Click to enlarge...
Taken during one of my recent expeditions at the India-Bangladesh border.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
The Great Exploiting Bitches !
‘She did not talk to me in front of her smart set’
SR, PARK CIRCUS
Source : Times of India, dated: 22 March, 2006
SR, PARK CIRCUS
Source : Times of India, dated: 22 March, 2006
She was the heart throb of our class. Almost every guy in college tried to befriend her. I did not even try. She was way too beautiful and I was the complete nerd. I knew that she would not be interested in me at all. One day I was sitting in the library and completing my notes. That’s when she walked up to me and said hi. I was too stunned at first. I could not even open my mouth. All I did was nod my head. She asked if she could sit beside me and I said “Why not?”. We began talking about our classes and studies. Our first semester exams were approaching and all of us were busy completing our notes. She told me a sob story about how due to personal problems at home she could not concentrate on studies and complete her notes. I felt sad for her.
Out of concern and also falling for her charms, I volunteered to help her out. It so turned out that I spent all of my time completing her notes. When I asked her why she could not do it herself, she said that she was busy taking tuition classes and also problems on the homefront kept her from doing so. During this time she used to regularly hang out with me. We went out for long drives after our classes and feasted on ice-cream. But one thing that always bothered me was that she refused to hang out with me in college. There she had her own set of friends. The exams soon got over. All of us passed with flying colours. She did really well in her papers too.
The day our results were out, I was happy for both of us. I went up and congratulated her. She was standing with a group of her friends. they were the ones who were considered hip and happening in the college. when she saw me coming, she tried avoiding me. But I still could not understand. On congratulating her, she answered in a very cold voice. Then her friends asked her, “Hey, who’s this?” She replied, “Oh! no one. Just one of the guys who is crazy about me as usual.” I thought this happened only in films. But it happened to me in real life.
I walked away from there in a daze. ‘Is this true or I’m just watching a film?’ I asked this to myself over and over again. But then I realised this is not the silver screen. It is the story of my life. Now I’m really wary of making friends with good looking women. They have a pretty face, no doubt. But their hearts are really black.
----------------------------------------
These are today's girls. Pretty-faced, but hearts filled with bullshit.
Out of concern and also falling for her charms, I volunteered to help her out. It so turned out that I spent all of my time completing her notes. When I asked her why she could not do it herself, she said that she was busy taking tuition classes and also problems on the homefront kept her from doing so. During this time she used to regularly hang out with me. We went out for long drives after our classes and feasted on ice-cream. But one thing that always bothered me was that she refused to hang out with me in college. There she had her own set of friends. The exams soon got over. All of us passed with flying colours. She did really well in her papers too.
The day our results were out, I was happy for both of us. I went up and congratulated her. She was standing with a group of her friends. they were the ones who were considered hip and happening in the college. when she saw me coming, she tried avoiding me. But I still could not understand. On congratulating her, she answered in a very cold voice. Then her friends asked her, “Hey, who’s this?” She replied, “Oh! no one. Just one of the guys who is crazy about me as usual.” I thought this happened only in films. But it happened to me in real life.
I walked away from there in a daze. ‘Is this true or I’m just watching a film?’ I asked this to myself over and over again. But then I realised this is not the silver screen. It is the story of my life. Now I’m really wary of making friends with good looking women. They have a pretty face, no doubt. But their hearts are really black.
----------------------------------------
These are today's girls. Pretty-faced, but hearts filled with bullshit.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Ode on the Poets
Ode on the Poets
----by John Keats
BARDS of Passion and of Mirth,
Ye have left your souls on earth!
Have ye souls in heaven too,
Double-lived in regions new?
—Yes, and those of heaven commune
With the spheres of sun and moon;
With the noise of fountains wond'rous
And the parle of voices thund'rous;
With the whisper of heaven's trees
And one another, in soft ease
Seated on Elysian lawns
Browsed by none but Dian's fawns;
Underneath large blue-bells tented,
Where the daisies are rose-scented,
And the rose herself has got
Perfume which on earth is not;
Where the nightingale doth sing
Not a senseless, trancèd thing,
But divine melodious truth;
Philosophic numbers smooth;
Tales and golden histories
Of heaven and its mysteries.
Thus ye live on high, and then
On the earth ye live again;
And the souls ye left behind you
Teach us, here, the way to find you,
Where your other souls are joying,
Never slumber'd, never cloying.
Here, your earth-born souls still speak
To mortals, of their little week—
Of their sorrows and delights,
Of their passions and their spites,
Of their glory and their shame,
What doth strengthen and what maim:—
Thus ye teach us, every day,
Wisdom, though fled far away.
Bards of Passion and of Mirth,
Ye have left your souls on earth!
Ye have souls in heaven too,
Double-lived in regions new!
----by John Keats
BARDS of Passion and of Mirth,
Ye have left your souls on earth!
Have ye souls in heaven too,
Double-lived in regions new?
—Yes, and those of heaven commune
With the spheres of sun and moon;
With the noise of fountains wond'rous
And the parle of voices thund'rous;
With the whisper of heaven's trees
And one another, in soft ease
Seated on Elysian lawns
Browsed by none but Dian's fawns;
Underneath large blue-bells tented,
Where the daisies are rose-scented,
And the rose herself has got
Perfume which on earth is not;
Where the nightingale doth sing
Not a senseless, trancèd thing,
But divine melodious truth;
Philosophic numbers smooth;
Tales and golden histories
Of heaven and its mysteries.
Thus ye live on high, and then
On the earth ye live again;
And the souls ye left behind you
Teach us, here, the way to find you,
Where your other souls are joying,
Never slumber'd, never cloying.
Here, your earth-born souls still speak
To mortals, of their little week—
Of their sorrows and delights,
Of their passions and their spites,
Of their glory and their shame,
What doth strengthen and what maim:—
Thus ye teach us, every day,
Wisdom, though fled far away.
Bards of Passion and of Mirth,
Ye have left your souls on earth!
Ye have souls in heaven too,
Double-lived in regions new!
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Does God exist ?
An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, the Almighty.
He asks one of his new students to stand and.....
Prof: So you believe in God?
Student: Absolutely, sir.
Prof: Is God good?
Student: Sure.
Prof: Is God all-powerful?
Student: Yes.
Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't.How is this God good then? Hmm?
(Student is silent.)
Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fellow. Is God good? Student: Yes.
Prof: Is Satan good?
Student: No
Prof: Where does Satan come from?
Student: From...God...
Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything.Correct? Student: Yes.
Prof: So who created evil? (Student does not answer.)
Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?
Student: Yes, sir.
Prof: So, who created them?
(Student has no answer.)
Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and serve theworld around you. Tell me, son...Have you ever seen God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelled your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?
Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.
Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?
Student: Yes.
Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.
Prof: Yes, faith. And that is the problem science has.
Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Prof: Yes.
Student: And is there such a thing as cold?
Prof: Yes.
Student: No sir. There isn't.
(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)
Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat,mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.
(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)
Student: What about darkness, Professor?
Is there such a thing asdarkness?!
Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?
Student: You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light.... But if you have no! light constantly, you have nothing and it is called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?
Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?
Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.
Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?
Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality.
You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad
God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electrici!ty and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the oppositeof life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?
Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes,of course, I do.
Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?
(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realizewhere the argument is going.) !
Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at
work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher? (The class is in uproar.)
Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain? (The class breaks out into laughter.)
Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelled it?.....No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrableprotocol, science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?
(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student.)
Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.
Student: That is it, sir.. The link between man & god is FAITH. That
is all that keeps things moving & alive.
That young man was ALBERT EINSTEIN.......
He asks one of his new students to stand and.....
Prof: So you believe in God?
Student: Absolutely, sir.
Prof: Is God good?
Student: Sure.
Prof: Is God all-powerful?
Student: Yes.
Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't.How is this God good then? Hmm?
(Student is silent.)
Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fellow. Is God good? Student: Yes.
Prof: Is Satan good?
Student: No
Prof: Where does Satan come from?
Student: From...God...
Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything.Correct? Student: Yes.
Prof: So who created evil? (Student does not answer.)
Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?
Student: Yes, sir.
Prof: So, who created them?
(Student has no answer.)
Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and serve theworld around you. Tell me, son...Have you ever seen God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelled your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?
Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.
Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?
Student: Yes.
Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.
Prof: Yes, faith. And that is the problem science has.
Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Prof: Yes.
Student: And is there such a thing as cold?
Prof: Yes.
Student: No sir. There isn't.
(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)
Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat,mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.
(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)
Student: What about darkness, Professor?
Is there such a thing asdarkness?!
Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?
Student: You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light.... But if you have no! light constantly, you have nothing and it is called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?
Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?
Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.
Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?
Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality.
You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad
God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electrici!ty and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the oppositeof life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?
Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes,of course, I do.
Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?
(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realizewhere the argument is going.) !
Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at
work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher? (The class is in uproar.)
Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain? (The class breaks out into laughter.)
Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelled it?.....No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrableprotocol, science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?
(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student.)
Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.
Student: That is it, sir.. The link between man & god is FAITH. That
is all that keeps things moving & alive.
That young man was ALBERT EINSTEIN.......
Monday, March 13, 2006
The Colours of Life !
Imagine a scene without colours.......
Hey! You did! Then you must be lying! Because it is impossible to even imagine something without colours. Even darkness has its typical colour. Now you'll try to say that something abstract like 'Love', 'Jeaslousy', 'Sorrow' doesn't have a colour...but, hey loser. think again, because here they are : LOVE JEALOUSY SORROW !
So you see, colours are everywhere, but its us who fail to notice. All the human senses are inter-dependant, each one can be related with the others. I can go as far as to say that each colour has its smell and taste and vice-versa ! Because I feel it. I feel life is a river, that moves on and on.... it can never come to a standstill, if it does, then either it overflows the obstruction and finds another way of flow, or else DIES. But it never stands still. Colours are like the fishes in the river, Sound is the soothing and continous music of the flowing waters and Taste is the feeling of a mouthful of cool pure water after a long walk under he sun. They all combine to give us the true picture of the river, of Life. Today, we celebrate the Colours of Life!
I remember the day in my childhood when I saw the people on the day of Holi/Dol, walking on the street with faces like aliens, some red, some black, some silver. I've seen them struggling with each other to escape from the mischievous hands of their friends, who make sure that he doesn't have even have a mole on his skin that hasn't been drenched in colours. To tell the truth, I felt very scared. I did never go out in the street that day... I just watched them from my veranda or the roof... those 'creatures' in pitiable and lauhgable states! But somehow, I did miss to take part!
Today, by the rule of nature, which says : "Everything that has a beginning, must end." my friends are no longer here. Either they have changed the residence, or they've formed other groups or else busy with other things. Once, not a single part of our para street was colourless, and now...and now would hardly see a patch of coloured water lying here and there! The whole area seems tobe somewhat deserted, somewhat colourless, somewhat lifeless.
Hey! You did! Then you must be lying! Because it is impossible to even imagine something without colours. Even darkness has its typical colour. Now you'll try to say that something abstract like 'Love', 'Jeaslousy', 'Sorrow' doesn't have a colour...but, hey loser. think again, because here they are : LOVE JEALOUSY SORROW !
So you see, colours are everywhere, but its us who fail to notice. All the human senses are inter-dependant, each one can be related with the others. I can go as far as to say that each colour has its smell and taste and vice-versa ! Because I feel it. I feel life is a river, that moves on and on.... it can never come to a standstill, if it does, then either it overflows the obstruction and finds another way of flow, or else DIES. But it never stands still. Colours are like the fishes in the river, Sound is the soothing and continous music of the flowing waters and Taste is the feeling of a mouthful of cool pure water after a long walk under he sun. They all combine to give us the true picture of the river, of Life. Today, we celebrate the Colours of Life!
I remember the day in my childhood when I saw the people on the day of Holi/Dol, walking on the street with faces like aliens, some red, some black, some silver. I've seen them struggling with each other to escape from the mischievous hands of their friends, who make sure that he doesn't have even have a mole on his skin that hasn't been drenched in colours. To tell the truth, I felt very scared. I did never go out in the street that day... I just watched them from my veranda or the roof... those 'creatures' in pitiable and lauhgable states! But somehow, I did miss to take part!
Today, by the rule of nature, which says : "Everything that has a beginning, must end." my friends are no longer here. Either they have changed the residence, or they've formed other groups or else busy with other things. Once, not a single part of our para street was colourless, and now...and now would hardly see a patch of coloured water lying here and there! The whole area seems tobe somewhat deserted, somewhat colourless, somewhat lifeless.Now I understand. Holi isn't only a day to make your friends' day in the bathroom very tough, but its a day of union, its a day of celebration... celebration of love, celebration of attachment, celebration of Life! Its a day when everyone, breaking the barriers of age, sex and status, come down on the same street, under the same sun and sky, and celebrate happiness. You'd hardly see a person crying on this day, no matter how much drenched he is. At first, maybe, the person who is very reluctant to bear the colour stains on his neatly ironed shirt or nice saree, is very cross when he gets stained. But then, knowing there's nothing to lose, he jumps into the scene and participates in making the others stained... stained with love, with joy, with life. This's how contagious happiness is. You start to smile and you make everyone inspired to do the same! You start to love, and others start loving you. Maybe you're not Manmohan Singh or Abdul Kalam or even a dada of the para, but still you've enough potential to make things change, change for the better... and make this place a better place to live in!
So what are you waiting for ?? RANG DE BASANTI !!
So what are you waiting for ?? RANG DE BASANTI !!
Sunday, March 12, 2006
The Fear of Losing !
Have you ever got that sensation in your gut that wants you to give up, and yet you can't? Have you ever faced that situation that makes you crazy everytime you think over it but still you think its better than nothing at all? Have you ever wanted something so badly that sometimes you wish that it was never there, but deep down in your heart you know that this is what you were dreaming of all through your life and you can't live without it?
Well, if you still haven't got it, I'm talking about Love. Sometimes, this can be an infatuation, a crush, or worse: just a physical attraction... but I bet, you wont feel that way in these cases. You'll know when it clicks, you'll know when you meet The One for you, you'll know when her smile wipes off all your worries, all the doubts, all your desparations! It does feel heavenly to live in Paradise, isn't it? (hey gotcha! you cant deny that!)
But here also begins the era of sorrow, of jealousy, of missing like hell... It is completely natural for you to fall for a wonderful person, but it also is equally unnatural that the other person starts feeling the same way you do. You know, Love isn't a Machine that you can turn on or off, you can't force someone's Free Will, you can't make her love you... if she doesn't, then she doesn't... you can do nothing to make her feel... yes, sometimes you can, but only in your sweetest dreams, or the greatest box office hits!
But, the worst situation is when you can't read her mind, her emotions, her ways of thinking. She puts you into a great dilemma... sometimes she makes you feel so special that you write pages of diary with your heart overflowing with soft emotions after a great date. But a week later she behaves such that it wrenches your mind in a condition of torture... you can't take it anymore! The most bad part is when you see her going out with some other guy, that burns you... burns your every part... even your tears start to vapourise, at the same time you are filled with hatred and jealousy and also with a sense of betrayal, cheating. The world you made around her and along with her, starts crumbling down like a house of cards in a gust of wind. You can't help hearing Acid Rock, no matter how much you actually hate them!
Maybe, it wasn't her fault... because she hasn't said a thing, if you remember correctly, it was YOU who did everything... you asked her out and she obliged, you gave her gifts and she accepted, you poured out your heart to her and she listened. But, actually, she did nothing. It was YOU, only YOU in your dreamland! But now its too late... you're doomed... you're emotionally butchered. You are the LOSER!
But knowing all these, you still hang on... you see her, you breathe her, you feel her in every moment, in every place you've gone together, in every music, every book you've shared, in every dish you've tasted... she is dwelling in you, you can do nothing to stop it! It'd be the best if you stop talking, stop seeing her, try to forget her... time IS really the best healer, but you can feel the wound has gone as deep as a bedsore, with its roots deep into your doby, your mind, your soul. It is now a part of you... you can hide it and put up a nice smile in front of everybody, but the every movement you make, you feel it: she's here with you.
As I said, it'd be best if you let go, but you cant, you still live on with a false hope, with a wish... that she'd be your one day... one fine day! You think its better that you're talking and going out right know, although her heart belongs to somebody else... its like drinking the Unicorn's Blood that makes you all black & blue inside, yet its the only thing that you can live on(courtesy: Voldemort, Harry Potter)! Long live hope, long live passions, long live Love. Because, other than these, you're compelled to take a shorter route to peace : SUICIDE !
But the best thing happens in your life when, you know that she DID love you althrough, it wasn't just a dream about her... and YOU had caused yourself so much pain thinking too much of this rubbish... yeah she's yours! ... but this happens rarely... but guys dont give up hope and GET... SET ... LOVE !!
Well, if you still haven't got it, I'm talking about Love. Sometimes, this can be an infatuation, a crush, or worse: just a physical attraction... but I bet, you wont feel that way in these cases. You'll know when it clicks, you'll know when you meet The One for you, you'll know when her smile wipes off all your worries, all the doubts, all your desparations! It does feel heavenly to live in Paradise, isn't it? (hey gotcha! you cant deny that!)
But here also begins the era of sorrow, of jealousy, of missing like hell... It is completely natural for you to fall for a wonderful person, but it also is equally unnatural that the other person starts feeling the same way you do. You know, Love isn't a Machine that you can turn on or off, you can't force someone's Free Will, you can't make her love you... if she doesn't, then she doesn't... you can do nothing to make her feel... yes, sometimes you can, but only in your sweetest dreams, or the greatest box office hits!
But, the worst situation is when you can't read her mind, her emotions, her ways of thinking. She puts you into a great dilemma... sometimes she makes you feel so special that you write pages of diary with your heart overflowing with soft emotions after a great date. But a week later she behaves such that it wrenches your mind in a condition of torture... you can't take it anymore! The most bad part is when you see her going out with some other guy, that burns you... burns your every part... even your tears start to vapourise, at the same time you are filled with hatred and jealousy and also with a sense of betrayal, cheating. The world you made around her and along with her, starts crumbling down like a house of cards in a gust of wind. You can't help hearing Acid Rock, no matter how much you actually hate them!
Maybe, it wasn't her fault... because she hasn't said a thing, if you remember correctly, it was YOU who did everything... you asked her out and she obliged, you gave her gifts and she accepted, you poured out your heart to her and she listened. But, actually, she did nothing. It was YOU, only YOU in your dreamland! But now its too late... you're doomed... you're emotionally butchered. You are the LOSER!
But knowing all these, you still hang on... you see her, you breathe her, you feel her in every moment, in every place you've gone together, in every music, every book you've shared, in every dish you've tasted... she is dwelling in you, you can do nothing to stop it! It'd be the best if you stop talking, stop seeing her, try to forget her... time IS really the best healer, but you can feel the wound has gone as deep as a bedsore, with its roots deep into your doby, your mind, your soul. It is now a part of you... you can hide it and put up a nice smile in front of everybody, but the every movement you make, you feel it: she's here with you.
As I said, it'd be best if you let go, but you cant, you still live on with a false hope, with a wish... that she'd be your one day... one fine day! You think its better that you're talking and going out right know, although her heart belongs to somebody else... its like drinking the Unicorn's Blood that makes you all black & blue inside, yet its the only thing that you can live on(courtesy: Voldemort, Harry Potter)! Long live hope, long live passions, long live Love. Because, other than these, you're compelled to take a shorter route to peace : SUICIDE !
But the best thing happens in your life when, you know that she DID love you althrough, it wasn't just a dream about her... and YOU had caused yourself so much pain thinking too much of this rubbish... yeah she's yours! ... but this happens rarely... but guys dont give up hope and GET... SET ... LOVE !!
My first 'White Stick' : Part 2
THE STORY (contd...) :
In general, I am a little shy! That day when I made The Decision and went out boldly at the pan-shop just beside the Alipore Zoo, I felt a little gurgling in my stomach ;) ... taking over me. However, I kept my cool and tried to be a 'natural'.
I said, "A Gold Flake please." (This name came to me as it was the most popular and regular 'diet' of my college friends). He handed me over the White Stick and I gave him a 2 rupee coin. Then again, acting as a natural, I said, "Dada, where's the fire please?" He handed me over a matchbox.
I lighted a match, held it at the end of the stick (yuck! the filter tastes bad) and oh my gosh, the white wont burn! (It never occurred to me that at the same time firing it, I should've sucked it!) The shopkeeper had assumed that I had managed to do it and took away the box. Embarrassed, I stood staring at the burnt end and then at the shop-keeper!
Hm... by this time the man knew I was a 'beginner' ! He lighted the next match himself and held it at the end. This time I made no mistake, I kept on sucking hard till atleast 1cm of it had been burnt. But, what a tremendous series of coughs, huffs & puffs I had! I kept on coughing and moved away from him to avoid further embarrassment! I moved on to the 230 Bus Stand and tried to concentrate ;)
Now I had another problem... no matter how much I suck, no smoke came out of my mouth. I gave out a wide fooooooo after sucking in, but no smoke :( I was rather confused !! Anyways, I assumed that something had come into my mouth after each suction and though I could feel nothing, I tried to gulp it down. This time, Hurrah! some smoke did come out of my nose (but still none from the mouth) ... anyways, I didn't give up hope and played the nosy game for some time, but the damned stick wont get finished.
Next I tried another trick... I tried to 'inhale' (that's what my friends say they do while smoking), so after sucking I tried to breathe in through the mouth. But wait! I had a tremendous pain in my chest, followed by another series of coughs, huffs & puffs !! Some people around did actually notice me doing something 'strange'... anyways I chose to ignore them and continue. Now I badly wanted this to finish!
Then I hurriedly kep on sucking, and without any smoke coming out. After sometime, when the thing got very small (touched the label), I got bored and decided to give up... I just threw it away (though now I repent that I should've kept it as a memoir/momento!). My whole mouth was filled in a very horribly bitter taste, two of my fingers smelt awefully bad and I was very apprehensive yet somewhat excited! I got a Chlor-Mint to freshen my breath and headed for the bus, with that aweful pain in my chest.
EPILOGUE :
After all this, I deecided at the spot, that, well... I still preferred Ice Cream over that damned stick and had no intention to have a go again... bless the pain in the chest! I headed for the British Council Library, raring to share the experience with someone, and I did post the first part from there!
In general, I am a little shy! That day when I made The Decision and went out boldly at the pan-shop just beside the Alipore Zoo, I felt a little gurgling in my stomach ;) ... taking over me. However, I kept my cool and tried to be a 'natural'.
I said, "A Gold Flake please." (This name came to me as it was the most popular and regular 'diet' of my college friends). He handed me over the White Stick and I gave him a 2 rupee coin. Then again, acting as a natural, I said, "Dada, where's the fire please?" He handed me over a matchbox.
I lighted a match, held it at the end of the stick (yuck! the filter tastes bad) and oh my gosh, the white wont burn! (It never occurred to me that at the same time firing it, I should've sucked it!) The shopkeeper had assumed that I had managed to do it and took away the box. Embarrassed, I stood staring at the burnt end and then at the shop-keeper!
Hm... by this time the man knew I was a 'beginner' ! He lighted the next match himself and held it at the end. This time I made no mistake, I kept on sucking hard till atleast 1cm of it had been burnt. But, what a tremendous series of coughs, huffs & puffs I had! I kept on coughing and moved away from him to avoid further embarrassment! I moved on to the 230 Bus Stand and tried to concentrate ;)
Now I had another problem... no matter how much I suck, no smoke came out of my mouth. I gave out a wide fooooooo after sucking in, but no smoke :( I was rather confused !! Anyways, I assumed that something had come into my mouth after each suction and though I could feel nothing, I tried to gulp it down. This time, Hurrah! some smoke did come out of my nose (but still none from the mouth) ... anyways, I didn't give up hope and played the nosy game for some time, but the damned stick wont get finished.
Next I tried another trick... I tried to 'inhale' (that's what my friends say they do while smoking), so after sucking I tried to breathe in through the mouth. But wait! I had a tremendous pain in my chest, followed by another series of coughs, huffs & puffs !! Some people around did actually notice me doing something 'strange'... anyways I chose to ignore them and continue. Now I badly wanted this to finish!
Then I hurriedly kep on sucking, and without any smoke coming out. After sometime, when the thing got very small (touched the label), I got bored and decided to give up... I just threw it away (though now I repent that I should've kept it as a memoir/momento!). My whole mouth was filled in a very horribly bitter taste, two of my fingers smelt awefully bad and I was very apprehensive yet somewhat excited! I got a Chlor-Mint to freshen my breath and headed for the bus, with that aweful pain in my chest.
EPILOGUE :
After all this, I deecided at the spot, that, well... I still preferred Ice Cream over that damned stick and had no intention to have a go again... bless the pain in the chest! I headed for the British Council Library, raring to share the experience with someone, and I did post the first part from there!
Saturday, March 11, 2006
My First 'White Stick' : Part 1
PROLOGUE :
The little white sticks ... they say are very addictive! The only time I remember having one, in fact, forced to have one was when I was 6/7 years old. Tilakmama's best-friend Dipakmama, gave me a taste. I remember choking and smoke gushing out of my nose, tears from my eyes and wind from my ears! From that day onwards I had no intention ever to try once more again. In fact I cannot even tolerate passive smoking, though I lash out rarely in general, but I do show utter disgust with my facial expression. As for friends, I continually try to discourage the habit, though in vain!
THE STORY :
THE STORY :
Today, though a Wednesday, was like a typical Thursday...my Chillout Day of the Week! I had gone to bed at 3am yesterday night after watching Transporter 1 & 2 . Today morning mom woke me up with a rude thumping on the door at 9am. Then I took no risk to see 'The Exorcist' at night ;) and tried it out in shining daylight. But I found it wasn't scary at all :( The Ring did really kick the shit out of me instead. Anyways, back to the topic, I did have a lethargic morning, had my lunch and was out for the photo-session! Hey! Make no mistake, I'm not into modelling, it was just a shoot for the Voter's ID Card ;)
Anyways, I had a long walk to the National Library from my house. Then stood on the line from 2pm to 4:30pm! Oh! Bless the decision that I brought a story book (No-Honnote by Maitreyi Devi) and read it all the while.
After the utter chaos and confusion, pushing and suffocating crowd, I took to the Library canteen and had 2 vegetable chops and 2 cups of tea (and all for 5 bucks with tea at 50p per cup!). After that I admired the place, the green fields, the silence and solitude of the place with h-u-g-e trees and plants for sometime.
At that moment, I was missing someone, anyways, I felt like doing something exciting...was in a mood of an adventure... but what'd it be? The idea flashed like a lightening...why not try the little white stick?! ;)
I also felt apprehensive for sometime for even considering to do this...but however, I was somewhat sure, that being a Big Boy it wont hurt much. Arreh! C'mon! I'm almost 21 yrs old and I havent tasted that damned stick ever. I dont know what drove me to do this, but I decided to do it: To go for the stick intentionally for the First Time in my Life!
And what an experience I had !! (to be continued...)
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
The Death of Passions !
--"Hey Arun! I see that you're going out with that gorgeous babe! So you're finally engagaed? Congrats!"
--"Huh! 'engaged' ?? Who says? We're just having some fun! ;) "
This is a typical conversation among the teens & tweens today. They are very "professional" in their attitude. They know it's way too fun to go out with a gorgeous babe or a sexy hunk, but that's it. They dont want to get committed. Commitment is a big word for them. They're intelligent, and know that career come first. Once you get a good job, babes will come pouring in, and if you cant make a choice, leave that to your parents! So lets be a cool dude and chill out in life, flirt, have some fun and sleep peacefully at night.
But what I was wondering, where is the passion in today's generation?
The word "I Love You", which I consider to be a 'statement' (does it carry a question/proposition in it?read twice...) is now said to be a 'proposal' (which is actually "Will you marry me?")! The 3 'magic words' are so much used today, that it has lost its meaning, its charm. We see a nice girl in the street, meet her for one or two days and then "propose" ! We see a hot girl in a social reception, get her number and "propose"! We notice somebody pretty in college and then meet her and "propose" !
Isn't this an insult to the meaning in the real sense? Love doesn't come in showers, that you miss one but catch the other. Do we really know the difference between an infatuation and love? Even a prolonged infatuation isn't love. You'll feel it when you are truely in love. It isn't a game, its real life...it means a complete synchronisation of the body and the soul, when your hearts beat together, when you complete each other, when life loses its colours without the other person, when paradise dwells on the earth when you are together. It is way above just good looks, nice words... you can understand everything only through the eyes' speech... when you can always feel the existence of the other in each breath of yours while being oceans apart...its different, believe me, its much different!
"A soulmate is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words."
But where is this emotion today? We assume these only happen in story books which maybe sometimes rings a bell in your heart and makes you cry. But the next moment you wipe your tears (along with those 'stupid & irrational' emotions) and move forward in life and be a cool dude! Even most of the people who reads this post, will rate me a "very sentimental person blinded by emotions". I believe that to be humane there has to be emotions, to be humane there has to be sentiments. But under control. But atleast you need some of them in case to control this... there's no use trying to keep a jar of honey safe when there's nothing in it!
Do you have the passion? Or are you dead..., cool dude?
Do you have the passion? Or are you dead..., cool dude?
Sunday, March 05, 2006
If...
If-
by Rudyard Kipling, 1895
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!
by Rudyard Kipling, 1895
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)