Powerful Cerebrations

You run, so I run

2010-08-08T03:33:00.009+05:30

An experience at the local railway station, a moral story:

Luckily being the first in a long queue at the station, I buy a ticket. I have to take two stairways to reach the platform. I take the first step and I assume I hear the sound of the train. So I start running, taking two steps at a time. At the eleventh step, I realize that my assumption is wrong but then people behind me seeing me run have started running too. I think, so what let me run the next few steps as well. As I run, I hear more footsteps. So I run all the way to the train-less platform just for the heck of it. And there, a bunch of people have run with me too. And I turn back to see their faces. Expressions? Priceless.

Moral: Some would have followed me; some would have followed the ones in front of them. So my take on this would be to stop to think whom you are following or who you look up to be your leader. Most of all, stop to see "why" you are following. Who knows, he/she might be taking you for a ride.

Leadership eh? Quite! ;-)

Rhetorical wonders

2010-07-25T02:14:00.005+05:30

Head in the clouds, feet on the ground,

I see some angels and I feel some squirms.

Clouded by doubts, I ask them all,

You tell me slow and steady really wins,

So say, is it really worth in the end,

With recognitions forgotten I have nothing to ask,

Pray, why are you overlooking precious things?

Oh now stop, have trust they all cry,

You will find solace in us if only you try.

Such soft touch, a motherly concern,

I wouldn’t forgive myself if I dissent.

Make mistakes, it's good, they say,

If only you learn from them the right way,

What is there is not seen, what is seen is not there,

Today it would seem like a lost way,

Wait till tomorrow, you shall find a new way,

It doesn’t take much to see the light,

It’s there already; you’ll just have to wait.
Thus saying, they slowly move away,

Wiggling, waggling, swaying, swinging,

They all then fade off as yet another dream.

With everything just right, misconception gone,

I am now where I belong, and I am free,

Coz I burnt it all and I'll burn it all!

And it takes only one simple thing to understand,

Enlightened or blind? Time will tell.

Shrouded in the backyard

2010-06-13T22:46:00.013+05:30

I heard it. I have heard it before.
A cry, a wail and a shriek.
An incomprehensible sound it has always been.
It has never lasted for more than a minute.
It isn't from the road, it is from a nearby block.
I thought it was a cat. A woman she was.
I have never seen her but I doubt if I ever will.
Coz I know no lady who lives in the neighbouring backyard.
Was she in distress? Or was it a spell so evil?
I never get answers to these questions repeated.
I would have helped her if only it wasn't so dark.
Well, she always cries at 1:30AM sharp.

One wish

2010-04-29T02:10:00.007+05:30

I wish… A small wish…
A small wish yearned, a small journey.
Long drive to the greenwoods,
Reverberating music in the twilight,
Wide lanes, yellow autumn leaves,
Blue-blue sea, sound of the waves,
Snow-white full moon and its reflections,
Illuminated ship at a distance,
Cool breeze, palm trees fanning,
A good read -a story with a pun,
With hearts engraved on the sands,
A shoulder to lean on, a lovely cuddle,
Sigh and the world stops for me.
I wish… A small wish…

Everything is one!

2010-02-09T23:26:00.011+05:30

I find only one similarity between right & wrong, God & ghosts, different religions - all of these exist but as one.

Just like everyone else, I have my principles, discipline and opinions. I, of course don't like it if someone questions them nor do I like it if someone says they are wrong! I won't give up on my principles nor will I rebuke someone who doesn't think the same way. But is there something called "wrong" or "right" in the first place? Why can't two people with different opinions be right at the same time? Or actually why can't they be wrong at the same time?! Why should we be highly opinionated? Can't we stop to give others the benefit of doubt?

One of my friends stated that it's easy for people to believe in God but not ghosts. But how is it possible to believe in one and not the other? If Gods exist in the form of spirits so do ghosts. Babaji is believed to have been a great saint residing in The Himalayas. He left his body but his soul is alleged to be still present. Shirdi Sai lived as a great saint and millions of people are still his devotees and the stories of miracles are spoken till date. All these miracles that are experienced are averred as the acts of the spirits of the Great ones. When people can believe in the spirits/souls of these supposed Mahatmas who were mortals, why can't people believe that there can be spirits/souls of ordinary mortals as well?

Only in India, one can find diversity in the form of religion or caste or language. It may sound weird to people who are against the caste system. But why can't we see the beautiful side of it for a change? Each of the religions/castes has a very unique tradition. The food, the dress, the functions, the language, everything is unique. For that matter, every state in India has people following unique traditions. I don't think I would be able to learn and understand even half of it in my lifetime. Amongst all these diversities is a unity -unity in the belief system. I can't help but notice the fact that there is a common belief in all the religions - peace and love. "Serve humanity", "Love one another". Isn't that what is taught in all religions? Religion came into being to establish a code of discipline and to bring peace to humanity. Lord Krishna preached about God being one and he restored peace in Brindavan. Muhammed Prophet preached that God is one and also restored peace by eradicating slavery. Jesus Christ preached about Love for humanity and it's told that he was a miraculous healer. All these religions have different customs but don't they all send the same message? Didn't they all come into being for a cause? Why is there a conflict between religions? What is the point in fighting for caste/religion/state?

Being right or wrong is very subjective and what is right to me may seem wrong to somebody else. I haven't seen God nor have I seen ghosts but I do know that if they exist, then they exist as one. As Bhagadvad Gita says, everything comes from God. Whether great souls or ordinary spirits, they all come from God. All religions have a basic and an underlying message- to extend peace and love to humanity. The people who have got the preaching of Bhagadvad Gita, Quran or The Bible all distorted will never be able to appreciate or understand the beauty that exists in all religions.

In the chaotic race of different people with different opinions, principles, beliefs, cultures, languages and religions, we can find a ray of hope - the ray of unity in diversity, the mutual love and respect for the human race. Nothing will seem right or wrong anymore because everything is one in the end.

The Chord of the Hearts

2008-01-17T03:12:00.002+05:30

Sun shines in the warm golden fields,
Butterflies encircle, colored wings flutter.
Exquisite, gentle notes whisper to the heart,
Blissful faces share beaming smiles.
Eyes gleam, arms clasp,
Harmony and peace entwine,
Music and Love is in the air.
A release of soulful wanting,
Rhythmic beats and lyrical crescendos heard.
The skies unfold and Angels bless,
From Darkness to Light,
Sweet sweet freedom felt!
A new life, a beautiful path found,
To Him, She belongs. Forever!
Dedicated to : StarGazer

Echoes in the garden

2007-12-04T22:13:00.002+05:30

The summer breeze brought in the fresh aroma of roses and violets. Bright rays from the western horizon fingered through the coconut trees and formed dark shadows of the woman seated on the bamboo chair. Her long hair turned a beautiful golden as the sun started to set, her legs tucked into the pleated silk skirt, her eyes reflecting pools of mixed emotions, she made a pretty sight. Miss G was oblivious to the beauty that she exuded. Nothing was beautiful to her anymore, not without him. She braced herself for the familiar ache of exhaustion to take over. Nothing was the same anymore. The water splashed softly from the small fountain in the garden where she had always been able to find peace when she had felt the need to seek life in a strange way she had never sought to explain or question. But there was no magic today and no answer. Peace seemed to elude her, despair set in, she squeezed her eyes shut and wished everything would just turn out to be a nightmare. Recalling the good times hurt too much. It brought back flooding memories, stunning and intense that threatened to overwhelm her response.

She saw a tall dark figure move on the other side of her house. She watched as he walked up and down the lawn of his house deep in thought. A dark shadow formed around her hiding her among the trees and he couldn't see her watching him. She sighed as she watched him. Had it all started when she moved to his neighborhood or was it when he introduced himself in the best poetic way possible or was it when they bumped into each other more often? The night was growing into her and the birds wheeled in the dark clouds and sang a strange song that added to her melancholy.

Meeting him everyday was inevitable. It was never difficult to spot him in the crowd. He would be there, a tall dark soul looming with confidence and attitude. She blamed herself for getting close to a man who has become a stranger now. A stranger who was her best friend, a stranger who taught her everything and a stranger who now reminded her of all the things that she wanted to forget. Just a few words away, a few calls away, so close but so far away, Miss G lost count of the number of times she wondered if her resolve was right. But she had made plans and she knew that she would get through this. She looked up at the dark sky and wondered why destiny had to play a cruel game in her life, her head fell to her knees hugging herself, she resigned to the fact that nothing can change destiny.

The distant sound of the church bell indicated the strike of the hour. She shivered and shifted uneasily. Her neighbor's illuminated home intimidated her more and she wondered what made him so happy. Miss G walked back to her home with a heavy heart still foundering in old emotions, darkness swept her into the world of loneliness.

Swim like the Bluegill

2007-11-19T03:00:00.005+05:30

I feel like a Bluegill, sensitive to all the vicious things that happen around yet tolerate them and continue swimming through it all. Babyhood saw the Bluegill in a small tank, well protected with no worries. It grew up, got transported to a bigger tank that taught it to live with other species. Now its the ocean, where its learning to live with some real deadly creatures, treading carefully, not trusting easily yet swimming with confidence and expertise amongst many hurdles. It doesn't know how much bigger the ocean is gonna get, how many deadly creatures or friendly aliens its gonna meet.

Long time ago, a friend of mine- Brat told me that it's okay to get scared sometimes coz it gets your adrenaline pumping hard. That was such a crazy thing to say then but in a way it's true. The swimming will be fun, a risky sort of fun. Sometimes I wish the "Beauty and the Beast" miracle would happen that would turn the Bluegill into a Tortoise. The Bluegill would rise from the ocean as a Tortoise, jump to the forbidden land, hidden in a quiet shell knowing that there is much more to Life than just the Ocean.

To the place of happiness

2007-09-19T22:08:00.004+05:30

Weekend comes and goes, Monday is the day typically filled with people feeling so blue. Naturally, Monday being Monday it can't be otherwise. One of the monotonous cliched rituals followed by people is asking "so how are you?" (I have never understood why "so" is used when everyone is just about trying to strike a conversation for the 1st time in the week or was it Friday a few seconds ago??) followed by "how was the weekend?" and the answer to that would always vary between two extremes "sleep, eat, TV" to "I was hanging out with friends". If it’s the latter, some would gush in saying "ooooh!! Where did you go???" Whether it has something to do with the phrase "hang out" or "friends" one never knows, but the "place" of meeting is of prime importance that kindles the interest to the listener. Well, maybe in a way the place does matter if the meeting is for a specific reason. It makes people who meet feel comfortable or, if its for the same cause it unites the group or, it helps in sharing similar tastes. But what I realized is, the "place" doesn't really matter as long as it’s with the person you like sharing (I refrain from saying spending) your time. The past couple of weekends have been good, meeting some old friends and some others who are dearest to me, catching up with gossips and nostalgic events or just being together for that moment on that day. I didn't for once care where we went, what we ate, where we sat or where we walked, everything just happened the right way at the right time. The very fact that we were meeting felt more exciting than anything else. So much to tell but so little told, hours of non-stop talking and giggling, sometimes silence speaking volumes, pleasant welcoming silence that. I would never be able to pen down the happiness that filled my heart, though I might try in the future, I know it'll be a long long way down the lane until I experience anything close to it again. But when the day comes, if someone asks me "Where did you go??" I would say, "To the place of happiness"....

Revolving minds

2007-08-29T22:27:00.004+05:30

I remember reading about how people feel sleepy after lunch. Reason: there is an influx of glucose after a heavy lunch which prevents the nerve cells from sending alert signals to the brain to keep awake. This reason was quite consoling when I had a similar attack to my brain today. I was browsing through some of the mails I received with a groggy feeling when I found one of them really intriguing. It was about some of the famous skyscrapers constructed across the world. One of them would be the world's first revolving tower (A spinning Skyscraper) once its erected as planned in Dubai. Its no ordinary skyscraper for the fact that each of the floors of the tower will be revolving on its axis.
Of course this tower would be revolving at a speed that wouldn't be felt by the people inside. But wouldn't it be great if all the floors in a building revolve at a speed which would make people wonder where they were a few seconds back?? Especially if its utilized as a working place, it would make life more interesting with computers and cabins moving all around the place and if a person happens to move away from his seat for a second, chances are that he would have to go on a merry-go-round search to get back. With the architectural advancements, one wouldn't be surprised if a combination of "Leaning Tower of Pisa" and "The Revolving Tower" is constructed with everything and everyone leaning and revolving, and people still sane.

The Sky-Life

2007-08-24T23:55:00.003+05:30

Today was a rainy day. The moment I got out of the coziness of my home, I was greeted by the cold breeze bringing the fresh smell of the damp sands, the tall wet grasses glistening with dewdrops hanging for life and not so willing to leave the slender tips of the green plants, roads filled with puddles of rainwater, small children wearing colorful raincoats waiting for their school buses, the sky so cloudy and gray, everything and everyone unusually quiet. If only today wasn't a weekday, it would have been a perfect day to relax with a mug of coffee reading my favorite novel watching the rain making patterns on the window panes, listening to instrumental music accompanied by an occasional bite on hot pakkodas. As I was unable to do any of these, I did what I like doing best, Sky-Gazing. They say that the universe is made up of five elements: earth, water, air, fire and space. It’s also believed that human bodies are made up of these 5 elements. Whenever I see the vast forms of these 5 elements, Mother Earth with dark brown soil providing the path for our footprints, seas and oceans with tides so high, the powerful winds, fire filled with rage, space the one that surrounds and provides a blanket for us, I can't help but feel small and insignificant. As I was gazing at the wonderful creation, what really caught my eye was the Sky. Sky, the vast, the infinite and the moody. Moody because she is the only one who emotes well. She rises in the morning, yellow, looking beautiful spreading the joy and happiness. Fresh and lustrous, gives the feeling that victory is in the air. She then turns to her much liked role of spreading tranquility, emoting intelligence and calmness by turning blue with patches of white here and there representing her innocence and purity of the soul. She gets ready to retire for the day, but before that becomes reddish orange and dances with joy, love and passion. The stage of mysterious disappearing happens next and Sky turns black and portrays the unknown fear. There are times when Sky gets pessimistic and unsure and those are the times when she is neither black nor white but just gray and cloudy. I see a close resemblance of the Sky to the behavior of humans and I guess that makes the Sky more human than any other creations in the world. Ah, doesn't it make the world a colorful place to live in? :)

ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz

2007-07-24T00:23:00.001+05:30

Sleep is delightful. It really is! And I realized that only after I started traveling 4 hours a day. All the entertainment I derive from the bus journey is by observing how gravity plays a vital role when it comes to sleep. Quite an amusing sight to see a group of heads swaying from side to side, lips stretched at an awkward angle, some with a smug look while others presumably deep in thought. Screeching brakes or the constant honking are considered mellifluous and act as a lullaby to the sleepyheads. Added ingredients are the incessant chatter of the RJs combined with the distorted signals that sound totally gibberish to the sensitive ears. Whether its the early morning rays or the pleasant evening breeze, invariably everyone dashes for the comb just seconds before their destination arrives, entangling the already tangled or the almost bald mass. And sometimes when it becomes too much for me to take, I would catch some of my "beauty" sleep and then I realize how delightful sleeping in the bus can be, with the gentle rock and rolling, riding all along the way with all the little passengers, warm and snug inside!

Those two words

2007-01-02T02:08:00.002+05:30

There are two words in English that are easier said than done. Time immemorial we have heard people say “Have Faith”. Have faith in me, or have faith in yourself or have faith in God are some of the common extensions that are added to those two words. But I learnt that there is a deeper and a stronger meaning to the words “Have Faith”.

A short story to illustrate this:

There was once a man in a village who claimed to be a holy man and though he had no spiritual powers whatsoever he cheated people by playing intelligent tricks to make them believe in him. This became his regular source of income in that small village. One day a very young, gullible boy went to the man and fell prey to the trickster. From that day on, the boy became an ardent devotee of the fake saint. Wherever the man went, the boy also went and the boy completely trusted and had full faith in his Guru. One day, a group of people from the near by village having heard about the saint, came to meet him and requested him to cure a disease that had infected a man in their village. The saint knew that he couldn’t do it and sent the young boy instead. The boy didn’t know any tricks. All he had with him was “faith” in his Guru. And when he touched the diseased person, lo and behold the man was cured.

Not getting too analytical about the story of its actual possibilities of happening, the essence of the story is that the boy had an unshakable faith and that simply helped him in achieving the impossible.

All along, I used to think that miracles don’t happen and it’s not quite possible. There are umpteen stories about people who have experienced miracles and some of them are quite unbelievable. Unless we experience such miracles we would never be able to believe them. But miracles don’t happen to everyone. That’s because it comes with a slight catch, It happens only to people who have faith!

Faith need not necessarily mean faith in some external source; it can be faith in oneself. Confidence and faith are two complementary things. A person having total faith in himself has the self-confidence and he does the impossible and he experiences miracles.

Sadly though, it isn’t that easy to trust because as humans, there is always a nagging thought and we give a benefit of doubt to the faith we have. Unshakable faith is what surpasses all time and makes us achieve miracles. As someone rightly said "Faith makes things possible, not easy." And you can trust me on that ;)

Viva Forever!!!

2006-08-11T03:18:00.002+05:30

Viva means "may it live", and usually translated to English as "long live". Viva Forever- Long Live Forever! A beautiful song by Spice Girls.....

Do you still remember how we used to be
Feeling together believe in whatever
My love has said to me
Both of us were dreamers Young love in the sun
Felt like my saviour My spirit I gave you
We'd only just begun
Hasta Manana Always be mine
Viva Forever I'll be waiting
Everlasting Like the sun
Live Forever for the moment
Ever searching for the world
Yes I still remember every whispered word
The touch of your skin, giving life from within
Like a love song that I've heard
Slipping through our fingers, like the sands of time
Promises made, every memory saved
Has reflections in my mind
Hasta Manana, always be mine
Viva Forever, I'll be waiting
Everlasting, Like the sun
Live Forever, For the moment
Ever searching, for the world
But we're all alone, was it just a dream
Feelings untold, They will never be sold
And the secrets safe with me
Hasta Manana, always be mine
Viva Forever, I'll be waiting
Everlasting, Like the sun
Live Forever, for the moment
Ever searching, for the world

An emotion, a hype!

2006-06-13T16:02:00.003+05:30

A lot of soul searching.. And a discussion with my friend brought me to think about LOVE! Love, the word which is associated with the dreamy world, star-eyed people, a world of tarzans and spidermans swiping you off the floor to their imaginary world of blissful happiness. Hmm, so that is exactly what the movies and books do to the people! An unnecessary hype being created to a simple lovely emotion called "Love".

Yes, Love is a great feeling. Makes one feel special and nice. But then one must remember that it is just another emotion. We say we love our parents, we love our pets, we love our friends, we love a few things too. But when it comes to love towards a boyfriend/girlfriend, it turns blind! Its the same "love" we use to define the feeling towards other people too! So whats so special about loving your boyfriend/girlfriend?

I think its all about magnitude. The intensity what matters in the end. We all love different people differently. Well its not about loving them differently, but its about loving them intensely! The intensity is less towards some and to others its more. The emotion Love is like a control chart. The control chart has upper limits and lower limits. And the points that cross these limits are not considered. The intensity of love is in between this Upper Limit and the lower limit. Loving parents and all other people and things come under these limits, with the intensities spread across.

When this emotion crosses the limit, one goes crazy! That's when people start expecting and craving for the imaginary world which in reality doesnt exist. That's when they call love as "blind" and extreme emotions creep in. Emotions such as possessiveness, jealousy, anger and sadnesss become a part of the act of loving. And some fool themselves saying that these emotions are really sweet because they are part of loving! And few others go to the extreme of saying that they hate and love the person at the same time! It can't get crazier. Can it?

It simply means that the person has gone weirdly off-balance and confused with his emotions towards the person. Love is not blind and can never turn blind when one has planted the foot firmly on the ground. It is a feeling to be enjoyed and one feels good and special when they love... Sharing, compromising, caring... Thats all that makes up love. Lots of breathing space, respect and understanding will make love an enduring experience. It definitely doesn't take a person to an imaginary world of tarzans but it helps to feel and see the rosier side of the real world!

Life goes on...

2006-05-15T03:34:00.003+05:30

Like everyone, I have always been inspired by William Shakespeare’s “All the World’s a stage”. He talks about the different stages a man has to pass. I realized that the other meaning for “all the world’s a stage” is nothing but “life goes on”. Nobody remains the same forever. Time has to pass.. People grow.

We all pass the different stages of life at one point of time. And sometimes we realize the harder way that life goes on.
The people affected by natural calamities like earthquakes and tornados have lost many loved ones. It’s been more than a year since tsunami affected thousands of people in the world. Many have lost their dear ones. I know a father who lost all his children. He has started a school for the orphaned children who lost their parents on the black Sunday. He has learnt that life goes on..

Years have gone by, but my friend still talks about a friend of his who got married and though they have always been in touch and they both mean the world to each other, they can never live the way they used to.. It hurts. But he lives his life with his career, his family.. And she with hers.. They have learnt that life goes on..

From school to college and graduation, so many people have meant so much to me… Some remain friends, some I have lost, some of them who just left! Sometimes things can never be the same again.. What remain are the memories.. Memories to be cherished.. It hurts.. But I will wait to see that this too shall pass.. Because I know that life goes on..

As time just rolls we realize that it is the best healer. We are not what we were 1 year or 1 month or 1 week or sometimes 1 day back.. The hurt remains.. But the hurt which filled the heart before, now fills only a corner of the heart. Because we learn that life goes on!

Well life goes on and on and on... Till the
Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

Do you WANT???

2006-05-06T04:44:00.002+05:30

We want something and when we get it, we want something else. OR we never get what we want. Right from a baby to an old man... Everyone seems to be thriving on "WANTS".

There are cases when we do a few things not because we want but because we are forced to! Yet there are cases when we never get what we want and get depressed about it. We get something else and we can never accept it. Why can't we be happy with what we have or what we get? Why are we so much driven by wants!

But hey! isn't it a person's freewill to just want? I am writing this blog because I want to write and you are reading this because you want to read. A person watches TV because he wants to.. A guy plays football because he wants to....

But some people are just so proud to say that they get whatever they want! Yeah they are so blessed but then is there any end to their wants? Why give importance to this want?? Which is just another desire... just another emotion.. Why does the world seem to survive on WANTS?

Wouldn't life be a bed of roses when we stop wanting? No disappointments, No worries, No sadness :) just a blissful, heavenly world! As they say, a coin has two sides.. on after thoughts the blissful world will be a boring place with no challenges, no wants.. I don't think I'll want that! Will you want that? ;)

Etiquette.... where are you?????

2006-03-31T23:40:00.002+05:30

Well, agreed… everyone has a cell phone nowadays… You actually look weird if you don’t have one. Cell phones have become a part of everyone’s life. Gone are the days where people will have to wait to see a phone booth near by. And along with this, gone is the etiquette.

I was traveling by auto rickshaw today when the driver suddenly stopped because he had to attend a call. I thought it would be an important call but to my utter shock, he was talking about eating bhajji in his friend’s place. I was more horrified when I found out that he had no intentions of ending his call!!! I was being patient for 5 LONG minutes and by that time I was already in a rage. I got out and walked away from the auto and the guy has the cheek to yell at me and say I don’t have patience!!! WHOAAAAA….

Where has the etiquette gone??? Okay probably these auto drivers are not educated to know what etiquette is. But what happened to the educated lot? I still remember the day when I went to watch a movie in the theater. It was an amazing movie but I didn’t enjoy it because there were a group of people right in front of me getting up once in a while to attend calls and their phones were in ringing mode!

It’s annoying to hear the cell phones ringing when you are in a public place. It’s annoying if someone uses his cell phone when a person is talking to him. It’s annoying when people talk in loud tones and make their conversations public. ANNOYING is the word!!!

The manufacturers of the cell phones should make it a point to attach the rules for etiquette in their manuals. The retailers should give the buyers proper guidance….. I hope this happens soon before these people (who are becoming a majority) change the very meaning of etiquette!!

______________________________________________________________

This post was published on the "Sound-Off" Column of Metro Plus- a magazine of The Hindu http://thehindu.com/ on July 8, 2006 :) Of course, I edited it. This is the edited version that was published:

Mind your manners'
Mobile phone users should follow etiquette, stresses Poorna B.

Mobile phones should come with manuals. Not ones that explain the buttons and the menus, but those that talk of etiquette, for, people these days need to be reminded to watch their manners!
I happened to travel by auto one day, when it suddenly jerked to a halt. The driver had got a call on his mobile. I did not grudge him the time till I realised he was discussing the bajjis he had eaten at his friend's house. Angry, I asked him to resume his conversation later. I was taken aback when he turned around and accused me of being impatient!
With technology comes responsibility, and this is true not only with regard to nuclear bombs. How would you feel when you are in a cinema hall, enjoying a nail-biting sequence and a mobile phone starts ringing? You look around and hope the owner would switch the instrument off. But thanks to technology and the number and variety of phones in use, the owner fails to recognise his or her ring tone for a few annoying seconds.
Once, when I had gone to a cinema, a man seated behind me was heard loudly describing entire scenes to someone over the phone. I badly wanted to request him to allow the others around him to watch the movie in peace. Why did he not realise that he was being a disturbance?
Another meeting that had me mystified took place in a coffee shop. A girl seated at one of the tables was messaging someone. A boy walked in and took a seat near her. They barely spoke to one another, but kept sending messages instead. People today talk less and `text' more. Perhaps, they think it is cool!
If a mobile phone manual is being made, I have a few rules to add. People should keep their phones in silent and vibrating mode when they are at a meeting. When somebody is addressing a gathering, it is important to pay attention, rather than answer phone calls. This is an insult to the speaker. Why indulge in loud conversation over the phone and make what is private, public?
In this age of technology, it would be absurd not to own a mobile; everyone has one. But, it is essential to mind your manners.

Please dilate my eyes!!

2006-03-29T00:25:00.002+05:30

I hate going to hospitals… Well, today was a day I couldn’t avoid. I had to go to the eye clinic to get my eyes tested coz I was having a terrible irritation. I had to undergo a series of tests and I was made to wait. The atmosphere was least helpful to make me feel good. The hospital smell, the closed room, people whispering in hushed tones….. I was ready to puke. Okay I am a person who is patient and can withstand things. So I decided to put up with this for a few more hours. Not that I had a choice. But it did help me to learn an important lesson in life.

After a couple of tests, they had to dilate my eyes. I was given instructions not to open my eyes for 20 minutes. I have never done this except for times when I sleep, dream or meditate where the focus will be on relaxing the mind and don’t involve the other senses of the body. My eyes which were registering all the activities happening around me suddenly were forced shut and I could experience my other senses automatically becoming active. My hearing grew sharper; I was talking in high tones to the person next to me….

That’s when I was reminded of the blind people. It’s believed that the senses of the people who are blind become super high and that’s why they are able to find their path back home or sense the picture of the world.

Though I was able to sense the activities, I felt very uneasy that I couldn’t actually see what’s happening. All I could see was a dark light. I felt uneasy to be blind for just 20 minutes and I couldn’t bear to think how the blind would feel to be actually blind forever. I felt a wave of compassion surging through me.
That reminded me of another incident where I was waiting for my bus. A blind person was trying to board a bus but he didn’t know what the route number was. He was tapping all over the bus trying to ask people the number. So helpless… so pathetic…

Surprisingly, I have been receiving “blind” signs from morning. I saw a song where there was a scene in which there is this man who almost trips against a brick in the middle of the road and he doesn’t care a damn and keeps walking. Next scene was a blind kid who senses the brick before he could trip and throws it to the side of the road.

This shows that we take everything that’s given to us for granted. We are gifted with lovely things…. We are the most fortunate ones and we don’t realize the importance of the things we have until we lose them.

Should I wait till I lose them or can I do something?? Well, I just realized that I could so something for someone in my life. Probably I could donate my eyes… Won’t that help at least one person??? I discussed about this with my family and they are with me. Okay, not so bad after all! Now, that makes me feel better at last! :)

Who cares about eyes getting dilated?!? Not me!

vettiness in extremes

2006-03-27T18:00:00.002+05:30

I am used to looking at the watch during class lectures. I wait for the minute hand to move faster. Time seems to move very slowly as boredom takes over. And sometimes, there are moments of elation that I would like to live in and that's when I want time to freeze forever. Strangely though, now as i am in my room in perfect silence, with absolutely no thoughts whatsover... not bored... not elated... The peaceful silence is encompassing me and i feel time freezing forever... I feel a strong sense of satisfaction in conquering TIME!

That's exactlly when I hear the faint ticking of the clock across my bed. And the reality falls THUDDDDD!
:( for all the enjoyment of my solitary moments... ughhhh

Maybe this is what happens to people who are toooooooo vetti!
~~ sigh sigh ~~

So here I am!

2006-03-27T01:58:00.001+05:30

The conversation i had with my friend is still vivid. Why would one create a blog?? Its a waste of time for sure!!! Posting thoughts.. what crap?? That was me! And thats when my friend was super enthusiastic about her creation of a blog.. I know she was disappointed when i showed my disinterest...

Oops and here i am as enthusiastic as my dear friend... :)

and i am all ready to start posting my powerful cerebrations!!