"Just scale"

Key in that harmonic note
It is chromatic, or do u doubt?
There is a constant frequency
That sometimes seems frenzy
It multiples between the notes
Perhaps, ensembles rumbling gloats.
Just tuning fines the scale
Splendorous though is the laic tale
Such is the pity and irony of gaiety
Thank thy mind, for anonymity!!
Why make sense and feel so pale?
Pretend, pray and play. Just scale.

The Lotus effect

The lotus that had beautifully bloomed in my aunt's garden pond had captivated my eyes, when I had last visited her. It was still very tender and young. Then, she was also considering about the landscaping. I had always wanted to bring the beauty of
lotus flowers on my canvas. And I had shared this thought with my aunt. So she called me up this weekend to inform that the pond was full of lotus blooms and that it's a delight to see them! This was pretty much what I wanted. We were getting our house painted and hence had to mine and dig out my priced possessions from the carton box. It was a sad scene, looking at the paint brushes, the pastels and the pallets that had caught dust. Poor them! I decided to liberate them and give them salvation! I asked myself, "How long has it been that you have touched your brushes and paints?". “Ages!”, I mumbled. Drawing and painting is sheer fun! I have always wanted to and i still want to spend enough time on this but blame it on the schedule. Traveling eats away most of the time! I couldn't wait and drove off to her place. With my papers and pastels this time of course.

I reached the place and what do I see? The pond was full of "Momo Botans" and "Empresses", names of the lotus flowers (Empresses are whitish blooms with gentle strokes of pinkish colors on the edges of the petals. The lotus flower called "Momo Botan" is a truly elegant water blossom with a deep, brilliant pink double blooms). The blooms were impressive and they had flourished in her personal outdoor sanctuary. It simply created an even more beautiful place to relax and unwind at home. They were simply gorgeous! My aunt always said that the perennial plants such as lotus flowers are a great idea for any garden pond. They had reached their full, flourishing, healthy, and most beautiful size and conditions of the blossom. Beautiful round olive and forest green leaves covered the pond like a blanket, providing a restful and a delightful retreat for anyone to enjoy. The fragrance of the pond in general was very cheering. The blossoms looked like lovely ladies dressed in pink and white, swaying everytime the wind blew. These charming ladies had grown as tall as 5 to 7 feet. To add to this, the garden landscaping was done wonderfully. I learnt that gardening truly is an art. And gardening is the only thing that's worth getting dirty for!!

After a chit-o-chat with my aunt about the lotus flowers, floriculture, gardening, landscaping and hell a lot of other things, I walked outside with my instruments. I had taken my pastels. I loooove pastels. They are extremely portable, easy to clean up, and can give you a wide range of looks. Oil pastels give you the look and feel of oil paint and with the freedom of pastels. There's no water to worry about, no special brushes, no messy clean-up. Best of all, though, it lets the artist who mainly draws get the look of a painting while still getting to draw. The heat is what will make your oil pastels look like paint. I let them sit in the sun for a few minutes. I like to use canvases with a pre-treatment of gouache or paint for extra texture. Sand paper which has a raised grain to it, is perfect for holding layers of oil pastel which makes it the best choice for a canvas. It is well teethed to grab hold of all that creamy pigment, else the painting will end up muddy. I chose an angle and put my board. I made myself comfortable. The weather was quite soothing and complimenting. Every season has something wonderful about it and colors found in nature are often less saturated and more pleasing to the eye than their artificial counterparts. This time of year can bring some amazing weather that just has to be documented creatively. There is inspiration everywhere. Your eyes just have to find that perfect spark of inspiration. Finding an idea about what to write about can sometimes be harder than actually writing it. And it is the same case with drawing and painting. Much depends on who you are as a person at that moment! Plain psychology!A frame of mind for any artist is imperative and especially when it comes to painting. The mind has to be tranquil and devout. And absolutely devoid of any other thought but for the subject matter.

As I sat down next to the lotus, I marveled about each of nature's creations. It is beautifully and perfectly fitted to its station in life and exhibits a complete propriety of form and function. Nature is wholly consistent. I reminisced at the irony of beauty in filth. I got engaged in that thought and began my work. I concentrated on bringing the wonderful play of colors and light that I was able to witness. I worked on the flats and the depths giving them equal emphasis. I was so absorbed trying to capture those shadows...beneath the layers. I was in another world, as always. Transcending to another world doesn't take much time with me! Dancing and acting feels like that quite often. The walls of the rehearsal room simply disappear. And on the stage during a performance you completely forget about the audience. It's a terrific jolt when you come back to reality. Forgetting oneself is the best thing about painting and acting and dancing for me.

I din take notice of my aunt who was standing beside me with lotus juice (Yes!Lotus juice). She said she had called my name at least thrice!!! I was buoyant and afloat. Lotus effect, really![Wink]


PS: Lotus juice is an extract of lotus roots sweetened with honey which has great healing power. It was just toooo GOOD! Divine, infact!

Let me be...

"I’d rather be hated for who I am and what I am than be loved for who and what I am not" -Author Unknown

Let me be me! Jus love me for being me...

Ek shyaam... barsaath ke naam...

It was a fine Sunday evening. I had comfortably curled myself on the couch by the window side wit a book. The crisp air welcomed itself thru the windows of my room and the red blinds flew as if it were welcoming the zephyr. Suddenly I heard the thunder, roar and rumble. And the next thing I did was to run to the terrace. I saw that the dull blue sky silently made way to the thick cottony black clouds that crept in from the west. They beautifully unfurled as they sailed. I could also get a glimpse of large grey cumulous heavy cloud on the horizon. The canvas was splashed wit hues of blue and green and brown. Yet the shades of grey over shadowed the rest! The cool breeze swept my hair. My hair flew with the gentle wind. The weather had a very romantic feel to it. It was Lovely! I threw my face to the sky and flung my hands apart. I wanted to run… as if the wind was chasing me. I stood there with my eyes closed. The earthy refreshing smell of the damp mud, the smell of rain, filled up my senses. It was mint fresh. I had tiny goose bumps on my hands. Took another deeeeeeeeep breath… And made a sincere attempt to lock this scent in my mind. I realized that it’s the most captivating smell. It turned me on, more than any perfume or cologne ever could. It jus filled me up. Completely! I kinda had a strange but pleasant feeling. I felt as if all my senses were unifying with the nature. And it was indeed! It was Meditative! It reminded me of some long forgotten abstractions and everything good in the world… I was spellbound… The tiny drops fell on my eyes.. It was soothing.. The next couple of drops kissed my lips until I opened them up to let it be a part of me! My soul was now wedded to it.

I ran inside the house hurriedly. I wanted my slickers but I couldn’t find them. I took out the umbrella from the cupboard and made my way out. The rain gushed. It poured heavily.The umbrella served no purpose. It rained from every other direction possible…It cupped and I got drenched. Exactly what I wanted. Loved this! I folded the umbrella.. I wasn’t feeling good walking with my flip-flops on… I removed them and held the flip-flops in my hand, umbrella in another and started walking. Yes, barefoot!! The joy of walking barefoot either on grass or on concrete or where eva u r, is best experienced than described! My feet were enjoying the pampering. The rain water was cold and had a mystic feel that could heal! Indeed… the rain can heal all the wounds.. Trust me on this! As I walked, there was an inner voice that was talking to me about how much I could connect with solitude, freedom and peace, of higher degree! The revelation it brought with it was absolute. It was so relieving. I immediately began to think myself into a state of ethereal otherworldliness. I enjoyed and rejoiced it. I realized - the festivity rain brings along is second to none. I was singing… “enu ninna hanigala leele?” It was a glorious feeling.

I saw no signs of the rain stopping. I made my way back home. I was sopping. I changed and switched on my music system which played Pt. Shivakumar Sharma’s instrumental, santoor. One of the instruments I love. Need a better instrument to connect wit the rain? I wanted some thing to warm up my bones now. What better than a cup of thick soup or some really hot ‘menasinakayi(chilli) bajji or pakoris’. And a hot, dark, rich cup of coffee of course! Hmmm….. Heaven…. Heaven!! Nothing else can substitute this feeling. I couldn’t wait now. So I rushed into my kitchen. Between, it was still dark. I somehow was not in the mood to switch on the light. I lit up some candles. I thought the more the better. I lit up as many as I could. The feeling was jus amazing. Ineffable! In a while, I was relishing the hot pakoris wit some coffee in the candle light, santoor playing behind coupled with the pitter-patters of the rain!! Hmmm……[Smile]. Bliss! It was the most beautiful evening of my life. Safe locked in my memory chest!

I am simply fascinated wit rain. Every time it rains, I am healed. I am transcended to an enchanted world. And those of you who hate rain, hear it from me –“Its best to love ur slickers than to hate the rain..Rather, its is easy to like the rain than to hate your slickers (take wat eva best makes sense to you)”. Jus get out of ur house.. Walk.. Sing.. Dance.. Lemme assure you, you will not regret it.. You’ll realize that its magical! I read this somewhere – “People believe that there are 1, 009, 4567, 899 more things to do in the rain than when it doesn’t rain”. Amazing isn’t it? :) U love rain too? U have some special memories tagged wit rain? :) I am listening…

On Finding Nemo!

I was in no mood to wake up early today(I was crowned the Night Queen recently and hence the efforts to stay up late![Wink]). But yesterday (or rather today in the early hours), I was too keen and eager to finish a novel that was so absorbing. I jus couldn’t stop turning the pages. And before I realized it was 3:30 a.m. , I was on the last page, thankfully! I had promised dad that I would wake up early and join him for his daily walk. Blame it on my lassitude! Heights!! It needs a lot of self cajoling and coaxing to wake up in the morning, trust me. I had gone into hibernation under my quilt. It was so warm n cozy. I was sailing on some cloud in my dreams… hmmm…. My alarm buzzed. I put it on snooze, for the first time, second and the third. I finally woke up when dad came in and said (infact he screamed [Wink]) it was 9! Gosh… I woke up as if a catastrophe had struck!! I regretted for I was late and had to travel 28 kms in BMTC! The journey from home to electronic city played like a quick movie trailer in my mind and I felt dizzy. I wondered what time I would reach office. Truly, traveling tat distance is a nightmare. U know how it is in namma bengaluru. I seemed to have no go but to start as soon as it could possibly get. I jumped out of bed, got ready, grabbed a quick breakfast and set out. I cursed myself all the way to the bus stop for the slack that I have become. I came to the bus stop and alas! No buses, as usual! I stood there waiting for the bus. Looking at the passers by was the best I could do. Suddenly my eyes got fixed on somebody’s dress. A friend of mine had the same kind! And I happened to travel back in days to some conversation that took place between me n this friend (a long lost friend in fact). I jus got reminded of the days we spent together etc etc etc… I suddenly became gloomy coz I wasn’t in touch with her anymore though she lived close by home, owing to the fact that she has become busy with her shooting schedule (she is an actress in the daily soaps of a kannada TV channel)! Oh yes, u might ask y don’t u call her! Wise enough. Well, blame it on me being a careless creeper. I lost my last phone and hence lost all the contacts. We have no friend in common from whom I could fetch her number. And yes, she doesn’t check her mails! So, I had lost her and had missed her too! Elizabeth Bishop's quote ringed in my mind - "The art of losing isn't hard to master; so many things seem filled with the intent to be lost that their loss is no disaster".

Memories bubbled in my languid mind. I wished and hoped that she pass by me today so that we could start everything all over again. The chatters, the afternoons we spent cooking, practicing for dance shows, humming our favorite songs, the evenings we went shopping or to her mom’s place, playing wit her daughter, our visits to the orphanages and the old age homes, and what not. The typical girly afternoons. Hmmm…It was fun. As I was thinking this, a bus stopped by. I was about to board that bus when I still waited at the foot board for the passengers to climb down. And what do I see?? I see that you guessed it! Right, this friend about whom I was thinking about, got down. Yes!!!!! It was her!!!! Well, I jus din know what to say. I was speechless. Astonished. I was glad. I wanted to scream. I wanted to jump, dance… well.. I was going crazy within. Well I am sure you'll know how it feels when you find your long lost friend! Call it telepathy, clairvoyance, sixth sense or what ever sense. She was in front of my eyes. Both of us couldn’t believe it. It was overwhelming. A thousand expressions passed and we exchanged all that we had to in our eyes in that fraction of a second. I was delighted. I still couldn’t believe my eyes. The very next moment we were hugging each other tight. It was such a relief! We didn’t realize people around were watching us. It din matter at that moment and neither did we care. It was so nice! Words seem less to describe what I was feeling. Our eyes were moist. And I told her how I was just thinking about her. And the next few minutes we burst out into laughter. She said that she was thinking about me too. Strange! Some things are truly beyond explanation! Beyond science! Well, our chins wagged and it din seem to ache. We didn’t wanna let go of each other. Neither of us did realize the time. But then, both of us were bound to our duties and had to rush! We were late…Damn! I wanted the watch to stop ticking for a while. I hugged her again, bid her bye. We promised each other that we would meet again to eat each others' ears off. And I boarded the bus that came next. And yes, I din not forget to take her number! I called her soon after that evening and took forward the conversation from where we had left in the morning (it was close to noon in fact[wink]). It was amazing. And I was smiling all by my self in the bus. The day seemed pleasant and beautiful. Now see, everything happens for a reason. And I kind of tend to agree that most of the times, what ever happens, happens for good! :) If I hadn’t woken up late and missed my cab, I wouldn’t have met her!! Correct??[wink] Do u get what I am telling you??

The people you meet affect your life. Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there…to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson or help figure out who you are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be but you lock eyes with them, you know that very moment that they will affect your life in some profound way. Everyone does indeed come in your life for a reason, a season and a lifetime! Every movement in this universe is calculated. And everything is balanced and perfect! It's meant to happen and so will it happen. You believe it or not is unto you.

You be the judge!

As kids, we were all moralized by our parents, teachers and elders to be truthful and
honest. Never was untruth encouraged. If caught lying, we have been punished! And severely at that. Now as grownups too, a trait that is most sought after is how reliable and trust worthy we are. We are always urged to speak actuality, by being ingenuous and candid. Tell the right things at the right time. AS IT IS!! Without manipulating the content.



Many a times we have all faced some situation where it has been very difficult to both speak the truth and accept the truth! Isn’t it? But check this - If you think something, say another thing and do something entirely different, it causes an inner conflict. Your body, mind and intellect are not in sync. There is disintegration. And hence you suffer disturbance and inner turbulence. Give it a thought. You must have experienced this sometime!


But, sometimes what is equally important is to leave unsaid the wrong at the tempting moment. Our regrets are usually about what we have spoken, rarely about not having spoken. Think. In samskrita, “satya” means to speak the truth. Yet another meaning for the same is ultimate reality. And the ultimate reality is beautifully stated in the manu smriti of the sanatana dharma:



"satyam bruyat priyam bruyat na bruyat satyam apriyam
priyam cha nanrutam bruyat esha dharmah sanatanah"


This means, speak truth. But truth, that is pleasant to others. Never speak truth, which is unpleasant on somebody's ears. Yet, never speak untruth, which might be pleasant! Care should be taken not to hurt others' sentiments. So the value of truthfulness is relative to a situation.


Words once spilled cannot be picked. The safest and the most peaceful way to live life is to do nothing against one’s conscience. It is only then that we can lead a peaceful life and be free from fear and worries. If not, we go through life with our conscience pricking at our being. Guilt haunting us! Righto? Just give this a thought. Listen to what your voice within has to say.

Am from Uranus.. U??

Ha ha haha..... I now know which planet I come from. Against the most accepted myth that all women come from Venus, I come from 'Uranus'!![Wink]

You Are From Uranus

You're energetic, athletic, and totally hyperactive.You shine with brilliant creativity, and you're more than a little eccentric. You love playing sports and being in the middle of all of the action. You love everything unusual and shocking. You're one far-out chick or dude. You're independent, courageous, and brave. You aren't afraid to do things your way.Anything unconventional excites you - and you have genius potential. You can be reckless, quick tempered, and a little too spontaneous.Just don't let your rebel side get the best of you, or else you'll alienate everyone. Your creative ways and funky attitude is all you need to be you.

This is brilliant and so much so describes me aptly!! I was WOWED!

What Planet Are You From?

Check it out yourself. Enjoy maadi...

Track-'back'-on-Track

It was 6:30 in the evening and was time to pack up and leave. I was waiting for this moment from the time I stepped in the office. Somehow my day today did not start off on a very pleasant note. It was very slow and passive. I was jaded and bored to death and at the least motivated to do what I was supposed to do. Oh yes, I mean work!! I was indeed waiting for this minute to tick on my watch so that I could flee. I was engaged in some random thoughts, which beaded into a string and I wore it around my neck through the day. Almost every minute became more unbearable to pass by. I was growing impatient by the passing minute. And hence, I finally sighed and grinned when it did tick 6:30. I quickly cleaned my desk, packed my bag and rushed to catch ‘my’ seat in the bus. I sat by the window. Needless to say I was lost yet again in the traffic of thoughts which hovered my mind, as my bus made it to the road and became one with the traffic. Medley of events that happened in a certain point in time, within the time-space continuum played like a movie on the screen of my mind, without any significant relation to it with what’s happening with me at present. The feelings were conglomerate! It looked like the thoughts of a demented mind. And in no chronological fashion, it swung and swapped. I was indeed in the past! Some sweet ones. Some bitter ones. Some bad. Some sad and some utterly silly! It lingered on. I was lost in the traffic of thoughts. I ran through myriad emotions, all at the same time. I saw different colors being splashed on the canvas but somehow, I didn’t see it as the making of a master piece. I could see words and words and more words as I turned the pages of my past. But I failed to suck the meaning. I failed to understand what made me write this, who made me write and why did I write this at all. I tried slipping out of it as I got a lil irritated too for I just could not relate it to any particular context which could give it the right meaning. The right Sense. Nothing seemed clear. It seemed incongruous. The past seemed irrelevant! Right, the past IS irrelevant. I stuck with that thought. It hung low. Considering the present offers so many things to think about and to indulge in, the past is insignificant. Decisions made – good, bad or ugly sometimes – are made. There is nothing much that can be done about it. And truly some things ARE out of our control and choice!! I have no clue what it takes to revisit the decisions that are made. All said and done, you can’t turn it the other way round. Can u?? And neither do I have the patience to trace the path. May be, you could perhaps adorn the fabric you chose with some embroidered stitch with a contrast colored thread to make it look different and attractive and you could as well rejoin the torn parts, but the fact remains that you cannot substitute the cloth. It’s just too late if you wanna do it. Now, having said this, all I know is am happy with what I have today and that my cup of life is indeed filled with some rich hot dark coffee![Wink] What’s important is indeed how good the coffee is and not from what material the cup is made up of. Mind you, u can refill the coffee anytime you want. This thought consoles me and I feel at ease as I slouch in the seat. But this moment is going to get weaved in the past too. Time rolls. It stops for no one. There is continuity and there is uncertainty, as always and as expected. Hmm… But yet, it’s all about the present.

In the philosophy of time, presentism is the belief that only the present exists and the future and the past are unreal. Paradoxical, sure it is. But I only wish that this was accountable. Treat the present as a present and make the most of it. Exist in the present! I reiterate, past is irrelevant. So, just move on. As I was lost amidst the glaze of this thought, I feebly heard my friend call out, “Niveditha, it’s your stop”!! It took time for me to realize where I was and what’s happening around. I quickly got down as the bus moved on to its next destination, to drop its next passenger. I looked at my watch as I saw the bus move past and phew! it was close to 9 pm. I had failed to realize that our bus was stuck somewhere today! I had scuba dived in the ocean of past :) I had tracked back. And sooner than never, I was back on the track!! :):) I pinched myself to affirm that I existed in the present!

Tribes India

Had been shopping with a friend last Saturday to buy some wedding gift for yet another friend and landed up in St. Joseph’s College grounds. I was clueless as to where we were headed. And it was a surprise stop for me for it was a tribal art exhibition. I was so excited and was brimming with joy for am always game for any such exhibitions and shows!! I being a natural adorner, I shop almost anything that soothes and pleases my eyes! I have an innate and natural liking for jewelry and artifacts. And I also like to collect just anything that’s unique and interesting. It jus could be anything from a matchbox, pencil, beads, dolls, shells, stones, interestingly cut papers, any hoarding with beautiful wordings, interesting pottery, intricate jewellery,….. the list is endless. I prize things that are well designed and creative more than the material value. No doubt I am a terrific shopper and I end up shelling a bomb!!Trust me, I surely can shop till I drop[Tongue out].

Now what was special about this event was that various tribal artforms from across the country was on display. The whole ambience was very vibrant, colorful and appeasing. Made out of natural products, and hand made at that, everything that was on display, be it their pottery, jewellery, hand woven clothes, artifacts, furnitures, paintings et al were jus beyond the artistic perception. It was so bewitching that it could compel an impulsive shopper like me to go bankrupt(No doubt I spent extravagantly. Guilt some where did creep in post shopping but I soothed myself telling it was good to splurge on such things once in a while. After all I was shopping for the tribal cause. Good excuse isn’t it??[Wink]). . Many contemporary definitions of art and artistes are contingent on culture, resisting the aesthetic prescription. It cannot be standardized easily without corruption into kitsch. Now, needless to say, it gave me a new avenue to think and to take forward my creative pursuits.

And there was a folk dance program (tribal dance forms, of course) which was a delight to watch. Mesmerizing beats and amazing choreography. It was euphonious! The dancer in me was calling me to join them. I couldn’t stop myself and I started banging my head, tapping my foot and clapping my hands where eva I stood. I realized in a while that I was dancing too as if no one was watching me [Wink].he he he… I go crazy over the beats! Loved it!

Tribals of India, Adivasis as they are best known are literally "original inhabitants" and comprise an indigenous minority of the population. These come from various states of Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, AP, Bihar, Jharkand and west Bengal and in extreme northeast states such as Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh. Officially recognized by the Indian government as "Scheduled Tribes" in the Constitution which is eligible for certain affirmative action measures at all socio-economic strata. The schedule gives tribal people incentives to maintain their identity. By the same token, the schedule also includes a number of groups whose 'tribal' status, in cultural terms, is dubious at best. They have their own tribal religions which are different than Islam or Hinduism and they follow what is known as Tantric Shaivism. These people have their own culture, language, social organization, religious affiliation, economic patterns, geographic location, and self-identification too, which is rich, as I see it and more sensible than ours, devoid of the basic education! These people always work and move about in groups and have greater social bonding and strength amongst them. What’s more important is the ‘samskara’(cultural heritage and upbringing) and the ‘kala-kaushalya’(artistic and aesthetic sense)! Perhaps, this holds true for any community. To stay happy without any cultural abomination and hatredness, to bring out the best in us as a community or breed this is what is most important. And what good is education if doesn't humble you down and work for the cause of humanity. William Cowper beautifully says,"Existence is a strange bargain. Life owes us little; we owe it everything. The only true happiness comes from squandering ourselves for a purpose." Don’t you think so too? India could have been a better place today if it would have religiously practiced and followed the most hyped of phrase –“The land of Unity in Diversity”.

Anyways, I here, would like to emphasize the point that these tribal artisans and craftsmen are no less than any of the country’s most prestigious award winning and famed artists! And mind you, no job is menial! These people need a platform to show case their talent. It is the need of the hour to recognize such troops, to underline their skilled excellency, to focus on the importance of intellectual skills apart from the manual skills. And in this orientation, the government is doing a fabulous job in recognizing such people and giving them a chance to exhibit and to sell their products at its best price by organising such melas. It is indeed a great opportunity for the residents of Bangalore to be a part of such event. Do not miss such things when you do come across the likes of it in the near future. Let’s do our best too. Let’s just go and attend such events even if we do not have to buy anything from them. Let’s try and appreciate the art and the artist in them. Let's empathise, heartfully!

Now this apart, what makes this exhibition more memorable for me is that I gave a very brief interview to a local news channel. The event manager of this exhibition came up to me(naturally pulled by the number of shopping bags I had in my hand) and asked me to speak and throw some light on the exhibition to TV9(a state news channel) and share my experience. This was aired on Tuesday, the 14th of October '08 in the news hour at 9[Broad smile]. Howzzat?!

Tribes India - “Shop for the tribal cause”!
You could log on to the following websites to know more:
www.tribes.net.in
www.trifed.net.in

Much ado about ART!

Some vague thoughts crossed my mind and I just felt like changing the name of my blog from Tarang to ART which literally is an equation as follows:

Antarang(अन्तरंग )+ Rang(रंग) + Tarang(तरंग) = Art ... of LIFE and LIVING!
अन्तरंग के तरंग जब भजते हैं तो ज़िन्दगी का रंग खील उठता है है ना ?

Between, I welcome you all for the "re-naming" ceremony of my blog! [Smile]

One must have an ‘aesthetic’ sense to enjoy art. Art is all about expression. It is about ex pressing and transforming an ordinary experience. Now, this might be an odd thing to expect. It seems that art is confined and is the sort of stuff in the museums, architectures, galleries, poetry books, theaters, concert halls or more so everything that can be show cased in the places which are marked off as the zones of the unusual and the exalted. I do agree to this. But it sure is also about how ordinary things and experiences can transform and make a difference in the way we look at things in the so called unusual zones of display of talent! Which can make us more passionate, more engaged and much more oriented and more immersed.

Art for me, apart from self expression, is also about being fully present in the real. About co-relating the self with one another and with the nature. About getting unified and to fuse with the universe. About experiencing oneness. It is something that “absorbs” you. Now, this makes ‘that something’ an ‘ART’. Art is extraordinary. A creation of a genius, the creative mind! Crispen Sartwell beautifully says, “ Art is characteristically human way of being and loving the world. The process of becoming absorbed into living, of becoming present in one’s life.”

All of this is to say that art is perpetual. It’s beyond time and space. And that it also has a spiritual bend to it. Well, this doesn’t mean that it calls for the higher realm than the physical. It rather is human experience in its greatest depths and greatest intensity. Art is what we make of ourselves and the world. What we are in reality. Or perhaps what our world makes out of it! It’s a way of accepting. Ecstatically affirming the world in which we abide. If you look carefully and observe the world around you, both static and dynamic, you will see that everything is a work of art. Right from the one who makes the small nuts, bolts, bearings, carton boxes et all to the the giant aeroplanes and mansions. All are artists in their own right. A great work of display, all of them!! Isn’t it?

Each one of us are worthy of appreciation. Most of all the one supreme creation is the creation of this world and of course, man! Give it to the supreme power(call it what you want – god, super natural power, supreme consciousness, energy, wat eva!). Everything in MY universe is a surprise to me. How did this happen? I forget the theory and my imagination crosses beyond the theory. In fact, there is a limitation to all the theories and ideologies. It starts with an “IF”! So, only if the “IF” is true, will the theory hold strong. Else????? Hmmm….. My mind actually travels beyond time and space. Somewhere, everything is a mystery!! I bow and surrender to the supreme soul!!

Oh well, excuse me.. Allow me to back track..[smile] So friend, this is what I think... Living is an art. Put in your creative best. Let the canvas/ media be anything. You choose. Design it well. Give it a beautiful finish. Take care about the intrinsic details. Put it on display. Exhibit it! It ll sure turn heads! And you shall be signing your autograph...

And hence the name: ART.. of life and living!! Lemme know what you feel. Both about the subject of core discussion and of course the new name of my blog! Am looking forward to your response!

bang-'traffic'-galore

Until recently, when eva I met up with a gang of friends, they always had one topic in common to speak and on which I could not just manage to render my 'insightful' thoughts![Tongue out] And, the topic is, none other than, the most happening, “Namma Bengaluru traffic”, of course!! Applause... Applause...Applause...

Let me make a confession! I am and have always been bad wit the roads and directions. And hence, I seldom could eva contribute to the discussion. But their inputs would always suffice and be enough to flummox and perplex my small little brain(which is confused by default)!! I would mix up electronic city and ITPL as if they were neighboring parks (which I learnt lately that both are located at two extreme ends of the city). My friend had to draw the Bangalore map for me and had to take the pains to explain where is where for she was used to travelling on the dreaded roads of Bengaluru and was quite used to the traffic chaos and everything else related. During such talks like the ones i mentioned at the start, my witty friends would come up wit some innovative and cranky ideas(Software engineers that they are) of how they could make the best of their travel time!! (That can actually be yet another post!!). He he...

Now, having said this, I must say, I was rather lucky, only until the last month though, not to have experienced the harshness of 'namma bengaluru traffic' for my earlier places of work and college were jus about a few kms from home and the roads were absolutely free from traffic! I had to take no pains to travel. I moved to bangalore for my graduation and have been here since then. But yet, no sagas for me, clearly. I would come home every afternoon to savor the piping hot delicious delicacies that mamma would prepare, have a short nap and then head back to work!! Can u believe it?Best times! But God could not bestow more mercy and comforts on me. I am sure he was jealous too as the rest of the others! I changed my job and hence came to the streets..well.. grr.. I mean, streets of Bengaluru[Wink] I did not have much choice pertaining to the travel. And adding to that, I had to state my where abouts as C/o BMTC for 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the evening! After the first day’s experience that was so exhausting and zapping (I wasn’t much used to such extensive travelling), I had given a serious thought on giving up on my job and starting something on my own (LOL!!). My company has its own policies which defines the city limits. Cab facility is provided if only the office is outside the city limits. But I live out of the city(if I had to go according to their rule) and to me, any place is beyond the city limits! U can guess, I was literally fuming that day! I wanted to go on a Dharna! Yet again, had not much choice and I screamed at my mind to shut up!!The best way I thought was to enjoy the travel (no choice again!). The creepy ideas that my friends were giving the other day recapped in my mind but couldn’t actually make much of it for I am not facilitated with a cab to commute. Hmmm… sad that it is, I resort to either my novel that I always carry in my bag or rely on my Motorola L9 for its radio services ( That’s when I decided must buy an iPOD touch… That’s on its way!! Tan tana.. I am actually way too excited about it). Being a sleepy head that I am, these have till date helped me go to sleep(Well,I look around hopefully for a seat to sit in the bus, else I'll have to manage to catch one by some quick reflexive actions being very agile and alert. You literally have to fight your senses out to grab one, you know!) Whoa... My my my… As I say this I recollect the below thing that I heard from someone:

Q: How far is a place from here (If it is 100 meters)?
A: Five minutes by walk, half an hour by car [Wink]

Let’s get to the topic of discussion, ‘Namma Bengaluru Traffic’! A headache. A pain in the * you know where! A problem. Now this problem is because the city has exploded sporadically and at a threatening pace in the last few years. It has grown too quickly and the infrastructure is not upgraded to accommodate this growth. This is compounded by the lack of discipline of the commuters. Almost no one follows the traffic rules!!!(After all, rules are meant to be broken!). Most drivers/riders in Bangalore do not have a sense of traffic. Absolutely no discipline. They do not give a damn about others. They think they are the rulers and hence ‘The King’ of the road. They are also highly impatient and arrogant with a huge ego on their cuffs and collars. Look at all the drivers talking on the mobile, honking the horn, beating the traffic lights, cursing the other motorists, avoiding pot holes, ........... all at the same time.

Why are people like this?(Ha ha.. most certainly, that is how they are. N after all it’s their wish n their will! Isn’t it?). I do not have an answer. But maybe it is because you can get a license in India very easily. In most places you do not have to write the mandatory written test or do the practical test. For a small bribe you can get a license even without being in the country! The problem is you can not get a license even if you pass both the tests without the bribe. People always choose the easier way and as a result never know or bother about the traffic rules.

As I stay a gaper on the road, there are somethings that irks and irritate me a lot that i must mention:

I hate..
The honking horns!! It seriously deafens ur ears.

People who p** and p*** by the road side. They just consider every wall they come across to be their toilets. Public, indeed it is. Yuk! Wonder if they have a gene that exhibits a bit of shame. It’s only dogs and Men (a few though. Remember, I haven’t said, gentlemen!Note for men reading this: If you are a gentleman, you don need to react to this. Jus cool it!) who dare do that. And, waise bhi, it happens only in india!!

People who spit n spew on the roads as if it is their proprietary right! N come on, what about the hygiene. Damn that!

The autos that aren’t regulated or have got an emission test certificate. It pollutes the air so much. But who cares?

The erratic lorry drivers and bike riders. I just wish they have their sensible senses with them when they are on the road.

Some irresponsible traffic police who stand in the middle of the road only to add to the chaos and make money. They are promptly on every nook and corner of the city, as the calender nears end of the month. Absolutely no sense of duty. Irksome!

The petty fights and clashes among the fellow motorists. And god help the language that they use. The vulgarisation and banalisation of language is no longer a question of purity, but rather how it relates to our attitude to society at large. It is painful to see the ritual abomination of the language, particularly the slang and obscene words! No road rage is complete without the dazzling fireworks lit up by bristling repletives. Can we have a language police too, please?

The way the autowallas behave and demand excess money. I literally can’t stand this injustice. I stand upto fight and never pay a rupee more! Doesn’t make sense. Does it? Especially considering their huge ego that speaks.

Can you beat that list??? He he he… [Wink]

But I must tell u that I love something too. Traveling in Vayu Vajra, the comfortable, air-conditioned, Volvo airport shuttle service! Trust me, its real fun and joy for me. The interiors and the large transparent windows give a very royal feel. Never the less, the ergnomics could have been better! I being a RED person, needless to say I love the color of Vayu Vajra. And ours truly transport minister, Mr. R Ashok has been kind enough in making the fares nominal. Oh well, you should have seen the excitement on people’s faces when the ticket fare was just a Rupee for four days to woo those commuting around the city on two-and four-wheelers. This, the authorities hope, may convert a lot of travellers into BMTC commuters. LOL! The rush, the gleaming faces!Ah-huh, it was worth seeing. I remember a commuter who was getting down from Vajra announcing to the fellow commuters who were waiting for the bus in the stop(in that period of four days), “Hathkolli saar! Ellindha ellige hodhru ondhe rupayee. Ee bus ellige hogattho alli thanaka hogi. Aamele bere bus thogolli. Naalene lastu offeru!(Hop on sir! It’s just a rupee, no matter how far you wanna travel. Jus take this bus and go until the nearest stop. Take another bus from there. The offer lasts tomorrow!)”. Not only this, the minister has come up with more interesting offers (Check out the news papers for this!!). Watch out and have fun!

Last but not the least, happy journey![wink]

Lets put a smile on that face….

After much persuasion from friends who claimed that this one shud not go amiss, I happened to watch ‘The Dark Knight’, on the BIGGEST POSSIBLE SCREEN’(as suggested), in Bangalore. At the outset, am not much of a movie person. I watch a movie only if it gets a go signal from Rajeev Masand on CNN IBN or if friends strongly recommend. Movies for me must be sensible and somewhere close to reality else I care the least to watch it.Let’s take this debate later. Now coming to the point, you wud have definitely understood and gauged that I haven’t seen any of the superhero movies: be it batman, spiderman, iron man or wat eva man. The Dark Knight is a deliciously wonderful movie for anybody who grew up reading Batman comics. I didn’t grow up reading Batman comics. In fact, as I said, I don’t even understand Batman. My bro said I better watch the series first before I go to watch this as this is a sequel of its predecessors or was it thought to be!! Never the less, I wanted to take a chance! But after I watched it for the first time, I watched it again!![Wink] “I didn’t repent”. I would actually not wanna categorize this movie into the ‘superhero’ cult. Nolan cuts through a deeper direction. Whoa! The characters speak to the essentials of human condition!! The script creates a place where good and evil decide to get it on and dance, instead of fight against each other, as obviously expected! Nolan out brings the implacable truth that no human being can defy. I was reminded of Paulo Coelho, who in his book Brida says, “Everybody in this world will have a gift that will soon become apparent. In daily life, they would continue to have their customary weaknesses and resentments, perform their usual small acts of kindness and of cruelty. The agony and the ecstasy would continue, as it would for everyone who is part odf a world in a constant state of flux. However each human being carries within them something far more important than their own self, namely, their inherent gift. He only uses this as the instrument and reveals himself to the world to help humanity".

On face value, a guy in a bat-suit fighting an evil minded clown may not exactly be anyone’s idea of an ‘edge of your seat’ thriller, but thanks to a cracker of a script penned by the Nolan brothers that grabs the viewer by the jugular from the opening scene. The Dark Knight is certain to go down as one of the best movies I have seen so far. Superb dialogs. It is a ‘dark, disturbing piece of work’. A nightmarish journey into the proverbial world of darkness exploring evil, good, and the tenuous line that separates them. Its an intense cerebral story (the ending is superb) that not only contemplates the nature of evil but also touches, in a powerful yet understated fashion, upon themes of terrorism, torture and surveillance, the cornerstones of post 9/11 life in the United States .

Amazing cast. As far as I am concerned, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart and Christian Bale have rendered justice to their roles. The Batman in fact is shockingly human and acutely aware of the fact that he is ‘not the hero the city deserves’. Eckhart, the two faced man, which the Joker unleashes out of him, portrays beautifully the two sidedness, which is the true nature of any human being. The villain steals the show. With his cracking make-up, slithering tongue and the scar that put a wide smile on his face, it was an amazing farewell performance by Mr. Ledger. Rest in peace, Mr. Ledger. He deserves a posthumous for this. The late Heath Ledger is spine-chillingly brilliant in his portrayal of a psychotic, stone-cold murderer, The Joker. I read somewhere that Ledger reportedly lived in isolation for a month researching and getting into the skin of the character to the point where it started to take a toll on his sleep, that which shows clearly in his performance. He outlived it, if I may say! As I say this I remember the most famous line of the movie:

“You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain”

He doesn’t want money. But he just wants to watch the world burn! That was bloodcurdling. Check out for the devilish fun, dazzling spectacle and feverish action. I was wowed. “I don’t wanna kill you. You complete me”, says the Joker to the Batman(That’s one of my fav dialogs). Don’t buy the tease. He means every letter. Ledger dominates every frame he is in. Hats off!

As a dark night, this 'dark knight' too awakens you and makes you realize what kind of a world you are living in. It exposes you to the bitter truth, the pitch of darkness. Here are some of the best lines from the movie that caught my attention:

• I am an agent of chaos.
• I don’t wanna kill you. You complete me
• Why so serious??????? Lets put a smile on that face….
• You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain
• What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object???
• Some men are not trying to be logical. They can't be bought, bullied or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.
• Introduce a lil anarchy… upset the established order.. well then everyone loses their minds!
• I am a dog chasing the cars. I don’t have plans. I jus do things. I am not a schemer.
• I use a knife coz guns are too quick, Otherwise, you cannot savor all the emotions. You know who people are in their last moments. I know people who you were with better than you do.
• You do not do things that you are good at for free (The best one! [Tongue out])
• Madness is like gravity… It jus needs a lil push…

Well last but not the least, if what am saying here is beyond you and not making any sense to you then that surely says you haven’t seen the movie. I suggest you go watch it and then see for yourself whether you have any words for it. I certainly don’t! Watch this movie and do yourself a favour … and if you’ve got a spare ticket you know who to send it to![Wink]

If I knew...

Seven years after 9/11, the casualty that resulted has only left a deep scarred imprint in the books of religion, economy, humanity et al.. Still wondering, what lies ahead of us and where we are actually headed(??)!

I was reading these lines in Sacred Space of today’s TOI, dedicated in the memory of 9/11 victims. Very touching and hence, felt like sharing it.

…If I knew it would be the last time
That I see you walk out of the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
And call you back for one more…

If I knew it would be the last time
I could spare an extra minute
To stop and say ‘I Love You’
Instead of assuming you would KNOW I do…

…just in case…
…today is all I get,
I’d like to say how much I love you
And I hope we never forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
You get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you’re waiting for tomorrow,
Why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
You’ll surely regret the day.

That you didn’t take that extra time
For a smile, a hug and a kiss
And you were too busy to grant someone,
What turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,
And whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
And that you’ll always hold them dear.

Take time to say “I’m sorry”,
“Please forgive me”, “Thank you”, or “it’s okay”.
And if tomorrow never comes,
You’ll have no regrets about today.





All I have to say is,
--- "DO NOT BURY YOUR WORDS.GIVE IT LIFE! JUST LET IT MAKE SENSE - TO SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE, SOMETIME" ---

To De*Serve!

Every one of us has dreams. Dreams, to achieve something and to make it big in life. Aspirations to fly high. But we often let opportunities slip or let it go. Never are we alert and prepared to face what lies ahead of us. We often feel dejected when we don get what we want or something tat we aspire for. But pretty less do we realize as a matter of fact tat we get what we deserve. It’s a hard-hitting fact. I am sure most of us cannot take it.


Comparison, tat when we do with others of higher strata, the inner voice feebly yells, “Probably I am more deserving than he/she is! May be he/she is luckier than I am”. Jealousy takes over. We go red when someone gets “there” or gets “it”! And wonder how and when does this chord of luck strikes and whom?


As Robin S Sharma says in his book The Monk who sold his Ferrari, "The boundaries of our life are merely the creations of the self". Every action is a result of the thought tat mushrooms in the mind. One must actually GROW to deserve. The limitation is in the mind. One could see something for oneself from the outside but may not feel the same from the inside. There is no coherence. Our inner and outer mind doesn’t sync with each other. There must be a burning desire and passion to achieve or have “it”. As Paulo Coelho in his book The Alchemist (which is a very well written book on following your dreams) says, “When a person desires something, the whole universe conspires to help that person realize his dreams”.

Picture this:
“You deserve to have a job in the most reputed company coz you have the capability in you”.
“You deserve a promotion after all the hard work you have done”.
“You deserve to have a beautiful wife for you are now the most powerful man”.

After all, we “serve” to “deserve”! How often is this true? As also, it all depends on how well you showcase yourself. The ones who do not want to take credit or do not wanna be too much in the limelight will never get where they want. Isn’t that true? Haven’t we all seen this? Tolerated this? This is a very hypothetical world, you will sure agree. Unfortunately, we live in a world where we hardly can manage to trust the ones around. Hypocrites, amidst whom we live. It’s very sad but very true when we take a tentative insight into the natural world. Though we pretty much know who deserves what, we are forced to stay mum.

On the contrary, when you become a scapegoat to an unmentioned situation (read fate), when you know that 'you-do-not-deserve-to' suffer or be punished, no one asks “why you?”. Forget asking, they will not even stand by you. People will look up for a chance to run miles away from you to see that their names do not crop by. Sad!! And it shall remain sad.

At the end of this RAT-RACE (‘dirty’, if I could say), one often forgets that he/she still will remain a “RAT”, no matter you “win or “lose”!! Should we grow worthy of clouding up such thoughts in our mind or should we dump it?? That's for you to decide. But for now, my dump is so full that it has to refuse more refuse!![Wink] As I retire, GROW deserving and happy dumping!![Teethed smile]

अजनबी

अरे ओ अजनबी अनमोल!
My heart cries - "you are my world. You are my soul!"
थक गयी हूँ राह देक्खते, आखिर तू भी कुछ तो बोल !

From the woods...

Woodland… Inspired by nature, it's products compliments its creations. Fashioned to take on nature. Their gears are designed keeping the spirit of adventure in mind. It actually breathes and communicates adventure! Very comfortable, rugged and crusty. I have been loyal to this brand ever since I bought a jacket from them 2 years back! I love the array of footwear too. What I liked the most is this:

WOODLAND.

For a mind as free as the Ocean,
Imagination as limitless as the Sky,

Heart as wild as the Wind and
Spirit as unshakable as the Earth.

I kinda sensed a magnetic pull when I saw this print on its beautifully designed eco friendly shopping bag. It instilled in me an unbridled enthusiasm and energy that I immediately wanted to run to the wild woods, go trekking, jump into the waters and raft the rough rivers. All at once. [Wink] Adventure does not come with any limits. As the National geographic adventure team puts it, “Dream it. Plan it and do it”. Dare to dream. And plan to realize it. That’s what is being adventurously spirited! After all, it’s a happy pursuit. So go ahead. Be an adventurer!

And as Oprah quotes, “The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams!”
Happy exploring! N ya, wear woodland and ROCK the ROCK! :) (Woodland should be paying me for marketing them like this!! [Wink])

Silence speaks…

Silence speaks and indeed in volumes. Silence is a very powerful communication tool. It must be heard and only then do you realize that it speaks the unspeakable! It weighs more than words and speaks louder than words for sure! Hence it’s often said that silence is golden. It’s very tough to refute silence in a debate. It gives out many messages and hence is as easy to misunderstand or misinterpret it as it is to understand!!

Periods of silence in music, dance and theater mean a lot and are used in the right time and right context to denote some deep thoughts, allowing things to sink in the minds of the audience. The pause in music can convey a powerful message than the chords. That pause in a conversation is just as important as the words that follow it. It may even be more essential. Look at the white spaces between the letters on this page; aren't they as important as the letters themselves? Silence gives significance to that which is around it. It is the pause in a conversation that gives you the feeling that something meaningful is happening. It implies that the other person is actually listening and absorbing what you had to say. And then comes a thoughtful response. It could be less than a second, but this little "nothing" carries intense meaning.

More often than not, silence can be very painful and unbearable. Especially when u are seeking some answer or justification from the other party but u in turn get only silence! It can be frustrating!! When you do not get the right consent at the right moment and the same is being conveyed through an indefinite period it could be very bothersome. How do you plead your innocence in relationships and situations if you decide to be silent? You shall keep wondering till death as to what happened? Y did that silence prevail? Did u really deserve that “moment of silence”? It can hurt you big time.

Silence has the power to heal the turbulence of emotions. Silence must be observed. When you observe silence it becomes meditation. More often than not, these days we see every other yoga teacher or a doctor suggesting meditation to people who are busy in their mundane life, worrying about the nonsensical happenings within and without them, making them the slaves to the two great evils - “stress and strain”!

We are accountable to something or someone superior. Foremost, ourselves!! You need some time and moment to speak to yourself and that can be done in silence alone! It is a wonder tool to understand one self. It gives a chance to speak to one’s inner self. A chance to contemplate on the deeds. To introspect. Silence instills stillness and quietude allowing the mind to calm and relax. In silence, you become conscious of the consciousness. Perhaps what we need is a little "white space." A moment of silence - For personal reflection. For contemplation. For world peace. Period.


Read an article pertaining to silence in TOI. Following is an excerpt of the same-

Says psychiatrist Dr Avdesh Sharma, "When we talk, a chain of thoughts gets translated into speech, it is loss of energy. We think 30 thoughts per minute. In silence we think 5, when we're agitated they go up to 60. Silence slows down our thoughts. This reduces the chance of misinterpretation."

Used right, silence communicates trust. When used in love, it shows we care. It can be a sword too. Silence is far easier to punctuate than language. We just need to choreograph quietness. As your confidence level grows, you will find it easier to include moments of quiet. "The silent points are punctuation points that help you hear the composition of life," adds Sharma. All it takes is strength of silence to resolve a complicated dialogue.

A hush of words, a pause to kickstart your lost chance, all over again!

Bamboozled!

In reticent times, u realize that the ones you consider close aren’t actually close. The ones u consider as the best aren’t the best. You realize that you were not kept in the loop when something important happened in their lives. When they considered you the most at all times and when, once upon a time, the vice-versa was also true, you still expect to be there with that person in all walks of life! Is that too much to expect? There is a seed of potential hope that is laid when you promise your consciousness that the other person is gonna stay with you for a lifetime or accompany you in the journey of life, which of course only time decides. Does that mean we are taking “friends” for granted? It hurts and hurts big time when you get to know that a close confidant of yours has hidden something from you or has been doing something without your knowledge though it was decided that he/she would do it or you would be a part of it and nothing was confirmed yet. You plan things together. But when actually the plans get converted to actions you are not part of it. Well you may not have asked for your share but you at least do expect to be a part of your friend’s experience. Don’t you? Is that too much to have asked? How fair is it on your friend’s part to have buried it? Well, in another point of view, it’s only but natural to share, to confide in you when the other person is comfortable doing so. But yet, when you do get a hint that you are somewhere being neglected and being avoided spurts in the sense of insecurity. That’s the worst emotional turmoil one can go through. Dilapidated! You just lose trust and faith in the other person. Not only in the other person but also in the camaraderie. Don’t you? But it’s not that they are deceits or have wanted to betray you. It has just happened and you don’t really know why. You are being left out! For no reason. And it’s just as simple as that. It doesn’t seek an interrogation or an explanation but yet you still do wanna seek justification!!!! I don’t even think I can allow things to take its course. I can neither hand it over to the choice of zestiny. I have to do something about it. But I don’t really know what to do in such a case. Do u? I am flummoxed... In search of an answer. Can you help?

Deja brew

Happened to see this hoarding outside the India coffee house in Tirumala. The picture quality is bad for I captured this on the move! What else can you expect from a true fan of this divine drink!
The quote by S. Radhakrishnan on this hoarding read, “A cup of coffee dissolves drowsiness, sharpens your wit, stimulates your mind and loosens your tongue!” [Wink] Good one right??
Having read that I could literally smell ‘freshly ground’ heaven! I couldn’t help but grab a cup of hot coffee. So, as soon as we descended down to Tirupathi, we rushed to the nearby India Coffee House. But I must tell you that the coffee was very disappointing and depressing! Preparing coffee is an art. As laid by the Turkish proverb - “Coffee should be black as hell, strong as death, and sweet as love”.
Everybody should believe in something. And I always believe I'll have another coffee. ‘DO NOT STOP AT ONE’ is the motto, atleast when it comes to coffee! [Teethed smile] Hence without being dejected for having a bad cup of coffee, we went right into another hotel nearby and grabbed another cuppa of filter coffee. Hmmmmm……….. Exhilarating experience! It was 11 PM. And we were all stimulated. After all, COFFEE, is an anytime drink! [Wink]

Dil Chahta Hai...

Baar baar dekho hazaar baar dekho. Yeh dekhne ki cheez hai!! Dil Chata Hai ki main iss movie ko dekthi hi rahoon. One of my favorite movies. I have watched it umpteen times and I just don’t seem to get enough of it. It’s a stress buster. It’s so fresh till date. I watch this movie at least once a month!!!! Absolutely extraordinary! Dil Chahta Hai has been successful in defining the meaning of “class” in Hindi Cinema. A cult classic!It marked the beginning of a new era. Renaissance, if I may say. The Gen 'Y' thingie! It’s a movie with which almost all the youngsters of today would wanna relate to. Hats off to Farhan Akhtar for giving us such a brilliant master piece. It is at his creative best. It became the definition of camaraderie and Fun, as well! The movie is so smooth sailing that you never get to know when it ends. U only wish for more at the end. And I only wished, that I never stopped watching it! Very well tailored. Just nothing is a misfit!! I am sure you agree that it’s got a very convincing and a gripping story line. The sense of humor, the emotions and everything else is beautifully synced! Touching, cool and a stylish movie. Remember? The hair style and goatie made news everywhere. What a fashion statement! Even after 8 years of the release of this movie, it has not gone out of style. That's truely a surprise in the world of fashion, which is so volatile and constantly changing!

Aamir, Saif and Akshaye are all remarkable in this movie and have rendered their best performance! Their characters wonderfully portray and reflect a bond that stands outside of just mere friendship and how well they groove in each other in spite of their differences. This bond is strengthened and tested through the passage of time. It marks their friendship as they embrace new boundaries in their lives, together and apart. Awesome threesome.

The subjects catering to love, youth and family are well built. I love all the songs and the way they blend in with the movie. It beautifully transitions the sequences of events. A favorite: The three go on a vacation, and drive to the coast. "Dil Chahta Hai", the title track is so refreshing! Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy have given their best too. Awesome threesome, again!

Following is a mail I received on the things you learn from this movie. Good one. Take a look. I liked it. Hope you do too and concur!

**********************************************************************************

• There are relationships apart from bf/gf & friendship, that can be very emotional and true, which is beyond the understanding of many people.
  
  
• And yeah even though you may be the best of friends there is always a limit which should never be crossed. Then it starts hurting........... ·
  
  
• Improving your imperfections after you realize them, always take some time.
  
  
• You always don't need to show or prove your gf/bf how much you love or care about her/him, which can sound very boring and finally get you dumped.
  
  
• Believe in Love. True love will never let you down.
  
  
• Never be ashamed to go back to your old friends. Friends are there to understand your mistakes.
  
  
• Do not be afraid of others, always think that others are afraid of you. (remember the Australian Beggar at the railway station?) ·
  
  
• Whenever you need your friend, remember that he is just a phone call away... distance can't separate friends.

• In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.

• It's the friends you can call up at 4 A. M. that matter.

• The only unchangeable certainty is that nothing is certain or unchangeable.
  
  
• The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit with on a porch and swing with, and never say a word, and then walk away feeling it was the best conversation you've ever had.

• Freaking out and enjoying life doesn't need drugs or cigarettes.
  
  
• And last but not the least- do what your heart loves.. Karo wahi jo, DIL CHAHTA HAI !!! Samjhe?

Happy Friendship Day

Rightly said, "friends are made by many acts and are lost often by a single mindless act". To have friends, you must have friendliness in you: selfless and loving, undemanding, with deep concern for others. Only then do you develop a sense of appreciation for this camaraderie. This is such a divine relationship. Truely consecrated. You unfold yourself, dare to be yourself and make yourself visible when a 'friend' is with you.You seek happiness, de-personalize and experience bliss in a friend’s presence. A friend is a mirror and you reflect every single bit of yourself in it! How can a mirror complain of the dancing things seen in it? This bondage crosses beyond caste, creed, gender, age, language and blah blah blah. What’s important is that string of connectivity no matter what the “string” portrays to you! You are in a true friend’s company when you speak just nothing but you have conveyed everything. Just being in their company can give solace and abundant joy. Such is the power. I personally believe that to foster and nurture any relationship, one has to be a “Friend” with the other person, be it between a parent and a child, a husband and a wife, a grandparent and a grandchild or between siblings.


On this day of “International friendship day” (which falls on the first Sunday of August every year), it’s time to recognize your friends and their contribution to your life. Friendship helps to bring peace and positivity to the globe - a great reason to celebrate! Without much ado, call all those old friends you haven't spoken to in ages…Tell them how much they mean to you. Remember the Girl Scout motto: "Make new friends and keep the old, one is silver and the other gold"!

And I seek this opportunity to profess that

You, Dear FRIEND,
have made a huge impact and difference in my life.
You are valued.
I am what I am because of you.
Thanks for being there!

Keep in touch!
Cheers!!

Sometimes in life ~

A friend who supposedly is a Mr./Ms. Clean drops in and your room is in a complete mess (My room is always in a complete mess [wink]). You don’t need to feel embarrassed about it. Those who matter don’t mind and those who mind don’t matter… [GRIN] Let the other person know that you have more to do in life than just keeping your room spotless all the time. Sometimes the things scattered around can spurt the creativity in you to do the unusual which otherwise is impossible!

Laugh out loud. Spurt! Clap your hands. Crack a stupid joke. Act immature and childish. It’s just perfect to feel like a kid. It’s only a feel good factor.

“Blame it on ghlerin, gastrin, orexin, obestatin, TSH, relaxin, cortisol, testosterone, adrenalin or just wat eva”!! It’s only but natural to blame it on the hormones. You sometimes are just NOT responsible for the actions you put up!

Just because somebody doesn’t think as you do, doesn’t mean he or she doesn’t deserve to be your friend. What’s the fun if you find roomful of your clones? You wouldn’t like it if you find every other mouth speaking the same lines, isn’t it? All of us are meant to be different. That’s how we are designed by God. It’s nice to have a debate (as long as it’s healthy and it doesn’t lead to any bitterness). Step in the other person’s shoes. Who knows what you discover?

You go for an interview and realize your nails are undone! Hellooo dude(tte), sometimes there’s just not time for it all. Isn’t it? And after all its me who will be working for you… not my nails!

It’s okay to pronounce words wrongly or speak a bad tongue. After all you learn when you make mistakes. Trying is what sets you apart. Nobody is born genius, after all!

Don’t be too bothered about how you arrange and use the cutlery displayed on the table in a restaurant. I accept possessing such finesse is appreciated but sometimes your fingers could give a very satiable feeling! Try it. Just use your hand and lick your fingers at the end. I bet, the taste shall linger for days [Wink]

Let’s say, you have a friend over a cup of coffee or you have been friends with someone for a long time now and you decide to set out for lunch. In the course, if you by chance spill coffee or 2 grains of rice on the table, mind it, it’s just ok. You don’t need to feel sorry about it. It’s ok. Some actions are involuntary.


Eat just wat eva is on the kitchen slab or straight from the fridge even if your microwave is working. Sometimes, you just feel that hungry. It’s perfectly human.

Ask for doggie bags in a restaurant if you have ordered too much. Hunger pangs cannot be measured!

Go out for a party or elsewhere with an unwashed hair. You never really got time…. So what? Just tie it up casually and you are done. Don’t look concerned. [Teethed smile]

Its fine to trip when you are wearing your pointed heels. Don’t feel embarrassed and look around. Everyone does trip at some point or the other in their lives.


It’s nice to pamper and splurge on yourself. Do not ruminate your thoughts on this, post a relaxing indulgence.

Well…. The list could go on……………………..

If you have nodded your head for anything listed above, then you exactly know what I mean. Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to get out of the “self-sabotage” image. You don’t need to be adept at it. We are not contesting in a Miss/Mr./Mrs. Congeniality!! Having said that, don’t make things very obvious. It’s time now to stop playing the self-blame game. Just learn the trick to handle those squirm-inducing situations…. Remember that mistakes only occur, not recur! [Wink] Anyways, don’t take life very seriously. Take yourself light so that the journey is smooth. Let not such petty things bother you much. It’s good to forgive yourself and others. Practice saying “Sorry” and “thank you” all the time. It doesn’t take much. For the big things you always do that, but it’s the small things that really matter in the long run. Don’t you think?

'Drink' and 'Drive'

I was travelling in an auto on the way back home, engrossed in the traffic and the traffic of thoughts!! A spanking white Skoda Octavia zoomed by. And I just couldn’t seem to take my eyes off the car. Well well well… hold! It’s not the car that caught my eyes but the billboard behind the car… It read –

Surely Drink and Drive!
Drink COFFEE and Drive!!

I being an aficianado of this bitter brew had to love this 'instantly'. I could almost smell coffee![Tongue out]. The billboard surely added a zing to the car!

I plan to hoard the same post behind my car. Oh well, that when I buy one though! [Wink]

The pied-piper

It was 2 past 10 in the afternoon and the weather was kind of sultry. A divine enchanting melody which was heard from a furlong distance fell on my ears and pulled me to the room window. As I stood by, I could distinctly make out the captivating tune which was plain but emotive. The microtonal inflections, ornamentation and glissando this bansuriwala achieved by varying his breath and the way he beautifully changed his embouchures which made the higher and lower octaves was mind-blowing. I could identify that he played “jinke mari na” which was followed by “ninna nodalentho” (tracks from the latest kannada movies). And I now could see the melody maker who came down playing his tunes on the woodwind pipe! So very soothing and sublime! Fascinated, I stood and wished he kept playing all day long. It was truly enthralling. I was transcended to yet another world. An oasis of calm was instilled in my mind!

For this wonder flautist, who renders some incredibly alluring tunes, road is the stage and people on the road (and some like me who listen to him standing behind the blinds) are his audience (devoid of the appreciation though). He plays songs, one after another. A few kids on the street watch him keenly. Some dance. Some sort of a “bitti entertainment”!! But the irony behind is that this self-taught artist (who stays blessed by the God of flute, Lord Krishnaa) is here to showcase not his talent but the bamboo reed columns which are beautifully arranged in a quiver like container worn on his back which he intends to sell for a mere 10 bucks to feed his family, who eagerly wait for his arrival in the evening. ‘Ellaaru maaduvudhu hottegaagi genu battegaagi’! Heartrending and tear-jerking!

I was pulled back in the moment as I realized that the piece of music had now started fading in the air while I was engrossed in deeper thoughts. He had travelled to another street in search of a buyer!! As the thoughts crept, I was reminded of the last few lines of William Wordsworth’s poem “A solitary reaper”

Whate'er the theme,
the Maiden sang
As if her song could have no ending;
I saw her singing at her work
And o'er the sickle bending;--
I listened, motionless and still;
And, as I mounted up the hill
The music in my heart I bore,
Long after it was heard no more.


This few minutes of song kept lingering in my mind through the day. Shall cherish this in the time to come. And I shall recollect “Once came a pied piper on my street neither to chase the rats away nor to abduct the children but to rob the hearts”.

Boulevard of Broken Dreams

Have been listening to this song for over a year now. It seriously is so good tat I can neva get enough of this song. "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" is the Grammy Award winning track from Green Day's studio album, American Idiot. I love to listen to this song HIGH volume, every time! One of my fav Green Day’s song.

You truly gotta read between the lines to understand the vital signs and get the essence of this song! Not everyone is fortunate in their journey called life to walk on the “boulevard of broken dreams”. You get to do this only when you hitch-hike. In fact, it is the Road less travelled that am speaking about. And I must say I am much destined to have had an opportunity to go thru such a road. Trust me, It’s fun! And remember, its “you and only you” who has to travel this road and none (mind you none!) shall accompany you, no matter how exciting the journey is!! And hence this song stands closest to my heart. Now, Go ahead and enjoy this song… Awesome lyrics and an awesome rendition.

Link to the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxfpMGLMZ7Y

I walk a lonely road
The only one that I have ever known
Don't know where it goes
But it's home to me and I walk alone

I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleepsand
I'm the only one and I walk alone

I walk aloneI
walk alone
I walk alone
I walk a...

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone

Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Aaah-ah,
Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah

I'm walking down the line
That divides me somewhere in my mind
On the border line
Of the edge and where I walk alone

Read between the lines
What's fucked up and everything's alright
Check my vital signsT
o know I'm still alive and I walk alone

I walk alone
I walk alone

I walk alone
I walk a...

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone

Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Aaah-ah
Ah-ah, Ah-ah

I walk alone
I walk a...

I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps
And I'm the only one and I walk a...

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone...

Jus get started!

As everyone in the world of blogging, I too had my share of apprehensions about creating my blogsite. My dearest friend kept pushing me (thanks to her! It may well be the reason why you are reading this). I din know how to start, where to start and when to start. As usual, swalpa starting problem!! [wink] But I had to do it. I cleared my table. Sharpened my pencil. Started jotting (a rough work before I could put it on!). Now because it was the first one I had to sneak up on my thought, the flow and look at it from several angles.

Not knowing when or how to begin is a problem we’re all quite familiar with. Be it any just anything that you aspire to do, taking the first step is the most difficult aspect of any creative task. Somewhat sardonically, it has to be admitted! It’s a declaration of intent and getting started can feel like the end of a period of free and endless thinking. Giving shape and form to ideas and thoughts can feel like you are selling them short or limiting them in some way that feels uncomfortable. You have your own fears of being accepted by the audience of interest. You dont really know how well people could receive you. The fear of rejection is all that a man cannot take and hence the “starting problem”, “oh! What-if” or “Oh! What-if-not” kinds.

Now as I say this, I get a lil nostalgic. I still remember the day I submitted my first painting. The jitters I had when I enacted my first role as a child artist. The trembling voice with which I sang the first song. My faltering footsteps of the first dance to the tune of “merry-go-round-the-mulberry-bush”. I remember the first few lines of the poem I scribbled. Or as with most of us, it could be the first job interview we have all given, the boy/girl that we have or have wanted to propose [wink].Everything that you wanna do and have done has to have or has had its “first”. You jus gotta make the move. I do agree that it needs a vital mental and emotional preparation. Some times you tackle the most difficult and challenging problem first. Usually this is coz you have already sussed out how to solve it, or you’re so bursting with energy and excitement that you need something major to attack and venture on! Your instincts and creative intelligence shall definitely help at some point.

My dear friend, as you read this, I only have to say that, “If you have an urge to do that ‘something’ in the corner of your heart, push for it”. You must have your adrenaline rushing. Each one of us has a list of “1000 things to do before we die”. But only a few succeed in doing them all for they either do not know where to begin or too bothered about what-will-others-think-about-me. Seems like tats a syndrome! Sometimes you gotta be a dare devil. Have the I-Don’t-care-what-the-world-thinks-about-me attitude. After all you cannot impress everyone on this earth. N mind you, you gotta live your life. Have no apologies for the vanities. ‘Just-Do-It’. For its only one life you have to realize your dreams. We can’t leave our lives in the ‘Fill-in-the-blanks’ state. There are often some things left undone, some words left unsaid, some feelings left unexpressed, some dreams left unrealized about which we crib and feel sorry about and end up thinking at the later part of your life, “if-only-I-said-it”, “if-only-I-did-it”. Why have regrets? Wake up and do it. Ask questions. Apart from asking ‘why’, ask ‘why-not’. Start anywhere. But start now. Right here. Right now. No excuses. No prevarication.

Unleash…”U”! Get set and Go! Rock on! All the best!! [Thumbs up]