Wednesday, June 30, 2004

"...for there is no pathos more bitter than that of parting from someone you have never met."

- P.G.Wodehouse.

Like the striking person across the street, who looked at you and smiled. Twice.
Like the girl in the bookstore with the glasses that she kept pushing up her nose.
Like the only other person who came to watch the movie alone.
Like the person two cubicles down in the train compartment listening to Jim Morrison and reading Enid Blyton.

Tuesday, June 22, 2004

Males : a study in effective communication

Male communication rocks.

Me: Hello?
V: Chal ra? (I want to smoke. I would like you to come too)
Me: Ok. Chicha's in 5. (You know I don't smoke much. But I'll come anyway. The usual place?)
V: Bye.

V: *looks at me* (We have nothing better to do. Let's get drunk. Whaddaya say?)
Me: *look at A* (Alright! Great idea. You coming too, right? Cmon man...you know you want to...you can pay me later)
A: *looks at V* (Bastard...this is all your fault! Putting me in this position...)
*looks at me* (Bastard...I'm going to become a drunkard because of the two of you..oh, what the heck...)
All start smiling, which turns into laughter turns into guffaws (Fuck it! Let's go get pissed!!)
At The Rock (7 km away) in 20 minutes, with beers, ciggies and snacks. The friggin' epitome of effective communication and efficiency.

Note: all in the days before cell phones.

Male communication ROCKS.

Monday, June 21, 2004

List of topics that cannot be discussed over alcohol

.

Non-Starter

Aaarrgghh!! This starting trouble will be the death of me.

I'm never going to do my PhD - because I couldn't get started on getting all my documents in order and sending them off in time. I'm never going to get a great job - because I didn't do a PhD (same logic applies to an MBA program as well). I'm going to get kicked out of whatever job I do have - because I couldn't get started on my work on time, therefore couldn't finish it on time. I will always remain in a lower middle management level - for all the above reasons and because I couldn't get started on hauling my lazy ass off my worn-to-the-bone couch of complacency and DOING something about my fuckall lot in life.

I am SUCH a bloody Non-Starter. And it will be the death of me.

Aaaarrgghh!!!

Thursday, June 17, 2004

NonSensica II

It had been a while since I've rambled.

Alright, so that's just my opinion - you may think I ramble ALL the time. But I have all this pent up rambling energy. Wasting it would be criminal. Led Zep said Ramble On. Eddie Vedder said Release. Aye Aye.

So I mustu also show I'm smart. 'Uber' (oh wow!) cool. So I musssstu also have a 'currently reading:' section no? What is to do the do - profound HTML ignorance compels me to have this shitty template, where italics look like something the cat was ashamed to have dragged in (reluctant bloody letters!). The ignorance, and the mature 'like, who cares?' outlook. Anyway, just so I have something to show the bouncers at the entrance to 'The Cool Bloggers Club',

Currently Reading: The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown.

Please don't tell me I could have got it for less than Rs. 255, because then I will have to kill one Mr. Karthikeya. On the other hand, if you know him, you might, just for kicks. But I don't think I will regret this buy. The secret and the mystery stuff itself may have less re-read value (like any mystery novel) but it's the facts that will continue to astound over and over. What was once the realm of fanatics, conspiracy theorists, and religious argument junkies is now common knowledge. A MUST read for all those with doubts on the origins of, and the inherent contradictions and illogicities in Christianity. It's been a while since a book has kept me up till 2 a.m. But, one has to be willing to believe. The tone of the book gives the impression of extensive research backing, so it's unlikely to be all fiction and blind conjecture.

I need to get my bike serviced!!! Monique complains...but bears it all silently. Stoic. She remains faithful, with only the occasional tantrum. Her blood grows thick and black with my inattention...it's been almost 6 months she says. 6 months!!! Damn. It's all the other one's fault, I tell her. She who beckons seductively in the evening, cradles me as the night drifts on, puts her cloak over me till the morning...she refuses to let me go till it's too late. Monique, darling, you KNOW you will not get the attention you deserve if we're late. I know you've had to bear a lot over the past ywo years...I promise honey...soon...

How come it's only when I have TONS of work to do, I goof off the most?

Wednesday, June 16, 2004

Discovery.

It's not always the greatest thing.

There are things that are better left unknown. But this deprivation of knowledge should be on the condition that one knows, or is told, all one needs to know. Or wants / needs to hear. Out loud. Hmmm...that knife cuts both ways, doesn't it...

There are too many things I want to say. One day, soon, I will. Everytime I whack myself on the head and go 'what the hell are you doing?', you come up with something magical - intentional, or otherwise. And make me go 'yessss!!'. This is, as always, all your fault.
Anyway, like they said (meant),

Love, love me do.
You (should) know I (think I..umm..err..probably...) love (umm..strong word..uhh) you (too).

[yeah, I know. Sorry...what to do..we are like only..]

Tuesday, June 15, 2004

Baraka

I was stoned.

We were at Pradeek's place. It must've been the second or third time I'd met him. He was Koshy's childhood friend, a British citizen, pothead, amazing storyteller and discussion-holder. Pradeek told us about this fabulous film he'd come across called 'Baraka' and that we had to watch it. He actually spent 150 pounds on a DVD player just to watch the opening scene of this film. For a garrulous chap, he was actually finding it difficult to explain what this film was about. But he guaranteed it was amazing and we would not regret it.

But, there's always time for a li'l smoke first.

Being a non-regular, I'm not too keen on watching films high. Cinema is an experience in itself, and I prefer enjoying it as such. But Pradeek could not have been more spot on with this one. Those 95 minutes were surreal. After the keener ones got higher, we settled down to watch. The best part about being stoned in a group is that there's a sense of security and togetherness but everyone is too busy tripping on their own to disturb the peace and tranquility with unnecessary chatter. I was a little worried that the hype might detract from the enjoyment. Not a chance. And the first scene set the pace - it blew us away.

A monkey among snow-clad mountains. Before dawn. Just doing it's own monkey thing. But there was something different. It seemed to be so calm, serene almost. Unusual, you might agree, for a monkey. It moved slowly over to a small pond. The pond was partially frozen over but there was some part still in liquid phase. Amazingly, the monkey went calmly into the water. I was freezing just watching this, but the monkey thought nothing of it. It just sat there. It seemed to be waiting for something. Ah, the sun. The sun slowly crept over the mountains. The monkey knew exactly where it was going to rise from. It kept its eyes trained on the sun for a little while, closed its eyes...

...and began to meditate.

We had no words. Not just the concept, which is not entirely unheard of, but the way the scene was shot. And it only kept getting better. I don't think any film has imprinted so many images in my memory with just one viewing. I realised I had been holding my breath.

I exhaled.

Baraka - the breath, the essence of life.

Sunday, June 13, 2004

Always, your Greek hero.

It's not easy to watch someone who was once part of your life, in any capacity, get married.

Everything changes.

Tell me - what do I do with these memories? Do I burn them in my hands, watch them blow and scatter like autumn leaves? I am very, very happy for you. And happier still that even now it's so easy for us to be around each other - no complications. It was great to see you laugh again. I hope you keep that tape of all of us singing drunk somewhere safe - I'm going to want to watch it in 10 years. Show your kids what a beautiful, crazy woman you were.

Age gracefully, buddy.

always,

your Greek hero.

Wednesday, June 09, 2004

Cleanse

Destiny’s pregnant
with my fragile, unborn future
Yesterday’s trespasses are tightly sewn
I thought ; you ripped out the sutures
Tomorrow’s now a little less perfect, a little torn
And today’s still waters breed, grow stagnant.

Yet Time flows
washes warm over past misdeeds
Cleanses; as an indulgent mother
goes to work again with needle and thread
picks out the defective, destructive seeds
makes again my fallow bed
and with hope anew endows.

Tomorrow will wax brighter yet
And I will be cleansed of your debt.
The birth will be easy, the child less fragile
And I...
I will smile.

Monday, June 07, 2004

Now.

And now, as before,
the colour fades from your cheeks
and from my glasses.
Fate's shackled palette now spews
uncertainly; spurting irrelevant hues,
colouring dark our biggest truths
and our smallest farces.

And now, as never,
I dissipate uncomplaining into the void
you created
Where there were vortexes of silences sublime
words now dissolve into noisy, unending mime.
Here, then, lies the greatest love of all,
now abbreviated.
Somewhere...beyond the rainbow, maybe...there must be limits to boredom.

Yeah, right.

Thursday, June 03, 2004

There just ain't no sight quite as beautiful as a woman in love...

Tuesday, June 01, 2004

Story of Pee



‘Pee’ is not a word.

‘To pee’ is not, or should not be, a verb. I have my theories on the origin of ‘pee’. I imagine it was invented by some socially conscious mother to keep her renally, and verbally, hyperactive child from inadvertently blurting out he wants to urinate. That would be so embarrassing, wouldn’t it? Can’t blame the child, really. Can’t expect a young one between the ages of 5-10 to say ‘Mother, I would like to urinate’ or ‘ I would like to be excused to attend to the call of nature’. ‘I want to go’ might introduce complications such as ‘Go where? Why? Who with? She’s not right for you!’ and the like. Or worse, the nightmarish – ‘Mom, I went’.

And it would have to be a little boy, wouldn’t it? I mean, we lot develop concepts of shame or socially acceptable behaviour quite late. Masculine contests relating to size and what you can do with it are essentially age-no-bar. How far, or how high is how legends are born; and they stay legends forever. ‘How small’ is essentially the entry criterion to Loserville, and there you shall stay for the rest of your pathetic, measly existence. There’s really no point to size contests with women contestants because, let’s face it, it’s a no-brainer. It’s all rather obvious. Which makes our jobs easier, initially, and that’s why we spend all that time and money trying to find out if there’s anything else worth bragging about to the guys. As in ‘..and she’s got brains too!’. No shame there, guys. If women were attracted to, and fell over themselves to bag the guy with the most brains, there would be no such species as The Geek.

But I digress.

So the little boy’s mother decided to develop a code word. Thus, the code is to ‘P’, not ‘pee’. As in, she picked the first letter of the word ‘Piss’. Now, Piss. There’s a word! It’s been used since time immemorial to signify that wonderful, natural activity. I say ‘wonderful’ because, as far as guys go, the world is our p-ground. And ‘Piss’ has so many other usages – piss drunk, piss off, take a piss at or take the piss out of someone, pisser (yes, that’s what it means), pisshead…not ‘pee’, for crying out loud. Get your facts straight – the Father of the (non) word ‘pee’ is ‘PISS’.

Use it, that’s what it’s there for. And please, tell your children the truth. As if we don’t tell them enough lies already.