SENTIENCE

And yet.....

2011-08-11T23:27:00.000-07:00

When thoughts shroud in narrow walls of emotions
When rationale traps in hearts dark n blue
When feelings refuse to bloom out in daylight
Its then when dusk sets its hue.....

You mean the world to me
But world meant world to you
You became my cause to be
And I remained someone for you.....

And yet when I think of you my lips purse in smile
And yet when it rains,you touch me deep within
And yet when sun rises I tend to feel your warmth
And yet when I feel beautiful,I know its you looking!

Today..

2010-07-12T04:33:00.000-07:00

A lot has been happening recently....in my life and around that it....

For the nth time I shall not apologise for not being regular in the blogosphere...let me just face it...I cannot be regular here any more..the knack's just gone! But yes , I am going to ramble around here whenver I feel like sharing some thoughts ...

Like today...

I wondered this morning (beautiful weather by the way!) what is it that keeps us going....i am a lot less excited with life than what I used to be...and yet a lot more than what my mum currently is....age? life norms ? boredom?
This life has its own charm...its own uniqueness...and I appreciate it all....

What's going on in my mind now? --- why do good things not always happen to good people?....why do some people meet with such fatal accidents and yet smile..to what peace? why will so many odd people I know, do , now that Spain's won it?!

I am rambling utter gibberish...I need to stop...
Till next time.....

Randomness

2010-03-13T21:15:00.000-08:00

Moments pass by...lurking through pastures of the mind
Memories speed by...embossing traces forever...

The room's alone...my mind wanders
Cuddling into myself I delve deeper...

If the world were lonesome and existence futile
If ties were bland or emotions hollow

What would I be..what would anyone be...
What would this world be..what would be humanity!

Life's like that!

2009-07-23T08:58:00.000-07:00

A friend suggested that I post something about hard-yearned monsoons on my blog.That kinda made me realise the truth in this axiom I had heard long back ( I might not be accurate when I quote it)

"Thank God there's "the" weather...otherwise at least 70% people in the world would not have anything to talk about"

Very true - I'd say! How many times have you met a stranger and not known how to start a conversation or met a long lost friend only to realise weather's the only common topic apt for the moment? I am usually a comfortable conversationalist - with people I rarely know and people who're close to me alike.But then I wouldn't deny the wonders "weather" has done for starters!

Now that I have "started" the post with this weather talk - let me pen down my current chain of thoughts! I have been wondering on futility of showbiz , on age and on women's obsession with shopping! Reasons? Well,here goes.....

I am still not out of the shock of MJ's demise - with so many rumours about his life and death.....I still hope that someday he moonwalks before the public eyeto reveal a publicity "stunt"! I know I'm being a fool - but who cares!What is the use of being so famous , the greatest showman and yet have such a meaningless and hollow existence?

I was out with family last weekend and met quite a few people after several years! I was amazed at how they have changed - lookwise ! Realised that age doesn't spare anyone - no wonder everyone yearns for the "Philosopher's stone".

Shopping!!!! Any number of exclamation marks would fall short of how amazed I am.I confess I am unlike most women in this respect.I hate the rush and the claustrophobia of shopping.My friend pulled me to this "Sale" yesterday and I tell you - I have never been so irritated. Trial rooms were available...well..at a comfortable waiting time of half hour!How much do people buy and in such poor times!
Oh and remarkable observation here - the men's trial rooms were empty as ever! Hence proved!

Well that's all for tonite. I should hopefully be back with more ideas and their fertile manifestations sooner than I got back this time :)

Till then - ADIOS!

A short ride back in time...

2009-07-15T00:06:00.000-07:00

It was morning time yesterday – clouds and sun played hide and seek as it usually does this time of the year at my side of the planet…. I was in a hurry as usual, heading towards the bus stop – on my way to work…. I usually love such weather but this seemed an unusually un-romantic day to me….thanks to the numerous thoughts that have been keeping me pre occupied over the past few days..

I would not have noticed anything on my way, given a chance … I was unreasonably late……when suddenly I glanced upon this small child …. Aged at most six, wearing a well pleated school uniform, hair tied up in neat ponytails, a perpetual smile on her face….but what caught my attention was her tiny finger clutching onto her father’s index finger…..what complete submission…what sense of absolute security …. What a rocking life!

Tracing down my memory lanes…..I could not help remember my days in montessori….the pleasure that filled my heart when daddy picked my school bag and the only load I had was a tiny water bottle…I still remember how much I jabbered when he and I walked past avenues…I still remember the beautiful smell of freshly baked bread from the bakery on the way....I still remember the games we'd play at "tiffin-break"!

Why on earth do we grow up! Why do we have to mature and start understanding the complications in life! Why do we have to make decisions and regret/ revel in their aftermath?

I wish I remained a child at heart for ever – unscathed by the perturbations of the world , untarnished by the darkness that accompanies adulthood…..I wish I could “return to innocence”………..

Adieu!

2009-07-03T10:53:00.000-07:00

I have been feeling very sad of late....and for a cause that's mourned millions of people over the world.....

Death has never felt so bitter....for someone I've never met...for someone who didn't even know I existed...

I watched his recorded interviews,heard his songs many many times over...since June25th...the minimum I can do for a superstar..in the true essence of the word!I don't care what the allegations or rumours were...that seriously is none of my concern(or of most people who spread them)...but I sincerely salute his musical genius!

There never was any star of this magnitude...which even the cynics acknowledge...at least posthumously!

There would be no one to "Rock with" us anymore,no one to "Beat it!".....and yet I'm going to go by his once-so-famous lyrics...."Don't stop till you get enough"!

RIP MJ!

To my fairy!

2009-03-01T08:07:00.000-08:00

"It is never death because they live in your heart forever."

She was forever my fairy...my confidante...my friend for life!My childhood transcended into youth in her arms...my dreams were born with her....they evolved into their chrysalis with her touch..Her stories made my eyes grow wider and my fantasies soar higher....

I know she loved me the most ,though she never spoke it aloud....she never did...she never expressed herself in words...She was like my deepest feeling which is subtle but is very special....the void of which drains the vitality out of you...such was her presence.

No one's going to whisper sweet bedtime stories to me any more...no one's going to dream about my future as she did..no one's going to pray for me silently and lovingly as did my grandmother....I miss you didu!

You're going to be a part of my life always....in whatever I do or say,you'll be with me...guiding me and taking me through the terrains forever....
I love you....May you find peace...

If.............

2008-12-20T07:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had participated in a quiz at work..partly to break away from the monotony of life and partly to know if my IQ level has already hit a century or not!

But there was this one question which particularly caught my attention.It goes thus....Francis Crick remarked "I've got the secret of life" after discovering what? ...I did answer this(For those who came in late...Its the DNA structure that builds us all up!)...But it got me thinking...

What , after all , is the secret of life...?????I am still thinking...

Perhaps the only answer that's felt nice so far is this song I heard as a child:
"If I were a butterfly, I'd thank you Lord for giving me wings,
If I were a robin in the tree,I'd thank you Lord for I could sing.....

...
But I thank you Lord for making me ...me!"

This I feel is the secret of life....

Trains , travel and terror!

2008-11-28T03:54:00.000-08:00

Train journeys always fascinate me....the motion,the food,the view,the smell - almost everything about Samuel Homfray's invention attracts me...

I am back after a short holiday and travelled by train after almost an aeon!But I absolutely love the feeling - especially the middle berth, the "jhal muri"(for those whose taste buds have been deprived of this ethereal pleasure, this is THE snack for you),the moving scenery(alright I know my science right,but then this is poetic license),the curves it takes so that you can see the engine ---- its all in good taste!

There was experience of all kinds this time round....there was this one vendor who, perhaps is the biggest miser I've ever seen....fighting for every bit of peanut(literally!)...and there was this one railway guy who got us good food on request, simply because he agreed with our complaint on the food being tasteless...Yeah!this trip was a fulfilling one...the Big fat Indian wedding celebrations smeared with yours' truly turning a year older...a nice week I'd say!

But I'm upset today...after the attacks that rocked Mumbai, India's business capital - I fail to understand how anyone could derive pleasure out of killing innocent people who've neither caused them any harm nor done any wrong to deserve a death as painful as this...There have been attacks all over the country in the recent past - Jaipur, Guwahati, Ahmedabad, Bangalore....the list is frightening.........

I fear this is the beginning of dark times -- the dark times J K Rowling so vividly painted with Potter is finally haunting the Muggle world...But whatever it may be, it shakes my trust in mankind! I like to believe I'm a philanthropist....but incidents like these perturbs my morale, my very being...

We really need to do something...what?I'd perhaps never know...I do not know why, how and when innocent minds think the way it is...for that matter I never understand why we have wars....I've said that umpteen times in my blog and otherwise....But this kind of killing needs to be stopped!!

May God bless those who've lost anything or anyone over these absolutely baseless issue...May God rest the souls of all deceased for no fault of theirs...May good sense prevail among all who believe killing and terror can solve any issue! Amen!

Dreams and Ruminations Inc.

2008-11-04T20:58:00.000-08:00

When you don’t blog regularly for a long time, you often tend to run short of topics to blog on when you resume. Perhaps that’s what happened to me these days….But today I decided, I shall blog on whatever my mind’s occupied with this very moment.

I got up this morning with a headache (caused by a disgusting nightmare)! May be I should blog about nightmares….or better still about dreams…I fail to understand why we dream…Researches say its our chain of thoughts in the subconscious minds which erupt as dreams…Parapsychologists claim its our future/past that manifests into reality in the dreams….I frankly have never analyzed them….but just that these thoughts usually stay with me the entire day and keep haunting me(Oh yes the good ones too!)…
So may be my blog friends could elaborate on these bizarre things….that they call DREAMs!

Another thing that caught my mind this morning was a picture on the front page of the newspaper…It bore profile pictures of the two most talked about men of the moment – Mr McCain and Mr Obama….But what I was most intrigued by was a teardrop rolling down Obama’s cheek…..for his personal loss!

This I thought was unfair – bringing someone’s personal moments before public eye! Whatever a person’s celebrity status is, he deserves some amount of privacy .The man has lost someone dear….why should that be brought to public notice? For publicity? For sympathy or for defamation? Definitely not fair….But that’s not how everyone thinks I guess….perhaps that’s why the media’s shrieking about every possible pro and con – private or public to get to where it matters!

I am going to sign off for the time being and get back to work! But you readers…give this a thought! Adios!

Utopia

2008-10-22T04:38:00.000-07:00

A colleague of mine introduced me to these lines…thought I’d share it with my blog:

“Imagine there’s no country, it isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for and no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer but I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us and the world will be as one”
Imagine - JOHN LENNON

I felt these lines were lovely- utopian but beautiful! Only a dreamer could say this – someone who loves life and the world!

Wouldn’t this be great? – to be in a world that has no barriers – no military, no war , no politics and no killing…….Wouldn’t it be lovely to believe in one force that protects us and not in numerous religions?

Thankfully, I have been born in a family where I was taught to believe in goodness of a religion rather than the orthodoxy of it…but how do you blame those who weren’t? How do you blame people who think wars are a way of protesting for all the bad that ever happened to anyone? They were brought up that way….not their fault…but the world suffers for them….

We, humans, can’t fight destiny – we can’t resist natural disasters or poverty or death …..But there are some things we can …..we can dissolve class barriers , we can forgive people who mistakenly caused harm to us , we can trust people who live around us, , we can smile at the hungry child who lives by the road , we can spread love to people who need it the most….these are things in our hand…..things that will make this world a better place to live in…..a world which will be “One”……..someday………

Memoirs of days gone by........

2008-10-16T23:45:00.001-07:00

This morning one of closest friends just mailed in…unexpectedly, I’d say (knowing her). Her mail kind of re-ignited memoirs of those days gone by in good ol’ Bangalore.

Weird-we can’t recreate those days of travelling miles to have breakfast at Koshy’s, of chain mailing over 4 days to plan a weekend of doing nothing, of booking first day first shows at Rex and forgetting tickets at home!

I miss Bangalore today- I miss those people who made it beautiful…I miss those moments of anxious longing for weekends to come. I miss those initial days of earning and those flaunting moments at Fiorano .I miss gaming around at Brew haha and gorging at Mast Kalandar. I miss it all!

So today when I read A’s mail, I could contain myself….memories are sweet but more so haunting. Manipal was like experiencing the world…but Bangalore taught me how to enjoy it! Life’s been good so far….and its going to change forever sometime soon….But I’m always going to have a very special place for Bangalore deep down !

This goes as a thank you note to all you people who made Bangalroe so special….Thanks guys for those late night sandwiches, for those petty squabbles over TV, for those walks along avenues unknown, for chats longer than Hutch could hope, for exploring Forum more than its architects did and for Brigade road window shopping more than I’d ever imagine…Thank you all!

The bus I missed

2008-09-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

This post goes for all those times that someone has missed the bus...like I just did... its a miserable feeling...especially when you're running after it half out of breath half red with embarrassment of onlookers....and it runs past your nose...

Life's like that!!!We miss oppurtunities so many times....time and again.....
The boss comes up with a rocking project ahead of you and you have your granny wanting to spend time with you....The paper you wrote is to be read at a renowned convention and you're all set for a vacation with family....The photoshoot you've been longing for is finally here and you wake up that morning with a swollen cheek.....happened to us all sometime or the other...rite??

I believe its about prioritising one's life...you just have to know what comes first for you...very individualistic though it is....but its as important to know that as it is to know oneself...

I know I'm jabberring gibberish but trust me ,my friend, that is precisely what you do when you miss your bus and are standing on the streets stranded and utterly irritated with yourself!!!

Back with a Bong!!!

2008-09-17T00:04:00.000-07:00

I still remember the enthusiasm with which I had begun blogging......writing down almost everything that was happening to me..every feeling that would strike a chord....incoherent and yet meaningful chain of thoughts all penned down under my blog....

And then,I guess, I grew up....and voila....I was suddenly so busy..there was work everywhere..life just got to going to work and back...exhausted and dying for sleep..

Not true!! One can never be so busy as not to find time for oneself...never so engaged so as to not notice how one's moving on in life....never so occupied to not know how we gradually grace ourselves towards senility...

I believe its just a pretence we all like to put on...a facade of the "busy" me to perhaps make oneself believe that our life's in a standstill puddle of "busy" engagements....But that's NOT true,for Christ's sake!

So may be this is my moment of realisation...a moment when I realise college memories look really distant...school memories almost minuscule..when I realise that life's soon progressing towards a phase when I might not be the same again...when I realise how I have to cling onto things that make me happy,things that excite me,things that remind me of the small joys of life.........and so I'm back to blogging....

I know this post is no where close to "Back with a bang" feel...but at least its a decent start....its a nice moonlit night in a completely mesmerising California lagoonside..and here I am blogging away to glory!!!

Its time to awaken my Sentience all over again...

The Great Indian Cricketing Circus!

2008-04-26T14:53:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time….long long ago… I used to be a frequent blogger...the frequency being a respectable 3-4 posts a week…..

And today when I “dropped by” my own blog after aeons, it actually took me a couple of minutes to recall what my last post was all about!!! Deterioration of blogger spirit is probably the only cause of it all… ’Cos being “busy” would probably be a very very common excuse.

A lot of things have changed since I last posted in my blog…. One thing in particular that I’d like to mention: The Indian Premiere League.

IPL has become the “IT” thing now… well… here’s yours truly opining on it all (the world’s been waiting for it after all)...Some stinking rich businessmen / so called “stars” buying a whole bunch of men claiming to be the torchbearers of a Gentlemen’s game…that’s what IPL is all about. I wouldn’t really mind if they called it just another bout of entertainment mania…But no!!! Our nouveau riche insists on calling it “Cricket” – for God’s sake! This isn’t what 22 extremely talented men need for sheer publicity….

I am definitely not the most deserving person to comment on cricket – especially when I cannot not even tell an LBW in a shot ….but I surely love to watch the game …and that gives me a license to comment!

I have nothing against entertainment and sports being mingled….but then that shouldn’t be at the cost of the game…Its okay when sportsmen walk the ramp or even endorse products ….. Understandable thirst for money and fame….

All I am asking is to keep entertainment out of the field….not at least when the matches are on… with the immense number of film stars to focus on , our lens men often miss out on action replays of important shots!!! With the cheerleaders stealing the remaining bit of attention, the other day a journalist interviewed common men who didn’t even know which player belonged to which team!Please keep the game sane, so what if the videos put major film promotions to shame….

Certain things are best when kept at their sophisticated self… Perhaps cricket is just one of them….

Memoirs of an MITan

2008-02-19T03:56:00.000-08:00

I have been a tremendously irregular blogger over the past few months….and this time there is no one else to blame….

But a thought crossed my mind the other day…..and voila!! I found myself craving to blog again….

Its been almost three years since we passed out of college….(Oh yes!! I feel old all over again….) The use of plural here is deliberate. I’m talking about my gang of friends….. Life moves on…..and “we” have moved on too….

Deeps is happily married ….. Whosoever knew she’s go in for arranged marriage. Well, she now has an investment banker to boast of and an incredibly bright academic career ahead. She’s probably long past our college days……But I’d like to thank her for waiting relentlessly with a car when we bored her with our make up comments – for making noodles for me when I needed it the most – for running up and down the corridor to watch a particular song on TV on my request ( I understand the readers wouldn’t make anything out of this jabber … but this was a so to say “tribute” to Deeps alone)

SRC is studying / working (well I have frankly never understood what this woman is ever upto) ….. She’s a Boston girl now. I’d however like to remember her as a curly haired teddy ( I know you’re on the verge of killing me now SRC!!! Achtung!!) (in)famous for her gurgling walk down the hostel corridor… I would probably never understand a lot of things that she did….and perhaps that’s what makes her so special…You could talk to her after a decade and still never feel the gap…… A woman of substance---almost literally!

Manavi , too is a working lady now….pretty and lovable as ever….someone who was a delight to meet from day one….and who always shall be…. I’ll treasure her forever…

Aishu’s someone I’d always thank Manipal for….I’m glad I found a friend in her… She’s moved on in life in all possible perspectives….but I know she’s always going to be within my reach….whenever I need a friend….She’s like a recurring thing that keeps reminding you of its presence at almost every moment of your life…She’s impacted me in ways she or I would probably never know…..and for all that…Thanks would never be enough….. Love you Aishu!!

There’s a string of people I’d like to mention as I reminisce my hostel days….days of hanging out at those small eateries around college….days of burning the midnight oil (awrite...Electricity) for those EM assignments….days of chatting all night long on an issue so trivial that even short term memory refuses to store them….. But time’s the culprit…I got to stop….and as I stop I can’t help smiling to myself…. Boy!!! What fun days those were…..

Hail Pujo!

2007-10-03T18:29:00.000-07:00

One of my initial posts had something that I had to say about Durga Puja and how I missed it then. This Pujo (as we “Bongs” prefer calling it) I, thankfully, don’t have to mourn thus!!!! I am all here in Kolkata raving to enjoy every moment of the festival that so precisely describes the Bengali fervor

Pujo is much more than a mere festival to Bengalis( I remember reading a Vir Sanghvi article in which he defines a Bengali as one who’s ever had anything to do with Bengal)….But then each festival is special to one who celebrates it! So let me put what I personally feel about Pujo instead of a generic description of it……

I have been more of a cosmopolitan for most of my life. I would probably have spent only a handful number of Pujos in Kolkata….but even that memory is flabbergasting!! Be it the frenzy that drives people (count me among those too, readers) as if this is the first time they’ve been to a store since lightening struck all their clothes or the suffocating crowd that rushes before the pandals(read: designed arenas where the idol is worshipped…..actually it’s a lot more than I can describe) …….the Pujos have it all. It is perhaps the only festival that satiates the hysteria we Bengalis are so infamously famous for!!

I feel Pujo in the mellow fragrance of Autumn winds, in the blue of the sheath above, in the smell of new clothes, in the rumbling of the dhhak( read: Bengali version of drum) around in the anticipation of the Bengali heart within....I feel Pujo everywhere….

An ode to the Potter fan in me......

2007-08-31T12:48:00.000-07:00

I know I have been shamefully laid-back about blogging over the last few days…..but that’s because there’s been a lot of new things happening in my life….

Awrite…I do not plan to bore you busy bloggers with tales of a 24 year old’s life. But as usual, I’d like to share my thoughts….

I’m reading (actually I’m going to complete it today, I know , that’s slow….) Harry Potter (7)…..And the avid Potter fan that I am, I keep pondering over it for quite sometime during the day…..

At the risk of being a spoiler (I assume most, interested to read, have already read it), I think I expected a lot more from this book than what it gave me. There were answers to all questions alright. But the unpredictability was somehow lost. Blame it on the (unnecessary, I daresay) hype surrounding its release or my over-estimation, I confess that this book has not lived up to my excitement.

I have always vehemently opposed Potter cynics when they said it was just another over-hyped story book. I stick by that even today. Its not!!! It is undoubtedly a well framed creation by a lady who knows exactly how to touch the chord of one and all…..But there’s absolutely no denying that Madame Rowling has tried to mix elements from (fairy) tales all over the world….and has been somewhat successful in that ,may I add….I feel, however, the essence and innocence of the initial few books has been progressively diminishing….

I am enjoying every bit of the book…..but somewhere deep down it has failed to satiate what I was looking forward to….I know that’s absolutely abstract….but that’s how it is….

For the heck of being with “the boy who lived” till the very end (I doubt that very much though)….go get yourself a copy!!!

Home again....

2007-07-04T10:26:00.000-07:00

Finally!!!
Finally I’m posting after a hiatus….finally its raining like crazy here…finally I am home.

Today I do not have any string of thought or any opinion to express….Today it’s just a feeling I’d like to share….

I have been away from home for about 6 years now…almost felt like a guest in my own house…with delicacies being prepared every time I came, with tasks being listed down for every moment that I stayed, with relatives complaining my lack of social interaction during the few days that I graced my presence at home. Being at home was almost synonymous to holidays for me…..and somewhere deep down that wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted to be at home- literally and beyond.

So today that I am here….. (Touchwood) but I’m loving it. Screaming roadies, honking buses, water-logged streets, and humidity – no one in their right state of mind would call this bliss. But I do. I do because this is where I want to be….this is where I need to be…and this is where I have to be.

I doubt if I’m making much sense to readers…Pardon me for this abstract piece of writing…but as I said my “Sentience” shall only reflect my state of mind….and this is exactly how it is.

Yes, I am home.

Education or ignorance?

2007-05-28T11:46:00.000-07:00

Long time ago when yours truly was in school (I love acting old. Don’t I??) , there existed one concept. It was mainly cultivated by those cynics who claimed that it’s difficult to score good marks in state board. Hence ICSE or CBSE (both being national level boards for secondary / higher secondary education) was “simpler” compared to the prevalent state board. I vehemently opposed to the concept that time, perhaps because I was in ICSE board myself.

But the fact remains that our education system needs to be revised. My humble opinion is that all boards should be merged into one. Probably that would be the only answer to this inconsistency existing in the nation. Marks are disbursed among students like crazy!! How does this system recognize true merit if almost 60% students from a school get +90% marks in their boards?

Another concern remains the introduction of English as a language in fifth standard in Government schools. I am not aware of the current implementation of this rule in the country. But I feel it’s absolutely horrendous to imagine a kid would waste first few years of his academic life learning sweet-nothings. However he would always expected to be as competent in the language as others who live by English since they step in schools. Generally the morale of the former is lower when he faces the world after a decade…a world where English is the lingua franca!

But I prefer being an optimist. I loved one particular line from a popular movie I watched in recent past. They say that no country is perfect; the citizens have to strive to make it so. True…..
It’s very easy to criticize and to leave the country for our own growth ….What is difficult is to stay here…to implement all the progressive ideas that breed in an educated mind. I hope someday we all realize that…Say Amen!

The fan.......

2007-05-25T14:20:00.000-07:00

Typically I should call this post to be “inspired” by this particular write-up I read. These days I have been reading “Chicken Soup for Working Women”(Awrite there…..Don’t laugh at me)…Nice inspirational stories-yes…..But I read them for the real life ones which are everyday stories like those Readers’ digest stuff I usually like.

So there was this article about a working mother, also a single parent to a two year old. She talked about how she would strive hard to stuff the kid with toys / objects that could keep him busy and her free for other chores….till one day when she told him to watch the ceiling fan whilst she did other work… And then he pulled her to watch the fan so as to provide her with respite from those humdrum stuff…..

I could completely relate to this bit. Very often we tend to get so occupied in our daily lives that we forget to live in the present….I do not remember watching a starlit sky in years now…or observing a butterfly sitting on the wall before me…..or smelling the first rain….Though I love them all….Then what am I aiming for, in life???

Blame all these so-to-say boring posts on those philosophical pangs that occasionally trouble me nowadays. But I have reserved this blog to express my state of mind…I have to push off now. I was allowed only these ten minutes of spare time to spend on my thoughtful stances. Enough for the day. I guess?!! :)

But really…..I would love to watch the ceiling fan rotate one day….minus thoughts of the past failures or future endeavors…of meetings I goofed up….of appointments that await me….I would love to live in the present moment…one day!!!!!

BrewHaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-05-21T14:57:00.000-07:00

How many times have you tried out your mommy/daddy’s clothes as a kid? How many times have you tried on those attractive looking bottles of cosmetics and perfumes (okay this one’s for the girls alone) or dad’s shaving foam (you get who this is for …don’t you?!!!)?

I just happened to revisit all those days of fascination and apprehensions for adulthood…..all those moments of secret pleasure in imagining oneself as a grown-up…..all those pangs of ire on listening the same old “After you grow up kiddy!” rebuff.
And why!??!...you may ask.

I was walking to office the other day when I saw this seven/eight year old child striving real hard to reach the foothold of his cycle. Absolutely nonchalant about the bulk of an adult sized vehicle this child kept falling and grasping onto the paddle time and again. Every time he managed to reach to the paddle a satisfied smile flashed to reveal a broken set of milk teeth!!

Life’s all about getting what we don’t have…..and then lamenting on what we lost. All through my childhood and adolescence I yearned to be an adult …..And now that I am one….. I wish I were a kid again….Probably it’s this longing mixed with boredom that predominantly engulfs our lives, I landed up indulging in some unadulterated fun this weekend.

So yesterday some of us friends went to this new hangout in Bangalore called "BrewHaHa" to (hold your breath now) play!!! And play what???....Games those were so integral of our growing up years….Lovely moments to cherish, some amazing hours with your loved ones and good food!!! BrewHaHa’s all about that and more.

I strongly recommend the place for people who are game for some serious fun. Only regret: I wish I could have spent more time there with some friends I miss every moment nowadays…Guys- I wish our college days were back!!(See there….again I wish something….Didn’t I tell you??)

Who are they????????

2007-05-16T05:32:00.000-07:00

This thought has been bothering me from quite sometime now…….What is being a celebrity all about???

It’s sometimes so funny the way these people (I hope calling them “people” doesn’t offend them) behave. Please do not get me wrong here. I have nothing against “them”. It’s just that their “holier than thou” attitude totally irks me.

I’m sure their work demands a lot of hard work and arouses hell lot of curiosity among us lesser mortals. I’m sure they often sacrifice basic joys of life as a price for fame. I’m sure they hate (actually here I’m not that sure!! :)) being hounded by paparazzi at each moment of their lives……

But what my otherwise logical mind cannot justify is their severe attitude problem. I mean, being a celeb does not entitle them to consider themselves super-natural (oh u bet they do!!!)…..Being able to get front-seat passes at award functions when other commoners are sweating it out at the back to get a glimpse of these “stars” is no license for them to behave as if they own the world.

I do not know if this attitude prevails only among the glamour world citizens or among all famous people in general…..But this definitely needs attention. As I read in a magazine the other day, these actors are becoming more of “people” than “stars”…Probably if we compare an “Audrey Hepburn” with an “Angelina Jolie” or a “Sridevi” with a “Preity Zinta”…yes they are…..But I am certain there’s still a long way to go.

After all, the toil that a daily-wage earner invests is as much as a film actor would put in…if not more!!! So what if both eat meager meals (one out of compulsion and other out of fancy!!)……Well, inequality is all life’s all about, I guess……..

My Sentience personified.......

2007-05-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

My mum remarked the other day that somehow the word “ma” (in whatever form/language it may be) exudes a feel of security, warmth and unconditional love. She was probably missing my grandma (her mum) a bit too much that day…..

But those words really got me thinking. ….And this post shall have all those threads of thoughts that got me pensive after ages that day….

If I may bore you readers with a small walk down my memory lane, I’d like to share this small incident here. I had once met this nun (Pardon my amnesiac head here…can’t mention her name) as a kid. She happened to say something which has somehow left a mark in my heart, probably forever.

She told me that all mothers are special-but that mine was a little more. I’m sure each one of us would like to believe so. But since this is my post I’d like to tell you why I feel so (Readers please do share your thoughts about the same).

Today, when I can proudly and humbly (whoa!!!What a paradox) call myself a career woman, I do realize the importance of being on one’s own feet...The feeling of being able to wake up each morning to know that you would have to rush to work, the feeling of buying your dear ones cute li’l things with your own salary, the feeling of knowing that you are revered at your workplace…..the feeling of creating a niche for your own self is simply ecstasy! I understand that today.

And to be able to achieve all that and then give it up just for your child is something I call grit. A lawyer of my mum’s caliber could have soared high today….To give up all that and more so as to let your child grow up as an able human being is something that sure deserves appreciation.

So this goes as a thank-you note to her this “Mothers’ Day”.

Thank you for everything Ma!!!

“For I know the plans I have for you”

2007-05-10T16:26:00.000-07:00

Of late I have been visiting quite a few blogs…And as I discover the thoughts of fellow beings, I can’t really help thanking God for what I have!!!

True, life hasn’t been a bed of roses so far…There have been moments of pique and failures…..There have been bouts of monotony….and pangs of untoward thoughts. There have been times I’ve complained of so many things that I almost sounded like Calvin (of C&H fame of course)….

And yet when I came across this article about Nick Vujicic, I realized how kind life’s been. I remember this poem I read as a child (and I’m sure many of you readers might just have glanced over it). It was a child’s confession as to how she complained of her ugly feet or eyes till she saw a lame or blind person…I remember the poem had got me thinking with that tiny little brain of mine even then….Nick Vujicic reminded me of the same poem all over again…..May his kind continue to motivate us earthlings……He sure is an exemplary creation of God!!!!This was a quote on his website(do take time out to check out the link):

Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Kudos to all those who dare to dream ….to those who achieve them and all those who don’t!!!!

The Catcher in the Rye

2007-04-26T20:54:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading “The Catcher in the Rye” this morning. “A cult book” as one of my friends calls it…
An absolute marvel…I am so glad I read it…..So I just had to write about it in my web space!!!

There’s hardly any point writing about the story as I assume I’m one of those unfortunate few to have read this book so late in my life (Boy! !!Do I sound old??!!).But the subtlety in the book’s fascinating…if you happen to get them…. that is….

Frankly speaking, I’ve never been intrigued by the “inner meanings” of many books. But this one was an exception. How a 17 year old’s interpretation of the world and its people could actually reveal the futility of the conventional norms of society is amazing!!

The protagonist, Holden Caulfield, hardly ever misses calling people “phony” (I suppose that’s the most frequently used term in the novel).His world almost collapses as he realizes his solitude and seclusion from most people in the world (except maybe his sister Phoebe).Apparently its just a teenager talking about few days of “freaking out” .The subtle meaning however, is indicative of how our world’s so pretentious and weird.

I thought the title was absolutely apt. It’s from a Thomas Burns’ poem containing these words whereby a catcher stands all day at the cliff “catching” any child who’d fall off the gorge. It explains Holden’s state of mind where he wants to protect a child’s mind from the atrocities of adulthood….or maybe his own self.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves to read (and hasn’t already read it!!).I enjoyed the book and hope you do so too….

For a better world.......

2007-04-16T06:12:00.000-07:00

Ignorant as one would call me, I have no qualms in admitting that I was unaware of the monstrous predominance of “Domestic violence”. I mean I did know it exists and that several women are subjected to it on a daily basis……But I had absolutely no clue as to how common it could be.

“Provoked” is like any other well-made movie with good performances (I confess I liked Ms Rai for the first time ever) and commendable direction. But what’s more striking is that it compels you to carry the issue along.What makes it even more touching is the fact that its based on the real-life story of the landmark case called "Regina Vs. Ahluwalia" - a case which re-defined the term "Provocation"!!!

Probably as a twenty-something I have a lot of apprehensions about life…And issues like domestic violence only adds to what I would call more of “dread” than apprehension!!!We are educated alright…..but can we really claim to be emancipated??

It’s been pretty frequent that I visited the theatre…but I’m glad I watched some real good cinema. I hope the future of the world’s as good as in the movie(I would call the ending positive if not happy)….Amen!!

Its all in a name.......

2007-04-09T06:12:00.000-07:00

When I read “The Namesake” by Jhumpa Lahiri, I remember having identified with the characters. The feeling got re-juvenated after watching its screen version.

I have always maintained that books lose their charm once they are made into movies…But I must confess I did think otherwise this time. With powerful performances by truly talented actors, impeccable direction, and absolute technical proficiency (though I am no critic to technical aspects of movie-making, I loved certain camera shots…For eg: the Howrah station scene merging past and present)...The movie was indeed a delightful experience. I must specially mention the lead actor’s (Irfan Khan) amazing attempt at mimicking the Bengali accent. It’s commendable as to how he has brilliantly spun authenticity into it without overdoing it. (You have to trust my opinion on this one!)

One tends to identify with Nikhil ‘Gogol’ Ganguli. His character compels you to ponder on your cultural standing. You tend to question your attitude towards your family, your roots and your beliefs….I feel it provides an absolutely necessary halt to our otherwise fast paced lives…It re-emphasizes the need to live in the present…to feel the beauty of having a family and to feel how it is to be loved…Gogol is like a reality check to the hot blooded youth of today….

Not always would you come across movies which provoke you to carry the thought along once you leave the theater. I am glad I experienced this rare feeling last Saturday…This one’s definitely worth a watch(or may be more)!!!

Hail Loreto!!!

2007-04-04T06:09:00.000-07:00

People are all moving on in life.....some going abroad for “higher studies”, some settling for newer jobs, some “settling” in the Indian sense of the term(read : marrying)...but all of them moving ahead ......

And here I am...reminiscing on those days of my past....specifically of the school where I spent some of my most crucial years – Loreto Day School. I thought I owe at least one blogpost to my school...So here it goes..................

It was one of those wet, sultry rainy days of June’92 – my parents took me through those huge green gates...to meet Sr. Mary Ross (my fellow Loretians would already have some bells ringing by now)...A highly revered Irish hexagenarian with the deepest blue eyes I’ve ever seen...that’s exactly how I’d describe her!!!

And before I could know any further I had spent 8 years of my life on campus on 9, Elliott Road. Loads of my girlhood memories are perhaps seeped in those massive yellow buildings....those strong house fights (Tagore house still rocks!!), morning assemblies (oh boy!!!What adrenaline rushes they were), innumerable events/contests (Winning them were as good as the Oscars, I daresay!!!)....unit tests (and merit cards and uncontrolled rivalries) ............I’m sure it already sounds like a "My School" essay!!! :)

This is how “My School” still affects me.....And why not....I met some of my best teachers there....Mrs Sen (her affable charm still never fails to fascinate me), Mrs Bhattacharya (Thanks to her ...I was addicted to Mathematics),Mrs. Chatterjee (No one knew Shakespeare better than her...I’d like to believe)..................[far too many to list I guess]....I made some of my closest friends there....and I treasure some of my most cherished memories there...

Pardon the length of this post....Its more than just nostalgia I feel for my school....no wonder I still revel at the mention of its name and I still remember my school song by heart.....
“Loreto’s banner gaily floats in lands both east and west
Loreto’s name each girl reveres and holds it ever blest”

Mouthshut.....NO WAY!!!

2007-04-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it fascinates me – the fact that humans are so opinionated.
Now, don’t mistake me…I’m not much into criticizing people around...I am very much a
part of the brigade I am going to comment on.

I was reading a couple of articles on a news portal ….and each article has a tagging list of comments attached...The inquisitive “thing” in me wonders if the author’s ever going to peruse those comments in his/her lifetime!!!!...and yet people keep commenting…..and opining…..and talking…… :)

Well, I guess it comes as a package with the meager education we receive…We are endowed with a free license to opine on every matter that affects us and every one that doesn’t!!!!

There is this particular fashion journalist who writes for a news portal…I like the humour in his posts ….and therefore have visited his blog quite often…I understand if people comment on the content of the posts….But no…we humble mortals are just not cut for that….They comment on his command over the Queen’s language and about thousands of other details which are absolutely besides the point….Hell, if that piece of article bothers your night’s sleep….DO NOT read it…Now, isn’t that simple???

But “social” creatures as we are….we would still keep brewing our coffee with the political state of our nation…we would still watch those loads of Bollywood flicks (only to term them as “trash” even as we are watching them)…we would still take an active interest about numerous inconspicuous matters which neither require nor deserve our attention….and would still secretively get a sense of satisfaction when we get some positive “comments” on our latest blogpost!!!That’s the way we are. …I guess!!! :)

An afterthought....

2007-03-20T04:50:00.000-07:00

I just read this news article which I thought was quite interesting….

Being a celebrity has its own pros and cons – one would agree…You are under constant vigil of the entire world and each thing you say/do would be scrutinized till the end…My due respect to them all. It’s definitely a tough life under those arc-lights…

But the money/fame going into the head, though inevitable, cannot be justified. Now what on earth could vindicate Ms. Campbell throwing her cell phone at that poor guy??? It’s yet more ludicrous how a certain twenty-something singer shaves her head off and that becomes the talk of the glam-world…

I’m really glad that these re-habs are being practically implemented (that’s if the link up there states the fact!!) Not that it guarantees such irresponsible actions won’t be repeated but at least it’s a step towards building a better world!!

A beautiful Sunday......

2007-03-12T01:31:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was just another warm Sunday in Bangalore for me until I went there…

After a heavy lunch at a dear friend’s place, some 3 of us headed for our much planned trip to Sneha Nilaya. For those who do not know, that’s an absolutely wonderful place that about 65 kids call home…

On my way back from the place, as I walked down the lane, I thought of something that I feel I must share on my blog.

As my roommate puts it – life’s so very unfair….unfair to those kids who do not even know what they are missing….to those senior citizens of the world who have done nothing to be stacked in old-age homes….And yet under the given circumstances, life’s been so kind to them as well….

Sneha Nilaya is one such platform where life’s kindness personifies into a beautiful “home”. Run by Society of Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate, it reminds one of those residential schools you would read in Susan Coolidge novels .That’s how nicely they seem to live. They have absolutely nothing to demand, absolutely nothing to complain of, absolutely nothing to disturb one’s busy schedule. And that’s perhaps what I thought was most peculiar to the place.

On my request they gave me their card and contact details which I thought of putting up on my blog.Thats probably my bit into improving the lives of those lovely kids at Sneha Nilaya. I look forward to visiting there sometime soon.

P.S.: Please find the details here
Sneha Nilaya
No 11, Langford Gardens
Bangalore – 560025
Ph. : 080-22210432
Email: fsibgl@vsnl.net

tempo libero.........

2007-03-06T16:09:00.000-08:00

What does an IT professional do when there's no release coming up....when there's no exciting tool to be studied..or no enhancement in progress...and of course when there's a computer at one's disposal???Well,in one of those bouts I happened to spot these links....calls for a decent time-pass...Thought of putting these up on my blog..........
http://blogthings.com/thefivefactorpersonalitytest/
And then there are the types which know "all"(mind you) about your past....
http://blogthings.com/whowereyouinhighschoolquiz/
Then I got a bit intrigued by the funny captions that could put the latest tarot card readers to shame...Sample this:
http://blogthings.com/whatcolorshouldyourblogorjournalbequiz/
But this one takes the cake....
http://blogthings.com/howmuchhaveyouchangedin10yearsquiz/
Somehow wanted to put my personalised one up here:

You've Changed 44% in 10 Years

You've done a good job changing with the times, but deep down, you're still the same person.
You're clothes, job, and friends may have changed some - but it hasn't changed you.

How Much Have You Changed in 10 Years?

Oh and I heaved a sigh of relief with this one:

You Are 23 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe.

13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world.

20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.

30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more!

40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

India really Poised??

2007-03-02T03:23:00.000-08:00

21st Century has indeed re-defined a lot of things in the world…..

Certain incidents compel me to say things which make me sound as what we, the youth, would rather brand as “senile”. I couldn’t stop myself from thinking “where are we heading to??”

There was this “breaking news” being covered on a certain channel. It was about this couple on whom “sting operation” was in progress. The husband (married for 10 years) was forcing his better-half to visit a party where people “swap” partners.

How ridiculous is that? When people talk of commitment phobia or the futility of arranged marriages….I understand. Everyone’s entitled to hold an opinion. I also understand extra-marital affairs (though my present state of mind never testifies it). But this is horrendous!!!

If one’s bored of one’s spouse, law allows them to separate. But how can such outrageous act of promiscuity be justified? Indulgence in such acts of consensual adultery is nothing but a manifestation of one’s diseased mentality. It is nothing but a changing face of society and our thinking...

No wonder number of divorces is only rising exponentially. No wonder movies based on a hexagenarian falling in “love” (oh yeah!!!) with his daughter’s friend is being critically acclaimed. No wonder newspapers are sprawling with “news” that only reflect the degradation of morale of the society.

This isn’t the 21st Century that I’d like to live in….We really need to start working on this…Do let me know what you think about it..…

To the land I've left behind..........

2007-02-09T08:33:00.000-08:00

Deep down somewhere each of us nurtures tender feelings about the place where we’ve spent our childhood ….I am too much of a mortal to be an exception. That’s precisely why I
am so nostalgic when it comes to Guwahati…

I have spent nine years of my early life there….mentioning the gorgeous hill-laden town
as my favorite wouldn’t be an overstatement! Somehow I associate Guwahati as a place where I could breathe happiness into every moment of my life….More so because I haven’t really spent the unpleasant moments of adolescence/adulthood there…

Guwahati has been an abode of solace, gaiety and happy memories for me…a place where everything seemed just picturesque – those green hills, those vast expanses which we could call “playground”, the occasional hail-storms(and many a times tremors) , some amazing friends ( Thank God I’ve still retained some) and ever pampering list of uncles n aunties…..Probably it was all part of being a child…but nonetheless I love the place…

These feelings would probably not have erupted on my blog today if the media were not required to focus on my city so often…I am probably one of those rare Bengalis who absolutely loathe politics and therefore care the least about who’s responsible for the situations in Assam. But I have too many people I care about out there…and more so its about the place which I adore…

I do not know when the turbulence would meet its end….I do not know which set of people would have the last laugh…. I do not know when these days of common man living in perpetual state of fear/apprehension there would get over….But I do hope and pray that the place that bore some of my sweetest memories would get back its essence – The essence of life and mirth!!

Please do say “Amen” to that……….

Lock or Freeze???

2007-01-30T02:11:00.000-08:00

I just got back from home. Need I elucidate on my state of mind any more???

Glued (once again) onto the 17” before me I browse through the innumerable news channels sprawling the Net…and Voila!!!I’m duly educated on the achievements of a certain Ms. Shetty, on the pre/post nuptials plans of the “Marriage of the year” (Madame Hurley kindly excuse…Bachhan-Rai rock u see!!), on Badshah’s utmost attempt to “copy” the Shahenshah…..on almost everything that actually wouldn’t make a trifling difference in my life!!!

And as someone (I don’t really care who) rightly put it…even the most ignorant person has the right to opine…so here I go!!...after all it’s my blog and I never did claim to be “different”. Did I???

Over the last 2 weeks, whenever I happened to be at home and doing nothing, I’d fix those myopic eyes of mine to the “idiot box”…Now all I could find on TV were “reality shows” (Ah!!What a misnomer)…Roadies4 boasted of a herd of unruly youngsters speaking more beeped words than normal …A cinestars’ hunt contest having more tears than TRPs….and of course Bigg Boss completing the training which Saas-bahu sagas miss out on(of quarrelling tactics of course!!)

So SRK was a welcome change…I did like the guy during my adolescent years…though not his monotony any more…He exudes some charm/charisma whatever you call it. I would have liked his presentation any day…had I like lacs of others not compared him to AB!!! He’s definitely not bad…if not superlative…a bit of over enthusiasm to reach to the masses may be….but definitely can’t be written off…At least 9-10 henceforth would be something I’d look forward to….Now “freeze that”!!

Flying good times!!!

2007-01-04T05:34:00.000-08:00

I just came across this article today which rather got me thinking….
As the caption read “Flying isn’t fun any more”…Well, I couldn’t really agree more!!!

Gone are those days of glory in Indian aviation where “flying” would be preserved for the “privileged” few….when I would rather boastfully mention to my school friends that I “flew” to Calcutta(wasn’t Kolkata then, you see)…when the air hostesses would give airs to being second only to Bollywood “Queens”.....

Today flying is just a click away…Long live Indian economy!!! But in an attempt to make the experience accessible to common man, flying really isn’t very different to a travel by train any more…probably by first class(or sometimes even less)….Low cost airlines flaunt their cost-cutting strategies rather proudly….less cabin/ground crew, omission of catering services in-flight(Ah! How I miss those yummy croissants!!), runway optimization….there’s the cost-cutting bug everywhere……

I do remember this particular incident where our flight from Guwahati to Calcutta had been delayed by 2 hours and it really had hit the headlines the next morning….Big thing it was then indeed…when delays in flight departure was absolutely unheard of…any delay would be stuffed with compensations (in form of “refreshments”, added “smiles” from gorgeous airhostesses, and what not….)….And today a couple of hours do not really matter…After all they’re getting you to your destination in lesser time than those step-sibling of theirs down on those sleepers. Aren’t they???

And this free seating affair has indeed added to our miseries…No-one really bothers about etiquette when they have to get a FCFS seat…to hell with pregnant women or wailing babies or tired senior citizens….They don’t really care!!!

When the façade of a happy citizen raving about her nation’s economic progress wears off… deep down somewhere I do wish to re-live those moments of savored “air travel”…Borrowing the punch line from one of the less “low –cost airline”s, may I confess - I don’t really mind “flying good times”…:) once again…..

P.S. : This post has not been sponsored by any agency/company/organisation.The views expressed are purely the author's!!!

Ne plus ultra....

2006-12-26T21:42:00.000-08:00

I remember listening this particular song as a child…a typical Bollywood-ishtyle children song…in which they wish to make the world as per their will…and eradicate everything else….I realize the relevance of the song today…

I know I might sound to some as a rather “out of mind” case…but I believe there does exist something like “Utopia”...so what if only it is in one’s mind…Anything where things happen as per one’s own will…where there are no restrictions/conflicts…where every person is “normal” (that’s when every person thinks like oneself)…is almost close to “Utopia”…

And yet…I would love to stay in a world that’s imperfect….in a world that’s full of people who aren’t “my type”…in a world where I have to strive to get what I want….probably that’s what keeps us all going….Perfection’s rather boring!!!

Life’s probably all about rejoicing these un-expected moments of mirth amidst tragic strifes...about smiling when you hear your favourite number during brain-hammering sessions of work….about seeing mom get you coffee to relax when your computer has crashed down…….about getting an unexpected call from your long-lost friend when your boss has just screamed at you….Ah now!!!That’s Utopia to me….

Wo(e)men---did they say???

2006-12-11T04:46:00.000-08:00

One point of time my friends used to call me a feminist….and I would oblige them with yet more reasons to say so…..

True, I am absolutely proud to belong to the “fairer sex”...True I advocate equal rights for women…True , I believe those discriminating on the basis of sexism are worse than those practicing apartheid. And yet its also true that I feel sometime we tend to overdo it!!!

I have never supported the 33% reservation policy. I know there would be quite a few eyebrows raised when I say this…But I genuinely believe one either has the potential to make a place for oneself….or doesn’t. There’s no midway to success!!You would definitely make it big if you have the caliber-no matter what your caste, colour, creed or gender is!!So why “reserve” place for women….It, according to me, does not advocate equality for women…it attempts at elevating their social status (and ultimately lands up degrading us!!!)as compared to men. Why can’t we be just equals??

Today this feeling got further flared as I read the following link:
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1061211/asp/calcutta/story_7114587.asp

Why should we have an all-women book fair? Why segregate events / talent on the basis of gender? There never has been an all-men book fair…has it???Then why is the society so proud of hosting an all-women event??

When would we start living in the 21st century??...not only per se chronology but also in our maturity level???

Would they or would they not???

2006-11-30T05:43:00.000-08:00

Is Abhishek Bachhan marrying Aishwarya Rai????Are they already married???Did they go to Varanasi for any nuptial rite????

Will someone tell me what difference it would make to any of our lives? The answer’s more of than obvious….And yet every gossip is paid heed to…Each fallacy committed by the couple scrutinized and comb-searched for some hope (-lessness)...Each photograph of them smiling/hugging/cheering/smirking/frowning gaining popularity by the day…Each expression on their (and of course their parents’) faces inspected with absolute curiosity.

These celebrities claim to be tired of this “un”wanted paparazzi torture….I beg to differ…If they really are tired why would they go to a public place to attract attention? Why would they publicize the gala time they had during their recent holiday!!!???

We, the commoners claim we are exhausted of yellow journalism…of sensationalized news items…of every news being forced to be an item! Again here lies the catch …If we really were how would the sales of these film magazines and gossip newsletters soar sky-high…??

The fact is – it’s a symbiotic relationship….Neither our curiosity nor their vanity would be satisfied without each criticizing the other. And hence the apprehensions continue….
We shall soon be revelling in the gaiety as the country’s most eligible bachelor weds the cold maiden (oops I hope I haven’t offended her admirers…!)...Would they or would they not???...
Watch this space for updates… :)

The days gone by.......

2006-11-23T05:12:00.000-08:00

Irony, thy name is life!!!

True, very true! How else can you explain the merrymaking one indulges in to celebrate his/her step towards geezerhood…to put in sweeter terms – birthdays!!

Okay I’m getting a year older tomorrow and here’s what I plan to do…Slog at office like usual till say 7 ,with occasional interruptions of my cell buzz(or so I’d like to believe)…and then have dinner with my select set of friends…and ….that’s it I guess!!

Gone are the days when I would excitedly wake up on 24th of Nov to find a “surprise” pack that my parents would leave at my bedside…That was one surprise I could trade the world for!!!Best of clothes, accessories and everything I wanted…sometimes all would be matched in colour(I actually had a fetish for that)…the “surprise” had it all….Then Dad would pack chocolates to be distributed in school,a respite from uniform and then an evening of friends and uncles and aunties around with loads of gifts and awesome meal with all my favourite dishes….That was what my birthday meant for me…..How I miss those days…

And then came the days of adventurous birthdays....the day just got better with every passing year at the hostel…first year was more of a somber midnight celebration with practically unknown faces clapping and hogging on MY birthday cake…soon followed by the crazy days to come…I still claim my best birthday was the one during my final year in college when my friends “surprised” me during a late night walk at the meadows where I was made to cut my cake….One helluva birthday that was….

Now my dear darling parents and most of those crazy friends are physically away from me…and the ones who’re here won’t be here again…Things are not the same….but then they never are….Every birthday has been unique and as long as they’re happy dare I complain!!!??? Noibo Noibo cho(that’s a Bong touch to my birthday;))…

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2006-11-14T04:25:00.000-08:00

There’s a lot more to life than meets the eye..and probably its realisation time for me…Of late a lot of things have been happening around me which could categorically be termed as bizarre or to say the least unpleasant!!

Good things ,as they say,happen to good people…But the not-so-nice things which have happened in the recent past have affected “good people” the most! I do tend to question my firm belief on the “karma” concept…..What is it that rules one’s life? When does one get a reward for being true to one’s conscience?

A friend of mine had once said…”I’ll pray that your wish comes true if it is good for you”…probably that is the essence of life…things that are good for oneself in the long run happen…but the intermediate period of pain is what hurts the most…

These are random thoughts that have been haunting me of late…. Contemplation on this confuses me…and I’m quite sure, bores the reader!!!I apologize for that…But one cannot really write happy observations when such things happen…

I hope I get back to my happy self soon….but then that would require some positive things happening around….Lets see :)

Time...what's that???

2006-10-16T05:09:00.000-07:00

Now I just have to blog about this..Its about an incident that happened with a friend of mine ….just last Saturday…..

He was to go Kolkata by our esteemed Jet airways….one of the few flight services which guarantee on-time flights…Now taken by his absolute indifference to Mr Peter Henlien’s invention( this is a bit of trivia…for all who arrived late….this guy invented a watch:))…I was kinda sure he would probably miss his flight…

But I guess God had different intentions… strangely enough he managed to start for the airport well on time... and then comes the highlight of the day…..thanks to the traffic jam of “namma bengalooroo” (read: our Bangalore) he reaches the airport at 6.15pm for a 6.20 pm flight….Obviously to face rejection by the guards at the airport who stand tall, oblivious to the traffic some 100 yards away…

My concern here is not about him missing the flight(which by the way he managed to catch)….I’d like to rather contemplate on the disastrous state of traffic in Bangalore…in fact hailing from a city like Kolkata I should know better… But it really is high time we give it a thought…..

I don't want my blog to have sermonizing overtones...All I mean is that it’s a basic thing one can do….stick to the traffic rules…so that amateur drivers like me can at least hope to sit at the steering sometime….Else it might just become a norm to be late at every occasion…. Do give it a thought people:)

Shubho Sharodiya ......

2006-09-28T03:51:00.000-07:00

Its Shoshthi today!!!For those who didn’t get it – It’s the day that marks the beginning of the most awaited festival for us Bengalis – Durga Pujo…..

I am sitting here 3000 kilometers (not to scale ;)) away from home slogging with this Mp3 Decoder codec and behaving as though nothing’s special about the day…..but deep down my heart the Bengali in me is desperate to break away from the monotony! I do not mean to be a regionalist here….I definitely am not. But these are few moments where you miss home a bit too much…..

Durga Pujo is more to us (us includes everyone who’s tasted the fervor of those crazy 5 days at Kolkata) than a mere festival….Its an expression of our joys, fashion , mirth and a panorama of emotions which would probably have been latent otherwise. No wonder one tends to rush home every Pujo despite all other engagements. No wonder people dress up in their possible best to match up to the most gorgeously decorated city and its people. No wonder pandal hopping breaks all regular limitations of perm-time. No wonder there’s a different atmosphere of dhuno, khichuri, onjoli and dhhak in the air (spellings have been kept as close to the Bengali accent as possible). No wonder the “coolest” of us shrug off our image of a cosmopolitan and secretly shed a tear or two missing home.

That is the essence of Pujo – a feeling which perhaps no one would ever gauge or understand. And perhaps that is where we are compelled to go back to our roots – to feel the fragrance of “shiuli phool”, the beauty of “shorot kaal”, the breeze of “kaash phool”. …And that is where Durga Pujo attains the grandeur it so deservedly has been labeled with over the years….

Here’s wishing the world a lovely pujo and a beautiful year ahead... “Shubho Sharodiya” :)

The Cupid's touch!!!

2006-09-04T06:03:00.001-07:00

Its been quite sometime that I posted here.....blame it on my project release or lack of interesting events in my life....Now don't get me wrong...there is still absolutely nothing "interesting" in my life..There's just this funny observation which dawned onto me a couple of days back..

Cut to September,2001.This friend of mine I'm going to write about next got introduced to me.The second thing she asks me is "Are you a NON veggie?"(after of course my name)....the response obviously elated her!!!

Now its September2006...the same old us...and she goes like " you know I don't like non veg much na".....and why so.....because madame is "committed" to someone who believes in being herbivorous!!!!

My intention is not to comment on which is better......that's totally beyond my concern...All I am interested is what "going around" can do to you...Not that I haven't met people who've radically changed after this turn of fate....yet everytime this thing intrigues me more so...Perhaps one spends ten times of his(definitely not the lady;)..lucky us!!!) salary/pocket money on phone bills, on restaurant bills , on petrol expenses....and yet never seems to mind that..Perhaps one keeps scribbling sweet nothings on practically any piece of paper around or keep staring at a particular photograph....and yet never seems to tire out of it!!!

I confess...I do not understand the logic...elucidations are welcome!!!!:)

The drama that wasn't meant to be....

2006-08-12T02:23:00.000-07:00

Since the time that I've moved into my current residence,I haven't been following the idiot box( except an hour on Sundays...thanks to Desperate Housewives).....blame it on lack of time or enthusiasm!!!!So it was indeed more than a welcome change when i decided to step into the "hallowed" tv room last week...

Though a part of me desperately wanted to break the monotony (!!!???;))of life, the other could in no way force me to watch what a certain Ms. Kapoor calls the K-factor....With due respect to madame Kapoor,I cannot figure out how a 60year old hero (you have to logically calculate the time leaps to believe me)can marry his "friend" and still look like he's ready for a long-awaited honeymoon....and mind you it may be his 5th time...:)

Compromising with the situation and my PG-mates' choice...we zeroed on watching "reality shows".....Ah!!!that's nothing short of the "kramas"(That s how they call drama with the K factor you see)..I admit.

So we tuned in to this musical contest meant for kids below 15...sounds harmless and cute...doesn't it? So far so good..... Really talented kids show casing their vocal brilliance...and this "terrific trio"(thats what the anchor calls them) judging with an apparent facade of justice and fair play...

And yesterday this really small(literally!!) child was eliminated on what they all a "frightful friday".....everyone 's here consoling her....and the drama unfolds.....her mother(who's been coy and nice about the contest so far) shrieks out......pulls the mike.... pays absolutely no heed to her husband / daughter's protest....and complains aloud about how baseless the contest is...

I agree its human nature to call grapes sour under such circumstances....but the riot she created on the set was.....well ridiculously hilarious!!!Imagine the small child pulling her mother out of the stage ....judges and authorities trying to thaw her down....and she yells awfully loud about the contest's futility.....I mean how funny can people get???

I couldn't help but fall off my chair thinking how such people claim to be adults....who do not have basic control over their emotions....I'm sure her child holds a much saner head over her shoulders than her mom...Kudos to the child..!!!

I totally enjoyed the drama yesterday.....I'm sure TRPs have soared ...thanks to the lady's wrath.And what seems more interesting was that the channel authorities have realised it too....I'll conclude with what they promised at the end of the show last night...."to be continued....";)

A glint of thought!

2006-07-29T00:48:00.000-07:00

I really do not know what has struck me of late....I have actually been thinking on things around me more deeply than I ever have....Please excuse me if you find this post too vociferous as it might just be...

It is related to a class of people which we usually call "under-privileged".My mother,who resides in the City of Joy(wonder if the city's worth that name!!), mentioned the other day about this strange profession she noticed .It was a man who had immersed himself till the neck in a filthy gutter to retrieve all the polythene wastes that might be clogging it...And more so,as mom found out, it turned out to be his full - time profession. I mean , how outrageous is this....a gutter which we refuse to even pass by as they threaten our olfactory cells, is actually a person's workplace...

I had read in the papers sometime back about the Government being pro-active in making India a better place by eliminating traces of poverty....Ah!!I thought ,another tall claim....But today when I think about it...It compels me to wonder....How exactly does the Govt. intend to implement this claim?Whose life would be at stake if such a thing is actually put to force?

It is indeed a great idea to eliminate poverty,to make the people around aware (I keep wondering how...though!!) and be more environment conscious. If one doesn't pollute the environment with polythene bags then this man down there in the gutter is spared from his filthy job.....but does one think he' s thrown out of his job...??!!What does he do for a living then?

The state Govt. of West Bengal is pondering on abolishing pull-on rickshaws that have been so far been a trademark of Bengal.True, they are nothing but subjecting a poor person to utter misery as he sweats through the streets as a rather well-fed Babu/Bibi enjoys the "ride".I confess of having "enjoyed" the same as a kid .....But then what does he do when the rickshaws are shoo-ed off the streets??Does he not earn the label of "Bekaar" in the process,thereby adding to his woes???

Intentions may be noble , but as long as they do not unite with practicality,have no meaning what-so-ever.So if we actually have to release these people from the highly in-human job they do.....we have to arrange for an alternative profession.Else we shall never achieve what we intend to....

Here's to the noble intentions!!!!

Déjà vu!

2006-07-10T04:45:00.002-07:00

My mood today has been more reflective than any other day in the recent past....blame it on the weather...So the post that's going to follow shall have absolutely no elements of gag!!

I had this sort of feeling long back in school...say when I was in the seventh standard or so...when we were to write this essay on "Child Labour".Normally , any essay to be written required me to refer at least a desk-full books from the library or beyond(those were the times when the art of CtrlC + CtrlV were obscurities to me).As a norm therefore,I referred to quite a few books on the same topic.Its strange-the ways in which a child's mind may work!!It struck me,during the process of study,how oblivious we are to the comforts we have in life...how we take all the care/nurturing for granted...how we play past(almost literally) the so-called attention bestowed by our parents....and that was the day I went and thanked my parents for who they were.......

Years have sped by after that day.I live in a new century now.Its been five years now that I am away from home...since I have lived at home for more than three weeks.I do miss home...but I have accepted the reality that one has to move on in life.

And yet last evening...as I glanced through the pages of Arthur Golden's "Memoirs of a Geisha" ...I realised how I had struck a deja-vu...how I got back at thinking the same way as I did in Std.7....how I began to treasure my childhood more than ever.Its striking how the book unfolds a Geisha's life from her point of view since she was a toddler....without a moment of boredom.It speaks volumes about her transformation as she metamorphoses from a child who had no aim in life to a lady who epitomised elegance and charm.But what struck me most is the child's struggle to survive in a big bad world without anyone she could call her own....and successfully so.

After so many years today,I am compelled to think the same way I thought years back.After so many years today,I again realise the worth of having a secure childhood.After so many years today,I feel like going back to my parents and saying a heartfelt "Thank You"...just like that....

Bon - appetit:)

2006-07-07T04:27:00.000-07:00

Till yesterday the word "Mast Kalandar" meant no more than a hummable piece of music....and today I am smitten by it. .. Its one of those new eating joints that have been sprouting out everywhere around 80ft. road,Koramangala(Bangalore but of course).

Last evening was a rare one where my friends and I agreed to go in for a pure vegetarian dinner...and I do admit of not being particularly happy with the decision...at least initially.But I was pleasantly proved wrong.As I found out later Kalandar means "happy person" in Persian.True to its name ,the pure Rajasthani/Punjabi menu sure leaves each eater there "happy".

We gorged ourselves with parathas,dal makhani(ow my Gawd!!!that was one awesome thing..!!!),raita etc etc....gosh I'm already salivating!!Firstly, it's wonderful to see that the paranthas are wheat, thank heavens, not maida. The only things orange and yellow,as they claim here, are their interiors.

One look at the food served at Mast Kalandar and you know its been cooked with a lot of care to appease the taste buds as well as health-conscious minds(at last I can have parathas and not feel guilty !!;))I always thought healthy and tasty food are kind of antonymous - but definitely not any more.

My friends sure are blessing me for having suggested the place...And I publicly apologise to the soul whose suggestion to eat there I had so scornfully rejected!!I'm actually contemplating on going green:).

Bon - appetit Bangalore!

I call it a work-stopper!

2006-07-03T06:09:00.001-07:00

Its 6.30p.m. now.......Work's more or less wrapped up.Its time for me to head for the place I presently call home.But I choose to glue my nose into the 17inch in front of me instead...Courtesy: Mr. Orkut Büyükkökten.Who-so-ever told this Turkish gentleman to brew up the site...was indeed far sighted(pun intended).

I always boasted myself of being able to exercise self-control, if anything.I prided myself on not freaking out if I saw something really captivating on the store-window...of being able to check my rapacity every time I encountered a Death-by-Chocolate(trust me people!!!!;)) ...of restraining from over-spending on the plush multiplex culture(I shall talk about that in one of the forthcoming articles for sure)every weekend....But alas!!!not any more..I daresay.

Blame it all on our dear Orkut dotcom.Its strange how it has managed to grip me into its fanatic(if I may say so)world....so much so that I cannot but refrain from visiting it at least once in every couple of hours.

Agreed, it does help you get in touch with those long-lost(well,not always) friends and acquaintances.In fact I myself met up with my school seniors/classmates in good old Bangalore last weekend,thanks to Orkut.But I must confess its a total work-stopper(I do not guarantee the existence of this one in the dictionary)!!Our office server has banned it(the reason being obvious of course)...and yet one shall always find a conflux of Software engineers waiting at the library internet with absolute patience only to "surf" Orkut.I fail to fathom why!!!

... And yet now I am compelled to put an end to this article(readers,you may please breathe a sigh of relief)....as Orkut beckons me.Such is the magnetism of it.Long live Mr. Büyükkökten.Long live the world of Orkut.:)

call this a prelude...if you may

2006-06-29T04:46:00.000-07:00

Okay so here i am.....they say too much of thinking isn't good for health...I relent to that thought...end my dilemma and hereby enter the blogosphere.

So far my encounter with blogging has been restricted to posting comments for my friends..and thats where the idea of writing my own blog cropped up...somehow i hated the thought of signing up as "anonymous" every time.:)

By convention I am required to introduce myself(somehow seems highly analogous to one's entry to the world).Well I am all of 23(I strictly do not believe that women shouldn't be asked their age...Why not??) working (as every second person is)in the so-called Outsourcing industry that predominates Bangalore. A Bengali(don't dare say Bong;)) by birth, an engineer (work for Toshiba,to be precise)by profession and a blogger by choice.That's me ....And trust me there's lots more to that.

So if you're sure you are fine with the first 3 paragraphs and actually (???%%$$@@#???) want to delve further more into my blog...may i continue??!!!

A cliche , as it may seem , I'd like to tell the tale of how my blog came to be known as "Sentience".I was chatting with a friend of mine..and simultaneously thinking as to what i should call this space of mine..and "eureka"(come to think of it,eureka itself is a decent name..wat say??) I got "sentience".I hate to quote the dictionary..but didn't have better words to describe it - The faculty through which the external world is apprehended..thats sentience for me.I intend to make this space a faculty through which I can express myself to the world.And if you do not mind trowelling more into all that ...do check out for this space..