Oops!!

These are pictures I took in Delhi and London. The Delhi picture is funny because of the meaning it conveys and the London picture was taken at a restaurant in the birthplace of English, so judge for yourself.

The Ironies of liFe

When you are feeling low
Have you experienced,
A washing- over of the anxiety
by waves of sudden relief?
Joy sweeping you over
Inexplicable, the source untraceable…

When you've lost a loved one
Have you experienced,
A sudden susceptibility to laughter
to anything remotely funny?
Tumults of joyous giggles
Incongruous, unexpected, transcending…

When you finish a arduous task
Have you experienced,
A lack of an exalted reaction
contrary to an expectation of relief and joy?
A feeling of suddenly having nothing to do
Anti-climactic, surprising oneself…

When you've coveted something for long and get it
Have you experienced,
A feeling of indifference,
where ownership means nothing?
Your mind already eyeing the next fancy
Ambitious? Decadent? Materialistic?...

This is the beauty of the human psyche
And it is also it's irony
It plunges you into the depths of despair,
elevates you to the zenith of happiness
It keeps you happy with the least and
sometimes makes you keep wanting more

But…. The element of surprise, will never lose it's charm for me.

The Week that was

The title suggests summarizing a week. Well that is not exactly what this post is all about. I can hear myself say 'why, then, such a stupid title?' The simple answer is , I dunno..i just felt like it. Actually, the past month has been spent in a similar mode by me. Doing stuff on impulse, things which I'd never thought I'd do. Like now I believe completely that I can run 10 miles without breaking a sweat. We did 6 the other day, and it felt like nothing, hence the conviction. I turned 25 last week. A milestone in terms of survival. Not that it was difficult, but still, we all love numbers, especially when they mark a anniversary. So I was thinking to myself, that in the past 2 months, my life has become extremely disorganized. I sleep late, wake up late, skip breakfast, guzzle coffee, spend more time on crosswords and music than on research, procrastinate (which according to experts is healthy, btw) and don't wash dishes till I see fruit flies hovering around the sink. Sometimes, living alone is a bitch. I wish I had a roommate who'd do the dishes. But then living alone rocks!. Actually, I've been travelling a lot this semester and that is the excuse I give my advisor for not getting enough data. Also, I think I need a break. Since defending my masters, I've not really had a break and life's been busy in general.

But after the birthday and diwali bash I had in Atlanta, I went to Buffalo to watch and listen to Zakir Hussain and Rahul Sharma perform. It was sheer brilliance. I run out of adjectives to describe the concert. First of all, it was improv. Secondly, although ZH is a bigger star, RS was equal to the task and held center stage. The music was brilliant but the way the two guys coordinated and gestured at each other with a complete understanding of each others music, was what made the concert so good. It was money and time (and hence more money) well spent. Talking of music, I can't wait for Nov 26 to come fast enough. A R Rahman's Jodha-akbar releases that day.

But this birthday I was reflecting on my life. I was overwhelmed by the number of people who remembered it and wished me. I felt blessed. Tell me, who does not like attention? Life has been good to me always. I do have regrets about decisions I made, but then retrospect is always a perfect science. I also had a feeling that I am 25 with not much to show for until I spoke to a friend and she convinced me that I was wrong. I wish I could learn the art of putting things into perspective. I guess that truly will make the world a happier place to live in. My b-day resolution was to be more organized, which has only manifested in me taking tons of responsibility ( like volunteering to teach and organize classes) and waking up 30 minutes before class. So far, not so good.

As is evident, this blog is all over the place, much like the restlessness I've been experiencing. Too much energy, but very little focus. It is amazing how fast you can crack the sudoku puzzle or decipher a crossword but become equally slow when it comes to setting up an experiment. Really, I can't wait to go home. There is so much to look forward to there and here, once I return. I hurt a muscle in my neck, while pushing something heavy. That sucks 'cos I don't sleep well and can't run easily, adding to the lethargy. This post is the ' I don't have anything to write about but I still will' post. I don't even have a good finish line. But hopefully, it was a good summary of the week that was (nt). BTW, winter's here and it feels great. I Like snow way better than the rain. Now is that why I am frozen?

What's in a name?

With a name like Thai-land and a capital city named Bang-Kok, it is no wonder prostitution there is rampant.

Boo Yeah!!

I heard this on a stand-up comedy show. The guy was an Indian, entertaining a crowd in the UK.

" I come from the land of the Kama Sutra...I can fuck you in more ways than you can think of!"

This is lame

Yay!! India are world champions!! (for those who don't know, India beat Pakistan in 20-20 cricket world championships). But apart from the glorious display of sangfroid under pressure, fearlessness and camaraderie, what was amazing was the team spirit displayed by India. Towards the end, the difference between the teams was quite apparent. India won because team spirit was abundant. Pakistan's captain on the other hand, made the event quite a religious one. He thanked all the muslims in the world for their support and even apologized to them for losing. I think they are more shame-faced than him because who supports a sport based on religion??. I definitely have quite a few muslim friends who love and support India and Indian cricket. I think that was pretty stupid on the captain's part. Ultimately, the diverse Indian team, and more importantly, the game of cricket emerged winners.
Anyway, I guess nothing can beat the fact that the Pakistani team must've been in complete disarray when the presentation ceremony announcer called the team in alphabetical order, because judging by the slurry speech of the captain and that of Afridi thanking all the Indian nations present at the ground, I think it must've been a tall ask for them to organize alphabetically.

For someone who lives on forever

August 16, 1949. He was born into a poor middle class family in Uttar Pradesh, India. It was Janmashtmi ( the birthday of lord Krishna), the day he was born. He was the second of six children. Quite prodigious in academics, he started school directly from the fourth grade and by the age of 17, moved out of home to study at BARC, Bombay. He graduated at the age of 20, got a job at ECIL, Hyderabad and by the age of 25, he had two children. Tragedy stuck in the form of chicken pox at the tender age of 18, and with nobody to care for him, it was to take a serious toll on his future. He contracted juvenile diabetes by 25, and had to take insulin twice a day for the rest of his life.

By 35 he had three children, a great job, and a house of his own. Fighting chronic diabetes is not easy and inspite of that, he kept his pain to himself, and achieved a lot. He was avant-garde in his sense of fashion and art. A talented singer, musician and artist, he also had a repertoire of urdu and hindi couplets for every situation. For someone who was educated in Hindi until his undergraduate days, his English was exemplary. He read a lot, and travelled around half the world.

He led by example, and provided his family with everything they needed. Sacrificing at the cost of expense of ones own desires is one thing, but to do it without ever mentioning it and expect any reward is a totally different thing. He never forced his ideas on his children, and taught them the value of choice. Never misusing his position of authority, he never used force or took advantage of his superiority as an elder to drive home his point. It was always his highly developed emotional maturity that did it. He always allowed you to freely express yourself without fear and encouraged you to make your own decisions. He strongly believed that one is successful only when he falls down and makes the effort to stand up once again. His life was testimony to this fact and he ensured that his children and others who he mentored at various stages of his life were always abiding by this famous quote of his:

Whatever you do, do with your might, things done by halves are never done right.

He used anecdotal sayings/limericks/poetry to pass on the right values to his children be it:

'Man is a fool, when it is hot he wants it cool, when it is cool, he wants it hot, always wanting what is not '

'Never expect anything, you'll never be disappointed '

'Insaan ki khwaishon ki, koi kami nahi, do gaz zameen bhi chaiye, do gaz kafan ke baad'

'My pain is mine - I will not let it impact your decision'

His profound spirituality and ability to connect to every individual set him apart as the most dynamic person I have ever known. Be it as a son, brother, father, husband, grandfather, uncle, friend or just a mere acquaintance, he touched the lives of people in his own, unique way. The hundreds of people who attended his funeral and cried for him, and still cry for him, are testament to that. People like this are rare, and I suppose they die young because God needs some good company too.

This is the story of someone I admire and would like to emulate.

man-date

Movie about Italian- Indian gay lovers?

Salam(i)-ishq

Lessons

I recently met four individuals as part of a training program. The program dealt with spinal cord injuries and part of the curriculum was to meet individuals who have suffered the injury. All these people were paralyzed from the waist down, with some ability to use their hands . It was a phenomenal experience. And this is why.

The common trait amongst all of them was that they had a very sharp sense of humor. Out of them, 3 were people who went on to get a Ph.D. The others have made themselves productive by either being motivational speakers or working at a hospice and helping other patients deal with spinal cord injury.

I was wondering what motivates these people. It is so easy to fall into depression when you suffer a permanent injury at a young age. Yet, these people have made it to the top of their professions and continue to be a source of productive work and immense inspiration to others around them.

Is it denial? Denial of the fact that they cannot ever walk and do the things someone who isn't physically challenged can do without even thinking about it? It could be. But I think denial manifests itself into a never-give-up attitude. The participants did say that being vain was a trait in their personality. The vainness propels them to fight and not accept mediocrity.

I gathered that it was the realization that one can never take anything for granted. Most of these people have achieved what they have because they have realized the importance of simple things like limb function, bladder control etc. , things we take for granted. Loss is a great teacher.

But the biggest factor I thought was that these people want to do good. They want to rise above themselves for the greater good of human kind. They have a seething desire to reduce other's suffering. Their life stories are truly motivational. These people are inspiration personified.

I take so much for granted. I complain a lot. This meeting put things into perspective for me. The only barriers are in the mind. The faster we get rid of these phantoms, the easier it will be to move forward. We have plenty to be thankful for. Importantly though, I learnt that achievement is not an end in itself. It is the motivation behind the achievement that counts.

Life

I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.
And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.
You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.

- Dr.Seuss

The way I see it too

war dance?

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The write thoughts

A Calvin and Hobbes classic

'Why isn't my life like a situation comedy? Why don't I have a bunch of friends with nothing better to do but drop by and instigate wacky adventures? Why aren't my conversations peppered with spontaneous witticisms? Why don't my friends demonstrate heartfelt concern for my well being when I have problems? ...I gotta get my life some writers.'

A tip of the slu (A) ng??

Quoting my friend:

" Hey have you seen that cartoon, my nephew watches it....Spongy boob and squared pants?"

confused

Con-juiced?

What do you do when a loved one is in agonizing pain and you can't be there with them? You can empathize, do everything that is possible and reach out. You can feel their pain . But still, the misery of your helplessness hurts. The best you can do is to pray for them. There is immense power in prayer. Most times, faith pays off.

go g(r)eek

OpiNION

A irrational bulb!

Denial

There is so much to learn in life. Everyday is a new experience. Some questions will badger you forever, there will be epiphanies and there will be late realizations. Nevertheless , one keeps learning. Introversion is both good and bad. What irritates me most is when I see my own traits in others. Quite ironical. Why is it that we are such hypocrites then?. Why is it that what we do is acceptable, but when others point it out or defer our actions or even act the same, it isn't? I think I know the answer….it has got to do with denial. But unfortunately, we are in denial of denial. Most times, self preservation blinds us.

Children of heaven

Today's kids are being raised in a world which is replete with information. The peer pressure is immense, there is a information overload and the world is not a safe place anymore.

I (we) grew up in environs which were radically different. The streets and playgrounds were safe, TV was only for Sunday mornings , cricket, hide-n-seek and marbles the order of the summer holidays and video games were non-existent. We had so much physical exercise just by enjoying ourselves.

But today's kids are under tremendous pressure to perform. When I grew up, there was more parental pressure than peer-pressure; competition was more intellectual than materialistic. Today, every kid is smart. They have to be and parents make sure their kid doesn't lose the rat -race so as not to lose face.

It is hard for kids to stay grounded now. They are innocent, but not childlike anymore. TV, a hectic lifestyle and a suddenly-burgeoning economy are to blame.

I hope that we realize that the most deadly of all possible sins is the mutilation of a child's spirit.

The men in Blue

A blue day for Indian cricket. India loses to the minnows in world test-cricket playing nations. A lot of furor over India's losses. India is knocked out of the World Cup. So what's the Big deal? I am glad that India lost. Not because I am not a Indian fan, but precisely because I am one.

The Indian team plays a ridiculous amount of cricket every year and I am scared for the health of the players. At least, with this loss, the team gets a month off from cricket and can possibly regroup. I feel sorry for the players. They are not entirely to be blamed for the loss. If there is anyone who is to be blamed , it is the BCCI. These guys, for obvious monetary gain, schedule an impossible number of matches every year, leading to player burnout. It is foolhardy for us to expect them to win every match they play. As a stark contrast, Australia, the world champions, play a few matches every year and still, the team was complaining about too much cricket being played.

The Indian team is under too much pressure to perform. I think the joy of playing a game is lost when there is a billion hopes resting on victory . The fans are to blame partially. I guess, we are a bipolar nation, vacillating between adulating and denigrating our apotheosized Cricket Gods relentlessly. Why can't we be forgiving of our heroes and realize that cricket is only a game and that the players are only Human?

I guess the time has come for the BCCI to realize that India's domestic cricket needs strengthening . They need to cut down, drastically, the amount of cricket India plays and invest the world's-biggest-team-brand's money in domestic cricket's infrastructure.

We as a cricket crazy nation need to realize that the more forgiving we are and the more realistic our expectations are, the better it is for both sides.

Quite antithetically, All play and no work makes Jack a dull boy.