Associative Nostalgia : Circle of Life...

This post is inspired by one of the most brilliant views on the circle of life (a view so generously shared with me, by one of my friends). Hence, this post is rightfully dedicated to that friend. This is further dedicated to all the people in my circle of life (of the past, the present and the future), "May the force be with you all and may all your dreams come true".

A shocking inclusion under the category, "Associative Nostalgia", right? The circle of life follows the Principle of Conservation of Life. It can be looked upon as a renewable source of energy, wherein people come and go. There is thankfully, that continuous replenishment, that helps one move on in life. A heavily dynamic reservoir; and two old friends meeting after a long time, is akin, to two small streams gushing to meet each other.

A classic example is the case of your childhood friends. Life revolved around them, and life without them seemed impossible. But then, now, how many of us would be in touch with the best friends of our childhood? When, winning a match or a competition, learning to ride a bicycle, or going to an exhibition or a book-fair, seemed to be so much more enjoyable because of them. When birthdays of ours and theirs were intricately woven moments of great joy!

From then on, the friends from our schools, colleges, universities, etc. The advantage of a hostel-based college environment is the numerous friendships that develop because of the constrained setting. A time, when most adolescents, would be venturing out into the world to start their chosen way of life and a time, when emotions, infatuations, curiosities, discoveries, etc. seem universal and a rightful means of bonding. When friendships begin to blossom, when we have all beautifully converged, we are all violently thrown apart, courtesy the differing paths we happen to chose.

But then, life has to move on. Each stage in life leads you to the phase, where everything familiar has disappeared, and you need to start afresh. As the last strip of C&H poignantly says, "A new magical world full of new possibilities to explore" emerges. An exception would be those rare relationships/friendships that continue to blossom despite the physical distances. Blessed are such relationships. But then, when old friends meet, the bonding remains. The past and the associative nostalgic feelings related therein, fortunately or unfortunately, remain.

Thus, it can be summarized as follows. People, come and go. We interact with a lot of them, so as to recognize the right ones that come along. At times, people come into our lives in the most unexpected manners, when we least expect them. Each person graces our life with a purpose - to provide a lesson or two and help us in our journey.

A journey where we are all meandering rivers in search of the sea.

A journey where we might take difficult or easy paths to reach the sea.
A journey where we would encounter various obstacles and difficulties.

A journey where "even the weariest river, ends up in the sea".

People who can teach, teach....

This post is dedicated to all my teachers. A Guru Vandana.

Very few people have that capacity to teach and inspire their students; be it your kind-hearted and loving kindergarten or primary school teacher, the professor at college/ grad school, the mentor at workplace, the guru (dispeller of darkness) when it comes to music, spirituality, or whatever. Having said this, it doesn't hurt to mention that people who can teach, teach. I have been fortunate enough to come across a few amazing teachers in my real life.

It surprises many when I tell them about the fabulous maths tuition teacher during high school. He covered the entire math syllabus for IIT-JEE without using a black (for that matter, white) board. Not to forget those two amazing chemistry teachers. Having studied in a variety of schools, the author was fortunate to interact with so many good-natured people. Despite the occasional scoldings and "punishments", they were all good at heart.

Most school teachers were passionate about what they taught. But then, when this becomes the very source of livelihood, the reality does tend to portray a different scenario. Most schools start early to avoid the typical "rush-hour". This just makes it all the more tougher for the lady teachers because of their inherent responsibilities in a typical Indian home. Sadly, their pay is not that high (as compared to those what-miracle-happened kind of jobs) with meagre if not nil insurance benefits.

At college, it is a totally different scenario. It is a completely difficult prospect to teach adults. But then, the importance of a sound undergraduate education cannot be overemphasized. Here is where, the youth gets inspired on what they would want to do for their life. But for people who do not attend classes, they learn it the hard way. A sound understanding of the fundamentals cannot be obtained by just cramming at the last minute without attending classes. But then, this is a common feature in most undergraduate places of learning. Does this require a change in the mindset of the student or the teachers.

The most difficult task at hand is to impart the right knowledge in the right fashion to people who are undergoing their graduate study. Too much spoonfeeding is not warranted, and making the course as a catalog of all there is in the world totally unwanted. Here is where the idiom, "People who can teach, teach" comes to my mind. I have met a few teachers who are more interested in imparting the depth than the breadth. Likewise, a great researcher need not be a great teacher and vice-versa. But then, there are those few people, who achieve greatness in both.

The fundamental reason why teachers become teachers is because of their passion for the field of their interest. To inspire, disseminate and to learn. As Richard Feynman had said somewhere, "No question is profound or silly. More often than not, the doubt a student asks is on the neighbourhood of a potentially important problem. And for researchers whose neurons get tired of thinking out of the box at times, teaching thus becomes a highly refreshing activity". Thus, teachers also gain a lot from this venture.

Lastly, but most importantly, the most important set of teachers are those related to a person's personal life. And amongst the umpteen, only a few, do something to possibly bring a remarkable sense of direction in the student's life.

PS: The reader is recommended to read this post on a similar theme, posted long ago.

Now vs. Later...

This post is dedicated to my cubicle-mate, Saeed, who has judged and gauged me pretty well, especially when it comes to my trysts with last minute efforts. He was of the opinion, "Ranga, just finish it off today(Tuesday), instead of waiting till Thursday morning (for a deadline on Thursday)". All said and done, procrastination happens to be one of the most charming personalities that successfully ends up seducing most of us. The loss of generality prohibits me from calling this person, one of the most, enchanting and gorgeous seductress for women are also prone to procrastinate.

So, there are two obvious paradigms when it comes to atleast trying to get things done. "Finish it off now" vs. "Let me do it later". It is a battle of Energy vs. Lethargy out here. While tremendous pressure with little time left to meet a deadline can be nerve-wracking, at times, it can also be highly productive. And in most cases, when one is totally clueless as to how to proceed in a particular direction, what is one to do? For that I believe, one of the professors at Stanford, recommends, "the best way to start is to start". Then, there is the famous Nike ad of "Just do it".

Well, why is it that procrastination tends to seduce us all(well, I hope I am not entirely unjustified in making this assumption) despite the knowledge of how great life would be if we were to not procrastinate. Can this be safely extended to why evils continue to exist or rather, have been existing for all these years - be it lust, avarice, hatred, etc. despite the knowledge of how great life would be without these. Does this all boil down to the human nature and the numerous neurons within us.

The Underdog....

Whom would you support in an evenly contested battle between David and Goliath? Doesn't it sound more romantic and adventurous to root for the victory of the underdog. In hopelessly lopsided contests where a person/team puts in no effort for a fight, the more efficient and superior opponent does have to be the winner, so as to ensure, "Rewards for hard work".

More often than not, one tends to be heavily partisan in support towards one's favorite sportsperson/team/country. But isn't it more interesting when Nigeria beats Brazil in Football, or when Bangladesh beats Australia in Cricket? In the true spirit of the game or enterprise, there is no single winner or loser for the journey is more important than the destination. Thus, hopefully, the day of the underdog isn't far enough.

Last week saw me rooting for the trailing-behind team (the underdog) in an evenly contested match between the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. The Colts finally won, courtesy a last minute touchdown, after coming from behind 3-21, to lead 32-13, and then to be down 31-34 (well, the numbers are important, but then, more important than that is the trend of the game). I was wavering between both the teams, but then, my heart did finally go out for the "losers". Such is the glory and beauty of sport.

At a more personal level, wouldn't it better to seek, suffer and then soar, instead of, inescapably falling down from a great height due to conceit, ignorance and arrogance. Aren't we all underdogs in all that we do? Don't we all have so much to strive for, with perfection being a mere illusion. If so, then, why is it that the ego always remains conceited?

Indianness XI : India and the West...

This post is inspired by quite a few incidents in the author's life - notable amongst them being the recent trip to India, the visit to ISKCON temple, LA today, and R K Narayan's essay on a similar theme. One of my friends was of the opinion that India would get back most of its values from the West (a sign of the times). Another quote from Swami Vivekananda, about spirituality being for the rich, comes to my mind at this juncture.

India, has been endowed with a rich heritage of enigmatic spiritual outlooks, tolerant religious values, and scintillating musical systems. While, the Indian is definitely more interested with the daily issues of roti, kapda aur makan, the non-Indian looks at India as a place filled with mystics. They think India is all about caste system, yoga, transcendental meditation, carnatic music, hindustani music, esoteric dances, folklore, mythology, and the sacred cow. For us, Indians, it is all about economic development, technology transfer, infrastructure, 120 kmph highways, cell phones, literacy, etc.

Thus, the Indian is more interested in his Western counterpart, while the Westerner looks towards India seeking a deeper purpose. One day, the West would come to India for its values and India would go to the West for its own values.

Certain recent trends in India, US and elsewhere:

• The increasing number of new-age spiritual organizational bases in the West, The Art of Living, ISKCON, etc. with more people getting interested into Yoga, Pranayama, Kriya, Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavat, Krishna, etc. One American lady had asked this profound question to the bemused author, while finding her way to the ISKCON temple, "Where is this place called Govinda?" I am sure that the realization of Govinda would be a sublime quest for many of us.
• The author had attended Veena E Gayathri's recital in a temple at Mylapore, Madras during the December season. He found a few Americans seated in the front, greatly enjoying the performance. This is often a point of condescension amongst the Indian music connoisseur (a purist) who wonder, "What do they understand about our music?". But then, isn't music all about transcending all barriers and touching the soul? However, language does continue to be a problem for us and them when it comes to vocal music.
• The American disciples of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Pandit Ravi Shankar, who have been under their tutelage for close to 30-35 years. Further, it must be noted, that they had made this shift post their formative years, after nearly 30 years of a life richly soaked in Western Classical and Jazz.
• Most Indian Classical music concerts that the author has been to in the US, has had a fair representative audience of the Americans. The appeal of the drums (in their language) - the Tabla and the Mridangam and their intimate connection to the rhythmic patterns. When will we ever learn this magnificent tolerance?
• The author was surprised to find a bus driver get a phone call as he was making a left turn in a busy intersection in Madras. He promptly answered the phone (after taking the turn) and informed the caller, that he is on so-and-so road, and on this trip. Auto drivers are very professional these days by giving visiting cards with cell numbers to their passengers.
• On this similar theme of cell phones, a salesman in a home applicance shop in Madras was astonished and shocked to find the author without a cell phone connection. He veritably treated the author as an alien. He unfortunately happened to be a salesperson of washing machines and not cell phones. Thus, with this dichotomous state of existence, I am an alien both in the US and the India.
• The golden quadrangle, esp. the highway from Madras to Bombay is great with cars like Maruti Swifts, presumably one of the best cars in the Indian market according to some so-called automobile experts, doing a 120-130 kmph. The only irritant proved to be the ignorant villager, who assumed the two-lane one-way highway to be a two-way and continued to live in that state of ignorance to the angst of the car drivers.
• The American mind's obsession with elephant rides in India. I have often been asked, (well, to be exact, atleast once for sure), "Do people ride on elephants in India". I am sure they must be amazed to know that India is fast trying to catch up with the highly efficient and mundane road system of the West. (It is the same everywhere. Green boards, broad roads, same chain of stores everywhere.)
• In most heritage sites in India, the Westerner is treated with more respect. He/she shells out more for the services rendered, be it the entry ticket, the guide, whatever. He/she is more likely to buy merchandise as memorabilia at one of the most bullish prices around.
• The same preferential treatment can be seen in the Indian craft emporia. What would an average Indian do with a handicraft, priced 2000 INR (for the Indians) or at 100 USD (a special price for them), when the money could see him/her through a month's expenses in provisions?

All said and done, the quality of life in India is really high. If all goes well, give India a few decades to catch up to the West. India has issues to take care of. India shining has a long way to go. However, one fervently hopes, that all this is not at the cost of erosion of Indian values.

Justifications....

Justification is an heightened form of insecurity. The author has come across so many people, including himself, who justify almost anything and everything that they do on the earth. Often, when one faces a dilemma, he/she thinks that he/she is taking the road less travelled. This is fine for the purposes of personal satisfaction. But then, what about this paradigm - "There were no two roads in the first place".

Every hobby, sensibility, action, thought-process, passion, profession, way of life, religious preference, sexual preference, etc. needs to be justified. At times, amongst the people in the circle of life; and most times, with the conscience. I have come across so many cases, that it only makes me all the more bewildered. Does the human being need so much attention/acceptance amongst the self and his/her circle of life?

When you love what you do, why should it be justified?

To highlight a few of the often come across cases, with no need for any justifications whatsoever, (given along with a few of the author's comments):

• I want to serve my country. I do not want to spend my life outside India. I have my parents to take care of.

Do they think twice before working for an MNC? What about entrepreneurships and work related to the social sector?

• Why should Hindustani Classical Music system give so much importance to time? Isn't it foolish? Cannot the musician bring about the moods and emotions along with those related to time by playing soulfully?

Who is more qualified to pass such a judgement? You, me or the legendary legends who have embraced the practice of time for centuries?

• I cannot do a PhD. I am not fit for it. It is not a lucrative affair, and involves spending 4-5 years of prime time.
  

No comments.

• Life in US is great. I like it. I cannot imagine going back to India. I like this freedom and the exposure to an international way of life.

What makes you look down upon the Indian way of life? What about the 20+ years of life over there? Isn't life in the US a big compromise too? Don't you seek the very Indianness that you look down upon there, here?

• What am I doing here in India while most of my friends are in the US? What sort of work am I doing?

The grass is always green on the other side. Unknown to many, life in the US has its own fair share of trials and tribulations. Work anywhere, can get mundane. It all depends on being at the right time, right place, right group, right work environs and right company.

• What is Western Classical Music? Very rigid. It doesn't appeal to me.

Ignorance is not bliss. It would be better not to pass judgements without being in a position to do so. Bach, Beethoven and Mozart have survived for centuries. Your liking it or not liking it doesn't really matter. Blessed are the souls (kindly exclude me) who can appreciate fugues, counterpoint and harmony.

• Classical music is not for me. It is highly evolved and beyond my comprehension.

Giving up without trying is plain cowardice and lack of strength. Classical music has that innate power to sustain and enchant our lives. Be it carnatic, hindustani or western. They are all no doubt, highly sophisticated and evolved. But then, aren't we getting into a Catch-22 situation by avoiding them?

• Reading books is a waste of time. There are better things to do than that.

When one counts the hours wasted everyday doing nothing, reading books is definitely not a waste of time. Arts, be it literature, painting, sculpture, music, cinema - are the most powerful forms of human expression.

• I love management. It being a more lucrative option just happens to be so. All technical persons finally end up on the management route, managing projects and people. Let me get into it right after my engineering.

With no offence meant to people related to management, some jobs essentially involve selling soaps. It is perfectly fine if you love management and quit the technical side. However, there is no need for any justification.

• How can you love that piece of trash? (book/music/movie/whatever)

Space and Time.....

The only constant thing in life is change. People change. We change. Our goals and ambitions change. Our outlook changes. The people we interact with changes. The people who embrace our lives changes. At each point in time, people come, provide invaluable lessons, and continue on their paths of calling. Every person graces our life for a reason. We interact with so many, so as to better appreciate the right ones that come along.

So, can we expect a friendship/relationship to be constant and eternal with respect to space and time. The author is at a new place, and most of the people in his circle of life are physically away (thankfully, not emotionally). With each being deeply involved in his/her web of life, it does become difficult to stay in touch with them. But then, when they meet, barring the initial skirmishes, things should be as before.

Like one of my friends had said long back, about connections and staying connected, "There are two kinds of friendships - (a) where it is purely temporal, short-lived, and amounts to having a good time (b) where it is more than (a), when people keep each other updated with the ups and downs in their lives." The author personally believes that the people one thinks of, during the "not-so-fine" times are the ones you completely trust and closely relate to. Trust is a wonderful catalyst for any relationship.

Blessed are those people involved in those friendships/ relationships which does stand the test of space and time. Does respect and affection for the other make all the not-so-likeable changes in the other condonable and the likeable changes more appreciable?

The rich and the poor....

This Saturday saw me witness to the inauguration of the festival shopping season at Rodeo Drive, LA, whose claim to fame is the place where actors/actresses shop. With hope in making a difference to the many lives as the main theme, this place was studded with the rich, who were also well-dressed; men in tuxedo's and women in glittering gowns.

But then, I have also seen the homeless, truly homeless, both men and women. They sleep on the pavements, under the stars, with all Mercedes Benz's racing past them. They haven't had baths for ages. All that they have are two dirty torn bags ready to burst open.

Are the rich happy? Are the poor happy? Are you happy? Am I happy? What is happiness?

Indianness X - I, Iyer and Iyengar....

The title of this post happened to win the best team name during the first ever Landmark Open Quiz (now a highly anticipated and regular affair in Madras) in 1995. My being strongly associated with Tamil Nadu, despite not being a Tamilian, has lead to quite a few funny situations. This post is just meant to be a post. Nothing more and nothing less. These man-made differences do not make sense.

The two most important underlying fabrics that bond an Indian, Turk, Persian, Mexican, Brazilian, American, Italian, French, Chinese, Japanese, etc. are emotions and connections. Love, Pathos, Hurt, Joy, etc. unite us. The connections with the people in our lives makes it all the more interesting. One need not be of a particular caste/religion/sex/country to experience the various universal emotions. Relationships mean the same everywhere.

So now back to the topic, after the brief disclaimer. First of all, it all begins with my roots. Having a very Iyengaresque name, I am wrongly mistaken for an Iyengar. But then, my name would also pass for an Iyer, because Venkataraman/Radhakrishnan, despite being Vaishnavite, is in prevalence among Iyers of today. Guess, there was a time when the surname used to be the clinching distinguishing factor (obviously, Venkatarama Iyer and Venkatarama Iyengar are different).

While a Mishra can identify an Oriya person by his/her surname, (can be safely extended to the Guptas, Iyers, Mukhopadhyays, Shahs, Agarwals, Reddys, Pillais, Joshis, Singhs), it becomes increasingly difficult for a person like me. Each community has its own set of customs, languages, colloquialisms, cultures, etc. within the broad and myriad network of Indian ethos. While one must respect the values of one's own, reaching out to people must make us overcome these self-imposed barriers of a community. A subtle balance.

Recently, I had been to a Udupi Krishna Mutt in Los Angeles and I happened to see 40-50 people, most of whom could be claimed of "my type". It reminded me of our family gatherings and the customs/rituals involved therein. We are followers of Saint Madhwacharya, one of the trinity, with the other two being Saint Sankaracharya and Saint Ramanujacharya. Thus, I, Iyer and Iyengar could be termed as followers of the trinity in their own ways.

Honestly, I haven't got an opportunity, or rather, I haven't reached that maturity level to appreciate the differences between the Dvaita, Advaita and Vishishta-dvaita schools of thought. It merits mention that Dvaita was the last among the three and with surprisingly the least number of followers. Personally, I feel that these schools of thought emerged when the country was having a difficult time maintain its own identity courtesy the onslaught of the invaders, (more like Renaissance of Hinduism).

What about the people of Tamil Nadu, who are not Iyers and Iyengars? Is the heavy demarcation between Tam Brahms and the others leading to an erosion of Tamilian values? On a macro level, are the Vedas, Upanishads, Carnatic Music, etc. for the Brahmins alone? Is the present state of Indian politics with their shady secularist ideals an avenue towards endangerment of Indian values? Aren't our values veritably ours, no matter where we are from? What about the north-south, west-east division in India?

How many of us appreciate the Sanskrit works of poets like Kalidasa (reputed to be one of the greatest romantic poets of all times). How many of us appreciate the poetry in the compositions of Thyagaraja, Purandaradasa, Kanakadasa, Dikshitar, Sama Sastry, Swati Tirunal? How many of us appreciate the urdu ghazals and poetry of India? How many of us appreciate Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ustad Faiyyaz Khan, and Ustad Amir Khan? If yes to the above question, then what about Madurai Mani Iyer, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer and M S Subbulakshmi? What about sarode and veena?

How many of us waste a majority of our time, trying to justify the beliefs, sensibilities, values, etc. that we have embraced or have become passionate about?

Despite the so many questions, I would still like to maintain this viewpoint. Most of the values have been there for 1000's of years, and would continue to do so. India has faced many difficult times with frequent onslaught of invaders. It is just that the invaders are changing all the time. Importantly, we need to exorcise the demons within us, because, more than the values, it would be we, who would miss out on the various beautiful things in life.

The Personal Honor Code..

I have come across so many people who have gone back on their commitment. In short, promise one thing, and do something else on the contrary. Often, people tend to be more than merely be selfish. A clear case where selfishness is not a virtue. Most end up doing what works out best for them, irrespective of their commitment.

Over the past two days, I too have joined the crowd. What had been a matter of pride, of sticking to one's word no matter what, despite many temptations, is now veritably a matter of shame for me. The realization that I can also be pretty nasty and inconsiderate at times is a very bitter and nasty one.

I have succumbed twice and it would take some time forgiving myself. A simple "sorry" to the two persons involved in the two episodes, each spaced 3 years apart.

Hormonal Realities.....

A child is often considered one of the most pristine creations on earth. A perfect epitome of an innocent, playful, honest, jovial soul; be it a boy or a girl. He/she treats all alike, and has many friends of the opposite sex too. He knows that she is different from him, and she knows that he is different from her. But then, it doesn't matter. Then, something happens. A huge glitch to bring the person out of its innocent world.

The body grows while the mind and heart doesn't. Having good friends amongst the opposite sex is unheard of. Parents caution their girls to be wary of the boys. For the boys, their friends and acquaintances (predominantly of the same sex now), make fun of their interacting with the girls. The same with the girls too. Little do they know what lies ahead for them. Both are coming to life to biologically produce life, and yet are finding it increasingly difficult to come to terms with the harsh hormonal reality.

A craze for the enigmatic mysterious sex. All new words seeping into their dictionaries, with the dictionary itself being a great source of information. They find that they know not much of their own bodies. Girls are ashamed of their body, with their remaining aloof for those days, highlighting their new status. They start blossoming into women, and they do not know how to react to the evil ogling eyes of the men. And when they are beautiful, slowly, that very knowledge turns into vanity. The boys are ashamed of their broken voice and the uncultured strands of hair that make up their beard.

In the quest for "knowledge", most people stray(?). Pornography, prurient behavior, illicit movies, late night cable TV channels, self-discovery, etc. Parents do not know what to do too. This reminds me of the scene in American Pie, where the father shows his son the Playboy centerfold, and tells him about the male fascination with a woman's breasts. Girls start reading Mills and Boon, developing fantasies about the tall, dark and handsome prince, who is there just for her kinds. During this time, it is difficult for healthy and pure relationships between boys and girls. One begins to wonder what ever did happen. Why couldn't the childhood phase come back?

After some time, something again happens. Both sexes realize that it is not just the body. It is more than physical intimacy that counts towards successful relationships. Here is where the mind, the heart and the soul come in. Concepts on love, relationships, soulmates, etc. emerge. The treatment to sex also becomes holy and sacred. As Paulo Coelho says in one of his books, sex is a form of alchemy. Spiritual purification over the materialistic plane of the body where two souls unite.

So, how does one come in terms with the hormonal realities? Does each generation come up with its own means to do so. The treatment by each generation does become an interesting case. The parents are definitely right in instilling the fear for the opposite sex, because the mind is still not mature enough. Thankfully, there are studies, music, games, travel, and other activities to concentrate on.

PS1: The current topic reminds me of this conversation with a German lady on my flight from Zurich to Atlanta. She told me, "Oh, you are from India. The land of the Kama Sutra". Yes, India - the very same land of Kama Sutra, where the talk on sex has become taboo.

PS2: I was told that in the US, it is all right to "check out" a person of the opposite sex as long as one acknowledges the process with a smile.

PS3: As an aside, in the Halloween Carnival, the author came across a placard, "In Lust, We Trust".

PS4: The reader is recommended to read this previous post.

Catch 22....

Conversations with people passionate about music has only increased the awareness about the reality - "music is a truly vast ocean". Even, a lifetime doesn't seem to be enough to know one genre, leave alone, one instrument properly.

To be brutally honest, a single raga (an encapsulating and highly dynamic concept in Indian Classical Music), presents an ocean within this ocean of music. Would a lifetime be enough to know one raga completely.

Yesterday, was one such day, where I was mesmerized into listening to a conversation between two carnatic music enthusiasts. A simple thank you to these two, for their willingness to share with me the delightful intricacies in music.

For latestarters, obviously not child prodigies, how does one go about this gigantic Catch-22 situation?

A solemn promise....

Well, I seem to surprise and bewilder myself with the questions that surface in my mind these days. A constant and rightly nagging query is, "What did happen to one of the loves of your life?" - this blog! There was a time when I used to keep in touch with writing by blogging, at least, once a week.

• Have I run out of my creative juices or topics to write on?
• Have I fallen out of love with my blog?
• Have I embraced realism to idealism?

You can call me a shameless narcissist. But then, I do go over my writings. I like them. Recently, I did find lots of technical flaws too in the posts. Additionally, these writings, which have now become highly personal too, (barely trying to be within the scope of a public blog), might be more from a peregrine's point of view. Just simple assorted writings. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Despite all these, I do find people paying visit to my blog, some on an almost regular basis. A simple thanks. Your kind gestures provide life to this blog.

Dear Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya,

I have neglected you enough over the past two months. This induced and unforced separation, does make me respect and love you more than ever before. Please do welcome back this prodigal son of yours.

Yours,

Ranga.

PS: Even blog-hopping has become so infrequent. A special thanks to Eroteme for this lovely post, which was heavily invigorating and inspiring.

How are you doing?

One of the most banal of all questions. A strong favorite amongst people (be they random persons, acquaintances, friends, or very good friends). What should one's answer be other than the equally banal, "I am doing good". With a paradigm shift, this question does become the greatest test for any human relationship.

A human being needs a connection with another person - be it as a great friendship or a wonderful relationship or whatever. These relationships thrive on trust and mutual respect-cum-affection. So, if things are not going "good", then these people in our circle of lives would also know about it.

Things cannot always be good. It is perfectly all right to say, "things are not fine". But then, naturally, one cannot go about revealing it all to everyone, right?

As a digression to the post, this saying does come to my mind.

"An optimist has as many chances as a pessimist. It is just that he/she happens to have a more exciting life".

So, is the banal reply to the banal question an enlightened form of optimism in daily life?

Happy Diwali....

Diwali, the festival of lights, is veritably one of the most popular festivals of India. Moreover, there is a rich repertoire of stories pertaining to this festival. Nevertheless, the most important message is the annihilation of darkness (evil). The word "darkness" reminds me of these sayings that I have fortunately come across at different points of time.

*****

Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya

Oh! Divine Mother. Kindly lead me from darkness to light.

*****

Here goes a chinese proverb, also attributed to Ms. Eleanor Roosevelt :

It's better to light a candle than curse the darkness.

Often, we tend to worry small. Instead of taking one gigantic step by lighting a small candle, we seek succor in cursing the darkness, only to move behind in life.

*****

Recently, I came across this neat Spanish proverb, which inspired me to write this post on the eve of Diwali.

There is not enough darkness in the world to extinguish the light of a small candle.

Beautiful. The same light of a small candle can be taken as a metaphorical allusion to "hope". Can anything be sweeter than hope?

*****

The beauty of all these sayings is that they are applicable both at the macro and micro levels of the self. Spreading sweetness and sunshine in the lives of the less fortunate ones or using these tools to look forward to the lovely springtime during the dark and hazy winters of our lives.

Talking of spreading sweetness and sunshine, reminds of me of one of my beloved characters from the unforgettable Wodehousian world - Uncle Frederick Altamount Cornwallis Twistleton, the Earl of Ickenham. He considers his mission in life to help spread sweetness and sunshine in the lives of the many sundered hearts.

*****

Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya and the author wishes its readers a very happy Diwali.

Life and the city.....

Los Angeles, the big bad city or the city of angels. Hope she takes care of her children. Having lived in college towns, for nearly 7 years, I am now a part of the teeming mass. Just another one among them. Nothing special.

This post is dedicated to LA, and the long hiatus can be safely attributed to her too. Just another one of the human tendencies to absolve oneself of guilt and blame the other.

People Watching II....

• You miss the bus

Have you ever rushed in the last few minutes to catch a bus? A daily activity for the author since time immemorial, I noticed a woman having the run of her life for nearly 4 minutes to finally catch the bus. She was all smiles and her happiness was comparable to winning the Olympic gold for a 400 m dash. Then there is the other set of people, which finds great pleasure in being seated in the bus for a boring 10-15 min, before the actual departure time. This can be extended to trains and airplanes. It merits mention that the author doesn't discriminate between any of the forms of public transport.

• Hairstyles

I happened to glance at the hairstyles of 20 people around me in one of the bus rides. I was surprised to find that no two ones were similar. Both men and women, sport a totally unique hairstyle that adds to their personal recognition, charm, appeal or whatever. This reminds me of the temple at Belur, Karnataka, India where 2000+ hairstyles are vividly sculpted as one of the greatest memorial to the beauty in women. Not to forget the string of jasmine flowers on the long braids of Indian women.

• Victoria's Secret

While I am at it, let me write about this too. There happens to be a Victoria's Secret "show"room in the Mall of America, supposedly the biggest mall in the US. Fat ladies eye the models on display with 100% admiration, mostly bordering on envy though. Then, there are these young 17+ couples, so excited for obvious reasons. One universal phenomenon, is the unbounded lust in the men, of all ages and all types. How the same concept of a lingerie showroom, can evoke different moods and reactions in people, is astounding.

• Feminine colors

Then, there is the choice of certain colors of clothing and accessories that could be called "cute", using the girlish expression. Cyan, pink, lemon yellow, light orange, you name it. I happened to watch a family of four, with the dad sporting a different color, clearly outnumbered by the female species of his family that was proudly endorsing pink. And barring Govinda, an Indian "actor", any guy sporting colors such as these would be branded gay. What makes these colors so feminine?

• Sadness and grief

How does it feel to look at a stranger'e eye, and find that person totally lost in prolonged spells of sadness and pain? I happened to see a lady staring outside the window on the train, and I sensed her sadness and grief. She didn't notice me. All of us have those spells of sadness, suffering and pain. The unavoidable embraces all of us, at different points of time in our lives. But then, we are all veritably alone. Can anyone share our pain? No, right?

Ignorance... Revisited.

This is the first time, that I am quoting something from verbatim out here. Kindly excuse.

"While I am still confused and uncertain, it is on a much higher plane, d'you see, and atleast I know I'm bewildered about the really important and fundamental facts of the universe." Treatle nodded, I hadn't looked at it like that," he said, "But you are absolutely right. He's really pushed back the limits of ignorance".

They both savored the strange warm glow of being much more ignorant than ordinary people, who were ignorant of only ordinary things.

- Terry Pratchet, Equal Rites.

Paperboats...

This post is dedicated to the spirit of innocence and enthusiasm in a child.

An Experiment with Truth - 1.

(a) Try to make a paperboat.
(b) If you could, then you have convinced yourself .

(c) For people like me who tried and failed, this comes in useful.
(d) For people who think this is below their dignity, do ignore this.

Minnehaha....

Minnehaha creek runs through Minneapolis and merges with R. Mississippi around 2-3 miles from my home. The legend of Hiawatha, of "The Song of Hiawatha" fame by H W Longfellow, fell in love with this Dakota beauty, noted for her enthusiasm, bubbling spirit and laughter. By a twist of fate and fortune, I stay very close to the Minnehaha creek, the Minnehaha Falls, the Minnehaha Park, the R. Mississippi, the L. Nokomis (a motherly figure of Hiawatha), and the L. Hiawatha. Yes, this post is dedicated to the love of Hiawatha and Minnehaha.

Today, the author was in for a big wonderful surprise. There was a Fiji fest going on at the park. A garage band, gave a free concert, and entertained a meager crowd of 15-20 with jazz, rock and roll, country, and what not. The highlight of the concert, were the three lovely ladies, aged any where between 2-4, dancing and swaying to the tunes with all smiles. There were two guys dancing alone too. One of them remarked to a bewildered lady, "I am not gay. But I do like the lead guy (presumably for his vocals and guitar)".

The music was different. The very fact that people were enjoying the music, and the musicians themselves enjoying the concert despite the low turnout drove home the point of the sheer power of music. Despite not having a deep spiritual impact, it cheered the people around. Six unknown musicians, not high profile ones, who had come together, courtesy their love for music, sure did give me an invaluable lesson. Never ever discriminate between the various forms of music. It is like preferring the heart to the lungs.

There were a few couples all around the park, savoring the company of each other in silence, with the concert tunes as the background. Love was in the air. No wonder, the legendary love between Hiawatha and Minnehaha seems to have an effect at this place. It merits mention that the couples were of various ages (hmm, an obvious statement!). While there were couples who looked beautiful together (in the physical sense), the best were those old couples, who were contented being with each other (having come this far in their journey called life).

I just happened to take the stairs to watch the falls. The majestic splendor of the Falls was something so pristinely beautiful. Then the rapids in the creek, meandering across the forest, on its journey towards meeting the R. Mississippi, reminded me of this saying, "Even the weariest river ends up in the sea". The same creek, 1-2 miles westward, looks so serene and peaceful. Almost, without a ripple. One does get a lot of lessons from the water.

(PS: In short, a beautiful surprise. The only dampener was when I found a father, of two children, carrying a toddler of 4-6 months, and shamelessly puffing away on his way to a dark glory : blowing the smoke and fumes over the baby.)

PS2: Guess, the chronicles of the author of how a Friday evening was spent. An unexpected entry as a post out here.