Manish was on the lookout, he knew what happened last year on April 1, a couple of his colleagues pulled a pretty elaborate prank on him that won the cake and the award as the most gullible man at his workplace. From the moment he woke up today ‘April 1 2009’ he mumbled under his breath ‘History won’t repeat’, they wont get to me, they cant get to me, I am not going to be fooled by anything that happens today.
Manish hits the shower, gets out of bath and to the breakfast table he goes, his wife Mini had prepared a calorie conscious breakfast, as he munched it and had the orange juice, his wife muttered ‘Don’t forget, there is a whole list of items that you need to get, my parents are coming this weekend’, Manish half-acknowledged it with a dismissive nod of his head giving the impression that CNN was more interesting right now.
Sonal, his 8 year old daughter, suddenly recalled, ‘arey mei tho bool gayi daddy’… ‘Your manager called when you were in the shower, he asked you to come in 1 hour earlier today, as there is an important meeting’. Manish queried ‘He wants me in by 8’ Sonal ‘that’s what he said’ Manish ‘great.. why don’t you tell me this when its 8:15, I got 20 minutes to get to work now’.
Manish hit the pedal on his brand new Hyundai Santro and without much regard for the traffic lights he sped through, finally on reaching the work location, he realizes his manager is not in, feeling weird he settled into his cube and awaited his manager. About 15 minutes into the waiting ordeal his manager walks in, ‘Oh great, Manish… you are in already.. I wanted to call you …’ ‘You are welcome Boss, Sonal told me you called’.. ‘Oh I didn’t call your home, I actually forgot… anyways’. The manager went on ‘Well, I have some news for you, you are going to pad up some new roles, we are giving you a promotion for the great work you did last year’ Manish ‘thanks Boss, that’s great news, I will work hard and prove you right’. Boss ‘I am sure you will Manish, you will be getting a hefty bonus as well.. so have fun young man’.
Manish walked out of the boss’s office with a smile as wide as the Sahara, unable to bottle his enthusiasm, he felt compelled to talk to everyone who he encountered on his way to the cube, everyone but Kajal his teammate who he doesn’t converse with after a falling out in one of their prior team meetings. Finally, when enough people knew about his promotion it was ‘Party… pretty please… time’. A slew of his colleagues – who didn’t need much of an excuse to have a free slice of pizza, pasta and a masala chai at the nearest joint – were treated to some high calorie, high cost stuff. When the restaurateur rang up the bill, Manish heard a pop inside of him, he assumed a couple of his arteries just burst. Treating 35 folks to a mildly costly joint would do that to you. He slid his credit card, card didn’t go through – invalid card. Manish was stunned, he was sure there were enough funds and the card was valid, he had paid the bills online last night.. then, he remembered, the plastic he was holding in his hand had an expired date, he cursed himself…. ‘I should have cut this into two, the active card is at home.. it should have been Sonal who did this, she was playing with my wallet’. Feeling embarrassed, he pulled over his closest friend and explained the situation, his friend obliged and paid the bill.
Manish, was happy, but that didn’t mean his buddy was going to keep this all quiet, his buddy dispensed to the ‘munching colleagues’… ‘Don’t ever go out with him on a treat guys. He made me pay for it!!’. It was of course a friendly ribbing and jabbing, Manish felt compelled to explain his situation and apologized, the friends will have none of it and until their masala chais went through their digestive tracts, they were not interested in moving their butts off the chairs or the topic off discussion.
As the chit-chat was proceeding, the cell rang, it was the manager, ‘Manish, come here to my office immediately, we have a problem’. Manish and friends wrapped up their session at the restaurant and Manish headed straight to the boss’s office. Sweat pouring all over his body from the midday sun, he was a ragged appearance when he walked in to meet the manager, his face blue with embarrassment with the credit card incident and with the manager now assembling him in. His boss ‘Manish, we have a problem… I believe we have to put your promotion on hold’ Manish felt a huge thud, like the ceiling just dropped on his head, the day’s events were happening too fast.
Boss: We have a sexual harassment complaint against you and we can’t promote you with that pending.
Manish: Sexual Harassment Complaint against me?
Boss: Yes !! by your teammate Kajal.
Manish: Stunned by the gravity of the accusation and the implication to his work, reputation and career ‘That’s preposterous!! I have never misbehaved with anyone in this office’
Boss: ‘We take this seriously and until we find the truth you are on suspension, leave your id card here’.
Manish, realizing he has been framed by Kajal, left the office in stunned silence, he didn’t have the guts to look up and see what his just returned colleagues were doing, he took a look at Kajal as he passed her aisle, cursed her loud, he made a big racket and the whole office was eyeing Manish, feeling embarrassed he headed straight to the exit.
Back home, Manish got a hold of Sonal and slapped her twice ‘ Stop playing with my wallet, if you ever come near my stuff again I will starve your for 5 days and why did you lie to me today morning that my boss called‘. Sonal was crushed with tears swelling in her eyes, she was too afraid to look her daddy in the eye, she ran to her room. Mini, looked at her husband perplexed, in their 10 years of marriage she had never seen him lose his cool, leave alone slap their only daughter. Filled with anger Mini left the room without speaking a word to tend to their sobbing child. Manish felt awful, he had let the anger get the better part of him, he was not ready to tell Mini all the events of the day, so in a way he liked being alone. He wanted everything to be a prank, his daughter, his wallet, his boss, the complaint…. It was April 1 afterall… he felt awful, when suddenly a splash of water hit his face, ‘Wakeup, its 730 and your boss just called, he wants you in early for a meeting’… dazed and confused he realized it was all just a dream. He will take this dream over the April pranks and the pranks over the reality. He hugged and kissed the two women that mattered to him and got ready for a busy April Fool’s day.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The retirement of the Information Grandad... the twilight is upon the newspaper
The clock runs out, the hands touch the digits I knew that would come but hoped wasn’t until later, I want my 24 hr clock to run twice as slow so I can continue to dream the dream I wanna dream. Wishful thinking, the clock hands reach the time I had set, the alarm goes off, I add the lifeline also called the snooze button, I buy an additional ten minutes… but that runs out too… I get up, hit the showers and am at the coffee table.
I look out the patio window, it’s a crisp spring morning, the early morning dew was dying and there was a pleasant smell coming through the freshly hydrated grass. As the sunlight glazed the sharp blade of grass, there was idealism about the whole thing. I walked across the living room, retrieved the newspaper and switched on CNN. The coffee was brewing, I love the early morning coffee smell, something about that caffeine spreading across the living room and violating the defenses of your nostril that’s as captivating as anything that early in the morning.
As the dog days of the economy continue to drag down any positive vibe that we seem to procreate, I was preparing myself for another bumpy news day. I was pleasantly surprised, there was an uptick in the DOW Jones and the NASDAQ, the Asian markets were amping it up and there was not a scent of domestic violence report, for one day the news was all good. How often does that happen, as I browse through the pages I get a weird feeling, there was rarely any ad on the paper, for a fleeting moment it felt great, I mean how cool was it to go pages at a time without those annoying ads. But then it didn’t take much longer to realize that this was part of a bigger issue, the ad companies are cutting into the money they expend on the print media.
The online websites and the gazillion blog and classifies sites have taken over some real chunk out of the print media armor. Advertisers no longer need to put in ads that will be viewed by a few thousand folks, they now can advertise on some of the popular sites for millions of potential customers. The shopping and ad market is right now delivered to our laptops. The print media is paying the price for it, with every new generation there is something new that is ushered in, the bullock carts were overtaken by buses and trains as a medium of transport which was in turn overtaken by your motorbikes and cars. Change is the only constant. And the decade of reckoning comes for any aging medium or product that has outlived its purpose.
The newspaper industry is at that crossroad, they are running against time, they are running against a goliath named technology that fits this generation’s denizens; they are in the final stages of becoming outdated. As I read through my newspaper, I saw an article that reported over 208 print medium – mostly newspaper – companies have shutdown since January 2008. That’s a staggering number. Unfortunately for the newspapers there is no comeback, we are in the here and now generation, we want the news in picture and audio the millisecond after it happens not the morning after. I remember the days when ‘The Hindu’ ran a late edition to print scores from the West Indies-India series, so we have a little more updated information. I remember the days when the third one day international of the India-Pakistan cricket series in Toronto would have started and we only had the late edition score from the second one international. Fascinating, of how we were waiting for that newspaper, there literally used to be a tug of war between my brother and I and who got to read the newspaper first.
I remember when I got our first color TV, my grandmother told us about the days when the radio ruled the roast, when All India Radio was the goliath until the TV came. She was mildly surprised when we got the news the day of the event. While the newspaper has been able to brush back the power of the TV and Radio it doesn’t stand a chance when it comes to online reports and blogs. In the battle with TV and radio, there was only so much that a newscast can read to you, ultimately you have to explore the paper for the details, they only reported the top stories, but there is no such luck, with a trillion bloggers at their keyboards every minute, unfortunately this time there is no way out for the print media.
What do we stand to lose and what do we stand to gain, for a start there will be the hundreds of thousands of trees that will be saved from the big old axe, there will be less trash to dump into the ocean, there will also be some bigger losses, like the investigative stories, the on field reporters, the journalists that travel everywhere to report a minute story. Try as best as we can, the bloggers cant duplicate a journalist, we react to news and deliver opinions, we still need the AP and Reuters to print something online for us to opinionate. The reality is that many newspaper companies are going bankrupt, what will happen to investigative journalism, will the newspapers go online only and still fund the reporters, what lies ahead is fascinating and intriguing.
When they stopped production of the 1 paise coin, many nostalgic folks were perturbed, the pervious generation will attest to it, but something integral, that was part of their lives will now be gone, most young kids nowadays will be shocked to learn of a 1 paise coin, that’s what will become of the newspaper and some of our generation folks who still have a soft corner for the medium, will feel the loss. Lets just hope that though the newspapers are dying that creativity, honesty and information continues to inundate us in other forms.
As I sip through my coffee and get ready to leave for work, I think for a moment whether I am holding a soon to be relic in my hands, something whose last days are fast approaching, maybe I should find a cabinet to store a few of these to show the future generation, there was this before the online medium. This was how we got the news, this was how we were informed, this print medium is the grand daddy of information distribution, this print medium taught us, educated us and made us better. Unfortunately that day is approaching faster than we all are anticipating or hoping.
I look out the patio window, it’s a crisp spring morning, the early morning dew was dying and there was a pleasant smell coming through the freshly hydrated grass. As the sunlight glazed the sharp blade of grass, there was idealism about the whole thing. I walked across the living room, retrieved the newspaper and switched on CNN. The coffee was brewing, I love the early morning coffee smell, something about that caffeine spreading across the living room and violating the defenses of your nostril that’s as captivating as anything that early in the morning.
As the dog days of the economy continue to drag down any positive vibe that we seem to procreate, I was preparing myself for another bumpy news day. I was pleasantly surprised, there was an uptick in the DOW Jones and the NASDAQ, the Asian markets were amping it up and there was not a scent of domestic violence report, for one day the news was all good. How often does that happen, as I browse through the pages I get a weird feeling, there was rarely any ad on the paper, for a fleeting moment it felt great, I mean how cool was it to go pages at a time without those annoying ads. But then it didn’t take much longer to realize that this was part of a bigger issue, the ad companies are cutting into the money they expend on the print media.
The online websites and the gazillion blog and classifies sites have taken over some real chunk out of the print media armor. Advertisers no longer need to put in ads that will be viewed by a few thousand folks, they now can advertise on some of the popular sites for millions of potential customers. The shopping and ad market is right now delivered to our laptops. The print media is paying the price for it, with every new generation there is something new that is ushered in, the bullock carts were overtaken by buses and trains as a medium of transport which was in turn overtaken by your motorbikes and cars. Change is the only constant. And the decade of reckoning comes for any aging medium or product that has outlived its purpose.
The newspaper industry is at that crossroad, they are running against time, they are running against a goliath named technology that fits this generation’s denizens; they are in the final stages of becoming outdated. As I read through my newspaper, I saw an article that reported over 208 print medium – mostly newspaper – companies have shutdown since January 2008. That’s a staggering number. Unfortunately for the newspapers there is no comeback, we are in the here and now generation, we want the news in picture and audio the millisecond after it happens not the morning after. I remember the days when ‘The Hindu’ ran a late edition to print scores from the West Indies-India series, so we have a little more updated information. I remember the days when the third one day international of the India-Pakistan cricket series in Toronto would have started and we only had the late edition score from the second one international. Fascinating, of how we were waiting for that newspaper, there literally used to be a tug of war between my brother and I and who got to read the newspaper first.
I remember when I got our first color TV, my grandmother told us about the days when the radio ruled the roast, when All India Radio was the goliath until the TV came. She was mildly surprised when we got the news the day of the event. While the newspaper has been able to brush back the power of the TV and Radio it doesn’t stand a chance when it comes to online reports and blogs. In the battle with TV and radio, there was only so much that a newscast can read to you, ultimately you have to explore the paper for the details, they only reported the top stories, but there is no such luck, with a trillion bloggers at their keyboards every minute, unfortunately this time there is no way out for the print media.
What do we stand to lose and what do we stand to gain, for a start there will be the hundreds of thousands of trees that will be saved from the big old axe, there will be less trash to dump into the ocean, there will also be some bigger losses, like the investigative stories, the on field reporters, the journalists that travel everywhere to report a minute story. Try as best as we can, the bloggers cant duplicate a journalist, we react to news and deliver opinions, we still need the AP and Reuters to print something online for us to opinionate. The reality is that many newspaper companies are going bankrupt, what will happen to investigative journalism, will the newspapers go online only and still fund the reporters, what lies ahead is fascinating and intriguing.
When they stopped production of the 1 paise coin, many nostalgic folks were perturbed, the pervious generation will attest to it, but something integral, that was part of their lives will now be gone, most young kids nowadays will be shocked to learn of a 1 paise coin, that’s what will become of the newspaper and some of our generation folks who still have a soft corner for the medium, will feel the loss. Lets just hope that though the newspapers are dying that creativity, honesty and information continues to inundate us in other forms.
As I sip through my coffee and get ready to leave for work, I think for a moment whether I am holding a soon to be relic in my hands, something whose last days are fast approaching, maybe I should find a cabinet to store a few of these to show the future generation, there was this before the online medium. This was how we got the news, this was how we were informed, this print medium is the grand daddy of information distribution, this print medium taught us, educated us and made us better. Unfortunately that day is approaching faster than we all are anticipating or hoping.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
My First Vote : Reminiscing the election that mattered to me…
It was finally the year, the one I mattered officially… by getting one more year older I earned the right to choose my next leader for the highest office. I was excited, a sense of fresh hope in my veins, a sense of participation in a bigger cause. It’s akin to when you make your first rupee and bring it home and mom glows like you have just cleared the family debt. The feeling of power, after all, I am someone who influences who can lead and represent going forward….
In my early teens, I was a goofball, too much sports, studies when exams were around the corner, wander the streets to play with any other kids a game of cricket. All that appealed to me, where the 3 make shift stumps we came up with either by drawing them on a wall or by unraveling a thick broom and planting them on a soil bank, we had improvised every possible means to come up with stumps, another favorite was any home that had vertical beams in its gates. I wouldn’t call myself a hopeless nomad, but my father figured it out that I need to be reigned in, it was time to put some culture, some science, some discipline and time managements and efficiency in me. But he was careful about it, he didn’t approach me and say “Son, pack the stumps and bats, get the books rolling, or come over here let me teach accounting and ledgers or here let me teach you the nuances of a budget”.
He simply came over and said, “did you check out what Kapil Dev had to say”, I was curious, pre-Sachin, he was my favorite cricketer. I figured there will be something in it that makes sense to me. I don’t remember the contents of it, but I remember not regretting reading the article. My dad continued “Look, the newspaper is a cool thing. It has something interesting and useful for all ages and keeps you informed. It could be trivial or huge… it could tell you what’s going on in Delhi or your next street. I don’t want you to read everything, but read the sports section, you will be hooked onto this thing soon.” I didn’t think ‘Whatever Dad’… but I did think ‘I am not sure this will work’. But it did and I haven’t stopped thanking my dad for getting me hooked on the newspaper.
What started as a fetish for sports columns soon became a monster. I realized soon enough that they ain’t writing about cricket everyday. I slowly browsed other sections and soon enough I used it as a daily morsel for my information craving.
This was all perfect timing, by the time I became an avid fan of the newspaper, I was hooked on the politics section and the coming election. I knew my state’s political parties, their symbols, their partners, their achievements, their letdowns and their history. I even knew who was running for office in the 5 closest constituencies, I was absorbed and knee deep in the vagaries of that election. I was prepared.
As the Election Day approached the heightened tenor of partisan attacks and political wringing were beginning to nauseate me. I started to imagine, what it would be to be an operative, guys who organize the stuff for their leaders, don’t they ever get numb by the process. There was quite a bit of improvisation mixed in along the way, your favorite filmy numbers would be manipulated to sing in the praises of the candidates, when it wasn’t boring or causing a headache it was entertaining and funny.
Election day, it was as if I was taking a finals exam, I had an unease and tension about me, though about a month prior I had finalized on the candidate I was voting for, I had now started rooting for the candidate, the person symbolized a hope I had for the next 5 years, the hope of realizing the policies that were promised over the last 5 months, the ones that appealed to me and the ones that I related to and even yearned for. The moment of reckoning came, I exercised the power that I had, I voted, I am now part of the process that’s going to elect the candidate for the highest office.
Along came the results, the candidate I had voted for lost, but his party won the overall majority. I wasn’t sure whether to be happy or not, I didn’t vote based on which party he was in, but what my research of the candidate, the convictions and the promises that were made by the individual. I was not sure now, that despite his party winning the overall election, my constituency was going to be helped much. So I felt a little weird.
The next morning, back to my old saddle, the sofa and the corner of the sofa that I liked, the newspaper back in my hand and a strong cup of coffee, I was in my comfort zone. I took a moment to think of the journey I had been on, it was like a roller coaster, from not knowing much about politics or caring about the government to researching on candidates I hadn’t known and furthering that effort and participating in a cause that made sense.
As exciting as it was to be part of the process, I soon realized nothing much changed around me over the next several months, the streets were the same, the potholes were still there, there was still that ugly unfenced statue in the middle of a 6 road intersection, there was still that rusty taste in my water, that same frequency or lack of local buses, the same level of crime and burglary. There was still that wine shop in front of that temple, there was still the same old city. The election that took me on a ride of hope let me down on its results. We the people of my constituency were still the same and we faced the same issues. Lack of governance or lack of caring by my elected officials had left my home district as ugly as it ever was….
I didn’t know what exactly we could do anymore, they say the people have the power to change things and that change is by voting for change. I am not sure I saw those symptoms in my district or my state or my country. My vote was just another number that the voting officials counted and reported. Those tins of papers not only held millions of my countrymen’s choice but also their hope, not only did they held their anger towards indifference but also their quest for change and now along with so many other generations of folks my vote stood there… united with others in it’s despair, pain, longing. My vote now is a piece of paper that will be shredded or fed to the cows. It is as important as that piece of rust on that garbage can in my street.
In my early teens, I was a goofball, too much sports, studies when exams were around the corner, wander the streets to play with any other kids a game of cricket. All that appealed to me, where the 3 make shift stumps we came up with either by drawing them on a wall or by unraveling a thick broom and planting them on a soil bank, we had improvised every possible means to come up with stumps, another favorite was any home that had vertical beams in its gates. I wouldn’t call myself a hopeless nomad, but my father figured it out that I need to be reigned in, it was time to put some culture, some science, some discipline and time managements and efficiency in me. But he was careful about it, he didn’t approach me and say “Son, pack the stumps and bats, get the books rolling, or come over here let me teach accounting and ledgers or here let me teach you the nuances of a budget”.
He simply came over and said, “did you check out what Kapil Dev had to say”, I was curious, pre-Sachin, he was my favorite cricketer. I figured there will be something in it that makes sense to me. I don’t remember the contents of it, but I remember not regretting reading the article. My dad continued “Look, the newspaper is a cool thing. It has something interesting and useful for all ages and keeps you informed. It could be trivial or huge… it could tell you what’s going on in Delhi or your next street. I don’t want you to read everything, but read the sports section, you will be hooked onto this thing soon.” I didn’t think ‘Whatever Dad’… but I did think ‘I am not sure this will work’. But it did and I haven’t stopped thanking my dad for getting me hooked on the newspaper.
What started as a fetish for sports columns soon became a monster. I realized soon enough that they ain’t writing about cricket everyday. I slowly browsed other sections and soon enough I used it as a daily morsel for my information craving.
This was all perfect timing, by the time I became an avid fan of the newspaper, I was hooked on the politics section and the coming election. I knew my state’s political parties, their symbols, their partners, their achievements, their letdowns and their history. I even knew who was running for office in the 5 closest constituencies, I was absorbed and knee deep in the vagaries of that election. I was prepared.
As the Election Day approached the heightened tenor of partisan attacks and political wringing were beginning to nauseate me. I started to imagine, what it would be to be an operative, guys who organize the stuff for their leaders, don’t they ever get numb by the process. There was quite a bit of improvisation mixed in along the way, your favorite filmy numbers would be manipulated to sing in the praises of the candidates, when it wasn’t boring or causing a headache it was entertaining and funny.
Election day, it was as if I was taking a finals exam, I had an unease and tension about me, though about a month prior I had finalized on the candidate I was voting for, I had now started rooting for the candidate, the person symbolized a hope I had for the next 5 years, the hope of realizing the policies that were promised over the last 5 months, the ones that appealed to me and the ones that I related to and even yearned for. The moment of reckoning came, I exercised the power that I had, I voted, I am now part of the process that’s going to elect the candidate for the highest office.
Along came the results, the candidate I had voted for lost, but his party won the overall majority. I wasn’t sure whether to be happy or not, I didn’t vote based on which party he was in, but what my research of the candidate, the convictions and the promises that were made by the individual. I was not sure now, that despite his party winning the overall election, my constituency was going to be helped much. So I felt a little weird.
The next morning, back to my old saddle, the sofa and the corner of the sofa that I liked, the newspaper back in my hand and a strong cup of coffee, I was in my comfort zone. I took a moment to think of the journey I had been on, it was like a roller coaster, from not knowing much about politics or caring about the government to researching on candidates I hadn’t known and furthering that effort and participating in a cause that made sense.
As exciting as it was to be part of the process, I soon realized nothing much changed around me over the next several months, the streets were the same, the potholes were still there, there was still that ugly unfenced statue in the middle of a 6 road intersection, there was still that rusty taste in my water, that same frequency or lack of local buses, the same level of crime and burglary. There was still that wine shop in front of that temple, there was still the same old city. The election that took me on a ride of hope let me down on its results. We the people of my constituency were still the same and we faced the same issues. Lack of governance or lack of caring by my elected officials had left my home district as ugly as it ever was….
I didn’t know what exactly we could do anymore, they say the people have the power to change things and that change is by voting for change. I am not sure I saw those symptoms in my district or my state or my country. My vote was just another number that the voting officials counted and reported. Those tins of papers not only held millions of my countrymen’s choice but also their hope, not only did they held their anger towards indifference but also their quest for change and now along with so many other generations of folks my vote stood there… united with others in it’s despair, pain, longing. My vote now is a piece of paper that will be shredded or fed to the cows. It is as important as that piece of rust on that garbage can in my street.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Movie review: 13 B Mein Sab Khairiyat Hain: Fear has a new address : Suspense and Soap come together
As concoctions and inspirations go, the movie 13 B is one of the most intriguing cocktails that confront the cine-audience. If we are to describe the movie in singular words, I will choose.. bold, novel, suspenseful (though not edge of the seat thriller stuff), rich, compact, intense. You get the idea, the movie is done pretty well. It’s not one of the great movies to hit the screens this year, but it is certainly one among the intense and certainly watchable ones out there.
Once again, kudos to the backroom team, the art direction, sets, editing, screenplay and direction are quite good and the BGM fits in nicely in most scenes. The cast is simple and effective, the characters are concise yet involved in the whole picture.
At the heart of the movie is a concept that many find hard to come terms with, the evil-ghost spirit concept. The movie is not intended to make you believe they exist, the movie does not even attempt establish the validity of such existence, it merely takes you on a ride where just like Gods and angels are assumed to care for us, evil and spirits are out there to complete unfinished business. What is different from your regular B-grade scare-crow movie is that there is a decent attempt to show civility, while there is blood its not gory, while there is fear its not unbearable, while there is an incredulity that washes your thoughts its not strong enough to not give the story a chance.
One other idea that is somewhat novel in this movie is that, the spirits use living characters as their vehicles to complete their unfinished business. So while they scare these characters they don’t put them into coma or beat them to death like other senseless movies.
The first half was no nonsense, it gets right to the story, no candies, no hulchul… a nice big family moves into the stomping grounds of a once famous mansion that has since been demolished for the monstrosity also known as apartments. The family is subjected to some special treatments along the way, getting bucket loads of good and pitchers of bad news. The lead character, Manohar (Madhavan) has done a credible job. He does what he does best, which is put in decent effort and put out the best output that he is capable of, which he has done in this character. Mannu and a bunch of his family members move into the house and immediately he faces a streak of events that make him believe some alter-force could be in effect in their apartment. A very lively participant that is not a living object in this movie is your very own idiot-box. Precisely around 1pm everyday, only in Mannu’s house a serial seems to air, the soap is eerily similar to the events that are taking place in Mannu’s life. At one point the soap overtakes and stops resembling current events in his life and starts providing future events too. And oh what a coincidence those exact events that happen in the serial seem to happen to Mannu’s family.
The only leap of faith that the director asks you to take is that, spirits and alter-egos not only exist but they are next-generation ready, that they can communicate to you, not in the typical door slamming, tree falling, car failing methods.. but through your television and mobile phones.
The eerie resemblance of events in the serial to his life, makes Manohar travel the path of an investigator and the first half ends with a nice punch. I honestly thought the movie had been on for 2 hours, but it was barely 70 mins in, credit to the director for just cutting out any non-required scenes and packing it all with suspense and thrill. The second half takes a not so typical or atypical tone, as Manohar goes on a quest to get behind the serial and its story. He has a friend in need among the cops to help him out.
Along the way, we learn about the family that may have lived in their land a few decades back and they follow the trails of a gory massacre and eventually the killer gets punished.
The movie is simple and fresh, high marks for editing, story, screenplay and direction, good performances by the cast and overall a decent venture and not a bad way to spend your money. As with any movie, you have to allow the director some leeway and if you are prepared to do that then this movie will be a good watch. Don’t expect a swush-buckler but this certainly a good movie and worth watching once. Rating : B-
Once again, kudos to the backroom team, the art direction, sets, editing, screenplay and direction are quite good and the BGM fits in nicely in most scenes. The cast is simple and effective, the characters are concise yet involved in the whole picture.
At the heart of the movie is a concept that many find hard to come terms with, the evil-ghost spirit concept. The movie is not intended to make you believe they exist, the movie does not even attempt establish the validity of such existence, it merely takes you on a ride where just like Gods and angels are assumed to care for us, evil and spirits are out there to complete unfinished business. What is different from your regular B-grade scare-crow movie is that there is a decent attempt to show civility, while there is blood its not gory, while there is fear its not unbearable, while there is an incredulity that washes your thoughts its not strong enough to not give the story a chance.
One other idea that is somewhat novel in this movie is that, the spirits use living characters as their vehicles to complete their unfinished business. So while they scare these characters they don’t put them into coma or beat them to death like other senseless movies.
The first half was no nonsense, it gets right to the story, no candies, no hulchul… a nice big family moves into the stomping grounds of a once famous mansion that has since been demolished for the monstrosity also known as apartments. The family is subjected to some special treatments along the way, getting bucket loads of good and pitchers of bad news. The lead character, Manohar (Madhavan) has done a credible job. He does what he does best, which is put in decent effort and put out the best output that he is capable of, which he has done in this character. Mannu and a bunch of his family members move into the house and immediately he faces a streak of events that make him believe some alter-force could be in effect in their apartment. A very lively participant that is not a living object in this movie is your very own idiot-box. Precisely around 1pm everyday, only in Mannu’s house a serial seems to air, the soap is eerily similar to the events that are taking place in Mannu’s life. At one point the soap overtakes and stops resembling current events in his life and starts providing future events too. And oh what a coincidence those exact events that happen in the serial seem to happen to Mannu’s family.
The only leap of faith that the director asks you to take is that, spirits and alter-egos not only exist but they are next-generation ready, that they can communicate to you, not in the typical door slamming, tree falling, car failing methods.. but through your television and mobile phones.
The eerie resemblance of events in the serial to his life, makes Manohar travel the path of an investigator and the first half ends with a nice punch. I honestly thought the movie had been on for 2 hours, but it was barely 70 mins in, credit to the director for just cutting out any non-required scenes and packing it all with suspense and thrill. The second half takes a not so typical or atypical tone, as Manohar goes on a quest to get behind the serial and its story. He has a friend in need among the cops to help him out.
Along the way, we learn about the family that may have lived in their land a few decades back and they follow the trails of a gory massacre and eventually the killer gets punished.
The movie is simple and fresh, high marks for editing, story, screenplay and direction, good performances by the cast and overall a decent venture and not a bad way to spend your money. As with any movie, you have to allow the director some leeway and if you are prepared to do that then this movie will be a good watch. Don’t expect a swush-buckler but this certainly a good movie and worth watching once. Rating : B-
Thursday, March 12, 2009
When to bend the rules... when to hug the rules...
Everyday at work or wherever it maybe we are at that time… we come across situations where people bend the rules… it can be as trivial as cutting the line in a candy store or pulling your car into a spot that someone had put their lights for or letting your buddies cut into a line or it could be a little less than trivial stuff like fudging accounts, hiding stuff, not revealing the whole truth when its needed or over-stating your experience on your resume or producing documents proving your credibility even though you only saw them 10 minutes back yourself…
Where do you draw the line.. as to what constitutes an acceptable bend of the rule and what constitutes a down right no-no breaking the rule. Is it down to perception, is it interpretation, is it down to your own courteous attitude, is it your conscience, is it your patience or a personal score card you have that says your can commit 5 wrongs for every 10 rights that you do in life…
Is it crazy to think about such stuff.. I mean do people who bend the rules really think about what they did, say there’s a 20 head count line at a local post office with a min 5 minute processing time per customer, what if your manager walks in, are you obligated to let him cut into your line? If you do let him cut in, is it because you are afraid of him or is it because you like him, is it fair on the hefty number of people standing behind your for the last several minutes.. Does your manager thank his good luck or does he take a minute to feel sorry for the guys he cut infront of, does he feel sorry he put you in such a spot..
I think the simplest answer is that, people who cut in don’t give a rat’s rear.. if they did they wont even think twice about standing in the order they walked into the place. It’s a sad truth, it’s a world of not what you know, but, who you know. At work you can see people who kiss up to the management get the right assignment over someone who talks sense. It happens all the time. I think the only people who think about this is those who are caught in the middle. A guy who always follows the rules doesn’t even notice that a guy cut infront of him, infact he wont care one bit, the guy who cuts in doesn’t care one bit either. It’s the people who follow the rules reluctantly and immediately that get tempted when someone bends it that feel wronged.
They go, “well, that’s what I wanted to do.. but look at him.. he did that… I cant believe the others didn’t notice it..” This is a trivial example. I chuckled today, when I overheard a couple of guys talk this… Dude1.. “Hey did you pay the registration tax for the car” Dude2 “yeah” Dude 1 “How much?” Dude 2 “X” Dude1 “I hope you understated the value of the purchase” Dude2” No, why ?” Dude1”to pay lower taxes.. I did it.. everyone does it” Dude2 “Not me, I wanna sleep well” Dude1 “You are hopeless man”. Crazy right?.. well, for most its not that crazy. A guy who not only understated his car value to pay lesser taxes, mentions to the other guy what an idiot he was for following the rules. The world has turned pale my friends, you can see it everywhere, there’s no place that’s not vulnerable to rule-bending… I fall in the middle group, you know someone who hates when others break the rules or bend the rules but don’t have the guts or the heart to do it myself.
Once a rental car company forgot to charge me for an insurance package I used, it was quite a lot of money for someone like me who lives paycheck to paycheck, I thought for 10 seconds and told them they charged me less. I felt good for about 2 minutes, not good forever because I didn’t tell them immediately.. I thought about “not telling” them… but I did after wrestling with myself. I got a big thank you… that’s it… but how many people do that, what if the cash register guy gives 50 bucks extra, does everyone of you return it. What if they charge you only once for 2 cartons of milk do you go back and pay ? I don’t claim I do it often or everytime… but these are situations that fascinate me.
Then there’s the whole big bad ballgame of politics that people play at work, fudging resumes, fudging tax breaks and misstating information to get more money back. No place is beyond limit for these people, infact I personally know a few friends who invented “teams that they managed” offshore to get quicker green card processing in the US. How crazy is that? Well, not real crazy is they are always used to cutting infront of lines, or stealing parking spots or fudging account information. When you start fudging a little , you just don’t stop. And the crazy part both of those guys are getting their residency approved next week….
At times I laugh at my inability to be like them, at times I cant believe I stick to the rules while others bend it without issues and laugh at us for being incapable to do the same, at times I feel like a moron… the only thing I have going at those times? I get a good night’s sleep, because I can getup in the morning and say, I didn’t cheat a single person till yesterday.. I have a clear conscience..
It’s painful to be an incapable rule bender… but then not.. it feels far better to be a reluctant rule follower and am a proud one at that…
Where do you draw the line.. as to what constitutes an acceptable bend of the rule and what constitutes a down right no-no breaking the rule. Is it down to perception, is it interpretation, is it down to your own courteous attitude, is it your conscience, is it your patience or a personal score card you have that says your can commit 5 wrongs for every 10 rights that you do in life…
Is it crazy to think about such stuff.. I mean do people who bend the rules really think about what they did, say there’s a 20 head count line at a local post office with a min 5 minute processing time per customer, what if your manager walks in, are you obligated to let him cut into your line? If you do let him cut in, is it because you are afraid of him or is it because you like him, is it fair on the hefty number of people standing behind your for the last several minutes.. Does your manager thank his good luck or does he take a minute to feel sorry for the guys he cut infront of, does he feel sorry he put you in such a spot..
I think the simplest answer is that, people who cut in don’t give a rat’s rear.. if they did they wont even think twice about standing in the order they walked into the place. It’s a sad truth, it’s a world of not what you know, but, who you know. At work you can see people who kiss up to the management get the right assignment over someone who talks sense. It happens all the time. I think the only people who think about this is those who are caught in the middle. A guy who always follows the rules doesn’t even notice that a guy cut infront of him, infact he wont care one bit, the guy who cuts in doesn’t care one bit either. It’s the people who follow the rules reluctantly and immediately that get tempted when someone bends it that feel wronged.
They go, “well, that’s what I wanted to do.. but look at him.. he did that… I cant believe the others didn’t notice it..” This is a trivial example. I chuckled today, when I overheard a couple of guys talk this… Dude1.. “Hey did you pay the registration tax for the car” Dude2 “yeah” Dude 1 “How much?” Dude 2 “X” Dude1 “I hope you understated the value of the purchase” Dude2” No, why ?” Dude1”to pay lower taxes.. I did it.. everyone does it” Dude2 “Not me, I wanna sleep well” Dude1 “You are hopeless man”. Crazy right?.. well, for most its not that crazy. A guy who not only understated his car value to pay lesser taxes, mentions to the other guy what an idiot he was for following the rules. The world has turned pale my friends, you can see it everywhere, there’s no place that’s not vulnerable to rule-bending… I fall in the middle group, you know someone who hates when others break the rules or bend the rules but don’t have the guts or the heart to do it myself.
Once a rental car company forgot to charge me for an insurance package I used, it was quite a lot of money for someone like me who lives paycheck to paycheck, I thought for 10 seconds and told them they charged me less. I felt good for about 2 minutes, not good forever because I didn’t tell them immediately.. I thought about “not telling” them… but I did after wrestling with myself. I got a big thank you… that’s it… but how many people do that, what if the cash register guy gives 50 bucks extra, does everyone of you return it. What if they charge you only once for 2 cartons of milk do you go back and pay ? I don’t claim I do it often or everytime… but these are situations that fascinate me.
Then there’s the whole big bad ballgame of politics that people play at work, fudging resumes, fudging tax breaks and misstating information to get more money back. No place is beyond limit for these people, infact I personally know a few friends who invented “teams that they managed” offshore to get quicker green card processing in the US. How crazy is that? Well, not real crazy is they are always used to cutting infront of lines, or stealing parking spots or fudging account information. When you start fudging a little , you just don’t stop. And the crazy part both of those guys are getting their residency approved next week….
At times I laugh at my inability to be like them, at times I cant believe I stick to the rules while others bend it without issues and laugh at us for being incapable to do the same, at times I feel like a moron… the only thing I have going at those times? I get a good night’s sleep, because I can getup in the morning and say, I didn’t cheat a single person till yesterday.. I have a clear conscience..
It’s painful to be an incapable rule bender… but then not.. it feels far better to be a reluctant rule follower and am a proud one at that…
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Movie Review "The International" : the suspense, the concept & the scare...
“The International” is a movie that brings into visuals what we have heard/theorized/surmised and yeah feared. The great part is the ending is a concoction of realism and cinematic realism. It’s an “only in a movie” emotion with a “that makes sense” emotion. There are solid performances from Clive Owen (Louis Salinger, an Interpol detective) and Brian O’Byrne (the hired contract killer). The others have chipped in well at various points of the movie.
The movie starts with a cold killing of Louis’ Interpol partner after a meeting with an insider. This insider happens to be a key cog of a mega bank IBBC. The IBBC is the focus of the Interpol investigation, with suspicions centering on the true intentions, ideals and asset managements of the bank. The Interpol with its nosy detective Louis Salinger tries to pry open the veil of the bank, that seems to be no different than the corner Credit Union bank down the street.
As the movie rolls on, events unfold that seemed to cast the IBBC bank in less than flattering company, in terms of their association and their involvement and intentions in events that are momentous and mostly dangerous. Louis and his superior Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts) seem to be on an impossible pursuit. Armed with truck loads of money, assets that stretch across the continents, contacts that range from the local lieutenant to the Italian presidential hopeful, the banks tentacles seem to ensnarl almost anyone that it comes across. The director tries well to depict the bank as a well run mafia organization only globally more influential and well funded.
The movie has its share of stereotypical events, incidents that make the hunter become the hunted, as agent Salinger comes to the realization he might be fighting a hopeless cause. Agent Salinger tries his best to follow the trail and pickup any bits of information that he can get his hand on, but as pressure to curtail his investigation increases Salinger does some unconventional things to get more evidence. I think the highlight of the movie is the contract killer of the IBBC doing his psychotic acts and being very suave in getting away from them, only to finally become the hunted by the IBBC. The scene that ensues with Salinger trying to protect the contract killer he came to arrest from the IBBC is well executed.
Though Salinger loses his fight to get anything out of the contract killer, with the help of his buddies in the NYPD, he tracks down the killer’s contact and he is lead on the trail of IBBC’s chairman Jonas Skarssen. How Salinger confronts Skarssen and what ensues is the rest of the movie. What I liked about the movie is that they have played on the fears of the common man, “Can we really trust anyone?”. While there are holes in some of the theories in the movie, the whole product as such is palatable. Ever since Matrix resonated with the audience with its array of fear instigating concepts and its overall idea of the helplessness of our existence, movies of such ilk have tried to recreate fear to the best they can.
The International, has a good theory, but I am afraid it doesn’t do enough to scare you, it doesn’t do enough to make you think “you know what… that’s out of the box”. Too often you come across good concepts not treated well, while I wont call this movie as a bad effort, I do think that it’s a bad end product. The climax highlights the helplessness, even for agent Salinger, where he only ends up with the satisfaction of shooting down the messenger of IBBC and not the IBBC itself. I liked that ending, only I have a problem with how this could have been handled better. The audience could have been scared a little bit better, a solid effort but an average end result for “The International”. I would give a D+ and recommend waiting for the movie to be on the “tele” or “blockbuster”.
The movie starts with a cold killing of Louis’ Interpol partner after a meeting with an insider. This insider happens to be a key cog of a mega bank IBBC. The IBBC is the focus of the Interpol investigation, with suspicions centering on the true intentions, ideals and asset managements of the bank. The Interpol with its nosy detective Louis Salinger tries to pry open the veil of the bank, that seems to be no different than the corner Credit Union bank down the street.
As the movie rolls on, events unfold that seemed to cast the IBBC bank in less than flattering company, in terms of their association and their involvement and intentions in events that are momentous and mostly dangerous. Louis and his superior Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts) seem to be on an impossible pursuit. Armed with truck loads of money, assets that stretch across the continents, contacts that range from the local lieutenant to the Italian presidential hopeful, the banks tentacles seem to ensnarl almost anyone that it comes across. The director tries well to depict the bank as a well run mafia organization only globally more influential and well funded.
The movie has its share of stereotypical events, incidents that make the hunter become the hunted, as agent Salinger comes to the realization he might be fighting a hopeless cause. Agent Salinger tries his best to follow the trail and pickup any bits of information that he can get his hand on, but as pressure to curtail his investigation increases Salinger does some unconventional things to get more evidence. I think the highlight of the movie is the contract killer of the IBBC doing his psychotic acts and being very suave in getting away from them, only to finally become the hunted by the IBBC. The scene that ensues with Salinger trying to protect the contract killer he came to arrest from the IBBC is well executed.
Though Salinger loses his fight to get anything out of the contract killer, with the help of his buddies in the NYPD, he tracks down the killer’s contact and he is lead on the trail of IBBC’s chairman Jonas Skarssen. How Salinger confronts Skarssen and what ensues is the rest of the movie. What I liked about the movie is that they have played on the fears of the common man, “Can we really trust anyone?”. While there are holes in some of the theories in the movie, the whole product as such is palatable. Ever since Matrix resonated with the audience with its array of fear instigating concepts and its overall idea of the helplessness of our existence, movies of such ilk have tried to recreate fear to the best they can.
The International, has a good theory, but I am afraid it doesn’t do enough to scare you, it doesn’t do enough to make you think “you know what… that’s out of the box”. Too often you come across good concepts not treated well, while I wont call this movie as a bad effort, I do think that it’s a bad end product. The climax highlights the helplessness, even for agent Salinger, where he only ends up with the satisfaction of shooting down the messenger of IBBC and not the IBBC itself. I liked that ending, only I have a problem with how this could have been handled better. The audience could have been scared a little bit better, a solid effort but an average end result for “The International”. I would give a D+ and recommend waiting for the movie to be on the “tele” or “blockbuster”.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Delhi 6 : Movie review : Funny Smart and.. the "S" word
Recently i have developed a crush for Hindi movies. No not because they are splendid, not because they are well directed, not because they are well executed or acted or choreographed... none.. they are just visually scrumptious, oozing with clarity. I have never seen another set of language movies made in India that are this visually palatable. I just dont mean the Yash Chopra/Karan Johar big name headliner, even the second tier guys seem to present a visually catchy treat.
Delhi 6 had that and more. The visuals were great, at some points well beyond great. I am absolutely certain that when you come away from this movie, you will feel that at certain points u were with the characters as much as watching them. Abhishek Bachan has done a decent job, i really dig his coolers it suits his 2 day old stubble pretty much to a T and am sure the ladies will like that. The movie really doesnt have a heroine, Sonam kapoor is the closest to it, she has done an ok job overall. She has handled the juggling of a middle class girl trying to become an Indian idol quite ok. There's some cool acting by Rishi Kapoor, Waheeda Rahman, Deepak Dobriyal and Vijay Raaz as the inspector -- a true tribute to him is the fact that i overheard couple of guys swearing at his like he was a real cop -- the others filled in and were ok.
Overall, the movie is a devent entertainer. It has its highs and lows. The first half seems to be the director's favorite as more effort seems to have been distilled in it than the second half. The story hinges on a grandson (AB as Roshan ) taking his ailing grannie (Waheeda) back to India after his parents -- who had eloped and married -- had settled in US. If it seems a little dramatic that an american born kid will just leave his life, pack up and take his granny to her village.. well it is Indian cinema after all, so hang with them there. The movie goes on to depict the typical challenges and funny incidents that Roshan faces in the dirtbowl Delhi 6.
The movie's first half beats the second half hands down because the movie goes from funny, smart and at hilarious in the first half to preaching, sterotypical and down right wierd in the second half. The story follows Roshan's various encounters and smartly uses the 'kala bhandar' the now infamous 'Monkey man' spoof from yesteryear delhi lore. The Kala Bhandar (Monkey man) seems to run amok among the residents and due to circumstances that are purely manufactured Roshan ends up the center of everyone's irk and ire.
My problem with this movie is its sterotyping the unity or lack therof between Muslims and Hindus. A locality that seems to be in harmony with some Muslims even praying to Lord Hanuman seems to unravel like a pack of cards with the arrival of a Hindu swami. The typical idea of Hindus inciting political speeches and talks of uprooting Mosques and replacing them with temples is a clear dig at what has happened in the past, but so is the portrayed typical response from the Muslim community. From being calm and composed to depicting them as losing control and inciting violence, setting Hindu trees on fire and taking up arsonry and weapons and shooting Roshan, its all a little typical portrayal of the Hindu-Muslim dynamic. Look i am not here to judge what went on, i went to a movie to have some light hearted fun and for a movie that started with beautiful incidents and little pockets of suavity to one that preaches how people should live.
Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but the story that went on in the second half is not a derivative of what happened in the first half. One of the reasons the whole message doesnt seem to be relayed well is that the whole issue was sterotyped from the inciting that apparently is done by one religion to the violent resoponse associated with the other. I think for this movie, we could have not used that, for this movie we could have been taken somewhere else, a place where there was a little fun and may be a lot more sense. For that alone i recommend you stay home and wait for the CDs or online links to arrive in thier mailboxes. My rating would be D+
Delhi 6 had that and more. The visuals were great, at some points well beyond great. I am absolutely certain that when you come away from this movie, you will feel that at certain points u were with the characters as much as watching them. Abhishek Bachan has done a decent job, i really dig his coolers it suits his 2 day old stubble pretty much to a T and am sure the ladies will like that. The movie really doesnt have a heroine, Sonam kapoor is the closest to it, she has done an ok job overall. She has handled the juggling of a middle class girl trying to become an Indian idol quite ok. There's some cool acting by Rishi Kapoor, Waheeda Rahman, Deepak Dobriyal and Vijay Raaz as the inspector -- a true tribute to him is the fact that i overheard couple of guys swearing at his like he was a real cop -- the others filled in and were ok.
Overall, the movie is a devent entertainer. It has its highs and lows. The first half seems to be the director's favorite as more effort seems to have been distilled in it than the second half. The story hinges on a grandson (AB as Roshan ) taking his ailing grannie (Waheeda) back to India after his parents -- who had eloped and married -- had settled in US. If it seems a little dramatic that an american born kid will just leave his life, pack up and take his granny to her village.. well it is Indian cinema after all, so hang with them there. The movie goes on to depict the typical challenges and funny incidents that Roshan faces in the dirtbowl Delhi 6.
The movie's first half beats the second half hands down because the movie goes from funny, smart and at hilarious in the first half to preaching, sterotypical and down right wierd in the second half. The story follows Roshan's various encounters and smartly uses the 'kala bhandar' the now infamous 'Monkey man' spoof from yesteryear delhi lore. The Kala Bhandar (Monkey man) seems to run amok among the residents and due to circumstances that are purely manufactured Roshan ends up the center of everyone's irk and ire.
My problem with this movie is its sterotyping the unity or lack therof between Muslims and Hindus. A locality that seems to be in harmony with some Muslims even praying to Lord Hanuman seems to unravel like a pack of cards with the arrival of a Hindu swami. The typical idea of Hindus inciting political speeches and talks of uprooting Mosques and replacing them with temples is a clear dig at what has happened in the past, but so is the portrayed typical response from the Muslim community. From being calm and composed to depicting them as losing control and inciting violence, setting Hindu trees on fire and taking up arsonry and weapons and shooting Roshan, its all a little typical portrayal of the Hindu-Muslim dynamic. Look i am not here to judge what went on, i went to a movie to have some light hearted fun and for a movie that started with beautiful incidents and little pockets of suavity to one that preaches how people should live.
Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but the story that went on in the second half is not a derivative of what happened in the first half. One of the reasons the whole message doesnt seem to be relayed well is that the whole issue was sterotyped from the inciting that apparently is done by one religion to the violent resoponse associated with the other. I think for this movie, we could have not used that, for this movie we could have been taken somewhere else, a place where there was a little fun and may be a lot more sense. For that alone i recommend you stay home and wait for the CDs or online links to arrive in thier mailboxes. My rating would be D+
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
The Economy Bandaid - lets stimulate
The world was abuzz, the messiah had spoken, the savior has arrived, your problems will be transformed into nuisances and your nuisances will melt when this savior aggrandizes the house that the Americans built. Well, I am not crazy, err.. not yet anyway.. but that’s how I translated all the post-Obama electoral victory news coverage. I feel very sorry for him, lets scan what is about to confront the new US president in the coming days… a couple of wars going nowhere, an enemy dispersed, strong and diverse, an economy that’s in the maddest of all tailspins, a health care system that reeks with stale ideals, an education system that’s been downgraded, a housing market that’s looking like a mazy abyss than a green pasture with an azure embellishment and a disgruntled group of denizens desperate for some good news and ready to be waken from the nightmare of endless negative missives in the name of news reports.
Welcome President Obama, no pressure there… we re considerate…. once you are done fixing everything that everyone has drawn up in their list, you can cure melanoma, achieve the drug for immortality without aging and find a world where everyone sits on their fanny and makes a million bucks a day.
I think among the million bytes of digits that scanned the globe as the US election run-up ratcheted one question stuck that was asked by a reported struck a chord in me … “ Senators Obama and McCain, do you for even a minute think, do I want to win and inherit this mess” .. Ofcourse they said the right answers but the kind of mess they are inheriting is unfathomable, really historical and deadly in its cocktail of complication and consequences.
The most famous rallying cry “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country” galvanized then Americans, Obama is no stranger to catch phrases, he apparently is an eloquent talker, but walking the walk and talking the talk are two different things. The economy rightfully has taken center stage and is sucking all the resources into working in this issue, but there are 100 other ones that are as scary as the economy, not the least of which is the security threats.
How do you not feel obligated to help the President Obama in every single way, he is trying to patch and fix on the go one of the most epic financial collapses a once-a-lifetime – hopefully – event for us. Now, this issue is not isolated to US or even Europe, the way every economy in the globe is structured we are mostly a house of cards, every single failure has a cascade effect, be it a bank going kaput or a insurance company going broke or a car manufacture going insolvent. Sometime I do feel angry, I mean a few thousand ineligible borrowers have rocked everyone’s boat and we are all swimming or trying to anyway upstream. Its time to hold hands and help each other out. The stimulus package will be a nightmare – any final version that gets approved – because of the burden its going to impose on coming generations, but there is no choice.
The mark of a true fighter is when his wound is exposed and his salt is down, are we gonna stand up and do something about this or not. I like every other Joe Smith, do want certain assurances of how these gargantuan bailout money is being spent. I need assurances, checks, double-checks, reports, status, insight and every damn nickel accounted for. But, lets also get smart. Lets not eat out if we don’t have to, lets not buy every single ipod that comes on the market, lets save some money and spend smartly. Don’t switch off your AC or heater but do switch off your TV. Take the public transport, donate to charity than going on a ski trip. Keep your resumes current, stay sharp and focused. Watch your leaders, whether what they say is what they do, watch yourself and your family and finally realize.
It didn’t take one bad decision to lead us to this rut, it took a series of hidden debacles to get here, it took turning a blind eye when a sore spot is spotted, so there is no silver bullet. No one decision can create the 2 plus million jobs last year or the ones that are gonna be lost this year. But we each can have a personal motto, spend wisely, be prepared and do your part to stimulate the economy. Every one wants to be part of the party but not everyone likes to clean up the dishes, you may not have wrecked every thing but lets be part of a solution. Support President Obama in his trials, his hits and misses, we need call him out if he proposes something unworkable. But lets also be reasonable, the man is under the spot like no other for the reason he inhibited something, not procreated, so lets cut him some slack and remain hopeful and work hard.
Welcome President Obama, no pressure there… we re considerate…. once you are done fixing everything that everyone has drawn up in their list, you can cure melanoma, achieve the drug for immortality without aging and find a world where everyone sits on their fanny and makes a million bucks a day.
I think among the million bytes of digits that scanned the globe as the US election run-up ratcheted one question stuck that was asked by a reported struck a chord in me … “ Senators Obama and McCain, do you for even a minute think, do I want to win and inherit this mess” .. Ofcourse they said the right answers but the kind of mess they are inheriting is unfathomable, really historical and deadly in its cocktail of complication and consequences.
The most famous rallying cry “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country” galvanized then Americans, Obama is no stranger to catch phrases, he apparently is an eloquent talker, but walking the walk and talking the talk are two different things. The economy rightfully has taken center stage and is sucking all the resources into working in this issue, but there are 100 other ones that are as scary as the economy, not the least of which is the security threats.
How do you not feel obligated to help the President Obama in every single way, he is trying to patch and fix on the go one of the most epic financial collapses a once-a-lifetime – hopefully – event for us. Now, this issue is not isolated to US or even Europe, the way every economy in the globe is structured we are mostly a house of cards, every single failure has a cascade effect, be it a bank going kaput or a insurance company going broke or a car manufacture going insolvent. Sometime I do feel angry, I mean a few thousand ineligible borrowers have rocked everyone’s boat and we are all swimming or trying to anyway upstream. Its time to hold hands and help each other out. The stimulus package will be a nightmare – any final version that gets approved – because of the burden its going to impose on coming generations, but there is no choice.
The mark of a true fighter is when his wound is exposed and his salt is down, are we gonna stand up and do something about this or not. I like every other Joe Smith, do want certain assurances of how these gargantuan bailout money is being spent. I need assurances, checks, double-checks, reports, status, insight and every damn nickel accounted for. But, lets also get smart. Lets not eat out if we don’t have to, lets not buy every single ipod that comes on the market, lets save some money and spend smartly. Don’t switch off your AC or heater but do switch off your TV. Take the public transport, donate to charity than going on a ski trip. Keep your resumes current, stay sharp and focused. Watch your leaders, whether what they say is what they do, watch yourself and your family and finally realize.
It didn’t take one bad decision to lead us to this rut, it took a series of hidden debacles to get here, it took turning a blind eye when a sore spot is spotted, so there is no silver bullet. No one decision can create the 2 plus million jobs last year or the ones that are gonna be lost this year. But we each can have a personal motto, spend wisely, be prepared and do your part to stimulate the economy. Every one wants to be part of the party but not everyone likes to clean up the dishes, you may not have wrecked every thing but lets be part of a solution. Support President Obama in his trials, his hits and misses, we need call him out if he proposes something unworkable. But lets also be reasonable, the man is under the spot like no other for the reason he inhibited something, not procreated, so lets cut him some slack and remain hopeful and work hard.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The accent.. big deal
"Its a big deal... if they dont get what you say... you are really not saying anything... if you dont talk American accent.. you are not one among them..." one of my buddies chimed in as part of an avalanche of rigmarole that i was inundated with when i let a few people know that i was traveling to the land of dreams. I even imbibed a few of their insightful ideas, ideals and definitions of what it is that i need to survive in a land where i cant claim to be a citizen. We have all gone through this one, when traveling to a different country -- well, my fellow Indians will acknowledge it happens to them when they cross state borders in the Indian countryside -- we are inundated with a bunch of outdated concerns that ends up unsettling us.
One of the things that we are always in a race with is where does our accent stack up compared to the land that we are traveling to. People are psyched about accent and for good reason, they are worried what would happen if they mispronounce something... it might be something subtle, it might be something common but what are the repurcussions of the adressed not understanding us.
This becomes more of a frightful scenario if we are going to a different country for some extended periods of time to work, there we are forced into a situation where we are obligated to both understand the foreigners and make them understand what we are spouting. Each has its own variety and severity of difficulty in its execution. I think the biggest flaw that anyone can commit -- and this from experience -- is that we try to speak a non-native language like its one, we try to think its just our back of the hand and we can flip it on whenever we suppose and it will work just fine.
Unforntunately we often find out that its not the case, in most cases we are even humbled a bit by how our most basic pronounciations are incongruent and even grating to someone who has never listened to our vocals before. With a bit of humiliation and a stomach full of humble pie we try to ape them.. we in lieu of a'pe try aa'pp'e .. in lieu hel'loo' try whazz'upp'... like oil and water, like black and white somethings just arent meant to mix. We are what we are and whoever we maybe... an American cant speak like a Srilankan, an Indian cant speak like a French.. we all have our own styles and sometime styles align but they never are parallel....
I found that the perfect equilibrium after quite a few humble pies, i realized a) i cant talk like a man who was born there talks and b) it would be better if i talk slowly so people have a chance.
Most people never realise that they have an accent, its like snoring.. almost everyone does it but they cant know it, the accent is very similar. Its not a shame to have an accent, but if we do a few things right we can all be communicate better. Ultimately its the content not the style, but a little effort to be presentable is required and really its alright to have an accent. We would be robotic without it. Imagine for a moment what would a world sound like when everyone talks the same wavelength, my i can think of quite a few professions that will be thrown to the attic... be proud of what you are... and accent should be the least of your concerns.
One of the things that we are always in a race with is where does our accent stack up compared to the land that we are traveling to. People are psyched about accent and for good reason, they are worried what would happen if they mispronounce something... it might be something subtle, it might be something common but what are the repurcussions of the adressed not understanding us.
This becomes more of a frightful scenario if we are going to a different country for some extended periods of time to work, there we are forced into a situation where we are obligated to both understand the foreigners and make them understand what we are spouting. Each has its own variety and severity of difficulty in its execution. I think the biggest flaw that anyone can commit -- and this from experience -- is that we try to speak a non-native language like its one, we try to think its just our back of the hand and we can flip it on whenever we suppose and it will work just fine.
Unforntunately we often find out that its not the case, in most cases we are even humbled a bit by how our most basic pronounciations are incongruent and even grating to someone who has never listened to our vocals before. With a bit of humiliation and a stomach full of humble pie we try to ape them.. we in lieu of a'pe try aa'pp'e .. in lieu hel'loo' try whazz'upp'... like oil and water, like black and white somethings just arent meant to mix. We are what we are and whoever we maybe... an American cant speak like a Srilankan, an Indian cant speak like a French.. we all have our own styles and sometime styles align but they never are parallel....
I found that the perfect equilibrium after quite a few humble pies, i realized a) i cant talk like a man who was born there talks and b) it would be better if i talk slowly so people have a chance.
Most people never realise that they have an accent, its like snoring.. almost everyone does it but they cant know it, the accent is very similar. Its not a shame to have an accent, but if we do a few things right we can all be communicate better. Ultimately its the content not the style, but a little effort to be presentable is required and really its alright to have an accent. We would be robotic without it. Imagine for a moment what would a world sound like when everyone talks the same wavelength, my i can think of quite a few professions that will be thrown to the attic... be proud of what you are... and accent should be the least of your concerns.
Monday, January 05, 2009
Zooming out of Gloom... hopefully
When 2008 was about to roll in, the numerology department was working overtime... the significance of the total 2+0+0+8 had them in a dizzy... its a great year or so they said... 12 months later... don't we all think 2008 as one of the most dramatic, impact-ful, draining, eye-opening, gut-wrenching times of most living beings' lifetime.. from the economy that was in a tailspin and the violence that wouldn't stop around the world and the melting glaciers and the deficit in most countries' budget and the increase in hunger deaths and the loss of jobs and the rise in crimes and the .... too many bad headlines...
10 years from now - when, hopefully we are out of this crisis - we will recall 2008 as the year that had too many bad headlines, the year that doomed many a savings account, the year where we started saving on fast food, electricity, gas and anything that can be saved... History will equate 2008 with 1931 the most comparable and deadly ogre of a cousin.... the great depression... History will by then have all things we did wrong in 19 titles on newsstands, of what we should learn, what we missed and how to avoid... and someone will make money on it too...
Human race... we are funny... we commit the mistake , we avoid the reactions, we sidestep the repercussions until it hits us in the face, we smart from it because we have no other choice, some try and stand up, like water off a duck's back we march on and commit the next series of blunders...
2008 was not all that bad... in fact 2008 was the ugly bill for all the sins of 2001 to 2007, the sins also called as failed policies, missed warning signs and general lack of concern for the future... 2008 was the ugly product of all that was wrong in the previous years... 2008 was needed, it was important the human race gets hit on the face with reality.... its a splash of cold water...
No one needs a million dollar home, no one needs a 4 bedroom home, no one needs 3 cars, no one needs 2 cellphones... but almost everyone wants them all and thats how we ended up with 2008... if we only keep paying the interest on a loan the primary never disappears, if we only look 2 days ahead in our life, the deadlines in the next week never shows up early, if we remain short sighted with a head bigger than the stomach we all only deserve 2008...
No one knows which one policy will take us out of this rut and deliver us to the next one... we are all as excited as can be... for what did we get from 2008 that we cant let go off ... other than a pile of bills, a rack of empty headache bottles, a few broken glasses that bore the brunt of our anger as the stock indexes went for a swim-dive.... its a fallacy to expect one policy to be the silver bullet a series of policies are necessary ..
As individuals we need to step up and distinguish our needs from our wants... in times like these we don't need what we want... we should want what we need... the more we realize the difference and cater to our needs... the better we are all off...
Can 2009 be as bad as 2008, well who knows... but every individual can command what happens with them, as more individuals get smart... with a concerted effort to keep ourselves better prepared we will sail through it... and we can even live to describe it to the next generation... of how we learnt WANT, NEED, GREED, PURPOSE and PERSPECTIVE from the year 2008.... Happy New Year
10 years from now - when, hopefully we are out of this crisis - we will recall 2008 as the year that had too many bad headlines, the year that doomed many a savings account, the year where we started saving on fast food, electricity, gas and anything that can be saved... History will equate 2008 with 1931 the most comparable and deadly ogre of a cousin.... the great depression... History will by then have all things we did wrong in 19 titles on newsstands, of what we should learn, what we missed and how to avoid... and someone will make money on it too...
Human race... we are funny... we commit the mistake , we avoid the reactions, we sidestep the repercussions until it hits us in the face, we smart from it because we have no other choice, some try and stand up, like water off a duck's back we march on and commit the next series of blunders...
2008 was not all that bad... in fact 2008 was the ugly bill for all the sins of 2001 to 2007, the sins also called as failed policies, missed warning signs and general lack of concern for the future... 2008 was the ugly product of all that was wrong in the previous years... 2008 was needed, it was important the human race gets hit on the face with reality.... its a splash of cold water...
No one needs a million dollar home, no one needs a 4 bedroom home, no one needs 3 cars, no one needs 2 cellphones... but almost everyone wants them all and thats how we ended up with 2008... if we only keep paying the interest on a loan the primary never disappears, if we only look 2 days ahead in our life, the deadlines in the next week never shows up early, if we remain short sighted with a head bigger than the stomach we all only deserve 2008...
No one knows which one policy will take us out of this rut and deliver us to the next one... we are all as excited as can be... for what did we get from 2008 that we cant let go off ... other than a pile of bills, a rack of empty headache bottles, a few broken glasses that bore the brunt of our anger as the stock indexes went for a swim-dive.... its a fallacy to expect one policy to be the silver bullet a series of policies are necessary ..
As individuals we need to step up and distinguish our needs from our wants... in times like these we don't need what we want... we should want what we need... the more we realize the difference and cater to our needs... the better we are all off...
Can 2009 be as bad as 2008, well who knows... but every individual can command what happens with them, as more individuals get smart... with a concerted effort to keep ourselves better prepared we will sail through it... and we can even live to describe it to the next generation... of how we learnt WANT, NEED, GREED, PURPOSE and PERSPECTIVE from the year 2008.... Happy New Year
Friday, November 14, 2008
Recession Fears: Is an information overflow feeding panic
Each day... each hour... each minute... we are updated with information... Information that fritters through various sources... next door neighbour, your milkman, the TV man and ofcourse the internet..
We seem to learn about a spoilt milk packet in China before we seem to know what ails our restroom shower. We seem to know that Zimbabwe has a million percentage inflation before we even can recollect the number of distant cousins in our spouse's family...
Point is we are being fed with millions of pixels, every minute... we have become obese with information.... some of us see 'breaking news' in flashing red in our sleep... we seemed to be informed tha Obama is still searching for a dog, we seem to be informed that Sarah Palin bought 150k worth of clothes when we cant recollect the last time we bought a pair of trousers for our parents....
This plethora of useless information is an admissable snack if we are receiving positive news.. but whats the effect of this information orgy when it brings negative news. I mean, we seem to learn about another bank collapse every hour.
I wonder how was the great depression of the 1930s era... what kind of information was available, how frequently did they get them... what exactly did the then President convey to the denizens... were they better off.. when they didnt know it... for instance do the company's workers concentrate better if they arent declared as dead men walking... was it better for the psyche when u werent deluged with job loss information...
take for instance the Lehman brothers.. they were in "talks to sell to a Korean Company" on day 1... by day 3-4 the talks went cold... day 4.0000001 it was on the internet.... day 4.0000002 there were 18 internet experts downgrading the stock to junk status... day 4.5 customers start withdrawing money... day 5 bank files for bankruptcy.... i have never seen or even remotely heard prior to that an instance of an 100 plus year old institution crumbling hopelessly and basically vanishing from the scene...
i, for one, felt.. the speed of the information... the sources.. many of them off the record and illegal leaks.. were too many and it ultimately lead a mad spree to withdraw their money from the bank and it just crumbled... a similar thing happened in Washington Mutual bank... a similar thing happened in Germany... in UK... the point is.. maybe these companies had a chance if they just had a little more breathing room.. maybe if the information had been cold for 1 more day.. some other financier pours money into Lehman... maybe? we will never know.. because there is no stopping.. there is no pausing... there is one constant... the refresh button.. millions of articles each minute... about why we should buy this.. why we should sell that.. why we should stand pat...
I am not for a minute suggesting that customers or onlookers should not "know" stuff... but maybe they should not be "fed" to death with information... i just get the feeling we are at a point were things are happening at a such a fast pace we can neither pause nor take a deep breath.... its driven us to the point were we have become addicted to our "refresh" button on the browser... its feeding panic.. i just wish we had a little bit of scaled back information... maybe we will even relax a little bit.... maybe thats a good thing...
We seem to learn about a spoilt milk packet in China before we seem to know what ails our restroom shower. We seem to know that Zimbabwe has a million percentage inflation before we even can recollect the number of distant cousins in our spouse's family...
Point is we are being fed with millions of pixels, every minute... we have become obese with information.... some of us see 'breaking news' in flashing red in our sleep... we seemed to be informed tha Obama is still searching for a dog, we seem to be informed that Sarah Palin bought 150k worth of clothes when we cant recollect the last time we bought a pair of trousers for our parents....
This plethora of useless information is an admissable snack if we are receiving positive news.. but whats the effect of this information orgy when it brings negative news. I mean, we seem to learn about another bank collapse every hour.
I wonder how was the great depression of the 1930s era... what kind of information was available, how frequently did they get them... what exactly did the then President convey to the denizens... were they better off.. when they didnt know it... for instance do the company's workers concentrate better if they arent declared as dead men walking... was it better for the psyche when u werent deluged with job loss information...
take for instance the Lehman brothers.. they were in "talks to sell to a Korean Company" on day 1... by day 3-4 the talks went cold... day 4.0000001 it was on the internet.... day 4.0000002 there were 18 internet experts downgrading the stock to junk status... day 4.5 customers start withdrawing money... day 5 bank files for bankruptcy.... i have never seen or even remotely heard prior to that an instance of an 100 plus year old institution crumbling hopelessly and basically vanishing from the scene...
i, for one, felt.. the speed of the information... the sources.. many of them off the record and illegal leaks.. were too many and it ultimately lead a mad spree to withdraw their money from the bank and it just crumbled... a similar thing happened in Washington Mutual bank... a similar thing happened in Germany... in UK... the point is.. maybe these companies had a chance if they just had a little more breathing room.. maybe if the information had been cold for 1 more day.. some other financier pours money into Lehman... maybe? we will never know.. because there is no stopping.. there is no pausing... there is one constant... the refresh button.. millions of articles each minute... about why we should buy this.. why we should sell that.. why we should stand pat...
I am not for a minute suggesting that customers or onlookers should not "know" stuff... but maybe they should not be "fed" to death with information... i just get the feeling we are at a point were things are happening at a such a fast pace we can neither pause nor take a deep breath.... its driven us to the point were we have become addicted to our "refresh" button on the browser... its feeding panic.. i just wish we had a little bit of scaled back information... maybe we will even relax a little bit.... maybe thats a good thing...
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Obama Nation
Nov 4 was a red letter day. Simple. Sweet. Refreshing. I think for the first time in a million years the voting denizens and the onlooking political voyeurs look forward with hope and trepedity the oncoming change. Never before has the world stopped in awe and wondered aloud what one nation is teaching the others... change the eventual constant can happen anywhere. Can change be instant, is change the begining or the end. Is Change a destination or a pitstop.. is change a game-changer or is it a curveball/googly.
Change is what we want it to be. In an economy that seems to crack a little bit more each day, that seems to enjoy its own masochist orgy.. change is welcome. The only caveat is that we hope this change is for the better.
Minorities everywhere believe one thing, they are disadvantaged and cant win. Well a minority candidate won. The one shocking thing this is that it took so long even in the US of A. Is the American vote a reflection of the desire for unity or a vote for policy. I would love to believe that the vote for President-elect Barack Obama is a vote for mere unity. I would really love to. But, I believe its a convenient by-product. It's his policy that garnered the votes and thats the best part. We dont want a winner because we have sympathy for his melanin content, that would be cruel. I bet none of us want to win a victory thats conceded to us due to lack of competition or sympathy. Thankfully Obama won it, he wasnt given the presidency, McCain didnt concede it or lose it, Obama won it .
Obama won because he appeared articulate, knowledgable, coached, simple and mostly because he came across as someone who gets it. Oh the constant blaming of the Oil companies and the multi-millionaires didnt hurt.
Lets get one thing straight, he is not one of us. He was one among us who didnt deserve to be just another number in the population. He claims to be one among us, he just happens to be from among us.. now he is really in his league. Democracy or not.. Joe the plumber or Pat the soccer-mom cant get more than 15 minutes of fame.
It shows the guts of the American denizens to vote for a man who was recluse until one fine spring day a couple of years back when he provided the response to President Bush's budget. Obama represents a chance not a change. It will become a change if something really does change. Until then he is an opportunity, he is the dawn, let dusk come before we declare something changed during daylight.
Obama couldnt walk into a more complex chaos, its more pungent than a Pei-Wei exhaust, its as numbing as losing large toe. This economic climate is complex. We got out of one rut with some bandaid in the name of homeloans to an even more complex canyon. The thing that we cant afford to do is espouse another old wine of a policy, more often than not these policies of the past are sour milk.
I couldnt tell you how this is going to end up, i cannot fathom a chance that this will resolve in months. It doesnt matter who supported Obama or not, it doesnt matter who voted for him or not, it doesnt matter whether you like him or not, it doesnt matter if you think he can or not, it matters you provide him the chance. It matters you remain confidant in the choice of the majority, it matters you trust democracy and its fruits, it matters you contribute from the benches, it matters you provide him your voice of support, it matters you trust we stand to gain from this. Some people may not like him because of his skin, but lets find out whether we should rather shun him based on his results.
I am ready to follow the steps of the President-elect in the hope that he uses this chance to bring in change. Change didnt stop on the day he got elected, change just got born the day he got elected, change can die a quick death if he is not ready or is incompeteant... but lets wait, lets wait to see what he does with the chance. In the meantime make solid decisions for your life, your bank accounts and community. Think, Act, Work Hard and we will all thrive.
Lets hope Obama does that too, for we all need that change from up-top.
Change is what we want it to be. In an economy that seems to crack a little bit more each day, that seems to enjoy its own masochist orgy.. change is welcome. The only caveat is that we hope this change is for the better.
Minorities everywhere believe one thing, they are disadvantaged and cant win. Well a minority candidate won. The one shocking thing this is that it took so long even in the US of A. Is the American vote a reflection of the desire for unity or a vote for policy. I would love to believe that the vote for President-elect Barack Obama is a vote for mere unity. I would really love to. But, I believe its a convenient by-product. It's his policy that garnered the votes and thats the best part. We dont want a winner because we have sympathy for his melanin content, that would be cruel. I bet none of us want to win a victory thats conceded to us due to lack of competition or sympathy. Thankfully Obama won it, he wasnt given the presidency, McCain didnt concede it or lose it, Obama won it .
Obama won because he appeared articulate, knowledgable, coached, simple and mostly because he came across as someone who gets it. Oh the constant blaming of the Oil companies and the multi-millionaires didnt hurt.
Lets get one thing straight, he is not one of us. He was one among us who didnt deserve to be just another number in the population. He claims to be one among us, he just happens to be from among us.. now he is really in his league. Democracy or not.. Joe the plumber or Pat the soccer-mom cant get more than 15 minutes of fame.
It shows the guts of the American denizens to vote for a man who was recluse until one fine spring day a couple of years back when he provided the response to President Bush's budget. Obama represents a chance not a change. It will become a change if something really does change. Until then he is an opportunity, he is the dawn, let dusk come before we declare something changed during daylight.
Obama couldnt walk into a more complex chaos, its more pungent than a Pei-Wei exhaust, its as numbing as losing large toe. This economic climate is complex. We got out of one rut with some bandaid in the name of homeloans to an even more complex canyon. The thing that we cant afford to do is espouse another old wine of a policy, more often than not these policies of the past are sour milk.
I couldnt tell you how this is going to end up, i cannot fathom a chance that this will resolve in months. It doesnt matter who supported Obama or not, it doesnt matter who voted for him or not, it doesnt matter whether you like him or not, it doesnt matter if you think he can or not, it matters you provide him the chance. It matters you remain confidant in the choice of the majority, it matters you trust democracy and its fruits, it matters you contribute from the benches, it matters you provide him your voice of support, it matters you trust we stand to gain from this. Some people may not like him because of his skin, but lets find out whether we should rather shun him based on his results.
I am ready to follow the steps of the President-elect in the hope that he uses this chance to bring in change. Change didnt stop on the day he got elected, change just got born the day he got elected, change can die a quick death if he is not ready or is incompeteant... but lets wait, lets wait to see what he does with the chance. In the meantime make solid decisions for your life, your bank accounts and community. Think, Act, Work Hard and we will all thrive.
Lets hope Obama does that too, for we all need that change from up-top.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Teacher Ms Thomas, thank you, oh beautiful one!!
Yo.. I still remember the first hint of adolescent insanity, us.. the students of grade(class) TEN were longing for the next class. It was after all the Physics class; it was currently after all the Math class.
The difference ?? – You ask – is monumental, it’s the difference between spinach and caramel, headache pill and ice cream. It was Ms Princy Thomas and Mr Xavier.
At age 16 would you rather have a beautiful – even Angel-like- one Ms Thomas teach you or Mr Xavier?? Well, is it even close?? Well was it even a contest. Sorry Mr Xavier we are guys after all.
TTRRRRRIIINNNG TTRRRIINNGG..
God damn Yes.. Holy golden goose Yes.. My mother India Yes.. It was the long awaited bell.. The BELL…. The heavens have heard us, the GODS have heard us, there is good on this earth, there is a SUPERPOWER after all, it hears us afterall!! There is justice afterall, there is good in life afterall, there is an Angel after all..
Life is good, GOD is great, I love spinach and I like homework, I like authority and I love to sleep by 10 pm, I wont play and I will study.. YES.. vows taken, rewards EARNED, here it comes…
Out goes Mr. Xavier and in comes Ms Thomas.
Now, if we at 16 and 17 were smart enough to know we were doing a not-so-recommended routine.. I Believe our Ms Thomas knew it.. I mean, how could have she not known.
She is like the perfect class TEN teacher.. Good enough to teach you Physics and well, great enough to keep knocking you in your dreams..
“How can you.. how on earth can you, are u out of your mind”.. a few pseudo-good kids would scream once in a while in your ears.. but hey, what’s rain off the back of a pitbull.. NOTHING right.. yeah who cares..??
I mean memories… are fresh.. from the time of romancing our best prospect in our class to getting your brains beat figuring the spellings of TAMIL language words.. it was a fun ride.. to put it mildly..
How I have changed.. how we have changed.. how life has changed.. how Ms Thomas has changed..
Ms Thomas was an alluring figure because of her bright face and delicious disposition, she knew what we craved for.. she knew it was immaturity, she worked us.. she is not the stereotype PLAYBOY story girl-teacher we read about. She was, a teacher, she knew that.
She also would get the best out of us, the rewards would include a 5 minute talk after class with her, how can you NOT WORK hard when you have that reward??
Coz, I did, I worked my rear off, I worked and I got rewarded, it was adolescence and she played it and she played it in away that would benefit us.
In times like the 2006 when we see reports and stories of how teachers elope or down right get privy with students, I just remember Ms Thomas.
Coz she played us too, we were adolescents too but we both were better off for it.
Thanks Ms Thomas, u r a special one.
The difference ?? – You ask – is monumental, it’s the difference between spinach and caramel, headache pill and ice cream. It was Ms Princy Thomas and Mr Xavier.
At age 16 would you rather have a beautiful – even Angel-like- one Ms Thomas teach you or Mr Xavier?? Well, is it even close?? Well was it even a contest. Sorry Mr Xavier we are guys after all.
TTRRRRRIIINNNG TTRRRIINNGG..
God damn Yes.. Holy golden goose Yes.. My mother India Yes.. It was the long awaited bell.. The BELL…. The heavens have heard us, the GODS have heard us, there is good on this earth, there is a SUPERPOWER after all, it hears us afterall!! There is justice afterall, there is good in life afterall, there is an Angel after all..
Life is good, GOD is great, I love spinach and I like homework, I like authority and I love to sleep by 10 pm, I wont play and I will study.. YES.. vows taken, rewards EARNED, here it comes…
Out goes Mr. Xavier and in comes Ms Thomas.
Now, if we at 16 and 17 were smart enough to know we were doing a not-so-recommended routine.. I Believe our Ms Thomas knew it.. I mean, how could have she not known.
She is like the perfect class TEN teacher.. Good enough to teach you Physics and well, great enough to keep knocking you in your dreams..
“How can you.. how on earth can you, are u out of your mind”.. a few pseudo-good kids would scream once in a while in your ears.. but hey, what’s rain off the back of a pitbull.. NOTHING right.. yeah who cares..??
I mean memories… are fresh.. from the time of romancing our best prospect in our class to getting your brains beat figuring the spellings of TAMIL language words.. it was a fun ride.. to put it mildly..
How I have changed.. how we have changed.. how life has changed.. how Ms Thomas has changed..
Ms Thomas was an alluring figure because of her bright face and delicious disposition, she knew what we craved for.. she knew it was immaturity, she worked us.. she is not the stereotype PLAYBOY story girl-teacher we read about. She was, a teacher, she knew that.
She also would get the best out of us, the rewards would include a 5 minute talk after class with her, how can you NOT WORK hard when you have that reward??
Coz, I did, I worked my rear off, I worked and I got rewarded, it was adolescence and she played it and she played it in away that would benefit us.
In times like the 2006 when we see reports and stories of how teachers elope or down right get privy with students, I just remember Ms Thomas.
Coz she played us too, we were adolescents too but we both were better off for it.
Thanks Ms Thomas, u r a special one.
Friday, July 21, 2006
24/7 Customer Service: A friday RUINED
Yo… Friday morning. Literally whistling and bench-warming through the work day, I get an email.. it read “ XXXCredit Card Update”
It sounded bogus from the subject itself, I looked in, it said there was an issue with my account and I need to reset the details. I put the mouse on the “supposed card link”.. it was redirecting to Me to “a German based website”.. the last time I got anywhere close to Germany was when I watched the World Cup finals..
So, I think .. I assumed fairly right when I had zero chance to get a german based card or for all of a sudden for this company to move its HeadQuarters and all business links to germany..
Some thing smelled fishy.. it was Friday after all, and I decided to call my actual card company- the single most stupidest thing I have committed all year since yesterday –
The following is a raw transcript of one of the best exchanges I had with the customer service center..
Me : “ XXXCard support.. look I got an email today, giving Me bogus info and asking Me to update my records. I think I suspect this email. But, still I want to know if you were aware of any such emails circulated or if this email was indeed sent by your company”
BPO Girl : “ yes Sir, we can do that to you”
Me : “do what”
BPO Girl : verify Sir..”
Me: “Ok”
Girl : “ Sir, I understand ur tension and ur predicament, in this time of pain I can help u with a 30 day pgm, that monitors all traffic from tomorrow for ZERO penny”
Me : “ I know about that pgm, I am not interested in it, tell me about this email”
Girl : its ZERO penny sir, ZERO penny, its no cost.
Me : "look.. i am not calling u to sign up.. i need to know if my account is alrite"
Girl : "sir.. u can sign up on 30 day trial"
Me : "look ma'm i know about ur wonderful program, i have seen it before, but just tell me if u guys sent me this email or not"
Girl : " thats why sir we have this pgm.. it will monitor from now"
Me : " what about that email.. today morning"
Girl : "this 30 day will help u'
Me : "thank you.. u were of lot of help.. brilliant"
Girl : "sir.. we have other pgms.."
Me : "u have lots of programs.. i just need information.. not programs for future”
Girl : "i understand Sir.. u r concerned"
Me : " i am very much concerned.. and u r not gettting Me my info"
Girl : " sir for that this program'
Me : " enuf with the pgm"
Me : " can u tell Me if this email is legit"
Girl : "sir.. we can help u monitor everyday"
Me : " i am notorious for not unsubscribing after 30 days and u charge Me
Girl : “dont wry sir.. if u remember and call us in 30 days.. its free"
Me : " i think i just said.. i forget those things"
Girl : "sir, its a good pgm"
Me : "indeed it is.. an excellent one.. and thats y i dont want it" "thank u so much.. for a wonderful assistance"
Girl : "sir if u want we have another pgm.. we see ur account has low balance transfer" "u can transfer to us"
Me : “ i have good cards" "everyone has good rates" "i am comfortable with what i have now" "i dont need anything else"
Girl : "sir.. this is a 2% transfer"
Me : "yes madam.. it is.. i got that", "i did not call u to sign into any of these"
Girl : "sir try 30 days"
Me : " i will call u later"
Girl : "sir u already called" "y do u want to wait on the line”
Me : "i donno.. i dont feel like signing up today"
Girl : "sir u spent 5 mins.. 2 more mins for 2 pgms"
Me : '"sounds very impressive" "and i appreciate ur help.. i will call u"
Girl : " u can call Me anytime "
Me : “ I meant I will call citibank"
Girl : “ yes Sir”
Me : "thanks"
Girl : "any thing else"
Me :"no u were wonderful and of great help" "appreciate it a lot"
Girl : "welcome sir" "if u need any other assistance or help u can goto our website or call our 24 hr assistance"
Me : " yes sounds perfect" "thanks BYE"
Me : clunk. Phone disconnected
this is not a fiction or imaginative wonder, it is a real life "you got served"..
It sounded bogus from the subject itself, I looked in, it said there was an issue with my account and I need to reset the details. I put the mouse on the “supposed card link”.. it was redirecting to Me to “a German based website”.. the last time I got anywhere close to Germany was when I watched the World Cup finals..
So, I think .. I assumed fairly right when I had zero chance to get a german based card or for all of a sudden for this company to move its HeadQuarters and all business links to germany..
Some thing smelled fishy.. it was Friday after all, and I decided to call my actual card company- the single most stupidest thing I have committed all year since yesterday –
The following is a raw transcript of one of the best exchanges I had with the customer service center..
Me : “ XXXCard support.. look I got an email today, giving Me bogus info and asking Me to update my records. I think I suspect this email. But, still I want to know if you were aware of any such emails circulated or if this email was indeed sent by your company”
BPO Girl : “ yes Sir, we can do that to you”
Me : “do what”
BPO Girl : verify Sir..”
Me: “Ok”
Girl : “ Sir, I understand ur tension and ur predicament, in this time of pain I can help u with a 30 day pgm, that monitors all traffic from tomorrow for ZERO penny”
Me : “ I know about that pgm, I am not interested in it, tell me about this email”
Girl : its ZERO penny sir, ZERO penny, its no cost.
Me : "look.. i am not calling u to sign up.. i need to know if my account is alrite"
Girl : "sir.. u can sign up on 30 day trial"
Me : "look ma'm i know about ur wonderful program, i have seen it before, but just tell me if u guys sent me this email or not"
Girl : " thats why sir we have this pgm.. it will monitor from now"
Me : " what about that email.. today morning"
Girl : "this 30 day will help u'
Me : "thank you.. u were of lot of help.. brilliant"
Girl : "sir.. we have other pgms.."
Me : "u have lots of programs.. i just need information.. not programs for future”
Girl : "i understand Sir.. u r concerned"
Me : " i am very much concerned.. and u r not gettting Me my info"
Girl : " sir for that this program'
Me : " enuf with the pgm"
Me : " can u tell Me if this email is legit"
Girl : "sir.. we can help u monitor everyday"
Me : " i am notorious for not unsubscribing after 30 days and u charge Me
Girl : “dont wry sir.. if u remember and call us in 30 days.. its free"
Me : " i think i just said.. i forget those things"
Girl : "sir, its a good pgm"
Me : "indeed it is.. an excellent one.. and thats y i dont want it" "thank u so much.. for a wonderful assistance"
Girl : "sir if u want we have another pgm.. we see ur account has low balance transfer" "u can transfer to us"
Me : “ i have good cards" "everyone has good rates" "i am comfortable with what i have now" "i dont need anything else"
Girl : "sir.. this is a 2% transfer"
Me : "yes madam.. it is.. i got that", "i did not call u to sign into any of these"
Girl : "sir try 30 days"
Me : " i will call u later"
Girl : "sir u already called" "y do u want to wait on the line”
Me : "i donno.. i dont feel like signing up today"
Girl : "sir u spent 5 mins.. 2 more mins for 2 pgms"
Me : '"sounds very impressive" "and i appreciate ur help.. i will call u"
Girl : " u can call Me anytime "
Me : “ I meant I will call citibank"
Girl : “ yes Sir”
Me : "thanks"
Girl : "any thing else"
Me :"no u were wonderful and of great help" "appreciate it a lot"
Girl : "welcome sir" "if u need any other assistance or help u can goto our website or call our 24 hr assistance"
Me : " yes sounds perfect" "thanks BYE"
Me : clunk. Phone disconnected
this is not a fiction or imaginative wonder, it is a real life "you got served"..
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
High Maintenance, Low-efficiency item: Girl Friend or U
Yo.. I was thinking about getting a car. U know.. the four-wheeled wonder which drains your purse like a cat devouring milk. The surprising thing about this is we are AWARE of what this vehicle does to us financially and yet we are all too happy to get it and get drained.
Well say even if we cop the expense and get one, its very high maintenance.. it needs fuel and loads off it (psst.. I do think if someone had the brains to invent a viable non-oil based vehicle to ride, we wont even have all the dependency on the middle east, that’s a different story altogether). Bottom-line is this baby eats you up and you don’t even realize, I do realize though.. we extract some utility out of it.
My mind wandered (yeah tell me what’s new), I started thinking about other high maintenance items in life. Well, the obvious answer is your girlfriend. Man, they drain the purse and time and energy.
The last one really zaps you, coz when ur energy is outta the window that’s when the pea-brains start working in ur cerebrals under those lousy hair-style
and u assume ur speaking out loud..but not really.. “goddamn woman.. not only are my legs and arms killin me.. I missed my ballgame for ur sake and the past 5 hours running around the mall for your one pair of ear-rings and ur 3 cotton candies and 2 teddy bears .. but u never even opened the purse.. well I guess u did.. U did put the old ear-rings in there..”
Well, honest to God.. if a guy hasn’t been thru that he is blessed and living in mars.. But I hate to drool on the obvious.. so I let my mind wander a bit more.. as I wondered I realized the human body..
Man is there a more painful .. creaky.. cranky.. disobeying unit or body of work other than the flesh and mass that we tuck under our dress.. err NO..
U getup u need to brush (sometimes I wish I get my senses after I brush.. without brushing our mouth smells like it was down by the local garage all nite).. then the obvious downloading.. and then bath.. (I do know a lotta guys love to skip it.. ).. well if u r in living college hostels.. chances are u add more pile of dirt by being in those bathrooms than skipping it.. (see.. now ya know why hostel-ites love to skip bath..)
U get out of the shower…. ur stomach gives u a call.. u fill it up with milk n bread and the day starts rolling.. u travel and ur mind thinks ur stomach is hungry.. so u get the most unhealthy bag of chips available and dump it in ur mouth.. and u need NO incentive to open the mouth when ur dumping tasty-unhealthy food.. only healthy or medicinal foods are rejected by ur mouth..
The day rolls by its noon.. ur stomach calls up again( sometimes even clocks fail to work.. not ur tummy).. u fill it up with either hotel-made high transfat low energy.. sleep inducing outside food or high-colestrol.. loadsa oil.. loadsa sleep inducing home-made food..
Well the choice is ours.. and often we make the worst available.. then we roll over and get some snacks.. and that cant be real healthy.. then we get home.. and all the buncha junk we ate have all been processed and form an extra centimeter around our mid-section now.. Sometimes we guys look bigger than pregnant women..
And the funny thing is we know!! we know it’s only a fleeting thing and once we download it.. we will have the abs of every women’s delite!! funny that is a worse non-starter than anything we can cook up..
Well all this when ur body is supposedly running well.. imagine when ur creaky or cranky or down right sick.. it needs lodsa medicines, loadsa rest and loads a caring.. Of course there are those pharmacies.. which love to service ya.. err read plunder ur money.. when u are unhealthy..
I realized.. all my complaints abt my girlfriend is mute.. the worst nightmare I can conjure is taking care of my body all by myself.. I go.. "Honey.. my sweetie.. are u sure u are done shopping.. why don’t we hit the other mall and find u a pair of slip-ons and couple a more teddy bears and cotton candies.." She "Sweetie are u alrite??".. I "I better be .. coz I don wanna service my body…"
Well say even if we cop the expense and get one, its very high maintenance.. it needs fuel and loads off it (psst.. I do think if someone had the brains to invent a viable non-oil based vehicle to ride, we wont even have all the dependency on the middle east, that’s a different story altogether). Bottom-line is this baby eats you up and you don’t even realize, I do realize though.. we extract some utility out of it.
My mind wandered (yeah tell me what’s new), I started thinking about other high maintenance items in life. Well, the obvious answer is your girlfriend. Man, they drain the purse and time and energy.
The last one really zaps you, coz when ur energy is outta the window that’s when the pea-brains start working in ur cerebrals under those lousy hair-style
and u assume ur speaking out loud..but not really.. “goddamn woman.. not only are my legs and arms killin me.. I missed my ballgame for ur sake and the past 5 hours running around the mall for your one pair of ear-rings and ur 3 cotton candies and 2 teddy bears .. but u never even opened the purse.. well I guess u did.. U did put the old ear-rings in there..”
Well, honest to God.. if a guy hasn’t been thru that he is blessed and living in mars.. But I hate to drool on the obvious.. so I let my mind wander a bit more.. as I wondered I realized the human body..
Man is there a more painful .. creaky.. cranky.. disobeying unit or body of work other than the flesh and mass that we tuck under our dress.. err NO..
U getup u need to brush (sometimes I wish I get my senses after I brush.. without brushing our mouth smells like it was down by the local garage all nite).. then the obvious downloading.. and then bath.. (I do know a lotta guys love to skip it.. ).. well if u r in living college hostels.. chances are u add more pile of dirt by being in those bathrooms than skipping it.. (see.. now ya know why hostel-ites love to skip bath..)
U get out of the shower…. ur stomach gives u a call.. u fill it up with milk n bread and the day starts rolling.. u travel and ur mind thinks ur stomach is hungry.. so u get the most unhealthy bag of chips available and dump it in ur mouth.. and u need NO incentive to open the mouth when ur dumping tasty-unhealthy food.. only healthy or medicinal foods are rejected by ur mouth..
The day rolls by its noon.. ur stomach calls up again( sometimes even clocks fail to work.. not ur tummy).. u fill it up with either hotel-made high transfat low energy.. sleep inducing outside food or high-colestrol.. loadsa oil.. loadsa sleep inducing home-made food..
Well the choice is ours.. and often we make the worst available.. then we roll over and get some snacks.. and that cant be real healthy.. then we get home.. and all the buncha junk we ate have all been processed and form an extra centimeter around our mid-section now.. Sometimes we guys look bigger than pregnant women..
And the funny thing is we know!! we know it’s only a fleeting thing and once we download it.. we will have the abs of every women’s delite!! funny that is a worse non-starter than anything we can cook up..
Well all this when ur body is supposedly running well.. imagine when ur creaky or cranky or down right sick.. it needs lodsa medicines, loadsa rest and loads a caring.. Of course there are those pharmacies.. which love to service ya.. err read plunder ur money.. when u are unhealthy..
I realized.. all my complaints abt my girlfriend is mute.. the worst nightmare I can conjure is taking care of my body all by myself.. I go.. "Honey.. my sweetie.. are u sure u are done shopping.. why don’t we hit the other mall and find u a pair of slip-ons and couple a more teddy bears and cotton candies.." She "Sweetie are u alrite??".. I "I better be .. coz I don wanna service my body…"
Monday, June 12, 2006
Marriage: Puts the scare in me
It’s been a few years since I have been away from home. I stay alone now, living in single-rooms or in small rooms as paying guest. Being single has hell lot of advantages, starting from having no one to question you to setting your own timetable for your to-dos to deciding what to spend your time, money and effort on. Not to mention, the million girls I get to ogle at when I step outta my house.
I mean this is life at its very best, no questions!! Just go where life takes you and have fun. I can choose when to talk with my friends and when to switch off my TV to what exactly I watch on TV. I don’t need a partner or a spouse or a soul mate. I got myself and myself will take care of thee.
Well, of course at times when I do look at couples they do stir me up a bit, I scold myself “what the hell are u doing u moron, go get a partner”! Then, I drink some cool-aid.. “Really?? You really think that’s a good idea”.. Well, these are super interesting debates that my conscience goes through and that alone told me its time to look out and find a suitable partner.
So, jokingly I start a topic with my mom on my weekly calls to my parents. My mom “u know?? Ur cousin she’s having her baby next week, your uncle n aunt are gonnab grandparents”. What an opening for me! “mom, what’s the age difference between you and uncle”.. Mom “ couple” .. “Mom, u mean, you are as old as him, yet you are years away from being a grand parent?” Mom “ ha-ha, nice try I think you got time”.
Well, I was still zoomed in on this whole idea, “ there’s a time for everything and it is now”. What if my mom says “later!! buddy”, I thought maybe I should start the mental process you know, what exact qualities will make me comfortable to choose them(?) as my partner and soul-mate for life.
I am a fanatic as far as current affairs and equally fanatic about sports. Now, most guys can claim that, I think it’s a “guy’s syndrome”. Well, I do spend the better part of the daylight in front of my computer and do stuffs that are not always productive, so I think I am ripe to be updated from where the next sports tourney is happening to what Tony Blair said to Sky news.
Well, those at-least are common among people not guys alone, but I do take more pro-western or pro-american stands. From singing “God Bless America” to understanding the civics of the American fabric I think I have modeled myself into a pro-west individual. Naturally, I am interested in areas that concern the everyday American. When I scan through the list that I find intriguing, it includes the issues of abortion, gay marriage and immigration.
I tend to like people who assimilate with the surrounding, I firmly believe I do and I completely expect the same from my other half. What is a tricky area though is the issue of Gay Marriage, it does seem funny why a straight guy would consider the area of homosexuals an intriguing concept, well, I don’t like discrimination and abhor discrimination of any form – based on sex, color or sexuality – I cant stand people who discriminate others.
Among my fellow Indian folks who come here, the one thing I find exasperating and even down right filthy.. is their disdain for African-American race. Indian immigrants stamp these people as notorious, bad criminals. I have lot more black friends than Caucasian and I love them for what they are. This looks silly, but I find this among many Indians, they just don’t respect the black people. I hate that.
Then comes my sports fetish, I just can’t miss games or not watch captivating events, I mean I love baseball for the way the game is. I for some reason love baseball more than cricket. I have always been a soccer fanatic, so my interests are varied and deep, I expect this interest in my partner, as that would really give us a comfort level.
Then the concept of religion, I think I myself have a very complex attitude towards religion. I view religion as more of a guide, a set of rules so to speak to suggest and cultivate good thoughts and actions. Nothing more. I don’t think I get too fanatical about religion, but I am proud of my heritage and when someone attacks my base I get riled.
So I paused, I am a religion-loving conservative that doesn’t always go to temples or believe GOD is a person and I also support homosexuals and believe they have the right to marriage. I am captivated by sports as much as by women and love to ogle. Well, honestly I donn’o how guys stop ogling once they are married. That alone is an achievement.
I do find the level of interest I have for some areas in life -- that others consider mundane or unimportant – to be a lot important to me. As much as I am an Indian I am also an American and I have habits and actions that are a healthy cocktail that I love drinking and being me everytime.
I hardly imagine I can be as rigid with some of these aspects I think I always will be, if in fact I have any thoughts of being in a married life. I guess - my mom was right - I have lot of time. I guess, there is a reason guys are single at my age and continue to be until tour parents decide “its time”. Playfully or not I am not going to ask my mom and dad that question again, for what is a simple concept “marriage” involves complex issues that am not yet willing to explore.
Right now, I think maybe never. Viva la single life.
I mean this is life at its very best, no questions!! Just go where life takes you and have fun. I can choose when to talk with my friends and when to switch off my TV to what exactly I watch on TV. I don’t need a partner or a spouse or a soul mate. I got myself and myself will take care of thee.
Well, of course at times when I do look at couples they do stir me up a bit, I scold myself “what the hell are u doing u moron, go get a partner”! Then, I drink some cool-aid.. “Really?? You really think that’s a good idea”.. Well, these are super interesting debates that my conscience goes through and that alone told me its time to look out and find a suitable partner.
So, jokingly I start a topic with my mom on my weekly calls to my parents. My mom “u know?? Ur cousin she’s having her baby next week, your uncle n aunt are gonnab grandparents”. What an opening for me! “mom, what’s the age difference between you and uncle”.. Mom “ couple” .. “Mom, u mean, you are as old as him, yet you are years away from being a grand parent?” Mom “ ha-ha, nice try I think you got time”.
Well, I was still zoomed in on this whole idea, “ there’s a time for everything and it is now”. What if my mom says “later!! buddy”, I thought maybe I should start the mental process you know, what exact qualities will make me comfortable to choose them(?) as my partner and soul-mate for life.
I am a fanatic as far as current affairs and equally fanatic about sports. Now, most guys can claim that, I think it’s a “guy’s syndrome”. Well, I do spend the better part of the daylight in front of my computer and do stuffs that are not always productive, so I think I am ripe to be updated from where the next sports tourney is happening to what Tony Blair said to Sky news.
Well, those at-least are common among people not guys alone, but I do take more pro-western or pro-american stands. From singing “God Bless America” to understanding the civics of the American fabric I think I have modeled myself into a pro-west individual. Naturally, I am interested in areas that concern the everyday American. When I scan through the list that I find intriguing, it includes the issues of abortion, gay marriage and immigration.
I tend to like people who assimilate with the surrounding, I firmly believe I do and I completely expect the same from my other half. What is a tricky area though is the issue of Gay Marriage, it does seem funny why a straight guy would consider the area of homosexuals an intriguing concept, well, I don’t like discrimination and abhor discrimination of any form – based on sex, color or sexuality – I cant stand people who discriminate others.
Among my fellow Indian folks who come here, the one thing I find exasperating and even down right filthy.. is their disdain for African-American race. Indian immigrants stamp these people as notorious, bad criminals. I have lot more black friends than Caucasian and I love them for what they are. This looks silly, but I find this among many Indians, they just don’t respect the black people. I hate that.
Then comes my sports fetish, I just can’t miss games or not watch captivating events, I mean I love baseball for the way the game is. I for some reason love baseball more than cricket. I have always been a soccer fanatic, so my interests are varied and deep, I expect this interest in my partner, as that would really give us a comfort level.
Then the concept of religion, I think I myself have a very complex attitude towards religion. I view religion as more of a guide, a set of rules so to speak to suggest and cultivate good thoughts and actions. Nothing more. I don’t think I get too fanatical about religion, but I am proud of my heritage and when someone attacks my base I get riled.
So I paused, I am a religion-loving conservative that doesn’t always go to temples or believe GOD is a person and I also support homosexuals and believe they have the right to marriage. I am captivated by sports as much as by women and love to ogle. Well, honestly I donn’o how guys stop ogling once they are married. That alone is an achievement.
I do find the level of interest I have for some areas in life -- that others consider mundane or unimportant – to be a lot important to me. As much as I am an Indian I am also an American and I have habits and actions that are a healthy cocktail that I love drinking and being me everytime.
I hardly imagine I can be as rigid with some of these aspects I think I always will be, if in fact I have any thoughts of being in a married life. I guess - my mom was right - I have lot of time. I guess, there is a reason guys are single at my age and continue to be until tour parents decide “its time”. Playfully or not I am not going to ask my mom and dad that question again, for what is a simple concept “marriage” involves complex issues that am not yet willing to explore.
Right now, I think maybe never. Viva la single life.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Indian Parents, American Kids
Yo.. never cease to admire the slippery slope that some Indian parents find themselves in.. when they handle American born kids. At the heart of the problem.. a couple of misunderstandings, one each on the kids and parents part.
But, i am tempted to ignore the kids's misdoings only because they are young. I am more intrigued by the parents's misguided views, that baffles kids (and quasis alike).
Bottom line, parents have to not only acknowledge but understand that kids born here are more American than Indian. This fact needs to be understood, its plain and simple. I simply dont understand the whining parents go "look at my kid.. does not follow indian culture, is not patriotic about India.. blah blah"... It is perfectly right to be annoyed if kids brought up in India are like that, but kids brought up in America??.. Thats a dandy.. they dont have American passports for nothing, US is their country and West-Life is their culture.
I am not saying, we should let them run loose and be a nutjob smoking weed out of a hose, but at the same time we cannot and should not expect them to feel too intrigued by APJ Kalam (as much as we love and respect him).
Its a fine line, we cannot force Indian culture on them (that itself is a turn off for an American Kid), we should make them glean and inculcate the good of ours with the best of America's. Sometimes recognising the fact can be the difference between a great home atmosphere and ranchy one, particularly in the "metling pot" that foreign Desis find themselves in.
Recognise.. Realise.. Live.. Let Live..
But, i am tempted to ignore the kids's misdoings only because they are young. I am more intrigued by the parents's misguided views, that baffles kids (and quasis alike).
Bottom line, parents have to not only acknowledge but understand that kids born here are more American than Indian. This fact needs to be understood, its plain and simple. I simply dont understand the whining parents go "look at my kid.. does not follow indian culture, is not patriotic about India.. blah blah"... It is perfectly right to be annoyed if kids brought up in India are like that, but kids brought up in America??.. Thats a dandy.. they dont have American passports for nothing, US is their country and West-Life is their culture.
I am not saying, we should let them run loose and be a nutjob smoking weed out of a hose, but at the same time we cannot and should not expect them to feel too intrigued by APJ Kalam (as much as we love and respect him).
Its a fine line, we cannot force Indian culture on them (that itself is a turn off for an American Kid), we should make them glean and inculcate the good of ours with the best of America's. Sometimes recognising the fact can be the difference between a great home atmosphere and ranchy one, particularly in the "metling pot" that foreign Desis find themselves in.
Recognise.. Realise.. Live.. Let Live..
Friday, April 07, 2006
Bed Bugs: Irritating and Expensive
Yo.. have u ever been afraid of a pint-sized creature, which looks like the cockroaches great grand fetus, yeah... me neither.. until one day my world (and my room) took an upside down change.. Damn.. i never like the word change when used in these kind of contexts.
Rewind.. a few months.. sleeping n dreaming about Beyonce Knowles and Preity Zinta when bam something bit me.. i curse hell.. i curse the object.. i go back to sleep.. bam another bite.. and another.. with eyes closed i hit the spot of the bite with my hand. the room started smelling.. i was irritated.. switched on the light and moved away from my comforter and looked at my leg, B-L-O-O-D.. darn.. damn.. god-atrocious my freakin blood..
i was lookin all over what the bonkers was on.. i had to look no further than 2 inches from the spot were my O positives were strewn, a pint-sized roach-like B-U-G.. i made the sound like an afro brother D-A-A-A-M-M-N.. what the heck was that.. i went back to sleep..
once in a while this happened.. and i was too happy to prove my manliness in crushing these 1mm thugs that were drinkin my blood like we drink coconut water.. but soon they were all over... like ants .. worse than ants.. like the invading Muslim Moguls.. they were all over the place..
i was freakin shocked man.. like a brother.. man.. i aint got no clue.. what the heck i am to do.. thts when my cousin drops a bomb.. these things spread faster than spilled coffee.. now my confidence that i can control these wasps-blood-sucking mini-giants was long gone..
freak.. i got scared.. what the F bomb.. if my landlord sees this and he throws me outta the house?? Jesus Colomme.. am not gonna let that happen.. so i got creative.. with the help of a mysterious powder from my office cleaning lady, so i applied them all around the door.. the one good thing (??) was these suckers never left my room.. so i was mildly happy more so because my landlord has gotta kid whos 2 years old.. i didnt want him to go through any of this crap..
but i lost the battle.. they spread man.. they freakin spread.. like all over the place.. they got to.... my boxes.. my freaking laptop motherboard.. my clothes.. my books.. they were everywhere man.. like us.. like humans.. its like my room was their freakin earth and they like humans took control of it and almost made me extinct there..
well.. the first bug freakin dared out of my room.. and my landlady saw it.. kabaaam and i was freakin hosed.. to their credit, they helped me fix this issue.. they along with me thought this freakin thing can be controlled.. alas.. even Buddha would lose his patience with them.. the bed bugs are vicious man.. like some bad alien creatures..
it was like a freakin bad episode man.. i couldnt sleep.. i could not lie down in one location for more than one hour they like form a mole hill by you and start sending worker bugs from their bunker.. it was like watching their own TROY.. crazy.. and i could not switch off the light.. freakin things have some super special antenna which on the lack of light "unleash hell" quoting Gladiator... it was my own Armageddon as far as staying in that room..
well.. finally we had to something and we got the freakin room fumigated and its goona take 2 to 3 days for me to reoccupy my own room, because its wet.. it smells like crap and u faint like a lottery winner once you enter the room..
atleast, we hope the room is cleaner and minus those invaders from Hell.. u wont believe me i have cursed them like we all curse our next door neighbour.. its that bad of an experience.. and oh by the way i have got trophies.. i mean marks from their sucking all over my body.. freakin all over like i had a bout of omophagous fetish over myself..
it was that bad.. but its almost over.. fumigation done.. hopefully i can go back n catch the hours n hours of sleep these mini-monsters took off me.. man.. but they wont go that easy wud they.. they hit a max fine on my puny purse before they were all escorted out of my little den..
Rewind.. a few months.. sleeping n dreaming about Beyonce Knowles and Preity Zinta when bam something bit me.. i curse hell.. i curse the object.. i go back to sleep.. bam another bite.. and another.. with eyes closed i hit the spot of the bite with my hand. the room started smelling.. i was irritated.. switched on the light and moved away from my comforter and looked at my leg, B-L-O-O-D.. darn.. damn.. god-atrocious my freakin blood..
i was lookin all over what the bonkers was on.. i had to look no further than 2 inches from the spot were my O positives were strewn, a pint-sized roach-like B-U-G.. i made the sound like an afro brother D-A-A-A-M-M-N.. what the heck was that.. i went back to sleep..
once in a while this happened.. and i was too happy to prove my manliness in crushing these 1mm thugs that were drinkin my blood like we drink coconut water.. but soon they were all over... like ants .. worse than ants.. like the invading Muslim Moguls.. they were all over the place..
i was freakin shocked man.. like a brother.. man.. i aint got no clue.. what the heck i am to do.. thts when my cousin drops a bomb.. these things spread faster than spilled coffee.. now my confidence that i can control these wasps-blood-sucking mini-giants was long gone..
freak.. i got scared.. what the F bomb.. if my landlord sees this and he throws me outta the house?? Jesus Colomme.. am not gonna let that happen.. so i got creative.. with the help of a mysterious powder from my office cleaning lady, so i applied them all around the door.. the one good thing (??) was these suckers never left my room.. so i was mildly happy more so because my landlord has gotta kid whos 2 years old.. i didnt want him to go through any of this crap..
but i lost the battle.. they spread man.. they freakin spread.. like all over the place.. they got to.... my boxes.. my freaking laptop motherboard.. my clothes.. my books.. they were everywhere man.. like us.. like humans.. its like my room was their freakin earth and they like humans took control of it and almost made me extinct there..
well.. the first bug freakin dared out of my room.. and my landlady saw it.. kabaaam and i was freakin hosed.. to their credit, they helped me fix this issue.. they along with me thought this freakin thing can be controlled.. alas.. even Buddha would lose his patience with them.. the bed bugs are vicious man.. like some bad alien creatures..
it was like a freakin bad episode man.. i couldnt sleep.. i could not lie down in one location for more than one hour they like form a mole hill by you and start sending worker bugs from their bunker.. it was like watching their own TROY.. crazy.. and i could not switch off the light.. freakin things have some super special antenna which on the lack of light "unleash hell" quoting Gladiator... it was my own Armageddon as far as staying in that room..
well.. finally we had to something and we got the freakin room fumigated and its goona take 2 to 3 days for me to reoccupy my own room, because its wet.. it smells like crap and u faint like a lottery winner once you enter the room..
atleast, we hope the room is cleaner and minus those invaders from Hell.. u wont believe me i have cursed them like we all curse our next door neighbour.. its that bad of an experience.. and oh by the way i have got trophies.. i mean marks from their sucking all over my body.. freakin all over like i had a bout of omophagous fetish over myself..
it was that bad.. but its almost over.. fumigation done.. hopefully i can go back n catch the hours n hours of sleep these mini-monsters took off me.. man.. but they wont go that easy wud they.. they hit a max fine on my puny purse before they were all escorted out of my little den..
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