I want twins... girls!

I don't understand why a woman always builds her life around the man she is with. Evolution dictated terms and said, the man is the breadwinner of the house and the woman is the homemaker. But, it never said the woman has to weave her life around a man and keep moulding herself with every step of the man. I had a conversation with a friend of mine. She is about 4 yrs younger to me. A very brilliant girl and even better singer. I love her voice. If given a chance, I am sure she could make her name very easily in the Tinsel town. But she managed to go for a different choice altogether. Recently, she went ahead and got herself a husband. Oops.

I pinged her to ask how she was. She said she needed advice. I said I'll try. We talked some about entrance exam into a Ph.D. program. She was planning to get into a Ph.D. I was happy to see her give it a shot. I asked her why not come to the US? Much more exposure and definitely much easier to get into a Ph.D. program. The answer she gave me prompted me to write this post. "Coming to the US is out of question. I am married now". I am not against the institution of marriage. But, what she said after that bugs me the most about the Indian matrimonial system. She said, "My husband might go to the US pretty soon, though he might not stay for long. So, I definitely cannot look for opportunities in the US." WOW. The guy can go to the US, but not the girl? Why? I can't find even a single valid reason for this discrimination. The girl is supposed to make all the adjustments to be a part of what a man (with his puny brain) decides to make of his life. Kinda sucks!

If our today is like this... then what will our tomorrow be?

Khud se jang ladata hoon sab se ye kahata hoon
chaaron or jo hota hai us se main gussa hoon
taubaa-tauba nafs magaroor hai
taubaa-tauba sach se door hai
taubaa-tauba dil benoor hai
taubaa-tauba kaisa daur hai
kab aayega waqt vo naya
kab paayenge sab dil ki aazaadi ko
kab aayegi vo pyaaree-pyaari ek subah

daulat badhati hai roz to ameeron ki hi
bhookh badhati hai roz hi gareebon ki
vaadon se tar zubaan vaqt milate hi par
goongi ho jaati hai un rahabaron ki
chalate hain akad ke ye zameen pe
bhoole hain ki jaana hai ek din us zameen mein
dhabba hai dhabba ki jaise chaand pe dhabba
dhokha ye dhokha dete hain kud ko dhokha

socho-socho zara kaafi hai ek shama
jis se jal uthati yahaan lakhon shama
saari duniya badal jaayegi yaaro par
hai zaroori badalana bas ek ka
muskura ke dekhana bhi neki
logon ki raahon se patthar hataana neki
sajada tu sajada duniya ko na kar sajada
sajada ho sajada bas naam-e-kuda ka sajada

A song from the album Vandemataram by A.R.Rahman...

This post is dedicated to all those innocent lives which were lost in the Mumbai terrorist attacks... This post is also a salute to all those martyrs who died trying to save peace from the clutches of terror... Its high time we think about what has been happening in today's world and do whatever possible to stop the massacres around us before we ourselves are consumed in these flames...

Live like a virus!!!

Live like a virus... Woah, Isn't that a paradox?

Yes, it is... Okay, let me explain...

Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites, i.e., they have to be inside a being to be able to reproduce and grow in numbers. So, they pretty much depend upon a "host" for their survival, in turn beating the crap out of the host (parasites). This means that viruses CANNOT LIVE outside a living host.

Viruses have been classified as the border of the living and non-living systems. They are mere dust particles when outside a living thing and are the messengers of death when inside.

So, after knowing all this, why would I say "Live like a virus"???

Obviously, if a thing could kill, the word "killer" becomes its second name, no matter what the context is (No surprise, we fear death so much). Every other quality comes second. So, what am I getting to here?

- Viruses are small, smaller than the smallest of bacteria. Yet, they cause the world's most prevalent diseases and disorders. Hepatitis, HIV, Pox, a common cold...
What do we learn? Should it make a difference how small we are? Nope... Does it make a difference on how much impact we could make on people we know? How much we could affect the thinking of a community? a BIG YES. Relating ourselves to viruses, its not really tough to stay small and yet do things that impact the whole world. A thing to ponder about...

- Viruses PERSIST. This is the best part about them. They are persistent. Their peristence is shown in the way they infect a body and inflict damage, even if it is the smallest of ones.
What do we learn? PERSISTENCE, PERSEVERENCE------>>> EXISTENCE.

- Viruses change. AIDS (Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome) is caused by HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). The genetic material of this virus is like a Chameleon sitting on spinning colour wheel. Whenever the wheel stops, the chameleon would be ready to change its colour to blend itself in. Similarly, HIV's genetic material changes with hosts and life cycles. It can infect a human being and progress to AIDS especially because of such random changes in the genetic material.
What do we learn? Change is the only thing that should be constant in life.


A few golden rules of LIVING taught to us by the NOT SO LIVING... :)


Well... living like a virus isn't that bad eh? ;)

Trance time...

I love Krishna!!!! PERIOD!!!!

Once a friend asked me, why I was a Krishna Bhakt. I regret every time I think about that question, because I couldn't give him a proper answer. I could not explain it to him. BECAUSE ITS A TRANCE!!! There is no explanation to it... Its a mental state which has the strength to influence the physical being.

It all started around September 2003, when I was on a college trip to Bangalore. Maybe the best thing that happened on that trip was the visit to the ISKCON temple there. I cannot describe the temple. As people say, even a million eyes are not enough to take in the beauty of the temple. That was my first meeting with Krishna, hehe, and I would want to call it love at first sight. Our plan was to stay in the temple for half an hour and then leave. Two hours. Probably even more. I don't know about my friends, but, I personally, didn't realize how time flew past as I just got swept into the magic. To top it all, it was Janmashtami time then.

The temple is huge hall with a empty space right in front of him, for at least 300-400 people to sit and watch him. The ceiling was painted with stories of Krishna and WOW what paintings. The best part was all of the hall was lit with diyas (though artificial lights, they were sparkling and gave out a very natural effect). Apart from 2 halogen lamps around him, there was no other light and this was just about evening time. The fact that I remember such minute details about the temple is enough to tell you readers to GO VISIT THE TEMPLE!!!! ITS GORGEOUS!!!!!

As I said, Krishna is a state of mind. He can influence you to do anything. Nothing is impossible with him around. Well... I am in such a trance now writing away all this. Whoever reads this post, might not even get close to reading these last few lines. They might find it boring. But, whoever has managed it till this point, its probably because they have been lucky enough to experience such sheer joy in their lives or they are compelled to do so. :)

Thinking of Krishna (or God in any form) is sheer joy, ecstasy, its pain, its intoxicating, its YEARNING, its LOVE, its a feeling out of this world. I wish I had words or a way to put all that joy on paper and pass it on to everybody to experience it. Its MAAAADDDDDDENNNNINGLY SANE!!!!! :)

Doesn't he ever get bored of creating masterpieces??

A.R.Rahman...

The name says it all... well... maybe his music says more than his name...
Whatever cap he wears... it sure would look like a bird or something... with so many feathers in there... yes, yet another feather in his cap... Jodha-Akbar...

I bought the CD a few days ago... to be precise a week ago... and as usual... the first time I heard the songs... I thought they were kinda mediocre... I knew this would be my first impression... and I generally don't listen to any song that I don't like the first time...

Its a different story altogether with Rahman... the more you listen, the more you like them... So, by the end of the 3rd time of the CD... I already had heard Azeem-O-Shaan Shehenshah about 3 or 4 times... This song has the power of Akbar and the elegance of Rahman in them... Never have I heard so many instruments being used in one song... and what brilliance in using sword clashing to create music... It seems Rahman has, unknowingly, composed this song for himself and not for Akbar... I am dying to watch this song on the big screen... This song could just be worth all the money...

Jashn-e-bahara... a classic Rahman melody... and what a find... Javed Ali...

Khwaja Mere Khwaja... trance... pure trance... perfect voice for the song... Rahman himself...

Inn Lamhon ke Daman mein... Rahman + Sonu ==== just listen and keep listening... no two words about it... just one word... STUPENDOUS...

Mann Mohana... the second best song of the album... for various reasons...
One - coz its about Krishna...
Two - coz it resembles a few other beautiful compositions of Rahman... (Aahista Aahista from Swades, O Paalanhaare from Lagaan)
Three - Its sung by one of the most melodious singers I've ever heard... The first time I heard the song, I thought it was Shreya Ghoshal... wrong guess... Bela Shende is the singer... and she gives an amazing number... I doubt if anyone else could have done a better job...

Navin Kumar - needs a special mention for his enchanting number... well.. its the same song (Jashn-e-bahara)... but, it sounds WOW when played on the flute... especially with all those interludes being added by Navin...

Khwaja mere Khwaja in instruments is a mellowed version of the vocal... though it still maintains the trance...

THE CD IS WORTH ALL THE MONEY AND MORE... no regrets about buying the CD without even reading the reviews... hehe... after all its Rahman... :)

>Unconditional love a.k.a. Mother... :)

Been listening to the song "lukka chuppi" from u know it... ya... Rang De Basanti...

Its been almost 8 months since I left home... been here in the US, trying to study, to get somewhere in life, to settle, to accomplish a dream...

My mom used to ask me (jab main chota tha) what I would want to become after I grew up... I would say I wanna become a scientist... now, I look at myself and see that it might take me just another 4 yrs to make those words come true... :)

I dont even wanna imagine my mom's feelings after those 4 yrs... I just want to see it... I am sure its happiness to the utmost ever possible... thats probably the least I could do to her...

yahan sab kuch hai maa phir bhi... lage bin tere mujhko akela... how apt are those lyrics from the song...

Havent slept at all this night... most part of the night went away in listening to this song over and over again... Its one of the best starts to a day I could have ever had... The weather looks great outside... and it has started on an amazing note deep inside... :) Couldnt get better...

I miss you, I love you amma... u r the best...

>Version 10.00.00.4058

Its 6:10 AM and here I am listening to the radio on one of those duper softwares that lets u listen to radio online (thats kinda cool)...

Now, I realize that the radio plays using a Windows Media Player plugin. I have always been a fan of the WMP coz of its cool (though limited) features... It does a great job playing most kind of files... and its ease-of-use makes it more... hmm... easy to use, i guess hehe... (but, somehow I still stick to WMP version 10 coz version 11 kinda sucks)

So, where was I?? oh haan... so, now that the realization dawned... I opened the radio window and expanded it... there you go... I see the best part of the mediaplayer... the visualization...

I love watching the Ocean Mist visualization (under Bars and Waves)on WMP, FULL SCREEN... its soo cool... I've seen many other players with a lot of other visualizations... but, none to beat the Ocean Mist of WMP...

Its still kinda dark here... and the only light glowing across the room is from the monitor... so, the best part of this visualization is when u can watch it in the dark... FULL SCREEN... each fine line jumping up with a different beat of the song...
Mixing music has been one of my hobbies... so, obviously the Ocean Mist intrigues me so much... I tried to understand the logic behind how these lines move with the music... I tried to write a program for it too... I tried... :P

Its sooo much fun just watching the visualization... Soothes my mind... so much peace... I could do it all day...

Also, its twin brother (Firestorm) is also cool... Its fun to watch this guy when u are all pumped up and ready for a battle... hehe... (Firestorm - the name says it all)

WMP u r the best... (call me biased, as if I care... :P)

>My belief, my strength...

Aalokaye Sree Baala Krishnam...
Sakhi aananda sundara taandava krishnam...

Charana ni vanitha nupura krishnam
Kara sangatha kanaka kankana krishnam
Kinkini jaala ghana ghanitha krishnam
Loka shankitha taaravali mauktika krishnam


Sundara naasaa mauktika shobhitha krishnam
Nanadanandanam, akhanda vibhuti krishnam
Kanthopa kantha shobhi kaustubha krishnam
Kali kalmasha timira, bhaskara krishnam


Govatsa brinda paalaka krishnam
Kruta gopika jaala khelana krishnam
Nanda-sunandaadi, nanditha krishnam
Srinarayana teertha varada krishnam

>A few videos that I would enjoy anyday... and you might too...

>A visual treat...

Put everything down... click the play button and listen... shhhh... dont talk... u might disturb the melody...

Never have I seen a song picturised more beautifully than this.... and no other song shud be compared to this song either... its a class apart... ok... no more typing... just see and enjoy...

>Courtesy of a fellow blogger...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/ - Anybody could just get lost in this website... sooo soo intriguing... loads of info... and loads of things that you can understand about yourself and people around you...

>Attitude...

I got this e-mail today from my uncle... one of the best ones I've ever come across...


An old man lived alone in Minnesota . He wanted to spade his potato garden, but it was very hard work. His only son, who would have helped was in prison.

The old man wrote a letter to his son and mentioned his situation:


Dear Son,


I am feeling pretty bad because it looks like I won't be able to plant my potato garden this year. I hate to miss doing the garden, because your mother always loved planting time. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. If you were here, all my troubles would be over. I know you would dig the plot for me, if you weren't in prison.


Love,


Dad


Shortly, the old man received this telegram:


For Heaven's sake, Dad, don't dig up the garden!! That's where I buried the GUNS!!

At 4 a.m. the next morning, a dozen police officers showed up and dug up the entire garden without finding any guns.

Confused, the old man wrote another note to his son telling him what happened, and asked him what to do next.

His son's reply was:

Go ahead and plant your potatoes, Dad, It's the best I could do for you from here.


Moral:NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE IN THE WORLD, IF YOU HAVE DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING DEEP FROM YOUR HEART YOU CAN DO IT. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE THOUGHT THAT MATTERS...

Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.

>Love demanded sacrifice?? maybe it did not in this case...

Taj...

Taj... the feather in the culture cap of India... a symbol of love... built by Shahjahan about 400 years ago for his beloved Mumtaz mahal... THE rare jewel in the glorious Indian history... was one of the wonders of the world... voted again recently as one of the new 7 wonders of the world...




Anything Ironical??




yes, there is irony attached to this monument of love...




- All the 22,000 workers who were employed lost more than what they gained out of building this monument. Shahjahan made sure he had the hands of all of these workers chopped off, just because THEY SHOULDN'T BUILD ANOTHER TAJ MAHAL??? looking at it from this perspective, Taj Mahal looks more bloody than any other monument in the world, and nowhere near to what its called now, a symbol of love.


I agree, there is nothing to beat this monument's beauty... it is one of the most beautiful man-made structures in the world and the locale makes it even more appealing to the eye.


The beauty of this monument is just the present and the future... and it will forever remain beautiful... but, its past might not be the brightest... which is to be agreed upon...


I voted for the Taj when it was in the race for being one of the 7 wonders again... I voted for it because of its beauty and the dynasties and kingdoms it has withstood and seen since it has been built but surely not for the "making of the Taj" chapter it carries...


You might not agree or may be you do... whatever it is, do leave your comments...

>Blogging!!

A place to unwind, a place to relax after a long day, a place to pen down everything that you saw, heard or felt that day and often relating it to something that happened in the past too...

A virtual diary that you could maintain, for people to read your thoughts, for you to read and analyze yourself, to retrospect and learn, to relearn what you might have forgotten down the lanes of time...

To get nostalgic, to get angry on yourself, to laugh at yourself, maybe even to shed a few tears once in a while...

Blogging was never my cup of tea... though it became, just a few months back... and I am enjoying my cup very much...

Saw the power of blogs right from the time when Tsunami hit us!

Makes me feel happy that I blog too... just a thot I wanted to share... coz, i guess blogs is all about thots... right?

>Cartoon? surely more than that...

Transformers... woah... now that I've seen the movie... my plans of getting a car are preponed for sure...

super cool grafix... has the Speilberg touch to it... tho he never directed it...
seems so lifelike... surely cant get enough of it when u can see a normal car getting transformed into something so awesome and just in a split second... makes u wish u had a car like that...

aaargghhhh... i really wish i had a car like that...

>07/07/07

Here is another day... an important day? not so important? shud it be important?



depends how ur life has changed on that day... could have some memories associated with it... or could have been just another day...



but whatever it is, this day will never come back in my lifetime atleast... 07/07/07



Important in its own way... n yet its ur own perspective to decide on that...

>Got a better song than this? prove it...

Na jaane mere... dil ko kya... ho gaya...
Abhi tho yahin... tha abhi... kho gaya...

kho gayaaaaaa...


Na jaane mere... dil ko kya... ho gaya... } - 2
Abhi tho yahin... tha abhi... kho gaya...


Ho gaya hai tujhko tho pyar sajna... } - 2
Laakh kar le tu, inkaar sajna...

Dildaar sajna... hai yeh pyaar sajna...


Dekha na tu ne... mud ke bhi peeche... kuch der tho main ruka tha...
jab dil ne tujhko... rokna chaaha... dur tu jaa chuka tha...

Hua kya... na jaana...
Yeh dil kyon... diwaana...

Are ho gaya hai tujhko tho pyar sajna... } - 2
Laakh kar le tu, inkaar sajna...

Dildaar sajna... hai yeh pyaar sajna...


Aey waqt ruk jaa... tham jaa... thahar jaa... waapas zaraa daud peeche...
main chod aayi... khud ko jahan pe... woh reh gaya... mod peeche...

Kahan main... kahan tu...
Yeh kaisa... hai jaadu...

Are ho gaya hai tujhko tho pyar sajna... } - 2
Laakh kar le tu, inkaar sajna...

Dildaar sajna... hai yeh pyaar sajna...

Na jaane mere... dil ko kya... ho gaya...
Abhi tho yahin... tha abhi... kho gaya...

kho gayaaaaaa...

>My experiments with the guitar... (@&*#^&)*^$_!@#*&!@*$#&)

Casualties none yet... that means I m either not playing the guitar at all or probly playing it too well u know... hehe...

started a week ago... and now ppl can recognize what i play... though after i play it a few dozen times...

tried to learn stuff off the Internet... chords n things like that... helped a bit... still have to get my fingers rolling on the guitar... lets see how far I go... no plans of giving up on it yet... atleast not when ppl get bugged by it... muhahahahahaha...

>Summer of a lifetime...

It was 102 F today... that is hmm... about.. hmm... wait, lemme calculate... about 39 C... not as hot as it could get, back home... but, hot enof to keep u sweating continuously... and ironically - it was fun... reminded me of my home town... reminded me of the time when we used to play cricket through out the day in the summer heat... ah... those were the days...

big cricket ground... get up early in the morning... walk 2 miles to get to the ground... (oh, btw, fix up a bet match the previous night)... our bowling getting slogged by the opposition... and the last man in our team putting up a resistance... (the last man always used to be a kiddo, hehe)
the icecream hawker... the sugarcane juice shop under the tree...

NOSTALGIC man!!!!

those were the best days of my life...

>14th of May 2007

No comments...

Should have been just another day... Should be just another day...

I just hope it is...