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!