Blue ...

You are walking through the street in the wee hours of the morning. It has rained somewhere in the middle of the night. A gentle breeze shakes the raindrops from the leaves of the trees lining the street. Sunlight glistens and sparkles off the wild grass. The flowers are blooming, and the birds are hopping from one branch to another. As if spoofing last night's weather, the sky is clear and cloudless. There's an energy that reverberates through the air. The milkman is all smiles, the paper arrives a wee bit earlier than usual. Your favourite song is playing on the radio, and your dog is wagging his tail at you for no reason. Its one of those mornings when you just know what to do with the rest of your day. This is how 'Blue' would smell. Like a bright morning after a late night shower....

You have taken a bite of that apple, and your teeth are crunching away, as your taste buds absorb in the juice and flavour of the apple. The cucumber vendor couldnt have ever made you any happier. Youre shopping in a busy street, and you've run out of drinking water. You buy a slice of cucumber, dressed with pepper and salt, and it quenches your thirst. You are delighted when the chef has decorated your plate of pasta with colorful slices of bell peppers. It just adds that zing of flavour to your meal. Or the juicy and succulent beans palya that mum made for dinner that just completes your meal of rice and rasam. Thats how 'Blue' would taste. Like a raw fruit or semi cooked vegetable. Crunchy, succulent, juicy and fresh ! 

The soundtrack with only instruments playing in them. The air in your office is stuffy and you feel claustrophobic in your cubicle. You want to get out for a stroll. But the deadlines are stalking you, and you cannot afford to take a break. You reach out for your headphones, and drown yourself in that track with just plain music. Music with no lyrics. So you can make the music say whatever you want to hear. The piano might encourage you, or the Veena will put a rhythm in your fingers as you type commands in that black screen. A soundtrack that says, I love you. Or one that say, its okay, i'm here allright. The track that makes you run up and hug a loved one. Or one that makes you jump up in joy. The one that makes you smile at the next person you meet. A soundtrack that takes you away and gets you where you imagined yourself to be right now. Thats how 'Blue' would sound like. A piece of music with no lyrics, yet, with more meaning than words could hold......


You're bidding goodbye, and you want to thank your aunt. There are few emotions that words can convey, and yet some gestures speak out louder than words. Overwhelmed with gratitude, you give her a hug ! You've met your childhood pal, and you're bidding her goodbye. She's sceptical about where she's going to, and you dont know when you'll see her next. And you give her a tight squeeze in the parking lot. You woken up in the middle of the night, terrified by a nightmare. Your mum reassures you that there are no boogies under the bed. And she hugs you, saying everything's okay. You're waving goodbye at the station, and you wont be seeing him for sometime. You cant do much to display your love and affection here, and you can only garner as much of "I'm gonna miss you. Take care " in a hug. Thats how 'Blue' would feel. Like a warm reassuring hug ....

Cat fight.

The two of them are sitting peacefully. To a passerby, they seem to be at peace with the world. The fat one is engrossed in self-grooming, while the other one, who has a slender body, is trying to catch a nap.

And then, an unexpected fold of events unfolds before your eyes.

Fat one starts off a threatening conversation :

" What are you looking at ? "

The slimmer one looks right and left, and realises that there was no one else to answer that question.

" You talking to me ? "

"Yes, you. No one for miles here, who'd stare at me like that "

" Why ? Whats worth looking at? Just a fat scarred face ! "

" How dare you call me ugly ? !! Take that, you scounderel "

" Oh, you got claws eh ? Guess what, i have talons instead ! "

By now, the fight's gotten pretty intense. They are clawing and gnawing at each other. Someone raises their voice to knock some sense into them , but they pay no heed to it. One of the uncles is sweating, and is fanning himself with a newspaper. Another uncle pulls out a camera and starts taking pictures. A kid asks his dad curious questions about the sounds that are coming from the roof. The dad forbids the kid from going out. People shut their windows, and some curse them. Yet they keep tearing at each other with passion. After some heated exchanges, they settle down for sometime. The neighbourhood has already started complaining. They take a break, with some heated arguements.

" Ah, scared are you ? "

" In your dreams "

A few hours later, they resume their fight in the garden. At night, they pick the backyard of a house. The owners hardly catch a wink that night. No one knows how the fight started, and no one knows how this will end. Since last evening, we have unintentionally been playing hosts to 2 of the most notorious cats in the lane.We have tried throwing water at them, and yet they dont want to halt. This post was loosely based on the assumption that i understand cat-language. Sorry if you thought this was about something else ;)

Ayudha Pooja

Every year, on Ayudha pooja, we wash our vehicles and decorate them with flowers. We smear it with vermilion and turmeric ( which leave annoying stains behind ) and tie lemons to the handles. Some decorate it with balloons while some use plantain leaves too. Buses and trucks get smeared with sacred ash in a 3 line format. Within the privacy of our homes, the mums wash up the knives and sacred swords, if any. My mum even cleans up the TV, taperecorder (which is only used for the radio ), washing machine, fridge and the computer ( She exclaims how filthy the cords are, and plugs out something accidentally ).
So, it got me thinking. Its Ayudha pooja, and we render a pooja service to our vehicle, i.e , vahana. Our vahanas are not ayudha's. We dont defend ourselves against enemies, or use it for protection. Its merely our means for transportation. So why do a Ayudha pooja on the vahana? I wonder when did this tradition of worshipping your vehicles on Ayudha pooja start.
 There are , a section of society, who do own ayudha's. The gundas who have their macchu, laangu  etc .... So do these people do Ayudha pooja for their weapons too ? Does that mean that victims can rest in peace on the day of Ayudha pooja? Or are we at more risk of being burgled on Ayudha pooja, just because all the thugs need to use their ayudha's after the pooja ?
Evolution of our traditions and rituals has brought us to this day when i worship my taperecorder, only because on this day, centuries ago, Arjuna is fabled to have worshipped his weapons before fighting the Kauravas. Ummm... so who do i wage a war against, with the humble assistance of my taperecorder(which is mainly used as a radio) ?

Announcement !

Please note that my blog-pal Iceman's blog,
http://justguru.blogspot.com/ ( INSANITY UNLIMITED )  is now
http://www.insanityunlimited.org/ ( Still called INSANITY UNLIMITED !!! )

I hope you have fun reading Iceman's blog jabber, and spread the Insanity too. !


Cheers, Iceman !

My worst week with Betaal !

I (un)lovingly call my office laptop as Betaal. Its stuck on my back always, its heavy, and its a pain in the ass. Its worse than the real Betaal, because the only moral story I've learnt so far is ALWAYS TAKE A BACKUP !!!

While i was busy carrying the corpse of my laptop across different blocks of building, across different locations in Bangalore, there were other itsby bitsy things that cheered me up. Making a random list ....

* Finding a woolen cap that you wore when you were a kid, and even better, knowing it still looks cute on your head !
* Asking someone if the empty chairs are taken, only to discover that these bunch of scared looking people in neatly ironed formals are your juniors.
* Getting a direct bus home, and being home within an hour, in peak traffic time. In B'lore, that is a BIG deal !
* Pineapple passion icecream sundae ! :P
* Finding an old unused table lamp and finding it perfect for your use.
* Pasta !
* Not missing facebook. Not one bit.

I have also discovered, that the Blue Screen ( of Death ) is my worst nightmare .

Bike ride to Bannerghatta

When i say bike ride, i mean bicycle ride. Montmorency had company this weekend, as we headed towards Bannerghatta National Park. A sizeable 35 kms away from my home, we headed out at 7.30 in the morning. The weather was pleasant - no showers, and the daily commuters were yet to wake up from their weekend slumber. That left the roads empty for us, and after the breakfast at India Coffee House, we started off at around 8.20 a.m with about 25kms ahead of us. Kavs had some trouble with her MTB when the road curved uphill, but despite all the hiccups , she pulled it off well. Vikas' recently punctured tyre posed some hurdles during the first half of the ride, but thanks to a patch up on the way back, things went smooth in the 2nd half. A few pictures from the bike ride.

An idle mind, is the devil's workshop.

There's something about lethargy. It creeps in and infects like a disease. The epidemic starts off at your feet and hands. You refuse to use them. You're putting off getting that glass of water that your throat is craving for. It gropes about and takes control of the rest of your body.
Sometimes, as I sit idly on the sofa, I wonder if my guts have stopped digesting that dosa i gulped down an hour ago. You've seen that movie thrice, exclaims your dad, as he heads out to office. Yet, you lie there, inert, immobile, watching it all over again. A stray cat slips past the hall, using it like a bypass between the house to your left and the house to your right. The two of you carry on with your lives, pretending that the only live thing in the hall is the TV. You cant blame us, its the only one making any noises! The movie is interrupted by a commercial break. You feign interest in shampoos and aerated drinks, but the promotional campaign for the anti-aging cream that looks like an insurance ad in disguise ticks you off. You muster all your strength, pick up that remote, and switch channels. You have 'moved on', like the other ad was encouraging you to.
The music channel interests you for a while, but then you realise that these are actors, pretending to jump,sing and dance. They probably have mundane schedules, and are nothing like their on-screen selves. By this time, you've tuned back into that flick. This process repeats until the movie ends. You havent moved a muscle, and idleness seems like a personal masseur. It feels like therapy-your mind is calm and peaceful. Devoid of mental activity, you feel like your mind has been embalmed. This is when your mind is itching for some exercise. You chide yourself for indulging in a stupid activity and you head out to reform yourself. You look around, and you settle for a book, or you dig deep into the depths of the hard disk of your PC for some productive activity. An hour later, you move on to do something else.

Being engrossed, is just a cousin of lethargy. 

Traditional v/s Modern

A few days ago, me along with another female colleague were discussing about the idea of picking a life partner. The debate was started because of my other team mate's skepticism about the marriage process. Further into the debate, the guy passed a veiled compliment to the other lady, coupled with a beaming smile, how he liked it that she was traditional. ( No flirting involved - the lady in question was happily married and the mother of a rather nasty 3 yr old. ). I dont recollect the exact words, but the words traditional struck me. I wondered if this was because i was in jeans, and she was in salwaar kameez. We tottered back to our stuffy cubicles, while this thought triggered a question in my head. What was the difference between traditional and modern ? The first thing that hit me, was how wrongly these words are associated with attire, rather than thought.

Lets look at what the words traditional and modern mean.

Traditional, means something that is conventional, orthodox, routine. An ancient idea which is still used as a mould. If i do something that has been unquestionably followed for ages, then i'm being stereotypical.
Modern, means something that is ahead of its times. Innovative, unsual. Anything 'modern' has its seeds of origin with the 'traditional'. You cannot be modern, if you havent encountered or experienced the traditional. When you are fed up of the dull and mundane things, you look for a new course. The very basis of human civilization is the need to evolve beyond the barriers. That has always been the cornerstone of every revolution through history.

The thinking process of an individual oscillates between traditional and modern, striving to arrive at an equation that would be convenient. When you have a well set opinion about a thing/person, you tend to base all your judgements on the previous assumptions. You generalize. And in doing so, you narrow down your options. Your brain is trying to simplify the thinking process for you. Lesser options just makes it easier. So when youre sticking to a traditional thinking, its more because its easy. Less effort, and sure results.
Of course, its impossible to not draw conclusions about the nature of a thing/person. But how willing are you to change it ? It just struck me that most conflicts arise because we refuse to accept the changes around us. How open are you, to the other facets ? Once you have the answers figured, you will realise the difference between traditional and modern.

P. S - Credits to Megha, Sanjeeva, Vikas and Maitreya for all the discussions. 

My new bike :)

Say hello, to Montmorency :D

When i grow up, i wanna be a little girl....

Just read an article in today's Hindu, which talked about how adults are intrigued by animated sitcoms. I know these are a class apart from your normal Tom and Jerry shows, but juvenile comedy, or slapstick drollery - i love watching them ! On most days, i leave late to office because of the Simpsons which is on at 10. Munching an apple watching The Simpsons, is one of the most gratifying activities i can ever think of. Takeshi's Castle is possibly one of the very few non-animated shows on TV which are a hit with audiences of all age-groups. As much as dad detests watching Mr.Bean's antics, the look of bewilderment on his face speaks out loud about the doubts he has of my fav shows. There have been times when my folks had to drag me away from homes we visited while i was glued to the TV watching some animated show along with the other munchkins. Was reminded today of this silly show called 'Brum', about a little car-hero, which saves the day. I know its sounds zany, but its feels good to go cuckoo once in a while.
A senior manager at office once confessed over lunch, how he snatched the remote from his kids, shoved them away and locked himself up to watch Tom and Jerry. I find it funny, to imagine this guy, who sends shivers down many a spine, indulging in an hour of Tom and Jerry. Makes me wanna ask him, " You too ???? " :P

P. S : Post-title credits to the poster in my pal's place :)

P.P.S : My "100th" post. Cheers !!! :D

Good conductor, bad conductor...

The rain gods have decided to curb the soaring temperatures this summer. From up there, seated in their gilded thrones, this seems like a simple job. I mean, they dont have to ferry about town clutching umbrellas, or donning raincoats. They dont have to roll up their pants, wade through water coming up to their knees. Or even sit through nasty meetings in dimlit halls worrying about potholes, while the authorities are secretly doing the math about the share of money that should be gliding into their pockets. Yes of course, the Gods are watering our forests all right. Jairam Ramesh may be the minister of environment down here, but up there-no one takes orders from him. We can go on about global warming and shrinking sunspots, but the Rain-Gods do their chores, whenever it pleases them.

They have an attractive array of special effects - there's the visually appealing lightning, and the sonorous thunder that follows it. Hailstones that sometimes look like pearls, to catch the attention of the earthlings. Occasionally, they strike the stray earthlings with their bolts of lightning, very much like we zap those pesky mosquitoes with that tennis bat like thingy. These unfortunate earthlings, find themselves squeezed into a newspaper article the following day, living their 15 mins of fame (ironically) in death. There is an interesting Hungarian proverb to support this - " He who is struck by lightning, doesnt hear the thunder " .  
Mum says she's been hearing more instances of death due to lightning this year, than any of the previous years. So, does that mean that people have evolved to become better conductors ? Sounds more like a TV9 scoop really - " Heegu unte ???!!! " 

Adopt a word !

Save the words !!

The name's Hazare,... Anna Hazare !

If you havent taken notice of the hullaballoo stirred up by Anna Hazare, then allow me to poke you, you thick skinned Dimwit ! This septuagenerian, who can be dubbed as 'Aaj ka Gandhi ' has taken up the brooms to sweep out corruption away from our country. There are grandfathers steering grandchildren to Jantar Mantar, the epicenter of this revolution, so they can witness 'history' in the making. There are 17 yr olds, with permission from school authorities and parents, to support Anna Hazare. The public has clearly demarcated the support they want to receive. Politicos Uma Bharti and Om Prakash Chautala were booed away vehemently, when they tried to join Anna Hazare in his quest.
The web-world is being flooded by online campaigns, tweets, pictures, links being shared and slogans like ' Mera Neta Chor Hai '.
The turn of events in the past week, has generated a lot of opinions. Some propose that bribe be legalised.
This man, has done a lot of things for our country - served in the army, worked for the villages, campaigned for RTI and now against corruption. You can read more about it here.
His philosophies are simple, and focus on development at grass-root level.
Of course, there are various facets to this revolution. We've been fed the updates through our media, who love to play Chinese whispers with us. The true picture, could be telling us a different story. Something like what i read at this site.
I've walked in rallies in Mysore, demanding the abolition of the reservation system. The students all over the country held candle-light vigils to fuel their protests. But the Quota system is too deep rooted in our system, to be eradicated at such short notice. Will the Jan Lokpal bill face the same fate ? Or will it just lose steam, sandwiched between the Cricket world cup and IPL? 

Kleeeshay !!

When you have spent a large portion of your life in Mysore, youre bound to know a lot of people. You keep bumping into them at every nook and corner, like they had been waiting there eternally, like lamp-posts. And more often than not, you wouldn't have met your acquaintances in a long time. Living in the age of computers, these people dont just lurk around the alleys of your city. Theyre very much there, on all the social networking sites, armed with conversations that tend to cover a wide range of topics.
And the rather cliched choice of greetings, is what vexes me most of the time. Do they really mean it, when they say it ??

Hi / Hello 
Most of the time, the general reaction to this salutation would be - " Uh, ohh... ", " He/She remembers me !!!! " , " Did i do something wrong ? " , " Now WHAT !? "


Whatsup !!??
Only Annoying Orange can get away with looking cool after delivering this missile. It usually leaves me puzzled and scratching my head, wondering what would be the most intelligent reply. And this phrase, has a limitation to the people you can hurl it on. You cant be asking your aunt " Whatsuppp ". Same applies to the manager too. Well, it applies to my manager, dunno about the rest of mankind. Usually, the cliched reply to the cliched greeting is "Nothing much... " 


" Hows work going ?? " 
We are all good liars ....

" When are you getting married ?? " 
Yes. I am in 'that' phase of my life ( Sigh ). Thanks for reminding me.

" You've lost so much weight " 
Kindly note-If i am actually telling you this, read between the lines, ladies - I want to know the secret !!!
And if youre telling me this, you gotta be kidding !

" Hows life? " 
Brand-ambassadors of LG, arent we?

I know i'm as much of a culprit of resorting to these cliches as any of you. But i'd like to dedicate this post to all the wonderful conversations i've had with people. People who have moved beyond the cliches :)

Chain reaction...

A few days ago, my room mate was scurrying about the house, covered up in jacket ( the hood on her head ) , slippers on, all decked up for winter, and yet complaining how she wasnt warm enough.
Bangalore was having its coldest Dec 6th in 5 years. 

The Panama canal has been closed up for ships, the traffic being temporarily suspended due to heavy rains. The last instance of the canal being shut was 20 years ago during the US invasion of Panama.

Every time a butterfly flaps its wings in China, there is a hurricane in the Carribean. I think its about time we took our climate changes seriously.



P. S : Sorry for the delay in publishing this post. It was buried amongst my drafts, for lack of a suitable title.