Saturday speak

It's a sleepy saturday afternoon. A thin layer of clouds fades the sunshine, and it seems as if a lazy sun is visiting the earth, with half open eyes. The sun definitely needs some spanking (or the clouds ? We'll let the gods decide :)

Some urgent business at work needs to be done. I was supposed to go snowboarding today and work tomorrow. But given that the last night was spent coughing with almost every breath (poor roomie, I wonder if he could sleep at all), I resentfully had to give up the idea in part asleep-part awake state this morning. Some nice morning sleep, a morning gargle, and a spiced tea later, I have comfortably settled to working from home (first time ever in life), with Pandit Jasraj resonating in the hall. And I am very much enjoying it. Working on something all alone by yourself, in the comfort of soothing music, I am inclined to think, might be meditative. I have no doubt in believing, when Donald Knuth says something like "Programming is an aesthetic experience".

Aside, last night I watched Rang De Basanti, along with a lot of friends. Most of us liked it, though some didn't like the ending. I feel if a movie can bring out emotions in you, it has been well made. Rang De Basanti did just that. Plus we had lot of desi fun like whistling, booing, and shouting things like "Rajnikanth Superstar" on a tambi friend's provocation.

And later, in a weird dream sequence, I spent time with Amitabh and Jaya Bacchan, where amitabh was making a surprise cake for Jaya, as she was sick, and that would make her feel better. Next dream was with my nani, who was again, sick. I definitely need to call up amitabh and jaya tonight, to see if they are doing alright.

Trivia : did you know,
That emerita is feminine of emeritus.
From dictionary.com,
"Emerita: Retired but retaining an honorary title corresponding to that held immediately before retirement. Used of a woman: a professor emerita."

In commune with

It is a good afternoon. Sunlight fills my room space through the two glass windows. After my bath, I sit in the sun for a while. I close my eyes, face the sun and feel the warmth. On the forehead. On the eyes. It feels nice. The warmth starts fading in a while. Discomfort opens my eyes, to find my source of warmth being shadowed by a cloud, slowly, gently. There are other small clouds, travelling lazily. I immerse myself in their movement. Racing mind breathes respite and thoughts ease in tune with the clouds. It's a peaceful feeling. Times like these, when I watch the ducks wafting in a pond or follow a butterly flit about the grass, are therapeutic for me. Sometimes I find my peace in watching such things, letting the mind drift, what they call, in commune with nature.

Sing Along

sing a song
bring along
some joy
and peace

Last two evenings have been beautiful. My way back to home involves a twelve minute walk to the bus stop. Day before and yesterday, I took to singing aloud, to my hearts content. Since mostly all traffic has their windows up, and usually I am the only walking soul, I can afford myself. I pity the poor trees and the grass. They are so good. They don't complain. Yesterday, I hummed Tagore's ekla chalo, again and again, as valley winds brushed past by. Such Joy, to sing aloud. Letting your words disappear, with no one to hear, but the valley winds, the open skies, and the spread fields. Such delight, to watch the birds glide, and sing along.

On Republic Day

I read this great post today, by greatbong which made my eyes watery. Link followed by the excerpt:

"My father, a professor at IIM Calcutta is going to retire in February. So on his last LTC, Baba and Ma went to Andaman Islands---both for some peace and quiet (they deserve it for having brought me up) as well as to visit Andaman Cellular Jail----the place where my grandfather (my father's father) , Jyotirmoy Ray [his picture in the Cellular Jail museum on the left] spent 4 years of his life [his sentence was for 7 years commutted to 4 as part of an amnesty program] as a political prisoner (He was part of the revolutionary movement in Bengal and transported arms to the revolutionaries). He died in 1991.

This post is based on a mail my mother wrote to me after coming back from Andamans"

Here's the full article.

Reading this, emotions swelled. A thousand things crossed my mind. Only yesterday night, I didn't care much if it was republic day in India. Perhaps I don't much now. A little shame. Dhikkar Hai Samaan. I know I will forget this read in a while, and go back to the available comforts. I realize that those very comforts, the freedom that I am so used to everyday, I have, because perhaps a great grandpa fought for it, with all he had. Logically, I have concluded long ago, that all thoughts are for self-interest, for self-service. Yet, this is a story, which stirs my thoughts, for all things considered noble. It makes me feel, that I owe atleast a silent reverence to this great grandpa, unknown to me, but to whom I belong. For his givings, may have enabled my freedom, my comfort, all I am.

Panchiyon ki Baatein

aaj subah maine panchiyon ki chahchahat suni
madhur komal
nirmal nishchal si prateet huyeen
unki baatein

Dheemi-Dheemi si shanth subah thi
Dhoop se Dhuan Chat-ta hua tha
Aur sangeet ke moti beekherti theen, unki baatein

kabhi rukte, kabhi chukte,
kabhi zor se, kabhi shor se
suna maine panchiyon ko karte baatein

kya kaha, kisne kaha,
kuch samajh na aaya
Phir bhi ajab tha unka swar, ke man muskaayaa
Jab aaj subah, suni maine panchiyon ki baatein

PJ time

Ok. Time for some math basics.
So.
Children:
What is four by two ? (desi english)
two
What is four over two ? (american english)
two squished

Mystic India

I recently watched Mystic India , now playing in the IMAX theatres. It is supposed to be a story about a boy named Neel-Kanth, who at an age of eleven sets out on a journey of "awakening". To quote from the movie synopsis:

Neelkanth's footprints begin to map the length and breadth of India - its dense jungles, fertile plains, majestic mountains, mighty rivers, and peaceful coastlines. Flourishing for more than 8,000 years, this land has been home to an ancient and highly advanced civilization. Neelkanth's walk would last for 7 years, 12,000 kilometers, covering every corner of India.

The first few minutes of the movie were quite good, where the narrator educates you about India. (Read, the ego swells up, and you feel pride, and pleased). However, the movie starts becoming boring, when instead of describing the life of Neel-Kanth, the narration repetitively tries to educate you upon India, where you are shown scenic shots of the land, temples, fortresses, festivals, some unintentional but hard-hitting sentences like "a country of a billion people".

Totally for the western audience I think, but parts of it feel good anyways. Some of the photography, like that of himalayas, is spectacular. The background score is decent at times, otherwise unremarkable. The characters, are unimportant, shadowed by the india-education part.

One tale I remembered in it was, when during Neel-Kanth's stay in a village, the villagers advise him to take refuge in the temple at night, to be protected from a certain death from the a jungle terror that haunts the village: a lion. To that, neel-kanth says "Tell me, are the walls of your temple protected from death ? Can you guarantee that death will not enter this temple ?"

There We Go

A friend from boulder is moving out, and on the
spur of the moment, we have composed a petty
friday evening philosophy. Here.

a bond has to be broken for a bond to be made
things have to be left for a move to be made

and heck we are proud of that.
How silly.

And there was this another piece, now that we are
being silly, lets be complete. Here.

"Slow Down, Buddy Slow Down
The cop's on your tail
He will give you a ticket without fail"

Gujre Pal

kuch lamhe aise
rah-rah kar yaad aayen

Playing Games

Fracois Gautier writes In defence of Hindu Gurus This is an article where the author plays games of prejudice using popular notions.
How ? Excerpts:

May I be forgiven my arrogance, but what Indian gurus have to understand

It's arrogant to suggest something to a Guru !

In India today, every third shop is an allopathic medical shop, whose profits go to Western multinationals (hello Mrs Karat!) at a time when Ayurvedic medicine is becoming increasingly popular in Western countries, after being disillusioned by antibiotics and other heavy-handed medicines.

Profits go to "Western Multinationals", Ayurvedic medicine is increasingly becoming popular "in West after being disillusioned"..

We are witnessing an interesting phenomenon in India today. Some Communists, some Christians, some Muslims and some Congress leaders -- all of whom have nothing in common and often hate each other are united against Hinduism and Hindu leaders.

Communists, Christians, some Muslims and some "Congress" Leaders.

Again, in all humility and conscious of the limitation of mind compared to some of these great gurus whom I have met,

Shouldn't it be "my" mind here ? Reader is not stupid, sir. Speak for yourself.

Yet, if you take the combined people power of Satya Sai Baba, Amritaanandamayi, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Swami Ramdev, Guruma of Ganeshpuri, the Shankaracharya of Kanchipuram, and so many others I cannot mention here, it runs in hundreds of millions

Sir, show me the Census.

Most of the statements made in this article are of simliar nature. The author simply combines the popular prejudices as a defence for the Gurus. Horrible.

They Lay Dead

This morning, I stared at the quiet of the graveyard. I thought of the young and the old, that might lay dead there. Then after, what seemed a long time, I gaped at the colorado high. There were the rockies, the sunlit barren and the alpines. There were the tiny houses in the valley, shining white; a lake thereby with somewhat muddy, somewhat clear, blue waters. Along with a brimful of beauty, some peace seeped in from the corner of the eye, and there was the quiet of the graveyard, as some thoughts young and old, lay dead there.

About Life

A friend just asked me
"So, what do you think about life"
And I could only think,
What rises, must turn to ashes
And what turns to ashes,
must rise again

Song of the moment:
Tu Tu hai Wahi from Yeh Wada Raha