Remember the days of the diaries, the days of exploring the innermost psyche of self, the days of gawking deep into the cracked mirrors and reasoning their cause, days of retrospection, the days of constant pursuit of self, days of just pouring out experiences, good or bad, on paper? In olden times, writing with quills by means of a bottle of ink had such an unmistakable style of its own….envisage Valmiki using this tool to bring into being the epic Ramayana! One sentence on paper, off late, comes with a shivering wrist ache, thanks to the era of keyboards and electronic records!

Diaries offered an avenue for escapism, a pathway to showcase one’s real self, a channel to voice one’s opinion without having to worry about counterattacks or rejection. For those who maintained diaries (I am sure they still exist), it formed one’s secluded world outside of one’s real existence. An addiction it aroused, an irresistible need to express and to break free! No wonder the diaries were a part of many a script writers’ imagination, many a director’s fantasy…the mystery in Ghajini would have remained obscure without Sanjay Ramasamy’s outpour of daily activities into a diary...A diary kept Bridget Jones true to herself…the diary brought two-hearts-in love together forever and the diary was a means to sentence the culprit to misery in many a plots!

Maintaining diaries is such a private act, ironically though; it provokes curiosity in one and all to exactly find out what’s in those pages :) Anyways, talking about the current generation, writing is some tedious work of the past, its now all about blogs, blogging and did I already mention blogging? Atleast keeping diaries was not everyone’s cup-of-tea; however blogging is every tom, dick and harry’s pastime. Blogging has created such a sensation among the masses, it is no longer limited to personal space; it is about education, creativity, exchange, competition, business, and trust me when it is slow at work, this is a perfect medium to yell out your frustrations or deviate your idle mind to a less devilish atmosphere. People are no longer afraid to confront any opposition, people are no longer afraid of who they really are and to speak for themselves…I wonder why being yourself needs to be so tough in the first place (may be another blog….some other day) :)

From college kids to the working class, from movie stars to cooks and chefs, from commentators to political speakers, from house wives to social workers, blogging has caught up like wildfire and why not – it is such a great platform for self development at so many levels. It is interesting to see how, what we do in 2009 is inherited from centuries ago. The mediums have changed, but the essence remains! Although it is essential to practice what we preach or believe in; I feel this is a great beginning in itself. It is time for the evolution of the Homosapiens!!!

PS: Here’s a toast to all my blogger friends who keep me alive and writing!!! Cheers!

Heard this a zillion times last night, Best Supporting Actress/Actor, Best Short Film, Best X, Best Y….blah blah blah…..dude what got me jumping off my couch, dancing and whistling away like a pakka rowdy was when I heard the golden words…..And the Oscar goes to ……A.R. Rahman !!! – not once, this man decided to give us a reason to celebrate twice in a span of 10 minutes…

What a moment in Indian history…..he is the light at the end of a long lost, narrow, dark, and depressing tunnel! The song Maula Mere Maula from the movie Delhi-6 led me to believe it doesn’t matter whether you are a Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or a Christian…..the mediums (MUSIC is instrumental) that connect our soul to the supreme being have no religion, don't believe in discrimination – they only comprehend the language of love and devotion!

You blurt out “Slumdog Millionaire” in India and the hypocrites who have no connection with the movie or the Mumbai slums suddenly creep out from their caves, with strong opinionated judgmental statements – Does it matter that a Britisher and not an Indian decided to direct the movie – if not Mumbai, it would have been the slums in South Africa or Philippines!!! It is imperative to read in between the lines and decipher the profound aspects of what is being depicted. Slumdog’s message from my perspective was that success comes with fearless determination, ambition, inspiration, motivation and a pinch of luck! It has nothing to do with a person’s race, religion, caste, financial status, gender and the likes! And having lived in Mumbai and passed out from a college in Bandra, I have crossed Dharavi – Asia’s largest slums more than I can imagine and have seen the filth myself! The movie is just a reflection of reality – the sooner we learn acknowledge and accept the facts, the better! This is no preaching – just my two cents!

Coming back to the Oscars – I am not surprised that Slumdog – the underdog bogged the limelight at the coveted awards ceremony! 8 Oscars – no kidding :). The cast and crew added spice to the excitement, concluding the event in style! Kudos to Resul Pookutty, whose achievement exemplifies in the true sense, the story of an underdog attaining unimaginable heights. I was euphoric to witness an Indian performance at the Oscars – Talent speaks far away from our motherland, slashing all boundaries and making us proud!
Am so proud to be an Indian – Jai Ho!!!

The Sun God decide to rest one fine day,
Leaving behind a gloomy day so gray,
Cold and bitter winds sway away,

Fetching the snow showers to our doorway!

The delicate cotton-like chilly flakes,
Feel like soft petals caressing our face.
The warmth it brings is a welcome grace,
A romantic weather that leaves its trace!

An infinite white bed takes over the earth,
Growing inch by inch, berth by berth,
A warm-chilly cushion totally worth,
Laying on it has its own mirth!

Harsh wind chills brutally slam our skin,
As snowfall gets drained and thin,
With no choice but to hold our grin,
Its now time to lift the shovel and spin!

As long as it is the damp and soft snow,
Shoveling can be as simple as a clean throw.
The ice can make you slip and flow,
Not so funny, but what a show ;)

This blog is not intended to discriminate one from the other, it is only meant to bring out the humour in most situations where sons and daughters belong together.

I have heard most couples I met in my life say that they can rely more on their daughter compared to their son. I don’t think I entirely agree with this statement, but I understand what instigates this kinda feeling in our parent’s minds. “WYSIWYG” (What You See Is What You Get) is like the mantra backing this feeling. Talking, gossiping, sharing of feelings, enjoying a homely atmosphere, and visual emotional bonding are inherent features in a girl and it is truly evident in the way she connects with her parents. On the contrary, although guys are capable of everything mentioned above, more often than not they are reserved when it comes to sharing day-to-day stuff. They believe in discussions only on a need basis and only when they find time from their important activities like playing, playing and did I already mention playing? J On a serious note, boys bond very well and tend to share their innermost feelings with their closest pals. Some guys that do spend time with their parents, share their feelings only on a superficial basis. And guys can only converse while they are involved in games, drinks, action movies or the likes. The recurring complaints of all mothers is that they do not get enough of their sons; can we blame either of them :D. Mothers can never accept their sons the way they are, they are constantly striving to transform them into a girl, not literally huh! This reminds me of the movie Transformers; what a movie! Oh well, I digress.

The point I am trying to make is that daughters explicitly state and pour out their feelings and sons, on the contrary, may love their parents even more than their sisters do, but they always come across as indifferent and detached. Whatever it may seem like, I feel that sons have this strong, ever-lasting bond with their parents, which might not be explicit, but always shows when most needed.

Marriage transforms life such a great deal, it brings new perspective and outlook towards life, thrusts you to be responsible, now not only for yourself but your partner as well. Your thoughts and aspirations are now multi-dimensional and multi-directional. All this sounds as simple or as complicated as you can make it, what’s surprising is that you change, not the person in you but so many other aspects that just cannot be expressed in simple words.

The initial days, even months just elapse even before you realize it, just trying to understand the bliss and challenges the new life brings along and once you get highly comfortable in the relationship, you realize its been six months since you called any friends or even invited them over for dinner or just a cup of coffee. Strange, just six months ago, they were all over the place and part of your everyday routine :)..I know the ones that are single often are perplexed and it takes a while for them to understand your behaviour, the change just doesn’t sink in. The funny feeling is when you love spending time with your partner and also miss masti-making with friends. Strange are the ways of life!!! Its like “All I want is everything”, is that a problem?” :D

In trying to deal with the transition from being single to the “married” status, and frustrated that friends don’t get the point, you end-up finding some couples to hang out with…Does this help? Yes, as a matter of fact, it helps for a while till you realize all you talk about is your partner and ofcourse your experiences as a married couple, the common aspects become the point of discussion and the not-so-common facets are usually debatable :). Its usually feels like a forum for married couples where you could share your happiness and musings. But you know what, you sure begin to miss the “MASTI” with your near and dear friends.

The best part of it all is your close friends “DO” understand. Who is not resistant to change? - but then we all tend to accept the facts! But when the “MASTI” begins, its probably time for another change! Its true when they say “Change is the only thing that remains constant”. I repeat, Strange are the ways of life!
I wish we never had to part ways with friends in any walk of life, never had to bid farewell to any of ‘em to enter into the new phases of life. On a happy note, shaadi – dosti – masti can always go hand-in-hand, its up to you to take it or leave it!!!

Long hiatus, random thoughts bubbling all over the place, and I am back to consciously align my arbitrary thoughts in meaningful directions.

You always need something to look forward to in life, some aspiration, dream that can keep us alive and rejuvenated at all times. You anxiously wait and toil diligently towards something you pine for to occur sooner than the set date, and count days till you accomplish it. But at the end of it all, you also feel a huge void, a sudden emptiness that is unfathomable. I guess its partly because you feel relieved and rewarded at one hand while reckoning about what you would do next. And surprisingly so, the important day just flies by and you end up craving that the clock stopped ticking and let you stare, swallow and live the moments you were really yearning for. And what’s even more amazing is that you accept the situation, get over it, and move on, striving to achieve the next item in your desire list. Life is so full of successive small projects, sometimes you end up in multiple ones, but what’s important is to take pleasure in what you do, carve these moments in your memory to cherish for life, and always dream big for more.

An innate urge to live and let live,
Is lucid if you forget and forgive
What is right or wrong is tricky to sieve,
Yet what makes one noble is the desire to give.

Differences & discords are part of all liaisons,
Opinion is shaped based on one’s interpretations,
Ambiguous perceptions lead to misconceptions,
Yet what flush it even are effective interactions .

Life comes a full circle with ups-and-downs;
In constantly striving to earn a few more pounds,
It is realistic to anticipate many a frowns,
Yet what make it worth living are the enlivening dawns.

Responsibilities & chores walk with us as shadows ,
Forsaking them is like jumping into hollows.
What is part of life are joys and sorrows,
Yet what make one happy are colors of the rainbows.

The path of life is tread with hopes and aspirations;
In trying to sincerely fulfil everyone’s expectations,
It is possible to get trapped in trying complications,
Yet what makes it painless is having true intentions.