Mera naam .....

Some movies, transcend from just being frames on celluloid to capturing the imagination and emotions of its viewers. I remember one such movie, released in the year 1970, for which Raj Kapoor is remembered for even today. The movie I think was called ... "Mera Naam .....". Argh! I am not able to get the last word. What? What did you say? Really? SIGH! I don't think that is the last word. Wait let me think about it .........


Moving away from that topic, On stage and perfomances, there is one character who is much loved. Yeah, the "Clown" aka "Joker". In Circuses, he is somone who perfoms menial gimmicks and stunts to have the audience in peels of laughter. Some of the stunts what he performs maybe death defying and risky, yet the audience are never exposed to that stark side . The act normally ends with something funny and thus the audience can continue laughing! Also, the clown would be a jack of quite a few trades , that he would very well supplement for any other members weakness!


Medieval Europe, the royalty were entertained by a "jester". The jester would be witty (Touchstone .. in "As You like It". Is the name right? ;-)) and sharp and would engage the best minds in intellectual tiffs. The jokers, clowns or jesters , whatever we call them often end up showing one face to the world regardless of what they would be personally going through! The world always wants them to "entertain" and does not care about what "they" go through! They are supposed to "mask" out their "feelings" and just entertain! Brilliant ain't it!! Brilliant!!

Ah ....., I think I remember the movie name and ........ I guess you were right! The movie name is indeed, "Mera Naam Joker".

Hitchhiking on a Time Machine? Why?!!

A typical day,here, ends with folks wishing you 'Bon Voyage'. No .... not that we are embarking on some pioneering journey around the world. We are just leaving office to head back home. The traffic jams indeed make it a long journey back.

Someday your only respite is the local radio station, as most of your colleagues are fast asleep after their 'ordeal' . The programs being aired on radio sometimes wish you craving for more choice as monotony creeps in. As all these thoughts , keep running in the background, I notice the reflection of the clock. Time ...... seems to be moving back. (Yeah, U guessed it, I've had a tough day at work ;-). Okie stop that smile!! )

Well, I have heard some of them 'long' to go back to a certain time in their life where they consider themselves to have been 'very happy'! Well ... why would someone want to just go back to the time they were 'happy' and just stay there? In life we come across many experiences and not all of them render the same 'feeling'.Well, thats how the package is, and that's its beauty! Also, you attach a special significance to that 'time' because, you have probably faced not so 'happy' moments later. Well ... if you were in the same 'happy' time frame, would you still attach the same significance to 'that time'? Well, I guess one wouldn't. Also, you may encounter experiences in future which may teach you that your 'absolute' itself is 'relative'!! One would be able to appreciate events and experiences only when they are viewed in perspective.

You get one shot , one life and one oppurtunity to make a difference i.e to lead a life. Why would you want to keep going back to just a time frame? Why do you want to hitchhike on a time machine and go back to 'that time' ? Why??!

:-)

'Fan' brigade.

Madurai, a district in Tamil Nadu, in the southern part of India, popularly known for the Meenakshi temple. This temple is an architectural marvel, with sculptors speaking their hearts out through their creations ..er... should I say elimination ;-). Stone pillars , which emnate musical notes when incited, thousand pillars adorning the walkway, sculptures and a whole array of specialities make the visit to this place a visual treat which lingers around for a long time.

Well, apart from the temple ,Madurai, is popular for its "jasmine" flowers. Going by the name of, "Madurai Malli", the aroma of these flowers are suppossed to be an olfactory treat.

Yes, there is something more, what I encountered in Madurai too. The people are 'fanatic', (very strictly adhereing to the meaning of that word) about their film stars. You would have seen people adoring stars, here they 'worship' them.

Well, as luck would have it , my ticket on the train was waitlisted and I had to take the bus to reach an intermediate point. As i wanted to reach the destination as soon as possible I took the bus that was already leaving the bus stop. I had'nt noticed that the bus was a 'DVD coach' * . (:-(). The bus driver seemed to be throwing the bus around corners as though he were testing G Force endurances on human beings. The journey was suppossed to be for four hours, but i suspected that it would be much lesser.

I had taken the last but one seat and had almost comfortably settled. Probably it was around midnight when I heard a shre(eee)ik from a passenger behind me. I woke up startled and turned back. He seemed gleeful and happy. He was visibly excited and was cheering loudly. Confused I look ahead and I can see the reason. A movie, called 'Muthu' was being screened and the 'Super Star' , Rajinikanth was the hero in it. Our 'fan' was excited at the sight of his' star' on screen!!! For people who are not quite familiar, Rajinikanth, is the hero of the masses. He is a much celebrated and immensly popular STAR. Our 'fan' was joined by quite a few others who started whistling frantically and there seemed to be a brigade of them. One was apparently bragging as to how he was watching the movie for the fortieth time. If he were this excited for his fortieth .. I wonder ... !!! With such rampant enthuisam .. one can just amaze at the adoration these people have for their 'stars'.

At around 1 30 am ... one of the 'fan''s wakes me up. Puzzled I turn back , quite agitated.

(Translated, the conv was in Tamil)

'Fan' : Sir, could you move your head to the side sirrrr?!
Me : What?
'Fan' : I can't see Rajini properly !!
Me : U 've been watching this movie all this while , its 1 30 am , you wan't me to move so that U can 'see'??
'Fan' : I am a Rajini 'rasigan' (fan). Kindly adjust.

I am just dumbstruck. Amazed, suprised and confused at his 'adoration' I move towards the side.

'Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee' 'Wheeeeeeeeeeeee' ( He goes ....)

'Fan" : Thank U sirrr! U go to sleep!!

'Wheeeeeeeeeeeh'

I smiled back.

Yeah, right!! I am going to sleep!! :-)


* DVD coach (noun) : A state transport run bus, which takes pride in playing music and movies in full blast. I learnt about this definition , from my co passenger towards the end of the journey!

"Drawn" to a line!

A lecturer in the Mechanical Engineering department, is no mean achievment. You have to have been a seargent in Hitler's army in your previous stint on earth (and haven't lost those traits, yet) or University of Timbuctoo is working on you to just see the critical levels of stress that human beings can subject fellow human beings too. ( Actually not all of them fit under this description, but a "select" few , definitely do).

Machine Drawing. One of the finest subjects, I have come across. This subject , aids an "engineer" to communicate in the "langauge of mechanical engineers" i.e. Engineering Drawing. Material conventions, "Projections","Different Views" (jargon unavoidable), the subject was indeed interesting ...... until that day I came across Lect 1.

The assignment on "Universal Swivel Bearing", for the folks from other streams .. .. it is one of the difficult assignments, to complete with all the "conditions met" . I had reached home late, also Brazilian Grand Prix was being telecast. Leaving behind all that I worked on that assignment as I had heard a lot about "Lect1". The next day after 7 hours of painstaking efforts the previous night, i submitted the assignment to Lect1. With no comments, right away, from him on submission, I headed back. I was even wondering if people were spreading "malicious" rumours about him being "sadistic".

The class was about to be dismissed, when he called over my name. I headed to his desk, where he was "evaluating" my assignment. Excerpts from the interaction

Lect 1 : What's your name?
Me : X
Lect1 : How does it appear on the register?
Me : (!!) Er .... that would be X.S
Lect1 : But U have written X in this sheet.

( Unbelievable expression .. on my face .. No words to explain the reaction on my face )

Me : Er ....... ??!!
Lect1: Since you have not written your full name on the sheet I can't award you any marks for this sheet.
Me : What?

(As I watched in disbelief, the red pen went across the "white" sheet )

Lect1 : U get 0/ 10 for the sheet. ( Smiles)

( He looks at me and then gives a sinister grin and goes on to change 0/ 10 to ZERO/ 10.)

Soapy Operas.

Dictionary .com defines

soap
n.

1. A cleansing agent, manufactured in bars, granules, flakes, or liquid form, made from a mixture of the sodium salts of various fatty acids of natural oils and fats.
2. A metallic salt of a fatty acid, as of aluminum or iron.

o·pus
n. pl. o·pe·ra or o·pus·es

A creative work, especially a musical composition numbered to designate the order of a composer's works.

tor·ture
n.

1. 1. Infliction of severe physical pain as a means of punishment or coercion.
   2. An instrument or a method for inflicting such pain.
2. Excruciating physical or mental pain; agony: the torture of waiting in suspense.
3. Something causing severe pain or anguish.

Ofcourse it also define's soap opera as follows .....

soap opera

A radio or television serial with stock characters in domestic dramas that are noted for being sentimental and melodramatic.


Well, here is a secret, soap opera and torture are synonyms.


If there is one set of programs I absolutely hate, on television, they would be the soap operas telecast in these regional channels. John Baird must be churning in his grave if at all he knew how these soap operas have rendered his invention as the 'idiot' box.

If you were of the impression that the KK blah .. blah .. blah and Ekta's "masterpieces" were probably the worst kind of programs you can come across .... ah I have bad news in store for all you folks.

Welcome the the real world .

The soap operas telecast in channels, who have their viewer base predominantly south indian are much worse. These programs are telecast throughout the day, on those channels . The writers for all these soaps have ensured that the protagonists have involved in and belonged to all the "relationships" man has ever known. (Puns intended). Ah.... you were of the opinion,there can be no soap, with the protagonist being the daughter of a father's friend's second brothers relatives aunt, who is apparently an "angel", full time, ( It is convoluted ... but U get the point right :-)) ..... ha ... don't be disheartened .. there is a writer out there who is already scripting that very story.

With all this hatred you must even be wondering, how did i watch ( read survive) enough of those soaps to even be ranting against those. My dinner time apparently coincides with the "prime time" in these channels , a few days of the week. Sometimes I even spend some more time at office to avoid the clash with "prime time". These soap's always have some CRUEL villain or .... to make the story more interesting, villainesses and ever so ideal protagonists ... who seem to have dropped straight out of heaven.

The plots (I think these writers understand," plot" as " a secret plan for a hostile purpose") are insipid . ( Ok, that was an understatement). The characters ..... ah, less said the better. The story line ......whats that??!! Anytime the viewership drops, a character is brought alive with "divine" assistance. Sheesh and so many more such gems.

Capital punishment should be abolished. I agree. Instead,these criminals must be forced to watch these soaps back to back for a month ... no a week. Ofcourse, we would appear to be "humanitarian", as we have abolished Capital punishment, but the punishment what we have given these people is worse than what people were subjected too in concentration camps!

You don't believe me? Watch a couple of soaps telecast on these channels .....Well, don't come back complaining that i din't warn you. Watch it at your own risk :-)

Abyss ...

I see it.

It looks inviting .

I decide to avoid it.

I move away from the standpoint.

I am pulled back.

It lies there, deep, mysterious, surreal and ...... yeah inviting.

I take a plunge to experience what it is like to see the abyss.

Water cuts like a knife, i beat that, move towards the abyss.

Weeds block my way ....... I still keep moving, I am approaching it, the abyss.

Quite a struggle, yet the abyss ....... is calling.

I move and move .. till my lungs ache ... and I am completly deprived of air.

Yet i move on .... and on towards the abyss.

I can't take this ...... and my body shudders ... survival instinct kicks in ........

I am pushed back .... I am shaken ..... I head back ... albeit involuntarily.

I hit the surface , gasping for air.

I relax .... I look back.

The Abyss .... lies inviting .. right where it was.

There is an ABYSS which most of us have come across ....... in our lives.

Masked for Life.

It was the December of '97 . I was one of the few folks who were selected in a state wide Talent hunt to particpate in a Youth festival held at Jigani, Bangalore.

Jigani, i should mention is about 40 kms from Bangalore and is indeed beautiful. This facility was amidst lush green fields, a trekking section and tranqulity . :-). The camp had a diverse group. Camping, trekking, collage, pottery, art, music and stage, were the activities that were to be covered over our period of stay. The overall exercise and the exposure we had is almost etched in an indelible state of my mind. One of the exercises we involved in was called MASK and the process was roughly as discussed in this site, ofcourse excluding the spooky special effects that this site also goes on to describe.

At the end of the exercises each one was supposed to talk about their learnings from that exercise. One of them from my group remarked,

" This exercise taught us something what we all do subconsciously. We all wear a MASK. ".

It was apoint which most of us had missed indeed.

We all wear a MASK.

The bard , in his play, "As You Like It" , rightly said .......

"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;"

Ah .... he was right!

Inviting ....

Looks inviting ... Does it? Let me clarify, though it looks inviting, its not all that great when some smacks half of that on ur face. :-).

A tale of tagging.

Yes, finally I fall prey to the TAG. Aknowkneemoose, has tagged me this time. What? Suprised? Oh wait till you see the name of his blog. :-)

Here it goes,

Seven Things I plan to do (not in any particular order):

1) Experience Free Fall ( Probably in the form of Bungee Jumping or Sky diving. Wow, approaching 'terra firma' at 160 kmph . It should be quite exhilarating. Tom Petty's ,'Free Falling' that currently playing on my system has nothing to do with this).

2) Visit Venice and Rome ( Have been fascinated by these places since time immemorial. Ofcourse, not alone. Okie stop that sneer.)

3) Drive a Lambhorgini, Ferrari , BMW 7 series, Maybach, Hummer (Huh? Ofcourse I meant one at a time. Yeah, the best in their class and probably buy one of them ;-)).

4) A Startup

5) Stage ( Always loved that. Theatre ........ yeah its awesome).

6) To attempt some of the craziest things. ( Plan to visit Gulmarg, in winter does not qualify as one :-), Cricket at 2 am .... Hmm maybe you could. )

7) Adopt a Child .

Seven things I can do :

1) Graphology. ( Yeah , still a novice, but its interesting).

2) Get the party going.

3) Start with baking a cake and end up with hot chocolate that tastes awesome (yeah did that once. I am sure, you will stop smiling once you do taste that hot chocolate).

4) Act on stage.

5) Pun ( Quite a lot)

6) Write short stories.

7) Watch Matrix again though I remember the movie frame by frame.

Seven things I can't do:

1) Salsa Dance (Don't worry folks ... I am making attempts to improve that :p)

2) Cook ( Attempted it a few times, but results are quite disastrous. What? U smiled? I atleast accepted that I cook bad ... Huh?! ;-)).

3) Bartending Stunts (Yeah that was after watching Cocktail. Keep the jeers coming! :-)).

4) Skate ( Roller Skates ..... Never got a hang on that. I got to hang on to all the rest of the stuff on the roads though).

5) Follow a sport without passion. ( Yeah F1 and Cricket).

6) Quench a desire to annoy freinds by calling them at weird times (No, thats not a prank :-)).

7) Rafting ( Going to give it another try in 10 to 15 days ..... Hopefully I do well this time :-)

People I tag :

Well most of the folks in the Blogsphere i know have already been tagged. Thus, I would leave it optional for the folks I tag here.
1) Vasanth
2) Vikram
3) Kushi
4) Jyo
5) Ashwin
6) Well anyone else who are actually interested but I forgot to tag U , and you are reading this.

Black or White.

It's Black.

It's White.

(No , it is not the track from Dangerous Album)

It's grey?!!!?

Decisions made should be binary. Why do people complicate issues by keeping it in 'grey'. A little more effort from them, on their 'grey' section can help them evaluate a solution that is either Black or White!

Why don't they just do that? Why?

On a day like today ....

# 5 50 AM
Alarm goes "HMMM .....HMMMM .....HMMM" .... Snooze turned on.

(Oops the last song I listened to is still lingering on ....... :-))

# 6 20 AM
Reapeat the same procedure everytime the alarm goes.

#6 30 AM
Enlightment dawns ....... "The bus is at 7 10 am!!!"

# 6 31 AM
Action begins ......

Cut to the chase ....

# 7 10 AM
Realize i am going to be late , zip accross the loaclaity on my bike and reach the bus stop. Sheesh bus is late today!

#7 28 AM
Finally!

# 7 30 AM
SMS friends on the way to office.As i look around, a colleague is playing 'Solitaire' on his laptop, another head banging to a old hindi track being played on the radio (mobile) (:O) , another eagerly 'reading' Page 3 in Times, one solving the SUDOKU, one narrating, how worse her Project Manager is to her friend through her mobile, ( I guess she should use her mobile to communicate to her friend, the whole bus seems to know about her PM now), a few with their Economic Times, two discussing how a 'technical' issue has to be resolved and majority of the 'workaholics' sleeping.

# 8 10 AM
Reach office, A bicycle ride . (Bicycles on campus are a better means to commute. Eco Friendly and a mini workout guarantee)

# 8 20 AM
Microsoft Outlook unveils the startling news of , the logistics issue I am expecting to have been resolved overnight has not been. Sheesh! What a waste of time its gonna be today!!!!!

# 9 AM
Frantic attempts to contact the System admin in US. Alas, too late. He has left for the day.

# 9 05 AM
Contemplate how JOBLESS its gonna be today!!

# 9 15 AM
Blog hop, Justice being done to the forwards recieved, replies sent to the ones with intriguing questions, Yahoo Messenger, MSN.

# 5 00 PM
Bad news folks ..... the loop in which the above seems to be hapenning is scary!

# 5 30 PM
Decide whether to blog this?
Decision made!

Okie .....I am bored too! On a day like today (Bryan Adams, my treatement of 'On a day like...' is so different from Urs ) ........ hope I never have a day like this at work again!! :-|

Secret of Success ....

Well, this anecdote was during my I year Pre University. We had a Physics lecturer who used to double up as a Moral Science lecturer, during his two hour sessions. His sessions were filled with a lot of tips on how one must abide by certain social norms and on Value systems , oh yeah ... a little bit of Physics too.

He used to come up with some 'creative' anecdotes to drive home his point. One such 'creative' example.

PL : What is the single most determining factor if one has to be successful or 100% in any assignment?

Class : ..................

PL : Will anyone answer !!!!

Cacophony : Luck ...... Toil ..... Dedication ............. (Silence)

PL : Let Me explain, Assign each alphabet a number , linearly, i.e .. A = 1, B = 2 , c=3...... z = 26.

PL : Now for each of the factors you all have mentioned add up the Values of the alphabets in that word

Cacophony : LUCK ----> 12 + 21 +3 + 11 = 47
TOIL ----> 20 +15 +9 +12 = 56
DEDICATION -----> 4+5+4+9+3+1+20+9+15+14 = 84

PL : So ... it shows that none of these are sufficient to attain 100%

Class : ....................................

PL : Now try DISCIPLINE

Cacophony : DISCIPLINE -----> 4+9+19+3+9+16+12+9+14+5 = 100

PL : So , that clearly shows one needs to have DISCIPLINE to achieve a 100%.

( Well, as luck would have it I was seated in the third row as I was late to the class and the last rows taken .........)

Me (nudging a friend) : Hey , then what about INDISCIPLINE?

SIGH! PL heard me,fumed, well was a bit late to go into Damage Control mode. Well, yeah I enjoyed the view from my college canteen after that! :-)