Archive for April, 2008
April 30, 2008 at 6:42 am
· Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged family, God, Haj, Osma Bin laden, religion, Sai Baba, search, temple
I don’t think that I am atheist. How can I be? My dad is a believer and my grand mom is too religious but yes I am a family disappointment. You see, my entire family is very devout and all occasions from Ram Navami to Ganesh Utsav to Gudi Padwa are celebrated with gusto in my house. My dad is a hardcore believer and the day is incomplete without reading the holy scriptures.
But that still hasn’t changed my outlook. From early on I knew I was different in my belief. I did not want to go to temples, as I didn’t believe in idol worship. My family accepted it thinking it was a phase that I would grow out of but as I grew up their views changed. While cousins were praised in front of strangers for keeping fats, doing puja or simply going to the temple, the fact that I avoided all this was swept under the carpet. Who likes to brag about the black sheep in the family, right?
But its not that I don’t believe in God. A Sai Baba pendant around my neck proves that. It’s just that my belief is that god doesn’t want you to come everyday and offer him gifts/offerings. He doesn’t want us to starve ourselves to please him. He just wants us to work hard, help others and respect all life. Think of it this way, what’s te point of Osama Bin laden worshipping God five times a day or going on Haj when he has murdered innocents? It’s pointless.
But I can never convince anyone of what I think. The only thing is…I really wish that they would understand the concept of to each, his own. Cheers!!
Permalink
April 29, 2008 at 5:56 am
· Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged cheerleaders, cricket, D.Y. Pattil, gilchris, Indian, male, mumbai, perverts, syllabus
While most of the times I tend to agree that politicians don’t understand young India, the cheerleaders’ controversy has me firmly rooted in their corner. Don’t get me wrong. I am as broad-minded as the next Indian and I do agree that cheerleaders add a dash of colour to the game. But if my experience at the D.Y. Patil stadium is anything to go by, it has to be stopped…now.
The game at the stadium went on expected lines…yes; the Mumbai Indians got trashed again. They were blown out of the park by a brilliant Gilchrist century. But in spite of the action on the field what really interested the crowd were the cheerleaders who were a part of the Deccan Chargers entourage. By the way, I must add that it was not a roadside crowd that was present at the stadium. These were educated young Indians but their behaviour left a lot to be desired.
In tune to the commissioner’s dikhat, the cheerleaders of both teams had turned up completely covered but that didn’t stop the guys in the crowd from having a go at them. There were whistle, come hither gestures and lewd comments passed at the girls throughout the match. It was a really pitiful sight and I can only imagine what the girls go through everyday.
The Indian male is just not mature to handle this situation and while come commentators disagree I am all for the cover-up. And yes, please do introduce the sex-education course in the ninth standard syllabus. It would do the kids a world of good. And while we are on the subject, can such a course be introduced to the perverts in the stands as well? Cheers!!
Permalink
April 27, 2008 at 9:42 am
· Filed under Uncategorized
I’m trying really hard to put down some thoughts for today but all that is going on in my head is the IPL match that I am about to head for. The Deccan Chargers are taking on the Mumbai Indians at the D.Y. Patil stadium and my life is chaotic.
Turns out the place has parking for only about 2500 cars while about 60000 people are expected. So we have to reach early, lest we don’t get a spot. To top it, co-ordinating pick up points for my friends is becoming a pain. So as of now…there is total chaos.
And the icing in the cake is the Bhajji suspension! As it is Mumbai has enough trouble after losing three matches on the trot and now this. I have no expectations from the team but will be with my gang so hoping for a good time. Will hopefully put up match experience tomorrow. Anyway, got to go. Cheers!!
Permalink
April 26, 2008 at 7:26 am
· Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged age, bollywood, cheers, cricket, dhoni, Europe, Feudal, nobody, people, renaissance, talent, tushar kapoor
Ever wondered why cricket is so huge in our country? Well, I have and here are my two cents on the topic. The reason we all live the game is because it is a great leveler. It is probably the only occupation that can make a star out of a nobody. It plays to the imagination with the rags to riches story. Where else can a Mahendra Singh Dhoni, a small time Ranchi boy, give competition to the upscale and trendy Delhi, Mumbai urban dudes?
You don’t need to walk the walk and talk the talk here. Pure talent (read Praveen Kumar) is enough to get you in. Now compare that to other professions where one needs to have a father or godfather to succeed. Earlier Bollywood fell into the same bracket as cricket. People from varying walks of life such as porters, professors and so on walked into Mumbai with stars in their eyes and their talent was rewarded.
But these days, unless you belong to a filmi background or are a Miss India winner, it’s tough to break into the tinsel town. There are the odd exceptions to the rule a la Preity Zinta or Shah Rukh Khan but they too far and few in between to matter. This is not to say that all present generation actors are bad. Hrithik Roshan, Aamir Khan or Kajol stand testimony to it. It’s just that nothing can validate a Tushar Kapoor, Fardeen Khan, Esha Deol presence in a movie. They have nothing going for them except the fact that they have star-parents.
But why blame only Bollywood? This feudal mentality is taking over the entire society. Businessmen want their children to study management to ensure continuation, doctors want children to learn medicine so that they have someone to run their clinics. In short, this mentality is rotting our society. What’s wrong in this you ask? The fact that power of choice is taken away.
The only positive thing about this is that Renaissance followed the Feudal Age. Creative talent in the form of great sculptors, painters and writers burst into Europe and took the world by storm. Am I hoping for too much by hoping for such a Renaissance in our country? Cheers!!
Permalink
April 25, 2008 at 6:08 am
· Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged chennai, cricket, india, IPL, kolkata, mumbai, royal
Okay, this is pure indulgence so forgive me. It’s just that I am dying to put this down. I think all the teams have now played two matches and we are just about understanding where they stand so here is what I feel works for/against them.
Rajastan Royals
Captain: Shane Warne
Pluses: The arrival of Kamran Akmal, Graeme Smith, Warne’s captaincy
Minuses: No other great bowler apart from Warne
Deccan Chargers
Captain: V.V.S. Laxman
Pluses: Great batting line-up
Minuses: the batting line-up hasn’t fired, weak bowling attack
Kings of Punjab
Captain: Yuvraj Singh
Pluses: many all-rounders
Minuses: many all-rounders
Mumbai Indians
Captain: Sachin Tendulkar
Pluses: Jayasurya +Tendulkar = explosive opening pair
Minuses: no other team member matches their prowess
Chennai Superkings
Captain: M.S. Dhoni
Pluses: the batting is firing on all cylinders so much so that Dhoni’s poor form is going unnoticed
Minuses: apart from Murali, no great bowler
Delhi Daredevils
Captain: Sehwag
Pluses: good opening pair of Gambhir and Sehwag, Glenn McGrath
Minuses: haven’t been tested if the opening pair fails
Kolkata Knight Riders
Captain: Ganguly
Pluses: Good captaincy, Shah Rukh Khan, Ishant Sharma and a good batting line-up
Minuses: Can’t think of any
Bangalore Royal Challengers
Captain: Rahul Dravid
Pluses: the arrival of Chandrapaul, Kallis in form
Minuses: Rahul Dravid
My favourites:
On form: Delhi Daredevils, Kolkata Knight Riders
Dark horse: Chennai Superkings
Emotional favourites: Mumbai Indians (being a true blue Mumbaikar is a curse)
Permalink
April 24, 2008 at 2:30 pm
· Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged IPL, Lalit Modi, money, mumbai, paisa, player, rajastan, satisfied, Sehwag, tamasha
It’s amazing what cricket can do in this country! I mean forget the money involved in the IPL or all the BCCI administrative crap involved. Yes, we all know and agree that it is a money making racket. But as long as the cricketers, you and me are satisfied, who cares about all that?
I remember discussing the viability of the IPL with my grand mom before this hoopla had begun. I had reasoned that if such a tournament is successful in a country like U.K. for football, then why not here? At that time purists were going on about how such a formula wouldn’t work here. Well, Lalit Modi must have whooped with joy during Virender Sehwag’s brilliant innings against the Deccan Charges. Not only because of the class of cricket but also because no one clapped in the stadium. Imagine Sehwag hitting a fifty in India and not being appreciated!! I never thought that I would see the day.
The team loyalties are strong. My friends support their teams and everything that is connected to being Indian is forgotten. Though I do wish Mumbai had picked a better team. It would have made my life a lot easier is supporting them. But with no Tendulkar and Malinga, it really seems like the weakest team in the league. Even the Rajastan Royals, whom I had unfairly written off because of a bad team, seem better.
Anyway, the point is clearly marketing is everything…Tashan and the IPL are proving that. Now if only K.P.S Gill understood that!
Permalink
April 23, 2008 at 10:50 am
· Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged appreciate, beaches, egypt, exam, fight, fun, introspection, journalist, life, lost, realise
Why is it that we realise what we have lost only after losing it? Why can’t we ever take a step back and appreciate the good things in life.
I quit my job about two months ago. The reason…I had two exams in two months and wanted time out. The first two weeks were great. I rested and had a blast. But soon my mind wanted to do more. Oh! In case I forgot to mention, I am a journalist and had been putting in about 12-14 hours a day earlier. My job had left me no time for a life, forget social or professional. My parents and me worked at different hours and we rarely saw each other except on holidays. And almost all my conversations with friends and extended family were either via phone or g-talk.
I always thought that when I went on a break I would spend time with them but guess what? It didn’t work that way. My idle mind began wondering why is it that I didn’t have a job and honestly I feel that I was showing early signs of depression. I fought with the ones I loved the most for no reason at all. Anyway, that’s when I realized that this was a time to appreciate life for what it was!!
Next thing I know, I am having beautiful walks on beaches, sleeping on grass in public gardens, going to Egypt for a long overdue vacation and doing all the things that I said I would. And I was so happy doing it…
Now my last exam is tomorrow and soon I will start searching for a new job. But I know I will be happy coz the last two months gave me much more than I bargained for and I am very much ready for a no-life situation yet again. So if anyone out there is going through what I did…do take a step back and live the present rather that think about the past or worry about the future. Cheers!!
Permalink
April 23, 2008 at 10:33 am
· Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged answer, comfort, dark, illusion, pain, prism, silence
There was a time when people could reach me
When my soul enjoyed the feeling of touch
But now that very touch feels alien
The feeling is no longer there
What has happened I ask myself again and again?
Have I changed or has my soul?
But all I hear is a deafening silence
The path is confusing, long and I am weary
The colours in the prism invite me
But I can’t touch or feel them
Those familiar call my name
But I can no longer see their faces
I look for answers in dark rooms
Running away from the light at the other end
The mind is now asking me
If it all was a illusion
A dream that was never meant to be
Or a reality harsher than I can face
I no longer seek the answers
Just the comfort that comes with the pain
Permalink
April 22, 2008 at 9:48 am
· Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged art, brother, dog, lash, networking, people, slimeball, tricks
I truly envy those who can network well. For the love of god, I can’t seem to get the hang of how this system works.
My brother is a pro at this. You should see him at work. He knows exactly whom to be in touch with and what to say at the right time. I can’t. The reason-in my head most people fall into the neutral category. You know the types where you don’t care what happens to them in the past, present or future. So even if a person of influence is standing right in front of me, I can’t see him thanks to the blinders I have on.
Plus, is it me or are such people really very difficult to get along with? The reason I say this is coz most people I know fall into this bracket. They either have over-sized egos or are too childish, they bitch or are too into office politics. End result: I run two miles away from them.
But they say that in this day and age it is an art to master. Honestly, I dread the world that is coming to this. What happened to the age-old philosophy of merit and talent? I guess I am old-fashioned and need to move with the times. So, if anyone has any suggestions on how to go about this…do drop me a line. Cheers!!
Permalink
April 21, 2008 at 11:27 am
· Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged content, family, friends, happy, humans, silence, solitude
I never understand why people perceive silence as a bad sign. Trust me, those who live in silence with their dreams more often than not achieve what they want.
I, for one, enjoy my own company. Apart from my family and a few close friends, few interest me. Don’t get me wrong. This is not to say that I don’t like people around me. It’s just that in my head they fall into the neutral category. You know, the one where I do not bother to know you any better. The few that interest me, I do make an effort to get to know them better and my friends say that I am the best kind of friend to have, the always there never interfering type.
But still, at the of the day, inspite of these genuine people in my life, nothing gives me as much pleasure as a quiet read or soft music. Even with near and dear ones, I often beg for moments of solitude. To be left alone for a few moments. Take it away and hell hat no fury like me scorned. But as long as I am happy does anything else matter? It shouldn’t. So here’s to those who mock me… Cheers!!
Permalink
Older Posts »
