Saturday, August 9, 2008
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Kaam aur Mazdoori
Back from hibernation, I dedicate this post to those years of freedom and wool gathering…when morning time was for bunking classes. When I had the net on my fingertips, had music in my ears and the license to be goofy and LOL.
Well, all good things come to an end… its just that for me, it’s the usual crash boom bang.
My first week at work hit me like a good old cricket ball right on my nose. Balls still flying in the air and amidst all the confusion, some uncomfortable ‘hellos’ and introductions starts my work life.
A life beyond my own life… actually a life ‘beneath’ my usual life. So this is what I figured out just in the first week of work:
• Its all BS.
• None of what you do is going to make any difference to your life
• If the money is good, try to make it to office
• If its not, get a life!
• The only thing that matters is INTERNET
• If your working in a Bank, like me, Go Kill yourself NOW
• If you know to manipulate your system to get Gtalk, pat urself on the back
• Learn to stare at Excel sheets… also learn to sleep while staring
• Abuse the email facility as much as you can… sometimes it’s the only respite
• Reach before the boss if possible
• Be nice to him, but also bitch about him with your colleagues
• Have a long lengthy lunch – its good for your health
• DO NOT work on weekends unless specifically told by the bossman
• Make a face when he asks you to do so
• And someone once told me.. .Bosses usually have bad memory…just work like an ass before a review… Works like Magic! :D
Well, all good things come to an end… its just that for me, it’s the usual crash boom bang.
My first week at work hit me like a good old cricket ball right on my nose. Balls still flying in the air and amidst all the confusion, some uncomfortable ‘hellos’ and introductions starts my work life.
A life beyond my own life… actually a life ‘beneath’ my usual life. So this is what I figured out just in the first week of work:
• Its all BS.
• None of what you do is going to make any difference to your life
• If the money is good, try to make it to office
• If its not, get a life!
• The only thing that matters is INTERNET
• If your working in a Bank, like me, Go Kill yourself NOW
• If you know to manipulate your system to get Gtalk, pat urself on the back
• Learn to stare at Excel sheets… also learn to sleep while staring
• Abuse the email facility as much as you can… sometimes it’s the only respite
• Reach before the boss if possible
• Be nice to him, but also bitch about him with your colleagues
• Have a long lengthy lunch – its good for your health
• DO NOT work on weekends unless specifically told by the bossman
• Make a face when he asks you to do so
• And someone once told me.. .Bosses usually have bad memory…just work like an ass before a review… Works like Magic! :D
Thursday, June 5, 2008
January Rain
I wrote this a couple of years ago on a rainy January day. I was overcome by the beauty of unexpected monsoon in the peak winter time that it was in Delhi. Stuck with a broken heart, I seized the opportunity for a few moments of relief - in these drops of heaven.
I recommend an eponymous song.. 'January Rain' by David Gray to listen to while you read this - maybe then you will feel what i did.
It’s a beautiful day…
No sign of the sun, only heavenly drops of rain washing the earth of all that’s impure and dishonest. Almost like a second chance; to change, to revert and start with a fresh mind and heart.
The rain reveals a new side of who I am.
Almost like flaunting a previously secret shade that has been camouflaged by the mundane life and monotony of the sunshine.
And the blissful combination of the perfect chill and the monsoon give true meaning to some of the most beautiful songs you must have ever heard.
Like the gentle strums of a guitar, that makes you feel, like everything around you just freezes, while you take a walk with your thoughts.
Some songs just seem like they have been made for the rain…Almost as if it would be a sin to enjoy them otherwise.
The rain is magical.
It makes me want to leap and dance without a care of the world. It brings with it fairy dust and sprinkles it every where it trickles.
It makes me want to belong to something. Only what, I don’t know.
It’s so thrilling, it’s almost sad…
I like how the world appears in the milieu of rainfall. An indigo tinge to the malice and evil, makes it invisible, and highlights the concealed beauty of the world around you.
The splendor of a priceless conversation with someone you enjoy talking to, a drive in wild mist, or just curling up, in bed with a book make living worthwhile.
Merely looking out of the window of a car, or sipping coffee in a café, makes the evening so meaningful, certainly not a waste of time.
Ever observed the little drops that trickle down the glass window pane? Don’t they resemble millions of tiny comets bombarding the ground, one after another…Only to make the ambience so magnificent, that it hurts to see them vanish.
There’s something so serene and magical about this day. Almost makes you feel like your falling in love. But with what and who, is the quest.
And I like the quest…because the process is much fun than already having found your target.
Its strange, how, when it rains, your mind automatically turns to thoughts that are placid and wishful.
I dream when it rains…and as ironic as it sounds, I wish it would rain on me…forever.
I recommend an eponymous song.. 'January Rain' by David Gray to listen to while you read this - maybe then you will feel what i did.
It’s a beautiful day…No sign of the sun, only heavenly drops of rain washing the earth of all that’s impure and dishonest. Almost like a second chance; to change, to revert and start with a fresh mind and heart.
The rain reveals a new side of who I am.
Almost like flaunting a previously secret shade that has been camouflaged by the mundane life and monotony of the sunshine.
And the blissful combination of the perfect chill and the monsoon give true meaning to some of the most beautiful songs you must have ever heard.
Like the gentle strums of a guitar, that makes you feel, like everything around you just freezes, while you take a walk with your thoughts.
Some songs just seem like they have been made for the rain…Almost as if it would be a sin to enjoy them otherwise.
The rain is magical.
It makes me want to leap and dance without a care of the world. It brings with it fairy dust and sprinkles it every where it trickles.
It makes me want to belong to something. Only what, I don’t know.
It’s so thrilling, it’s almost sad…
I like how the world appears in the milieu of rainfall. An indigo tinge to the malice and evil, makes it invisible, and highlights the concealed beauty of the world around you.
The splendor of a priceless conversation with someone you enjoy talking to, a drive in wild mist, or just curling up, in bed with a book make living worthwhile.
Merely looking out of the window of a car, or sipping coffee in a café, makes the evening so meaningful, certainly not a waste of time.
Ever observed the little drops that trickle down the glass window pane? Don’t they resemble millions of tiny comets bombarding the ground, one after another…Only to make the ambience so magnificent, that it hurts to see them vanish.
There’s something so serene and magical about this day. Almost makes you feel like your falling in love. But with what and who, is the quest.
And I like the quest…because the process is much fun than already having found your target.
Its strange, how, when it rains, your mind automatically turns to thoughts that are placid and wishful.
I dream when it rains…and as ironic as it sounds, I wish it would rain on me…forever.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Roman Holiday
Just something I clicked while in Rome, last year
and here's my tribute to Rome and its grandeur that changed me forever
Oh Roma!
Oh Roma, my Roma
How the hell did you survive?
The one who burns my CDs today,
I heard he burned u alive
They said beware of thieves,
they said beware of crooks
But they sure didn’t warn me about,
The Roman’s killer looks!
You’re full of the old world charm,
of old buildings and cobbled streets
Sculptures, ice creams and blue skies,
sure are a wanderlust’s treat
I traveled through the Vatican,
circling Mr. Peter’s Square
Saw ol’ Pope, who prayed for hope,
and he said "take good care"
How could I have missed the rest
Of Sistine Chapel’s beauty?
Michelangelo and Raphael’s canvases,
Trapped in my illegal photography!
Behold the Colosseum - the wonder of the world
In the centre of Roma, its own super bowl
Countless slaughtered in the name of entertainment
Guess what!‘The Gladiator’ wasn’t filmed there at all!
And so ended the Roman holiday,
besides the beautiful wish fountain
With a glass of wine and warm spaghetti,
I vowed, I shall surely come again
and here's my tribute to Rome and its grandeur that changed me forever
Oh Roma!
Oh Roma, my Roma
How the hell did you survive?
The one who burns my CDs today,
I heard he burned u alive
They said beware of thieves,
they said beware of crooks
But they sure didn’t warn me about,
The Roman’s killer looks!
You’re full of the old world charm,
of old buildings and cobbled streets
Sculptures, ice creams and blue skies,
sure are a wanderlust’s treat
I traveled through the Vatican,
circling Mr. Peter’s Square
Saw ol’ Pope, who prayed for hope,
and he said "take good care"
How could I have missed the rest
Of Sistine Chapel’s beauty?
Michelangelo and Raphael’s canvases,
Trapped in my illegal photography!
Behold the Colosseum - the wonder of the world
In the centre of Roma, its own super bowl
Countless slaughtered in the name of entertainment
Guess what!‘The Gladiator’ wasn’t filmed there at all!
And so ended the Roman holiday,
besides the beautiful wish fountain
With a glass of wine and warm spaghetti,
I vowed, I shall surely come again
Friday, May 30, 2008
Pleasant Surprise
A strange thing happened to me today as I was driving back home. Stuck at the BRT traffic, I had switched off the ignition and switched on my ipod to a lovely john mayer number.
Earlier that evening, I had picked up a little Disney Princess Doll/Figure which is also a pen, for my mum. This little thing had a furry costume and it felt soft and cotton like on my face. Fell in love with it.
And, at the jam, I picked up the doll, and started playing with it ..
I tried to hang it under the rear view mirror
I moved it over my face
I tried to position it on the dashboard
and... I was also fake writing the lyrics of the song on the steering wheel using the pen.
Little did i know, the driver of the car beside me, was watching me all the time :)
He was a burly man, in his 60s, smoking a cigarette.
I couldn't see him until he shifted towards the front... and so he did, probably in an attempt to fathom - 'who is this silly girl playing like a kid with a toy!'
He looked at me and I looked back. Immediately embarrassed, I looked away. But I did happen to catch a glimpse of a faint smile. I turned back and smiled.
'What a pleasant surprise' I thought. A smiling stranger in Delhi. Definitely a rarity.
Earlier that evening, I had picked up a little Disney Princess Doll/Figure which is also a pen, for my mum. This little thing had a furry costume and it felt soft and cotton like on my face. Fell in love with it.
And, at the jam, I picked up the doll, and started playing with it ..
I tried to hang it under the rear view mirror
I moved it over my face
I tried to position it on the dashboard
and... I was also fake writing the lyrics of the song on the steering wheel using the pen.
Little did i know, the driver of the car beside me, was watching me all the time :)
He was a burly man, in his 60s, smoking a cigarette.
I couldn't see him until he shifted towards the front... and so he did, probably in an attempt to fathom - 'who is this silly girl playing like a kid with a toy!'
He looked at me and I looked back. Immediately embarrassed, I looked away. But I did happen to catch a glimpse of a faint smile. I turned back and smiled.
'What a pleasant surprise' I thought. A smiling stranger in Delhi. Definitely a rarity.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
What's with the World?
I've had enough of this throat slitting news. The stimuli is so strong, mainly because of channels like Aaj Tak, India TV and even Star News, that it haunts me in my dreams these days!
Its constantly bombarding you, whether you like it or not. Hmmm... but its a thing to wonder. How easily people can kill.
Stab wounds, charred bodies, destruction of evidence, delayed justice, rape, duffel bags, affairs, lies and finally regret - some horrifying keywords representing the world these days.
Its still tough for me to believe that a parent can kill their own child, but then in a fit of rage, who's to say what can happen?
It's depressing and a constant fear and feeling of distrust is engulfing all of us in the so called 'kalyug'. Value systems are evanescent and the insidious greed to make quick money is hovering over us like a heavy dark cloud.
However a silver lining emerges in the form of the fight for justice and truth and it saves you from converting into cynicism. The truth, they say, always comes out. So don't fight it.
Its constantly bombarding you, whether you like it or not. Hmmm... but its a thing to wonder. How easily people can kill.
Stab wounds, charred bodies, destruction of evidence, delayed justice, rape, duffel bags, affairs, lies and finally regret - some horrifying keywords representing the world these days.
Its still tough for me to believe that a parent can kill their own child, but then in a fit of rage, who's to say what can happen?
It's depressing and a constant fear and feeling of distrust is engulfing all of us in the so called 'kalyug'. Value systems are evanescent and the insidious greed to make quick money is hovering over us like a heavy dark cloud.
However a silver lining emerges in the form of the fight for justice and truth and it saves you from converting into cynicism. The truth, they say, always comes out. So don't fight it.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Match Point
Imagine this. A helicopter shot of a stadium, fully illuminated...the cacophony of thousands of people chanting slogans...red dots scattered on a green canvas, at the centre of everyone’s attention.
Two soldiers dressed in blue emerge and suddenly the sound intensifies… and then the lull before the storm. All eyes focused on where the ball goes and in the next moment, the sound levels have shot right through the roof, to give company to the little white ball.
Yes, this would be the point where Sachin has just hit a sixer.
The point of making this illustrious beginning is just to say that I saw my first ever live cricket match! In a country where cricket is a second religion, the experience made me feel like a child again.
It’s amazing what watching a match can do for you…to let out all your frustrations by cheering for your team, maybe even cursing the opposing team. To be in the company of thousands of people, as eager as you for something to happen with whom you share a common emotional and physical status.
It’s all instantaneous. The anticipation of the next moment is a thrill in itself. It’s therapeutic. The entire atmosphere was so alive, as if it was the epicenter of something grand. If the term ‘pulse of the nation’ means nothing to you, I recommend an evening in the company of total strangers watching 22 men play under the spotlight.
The band and cheerleaders add the excitement to the atmosphere and I realized that it is one place where you can let yourself free, out there just like a complete hooligan.
Why I said earlier, that I felt like a child was because I was reminded of this cricket board game I used to have as a child and me and my brother have beautiful memories and countless fights over it, and here I was a spectator, staring at the same board game, only this time, it was real, and they had colored jerseys :)
Two soldiers dressed in blue emerge and suddenly the sound intensifies… and then the lull before the storm. All eyes focused on where the ball goes and in the next moment, the sound levels have shot right through the roof, to give company to the little white ball.
Yes, this would be the point where Sachin has just hit a sixer.
The point of making this illustrious beginning is just to say that I saw my first ever live cricket match! In a country where cricket is a second religion, the experience made me feel like a child again.
It’s amazing what watching a match can do for you…to let out all your frustrations by cheering for your team, maybe even cursing the opposing team. To be in the company of thousands of people, as eager as you for something to happen with whom you share a common emotional and physical status.
It’s all instantaneous. The anticipation of the next moment is a thrill in itself. It’s therapeutic. The entire atmosphere was so alive, as if it was the epicenter of something grand. If the term ‘pulse of the nation’ means nothing to you, I recommend an evening in the company of total strangers watching 22 men play under the spotlight.
The band and cheerleaders add the excitement to the atmosphere and I realized that it is one place where you can let yourself free, out there just like a complete hooligan.
Why I said earlier, that I felt like a child was because I was reminded of this cricket board game I used to have as a child and me and my brother have beautiful memories and countless fights over it, and here I was a spectator, staring at the same board game, only this time, it was real, and they had colored jerseys :)
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