SRI LANKA. When people ask me how my tour of the country was, I simply smile- I cannot begin to explain the emotions I went through- I actually mean it now- words are not enough. Saying that it was ‘awesome’ categorizes it into an excitement filled excursion, -which it was not- but it indeed was AWESOME. Most of all, I think I’m in love with the people- they remind me of what we were a decade back. Earlier when someone returned from a trip and pronounced that they love the people of the place, I used to think it impossible to understand the people of an entire community- all in a couple of week’s time. But now, I know. I cannot explain. Beautiful.

People keep using the word ‘inspired’ very often. Personally, I think it’s a really, really strong word, and should be used only at exceptional emotional highs- “I’m inspired.” I remember not wanting to use it for the past 21 years of my life- but now, I must. There is nothing else. But I’m sure people wont understand the gravity of it’s use- very much like the tooth relic temple in kandy- not all can understand how important that structure is to the lankans. Paradigm shift.

A mad friend of mine has been quite irritated with the colour of my wardrobe. She thinks its all rather too dull. She hates the brownes and beiges- the greens and the blacks. She says that if I lie down on the earth and someone saw from high above, I couldn’t be pointed out.. Now, I seriously doubt if that was a compliment, but the statement hit me. “we are all created out of mud, and one day all of us will end up as mud”. If she so much as smells this positive reaction, she will slit my throat. Seriously.

I love putting mehendi. But it’s a very, very tedious task. It takes hours, and hours, and hours of hardwork. And all for a temporary tattoo. Never mind that, I think it’s worth it. Recently I was ‘hired’ to apply mehendi for an engagement, and I applied my studio concepts to the design. It worked, and beautifully. I was right; design is design- be it fashion, textile, jewellery, or product. They are one, and we shouldn’t be distinguishing them. The different degrees in education may help in focusing on one, but they are essentially one- design- and one passionate mind can take them all.

My blog is not real-time. I wonder if people realize that. The fundamental reason why I write is to keep a record of the timeline- and it is ironical that my blog is not flowing along with my life- but my diary is. I write basically in my diary, and post a part of that as my blog.

Mudasir said today- life is just about the number of varied experiences you have- good and bad. Hmm...I don’t think life is just about the number or range of experiences- it’s not a checklist. I don’t think we should just do everything for the sake of the ‘experience’-at the end of it, you should have an opinion- intent. That’s what makes your life. Lets say one guy starts to ‘want’ to experience everything, so he starts doing it all- and then this other guy is born who has the same intention- to not have any intentions, just the experience. How are they different at all?! What makes it your life?!

Kaustubh said that he stopped writing in his blog because he gave in to the ‘demand-supply’ syndrome. I wonder if I will be bitten too.

The whole world is online these days- it’s not like before. People have to be careful with what they say online. ‘Global connectivity’. Recently, a group of people were caught by the police for drugs or something like that. On investigation, it was found that they came in touch with each other through orkut. My brother thinks it’s great that a community like orkut can bring together ‘like-minded’ people. He writes the code for orkut. Truly, orkut has brought a lot of like-minded people together- irrespective of the intent. I wonder where all this is leading us.

Sometimes I think I’m too fussy. My brother says that nothing is ever simple with me around. Like for example, the task of buying a dress. I make it a big deal- “it has to be designed, it has to be something different.” This probably puts off certain people. Does designing everything make life complicated? It shouldn’t. But then when someone steps a little out of the ‘ordinary’ line, everything quickly thickens- it’s a difficult task to be different.

I wonder if my blog page is monotonous. It’s just pure text- and tons of it. We read a lot of books with only text, don’t we? Oh that reminds me of how desperately my mom had tried to get me started on reading actual books- a transfer from comics. Difficult, it was. I think the first book that I read was one of the secret seven series. Nice books, those. Famous five, too.

I’ve been thinking a lot about my professional future- how I want to end up- full fledged architect with big firm or what..So many things are coming to my mind- they’re all so easy to say- living them is a different thing. For example, “I want to bring design to the common man.” How in the whole universe do you actually do it? This might even sound too idealistic -or philosophical- even. Hmm..

Do ‘great’ architects have great attitude? I have been meeting with a lot of architects recently. I have asked them fundamental questions relating to their aim in their architectural life- and they’re all so unique. Everybody has something new and striking to say. But one thing- they know all about each other, and keep track of one another’s achievements and failures. Know your enemy, eh?

The last four paragraphs that I have written are all of almost the same length. Feels out of place- makes me want to write more in some of the paragraphs to make it less standardized. There- at least in this paragraph I varied the length! :)

“There is nothing called as a low cost home- It’s such a humiliating thing to say. Even if a farmer’s life savings is 3 lakhs, he expects a good home for himself. Same with a businessman with a budget of 3 crores. No one wants a cheap product. ‘Low cost’ is the wrong word. The word is ‘appropriate’.”

Taking photographs has become such an easy and inexpensive task. Digital cameras help a lot. Videos are even better. But we tend to get to the other extreme too. On architectural study tours, I tend to avoid carrying my camera- because the innocence with which space is experienced- is lost. When we design spaces, we always think of human psychology in the space- how she will react to this light, how she will experience this volume. But when these emotions are felt from behind the camera lens, they are not the same.

Why can’t mosquitoes just live and let live?

I was told recently that I come across as an arrogant person. I don’t understand- I do not have ego and over-confidence...for me, the most believable sentence would be the one which talks about my flaws...I’m crazy. The thing is, I think I am –innocently- too straight-forward and curious. I ask directly- and answer directly. This may be mistaken as attitude. For example, in std. Ten in a bio class, my teacher made me stand up and asked me out of complete and honest concern- “Why are your eyes watering? Are you crying?” For me, it was not a matter of choice- I had to tell the truth- “I just yawned, ma’am.” See now, I might have looked like a buffoon with horns, but for me, it was more of a fundamental law- not to lie- to anyone, about anything. I still don’t lie.

I hate getting ‘common’ cold. Without exception, I am infected once a year- and I just about barely exist for those 5 days. The beginnings are the worst- since I don’t carry a handkerchief with me everyday. That unfortunate first day of cold is rather embarrassing. Once I had cold when my college exams were going on- quite interesting entertainment it must have been to all.. Hehe...