Medley Of An Amalgamation

Well back after a pretty long time. I'm personally very fond of this entry since I cooked this up extempore. Well, most of the ideas were shaping up for a bit but I needed a nice catalyst to eventually put this down. Enter Cafe Myriade in Montreal, Canada. Fantastic place, great ambiance and superb service.

This entry will essentially be a myriad of emotions. Introspection, disgust, satire anger, joy, discovery and the lot. Well, here goes:

1) I have learnt so much from someone who has never taught me anything
2) The most endearing thing ever said to me was not a compliment
3) The only way you can try to concentrate is by looking up at a clear starlight sky
4) I have connected with someone without exchanging a single word
5) Friends are relative to time, location and company
6) The next guy is as perverted as you. You just choose to express yourself!
7) I have observed that each person in a crowd is different in appearance but so similar in behaviour
8) The only thing common in men/women/girls and boys these days is an ipod
9) Lust is always in a woman's asset. Not in hair dyes, shitty alterations and gothic stuff
10) I cannot own the car I love the most. It is not my type
11) Noise can be found in silence and vice versa
12) The most difficult thing is to simply close your eyes and think of NOTHING. You will amazed at how chaotic the mind is
13) I can't recall the name of the restaurant where I have had the best food in years
14) I am so fond of loneliness that I think I'll marry it
15) I find shopping for music is actually relaxing. ONLY music
16) Technology is actually a bad thing. Things worked just as efficient when it was not around
17) The only thing for which I use the pen these days is to sign receipts
18) Buying the correct gift for friends is a painful task
19) Right handed guitarists look much more cooler than left handed ones. Being common has it's own charm!
20) Confidence and skill are instantaneous qualities. The challenge is to repeat the crests cose to each other
21) The closest companions I have are my ipod and my music
22) I actually make a living finding faults in someone else's work
23) I have been afraid my whole life. I'm afraid to change that!
24) EVERYONE is insecure. They show it in different ways. But they definitely are
25) There is always one song I listen to when I'm feeling blue. It is not my favourite
26) I have realized that losing weight is more in the mind than actual physical exercise
27) The greatest pleasure is to take a leak/dump after holding on for long. Sex is not even a close second!
28) No matter how hard you try, there will always be someone who does it better
29) You can actually judge a person by the type of music he/she listens to
30) My greatest regret is not learning to play guitar
31) Sex is hard work. I wonder if a lazy bum will be good in bed
32) I am amazed at the reverence I get when they realize I am Indian. Pity we do not see it among ourselves

Well, that's the long and short of it. It's pretty amazing what a Cafe Mocha and Polish donuts can do!

PS: The most weird thing happened to me today. As I was reading the National Geographic magazine, the phrase I was reading exactly matched the ones on a song. Now, how often does that happen to you?

Just so I don't forget:
Song: I Dug Up A Diamond -Mark Knopfler/Emmylou Harris
Phrase: "Once in a lifetime"

Guess it really is!

The Journey Inwards...

A trip homeward bound is a mixed bag of emotions. Stuff like meeting up family and friends is good. Not knowing what to expect from them is bad.

I was placed in the mixed bag this time. Cynicism is still very much a part of life in India. It's annoying really and more so if some of it came from close friends. Everyone has a right to opinionate but there should be mutual camaraderie. I tried to be an observer to most issues I went through but am not sure if I managed stuff alright.

My qualities, thoughts and beliefs have not changed after leaving India but somehow got the feeling a few back home believed they have. It was painful to see folks you know think you're as stupid as a blonde bimbette.

Anyway, here's a list of things that saw a high:

1) Rode a bike and was glad to know I can still ride one!

2) Travelled in an Ambassador. Fuck Bentley Flying Spur, the Amby still rocks!

3) Ate bhel puri and wada pav at places I never knew existed

4) Spent time with some folks that I never thought would

5) Met a lot of people and travelled quite extensively

6) Travelled by second class in a train. Man, that's a great nostalgic feeling

7) Got around 10G of carnatic music and will probably take a year to listen to all of them

8) Visited my Alma Mater and spent a wonderful and memorable time there

Here's stuff that I did not get to do but had planned on:

1) Drive the car

2) Sit at the rocks on the beach looking at the waves lashing at them

3) Walk along Marine Drive

4) Visit Bade Miya to eat Kababs

5) Go to Shivaji Park

6) Eat Chinese Bhel

I might have missed a few too but that's the gist of things. I wanted to journey spiritually this time and Auroville definitely did not disappoint. I know shit about spirituality but certainly want to get more involved. I bought a lot of books on this and have gone through two of them. I still am far from what they preach but let's hope I try spinning the wheel soon.

I observed that people often mistake that your aims/aspirations change when you leave your home country. A few people openly told me and some indicated it by actions. I keep coming back to this even if I do not want to because that's what is spinning in my head now and the fingers are just typing what the mind is ordering...People don't seem to understand that I have some beliefs and thoughts of my own and instead ridiculed me on quite a few counts. It hurt when someone you've known for a better part of your life ridicules or opinionates on each and every action you have. Am I to move on thinking that I need not be affected by it or sit up to note if I am being blinded by my ego? Am I actually being respected by my friends or do they just think I'm a joker trying to bring a smile to people's faces?

Home is a vague entity to me now. Is it the place that gets me my bread and butter or is it the place my heart wants to be? And even if I listen to my heart, will practicality take over? I am actually scared that I would contradict my own belief system.

Responsibilities also increased. Do I fulfill them on my own? Should I bother my folks with it? Should I respect the independence given to me and make my own actions? Is this the right time? I have a lot of unanswered questions and the scary part is I do not know how to find the solution. I saw a friend, who is usually very composed, groping in the dark with new found responsibility. I am not sure if I am prepared for such a situation...No. I know I'm not.

Not wanting to sound sceptical but cannot avoid it. Why am I so scared? This entire trip might have been a lot of fun but it has raised a lot of questions about the spirituality of who I am, what I want to be, what my motivation is and where my destiny lies. Am I being respected for who I am or for what I do?

The Pleasure Is All Mine

Everyone likes to be part of a revolution, a change that sweeps across the masses. Our grandparents would have been overjoyed to have been living during the time of India's independence. Our parents lived through India's inclination stint towards glory, the Beatles and Hare Krishna movements.

Most of the present generation, I am sure would consider it a priviledge watching India's cricketing giants play as they grew up. Anil Kumble, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Saurav Ganguly and VVS Laxman have been motivational figures in different aspects. Ah! To watch their struggles and comebacks makes you want to apply it to your daily life. I belong to the present generation and have been inspired by each one of them.

Anil Kumble: Determination; Sachin Tendulkar: Humility; Rahul Dravid: Hardwork; Saurav Ganguly: Attitude; VVS Laxman: Perseverence. Qualities that would sum up these greats.

Today we are at a threshold where it is time to bid adieu. Two of the five have already hung up their boots. The services performed by these players cannot be described in words. Their commitment to the country cannot be doubted. Their influence on a nation cannot be questioned.

As we stand on the brink of seeing these warriors ride proudly into the horizon, all we can do is stand up and applaud. Sometimes there is so much one wants to say or write but a gesture is just sufficient.

In this entry, I recollect some of the moments (not in order of importance) that gave me hope that when all seems lost, perseverence is the only attitude that matters....

1) Sachin Tendulkar's twin centuries against Australia at Sharjah that enabled India to come from nowhere to lift the Coca Cola cup.

2) Rahul Dravid's kiss of the India cap he scored the winning runs were scored at the Adelaide Test.

3) Sachin Tendulkar's six of Shoaib Akhtar during the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.

4) Natwest Series Triumph in England where two young guns carried the flame of hope to victory.

5) Saurav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid's partnership at Taunton in the 1999 World Cup against Sri Lanka.

6) VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid's partnership at Eden Gardens against Australia that brought India from no man's land back into the limelight.

7) Anil Kumble bowling 14 overs with a bandage in West Indies and claiming the prize wicket of Brian Lara.

8) Rahul Dravid's first century at the Wanderers in South Africa.

9) Anil Kumble's 10 wicket haul at the Feroze Shah Kotla against Pakistan.

10) Anil Kumble's leadership during the 2008 India/Australia test series.

Now as the mantle seems to be passing on (if there is anyone who is willing to take it), I am sure no one will be able to replace the Fab Five. At this juncture all I want to do is thank them for impacting my life and always wearing their hearts on their sleeves.

Here's wishing you the best in the future.

Sin For A Win

Oh Father forgive me, for I have sinned!

Las Vegas, the Sin City beckoned. Three hungry wolves along with a civilized couple made the 5 hour journey burning gas and clocking miles into the desert. The heat was not to last for long, the oasis appeared, cool shade and water for the hungry hearts.

It appeared as if all the drunk Greek goddesses descended upon this city like a bee to a honey suckle musk. Mini-skirts, cleavage, blondes, brunettes and booze. Bliss for the sore eyes!! To add to it, there were the casinos where money flowed in but never out.

The night follows the day and the creatures come to feast during the night time. Never had a street seen so many chicks fluttering about. Never was there so much "food" for the wolves. Never was a ride to a club so anticipated. Never was a scent of a woman so sweet and a touch so unforgettable! Never......

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. What happened to the wolves stays with the wolves. What happened to the civilized couple..well that's for everyone to know!

Oh Father forgive me, for I have sinned!

Long WeAkend blues

Well well, I'm back after a self-issued sabbatical. This blog will be a plethora of some stuff I've been meaning to write for a while. So sit back and enjoy...

To start with, I was lucky to see Mark Knopfler in concert at the beautiful Greek Theater in LA. I have practically grown up listening to Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler. Of course, this was at a time when people my age were gripped by the likes of Boyzone and Ricky Martin. So, I would consider myself to be pretty impressive listening to rock as compared to wannabes! The fascination and respect for Mark Knopfler grew and so did my CD collection. I can now safely say that I have his complete work. Now, ten years hence, as I find fascination with other eighties legends, Dire Straits/Mark Knopfler are still on the most-listened list. There was a time for close to a year, where I'd listen to Sultans Of Swing every single day! What's more admirable is that the humility of the man has grown as his fame and fortune increased. No airs about him (very unlike an immensly talented rockstar), he is aptly called "Silent man of rock and roll".

Anyway, coming back to the concert, I witnessed magic being created and played with. Every magician has his wand, Mark has his array of guitars. Accompanied by friends, I enjoyed every second of the concert screaming and singing the songs along with him. This was to a point when the infection rubbed on to my friends as well. All in all, a wonderful wonderful evening. Ah, I wish I'd see him again soon!

Moving on, I really fail to comprehend the long weekend syndrome. In case you are not with me, Long weekend syndrome is a disease whose symptoms are necessary and compulsive travel during the long weekend. If the long weekend begins on a Friday, families are packing their bags hastily so that they do not even waste four and a half minutes on the actual day! Oh that would be torture. At a time when we are still burning on our asses with the increase in fuel prices, I fail to understand the travel! I would rather lie in bed doing nothing all day! Of course, it would be nice to have a hot chick lying beside me, but then I'd be doing something! But let's not tread that path for now...

A couple of days before the long weekend, all people are asking and talking about is where the other person is heading to. This happens at work, phone conversations and even at gas stations! Of course not to mention, the tourist spots making all the cash at our expense. All the airfares have increased too. They'd be looking at every traveller on the long weekend and thinking, "Ah! Gotcha fuckers!" Anyway, it's not my place to judge who should do what (I think I've judged already) but it's definitely my space to write about it. Oh by the way, you can judge me all you want! In the words of Eric Cartman, "Screw you guys. I'm goin' home".

I've also been getting extremely pissed off at all the girls increasing their privacy settings on Orkut. This prevents us from looking at their albums! Why the fuck did Orkut introduce this feature?? If my understanding is correct, a website's popularity is judged by the number of hits. After this feature, guys like us are the ones taking the hits and not the website! I'm speaking for all the single men...no all men, who would very willingly agree with me! What's even more annoying is that even some "guys" have locked their albums. Talk about insecurity!! To be honest, it's so irritating to look at a "prospective" headshot in the profile picture only to find the album locked! This is like foreplay failure...so even talk about sex can safely be dismissed. Girls, please, let us judge your appearance by inviting us to your albums! Don't torture us by locking them. You are depriving us of our favourite pastime even more than lazing around with a chilled beer! Why put all the photos in the first place when you're feeling so insecure about it?? Think about it, what makes you think that someone in your "friend's list" isn't lusting after you?? Atleast, this way you're doing some social service and that ain't a bad thing after all.

And lastly, it's fucking annoying to see girls and "non-girls" use words like "Ma photos/Mah car". How hard is it to say "My photos/My car??" Also, as compared to Mah, it's still one letter short! Another popular word that pissed me off was "fren/frenz". For the ignorant folks, this stands for Friend. Kill me man...kill me now!

Also, for all the guys who write, "I'm simply gazzing through your profile", "Can I make frandships with you?", "Can I wanna be frands?", please continue the torturous Englees. Thank you for an honest attempt to make the reader laugh his ass off! Life will not be the same without you!

Escape

The mind has been acting up very frequently since the last post. The heart never gave in to writing though!

To begin with, I saw a movie which stirred my very soul. I normally do not well up during movies no matter how sentimental they are but this one was an exception. Most of you will agree and the other half probably do not have a heart! The story is set in San Francisco and is based on a true life portrayal. Will Smith plays the lead and in case you haven't already guessed, I am talking about 'The Pursuit Of HappYness". Please take the time off to see this one. It will definitely be time well spent and a lot of lessons erupt from it that could be easily applied in practical life.

Professionally, things could not have been better. The advantage of working in a core technological company means you have interactions with some truly brilliant folks by the hour. What is even more amazing is the humility each one possesses. The disadvantage is that I have to be always on my toes and leave no stone unturned so that I do not look like a fool in front of them. But the ramp-up has been good and smooth so far and not to mention exponential! I wonder how long it will be before I reach the tip of the curve and say hello to Mr.Gauss!!!

Having said that, there have been instances where the motivation and the will power does not gel in well. Such situations leave me sulking and wondering what the hell I have done to feel so out of place. Many a time, it even takes motivation to get out of bed in the morning. Many a time, I long for Saturday on a Monday morning. I have heard of Monday morning blues but this is ridiculous.

There are weeks that fly at the blink of an eye and there are some that take eons to end. There is something missing. In these times, I wonder how bad would it be to renounce all these luxuries. Simple things in life take priority. I want to work with people who have not been fortunate. I want to help save the world from Global Warming and Baptisms by Fire. I want to give more than I earn. I want to take trips to Himalayas and Dharamshala. I want to breathe clean oxygen enriched air. I want to splash cold waters of the Ganges on my face in the morning after camping on her bank during the night. I just want to escape......

Re Search

This is a conversation that was created after reading a few articles I came across on news websites. Sit back and enjoy..

Me: Hey Re and Search! How are you guys?
Re: I'm fine dude
Search: Wazz happening?

Me: I'm good guys. Just was musing over some recent research studies and findings
Re: Oh really?
Search: Yeah every news channel comes up with research analysis these days

Me: So this article is about how your life will imporve if you have steamy sex in the morning.
Re: Ho boy! All I get in the morning are burnt pancakes and stale milk
Search: I get steamy stuff man...Just that it ain't sex

Me: No guys really...I read this article
Re: You know what I'm wondering? Do the researchers get any practical training during these studies?
Search: If they did, those nerds would get LAID!!

Me: Interestingly enough, I read another article which says that your sex life will improve if your parents do not beat you as a kid.
Re: No wonder! I got my ass whopped when I was a kid! Little did I know it'll slow my sex life this much!
Search: I'd rather refrain from this topic. I had a bad childhood...it's showing up now!

Me: You know we should conduct our own research man...This kinda shit will get us some publicity and some money!
Re: Which asshole is going to fund the project?

Me: All you need is a good topic to work upon...we'll find someone and burn his cash
Search: I have a few in mind actually....
Re: Well, let's hear them!

Search: We can say Research shows that pigs like dirt
Re: Oh yeah! That's a good topic! I have one more...Research shows that Eating healthy can enable a man to stay in shape.
Me: Now we're getting somewhere. All we need are topics like these and some jackass will pay us to carry our research.

Re: We also need to make sure that we throw a couple of things about sex in there!
Me: Yeah, people read anything remotely related to sex. It's like free porn for them!
Search: I got another one. Research shows that having sex for the first time helps you lose your virginity!
Re: Yeah man! That's a good one. People don't really know about that.

Me: We also need lots of dumb topics too. Because that's what research is all about.
Re: I got it! Research shows that if you stay outside on a hot day, you are likely to get a headache.
Search: A couple more like that and we're golden!

Me: Research shows that driving a car gets you to a place faster than walking on foot!
Re: Yeah..people will definitely read that one with great interest

Me: Now that we have our ideas, lets find some corporate stooge and become sellouts!
Re: Yeah....let's get on it
Search: Right on!

And so you have it! Lots of new ideas that will pan out as research studies. Watch the news pages. Atleast one of these will soon be there!