Timon at the Water Village

You dont know me. You dont need to know me either. For the time being call me Timon because you will need to identify me as a character. Timon of Athens, Timon of Philius, Pupil of Pyrrho - call me what you may, all are the same, disambiguations to confuse my identity or maybe, confirm it. And no, I dont have a nickname.

Wanderings for earning my bread led me and two of my amigos to village which goes by the name of water village. Expecting a serene place, with pleasant climate (and a few lakes perhaps?) I embarked from the City of Gardens to the City of Dreams enroute to the water village. An overnight journey's distance from the City of Dreams this water village lauds itself for being the Banana capital and the largest Pulse Milling Centre - An achievement any industrious city would be proud of, you bet.

The first encounter with this enigma of Water village was a bundle of contradictions, rather an extra-large container full of contradictions - where Cozy cottages are not so cozy and Royal Palaces are not so royal. People come here to buy Gold, which is dearer than any other place. Seering heat and no sign of the promised "water" in the village drew me to the conclusion that a prankster tyrant - possibly a minister of some not-so-well known ministry - named this hell hole as "water village" only to spark some grey matter in few people leading to some grave discussions on the origin of the name "water village" - and thus remember this minister. A good way to leave a legacy.

If the above description of the place seems generic, here are some particulars to ease your curious mind. Arrangements were cozily available at Cozy cottage at the expense of our coziness. Water dripping from the roof in front of our rooms and lines of buckets kept there to collect it welcomed us to a promising stay at this cottage. The bell boy explained that was because of the "Centralised Ac" system that cooled our rooms. (He thought he was doing a good job of impressing us). And the murky water in the buckets collected...well, they bore stark resemblance to the shade of water pouring out of my wash basin. So we cozily shifted to the more promising sounding Royal Palace - without tipping the bell boy.

Royal palace was'nt apt to its name but whats life without a little compromise? Now, even in today's age of specialisation Royal palace would leave everyone far behind in the sophistication of its specialisation. The restaurant managers staunchly refuse to serve you chinese food if the specialist chinese cook is not present. Strict adherance to procedures is what probably keeps this restaurant going - South Indian food is served strictly between 3:30 PM and 7:00 PM. Five minutes here and there - you wont be served. Amidst all this theres still a chance of missing tasting their elusive south indian cuisine if the specialist south indian cuisine chef is on leave.

And then there was the ever similing 32 teethed bookkeeper who had an affinity to cheese. Yes I'm sure there were 32 teeth - had ample time for counting them time and again. And no, not the regular cheese but a very special variety called "Kya-cheez". The optimisim of this book keeper was bewitching, to an extent contagious. Optimism to such an extent that Pinocchio's nose would have catapulted to the clouds.

4 weeks of diligently pursuing what seemed like a good cause passed in what seemed like an eternity of time. Binges on the Masala Papads, Tandoori Chickens and extra oily afternoon Kachoris are some of the memories I get to take from there back to the City of Gardens.

Nürburgring and Bangalore

"Blazing Turkey's", "Pigheaded Morons", " Rotten Tadpoles"...no these are not the names of exotic dishes that i am muttering about. Such Exclamations slip out of my mouth when I find myself wet as a result of water being splashed on me by vehicles on the streets of Bangalore. Looks as if they are participating in the Nürburgring Formula One Grand Prix. Wonder what prize they are coveting...an early meeting in Hell with the Satan himself..perhaps?

The moment i mention Nürburgring I start to draw up some interesting comparisons between it and Bangalore.

This years Grand Prix at Nürburgring (Gosh, I love to say this word...sounds like it came straight of a Mac Donald's Menu....maybe, it stands for Nordic Burger with Onion Rings) was testament to the reputation of the race track as it stands. Few seconds into the race and you had the racing cars falling head over heels over each other ...no, a wrong analogy...i should have said you have racing cars falling wheels over wheels on each other. One look at the race track and you know why. The sadistic people who designed this must have taken a paper clip and bent it in weird ways and Ta Da, you have a Racing Track.

Nürburgring and Bangalore

1. You can see the picture above. Now tell me you cant see a MG Road(nos 5-6); a Cubbon Road(nos 10-11), an Old Madras Road (nos 12-13), an Airport Road (nos. 14-1). Of course, you have to assume that this was drawn by an amatuer cartographer with no idea of scale.

2. The weather. With the Ferrari's and the Maclaren's having their own weather stations at Nürburgring, they were'nt able to predict the rains in this years race. They started off with dry tyres and immediately after the mishap had to change to the wet tyres. It poured heavily for a few minutes and then went as soon as it came. Bangalore rains - similar?

a. Unpredictable - it always pour when you dont have an umbrella.

b. Rains for a few minutes and then disappears like its only goal was to water the Garden City

Its end of august and its pouring cats and dogs here. And every evening! It started way back in June. And I heard it rains till November . I remember learning in school (whenever I used to take a break from throwing paper planes or tapping the head of a person sitting in front of me) that the Monsoon season in India lasts for four months. Thats how I have been experiencing it for the last 20 odd years. Of course I remember reading something like the south-west monsoon winds give rain to the western part of India and goes north and the North east monsoon winds give rains to the Eastern part of India. What I did not know nor forsee was that Bangalore tightly sits in the path of both these windy messengers.

2

3. Nürburgring hosts one of the worlds largest Rock festivals. Bangalore, well, just hosts few (much closer to Miniscule) rock concerts. Well one of the largest in India, surely!

3

Well, now that I think of it not much to compare between Nürburgring and Bangalore. Why did I start this post then?...Nürburgring, Nürburgring, Nürburgring (Boy, I love that word)

Endure...and Hope

Ever wondered what keeps us motivated?...To go by our existence without questioning...is it a good salary?... a good job?...a good family?...these are all transitionary...here today, gone tomorrow

The following verses are an attempt at investigating this notion:

Endure...and Hope

Conjecture this incidence which keeps us going
Persevering to Perform, straining to strive
Neither means nor materials cease that foreboding,
Waiting for a chimera, a reason to stay alive
Willingly that do submit themselves to fate
Destiny's puppets, only themselves to instigate
Nothing that could calm their anxious souls
Nothing to fall back, but a vision to extol
Traverse that spiritless voyage untold
While a gleaming sign afar does enfold
The radiance that tells them "now is old"
That journey's concluding, your spirits uphold
That geaming sign is the radiance of HOPE
Saying "For tomorrow's ecstacy endure today's woe"

Every sorrow of today is justified under that pretentious expression called Hope.

Here are what some people have said about hope, though most of them are not in line with my perception of it.

"Hope is tomorrow's veneer over today's disappointment. Evan Esar"

"Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. King Whitney Jr."

"While there's life, there's hope. Cicero"

"Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: You don't give up.Anne Lamott"

Update to the earlier Post

Today I read that "Kalam's game for a second term!" I don't know if the website given in my earlier post had anything to do with it, but yet something clicked.

And now, I am more confused like that same airborne pigeon finding Spiderman flying next it too

PS: Spiderman can't fly

Why Such a Fuss?

Amidst all the hooplah over who will be the candidate for the next President on NDTV, I munch over my dinner. Hmm, the Chicken Tandoori is excellent, the Mackerel fry is good and the Ridge gourd ... not so good.

UPA has nominated Pratibha Patil (Who? - Thats right, that was my first reaction too). The NDA earlier stated that they'd nominate Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and then turned their stance to "Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam if UPA also votes for him". Some new alliance called UNPA (Not to be confused with the already in power, UPA) also says " Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam". The Left, rightly or wrongly, says "No A.P.J. Abdul Kalam". A.P.J. Abdul Kalam says "No second term". And I am as confused as an airborne pigeon seeing superman flying next to it.

I am not political. Why bother with all this, I think. For me, it would'nt make any world of difference who would be the next President. The Prime Minister, yes, as he is in a position to influence the country's policies. But what does the President do? Sign the Bills, attend to dignitaries of other countries or if time permits, take a stroll on the large gardens of the Rashtrapathi Bhavan? In fact following are some of the items in the "To-Do" list of the President of India:

1. Appoint the Prime Minister (Really?, wonder how much "say" he has in this)
2. Appoint other "Screws" in the large government machine (i.e the Governer, the Chief Justice, Judges of supreme Courts and High Courts etc. - which in reality are selected by the Union Cabinet - talk about delegation!)
3. "Be" the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed forces (tough job, eh?)
4. Reduce sentence or grant pardon (Hardly ever excercised)
5. Remove the Prime Minister (Would anyone dare?)
6. Summon Houses, Dissolve Lok Sabha (subject to advice of guess who? - the council of ministers)
7. Declare Emergency (Not enough water, Not enough power, millions of hungry, poor people - If this aint emergency then what is???)
8. Blah-blah
9. Blah-blah

One other power, rarely used is to reject some of the stupid mindless laws passed by the Parliament for reconsideration. Not much of a "power" considering that it cannot be rejected again if it comes back to the President. For a country which names its Acts as "Destructive Insects and Pests Act, 1914", "Epidemic Diseases Act", "Anti-Hijacking Act","Cattle-trespass Act ", "Identification of Prisoners Act", one would think that the bills would be returned time and again just to put in a better name. But even then, I am surprised that this has been done only twice in the past. Once by Dr. Zail Singh and once by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Two presidents who seem to have been doing their job. Thats why, I would prefer if the latter gets re-elected, though again, at the cost of repetition I state, It does not matter to me.

PS. If you would like to show your support for Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, please visit http://www.getkalamback.com/
I do not know how far it will be helpful, but it sure seems worth a few clicks and two minutes.

Sins: An Experiment

It hit my mind today like that cyclone which hit the coast of Oman a few days back....

Our lives more or less can be summarised in two kind of actions:

1. Sinning or 2. Running away from them

Not that I am an expert in figuring out which out of the two I am doing every moment but yet you come to know about which of the two you have been more indulging in every night as you sleep in your bed, wondering where the day went wrong. Here are some verses...rather, some flirtations, with the seven sins - as I understand it:

Flirtations with the Sins

Naught I want, naught I fancy, This I can anytime not declare
There’s many a need, many a desire always lingering to ensnare
Wants never cease, wishes never end – which they all in turn, breed
Root of all evil, fostering father of other sins, yes – that’s known as Greed

Greed has a crafty brother, quite cunning and wily, please take heed
You will never realize - till becomes your best friend, till it entreats
Indulgence, is its sweet song, and excesses, its succulent symphony
Not before a long you grasp – you’re its victim, a victim of Gluttony

At every corner, every bend in life we perpetually encounter this vice
There's No dearth of it in this world – which comes to me as no surprise
So cruel it is, crushes all of your joy, happiness and harmony in its stride
So beware of this vice, that sometimes is called avarice and sometimes pride

The Next in line I have to acknowledge by its omnipresence
Leaps at every weak moment, its best to forever keep its distance
And it Spawns cravings, primal desires, which Curb but you must
Lest you find yourself a target of the fourth dangerous vice which is Lust

Greed’s son is lurking around, waiting; – it’s hardly a long one
To breed in you that feeling which now seems not so uncommon
Its second nature to you to always lose control and believe it, that’s a fact
Every other person seems to be inflicted with this Sin called as wrath

Theres one more Sin which until now, even I was unaware was a sin
When it dawned upon me, it consumed you from all but from within,
You fall into its trap Naïvely, only know it when you become distraught
That laziness can also be a Sin, comprehend it, it goes by the name of Sloth

The Last ones there too, again, bred by that first disdainful weakness
One that oft gives rise to wrath, obliterates peace of mind, causes much distress
All find it very convenient to indulge in few fulfilling moments of jealousy
Befriending that blemisher of most relationships, which every human knows as Envy

Yes those are the failings which we ought to be careful always to avoid
All very cunning, very devious, leaving your soul with an unfillable void
Be certain to be aware to steer clear of them as you drive though your habitual existence
Else you, like the “million others” will be ensnared with illusions of 7 Deadly Sins

The result of experiment? – “I am still among those ‘Million others’”

To Go or Not to Go - A Bewildering Choice between getting Drenched and getting Aggravated

Stuck in the Bangalore rains once again. Considering that Bangalore is one of the places that doesnt get too much rain too often (Its a place which has a moderate and pleasant climate - ref: Wikipedia), I get trapped in them with surprising regularity. And every time I am under such situations, an annoyed voice in my head articulates " Why did you not bring your Jacket or your umbrella? You know its nearing the end of May, you know you have been stuck in the downpour once every often and you know that the clouds dont seem to be your best buddies - THEN WHY IN THE HELL DONT YOU GO AROUND WITH SOME 'RAINWEAR', or, is it so heavy that you poor weakling cannot carry it...or perhaps you are too lazy..you...&%$*^#" - and I know that when this voice starts blurting incoherent things, its time I did something about it, or, atleast start thinking about doing something about it.

I went down to Crossword today with my Sister, Brother-in-law and my neice, objective being to enhance my slowly growing book collection a little more. Shopping done, we set out back home at around 7:45 PM. Our house is around 1 Km away - a distance which puts most of the auto rickshaw drivers into a dilemma of whether to take the fare or not - most of the times they decide not to. So we intend to walk back - or thats a general feeling, unless we get a generous auto driver. But we step out of crossword and find that its pouring (not cats and dogs but normal incessant rain.) No umbrellas with anyone, so we decide to wait it out.

Good time to have a coffee? I thought so too...theres a coffee shop inside crossword too...just perfect..the idea gets shot as soon as it comes out of my mouth. So we just stand there. I look around see some pretty faces lurking here and there...

About 10 minutes later, the rain shows some signs of letting down, a cleverly disguised illusion, which I later realise. My brother-in-law braves the drizzle and goes out to try and get a rickshaw to get us back. We three would have walked but for my sister getting worried that her little one will get cold - quite natural. I stay back along with my sister and neice. 5 minutes later, the rain slows down even more.

Choice time - No 1: To go or Not to go

A perplexing choice between deciding to go ahead in the light drizzle and get caught somewhere in the middle of the road with a heavy downpour (as I have said earlier, this rain seems to be a master Illusionist) or waiting for ever in the slowly crowding entrance of the bookshop, my patience running out and mind getting slowly aggravated by that constantly bickering voice in my head. Choice is made by my sister...Lets go. She calls up my brother-in-law (who has gone searching for the rickshaw in the opposite direction) to come along and we slowly walk. I support that decision - reasons being:

1. As already said, I was getting agitated by the voice in my head

2. Again, as mentioned earlier the entrance was getting crowded

3. The smell of coffee was enticing me, and I did not want to burn any more hole in my pocket considering that I already spent close to 1000 bucks

4. The coffee shop and the bookstore was gradually getting devoid of all the pretty girls who were there a little earlier.

I dont know what sort of reasoning went behind my sister's decision - I am guessing it was a simpler "the rains slowing down, so lets get going " and I am thinking - why cant I make my life so simple.

So we start going ahead. A few feet down the road and that master Illusionist casts his sadistic spell. Well, the only spell he knows - more heavy rains. We are stuck in the middle of the road. I find a tree under which I think we can stand under and save ourself - a foolish decision as I realise that the master Illusionist has seen this trick and has upped the tempo of the rains a little more. If we stand there even for a minute longer we'd be as good standing without any cover. We head back towards another cover, more like run towards another cover. Never seen my sister running so fast, that too carrying her daughter - thats motherly love, I figure out.

We find refuge in the basement parking of a hotel that calls itself 12th Avenue. I think ,"12th Main", the road on which this hotel was situated, would have sounded too Indian for the hotel owner's, so they decided to replace the "Main" by "Avenue" - as if people cant see through their small fiddling of words. The rain doesn't show any signs of stopping. Theres a small river developing on the sides of the road, which I am enjoying watching.

A thought crops up - Given that I am in the field of risk management and pride myself in doing "Risk-based audits" why can't I mitigate some of such risks that happen everyday. Its forseeable that it will rain, then why can't I devise a "strategy" to cope up with the risk of getting drenched, the impact being possible pneumonia (we generally tend to give the worst possible scenario as the Impact - helps to get attention). As one part of my mind is grappling with more management mumbo-jumbo to explain the situation, the other voice in my head screams "BECAUSE YOU ARE A DUMB, STUPID IDIOT WHO CANT EVEN THINK 30 MINUTES AHEAD - AND YOU NEED A 'STRATEGY' TO SOLVE DUMB, STUPID, FOOLISH EVERYDAY CRAP?" - Fair enough.

Choice time - No 2: To go or Not to go

The rain reduces again lest its another trick by that devious Illusionist. My sister calls up my brother-in-law and finds that he's back at the bookstore, no luck with any rickshaw's either. We conclude that we wait for my brother-in-law to come this place and then we can leave together. I go out check the rain. I am already half drenched. I see people going in rickshaw's - they look at me as if saying "Hey, look! I managed to catch a rickshaw - you did not? - Oh poor soul - All the best". Mockery kills me. I decide that we should make a dash for home - reasons being:

1. I need to get home fast and get dry - have dinner and go to sleep - tomorrow's monday :-(

2. The bickering voice in my head is nagging me away to insanity

3. I am convinced that the master illusionist has a vendetta against me and will not let me live unless he has drenched me to his liking. Seems like the Mumbai rain Gods have shifted here along with me

4. There are no pretty girls here either.

My brother-in-law arrives and the decision is made. We will head for home. But his was a more simpler reasoning: "We have already got half soaked - might as well get a little more wet and reach home" - Why, I think, can't I make decisions with such straightforward logic? The voice in my head starts uttering something but I cannot hear what - I am busy saving my feet from puddles which seem like obstacles which have been strategically and deliberately placed by someone who wants us to use our brains in figuring out which is the best way of getting out of it quickly and with minimum drenching?

Mumbai - Nostalgia or Nightmare revisited?

It was around nine months back that I left Mumbai...hopefully for good. I am ecstatic that I do not need to spend any more days nudging people around to get to work, the way I used to. I am thankful that I do not have to soak myself wet in the godforsaken Mumbai humidity and sit in front of the AC of my office for 15 minutes for the clothes to dry. I am thrilled at the fact that I do not end up smelling like the person I stood next to in the Bus or Train after the journey. I am euphoric that after 10 years, finally, I am out of the place that calls itself the "City of Dreams", "City that never sleeps" and God knows what other self-proclaimed names. I can describe it by a single word though- A Dump - A dump of languid people, A dump of drab, aesthetically repulsive architecture , A dump of all those Indian's aspirations who think that they will make it big here, A dump of Intellectually or Artistically challenged robots - what else would people end up as if their daily routine is getting up at 5:30Am, catching the 6:30AM Local reaching work at 9:00 AM & at the end of the day reaching back home at 10:00 PM at night?

All that said, I am visiting Mumbai this week.

Why? - Just some things to take care of [otherwise, why would I visit a place which is marked by a big red "X" in my Map, the other "X"'s have been put on Antarctica (I hate being cold), Sub-saharan Africa (I hate being bitten by the black Mamba) and the Gaza Strip (I would hate being evaporated in one of those stray bombs that go off once very often)]

So what do I expect? - That there will be a horde of people waiting there to welcome me back after the nine month long gap? I wish! But I am no Bollywood star, no political figure, no cricketer - Who else get garlanded? - Oh yes, I aint a dead body either!... forget about a "famous" dead body.

Or do I expect a bit of nostalgia about visiting Mumbai once again after a long gap (10 years Vs 9 months - would that Qualify as a long Gap?). Honestly, I half expect it! My flight lands in Mumbai - I think the nostalgia will hit me now...nothing!. I take a cab to the nearest railway station - I see the sights and sounds around, I smell the putrid air - this should surely see a rush of old memories....nothing!!. I reach my friends place, I meet all my old friends, I have dinner at my favorite old-hangout consisting of Rawas tandoori - this should definitely hit the nostalgia button...but...nothing!!!

Today its the second day here, yet I am waiting for the reminscence of my life and times in Mumbai...NOTHING! I can therefore conclude that only three possibilities:

1. I Havent stayed in Mumbai long enough

OR

2. Even though I have stayed there long enough my memory power isnt too strong enough to recollect events that happened before 9 months
OR

3. 10 Years Vs 9 months is too short a gap

Any takes on which of them is the correct answer?

Five Questions - Not Enough?

I’ve often wondered on how closely you can guard your personal life amongst your colleagues or friends. Perhaps the question arises on why one would want to do that at all. Why would people want their personal lives to be a private affair, not to be meddled with.

Needless to say there may be several reasons - the single most important one of all being that our personal lives are our last refuge, a sanctum of precious thoughts and experiences we have had – the things we wish to guard from other prying; often envious or maybe even resentful eyes. Or even maybe its because we need to keep two or three spaces in our lives, spaces where you can retreat to when your other spaces are not according to your liking. Its perhaps best that we practice keeping them distinct, else if our worlds collide, it will be just a us standing there in the middle of everyone who know everyone you know, who will know everything you do with everyone you know (and they know) which will go on everyday till you reach a delusional state when you realize that everything and everyone have become dreary, lacking the freshness of thoughts and actions that once made your life speckled with unbridled enthusiasms. This is perhaps the reason why I hate working from home, why I detest making my hobbies my profession and why I abhor going to office on weekends.

Just last week I was placed in a dilemma. Well, I’ll call it an unpleasant situation rather than a dilemma. A few of us colleagues visited this restaurant in one corner of Indiranagar, Bangalore called Barbeque Nation - A good place if you are a kabab fan, nothing else. There someone had this brilliant idea of playing a game called me called Five Questions.

I don’t know how the history of the game - how this game must have first started but I’m sure the people who set it up must have been really nosey people. Ive been told that it’s a good “fun-game” or a “party-game” but somehow I get the impression that this game is played only for the benefit of a few inquisitive people who want to snoop into some peoples personal affairs.

And That’s how this game actually started that night too!. A few colleagues of mine (rather all the girls in the group) wanted to know who one of my colleagues was dating. Though I can’t fathom why this should be of any concern to these people, I could not care less coz it does not concern me or anything I’d like to keep to myself! It would have been a good game and a decent night if they would have ended that game after finishing off with one or two people. But no! they had to go around to each of the person on the table and there were ten of us…very Inquisitive bunch indeed!

This was the time when a few thoughts cropped in my mind and I drifted off….

FIVE QUESTIONS

Another weary week to an end
Brought a few comrades back again
The leader to convey thanks to her team
Brought them out to encounter a gastric gleam
FIVE QUESTIONS in their mind - it screams!

I am there, and so are other nine
Conversations fading through passing time
To bide away boredom we find it indulging
To intrude people’s space, I see it coming
FIVE QUESTIONS' seems the way; so lets begin!

To query a personal matter is, if not rude
People guard that life, which indeed is crude
Society shuns it, so don’t you mistake
People oft keep away, lest it infuriate
FIVE QUESTIONS' the game they invent instead

FIVE QUESTIONS' to perturb this graceful night
FIVE QUESTIONS' - lugged to a corrupt height
FIVE QUESTIONS' to rummage my clandestine thoughts
FIVE QUESTIONS' - brings on a devious onslaught
FIVE QUESTIONS' to make myself distraught ?...I think not!

All this inquisitiveness soon blurred out, kind of killed the night. I’ll bet that’s because the inquisitors did not get the answers they had wished they’d hear and the inquisitives were guilty of lying through their teeth (however innocent they may appear!) But one thing I found in that bunch of ours was that the guys were more mellow, more to the point of not wanting to discuss anything personal and the girls were all full of energy, flowing out with emotions when they were being asked the five questions. Infact I remember some of them answering seven or eight of them! ..hmm..was it just the zeal or is it that women just blurt out as long as they have an audience? And I think that’s the time when the plans for an all girls night out were just taking shape.

There are a lot of thoughts about the “Girls night out” and the fact why The guys were so mellow and the Girls so open…but that will perhaps be a subject of another post someday. So long!

Meandering Thoughts

Its not often that I'm in a mood to write down verses. Today seems one of those down and out days. Every now and then the question of who I am and who I want to be seems to raise its ugly head. Makes you wonder, what are you looking for, where will you find it and what will you encounter along the way....this is not a knowledge we can gain by mere thoughts...it requires a little more....introspection

Wondering, why Wandering?

This is but a momentary place,
Blissful, merry, yet out of grace
Where do I seek my soul and self,
This is a wilderness, i dare not 'nvestigate

Freedom is just a word for'vr more
Just a phrase uttered from yore
Lest it sucks you into a mystic maze
Know Slavery's isn't dead, you dare not n'vestigate

What boon do you seek oh placid heart!
Onward and onward do you march
To which end do you toil everyday oh soul!
Death's an adage, "they" dare not 'nvestigate

Place your contrite self to test
Search your mind, you will not regret
What do you gain with egoistic embrace
Humility's a blessing we can all 'nvestigate

Theres the answer, humility and modesty ... nothing else weighs us down more than the lack of it

If thou desire the love of God and man, be humble, for the proud heart, as it loves none but itself, is beloved of none but itself. Humility enforces where neither virtue, nor strength, nor reason can prevail. Francis Quarles

Airing to Host my thoughts

In the past two weeks I must have traveled in 8 different flights. One aspect appealed to me this time I was traveling - And that’s regarding the airhostesses or air stewardesses or attendants, call it what you may and however polished you want to make it sound. Lets cut it simple and call them WORMS ..... Waiters of Repute and Measured Sophistications

Yes, coming back to the thing that struck me the most during the travels this time round was: How do you react to the air hostess. Really! This is one of the most perplexing thoughts I have had over the past week. At the airplane door, she smiles at you, you feel good. You want to stop and say something to her, but you fear that you may hold up the line. Your mind is already in two sets of motion – one to stop and greet her and the other to go ahead in full gusto. So you end up giving her a few awkward things: An awkward pause, an awkward smile and uttering some mumbo-jumbo which you then wonder “what-in-the-hell-were-you-trying-to-say?” all through all the flight

Now let us try and answer the question at hand – how do you respond to an air-hostess? You can’t be just “you” in front of them can you? Can’t be under the impression she smiled “just” for you. You know that they are supposed to maintain that plastic smile all through the flight . Just because every air-hostess helps you in everything you need, don’t be under the impression that she’s doing it “just” for you. There are hundred other passengers she does that to. We cant be under the impression that shes put those loads of makeup just for you. Albeit they are a little too much, you dont have the heart to tell her....Its “just” her job. So, thats the gist.

You may guess rightly that I have nothing better to do than ruminate over these trivial things. That’s the reason this blog’s named Trivial Ruminations. However, I am not the one to blame for my mind to wander to such inconsequential details – its just some bad planning in my work that has led my last few days in the US to be of such boring proportions that I had to entertain my mind with such thoughts.

Why this blog?

My last day in the US and I am starting this new blog...wonder why? 'Coz i forgot my username and password for the old blog!! Dont you hate it when such stupid things happen?

I have so many usernames and passwords now that I have to maintain a spreadsheet to tell me which username is used where and what is the password. Ofcourse, now that this spreadsheet contains all the "sensitive" information, i have to protect it with another godforsaken password, which, if i forget will stop me from accessing any of the websites. Damn!! the people who started this password business will go to HELL!!

Can't it be a bit more simpler for us to access our "stuff" without having to prod our memory everytime...was this the password...or that? Infact, if i visit a cyber cafe to access any of the hundred websites that I am a registered member of, 15 minutes worth money is burnt while figure out the password that I have used for the websites! (And I am stupid enough - or you can say imaginative enough - to have a hundred variety of usernames and passwords)

Wish everything was so simple like that Lenovo ad where the laptop recognises an unkempt Saif Ali Khan through all that hair. Mind you, I look like that in the weekends and so thats perfect for me!

Anyway, I cannot repeat here what I had in my earlier blog, coz i really do not remember. I had a few posts there (about 3, I believe anything above 2 qualifies for the usage of few). I do not know about what, nor do I care. I believe blogging is a "spur of the moment" thing. You blog today, you dont till about two months later...then one day you feel guilty about not posting something and visit your blog half-heartedly to update it.

Then guess what? you realise you have forgotten the password (and if you are as stupid as me then even the username for your blog - so you can't even use the "forgot password - you dumb guy" option). You feel sad, dejected for sometime ...but...let a few moments pass and you start feeling elated as the realisation dawns on you that you are no longer withheld by the shackles of updating the blog every once in a while...

Now that I say this, I canot fathom why in the world am I starting a new one!!??!! I will have to prod over this. I shall let you know why some day. For the time being, Burger king's double whopper awaits me!