- Why Is the word 'Love' abused to such incesteous extents?
- Will politicians ever stop running their mouths wherever there is a camera running?
- Does getting to power mean aligning or de-aligning with friends?
- Why do people in South India dance to celebrate birth...and death?
- Are movies meant to spend people earnings or earn people's spendings?
- Why is that some countries want to be known as the best for the worst reasons?
- If elders view metal music to mental madness do youngsters view carnatic music to cardiac arrests?
- Does the success of the movie Slumdog Millionaire mean the success or the failure of India?
- Is it worth living with what you have or to live with what one wants?
- Does one man's fame reflect the teams effort of just his own?
- What if all the Indians working everywhere in the world are told to go back home?
- Is the amount of e-waste going to exceed the amount of bio-waste in the future?
- Will there ever be a last song because how many songs can human beings ultimately create?
- Is The Matrix based on a concept that can be true?
- How will the aliens view our planet and the way we lead our lives?
- Does help from within come without expectations?
- Are melting glaciers and erupting volcanoes a sign of the end?
March 27, 2009
Random Questions VI
After observing the world for a month...here is a rapid-fire round of questions that may not need answers...but may give food not for hunger but for thought...
March 11, 2009
Happy Holi - Day!!!
This feeling begins from my office desk where its all quiet and buzzing with work and echoing with loud conference calls. What I do then? I open Google and try to search a wallpaper which will brighten any worked up soul around. I search typing apt words simply stating - Happy Holi...and I am so happy by just watching it appear on my desktop. I am the only one even recognizing it in my office and I am not amused. As you might have already figured out, its not a holiday, this being a national festival.
The last time I played Holi was 4 years back when I was doing my MBA in Bangalore. That was the roughest, toughest, rowdiest and the most colorful Holi I had ever played. But the most fun and the light hearted of all was when I was in Delhi where I was pursuing my schooling in 1991 - 92 and from 1997 - 2001. The true spirit of the festival was at its best when I was in Delhi and I am proud to say that I had been there and celebrated it along with like minded souls. Most looked at me at that time as a South Indian celebrating Holi...according to me, I was an Indian from South celebrating a national festival. Symbolically this festival negates any drawn boundary and wipes out any given enemity from face of this earth.
Surprisingly, when I tried to celebrate this when I was back in Chennai to pursue my B.Com, many thought I was bringing a North Indian culture and refused to celebrate simply saying its not a part of our culture. I was amazed and shocked to see some people's reactions and I was petrified to see some people hating the festival because their clothes would get colored and dirty. Well, what could I say? During my days in Delhi, I was the brat when it came to the playground and all the senior citizens in the apartment would hate our gang for breaking the window panes or hitting the ball into their balconies and creating a racket or a little riot and what not. And to my surprise, when we all assembled at the Quadrangle (the name of our apartment garden) to celebrate Holi, all those who despised us, welcomed us in open arms and did not shy an inch from applying colors to them or splashing colored water on them. What joy to see them become one among us and us becoming one among them.
On a lighter note, Holi also served a purpose of mending broken relationships, strained friendships, budding foes and especially secret romantic escapades. These moments are special to all of us because its this time that we get the closest chance one would get to get that glimpse or conversation or that touch...the sheer magic of colors. We all have been through this so theres nothing to be ashamed about now!!! Anyways, I would now leave this to the imagination of those who have been through it and wish not to hurt the sentiments of those who have had otherwise.
Coming to the current reality, given a chance, corporates would scrap this festival down the drain and would ensure that work is at its peak when we find a reason to celebrate. Like the sacrificial lamb of the financial year, festivals like Holi take a beating and continue to be a college or school going kid's or a jobless or a retired citizen's festival. Especially MNCs which have no clue about the significance of Holi. Leave alone that, I work in an Indian company and even they have not declared this day off! Some people just dont like to see others celebrate right? Especially if its towards the last month of the Financial Year!!!
But whatever said and done, the moments surrounding this special festival is just unique and the only theme or feel is just happiness. The sudden water balloon attacks, bombarding passers by with bucket of color water from the 4th floor, welcoming strangers and applying gulals the tilaks and giving them Bhaang and Mithaais especially Gujjia, dancing and singing like there was no tomorrow, water guns and sprays and the battle of the water balloons, free hugs, etc.
On a more factual mode, Holi marks the end of Winter and the beginning of Spring. The festival breathes an air of romance and social merriment. It is said that on this day, people befriend even their enemies and make a new beginning. This festival, as I had mentioned is about letting go whatever has happened and enjoy life together with family and friends. To read and know more on the festival of Holi, do check out - http://www.thecolorsofindia.com/holi.html
Keeping this in mind, I have one question to ask those who shun away from such culturally significant celebrations - What is it that you have against celebrating such joyous occasions?
And I have another question also - Knowing that all our bosses are our enemies, can they or we reconcile at least on this day and request for a 'holi-day' to celebrate this relationship in peace and in joy?
I am still in search of these answers...in the meatime, heres wishing you all a very happy Holi!!!!!!
The last time I played Holi was 4 years back when I was doing my MBA in Bangalore. That was the roughest, toughest, rowdiest and the most colorful Holi I had ever played. But the most fun and the light hearted of all was when I was in Delhi where I was pursuing my schooling in 1991 - 92 and from 1997 - 2001. The true spirit of the festival was at its best when I was in Delhi and I am proud to say that I had been there and celebrated it along with like minded souls. Most looked at me at that time as a South Indian celebrating Holi...according to me, I was an Indian from South celebrating a national festival. Symbolically this festival negates any drawn boundary and wipes out any given enemity from face of this earth.
Surprisingly, when I tried to celebrate this when I was back in Chennai to pursue my B.Com, many thought I was bringing a North Indian culture and refused to celebrate simply saying its not a part of our culture. I was amazed and shocked to see some people's reactions and I was petrified to see some people hating the festival because their clothes would get colored and dirty. Well, what could I say? During my days in Delhi, I was the brat when it came to the playground and all the senior citizens in the apartment would hate our gang for breaking the window panes or hitting the ball into their balconies and creating a racket or a little riot and what not. And to my surprise, when we all assembled at the Quadrangle (the name of our apartment garden) to celebrate Holi, all those who despised us, welcomed us in open arms and did not shy an inch from applying colors to them or splashing colored water on them. What joy to see them become one among us and us becoming one among them.
On a lighter note, Holi also served a purpose of mending broken relationships, strained friendships, budding foes and especially secret romantic escapades. These moments are special to all of us because its this time that we get the closest chance one would get to get that glimpse or conversation or that touch...the sheer magic of colors. We all have been through this so theres nothing to be ashamed about now!!! Anyways, I would now leave this to the imagination of those who have been through it and wish not to hurt the sentiments of those who have had otherwise.
Coming to the current reality, given a chance, corporates would scrap this festival down the drain and would ensure that work is at its peak when we find a reason to celebrate. Like the sacrificial lamb of the financial year, festivals like Holi take a beating and continue to be a college or school going kid's or a jobless or a retired citizen's festival. Especially MNCs which have no clue about the significance of Holi. Leave alone that, I work in an Indian company and even they have not declared this day off! Some people just dont like to see others celebrate right? Especially if its towards the last month of the Financial Year!!!
But whatever said and done, the moments surrounding this special festival is just unique and the only theme or feel is just happiness. The sudden water balloon attacks, bombarding passers by with bucket of color water from the 4th floor, welcoming strangers and applying gulals the tilaks and giving them Bhaang and Mithaais especially Gujjia, dancing and singing like there was no tomorrow, water guns and sprays and the battle of the water balloons, free hugs, etc.
On a more factual mode, Holi marks the end of Winter and the beginning of Spring. The festival breathes an air of romance and social merriment. It is said that on this day, people befriend even their enemies and make a new beginning. This festival, as I had mentioned is about letting go whatever has happened and enjoy life together with family and friends. To read and know more on the festival of Holi, do check out - http://www.thecolorsofindia.com/holi.html
Keeping this in mind, I have one question to ask those who shun away from such culturally significant celebrations - What is it that you have against celebrating such joyous occasions?
And I have another question also - Knowing that all our bosses are our enemies, can they or we reconcile at least on this day and request for a 'holi-day' to celebrate this relationship in peace and in joy?
I am still in search of these answers...in the meatime, heres wishing you all a very happy Holi!!!!!!
March 5, 2009
Crash Boom Bang!
Technology has been my source of inspiration for a while and I have lived on it for the last 4 1/2 years. Sadly, my moment of glory has come to a grinding halt...and it has come to a stage where I am evaluating my interests in life and reassessing to find other avenues to get into. The sad demise of my next best friend has caused a lot of pain and turmoil which has troubled me no end. Yes, I am talking about my laptop...
People say that you do not know the value of something until you have lost it and I would second that. Its like a love lost and it hurts a lot. In the last 4 1/2 years, I never knew I would get so emotionally involved and deeply connected like Broadband that it took such a toll on me when all of this happened. In my days of singledom, my laptop was my solace and my e-soul mate. Now as I type these words down, its like a confession statement which I have to get out of my system before I get another Laptop in my life...
I know it sounds like a dreadful and tragic love story but that has what has kept me going in the last few years. My day used to begin by waking up and immediately switiching on my laptop and lining up some playlists I would have created to start my day. Then all one would hear is my yelling parents and my remedy taking neighbors and me in bliss...after all of that hungama...refreshing and readying for work...the mayhem has still not finished...till I step out the door...the music has to play. So much so...theres another music that plays when I go to office...the song of the boss!!!
Back home and I am back to my Machine!!! The internet (mankinds best invention) keeps me connected with my friends and foes and since I am away, I can only chat...phones are expensive so chat helps financially...so now one can imagine the dependency! Then comes the case of music and video - viewing and downloading...well what can I say...the reason for moving away from TV - music and videos on demand!!!
Now if there wasnt anyone online to talk to...it served a purpose of my outlet...my poetry. Another reason why I forgot how my handwriting once looked. Editing became easy and conevnient and life became a lot easier with respect to my writing and this was another side of the story.
Weekends im totally with my laptop and this time its movies and concerts...if this DVD drive actually had a life...it would have cried in pain and in pleasure...no puns intended here! Just that, by playing the best of stuff that I had, to the worst of stuff that I have played on it...it sure has more chances of being raped inside out and I paid the price of it...not once but twice. Yup the drive was replaced before warranty got over...lucky me!
Well, when I was in college, we had a Quiz Club that we with great zeal and enthusiasm created and my laptop was by default the master laptop for every possible event...all the brilliant work we did was on it...and on others too. Beyond that, was certainly used for heavy duty games and heavy music...what else for!
Time has passed and my fingers are now numb, hollow and about to peel off with the amount of typing and claiming to be the fastest in the peer group! Here I am now...after all of that fun and fad...missing every moment...i mean it...four and a half years! All my poetry in the last 5 years was written on that, all the movies were seen on that, all the music heard on that, games, chatting, mails, friends, everything....I was the person connected to the world...
Today, as I type (not write) these words, I am disconnected, silenced, dejected, destroyed and decimated. I am as closed to unemployed can be when I come back home and I feel I have lost it all. Soon it was that I recovered though...but as they say, theres a little empty space in my heart that will be filled someday...but the first love is what is remembered forever. It sure has been a life of technology but I just figured out that this was too mortal to even be depending on...and that technology is not what runs life...we run it! We give it the life we want...selfish...sad but true!
People say that you do not know the value of something until you have lost it and I would second that. Its like a love lost and it hurts a lot. In the last 4 1/2 years, I never knew I would get so emotionally involved and deeply connected like Broadband that it took such a toll on me when all of this happened. In my days of singledom, my laptop was my solace and my e-soul mate. Now as I type these words down, its like a confession statement which I have to get out of my system before I get another Laptop in my life...
I know it sounds like a dreadful and tragic love story but that has what has kept me going in the last few years. My day used to begin by waking up and immediately switiching on my laptop and lining up some playlists I would have created to start my day. Then all one would hear is my yelling parents and my remedy taking neighbors and me in bliss...after all of that hungama...refreshing and readying for work...the mayhem has still not finished...till I step out the door...the music has to play. So much so...theres another music that plays when I go to office...the song of the boss!!!
Back home and I am back to my Machine!!! The internet (mankinds best invention) keeps me connected with my friends and foes and since I am away, I can only chat...phones are expensive so chat helps financially...so now one can imagine the dependency! Then comes the case of music and video - viewing and downloading...well what can I say...the reason for moving away from TV - music and videos on demand!!!
Now if there wasnt anyone online to talk to...it served a purpose of my outlet...my poetry. Another reason why I forgot how my handwriting once looked. Editing became easy and conevnient and life became a lot easier with respect to my writing and this was another side of the story.
Weekends im totally with my laptop and this time its movies and concerts...if this DVD drive actually had a life...it would have cried in pain and in pleasure...no puns intended here! Just that, by playing the best of stuff that I had, to the worst of stuff that I have played on it...it sure has more chances of being raped inside out and I paid the price of it...not once but twice. Yup the drive was replaced before warranty got over...lucky me!
Well, when I was in college, we had a Quiz Club that we with great zeal and enthusiasm created and my laptop was by default the master laptop for every possible event...all the brilliant work we did was on it...and on others too. Beyond that, was certainly used for heavy duty games and heavy music...what else for!
Time has passed and my fingers are now numb, hollow and about to peel off with the amount of typing and claiming to be the fastest in the peer group! Here I am now...after all of that fun and fad...missing every moment...i mean it...four and a half years! All my poetry in the last 5 years was written on that, all the movies were seen on that, all the music heard on that, games, chatting, mails, friends, everything....I was the person connected to the world...
Today, as I type (not write) these words, I am disconnected, silenced, dejected, destroyed and decimated. I am as closed to unemployed can be when I come back home and I feel I have lost it all. Soon it was that I recovered though...but as they say, theres a little empty space in my heart that will be filled someday...but the first love is what is remembered forever. It sure has been a life of technology but I just figured out that this was too mortal to even be depending on...and that technology is not what runs life...we run it! We give it the life we want...selfish...sad but true!
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