The grass is greener...on the other side???

It's always said and believed by most people that 'the grass is greener on the other side'. Having experienced this phenomenon and having others also express something akin to this, I am not surprised that the maxim s quite well known not only in English but also in Malayalam.

So why is it that I am going into something that is very cliched???

Today for some strange reason I find myself thinking about decisions taken...Were they right or wrong....Was the grass greener then or now?  My mind really doesn't want to compare and contrast...but...

My thoughts are on why things happen the way they happen...Why do we need to go through some lessons in life...Why can it not have been perfect the first time itself..or why could not this be the first time? Having always believed that in rebirth and re-incarnation, I believe life is for some lessons to be learnt, and for us to have the necessary interactions with a few souls. The concept of Karma and a person beings dealt out with what he or she deserves is also something I believe. But this belief of mine does not remove the responsibility of an individual to shape his or her life. My belief is that there are choices that we are given and our life and destiny would depend on the choices we make. 

So where am I gong with all this...Actually no where...As  think over my concept of life and the decisions taken...I realize...I don't regret the choices I have made and the way life has shaped up....The decisions taken and the experiences had... Realizing mistakes made and deliberating on new decisions...No...I don't regret it at all....Beacause I believe each wrong decision has helped shape me to be the person I am today...

But underneath all that...As normal human tendency goes...when I see another make the right decision the first time itself...my heart makes a leap...and wonders... if only I had made the right decision the first time itself...

 I guess no matter what you say or think...sometimes the grass is always greener on the other side... 

On your mark...Get Set...Gooooo...

I had received a mail from Anita. It was about a trip that was being organized from office. It was a trip to Veegaland aka Wonderla.

I wasn't really sure of what to do..Should I accept or not? Would Anita or Lekha or any of the few people  know be a part of the trip? I decided to sit on the invitation for a few days. Two days later I decided that I would give my name for the trip. No sooner had I sent it that I received a mail from the organizers thanking me for being a part of it especially since I was from the HR.

I had never thought about it but as days passed I got pulled into the organizing committee as well. As the 'D- Day' approached there were plans to make and things to carry out. The company decided to make it an official trip and bore the brunt of our travel charges. But as the days came closer I realized that I knew very few for the trip. There were around 60 who were to come. I knew none to well, save Vishak, who was with me in the HR Department. 3 months into the job I had interacted with many but only in a official capacity and was only getting into the mode of easy camaraderie with a few of them.

Anxiety loomed large in my head. Did I really need to go? I had wanted to go so that I would meet new people. But as the time drew nearer, rushing off with people I barely had time to know did not seem like a sensible idea at all.

After some thought on the matter,  I decided to put it out of my head. I had decided to go and I was going to do it. No backing of like a coward. So I was all set, the only thing putting me off was the fact of getting up in the morning which I knew would disappear as the day arrived.

The D day had arrived....

We left quite early in the morning and our bus had most of the people who had joined in the last one year. Kiran and Arun, from the organizing committee, were also with us for sometime in our bus. Kiran introduced us to Arun and the others. I barely began interacting much with them when we reached. Being in such a crowd where everybody knew everybody else other than you was a bit overwhelming.

We reached Wonderla and I met the others who were in the other bus. Here things were a little better, as I knew at least the names of a few people and had spoken with quite a few of them earlier. But as the day progressed, I got really comfortable with all of them. I met a lot of new people, spoke as though we had been interactive for ages and had a lot of fun. We went on all the dry rides and went on the water ones as well. We splashed water on each others, coaxed people to join us on the rides they found scary and hung around till they closed Wonderla at 7.30 in the night.

The return journey was also good. I expected people to snooze off, as the day had started early and was ending late. But not everyone dozed. There were people sitting a chatting. I was surprised to find myself in one of these groups chatting along with them though I had met then only that morning

So all in all. Had a really wonderful trip...Had loads of fun...Met loads of people...and really glad I plunged and was a part of the trip. Happy to be a SunTecian...and glad that it is helping me be more outgoing and people-centered than I considered myself to be....

Eve Dallas and Kate Beckett

For all those Castle fans and avid readers....

My mom had many people recommend Eve Dallas to her. She read quite a few books in this series when she recommended the same to me. She had been telling me to try out this series by J.D. Robbs. I, on the other hand, have been gong from one book to the other, not looking at Eve Dallas for the simple reason that it wasn't in my Kindle.

A few weeks ago, I decided to clean up my Kindle and re-stock the books in it afresh. I deleted all the book and while I was adding, I also added the 20-30 books that we had on Eve Dallas.

And I began reading...

To say that the books are un-put-downable would be accurate. These books were murder mysteries and I expected run-in-the-mill stories. But I found that the stories were really well written, gripping and absolutely involving. All the mystery and adrenaline with a hint of romance as well...As one read, one became so drawn and involved  into the plot and the characters that it was difficult to put the book down without finishing it.

As I read the first few chapters of the first book, I realized that the character, Eve Dallas, seemed very familiar. As the read more I was convinced that Eve Dallas and Kate Beckett were one and the same or could be called doppelgangers who were existent at different periods of time.

Being a avid fan of the Castle, it was a pleasure to read about a character so similar. Castle could be considered set in the 21st century whereas Eve Dallas is set in the future. Kate seems more feminine and has a dad who could be considered as family. Kate's family circumstances has compelled her to be the cop she is. Eve on the other hand is more intense and aggressive and comes out as a more forceful character. She has no family to speak of and is a self-made cop. She is someone who underwent trauma at a very young age and is an orphan. But both the characters are amazing at what they do...

A depiction of what Eve and Roarke would look like....

The counterpart for Castle is Roarke. In the series, Kate and Castle work as a team. Though Castle is besotted with Kate and vice versa (the indications are there), their relationship hasn't yet moved into the next phase. In the book, Eve Dallas meets Roarke in the first book itself where he is a suspect. But as one book ends and the other begins, there is a huge change in the relationship between Eve and Roarke. Here, they both are in love and get married, though Eve is still uneasy about being so much under the spell of an other.

Kate and Castle

Being somebody who has seen the series and read the books, the similarity of the characters hits you strong. I don't know if Eve Dallas was inspired by Kate Beckett or vice-versa...

But for those who in love with Castle or Eve Dallas, do try out the other as well...You are in store for a Treat....