Hmmm…

You do something you believe in entirely. You are convinced it will work, and it does. Then after a while you wonder if it is still working. Was it really the right thing to do? Were you wrong in doing it or wrong in thinking about it now, it’s spilled milk after all. Is it a passing phase? Were you beliefs wrong?
But nothing in life is coincidental, it all happens for a reason, a good one at that. Do you still subscribe to that? Destiny…we make our own, no?

In Orissa

The first thing that strikes you about Bhubaneshwar is the heat and the humidity. Once you’re over that (believe me, that’s not easy), you notice the light breezy evenings which really is the best part of a day. Here for 2 weeks on some work and I’m trying to like the place as long as I’m here!
Being away from home opens your eyes to so many minute things you never think of when you’re at home. Like how the water tastes, like how different the evening breeze is, like how you miss the noise of the road you live in. I can go on about all the little things. What I miss most though (apart from missing my family n friends) is food…not necessarily home food, more like Bangalore food! (Getting good coffee here is an ordeal in itself which you’re bound to lose…no one makes good ol’ filter coffee here!)
One particular thing never ceases to amaze me about India. The minute you’re in a different state, it’s almost like a different country! It really hits you about how we Indians can be so wonderfully bound to each other despite the crazy world of differences. Of course language can be a bit of a problem, but thankfully I seem to be managing well with Hindi. Also travelled a bit yesterday (details on travelhigh) which was good. Though this is a new experience, me looking forward to going back home!

p.s. Orissa is the home of Olive Ridley turtles which are endangered.

Something about golf

No, I don’t play it nor am I a fan. A friend plays golf regularly (and is quite passionate about it) and hence there are times when golf gets discussed. The friend is so into it that nothing can come in between golf practice, like for example, not even a very close friend’s milestone birthday. I don’t like the game…at all. I don’t know it either. It’s beyond me to fathom how a game can be so expensive and available only to the rich. Do you know any person of modest means who plays golf? Any golf club membership is through the roof. Clearly it’s an elite game. Maybe that’s the reason I don’t like it. Especially here, you’re so used to playing games with just about everyone and everywhere…you play cricket, badminton, throwball, volleyball, football, hockey even on the streets if a ground or a court is not near by. If there is a nearby ground (which is the case almost everywhere), you can play basketball as well. You can swim in the neighbourhood swimming pool. You can play TT, snooker, tennis, swim in the neighbourhood club (invariably someone in the family or among friends will be a member). Accessibility being the keyword here. Golf, did you say?

Playhome!

All of us I’m sure were in a ‘playhome’ before we joined school (kindergarten). Imagine my pleasant surprise on reading this morning’s newspaper supplement, which had an article on the playhome I went to when I was about 3 or 4 years old!!!! Even more amazing was they’d put the picture of the lady who still runs the place, it was so nice to see her The only difference in her as I could see was just grey hair and glasses, otherwise she looked just like how she did when I was a part of her playhome, with the same kind, calm and serene look. She had mentioned in the article that all her ‘former kids’ were sending their kids to the place. How cool is that?? It’s a good feeling to know there are some things that last long

Birthday reflections

I’m running the risk of sounding like one of those sent-a-million-times-over-email-forward, but I will continue undaunted with some of the things I’ve personally experienced and realised having come this far…So jotting this down here. It’s a long list!

You can’t change the old school of thought parents come from, no matter how hard you try or how much you try and explain your point of view. It’s best to be obedient soemtimes. No questions asked.

Having a close knit family is the most important thing in life. It most often consists of your inner circle of friends and just very few relatives. They can be the sole reason of you surviving tough phases. It’s impossible to thank them or tell them how much they mean to you.

A job is only a part of your life. It’s not your life. But never undermine it’s importance. Standing on one’s two feet is the best thing you can do for yourself.

You can’t help it if your childhood friend goofs up. That friendship is sacred and will be there forever. Doesn’t matter if you don’t agree on most of the things the friend does.

There is a very thin line between spending and splurging.

White lies save a lot of trouble and heartache. Complete honesty sometimes is not the best policy.

Sometimes nothing ever comes to you on a platter. Every thing needs hard work. And a bit of luck.

You have to keep trying to make a few things work. Keep on trying.

Marriage is for keeps. You have to choose right. Period.

Hope can be cruel sometimes and can easily break your heart.

There is little difference between optimism and realism. Each work well in their own way.

You might not always get what you deserve. You get less at times, more at other times and just the right amount sometimes.

Everything’s not black or white. There’s grey too. Different shades of grey.

If you can’t laugh at yourself, you’ll never recognise the humour of life.

Religion and God are very personal things. You cannot fathom another person’s reaction on this.

You must have something you love to do. Be it a hobby or anything else.

You’ll always treasure the crazy, wild nights. Even if you’ve made a fool of yourself on each and every one of those nights.

It’s amazing how contradictory events and feelings can be experienced. Life is ironic.

A house accumulates objects over the years without you realising it. Go minimal. Give away things you don’t need.

Charity begins at home. So does keeping your environment green and clean.

You will have atleast one neighbour you don’t like.

Enjoy a sport even if you don’t or can’t play it.

Music and movies are universal.

Indifference is the answer to a lot of things.

Talking, ‘getting things off your chest’ and sharing really helps.

There’s no substitute to home food. And your mother’s cooking.

Nature will always amaze you. Be it as small as the smell of the earth after rain. Or the bloom of flowers in spring. Or the summit of a mountain. Or a flowing river. Or the raging sea and the blissful beach. Or snow.

Have a garden, even if it’s just potted plants in a 2×2 square.

Know when to let go and when to continue.

Compromise makes for a good umbrella but not a good roof.

A family that travels together (on a regular basis) stays together.

Always give the benefit of doubt before jumping into conclusions.

No matter how old you are, you’ll still be a kid to your parents which means you’re still as likely to get ticked off as you were when you were a kid.

Beauty is skin deep and is very much in the eyes of the beholder.

Relationships are dynamic. That’s the best part about them.

There’s nothing like ‘getting over’ the passing away of a parent. Time doesn’t heal everything. All the memories are just locked up in a black box inside the back of your head. There will be times when you will open it up and everything comes flooding back. Like reality. The past takes over you and the present blurs. And the pain stays, forever…

You must be comfortable being by yourself and giving that space to yourself even if all you do during that time is ‘nothing’.

Things usually don’t go as expected or planned. However it’s still important to plan.

You can never expect the unexpected.

Material things sometimes never match up to genuine words.

Change is always drastic.

Life can turn topsy-turvy anytime.

Don’t just laugh, guffaw.

Spontaneity is good.

Finding happiness in the details and the small things can keep you going even if there’s nothing big happening in your life. Never lose the ability to notice and enjoy them. And start doing those small things that can make a difference.

It’s all about balance.

p.s. I’ll probably add more to this list. Guess I’m not just getting older, but wiser as well, no?

Irony

Isn’t it ironic when you finally get something you’ve always wanted (and deserved) after a long and painful wait, it takes away most of the fizz associated with it? And then it just becomes something that could have been very very special but now is plain ordinary…now it’s, ‘oh well, it was long overdue, so no big deal!’
Or is it just me?

The eternal loser

Who else but Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s Devdas? Or Anurag Kashyap’s modern day Dev D. An honest and in-your-face yarn of the quintessential loser. The best part of the movie for me was the fact that it showed Dev as how he actually was, a pitiful, self centred egoist with double standards. And the fact that the 2 women of his life actually had an identity of their own (a strong one at that) and could kick his ass anytime he took them for granted!
I loved how the music was a part of the narrative. Bravo Amit Trivedi. Make way gentlemen, the new age music composer has arrived. One more aspect that took the movie to another level altogether was the cinematography. Each frame is vivid and remains in your mind. In the 2nd half of the movie especially, it was fantastic the way the focus changed from the foreground subject and background depending on who was talking. (On another note, notice the graffiti on Dev’s room wall)
I don’t want to think of the flaws in the movie. I only know that I came away thoroughly entertained. I wasn’t bored even for a second. The engaging and bold dialogues added to the wonder of the movie. Some of them were truly priceless. Ready to get ‘Emosanal Atyacharred’ anyone? Don’t miss it, it’s radical, contemporary, honest and entertaining!

A weekend of performances

I’ve had the pleasure of seeing some awesome contemporary dance performances over the weekend. It started off with my friend’s contemporary creative dance workshop for kids last week which culminated in a heart warming piece done by the kids and my friend (and her friend who are both free lance dancers).
Over the weekend, it was the inaugural dance performance of the Attakkalari India Biennial 2009. What an opening it was! An assault of the senses with their movements, music and colour. Held at the Chowdiah Memorial Hall, it was a perfect beginning to the 10 day festival.
We then chose to go for one of the performances my friend recommended. It was by a South Korean troupe – Dance Theatre CcadoO and it was called Murder in the Elevator. Now this was something else. It was a dance-play, meaning, a play that mainly had a lot of dance to portray the story and the characters. Lithe, slender bodies moving so quickly that it made one gasp. One after the other the amazing movements, the co-ordination, the acrobatic like steps which was made to look so easy, the crisp story telling, the characters, the digital art on the stage, the set …was absolutely mind blowing. I don’t think I’ve seen something like this even on TV for a long time. We all enjoyed it immensely. After the performance, there was a meet the artiste session where with the help of an interpretor, we were able to ask questions to the troupe about the whole performance.
Looking forward to the next one we will be going for, this one is by the Attakkalari group itself, it’s called Chronotopia. Check out more details and a full calendar of events here. Enjoy!

Fed up

of hearing why Slumdog Millionaire doesn’t deserve all the accolades ‘coz it glorifies the Indian slums. Really, everywhere I see (blogs, websites, newspapers, discussion boards, friends), there are discussions on why the West is honouring this movie and it has been attributed to the fact that it showed the dark side. People are arguing about how all the other great Indian movies have been ignored by the West so far, and now since a non-Indian has made this movie it’s being talked about everywhere.
A few important points all these people are forgetting: 1. It’s an adaptation of a novel written by an Indian . 2. The movie is actually a very typical Bollywood movie with the truimph of the underdog and love being the centre point. 3. The gory aspects of the movie and the slums are a reality, it has been exisitng for a long time and it will continue to exist until the government wakes up to do something about it. 4. It’s just a movie and a terrific one at that with some great acting (by the kids especially) 5. Surely Rahman has composed better music in his earlier (and ongoing) films, so what? His music (the background score I mean) in this movie lifted the narration to another level.
I wonder sometimes why people can’t just enjoy a movie without dissecting every aspect of it? We go to the movies to be entertained (and inspired sometimes, but mostly entertained) and I think the movie did exactly that. Watch it if you haven’t!

More on the New Year…

I seem to only be reading columns and articles and seeing programs about what to wear, how to decorate, what to cook, how to get over a hangover, what the celebrities are doing for the New Year’s Eve. That’s pretty much what almost all TV channels are showing and most of the magazines and newspapers (especially the pathetic excuse for a newspaper, the Times of India) are publishing. One article was completely ridiculous, it was talking about how a girl HAD to be dressed in the best-est clothes and have all the right make up, or else there would be no meaning to a New Year’s eve. I mean really, are we so starved for approval and looking good that we can’t just be ourselves? Do we so seriously have to ape the Americans? I understand, for a celebration, dressing up is a part of the whole process, but making it the only thing is taking it a bit too far don’t you think?
Hmm anyway, one thing I do look forward to at the end of the year, is to see all the Best of the year shows on TV…espcecially on the movies, where finally it’s ‘doodh ka doodh, pani ka pani’
My Hindi movie picks of the year are: ‘Rock On’ and ‘A Wednesday’. In English, I loved ‘ The Dark Knight’. I also liked ‘Body of Lies (though I guess it was not such a big hit).
I had this conversation with a friend about how nobody really keeps up to their New Year resolutions…I think I stopped making them years ago since I never really followed it beyond 2 months! This time however, I sincerely want to:

1] Start an exercise regime (even if it’s just walking for an hour in the morning)
2] Stop having late work evenings (plan work ahead unless there’s something critical)
3] Learn to cook Amma’s signature dishes (atleast one dish every 2 months)
4] Re-Learn to drive (As much as I loathe Bangalore traffic, I have to do this)
5] Spend more time at home…reading and increasing the colleciton for my precious library
6] Call my out of town/country friends atleast once a month

I’ll probably add to this list as I think of the other things I want to do