Monday, December 19, 2011

Season of Change.

I am feeling warm & cozy.
I am feeling loved & happy.


Although it has been my trend, 
to signpost the onset of a new romance
and stop writing after that
because the spoken word sounds sweeter 
has a loving ear
and its effect immediate,
I think it would be a good idea
to document 
the good times
for future reference. 


Dear readers, stalkers, ex-lovers, current ones, curious boys from around the world, 
and you,


please to continue patronage.
I shall reappear in an old hang out, 
in new clothing, 
and dish out
happy sappy 
pappy nappy
sloppy poppy
posts 
about

new romance,

love songs,
misty walks,
holding hands,
corny lines,
and
happy times.


Not here.
There.
Ok?




PS: I never liked you. :-)

Saturday, December 17, 2011

I will write soon

About the year that was 2011, about the weddings i attended, about this new book I am reading which I am already in love with and can't stop thinking about or for that matter talking about, about Aakash, certainly about the new company and my wonderful team.

Mr.KR said that I am a simple fellow and a man of action. And I hated him for labling me that way. But in the end it is impossible not to become what people believe you are, and the more I think about it, the more I seem to realise that I do believe in and want simple things in life, and that I prefer actions to words.

Hmmm...

I will write soon.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

My dad is Zen

I have spent a lot of time trying to read about being Zen and detachment and all that jazz. 
http://zenhabits.net/zen-attachment/ that article has been open in one of my tabs since August.
Always open.
I glance at it everyday just to see if any of it makes sense, to see if I can be Zen too by practicing some of the things it talks about. Do read it sometime. It is thought provoking. 



And the more i read it the more i realise that it takes a lot of effort to be Zen. Some of it sounds brilliant on paper but nearly impossible to implement in real life. And the more I read it the more I realise I have someone around me who practices it on a daily basis without giving a damn about the difference between the philosophy and the car. 
My dad is Zen.


He is! I kid you not. 
He is totally Zen.
And the best part is

he doesn't know it. 


I can't believe I am actually going to type the last sentence of this blog. I have spent hours, days and years vehemently fighting it, protesting, kicking and screaming against the very notion. I have debated long and hard (don't go thats what she said on me now, I am actually typing something very serious! Oh god, I can't help it. That's what she said!!!) with people around about parent child relationships and how they have such a great influence in our lives and all that. I have struggled to accept the fact that my parents have shaped my life in more ways than I would like to accept in public. But then that was before, when I was a rebellious, hot blooded, testosterone influenced youngster, who had to take the other side just for the heck of it, who had to argue because I liked a good debate, and went so far as to believe in the sides I took even though I sometimes realised that I wasn't always right. Now, I am older, with a slightly broader perspective on life, having encountered my share of deaths and defeats and defenselessness. 
Okay here I go, and I will never be able to say it out loud, never be able to admit this to anyone anywhere inebriated or otherwise, never admit in court or elsewhere that it was me who typed this out, in my senses, in a state of mind that would be considered normal by society standards. 




 
I wish I could be like my dad. 

This is the end, This is the beginning.

...I like you. I want to date you. I am attracted to you. I think yo are a beautiful person. I want to be with you. I want to make love to you. I want to be able to possess you and belong to you. I want to hold hands with you and walk miles. I want to cuddle up with you and watch corny movies.
I want to have endless conversations with you. I want to look you in the eye, say I love you and mean it. I want all of that. Now now. Not today. In due course of time. 




Saturday, November 19, 2011

The dance

He
Takes a deep breath,
Unfurls his wonderful plumage,
Showcases his full splendour,
Jumps around on his two scrawny legs,
Weaves strange mesmerizing patterns,
Not stopping till he finds a mate.




The hunt has begun. 

Friday, November 18, 2011

Diminished to an Excuse



How did this happen?


You were a living breathing soul, 
full of yearnings, 
and unfulfilled desires,
with wants and dreams
both mundane and fantastic.
Never missed your serials, 
Always made everyone comfortable, 
Forever concerned about 
everyone's well being.
Curious like a child,
wanted to know everything
that happened around you. 


And just like that
you shrank within yourself
pushed out the dreams
shooed away the desires
severed connections
breathed your last
turned into ashes
disappeared 
into the raging waters, 
diminished to an excuse.



A feast every day in your name
Pavakka pitla, Kathrikka kootu, vazhaikka podimas, paal payasam
Poshnikka sambar, beans poriyal, chowchow kootu, semiya paysam
mor kozhambu, koas poriyal, vellai pooshnikka kootu, kadala pradhaman
vendakka pitla, many vegetable poriyal, porichakootu, kesari
capsicum sambar, urulai curry, aviyal, rice payasam.







"Sorry, I couldn't meet you last week, my paati passed away so I had to be at home"


How did this happen?


Wednesday, November 16, 2011

borrowed from xkcd...

Everything

The cement garden

"there!" she said, "wasn't that a lovely sleep."




























































Such a gripping read it was. 
The way the four children cope with the loss of their parents... 
It's not everyday you come across a book that portrays vividly a crumbling suburban family of four children and  their ordinary lives with an extraordinary eye for detail. 
They jump out of the pages and walk around you, in flesh and blood, and the tension is so thick in the air that a stray sharp breath shatters the silence.
The boys puzzle you with their experiments, the girls catch you off guard with their swift back and forth transitions from responsible adults to giggling adolescents. 
The last few pages startle you, shake you out of your skin, leave you gasping for breath, staring at nothingness.


Where do I go from here?
Anything I pick up next will pale in comparison.
The soft sweet smell of paper lingers on long after I put down the book. 


This has to be a rare haunting read. 

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

The Conversations

Lots of calls, from all around the city and from outside as well. 
Mostly women, married, with children who want to do their little bit. 
Lots of repetition, spelling out my email and telling them the one liners about the company.
I haven't had so many one on one conversations in a single day. 


I must admit that I was surprised by some of the people who spoke. 




And I think I have about 10 potential team members. 
And three schools. 
And loads of kind hearts


who like what we do.
who have immense faith in us. 
and who believe we are doing something great. 


And...
here is the best part. 


My dad.
My mum.


They are happy. 




Ha!

Sunday, November 13, 2011

About a boy, a girl and a man.

Kamal Hassan must be a fun guy to hang out with.
He is smart, charming, knows lots of stuff, and has a great sense of humour.

I met him.

--------------------------------------
And first pangs of love kick in for the man.
He misses her like crazy.
His minutes crawl like years in eager anticipation of an sms or a call.

She is out of the country on a vacation that is stressing her out
because she is away from him.
She spends 4k on international roaming calls every day.

He admits that he hasn't felt like this every before.
He realises that this could be a big turning point in his life.

She is madly in love with him.
She is ready to throw everything away to come be with him
this very instant.

He jokes most of the time but in reality he
can't
be
without
her
for
long.


She is
truly
madly
deeply
in
love.

And they are getting married in February.
------------------------------------------------

Alas, I wish I could be like that, just for a few hours.
The innocence of first love.
The storm it stirs up within. 
The obsession.
The passion.

-----------------------------------------------

Saturday, November 12, 2011

the talk

Was attended by a massive crowd of 25 people.
It was well received by yawns and walk outs.
And it was quite short, just over an hour long.

But...

Unfortunately, I have convinced people to work with me.
Now I don't know what to do.


Thursday, November 10, 2011

:'-(

Sid's paati passed away today.


Why are we going through tough times?



Wednesday, November 9, 2011


I remember you used to sing me this lullaby when i was very little...


I remember the kindness in your voice. 
I remember the pathos.

I know you cared the most for me of all your grandchildren.
Because you thought I was special. 

Because you strongly believed that I was a blessing from your favourite gods, a boon for your prayers and all the payasam you made and gave the children in your streets. 


I didn't treat you like you were special to me. 
You were just an old annoying lady who interfered too much with my life. 
I matched every act of kindness with an equal act of scorn.
I matched your every word of concern with equal disdain.


I wish I could have said sorry for being rude and silent all these years. 


I did feel sorry. 
But I never had the courage to look you in the eye. 
I was too proud to admit that I was wrong.
too proud to say it. 





It was too difficult to see you so weak and shrunk.
Just yesterday I came to your room and stood behind you.
I wanted to tell you everything will be alright.
I just couldn't get myself to do that. 

You were not aware of my presence.
You were in pain.

Waiting for your time
to go.






I can still hear your voice when i think very hard and try to remember. 


I wish I could sing this for you. Just once. 




Hallula Hai… hai hai hai apadalu kaayi
Kurra vaandranu kayi sriranga sayi
Kurra vaandranu kaayi sriranga sayi… 
Pedda vaandranu gayi perugala thandri 


Kanchikipoyeti gaajula setti
Kanchi kaamakshamma yevaraadapaduchu
Sivakanchi yelina sivuniki bharya
Vishu kanchelina vishnuvu chellelu 


Yevoori vaadavo yevadavaadivo
Mayintikochhavu maababu neevu
Aavooru eevooru anniyu tirigenu
Maababu chadivenu mamanchi chaduvu 


Chadivina chaduvulu andaru meccheru
Mechi mechi manchi bahumatulu iccheryu
Vachina bahumatulu anniyu choochenu
Maa manchi alludani maama pogidenu 


Chichose kukkaku siggela lede
Chinni maa advaitku nidarela raade 
Andaari maamalu chandamaamalu
Maa abbayi maamalu rama lakshmanulu 


Chinnariponnari chalakave nuvvu
Gunnamaami meedi panjarapu chiluka
Chilakamma chelaregi chintakommekkenu
maabaabu chelaregi maama bhujamekkenu 


yedavaku yedavaku verri na tandri
yediste nee kalla neelalugaaru
neelalu kaarite ne choodalenu
palaina kaarave pasibabu kanula


achhamma buchhamma adilacchamma
sri venkatesuniki yendare satulu
acchamma bucchamma adilachamma
andarilo chakkanidi alamelu manga 
And she is no more.



Rest in peace, dear Krishnaveni.
(1928 -2011)







:-(


Monday, November 7, 2011

goodnight, and good luck

hmm... who would have thought that good conversations can be waiting around the corner to take me by surprise and make me happy? :)


----------------------------
And the landmark sale came to an end and I went there thrice in the last two weeks.
I went there today and bought another 16 books.
You won't believe what happened there. The guy at the counter gave me everything for half the price after the discount! That meant books that had 199 written on them were billed for 99 and those with 99 were billed for 49!

And on top of that the fello gave me a 200 buck discount for no reason. 
Shit. 
I can't believe that actually happened.

October -Nov 2011 is the first time I ended up spending over 10k on myself.
And almost all of it was on books. 

Happiness. 




-------------------------------


Big week this.
I have a talk and a storytelling session lined up at the end of the week.
I am totally looking forward to it.



-------------------------------


Back to work tomorrow. I hope great progress is made this week. Wish me luck. 

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Our changing lives

It wasn't what I had expected at all.
She was a pleasant surprise.
A woman after my own heart.
She reads books like there is no tomorrow. 

We even like the same authors and books and quotes and words.
A little reserved to begin with but we couldn't stop talking once we got started about books.
She is comfortably single.

With a tinge of regret on not having lived outside home. 
Her dad is her life.
She likes her work.
She goes for Yoga classes. 

"Whatever works", works for her. 
Such uncanny similarity. 


Our comfortably lonely lives.


I will have to work hard to make a space for myself in hers.
I am not going to do it. 


And that has pretty much been the case in so many people I have met in the recent past. 
Irrespective of gender.
Everyone's got something going for themselves. Everyone's happy in their own little worlds.
Nobody seems to be ready to experiment. Ready to try out something new. 

Nobody wants their routine disrupted.
Nobody likes change.



And I am not saying that with regret or longing or anything.
It is simply an observation.
Maybe because I am in a turbulent, evolving phase of my life, I find it a little strange that people my age are happy with things around. They few I know rarely seem to try out new things, they really don't want to get to know new people, don't want to visit new places.

Why is that the case?


I mean, I can understand the reluctance my mum shows whenever I try dragging her to a new restaurant or make her play a new game on my comp... But people my age?




And then, every once in a while these changes happen and take me by surprise.
The walk out by her.

The marathon by thambi.
The romantic side of buay. 
The angst that surfaced in me. 


I talk as if I am always evolving and changing. I was the most comfortable man you could have found four months back. My world revolved around 2nd main road, gandhi nagar & mandaveli and insti.




Our changing lives.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Notes to myself (don't care about the numbers anymore)

What do I write today?
That I felt like an adolescent falling first time in love while watching Dhanush in Aadukalam especially the euphoria he captures so well in otha sollaala and yathe yathe?
That I can't stand too see my grandmum die day by day, trying to shit through a hole in a plastic chair with a bucket under it to collect her trickling feces?
That I can't believe that inspite of her repeated "I want to go away without troubling anyone" she is actually unable to fight back or let go and needs to be taken care of like a baby?
That I am simultaneously disappointed and enlightened at the ease and anxiety with which her sons and daughters are waiting to see her kick the bucket?
That I am amazed at the strength and will power of her 91 year old husband who is doing everything he can to make it last?
That I am trying hard to convince people to cut down on the budget of the bachelor's party that we are planning to throw for ashwin who is probably going to get drunk too soon and pass out?
That I need to pay a visit to the doctor to get that little thing growing out of my anus checked?
That I am looking at every possible interaction with a member of the opposite sex as if I need to remember it to tell my grandchildren that I am going to have with her, "hey so thats the first thing I told your grandma and she was floored by it" or "she thought I was a total jerk at our first meeting"?
That I can't believe that I forgot how hard I tried to be detached throughout my longest relationship only to realise later that I wasn't so detached after all?
That I am not really focused or that I am not really putting in my 100% into what I believe to be my only decent chance at doing something worthwhile?
That I realised I might actually be good at a lot of things which I thought I sucked at, like making a good first impression, planning work, getting work done by others etc?
That I am looking forward to my first newspaper interview more because I think I might actually try to flirt with the interviewer than the fact that it is my first interview?
That I am actually going to give a talk in the insti to a bunch of MA final year students and I am super confident that I am going to be remembered for it by those who will attend it?
That I urge to possess is greater than the urge to appreciate what I possess?
That I would much rather buy books and smell them rather than sit down and read them?
That I have realised that I want to write for a living but I simply can't even if my life depended on it?
That I am so conflicted that I am starting to wonder what my so called fundamental beliefs are?
That sometimes I wonder if I might actually be a Fire sign instead of a Water sign knowing fully well that neither means shit?
That I like to imagine what life would be like if I ended up spending the rest of my life thinking about what the rest of my life would be?
That I am often surprised and shocked at the effort and energy people put into things that mean more to me than to them?
That I am usually unappreciative of such effort, be it in the form of love, affection, time, energy, work, kindness etc?
That I am so much like my dad and mum in expressing love, that takes on the form of "I will do a,b,c,d things to make sure your life runs smoothly while you need to do e,f,g,h things to make sure mine is equally good"?
That I keep hoping to see a familiar face in the latest mms clips that I watch often?
That I would much rather watch life than live it?
That I actually believe I am going to pop off very soon, by 2015?
That I don't actually feel like waking up in the morning fresh and energetic and getting started with work even though this is the closest I have ever gotten to loving what I do?
That I keep telling myself I don't care who reads these rants of mine while I secretly hope that someone would be mighty impressed and fall madly in love with me and change their thoughts and opinions based on these rants?
That I ended up writing way more than I thought I would?
That I am going to stop writing these posts because I don't feel like anymore?

Friday, November 4, 2011

Is this unconditional love?

She is delusional.
She keeps asking if she is sitting up or lying down.
She wonders why people are trying to wake her up in the middle of the night.
She keeps thinking she has soiled her clothes. She can't remember her loo visit that she struggled to walk to, half hour back.
She is 83.




He takes care of her.
He spends sleepless nights sitting next to her.
He keeps talking to her, while she drifts between consciousness and sleep.
He feeds her, he gives her medicines.
He is fiercely protective about her.
He barely gets out of that room, and even when he is sitting in the hall,
He hears her call and runs to the room. It turns out that he imagined it.
He is hanging on to her for dear life.
He is 91.



They have been married for over 65 years.



Monday, October 31, 2011

She sleeps so peacefully.

Let her sleep.
She isn't waking up.
Let her sleep.
She will be alright tomorrow.
Let her sleep.
Let her sleep.
Let her rest
in peace.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Can't stop crying


I can't stop crying. She heard the bell ring. She walked with the support of her husband. She came and sat down next to me. One seat away from me. She could hardly speak. I smiled at her. She said she wanted to sit next to me. For the first time in her life she was in a nighty. Four sizes too big for her even though it said medium in it's tag. I smiled at her. I was drunk. And I walked away. From one seat away from her and sat at the dining table. And I broke down. I can't stop crying. I haven't spoken to her in years. I can't stop crying. she is 83 and dying. All she wanted was to sit one seat away from me. And she was happy to see me. It was 11 in the night. And I can't stop crying.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

notes to myself 23

and we try to overwrite memories, in vain.
We hope we can do the exact same things, remembering the past, recreating the present, in hope we overwrite the past.
It doesn't  happen as well as you hope it would.
It happens in a way you aren't in control of.
You then resort to hoping that the other version of the same day same time happens in way that the current memory gets destroyed with passage of time, with new, powerful memories.
I hope you had a good diwali.
A new life, a new movie, a new movie.

In retrospect, I think it was okay the last time around, the same way it was okay this time too.
I hope you never have to go through what i had to, I hope you had already forgotten what I tried hard to erase
---------------------------------
I think I have a much larger memory than I had hoped I had.
------------------------------
So I am going to make it tougher than I had hoped it would be.
------------------------------
Why is it that we hold on so much than we expect we would?
------------------------------
In fragmented sentences, in fragmented thoughts,
I capture memories that I wish to forget.
In measured words, in censored versions,
I pray not to remember you.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

notes to myself 22

My friend Sancho.
Such a nice read.
A pleasant breeze.
-------------------------
Was busy writing the b-plan exec summary last two nights.
Just about finished.
Waiting for edited version to come back.
Wish me luck, ok?
------------------------
So, I have a feeling we are going to blow away 5k for an unsatisfactory output.
Because there seems to be something basically wrong here.
You don't want to do it anymore.
------------------------
I can't believe I convinced this girl to block that boy today!
I seriously can't believe it.
And then I gave her a bit of faith, and a bit of strength and she did it.
But the surprising part was that she broke up with the other boy.
I wonder what was going through her head.
------------------------
Happy Diwali, folks.
------------------------
Milestones,
insignificant ones.
Like writing a 100 posts.

Lets talk
where there is something
significant,
ok?

Sunday, October 23, 2011

notes to myself 21

Very long day.
Very little to say.




Won't someone
just take me away?





Saturday, October 22, 2011

Ono no Komachi




The autumn night
is long only in name --
We've done no more
than gaze at each other
and it's already dawn.
         (Tr. Hirshfield & Aratani)


Though I go to you
ceaselessly 
in my dreams,
the sum of those trysts
is less than a single glimpse
granted in the waking world.


  Was it because I fell asleep
      Tormented by longing
        That you appeared to me?
      Had I but known I dreamt
      I should have wished never to awaken.
               (Tr. Helen Craig McCullough)



                 I thought to pick
              the flower of forgetting
                for myself,
              but I found it
              already growing in his heart.
                       (Tr. Hirshfield & Aratani)


      A thing which fades
              With no outward sign
                Is the flower
              Of the heart of man
              In this world.
                       (Tr. Arthur Waley)





                 Those gifts you left
              have become my enemies:
                without them
              there might have been
              a moment's forgetting.
                                          (Tr. Hirshfield & Aratani)


        Sad -- 
              the end that waits me --
                To think at last
              I'll be a mere haze
              pale green over the fields.
                                     (Tr. Burton Watson)


                This body
              grown fragile, floating,
                a reed cut from its roots...
              If a stream would ask me
              to follow, I'd go, I think.
                                     (Tr. Hirshfield & Aratami)








The flowers withered
Their color faded away
While meaninglessly
I spent my days in the world
And the long rains were falling


  (Tr.Donald Keene)

fleeting thoughts 2


I was going through some old chat conversations.
A lot of them.


And...
I hate to admit it.

I was an idiot.
I was mean and rude most of the time.
I was selfish.
I was lazy.
I refused to go out.
I hardly said nice things.
I was discouraging.
I was controlling.
I was always making jokes.
I never listened.
I never paid attention.
I was all about me.

I wasn't respectful.
I wasn't caring.
I wasn't decent.
I wasn't accommodating.
I wasn't fair.
I wasn't kind.
I always took.
I hardly gave.
I had very little to give other than my time.
And I stopped giving that too.

I know I tried compensating by providing whatever little I could.
And I realise that it didn't matter much.

I am sorry.



I think I took away too much and gave too little and I never realised it.

I think that explains the desperation in my posts, the craving for your all-giving kindness. 



I hardly gave you what you you wanted.
I never gave you what you desired.

I think you deserve better.

Much better.

And I hope you will get it someday...
-------------------------------------------------------

me: hmmmmmmmmm


R: :)
I love you :)

me: i love you tooooooo R.

R: thissss much?
 :)

me: yeah!
thisssssssssssssss much!

 R: :) aww..
 uve become so nice... since we got back.

me: whats that supposed to mean???
 huh
 huh
 
R: hahahahha..
 i mean u wre nice before..
but that whole.. u being nice. respectful.. extra caring..
 was not there.

me: what?!
 WHAAAATTTTTTT?
 
R: not as much as now!
 i mean.... u wud never say ... " why do u sound like u got fucked from behind?" ...
 to me now..

me: hahahahaha
 hahahahaha
 ofcourse i will!
 :P

R: of course u wont.

me: i dont remember when i said this!

R: nto as serious as how u said it then though

me: lol
 hahahahahhahahaha
 
R: whaat :(
ure much nicer now.

me: awwwwwwww
 thank you
 you are much nicer now too

R: and you've helped me grow. and i think it took awhile for u to realize.. ive grown.

me: hmmmm

R: i was always nice :D

me: hahahah
 yeash
 thats true though
 you have always been nice
 :)

 R: :)
 thats because i love you.
i am very selfless when it comes to you.

me: hnmmmmmmmmmm
 yeah
 :)
 true

R: :)
ok ill go sleep now ok..
 temme something nice before i go no
okay ill call u.
 bye

me: okay
 you call
 and i will say nice things
 :)





I don't remember if i did.

 --------------------------------------------

Goodnight.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Notes to myself 20

I have been posting continuously since 15th of last month (barring the 3day gap during my Kotagiri visit)
I am going to give myself a round of applause.
applause
applause
clap clap clap
clap clap clap
--------------------------------------------
Today I thought about a lot of people in my life.
I was mailing a lot of people and before I typed out the mail I spent a few minutes thinking about the last time i met them or spoke to them.
I had forgotten that I knew a lot of people. And I had known them well, too.
At some point of time I had been very good friends with them.
And then they had disappeared from my life.
Sad, no?


It breaks my heart
\to think
that you are going to
disappear too.
-------------------------------------------
And then I got in touch with my long lost friend.
My agony aunt, my 'trip' friend (for we used to trip on each other ever so often), my all time love, my once-upon-a-time college crush, my very dear, happy drunk Maneetah...
And she would describe me as her girlfriend, her bitch, her trip mate, her comedian, her entertainment...

She was, between 2006-2008, quite close to my best friend and my favourite senior in college.
And these phases overlapped. (Oh yeah, they did. How come? because... keep reading)

We used to like similar things. Our tastes in book, music, men were sometimes very similar.

We used to be very good friends, but then we randomly stopped talking to each other sometime at the end of 2009. And I renewed connections with her today and we have a lot of catching up to do.

Girl talk!


Because
she
is
a
leo.
-------------------------------
Long working weekend ahead.
All over again.
Sigh. 

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Notes to myself 19

Hmmm....
So I usually know within two months where it is going. I am not the kind to stall too much. If it is taking longer than that, then it could mean
a) balls need to be grown 
b) comfortable where it is right now, not gonna do anything about it. 
c) am not that attracted.
d) I will milk it as much as I can till I find something better. 

This is my rule of thumb. 
And yes, it gets complicated the minute "where is this going?" or "why hasn't it happened yet?" comes into the head. 

I would have gone for it by now, if I really really wanted to. I won't think too much about the shadows of yesterday or the shape of tomorrow.
And I did too, long ago. 
And got myself a keeper, too, you know?
-------------------------------------------------
I really need to learn to be clear and precise when I write. 
I am learning though, slowly.
The hard way.
I learnt today that "to begin with" is not the same as "in the beginning" and they could be interpreted in vastly different ways. 
-----------------------------------------------
I have been meeting quite a few people these days.
And I found a strange commonality in these people.
People seek out comfort zones and get into them easily.
We always want simple things in life. A work that we like or don't mind too much, decent salary, a house as close to work as possible, vegetables and provision stores close to that house, a few friends at work, a few friends outside, few living nearby, weekend outings, long walks, healthy food, movies, dinner, sleep, a boyfriend/girlfriend without any complications, maybe a long distance relationship, a place to call home that we visit once in a while and long for at other times, a mother and a father who will be around for very very long and not fall sick too often, a mother and father who we don't want to be like but secretly admit to be otherwise, a hobby or a sport to follow, a belief system to fall back on whenever in doubt, a party or a function to attend once in a while, a little celebration, a comfortable bed and a cozy pillow, a good loo where we get to be ourselves for a few minutes every day, lots of  happy memories of school and college life, a few sad ones thrown in to make the happy ones seem happier, a few books to read and some time for ourselves to do all the nothing that we want to do. 

I want these things too, sometimes. 
But I want more.
Lots more.


I don't want a comfort zone.
Not yet.
-----------------------------------------------
The best part about having fantastic realizations or coming up with theories is the certainty that we get with it. And the little voice at the back of the head that says, "ha, you fool" that we choose to ignore but remember later on and laugh about. 
----------------------------------------------
I have a little piece of goodnight with me.
It's came in the mail this evening, in the form of "Congratulations, your program has qualified to the next round of our business plan contest.", one that I applied to in a hurry, typing furiously with tear-blurred vision... 

Thank god for small mercies eh?
--------------------------------------------
And another round of indulgence.


Black Hole - Charles Burns
Zot! - Scott McCloud
Lucky - Gabrielle Bell
Louis Riel - Chester Brown
Abandon the Old in Tokyo - Yoshihiro Tatsumi

At 199 a piece.


Ohhh, Somebody Stop Me!
-----------------------------------------------
A Retrospective, from Illusions, Illustrated.

This was a poem I had found long ago and posted in my first blog on Thursday, August 21st, 2008.
I read it again recently and I thought, hey, why not end with a little taunt. - :-)



'It's raining in love'

I don't know what it is,
but I distrust myself
when I start to like a girl
a lot.

It makes me nervous.
I don't say the right things
or perhaps I start
to examine,
evaluate,
compute
what I am saying.

If I say, "Do you think it's going to rain?"
and she says, "I don't know,"
I start thinking: Does she really like me?

In other words
I get a little creepy.

A friend of mine once said,
"It's twenty times better to be friends
with someone
than it is to be in love with them."

I think he's right and besides,
it's raining somewhere, programming flowers
and keeping snails happy.
That's all taken care of.

BUT

if a girl likes me a lot
and starts getting real nervous
and suddenly begins asking me funny questions
and looks sad if I give the wrong answers
and she says things like,
"Do you think it's going to rain?"
and I say, "It beats me,"
and she says, "Oh,"
and looks a little sad
at the clear blue California sky,
I think: Thank God, it's you, baby, this time
instead of me.

-- Richard Brautigan

fleeting thoughts

It popped up in my head this morning, between the twin states of dream and sleeplessness.

A very good friend told me, a long time ago, when I had gone to him looking for sanity,
"the best thing to do is to talk it out. No point ranting about it to yourself or some third person. Be it a matter of the head or the heart, get the concerned person, sit down and have a straight conversation. No point in playing with it in your head. It doesn't help at all. Go, sit down, don't stand, sit down and talk - heart to heart, head to head, individual to individual. "

Hmmm... talk it out. 




Notes to myself 18

Did you know that there was originally a tagline below my blog title that read in black font in black background,
"I = you"?
------------------
I attended Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma's concert today.
With Chinni.
And then I showed him my library and office.
And then he wanted to treat me for taking him to a fantastic concert.
So I took him to Treat.
And we had a lovely dinner of rotis and stuffed tomato and Veg Kohlapuri.
And then on our way back in Awesom-O I asked him to help me out with a story that I have been thinking about for two years.
And he listened to me patiently and he gave me my first piece of advice.
Rule number one - Make it as personal as possible. The story has to be about individuals and not types. So write from your life experiences. Do not write from the cinema you have seen or from the morality that has been ingested by you over a period of time. Do not to be judgmental about the characters you create. Let them speak and act for themselves. Write from your heart. Let it flow. Do not have any rules or restrictions when you write.

Thank you Chinni.
I hope to write my first draft soon and get to the more interesting part.
----------------------------
It's such a nice feeling to hear from an old friend, who is now in Texas and calls himself El Sapo from El Paso.

And so much faith and confidence he has in me.
It's reassuring.
Gives me hope.
Thanks El Sapo.
You made my day.
--------------
First day with first new member of the company went well.
Hope it gets better from now on.
-------------
Today,
I
go
to
sleep
a
happy
man.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Notes to myself 17

It was a long walk from the bus stand.
I crossed the road slowly, dragging my feet.
There were two people standing at the bus stop.
A boy, with a backpack and glasses and a girl.
They looked like sales reps, the ones you spot in pondy bazaar
peddling encyclopedias.
They stood three feet away from each other.
It was 11-25pm by my watch.

And yet they stood there
unmindful of the time,
eyes fixed at the distant road
wishing for a bus.
Casting quick glances,
feeling secure
in each other's presence.
----------------------------------


Such a Long Journey is coming to an end and the unrest in the book coincides with the unrest within. I don't want to get out of that world. Please let it not get over no?
Gustad... Dilnawaz... such earnest characters I wish I knew them. And so much love they have for each other, day after day twenty years into their marriage... 

Abhi na jao choddkar, 
Yeh dil abhi bharah nahi. 
------------------------------------

Monday, October 17, 2011

notes to myself 16

Lonewolf, Upstairs.
Good one, no?
-------------------------
I keep saying "Mannneyh Mannneyh Manneyh Mannneyh Manneyh" the way Ajit says it in Mankatha and its a strange adrenaline rush. I end up laughing that evil laugh and feeling like I own the world.
Surely, those guys were onto something big. Go ahead, try it out.
Say it the way he says it and I dare you to tell me that you don't feel the rush too.
---------------------------
I just get this strange feeling that very soon I will witness death around me.
I wish I could express this sensation in words. I can actually feel the cold fingers of death coiling around her neck slowly... squeezing out the life juices drop by drop. I can see her struggle, put up a fight.
I can smell the fear the escapes from her mouth whenever she gasps for air.
I can see the longing in her eyes, the lust for another day, an extra hour, a few stolen minutes.
And I can understand her need to speak, to interfere with life that seems to be happening without her contribution. She wants to be heard, she wants to speak as much as she can before it is too late but nobody listens to her. She is made to shut up, by her son, by her husband and sometimes by her conscience.
She is dying, and she knows it. She is putting up a good fight. She is a survivor. She always was.
I can't look at her.
I avert my gaze quickly if our eyes meet perchance.

I don't have the decency to smile at her or acknowledge her presence.

I don't have the courage to walk up to her, go close for she can't hear very well, and say sorry.
I know it would make her happy if I spoke to her. I know she would find peace if I did.
I don't know why I wont.
---------------------------------
I need to learn grammar of
English.
Cinema.
Life.
----------------------------------
Are mothers really that attached to their sons?

And this is how i stay sane

Binged again at Landmark. 
I outdid my previous outings and bought 17 books this time. 
Not to mention the six I bought yesterday. 


I think I know what the problem is.
I have money to spend. And I have no life.
Plus I think I am subconsciously satisfying my urge to possess. 



Anyway, 


I bought the following books yesterday. 


American Born Chinese - Gene Leun Yang - My library has a paperback which I had borrowed and read, but this hardcover feels nice in my hands. It is a multi layered story about trying to fit in. It has a Monkey King who wants to be taken seriously as a god, a Chinese boy who is trying to fit in to his new school in the USA... 






Notes for a War Story - Gipi - Wow, Such lovely watercoloured panels. Its by an Italian Artist known as Gipi, about the lives of three boys in a war torn country in Europe.




Bloomsbury Good Reading Guide - It was 99 bucks and I thought it would make a nice companion for the year ahead. 


Astro Boy - Osamu Tezuka - Finally I have something by the genius. It's a small book and I think it covers about two episodes in the super long, extremely famous series. 


Arzee the Dwarf - Chandrahas Choudhury - I had ordered a copy from flipkart but it's not with me anymore and I wanted to read the book so I picked this up at 99 bucks. It's about a short man who works in a cinema theatre. I think it will be a good read. 


Anthropology: 101 True Love Stories - Dan Rhodes - this caught my eye and is turning out to be a nice read. It has 101 stories with each having exactly 101 words. They are fictional stories from the point of view of a guy. There are a lot of girlfriends with strange and quirky names and some of them are hilarious. 


Try this one for example. 

As part of the getting-to-know-me process, Nightjar told me all about her ex-boyfriends. She went through her shoe box full of photographs. 'His penis was much bigger than yours,' she would say, 'but he had bad breath.' Or, 'He was quite old but he could still go all night.' When, at last, she had finished, she asked me about my romantic history. I told her I had been waiting all my life for that special someone, and how glad I was now I had finally found her. 'Ah, I see.' She rolled her eyes.

'You're one of those.'


I laughed so hard after reading that. I think this one's a keeper.


So all those I bought yesterday. 


And these I bought today. 


Yarns and Shanties (And Other Nautical Baloney): The Twelfth Sherman's Lagoon Collection - Jim Toomey
Sharks Just Wanna Have Fun: The Thirteenth Sherman's Lagoon Collection - Jim Toomey


These two books are collections of comic strips about "the misadventures of an overweight, lazy Great White shark named Sherman, his controlling, hot-tempered wife Megan, and the friends and foes they share their tropical home with." 


They were 49 bucks a piece. 


Beware in the Graveyard - Satyajit Ray's Feluda mysteries in graphic novel format. 49 bucks, and I thought this might be interesting. 


Rude, Crude & Tattooed - Zits Sketchbook - Jerry Scott, Jim Borgman. - This is again a comic strip collection. I love Zits! It is hilarious. About a teenage boy Duncan and his friends and family. It's sort of like a grown up Calvin & Hobbes. 






Thats just a sampling of what Zits is about. Go read it online. There are truckloads of it archived everywhere. 
49 bucks again. 


Klezmer: Tales of the Wild East - Joann Sfar - This was the most expensive buy of the day @ 249. I always wanted to read/own something by this guy. He is supposed to be one of the biggest French Comic Artist today. This one is about Jews during the War.


Lie - A traditional tale of Modern India - Gautam Bhatia - Indian Graphic Novel. @ 99 bucks. Had to get it, didn't I?




Forge - A CrossGen Anthology. NO idea what this is about. It came for 49 bucks and looks super colorful. 


Commando - 3 in 1. For action and Adventure. -Again at 49 bucks, I had to get myself this comic for its very mention makes Bala and Chinni go nostalgic. I think a lot of people grew up reading Commando. Did you?


Strangers In Paradise - Treasury Edition - Terry Moore. - Oh this is special! So Strangers in Paradise is a b/w comic about these two girls, women actually, Francine and Katchoo and their friend David Qin. It explores the complex relationship between the two. And this treasury edition is simply gorgeous. Rs.199




Britten and Brülightly - Hannah Berry - Turned out to be the discovery of the day. It's a murder mystery and it looks so mindblowingly beautiful. Rs.199


The Little Man: Short Strips 1980-1995 - Chester Brown. I simply had to buy this one. I am sure very few know/remember this little piece of trivia. This blog got its name from one of my favourite graphic novels by Chester Brown, I Never Liked You. And this book is a collection of his short pieces. Aaaah. I can't believe I own a  Chester Brown! @ Rs.199




Superspy - Matt Kindt - this is again a super buy. "Super Spy is 52 interwoven short stories about cyanide, pen-guns, heartbreak and betrayal. Each story follows the life of a spy during World War II. Spanning the globe from Spain to France and Germany, this book takes the reader on a tour of the everyday life of the spy." @ Rs.199




Animal's People - Indra Sinha. I bought this book because it said Shortlisted for Man-Booker Prize in 2007, and it came for all of Rs.49. It is a work of fiction set in the backdrop of Bhopal Gas Tragedy. (ha. I can't help snigger everytime i say gas. :-( Sigh...) 


Sin City - Hard Goodbye - Frank Miller - Rs.199 and I pounced on it. 


Eisner/Miller - So these two guys, legends in their own right, Will Eisner, and Frank Miller met up for a conversation over a long weekend and spoke about comics. And this book is sort of like a recording of their conversations. Intrigue made me buy it. And the price tag - Rs.199.


Wimbledon Green - Seth - Can't believe it. This is my second Seth! And Wimbledon Green is about a comic book collector told from various perspectives and many different formats. Rs.199 


Push Man & Other Stories - Yoshihiro Tatsumi




I teared up a little bit when I found this book on sale. It was such a surreal moment. I still can't believe that I have been reading comics for about 3 years and all of them downloaded from the internet... and suddenly I am the proud owner of a lot of comic books. And some of my favourites too. 
It feels strange. And very unreal. 
If you had to wake me up and tell me it was all a dream, I have just one request to you. 
Please tell me I have been dreaming 
for 
over 
three months.