Hello 2010

And the New Year is here ...

Time to make new promises ,

Feel a surge of hope, Happiness and cheer

Time to connect with every one around...

and celebrate the dawn of a fresh year...

So here is wishing everyone a great year

Hope the new year brings fulfillment to all your desires...

and peace on earth..

Happy 2010!!!

Gud bye 2009

Looks like the heavens was giving a tearful send off to 2009 ...

and I was at home enjoying the rains today ...

So here is a pic of me frolicking in the rain.. and the lake in the back ground..

101 crushes of 2009

With everyone writing about their resolutions and non resolutions for 2010 ,I thought I would write about my 101 crushes of 2009.. Yeah ...101 .. what do I say I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve.. :)

Lets not get naughty ... all these crushes are not 'he's ...They are all 'its' and lets get realistic and narrow the number down to 10 ..and listed in no particular order...

1) Honda C-RV - Ruff n Tuff...Civic is just a pale memory now

2) HP Mini - Love at first sight!

3) Itouch ipod...Sigh..

4) Crosswords in MG ... After 6 yrs in Bangalore... Finally ...and well I have found my soul mate..

5) FabIndia.. you make me feel so special..

6) The Twilight series..yet to get over that one

7) Grameen .. Pixie...I owe you one ..

8) Big Boss ... yeah the second time in two posts.. I might be in love

9) Nokia N97 .. what do I say ..

10) And well the last one .. and perhaps the one I have been oogling

for the last couple of days ... ASUS wireless router...dont ask.. (if anyone is curious check it out - the model is wl 700ge)

and as crushes go, some or most of it is unrequited .. *wink* and now me going back to an unlisted love ... the other idiot box

Void in the Paradise

Inspite of the title , nothing earth shattering is happening in my paradise. (forget about my paradise , nothing seems to be happening in the 4 km radius around me.sigh!)

So back to the title and the reason for my whining, Bigg Boss has ended and i do not know what to do with my TV slot between 9 to 10. And a whack for anybody who even thinks of turning his / her nose up in the air at that sound of Bigg Boss.. :)

Oh those cat fights and ego trips and silly tasks... The best part was the horrid music that used to knock the contestants off their beds... I know I am being a sadist but there is something about watching people sulking at not getting 10 hrs of sleep .. :D

Anyways .. its all over and its left me flipping channels aimlessly..

Done with the best goals of 2009, Ranbir Kapoor Senior doing the lil dance to the tunes of Damini Damini oh meri Damini. Even watched an extra large guy cook something scary... and Schwarzenegger swatting a few 100 human beings... cricket hooligans in their full glory...

And then finally ... there is this lovely movie about two women fighing over a guy... Its silly fun... especially when one of them happens to be a ghost...(ugh! )

sigh... I miss Bigg boss...

Help me not...

It's been an interesting couple of weeks. A friend of mine, an acquaintance (Z), has been helping me out on something that has been giving me a lot of heartache for sometime now.

What is interesting is not that there was an extra large pit in my path but that , Z has been hand holding me out of it. The first time, I considered it to be fluke , the second time just that he is a nice human being, but the third time , I started questioning his sanity.Hmm its left me thinking , during the course of my adult life , have I become so jaded that I am unable to accept an act of humanity for what it is ?

Most of us have no such problem at 5 when the girl with pony tail who sits beside you offers to help you out with a complicated spelling or at 19 the guy in your class offers to ride with you the first day you take your scooter to college .

As part of earning the 'adult' tag, we learn to be less trusting, to watch out for the wolves and yes we do become quite adept at it. Most of us are good judges of character. I am not denying the necessity of being careful. All I am worried about is that in the process of being careful, we probably have stopped appreciating the essence of being human.. :)

Its' a dangerous thought, tomorrow when I see a flower in my garden , I would probably want to question the Creator's intentions .. :)

Wheee... It's a Kodak Moment!

A pic that I had taken some time ago at home ...Kerala... Hmm How I wish I had a tail...

And Merry Christmas... and wish you a nice long weekend :)

Creativity - Yet again!

Since I had wasted ink on ranting about lack of creativity .. or scope for it at work , putting up this one ( feeling of guilt is a great motivator!) as part 2. You would remember that I was going for a session on creativity today . And?

It was interesting. Lots of food for thought was passed around during the course of the day. Wouldn't run through the session here but just a couple of things, since I think it has had a deep impact on me . For example, generally when someone describes a problem, the first instinct is to come up with 'A' solution and then refine it , re refine it and finally present it .. Now one of the creativity tools discussed during the session talked about coming up with 100 solutions. Cant? Force yourself. What happens is , after say the 20h solution, we start tapping into those that have never been explored before. Its one of those small things that could make a lot of difference in the end.

Ok, another one, want to make the one I that have just described a little more interesting, pick one word from the dictionary. Say 'pig'. Now write as many attributes of the animal as you can ( smelly, cute, fat, cute tail,). Now try to tie the attribute to the solution of your problem. Sounds silly, I agree, but its actually a very interesting way of coming up problem busters. It may not be much of a solution producer in itself, just that it gets the creative juices flowing and its so much fun!

Hmm... Bless the place where I work... :)

P.S : Thats a Chrismasy me in my creative hat...thank you Google.

Christmas of '89

I like this time of the year - the holidays, the excitement of a new year and the whole place looks colourful , thanks to Christmas. I think the origin of the 'excitement' is from the good ol days of Doordarshan. Those were the days when the film stars used to descend on the Indian homes only on the night New years eve. Hmm.. those dances in glittery clothes and garish make up and the look of 'that 70s show'. Then there were the likes of Baba Sehgal, Alisha Chinai, Parvati Khan - the Indi popstars, no correction , I think there was one rapper, one pop girl and a couple of others who tried everything else.

Those were the days when you had the film stars and then there were the TV stars. Mix n match was a no no. Today of course you see the film stars more on TV than on the silver screen . They prefer doing their thing anywhere but on the big screen these days. Not too hard to understand too - it is hard to keep your nose out of the cricket field, the reality shows , the dance shows, the musical shows, the comedy shows, the spelling tests , the elocution contests, poster competitions- err I would stop. I think you would have got my point. Yeah, thank you, I did miss GK contests from the list but it is hard to find candidates of the same 'intellectual level as the 'stars' - It is not easy to find earthworms at this time of the year. Sigh!

If extra TV time was not enough, there was winter vacation, cakes, handmade cards with cheesy lines to bring lots of cheer.. Yet another Sigh!

Christmas this year is not going to be as exciting as the one in 89 but then there is still hope. Just saw the cakes on display in Nilgiris... :)

Mushy Musings...

Statutory warning - This is a very girly post . Reader discretion is advised!

My status on FB today reads : 'Setting myself up for a lovely afternoon... drawn curtains, Jayne Anne Krentz and a new play list.' Perfect day to laze around too. Its cold , no exams to write and nothing much that would need my immediate attention outside the four walls of my abode.

When I was going though a pseudo intellectual phase, I would shudder at thought of someone seeing me with a M n B or Sandra Brown.. Hell no, Ayn Rand and Naomi Wolfe is all I read. Small concessions would of course be made for Grisham, Cussler and the likes. Admitting to liking mush would be suicide on the social front. That was THEN!

But then I think its a heavily guarded open secret that most women like reading mush .. or at least the ones around me do and not one of these are the airy fairy type. They enjoy serious literature as much a good love story. So what makes today's woman read about one of them falling for a guy who is interested in her inheritance. Of course it helps that the guy is not a hideous brute but if a pretty face was the only reason, a good movie would do. But it is not the same. I would pick a book over everything else. But talking about why a book over a movie would form a different post altogether. Back to the subject on mush, its not thought provoking, its does not give me a high the way a Cussler novel does. I would also agree that most of it is even silly.

Its funny . At 18 I used to silently giggle while reading an M n B (well, a guy , a horse, sunset, and those things together were still within the realm of reality). Even now, when I no longer look at the world with rose tinted glasses, the reaction has not changed much and from the looks of it, I do not think it would change at all in future too. Some time back, I had struck up an unlikely friendship with Ms Laing who loves mush perhaps even more than I do and she is about 60. I do not think I have any hopes of being cured. But I agree with her when she says , when you are ill, physically (err.. or emotionally), 3 hours of mush works like magic.

Also, its an escape .. Successful romances, passion and ideal ends to love stories is like a vacation from real life.. :)

Now back to Jayne Ann. Phila and Nick are about to get into another squabble :D

Forty Winks

And its done. Finito! The thing that has kept me awake for a while is over. I sure had fun while at it but 40 winks was literally what I was getting at night. And the end result ? I see pillows floating around everywhere! So after eight hours of zzz time, I am chirpy as a well fed bird today(hmm.. well fed cat sounds better, but then they are lazy!). Simple pleasures in life - sleep and potato chips.. :)

Have I not read somewhere that the Nazi prince survived on 4 hours of sleep everyday ?Wonder how a heart attack never claimed him. The world would have been spared of a world war.

I am not big on losing sleep over anything - work, studies or good old stress, A cranky me is not in the best interests of mankind. Moreover, after one of my colleagues died , possibly due to insomnia and 'workaholism'', I am paranoid..and well I love my beauty sleep :D , lets not make any excuses :-)

While on that thought, if H had slept better his disposition would have been tolerable..Charming would be far fetched, maybe tolerable.... Just a thought!

Have been adding sentences to this post since morning and the mood has dipped from chirpy to weary..

Oh by the way , the guy up there does seem to be in a very benevolent mood . After that grump story about creativity, there was an announcement about a workshop on creativity ( at work) and well,yours truly , has promptly got herself nominated. Not sure, if its going to bring creativity any closer to work, but it would definitely keep work away from me for a day :-)
And while he is such a good mood, may be I should be asking for that holiday in the Venice that I dream about!

P.S : Trivia time - Hitler died the day after his wedding . Something in common with Romeo and Juliet ? :-)

Cant seem to stop today - A song from Sathiya is following me today. Just when I was done listening to it on my mobile, its being played on the radio.. :) 'Aye udi udi udi'

Creativity on Crutches

I cannot sing nor can I dance. I cannot draw a straight line even if my life is on the line. So any art performed on an easel, wood, glass, roads, clay , beach, (did I miss anything?) all of them goes right out of the the big fat window near me. So what do I do , I write about what I wish I could do. Yeah, I am leaning towards the grouch couch today :)

And before I get cozy there, my thoughts for the day. How many of us actually get the chance to be creative at work. I am not referring to the painters or musicians who had spare brownie points carried forward from ir previous lives. I am talking about the ones like me who stare at the the monitor the whole day and some more during the night. In theory, creativity can be deployed ( Java ?!!God I need sleep!!!) in practically everything we do .

Theoretically . Yes, the first time we try something , perhaps we think of new ways to do it, there is that positive energy that propels us towards something interesting. Perhaps even the second and third time, but after that what do I do with all my pent up creative urges ? Search for a new assignment, new things to learn , or a new job ? (By the way, that was sarcasm, my ego is still a midget..:)) . But on a serious note, I am thinking about what others do to chase the boredom away out of working life. Some people would say that , the day goes by too quickly

to think about creativity , some keep hunting for that elusive change, some of course do not

really worry about it as long as they get to see home as early as possible. I do envy the last kind.

Again, its just boredom, not really frustration... Any ideas , anyone?

And now back to my grouch couch .. :)

Poinsettia

I love poinsettia. It's made me rich. For the last couple of weeks I have also been sharing the spoils with all my dear friends and the best part - it takes just a day to bloom. My life has undergone a major makeover since the time I discovered the flower. I have managed to buy a new house - a cottage no less, a small pond right in the middle of the designer garden, a tractor and a seeder.

Yes , I do love poinsettia.

I can see a few smiles from fellow farmers.If you are wondering whether I am sleep blogging, then let me explain, I am talking about the game Farmville on Facebook. Where you earn points by sowing seeds that you buy from the market, sow , wait for a day or two and then harvest them. The time that you spend watching them grow is determined by the seed that you buy. There are ways to get bonus points - buy cattle , grow trees, get chicken, help other farmers, adding more neighbours so on and so forth. Just checked my friends list and found that about one third of my friends are addicted to the game, the age group being from 22 to 45. It has become such an integral part of our lives that the lunch table talk revolves around , date trees, black sheep, lost reindeer and carnival tents . ( I have never seen any of those for real!).

In fact its now getting into the land of crazy, last weekend a friend of a friend had to run back home after lunch and why ? Because it was time to harvest! . Another one had a sleepless night thanks to a faulty net connection . (Well, the crops wither if they are not harvested on time )

But no , as usual, there were some party poopers, walking around with their nose up in the air claiming to be above these childish activities. But the last time I checked, one of them was found begging for a 'white fence'!!!! (Wonder what happened to the anti Farmville groups they are members of . I am serious , there are such groups).

So any thoughts on why the game is so addictive ?

And by the way , has this managed to convert any of the innocents?

I do need more neighbours to buy a plantation ..:-)

Ghost Town

The other day in reply to a question on Bangalore,I had said that it lacks a soul. It was an instinctive reply.And this comment was made while comparing Bangalore to Chennai. Now, at that time, I had not really thought about why I had made that comment. Talking about 'soul' brought it back and I am left thinking as to what does Chennai have that Bangalore doesn't. Both are biggies. Bangalore is not a metro,but that does not take away anything from it . It shares the same IT frenzy, traffic troubles and unbelievable population figures as Chennai. In fact, Bangalore even boasts of a pleasant climate and taps guarantee water any time of the day , all through the year. So what is it that Bangalore lack.

I would say it lacks the warmth of Chennai. The rickshaw drivers for example. I know for a fact unless you are a veteran in Chennai, rest assured you would be taken for a grand ride. But, if like me you have the habit of getting lost whenever you are out on a two wheeler, the same rogues, turn angels. Some of them would even get out of the vehicles to have more space for the arm waving while giving directions and by the time it is over, I would be left staring at the halos floating over their heads.

Try that in Bangalore, and you would end up near the army barracks in Cantonment. I did!

Even otherwise, in the midst of the crowd in Chennai, there was a sense of safety, somehow, the crowd was like a warm blanket. Well, there is nothing really wrong with the crowds in Bangalore, its just that Bangalore has a large floating population and the chances are higher that the person next to you would be as ignorant as you about the city. The floating population also means that there no sense of belonging to the city, everyone is here for the ride, the youngsters to enjoy the first whiff of freedom, the others for the jobs that the city offers in abundance. Also, Chennai is or was more Old India, at least the last time I saw the city and I believe it still is . The neighbouring aunty would still you a cup of coffee if you happen to be on the terrace. She would also stare at you if your guy friend loiters around the street. Bangalore - well, I do not know whether its an aunty or an uncle who stays in the floor below mine.

After everything is said and done Bangalore is just not home although I still love the city for everything it has given me . Its like a rented DVD though, super fun as long as it lasts.

Oh before I forget , the other reason I have a soft corner for the auto guys in Chennai is , because one of them even took me to the hospital when I had dared to indulge in rash driving in the rains. Good Ol' Chennai.

P.S :

P -Take a deep breath before you comment :-)... Remember I am you friend!!!

Sting

Whenever scrapbooks made rounds around the classroom, one question that

inevitably came up after reading my entry under sun sign was 'Scorpio! ouch you sting?'

Well, people sting each other all the time, nothing new about it. Infact my Villy aunty would not even spare the unsuspecting strangers on the road.

A few decades ago, when my ancestral home was still standing, one of my aunts had a dog. With uncle away and the house being inhabited by 3 women and as many ghosts ,a dog was a sensible choice. Now, this one was a monster. I love dogs , loved this one too but it does not change anything. I repeat- this one was a monster. It snarls , growls and would bite everyone in sight. Tommy,just didn't keep the thieves at bay, even the village postman was petrified. The letters would arrive by airmail - stand 20 feet away from the gate and shoot. Well, Tommy did pay for his sins and met his end before he reached old age. Someone poisoned him. Now the reason I am talking about Tommy is, I have a feeling ,Villy aunty would meet a similar end if she doesn't put a lid on her sarcastic instincts..

I can see my father's disapproving stare at the last statement and my mother's smirk..:)

Like I said at the beginning, this post is about the sting and Villy Aunty stings the best.

Why? because as Edward Cullens would say, blood, any blood is like a drug to her. And how do people handle it ? Like the village postman, most people just look for the nearest exits when they see her.

My mother has perfected another technique over the last few decades. Catch hold of the nearest aunt and talk about abhishekhams , homams, deeparadhana, latest CDs of devotional songs, temples , practically anything about GOD. That is one topic that Aunt villy keeps out of. I have my suspicions that amma even says a little prayer when she sees Aunt V coming. The uninitiated are usually reduced to tears .. literally. Pa of course belongs to the land of the brave. I have seen a few war wounds but usually he emerges the victor .. As for yours truly, I have learnt that there is not better way to handle bullies than to ignore them.

And in case anyone wants to know if I sting , well I am an aberration in the Scorpio land - a harmless pup.. :) ET of course is another story..:-)

Not Lonely!!!

A dear friend of mine mentioned about not being lonely in a long long time and that has got me thinking . For me, lonely means being alone and being miffed over it . A lot of people associate lonely with being alone physically - bereft of a near and dear ones. I for one have felt lonely in a room full of relatives with Villy Aunty spouting venom over her latest victim and the room echoing with the sound of chairs scraping the floor - the rest of my clan was trying to get closer to the drama.

Watching Goliath maul the weakling usually can get me going and amma's firm grip on my arm meant I am not supposed to interfere. I did think, am I the freak here or is everyone
really enjoying this ??

Perhaps I use the wrong example , but the point here is it is possible to feel lonely bang in the middle of a crowd - that too a known one !

Infact , I would say I have been more lonely when I am with people than when I am with myself.

There is a theory that are 2 kind of people - A - one who derive energy by being with people and B - the others who derive it from inside themselves. Which basically means feeling lonely is very very easy - man being a social animal, type B gets their chance to be lonely almost daily where
as for type A - it is difficult to be in the middle of a crowd all the time. so loneliness is bound to sneak in once in a while

So in a world where feeling lonely is a norm, my dear friend is one lucky girl! :-)

50th Post!!! .. yayyy!!!!

The destination of a nomadic existence
Filled with serene warmth and unintrusive love...
spontaneous gentle laughter..
and perfect harmony with co existing minds
A Utopian bubble or the manifestation of a dream?
No..its home...
I am home...

Look at me...

Look at me while I walk down the stairs...
Wait for me while I sit with you ..
Stare at me as I turn to face you
Judge me as I speak...
Laugh when I do ..
Question my thoughts..
Understand my actions..

Look at me ..

P.S..
This is a half finished one.. not meant for a spacial someone
A few words that popped in my mind as i did walk down the
stairs to meet a few strangers today .. :)

BTW.. new status :
would love to go to heaven for the weather and hell for the company!

Musings

A few things to ponder over while I count the dots on the ceiling today ...

1) Is there an equivalent for split infinitives in any of the Indian languages?
2) Famous Indians who could have been part of the Free Masons... An Indian equivalent to it?
3) *Giggle*... What if Edward Cullens is for real ? ...

This is another of those 'ink wasted' posts... But felt like posting something today ..:)

Dark..

The wild night drew him out of his dark abode
Water seeping through the Lord's roof...
his long locks dancing in the wind...
Long strides...towards her ...
Unaware of his unbridled darkness
He glided close to her and dipped his head.
As he rose from the ground..
flowing down his fangs,were drops of her essence,...

He was back in his dark cave...
but No silence reins...
The storm continues unabated...

Fourth wave

A cacophony of chatter..
Amongst a meaningless crowd
Unseeing eyes on the mannequins around

The monotony of commonness sprouts
the sole flare of mutation..
A voice of conviction
accompanying a swagger
that dares to defy the
rigid march...

Welcome the fourth wave ...

Beautiful ... :)

The silent breeze...
a party in the sky ..

a still lake .. .
and fire in my eyes

I wish I could fly..
for its a beautiful night...

Thank you!

Thank you Pixie and C for the wonderful surprise!!!!!
The cakes and bubbles and the lunch and the buzz .. :))
Thank you for making my day special!

And thank you ET ... :) ... for being my twin!!!!
yours was the first call of the day!

Infinite Mode

I was back
to a known strange land

Back to meet a face
I knew once up on a time..

I hesitate to alight
would you like what I
have become today ?

A smile and a hug
was all it took... '

to know that ..future holds
a new old friend ..





.

Shiva Shiva

Happened to miss the bus back home, sometime last week. That's how
I found myself in a cab with about 10 other strangers. And this one
was a Gypsy and I found myself in the back with another guy and a girl.
So far all good,I get a ride, there are other people so i can relax
the grip on the pepper spray can, no stops in between and the vehicle
is cozy and everyone is busy with their ipods or mobiles or just staring
into the night and well, I am bored. Not for too long though!

The night was young and so was the couple in front me . They started
a game of footsie, 'handsie' , accompanied by giggles, groans and
what not. Ahem, Shiva Shiva!

I am no Victorian , but come on!!!! .I wanted to scream, I am right here in
front of you. Love is blind but please do not assume the ones around are
blind too!!!!

The only saving grace was , that the guy held a backpack which shielded
some of the drama, and if anyone wants to ask , why cant you look away,
the answer is , there was no where to look, to my left was a bald head,
to my right a door with translucent windows. But I did find a way,
I looked down, started a series of smses to practically everyone
in my contact list.

But wait, the the climax is even more interesting, the guy asks the cabbie
to stop at Silkboard, and he walks out telling the cabbie that the girl
would pay for him! ( for once I was glad, I do not undertand Kannada,
I can tell you the girl was definitely not yelling love songs that time)

Err... One more time .. Shiva Shiva!

Off Day!

I am playing hookey today , no secrets about the title. But
by 'off' I meant a forgettable day. What do I do to make it worth
framing and hanging on the wall ? :-)) or a bare minimum - tolerable?

1) Order / Cook my fav food, sit back and enjoy it with a good movie,
mush preferably . (yeah, predictable and the competition with Santa begins)

2) Reread Adventures of Tom Sawyer, have been wanting to do that
for a long time. (Would do it today!)

3) Spend time with big bro Google - (or wiki ). ( looking for reviews of
James Patterson's latest, today)

4) Call amma - Catch up on the gossip at home.(works all the time,
my clan is an entertaining lot, there is always someone up to some mischief
or the other. Heard that Villy Aunty was caught counting the coconuts
from last month's harvest, but where was she found ?
in the neighbors plot! Sigh ..)

5) Or talk to pa ( wouldnt get any gossip. But he is a great listener.
(life philosophy, maths, work, pick any of the above and I am in the safe zone)

6) Keep the door open and gaze at the lake outside.
There is something between me and water. (and also me and cats, it all began in Calcutta, Bongs love cats. Infact, I have seen cats that look like pomeranians.).
Back to the lakes. I have lived near water ever since I
left home , even during the years I was away from Mother India .. Foster Ma
Lake ???

7) When I am at home (Kerala) , there is another activity that I love
(n amuses my folks).Rummage through old boxes. ( There has been so
many transfers for pa,that we still have a few trunks, unopened
since the last shift. and Invariably, they bring surprises,
The last time I was home, I found old letters written by a
friend from Pune about 12-13 years ago. Also , found an old diary.
*giggling*, (I am not going to explain that one !!!)

8) Looking at old pics ( nah, not the onsite pics, those are beautiful, but not the kind that triggers a memory). My folks had a tradition of taking a family pic on my bdays. hmm.. Thanks to them , I have pics which say 1992 - Nov, with me in a cute skirt and trying to look old, the glasses sure helps. There is another one with me in a sari while I was still in school. But my fav is the one with me in amma's arms while I was a few months old. Its a black and white pic , slightly tilted, with a slight worry on amma's face. Its not cute. It screams 'Life!'.

9) Book hunting at Blossoms or a kutty shop in Jayanagar.
(Looking for boooks by Virgenia Woolfe, didnt someone tell me
that she chased insanity during her later years ?)

10) Reading about obscure places , that I would see in future ( did you notice the confidence in that statement, Atta girl!)

Hmm.. re reading these, and almost all of them are solo activities and of the to be done at home variety. I need to get out more often. ( looking for a play to watch today)..

Random Squiggles!

For lack of a stick on board in my house, I am going to stick all those lines that I want to read again and again, in here. So here goes :

*** Words ought to be a little wild for they are the assault of thoughts on the unthinking
- J.M. Keynes
*** Information can tell us everything. It has all the answers. But they are answers to questions we have not asked and which doubtless don't even arise.

*** A powerful agent is the right word. Whenever we come upon one of those intensely right words in a book or a newspaper the resulting effect is physical as well as spiritual and electrically prompt. - Mark Twain (I love him!).

*** One ought everyday at least to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine
picture, and, if it were possible , to speak a few reasonable word. - Gothe, Apprenticeship

*** 'Though this is madness, there is a method in it' - Hamlet ( a literary paradox!)

*** We need words to keep us human. Being human is an accomplishment like playing an instrument. It takes practice. - Micheal Ignatieff.

All these lines make me think , are jargons the work of the ones part of the world domination campaign, who wants to keep communication intentionally hazy or blurred.. Confuse the junta .. keep them from thinking.. for who can think when you have time to only mug up the bombastic words???

And the world with out thinkers is like a body with immunity system on a strike!!!

Will sign off with that thought!

Cure

Girly giggles...
wandering eyes
tempting colours
N enchanting patterns ..
Trinkets, veils n redolence
Waning coffers
but pleasure guaranteed

P.S : This is an ode to shopping delights.. :))
then why the title ? ... JLT :))

LOL moment of the day!

A board outside a nursing home near by which says - ' PMS Nursing Home' .
(Err... No comments!!!)

Ghosts

Pretense of normalcy shattered
Ancient wounds exhumed
Haunted by dreams of the past
Helpless pain shredding the soul
Silent tears giving way to a numb silence..

Stranger

Knocked on your door
to say I am sorry..

but the words faded..
as memories raced all around

Rooted to the ground
I stared.. at you..

waiting for ..:)
The smile was familiar..
not the eyes though...

I watch you staring back
at a stranger ...

the mist was lifting ..
n the cold setting in ...

I knew there was nothing left to say

Realised the words had already been
spoken...

A part of me dead ..

it was time to move on..
for closure was finally mine..

Piece of Khandala..

This is an old post ...didnt upload it due to its reference to
Karmabhoomi.... but then this was one meeting where I didnt have to kill the frown on my face ...so here goes ...

Had a meeting with the customer and the various other units
who are working to make this assignment a success(!)...
The objective was to break the dealdlock between the
customer and the home - look n feel team!
Now the look n feel guys were trying to force a new
new idea down the customers throat and they in turn were resisting
it with everything had..

Amusement galore for the rest of the people in the meeting .. .

Usually the customer asks for a piece of moon and we say...
with this money we can only take you to Khandala ..
.. Itne paise main itnaich milenga!!!!

But here the situation was we are hand holding them
to the 22nd century but they say..
'No! No! No! I do not want the moon...Give me back my cave!'

Devil's own...

Devils own...

Morality on a break ..
Giving vices a free reign ..

Unadulterated arrogance...
Unfettered anger ..

Wicked thoughts
instigated by boundless greed..

Sloth' my shadow
Gluttony a virtue..

Heaven hath no place for me

For,

I am the demon child...

Shukraan Allah

hmm..

Shukraan Allah Wallah Alham Dulilah ...

Lovely song ...but what caught my eye.. or in this case my ear ..
was just the first line...

Big Bro Google tells me .. this is arabic and a rough
transalation is ... 'Thank god.. All praises belong to God'

Which got me wondering about a Sanskrit translation to it ...

Which is no easy task...
Its easier to get a translation from Arabic than Sanskrit!!!

But the search finally yeilded results ..

The translation is ...

Had typed that before I could even find the answer... I will leave the story hanging there... Given up after an hours search... Sleepy as hell... and God in heaven u could have helped me praise you in Sanskrit .. :)

And btw .. I shudder to transalate the rest of the song...
Its just a raunchy serenade .. :) Not sure if He felt too 'praised' with the rest....

Peace on a hiatus

Once upon a time not too long ago
was the kingdom of peace

where a tussle meant - a smile was round the corner

a frown meant - a song was not far away

where year long celebrations was the envy of one and all ..

Now, with the kingdom lost

natives - lost, wounded or exiled

peace takes a hiatus


I pen a question that is on every single mind

Would there be another incarnation

of the prosperity not too long ago?

........

I watch him walk ahead...
without a backward glance..

Resolute strides ahead..
head held high...
like a soldier on a mission..

i watch him as I watch
the sun rise from the sea
to be swallowed by another at dusk

DAy after day ...
night after another ...

Dont you ever tire ??

A boulder lay ahead..
rest a while
Perhaps you have a moment to
spare for me

For Father time ...
I wish to see your face.. :)

City of Joy

People say a picture says a thousand words. So is the case wih a photo. Happened to see an old pic from my days in The City of Joy. Saying that it brought back a flood memories would be an understatement. More than a decade later , some of the things that gives me a funny feeling inside when someone says Kolkatta..

1) The incredulous look on my classmates' faces when I admitted that I didnt have a bf ( I was 16!!) . Well. They start early ( dont ask!).

2) Macher jhol, the noodles in the roadside stalls near rashbehari, the achars sold in front of our school, hasmi (its a tangy concotion of some kinda herbs, good for the tummy, a hit with my taste buds), the gleaming vegetables in winter( I am not kidding, the veggies actually looked healthy , they have this glow around them like they had either indulged in something naughty or had just found the secret to long lasting happiness) and do not get me started on the fish .I can still see the bengali babus, on sunday mornings- a triumphant smile on their faces and a fish hanging in their hand ..yes...no plastic cover... no banana leaf to cover it...Reminds you of Shikari Shambu.. isint it ?? (Check Champak... the old comics for the indian kiddies)

3) Books - They can be found in abundance, on the streets, peoples homes, even my bed.

(this is one trait I am proud of!!!!) . Bengalis love books, education and everything associated with it...atleast I know for sure where my love affair with books started from..

4) My english teachers - All of took it onto themselves to be the first one to get me to participate in debates.. Had dabbled in a few essay , poetry , short story writing skirmishes. But debate and elocution have always given me the beejeebies (still do! But then I have added acting to my talents basket, so doesn't matter anymore, or so I tell myself).

5) Rabindrasangeet - The half yearly get togethers used to be only time , when some of my neighbours would emerge from their abodes. Cant generalise, but the bengalis I knew were not very social, or should I say , were not as social as the people I had lived with before

After Pune, Calcutta was a shock ..But before I go to Pune... I would get back to Rabindrasangeet...These get togethers used to trigger numerous rounds of singing.. and this was where I had my initiation into Rabindra Sangeet.. More than the music I can still hear the passion that Bengalis had for Gurudev's creation... ( my only regret... I should have learnt how to sing as well!!! Would have been useful now... would have used it against anyone who dares to come to the terrace before 8 in the morning on weekends .... insensitive people who do not care for the fact that the walls are thin .. I am a super light sleeper)

6) Durga Puja... I have seen the Ganesh Pandals and the Durga pandals...and 2 different reactions... By seeing, I mean , I have seen them again and again .. year after year...

not the see click and stock away in memory type of seeing.. Having lived in both the places where

these festivals are celebrated.. I have more than a tourist's view on both these festivals...

and being a non -Maharashtrian and a non- bengali... I am not biased either... Ganesha was more fun .. :) ... but the new dresses and the late night strolls to the pandals round the city .. the crowded roads with hundred of food stalls... wouldn't mind experiencing that again..

But after all this .. do I miss the place ?.. Nope... I am happy where I am .. relatively speaking ofcourse..

Lady Da Vinci

Standing by the window ..

Searching for visions in the past ..

was a maiden in white

Pouring a memory on to the easel

Quill in hand .. and wrinkle on the forehead

she brushed away the sleep

of the night ..

As she set poetry in motion...

The lake and the mountain held no allure ..

Nor the faces and the sounds closeby

Unaware of the moonlight kissing her cheeks

or the wind raising her hair in a symphony

the colours convulsed in an unrestrained orgy

The strokes ended as the night eased by..

She stood back to look

to watch for the first time

a slice of the past

imprisoned for the future..

A smile later she walked away ..

searching for more captives of her past

The message

The wind swept a lone leaf

across the dry mountains and tall plains...

A long journey lay ahead

A relentless journey forward..

It was no aimless saunter..

A preordained destination awaits

A springly step to start with

but as it watched time fly by ..

Hope faltered

But the co conspirer ... was a kind friend

It lifted the the traveller brown

away and and away

past twilight and dawn

Until they reached a kingdom known

Where a princess stood in the lone tower

waiting with an arm drawn

Reaching out to the leaf now dry

It wasnt too late for the rejoicing pine ...

It had reached home to deliver ..

the message etched on its fair side...

from a friend once known..!

P.S Pic Courtesy ET.

An Ode to Gurudev

A dam spills over unfettered in the summer breeze

A smile blooms in winter ..

Sping brings a song in my heart

And, ... love springs forth in autumn...

Gurudev ... thankyou for Geetanjali...

Forgotten tales..

I have forgotten my past..

Forgotten the lies

Forgotten the truth..

Forgotten the friends turned foes...

Forgotten the true ones too/./...

I have forgotten the daggers disguised as words

n the notes of love from the ones I still hold dear..

I have forgotten my lost affections

Forgotten the the ones I have won too ..

I have forgotten my tiny achievements

N the mammoth failures

I have forgotten the places i have crossed

n the ones i have called home..

I have forgotten the faces.. the smiles

the words ...

I have forgotten it all

I have forgotten me...

Perfect day

I feel my eyes grow heavy
After a day of bliss...


A solitary walk...
The highlight of my existence?
Karmic blessing
Stolen giggles
And an evening with my lost clan


I pen these words,
at the vampires hour..


I cannot help but smile
as I savour the memory of the
day gone by ...
A perfect day...

Bloodbath

I rush towards them..sword in hand..

n anger in my heart .. .

I feel nothing..

I see nothing ...

Blind hatred clutching my soul...

The words .. I am God... resonating in my ears...

I feel no compassion

I see not the lips making a plea

I hear not.. the cry for mercy

I swing my sword..

Now I can see...

the blood spilling everywhere...I look down

to see some splatterd on me .. I smile

I feel the cold invade his body

I stay .. I wait...

I watch life drain out of him..

I feel no remorse.. I feel no pain..

I walk away .. sword in hand

n anger in my heart...

Disclaimer .: Na.. Am not in a murderous mood. nor have I ever been in one This is a work of pure fiction and all that blah. This is in response to the article that ET asked me to read..Stop cruelty to animals... and while you are at it l.. Love thy neighbour too .. if you can !!! :-)

Courage

Earth is no longer my beloved as I walk...

Nor do i look thru the familiar faces that cross by me everyday ..

my gaze has lifted and so has my will...

I look.. I see.. I recognise...

Life...

Show me your might ..

Bring on my future...

I stand still ...

Armed with a smile ..

And a speck of strength growing within

I owe it to a dream ...

I know that too ...

But dreams spawn reality

the wise men say ...

Hope whispers ..

this warmth is a reality beyond the dream...

For eternity ..for mine atleast... :)

Free

A flash of white drew her towards the minar ...

She glided , gracefully towards it.. her white

feathers gleaming in the morning light ...

Warmth with a tinge of pain filled her being...

The familiar face .. only memories of which had sustained her

through the night ..

White.. That was all she could see...

n Wished to drown in ..

she knew she could ...soon...

She drew closer and closer to her dream ..

.. She landed on the proud golden minar ...

only he was no where to be seen...

she looked all over... it was no dream ... was it ?

reality lay a feet away ... it was a rag from the torn flag...

she closed her eyes ..as hope drifted away...

A deep sigh later she opened her eyes...

There is tomorrow ... and She would find peace again...

She unfurled her wings and Flew again...

free.... to a hope ...to a tomorrow....

yel tied to a white memory...

Once up on a time

As I say good bye to yet another tale...

i float over the beginning... the present and the end...

collecting smiles , erasing the tempest...

I cling to the begining one last time ...

memorising ....before its time to glide to the future....

when i would glance back to say .. once up on a time...

Glimpse

As my conciousness awakes with the rising sun ..
so does my hopes for a glimpse..for a simple glimpse..
I join the crowd of believers all hoping for the famous glimpse..
Would today be another day bereft of this simple joy?
I hope .. I pray ... I plead...
I believe..
I smile...
I rejoice..
I sing...
For I know..
Today is the day of the awakening...

Snowwhite

As tears rolled down a well treaded path

wishes and hopes

desires, fear and love ?

lay burried in the forgotten kingdom...

waiting .. waiting for midnight ?

or for the winter to fade ...

or for spring to invite her into its bloom

is she dreaming in vain ..

perhaps...

Maybe not...

Denial of dreams is not her destiny ...

says the angel within..

but the endless abyss is a dark prince

promises of paradise... death of pain

and endless joy...

She looks down into his disturbed eyes...

is this her real destiny ..?

She ponders ...

She looks up...

and sees the kiss of life ... floating down

ever so slowly...

As she wakes up from her long slumber ..

she bids goodbye to the dark eyes....

aware .. that its real too .. just like

the kiss ... always round the corner ...

waiting ...

ready to sweep her away again..

if she ever looks back ...

waiting... Always....

Knight in striped shorts!

Who says chivalry is dead..Its alive and kicking ...And some of the knights do wander
around in shorts on saturday mornings around BTM area of Bangalore...

I was back from a gruelling trip to God's own country ...The details of that would
form a different post ... Anyways... Saturday morning found me lugging my luggage towards home
after a quick stop at the nearby bakery...cooking in the morning after a trip is never something
I look forward to... The bag was heavy... so heavy that I had to do the stop , sigh, swap
to the other arm routine every two minutes...the traffic was low too... there were no
autos in sight.. and suddenly I notice a fine specimen of our species walking towards me ..
I didnt realise I had given him any 'damsel in distress' signals until he walked upto me
and asked me to hand over the bag.. he said he would carry it for me ...
Logic . reason ... pragmatism.. or any just plain common .. garden sense would have told me
handing a bag over to a stranger could well be a way of saying goodbye to your precious
possessions... but then that part of my grey matter was absolutely dazzled by the knight
or his exbhibition of chivalry ... The conversation from there on only constituted of my asking him ' why do you bother'

followed by a 'just like that' from him.. not the greatest of lines... but that is all I could
come up with at such short notice with me painfully aware of my dishevelled state after the overnight
journey... Garden sense soon returned in full force and I decided to end my exploittion
of his generosity ...I told him ..that I can manage from there .. to which he had
a very understanding smile ... he did offer to help me till my building...
but i wasnt taking any chances... i would rather write a blog about a knight ...
than worry about a potential stalker who knows where I live... :-)

I think I thanked him before I took charge of my load a couple of lanes away from mine...
the dazzle had not waned completely...but then the point is ... there still are a few shorts
.. err.. knights around...You just need to look... today might be your lucky day ..!!!!

Forbidden Fruit

In this case it would be a melon ...Not a girl's but a guy's .. Naughty Naughty!!...:)
I do need to get all this ut before I burst .... On the way back from a stroll in Total mall, I happened to get into a bus thanks to all the rick pilots who absolutely refused to save the not so young damsel...
And back to my story ... and back to the monster on wheels that i was on...or more precisely to the demon who was driving it and his sidekicks... Saturday afternoon.. and lunch time was the reason the monster was runnin half empty which allowed the conductor to lean against the door in the front near the driver to chat up with him ... By this time the bus had reached a signal ... a favourite haunt for eunuchs in the city ... and one of them happened to be around at that time .. well .. what followed was not exactly the eunuch's fault... who in their right mind can resist a cute butt hanging in the air ... and the eunuch fell for it ... reached for it and gave it a nice tight pinch... The poor conductor ... yelped ... moi giggled ... and the eunuch smirked...

To be honest .. I did enjoy the role reversal ... a joke by a joke of nature...

Arinjaa

Sangathi Arinjaa

No its not gossip time.. It just the name of the play I just watched... its the name of the only play I have watched..

So that makes it the first play I have watched .. Howzzat ???? 

It was madeup of a some of Basheer's short stories stringed together by a group called Perch .. 

I had managed to catch it at RangaShankara..

I had gone there with no expectations, the way I approach anything new I guess, but i was sceptical about the idea though.. I was really not in the mood for any hanky wringing sessions. But I was surprised, I not only liked the play , I have found the media enchanting too ... 

There was so much energy in the auditorium, from the active troupe and the silent crowd,that I didnt realise the play was more than 2 hours long.

I had assumed that there wud be some time lag in between scenes considering it is live ...but it was seamless..The change in scenes were perfect..Television with all its killjoy ads should take a leaf or two out of the theatre.

It was awesome.. I am not a great fan of the word .. but in this case I would use the word.. It was awesome..Arinjolu.. Play nannayirunnu ketto ? :-)