Calling all Sinners !

People turn purple with rage, red with shame, and green with envy at least once a day, and more than a handful of times a week. It’s statistically proven. Ok, maybe it’s not, but that doesn’t make it untrue, and I’m sure you could vouch for that. Shades of these emotions certainly make life more interesting, but while no one wants to lead a boring life, maybe living sinfully isn’t the solution. It’s one thing to talk about the evil effects of these …! GASP! vices, and a whole another thing to live with them.

Envy.

Something we’ve all befriended, ever since we saw our neighbor propping his Mac Book against the dashboard of his BMW, or ever since we secretly wished we too,could put away a cheeseburger and fries along with a chocolate latte, and still look like that amazingly fit friend (everyone has one of these friends, everyone).

Envy.

It’s never pretty, and sometimes, it gets downright ugly. Although it might be a bit of an ego boost when you know someone secretly envies you, it’s not so much fun when above mentioned person decides to indulge in a little behind- the- back slander or _______(insert backstabbing activity of choice here). After all, ‘Greatness inspires envy, envy engenders spite, and spite spawns lies.’

Unless your skin is as thick as dragon hide and you are unaffected by the petty crimes the world and its denizens commit around you, you might want to square your shoulders and learn to deal with it.

Look for the good in everything, and also teach others how to do it. More often than not, green eyed monsters are usually big warm marshmallows inside, but with a baggage of low self esteem attached. Counting our blessings and remembering that each of us is unique is an amazingly simple gift we forget to give ourselves. We tend to get so involved in marking our win against the others on that giant imaginary scoreboard, that we forget that we aren’t even in a race.

This season, we stop the sins.

This season, we turn our wasted minutes into useful ones as we finally join that salsa class, or get that A on our report card because we’ve kept ourselves busy and wonderfully so.

This season, we lock up our envy, and give that friend of ours a high five while falling into step beside her during her morning jog. Maybe we even pass Mr. Hotshot neighbour and his car, enroute, and flash him a smile. And just maybe, that classmate who always picked on us for being a Harry Potter nerd will ask us if we’d like to go watch Deathly Hallows: Part 1 with them next week. After all, what goes around comes around.

This season, we shed the green.

Colour Me Blue

Everyone has a favourite colour,and most of the time,mine is blue.Here's why :

Note : When I say blue,I mean the standard-palette-classic blue.I also like navy blue and other shades,but you know the colour that pops into your head when someone says blue?Yeah,that one.

Ok just..just go read the list.

1. Turqoise gems are the best . Um,yes,that would make me a girl.

2. Oceans are blue.

3. Dreamboats often have sea blue/green eyes-case in point :Tom Felton.

4. Blue cloudy skies look like they stretch and on forever .

5. Blue is bright without being obnoxious.

6. Nothing says mellow like blue.

7. Blue is funky.Blue sneaker yay.Blue sweatshirt yay.Blue hair,ok,maybe not so much. Kate Hudson would definitely disagree.*

8. I have this theory that your soul is painted a certain colour ,one that is in sync with your personality. It does seem to me,that romantic souls are blue (not pink or maroon ) for reasons I can’t fathom.

9. Blue is so awesome that there's an entire music genre that is its namesake .Ever saw a music section called Pinks?Naah,didn't think so. And also,God forbid.

10. Even things that aren't blue like being called blue - Bands,for example,or blueberries.

Add to the list? :)

*Anne Hathaway dyes Kate's hair blue days before her wedding in Bride Wars.

A Fresh Start

I''m burned out.I'm not tired,but I'm not exactly brimming with joie de vivre either.

I feel stale,like a baked good that has been sitting out of the fridge for too long (pardon the analogy).

I have nothing distinctly new to share with the world,and that makes me feel a little insignificant,a teeny bit invisible,and rather impatient.

I'm waiting for something big to happen...but what?That's what the goddamn problem is...I don't know,do I?

Maybe I'll wake up well rested tomorrow morning, smiling and motivated,like I'm in a musical or something.

Or maybe I'll just countdown to HP 7.Yeah,I like the sound of that.

Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus,but not if the Dormien-ing period is too long.Nuh-uh.

I'm ready to wake up,pal.

Pages from Summer-1

A while ago,Say,Rach,and me decided to do some serious blogging regarding our favourite cities-ones we've been to and loved,and ones we'd love to be in someday.I'd planned to write an unofficial tourists' guide to Singapore,where I spent summer vacation this year,but I'm not Taurean by zodiac alone.A little on the lazy side,I think cataloging my experiences and making chronological posts about what I did there might require some nice thinking,a little free time and some spirited enthusiasm,luxuries I cannot afford right now.

What I'm going to do instead,is upload this diary entry I made at the airport,just minutes before leaving Singapore.

I'll leave you with the first post under Pages from Summer.This is my first attempt at writing a series,so wish me luck :) .And yes,also,read . :D

Warning : Goodbyes are very hard for me.There might be bits of unnecessary melodrama here and there,which you are advised to ignore.

27 June,2010

8.00 A.M

I am homeward bound,after a long vacation in Singapore.The past five weeks have been too good to be true-and now I simply cannot believe that this holiday has come to an end.

However I know that we are not to cry that it's over;instead,we must smile that it happened.

So,I shall revel in the last few minutes in this strange and wonderful land.

Changi is a starry oasis-glitzy,imposing,beckoning.

My flight has been delayed,giving me a few minutes to reflect on my trip,(something I admit I have done only fleetingly this past one month,as I was busy being thrilled to the very core)

and so...here we are.

Green.That is the first impression I had of this city.Not the verdant dark green that we see back home,but a very tropical shade of shiny,healthy,sparkly(that's not a word???What gives,Blogger?),pale green.The green stays with me,from my first view of this island town nine years ago and from ten thousand kilometres above,to my rushed cab ride to the airport this morning watching fields,lawns and road signs shoot past while devouring last midnight's blueberry muffins and today's peanut butter and toast.My last indulgence this summer.

The morning is perfect,as mornings ought to be.Grey skies.Just the way I like them.The infamous noiseless Singapore drizzles descending gently-I've become rather fond of them-besides,Bangalore's sudden storybook thunderstorms are only three hours and a few oceans away.

The airport terminals are decked with white (I think they must be) orchids..Splendid.

I'm wearing midnight blue. :)
And,I wasn't charged for the excess baggage!

The only thing that seems wrong is that I have to leave this place.Bummer.

We are well matched,this dear city and me,for what could be as perfect together as bread and cheese,

as a tropical island set in the sea and a shutterbug?

As a country of living miracles and the eternal romantic?

As a shoppers' paradise and a closet shopaholic waiting to be awakened?

Amma says,and so does Dumbledore,that it does not do good to dwell in dreams and forget to live,but here's a pickle.

What if one month of somebody else's life is your dream come true?

How do you return to living yours-cast the memories aside like a magical midsummer dream?

The guard's asking us to move to the gate.

More later.

Bye!

*************************************************************************************

It ends there.

I was thinking of maybe doing a post or two on all the blatant gluttony I engaged in ,or the nice nature trails I spotted there.Let's see how it goes.

Cheers everyone :)

Gesundheit

Having the flu puts the dampers on nice long weekends.I just finished my first set of internals and was looking forward to some quality me time.Well,my nasty cold hasn't stopped me from living the nap -snack -read cycle,but what it has done is banish all splendid fancies of early morning jogs in huge gardens and bouts of listlessness lovingly nourished by floating about aimlessly in the pool.

Darn you flu,fly away asap.

My to do to mend to buy list is getting longer and longer,and I fear the time has come to get my bottom off the couch and hit the city's burgeoning markets again.I love shopping,but I hate planning,or making budget lists ( saving is an icky word!)...alas,I'm no Trump,so I'll have to scour the streets for a good bargain,and all of this simply cannot be done when a stupid little cold and fever come a-visiting.

There are a lot of benefits to being les sick invalid though,and I'm milking it for all it's worth.Breakfast in bed , delicious "for the convalescing" meals ,cherished books and dvds are making their way to yours truly.Additionally,Mom,me and my Nani got around to listening to some Carnatic music that my uncle gifted my mom for her birthday last week,and rounds of banana milkshakes helped digest the whole thing...quite a decent morning,I must say.

Waiting to return to my normal hyperactive self though,and unleash the Tarzan within! :)

Happy weekend,y'all!

My personal Goddess...

is my mother.

Come this Thursday,she will be celebrating her 53rd birthday!

I intended to write her a lovely blog post on her birthday,combining my love to celebrate other people's birthdays and the need to do something light and fun on my blog for once (ask Say and Rach ,they'll vouch for the Saawariya-esqueness of this blog,and that's not the best thing to be, really).However,in a world where nasty internal exams and annoying tests ..and procrastination abound,one can never do anything too soon,and so I find myself celebrating Mom's birthday earlier than I'd planned with all you lovely people in Blogsville. :)

This one's for my one talisman,my personal favorite Goddess,my Amma.You are awesome because

1)You accept me the way I am-moody,silly,angsty,extra cheerful,or at my emo best.*Terms and Conditions never apply.

2)You support my identity,you help carry the weight of it..and when I wear an extremely gaudy and ridiculous gift wrapping ribbon on my hair and pose for the cameras,you take a picture and look at it adoringly. :|

3)You provide for me-and not just in the Earth mother kind of way yknow. Not to belittle The World's Best Dosa you make,or your perfectly seasoned Morekali served with double pyaar (that's a family adjective,btw :D ) , but the way you meet my every little need,and most of my little wants, simply overwhelming.I applaud you,because God knows shopping for indecisive teenage girls needs talent.

4)You share with me.We can exchange gossip updates,discuss favorite bits of poetry and how not to forget to watch award shows on TV, indulge in some lighthearted bitching (what?It's good for the soul :D ),and what not.You are my BFF and hangout buddy. I love that I can watch the Sound of Music,Mary Poppins,the Devil Wears Prada,Kal Ho Naa Ho,DDLJ,and Alaipayuthey with you a gazillion times,and yet you do not sigh when I recite the dialogues along with the hero/heroine at breakneck speed. I love that you lend a ear to my ahem..musical renditions..err :D ,attempt to make sense of my muddled creations,and dance with me to Marriage of Figaro when I play it on whimsical evenings,and do outrageous things that we can snort about later.

5)You guide me.Through times of darkness,and into the light.I don't know what I'd do without you,you great ol' cuddly angel. You give some scary ass lectures,but you make up for them with the best Good Morning hugs ever.


6)You inspire me.Your thoughts,opinions,decisions,gestures,your kind little ways,your anecdotes,your sarcasm, your belief in the power of sincere hope and prayer,even your childish rejection of Tom Felton (though I do love him so..dear me..:P ),everything you do...
teaches me a little something about the world.

7)You love me like no one ever could.I can always be The Princess with you,and that one tiara I'll always want to wear,like a tattoo etched into my skin.When Monica tells her two baby boys that she'll "love you so much no woman will ever be good enough for you",she surely took a leaf out of your book! :)

Here's to one dear little woman nestled in a corner of India,a woman with amazing strength and unconscious grace,and a will to change the world and learn to make the perfect Garlic Bread.

• SRK
• Deewana Hua Baadal
• Roshagullas from Muh Mishti
• birthday cakes shaped like cricket pitches and the Powerpuff girls
• Cab rides to everywhere
• The Big Fat Pancake and other stories
• Impromptu photoshoots
• Dedications written while gifting books
• "Cornflakes Milk" @ 11 p.m

and a world of other things will always remain special to me,and you know why, Amma.

Thank you.Have a wonderful birthday,and a great life ahead.More power to you,and lots of sunshine as well.
Cheers and hugs from the daughter.
:)

Teach me how to Be.

Taureans don't like change.

It's true.Even the corny zodiac coffee mugs say so.

And yet I have battled my inhibitions to change....for you.

And now that you do not want me anymore,I do not know to change back.

I have lived to dream ,now I dream, I wish,I yearn to live.

It is funny how you think you're having the worst day ever,and suddenly,what you've been waiting for happens.

It's not so amusing though,when you have prepared for, rehearsed,anticipated,and waited for today,only to find out that today wasn't what you thought it would be at all.Sometimes it bums you out.Sometimes you brush it off and prepare,you dreamer you,for tomorrow.

What if you don't know what to think anymore?

Or what to say,or do,for that matter.

For better for worse.I see a pattern there.It feels like every single time I try to become your idea of a better person,I end up alienating you a little more.I'm driving you away,one improvement at a time.

I have tried and tried,and tried,but those smiles you bestow are harder to earn than a pleasant afternoon in May.Or a warm December night.

It's easy to be evil.

I do Ridiculously Happy once in a while too.

Tears drop thick and fast,occasionally,without waiting to be bid upon to do so.

I can manage to be humorous and funny every now and then.

You obviously can't stand any of this though,can you?

How then,ought I to be?

So I ask what is rightfully mine..a lesson from you.

Teach me how to Be.

Teach me just how to Be to be so I can attempt,yet again,to be one of the people you accommodate so easily in your life.

Teach me how to Be,so I can reassure myself that I'm not working in vain here,and that acceptance will come,someday or the other.

Teach me to Be,for I don't remember how to anymore.

You are my undoing;surely you owe me this much?

Of beauty and such.

Forms are many and beauty is one.

Beauty that is eternal,perfect even when undone.

We all crave beauty,so much it is true,

For whoever wrote a sonnet for a bad tempered shrew?

Or a twenty page thesis on badly written prose?

Who turns away from beauty that is tangible,that is close?

Helpless in our addiction to perfection are we.

I admit I like,in my garden , a well pruned tree.

Yes,I revel in writing under unruly oaks,mostly,

But putting that in my backyard’s quite a task,don’t you see?

Pictures of orphaned kids doth make the heart bleed.

Whose pictures do you Like though,who’s tweeting up your feed?

We all enjoy bouts of temporary divinity,

Then resort we must to normal comforting insanity.

Quite the liar I am when I preach.

Damn.I even want my verse in sizes of four lines each.

Who isn’t guilty of liking beauty? Why talk of blame?

Beauty is the drug,quite the rule of the game.

Thought for the day # 4 aka Truth and Liberation

Veritas Vos Liberabit.
The truth shall set you free.

HAPPY 105TH ! :)

I owe an apology to my loving ,ever receptive space in Blogville.My blog,my only ,The Pensieve.
I'm generally one for celebrating every occasion ,be it a weekend,my friend's birthday,December 31st,or the fact that I found my phone after having nearly lost it (yes,again).
Somehow though,I've missed out blog birthdays,and other such blog affiliated paraphernelia. I thought I'd celebrate 100 posts,but Blogger tells me I already have 104 of these babies.
So ok then, * draws biiig breath *....
HAPPY 105TH POST!

'I solemnly swear I am upto no good.'Nor is Pensieve here. :D
Throwing loadsa blog lou around ! :)

Love your blogs people.Take pleasure in the little comments,stick your tongue out at the nasties that occasionally show up, fill it with music and your thoughts.

Coz,quite plainly,no one else is waiting to fill their space with your crap.:P
Cheers!

I belong with the Flintstones.

I know that teenagers are supposed to remain un-fazed by technology,but hello!You just hopped onto the blog of the exception.

I'm not saying I don't like impressive new gadgets.It's just that I'll need more than a user manual and a crappy customer service agency to figure out how to get it working.

Which is why I like MS Powerpoint,and Post its on my dresser's mirror.

And good ol'd email,or maybe even posted letters,if more people cared to send em around.

I do like Facebook,it's true,and may have borderline OCD about checking my updates everyday,but since when has FB been the new kid on the block?!Old news right?

I like it when people call me to tell me something important,rather than sending a teeny lil text that screams IMPORTANT on its first line.

I simply can't wake up to an alarm clock.I never hear it,honestly,I don't see how anyone expects a tinny, shrill,possibly ultrasonic weird noise to rouse them from the deepest REM cycles.

I need a human to jolt me awake,and oh,if you have a cup of tea in your hands awaiting,brownie points for you :)

I love watching reruns and old movies,speaking of which,I also do not watch movies online if I can avoid it.

I like my 3 hour sappy surprises in the cinema halls or at least playing on my tv in the bedroom.

Salads with a generous drizzle of olive oil are yummy indeed,but I''d rather grab a bowl of curd rice and pickle instead of a low fat wrap.

There's something about the comfort of an old blanket that a new pashmina bedsheet can never achieve.

Old possessions do bring a lot of bliss,and that's the reason I hardly ever clean out my closet.'De cluttering' is a nasty little word.

Like Phoebe says,they(I mean the old stuff,can you try to keep up?!) remind me of a simpler time,and that's a good thing right? :)

PS-I'm blogging a lot nowadays.Wonder why that is ?I have a lot to say to world,apparently.

Hope you're listening.

Cheers!

Random Tag :)

Picked this tag up from Shanu's place while I was indulging in some random blog hopping!

Enjoy (or not ..but.. you'll have to read to know that ,won't you?)

Read on!

1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn on page 18 and find line 4.

"Come to think of it,maybe I don't need three pairs of boots."

- Shopaholic Abroad,TheShopaholic Series,by Sophie Kinsella.

2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can & catch air?

Yep.Nothing else around!

3. What is the last thing you watched on TV?

Uh oh.I can't remember!!I rarely watch the telly these days because it's getting pretty yawn inducing.Maybe I'm not watching the right channels. :P

4. Without looking, guess what time it is?

4 p.m.

5. Now look at the clock, what is the actual time?

4.08 pm.

Cool!I have an inbuilt body clock (which apparently doesn't function when you want to get up early for a bit of exam mugging).

6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?

Birds chirping-there's a huge flowering tree across the street :) ,

my maid dusting some cushions,

the voices in my head (no don't leave.i'm no freak.i like to freak people out.i also like uncapitalized sentences.)...

7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing?

Last evening.I was sitting on the swings in the park and chatting with a friend.

8. Before you started this Q&As, what did you look at?

I'm assuming you meant 'look at 'online,coz otherwise ,a question like that would probably elicit really silly answers(not that it ain't doing that otherwise..still).To answer the question,I was looking at this funny funny site I came by,called Oatmeal. Check it out,it's a laugh!

9. What are you wearing?

A black and maroon top and sweatpants.

10. When did you last laugh?

A minute ago.Again,thanks to Oatmeal. :) Wow,I'm really plugging this site,aren't I?No I don't work for it/them/whatever.

11. What is on the walls of the room you are in?

A lamp,a portrait,nails,plug sockets,photos,y'know ...the usual suspects.

12. Seen anything weird lately?

Yea..look in the mirror pretty often,I do.LOL.Sorry, lame sense of humor and a need for self depreciation,do not,a good joke make.Clearly!

13. What do you think of this quiz?

It eez my savior!!I was getting bored to death.Yea,sorry Oatmeal,despite all the funny you've got. :|

14. What is the last film you saw?

Hmm...HP5 ..did one of those HP movie marathons.I do OD on Harry Potter a fair bit,and I like it :)

Do you?

15. If you became a multimillionaire overnight, what would you buy?

Woohoo!A house in Paris,Tom Felton (kiddin :P ), gifts for everyone I know,a grand piano,a convertible,ok let's stop before it becomes a full blown catalogue with links,pictures et al! :D

16. Tell me something about you that I dunno!

Hmm ok.I'm weird.Wait,you knew that,dintcha?

Ok... I'm left handed.

17. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?

Poverty.I wish no one had to worry about where their next meal was coming from.Also,I'd make people less superficial (is there a mutant superficial gene?God,I hope Evolution gets rid of it!).

18. Do you like to dance?

Very much :).Not so much with an audience though.

19. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?

Tara!

20. Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?

Aryan!

P.S.-regular blog readers ought to have known the answers to these 2 questions.

21. Would you ever consider living abroad?

If abroad=London or New York,then yes,I would. :) Oui!

22. What do you want GOD to say to you when you reach the pearly gates?

Ok,get your silver tiara and attachable wings on and let's partayy!

That's all folks! :)

Tune in later!

Value based education :the whats,the whys,and more

Education.

One word, whose presence or absence in one’s life can dramatically alter his/her destiny.

Education.

Widely accepted as the art of elevating its receptors from ignorance to awareness.

Education.

A device meant to teach young students how not to merely exist or survive, but to live.

Alright.Alright.I’ll stop with the definitions.

Assuming then, that we indeed live in a world where everyone knows what education means, why is it that in this same world, education needs to be specifically described as “value based”? Surely the concept of value is so integral to education that one could not possibly dream of an education system without it!

However, discussions on the relative merits of value based education systems abound, leading one to realize the gravity of the situation the world of academia finds itself in.

A value based education system, simply put, is one that aims to inculcate moral and ethical skills in students, besides enriching their knowledge. Values lend purpose and direction to knowledge, much like oars do to a sailing boat, leading to a holistic development of the human mind.

Ah, human. Possibly one of the most abused words in the entire dictionary.Abused, because being human is easily overlooked definitely underrated. To be human, one must learn to recognise the true spirit of humanity. To do so, one must be acquainted with values that instruct one on how to develop oneself so that he could truly be part of a harmonious, progressive liberal, and just society.

This is where value based education systems come in. By combining formal education with virtues like impartiality, compassion, non violence and freedom of thought, and life skills like good leadership, emotional maturity, perceptiveness and independence, a value based education endeavours to create a better society.

In this one little world, many worlds of terrorism, corruption and injustice thrive. Why? Is it because the perpetrators of these problems are unintelligent? No, it is because they failed to understand how to put this precious intelligence to good use. Knowledge is but a double edged sword.

We must act,and act right!

The debates about curriculum can wait,the firm etching of values on these souls must come first.

The surgeries can wait,the medicine must come first.

A pen,a sword,a stethoscope,an axe, a paintbrush,or even a gaming console,take your pick.What you must possess though,is the ability to ensure that your actions uphold the unspoken law of morality,and achieve what we may call,an honest success.

I quote my hero,Dumbledore.In times of darkness, one must simply remember to bring in the light.

Roughly translated to Mugglespeak,this means :

Students must be introduced to both the theory and the practice of leading a value based life. This would translate to learning and imbibing values, and participating in social service, donation camps, character building workshops, self introspection and myriad such activities of the like,for how oft is it said,we are what we do!

In today’s youth ,we must reaffirm values that will help prevent the misuse of technology, that will break any existing barriers of race and faith, that will help encourage fairness of opportunity, that will protect the environment, that will help retain the inherent wisdom of the ancients and paint us a better tomorrow.

So make a change. Embrace your values. Pink Floyd did ask, why be another ‘brick in the wall’?

Why I read

Spin me some fantastic tale.

Let me escape the mundane world,just for a little while.

Worry and regret claw at my door,

but don’t worry,I’ve latched it real tight for now.

If you’ve only an hour,

tell me a sweet story about a little girl in pink who gathered yellow daisies by the brook in Box Hill.

If you have two,

recite an ode or two for the braveheart who salvages storms and hungry nights while he guards a lonely border.

If you have three,

make them an eternity,

as you narrate a saga of love, light, life and death,woven mysteriously into one soft blanket,

that descends on me... swift and powerful.

For butter and bread may save our stomachs,

But 'tis the tales that will save our minds,

our souls;

And from the very depths of imagination,

ignite the sparks to create a world so magical,so arresting,

that one wishes to dwell within its realms forever.

So then,

Make it a grand tale.

Make it a story.

Make it a good one.

Thought for the day # 3 a.k.a Misnomers

You are my melody.You are my lullaby.You are my dirge.

In pursuit of happyness...?

We all love it.We all need it.We all seek it.
Happiness is that one thing that sometimes eludes us as disciplinedly as garbage chuckers in India avoid dustbins.
Odd,isn't it,how happiness seems to get harder and harder to find as we grow up?
Coincidence?
I think not.

I remember,as a kid,when my dad was posted in Calcutta, (yes not Kolkata yet) and trips to the South could be made only once in a year;we would gather our mattresses and suitcases and board the train to Madras(bcoz somehow,all Tamilians have to go to Madras : ).
More often than not,we stayed at this little motel called Tourist Home,which was nestled in its own cozy corner,right opposite the Egmore Railway Station.I don't quite remember who made the decision to stay there everytime.I never questioned it,though.
It was one of the truths of my 7 year old life.
I always enjoyed the stay at Tourist Home.It was our family's thing! :)
We would trundle up the hotel to one of the rooms on top after the train deposited us in the early hours of the a.m. Then,after a quick shower with Hamam soap (yes,another one of those "must do,don't ask why" things) we would all rush down to an early bird breakfast.I always ate Dosa.Wow,I sound like a fussy little kid .don't I ?But no,I wasn't. really.I merely loved dosas way too much.
Dad would always eat a variety (and a lot) of things for breakfast while Mom would cast murderous looks at him,whilst he unconcernedly told the waiter exactly how he wanted his oothappam to be made.:D
My Nani,on the other hand,was an absolute delight.She was my playmate,whom I most definitely drove to boredom with my never ending stories,and yet she listened.Always.Uncomplainingly.
And this was only breakfast. :)

Relax.I'm not going to narrate the entire itenary here.I do want to mention those evenings though.If we weren't at the beach,then I would perch myself near the window and gaze longingly at the huge white-grey domes that topped the station,and watch both the noisy pigeons that flew atop it,and the noisy crowd that jostled beneath it.
I would count the number of train whistles I heard,and I'd feel strangely happy each time my tally increased.:D
My point being,it was so easy to be happy then.Easy,effortless even.
Now,it's a whole another story.I have lived for eighteen years now,and I suppose I must have gotten wiser,but I still don't know what exactly happiness is and where and how one must seek it.
So,for now,after a whole evening of some soul searching,I declare ...
Happiness is a day at Tourist Home.
Later .
:)

Time to rhyme ? a.k.a thought for the day # 3

Melancholy brings with it,the poet.
Atleast in my case.
Wonder why that is?

On friendship

Friendship is a concept everyone has an opinion on.
And rightly so. While the comforts of luxury are not everyone’s privilege, a good friend is everyone’s birthright.
Or is it?
Sometimes, we find that certain people tend to make friends rather easily.
Some of us call them outgoing.
Some call them fun.
Some of us ,with a case of sour grapes, are content to label them social whores.
When you ask yourself why a certain person makes friends almost everywhere, pat comes the reply “ Just the vibe they’ve got”.

So?

I mean, if you needed that vibe to make friends, that just nullifies the whole concept of your friends being there for you despite your personality (or lack of it thereof ) , doesn’t it?

Assuming that you’re lucky enough to have a few really good friends, whom you get to see on a frequent basis, answer me this?
What kind of friends do you make? Do you have different categories?

The party friends…the ones good for a drink, a party, and a night out,...whenever you want it.

The mellow ones, whom you can share a cuppa and redecorate your room with.

The intellectuals, who are perfectly at home discussing music and will not regret spending a good hour arguing the merits of the latest bestseller with you.

The cushioners,who always have a friendly shoulder, a sympathetic smile, and a duvet on which you can camp the night, when the world does a gloomy on you.

Or are your friends a wonderful amalgam of all these shades, rolled into one brilliant and original combo,
people you would give your right arm and leg for,
souls you’re so relieved to have found ,that you’d never let 'em go ? :)

What if you had to let go?
What would you do then?
Would you resign yourself to endless hours of Skype,frequent travels,the occasional email,
and look around in other places and settle for a little more accessible,albeit less cherished friendship?
Pardon me if I’m wrong, but friendship requires more than a friendly face and a clean parole record.
Much like love, friendship requires certain chemistry. If it didn’t, the whole world would be one big ridiculously happy family.Not that that’s a bad thing. Or not. Whatever.

What if letting go was too painful to handle? Would you choose to live in a dream, and end up completely cranky and disillusioned when the dream ends (oh and it will).

Maybe I'm being a bit of a damper.

Maybe friendship doesn’t require this much thinking over. Maybe it should be more light hearted, with a lot more je ne sais quoi and a lot less of “what if” and” but”.

What then, is the secret to a wonderful friendship, and how did it reveal itself to you?

Like they say, the world’s a stage,and everyone’s a poet ! Expound your theories please,your friends await your presence on the dais,one hand clutching a coffee,and the other,holding a barf bag.
Because they know you. :D :p

“A friend hears the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails."— Anonymous

P.S –The above post was written when I was half asleep.Just pounded out everything that came to mind out on my keyboard.Feel free to wade through the rambles and share your opinions :)

Update

This is just to say that so far,12345 people have come by this blog! (12345..really do like that number :) )

Love you people-->readers,friends,relatives,people whom I forced

sweet talked into visiting,fellow bloggers,and the random people in the universe who've chanced upon this space!

Thanks guys!You fuel me.Keep visiting :-)

Thought of the day #2 a.k.a Recipe for a Smile

Everything tells you a story.

Like your iPod, for your instance.

Tell you what?

1)Switch to the shuffle mode on your player.

2)Jot down stuff abut the first song that you listen to and like ,or just dwell on it.

3)Think about when you first heard the song,when you first fell in love with it,who the source was(Youtube,Ryan Seacrest,THE Music Obsessed Maniac friend everyone seems to have),when you first grew sick of it,and when you came back to it,like the prodigal son,and the song took you right back in its wake,engulfing you like always, within its magic.

4)Let it fill your head,your heart,your soul(not for those "omg that's what happened to me" breakup songs we all have and cry over though!).

5)Watch it work its way through you..and you'll be smiling in no time!

Try it now,if you'd like,and comment and telll me what you thought of!K?

Fast fading.

We're a cliche,you and me.
A habit done to death.
A song on the last note.
The strains are fast fading,come quick,
And maybe,we can sing along for one last time.

We're a story,you and me.
Deliciously unpredictable.
Yet,how ironic,that we must end how most stories end,
Quietly.No fanfare.A clean break.
A few sniffles.
Maybe,for old times' sake,we share a cuppa,for one last time?

We're old news,you and me.
The magic ain't there no more.
Or maybe,they make better fireworks in the world nowadays.
Whatever.But before the small talk sets in,
Surely we can grant us one last conversation,for one last time?

One last time just slipped away,didn't it?Or did it?

Unfinished sometimes=complete

Everyday at 1 p.m. ,this past one week,I've been doing something soul-stirring.I've been having lunch up on the third floor of an unfinished building on the college campus.

Not what you expected is it?

No scintillating conversation,no beautiful music.Well,unless you count the sound of the wind blowing in your ears, at once fierce and frenzied,at once soft and soothing.That ,and the heartbreakingly beautiful silence that resonates within that unfinished space.



I love this building.It's like the agony aunt I never had,the shoulder that never was.This is where I pour it all out,not the usual hair tug-teeth gnash inducing stuff,but also some anguished wondering.It's not a place to vent frustration or something though.Sometimes I also unwind,listen to something Coldplay,and write a bit,like I am now.


What makes it a good retreat is that everything-every emotion that you throw at the stone walls rebounds and returns to you.You would think that this kind of a boomerang sounds plain awful,but it isn't like that.You just have to sit there and drown in the thought that's plaguing you till it engulfs you and you finally learn to accept it.Then,then, the pain,the resentment or whatever it is that's bothering you,ceases.
Quiet.
Eternal,evasive,unattainable quiet.


People aren't usually crazy about a landscape of stone.Not me though.Spare me your rolling hills and your bloody bloomin' flowers.

Give me some raw wet cement,some bare stone, swirls of dust clouds flying about the place and a patch of endless sky to watch.All of it.
Give me a place that's comforting in its constancy,etched irremovably on my course, as if in stone.
Give me a place that is as soulful as it is simple.
Give me a world with no mirrors,save the ones you find in other people.
Give me a world with music everywhere,like an orchestra on autopilot.

And that's why,everyday,at 1 p.m,I have my lunch up on the third floor of an unfinished building.

The best tunes

The best tunes are always the old ones :)
The very wise DJ on 94.3 FM ,Radio One (Bangalore's local radio station) says that people like oldies music because it isn't all electronic. I totally agree.
Music that reeks of synthesizer and voice edits is starting to bore me.It all sounds the same...one goes blimp blimp blimp and the other is a tic toc tic (yes Kesha,I'm sorry honey,i can't bring myself to like tik tok.)
The reason I posted this was because I'm celebrating Train-one of my favourite pop bands.They're not really old (depends-would you call late nineties old?...oh preteens,this question ain't for you. :D) but they make really nice and soothing music->not acapella ,but still...they don't sound very different when they sing live.Im' sure everyone's heard of their single Drops of Jupiter...and if you haven't ...listen now,you'll thank me for it :)

We watch.We wait.

When is the end?
Everyone faces trials.Trials test people,and reward them with pure unadulaterated joy at the end.The survivor is crowned and all is forgotten as he catches up with long sought peace.
The question is : How long do these trials last?

All of us pay.Pay for our foolishness.Pay for our sins.Pay for our "free" lunches.Pay in exchange for any small glory.No more.I'm broke.I can't pay anymore.

I want to know where my redemption is ,and when it will come find me.

I want to know when the present will become the past and rest ,closed, as an unceremonious chapter in history,forgotten in the wake of a great new beginning.I wait for the day my trial ends,and the jury acknowledges my survival and makes suitable compensation.I don't want to consider the possibility that this day will never come,for hope ..I must.

Hope is all that I have.How pitiful it is that I hope,even as the night fades into a cold dreary morning.Cold mornings are pretty only in Jane Austen's novels and in books about hiking expeditions to Antarctica.Sunshine is what I want for my life.

I want to go ashore,or sink in the deluge.Staying afloat amidst the currents can be very tiring.
Watching and waiting as of now,is passe,and how we all hate anything passe.

Thought for the day #1

Well,this is not so much my thought as it is Stephan Gellet's.I remember seeing this on a poster just outside the Headmistress's office of my old school.It came back to me today out of nowhere and I just had to post it.

"I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I
can do or any kindness I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let
me not defer or neglect it for I shall not pass this way again"

It is a lovely thought,one which prompts lovely action!:)

Alright,that's all for today.Breakfast awaits.

Toodles !Have a good day :)

Pretence.Not a fan.

All of us,at one time or another,have faced double standards.And doled them out too.While people may have reason to mask their real feelings from time to time,constant pretence is just...annoying,

Sometimes,I wish people would tell me what exactly they think of me.However,they never do that,so I have to play mind reader and lemme tell you;it's really hard to filter out true emotion from all the socializing crap;
but a part of me wonders if I'll be able to handle the truth.Dependent creature that I am,I don't really know if I'll be able to digest the idea that a friend or a loved one prefers not having me around.

Sure,no one can hope for universal popularity,to borrow a phrase from Dumbledore.All one can hope for is a little honesty,some patience,and a tinge of reality in the farce that are some relationships today.

Ah hope!

P. S : I almost forgot...HAPPY NEW YEAR folks!Keep your spirit soaring and make 2010 your best year yet :)