It’s time for the onset of the winter season in India and the pleasant irony is that it’s the warmth and the brightness of the diyas that welcome the much awaited cool weather. Very rightly called the “festival of lights”, this fête never fails to bring in happiness and hope in many a humdrum and disillusioned lives. Its amazing how illumination of a bunch of diyas on your balcony sill can bring so much joy in your life. Being away from your loved ones hits you hard especially during Diwali, which is an epitome of togetherness, belongingness, love, celebration, and happiness personified!

From what they call “white washing” the house, to preparing all the delicious bakshanams (goodies) in the world, from simply calling your loved ones to exchanging emails and messages for wishing “Happy Diwali”, from planning a get-together with your kith and kin to just relishing the bakshanams and bursting firecrackers, from the bright lights of the diyas that light up your heart and soul to the shopping for new garments, this is just a gala time that truly exemplifies “festivity”. No wonder why there is a great sentiment attached with this festival :)

It’s funny how parties are organized in the US to just emulate the fun and frolic that this festival promises year after year. “Diya”, the Diwali celebration at my university that was a concoction of the latka jhatkas, the great music, the late night-outs for the practice sessions, the preparations, the decorations, the dance parties that followed, is sorely missed! The cherished memories associated with this festival paradoxically make me emotional and brings a smile to my face :)

It’s time for the dazzling lights
It’s time for the vibrant sights
It’s time for the celebrated nights
It’s time for the scrumptious bites

So why wait,
Let’s celebrate!

A very happy Diwali and a prosperous year ahead to one and all! Amen!!!

I tread along a path unknown,
I couldn’t care less for what has bygone.
I wonder where the good old days have flown,
I would have stalled time had I known.

The innocence and virtue that childhood brought,
The reminiscences of which have only taught.
The cherished moments can forever be sought,
The tears of joy it brings cannot be fought.

Privileged for I was raised with the attention and care,
Fortunate for possessing a kin beyond compare,
Lucky to experience an enriching upbringing, I swear,
Happy for the shackles of strong bonding will never tear.

The pleasurable school days and its many diversions,
The spirit was inculcated with healthy competitions.
The teachings and preaching instilled cognition,
The ingenuous pranks were part of the tradition.

Those carefree and happy-go-lucky days,
Those leisure times spent with a playful craze,
Those zealous and ardent ways,
Those gifted years have vanished with that phase.

I wish I could want and obtain,
I wish I could manipulate time and retain,
I wish I could influence my brain,
I wish I could be a child again!

- Swetha Krishnan

The juxtaposition of the moist, breezy wind and the unsullied whiff of mud jog my memory to those wonderful rainy days back home. The panorama (from my balcony at home) of the transparent, dazzling water beads dripping from each leaf of the trees; water hammering on the ground just as if the gods were taking a shower :-); lovely, colorful birds shaking off the drench and flying to their sheltered perch; the vibrant colors of the umbrellas & raincoats; a mobile stall of fresh, hot baked “buttas” (corn, not the sweet corn, mind ya), not to forget the special varieties with butter corn or corn spread with chilli powder, salt and lemon (slurp) being the top sellers; were a delight to the eyes and just too good to be true! I vividly reminisce sitting on the bench in my balcony and taking pleasure in the beautiful ambiance of cool zephyr filled with the scent of the earth! Surprisingly, not one of my favourite seasons; although, I strangely contradict myself on this most often than not and with a justified rationale.

The mention of the “rain” brings to my mind the tardy, sluggish mornings, a great excuse to bunk school/college - heavy downpour culminating as floods often called for a holiday anyway, an excellent opportunity to get cozy on the couch and watch your favourite movies/shows on TV, an innate urge or craving for hot, crispy, fried pakodas with mom’s special tea, and despite all this, grumble and criticize the weather as if nothing worse could ever happen to you! ”Grass is greener on the other side” was like the motto…people suddenly becoming conscious of how important it is to go to school/college and not sit at home and waste time…I guess it is more the restrain that the rain brings with it that explains the love-hate relationship with this season, in particular. It’s strange how it would conveniently play hide-and-seek by not raining all morning and starting to pour heavily just as you are about to step-out of the house to start a great day :-) (I always wondered if this only happened to me!)

The love affair of “Romance” & “Rain” is eternal and I often hear them expressing their love - “hum tumse pyar karte the, karte hai aur karte rahenge :-)”. No wonder, they end up paying their dues to the dushman zamana called “Bollywood;” be it a sudden rain scene (ofcourse immediately after the previous scene being shot in snow) with the hero and heroine (clad in a transparent, thin sari), completely drenched and singing and expressing their love with the aide of a soft, romantic number or the hero thrashing the villains right in the middle of nowhere with the rain adding a special effect :-). Now that I have mentioned Bollywood, Mani Ratnam, Rain & Romance form the mesmerizing “tridev.” “Chinna Chinna Aasai” from Roja, “Tu Hi Re” from Bombay, “Barso Re” from Guru, “Chaiyya Chaiyya” from Dil Se, “Megam Vandhado” from Mouna Raagam, “Dil ye bechein hai” from Taal and so many more, painstakingly and truly justify the divine blend of “Rain and Romance”!

Rain and Ganesh Chaturthi also go hand-in-hand…”Rain” has always been considered to be symbolic of some auspicious and propitious event/occurrence. Ganesh Chaturthi (what a perfect time – Happy Ganesh Chaturthi in advance people!) is one of my favourite festivals coz I have too many sweet memories linked to it, each and every year bringing immense joy! Rain would just be an icing on the cake, it was the perfect time in the year where I loved the rain, coz no matter what, we were allowed to get drenched, dance in the rain welcoming the god and during the visarjan!

How I wish I was home :-) All I can say is:

“Rain Rain Come Again,
I wanna watch you pour through my windowpane
I wanna savor mom’s pakodas and tea then
I wanna be home so bad, I can’t explain!”

“There are some things money can’t buy; for all others, there is Master Card,” – This punch line always got me thinking on how effortless fulfilling your materialistic desires is made to sound. Well, who do they think pay for the Master Card, their in-laws? But, I guess each one of us at one point or the other in life has taken shelter under the fiscal umbrella called credit cards that sure convinces to save us from the teary rain showering from the eyes, if unmanageable, from the nose too :-); but not for long though :-).
To get to the point, all our desires and yearnings are accompanied with a price to pay, not necessarily money; it could be anything from losing something precious in return, causing an emotional imbalance, spending a lot of money that you don’t possess in the first place, or for a change if you crave for something easily achievable, you might end up being happy as well.

However, happiness always seems to be short-lived, coz what you achieve easily is not what you actually pine for in most cases :-). Being content and happy is never really the goal, is it? Being in a constant state-of-hope is something that coerces our existence. And rightly so, hunger for something you can’t get a bite of straightforwardly is what makes life interesting and challenging!

Someone has fittingly said, “Make up your mind to act decidedly and take the consequences. No good is ever done in this world by hesitations.” If you want something, go get it; but without hurting/harming someone else in the process. Desires are like the cake you want to keep and eat as well, be careful not to be left with a rotten cake, not good to be kept or eaten :-).

My poetic fetish of late is actually yearning for a poetic take on the topic and here it goes:

The heart meanders from pole to pole,
Seeking the unfeasible takes its toll.
It sprints, it leaps and it takes a stroll,
Stubbornly so till it torments the soul.

What makes one happy is a treasure unknown,
It could be peace, love or some precious stone.
With zeal, grit and will of your own
Fulfilling your desire is not an unreachable zone.

Yearning for something you want the most,
Is not wrong till you recognize your coast.
While satisfying your yen, don’t hurt the host,
Enjoy the feeling and call for a toast!

- Swetha Krishnan

Waking up on a cool and murky day,
Wondering why wouldn’t the alarm delay.
Struggling, snuggling and cuddling away,
The clock won’t budge, to my dismay.

Rising sun begets no signs of heat,
Summer it is, who would remind the cheat.
Pacifying myself to stop hiding from this deceit,
A fresh, hot cup of coffee sure feels like a treat.

Sweltering & simmering temperature is not the ask,
In a warm, shining, summery day can we bask.
Why is what we desire such a disagreeable task?
The orange/yellow halo is only a devious mask.

Fragrant blooms and colorful butterflies allure,
Tranquility of the warm sand beaches never fail to assure.
Is this the end of a beautiful season, I am unsure
Oh holy Sun God, you are the only true cure!

The scent of earth from a lush green lawn,
Reminds me of the beautiful summer dawn
What a great feeling being outdoors bring on,
Hope lingers, summer can’t be gone!

- Swetha Krishnan

What could be a better start to the day (sarcasm galore) than getting an email from this friend of mine with an exclusive poem for me...hold your breath, this ain't hunky-dory or mushy mushy...you gotta read it to believe it!

Friend:
“Roses are red; violets are blue
Monkeys like you should be kept in the zoo.
Don't feel so angry, you will find me there too
Not in a cage but laughing at you.”

Here it gets interesting when the two bloggers (my friend & I) start realizing that we have this hidden poetic talent and the innate urge to exploit this endowment to the best of our abilities on a cool and gloomy day! So, I thought to myself, why should I be left behind…here’s my fitting answer :-)

Me:

"Roses are red; violets are blue,

Fools like you don't have a clue.

How I wonder what I will go through,

Talking to you can only cause serious flu.”

I ain't exactly sure as to what my friend was thinking when he read this, but his poetic retort said it all – he was actually loving this and took on the creative challenge in style :-)

Friend:
“Roses are wilting; violets are dead,
Sugar is lumpy like your head.
Don’t be mad, don’t be blue
Frankenstein was a moron too.

Roses are red; violets are blue,
I made this poem up while sitting up on the loo!!”

This now became a question of “who is better” and “how can I prove I am better”. So, my brain did a little overtime in trying to outshine my dear friend.

Me:
“Roses & violets are meant to bring joy,
Morons like you can only destroy.
I ain’t mad; I don’t need to cry,
For idiots like you leave me high and dry.

Roses might be red and violets blue,
Read this poem and you might forever be in the loo!”

Not only did the verses multiply, the intensity now got bigger and better :-) We called for a war!

Friend:
“Violets turn red and roses turn blue,
A biotechnology disaster creates a big hue.
Scarface came to the rescue;
Roses turned red and violets blue,
But Scarface had fleas and gave them to you.

Then came JV and realized violets are purple,
And maple surple.
To all those morons who still think violets are blue,
Pack your bags and stand next to the loo.

Violets are coy and roses ain't joy,
Learn it the hard way that these ain't any toy.
Roses have thorns,
Not seen by morons.”

The Famous last words had to be mine and here they go!

Me:
“Red roses and blue violets bear the brunt,
Some psycho from hell is on the hunt.
He cares less, he is blatantly blunt,
He is desperately trying to confront.

Stinking shoe is what you chew,
What’s your fetish with the loo?
Like a cat you mew mew,
Its time to take you to the zoo.

Violets might be coy, roses might have thorns,
Flowers like these are great adorns.
I would be glad if you are reborn,
As a special pig with two horns.”

PS: Many thanks to my friend for not only letting me publish this, but also contributing to the blog in a big way :) Thanks JV!

In most of our lives, there exists a role model, an idol who plays a vital role in shaping and influencing our actions, deeds, thoughts, feelings and our mere existence. This icon could be a renowned author, a popular pin-up, a superstar, a legendary sportsman, a great friend, an adorable family member, a nobody or most importantly it could just be you. It’s bizarre how we seldom acknowledge and appreciate it.

Was stalled in a holding pattern with lack of ideas and topics dominating my existence for a while now, read my friend’s wonderful blog last night and the writer in me seems to be bubbling with creativity all over again :-). Doesn’t this speak to the blog title itself? Its strange how I don’t believe in deifying one idol, I usually am inspired by the talent, the genius and the brighter side in one and all. This blog is dedicated to each one of you who have inspired me in some walk of my life and continue to motivate me along…

Inspiration is that almighty force that arises from the inside. It lights you up, and gives you more power than you ever expected. Although brainwave occurs in a lot of different forms, for example, you could be inspired to perform a trivial chore or it could be something that changes your life completely, it is significantly important for that influence to bring out a positive upshot that forces out the best in us! (literally :-))

My mom will always be my greatest source of inspiration and here are the reasons why…from waking up at 5:00 a.m. each morning and cooking mouthwatering breakfast and lunch for all of us, from tolerating all our idiosyncrasies to showering unconditional love, from worrying about us at each step to sacrificing a lot more for our happiness, from being a tower of strength to being a wonderful friend (this list is too long to list :-)), mothers rule! The point I am trying to make here is that it’s amazing how day-to-day activities performed by one individual can motivate and ignite the spark in us to do something that we usually shy away from or just to better ourselves.

Lately, I have become more than indomitable in hitting the gym atleast 5 times a week, not only do I thank this friend who amazingly inspires me, but also thanks to my very own reflection in the mirror :-). Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, a “very old and still kicking” musical program on Zee TV tranforms the bathroom singer in me to a wannabe Indian idol or something of that sort…The realization has dawned on me, and through these examples I just want to portray that each one of us is bestowed with the potential to make it big, all you need is inspiration!!!
So bring it on…Be inspired :-)

Envision the auditorium filled with passionate applause, cheering & ovation for the man himself “Allah Rakha Rahman” and his troupe of astounding singers & musicians…..it was definitely a dream come true to be part of such an overwhelming concert….the experience, the event was just outta this world!
Music is such an overpowering medium to express one’s feelings, heart and soul….songs with lyrics that touch our souls are few and far in between lately, oh well who said I don’t enjoy the “mass” songs ;-)…..Great music in any form is welcome…
I was introduced to Rahman’s music with Roja and was completely mesmerized with the soothing music & passionate lyrics full of romance ….”Kaadhal roojave, enge nee enge” still being one of my fav songs…Moving on, keeping track of Rahman’s music is kinda one of my hobbies……I gotta admit that I don’t fall in love with all his compositions at first, albeit his music grows on me…….and once it does…….I worship his compositions….period!

Late entry and missed one of Rahman’s mind-boggling compositions “Jaage Hai” from the movie Guru…nevertheless the night started with “Khalbali hai Khalbali” and what dya think……Rahman was at his best and khalbali mach gayi. Thundering atmosphere, thanks to over 13000 crazy fans in tandem with the lights, music and the AR magic brought out the madness in me.

Hariharan is one gifted fella; his construal of the original compositions is too good to be true. His “Tu Hi Re” from the movie Bombay was electrifying and his adaptation of “Yeh Hairathe” from Guru had the crowd going gaga. The melodious “Kabhi Neem Neem” by Madhusree, the heart-felt "Ek Onkar" & "Kannalane" by Chitra….the poignant "Naina Neer Bahay" by Sadhana Sargam were a treat for the ears.

The crowd roared with delight and were up on their feet for the adrenaline pumping and over-the-top soundtracks like "Chaiyya Chaiyya" by Sukhwinder, "Rang De Basanti" by stunner Aslam Khan, and "Humma Humma" by the music maestro himself.

Rahman’s “Dil Se” conquered many hearts. The mysterious “Maiyya Maiyya” singer was superb and with her latka-jhatka, she enthralled the masses. "Roobaroo" by Naresh Iyer was stupendous and "Athiradee" from the movie Sivaji was definitely the highlight of the show.
The sight of Sivamani playing his drums was unbelievable, we were left gasping for more…..
The rapper, Blazee was full of energy and the crowd couldn’t help but follow the cheerleader, in the real sense! The grand finale with "Vande Mataram...Maa Tujhe Salaam" transmitted patriotism in every Indian present at the Nassau Coliseum!

Rahman fills his craft with engaging rhythms and evocative lyrics; unmistakable zeal resonated throughout this concert. Although an extraordinary entertaining musical escapade spanning three and a half hours, Yeh Dil Maange More!

Long Live the Man……Ahem!!!

Never paid too much attention to the concept of “long weekend” back in India, but here in the US, long weekends are long-awaited. Long weekend in western countries is merely a weekend that is at least 3 days long; doesn't that sound ephemeral these days anyway?

As my thoughts wander down the memory lane, ironically I detested weekends as much as I pine for them now. In retrospect, be it school, junior college or undergrad, I only remember yearning for the weekend to avoid being part of tormenting lectures or to hang out with friends. Paradoxically, nothing can override the fun we back-benchers had in college.

Isn’t Saturday an effectively functioning day back in our homeland, then why this fuss out here? From planning classy retreats beforehand to absolutely being lackluster, from counting days for THE weekend to hardly working a week prior to the weekend, from building castles in the sky about how amazing a weekend it would turn out to be; albeit, whining about the fact that it will be long obsolete makes not only the long weekend more stimulating, but also brings life to the monotonous and mind-numbing work culture.

Browsing through the “1001 places to see before you die”, I wonder if these long weekends will suffice. Regardless, weekends are heaven, longer the better, what say?

Imagine your first day at your first job. The ideal state of affairs as etched in my mind would be meeting some administrative person at the reception, a tour of the campus and the most important aspect is being escorted to the dream office with your own desk, a comfy chair, a phone with a landline allotted to you and last but not the least enough cabinet space for your files/folders etc. Well, let’s be pragmatic; don’t let your imaginations run wild yet.

After all the extraneous, insignificant details were enforced and the information overload got on to me, I was ushered to “The Bullpen – my office”. My first reaction was “come again, are you saying that I will work in this bullpen everyday? You must be kidding me” I couldn’t be less sure of the fact that this would just be a temporary office space and shortly, a nice, big office/cubicle will be arranged for me; and then I could see the wonderful glass frame of my dream office break into a million pieces right there, right then.

Before I tread this path a little more, let me define the bullpen :-). The bullpen is like a hotel, in the literal sense. It is a big, square office area with provision for 8 random people to work-in or hardly work-in to be precise, on a first-come-first-serve basis. This means no assigned desk, chair, cabinets, desktop and/or phone. All I got was a laptop, which still keeps me company all day, irrespective of where I get to sit. As if this wasn’t enough distress, the kind of people I have to put up with everyday is what makes it even more intriguing.

1st category: No cell phone daytime minutes! People that fall under the first category are usually under the impression that they own the bullpen, with earsplitting and extended conversations being their forte. The only pacifying other-half of this coin is that atleast these people talk work. I still wonder how I meet my deadlines!

2nd category: No work!!
The second category of people in the bullpen have absolutely no work at their disposal, so they end up making personal calls and discussing anything from personal problems, credit card issues, dinner plans, sports, boasting about their children, about last evening’s experience or any random topic at their will depending on whether it is a male or a female, young or old. Is it easier to close your ears or shut your mouth?

3rd category: Absolute Don’t Care Attitude!!!
This is the worst kind; these people sit right next to you and munch on some junk all day long. May be their wives don’t feed them dinner or vice versa. Imagine constantly being subject to burps, farts, sneeze….yikes! And they also try to compete with the first category on how long and loud they can converse over the phone! Now this instigates the birth of the fourth kind!

4th category: At the mercy of the above 3 categories!!!!
This is where poor souls like me and couple others come into the picture. One excuse and we run as far away from the bullpen as possible, whether it is a one hour lunch break or 3 half hour coffee breaks and if the situation gets worse and/or unbearable, we work from home :-). And time spent in the bullpen is effectively distributed between work and IM!

But all thanks to the bullpen, there is always something to do :-)

Now you guys know the reason for my “busy” status on gtalk ;-)

MUMBAI (aka Bombay) is where I lived all my life and given a choice, I wouldn’t trade living in any other city…..It all started here…the land of dreams, opportunities, bright lights, color, glamour…how does all this matter……what really matters is that here is my “home sweet home”

I still vividly remember my school days...I used to stand at the gate of my building and wait anxiously for the school bus to come pick me up…. I was never the best in my class when it came to studies, but this weird drive to participate in every school activity, be it sports, dance, music, elocution, skit, ballet and what not made me stick out (not literally..haha). I always felt like the jack of all trades, and master of none! Nevertheless, those were the best days of my life.

I started learning music at the age of 6’ish….and trust me this is the best fixation I ever had in my life. 11 years of classical training and I still feel I can start from scratch…well only if I practiced on a regular basis! I also tried my luck with bharatnatyam classes...but couldn’t survive the torture for more than a month.

Leaving school to join college in 11th was agonizing and heartbreaking! I felt as if the world had come to an end…but looking at the brighter side, we were “grown-ups” now, no uniforms, no “yes teacher” songs, no “free periods (although we had so much fun)”…life turned upside down with a big group of so called “waste” kids enjoying the new found freedom…I miss the college canteen, our so called “adda”. Bunking classes and chilling out in the college canteen to ogle smart guys was part of our curriculum…wow and the food…slurp!

How can I not write about Ganesh Chaturthi celebrated every year in our locality…wow I still remember how I had some friends that I only met during those 10 days and how much fun we had dancing, singing and shouting on top of our voice to the dhols on the streets of aamchi Mumbai!

Four years of undergraduation brought out the best in me. “Jay Sandwich wala” near my college made great business during those days…all thanks to me! And then started the “brain drain” preparations….

Mumbai Airport makes me nostalgic coz I had to bid farewell to my loved ones back home. And here I am in the rightly called “US of A”.

A little more than three years in the land of opportunities has brought me closer to my roots, has made me strong and responsible, yet very lonely! I have completed my Masters and have a job in hand, yet the sense of achievement is gone with the wind. On the brighter side, I have made some great friends, who have stood by me during trying times, who have been more than a family and life would be meaningless without you guys!

A trip to India is awaiting me!