Saturday, June 9, 2012

Little pleasures of life
How many times do we get blessed with little moments of pleasure in our day to day lives, but very often fail to appreciate that. Somehow, it has been deeply ingrained in our minds that we need to equalize happiness or pleasure with being in a holiday destination away from the maddening crowd and the hustle bustle of the city life. But those moments when acquired, are so fleeting, that we are left gasping for more. Happiness is not a target or destination to be reached, it’s a journey to be enjoyed and relished with each passing moment of progress.
Little pleasures of life…when I succeed in squeezing my car in the last parking slot left in front of CCC…when I catch a passing glimpse of RKHS Poha neatly garnished with coriander leaves during breakfast time, which the vendor ensures nobody gets, god only knows who gets the precious leaves…when I take the first bite of my RKHS Upma with chana daal…or sip my morning MDP Coffee, which the MDP vendor serves with an omnipresent smile. Its really astonishing, how do they remember the preferences of 4000 odd people in the campus. Out of 4000, I guess at least 1500 would be drinking tea/coffee. Remembering their drink preferences, serving it even before they start to narrate their particular style of drink, requires not only great memory, but a true spirit of ensuring customer delight.  I am not saying that the other vendors lack basic service etiquette, its just that MDP is miles ahead of the pack. Same goes for CCD. “Good morning mam, h r u?”, C’mon now, which vendor welcomes you like that!!! Yesterday, I had the best experience ever at CCD. They even let me prepare my own version of cold diet cappuccino. They followed my instructions to the letter T and the outcome was heavenly. God bless Snehashish! I guess, my loyalties would shift towards CCD now, from MDP :P
I am extremely fond of interior decoration, be it my home, car or my cube. (Home away from Home). You must have heard of extended workplace, its time I introduce you to the concept of extended home. Yes, that’s my cube. I have decorated my cube with extreme care and love, each artifact has been picked up and placed with great thought. Every time, somebody gives me a compliment, “Nazia, your cube is so lovely, can’t take my eyes off it!”, that makes my day! And it happens very often, believe me, not kidding! J It so happened one day, I felt somebody standing behind me, and not speaking. I turned and said with a smile, “Hi, How can I help you?” The lady gasped, “Well, I was just passing by and couldn’t help but admire your cube, its mesmerizing, Can I stay here for a while and absorb the scene?” I was stunned, blushed profusely and could only manage to say, “Yeah, sure”.  After about one month, I came to know that the kind lady had taken a pic of my cube and shared with her friends in MFG! That was “Oh so flattering” J. I also got a prize recently, “The eye candy award”, in HR BBSR Fun Awards series, for having the most beautiful cube. J Another good friend of mine, who exited from the company recently, wrote a mail to me, on his LWD, “Nazia, your cube, has been a great source of employee engagement.” Now that was really sweet of him. J
When I reach home at night after a hard day of work, switch on the TV to watch Masterchef, with a coffee mug in my hand, and my roomie sitting next to me on the sofa, with her lappy ready to dive into the world of online shopping…yes….that is another moment of joy! Immediate stress buster! Now why can’t we have more such simple unadulterated moments of pleasure in life. Why do we have to depend on vacations in exotic locales all the time…May be ‘coz of peer pressure! Ever since I stepped out of B-school, it has been like a tradition for me and my bestie Anu, to take an annual vacation together. Last year it was Pondicherry and this year it was to Munnar! The rest of the year, we stay contented with the pics of our trips, lolz! Its very important in life to have like-minded friends in your circle. And I consider myself very fortunate on that front. Be it Anu, delightful roomies, colleague cum friends, work is fun, only coz of them!
I feel, I am meandering too much in todays article…cant help it…there is so much stuff to write about and the world limit of 500 (Self-imposed) doesn’t help at all. J
Chalo, cya then…
Cheers!