I was in standby mode for sometime now...not my usual-self, really. Certain things were keeping me down and wouldn't let me enjoy life the way i used to. To sum up, neither company nor solitude could cheer me up...life sucked...and then, yesterday, came the phonecall from an old buddy as a blessing in disguise.
No, he did not have a foolproof solution to my problems...rather he gave me a lucid suggestion to keep myself upbeat despite all the hassles surrounding me. It was simple, yet perfect. He asked me to enjoy life and do things i liked doing the most. The only thing that I'll have to keep in mind though is to not be addicted to anything and schedule my time sensibly, so that I could do both- things i like to do and things i ought to do.
I was feeling so good after talking to him for about an hour last night. He was talking like a big brother, although he's younger to me :). For the first time in my life, I realized how good it'd have been to actually have an elder brother who went through the same things as I do now. He went through a similar phase and he had an elder sis who offered him invaluable advice and instilled in him, self-belief. Now, he has passed them on to me and am more than thankful to him for that.
Now, I'll be able to see the world and embrace the niceties of it, just the way I wish to and used to...
PS: F5 = refresh...
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Welcome, Spring!
I have always been awestruck by the manner in which seasons change in Cincinnati(in most parts of USA, for that matter). Even more surprising has been the timing of the colleges around the country. Spring quarter commenced a couple of days back in my university. Almost near-perfectly, the climate has also changed. Yes, looks like spring is here! The temperature was in the mid-sixties throughout yesterday and it has entered the 70s today, mostly 75 throughout the daytime.
The first thought that occured to me this morning when i saw the forecast was that I'll be able to play tennis from now on. Alas, my joy was short-lived, for I will not be able to play tennis, not today, since my tennis partner is back from a trip to India only today and is still suffering from jetlag(i could hear him snoring just as i reached the outside of his apartment door!). I'll have to be content with playing racquetball, for today.
Quite honestly, the single most important thing to me about soaring temperatures is the fact that i don't need to wear shoes all the time! I hate to waste a couple of minutes putting the socks on, tying the lace knot and such(hehe- call it laziness!) and worse, undress(??) it and wear it back for a matter of few minutes, for instance, when visiting a temple or a not-so-close friend, where I'll be obliged to remove my footwear. Slippers- you are certainly the best...I missed you so much for the last 6 months or so...Life without you was so very time-consuming!!
The first thought that occured to me this morning when i saw the forecast was that I'll be able to play tennis from now on. Alas, my joy was short-lived, for I will not be able to play tennis, not today, since my tennis partner is back from a trip to India only today and is still suffering from jetlag(i could hear him snoring just as i reached the outside of his apartment door!). I'll have to be content with playing racquetball, for today.
Quite honestly, the single most important thing to me about soaring temperatures is the fact that i don't need to wear shoes all the time! I hate to waste a couple of minutes putting the socks on, tying the lace knot and such(hehe- call it laziness!) and worse, undress(??) it and wear it back for a matter of few minutes, for instance, when visiting a temple or a not-so-close friend, where I'll be obliged to remove my footwear. Slippers- you are certainly the best...I missed you so much for the last 6 months or so...Life without you was so very time-consuming!!
Monday, March 28, 2005
Sachin and an Elixir of Life
India lost to Pakistan at Bangalore and the test series was levelled 1-1 by Pakistan. India would have managed a draw had they played 6 more overs(not had they scored 100 more runs, mind u- time and overs were the key). Sachin scored 16 off 98 deliveries, the second highest in that innings in terms of balls faced. Ganguly, Laxman, Sehwag and even The Wall couldn't come close to facing so many balls. My point is, given the situation, i was furious to note a couple of my friends put the blame on Tendulkar's slow batting, for the defeat. On retrospect, i think i am awed by the talent of these guys who manage to find some crooked angle to the whole drama by which Sachin can be crucified. For die-hard Sachin fans, it's always better to ignore such people.
I read about this pill, which increases the life span of an individual by 30 years. If I have a choice, I'd give it to Sachin, just to dwell in the delight of seeing him bat for 30 more years!...and then there are these critics who blindfold themselves everytime Sachin walks into a cricket field...
I read about this pill, which increases the life span of an individual by 30 years. If I have a choice, I'd give it to Sachin, just to dwell in the delight of seeing him bat for 30 more years!...and then there are these critics who blindfold themselves everytime Sachin walks into a cricket field...
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Ennai Thaalaatta VaruvaaLoa...
Absolute masterpiece by Raja. I was watching the movie last night and i must say the song swept me off my feet, yet again. It is one of those select songs that u never get tired listening to, one of Hariharan's best in my opinion. There were rumors then that Raja had rejected Hariharan in an earlier film of his saying that his voice wasnt suitable...after all the maestro picked him to sing the right song in the end!
I can select "repeat" in WMP and keep listening to it all night...maybe i'll do it some day!
Ennai Thaalaatta VaruvaaLoa... :-" ... :)
I can select "repeat" in WMP and keep listening to it all night...maybe i'll do it some day!
Ennai Thaalaatta VaruvaaLoa... :-" ... :)
Monday, March 14, 2005
Death
I came across this article in cricinfo.
Slater is among the elite few, those in my opinion, do not deserve their celebrity status. A fine batsman, but a despicable personality on and sometimes off the field. Not that my opinion has changed much after i read this, but I was certainly moved by this article. The next time I get to see or hear Slater, I'd certainly feel sorry for him and will never look at him the way I did in the past.
The fact that someone is dying certainly makes us feel sorry for them, no matter how much we hated them before. After all, life is transient...
Slater is among the elite few, those in my opinion, do not deserve their celebrity status. A fine batsman, but a despicable personality on and sometimes off the field. Not that my opinion has changed much after i read this, but I was certainly moved by this article. The next time I get to see or hear Slater, I'd certainly feel sorry for him and will never look at him the way I did in the past.
The fact that someone is dying certainly makes us feel sorry for them, no matter how much we hated them before. After all, life is transient...
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Pirivu
newly dusted...
Pirivu
------
oru naaL pirindhu sendRaai
en aayuL mudindhadhena ninaiththaen
oru vaaram pirindhu sendRaai
nee vandhadhum maRujenmam eduththaen
nee arugil irukkayil uNaravillai
pirivu nanjinum kodiyadhendRu
nee sirikkayil naan aRiyavillai
andha oLiyinaaldhaan en kaatchiyendRu
en sandhaththiRku thaenkavi thandhaai
ini vaarthaigal attRa oasayae michcham
naan azhugayil enakku aaRudhal sonnaai
ini aaRudhal illayena vaadiyadhu nenjam
vaaraththin pirivae nenjai vaattugayil
vaazhkaikkum piriven endRaai
neerattRa maramae ularndhu vaadugayil
neeyattRa naanum piNamae kaaNbaai
-RaM tHe ScRiBbLeR
PS: tried posting it in tamizh, but cudnt figure out how...until i do so, bear with me!
Pirivu
------
oru naaL pirindhu sendRaai
en aayuL mudindhadhena ninaiththaen
oru vaaram pirindhu sendRaai
nee vandhadhum maRujenmam eduththaen
nee arugil irukkayil uNaravillai
pirivu nanjinum kodiyadhendRu
nee sirikkayil naan aRiyavillai
andha oLiyinaaldhaan en kaatchiyendRu
en sandhaththiRku thaenkavi thandhaai
ini vaarthaigal attRa oasayae michcham
naan azhugayil enakku aaRudhal sonnaai
ini aaRudhal illayena vaadiyadhu nenjam
vaaraththin pirivae nenjai vaattugayil
vaazhkaikkum piriven endRaai
neerattRa maramae ularndhu vaadugayil
neeyattRa naanum piNamae kaaNbaai
-RaM tHe ScRiBbLeR
PS: tried posting it in tamizh, but cudnt figure out how...until i do so, bear with me!
Monday, March 07, 2005
India-Pakistan-Cricket
Pakistan cricket team is in India to play 3 tests and 6 ODIs and i wont be watching the matches live, well, i guess! I have followed every series that India has played starting from their Newzealand tour in 2003 except the one against Bangladesh. I will miss watching cricket badly, more so because I think India will probably win both the series with ease.
I'll miss Sachin's batting more than anything else. His record breaking century, him crossing the 10000 run mark in tests and a lot more! Damn. I hate the fact that i have put myself in a spot where i cannot afford to watch India take on Pakistan in a cricket match! There can't be a thing more tougher than this for me to face. Well, there is and that's why i wont be watching this series...
Good luck India!! will miss u guys...
I'll miss Sachin's batting more than anything else. His record breaking century, him crossing the 10000 run mark in tests and a lot more! Damn. I hate the fact that i have put myself in a spot where i cannot afford to watch India take on Pakistan in a cricket match! There can't be a thing more tougher than this for me to face. Well, there is and that's why i wont be watching this series...
Good luck India!! will miss u guys...
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Atticus Finch !
If you are familiar with this character from Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird", i can tell you that you know a lot about me. Like any other individual, i have evolved with experience too. I am really amazed to see the way i have transformed from a short-tempered college student into a "highly" tolerant...err...college student! The transformation phase is almost 8 years old now...
Scout: "It's ok to hate Hitler?"(given that he is a dictator and is ruthless)
Atticus: "It is not. It's not ok to hate anybody"
Scout is Atticus' 9 year old daughter and that's the kind of advice Atticus keeps offering Scout and her elder brother Jem, throughout the book. I think my character(for the past few months) is one that is very similar to Atticus'. To me, it's more than a coincidence that i read this novel only now! Just as i realized what kind of a person I was, Harper Lee's book reassured my realization.
Yes. I find it so hard to hate people, of late. When someone tells me something wrong about someone else, i try to defend that person. I guess, it's because i have started believing that there is no one particular way to do "anything". If i can be right, the other person can also be right. Maybe, i am contradicting myself here. For example, X tells me that Y is bad. I say Y needn't be bad and start defending Y. What i essentially do here is, saying that X is wrong in assuming that Y is bad. So, i am depriving X of his right to express what he thinks(which can be right too)! It's some kind of a puzzle that i am still trying to decipher, myself.
On second thoughts, i dont contradict something arbitrarily. It's only when people say wrong things about someone that I get into defense mode. And more often than not, only after making sure that they dont have enough evidence to back their statements. I think I live by a simple rule- "Dont hate anyone".
One of my friends remarked that I shud be a saint to live the way i live. Is this true? Is it so "unhumanlike" to not hate people? i dont know. I have been able to do it with considerable success(yes- there's the odd one here n there hinting that i am a possible hypocrite!) for some time now and am really happy to live life this way. It gives me a sense of satisfaction. Isnt that what people yearn for? Satisfaction in life...
Scout: "It's ok to hate Hitler?"(given that he is a dictator and is ruthless)
Atticus: "It is not. It's not ok to hate anybody"
Scout is Atticus' 9 year old daughter and that's the kind of advice Atticus keeps offering Scout and her elder brother Jem, throughout the book. I think my character(for the past few months) is one that is very similar to Atticus'. To me, it's more than a coincidence that i read this novel only now! Just as i realized what kind of a person I was, Harper Lee's book reassured my realization.
Yes. I find it so hard to hate people, of late. When someone tells me something wrong about someone else, i try to defend that person. I guess, it's because i have started believing that there is no one particular way to do "anything". If i can be right, the other person can also be right. Maybe, i am contradicting myself here. For example, X tells me that Y is bad. I say Y needn't be bad and start defending Y. What i essentially do here is, saying that X is wrong in assuming that Y is bad. So, i am depriving X of his right to express what he thinks(which can be right too)! It's some kind of a puzzle that i am still trying to decipher, myself.
On second thoughts, i dont contradict something arbitrarily. It's only when people say wrong things about someone that I get into defense mode. And more often than not, only after making sure that they dont have enough evidence to back their statements. I think I live by a simple rule- "Dont hate anyone".
One of my friends remarked that I shud be a saint to live the way i live. Is this true? Is it so "unhumanlike" to not hate people? i dont know. I have been able to do it with considerable success(yes- there's the odd one here n there hinting that i am a possible hypocrite!) for some time now and am really happy to live life this way. It gives me a sense of satisfaction. Isnt that what people yearn for? Satisfaction in life...
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Jeans
I saw the movie for the zillionth time last night. I just adore the movie. This is one of those movies which i love and know that others have valid reasons to hate! For a neutral movie watcher, the movie shud qualify as a "one-time" watch. But, i know a lot of people who just hate the movie...
The storyline is a lot better than most crappy movies in Tamil. The music is amazing(i guess all critics wud agree on that). I guess it's the histrionics of the cast that fails to live upto the expectations of these "haters". If Aishwarya's acting is amateurish, Prashanth's is ridiculous. Lakshmi, S V Shekar, Nasser and above all Radhika steal the limelight. But, unfortunately the "hero" and the "heroine" are pathetic. Is this reason enuf to "hate" a movie? i dont know and dont wanna try justifying it either.
I saw this movie 8 times in theatre when i was in college. With every extra time, my love for the movie increased. At one point in time, i knew the dialogues and BGMs byheart that i started uttering them in the theatre even as the movie was running. A lady who sat in the seat in front of me got upset and turned back and gave me a stare! Even that cudn't stop me. We(me n my friends) just started laughing at the whole scenario.
So...what made me see the movie 8 times in theatre? U'll be brutally wrong if u guessed it's bcos of Aishwarya's presence in the cast! Yes...that was a reason. But, not the only one. I thought she was her best in this movie(until i saw Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam). The first few times i went to see the movie was bcos of her. As i said earlier, everytime i saw the movie, i started liking something about it. The music, Shankar's handling of the plot, the graphics, the craze for America and a lot more caught my interest. To add to it, the fact that i had a reason to cut class! If being in college was fun, being outside college with college friends was more fun! I can never forget the good times we had outside of college and "Jeans" played a big part in helping us do that!
kudos to Jeans. i adore thee!!
The storyline is a lot better than most crappy movies in Tamil. The music is amazing(i guess all critics wud agree on that). I guess it's the histrionics of the cast that fails to live upto the expectations of these "haters". If Aishwarya's acting is amateurish, Prashanth's is ridiculous. Lakshmi, S V Shekar, Nasser and above all Radhika steal the limelight. But, unfortunately the "hero" and the "heroine" are pathetic. Is this reason enuf to "hate" a movie? i dont know and dont wanna try justifying it either.
I saw this movie 8 times in theatre when i was in college. With every extra time, my love for the movie increased. At one point in time, i knew the dialogues and BGMs byheart that i started uttering them in the theatre even as the movie was running. A lady who sat in the seat in front of me got upset and turned back and gave me a stare! Even that cudn't stop me. We(me n my friends) just started laughing at the whole scenario.
So...what made me see the movie 8 times in theatre? U'll be brutally wrong if u guessed it's bcos of Aishwarya's presence in the cast! Yes...that was a reason. But, not the only one. I thought she was her best in this movie(until i saw Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam). The first few times i went to see the movie was bcos of her. As i said earlier, everytime i saw the movie, i started liking something about it. The music, Shankar's handling of the plot, the graphics, the craze for America and a lot more caught my interest. To add to it, the fact that i had a reason to cut class! If being in college was fun, being outside college with college friends was more fun! I can never forget the good times we had outside of college and "Jeans" played a big part in helping us do that!
kudos to Jeans. i adore thee!!
Monday, February 14, 2005
Valentine's Day
ok....me being me, i had to write something today!! Let me not get into the history of why Valentine's day is being celebrated today. It's supposedly the day when lovers(and dear ones too) express their feelings for one another and also supposedly the sales of greeting cards and flowers are at their peak!- on retrospect, maybe Christmas is an exception...
What is my opinion on celebrating V-Day? i think it's good to have such a day. For that matter, i am a fan of having special days for friends, mom, dad and so on. Sure, it doesnt mean that u love them or admire them just on that one single day...but in the fast-paced world we live in, it's always good to have reminders. We forget our friends' birthdays, anniversaries and so on. The online reminders are a boon. Similarly, this is a chance to tell our dear ones that we love them and care for them wherever we are and however busy we might be!
I have never proposed my love to any girl on a Valentine's day...26 of them gone now, in all! I think it'd be quite romantic to do so ;). But then again, it'll also be so artificial if i actually waited till that date in the event of me deciding that it's time for me to propose in december itself!
One of my friends from UC is getting married today...infact he must've gotten married by now. He came here with me, graduated, got a job here, worked for a few months and went back to India for good with a job in GE...now he's married to the girl he loved! *sigh*. Feb 13th, 2005 marked my parents' 27th wedding anniversary. It also meant that it's been 2 years since i visited India(the last time i went there was on feb 10th, 2003- only my sis knew that i was coming...i planned it so that i cud be there for my parents' 25th anniversary!).
Time's flying fast...hope i settle down soon!
What is my opinion on celebrating V-Day? i think it's good to have such a day. For that matter, i am a fan of having special days for friends, mom, dad and so on. Sure, it doesnt mean that u love them or admire them just on that one single day...but in the fast-paced world we live in, it's always good to have reminders. We forget our friends' birthdays, anniversaries and so on. The online reminders are a boon. Similarly, this is a chance to tell our dear ones that we love them and care for them wherever we are and however busy we might be!
I have never proposed my love to any girl on a Valentine's day...26 of them gone now, in all! I think it'd be quite romantic to do so ;). But then again, it'll also be so artificial if i actually waited till that date in the event of me deciding that it's time for me to propose in december itself!
One of my friends from UC is getting married today...infact he must've gotten married by now. He came here with me, graduated, got a job here, worked for a few months and went back to India for good with a job in GE...now he's married to the girl he loved! *sigh*. Feb 13th, 2005 marked my parents' 27th wedding anniversary. It also meant that it's been 2 years since i visited India(the last time i went there was on feb 10th, 2003- only my sis knew that i was coming...i planned it so that i cud be there for my parents' 25th anniversary!).
Time's flying fast...hope i settle down soon!
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