just not right.

I knew he was annoyed a bit, I however just wanted to go on………

Me: Okay, if that is unnatural then why are people born that way?

He paused and thought about it for a while…….

Him: I don’t know why? But it’s just unnatural and I can’t accept it if any of my friend was in fact a “Homosexual”.

Okay by this time, I was kind of losing it….

Me: How can you say that? Imagine if you were a “Homosexual” and I had the same sentiments about it? Then how would you have reacted to it??????

He was kind of lost for words I reckon….

Him: I don’t know and I don’t wanna think too much about that. Just that I am not, so it’s fine. Let’s cut this out now.

I however still wanted to discuss and probably change his perception towards it, but that’s how the entire conversation ended.

I looked the other way and so did he, honestly, I was a bit disappointed but then once he started talking about other things, everything was once again okay.

So, that’s how it is, I feel strongly about it, I respect them to be honest and sometimes I feel bad about it too. Their sexual orientation often invites a lot of unwanted attention and bullying, which in other terms we know as “Homophobic bullying”.

Homophobic bullying is defined as hounding behaviors that are motivated by prejudice against a person’s actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.

In my opinion, no one deserves to be bullied. Everyone is the same; the only difference is the opinion when it comes to preferences. No one is a creep just because they have different perception on gender identity or sexual orientation.

A lot of people go through this trauma that is “Homophobic bullying” which involves malicious name-calling; spreading rumors, unwanted sexual comments or jokes, suggesting that someone or something is stupid and therefore “Gay”, exclusion, isolation, public humiliation or intimidation, obscene gestures, stalking or threatening someone with physical harm, unwanted sexual touching, harassment, using the Internet, instant messaging and cell phones to intimidate and to put down people because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.

Phewwwwww!!!!! So much to go through, just because they don’t have the same sexual preference with all the other “Normal” people.

This often leads to emotional and behavioral difficulties, higher symptoms of depression and externalizing behaviors, more hostile peer environments and experiences of victimization, greater rates of bullying and sexual harassment, and less social support in both their family and peer group contexts when compared with their heterosexual peers.

Before I move on to the next thing, I must ask one question to all the “Normal People”.

What if the same thing happened to you? What if things were vice-versa of how it is now? Put yourself in their shoe and just imagine what would you have done and how you might have felt then.

Everyone, including me have the right to express themselves and also the right to chose what they want to do and don’t. But just think for a second…….

Is this justified?????

This could all change with a bit of awareness from everyone. No one likes being an outcast; it’s depressing when it happens. I am sure you all know how it feels.

I would like to reiterate what a friend said once “God didn't make everybody straight and 'normal' and that we should love and accept each other, no matter what our sexuality is and no matter who we love” and I strongly stand by that. Teach respect and an appreciation for differences before the seeds of intolerance take root.

If you can’t respect them for who they are then I feel you shouldn’t disrespect them as well. Nobody has the right to disrespect, neither does anyone has the right to judge them for who they are or anyone for that matter.

If you can’t intervene in homophobic harassment and name-calling when you hear it, just don’t indulge in it yourself. Prejudice and hate are learned behaviors, it’s better avoided.

Homophobic bullying is wrong and not acceptable and everyone should be proud of who they are. Just stand up and speak up for your rights. There is nothing to be ashamed of; you are just as normal as everyone else. Just like Lady GaGa sings……..

“I'm beautiful in my way
'Cause God makes no mistakes
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born this way
Don't hide yourself in regret
Just love yourself and you're set
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born this way.”

Inspirational, isn’t it?????? True as well!!!!!!

Okay so, I guess this is where I end all this, not because I have run out of words but because of a hope that whatever I said or wrote brings in a new beginning and a new perception. And I leave everyone, including the people prejudiced about all this with a small message….

“Well, think before what you do or say. “Karma is a bitch” it’ll always get back to you. Love people for who they are and if you can’t love them, then you have no rights to hate them either.”