What to do when time doesn’t stop: The Delhi Edition
Its the first equinox of the year, one of the two times when nature calls it even between the light and the dark. Depending on the time you read this at and the place you read this from, it might decide if Sun is dominant or the pitch dark prevails of the former’s absence. The place where I currently have my fingers tapping this from is sensing the comfort of Solar System’s central star.
It's a Saturday morning, the birds are following their usual routine of chirping and jumping from one tree to tree another, from one roof to another, as they continue to look for food or partners to flock together. While, just as birds, for many the struggle for bread is a 24x7 marathon, a Saturday morning is a lousy one for the comparatively well off human (which includes me), the 5-day working population of the planet.
The clock has hit 10 AM, an hour after I woke up — rubbing my eyes while my inner self shouted, “arghh not again, please clock, the sun, the earth, the universe, whoever the fuck is responsible for this, slow the damn down, I cannot do this again, not now, give me some time”. Now an hour is a really small interval of time if you wish for it to be nearly immovable. In my personal experience and conversations, most people, who are too depressed to be comfortable about the prospects of tomorrow, of seeing people, this is the toughest challenge.
I used most of the part of that last hour arguing with myself as to why or why not should I write this post. There were multiple voices in my head, giving their own versions in for and against of whether I should post this. These voices have been there since forever, and it must be the case with almost everyone. I, for one, have been avoiding them for as long as I remember. I would just hear the loudest voice and not give other thoughts a say or even the tiniest of chances to present themselves. It's only now that I have started to give room and time to these parallel shouts. It may or may not be the greatest of ideas, but I feel if only you become accommodating to your own internal voices first, would you have any short at being patient and understanding when someone throws the conclusion of their inner selves to you. And like most of physical, mental exercises, this one takes constant effort and wait for it, time.
Answering the question What to do when the time doesn’t stop? could feel like responding to What to always do? because apparently time actually does never stop. But, I am talking about those times when you want it to stop more than other times. When life, being in your flesh and bones become haunting or the necessity of writing that power-point presentation drives you crazy because you just are unwell.
When the time doesn’t stop, take a break
1. When at home: Read, Watch, Work
a) Read: 5 book (non-fiction) suggestions
i. Reasons to Stay Alive (Matt Haig)
ii. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life (Mark Manson)
iii. Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE (Phil Knight)
iv. Permanent Record: Edward Snowden
v. Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google? (If you are into puzzles)
b) Watch: TV Show, Movie recommendations
i. Modern Love
ii. The Report (Movie)
iii. Take Us Home: Leeds United (Sports Documentary)
iv. Mr Robot
v. The Thick of It (Found it better than The Office)
c) Work: I tend to feel lonely when being left on my own and expected to do office work. I have recently found a web application that connects to with a random person, following which the two can keep a check on each other as they try achieving their work targets. The service is called Focusmate and offers 3 meets a week for the trial plan. The full-time plan is $5/month as of now, it has been totally worth for me.
2. Go to THAT trip to the mountains!
While I had the most depressing moment of my life at the river coast I visited last month — Watching Glee on my phone whose battery drains out quickly. It luckily turned upside down moments later as few amicable strangers got talking to me. It helped me get to believe that if you can gather enough courage to come out of your comfort zone(which is the most difficult task in itself) things do have a possibility of turning better.
Nothing gives you more time to think and relax but at the same moment keep you alert of the surroundings than a solo trip to a river coast or a mountain or for that matter anywhere. If you are lucky, you will get familiar strangers and hearing similar problems from dissimilar faces could help one become more understanding and sympathetic.
3. Drink that juice, gin, wine with the music you like
Now I am not suggesting to go on a berserk drinking mode. But a once in a while visit could bring a positive change in what could otherwise be feeling like a tough chain of low days to break.
The two of my favourite places are:
a. Rodeo Cantina & Kitchen (A-12, Inner Circle, Connaught Place, New Delhi): Amazing staff, dearth cheap prices, mostly plays instrumentals. Delicious Mexican food is a plus.
b.) Masha (9-A, 1st Floor, Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi): If you are looking for a place which plays Queen, host karaoke nights, you can never go wrong with Masha. It has a beautiful sitting arrangement for the Hauz Khas lake-side view. Staff is super friendly and accommodating of any concerns and requests.
4. Books + Coffee
If like me you are those slurping cold coffee while devouring books kinda people, visit Bahrisons Booksellers (Ground Floor, Rectangle 1, New, Saket, Delhi — 110017) and thank me later. Take a stroll with the fragrance of hundreds of fresh books while your coffee gets prepared. Read it, and may take home a few you really like the covers, binding or just the name of!
Few books I got intrigued by:
For any edits, suggestions, additions or simply to a chit chat, you may comment below or reach out to me at siddharthgupta234@gmail.com
