Since I'm blogging now, I thought it would be a good idea to record some memories which will probably just wither away. I don't plan this to be a memoire in the making but just a little indulgence in nostalgia.
One thing that comes to mind is how my Dad used to maintain his daily expense account. I can still visualise his page-a-day diary that would steadily get withered as the year would pass. Every day when back from work, the first activity would be removing his shoes and the second one was to make entries in his diary. Half-moon reading glasses, sitting hunched up on the bed with the diary on the lap and spending 15 minutes on recapping all the expenses of the day.
I never understood why he would do that. Maybe it was just habit. Maybe he was truly being careful with money. But either way, this remains one of the most enduring memories I have of him.
I really should ask him if he still does it, now that he is retired and hardly has any daily expenses.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Lost opportunity
Amun was telling us a story today. His friend's mother had a big fight with one of the nannies in the building. It started with her kid getting into an argument with some other kid's nanny and then things seem to have escalated.
The funny part was the starry-eyed manner in which he was narrating the incident. It must have been quite a novel experience for him to see a familiar 'aunty' going berserk.
Wish I was there. I would have loved the sight too.
The funny part was the starry-eyed manner in which he was narrating the incident. It must have been quite a novel experience for him to see a familiar 'aunty' going berserk.
Wish I was there. I would have loved the sight too.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Missing links
Listening to One by U2.
Have you come here for forgiveness? Have you come to raise the dead? Have you come here to play Jesus to the lepers in your head?
Love these lines. Maybe just for the way they sound. Or maybe they have a profound meaning that barely just eludes me. I have a sneaky feeling that I probably love these lines only because their profound meaning is almost but not quite understood.
Which makes me think.
Sometimes things that are not served on a platter are a little more appetising than ones that are. Tantalising - that's the word I'm looking for. (I remember I had a huge argument with a copywriter on the meaning of that word. We looked up the meaning of the word and I was right. It means 'teasingly unattainable' and not 'desirable'.)
So like the meaning of these lines some things should be tantalising. They are spoilt if begotten. The little bit that eludes you is what matters the most.
Another theory on the same. We are destined to unhappiness as a race because we always strive to attain everything - be it knowledge, information, love, money or just about anything - completely. Unconsciously we are strivng for all or nothing. Which means we can either get all, so we get bored and insecure about losing it. Or we get part, which feels like nothing. No wonder we are all so fucked up as we are fucked either way.
I think happiness is in not having it all and not knowing it all. I'm not sure I agree with myself but logic from some inane song lyrics (however much I like them) can only get me there.
Have you come here for forgiveness? Have you come to raise the dead? Have you come here to play Jesus to the lepers in your head?
Love these lines. Maybe just for the way they sound. Or maybe they have a profound meaning that barely just eludes me. I have a sneaky feeling that I probably love these lines only because their profound meaning is almost but not quite understood.
Which makes me think.
Sometimes things that are not served on a platter are a little more appetising than ones that are. Tantalising - that's the word I'm looking for. (I remember I had a huge argument with a copywriter on the meaning of that word. We looked up the meaning of the word and I was right. It means 'teasingly unattainable' and not 'desirable'.)
So like the meaning of these lines some things should be tantalising. They are spoilt if begotten. The little bit that eludes you is what matters the most.
Another theory on the same. We are destined to unhappiness as a race because we always strive to attain everything - be it knowledge, information, love, money or just about anything - completely. Unconsciously we are strivng for all or nothing. Which means we can either get all, so we get bored and insecure about losing it. Or we get part, which feels like nothing. No wonder we are all so fucked up as we are fucked either way.
I think happiness is in not having it all and not knowing it all. I'm not sure I agree with myself but logic from some inane song lyrics (however much I like them) can only get me there.
Monday, July 7, 2008
My blackberry, My self
Yesterday I posted thrice in one day. It's almost midnight now and I thought that if I didn't do something about it right away, I'd probably come back only after a month or so. Thank god for Blackberry!
These days it is quite fashionable to rue your Blackberry. I do it myself quite often. But it's the same as trying to crack a wry joke on something that you quite enjoy having. I see it happening with some guys talking about their jobs. Maybe I do that too.
Coming back to Blackberry - it does make you feel a bit like having a constant noose around your neck at times. I like to pose as if I'd like to be away from it all - just stay at home and curl up with a book or a movie to watch. By my own admission, I feel that I would best be a loner and too much company can be quite tiresome.
Then why is it that I'm so addicted to the Blackberry? It's gotten so bad that I even check my inbox if I'm up in the middle of the night to go to the loo. I wonder, is it really possible for me to stay disconnected at all?
Or maybe it works for me because it lets me communicate without the need for real human contact.
Or maybe I'm just posing again. Maybe some more lame attempts at wry humour.
Whatever.
Desmond Morris writes a lot about the contradictions in our modern existence - the paradoxes that happen because of primordial instincts getting buried under societal pressures. I feel the Blackberry solves that issue pretty well. Just like musky after shaves and red lipsticks.
All the same, I will probably sign off now as I can see 3 messages flashing that no doubt need my most urgent attention.
Good night all!
These days it is quite fashionable to rue your Blackberry. I do it myself quite often. But it's the same as trying to crack a wry joke on something that you quite enjoy having. I see it happening with some guys talking about their jobs. Maybe I do that too.
Coming back to Blackberry - it does make you feel a bit like having a constant noose around your neck at times. I like to pose as if I'd like to be away from it all - just stay at home and curl up with a book or a movie to watch. By my own admission, I feel that I would best be a loner and too much company can be quite tiresome.
Then why is it that I'm so addicted to the Blackberry? It's gotten so bad that I even check my inbox if I'm up in the middle of the night to go to the loo. I wonder, is it really possible for me to stay disconnected at all?
Or maybe it works for me because it lets me communicate without the need for real human contact.
Or maybe I'm just posing again. Maybe some more lame attempts at wry humour.
Whatever.
Desmond Morris writes a lot about the contradictions in our modern existence - the paradoxes that happen because of primordial instincts getting buried under societal pressures. I feel the Blackberry solves that issue pretty well. Just like musky after shaves and red lipsticks.
All the same, I will probably sign off now as I can see 3 messages flashing that no doubt need my most urgent attention.
Good night all!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
The first one from my blackberry
Just discovered that I can do this from my blackberry too. Checking if it is for real.
It is!
It is!
Reference Points
Yesterday we got into an oft-repeated discussion on India vis-a-vis the so-called first-world countries. It was actually triggered off by how heritage is being preserved and marketed in London - the London cabs, the Sherlock Holmes museum at 221B Baker Street, the scene of the Ripper killings at Whitechapel, etc.
There was the most obvious lamentation on how India, despite having so much to offer is doing absolutely nothing to preserve and/or market our heritage. A counter viewpoint to that emerged, which was frankly quite novel to me. India has so many other basics to take care of before we can even think of spending money to preserve our heritage. There is a load on the infrastructure, the population, basic civil amenities, etc. The first-world countries don't really need to worry about all these looming problems that India has and therefore they have the time and money to think of extras like heritage.
An extremely valid view-point I thought. I probably wouldn't have given it any more thought but I had just finished reading Persepolis. For those who don't know what that is, it is a poignant graphic novel by an Iranian author called Marjane Satrapi. She grew up in a liberated Iranian family during the religious revolution and the rise of the Ayatollah, followed by the decade long war with Saddam. Her parents pack her off to Austria for further education and to protect her from the Iranian repression on women and civic liberties. Life is not too easy for her there too. She then comes back to a war-ravaged nation and tries to make a life there, ultimately giving up and migrating to France for ever.
The point here is, when one reads such lives, it makes us feel how lucky we are in India to have never experience what Marjane has in Iran. Suddenly I did not feel so sorry for ourselves.
Ultimately everything is about reference points. When compared to the West, we do have a lot of problems to overcome. But are we really as bad as the Middle East or Japan after WWII? Can there be any excuse then?
There was the most obvious lamentation on how India, despite having so much to offer is doing absolutely nothing to preserve and/or market our heritage. A counter viewpoint to that emerged, which was frankly quite novel to me. India has so many other basics to take care of before we can even think of spending money to preserve our heritage. There is a load on the infrastructure, the population, basic civil amenities, etc. The first-world countries don't really need to worry about all these looming problems that India has and therefore they have the time and money to think of extras like heritage.
An extremely valid view-point I thought. I probably wouldn't have given it any more thought but I had just finished reading Persepolis. For those who don't know what that is, it is a poignant graphic novel by an Iranian author called Marjane Satrapi. She grew up in a liberated Iranian family during the religious revolution and the rise of the Ayatollah, followed by the decade long war with Saddam. Her parents pack her off to Austria for further education and to protect her from the Iranian repression on women and civic liberties. Life is not too easy for her there too. She then comes back to a war-ravaged nation and tries to make a life there, ultimately giving up and migrating to France for ever.
The point here is, when one reads such lives, it makes us feel how lucky we are in India to have never experience what Marjane has in Iran. Suddenly I did not feel so sorry for ourselves.
Ultimately everything is about reference points. When compared to the West, we do have a lot of problems to overcome. But are we really as bad as the Middle East or Japan after WWII? Can there be any excuse then?
A post for the sake of a post
It's been some time now. Once again.
But this time I've resolved that I'll write. Even if it is just meaningless nonsense, it is okay. Why should everything be meaningful? As it is there is too much that goes on around that is meaningful, that it does get a bit tiresome at times. The important thing is to keep doing what I like. More so, it is important to be true to the title of the blog - Random Thoughts.
So what is the first thought that is entering my mind now? Let's see - I really type pretty well and pretty fast. Sometimes I feel, I can think better when I'm typing than even when I'm thinking. I remember, as a kid, my Dad had an old typewriter at home. And I would be pottering away on that just because it was a fun thing to do. My Dad could type pretty fast. On rare occasions when he would bring home work, I would marvel at the way his fingers would fly on the keyboard without even him having to look. It was probably those early impressions which motivated me to learn typing correctly. Of course, with some encouragement from my Dad. "There are three skill that everyone must know - typing, driving and swimming", he used to say. Thankfully, I managed to learn all three pretty well.
Talking of typing, it wasn't exactly a sexy skill to learn. But now that I am more or less stuck to a keyboard for the good part of the day, it does make things a lot more efficient. I see around me people typing with two fingers (and atrociously at that), and I must admit I do feel a little superior. In fact, typing on a live page is a bit of a pain. I don't think the broadband connection is fast enough to keep pace with my speed. There - just a little bit of showing off!
Not bad. I started off thinking I will not be able to write anything and already there are some 400 words under my belt. Which brings me to my next thought - most often starting anything is the toughest part of getting it done. This is not the first time that a realisation like this has struck me. But it is really so easy to fall back into the old habits.
That takes me to the next thought - the force of habit. But more on that later.
But this time I've resolved that I'll write. Even if it is just meaningless nonsense, it is okay. Why should everything be meaningful? As it is there is too much that goes on around that is meaningful, that it does get a bit tiresome at times. The important thing is to keep doing what I like. More so, it is important to be true to the title of the blog - Random Thoughts.
So what is the first thought that is entering my mind now? Let's see - I really type pretty well and pretty fast. Sometimes I feel, I can think better when I'm typing than even when I'm thinking. I remember, as a kid, my Dad had an old typewriter at home. And I would be pottering away on that just because it was a fun thing to do. My Dad could type pretty fast. On rare occasions when he would bring home work, I would marvel at the way his fingers would fly on the keyboard without even him having to look. It was probably those early impressions which motivated me to learn typing correctly. Of course, with some encouragement from my Dad. "There are three skill that everyone must know - typing, driving and swimming", he used to say. Thankfully, I managed to learn all three pretty well.
Talking of typing, it wasn't exactly a sexy skill to learn. But now that I am more or less stuck to a keyboard for the good part of the day, it does make things a lot more efficient. I see around me people typing with two fingers (and atrociously at that), and I must admit I do feel a little superior. In fact, typing on a live page is a bit of a pain. I don't think the broadband connection is fast enough to keep pace with my speed. There - just a little bit of showing off!
Not bad. I started off thinking I will not be able to write anything and already there are some 400 words under my belt. Which brings me to my next thought - most often starting anything is the toughest part of getting it done. This is not the first time that a realisation like this has struck me. But it is really so easy to fall back into the old habits.
That takes me to the next thought - the force of habit. But more on that later.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Coming back
Its been so long, I'm almost ashamed to be writing. What started out on a lark, quickly became an addiction and then (like with everything else) reality caught up. As time passed, the thought of coming back to blogging was increasingly unbearable. Something that one had to do, but just hadn't gotten around to doing.
But enough is enough. I am back. I have resolved that I won't tell anyone that I am back. I hope there are some people out there in cyberspace who notice it by themselves. And maybe they will write back a comment or two. Which will really tell me whether it makes any difference or not.
What has happened since the last blog? Well, plenty in terms of TV watching goes. I am at par with the world on 24. Have finished all six seasons. Sad part is that it steadily went down as it progressed.
I have started watching Wonder Years again. Ranks right up there in my list along with Lost, BodyLine and Friends. Amazing series of a young boy growing up in suburban America in the 70s.
Speaking of Lost. It doesn't cease to amaze. Finished watching Season 3 on DVD. And have started watching Season 4. How I am getting the episodes is another story which won't be dealt with here.
Coming back to Lost. At the end of every season, I think and wait for the series to go down in the next season, while ardently hoping that it won't. The second season was better than the first. The third, better than the second. It's almost getting predictable now - the fourth will be better than the third. But that's about the only thing about Lost that is predictable. Whoever is reading this - please see it if you haven't already. I can now be described as officially addicted to Lost.
Apart from television viewing nothing much has happened since I wrote last. Work has been quite hectic and I would like to think that this was the main reason I haven't been writing. A lot of good stuff is happening in that area of life, but I don't like talking about it outside office, much less be blogging about it.
And so life goes on...
But enough is enough. I am back. I have resolved that I won't tell anyone that I am back. I hope there are some people out there in cyberspace who notice it by themselves. And maybe they will write back a comment or two. Which will really tell me whether it makes any difference or not.
What has happened since the last blog? Well, plenty in terms of TV watching goes. I am at par with the world on 24. Have finished all six seasons. Sad part is that it steadily went down as it progressed.
I have started watching Wonder Years again. Ranks right up there in my list along with Lost, BodyLine and Friends. Amazing series of a young boy growing up in suburban America in the 70s.
Speaking of Lost. It doesn't cease to amaze. Finished watching Season 3 on DVD. And have started watching Season 4. How I am getting the episodes is another story which won't be dealt with here.
Coming back to Lost. At the end of every season, I think and wait for the series to go down in the next season, while ardently hoping that it won't. The second season was better than the first. The third, better than the second. It's almost getting predictable now - the fourth will be better than the third. But that's about the only thing about Lost that is predictable. Whoever is reading this - please see it if you haven't already. I can now be described as officially addicted to Lost.
Apart from television viewing nothing much has happened since I wrote last. Work has been quite hectic and I would like to think that this was the main reason I haven't been writing. A lot of good stuff is happening in that area of life, but I don't like talking about it outside office, much less be blogging about it.
And so life goes on...
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