Today

the train splashed snow
and two pairs of eyes
saw it come and go

came from nowhere
to nowhere did it go
today
the train splashed snow

From The Ancient Mariner

I have come upon this poem once again, the last time I read it fully was probably never. I haven't read it fully today either. Here we go with an excerpt:

And to teach, by his own example, love and reverence to all things that God made and loveth.

Farewell, farewell ! but this I tell
To thee, thou Wedding-Guest !
He prayeth well, who loveth well
Both man and bird and beast.

He prayeth best, who loveth best
All things both great and small ;
For the dear God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all.

The Mariner, whose eye is bright,
Whose beard with age is hoar,
Is gone : and now the Wedding-Guest
Turned from the bridegroom's door.

He went like one that hath been stunned,
And is of sense forlorn :
A sadder and a wiser man,
He rose the morrow morn.

गहराई

कभी कभी आँखों से दिखाई नहीं देती
बस महसूस हो जाती है

That Night

I sat on this cliff in front of a thundering ocean, waves lapping up the vast shore. It was a foggy night and you couldn't see far, but you could hear the waves coming. There would be a huge rumble, and you would see the sea of white flowing out from the fog, floating towards the shore. It was beautiful and frightening at the same time. You couldn't see anything, but you knew there was this vast body of water in front of you, the water was cold and endless. Many a seafarers had taken a ride in such waters, some had perished, some had lived. Though you were sitting in the security of the shore, yet, you felt there was a mystic might in front of you, and it raised your heartbeat.

I would switch back and forth, between admiring the waves, to listening to their rumble, to thinking of ones that occupy my mind. I called a couple of people I could that night, so they could listen to the waters. At one point in time, I took my shoes and socks of to feel the earth, closed my eyes and listened. The earth felt soothing, chilly. Then watched the waters again.

I sat there for another while and walked backed to find my landmark of the two palm trees, where I had parked my car. A few foot steps and you couldn't hear anything anymore, the sea was away, the moment was gone, the heartbeat was normal.

Sunset at the Ocean

Today, I took a sunset drive and walk on the beach. The waves came one by one, rushing, roaring, and it was a wonderful thing to walk on the sand. The waters spread end to end, vast, endless. There were a lot of gulls on the beach, probably feeding on stuff brought by the waves. A surfer boarded in the waves.

Khulapan

कभी नंगे पैर घांस पर चलिए
हमेशा जूते पहने रहेंगे
तो जमीन से कैसे जुडेंगे

ज्ञान

चार आखर हम जान कर
कहते औरन को अज्ञानी

बेजुबान

क्या कहूँ की जबान थम गई है
दर्द-ऐ-दिल की हालत बयां करने की हिम्मत नही है
जिन पैरों से हम आज शिखर पहुंचे
उनके साथ चल रहे कोई कदम नही हैं

(playing with words)

Shaam

महफिल-इ-जिंदगी मैं हर शाम नयी है
इतना जानिए
गयी शाम वापस नहीं है

Fashion

I've just finished watching this movie and I feel sad right now. Great performances by Priyanka and Kanangana.

साइन करुना

इतनी कीजिये
की आप हमे क्षमा करो
और हम अपने आप को

haar

मान ली है हमने
मुक्कदर के आगे

It is not that I follow everything

but I like writings like these.
------
The supreme good is like water,
which nourishes all things without trying to
It is content with the low places that people disdain
Thus it is like the Tao
In dwelling, live close to the ground
In thinking, keep to the simple
In conflict, be fair and generous
In governing, don't try to control
In work, do what you enjoy
In family life, be completely present
When you are content to be simply yourself
and don't compare or compete,everybody will respect you
------
From a translation of Lao Tzu writings
The last line actually goes completely against the world that I live in. Without competition there's no success, no escape from poverty, no prosperity.

Performance with tantrum

Watch this little one.

Jai Ho

Dance Performance!

Good song

I just discovered. Help me make it through tonight.

Vividh bharti ki aur se

pesh hai yeh gana. Although I must say, I dont like the picturization. It's a good song on a sad scene. I don't like the lyrics either. The melody is good, IMHO.

aisa kyun hai ki

हम कहीं और जाने की कोशिश मैं
जिंदगी कहीं और ले जा रही

प्रेरणा

फूल को नही चाहिए
खिलने के लिए

(related verse from bible: http://siphar.blogspot.com/2005/05/order_24.html)

moh

कुछ ने मुझसे कीजो
कुछ से मैंने कीजो
एक मानुस मोह मैं मरते देखियो
एक मानुस मोह मैं पलते देखियो

Chinta

My Nani's house used to have Shirdi Sai Baba's poster and 10 sayings in their middle room. Of these I remembered this one today

"चिंता चिता के समान है"

Insurance

is the price you pay for doing well in life. I don't say it's good or bad. It just is.

(Evening stu-pi-dity)

Slumdog Millionaire

When you are in a creative field, particularly something like film or music,” says Rahman, “you can be tossed between highs and lows, good reviews and bad reviews. To maintain equilibrium, you have to detach yourself and abandon yourself merely to the service of music — look at it all from a different perspective. For this, the destruction of the ego is very important. At the same time, there are ironic counterpoints. If you don’t have an ego you can switch on and off, you cannot make music, you cannot do something extraordinary. You have to be committed to the idea of excelling the standards you have set yourself, fulfilling expectations. So, there is a good ego and a bad ego. Something like music also draws you away into another energy field — money, fame, women. For a long time, these impulses used to pull me in separate ways — the desire to renounce and the desire to achieve. You can never perfect these things, but finally now, I feel I am walking in sync, with both impulses hand-in-hand.

Find the full profile over here. A R Rahman.

Kanchana says her brother wanted to be an ordinary boy — sleep late, play carom — and used to resist being woken at seven by his mother to practice the piano. But the mother, fervently knocking at temples, churches, and mosques, was determined to refuel the prophecy. Suddenly, around the time he was 11, destiny came knocking again. The family met Karimullah Shah Kadiri, a Sufi pir (at a railway station, goes the apocryphal story). Karimullah foresaw the boy’s entire future and said Dileep would come to him in 10 years. “That was the turning point,” Rahman admitted in a rare moment of candour to a CNN interviewer. “Everything happened as he said it would.”

The heart stirred.

प्रकृति

आज सुबह बे-पत्ते पेड़ पर एक चिडिया दी दिखाई
शांत सुबह मैं मिठास सी घुल आई

aaj

अपनी चारदीवारी मैं चक्की पीसते हुए

मैंने खनखनाती धुप देखि

सनसनाती बर्फीली हवाएं झेलीं

इधर टकराया उधर गिरा

कभी फिसला कभी फिरा

ऐसे दिन गया रात आई

पूछो मत कितनी थकन आई

और अब दे न बहार कुछ भी दिखाई

पर अब भी गब्बर सिंह

चक्की पीसिंग

चक्कं पीसिंग

(maay de snovboarding tude, a phev laains)

(I wrote it, translated to hindi in blogger and retranslated to english. This is what it became from "my day snowboarding today, a few lines").

mahatvakanksha

मैं कुतुब मीनार पर जा हुआ खड़ा

लेकिन कद फिर भी नही बदला

लोग कहते वोह देखो कुतुब मीनार चढ़ गया अगला

मैं हँसता कुतुब मीनार चढ़ गया पगला

लेकिन कद फिर भी नही बदला

main

मुझ मैं खोट है

लेकिन मैं खोटा नहीं

मैंने jhoot बोले हैं

लेकिन मैं झूठा नहीं

मैंने सच बोले हैं

लेकिन मैं सच्चा नहीं

मैं कौन हूँ?

मैं तस्वीरों की इस भीड़ मैं

अपनी तस्वीर तलाशता इंसान हूँ

Bebasi

हम तो मयखाना कल रात ही छोड़ आए थे
आज कदम फिर बहक गये

Kaash

के करवटें बदल के
सपने बदल जाते
हम लगे इस कोशिश मैं
की थोरे हम बदले
और थोरा दिल

A few lines from LOTR

I sit beside the fire and think

Of all that I have seen,

Of meadow-flowers and butterflies

In summers that have been;

Of yellow leaves and gossamer

In autumns that there were,

With morning mist and silver sun

And wind upon my hair.

I sit beside the fire and think

Of how the world will be

When winter comes without a spring

That I shall ever see.

For still there are so many things

That I have never seen:

In every wood in every spring

There is a different green.

I sit beside the fire and think

Of people long ago,

And people who will see a world

That I shall never know.

But all the while I sit and think

Of times there were before,

I listen for returning feet

And voices at the door.

[Bilbo Baggins in LOTR]

Duvidha

सवाल यह नहीं की लोग क्या कहेंगे
सवाल यह की हम अपने आप से क्या कहेंगे

कोशिश

तोह कीजिये
पर ख़ुद बा ख़ुद खुल जायेंगे
आप खुले आसमान मैं उड़ना सिख जायेंगे

cheesy

mujhe pata nahi jindagi phir kabhi mauka de na de

aaj din accha hai, ishi bahane I want to say

happy valentine's day

दो पहिये

जिंदगी की गाड़ी के दो पहिये
पैसा और प्यार
कोई एक न हो तोह मुश्किल
क्यूंकि प्यार से पेट नही भरता
और पैसों से दिल

Ishq

ke shahar main

anginat galiyaan

har gali main ek kahani

kahin nayi kahin purani

kahin puri kahin adhuri

Naya Gana Man Bhaya

From 3 Idiots

kahi-ankahi

हर बात कहने की नही होती
कुछ बातों की अहमियत 

उनके अनकहे रहने मैं होती

(phir se playing with words)

Bhookh

लोगों ने ज्ञान के मोती कई बिखेरे
पर मोतियों से कहाँ किसी का पेट भरा है

बंधन

कुछ मिले बने बनाये
कुछ हमने बनाये
हर बंधन के संग
thore दुःख और thore सुख अपनी झोली आए

Samay

आज हम एक और पुरानी गली जा कर आए
जहाँ रोज़ आना जाना हुआ करता था
वहां ज़िन्दगी बहोत आगे निकल गई है
उस गली को अब हमारी जरूरत नही है

(तुम मुझे बूँद दो, मैं तुम्हे टब भर दूँगा। you give me a droplet, I'll fill the tub. smiley)

Raah

दोस्त तू मन की राह चलना
फिरआगे कुछ मिले न मिले
कुछ बने न बने
इस बात का गम न करना

(Easier said than done)

घर

वही जहाँ अपनापन मिले
बाकि बस चार दिवारी है
दो बोल हंस के आप बोलिए
दो कोई और बोले
तोह दुनिया सुनहरी तुम्हारी है

(वास प्लेयिंग विद वोर्ड्स। इंग्लिश इन हिन्दी इस फुनी)

New York

from a pair of eyes. Love the post.

The Beautiful Blue

I woke up to a deep blue sky over dark blue mountains. To say the least, it was mystic.

कुछ पंक्तियाँ

कभी सफ़ेद कभी नीले कभी हरे
कभी सुबह की लाली
इन पहाडों की छटा निराली

मैं निहारूं आँखें फैलाये
कभी पुलकित
कभी मुस्काए

इतनी सुन्दरता इन पहाडों मैं
की मेरी आँखें छोटी पड़ जायें
मेरी आँखें छोटी पड़ जायें

one more

Socho Kya Paaya humne Insaan Hoke

Main koi Jhoot Boleyan

Song from Jagte Raho. Love the motu Sardarji

Tumhara Dil

Nice Song from Gulami. कोई शक.

Another one, mere pi ko pavan

मय

के कितने भी प्याले खाली करो
वोह प्याला रहे भरा का भरा

bavra

मन करे बादल बन जाऊं
जहाँ हवा ले जाये
उड़ता चला जाऊं

Khamosssh!

I
Kill
You

- Achmed, the Dead Terrorist

rahat

kuch yun mili

subah ki hawa ne

maathe par haath phera

muskurahat

इस बात पर आई
की दर्द भी वही
और दवा भी

क्या कहें

की कभी कभी हमसे परेशां हो
आइना भी नजरे घुमा लेता है

ek khel bacphan ka

बचपन मैं माँ नीचे बैठ कर रोटियाँ बेल्तीं थी

और मैं उनके कंधे पकड़ कर खड़ा हो जाता था

बेलन आगे जाता

मैं आगे

बेलन पीछे आता

मैं भी

एक छोटा लोया मुझे भी दे दिया करती थीं कभी कभी

खेलने के लिए

सादा सा खेल था

मैं था

माँ थी

और रोटियाँ

If you are bored

Watch Daydream

आज दोपहर

बर्फीली सफ़ेद पहाडियां देखते
मैं घांस पर लेटा
नीले आकाश मैं तैरते कुछ बदल थे
बादल देखते देखते
आँख बंद हुई
और तमतमाती धुप चेहरे से टकराई
पल भर के लिए आज दोपहर
चैन की नींद आई

Federer

Post australian open final I haven't read any articles, didn't have the time or the inclination. I did want to write about it however. Whatever sports I've watched and followed thus far in my life, this was one of the greatest games I've ever seen. Of whatever tennis I've seen, it is my feeling, that the quality on display was unmatched in recent history, save the wimbeldon final last year. I had fun watching every bit of it, except the last set. In any case, here's to the hope that federer will find his faith in himself again, and enjoy his tennis again. When he'll play free of the burden of greatness, he'll win. Congratulations Nadal.

naadani

समंदर के किनारे
बच्चा रेत का घर बनाये
मैं सोचूँ हासिल क्या
नादान वो भी
और मैं भी

एक लगन

ऐसी जो छुपाये न छुपे
दिखाए न दिखे
लगाये न लगे
मिटाए न मिटे

अपडेट: copyright rin supreme

safar

एक छांव तले हम दोस्त बने
कुछ देर साथ बैठे
बातें ki
खाना बांटा
खेल खेले
ऐसे दिन बीता रात गई
नई सुबह हुयी
नए रस्ते मिले
इस उम्मीद संग अलग चले
के कहीं किसी छांव तले
हमारे रास्ते फिर मिलेंगे

Ibadat

हमारी आंखों ने की

आज रात को हम उन्हें तारे दिखा लाए

पास की पहाडी पर

रेत का बिछोना है

खुली आंखों ने

ख्यालों मैं लेटे

कुछ तारे इधर देखे

कुछ उधर देखे

इतने मैं हवा sarsarai

तारों से भरा आसमान दिखाई दिया

कुछ कहते हैं पीर-पैगम्बर का घर यहीं

थोड़े नमन किए

थोडी साँस ली
इबादत

हमारी आंखों ने की

Dosti

यारों के संग
इतनी मोहब्बत एक पल मैं भरी
के जिंदगी जी पुरी
क्या खोया और क्या पाया
क्या दिया और क्या लिया
इसका हिसाब ज़माने पे छोड़ते हैं

gratitude

चंद पलों के लिए
हम मिले तो सही
कुछ दूर ही के लिए
हम चले तो सही
हाथ मिले न मिले
दिल मिले तो सही

दस्तूर

तुम्हे बदलेगा
या तुम उसे
चैन न इधर मिलेगा
न उधर

चाहत

बहोत बरस हुए अपनी छत पे गए
पहली बारिश मैं भीगे
जि करता है इस बार फिर वही सड़क लूँ
जिसके मोड़ पर घर आता है

Nasha

पहले पाँव उठते नही थे
अब रुकते नही हैं

Mohabbat

आज सुबह ki धुप थी
बिन मांगे मिली

Life

लोग उम्र गिनते हैं सालों मैं
हम लम्हों मैं जी रहे ज़िन्दगी

Simpu Singh

His videos bring a smile back home.

Zay Kya Hai Veen

Kumar

Marks

Pure Veg

And this

Thakur ..

Aiyyye ! Zay Kya hai Veen. Haath upar karke Khade ho jao. Haath upar karke :)

Oh Beautiful

Radha pyari by MeeraBai, sung by Lataji.

Midnight monkiness

Life is a long hike, travel light. 

A Song

Itna na mujhse tu pyaar badha. A friend of mine used to like this very much. Sung with great tenderness and care by Lata Mangeshkar and Talat Mahmood.

Webchutney

It's an ad agency based in Bombay I believe. It's ads are superb! 

Sample1

Sample2

Chulbuli

Chulbuli. I remember seeing this ad in India an year ago or so. Loved it Totally.

Identity

Yesterday morning, I went to the Tibetan Kitchen with my friend. There I met a Tibetan, whose family had emigrated to India. I thought he was a Buddhist monk because he was dressed like one.  There is a beautiful wide shot photo of a city at the foothills of a mountain range, on one of the walls in the Tibetan Kitchen.  I asked the owner, he said it was Lhasa. This man who stood beneath that photo, he asked us, "Where are you from"? I said I am from India. "I am from Himachal Pradesh, Kullu Manali, Aap kahan se hain", he said.  He knew Hindi, we started talking and invited him over to have lunch with us. The sunlight felt bright and warm. The owners seemed happy to have us and interested. He had studied in South India and now has started a school here in boulder. He talked mostly, we listened. His manner was calm and gentle. His face changed when he talked about his family, the suffering his people have undergone, the loss of their homeland, their identity. We asked him about the Dalai Lama, what Tibetans want now. The owners, mother and son I believe, occassionally came, and listened, or talked to us. He said that the future is unknown to him, and that he didn't know what will happen after Dalai Lama. But he thought that the fire was strong, much strong in the newer generation and that they will continue the fight.

Matt Once Again

Where the hell is Matt

Two ways

There is the way of the mind by which we conduct our lives in relation to others. As we grow up, depending on our environment, what the world throws at us, and our inclinations, we collect a set of ideals that inspire us, motivate us, drive us, to achieve, to attain. Naturally, some ideals are thrown away, some new are acquired as we grow. 

In this there is a great role of family, friends, society. A good and stable family, friend circle, society, provides us with the freedom and ability to set our ideals and supports us in attaining them.

Yet as life happens, we all have this desire to lose oneself to one or more things. That is the way of the heart. This is something that is not taught to us, but here and there, growing up, we perceive it to be true.  

Most of us, oscillate between the two. The ones whose mind is strong we climb the mountains, we sacrifice ourselves. The ones whose heart is strong, we sacrifice ourselves, we climb the mountains.

My Nonsense.

America Return

My mother and father visited me recently. A couple of days ago, my mother's mahila mandal, did a Samman to recognize her visit to America. She said she spoke a few words and that "America is good for a trip, but we cannot live there". 

Samman means to pay respect.

Warmth

Years one to ten of my past were spent in a village named Khakharia, Gujarat. As winters came, that meant diwali vacation and a visit to Ujjain. Though my grandparents from both sides lived in Ujjain, I would be excited at the thought of meeting up with my cousins at Nani's house. At that time, there were no children or friends to play with at my paternal grandparent's house, and I must have found it boring. 

We would usually take the Sabarmati Express in the night from Khakharia and it would arrive early morning in Ujjain. From there an auto rickshaw would take us to Dadaji's house. There would be mild fog, a few people on the roads wrapped up in shawls, a gathering around a fire maybe. The air still seems fresh as if it was yesterday. All the hatred for the big homework to be finished before coming back to school was forgotten.

Soon my calculations would start revolving around when and how would I get to Nani's house. There were no telephones then, so somebody from their house or mine would have to pay a visit. There would cousins to play with, especially the youngest one. There would be sweets and namkeen mami and nani made, there would be games, there would be firecrackers to be bought with Mamaji. 

After a couple of days at Dadaji's house, my parents and grandparents, willingly or unwillingly, would let me sleepover at Nani's place. All cousins would sleep together in the night, in the hall. I would have already gobbled more gulabjamun's than anyone. The youngest and I would be shouted at for not going to sleep and chattering after the lights were off. We would turn each other and then the other cousins over to see if they were really asleep or faking. Eventually, sleep would come naturally.

Morning would be a ruckus. Mami would be busy making Chai for everyone. Other elders in the family would be numbering for morning motions and a bath. We children would be the last ones, although I would come out of the rajai before the others, for the chai. Sometimes, one or two of us would go back to sleep, and then we would be given ultimatums; before 8'o'clock everyone has to be done with a bath. With so many people in a small house, and the youngest and I running around, it must have been difficult to have some order. So the culprits would be made to take a bath, their heads dipped in oil, hair combed and would be sent out.

We would sit out for a while, looking at other people, chattering, planning something, maybe how to get a coin out of Nani to buy chocolate, or wafer fingers. I remember vividly. It would be chilly, the morning sun would fall on the skin, and there would be a feeling of warmth.

Aurora Borealis

The photos.

The Science.

Dancing

Growing up, I was shy of dancing, in public presence. No wonder one of my childhood pet names was pappu. Pappu_Can't Dance Sala. That shyness, I think, came from being somebody. Even a small child has already developed an acute sense of personality, and that, I think, more than anything else, is the reason for the reservation. In childhood, the fear of looking awkward, clumsy and being laughed at, stopped your feet. At that time, these words were not there in my mind, but the fear was.

Once in a while I got pushed onto the dance floor, courage took center stage, but I didn't enjoy it as much. When you dance with somebody, for somebody or in front of somebody, that is a performance. Performance by default has consciousness associated with it, I think, and that is not real fun for a non-performer. 

As you grow up, the inertia builds, the desire to move yourself to the music gets pushed into a corner.

Yet, over the last few years there have been times when I've danced free, to my heart's content. And  I understand this about dance. It is an activity which lets you forget yourself, if you let go and immerse yourself. The very act of matching yourself to the beat, the melody, the words, sets you free even if only for a few moments. 

Obviously, if you live on ground floor, that helps.

Snappy The Crocodile

A friend of mine showed us this video, today, while random-surfing youtube. Schnappi the crocodile

Another song from Slumdog Millionaire

Peppy, fast number, Jai Ho.

No words

From slumdog millionaire, Latika's theme

A song

Over past few years, I have read works of quite a few Indian saints, poets. I haven't read any one of them in a lot of detail, however I've read excerpts here and there, online and in books.

Of these, today I remembered Mirabai. Somehow while talking to friends, we ended up in a frivolous discussion on Indian literature and ended up talking a bit about Mirabai. Regardless of what I bantered with my friends, she's is one of the Indian saints whom I respect.

Here's a song in her memory:
Teri Deewani by Kailash Kher

Not that this song does justice to her works or life. It's lyrics are not that impressive or influential for me, yet there's something about Kailash Kher's voice which is very likeable, earthly, rustic, may I dare to say. It's that feeling which he conveys by his voice that I attribute to her devotion.

(Earthly is what I read somebody else describe his voice as)

Change

Can a person really change? How much? The worldly wisdom tells me that old habits die hard, that people are made of their past more or less. So if I will be thirty soon, do I have no hope :)?

The Debate Is Here

I just read this news and I am interested, in listening to both sides.

Two influential speakers will face off next month at the University of Colorado in a debate titled: "What’s so Great About God? – Atheism vs. Religion." The debate, organized by the school’s Aquinas Institute for Catholic Thought, will feature Dinesh D’Souza and Christopher Hitchens presenting their cases for and against organized religion, its influence on world history and impact on current events.

Infy Chief

writes

Random

White Russian. It was our intern's going away get together and I tried this today. Good drink I say. I had a margarita before that. At my home, they say you should never have lime with milk. Citrus with lactic is bad?

In any case. One of my favorite pieces of music is a snippet of the pachelbel's canon. A good version is available here which I listen to once in a while. My favorite measure comes around the 2 minute mark.

I edit my posts sometimes to rework things and the damn blogger word verification annoys the hell out of me.

Journalism

I don't even know the A B C D of this topic. However, what I understand is, a journalist reports a story, which becomes news. And it is my belief, that when a journalist collects the story, she or he has to collect the facts, and do a fact-check.

I've always been interested in this topic, and so that's my first post on it. I hope to learn more and post more about this stuff.

Hail to Tendulkar

For a tendulkar fan, this is a most happy hour. I remember Chennai test against Pakistan, and this victory has healed that.

It takes two sides to make a good match. The English chose to return and play their hearts out. The Indians responded as a team, and what a match we had.

Sehwag, deserved the man of the match for setting it up; Yuvi, Gautam, Tendulkar, and all others, played their part. And so, in playing their part, both these teams have given cricket fans a memorable match.

More later.

I must appreciate both the captains, Pietersen and more so, Dhoni. They've led their teams well. Most of my knowledge comes from cricinfo articles, and from what I've read, the stories of these two guys are remarkable in themselves.

Tendulkar, dedicated his century as a tribute to the Mumbaikars who are suffering. I hesitate to say this, but he has done his part, and I've to figure out what I can do.

Reboot

You know that feeling when your world is falling apart and all you can do is watch helplessly? Last night my toshiba satellite laptop stopped booting up on me. Yes, I know, we have no life :).

Now it is common knowledge amongst friends that the battery has been on death bed since past few months. However, it is also not hidden, that we can beat any other homo sapien in the competition for laziness, and being disorganized.

We dig the well when the fire breaks out. Just like the Indian government, where the heads roll after the disaster happens.

Obviously, we haven't backed up our drive in a while. Result is utter panic which leads to trying things in desperation, frustration, self blame, and finally, resignation.

But, that's where we are different from the Indian government. We have nobody to fire for this fiasco.

And so, we did give up, but only temporarily and let our minds settle down. Sometimes, silence and calm opens new WINDOWS and brings the much needed inspiration, motivation, life.

We figured there has to be a way for the processor to bootup without the battery. So we took the damn battery out. And thanks to the engineers who built this, it boots up fine. With just the power supply!

Vienna

I was watching PBS travel and I learnt two interesting facts.

Vienna apparently is famous for it's coffeehouses.

The story goes that coffee was first brought to Vienna by the invading Turkish army in the late 17th century.

When they withdrew from the city, they left behind several sacks of coffee beans.

The Viennese found they liked the drink, and they built around it a whole way of life.

Link.

Unrelated, Vienna was where Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Strauss, Mahler, lived and composed.

Most of what I have heard is limited to Mozart and Beethoven, and I don't have a great patience for long symphonies.

Yet there are still some classical pieces like the "moonlight sonata" which I really appreciate.

Tonight, biggest full moon for years

Tonight's full moon, it is the biggest and brightest full moon to be seen for 15 years.

Another astronomical treat that could be seen tonight and for the next two nights is the annual Geminid meteor shower, one of the year’s best displays of shooting stars. Up to 100 meteors an hour can fly across the sky. The meteors, which are easy to spot with the naked eye, appear to shoot out from the constellation Gemini, hence their name, but they can be seen all over the sky. However, with a full moon so bright, the best place to look is away from the Moon.

Slumdog Millionaire

Imdb

Slumdog millionaire is the best movie I've seen this year. It is a fast paced love story set in Mumbai with a really good script and great casting. The protaganist is a chai-wala, Jamal Malik, who is the in the hot seat of Who wants to be a millionaire, and one question away from it.

I thought the perfomances were really good, specially by the child actors. The background score does justice to the movie and unlike other bollywood movies, is neither melo-dramatic, nor overbearing. Though the movie is almost entirely in English, yet somehow it doesn't seem out of place. This is one of those word of mouth movies; all my friends whom I've spoken to after watching it, I have asked them to go see it.

As far as I think, if this movie doesn't win an Oscar for Best Movie, I don't know what should. Yes, it is that good.

As an afterthought, the famous Pasteur quote, "chance favors the prepared mind", fits perfectly with the story.

गुजर रही कुछ यूँ जिंदगी
की कुछ और पाने की आरजून भी नही

Return to India

A friend of mine forwarded me this: Return to India. It takes you through the journey of an indian-american family moving back to India. My friends will attest to the fact that I too am the always talking, never returning Indian.

Ped se bichaad patta nadi se mila
Kisi ka daman khali hua, toh Kisi ka bhara

Iponder

Empty soup cup. The black spoon inside reflects the hall light in two stripes. Does that observation have any value to it?

Reading

Past few weeks I have been reading short stories by leo tolstoy. So far I have read:

The Death of Ivan Ilych
The Kruetzer Sonata
The Devil
Walk in the light While there is light

Presently, I am reading Hadji Murad.

Of these, so far I have liked The Death of Ivan Ilych the best and then Hadji Murad. One particular sentence that struck me hard from The Death was "Ivan Ilych's life had been most simple and most ordinary and therefore most terrible".

While reading the Kruetzer Sonata and Walk in the light While there is Light I couldn't help but compare the main characters to Ayn Rand's for the simple reason that they would keep going on an on expounding a particular philosophy in what would seem like lots of pages. Then it seemed like the author was talking to you in the garb of the character.

While reading the Death of Ivan Ilych I kept thinking about Nikolai Gogol's The Overcoat.