Last heard and smiled...
"For June who loved this garden from Joseph who always sat beside her." Some people do spend their whole lives together.
Last heard and frowned...
How is this to end? As stories must when love's denied: with tears and a journey...
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Talk to me!
At times, I get real bored on my daily journey to my office and back. I read - how long can you take the risk of becoming blind while trying to read microscopic letters in a dimly light bus, which keeps sprinting every 2 minutes, thanks to the well-laid roads (get the sarcasm right and then read further!) I see (rather stare) - I am tired of seeing (staring) at the same old hoardings, brightly-lit shops, haphazardly arranged display windows, same thatched roofs, same colleges, its BORING!! Why don’t I strike up a conversation with some one you ask? Well, I have made a few attempts at that, only to fail miserably…some don’t know where to draw the lines for the condtions to suffice for a normal talk to happen, some don’t know when to stop talking, some don’t know how to speak more than two words at a time…don’t get me..read on…
Scene 1:
Me (at my small talk best!): Which song is this one playing on the radio? Is it from that new movie Stalin? U plan to watch it sometime?
Lady1: Nope, it’s from (and she blurts out an incomprehensible telugu word!)
Me(smiling politely): Oh ya! Well, radio mirchi rocks! They always keep asking these interesting questions..something like if you don’t have money for a haircut, then how will you get one, or which three cricketers would you pick for our national kabbadi team, name three players from the Indian football team….blah blah blah..(I blabber on for 5 minutes about how innovative the guys at Radio Mirchi are while she listens silently and I finally ask)..isn’t that funny?
Lady1: (you are going to love this!!!) I don’t talk to strangers!!!
Me: Oh!!!! (Back to staring at the cow which just passed by and watch out for the approaching ISB campus…)
Scene 2:
Man1: Do you sing?
Me: (smiling) No (thinking) What the…beep beep..beep!
Man1: Let me see your hand..am good at reading them!
Me: (smiling) Nope..I don’t believe in stuff like that! (thinking) What the…beep beep..beep!
Man1: What is your favorite colour?
Me: Purple! (thinking) Any colour that repels you!
Man1: Really! I thought it must be black!
Me: (intrigued) why so? (thinking) mind blank!
Man1: Statistics suggest that smart and beautiful women like black..that’s why!
Me: (smiling) Thanks! So, what is your project all about? (thinking) What a cheesy line! Grow up!
Scene 3:
Me: So, you work for the IMG? That sounds interesting.
Man2: Yes.
Me: So, what’s your work about?
Man2: Not all that much fun.
Me: Ahem, okies, guess we all describe our work that way (and laugh thinking I have made a very witty remark)
Man2: (Silence..starts reading the newspaper)
Me(thinking): How rude!
Five minutes later…
Me: So, who won the last match?
Man2 (Hands me the paper and stares out of the window for the rest of the journey!!!)
Me: How rude!!!! Someone please tell the man that he is not in Britain!
Two minutes later, am deeply engrossed in the gossip section of The Times, educating myself about Lindsay Lohan’s weight loss and why the Aniston-Pitt breakup actually happened! When I read crap like this, I feel The Hindu sucks (pun intended..first get the sarcasm and then read further!) and yeah, the match was called off due to heavy rains.
Scene 4:
Me: Hi! So, how was your weekend?
Lady2: Oh, I saw Lage raho Munnabhai!
Me: Wow! I have…..
Lady2: Oh, you have to see it!
Me: Yeah, I…
Lady2: Vidya Balan looks so good!
Me: Yeah, she looks…
Lady2: There was this one scene in the movie…blah..blah..ha ha ha…blah blah…hee hee hee.
Me (nodding and laughing at all the right places): Really! That’s so funny!
Lady2: Oh, that’s nothing! You have to listen to this..blah..blah…ha ha ha…blah..hee hee..blah.
Me (Have tears in my eyes laughing that most realistic artificial laugh ever!)
Half an hour, a splitting headache, a coffee and a crocin later, I am in a team meeting. As Chandler would say – could life BE any better than this???
So, there you go! After a few "mind-boggling" and "humbling" experiences (to say the least!), my companions on my loooong, bumpy bus ride are The Hindu editorials, books and the senseless music blaring away on Radio Mirchi – 98.3 FM – Idi chala hot guru!!! (I miss the RJ screaming "sakkath hot maaga!!" ) Well, may the force be with me..phew!!!
Scene 1:
Me (at my small talk best!): Which song is this one playing on the radio? Is it from that new movie Stalin? U plan to watch it sometime?
Lady1: Nope, it’s from (and she blurts out an incomprehensible telugu word!)
Me(smiling politely): Oh ya! Well, radio mirchi rocks! They always keep asking these interesting questions..something like if you don’t have money for a haircut, then how will you get one, or which three cricketers would you pick for our national kabbadi team, name three players from the Indian football team….blah blah blah..(I blabber on for 5 minutes about how innovative the guys at Radio Mirchi are while she listens silently and I finally ask)..isn’t that funny?
Lady1: (you are going to love this!!!) I don’t talk to strangers!!!
Me: Oh!!!! (Back to staring at the cow which just passed by and watch out for the approaching ISB campus…)
Scene 2:
Man1: Do you sing?
Me: (smiling) No (thinking) What the…beep beep..beep!
Man1: Let me see your hand..am good at reading them!
Me: (smiling) Nope..I don’t believe in stuff like that! (thinking) What the…beep beep..beep!
Man1: What is your favorite colour?
Me: Purple! (thinking) Any colour that repels you!
Man1: Really! I thought it must be black!
Me: (intrigued) why so? (thinking) mind blank!
Man1: Statistics suggest that smart and beautiful women like black..that’s why!
Me: (smiling) Thanks! So, what is your project all about? (thinking) What a cheesy line! Grow up!
Scene 3:
Me: So, you work for the IMG? That sounds interesting.
Man2: Yes.
Me: So, what’s your work about?
Man2: Not all that much fun.
Me: Ahem, okies, guess we all describe our work that way (and laugh thinking I have made a very witty remark)
Man2: (Silence..starts reading the newspaper)
Me(thinking): How rude!
Five minutes later…
Me: So, who won the last match?
Man2 (Hands me the paper and stares out of the window for the rest of the journey!!!)
Me: How rude!!!! Someone please tell the man that he is not in Britain!
Two minutes later, am deeply engrossed in the gossip section of The Times, educating myself about Lindsay Lohan’s weight loss and why the Aniston-Pitt breakup actually happened! When I read crap like this, I feel The Hindu sucks (pun intended..first get the sarcasm and then read further!) and yeah, the match was called off due to heavy rains.
Scene 4:
Me: Hi! So, how was your weekend?
Lady2: Oh, I saw Lage raho Munnabhai!
Me: Wow! I have…..
Lady2: Oh, you have to see it!
Me: Yeah, I…
Lady2: Vidya Balan looks so good!
Me: Yeah, she looks…
Lady2: There was this one scene in the movie…blah..blah..ha ha ha…blah blah…hee hee hee.
Me (nodding and laughing at all the right places): Really! That’s so funny!
Lady2: Oh, that’s nothing! You have to listen to this..blah..blah…ha ha ha…blah..hee hee..blah.
Me (Have tears in my eyes laughing that most realistic artificial laugh ever!)
Half an hour, a splitting headache, a coffee and a crocin later, I am in a team meeting. As Chandler would say – could life BE any better than this???
So, there you go! After a few "mind-boggling" and "humbling" experiences (to say the least!), my companions on my loooong, bumpy bus ride are The Hindu editorials, books and the senseless music blaring away on Radio Mirchi – 98.3 FM – Idi chala hot guru!!! (I miss the RJ screaming "sakkath hot maaga!!" ) Well, may the force be with me..phew!!!
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Sounds of silence...
People talking without speaking..
People hearing without listening..
People writing songs that voices never share..
And no one dared..
Disturb the sound of silence..
Silence could be the solution as well as, the reason behind many of life’s issues. With some people, even small talks seem like a waste of time, while, with others, silence seems to be the only language.
Hello darkness, my old friend..
I've come to talk with you again..
There are times when you feel like talking to someone, but there is no one around to hear you out! You end up talking to yourself on those occasions. You are the performer, you are the audience, you are the critic – it’s all about you, which, surprisingly enough, can be boring after a while!
But my words, like silent raindrops fell..
And echoed in the wells of silence..
Then, there are also times when you find someone, with whom you never run of topics to converse, debate and agree about, but then, you somewhere down the line, realise that they were never actually listening to you all this while, never bothering to comprehend what you had to say - you are not sure about the right emotion to feel - gives you the feel of being in a phantasmagoric trance.
I turned my collar to the cold and damp..
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light..
That split the night..
And touched the sound of silence....
That’s when I prefer the sound of my silence. And I, sometimes, get so used to it, that the next time I hear myself, I have a hard time recognising my own voice.
People hearing without listening..
People writing songs that voices never share..
And no one dared..
Disturb the sound of silence..
Silence could be the solution as well as, the reason behind many of life’s issues. With some people, even small talks seem like a waste of time, while, with others, silence seems to be the only language.
Hello darkness, my old friend..
I've come to talk with you again..
There are times when you feel like talking to someone, but there is no one around to hear you out! You end up talking to yourself on those occasions. You are the performer, you are the audience, you are the critic – it’s all about you, which, surprisingly enough, can be boring after a while!
But my words, like silent raindrops fell..
And echoed in the wells of silence..
Then, there are also times when you find someone, with whom you never run of topics to converse, debate and agree about, but then, you somewhere down the line, realise that they were never actually listening to you all this while, never bothering to comprehend what you had to say - you are not sure about the right emotion to feel - gives you the feel of being in a phantasmagoric trance.
I turned my collar to the cold and damp..
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light..
That split the night..
And touched the sound of silence....
That’s when I prefer the sound of my silence. And I, sometimes, get so used to it, that the next time I hear myself, I have a hard time recognising my own voice.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Liar Liar!!!
Long time back, I had seen this movie titled "Liar Liar". It was the story of a man who told lies for no particular reason - to make someone happy, to get out of problematic situations, to get a promotion, etc etc etc. When he was not able to make it to his only son’s birthday party, he came up with a lie even for that! Well, his son wished over the birthday candles that his father would not lie just for a day. And the wish actually came true. That’s when all the fun began. After all the confusion and confrontations possible, the movie did have a happy ending. But the point that I made note of was that the protagonist had only truth to fall back on and it did not provide a very strong defence at times unfortunately.
Well, is it true? Can truth by itself never really be sufficient? Does a term like "white lie" need to exist? Don’t get me wrong. I don’t say I have never lied in my whole life. I am no Gandhi. I know most of us would agree (at least secretly) that life does not run smoothly without a few white lies here and there.
The way I see it, we think that way just as long as one’s opinion on the issue is needed. But what happens when you are at the receiving end? When you realise that your perception about something/someone was just another "white lie". Can you stop yourself from feeling angry, hurt and cheated? Is it that easy to justify the whole "white lie" theory? Is it that serious a felony? Then why is it sometimes so difficult to come to terms with it? Is it that easy to forgive and forget? Is that the only way out of all the confusion and guess work? When such a thing happens, just what is the right thing to do? What are the right words to say? What is the right way to react?
Well, is it true? Can truth by itself never really be sufficient? Does a term like "white lie" need to exist? Don’t get me wrong. I don’t say I have never lied in my whole life. I am no Gandhi. I know most of us would agree (at least secretly) that life does not run smoothly without a few white lies here and there.
The way I see it, we think that way just as long as one’s opinion on the issue is needed. But what happens when you are at the receiving end? When you realise that your perception about something/someone was just another "white lie". Can you stop yourself from feeling angry, hurt and cheated? Is it that easy to justify the whole "white lie" theory? Is it that serious a felony? Then why is it sometimes so difficult to come to terms with it? Is it that easy to forgive and forget? Is that the only way out of all the confusion and guess work? When such a thing happens, just what is the right thing to do? What are the right words to say? What is the right way to react?
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Not just another day...
Its amazing how the same day can mean different things to different people. It might just be another day at office for some, might mean an important exam date for someone else, might mean just another day full of parties for some, else might mean another day added to a lazy holiday by the beach for someone else. Well, 23 September 2006 was not yet another day for me. It was a special occasion. I watched D, a very dear friend of mine, get married.
During the wedding, S (a friend) and I were reminiscing all the times we three shared together back at school. It was seriously funny. The way S and I used to finish D’s lunch box in the morning while she just looked on helplessly, the way we cheered her on when she took the head girl’s pledge, the way we always broke every single rule just to irritate D (the head girl !!! ) to the core. I remember she was the only one who did not laugh at me the first day I wore spectacles to school, she was the only one who never came up with silly jokes when I went to school with braces on, she never shouted at S and me no matter how much we irritated her, but just smiled along with us most of the times. Well, she sure has come a long way since then. To watch the same girl get married today gave us (S and I) a totally different feeling.
Well, things sure do change (and am sure this change in D’s life is definitely for good!), but, somehow at times like these, you just want to go back to the "good, old times" just once more. While you hug and wish this friend of yours all the happiness for life on her wedding day, you want to go back and giggle over a dumb joke with that little girl, who first became your friend, just one last time, because things are somehow never going to be the same ever again. Well, 23 September was not yet another day for me. It was a special occasion. I saw a friend of mine officially grow up in a short span of 4 hours.
During the wedding, S (a friend) and I were reminiscing all the times we three shared together back at school. It was seriously funny. The way S and I used to finish D’s lunch box in the morning while she just looked on helplessly, the way we cheered her on when she took the head girl’s pledge, the way we always broke every single rule just to irritate D (the head girl !!! ) to the core. I remember she was the only one who did not laugh at me the first day I wore spectacles to school, she was the only one who never came up with silly jokes when I went to school with braces on, she never shouted at S and me no matter how much we irritated her, but just smiled along with us most of the times. Well, she sure has come a long way since then. To watch the same girl get married today gave us (S and I) a totally different feeling.
Well, things sure do change (and am sure this change in D’s life is definitely for good!), but, somehow at times like these, you just want to go back to the "good, old times" just once more. While you hug and wish this friend of yours all the happiness for life on her wedding day, you want to go back and giggle over a dumb joke with that little girl, who first became your friend, just one last time, because things are somehow never going to be the same ever again. Well, 23 September was not yet another day for me. It was a special occasion. I saw a friend of mine officially grow up in a short span of 4 hours.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Good Morning Prof.Yadav!!!
When I first heard it, I thought it was a joke..a real bad one!! But then, rediff.com, NDTV, CNN-IBN and Google news don't pull off an April fool in the middle of September!!! So, guess it was true! Mr.Laloo Prasad Yadav would be teaching management fundas to the esteemed mortals in the hallowed interiors of IIM-A. That should be interesting, I thought with a sly grin. Just what could a dhoti clad, rustic old man teach the abnormally smart kids out there. But then, this could not be happening without a reason. Hmm... high time I took another hard look at the railway budget for these two years before writing him off completely.
I did hear the railway budget buzz just before the financial budgets were announced and all the journalists commending ( and secretly wondering!!! ) Mr.Yadav for managing to make Indian railways a profit producing unit in a surprisingly short span of two years. At this point, let me add that Mr.Nitish Kumar laid the foundation for this turnaround. But, it took the added impetus of Mr.Yadav for the results to finally start showing. 1-2 dedicated prime time news discussions later, the talks would again turn to the financial budget and what was cooking at the Finance Ministry Office! But, this recent move by the management of IIM-A to invite Mr.Laloo Prasad Yadav to deliver a special lecture, really made everyone sit back and take the man and his strategies more seriously than ever before!
Well, Google surprised me with the statistics it had to offer about the Indian railways over the past two years. The numbers and the tremendous turnover of this gigantic public sector definitely made for an interesting business school case study. This increase in profits without any increase in passenger fares and freight charges was another commendable feat. Loads of strategizing , planning and stream lining must be going into bringing forth this favourable change. Mr.Yadav sure must be busy doing sme awesome strategizing back there (Forgive me for my biased opinion, but I would like to believe that he surely must have kept away from the day-to-day management for it to function properly!) to bring about this turnaround.
Well, the arguments might be many. Some may say that this is just another vote bank politics gimmick of Mr.Yadav as he has a point to prove given the fact that he faced such a huge and embarassing defeat in the last year's state elections, while some say that Indian railways had to come of age without much choice, given the fast declining airfares and reducing number of passengers. Whatver the reason, this positive change is a good sign for the Indian economy and a great news for the Indian Railways passenger. At the end of it all, the man having the last laugh is Mr.Laloo Prasad Yadav, no doubts about that one Sir !!!!
I did hear the railway budget buzz just before the financial budgets were announced and all the journalists commending ( and secretly wondering!!! ) Mr.Yadav for managing to make Indian railways a profit producing unit in a surprisingly short span of two years. At this point, let me add that Mr.Nitish Kumar laid the foundation for this turnaround. But, it took the added impetus of Mr.Yadav for the results to finally start showing. 1-2 dedicated prime time news discussions later, the talks would again turn to the financial budget and what was cooking at the Finance Ministry Office! But, this recent move by the management of IIM-A to invite Mr.Laloo Prasad Yadav to deliver a special lecture, really made everyone sit back and take the man and his strategies more seriously than ever before!
Well, Google surprised me with the statistics it had to offer about the Indian railways over the past two years. The numbers and the tremendous turnover of this gigantic public sector definitely made for an interesting business school case study. This increase in profits without any increase in passenger fares and freight charges was another commendable feat. Loads of strategizing , planning and stream lining must be going into bringing forth this favourable change. Mr.Yadav sure must be busy doing sme awesome strategizing back there (Forgive me for my biased opinion, but I would like to believe that he surely must have kept away from the day-to-day management for it to function properly!) to bring about this turnaround.
Well, the arguments might be many. Some may say that this is just another vote bank politics gimmick of Mr.Yadav as he has a point to prove given the fact that he faced such a huge and embarassing defeat in the last year's state elections, while some say that Indian railways had to come of age without much choice, given the fast declining airfares and reducing number of passengers. Whatver the reason, this positive change is a good sign for the Indian economy and a great news for the Indian Railways passenger. At the end of it all, the man having the last laugh is Mr.Laloo Prasad Yadav, no doubts about that one Sir !!!!
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Love actually...
Why do you love someone? Is there any such thing as love at first sight? How do you define the chemistry between two people? Can any other feeling beat the "surreal yet nice" feeling of being in love? When do you realise you have found true love? Is commitment such a big deal? Is it possible to measure love? Is there any such thing like unconditional love? Is it possible to love someone just as much as they love you – not a little bit more, not a little bit less? Is it possible to be as committed as the other person is?
How long does one stay committed to a relationship? Does love stay forever? If not, what replaces that void? Do you have to work at a relationship after a certain point of time? Is there ever a "and they lived happily ever after" ending to a love story in reality? When do you realise that "things are not going to work out"? When do you actually do something about that realisation? Is everything over right after a breakup? Is there no hangover of all the lovely times spent together? Is it ever possible to unlove someone once you’ve loved them? Does the pain of heartbreak ever really go away? Is love better the second time round? Can "once-in-a-lifetime" happen twice?
Is "falling in love" more exciting than "being in love"? Does love make one weak or strong? Is love an addiction at times? Can friends become lovers? Can lovers ever remain friends? Is love really blind? Is love the only means to achieve happiness? Do people who write those soul-stirring love songs have love all figured out? Can words ever do justice to the emotion called love? Are we sometimes just in love, with love? Does love really conquer all odds? Does love always have to be this elusive? Does love always have to be that simple?
How long does one stay committed to a relationship? Does love stay forever? If not, what replaces that void? Do you have to work at a relationship after a certain point of time? Is there ever a "and they lived happily ever after" ending to a love story in reality? When do you realise that "things are not going to work out"? When do you actually do something about that realisation? Is everything over right after a breakup? Is there no hangover of all the lovely times spent together? Is it ever possible to unlove someone once you’ve loved them? Does the pain of heartbreak ever really go away? Is love better the second time round? Can "once-in-a-lifetime" happen twice?
Is "falling in love" more exciting than "being in love"? Does love make one weak or strong? Is love an addiction at times? Can friends become lovers? Can lovers ever remain friends? Is love really blind? Is love the only means to achieve happiness? Do people who write those soul-stirring love songs have love all figured out? Can words ever do justice to the emotion called love? Are we sometimes just in love, with love? Does love really conquer all odds? Does love always have to be this elusive? Does love always have to be that simple?
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Bande mein tha dum...
Ainak pehne, lathi pakde chalte the woh shaan se,
Zaalim kaape thar thar, thar thar, sun kar unka naam re,
Kad tha unka chota sa aur sarpat unki chal re
Duble se, patle se the woh, chalte seena taan ke,
Bande mein tha dum..vande mataram....
Bande mein tha dum..vande mataram....
I can’t stop humming these lines since yesterday. As you might have guessed it, I saw Lage raho Munnabhai finally!! I know I am tad bit late and all the possible discussions about the movie have exhausted by now, but still the movie needed a mention here because the movie made me fall in love with Gandhi all over again. Munna and Circuit did an awesome job but the show stealer according to me was Gandhiji!!!
"It took one remarkable man to defeat the British Empire and free a nation of 350 million people. His goal was freedom for India. His strategy was peace. His weapon was his humanity. His triumph changed the world forever." – That was the tagline of the 1982 Richard Attenborough movie titled "Gandhi". One among my favorites, I remember watching Ben Kingsley in Gandhi and going "wow!" almost every 2 minutes during the entire movie. Ben, with his awesome characterization of Gandhi, made me see beyond the man known as the Mahatma and made me fall in love with Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, for the man he was. That movie is among of the very few flicks which pa and me used to watch when I was a kid, and we used to cry and laugh at the right places together. That’s another reason I love that movie. I must have seen it 17 times but still can never get bored of it. In the movie, Gandhi was portrayed as this idealistic icon – some one to be admired and respected. Oh well, getting inspired by Gandhi in real life - the movie did not even venture out to deal with that, given the constraint of the biographical theme of the film.
Lage raho Munnabhai does just that - with Munnabhai, Gandhi sure has come a long way from the way Richard Attenborough and the world interpreted him till date - a luminary to be respected and held in awe, not someone to get inspired from, because, let's face it, Gandhism cannot survive in 21st century! However, Munnabhai Ver 2.0 brings Gandhi to the masses as a bindaas old man, who gave a hoot to the rules and who always had the right answer and the right approach to every problematic situation. Thanks to Munnabhai, Gandhism is suddenly the "in" thing!!
I was with my friend, S, just the other day, when she got a call. An animated discussion followed when the person on the other end insisted on telling the truth to someone about something, without bothering about the disastrous consequences, because that’s what Gandhi would have done!! S tried to convince her in vain. After the call, we both wondered about the why behind this sudden predilection for Gandhism among everybody? Wasn’t he there around us always? Weren’t his principles taught to us among the very first things we learnt way back in school?
Yes is the answer to both the questiones posed above, but it took a movie to bring him back in style for today’s generation! What remains to be seen is that will this penchant and love for Gandhism be there only till Munnabhai is the buzzword or will it continue to remain after that? That will be an interesting thing to watch. Sadly, the memory of "We, the people" is short lived. I am guessing Gandhi will again go back to the closed, forgotten pages of history. I would love to be proved wrong though.
All things said and done, one thing is for sure.."Bande mein tha dum!!!"
Zaalim kaape thar thar, thar thar, sun kar unka naam re,
Kad tha unka chota sa aur sarpat unki chal re
Duble se, patle se the woh, chalte seena taan ke,
Bande mein tha dum..vande mataram....
Bande mein tha dum..vande mataram....
I can’t stop humming these lines since yesterday. As you might have guessed it, I saw Lage raho Munnabhai finally!! I know I am tad bit late and all the possible discussions about the movie have exhausted by now, but still the movie needed a mention here because the movie made me fall in love with Gandhi all over again. Munna and Circuit did an awesome job but the show stealer according to me was Gandhiji!!!
"It took one remarkable man to defeat the British Empire and free a nation of 350 million people. His goal was freedom for India. His strategy was peace. His weapon was his humanity. His triumph changed the world forever." – That was the tagline of the 1982 Richard Attenborough movie titled "Gandhi". One among my favorites, I remember watching Ben Kingsley in Gandhi and going "wow!" almost every 2 minutes during the entire movie. Ben, with his awesome characterization of Gandhi, made me see beyond the man known as the Mahatma and made me fall in love with Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, for the man he was. That movie is among of the very few flicks which pa and me used to watch when I was a kid, and we used to cry and laugh at the right places together. That’s another reason I love that movie. I must have seen it 17 times but still can never get bored of it. In the movie, Gandhi was portrayed as this idealistic icon – some one to be admired and respected. Oh well, getting inspired by Gandhi in real life - the movie did not even venture out to deal with that, given the constraint of the biographical theme of the film.
Lage raho Munnabhai does just that - with Munnabhai, Gandhi sure has come a long way from the way Richard Attenborough and the world interpreted him till date - a luminary to be respected and held in awe, not someone to get inspired from, because, let's face it, Gandhism cannot survive in 21st century! However, Munnabhai Ver 2.0 brings Gandhi to the masses as a bindaas old man, who gave a hoot to the rules and who always had the right answer and the right approach to every problematic situation. Thanks to Munnabhai, Gandhism is suddenly the "in" thing!!
I was with my friend, S, just the other day, when she got a call. An animated discussion followed when the person on the other end insisted on telling the truth to someone about something, without bothering about the disastrous consequences, because that’s what Gandhi would have done!! S tried to convince her in vain. After the call, we both wondered about the why behind this sudden predilection for Gandhism among everybody? Wasn’t he there around us always? Weren’t his principles taught to us among the very first things we learnt way back in school?
Yes is the answer to both the questiones posed above, but it took a movie to bring him back in style for today’s generation! What remains to be seen is that will this penchant and love for Gandhism be there only till Munnabhai is the buzzword or will it continue to remain after that? That will be an interesting thing to watch. Sadly, the memory of "We, the people" is short lived. I am guessing Gandhi will again go back to the closed, forgotten pages of history. I would love to be proved wrong though.
All things said and done, one thing is for sure.."Bande mein tha dum!!!"
Just like that..
In life, a few relations cannot end instantly...just like that. They need to die a slow, unnoticed death. When such a thing happens, a lot of effort goes into making the entire process look as natural and expected as possible. When does the equation of a friendship change? It might, sometimes, take a huge chain of events or sometimes, just a simple conversation. There are times in life when you feel you just might have made a mistake when it came to judging someone. They say never trust your first impressions about some one – first impressions are almost always wrong. I thought that applied only to the negative ones. Things happening over the past week made me realise that it holds even for the positive ones.
You assume that you know some one real well, but then things happen and you just end up discovering a hidden dimension to that person, which you never thought existed. You end up feeling confused at such times. You end up doubting your own discerning capability when it comes to differentiating between the good and bad ones. You end up trying to search for your mistake in the entire issue. But, do we, at these times, fail to realise that we just might have been duped into believing something? We just ended up seeing something the way we saw it, because that’s how it was intended to happen according to the other person involved? Are we ever able to trust some one again, with an open heart, as spontaneously as before? I don’t know the answers to those questions, but yeah, as far as I am concerned, I am a changed person – for good or bad, I will let time be the judge.
I learnt only one thing from the entire issue – The wise people who say "Don’t judge a book by a cover" and "Don’t believe your first impressions" are also the same people who say "Always believe your first instinct" - which brings me back to square one, all over again.
You assume that you know some one real well, but then things happen and you just end up discovering a hidden dimension to that person, which you never thought existed. You end up feeling confused at such times. You end up doubting your own discerning capability when it comes to differentiating between the good and bad ones. You end up trying to search for your mistake in the entire issue. But, do we, at these times, fail to realise that we just might have been duped into believing something? We just ended up seeing something the way we saw it, because that’s how it was intended to happen according to the other person involved? Are we ever able to trust some one again, with an open heart, as spontaneously as before? I don’t know the answers to those questions, but yeah, as far as I am concerned, I am a changed person – for good or bad, I will let time be the judge.
I learnt only one thing from the entire issue – The wise people who say "Don’t judge a book by a cover" and "Don’t believe your first impressions" are also the same people who say "Always believe your first instinct" - which brings me back to square one, all over again.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Friends forever??
As we go on, we remember,
All the times we had together,
And, as our lives change, come whatever,
We will still be friends forever...
I associate this song with memories of various friends I've come across in life..it still brings a tear to my eye when ever I listen to it. "Friends forever"- catchy phrase but do you believe in it always? Does such a thing even exist? The events occurring of late are starting to make me believe that such a thing might just exist in theory. When does a friendship end? When do reunions become just another formality? When do we no longer have common jokes to share and common things to laugh at? When do awkward silences begin to fill the conversations we once used to share? When do you have to start thinking twice before mentioning something to each other?
Things would be a lot simpler if friendships were like relationships. Either the feeling is there or it is not there. There is a boundary - a limit. Maybe that’s why break –ups make a lot of sense. Though painful in the beginning, in the long run, they, somehow, make a lot of sense.
Where do you draw a line in friendship? How do you define your space? Why does a friendship end? There might be many reasons: distance, ego, failure, betrayal, hatred, jealousy, but it pains the most when time gives a friendship, a natural death.
All the times we had together,
And, as our lives change, come whatever,
We will still be friends forever...
I associate this song with memories of various friends I've come across in life..it still brings a tear to my eye when ever I listen to it. "Friends forever"- catchy phrase but do you believe in it always? Does such a thing even exist? The events occurring of late are starting to make me believe that such a thing might just exist in theory. When does a friendship end? When do reunions become just another formality? When do we no longer have common jokes to share and common things to laugh at? When do awkward silences begin to fill the conversations we once used to share? When do you have to start thinking twice before mentioning something to each other?
Things would be a lot simpler if friendships were like relationships. Either the feeling is there or it is not there. There is a boundary - a limit. Maybe that’s why break –ups make a lot of sense. Though painful in the beginning, in the long run, they, somehow, make a lot of sense.
Where do you draw a line in friendship? How do you define your space? Why does a friendship end? There might be many reasons: distance, ego, failure, betrayal, hatred, jealousy, but it pains the most when time gives a friendship, a natural death.
For the first time....
A yacht sailing past the Burj-al-Arab Hotel in Dubai.A beautiful lady, in the arms of a handsome man, pointing excitedly at the hotel. An interesting question, at the extreme left hand corner – "When was the last time you did something for the first time?" I am describing a hoarding of the Emirates Airlines I came across recently. Hats off to the team, which came up with such an innovative idea to market an airline. But, I was not thinking about that right away. The question caught my attention – when was the last time I did something for the first time? Hmmm…that should not be a toughie. I got thinking. Five minutes gone and I still had my thinking cap on. No, don’t judge me right away. I did come up with a few answers but they seemed too dull and mundane. Somehow, I wanted to justify such an innovative question with an equally snappy and innovative answer – something like touching the snow, or stopping the traffic, or go trekking in the forests, or skating around the block, or sitting in a chopper for the very first time, or eating an exotic dish or fruit. I did come up with an interesting answer finally. What my answer was, does not really matter. What I realised was there are very few such "first time" moments in our lives.
Why did we allow our life to settle into a dull and mundane routine? The same hangouts, the same discussions, the same friends, the same jokes, the same serials, the same games, the same comfort zone. When did we allow this monotony to secretly creep into our lives? When did the sense of adventure seep away? When did security and familiarity become the buzzwords? When did we become too busy to get a life? When was the last time we did something for the first time?
Why did we allow our life to settle into a dull and mundane routine? The same hangouts, the same discussions, the same friends, the same jokes, the same serials, the same games, the same comfort zone. When did we allow this monotony to secretly creep into our lives? When did the sense of adventure seep away? When did security and familiarity become the buzzwords? When did we become too busy to get a life? When was the last time we did something for the first time?
Monday, September 11, 2006
What next???
Sponsorship * shoes * James Spader * spas * Shawn colvin * Sensex * CII * Udayan Mukherjee * Venture capitalists * Vinod Mehta * Nokia 6233 * Premji * beer * dvd-player * NASDAQ * mid-cap * advertising * travel books * brands * health drinks * coiffures * Everybody loves raymond * iPod * Pankaj Advani * digital cameras * Ogden Nash * Steve Irwin * L N Mittal * coffee * Moto L7 * gossip magazines * quotes *ONGC * Adidas * Munnabhai * Budapest * D&G * Harold Pinter, Usher in his new broadway avatar * L'arc de Triomphe * Prof. Sabharwal * Cold Play * coffee mugs * Gandhi * Food world * EPL * national highways * Bangalore * Tissot watches * Serendipity * Chidambaram * repo rate * reservations * base ball * free will * Van Gogh * Taoism * Monet * Impressionism * Keller * Nihilism * oligarchy * Federer * US Open * Lahore Fort * LME * ASCII code * Yin and yang * Aparna Popat.
Where do you take your thoughts next, given the fact that this sequence is being processed by your neurons just 5 minutes before a test????
Where do you take your thoughts next, given the fact that this sequence is being processed by your neurons just 5 minutes before a test????
Thursday, September 07, 2006
To sing or not to sing...
7 Sepember,2006: The first centenary of “Vande mataram” – a song which is a reminder of our struggle during the pre-independence era.
Debate: To sing or not to sing it.
Participants: Politicians and religious leaders and the media.
Observers: Do "We, the people" even care???
The whole drama has been going on in full media glare for more than 2 weeks now and today is when the whole issue will reach it’s culmination point. Frankly, how many of us actually care about who sings the national song or not. Okie, fine, agreed, there are people amongst us who have been tracking the whole issue and have some very strong opinions about the whole fuss being created about the song. This stand of mine might be of some interest to those people.
I get goose bumps every time I hear the song “Vande mataram” being played, whether it be Rehman crooning away a spiced up version of the song or the original version, rendered in the soulful voice of Lata (again, a Rehman creation). There is something awfully inspiring about this song, the lyrics and the tune, everything just fits. Then, why was “Jana gana mana” chosen as our national anthem and not “Vande Mataram”?
I read this engaging piece in The Hindu editorial which explained in detail that during the pre-independence era, the overt hindu overtones in the song alienated the minorities who were otherwise eager participants in the freedom struggle. Perhaps, Nehru described the whole issue surrounding the song aptly when he said,” indisputably the premier national song of India with a great historical tradition and intimately connected with our struggle for freedom ... It represents the position and the poignancy of that struggle, but perhaps not so much the culmination of it”. This statement made by Nehru showcases the fact that somewhere, even the constitution framers realized that making Vande mataram the national anthem would amount to violating the secular fabric of the country given the strong cultural nationalism reflected in the song.
From where I see it, no body is interested in the song as such, the only point here is to make headlines and scandalizing ones at that. The players in the whole drama are the religious heads and the politicians. I really don’t care about their stand. The way I think, if am living in a democracy, the only person who gets to decide whether I sing the song or not is ME. No one else has the right to tell me what I should and should not do. Why should the Muslims prove their patriotism to their motherland by singing a song? Why should the Hindus insist that the Muslims not singing the song is an insult to the country? How many of us actually go for the flag hoisting on 26 January and 15 August?
The only reason the whole thing is being blown out of proportion is to create a divide between Hindus and Muslims. Yet another interesting anecdote in the vote bank politics archive of our “democratic and secular” country.
My only question to these “zealous” patriot-cum-politicians of our country is that when attending the flag hoisting on Independence Day and Republic Day has not been made compulsory till date, why so much fuss about a song? Will I get an answer? Knowing the political scenario of this country, I am sure I won’t.
Debate: To sing or not to sing it.
Participants: Politicians and religious leaders and the media.
Observers: Do "We, the people" even care???
The whole drama has been going on in full media glare for more than 2 weeks now and today is when the whole issue will reach it’s culmination point. Frankly, how many of us actually care about who sings the national song or not. Okie, fine, agreed, there are people amongst us who have been tracking the whole issue and have some very strong opinions about the whole fuss being created about the song. This stand of mine might be of some interest to those people.
I get goose bumps every time I hear the song “Vande mataram” being played, whether it be Rehman crooning away a spiced up version of the song or the original version, rendered in the soulful voice of Lata (again, a Rehman creation). There is something awfully inspiring about this song, the lyrics and the tune, everything just fits. Then, why was “Jana gana mana” chosen as our national anthem and not “Vande Mataram”?
I read this engaging piece in The Hindu editorial which explained in detail that during the pre-independence era, the overt hindu overtones in the song alienated the minorities who were otherwise eager participants in the freedom struggle. Perhaps, Nehru described the whole issue surrounding the song aptly when he said,” indisputably the premier national song of India with a great historical tradition and intimately connected with our struggle for freedom ... It represents the position and the poignancy of that struggle, but perhaps not so much the culmination of it”. This statement made by Nehru showcases the fact that somewhere, even the constitution framers realized that making Vande mataram the national anthem would amount to violating the secular fabric of the country given the strong cultural nationalism reflected in the song.
From where I see it, no body is interested in the song as such, the only point here is to make headlines and scandalizing ones at that. The players in the whole drama are the religious heads and the politicians. I really don’t care about their stand. The way I think, if am living in a democracy, the only person who gets to decide whether I sing the song or not is ME. No one else has the right to tell me what I should and should not do. Why should the Muslims prove their patriotism to their motherland by singing a song? Why should the Hindus insist that the Muslims not singing the song is an insult to the country? How many of us actually go for the flag hoisting on 26 January and 15 August?
The only reason the whole thing is being blown out of proportion is to create a divide between Hindus and Muslims. Yet another interesting anecdote in the vote bank politics archive of our “democratic and secular” country.
My only question to these “zealous” patriot-cum-politicians of our country is that when attending the flag hoisting on Independence Day and Republic Day has not been made compulsory till date, why so much fuss about a song? Will I get an answer? Knowing the political scenario of this country, I am sure I won’t.
What's in a name?
Dolly: My name is Dolly, My ID is 155. I will be doing my B.E. in Electronics. I have completed my schooling from Andhra Pradesh. My hobbies are singing, writing and reading.
XYZ: Dolly??? Isn’t that a pet name? What is your real name?
Dolly: Hmm…that is my real name.
XYZ: Oh okie…what ever.
That was a scene from one of my ragging sessions way back in college. In fact, I have had a similar conversation with various people at various points of my life till now.
To be honest, I never really liked my name while growing up. I used to have these "intelligent" arguments with ma asking her to give me one logical explanation for naming me Dolly. I used to ask her how would the name suit me when I was an 81 year old toothless, bespectacled woman. As one would expect, that conversation used to end with ma laughing away to glory and me, with a solemn frown on my face.
At one point, I almost won the argument when ma told me that I could change my name to whatever I wanted (only an affidavit was needed!!!!) . With a triumphant grin on my face, I set out googling for all possible names, which would be way better than Dolly. My friends though only saw me as Dolly n could not see any other name going with me and my nature. Damn them, I could do this alone very well. But, somewhere along the line, amidst all the googling, I realised something. My mother must have really loved this name like crazy to name her only daughter Dolly. It was her right to decide the name by which the world would know me and me trying to change it would somehow undermine her importance in my life. So, after a lot of thought, I made my decision. Dolly stayed.
People still go, "Dolly? Strange…isn’t that a pet name? What is your real name?" But, the difference is that I don’t care any more. The way I see it, the least I could do for ma was not to change my name and the most I can do for her is to love the name she chose for me . I chose to do both and I will never regret that decision one bit.
XYZ: Dolly??? Isn’t that a pet name? What is your real name?
Dolly: Hmm…that is my real name.
XYZ: Oh okie…what ever.
That was a scene from one of my ragging sessions way back in college. In fact, I have had a similar conversation with various people at various points of my life till now.
To be honest, I never really liked my name while growing up. I used to have these "intelligent" arguments with ma asking her to give me one logical explanation for naming me Dolly. I used to ask her how would the name suit me when I was an 81 year old toothless, bespectacled woman. As one would expect, that conversation used to end with ma laughing away to glory and me, with a solemn frown on my face.
At one point, I almost won the argument when ma told me that I could change my name to whatever I wanted (only an affidavit was needed!!!!) . With a triumphant grin on my face, I set out googling for all possible names, which would be way better than Dolly. My friends though only saw me as Dolly n could not see any other name going with me and my nature. Damn them, I could do this alone very well. But, somewhere along the line, amidst all the googling, I realised something. My mother must have really loved this name like crazy to name her only daughter Dolly. It was her right to decide the name by which the world would know me and me trying to change it would somehow undermine her importance in my life. So, after a lot of thought, I made my decision. Dolly stayed.
People still go, "Dolly? Strange…isn’t that a pet name? What is your real name?" But, the difference is that I don’t care any more. The way I see it, the least I could do for ma was not to change my name and the most I can do for her is to love the name she chose for me . I chose to do both and I will never regret that decision one bit.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
What lies beneath..what lies beyond...
Today was yet another dragging day at work but for one exception. I received a forward from a colleague, N. Yeah, nothing new about getting a forward when you are in the software industry (that’s how we spend half of the day right?). The exception was that it was not a mushy forward or a funny one, no sir, rather it was a hacker’s puzzle. I am a big sucker for puzzles and riddles and I got started on this one right away (with work pending, mind you!!!). There were 23 levels in all and I was able to clear the first thirteen. I was very proud of myself, even though I had 10 more levels to go. My PM screaming reminded me that I was in office and I reluctantly got back to work. Towards the evening, I started chatting with a friend, P, who was basically getting bugged. I sent him this puzzle just for the heck of it, but when he cleared the 13th level (fundoo P!!!), I was hooked. Then, we both sat n worked our way till we cleared the 23rd round (thanks to google btw). Basically, had fun solving it, the drive to get till the last level was amazing. Nothing much actually but the whole episode got me thinking about our penchant for the unknown and the unseen.
"The fear of the unknown"…that’s what the unknown is famously associated with..fear. But, I beg to differ. In daily context, I see the unknown associated with intrigue, excitement and mystery. Right from college days when your first crush was kewl, suave and mysterious only till the moment you got talking to them or when u sat in a circle with all your friends on a Saturday night trying to get talking to the spirits to know what happened after death, or when you just had to know how a particular movie ended (oh gaaawwwddd!!! I hope he gets her, he loves her soooo much!!! Why can’t she see it???) or what was Da Vinci thinking while painting "The Last Supper" or just what if his entire theory about Christianity is right or when u play a video game for the very first time and just can’t wait to see what the next level holds or when you think what you will be up to this very day the next year or when you read the "forecast for the day" on your way to the office…at several such instances, the unknown tempts us, excites us and yeah, I admit, sometimes, scares us as well.
I could never really figure out the why behind this obsession for the unknown. What do we find so exciting about it? The things that surround us do not really intrigue or bother us much. In fact, the things that are most obvious are the ones, which we miss out on most of the times. We are always on a quest to find out the story behind the story, the pages within the book.
But, today, when I thought about it on my way back home, it somehow made sense. The whole thing just fit. If not for this curious nature of ours, mankind would still be in the stone age, leading a life just like any other animal. Imagine no malls, no CCD’s, no Crosswords, no computers, no pizza huts, no Levi's, no shopping, no Sensex, no blogs (!!!) awwwww, that would be a boring time!!! The whole curiousity aspect of our nature has given a whole new dimension to our existence. Maybe this anticipation and excitement about what the future holds is the key factor in making life a journey to look forward to. Seriously, how many of us would be interested in living if we knew beforehand what exactly each day held for us??? Nah, that would be sooooo BORRIIINNNNG!!! :)
"The fear of the unknown"…that’s what the unknown is famously associated with..fear. But, I beg to differ. In daily context, I see the unknown associated with intrigue, excitement and mystery. Right from college days when your first crush was kewl, suave and mysterious only till the moment you got talking to them or when u sat in a circle with all your friends on a Saturday night trying to get talking to the spirits to know what happened after death, or when you just had to know how a particular movie ended (oh gaaawwwddd!!! I hope he gets her, he loves her soooo much!!! Why can’t she see it???) or what was Da Vinci thinking while painting "The Last Supper" or just what if his entire theory about Christianity is right or when u play a video game for the very first time and just can’t wait to see what the next level holds or when you think what you will be up to this very day the next year or when you read the "forecast for the day" on your way to the office…at several such instances, the unknown tempts us, excites us and yeah, I admit, sometimes, scares us as well.
I could never really figure out the why behind this obsession for the unknown. What do we find so exciting about it? The things that surround us do not really intrigue or bother us much. In fact, the things that are most obvious are the ones, which we miss out on most of the times. We are always on a quest to find out the story behind the story, the pages within the book.
But, today, when I thought about it on my way back home, it somehow made sense. The whole thing just fit. If not for this curious nature of ours, mankind would still be in the stone age, leading a life just like any other animal. Imagine no malls, no CCD’s, no Crosswords, no computers, no pizza huts, no Levi's, no shopping, no Sensex, no blogs (!!!) awwwww, that would be a boring time!!! The whole curiousity aspect of our nature has given a whole new dimension to our existence. Maybe this anticipation and excitement about what the future holds is the key factor in making life a journey to look forward to. Seriously, how many of us would be interested in living if we knew beforehand what exactly each day held for us??? Nah, that would be sooooo BORRIIINNNNG!!! :)
Monday, September 04, 2006
It's a small world after all...
My pa always complains that our generation does not ever really bother to learn how to live in a society. Though, I always have my standard argument ready (“It’s only ur imagination pa!!!), secretly, I am forced to agree with him..how many of us bother 2 say a hello 2 our neighbours..how many of us know who our immediate nighbours are…how many of us know the people who sit in the cabins next to us in the office… we are just very much happy and satisfied with our own cozy comfort zone which we gift ourselves and just learn to fit into the whole big picture sooner or later, learning to be indifferent to the bigger things happening all around us…switching off from the big picture while being an integral part of it…
Well, today is one of those countless depressing Monday mornings at the office. But today is different from other days. Today, I realized that this particular tendency of ours, which am so often regretful about, has its own positives. My bus went by a different route today for a change. Usually, it goes along such a bumpy route that it makes you want to cry..but, today, along the other route, the roads were smooth and for the first time, I slept peacefully till we reached office and that made me happy!!!! True, there are several things which are not going exactly the way I want them to – there are lots more deadlines to meet, a 24 hour day is just not enough given the kind of multi-tasking am up to these days, a friend of mine, K, is not really feeling good about life and that has got me upset as well, but today, at that moment, those things did not really bother me nor did they matter!!! All that mattered was I had a good drive to the office in the morning.
For once, I am thankful that I’m adept in the art of being short sighted occasionally :)
Well, today is one of those countless depressing Monday mornings at the office. But today is different from other days. Today, I realized that this particular tendency of ours, which am so often regretful about, has its own positives. My bus went by a different route today for a change. Usually, it goes along such a bumpy route that it makes you want to cry..but, today, along the other route, the roads were smooth and for the first time, I slept peacefully till we reached office and that made me happy!!!! True, there are several things which are not going exactly the way I want them to – there are lots more deadlines to meet, a 24 hour day is just not enough given the kind of multi-tasking am up to these days, a friend of mine, K, is not really feeling good about life and that has got me upset as well, but today, at that moment, those things did not really bother me nor did they matter!!! All that mattered was I had a good drive to the office in the morning.
For once, I am thankful that I’m adept in the art of being short sighted occasionally :)
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Being Atticus Finch...
"To kill a mocking bird" was among one of the first few books that I read and was one of the many reasons that triggered my passion for reading. Fiction is not something that interests me much, I prefer to read about history and incidences that actually influence things around me and affect the future. But, I still can't stop myself from picking up a book from the fiction section occasionally, all in the hope of coming across a character that surpasses Atticus Finch in some way, or atleast matches upto that man.
While reading the book, I completely fell in love with the man's ideals, the manner in which he took everything that came his way; good or bad, the way he proudly fought a losing battle, the way he showed his children the manner in which to lead an honest and respectful existence and finally, for the manner in which he was comfortable just being who he was.
Finch stays with me till date. When I am in doubt, about the right thing to do, or find myself faced with a difficult decision, I always find myself asking this question, "What would Atticus do?" I always get the right answer to my question but following that righteous path shown by Finch is what I have not been able to do on many occasions, for reasons better best forgotten.
Well, why is it so difficult for us to be Atticus Finch in our own, little way? He personifies all those qualities which were spoken of highly in our Moral science classes way back in school, then why this reluctance to accept his ideals?
On the twisted route from being a child to becoming an adult, several instances negate all those teachings that were taught by our parents and teachers. Gradually, "survival of the fittest", "it's a jungle out there", "everything is fair in love and war" are the only teachings that stay back with us..maybe it's because we choose to remember only them...perhaps to justify certain deeds of ours...
Well, maybe that's why Atticus continues to charm me and many others till date..he is a reminder of that long, forgotten world where ethics were the only measure of a successul and good life. He's all that we want to be in our own utopia...but in the real world, I guess, being Atticus Finch is just not enough..one needs to have a streak of Gordon Gekko somewhere as well. All things said and done, Atticus continues to exist in all of us, it's only that we're doing a great job ignoring him.
While reading the book, I completely fell in love with the man's ideals, the manner in which he took everything that came his way; good or bad, the way he proudly fought a losing battle, the way he showed his children the manner in which to lead an honest and respectful existence and finally, for the manner in which he was comfortable just being who he was.
Finch stays with me till date. When I am in doubt, about the right thing to do, or find myself faced with a difficult decision, I always find myself asking this question, "What would Atticus do?" I always get the right answer to my question but following that righteous path shown by Finch is what I have not been able to do on many occasions, for reasons better best forgotten.
Well, why is it so difficult for us to be Atticus Finch in our own, little way? He personifies all those qualities which were spoken of highly in our Moral science classes way back in school, then why this reluctance to accept his ideals?
On the twisted route from being a child to becoming an adult, several instances negate all those teachings that were taught by our parents and teachers. Gradually, "survival of the fittest", "it's a jungle out there", "everything is fair in love and war" are the only teachings that stay back with us..maybe it's because we choose to remember only them...perhaps to justify certain deeds of ours...
Well, maybe that's why Atticus continues to charm me and many others till date..he is a reminder of that long, forgotten world where ethics were the only measure of a successul and good life. He's all that we want to be in our own utopia...but in the real world, I guess, being Atticus Finch is just not enough..one needs to have a streak of Gordon Gekko somewhere as well. All things said and done, Atticus continues to exist in all of us, it's only that we're doing a great job ignoring him.
When do we hear the wedding bells?
I feel it in my fingers...
I feel it in my toes..
Love is all around me..
And so the feeling grows...
Yes, love is all around me these days. Wherever I go, the conversations revolve around love, weddings and everything else in between. Added to this, the fact that one of my closest friends, D, is going to get hooked for life pretty soon (on a totally different track, she's found a fantastic guy for herself :) ). I m seriously very happy for her, but when I started telling other friends and acquaintances about her wedding, the question that everyone (including my ma!!!) invariably popped up was "So, when do you plan to go next???" Phew, I avoided it with a lop sided grin and a drawling "Phhhuuulllleeezzzzzzzz", but the same inane question repeating again and again got me thinking about the relevance of marriage to our perception of life.
Let's face it, we are all but in our twenties..still enjoying the hangover of teenage years and still in the process of making a life. Does marriage exactly fit in our plan right away? My friend D says we have to learn to adjust to the concept of marriage, marriage demands expertise in the art of compromise where it doesn't really matter as to how old you are. My retort to that one is why do I have to adjust to anything at all? Why do I have to include another person's dimension when I make decisions regarding my life and is any one competent enough at 22 to understand the subtle and intricate art of making a marriage tick?
Marriage is a beautiful and sacred institution which should be adopted when you feel you're ready for it and not because you've set a deadline for yourself. Most of the couples I have known and seen, entered marriage without giving it much of a thought , and did it because that was the next logical thing to do in their well thought out plan of life. Well, for such people, times pass by and sooner or later, they learn to lead an existence without love in their lives. Some of these people get lucky too, but how many of us, are ready to risk such an important decision of our lives to the concept of probability?? The problem is, at this age, we are not thoughtful and analytical enough to give marriage the kind of serious thinking that it deserves. Money, power, looks, wits or humour in a man are enough of temptation to make a girl walk the aisle. Love, most of the times, takes a back seat.
The point is, nobody enters wedlock expecting anything other than "and they lived happily ever after..", but the tragedy of it all is that not every marriage has a happy ending. Infact, some marriages don't even have a sad ending, they are doomed to go on and on and on "till death do us part"..Those are the saddest ones.
Well, as for me, marriage is a beautiful thing because I've seen it's awesome side effects on D, but am I ready for it yet? Hell no!!! Right now, am busy experiencing life and learning my lessons and enjoying every bit of it. So, the next time, my nosy neighbor or my grandma or my office colleagues or my friends ask me, "So, when do we hear the wedding bells?? " I'll have only one thing to say..."When I have discovered everything that I possibly can about life and its secrets, and need to rediscover the same things all over again from another person's point of view"...till then, spare me please!!!!
I feel it in my toes..
Love is all around me..
And so the feeling grows...
Yes, love is all around me these days. Wherever I go, the conversations revolve around love, weddings and everything else in between. Added to this, the fact that one of my closest friends, D, is going to get hooked for life pretty soon (on a totally different track, she's found a fantastic guy for herself :) ). I m seriously very happy for her, but when I started telling other friends and acquaintances about her wedding, the question that everyone (including my ma!!!) invariably popped up was "So, when do you plan to go next???" Phew, I avoided it with a lop sided grin and a drawling "Phhhuuulllleeezzzzzzzz", but the same inane question repeating again and again got me thinking about the relevance of marriage to our perception of life.
Let's face it, we are all but in our twenties..still enjoying the hangover of teenage years and still in the process of making a life. Does marriage exactly fit in our plan right away? My friend D says we have to learn to adjust to the concept of marriage, marriage demands expertise in the art of compromise where it doesn't really matter as to how old you are. My retort to that one is why do I have to adjust to anything at all? Why do I have to include another person's dimension when I make decisions regarding my life and is any one competent enough at 22 to understand the subtle and intricate art of making a marriage tick?
Marriage is a beautiful and sacred institution which should be adopted when you feel you're ready for it and not because you've set a deadline for yourself. Most of the couples I have known and seen, entered marriage without giving it much of a thought , and did it because that was the next logical thing to do in their well thought out plan of life. Well, for such people, times pass by and sooner or later, they learn to lead an existence without love in their lives. Some of these people get lucky too, but how many of us, are ready to risk such an important decision of our lives to the concept of probability?? The problem is, at this age, we are not thoughtful and analytical enough to give marriage the kind of serious thinking that it deserves. Money, power, looks, wits or humour in a man are enough of temptation to make a girl walk the aisle. Love, most of the times, takes a back seat.
The point is, nobody enters wedlock expecting anything other than "and they lived happily ever after..", but the tragedy of it all is that not every marriage has a happy ending. Infact, some marriages don't even have a sad ending, they are doomed to go on and on and on "till death do us part"..Those are the saddest ones.
Well, as for me, marriage is a beautiful thing because I've seen it's awesome side effects on D, but am I ready for it yet? Hell no!!! Right now, am busy experiencing life and learning my lessons and enjoying every bit of it. So, the next time, my nosy neighbor or my grandma or my office colleagues or my friends ask me, "So, when do we hear the wedding bells?? " I'll have only one thing to say..."When I have discovered everything that I possibly can about life and its secrets, and need to rediscover the same things all over again from another person's point of view"...till then, spare me please!!!!
Things I wanna do b4 I die :)
1.) Run a marathon
2.) Spend a summer in Inverness.
3.) Paint a mural.
4.) Learn to play the piano
5.) Weigh 70 kgs :)
6.) Walk on the Great wall of China
7.) Learn to speak greek n chinese.
8.) Meditate in a Japanese temple.
9.) Meet Rahul Dravid, even to get tongue tied and make a complete fool of myself :)
10.) Row a boat by myself.
11.) Learn to fly an aircraft (a glider also will do :) )
12.) Eat caviare.
13.) Write a book.
14.) Walk along the Wall Street atleast once.
15.) Go to the place where the Berlin wall once stood.
16.) Stand on the Tianenmen Square.
17.) See the seven wonders and all the UNESCO world heritage monuments.
18.) Own a tiny farm.
19.) Visit Van Gogh's home.
20.) Dance the night away in the Mardi Gras parade.
21.) Visit the amazon rain forests.
22.) Pluck tea in Darjeeling.
23.) Drink Champagne in Champagne and Bordeaux in Bordeaux.
24.) Visit all the Disneylands.
25.) Learn to fly a kite.
26.) Learn to use the potter's wheel.
27.) Go hikin in the Himalayas.
28.) Finish reading "Glimpses of world history"
29.) See The Mona Lisa, Nike and Venus in the Louvre.
30.) See all the places in Vatican City which are mentioned in "Angels and Demons".
31.) Figure out the mystery behind the leaning tower of Pisa.
32.) Listen 2 Coldplay n Knopfler live in concert.
33.) Go bungee jumping.
34.) Visit all the four Tennis Grand slam venues.
35.) Visit the MCC museum at the Lords cricket ground.
36.) Walk on the Golden gate bridge, Brooklyn bridge n Tower bridge.
2.) Spend a summer in Inverness.
3.) Paint a mural.
4.) Learn to play the piano
5.) Weigh 70 kgs :)
6.) Walk on the Great wall of China
7.) Learn to speak greek n chinese.
8.) Meditate in a Japanese temple.
9.) Meet Rahul Dravid, even to get tongue tied and make a complete fool of myself :)
10.) Row a boat by myself.
11.) Learn to fly an aircraft (a glider also will do :) )
12.) Eat caviare.
13.) Write a book.
14.) Walk along the Wall Street atleast once.
15.) Go to the place where the Berlin wall once stood.
16.) Stand on the Tianenmen Square.
17.) See the seven wonders and all the UNESCO world heritage monuments.
18.) Own a tiny farm.
19.) Visit Van Gogh's home.
20.) Dance the night away in the Mardi Gras parade.
21.) Visit the amazon rain forests.
22.) Pluck tea in Darjeeling.
23.) Drink Champagne in Champagne and Bordeaux in Bordeaux.
24.) Visit all the Disneylands.
25.) Learn to fly a kite.
26.) Learn to use the potter's wheel.
27.) Go hikin in the Himalayas.
28.) Finish reading "Glimpses of world history"
29.) See The Mona Lisa, Nike and Venus in the Louvre.
30.) See all the places in Vatican City which are mentioned in "Angels and Demons".
31.) Figure out the mystery behind the leaning tower of Pisa.
32.) Listen 2 Coldplay n Knopfler live in concert.
33.) Go bungee jumping.
34.) Visit all the four Tennis Grand slam venues.
35.) Visit the MCC museum at the Lords cricket ground.
36.) Walk on the Golden gate bridge, Brooklyn bridge n Tower bridge.
Random crap...
I am thinking about livin life backward
I want to visit all the countries in the world
I wish I could fly
I hear people say that Marilyn Monroe did not commit suicide n Elvis still might b alive n God is dead
I wonder if Bart Simpson is really pure evil or is he just pretending?
I regret not being able 2 make it 2 Mark Knopfler concert
I can't eat mushroom..yikkkeeeesss!!!!
I am is not past tense
I dance my heart out
I sing "Pretty woman" when ma passes by
I need to be way more creative when I lie
I cry without a reason
I make people mad
I write sometimes..
I get confused between sarcasm n humour
I miss those long n lazy walks interspersed with bitchin sessions with P&V back in BITS
I will definitely go bungee jumpin one day (inspite of my acrophobia) :)
I should read the letters to the editor in the newspaper daily..they make a lot of sense..n when they dont make sense, they make me laugh..either way,it works out well 4 me :)
I want to visit all the countries in the world
I wish I could fly
I hear people say that Marilyn Monroe did not commit suicide n Elvis still might b alive n God is dead
I wonder if Bart Simpson is really pure evil or is he just pretending?
I regret not being able 2 make it 2 Mark Knopfler concert
I can't eat mushroom..yikkkeeeesss!!!!
I am is not past tense
I dance my heart out
I sing "Pretty woman" when ma passes by
I need to be way more creative when I lie
I cry without a reason
I make people mad
I write sometimes..
I get confused between sarcasm n humour
I miss those long n lazy walks interspersed with bitchin sessions with P&V back in BITS
I will definitely go bungee jumpin one day (inspite of my acrophobia) :)
I should read the letters to the editor in the newspaper daily..they make a lot of sense..n when they dont make sense, they make me laugh..either way,it works out well 4 me :)
Me too..me too!!!!
Well, here I am joining the band wagon of scores of bloggers at last...another brick in the wall...I wonder wot made me create this blog today...not that I have anythin new 2 offer 2 anyone all of a sudden...nor do i think all that much about the simple n complex aspects of life..am just someone with loads of questions and very few answers...out here on a journey called life, tryin 2 make the most of it..giving my best shot 2 the never ending quest of defining life in general and happiness in particular. So, let the flow of random thoughts continue while I try to make sense out of the random and chaotic nonsense of the phenomenon called life.
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