Writing Love

Sayings #1

2012-02-10T02:24:00.003+05:30

There is a saying in Kannada

"Nauvu-aada manasu kopvaagi horage hogathe"

which roughly translated means

" The hurt mind throws out anger" or
"The hurt mind lets out words of anger"

isn't it so true ??

My first Travancore Mural work

2012-01-17T03:55:00.003+05:30

New Year

2012-01-05T10:28:00.002+05:30

Happy New Year !
May the new year bring a lot of cheer, peace and happiness to all of us.

mental harassment

2011-12-28T02:35:00.002+05:30

How do you know when you are mentally harassed ?

the line between harassment and concern is so thin .. so what looks like concern to one might seem like harassment to another

Is it harassment when someone close to you continuously finds fault in you, and keeps trying to prove you wrong ? Not because they are consciously trying to, but because they genuinely believe you are wrong.

Is it harassment when you go down with frequent headaches after talking or arguing with one particular person ?

Is it harassment when you are made to feel un-valued or ashamed or bad about yourself ?

Arsenic in fruit juices ?

2011-12-09T08:24:00.004+05:30

Seriously ??!!! Latest studies found that fruit juices can be a source of arsenic poising (and leading to cancer) in the long run.

The brand that we are so familiar with - Tropicana ... there apples juices contain arsenic.

Refer links below :

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/12/06/consumer-reports-finds-excessive-arsenic-lead-in-apple-grape-juices/

http://blisstree.com/eat/nutrition/arsenic-found-in-fruit-juice-488/

http://chilloutandgethealthy.blogspot.com/2011/12/arsenic-in-fruit-juice.html

Guess our grandparents and parents had a point when they tried to dissuade us from having food outside !

What Women Want

2011-12-03T08:19:00.003+05:30

What does a woman want ?
She wants to live her life in peace, without taunts.
With people close to her accepting her with her flaws
Not asking her to change and live according to their laws

She wants those in her life to love her first
And not be expected to give up all and be treated like dirt
She wants to be away from interfering relatives
And not be held responsible for any small tiffs

She wants to be respected, and then asked to adjust
She wants her talents to be valued and viewed with trust
And not be berated, or worse, accommodated
In the expectation that she forget herself, and everything blindly accept

-------------------------------

Why is a woman never asked her opinion on matters of importance ? Why is a woman just blindly expected to follow everything her family says ? Why educate women if they can't be allowed to live life on their terms ?

Why make women so fearful of you that they agree to anything just because they see no way else ? The fear makes a woman forget how to laugh even. Why expect her to put aside her individuality for community and society's sake ?

Why expect so much from women ? She is so powerful, but you all corner her and turn her into a rag .. Why not let her also have choices ? With , uneducated people , this trait can be attributed to lack of exposure .. but what when educated folk too try to force their women to change ?

Why not leave women alone ?

Cartooning

2011-11-30T11:30:00.001+05:30

Rants

2011-11-15T10:45:00.005+05:30

My new painting.... Too much crowd ... Opinionated people ...... Sight of water colour ... my new painting ..... Falling hair .... toilet getting dirty too quick ... lengthy but thin hair ... My new painting .... Lack of progress on older painting .... Report ... Mobile volume .... Voices .... Laziness

Ra.One

2011-11-09T21:48:00.009+05:30

Finally, watched Ra. One.

Though it was not an amazingly movie, I enjoyed it. Once again, Shah Rukh Khan proves why he's a superstar. No other actor (except maybe John Abraham) would suit the movie. In my opinion, there are only 3 actors in India ready to risk their finances and career to make such a movie - Shah rukh Khan, Rajnikanth and S.J. Surya.

SRK looks a lot more flexible than in all his other movies. The song 'Criminal' was a bit embarrassing in the theatre .. but well ....

As usual, the potrayal of South Indians in hindi films can get sickeningly irritating. Ra. One was better than most, in the sense that a lot of the verbal usage and actions by the Tamil protagonist are in fact followed by many Tamilians now too (the use of 'ayyyo' etc), but then again, a lot of the depictions are pure exaggerations (e.g. having noodles with curd)

The movie is good time pass .. and if you are a Shah Rukh fan, the movie is worth the watch. Quite a few scenes (esp the train scenes) in the movie reminded me of the Rajnikanth starrer 'Endhiran'.

Arjun Ramphal was awesome as the villain. His acting was controlled, but powerful enough to show the character's power and evil strength. In both Ra.One and Om Shanti Om, I felt Arjun Ramphal stole the show by his acting, rather than SRK .. It is sad that this actor is often underused. He is awesome in negative shades (Ra.One, Om Shanti Om and Moksha). There is a scene in the movie where he walks in front of a burning Raavan efigy. That scene is one of my favourites in the movie, and made an impression.

There were no unnecessary song-dances or wailing parents and neighbours. The story moved smooth and fast. Some of the one-liners in the movie were really good, especially those by Arjun Ramphal.

The kid in the movie was great. For once, Kareena Kapoor was not irritating.

All in all, I enjoyed the movie, :) :). I went with an open mind, and expecting something different. I was not disappointed .. SRK may not really be able to act, but he for sure is one hell of an entertainer ! Definitely, SRK has done a lot of better movies, and definitely one hell of a superstar. Rightly called 'The King'.

Warli Art

2011-11-05T10:07:00.005+05:30

In this post, I am pasting a painting I'd done a couple of months ago. I did not want to post it on my blog as I'd drawn it as a gift for someone close to me, and it now hangs in his house. But lately, I figured I need to have my paintings saved online as well (just in case my PC crashes and I want to track back and redraw it). Further, when trying ancient Indian folk art, I feel it is a good idea to bring the art and its history out in the open. If even a single person, after reading my posts gets inspired to buy the ancient art, it'd be a bonus to the real artisans.

So, today's post is on Warli Art. The Warlis were an ancient agricultural tribe in the Maharashtra-Gujarat belt, who worshipped the nature as their mother, and worshipped the feminine. Their work depicted day-to-day life and was usually done on their hut walls.

Their pictorial representations were on a red ochre background (made of a mixture of branches, cowdung and soil) with white figures (made of a rice paste, water and gum).

Traditional Warli art is made with just 2 shapes : Circles (depicting the sum and moon), triangles (depicting the hills), and lines. Later, squares were probably added. The squares possibly represent the square platform for rituals, or a square plot of land. Anyway, the traditional work was composed of circles and triangles and lines. Their drawings were very fluid and seem to bring the activity they depict out in the real.

I made an attempt to try their art on canvas with acrylic paints. Wish I could learn the art form the traditional way someday. My work depicts a community gathering or a dance ritual around a drummer. The men and women can easily be differentiated.

Avial

2011-11-01T07:04:00.012+05:30

It was a lazy Sunday. Before I knew it, it was lunch time and I had cooked nothing. I wanted to finish off some beans I had bought a few days earlier. Not being in a mood to do an elaborate cooking or to sit and cut vegetables, the mind searched for some never before cooked EASY recipes ... and Avial was the choice.

Avial is cooked differently in Kerala and Karnataka. In Kerala, the avial is thick with almost no gravy. In Karnataka, it is watery. Further, in Kerala, coconut oil is used. Yet another difference is that cumin (jeera) and turmeric are added in the Kerala version.
Finally, I decided to make an avial which had the specialties of both the states (the recipe I referred to is very common in Mangalore)

Ingredients:

Vegetables : I used carrots, beans and cucumber. Any vegetable can be used

Coconut (1 cup)

Cumin (jeera)

green chillies

Curd

Salt and Oil

Method :

Cut the vegetables into 1.5 inch length, add salt and boil with about 2.5 cups of water

Grind coconut, cumin and green chillies. Add this to the vegetables when the vegetables are half done.

Add a bit of turmeric and let the vegetables and the coconut paste cook for about 5 minutes.

Let the above simmer and cool

Now, once the above has cooled down, add some curd and cook on medium flame for about a minute

For a glazed look, add a spoon of oil and heat (in kerala, coconut oil is used).

A Comic drama with English subtitles

2011-10-21T21:30:00.002+05:30

This comic drama tries to give out a message to illiterate village men and women to get literate

Gone Too Soon

2011-10-16T03:17:00.012+05:30

The other day, Sorcy said ::

that guy knew how to rhyme life
pretty good..might have got kicked around.must have had only words to console him

and he crafted it into beautiful worded songs

He was talking about Michael Jackson. I agree ! Songs like HISTORY and MAN IN THE MIRROR have really thoughtful and good lyrics. Lyrics you can identify with, especially if you have been through tough situations. A song which he performed based on his personal experiences was GONE TOO SOON.

The song is a dedication to Ryan White, a teenage haemophiliac who was diagnosed HIV+ in 1984 after a contaminated blood transfusion. He was expelled from school due to his contracting AIDS. Parents and teachers demanded his expulsion. During this time Michael Jackson befriended the teenager, and spent a lot of time with him as well as bought him many gifts. Ryan White died in 1990 at the age of 18, living 5 years longer than the doctors' predictions. His family were hugely grateful to Michael Jackson for staying by the teenager's by-side and offering him comfort.

This song was used by the singer to garner funds from president elect Bill Clinton for AIDS related research. At the inauguration function for the president, he started the song with the words

I would like to take a moment from this very public ceremony to speak of something very personal. It concerns a dear friend of mine who is no longer with us. His name is Ryan White. He was a hemophiliac who was diagnosed with the AIDS virus when he was eleven. He died shortly after turning eighteen, the very time most young people are beginning to explore life's wonderful possibilities.

My friend Ryan was a very bright, very brave, and very normal young man who never wanted to be a symbol or a spokesperson for a deadly disease. Over the years, I've shared many silly, happy, and painful moments with Ryan and I was with him at the end of his brief but eventful journey. Ryan is gone and just as anyone who has lost a loved one to AIDS, I miss him deeply and constantly. He is gone, but I want his life to have meaning beyond his passing.

It is my hope, President-elect Clinton, that you and your administration commit the resources needed to eliminate this awful disease that took my friend, and ended so many promising lives before their time.

Ryan's mother Jeanne White says about Michael Jackson :

Michael was a very dear friend who I can't believe is gone. It's still so confusing to me how this could happen to such a great person. We knew Michael not just as a entertainer, but as a friend that would call up on Mothers day and tell me Happy Mothers Day because he was thinking of me. He talked about his sister Janet alot. He loved hearing stories about Ryan and Andrea because he loved how close Andrea and Ryan was just like him and Janet. He talked a lot about his Mom and how I reminded him of his own mom. (I was really thrilled)

One thing I would love people to know about Michael. He was a superstar, entertainer, recording artist, but the silliest things made him happy, having simple fun, laughs, cartoons, playing jokes and making people happy.

I remember when Michael came to our house for Ryan's funeral and Michael spent a couple hours in Ryan's room, he just wanted to be close to Ryan. He just sit on his bed for hours. Michael later asked Andrea to see Ryan's red Mustang. Andrea took Michael outside in the front yard where we had Ryan's car surrounded with flowers from people all around the world. Michael got in and turned the car on and "Man In The Mirror" was playing. Michael knew that was the last song Ryan had been listening to. It just thrilled him to know that. It was the simple things that put a smile on his face. He later released "GONE TOO SOON" for Ryan but who would have known he would be joining Ryan and he too would be "GONE TOO SOON"

Any wonder why I admire the singer so much ???

"Gone Too Soon"

Like A Comet Blazing
'Cross The Evening Sky
Gone Too Soon

Like A Rainbow Fading
In The Twinkling Of An Eye
Gone Too Soon

Shiny And Sparkly
And Splendidly Bright
Here One Day
Gone One Night

Like The Loss Of Sunlight
On A Cloudy Afternoon
Gone Too Soon

Like A Castle
Built Upon A Sandy Beach
Gone Too Soon

Like A Perfect Flower
That Is Just Beyond Your Reach
Gone Too Soon

Born To Amuse, To Inspire, To Delight
Here One Day
Gone One Night

Like A Sunset Dying
With The Rising Of The Moon
Gone Too Soon

Gone Too Soon

..

2011-10-12T07:18:00.001+05:30

A Woman's tears are always her own .

Rarely does a man wipe them.

A husband, never.

A lover, sometimes.

Sketch Corner

2011-10-11T03:43:00.005+05:30

BEFORE ::

AFTER ::

Soulful

2011-10-07T07:43:00.004+05:30

Soulful music in the middle of the night
Incense sticks burning bright
Fire in clay lamps throwing far their glare
The smell of sandal and exotic flowers in the air

The soul stirring music of the flutes
Coming from afar in the night dark like soot
I shiver as the wind caresses me
As I stop for a minute and let myself free

At one and in peace with nature
I inhale its beauty, sense its every feature
As the clouds open and let loose a shower
I let my inherent femininity surface and take over

Swaying to the rhythm of the wind
I sing and dance in my mind
Cavort with an unseen presence
Feeling and treasuring its essence

Swaying to the beat of the far music
Stunning, almost paradisic
A feeling and passion from deep within
Soulful and immensely heart warming

In Search

2011-10-06T05:12:00.007+05:30

Searching for the strength
To face what is to come
To be able to take an easy breath
And shake off an impending sense of doom

Searching for a justification
To explain the turn of event
And find an explanation
For what is torn and bent

Searching for some calm
To convince one of one's own self worth
To find a soothing balm
To try diminish the pain and hurt

Searching for a reason
for the way things are
Trying to stop self blame for treason
And to try to love and care

Searching for forgiveness
Having betrayed and caused grief
For gifting someone immense unhappiness
And near destroying another life

:)

2011-09-29T05:30:00.002+05:30

Digital Wasteland

2011-09-23T21:37:00.002+05:30

What happens to all the digital waste we accumulate ? Digital waste as in broken PCs/laptops, unwanted cameras, mouse, keyboard etc ?

Agbogbloshie, part of Ghana is where all our digital waste goes. Most of these are "donations" or "charity" by countries like U.S and so on, which have found an easy way to dump their wastes in the name of charity. And Ghana, which once welcomed the charity is now staggering under the waste.

The toxic wastes harm the inhabitants. Kids try to make a living selling the wastes, in the process exposing themselves to the fumes. The government has now no idea how to tackle this problem.

In India, we repair our laptops/PCs ... so why not the developed countries ? Most of us who have NRI relatives have seen how the relatives used to bring and gift "slightly" damaged laptops or mobiles to their relatives. Why don't they have people who can repair electronics in the developed countries ? This might help reduce the digital wastes being dumped to countries like Ghana.

Ghana is now apparently turning to India for help in tackling this waste : http://www.allwestafrica.com/220720119527.html

I'll let the images and a link speak for themselves.
http://www.allwestafrica.com/160920119926.html

:(

2011-08-29T22:52:00.006+05:30

Born : 29th August, 1958
Died : 25th June, 2009

Unsung Hero

2011-08-25T10:30:00.007+05:30

Today, any TV channel or newspaper is all and only about Anna Hazare and his fast. While the initiative and venture is definitely laudable and much required, there are a couple of unrecognised heros who have, in their own ways been trying to make an impact.

One among them is the 38 year old "Iron Lady Of Manipur", Irom Chanu Sharmila. Since November 2000, she has been on an indefinite fast demanding the withdrawal of the AFSPA (Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958) which allows the armed forces full right of action, with full immunity for their actions in the "disturbed areas" (states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Jammu & Kashmir).

Irom Sharmila started her fast on November 2nd, 2000. She is under arrest and is being force fed by the Manipuri Government in a hospital in Imphal. Every year, she is released, and re-arrested.

Manipur, like other disturbed areas is a war torn land, with arm carrying militants and the army having the final word. the AFSPA act might be a necessary evil in Manipur. Not living there, it is difficult to judge. Though opinions vary about the effectiveness and the necessity for the AFSPA act, Irom Sharmila's courage and determination is something to be applauded and respected.

Cry India Cry

2011-07-14T09:01:00.004+05:30

My country is bleeding
And all I am doing is just watching
My country is badly hurt
And all I do is watch with a calm breath

We are a nation of many states
Of different religions, heritages, ideals and faiths
Yet, we stay united, strong and unbroken
Our diversity is a matter oft spoken

Yet, in this moment of crisis
All we do is play blame games and hurl curses
When will we drag the guilty to court ?
And keep at it till we have each and every one of them shot ?

We are paying the price for being tolerant
For accepting, letting go and being hesitant
Hesitant to run down those who hurt us
We shy away, hide and try to avoid the fuss

"Chalta hai" seems to be our motto
Actors and politicians, conmen in photo
We take pride in rebounding and resuming life
Shame on us ! We seem to forget the wounds caused by the knife

The knife - the tool of power and money of those leaders
who consider common man and human life as just meanders
the country their stage, and common folk their puppets
Whose blood can be spilled on the streets in buckets

My country is bleeding
And all I am doing is writing
A post that will be read now, forgotten tomorrow
Words that would not even be remembered till the next great sorrow.

Am I so uncaring, and ready to forgive so easily ?
Able to forget the pain and blood of the victims so quickly ?
Shame on me ! For being a silent spectator
Watching the guilty emerge yet again a victor

My country is bleeding
Yet again, I am just watching
Watching her lick her wounds
Till the next attack makes its rounds

Horses !

2011-07-11T08:13:00.004+05:30

Done more than an year ago ... One of my first attempts at oil pastels and animals. The subject being a creature I love !

Cruelty to Animals

2011-07-07T07:16:00.004+05:30

How gross is the following video ?

These sorry excuses for 'human beings' actually think this is funny ??!!! A look at the kangaroo's face shows just how scared/terrified the creature is. And people actually enjoy this video ???!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB_CYobIlEg&feature=related

Boxing gloves for the kangaroo ?? Stupid Stupid people.

This video is the least offensive one I found on youtube. Damn Damn Damn !!

A friend of mine in Canada got a new kitten. Its claws were declawed by the previous owner. Do you know what declawing means ? It is equivalent to cutting off a centimetre from the tips of each of our finger BONES. The poor thing doesnt let anyone go near her paws. And declawing for what reason ? To protect furniture !!! Apparently, in all other countries of the world - Israel, Lebanon, France etc, declawing is illegal. Only America and Canada (supposedly pet friendly and sympathetic countries allow this barbaric process - all to protect some measly furniture).

:( :(

2011-07-05T07:12:00.005+05:30

This was a post I started writing a long time ago .. April 17th to be precise. It was 3 days after singer Chitra's daughter drowned in a swimming pool and died.

Having isolated myself from any kind of news / news channels, it came as a horrible shock to me when I heard about the kid's death. It was not just about the fact that it was related to Chitra. For most of us, Chitra is synonymous with some of the best, evergreen songs ever. The best of singers have held Chitra as the pinnacle in some of the best classical/semi-classical music in south Indian films. Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil - Chitra has sung some of the best melodies as well as dance songs in these languages. Apart from her singing, Chitra comes across as a terribly warm person on all the music shows she has been in, and in all the public appearances she makes.

Chitra's daughter - the poor thing had Down's syndrome ... she was born after years of longing for a child. The death of any child is painful, but this even more so. Chitra talks about the umpteen prayers she had said, and the miracle she considered her daughter's birth to be.

Didn't know what to write then, still don't know what to write .. I had started this post many a time, and stopped it half way not knowing what to write.

There are no words, only tears of sorrow
As a life was lost, leaving behind lives made hollow
Rest in peace, oh! sweet and innocent child
Your parents' pain can never vanish, but may it be made mild.

If I could choose a dream

2011-07-04T08:34:00.007+05:30

If I could choose a dream
What would it be?
It would not be money or power
Nor would it be a dream of the future

It would not be the dream of a crazy fan
Nor would I dream of an ideal world plan.
It would not be a dream on lost aspirations
Nor a dream on future hopes and ambitions

I would dream of something so vivid, so forceful
A dream made of a terribly heavy downpour
Of walking through the rains drenched to the skin
Thunder in the background, everything brightened up by lightning

The horizon, a hue of pink, blue and violet
Streaks of silver enhancing nature's canvas
And taking in this beauty, I'd keep walking
Till I cross the point of no returning

A gift for a sweet and loving friend

2011-07-02T23:55:00.011+05:30

- Shot by Me, Edited by my comrade-in-arms

A blue rose for my friend
Pink, to blue , it turn'd

He loves the colour blue
And to please him, we changed its hue

Thank you for being with us
When we wanted a way out of the mess

Vichitr and Manohar
you are one 'awesome' critter !

Insomnia leads to ..

2011-07-01T05:05:00.002+05:30

Burnt Cooker

2011-06-30T04:51:00.002+05:30

Like everything else in my life, I can do things only if I really want to, and if my mind co-operates whole heartedly.

Its time for cooking to take a beating this time :( .
Normally, friends would agree to my food being a pleasure for the tongue, but what if my mind refuses to co-operate with the idea of cooking ?

The past week has been a huge disappointment on the cooking front .. no no .. the heating raw materials front.

Today, I burnt the pressure cooker along with moong daal inside. I was sitting right in front of the damn pressure cooker, and it got burnt .. Its one dirty piece of black metal junk in my sink now !!!

Last week, I burst my stove.

I better stick to raw carrots and watermelon ... But even there, I just hope the knife doesn't damage the cutting board .. or the watermelon leak inside the fridge ... Gosh !!!

My Friends and I

2011-06-29T16:33:00.003+05:30

Closure

2011-06-27T05:05:00.004+05:30

It is a full circle

The misery I experienced was

in turn experienced by the one who caused it

But no joy

Just a sense of loss

And a knowledge that this was the last chance

Despite further chances of meeting

Despite having been the best of friends

There will be no further conversation

This is indeed a closure

And a mighty heavy one at that

Never did vengeance taste so foul

It has come to a full circle

the hunter and the prey

both hurt and suffering victims.

P.S : Vague, but that's how it should be !

:(

2011-06-24T01:18:00.002+05:30

I am neck deep in tension ! Backtracking landlords, Unexpected schedules, 75% chance of being in deep deep deep mess :( :( :(

Moody Blues on youtube

2011-06-21T09:47:00.002+05:30

Have you heard the song 'Tuesday Afternoons' by the Moody Blues ? It used to be one of my favourite songs as a kid. While casually browsing for something on youtube, I found them again ! What a song ! What a voice !!!

And a super huge thanks to whoever came up with youtube.

First thing I see in the mornings !

2011-06-15T09:33:00.002+05:30

Random Thoughts

2011-06-07T20:09:00.008+05:30

1. What is with boys/men, brothers-in-law and sons ??
In Hindi, 'salla' is used to insult someone/something e.g. 'salla kutta' ...and it is also a term of salutation by guys e.g. 'salla Robert'.
In Tamil, 'macha' is used to refer to a guy friend by another guy.. and it means brother-in-law as well ! e.g. 'Dai Macha'

In Malayalam, 'alliya' .. again brother-in-law.

In Kannada, 'maga' (son) or 'bawa' (brother-in-law) are used ... so what is it with using 'brother-in-law' as a term of salutation ??? And why arent similar terms used for salutations among girls ???

2. Being pampered by my closest guy friends, I expect my close guy friends to shower their attention on me when I need ... and they invariably do. Some people would say this is a sign of dependence ... but is it really ? I am just as able to take care of myself ... but love the attention, protectiveness and possessiveness I get from my close guy friends ... Is it wrong to expect thus ??

3. What would make me have a mental breakdown ?? A lot of things I expected I would not be able to live through, I did ... so what is the worst thing that could happen to me, and I'd not be able to face ?

4. How does someone come up with an amazing song like 'Netri Pottil' (song from Ko).. the tune is so simple, but so touching ... atleast for me .. Amazing song !!

Sparrows ~

2011-06-06T10:25:00.010+05:30

Well, I didnt get anyone to teach me any Telugu/Tamil profanities .. and since my mind is always in search of some 'awesome' knowledge (in Sorcy's words), I decided to try my hand at drawing sparrows.

Halfway through drawing sparrows, I lost my concentration, and finished off my 'masterpiece' (??!!) as shown above !

P.S : Am gonna draw a sparrow soon. Unfortunately, I am off birds since today evening. I went out with my friends to a Chinese place, and my friend was served chicken FEET (with all fingers (?) distinguishable) . I could not look at her plate. All the time, my poor sparrows kept coming to my mind :(

2011-06-02T20:44:00.010+05:30

Contrary to what is believed and expected from a girl, I know a lot of profanities .. in 4 languages no less. It is a totally different matter that I never use them. Most of us are educated in English and Hindi profanities, thanks to the TV/books/cinemas.

My guy friends have served to educate me in profanities in local languages ... it comes as a surprise to many that I actually know these words/profanities.

In the ever present endeavour to enhance my vocabulary, I request some education in profanities in Telugu and Tamil ... please oblige ??

..

2011-05-26T05:42:00.005+05:30

The fragrance of hot green tea
With a touch of fresh jasmine and lime

The sound of the rain in the background
and the dark sky outside my window

The soulful tunes from my favourite song
As I work out the solutions to an academic problem

:)

Gold Spot & He-Man !!

2011-05-17T04:47:00.004+05:30

Do you remember this ad ? I remember the tune, but not the ad ... !

:D :D

My favourite :::

I rant !!

2011-05-15T00:39:00.009+05:30

My rant :: Against most feminists who blindly advocate female power and representation in every aspect of life .
We are as it is an intolerant generation. Why complicate life more by blindly being aggressive? It is a good thing to educate women about their rights, and encourage them to fight injustice. But, when this encouragement crosses over to demanding rights without analysing the discomfort it causes to other women and society in general, it takes on the shape of intolerance.
Every relationship has its share of unhappiness. Overcoming it TOGETHER is a huge acheivement. Tomorrow, the feminists could advise me saying as I have a right to my house, my space, my partner's singing early in the morning (causing me disturbance and irritation throughout the day) could be a suitable reason for divorce.

A bigger rant : Against all those happily married women who protest against women having to compromise in relationships.
- there is an ancient mantra - "It takes two to clap". Similarly, it takes two to fight, and two to adjust.
Woman compromises, man follows her example in compromising. Man compromises, woman follows his lead. So why all this noise about women having to compromise first ? If the woman starts to compromise, and the man also compromises, and together they lead a steady, peaceful life, isn't life worth compromising ?
(Note : It is altogether a different story if the man/woman doesn't compromise at all and expects his/her partner to do all the compromising)
Half those women who seem to have a grudge against women compromising are themselves married. No relationship works without a bit of compromise. Obviously, they would have done their share of compromising, forgiving etc. Then why protest ?

Yet another rant :: The latest set of protests against arranged marriages. It is stupid to generalise relationships or people. What works for some doesnot work for others. In our society, arranged marriages generally work. My friend had a very very traditional arranged Telugu wedding. She and her husband saw each other on the day of marriage. And must say, their marriage is rock solid, both make compromises, and both are insanely in love with each other.
And they have been married for 7 years now :) Who said arranged marriages should not be entertained ???!!!

---------------------------------------------------------------

I guess the leg sprain, combined with the need to finish off my work has robbed me of language and speech.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Something that was on my mind but didn't mention earlier :: A lot of people believe when you are unhappy in a marriage, you get out. Doesn't commitment have any meaning anymore ? If a relationship makes you unhappy, you should get out of it. So, if your parents make you unhappy, do you disown them ? If your friends upset you, do they stop being your friends ?

A leg sprain

2011-05-11T18:22:00.005+05:30

I sprained my ankle. A person walking faster than me could knock me down. That's how unstable the sprain has made me. So, the mind decides to work/study from home.

But the mind is tense. There is a limit to how much work gets done sitting at home.The mind craves for a vacation back home, and upsets like these which can reduce amount of work accomplished fear the mind.

random feelings

2011-05-02T12:51:00.012+05:30

If at the darkest hour of your life, you have none to talk to

If you feel you have none to stand with you to fight your troubles

If everyday brings in only fresh disappointment

If sleep evades you

If tears are all that give company through long deary nights

If people seem overwhelming due to their practicality and self sufficiency

If getting ahead in life is all that matters

If you feel like a doormat, or taken for granted

If you feel you are a support to every passerby, but have none for even comfort ,

If questions of purpose in life haunt you

If everything seems meaningless

If you fear for your life

If you just want to give up and go away ....

.... Am I normal ?

Is God all I have ??

P.S : We find strength in unlikely places. Very very weird ... I found my source of solace in the Telugu flick : "Aarya 2" ... "weird" because Telugu films are not my first choice of good films, and Allu Arjun was not an actor I wanted to watch. Disliked his dubbed films all these years. But the comfort the movie gave me !!! .. I have been hooked to Allu Arjun's interviews and songs (without completely understanding the language) for last few days, and as long as I am watching them, it provides me with an escape route !!

Dedication !!

2011-04-29T00:20:00.002+05:30

Watch from 5 min onwards .. amazing dedication !!!!

:( :(

2011-04-20T04:46:00.003+05:30

All this talk about feminism !!!

2011-03-30T00:29:00.005+05:30

There are a lot of posts on various blogs about feminism. Let me add my views to it.

I believe in equality, but am not a feminist, and would never like to be called one either !
The problem with feminism is the labeling of those who do not support feminists as anti-feminists.

In a lot of cases, men and women are definitely not equal. How many times have we asked a male friend to drop us back home as it is too late in the night ? How many times have we refused to work late at office only because we didn't want to get back home alone in a cab ? And how many times have we accepted small considerations shown to us (for e.g. a cashier asking women to form a separate queue) only because it suited us ?

What about the demands for 33% reservation for women in AP, and when finally given, 20% of those seats go empty. All this really makes me feel the label "feminism" is misleading and is not a worthy cause. Demand equality where it is due. If you demand equality at a work place, make sure to stay up late just like the men. Do not give the excuse of family or being a woman to be allowed to go back early.

And I feel it is pretty stupid to demand equality where physical labour might be involved. Granted that a lot of women are capable of more stamina than men, but the statistics proving the contrary are larger.

And religion .. Am not well versed in other religions, but Hinduism started with worshiping the supreme feminine power. Even today, the supreme power in Hinduism is a female entity. Though man may perform atrocities on women, Hinduism still places importance on the female power.

Just wanted to say I am not and would not want to be called a feminist. And if a feminist demands equality, she should behave exactly like a male (which in my opinion is impossible as basically men and women are different).

And, at the end of the day, I just want to say : "Free-ya Vidu"

take my nightmares away !

2011-03-22T09:11:00.002+05:30

2011-03-20T19:03:00.002+05:30

If I had you, I'd never let you go
Your loyalty and faithfulness has touched me so
If I had you, I'd always keep you with me
Coz you make me happy and just let me be.

The adoring look in your eye
Speaks of truth and no lie
Your eyes filled with warmth and worship
guarantee me a lifelong friendship.

--- Dedicated to a dog I have never had, but always wished for.

Starting afresh

2011-03-17T01:48:00.003+05:30

The last couple of months have been spent with no updates ... Am starting fresh all over again ...
To start with, have a couple of movies lined up to watch :::

1. Accident-1984 (Kannada)
2. Anadabhairavi (Telugu)
3. A whole bunch of Mohanlal's 1980s movies (Malayalam)
4. Aidlonda Aidu (Kannada)

am reading Clive Cussler's "The Pacific Vortex". Reminds me again and again why Clive Cussler is one of my favourite authors !!

Surya Namaskaara

2010-11-13T04:37:00.002+05:30

Okay. Now, one of the reasons why I am skeptical about AOL is the way Sri Sri has marketed 'Sudarshan Kriya' as his baby. It is not !

Sudarshan Kriya has been around for centuries. Sri Sri can be credited with making it world famous. But, there are many who do the 'Kriya' with ignorance. A school in Canada has a yoga session everyday. There are taught the Kriya for about 15 minutes, and directly after that allowed to have lunch. I find this frightening. One of the first things we are taught in yoga is to go through a 'Shava aasana' or 'The death pose' after even stretching exercises. So, eating after a kriya , and that too kriya for kids ? A bit risky, don't you think ? This is why I do not believe in meditation made easy for the West !

I do surya namaskaara daily. My mom taught me when I was very young. I find that in addition to making me more relaxed , and stronger at heart, it has also improved my flexibility, my hair and my figure. It has also made me a lot more disciplined as I need to do the exercise before a bath, and need to have a sufficient gap before and after the exercise.

"The" AOL course

2010-08-21T02:39:00.012+05:30

So well, I attended the art of living session yesterday. Predictably, I felt relaxed after the session. The dim lights, the comfortable chairs and the speaker's voice all put me to a deep sleep. I was more relaxed than the other souls who practised the art of breathing. In fact, so relaxed that my friend had to keep pushing me off her chair.

There was this guy in front of me who too dozed off for the entire 2 hours of the session. When the artificial tones of the accented English of the anchor floated down to him, he woke up with a start. The anchor was asking everyone how they felt. Poor soul .. he looked lost .. he probably was cursing her for dragging him out of his wonderful dreams.

The best entertainment came after the event. The food was rather miserable. Cold pakoras, Oily samosas, and some kinda bread. The saving grace were the raw carrots and the big oranges. Food was not such a huge concern as we friends were planning to eat out anyhow. But, the fact that we were not allowed to even eat this stuff in peace was really bugging. First, it was a really really Pretty Young Thing (PYT) in a beautiful blue outfit. She caught me. Kept wanting to know if I'd join there overly priced YES+ course. I managed to give her the slip by telling her about my current engineering project. Short lived peace ! we friends were talking when an aunty caught hold of my friends. My friend (in)advertly tore her name tag in front of the aunty, giving her an excuse to find a waste basket. Aunty left us. And then came the star of our irritation.

A PYT (Pretty-(Y)ugly-Thing) in ultra mod clothes. Her looks themselves put me off. She started with an introduction to herself. Now, I hate people who unnecessarily laugh after every sentence, and she was no better. Every sentence was followed by a 'holier-than-thou' and an artificial laugh. A 21 year old thing, and she is all ready to teach yoga in the West in 2 months ... hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. She listed out the attributes of AOL yoga, adding EMPOWERMENT as one of the benefits. Empowerment ?? Empowerment ??????? I couldn't keep quite any longer, and my eyebrows automatically arched themselves upwards to tango with sarcasm that threatened to flow from me.

Me : Empowerment ? Did you say empowerment ?

PYT : Yes, you know , the feeling powerful

Me : I see, so feeling powerful is empowerment

PYT : I think we should all be powerful. Empowered. Women are such sentimental fools. We get attached to everyone. And we are emotional. We get attached to our parents, our family, our friends

Me (higly raised eyebrows) : I see

PYT : Don't you want to be powerful ? You know , when I joined college, I didn't even know to wash my own clothes. I cried to my mom 'how could you put me here, i have to wash my own clothes' , and now i know to wash my clothes.

(Me looking at my friend to suppress her and my laugh )
Me : I don't see any problem in my life right now. I don't think I need power

PYT : But, we should have power. I want to be the most powerful. (Looking at my friends) Powerful (back at me) Don't you want to be ? Don't you want to be able to face any situation ?

Me (thoroughly pissed now): I am fine the way I am

And the worst dialogue:

PYT : Join AOL, and make your life fun
Another arched look from me,

and PYT : No, I mean, more fun than what it is now. I bet you are all fun folks, but experience the course and it'll change your life.

That reminded me of the 'Self Control' guy in 'Jhankaar Beats'. Initially, I felt bad going for free food when I was so skeptical about AOL. Now, no regrets what-so-ever. 45 minutes with such PYTs can only be handled with generous amounts of free food.

P.S : I am not against AOL, but I found a lot of things that disturbed me in their agenda. More on this in future posts.

One Love

2010-08-19T20:15:00.003+05:30

I am currently listening to this album by Rahman "One Love". He has sung the same song in 6 languages - Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada and Bengali. I found it really interesting how he sings the same song in different languages.
I also love the fact that he so easily collaborates with other singers. And this humility in him helps him create masterpieces. 'Gurus of peace' is one example (in my opinion)

Am trying to learn Telugu, and improve my Tamil speech. Am watching the telugu film 'Arundathi' .... it is entertaining though I find Sonu Sood's acting a bit too much especially when he says "Bommalli" in a lecherous (?) voice. I find it more irritating than lecherous.

Will be attending an 'Art of living' course today, just for experience. I'm very highly sceptical of any institution that conducts courses for the mass . I agree that Sri Ravishankar is responsible for introducing 'Sudarshan Kriya' in the West, but I do not like it when 'Sudarshan Kriya' is associated with 'Art of living'. and Ravishankar. 'Sudarshan Kriya' existed ages ago, and there are many teachers who teach it well.
Often, I wonder about the usage of words when Indian shlokas and chants are taught in the west. 'nithyathva' became 'nidhrathva' and Kumbakarna had to undergo months of sleep. So, pronounciation does matter. I often wonder about this .. it applies not only to the west, but among different communities as well, right ? So how do we judge which pronounciation is right ?

For now, I'm going back to Rahman ... 'One Love' and 'Vandemataram'

To those fallen angels ....

2010-08-16T20:19:00.004+05:30

A day too late, but nevertheless. ....

63 years ago, our brave-hearts fought to give us the free life we have today.

about 20 years ago, a prime minister strove hard to make free movement of goods a reality, and so we are able to buy good freely and easily today.

Today, with commercialisation and major self interest, the work of these souls seem no longer significant.
The developed countries, though they realise our intelligence and brain power, snub us and take advantage of us due to the above reasons. Why not try and provide for our own instead of filling the coffers of others ?

It is easy to preach. But, I have started what I hope will be my bit. I am trying to educate blind children. I have just started on the course. I am trying to be a part of the team that helps blind children in Tamil Nadu speak English. I do with an organisation called "The Ann Charity Foundation".

Her id is :
anncharity@gmail.com
AnnCharity@aol.com

I try to buy clothes from Gujarathi / Rajasthani / Lepakshi exhibitions/emporiums hoping that what I pay goes to the poor craftsman.

I am trying to do my bit to help. I do not want the efforts of the brave-hearts to go a waste.

-- Deepa

Miracle

2010-08-12T02:41:00.003+05:30

My grandmother needed a miracle to recover from a stroke. She suffered a stroke on the last day of my vacation.

Our prayers were heeded. God is taking care of her, and helping her recover.

God was with her. My aunt was about to go back to her house, but something made her stay. And a heart-felt thanks to God for that. If my aunt hadn't stayed back, my grandmom would never have been taken to the hospital. God's grace that my mother was around to force the doctors to do a haemorrhage scan, and to start anti-coagulants.

I don't usually talk about my family problems so vividly on this blog, but I wrote this post for all those people who are looking for a miracle for themselves, and their loved ones.

( And moreover, I need a hu-uge miracle to overcome something I am going through).

Keep faith.

The ravages of ADULTERY

2010-08-07T08:59:00.005+05:30

Radha was a hard working woman trying to make life easier for her family. Her day was hectic leaving her with no time to spend on herself. During the course of her long work day, she chatted with her co-workers, Gopal being one of them. As days went by, Radha discovered that she could talk freely and unihibitedly with Gopal. Soon, their acquaintance turned into a deep friendship, and possibly love. This friendship didn't suit Radha's husband, and one day in a fit of jealousy after seeing them together, he murdered her and threw her body into a gunny sack. Regular joggers smelling a horrible stench notified the police, and soon the gunny bag was discovered. Notices were put for identification of the decaying corpse.

In another part of the planet, Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani was counting her possible last few days. She had been sentenced to death by stoning for alleged adultery. http://womensphere.wordpress.com/2010/07/04/call-on-the-government-of-iran-to-stop-the-imminent-execution-of-sakineh-mohammadi-ashtiani-sentenced-to-death-by-stoning/

In both the above cases, it seems a woman indulging in adultery (whether alleged or actual) is fit to be punished by death. Who deems her fit to be punished ? The husband, the law ? Adultery may be morally wrong, but so is taking another's life. Killing, or giving the orders for a kill is far greater a crime than adultery. By killing, you are robbing someone of their basic right to live, the right which you didnt grant in the first place. And adultery brings with it its own punishment. Loss of peace of mind, a loss of self respect.

When Salim Khan married Helen, and brought her home despite his first wife's presence, no one murdered him. Nor did anyone murder Dharmendra when he married Hema Malini. So, why are the rules different for men and women ?

Do men have complete rights ? The right to a woman's life ? The right to live as they please ? The right to make their own rules of justice ?

Finally Relaxed !

2010-07-07T18:47:00.005+05:30

After a long hard term at work,
I am finally off the load

I get a vacation, I get to go home.

I get to relax, and meet the ones I love

But in a few weeks time, it is back to now
More work, and more home sickness
And lying in wait for my next vacation

---------------------------------------------------------

There was a news item that was forwarded to me. It talks about the barbaric system of stoning a woman to death for what is judged as a sin/crime by the law.

http://womensphere.wordpress.com/2010/07/04/call-on-the-government-of-iran-to-stop-the-imminent-execution-of-sakineh-mohammadi-ashtiani-sentenced-to-death-by-stoning/

I am planning to write an article on this in my next post. How can the law decide that adultery's punishment is stoning to death. Would they do the same if the adultery perpetrator was a man ? even if adultery cannot be condoned, do we have the right to take a life ?

Feigned Virtue

2010-06-23T21:57:00.003+05:30

She feigned a headache. This was the 'n+1'th time. Realisation dawned on him. It could only imply that she didn't enjoy what he did to her.

For the first time, the music teacher understood and deplored the easy virtue that came to the female race -and that too to his 5 year old prodigy student ! - the ability to lie to avoid hurting another's feelings.

My entry for this week's 3WW

NOTE : 'Did' here refers to the music teacher's scolding and forcing his prodigy to practice long hours

Google searches .....

2010-06-22T21:10:00.004+05:30

Yesterday, a couple of friends got together. We started talking about Bin Laden. The discussion moved to the number of siblings/children he has (funny he could take so much time off his 'Work' to be so 'productive' ... line inserted specially for Sorcy) . Just to settle an argument, my friend said she'd look it up online (on Google of course!). At once, another friend prevented her saying it is way too risky to search for anything related to 'HIM' or others like 'HIM' online ......

Weird ... as we make more technological progress, individual freedom seems to be at stake !

Odd Women

2010-06-14T21:21:00.007+05:30

The book I am into lately : "ODD WOMEN" by G eorge Gissing.

A brief summary can be found at the above link.

It is about life during the 1800s. Especially about life of married and unmarried women. Girls in those ages (just as in the present) were brought up to believe that marriage was the only goal in their lives.

It explores how a working woman often had no marriage prospects, how a woman's career was deemed marriage and how unmarried women were often regarded strange or 'ODD' as they were unpaired.

The story is about a set of sisters, how they are forced to work after the death of their father, and hence remain unmarried. The youngest - a shop girl - marries a wealthy older man, but is quickly disheartened by the authority and the restrictions a husband places on his wife.

2 progressive women (friends of the above mentioned sisters) set out to give unmarried girls a means of supporting themselves. They encourage young girls to educate themselves, and look for job opportunities previously closed to women (such as clerk, typewriters), and move away from traditional careers (such as governesses etc).

I have finished half the book. I find it an echo of modern day issues ... the cry of married women to be allowed to pursue their interests, their friends and their lives without being strangled by the burden of duty, womanhood and femininity.

There are so many conversations in the book really worth noting. Specially identifiable are the dialogues of the youngest sister (Monica) when she remarks to her husband that if she were overburdened by duty towards him or children, she'd never be happy. Her husband remarks that such a duty is not a burden but a privilege, to which she questions the lack of understanding of similarity between the nurturing of a family and the nurturing of a career.

There are also dialogues where she questions how it is alright for the man to indulge in his pleasures, but how it is wrong if the wife as much as goes to visit her friends.

To her questions, her husband gives the classic male answer : "In a marriage, the husband is ALWAYS right due to his advanced years, and it is the duty of the wife to obey him".

Medium : Watercolour

2010-06-11T20:20:00.006+05:30

I've been affected by the painting bug since I was a child of just 3 years.

Despite having to use water-colour paints in school, I was always terrified of the medium. It seemed way too difficult inspite of its alluring appearance. My preference was always fabric paint and recently oil pastels with colour pencils.

But, recently, having been asked to do a painting in water colour, I regained a love for the medium.

I had bought a small pot to grow coriander (malli ela (malayalam); kothambri ele (kannada); dhaniya (hindi)), but not having sufficient mud, I had the pot occupied by a Red-Indian soldier. Yesterday night, wanted to paint the pot. Decided to try the effects of water colour

Lack of discrimination !

2010-06-06T05:00:00.003+05:30

One of those things that annoy me .. referred to as a 'Madrasi' by folks from North India. I don't call a Marathi a Gujarathi, or a Punjabi a Bihari .. so why are all South Indians referred to as 'Madrasis' ?
Why are we forced to watch Hindi when they don't even care to differentiate between our languages ?
Why do they always look down upon us, and assume we are weird ?

At times, lack of discrimination hurts !

Tag - If I were ....

2010-05-31T21:29:00.003+05:30

Tagged by Starry .....

1. If I were a month - NOVEMBER ....
my birth month, the month of rains, the month of cool winds ... the month to look forward to for vacations, the month of hope and anticipation of good things.

2. If I were a day of the week - SATURDAY ....
The start of weekend ... relax ... leave the week behind ... yet another holiday ahead (Sunday) .... a day to take things easy

3. If I were a time of day - 6.30 pm ....
Look forward to the good breeze, to relax, to a walk, to a good dinner, and finally to a new day. Most of all, look forward to getting back home !

4. If I were a season - The RAINY season ....
A relief from the sweltering heat. Get drenched in the cool showers ... Watch the animal and plant kingdom rejoice in the rain. Curl up indoors with a hot cup of tea and a good book or a movie and enjoy the smell of the rain .

5. If I were a planet - VENUS ....
The most beautiful object in the sky, visible to the naked eye.
Looks just like my diamond.

6. If I were a sea animal - DOLPHIN ....
The gentlest and cleverest of all creatures ... And doesnt look as dead as a fish.

7. If I were a direction - EAST ...
Waking up with the first rays of the sun is an amazing feeling !

8. If I were a piece of furniture - SOFA ...
Sleep or just curl up ... nothing beats its comfort .. especially when artistically designed.

9. If I were a liquid - WATER ...
nothing that gives as instant relief as this chemical compound.

10. If I were a tree - NEEM ...
air purifier, keeps away the insects, and is beautiful to look at

11. If I were a tool - PAINT BRUSH ....
Paint away to glory !

12. If I were an element - COPPER ....
Love the colour ! Rust as well as blue !

13. If I were a gemstone - BLUE SAPPHIRE ....
Mysterious, deadly, powerful and beautiful.

14. If I were a musical instrument - VIOLIN ....
Playing the Indian violin always brings me peace and comfort

15. If I were a color - PURPLE ...
Contrasts every other colour ... can be matched with most other colours.

16. If I were a emotion - RELIEF ....
Happiness comes with relief !

17. If I were a fruit - PINEAPPLE ....
Yummy flavour !

18. If I were a sound - 'OM' ....
feel the vibration ??

19. If I were a car - MARUTI 800...
cool, compact, good colours and easy to drive

20. If I were food - RICE ...
The base of most delicious items !

21. If I were a taste - SPICE ...
Imagine the smell of cloves, cinnamon and red chillies ?

22. If I were a scent - SANDAL ...
Wood and nature at its best !

23. If I were a pair of shoes - 'KHADIM' footwear.....
The company has amazing footwear in all colours !

24. If I were a bird - SPARROW....
Sweet voice, tiny and sensitive

Pick up the tag :)

Those Dreaded Days !

2010-05-19T19:44:00.003+05:30

It took a full minute for the realisation to sink in. She had never grasped what had really happened to give her so much pain. And in her time of pain, there was no one to pacify her.

She cried her heart out.
And then looking down, she realised repellent was the only way. The dreaded mosquitoes were back with the first monsoon rains. Rubbing it all over herself, she went back to sleep.

--- My entry for 3 word Wednesday

Girl Friends !

2010-05-17T20:19:00.007+05:30

This is a small dedication to friendship, especially to two ladies have been rock solid pillars all through my school-college-work life.

I met 'Rem' in my 2nd standard. Though I was friendly and witty, I'd very few friends in school. However, I had people in my native place who loved my company. It could be because I found it hard to converse in the local language, it could be because I was different. Anyway, in 2nd standard, I met 'Rem', and that too because we were in the same class. We just became acquaintances.

Then, in std 6, we became bench mates. Together with another girl, we formed a secret society .. Laugh as you might, it was mighty fun making up our own code words, and looking for seemingly suspicious activities. People loved talking to her, while I kept my distance. But somehow, she seemed to like confiding in me. In 7th, 'Rem' introduced me to Pinky. Pinky and I tried to be good friends,. Another matter altogether that from 11th on, we were inseparable.

By 10th std, 'Rem' and I were real good friends. She confided a lot in my mother and me, but I never had much to tell her. She had loads of friends, and I had a few & I never really cared to make many friends. But despite our contrasting social behaviours, we liked each other a lot. And it also helped that she appreciated my creativity, and I adored her knack of using waste materials to make show pieces.

In 11th, I met 'Ri'. She was beautiful, charming and an epitome of peace. 'Ri' and 'Rem' were also good friends. 'Ri', 'Div' and 'Rak' were inseparable. So we became a group of 6 : 'Div','Rak','Ri','Rem',Pinky and me. Pinky and I hung out a lot in 11th and 12th, during undergrad and while I was working. But a chance comment 6 years later made sure we no longer kept in touch.

'Rem' and 'Ri' have had huge, major changes in their lives, and thankfully, still live close to each other. But we are now held together by an invisible bond. We seem to work in sync. When either of us is down, it is for sure that by instinct the phone rings , and a "What's wrong ?" is heard through the line. Though the 3 of us work in very very different streams, and with different lines of thought, there are certain common experiences that bind the 3 of us together. No matter how complicated or how disgusting our actions might seem to others, we know that there is no judging between the 3 of us.

Every girl needs atleast one true girlfriend as she grows older. I have found mine. Even if I can't be with them physically, I know at the end of the day , despite the numerous friends who have given me false promises and hurt me, I can trust my 2 pillars. Thank you ladies !

Sordid Tales !

2010-05-12T02:31:00.004+05:30

Do any of you stay in St John's Newfoundland, Canada ?

Yes or No ... here goes ... There is a boy, oops man, no guy .. anyway a 29+ male .. Indian , South Indian who resides there. These days, he seems to be rather depraved ... I'd always felt he was pretty decent . Let me explain why. Once upon a time, he had invited me home for dinner. There were a lot of guys there. This guys wanted to watch a certain film which made me really sick. He had the courtesy to ask them to switch to some other movie. He seemed to be good manners personified. Shows yet again how wrong I can be.

His latest pastime : Buy booze, pretend to be a high school pass out (he looks really really young), take students to parties, get the girls drunk, and then have sex with them. It should be mentioned that students in high school are not allowed to buy booze.
It is sickening ! I mean, the girls are probably not even aware what is going on ! I don't know what more to say

Religious Identities

2010-05-09T20:12:00.000+05:30

Are external symbols of a religion hurtful?

I've heard instances of universities in U.K. prohibit their Muslim students from wearing a 'burkha'. I read of instances of Punjabi Sikhs doing away with their 'turbans' as they were scared to be mistaken for Afghans.

The rule in Montreal prevents Muslims from dressing in their religious clothes, but does not prevent the Jews from doing so.

No matter what part of the Earth I am on, I wear a small 'bindi'. It might be a religious symbol, but I feel odd without it. This could be blamed on my conditioning, but I like it. When I was a kid, I felt odd as after a 'puja', my mother would tie a turmeric stained thread around my wrist, as well as apply kumkum on my forehead. Where I spent my childhood, these symbols were considered the marks of a married woman, and I was always teased. But, I stuck to it because I had more respect for these traditions than what people had to say. Of course, at that age, I didn't know what the rituals signified, and I do not know a lot of it now, but I'd do the same today.

Back to the 'bindi' .... I could state the scientific facts given in the ancient scriptures about that spot on the forehead being a centre of energy, and how pressure on that spot activates some of the energy centres. But all that aside, is my identity established by religion ?

For good or for worse, in a way Yes !

I do not agree that you give up the external symbols of your religion only because you are a minority. So long as no one is hurt by your symbols, what is the issue ? You might even carry a sword as your religious symbol, but as long as you are sure you are not going to kill anyone with it (no matter how provoking the situation be), how does it hurt?

If we gain a sense of satisfaction from doing something that we believe is in our religion, without hurting others, is there a problem ?

If Muslim women wear a 'burkha' of their own free will (though it might be based on their conditioning), can we condemn it, or make rules prohibiting it ? It might be an issue of national security, but surely, there are other ways to combat such issues? I am neither for nor against this particular issue. I used to be totally against women having to cover themselves so much, but then I realised someone can accuse the same about me ... wearing a bindi, wearing bangles ... etc etc ... but I do it because I like myself in them (of course, as children, parents used to insist, but now, I do it of my own will)

A blog for a worthy cause

2010-05-02T04:16:00.007+05:30

I have 40,692 visitors on my blog till date. It didn't seem to make a big difference till today.

But, today it does.
All information is given in the link: http://www.kaufda.de/umwelt/carbon-neutral/1-tree-1-blog-how-it-works/

I must admit one of the main inspirations for writing this post was the cool "Carbon-Neutral" logo I could put up.

Anyway, moving on:
15,000 visits a month on a blog => 3.6 kg of Carbon dioxide emission
( an average website causes about 0.02g carbon dioxide emission each visit)

A tree however absorbs 5 kg of CO2 per year. So, planting a tree results in a deficit of 1.4Kg of CO2 emissions in the atmosphere on my blog (as I can safely say that the number of visits per year on my blog will not cross 15,000 => this is again going by the count of my blog for last 4 years). A small step in helping cleaning up the environment. Afterall, in the first place, the environment got polluted because of us.

Am I getting the message across ?

Ignited Minds

2010-04-29T23:02:00.004+05:30

Vikram stared at the guitar in his hand, and the cover on the table. The "The Dear & Departed" music had ignited his mind and emotions. The final year IIT-ian no longer wanted to continue studies. It all seemed so superficial. He wanted to follow in their footsteps, wanted to make music no man had ever made. He had always dreamt of shaking hands with Slash, his hero.

All of a sudden, he spied his 'joining letter' along with the salary structure. And he thought to himself ... " what a rotten waste of time .. thinking about guitars and music", and put himself to finishing off his final year project.

--- My entry for 3 word wednesday

Nightmares and sleeping pills

2010-04-28T20:32:00.008+05:30

For last one year, I have been waking up with nightmares on and off . I have never had nightmares or bad dreams for as long as I can remember. When friends told me how they were scared to sleep, I used to think they were exaggerating. I had no concept at all of bad, terrifying dreams.

My mother, being a doctor, is totally against any kind of medication that can affect the mind, but, on my insistence, she let me try sleeping pills for a few days. But she was right .. sleeping pills lead to tremors in my fingers and so on. And in just 2 days, I stopped the medication.

Anyhow, I realised I need to fight my fears and my mind on my own (with loads of help from the Higher Powers). For some time , I used to watch movies before sleeping, thinking the watching would tire me enough to sleep. And I found that films like 'Anniyan' or ' Yaavarum Nalam' (13 B in hindi) or 'Manichitratazhu' helped. I found it strange .... these kind of films are supposed to disturb the mind further, but it seemed to work the reverse for me!

Praying / meditating also helped a great deal , but would wake up quite tense in the morning many a time.

These days I read a lot of crime fiction before sleeping. I find that I wake up better. It could be that the passing of time dulls fears , it could also be the effect of reading something interesting.

I know there are quite a lot of people suffering from nightmares. And I believe that there is some reason for the nightmares. I know why I have mine, but am finding the right ways to fight mine.
For anyone reading this post, and going through bad phase, please please avoid sleeping pills.... it is not going to help conquer your mind. And without conquering the mind, there is no way to escape from the nightmares.

Creative after a long time !

2010-04-27T02:13:00.005+05:30

On saturday night 1 a.m., decided to try my hand at 'mehndi' after a 1.5 year hiatus. Never has the mehndi come out so good or so dark for me !

Of course, in a couple of days, it is going to look like my hand was branded ... but for now, it looks fine !

Homage

2010-04-23T21:11:00.004+05:30

My ex-boss passed away.

I haven't been in touch with him ever since I left working for him. But his death affected me. Not only because of the person who passed away, but also because of the way he passed away.

He and my family knew each other ... A lot of incidents, and our families knew each other, though not very well. I knew him better after joining his company.

When he died, he was alone with his younger daughter. He had a cardiac arrest, the daughter called the company HR, but he died en-route to the hospital.

What terrified me was that situation. Inspite of his daughter and friends being there, he couldn't be saved. A friend called me at 1 a.m. to give me the news. I couldn't sleep for a few hours. My thoughts kept returning to the girl and her shock. It reminded me yet again how fragile and unpredictable life is. And how much we owe our elders.

And it also reminded me how all our misunderstandings and irritations are so tiny when compared to the life of the person we harbour grudges against.

R.I.P

Bold Negotiations

2010-04-22T01:53:00.009+05:30

She stood still in the silent night watching the waves ebb away. They would be back shortly, with full strength. She walked along the sea shore, randomly picking up pebbles, debating with herself. She had tossed and turned the questions over all day, wondering if she could gather courage

The day dawned. She walked up to the desk and boldly negotiated with her teacher for the 2 marks that would enable her to apply to the college of her dreams.

=> My entry for 3 word Wednesday
http://www.threewordwednesday.com/2010/04/3ww-clxxxvi.html

Animals !

2010-04-20T20:05:00.006+05:30

I came across a forward which had a caption I loved 'Until you love an animal, a part of your soul lays unawakened'. How true!!

All my life, though I had friends, nothing could beat the love and affection my cousin's dog gave me... It was pure and sincere. When my cousin was around, Rover didn't even deign to look at me. When we went for walks, he always walked with my cousin, but always stopped to make sure all of us were there. Many times, when my mom and I lagged behind talking , he'd stop too, and wait for us to catch up. He's growing older and less active now. But inspite of that, never fails to give us the warm welcome he always has.

Another cousin's golder retriever was the first to help me lose my fear of dogs. He was big, stood on his paws and sniffed me all over. I felt like I was dying ... but when he finally stopped and licked my feet, it was the most amazing feeling. But him too, in my cousin's presence, wouldn't as much as honour me with a glance!

This is Rudolf. He passed away a few months ago. Though I haven't seen him in last 7 years, I know he'd have recognised me anywhere. He made a difference in all our lives.....

I've spent ages observing squirrels, ants, cats, ducks , fishes, geese .. and each time, I am amazed by what I see.. ..

I have seen the cruel side of the animal kingdom too ... have seen a male cat kill a kitten in a flash, seen a lizard strike its prey, seen two cheetahs fighting .... and have always felt the extremes of feeling in nature ... the love and the hatred.

A lot of animals are dying due to our insensitivity. I do not know how we can make a difference, but if there is someway, I think we should. Especially, save the tigers and the sparrows.

Closer home, I think the birds are in danger of dying from dehydration.
Please help them:

Keep bowls of water for them .... away from the ground, in a shade

Leave some grains of rice/daal for them

Do not encourage cutting of plants or leaves or flowers unless it possess some threat towards you.

Plant more plants

Need some help !

2010-04-15T20:08:00.005+05:30

I need some help for a friend.

I am not even sure if posting this article here is the right thing to do, but if I can somehow help my friend, it might just compensate the guilt of discussing her life without her permission.

I have a close childhood friend. She got married to a guy of her choice (from her community as well, and with the full approval of her parents). Now, the guy locks her up daily before he goes for work, offers no help with anything ... and she's virtually a prisoner.

He talks about how he know best as he is 7 years older than her.

And did I mention they have 2 tiny daughters ? Well, she didn't have much of a choice in that either.

Now, it has reached a stage where she is not allowed to do anything she wants, can't step out of home, and worse, her subconscious anger involuntarily gets directed on her daughter ...

The daughter, though just 3, understands a lot , and asks the father to stop yelling, but he uses this to again yell at my friend.

She wants to see a counselor, but he refuses to.

I want to help my friend .. but I do not know how to. I have tried to get her to summon courage and leave home as much as she can .. but it is so obvious she cannot.

I don't know if my friend is reading this post. But if there is some way she can get some help, I think this post is worth having been published.Things are a lot worse that what I can write here.

The Fake from Real

2010-04-12T04:45:00.007+05:30

Of all the ways in which people can fool me, the 2nd easiest way is with precious stones. I love buying precious stones/stone jewellery for the ladies in my family ..... sadly, I never know if I'm being taken for a ride. Really need to learn the art of differentiating the real from fake (philosophically speaking, probably need it in life too !!!!) ... Our family jeweller tried to teach me how to differentiate set diamond jewellery from zircone / american diamond jewellery .. but wouldn't trust myself to do an evaluation by myself.

Bought a string of coral and turquiose beads for the most needed lady in my life. Will know if I was being royally cheated in a few months time !

The Price Of innocence

2010-04-07T07:32:00.002+05:30

What is the price of innocence ?

I remember my favourite lines from "My name is Khan" .... "The death of an innocent has to be paid for by the entire humanity" (roughly translated). So, I tried to read what I could find in the Quran. What I found says "The death of one innocent is equal to the death of humanity" and "killing a person unjustly is the same as killing all of humanity, and saving a person is the same as saving all humanity" .... so why all this fight in the name of religion ?

When did religion decree killing for religion's sake ? Certain things I read in the translation of verses from the Quran shocked me. I don't know if such verses are for real, but if it is true, it is mighty sad. The same goes for certain verses' translations from the Bible too.

The other day I heard how most Christians in Canada are against the church only because of the church's way of controlling their lives. I have a friend who suffered a lot because she accepted her church's unwritten rule of not practising birth control.

Religion is supposed to enhance lives, bring in a strong foundation for faith and belief , and is something we should seek solace in. So, why harm for religion's sake ????

P.S : I started this post thinking of SRK in 'My name is Khan' .... remembered the dialogue from the movie .... and well one thing lead to another , and finally this post appears !!!!

A tear

2010-04-01T01:22:00.007+05:30

It was over an year now. The days of hoping and praying seemed wasted.

On one hand, she had betrayed her family and herself by committing to something that was called adultery. On the other, she had known pure happiness and peace even if it were short lived.

But now ? The one who had given her so much happiness was moving on with his life. And though at the face of it, she was reunited with her family, nothing was the same as before.

Is there a hope of happiness for her ? Are her feelings worth anything anymore ?

(Inspired by : http://smalltalksan.blogspot.com/2008/10/matrimony.html#links)

I am getting back

2010-03-26T19:42:00.003+05:30

For over an year now, I was at the mercy of my feelings. I had given a few friends the liberty to say and behave anyway they wanted with me. I faced repeated humiliation because of this, but I put up with it all because my affection was too great.

But, when friends of friends started taking the liberty too, it was time to draw the line. By nature, I do not swear ... but this time, I felt cheated and deceived. I've drawn the line. But I do regret having drawn it , coz I feel like I've betrayed my friends by cutting off, as well as I feel terrribly hurt .... but i do know that if I don't do so, there are going to be more friends of friends coming along to insult and hurt me.

I believe I owe a lot to my friends, and there are some that I'd stick up for as long as I can , and have forgiven for as long as I can. But the line is drawn when other people start misusing it too. But it hurts like hell to do what I just did .... blast a friend, and say that the relationship no longer exists .... it hurts so so so much !

Letting Go !

2010-03-26T02:51:00.003+05:30

Just realised what letting go really means !
I let go of one of the relationships that meant most to me ... I know in a couple of hours, I might regret my decision ... but for now, I think I am right.

When something / someone hurts your soul, there is a price to pay. These are words I'd have laughed at earlier .... but think about it .... if it were not true, people all around would be hurting each other without any reason ....

We can't command another's affection or respect .... but we definitely can let go !

Purpose behind things

2010-03-17T20:53:00.005+05:30

There is something that has been bothering me lately, and have been trying to find answers.

A lot of people (me included) believe blindly in God, and assume that whatever happens is God's wish. But there are a lot of people who also believe that their life is the way it is because of the choices they make.

Well, in all my life, I've never ever repented anything I've done, simply because it was probably my nature. But now, I feel I regret certain decisions I've made, and though most people say that the events in my life right now are a result of me earlier decisions, I hesitate to accept that.

I am not really sure if I am inactive because by default I lack the courage, or if I am waiting for God to show me a path .. I do know for sure it is not laziness.

At times, I feel I have no control over the events unfolding. But I stay calm because I believe God has a purpose behind all this.
And is this my duty ? It is not that I'm doing something I enjoy or want to do. But is what I'm doing now God's will ? Is it God's path as a stepping stone for me ? Or is it just a sign of my complacence ?

I am thoroughly confused. I need to get some answers soon !

New post, new zest!

2010-03-16T23:58:00.002+05:30

Have decided to pick up the reins of writing yet again. Jeseem has of course been a major inspiration behind this.

Was looking back at when I started this blog ..... used to write as writing has been the best way I get out of my emotions ... little did I know my blog would win me support from unexpected quarters.

There is a lot I think about these days , nature causes not excluded !

Today is the starting of a new year for me - Ugadi. So, looking forward to an eventful new year !

Brinjals

2010-01-25T01:44:00.001+05:30

Confusions

2009-03-21T02:25:00.002+05:30

A lot has been happening over the last one year.
And I am a lot worse than before , I think ... or is it only my negative thought process that is taking control now ????

Where is my cheer, my carefree spirit and the joy I once had within me ? I am stuck between 2 choices, and suddenly forced to think of the future. It's driving me mad ....

i am happy :)

2008-03-17T22:40:00.002+05:30

Am real happy.

Had secluded myself for the past 1 week. Was busy getting things in order, and now that it is all done, the sense of relief is great !

Could dance in the rain now :)

Save The Tiger

2008-02-23T08:39:00.006+05:30

I have no idea how people go about saving animals, especially ferocious ones like tigers. But, I do know no animal should be forced to extinction just because of our greed.

Though personally, I dislike cats , I revere the big ones ... especially pumas, tigers and cheetahs ... Their agility and speed. And I do like tigers ... very much, in fact ! I like the expressions on their faces - a melting look at one moment , and a look of pure anger the very next moment. If looks were an indication of character, tigers would be the most genuine living beings. Nothing done by half .... Affection and anger in full measures. And they are wonderful swimmers !

But, in most stories, tigers are depicted as villainous. Especially in the case of "The Jungle Book".

I feel bad that these animals are dying. I don't know if there is something that can be done from my side ... but if there is , I'd like to do it.

Crib ... crib

2008-02-18T23:51:00.003+05:30

Here comes the periodic post on what lousy friends most guys make !

Rule #3 from the movie "Rules : Pyaar ka superhit formula" really really does have a valid principle ... The rule being "Aadmi ko hamesha ek raaz bani raho" (Always be mysterious to men) ... It doesnt matter if the man/guy in question is just a friend and you dont wish to let it go beyond simple friendship.

A huge blow to the fragile female ego when a guy who used to pay a lot of minute attention suddenly turns indifferent and inattentive ...

Cooling of friendship, or maybe other friends or females who have higher priorities .... whatever it be , definitely hurts the female soul ....

Anyways, lesson learnt .... always maintain sufficient distance so as to retain the curiosity !

But still, my pride is hurting like hell .. Damn damn damn !

I joined the bandwagon !

2008-02-13T22:38:00.003+05:30

Finally, I am part of the bandwagon .... Dont get me wrong ... am not talking of all the madly in love or happily married or unhappily married folks out there.

I am part of the bandwagon of terribly confused souls. Souls who are caught between a necessity to do something and the inability to do it.... The obvious advice I get is you can always do what you want ... Well, not so simple .... Coz what I need to do requires 1 month leave from my work , which am sure am not going to get ......

Am so so so confused .... I put off taking a decision in the hope that the matter would go away, but it didnt ... It just grew huger than ever ... Damn damn damn !!!!

Happy Valentines Day to all the folks who believe in it !

... Me ....

2008-01-25T00:02:00.000+05:30

I love myself for who I am
The total bliss I experience in me
Moments untouched by external incidents
Feelings created by a favourite tune or a delicious fragrance

Pain goes only to a certain point
After which internal defenses take control
To prevent me from breaking
And totally losing control

Oh God ! Your masterpiece is a wonder
A work of amazing beauty
That has the created stunned
And ever grateful to You ......

(P.S : The favourite tune in question - Manjal Veiyil from Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu)

Bourne legacy !

2008-01-22T20:37:00.000+05:30

Recently , bought a copy of "The Bourne Identity". ... The main reason was that I watched "The Bourne Supremacy" and was rather confused. Liked "The Bourne Supremacy" and was tempted to buy the "The Bourne Identity" book. Must confess , am rather adicted to it now.

Is it really possible that a person loses his memory but still retains his developed skills ? I Find that a bit hard to digest

Why can't men behave (Part 2)

2008-01-13T16:45:00.000+05:30

Oh well !

I was mistaken ... my last post must have given the impression that men misbehave only in water ... well , now I realise they do so even on dry land !

The above statement is in reference to the assaults that occurred on New Year's eve at Nariman point , Mumbai. A few women were assaulted after their male friends were beaten up. Till now the general attitude of the society was that women who stayed out of home ALONE were asking for it ... But now , any woman who steps out of home , even with male company (whether it be with a brother , boyfriend , husband or father) seems to be asking for it !!

Why talk about the women who were assaulted when away from home ? Maybe women partying with their male friends at midnight look like easy prey ... but , what about the woman who was assaulted in the afternoon at her own house, after the husband was beaten up ?

Isn't there something frightening in these incidents ? It is not the downtrodden or improvished women alone who are attacked. Educated , working women are also targets. Any woman who might have gotten up from the wrong side of the bed or whose fate was written by an ill humoured God seems to be the victim !

Why can't guys behave ??

2007-08-23T14:38:00.000+05:30

What is it with guys ? Why are they so unruly and ill-behaved ?

I am in a different city. Came to the swimming pool here. Was not sure of the ladies batch timings , and reached the pool an hour too early. And the guard who issues the tickets looked away when I asked him for a ticket ... and when I asked him again , he said : "M'am it is not the ladies batch yet." . I asked him if there was a problem. He again looked away and said:" I'd advise you not to go in this batch. You can never predict what the guys can do".

Damn ! Every pool in every city in India has just 1 batch for women and about 5 batches for men , in addition to common bacthes throughout the day. why the injustice ? Dont women enjoy swimming as much as men ??

If only guys could behave well, would have been in the pool and not writing this article. I still have 45 minutes to go before I can enter the pool. Hopefully, it wont rain then !!

2007-08-16T09:20:00.000+05:30

With stars in my eyes and hope in my heart
I spent my childhood
With full belief in destiny and myself
And now I realise I was a fool

.... This is about a certain lady. She grew up in a very loving and happy environment. Her parents were both professors, and hence the entire focus was on education. She has 2 sisters , both of them much younger to her. She took care of their education.

She joined the defence after her studies. She got married in a year ,and had a kid the next year. 20 years later , neither does she have anyone to call her own , nor anybody to mitigate her loneliness. She still keeps in touch with her parents and siblings , but they have a life of their own , and find it irritating to always be there for her. She lives in a city very far from her parents. Her son stays with her parents , but refuses to move in with her. No mention about her husband.

She used to lay sleepless throughout the night. She goes into frequent fits of depression due to her loneliness. She tried to keep herself engaged and active throughout the day so that she gets deep sleep at night. She used to take sleeping pills, till it reached a stage where even they didnt have any effect. She is better now , but still wakes up in the middle of the night in terror , and is scared of going back to sleep.

The Face of evil

2007-08-05T23:22:00.000+05:30

Dark , full moon nights ( a contradiction ??), howling of wolves , blood sucking vampires, spirits out for vengeance .... visions that popular horror stories are made.

Still closer are stories of homicidal murderers and gun happy students.

But none as scary as the incident that came to light this week. A man was sentenced for killing people on full moon day. When asked why he did so , he said because he felt like it. No trace of remorse ... He killed 4 people. His 5th victim escaped. He apparently said he was born on a full moon day, and hence killed people on full moon days. Sounds like a psycho , but he seems perfectly sane.

Here I am !

2007-07-29T00:12:00.000+05:30

I never knew what I missed till it was gone .... Never realised how much I missed writing till I missed recording a few happenings in my diary.

Time constraints seem to have become less as I've upgraded my net connection.

Major event that happened since I last wrote : swimming , and it seems to have done wonders to my health and stamina . The disadvantage : increased appetite, darker complexion , and hair that appears malnurished , thanks to the chlorine content. But again , I am not complaining !

A Real Story

2007-03-27T10:13:00.000+05:30

A long time ago .. errrrr .. a week ago, there was a private bus travelling from the south of Kerala to the most developed city of Karnataka. The bus service was owned by a family from Tamil Nadu, who emblazoned "K.P.N" on all their vehicles.
The bus had almost reached its destination , when it ran over a lady on the outskirts of the city. The location being "Madivala". And the lady died on the spot.
Generally, fast moving rash vehicles are managed by cowards. It is mandatory that 2 drivers and a helper be present on all long distance journeys. So too in this case. Well , back to the story ... As soon as the lady was run over, the driver who was asleep got out of the bus and ran away. The driver who was driving the bus went to the back of the bus , changed to a "T", and escaped. A brainwave hit him , and he locked the bus behind him.
The hapless travellers were all prisoned in a gigantic bus. The locals started bombarding the bus with stones. Gradually , they realised that the drivers had escaped. And then , they broke open the door and let the unfortunate passengers out , as well as broke open the luggage compartment, and handed out the luggage. And my friend who was travelling in the bus thanked the stars above ,that the locals didnt think of torching the bus !

Dog's Life

2007-03-22T16:35:00.000+05:30

The day we dreaded is here ..... Remember the many times we said "Every dog has a day" ?? Well, the dogs at Bangalore are DEFINITELY having it their way !

What better way to get back at the human race for the years of atrocities than to kill their offspring ?

Stone throwing , Merciless teasing and sadistic pleasure .... a history of brutality ... all wiped away with the horrifying gang attack against innocent children.

Children always pay the price for the bad deeds of adults !!!

And after all said and done , a bunch of crazy people living in their ivory towers protest against measures being taken to curb this brutality ... If they are unable to take the responsibility of sheltering the street wanderers, those in the seat of authority have every right to make sure more humans are not mercilessly killed. ....

The very same scenario was described a long time ago in a book called "Birds" by Daphne Du Maurier .. the book describes how different kinds of birds , all driven by lack of food , form an unbelievable gathering , and start killing humans and animals for food !

Prev post clarification

2007-02-22T13:20:00.000+05:30

Errr ..... please note :

I was not really talking about myself in the previous post . I was trying to analyse the feelings of a writing pen in my world .. Though parallels can be drawn , it really wasn't about me ...

And it was supposed to be comic .. I guess the irony / commedy in the situation was lost in the narration !

I am ....

2007-02-21T13:23:00.000+05:30

I looked around. All I could see was chaos .... The noise , the confusion , the unimaginable.
A series of rising lines in the horizon , a deep void behind me ...
I wondered when I would be free from this claustrophobic atmosphere, when I could break this stiffling ambience and go out into the open .. into the free space beyond.

It wasn't that I was unhappy. It was just the chaos of all things around me . The desire to make my life better. To make my existence worthwhile. To prove my usefulness in this world. To make me worthy of what THE being created me for.

For at the moment , I was nothing but a writing pen in a signal processing engineer's cubicle.

Privacy issues

2007-02-19T16:54:00.000+05:30

A magnet attracts substances to itself , but not once does it get attracted to other substances.

There are a few people like magnets. You can never get to their inner most thoughts unless they will it. They attract people to them, like moths attracted to fire ....

And they keep a distance from the moths ... If the moths try to venture too close , they ward the moths away with the sharpness of their inner light.

The magnets don't go around hunting for substances , unlike the objects that strive to be the centre of attraction. The magnets are cold , absorbed in themselves, and take refuge in more cold magnets. They know the full extent of their attraction, but tend to tone it down.

But when a situation arises where they want to impress with their magnetism, they sizzle and shimmer.

The connection between the heading of the post and the body ? Magnets would understand it ;)))))

An issue and an art

2007-02-16T11:04:00.000+05:30

First of all , the issue : The price of the essential commodities have been hiked. So, the consumer society has decided to go on a peaceful protest. The society urges everybody to abstain from buying items or going to restaurants on Saturday , the 17th. I wish more amongst us would cooperate. This is an issue which affects us all .I have decided not to go shopping tomorrow , or visit restaurants.

The Art : We had a competition at work. Made a banner for the company using thermocol. I had to block the company name due to company , as well as personal preferences, and that blocking is responsible for patches of pink in the picture. The theme was "Fairy Tales" , and hence , there is Puss In Boots , Cinderella, a dwarf , and a fairy.

ENDARO MAHANU .....

2007-02-15T09:52:00.000+05:30

" ENDARO MAHANU BAVULU " is probably my favourite Carnatic classical song.

Those who know about classical music would know that this song is in the "Sreeraga".
My family believes in the children learning Carnatic music right from their childhood. And, it was no different in my case either. Of all the ragas I learnt , Sreeraga was my favourite. Not just in Carnatic music, but I liked those film songs that followed this raga more than the others. My other favourite raga was Kaanada.

" ENDARO MAHANU BAVULU " was sung by Sri Tyagaraja. This song was composed by him after watching the great Shadkala Govinda Mara perform. The language it is composed in is Telugu.

The song is a dedication to all the great maestros and performers.
The line : "ENDARO MAHANU BAVULU " means "Salutations to all the great men in this world"