i had some issues..well i have loads actually, but right now i am speaking specifically about some dental issues. i was diagnosed, a few months ago, with having way too much wisdom. for the benefit of those who missed that incredibly important happening in the world history, here's the link of that woeful discovery. with time and against well wishers' advice i reconciled myself to getting cut n stitched up, and give up half of my hard earned, hard acquired wisdom. so a few days ago, with all my courage and my little remaining bank balance, i marched into the dentist's office and declared i was ready to be slaughtered...err have my teeth taken out.
"lie down, close you eyes and relax....tell me if it hurts"...sighh..and how i had waited to hear these words all my life. right now the only picture that came to my mind was the printed text of Ogden Nash's dentist poem, "this is going to hurt just a little bit".....
"ouch! it hurt a lot already!" ...
have u ever had local anaesthesia shots? they're like tiny little pricks, only they are much sharper. and many of them. after 2-3 shots, my dentist made his move and i felt a long thick rock hard instrument sliding in...it was a steel dentist surgical instrument to extract teeth, what did you think you rotten mind!!
"e ill -ut" I babbled
"What ?? "
"it still hurts" I said, as he removed that steel holder. it looked like a screw driver and that did nothing to assuage my terror.
i was given 2 more anaesthesia shots, stronger this time, i felt a numbness engulfing my face. the dentist resumed. well to be honest it still hurt. the damn anaesthesia was still not working. at least not fully. i have always known myself to be perceptive, but there are healthy limits to everything you know!
anyways, i really wanted it to get over with as quickly as possible and so taking inspiration from an elder brother who had once narrated a story about getting a war wound stitched up without anaesthesia, i just closed my eyes and decided to let the surgery proceed.
i could hear the dentist making small talk to his team, " shouldn't he be focusing on me right now...and he isn't even asking for forceps like they always do on TV".. concerned i opened my eyes and I saw two i gloved hands, holding a screwdriver and knife kind of thing, covered in blood. my blood.
now i consider myself reasonably brave, but at that sight movie scenes of cold blodded murders flashed through my not-under-aneasthesia head and i shut my eyes again. as tight as i could. and tried promised God to never ask for anything ever again, as long as I came out of this alive and with enough blood in my body to not need a transfusion that could give me aids...i knew i was over reacting. and i told myself so. and tried to calm down.
i was doing a decent job, till i heard a sound. the sound of a drill. and it came nearer. i could picture the tree cutting drill swaying close to my lips, the dentist looking at some way of shoving it in and cutting my teeth off. i couldn't bring myself to open my eyes, lest the drill cut off my lashes.....i dont remember being this scared in a really long time. nor do i remember praying this hard.
and then wen i cudn't resist nemore i opened my eyes, and saw a pen sized thing making that sound. phew!! but you would think they can attach a mute button to such a tiny thing wouldnt you?! and just as this was over i started feeling the thread actually going in and out where i was being stitched up. the good news: i knew it was almost over. the bad: i could feel every single millimeter of it. urrghh. for once i wished that damn anae had worked.
on second thoughts though..now i know wat a cloth must feel like being stitched up. another feather to my perceptiveness cap. not sure what to do with this though..apologize to my skirt next time i sow a fallen hem???
as i was leaving i happened to look into the mirror. still shaken with the drills n trying to shrug off the feeling of the stitches, i remmeber messaging my friends that i could play a 2 faced ravan without make up. yes my face was that swollen up.
well its been a couple of days, my lopsided face is almost back to normal, i can talk again and had my first proper meal in 3 days. laughing would still take some more healing but i have developed a new found respect n understanding of Ogden Nash...and his poem "this is going to hurt just a little bit"...
oh and in case u r wondering, the title is just keeping in line with the earlier post on the subject, the tooth tragedy , and in line with marketing's obsession with same letter abbreviations... the 3 S's ;)
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
"When some one asks 'how are you?' dont start off with your life's problems. it s a conversation starter and people are not really bothered about your problems"... said something i once read on how to be popular or something to that effect. Well yes, a stranger or a casual acquaintance starts a conversation, we all put up a happy face and make small talk. whether its your neighbor's divorce or the global financial crisis..its all just about making conversation. most of the times at least. and this does make most of us, good conversationalists. help us develop good people skills.
and then we try to improve those skills. so we smile harder. and make more small talk about more important issues. and then, somewhere along the line we get into the habit. of smiling. and making small talk.
if something bothers us, retreat into a corner, take a few deep breaths, men smoke, women dab-on more make up [ and smoke ] and smile. we go out and act according to our habits. we smile.
"its not apt to discuss my family problems at work" , "she will just judge me if i tell her this", "its none of his business..he doesnt really care", "she wont understand..she'll just over react n get hurt".."i cant tell this to anyone" and many more such sentences run through our heads and we train ourselves to hide our tears, our pain, our problems and keep moving on with life. with a brave face and a sparkling, charming smile. good people skills. and thats how the world sees us. happy, successful, rising, intelligent young executives or models or name who you will.
soon, our colleagues, friends and family start falling into the same set. outside the circle of our feelings. and we start getting lonelier and lonelier. avoiding calling our friends when we're upset, a contrast from the school days wen we wud run to them at every possible occassion...an even bigger contrast from wen running to mom for crying made everything all right. in this exponential growth curve, we stop giving ourselves time to deal with our emotions. and the worst affected of these, is pain. we just refuse to deal with it. its just a waste of time when there's so much to be done.
why is it easier to blog our innermost thoughts on the net than sharing our problems with our closest friends. are we scared of being judged? perhaps. scared of losing / hurting our friends? possibly. why has anonymity become more comforting than the arms of a loved one?
most of all i think its our obsession with meeting everyone's expectations. everyone wants us to be happy, expects us to be happy, and we oblige. its just so much easier than breaking everyone's perceptions and asking them, as well as ourselves, to face reality. the moment something happens everyone asks u to look at the bright side and move on. why can't we just stop for sometime and grieve. because its easier to pretend that pain doesn't exist.
a drag is easier than having to deal with tears. and pain. besides, it helps you network doesnt it?! helps you climb the next rung. and as we busy ourselves climbing the ladder, something inside us keeps worsening. bottled up pain that never got the treatment it needed. a good heart's crying. a night getting sloshed up with friends. a grieving period. the running to mom/dad to cry in her/his arms. the feeling "safe". protected. loved.
and then, one day some one famous and successful kills themselves. we read the morning paper and wonder why.."she had evthg going for her....wonder what could have been so terribly wrong"...and with that one statement we get back to running for our lives. we don't stop for a moment and listen to that voice in our heads that tells us "stay. dont move. you are hurt too. give me some time and I will make it allright". we are too worried we might miss the next opportunity to climb the ladder.
the ladder to loneliness and false perceptions. perceptions of ever cheerful successful smiling faces. perceptions of happiness. the ladder to emptiness.
and then we try to improve those skills. so we smile harder. and make more small talk about more important issues. and then, somewhere along the line we get into the habit. of smiling. and making small talk.
if something bothers us, retreat into a corner, take a few deep breaths, men smoke, women dab-on more make up [ and smoke ] and smile. we go out and act according to our habits. we smile.
"its not apt to discuss my family problems at work" , "she will just judge me if i tell her this", "its none of his business..he doesnt really care", "she wont understand..she'll just over react n get hurt".."i cant tell this to anyone" and many more such sentences run through our heads and we train ourselves to hide our tears, our pain, our problems and keep moving on with life. with a brave face and a sparkling, charming smile. good people skills. and thats how the world sees us. happy, successful, rising, intelligent young executives or models or name who you will.
soon, our colleagues, friends and family start falling into the same set. outside the circle of our feelings. and we start getting lonelier and lonelier. avoiding calling our friends when we're upset, a contrast from the school days wen we wud run to them at every possible occassion...an even bigger contrast from wen running to mom for crying made everything all right. in this exponential growth curve, we stop giving ourselves time to deal with our emotions. and the worst affected of these, is pain. we just refuse to deal with it. its just a waste of time when there's so much to be done.
why is it easier to blog our innermost thoughts on the net than sharing our problems with our closest friends. are we scared of being judged? perhaps. scared of losing / hurting our friends? possibly. why has anonymity become more comforting than the arms of a loved one?
most of all i think its our obsession with meeting everyone's expectations. everyone wants us to be happy, expects us to be happy, and we oblige. its just so much easier than breaking everyone's perceptions and asking them, as well as ourselves, to face reality. the moment something happens everyone asks u to look at the bright side and move on. why can't we just stop for sometime and grieve. because its easier to pretend that pain doesn't exist.
a drag is easier than having to deal with tears. and pain. besides, it helps you network doesnt it?! helps you climb the next rung. and as we busy ourselves climbing the ladder, something inside us keeps worsening. bottled up pain that never got the treatment it needed. a good heart's crying. a night getting sloshed up with friends. a grieving period. the running to mom/dad to cry in her/his arms. the feeling "safe". protected. loved.
and then, one day some one famous and successful kills themselves. we read the morning paper and wonder why.."she had evthg going for her....wonder what could have been so terribly wrong"...and with that one statement we get back to running for our lives. we don't stop for a moment and listen to that voice in our heads that tells us "stay. dont move. you are hurt too. give me some time and I will make it allright". we are too worried we might miss the next opportunity to climb the ladder.
the ladder to loneliness and false perceptions. perceptions of ever cheerful successful smiling faces. perceptions of happiness. the ladder to emptiness.
they say that the first impressions last forever. nowhere it holds true-er for me, personally, than, when it comes to music. I am generally a music lover, not really a fanatic, with no hard bound limits n preferences. this makes me open to experimenting with different kinds of music, and in that i think i have been blessed with friends who have varied interests in music, and manage to get me started from the very best of songs. i remember my introduction to english music was, very characteristically of average middle class homes those times, Mtv, and backstreet boys. but the first song i ever really loved, after a giggly doe-eyed "britney" phase ofcourse, was Breaking my heart again - MLTR. then came Lets make a night to remember- Bryan adams, and though i loved " have you ever really loved a woman" for obviously feminist reasons [ men who claim not to understand women--listen to that song..] , the former still reigned in preference.
the first rock song i ever heard, of any kind, was Time machine, courtesy ankit. one of my best friends, now for many years. in a phase when i was sick of love songs..no i wasn't recently heart broken, i was beginnin to realise wat an over rated emotion love is and was just fed up of lovey dovey songs.. or as ankit put it, i was turning into a hard core "you MCP" feminist. i remember those days when he would force me to sit next to him and listen to weird rock, just bcoz he was too bored to be sitting and working alone till late night. i remember the first song that really "got to me" [in ankit's words] was "the man who sold the world". well some good came out of those days..i found what an excellent stress buster rock can be, especially punk rock. ofcourse my supply was limited to the songs on his machine only, but i soon had them on mine and they started acting as my anger management when i was too stressed out and wanted to scream [errm..yes that did happen at work, even at home, at times...]
and then came songs from parag and chander, ranging from Daimen Rice to Immaculate dream & as deserts miss the rain. even saawariya and avdhoot gupte. soulful to haunting to peppy, and yes lovey dovey too, [ thankfully by now i over that phase, though i still think love is an extremely over rated emotion but that another story ].
the latest addition to my list of successful experiments... white rabbit - grace slick. psychedellic rock. again, an excellent start from abhishek, a friend from so long that I've lost count. of the number of years....from the puppy love of the archies, abba and the corrs [all of which i still love btw ] to jefferson airplane and RATM, things that "gets to me" , my collection is as varied as the interests of my friends. and am I thankful for that!! soon, hopefully, i'll have a song for every mood of mine [ many more of those are still waiting for the right music to hit them ;) ] and ofcourse the endless hindi music of every age and time and genre from the ancient navratan to the latest fashion, the punjabi bhangra to the sufi music...[credit for most of which goes to my kid sister], its all there. and dont forget a bit of jagjit singh here n there as well [thats thanks to my ex colleagues at my last company ] oh and how can i forget all the devotional music " to help me stay calm under pressure" courtesy my mother [somehow they always know, whether you tell them anything or not..they have these sensors..they just know.]
why did i write this up and decide to announce my playlist to the whole world on a spur of the moment, when writing, even for fun, is something i tend to take somewhat seriously, surely not to flaunt my music collection its zilch compared to each of my friends', individually! .....not too sure, must be the white rabbit doing its work!! and perhaps my latest discovery that sadly enough my writing capacity ha gone way down vis-a-vis my typing stamina and the thought of writing my diary tires my hand out.
but i guess mostly just to thank my friends for being there [not that any of them would ever read this if i held a gun to their heads..i am enough to handle even without having to go through this additional pain! ] . but just to thank them for bearing with me through all my numerous moods n temperaments, and assuaging me with the right kind of music when they can't do it alone :)
thanks guys...at the risk of sounding "filmy" ..."wen u smile for me the world seems all right" ... :)
here's my latest addiction... white rabbit
the first rock song i ever heard, of any kind, was Time machine, courtesy ankit. one of my best friends, now for many years. in a phase when i was sick of love songs..no i wasn't recently heart broken, i was beginnin to realise wat an over rated emotion love is and was just fed up of lovey dovey songs.. or as ankit put it, i was turning into a hard core "you MCP" feminist. i remember those days when he would force me to sit next to him and listen to weird rock, just bcoz he was too bored to be sitting and working alone till late night. i remember the first song that really "got to me" [in ankit's words] was "the man who sold the world". well some good came out of those days..i found what an excellent stress buster rock can be, especially punk rock. ofcourse my supply was limited to the songs on his machine only, but i soon had them on mine and they started acting as my anger management when i was too stressed out and wanted to scream [errm..yes that did happen at work, even at home, at times...]
and then came songs from parag and chander, ranging from Daimen Rice to Immaculate dream & as deserts miss the rain. even saawariya and avdhoot gupte. soulful to haunting to peppy, and yes lovey dovey too, [ thankfully by now i over that phase, though i still think love is an extremely over rated emotion but that another story ].
the latest addition to my list of successful experiments... white rabbit - grace slick. psychedellic rock. again, an excellent start from abhishek, a friend from so long that I've lost count. of the number of years....from the puppy love of the archies, abba and the corrs [all of which i still love btw ] to jefferson airplane and RATM, things that "gets to me" , my collection is as varied as the interests of my friends. and am I thankful for that!! soon, hopefully, i'll have a song for every mood of mine [ many more of those are still waiting for the right music to hit them ;) ] and ofcourse the endless hindi music of every age and time and genre from the ancient navratan to the latest fashion, the punjabi bhangra to the sufi music...[credit for most of which goes to my kid sister], its all there. and dont forget a bit of jagjit singh here n there as well [thats thanks to my ex colleagues at my last company ] oh and how can i forget all the devotional music " to help me stay calm under pressure" courtesy my mother [somehow they always know, whether you tell them anything or not..they have these sensors..they just know.]
why did i write this up and decide to announce my playlist to the whole world on a spur of the moment, when writing, even for fun, is something i tend to take somewhat seriously, surely not to flaunt my music collection its zilch compared to each of my friends', individually! .....not too sure, must be the white rabbit doing its work!! and perhaps my latest discovery that sadly enough my writing capacity ha gone way down vis-a-vis my typing stamina and the thought of writing my diary tires my hand out.
but i guess mostly just to thank my friends for being there [not that any of them would ever read this if i held a gun to their heads..i am enough to handle even without having to go through this additional pain! ] . but just to thank them for bearing with me through all my numerous moods n temperaments, and assuaging me with the right kind of music when they can't do it alone :)
thanks guys...at the risk of sounding "filmy" ..."wen u smile for me the world seems all right" ... :)
here's my latest addiction... white rabbit
Monday, December 08, 2008
purpose of life
there r 3 kinds of ppl that i've come across so far.
those who ask "why am i here", go through various stages of confusion and eventually realize at the end of it that there is no answer to this question. so next they ask themselves "ok then what is it that i would prefer as the purpose to be? what is it that i think will give meaning to my life and help me feel that i didn't waste this life when i die" and choose the path they want to follow.
those who ask "why am i here" , eventually realise that there is no answer and decide to let go of the matter.
and then there are those to whom the question never occurs.
from whatever little i have read, there are 2 generic theories that i know of so far. One says u r borne with a pre destined purpose n ur experiences in life all go towards preparing u for ur final calling in this life, which is again preparation for ur soul to move to the next plane for ur next life, and ultimately to nirvana.
the other says the future is cause n effect. we define our own purpose, we shape our lives. and its our subconscious learnings that do so.
these 2 theories converge somewhat wen both say its upto each individual soul how much a she wants to experience and explore. They equate subconscious with soul and say that its far more powerful. They also agree that while all human beings are equal in their true potential, they only differ in the realization of that potential. And that most people get caught in daily illusions of life n lose sight of the bigger picture.
i personally dont have strong opinions on re incarnation. and with destiny and our control, I stand somewhere in between. i feel there r always 3 elements in the circle of life... circumstances [Destiny / previous actions ] -> actions-> results [circumstances for next action ]
out of these, only actions are in our hands. and since we don't remember any other life, past or future, we only know what we are and what things r in this one life.
I also believe that everything happens for a reason whether u call it God, destiny, or something else. And if we look carefully almost certainly we will find that reason most of the times. At least in the hindsight. Every person we cm across, has a role to play, a purpose to serve in our lives.
so everything has a reason. & every person has a purpose to serve in our lives. then how can we be born without a reason or purpose. we're not. we have a purpose. each one of us. i also feel that because we never know the big picture, we never know why we re here we end up misinterpreting God's intentions.
so there is an answer to "why we're here" ... just that we wont know until the answer chooses to reveal itself. even if it means something as seemingly normal as sacrificing our careers to raise our children who will become bigger than we are, someday.
and that's what most people do. consciously or not, they decide upon their purpose of life, like raising children or keeping their parents happy and stay with it. and that's fine too. if they have any other purpose than that they get called to it wen the time comes.
so whether we are born with a pre-destined purpose which calls us someday, or we shape it through our actions everyday...that doesn't matter. what matters is whether when the time comes can we rise to the occasion and answer the call of duty. and that till then, we live each moment to the fullest. making the difference we want to make..doing things that make us happy and don't harm others, ... so that if we were to die the next instant, we wouldn't regret having wasted the moment just gone.
those who ask "why am i here", go through various stages of confusion and eventually realize at the end of it that there is no answer to this question. so next they ask themselves "ok then what is it that i would prefer as the purpose to be? what is it that i think will give meaning to my life and help me feel that i didn't waste this life when i die" and choose the path they want to follow.
those who ask "why am i here" , eventually realise that there is no answer and decide to let go of the matter.
and then there are those to whom the question never occurs.
from whatever little i have read, there are 2 generic theories that i know of so far. One says u r borne with a pre destined purpose n ur experiences in life all go towards preparing u for ur final calling in this life, which is again preparation for ur soul to move to the next plane for ur next life, and ultimately to nirvana.
the other says the future is cause n effect. we define our own purpose, we shape our lives. and its our subconscious learnings that do so.
these 2 theories converge somewhat wen both say its upto each individual soul how much a she wants to experience and explore. They equate subconscious with soul and say that its far more powerful. They also agree that while all human beings are equal in their true potential, they only differ in the realization of that potential. And that most people get caught in daily illusions of life n lose sight of the bigger picture.
i personally dont have strong opinions on re incarnation. and with destiny and our control, I stand somewhere in between. i feel there r always 3 elements in the circle of life... circumstances [Destiny / previous actions ] -> actions-> results [circumstances for next action ]
out of these, only actions are in our hands. and since we don't remember any other life, past or future, we only know what we are and what things r in this one life.
I also believe that everything happens for a reason whether u call it God, destiny, or something else. And if we look carefully almost certainly we will find that reason most of the times. At least in the hindsight. Every person we cm across, has a role to play, a purpose to serve in our lives.
so everything has a reason. & every person has a purpose to serve in our lives. then how can we be born without a reason or purpose. we're not. we have a purpose. each one of us. i also feel that because we never know the big picture, we never know why we re here we end up misinterpreting God's intentions.
so there is an answer to "why we're here" ... just that we wont know until the answer chooses to reveal itself. even if it means something as seemingly normal as sacrificing our careers to raise our children who will become bigger than we are, someday.
and that's what most people do. consciously or not, they decide upon their purpose of life, like raising children or keeping their parents happy and stay with it. and that's fine too. if they have any other purpose than that they get called to it wen the time comes.
so whether we are born with a pre-destined purpose which calls us someday, or we shape it through our actions everyday...that doesn't matter. what matters is whether when the time comes can we rise to the occasion and answer the call of duty. and that till then, we live each moment to the fullest. making the difference we want to make..doing things that make us happy and don't harm others, ... so that if we were to die the next instant, we wouldn't regret having wasted the moment just gone.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
26/11 - Fight on Mumbai!!
picture courtesy: santabanta.comA tribute to all those who have been victimized by one of the most senseless acts of planned cold blooded and ruthless terrorism in history. A tribute to the brave policemen who laid their lives in the line of duty. A salute to the ongoing battle that is currently raging in the city, to Mumbai..and to Mumbaikars.. the city that never sleeps. The spirit that never dies.
Click here for live news
Click here for live news
Monday, November 17, 2008
death
death is never a happy subject. atleast for most people. whether its some one you loved, some one you worked with, some one you barely knew or some one you had never even heard of before. death always makes you sad. depressed. of course the pain is proportional to your emotional attachment with the deceased.
the loss of a love one is painful, naturally. you cry at the memories, shared joys and shared tears, the fights you wish hadn't happened, the dreams you two had dreamed together...wen some one you love is gone forever..he leaves an emptiness behind. a pain coming from the pit of the stomach..a void that hurts so much, as if it will never fill. and perhaps it never does. not completely atleast. something inside hurts forever. and its natural. understandable.
but even when we are not really attached to the deceased, not fond of them, relatives we haven't seen in years, never really cared about, never really missed on any occasion in our lives, to the extent that their presence annoyed you, as seldom as it was, only caused irritation and annoyance....why does the loss of such people also make us feel, albeit in a lesser degree, the same sense of loss..the same sense of emptiness within
perhaps its not only the loss of what was but the loss of what could have been.
the loss of a love one is painful, naturally. you cry at the memories, shared joys and shared tears, the fights you wish hadn't happened, the dreams you two had dreamed together...wen some one you love is gone forever..he leaves an emptiness behind. a pain coming from the pit of the stomach..a void that hurts so much, as if it will never fill. and perhaps it never does. not completely atleast. something inside hurts forever. and its natural. understandable.
but even when we are not really attached to the deceased, not fond of them, relatives we haven't seen in years, never really cared about, never really missed on any occasion in our lives, to the extent that their presence annoyed you, as seldom as it was, only caused irritation and annoyance....why does the loss of such people also make us feel, albeit in a lesser degree, the same sense of loss..the same sense of emptiness within
perhaps its not only the loss of what was but the loss of what could have been.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Gagg-edddd -II ;)
some of my favorites from one of my fav blog from my definitely fav set of people on Earth :D
producer/director : anekta majboor
female starcast: dilli, mumbai aur saare chhotey shehron ki sunder sunder ladkiyan,
male starcast: spot boys can pool in where required, IF AT ALL
saree source: sabhi ladkiyan apni apni saareiyan apne saath laayengi. nahi toh kkayalalitha ji se borrow karenge
other costumes: koi zaroorat nahi hai
jewellery: tribhovandas bhimji zaveri, PP jewellers, BK jewellers, nakshatra, asmi, ira, geetanjali, tanishq, orra, cygnus, hmpf hmpf... vacancies open for more applicants
.....Read more
producer/director : anekta majboor
female starcast: dilli, mumbai aur saare chhotey shehron ki sunder sunder ladkiyan,
male starcast: spot boys can pool in where required, IF AT ALL
saree source: sabhi ladkiyan apni apni saareiyan apne saath laayengi. nahi toh kkayalalitha ji se borrow karenge
other costumes: koi zaroorat nahi hai
jewellery: tribhovandas bhimji zaveri, PP jewellers, BK jewellers, nakshatra, asmi, ira, geetanjali, tanishq, orra, cygnus, hmpf hmpf... vacancies open for more applicants
.....Read more
Gagg-edddd ;)
some of my favorites from one of my fav blog from my definitely fav set of people on Earth :D
humsab ko ek dost ki engagement pe jaana tha...
bakra: bas ye batao ki shaam ka kya plan hai.
humsab1: abbe shaam se poochh na humse kyon poochh raha hai!
bakra: vo to theek hai . par ye shaam kaun hai?
humsab1: abbe yeh to tu batayega na :)
tune hi to poochha na ki shaam ka kya plan hai...
tujhe mental periplexy to nahin ho gayi hai :P (umm whatever that is)
bakra: maine to shaam urf sandya ke plan ke baare mein poocha tha.
shaam (vyakti nahi)
humsab1: arre agar shaam sandhya hai, to phir woh vyakti to nahin hi hua na!.....Read More
humsab ko ek dost ki engagement pe jaana tha...
bakra: bas ye batao ki shaam ka kya plan hai.
humsab1: abbe shaam se poochh na humse kyon poochh raha hai!
bakra: vo to theek hai . par ye shaam kaun hai?
humsab1: abbe yeh to tu batayega na :)
tune hi to poochha na ki shaam ka kya plan hai...
tujhe mental periplexy to nahin ho gayi hai :P (umm whatever that is)
bakra: maine to shaam urf sandya ke plan ke baare mein poocha tha.
shaam (vyakti nahi)
humsab1: arre agar shaam sandhya hai, to phir woh vyakti to nahin hi hua na!.....Read More
Monday, November 10, 2008
for something good that I am trying to do in life..please help me out by taking this short survey
thanks a ton!!!
thanks a ton!!!
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Hmm..
What Kind of Drink Are You? | |
 | You are a Pint of Beer. You're happy with who you are. Sure, you may not be the 'sophisticated' and 'refined' type, but at least you're real. You don't let the little things get to you, and you have a good time no matter what life throws at you. Keep it up. |
| Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com | |
for a non-drinker.... I wouldn't know would I ;)
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Inspiring in the true sense of the word!
After a long and almost comical campaign, due to the endless media coverage, filled with more turns and twists than Rush Hour movies & Ekta Kapoor's Tv serials, Barrack Obama [ the man with the "funny name" and allegedly not enough experience ] won the elections in a sweepstaking victory to be the first African-American President. His victory speech, which a classmate was kind enough to share, explains why he won!!
His victory is the first step towards re-instating the USA as the land of opportunities, which has, to say the least, since 9/11 become paranoid with its immigration rules & quotas and general perception and treatment of Asians living in the USA. But this victory is just the start. Will he actually be able to deliver on these promises ?? Will he be able to turn this historic win into a historic term, and rejuvenate a tired battered nation, sturggling against the biggest financial crisis in a century?? Will his name go down in history as the first African-American President or "the First and one of the best in history of world and American Politics " ?? Does this speech really come from Obama or is it simply a fabulous creation of his excellent campaign team working behind the scenes?? ... Answers to these questions lie in the future and only future will give those answers.
For now.. this speech is a sure hit! Click here for the video.
[ here the concession speech of John McCain ]
Hope the Raj Thackerays and Mayawatis and Karunanidhis and Mamta Bannerjees (Indian politicians) ever learn something from this!!!!
President-elect Barack Obama's victory speech in Chicago as released by his campaign.
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.
It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.
It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.
It's the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.
It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.
I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he's fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation's next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House. And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.
To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics - you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to - it belongs to you.
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington - it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.
It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.
I know you didn't do this just to win an election and I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor's bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you - we as a people will get there.
There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it's been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.
What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek - it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers - in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people
Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House - a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, "We are not enemies, but friends...though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection." And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world - our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down - we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security - we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.
For that is the true genius of America - that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing - Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.
She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.
And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.
At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.
When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.
When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.
She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.
A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.
America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:
Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.
His victory is the first step towards re-instating the USA as the land of opportunities, which has, to say the least, since 9/11 become paranoid with its immigration rules & quotas and general perception and treatment of Asians living in the USA. But this victory is just the start. Will he actually be able to deliver on these promises ?? Will he be able to turn this historic win into a historic term, and rejuvenate a tired battered nation, sturggling against the biggest financial crisis in a century?? Will his name go down in history as the first African-American President or "the First and one of the best in history of world and American Politics " ?? Does this speech really come from Obama or is it simply a fabulous creation of his excellent campaign team working behind the scenes?? ... Answers to these questions lie in the future and only future will give those answers.
For now.. this speech is a sure hit! Click here for the video.
[ here the concession speech of John McCain ]
Hope the Raj Thackerays and Mayawatis and Karunanidhis and Mamta Bannerjees (Indian politicians) ever learn something from this!!!!
Full text of President-elect Barack Obama's victory speech
Ndtv.com
Wednesday, November 05, 2008 11:39 AM (Chicago, Illinois)
President-elect Barack Obama's victory speech in Chicago as released by his campaign.
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.
It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.
It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.
It's the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.
It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.
I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he's fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation's next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House. And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.
To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics - you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to - it belongs to you.
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington - it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.
It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.
I know you didn't do this just to win an election and I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor's bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you - we as a people will get there.
There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it's been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.
What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek - it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers - in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people
Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House - a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, "We are not enemies, but friends...though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection." And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world - our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down - we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security - we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.
For that is the true genius of America - that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing - Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.
She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.
And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.
At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.
When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.
When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.
She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.
A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.
America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:
Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Dayasankar in Oktoberfest
कुछ दुई चार दिन पहले हमरे कॉलेज माँ ओक्टोबर फेस्ट रहा. अब भइया हमका तोः मालूम नाही की ई ओक्तोबेरफेस्ट की बला होअत है l हमरे इय्हान तोह ओक्टूबर का महिना मान दशहरा होअत है तोः हम इन सोचें की कौन जाने ई इन अंग्रेजन का दशहरा हुई l और फिर ई सोच के ई बिदेस मान बैठे हैं तोह नई तरह का दशहरा मना लें, गाँव जाके माई को बताएँगे तोः खुस हो जावेगी, हमने उठाई अपनी पोटली और पहुँच गए ई फिरंग दशहरा मान l उहाँ की देखत हैं, सब लोगन ई बड़े बड़े पकोडे खात रहे l राम जाने पकोडे का चीज का थे, हमका तोः ऐसा लगा की पूरी की पूरी गोभी ही तल दी हो कढाई मां. और सुनो भइया, सब लोगन के हाथ में ये हाथ भर ऊँचे लोटे और उमा काली भांग. अब बिदेस मां का आदमी और का औरत, सब के सब पकोडे खाएं और भंग पियें l पर मजा की बात तोह ई, की सब होस मान. धत ससुरा ! एकदम बेकार भांग और एक तोः ही बेकार पकोडा l हम तोः कहीन, की सारा पैसा ख़राब हुई गवा उनका, जो हमरे किसना की दुकान के छोटा छोटा पकोडा मंगाई होअत, मसाला मार के और नंदू हलवाई से भांग ली होअत तोः एक घूँट में भोले संकर के दरसन हुई जाते साक्षात!!
एक बात और, उन्हां रावन का पुतला तोः रहा नही पर दुई तीन गोरे अंग्रेजी मां कुछ कथा पाठ करे रहीं. और सब लोग अपना ध्यान मगन होकर भजन कीर्तन करे रहीं. अब ऊ की बोले ई ताः हमका समझा नही पर सब प्रभु सरी राम की भक्ति मां ऐसन लीन थे भइया, की सब लोग आँख बंद करेके जहाँ जगह मिले, कोई जमीन पा तोः कोई मेज कुर्सी पा, भाई बेहेन के से प्रेम से मिल के, भग्वान की भक्ति मां लीन रहिन. कसम राम जी की मन खुस होई गवा, बहुत-हेई सुकून मिला मन का ई बिदेस मां
हाँ कुछ लोग रहिन, बेचारे गरीब तन ढकने तक को बस्त्र नाही, पर अब प्रभु के घर त सब एक समान होअत है. अब हम कौन हैं जो छोटा बड़ा मां भेद भाव करीं l हमका जुइ बात भली लगी ओ ई, की ऊ गरीब लोग भी सबके साथ ही बैठे रहे, कोव्नो जाप पात का भेद नही l तोह इतने पावन बाताबरण मां, एक पुन्न्न का काम हम भी कर ही दी ल उन्हां एक बहुत-हेई सुंदर कन्या रहिन, एकदम स्वर्ग लोक की अप्सरा जैसीं, ये बड़े बड़े नयन नक्षा और ये सफ़ेद रंग l एकदम अपनी ऊ दूधउअ गाय है न, गौरी, ऊ के जैसे सफ़ेद l पर बेचारी गरीब घर की, किस्मत की मारी अभागी..ऊ के पास कपड़े नाही..राम राम राम l हम अपनी माई का नाम लेके उका अपना गमछा और अपनी चादर दे आयें l ऊ हमका इतनी बिसमय की नजरों से देखे रही..बेचारी अबला, हम उका कह दिए, रख लो बेहेन, भग्वान के घर से हम तुका ऐसे नही जाने देब l भले घर की कन्या भई, बुरे बखत की मारी, मना करी हमका बहुत बार, पर हम भी सीता मैया का बास्ता देके उका ऊ गमछा और चादर देके ही दम लिए. भैयन, अब ऊ पूजा पाठ मां कहीं रावन का पुतला त जलाबे का नाही, तोह फिर हम थोड़े बहुत भजन सुन के अपनी गाड़ी पकड़ने को बापस चल दिए l जाते जाते ऊ कन्या को देखे, त हमार चादर ओढे जमीन पे बैठी भक्ति में लीन रही l हम भी एक बार और भगवान् राम का नाम लिए और चल दिए उहाँ से, अपनी माई के पास बापस गाँव.
जय सिया राम!
एक बात और, उन्हां रावन का पुतला तोः रहा नही पर दुई तीन गोरे अंग्रेजी मां कुछ कथा पाठ करे रहीं. और सब लोग अपना ध्यान मगन होकर भजन कीर्तन करे रहीं. अब ऊ की बोले ई ताः हमका समझा नही पर सब प्रभु सरी राम की भक्ति मां ऐसन लीन थे भइया, की सब लोग आँख बंद करेके जहाँ जगह मिले, कोई जमीन पा तोः कोई मेज कुर्सी पा, भाई बेहेन के से प्रेम से मिल के, भग्वान की भक्ति मां लीन रहिन. कसम राम जी की मन खुस होई गवा, बहुत-हेई सुकून मिला मन का ई बिदेस मां
हाँ कुछ लोग रहिन, बेचारे गरीब तन ढकने तक को बस्त्र नाही, पर अब प्रभु के घर त सब एक समान होअत है. अब हम कौन हैं जो छोटा बड़ा मां भेद भाव करीं l हमका जुइ बात भली लगी ओ ई, की ऊ गरीब लोग भी सबके साथ ही बैठे रहे, कोव्नो जाप पात का भेद नही l तोह इतने पावन बाताबरण मां, एक पुन्न्न का काम हम भी कर ही दी ल उन्हां एक बहुत-हेई सुंदर कन्या रहिन, एकदम स्वर्ग लोक की अप्सरा जैसीं, ये बड़े बड़े नयन नक्षा और ये सफ़ेद रंग l एकदम अपनी ऊ दूधउअ गाय है न, गौरी, ऊ के जैसे सफ़ेद l पर बेचारी गरीब घर की, किस्मत की मारी अभागी..ऊ के पास कपड़े नाही..राम राम राम l हम अपनी माई का नाम लेके उका अपना गमछा और अपनी चादर दे आयें l ऊ हमका इतनी बिसमय की नजरों से देखे रही..बेचारी अबला, हम उका कह दिए, रख लो बेहेन, भग्वान के घर से हम तुका ऐसे नही जाने देब l भले घर की कन्या भई, बुरे बखत की मारी, मना करी हमका बहुत बार, पर हम भी सीता मैया का बास्ता देके उका ऊ गमछा और चादर देके ही दम लिए. भैयन, अब ऊ पूजा पाठ मां कहीं रावन का पुतला त जलाबे का नाही, तोह फिर हम थोड़े बहुत भजन सुन के अपनी गाड़ी पकड़ने को बापस चल दिए l जाते जाते ऊ कन्या को देखे, त हमार चादर ओढे जमीन पे बैठी भक्ति में लीन रही l हम भी एक बार और भगवान् राम का नाम लिए और चल दिए उहाँ से, अपनी माई के पास बापस गाँव.
जय सिया राम!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Earthlings
On a free evening, I decided to do something different and went to watch this real life documentary on Earthlings. I had absolutely no idea what it was about, except what the name suggested. Something related to the environment. And that it had taken 5 years in the making, most of it done with hidden cameras. Why would you need hidden cameras to make a movie on the environment? Maybe it talks about shady government policies or something like that. To be honest I could have done some research, but hell, I just wanted to enjoy a free evening and so I went. I could have never anticipated what I was about to witness for the next 2 hours.
The movie started with how we, all living beings who inhabit the Earth, are all equal. And how one species, the humans, are exploiting all the other species, in the name of food, clothing, entertainment and research. And I understood why the entire movie was shot with hidden cameras and why it took 5 years to make.
Here are some of the things I saw..It is even harder for me to recollect and be descriptive than it was to watch, yet I share these with you, not to spoil your dinner, but to make you aware of what you are being a part of ...what we are being a part of. What is written further is only a part of that movie, only that which I remember. It is easy to stop and not read any further, as it would have been for me to walk out...but I chose not to live in denial and ignorance, and false hope that the animal I am eating, or the fur/leather I am wearing did not cause pain to make. Do you have the courage to face the truth? It is up to you to choose.
Beef: cows are inhumanly stacked on top of one another while transporting from one place, half of them suffocate to death on their way to slaughter houses. Those who survive, go through branding with burning torches and de-horning without anesthetics, the animals left to writhe in pain until the blood spurting out stops on its own. the cows are tied with their feet and dangled upside down and fed into the slaughtering machines.Those machines rotate them, their heads dangling outside, when their throats are slit. The animals, still alive, and writhing in agony, are dragged outside the machines, their guts hanging out, and are then dangled directly with iron hooks stuck into their bodies! Still alive, their blood is collected for various sauces n tonics.
Milk: Milking cows are fed and milked incessantly. With no exercise, they are tied to their stands all day long. While usually a cow loves as long as 20 years, milking cows live for only 4 years, thanks to the endless over exertion. And once they can no longer produce milk, they are tied with their feet and dragged alive to the slaughter houses where they go through the torture aforementioned.
Pork: Amongst all forms of meet, pork has the maximum consumption in the world, followed by beef and poultry. For every hamburger that we eat, here's just a sample of what the pig has to go through....sows are kept constantly pregnant through artificial insemination. Cluttered in thousands under one facility, the only life they know is to eat and give birth. In order to stack more live pigs in one facility, and "better utilize" space & "prevent cannibalism", baby pigs, soon after birth, have their ears chopped and tails cut without anesthetics before or bandages after wards. Just like the cows, the baby pigs are left to shriek, cry and writhe in agonizing pain till the bleeding stops on its own. For the male babies, this isn't the end, they are castrated to "prevent" natural breeding, along with having their tails and ears chopped. All pigs go through branding, either by burning torches or electric casts. The slaughtering of pigs takes many forms..from electrocuting, drowning live pigs into boiling water & throat slitting with blunt knives, to actually thrashing the live animals on the floor and stomping repeatedly on their heads and necks.
Poultry: Facing a similar fate to baby pigs, the chickens are de-beaked soon after their birth with hot cutters. The cutter temperatures and speeds are not always controlled, resulting in severe injuries to the hens.Dangled upside down with hooks, they move on a belt and get their throats slit. As mechanically as it sounds in this line. the hens, which are still alive with their guts hanging out are picked up one by one and dumped into [some sort of] containers where they slowly bleed to death. Stomping on the hens is another "technique".
Fur: wild animals of all kinds are caged into tiny cages, where they, completely unused to being caged and unable to even move more than 1-2 steps, usually go mad. The killing of these animals is usually carried out by the cheapest means, read throat slitting by blunt knives and actually digging hooks into their heads from above. Some of these animals, once their skins have been taken off for fur, are actually fed to the others for food.
Leather: Most of the leather in the world comes from Indian cows. Since cow slaughtering is banned in India, the people in the trade torture them to death. The cows first are horse shoe-d in the crudest, most brutal manner and then forced in and out of trucks without ramps. Most cows end up with broken pelvic bones, ribs, knees and legs because of this. The cows are then dragged, forced to walk, without food and water for days at end, until they collapse and either die or are so close to the brink of death that their slaughtering can be justified. The slaughtering then is equally brutal and ruthless, as the techniques mentioned above.
Seafood: All human waste and sewerage goes into the oceans. The sea life are forced to consume that waste for we humans have polluted their environment. And then we eat that same sea life. Our endless dumping of oil and nuclear waste into the oceans has given rise to many mutants of bacteria and viruses which infect the fishes we eat. Dolphins, a Japanese delicacy, are killed through elaborate plots. Their sonar systems are meddled with by sounding pipes under the water. Once confused they are trapped and dug with long arrows and saws. Since dolphins don't leave injured family members behind, the injured member is used as a bait to lure the entire family, which then meets a similar fate. then these bleeding, writhing dolphins are thrashed on the floor and left to bleed and die. the blood flows unhindered and untreated into the sea and suffocates the natural sea life in the area.
Environment: I used to think that if we raise extra cattle and then kill it, we are not really disturbing the net ecological balance. But extra livestock means extra space, and extra food. The agricultural land goes into raising livestock. the thus reduced land is treated with loads of pesticides and such to increase its productivity. The extra livestock is then fed with further treated high vitamin rich grain to increase their body fat. Grain goes in and waste comes out. all this extra waste is then dumped into the seas, to this day largely untreated, where the natural sea life is forced to consume it.
Us: All the animal only diseases, like the mad cow disease, have been unleashed on humans thanks to all the meat consumption.
By the time the movie was over, most men were looking away and most women were crying. Many were throwing up. I, having forced myself to sit through and watch, rushed out in the fresh air to breathe. And then I realized the fish in our waters, along with millions of other life forms, no longer have this luxury of breathing easily. thanks to the waste we have dumped on them.
Thanks to my parents, I was a vegetarian for most of my life. In the recent years, in the rebellious exploratory moods, had I started venturing otherwise. This movie however, the stark reality of the inhuman brutalities that are conducted on every single animal we eat have made it impossible for me to so much as touch meet again.
Animals can also eat, breathe, love and feel. They have families, societies and clans. Digging with hooks in the heads, slitting throats and leaving to bleed to death, chopping beaks, ears, tails and genitals off without anesthesia, branding with burning torches, live electrocution, beating, stomping....the list is endless
What we are doing every single day to the world around us is far more brutal than what the Nazis did in their concentration camps.But while that ended decades ago, this torture is still far from over. And for those who say this is all food chain... the other animals in the food chain have to kill. We humans, on the other hand, choose to kill. And in the most brutal possible manner!!
[ the movie details can be found here ]
The movie started with how we, all living beings who inhabit the Earth, are all equal. And how one species, the humans, are exploiting all the other species, in the name of food, clothing, entertainment and research. And I understood why the entire movie was shot with hidden cameras and why it took 5 years to make.
Here are some of the things I saw..It is even harder for me to recollect and be descriptive than it was to watch, yet I share these with you, not to spoil your dinner, but to make you aware of what you are being a part of ...what we are being a part of. What is written further is only a part of that movie, only that which I remember. It is easy to stop and not read any further, as it would have been for me to walk out...but I chose not to live in denial and ignorance, and false hope that the animal I am eating, or the fur/leather I am wearing did not cause pain to make. Do you have the courage to face the truth? It is up to you to choose.
Beef: cows are inhumanly stacked on top of one another while transporting from one place, half of them suffocate to death on their way to slaughter houses. Those who survive, go through branding with burning torches and de-horning without anesthetics, the animals left to writhe in pain until the blood spurting out stops on its own. the cows are tied with their feet and dangled upside down and fed into the slaughtering machines.Those machines rotate them, their heads dangling outside, when their throats are slit. The animals, still alive, and writhing in agony, are dragged outside the machines, their guts hanging out, and are then dangled directly with iron hooks stuck into their bodies! Still alive, their blood is collected for various sauces n tonics.
Milk: Milking cows are fed and milked incessantly. With no exercise, they are tied to their stands all day long. While usually a cow loves as long as 20 years, milking cows live for only 4 years, thanks to the endless over exertion. And once they can no longer produce milk, they are tied with their feet and dragged alive to the slaughter houses where they go through the torture aforementioned.
Pork: Amongst all forms of meet, pork has the maximum consumption in the world, followed by beef and poultry. For every hamburger that we eat, here's just a sample of what the pig has to go through....sows are kept constantly pregnant through artificial insemination. Cluttered in thousands under one facility, the only life they know is to eat and give birth. In order to stack more live pigs in one facility, and "better utilize" space & "prevent cannibalism", baby pigs, soon after birth, have their ears chopped and tails cut without anesthetics before or bandages after wards. Just like the cows, the baby pigs are left to shriek, cry and writhe in agonizing pain till the bleeding stops on its own. For the male babies, this isn't the end, they are castrated to "prevent" natural breeding, along with having their tails and ears chopped. All pigs go through branding, either by burning torches or electric casts. The slaughtering of pigs takes many forms..from electrocuting, drowning live pigs into boiling water & throat slitting with blunt knives, to actually thrashing the live animals on the floor and stomping repeatedly on their heads and necks.
Poultry: Facing a similar fate to baby pigs, the chickens are de-beaked soon after their birth with hot cutters. The cutter temperatures and speeds are not always controlled, resulting in severe injuries to the hens.Dangled upside down with hooks, they move on a belt and get their throats slit. As mechanically as it sounds in this line. the hens, which are still alive with their guts hanging out are picked up one by one and dumped into [some sort of] containers where they slowly bleed to death. Stomping on the hens is another "technique".
Fur: wild animals of all kinds are caged into tiny cages, where they, completely unused to being caged and unable to even move more than 1-2 steps, usually go mad. The killing of these animals is usually carried out by the cheapest means, read throat slitting by blunt knives and actually digging hooks into their heads from above. Some of these animals, once their skins have been taken off for fur, are actually fed to the others for food.
Leather: Most of the leather in the world comes from Indian cows. Since cow slaughtering is banned in India, the people in the trade torture them to death. The cows first are horse shoe-d in the crudest, most brutal manner and then forced in and out of trucks without ramps. Most cows end up with broken pelvic bones, ribs, knees and legs because of this. The cows are then dragged, forced to walk, without food and water for days at end, until they collapse and either die or are so close to the brink of death that their slaughtering can be justified. The slaughtering then is equally brutal and ruthless, as the techniques mentioned above.
Seafood: All human waste and sewerage goes into the oceans. The sea life are forced to consume that waste for we humans have polluted their environment. And then we eat that same sea life. Our endless dumping of oil and nuclear waste into the oceans has given rise to many mutants of bacteria and viruses which infect the fishes we eat. Dolphins, a Japanese delicacy, are killed through elaborate plots. Their sonar systems are meddled with by sounding pipes under the water. Once confused they are trapped and dug with long arrows and saws. Since dolphins don't leave injured family members behind, the injured member is used as a bait to lure the entire family, which then meets a similar fate. then these bleeding, writhing dolphins are thrashed on the floor and left to bleed and die. the blood flows unhindered and untreated into the sea and suffocates the natural sea life in the area.
Environment: I used to think that if we raise extra cattle and then kill it, we are not really disturbing the net ecological balance. But extra livestock means extra space, and extra food. The agricultural land goes into raising livestock. the thus reduced land is treated with loads of pesticides and such to increase its productivity. The extra livestock is then fed with further treated high vitamin rich grain to increase their body fat. Grain goes in and waste comes out. all this extra waste is then dumped into the seas, to this day largely untreated, where the natural sea life is forced to consume it.
Us: All the animal only diseases, like the mad cow disease, have been unleashed on humans thanks to all the meat consumption.
By the time the movie was over, most men were looking away and most women were crying. Many were throwing up. I, having forced myself to sit through and watch, rushed out in the fresh air to breathe. And then I realized the fish in our waters, along with millions of other life forms, no longer have this luxury of breathing easily. thanks to the waste we have dumped on them.
Thanks to my parents, I was a vegetarian for most of my life. In the recent years, in the rebellious exploratory moods, had I started venturing otherwise. This movie however, the stark reality of the inhuman brutalities that are conducted on every single animal we eat have made it impossible for me to so much as touch meet again.
Animals can also eat, breathe, love and feel. They have families, societies and clans. Digging with hooks in the heads, slitting throats and leaving to bleed to death, chopping beaks, ears, tails and genitals off without anesthesia, branding with burning torches, live electrocution, beating, stomping....the list is endless
What we are doing every single day to the world around us is far more brutal than what the Nazis did in their concentration camps.But while that ended decades ago, this torture is still far from over. And for those who say this is all food chain... the other animals in the food chain have to kill. We humans, on the other hand, choose to kill. And in the most brutal possible manner!!
[ the movie details can be found here ]
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Talk about culture shock! I had thought I would get it when I first go outside India. May 2007- London. nothing. i loved it there. Singapore. well not really. i mean sure the food sucked initially n i was homesick n lonely but things r getting better with time...n thts not really a culture shock. so what is culture shock? having to walk a lot? naah..thats just laziness-inertia :P having to cook on my own- well im nt doing tht so tht doesnt even count :P really really really short clothes...yeah that could probably have been 1 thing, but I guess its more of wistfulness of not having the kind of figure or confidence to b able to ever carry such clothes; than a shock. plus before hand where i was coming and what to expect.clubbing!! ah yes that could have been the closest, but a) i dont have the money to go clubbing. and b) i never went clubbing even in India, and wen I did it was as much of a culture shock for me there as well. so what is culture shock n why does everyone go on and on about it???? i had no idea...but i was perplexed n this thought struck me every now and then.
One such morning, on my way to college, as I was looking at the perfectly spaced, perfectly shaped, perfectly manicured trees spawned across Singapore, with the polite beep in the bus every time some one wanted to alight and the patient polite queues for buses everywhere.., wondering in a country where everything is so disciplined, that people dont walk bare feet on wet grass, women dont go out without makeup and dont even come back home without makeup that makes them look morning fresh all day through... even trees know exactly what shape n height to stop growing at, would people even know the emotion called shock??? the word itself is too aggressive to fit in the "genteel" ambiance created all around, blanketing any "raw" display of emotion, a question broke my chain of thought...
"hey are you married??"
'What?"i looked at the girl sitting next to me, surprised. "Oh, no no..I just generally...", I smiled back half-apologetically...I had casually put my gold ring in the left-hand ring finger. Hindus don't have a lot of significance to the ring, they have so many other ways to make their women demonstrate their marital status! but for the rest of the world..where a ring is all it takes you from enjoying single-hood to stressing over visiting in-laws,..that one small ring makes the world of a difference. So consciously I put it back on...
but old habits die hard. and my habit of playing with my ring and switching it between fingers was no different. and so over the next few days i was asked this same question many many many times. until it almost started feeling the easiest conversation starter with me. well thanks to the girls who at least talked to a loner like me...at least they tried to make friends with me. but honestly, while i was conscious of the fact that i was talking to ppl (or rather they were talking to me), and it was nice to start making friends in an alien place,..the marriage thing was getting a bit out of hand!!
for it always took the same course...
"Hey are you married?"
"Umm oh no..this was just...i was just playing with my ring.."
"Ohh! (smile) but you must have a boyfriend!"
... wasn't this the exact same conversation I had hoped to flee when I left India??? Oh well..people are the same everywhere just people...
so I sighed and carried on. Reached my class and opened my laptop..my ring still (unconcsiously of course ) on the left hand ring finger...when I heard an excited voice right behind me...even before listening I knew what it was going to be...
"Oooo!! soooooooo cute! is that your baby??"
WHAT??????!!!!!!!!!!!!! wait...thats the wrong question..you're supposed to ask me if I am married...
"What?? which baby??"
And she pointed happily at my laptop
"Ahhhhh....no , its not. its just a wallpaper I got from the net!!" ........
apparently not only married people wear rings, they also put their babies/kids pics as the backgrounds on their laptops...though im not sure if that really counts as a part of culture shock people are pretty crazy about their kids everywhere. thats more of perhaps an age shock. people have started realising what my parents already did, many years ago...I'm old enough to get married and have kids...by the Indian societal standards of course
and talking of culture shock..i have safely put my ring away elsewhere and my laptop wallpaper just has trees n birds.
One such morning, on my way to college, as I was looking at the perfectly spaced, perfectly shaped, perfectly manicured trees spawned across Singapore, with the polite beep in the bus every time some one wanted to alight and the patient polite queues for buses everywhere.., wondering in a country where everything is so disciplined, that people dont walk bare feet on wet grass, women dont go out without makeup and dont even come back home without makeup that makes them look morning fresh all day through... even trees know exactly what shape n height to stop growing at, would people even know the emotion called shock??? the word itself is too aggressive to fit in the "genteel" ambiance created all around, blanketing any "raw" display of emotion, a question broke my chain of thought...
"hey are you married??"
'What?"i looked at the girl sitting next to me, surprised. "Oh, no no..I just generally...", I smiled back half-apologetically...I had casually put my gold ring in the left-hand ring finger. Hindus don't have a lot of significance to the ring, they have so many other ways to make their women demonstrate their marital status! but for the rest of the world..where a ring is all it takes you from enjoying single-hood to stressing over visiting in-laws,..that one small ring makes the world of a difference. So consciously I put it back on...
but old habits die hard. and my habit of playing with my ring and switching it between fingers was no different. and so over the next few days i was asked this same question many many many times. until it almost started feeling the easiest conversation starter with me. well thanks to the girls who at least talked to a loner like me...at least they tried to make friends with me. but honestly, while i was conscious of the fact that i was talking to ppl (or rather they were talking to me), and it was nice to start making friends in an alien place,..the marriage thing was getting a bit out of hand!!
for it always took the same course...
"Hey are you married?"
"Umm oh no..this was just...i was just playing with my ring.."
"Ohh! (smile) but you must have a boyfriend!"
... wasn't this the exact same conversation I had hoped to flee when I left India??? Oh well..people are the same everywhere just people...
so I sighed and carried on. Reached my class and opened my laptop..my ring still (unconcsiously of course ) on the left hand ring finger...when I heard an excited voice right behind me...even before listening I knew what it was going to be...
"Oooo!! soooooooo cute! is that your baby??"
WHAT??????!!!!!!!!!!!!! wait...thats the wrong question..you're supposed to ask me if I am married...
"What?? which baby??"
And she pointed happily at my laptop
"Ahhhhh....no , its not. its just a wallpaper I got from the net!!" ........
apparently not only married people wear rings, they also put their babies/kids pics as the backgrounds on their laptops...though im not sure if that really counts as a part of culture shock people are pretty crazy about their kids everywhere. thats more of perhaps an age shock. people have started realising what my parents already did, many years ago...I'm old enough to get married and have kids...by the Indian societal standards of course
and talking of culture shock..i have safely put my ring away elsewhere and my laptop wallpaper just has trees n birds.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
People
Its interesting how people fight over differences in color, religion, geographical boundaries and God-knows-what-not. Yet people are just that. People. They're the same across all differences. children of all ages, religions, regions and nationalities are equally dependent on their mothers, though their degrees of confession & expression may differ. Mothers are always willnig to give up their own happiness and comfort for their children; and those who are not are not so because of the color of their skin or teachings of their religion. Grandparents are equally lovable and needed by all children while growing up. And children who miss out on bedtime stories from their parents/grandparents miss out equally on the love that is their due. Priests are always smiling, accepting & forgiving, no matter what religion they preach. And those who are not, exist in all religions. The beautician will always be a smiling good natured chatter box who would have a knack of making other women share their burdens with her and feel better. Though I dont remember ever seeing anyone else ask the beautician if she had any problems. Students invariably sleep in lectures and hate homework, tests and exams no matter what age, stream or university they belong to. finding "true love" is the never ending "Holy Grail" of mankind. And aren't we all equally stressed out by visiting in-laws???
its interesting to see how despite the obvious similarities, people keep focussing on man made differences of religion and geographical boundaries and fighting to control more and more resources. and its even more interesting to see how more and more people happily or blindly play puppets in the hands of such petty greed. its amusing to see that so much of advanced education, technology and globalisation (and name-what-you-will) fails to instill this one basic fact in our hearts and minds. that we're all the same. People. Just that.
its interesting to see how despite the obvious similarities, people keep focussing on man made differences of religion and geographical boundaries and fighting to control more and more resources. and its even more interesting to see how more and more people happily or blindly play puppets in the hands of such petty greed. its amusing to see that so much of advanced education, technology and globalisation (and name-what-you-will) fails to instill this one basic fact in our hearts and minds. that we're all the same. People. Just that.
Faith
"What is God?" ... the eternal question, a subject that has been fervently asked, debated & contested since time immemorial. A subject on which countless books & theories exist, each with its own set of followers, from scholars to commoners, scientists to religious fanatics. A subject which has plagued each and every one of us at least once in our lives, for reasons good or bad. A subject that has ironically taken as many lives as the number of ways in which it has preached non violence & universal love.Yet it is surprising how different the definition of each group is from the other, how distinct all the theories are; and how steadfastly each group holds its own theories with completely unbending minds; how it consequently fails to convince any of the other ideology..for everyone is equally rigid & closed to anything that isn't already in line with their own thoughts. So how are these so called scholars really different from religious fundamentalists credited with most of the global terrorism? But that's another question for another day.
Right now, the thought foremost in my mind is , "what is God?". While today isn't the first time this question has risen in my mind, it certainly is the first day I spent meeting people of so many varying, or rather conflicting, beliefs in 1 day. These people are not scholars or fundamentalists. These are just ordinary people like you and me who get up every morning to juggle everyday activities & responsibilities of work, family and friends. Housewives & office goers, students and teachers alike. Each has his own battles to fight, his own pain to bear. And each does this in his own way.
On my way to home, I see some housewives engrossed in prayers in a temple. I wait for them to finish, for I want to be an audience to the talk that I know will follow. Their talk to my science-trained modern ears sounds like a lot of superstition. A lot of nonsensical beliefs. God doesn't demand protocol. Religion does. God doesn't mind how you pray and when you pray, as long as when you pray, you do so whole-heartedly. It doesn't matter what the idols look like, or even if they are there, you can just look at the sky or close your eyes and look inwards and pray. But these are my beliefs. For them, these apparent superstitions are a way of life. A means of strength. Just as the self-belief of one of my friends. He refuses to believe in the existence of God. For if there were a God, so many bad things such as the World Wars would not have happened. For him, we all are responsible for our own actions and their consequences. We make our own destiny and as long as we believe in ourselves, we shall never fail.
These are not different religious ideologies. These are two entirely different trains of thought, two extremes of the spectrum. Most people, including me, lie somewhere in between. We believe in God, pray when we can as we can, ask for strength and move on to fight our battles. believing that God helps those who help themselves.
So no matter what we think God is, no matter what religion or ideology we believe in and no matter what rituals we practice, if any, no one knows what God is. No one has ever seen Him and no one knows if God is a paranormal concept or an intuitive instinct within our hearts....but we all need an additional source of strength. A feeling that makes us feel that we are not alone and that some one is watching over. at times to blame for our own mistakes and shortcomings and at others to thank. at times to help compromise with situations and at others to fight. God is just another name for Faith. What you believe in is all that matters. Our beliefs, our faith is what keeps us going. May be that's why people say "Have Faith".
Right now, the thought foremost in my mind is , "what is God?". While today isn't the first time this question has risen in my mind, it certainly is the first day I spent meeting people of so many varying, or rather conflicting, beliefs in 1 day. These people are not scholars or fundamentalists. These are just ordinary people like you and me who get up every morning to juggle everyday activities & responsibilities of work, family and friends. Housewives & office goers, students and teachers alike. Each has his own battles to fight, his own pain to bear. And each does this in his own way.
On my way to home, I see some housewives engrossed in prayers in a temple. I wait for them to finish, for I want to be an audience to the talk that I know will follow. Their talk to my science-trained modern ears sounds like a lot of superstition. A lot of nonsensical beliefs. God doesn't demand protocol. Religion does. God doesn't mind how you pray and when you pray, as long as when you pray, you do so whole-heartedly. It doesn't matter what the idols look like, or even if they are there, you can just look at the sky or close your eyes and look inwards and pray. But these are my beliefs. For them, these apparent superstitions are a way of life. A means of strength. Just as the self-belief of one of my friends. He refuses to believe in the existence of God. For if there were a God, so many bad things such as the World Wars would not have happened. For him, we all are responsible for our own actions and their consequences. We make our own destiny and as long as we believe in ourselves, we shall never fail.
These are not different religious ideologies. These are two entirely different trains of thought, two extremes of the spectrum. Most people, including me, lie somewhere in between. We believe in God, pray when we can as we can, ask for strength and move on to fight our battles. believing that God helps those who help themselves.
So no matter what we think God is, no matter what religion or ideology we believe in and no matter what rituals we practice, if any, no one knows what God is. No one has ever seen Him and no one knows if God is a paranormal concept or an intuitive instinct within our hearts....but we all need an additional source of strength. A feeling that makes us feel that we are not alone and that some one is watching over. at times to blame for our own mistakes and shortcomings and at others to thank. at times to help compromise with situations and at others to fight. God is just another name for Faith. What you believe in is all that matters. Our beliefs, our faith is what keeps us going. May be that's why people say "Have Faith".
Friday, August 15, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Abhinav Bindra clinches India's first ever Gold
Jai Hind!! :)
much as a proud and elated Indian I am at the news, I hope I dont start seeing abhinav bindra in every possible ad on TV selling anything & everything from hair oil to cars. and i hope abhinav bindra doesn't lost his focus and love for the sport amidst all the advertisements & publicity ( & ofcourse quick buck)
and i hope that all the 24*7 news channels in the country dont keep playing 24*7 abhinav bindra's life history & his hair stylist's life history and his tailor...err i mean personal fashion designer's life history...and the life histories of all his teachers, parents, neighbours, dogs, cats....
and i also hope no frustrated attention-seeking person from the interiors of the country sues abhinav bindra for disrespecting the religious sentiments by praying with his shoes on (nevermind God, its the religion that demands protocol!) and that of the nation by wearing the wrong attire..oh no that happens only to women in this country...oh well you get the idea
and at the end of it, i hope Abhinav Bindra doesn't get so sick of this senseless sensationalism and decides not to play for this country again. I hope India doesn't suffer a few idiotic Indians idiocy.
so what do you think..am I being too hopeful ?..i think i am! :)
Jai Hind!! :)
much as a proud and elated Indian I am at the news, I hope I dont start seeing abhinav bindra in every possible ad on TV selling anything & everything from hair oil to cars. and i hope abhinav bindra doesn't lost his focus and love for the sport amidst all the advertisements & publicity ( & ofcourse quick buck)
and i hope that all the 24*7 news channels in the country dont keep playing 24*7 abhinav bindra's life history & his hair stylist's life history and his tailor...err i mean personal fashion designer's life history...and the life histories of all his teachers, parents, neighbours, dogs, cats....
and i also hope no frustrated attention-seeking person from the interiors of the country sues abhinav bindra for disrespecting the religious sentiments by praying with his shoes on (nevermind God, its the religion that demands protocol!) and that of the nation by wearing the wrong attire..oh no that happens only to women in this country...oh well you get the idea
and at the end of it, i hope Abhinav Bindra doesn't get so sick of this senseless sensationalism and decides not to play for this country again. I hope India doesn't suffer a few idiotic Indians idiocy.
so what do you think..am I being too hopeful ?..i think i am! :)
Monday, July 21, 2008
Consumerism???????
This is the age of the consumer. Businesses center their sales processes & promotional offers around the needs around the consumers. New innovations happen keeping in mind what the consumer wants. Products are released with a lot of thought put into what the market currently really lacks and the consumer really needs. Right? Wrong!
Nearly a month ago I put in a request to cancel an internet broadband connection I had. I am leaving the country for a few years, and paying the rent unnecessarily for so long just didnt make sense.
So I called the Airtel helpline service to ask the procedure...
Airtel: "How may I help you?"
Me: "I have a broadband connection..I would like to cancel it, can you please tell me the process?"
Airtel:"Ma'm, Why do you want to cancel it?"
Me: (okay...obvious question), "I am going abroad.Could you please tell me the process?"
Airtel:"Can you please tell me where are you going?"
Me:(what??!!) "What does that have anything to do with the cancellation process?Can you just tell me the process?"
Airtel:"Sure Ma'm..."
And he told me. Was a bit annoying, but I left it.
Same day, airtel office
Airtel: "Hi.How may I help you?"
Me: "I have a broadband connection, landline no. ------- ..I would like to cancel it, here are the phone and modem instruments and the application."
Airtel:"Sure Ma'm, Can I ask why do you want to cancel it?"
Me: (well he would need a reason to write on the form), "I am going abroad."
Airtel:"Can you please tell me where are you going?"
Me: (okay may be there's some logic to this) "Does that affect the cancellation process somehow?"
Airtel:"No Ma'm, just asking.."
Me: (he has time for idle chat with 10 people standing on his head?!) "I would appreciate if you could just complete the formalities quickly"
Airtel:"Ma'm your permanent residence is in Delhi, why don't you get it shifted?"
Me: (allright, std. customer retention), "No thanks! I don't want to.I'd just like to cancel this account"
Airtel:"Sure...can you please deposit the outstanding bill?"
Me:"Sure, today is 7th, how much does the bill come to?"
Airtel:"Ma'm you will have to pay till the 10th, since the request will take 3 days to process"
Me: (they will charge me for their processing time?! well whatever...)
So I paid for 3 days extra, completed the formalities and left.
Me: (Whew! that's done!)
few days later
Airtel:"Ma'm you have put in a request to cancel the landline number -------?";
Me: (haven't they cancelled it yet?) "Yes..."
Airtel:"Can you please tell me reason?"
Me: (??????) "Isn't it there on my request form?"
Airtel:"Yes ma'm it says you are going abroad"
Me:"that's correct. why are you asking me again?"
Airtel:"Ma'm can you tell me when you are leaving?";
Me: (What crap!! ) "Why? how is that any of airtel's concern?"
Airtel:"Ma'm no you could continue till the date of your leaving"
Me:"I don't want to.Can you just cancel it immediately? And I don't want any further inquiries from Airtel"
Airtel:"Sure ma'm"
I hung up irritated.
few more days later
Airtel:"Ma'm you have put in a request to cancel the landline number -------?";
Me: (what the f***!!!) "Yes I did. I hope its done!"
Airtel:"Ma'm your form says you are going abroad"
Me:(Oh My God!!) "Yes. So?"
Airtel:"Ma'm can you tell me for how long are you going?"
Me: (these bloddy 7&$&^%$#W) "How on earth does that concern?!!! I am going where, when for how long...how the hell is that any of your or airtel's concern? Are you people planning to sponsor my tickets? my stay? what the hell does any of this have to do with cancelling a net connection????????"
Airtel: "No Ma'm if you are going for 3 months i could put this on hold..."
Me:"No I don't want you to put this on hold! I want you to cancel it! Do you understand??"
Airtel:"Sure ma'm"
Me:(*^%$#@^& better do it this time!!!!!!)
but this wasn't to be!! after a few more days, I got yet another call, this time from the Airtel manager..
Airtel:"Ma'm you have put in a request to cancel the landline number -------?";
Me:" Yes I did!! And this request is NOT open to any discussion or offers from Airtel! I want you to cancel it immediately and I would appreciate if you do not call me again!!!!!"
I could not believe how disgusting this could get. But I thought my retort would have put all tries at rest, until today,
Airtel:"Ma'm you have put in a request to cancel the landline number -------?";
Me: "Oh My God!! I cannot believe you people! I put in that request almost a month ago. I even paid extra for your 3 days of processing! I have responded to atleast 5 different calls till now. For one last time this request is NOT open to any discussion! If I get one more call from Airtel I am going to file a PIL against you people. Do you understand!!! Cancel this connection immediately!!!!!!!"
Airtel:"Sure ma'm"....
The connection isn't cancelled yet. Despite my (this time) shouting and screaming, I am not sure when it will be. I am feeling so annoyed that I feel like surrendering all Airtel numbers!!
Everyone, including me, has been plagued with endless telemearketing calls from banks, insurance agencies, mobile companies, and who not. But I had never felt so disgusted with these aggressive sales and retention strategies than this time.
This is not consumerism..this is not even business.. this is intrusion of privacy and plain & simple harassment!!While the USA, where everyone sues everyone else is one extreme, our country is the other. And its about time we started suing these companies for their lousy business practices and consumer harassing sales & retention strategies.
If I get one more call, I know I am not going to swear in my mind only.... Any consumer lawyers out there??????
Nearly a month ago I put in a request to cancel an internet broadband connection I had. I am leaving the country for a few years, and paying the rent unnecessarily for so long just didnt make sense.
So I called the Airtel helpline service to ask the procedure...
Airtel: "How may I help you?"
Me: "I have a broadband connection..I would like to cancel it, can you please tell me the process?"
Airtel:"Ma'm, Why do you want to cancel it?"
Me: (okay...obvious question), "I am going abroad.Could you please tell me the process?"
Airtel:"Can you please tell me where are you going?"
Me:(what??!!) "What does that have anything to do with the cancellation process?Can you just tell me the process?"
Airtel:"Sure Ma'm..."
And he told me. Was a bit annoying, but I left it.
Same day, airtel office
Airtel: "Hi.How may I help you?"
Me: "I have a broadband connection, landline no. ------- ..I would like to cancel it, here are the phone and modem instruments and the application."
Airtel:"Sure Ma'm, Can I ask why do you want to cancel it?"
Me: (well he would need a reason to write on the form), "I am going abroad."
Airtel:"Can you please tell me where are you going?"
Me: (okay may be there's some logic to this) "Does that affect the cancellation process somehow?"
Airtel:"No Ma'm, just asking.."
Me: (he has time for idle chat with 10 people standing on his head?!) "I would appreciate if you could just complete the formalities quickly"
Airtel:"Ma'm your permanent residence is in Delhi, why don't you get it shifted?"
Me: (allright, std. customer retention), "No thanks! I don't want to.I'd just like to cancel this account"
Airtel:"Sure...can you please deposit the outstanding bill?"
Me:"Sure, today is 7th, how much does the bill come to?"
Airtel:"Ma'm you will have to pay till the 10th, since the request will take 3 days to process"
Me: (they will charge me for their processing time?! well whatever...)
So I paid for 3 days extra, completed the formalities and left.
Me: (Whew! that's done!)
few days later
Airtel:"Ma'm you have put in a request to cancel the landline number -------?";
Me: (haven't they cancelled it yet?) "Yes..."
Airtel:"Can you please tell me reason?"
Me: (??????) "Isn't it there on my request form?"
Airtel:"Yes ma'm it says you are going abroad"
Me:"that's correct. why are you asking me again?"
Airtel:"Ma'm can you tell me when you are leaving?";
Me: (What crap!! ) "Why? how is that any of airtel's concern?"
Airtel:"Ma'm no you could continue till the date of your leaving"
Me:"I don't want to.Can you just cancel it immediately? And I don't want any further inquiries from Airtel"
Airtel:"Sure ma'm"
I hung up irritated.
few more days later
Airtel:"Ma'm you have put in a request to cancel the landline number -------?";
Me: (what the f***!!!) "Yes I did. I hope its done!"
Airtel:"Ma'm your form says you are going abroad"
Me:(Oh My God!!) "Yes. So?"
Airtel:"Ma'm can you tell me for how long are you going?"
Me: (these bloddy 7&$&^%$#W) "How on earth does that concern?!!! I am going where, when for how long...how the hell is that any of your or airtel's concern? Are you people planning to sponsor my tickets? my stay? what the hell does any of this have to do with cancelling a net connection????????"
Airtel: "No Ma'm if you are going for 3 months i could put this on hold..."
Me:"No I don't want you to put this on hold! I want you to cancel it! Do you understand??"
Airtel:"Sure ma'm"
Me:(*^%$#@^& better do it this time!!!!!!)
but this wasn't to be!! after a few more days, I got yet another call, this time from the Airtel manager..
Airtel:"Ma'm you have put in a request to cancel the landline number -------?";
Me:" Yes I did!! And this request is NOT open to any discussion or offers from Airtel! I want you to cancel it immediately and I would appreciate if you do not call me again!!!!!"
I could not believe how disgusting this could get. But I thought my retort would have put all tries at rest, until today,
Airtel:"Ma'm you have put in a request to cancel the landline number -------?";
Me: "Oh My God!! I cannot believe you people! I put in that request almost a month ago. I even paid extra for your 3 days of processing! I have responded to atleast 5 different calls till now. For one last time this request is NOT open to any discussion! If I get one more call from Airtel I am going to file a PIL against you people. Do you understand!!! Cancel this connection immediately!!!!!!!"
Airtel:"Sure ma'm"....
The connection isn't cancelled yet. Despite my (this time) shouting and screaming, I am not sure when it will be. I am feeling so annoyed that I feel like surrendering all Airtel numbers!!
Everyone, including me, has been plagued with endless telemearketing calls from banks, insurance agencies, mobile companies, and who not. But I had never felt so disgusted with these aggressive sales and retention strategies than this time.
This is not consumerism..this is not even business.. this is intrusion of privacy and plain & simple harassment!!While the USA, where everyone sues everyone else is one extreme, our country is the other. And its about time we started suing these companies for their lousy business practices and consumer harassing sales & retention strategies.
If I get one more call, I know I am not going to swear in my mind only.... Any consumer lawyers out there??????
Movie making in Bollywood...
The shortest route to a hit
A hero, a heroine, a love line (irrespective of the story or theme), 1 candy love song, 1 item number (lyrics can be replaced with screams of gibberish to the tune of blaring saxophones & drums), 1 sizzler ( Moaning & similar sounds can be used in place of lyrics ) are a must. Rest as follows :-
Creating a Love triangle?
Creating an action flick ?
- Copy a hit hollywood flick
- Copy a flop hollywood flick
- Copy a hit Tamil movie
- Dub / Re-make a hit Tamil movie in Hindi
- Remake an old hindi movie
- Convert a Hindu mythological epic, like the Ramayan ( Do not try you can show maginificent sets, less than 100 people in 1 family living under one roof and unless you are Suraj barjatiya :) )
- Get Ramgopal verma to remake an old hindi movie or make anything other than about the underworld ( or the-other-world for that matter ;) )
- Get Suraj barjatiya to make a yet another family drama out of hindu mythology ( or make anything at all really) !
- Give Sanjay Leela Bhansali some blue paint!
A hero, a heroine, a love line (irrespective of the story or theme), 1 candy love song, 1 item number (lyrics can be replaced with screams of gibberish to the tune of blaring saxophones & drums), 1 sizzler ( Moaning & similar sounds can be used in place of lyrics ) are a must. Rest as follows :-
Creating a Love triangle?
- 2 friends/siblings agonizing over the same lover. Not one thinks of actually asking the lover. One ends up dying either fighting the other or the common villan
- The thought-to-be dead lover/spouse returns hale-n-hearty only to find his partner married to some one else; usually an old friend;do kill the returned character for a convenient, hasslefree, clear end.
- Feuding brothers (and/or their wives) over family property, however big or small, is a never failing classic with the Indian cine goers. However, these are not made anymore. Wonder why...maybe people get too much of the Ambani brothers on the news anyway!
- Violence against the daughter-in-law at the hands of dowry hungry in-laws and a liberated hero and/or heroine to fix things. But then, these too are out of fashion these days. Again too much news is killing the movie business
Creating an action flick ?
- Ah!! now with Sunny Deol retired and Akshay Khanna, Suniel Shetty & all the bad men Paresh Rawal, Shati Kapoor etc. turned into full time comedians ( with varying levels of success ) .... action flicks are totally out of production, unless you are thinking of Rajnikanth ofcourse, who still can stop a train with one hand and no super powers! :)
- Yes.That's a genre in itself. Take Sharukh Khan, create a story around him, write every scene to personify his presence, cast Amitabh Bachchan and Saif ali khan to look like a complete idiots, make sure their every dialgoue is just an excuse to give Sharukh more camera focus and dialogues. Create larger-than-life sets and/or shoot overseas and call it a small town in India, go to Oxford and turn it into a 24*7 disc.Get Kajol and Rani to give guest appearances. Use the Kuch Kuch Hota Hai soudntrack as the background score. As long as Sharukh Khan is the messiah (however right or wrong he may be) , and he wins in the end, the movie will pick up a number of Filmfare awards. And you can always get free publicity on Koffee with Karan. The story doesn't matter. No story doesn't matter either.
- Similar to Karan Johar, except that instead of Kajol, Rani & Kuch Kuch hota hai soundtrack, you would need at least one flowing 70's dance sequence, complete with the costumes and the "Eastman Color" print. Make sure Sharukh is down on his knees with arms outstretched in at least half the movie, to hide the fact that he is shorter than yet another heroine. Best choreography guaranteed
- Add Rahul Bose, Ranveer Shauri, (these days) Mallika Sherawat, some old day actors like Sayara (who would invariably be acting better & looking more graceful than the half clad half wit Mallika). Quickly put together a simple, realistic small story, add a lot of double meaning jokes and spice it up with increasingly unrestrained s** scenes. Once you are sure no one can ever watch it with their parents, you are bound to get a hit with the young crowd ;) Centering the story around NRI families and dosing the movie heavily with heavily-accented-english will get huge international returns as well!
- Pick up either one of the above movies, put in one or more of Govinda, Paresh Rawal, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Ritesh Deshmukh, Bipasha basu, Lara Dutta, Katrina Kaif & Rajpal Yadav in any combination with a few others. Randomly jumble the pages of the actual story. Get David Dhawan, Priyadarshan or Boney Kapoor to direct your movie, depending on how much nonsense, confusion or sleaze you want to add in the movie. Use in combination for better results. Replace half the dialogues with sleazy one liners and the other half with meaningless one liners and you are done! :)
- That's just for people who have surplus funds that they offload through flop movies so that they can escape taxes. The Indian audience has a long way to go before it can start appreciating movies with genuine social messages like homosexuality, AIDS, domestic violence, rape,corruption, communalism and gender bias (Yes fellas...we're still stuck with the same social problems even after nearly 60 years of freedom; though I admit homosexuality and AIDS are relatively new )
- Refer to the "Creating a movie for a social cause" section
- Contact Shaad Ali, Farhan Akhtar, Naagesh Kukunoor and the likes
- If you are thinking of Amir Khan, book him in January and book some one else to collect the awards ;) Oh and don't forget to pay for Amir Khan's all new hair style, which will be essential to his character in the movie. Oh I am sorry, did I not say, he has to be the hero!! :)
- Gather as many stories and actors as you can in one place and start shooting. that's it!
- Please contact Ramgopal Verma & Urmila Matondkar for further details. At this, both are "super natural" ;)
It is said that the basic thought process of any age in any society is visible in every aspect of it
Let's take a tiny example...
When I first moved to Noida nearly 4 years ago, it had just 1 major shopping mall to boast of. CentreStage Mall, Sector 18.And 1 decent hotel. Radisson. Even if others did exist, they clearly didn't bear an impression in the peoples' minds, for no one even mentioned their names while introducing Noida to a new comer.In the past 4 years, atleast 5 other major shopping malls have sprung up: from the reasonably priced no variety PVR Spice to the mammoth Great India Place (GIP), where 1 could practice for the marathon if he wanted to, while also enjoying at a display of nearly every international brand that has any presence in India.There are atleast 3 more currently under construction, 1 of which is expected to be the largest in Asia, just as the Shipra mall once boasted and these days the GIP boasts to be.
All shopping malls vary in their price ranges, brand presence & obviously size, but bottomline : they are all malls and give the consumers similar closed, air-conditioned hang out options with the food courts and parking lots invariably making the most money; while most of the shops [with the exception of Big Bazaar and the likes] are used merely for window shopping, most of the time by most of the people
However, the number of significant hotels in Noida is still 1. Radisson.
We all know that Gurgaon & Noida have been the hub of all software activity after Bangalore, Pune & Hyderabad. Over the past few years, more and more companies have opened their campuses in Noida, while all kinds of big and small software entrepreneurial firms have sprung up in every nook and cranny of Noida. This is a well-known fact. And equally well known is the fact that a majority of these firms have some level foreign collaboration, be it their clientèle or investors ( or more commonly both ), and hence at least some frequency of foreign delegates as well as employees from other parts of the country and/or world visiting. So where do they stay, in case the dear old Radisson has no availability and if the s/w firm in question is not big enough to afford its own guest houses? Nowhere closer than South Delhi or worse, CP and get harangued in the Delhi traffic commuting daily to & from Noida, causing a lot of easily-avoidable loss of time & money to all parties concerned.
There is a clear demand and no supply. One would think that some one would think of investing in more quality places to stay than yet more food courts & parking lots, which are clearly fast approaching their saturation levels and are anyhow in much more supply than profit-making demand. Even if Noida is being dreamed of as the next global shopping destination, the tourists would need more hotels to stay in right?
I am neither a businesswoman nor a market researcher.... I am a common citizen, with some common sense and curiosity. But I don't understand what seems so evident to me is so obviously missing from the incredibly sharp business minds and incredibly detailed market research & analysis. Or is it just that we Indians, as a people, are so afraid to take risks and innovate that we find endless comfort in following the lead of one successful formula, be it educating our children in computer engineering or medicine followed by MBAs, creating & watching saas-bahu soap operas, repeating the same 5-6 all time hit movie story lines for nearly 60 years or opening shopping malls like growing mushrooms?? So much for the country which introduced zero, the decimal, yoga, neem, satyagrah and even kamasutra to the world!!! From when and how did we turn from a daring fearless creative innovative entrepreneurial people to being so cliched and unoriginal followers? Have we really lost our inherent qualities or are we just too lazy to think, let alone create?
Let's take a tiny example...
When I first moved to Noida nearly 4 years ago, it had just 1 major shopping mall to boast of. CentreStage Mall, Sector 18.And 1 decent hotel. Radisson. Even if others did exist, they clearly didn't bear an impression in the peoples' minds, for no one even mentioned their names while introducing Noida to a new comer.In the past 4 years, atleast 5 other major shopping malls have sprung up: from the reasonably priced no variety PVR Spice to the mammoth Great India Place (GIP), where 1 could practice for the marathon if he wanted to, while also enjoying at a display of nearly every international brand that has any presence in India.There are atleast 3 more currently under construction, 1 of which is expected to be the largest in Asia, just as the Shipra mall once boasted and these days the GIP boasts to be.
All shopping malls vary in their price ranges, brand presence & obviously size, but bottomline : they are all malls and give the consumers similar closed, air-conditioned hang out options with the food courts and parking lots invariably making the most money; while most of the shops [with the exception of Big Bazaar and the likes] are used merely for window shopping, most of the time by most of the people
However, the number of significant hotels in Noida is still 1. Radisson.
We all know that Gurgaon & Noida have been the hub of all software activity after Bangalore, Pune & Hyderabad. Over the past few years, more and more companies have opened their campuses in Noida, while all kinds of big and small software entrepreneurial firms have sprung up in every nook and cranny of Noida. This is a well-known fact. And equally well known is the fact that a majority of these firms have some level foreign collaboration, be it their clientèle or investors ( or more commonly both ), and hence at least some frequency of foreign delegates as well as employees from other parts of the country and/or world visiting. So where do they stay, in case the dear old Radisson has no availability and if the s/w firm in question is not big enough to afford its own guest houses? Nowhere closer than South Delhi or worse, CP and get harangued in the Delhi traffic commuting daily to & from Noida, causing a lot of easily-avoidable loss of time & money to all parties concerned.
There is a clear demand and no supply. One would think that some one would think of investing in more quality places to stay than yet more food courts & parking lots, which are clearly fast approaching their saturation levels and are anyhow in much more supply than profit-making demand. Even if Noida is being dreamed of as the next global shopping destination, the tourists would need more hotels to stay in right?
I am neither a businesswoman nor a market researcher.... I am a common citizen, with some common sense and curiosity. But I don't understand what seems so evident to me is so obviously missing from the incredibly sharp business minds and incredibly detailed market research & analysis. Or is it just that we Indians, as a people, are so afraid to take risks and innovate that we find endless comfort in following the lead of one successful formula, be it educating our children in computer engineering or medicine followed by MBAs, creating & watching saas-bahu soap operas, repeating the same 5-6 all time hit movie story lines for nearly 60 years or opening shopping malls like growing mushrooms?? So much for the country which introduced zero, the decimal, yoga, neem, satyagrah and even kamasutra to the world!!! From when and how did we turn from a daring fearless creative innovative entrepreneurial people to being so cliched and unoriginal followers? Have we really lost our inherent qualities or are we just too lazy to think, let alone create?
Sunday, July 20, 2008
No Parking
A few days ago, my car got towed away.
Date & Time: Saturday afternoon
Venue: Sarojini Nagar Market
Challan amount: Rs.300/
Break up- Rs. 200/- fine & Rs.100/- Crane charges
Reason: Unauthorised parking
Number of cars parked there: 20 (Yes I counted on my way back)
Number of cars towed: 1. Just 1. Mine
2 days later:
Date & Time: Sunday Evening
Venue: Major Jam next to the Moti Bagh Gurudwara on the Ring Road.
Reason: Endless rows of cars parked right along the main road, causing endless jam and hours of public inconvenience.
I am pretty sure no part of the Ring Road is an authorised parking.
Number of cars parked there: I lost count pretty quickly
Number of cars towed: ZERO ofcourse!
Real reason of my car towing: Common sense tells me, it had very little to do with parking (authorized or not) and even lesser with maintaining law and order. Almost nothing at all to do with public convenience. I think it had everything to do with completing the numbers in the books. My car just happened to be the first one in the row.
When will the authorities wake up to the shambles our everyday law and order system is in? We never tire of boasting of our military prowess. And yet from these every day display of the obvious omnipresent corruption to high profile cases like the Mumbai molestation case, EVERYTHING fails to make even the slightest impact. The maximum result achieved is the suspension of a few officers, just an excuse for shying away from considering the root causes; an extreme shortage of staff, abysmal emoluments, pathetic living conditions and considering these, impossibly high expectations of commitment and performance. I don't blame the officers. They're are getting exploited by the corrupt system, and their patience, endurance and hope, as a community, has disappeared. Hopefully the 6th pay commission would change things for them and consequently for us. Try being honest and commited sitting inside a tin cubicle on the road side without as much a table fan in the sweltering heat of 40 degrees, with only a walkie talkie to keep you company for 8 hours. Much easier said than done. Even easier to blame the police force for it all!
Oh and did I mention, that the place from where my car was towed, had no "No Parking" ir "Unauthorized Parking" signs. NONE!
Date & Time: Saturday afternoon
Venue: Sarojini Nagar Market
Challan amount: Rs.300/
Break up- Rs. 200/- fine & Rs.100/- Crane charges
Reason: Unauthorised parking
Number of cars parked there: 20 (Yes I counted on my way back)
Number of cars towed: 1. Just 1. Mine
2 days later:
Date & Time: Sunday Evening
Venue: Major Jam next to the Moti Bagh Gurudwara on the Ring Road.
Reason: Endless rows of cars parked right along the main road, causing endless jam and hours of public inconvenience.
I am pretty sure no part of the Ring Road is an authorised parking.
Number of cars parked there: I lost count pretty quickly
Number of cars towed: ZERO ofcourse!
Real reason of my car towing: Common sense tells me, it had very little to do with parking (authorized or not) and even lesser with maintaining law and order. Almost nothing at all to do with public convenience. I think it had everything to do with completing the numbers in the books. My car just happened to be the first one in the row.
When will the authorities wake up to the shambles our everyday law and order system is in? We never tire of boasting of our military prowess. And yet from these every day display of the obvious omnipresent corruption to high profile cases like the Mumbai molestation case, EVERYTHING fails to make even the slightest impact. The maximum result achieved is the suspension of a few officers, just an excuse for shying away from considering the root causes; an extreme shortage of staff, abysmal emoluments, pathetic living conditions and considering these, impossibly high expectations of commitment and performance. I don't blame the officers. They're are getting exploited by the corrupt system, and their patience, endurance and hope, as a community, has disappeared. Hopefully the 6th pay commission would change things for them and consequently for us. Try being honest and commited sitting inside a tin cubicle on the road side without as much a table fan in the sweltering heat of 40 degrees, with only a walkie talkie to keep you company for 8 hours. Much easier said than done. Even easier to blame the police force for it all!
Oh and did I mention, that the place from where my car was towed, had no "No Parking" ir "Unauthorized Parking" signs. NONE!
I love my machines. from my books to my car, everything I own, I love it & possessively so. Though that does not nearly translate into anything ever being handled with extreme care..or even remote care for that matter. My phone has a broken slider, keys which work of their own accord and a cracked screen. my camera has a lens that gets stuck and needs a rough manual rotation to fix every now and then. my car...oh well I could go on listing the damage but you get the idea..the point is, that all these things still work and work well. So much so, that I almost feel they respond to my needs :) I have countless memories of times when my phone battery was on the verge of going out but it held fort till I made that one last important call which you always need to make just as your phone is dying out. Countless number of heavy rains when I pleaded the almost-broken lever to stay connected the windscreen wipers till I got home only to promptly forget about getting it fixed yet again.Despite this rough handling, my machines still respond to me until one day I went too far.
It all started when I went to meet a very good friend after a very long time. After years of pleading hectic schedule at work, he had finally cornered me for a birthday treat, making it sound like the final call & quite successfully so!We decided to meet up at one of the dozens of Noida malls and had a great time together; once his anger at my ignoring him for so long had subsided i.e. After 2.5 fabulous hours I went smiling away to work, wondering when was the last time I had laughed so much and why I didn't meet my friends more often, promising myself that I would. A usual day at work ensued, and I promptly forgot about everything else; just as usual. The day turned out to be unusually long and hectic and after 16 hours of madness I finally slumped my way back to the parking lot, already half asleep and pressed the lock.Only; nothing happened. Confused I tried again.Nothing.Alarmed and awake as a lark, I called my boss, who was still working.
"You must have left the lights on and the battery must be exhausted"
"But thats not pos...wen did I..how did thi..I didn...Oh My God!!!"
and then the realisation dawned upon me..I had switched on the headlights while parking in the basement of the mall on my way to meet my friend and never switched them off.
"Just tell the guards to push it, it should start", I could dimly hear my boss's advice
I looked around, but as expected, when most needed, guards were nowhere to be seen. Now I may not be a delicate darling, but I am not exactly Laura Croft either! Pushing the car was beyond my strength & endurance.Suddenly without warning my phone died. This had never happened before.There I was in one of the most unsafe cities with the highest crime rates against women, all alone standing outside my car in the wee hours of the morning, with no phone to call for help & the car door wouldn't even open! In the midst of despair, I saw my boss, with a few of my other colleagues coming down to the lot. I have never been more thankful to the ridiculous working hours of my office than I was at the moment.All tired and sleepy, obviously displeased but too polite to complain, they tried to push my car nevertheless.
Some loving & coaxing (for there is no other explanation) had gotten the door to open somehow and I was able to steer it, as they pushed.My car however, had other plans. After nearly 10 mins of repeated efforts and pushing in practically every direction, it just refused to start.
The emergency help line I had been diligently subscribed to was not responding this one time I tried to call them (from one of my colleague's phone of course).It felt like I was being punished for all the mishandling I had given all my things all this time and I tried to talk my way (to the car of course) out of it, but it refused to listen too. Physics had taken over blind emotions, Science had won over the supernatural and I couldn't stop cursing myself.Exhausted, my colleagues gave up. I love my car too much to have agreed to leave it there n go home. But there seemed to be no other solution, & I couldn't possibly ask my colleagues to keep trying without avail.
Just as I as about to give up hope, lock the car (abandonment is more like the feeling I had) and leave, quite literally as a ray of hope a professional cab driver appeared on the scene, alongside the rising sun. He took the batteries of his cab out, plugged them into mine and started charging them. Soon I heard the musical sound of the engine coming back to life....
I was so happy that I forgave all the cab drivers in the world for their reckless driving & thanked all the heavens in that split second. The driver asked me to keep the engine running for at least half an hour and diligently, vowing never to let it happen again, I drove back home, parked the car. Suddenly there was a knock on the window
"Ma'm are you okay?"
I had fallen asleep, foot on the pedal, head on the wheel. I looked at my watch, 35 minutes."Good!", I thought, I quickly thanked the man, stepped out of the car, locked it and went inside.
Dimly in the background I could hear a voice calling behind me....
"Ma'm you have left the headlights on..."
It all started when I went to meet a very good friend after a very long time. After years of pleading hectic schedule at work, he had finally cornered me for a birthday treat, making it sound like the final call & quite successfully so!We decided to meet up at one of the dozens of Noida malls and had a great time together; once his anger at my ignoring him for so long had subsided i.e. After 2.5 fabulous hours I went smiling away to work, wondering when was the last time I had laughed so much and why I didn't meet my friends more often, promising myself that I would. A usual day at work ensued, and I promptly forgot about everything else; just as usual. The day turned out to be unusually long and hectic and after 16 hours of madness I finally slumped my way back to the parking lot, already half asleep and pressed the lock.Only; nothing happened. Confused I tried again.Nothing.Alarmed and awake as a lark, I called my boss, who was still working.
"You must have left the lights on and the battery must be exhausted"
"But thats not pos...wen did I..how did thi..I didn...Oh My God!!!"
and then the realisation dawned upon me..I had switched on the headlights while parking in the basement of the mall on my way to meet my friend and never switched them off.
"Just tell the guards to push it, it should start", I could dimly hear my boss's advice
I looked around, but as expected, when most needed, guards were nowhere to be seen. Now I may not be a delicate darling, but I am not exactly Laura Croft either! Pushing the car was beyond my strength & endurance.Suddenly without warning my phone died. This had never happened before.There I was in one of the most unsafe cities with the highest crime rates against women, all alone standing outside my car in the wee hours of the morning, with no phone to call for help & the car door wouldn't even open! In the midst of despair, I saw my boss, with a few of my other colleagues coming down to the lot. I have never been more thankful to the ridiculous working hours of my office than I was at the moment.All tired and sleepy, obviously displeased but too polite to complain, they tried to push my car nevertheless.
Some loving & coaxing (for there is no other explanation) had gotten the door to open somehow and I was able to steer it, as they pushed.My car however, had other plans. After nearly 10 mins of repeated efforts and pushing in practically every direction, it just refused to start.
The emergency help line I had been diligently subscribed to was not responding this one time I tried to call them (from one of my colleague's phone of course).It felt like I was being punished for all the mishandling I had given all my things all this time and I tried to talk my way (to the car of course) out of it, but it refused to listen too. Physics had taken over blind emotions, Science had won over the supernatural and I couldn't stop cursing myself.Exhausted, my colleagues gave up. I love my car too much to have agreed to leave it there n go home. But there seemed to be no other solution, & I couldn't possibly ask my colleagues to keep trying without avail.
Just as I as about to give up hope, lock the car (abandonment is more like the feeling I had) and leave, quite literally as a ray of hope a professional cab driver appeared on the scene, alongside the rising sun. He took the batteries of his cab out, plugged them into mine and started charging them. Soon I heard the musical sound of the engine coming back to life....
I was so happy that I forgave all the cab drivers in the world for their reckless driving & thanked all the heavens in that split second. The driver asked me to keep the engine running for at least half an hour and diligently, vowing never to let it happen again, I drove back home, parked the car. Suddenly there was a knock on the window
"Ma'm are you okay?"
I had fallen asleep, foot on the pedal, head on the wheel. I looked at my watch, 35 minutes."Good!", I thought, I quickly thanked the man, stepped out of the car, locked it and went inside.
Dimly in the background I could hear a voice calling behind me....
"Ma'm you have left the headlights on..."
Friday, June 27, 2008
A Type A ??
You Have A Type A- Personality |
 You are one of the most balanced people around Motivated and focused, you are good at getting what you want You rule at success, but success doesn't rule you. When it's playtime, you really know how to kick back Whether it's hanging out with friends or doing something you love! You live life to the fullest - incorporating the best of both worlds |
Friday, May 09, 2008
my various colors
What's Your Power Color?
What Color Heart Do You Have?
and i was taught only chameleons had many colors...and come to think of it , white doesn't even appear in the list maybe that why i like it so much, i need more of it ;)
Your Aura is Blue |
 Spiritual and calm, you tend to live a quiet but enriching life. You are very giving of yourself. And it's hard for you to let go of relationships. The purpose of your life: showing love to other people Famous blues include: Angelina Jolie, the Dali Lama, Oprah Careers for you to try: Psychic, Peace Corps Volunteer, Counselor |
Your Power Color Is Lime Green |
 At Your Highest: You are adventurous, witty, and a visionary. At Your Lowest: You feel misunderstood, like you don't fit in. In Love: You have a tough exterior, but can be very dedicated. How You're Attractive: Your self-awareness and confidence lights up a room. Your Eternal Question: "What else do I need in my life?" |
Your Heart Is Pink |
 In relationships, you like to play innocent - even though you aren't. Each time you fall in love, it's like falling for the first time. Your flirting style: Coy Your lucky first date: Picnic in the park Your dream lover: Is both caring and dominant What you bring to relationships: Romance |
Your Mind is Blue |
 Of all the mind types, yours is the most mellow. You tend to be in a meditative state most of the time. You don't try to think away your troubles. Your thoughts are realistic, fresh, and honest. You truly see things as how they are. You tend to spend a lot of time thinking about your friends, your surroundings, and your life. |
and i was taught only chameleons had many colors...and come to think of it , white doesn't even appear in the list maybe that why i like it so much, i need more of it ;)
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
something i wrote some time ago..in memory of a lost friend...
One morning, I was informed that a close friend, who used to live next door, had passed away suddenly during the night. Over the next few blurry moments, I was told that she had been taken to a hospital for an emergency appendicitis surgery, during which she had succumbed.
At 13, death had seemed nothing more than a far fetched reality, something that would happen after at least another 50 years. This perception now shattered as I sat next to her, watching her inconsolable parents, while I myself was completely devoid of any thought or reaction.
Over the next few weeks, as the loss finally sank in, I found my own perspective towards life changing. I realized how precious a gift life truly is and how sudden death can be. How, without even a moment’s notice, everything and everyone we hold dear can be snatched away, while all we can do is look on helplessly, wishing there was something we could do, knowing that there isn’t. I regretted never having told my friend what she had meant to me until it was too late. I regretted all those fights that now seemed insignificant, and the time we wasted being mad at each other.
I subsequently found myself becoming more emotionally expressive, considerate and kind towards everyone around me. I learned that most things are too insignificant to be angry at and complain about and that we can choose to live each day to its fullest, with hope, faith and love. Some where along the way, I subconsciously resolved to live a life of conscious choices and no regrets.
My friend’s face, as she slept peacefully, still bring tears to my eyes as I remember the last words she had written in her dairy,
“…the aim in life is not walk fast but far
Thursday, April 03, 2008
In case you are wondering why I have stuck up a photo of a messy table, take a closer look. Its no less than the ENTIRE range of Oriflame's skin care products, each one of which promises to make your skin younger, fresher and healthier. Go on, take a closer look...yes those are 3 BIG bowls of Potato Chips. Fried, spicy junk food that promises to ruin your skin completely. Why are they served on the same table at the same time?? One of those mysteries of women that no one understands.. including me!!!! :P No wonder my male friends quite blatantly put me in the "who girl??!!!" category and no wonder that I have hardly ever made any female friends...women just hate me. But then its not their fault, what do you expect if they invite me to a make up session, promising to give me a make over that would make jaws drop all around me and all I can do in return is scoff at their carefully dressed table and graciously offered chips!!!! :POr if I tell them that quitting chocolates would be more effective than any other dieting if they seriously want to lose weight (believe me women like that are not scarce ) ... i mean how can I possibly ask a woman to quit eating chocolates (:OOOO ) to lose weight! Isn't it bad enough that they starve themselves the entire day had hardly have any strength left to walk or even stand. Its nothing short of blasphemy on my part...their looks tell me , and then go on to add "Easy for you to say!! you're not fat, you don't have to worry about what size to buy!"
Its strange, how-so-ever I try, I fail to make this article humorous. I fail to make fun of the poignancy of the current day situation where more n more women are going crazy trying to fit into smaller n smaller size dresses, spending fortunes over crazy skin, hair and diet treatments..while the simple basic everyday common sense seems to have gone missing!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
