people & chaos

Mumineen are coming in droves and its amazing how things are being organized. I am helping out in Mawaid and my job is to serve people food as they come. I start my shift at 7.30 ish and go on till about eleven. Wish I could contribute more in some way. Feel absolutely useless. My sis and them are really in the midst of it all and I envy them & there time.

I realise that its not right of me to not want my dad to come, cos its sad that he cannot do Moula's Deedaar and I miss him right now and there is no one I can think of who does khidmat as selflessly as my dad. I keep thinking of the earlier times when Daddy used to go wherever Ashara was announced and now I think how bad he must be feeling that for the past couple of years he hasnt been able cos of the state of things.

I am determined to do as much as possible in the days I get leave.

Bambalapitiya is bustlin. Everywhere you turn you bump into Bohras. Just imagine this is just the beginning. By mid Moharram the crowd would have doubled.

My aunts came i.e. dad's sisters and they are on my case to get married, each hasfound what they term, "the perfect guy" for me and they are determined to see me engaged before they leave. Admittedly there may never be another chance like this to be nikkahed from Aqa Moula but I refuse to be blindly dragged into doing anything of this magnitude to someone I've just met.

Did I mention this? I am happy. A little insecure but happy. Life is good right now and I dont want to shake my boat just yet. Just want to experience this. A big reason for my happiness is my "Kolla". Its nice having him. Its cos of him that I have started writing again and it feels good. Now I am writingall the time. Even started on a proper journal besides this blog. Sometimes feel that a blog is a bit impersonal even if its your thoughts that are on it. Enjoy writing on paper with a comfortable pen. Got this gorgeous red notebook to inspire me.

Me rushing off to mosque now.

Bored..

Hey, am just bumming at office. There is an event to organize in Kalutara that is supposed to happen on the 27th but i am just bumming, cos nothing is being finalised & nobody is willing to get off there asses & do anything, Fast!
Wish I had brought my book to office. Am reading "Red Dragon" and Douglas Adams. And no, I dont get confused with the stories.

My new favorite word: Serendipity

:) Suprises

Sick, its official. But its raining & I love the rain. I am missing Babbs right now. Wouldnt mind snuggling with him. :p

I finished writing the script for Sustainability rewarding thingi. Wrote on Employee Satisfaction. Pretty proud of it.

Just found out that Aqa Moula is coming to Colombo for Ashara. He is coming after 8 years. Its awesome. But am dreading it for two reasons.

One, my parents are already talking about getting me married. & two, my dad will come. I had planned to go where ever Ashara was announced this year but then had to forget about it cos I didnt have the dough. Now I Ashara is coming to me!

8 years ago, 15,000 bohras followed Aqa Moula to Sri Lanka and it was unimaginable, exhilerating, fun, incredible and tiring. This time round I predict it to be all of the above but also, stressfull and draining. Simply cos this time round I need to think about getting leave & balancing work with mosque and avoid getting married amongst other things.

Ashara is organised chaos. Its on as grand a scale as the Olympics. Atleast thats how I see it being for Bohras. You meet family you never knew you had, you meet hundreds of people and its just so great being so close to the one person you have grown up loving and following. The one person you'll give up everything for. Thinking about the Ashara is bringing back so many memories. Its incredible the excitement, the electricity that's charging through everybody. Ashara 2007 is now the most hottest topic. The only thing on everyone's mind. Its super!

Today is just amazing. In a bad way. Have two proposals to draw up, write a two scripts, a brief and copy for an invitation! And to top it all off I have an annoying cold, a scratchy throat & feeling feverish. Oh and my eyes are tearing:( I just want to sleep men. Better yet I want a hug. A big bear hug. And a blanket and something hot to sip. hmmmm... I want my bubbs.

I am working on this script for Human Rights. Actually its sustainability reporting practiced by companies and the role of Human Rights. I have 16 topics to pick from and I chose Human Rights, but now I am stuck.

Laziness

I am getting lazy again. I have so much to let off my chest but I am lazy to type. Lazy, lazy, lazy. Did I mention this? I am going to Galle over the weekend for the Literary Festival. Can't wait. Whenever I get excited about anything, I start making lists and plans. Weird habit I have but it settles my mind. I love travelling. Love getting out of the house. My mom refers to me as a "Border", says I come home just to sleep & put on clean clothes. In a way thats true. I hate sitting at home. Not exactly a family person. Hate all sorts of family gatherings, especially weddings. Being a bohra & part of such an enormous family there are many, many family functions. I mainly dislike them so much cos we arent allowed to just relax. I am one of the older ones in our bunch of cousins so its my duty to look after the 20 odd little ones. And cos I am older the them, I have to set an example. Even what I wear is noted & commented upon. I love them every one of my seven aunts and 21 cousins, they are amazing fun. Its just that I cant understand why they need to talk about you all the time.

Monday Morning

Every Monday morning I sit for a sales training session. It begins at 8.45 and goes on till just past ten. You have to be early cos otherwise you wont get a seat. Besides which a lot of people need to shuffle around to make room for your chair. Coming late is a black spot on you. They are interesting but I still dread it. Maybe its cos instead of it being a leraning & interactive experioence people are so stiff & quiet and uncomfortable. They are like vultures waiting for you to fall.
This morning, I was right on time, while waiting for it to begin, i was told that there wont be a training session today so I could leave. Yipee! but then LB said that he's got something that might interest us and so to be seated. So we sat.

The lesson was about discipline.

These were the key points:

• To be perfect, you need to be steady, to reach your goal - Dont think of a wall as a wall but look at it as a collection of bricks. By concentrating on setting a perfect brick at a time, you can get that perfect wall.
• Fighting competition - not everyone's going to put in their 100% all the time, by giving 100% and delivering 5 when the target was 3, you'll find it hard to lose.
• Fightin the devil within - ignore the voice inside you that says, "why try so hard when you can do an ok job for half the effort?"
• Determination & self belief - you can.
• Living with the pain of not achieving what you deserve - cos of sheer laziness