Day 10 : I'm FULL yet EMPTY...

It was all over today at 'aamchi Mumbai'. Had a slight, very thin, sense of joy... At least its over now!! Was so full of thoughts till today morning!! Was roling around in bed all night long!! Not quite sure why, but I guess it was the thoughts that were left behind by the incidents of last night.

Was watching NDTV 24X7, when Pranoy said, "lets salute all those who have laid their lives fighting for the country and the city they love..." all of us in the room stood in silence for a minute. The LEAST I could do to show my respect. Felt good. :)

Was so full of thoughts till today!! I just let them hang loose wherever they were for once. And instead chose to fill myself with food!! Yeah!! In order of occurance (only since 6 in the evening to 11:30pm) apples, papaya, tamarind toffee (the jaw-breaker!!), pineapple cake, dosa, hot-Fresh'N'Ground-sugarless-cappuccino, khatta-meetha, litchi ice-cream, hot chocolate fudge...(and oh!! a piece of raw cabbage too!!) now that's some kind of a meal!! :D And am still in ONE PIECE!! :P I guess I'll write some sense tomorrow. Just NUMB to what's happened I guess!! Too much pain inflicted on everyone. I'll just chill for a day.

See you when I see you folks!!

P.S. Someone "may" not smile for what's written today. But that's fine. Just try the tamarind candy. remember to chew it with your premolars. Your jaws will experience a sudden paroxysm!!

Day 9 : Calvin and Hobbes - ALL THE WAY, ALL THE TIME...- Its just a way of life...

I was 12 or 13 when I first saw a really big comic book at my cousin's place. It was "The Essential Calvin & Hobbes" by Bill Watterson. I borrowed it from him for a while to read it. I read it pretty fast. But obviously I couldn't get enough. So I used to carry that book along with me to school [The HPS(R)] and re-read it along with my friends and have a blast each time. And one day, my cousin took the book back from me and I felt as if he took away something that was always mine (or meant to be!!) I din't let go. I flicked the book again from him, and then, he "asked" me to return the book, which I did. And then, I flick it again. :P This continued for a few weeks and then he stopped asking me!! I WON!! (As of today...someone flicked that book from me!! What comes around, goes around!! :(:(:( )

I can't remember one place I used to go without that book when I had it!! I used to read it lying on my bed, under it, on the terrace, on the pot(I don't waste time you know!!), in class, on the way back home... Aahhh!! I SAID, I LIVE IT!! There are still times when my brother thinks I'm mentally unstable whenever I read/recollect a strip and laugh to myself. I write Cal's quotes on walls, on my whiteboard, in my class, everywhere!! All my friends fell in love with it. I just started living with it!! Till today there are days when I don't remember a thing from the day's newspaper except that day's C&H!! I used to cut out the strips and collect them in a spectacle case everyday. (I still have the collection!!) I've followed it so much, I can tell what's going to come the next day (there's a series you know). As I recollect, all the friends I've had from school, the closest, are all great followers of C&H. Everytime we meet, we talk something and say, remember that strip in which Calvin goes to class for 'Show-Tell' and... we should do that sometime... And of late, I realize, that I AM DOING ALL THAT!! Seriously, how many of you went to your Princi's office during your Under-Graduation days?? I did!!(the mischevious, triangular Calvin smile on my face) I was pulling off a C&H trick with a friend and they thought I was ragging!! (I don't believe in ragging!! I hate ragging. And people who rag... grrrr...)

Coming back to C&H, its undoubtedly, THE BEST THING that could have happened to me in my whole life (and the life to come). I know this because I've formed a philosophy that's based on my initial days of C&H (and The Fountainhead) and anything that happens now, will just be an addition to it. The irony of all those guys who follow C&H is that everyone loves being Calvin but would hate to have a six-year-old like Calvin (includes Bill Watterson)!! Ask me when I have a 6-year-old!! :P


"AND YET... SOMEHOW... LIFE GOES ON..." That's one of my all time favorites... :)

P.S. The first two posts of my blog are C&H too!! :):) (go check to cross check!!)
I was overwhelmed when I read a good strip on Chai aur Gupshup. Hence, this joyous cry!! :):):)

Day 8 : HELL BREAKS LOOSE IN MUMBAI... BLOOD BATH

Fucking hell!! I woke up to the news of the terror attacks in Mumbai at 0345 hrs!! So sad. I'm quivering here!! This is what I feared the most!!

The ATS Chief was shot dead, 11 policemen dead

Hemant Karkare (ATS Chief), Vijay Salaskar, Ashok Kamte, 3 top cops dead

At least 78 confirmed dead, over 200 injured

Grenades were thrown at, randomly on roads

People taken hostage at The Oberoi

The majestic Taj hotel had 6 blasts and is still on fire

I just saw a LIVE telecast of someone who was shot dead by terrorists who have taken over a police jeep, his guts spewed on the road!! Shit man!! Who even defines TERROR this way?? This is beyond terror... I don't know what its called!!

As I write this I'm watching updates of the incident. I have NO REASON not to be shit feared right now!! THIS IS WHERE WE LIVE. FACE IT!! :(

P.S. watching now

Day 7 : The IMPACT lingers on...

Redirected to : The ELITE... The IMPACT

Its one of those days when I choose the 'present me' to lay low over the 'past me'!! This because what he's done (the past ME) cannot be gotten over so easily!! In fact this may go on for a little while longer if the need be... (this, I do out of CHOICE and not COMPULSION!! The Blogathon is still going great!! :) )

P.S. Thanks to Lukkydivz for echoing her voice with mine in this regard!! Honestly, what you've done really has my appreciation for you!! *pat pat* :)

See you when I see you, folks!!

Day 6 : The Elite...The Impact...

Ever wondered how many people around you bother to think about thinking of issues that are of concern?? How many of them bother to read stuff and more importantly care (sometimes dare!!) to write about a thought?? And what's it that sets each one of us apart from the rest??

Well, people have different ways to go about their thinking process (if they choose to do so). I chose this place as my abode to just put up my thoughts and refine my logic constantly in this process. And I'm having total fun doing it and know I'll continue to do so!! I already have a fine logic though!! So, I'm saying, this is definitely one place (the Blog space) where, at least once in a while, people give a thought about issues that haunt them, which clearly shows, they wish to see a change in the things that happen around them. So, here's what I say... We can start by being the change. It may sound foolish or pointless in the beginning but it'll work out to be a great difference as time goes by... Surely the Loyal Abe did not think so, else he wouldn't have been what he was(and still is)!!

In today's world, its really hard to tackle together people to bring about a Revolution. So that is completely out of question. Instead, all of us can begin individually, and who knows, how big a Fusion Reaction it would turn out to be!!

I'll be a little more specific here. Of late, people have started talking about renewal/revival of lots of things, the top most being the Political System. Surely, there's nothing we can do (or most of us and definitely me) at this given point in time for that to happen directly. If you CAN, then that's great!! What we CAN do is, just stop discussing the filth of the politics and if we really intend to discuss it, just talk about the good that's going on. And hey, it definitely wouldn't have anything to do with Ruling or Non-Ruling or whatever.

If that's one thing, another that really gets onto my nerves is, the way most people litter (okay!! all those who moved back and said, "Definitely not me!!" if that be true then good for you... now get over it and read on...:P). Why can't we realize that EACH ONE WILL make a difference in the larger scheme of things?? DO NOT LITTER!! In fact stick up a note at all your Cafeterias, Canteens or wherever it is you gather to eat. And if you're the kind that takes leaks along roads (men only, hopefully :P), or see someone who does that, kick them swift in their nuts!! If that sounded cheap, so does what they do!! I mean, you distribute it along green pastures on highways or some place like that, that's fine. That's fertilizer in fact!! But places inside the city... chiiiii!!

The list can go on... spitting on roads, jumping signals (its completely OKAY when the roads are empty and when done with caution), wasting electricity, fuel... just don't do it.

Most importantly, DO NOT PREACH. Let people see you and LEARN. That way, it'll be a greater IMPACT. I know, its people with a certain amount of valid logic that read it till here and hope they will do whatever it is they can to GENERATE THE IMPACT!!

HAPPY INDIA-ING!! :):):)

P.S. If you haven't read the whole post, here's the gist... BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN OTHERS, AND YOU WILL SEE THE CHANGE IS NOT FAR BEHIND...

P.P.S. I generally wouldn't say, but this ONE, for the IMPACT I talk about, I would appreciate if you spread a word about this (the IDEA, I mean). See you when I see you folks... :)

Day 5 : I LIVE IN INDIA/BHARAT... YOU??

Yes. Now don't start, "We all do!!" No. There is a majority of our population who still wants to live in 'HINDUstan'. Well, that's how my country is called in Hindi. If that is all there is to it, then I'd love to call it that too. After all, I too love and believe in 'Saare Jahan Se Achcha'. But, clearly that's not the case we have right now. Every time something fishy comes out with reference to a leader of a certain religion (let's say the majority) the top leaders of this country shamelessly come out in their defense just for the reason that they 'do' belong to that religion. Or may be because they are the "OPPOSITION"!! I mean how would anyone want to be called an "OPPOSITION" in their own country, in their own political system!! Whom or what are they opposing?? Its for the growth of the very same nation that they work for, right?? Or is that what they just claim?? Its like telling Daddy, "Welcome Dad!! Feel at home!! Turn on the AC, watch some TV, have a drink, eat good and sleep well!! :)" when he comes back home from work to "his" own house!! Damn!! Opposition?? Seriously(!!), justify it, can you??

The ATS provides evidence saying someone is involved in a terrorist activity... but NO. Someone still finds the necessity to bail them out of the crisis they've gotten into. Ha!! Did we do that to all the people against whom evidence was provided and branded them as radical/anti-socials or whatever.

60 years of Independence, incredible growth, booming economy... and one Godhra train tragedy, Gujarat/Orissa riots, series of blasts in almost all major cities, communal riots all over, reservations for the unworthy in the name of the worthy, fights for separate states... this is what we come down to!! Damn!! It reminds me of a sequence from Rang de Basanti... "is desh mein logon ko ladne ke liye sirf ek bahaana chaahiye" Maa ki!!

I'd like to be the top guy in our political system just to throw abuses at people and let them know that any of it would not make the least bit of a difference to their lives. That we need to take things more light-hearted. That we need to work hard, day-in and day-out to get ourselves to the top. Obesity is a way of life here!! Come on, there are people who are as intelligent as us and working twice hard as we do!! Are we still left with a chance??

P.S. So what do we do about all this?? I'll come up with another one... Until then, see you when I see you... :)

Day 4 : A night with...

Ever wondered what to do on late night hang outs?? Well, most of the times, things just happen at that time of the day. But, still, if you'd want to plan something for a night (works for both sober and soaked folks, never tried the latter though) a game of UNO is just the right thing!! And for me more so because, I did not develop the kind of enthusiasm, tact or call it what to handle the regular playing cards!! NO, its not a crime if you don't know how to play the famous 'theen patte' or whatever!! In fact that is thorough crap!! Yeah!! This is PURE FUN!! Be it family, friends, young, old, adolescents or whoever, it works just great!!

I was taught how to play this game by a 9 year-old, Khushi, who, given her age is pretty weak in analyzing arithmetic logic, yet, and things just got better from there!! Every time you play with new people, you get to make new rules as you play along (WOW!!), just flick a few cards here and there, hide a few within your clothing (preferably clean places :P) and zap, yell out "UNO" and finish your game!! WINNER WINNER... And then turn me upside-down and dust me, I'll BET at least two cards will fall out!! Of course I don't know how they got in there!! *innocent face*

BUT, there's always a butttt, of late I'm beginning to realize that all these cheats work well in groups of 4 or 5. More than that, my cheats never worked!! :( In fact, I lost all games that I cheated!!(Oh yeah!! Now don't ask me what's the moral of the story is, already!! LOSERS!! :P)

But still, that doesn't change me a little bit. I'm a fighter to the core!! I'll try, and I'll try till I win one game the other way (not so popularly preached but still, that's MY WAY!! :P)

P.S. For those of you who've heard of the game and never played it, try it right away!! And those of you who never heard it, why bother yourself even now!! :P

P.P.S. People, don't ask me how I do this with my exams going on!! That's just me!! Take the most talented guy you know, mix a lots of slumber in him, add an equal amount of 'wasted talent' and then a little bit of foolishness. Mix well in the batter of 'creative wild thoughts' and TADAA. The thick slimy discharge you get... THAT'S ME!!! :):):) ANYONE, beat THIS definition of "jobless" now!! Haha!!