Memoirs of a fool's youth
Sunday, December 07, 2008
You know what is the difference between some bad incidents and bad memories? The incidents you may had forgotten but the latter one will be still haunting you. Shown more or less aptly in the psychological drama - Flashbacks of a Fool, Daniel Criag plays a fading star Joe Scott who burns his hollow life with coke, sex and drinks only to come back and face himself one day when he gets the news of death of his childhood best friend, Boots' death. This takes the protagonist, and the movie, into an extended flashback to a sea-side town in 1970's Britain.
In his teenage Joe is seen enjoying his childhood with Boots. As a teenage boy he gets in a tentative relationship with a school-girl called Ruth. Although he loves Ruth from heart he takes the life on a casual note and ends up with a guilt from an unintended accident which leads to the death of a small girl. Unable to confront himself, he runs from away from England on the day of funeral and lands up in US.
Movie shifts to present and Joe decides to confront his fear and returns to England for a difficult meeting with Ruth, who had gone on to marry Boots and has been a left a poor widow now.
The characters have been played very distinctively and director makes sure each one justifies his/her presence. The initial dialogues of each character defines his/her individuality markedly. In the outset only the following dialogue vividly explains the character of Joe.
Ophelia (helper/secretary): Don't you have any philosophies in life other than self indulgence?
Joe: I really do not like looking at myself from your eyes. Your happiness doesn't interest me, mine does.
Also you cant help but appreciate how the backdrop has been chosen for all the shots. The fact that the director Baillie Walsh has earlier worked in music video direction does have a positive impact on the movie, as its visually and symphonically more appealing than average. And the song that has been his favourite in his teenage years have been using not only as the backdrop but also as the theme for the movie. "That song was a key to the writing of the script because the lyrics are so pertinent to the script.", he adds. This song, "If there is something" of Roxy Music is first played when young Ruth brings Joe to her home and both dance on this song. Lyrics of the ending part of the song goes like:
Shake your hair girl with your ponytail,
Takes me right back when you were young.
Throw your precious gifts into the air,
Watch them fall down when you were young.
Lift up your feet and put them on the ground,
You used to walk upon when you were young.
Takes me right back when you were young.
Throw your precious gifts into the air,
Watch them fall down when you were young.
Lift up your feet and put them on the ground,
You used to walk upon when you were young.
Young Ruth dancing to "If there is something"
The expressions and dance movements have been done so elegantly that the viewer catches the song even deeper. You may not like the song in first minute, in case you download and hear, but the gripping saxophone and guitar mix comes from 1:30mins past start and then the late 70's British glam era grabs you with force. I personally felt the song did justify to be the theme or the storyline did justify the song. Later on when Joe has to meet Ruth, which he never does, he leaves her few pounds and a letter with the lines, "Shake your hair girl with your ponytail, Takes me right back when you were young.", reading which she breaks out in tears marking end of the movie.
It is not a kind of movie that will appeal to everybody and thus has a limited viewership, but if you can connect with the plot, its surely worth the money for one time.
Labels: Experiences, Movie Critics, Music
posted by Jas @ 4:32 PM,
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Bond between existence and non-existence
Sunday, October 12, 2008
As a kid I used to spend a lot of time on my rooftop. With both parents working, they would wish us goodnight and goto sleep by 10PM and I would sneak to my rooftop. The vastness of the sky would baffle me impregnating my mind with hundreds of unanswered questions. Morning was okay, sky would be blue as in any painting we would make in arts class, but the night would pour it with so many stars and ever changing moon. But it wasnt the beauty of the sky or stars that would catch my attention (though it did lead me to make my own Galilean telescope ), it was the question of existence, of those starts, of the things I could see near me and my own self.
When I would question myself about my self, it would strangely come to nought. I could see my hands and realise if I want I can move it, so thats not me. The one who is thinking is something else, something which is there but maybe doesnt have an existence. Science can answer you how it started and how it formed, but it still cant, and cant even try to answer what was there before the START. There is nothing that is justifiable to answer it.
Its my personal belief that religion doest tell you how to live, but it tries to answer these very questions and assumes an assumption, God. Now we all believe in it, but for all scientific reasons I will quote it as an assumption here. (Apologies to fundamentalists!) It further tells us the right way to live that shall leave us in peace and help lifekind in all.
Rig Veda is an ancient religious text of India, comprising of a collection of Sanskrit Hymns. It is dated as far back as 1500–1000 BCE. One of the most popular hymn, commonly known as the hymn of creation, translates to following text:
In the beginning there was neither existence nor non-existance.
There was no atmosphere, no sky and no realm beyond the sky
What power was there? Where was that power?
Who was that power? Was it finite or infinite?
There was neither death nor immortality.
There was nothing to distinguish night from day.
There was no wind or breath, god alone breathed by his own energy.
In the beginning darkness was swathed in darkness, god was clothed in emptiness
Then fire arose within god; and in the fire arose love.
This was the seed of the soul.
Sages have found this seed within their hearts;
They have discovered that it is the bond between existence and non-existence.
Who really knows what happened? Who can describe it?
How were things produced? Where was creation born?
When the universe was created, the one became many.
Who knows how this occurred?
Did creation happen at God’s command, or did it happen without his command.
He looks down upon the creation from the highest heaven.
Only he knows the answer – or perhaps he does not know.
That is it! As you read the verse you can still experience the wonder they must have felt. It doesnt teach you what went in outset of world. If there is a god or heaven or hell. I have pulled these from Archna's blog , and she rightly is fascinated about the humility expressed in the verse. She writes, "Unlike most later religious texts which claim to know all the answers, here is a poem which is humble enough to acknowledge its ignorance. Vedic age is considered by many one of the golden ages of science in India. I feel, maybe it is this ability to acknowledge the fact that we do not have all the answers and search for them led to such great scientific progress. Isn’t it the true spirit of science?"
I couldnt agree any more! There are things which we will never know, and can only contemplate...
Labels: Experiences, My Life, Philosophy
posted by Jas @ 4:18 PM,
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'A Wednesday' - Comeback of common man
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Two (non-profane) words that an average Indian adult would have heard the most about would be 'Comman man'. The elected ministers talk how they are helping the common man, while the opposition holds rallies and press conference to tell how the common man is getting neglected. The economists roll out the schemes for this very 'common man', while critics oppose very same schemes saying they are against a common man. Yesterday I ran off from my hectic professional life to see the last show of the newly released movie - 'Wednesday' and yes, the theme revolved around 'The common man'.
Bollywood has been rolling out the movies on a common man since big bang, where the image and issues faced by a common man has changed as portrayed in 60s by Balraj Sahni, 70's by Raj Kapoor, 80's by Amitabh Bachhan, 90's by contemporary cinema and theaters, 2000's by likes of Pankaj Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Anupam Kher - essentially the artists who have come from theaters. (I may have not counted some prominent names, but essentially this kind of gives a picture to grasp what am referring to). But till date when a character associates him/herself with a common man, the public still clap, they still find that connect emotionally overwhelming. 'Wednesday' is no different.The much so common day to day life setup of the movie without gloss, glamor, villains flying and rolling in air on hitting one jab has resulted in better connect. Leaving a few sound effects, the direction has been commendable, but what steals the show is the dialogue delivery and acting by the two protagonists - Anupam and Naseeruddin. Terrorism is one big topic these days thanks to the bomb blasts series that has started in India. And the aggression that is egressing in an average Indian against 'cockroaches' (as movie calls them) results in a gripping experience. One may wonder how an average 'common man' who looks like a clerk you may find in any public office, or a guy wiping his face on an average day in Mumbai's local trains may decide one day to go against the very crowd he has been walking around with since childhood. A terrorist is no different than any other person, and so is a person who may be following any different religion- where people change is in belief.
We humans have a gift unlike other animals, we can think and when we think we have beliefs and point of views. Some people accept the fact that others can have different point of view while some cant. Then some of the latter want rest to go by what they themselves believe, which when not done makes them turn toxic to the very society they have been part of. We may be social animals, but the animal and social nature are contradictory. They need to be in balance as Yin and Yang of Chinese FengShui, whenever this balance internal to a human changes, we become either too social (whom many will find irritating personalities) or too animal.
You would have been through the people who ask for charity, for money towards social cause or even for some flood relief etc. Its your wish to give, you may not give as you may not feel like giving or you may question if the money will go in right hands. But then there are people who will stop you and pester you to pay. Reason is not that its for social cause, reason is the organizers firmly believe that they are doing a social cause; in plain English I would call it imposition. Similar is the case with religion, its like a kind of a philosophy kept there in open, who so ever wants it will subscribe to it.
But then that's us, humans. We aren't limited to ourselves, we long for what the web of social linkages gives us; so the drama shall go on; and so shall the lives even if that is of a common man whose life goes on to achieve the balance between the Yin (dark/negative) and Yang (bright/positive).
Labels: Experiences, Movie Critics
posted by Jas @ 12:51 PM,
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Me myself and lemom tree
Sunday, June 01, 2008
I'm sitting here in a boring room
It's just another rainy Sunday afternoon
I'm wasting my time
I got nothing to do
I'm hanging around
I'm waiting for you
But nothing ever happens – and I wonder
I wonder how
I wonder why
Yesterday you told me 'bout the blue blue sky
And all that I can see is just a yellow lemon-tree
I'm turning my head up and down
I'm turning turning turning turning turning around
And all that I can see is just a yellow lemon-tree
Isolation – is not good for me
Isolation – I don't want to sit on a lemon-tree
Thats me myself and the lemon tree, I see it and unfortunately it only and I don't wanna sit on it! It's one of those days when am left with just me, ya there may be some people around me, some coming , others going; but that is not the point, point is that am still alone and wasting my time. And such a time calls for me to see my one of the most favorite movie - Lakshya. Its ridiculous to say that some movie is my best movie and there is no other movie that can take its place. Such choices, unlike our choices of humans and especially life partners, change optionally with time, mood and any given stimuli.
So I start watching the movie munching the Burritos as lunch, and duly go through the emotional ups and downs and changing heart rates as suggested by the movie's rhythm. This movie has always inspired me from inside no matter howsoever I repeat the view.
Basic idea of movie has been morphed with Kargil angle diluting the base, but still its worth it; my favorite is the first half when Karan (Hrithik) is waiting for the transformation and his individuality is begging for a Lakshya (aim) in life. It conveys how if you can get your random though process to align in one direction of your aim, you have the power of a magnatised iron bar whose randomly aligned molecules are made to align magnetically in one direction giving it its invisible and intangible power.It also depicts a very deep relation between the leading duo, how the chemistry deepens upon sepration and how well they handle it maturely even though Karan himself is lost in life. She sends Karan back saying she wont talk to him when he leaves army and that is the point which changes his life forever for good. Her words give him a Lakshya (aim) and all he knows is that he HAS to achieve it. When he becomes a Lieutenant he calls to tell her about it. And when she asks him about his Delhi arrival so that they can talk about their relationship, Karan says, "Saare faisle tum nahi kar sakti Romi. Humein nahi milna hai, ye faisla tumne kiya tha. Ab humein dubara milna chahiye ya kabhi nahi ye faisla main karoonga." Bulls eye! I love their chemistry, a great deal of emotional maturity is there.
This also moves me to a next level, a level where I question my existence, where my pyaas (thirst) for ether starts scorching my throat and where I start moving to bigger picture. Surely not many people like it, and we don't get many people to talk to on it, most of us are still like frogs in a well whose thinking is limited by limits set in minds, some are ones who feel like they are not made for what is their present but still don't know where to go - the falling in the rabbit hole types. The people who wont like your rebel 'attitude' will try to teach you good way or bad, telling you to come to their side to relax, but then if you are in peace with yourself, you just inspire other rebels or ignite their mind to think! The picture below captures aptly what I want to say.
To wrap up, some quotes which have hit me from movies and which I completely agree with (and which I remember right now!) -
- "Zindagi jeene ka mera tareeka bhi simple hai. Main aise jeeta hoon ki aaine ko dekhkar mujhe sharm na aaye"
- Siddharth Marathe, Ghulam - “Love me when I least deserve it, because that's when I really need it.”
- Swedish Proverb, have forgotten where was it used - "Abhi abhi hua yakin... ki aag hai... mujh mein kahin."
- Rang De Basanti - "I don't know if we each have a destiny, or if we're all just floating around accidental-like on a breeze. But I, I think maybe it's both, maybe both happening at the same time."
- Forrest Gump, Forrest Gump - "Saare faisle tum nahi kar sakti Romi.Humein nahi milna hai ye faisla tumne kiya tha.Ab humein dubara milna chahiye ya kabhi nahi ye faisla main karoonga"
- Karan, Lakshya - "The best moment in a man’s life is his weakest."
- Anonymous - "I have loved to the point of madness;
that which is called madness,
that which to me,
Is the only sensible way to love."
- F. Sagan (Okay! I admit, its not from movies; but then its great, no? :)
Labels: Experiences, Philosophy
posted by Jas @ 4:30 AM,
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Country Roads... Take me home...
Monday, May 12, 2008
Once you start staying outside the cultural cocoon you have been brought up in, a trip back home is always a toy train ride then. You start with enjoying the trip itself and getting excited about it, the smell, the sight and the looks on the people around you matter to you as you start observing them. Just because you are enjoying the moment, you give that extra smile to the flight attendant, you strike a conversation with some stranger sitting next to your seat and in case some kids wave at you, you are almost definite to reply back. ‘The bubbly journey towards the home’.
The trip may mature to the ride through the memory lanes; remembering the days which used to go slow at the kiddish pace wherein almost all problems had only one solution – let parents handle it. Our job was limited to just informing them. Then even if you had accidentally broken a glass, spilled the milk while boiling or even spilled ink on dad’s office files (it happened to me!); it was now your perplexed parent’s job to find a solution or cope with it. At the same time it was great to rush to your parents and have the trouble taken away from you. After all they could handle everything!
But life is different now, my problems are mine. Though my mother is as inclined as ever to solve my problems, the nature of problems have changed and the decision has to be made by me only. I look in her eyes and all I can muster is a big “My mummy special” hug. I have realized with time that its not only my mother who is emotional, my father, who may not be effusive, equally longs for those express of emotions that tell him, “Thanks dad, you made right choices for family. I am proud of you!” And in case you are a girl, then he needs more emotions from you.
Yesterday while searching for some papers my hands caught an old file, it was my dad’s certificates. Now he is a man I was always encouraged by all my relatives to fall in shoes of. He was eldest in his family and my grandfather was a sepoy. Grandpa had lost his agricultural land to a flood and life had been hard ever since for his family. Dad’s fee was paid by another family and dad worked in their fields. Everybody has been telling me since childhood that I need to be as hard working as my dad and rise as higher, but then dad has been raising the bar every now or then. I knew he was topper all the while and had been a fast riser in his office too. But when I looked at that brown file it told the detailed story. My dad had got appreciation certificates saying that his name was engraved on the college wall for record performance. There were cuttings from newspaper lauding the small kid from village who topped the state in engineering college. Then there were letters from a public company who recruited him from campus (where he is still working). Looking at your father’s achievements gives you a very different feeling of pride and complacency. Even though my quoted pay is higher than his today, still I stand hundred of miles behind him. And this is not because of the state government ambassador that he been given, but the persona, the integrity and the character of the person he is.
Dad's shoes are always quite bigger to fill in!!
Labels: Experiences, Philosophy
posted by Jas @ 2:30 AM,
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To MFC/MBA passouts
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Finally!The exams are over, dissertation blues are already forgotten, the party shoes are still shining and the dad's chest just got filled with more pride! You are from last evening the most sought after performer - an MBA grad from one of the top B-schools of India!
You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own.
And you know what you know. YOU are the person who'll decide where to go.
If you can, do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail...
Congratulations once again! and welcome the Stage II of your career. I believe you can do wonders, what do you believe?
You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own.
And you know what you know. YOU are the person who'll decide where to go.
If you can, do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail...
Congratulations once again! and welcome the Stage II of your career. I believe you can do wonders, what do you believe?
Labels: Experiences
posted by Jas @ 2:51 AM,
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April 13th - The day of festivals
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Its April the 13th and chances are quite high that you shall be feeling the spirit of festival inside you or in your elders' heart back home, just in case you are abroad :)
It is quite strange how so many civilizations, so diverse in language and rituals are coming together to celebrate this day of spirit and rejoice.
It is quite strange how so many civilizations, so diverse in language and rituals are coming together to celebrate this day of spirit and rejoice.
Baisakhi
For the large farming community of Punjab and Haryana, Baisakhi marks a New Year’s time as it is time to harvest rabi crop. On Baisakhi, farmers thank god for the bountiful crop and pray for good times ahead. People buy new clothes and make merry by singing, dancing and enjoying the best of festive food. In several villages of Punjab, Baisakhi Fairs are organized where besides other recreational activities, kabbadi and wrestling bouts are also held.Rongali Bihu
Beautiful agricultural state of Assam celebrates major agricultural events as the festival of Bihu. Notably there are three Bihu festivals in year namely - Rongali Bihu or Bohag Bihu, Bhugali (Magh Bihu) and Kangali (Kati Bihu) marking the distinctive phase in the farming calendar. Of the three Bihu festivals, Rongali Bihu is celebrated with greatest excitement as it marks the arrival of spring - the agricultural season.People of all faiths and creed celebrate Bohag Bihu by singing traditional Bihugeets and performing group folk dances. Marking the occasion young boys and girls in village don traditional dhoti, gamosa and saadar mekhela and sing Bihugeets or folk Bihu songs in traditional bihutolis or Mukoli Bihus. The accompanied orchestra of dhol, pépa (buffalo hornpipe) and gagana add joys to the celebrations. At several places Bihu fairs are also organized where people participate in the games and other fun-filled activities.
Naba Barsha/Poila Baisakh
Naba Barsha is the celebration of Bengali New Year !! Naba Barsha in Bengal marks the first day of Baisakh - the first month of Bengali Calendar (too). A very important tradition of Naba Varsha is the making of elaborate rangolis or alpanas in front of the house by womenfolk. Rangolis are prepared with flour and its center is adorned with earthenware pot decorated with auspicious swastika. This pot is filled with holy water and mango leaves to symbolize a prosperous year for the family.On Naba Barsha, people of West Bengal propitiate Goddess Lakshmi - the Hindu Goddess of Wealth to pray for prosperity and well being. Many devotees also take a dip in a nearby river to mark the occasion. For Bengalis, Naba Barsha is the beginning of all business activities. Businessmen and traders purchase new accounting books and start new account known as Haalkhata. People also worship Lord Ganesha by chanting mantras.
Puthandu
Puthandu marks the Tamil New Year’s Day and is celebrated in the beginning of Chithirai - the first month in the Tamil Calendar year. The auspicious occasion of Puthandu is also popularly known as Varusha Pirappu or the birth of New Year and falls on 13th or 14th April according to the Gregorian Calendar. Many people in Tamil Nadu also celebrate Puthandu as the day when Lord Brahma - Hindu God of Creation started creation. People of Tamil Nadu celebrate Varusha Pirappu in a big way by merrymaking and feasting.A popular custom of Puthandu is 'kanni' which means the auspicious sight. Following the ritual, people start the Puthandu day by watching auspicious things like gold and silver jewelery, betel leaves, nuts, fruits and vegetables, flowers, raw rice and coconuts. A bath and a visit to the temple usually follow Kanni.
Vishu
Vishu Festival heralds the beginning of Malayalese New Year and is celebrated in a big way in the state of Kerala and the adjoining areas of Tamil Nadu. Vishu falls on the first day in the Malayalam month of Medam. Kerala also celebrates the custom of Vishu is Vishukani or Kani Kanal (first sight) same as Kanni of tamil. In villages of Kerala, young men and women dress up as the 'chozhi' by wearing a skirt of dried banana leaves and masks on their faces. These entertainers would then move from house to house and collect reward for their performances.Vaishakha
People of Bihar celebrated Vaishakha twice a year, first in the Hindu month of Vaishakha (April) and then in the month of Kartika (November). Vaishakha Festival is dedicated to Surya Devta or Sun God in Bihar. Vaishakha celebrations in Bihar are marked in a village called Surajpur-Baragaon. Following the ancient practice, devotees pay obeisance to the Sun God by taking bath in the temple tank and offering flowers and water from the sacred rivers of Ganga.In pic you can see devotees from Bihar offering bananas and coconuts in front of Sun on the occasion of Chhath Puja.
Songkran Water Festival
Songkran marks the start of the Buddhist New Year and officially lasts from April 13-15. Most business pretty much grinds to a halt during the festival period with schools, government offices and many shops shutting down. Airports, bus stations and train stations are jammed with travelers headed back to their home provinces.But then where do all these people go? Well, you can see the families crammed into the back of pickup trucks, chugging along in bumper-to-bumper traffic and squirting water at other vehicles and pedestrians. The water warriors use squirt guns, super soakers, hoses, buckets, garbage cans and anything else they can get their hands on in order to disperse their liquid ammunition.
The origins of Songkran date back nearly a thousand years to when the Tai people (ancestors of modern day Thais) in China's Yunnan Province celebrated the start of a new farming cycle during the fifth full moon of the lunar calendar. Water is used in Songkran as both a symbol of cleansing and renewal. In the past, Thai people would delicately sprinkle scented water from silver bowls or the hands of respected family members. They would also make pilgrimages to area temples and carefully bathe the Buddha images in a similar manner. Songkran is also a time when Thai people routinely do a thorough cleaning of their homes. Additionally, people make offerings to local temples and provide food and new robes for monks.The Water Splashing Festival
Traditional festival of Dai people of Xishuangbanna and other places; is also known as the Festival for bathing Lord Buddha. The festival is related to the Buddhist legend of dragon sprinkling fragrant showers on Lord Buddha at his birth. The Buddhist legend has gradually been mingled with the customs of the Dai people since their conversion to Buddhism.People take part in the rowing dragon-boat race, launching Gaosheng (a kind of mini rocket) and fire lamps. Water splashing is the most exciting of all. People splash water onto each other as a symbol of benediction.
So Happy April the 13th! Wherever you come from!
Labels: Cultures, Experiences, Places
posted by Jas @ 1:28 PM,
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Economic behavior of Asia, US and Europe
Thursday, March 27, 2008
When I joined my team here in Hyderabad, I was introduced by my supervisor to the team in a monthly town hall meeting. When I told about my MBA exchange program from France, he asked me why did I choose France/ Europe and why not US. There I just replied that I always loved Europe and had been longing to go over there, so when opportunity came I grabbed it (which was the true reason!); but it sparked a query inside me. America, having its past as a slave country, one of the greatest revolution and Civil war, its meteoric rise as the worlds largest economy post WWI and so many embellishments, still did not appear an embellishment as good as Europe. So there HAS to be an explanation. So here is my explanation:Now let’s see the reasons behind all this. Europe can be taken to be a land that cultivated the culture, the manners and protocols to much of its formal nature we have today. It started exploration of lands with purpose to exploit it for resources, for advancement and development. It was the region that gave the world the Industrial revolution and hence the base for the present. If you see them, you will see many innovations, advancements and explanations for supernatural. Europe has decent distribution of resources per capita. It gives every one the opportunity to sit, relax and ideate. The philosophy and the concept of gods in human form have made them go around the world and ‘enlighten’ the others. This makes them long for the ultimate truth, glory and prestige. So you will see many innovations that have been implemented, but still not commercially viable like Concorde, world’s fastest trains (TGV) etc. So I correlate Europe to Innovation and Art.
America on other hand has been the land of money, so all the people who migrated to US were having a commercial mindset. This made them to work had, use best of practices, keep cost lowest and earn more profit. Even a common man there thinks of the individual return and profitability. America, post American revolution, has been a land of green cash, opportunities, commerce, capitalism and growth. It has always promised that life of glitter, gold and glamour. If there has been an innovation worth its money, US has used it fully. If there is an optimization path available, they have achieved it. So I associate US to conceptual and commercial implementation.
Asian story is entirely different; it was more like a land with practical utility rather than concept innovation. If something doesn’t work then we have a way of making it work somehow, albeit for a shorter time, but saving us from throwing away the thing as useless anyhow. It had most fertile lands, climatic conditions for life to propagate in all seasons and high density of flora and fauna. All this resulted in high human density and hence higher fight for now limited resources. All this has resulted in Asians being street smart. We have a high degree of groupism, react more by emotions than plain commercial viability and the body language shouts much more than our words. This all makes us great at on the floor implementation. We excel in execution.
While my story is a plain fact here that am attracted to art, ideas and research; it also brings us to a great economic model. Wherein the innovative concept comes from Europe, US does the blueprint and develops a trimmed revenue and business model and Asia provides its high number labor available at low cost to attain a great immaculate product at attractive price. But ya, there is a lot of intricate details here which will change the dynamics; but then it’s the future concept we are listing here.
America on other hand has been the land of money, so all the people who migrated to US were having a commercial mindset. This made them to work had, use best of practices, keep cost lowest and earn more profit. Even a common man there thinks of the individual return and profitability. America, post American revolution, has been a land of green cash, opportunities, commerce, capitalism and growth. It has always promised that life of glitter, gold and glamour. If there has been an innovation worth its money, US has used it fully. If there is an optimization path available, they have achieved it. So I associate US to conceptual and commercial implementation.
Asian story is entirely different; it was more like a land with practical utility rather than concept innovation. If something doesn’t work then we have a way of making it work somehow, albeit for a shorter time, but saving us from throwing away the thing as useless anyhow. It had most fertile lands, climatic conditions for life to propagate in all seasons and high density of flora and fauna. All this resulted in high human density and hence higher fight for now limited resources. All this has resulted in Asians being street smart. We have a high degree of groupism, react more by emotions than plain commercial viability and the body language shouts much more than our words. This all makes us great at on the floor implementation. We excel in execution.
While my story is a plain fact here that am attracted to art, ideas and research; it also brings us to a great economic model. Wherein the innovative concept comes from Europe, US does the blueprint and develops a trimmed revenue and business model and Asia provides its high number labor available at low cost to attain a great immaculate product at attractive price. But ya, there is a lot of intricate details here which will change the dynamics; but then it’s the future concept we are listing here.
Labels: Experiences, Philosophy, Places
posted by Jas @ 11:26 PM,
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Deadly daggers for any relation (Part1)
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Distrust
With the advent of western culture infidelity has become a normal word now. I don't say that it dint exist earlier , just that we talk openly about it and don't hide in our closets. And if we try to increase our focus from marital relations to normal friends; the situation just becomes a cliche. How many people can we actually find in whom we can bestow our trust!
But then the coin has the another side also, what if you have found a person in whom you can bestow your trust, but you can't! Trust becomes a rather heavy word here. Being in a relation we expect to have trust in each other and anyway a relation is supposedly built primarily on trust itself. But then irony is if you can't trust the person, how can you have a healthy relation? Lets take the case of the Muslim community, if you can imagine how they would have felt in America post 9/11 then you got my point. Nobody likes being suspected and distrusted, especially if they have been true.
Distrust is the confident expectation that another individual's motives, intentions, and behaviors are sinister and harmful to one's own interests. In interdependent relationships, this often entails a sense of fear and anticipation of discomfort or danger. Distrust naturally prompts us to take steps that reduce our vulnerability in an attempt to protect our interests. Accordingly, our distrust of others is likely to evoke a competitive (as opposed to cooperative) orientation that stimulates and exacerbates conflict.
Once in place, distrust forms a powerful frame on subsequent events in the relationship, such that even good-faith efforts by the offender to restore the relationship are met with skepticism and suspicion. The result is a "self-fulfilling prophecy," where every move the other person makes is interpreted as additional evidence that justifies an initial decision to distrust him/her. This distrust not only inhibits cooperation in the relationship, but also may result in retaliation that causes the conflict to escalate. When the other person reciprocates this sentiment, there is mutual distrust that further fuels the escalation of conflict.Moral of the story: If you decide to form a relation, then develop trust first. Relation without trust is like ice on water, it can break anywhere and time and again.
And if you have trust, then even in worst situations you shall only get closer and closer. So which side you are?
Labels: Experiences, Philosophy
posted by Jas @ 4:36 PM,
,
And Perth is ours!
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Did I hear another round of "Chakk de" chants? With a rather heavy Sydney on the back, Perth was always supposed to be India's tombstone. Nobody thought we could draw it, leave alone winning it, but then we did what we are best at - we love surprising statistics. It doesn't come as a shock that most of the records have India alongside, we have maximum records by us and against us.
As Reliance IPO made a world record by garnering highest ever moolah by IPO comes a mega bumper , Kumble's boys gave Australia what they gave them five years back, a halt to their world record campaign. India is home!
Labels: Experiences
posted by Jas @ 3:40 PM,
,
And I caught up with my dentist
Monday, January 14, 2008
Today I finally went to a dentist. I have been trying from last one year to bring myself to have faith in a dentist in the place I live. Many times have I walked away from the clinics, telling myself I will find a better one or I will get myself checked once I go home. None came, staying home for more than fortnight was out of question given the schedule and finding a better dentist had the same faith issue.
My mother is from the medical background, and in childhood going to a doctor was a family affair. Dad would drive and mom would sit on the front seat. I would lie down on the back seat of our FIAT Premier Padmini (ya, I used to be kid in that era of that car). The staff would know mom as a norm rather than an exception, and my parents would enter the doctor's room once he was done with the current patient. My parents would sit on the cane chairs placed in front of doctor and I would sit on that revolving "Hey! patient here" chair of galvanized steel. A typical scene that you would see in a government hospital/dispensary. Doctor would know my medical, family and educational history. He would ask how many marks I got in last exams. There would be tea for my parents and juice for me! That was what it all used to be, all laced with care and affection I was laced with for being sick.
Staying outside, its very different. I am just another patient for the doctor, I get only few minutes to appraise him/her about the symptoms and I never found them really willing to check elaborately. A minute or two and they will pick pen and get busy on their pads. Best was when I got sick in Delhi with pain in quite low in back, which came out to be a kidney stone. Every doc was more than willing to operate, one won the 'contract'. After paying about INR 55,000 when I went back home; our doctor gave a wonderful news - the operation wasn't needed at all! And never again I visited a Delhi doctor for any major ailment.
Finally I got the courage and went today, but it was quiet a silent affair. No tete-a-tete, no tea, no recognition, it was a plain commercial contract we performed. There was no one to ask me what he diagnosed or what all medicines he gave. Boy! Am a self supported adult now! (pun intended) He gave me a list having toothpaste, mouthwash and a gel to buy. On buying I couldn't help wondering at the coincidence - all were Dr Reddy's products! Am supposed to use them and come back two weeks later.
Ah, and so I caught uo with my dentist.
Photo Credits:
www.gii.in
www.seered.co.uk
My mother is from the medical background, and in childhood going to a doctor was a family affair. Dad would drive and mom would sit on the front seat. I would lie down on the back seat of our FIAT Premier Padmini (ya, I used to be kid in that era of that car). The staff would know mom as a norm rather than an exception, and my parents would enter the doctor's room once he was done with the current patient. My parents would sit on the cane chairs placed in front of doctor and I would sit on that revolving "Hey! patient here" chair of galvanized steel. A typical scene that you would see in a government hospital/dispensary. Doctor would know my medical, family and educational history. He would ask how many marks I got in last exams. There would be tea for my parents and juice for me! That was what it all used to be, all laced with care and affection I was laced with for being sick.
Staying outside, its very different. I am just another patient for the doctor, I get only few minutes to appraise him/her about the symptoms and I never found them really willing to check elaborately. A minute or two and they will pick pen and get busy on their pads. Best was when I got sick in Delhi with pain in quite low in back, which came out to be a kidney stone. Every doc was more than willing to operate, one won the 'contract'. After paying about INR 55,000 when I went back home; our doctor gave a wonderful news - the operation wasn't needed at all! And never again I visited a Delhi doctor for any major ailment.Finally I got the courage and went today, but it was quiet a silent affair. No tete-a-tete, no tea, no recognition, it was a plain commercial contract we performed. There was no one to ask me what he diagnosed or what all medicines he gave. Boy! Am a self supported adult now! (pun intended) He gave me a list having toothpaste, mouthwash and a gel to buy. On buying I couldn't help wondering at the coincidence - all were Dr Reddy's products! Am supposed to use them and come back two weeks later.
Ah, and so I caught uo with my dentist.
Photo Credits:
www.gii.in
www.seered.co.uk
Labels: Experiences, Philosophy
posted by Jas @ 2:03 AM,
,
Religion or Fanaticism?
Friday, December 28, 2007
Its 2:30AM over here right now, but that's not the thing that's troubling me. Few hours ago my idiot box started blazing with the news of assassination of Benazir Bhutto; that my patrons is the news which is circling in my head. What would you call this? Terrorism? Fanaticism? Islamic violence? I had gone through the net and these are the terms that are been linked with this news.
Gone are the days when a religion was needed to guide the people in life, to answer the inborn curiosity in a human about its own existence, about 'why' and 'why not'. The fear of unknown had called for the concept of god, to ascertain that there is a supreme being. This gave in to the urge to make others conform to one's own views and ideology. We have now come to a stage where we see the fanaticism on rise.
Few days back it was hindutva being a concern, after Modi's iconic rise. Today its Islamic fundamentalists, few years ago it was khalistan and there will be lot many. A closer look and you will realise that all these had a similar DNA, a common thought process. So much that the commonness is much more than the commonness of these people along with other religion mates. An observation decent enough to say that all these people are from same religion - fundamentalism. This religion is mostly followed by uneducated lot who like to take religion word by word and have no clue about the crux of their own religious text.
If you are another of my lot, then this 'fatwa' issuing trend must have got you by now. There are so many and some are incredible ones, that one wonders if they are against the 'sinner' or for the publicity of issuing authority. The latest fatwa I heard was a girl for talking to a guy not from family and that too on a phone! I really wonder if Koran really prescribes this. So in case the Islamic scholars haven't realised this, there needs to be a movement by learned to eradicate this self-interpretation; no one else can push the knowledge in the heads of these fundamentalists.
Lets turn ourselves to shiv saniks, I would really love to know what is the vision statement of this group. Every next day we hear about some destruction or other on name of religion, but then I again come to same question - was the religion teaching about destruction ANYWHERE? or did it talk about the construction? If you really want to do something then do the betterment of public in infrastructure, development or public well being. Open as many hospitals in name of Hindutva or Jehad and let people understand what better way of life does their religion preach. But the restraint, the compassion that is involved there is difficult to come by and cracking bones, killing people is easier. So I would believe here that majority of people who are fundamentalists are just chickens who chose the easier path in life where one is just required to mug up the teachings without knowing the real meaning. Its like being lost in a labyrinth and chanting a statement taught to you by your father, not knowing that the statement which one is chanting actually translates to "take the red door to walk free".
Would like to wrap up with a couplet that has really hit me inside -
Logon ko zindagi lag jaati hai ghar banane mein;
tumhein ek shikan na aayi bastiyan ujarne mein?
Gone are the days when a religion was needed to guide the people in life, to answer the inborn curiosity in a human about its own existence, about 'why' and 'why not'. The fear of unknown had called for the concept of god, to ascertain that there is a supreme being. This gave in to the urge to make others conform to one's own views and ideology. We have now come to a stage where we see the fanaticism on rise.
Few days back it was hindutva being a concern, after Modi's iconic rise. Today its Islamic fundamentalists, few years ago it was khalistan and there will be lot many. A closer look and you will realise that all these had a similar DNA, a common thought process. So much that the commonness is much more than the commonness of these people along with other religion mates. An observation decent enough to say that all these people are from same religion - fundamentalism. This religion is mostly followed by uneducated lot who like to take religion word by word and have no clue about the crux of their own religious text.
If you are another of my lot, then this 'fatwa' issuing trend must have got you by now. There are so many and some are incredible ones, that one wonders if they are against the 'sinner' or for the publicity of issuing authority. The latest fatwa I heard was a girl for talking to a guy not from family and that too on a phone! I really wonder if Koran really prescribes this. So in case the Islamic scholars haven't realised this, there needs to be a movement by learned to eradicate this self-interpretation; no one else can push the knowledge in the heads of these fundamentalists.
Lets turn ourselves to shiv saniks, I would really love to know what is the vision statement of this group. Every next day we hear about some destruction or other on name of religion, but then I again come to same question - was the religion teaching about destruction ANYWHERE? or did it talk about the construction? If you really want to do something then do the betterment of public in infrastructure, development or public well being. Open as many hospitals in name of Hindutva or Jehad and let people understand what better way of life does their religion preach. But the restraint, the compassion that is involved there is difficult to come by and cracking bones, killing people is easier. So I would believe here that majority of people who are fundamentalists are just chickens who chose the easier path in life where one is just required to mug up the teachings without knowing the real meaning. Its like being lost in a labyrinth and chanting a statement taught to you by your father, not knowing that the statement which one is chanting actually translates to "take the red door to walk free".
Would like to wrap up with a couplet that has really hit me inside -
Logon ko zindagi lag jaati hai ghar banane mein;
tumhein ek shikan na aayi bastiyan ujarne mein?
Labels: Experiences, Philosophy
posted by Jas @ 5:43 PM,
,
Why is man a social animal
Monday, December 10, 2007
I was in class second or third when I would have read this eternal line of insignificant significance at that time, "Man is a social animal". Since then we have read it on the walls of our schools, from our parents, in our sibling's books, on our bookmarks and god knows where all. But all that matters is that it got etched in our minds inseparable like our skin.It has been almost twenty years since then and I still am astounded at how deep is the meaning of this line. I don't question the statement but I question the very much need for the same. Why is man a social animal, why is it that we feel the primal need to socialize as we feel the need to feed. If it has brought happiness to mankind it surely has brought the curse of pain even more on us. Look at our relations, show me one relation which has not inflicted the pain on an individual. Irony is that generally its not that a person is wrong or has sinned that the pain comes, its just a conflict of two individuals trying to express their own set of beliefs and mind set. So that is the reason we see so many fights where both the sides are right in their own but still wrong or catastrophic or incorrigible in other sense.
Let's take two scenarios, first one (the only one that I will discuss) where the person is having a stereotype in mind and hence that creates a prior barrier in communication, like Americans are money minded, Asians are secretive, North Indians are aggressive, Keralites are lecherous etc etc. These stereotypes pre-program the stimulus of an individual, unlike a fair ground where you try to understand a personality; but at the same time they are helpful many times in times of dangerous situations. But once we come to know each other then the stereotypes should pave the way for newly learned personality else it comes out as taunts and abusing.
Coming back to our social selves, what comes out as the most complex part is that investment that an individual does in these social contacts. When you fall in love, you get a whole new social baggage from other side. Irony is that love is guided more by need to be loved, cared and security than a rational choice. So many may say that best part about friends is that you get to choose them yourselves, I don't agree. Love just happens.
Most of relations will survive if distance is there, the yet another peculiar characteristic of us humans. The closer we get, the more negatives we find; the farther we go the more we remember of the good times. I guess the distance aggravates the emotional needs of above said love, care, affection and security; and the closeness brings in the personality specifics, the stereotypes. So I have come to a conclusion after trial and errors that one needs a personal space in every relation, be it your spouse, parents, siblings, friends or relatives. Inability to quantify these limits will always play a devil's advocate here.
To wrap up these erratic musings, I present one more alibi for my question - Why is man a social animal - the pain. That is the biggest side effect of socializing. Irony is that the pain inflicted by these separations is not just limited to emotional but it oozes out to become physical. It's surprising to see in your early twenties that how these relations can make you a power house or a rotten silhouette of your normal past. The solitude, the fear and the glumness that creeps in is analogous to a death of near one, good enough to turn you to being a handicapped. Still as they say, the life goes on. So one should pick up one's emotional luggage and move on, keep walking. The billion dollar question then is, if one can?!And we come back to the square one, why is human a social animal? Wouldn't it have been lot more better had we been just animals?
Labels: Experiences
posted by Jas @ 10:55 PM,
,
Tagged!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Tags, even if you try to evade them, friends will somehow make you have them.
1.Pick out a scar you have, and explain how you got it.
Ever tried making rockets in your childhood? Well I did (had written about it in my post earlier). As it they say I blew it up, just that am not saying literally, but actually! Science learnt at the cost of a scar on left hand :)
2.What does your phone look like?
Looks what a typical Chennai guy's would! My own went cuckoo, iPhone hasn't come to India... so I got the spare one I had at home!
3.What is on the walls of your bedroom?
well well, they dont allow anything on walls of a guest house, do they? :D
4. What is your current desktop picture?
Well I like nice deep eyes, got a pic of a girl having it after I added some angel wings via Photoshop. Some time Monica Bellucci does come in for a while :)
5. Do you believe in gay marriage?
Just a question, why do they need a marriage! I thought they had some other needs! Well love comes in all forms as they say :)
6. What do you want more than anything right now?
I gotta admit, its a nice punjabi style squeezing jaadu ki jhappi! being away from home in festival time surely has an impact on one
7. What time were you born?
It was dark hour, unsuspecting world was asleep foolishly; parents were unaware of the wreck I was going to cause in this world and Devil was shouting "Eureka! Eureka!"
8. Are your parents still together?
Well, just one question from my side now! The person who prepared this question, is he/she really that dumb, or this is a special effort?
9. Last person who made you cry?
Wrong channel to talk about her
10. What is your favorite perfume/cologne ?
I have somehow started liking Chanel's Allure Sport. Liked Tommy Eau de Cologne also, though never bought one.
11. What kind of hair/eye color do you like in the opposite sex?
Hair - any color, eyes should have depth; they should speak the silent language I know
12. What are you listening to?
Gayatri Mantra chants coming from in some tent, the loudness of Dusshera celebrations and prayers have just started with "Allah hu Akbar" in background voice. (There is a mosque nearby) - That is Hyderabad!
13. Do you get scared of the dark?
No, until i see a true horror flick in loneliness :D ;but am angered at dark intentions.
14. Do you like pain killers?
Nopes, medicines aren't for me. Pain gets bearable only if endured.
15. Are you too shy to ask someone out?
LOL, yeah! Never indulged in these things :P Maybe should have!
16. If you could eat anything right now, what would it be?
Mom's hand made food!
17. Who was the last person who made you mad?
My best friend's gf! Its a tough job for us guys I guess :D
19. Is someone in love with you?
Umm.. someone who trusts me and love me... I don't think so!
And I tag Pooja, La Membre avant-garde !!
1.Pick out a scar you have, and explain how you got it.
Ever tried making rockets in your childhood? Well I did (had written about it in my post earlier). As it they say I blew it up, just that am not saying literally, but actually! Science learnt at the cost of a scar on left hand :)
2.What does your phone look like?
Looks what a typical Chennai guy's would! My own went cuckoo, iPhone hasn't come to India... so I got the spare one I had at home!
3.What is on the walls of your bedroom?
well well, they dont allow anything on walls of a guest house, do they? :D
4. What is your current desktop picture?
Well I like nice deep eyes, got a pic of a girl having it after I added some angel wings via Photoshop. Some time Monica Bellucci does come in for a while :)
5. Do you believe in gay marriage?
Just a question, why do they need a marriage! I thought they had some other needs! Well love comes in all forms as they say :)
6. What do you want more than anything right now?
I gotta admit, its a nice punjabi style squeezing jaadu ki jhappi! being away from home in festival time surely has an impact on one
7. What time were you born?
It was dark hour, unsuspecting world was asleep foolishly; parents were unaware of the wreck I was going to cause in this world and Devil was shouting "Eureka! Eureka!"
8. Are your parents still together?
Well, just one question from my side now! The person who prepared this question, is he/she really that dumb, or this is a special effort?
9. Last person who made you cry?
Wrong channel to talk about her
10. What is your favorite perfume/cologne ?
I have somehow started liking Chanel's Allure Sport. Liked Tommy Eau de Cologne also, though never bought one.
11. What kind of hair/eye color do you like in the opposite sex?
Hair - any color, eyes should have depth; they should speak the silent language I know
12. What are you listening to?
Gayatri Mantra chants coming from in some tent, the loudness of Dusshera celebrations and prayers have just started with "Allah hu Akbar" in background voice. (There is a mosque nearby) - That is Hyderabad!
13. Do you get scared of the dark?
No, until i see a true horror flick in loneliness :D ;but am angered at dark intentions.
14. Do you like pain killers?
Nopes, medicines aren't for me. Pain gets bearable only if endured.
15. Are you too shy to ask someone out?
LOL, yeah! Never indulged in these things :P Maybe should have!
16. If you could eat anything right now, what would it be?
Mom's hand made food!
17. Who was the last person who made you mad?
My best friend's gf! Its a tough job for us guys I guess :D
19. Is someone in love with you?
Umm.. someone who trusts me and love me... I don't think so!
And I tag Pooja, La Membre avant-garde !!
Labels: Experiences
posted by Jas @ 3:35 PM,
,
Peekabo in life
Saturday, October 13, 2007
As I start the 'bike' of my thoughts lets talk away our time, you see the people say that sometimes it happens in life that you have to take a path that you never ever imagined walking, well I register a denial (don't really like the orthodox way of saying I beg to differ!). It has been 26yrs for this dinky soul of mine loitering around over here, and I have found myself time and again to be in the same situation. So lets strike off the sometimes, that will make us all feel justified.
Kick! *gurhrhrhrhr..* Ah finally the bike starts! Before talking to you out over here I have been trying since last week. Anyway where was I? You mean where? Two months in Chennai, and well, here I come to Hyderabad now. It has exactly been 1.3 months over here and I really can't tell where the time has went. In case you have a girl friend and friend like a girl friend who won’t accept that, then you surely know where the time is going, not for me. It has been a same routine for me to wake up lousily, get ready by 9am, stuff myself with Andhra breakfast that is provided and then walk to the office. Yes you read it right, I walk to my office.
My office - its just about 3 kms from my home, the road starts from the garden of guest houses, slowly touching the 'secret lake' - Durgam Cheruvu, taking turns as the waist of a plump 50 yr old; finally leading to an uphill trail turning like an old spring. Even though the trail is uphill, you won’t sweat easily as the breeze swiftly takes it off you with its comforting fresh and cold grazing touches. 30-35 minutes and I reach my destined ergonomic chair.
Gear 1, I apologize for another sharp turn in topic, first gear is usually rough; lets talk about the festive season. Ganesh Chaturthi, then Ramzaan, now Id-al-Fitr, Navratras have started, Dusshera is in pipeline and who can forget the grand Diwali which ofcourse will be followed by birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. Lets admit, we Indians have come in festive mood now, work hurts. What the heck, we will even celebrate Christmas and New Year! Its nice to be in Hyderabad at this time, Ganesh Chaturthi was celebrated in huge manner with Indian Twenty20 riot fueling the celebrations, and then Haleem of Hyderabad brought every newspaper to talk about it. I have had it here, but had it at a wrong place and hence got beaten at taste. Let’s see what is special here for Id.
Gear 2, Wow its quite smooth, more like self switching to 2nd! So talking about all these festivities make me miss my nears and dears ones, those who care for my existence and I guess by this definition I bring my foes in too and yes, I will miss them, the challenge has gone outta life without them, there is no fun if you don’t get competition, no? But its a long long time since I go back to home, its even after Diwali so that makes me to spend the Diwali and New Year over here, its nostalgic. The smell of crackers in air itself is quite strong enough for me to go nostalgic. And with Id here on corner, I will surely miss the Meethi id of north. Here it’s more of non veg treat but above there for us it meant seviyyan and given the foodie I am, it means a lot! :)
Gear 4, bloody damn! Skipped the 3rd gear! Now you know the kind of jerk you get when it does this! And why not, alongside the festive celebrations, the idiot box has suddenly been showing the news about Indian government saving themselves from early election and putting N Deal in cold storage. That surely is a mood killer. Like the ones outside these Haleem shops, all politicians are like fanatic dogs, running here and there having no idea about the deal. See this -
Most of left still living in socialist world of USSR era, I am already hating to hear their laughs! What have they done to their own states, ruin them? No corporate is coming to these states as there is a strike every now or then, the comrades have always been notorious for accumulating wealth for self, Hazaron Khwaishein Aisi depicted that nicely. If they have an idea of what they are opposing it makes sense, but as truly nominated as headless chicken, left surely is a party living in 1950s. TO argue the deal they question why the PM didn't visit Middle East and why India didn't shout at Saddam's death?! What a ludicrous train of argument! Most of these politicians are plain bastards! Am sorry for the strong words but they are just that! India, a democratic country ! Who will produce the electricity in coming years from cow dung maybe!!
My bike has stopped, the left tyre has burst, maybe that’s why we never got in 3rd gear! A gear too fast! Left cerebrum is for logic they say, but the bike of thoughts is anyway not working, so ... what the hell!
Kick! *gurhrhrhrhr..* Ah finally the bike starts! Before talking to you out over here I have been trying since last week. Anyway where was I? You mean where? Two months in Chennai, and well, here I come to Hyderabad now. It has exactly been 1.3 months over here and I really can't tell where the time has went. In case you have a girl friend and friend like a girl friend who won’t accept that, then you surely know where the time is going, not for me. It has been a same routine for me to wake up lousily, get ready by 9am, stuff myself with Andhra breakfast that is provided and then walk to the office. Yes you read it right, I walk to my office.
My office - its just about 3 kms from my home, the road starts from the garden of guest houses, slowly touching the 'secret lake' - Durgam Cheruvu, taking turns as the waist of a plump 50 yr old; finally leading to an uphill trail turning like an old spring. Even though the trail is uphill, you won’t sweat easily as the breeze swiftly takes it off you with its comforting fresh and cold grazing touches. 30-35 minutes and I reach my destined ergonomic chair.
Gear 1, I apologize for another sharp turn in topic, first gear is usually rough; lets talk about the festive season. Ganesh Chaturthi, then Ramzaan, now Id-al-Fitr, Navratras have started, Dusshera is in pipeline and who can forget the grand Diwali which ofcourse will be followed by birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. Lets admit, we Indians have come in festive mood now, work hurts. What the heck, we will even celebrate Christmas and New Year! Its nice to be in Hyderabad at this time, Ganesh Chaturthi was celebrated in huge manner with Indian Twenty20 riot fueling the celebrations, and then Haleem of Hyderabad brought every newspaper to talk about it. I have had it here, but had it at a wrong place and hence got beaten at taste. Let’s see what is special here for Id.Gear 2, Wow its quite smooth, more like self switching to 2nd! So talking about all these festivities make me miss my nears and dears ones, those who care for my existence and I guess by this definition I bring my foes in too and yes, I will miss them, the challenge has gone outta life without them, there is no fun if you don’t get competition, no? But its a long long time since I go back to home, its even after Diwali so that makes me to spend the Diwali and New Year over here, its nostalgic. The smell of crackers in air itself is quite strong enough for me to go nostalgic. And with Id here on corner, I will surely miss the Meethi id of north. Here it’s more of non veg treat but above there for us it meant seviyyan and given the foodie I am, it means a lot! :)
Gear 4, bloody damn! Skipped the 3rd gear! Now you know the kind of jerk you get when it does this! And why not, alongside the festive celebrations, the idiot box has suddenly been showing the news about Indian government saving themselves from early election and putting N Deal in cold storage. That surely is a mood killer. Like the ones outside these Haleem shops, all politicians are like fanatic dogs, running here and there having no idea about the deal. See this -
Most of left still living in socialist world of USSR era, I am already hating to hear their laughs! What have they done to their own states, ruin them? No corporate is coming to these states as there is a strike every now or then, the comrades have always been notorious for accumulating wealth for self, Hazaron Khwaishein Aisi depicted that nicely. If they have an idea of what they are opposing it makes sense, but as truly nominated as headless chicken, left surely is a party living in 1950s. TO argue the deal they question why the PM didn't visit Middle East and why India didn't shout at Saddam's death?! What a ludicrous train of argument! Most of these politicians are plain bastards! Am sorry for the strong words but they are just that! India, a democratic country ! Who will produce the electricity in coming years from cow dung maybe!!
My bike has stopped, the left tyre has burst, maybe that’s why we never got in 3rd gear! A gear too fast! Left cerebrum is for logic they say, but the bike of thoughts is anyway not working, so ... what the hell!
Labels: Experiences, Philosophy
posted by Jas @ 8:39 PM,
,
Serendipity 'Acquired'
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
How many times has it happened that you are reading about something rare or you just heard about it and suddenly you see it happening in front of your own eyes? It may not be a Déjà Vu for all you can guess, but maybe...
Well something like this happened to me this Friday. Was reading a post about Serendipity from my friend's blog on Friday morning and just then a call came from my roomie who told me that he had got his tickets booked for Bangalore for weekend and zooop! it was BOTH of us who were going now. Only prob being there was no ticket available in train!
I decided to take the bus way, anyway am not really a train guy having traveled in Indian railways for just four times now. We reached the place to buy bus tickets but was shocked to hear that no ticket was available, not a single ticket! So what to do? Plead to TT? abandon the plan or what?
As I staggered along the pathway a 26yr old guy came to me and told that he had an extra ticket, only for one person as his friend had to change at last moment. Also he had a return ticket too and these tickets were booked normally and hence were a lot cheaper than the bus fare! But the serendipity dint end here, i got to meet some good friends just coz i went with these guys; managed to be back in time and not to mention the goodies and the time we shared !
Ah... Wonder if I should thank Pooja for her blog entry on Serendipity that i read in the morning!
Well something like this happened to me this Friday. Was reading a post about Serendipity from my friend's blog on Friday morning and just then a call came from my roomie who told me that he had got his tickets booked for Bangalore for weekend and zooop! it was BOTH of us who were going now. Only prob being there was no ticket available in train!
I decided to take the bus way, anyway am not really a train guy having traveled in Indian railways for just four times now. We reached the place to buy bus tickets but was shocked to hear that no ticket was available, not a single ticket! So what to do? Plead to TT? abandon the plan or what?
As I staggered along the pathway a 26yr old guy came to me and told that he had an extra ticket, only for one person as his friend had to change at last moment. Also he had a return ticket too and these tickets were booked normally and hence were a lot cheaper than the bus fare! But the serendipity dint end here, i got to meet some good friends just coz i went with these guys; managed to be back in time and not to mention the goodies and the time we shared !
Ah... Wonder if I should thank Pooja for her blog entry on Serendipity that i read in the morning!
Labels: Experiences
posted by Jas @ 3:25 PM,
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Chronicles of Chennai
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
The day we went to a ‘Punjabi dhaba’
Finding an authentic north Indian cuisine in Chennai is not very easy task. You may find many dhabas, which have cropped up in city in last two years due to many north Indians coming here for professional reasons. But the preparation still will have a chettinad flavor. Reason is very simple, just take a peek inside the kitchen, there won’t be a north Indian cook! The remaining story will be clear to the southies who have eaten a dosa/uttapam etc in Punjab or who have had a parantha or butter chicken in south! What you get is a fusion experiment; the dish part is duly gone.
Nevertheless last weekend we decided to try out a dhaba, plan was to goto a famous one – Dhaba Xpress; but then for the autodriver we picked, a dhaba was a dhaba was a ‘dhaba’; so here we land in some exotic and the chronicle saga started!
The owner must have been some marketing maniac; you could see his picture everywhere in all different poses welcoming us to his wonderland! Alice as we were, we fell. When menu came we saw this very similar face by now on the menu too. Er… wasn’t it getting too much?! When the waiter came to wait upon us, the conversation flowed as post viewing menu:
We: We will order a dal fry and…
Waiter: Sir you want it to be fried? In that case you should order Dal Double Fry
We: What is the difference?
Waiter: Sir the dal fry is not fried but the Double Dal Fry is fried
We: (!!) Then why is its name Dal Fry?
Waiter: It’s just the name sir
We: Ok!! Then make one dal fry (now looking more curiously at the menu…) and what is this ‘Punjab di beer’; if it’s the fruit beer (apple juice with soda) we will have it.
Waiter: It’s mathha (buttermilk) sir
We: But there is a Mathha also available in your menu!
Waiter: Yes sir, that is served in glass, in ‘Punjab di beer’ we serve it in bottle. Do you want it sir?
We: (!!) No, no... It’s okay. We will have xyz and Rajmah Punjabi, make sure its properly cooked and is less on masala (we dare not try anything with masala in name itself!)
Waiter: Sir in that case you should order Rajmah Masala
We: But we don’t want any masala in our Rajmah!
Waiter: Sir Rajmah masala is not spicy, but Rajmah Punjabi is
We: (!!) What kind of menu is this? Jo hai who nahi hai, jo nahi hai wo hai? (Reminding us of Govinda’s movie, “Jo chacha hai na shaab, wohi bhateeja hai; jo bhateeja hai wohi chacha hai shaab”)
Anyhow we kept our date with the food there and somehow held the ground; then in the end the waiter comes
Waiter: Sir lassi? Beer Punjab di? Mathha? Kuch lenge (would you order something)?
(we deny with forced smiles)
Waiter: Sir, kuch to Punjabi lijiye! (have something that is Punjabi)
And we couldn’t help laughing that he himself testified by saying this that we haven’t had a Punjabi meal at all!
And thus ended a great lunch of Punjab, should we expect another Manchurian invention*?
* - Manchurian was developed as a fusion of Chinese and Kolkata cuisine, by Chinese who had settled in Kolkata, India.
Labels: Experiences
posted by Jas @ 11:20 PM,
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