Things I like

I like the sky. I love it. It's one reason why my favorite color is blue-- sky blue, to be precise. I like it when shadowy night lifts off and the sky is pink and orange and blue with anticipation; I like it when it's pale and clear, or when it's truly opaque and cloudless; or even when it's patterned with wispy white. Or when dusk crinkles its delicate nose and dives in; the sky is laced with red, and when it begins to darken my hopes flare; my midnight purple blooms with diamonds scattered here and there. The sky is ever-changing; what wouldn't I give to just watch it for one whole day-- watch it darken, watch it light up, watch it spread its silky fingers round the trees and blossoms, and fade and bow out. Ever-changing, and yet so constant...

I like the moon. Its mystical charms call to me more than the tingling heat of the sun. I like how the moon wavers, a part of it usually thrown into shadow, and how it is set like a mysterious stone against the (usually) uninterrupted purple velvet of the sky. It reminds me of cool breeze and the scent of flowers wafting through the air, numb fingertips and Claire de Lune. For some odd reason, I have the impression that my fingers would burn if I reached out to touch it.

I like the sea. Obviously. Like, duh. I remember my feet running through soft sand; toes wriggling through calm waves; and salty air on my tongue. I remember my dad hoisting me up till his shoulders and walking into the blue green beach waters. I remember scrambling over the beach for my shell collection. I remember the initial chill of the waters, the way the edge of the wave foamed up gently when it reached the end of its journey up the sand, how my feet sink into the wet sand, and how I'd hold on to my dad when it was a big wave. I remember happy little picnics with our close-knit group of friends, more like family, and me and Harshita and Anvesh, the initial trio, first of many children to follow. I was (and still am) The Big Sister. I remember the drive to Pranav's house and the delicious smell of Prashanti aunty's food, and then to Chaitanya aunty's house and to the beaches where we'd meet the rest. I remember being loved and hugged and splashed in my overalls and hairband (i hadn't enough hair for a rubber band =P), and me and Pranav, the two quiet ones, bonding quietly. I remember the sand and how it wound around us up our knees and elbows. I remember writing our names in the sand so many times that it's a wonder they aren't permanent. I remember going to the beach with only Mom and Dad on weekends and staring at the blushing horizon for ages...

I remember San Diego.

I like the smell of freshly-mown grass, of fresh unused paper and books, of frying sesame seeds, and of these amazing flowers of this vine that grows across the railing, near the swimming pool at Stone Valley. Their scent is indescribable -- it is intoxicating, numbing, heart-wrenching, exhilarating, heady, stirring, thrilling, stupefying... Everytime I walk past it in the summer, when I swim every evening, I cannot help closing my eyes and breathing in deeply, and reaching out to the vine with my fingertips, brushing the little red flowers as we move past it.

I like the tinkling of wind chimes and the sound and smell of rain; especially when I'm walking down the slope between block B and C, and the wind of the approaching storm makes all of the many, many wind chimes in the balconies of block B tinkle and crash and sing, while the grass nearby smells like heaven. The vines tumbling over the huge walls sway and I can hear the distant thunder. That very scene is etched into my mind; if I could pick one of the most beautiful and peaceful moments of my life, it could be this.

I like flowers, but not in the kind of way that I'd cover my wall and notebooks with hand drawn five-petaled versions of flowers. I think they're just the epitome of nature's color and grace and beauty. I love the exotic, complex ones even more; I simply marvel at them. Many a time I have brought back a flower or few from my walks; I simply pick them off the ground if they're still fresh, and when I come home, I open my windows and set the flowers on my window sill. My room always smells the best =) It helps that Stone Valley has one of the most prettiest gardens and trees. We have forests on both sides of the community (well, one went down last year and the trunks were replaced by iron pillars and cement) and so we have a lot of trees and boulders and exotic flowering plants too; and the steep slopes are cut across by walls that have massive bunches of vines and hanging plants. The layers of flowers on one of my favorite walls are so thick and spongy that I often wish that the wall wasn't vertical so that I could just sink into them like it was a bed.

I like my window sill. I'm always doing something to it; one day it's the flowers, another day a few small potted plants, and on some days scented candles that I find lying about in my mom's drawers. My 'hangout' is my window sill; I often stand there with my chin on the window grill and my elbows propped up on the window sill and just stare outside. It's so quiet and peaceful, especially at night. I turn off all the lights-- except the blue rope lights in the false roofing; they're like nightlights-- and just stand there thinking and feeling 'simply happy'. It's... in a way, my way to relax. Yeah, I know. I'm a very boring person =P

I also like this one moment in the evening, when the sun is setting; my window faces north, so there is this one instant when the setting sun's rays, when the sun has just come low enough, suddenly break through my window and turns all the white walls and furniture into a golden yellow. To be there in my room when it happens is bliss. Everything just abruptly changes in the marvellous light and I usually stop what I'm doing and stand at the window, and watch the sun set (it sets about a few minutes after that).

I like lots of stuff like that, little things that give me small bits of happiness. I like being happy; and I like being me because it is easy to be happy. I open the fridge and see something good and feel happy; I see that one of the trees has recovered from its disease and feel happy; someone makes something I like for lunch and I feel happy; I go out for a walk and see everything starting to bloom and feel happy; I feel the wind in my hair when I run and I feel happy...

I like butterflies too (Sorry, Ank =P). I love all the patterns and colors. The only places I've seen butterflies is Chirec, and KBR park sometimes, and I see many, many butterflies at home, thanks to the amount of flowers we have. When I'm out on a walk, there are just so many butterflies swirling around me. It's hard not to like them right then =P

I like the glossy black on everything electronic, like on an iPod, laptop, phone, whatever. Even cars, actually. I do not like the matt finish kind of black, which isn't glossy, which is why I chose a plum colored camera instead of black, because it had a matt finish. My first car will most definitely be black.

I like tiny little 'I care' gestures from people. Just about makes my day. Nothing big, though, that would just make me feel embarrassed. Like my cousin put it once-- and I realized she was right-- I'm easy to please. (She said so when I was delighted for the hundredth time about the lunch/dessert/fruit by aunt had made/bought for that day). =P

I like fountain pens (you know, the ones where you refill the ink out of a bottle) and staple pin boxes (Yep, Aditi-- this line is just for you XD), and smell of permanent marker.

I like fresh leaves, and dew, and I like them more when they're both together.

I like writing, and putting down all the little swirls in my head in neat little lines. I like having a creative outlet that only needs paper and a pen. I used to like art, too, but over the years I've settled more into writing than art, and slowly lost any ability to draw. But I still like the feeling of having a paintbrush in hand... Once in a while, I paint just for the heck of it, and throw in all types of nonsense, for the sake of holding a paintbrush. But writing is what I do best; and I often write about the two things I observe best-- nature and emotions. Writing is my way of putting those observations down in a tangible form, and giving me a way to appreciate beauty in all its forms.

I like piano music. It touches me like no other instrument does. I really wish I hadn't given it up when we moved back to India; I would have been learning it for years now if I hadn't. Heck, I would have played Chopin for myself every night instead of going to YouTube.

I like running. I used to run pretty fast, too. But again, I've lost it over the years... The last time I ran in a competition was way back in school. I enjoy running; I like that dull pain in my legs as I run, and the wind flying through my hair and deafening my ears. Last year, on one of Oreo's first walks, we were walking in the lawn next the swimming pool when I decided to run with him. So I did-- *cough, cough* around 15 times or so, up and down the lawn XD It was just wonderful =) I didn't really care if some random B block resident poked their head out of the balcony and saw a crazy girl with her dog running from one of the the lawn to the other (it's pretty long). Even if they did, it was totally worth it XD But the fastest I've ever run was in third grade or so. Our relay team had only 3 people, while the others had 7. I have never ran faster than that in my life (except probably when I was chasing Oreo when his leash broke once; but that was adrenaline-boost aided). Guess who won? =P

I like caring for people. Maybe I should have become a doctor, but I never really overcame my fear of blood and all things dissected. And besides, I think there are many ways to care for people other than physically. Sometimes it gets a bit... frustrating; but I can't really get rid of the little corner in my head that will keep worrying about everyone else. I just can't. Most times, that's okay, because it gives me an excuse to look after my loving, scatterbrained, very-young-at-heart mom, my grandparents, and my friends. Call it maternal instinct. Sometimes, though, my shoulders just slump and I wish someone could take care of me just for a day or two. But I do enjoy helping people; with all my heart.

I like watching-- watching children grow, watching people, watching their behaviour, watching blooming flowers and trees, observing everything, noting it all to the finest detail, trying to commit most little things to memory, watching the years roll by, and watching memories play themselves in my head.

I like ... keeping most things to myself. I know that's odd and anti-social; but I rarely reveal any part of me to anyone. Different people get to see different parts of me; and that is mostly why I don't really care of the opinions they form of me. What I do mind, however, is when people just air their opinions about me to everyone-- like you even know me! -- and try to create some kind of image of me that doesn't even exist. In other words, I despise presumptuous people who go around saying stuff that people take seriously, or the kind who assume I have some quality that I don't (like the time Cavalier was like,'Oh wow! You're just like me! You really hate nature and stuff right? You like the whole concrete and buildings kind of ..' I didn't even let him finish that sentence and told him it was the biggest insult I had ever received.) I mean, they try reading too much into the nonchalant things I say. (All I had said to Cavalier and The Lady of Shalott during our 'group study session' is that the room on the terrace was too hot that day and I wanted to study in the second floor. You know that big red patch on his face?? That was me-- I punched him. Seriously.) But enough about what I don't like. This entry is exclusively about things I like.

I like pine cones and sea shells and coins and stamps and all things worth collecting, including memories.

I like reading my old diary entries. Most of it is highly illustrated and scribbly; I enjoy keeping a written diary more because of all the little drawings I make on the borders-- drawings of people, posters, random quotes (said by someone in school), priceless expressions, exclamation marks... And other than that of course I can read up on my old memories and opinions of everything, and even trace how I've grown and changed through the years...

I LOVE MY IPOD. I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT IT. DAMN. XD

I like living. All the beautiful ups and downs and smiles and memories and family and friends and experiences and thoughts and moments of pure bliss and joys and feeling alive. I like living in this world, where I just like so many things. This little entry probably can't even cover half of what I like; but I like that there are so many things to like-- what a full life. I can only be brimming with appreciation for my life.

I like my blog. I like how I can write stuff on it I normally wouldn't say to anyone.

Last link in the chain: Weeell, there you go. That's the most sappiest, most romantic part of me; though I prefer calling it appreciating life and nature.

That said, I have to add-- this entry is probably the most I will ever reveal of myself to anyone. I don't know if I should be happy I'm opening up; or if I'm annoyed/amused with myself for writing such a weirdly personal entry.