A Growing Boy

Untitled #2

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 18:25:00 +0000

I'm at a point in my life where I do not know what to do anymore. I am unsure of everything in my life, like its a house of cards : so fragile that a single breath at the wrong time, or in the wrong direction may collapse it. I have lived a happy life so far; still do as a matter of fact. But, as with anyone, I'm almost done with what I choose to call my childhood.

21 years of age I may be, but I have lived 21 years of childhood if you ask me. All my needs taken care of, all my paths laid out for me. I am yet to lead a life I can call my own, and I have no idea how to begin. I have grown no doubt, but have I grown right? Today, where I stand, to me it seems somewhere in that path, I missed a bus, or a train, or a friendly stranger. Something that I needed to make me sure of who I am today.

As the years go by, you grow used to some things in life. You take them for granted. Nobody can tell you you may be in trouble for doing that - they themselves may be a victim of this. It is after all human tendency to get "comfortable" with everything - we didn't survive so long without adapting. But when you see the monument you have made for yourself shake, shiver, sway and threaten to crumble, you get afraid.

You look around, hope that someone will grab your hand, put you to their bosom and tell you its a bad dream. You hope that a strong hand will lift you, dust you down and tell you it's okay. You will hope for a comforting voice to soothe your nerves. But all you will receive is silence. Deathly, lonesome, frightening silence. That is when you realize, you are no more a child.

Leaving childhood, in my opinion, is not as simple as passing an exam and going to the next class. It's an exam alright, but no exam ever can prepare you to become an adult. Beliefs will be broken, images shattered. It is absolute chaos. To make sense takes a disciplined mind - which alas I have failed to develop. It is never too late, of course. But the price you have to pay as you grow older is higher.

To the lucky few who have the sense to know this earlier, who have the maturity to grasp the essence of life at the right time, there is nothing to loose. In a short span of 5-6 years, the price you have to pay is no lesser than leaving your life as you know it, and stepping into another.

I sit here, afraid. I look at the looming future, unpredictable and unforgiving. I stare at the past, mistakes shining bright. I look at my present, undecided and awry. Where have I put myself? Where did I go wrong? DID I go wrong? Questions that only I can answer, but alas! I know not the answers to them.

I think of my parents and how proud I have made them. I look at my family and realize how well they think of me. I look at my beloved and see her looking back in loving expectation. I look at the mirror and see fear, doubt, indecision. I have dreams, but I have lost myself to something else. To what? I know not.

I know not the enemy that I fight. I know not who is my ally in this fight - or if at all I have one. I know not what weapon to use, nor the way to fight. I am void of sound, smell, light, taste and touch. I am in a place where my 5 senses are of no use. What then, do I use?

You live through the years, oblivious to the one fact that one should always beware of - change. One day, when your house of cards is shaking, you will stop and look at it. You will realize, it is not what you started out to build. You will see it, completely different from what you wanted it to be. You will have engrossed yourself so deep in the MAKING, that you will forget WHAT you were making.

What I am to do here on? Do I take apart this house, unfit to be called one, and start rebuilding it to be the house I wanted it to be? Or do I figure out how I can stop the swaying, so that I can still make a tall strong house of it?

Getting There

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 16:43:00 +0000

I'm sitting here in front of my laptop, and unlike in the last few posts, I'm a content man. Its been a long time since I've had this feeling in my gut. I'm happy. I smile like an idiot just because I want to. My headphones are playing - and after a long time - my favorite music. Amma is sitting there watching me and smiling away. Yes, everything is as it should be.

That, folks, is what everyone looks for in life. Happiness. That is my definition of happiness. My family, my life and everything that makes it alive. What is your definition? Have you thought about that? No? Have you tried to define it?

It is important to know what your happiness is. It is important to know where your happiness lies. When you have answered those questions, answer these: Why is it so important? When do you want it? How will you get it?

Those are the most basic questions in life. Your life will be about how you choose to answer those very questions at every juncture. Answer them. But answer them carefully. Ask them to yourself now. Do you have the answers? Were they waiting at the tip of your tongue? Did you make some answers up in a hurry? Did you give it a thought? Did you prioritize?

That should get you thinking. Not too long ago, I attended a professional talk by one Mrs.Silipeno(rhymes with jalepeno), who is an executive at a firm called SlumberJ. In the duration of the talk, she asked the auditorium to jot down as many words as they could in 1 minute. After the activity was done, she asked us to circle off all the things that were related to the future. The activity was to determine, at any point, how much of your energy is focused towards what you want. Mine was a meager 30%. Pitiful. My list was full of things that made me happy, that were always what I thought about. But, they weren't what I wanted in the future. They weren't even close enough to make me driven.

That taught me one thing. Not everything that makes you happy now will hold good for the future. Hence, it is very important to answer those questions. To chalk out what you want. To KNOW what you want. The list made from answering those questions with a thought, a serious, soul-searching, self-reflecting thought to life and what you want, will be the list that will drive you most in life. That list will keep you driven. That list will bring you unfathomable focus on what you are doing for that future you so want.

Think about it. I do not know whether it will make any real sense. It does to me.

Insomnia!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 19:49:00 +0000

Sooooo, its one in the night and I'm awake. What are you going to read in this post? Probably me ranting about some issue in my life. Mindless banter about a pitiful problem, that probably has a very simple solution. Do I care what you think? No. Then why am I doing this? Simply because I need to vent it out. I need a way to let my frustration out. I can't shout at the people I'm pissed at. I can't run as fast as I can in the opposite direction. I don't have a fix to this situation. So I can only let go.

I'm sure you've been in a place like this before. Where you are awake through the night and you don't know what to do about it. I have been. And many times, I wonder, will I end up like the dude from Fight Club? Will I go schizophrenic? Do I have an uber-handsome alter ego somewhere inside me? I wish.

I'm sure if I go schizophrenic, my alter ego will be an even fatter, uglier and sleazier version of me. You wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

The point is, something is bothering me. I want to do something about it. But I can't. There's only so much you can bear. Most of the time, you just face a disappointment, and you let go. You're back to normal in minutes, or to stretch it maybe a couple of days. But, what do you do when it comes back to haunt you every time you think about something even remotely linked? What do you do when the reason you are miserable lives in the next room, cooks your food and loves you more than anyone else in the world? No, this isn't one of those cheating husband/live-in guy/boyfriend things.

What do you do? Run? Talk it out? Settle for a compromise? Let drag you till you can't fight it anymore? Live with it? What?

Solution? Disturb the other person who loves you more than anyone else in the world? Maintain a stony silence and sulk in your room all day long? Scream till you loose your voice? Murder someone just for the heck of it? How do you let loose a frustration that's insatiable?

Precarious position isn't it?

Why does stuff have to get so complex? I'm a guy who loves to laugh. I believe in spreading love. Ego is something I have learn't to use carefully. Offended - I don't get very easily. Angry - Not a big fan. Compromise - I'm as diplomatic as that MLA from your ward.

I do not have answers. But I want closure. I want to be able to look at the person that's pissed me off and say, you pissed me off. I'm angry. I want to punish you. I don't want to feel like running as fast as I can in the other direction when I look at the person.

I feel like my soft heart gets me into such situations. The other person always knows that they can pull their pants down, shit on the floor in front of me, and throw that shit in my face and I still wont do anything just because I'm soft. So should I chuck that kind-soft-mushy-me and become a cold hearted bastard who everyone is scared to play with? Is that my closure?

I notice, like a sore thumb, that its always the Bad Boys who get what they want. Those guys who sit in the back of the class and throw taunts at the lecturers. Those guys with "attitude". Those guys who always have a backlog. Those guys who get year-back after year-back. Should I become that?

I feel cheated and let down. To be so close and yet not touch it. It is maddening. And to have nothing to do about it - even more so. Will I get sleep after I publish this? Sure doesn't feel like it! Oh, well. Something more for my blog, at the very least.

Those Little Things.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 16:34:00 +0000

Its been a while. Even though I don't keep things pending, my previous blog-series is incomplete, and I'm going to leave it that way! Just because I'm too lazy to finish it!

But, I'm back now, and mighty long it took me to dredge up these writing skills of mine! Before I jump in, I want to take this opportunity to remember that one reader who inspired me to write once more! I have to apologize, for this post is long overdue!

Have you guys ever thought about those little things in life that mean so much? There are times when they can change your life, times when they make you cry, times when they make you laugh, times when they put you into a spiral of depression, but most of all, they can give you hope or take it away.

It is astonishing how we fail to recognize their importance in life. I am myself an example of it. So are you. So is everyone else who has walked this earth.

It might be that little nagging in your head when you lie, that hesitation you feel when you have to ask for something, or the fear you feel when you have to make a stand. It could be something you wanted your bestie to say to you, something you wanted your homie to do for you. Something you expected from your parents.

When things like those don't go the way you want them to, they crush your world. Its those little things.

We often don't pay attention to them. The world's too loud for all that now.

But when something goes well, when someone comes through, the feeling of exhilaration, the joy, the happiness, short though it is, it rejuvenates life. Like a spring of hope and happiness just came alive inside you. The warmth it spreads lasts long. Such are the things that make memories.

I write this not only from the receiving end. Important as it is that such little things happen to oneself, it'll do good to remember that others are well deserving of such little things.

"Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full--pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back." - Luke (6:38), The Holy Bible.

Nothing comes without giving. When one remembers that, everything will be in acceptance. There will be no abeyance in what you shall receive. Think about it. There might be something that's nagging you right now. Act, do not ignore. Everyone dies, but only a few live. Try to be one of those few. Dance, and life will dance with you!

Hey There Pondy! - Part 10

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 13 May 2012 05:13:00 +0000

With that moment of perfection fading away, it was like I was just waking up from a dream. I felt alive. I felt fresh. But we still had a while to spend before the sun rose. A guy came along with a little tanker filled with hot coffee. We all bought the coffee at 10 bucks a cup. The plastic cup was pitifully small. Nowhere near enough to get me going. But the coffee was tasty and I have to admit, I enjoyed it!

As we waited for the sun to show up over the horizon, we took to watching the growing stream of joggers jog down the boulevard. What a SIGHT it was! In the hundreds of people jogging down the track, one beautifully endowed lady, thought it right to "reward" our nightlong wait with a very perverted game of "melon"ball(if you know what I mean)!

Just as we finished with the little cups of coffee, we realized that it was 6 25. In a few minutes the sun would be out. We were all looking forward to this. We were waiting for the Kodak moment when the sun would just peep over the horizon and illuminate the metallic waters of the Arabian. Sadly, we never got to see it.

It was 6 30 and no sign of any peeping from the sun. We had all noticed it, but we had not wanted to say it. The horizon was grudgingly guarded by a wall of clouds. So no sunrise for us. Were we heart broken? Naaaah! We just walked into Le Cafe, and blew a couple of 100 bucks on coffee and brownies. It was worth every penny. The brownies were oven fresh. The coffee had the aroma that would wake the gods up.

We did miss the sunrise, but by God! It was a perfect morning. Hot beautiful coffee, warm chocolaty brownies, a very beautiful morning sea and right people to mess around with. It is something I will remember for a long long time.

After the sun rose a little more, the pleasant morning weather started becoming rude and unsightly. We were beginning to sweat and the fact that we had been up all night sweating like pigs didn't help at all. I was sticky and uncomfortable. And some of us had to "go" to the toilet. We hadn't had breakfast either. So we got going.

It was our last day in Pondy. We had paid for three days' stay at the hotel and had to check out by noon. We got back began packing and doing the toilet stuff. The ones that had finished with bath and toilet stuff decided to go find breakfast. It was 10 in the morning and we thought we would find decent breakfast. In ten minutes, Pondy told us to go F*** ourselves. Not a single shop was open. If it was nothing was cooked.

So we got back to the hotel, empty handed. We ordered the food from the hotel kitchens itself. We were all ready and packed. Once we finished with breakfast, which I admit was filling, cheap and tasty we got our luggage and reached the reception. The payment was made. Now, we had a deal with the guys at the reception. On the first day itself we had asked them if we could leave our bags in the reception for the last day was we did not want to lug it around. They had agreed. The guy at the reception totally bailed on us on the deal. We decided to hire a room too at the place. The nerve the B****** must have had to try and rent us the room at twice the price we had hired for the last three days.

Then I had the idea of dropping off our luggage at Sid's chitappa's place. Thank god. Saved us all a 100 bucks apiece. The day was just beginning, and the long ride to chitappa's place felt awesome. It actually got us asking around and trying to know the place better. When we finally reached the place, we were greeted by an old lady. We put our luggage into a room, probably their kids' room, and left.

As to what we would do for the day, we had not planned. There were some places left out, a couple of temples, an ashram, a few churches, and not to forget, the water sports hub, the Chunambar. But before everything, we wanted to go to Nehru "Salai", Pondy's own avenue road*bangaloreans will know*. It took us quite a while to reach Nehru Salai and even longer to find parking for the vehicles.

Once we found parking we began hunting for this place suggested by Akshay's sister, for lunch. I can't quite recall the name of the restaurant though. Once we did get there we were terribly let down. The actual place, which was supposed to be a french cuisine, was already closed. It would only open in the evening again. Splendid. So we left the place and started to hunt for a place to have lunch. After what seemed like an eternity, we reached Adyar Anand Bhavan. We had all the local favourites(chilli parata) to fill our stomachs. Once we did that we decided to head to The Chunambar.

This place is located a few kilometers, maybe about 10km away from Pondy on the Cuddalore main road. It looks very welcoming and feels like a place out of the movies. When you get into the resort, you reach a backwater area, with a motor boat waiting to ferry you down to paradise beach. With a very nominal fee*100 bucks per visit*, we got onto the ferry. The backwaters look beautiful. Calm and serene with clear blue sky at the horizon.

When we docked at the little wooden dock of the paradise beach, we did not know what we were gonna be looking at. About 20 people including the 7 of us were on the ferry. They have a system where the ferry gets a set of customers and the same one takes the last set back. After initial photography, we wandered onto the beach. It was deserted. It was beautiful. White sand, blue sea. Rough waves. Only the 20 people on the beach.

Hey there Pondy! - Part 9

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 05:22:00 +0000

It was already 11 30 in the night, a few minutes from midnight. The boulevard of the Promenade was deserted. 7 noisy boys, a scared girl and a few local guys and the cop leaning on the lamp post were all that were left. The sea was rough and rising at an alarming rate. Yet, the few people on the boulevard refused to leave.

There is a little 24 hour cafe on the boulevard. The place was like one an author would describe in a book. It was just the right size. It overlooked the beautiful ocean. It was painted white. It had a little terrace where we could sit and watch the ocean. And by God! It had the best coffee I've tasted(This maybe because I paid 90 bucks for one mug!). So, all of us walked in on my insisting. The place smelled absolutely heavenly. I've never had a cuppa coffee at that time of the night. I must say, it feels real good.

For the 7 of us, time wasn't nearly enough. We would have loved to stay on the beach doing nothing but walk around in the cold breeze and keep looking at the waters of the Arabian ocean attempt to tear apart the rocks of the Promenade beach. Oh. Correction. For the 6 of us. Anirudh apparently was itching to take the FZ for a spin on the 2km long boulevard. Understandable.

The boulevard is a concrete road, 2km long. It is super clean. And that no soul populated the place made it even better. We were in no mood to refute the guy, so he got his way. The bike was out and roaring down the road in no time. It was like a game of tennis. We all were standing on the sidewalk and watching Anirudh whizz past us; From left to right and back again.

Unable to let Anirudh belt the bike alone, I brought out my own FZ and Sid, the Honda Shine. All three of us hit the road and had a blast on the bikes. Later, from what the guys said, the leaning cop was amused by the three of us repeatedly tearing up and down the road!

After a while, I stopped near the gang because my hands were getting numb. As we contemplated getting back to the room, a cop car stopped next to us, and they asked us to go home because it was late. Problem solved. We got back to the rooms.

Now, it was time for the great Bluff marathon. We had to spend the night awake because we did not want to miss the sunrise at any cost. Bluff was the game we chose to get us through the night. Since Krit's room had the AC, and the largest space of the three rooms, we chose it as the venue.

Thus began the marathon of Bluff games! Each one of us had a trick or two up our sleeves, and brought them out at the right times to make the game interesting. Ankit was the best player among the lot. He was like a master torturer with the cards, putting down one card at a time and calling most bluffs. There were spoil sports like Krit and Akshay, super competitors like Anirudh and me and of course, the quiet bystander waiting for the chance to strike like Sid.

As the night progressed, it became that the A/C in the room was definitely broken. The temperature shot up, what with all the 'Agarbatti' lighting up in the room every now and then. The fact that there were no windows in the room and that there were 7 of us in there did not help at all. The heat was getting to me. Badly.

Then Anirudh opened the door and walked out for some fresh air. He immediately asked us to step out and see the difference. When I stepped out, I knew we had been beating ourselves up in the heat for nothing. The corridor of the hotel was ice cold. It was a bad idea to remain locked up in the room.

By the time we realized this, it was about 5 in the morning. We decided to take a break from the game as it was getting monotonous and ill tempered due to the heat. We all went back to our respective rooms to get fresh and leave before the sun rises. By 5 30, we had left the hotel and reached the beach in 5 minutes.

The sea had subsided a considerable level. It was a lot calmer than it was in the night. A light breeze was blowing towards the beach. It was still dark out. The street lights gave an eerie feel to the boulevard. We waited for a while and then called up Jaishree, Krit's sister who is currently doing her Ph.D in the USA.

We found out that the sunrise did not happen till 6 30. We had a good 45 minute wait till the sun would be up in the sky. So we settled down in the rocks, staring at the lightening sky, and debating what each of the clouds looked like. Sushanth and Akshay were sleepy as shit. Sushanth was almost dozing on my shoulder. Ankit was plaing with the handicam.

In all this, there was a moment for me. One of those you want to paint. One of those you know that will happen only a few times in your life. It was a moment of perfection. I had all that I wanted. My life was devoid of all worries. There was a peace inside that lasted only for a fraction of a second. And then, it disappeared. Just like that.

Hey There Pondy! - Part 8

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 04:10:00 +0000

After satisfying the hunger within us, we got onto our bikes and returned to the hotel. The ride back to Pondy was not very eventful, except that we got separated on the way back. We met up a little while later, in a place unknown. But we managed to find our way back without much asking around! Felt like we had lived there for years!

What caught my attention the most about traveling in Pondy was that no matter where you went, or how you went, you always end up on Anna Salai( Anna Street). It was unnerving, for this was the very manifestation of the saying "All roads lead to Rome"!

Once we reached the hotel, we put our stuff away, took baths, got all cleaned up and left. It was our last night in Pondy, and we did not want it to go waste. It went without saying that there would be a small *farewell drinking*, but that wasn't enough to get us there. We wanted something to remember Pondy with. Something that would make the whole trip perfect. Give it the storybook ending.

So we decided that there would be no sleeping that night. The night would be ours to spend. And come morning, we would be waiting at the beach for the sun to rise. Thus began preparations for the morning.

Anna Salai had all that we could ever need for the night. The *farewell drinks* were bought. The cards to play bluff were ready. But the time was not right to return to the rooms. The night was young and Pondy's Promenade beach was calling to the gang that would be leaving her in a few hours. We heeded.

The gang of 7 reached the Promenade. Bikes were parked. The boulevard of the beach was shut off to all motor vehicles every evening. That made the experience even better. I don't know when we got onto the beach. I don't know how long we were there. All I know was that the beach was amazing to watch.

Sid had an uncle in Pondy, and had been invited for dinner that night. So he was picked up by his uncle("chitappa" as I would like to call him). We promised to wait at promenade till he got back. We walked around the boulevard, visited a few of the shop along the road, bought souvenirs for the guys who couldn't make it to the trip, watch the crowd thin out, found a comfortable spot on the rocky beach to sit and watch the beach play. It was a serene evening, nice and calm. All of us had the regret that it was the last day, yet, we were excited to get back home. It wasn't that any of us were homesick. But I have to admit, there's no place like home. No matter how much we may like a place, we belong back home.

Sid was returned to us in a couple of hours. By that time, the crowd on the beach had almost completely dispersed, save a few like ourselves, and a fair young girl with a little Pug. After spending time on the beach, just watching her, and talking about random things, we decided to take a walk. It was getting too cold, and none of us had brought a sweater along. But we weren't ready to leave yet. So we walked.

After some time, Ankit who'd been eyeing the girl with the pug, walked back to us and said, "Dooood... I wanna talk to that girl ra". How very much like him. Out of the blue he wants to talk to a girl we had never seen before. More importyantly, a girl who had never seen US before!

I said, "Okay. So go talk to her". But things can never be that simple. So Ankit said, "Goo ra. Just like that?". Well duh! Of course just like that! We would be leaving in a few hours. Probably never see the chick again! So I offered, "Okay, I'll come with you and talk to her. But you have to begin." How very like me. Ankit wants to step in dung, so I'll do it with him! Sushanth offered to come along too. Yeah. 3 unknown guys. 1 cute chick with a dog that probably can't... correction, won't bark. We were asking for it.

So we walk in the direction of the girl, and she was walking towards us. And like one of those comedies you see on TV, the whole thing flopped. We lamely walked past her. Ankit totally chickened out! But, Sushanth and me wanted to do something crazy. And we couldn't let the opportunity go. So we took an about turn, and walked back to the girl. When we caught up to her, I started the conversation with her and Sushanth with the Pug. From the word go I knew it was a bad idea. The girl must have thought we were drunk or that we were gonna kidnap her. I could see FEAR written on her face. But I just couldn't just stop. So I made pointless conversation, and finally let her go when I knew she would start screaming if I continued.

The three of us walked off in the other direction. But the others were standing a distance away and watching the whole thing. Turns out the girl ran for her life once we left! I really must look like one of the terrorists!

Hey There Pondy! - Part 7

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 18:20:00 +0000

The beach we hit was like none I've been to before. The sand was grainy. It got in our pant pockets. It weighed the pants down. Very irritating. But we did not notice any of this when in the water. It took me a while, but I realized that the beach was pretty dangerous. The undercurrents close to the shore were very powerful. The beach sank so deep all of a sudden, it was shocking. Yes, we had fun. But I've had better beach days. When I finally got out of the water, my skin was raw from the grainy sand.

But what was fun about the beach was what we did after we got out of the water. Krit suggested we cover him up in sand and make him a mermaid. Our mermaid... if you can even call it that, turned out to look very different from the cute ariel we know. Again, for reasons known and unknown, I can't tell you what it looked like though.

That was a lot of fun. A lot. That wasn't all. The beach had a lot of things we did not see everyday. Or at every beach. We saw a french lady in a bikini, one in a swimsuit, and a very very old man in HIS swimsuit. The first was chilling on the beach with the local dog. Literally. The second and the third went for a swim in the beach! All I could do was stare at the old man swimming. I've never gone that far down into the beach. Another thing to do before I die.

Anyway, we finally got tired of the beach and the heat. We were hungry, and by default we wanted to eat pizza. Why? Because on the way to the beach, we saw many restaurants that served pizza. Oh yeah! So we got out of the beach after dressing in the little rooms of the guests resort. The amount of sand we shed in those little rooms was astounding!

The moment we got onto the bikes, I knew I was hungry enough to gorge down a whole pizza. I have eaten pizzas. A lot of them. I love pizza. But never before had I eaten a firewood oven pizza. They are absolutely the best you'll ever have. In the hungry condition that we were, when we arrived at Georgio's pizza place, we were relieved.

We rushed in and ordered as soon as we could. 2 non-veg, 3 veg. 7 soft drinks. 2 soups. 1 pasta. Gone in 1 hour. The amazingly thin and crustless base of the pizzas were a treat to the mouth. My mouth waters just at the thought of those delicious pizzas. The toppings were ample. And very tasty. The soups were gourmet. Silky smooth and perfect to the last grain of salt. The pasta like none I've tasted before. The flavor of the herbs was eminent in the pasta. The creamy sauce of the pasta had just the right taste. The food melted in our mouth. I did make sound like a 10 thou meal. It cost us a mere 750. Yeah. Now you wanna go to Pondy too don't you?

Hey There Pondy! - Part 6

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 17:20:00 +0000

The next day wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. The effects of the previous night weren't all that bad. Except for the fact that we got a little less sleep due to the late night it wasn't all that bad. We were in Pondy and not going to Auroville was a crime in itself. One of my cousins, who is an architect herself told me so.

So our plan that day was to explore the roads of Pondy that lead us to Auroville. So we were up by 8 in the morning as we had to leave early to get there early. I think Akshay and myself were the last to wake up. We were the oldest Brahmacharis of the lot*excluding Krit coz he is a VERY bad excuse for one*. Talk of irony!

We all were ready in a while and decided to leave without breakfast, hoping to get some at Auroville or on the way there. We were in a hurry because Auroville wasn't exactly in Pondy. It is about an hour's drive from Pondy. It was sort of fun to get to Auroville.

We left the main city, and asked our way to the highway from fellow riders and pedestrians. Once we got onto the highway it was a really nice experience. As I have specified earlier on, the fact that we didn't have to wear helmets on the Pondy roads was sheer pleasure. The wind in your face, the hand on the throttle, and the wide 6 lanes all to yourself and your bike. WOW. I do not know about the others, but I was alone on my bike and I enjoyed it fully.

A little ahead was the toll gate. Another of the small pleasures: no toll for two wheelers. We passed the toll gates and moved a little ahead to a crossroads. To the right was the road to Auroville. It was a narrow single lane road. The traffic on this road was almost zero. The road was calm and quiet. And deserted.

Here I did my first true wheelie on a bike. The super fat rear tire of the FZ was perfect for it. I am no pro at it. So I am pretty sure that was it not for the rear tire, I was sure to have fallen! The bike is tailor made for beginners. Just the right power, and that huge rear tire. A boon. I have to thank Yamaha for it. Now I wish I owned that bike.

Back to getting to Auroville. The 7 of us headed to the architectural wonder. The place is surprisingly well organised. The parking lot begins as soon as you enter. It has a nominal rate of 5 bucks per vehicle. No motor vehicles are allowed inside Auroville. The walk to the main gate is nice. We are surrounded by a green forest, with a path worn through by lots of visitors. Once you get to the gate, you are exposed to a torrent of people, both devotees and visitors. If it wasn't for the heat, it would have been something else.

There is a big and very clearly illustrated map to guide you through the place. The best part is, the cafeteria is situated just next to the gates. To us hungry boys, that was like a gift of the decade. The excitement was soon extinguished by the prices and the fact that nothing was available. We were too late. Breakfast time was over. But we were all hungry enough to make the best of what was there. We munched on the puffs and sweets available in the counter and paid what seemed like a fortune for the junk we were having.

After eating just enough to keep our minds away from food, we moved ahead to have a look at the Matrimandir. We truly were cheated by the circumstances. After enduring a long walk in the hot sun, we found out that it was closed for visitors due to some maintenance work. Sad. But we enjoyed a view of many "other" beautiful things*boys will know*!

After cooling off, we left Auroville for the beach. This is what all of us were looking forward to. True we had already seen the sea. But we had yet to get wet. In about 45 min we got our wish. We arrived at the Auroville beach, after riding through little winding kachha roads. The entrance is unlike any I've seen before. On a beach where drinking, smoking and drugs are prohibited, we were shocked when we were confronted by a drunk man coming out of the section of the gate which said "for devotees and their guests only". What is the world coming to?

But we weren't there to worry about all that. We were there to have fun and get wet. So we let the insolent B@#$%!d get by and hurried to the beach .I must say it felt pretty rude that the way to the beach for visitors was so narrow and cluttered with a lot of waste. But who am I to ask!

We made our way to the beach. Its a small beach. The water in the distance is pure blue, like in the movies. But closer in, it is as dirty as any other beach I've seen. When you look at the beach, its rough in places and clam in places. Nonetheless, there were people all over who were enjoying themselves thoroughly in the water. Vendors were on the beach with ice cream and tender coconuts. We walked a little distance and found a spot to put our stuff down. We sat there for a while before walking into the water. And then we lost ourselves in the water.

Untitled

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 15:12:00 +0000

This here is a poem, not by me. Excuse the bad grammar, I'm "MINDING MY LANGUAGE". Getting back to the poem, which is not by me, it really has the feeling. I appreciate the maturity in the poem, and I think its beautiful. So I think you should all read it. Please do.

When I first met you,
I just stared into you,
your affectionate smile glowed with warmth
And cosy i became in your company

You had your own aura
One that was lovely and divine

But soon , as i was seeing you
Time just stopped still
Evrything came to a standstill
Silence was all that prevailed
But my soul wailed
It was searching for you
My heart became like a crumpled tissue

But then there u wer lik a statue
Your smile had become immortal
My mouth managed to slip out a few words
And my soul tells me they wer : I Love U

When d clock strtd ticking again
Your evry movement struck me
When u blinkd ur eyes
I became blind
When ur lip twitched
I felt like holding them still
When u brushed aside ur frills
My hands wanted to fondle ur hairs
And finally when u came near me
All i wanted to do was kiss u!

You are the best thing dat evr happened to me,
And dat evr will happen
You are d only thing dat crosses my mind .........evrytime!
Suddenly i feel that sleep is great
And i know ,My dear Angel
Whatevr i dream abt u
I knew
it would come true
As me n u
Will never be separated
Till love exists............
.......... Till you exist
I will always look into your charming eyes n tell
I LOVE YOU
Till my last breath
n dat's a promise !!!!

- Yogesh Suresh.

You can contact the author at https://www.facebook.com/yog.yogesh.

Hope you enjoyed it!

King Sunflower

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 14:07:00 +0000

Have you seen King Sunflower?
Beautiful, big and yellow?
With a belly of pollen,
A limb of stalk,
It stands tall and strong and sharp.

Look at him,
You'll feel like a subject,
Him like a majestic king.
You can look and look,
But you won't find one,
As cool and humble as him.

But did you know,
He hath a queen,
Bigger and more majestic than him?
She is mightier than all,
A God of worship,
Kind and generous to all.

She is a bringer of light,
A supporter of life,
But know that she can kill!

She hath many a subject,
Like this earth,
This sky,
And every planet you know of!

Her name is The Sun,
You know her well,
Just look at the sky if you don't!

She shines so bright,
You can't look in her eye,
Oh my! Her beauty is such!

But look at King Sunflower,
He spends his days,
Looking, Staring and Adoring!
His Queen he loves,
Oh so much!
He can't take his eyes,
Off her Shining, Beautiful body!

He follows her trail,
Through the sky,
As she does her job everyday.
Not a day does he miss her walk,
Be it the a of god or of devil!

To him his world,
Is only one,
And that is The Sun,
In her wake,
He lives his life,
Humble in Love and Lust.

Her look of Anger,
Is one he can't fight,
Her look of sadness,
Is one he can't bear,
Her look of happiness,
Is his life's dream.
His day begins,
As she rises from sleep,
And ends,
As she retires to sleep,
His love of her is such!

To all the lovers of this world,
Learn from the King,
His love is pure!
It is one you should have,
For your King or Queen,
If you don't,
Then let me tell you,
Stop wasting your time,
Don't betray the love,
Made so pure,
By his Highness,
my Sunflower King.

- Madhav Nayak

This is my first composition in ages. It is dedicated to a special someone first, then to all the people who have someone you care about. Hope you enjoyed it!

Hey There Pondy! - Part 5

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 13:26:00 +0000

Again, forgive me for the delay. I had my internal assessments going on the last week. And it is my deepest pleasure to inform you all that I royally screwed them all up. But through all of that, the memories of Pondy kept reminding me of the brighter side of life. So here's the next post!

We got onto the black rocks of the promenade beach, feeling a little bitter in the mouth at the let down... well, not entirely at the let down. The *welcome drinks* were doing their job per se. The sea is pretty rough at the shores of promenade. The rocks don't make it any easier to enjoy the beach. But, we were new and yet to discover how tho enjoy these rocks.

The rocks, and the warnings from parents and the internet were scary. So we were all apprehensive about approaching the angry sea. Drinks in hand we all sat for a while at the perimeter of the beach, talking in marvel that it had finally happened. The beach was a breath of fresh air after the intense heat of the main town. The breeze blowing in from the sea was really giving us relief and calming us down.

After a while of talking all of us fell silent, and I began feeling a little bored. So I decided to wander a little further into the rocks and do a little bit of wannabe mountaineering. Ankit, who I'm guessing was as excited about the beach as me, followed right behind me. The two of us slowly made our way closer to the beach till we were only a few feet away from the water. The sea really was a sight to behold. I've been calling it angry, but it was really calming. It was playful, spraying us with water once in a while, bringing on waves of different shapes and sizes, pushing forward and pulling back, making a thunderous rucus in front of us. It was, to me like a playful little child. I was amusing myself watching the sea play, and suddenly I realised most of the guys were down there with me and Ankit.

In a while we shifted our position down the beach and enjoyed the lazy quietness, something all of us had missed in a long time. It was peace for me. Having nothing to do, nothing to worry about, nowhere to be at, no deadline for assignments to worry about. It was a silence that is rare. When people fall silent, many times the silence gets uncomfortable. But the silence there was comforting and calming. When you can stand with 7 guys silently and not want to shout, you know you are with the right people. I know, I know: cliche. Hey! We all have right to be a little sentimental sometimes!

The moment had passed. The teenager in all of us wanted to break out now. So we all got out of the rocks, got our asses down to the parking, got onto the bikes and took off. We rode down the boulevard and parked in front of the huge statue of Mahatma on the boulevard. We then went back to the rocks and found comfortable places to sit(sleep in my case), and began sunbathing with our clothes on. The sun was so hot by now that it felt like we were under a focusing lens or something. It made us woozy and lazy. Again a silence settled over us, and it was NOT because of us being the right people. We just didn't have the energy to do anything but lie there! Anirudh finally got tired of the pointless lying around and shooed us off the beach.

Since it was still 3 in the afternoon, none of us wanted to go back to the rooms. So we decided to take a walk to this place called Bharathi park .Nice park. But frankly, I was too pooped to notice anything. We were thirsty and needed something to cool off. The ice cream vendors at the entrance took full advantage of the situation. 25 bucks for an ice cream and it wasn't even kwality walls. Very nice park indeed.

The walk through the park had us wanting to run back to the rooms. We did. After cooling off, we decided that we needed to go buy some "condiments" for that night's plan. For security reasons, I will not willingly "admit" to the "plan" of the evening. But, come on. 8 guys, cheap pricing of Pondicherry. EVERYTHING is cheap in pondy. Even "oil". Anymore than that and I will be "admitting" to our plan. So, jusht imagine! *snicker*.

Only some of us had the experience in this sort of thing, so we were a little lost. The first thing we wanted to do was buy a few packs of cards. We all loved to play bluff and three days in pondy without bluff was unthinkable! So we stopped off at a corner store and bought 3 packs at 15 per pack. Ankit had brought one from home. So, the bluff problem solved, we went on to find the integral part of the evening.

The walk down the street was uneventful. We were also hunting for decent dinner to pack and take back to the rooms. We didn't find any. We came across a "condiments" distributor, but unsatisfied we left there empty handed. Finally we went into a little restaurant. The man at the counter guided us to a sister enterprise to get our food packed. We walked down to the place and ordered dinner*5 chicked biryani, 2 veg fried rice and one szechwan noodles*. While waiting, I don't clearly remember what we did. I think Kritarth went hunting for a lemon or something.

After getting the food, we bought a few disposable plates. Then we left for the rooms. On reaching there, most of us made our way up to the rooms. Anirudh and Kritarth went ahead and made arrangements for our "condiments".*yessssssssssssss* The night started with a few games of bluff. Ah that game. Time flies when you play it. Before we knew it, it was late and the rest of the night went very eventfully, "plan" being successful and all. I have to say, Akshay and Siddarth were really strong. They didn't take part in our little "plan".

I found out a bit about everyone there. Stuff was disclosed, realised and lessons were learned. We also found out Anirudh is an alien from the planet whats-its-name who can do *stuff*. It still sends a shiver down my spine when I remember what he did. He stood still like a pole and kept saying nothing was working on him. Whatte guy!

The rest of the night is a blur for me. I don't remember when I slept or when I went to my room. What I remember is Ankit puking his guts out. He actually kept saying I'm not gonna puke while doing it! Talk about loosing it!

Hey There Pondy! - Part 4

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:57:00 +0000

I'm sorry for the delay in the blog post. As the days go by, its harder to remember clearly the events that have passed. And it doesn't help that my mother has serious son issues. Oh, and I discovered twitter. People can follow me at here:https://twitter.com/#!/godofMAD Anyway, lets get on with my Pondy Experience. Sometimes, I feel that should come with a little TM with it.

So we walk down the skywalk, sweating like people who just ran a marathon and walk down the road, past the bus terminal. We come up to this little ATM around the corner. It had a little queue before it, and I began regretting it. Miraculously as we got there, the queue disintegrated. We walked up to the ATM, and found out why the queue disappeared. The servers were down.*God's a joker*

So our third quest in Pondy was a failure. I was down 2k(deposit for the bikes), and left with a little over 1k on me. Thankfully Susanth owed me a little cash and it held me till day three.

It was already afternoon and we hadn't had a decent meal in one day. We were all hungry so we found our way back to our hotel, and hit the restaurant. It was a relief to sit in there*A/C*. We thoroughly enjoyed our food. Meals in 135 bucks a man. Unlimited rice, tasty curry. Boon. We filled ourselves to the neck and went to our rooms to get ready to hit the beach.

Something I forgot to mention previously: Kritarth, Anirudh and Susanth had the brains to chat up the security guard, give him a little *something* and get him on our side as soon as we booked our rooms. It helped us a little to have a happy security guard. So when we asked the guy directions to the beach, he was more than eager to help us out!

Now, when I say beach, we wanted a shore, water hitting our faces, and all of us getting wet. We got on the hired bikes, and ripped down the road to the beach. The best part of Pondy is the loose traffic rules, compared to Bangalore. So you get to feel the wind in your face when you are ripping down the road at 80kmph on a fine bike from Yamaha. To all the FZ haters, go to Pondy, hire one, and go to beach boulevard. It'll change your mind. It changed mine.

I am an avid beach lover. When I am just kilometer from a beach, my hair stands on end. My back feels ticklish. My vision becomes vivid like I just ate a *mushroom*. I can feel the salt in the air. When I finally get to see the vast expanse with no seams at the horizon, the glazing glassy surface with ripples as countless as the stars, its pure poetry. I'm in love. And I can't stop looking. Correction; staring. A pair of the fines double Ds wouldn't captivate me that much! *No offence ladies*

So, when we approached the Prominate beach, and I got my first look at a beach in 4 long years, I had a visual orgasm. My hand twisted the throttle to open fully, and I sped down the road, and came to a stop in front of the most magnificent of water bodies: the ocean.

The Prominate beach, Pondy's main beach, now has a fully stoned shore. No pun intended. It literally is coverd with rocks! At first, the rocks were like a major turn off. We wanted to cool off. We wanted water. We wanted wet clothes. We got a rocky bitch, with a violent see. *pun intended if you get the joke, but its lame anyway*.

But the good part of the beach is, the clean maintenance it has. The boulevard that runs the length of the shoreline, is a treat to the eye. It is immaculately clean and peaceful. It has one all night cafe, like right out of a fairy tale. The boulevard is lined with the government buildings, all in french style. A good part of Pondy is filled with the beautiful people of France. Or French-Indian people. Or whatever they are. So, for these beautiful people, a good part of Pondy is now the white city. With sensible board signs, neat grid streets, clean*super-clean* roads and really nice buildings that look out of place in Pondy. But all the same, this part called the white city adds to the Pondy Experience.

With all the charm of Pondy working on us, we digested the fact that there's gonna be no water for the day and went to a nearby beach hotel, took the back route and got onto the beach. Krit disappeared for a minute and got back with a couple of bottles of *welcome drinks*.

Aah. That was the dream. With the bottles of *welcome drinks*, the rocky shore and the beach, Pondy felt more like Mumbai. But it was still the dream.

Hey There Pondy! - Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:11:00 +0000

It was 9 15am. Pondy was already hot like a furnace. I missed the Bangalore temperature already! I am a spoilt brat after all. What I didn't know was: it was gonna get a lot hotter. Sweaty person I already am. Pondy made my sweat glands do over time. The walk from the platform to the rickshaw stand had me sweating worse than my most tiring basketball game*over-exaggerating*.

Pondy railway station was much like its Bangalore counterpart. Crowded, hot and the rickshaw-wallahs hounding everyone within earshot. We had already decided on the train to split into two groups: one to go hunting for the Bikes. Another to go hunting for the hotel room*well thought out*. Two rickshaw guys looted the youthful tourists. Classic story. Damn, we even fell for it.

What all of us had overlooked, was the fact that it was the weekend and there were probably many more guys*not to mention the chickas* like us filing into Pondy for the dream weekend getaway! There was even this drunk dude*notice the use of "DUDE"* waiting on the platform giving away pamphlets of a party that very evening!

Anyway, what I am getting at is that we were pretty late for the weekend. Akshay's sister informed our woefully unaware asses of how late we were! So the 4 of us with the original identification cards went on to mission street for the rental bikes. Upon reaching Mission street, we looked up and down the road wondering if we had come to the right place. It wasn't a sight I expected. The street only had what looked like owned vehicles! No rental vehicles in sight. None at all. We look at one of the boards and recognize it from the internet. When we enquired there, we found all he had left was an Avenger and an Activa. *sob*

I panicked. I think we all did. For a moment it looked like our perfect weekend was over*picture horror*. Thankfully, there were other places up and down the street that had a few bikes in front of them. So the 4 of us, again split up. Kritarth and Akshay went left. Susanth and myself went right. What got into Kritarth I do not know. He planned big. He wanted to spend the weekend riding a pulsar. What did he end up riding? A Passion Pro! Akshay hired a Shine. Susanth and myself on the other hand had some immediate luck and chanced upon a couple of FZs standing around the corner.

Fast as ever we booked the two bikes, and I don't regret it at all! I hated the bike before this. Now I can't resist the bike at all. All the rental takes is the deposition of an original ID(like your DL/Adhar card) a phone number and a little Tamil*the Tamil helps*. The four bikes in tow, we asked directions to the closest petrol bunk*straight down the road, 4th left*, and went to the petrol bunk.

The petrol bunk we saw looked like any other petrol bunk in Bangalore. The comparison ends there. For one, I have never seen such a long queue in a petrol bunk! The place was over flowing with vehicles and the 4 dispensers were working every bit their worth. The station was under employed and over stressed. Frankly, it was a little over whelming! The other thing about the Pondy petrol bunks is that they are quick in their work. They don't keep you waiting, not even for change. The third thing is, they have amazing petrol. I'll get to that a little later.

So we fill the bikes with petrol and call the other guys up. We were gonna stay at the Sapthagiri hotel. My recommendation? That should be your last resort. We drove around the new pondy area a little. It can be pretty confusing on the unfamiliar streets. We actually passed the Sapthagiri once before finding out that we did. Anyway, we reached there in a while*seemed like forever*.

The rooms were just what we needed but we could have done better. We hired three rooms, one a/c deluxe, two non a/c non deluxe. Kritarth, Susanth and Ankit took the deluxe. Sid and Anirudh shared one non deluxe and Akshay and myself the other. The non deluxe rooms were cooler*evil smile*. We went up to our rooms and finally finished up with our morning work, or should I say afternoon work, because by the time we reached our rooms it was 12 in the after noon.

We decided to do the toilet work, bath and meet up down stairs to have lunch. I bet we all were feeling the pressure and nobody said it, but I had to take a shit urgently. I mean, come on! I am used to the early morning toilet thing, and the bloody trains had no water! No paper roll also*grumble*.

When I finally got the toilet to myself, and finished with my urgency, I got to the mirror to wash my face. I found the hard water was already getting to my gums. People with ultra sensitive gums should carry good water.

By the time we met downstairs, we were no better than when we went up. All of us were already soaked in sweat. And in all this, Kritarth wanted to find an ATM on foot. Yeah. Good plan to kill us all. So like fools we walked up the road. then back down the road. Down the road was a skywalk for the New Bus terminal in Pondy. We tottered up the skywalk, chatting, drooping like flowers in the heat, when we saw it. It looked like someone with my situation had found no place to stay and had to do it on the skywalk. A sight it was. Lucky none of us threw up. Cant say the same for the french couple that passed us on the way down*poor people*.

Hey There Pondy! - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:03:00 +0000

We were supposed to leave Yelahanka at 8pm sharp. That meant 7 30pm for Ankit Amtange. It seems we totally over estimated his worth. To Ankit, 7 30 sounded like 8 30. Wonder what he was doing? We all have our theories. Difficult to say which is true. I'll go with the theory that he had to kiss his boyfriend goodbye. Lovers!

While we waited for Ankit to turn up, we helplessly watched on as ten empty buses left the bus stand. So when Ankit finally turned up, we wanted to loot him of his money and dump him in the closest dust bin. Sadly we were in too high spirits to do anything that extreme. Lucky break for the guy if you ask me.

Luckily we did get a bus and it was pretty empty. We had a comfortable and very noisy trip to Yeshwanthpur. You know how it is with a gang of perverted guys. We probably had the whole bus wishing we were outside the damn bus. Oh well, we did not do this often so what the hell! We reached the railway station hungry and well over an hour early. We wiled away time in the smelly station talking and being noisy as usual. We earned our share of stares and I have to say, it feels damn good to stick out!

At 10 45pm the green coaches of the Garibrath rolled in. We lugged our bags into the coach and found our seats. And Ankit's seat. Ankit had been given the number 52 seat. A full two compartments away. So our immediate goal: Find the guy who had the closest seat and get an exchange. The train journey was good. We had a mini party going on in our compartment. We were disturbing the whole coach with our loud ruckus. With plans about the first thing to do in the morning to playing Noah's arc, we tried our best to keep everyone awake!

Before we knew it, the clock had passed two in the morning. I had just started to wonder why the people in the train were being such sissies going to sleep so early. There I knew, the next three days will go before I could catch them. With these guys, time files. So we finally decided to get some sleep. Siddarth immediately fell deep into sleep in his berth. As for the rest of us, we whipped out our books and got to reading. Susanth took to music as did Anirudh. I for one had trouble sleeping. For one thing, I was excited about reaching Pondy, so I was restless as ever. Every half hour I would wake up, grumble and go back to sleep. And every time, Kritarth, Ankit and Susanth would be up talking, or messing around with their phones. Ankit got playful with the handycam and took some spooky clicks of all of us.

Then I slept. When I woke up next it was 6am. Ankit and Kritarth had finally fallen asleep. Susanth was still wide awake with the earphones plugged into is ears. Everyone else was sleeping like logs. We all finally woke up in a while. Brushed our teeth in mineral water. Not as good as it sounds. The Indian railways finally did show their niyath. No water supply on the train!

Time passed and those of us awake started to get jealous of the sleeping beauties. We woke them up in the most cruel ways. It was worth it to get their swearing early in the morning!*bwahahahaha* The next station we stopped was the final junction before we set foot in Pondy, our destination. We were all very hungry so we grabbed what little food we could and filled our hungry stomachs.

In 15 minutes, the train rolled into the Puducherry railway station.

Hey There Pondy! - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:23:00 +0000

Now I turned 19, sweet 19, and it immediately started messing with my head. The last of my teen years and what have I done to be proud of? What every other guy does: score a couple of distinctions, make your mother proud, get addicted to Facebook, Tweet your life out, find the love of your life, give in to your calling, fail only the most prestigious institute's entrance, make the best of friends, rot at home, become fat, struggle to become thin, try everything your mom says to stay away from, etcetera etcetera. Yeah, not much to be proud of.

So, I get together with the gang and Kritarth gives this great idea: "lets go to Pondy". At the time, that sounded like: "lets go to vegas". FYI, my exams had finished a couple of weeks before that and all the action I had was a little *stuff* from the net and of course, my beloved guitar( for another time). So when Kritarth said "lets go to Pondy" we all dreamed of a bling-life. What with all the tight pockets we had, the cheap life of Pondy was an allure to the teenage mind and body. Everyone had their expectations. Pondy lived up to it. Period.

Let me tell you something about Kritarth. He is a lousy student and a pain in the ass son. But he is one heck of a travel manager. But for the short patience fuse he's got screwed into his amazing brain, he is flawless. He planned the trip from the scratch and made sure we didn't go running to mummy-daddy to get bookings and make the trip a comfy experience. We lived the three days like the Teenagers we were. Respect dawg.

Now this trip was a big deal for me. I was looking forward to a lot of things. One: three amazing days away from my mom's over-protective mushiness. Two: the rocky beaches of Pondy. Three: cheap rental bikes and cheaper fuel. Four: Three amazing days with the gang. Five: refer one. So I did a lot of research. Looked up places to get the bikes. Looked up affordable hotels for rooms. Looked up stuff to do in Pondy. I started hyper acting and forgot: Kritarth was there for all the work. I am the guy who wants the highest level of assurance before doing something new. So I naturally tried bookings and stuff. Kritarth put his foot down *thank god* and asked me to chill. If we have to sleep in the railway station we will. But we will not act like 40 year olds. Good advice.

It was hard enough to convince Kritarth to book the return tickets. Good we did. Airavat is a blessing in disguise. Slept like a baby. Thankyou K.S.R.T.C.

Train tickets booked, Garibrath A/C coach. Seats 25-30, 52 and 53. Anmol*youuuuuuuu sonofabitch*left to Andaman and Nicobar a couple of days after the ticket booking. I've already mentioned what a Pain in the ass he is*refer "A Friend To Remember"*. He was coming for the first day of the trip only. Returning the very day we arrived at Pondy. Anirudh had already left for Saudi Arabia. Anmol arrived 22nd and Anirudh arrived 26th. So the plan had to start on the 27th.

25th I find out Anmol isn't coming. Why? Dad not allowing. Why? He spent a lot for the Andaman-Nicobar trip. He apparently took the family scuba diving and all. Respect for his dad. But I still fail to understand why he wouldn't spare a little more and let the guy come with us to the damn trip. Anyway, F@!k Anmol. He'll never change. Neither will his father.

26th was a full day. Ankit has a little calculation attack and is convinced that our 5K per person budget wasn't enough for the 3-day trip. My whatsapp screen was full of his gory calculations. He murdered the teen spirit that day*youuuuuuu sonofabitch*. We finally told the guy to shut up and that if need be, we would sell his kidney for the right price. Yeah, we're a shitty lot.

Packing was an affair, it was! My mom made me shift from my wildcraft backpack to an american tourister travel bag. Mine was the biggest and he heaviest bag of all. Thankyou mom. You held my head high for me. Again*main reason for the trip*.

A Friend To Remember

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:30:00 +0000

Friends maketh a man... or so they say! My gang is one that will spoil you and corrupt you to such an extent that there will be no return! :D We are named "boobies" and we live up to the name. We are shameless, jobless bastards you would want to beat into pulp. We do not care what you think, or say about us. It is loud and clear: "WE ARE WHO WE ARE"! We are a gang of 11 monsters. Different backgrounds. Different personalities. But one same trait: WE ARE ALL INSANE.

All that said, we are also true to each other and some of the kindest you will find around. :) Now let me introduce you to all the members of my gang.

Madhav Nayak: Yea, that's me. Figured I might as well start with myself. My parents are my life. If nothing, I will go on till they are alive. I am the sort of guy who needs friends around to live. No matter how hard I try I just can't keep away from them. There have been times when I've had to make a decision to shut myself off from all other people. But, that's just not me. I can't imagine what life would be without friends. I go with all sorts of people. Well, almost all. To be completely honest, I'm the insecure type. I am gullible and soft. Very frank and will never understand emotionally complex stuff right away. I would die with no one to depend on around! From a very young age, I've played favorites. I've had three best friends. The first two shaped my childhood. For good or for bad i do not know, but they were there for me and I'm glad I had them. But who really made a difference is my one and only, brother from another mother, Akshay Sharma. The people that now surround me as my friends make me what I am. I am lazy. But I am also gifted with a fair amount of intelligence. I do not do justice to this gift though. I am a self made orator, with only one person to thank for the inspiration: my 4th grade English teacher Mrs.Chandana Bagchi. I am also a flirt. I prefer the company of girls to that of boys(who doesn't!?), except the 10 others in my gang. I am also very child like. I still love toys and get excited at the prospect of my birthday because I'm gonna get the toys I've wanted for a year :P I also watch a lot for cartoons: DBZ, Naruto, The Simpsons and The family guy being some of my favorites. That's about what I am.

Akshay Sharma: The same best friend I told you about earlier. He is the ideal case for all situations! (Except in the matter of girls!). Fast learner and quick witted, his company is never a drag! Like me, he too is very child like! :) Toys aren't such a bang-on for him, but he too loves cartoons! An intellectual that he is, he enjoys reading Sherlock Holmes novels. While many would say he is god fearing, I would say he is God loving. Modesty is his game. He never admits to any of his Bests, but is a master at highlighting all is Worsts! He is also a very humble man. The official Nerd of the gang! :) So much so that we call him "Guruji" out of respect. What I have learnt about this brother of mine is that he struggles to express his emotions properly. Many-a-time he doesn't disclose his pain to anyone. Not even to me. Always gives a shoulder to cry on, but never asks for one. I love him like he were my own. I can't think why anybody wouldn't. He is an ideal human being, a doting son and a friend anyone is lucky to have. His family, I am forever grateful to, especially his sister Aparna. This is for reasons I choose not to disclose here. Nonetheless, a thanksgiving is long overdue. He stood with me through thick and thin and taught me a thing or two about life. May god bless this wonderful guy!

Kritarth Srinivasan: Koi jeena seekhe toh is bandhe se seekhe! Koi marna seekhe toh bhi isi bandhe se seekhe! :D I met this happy-go-lucky son-of-a-bitch 6 years ago. His sense of humor knows no end. His jokes range from being some of the lamest to those that will have you laughing every time you remember them! He can turn the grimmest of occasions into a laughter riot. I have seen one maybe two times when he was serious, really serious. He makes light of all situations. This I feel is a gift and a curse. He is never afraid to try something new. Unfortunately he is a miserable academic. Intelligent but lazy. Yeah, kinda like spiderman at his worst! :D He comes from an army background. His dad's a retired wing commander. So he's been around the country a lot. Very impulsive and a wee bit short tempered too! His interests lie in many places. I don't think even God can tell where he'll land up. But one has many things to learn from him. He never lets anything get him down, especially his failures. The kind who can fight back when the want and need are both just about right. I had the honor of working with him as my deputy when I was made the speaker back in school. Even now I feel he was more of a cabinet member than I! He is a person who rules himself. Nobody can control this crazy monkey! :D He is also a very point blank, down to earth type of a person. Independent too. If he really makes the effort, I feel he can reach places many would promptly struggle to reach.

Anirudh Menon: The guy who got me into basketball. Mallu no.1 of the gang. He doesnt look it though! Speaks perfect hindi(KV material hai yaar!), looks like a northie walks like a northie, talks like northie! But he ain't no northie! :D This guy is the MOST independent person I have known. Like Krit, this guy rules himself. Always a reliable cash source! I remember this one time when we were doing our +2, we had stopped at this bakery outside college and everyone of us was broke. This guy makes us hold his bag and goes on a fishing expedition in it and comes up with 30 freakin' bucks in coins! We were all like wha' the...! :D From that day forth he is our official ATM! He is a fun loving guy you can always turn to for entertainment. If not directly, he'll make sure you have fun indirectly. :) He will not give up no matter what. If he wants something bad, he makes sure he gets- no matter what. He is one of those who will be your unconditional friend. Take, but I will not ask. That's been his attitude for as long as I've known him. Rough and tough is his middle name. He is up for any challenge you throw at him. He loves to stand out of the crowd, be the one who makes the difference and many times he does make a difference! If he needs to, he can inspire the entire country to do something!

Sushant Khot: The Pumba of our gang! :D He will never let you down. Faithful, dependable, encouraging, fun loving and I could go on. He is like this packet of happiness spreading happiness wherever he goes! :) He will mix with you and be your friend no matter where you are from, whether or not you speak his language, you will end up liking him, playing with him, eating with him and laughing with him. An amazing re-bounder and post up guy in basketball, I was actually surprised to find him playing cool basketball within a few days of starting. I was watching this dance show, and Hrithik Roshan described Shah Rukh Khan as the man who's heart is so big, it could envelope the whole world in it. At that moment, Sushant is the one guy who came to my mind. Like me, he is a speed demon; But he is a lot more insane. We were racing and I lost to him because he drove over the humps at 80kmph! Definitely the guy to turn to if you need help of any sort.

Siddharth Narayanan: The pro Baller of the gang. He can get around you, over you, under you, put you into orbit and you wont know it! Quick as the Flash, give him the ball and he'll make the opposition regret. Underestimates himself a lot. He's also very prone to injuries. Right now, he's nursing a broken wrist. If I describe Anirudh as our ATM, this one is our official Loan man. I don't mean he gives loans; he takes 'em. He's perverted as shit. I personally think he has a "fascination" with the feminine existance. *AHEM* (Not that we all don't). This one one guy I would have difficulty describing. He's great and all, but at the same time very reserved. Getting stuff out of him is like trying to pry out your tooth with a finger. Very funny at times. This guy is also a very naughty guy. He will pull every sort of prank on you and even get away with it. I just wish he would study a little harder.

Sujith Nath: This is Mallu no.2. I would describe him as the one among all of us who is really into life. He lives it in a way many would envy. He does what he wants and also what everyone else wants. Very co-operating guy. I guess you would expect these qualities from a guy who's gonna become a doctor. He's the only one in the gang who has chosen this profession. Before you get any ideas: Janwaron ka Doctor ban raha hai( yeah, no free treatment to the gang). He is a little man who can play dandy basketball. A little panicky with the ball in his hand, but when its in your hand, its your turn to panic! :D He is one of the most sensible guys I've met. Always ready to learn, whether or not its related to his field of study. When your explaining something to him, be it medicine or mechanical engineering, he'll listen to you with an attention that can be unsettling. He is also surprisingly well informed in many things. Having said all this, when you look at the Gang, and then at Sujith, you will find him a very simple man. One could learn a thing or two from him!

Ankith Amtange: The dropout of the gang. :D (Sorry bro, just sounds cool saying it! :P) But I've got to commend him. Few have the courage to do the right thing. Many people just fight their way through shit because they don't have the balls to jump out of it. But Ankith: hats off bro. I'm proud of ya. A self proclaimed nerd once upon a time, I've seen a drastic change in the guy in a very short period of time. Mind you: VERY SHORT. He's doing I-don't-know-what sitting at home when I'm working my ass off in college. My blood boils at the very thought of it. Funny thing is, so does his! He is so darn tired of wasting away at home that he went and joined FRENCH classes. Yeah, that darn tired. I'm in love with Ankith's English accent! We had a night out at Akshay's place, and at one point of time, we locked Ankith in the toilet. I still can't forget the way he said Sonofabitch that day! He introduced me to the world of flashing and Amon Amarth. They changed my life. I don't like it, but I think I'm getting addicted to Ankith's presence! :D

Zeeshan Ahmed: The junior most of the Gang. He is almost 2 years younger to all of us( I think). He's done most "stuff" before us too. Cool kid, plays real good Basketball. I like talkin' to this fella. Yes, he's your average cool guy, who seems to have an attitude you would kill him for, but that is not true. I've seen him get really awkward, and believe me he almost looked normal. :P Well, what i really like is this guy's taste in vehicles. They're very much like mine. He rides a very enviable P220, and I'm one of the lucky few who got to ride it when it was still in run-in period. I guess it was his way of showing me he cared. It was my birthday and I had someone very special to me with us. I was still riding my old kinetic back then. It felt very nice to ride a bike as cool as the P220. It just made my day! Thank you Brother! I just wish he would stop chain-smoking. It really worries me like shit to see him light up every time he's supposed to inhale. Apart from that, I have no problems: he even uses condoms.

Anmol Joshi: One of the Joshi brothers. He was the ugly duckling of our group. Initially we considered him a pain in the neck; Heck! We still do! :D He is the biggest pile of walking and talking trash you will find around. Anything that he says has to be cliche or trash. Sometimes he will say the most outrageous things and expect you to believe it. But I've that he has his way around chicks. If you ask me, he's like Reggie Mantle from the Archie comics, only, he's not as cool. :D Officially the "gay"-est member of the group. Also the most "un"-"gay" member. I can't explain the logic to you. It's just one of those things that you take for granted. But this guy, he has a very tender heart. He doesn't show it, he'll probably deny this, and rant loudly about what a total D***head I am for saying this, but its true. He's a softie who will be a very good friend when there's real need for it. Like I'm-about-to-die-you-bastard-save-me kind of need. But he'll be there all the same.

A friend defines your life and gives it meaning. I am truly thankful to my gang who make my days worth living for. One such great friend showed me what I was doing wrong and how to do it right. Today I remember him with a heavy heart. It has been exactly a year since he passed away, and we all still miss him. I still cant believe he is gone. Young as he was, it was a very unfair decision on God's part. I still remember him and what he gave us. He was Abhilash Joshi, a dear friend we mourn for today. He was coming home for the holidays. But he never got here. He formed the idea of our gang and gave it life. In his memory we call ourselves "Boobies". I hold the name dear and will always say it with a pride that comes from knowing you are part of something very very special. We called him Chief Boobie. And he was one hell of a friend.

You all have friends who love you and care for you. It could be your sister or brother, mother or father, next door neighbor, or the little kid across the street you can't stop looking at. It could be a classmate, a senior or a junior. Today, or whenever you read this, go back and show them love. Hang around a little longer, sip another cuppa coffee. Run another lap, say another swear word. Gossip a little longer. Feel alive, and feel their life. Remind yourself how important your friend is to you. Treasure him or her like their life is as much yours as it is their's. A friend will be there when all seems lost. They are worth living for. And to me, they are worth dying for.

Venting It Out: My Agonizingly Short Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 17:47:00 +0000

I know a lot of you out there can connect with the title of this post. Which is why I hope you will appreciate my need to vent out my frustration! I had the shortest gap of holidays between my two semesters. I'm mighty pissed at my college folks for making it so.

I got a meager 7 day gap in my last semester. Now it turns out the college guys want me back Monday. All that happens is that my ass rots in the boring classes my teachers take back at college. It feels like they're venting out their frustration at us in class. I've had better classes online on topics much more boring than what they teach in college!

I'm a 3rd sem ECE student at a sad college called SVCE. Look it up on the net. Don't believe a word they say on the page. Its all a lie. for one the net connection in college is not as fast as they say it is. Seconds: we DO NOT have a "2 acre ground which provides all facilities for major sports"!

What we do have is: a lot of class rooms, with big green boards which are beginning to give me nightmares! I'm so tired of seeing the big and beautiful lawn in college which is out of bounds to all students. I'm tired of the big majestic gates that remain closed all the time- especially when I'm late to college. I'm tired of the spacious canteen which still hasn't enough space or good enough stuff to call food.

I'm tired of HATING our respected and very much qualified principal without even having spoken to him once. I'm tired of the idea that I've to spend the next three years sucking up to my HOD. Most of all.... I think I'm tired of being the very brainy guy who is under-performing because he has become a lazy bum.

There was a time when I was really interested in the intricacies of life. I still appreciate the beauty of it(thankfully), but I've lost the eye for detail. I'm a man on a mission now. Time to beat myself into shape. Time to be that guy who was a, how you say: GO GETTER. I'm in a prison now. I also have the key within reach. But to be free, truly free, I'll have to step out of my comfort zone and reach for it. As Eric Hoffer rightly said:

"We feel free when we escape, even if it be but from the frying pan into the fire."

I'm about to jump into the fire, but hell I wasn't on the frying pan so I bet I'll get burned pretty bad. But it is a risk I'm willing to take. First step to breaking out of this self made prison. So this is your fellow blogger and human, going out with a positive attitude. I hope the next time I discuss this I'm the "GO GETTER" I've told you I wanna be. Wish me luck folks; I'll need every bit of it I can get!

A War Within: Yin-Yang

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 19:28:00 +0000

Emotion makes life. If anything sets us apart from the world as much as it makes us one with it, it is Emotion. God has given us, along with many other things, the ability to express. Not that other beings do not possess this quality; no, it is not that what I'm saying. We have been given the power to make our Emotions very clear. An exquisite and brilliant trait that all of us have, yet let go to waste. It pains me how it is never experienced by many. But, I am not going to discuss that aspect because, as many high school text books might put it, "It is beyond the scope of this blog to discuss this topic in detail"!

Emotion gives us life. Obviously it should have the power to take life away from us. It is the simple principle of Yin and Yang. Balance.

It is an ancient Chinese Philosophy/Theory; Their attempt to explain the universe. Yin and Yang is everywhere. Male-female. Light-shade. Good-evil. Steam-ice. An ever existing pair that can't be without the other. The classics state: "Yin creates Yang and Yang activates Yin". So there can never be an excess of one. If there is, they will self balance automatically.

I wouldn't blame you if you asked "How is all that related to emotion?!". Simple. Think of those unbelievable situations when you want to laugh and cry at the same time. Think when you are angry and calm at the same time. Think of all those times when you've felt two completely opposite emotions well up inside of you and you don't know which one to let surface. That is Yin Yang. One trying to balance the other out. It is an ever repeating cycle. It is a War Within.

It just makes life more beautiful. When I sit and think, it all makes sense. It might not make sense when you are just reading this, but if you put everything on hold for a moment, you too will see the beauty of it. And you will be left with a deep satisfaction that only comes from years of searching and realization.

Our ancestors have left us all their learning so that we make take it forth. Alas! Lost are those teachings. Lost is all that experience. Little remains of the hard gathered knowledge. We are faced with the task of doing it all over again. We are definitely not doing a good job. We are too busy "keeping up" with each other to keep up with ourselves.

We lock our emotions down and look to best the other's. Others do the same to themselves. No one man lives for himself. Learn to love yourself first. Learn to Unleash your emotions. Learn to use them, control them and build them. Spend a little time everyday nurturing them. Look where they fall short. Tomorrow when and if you are all alone, all you've got is your emotions. A man with no respect for these Life Givers isn't alive at all. He is truly alone. He wont even have himself.

Next time you have this War Within, know that you are alive. Know that you have something very beautiful in your possession. Treat yourself to a buffet of emotions and go WILD! You have nothing to loose! Cheerio! :)

"I Am What You Say I Am"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 20:21:00 +0000

NEVER say that. You will be giving yourself away... and there's nothing you can regret more than that. I let myself be ruled by that shitty statement in what were supposed to be the best years of my life. The statement is cool. It comes from Eminem himself. Although, considering what and who he is... all of us should know better than to live by it.

The teenage of a person's life are the most precious years. The potential to develop and grow in these years is enormous. I repeat: ENORMOUS. Few realize that, and those who do are lucky. Of those few even fewer realize it in time to make something of that enlightenment. The others either cry over all the spilt milk or regret over it, wishing every moment back.

I wasted 4 precious years of that age. Now, I'm almost out of it! Come this December, and I will have one teen year left in me. Yes, I do sound like an old man don't I? I only used to look and feel like one... now I even sound like one!

My story starts about 6 years ago. It was the first time I had heard the words "IIT". Indian Institute of Technology. I really didn't care much about. Little did I know what it would do to the consequent 4 years of my life. My father, an ardent newspaper reader, found an ad in the paper from "BASE" that was about a coaching for students starting from when they got into the 9th grade. I never wanted to get into it. I wanted to learn the guitar instead, go for basketball coaching instead. But, I let my parents decide what I am. I decided I was what they said I was. I played along. I lost the next two years of my life.

I should have been strong. Stuck to what I wanted. I could have backed out even then. But I didn't have a reason. Case: Nayak Sr. v/s Nayak Jr. Case arguments: Nayak Sr.: "How will guitar help you earn? How will basketball help you earn?". Nayak Jr.:"..........". Judge's decision: Nayak Jr. sentenced two years of hard IIT coaching at BASE Basavangudi.

That is what happened. I should've escaped but I didn't. I accepted that fate. Here I am, years later, wishing I had put a little more trust in myself. Here I am, wishing I had seen my parents more as benefactors than as an opposition trying to convict me in court! At this point I feeling like a living example of the Metallica song "Disposable Heroes". It goes "you will do, what I say, when I say... you will die, when I say, you must die....".

That is the predicament you will get into if you let the importance of these years slide. No matter who it is, don't forget... never let them tell you who you are. It doesn't matter who it is that is telling you, remember.. it will finally be you and only you who will look at everything around you crash. One of my favorite songs "Somewhere I Belong" by Linkin Park delivers meaning that is very important. No matter who you are, you belong somewhere. The purpose of every life on this planet is to find that somewhere. Only when you attain that somewhere will you be truly free of the pain. The peace you find will be unimaginably satisfying. Learn to trust yourself. Learn to stand for yourself.

Having said that, I would also like to say something of equal importance. When and if you get into such a situation because of whatever may be the reasons. Don't sit around and blame the world for being unfair like I did.. It never is. You are born to this world. You are its child. It will never do anything unfair to you! It is inevitable. It is for your best. Accept it. Make it what you want. Fighting is useless; Know that. If the world wants it, there is little you can do!

Give all you have to it. Believe me, I've been on that side of the grass. I fought. I lost. Here I am: nowhere. I'm not in an IIT. I don't play a guitar. I haven't had formal training in basketball. I'm nowhere. I'm in between: in a sand trap. I'm having a hard time getting out. Whether I do get out or not depends on how well I've learnt my lessons. That is my problem. But to all of you out there: don't come into my position. It ain't fun! So don't fight once your in shit. You're smelly grimy and dirty anyways. Enjoy the warmth. Get through it. From there... you'll be immune to all kinds of shit! Learn what you can from this experience of mine.... Remember: its about you. Nothing else.

India Against Corruption!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 17:58:00 +0000

Are you kidding me? No really! Are you? India against corruption? INDIA against corruption???

INDIA against CORRUPTION?

India AGAINST corruption??

I could be rolling on the floor laughing at this because its reminds me of an old joke that went: "Mahatma Gandhi Hair Dressers", "Gomateshwara textiles", "Venkateshwara Liquor shop" and so on! India, my mother nation, is many things. It is proud, it is developing, it is technologically advanced, culturally and geographically diverse, climatically sane, modern, intelligent, etc etc. The list of praises I can shower her with will never end. I adore her for she gave me and my family life. I respect her for she gave me nationality, integrity and respect. I love her for she made me her own.

But my country thrives on corruption. It is everywhere. It is omnipresent. I must commend the TATA TEA ads for they splendidly bring out the very roots of corruption. A beautician being asked for a bribe. A father assuring his son admission in a college. It starts in the very place we are born. Our own parents bribe us with sweets and toffees. The sweets and toffees become toys and video games. Those become cars and bikes. We face corruption at every stage of our lives. If not hard-core corruption then some form of it.

A question to Young India: do you even know the meaning of corruption? Do you realize the vastness of that word? Many of my friends on facebook are attending an "event": "India Against Corruption". I almost clicked "attend", but something held me back. Do I fully grasp what that means? Am I ready to take such a huge step at this stage of my life? Am I qualified to say I can handle that responsibility?

Corruption has a vast radius of definitions. It can start from the meaning of the word itself:

"The act of changing, or being changed for the worse"

It starts, like I said, from a very young stage of our lives. We constantly face this "act". Knowingly or unknowingly, our own parents habituate us to this sort of a life. Situation requires them to. That is how desperate our country is. That is how deep in shit we are.

A little money can take you places. It may be inside a pub before you are 18. It may be through a driving test even though you wouldn't know driving. It may be through an exam even though you wouldn't have passed. All this is corruption.

At a higher degree it involves whisking away all the tax money to an untraceable bank account. Hoarding of stock. Adulteration of stock. Encroachment of plots by government officials. So on. so forth. All of this seems unfair sitting on this side of the screen. Put yourself on the other side. What if you were to gain? Wouldn't you give it another thought?

Corruption is integrated into our lives now. That is the fact of the matter. So before you go announcing that you are against corruption I'm going to ask you one thing: BE TRUTHFUL TO YOURSELF. Can you shoulder that responsibility? Can you dedicate yourself to that task?

Anna Hazare fasted for it. He put his LIFE on the line for it. Can you do that? Can you risk everything for it? Can you stick to the cause even if it means that you have to pay a thousand bucks to the cop for over-speeding? Even if it means you have to wait in line for something you want badly? Even if it means you will loose your house because of it? Even if it means you have to stand up to your parents for it? Even if it means you have to stand up to your friends for it?

I feel that's asking an awful lot. Aren't we comfortable the way we are? Doesn't money matter a lot? So much that a little extra wouldn't hurt?

All that given.... Its a cause worth scratching your head for. Its worth thinking for. Its worth sweating for. I love my country. If not now, I will be fully ready to shoulder the responsibility one day. And that day, I will put my life on the line for it. I will risk everything for it. I will stand up to corruption and KILL it! But no man can do it alone. So it is up to all of us to start now. Give up corrupt ways. Take life the HARD WAY. Grow up and start FIGHTING TO SAVE OUR NATION! JAI HIND!

Music!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 10:04:00 +0000

Describing music is like describing life.

It is complex, yet simple.

It is big, yet small.

Its unique, yet common.

Music happens when life happens. It is so connected to life that it has the power to affect and change life. Music realizes thew most profound feelings in us. Music means many things to many people.

To Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart music was so important that even in his last days all he could think of was to finish his last composition "Requeim". In his lifetime he composed over 600 works, many acknowledge as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic and choral music. In his life time he also constantly suffered at the hands of illness.

When one speaks of Mozart, it is but mandatory to talk of Ludwig van Beethoven. He wrote his own compositions in the shadow of Mozart. "Posterity will not see such a talent in a 100 years" said Joseph Haydn of him. He had been deaf for a good decade when he released the completed 9th symphony.

Being the most celebrated musicians of history, to know that neither of the two could enjoy the music they composed raises a question: what tied them to music in such a way that they went on even in the darkest times of their lives?

I can't speak for either as I couldn't have known them in their lifetimes, but it is safe to say: To each music was life.

It may not be that to everyone, but, everyone enjoys music. There isn't a single person I know who doesn't enjoy some sort of music. It soothes the tensed and disturbed mind. A little music can change the environment to a degree that can astound us. Music has an effect on everyone. It may be one's source of inspiration. It may be another's source of relaxation. To some it may have a calming effect. To some an agitating effect. To many it is a source of hope. And to some, like Beethoven and Mozart, it may be the source of life.

To me, music is another world. It is like a dream where I control the flow. It excites me when I need to be excited. It calms me when I want to be calmed. It listens to me when I have to talk and talks to me when I want to listen. It gives me meaning where I find none. It thinks for me when I cant think and urges me to think when I have to. It shows me the light that is life, when I'm engulfed by the darkness. To me it is a dear friend who holds my hand through shit and tells me "AAL IS WELL".

The Definition Of Cool: Views 'n Opinions

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 06:58:00 +0000

"Define Cool."

I went around asking that question to a lot many people, and I was surprised to find diverse answers coming my way. I started it as a little prank: one i could enjoy on my own. But, alas! I cant stop thinking: Didn't "being cool" mean a lot to me at one point? Didn't it mean a lot to everybody at one point? Doesn't it mean a lot to a good many even now?

I started this little research of mine, and set out on a "pursuit of cool"(which was supposed to be my title for this article till-) which i found, thanks to google, is a taken title! :) This guy Bram, has a blog of his own elsewhere in which he says:

“There is no algorithm to define cool, you just know it when you see it”

That was his view of cool. His pursuit started with that sentence. His view of cool is that.

All of us have this pursuit: consciously or unconsciously. It is inevitable. Some end very early, some never end.

So i asked around, to see what people define as cool. Answers I got were clearly not serious ones. But they were the first ones that people could think of when I asked them to define cool.

A school going student promptly told me anything other than studying is cool. Obviously, the reaction was because of the immense burden of the education system. So I surmised this: cool to this person is something that allows freedom. Something that keeps her mind light and free.

Another answer I got was one worded and simple: "ice"! Now how about that! :D I really couldn't work much with that. All I could think was that on a hot day, this guy would call a breeze cool. That's cool to him: something comfortable.

I don't know if their pursuit has ended. Or even if its started.

But mine, started with a simple question I remember asking my mother, a good 6 years ago. And I'm satisfied enough to say it has ended too. I had just returned from a debate competition. It was the biggest thing in my life at that time. I stood to win 1 lakh in cash if won the competition(which unfortunately didn't happen). I was awed by the very atmosphere it created, even more by the seniors I was accompanying who seemed calm and composed while hell was breaking loose for me.

I worked hard, and got to the semis of the competition(even my seniors didn't make it this far), but lost out there. My partner told me I was splendid and that I was cool. I did not want to embarrass myself after all that so I went home to my mother. She told me, that to her cool is me. She told me that I was unafraid to to do what I wanted, to talk my mind and be who I am. I told her that I'm afraid all the time to do all that. She told me that THAT makes me even cooler because I have the courage to overcome my fear and the things I do. I smiled at being praised and promptly told her I think she's cool.

That was a mothers view. My pursuit should have ended there. But, in a curious turn of events, being "Cool" earned me a slap form my P.E teacher. I still have nightmares about that one! :p

So, while keeping the definition my mother gave me(mostly because it was very flattering), I tried to define cool myself. I had to do this because by that time, the word cool played a very important role in my life. Being cool was being accepted. The "uncool" kids were castaways, outlaws much like "mudbloods" from Harry Potter. And I DID NOT want to be a mudblood!

But books, favorite TV shows and my role models taught me that being cool is not that. Being cool, as I understand it is being YOURSELF. Being cool is being SIMPLE. Being cool is being truthful. Being cool is standing up for what YOU BELIEVE.

‘COOL IS BEING YOURSELF, COMFORTABLE IN YOUR OWN SKIN, NAKED IF YOU HAVE TO. COOL IS KNOWING THAT YOU’RE GOING AGAINST THE GRAIN AND BEING UNSWAYED BY WHAT PEOPLE THINK,WHAT THE RULES SAY YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE OR DO, AND HOW YOU MEASURE UP AGAINST ANY OF THE AFOREMENTIONED.’

I read this (elsewhere first, but found it on Bram's blog too) and felt that this is it. The hard core definition of cool. More on "cool" later folks!

Timelines

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:34:00 +0000

I first heard the word "timelines" in the movie "Back To The Future". Irrelevent though this article is to that context, I found that word interesting enough to take me into deep thought about time and how it is the most dependable thing in this universe. This is not a lecture on how to manage time or how people waste time. Its more than that. Actually, nothing close to that. Time is a beautiful thing. In this world that looks at time as just a constraint, I believe it needs more thought.

Time favors no man, it favors no machine. It might favor God himself, but no one is a testament to that. I've seen and heard people use the word with regard to strict deadlines, traffic conditions and their daily woes about the lack of time. Just thinking about how simply people use the word puts me in a tangle of thoughts that take me forever to untangle!

"Time and tide wait for none"

Just that one sentence shows us how impartial and duty bound time is. Its is ruthless and hard working. It is all those things we should be but are not. Time doesn't stop when the world is in disarray. Time doesn't look back and regret its past. Time doesn't think about what its future is. Time..... just works in the present. It has no fears, no worries; Just one goal: to go on.

Given that Time deserves credit for its success. It has gone on. It has made itself so complex, no one understands it, and thus hinders it. Why I say that is simple: understanding brings emotions. Emotions raise questions. Questions demand answers. Answers demand commitment. Commitment cannot come without compromise. Time, my dear readers, has saved itself the strain of that compromise. Its path is not a compromised one. Purely for that one goal does time exist. Such is time.

That is my understanding of the nature of time. Or rather, that WAS my understanding. It happened recently. I was chatting with a junior of mine from school. Not a particularly fond one, she was all I had to save myself of boredom(these exam TIMES do get difficult you know!:D). In the course of our conversation I found myself enjoying it! Not a moment later I surprised myself: "times change". I said that.

In two words I shattered my definition, my understanding of the word time. There I realized, time can not be defined. It is not meant to have the boundaries of definition. It is everything around us. To define time would be a task only time itself could accomplish. Time is in birth and death. Time is in rise and fall. Time is in everything. TIME IS GOD.

Money Matters!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 11:32:00 +0000

These days i catch myself working out new ways to earn money(which is why i monetized my blog too btw!) too frequently. I've often been loud about how money matters little(like in my previous blog). But my money matters have taught me that money matters! :\

Its astounding really, how much value money holds in today's life. To think there was a time when there was a trade in kind is a fantasy. I wonder why the barter system died out like it did... everybody seems to prefer money(me included!). If we study, its for money. If we work its for money. If we teach its for money. Bit by bit, second by second, moment by moment, it seems that money is taking control over our very existence.

I remember a line from a song 'sabse bada rupaiyya' from the movie bluffmaster that went "bin rupaiyya to mister na teri mummy ka pyaar, na paida hota kabhi tu, na kabhi kar sakta mere yaar"(without money you wouldn't have your mother's love, you wouldn't even be born, neither can you give birth)! Money is so important into our lives now, that even birth depends on whether you have you have the jingle in your pockets!

It seems the days when one could say "Money cant buy you everything" are over. It seems money CAN buy you everything: from your B.E. degree to respect. Heck I've heard even love is for sale these days. All i can say at this point is- WHAT is the world coming to! For the way we humans are behaving, it seems armageddon ain't far way! :P