I wanted to write this post for a while now. Somehow life seemed crazy and I wasn't able to really have the time or the quietness of the mind. When I started "Notes Above Ground", I had a very clear picture. I wanted to shut down my other blog -- Stream of Conscious -- partly because it was under a pen name, and partly because I wanted to write more than poetry. That blog was all poetry. So what's the deal with this blog? Here goes:

Notes Above Ground is my PERSONAL blog. That means it's about things that I'm really interested in. That can translate to anything under the sun but I'm narrowing down that into loosely 'concentrated' areas.

This is a place that I jot down notes, thought processes, and keep references. They might be of use to others too. So here's a list of things that you'd be able to read about here:

• Photography
• Social/New media
• The Internet/Web 2.0/Web ++
• Book reviews
• Movie reviews
• Blog/Site reviews
• Travel
• Food
• Writing, writing, writing

As I turn on the TV and watch the news,
hope is a rare glimmer that can’t be found.

We see the world unraveling itself.
And words of my grandmother came into my head:
the world is going to end soon.

I was 13, getting ready to leave for the States.
There were wars, storms and disasters then.
There are wars, storms and disasters now.

Is the world really going to end soon?
These are all signs she said.

Well, maybe they are.

Maybe they’re not.

But I’m grateful.

I’m grateful that my friends encompass the world.
I’m grateful that a friend from Germany can send me post cards from Mexico.
I’m grateful I can meet lots of people from around the world by just sitting here in India.
I’m grateful that I can be in touch with most people from the other side of the world.

(Not to mention everyday, live and in person – well, as close as it can get – until we can teleport.)

I’m grateful that I can still enjoy the little freedoms some people can’t even imagine having.

Maybe thanksgiving is something that signified how the Native Americans were wiped off,
Maybe it’s raining on the parade.

But at least it still goes on. Doesn’t it?

That’s why I’m grateful.
The parade still goes on.
Family and friends still get together – even if it’s not thanksgiving.

So this thanksgiving, instead of bitching and moaning
I figured sending out this note
To friends and folks near and far.
To say a simple ‘thank you’…

In the words of a great friend:
“Thank you for being there, while I was there”
You all know who you are and how your work is important.

I think this is where my grandma got it wrong.
I don’t think the world is going to end very soon.

Not if we’re still around.
And not if we can help it.

Happy Thanksgiving.

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Note: This was written two years ago. I'm migrating my other blog on to here. Same stuff, just different packaging.
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Hey folks, I haven't written for Notes Above Ground for so long 'coz I've been really busy with some stuff. I've been researching on a manifesto (will post soon!). Essentially this is a quick post to let you know that I'm a participant in Script Frenzy. The idea is really simple -- one month, one script, 20,000 words. ^_^

I don't know if I'll be able to pull it off or not but I'll be posting my writerly journey over here on a regular basis. So more posts!

On the other hand, I've started a new blog -- Confederacy of the Dunces -- it's strictly a humor blog so that there's a place where I can put stuff on all the funny emails that come into my inbox.

That's all for now, more later...

It's Republic Day here in India. My neighborhood is bustling with people and children celebrating.
In another Republic in a galaxy far far away, however, a phone rings...

Do you ? I do. It's my new addiction. ^_^
How do I know? Here's a check list --

1. If you didn't Stumble Upon at least 10 sites, you didn't feel like you used the internet for the day.
2. Addictive games or activities on the internet catches only 10 seconds of your attention, afterwards, you keep on stumbling.
3. You don't surf anymore, you only stumble upon.
4. You keep a browser window just to 'stumble'.
5. You click on the Stumble! button to reload the page.

I haven't been able to update the blog lately – and I have a good reason. Let's recap what happened to me from the last weekend --

Saturday, on my way down town I folded my ankle and put my whole weight on top of it. I thought I had broken it. We did X-Rays, doc ordered me 3-4 days absolute bed rest. I did for about 2 days and went about with life. Ankle got better.

Thursday – I felt feverish, so I stayed home. Found a small blister type object on my palm. If you give a bubble wrap to a kid what do they do? They pop it. Naturally I popped my blister too.

Some itchiness started on my back.

Friday -- I went about what I had to do downtown, still feeling feverish. In the morning I felt something behind my right ear. Some little bump and the gland behind my ear was a bit hardened. Then my head was a bit itchy and prickly stuff was on my head. I got better after lunch and though nothing about it. As the evening approached, around 6, my friend realizes that she had the same problem once. Told me to go to the bathroom to see if there are red dots on my tummy.

I went to the bathroom and checked – small red dots – could've been mosquito bites. I went back to sit with her and told her that. Then I pulled up my shirt sleeve and there was another blister like bump. My friend told me to run to the doc right away.

Sure enough, the doc checked out and it was chicken pox. :(

So I'm down with chicken pox. Been on bed all these days.

I'm well above legal drinking age. I'm down with chicken pox. That means I'm still a kid? ^_^