Thursday, March 16, 2006

28 years of "Being Me"


When the clock strikes 12 this Saturday morning (March 18), I will be 28 years old. Yes…one more step closer to an unknown destiny. One more year older and hopefully wiser too. This is the 6th birthday I am spending away from my family in my entire life so far. Sure I get a lot of wishes on this day, sure I get a lot of hugs and good words from my friends and near ones here, but the feel of being with family is still something I yearn for.

As a tribute to myself, considering I never treat myself to anything too special, I decided to make a concise list of self-reflections. These are reflections of what it is like to be me. While some might be ‘myth-busters’ in my case, others are just plain revelations. As I see it this is nothing more than a checklist for me to hopefully re-organize it when I hit 29 next year. Not to mention getting over this nagging writer’s block.

Belief: I have a passion for eating pizza.
Fact: This is a clear # 1 misbelief many people have about me. Not true. I took to eating pizza only because this blessed country I live in does not have sufficient vegetarian options for pure veggies like me. In fact the first time I ever tasted a pizza was during Xmas of 2000 in the United States.

Belief: I am a patient person.
Fact: Partially true although I have realized my low threshold for peoples’ stupidity has made me more impatient. I hope this does not become a trait.

Belief: I am a team player.
Fact: Another major misconception with people in Technology. One of the best works I have produced is when I work in isolation. With time I have realized that it is no longer possible for me to spend time “connecting with people” when it comes to producing quality work. Given a choice, I would rather put on some light music and do the damn thing myself.

Belief: I watch too much television.
Fact: I watch a maximum of two select shows (each spanning about half an hour) each day. On a day when I am busy with other stuff I watch no television whatsoever. So far my television watching record lingers at around two hours maximum.

Belief: I cannot draw/paint/appreciate art.
Fact: This is another bane programmers have to live with. Somehow some misfit somewhere came up with a concept that programmers are “geeks” or “nerds” who have no understanding of art. I must have drawn about a thousand paintings, a few thousands of cartoons, and hundreds of sketches in my life so far. One of my goals in school was to become a traveling painter who visited places around the world and created art.

Belief: I have no association with music / I cannot sing.
Fact: I won all the awards in schools and colleges for best singing growing up in a music rich country like India. Not one contest has passed me by so far where I have not won a prize. Again, since my interest in the kind of music I am into differs from the popular culture of my current life, I choose to keep this to myself.

Belief: I do not read (novels etc) much.
Fact: I was an ardent reader in my younger days. Everything from Ruskin Bond to R K Narayan has been through my eager eyes. I still maintain my love affair with books although I do not like discussing my opinions with others about them. That is just me.

Belief: I do not like traveling and exploring new places.
Fact: I have always been a family person. I cannot imagine myself packing my bags and heading off to some unknown destination (non work related) to seek new horizons. I am all about relationships and hence need some face to identify where I am going. Travel to me is about adventure but is also about sharing it with someone I care about.

Belief: I cannot write in Kannada.
Fact: Up until recently many people I know believed this (and still do). Although Kannada was one language that I did not learn officially, for some reason no matter how scantily I used it, it never left me and I know it never will. I guess learning a mother tongue is like learning to ride a bicycle. One never really forgets.

Belief: I fall in love easily.
Fact: I have never been the kind of guy who carried his heart on his sleeve all the time. Although I never lost hope in true love either. It is just a matter of time before my hope is acknowledged.

I will be adding more to this list as and when I encounter ignorant folk who claim to have figured me out. Who knows...maybe I might surprise them (and myself!) in the process.

ShaKri

8 reflections:

Sri said...

Keep up the good work (esp. the reviews @ IMDB)

Many happy returns of the day !

מאור said...

Well, that is true. Time passes by and certainly you're getting wiser -or so it seems to me! and yes, you have a passion for pizza =)

!יום הולדת שמח

ShaK said...

Thanks for the responses. And Carlitos...no hay ningun otra respuesta para su misunderstanding from my side. Haha...so I guess the 'Pizza Myth' continues, eh brother?

ShaK said...

Thank you Raj for being here.

ಮುರಳಿ ಪುಟ್ಟಾಬ್ಯಾಟಪ್ಪ said...

belated Happy birthday Shashi

ShaK said...

d'vaada Murmi nimma abhinaMdanegaLige. Much appreciated.

mouna said...

come on... u know these 'myths' are false... your cartoons are superb... and u say that u cannot do or appreciate art!!!

about reading... i guess it'll stick to us.... even though we try to shrug it off... believe me... it has happened to me...

ShaK said...

:) I was in a wierd state of mind when I jotted this down. Spending a birthday away from loved ones is never easy.

Being lonely is worse than being alone.

Thanks for the words.

 
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