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On the
birth anniversary of the biggest spinner from India (think “charkha”), Pakistan 'spin' Australia
out!
Streets of Philadelphia --- Bruce Springsteen
14 years ago
Coffee / Tea diplomacy
It finally
happened! I got offered a choice of coffee or tea in a meeting that was
convened to discuss how to reduce the expenses for coffee / tea. It’s a wonder
nobody noticed the irony of the situation.
I, of
course, politely declined!
10 things about Chennai!
The 10 things that Chennai taught me
in the last 3 years I have been here:
1.
Learning to say
‘macha’ and ‘machi’. For someone from up north where a dude = bandha and a
dudette = bandhi, it would be a long time before I could roll out the machas
and the machis so very irreverently. But I did master it – for a short period
though it were.
2.
The temples! Where else in
India would piety and devotion stand on such an exalted pedestal? The fervor of
the morning prayer chants and the pot-bellied priests all contribute to a
picture of old worldly charm of a different age that you yearn for and keep
coming back for more. Then of course there is the sculptural significance!
3.
Watching a Rajini flick on the
first day. Yeah – Endhiran! No punch dialogues! But then a Rajini
flick on a first day in Chennai is a Rajini flick no less!
4.
A guy here can easily boast “Mine
is longer!” to another guy, and nobody raises an eyebrow. Of course, we are
talking of names here. What were you thinking? Mine is Jagannathan S
Veeravalli. Try beating that.
5.
The beaches! All those summer
vacations of yore made memorable by the maamis, atthais, chittis,
perimmas etc, each of who would pinch your cheek and remark “yenna
theriyalaya?” had that one great redeemer. A visit to the beach! No summer
vacation was anywhere close to being called perfect unless you made that walk along
the beach. Slippers removed and the sand beneath your feet! Yep! The very same
crowded beach - with panjumittai and sundal sellers and the yucky garbage
strewn here & there. But then…
6.
Rediscovering Ilayaraja! For
every AR Rahman “up yours” moment back in Mumbai & Delhi as a slap in the
faces of the smug arrogant Bollywood “myuzhik die-rectors”, Ilayaraja has
always been in danger of being relegated to a status of ‘greatness in
posterity’. But no… not when you picked the timeless strains of “Raja Raja
Sozhan Naan” blaring out of the car radio on the way to work. Driving was never
so refreshing! Then when the most basic IR tunes from some long obscure films
hook you in again and again, you know there’s some magic in the air. Rahman
rocks! Ilayaraja rules! Period!
7.
The “Yo” in Chennai is so much
more bad-ass and classy than the “Yo” in the English language. Don’t believe
me? Just go to any local market in Chennai and watch the vegetable vendor lady
at work and the way she shouts “Yo!”
8.
Chennai Super Kings! For the
firstest time ever, I saw myself slowly gravitating towards a team that had
Sachin in its opposition. Sachin Tendulkar in the opposition! (there I said
it)! Every CSK v/s MI game, the loyalties were strictly divided. Sachin’s team
was first favorite and then everyone else followed. But then Dhoni hit that
massive six out of the stadium in IPL 5! Under pressure! And there we all went
“whistle podu!” Cricket will always be that Sachin Tendulkar game for life. But
throw in Dhoni’s massive sixes plus Bhajji in Sachin’s team – and you have
enough reason not to want to support Sachin’s MI.
9.
The Chennai Kutchery season!
Margazhi maasam heralds the kutchery season. Even if you don’t spend any money
at all on any of the tickets, you still do get to watch one or two of these
events. So far removed from anything else in any other city – this is the one
calendar event that makes Chennai unique! And if you still don’t know your
raagams and the thaalams, no worry! Enjoy it just for the sheer kitsch value it
provides.
10.
The “zha” in the
“vazhapazham”! Here’s where it truly counts! If you want to put your head up in
Chennai and be counted as a true-blue Tamilian / Thamizhan, you need to roll
out the “zha”s effortlessly. The only parallel in any other language I can
think of is the “lla” in Marathi. Without the “zha” as part of your vocabulary
you are just another ignorant buffoon from elsewhere!
So how has your city changed you?
Awakenings!
Our master, the Personality of Godhead Nārāyaṇa, who alone rules the three worlds, whom one can serve in meditation, and who happily shares His personal domain, is manifest before us. Yet still we beg for the service of some minor lord of a few villages, some lowly man who can only meagerly reward us. Alas, what foolish wretches we are!
Sourced from the Net:
“There are times to stay put, and what you want will come to you, and there are times to go out into the world and find such a thing for yourself.”
― Lemony Snicket, Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid
― Lemony Snicket, Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid
“The two hardest tests on the spiritual road are the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what we encounter.”
| “Let nothing disturb thee; Let nothing dismay thee; All thing pass; God never changes. Patience attains All that it strives for. He who has God Finds he lacks nothing:God alone suffices.” | |
Superman, Superman, whither art thou?
Life & cricket was so complicated before that particular name cropped up in all our lives – Sachin Tendulkar. A child prodigy at 15, everybody had heard of him and contributed their two bits on whether he should make it to the West Indies tour in 1989 not really caring how he would fare in future. Kapil Dev still ruled Indian cricket hearts and there was no place for anybody else. And then the Abdul Qadir over happened. Then the tour to New Zealand happened. England followed. By the time the Australia tour came up, the Mumbai tabloid ‘Mid day’ had already branded him ‘Ton’dulkar though India lost dismally and Merv Hughes became every Indian cricket lover’s bugbear (“too cocky, too flamboyant!”) But one truth was established by that time.
Superman was born!!
And from then on, it did not matter whether India won or not. Cricket became the ‘Sachin Tendulkar’ game (at least for me). Sachin Tendulkar came, saw and conquered. The promises of higher achievements made sure that there was always a heavy air of expectation whenever he walked onto the field donning his helmet and wielding a bat. Most times it was pulsating and what was magical was that one knew there were people in diverse parts of the country who fraternized in the same unifying emotion. It would be nigh impossible to imagine another mortal man who could do THAT to so many people at the same time and in the same way. He succeeded in single-handedly forcing so many people to hold their hearts when watching any match. Sachin Tendulkar did that & more with style, élan and a lot of dignity. I remember a test match in Mumbai against Australia. Sachin was not out overnight and when my cousin & I entered the stadium on the 4th day, there was only one player, one chant and only one mantra – Sachin. Even without actually talking to people, you could feel it in the very air of the stadium. The noise was deafening and even reticent people were willing to lose themselves and be part of the same infectious energy.
Harbinger of a billion hopes – he walked into the hearts of a billion Indians time and again with his exploits. Sachin had become so iconic that one tended to remember personal happenings in one’s life around Sachin Tendulkar moments. “When he hit Abdul Qadir for those 27 runs in one over, I was picnicking with friends in Alibag”. “My neighbour had that accident two days after the India Pakistan World Cup match where Sachin square cut Shoaib for a six…I think it was March 1, 2003.” Bingo!!
Maybe he does not fight 10 people at a time and win the heroine. Maybe he cannot mouth those Rajini dialogues. But just give him a bat and a helmet and have him walk out in a packed stadium and try denying the passion that he arouses in a billion hearts.
There are still some of us who wish that maybe if Indian cricket had not got its current match savers, we could still have had Sachin in his purest avatar – a mortal trying to snatch at glory, a neophyte warrior involved in a gladiatorial contest, a real life superhero making impossible targets seem real. We all have been part of this journey from prodigy to superstar to icon and these memories will always be part of Life so long as we live. Maybe he is not as exciting as earlier; maybe he is not dominating as earlier, maybe with age and injury he has lost a bit of his touch. But for all those sensational moments through his teens and twenties, for making an entire generation look beyond Bachchan, for making middleclass values look ultra-cool, Sachin Tendulkar – take a bow.
After all even superheroes are allowed to fail at times, even demigods are frail and all idols are mortal too…but Sachin Tendulkar? Naah…no way!
Superman was born!!
And from then on, it did not matter whether India won or not. Cricket became the ‘Sachin Tendulkar’ game (at least for me). Sachin Tendulkar came, saw and conquered. The promises of higher achievements made sure that there was always a heavy air of expectation whenever he walked onto the field donning his helmet and wielding a bat. Most times it was pulsating and what was magical was that one knew there were people in diverse parts of the country who fraternized in the same unifying emotion. It would be nigh impossible to imagine another mortal man who could do THAT to so many people at the same time and in the same way. He succeeded in single-handedly forcing so many people to hold their hearts when watching any match. Sachin Tendulkar did that & more with style, élan and a lot of dignity. I remember a test match in Mumbai against Australia. Sachin was not out overnight and when my cousin & I entered the stadium on the 4th day, there was only one player, one chant and only one mantra – Sachin. Even without actually talking to people, you could feel it in the very air of the stadium. The noise was deafening and even reticent people were willing to lose themselves and be part of the same infectious energy.
Harbinger of a billion hopes – he walked into the hearts of a billion Indians time and again with his exploits. Sachin had become so iconic that one tended to remember personal happenings in one’s life around Sachin Tendulkar moments. “When he hit Abdul Qadir for those 27 runs in one over, I was picnicking with friends in Alibag”. “My neighbour had that accident two days after the India Pakistan World Cup match where Sachin square cut Shoaib for a six…I think it was March 1, 2003.” Bingo!!
Maybe he does not fight 10 people at a time and win the heroine. Maybe he cannot mouth those Rajini dialogues. But just give him a bat and a helmet and have him walk out in a packed stadium and try denying the passion that he arouses in a billion hearts.
There are still some of us who wish that maybe if Indian cricket had not got its current match savers, we could still have had Sachin in his purest avatar – a mortal trying to snatch at glory, a neophyte warrior involved in a gladiatorial contest, a real life superhero making impossible targets seem real. We all have been part of this journey from prodigy to superstar to icon and these memories will always be part of Life so long as we live. Maybe he is not as exciting as earlier; maybe he is not dominating as earlier, maybe with age and injury he has lost a bit of his touch. But for all those sensational moments through his teens and twenties, for making an entire generation look beyond Bachchan, for making middleclass values look ultra-cool, Sachin Tendulkar – take a bow.
After all even superheroes are allowed to fail at times, even demigods are frail and all idols are mortal too…but Sachin Tendulkar? Naah…no way!
Garbled ramblings
As it happens sometimes, someone starts a debate unwittingly. You get drawn into it inspite of the lack of time due to your everyday machiavellian struggles in office, maybe just coz the debate does force you to pause for a moment to think, maybe coz the debate just ranks a tad above mindless, just having that wee more pull to engage your attention and your time. In that spirit comes this piece from a friend who is going through a slightly see-saw time in her life and my take on it.
Am I a good person? I struggle with this question all the time. I'm not even sure why its important to me. But it is. I wud like to know that I am a good person. I dont think I do anything that would put me in the bad-evil category though.
But why does one have to be good anyway? I dunno. And what makes a good person anyway? I try to be honest and truthful. But I may still lie, not to harm people but to get out of situations. Small white lies, they call them. I try to help people when I can. I will even donate money now and then.
I definitely want to be in the good category. Does being honest make me good? Do I have to help people? How much?
Do I have to live simply and/or modestly? I give up non-vegetarian food, I quit smoking, and I quit drinking. Does living modestly cover this up?
Is it okay for me to eat and drink well when I know there are people in the world who dont get anything to eat? It surely doesnt help them, right? Or do I have to send money to charities that would provide them with food as well as live modestly? How often? Does a donation I made a year ago cover me still? Does it make me a bad person if I claim it as a tax deduction?
And what about cursing/swearing? If I swear all the time does that make me lose points? What about alcohol and sex? Do we get classified in 'good' or 'bad' based on our sex life? What about pornography? How does that figure in? And what about sex-for-money? Is it okay to pay for it? Or give it for money? What are the rules here?
Anyway, I suppose that's where religion comes in. Codes. Religions provide a code to make it easy. But the problem with religious codes is that we cant determine which is the truly divinely given one.
So do we make our own code? A secular code? Hmm... this leads us into sociological mores and all that. Hmm... interesting.
Why does it have to be so complicated? Wudnt it be much easier if we could be told everything - namely who created us and what he, she or it wants us to do. Give us proof of ownership and a book of rules.
But why does one have to be good anyway? I dunno. And what makes a good person anyway? I try to be honest and truthful. But I may still lie, not to harm people but to get out of situations. Small white lies, they call them. I try to help people when I can. I will even donate money now and then.
I definitely want to be in the good category. Does being honest make me good? Do I have to help people? How much?
Do I have to live simply and/or modestly? I give up non-vegetarian food, I quit smoking, and I quit drinking. Does living modestly cover this up?
Is it okay for me to eat and drink well when I know there are people in the world who dont get anything to eat? It surely doesnt help them, right? Or do I have to send money to charities that would provide them with food as well as live modestly? How often? Does a donation I made a year ago cover me still? Does it make me a bad person if I claim it as a tax deduction?
And what about cursing/swearing? If I swear all the time does that make me lose points? What about alcohol and sex? Do we get classified in 'good' or 'bad' based on our sex life? What about pornography? How does that figure in? And what about sex-for-money? Is it okay to pay for it? Or give it for money? What are the rules here?
Anyway, I suppose that's where religion comes in. Codes. Religions provide a code to make it easy. But the problem with religious codes is that we cant determine which is the truly divinely given one.
So do we make our own code? A secular code? Hmm... this leads us into sociological mores and all that. Hmm... interesting.
Why does it have to be so complicated? Wudnt it be much easier if we could be told everything - namely who created us and what he, she or it wants us to do. Give us proof of ownership and a book of rules.
My take:
You just feel 'moral goodness' thru an instrument called conscience - judging everything around you using that barometer.
However somewhere down the line, the more boundaries you conquer..the more blurred the lines become between good & bad, since the boundaries you have conquered have given an impetus to other targets in life. Maybe then it becomes okay to sacrifice integrity at the altar of ambition. Maybe then it becomes okay just to tell that extra set of lies to save somebody's life, to help a friend in need, to set birds free, to save wildlife from extinction & many such noble causes since the causes are "noble" to you & hence better (again judgmental) causes. Then maybe somewhere again down that track, when you are going a little too fast you think about whether its worth it to do those things that you have been doing and probably change your mind on whats good & whats not. But the fact remains that there is a silent consensus on whats good that even a baby would know. Its like knowing tings like pain, laughing, sweet, dark etc. You do not need to explain this in detail to KG kids, or do we? Thats why people find books like Fountainhead very appealing.
Your take?
Brahma - Ralph Waldo Emerson
If the red slayer think he slays; Or if the slain think he is slain,
They know not well the subtle ways I keep, and pass, and turn again.
Far or forgot to me is near; Shadow and sunlight are the same,
The vanished gods to me appear; And one to me are shame and fame.
They reckon ill who leave me out; When me they fly, I am the wings;
I am the doubter and the doubt; And I the hymn the Brahmin sings.
The strong gods pine for my abode, And pine in vain the sacred Seven;
But thou, meek lover of the good! Find me, and turn thy back on heaven.
And so was the holy religion blasphemed by RW Emerson writing about an alleged heretic Hindu experience way back in the mid nineteenth century. But you know the old dough on how free souls find their own path;their own destiny & their own destination. India celebrated its Republic day recently. This poem reflects the spirit of a free thinking individual as well as the spirituality of the country quite well.
Fountainhead & Roark
Fountainhead has been a strong teenage influence and has always been the title of my CV. These lines sum up why Howard Roark has such an impact on impressionable minds. Its all bombastic heroism in terms of style and termed "objectivist" in terms of content. Ironic!! But there you have it!
There was a time - G'n'R
Old but abz "kick-ass" ditty from Axl Rose. Been listening to it many times over the last few days. Matches my mood to the T. T as in "There was a Time".
Broken glass and cigarettes,
writing on the wall,
it was a bargain for the summer,
and I thought I had it all.
I was the one who gave you everything,
the one who took the fall,
you were the one who would do anything,
the one who can't recall.
Where she was while she was sleeping,
in another woman's bed,
or the doctors or the lawyers,
or a stranger that she met.
If there's nothing I can gain from this,
or anything at all,
it'd be the knowledge that ya gave me,
when I thought I'd heard it all.
It was a long time for you,
it was a long time for me,
it'd be a long time for anyone,
but looks like it's meant to be.
Social class and registers,
cocaine in the hall,
all the way from California,
on the way to your next call
to those non-negotiations,
to simulate a call,
all the bad of learning evils and
your ways around the laws
that keep you UP AND sitting pretty,
on a pedestal of MEN
and now you're sleeping like an angel,
near the man who you give head
If there's something I can make of this,
or anything at all,
it'd be the devil hates a loser and
you thought you had it all.
It was a wrong time for you,
it was a wrong time for me,
it was the wrong time for everyone
but looks like I’ve got to see for myself
If I could go back in time to the place
in my soul, there all alone,
lonely tear drops,
ooh, are calling you.
but I don't wanna know it now,
'cause knowing you it won't it change a damn thing.
but there was a time.
yeah, there was a time,
didn't wanna know it all,
didn't wanna know it all and
I don't wanna know it now,
yeah, there was a time,
didn't wanna know it all,
didn't wanna know it all and
I don't wanna know it now,
Oh, I would do anything for you,
there was a time,
I would do anything for you,
oh, I would do anything for you,
there was a time.
Broken glass and cigarettes,
writing on the wall,
it was a bargain for the summer,
and I thought I had it all.
I was the one who gave you everything,
the one who took the fall,
you were the one who would do anything,
the one who can't recall.
Where she was while she was sleeping,
in another woman's bed,
or the doctors or the lawyers,
or a stranger that she met.
If there's nothing I can gain from this,
or anything at all,
it'd be the knowledge that ya gave me,
when I thought I'd heard it all.
It was a long time for you,
it was a long time for me,
it'd be a long time for anyone,
but looks like it's meant to be.
Social class and registers,
cocaine in the hall,
all the way from California,
on the way to your next call
to those non-negotiations,
to simulate a call,
all the bad of learning evils and
your ways around the laws
that keep you UP AND sitting pretty,
on a pedestal of MEN
and now you're sleeping like an angel,
near the man who you give head
If there's something I can make of this,
or anything at all,
it'd be the devil hates a loser and
you thought you had it all.
It was a wrong time for you,
it was a wrong time for me,
it was the wrong time for everyone
but looks like I’ve got to see for myself
If I could go back in time to the place
in my soul, there all alone,
lonely tear drops,
ooh, are calling you.
but I don't wanna know it now,
'cause knowing you it won't it change a damn thing.
but there was a time.
yeah, there was a time,
didn't wanna know it all,
didn't wanna know it all and
I don't wanna know it now,
yeah, there was a time,
didn't wanna know it all,
didn't wanna know it all and
I don't wanna know it now,
Oh, I would do anything for you,
there was a time,
I would do anything for you,
oh, I would do anything for you,
there was a time.
My own domain!
No rising dawn, no dark of night;
No shadows dancing in the bright sunlight;
No fear of loss, no fear of pain;
As I walk my own domain!
No scorching Sun can stop the Me;
No desert mirages, deceiving eyes that see;
No thunder, lightning or falling rain;
As I walk my own domain!
No friends, no foes, no kith or kin;
No vice or virtue nor devilish sin;
No bombs nor bullets to drive me insane;
No repentant past to put a stain;
No glum defeat nor glory in gain;
As I walk my own domain!!
No shadows dancing in the bright sunlight;
No fear of loss, no fear of pain;
As I walk my own domain!
No scorching Sun can stop the Me;
No desert mirages, deceiving eyes that see;
No thunder, lightning or falling rain;
As I walk my own domain!
No friends, no foes, no kith or kin;
No vice or virtue nor devilish sin;
No bombs nor bullets to drive me insane;
No repentant past to put a stain;
No glum defeat nor glory in gain;
As I walk my own domain!!
A Never Ending Game
Mere mortals as we are, how can we fathom your Play?
As foolishly we seek to immortalize our Name,
Time rolls on through Yesterday & Today,
And Death is just a pause in a never ending game!!
As foolishly we seek to immortalize our Name,
Time rolls on through Yesterday & Today,
And Death is just a pause in a never ending game!!
Rebels without a pause!!
Deluded as we are, how do You save the day?
For each Man is “right” in his mind, so how do you make him pay
For all his sins , when there’s no moment to pause
In the Race run everyday, we are all rebels without a cause!!
For each Man is “right” in his mind, so how do you make him pay
For all his sins , when there’s no moment to pause
In the Race run everyday, we are all rebels without a cause!!
Benjarong!!
Given a chance to choose a good eatout in Chennai for exotic fare (exotic being Chinese veg, Thai veg or continental veg - in that order) I must confess to being slightly stumped. The idea was to have a good time over lunch with a friend and the easiest one to decide on was “Mainland China” (too predictable, wot? And of course a peck on the chef’s forehead with words like “the best Chinese I have tasted …..” was hardly my idea of breaking bread with a friend).
Then I remembered having passed by this Thai restaurant several times on my way to office . Seemed correctly discreet and refined in terms of location and ambience from the outside.
“Benjarong” - with such an exotic sounding name conjuring up images of some Oriental getaway, I got cracking on the good ol’ net across the “burrps” and “smacks” of the virtual world and learned that the joint’s got an enviable reputation to boot. Talking to friends who raved about the place, we decided that Benjarong – it must be.
As I entered the place with just that wee bit of hesitation, I noticed that the place looked quite smallish to me in terms of space and also a bit shorn of lighting (not sure if it helps the ambience). But then I was also greeted by a beautiful reclining Buddha statue and some other Thai curios in the waiting room. With some time to go before my friend arrived, I gleaned more of the Thai couple that runs the place.
The main course started off with their customary Thai appetizer – an array of side dishes with the main attraction being the spinach leaves (as explained by our attendant) stuffed with peanuts, jaggery pasted and dry coconut crumbs. Though I had heard of this speciality, I wasn’t too sure – me being of the “if grass is for cows, leaves are for the orangutans” fame. Ditto for my partner. But then it wasn’t all that bad and we quite liked it. So on we moved to the next course – weren’t helped by the fact that the waiters seemed just a little preoccupied with themselves – they seemed almost relieved to learn that we could converse in Hindi – but of course that didn’t help improve communication either. Of course, we ordered the customary Thai curries with some fried rice – time teases my memory but I think we ordered the Tom Yum Soup as well. But then again, as luck would have it, I couldn’t quite finish the dish by itself. Tasted all too familiar to me and not the mouth watering, tongue smacking, palate tickling fare that I had settled in for. Maybe some other time – with a better setting and a better ambience, it would be right. But for now, it was so Benja-“wrong”!!
THE (W)HOLE TRUTH OF LIFE
‘Tis a hollow lie often hung out as true,
Incessant harping gives it a shape anew,
That its true even in this Time & Space,
The indelible lie that Life is just a Race;
A Blind one too for money & for fame,
And to each person - his own game,
So hold your horses and just take a pause
To consider the fact of stones rolling with no moss,
And one fine day to wake up & find
Lost chances galore & memories left behind.
The earth goes around without remorse,
Staying still & steady on its course;
And Life laughs at our efforts vain,
To navigate Its turns and stay on par
Playing for minimum loss & maximum gain,
With the sure knowledge that we all are,
Even as It plays us out in grand pantomime
Destined to lose the battle with Time!!
Good Lord, why do I pray?
If Death is just an ordinary Day
In the calendars of those who wept,
for words unsaid and promises unkept,
for a better time that’s already passed,
And for a better memory to forever last!
So we go on with counting our pebbles & stones,
Refusing to let our minds be open & see,
That Life is more than just bricks & bones,
Know this Truth & set yourself Free!!
GOD BLESS!!
Incessant harping gives it a shape anew,
That its true even in this Time & Space,
The indelible lie that Life is just a Race;
A Blind one too for money & for fame,
And to each person - his own game,
So hold your horses and just take a pause
To consider the fact of stones rolling with no moss,
And one fine day to wake up & find
Lost chances galore & memories left behind.
The earth goes around without remorse,
Staying still & steady on its course;
And Life laughs at our efforts vain,
To navigate Its turns and stay on par
Playing for minimum loss & maximum gain,
With the sure knowledge that we all are,
Even as It plays us out in grand pantomime
Destined to lose the battle with Time!!
Good Lord, why do I pray?
If Death is just an ordinary Day
In the calendars of those who wept,
for words unsaid and promises unkept,
for a better time that’s already passed,
And for a better memory to forever last!
So we go on with counting our pebbles & stones,
Refusing to let our minds be open & see,
That Life is more than just bricks & bones,
Know this Truth & set yourself Free!!
GOD BLESS!!
We didn't start the fire!!
We didn’t start the fire..it was always burning since the world’s been turning ….we didn’t start the fire!!!
Marriages are now TV shows
Dimpi just got a “reality” dose
Rahul M beat her black & blue
Wait there’s more to come
‘Coz now Rakhi S is married too!!
Then of course there’s this CWG bloke
“Suresh Kalmadi?” – oh what a joke!!
The people though didn’t find it funny
That our man simply blew up lotsa money
On leaking roofs and rainy grounds,
And used equipment for a quarter million pounds!!
Which brings us to another sticky wicket
And a sham called IPL and a game called “Cricket” !! (sounds familiar, doesn’t it?)
M/s Humpty Dumpty, I mean, M/s Modi & Pawar,
Turned the game into a bidding war
“Pawar Modi sat on the IPL
Pawar Modi gave the TV stations hell
And now all the twitter followers and all the Facebook fans
Cannot make Modi the IPL ‘czar’ again!!”
So everybody’s in the “Game” for Fame
And who cares a damn if The nation’s shamed…
And then we bring you the other “news”
As stale as the waste in yesterday’s refuse!!
Of Kashmir burning yet again,
And leaving a trail of blood & pain,
Of the solar Tsunami and never ending rain
And Lalit Modi and what his lawyer’s sayin’
Of Tharoor driving SM Krishna insane
And the shortage of water and rotting foodgrain!!
Of the India SL Test affected by rain,
And Sachin scoring a century again!! (yawwwwwn…)
Of MS Dhoni and his new bride,
And Maoist Naxals running wild,
Of how the two warring Senas lied,
About the North Indians spreading malaria awide!
Of bribes and RS MPs crossing sides,
And Amit Shah finding a place to hide!!
Of Saina being India’s pride,
And SM Krishna being taken for a ride!! (literally)
Of twitter wars and party nights,
And Bombay’s flooded with mosquito bites
Of gang rapes in metros and the violation of rights,
Of the growing Mumbai mafia gang might!!
Of the Indo Pak talks, and the Qureshi – Krishna farce
And in replies to Krishna, of Qureshi saying “Kiss my a..e?”
“Ba Ba Qureshi, have you got Dawood?
Yes, Sir & No, Sir!! Of course, all this is bull!!
Telling lies all the time, telling lies is our game!!
Of course we don’t shelter Osama too, who lives down in the plains!! (oops!!)”
And dear reader, if you think this tomfoolery’s over, please do not be pained!!
In this age of “anything sells”, just sit back on your couch & be entertained!!
Marriages are now TV shows
Dimpi just got a “reality” dose
Rahul M beat her black & blue
Wait there’s more to come
‘Coz now Rakhi S is married too!!
Then of course there’s this CWG bloke
“Suresh Kalmadi?” – oh what a joke!!
The people though didn’t find it funny
That our man simply blew up lotsa money
On leaking roofs and rainy grounds,
And used equipment for a quarter million pounds!!
Which brings us to another sticky wicket
And a sham called IPL and a game called “Cricket” !! (sounds familiar, doesn’t it?)
M/s Humpty Dumpty, I mean, M/s Modi & Pawar,
Turned the game into a bidding war
“Pawar Modi sat on the IPL
Pawar Modi gave the TV stations hell
And now all the twitter followers and all the Facebook fans
Cannot make Modi the IPL ‘czar’ again!!”
So everybody’s in the “Game” for Fame
And who cares a damn if The nation’s shamed…
And then we bring you the other “news”
As stale as the waste in yesterday’s refuse!!
Of Kashmir burning yet again,
And leaving a trail of blood & pain,
Of the solar Tsunami and never ending rain
And Lalit Modi and what his lawyer’s sayin’
Of Tharoor driving SM Krishna insane
And the shortage of water and rotting foodgrain!!
Of the India SL Test affected by rain,
And Sachin scoring a century again!! (yawwwwwn…)
Of MS Dhoni and his new bride,
And Maoist Naxals running wild,
Of how the two warring Senas lied,
About the North Indians spreading malaria awide!
Of bribes and RS MPs crossing sides,
And Amit Shah finding a place to hide!!
Of Saina being India’s pride,
And SM Krishna being taken for a ride!! (literally)
Of twitter wars and party nights,
And Bombay’s flooded with mosquito bites
Of gang rapes in metros and the violation of rights,
Of the growing Mumbai mafia gang might!!
Of the Indo Pak talks, and the Qureshi – Krishna farce
And in replies to Krishna, of Qureshi saying “Kiss my a..e?”
“Ba Ba Qureshi, have you got Dawood?
Yes, Sir & No, Sir!! Of course, all this is bull!!
Telling lies all the time, telling lies is our game!!
Of course we don’t shelter Osama too, who lives down in the plains!! (oops!!)”
And dear reader, if you think this tomfoolery’s over, please do not be pained!!
In this age of “anything sells”, just sit back on your couch & be entertained!!
Angel - Amma, Devi, Mata
My second in the trilogy after ‘Avatar – Faith, Delusion & Salvation’. All of this has been inspired by a flurry of visits to several temples over the last month or so, the last visit being designed by Providence – the Jeevandani temple in Virar, Mumbai. On our drive , we had passed a temple on a hillock with the Sanskrit words “Om” splendidly carved out of the green grass of the hills. Wondering whether we would get to visit the temple – given the distance and the time factor plus we had no idea how to reach it. As Luck would have it, the person we were visiting was not available for the next 4 hours and we were advised by him over phone to visit the same temple for a darshan of the Devi.
The first letters of each stanza spell out the 3 names by which the Goddess is fondly worshipped – Amma, Devi & Mata.
Angel – Amma, Devi, Mata
Are You that Angel, from your mouth spitting Fire?
Maybe the Serpent that hisses to scare,
Marking the end of each dark desire,
And threatening to lay deep secrets threadbare?
Diva, are You enchanting Your own Dance,
Even as the demigods stare with untempered Awe?
Verily a Goddess lost in Your own trance,
Inspiring the Life Force to become Primal Law!!
Mere mortals as we are, how can we fathom your Play?
As foolishly we seek to immortalize our Name,
The first letters of each stanza spell out the 3 names by which the Goddess is fondly worshipped – Amma, Devi & Mata.
Angel – Amma, Devi, Mata
Are You that Angel, from your mouth spitting Fire?
Maybe the Serpent that hisses to scare,
Marking the end of each dark desire,
And threatening to lay deep secrets threadbare?
Diva, are You enchanting Your own Dance,
Even as the demigods stare with untempered Awe?
Verily a Goddess lost in Your own trance,
Inspiring the Life Force to become Primal Law!!
Mere mortals as we are, how can we fathom your Play?
As foolishly we seek to immortalize our Name,
Time rolls relentlessly through yesterdays & todays,
And Death is just a pause in a never ending game!!
Aum...!!
And Death is just a pause in a never ending game!!
Avatar - Faith, Delusion & Salvation
In the morose backdrop of the newspaper headlines over the last few days blaring at me from every nook of Life - a neighbor’s door in Bangalore, a casual look at a cousin’s place in Chennai, at a teashop on the road to Bangalore while filling gas, the first thing home on television when back from work – these lines flashed before me. Inspired enough to add some more to it!! Humbled enough to dedicate it to the Great Force surrounding us all , indeed ‘within' us all – call IT whatever – “God”, “Brahmn”, “Sat-Chit-Ananda”, “the Holy Trinity”, “Purusha & Prakriti”, “Great Allah”, “Jesus” or “Christforce”!!
This poem is broken up into 3 parts – much like the story of Life and its myriad touches
Avatar – Faith, Delusion & Salvation
Faith
Through every sacred text and its hoary pages,
Through every myth rolled down the ages,
Through every story sold down the ages,
And through every truth told by the sages,
One Legend is spoken of; one day will ring true,
The promise of Redemption; the Great Rescue!!
The moment doth arrive, the great bards do saith,
With great pomp & ceremony to renew your faith!!
So sound the bugles and make thy way
For Lo Behold, the Avatar will now hold sway
A new dawn awakens, a new Order takes place,
A new messiah arises, to protect the Race!
Vanquishing the Evil forces, the Winner will stand tall,
Raise your weapons to the sky and herald their downfall!!
Delusion
Is it true, my Lord that ‘tis just about the survival of the Strong?
Whose side are You on when there’s no difference between Right and Wrong?
Deluded as we are, how do You seek to save the day?
For each Man is “right” in his mind, so how do you make him pray
For all the sins and all those deeds, when there’s no moment to pause
in the Race that we run every day, we are all rebels without a cause!!
Where’s the time for prayers, milord, in the age of ‘hook-or-crook’,
Sin & Virtue are just morals in a story, mere pages out of a book!
To learn by rote and score more marks in a test,
Success is measured by lucre here and power defines the best!
Salvation
Hallelujah, hallelujah, the Truth has dawned, the Truth so plain,
Bursting forth like clear sunshine and drops of the morning rain!!
The Avatar grants His Vision at Last, the Vision of Truth, the Vision Itself
Blessed, thrice blessed are we, for this Gift of Knowledge bestowed upon these humble selves!
“Shun all doubts and receive this Truth, lift your spirits and receive My Grace,
Life is just a game of some wins, some losses and a number of days,
Believe in Yourself and take pride in what You do,
And walk on this earth like mankind was meant to!
Right or wrong, virtue or vice, if you doubt which road to take,
Just stand before a mirror and touch your heart, ‘tis Your choice to make!!”
Amen!!!
This poem is broken up into 3 parts – much like the story of Life and its myriad touches
Avatar – Faith, Delusion & Salvation
Faith
Through every sacred text and its hoary pages,
Through every myth rolled down the ages,
Through every story sold down the ages,
And through every truth told by the sages,
One Legend is spoken of; one day will ring true,
The promise of Redemption; the Great Rescue!!
The moment doth arrive, the great bards do saith,
With great pomp & ceremony to renew your faith!!
So sound the bugles and make thy way
For Lo Behold, the Avatar will now hold sway
A new dawn awakens, a new Order takes place,
A new messiah arises, to protect the Race!
Vanquishing the Evil forces, the Winner will stand tall,
Raise your weapons to the sky and herald their downfall!!
Delusion
Is it true, my Lord that ‘tis just about the survival of the Strong?
Whose side are You on when there’s no difference between Right and Wrong?
Deluded as we are, how do You seek to save the day?
For each Man is “right” in his mind, so how do you make him pray
For all the sins and all those deeds, when there’s no moment to pause
in the Race that we run every day, we are all rebels without a cause!!
Where’s the time for prayers, milord, in the age of ‘hook-or-crook’,
Sin & Virtue are just morals in a story, mere pages out of a book!
To learn by rote and score more marks in a test,
Success is measured by lucre here and power defines the best!
Salvation
Hallelujah, hallelujah, the Truth has dawned, the Truth so plain,
Bursting forth like clear sunshine and drops of the morning rain!!
The Avatar grants His Vision at Last, the Vision of Truth, the Vision Itself
Blessed, thrice blessed are we, for this Gift of Knowledge bestowed upon these humble selves!
“Shun all doubts and receive this Truth, lift your spirits and receive My Grace,
Life is just a game of some wins, some losses and a number of days,
Believe in Yourself and take pride in what You do,
And walk on this earth like mankind was meant to!
Right or wrong, virtue or vice, if you doubt which road to take,
Just stand before a mirror and touch your heart, ‘tis Your choice to make!!”
Amen!!!
The idea of happiness - mind garblings
What is it like to feel inspired all the time? What will keep you going all the time? Is it the drive to become great, rich, powerful, famous (and all that clichéd blah) or is it just the simple pleasure of happiness? Pursuit of happiness? What’s the basic fulcrum around which the whole idea of your happiness revolves? Is it just an abstract idea that you can recall to memory, summon at will or is it an ideal that entices you, mesmerizes you without your realizing it – you savor in the experience without realizing the treasure that you hold at the moment – only to soak in the memories on hindsight and wishing for an encore.
Again, somedays you feel melancholic. There is no logic to how this feeling rests in your heart. It just happens. Some subconscious long lost memory activated, some basic expectation dashed, some raw nerve touched tangentially, some uncomfortable truths that you refuse to face. No matter what, the reason seems a little out of reach. You can NOT possibly objectivize it.
In short if Life is a battle, you are prepared for the sledgehammer impact. Then from nowhere –out of the blues – something hits you and you are not the YOU anymore. It happens. Some loss … of emotions, of individuality, of Time and its relative impact on you, of a dream and of a vision. Then again some days, something happens that moves you. Touches you and creates faith. Someday – the euphoria of joy engulfs you. Nothing can stop you. Wow, can you hear the lion roar inside your heart?
Which are the days you remember most, which are the feelings that stay with you?
After all what’s Life if not seen from your perspective? Everything that you see, hear, touch, smell & hold is Yours. It’s a singular unique experience. Nothing and no one can describe it for you. The understanding of the whole self and indeed of the whole Universe is within the ME and within the YOU!! Getting used to the experience of Life? Time to ponder?
This here is Life. Life, as it is, starts NOW. Right here. This moment. In total exclusion to the rest of Life if it were just a measure of Time. No sweat. Don’t blink now. Face it as it is. Enjoy the newness of the moment. OMFG!! God’s awesome !!
The Lessons of Life
At the crossroads of my Life - when I came to Chennai on a supposedly semi-permanent assignment singing “Pudhiya Vaanam..Pudhiya Bhoomi” a la MGR on the streets of Chennai with bags in tow, I half expected every mama, maami, chitappa, chitti, atthai & athimber to pose the same questions out of concern. After all, my status was OBSOLETE……. (Overaged Bachelor Still On Lookout Ennada Time (evalovu) Eduppe?) But there you have it on the plate.
So I decided that the best way to deal with this issue (after all everybody’s conscience pricks) ……. I should maybe fall in love …..with every unmarried girl that I met at every nook n corner of this journey of Time…tricking her into saying “I do” to every inane question that I asked and slowly creating the nerve-wracking nail-biting build up to the Big Q… on bended knee. But then this is Chennai..what? The harbinger of old traditions and the defiant yet proud self anointed protector of the customs of yore. So there you have it…the mission was doomed to fail even before it started. You could be forgiven for thinking of going the celibate way. Getting philo abt Life and the cosmos!! Oh wth, the lure of the Himalayan caves v/s the alleged “stability” of wedlock and still be a rat ( I mean..as part of the race)!!
No choice you see coz given the history of my Life and the geography of my current location and the biology associated with my age, the maths (ok..thats enuf for now!!) is pretty simple. So there you are still learning the English…I mean, the nursery rhymes with a Twist!!
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Single, Single Bachelor Man,
How we wonder whether you can
Search the world for a suitable bride,
Surely find one if you look far & wide!!
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Show, Show, Show your palm
To quacks n astrologers galore
The charts will reveal your future, Son
And Tell you whats in store!!
Johnny Johnny Yes Papa
Jagan, Jagan…Yes, Appa?
Looking at prospective brides?… Yes, Appa!!
Telling Lies….. No, Appa!!
Show me her horo
Ah…Ah…Aargh!!
Itsy Bitsy Angsty...
Cobwebs in my mind
Music playing in my head
Sleepless nights have passed me by
And Life’s hanging by a slim thread
Symphonic score in the background
The Seas are asking questions
Waves beat down on me
Their sound calming me up
Where else would you welcome
Noises that relax you?
Sweeping music they would call it
Or sometimes words unexpressed
The Sun is a Deity
To be a full Man under it
And Bear the Legacy
Of Those that have borne it before
And Those that will rise again
And the skies are a canvas too
To look up at and admire
Day night day night
The sun, the stars evening twilight
Then they gift the rain to us
With Thunderstorm & lightning
Sometimes you feel they laugh at Us
Sometimes you feel their Scorn
Oh..I feel so good today
To feel the feel of water on my face
As it trickles down your neck
Your mobile phone rings, Oh heck!!
Playing a tune that was once so dear to you
How stale it sounds now
Like a thing of yesterday
Whats going on with Life?
Easy Come, Easy Go, is it?
Or is it just the passage of Time
Whats the abstract meaning of the whole existence
Sometimes you feel like banging your head
Against an imaginary post
And slow down on your pace of Life
Dude, you are running Nowhere!!
Music playing in my head
Sleepless nights have passed me by
And Life’s hanging by a slim thread
Symphonic score in the background
The Seas are asking questions
Waves beat down on me
Their sound calming me up
Where else would you welcome
Noises that relax you?
Sweeping music they would call it
Or sometimes words unexpressed
The Sun is a Deity
To be a full Man under it
And Bear the Legacy
Of Those that have borne it before
And Those that will rise again
And the skies are a canvas too
To look up at and admire
Day night day night
The sun, the stars evening twilight
Then they gift the rain to us
With Thunderstorm & lightning
Sometimes you feel they laugh at Us
Sometimes you feel their Scorn
Oh..I feel so good today
To feel the feel of water on my face
As it trickles down your neck
Your mobile phone rings, Oh heck!!
Playing a tune that was once so dear to you
How stale it sounds now
Like a thing of yesterday
Whats going on with Life?
Easy Come, Easy Go, is it?
Or is it just the passage of Time
Whats the abstract meaning of the whole existence
Sometimes you feel like banging your head
Against an imaginary post
And slow down on your pace of Life
Dude, you are running Nowhere!!
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