Calvin :: The Philosopher

We all love the little chap Calvin, who plays with his tiger Hobbes. He entertains us with his daily exploits about life, exams and parents (we can always argue the degree of difficulty to deal with each of these!). He makes us smile with his little innocuous comments and imagined superheroes.

Once in a while, he pulls gems like these to make us realize that humour actually reaches across deeper than a lot of other feelings:

© Universal Press Syndicate
(Click on the comic strip to see a larger image)

Internet Warriors - Duty Calls

A brilliant comic from XKCD. I am sure a lot of you would agree with this. I would not ask which side you are on, but either sides for sure! :)

(Image Link: http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/duty_calls.png)

Statue fiasco in Pune

(Alternative title: Why do we get angry when they call us a Third World country! - as said by Nik)

If you read this Hindustan times article, it seems like a gripping action scene from a thriller novel. Another article by HT explains the politics behind the statue removal. They seem to drag the untiringly debated Brahmin-Maratha angle to this political scenario.

Caste politics at its best!

AC wrote a nice post on how a citizen feels about the whole issue on his blog.

Here is a picture that shows the innocuous statue and the lovely Lal Mahal in the background.


(Image courtesy: http://travel.webshots.com/photo/1106636966049943800ClHDUR)

In the picture, starting from the left is Dadoji Konddev, little Shivaji and his mother Jijabai.

Whether it reflects accurate historical facts or not is entirely debatable. And this debate can go on and on.

But trust Indian politicians to make an issue of this and trouble the daily schedule of a commoner!

Wonder what Mayawati has to say about the Statue politics!

Books that i plan to read in 2011

On Twitter, I have been going gaga about the books i have procured. I did buy them to read them. So, 2011 seems like a year where i will try to read as much as possible. Here are some of the books that i have and intend to read in the near future:

• ✓ Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
• Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
• ✓ A Clash of Kings (Book 2 of A Song of Ice and Fire series) by George R.R. Martin
• ✓ A Storm of Swords (Book 3 of A Song of Ice and Fire series) by George R.R. Martin
• Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse
• ✓ Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk (I love the movie)
• A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (I love this movie as well! Stanley Kubrick has done a fabulous job. He has created superb visuals and sets.)
• Dracula by Bram Stoker
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
• Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! by Richard P. Feynman
• The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas (I have heard so much about this book that i just hope to read this much revered book.)
• The Fall of the Giants by Ken Follett
• The Immortals of Meluha by Amish

I know that to-do lists aren't helpful for me, but hopefully i will complete these before starting the Farseer trilogy by Robin Hobb, complete the Bartimaeus trilogy (Earlier post here) and other interesting series. :)

Update: Hopefully I can include The Kingkiller Chronicle as well.

Happy Reading.

On rat races...

AC put up an interesting POV through his post Pursuing responsibilities & man made necessities before building a permanent career. It ensued some comments from me and AC did answer the queries. P chipped in with her fresh and positive outlook.

After a long time it was good to debate about something that all of us face and will face in our daily routines.

Mash Up

So i started with Questions, while i was In Translation between Parallel Tracks and Again when i was on the Giant Wheel. I was just looking for a Vacation for Another day with Music in Mumbai. But what i got was a deal with Unity in Diversity and a First One on Ironical Environmentalism. I was wondering When will we learn when Old Thoughts when Dirt Track Racers took me on a Diabolic Agenda and made me Shuffle my Dilemma.

While i considered visiting the Pune Pattern to see the Deteriorating Sahyadris and again the Pune Pattern for the Marathi Sahitya Sammelan in San Jose, I had to Follow up on my Frustrations. Suddenly i was like Ahh Metallica is Back and Phew for some Lessons for Rikshawallahs, which by the way are Ironic.

I stumbled across Ode to the Horde and A prolific writer and then a A beautiful tale called Shantaram. But alas, Ayurvedic Medicine for Swine Flu - Wow took my attention away from Describing Love Of Beer Bearers. It took me 19 days between Mumbai and Zurich to understand the Smart Burglars and give them Guru Gyan. There i was asked to produce my Voter's ID and several Chaostion Marks were raised, which were solved in the Museum of Memories.

I then read the Vultures by Chinua Achebe along with some Music and Some words here n there. I as about the find the difference between A rose with any other name, when Life and Lyrics and Blinkers came along a Name with a Link and i was like, Might...Maybe and Not! But as they say, there is Light at the End of Paranoia for The Sheep Story and also for the Song Set 2 and Some Words.

In the night i saw the Golden Moon and read I love myself as much as a penguin loves an ipod. I also wondered about the Moon and the Box and the Grind it on a Pack of cards, Being a topper in the class. Dilemma hit again and A search story was unravelled Too Soon with Updates about Fear.

To write a story about My Acting Portfolio or On hating prejudiced people was the question i raised in the E-mail sent on the last day at work. I got answers in Instincts and feelings and Symbols and another question, And Why to Tweet! What do i say About Love, it is All in good faith.

Did you dream last night about the Diwali shopping scenes or about the Short Story - The Whore of Mensa? Ah, or you can see Some lovely verses that i read or the Unfairy Tale about Kid me not. There are of course Words for things incomplete and The More Loving One!

I have an Amulet of Samarkand. Is that Weird? I also work on A Song and a Sketch while i Wear Sunscreen. But then, Understanding, are we?

Well, might as well chase The Lizard King and look for Fantasy Books and the answer will still be 42! Do you want me to tell you about Some of the books that i have really loved or A Historic Love Story?

Are you with me?

A Historic Love Story

Anidin was an interesting chap. Very diverse a personality and intriguing nature. And yes he was really attracted to someone for a long time hundreds of billions of years go.

Anidin was in love with Rani Catcat.

Together, they lived in the friendly neighborhood household known as Anawdong Land. They were really close, but they shared more than just their proximity. They shared their love for the same seasons, their love for the same animals and their penchant for inertia. They were close, very close.

Then after living together for a long time, Time stole everything from them. Time is such a thief. Like every other story, the lovers estranged, they broke up. They started moving away from each other. It took a long time for them to actually move away.

Meanwhile Anidin started getting attracted to Siaa. (Yeah, even the name sounds attractive, eh?) But Rani had a lot of feelings inside her. She just couldn't let go, didn't want to let go and found it tough to survive the separation and became cold, blue and very cold. Nevertheless, she fought her personal battles herself.

Anidin on the other hand mercilessly moved away. The speed at which he got attracted to Siaa was so much that it was magical. Feelings formed mountains. Valleys of flowers bloomed. New love. Fresh love. Anidin got so attached to Siaa he didn't realise when some part of him was turning cold. He not even realise that this cold-part increased every year. Inch by Inch.

Suddenly one day, Anidin realised that the coldness was the remnants of the love he had for Rani. Rani who was now cold and blue, and it was that amazing bond of memories that was forming this new bond. A cold but time immemorial bond. A bond that no one could break.

Not even a distance of half of the earth and time of a million years.

Love. Love is strange. Love is something where reason stops.

This is the little story of Anidin, Rani Catcat from the Anawdong Land days and their breakup before Anidin met Siaa and his persistent coldness!

Some of the books that I have really loved...

The list could keep changing ahead. I will try to restrict myself to say 15 of my favourite books?

• Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov (This is sheer poetry)
• Amulet of Samarkand - Jonathan Stroud (There cannot be another Bartimaeus)
• Radheya (In Marathi) - Ranjit Desai (Karna as a protagonist changed my outlook forever)
• Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts (A very in depth portrayal of Mumbai)
• The Zahir - Paulo Coelho (Struck me by its simplicity yet the reach, personal)
• The Outsider - Albert Camus (Words shot from an AK47 about existentialism)
• Animal Farm - George Orwell (Less said the better!)
• Fools Die - Mario Puzo (I remember the gambling scene at the beginning, still feel the journey)
• The Chancellor Manuscript - Robert Ludlum (Espionage and political crime thriller)
• Three Men in a Boat - Jerome K. Jerome (Humour writing at its best)
  
• Life at Blanding's (Omnibus) - P. G. Wodehouse (This is the series that got me hooked!)
  
• Curtain: Poirot's Last Case - Agatha Christie (Ironically, the first Christie I read)
  
• Icon - Frederick Forsyth (Espionage, CIA, KGB, classic Foryth story telling)
  
• The 11th Commandment - Jeffrey Archer (Just for the ending!)
  
• Wyatt's Hurricane - Desmond Bagley (The first full length novel i read, and re-read a lot of times, still remember the elation!)
  

42

This is post number 42 for 2010 and I thought, why not dedicate it to the answer to life the universe and everything.

Yes?
No, then do a Google search.

Fantasy books

So, after reading the Harry Potter a long time back, I came across the Bartimaeus Trilogy quite recently. I have so far just read the first book of the series as I have posted here. Suddenly, it struck me that there is a whole, exhaustive 'fantasy' genre. And it's a big ocean out there! There are tons of websites dedicated to this genre! For starters, check here, here and here. And yes, I have been researching since a month or so and I am totally lost!

Most of them allude to J.R.R. Tolkein as the great grandfather of fantasy (The very well known Lord of the Rings trilogy). And then there is Robert Jordan (The Wheel of Time series), the revered George R. R. Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire series), Robin Hobb (The Farseer Trilogy) and so many others.

I have now started reading A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin from The Song of Ice and Fire series. Maybe, I will follow it up with the next one from the series or will go back to reading the next of the Bartimaeus Trilogy. I am also inclined to check either Robert Jordan or Robin Hobb (though different style of writing and story lines) to see which series I can dive deep into. (You can see the amount of confusion that I encounter!)

Overall, I am really amazed at the way these authors have created entire worlds and characters and added plots, battles, twists and mind-numbing dialogues. I am not much of a magic and magical creatures fan. I prefer kings and their kinsmen, women, politics, betrayal and their epic and grand battles.

Many people have written about these books that the best ones are not just the about the good winning over evil. It is the good that is filled with dark characters and the evil charachters being good at what they are known! There is no straight distinguishing line for sure. Intriguing and entrancing.

Ok, with that lets revel in what the print offers us!

The Lizard King

Over a cup of chai with Manash, the topic of the artist, poet and mystic James Douglas Morrison was brought up. Just yesterday was his birthday anniversary. Had he been here, on the human earth, he would have been 67. The lizard king, old and probably still writing golden words.

For us though, he would always be young. That crazy guy who spoke art to the art. No one came in between. It was his words, his voice and his feelings. They reached the pinnacle that only Jim Morrison can reach. He opened The Doors for the majority.

There is a line that is credited to him (debatable), but it has the flavor that his art stood for:

'There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are The Doors of perception.'

Of the many names given to him, The Lizard King is very intriguing. Those of you who are Doors addicts know that the very line 'I am the Lizard King, I can do anything' is such mysterious source of undefined energy that every time you say/hear/read this line it envelopes you in a vibrant trance!

So where did this name originate from? From the poem written by him called 'The Celebration Of The Lizard'? Most likely! Here are a few lines from the poem:

Some outlaws live by the side of a lake
The minister's daughter's in love with the snake
Who lives in a well by the side of the road
Wake up, girl! We're almost home

Sun, sun, sun
Burn, burn, burn
Moon, moon, moon
I will get you soon…soon…soon!

I am the Lizard King
I can do anything

---

For seven years I dwelt in the loose palace of exile
Playing strange games with the girls of the island
Now I have come again to the land of the fair
And the strong and the wise

Brothers and sisters of the pale forest
Children of night
Who among you will run with the hunt?

Now night arrives with her purple legion
Retire now to your tents and to your dreams
Tomorrow we enter the town of my birth
I want to be ready

Beautiful words which are rendered even more amazing if you can think them as being narrated by one of the greatest voice of all time. Jim, the philosopher. There can be no one like him. There will be no one like him. May his soul rest in peace.

I had written a post about the song 'The End' sometime back. I was in a trance then. I am in trance even now.

Understanding, are we?

How in life we expect others to understand us, while failing to understand others. Really. And not understand others from our perspective (that's judging in my opinion) but a view of what the others really are. Oh how much!

We are all just misunderstood selfish beings. Or is that an understatement?

Updates received on Buzz to this post:

SM: Understanding others basically require people you group with are of same likes, viewpoints etc. But understanding self requires much more mental depth and of course courage to think straight, right and practical. You also need to have courage to accept yourself as what you really are. Most of us have dual (multi-faceted) personalities. We never reveal our genuine nature, opinions etc. Many time opinions are situation based.

K: That is a very deep thought. And i agree that opinions are circumstantial. They change as the times / situations change. But then, i believe it changes our level of understanding too. That is why i felt that we are too judgmental at times and we falsely believe (or like to believe) that we can understand it entirely.

Wear Sunscreen

By Mary Schmich of the Chicago Tribune

Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '98: Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blind side you at 4 PM on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard.

Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.
---
You can also find the audio-video here.

A Song and a Sketch

Metallica is a household name. Well, almost! Or at least it would be from the generation here on! Most of us are born and brought up on Metallica. Most of you will agree on this. I have already spoken about my love for Metallica here, here and here.

In 1997, Metallica released the album ReLoad. That album had a song called Fixxxer. Beautiful song. One of the classic Bluesy Hard Rock style that Metallica adopted from their another good album Load. The song fits in with the other classics and my personal favourites like Bleeding Me, The Outlaw Torn and Thorn Within.

The song Fixxxer has some lovely lines:

Dolls of voodoo all stuck with pins
One for each of us and our sins
So you lay us in a line
Push your pins they make us humble
Only you can tell in time
If we fall or mearly stumble

...

Can you heal what father's done?
Or cut this rope and let us run?
Just when all seems fine
And I'm pain free
You jab another pin
Jab another pin in me

Now with these lines in mind, check the following sketch that Shreyas has drawn. It was done with pencil and paper. Beautiful picture and heartening, rather haunting, expressions.


This is one of my favourite sketches. I hope Shreyas keeps drawing such amazing sketches.

That's all i got to say.

Weird?

"Everyone grows up and everyone is weird in their own way!"

"But then, you are not weird."

"Actually, I am. It's just that you don't find me weird, or maybe you like my weirdness!"

The Amulet Of Samarkand

So what is the secret behind the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the mystery of Atlantis, the magic in the ancient flying magic carpets, or the reason why people think that horseshoe has some sort of a magical charm? And what if one book answers all these questions for you? If you are interested to know, go and grab your copy of The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud.

This book has an amazing story-line, beautiful descriptions, and impressive characterization. I came across this book very late, but like they say 'Der aaye par durust aaye'.

And oh well, there is the cynically sarcastic yet adorable, Bartimaeus. What a fabulous character. One of my all time favourite!

Definitely recommended.

The More Loving One - W.H.Auden

I came across this lovely poem by W.H.Auden 'The More Loving One'. Its sublimely beautiful!

The More Loving One

Looking up at the stars, I know quite well
That, for all they care, I can go to hell,
But on earth indifference is the least
We have to dread from man or beast.

How should we like it were stars to burn
With a passion for us we could not return?
If equal affection cannot be,
Let the more loving one be me.

Admirer as I think I am
Of stars that do not give a damn,
I cannot, now I see them, say
I missed one terribly all day.

Were all stars to disappear or die,
I should learn to look at an empty sky
And feel its total darkness sublime,
Though this might take me a little time.

- W.H. Auden

Words for things incomplete

A whole lot of text must have been written or is written, to describe or dedicate to the love that could have been, the feelings that could have been extended, the dreams that could have been livelier.

Things are so esoteric that they make sense to the person who knows that the lines are just written for him or her. For others, it is just another romantic poem or a sad verse. Mostly, a sad verse.

There would always be the urge in people who wish to convey their feelings to the one's they miss a lot. They would always find interpretations, comparisons from the nature around. Be it monsoon, lovely alleys, coffee shops, memories of midnight, that familiar sound of laughter, songs, movies, books... Oh that is almost everything under the blue sky! It is very true though.

But the objective of this literature, if it can be called an objective as such, is a reaction from someone, somewhere... who do you want that someone to be?

Kid me not...

Twitter is a fantastic place to find amazing writers. Some of these guys write really nice posts that you can associate with. Daddy San is one such writer. He blogs here.

His two recent posts were about Kids and them growing up part. Check this lovely post 'No Kidding' and 'How many children do you have?'.

I liked them. Maybe you will too.

Update: In the comments section of No Kidding, another writer shared another lovely post - Found in Translation.

Unfairy Tale

So, Goldilocks was saved. She almost fell to a trap set by Little Bear from the Bears. Of course Mama Bear and Papa Bear were not really interested in Goldilocks. They had their gaming console to lure them. Little tried his best. He was a hard working fellow in his own eyes. He was Alexander when he wanted to, Napolean when he wanted, and even Tom Cruise when he felt like. His real name was Narcissist, but he thought that even that name didn't justify what greatness he felt about himself. Little was full of himself. Actually overflowing.

Going back. Goldilocks was looking for a temporary rented house. She had flunked college and her parents had thrown her out of the house. She did approach Snow White, Rapunzel and even Cindrella but all of them turned her town. They all thought that she was too naive. They all thought that her past was more colourful than theirs. Strange, since naive and adventure might not always go together. But she was Goldilocks. Rumours surrounded her like dwarfs around Snow White. Goldilocks then had showed them the hand gesture and had approached the Bears. So much for naivety.

Papa was really happy to receive her. He had a room to spare in the garage and was on a lookout some source of money to feed his gaming addiction. Mama didn't care. As long as the money kept flowing Papa's pockets and the whiskey in her glass, all she wanted was the bestselling video games. Little was apprehensive. He was growing up and that age is such that boys are afraid of every good looking girl. Oh yes. Goldilocks was very good looking. In a geeky sort of a way. Dark hair (dyed), spectacles, athletic figure and very fine lips. She kept herself that way. Little took time to digest this fact. Especially when he came to know that she wanted to purse a career in music. Every rock band that he adored, she knew by heart. She knew band-member names, songs, lyrics even the context behind the songs. Little was afraid of her. Yes afraid of her more for the fact that she had all the ways to entice him and he was just like the dust in front of the vacuum cleaner, waiting to be pulled.

Goldilocks never liked Little. She always wanted to stay away from him. Her experiences in the past had told her that boys are never to be trusted. For goodness sake! Even Little knew that he cannot trust himself!

Goldilocks and Little did not share a love-hate relationship. They were just like two thorns on a tree. Facing away from each other, sharp and always ready to prick. Yet they co-existed. Little, for all this childhood that went astray, started liking Goldilocks a little. A little would be an overstatement. Little always did things large.

Little had a friend named Johnny. Good looking chap. The way that makes girls swoon. Little confided in Johnny. Johnny laughed a little. Little laughed a lot. Boys. Who knows what goes on in their mind.

Goldilocks despised Johnny. She told Little about this. About the fact that she found Johnny too pretentious. Little felt happy. He started liking her a little more just because she despised Johnny. Boys. You never know what triggers their feelings.

Then this one day happened. Goldilocks and Little went for Johnny's birthday party. There was a lot of alcohol flowing in that party, and music. Everybody got high and started dancing. Goldilocks danced really well. She was very sensual. Her moves spread over Little's little drowsy senses, like tentacles. He wanted to take advantage of her. That night.

He approached Johnny. Johnny had already used up his pills on other neighborhood girls, except for one. That little pill that he had saved for Goldilocks. Little knew about the pills. He pushed Johnny to give the pill to him. They struck a deal. They will do turns on Goldilocks.

Plan set, they had moved swiftly. Mixed the one all important pill in a glass of vodka and orange juice. Little moved towards Goldilocks. She was lost in the acid trance that blasted from the speakers. Little offered her his glass.

"What's this orange drink?"

"Vodka. I thought you would like a break."

"Oh Little. Grow up. I always drink Whiskey. Didn't you notice till now?"

Little was little aghast. Mistakes aren't to be made like this. Little should have thought about it. Boys. Hormones just take over logic at times.

So much for naivety.

Some lovely verses that i read...

I stumbled upon this page: Are bars even a good thing? and the lines are so lovely. Totally gripped me. Here are a few lines:

You sing a song
The right song plays the wrong lyrics
And the man in a corner, he looks sadder
Heads bob in the middle
Tomorrow they will not remember
How happy they were
But, today sleep comes easy.

Short Story - The Whore of Mensa

Came across this detective short story:

The Whore of Mensa.

Check it out. Fabulous read.

Diwali shopping scenes

It was a busy Laxmi road with more moving handbags on the footpath than people. Probably the handbags moved faster than people! There were people rushing from shop to shop, looking to buy gifts for family, friends and themselves. The street was brimming with the festive atmosphere with loads of hope filled on the street.

Scene one: Popcorns

A little kid about 3-4 years old was scurrying across holding his mother with one hand and a little fistful popcorns with the other. Of course, he was concentrating more on the popcorns than anything else. What would a little kid care for more than what he has at hand? Maybe he got that after some hard time parent-convincing. Maybe he was given that as a reward for behaving like a nice boy while the elders shopped and shopped. The kid was totally engrossed. A universe within another universe. It did bring a smile.

Scene two: Chana Chor Garam

A woman was standing on the little space available on the footpath with her little assortment of the Chana Chor Garam ingredients. The entire assortment attracts everyone's mind. The taste and fun that comes along eating Chana chor in a small conical paper cup. For some it is nostalgic, for some just something to eat. Some meaning from it for everyone. But it was something else for the lady who was selling it. She was engrossed with the little pinch of tobacco, secreting nicotine between lips and gums, probably helping her survive the fast moving world. She used to take orders, prepare them skillfully and pass across. When your world stops to eat the Chana Chor, her world moves to prepare it for you.

Several such scenes flashed across... Maybe another post if the memories strengthen. Maybe.

Till then, let the kid be happy with this popcorns, parents with shopping, the lady with her Diwali earnings and all in all festive wishes to you and everyone.

Did you Dream

So a long day turned to a night. A night full of dreams of nature.

Did you dream of the half moonlit sky above while walking on the mountains with the wind rushing in your senses? A dream so profound that you could feel the night singing compositions to you right from the ravines of the untrespassed earth. An experience where at every step you could feel that your are walking towards anonymity along with the other beings in the night. With a continuous feeling that the smiling moon is watching over you as a vigilante, to make sure you are safe and not alone yet leaving a creepy feeling. You felt as if the moon was smiling since it knew the night better than you saw the day.

It smiled at when you got acclimatised to the smell of the trampled grass and when you suddenly got aware of the deviation in that time-friendly smell. The smell that suddenly disappeared to make you aware of all the vegetation and the changes. "Hark, things change in the darkness", said the moon, smiling ever so lightly as you kept on walking, crossing mountain after another towards the end of the night.

You stopped for a second just to feel the chill in the air and chilly it was! Chilly but soothing your beating pulse, your pushing heart so that the rest refreshened you to continue the journey. Did you dream that the torches that your companions carried made a mosaic of lights that seemed like fireflies in the night? That the long trail of torches behind you gave you a dragon like tail? A tail that kept you company into the night?

Did you feel the earth glowing a little as hours turned towards the final minutes of your walk? Slightly grey and then a blue hue? Raising your hope further for the blue sky? Did you then sit and watch the sun rise to slowly awaken your senses from the dream of your night?

Did you dream this dream as I walked this path?

All in good faith!

So here i visit a temple and see these big charts put up along with a Nariyal ki maala. The names on the charts read: Enjoy Group (8th maal), Tiger Group, Rapture Group, Only Friends Group (mind you!), New Generation Group (just anachronistic) and some such others.

Quite an enthusiastic bunch eh? Yeah these are the same ones who dance wildly (but in good faith!) in front of a wall of speakers that is fitted in a vehicle carrying a decorated pandal. No, they are not drunk! How can you even think of that? So what if they dance like they are inebriated, or leer at the chicks who pass by, or treat the boys along with these girls with contempt! No, it is just in good faith!

So the procession goes across moving at a pace that matches the rate at which the Harry Potter movies are released, sound which matches the inside of a very loud multiplex, and spirits which match a new years party. No, I don't mean they are drunk, they are just in good spirits faith! Then they reach the Mandir and donate the maala and move on. Probably to the nearest bar / tharra joint depending on the political support. (Come on now, they do so much hard work, don't they deserve this?)

Civic sense? What is that? They just know hic... hic... sense! All in very good faith!

PS: Check out this awesome post by one StupidusMaximus. Very good read!

About Love

This piece is really touching -

"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two."

By Louis de Bernières, Captain Corelli's Mandolin.

And why to Tweet?

Most of us are on Facebook. Most of us update our status regularly. Some of us do it to present a funny line, some to follow others who are writing about recent topics (like all those Rajnikanth jokes), some to tell others that "This is what i am doing right now, and i would just like to make you feel bad" (Like, I am in LA and going to have this weekend party in Vegas, I am sipping a Margarita on a weekday, I got this, I got that... Also, i love animals and help me protect them while i go hunt for my Gucci leather handbags).

And then there are some who update status messages more than once a day, hoping to elicit some response, hoping to hit certain spots. There are also some highly cryptic updates and you expect to stir some kinda of responses... And this is where Twitter can help you.

Twitter, mind you, is not a Social Networking website. It is a Social Broadcasting platform, a much over-used term for it being 'micro-blogging'. Here, loads of people throng, follow you, respond to you, put you on lists, black-lists, make fun of you, join you in making fun of others and beyond all this, converse with you. Unknown folks, hiding behind a handle and a DP. That is the amazing part of Twitter.

On Twitter, you can say anything and everything that you want (No holds barred till a point though!), crack all sorts of jokes and keep mum. If someone likes it they will respond. There is no 'like' button, mind you, that will feed your ego. There are different set of comments. You can take your rants to Twitter instead of FB! (Rant less though because people still read!)

Once you form a small community (metaphorically speaking) on Twitter, you would know what it is all about. You associate handles with people. Ok, @so and so is a pun master, @so and so cracks very good jokes about current affairs, @so and so gets me the latest news (not breaking news mind you) even before they hit the newspapers! and so on! It is fun, entertaining and addictive at first and later fizzes out to a controllable degree.

It is very good if you follow the right people, and not just follow pretty people!

Well then what was the point of this post? Excitement that my Tweet got published on the second last page of the oh so widely read Pune Mirror? (I bet hardly few go beyond Watsa's column!) Angst about people updating their status often on Facebook? Confess that i am pretty much addicted to both Facebook and Twitter?

No. I just wanted to tell folks to try Twitter. At first, read what people write. Then write. Then you are on your own!

Symbols...

A festive season just gave way for a breather till the next one. Dassehra did make me think of some things. This was a FB status I had put up:

I think Raavana was and is a misunderstood soul... Just like Duryodhana from the other epic... They have become a symbol of hate, a hate that should have been directed at our own infected soul.

That made me think whether Symbols of Hate are probably more pure than the Symbols of Love. But then, what is more complicated? Hate or Love? What is more underrated? What is overrated? (I know some opinions about this already!)

And why do we require these symbols? Just to convince our self, consciously or subconsciously that the effigy or the Symbol trapped in the effigy is not what is within us when we hate?

Who knows... Who really knows...

Instincts and feelings

Life itself is a big storehouse for stories…

People you meet along the road, the strangers who become necessities… Moments that encompass your memories…

Some can be penned, most cannot be given justice… as the gap between the feeling and the thoughts and the words is a lot. Sometimes though one small word or a small smile, or just a coincidence takes you close to that original feeling. The moment. That defining moment...

But time drags you back… :)

Sometimes we have to run 100 M dash, sometimes the long and tiring marathon… But most of the times we are running the obstacle race… and sometimes we are blindfolded to make it more tough for us… So all we have is instincts!

Instincts and feelings… these are the most humane qualities… lets cherish them!

PS: I had written this in an e-mail while talking to some friends... Brought back some memories with it.

E-mail sent on the last day at work

Before you begin:

Remember the epic movie Titanic?

A scene that most of us might remember from that is the part when the boat is sinking and a group of guys decide to keep on playing the Violin because one of them leads the way. The others don’t go like, “Well I have completed my 45 hours and I can go,” or the main chap doesn’t say, “Guys complete your 9 hours like the cooks did before hitting the life boats”.
What does this tell us?

Violin players are the real committed artists! Even Sherlock Holmes used to play it!

About this task:

I hate the word LDAP. Not for the meanings attached to it, but is overuse! It should ideally mean Let’s Dance And Party! But no, with all the connotations from both the employers and the employees it has a different ring to it.

Either Leaving (before I get more) Depressed And Pathetic or Left Due (to) Angst (and) Pain, or just I am getting better roles and responsibilities (read pay)!

To each his own, I am just one of the rats in the rat race.

Procedure:

Since this is a mandatory field, I would just say that there comes a point in everyone’s life when they have to decide:

1. What to do next?
2. Where to go next?
3. What steps to climb?
4. What branch to hang on?
5. Where to fly?

Well I have just started thinking about all this and need time to figure out the answers to these questions. But for now they lead me to more questions. This had started hampering my work and then I decided to be nice to my nice employer, team mates and wonderful people out here.
Why should I trouble you more with my idiosyncrasies or the verbose manifestations of my astral journeys? Let me carry my burden and take it out in the open.

So on and so forth.
For more information see Related Tasks.

What to do next:

Politics? (Some say I am too diplomatic.)
Acting? (Those who have read my blog know about my versatile acting skills.)
NGO? (Yes Yes, I want to save the world too.)
Mafia? (You can then choose to be on the safer side, if you know what I mean.)
Restaurateur? (I will give you food on discount ok, not free! Before you start asking me for free food, remember there is no free lunch/dinner.)

And the list will grow, for more information see Related Tasks.

Related tasks:

So if you wish to be a kind soul to me (I already know that you are very kind and genuine at heart. I really respect you. If ‘you’ know who ‘you’ is, you would know! But I know that asking to be kind to me could be a daunting task for you.), and keep in touch, you can always find me at:

gmail.com
www.facebook.com
http://in.linkedin.com

You will find most of the facets of my personality here. Rest is hidden!

So, with a genuine warm expression of gratitude for all the support that you have extended towards me, I say Bye!

See you on the other side.

On hating prejudiced people

Just another FB status update and the comments on the status. Opinions are welcome and subject to readers attention and agreement / disagreement. :)

K: It's easy to hate prejudiced people...

AG: Oh the irony!

K: Paradoxical!

BK: No it's not easy.

HS: What if they are prejudiced in your favor?

K: ‎@BK- Then someone else might hate/dislike them.

BK: What I mean is that if you go deep in their thoughts and beliefs you'll find it reasonable somehow, we may not like it, yes its natural ;)

K: Someone understanding and humble might handle it the way you have put it.

RP: How right.. And at least one person seems to bump into you every day.

Tj: Prejudiced people are fun when they can back their kooky ideas with logic, a waste of time if not. So I guess I either love them or ignore them.

DT: Yeah and it is fun to play with their mind time and again. :P

Tj: ‎@DT Evil but incredibly fun to watch them go off, the truly prejudiced ones are usually parroting ideas so used, u wonder if they were ever new.

K: ‎@RP and DT - I totally agree with you guys, when prejudiced people start justifying their beliefs with unreasonable ideas, it is fun to argue with them. So, once you get over the hate/dislike, the habitual prejudiced folks are fun, eh?

Tj: Most certainly....I remember setting off a certain Political Party fan and every time we poked a hole in his theory he would basically repeat it as if that somehow answered the question...

Tj: On a different note I remember telling one of our HR that it's not that she doesn't get my point but that she does not want to get it, she hated hearing that but then HR are supposed to always smile and be nice, so she had to take it.

K ‎@Tj - Awesome stuff to the HR dude. Also regarding the Political Party fellow. That's a typical disaster management type of a thing when ones beliefs get shattered. Like, close your eyes and ears and repeat your (debated) belief to yourself so that it still withstands at least in your mind! :)

What do you say?

My Acting Portfolio

Well, not everyone gets a chance to enact a Tree in a play right? I was opportune enough to get to play a Tree and that too, a Tree with a personality! I had to get into the Tree's character, sway right and stand still. Like an immovable object and irresistible force, yeah? This would be the most glorious role I have played so far.

Of course I have played other roles like a Ball Dancer in the background, a Spectator in the background, an Old Man with a stick and no dialogues, a British Army General who is defeated by Jhansi Ki Rani and then Persephone from The Matrix spoof.

Yes the ballroom dance indeed demanded me to be at my suave best, what with dancing gracefully and all. So what if the play is happening in front and the main characters have the dialogues. The dancers added charm to the play! And the Spectator in the background? What's the point of announcing something publicly on a stage if you don't have skillful and attentive spectators?

So was with playing the Old Man! Come on, just emptying an entire bottle of talcum powder in the hair to make them seem white won't really work! One should also learn to handle the walking stick well, learn to be sophisticated after wearing suspenders, and in general create a very senile impact in a very short time!

What more do I say about being a British General? You know how these are right? Carry the Gun, Carry the Glory, Carry the belligerent attitude... so overall a lot to carry! On top of that, get shot by Jhansi ki Rani, act really hurt and pass out gracefully. All this in a minute flat. Quite challenging eh?

But the challenge that surpassed it all was playing a woman and that too enacting the oh so awesome Monica Belluci (Persephone) from The Matrix. Well, since it was strictly an all boys play to poke some fun at the girls in the class and the fact that it had all crazy Bollywood characters enacting the characters from Matrix (Shahrukh playing Neo, Amitabh playing Morpheus, Shakti Kapoor playing Agent Smith, Trinity obviously Kajol and others who just played their roles), it was super fun! I had to dress like a drag, walk like a girl and dance with Shakti Kapoor on the Raja Babu epic Aa Aa Eee Oo Oo O, Mera Dil Nah Todo. I think I overwhelmed myself with that performance!

I have come a long way, the acting journey has been good so far. You think I should seriously think of a career in acting?

To write a story

Will I ever be able to write a story? An entire story with interesting characters, story-line and intriguing interactions? The heart, body and soul? I doubt. Many a times the ideas trail off. Thoughts are too fuzzy and dynamic. They are moulded by too many heartfelt memories. The way I look at something is affected by the way I had thought of something else. Too much entanglement.

And some stories are not to be told. They are just there, in your thoughts, mind and memories. They are just there, to trigger a smile, to touch your heart and to make you wish that it rains to hide your tears. (That Charlie Chaplin quote is one of my favourites).

But then, I still want to pen them down. Tomorrow when I see that you have blocked your memories willingly, some of the lines I write might help you revisit them. When I am totally drained of hope, can these words relive?

Will it ever happen? Or will these words get washed in the ocean, robbed by the Pirates of Time...

Fear

Right from the Batman to the people we meet in real life are known to succumb to fear. Either control it, channelize it, or submit yourself.

The innermost feeling everyone has is fear. This fear might emanate from a lot of things, maybe insecurity, self doubt, inferiority, possible failure, or just irrationality. Mostly, all mind games.

Will we ever know what is fear? Will we ever be able to segregate it from the other superficial emotions? Will we unmask the super confident portrayal that hides a scared little child?

Questions! Too many of them.

Acknowledge fear to start with, rest might evolve by itself.

Updates

Here is one of my Facebook update and the comments that followed (I just felt like posting it!):

K: There is a pattern in most of things that humans do. Wise are those who can read these patterns in others and wiser are the ones who baffle others by deviating from these patterns while using a camouflage.

B: and these wiser people live their lives by cheating others in this way, and they are not to be trusted.

K: Trust is a heavy word to use. I agree with you. But then sometimes we have a limited choice.

B: yes being trustworthy is saints job nowadays !

K: You believe in simple living, yes? :) Well, from the look of what you saying, you certainly belong to the wise side. Those who can read others very well. Yes?

B: thats right ! but unfortunately I am not wise enough to read others !:D 

A: there's nothing wrong with deviating from this pattern...if nobody ever did that in the course of human history, we would still be living in caves marveling at the invention of fire...

K: This has more to do with human psychology than innovations. Like reactions to certain situations, manipulating people etc.

What do you say?

Too Soon...

Smoke trails in the humid sky,

From the ashes of memories.

The fire was put out before love could pacify,

Now the embers keep me warm on the cold sea.

A search story!

Google gives us keywords when we type something in the search box. Here is what a friend shared when because he found it humorous:


















I tried to write a story using the sequence of this suggested search phrases. Here it is:

He learns to tie a tie, to go to a party. There he asks his to see the movie 'how to train your dragon'. There they kiss. Then when they dating regularly, the girl feels that she needs to lose weight fast. Till then the guy starts liking another girl and then wants that to like him back. Till then the earlier girl wants to get pregnant and she gets pregnant forcefully by putting holes in the latex protection without the guys knowledge! Then delivers a baby and decides to lose 10 pounds in a week. This guy meanwhile gets fascinated by rubic cubes. He wants to download videos to learn how to solve them cubes.

Finally they get old and decide to rejuvenate their love life!

Dilemma

Why is there a Pre-position? Where is Post-position?

Why is there a conjunction? To join con men?

Shouldn't Noun be banned? I mean NO UN? No Peace? Only War?

Are you Pro-Noun too. Have faith in the UN!

Why can't verb be used as a verb? Don't use the noun form. Didn't you verb it?

Where is the Madverb?

Being a topper in the class.

HSC board in Maharashtra didn't announce the 12th standard toppers. Some believed this to be a very good change. I thought as well too. But what about the folks who study hard just to be recognized in the society? Same for the parents who want their kids to be known in public just because they stood first in the class, in the college, in the state, and so on. Must have been hard for them right?

I remember some people from my class. The toppers that is. They used to slog and slog and fight with the teacher for a single score in the answer papers. People used to cry if they came second in class, that too by a very slim margin. Now however, these people are married, mostly housewives who keep updating their FB status about their kids and caring spouses. That is cool.

What I am worried about is, will these folks become revolutionary parents? Forget revolutionary, at least liberal? Or will it be the same old story? Learn, study, learn, come first, and enter the rat race?

Time will tell!

Pack of cards!

Life is very ironic at times. When you try very hard to make something happen, it doesn't. And apart from it not working out, it leaves some painful residual feelings. However, as soon as you sit back and relax, things start moving towards you. Love for example. It might just happen, but you may not be able to hold on to it, not be able to keep it. Time! Timing! Big Enemies, well known thieves!

Decisions; very important weapons for some, double edged swords for others. Soon, life and its games draws us into a whorl, a whorl that makes us feel that all that is real in life is illusions. Illusions that offer the ultimate reality.

And all you can eventually do is sigh. Even the tears don't mean much. Laughter is just a way to forget the Time that stole a lot of things from you. But you can't and shouldn't laugh at Time. It might take revenge, a revenge too tough for you to handle.

When all the world is making noise around and all you can hear is the silence from within you, is the moment when you realize the games that your mind has played with yourself. The way you perceive life and the way it drags you in a roulette.

Choice, does anyone really have a choice? Life draws situations for us from the ever shuffling pack of cards!

Grind It!

Move over Chuck Norris, Bye Bye Rajnikanth... The Geek is here! The Geek who breathes fire! I can say that you have been warned before you read this, but so long as the Geek doesn't say that, do not fear!

A: me swatahche khel invent karto, baki kay suru ahe?

K: mhane me swatahche khel invent karto, tu kay Chuck Norris ahes ka, ka Rajnikanth who has invented Chuck Norris

A: are Chuck Norris la jewha kaam jamat nahi tewha to majhya kade yeto. Once Chuck Norris and Rajnikanth doghe ekatra ale hote me chuck norris la mhanalo chuck this rajani cant and niether can you. mhanun mag mich tyanna madat keli

K: bhaari

A: mag watla kay tula, rajanikanth la bullet pakadayla mich shikawla, he bagh : (gives me some random Youtube link)

K: what u guys smoke up on youtube or what

A: mag kay ekdum daily dose milala nahi tar aswastha hota.

A: advantages of a 22 mbps line

K: salyano ikde tyamule kami bandwidth milte

A: te kay building madhla corporation cha pani ahe ka. khalchya lokanni jasta jorat nal sodla tar warchya majlyawar kami pressure yeta

K: ho

A: ho mhane

K: halliday resnick waach jara

A: tyat corporation chya panyabaddal lihila ahe ka?, khota

K: khaaas maharashtra edition, tula kasa milnaar sagle copies ithe samplet, kalli ka analogy

A: mag tyat mamala kiti wa kase paise dyawet mhanje swastat sutto, nahitar konachi olakh sangawi mhanje phuktat sutato he pan lihila asel

K: yes, ani newtons law governing puneri patya pan aahe

A: upayogi grantha distoy. Newtons law governing puneri patya: dar pati mage ek uparodhak updesh nahitar apaman hawa. 2nd law: dar patiwar tya paticha widamban karnari graffiti hawi 3rd la: warche don law na kalalyas amhala wicharu naye tapasun pahawe aple prathamik shikshan jhale ahe ka te

K: tu swatahala newton samju nakos

A: are ekda newton addition jamat nawhta mhanun majhyakade ala me tyala integral shikawla that is how calculus was invented

K: next time when u sit below a coconut tree, do watch out, and if i quote that sentence from u, there will be million engineers out to kill you, so u see, the peril!

A: are once a million engineers tried to kill me........but I converted them into paragons of non-violence

K: paragon chappal khaychiye ka tula, gheu ka dhotraat ha

A: are once someone tried to beat me with a paragon chappal. but I transformed the chappal beater into another chappal so that I had a complete pair. Me aaj pan tich chappal waparto

So, Grind It!

PS: Sorry this is in Marathi! Geek prefers Marathi!

Moon and the Box!

Sitting beside a lake in the moonlit sky,

Sitting beside a lake, i never ask me why,

why what all happened, had to happen?

Why hard to undo the pain, magic cannot be redone!

And sitting beside the lake i look at the moon,

Sitting beside the lake memories sift so soon.

Days seem so distant now, those days full of melodies,

Days they hurt so much now, these days full of parodies,

Days empty the light, Nights empty the breeze,

Time threatens the very existence of those memories!

And sitting beside the lake, the moon looks at me,

and I travel the land, that land where us were we.

And slowly I see and realise a golden box in the lake,

Immersed deep in the water, the works, twists and ache!

When sands and sun stole the feelings to store in that box,
As the game that dice did play, as guileful as a fox!

The Moon shines on that box and both reflect light,

the light that smirks at feelings, I gave up without a fight!

And the wind plays with the lake, as with us did play time,

And I just sit in the glimmer, in sands I trace this rhyme!

Choice made us walk away, choice made us grow apart,

We forgot the choice that helped us realise the heart!

And the Box and the Moon, one golden and one cream,

stare at me as I get lost, in what once I thought a dream!

And suddenly I realise that besides the lake, other side to me,

I see you look at the Moon and box, same past that even I can see!

and Hark the silence around, the silence that consumes us two,

Where i rhyme the noise from life in words, and see even you do!

So like this and lost in the box and the moon, symbols of yesterday,

Distant, Unfeeling and Ironic, Two pieces of a puzzle kept away!

I love myself as much as a penguin loves an Ipod!

K as usual is up to no good but is just up to rubbish! So you have been warned!

S: u saw Twilight or new moon?

K: Twilight

S: aah thats boring, but novel is awesome

K: i tried reading that and dropped it!

S: they did not do justice to the novel, Shut up

K: maybe after reading Lolita nothing seems as good!, not even close!

S: i read Shantaram, it took me 1 month to complete it, i found it boring

K: you know shut up shouldnt be used so profusely! that tells me that u arent ready to take criticism. to like shantaram u gotta be living and experiencing mumbai! if u found it boring your loss :)

S: yes nothing amazes me after i read fountain head

K: there i concur too :) also atlas shrugged!

S: shantaram is just a life story, ne 1 can write it

K: try doing that :)

S: but fountain head is far much, my life is not so exciting

K: of course its in a different league all together! fountainhead

S: i gifted it to my best friend, but he found it boring, ha ha, diff people, diff views, he loved shantaram

K: exactly, but i love both a lot :), shantaram as well as fountainhead, writing is not easy at all, and when u read gems like these man,its impressive. its not easy to get into anybody's psyche, those who think its easy for them to do that, havent read lolita yet!

S: nope, whats it abt?

K: google

S: tu mere liye bata nahin sakta kya, i used to share lyrics with u

K: thanks for that

S: uske paise abhi tak nahin diye tune

K: and sorry for bothering you like that, but yes

S: yes u must be sorry, h ehe

K: lolita is about this guy who likes this girl, yeah i am sorry for a lot of things :)

S: nope, my list is much longer, every1 has their own

K: everyone has their own demons yes, sometimes the demeanour can be totally deceptive

S: i dont know abt this aspect, but i love what i m, most of the times i m very stupid, ha ha, yesterday only i behaved very stupid

K: i keep reading and listening to folks who say / write that 'you should love yourself'

S: stupidity is another term for me

K: i dont, i cant and i dont even want to, i am happy being neutral about myself

S: if u cant love urself the u can never love anyone else

K: existentialism is what i like

K: if u cant love urself the u can never love anyone else - untrue!

S: u must start loving urself

K: and i can argue that

S: dont argue, just try

K: i can love someone without loving myself!, its a plain simple fact

S: no it is not possible

K: you can say its not possible for you

S: i can give u an example

K: i can give u a reverse example!

S: first let me try

K: alright, give me a concrete foolproof example

S: i never used to take care of my health, i was depressed and had lots of problems, but after i started loving myself, taking care of myself, so first start loving urself, if u cannot make urself happy, u can never make others happy

K: ok loophole number one, this applies to you so you cant generalize, loophole number two - if u cannot make urself happy, here benchmarks of 'happiness' can differ, being content is being happy, being happy for being content is not = loving urself, from what i read above, it seems more like you accepted yourself as you are, and moved on, which is really good

S: nope i started loving myself, i took care of me, i never took care of my health, now i eat proper fruits, do yoga

K: so that way every doctor loves every patient, every fruitseller loves every fruit buying customer, every yoga teacer loves their students!

S: u can argue as usual, but i know that i have started loving myself

K: what i wanna tell you, and really wanna tell you in general too, is that try not to generalise statements, if one things works for you

might not work for others, its good if you are happy with urself, as i said that is really good

S: try to simplify ur thoughts, dont make everything complex

K: its as simple as i said it above

S: i was just sharing my exp

K: which is really good

S: y do u need to complex it, i was telling u all

K: as i have said above, it is really important to accept who you are

S: is to start loving urself, and there is nothing harm in doing so, just try it, i started loving myself for what i m, i dont want to demean myself, i tried to be honest with me, i know what is good for me

K: in this case, you are trying to differentiate I and ME

S: all these happened after i started loving msyelf

K: you think you are different I ME AND MYSELF

S: again, compex, just sharing thgts yaar

K: i appreciate it, really

S: y do u have to complex it

K: i dont complicate it, i just see what strikes me, like i said before, i never came to terms with this loving oneself business

S: u must, try it, just for one day, only for today, try it

K: i drink alcohol cause that relaxes my mind, so am taking care of myself

S: dont drink alcohol

K: will that do?, haha now who decides that

S: its worst thing that u can do to urself

K: i have decided to love myself by treating myself with alcohol

S: dont laugh

K: but who decides that?

S: i m damn serious, i m deciding

K: isnt it supposed to be I loving MYSELF

S: because i m telling u to do something, thats destroying, not loving

K: so i find happiness in destroying stuff, and thats more me than anything else, so there is happiness

S: thats not happiness

K: now again, who decides that?

S: me, dont drink alcohol, its mother of all evils

K: oh i always though loving oneself was a free-from-society and free-from-what-others-think business, well what i thought was wrong

S: yes

K: so i am in love with mother of all evils, then what? i can still love something right? back to square one :)

S: loving oneself means treating ur body with best

K: who said so?

S: treating urself with best

K: Best Scotch?

S: keeping urself surrounded amongst best people

K: who am i to decide who is best?, that is degrading people!, i cannot decide who is best and who is not

S: complexity has become a part of you my friend

K: cause i know what i am worth or not worth!, well its more or less realisation!

S: nope

K: and with realisation comes a lot of things

S: just try to simplify

K: you know S, what works for you wont work for everyone else, and its high time you realise that

S: again complexity

K: yes, am 26 and soon going to be 27

S: :-)

K: thats what i have learnt, and experienced, and seen, and observed, and felt, felt is the most important!,

S: but can u try to love urself just for one day

K: i cant even think about it :)

S: or u want to shut ur mind with all ur experiences

K: u got it wrong, here i dont shut it, i rather open to all possibilities :)

S: then can u try?

K: i-loving-myself ?

S: ye, love, not destroying, love as in what u will like to do for your loved ones, for ur parents, ur frens, just try to do what u look in them, do it for urself

K: how can i do what i like to do to others to me?

S: buy a flower for urself

K: wow

S: just like u wld buy for ur wife, i might be sounding stupid

K: but i am an environmentalist and i detest buying flower for myself business, see

S: but buy a flower just for urself

K: lemme give you an example

S: ok then plant a tree, just pour water in the plant

K: that i do everyday!

S: hmm buy urself a gift, drink a glass of fresh juice, listen to ur fav songs

K: all this can be done without loving yourself

S: watch ur fav movie, ha ha

K: and dont tell me that doing all this is loving urself

S: that means u love urself, then whats it

K: exactly look what i said just before

S: if u cannot take time for urself, then ur not in love with urself

K: so if i just take time out for a girl means i love her?

S: take time just for urself

K: is love that simple?

S: yes u cannot dedicate ur time until u love someone

K: NO

S: love is of diff types

K: oh yes

S: u cannot categorize love

K: yes, totally, so when i say I love to hate you, whats that

S: :-) complexities

K: no its simple, i hate you, and i love hating you, if you thinkg thats complex, and if you think love is easy, wow, You win and i lose

S: u only hate so much a person because u cannot stop thinking abt that, take a deep breath n relax

K: not really

K: i can hate someone cause i wanna hate someone, think / no think, not my idea for now

S: complex, complex

do u love me?

K: cool i see what u reply is just 'complex', i dont love me :)

S: complex

K: i cant love me

S: do u love me

K: i told you

S: do u love S?

K: i respect S, i like some antics

S: do you love S?

K: nope

S: hmm ok, simple, :-)

K: not loving someone is easy beta

S: just read the complexities u added, for this single question, the answer was simple yes or no

K: knowing why you love someone is difficult

S: compex

K: haha

S: try to avoid it

K: wish the world was a simple yes or no

S: complex

K: cool

S: avoid it,trust me

K: i dont want to!

S: trust me

K: i cant!

S: avoid complexities

K: not on this!

S: Trust me,just once

K: i cant capital-T-Trust you, i dont want to!, I am happy with complexities, i am content with complexities

S: but u dont seemed to be happy

K: i love these complexities

S: u always complaining

K: yes cause i am happy from my definition of happy not anyone elses!, i dont define me from what somebody tells me, :)

S: read this chat once more

K: that would be manipulating myself

S: b4 u write something, read this chat

K: i am not gonna write anything

K: u think your yes / no theory will move me melt me?

S: read

K: u think i was not reading?

S: read

K: cool, I love myself as much as a Penguin loves an Ipod, damn, why didnt i know this before

S: :-), complex

K: and yes, when i do share the chat i share with the world :)

S: simple

K: with permission of course :)

S: simple, dont complex it

K: are u telling me or urself, cause there is not use telling me :)

S: never say never

K: COMPLEX!, haha

S: :-), simple

K: and the circle completes

Golden Moon

Sitting by the lake, looking at the moons reflection, I see that
it is shining on a golden box that is immersed deep in the water.
Everything is from the past, one away in the sky, one deep below in the water.

I just look at the reflections. Reflections that echo the memories.

Some Words!

Well, i would like to thank 2 things for my twitter re-addiction! One being Buzz, the Google feature trying to emulate Twitter! Well really, I saw Buzz and that made me revisit Twitter. To find out whats happening over there! I Tweeted rarely before Buzz. :P Now.. Check my timeline :) Tweets60 on phone, Tweetdeck on laptop and Journotwit at work!

The Second thing is Nithyananda! Yes, here i go revisit Twitter and the next day i see #Nithyananda trending like a forest fire! And what amazing lines! Some of the folks out there on Twitter are so awesome! (For some select few lines from that day, follow this link.) There come these awesome trends that someone or the other starts and then there is a riot of Tweets. It is really funny and amazing. For real IPL fun (read bashing) do follow #ipl tag in Twitter or some of these awesome folks.

Here are some of my personal favourite Indian writers (who are awesome with fun, pun, sarcasm and humour!) on Twitter: @krishashok @rameshsrivats @mojorojo @prempanicker @OldmonkMGM @jhunjhunwala @i_r_squared @bigfatphoenix @gauravsabnis @SahilRiz @Envyas @sidin @stupidusmaximus @vencat @iyerdeepak @lavsmohan @greatbong

Note: These are some really funny Indians on Twitter!

So long. Tweet and Smile!

Song Set 2

So here is the next set of 5 songs that are amongst my favourites:

1) Seahorse by Devendra Banhart - This is one of the most awesome slow tracks i have heard. Kinda psychedelic , slow rock. Banhart's voice is really incredible. The most amazing line from this song is: 'Well I'm scared of ever being born again, If it's in this form again.' A song that really goes well with the blues! Banhart does remind me of the Great Jim Morrison at times! I keep listening to this song.

2) Roads by Portishead - They call this type of music as TripHop. I don't know about the genre, but this band and some of their songs are just heady. What with the psychedelic music, beats and Beth Gibbons voice! A very enchanting combination.

3) Have Love Will Travel by The Sonics and The Black Keys (Sonics cover) - I heard the Black Keys version before. This is one fun song. Bluesy version by the Keys of the song that talks about going to meet your fancy. Later when I checked the Sonics version it was tough for me to decide which one is better. My inclination is towards the Sonics though. :) Rocking song.

4) Orion by Metallica - Everyone knows Metallica, so i wont waste a lot of time and space talking about the great band! This is an instrumental song, beautiful song! Kirk, Cliff, James and Lars make this song so profoundly surreal, especially the orgasmic solo. Its really superb!

5) Hurt by Nine Inch Nails and Johnny Cash (NIN cover) - Again i heard the Cash cover before the NIN version. Both songs are out of the world! While Cash makes the song human, NIN's version is dark and eerie. Awesome set of lyrics. Moving and Deep. An all time favourite song while floating in the abyss.

The Sheep Story!

Once upon a time, there was lamb.. she wanted to be funny and a crowd pleaser... she spoke to Mary and they mutually decided to break up and cited irreconcilable differences in the local pedantic village drunk court. They got it and the lamb decided to move on.

Going ahead, she came to meet these bunch of dirty dancing, dark fluid loving gang of bangers and sheep lovers. So the lamb became a sheep. Now the question was, should that sheep just be a sheep or should she turn herself into Shahid Kapoor? So the sheep went to the gym, ran on the treadmill and worked her hair to be fluffy. Mind you, she tried very hard. Then as every story has a twist, this one didn't! It was pretty predictable. Sheep flaunted stuff and one by one lost respect of all the gangers... Now all fluffy and tired she decided to move on further. But Whatay, there the story tried to put a stop to itself but the sheep pushed back in.

So a classic case of Fata Poster aur Nikla Hero (or so called Hero). This is the part where the sheep tried, cried and decided.. Voluptuous is the way. Just like the Moto Moto dude in Madagascar two... she sang: I like em big, I like em chunky... those two adjectives btw were for the sheep itself. She is totally in love with herself now. She sings to herself, Now and Forever I will be your SheepMan.

So Sheep Sheep Sheep... If you haven't already started dreaming about the Sheep... and have become dewy (euphemistic alternative for another word)... Say hello to the day that makes no sense at all...

Sherry may or may not make merry.. but have you ever tried either?

Btw the sheep can outrun any runner... even if it is Rajnikanth!

PS: All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Light at the End of Paranoia!

I feel that our life is just like a day. If you wake up at noon, you will definitely miss the morning; but that does not mean that you won’t be able to catch up with the early risers for the late night movie.

I am convinced that you are right and I am a paranoid. - One of the best Quotes i have read!

That is one amazing post dude! Keep em coming!

Please read - http://bit.ly/a62zjg

PS: This is my 50th post... :P Dedicated to you Brother from China!

Might... Maybe and Not!

The hardest thing in life is letting go of what you thought was real. -Unknown

But then, how do you define reality? Perception? Illusion? Even though perceptions can make you sad and illusions can make you happy or vice versa. Till yesterday the castle of feelings was strong. Today it has become a castle made of cards. The winds of time and the winds of change just pushed the cards and scatter them into memories.

But then does that stop us from standing at the cliff to jump into water? To feel the exhilaration for the time before you hit the water? Then the plunge into cold water that freezes the adrenalin in an ecstatic way? I am ready to unleash myself. Why? Just because the madness is peaceful, just because I don't want to inhibit myself. I am crossing the thin line from rationality to the little known place. The place where clarity speaks for itself. Where numbness is the surreal music that plays and where darkness is the light that shines and makes every feeling shine like reality.

But then, why all this stupid garbage talk? Why? Why can't I run away to you? Why can't I shake you up and tell you don't let go of our feelings, don't let go of the connection that we have. Don't say its past and you don't know where to go from here. Bury me away, but don't replace what we built. Keep me alive as I have cherished you. Every day, every moment. The senses... the perceptions... and the feelings... nothing can take it away. Let a snake charmer come, charm you away... but remember the concoction of our poisons... you know, as much or more than I know... nothing can take that away. No one can take that away.

But then was it real? Yes. Was it just an escape? No. It was something pure and true... in its simplest form. Why did it not last? Maybe it was not supposed to. Something as precious... got rusted. Who is to blame? Circumstances? No. Where do we go from here? Our own trails. What if our paths cross again? Haha... Hope you at least try to melt a stone that I might become then! Might... Maybe and Not!

Name with a Link.

Time sips a lot of feelings away. Seasons dry up the moisture from the ripe passion called life. Eventually what remains is a name on a popular social networking website that can be clicked to find updates. These updates arouse different set of feelings though. But that is initially... eventually everything is just news... or facts as I prefer to put it.

Just like all celebrities who put up their thoughts about happenings around, some facts come as just happenings. All you can do is say: 'Oh is that so'. Sometimes just a sigh... What causes this change? Why is it that Time changes everything? Something that was possibly very strong and intense just dries up... as Saltaire has said, "Time, that remorseless thief" (http://sharepoetry.com/poem/51254).

Eventually everyone carries on... Only Memories, Poetry and History remains... Time keeps on changing. And all we do is click the Name with a link, see the new friends, new photos, new flames, new status messages... and keep adding vacuum to the existing void. Plastering the wounds soon buries the feelings. Man is not just inventing robots, Man is becoming one! Tomorrow Robocop will feel more than what I do. Maybe...

Till then, let me explore if the autumn and the fallen leaves on the road make me feel poetic so that I can write at least 3 lines... The heat as it makes us yearn for cold water... makes me yearn for the cherished memories... Familiar smiles, Familiar feelings... Till then...