Newyork nagaram urangum..

Oh! Solitude! The romanticism of loneliness is so very addictive!! Watching rain pitter-patter over the atrium roof of my office's indoor garden, on a cold evening, with ARR crooning in the background was fantastic!

'Newyork nagaram..' has been ringing in my ears for the past few days. Great work from Rahman after not-so-many-great-works in the recent past!

I'm sure this song is going to trigger pathos in all those guys (esp. bachelors) out of India, on onsite assignments : )
It kindled memories of my days in KL, when sometimes I used to think of home, with rain and lightning ravaging over the cityscape on dark, bleak evenings.

Today, I was so inspired to translate the song in English - so here's my take on the first few lines; the photo was taken by my friend Raj in US - it just fits the mood very well.

In the cold, sleep-swept city nights,
On forlorn, clammy, quieted streets,
Wintry wind from the sea, descends;
My desolation unwinds, it darkens.

Trapped I'm, a despondent candle light
Within my glass chambers, I flicker.
My solitude, my unspoken plight
Alone, deprived – I suffer.

Change!

Change! Change yourself!

Got to get this list of of random positive traits which we can cultivate in ourselves. I really don't have an appetite for such 'How to become..' kind of stuff - partly because they make you feel that you're not really good enough and the steps they suggest are not really feasible (anyway, I haven't tried any..). But I found this list to be amazingly simple and actually, quite nice.

So here's the deal: I've decided to practice 3 of these habits in the next 1 week or so and see how it makes a difference to me (yeah, I'm interested first in myself!). But I'll choose those which I currently have or do.

I'd very much like the readers of this post also to do so and come back with how different or how not very different they felt afterwards. Pls. do (note: each dotted one is a separate trait):

• Have a firm handshake. • Look people in the eye. • Sing in the shower. • Own a great stereo system.

• If in a fight, hit first and hit hard. • Keep secrets. • Never give up on anybody. Miracles happen everyday. • Always accept an outstretched hand. • Be brave. Even if you're not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference.

• Whistle. • Avoid sarcastic remarks. • Choose your life's mate carefully. From this one decision will come 90 percent of all your happiness or misery. • Make it a habit to do nice things for people who will never find out. • Lend only those books you never care to see again.

• Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all that they have. • When playing games with children, let them win. • Give peoples a second chance, but not a third. • Be romantic. • Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know. • Loosen up. Relax. Except for rare life-and-death matters, nothing is as important as it first seems.

• Don’t allow the phone to interrupt important moments. It's there for your convenience, not the caller's. • Be a good loser. • Be a good winner. • Think twice before burdening a friend with a secret. • When someone hugs you, let them be the first to let go.

• Be modest. A lot was accomplished before you were born. • Keep it simple. • Beware of the person who has nothing to lose. • Don’t burn bridges. You'll be surprised how many times you have to cross the same river. • Live your life so that your epitaph could read, No Regrets

• Be bold and courageous. When you look back on life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the one's you did. • Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them. • Remember no one makes it alone. Have a grateful heart and be quick to acknowledge those who helped you. • Take charge of your attitude. Don't let someone else choose it for you • Visit friends and relatives when they are in hospital; you need only stay a few minutes.

• Once in a while, take the scenic route. • Send a lot of Valentine cards. Sign them, 'Someone who thinks you're terrific.' • Answer the phone with enthusiasm and energy in your voice. • Keep a note pad and pencil on your bed-side table. Million-dollar ideas sometimes strike at 3 a.m. • Show respect for everyone who works for a living, regardless of how trivial their job. • Send your loved ones flowers. Think of a reason later.

• Make someone's day by paying the toll for the person in the car behind you. • Become someone's hero. • Marry only for love. • Count your blessings. • Compliment the meal when you're a guest in someone's home. • Wave at the children on a school bus. • Remember that 80 per cent of the success in any job is based on your ability to deal with people. • Don’t expect life to be fair

Krishna

Kebab mein Haddi

'Pooja vezhai-la karadi' in Tamil, literally means the bear that broke into a Shiva pooja, causing havoc to the peace and tranquility.

'Kebab mein haddi' in Hindi, is much more a common phrase - the bone that almost broke your teeth when you were happily chewing a juicy piece of meat.

Y'day's travel to office put me in one of those embarrassing situations, where I unwillingly became the haddi. I was in the bus stop at the correct time, but the bus seemed to have been too very punctual to leave earlier. So a bunch of us who had missed it, tried to catch it in NGEF junction (we sometimes do it, when we miss the bus). So, took an auto there, and waited for an eternity in vain, inhaling all those obnoxious exhaust fumes. Finally, we decided to take autos to office. We were 5. So 3 took one, and I and another friend of mine took another.

The road we take to office (old Madras Road) is notorious for its traffic jams and we were as usual stuck in one. There was a car just ahead of us and we could spot our company's sticker in the rear window. We decided that it should be some guy from office and on a close look, we found to our luck (?!) that it's one of my team mates. There was a girl with him in the front - we thought it should be some other friend of his. So we decided to cut the auto there and take a lift - free of dust & grime, and of course free of cost… he..he..he.

So my friend got to pay the auto guy, while I ran to the car quickly amidst all the traffic, lest it should not start moving. When I reached the car, I saw quite a fantastic picture. The girl (who happened to be his wife) was feeding him breakfast, while the guy was happily eating. At such a lovely, picture-perfect moment, I tapped on their front window. I was horrified at my own action, given the scene inside, but my brain had already planned the action of banging his doors and wasn't quick enough to decipher the scene and take a different action.

The poor guy had to open the door and let me in. I can't forget the bewildered expression on his wife's face. She managed to conceal the tiffin box somewhere. And my colleague should have received the shock of his life, when my friend rushed inside, after paying the auto guy. I was too too embarrassed to speak or even apologize to him. I was just looking for some place to hide my face - all I could do was to keep intensely staring outside. All the while the FM station, all ready for Valentine’s day, was churning out romantic numbers one after the another – ‘Jaanam Dekhlo.. mit gayi dhooriyan….’ How ironic! Pass hokke bhi dhoor (Near, but yet far!). I can’t imagine what would have gone inside the couple’s minds.

My colleague dropped his wife in her office. Did I hear her bang the door or no?! Later on, I apologized to the guy profusely. He was cool, but still I felt so bad for having disturbed their breakfast routine.

I'm sure the guy didn't have breakfast - and when we came to office, we said 'Hey, you carry on! We'll just have our breakfast and come.' Hah! I'm sure he'd have wished to knock us down!

P.S. But I made up for the blotch today. I bought a box of sweets as a symbol of truce. Moreover, I was worried that the same thing might happen someday to me. So thought I’d do my prayachitta!

And wish you all a very happy Valentine’s!

CAN Conquer CANcer

The blog contest promoted by Connexions, came to an end - actually a good time back - 2 weeks?!

And frankly, to my dismay, my entry didn't figure even in the special mention category.

I had decidedly been different in my approach towards the whole thing. Instead of lending a supporting hand to a cancer patient, I wanted him to stand on his own and beat it to death.

So, I had put in my entry in the form of a letter to a friend. It was rather cool, urging the guy to get up and face the world.

But when the results were out, I found that my post was too cool, in fact, it was rather cold. The humane touch was lost in the midst of the style and suaveness.

Nevertheless, I was really moved by the other entries, which own accolades. They really were touching, real and sensitive and without any touch of cosmetics.

The moral of the story is: Truth doesn't need glamour.

You can get to see the entries, which won the contest here.

Short-sighted

Like a spider moving within its web flank(s),
Trapped in its web, in a merry-go-round fashion,
Like the little fish in a small glass tank,
Moving within its walls - its own ocean.

Like the shrunken world of a candle light,
A ball of light suspended in the silent dark;
Incessant, like the second hand's flight
Round and round, in the old wall clock.

Like the ball of sun, huge, yet caught,
The big white light, tricked into a drop of dew;
Like the path of my anguished breath, in & out
My world is now small - just thoughts of you.

One-second Dream

This is my latest addition to my painting blog.

I managed to get a few regular visitors (oh yeah?! how many?!) to my RnB (i.e. 'rants & blabbering' , more sophisticatedly called mind treads) blog, but not that many to my painting blog, which is quite surprising - to me, my paintings are of better quality than my 'r&b'.

Is it that people fail to notice the additional links on the side?! Or they get too tired by the time they finish taking a 1-min ride of my rnb blog?! Or do they consider the blog to be a 'RnB' with the only advantage of it being a visual one?!

Anyway, some generous spirits like Smyta had shown signs of visiting the blog and had brought it to my notice that the comments section is not enabled.

So, I've enabled comments in all my posts now - so whatever it is that you feel, r (rubbish) or b (brilliant), you're welcome to share with me..

Click on the painting to visit the blog..

The guy who played to my youth...

When 'Roja' was released, the people of TN opened up with a jolt to a different kind of music - mellifluous, like a song carried to the ears by a fresh morning breeze when you're walking thru' a green paddy field..


Then came a different kind of a shake-up - 'Chikku Bukku Chikku Bukku..' moved even the most rustic into the pshycadyllic blinding lights of high voltage techno beats!

Right then on, A R Rehman has been causing people to sway - sometimes blissfully lost to the outside world with the most ethereal melodies and at other times, 'just in' and in pace with the world, with his hep and fast numbers, as if the whole word is just a discotheque.

A R Rehman is truly a phenomenon who changed the definitions of music. He walked-in right at the time when Indian market (let’s say, software!) was coming of age, the future looked bright and the Indian youth were waking up to a whole new world of possibilities and were looking for brands and identities that'll suit them in the new world.

There was a time when I used to wait for that one song of A R Rehman that'll be featured in 'Oliyum Ozhiyum' in DD. His fast numbers were the talk of the school.

In my college days, his songs were a perfect foil to express the feelings of that age - the heady hangover of more freedom, the first brush with romance et al. The deep connotations of Vairamuthu's lyrics, tuned to the most soulful music made many evenings gone in a hazy daze towards the setting sun. Songs such as 'Uyire..'(Bombay), 'Vennilave..' (Minsara kanavu), 'Narumugaye..' (Iruvar) hinted at unfelt feelings of romance and new love. They were too well accentuated with fantastic picturizations by the likes of Mani Ratnam and Rajiv Menon.

During my PG days, ARR's music, became still closer - the process of growing up into a more matured adult, becoming confident than ever before, becoming more comfortable with the realities of the world, seeking out for more mature relationships, being more affluent and being on my own - all happened to the tunes of his music. The new outlook towards life was perfectly symbolized 'Mangalayum Thandunane..' to the beats of rock drums.

Yes, Illayraja is always close to heart, but it’s also true that Illayaraja saw his dusky days after ARR's arrival. He brought in with him new sounds, new tunes and new singers - To Hariharan to Udit Narayan to Shankar Mahadevan to Sadhana Sargam and many more...

Nowadays, I find ARR's music to be clichéd, having the same kind of beats, tunes and instrumentation. Probably, it’s again a process of growing up or just say, getting older. Nevertheless, I cling on to his music that livened up my more youthful days and eagerly catch on to his latest ones. That way, he has played to a very important phase in my life.

And today's is his b'day and I'm sure hundreds and thousands of people like me would thank him for his music and would like to wish him a happy b'day and a very long life!

Hope he continues to play the fiddle for many more youngster's dreams for a very long time!! Happy B’day Dude!