I have moved!
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Dear Patrons,Finally I have given in to my friends' persistent advice to move my blog to Wordpress. Blogger vs Wordpress debate had been going for too long and I admit that Wordpress surely has many advantages over Blogger. Fortunately I have been able to import all my posts and comments at the new address.
I have moved my personal blog to following URL:
http://www.jasginder.com/blog
Please update your Blogroll and bookmarks (if any!).
Labels: My Life, New address
posted by Jas @ 11:52 PM,
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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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Down but not dead
Thursday, November 27, 2008
I have seen it all,
from freshness of spring to autumn's fall,
I have seen the blood diamonds shine,
an amputee telling his family that he is all fine.
Cities being raged by bombs and fires,
the elders being charred by burning tires;
kids being shot and operated without anesthesia,
while their mothers prayed in silence for the panacea.
From the religious hatred to blood drenched rains,
from laughter filled school wagon to blood pouring trains.
An innocuous girl fearing men of her own religion,
a granny crying over her kindergarten grandson's loss of vision.
In one house I have seen a brother kill brother,
the next one had no one's son being cared by someone's mother;
for what we see is that just after a violent strife,
you will see in eyes of people, coming back, the spirit of life.
Cities have bled and nations have been strangled,
Respect has been forgone and humanity wrangled;
Everybody thought they could bear no more and for grim reaper they should send,
but each time, I repeat, each time its the spirit of life that has triumphed in end
We have seen it in Delhi and seen in Mumbai all the time,
every such horror brings humanity to its prime.
people come together and forget small clashes,
the spirit of life makes the beaten to rise from ashes.
An elderly man being helped by a policeman at CST terminal in Mumbai after a terrorist had opened fire in the crowd.See the irony, people have been killed after saving killer's life with water,
killer could have paid by leaving that feeder's life, but he didn't have faith in that barter.
When a youngster's mind is trained nothing astute but brainwashed for terror,
they don't understand humanity but dismiss acts of kindness as a silly error.
So lets hold our hands and stand together against terror,
Gloom has come, but doom shall never...
Labels: My Life, Philosophy, Places
posted by Jas @ 11:04 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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Where did August go?!
Monday, September 01, 2008
Am back! Its Sep the 14th and last post was on 1st of June! Boy that is a long long time by any yardstick when it comes to blogging. Lets see what all has gone through all this while.
I had to go on a business trip to US for six weeks and that has been quite a hectic tour. It was interesting to see the other facet of ITES industry. Coming from a product company ( I used to work for Adobe prior to graduating in management from FMS) it has been a complicated trip with mixed feelings. One gets to work on implementation side a lot, gets to know the best in class if one is attentive enough and also knows how high end bargaining of resources and their billing hours work. But what one misses is a crucial though process of innovation and building. In product companies, nobody tells you the exact scope of the project as that is where you define the scope. I remember how the features we were building upon used to change often as customer updates and technical possibilities would have us define and redefine the scope. With services it comes to define and redefine what can be dealt out in given funding! But as they say, every face has its own beauty.
When you are in a foreign land, you get introduced to some really fresh traditions and festivals. During my visit to US I got a chance to be part of a 'Baby Shower'; something which I always thought was a all ladies event. For the incognizants, by convention, a baby shower is intended to help parents get items that they need for their baby, such as baby clothes. It is common for the host to provide baby-themed games during the shower. So as a native was telling me in party that how it was celebrated only for first child earlier but now is a more general event, one of our senior System Analyst came with the games. Everyone was to guess the exact size of the expectant mother's waist using a string. Then there was another where we had to guess the exact date of birth of child and the weight. Now hold on, this wasnt going any better for me. Had I flirted in my college life (any of the two!), I could have made a worthy guess, but I couldnt be any closer to cutting the string right as of her waist! So I took it that she was married for two years, must have been on cheese diet (as any other Arizonian), and was due for delivery in another two months so she should be one 'big' lady! Well the female readers would have guessed it by now - my string was way more than her waist. No doubt she did not appreciate it that how fat I thought she was, given the fact that I work as Sr. Business Analyst. (So accurate an analysis!)And not to forget the baby's size, weight and all. I really felt like calling my mom to ask how heavy I was when I was born but then left the idea. I was always told that I was heaviest of the lot that was in hospital in those days and my childhood pics only confirm to my chubbiness in that time. And heck I dont know when will my bread come out of the toaster, how can I tell when a baby will come out! Strange ways life tells you that you still dont know anything!
And the early Sep was spent well in marrige of my best friend who has been more of a brother than a friend. I have never felt so responsible in my life, I had to make sure that all his friends did not feel left out at the function, were catered to well, danced, laughed and aptly farewelled. Marrige, as has been my experience, is the time when your relatives gaguge how valued they are in your life. If you miss them out, you mess yourself in. Anyhow the wedding was good thought I had to miss out on food part due to time constraints, and could come back to Hyderabad with just a box of sweets.
Labels: My Life
posted by Jas @ 8:12 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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Saluting real heroes
Monday, May 05, 2008
Tell me one thing, how well do you agree to the saying 'Barking dogs seldom bite'? In case you really agree then let me give you an analogy, the barking news is seldom worthy. This is especially true in case of Indian media which has seen a humongous commercialization in last few years and has been reduced to only profit as a sole motive of news on private channels. In case you don’t believe me, I can show you snapshots of breaking news where the only thespian is a young feline stuck on top of a multi storeyed building with headline reading “Chajje par atki billo rani” (English: Miss Cattie stuck on rooftop). And that’s from none other than India’s consistent Hindi No 1 news channel – Aaj Tak.
In midst of all this when the one comes across an award show wherein the achievers on grass root level are awarded, it surely strikes a chord. Am talking about the 'Saluting Real Heroes' award show on IBN news channel (of TV18). To commemorate 60 years of Indian independence, CNN-IBN and IBN-7 launched this initiative called Real Heroes. The initiative is an effort to recognise, acknowledge and celebrate ordinary Indians who made a difference to people’s lives. The 24 shortlisted candidates represent India's unsung heroes who showed great courage and perseverance in silently and selflessly contributing to the betterment of society. They are ordinary people with extraordinary endeavours who dared to stand up and swam against the tide, simply because they believed in the power of will, hard work and faith. Just hearing what all these people achieved makes you realize how much effort needs to be put in grassroots to get the society appreciate the 7+ GDP growth India has been boasting of internationally. Unless we make sure the trickle down effect is fully working, the wealth of India will be enjoyed by only a select section of society.
During the show, Javed Akhtar made a statement that one thing is common between all these people and that is that they did not have the resources and power, still they managed to pull it off. These were just normal people and hence they had to struggle hard and that’s what Javed summarized aptly in this statement of his. Below I try to capture what these people achieved and what the award was for.
During the show, Javed Akhtar made a statement that one thing is common between all these people and that is that they did not have the resources and power, still they managed to pull it off. These were just normal people and hence they had to struggle hard and that’s what Javed summarized aptly in this statement of his. Below I try to capture what these people achieved and what the award was for.
posted by Jas @ 9:48 AM,
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