Phir bhi dil hain hindustani

If the name gives you a vibe that this is going to be some cheesy SRK worship story then let me stop you right there,it’s not. I don’t know what this is but it sure is something I think often and there always is a conflict of thought. A thought that is very common for most of us living here and a conflict that arises from having to choose between, a better life and the home you have known for always. A mixed feeling of emotional distress and rational introspection.

Talking about our tastes, We like all the time we can get here after work but we also yearn to talk to the family on skype .We love going camping and hiking with friends but we also love the little weekend getaways we have back home. We like all the income and things that it can buy us here but we never stop dreaming about taking our Honda on Indian roads. We like jeans and boots but dazzling salwars and long big earrings are still our favorite.We like the malls, movies and deals, but we miss the road side shopping and street vendor stalls. We like the joy of christmas but we always miss the spirit of diwali. We love toblerone, hersheys and coldstone but not as much as gulab jamun, ragda and dahi papdi. We like our starbucks venti decaf but not more than homemade filter coffee. We try Italian, chinese and greek but Indian restaurant is always our first choice.

Putting the facts and emotions together and giving it a perception, we are those people who love to imbibe western culture, still keeping our own flavor in it. the flavor of culture and tradition that makes us who we are and the flavor of life that took us a long way. we are torn between the mind that belongs to rationale and the heart that will always belong at home.

-- for all the desi guys 

Memories

Memories are often decorated on the wall of time from the box of treasured thoughts. Some memories strike the chords of nostalgia while some hold the keys to the doors of our past. Some take us on a ride of happiness while some bring back thoughts of pain.

At time it's respite and at times a curse. At times its peace and At times its sorrow. some times a blissful solace and sometimes a painful truth.

A story of our choices, a book of compiled moments, a maze of mixed emotions, a trunk of scattered thoughts and a journey of our life time. A tick less destination always in moment's reach of today and tomorrow. Memories....

The story of my discretion with money

Memories are an old bundle of folded papers rustling in the winds of thoughts. Though some pages are tinted in the colors of tears, they still give us some reason to smile and see how different life once was. There are always pages written in the ink of happiness and tales that tell the story of those moments which are worth cherishing. Here is one such account from the book of my memories; My First Job.

There are a lot of things that I remember from that chapter of my life. Although, there were a few bitter things, It was those encounters and experiences that partly made me who I am today. There were two attributes to my job; work and salary. work was my routine and salary was the much awaited output. This was the time when I began to see the world from the eyes of freedom;the freedom that came to me after years of dreams. This was the freedom of money and choice.

There is an unstoppable and inexplicable happiness that springs from earning for the first time. The joy in thinking that there is something tangible and valuable to have is beyond words. It takes time to realize the value of money and there is nothing better than earning and spending that can make us realize this. So yes, to earn was my dream and to spend was my choice. A choice that was so simple and perfect , a choice that I don’t regret even today for a split second. 

I spent most of what I earned on shopping; which was fun, and it was more fun when I used my pristine credit card with my name on it. Drinking coffee in Barista was my pastime, watching movies every weekend was my routine, eating food in restaurants was my habit. Oh, I changed my mobile twice in two years. Life was just beyond perfect and spending money was already a big part of it; often without a second thought.

When I look back in time, I realize that my closet was then overflowing with clothes, perfumes, handbags and things that I just bought for fun. Those barista times when I drained more than 50 bucks every time I went on a coffee break. Those pizza times when I spent 800 bucks on a single check. I never for once stopped or realized it then but I just thought that I was living my life and living it beyond any regrets.

Today I know, what I can earn and I also know what is the value of it. I have learnt to realize the true value of money over years but it only happened after I have learnt to spend it.There are and will always be times when you just want to spend, to just let go, but then it becomes a force of habit to first question. A question you begin to ask every time you want to spend. A question that makes us think if its worth the money or not. A decision that comes from reasoning and understanding value.

This is a chapter of my life that makes me smile once in a while when I am questioning myself if something is worth it. It is those such moments I once had that make me live today without any regrets; because I once knew how it was to spend it and what it was to just be carefree.

Time has later taught me many things, and I have taught myself to make better choices with money. But, no better choice is worth today, if I don't have that smile from the days of simple spendthrift I once was.