Jubilant June

I have been looking for a purpose in life and finally I do have one. June was kind and considerate on me. I fetched a lot of compliments on my writing which is not unusual but this time I sunk them in for a lingering cherish; Core strategy at Mumbai opened my eyes to trading as a career, mother’s hospitalization for thrombosis, SPARRC care and much more. So much of action and I will be guilty to miss out on. As ever, we start with the best ones:

a)     Compliments: When I started blogging on Rediffiland in 2006 the comments of fellow bloggers would give a thrill for a high. Then I shifted my blogging platform to blogger and those hardly fetch any comment but I would get responses from Facebook and Twitter for my blog links. The “Online trading @ Mumbai” post had my Mumbai classmates giving me thumbs up. I particularly cherished the comment from Kapil Mokashi my instructor, “This is brilliant writing and I am forwarding it to the OTA India head.” Then Suresh said, “I loved it so much that I forwarded it to my dad.” Yohannan of Oval crew at Vishranti said, “Man, you write beautifully. It’s as self-evident and obvious as a sunrise.”  RV Rajan said at the Eliot’s, “You really are a powerful writer. If you desist from writing about your siblings, you will go very far.” Even TH Iyer said, “Your writing has gone up a notch.” As for me, I do feel a certain mastery and perhaps in the best writing spell ever.

b)     Equity trading: One week in Mumbai and this is slowly getting to be addictive for a hobby. I genuinely love watching how the red and green candles form in lower time frames, I love to watch the trends as they stack up in the flow. It’s a Science here for a game of probabilities. I love the XTL sessions where the instructors teach all that they know without holding back (how will I possibly know?  I feel in my gut that these instructors improvise so much, put their own minds to the charts and come up with out of the world study material for students).  I am falling in love with this aspect so much that I spend a couple of hours a day on listening to these live or recorded webinars; this is my latest bug for a hobby. As I was telling Lakhina, “If and when my one crore becomes two crores then I can afford any holiday vacations in the world.” This is as good a motivation as any. We have a robust XLT Chennai group on Whatsapp and I am inviting a friend to listen to these teachings for he is a “stock” enthusiasts as well. Learning and sharing makes for better learning than just learning and hoarding. I like this new side of me for a new interest consuming the old me.
c) SPARRC care:  I came back from Mumbai with swollen and stiff knees and I lost faith in SPARRC, "If after 9 months this is the progress then I am doomed." I spoke my mind to them, "Please tell me whether I will ever progress to walking without pain and a limp." This was a moment of truth for them and they reacted beautifully. They said, "We'll put you in therapy." Sukanya is a master therapist and she worked on my muscles for a week kneading it like wheat for chappatis taking out all the pain trigger points. The doctor Arvind said, "Please try a new set of exercises. The quality of your posture is important than how long you exercise it imperfectly." Sukanya added, "Sir, it is all in the mind. Get your back straight, bend your knees and land on your feet.  Get a good gait and then you'll progress rapidly." I am so grateful to them for their professional care that I feel my knees are on the mend. This is a good team, they vibe so well. 

d)      Mother’s hospitalization: My brother-in-law called me out of the blue saying, “Your mother has a blood clot and she is hospitalized.” I lost no time reaching SP Hospital in the evening and that place vibrates well. Venous thrombosis is not a life threatening ailment except it causes a nuisance with swelling and itching. The doctor at the helm is the son of legendary Balamuralikrishna, Padma Vibushan and one of the best exponents of Carnatic music. I met my sisters but we were not gushing in affection, we very much stuck to our roles. It was like Theresa May shaking hands with Vladimir Putin at G-20 meeting after the Salisbury poison attack. I was the cashier for six days of hospitalization but I appreciated that my eldest sister spent all the time in a spacious room at the hospital – sleeping on the attender’s bed would not have been cozy rather that plank would make for tempting backaches. My mother is six months short of 80 and looking at a toothless face (though she radiates good health) one feels that “life is one long journey of regret and missed opportunities. Death is so final that even at a far distance it’s scary for it’s a final closure with no rewind button.”

Chennai had rains after nearly 200 days of sun which is a record in a decade, we get rains within six months bracket for a norm. The rains brought greenery and cheer to the mind almost on appearance, just to listen to the howling storm winds when the window panes bang against the wall or wooden frame for a clattering sound, smell of earth, the trees swaying in delight as the showers descend down is sure a mood-uplifter. I am sure every Chennaiite must have danced inwardly that day, 20^th June, when the rain gods smiled on us.  As for me, life is good as my writing shows. I seem to be in a phase of personal growth, definitely of growing maturity for I am more accepting and take my time in getting distraught over other people’s actions. There is a sense of forgiveness and gratitude, or having lived and slowing passing away into the ages. Yesterday I went to a PUMA showroom for tracks and a nice pair of sports shoes; these little things emphasize the living quotient in us.  Living just one day at a time, I frankly don't build castles of glory or doom six months down the line for my life afforded no such cruise, it flows in any direction and I am mentally ready to accept what course is served for the day.