Here's to the crazy ones

Before I lose this image again...

Tiger tiger burning bright

As someone who enjoys hearing and reading cricket anecdotes, specially those of Indian cricket, it was impossible for me to not come across the trail the Tiger had left.

My earliest memories of hearing about the Tiger was when Mom (Pataudi Jr. was charismatic enough to draw her attention to cricket) told me India once had a captain who only had one eye. Apparently, this bloke had had a terrible accident and yet was good enough to play for the country with just one good eye. "Must be one heck of a fella," I thought.

It was much later when the legend of the Nawab of Pataudi started swirling around me. Everywhere I looked, article after article praised this handsome prince whose debonair style of batting suggested he was much better than the record books suggested. The phrase "his record doesn't do him justice" seemed to have been made for him.

I remember watching an interview of him on "Rendezvous with Simi Garewal" (hey, I was *very* young, ok?) and remember her asking him "Is it true that when you appealed for an lbw and if the umpire thought it wasn't out, he would politely tell you 'Not out, Your Highness'?". The impropriety (to him) of asking the question on national television seemed to have caught him by surprise as he paused for a couple of seconds and then without batting his eyelids said, "Yes."

In many ways, that interview told you a lot about the personality that this man had. Quiet, dignified, straight-laced humour, maybe a little snotty (he was a Nawab after all) but very certain about the opinions he had.

Before Pataudi came along as captain (at the age of 21, he was the youngest captain the game had ever seen at that point of time), it is believed that the Indian cricket team were still reeling from a sense of inferiority complex towards their ex-colonial masters. Test matches were played with the objective of somehow eking out a draw. It is to Pataudi Jr.'s credit who walked in with an attitude that said, "Hang on a minute, we should be playing to win and not draw matches." It is to him that the credit goes for bringing steel and grit into a side which once only knew abject surrender.

Not that we won too many matches under his captaincy. But the mindset had been changed. Here was a man who "with one eye and one leg" played a fighting innings at the MCG when India were, I think, 25 for 5. Indian cricket had found its Spartacus.

To him also goes the credit for introducing the spin attack of Chandrashekhar, Bedi and Prasanna. I am sure tomorrow morning's newspapers will be full of better praise from these fine cricketers than I could muster up.

But I will leave you with two quotes about the Tiger which for me epitomize what he meant for Indian cricket.

Asked to describe Pataudi's leadership style, Prasanna once mentioned "He wasn't the kinds who would have to shout at you to tell you what to do. Pataudi led by his eyes... he would just look at you and then look in another direction and you knew what had to be done."

Bishan Singh Bedi, the graceful magician Sardar, said that the greatest contribution of the Tiger to Indian cricket was that he was the first captain to forge an "Indian" team. He was the one, Bedi says, who taught us to think beyond Madras, Bombay, Punjab etc. You're playing for the country, he would say, so play as one.

RIP Nawab Sahab.

From Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

Jab jab dard ka baadal chaya
Jab ghum ka saya lehraya
Jab aansoo palkon tak aya
Jab yeh tanha dil ghabraya
Humne dil ko yeh samjhaya
Dil aakhir tu kyun rota hai
Duniya mein yunhi hota hai
Yeh jo gehre sannaate hain
Waqt ne sabko hi baante hain
Thoda ghum hai sabka qissa
Thodi dhoop hai sabka hissa
Aankh teri bekaar hi namm hai
Har pal ek naya mausam hai
Kyun tu aise pal khota hai
Dil aakhir tu kyun rota hai

Pighle neelam sa behta ye sama,

neeli neeli si khamoshiyan,

na kahin hai zameen na kahin aasmaan,

sarsaraati hui tehniyaan pattiyaan,

keh raheen hai bas ek tum ho yahan,

bas main hoon,

meri saansein hain aur meri dhadkanein,

aisi gehraiyaan, aisi tanhaiyaan, aur main... sirf main.

Apne hone par mujhko yakeen aa gaya.

Meditation

For me, meditation is a moment in which I have quietened my mind.

Meditation need not be religious, although it can be. If you have by repeatedly saying a name or a chant emptied your mind to only one thought, and that one thought alone, you have meditated.

I have found the best form of meditation to be sitting down quietly for ten minutes anytime between midnight to five in the morning and just breathing slowly, calmly. The choice of the odd hours is only because I'd rather meditate in a quiet, peaceful world than when the energies of people rushing about is colliding with my energy field.

There are other ways of meditation too.

Swimming underwater can be a very peaceful experience. It gives you the feeling you are alone in the world. Alone. No one reaches you there. Not your parents nor your friends or even the people you dislike. It is just about you. That moment is about being one with yourself and realising that you're immersed in and one with Nature.

Running long distances is also therapeutic. I often found that after I'd run a couple of laps and when it had started registering in my mind that my legs were tired, the simplest way of going on was by reminding myself of just putting the other foot ahead of the current one. Simple. And repeat. And keep repeating. Keep doing that and before you know it, you've finished another lap.

However, the simplest way of meditating is perhaps while drinking water. Pick up the glass of water, close your eyes and drink. Feel the water gushing down your throat. Feel the joy in the simple happiness of your thirst being quenched. Let the feeling tingle over you for that split second. Open your eyes. And smile. You've meditated.

One Cup at a Time

I came across this brilliant piece while browsing through my inbox yesterday. Instantly wished to share it with as many people as I could. Here goes:

My vision is to change the world one cup of tea at a time.

How? Consider where you are right now. In your body. In your heart. In your life. I’m guessing you’ve got dreams that you are striving for, and challenges to overcome. Somewhere, on paper or in your head there’s a list of projects that you chip away at day by day. Some projects are old and stagnant, and others are fresh and urgent.

For those of you not reading this, if you are not getting what you strive for in life then now is the time to do something different. Shatter the routine. Just stop and wake up and change. If you are reading this, then you are probably used to getting what you strive for. Continue on as you have been and chances are good that sooner or later your dreams will come true and your current challenges will yield to your efforts. What then?

When you achieve “it,” will you have more money? A bigger house? Flatter abs? More friends? Happier kids? A more loving partner? More leisure time? More happiness?

Now, imagine for a moment that everything is perfect right now, just as it is.

Imagine that, miraculously, all your dreams have come true and all your challenges overcome. You have arrived. Look around. Notice your body. Listen.

Breathe in.

And then out.

When all of your goals are hit and all of your challenges overcome, where will you be? Here. Now. Of course the future hasn’t happened. That means all your worries and what-ifs are just illusions and totally bogus. Tomorrow will always be tomorrow. And the past is past. Yesterday is forever gone. Whatever. Good, bad, or indifferent, it’s over and it will never happen again. All we have is now. This singular moment.

This is the gift you get for being alive.

If you can slow down enough to pay attention to the details of this moment then the basic goodness and raw joy of being alive is impossible to ignore.

For me, drinking tea is a reminder. The ritual preparing, serving, and drinking tea reminds me to slow down, to let my senses take over, and to let this moment flood the Now. The clatter of tea ware. The warmth of the cup. Hot steam swirling in the early morning sunlight from a cup of brilliant green sencha.

This ritual is a reminder I try to carry with me throughout the day. This is it. This one cup. This one moment. This one life.

Perfection.

Four men and a funeral

I love browsing through posters that Landmark stores puts up on display for sale. Of course, most of them are about comics / cartoons / football clubs / movies. In fact, I have bought a couple of them to be put up on the walls of my house whenever I finally can. Till then, the black and white image of Marlon Brando as the Godfather and the poster of the Batman logo shall stay in a corner of the house for me to muse over every time I steal a glance.

Coming back to the post at hand. On one of my recent visits to Landmark, I really loved this one particular poster of the Beatles where they're simply walking across a zebra crossing. I loved the free-wheeling 70s look and especially the fact that Paul McCartney is walking barefoot, giving the image a "let's just take a walk" feel.

I don't know what it was about the image which came back to me yesterday as I was about to hit search on Google for a new wallpaper for my laptop.

These four just look so relaxed taking a walk on a sunny London morning.

However, this wasn't it. I just *had* to find out more about when this picture was taken. Was it a promotional photograph? Or an album cover? Or just some newspaper photojournalist who landed the coup of the decade by getting The Beatles to pose for the Sunday morning edition?

So I searched and expectedly came across the answer on Wikipedia.

The picture is the cover image of the final album The Beatles did together, "Abbey Road". The picture is one amongst the six that photographer Iain Macmillan took during the ten minutes that he got with the legendary four on the morning of 8th August 1969. The four are walking across the Abbey Road crossing to the then EMI Studios (later renamed Abbey Road Studios).

I also found out why I had to take the trouble to search for the image; apparently this is the only "original UK Beatles album sleeve to show neither the artist name nor the album title on its front cover."

Expectedly, the image has achieved cult status. There is a website where people can send pics of themselves as they walk across the zebra crossing. Not to mention the website of Abbey Road Studios themselves who have a page simply titled "The Crossing" for their 'Visit' page and which has live video feeds of the crossing.

I was also unaware that back in 1969, an urban legend did the rounds that Paul McCartney actually died in a car crash in 1967 and was replaced by a look-alike. Of the various clues that the supporters of the rumour used was the cover image of Abbey Road, which they said symbolised a funeral procession and Lennon dressed in white symbolising a preacher.

Whatever the truth may be, one thing I'm sure of. I like this picture and would have never thought there was so much history attached to the image which is now my wallpaper.

Ardhanareshwar

Just couldn't go to sleep without sharing this awesome visualization of the Ardhanareshwar that I came across on Twitter some days ago.

Would you like a drink, Sir?

Who wouldn't love the concept of a manservant who took care of all the nitty-gritties of daily existence?

For a single bachelor living in Mumbai, I sure would love to have some extra time on my hands during the weekends, not to mention evenings after office on weekdays. Clothes to be washed, put out to dry and then ironed, meals to be prepared, dusting the house... I could clearly do with some help.

And if one is getting help after all, why not in style?

Why not have someone who not only ensures the book-shelf is always neatly arranged but also knows how to stir up a perfect Long Island Iced Tea as you come back home after a long day at the office? One who is there not only to offer a word of advice when requested but also to take care of the work on Saturday and Sunday mornings so that you can get happily sloshed the evening before.

Now, I haven't had the privilege of watching a live butler / valet (What's the difference? Read on...) in action but here are the three best fictional ones I have come across:

3. J.A.R.V.I.S. - At no. 3 is the artificial intelligence system which serves Tony Stark in the Iron Man films. JARVIS stands for Just Another Rather Very Intelligent System. Of course, the original Jarvis is Edwin Jarvis, manservant to Tony Stark and who later serves members of the Avengers Initiative (not to mention, also has a mildly romantic relationship with Peter "Spiderman" Parker's aunt, May Parker).

What I really liked about the film version of JARVIS was the spunk that the character has, the slight sarcasm in it's words as it serves Tony Stark with the coolest looking gadgets.

2. Alfred Pennyworth - Losing out the top spot very closely is "Batman's batman", Alfred Pennyworth. The man the Dark Knight trusts is obviously no ordinary mortal. Not only is he the caretaker of Wayne Towers but also keeps everything running smoothly in the Batcave in the absence of Batman and Robin.

A father-figure to Bruce Wayne, Alfred's continued jibes at him for not eating, sleeping and resting enough is the perfect wry-smile earner in a series which would be even more sombre were the Dark Knight left to fend for himself. An ex-actor, a military man, a self-taught surgical man and often the voice of reason to the various young boys who donned the mantle of Robin over the years, Alfred is the champion at home Batman cannot do without.

(Trivia: In the Pre-Crisis Batman series, Alfred's father's name is revealed to be Jarvis, a hat-tip to the very same gentleman at no. 3 on my list)

1. Reginald Jeeves - Now, there's a man! He's not a butler, but a valet, i.e. he serves a man and not a household. However, were the need to serve a family arise, as Bertie puts it, "he can buttle with the best of them."

Personally, no other fictional character has accounted for as many hold-your-stomach-laughing-bouts as Jeeves has. The inherent quality of being unperturbed by whatever Bertram Wooster throws at him is bound to charm even the coldest reader. The ability to out-think the cleverest machinations of an entire generation of cheats, scoundrels and aunts makes this man an enigma.

It is argued it must be all the fish that he consumes that gives him the legendary problem solving brains that he has. But wouldn't you kill for a valet who knows the recipe for the perfect get-me-up drink when you're suffering from a terrible hangover? What would you not do for a saviour who rescues you when you're stranded on an island and an angry goose is hell-bent on attacking you?

As the caption in the picture above reads, if everyone had a valet like Jeeves, there would be no wars. But just in case there is a war, I know I want Jeeves on my side.

IT Helpdesk

Office laptops are one of God's peculiar creatures. They give up on you when you least expect them to.

A couple of weeks ago, I was back home in Calcutta. I was using my wireless USB stick to connect to my official mail server. I had used it to check a few mails on Saturday and so was relatively relaxed on Monday morning when I tried to login again, living in the false belief that the IT gods were still smiling on me. Little did I know, they were just getting started.

For some reason, the laptop wouldn't recognize the USB modem no matter how many times I put it back in the slot. After doing this a couple of times, I realized the problem: my admin rights had been removed and hence, also, the rights to the modem.

"Damn," I said, and called up the IT helpdesk number at my Mumbai office.

IT: Good morning, IT helpdesk. How may I help you?

S: Yeah, hi. Listen, my laptop isn't recognizing the USB modem, because my admin rights have been revoked. Can you do something?

IT: Hmm.. right sir. What is your desk no.?

S: ~mentions desk number~

~Furious typing sound~

IT: No problem sir. I have taken down that complaint. I'll have somebody sent to your desk in 20 minutes or so.

S: Arre?!!! I just told you, I'm in Calcutta, not in Mumbai leave alone at my desk.

IT: Oh !!

Here, there comes in a very, very long pause. I can almost hear the guy's mind slowly moving into first gear.

IT: Oh, ok sir. Just give me a minute.

~some scrambling and hollering in the background~

IT (new guy): Yes sir. How may I help you?

S: ~sighs~ ~repeats problem~

IT: Sir, no problem sir. Why don't you bring the laptop here to the IT room and we'll resolve the problem.

S: God have mercy!!

IT: Sir ???!!! Sorry, I couldn't hear you.

Needless to say, I couldn't get my modem's functionality back till a week later when I joined office. Such are the mysterious ways of the IT helpdesk.

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

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

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.

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

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.