Kohima Diaries

Picture this: 3 weeks - No Television. No Internet. No Newspaper!

Well! Last Sunday, around this time…I was worried, tensed and wondering as how in the world am I going to stay & more importantly survive here for 3 weeks! Though the place, where I am staying is all nice, neat & organized but there is no Television and the day I reach there was no internet connection. I felt like I am going to be in some real trouble –as I will be staying in this aloof building which is one of the safest places to stay over in the city. But somehow I realized that it’s an opportunity to connect to nature and to connect to myself.

The people here are in their own worlds, they don’t bother because majority of them are not aware of the speed with which we live in the metros out there. They are self-sufficient & satisfied in their own beautiful ways. They do something or the other for their livelihood and they manage – really well at times! Other thing which I like about this place is the simplicity & their love for the region & community. They are very humble, proud and accepting about where they belong to, unlike the people back who at times even hesitate to accept about their roots being coming from a small town or may be a village.

Youth here is like friendly, sincere, lazy at times and involved in some activity or the other. There are Church activities, Music trainings, and Part-time schools, Student Unions of each of the 16 tribal communities to work for and keep oneself busy. There is no run, no competition, no jealousy and hence no problem. They have aspirations and they have dreams but there is no rush of any kinds.

Sundays here are too peaceful & calm. It’s a complete rest day and the markets almost resemble to the curfew clad metro city. Even some of the getaway joints, lounges are closed on Sundays – Imagine Delhi/Mumbai or Bangalore like that! Most of us will get panicky even on this thought. Restaurants are open here from 10am – 6pm.

Food preferences are mostly towards non-vegetarian preparations. Incidentally that’s the biggest challenge for me to survive – even after a weeklong stay. We do get vegetarian food but very few options and even less variety.  There are a lot of bakeries here and that’s why you don’t get branded breads here, because they prepare their own stuff.

Western clothes are quite popular among youth but at the same time you will see a lot of ladies wearing traditional dress called ‘Myekhala’ which is hand woven in different colors & threads depending on the tribal community. The jewellery patterns & colors also vary from community to community, but you get real exquisite ones.

Overall it’s a different place – a different world of its own.

More to come about my shopping experience and visit to the village ‘Jakhama’ and other tourist destinations!

P.S:I managed to get Internet & Newspaper! 

A long year ahead..! Stay Hopeful!

Just hope is what I could thought of while saying good byes to the year gone by. Chasing targets is how my last year went though, targets I defined for myself and the pressure to perform and prove that why I believed in me and also to stand firm on the faith that my closed ones shown in me. I always kept on for hoping against all hopes....yeah most of the times it worked! I have learnt and I am learning. I still have targets but this year I have decided to go calm....the chase will continue but I will keep the peace. Peace of mind n soul.

The beginning has haven't been so easy....initial 15 days...the year knocked with struggle at work, stress of various kinds, lot of travel and yet again I am hopeful and I will work towards my goals. God is gracious and I am sure he will never let me loose the hope.

And with Hope, I have got the plans...and I will gain clarity. I am working towards my goals. I am removing the clutter...getting focussed and besides all I am calm & going!

Keep Faith. Keep Hope!

Have a Hopeful 2011 :)

My First Birthday!

My First Birthday!

Yeah! I am going to write about my first year of life. Not only did I open my eyes in a new world, from tasting the unknown to recognizing the right & wrong – I have grown up to a certain bit in my first year of entrepreneurship.

The Birth:

The idea was conceived few years back but it got life only a year back. Like every birth it was painful & challenging and all I tried was to avoid any complications. Initially it was difficult to take up the challenge and convince my family that I am quitting a job (which was paying me quite decently) for I am going to start on my own. But, like it’s been said – it’s only the first step. Yes, we launched 30TH FEB on November 17, 2009 and I was born as an entrepreneur.

The Inception:

The inception, the observations, the test runs were at times positive, at times negative and weird at others. Some dint like the logo, others failed to love the idea. Some were worried about the complications attached…some failed to understand that it’s equally difficult to kill an idea like it is to a newborn. Some raised eyebrows & others raised fingers. Few were positive about me and others laughed it out.

All this – made me jittery at times but eventually made me stronger.

My First Lesson!

Learning started from the very beginning. While during the inception only I had started developing business. Interestingly, the first project was bagged out of a job interview. Before launching my venture – I had been appearing at the job interviews – to say that I was still double minded and because of which I had not given them an answer on my joining within a week as expected and so when I had sent the launch mail about my venture, my interviewer, the founder CEO of a new venture called me to meet the VP-Marketing for a Brand Development task. Bingo! I felt. And soon I realized that one shall not let the client treat you a novice, desperate start-up who is just looking to perform. I truly felt that people try to exploit their level best only If you allow them to. That led me to my first rule – “Value your own time”. ‘Be professional. Promise results. Stay Confident and remember – No one is doing a favor by giving you a task. Business is all about mutual benefits.'

First time in the Playground!

When a child gets out from home to the playground, he learns about the competition, the society and makes contacts. He starts making his own identity in the playfield. Now the point – is not about playing the game but it is more about staying in the filed.

My first boost came when work started coming & people valued my ideas and hence approached me to work with them. Yes. That helped me raise my spirits and slowly I was getting into a Brand boosted number game. Earlier the chase was to sustain and now I was growing & realizing competition. The idea now was to stay here and to make my presence felt.

With Brand projects dwelling and events happening side by side… I was assured of sustainability but every time I had the same fear – What next? To some extent that still is the case…..

Be-fitting the New Shoes!

Good Brand projects came in. Friends trusted me & clients agreed to the concepts & the caliber. Many agreed to my point – that you need to give us projects to see the portfolio of 30TH FEB and you need to offer the projects based on my personal portfolio.

In simple words, Issue the bill to see me fit the bill. 

A Difficult One!

Things started churning and in no time, I was hopeful against all hopes. People who we had pitched in April….called us and we fetched a project in June. As challenges were growing and we realized that we need to grow in terms of team, people and power.

What I thought of as an Ambitious project turned out as the most difficult project in this one year. Certain execution problems cropped in, my personal life asked attention – leaving me in a real fix at instances. Here I was lucky as my client took charge for few hours and actually made my team work up to her expectations. But again I learnt a lesson – I need to delegate and I can’t be there at all the places at all the times. I knew it was the time to think of expansion.

No Effort is a Waste Effort

We worked we our soul and our dreams survived. We are now working with more diligence & better plans. We plan expansion & we are growing. We are growing in number and we are growing in hopes.

I am Team 30TH FEB. And November 17th,2010 is my first Birthday.

Anger – The Depressing Act!

Anger – a painful feeling. A disheartening act, a fit of rage, a dismal memory and the unforgetting moments!

I have been writing about Anger & Anger Management. Why it came again here is because yesterday I witnessed a roadside argument & fight for the first time. I am disturbed post that. Neither could I take it out and nor am I ready to accept the fact that it just happened and this is the way it happens. It was disastrous for me, the abuse, and the indecency & of course the crowd who was there to watch. I am thankful to them who actually came forward to help the arguing parties sort it out peacefully.

Horrendous it was, I felt shocked and realized that I can’t bear any form of violence. I could almost feel the shiver for next 4 hours and was wondering – what must have gone wrong with those who were involved. The similar adrenaline rush was there when I had seen a car speeding so much & ignoring a child who just survived. I did shared that too..here.

I feel so shallow of being human. Cheapest of all as it turns to be is human capital. Its shameful & shocking both.

Yes, its human to get angry but can't we just take an oath to control it as much as we can.

Faith & Confidence

A Man Lost Everything in Fire, Next day he placed a Signboard-"House, Shop burnt, Goods burnt" But Faith & Confidence not burnt,Business Starts Tomorrow...

A friend to talk……an ease to life’s walk :)

Though we are all running too fast in life but then…….for lighter moments we all had with our F.R.I.E.N.D.S, I am posting it...

Nothing serious but I have been feeling like having a cup of coffee with a friend. May be for detoxification but its very much required. After marriage, it so happened that I could never stay at a city where one of my closest friend was around and this I feel would have sorted so many issues with just a coffee or shopping – had she been around.

There are so many things that we need to share, talk or for that matter puke out to someone to feel relief. Yes, our closest ones are always around – hubby, mom-dad, sister, brother etc but a friend is a friend. At times when a friend is not around we end up blabbering things to a wrong fellow which is neither good nor suggested.

Though technology has made things easier – we have phones/mobiles/internet etc but still a cozy chat with a friend is a stress buster and nothing can beat it.

Shriti – my friend from my MBA Days had just called and I feel nice right now. Infact the thought to write this, cropped after we ended the call. She too was like – had we been in one city atleast we could have walked out for shopping, a movie, a lunch or for that matter just a walk together. Ah! I wish. Another one of that kind I have is Sunalini, she too stays in a different city but then, we had moved out for professional commitments. Though chances to meet her are little more frequent but then at times during those blank moments – I wish we had been in the same city.

And now after you get married………enter a family life, work for both roles, its kind of difficult to make new friends. Even if we make one – I guess it would be difficult to reach that kind of a comfort level.(Though for me it happened, I met Sunalini in the new city & new company I had joined after I got married). Still it seems little difficult to me. I wish I had a friend around – always!

Independent India - Independent Indians!

‘Azaadi Mann ki’ is what I feel for on the 63rd Independence Day of my country. Have been wondering by myself….since all the TV Channels have been intriguing – What is freedom for us. The country which is known for its diversity & youth (as we have the maximum young population) is suffering from social evils in one form or the other. Every age group, each geography, all religions are busy fighting their own battles. So does that mean – we need the independence from the evil shackles of diversity? May be!

In one go – I thought we still need to fight for Independence! We shall fight for –

Independence from Corruption
Independence from Fear – of traveling publicly
Independence from Honor Killings
Independence from Child Labor
Independence from Women Exploitation
Independence from Poverty
Independence from Terrorism

Independence from Inhibitions – Azaadi to be ‘ME’

While thinking of my own self, my opinion – I think we need to be independent from our inhibitions. I wish I could. Deep inside when we are aware of something, that thing which our heart, our mind doesn’t concents for and we keep doing. All of us have said that’s life – sometime or the other but how many actually thought of confronting the wrongs in life leaving aside the attitude of self-righteousness. Confronting doesn’t mean fighting for it but atleast showing the courage to face it as it is and not just ignoring the dwelling fact.

Next could be ‘Azaadi jeene ki’, Independence to live the way one wants. That doesn’t mean adopting false practices too but atleast living the way of life one wants to live with. Society by n large plays a role in devising what life we want & how we want to lead. I would beg to differ here…and would request for a little more air to our minds which resist thinking just because its other to the Do’s and Don’ts. Can we have some air please?

And also ‘Azaadi Sapno ki – Khwahishon ki’, yes Independence to Dream & Aspire is important. Infact very important. For dreams add fire to life. Aspirations are like air to the wings and help you fly high.

Most Importantly, ‘Azaadi to be ME’. Yes. Yes. Yes. This is what everyone wants, each of us crave for. This does not mean not be told anything (like the difference between wrong & right)– but atleast not be forced to be like others. To be like the way your spouse wants you to be. To be like the neighbors kid who got into the merit list. To be someone whom world admires. To be a cricketer because its happening. To be someone who does things in his/her own way. But just to be one. Azaadi to be ‘ME’

As for today, Happy Independence Day! Chak De India...