What Candy Crush taught me...

Candy Crush Saga.. yes the "sweetest game ever".. Yes, the game which is the most famous of all, having some million players around the world, some are addicts, others are regular players. It is being played on computers, laptops, smartphones by so many people that it has suppressed all other games in a short while.. But is Candy Crush Saga just a game? Well, for most people it sure is. It was just a game for me as well. But as a regular player of the game, and now that I have completed all the levels available in the game till date; I took my time and realized that it's not just a game, but it teaches a lot of life lessons as well along with the entertaining factor involved... Here goes the lessons I got:

1. Match-three puzzle: Those who play sure know that it is. When you match three candies of the same colour, it clears up the space and drops new candies, which moves the game further. And when you match four of the kind, it becomes a striped candy/wrapped candy, which is even better for clearing the provided board and moving forward, and similarly when you match five of a kind, it makes a sprinkled chocolate bomb which is the best of all I have ever known. This was about the game. But this taught me that you can never move forward thinking of your own self and by being selfish. You must work in groups to take your aim forward. This game teaches team-work. But the similar colour candies teach that you must be with like-minded people to be able to progress. The more people, the better and faster you move towards your goal; just like if you make five sprinkled chocolates on the board, instead of clearing by matching three, you clear the lever faster and easier and move forward. 
    
   
2. One level at a time: You can only move to the next level if you clear the previous one. Until then, you MUST keep on trying on that same level till you clear it. This taught me that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step; and that there is no escalator to success, but you must must take the stairs. And you must keep your feet firmly on each step and hold your ground before you can progress to the next step(level). When you take each step with firm feet, nobody can push you down, just like in the game where if you clear a level, you only move forward, but you look back in life (just like people playing previous levels), only if you want to... 
   
3. Limited number of moves: For clearing each level, you get a limited number of moves (25/30/50 etc.) and when you are done with those moves, if you did not plan well ahead, you fail at the level. This taught me that I must plan each and every move of mine in life very carefully to move forward, lest I want to fail at whatever I am attempting to do, and then I have to start over again, no matter how well I was going through (just like in the game). Planning is the key and you just cannot achieve something just like that. 
    
   
4. 5 lives at a time: The game provides 5 lives at one time to play for. After you lose all the lives in the game, you either wait 30 minutes for each life, or you might as well ask for one from one of your fellow players from your friends. This taught me that if you have went unplanned and have lost at a task or failed at accomplishing something, you must never be too hard on yourself and you must rest a bit before you try again. The time you rest would also let you ponder about where you went wrong and what you could have done better, (like in the game) and what mistakes you made so as not to repeat them again. This way you probably do better the next time you try. You must also not feel shy to turn to your friends as well if you need help (lives as in the game), but never be too dependent on anyone because they shall extend a helping hand only if they are available (read: online) or if they want to.. So you must wait for your time in life (like the 30 minutes game time) and always believe in yourself. 
   
5. Obstacles: There are obstacles in most of the levels like the chocolates, meringue, the toffee tornado or the liquorice swirls which regularly make the levels even more difficult to pass through. Sometimes the candies are placed in a very difficult position to make matches and sometimes you clear the level by collecting certain orders in the game, such as 'n' number of yellow/red/blue candies or some fruits or some combos.. and you don't pass through until you collect all of them. This taught me that obstacles are a part of life and they ARE bound to come, either we accept them with a smile or a frown is totally our wish. Obstacles are a God's way of testing you and you can either live a life of "going to do.." or take up the challenge and face the difficulties. Also, you MUST give your 100% at every step, no matter how many obstacles come your way, to be able to succeed (as in the game, you collect ALL the orders to pass the level) and until you do, you remain on the same step. 
    
    
    
   
6. Clearing the jelly: Clearing the jelly sure is a part of most of the levels in the game. The jelly blocks the vision of the candy and it has to be cleared to either make a way for the orders to be completed or for passing the level itself. The same way, life gives us good and bad times, and sometimes our vision is blurred when the going gets tough and our eyes are filled with tears. But just like the jelly which has to be removed to uncover the candy, our vision has to be cleared, and the tears be wiped away to clearly see our goal and aim towards reaching it. 
   
7. The daily booster wheel: Everyday you rotate the daily booster wheel in the game and you get one free booster. That may not be the one you have desired for, or the one you might need to clear the game, but you can save it, and it sure WILL be used somewhere in the next levels. I know all of us desire to hit the jackpot, but I personally feel that's being too selfish and asking for too much. These things taught me that no matter how difficult/boring/bad day you might be having, God always gives us something to be happy about every single day. That may be in form or rewards if you had a nice day, or in form of lessons if you had a bad day. Either way, that's useful for our future life and we must accept it with gratitude and not be too selfish because God gives us not when we ask, but when it's the right time !! 
   
8. The special candies: On some levels, the game hands us some special candies, which further decide the completion or no-completion of the level. The same way, life offers us some special situations which is not always in our hands, and sometimes it depends upon how we use those special situations to our benefit. Chameleon candies change colors every turn, and just like that life can sometimes be hard to predict and might take some surprising turns. Mystery candies, which randomly turn into special candies/blockers/timed bombs; same as life which hands us some people which are a mystery in life and when we later realize, they could be the worst person you ever met, or they could become our best friends/soul-mates for life. Either way, just like we DO open the mystery candies, hoping for the best, we must learn to trust and believe that God has either sent them to be with us forever, or to teach us a lesson, which would later be required in life. Sometimes we get extra time candies in the timed levels and we get the benefit only if we can get to them; just like in life sometimes life gives us something extra, some extra opportunities, but in order to lay our hands on the same, we MUST also work harder, and once we get those benefits, we can use them to bring out the best in us. 
    
    
   
9. Passing episodes: The game is divided into episodes and when all the levels in an episode are complete, to play further next episode, three friends need to give us tickets and we cannot play further till the next level. This taught me that we must not be too hard on ourselves and set short-time goals for ourselves, and once that short-term goal is achieved, we must take a short break and celebrate it with ourselves. Give ourself a treat, reconnect with old friends (give them a call/drop an e-mail) or watch a movie/read a book just for leisure; and that time sure shall recharge you and fill you with a new energy. 
    
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
10. Giving lives/extra moves: I'm sure you might have noticed that when you open the game, sometimes it asks you to send lives to your friends, even if they did not ask for it, or help the friends who are struck at a particular level by sending extra moves. This teaches us being helpful. This teaches us empathy. This shows we MUST lift up people in life, and pass out smiles and hugs to everyone we meet to make their day better and lift their spirits up. Above all, it's free.... (just like it costs nothing for you to send help in the game). Keep helping to make the world a better place. 
     
    
11. Sugar crush: Yes, the famous "sugar crush" on the game. If you finish the level in less moves than given, then you experience the sugar crush, meaning you get a striped candy for every move left so your score increases exponentially. Same happens with life.. if you take up a step in life in little time, then the time left is all yours. Don't rush towards the next step immediately. Yes, of course we have to move on to the next, but breath and relax for you have earned this prize. Take time to read a book, eat, sleep or just simply sit back and relax before moving on to the next step. This shall boost our confidence like never before. 
     
    
12. The stars: Yes, this is about the stars we receive at the end of each level, i.e., 1, 2 or 3 stars, 3 being the best. If you play exceptionally well, then only you are awarded with 3 stars. The same goes with life. If you work hard towards a goal with all your might, you get exceptionally well results for the same; but you could choose to not put your heart completely in what you are working for, and are satisfied with mediocre results, (just like 1 and 2 stars in the game), then that is entirely your choice. Also, when you get the maximum stars for the episode, you become the episode champion. Similarly, if your work shines out, you will outshine the world and stand at the topmost platform. So, to achieve something extraordinary, efforts required are extraordinary as well... Go ahead, the choice is yours !! 
    
13. The Dream world: The dream world is a secondary parallel level where we play the earlier levels and play one level at a time, but we need to keep the balance of the moon on which Odus the owl sits, and as soon as it gets imbalanced, Odus falls off the moon. Likewise, in life, we must not only focus on our goal and become so selfish that we forget everything else, but it teaches that we must keep a balance of love, family and relationships as well and also to make sure one of these does not get imbalanced and fall out of our life, while we were busy looking only at the target we want to achieve. We must reach our goal, a little slower if we must, but always carry the irreplaceable jewels of your life along the path you travel. Also, moon stuck is activated as we fill up the balance well in the game, similarly in life as we carry our loved ones around and maintain a good balance, they shall, no doubt extend hands to help you out to make sure you don't get left behind. 
     
    
14. The time is running out: Just like in the timed levels of the game, where the time runs out in 15/20/30 seconds, you choose either to use it wisely or let go; time is running and the clock is ticking, depends upon you to make use of the time or just let it go. Time shall never stop and it will keep running; and if you walk with time, you succeed, and if not, you shall be left behind, for time never stops, time never looks behind for anyone. 
    
15. Special boosters: Sometimes the game gives you special boosters such as the jelly fish, the coconut wheel or the lucky candies randomly which you can use to your benefit. Similarly, sometimes life gives you unexpected rewards at the times you were least expecting them. These are gifts of god to help keep us going and to boost our morale. Thank the heavens above, smile for a while and unwrap the rewards to use them to the most of your benefit.. 
     
    
16. The lost concentration: A lot of times it happens that when we see a bomb ticking, we lose our concentration and apply all our time and energy in diffusing that bomb. But sometimes, we don't realize that we don't even have that many moves left as the number on the timer bombs, so we can reach our goal and the bomb would not go off with the moves remaining. The same is with life: we keep running in a race, to achieve everything in life; often forgetting that the moments of our life have been lost in running behind those ticking bombs (everything we want to achieve). It can be better if sometimes we stop concentrating on bombs (the materialistic things which we believe must be achieved at a particular age, time etc.) and start living instead. 
     
    
17. Toffette: Toffette (Tiffi) solves problems plaguing the residents of the candy kingdom, and that's what the game is all about. And that's what life is all about as well. God solves all the problems plaguing the mankind, providing we promise to work hard with all our might and trusting him with all our heart. If we work like everything depends on us; and we pray like everything depends on God, nothing can ever go wrong. Hard work and prayers go hand in hand. 
     
     
    
18. Life is colorful: Just like there are various colored candies in a game of Candy Crush Saga, there are various colors in your life. Sometimes you might feel good or bad, sometimes depressed, angry, sad, excited, jealous, or even too hopeful. You cry and you laugh. You get angry and disappointed. You feel funny and beautiful. It's all a part of a colorful life you have been given. And just like the "sweet" and "delicious" candies in the game, life is sweet, life is delicious. Keep the sweetness and taste the delicious flavors life has to offer. 
     
    

Well, this sweet game of Candy Crush is loved and adored by many. But remember how it's not just a game, but quietly teaches the beautiful lessons of life all along. I personally love the multi-coloured cheerfulness of the game and of course it is addictive !! But just like the game, life is lovely, colourful and cheerful. We must be addicted to life and strive towards our goals; and always remember the lessons taught by this wonderful game while playing both the game, and the life..

To Sweden... With love..

Sweden. Yes. You are the one I'm going to remember all my life.. even if I move away, even if I visit and stay in a thousand other countries all my life. Because you are special and very very close to my heart. Because you are the first place (rather literally) I have moved to after I was born in a lovely city in India. You are the one where I became the closest to the special man I have loved, my life partner and best friend.. even though I would have been close to him obviously, had we rather moved anywhere else as well.. but yes, for me, it was you. You are the one who welcomed my husband to your land about 4 years back, even though I had not known him then, but the fact that he spent about 2 years with you before he met me; obviously makes you all the more special for me... You are the one who I was introduced to about 2 years back (even though I never knew you existed on the globe of the earth; and I supposed it was rather Switzerland). You are the one who attracted me and made me want to come to you so fondly because my husband lived with you for a long time. You are the one where I started my new love life and married life with my life partner. You are the one who welcomed me with open arms, even though I have never been away from my home and parents; and never had I known how is it to be at an unreachable distance from home... You are the one I love, and that's why you are the one most special to me...

I landed on your grounds in the cold month of January, which is very often detested by the locals as well as all the people residing here. But well, not for me. It was a white-silvery land for me, completely covered with snow, and more, soft snow was falling over my head as I stepped out of the Stockholm-Arlanda airport. At 7 in the evening, it looked completely dark, with the snow reflecting back some of the light. Before I could look further, we were seated in a taxi which was racing towards our home. HOME, yes.. my new home, the place I would start my next life from now. Completely mixed feelings.. But my feelings were soon taken over by the white, silver roads, trees, buildings.. pretty much everything covered in beautiful snow. This was something I had never witnessed in my life. It was you who gave me the beautiful experience of living with the snow. It was the cold winter, snowy months with high winds that followed, which made you different from the place I came from. It was the short days, mostly without any sunshine, and long, dark nights which excited me as nothing else, which completely made me wonder about a lot of things. I tried to capture the snowy place and times in pictures, whatever little I could, because you can never capture everything you see, feel and experience in form of a picture... unforgettable nonetheless.. !!

Some months were definitely coldest I had ever experienced but I was delighted when springs greeted me with the cold gradually fading away and the cool breezes and the lovely fragrance of flowers was in the cool, fresh air. If that was not heavenly enough, summer kicked in rather quick and lo! it was a pure bliss and no less than an actual heavenly wonderland !! Beautiful flowers, cool winds, temperature soaring to a beautiful 20-25 degrees which was soothing than ever, picturesque scenes at even the shortest distance, the clearest of the blue skies and crystal clear sparkling water with the sun shining above; short clothes and sun-bathing was never as fun. This was what I had never seen, never experienced and totally unforgettable... 

She turned to the sunlight, and shook her little head..

Whispered to her neighbour; winter is dead !!

I never think summer could get better than this... So green, so beautiful, so serene.. just like a new life being blown in everything; be it the nature or the people.. beautiful nature, happy people and kids everywhere.. I never imagined this place really has so many people living here, for they were rarely seen in the months of winters.. but summer, is pure bliss.. just heavenly !!

"And so with the sunshine and the great burst of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies; I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with summer."
- F. Scott Fitzgerald 

Lazily sitting about in the sun, tanning myself but enjoying every little ray of sun while I could, sitting by the lake for a nice bird-watching, lying down on the fresh cut grass, breathing about the divine smell while the wind caressed my open hair, reading a book on the bench by the church overlooking a busy market, looking at the hustle-bustle of happy couples holding hands, older ones sipping their coffee or drinks on the outside open seating of the restaurants, little kids running around merrily, while even the little ones chuckled and laughed chirpily as their mothers carried them out for walks in prams. That's what summer was all about..so happy, so full of life.. 

When the summer started fading away slowly, I saw the rising of another beautiful season which I had never seen in real life, autumn.. Autumn was no less than another wonder to my eyes, as I had seen autumns only in the movies and I had always wanted to experience in real life. 

Come little leaves, said the wind one day..

Come to the meadows with me and play
Put on your dresses of red and gold;
for the summer is past and the days grow cold.... !!

I was engulfed and indulged in the breath-taking beauty and charms of the autumn season and tried to capture as many shades in my camera as I could. Even though it was cold, I spent time outside, taking long walks along the scenic views which were spread in all directions. I kicked the dried red and yellow leaves scattered on the ground all over on my way back home, sat under the trees on the leaves to read a book, with more leaves falling over my hair and adorning my book as the winds blew hard, spent time breathing the mixed scent of the wet and dry nature as the air moved through cool towards cold... Autumn was undoubtedly the best season I have ever lived on your land, as today I await the next autumn season while trying to completely breathe in the summer...

As the winds grew from cool to cold, and from cold to chilly, I felt the season closing in fast, the days started growing shorter and darker, and it started marking the arrival of the early winters: a season of chill, dark days, warm clothes and icy cold weather, yet again. From the onset of winters to the growing colder and colder as the days passed by swiftly, I realized it was the month of January again; a year since I had stepped foot on your lands, and wow, it was such an amazing and beautiful journey that I hardly noticed..

Other than all the beautiful seasons like never before experienced in life, it was a lot many things I fell in love with all along. The amazing public transport, the safety for all, specially women (so unlike India, where women are unsafe at any given place and time), the clean environment, the beautiful people (be it men, women, kids or elder ones) and beautifully dressed always an at any point of the day (yes really.. oops), equal parenting; meaning fathers can be seen pushing prams, and nice healthcare for all, specially kids and older people. 

Along with falling in love, there had been a lot of things I learnt being in this land (some of them being the hard way too). I learnt that we MUST stand in queues for our turn at any place, be it a grocery store, waiting for the bus at the bus stop, at the local Apotek (medicine shop) or any government offices (Skattaverket, arbetsförmedlingen, migrationverket and the like) where we HAVE TO usually take a slip from a dispenser machine, with a number and we wait for our chance to be spoken to or attended to.. (really? I never did that before.. Yes, now I do it every time). Standing in queues is considered polite in Sweden and we dare not try and cross a queue, unless we want a look from all the people present that makes us want to disappear at that very moment. Queues. Always. That's how I increased my patience. 

Swedish is very important for conversation (although it might not be useful in any other part of the world), but you MUST learn it if you are looking for any job in here, because every requirement that pops up asks for a fluent Swedish. Okay. I had my basic training of Swedish and can read, write and understand. Job? Haha.. No. I learnt that while in here, I must go shopping before 18.00 and the grocery stores close at about 20.00 on weekdays and 16.00 on weekends (okay, not all of them, but mostly: Coop and ICA till exemple). 

I realized that recycling is an amazing way to help save environment, and that this place and its people believe in the same so much I have never seen. From having green, red and several other different bags for separating wastes from households, more than 99% of household waste is recycled in some way or the other. I learnt to separate newspapers, plastic, metal, glass, electric appliances, light bulbs and batteries, and of course food waste (in green bags). Wow. Apart from this, the knowledge that Sweden even imports tonnes of waste from other countries to recycle in one form or the other made me love and respect this place even more.. Even the grocery stores charge for each plastic bag to keep waste to minimum, and so we learn to recycle..

I came about knowing the meaning of fika, the traditional coffee with a sandwich over a conversation, which is the favourite of all of the Swedes; learning about important festivals in here such as Easter, where the places are decorated with colourful feathers, and to the onset of spring where beautiful flowers begin to bloom, the grand celebration of Christmas, the Swedish Midsommar, which is definitely an outdoor celebration, on June 20-21 to celebrate the longest day of the year, wherein people gather around a pole to dance, eat, drink and enjoy like there's no tomorrow, the Swedish National day, where the Swedish spirit can be seen everywhere, from kids waving little paper flags in their hands, happy, cheerful people to all the newspapers admiring their land, where usually the weather is beautiful as well.. Also some more celebrations for eating such as Fettisdagen, Våffeldagen, Cinnamon bun day.. Surely a happy and lovely spirit you possess dear Sweden..

Many other things learnt are punctuality for anywhere, because the bus and/or the train leaves on time, with me, or without me; the state-owned alcohol monopoly (systembolaget), the only place where I can buy drinks other than from bars of course; safe tap-water to drink, thinking twice before tossing out plastic bags (as I would be charged for a new one), month-long summer vacations, where a lot of businesses shut down (really?), shop before 6 P.M. and GET IN A LINE (the famous queue system).. 

From developing myself to be a more patient and punctual person, respecting time like never before, learning to live and take care of everything by myself, becoming a responsible person, adding a new language (the basics of course) to my portfolio, using my time to learn to cook and master many new recipes I never had before, exploring the beautiful, beautiful nature and capturing moments in pictures, spending nearly a year and a half with you, I say I am in love with you.. with much to explore, much much to learn and so much more to see and love, I'm looking forward to take myself as a more beautiful person, inside and out, with you Sweden.. 

Pictures sources: Google (Other than pictures having my bookmark)