- Does this elected government prove that constant is the only change?
- Will the summer heat ever have mercy on those they call merciful?
- How much more music can be made with just 7 notes and 72 ragas?
- Do too many lies ultimately lead to the truth?
- How do kids born into this commoditised world know better about malls than their parents?
- Did the Illuminati really play Angels and Demons with the Vatican?
- Are our history books really accurate?
- Is it normal for underdogs to always emerge victorious in a tournament with high stakes?
- Is the need for speed an innate quality for any human being?
- If wine is made of grapes, why is it condoned when people get drunk?
- Is magic for real or just a veil to our eyes to blind us to what happens behind the scenes?
- Why do we find it strange or hesitate to tell when people ask us the damn truth?
- In the corporates don't we sometimes feel that we are treated like the pied piper of Hamelin?
- Why are my questions so random?
May 31, 2009
Random Questions VIII
Just in the nick of time for the month of May...here we go without much ado...
May 11, 2009
El Toro!!!
Disposing needless and useless things and items was the call of the day that week when we were moving to a new place and this was a sad day indeed. Ive been riding my Honda Activa for the last 2 years and before that I used to take the local bus to go to office. But the most memorable rides to all my previous destinations has been on my red Hercules MTB bicycle...aptly named El Toro! This day was sad because, after 5 years of neglect and ignorance, my El Toro was gone...sold to someone who would find use and purpose. I used to park my vehicle next to my bicycle each day, give it a little tragic look and walk up the stairs to go home. For 5 years, this went on until this day when I parked my vehicle, only not to find my good old El Toro...missing. Mom then told me that the cycle repair boy had sold it to another boy who needed it badly. A moment went by when a tear peeped out of my eye, with a heavy heart and a lump in my throat, making me feel like I had lost something very near and dear in life...I shall tell you why...
Anyone who looks at me now can surely say that I wasnt a cycling enthusiast...if they had seen me 5 years back, they'd bet their word sayin that I was one. Such was the story of me and my El Toro...a unique friendship or a hobby in a way that helped me communicate with myself. Some thought I was a schizophrenic but that was only their perception, to me it was a passion and I loved every moment of it. More to say, Ive been my true self and Ive had most fun with myself when Ive been with El Toro...nothing substitutes and nothing comes close to those days of cycling.
My bicycle was a red and black colored Hercules Mountain Terrain Bicycle...this was one of my many cycles Ive had in my life and certainly one of my best. In our tough times, it even helped my dad and brother commute to their workplace and school respectively and I was proud of my bicycle. In tough times, we did not have a vehicle to commute or dint have enough money to go in an auto rickshaw...in such times, my bicycle was the only vehicle we could afford and probably the best thing that ever happened to me especially. Ive been passionate about cycling since I was 3 years old and I wasnt wanting to be a racer or so but a passion I was willing to invest in just for myself and not for the world to see.
But this post is about my last adventures with my last bicycle...El Toro in the mean streets of Chennai. You can imagine of any possible situation and encounter and Ive had almost all of it on my bicycle. El Toro's reign began from the year 2000 and ended in 2005 with a retirement till 2009. I used this as an opportunity to stay fit after I completed my school and since I was big time into a lot of sport and games and I couldnt sit still when I came back to Chennai in 2000 - 2001 with no friends to chill out with. It was then El Torro came into my life and as they say...the machine chooses the rider and not the other way around...that was the bond that I found.
Ive been chasing cars, bikes and buses, being chased by dogs and cops, bikes and cars, making sharp and nasty turns, had bad falls, being hit, abused at, abusing, belittled, battled and bruised, brashful, speed demoning, long cruise modes, early mornings, late night rash anxious rides, handsfree tricks, sight seeings, flirtings, conversations, races, one wheeling, step jumps, brake fails, flat tyres, broken lights, double and triple rides, renting, repairing, damaging, intimidated, challenged, lost, won, rescued, arriving soon, late, getting stuck, beating traffic jams and being with myself.
As I take a deep breath, I see a rush of images run past my mind and I am reminded of my El Toro...I had to let go. It was tough but it was necessary for both of us. With a heavy heart and a sigh over my past, I recede into my world of corporate ambtions and hopes with dreams of making it big, knowing that there was a past where I was already on a high with an old friend of mine.
It might sound corny or cliched but, I certainly believe when people say that we dont realize the value of someone or something until we have lost them or lost it. It is so true and I would stand by it till my last breath...may you be in peace wherever you are after all those years of glory. Hope to meet you on the other side...El Toro...
PS - On a lighter note, to those who dont know the name reference of my bicycle to 'El Toro' - here is a link -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bully_For_Bugs
or just check out this video right here!!! -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVwv_1EhitI
Anyone who looks at me now can surely say that I wasnt a cycling enthusiast...if they had seen me 5 years back, they'd bet their word sayin that I was one. Such was the story of me and my El Toro...a unique friendship or a hobby in a way that helped me communicate with myself. Some thought I was a schizophrenic but that was only their perception, to me it was a passion and I loved every moment of it. More to say, Ive been my true self and Ive had most fun with myself when Ive been with El Toro...nothing substitutes and nothing comes close to those days of cycling.
My bicycle was a red and black colored Hercules Mountain Terrain Bicycle...this was one of my many cycles Ive had in my life and certainly one of my best. In our tough times, it even helped my dad and brother commute to their workplace and school respectively and I was proud of my bicycle. In tough times, we did not have a vehicle to commute or dint have enough money to go in an auto rickshaw...in such times, my bicycle was the only vehicle we could afford and probably the best thing that ever happened to me especially. Ive been passionate about cycling since I was 3 years old and I wasnt wanting to be a racer or so but a passion I was willing to invest in just for myself and not for the world to see.
But this post is about my last adventures with my last bicycle...El Toro in the mean streets of Chennai. You can imagine of any possible situation and encounter and Ive had almost all of it on my bicycle. El Toro's reign began from the year 2000 and ended in 2005 with a retirement till 2009. I used this as an opportunity to stay fit after I completed my school and since I was big time into a lot of sport and games and I couldnt sit still when I came back to Chennai in 2000 - 2001 with no friends to chill out with. It was then El Torro came into my life and as they say...the machine chooses the rider and not the other way around...that was the bond that I found.
Ive been chasing cars, bikes and buses, being chased by dogs and cops, bikes and cars, making sharp and nasty turns, had bad falls, being hit, abused at, abusing, belittled, battled and bruised, brashful, speed demoning, long cruise modes, early mornings, late night rash anxious rides, handsfree tricks, sight seeings, flirtings, conversations, races, one wheeling, step jumps, brake fails, flat tyres, broken lights, double and triple rides, renting, repairing, damaging, intimidated, challenged, lost, won, rescued, arriving soon, late, getting stuck, beating traffic jams and being with myself.
As I take a deep breath, I see a rush of images run past my mind and I am reminded of my El Toro...I had to let go. It was tough but it was necessary for both of us. With a heavy heart and a sigh over my past, I recede into my world of corporate ambtions and hopes with dreams of making it big, knowing that there was a past where I was already on a high with an old friend of mine.
It might sound corny or cliched but, I certainly believe when people say that we dont realize the value of someone or something until we have lost them or lost it. It is so true and I would stand by it till my last breath...may you be in peace wherever you are after all those years of glory. Hope to meet you on the other side...El Toro...
PS - On a lighter note, to those who dont know the name reference of my bicycle to 'El Toro' - here is a link -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bully_For_Bugs
or just check out this video right here!!! -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVwv_1EhitI
Missing Mylapore...
As I type these words, I have moved away from a place they say is the cultural heart of Chennai to a place which they say is the commercial heart of Chennai. Yes indeed, the departure from Myalpore and my arrival at T.Nagar has been complete and I am now a resident of T.Nagar. In announcing all of this, there is a lot of joy and pain that goes hand in hand...the pain of missing Mylapore where we stayed for about 7 years (we lived in Mandaveli before that, which borders Mylapore)...
People believe that one doesnt realize the worth of something or someone until or unless they are far away or have lost it. I certainly believe in that philosophy and I felt it when I shifted out of Mylapore with a heavy heart. I dint feel it until I stepped into our new home in T.Nagar. Emptiness is a hollow wind blowing cold and heavy which is what exactly I felt when I stood in my home in Mylapore and I could hear the echoes of the past and my blurry eyes recalled every moment which is etched in my memory. A single bedroom house and five of us (My parents, brother, grandpa and me) used to stay...smaller walls making people closer and more tightly knit. We have been through it all...good times and bad times (ala Led Zeppelin) in that old place and it brings a smile and a tear whenever I sit back and reflect.
I will not talk about the cultural significances of Mylapore because its the most over-written subjects in recent times and it would only be an overdose of what not! Instead Ill touch upon certain aspects that have been memorable in my pages...the good, the bad and the ugly.
The proximity to everything is what keeps this place in top demand for any resident who wishes to settle in the suburbans. Everything is a stone's throw away...even the street dogs! What amazes me the most of this place is the diversity and the festive mood of the market even on a normal day, leave alone the ceremonial festivals and the recitals. Colorful people, plenty of them, draped in their best in any given moment and little boys with pig-tailed priests chanting the morning verses roaming from door to door for bhikshaam. Religion is the core that binds Mylapore...be it any entity or form, its all there and in every street there is either a temple or a mosque or a church that keeps people in the right and moral frame of mind. There is some sanity amidst the chaos that surrounds this bustling settlement.
Let me describe T.Nagar now...a commercial hub (and what a shift from a religious hub!) and shopping is the word that comes to ones mind and this attracts people from all over the 'state' and this is one helluva crowd puller. There is something for everybody and nothing for nobody...well, you can figure that one out now. A husbands nightmare and a wife's paradise...a guys sight seeing zone and a girl's holiday spot...a foodies heaven and pedestrians challenge. A complete residential area where Pondy Bazaar forms the spine from head to tail. What keeps people coming is the affordability and the markets galore. Colour, lights, people and money...its all here and whoever comes to Chennai from wherever in India doesnt miss Pondy Bazaar. Well sadly, im not far away from this place...just a stone's throw...(like I said earlier)!
But there is an ugly side to this all...people are so cold here. When we shifted to our new place, not a soul from the neighbours to even say a Hi! People keep tellin me that its the same wherever we go but Id like to differ with them. This was the worst welcome we had ever recieved...like we werent welcome...there wasnt any anyways!!! Even a nod of the head and a pleasant smile is like a rare sight...I really dont know why people are so scared of even acknowledging neighbours. Guess they knew I was coming (ahem ahem!). But on a serious note...its an apartment but with no one around. The only way I think I can get people talkin or waking up might be by blasting my music which is the best medicine Id reckon.
But hey, this is something Im looking forward to. Its a new place, new people and new dreams and hopes lying ahead of me. Its a tough world and Im willing to face it eye to eye and I hope its fun...else theres nothing worth fighting for. My writing hopefully should take a new direction with all the new things in life and this is very exciting to me especially. The breeze is something that keeps us calm (this is better than Mylapore for sure). But what the hell...isnt change the only constant. Well, time in Mylapore was certainly memorable and it was a good start and a sad end. Its been a little dull for a start here...hopefully things should look up in a few days when the apartment knows that the darkknight is just around the corner!!!
People believe that one doesnt realize the worth of something or someone until or unless they are far away or have lost it. I certainly believe in that philosophy and I felt it when I shifted out of Mylapore with a heavy heart. I dint feel it until I stepped into our new home in T.Nagar. Emptiness is a hollow wind blowing cold and heavy which is what exactly I felt when I stood in my home in Mylapore and I could hear the echoes of the past and my blurry eyes recalled every moment which is etched in my memory. A single bedroom house and five of us (My parents, brother, grandpa and me) used to stay...smaller walls making people closer and more tightly knit. We have been through it all...good times and bad times (ala Led Zeppelin) in that old place and it brings a smile and a tear whenever I sit back and reflect.
I will not talk about the cultural significances of Mylapore because its the most over-written subjects in recent times and it would only be an overdose of what not! Instead Ill touch upon certain aspects that have been memorable in my pages...the good, the bad and the ugly.
The proximity to everything is what keeps this place in top demand for any resident who wishes to settle in the suburbans. Everything is a stone's throw away...even the street dogs! What amazes me the most of this place is the diversity and the festive mood of the market even on a normal day, leave alone the ceremonial festivals and the recitals. Colorful people, plenty of them, draped in their best in any given moment and little boys with pig-tailed priests chanting the morning verses roaming from door to door for bhikshaam. Religion is the core that binds Mylapore...be it any entity or form, its all there and in every street there is either a temple or a mosque or a church that keeps people in the right and moral frame of mind. There is some sanity amidst the chaos that surrounds this bustling settlement.
Let me describe T.Nagar now...a commercial hub (and what a shift from a religious hub!) and shopping is the word that comes to ones mind and this attracts people from all over the 'state' and this is one helluva crowd puller. There is something for everybody and nothing for nobody...well, you can figure that one out now. A husbands nightmare and a wife's paradise...a guys sight seeing zone and a girl's holiday spot...a foodies heaven and pedestrians challenge. A complete residential area where Pondy Bazaar forms the spine from head to tail. What keeps people coming is the affordability and the markets galore. Colour, lights, people and money...its all here and whoever comes to Chennai from wherever in India doesnt miss Pondy Bazaar. Well sadly, im not far away from this place...just a stone's throw...(like I said earlier)!
But there is an ugly side to this all...people are so cold here. When we shifted to our new place, not a soul from the neighbours to even say a Hi! People keep tellin me that its the same wherever we go but Id like to differ with them. This was the worst welcome we had ever recieved...like we werent welcome...there wasnt any anyways!!! Even a nod of the head and a pleasant smile is like a rare sight...I really dont know why people are so scared of even acknowledging neighbours. Guess they knew I was coming (ahem ahem!). But on a serious note...its an apartment but with no one around. The only way I think I can get people talkin or waking up might be by blasting my music which is the best medicine Id reckon.
But hey, this is something Im looking forward to. Its a new place, new people and new dreams and hopes lying ahead of me. Its a tough world and Im willing to face it eye to eye and I hope its fun...else theres nothing worth fighting for. My writing hopefully should take a new direction with all the new things in life and this is very exciting to me especially. The breeze is something that keeps us calm (this is better than Mylapore for sure). But what the hell...isnt change the only constant. Well, time in Mylapore was certainly memorable and it was a good start and a sad end. Its been a little dull for a start here...hopefully things should look up in a few days when the apartment knows that the darkknight is just around the corner!!!
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