What is luxury for you and me?

Two days in a workshop called 'Luxury marketing' has made a style averse me more averse to it! Though the seminar was supposed to be 'marketing luxury' in all the segments one can think of, it was very heavily dominated by this one particular brand - Louis Vuitton, towards which I was apathetic till a few days back, and towards which I am allergic today. Watches, Bags, shoes, perfumes, hand-kerchiefs, goggles and many such petty items took a disproportionately large amount of attention. I love all these, no doubt. But there is a huge question as to whether these deserve the money they charge from the consumer as well as whether it would at all give me any kind of satisfcation if I break my head to position them as a superior offering to the Cindy Crawfords ( for the sheer lack of knowledge on anyone more recent) or Mahendar Singh Dhonis of the world. Even if someone pays me my weight in gold as my monthly salary (which would leave them with no operating profits I am sure :)! ) I would never ever go into this for the simple reason that I can't convince anyone to be fooled by this when I am as unmoved after 16 hours of listening to this, as ever. I am not a communist, no way! But there are definitely a lot of better ways in which one can spray such money around. Though books win hands down, travel, photography, musical instruments, new gadgets are far better a way to spend money and reap benefits. Whether I keep my smelly leather wallet inside a Louis Vuitton bag or the fake Diesel bag bought near Andheri Station, it is not going to affect the way I feel about myself. Damn it! Why do you need a stupid bag or a shoe to give you confidence in yourself? Why do I need to announce that I have arrived, by tip toeing on a Prada Pencil heel?? How can I someone to define me by what they see on my body? Do you neot have anything to be proud of yoursrlf other than the shoe you own?? Is Paris Hilton the smartest person alive?? What has the world come to? HOW CAN ANYONE BE SO SNOBBISH & HOLLOW?? AND WHY?

I am not trying to act a noble soul, but it was just beyond my tolerance to sit through a thing like this, listening to people selling 3.2 lac watches. I felt cheated from within, when I thought, "Why did I CHOOSE to learn all these?". Learning new things are interesting, but this wasn't. If I have that kind of money, I know a hundred good ways to spend it. Thank God for the social consciousness my family has put in me. For all I care, 'Luxury' to me is having confidence in myself, irrespective of how I look or what I wear. And hearing the definition over and again that luxury is anything that is 'Exclusive', I really know that my self-image is a huge luxury. Not many seem to have it. At least, we were shown only those kind of people for 2 whole days. Sick.

My real luxuries are as follows:
1. Good books. Getting them as and when they are released.
2. Leisure time with your family & friends.
3. Being able to reach home whenever you are needed.
4. Knowing what exam you have tommorrow.
5. Coffee and Hindu in the morning.
6. A husband who loves literature. Tamil & English.
7. A healthy family ( a huge luxury. I know how an illness has an avalanche effect in terms of bad mouthing your family members.)
8. Good food.
9. A job which satisfies you by challenging you everyday.

That more or less covers most of my luxuries. Though not in the exact order they are in my mind. Of course, that would be too foolish to give the order ;) ! Knowing me in and out is a definite luxury I cannot offer to everyone !

A Prisoner's Diary - Part 2

Looking back at the three months spent here..
Losses:
1. Family & Friends (very important). Haven't spoken to a lot of them even once during the last three months. Not having too many friends here does make matters worse. I miss the camaraderie of being a part of a closely knit group. I have been used to it both in college and work :(
2. Good food: I never ever imagined that I would miss the food I used to cook !!! But I do. The food we get is remotely fit for human consumption. And Bombay has given me the taste for good food... I have immensely enjoyed eating out there.
3. Time for reading good stuff: I read all the day. But enjoy a mere 5% of it (optimistic estimate). All those nights spent reading some real good books, where I used to wonder if the dawn swallowed some hours of the night. Those classics and thrillers, M&Bs and fantasy seem a distant dream these days.
4.Time for myself: Time for walks, taking leisurely baths, praying quietly in a temple, sitting idly in the beach, listening to a distant bird or simply lying down staring at the roof..
5. Sense of doing something: As long as I dont know why I am here, there is not a lot of sense cribbing about this. I used to enjoy my work at TCS. I used to feel that I am doing something which is of direct use to someone and indirect use to me. I might not have admitted this before but the only thing which had dissatisfied me there was the absence of a clear growth path for people (Please God, let me not sound like someone who has read a lot of HR :D). My only hope hanging loosely is that my close friend and my cousin find the finance subjects very interesting and there is no reason why I would not soon.
6.Weight: A quite a lot of it. Dont ask me how much!

Gains:
Enough of cribbing. Now to the gains.
1. Stamina: I have developed an amazing stamina these days. I work for the whole day and still have the energy to lie down with a novel before sleeping however late it be.
2. Assignments: Not a gain in the conventional sense, but a gain nevertheless :) :) !
3. I am thinking hard.... hmmm...hmm..Laptop probably?! Can't think of anything else to fill in here. Hopefully, the days to come might provide me with something.

Ventings On My Ungrateful Boss :(

I have a duty everyday..
And I do it without fail..
Have always done so.

But as I m doing it,
I am beaten.
And am physically abused.
Every single day without fail.

Pillows pressed to my face..
Making my voice inaudible.
Kicked or thrown about.
Or assigned another duty
Without being given a refreshing break.

I wonder why God makes me suffer
For being sincere and punctual.
Why is that my boss is so cruel hearted?
So lazy, unappreciative and unreciprocative?

If this continues for some more time,
I am sure I will ditch my boss..
When my services are most required.
When she has an important exam
I am not going to ring!!
When she misses the paper she will be wild.

I don't want her to be sad,
But she can't humiliate me every day!

At least once in a while,
She needs to respond to my call.
Wake up when I ring, sit and study!!
I doubt I can see that happening in my lifetime.

- Sudha's Frustrated Alarm clock

Come Again Another Day ...

Calm sea.
Strong breeze.
Rain clouds over the horizon.
Moving with a thunderous velocity.

I saw strange shapes.
An elephant.
An ogre.
A chariot.
A man and a woman.
All chasing one another.

Birds were playing hide and seek.
Appearing and disappearing between the clouds.
Droplets began to fall.
Creating ripples in the water.

I shut my windows.
I started shivering.
Yet I felt an urge
To lie down on the floor.

I did.
It took me two minutes to settle.
I could savour the chillness
Seeping into my spine.

I felt light.
Very light in fact.
I closed my eyes.
Memories began a procession.

I let it take control.
I went wherever it dragged me to.
Home,Office,College.
Lecture halls, Cinemas, Library.

I was aware that I was dreaming.
I laughed. I cried.
I fought. I sighed.
I gave. I took.
All with the wonderful background score
Of rain tapping against my window.

Rain has given me an excuse
for not attending my class.
for not washing my clothes.
for not studying due to bad light.
for not hanging out with anybody.

I wanted this to go on forever.

Outside, the sky was clearing slowly.
The tapping reduced.
I was becoming conscious of the work to be done.
I felt a personal loss.
I cursed the rain.
For momentarily taking me beyond
the realms of my existence.

I picked up a book with vengeance and acted the pragmatist I m perceived to be.