Renditions of my mind

Whiteness

2010-12-09T12:49:00.002+05:30

Look up. Look down.

Six months on from the last time I was here ... much has changed.

What gives? Why so scared? Why is change so hard to accept?
Decisions. Some good some bad and some just plain shocking.

The fragility of human relationships ...

... surprises me everyday.

Summer breeze

2010-06-17T17:43:00.000+05:30

Stories untold and blogs unpublished. Place holder to remind myself.

The killing fields

2010-05-24T15:15:00.003+05:30

The water was still and yet just fifteen feet deep at its deep end. The shikara cut through the weeds with the faintest of splashing on the side. Just enough to let you know you're on a lake. A lake in the middle of the city. The touristy bits faced the road - in full view of all who were smitten by the house boat bug. Not me. I wanted to see what life resided behind.

I took the shikara in the narrow water lanes by the side. Barely squeezing through the weeds and the old dilapitated hutments. The locals sitting quietly in their porches, sipping on hot tea on this cold evening. Little pink-cheeked kids screaming, playing hide and seek, while their mothers pluck supper from their vegetable gardens. Gardens which are in their own backyard - in the middle of the lake. The narrow back alleys were just like ones you'd see in any city - Mumbai, London, New York. The florist, the cafe, the vegetable seller - all in one place.

The sun was all but gone. The orange hues began invading the skies. The clouds took this opportunity to roll in and make the already perfect scene better still. I asked the man to stop rowing. We were in the middle of the lake. I wanted to capture it, just like any annoying tourist with a camera should. And as I clicked away furiously trying not to miss a single moment, I realised why I was the fool. I put my lenscap back on and lay back. This was not one for the camera.

I must have been staring at the fading light for a good thirty minutes before I heard another voice to my side. "Sahib, if you're going to be here for more time I suggest you take this. It will keep you warm", said the man handing over an angeethi full of red coal. I looked at him wondering what a life that must be. I thanked him and asked my oarsman to join me around the angeethi. We talked about the golden era when Kashmir regularly had choc-a-bloc streets full of tourists and when Bollywood came calling on a regular basis. The days which earned this valley its moniker of 'Heaven on earth'. How it was revered to be the most beautiful place one had ever seen and how it all has gone sour. He pointed out the structures by the banks where bombs had, at one point or another, razed the structures completely. The streets where day long gun battles had led to mass exodus of the locals. We spoke of the army and what its presence meant to the locals. We spoke of the Kashmiris and why they'd flown. The stories would have taken me months to pen down and years for him to recite. I could feel the lump in his throat and swallowed hard trying foolishly to make it go away. I asked him to take me back. I promised I'd return. Soon.

Kashmir will always be one of the most beautiful places in my heart. I'd seen Scotland at its prettiest and while its no Swiss Alps pretty it is nowhere close to the pristine beauty that is this valley. There is more character at every bend and every little cottage in here than I'd ever seen.

I vowed to come back.

A promise I'm yet to fulfill.

A choice is made of free will
Just like the choice to kill
In the speed of a moment
Life stands still now you're standing in my killing field

Resurrect already

2010-04-23T12:43:00.000+05:30

Resurrection is not my speciality.
But I think its about time this blog came back to life.

Up and atom!

Coda … revisited

2009-11-24T01:45:00.001+05:30

Sometimes memories take you back a long way. This piece, even though thoroughly abused by musicians all around, takes me back a long way – 15 years back.

In memory of all the things we all gave up one by one as we grew up. To all those choices we made and path we carved. Just because we were too lazy, couldn’t stick it out or because we too afraid.

Regrets are not all bad.

Weighty start

2009-11-23T12:13:00.000+05:30

The state of affairs are dismal to say the least. I had vowed to put up something here everyday. That was on November 15, 2009. Nine days and one introductory post later all I have managed to achieve is multiple level jumps in Cafe World on Facebook (I detest the hold it has on me) and a whole season of Frasier (I love that show).

Today out of guilt I sat down and downloaded the Windows Live Writer app which makes blogging less tiresome (I hate Picasa’s inability to format properly and the whole business of using Blogger itself is just too much). WLW has been a good discovery. It lets me do any number of format changes without mucking things up. The plugins are functional too. The picture displayed above was put up using one of them. I never post hyperlinks as much but with this tool its as easy as reading when on the can – multi-talking without knowing it. All in all that is one less excuse I should have for not writing more often.

In other news the Jazz Utsav 2009 was not a complete disaster. Even though the venue was changed from a lovely location by the sea to a closed room - Blue Frog, the music was good enough to keep you entertained. I bet though I would have stayed much longer and enjoyed it more were it at the original venue. Damn the BMC for being their usual stupid self and trying to kill all things culture. This is one of the biggest reasons why I love developed nations more. I feel there are fewer nincompoops there. I’m no saying they aren’t there at all – just fewer. I had planned on getting the entire thing on camera but when I heard it was in Blue Frog I gave up the idea of carrying my camera and this is the best I could do with my phone camera.

Pretty scratchy if you ask me. I would have never put it up were it not for my desire to fill up this space for lack of words :)

That should do it.

Tomorrow then …

Dawn to dusk.

2009-11-18T02:29:00.001+05:30

Here's to a new beginning. Let's hope I keep to my resolution of writing everyday for the next 30 days. Well that and exercise everyday. But then we all know how that works out. So buckle up and get ready for a heady ride. There will be much venting and grumbling. There might be some rib poking and definitely a lot of useless droning. Anyhow I know for certain besides one person there isn't anyone who visits this little corner of the web anymore.

So here's to your entertainment ... and my inner Dickens's resurrection.

Six string and a song

2009-01-03T15:45:00.000+05:30

My newly acquired six string. No song to play though.

Amelie -ish

2008-12-17T03:26:00.000+05:30

I wanted to try to get the effect they used in the movie - Amelie. I dont think I managed to nail it.
I might have come close though :)

40 winks

2008-12-17T02:37:00.000+05:30

Coming back to journey that was... meet the second partner on the trip. The sage, the poet and one heck of a driver.
No! I mean it. If I was ever curious about how much fun it would be to ride those scary Chennai or Karnataka buses, I wasnt so much after a ride with him :). No wonder all the motorsport talent is all down south.
Caught him here taking a nap in an Italian restraunt after a hike up Wallace Monument in Stirling. A nap, some yummy pizza, vino and off we went....onwards to search for the Loch Ness monster.

Rescue?

2008-12-13T22:10:00.001+05:30

Coffee on 53rd st. in midtown NY. An accidental capture of the funny side of signage.
Perhaps I ought to go back to that city. So much to see ... so little time.
Sigh.
Like always.

Glass eye

2008-12-13T16:48:00.001+05:30

Last meal in the Second City.

Anti-mornings

2008-12-04T06:28:00.000+05:30

Meet my first fellow traveller - Ms. Shah. Always grumpy in the mornings. A disease even two potent cups from the best beans cant cure. Mornings are just not her thing. Hence all our morning plans almost always got canned or delayed. This however was an exception because we had to set out early on the road. Plus she was granted pardon from driving duties hence the backseat snoring is what she took up - happily.

Morning Ritual

2008-11-30T00:55:00.000+05:30

We started early saturday morning. Getting up was one bit but actually lugging our bags out of the rooms to the car rental place was another. This was taken at the 'pit stop' on our way there. Fueling ourselves up before the 8 hour journey to Lake District - the stop for the night. A really nice cafe by King's Cross this, right after Starbucks when you walk up towards the one way street towards Nido. The plan was to hail a cab next to our rental car agency and then kick off.
Ofcourse we were surprised to find that instead of the Ford Mondeo we'd be allotted the Mercedes. We were definately off to a good start then.

Road Trip: The Ride

2008-11-30T00:32:00.000+05:30

Trying to link the string of thoughts to the 'Pot of Gold' here. I dont think I'd be able to do justice to the place or the trip that was. Amongst other highlights this was the silver lining. The Mercedes B Class or the rental car we took for the week long road trip from London to Inverness, Scotland. It was spacious and comfortable to say the least. One huge and two normal sized bags and three people. A sun roof and and 1.5L engine. Just enough grunt to take you upto 170 Kph and torquey enough to make the hill climbs a lot of fun.
Although I will perhaps want a convertible the next time around I have to say driving this car for almost 2300Kms was more fun than imaginable. It served well and we even managed a parking ticket :-)

Rick Chocholae Ceke

2008-11-14T14:59:00.000+05:30

A certain Mrs. Philips makes one of the most delicious chocolate cakes.
Combining that with Kahlua can make you dyslexic.

Yellow Fever

2008-10-14T09:10:00.000+05:30

South Bombayite

2008-10-14T09:04:00.000+05:30

And not the good kind :P
Anyhow since this is about my photography and not the subject I'd rate this photo pretty high with a little loss in the shadows. But then I deliberately wanted high contrast and a strong vignette. Pretty old picture. I love going through my pile of stuff.

Double Take

2008-10-08T15:18:00.000+05:30

One of the alternative shots. Still working on the Scotland and Chicago snaps.
Between applying to a MBA school and discovering the place I have little time to play with Adobe or Picasa.

Chicago GSB Product

2008-10-07T03:55:00.000+05:30

Still experimenting even though I dont post here enough. Here's something I put together quickly. I envisioned the selective desat while composing but I would have liked a little more time to play around a bit. I have a few alternative shots which I will try and put together soon.
Oh and this is with a 55-200 VR ... a lens I borrowed from a friend who moved on to a 18-200 VR. Excellent boken in this lens though its a little slow for my taste. The 18-135 spoils you that way. Though I cant complain about the bokeh... top notch stuff.

Granny

2008-09-29T11:04:00.000+05:30

...a.k.a Megha. A pint sized monster. :-)
Well ok... so she's a nice cook and all that. And all grand-motherly, in a nice way :)
A future Wall St. honcho .... cheers to some good rib-poking times :)

Pot of gold

2008-09-26T00:48:00.000+05:30

A glimpse of what was that one blissful week in Scotland.

A dream ride

2008-09-25T21:04:00.000+05:30

While I have been travelling myself for a while in the past few weeks, keeping this space updated has become a bit difficult. But after looking at this picture I knew I had to put it up as a reminder to myself to live this dream, which my brother did this summer.
He rode to Leh/Ladakh from Delhi on the only bike in India which can do this without any strain. I think this picture defines what its like to travel through those valleys with just your thoughts for company. I am very proud of him because I remember only a few years back when he would take my bike every other week and come back with some dent, scratch, fall ... but this trip for him was without any events at all. It is indeed quite a surprise and definately a first for my brother.
I've been busy discovering the land of scotch whisky and the land of opportunities. Will put up some pictures soon, if nothing else then just as journal entries for nostalgic purposes. (cos I am pretty sure whatever few readers I did have, have left and gone long back :-))

Happy Couple

2008-07-10T01:51:00.000+05:30

Well not just yet... but in not too distant a future, they should be.
Cheers to them.

I-spoon

2008-07-10T01:48:00.000+05:30

One from the archives. Some people will do anything to avoid being photographed.
This one thought she will try the pirate look.

A happy 200!

2008-06-07T11:11:00.000+05:30

And with this post I reach 200! Wow I'd never have thought I'd make it till here when I started almost 4 years back.
Here's to paradise and making it there ....
I made it to the one pictured above. Murud on a lovely chilly February morning.
There's nothing better than to wake up to that sight

Remains of an evening

2008-06-03T21:15:00.000+05:30

Ela II

2008-06-01T15:42:00.000+05:30

Realised that knowing when to click the shutter button is far less difficult that to make your subject strike the right pose. I guess thats why the pros take 200-300 shots to filter the right ones. I have new found respect for people who can get the perfect shot in lesser numbers. Only if one had an encyclopedia of jokes in one's memory to make this job less painful.

Ela

2008-06-01T14:51:00.000+05:30

Moving away from my typical white border and stamp. Instead putting in smaller pics and experimenting with borders.
Its a pain to get people to pose for the right frame. This one took 137 tries! Well ok so there were some other poses in there too... but this one stuck. Some did tell me use a reflector on the right to 'fill' in the left side of her face. I kinda preferred it this way except I'd have liked it sharper esp around her mouth.
Now to go fetch the rum and coke I promised her ...

d Maj

2008-06-01T14:46:00.000+05:30

Essentials

2008-06-01T14:37:00.000+05:30

A continuance from the evening in Morisson's. Considered as one of the top 5 things most smokers would never leave home without.

Erstwhile 'juvenile delinquent'

2008-05-15T19:12:00.000+05:30

Morisson's one evening

2008-05-15T19:05:00.000+05:30

Breezy sunset

2008-02-28T12:35:00.000+05:30

I never get tired of sunset shots. Trying to add different elements. This one's at Marine Drive on a very pleasant evening. Bombay should have this weather the year round. The summer here gets unbearable.

Eyes revisited

2008-02-19T01:46:00.000+05:30

This one is a little different. I think I finally achieved the DOF and the focus.
Now to only get this sort of lighting setup and co-operative subject more often.

Oscar fever

2008-02-09T14:10:00.000+05:30

Its that time of the year again and I was shocked to find out that I had not seen a single Oscar nominee. So there was major catching up to do. A movie a day and I should be up to speed.

My first three viewings were not so impressive. And infact served as a deterrent to go ahead on this mission. I began to think maybe all were as bland as these. But then one is always tempted to give it another go... and in case of movies, I'm the first one to pick up the next one.

'We own the night' was a major disappointement with its star cast - 'Mr. Cash' and the hot Eva Mendes. I thought maybe it would improve towards the end but it was just too bland and failed miserably to hold on to my attention. I infact felt like fast forwarding through parts of it.

'Michael Clayton' was mariginally better as it had a plot going somewhere. Predictable but still a plot nonetheless. Clooney's performance is hyped up and again it failed to keep me from yawning in bits and pieces. The ending was brilliantly done and there were bits and pieces which kept my interest alive. I wouldn't harp about it but yeah I wouldnt tell you not to watch it either. Have a look if you cant get anything else.

'No country for old men' was far better than the previous two but still didnt have the punch the I was looking for or maybe its just a case of having seen the best of the lot at the end. Coen brothers did a mighty fine job and the camera work is just excellent. The stop and go pace keeps your interest alive throughout the two hours. It kept me at the edge of my seat all along. My only complaint is with those monologues of Mr. Tommy Lee Jones which kind of ruined all the fun for me. Yes they do add that extra touch to the film but it put me off in places.

Now come the best of the lot. Starting with 'Atonement' which is set in the time of WWII about love, betrayal and ... well atonement. Made by the same chaps as Pride and Prejudice its even more powerful and holds you well enough till the last scene... the last word. I simply loved the twists and turns in the film and the sheer unpredicatability. It has simply one of the most amazing camera work seen for a very very long time and by far the best one-shot I have ever seen - the one in Dunkirk. I would love to see the kid get the Oscar but I think more importantly I'd like to see this film get a pat on the back for its cinematography. A must watch?? Hell yeah!

The Afflecks take it away in the second serving of how a story ought to be told on celluloid. Ben directs his younger brother Casey in 'Gone baby gone' as a private detective looking for a missing girl. The movie is very strong in terms of its plot and has a firm grip over the viewer but perhaps where I found it a bit lacking was the cast. Ed harris and Casey Affleck do a fine job but its the support cast which I felt could be better. Even though its been nominated for an Oscar for Best supporting actress, I somewhow feel it doesent deserve it as much. The story has a brilliant twist in the end which leaves you with something to think about long after you've gotten up from the movie. A good watch and surely could figure in the must-watch list.

The one I wrapped up last night and am still in awe of - 'The assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford'. What a piece of art!! It is sheer brilliance this film. I didnt know much about Jesse James when I sat down to watch it. Infact I knew almost nothing. At the end I knew all there was to know and then some. Its the best story ever told via the medium of a film. Adapted from the true life story of Jesse James and Robert Ford, it vividly brings to life the magnanimity of Jesse James's persona in the present day America. The camera work is par excellence and one can feel the work of the Scott brothers in the film. Brad pitt too has notched it up one more slot and added another star to his already decorated resume.

So thats the round up till now. With two more weeks to the ceremony I have a long list to cover. Expect to see more reviews here in then.

St. Vincents - Part III

2008-02-05T03:50:00.000+05:30

Never felt the need for a tripod as much as I did that evening. And so I finally bought one after coming back. Now for another trip where I can perhaps do better justice to this fabulous institution.

St. Vincents - Part II

2008-02-05T03:47:00.000+05:30

There was something very nostalgic walking through this place. Even though I dont hail from this school I could relate to the glory days every kid lives and re-lives in those hallways. Just like we were that evening.

St. Vincents - Part I

2008-02-05T03:44:00.000+05:30

A walk down memory lane for my friend and a perfect opportunity for me to try my skills in falling light. Here's a three part series of documenting my 40 mins at St. Vincents High School, Pune.

Reminisce

2008-02-04T13:39:00.000+05:30

Went to Pune 2 weekends back. It was chilly and the weather was just awesome. Met up with an old friend after what seemed like years. Bummed around town doing nothing. The good ol' days.
Took a walk around his alma mater and took a few shots. This is him reminiscing the golden era of our lives.
I'll post some more of the school later. I ought to go back to my own alma mater some day.

An orange hue

2008-02-03T22:08:00.000+05:30

Anyone care to venture a guess as to what this is?

Week 3: Tai

2008-01-21T13:19:00.000+05:30

Tai. Fatty. Podgy. Many affectionate names.
One brilliant person.

Some thoughts on the real world by one who glimpsed it and fled

2008-01-18T14:01:00.000+05:30

I have a recurring dream about Kenyon. In it, I'm walking to the post office on the way to my first class at the start of the school year. Suddenly it occurs to me that I don't have my schedule memorized, and I'm not sure which classes I'm taking, or where exactly I'm supposed to be going. As I walk up the steps to the postoffice, I realize I don't have my box key, and in fact, I can't remember what my box number is. I'm certain that everyone I know has written me a letter, but I can't get them. I get more flustered and annoyed by the minute. I head back to Middle Path, racking my brains and asking myself, "How many more years until I graduate? ...Wait, didn't I graduate already?? How old AM I?" Then I wake up.
Experience is food for the brain. And four years at Kenyon is a rich meal. I suppose it should be no surprise that your brains will probably burp up Kenyon for a long time. And I think the reason I keep having the dream is because its central image is a metaphor for a good part of life: that is, not knowing where you're going or what you're doing.
I graduated exactly ten years ago. That doesn't give me a great deal of experience to speak from, but I'm emboldened by the fact that I can't remember a bit of MY commencement, and I trust that in half an hour, you won't remember of yours either.
In the middle of my sophomore year at Kenyon, I decided to paint a copy of Michelangelo's "Creation of Adam" from the Sistine Chapel on the ceiling of my dorm room. By standing on a chair, I could reach the ceiling, and I taped off a section, made a grid, and started to copy the picture from my art history book.
Working with your arm over your head is hard work, so a few of my more ingenious friends rigged up a scaffold for me by stacking two chairs on my bed, and laying the table from the hall lounge across the chairs and over to the top of my closet. By climbing up onto my bed and up the chairs, I could hoist myself onto the table, and lie in relative comfort two feet under my painting. My roommate would then hand up my paints, and I could work for several hours at a stretch.
The picture took me months to do, and in fact, I didn't finish the work until very near the end of the school year. I wasn't much of a painter then, but what the work lacked in color sense and technical flourish, it gained in the incongruity of having a High Renaissance masterpiece in a college dorm that had the unmistakable odor of old beer cans and older laundry.The painting lent an air of cosmic grandeur to my room, and it seemed to put life into a larger perspective. Those boring, flowery English poets didn't seem quite so important, when right above my head God was transmitting the spark of life to man.My friends and I liked the finished painting so much in fact, that we decided I should ask permission to do it. As you might expect, the housing director was curious to know why I wanted to paint this elaborate picture on my ceiling a few weeks before school let out. Well, you don't get to be a sophomore at Kenyon without learning how to fabricate ideas you never had, but I guess it was obvious that my idea was being proposed retroactively. It ended up that I was allowed to paint the picture, so long as I painted over it and returned the ceiling to normal at the end of the year. And that's what I did.
Despite the futility of the whole episode, my fondest memories of college are times like these, where things were done out of some inexplicable inner imperative, rather than because the work was demanded. Clearly, I never spent as much time or work on any authorized art project, or any poli sci paper, as I spent on this one act of vandalism.
It's surprising how hard we'll work when the work is done just for ourselves. And with all due respect to John Stuart Mill, maybe utilitarianism is overrated. If I've learned one thing from being a cartoonist, it's how important playing is to creativity and happiness. My job is essentially to come up with 365 ideas a year.If you ever want to find out just how uninteresting you really are, get a job where the quality and frequency of your thoughts determine your livelihood. I've found that the only way I can keep writing every day, year after year, is to let my mind wander into new territories. To do that, I've had to cultivate a kind of mental playfulness.
We're not really taught how to recreate constructively. We need to do more than find diversions; we need to restore and expand ourselves. Our idea of relaxing is all too often to plop down in front of the television set and let its pandering idiocy liquefy our brains. Shutting off the thought process is not rejuvenating; the mind is like a car battery-it recharges by running.You may be surprised to find how quickly daily routine and the demands of "just getting by: absorb your waking hours. You may be surprised to find how quickly you start to see your politics and religion become matters of habit rather than thought and inquiry. You may be surprised to find how quickly you start to see your life in terms of other people's expectations rather than issues. You may be surprised to find out how quickly reading a good book sounds like a luxury.
At school, new ideas are thrust at you every day. Out in the world, you'll have to find the inner motivation to search for new ideas on your own. With any luck at all, you'll never need to take an idea and squeeze a punchline out of it, but as bright, creative people, you'll be called upon to generate ideas and solutions all your lives. Letting your mind play is the best way to solve problems.For me, it's been liberating to put myself in the mind of a fictitious six year-old each day, and rediscover my own curiosity. I've been amazed at how one ideas leads to others if I allow my mind to play and wander. I know a lot about dinosaurs now, and the information has helped me out of quite a few deadlines.A playful mind is inquisitive, and learning is fun. If you indulge your natural curiosity and retain a sense of fun in new experience, I think you'll find it functions as a sort of shock absorber for the bumpy road ahead.
So, what's it like in the real world? Well, the food is better, but beyond that, I don't recommend it.
I don't look back on my first few years out of school with much affection, and if I could have talked to you six months ago, I'd have encouraged you all to flunk some classes and postpone this moment as long as possible. But now it's too late.Unfortunately, that was all the advice I really had. When I was sitting where you are, I was one of the lucky few who had a cushy job waiting for me. I'd drawn political cartoons for the Collegian for four years, and the Cincinnati Post had hired me as an editorial cartoonist. All my friends were either dreading the infamous first year of law school, or despondent about their chances of convincing anyone that a history degree had any real application outside of academia.
Boy, was I smug.
As it turned out, my editor instantly regretted his decision to hire me. By the end of the summer, I'd been given notice; by the beginning of winter, I was in an unemployment line; and by the end of my first year away from Kenyon, I was broke and living with my parents again. You can imagine how upset my dad was when he learned that Kenyon doesn't give refunds.Watching my career explode on the lauchpad caused some soul searching. I eventually admitted that I didn't have what it takes to be a good political cartoonist, that is, an interest in politics, and I returned to my firs love, comic strips.For years I got nothing but rejection letters, and I was forced to accept a real job.
A REAL job is a job you hate. I designed car ads and grocery ads in the windowless basement of a convenience store, and I hated every single minute of the 4-1/2 million minutes I worked there. My fellow prisoners at work were basically concerned about how to punch the time clock at the perfect second where they would earn another 20 cents without doing any work for it.It was incredible: after every break, the entire staff would stand around in the garage where the time clock was, and wait for that last click. And after my used car needed the head gasket replaced twice, I waited in the garage too.
It's funny how at Kenyon, you take for granted that the people around you think about more than the last episode of Dynasty. I guess that's what it means to be in an ivory tower.
Anyway, after a few months at this job, I was starved for some life of the mind that, during my lunch break, I used to read those poli sci books that I'd somehow never quite finished when I was here. Some of those books were actually kind of interesting. It was a rude shock to see just how empty and robotic life can be when you don't care about what you're doing, and the only reason you're there is to pay the bills.Thoreau said,
"the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation."That's one of those dumb cocktail quotations that will strike fear in your heart as you get older. Actually, I was leading a life of loud desperation.
When it seemed I would be writing about "Midnite Madness Sale-abrations" for the rest of my life, a friend used to console me that cream always rises to the top. I used to think, so do people who throw themselves into the sea.
I tell you all this because it's worth recognizing that there is no such thing as an overnight success. You will do well to cultivate the resources in yourself that bring you happiness outside of success or failure. The truth is, most of us discover where we are headed when we arrive. At that time, we turn around and say, yes, this is obviously where I was going all along. It's a good idea to try to enjoy the scenery on the detours, because you'll probably take a few.
I still haven't drawn the strip as long as it took me to get the job. To endure five years of rejection to get a job requires either a faith in oneself that borders on delusion, or a love of the work. I loved the work.Drawing comic strips for five years without pay drove home the point that the fun of cartooning wasn't in the money; it was in the work. This turned out to be an important realization when my break finally came.
Like many people, I found that what I was chasing wasn't what I caught. I've wanted to be a cartoonist since I was old enough to read cartoons, and I never really thought about cartoons as being a business. It never occurred to me that a comic strip I created would be at the mercy of a bloodsucking corporate parasite called a syndicate, and that I'd be faced with countless ethical decisions masquerading as simple business decisions.To make a business decision, you don't need much philosophy; all you need is greed, and maybe a little knowledge of how the game works.
As my comic strip became popular, the pressure to capitalize on that popularity increased to the point where I was spending almost as much time screaming at executives as drawing. Cartoon merchandising is a $12 billion dollar a year industry and the syndicate understandably wanted a piece of that pie. But the more I though about what they wanted to do with my creation, the more inconsistent it seemed with the reasons I draw cartoons.Selling out is usually more a matter of buying in. Sell out, and you're really buying into someone else's system of values, rules and rewards.The so-called "opportunity" I faced would have meant giving up my individual voice for that of a money-grubbing corporation. It would have meant my purpose in writing was to sell things, not say things. My pride in craft would be sacrificed to the efficiency of mass production and the work of assistants. Authorship would become committee decision. Creativity would become work for pay. Art would turn into commerce. In short, money was supposed to supply all the meaning I'd need.What the syndicate wanted to do, in other words, was turn my comic strip into everything calculated, empty and robotic that I hated about my old job. They would turn my characters into television hucksters and T-shirt sloganeers and deprive me of characters that actually expressed my own thoughts.
On those terms, I found the offer easy to refuse. Unfortunately, the syndicate also found my refusal easy to refuse, and we've been fighting for over three years now. Such is American business, I guess, where the desire for obscene profit mutes any discussion of conscience.
You will find your own ethical dilemmas in all parts of your lives, both personal and professional. We all have different desires and needs, but if we don't discover what we want from ourselves and what we stand for, we will live passively and unfulfilled. Sooner or later, we are all asked to compromise ourselves and the things we care about. We define ourselves by our actions. With each decision, we tell ourselves and the world who we are. Think about what you want out of this life, and recognize that there are many kinds of success.Many of you will be going on to law school, business school, medical school, or other graduate work, and you can expect the kind of starting salary that, with luck, will allow you to pay off your own tuition debts within your own lifetime.
But having an enviable career is one thing, and being a happy person is another.
Creating a life that reflects your values and satisfies your soul is a rare achievement. In a culture that relentlessly promotes avarice and excess as the good life, a person happy doing his own work is usually considered an eccentric, if not a subversive. Ambition is only understood if it's to rise to the top of some imaginary ladder of success. Someone who takes an undemanding job because it affords him the time to pursue other interests and activities is considered a flake. A person who abandons a career in order to stay home and raise children is considered not to be living up to his potential-as if a job title and salary are the sole measure of human worth.You'll be told in a hundred ways, some subtle and some not, to keep climbing, and never be satisfied with where you are, who you are, and what you're doing. There are a million ways to sell yourself out, and I guarantee you'll hear about them.
To invent your own life's meaning is not easy, but it's still allowed, and I think you'll be happier for the trouble.Reading those turgid philosophers here in these remote stone buildings may not get you a job, but if those books have forced you to ask yourself questions about what makes life truthful, purposeful, meaningful, and redeeming, you have the Swiss Army Knife of mental tools, and it's going to come in handy all the time.
I think you'll find that Kenyon touched a deep part of you. These have been formative years. Chances are, at least of your roommates has taught you everything ugly about human nature you ever wanted to know.With luck, you've also had a class that transmitted a spark of insight or interest you'd never had before. Cultivate that interest, and you may find a deeper meaning in your life that feeds your soul and spirit. Your preparation for the real world is not in the answers you've learned, but in the questions you've learned how to ask yourself.Graduating from Kenyon, I suspect you'll find yourselves quite well prepared indeed.
I wish you all fulfillment and happiness.

Congratulations on your achievement.

Who is the speaker? I doubt many people remember him well but he was one of the greatest cartoonist I've ever known - Bill Watterson. Still doesent ring a bell? The guy who made the famous Calvin & Hobbes. He became a recluse towards the latter part of his career and after it. He now lives in some remote part of the United States which remains a deeply guarded secret/mystery. You have to be a Calvin & Hobbes fan to appreciate the true spirit of this speech.

This was the speech he gave at his alma mater - Keyon College to the graduating class.

Introspection

2008-01-18T12:33:00.000+05:30

Inspiration - M.I.A

2008-01-18T02:46:00.000+05:30

Boring days at home dont help an un-inspired mind.
Should step out a bit more.

Moody Bawi

2008-01-11T18:24:00.000+05:30

Well technically this wasnt taken in the present week but what the heck.
I'm more of the shoot now and process later kinda chap.
I've tried not to go too far into the old film world but somewhere or the other it always shows.
Oh and 'Bawi' is a term for Parsi women. Mostly they are genetically mad (or jokingly referred to as such) but she has a dash of moodiness thrown in for good measure.
Peace! Sherry, if you're reading this ... :-)

Nemesis

2008-01-09T23:29:00.000+05:30

Portrait a Week (PAW): Week 1 - The difficult one

2008-01-06T20:12:00.000+05:30

Portrait a week for 2008. I guess I dont mind starting with this one.
As simple as one can get with a really fussy model ;-)

Suzy

2008-01-04T21:22:00.000+05:30

My shot at a triptych from a group of photos.
This was relatively easier than breaking one image down.
I think I will try that next.

Afterglow

2008-01-04T10:48:00.000+05:30

I dont think this image is anything great thank just a nice moment captured.
I tried a noise removal which I dont think I will use again. Oh and this is Bandstand, Bombay.

Wet beak

2008-01-03T20:52:00.000+05:30

Here's where I run into walls when deciding on an apt title.
'Wetting one's beak' ?? I need some inspiration!!

Contemplative evenings

2008-01-03T20:33:00.000+05:30

... there are just one too many of them.

Gravity infused fun

2008-01-03T20:15:00.001+05:30

When you're 25+ these rides take a whole new meaning.
Boy was I in for a surprise.

Agarwal Sahib

2008-01-02T20:50:00.000+05:30

An old friend from the hey days. The best I could salvage from a snapshot.

Ale and a graphic designer

2007-12-25T15:37:00.000+05:30

An evening at a newly opened restaurant by a popular name in Delhi.

Prints ahoy!

2007-12-18T22:30:00.000+05:30

Trying to learn how to prepare photographs for prints plus reworking on an old shot of a friends.
I think it came out alright. I love the old film effect a bit too much :-)
Now to prepare the photographs I really want to print

Sepia toned boredom

2007-12-18T20:53:00.000+05:30

Experimenting with the polaroid borders and titles.
Picture is more of a result of excessive boredom

Deeper shades of red

2007-12-18T11:16:00.000+05:30

Cabernet Sauvignon of ND wines. The only wine available in Lucknow (well decent wine).
Not bad at all.

Simplicity

2007-12-17T23:07:00.000+05:30

Trying to find it

Moods

2007-12-16T23:37:00.000+05:30

Bah! Writing does this to me. Or should I say he writer's block does. Its so difficult to come up with something when all you're doing is sitting in front of the glowing screen with a blinking cursor. One needs other mediums of inspiration which do not involve moving one's butt of the damn chair or the bed for that matter.

Sigh!

Junior mutt

2007-12-09T13:15:00.000+05:30

He's been here before I think. I cant remember now but I'm sure he has. Son of the more intelligent Caesar, my last dog. This one's much too bratty and his eyes are a good indication of that. Loves to play ball anytime of the day. Doesent eat as much or as quickly as his father and is way more disobedient too. But he's loveable just the same.

He's extremely possessive about his ball. Sits with all the time and grabs it when someone comes close.

Its a rarity for him to be distracted when his ball is around. I'll bet this was because of the postman, his other favourite.

I tried bribing him with a fake biscuit (a piece of wood) from about 20 ft. away, but I guess his nose is sharper than what I mistook it to be. I bet he's thinking to himself 'Trying to be funny now, are you?'

Diwali @ home

2007-12-09T12:13:00.000+05:30

Day 8

2007-12-09T02:12:00.000+05:30

As bad as it gets. Bored. Un-imaginative. And shot from within my quilt with the laptop screen as the background. PP in under 90 secs. Yep, a very blah saturday which I tried to overcome with this book. A good read but a bad choice for today. I found it ironic to be reading a book on atheism with the book mark depicting religion (somewhat) ...

Day 7

2007-12-09T02:07:00.000+05:30

Still looking for that elusive perfect 'old film' look. This comes very close but in the initial steps I messed up a little and I was too tired for a do-over. I like the old grainy sepia look here but still a little off from what I had in mind. Close but not close enough :-)

Day 6

2007-12-09T02:04:00.000+05:30

A walk in the park. Old film effect using some filters in PS. Still trying to master it.

SOL - Day 4

2007-12-06T19:42:00.000+05:30

B&W experiments

SOL - Day 5

2007-12-06T19:38:00.000+05:30

Trying to get that old film look. I think I shoulda added some grain.

Slice of Life - Day 3

2007-12-03T15:12:00.000+05:30

My first cardigan after god knows how many years. Feels good to experience true winter after ages.

Slice of LIfe - Day 2

2007-12-03T15:07:00.000+05:30

A visit to the famous Rock Garden of Chandigarh. Its a photographer's paradise. I could see myself spending days on end there, in good light might I add. This particular day the light was fading when I got there and in typical Sunday spirit it was way overcrowded for my taste.

Slice of life - Day 1

2007-12-02T00:24:00.000+05:30

Just roaming about the house and finding something to start off the challenge. A slice from my life ... right now.

Dark side of the moon

2007-11-09T16:07:00.000+05:30

Oh how I wish I had a longer lens with VR and a tripod !!
Considering this is handheld and at 135mm, I think its not that bad.

Eyes - III

2007-11-07T00:57:00.000+05:30

The money-shot.
Still a long way to go ...

East of the sun, west of the moon

2007-10-18T15:21:00.000+05:30

So, why?
Why am I honored with those adjectives?
Is it because I tell them what they don’t want to hear? Or is it because I don’t tickle your funny bone?

Either ways I couldn’t care less. I don’t believe I live with an aura around my head or that I love to snub people. Yes, I am frank and blunt at most times. And whether you like it or not there are very few of us out there who’d tell you the truth – to your face. Accept it. And that’s my way of caring and letting you know that you’re on the wrong path or you made the wrong choice. Hey, there are enough people out there to lick your bum and tell you what otherwise. And tell you to have hope and believe in yourself.

Frankly, I’d say that too. Except only when I believe in it.
And I have. Many a times.

I was sitting on the thinking seat and it occurred to me. People don’t like frank and honest folks. Even though they would revere them in public, in private they prefer folks who’d agree with them and massage their egos. In some ways I am like that too. I guess it’s a gene thing, but I have long been trying to break this mould. Sometimes you do need that whack on the side of the head to make you see a different perspective. Now only if the whack came along as often as I’d like.

With that in mind, I’m giving out free kick-in-the-pants every Tuesdays and Saturdays.

And yes, you’re welcome!!

---

Every now and then you come across a sunset which in all its tranquility induces a certain sense of calm within you. I was lucky to capture this one.

Me

2007-10-15T15:28:00.000+05:30

condescending –adjective

1. showing or implying a usually patronizing descent from dignity or superiority.

2. To descend to the level of one considered inferior; lower oneself.

3. To deal with people in a patronizingly superior manner.

pretentious –adjective

1. full of pretense or pretension.
2. characterized by assumption of dignity or importance.
3. making an exaggerated outward show; ostentatious.

geek Slang. –noun

1. a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, esp. one who is perceived to be overly intellectual.
2. a computer expert or enthusiast (a term of pride as self-reference, but often considered offensive when used by outsiders.)
3. a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts, as biting off the head of a live chicken.

uppity –adjective Informal.

1. affecting an attitude of inflated self-esteem; haughty; snobbish.
2. rebelliously self-assertive; not inclined to be tractable or deferential.

----

Just some of the words people use to describe me. One wonders ...

Care to add?

Gloomy sunday

2007-10-09T23:15:00.000+05:30

Sunday is gloomy,
My hours are slumberless
Dearest the shadows
I live with are numberless
Little white flowers
Will never awaken you
Not where the black coaches
Sorrow has taken you
Angels have no thoughts
Of ever returning you
Wouldnt they be angry
If I thought of joining you?

Gloomy sunday

Gloomy is sunday,
With shadows I spend it all
My heart and i
Have decided to end it all
Soon therell be candles
And prayers that are said I know
But let them not weep
Let them know that Im glad to go
Death is no dream
For in death Im caressin you
With the last breath of my soul
Ill be blessin you

Gloomy sunday

Dreaming, I was only dreaming
I wake and I find you asleep
In the deep of my heart here
Darling I hope
That my dream never haunted you
My heart is tellin you
How much I wanted you
Gloomy sunday

---

Budapest, January 13. Rezsoe Seres, whose dirge-like song hit, "Gloomy Sunday" was blamed for touching off a wave of suicides during the nineteen-thirties, has ended his own life as a suicide it was learned today.

Authorities disclosed today that Mr. Seres jumped from a window of his small apartment here last Sunday, shortly after his 69th birthday. The decade of the nineteen-thirties was marked by severe economic depression and the political upheaval that was to lead to World War II. The melancholy song written by Mr. Seres, with words by his friend, Ladislas Javor, a poet, declares at its climax, "My heart and I have decided to end it all." It was blamed for a sharp increase in suicides, and Hungarian officials finally prohibited it. In America, where Paul Robeson introduced an English version, some radio stations and nightclubs forbade its performance. Mr. Seres complained that the success of "Gloomy Sunday" actually increased his unhappiness, because he knew he would never be able to write a second hit.

- New York Times, 1968

Onward

2007-10-08T15:18:00.000+05:30

If you need strength, look in the mirror.
You wont find it elsewhere.

My mama told me ...

2007-10-06T17:49:00.000+05:30

When it's not always raining there'll be days like this
When there's no one complaining there'll be days like this
When everything falls into place like the flick of a switch
Well my mama told me there'll be days like this

When you don't need to worry there'll be days like this
When no one's in a hurry there'll be days like this
When you don't get betrayed by that old Judas kiss
Oh my mama told me there'll be days like this

When you don't need an answer there'll be days like this
When you don't meet a chancer there'll be days like this
When all the parts of the puzzle start to look like they fit
Then I must remember there'll be days like this

When everyone is up front and they're not playing tricks
When you don't have no freeloaders out to get their kicks
When it's nobody's business the way that you wanna live
I just have to remember there'll be days like this

When no one steps on my dreams there'll be days like this
When people understand what I mean there'll be days like this
When you ring out the changes of how everything is
Well my mama told me there'll be days like this

Fear

2007-10-02T01:09:00.000+05:30

What if ...

... your deepest darkest fear were to be true?

Where do you run?
Where do you hide?

Stand up and fight?
Or let it subside?

What if ...

You'd be so nice to come home to

2007-09-14T02:18:00.000+05:30

A few weeks back I borrowed a CD called Bar Jazz from a friend of mine and was instantly hooked on to this form of music. As luck would have it I was informed by another friend that there was a free Jazz concert in the city and not too far from my place. Well I went for it and boy was it an eye opener. To say I had a lot of fun would be putting it mildly. I never thought Jazz could be so much fun. Yes maybe it does indicate a sign of ageing but if this is what it brings with it then why not.

It was an American band called The rhythm road. Organised in an impressive auditorium in a corner tucked away in Matunga. The Audi was announced to be the largest of its kind in Asia and I wouldnt be surprised if it actually were. It was massive and the acoustics and the lighting was impressive too but I didnt quite like the way the lights were handled on the show. Plus I was really not enthused with the crowd either. But as the show ambled on I could see why the average age of the audience was 40+. Not many from our age group have the patience or the understanding to actually understand Jazz. It takes a while to get to know it and by that time most people lose their patience. I remember trying long back with some Miles Davis and boy was I frustrated. Fast forward to present day and I have a 500 MB of songs already downloaded and scouting for more. Astrud Gilberto, Ray Barretto, Stan Getz, George Benson, Jobim... and many more to join in. Just that there arent many sources to ask around for good references.

The thing about Jazz is its complication. Its not very easy to understand at first. It depends on where you start from and who you're listening to. I was fortunate to have started off from a good mix of assorted lot and then narrowed down to who or which type I liked. I met a couple of oldies at the concert and they would beat the socks off some of us younger lot on music and its roots. One of them, in his fifties, was a jazz player in his yester years and is now being pushed by his family to take it up again. I went to their place after, and was not surprised to see a piano among other musical instruments adorning his living room. Apparently the whole family is deep into music and have their roots firmly placed. They're present on almost all musical festivals and of all genre. I can hardly wait for him to pick it up again.

The Rhythm Road did notice that the crowd wasnt moving much so towards the end they asked everyone to get up and 'shake their tail feather' with When the saints came marching in. It was electric. The painist and the drummer were all over the stage and the beat was just too good to be sitting down on. All in all I am already preparing my self for the Jazz Yatra sometime towards the end of the year and digging out all the other jazz performances in the coming months.

Pano-a-pano

2007-09-12T12:15:00.000+05:30

My first panorama. Its still a bit on the amateurish side but the scene salvages that I think. I will try again next time with constant metering and perhaps a tripod.

Oh to be a bird

2007-09-09T22:37:00.000+05:30

Another look at the same scene... not very different from the first save for a more rectangular crop and a little cooler color treatment.

Twilight

2007-09-09T22:24:00.000+05:30

An evening by the sea and the City skyline.

The eyes have 'em ... again

2007-09-03T02:26:00.000+05:30

Just trying to get the eyes shot right before I take it down to one eye. It sure is a tough shot to get right. Tripod and a still model are just the right combination. None of which were available on this scene.

Vino

2007-09-02T13:41:00.000+05:30

A decent vino is so hard to come by. I have been exploring a bit or shall I say I have only just started my journey to become an Oenophile. My good friend K and I have been knocking them down one by one and on our journey so far we've discovered two worth a mention.

Both coming from the same vineyard - Grover's. The first being the La Reserve. We had the fortune of trying the 2005 which was very nice. I had first tasted it in Out of the Blue and then made up my mind to give it another go. I dont remember the year of harvest on that one but this 2005 was excellent too.

Its supposed to be the premium range for Grover's and is considered to be one of the top reds in India. It says it goes well with spicy food and I whole heartedly agree with that. We ordered some lip smacking spicy pizzas with it and boy was it a good evening. Its a bit dry but not enough to leave no after taste at all. The whole hullabaloo about airing a red is so true. The second glass onwards it only grew richer in its taste and fuller bodied. As of today I would pick this wine over any other for a nice laid back evening.

The other is the Cabernet Shiraz. I had this for the first time at Baldy's in his Juhu get together, which might I add was a very nice surprise. The man knows how to be a host and bloody good one at that. Its just that sindhi genes keep acting up most of the time which have tarnished his image. After that day I tried a lot of wines trying to find this one but I didnt i.e one day by accident my friend picked up the wrong bottle and we were too lazy to go return.

There began my affair with the Shiraz. Now I know I need to learn more about the types of grapes and the colour and the flavour but till now I really love the Shiraz after the Zinfandel. Its a fruity wine with a peppery after taste which for me is just wonderful. Full bodied and one which leaves a very interesting lingering taste in your mouth. Not one to be gulped for sure but one to be enjoyed with good music and even better conversations.

By the way, these pictures are of the very bottles I consumed. I still have to work a lot on my 'still life' photography but atleast I've got some idea going with the reflection and the lighting. Much after I downloaded these on the laptop I realised I should have used a reflector on the right to get the silhouette of the bottles right.

Jazz

2007-09-01T15:02:00.000+05:30

So I have pushed my deadline of moving to another blog by a bit. Why? Because I tried Wordpress for a bit and realised that it aint that good after all. I couldnt get my pictures up there. And in addition to that I think I will invest in my own website. I like the idea of my own space on this web. As of now it costs $7 a month which I'm not willing to shell out...with little timeon hand to develop a full fledged website/blog or to learn the tools. In perhaps a month or two I shall consider.

In other news I'm off to 'The President is coming' tonight all by own. Aye you heard that right. I am through with making plans and canning them. I sent out a general mailer in the morning to people who might have been interested. Whoever would be interested would have messaged back. I think this is the best way to go. There is a lot to do and little time for squabbles over who's coming and who's late. I've heard its a pretty funny one.

Amongst other things I picked up a CD of Bar Jazz from a friend of mine. The Happy Hour version of it (There were 3 of them). Till now(song no. 3) its great. Never thought Jazz was so much fun. Its very svelte and smooth and I think it mingles well with a nice scotch on the rocks. A dimly lit bar / lounge and good company. Yes its the first time I'm going deeper into Jazz other than the random dose of Miles Davis. Any pointers ?

I got the mail. I didnt win. I had entered a photography contest with my Marine Drive pic but I underestimated the competition. I dont feel bad...ok just a bit. But they were good. Ok so only one of them were good but then my entry would certainly not have beaten the conventional looking ones anyhow. I ought to sharpen that eye and quick. Hunting for other contests now. Any in your vicinity chaps?

The coming month looks extremely busy and chock-a-bloc but thankfully thats exactly what I am looking for. A little space between me and the horde. A little space in that corner and lots of things to do. Even if they are all on my own. Here's to many more fun weekends....

Deception

2007-08-29T21:33:00.000+05:30

I just realised something after posting my last picture, Blogger messes up the picture. It runs some kind of compression algorithm because that is not how my pictures look when I am about to upload them.

So its time I think that I move my pieces somewhere else. Maybe some place where they dont mess with the actual picture. Maybe wordpress. I need to get out of this joint for sure.

First light, first sight

2007-08-29T21:30:00.000+05:30

What a blast that weekend was. The name of the place still eludes me but the textured clouds continue to remind me of the trip, the people, the time and mostly the memories we all came back with. I had made myself comfortable at the very end of the bus where one could lie down and doze off except the morning light through the curtains didnt let me. There is something so pleasing about the mornign freshness. The light, the smell, the breeze and the sound of the birds. Its not easy being a morning person but once you are, there is no going back. Its an addiction. I long for those mornings except there are none in this filthy city. I wish I lived on the tip of Bombay. With a house on the 37th floor and glass running both sides of my hall. Cofee with the sun up and wine with it sinking.

This was taken from a moving bus on my way to Silvassa (there I remembered the darn name). I love the texture of the clouds and what an early morning or a late evening light does to them.

Poles apart

2007-08-27T14:43:00.000+05:30

This is one of my favourite frames I have ever captured. A very close friend and his better half cooking up something for dinner for me. The mood then was of celebration and sulking. And for those two days I had the time of my life. Whenever I think of it now this frame is what comes back to me. Poles apart is where they are today. One in Oz and the other in America. Here's to a time in a not too distant future when we can all get together again and cook up some more concoctions ...

Blue skies

2007-08-27T14:27:00.000+05:30

Nainital

2007-08-27T14:23:00.000+05:30

The lake in the shape of an eye. I thought continuing from the theme from the last post of the eyes this should fit the bill just right. More of this little hill town in northern india to follow

The eyes have it

2007-08-27T14:00:00.000+05:30

Queen's necklace

2007-08-27T13:32:00.000+05:30

The one I never can seem to capture just right. I need to go back

Asiatic @ midnight

2007-08-27T13:21:00.000+05:30

Driving past this monument I never had visited before I felt it was absolutely imperative a frame be registered. I intend to come back some time to capture its soul more beautifully perhaps in the morning light. But this should do for now.

Vroom

2007-08-27T13:03:00.000+05:30

Canon A540. Macro mode and everyman's dream to actually own a car with that badge.

The last train home

2007-08-20T23:38:00.000+05:30

The 1:10 AM local from Churchgate does provide for some solitary moments in the cabin which will be chock-a-block in less than 8 hours. This was taken whilst the train halted just short of my stop. It was incredibly difficult to get a steady shot so I, for the first time, sat down on the floor of the compartment to obtain a sharper result.

I intend to revive my Photoblog which not many of you are aware of and has been lying defunct for a long time now. I am still contemplating whether to post here or run that one as a paralell. Suggestions?

Guess what !!

2007-08-20T23:25:00.000+05:30

Things that drive me up the wall

2007-08-05T00:29:00.000+05:30

Well I could put up a whole list here.... infact I think I will do just that.

When you're criticized for your driving even though you cover the distance in less than half the time. You cant have everything, you know.
How some people are so not ok with open discussions on controversial topics. I mean keep your hat on buddy!
How some people are so closed to criticism. I am not saying I'm very open but talk to them and try and tell them something for their good, what do they do? Stop talking to you altogether. Grow up kid!
Lady drivers! Period. They are the worst lot out there. No doubt about that. Yes I am generalising. Dont fucking tell me about feminism or any of that crap and give some driving lessons to your kind.
Loud TV when you want to sleep. Is there a cure to the Idiot box?
Judgemental folk. Who gave you the right to judge other people's actions? You live your life a particular way doesent mean the same rules apply for everyone else. Live and let live.
Un-social folk. If you're that reserved and need of some alone time - stay at home and dont come out. (Dont fucking judge me on that. I was there. I know what its like. Its a pathetic excuse. Get over it.)
Uncouth bastards. If you want to burp or fart on the table or chomp your food like a cow, sit in the fucking loo and have your grub - not on my table. Fucking retards.
Mr. Know-it-all. You think you know it all till someone proves you wrong. Learn your lesson. Its called humility. (Yes. I am one of these - sometimes. I am still learning. Sue me)
Mr./Ms. I-wanna-get-sloshed. Sure drink but keep your wits about you..atleast sometimes. Getting sloshed beyond conciousness each time we go out amounts to you being a drunkard.
Women who dont use deodrants. Yes I know there are men folk who dont but I have always commended women on being the more sensitive ones on matter of BO. So when you lean close to a pretty looking gal and almost gag your olfactory senses its a huge turn off. Trust me. Men - oh well you animals get a fucking sense of smell first then perhaps some sort of solution to your BO problems. (Lest we find these folks spraying the most horrible smelling shit out there just to worsen the situation)
People who dont have life beyond work. I mean, if you dont have any interests outside of work, eat, shag and sleep then that doesent mean others are not allowed to.
Drivers who drive SLOW in the fast lane. WTF?

Well that was easy. I guess it helps venting sometimes. Tag - whoever would like to further this list.

'nuff from me - for tonight.

Over ' n ' out.

If I cry, will you die?

2007-08-01T14:14:00.000+05:30

Been away from this space a while now. Was entangled in so many webs that even now I find it hard to break out of their grasp. Oh what a weave of webs the world weaves around me.

Ok so that was a pathetic attempt to get rid of the blogger's block. Not to say that I am an avid blogger either but there have been numerous 'Eureka' moments in the past month or so which have failed to make it to this place. I need a process to keep these notes and more importantly I need to get my lazy arse a little more active.

On that note I am happy to say I had a fab past weekend. There was plenty of alcohol, a lot of friends - some known and some unknown and there was water sports. In the last department I didnt fare very well as I ended up with a sprained neck for 3 days after but nothing spoiled the weekend. It must have been one of the longest stints I would have done with buckets of beer without even a hint of a need to pass out. The rains did play some spoilt sport with heavens opening up like a dam every hour but that didnt deter us merry makers one bit. We had our beers, music and Taboo to keep us engrossed. So what if I was the nominated bartender for the night I still had enough time with everyone. Made a lot of new aquaintainces, some of which were pretty interesting. Learnt how to screw up in snooker and realised I am a horrible singer. Now that was a fun weekend, wouldnt you say?

Paddling deeper into happy waters, I have finally been promoted. Yes sireee... this past Friday is when I got my 'letter' after much harrowing from the HR (these numbnuts are the best lot of sadists out there). Celebrated it with a quiet dinner instead saving up all my energy for the wild weekend. A promotion, a raise and a bonus. Who said monsooons are all depressing?

Which means I am closer to going out and just picking up that gleaming D80. I think its got be an impulsive buy rather than a well thought out one. Cos I've been thinking of buying it for over a year now.

Thats more or less what I have to report in for now. I think there should be a rather joyous update very soon, following which there should be some changes in the fray. Dont give up on me .... just yet!

P.S - The title is something I read somewhere and is perhaps a bit on the evil end. I like evil.

Cinématographe

2007-06-28T23:08:00.000+05:30

One week.

Approx. 500mm of rain.

Brooding me.

Solution -

One heck of a movie if you ask me. Very slick and nicely finished. It does get a bit predictable somewhere in the middle and you can see a typical Hollywood plot in the making. The lead was unknown to me and I thought he did a decent job to keep the plot together. There were plenty of moments which make you think a bit and you wonder how people like Nick ever sleep with a conscience like that. But then there is plenty there to support what Big Tobacco is all about - $$Money$$. I for one am a staunch non-smoker to the extent that I actually detest some folks who are chain smokers. I don't quite like the idea of an addiction. Being this rigid I could still find some interesting points the director makes with this movie which I thought was ingrained well in a movie made more for commercial success.

I would like to thank Mr. Nath for this recommendation as I would have perhaps never have discovered this masterpiece by myself. (I wonder what his databases for selecting a movie are?). Nevertheless after waiting for 5 days to download it and then spend the better part of 30 minutes fixing the subtitles I finally saw the 2 hour gem. It was masterfully crafted reminiscent of an era in film making which harks back to the 90's. The shots were excellent and the simplicity of the screenplay is what really gives you enough room to absorb the characters and their act. It kept me to the edge of my seat at all times and the end was very different from the ordinary plot of most foreign films. Based in the 80's East Germany it gives a good insight of what command the Stasi had over the lives of East germans then. The main lead character of the German officer is played brilliantly and is perhaps one of the most talented pieces of acting I have seen in recent times. An oscar well deserved for this film. I urge you to spend a little time or money in getting your hands on this one. Sigh! Only if our own Lagaan's were this good.

The Cinema has always enthralled my senses and is one addiction I'd rather not give up. Its a great medium to present one's creations to the world and to infuse life into one's wonderings and imaginative plots. All of us have a story to tell. What medium we use is upto us.

The Trough

2007-06-18T09:14:00.000+05:30

So the good news is that the weather has improved ... and how!
The Gods finally decided to relieve me of my misery and gave in. And going by the demonstration of their generosity last night I am now thinking whether I wished too soon or should I have wished for something else. Sigh!

Its been a year since the last big rant and guess what? Its time again for me to vent my frustration on my inability to master the art of dealing with the real-estate brokers of this city. They are a whole new race by themselves. They seem to have a language only they understand. I swear! I assure you I am not kidding. I have actually observed a set of brokers stading together and talking in terms and signals which remind me of that wretched movie ET! They might be riding on a bike on some quiet Bandra lane and just keep nodding to what look to me as absolute strangers on the road. Upon inquiring I was told that they were other broker friends of theirs. So many!? Where the hell are they all listed?

So my adventures with flat hunting hasnt been pretty (as you might have guessed). And this time I am going solo. Yep, I think I have had the last of sharing rooms myself. A little privacy at 25 is not too much to ask. Not being able to afford it is a little embarassing though. But then again I will happily shift that part to this city - Armpit, as a good friend once referred to it. The real estate prices here are just beyond my comprehension. Here's an example of how bad it is - If I were to earn what I am earning today for the next 100 years and then I might just be able to afford a 1000sq. ft. house in Bandra! Hah! In town it will take me twice as much time.Yes I hear you say that my earning capacity will increase and inflation affects the price too blah blah blah. But 45,000 - 65,000 per sq. ft. !!! Hell thats just insane!

So that will give you a good insight into what I am up against when people decide to rent these spaces out. A slum dwelling is for 10K a month! I am not kidding ... some of the brokers here thought since I am a man and single I will do with just about anything. So they took me into slums where my neighbours would be a mix of the Kaam waali bai to the Kachra waali bai and not to mention their innumerable kids. Come to think of it the population explosion happens at their level more than at ours. The number of knee high kids I almost ran over in these places was not even funny. Sex is like going to the movies to these chaps. Oh shit hun! I think we're up for another one.

Coming back I also found that not many PGs are available too. Apparently PG market is more open for girls than boys. I wonder why! We arent that bad you know. Not all of us anyway. I keep ogling at the lovely bungalows on Turner & Carter Road and keep wondering why the out houses of these bungalows arent up for rent. I'd grab them in the blink of an eye I would. Yes sir. I have a thing for old quaint bungalows and their out-houses :-)

'nuff said. In other news my mother has finally discovered technology and decided to embrace it. I got a mail from my Dad saying that Mum has opened an account on G-mail for herself and that all communication to her should be directed there. I was a bit puzzled and called her up. She sounded like a little girl who just visited the Ice-cream truck. A few days later she even appeared on G-talk and managed to chat. Its a different thing that in between our lines I could walk out, get a coffee and some snacks and come back to see her next line typed out. Oh then there were these two 2 minute voice mails too from her which I still have to ask her about. I bet they must be because she thought that the call button on top of the chat window meant she could call me on my cell phone.