Credit belongs to the doer

Hat tip to the Sporting Edge for the following quote by Theodore Roosevelt:

It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.

The Sixth Verse of Lao-tzu

The Sixth Verse of Lao-tzu

The spirit that never dies

is called the mysterious feminine.

Although she becomes the whole universe,

her immaculate purity is never lost.

Although she assumes countless forms,

her true identity remains intact.

The gateway to the mysterious female

is called the root of creation.

Listen to her voice,

hear it echo through creation.

Without fail, she reveals her presence.

Without fail, she brings us to our own perfection.

Although it is invisible, it endures;

it will never end.

Be wary of the Lankans

Got this as a BBM forward via Kushan and it is by far the best forward regarding the World Cup that I have read, including from the ones that I received before the India vs. Pakistan match.

Here goes:

India waalon, zara sambhaal ke rehna...

Tumhari Munni badnaam hai, aur Sheela jawaan hai

Aur yeh Lanka waale saale Raavan ki aulaad hai.

Yamla Pagla Deewana: The Review

Couple of things:

*Dad is much better ~touch wood~, discharged from the hospital and back home. Heartfelt thanks and gratitude to every one who helped, prayed and was there for us.

*Have linked my blog to Facebook notes; so many friends who comment there don't really know that they're actually reading stuff that I put up on my blog at http://adventuresofatraveller.blogspot.com

*The blog crossed 20,000 hits !! Yeah !!!

*Recently spoke to a friend who hasn't really commented on the blog or on FB. But felt nice when he said he liked reading what I wrote from time to time.

*With that, onto a film review, 'coz I've really had it with writing / thinking serious stuff

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Yamla Pagla Deewana: My thoughts

*Doing a bullet-point review 'coz really, that *is* the theme of this post (haven't you noticed already?)

*The idea of opening the film with Ajay Devgan's voice-over with the choicest of clips from Yaadon Ki Baarat / Amar Akbar Anthony set the theme of the film pretty well, telling the viewer that the film-makers were here to have fun

*The second half, where the action shifts to Punjab, is definitely more fun than the first half

*What the hell were they thinking when they got the clothes for the item girl in "Tinku Jiya"? Sorry, but she ended up looking cheap.

*What the hell was Bobby's stylist smoking ? (a jacket which was half green-half purple, another which had three different shades of yellow, printed floral shirts with a 'gamcha' around his neck and finally, a red kurta with golden, yes, GOLDEN pyajamas) Not that it didn't bring a lot of laughs.

*Loved the bit where the trio are getting away after looting an ATM and Dharam paaji goes "U-turn kyun li? Gaadi ki doosri side to paint hi nahin ki" and what appears to be a security van on one side turns out to be a stolen ambulance on the other !!

*The "Chadha De Rang" song is actually pretty hummable once you've heard it a couple of times

*Loved the fact that the film took pot-shots at the Deols:

- Dharam paaji did almost *all* his signature dance steps and don't even ask about the number of times the drinking habits were alluded to

- Sunny Deol did *that* hathoda-chaap dance step from 'Yaara o yaara' (Jeet)

- When Sunny isn't able to draw water from a hand-pump, Bobby goes "Abbe chalayega ya ukhadega?"

- Even Abhay Deol wasn't spared: "Aaj kal to Devdas ko bhi Dev-D banna padta hai"

*The new girl, Kulraj Randhawa, looked really pretty but could've definitely done with less make-up

*The whole 'Caneda' (not a typo) angle with the Poli character was ROFL

*Watch out how 'Chori chori jab nazrein mili' from Kareeb is used to hillarious effect when Bobby rescues Anupam Kher from villains by swinging on a rope ala Tarzan

All in all, a good comedy film. Leave your brains behind, but as if you didn't know about the movie already.

Lessons from the last couple of days

The last couple of days have been a test. You can't go through life without expecting some knocks, and SOS calls at 4:30 AM are as good as knocks can come (I wouldn't want to know worse, thank you very much).

Here are some things I learned in the last 72 odd hours:

* For any given situation, you can either get stressed and worried or you can determinedly keep re-focussing on the positive side of things. Keep doing the latter and be a positive influence on those around you.

* Many people say "This too shall pass" is a good way of reminding oneself of the ephemeral nature of troubles. However, I prefer telling myself "This too shall be overcome" to remind myself of the strength of spirit and undying positive energy each one of us carries within ourselves.

* Have you ever been part of or have observed how a *team* of people walk out into a competition as opposed to a single person? The sense of camaraderie and "I got your back, brother" attitude is what, in my opinion, creates the effect of the sum being greater than the parts. I have never felt more relieved than I was when 'my gang' of college friends just stood by me in the hour of need.

* Dunno, but I feel nobody understands a woman's pain like another woman. Thank heavens my paternal aunts were here when Mom was so disturbed. Having them around helped Mom greatly and I stand indebted to them.

A Prayer

1991

"Repeat after me," Mom said, "Om Mrityunjay Mahadev..."

"Om Mrityunjay Mahadev...," I repeated like a parrot.

Calcutta (as it was known back then) had still not shrugged off the days of "load-shedding" and it was during one such evening during a power failure that Mom decided I was old enough to start learning Sanskrit shlokas.

I still remember the dark room, Mom sitting on a sofa and asking me to repeat the shloka aloud. After about 5 times, I confidently declared that I'd memorized it completely. Like all mothers, Mom knew that it would take a lot more than just five repetitions for me to "know it by heart". She made me repeat the shloka a couple of hundred times over the next few weeks for it to get firmly embedded in my consciousness.

2008

I was in Bangalore (as it was known back then ~sighs~) and staying alone in my one room apartment in Koramangala. I haven't ALWAYS been regular with my daily prayers, but do get curious about religion from time to time. Add to that, I've always been fascinated by the personality that is Shiva. I don't remember where, but I chanced upon Neelima Chitgopekar's book on Shiva.

Whilst browsing, I was merely reading aloud the many shlokas which were scattered through the length of the book when something strange happened. One particular shloka, which I hadn't ever heard in its entirety, let alone memorized, struck a chord somewhere. As I went back and forth over it, I realized that I started singing the shloka in a particular metre.

I was puzzled. Where was this coming from? How was I being able to anticipate the next few verses of a hymn which had never been taught to me?

It took me a while to figure out that I had known this shloka since my childhood. All my growing up years, I had heard Mom repeat the shloka while doing her morning and evening puja. And yes, the shloka was repeated in the exact same metre that I was repeating it in now. I had never paid any particular attention to her while she prayed; I would be reading a book or running around the house like any normal kid. But somewhere, the shloka had stuck inside my head and today it was all coming back to me.

I realize I have been very fortunate in my life to have some fantastic teachers. I keep bumping into new ones even today, and boy am I grateful I do.

But the one teacher who I owe it most to is my Mom.

"Guru Govind dono khade, kake lagu paaye?

Balihaari guru aapki Govind diyo bataaye."

The Lord and my teacher both stand in front of me,

I know not whom to offer obeisance first.

The answer to which is, dear teacher,

You were the one who showed me the path to the Lord.

Mom, you continue to inspire me.

A Vagabond's Realisation

Something I wrote a couple of months ago.

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He felt he had everything in the world.

He smiled, laughed and danced with the wind, the moon and the stars. He roamed the villages, towns and forests and met others like him. He looked at them incredulously, amazed and astounded at their display of emotions. He was so much like them, and yet, so different.

"Or does everyone feel that way?" And with that, a smile descended on that clear face and he let the question and the thought drift away. Just like that.

That was him. Not a care in the world.

He hadn't seen a mirror in months. He had occasionally seen his reflection in the flowing water of the stream but the ripples on the surface always made it difficult for him to see his face properly. That never worried him much. He knew the world would accept him just as he was. Just as he had accepted the world as it was.

He would walk, sometimes mindlessly rush, in a general direction all day. A motley crowd was indeed headed somewhere in the same direction as he was but none were certain about their destination. They often paused during the day wondering which way they should go. It would sometimes lead to some of these fellow travellers deciding they needed to head elsewhere.

They passed him by on their journey.

He never disliked them; never said a harsh word. He couldn't. That wasn't him. All he would do, is sometimes allow himself to look at the departing friends with a smile and with a sigh tell himself it was perhaps all right to envy them. Sometimes. Perhaps.

Hopefully, someday, somewhere...

In another lifetime, maybe...

He loved his band of vagabonds. Bound by the invisible cord that often bonds carefree spirits, they were a joyous bunch who shared food, drink, laughter and love.

He loved listening to ballads. The great pathos in the voices of the untrained countryside singers filled his heart with great sorrow every time he heard them. The emotion of the songs moved him like nothing else could, not even like some of the greatest of literature he'd read.

He had fallen in love with nature. Mountains of all sorts and wide-open beaches were his playground. He climbed rocky mountain surfaces and swam in the deep blue ocean with equal fervour and joy. Sometimes, he would just run on the beaches with his hands spread out, like a kite in the wind.

He would look up at the skies when it would rain. He would try to decide whether the heavenly droplets were fore-bearers of grief or joyous moments. He tried not to be judgmental, but it was difficult. He would strain looking at the skies as if waiting to hear the graceful music of the gods.

Indeed, one day, he just broke down and cried his heart out. "Why?" he asked himself. "Idiot," came the impish reply, "you never asked 'why' when you laughed out loud... Just feel the moment and flow with the rhythm of the universe."

Yet, he now knew what they meant when they said you might have everything and yet have nothing at all.

Adieu

You will be missed.

Random Midnight Thoughts - Episode 1 (?)

Random Midnight Thought (RMT) # 1: I get more SMSes from bots telling me about Minutes Of Usages (MOUs) clocked on my service than from friends telling me the latest gup-shup in their life.

RMT # 2: I'm listening to 'All Izz Well' from 3 Idiots in a desperate bid to induce myself into thinking that all is indeed well.

RMT # 3: I just realised why older people don't get drunk easily; the more the pain, the more alcohol necessary to heal the wounds... albeit temporarily

RMT # 4: When friends know your secrets better than your parents, it's easier to hide things from your parents than your friends

RMT # 5: "Agle mod pe, maut khadi hai.... marne ki bhi kya jaldi hai?"

RMT # 6: I wish I could just drive a car at full speed across a highway all through the night so that I could ultimately see the sun rising at dawn

Sleep with a smile

The long day has come to an end. Silence surrounds you. The gentle warmth of the blanket engulfs you.

Try smiling as you close your eyes and drift off to sleep. It is a happy feeling.

Remind yourself of whatever brings a smile:

Mom's cooking

A baby's laughter

A loved one's gentle touch

Pride on your father's face

A guitar strumming the first strands of your favorite song

Tiffin breaks in school

Bunking college classes

Steaming hot kulhars of chai in chilly winter nights

The first drops of monsoon

~ Dear Reader, add your own list here :) ~

Give Me Some Sunshine Redux

I guess one measure of how popular a Hindi film song is in public conscience is by the number of avatars the general public invent for it.

The earliest such song that comes to memory is "Tu tu tu...tu tu tara... todo na dil hamara". Apparently, roadside Romeos in Gujarat used to call out to girls by the opening words "Tu tu tu...tu tu tara..." to which the girls used to retort with a rhyming "Tara karta kutra sara" (dogs are better than you are).

Cut to present day, it is no secret that the song "Give Me Some Sunshine" from 3 Idiots is a rage, especially among the college and the young office-going crowd. Hence, I wasn't surprised when I found this version of the song in my inbox the other day:

Give Me Some Sunshine - The Office Crowd version

Saari umr hum
Office mein mar gaye
Ek pal to ab humein jeene do...jeene do.

Give me a flight
Give me a train
Give me another chance
I wanna go home once again

Kandhon ko laptop
Ke bojh ne jhukaya
Client se jhoot bolna tho khud
Manager ne sikhaya

4.5 ya 5 rating laaoge to chhuti, varna kismat futi
Kaam kar kar ke pada ungaliyon pe
REVIEW, SCREEN aur REWORK ka chaala

Is Project ne to sala poora..
Poora bheja pakka daala

Career to gaya
Girlfriend bhi gayi
Ek pal to ab humein
Jeene do jeene do

Career to gaya
Girlfriend bhi gayi
Ek pal to ab humein
Jeene do jeene do

Saari umr hum
Office main jee liye
Ek pal to ab humein jeene do...jeene do

Perhaps encouraged by this, the Drunkards Anonymous Association of India have started forwarding the following as a 3 part SMS:

Give Me Some Sunshine - The Drunkard's Version

Saari umra ham
Mar mar ke ji liye
Ek glass to ab hame
Pine do... pine do.

Saari umra ham
Mar mar ke ji liye
Ek glass to ab hame
Pine do... pine do.

Give me some white wine

Give me some red

Give me another chance

I wanna get drunk once again.

Kandhon ko kitabon ke bojh ne jhukaya

Daaru pina to khud doston ne sikhaya

99% laoge to whisky

Warna beta yeh le desi

Pi-pi kar bana hatheli par whisky, rum, vodka ka chaala

Cocktail-Mocktail ne pura bachpan jala daala

Bachpan to gaya,

Item bhi gayi

Ek pal to ab hame

Pine do.. pine do

Saari umra ham
Mar mar ke ji liye
Ek glass to ab hame
Pine do... pine do.

Give me some white wine

Give me some red

Give me another chance

I wanna get drunk once again.

The roar at Eden

It is a very tough climb to the top… it is even tougher to stay there.

Ask the Indian cricket team; they did exactly that today.

What’s more, they almost faltered owing to one bearded gentleman who played a defiantly heroic knock.

To think that this thrilling Test series almost never happened… ~phew~

I was in office and even caught a couple of deliveries of the match on a colleague’s laptop who was watching it thanks to the wonders of wireless broadband technology. “Only 9 more overs to go in the day and Morkel and Amla don’t seem to be budging,” I told myself. Resigned, I returned to my desk.

A couple of minutes later, a whoop of joy was let out by the group which had crowded around that laptop. Even as I rushed with a grin towards them, I knew that Eden had once again worked its special brand of magic.

The sight of Harbhajan charging towards the stands like a warrior who has just won a battle will stick in my mind forever. He knows this ground reserves special love for him: the Eden crowd ooh-ed and aah-ed with every delivery of his that went past the edge of the bat or dropped just short of the man at forward short leg, they celebrated with the turbanned warrior with every wicket that he took. Bhajji knows how big a factor the crowd is at Eden and this was his moment of acknowledging his most vociferous teammates who sat in the stands.

Not to be forgotten is Laxman, the VVS in whose name Chappel says must stand for Very Very Special. 1000+ runs on a particular ground is no mean feat, but then, Laxman is no ordinary batsman and Eden isn’t any other ground. Ever since that Test match in 2001, Laxman has taken on the mantle of making this his home away from home, much like his fellow Hyderabadi Azhar did before him.

All those who fore-casted the death of Test match cricket... beware!! Test Matches have shown the sheer nail-biting excitement it is capable of delivering: first there was the England vs. South Africa series, then the Pakistan tour of Australia, and now, the roar at Eden Gardens.

What kind of a kid are you?

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was crooning “Dil To Bachcha Hai Jee” on my laptop while I was speaking to Motee on the phone.

“How much of a kid am I?” I asked.

“Umm…”, followed by a slight pause. “You are a spoilt, tantrum throwing, nerdy, geeky kid !!”

:D

Strangely, I LOVE that description.

My blind date on Valentine's Day

I thought I'd quickly write about what has been happening in my life lately.

Well, not much has been happening in my life lately.

~ducks~ (Pardon the silly attempt at humour, but I'm really spaced out here.)

Oh !! Except for the fact that I happened to have an impromptu blind date with a charming lady on Valentine's Day (now that I'm sure has gotten the audience attention).

Before you fall off your chairs of surprise, let me tell you that the lady in question happens to be my 87 year old, 4 feet 5 inches tall neighbour who I happened to meet on Sunday evening. From the manner in which she spoke to me, it was pretty evident that she is pretty lonely and doesn't get much to speak in front of her children who, she tells me, consider her a pest. And so, when she realized she had in me a guy who patiently kept standing at his front door listening to her stories of how Calcutta was in 1941, she decided to make the most of it.

The old lady spoke non-stop for almost 20-25 minutes and she covered a range of topics and a timeline which was mind-boggling. Knowing that I was from Calcutta, she started by telling me that she too had spent her initial years in Cal.

She narrated stories of the terrible riots that blazed through the city soon after the partition of the country in 1947 as if it were just yesterday. Later, her family set up an achaar-chutney-paapad manufacturing unit in the city. Business prospered and she settled down into the regular Indian middle-class housewife routine of caring for her family.

A couple of decades down the line, one of her sons moved to Mumbai and she came along with his family. Some years later, this old lady travelled to America to assist one of her daughters who had married and settled there and was pregnant. The old lady told me how thankful she was for having been educated by her family in an era when education for the girl-child was more the exception than the norm (is it a norm today yet or am I just looking at my country through metropolitan-tinted-glasses?). This education came in handy when she went abroad and had to communicate with citizens of a country she had never ever met earlier.

She told me she had studied Sanskrit and literature when in college around the year 1941. She said she loves learning new things and given an opportunity would love to learn German and Spanish even today. Here, the conversation (I smiled and nodded politely right throughout) took a different turn and she started discussing Hindu mythology. And no, not Ramayan or Mahabharat, which I'm so fond of. She began at the beginning of time!! She started quoting from the Vishnu Purana about how the creation of the world came about and the significance of the Holy trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh.

On my part, it began simply as an exercise in being polite. To be honest, at the start I was only wondering when she would cease so that I could go back to the Domino's which I'd ordered and was getting colder by the minute lying on the dinner table. But then, something struck. I got completely engrossed in the old lady's life-story... it was like watching a small history of India unfolding right in front of my eyes.

Anyway, so much for a Valentine's Day blind date. ~grins~

The fun vids

A quick post on a couple of fundoo videos I stumbled across.

First of all, this really fun way to make more people take the stairs instead of an escalator. Watch as people hop, skip and jump (literally) over the stairs as it makes those piano sounds. Courtesy: Sayesha's blog.

Next, this awesome wedding dance tribute to Michael Jackson's Thriller. Loved the spontaneous and unannounced way in which the dancers begin.



The wedding dance obviously reminded me of this (don't remember having put this up over here). Like I commented on this video some time ago, if ever you decide to make a grand entrance to your own wedding, let it be an inspiration from this.

Ishqiya

Last night was a washout. Herbert and I met up looking for a watering hole. We were thinking Toto's but then decided on Adda near the Andheri Sports Complex. Only on reaching there did we realise that it was a dry day owing to Gandhiji's death anniversary.

We shrugged off our disappointment and went off to Juhu Beach. Over chanachur garam and a very very long walk, the two friends discussed life as it is now, the work scene and obviously, what life was like in Calcutta (Herbert told me of this funny anecdote about a friend of ours who once dodged Herbert's mom's mindful eye to play Holi even though he had fever and had just gulped down a Crocin). The long walk over, we settled for kala-khatta and then headed off to Shiv Sagar for paav-bhaji and masala dosa.

Today morning, caught up with Motee and the Apsara on the phone before heading off to Infiniti to catch up with the Panda and a couple of other folks for a showing of Ishqiya. It is a brilliant movie. Vishal Bhardwaj's films seem to have perfected the art-form where they excite the hardcore movie-buff as well as entertain the mango people. Ishqiya is as good as any Western you'll see. Full marks to debutant director Abhishek Chaubey. Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi and Vidya Balan are a treat to watch as they capture the look and feel of Uttar Pradesh not only in their costumes but also in their language. The three-way showdown at the climax of the film is as good as the one in Kaminey. I have already mentioned Ibn-E-Batuta and Dil To Bachcha Hai Jee earlier on the blog, but there's also this Rekha Bhardwaj number called Badi Dheere Jali which you must watch out for. Also, the use of old Hindi songs as pointers throughout the film are a treat.

The film was followed by lunch at Masala Mantar. Had a Caipiroska for the first time. Looks a lot like Mojito, but is different and ah! very refreshing. Good food, good conversation and also caught up on the first two sets of the finals of the Australian Open between Federer and Andy Murray. Federer was making Murray run to all parts of the court and the Panda couldn't help commenting that the match would be over in 3 sets (he turned out to be correct, after all).

Oh and yes, we went off to Landmark after the movie. I caught up on my monthly budget of a Batman graphic novel (Hush) and a Wodehouse (Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit). Also, stumbled upon a Rough Guide to the Lord of the Rings. Over at lunch, Kunal (the Panda's friend) told me to search YouTube for 'The Hunt for Gollum'.

True to Kunal's word, this is a brilliant film. All Lord Of The Rings fans would love this. It is so well made, you'll find it hard to believe that these are just amateurs who've made this movie without help from a big budget studio or any huge funding.

Three day break

Righto. That was pretty quick. As it turns out, three days turned out to be quite a short stint in Cal. (Must figure out a way to take a long chutti; haven’t taken one in 3 years since I joined this company and I think me system needs it… pretty soon!!)

Attended a rocking sangeet party at the Park Hotel followed the next evening by the wedding itself. Felt awesome to catch up with oldest of friends from school times. The fact that it was a hard-core Punju wedding wasn’t lost on anybody – the dulha atop the ghodi had the first swig from a bottle of whisky to kick-off the baraat celebrations! Fir kya tha? The bottle was handed from one eager baraati to another till we’d downed most of it neat. What’s more, I even found the answer to why for some unknown reason baraat-bands play “Yeh desh hai veer jawanon ka” on such occasions. Old friend Doc explained, “It takes a lot of courage to sit atop a ghodi and gallop towards what is inevitably going to be the end of your happy life.” Go figure.

I must admit, though, that I spent most of the time in Calcutta just catching up on sleep. Slept like a log on Sunday afternoon and also most of today. But that was a given. Last night, after the wedding, I headed off to Lambu’s place with Bulla and Budhau. God alone knows why Horse didn’t make it.

Lambu’s place in Salt Lake has now become special for me. Our gang has now spent quite a few merry hours there just doing the college-gang like thing; eat Maggi or order for pizza, have a beer or three (no, that wasn’t a typo) and generally just catch up on each other’s lives. Last evening was no different. Of course, all the neat whisky from the shaadi got to me and I dozed off at the first given opportunity (I’m sure these folks, especially Lambu, must’ve abused me to hell and back for being a spoilsport) but not before introducing Lambu & Budhau to the pleasures of The Big Bang Theory. This was the first time they saw a couple of episodes of the said sitcom, and I think we might have new followers. As for me, I was just very happy to have caught a glimpse of Penny after a long time!! ~evil grin~

By the way, I was on radio today evening!! A senior friend who knows a RJ in Mumbai messaged me that I must be ready to speak about a patriotic film that I really like. I said cool and promptly decided upon Lagaan (I was planning on saying how it was a non-violent version of patriotism and showed India’s unity in diversity beautifully in the rag-tag cricket team that Bhuwan put together). Only later in the evening did I find out that the RJ herself was going to speak about Lagaan!! Thank heavens I was prepared with a back-up plan and blurted out Border as my second favorite. When I did finally go live on air, the phone line was pretty noisy but I managed to strain and hear the RJ. I hope I sounded decent on live radio… don’t know whether it would match up to my “Hindustan Ki Awaaz” bit from Nirma though (I had done the voice over as “Hindustan Ki Awaz” in a spoof on Mughal-E-Azam that our juniors had done. The fact that it was my voice which had a slight baritone timbre had surprised all. Damn!! How I wish I could get my hands on a copy of that audio file).

Power of the Secret anyone?

Like I said on Twitter, blogged at 3 in the morning about Ishqiya and bumped into (from left) Abhishek Chaubey (director), the producer of Ishqiya and Arshad Warsi at the Mumbai airport.

@Nvavi on Twitter says he's gonna blog about Angelina Jolie tonight. All the best dude!! :D

Mixed Feelings

After a good 6 months away from home, I'm now just a couple of hours away from taking a flight to Calcutta. I return with a mixed bag of emotions. A childhood friend is about to embark on the grand adventure called marriage. On the other hand, my eldest maasi passed away yesterday and I don't know how to face Mom.

Still, I look forward to sharing in the joys and sorrows of near and dear ones and what better place than Calcutta, a city I shall always call home, no matter where life takes me.

Biscuit called today evening and it was a joy, like always, to speak to her. I love the fact that she's again involved with theatre, albeit in a little way, and living her passion from one Sunday to the next.

Biscuit reminds me of her so-called-sweetheart (ha ha ha) Herbert. It's been more than two weeks since I met him. I wish I could beat the fellow into a pulp. A couple of months ago when we went to Ahmedabad, Dipan bhai had given me a saree to give to Mom. I asked Herbert to keep it for me since I didn't have space in my bag then. The idiot has been forgetting to give it to me ever since. Hmph.

I have the Ibn-e-Batuta song from Ishqiya stuck in my head. Really started liking Dil to Bachha Hai Jee too, now that I've heard it a couple of times. I just love the music of Vishal Bharadwaj. It has this rustic "desh ki mitti" mahek to it which is just incredible. Of course, one can't forget the great Gulzar for bringing the tale of Ibn-e-Batuta to a whole new generation. From Kajra Re to Beedi Jalai Le to Ibn-e-Batuta. Wow!!

Have finally finished reading Volume 1 of the complete adventures of Feluda by Satyajit Ray (blame all those Batman graphic novels in the middle for the delay). I became a fan of Satyajit Ray's writings when I read "Indigo" way back in school. Feluda mysteries just confirm what a master story-teller Ray was. He wrote these detective stories & novels for a very young audience and hence (much to his chagrin, as he often confessed) had to leave out much violence or crimes of passion. If anything, the lack of such instruments only add a certain boyish charm to the stories. In any case, these characters and situations are so gripping that they very naturally attracted adults as well. Who could blame them? To share an example, if the story has the detective and his young assistant (who does the Watson bit by being the narrator of these tales) spending a night in a dak bungalow in a forest in the North Eastern part of the country, ruminating over the murder of an occupant the previous evening and suddenly they hear the roar of a Royal Bengal Tiger... boy, that makes for one good story!!

Coming back to the Batman graphic novels... they were freaking brilliant!! Having read a couple of these graphic novels now, it is so exciting to see the manner in which the tale is told by the artists. No doubt you have good story writers writing these gripping episodes, but so much goes into the art work and "showing" these to the reader. Batman punching the Joker can be shown from four different points of view (Batman's, the Joker's, a bystander's or a bird's eye view) but which one of these will have the maximum impact on the reader?

I have now read The Long Halloween, Dark Victory and Batman: Year One. Still have The Dark Knight Strikes Again to read. I have also been making visits to the Landmark at Infiniti Mall at Andheri in the hopes of getting my hands on The Killing Joke but have been returning empty-handed thus far. Must thank THE big fat Panda for all his recommendations on the graphic novels. Every time I'm in a conundrum as to which graphic novel to buy, I immediately call him and he is always glad to help.

I went to see Sherlock Holmes on the opening weekend with the Panda, a couple of his other friends and G&G (Granpa & Granma). Absolutely loved the movie (so much so that I went and watched it again last week). I told the Panda how thankful I was that there are hard-core "commercial" film makers like Tarantino, Guy Ritchie & Vishal Bharadwaj (there goes Ibn-e-Batuta in my head again) who have such a stylish way of making films. I thought Robert Downey Jr. was good and does justice to his role by not playing a version of Holmes as that which must be trapped inside the purists' head. But what I felt must also be applauded was Jude Law as Watson, an ex-army doctor who doesn't believe in holding back his punches. The action sequences were good, especially the boxing match where Holmes goes through visualizing exactly how he is going to floor his opponent and then proceeds to do so with precision. Rachel McAdams is good as the mischevious and cunning Irene Adler, but frankly, did her role have much to do beyond introducing the intriguing character of Professor Moriarty (who remains in the shadows in this film so that he may make a redux in the next installment)? Must also mention that I loved the background score by Hans Zimmer. I thought this guy was good in Batman Begins and bloody brilliant in The Dark Knight. Here again, he works his magic and brings a very English-Irish touch. Oh, and don't miss out on the Dubliners singing The Rocky Road to Dublin in the background of the aforementioned boxing match.

Okay, enough for now. Gotta scoot and pack my bags. It's already 3 in the morning and must leave house at 7:30. Be good, say your prayers and drink lotsa milk. Cheers!

Jai Shri Krishna Maasi

One distinctly gets the feeling that life is a bizarre on-the-edge journey.

I sometimes wonder whether we’re really awake during what we consider our “waking” hours. Or is it all just a dream, a clever elaborate illusion that we live in, and that we’re actually going to really just wake up and find out the truth when we at last close our eyes to shut out the chimera that surrounds us.

It must take courage, a lot of it, just to get up and take that next step forward. I salute every champion who does. I salute them because they aren’t super-heroes who’ve descended on earth and are a different being – they’re flesh and blood… like you and me.

Here I am, missing my aunt who passed away today afternoon. I hadn’t met her many times in the last couple of years, but yes, I was fond of her. Her passing away is a part of childhood gone which now I shall only cherish in my memories. My fondest memory will be that of her watering the tulsi plant on the terrace of her 2 storey dilapidated building in Bada Bazaar, a teeming market-place cum residential area in old Calcutta, while I ran about desperately, a 5 year old looking for a place to hide in order to win a game of hide and seek from maasi’s daughter. Maasi being the eldest of Mom’s sisters shared an almost mother-daughter relationship with Mom, so you can imagine the kind smile she gave me whenever I would touch her feet.

May God bless her soul and may She rest in peace.

Bas ek hi dua hai

Na poochiye kahaan kahaan khuda ka ghar bana diya

Jahaan woh yaad aa gaya wahi pe sar jhuka diya

Main khaali haath aaya aur khaali hath chal diya

Kisi ko maine kya diya, kisi se maine kya liya

Dance Pe Chance

Hat tip to Prem Panicker for this video. Guaranteed to make the nostalgic bug in you smile.

Being YOU

Sometimes in life, you gotta follow your intuition.

I don't think life can be completely based in cold, hard logic. Of course, there are times when these are necessary (some would argue that this is necessary almost all the time). Sometimes, it is the same bull-headed cold logic needed to drive an idea to fruition that was based out of an intuitive initiative.

But, boy oh boy, there are times when you just need to let everything go and just follow your heart. It might seem foolish, it might seem idiotic. Trust me, nine times out of ten, in the near future you'll look back and smile at what a crazy thing you did.

But at least you did what you felt what you knew had to be done. And that is what matters.

And doing what you think is right is what ultimately matters. Not because a greater percentage of humanity doesn't believe in doing what others say is right. Not because there is an entire world out there ready to shout down your thoughts and opinions with their own. Not because the few people in your life who matter the most at times decide to step away when you are looking at them for support.

It matters because only when you follow your instinct, you know you've taken another step towards being YOU.

"Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become."

As my fingers gently tap on the keyboard...

Yeah, Twitter really has made me ignore my blog.

And I hate that.

But sometimes, 140 characters are just not enough.

Twitter vs. Blog.

T20 cricket vs. Test Match cricket.

McVeggie (extra cheese) & McFries vs. Dhokla, Puri, Shaak, Dal, Bhaat, Kadhi, Aam Ka Achaar, Shrikhand and Chaash.

Hmm.. I think I might be back to blogging.

An Ode To Beer

Beer.

The very mention of it makes you roll your tongue. Thirst suddenly hits you.

Beer was the first alcoholic drink that I ever had. The thrill of breaking the "good boy's code" who don't drink was first broken when we had a swig from a glassful of beer.

We were in school then, and in our innocence, even a single glass of beer was equivalent to more than just a drink... it was an expression of freedom; of breaking the rules... of setting off and taking our very first steps towards manhood (something we'd seen our dads do) and that was... to have an drink. "That's how you know you're now a grown up... you can drink !!"

Ever since then, you've had the most amazing of memories associated with that magical drink. Of course, some other friends have joined mid-way; there's the rum & coke, there's the ill-fated "too many vodkas in one night", there's the whisky which you hated the taste of initially...

But there's always been beer... and thank goodness for that!!

Of your most special memories (since you turned 18, that is), quite a few are those when you held a tinted bottle of beer in your hand. There was that late Friday evening when you wished to greet the beginning of a weekend with a couple of pints at the local watering hole with your closest buddies, there was the fine silent night when you wished to drown the pain of being separated from your loved one with a bottle of the finest brewed and then there was the night when you celebrated with ordering for a bottle of beer for each of your friends.

There's also nationality involved here. On my recent trip to Goa, it was an Australian I met up with who loved his cricket and his "Foster's" (completely different matter that he was showering more heaps of praise on Bishen Singh Bedi than Shane Warne before we were through). And that is how we made friends...out of our love for beer. He loved his Foster's and I just would NOT give up praising my beloved Kingfisher.

You might love all the different types of liquor my friend, but if what you're looking for is a good ol' friend from your college times... someone like the first love you ever had... it's a bottle of beer that you're looking for.

Main Khush Hun Aaj... Kha-ma-kha

Yes. I know it has been long since I've blogged.

Also, it has been ages when I've woken up in the morning...and smiled at the ceiling wall.

Why?

Just like that. I felt like it. No particular reason.

Go on... do it. You owe it to yourself. Just... smile... for absolutely no reason at all. You deserve it.

Be a rock

I came across this astounding bit while reading 'Siddhartha' by Herman Hesse.

When you throw a rock into the water, it will speed on the fastest course to the bottom of the water. This is how it is when Siddhartha has a goal, a resolution. Siddhartha does nothing, he waits, he thinks, he fasts, but he passes through the things of the world like a rock through water, without doing anything, without stirring; he is drawn, he lets himself fall. His goal attracts him, because he doesn't let anything enter his soul which might oppose the goal... This is what fools call magic and which they think is effected by demons. Nothing is effected by demons, there are no demons. Everyone can perform magic, everyone can reach his goals, if he is able to think, if he is able to wait, if he is able to fast.

Aila !!

Hataa saawan ki ghata, yeh raha Aila !! Rafi Ahmed Kidwai road on Monday afternoon.

In your dreams

The moment my eyes opened today morning, I shut them tightly so that I might grasp at the last bits of the dream that I was having. However, as is the norm, the moment was gone and so was the dream.... ~sigh~

Reluctantly, I stepped out of bed, stretched, looked at the sleepy world coming to life... and smiled a broad smile to myself. I couldn't stop gushing...

Why??

Well, what else do you do when you realise that you were dating somebody who looks like this...

Morning image

How is this for a sight first thing in the morning everyday when you wake up? :)))

To the forbidden land

You've seen stuff like this on TV and you've always wondered "How I wish..."

How I wish I was on a bike...

How I wish I was on a cross-country trip...

How I wish I would be riding along with a gang who shared my passion...

Wake Up !!!

Get off that chair... and get onto a bike. Turn the ignition on and set off on a journey.

Click here.

Long before...

Part 1: Long before a buck-toothed Darsheel did a 'Taare Zameen Par' at the behest of an actor-turned-director Aamir Khan, Master Raju had done a film titled 'Kitaab' at the behest of a brilliant writer/director Gulzar.

And though there was no Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy around at the time, there still was the brilliance of R.D.Burman who made background music out of banging wooden school-tables together. The result? "A-aa-e-ee... a-aa-e-ee... master-ji ki aa gayi chitthi".

Note, this was also long before 'Pass-Pass mouth freshener' appeared in Subhash Ghai's 'Yaadein'. Although un-intended, 'VIP underwear-baniyaan' got a free in-product placement in the song. Enjoy.




Part 2: Long before one particular Mr. Shahrukh Khan showed us the dancing styles of actors of yesteryears while swaying to 'Hum hain raahi pyaar ke... phir milenge chalte chalte', there was a Kishore Kumar (or Swami Kishoreanandam, if he had his way) who went "Guni jano...bhakt jano". Have some patience and watch the clip post the 3:40 mark where, in his words, Kishore Kumar "chal-chitram ki katha sunaaye".

Note: There isn't even a mention of Amitabh in the song, 'coz of course, its only 1970, 3 years before 'Zanjeer' hits the big screen. :D





Hat-tip: Diptakirti's blog for the video links.

I am a Gujju-Bong

Yeah yeah, I know what you're thinking. "Here he goes again, the Gujju chokro who often disguises himself as a self-confessed Bengali bhadralok."

No, but I'm serious. I actually identified with most of the bullet points in these "You must be a Gujju/Bong if..." lists. Have a look (and a laugh), the lists are actually pretty well compiled.

If you're a Bong, click here.

If you're a Gujju, click here.

And if you're neither...well, what the heck; click both the links anyway.

Who goes there?

An innocent looking "kya haal" scrap from a friend on Orkut led to this as a reply from me...

I roam the forest
I know not what I'm looking for
And along my journey
I meet fairies and demons
Friends and foe..
Halt!! Who goes there??

~shrugs~ Don't ask me what inspired me to write that.... It just happened. ~grins~

A really cool Hindi film trailer

Apologies for not posting anything here for a while. Have been terribly caught up. I had come up with a few posts but they, unfortunately, remain as drafts on my dashboard.

In the meantime, here's one kicka*** trailer of 'Dev D'.

The marketplace

I know the last couple of posts have become dedicated either to quotes or couplets, but trust me, it is not so by design.

Take for example this post. All I want to do is to share what happened yesterday.

I was walking back home yesterday evening when, from absolutely nowhere, a doha (couplet) of Sant Kabir (Saint Kabir) came back to me from my school-going days and just repeated itself over and over in my mind. The doha goes:

Kabira khada bazaar mein, maange sabki khair
Na kahu se dosti, na kahu se bair

Sayesha translates it well on her blog in this post:

Kabir stands in the marketplace, and wishes for everyone's well-being. He doesn't seek anyone's friendship, nor anyone's enmity.

[P.S. Ok, so I did make a mistake and message the doha to a couple of close friends saying that it was a doha by Rahim instead of Kabir. But so what, cool doha nonetheless.]

Discipline

Read this somewhere a long time ago:

Make discipline your friend, not your enemy.

A long delayed post

For the last couple of days, the mind has been in a state of turmoil. It can be guessed by this post that I'd written on the 15th of last month but has been in my 'drafts' folder till now. Trust me, the thoughts running through my head are still more or less the same.

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

My mind is full of so many thoughts right now that I feel it might be a good idea to jot some things down before I hit the sack.

I have just come back from Horse's reception. Feels nice to know that friends and family are now slowly settling down to the humdrum of "family-life". We as a generation are rapidly advancing towards the end of our bachelorhood days and life ahead seems both, exciting and challenging.

Work-wise I think we're quickly entering into the most productive phases of our careers. We're young, have a lot of energy and can introduce new ideas to the workplace. A decade or two down the line, where we end up (professionally speaking) will depend a lot on today's learnings.

Socially, this is one of the trickiest periods of our lives. Our parents still treat us as little children (do they ever stop?) and yet expect us to behave like adults. Work-life permits little or no time for any kind of a social life (I've just learnt that the more you try and make space for your work-life, it just expands itself and dumps a little more work on you). And souls like me who from time to time need to spend time with friends just so that I can hear myself speak and get some clarity of thought keep getting frustrated at the apparent lack of personal time.

Here...We.....GO !!

"You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a villain"

Baap(u) of all ironies

Maheep puts the idea across succinctly in 26 words:

It takes a flamboyant liquor baron to buy the memorials of the man who believed in simplicity, and in whose name liquor is prohibited in India.

A nice man to know

(image courtesy: www.wildmind.org)

Like a friend once told me: Sometimes, just sometimes, it isn't a bad idea to read testimonials people wrote for you on Orkut.

Childish? Impractical?

Maybe, but I guess from time to time we all need to remind ourselves that we're more or less decent folks.

Dev D

(image courtesy: www.glamsham.com)

Last night, I was asked what exactly it was about Dev D that I liked so much.

The answer is difficult to put into words, but I'll try nonetheless.

First, I really liked the concept of the film. The film has captured the essence of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's classic novel 'Devdas' and has yet managed to introduce a freshness to the storyline. At no point do you feel that this is an antiquated love story. The presentation made you feel that this could even be your next-door neighbour's story.

Second, I loved the fact that Dev wasn't portrayed as a "loser". Previous versions somehow gave me the feeling that Devdas was a spineless lover who relied on alcohol just because he needed support. Here, however, Dev drinks and dopes not because it is an outlet of his anger and frustration but because it is a part of his regular life... just that he does it a little more often now given the 'emotional attyachar' being meted out to him by the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

Third, a lot of credit goes to the way in which Anurag Kashyap directed the movie and how Abhay Deol acts. They have made the Dev on screen so much more believable and identifiable. Like I said, Dev's story pans out so smoothly that it could have been your neighbour's story, or heck, even your own. Dev doesn't haunt pubs and bars because he wants to "drink, dope and forget" but because he wants to spend time somewhere where he wouldn't remember her.

Finally, I loved the film because Abhay Deol rocks!!! If films like "Manorama Six Feet Under" and "Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!" told us about the promise in this actor, "Dev D" brings forth, I dare say, the best in him. He proves that you don't need six/eight-pack abs to give a brilliant performance.

Sample this:

*spoiler* This deleted scene is just after Dev has been told that Paro is nothing more than a loose village girl who sleeps around with anybody who cares to share her bed. Throughout the one and a half minutes of the scene above, Abhay DOESN'T SPEAK A WORD but emotes his anger and frustration just through his eyes and his body language.

The movie, my friend, is awesome. I can barely wait to get my hands on the DVD of this film. If you have missed it, I recommend you buy tickets for the next show available or wait for the DVD like me.

East meets West videos

Today evening, I saw this short film by Siddharth Sikand filmed on Dido's song "Let's do the things we normally do". Really liked the film. Here it is.

An East meets West concept for a music video reminded me of a video "The Whale" had shown me in Nirma. The song is "Afterglow" by INXS featuring the Indian singer Sona. Not much to speak of in terms of the video here, but really love the way the song plays out.

Enjoy.

Slumdog? So what ??

Okay. The world is raving like mad about "Slumdog Millionaire", the Oscar panel of elite film reviewers definitely think it is the best thing to happen since sliced bread or, as Great Bong reminds us, since "Gandhi" trumped "E.T." at the 1982 Oscars (ironic that the Best Picture award this year was announced by Steven Spielberg? Did he go "Damn," as he opened the envelope, "Kingsley then, Boyle now... why the hell do the Brits have to be so fascinated by their former colony?")

Anyway, I haven't seen the film in its entirety, but whatever little I saw on Sunday gave me a headache. Sorry guys, there are more chances I'm gonna agree with the "Slumdog is poverty porn" brigade rather than "Oh! What a great uplifting film this is". Agreed, Frieda Pinto is gorgeous (hey, I'm still a 26-year old bachelor :D ) but I don't consider this to be India's greatest moment under the Oscar sun. That would be (fingers crossed) when an Indian director directs a film on an Indian subject and shoots the film in India using Indian artists and that wins an Oscar (just so that I leave out space for confusion for a Shekhar Kapur or Deepa Mehta film based abroad to win an Oscar).

Of course, Danny Boyle must feel proud. He has every right to. But as an individual who's fairly patriotic (and not in a jingoistic, "uproot hand-pump and bash up scores of Pakistanis" way), I am more excited about the two Oscars that A. R. Rahman won and the Oscar that Resul Pookutty won.

Broaden your horizons

(pic courtesy: www.jackenhack.com)

Entrepreneurship ka apna khud ka hi ek nasha hota hai.

Sample this.

Horse and me, sharing chips and a sandwich and discussing business. In the midst of an engrossing discussion about finances, he very matter of factly goes "What are the first quarter numbers we are looking at?"

And I just paused.

Bang in the middle of it all, I realised how entrepreneurship had suddenly broadened our scope of thinking.

"Just listen to that statement again," I told Horse.

Horse couldn't help but smile.

And that very moment, where I realised that I'd broadened my horizons, was in itself a big reward for me.

Of marriages and emotional attyachar

Hi folks. Sorry for the unintended break from blogging. Quick post on a Monday morning before I head off to work.

1. Bulla got married !!! Wrong to say that the fact hasn't sunk in yet, but the very fact that on Saturday night (the day after his wedding), he said that maybe we all (Mrs. Bulla included) could go out for coffee and then backtracked owing, I guess, to "family concerns" tells me that things are obviously NEVER going to be the same. ~sigh~ But what the hell, the guy deserves a wonderful life ahead and I wish him and his sweetheart ALL THE BEST !! :) [Separate post on the pre-wedding bachelor bash coming up!!]

2. No ! Don't even dare ask me how I spent Valentine's Day. Last Valentine's Day, I was roaming around the dusty streets of Ramnagar (a town in Karnataka) and this year, I was sitting at office and figuring out various field-sales reports. Grrr !!

3. Caught up with Motabhai (Gujju talk for 'elder brother'), my cousin bro, at a cousin's wedding last night. After the wedding, we decided we could go for a movie and ended up going for 'Dev D'. I'd heard mixed reviews about this film. My review? 2 words... "Mind-blowingly fantastic!!". Abhay Deol rocks !! Anurag Kashyap is brilliant !! And the music.... WHOA !! If you thought 'Emosional Attyachaar' was charmingly street-side band-baja waala music, wait till you hear the rock version of that song. Plus, keep an ear out for Amit Trivedi in 'Nayan Tarse'. I have a feeling the next couple of days it's just gonna be 'Dev D' and 'Delhi-6' on my iPod.

New business venture

Horse has just left my house a couple of minutes ago and we were on the phone speaking to Ridhi. We're planning on starting off something of our own and the excitement is really visible every time we start discussing 'work', even though it comes at the end of a long tiring day at office. More on this soon. Keep your fingers crossed and wish us all the best. :)

A game of lexulous

An incredibly satisfying game of Lexulous, considering the back-from-nowhere story that the graph tells you, no matter what the final result will turn out to be.

Bring it on

1:45 AM --> Come to a heartbreaking realization

1:50 AM --> Spent 5 minutes thinking about how different things could be

1:55 AM --> Get out of bed; drink a glass of water

1:57 AM --> Prepare Maggi and a cup of tea; listen to 'Yun hi chala chal raahi' on iPod

2:03 AM --> Consume

2:15 AM --> Hit the bed. Tomorrow is another day. Bring it on!!

A photo blog back in action

After a 3 month hiatus, Fotosia is a blog back in action. January has seen the blog flooded with a number of breathtaking pictures.

Check them out for yourself.

The President Is Coming

Saturday night and I was dead tired. I needed a break and wanted to watch a film. Only problem was that I was too tired to even step out of the house. So, when I saw that I could watch 'The President is Coming' on the Showcase feature of TataSky, I gladly jumped at the opportunity.

The film is about George W. Bush's 2006 visit to India. Among the many things on his itinerary is a meeting scheduled with a young Indian who will be responsible for shaping the face of the country tomorrow. The movie traces the Survivor-style elimination of six young Indians who want a chance to meet Bush. We find out more about the personal lives and expectations of these six candidates and the two judges through the 24 hours in which this contest takes place.

The film is a directorial debut and it is very evident in the manner in which it is executed. Add to this the fact that the film's script is based on the director's own popular play and you realise why you sat upright halfway through the film and said to yourself "Wouldn't stage actors do much better than the present crop on screen?"

The movie is fun to watch and brings out many typical Indian eccentricities. The script is light and there is no overwhelming dosage of "being Indian is better than being American".

My favourite episode in the film is when a US diplomat walking down a corridor with pictures of past US presidents on the walls realises that a broken photo frame, displaying the picture of George Bush senior, has been sent for repairs and has been replaced by a picture of Dharmendra. The tongue-in-cheek replies that he gets from the security guard and the peon are absolutely hillarious to watch.

The cast does its best to impress. However, the one person that stood out in his effort was Anand Tiwari (remember the guy from the Tata Tea 'jaago re' election commercial?). Not only does he act brilliantly as the scheming Gujarati stockbroker but is also the Assistant Line Producer and Assistant Director of this film. Watch out for this guy.

My rating for the film: 6 out of 10

The Book of Ram by Devdutt Pattanaik

I briefly mentioned 'The Book of Ram' here. That a book about a mythological religious epic should remind one of a modern-day fiction screen villain should itself should tell you that this is a very interesting book.

It isn't a retelling of the Hindu epic, if that is what you're thinking. The book very briefly outlines the story of Ramayan, but is mainly a study of the various 'versions' of what is essentially the same story. There are various anecdotes from the Ramayan which are extremely popular today which however are missing from, say, Valmiki's Ramayan. For instance, the reader would be surprised to find that although Shabari was mentioned in Valmiki's Ramayan, her offering of berries to Ram "is a later addition that appears in the Padma Puran traced to around the eleventh century".

Even more surprisingly, 'Lakshman rekha' (the line that Sita was not supposed to cross) is nowhere mentioned by Valmiki yet today, Ravan's trickery of Sita to step outside the Lakshman rekha, "forms an integral part of any Ramayan narration".

The chapters of the book are interestingly subdivided into exploring the various stories about the Ramayan from different points of view. Hence, the chapters have titles such as "Sita's Husband", "Ramayan's Protagonist", "Ravan's enemy" and so on and so forth.

What impressed me most about this book was that it often made me think about the Ramayan from a fresh perspective. This is a good book if you like reading about mythology.

I'll leave you with another interesting snippet from the book, taken from a chapter where the author compares Parshuram, Ram and Krishna, the three avatars of Vishnu in three different Yugas:

It is said that as Krishna, Vishnu balances the imbalances created by Ram. Ram created an imbalance by killing Vali, son of Indra, by shooting him in the back while he was engaged in a duel with Sugriv, son of Surya. To balance the score, when Vishnu descended as Krishna, he had Arjun, son of Kunti by Indra, shoot and kill Karn, son of Kunti by Surya, while the latter had his back turned and was busy pulling out his chariot wheel that had got stuck in the ground.

Chances are that you, like me, had always known of these stories separately but had never put these particular associations together. And this is precisely why I recommend this book.

A knock on the door

It has been a long time since I read fairy tales / mythological texts / magical epics. This video, that I first saw a couple of years ago and totally loved, reminds me that I must start reading them again.

Do check out the video. It is simply amazing. And yes, turn up the volume. :)

Ahead of the curve?

Remember the Joker saying "You see, their morals, their code, it's a bad joke. Dropped at the first sign of trouble. They're only as good as the world allows them to be. I'll show you. When the chips are down, these... these civilized people, they'll eat each other. See, I'm not a monster. I'm just ahead of the curve."

Guess what?

I was reminded of the Joker's words at the most unlikeliest of places...while reading "The Book of Ram" by Devdutt Pattanaik. Here's what the book says:

Dharma or the code of civilization will constantly be in conflict with our animal urges of sex and violence.

Hmm... interesting.

Obama's inaugural address

I have just finished watching the live coverage of Barack Obama's oath taking ceremony. Like I mentioned, Obama brings a new world of anticipation (I will not use the word 'hope' lest I be mistaken to be a Democrat supporter; I am merely an interested bystander) to the international stage.

I really liked his inaugural address. Some highlights:

Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

I loved the fact that here is a leader who doesn't just ask his countrymen to stand and ponder over what's wrong and what's right and worry about what is possibly the correct way ahead. Action is the need of the hour.

There was plenty of talk about co-operation; no talk about dividing the world into 'axes of evil'.

And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity

Sceptics and critics would've been waiting to pounce had he left an ambiguous message to the Muslim world. Obama never game them a chance.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.

Imagine the pride he must've felt when he said the following words:

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed -- why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

Reminded me of the opening statements he made immediately after the election results were out ("If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer").

My favourite part of the speech came when he spoke of the founding values upon which ANY success, let alone American, depends.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths.

All said and done, the United States of America is still one of the most prosperous and powerful nations on Earth right now. Let's hope that God gives its newest leader the gifts of wisdom and courage.

[Full text of Obama's speech here]

A hillarious short story

Gaurav has just finished translating a hillarious Marathi short story about Sakharam Appaji Gatne written by the Sahitya Akadami Puraskar winner Pu La Deshpande.

I absolutely loved it.

Part 1

Part 2

Barack Obama

Less than 100 hours remain before Barack Obama takes oath as the 44th President of the United States of America.

He has already pulled off two amazing victories; first, by winning the Democratic Presidential ticket against tough competition from Hillary Clinton and then, getting more votes than the Republican Presidential candidate John McCain.

But now, does he have in him what it takes to become a leader who galvanises a nation out of economic turmoil and a visionary who accepts his nation's strengths and weaknesses and plays the role of a responsible diplomat on the world's economic and political stage?

Billions are waiting for an answer to that question.

He has already stated that tough steps would be required to get out of the trap in which modern America finds itself. Indeed, the situation couldn't be trickier. The Iraq War, the economic collapse, the public-bashing that most political leaders' image has taken, the public health system which seems to be on the verge of collapse and an environmental problem which threatens the world, just some of the top topics that the dossier of the next American president would be filled up with.

However, given this moment in time, Obama seems to be the best chance that America has. The first black President of America, a person with an upbringing across the globe, a President-elect who has not surrounded himself with cronies but has put together a team of performers (Hillary Clinton and Robert Gates being perfect examples)... Barack Obama certainly seems to have the necessary qualifications.

The world waits with bated breath as one man walks out to the centre to assume office and brings with him an 'Audacity of Hope'.

Finally, a lazy Sunday

And I'm so thankful for it!!

December was a turbulent month at work and January promises to be more so. But then, I guess it is expected when you are going about starting up new businesses. And the work that is entrusted to me is all the more challenging because I'm trying to kick-start 3 business units simultaneously. ~wipes his brow~ And that brings with it its own share of management problems and skills to be learnt.

And these are lessons that can never be taught in any b-school; you only get a sneak preview on campus. For example, I've already picked up these management learnings:

* I need to be superb at time-management skills if I have to be at three places at once, all of them spread across the metropolis

* To be up-to-speed on all business activities, I've started using a log book like never before. I now have a list of customers being served simultaneously by all three business units, whether the payments by these customers were paid by cash or cheque; if cheque, when these will be cleared, so on and so forth

* In the midst of all this hectic work, one must not forget that one is a team-leader as well. Hence, I need to be calm and in control of the situation and also motivating my guys to move quickly and aggressively on the field

Anyway, moving away from work...

I'm pretty happy that I'm back to reading. I've been wanting to finish 'Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories - Volume 2' for some time now. And now that I'm back to committing myself to reading for at least 15 minutes before I go off to sleep at night, I'm feeling good about it.

Sunday morning also brings with it the promise of a good 'Lexulous' game (Lexulous being the 'renamed' form of Scrabulous). I have already started a game and thus far, I'm in the lead by 23 points. Let's hope things remain that way.

I'm looking forward to a lot of reading (books and blogs) and writing my diary today. If I do find the time, I'd also like to catch up with 'The President is coming', a movie I've been waiting to hit Calcutta theatres. That reminds me, 'The Dark Knight' is supposed to be re-released in Cal at the IMAX theatre. I definitely want to go for that.

Have a lazy Sunday folks! Cheers. :)