I'm gonna take you to a place far from here...

No one will see us
Watch the pain as it disappears


Gotta read this, the link to which I found on Rahul's page.

Well written, it offers a perspective which I frankly never considered. Interesting.

*********************************
No time for anger
No time for despair
Won't you come with me
There's room for us there


I read the posts on the Hampi road trip, and I'm thinking, that does it.
That bloody does it.
Enough of pacifying Michelle and taming the wanderlust. Surely I can find a way to balance existing and LIVING.

One weekend to Warangal, for sure. It's just not right that I haven't yet seen the amazing temples and forts that I've heard so much about. And it's worse if you consider that the place is just 150 km away. In January.

God willing, a long trip to Kerala, God's own country, and a long-pending trip to a small village outside Thrissur. Visit an ancestral home. Visit the school which owes its existence and continuance to two generations of my family, and add another generation to the story. Watch the Thrissur Puram, and refresh rapidly dimming memories of childhood. Of a time when the Guruvayur temple used to bring the Puram to our doorstep. Of watching in awe as huge elephants walking through the streets of Hyderabad, and right in front of our house. Of the million lamps carried by the pujaris and the temple folk making up the procession. Of the trance-inducing rhythm of the bells and the huge clanging cymbals. Of the scary elephants gently taking offerings from the hands of a fascinated 9-year old.

This innocent beauty
My words can't describe
This rebirth to purity
Brings a tear right to your eyes

The Thrissur Puram happens every year around April-May, and is said to be a sight to behold. Time (and Mom) permitting, I will be there with Michelle (and hopefully some other interesting company... ;-) )

No time for anger
No time for despair
Please let me take you
'Cause I'm already there

************************************

My boss is a very interesting person and is someone I have learnt quite a bit from within a relatively short period of time. He is a deeply religious person and yesterday, I found myself discussing with him, of all things, mythology - one of my mostest favouritest subjects.

I strongly believe that there's nothing like mythology to stimulate a young child's mind. Nothing. A child that has grown up without tapping into this world will most certainly be the worse off for it.

It took all of 20 seconds for the memories and the archives of mythological trivia to come flooding back. My education was mostly at the feet of grandmothers from different cultures, and through the wonderful, wonderful , comic books that were in publication at the time. The Ramayana, The Mahabharata (knowledge of these also credited to the epic TV series'), the parallel legends and stories surrounding many of the characters of these epics. The gandharvas and the yakshas of Chandamama, the Gods and Goddesses, Pulakesins and the Cholas of Amar Chitra Katha, King Vikramaditya and the spirit Betaal. The list is endless.

(Aside : Amar Chitra Katha and Chandamama are worth their weight in gold. The story of how the publishers of Chandamama have kept the magazine alive over the past twenty years is lump-in-throat stuff, especially for those with personal memories and value attached to the mag. I don't remember the details (and my memory might be incorrect) but I think on the verge of shutting down, they suddenly received investment from 1st generation NRIs and others, who said they could not bear the thought of an institution like Chandamama shutting shop. Try and find the story on the net.
Chandamama is now getting revamped but the original publishing family is dead clear on one thing - the stories will continue to be based on Indian mythology and folklore. Thank FRIG for that - we've never needed this more than now.)

My mom handed me a Piccolo book which said "The Adventures of Ulysses". Between the ages of 8 and 10, I must've read that book a hundred and fifty times. Naturally, Greek, Roman and Norse mythology and folklore followed. Watching "Troy" was an indescribable experience; it was almost like reconnecting with old friends - remembering names, their histories, names of wives and kids, what they used to look like in my head and what they looked like on screen. Wonderful.

My boss was telling us about different temples, and the stories and legends behind the deities there. At that moment, I was suddenly reminded of the immense wealth of culture we have in India. The sheer weight of knowledge, wisdom, and philosophy we have is staggering. The ethics, morals, and powerful faith that young children pick up from our legends are things that define them for the rest of their lives. What we have to give to every future generation is invaluable.

And all we do is try so hard to paint our hearts black and wash our skin white.

I was immediately saddened by the realisation that this knowledge, culture, and wisdom is all set to disappear in the next 1-2 generations. The world's greatest and oldest surviving civilisation is giving up its 2000-year headstart to a 400-year old upstart with a delusioned and extremely shortsighted warcry of 'you're either with us or against us'. The saddening thing is we do this willingly.

But what about the children? What about our children?

Rhyme without reason
Is why children cry
They see through the system
That's breeding them just so they die

So please let me take you
And I'll show you the truth
Inside my reality
We shared in my youth

***********************************

Now that I've taken you
To a place far from here
I really must go back
Close your eyes and we'll disappear

Another year has ended. We grow older and life's concerns engulf us.
Life gets faster and faster, overtakes us, while growth gets slower and slower and we send it to an early grave. Again and again, billions of people all over the world.
No time for anger, no time for despair.
The existential angst is still there, but one still hopes for peace.
One still hopes for a return to serenity.

I'm so alone
My head's my home
And I feel
So alone
You know
At last
I return to serenity


A Happy New Year to us all.

^

A Thousand Words

(gotta love the way the red arrow points...)

Now I know why...

This thing called Wisdom,
is so unfair -
offers me lucidity,
and charges me in hair.

****************************

Two guys, one in a full suit, carrying his laptop, two large shots of scotch.
A meeting after a long time, catching up.
Two more large shots, with soda.
Work woes, business, Mumbai. Exchange stories, old friends.
Two more.
Singing along loudly with Stain'd, Aerosmith, and YYYYY M C A!
Two more.
Crowd at the bar. Pretty maids all in a row. Doom metal.
MTV producer gets friendly.
Two more.
Restricting access to the bar. Out of cigs, so start charging people in cigarettes, to let them through to the bar. Singing louder. Slurring slightly.
Spin Doctors.
YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY MMMMM CCCC AAAAAA!!! Bartenders all up on the bar and the tables.

Two more.

Plastered.
Vision, hand-eye co-ordination, and locomotion impaired. Return of the MTV dude. A crazy bet scrawled on a paper napkin, and co-signed. Standing on the chair and random handing out of business cards.
Discussions on guitars, music, northie people and mallu girlfriends.

Kitchen closed.
Stagger out. Everything's a blur.
Eat what might have been veg Biryani at seedy hotel.
Seriously vision impaired by now. Risk going back to the hotel alone.

45 minute cab ride. Make some unknown number of random drunk-dial calls.
300 rupees.

Two guys, one bottle of Scotch.
Four thousand rupees.

One night at The Hard Rock Cafe, Mumbai.

^