Faith

There is a solution to every problem.

Sometimes you just have to look for it harder and longer.

Zoya
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Belief

I read this somewhere...or perhaps I read something similar and made this myself...I don't quite remember...but this is one of the guiding principles in my life....

If you think you can, or if you think you can't, either way, you are right !

Zoya
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Excuses...excuses !

We always find excuses for not having done things. Why don't we ever try to find excuses to do them ?

Zoya
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Pondering over choice situations...

In my opinion, when a make-or-break choice situation arises, it is never one person versus the other. It is always truth versus falsehood, right versus wrong, just versus unjust, fair versus unfair. Do we remember to keep our perspective like that ?

Zoya
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Some questions...

Is it wrong to insist on competence ?

If someone claims to like doing something, should they not put their best efforts in it ?

Is it unfair to demand that a team-member should respect the dependence of other team-members and put personal inconveniences aside ?

I know the answers to these questions. I just need to know if I am a freak for thinking in the way I do or are there other people who think like me.

Zoya
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My First Tag Ever - The Book Tag ! :)

I'm a voracious reader...in fact at one time, you could say I was addicted to books. Both my parents are voracious readers and naturally both my brother and I followed suit. My parents bought a wide variety of books for us. Right since a very young age I was exposed to both English and Marathi books written by Indian, British, American and Russian authors.

Picture this: All four of us sitting in the same room...not talking to each other for hours on end...because each one is totally absorbed in the book they are reading ! This was quite a regular scenario at home.

My love for books turned into addiction and lasted throughout my teenage and well beyond it. In the family circles, the favourite funny stories that are repeatedly told and laughed upon are the ones where "She was standing right there in front of it with a book in hand and the milk just simply spilt over and she found out only when she smelled it !" or "Do you know why the rice is overcooked..." Oh well ! :)

So when I saw that this tag was up for grabs, I jumped at the opportunity to revisit old books and book-memories (yes, there are those too...but more about that in another post perhaps).

I'm very excited since this is my first tag ever :) Here goes:

A book that made you laugh: Asterix and Obelix, Archies, Life of Pi by Yann Martel (I was laughing out loudly while reading the first few chapters), All of Georges Mikes' books, Shakuntala Paranjapye - Sense & Nonsense
A book that made you cry: Any story of kindness, suffering, loss of innocence will make me cry...right from Chicken Soup for the Soul stories to The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseni
A book that scared you: A Long Way Gone - Ishmael Beah, A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseni. The kind of suffering, cruelty that humans can inflict on other humans scares me.
A book that disgusted you: None really.
A book you loved in elementary school: Everything Enid Blyton, Russian books translated into English and Marathi that my mother used to buy for my brother and I.
A book you loved in middle/junior high school: The Malory towers, St. Clares, Famous Five, Five Findouters, Three Investigators, Secret Seven, The Three Investigators
A book you loved in high School: Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys
A book you loved in college: Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird, Richard Bach - Jonathan Livingstone Seagull
A book that challenged your identity: Hmm...let me see...OK...The Alchemist by Paul Coelho...it didnt really challenge my identity as much as it helped me become clearer and more convinced about the choices I make.
A series you love: Asterix and Obelix, Agatha Christie, All of Enid Blyton's series
Horror: Not my cup of tea !
Science fiction: I don't know whether this strictly classifies as science fiction...I think its an intersection of science fiction and comedy...The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - A Trilogy in five parts
Your favourite fantasy: Antoine Saint du Exupéry - The Little Prince
Your favourite mystery: Undoubtedly Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie.
Your favourite biography: I haven't read may biographies actually...the one I can randomly remember having read is Lee Iacocca's autobiography and I enjoyed it quite a bit...also Maverick by Ricardo Semler...which makes for highly educative reading.
Your favourite “Coming of age” book: Richard Bach - Jonathan Livingstone Seagull
Your favourite classic: Now why is there a need to even ask this ? Obiously, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Your favourite romance book: Again, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen :)

Tell me about yours... :)

Zoya

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Being Judgemental !

I have discovered that the two most important things on which I form opinions about people are how they behave with other beings and the quality of their work.

Zoya
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Introspection...

The more I look inside myself, the more of my flaws I discover.

It is a painful process...this introspection.

Zoya
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Intolerance !

I have noticed that I am getting increasingly intolerant.

In no particular order, here is what I simply cannot put up with any longer:

Untruth. Lies. Deceit. It used to hurt my feelings previously. I would cry and 'let it go'. Now it angers me...and I confront the concerned person. Guess what ? Its getting people to stop lying...at least to me !

The know-alls. I zone out when they open their mouths.

Unpunctuality. Whenever I have committed a time to somebody, I reach on time. If due to unavoidable circumstances, I find that I will be delayed, I communicate well in advance and then meet that commitment. I have stopped waiting for others endlessly. I wait for a reasonable period. If there is a communication about late coming, I wait till the person arrives at the newly committed hour. Else I simply leave.

People who try to shove their philosophy / way of life / credit cards / responsibility / health insurance schemes / multi-level-marketing style schemes to sell nutritional food products / ... / own self down my throat.

I've had enough. Period.

Zoya

P.S. Despite what this post may lead you to believe, in reality I have a cheerful disposition and a loud throaty laugh :)
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Truly National Transport !

Check this out....
Name: Punjab Travels
Registration of: Rajasthan
Travelling: Ahmedabad se Pune

Zoya

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