swear/foul/abusive words

As a kid I've been rather uncomfortable about the use of swear/foul/abusive words. Initially I found it as a sign of badness in a person, but some of my good friends changed my perception on that. Till date and perhaps for many more years to come, I haven't been able to speak a swear/foul/abusive word to anyone! It just doesn't feel right.
I often argue with my friends that swear/foul/abusive words are used by those who don't have enough language skills or lack confidence in the same, or those who want to express themselves using a common lingo, a word or two rather than speaking out the whole thing... and for this argument of mine I receive(d) a few abusive words in return!
I did mumble the swear/foul/abusive words to myself when in a desperate or urgent situation and it felt good, but then I asked myself later, was it really necessary?!
But honestly, these words can add to the style factor of one's talk... when the protagonist shouts the F-word at someone, it amuses me a lot !!

Some of my favorite phrases

1. It isn't you, its me!
2. he/she was all over me!
3. we need to talk!
4. One thing led to another!
5. Care to make it interesting!
6. Don't bother on my account!
7. for old times sake!
8. you got to be kidding me!
9. gimme a break!
10. Follow my lead!
11. Count your blessings!
12. say (some greeting) to (someone) for me!
13. Was thinking on the same lines!
14. For greater good!
15. Back in business/game!
16. Get a good grip on yourself!
17. Interesting turn of events!
18. Keep up the good work!
19. Good Going!
20. Are you even listening to yourself!
21. The best of both worlds!
22. We have a history!
23. You are not one of us!

Static electricity

I walked towards my lab, extended my hand to hold the handle on the door and as my fingers touched the rim of the handle, I felt slight tingling shock and I pulled back my hand. Then carefully, I touched the handle with tip of my finger, ready to pull back my finger in case I felt the shock again!
This has been happening to me for a month now. It has happened so much and so frequently that when I didn't receive that shock today, I felt a bit disappointed. I extended my hand with same consciousness and touched it, expecting to receive a tingling shock but all I felt was a slightly cold handle of a door. Seems hard to believe that I learned to enjoy the shock!
Initially I did give few laughs to others in the lab when instead of touching the handle with my hand, I first brushed it with my t-shirt or my bag or a book or something else available with me. Few times when someone touched my t-shirt from behind or brushed against it, they did feel the static electricity and I too felt it, a faint clicking kind of sound...
Strangely, I experience the static electricity phenomena only in the lab in which I work!
P.S. Someone told me that his neighbour (also a student) when he was in Kota, used to practice some Chinese martial arts and hence could collect some amount of energy like static electricity in his hands... quite fascinating! But the guy had to stop practicing the art for safety of himself and people around him!

Looking at a watch

Occasionally, a passerby has asked me for the time. Quite often such a passerby has been a laborer or a person who doesn't have a watch, be it for financial reasons or lack of ability to read the time.
This reminded me of those days when I was a kid and didn't have a wrist-watch. I did have many wrist watches at different times but they stopped working within few months so I developed a belief that a wrist watch doesn't last long. Then one day in 10th class, I saw a titan watch on one of my tuition-mate's wrist. It looked good and I asked him about it. He said the watch has been serving him for last 2 years. I was quite impressed and decided to own such a wrist-watch. I then realized that the previous wrist-watches I had owned were kid's watches and had lesser lifetime.
As a kid, I had the watch showing time as numbers, i.e., the digital watch. It was quite convenient. I don't remember when I learned to read the time but it must have been in 1st or 2nd class. Presently I don't think I'll be comfortable enough reading time from a digital watch as I have got used to the minute hand and hour hand aligned with each other at an angle, and the seconds hand ticking.
I also remember twisting and tilting my head in the direction of the face of the wrist watch of a person near me, to know the time, rather than asking him/her. :D
A common prank which everyone must be aware of, can be played on the less attentive ones. Ask a person for time who is holding his drink in the same hand as his wrist-watch. The less attentive one won't take care of the drink and directly twist his arm to look at the time.
A watch/clock is indeed one of the complex instruments and time one of the essential need for our existence.
P.S. - Could asking for time be a good way of starting a conversation? Take out your watch, hide it in your pocket, approach a pretty gal/handsome guy and ask for the time. :D

Keep the change

Not having the exact amount of cash can be a problem at times. For people commuting in buses, 7-seaters etc., cash in form of 10 Rs. notes or coins of lower denomination becomes a necessity.
The times when I've gone out for lunch/dinner with friends, the one in the group with "change" pays for commuting, or one keeping track of the expenses pays for everyone in bulk.
One is often left in awkward situation when one takes out a Rs. 100 note for paying Rs. 10 or Rs. 15, and the rickshaw driver or bus conductor says, Chutte nahi hai saab.
Change is also required to pay a beggar who comes across you, or you come across the beggar, whose condition reminds you of doing good for humanity.
How could one pay to the beggar when one only has cash in form of Rs. 100 notes?
Well, in such situation, one prefers to lie, saying, Chutte nahi hai, or indicate at the pockets or shake hands in air indicating that there's no reserve cash for that beggar.
Today, as on many occasions, none of us had change while coming back from 4-seasons after having dinner. So, few of us dug deep into their wallets, searching for every coin that one could find. Yes, we were successful in paying for the 7-seater ride.
So, always remember, keep the change before going out!

Pondering over nature of love!

Love is something that we feel, something that binds people together emotionally. Well, of course explaining what love "feels" like would be difficult. Either I use some reference or some adjectives. Talking scientifically, love is also like another feeling like fear, lust, sadness etc., a complex bio-chemical reaction. So, if love is a biochemical reaction then producing the same biochemical reaction should be able to produce the feeling of love, is not it?
As a kid, while watching movies, I learnt that a guy who can fight, who can kick some ass, is the guy with whom the pretty lady likes to be with. Of course, the same thing as swayamvar in our Hindu Mythology in which everyone showcases their talents and compete for the beautiful princess.
Later, when I grew up and entered my teenage, I still watched movies, and the movies also changed in quality and style. Now, the guy who is financially stable or well off is the one with whom the pretty lady likes to be with. The guy may or may not be a macho man.
A few years ago I saw the truth. I saw that being physically or financially strong is secondary, but being a good guy is the primary requirement. Initially it may happen that the pretty lady may prefer the former two cases, but sooner or later, she would select the good guy.
It is only little less than a couple of years ago that I realized that it is neither of the three cases that matter. A person falls in love with someone for no justifiable reason, it "just" happens. Two people fall in love, they like to be with each other, they just 'click'. Sometimes it could be because of similar interests but that's just the initiation part, and sometimes its two completely different kind of people with nothing in common.
And a few weeks ago I realized that no matter who you are, there's always at least one person in this world who will fall in love with you and there's always at least one person you'll fall in love with, if the two of you meet. It is said that couples are decided in heaven, or as said in movies, "Everyone has a soulmate".
Love is something that just happens, something that has puzzled and amazed greatest minds of every era and something that's the best thing God or Nature has given us.

Catching up

All my life I have been changing places of residence because my father got posted every 2 or 3 years to a different city or town as per the Defence force policy, whatever that be. I have made new friends, met some old ones in a different and new place few years later and visited many places in India. Among other troubles in changing places every few years is meeting old friends in a new place few years later. The friendship in 2nd standard can't be reprise in 5th standard or 8th standard with the same essence and feelings. Things change, people change and so does other things in life and in society. Meeting an old friend and deciding to do some catching up can be a bit awkward sometimes, but could be fun in some other cases. It depends on the kind of friendship and the changes that each friend has undergone. Some people even avoid the "catching up" part just to prevent the awkwardness that they may experience.
As my personal experience, now a days I am not or will not be as comfortable with some of my old friends, as I was some 5 or 6 years ago. I or he/she might expect some things from those bygone days from the other person but it may not happen. While with some other friends, the essence of those old days is still there and the friendship with same flavor is reprise with few new flavors added.
Few of my school acquaintances with whom I hardly talked while with them in school, became my good friends after we met few years later at some other place. Its strange but if I had stayed in the previous place for few more years, then that person and I wouldn't have become friends at all.

P.S. I observed something interesting in my life that I met an old friend from a school before my previous school every year since my 6th class, i.e., my stay in Bhopal till 12th class, i.e., my stay in Jalandhar.