I challenge myself to writing for 20 consecutive days. On anything, whatever catches my fancy. It's been too long since I wrote and I feel atrophy setting in.

Day 1 begins tomorrow August 22.

Inertia:
2: indisposition to motion, exertion, or change

This is precisely whats happening on the fitness goals front. Status Quo.

Sometimes you feel like a voyeur, looking out of the windows of a fast moving train. Perhaps your invisible to those outside. Perhaps, they have gotten used to this. Perhaps they just don't care anymore.

An old couple squat before a hovel, she handing him a glass of something steaming, a smile - years of understanding? Perhaps.

Man on a balcony, straining outside to get his cellphone working. Someone he loves? Perhaps.

Wedding ceremony. Bright lights, brighter people. New life together. Hopes and wishes plenty? Perhaps.

His eyes beseech. So skinny, that he's more bones than flesh. Tatterred clothes. Outstretched hand. Lost Childhood? Perhaps.

People make resolutions in the new year, am getting ahead this time. These are some of my personal fitness goals for the next year and I will be posting these up every week, in addition to any other topics.

1. Lose 15 pounds(7 kg.) by May 1, 2008 - current 194 pounds (88 kg.)
2. Do 80 pushups in 2 minutes - current 16
3. Run/Walk a 10k in less than 3 hours by November 2008 - current 10 mts, can walk for a longer time though :-)

I have other goals, but these are what I need to focus on for the next year from a fitness perspective.

Someone becomes such a part of you that you cannot distinguish where you end and the other person begins. Funny thing is that a lot was made of 'space', perhaps too much.

It pops up to remind you when the other is away and then it just hurts. The world changes hue when together and changes again when apart. There cannot be words enough to describe what feelings run fleeting through the landscape of my mind.

Somethings are best left unsaid

Happened to see the ad jingle for ILead India - made to inspire. Why does this whole Chak De theme become so popular?

Enroute to office came across a jam at a crossing - traffic piling in from all sides, no space anywhere and everyone wanting to get across, reminded me of a swarm of bees just all crowded together. One moment I was a casual observer and the next I was part of the swarm. Just like that.

I've heard that in Mumbai the trains have the same behaviour - perhaps its things like these that distinguish us. The Brits form queues and are orderly at the drop of a hat - no supervision at all, traffic is so orderly out there that one gets paranoid if one sees a car veer slightly off the line - what is it that differs between us and them? I wonder.

We certainly are more colourful politcally than the Brits can ever be, I cannot imagine a Narendra Modi lasting for long in the UK. I say, dear chap, how frightfully blase is this.

Sometimes I wonder what sets us apart as people, then sometimes I feel maybe we are not that different after all. Shooting in a Delhi school kind of let that message sink in.

We're getting there.

Diwali is just about wrapping up, desultory outbursts notwithstanding.

Lights, festivities and photographs later, the highlight of the evening brought out.. boxes of crackers, fancy names and even fancier descriptions..eager hands and eager faces... mock scared faces and hands covering ears... anticipation mixed with 2 parts of pessimism. Will these recapture the hours spent as a child? .. innocent glee ...no thoughts of children making fireworks.. ozone depletion .. pollution et all... much discussion on Chinese inroads ...

Perfunctory attempts at lighting the first one..squib..fizzle.. winking out like the end of a forgotten firefly..indignation... sets the theme ... trusty old anars.. something missing...parts of vindication..parts of foolishness... waning interest ... perhaps this is what is 'growing old'

The other day I saw a t-shirt with a message (I am a big one for those!)

"Hard work never killed anybody.... but why take the risk"

Set me thinking, do I work hard? Of course, everyone except the completely self-aware feels that they do. This probably explains the long faces after the bi-annual performance review. Do we really, really work hard and work hard at the right thing?

Hmmmm......

Sometimes one has to lose oneself to find oneself. There has been a lot happening in my life and somewhere along the way I kind of lost the urge to write. I can only chalk it down to laziness more than anything else.

So here Iam sitting before my laptop and making a silent resolution that I will write. There is defenitely a narcissistic bone in my body. Why else would one blog.

The last couple of months have been spent in happy matrimony and I would defenitely count my blessings in that aspect.  I do subscribe to the school of thought that being married to the right person makes such a world of difference.

But here again I digress.  This is about my writing. I had delusions previously that I was facing a writers block. Then I realized that Iam hardly a writer. Blogging to me is more like a place to chalk up your opinions and if people do respond to you it can give rise to some interesting discussions. I've had quite a few of them, so I should know.

Sometimes there is just so much a man can do before he realizes that its not what he wants all along.