Mumbai

Yesterday night I dont know why I was weeping like a baby on my way back home. I just couldnt control. It was a sudden surge of emotions for someone I lost when I was 8! And then the news of attack on Mumbaikers. I was wondering If couldnt till date let go of someone I lost almost 2 decades back how is Mumbai dealing the dangling of their and their loved ones lives!

Every year something comes up and they lose their lives. But still the city rebuilds and goes about life as though nothing has gone wrong. Earlier it meant nothing but today as i see those blood smeared station in the internet I shiver. I had stood there as innocent as those who died yesterday waiting to reach some destination and never knowing they would be quickly taken to the ultimate one.

I found myself ringing up numbers I thought I never would try. My heart skipping its beat before they answer. Im relieved all of them are safe, but my heart goes out to those who have lost their dear ones! I know how the bruise stays for many years. It was highly untimely of my previous post I guess. I was just trying a positive flavour to re-channel energy into upliftment and here comes..the hardest blow!

I hope the toll doesnt go up anymore and the situation is brought under control.

First Award

I have been awarded for the first time in blogosphere. Whenever I visit other blogs and see the many awards that their blogs are adorned with I feel sad :(. When will I get a chance. When will someone ‘award’ me :). I remember feeling the same way when I used to watch the prize distribution for activities I havent even participated. (Now you know who to blame) I need to thank Kartz for this beautiful butterfly

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before I pass this award, there are some rules which I have to mention – 

1. Put the logo on your blog.
   
2. Link the person who awarded it to you.
   
3. Link the bloggers you are about to honour.

Now i pass it on to

Jo – the most systematically organised book review blog

Nautankey – For making me giggle every step of my way through his blog

Sangeeta – For the perfect cocktail of music and words that her blog comes up with.

Smita – Ofcourse for being the coolest blog Ive ever seen. be it design, books, movies, thoughts or the language! U rock!

Vimmuu – for being the coolest blogger around ;P (((buhahaha)))

last but not the least to the person who lead my way to active blogosphere and who’s style of writing I adore the most – Scorpria

Signing off for now with a loud whistle coz im just soo happy.. Thanks Kartz once again. But U had mentioned that it is for the love of words that we share..wherein I guess I know only 30% of your diction 🙂 So i dont know if I truly deserve it but Im happy anyways!

Admiring Terrorists

I’ve loved Mani Ratnam’s movies..not just bcoz they are so perfect but they always had a message. A powerful one..which says he tries to reaches out to the society pardon me for my limited knowledge..there may be many but let me cling on to Mani Ratnam. Recently I saw 2 of his old movies..’kannathil mutham ittal’ & ‘nayagan’+ another director’s ‘terrorist’ the three giving you more than a glance into the lives of terrorist. And coming back to the title..of what Ive learned from the movies..Ive come to admire them! – YYY??

I admit their aim is ‘destructive’ their mission highly an offense to humanity. BUT their lives? There are this group of people who sacrifice life, love and toil day in day out swearing that they’ll stand by the cause to avenge the death of their people! It shows that there is so much power in humanity. So much tolerance among men to suffer, to starve, to sacrifice for a cause which brings no personal benefits!

They toil morn and night to prepare themselves, immense brainwork for the sourcing of material and escaping routes, sacrificing earthly pleasures and relations and finally? bring on a death that’s dreaded the most! Pity their aim is to avenge by deaths!

I just mused what if all this energy, this effort was for a better cause? for uplifting the poor, the illeterate, the helpless? It’s impossible..only revenge can bring in so much of energy and will it seems..someone else’s input! Fine..they give all their lives for their cause..can I form a group which is willing to give 1% of their energy? One day every week with unrelenting service. So what if there is a group so energetic to kill lives, I can devote a day everyweek to better lives?

As Ive read through many posts..ive seen many scorning the destroyers! including me..Why dont we actually pick a piece of brick and put it in place than scorn the misplaced!

I enrolled and even went for the induction for ‘teach india’ man you shouldve seen the pride in me! Im going to teach …India!! Its been over a month now. Every weekend I keep calling them the organizers whoever gave their numbers..please can i come and help? They keep telling me they’ll call me later and I never got a call!

I’m sure many of us..atleast 3 out of the six who are here in the blogosphere have it in us..the spirit undying against injustice, tears for the hapless, thoughts for the downtrodden, compassion for the innocent. It all revolves in our hearts and in our heads. Do we have it in us to bring it to our hands? One day of ours in the 7 days..or even in the 30 days we live for ourselves can we spend for the lesser blessed?

The terrorists they say are assured that if they die a death of martyr they’ll be long remembered! They live and die for that memory I reckon..but how many of us know one person by name?  Its the passion in them that makes them so strong I guess..the passion for their fellowmen..what right do we have to scorn them when we dont have one third of their will to serve our society? I do admire them. And if I should raise a voice against them it should be when I invest part of life, love and energy without hopes, afterthoughts or expectations..

PS : Anyone who is in Bangalore and think like me are welcome to give me suggestions as to how as a group we can help.

Bridge

It was just a game.. and I had to write a small poem with the word ‘Bridge’. When I was done I thought I can paste it here ;P

Bridge the distance of hatred with love
Bring to the patrons of war a dove
Bridge the crack of indifference with smiles
Smashing those rocks of selfish wiles
Bridge your way to the lesser blessed
They are but the Lord’s conscience tests

 
Bridge the void between heaven and earth
As you forgo your pleasures for others mirth

Quirky Me

There is a silent participator..in ma blog. More silent than me..I used to call her “dove”. She reads..evaluates..appreciates and even constructively criticizes. One person who makes me feel that all i write is not crap! So recently she told me – you have cynicism topping all those dishes! Try a different flavour.. I was wondering what I’ll write! When Vimmuu tagged me with this quirky one! The 6 quirky things about me!!!I guess that helped in one way..but grrrr things that I never let out has to be out now?? This guy sure gonna get frm me! Nyways lemme start.

Chocolate – I have this strange feeling that ‘chocolate is my secret mentor’. Many a times if I’m depressed or feel lonely..or detested I would buy the biggest darkest chocolate possible..hideously eat it bit by bit..and think whatever my problem is – has been resolved! Trust me Im so addicted that in supermalls i steal glances at the chocolate section as a 3 yr old and my hubby often knocks my head to the opposite direction. The best is when we discuss about financial difficulties and get low and I walk out and get “temptation rum and raisins” devour it to the last piece and dispose the cover without ma hubby getting to know of it ;P

PS: I have had 4 ‘root canals’, 5th one is pending. & Ma hubby seriously thinks I’d run away with the guy who buys a big packet of chocolates for me ;P

Visitors – In my village it was a custom that when elders/visitors came we children/girls vanish into the inner rooms or kitchens and appear only when called for. So somehow when someone visits us..i get into the kitchen with the pretext of cooking for them and never come out unless it becomes highly necessary. This includes friends with whom I would have otherwise chatted/talked with! Guess many of them have felt that they should start the ‘aquaintance’ all over again!

Food – I somehow never..ever cook for myself. Whenever ma hubby has stayed far. I have relied on bread..biscuits and cold coffee. Even Maggi I hate to cook.not even parcels from hotel! Eby is positive that I’d starve myself to death If he’s not around. So i guess you know who to get hold of just incase I die mysteriously and reports show lack of proper intake of food!

Sleep – I need to sleep first!! or I just dont sleep! If by anychance my hubby dozed off before me..I’ll try all tricks possible to wake him up. But if he doesnt wake up from the deep slumber I dont sleep!..Guess it came from the childhood thoughts of “me first..me first!!!”

Vegetarianism – None in my family or in-laws are vegetarian.. I dont know from where I got it. But I got it real seriously..To the extent that even somethng lurking far from the boundary of meat I wouldnt have it! Mushroom since it gives you a ‘meatish feel to ur teeth’ is a no no! Soya beans – a complete no and.paneer well if you make it at home and crush it then fine..but the hard ones you get at hotels  – Nope! For some vegetarians its the smell..the idea..but for me i guess it is how it feels between my teeth!

New people! – I always flounder when i meet a new person..esp guys! The greatest problem is when someone starts with my name! I have one name official and the other personal. So netime a person asks my name! I’d blabber not knowing which one to tell. Im sure he’d flee in the next 5 mins! That scorpion friend for whom i wrote the poetry rewrote the rule by calling aloud my full name – (19 characters) and?? I fled from there ;P.  It takes a lifetime of analysis and stuff to get close to a person…and that doesnt seriously mean I’d talk! I can count the number of times I have ‘talked’ to friends that I consider the closest to my heart.

Some others..And yeah no matter how calm..poised and simple i look while visitors are at home..or when i meet new people..the moment its just me and eby i “jump like a 6 yrs old if the visitors brought chocolates along..and imitate the new person’s mannerisms which often gets wide applaude and appreciation (solely from Eby – coz no one else has till date been an audience! ;P)

So who do i tag? Praddy, Smitha, Scorpria, Kartz, Jo, Mary Kaufman.

Gold Gold everywhere! Not a glitter anywhere!

Disclaimer : This is the plight of the real middle class that is mentioned here. If you think you dont suffer so much then be glad to know that you are above the middle class!

Thanks to the internet my friendship circle has become bigger and the globe smaller. I just happened to observe the rumoured lureness of India “across the sea!”

My friends exclaim – India? Beautiful place! Would love to visit it sometime. Im blank! I search the atlas – is there another country named likewise?

Here the middle class family has more important things to do than to analyse the beauty and spirit of his nation.

One doesnt have the time to open their eyes to nature or places that are blissfully beautiful. You go in search of jobs to places far from home. Toil round the clock, 6 days a week and with the 23 leaves you are allotted a year all you get to do is reach home to ur dear ones.

One doesnt have the money to treat their taste buds. A majority of the middle-class people I have seen consider eating as a routine.  Tasting for 300rs when you can gobble up a full meal in half the price? Never! Its all for the sake of ‘filling’ the stomache without ’emptying’ the pockets.

One doesnt tend to realize the meaning of melodious pampering. Musical concerts going on? So what they kill you with their ticket charge. Most probably he will sing the same songs you have heard in the radio.  You may get 3 cds at one persons ticket charge!

One doesnt understand the sweet touch of paper back books! The sheer enjoyment of holding it and turning pages! 575 rs for a book. Every month you need different books (err they thought i need to hold on to one as my bible?) you dont realize its a dead investment. (True probably the prices for paper dont rise with time like that of Gold!)

Phew! so in life im not bound to enjoy the extreme pleasures which are abundantly available for my senses. (please! dont put in ur twisted thoughts here!)

Sight – enjoy the places in the movies that you see..preferably take the pirated ones that dont have the pic quality – theatres charge a lot. Hearing – download songs, listen to the cds of the same old songs..pleasures of musical concert and all is rubbish all there is a large crowd with larger purses (knowledge courtesy to imagination as not have visited even one!) Nose – My passion for perfumes need to be stopped with the ‘testers’ available as 5000 for a bottle of perfume is ‘hilariously ridiculous’ and total waste of money! Tastebuds – Chocolates from switzerland? Insanity at its peak! I’ll go get your favourite diarymilk.(favouritism assumed = ass u me ‘d!) Touch –  Books for 1000 a month? Can’t you download some of them? (take care of the download limit – reliance is cheap at the first look and way too expensive if we are careless)

So with all members of the family earning, toiling ourselves at work 9 hrs and another 3 hrs in traveling to and fro from office, six days a week, what are we supposed to do? Show enough expenditure so that we wont be taxed and then? hoard it! For what? arre buy gold, its an asset..at the time of the marriage of your daughter (wow someone could predict the gender of an unconceived child?) Or buy a house for your son (now its the incapability of the unborn that’s been predicted!)

That one day of union. For that one day parents spend their lifetime. Emotions have no place, joyousness have no place..but pompousness sure does have place. Entire life your aim is for that one day and in turn you pass on this concept of ‘non-enjoyment’ and ‘hardwork for child’s marriage’ to your children too.

The fun in the drama comes while shifting your gaze from the middle class to a higher class there optionally you find the same rules existing with perhaps one exception “your grand children’s marriage”.

There are a few who do seem to celebrate. How? Diwali – crackers i was spell bound when i heard the boy’s pg next door must have spent approximately (10,000 Rs for crackers! if not more) Dassehra – clothes with prices and stuffs in it that indicate – gold has been sewed to it. some of them flashy enough to look like multi-colored diamonds. treat for the eyes and ears they seem to be! Taste buds – Oh boxes in kilos of the same sweet or taste alike sweets made in pure ghee! Trust me – I hog on sweets and if you ask the difference between one sweet from another i need to give my brains some work-  most of them have the base of milk, sugar and ghee in abundance.

They (my friends) say India – is loud – ofcourse I often have to close my ears be it the crackers, the horns (they blare off as if saying hello to all the fellow vehicles on the roads – constant greetings i should say!) or even if its one man communicating to the other standing a little across the road! Some even think their voice travel the same way over mobiles..the farther the distance the louder you shout!

They (say India) is the land of spices – Yeah we export the best of them and gratigy ourselves with the trash that remains. After all eating is about filling your tummy! (Gee am i glad that atleast we have the trash of the spices we hold back!)

They (say India) is a land of colors – Yeah I saw all sorts of colors in the sky the diwali night! And the mere hearsay information of how much they would have amounted upto brought colors to my cheeks! and yeah one color to the sky after they were done – grey (that’s a color too!)

I realize this country of mine is rich with the natural blessings, abundant with the treats for all senses but binds its people with chains that never let them enjoy the treasures it has in store. Or should I blame the blindness of the current generation. People who have this great door to education, to outer world and yet close themselves behind the age old traditions of hoarding. Ah! speak of adhering to tradition we have them in abundance too but one is chosy enough to pick the worse ones! The good ones have faded off long before.

I dont say you ought not think of your son/daughter. But I wish more than the rush of accumulating wealth for their 20’s..and in the due process live by our lives and neglect their..if only we enjoyed life enough to give them a piece of the world outside,,to treat them with tastes from world over..guide them with the right books from authors across the globe and help them grow a better human being!.

Err..lemme wind up..I guess we have a baptism to attend and we as the close relatives need to gift the child ‘gold bangles’ lemme go withdraw my half month’s salary for  that!