Well it was another brilliant birthday! Thats what you get when you put most of my best friends under my roof :)
Things to be remembered and pondered upon:
Simple things in life like eating lunch together can be the most rewarding experience. Partying does not necessarily mean go out drinking or clubbing. Its just the right company that does all the magic!! A big thank you to all my angels who made my day!!!!! (My two other personas thank you too ;) )
The ones whom you love the most have the ability to get you hurt pretty bad. Though I guess this more your fault than theirs for investing too much of your happiness in them.
Hope there will be many more trips around the sun. A lot more smiles and a few less tears. Many happy times and fewer misunderstandings. Finally hopefully life will be just a little more fair.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
When It Rains It Pours
Read on...
It's the thanksgiving weekend. I know its an American tradition but I've had such a brilliant day today I just felt like thanking the universe for its benevolence. So here goes thank you universe for giving me:
-Today, I hope I have many more like this one.
-My family, who proved to me today that they will stick up for me and love me unconditionally.
-My friends, some of them who know me better than me, who make me happy to be alive, especially the ones who made this day what it was.
-The internet (do not take it for granted!!), without which I'd never have had a medium to realize (like today for instance) just how much people care.
-Being alive, watching a documentary on Mumbai's 9/11 horror made me realize again how lucky I am just to be writing this.
-My sense of preservation. The ability to quickly sift between whats real and whats not. To have the courage to to do what's hardest for me to do. To clearly distinguish between 'maybes' and facts that will irreversibly change the course of happiness of my friends and family.
-Love, I've been given so much lately I'm starting to wonder how I got so lucky.
And finally,
-Luck, that which does not come often to me but as they say.. "When it rains it pours"
It's the thanksgiving weekend. I know its an American tradition but I've had such a brilliant day today I just felt like thanking the universe for its benevolence. So here goes thank you universe for giving me:
-Today, I hope I have many more like this one.
-My family, who proved to me today that they will stick up for me and love me unconditionally.
-My friends, some of them who know me better than me, who make me happy to be alive, especially the ones who made this day what it was.
-The internet (do not take it for granted!!), without which I'd never have had a medium to realize (like today for instance) just how much people care.
-Being alive, watching a documentary on Mumbai's 9/11 horror made me realize again how lucky I am just to be writing this.
-My sense of preservation. The ability to quickly sift between whats real and whats not. To have the courage to to do what's hardest for me to do. To clearly distinguish between 'maybes' and facts that will irreversibly change the course of happiness of my friends and family.
-Love, I've been given so much lately I'm starting to wonder how I got so lucky.
And finally,
-Luck, that which does not come often to me but as they say.. "When it rains it pours"
Sunday, October 25, 2009
As simple as that
Not fiction :)
It was a Sunday morning. The weather was perfect.
Aphrodite stood on the side of the street waiting for her friend Artemis to pick her up. She stood there with her extra heavy laptop, because a Sunday doesn't really mean a holiday in some cases. She smiled as the car drew up and got into the passenger seat. Artemis greeted her with a huge grin and a quick hug. "Its been a while", said Artemis. "Yeah, its good all of us are gonna be there today" said Aphrodite. A CD was playing and they squealed collectively when their favorite song came up. They lowered the windows, increased the volume and sang aloud with the wind in their hair... "Take me awayyyyyy".
A few minutes later they were at the door. Gaia opened the door with a big smile. Athena and Fortuna were already there. "About time!!!" said Gaia, and added "Oh no don't tell me your gonna connect and work!!!" she added when she saw the huge bag Aphrodite held. "I'm afraid I have to, for a few hours atleast",she replied. The other two joined them and they got talking to Gaia's aunt, who wanted to know all about Artemis's latest trip to the mountains. Suddenly Aphrodite's laptop started making a weird humming noise. "Be carefull, it sounds like its going to explode", said Athena laughing. "Noooo something is very worng!!" cried Aphrodite. "Oh God I think it just crashed!! I cant work!! Oh what am I going to do?", she panicked. The other four were quiet. She tinkered on with it a little longer and then declared, "Theres no hope, looks like the rest of my day is free" and the others whooped in joy.
They soon moved to Gaia's room and once out of the earshot of the aunt burst into spontaneous story telling. There was so much to discuss! Artemis's big trip and of course, boys. It was utter mayham before all of them swapped stories. There were heart breaks, new romances, office politics. There was a lot of relief as the girls shared their pent up frustrations and mixed emotions of boys and work: past present and future. The same favourite song played along in the background.. "..There's a place that I go, that nobody knows, where the rivers flow, and I call it home. And there's no more lies, in the darkness there's light. And nobody cries there's only butterflies.." If there was any song that could truly capture the moment that was it right there.
They then had lunch and suddenly decide to head out for ice cream. They laughed carefree like a bunch of 5 year olds. They looked a lot happier than most 23year olds at any rate! Men or no men these girls didn't need anyone else to truly cherish life. Thats what good friendship does to you.
Well life can be that uncomplicated, really. To find happiness in good company. Its as simple as that. :)
It was a Sunday morning. The weather was perfect.
Aphrodite stood on the side of the street waiting for her friend Artemis to pick her up. She stood there with her extra heavy laptop, because a Sunday doesn't really mean a holiday in some cases. She smiled as the car drew up and got into the passenger seat. Artemis greeted her with a huge grin and a quick hug. "Its been a while", said Artemis. "Yeah, its good all of us are gonna be there today" said Aphrodite. A CD was playing and they squealed collectively when their favorite song came up. They lowered the windows, increased the volume and sang aloud with the wind in their hair... "Take me awayyyyyy".
A few minutes later they were at the door. Gaia opened the door with a big smile. Athena and Fortuna were already there. "About time!!!" said Gaia, and added "Oh no don't tell me your gonna connect and work!!!" she added when she saw the huge bag Aphrodite held. "I'm afraid I have to, for a few hours atleast",she replied. The other two joined them and they got talking to Gaia's aunt, who wanted to know all about Artemis's latest trip to the mountains. Suddenly Aphrodite's laptop started making a weird humming noise. "Be carefull, it sounds like its going to explode", said Athena laughing. "Noooo something is very worng!!" cried Aphrodite. "Oh God I think it just crashed!! I cant work!! Oh what am I going to do?", she panicked. The other four were quiet. She tinkered on with it a little longer and then declared, "Theres no hope, looks like the rest of my day is free" and the others whooped in joy.
They soon moved to Gaia's room and once out of the earshot of the aunt burst into spontaneous story telling. There was so much to discuss! Artemis's big trip and of course, boys. It was utter mayham before all of them swapped stories. There were heart breaks, new romances, office politics. There was a lot of relief as the girls shared their pent up frustrations and mixed emotions of boys and work: past present and future. The same favourite song played along in the background.. "..There's a place that I go, that nobody knows, where the rivers flow, and I call it home. And there's no more lies, in the darkness there's light. And nobody cries there's only butterflies.." If there was any song that could truly capture the moment that was it right there.
They then had lunch and suddenly decide to head out for ice cream. They laughed carefree like a bunch of 5 year olds. They looked a lot happier than most 23year olds at any rate! Men or no men these girls didn't need anyone else to truly cherish life. Thats what good friendship does to you.
Well life can be that uncomplicated, really. To find happiness in good company. Its as simple as that. :)
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Twilight
Yes yes Stephanie Meyer is gonna sue me for flicking the name.
Its neither dark nor light
Its a glow beneath the trees
My hopes fall lightly to the ground
Like soft petals in a breeze
Its neither day nor night
The tears come fast with silent conviction
Quietly they stop without reason
Save for the breath held tight
One horizon's a brilliant band of light
The other a wall of black
Closer to which I know not
My mind numbed only by the emotions I lack
There's no right, There's no wrong
Is this called letting go?
On this path of twilight I belong
Or is this forging into the unknown?
Its neither dark nor light
Its a glow beneath the trees
My hopes fall lightly to the ground
Like soft petals in a breeze
Its neither day nor night
The tears come fast with silent conviction
Quietly they stop without reason
Save for the breath held tight
One horizon's a brilliant band of light
The other a wall of black
Closer to which I know not
My mind numbed only by the emotions I lack
There's no right, There's no wrong
Is this called letting go?
On this path of twilight I belong
Or is this forging into the unknown?
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Just like magic
The offspring of frustration and optimism.
Today was one of those really really bad days when every single thing goes wrong. Every one of em, work, life, love, you name it and it went horribly wrong. This got me into a total well of frustration. Then I thought to myself what's the point of today? Where the hell is my silver lining supposed to be..?
Silver lining... the thing you optimistically look for to save yourself from a depressing situation. This simply did not exist today. So I looked for something else.. magic. Life's magical moments which take your breathe away every single time you think about them. Considering I've had a lot of those in the past week I thought I'd better write those down to sing "These are a few of my favorite things" someday!
It works just like magic. 1 minute I'm upset and the next there's a smile inside my head that'l take a while to fade. To quote a line from the famous song I spoke of earlier "When the dog bites, when the bee stings or when I'm feeling sad. I simply remember my favorite things.. and then I dont feel so bad".
Today was one of those really really bad days when every single thing goes wrong. Every one of em, work, life, love, you name it and it went horribly wrong. This got me into a total well of frustration. Then I thought to myself what's the point of today? Where the hell is my silver lining supposed to be..?
Silver lining... the thing you optimistically look for to save yourself from a depressing situation. This simply did not exist today. So I looked for something else.. magic. Life's magical moments which take your breathe away every single time you think about them. Considering I've had a lot of those in the past week I thought I'd better write those down to sing "These are a few of my favorite things" someday!
- My cousin telling me out of the blue, that she loves me like a sister and that she thinks I deserve only the best, when she made me promise that I would never compromise for less than best in love or life. Magic: When I knew she truly believed every word she said.
- My first International night flight,crossing the day-night line. When I saw the bold line of bright vivid orange in the distant horizon in the midst of inky darkness. Magic: Understanding why they call it breaking dawn.
- When someone unexpectedly said just the right thing at the right time to cheer me up. Magic: Someone on the other side of the planet coming to the rescue of my fragile mind.
- Standing awestruck before the world's tallest fountain in all its musical glory. Magic: Knowing I earned my way to be standing there.
- My best friends listening patiently (and even appearing interested!!) in my work-sob stories of frustration. Magic: Having a bond that's lasted 20 strong years.
- Casio G shock watch... well quite expensive. Magic: The look on my brother's face when I gave it to him... well priceless.
It works just like magic. 1 minute I'm upset and the next there's a smile inside my head that'l take a while to fade. To quote a line from the famous song I spoke of earlier "When the dog bites, when the bee stings or when I'm feeling sad. I simply remember my favorite things.. and then I dont feel so bad".
Saturday, July 11, 2009
The Mirror of Erised
Opening my mind. Facing my darkness.
The Mirror of Erised is a magical object from the world of Harry Potter. For the unfamiliar, this is a magical mirror. When you look into this mirror you see yourself doing what your heart truly desires. You get to see the deepest darkest dearest wish coming true.
Simply said the most content person in the world will see their reflection as it is... like an ordinary mirror. It is but an illusion that you see. As Harry's head master Dumbledore puts it.. "Men have wasted away in front of the mirror". What you see in the mirror is so alluring that it is supposed to be very hard to tear your eyes away, hoping that what you see is real. When Harry first looks at the mirror he see's himself with the dead parents he once had and doesnt even remember. So that proves how unreal the image is.
Why am I going on and on about this mirror? Because I want to make sure there's no room for doubt before proceeding. When I was recently re-reading the 6th book in the series for the gazzilionth time this thought occured to me. If I looked into the mirror right now what would I see? I have asked myself this question a long time back, but then all I really wanted was to finish college and get a job.
What will I see? I knew... inspite of trying to fool myself that all I wanted was everything but that.. I knew. It's worse than facing your fears. Facing the fact that you desire something so bad that you can feel it in your bones, yet knowing that just like the reflection of The Mirror Erised, it'l never come true. It takes a great deal of courage to face your greatest weakness and acknowledge its existance. Maybe in a few years things will change. Maybe life would get so pleasantly complicated that this would seem really frivolous. Only time will tell.
So think about it. If you looked into the Mirror of Erised what will you see? what will you REALLY see?
The Mirror of Erised is a magical object from the world of Harry Potter. For the unfamiliar, this is a magical mirror. When you look into this mirror you see yourself doing what your heart truly desires. You get to see the deepest darkest dearest wish coming true.
Simply said the most content person in the world will see their reflection as it is... like an ordinary mirror. It is but an illusion that you see. As Harry's head master Dumbledore puts it.. "Men have wasted away in front of the mirror". What you see in the mirror is so alluring that it is supposed to be very hard to tear your eyes away, hoping that what you see is real. When Harry first looks at the mirror he see's himself with the dead parents he once had and doesnt even remember. So that proves how unreal the image is.
Why am I going on and on about this mirror? Because I want to make sure there's no room for doubt before proceeding. When I was recently re-reading the 6th book in the series for the gazzilionth time this thought occured to me. If I looked into the mirror right now what would I see? I have asked myself this question a long time back, but then all I really wanted was to finish college and get a job.
What will I see? I knew... inspite of trying to fool myself that all I wanted was everything but that.. I knew. It's worse than facing your fears. Facing the fact that you desire something so bad that you can feel it in your bones, yet knowing that just like the reflection of The Mirror Erised, it'l never come true. It takes a great deal of courage to face your greatest weakness and acknowledge its existance. Maybe in a few years things will change. Maybe life would get so pleasantly complicated that this would seem really frivolous. Only time will tell.
So think about it. If you looked into the Mirror of Erised what will you see? what will you REALLY see?
Friday, June 26, 2009
My 1st wedding anniversary
Yes you guessed right. I am married to my work.
Dear IBM,
My darling husband, we have been married for a year now. I still remember vividly this day last year how we were united. I was scared and excited as every new bride should be. Thanks for the wedding party at the Le Meridian.
I have been a faithful wife to you this past one year. I have never been more commited in my life to anything else. I served you morning and night, through sickness and in health.
The 1st 2 months of our union were the sweetest. Two whole months of pure party. After that I realized the responsibilities that this union had brought upon me. I was no longer in the shelter of my Daddy's house. I fought for you, I fought with you. In the end you always won. But what you dint know was I always let you win.
You gave me financial stability, but for all the money I never really found time to enjoy it cause you were always in need of my constant attention. Along with the financial status came the new responsibility of managing money and paying bills. Now my Daddy used to pay all my bills before this so it took me a while to adjust to my new life.
I have had many ups and downs in our journey together, but more downs than ups. I lost count of the weekends and late nights of hard toil I put in, Just to make you happy. And more often than not you returned my efforts with a scorn or a sneer and no appreciation.
Still in spite of everything, I hold no grudges. Because without you society would never have respected me. So like any devout Hindu wife I wear the 'Mangal Suthra' (holy matrimonial necklace, in this case being my work ID) around my neck and serve you day in and day out.
I realize that our relationship is not exclusive as you have many other wives and umm husbands. But none the less I treasure our relationship. I have had the time to think of what it would be like to not be with you. But this year of our journey together has made me realize: there's nothing else I'd rather be 'doing' ;)
Happy Anniversary!!
- Your loving wife,
raksragh@in.ibm.com (I've even added your name as my last name)
Dear IBM,
My darling husband, we have been married for a year now. I still remember vividly this day last year how we were united. I was scared and excited as every new bride should be. Thanks for the wedding party at the Le Meridian.
I have been a faithful wife to you this past one year. I have never been more commited in my life to anything else. I served you morning and night, through sickness and in health.
The 1st 2 months of our union were the sweetest. Two whole months of pure party. After that I realized the responsibilities that this union had brought upon me. I was no longer in the shelter of my Daddy's house. I fought for you, I fought with you. In the end you always won. But what you dint know was I always let you win.
You gave me financial stability, but for all the money I never really found time to enjoy it cause you were always in need of my constant attention. Along with the financial status came the new responsibility of managing money and paying bills. Now my Daddy used to pay all my bills before this so it took me a while to adjust to my new life.
I have had many ups and downs in our journey together, but more downs than ups. I lost count of the weekends and late nights of hard toil I put in, Just to make you happy. And more often than not you returned my efforts with a scorn or a sneer and no appreciation.
Still in spite of everything, I hold no grudges. Because without you society would never have respected me. So like any devout Hindu wife I wear the 'Mangal Suthra' (holy matrimonial necklace, in this case being my work ID) around my neck and serve you day in and day out.
I realize that our relationship is not exclusive as you have many other wives and umm husbands. But none the less I treasure our relationship. I have had the time to think of what it would be like to not be with you. But this year of our journey together has made me realize: there's nothing else I'd rather be 'doing' ;)
Happy Anniversary!!
- Your loving wife,
raksragh@in.ibm.com (I've even added your name as my last name)
Sunday, June 7, 2009
When Im in love :)
A lil bit of soul searching... its been a while.
Picture this... A good friend of yours is in pain. Why? He/She is madly in love or in a troubled relationship or in a crappy job. Well you'd like to see them throw in the towel and walk away but they just wont do it! You wonder why.. this person has personality, relatively good looks, very talented, etc. You know for a fact that they can do a lot better than the situation they are in. Then why is it so hard for the person in question to see it for themselves?
The answer is quite simple actually. They dont love themselves as much as they ought to.
Sounds cheesy? Well think about it. This hit me most profoundly once during college. A guy had treated my best friend like garbage. I was all out for his blood. I wanted nothing less than murder. But my dear friend on the other hand was just upset. Thats all. No anger. It was almost like she expected to be treated that way.
Funny thing is when something similar happened to me I wasn't the one who was most upset. My closest friends would have shredded the guy in question had he been around. But I was just content being depressed.
When you think of someone your close to being in pain or suffering you tend to be protective because you love them and care about them. Now think about it. If you cared about your own feelings, if you loved yourself just half that much you wouldn't get yourself in messes to start with.
So hence I started actively 'loving' myself. Putting my needs before others sometimes. Doing something just because I felt like it. Just like how I'd treat a significant other. Now theres a fine line between loving yourself and selfishness. Loving yourself involves realizing what an amazing person you are. Doing things for yourself that you have to go out of your way to do.
For example something very simple yet totally satifying, was when I got a professional pedicure. Yeah stop laughing now. Think about it. It costs a small bomb, my feet are in perfectly good condition so I dont technically need one. But I just went ahead and got one. And boy I loved the pampering. It's just a matter of making yourself feel worthy of the finer things in life (can be read as worthy of finer people too).
After all if you dont love yourself, is it really fair to expect someone else to love you?
Picture this... A good friend of yours is in pain. Why? He/She is madly in love or in a troubled relationship or in a crappy job. Well you'd like to see them throw in the towel and walk away but they just wont do it! You wonder why.. this person has personality, relatively good looks, very talented, etc. You know for a fact that they can do a lot better than the situation they are in. Then why is it so hard for the person in question to see it for themselves?
The answer is quite simple actually. They dont love themselves as much as they ought to.
Sounds cheesy? Well think about it. This hit me most profoundly once during college. A guy had treated my best friend like garbage. I was all out for his blood. I wanted nothing less than murder. But my dear friend on the other hand was just upset. Thats all. No anger. It was almost like she expected to be treated that way.
Funny thing is when something similar happened to me I wasn't the one who was most upset. My closest friends would have shredded the guy in question had he been around. But I was just content being depressed.
When you think of someone your close to being in pain or suffering you tend to be protective because you love them and care about them. Now think about it. If you cared about your own feelings, if you loved yourself just half that much you wouldn't get yourself in messes to start with.
So hence I started actively 'loving' myself. Putting my needs before others sometimes. Doing something just because I felt like it. Just like how I'd treat a significant other. Now theres a fine line between loving yourself and selfishness. Loving yourself involves realizing what an amazing person you are. Doing things for yourself that you have to go out of your way to do.
For example something very simple yet totally satifying, was when I got a professional pedicure. Yeah stop laughing now. Think about it. It costs a small bomb, my feet are in perfectly good condition so I dont technically need one. But I just went ahead and got one. And boy I loved the pampering. It's just a matter of making yourself feel worthy of the finer things in life (can be read as worthy of finer people too).
After all if you dont love yourself, is it really fair to expect someone else to love you?
Monday, May 25, 2009
(NR)IPL - (Non Resident) Indian Premiere League
Well another 1st.. My 1st article im blogging from my phone.
When the much hyped IPL began its 2nd season 5 weeks back there was no doubt in my mind I was about to be hooked. After all me being a cricket fan, suffered from withdrawl symptoms when the 1st season concluded last year. I knew this time wasn't going to be much different. Boy was I wrong. :) I dint just get hooked. I became a fanatic.
'Can you get a billion people do the same thing at the same time? Well we can..' advertised Set Max, the telecaster of the IPL. They sure did it! But at which point did it stop becomin an addiction and progress into fanatism I still cant figure out.
Thinking back.. The thing that did it for me was probably when Royal Challengers Bangalore won their 1st match after a really long time. Me being a true blue Bangalorean stayed loyal and RCB came through. Every match they won after that gave me that extra high, almost like a reward for stickin with them through thick and thin. Now comes the strange part. Somewhere along the line, it turned into something very personal to me. In a lot of ways all through my life people have seen me as the underdog. To see the underdog come on top brought me back my faith.. very literally. Suddenly the only thing I wanted was to see them win. When they made it to the finals against all odds, I was on cloud nine. But at this point in my mind we'd already won. Some part of me knew that this in itself was too much ask so I should let it be. So when we lost the finals by 6 runs I sure was disappointed.. I did think RCB lost so I'm gonna loose too. Thank heavens that moment passed.! I came back to my senses just in time to realize that I was taking this way too seriously.
Thats when I realized thats there's a new way of looking at this. Just like my beloved RCB I will make it to my finals. But I wont screw up :) Then i chided myself for actually basing my life's result to the result of a sporting event. But thats cricket for you. Cricket may not always be life but life is definitely a T20 game of cricket!
And as I sat there blaming myself for missusing cricket for my vague life lessons.. I looked at the tv. They had just turned a game of cricket into a concert/ beauty pageant. Ah well atleast I'm not the only insane person :)
When the much hyped IPL began its 2nd season 5 weeks back there was no doubt in my mind I was about to be hooked. After all me being a cricket fan, suffered from withdrawl symptoms when the 1st season concluded last year. I knew this time wasn't going to be much different. Boy was I wrong. :) I dint just get hooked. I became a fanatic.
'Can you get a billion people do the same thing at the same time? Well we can..' advertised Set Max, the telecaster of the IPL. They sure did it! But at which point did it stop becomin an addiction and progress into fanatism I still cant figure out.
Thinking back.. The thing that did it for me was probably when Royal Challengers Bangalore won their 1st match after a really long time. Me being a true blue Bangalorean stayed loyal and RCB came through. Every match they won after that gave me that extra high, almost like a reward for stickin with them through thick and thin. Now comes the strange part. Somewhere along the line, it turned into something very personal to me. In a lot of ways all through my life people have seen me as the underdog. To see the underdog come on top brought me back my faith.. very literally. Suddenly the only thing I wanted was to see them win. When they made it to the finals against all odds, I was on cloud nine. But at this point in my mind we'd already won. Some part of me knew that this in itself was too much ask so I should let it be. So when we lost the finals by 6 runs I sure was disappointed.. I did think RCB lost so I'm gonna loose too. Thank heavens that moment passed.! I came back to my senses just in time to realize that I was taking this way too seriously.
Thats when I realized thats there's a new way of looking at this. Just like my beloved RCB I will make it to my finals. But I wont screw up :) Then i chided myself for actually basing my life's result to the result of a sporting event. But thats cricket for you. Cricket may not always be life but life is definitely a T20 game of cricket!
And as I sat there blaming myself for missusing cricket for my vague life lessons.. I looked at the tv. They had just turned a game of cricket into a concert/ beauty pageant. Ah well atleast I'm not the only insane person :)
Monday, May 11, 2009
The story of Charlie and his Angels :)
An ode to my angels and our Charlie :D
Once upon a time far away in M. S Ramaiah Institute Of Technology, in the 3rd semester class of Information Science three girls and a boy met each other. The only thing the 4 had in common were that they were all "branch changers". Little did they know that they would one day be super heroes and inseparable friends.
What did they do? Well the class Information Science Section B was a pretty sorry place before they arrived. It was a weird and quiet place where the boys dint talk to the girls. But Charlie and his Angels changed all of that. 4 years later the class was the envy of the whole college. They turned that bunch of quiet boring people into fun loving extroverts and the terror of all Teacher-kind.
Super heroes? Really? You may ask. Well no prizes for guessing which three girls sweet talked teachers and rescued the class from the wrath of fire breathing lecturers, crusaded against various injustices, and most importantly made the final year trip dream come true!
So who are these people?
Charlie- He's the ladies man... Its not just the angels, but all female kind who flock around him. Continents and oceans haven't stopped him from being there for his Angels when they needed him the most.
Alex - She's the natural fighter angel. She's as protective as a mother bear about her other two angels. And yes, she can indeed kill with nothing more than an empty ball pen refill.
Dillon- The deadly bombshell angel. She lures the bad boys with her stunning looks and drops the bombshells on their evil heads when they least expect it. Not to forget the amazing things she can do on 4 wheels!
And last but not the least (The exception being weight)
Natalie- The tiny little child looking angel. Well the evil villains always realize a little too late that the ickle lil girlie they thought they were dealing with was really the devil's evil twin sister.
And so they fought crime and laughed in the face of danger. But more importantly they remain a close knit bundle of love till this day.
Once upon a time far away in M. S Ramaiah Institute Of Technology, in the 3rd semester class of Information Science three girls and a boy met each other. The only thing the 4 had in common were that they were all "branch changers". Little did they know that they would one day be super heroes and inseparable friends.
What did they do? Well the class Information Science Section B was a pretty sorry place before they arrived. It was a weird and quiet place where the boys dint talk to the girls. But Charlie and his Angels changed all of that. 4 years later the class was the envy of the whole college. They turned that bunch of quiet boring people into fun loving extroverts and the terror of all Teacher-kind.
Super heroes? Really? You may ask. Well no prizes for guessing which three girls sweet talked teachers and rescued the class from the wrath of fire breathing lecturers, crusaded against various injustices, and most importantly made the final year trip dream come true!
So who are these people?
Charlie- He's the ladies man... Its not just the angels, but all female kind who flock around him. Continents and oceans haven't stopped him from being there for his Angels when they needed him the most.
Alex - She's the natural fighter angel. She's as protective as a mother bear about her other two angels. And yes, she can indeed kill with nothing more than an empty ball pen refill.
Dillon- The deadly bombshell angel. She lures the bad boys with her stunning looks and drops the bombshells on their evil heads when they least expect it. Not to forget the amazing things she can do on 4 wheels!
And last but not the least (The exception being weight)
Natalie- The tiny little child looking angel. Well the evil villains always realize a little too late that the ickle lil girlie they thought they were dealing with was really the devil's evil twin sister.
And so they fought crime and laughed in the face of danger. But more importantly they remain a close knit bundle of love till this day.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Stalker talk
Here's a first, my first co-authored article!
Disclaimer: This article is purely non fictional and any resemblence to real life is totally intentional. The names of some people have been changed to protect their identity (though the stalkers I'm sure will recognize themselves :P). Do NOT miss the video in the end.
Well stalkers. Who are they? Usually its celebrities who have crazy people following them around and observing their every move. But this isn't completely true. Chances are if your are an above average looking girl (or guy for that matter) , you'll have your encounter with this particular species of people whom we shall hence forth call stalkers.
Stalkers can be classified into 2 broad categories: 1. The friend-turned-creep stalker 2. The stranger-who knows-you-better-than-your-mom stalker. Lets just call them #1 and #2 for now shall we.
Well I will be focusing on type #1 since I'm well uh.. a little over qualified in this area of expertise. For starters who is this person?
Well lets say Rachel has a close friend Shirley. Now Shirley starts dating a guy. After say a couple of dates Rachel and other friends of Shirley meet this guy umm Nate. Now, they all chat have a nice time discussing their common tastes in music etc etc. A few days later Shirley dumps Nate because they just aren't getting along. But Nate still texts Rachel once a while. Initially Rachel is nice to Nate just out of pure courtesy. Soon there's a day Nate tells her that he finds her a lot more attractive than Shirley. Now Rachel freaks out out and starts completely ignoring Nate.
So what does Nate do?
1. He texts and texts and is pretty much having complete one way conversations with Rachel's phone.
2. Then he starts calling her non stop. If she picks up and talks the madness dies down for a while. If she ignores his calls he just keeps at it with renewed vigor.
3. He stalks her on Facebook, Orkut and every other social networking site. he visits the profiles of people (especially guys) whom she seems to be close to.
You get the picture. Surprising as it may sound its not hard handling a Nate. Now here's how you go about it.
1. Tell Nate that you have a boyfriend whom you love a lot (Make up an imaginary boyfriend if you have to!!)
2. Tell Nate that you think hes a really nice guy and deserves a girl who can love him.. yeah you might wanna practice mush movie dialogues first. And please add that your sure he's too nice a guy to get in the way of your true love.
3. Then slowly and steadily cut him out. Do not do it in a single shot. Guys like Nate take that as a form of encouragement.
Now for my next stalker ehh Paul.. I have amalgamated the traits of a few different guys since they are all very similar.
Here's the scenario: Annie is a friendly girl. She's sometimes a little too nice to people. Then there's Paul. Paul is a good friend of Annie's brother( or could be her class mate or even her boss!!). Basically Annie cannot just cut Paul out her life due to certain circumstances. Things with Paul start off fine. They talk, they say hi when they run into each other they IM a lot (ok make that he IMs her a lot). So when did things start getting ugly?
There are quite a few ways this can go bad. Say they dated for a while and Annie decides he's just sooo not the one. The more likely scene is that Paul starts hitting on her. And she just doesn't see him 'that' way. So she starts avoiding him as much as possible.
So does Paul take the hint and let it go? NO!
1. Like Nate he keeps track of her every potential date, and every other aspect of her social life through some networking site.
2. He texts her, IMs all on the pretext of catching up or some genuine discussion about home work or work.
3. He reads every line and word of her every blog post (if she has one).
4. Similarities with Nate end right there. While Nate wasn't really dangerous this guy takes it a notch higher. He actually confronts Annie every chance he gets about her(maybe imaginary) boyfriend. And he's never happy with just his name. He wants to know every little thing about him. And then he logs onto some networking site and stalks all the guys who fit this description.
5. If say Annie was really seeing someone or she just happened to give away the name of a guy friend, pretty soon Paul tracks him down and can even have him physically followed.
6. Now, lets say Paul wasn't THAT bad. He'd still keep trying to convince Annie to dump this other guy.
So what does poor Annie do?? She cant just cut him out like how Rachel cut Nate out.
1. For starters she shouldn't give him too many details of anything she does.
2. Now the good thing about Facebook, is that you can cut out portions of your profile or pictures from some people and they wont even know they've been cut out! (This can have ugly consequences if the person see's a big lock symbol where your pics are supposed to be like in some other networking sites.)
3. Find something disgusting to do in the presence (online or live) of Paul to totally turn him off.
4. Here's something important. If Annie has to cook up a boyfriend, say to protect the identity of her real one or just that she doesn't have one) she has to keep her story straight from day one. Paul will be constantly looking for chinks in the armour.
5. Pray and hope that he'll eventually loose interest.
Well this is just one broad category. There's a second category #2. This ones different because he's a complete stranger! Atleast with #1 you knew something about their personality to know whats dangerous and whats not. With #2 you can never tell! And more often than not #2 will often have access to the girl's (or guy's) college, work place etc. But more importantly what sets #2 apart from one is the way he'll/she'll know every intimate detail about their victim. For more on how to identify #2 and how to get rid of a #2 visit http://soumya-hintofme.blogspot.com/2009/04/stalker-scare.html
On a more humorous note check this out... my dedication to all the guys who took the pains to stalk me!
Disclaimer: This article is purely non fictional and any resemblence to real life is totally intentional. The names of some people have been changed to protect their identity (though the stalkers I'm sure will recognize themselves :P). Do NOT miss the video in the end.
Well stalkers. Who are they? Usually its celebrities who have crazy people following them around and observing their every move. But this isn't completely true. Chances are if your are an above average looking girl (or guy for that matter) , you'll have your encounter with this particular species of people whom we shall hence forth call stalkers.
Stalkers can be classified into 2 broad categories: 1. The friend-turned-creep stalker 2. The stranger-who knows-you-better-than-your-mom stalker. Lets just call them #1 and #2 for now shall we.
Well I will be focusing on type #1 since I'm well uh.. a little over qualified in this area of expertise. For starters who is this person?
Well lets say Rachel has a close friend Shirley. Now Shirley starts dating a guy. After say a couple of dates Rachel and other friends of Shirley meet this guy umm Nate. Now, they all chat have a nice time discussing their common tastes in music etc etc. A few days later Shirley dumps Nate because they just aren't getting along. But Nate still texts Rachel once a while. Initially Rachel is nice to Nate just out of pure courtesy. Soon there's a day Nate tells her that he finds her a lot more attractive than Shirley. Now Rachel freaks out out and starts completely ignoring Nate.
So what does Nate do?
1. He texts and texts and is pretty much having complete one way conversations with Rachel's phone.
2. Then he starts calling her non stop. If she picks up and talks the madness dies down for a while. If she ignores his calls he just keeps at it with renewed vigor.
3. He stalks her on Facebook, Orkut and every other social networking site. he visits the profiles of people (especially guys) whom she seems to be close to.
You get the picture. Surprising as it may sound its not hard handling a Nate. Now here's how you go about it.
1. Tell Nate that you have a boyfriend whom you love a lot (Make up an imaginary boyfriend if you have to!!)
2. Tell Nate that you think hes a really nice guy and deserves a girl who can love him.. yeah you might wanna practice mush movie dialogues first. And please add that your sure he's too nice a guy to get in the way of your true love.
3. Then slowly and steadily cut him out. Do not do it in a single shot. Guys like Nate take that as a form of encouragement.
Now for my next stalker ehh Paul.. I have amalgamated the traits of a few different guys since they are all very similar.
Here's the scenario: Annie is a friendly girl. She's sometimes a little too nice to people. Then there's Paul. Paul is a good friend of Annie's brother( or could be her class mate or even her boss!!). Basically Annie cannot just cut Paul out her life due to certain circumstances. Things with Paul start off fine. They talk, they say hi when they run into each other they IM a lot (ok make that he IMs her a lot). So when did things start getting ugly?
There are quite a few ways this can go bad. Say they dated for a while and Annie decides he's just sooo not the one. The more likely scene is that Paul starts hitting on her. And she just doesn't see him 'that' way. So she starts avoiding him as much as possible.
So does Paul take the hint and let it go? NO!
1. Like Nate he keeps track of her every potential date, and every other aspect of her social life through some networking site.
2. He texts her, IMs all on the pretext of catching up or some genuine discussion about home work or work.
3. He reads every line and word of her every blog post (if she has one).
4. Similarities with Nate end right there. While Nate wasn't really dangerous this guy takes it a notch higher. He actually confronts Annie every chance he gets about her(maybe imaginary) boyfriend. And he's never happy with just his name. He wants to know every little thing about him. And then he logs onto some networking site and stalks all the guys who fit this description.
5. If say Annie was really seeing someone or she just happened to give away the name of a guy friend, pretty soon Paul tracks him down and can even have him physically followed.
6. Now, lets say Paul wasn't THAT bad. He'd still keep trying to convince Annie to dump this other guy.
So what does poor Annie do?? She cant just cut him out like how Rachel cut Nate out.
1. For starters she shouldn't give him too many details of anything she does.
2. Now the good thing about Facebook, is that you can cut out portions of your profile or pictures from some people and they wont even know they've been cut out! (This can have ugly consequences if the person see's a big lock symbol where your pics are supposed to be like in some other networking sites.)
3. Find something disgusting to do in the presence (online or live) of Paul to totally turn him off.
4. Here's something important. If Annie has to cook up a boyfriend, say to protect the identity of her real one or just that she doesn't have one) she has to keep her story straight from day one. Paul will be constantly looking for chinks in the armour.
5. Pray and hope that he'll eventually loose interest.
Well this is just one broad category. There's a second category #2. This ones different because he's a complete stranger! Atleast with #1 you knew something about their personality to know whats dangerous and whats not. With #2 you can never tell! And more often than not #2 will often have access to the girl's (or guy's) college, work place etc. But more importantly what sets #2 apart from one is the way he'll/she'll know every intimate detail about their victim. For more on how to identify #2 and how to get rid of a #2 visit http://soumya-hintofme.blogspot.com/2009/04/stalker-scare.html
On a more humorous note check this out... my dedication to all the guys who took the pains to stalk me!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
My Will
I've decided to write my will. Why? well...It started as a regular day at office. A friend of mine forwarded this mail to a bunch of us, and we started pulling her leg over *ahem* certain contents of the mail, and pretty soon it became a group chain email. There was a point where I made some really wicked comments. I casually remarked to my other friend with whom I was chatting that this girl was definitely going to kill me when she read it. Well now that lead me to think 'damn what will I do with all my earthly possessions if she did kill me'!! :D Which was when I decided I'm going to write a will. Well here it goes!
TO WHOMSOEVER IT MAY CONCERN
The following is how all my earthly possessions are to be divided in case Im not around to donate them.
1. All my money goes to my parents and my bro. Funny since I've never given my bro pocket money :D Well ok on special request do wire a small chunk (15% specifically) to my "Uncle Maams" with this note "Pozhachiko!" ;)
2. Coming to the more important stuff.. My precious and much coveted accessory collection is to be finally placed on exhibition and then equally divided among my girl-friends, only the ones who can recite the names and personality traits of my multiple personalities. *
3. My precious book collection must be auctioned and sold to the highest bidder. All proceeds are to be donated to the Give-Mr Mchink - a - makeover foundation.
4. All the cool stuff on my comp can be accessed only by the half a dozen people who know my passwords.
5. I grant custody of my two fishes Brucer and Valerie to my almost- sister/neighbor.
Coming to last messages and wishes:
1. And to Mchink.. Sorry dude what I feel for you can only be described as lust not love.
2. To my bestest friends.. yeah I know that you know who you are.. yes this includes you mousey.. Party hard!!! See you soon downstairs :D
3. To my 4th grade teacher... yeah lady Im coming back to haunt you. A promise is a promise!
4. And since in all probability it will be Preethi Sathyanarayana who killls me please allow her one last visit from her "American" father figure :D im sure he's verrrrrrrrrry proud of her ;)
*Conditions apply: In case any of the afore mentioned friends were accomplice to murder they wont be recieving any share in my accessory collection.
The following is how all my earthly possessions are to be divided in case Im not around to donate them.
1. All my money goes to my parents and my bro. Funny since I've never given my bro pocket money :D Well ok on special request do wire a small chunk (15% specifically) to my "Uncle Maams" with this note "Pozhachiko!" ;)
2. Coming to the more important stuff.. My precious and much coveted accessory collection is to be finally placed on exhibition and then equally divided among my girl-friends, only the ones who can recite the names and personality traits of my multiple personalities. *
3. My precious book collection must be auctioned and sold to the highest bidder. All proceeds are to be donated to the Give-Mr Mchink - a - makeover foundation.
4. All the cool stuff on my comp can be accessed only by the half a dozen people who know my passwords.
5. I grant custody of my two fishes Brucer and Valerie to my almost- sister/neighbor.
Coming to last messages and wishes:
1. And to Mchink.. Sorry dude what I feel for you can only be described as lust not love.
2. To my bestest friends.. yeah I know that you know who you are.. yes this includes you mousey.. Party hard!!! See you soon downstairs :D
3. To my 4th grade teacher... yeah lady Im coming back to haunt you. A promise is a promise!
4. And since in all probability it will be Preethi Sathyanarayana who killls me please allow her one last visit from her "American" father figure :D im sure he's verrrrrrrrrry proud of her ;)
*Conditions apply: In case any of the afore mentioned friends were accomplice to murder they wont be recieving any share in my accessory collection.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Lost and found and lost again
Yet another poetry attempt!! (yeah i've lost my mind.. literally)
Peace reigned until then
then, when you came along
and at that moment it escaped me
like a caged bird set free.
Looking for that which I lost,
I swam through the sea
the green ocean of my misery.
I searched the multitude of minds
for the one that's only mine.
In this blue vortex of altered reality
a hundred miles long
there it was nestled in a song.
I embraced my warm mind
glad to be whole again
and aloud to you I cried
"You may have tried,
but save your glee
for I have found me,
I will not surrender to thee"
A flash of blinding purple lights,
dazed I saw you laugh
"This time its not your mind I seek
for now I know that its not weak".
A spark of realization in my soul
flared at the speed of thought
and with a clouded sense of de ja vu
I watched as your words came true.
Quick as a blot of light
before I could put up a fight,
it escaped me ere I had a chance
without even a backward glance.
Exhausted now, I set out to start
a new quest for my stolen heart.
Peace reigned until then
then, when you came along
and at that moment it escaped me
like a caged bird set free.
Looking for that which I lost,
I swam through the sea
the green ocean of my misery.
I searched the multitude of minds
for the one that's only mine.
In this blue vortex of altered reality
a hundred miles long
there it was nestled in a song.
I embraced my warm mind
glad to be whole again
and aloud to you I cried
"You may have tried,
but save your glee
for I have found me,
I will not surrender to thee"
A flash of blinding purple lights,
dazed I saw you laugh
"This time its not your mind I seek
for now I know that its not weak".
A spark of realization in my soul
flared at the speed of thought
and with a clouded sense of de ja vu
I watched as your words came true.
Quick as a blot of light
before I could put up a fight,
it escaped me ere I had a chance
without even a backward glance.
Exhausted now, I set out to start
a new quest for my stolen heart.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Liberated :)
Liberation- 1 page at a time
I'd been wanting to read the book 'He's just not that into you' ever since I saw it featured on the Oprah show 2 years back. Well as it was I never found a single copy in any of the bookstores. When I heard the movie was coming out, I desperately searched everywhere.. and finally ordered it online.
My intention was to read it before the movie came out.. As luck had it, it got delivered exactly the day after I watched the movie. Well twist of fate aside, I had felt a sense of liberation when I watched the movie. But after reading the book OMG!!!
Liberation begins with the introduction literally.. Its something every girl must read! I would even recommend it to the guys.
It's basically how we, as women, fail to read the lines guys give us.. instead we read in between under over and everywhere but the lines. If a guy you are interested in isn't showing the same level of enthusiasm, the answer is so simple that it doesn't immediately does not appeal to our very sophisticated brains. "He's just not that into you". Thats it!! Sure the verdict is harsh, go cry about it if you have to. But the truth will set you free. As the authors Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo put it "Dont waste the pretty". Move on and let that guy who's meant to write poetry about you find you.
Well nothing I write here will do any justice to the book, so Il just leave that part for you to discover. But here's a few things that personally set me free:
1. When im capable of loving with all my heart and soul, I sure as hell deserve nothing less.
2. Yes its true. Men apparently DO know how to use the phone. And yeah they also are smart enough to find your number even if you dont give it to them.
3. To that guy who's been giving me mixed signals: Screw your signals. I'm only going to take notice when you tell me in words that cannot be misinterpretted as anything else, that you indeed cannot stop thinking about me.
4. To some of my women friends: If companionship, hugs and something warm to have around are all you are willing to settle for.. buy a dog. Dont end up with a jerk instead. Pets (and sometimes even stuffed animals or that nice huggable pillow :P ), are God's way of telling you not to lower the bar. Oh and there's the bonus of loyaty thrown in for free!! (It's never too late to dump the jerk ).
5. The eternal optimist that I am... I belive.. I belive that one day Il thank myself for cutting out the crazy psycho side of me. Because the guy who's arms I'd be in, wouldnt let me worry about "us". Ever.
6. If its meant to be, It'l find a way to happen.. untill then.. Im free :)
Thats about it. I've set myself free and declared it here for the world to see.
P.S: Here's a sneak peek for you to find out for yourself the path to liberation:
http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/oprahshow/oprahshow1_ss_20040922
http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/con_20040922_datingtips
http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/oprahshow/oprahshow1_ss_20050427
I'd been wanting to read the book 'He's just not that into you' ever since I saw it featured on the Oprah show 2 years back. Well as it was I never found a single copy in any of the bookstores. When I heard the movie was coming out, I desperately searched everywhere.. and finally ordered it online.
My intention was to read it before the movie came out.. As luck had it, it got delivered exactly the day after I watched the movie. Well twist of fate aside, I had felt a sense of liberation when I watched the movie. But after reading the book OMG!!!
Liberation begins with the introduction literally.. Its something every girl must read! I would even recommend it to the guys.
It's basically how we, as women, fail to read the lines guys give us.. instead we read in between under over and everywhere but the lines. If a guy you are interested in isn't showing the same level of enthusiasm, the answer is so simple that it doesn't immediately does not appeal to our very sophisticated brains. "He's just not that into you". Thats it!! Sure the verdict is harsh, go cry about it if you have to. But the truth will set you free. As the authors Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo put it "Dont waste the pretty". Move on and let that guy who's meant to write poetry about you find you.
Well nothing I write here will do any justice to the book, so Il just leave that part for you to discover. But here's a few things that personally set me free:
1. When im capable of loving with all my heart and soul, I sure as hell deserve nothing less.
2. Yes its true. Men apparently DO know how to use the phone. And yeah they also are smart enough to find your number even if you dont give it to them.
3. To that guy who's been giving me mixed signals: Screw your signals. I'm only going to take notice when you tell me in words that cannot be misinterpretted as anything else, that you indeed cannot stop thinking about me.
4. To some of my women friends: If companionship, hugs and something warm to have around are all you are willing to settle for.. buy a dog. Dont end up with a jerk instead. Pets (and sometimes even stuffed animals or that nice huggable pillow :P ), are God's way of telling you not to lower the bar. Oh and there's the bonus of loyaty thrown in for free!! (It's never too late to dump the jerk ).
5. The eternal optimist that I am... I belive.. I belive that one day Il thank myself for cutting out the crazy psycho side of me. Because the guy who's arms I'd be in, wouldnt let me worry about "us". Ever.
6. If its meant to be, It'l find a way to happen.. untill then.. Im free :)
Thats about it. I've set myself free and declared it here for the world to see.
P.S: Here's a sneak peek for you to find out for yourself the path to liberation:
http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/oprahshow/oprahshow1_ss_20040922
http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/con_20040922_datingtips
http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/oprahshow/oprahshow1_ss_20050427
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
The Wonders Of The Underdog
Hmmmm... In case your thinking this another review of the Slumdog Millionaire your wrong. This is an account of how the movie appealed to me on more than a superficial level.
Spoiler warning:In case you haven't watched it already I wouldn't recommend reading further.
Well to begin with, the movie has done amazingly well at the various award ceremonies. It has been nominated under 10 categories for the Oscars including Best Motion Picture; which brings us to the question: Does it truly deserve all the attention?
From an Indian point of view, it seems like a brutal yet realistic public washing of India's dirtiest laundry (well literally if you've watched the Dhobhi Ghat scenes). Its a slap in the face to us priviledged Indians. But I discovered a much deeper meaning in it.
Right at the begining of the movie you'll see the kids playing in the slums among all the rubbish and filth. Disgusting? Look deeper. Do you see the smiles on their faces? They seem to be oblivious to the cruel world around them. Can you confidently say you've been that happy and carefree any time in the near past? I for one envied those kids. They dont even know the dreadfull word that plagues most of us in the developed world today -"Recession".
Next up, when the little protagonist of our movie Jamal is in the "Orphanage" waiting for his turn to show off his singing talents, can you see the hope and optimisim he has? He's dreams of living in the famous Harbour road. Now think, just because this kid lives a hopeless life in a slum does that mean he doesnt have hopes? I'd say his dreams are bigger than mine ever was as a kid. Need inspiration? Look no further.
When he's all grown up, you'll notice he suddenly has an accent. To the superficial observer that might seem like a blooper. Look closer. He's been working as a tea server in a call centre for a few years atleast. Now where else in the world but in one of India's famous call centres, can you find the high probability that a poor slum boy will not only learn english, but learn it with an accent! He also gains loads of information on the way by just "overhearing" the training sessions there. Now thats actually very realistic in my opinion.
Towards the end, the movie illustrates a very stark reality in his brother Saleem's death. "You may be submerged in a bath filled with money, but you sure as hell wont be taking any of it with you on the one way flight out".
These are but a few of the many things that struck me while watching it. Im not saying you'll like the movie but if there's one thing thats sure, you'll stop cribbing about your own life.. atleast for a day! Oh and yeah, you'll also think twice before you give a coin to a beggar child.
Spoiler warning:In case you haven't watched it already I wouldn't recommend reading further.
Well to begin with, the movie has done amazingly well at the various award ceremonies. It has been nominated under 10 categories for the Oscars including Best Motion Picture; which brings us to the question: Does it truly deserve all the attention?
From an Indian point of view, it seems like a brutal yet realistic public washing of India's dirtiest laundry (well literally if you've watched the Dhobhi Ghat scenes). Its a slap in the face to us priviledged Indians. But I discovered a much deeper meaning in it.
Right at the begining of the movie you'll see the kids playing in the slums among all the rubbish and filth. Disgusting? Look deeper. Do you see the smiles on their faces? They seem to be oblivious to the cruel world around them. Can you confidently say you've been that happy and carefree any time in the near past? I for one envied those kids. They dont even know the dreadfull word that plagues most of us in the developed world today -"Recession".
Next up, when the little protagonist of our movie Jamal is in the "Orphanage" waiting for his turn to show off his singing talents, can you see the hope and optimisim he has? He's dreams of living in the famous Harbour road. Now think, just because this kid lives a hopeless life in a slum does that mean he doesnt have hopes? I'd say his dreams are bigger than mine ever was as a kid. Need inspiration? Look no further.
When he's all grown up, you'll notice he suddenly has an accent. To the superficial observer that might seem like a blooper. Look closer. He's been working as a tea server in a call centre for a few years atleast. Now where else in the world but in one of India's famous call centres, can you find the high probability that a poor slum boy will not only learn english, but learn it with an accent! He also gains loads of information on the way by just "overhearing" the training sessions there. Now thats actually very realistic in my opinion.
Towards the end, the movie illustrates a very stark reality in his brother Saleem's death. "You may be submerged in a bath filled with money, but you sure as hell wont be taking any of it with you on the one way flight out".
These are but a few of the many things that struck me while watching it. Im not saying you'll like the movie but if there's one thing thats sure, you'll stop cribbing about your own life.. atleast for a day! Oh and yeah, you'll also think twice before you give a coin to a beggar child.
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